Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

An animal does not know right from wrong–certainly not evil; a cat will chase down chipmunks and birds and mice.  They are just programed to do that.  A dog will automatically chase a squirrel or rabbit very seldom catching one.

My wife was yelling and screaming.  The dogs caught a squirrel that they trapped in my bird feed chest.  To make it worst, it was a squirrel we called “stubby”.  I was blamed for it for I was told to leave the food chest open so this would not happen.

A squirrel or some other animal gnawed a hole in the chest so they could enter from the outside.  I felt bad for the squirrel.  Our golden retriever and her two pups were blamed (and me) for its death.

I felt bad about the whole thing.  All I could do in the future was leave the chest open or possibly move it to the garage.

Tags: bird feed, bird feed chest, birds, cats, chipmunks, dogs, golden retriever, mice, my wife, pets, rabbit, right from wrong, squirrel
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Coco is one of my “pups”.  I call her that although she is full grown.  Her Mom is our golden retriever and Dad is our Rottweiler mix.  She is totally black with a little patch of white on her breast, long haired with the most adorable fluffy ears.  She was the pup who hung back and observed before doing anything.  She is so different than her Mom, “Sweetie”.  Sweetie will demand your attention.  She will put her paw on you to get petted more.  Not Coco.  Coco is this unassuming lovable dog.  Sometimes she sits there both paws crossed so feminine-like.  She likes her privacy:  often she is the last dog to come inside from the yard.  When she has a bone, she is loath to leave it and will, often, run out into the yard with it in her mouth and return into the house with it in its mouth, too.  I love all my four dogs but she has a special place in my heart.

Tags: Coco, dog bone, dogs, four dogs, golden retriever, Pax, pets, puppies, rottweiler mix, Sweetie, yard
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I came running.  My wife was yelling at the “pups” to drop something.  She saw a white throated nuthatch bounce off the big living room window and immediately investigated.

The dogs did the same.  She made one drop the bird it had in its mouth.  Luckily, the dog was part retriever and did not hurt the bird.  I grabbed it gently and placed it on our Honda out of reach of the dogs.

The bird was alert and moved a little but did not fly away.  It must have been traumatized first by bashing its head again the pane of glass and then by being handled by the dog.

I looked at it closely.  It was a beautiful bird that I usually only see at a distance.  I was thrilled when it finally collected its senses and flew away.  It did not seem to be fatally injured.

Tags: beautiful bird, bird flew away, bird hit the glass window, birds, dogs, golden retriever, my wife, pets, white throated nuthatch
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Coco, my other “pup” was content chewing on a bone, all by herself, outside.  She was two years already but I still called her my “pup”.  Her brother was in the house lying down.

I loved Coco who was an long haired female almost totally black.  She enjoyed her privacy.  Her mother, a golden retriever, was named Sweetie so I could not name Coco that.  Coco also was a real sweetheart.

Her nickname was wiggles.  I did not know I could love dogs (and cats) so much.  Each animal has their own personality.  And they are all different.  And I love each one.

All this is new to me.  I did not have any pets growing up.  My Mom was too fussy so she could not tolerate any.  So here I am with seven cats and four dogs, a real menagerie.  My wife loves animals.  And I do too.  I had to become an adult to find that out.

Tags: Coco, dog bone, dogs, four dogs, golden retriever, love dogs and cats, menagerie, my Mom, my wife, pets, seven cats, Sweetie
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My three dogs were laying at my feet and I realized how much I loved them and they were only on loan (the fourth one was in the next room). I loved each dog and each one I had a special relationship with.

Coco, the black long haired mutt, the offspring of Pax and Sweetie, was lovely. She had the personality of her mother, a golden retriever: She just loved you and asked nothing in return.

Sweetie, her mother, often spent hours chained in the previous owner’s house. She, sometimes, demanded affection, having been deprived of it in her first year of her life. She was one happy-go-lucky dog.

