Adoptable Fridays: Bonnie Jean

Meet Bonnie Jean!! She was found roaming around a beautiful resort in Georgia. A nice lady saw that she needed help and contacted GPRA who of course took her in. She is heartworm positive and has some skin issues that are being addressed. Poor thing..her dewclaws were so ingrown they had to sedate her to trim them so it's obvious she had been neglected for a very long time. Bonnie Jean gets along with other dogs and is very sweet and affectionate. Her medical bills have mounted up so if you can help donate to my care, you can click here. Her ideal furever home would give her love, hugs, kisses and treats. She would also like regular pawdicures so her nails never get ingrown again! Bonnie Jean cannot wait to meet her new furever family so she can be the great girl  that she was always meant to be.

Oh Hallie...

I first need to apologize for being MIA since Friday! I generally don’t post on the weekends because I am too buys having fun with my babies!  I have been overwhelmed with a lot of different things going on so please forgive me! 

Hallie seems to be settling in quite nicely, but boy is she sassy! She doesn’t like it when the boys have something she wants. She will sit there and bark and bark and bark until they give it up. She hasn’t learned what personal space is, and she may never just as Hurley never did. Hurley doesn’t seem amused with her inside at the moment. Outside he loves to play, chase and dig with her but inside, he wants nothing to do with her. Housetraining has been tough but she is finally going outside more and more. She knows how to sit but loves to jump up so we are working on that as well. Once Hogan goes through Advanced Obedience with Woof University, LLC, Miss Hallie will need to go as well. She’s all legs right now and I think she will be a shorter coat Pyr as not all Great Pyrenees get that big fluffy coat like Hogan and Hurley have. So all in all, we are doing quite well and I promise not to leave you guys hanging this long again!

Adoptable Fridays: Flora

Meet Flora..she is as pretty as a flower on a bright sunny day! GPRA just rescued her from a high kill shelter in Alabama and she's very happy that she has a new lease on life because of them! Unfortunately, Flora is heartworm positive and has some other medical issues that need to be addressed, but GPRA says they are going to get her in tip top shape! It's very expensive do to that, so if you would like to donate to her care, please click here. 

Flora is very well behaved and walks nicely on a leash.  She is also calm and gentle and  gets along with other dogs and humans along with being housebroken.. Flora is extremely friendly and just wants someone to give her a  home with a loving hand..and food, food would be good. In return she will be your PYRfect companion who will love you unconditionally.

If you are interested in adopting Flora, please contact Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta at info@greatpyratlanta.com.

No! Not There!

Hectic..that pretty much describes life right now. But that's OK..

Since Hallie's arrival, the schedule is a little out of whack, but that is to be expected with a new puppy. Hallie is sweet, sassy, brave, cuddly, loving and playful.  One thing she is not, is housetrained. This is not her fault as I described in my most recent post, because her previous owners pretty much sucked. 

Hallie loves to go outside and play, dig and use her cute little raspy voice..but one thing she doesn't like to do is potty outside. Sometimes she will be outside for 30 minutes just playing and having a ball..then she comes inside and what happens? You guessed it..she potties on the floor..and then I yell "No! Not there! Then I get a look from the boys like "uhhhh Momma, she's not supposed to do that there, hope she's in trouble"!  It's maddening..but again, it's all she knows. She won't potty in her crate so that's good, now I just need her to learn outside is where it's at! After all, the boys do it out there!  I am giving her constant praise and treats when she does go outside so I am hoping she starts to learns soon..

Surprise!

I don’t know if my boys would appreciate being compared to a food item, but I have said it before, and I will say it again…Great Pyrs are like potato chips..you can’t have just one..and in my case, two..because now I have a third.  I know, I know..you are wondering “What is this chick thinking”..Well clearly, I’m not, but that’s ok!

