Creature of Habit

Hey Gretchen?

Yep, Rubin.

What exactly is meant by the phrase, “a creature of habit?”

Well, it means that the “creature” — whoever that may be — likes routine and isn’t very fond of a change in their lives. Why do you ask?

I think this might describe me.

You think?

Why are you smiling like that?

I guess I’m just surprised that you figured this out now.

You mean you aren’t surprised?

Can’t say that I am because you are, in fact, very much a creature of habit.

Is that a bad thing?

Absolutely not! It’s just the way you are and I guess it doesn’t bother me because I’m kind of the same way.

Do you think others find it bothersome?

I suppose, but then everything everyone does bothers someone somewhere.

Well, I don’t really care about everyone everywhere. I’m concerned that my people/friends find it annoying. Is it annoying?

What “habits” do you think others might find annoying?

Hmmm, let me see. I don’t like to eat breakfast and would prefer my first meal of the day served after 11 in the morning. Is that annoying?

Not annoying so much as frustrating because sometimes our days are busy and stopping mid-morning to get you to eat can make the day feel rushed.

See, these are the reasons I think it’s important that we talk about this stuff.

Will it change the time you are willing to eat breakfast?

No, but it’s good to know that you feel this way.

Now who is wearing the wry smile?

Are there other things that I need to know about my habits?

Let’s see…I’ve got a question for you. Why is it that when it’s time for bed you always look at the human bed longingly and then, when we invite you up, you won’t come up unless there is an immense amount of coaxing?

I don’t know if you really want the answer to this.

Why not?

I do that because I like to see the two of you do all that gyrating to get me up on the bed. It’s kind of like the last joke of the day and it makes me laugh every time!

So it’s not habit? It’s humor?

Let’s just say that it’s a little bit of both. You have to admit it’s pretty funny.

Actually, I don’t have to admit that and I won’t.

Anything else you need to share about my habits?

Let me make a list…

A list?

Yep, a list.

Rubin’s Top Ten Habits (some annoying, others not):

1. The need to bark in the backyard…sometimes at something (like a squirrel or a opossum) and sometimes at nothing (the “I see dead people” syndrome)

2. The need for daily off-leash time; no off-leash time = Mr. Grumpy

3. The morning routine — wake up, outside break, inside to the warmest spot on the couch, morning nap, then a big stretch.

4. Barking at the two dogs in the neighborhood that you don’t like.

5. Running to hide when your raincoat and/or booties are even a possibility of being removed from the closet and getting anywhere near you.

6. Needing at least 3 hours of exercise each day before you decide you are sort of tired.

7. Sitting in the back of the car looking out the back window so that the drivers behind us point and smile at the “cute dog” in the window.

8. Staring at me whenever I put my hand/hands in my pocket(s).

9. Needing the blanket on the couch to be spread out over the ottoman so you have a tent to sleep under while we read or watch a movie.

10. The way you have me twisted around your paw so that I always add a sprinkle of something extra (cheese, ham, chicken, treats) in your food bowl before you even think about eating!

So what’s the difference between a habit and a personality trait?

Good question. I think the difference is how you react if any of the above don’t happen. If it were a personality trait, you’d handle it better realizing that things like having cheese put on your food isn’t necessary, but because you’ve done it over and over and over again, it’s now a habit that you can’t overlook…nor can I.

Are you suggesting that a habit is one I shape and form and a personality trait isn’t under my control?

Perhaps. All I know is that if certain things don’t happen, you get a bit flustered and when you get flustered, everyone’s day is kind of thrown off.

That sounds more like a personality trait than a habit.

You know, I think you are right, but maybe it’s that your overarching personality trait is that you are a creature of habit — one is nested into the other.

Like those Russian Dolls you have in the front room?

Precisely. You like routine, Rubin. There’s no doubt about it and frankly, I get that because I am the same way. If things change too much, I can stress out a bit and I have to stop and remind myself that the routines aren’t too far away…I just need to find my way back to them.

I understand that completely!

But why do you ask me about all of this?

Well, you have to admit that our routine has been kind of whacky lately and I’ve been feeling the stress of it.

Me, too. But I think things are going to level off here so hang in there, okay? I mean, this past week has been relatively normal, right?

Yes. I’ve gotten to see all my dog walking clients and even though Woobie stayed with us for a few days and Paige came over for a birthday party, it felt a little closer to a normal routine.

Good. Let’s work on keeping it that way in the weeks to come, okay?

Okay! Thanks for helping me work through this, Gretchen.

You bet, buddy. Anything else you want to talk about?

Well, it’s sunny outside today. Any chance we can go run off leash without my raincoat or booties after I bark at the squirrel on the backyard fence and bare my teeth at those dogs I don’t like in the neighborhood and then you can give me some cheese?

Aren’t you the joker!

Forever and always!

Rubin

The In-Betweens

Yes, I’ve been neglectful and have not updated this blog for quite some time.

Yes, I feel bad about it.

Yes, I have my reasons and no, I won’t go into them.

Instead, the swirl and whirl of my days has made me realize how much of the in-between time takes up our lives.

Sure there are the dogs to walk. Sure there are the blogs to write.  Sure there has been Max to care for. Sure there are things to manage — like getting Gretchen off to her pool work on time or paying the bills or doing the laundry or making dinners or grading papers (Momma Ann). But there are also things that happen in between the expected stuff — slivers of life, as it were, that can consume time so rapidly you’re not sure if you’re coming or going.

How to capture those slivers has been on my mind lately and up until yesterday I was stymied about how to explain them. Then one event crystallized the whole dilemma.

First, we picked up Rosie (a little later than usual because we were at the vet’s office with Max) and as usual she was happy to see us, but instead of our normal walk, we headed over to Monty’s house.