Tilla, the second offspring of Sweetie, was perhaps the most intelligent and athletic dog I have ever known. Often when he is in the office with me he pushes the door shut–a behavior I have never figured out.

I looked at all three dogs who had joined me in the office while I was reading my paper and realized everything is by grace. I did not grow up with pets but here I am with four dogs and seven cats all of whom I love dearly.

Everything is by grace. And God gives you first, second, third, sometimes fourth chances, etc., to do it all over again.

Tags: affection, athletic dog, Coco, do it all over again, dogs, everything-is-by-grace, four dogs, God, God gives you more chances, golden retriever, happy-go-lucky dog, intelligent dog, love, love each dog, Pax, pets, reading my paper, relationships with my dogs, seven cats, she just loved you, Sweetie, Tilla
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I woke up in the middle of the night and Tilla one of my pups was asleep right next to me again.  I never thought another dog would come along who I would love as deeply as Daisy, now gone over three years.

Daisy was the first dog I raised from a pup.  She was one stubborn dog.  I finally decided to train her when I broke the front door window for the third time.  She would go berserk whenever I was about to leave the house.  She scared me and I slammed the door again breaking the glass.

It took infinite patience to train her to stop barking uncontrollably every time I was about to leave the house.  I would clamp my hands over her snout when she barked.  If she stopped, I praised her.  Otherwise I said nothing.

I repeated this technique umpteen times.  I knew I had succeeded when all I had to do when she barked was “shush” her and she would stop immediately.

It also took a long time to train her to sleep in the corner of the bed.  She would want to sleep too closely to me.  I must have pushed her away from me dozens of times in bed before she started sleeping at my feet.

My wife was always amazed that now she would automatically sleep at my feet at the furthest reaches of the bed.

When I was in the house her eyes never left me.  She was my dog.  She finally died and I missed her terribly.  And I thought that there would never be a another dog like her.

Well, Tilla came along.  We were down to one dog and someone gave us a young female golden retriever.  And you know the rest of the story:  she got pregnant before we could fix her.  And Tilla was one of her puppies.

Tilla as opposed to Daisy wanted to please.  We had our own set of problems with him.  Tilla was the only dog athletic enough to  jump the fence we had erected and finally at great expense we had it built higher.  He also had a bad habit of pooping in the dining room every night.

He is the only dog of ours who prompted a visit from the local dog warden when a neighbor complained about one of his escapades.

He was a scoundrel and was the most aggressive of our four dogs yet paradoxically was timid when it came to other humans except us.  He will be three next July.

Tilla did certain things to endear him to me.  He loved getting belly rubs and would turn over on a dime for that privilege.  Whenever he was waiting for me to let him out he would twirl rapidly in almost perfect circles.  He was the only dog to do that of our four.

I started giving him special walks because for a while he was the only dog we could not let loose in the yard.  He can’t replace Daisy but he has come close.  And he came when I least expected it.  He has captured my heart.

Tags: athletic dog, belly rubs, Daisy, death, dog barking, dog poop, dog training, dog twirl in circles, dog walking, dog warden, dogs, golden retriever, jump the fence, my dog, my wife, never another dog like her, patience, pets, praise the dog, puppies, stubborn, Tilla, train my dog, walk the dog
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Thank God for my pets.  Somehow I believe it is no accident my second wife also loves animals.  I never had pets growing up.  I love all of my pets.  All eight cats and all four dogs.  It is a menagerie.  And it is true I can’t go on vacation so easily but that is a small price to pay.

There is Tilla one of the pups we kept of our golden retriever (we kept two) who is a paradox extremely aggressive but timid at the same time.  For example, if you throw four scraps to our four dogs, he usually will get three if you don’t stop him.

He actually let my daughter pet him the last time she was over (that was a first).  He still runs in the other direction when my son approaches him.  And he is good with pets.

Coco is the other pup of Sweetie and extremely affectionate although she can be pretty insistent when she wants to go out.  She will sit at our feet front legs crossed sometimes–a real lady.  She gets along with everyone.