In a recent  post, I was going to get a 10 week old girl from Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta, but she sadly had to be put to sleep.   I thought it would be a while before another young girl came along but I was wrong..This sweet thing is 4 months and basically spent the beginning of her life in a screened in porch.  The people who bought her didn’t have a fenced in yard so there she sat on the porch to eat, sleep, play and do her business. Then the owners said that a 40 pound dog was too big for their seven year old daughter to walk…Gee, you think??  Sometimes I wonder what people are truly thinking when they get dogs…So anyway, before I go on a tyrant about that, let me get back on tract. GPRA was contacted about her and of course, took her in. She was vetted and then stayed at a wonderful volunteers house for a couple of days who began working on housetraining her and giving her lots of love before coming to me.

Saturday rolled around and I was so excited to go get her…it was an hour and a half there and it seemed like it took forever to get there! Once I saw her sweet little face, my heart just melted.  She slept almost the whole way home and was very well behaved. Once home and confronted by two big boys, she really didn’t know what to think, and neither did they.  She pranced around the yard and then when she was comfortable enough, she started playing with the boys. She’s a fast little mover and they love to chase!  It’s funny watching her try to play with them and boss them around..they just stand there and put up with it.  They are both so gentle with her as if they know they’re big and she’s little (this is a first for them). She got her first digging lesson from Hurley on Sunday and she has quite the voice which I was shocked to hear. She's truly an adorable little lovebug and we are so happy to have her! 

So without further ado..Meet Hallie…like Ally with an H…

What A Monday...

So this post may be a little gross, but if you are a dog owner, you should completely understand.  This was a Monday of all Mondays..

I will start off by saying I have a little surprise for all my dear readers tomorrow, so please stay tuned…

This morning at 5:30AM I woke to a screaming alarm and a horrific smell..It was as if the two boys had eaten and entire pot of chili tainted with Habaneros.. Yes, it was THAT bad. Of course it was pouring down rain so no one wanted to go potty outside because God forbid the paws get wet…but me being the mean Momma I am, I forced them outside and they couldn’t come back in until business was done.  Now, onto that smell...For the life of me I couldn’t figure it out. Once the AC kicked on, the smell left so I just chalked it up to being gas..Until Hurley came back in from outside..

While Hurley was laying down on the floor after his wet romp outside, he wouldn’t stop licking his hind end. So of course being the good Momma I am, I needed to investigate…Upon closer inspection, I found his entire hind end was covered in a yellow, oily liquid that could only mean one thing...his anal glands had been expressed.  This….this was a problem. He needed a bath STAT because the smell was so overwhelmingly bad, but I didn’t have time..I knew my awesome vet (Midlands Veterinary Practice) opened at 7:30AM so I had to wait until then to see if they had any bathing appointments available. I called right at 7:30 and they were able to fit me in..there is a reason I love these guys!!  Poor Hurley knew something wasn't right..he was walking bow-legged and was hanging his head in shame. 

The whole car ride over he didn't even stick his head out of the car windows and even when I got him a hashbrown from McDonald's he wouldn't eat it which meant he was feeling really down..He also has never been to the vet without his brother so I think he was kind of unsure of what was going on..On the car ride there, I noticed I had peanut butter on my dress pants and caked in my ring! I guess when I was making Hogan's Kong I somehow got peanut butter on me and didn't notice it..Oh well, that would have to wait..

Once we got to the vet's office, I walked with him to the back and he went peacefully but wasn't happy about it. We put him in a large run where he had room to move about until bath time...We have determined that the glands were expressed due to Hurley's stress over the sever thunderstorms we had yesterday which I have posted about before. I felt so awful for him and ordered his Thundershirt via Amazon today. Results will be posted after the next storm..as well as pictures of Mr. Hoo post-bath...

  

Adoptable Fridays: Kelly

Meet Sweet Miss Kelly...She is a loving lady who is in search for her forever home! She's approximately five years old and has an incredibly sweet disposition and personality. She has plate in one of her back legs so sadly, she cannot be your running partner, but she can be your snuggle partner instead! It would be best if she didn't have a lot of stairs to climb up and down either, just as a side note. She has beautiful, soulful eyes that will just melt your heart!  Kelly gets along with other dogs and humans very well and considers herself to be quite the social butterfly. Kelly knows how to mind her manners when left alone in the house and walks just beautifully on a leash without any pulling. She is not big into barking and is  extremely laid back. Kelly would love to find a forever home that likes giving her head rubs, a soft bed and lovely treats! If you are interested in adopting Kelly from Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta, please send an email to GPRA at info@greatpyratlanta.com!