My eight cats are all different (the one unfixed female, now fixed) had two litters–one and three.  Pumpkin the only surviving cat from the first litter is one quiet, laid back cat who seems to get along with all the other seven.

The other three from the second litter of Jasmine’s are Cheyenne, China, and other whose name temporarily escapes me.  Both Cheyenne and China are long haired.  The mother is shorted (???) haired, small and dainty but able to take well care of herself.

Cheyenne is one beautiful although somewhat wild cat.  He usually does not let me pet him.  If I get too close, he gives me the eye as if to ask me “how dare you approach me?”

China is one exotically black and white colored cat who is one cool character.  He is extremely laid back and nothing seems to faze him.  I always have trouble remembering the sexes of our cats.

Cool Hand Luke a black female cat I brought into this marriage who hangs out in our bedroom and is appropriately named.  I have another completely black cat “Slinky”.

It is hard to tell the two apart although if you pet them you can tell the difference immediately.  “Slinky” is somewhat timid and extremely affectionate.

Tiger is the third cat from the second litter of Jasmine also appropriately named who sorts (???) blends in with every one.

Buttons is the other tiger looking cat who decided to adopt our family.  He showed up at our doorsteps and my wife started feeding him and when he got his shots, she let him come in.

He knew a good thing when he came in:  he did not go out for months again.  He is the newest member of our menagerie.  He does, at times, terrorize the other cats.

He also terrorized the vet and her staff during his exam:  It took them ten minutes to catch him in the exam room when he squirmed out of the grasp of the vet and three people were chasing him around the room (the vet called for backup).

He scratched the hell out of the vet in the process.  He is still a (???) somewhat wild although he has calmed somewhat after he got fixed.  That pretty much takes care of our cats.

Pax, the father of the pups, is the only pet of ours not mentioned by name.  He is the biggest and oldest dog close to an hundred pounds, an Rottweiler mix.

He suffered from bad ear infections and only at the vet where they put a muzzle on him would he allow anyone to go near to clean them.  It took me awhile before I lost my fear of him.  The veterinary helper called him a “baby.”  He is one dog I never want to get out he is one scary looking dog.

There is also Sweetie our golden retriever who is aptly named.  She will stand there forever letting you pet her.  She is one happy-go-lucky dog who always likes to have something in her mouth.  She was traumatized by her original owner who would lock her up for hours.  That is how we got her and that is the last of our menagerie.

Tags: Add new tag, big dog, Buttons, cats, Cheyenne, China, Coco, Cool Hand Luke, dogs, ear infection, eight cats, four dogs, God, golden retriever, happy-go-lucky dog, Jasmine, menagerie, my daughter, my son, my wife, Pax, pets, Pumpkin, quiet laid back cat, rottweiler mix, Slinky, Sweetie, thank God, Tiger, Tilla, veterinarian
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Coco is my other pup.  I call her that despite the fact she turned two in the past July.  She is the second pup we kept when our retriever had her litter of seven.  She is a long haired black female dog.  Coco loves what we call “crunchies”–crackers, chips anything like that.  If she hears you munching away she immediately “plops” herself right in front of you hoping you relent and share some of your snacks with her.

She is a very gentle self assured affectionate dog.  There are some others things about her:  when she looks at me cockeyed with her absolutely adorable fluffy ears I just want to “melt”.  To say she has captured my heart is an understatement.  If we had not named her mother “Sweetie” already she would have probably gotten that name.  That pretty much sums her up.

Tags: affectionate, capture my heart, chips, Coco, crackers, crunchies, dogs, gentle, golden retriever, July, pets, puppy, self assured, share your snacks, Sweetie
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Let me introduce you one of my pets:  “Atilla The Hun” or “Tilla” for short.  He is a sixty plus pound black dog who just turned two.  His father “Pax” is a rottweiler mix and his mother “Sweetie” is a golden retriever and both live with us.