Quiet Time...

I am sure from my posts you probably think that my house is crazy all the time with dogs running around and slamming each other into walls and furniture all while drool flies through the air and lands on the wall...and for the most part, you are right..From the time the boys get up in the morning until I leave for work, they are wrestling, playing and chasing one another.  I assume they sleep the rest of the day while I am gone because as soon as I get home, it starts all over again until about 8:30-9:00ish.  The house suddenly goes quiet and all is calm.  One of the two boys is generally sleeping on the floor while the other is on the couch begging for attention and love (normally Hurley).  Last night Hogan crept up on the couch while I was on the loveseat watching trash TV (yes I watch it and no, I am not ashamed), and he rested his head and paw so sweetly on the arm of the loveseat and let out a huge sigh.  I heard him, and I knew what it meant..It meant "Momma please come love on me"...and so I did. He sat there with his head held up so I could scratch his big lion-like neck with his paw sitting on my arm. Every time I stopped I got a paw for more..so I obliged. As this continued his eyes got sleepier and sleepier until my big boy fell asleep and all was well with the world again. I cherish these soft, quiet times with them so much..

Where Art Thou Hurley?

Poor Hurley, he just can't stand loud noises and storms especially just upset him terribly...he tries to run and hide from the noise but unfortunately, there's really no where for him to go! He does sometimes find peace and comfort in my walk in shower or my bed..so when he goes missing, I know where to look.

Last night around 7, I was out on the deck just watching the boys play in the backyard. They were bouncing, running and wrestling.  That all stopped suddenly when a low grumble of thunder in the distance came about.  Immediately Hurley came and sat at my side, all while looking up at the sky with the most worrisome look on his face.  I knew it was time to go in and so we did.  Thirty minutes later there was a torrential downpour with thunder and lighting crashing down every few minutes. Hurley boy was not happy, not happy at all. He refused to even eat dinner which if you know my boy, you know he LOVES to eat..He paced and paced and finally went missing..

There he was, in the shower, laying down and looking at me like "Momma, make it stop"..I went to get my phone to snap a picture but he got up and onto the bed before I could get back. He would  repeatedly come out into the main part of the house for five minutes, only to race back onto the bed for about three hours before the storms subsided.  I am thinking about getting a Thundershirt to try to calm him during storms and fireworks. I have tried the medications to help and those don't seem to work so this may be the solution. It does have a money back guarantee so I really have nothing to lose!

Here's Hurley and his worrisome ways:

Adoptable Fridays: Django

Y'all...this guy was just a heartbreaking case, but the light is finally starting to show. Meet Django (pronounced  Jango), and he is now unchained and FREE thanks to Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta. Despite living in deplorable conditions his whole life all while being on a chain, this boy couldn't be more of a lovebug and has an infectious smile to boot. All he wants is love, affection and attention. He is two years old and only weighing in at 86 pounds when he should be well over 100 pounds.

When we first got him, he had maggots under his collar where raw and infected skin was. He was matted, dirty and had open sores all over from all the itching and scratching he had to do to try to get relief from the fleas and insects that were irritating his skin. Although he looks a little silly now, he will be a very stunning handsome Southern Gent once his hair comes back in. He of course is heartworm positive which GPRA is taking care of, and thanks to some pawsomely gracious donors, his heartworm treatment is already paid for! He has since been shaved and bathed and will continue to get medicated baths to treat the sores he has.

Django is very intelligent as he has already learned how to use a doggy door and knows that outside is where he needs to do his business! He gets along with other dogs very well and just wants to play now that he is free to do so! Django needs someone who has the patience to teach him that not all food is for him. Since he was never given a lot of food he thinks its all for him, and that includes people food! He's not aggressive about it, he just loves it when he is able to get it! He is however, very excited he will never go hungry again!

Below are some before and after pictures and if you are interested in adopting or fostering Django, please email GPRA at info@greatpyratlanta.com!

All Clear!!

After about a day of panicking, it seems that we are in the clear. If you read my post on Wednesday, you know that Hogan had me quite worried…After two days of watching him and digging through his poop with sticks while in a pencil skirt and stilettos or flip flops and a leopard robe to make sure there wasn’t any blood in it, which would indicate something was wrong with his digestive system somewhere.. He sure is lucky he has a Momma willing to do that for him!  I have since made a new rule. NO bones in the trash on the porch, they are to be taken directly outside to the big trash can that the dogs can’t get to. Smart huh? I should have done that all along..

Needless to say I am a happy Momma that he is OK, and that now we can focus on having a fun weekend and some cool upcoming things that I can’t wait to share with you, but of course, you will have to stay tuned!

Here’s my silly boy relaxing last night after digging and digging and digging..so obviously he feels fine!!

Oh No, Ho Ho!

Ugh..well I was a bad Momma and left the trash uncovered again...

I have posted before about how the boys love to get in the trash..Normally this is harmless when it happens..but this time it was more serious because there were cooked rib bones in the garbage left over from Sunday's cookout! I went to work and then came home at lunch to check on the boys..all was well. I then went to my Dad's birthday party last night and got home around 9. As I was changing my clothes Hogan decided to make himself comfy on my bed which is a normal nightly routine..I turned around and looked at him and he had this look about him that just wasn't right..As soon as I said "Are you OK buddy", he vomited all over my comforter and chunks of chewed up ribs were everywhere. This happened three more times and  I immediately started to worry and go into true "Momma" mode..

Pink Gums?  Check
Normal Stool? Check
Acting Normal? Check
Eating and Drinking? Check

If you don't already know, the consumption of cooked rib bones can harm your pet by splintering and causing tears in the digestive system or causing blockages, both which require extensive and expensive surgery, and if not caught and treated properly, can cause death. I didn't want baby boy to have to go through surgery, pain, etc. I was just so concerned. After speaking with two well versed doggie friends late last night they both assured me that it seems he is OK but to just keep a watch out, which I have done. Hogan slept on the bed with me almost all night last night and is not showing any signs of trouble but the next couple of days will really tell.  I am sure my neighbors like the sight of me out in the yard with a stick going through Hogans poop...I am sure they think I am crazy..and I am..crazy about my babies!

Not the best picture..I think he was annoyed I was trying to check his gums every 10 minutes!

Long Lazy Weekend

I am back from a long Memorial Day weekend which was much needed. Of course the boys couldn't be happier because any day that Momma is home is a good day to them. If they had their choice, I would work from home and stay with them all day.  But that's not an option..at least not right now!

Friday night we took a quick trip to the dog park but sadly, no one was there! I guess because of the holiday weekend or something..so we only stayed for about 20 minutes and then headed home...

It was gorgeous, yet cool morning on Saturday so I took the boys to the dog park yet again and boy did they have an absolute blast. They played for well over an hour. Hogan met a 7 month old Shar Pei who he just adored. They played for what seemed like forever just chasing each other, spinning around and wrestling. Hurley just ran around being a social butterfly and became the official gate greeter of all the dogs coming into the park. Once home, the boys passed out and slept the rest of the day.

Sunday was great..I just lounged with the boys until about 12 and then did some quick tidying up which of course included vacuuming...they HATE the vacuum! They will run all over the house trying to get away from this big, green, evil machine! It's hilarious to see such big boys afraid it.  After that I decided to take Hogan to Lowes with me to look for my Dad's birthday present..now you may be thinking, why not the both of them?  Well simply put, Hurley gets scared in loud, noisy and bustling environments so I knew this was not the place to take him..people running around, carts, forklifts, etc..no bueno for Senior Hurley. Of course Hogan was an attraction and what should have been a thirty minute trip, lasted well over an hour but he loved every moment of it because he was getting so much attention.  Since he was a good boy, I took him to PetSmart to get some treats.  After that he was pooped..and I could tell he was ready to go when he laid down on the cool floor in the store while I was looking at stuff.