He is the reason we built our 100 foot long fence over a foot higher.  He could jump the previous one–not the biggest dog we have (we have four) but he is lean and muscular with a barrel chest and the only dog of ours who could perform that feat.

The state dog warden once paid us a visit.  It seems “Tilla” escaped and “terrorized” the local neighbor’s dog (and I use that word “terrorized” really loosely).  The two dogs simply barked loudly at each other.

He does have a timid nature although loving.  When my son comes over, he usually runs in the other direction.  And my son is good with dogs.

There are two other things he does that are unique:  he locks himself in the bathroom when he wants attention and the other is when he is anxious to go out he twirls rapidly in almost perfect circles.

He is the only dog who knows how to let himself out the front door.  We usually keep the screen door locked now.

He is the most aggressive of our four dogs.  If you put out four tidbits in front of them, he usually gets three of them.

He used to think he was still a puppy and snuggles onto my wife’s lap while she is sitting on her Lazy Boy all sixty-six pounds of him.

I started giving him an occasional walk for he was the only dog put on a chain (before we made the fence higher this summer).  Remember he could jump the fence.  I felt sorry for him.

Every time he hears the rattle of the chain he appears right in front of me.  Usually in five seconds or less.

He has become my dog and often sleeps with me on the bed.  There are probably more stories I could tell about him but this is a good start.

Tags: dog bark, dog leash, dog sleeps on bed, dog stories, dog warden, dogs, fenced yard, four dogs, front door, golden retriever, jump the fence, Lazy Boy, my son, my wife, Pax, pets, puppy, rottweiler mix, screen door, Sweetie, Tilla, walk the dog, when he wants attention
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There are many characters in our house.  I will mention a few.  We have a menagerie here:  eight cats and four dogs.  And each pet has a distinct personality.  Let us start off with one of the dogs, the oldest–“Pax”.

“Pax” is a rottweiler/boxer mix.  He is one intimidating dog–almost an hundred pounds–scary as all hell.  He is really a pussy cat–all bark and no bite.  He will run out into the yard and situate himself in the furthest right hand corner and bark at his neighbor who had the audacity to walk out into his yard which is directly across the street.

“Pax” is a scaredy cat.  We have to bring him to the vet when his ears need to be cleaned out; for they muzzle him there.  He is a baby as big as he is.  It is difficult giving him antibiotics to clear up his ear infection.  We have to fool him.  Give him something he likes like bread, put a pill in one slice and then keep coming with the slices so he has to swallow one before he can eat the next.

When we were down to one dog, “Sweetie”, a female golden retriever, entered our lives.  “Pax” wanted nothing to do with her (did I mention “Pax” is a he).  It was hilarious.  No matter how many times he growled at her, she threw herself on him over and over.  Sweetie is one happy go lucky dog.

We planned to get her fixed as soon as possible; but the worst possible scenario happened and you guessed it “Pax” impregnated “Sweetie”.

The day we were supposed to be at my sister’s house in Plymouth, Sweetie had seven pups on our bed no less.  One died and we sold four and I did not have the heart to separate the last two.  So “Atilla the Hun” (“Tilla” for short) and Coco entered our lives.

I have to say “Atilla The Hun” is not vicious by by (???) means but is aggressive:  If you throw four scraps of food at the feet of our four dogs, he will get three.  I call him “Atilla The Hun” because others laugh at that name.  He is really a sweet dog although he does not realize he is all of sixty-six pounds for he will sometimes try to snuggle on our laps.

There will be more about theses two pups and you will see why “Tilla” was originally named “Atilla The Hun”. In fact he may warrant an entire blog or more to relate his antics. (to be continued)

Tags: cats, Coco, dog loves bread, dog on our laps, dogs, each pet has a distinct personality, ear cleaning, eight cats, four dogs, God, golden retriever, happy-go-lucky dog, menagerie, my sister, Pax, pets, Plymouth, rottweiler mix, seven pups, Sweetie, Tilla, veterinarian
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