Monday I went boat shopping as the boat I currently have really doesn't work well with two giant dogs. I have my eye on either a Pontoon Boat or a Deck Boat, but I think the Pontoon would serve a much better because I can fit more people on it and the dogs too! Sadly, I didn't have much luck but will keep searching!
When I got home I cuddled up with the boys and watched Alex Cross and prepared for the next day. Now that it's Tuesday and I am back to work, I am quite interested to see what awaits me when I get home as they were NOT happy boys when I left this morning..

Adoptable Fridays: Dale

Meet good ole' boy Dale..he is a total sweetheart who wandered his way up to a sweet lady's house after he'd been wandering for quite some time.  She did her best to clean him up because he was full of fleas, ticks and matts. She knew she could not care for him and give him the quality of life he deserves, so she contacted  Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta who gladly took him in.  Dale gets along beautifully with humans both tall and small as well as other dogs. He can be a tad bit pushy when it comes to food but he's working on those manners.  Dale really dislikes storms and we can't blame him. I would be scared of them too if I had to sit outside during one, so he must be an inside dog where he can get a ton of love and lots of comfort when storms come.  If you are interested in adopting Dale, please email GPRA at info@greatpyratlanta.com!

Neighborhood Watch

Great Pyrenees are known for their wonderful protective instincts, and boy do my boys have that instinct down pat.  I pity the fool that ever even thinks about breaking into my house! And while you know I LOVE my boys, the barking sure does get annoying from time to time. They have this wonderfully deep "don't mess with us" kind of bark which should/could scare the meanest of mean away..but still, they bark when an acorn falls! And God forbid if a cat comes on premises..hold on to your hats! But I know if I ever needed them to protect me, they would.  One thing I just love is pulling up to the house and seeing them “on the lookout”..

They also love to watch the neighborhood kids outside playing, which I think is beyond sweet and adorable. They will watch for hours if the kids are out there. Below are some of my favorite "Neighborhood Watch" photos..

Shoe Done It?

I rarely get mad or upset at the boys..but this one, this one hurt..I am quite disappointed and they know it.  Yesterday, I came home to this:

There it was...my brand new Jessica Simpson Ginny Wedge that I just purchased a couple weeks ago..I have only worn them about 4 times and I loved them. They were comfortable and I could wear them all day. They were perfect with skinny jeans, my wide legged linen pants, dressy shorts or even flared legged jeans. I knew I had closed the bedroom door before I left for work..so I went to check and sure enough it was closed. I opened the door and the partner to the deceased wedge was just sitting there all alone.  This could only mean one thing..SOMEONE had taken the shoe out of Momma's room before she left for work and hid it..

The guilty party?  This boy right here...

Wanna know how I know?  Because when I showed both boys the shoes Hogan looked me in the eye and just sat there..Hurley..well he ran, jumped on the couch and hung his head in shame! WHY Hurley? WHY would you do this to Momma's new shoe?  Was it the soft leather straps that lured you in? Or the cheetah print lining?  It would have been easier for you to take and eat both! Now I have one perfect one just staring at me in all its useless glory..

For those of you who don't know me personally, I take any assault on my shoes hard. I love shoes..and I mean LOVE shoes. I bet I could say I have easily owned well over 1,000 pairs of shoes in my life and I currently have at least 100 at the house now with more in storage...

Hurley pouted for at least an hour..while I am still pouting..RIP Ginny..RIP

Nurse Boys

When I am sick or not feeling well, my boys know it...I don't know how, but they do. I suffer from migraines and yesterday was my day to have one evidently.  I emailed my boss at about 5:15AM to tell her I needed to try to let my meds kick in and get some sleep and that I would be in later. All morning my boys were cuddled up in bed with me and didn't move a muscle until I got up. Hurley must at all times be touching me some how..if I move and we aren't touching, he will immediately move to where he is touching me..normally he puts his back up against mine. Hogan is almost always at the foot of the bed watching over me.

I eventually went into work but only lasted a couple of hours before I had to come back home. As soon as I got home I went straight back to bed with the boys in tow. Again, there they were cuddled up close. If only they could fetch me a cold washcloth when I needed one! Seeing as they don't have thumbs I don't see that ever happening! I am very lucky to have these boys and am always amazed at their love for me and how in tune to me they are...

I couldn't get a picture of the both of them in the bed with me, so here is nurse Hurley with his head resting on me..

Hey Mom! Look At Me!

I like to garden...to an extent..I cannot keep plants in the house because the two munchkins like to tear any plant I have out of its pot, shake the dirt vigorously all around the house all while shredding any green vegetation in sight to bits..so outside planting is best. I have a decent sized raised garden bed for my fruit and veggie garden and then I have my herbs in a large barrel planter. In the big bed I have all sorts of good stuff planted..strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, eggplant, asparagus, spinach, lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers (yellow, purple and red), yellow squash, zucchini, red and white onions and spaghetti squash.  Of course the garden is fenced so the boys don't go digging around in there and ruining all the plants...I can only imagine the damage they could do with that!

So this weekend while it was nice outside, I had all my herbs on the patio table sitting in the sun and soaking up the rays before I planted them in the barrel planter. I wanted to take a picture of them to do a before and after as I do every year.  Just as I am taking snapping the picture, Hurley jumps up and gets in the way..It was honestly the best Photobomb ever..but of course, I am biased!

Adoptable Fridays: Pearl

I have decided that I am going to dedicate each Friday to an adoptable dog that is available through Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta..These dogs need so much from us as humans as their previous human(s) failed them. Sometimes, they have been failed several times over. This is one of my ways of trying to right humanities wrongs against these wonderful Gentle Giants…

Meet pretty girl Pearl.. she  really needs to get placed into either a foster home or forever home quickly. She recently tore her ACL and needs very expensive surgery to fix it but since she is in boarding, GPRA cannot do the surgery because she needs a home to go to in order to recuperate. .

She is a wonderful 1 year old Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever mix, which some say "the best of both worlds". She’s great with people tall and small and even cats!! She does prefer to be an only dog though because Pearl tends to be an Alpha female, which she really doesn’t mean to be, she just is. She’s young so she still  chews sometimes but nothing that a few bones and rawhides can’t fix! Pearl is housebroken and a real love. Everyone where she’s being boarded just adores her and they can’t figure out why she’s still in boarding and not in a loving home yet.  She enjoys the water and even likes playing in the rain! Miss Pearl likes to be in charge so she needs a strong leader so she can learn to give up her job as leader in exchange for a really great place to live! GPRA is even going to pay for Pearl to have good training so she grow up to be a wonderful, well-behaved sweetheart of a dog who will capture anyone’s heart.  I urge you to consider Pearl as she really will make a wonderful addition to your home.

If you would like to donate toward Pearl’s surgery, you can do so here:  http://greatpyratlanta.com/paypal.aspx?item_name=Great%20Pyrenees%20Atlanta%20Pearl%20Donation

Dog Park Love

My boys love to swim, love to ride in the car, love cuddling..but one thing they REALLY love is going to the dog park. Now that the weather is nice and warm, we have been going a lot. So much so, that when I come home they wait by the front door because they now expect to go!

We go to the dog park at Saluda Shoals near my house. It's a fabulous off-leash dog park that has both wooded/shaded areas as well as wide open spaces for the dogs to romp and play. They have a dog bone shaped wading pool for the dogs to cool off in and plenty of water throughout. There's also a lot of areas for the owners to sit and talk while the pups play. One thing that my boys love so much is the big sand pit just on the edge of the shaded area..you know from a recent post  that this is one thing the boys just can't stay away from. One thing I like about this park is that you have to be a member to participate in the dog park and when you join you have to show proof of vaccinations and spaying/neutering. That way, you're guaranteed that all the dogs in the park are safe and aren't putting your dog at risk.

As always, here are some photos for your enjoyment!