Normally (as if there is such a concept in my life) we’d get Monty first and then head to Rosie’s, but today, it just worked out to pick up Rosie then walk to Monty’s and then head out on a longer walk with both of them.

Anyway, we walked (Rosie and I) to Monty’s house, leashed him up, and set out for the park. Monty loves Rosie and the feeling is very mutual. So they walked side by side bumping into each other with delight while I walked on the other side of Gretchen. Down the street we went when we passed the last house on the block — an old white house with a big yard front and back.

Next to the walkway going up to the house someone had set out their umbrella — fully open and propped in between two bushes. No doubt they were hoping to have it dry out after all the rain and wetness of late.

I saw the umbrella, Monty was oblivious to it, and Gretchen only gave it a passing glance.

Rosie, on the other hand, thought the sky had fallen and panicked sideways knocking her sturdy Boxer body into Monty’s gangly Poodle frame which in turn cut Gretchen off at the knees.

It all happened so fast that I’m sure none of us took a breath as Gretchen went straight up in the air — as in her feet kicked out from under her and went toward the sky — Monty skittered to one side, Rosie to the other (far away from the umbrella as she could get!), and I ran to the end of the leash to avoid being squashed.

At the pinnacle of Gretchen’s ascent, her phone slipped up and out of her breast pocket and started to ring.

And then everything crashed down — Gretchen, the phone, and all the leashes. Monty went over to Gretchen instantly (he’s like that) and asked, “Are you okay?” and Rosie kept an eye on the umbrella while I said a few choice doggie curse words, my tail tucked and my ears flat on my head.

I snapped out of it once I saw the blood as Gretchen picked up the phone and answered it (not sure why, but she did). Both wrists were red and drippy and the blood ran down her arms like small rivers. And then I saw the hole in her pants at the knee and more blood oozing from the wound.

You’d think that at this point we’d head home, don’t you? I mean, we were half a block away, but no, Gretchen picked herself up (after finishing the phone call), grabbed the leashes, reassured all of us and off we went on an hour walk.

It’s not like this happens every day. In fact, it rarely happens, but it illustrates quite nicely how a day planned can be flipped upside-down by umbrellas lurking in the bushes…metaphorically speaking. And lately, it’s kind of felt like there are a lot of umbrellas lurking in the bushes.

Straight lines have not been our destiny these days. We’ve been weaving and dancing around snow and wind, injured dogs, our heavy hopeful hearts and an extra abundance of daily tasks (laundry at the top of the heap…yes, a joke within a joke).

But today, the rain stopped, the wind inhaled, and we saw a Kingfisher within hand’s reach while walking by the lake.

These are good signs.

At least, that’s what I’m hoping…good signs that the “in betweens” will no longer dominate and we can move on a bit straighter track.

But ya never know. Those swirls and whirls might be as hidden as umbrellas.

Until then,

Rubin

Unexpected

So much of my life of late has been unexpected. First, the arrival of Max and his subsequent journey — finding his path to health and mobility (that you can read about here).

Next, Rosie and Tyson going on vacation this past week so their house can get a mini-remodel. I do miss them, but I know they are having fun at Mystic Mountain.

Then there were unexpected play dates where I got to not only be with my friends, but run around like the wild boy that I am.

And finally, there was the snow…unexpected and unwelcome by some, but definitely not by me!

All this unexpectedness got me to thinking about chance. Some say our lives are filled with chance and others say there is no chance at all — that everything that is supposed to happen happens and it happens for a reason.

Perhaps it’s my innate Labradoodle skepticism, but I have yet to firmly believe that everything happens for a reason.

Of course then Max came along and I’ve had to question my beliefs. I discussed it all with my friends/clients this week and while Rosie and Tyson have yet to be interviewed, here’s what the dogs in my life this week have to say.

First, Monty. If you first met Monty, I’m not sure you’d consider him a deep thinker, but once you get to spend a bit of time with him, you’d realize what a wise soul he is. Quirky, but wise.

“Monty,” I asked him, “Do you think everything happens for a reason?”

“Well, Rubin,” he said thoughtfully, “I guess it depends on the reason.” He elaborated. “For instance, if I am not fed at 6 every night, I have to have consider the reason. Is it because my mom is working hard to pay for my scrumptious meals or is it because she forgot about me?”

“But I don’t understand?” I said to Monty.

“Well,” he continued, “If she forgot me, then my world is completely different than if she’s just working late at her job. If it’s the former, then my whole existence is put into question. Does she love me? Do I really belong to a family? If it’s the latter, then I can just cool my jets and know that my meal will be coming soon.”

I have to say that that made a lot of sense, only somehow I got the feeling Monty was missing something…a sort of deeper meaning to the whole thing.

So I asked Paige.

“All things happen for one reason,” she said in her very certain way. “All things happen to please me.”

“Seriously?” I asked her.

She smiled and then popped her ears up like exclamation points (a metaphor I stole my friend Cheryl).

“Okay, I’m not that self-centered,” she said, “But I think when people say stuff like that – that things happen for a reason — they are only thinking about themselves. They need to look at the bigger picture, in my humble opinion.”

“Interesting perspective,” I said, “But I don’t think I completely get what you mean.”

“Things happen, Rubin,” she explained, “And sometimes those things really impact our lives and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they impact the lives of others and sometimes they impact things we don’t even think about.”

She went on: “Sure we try to figure out why these things happen — those things we experience — and when we see the things we didn’t see to begin with, we try to figure those out as well, but sometimes there is no deeper reason. It just is what it is. Like I said, things happen – reason or no reason.”

I met a new dog this week. He’s not a client, but since I had more free time, I got to go on a walk at Genessee Park and there I met six month old Blue. It took Blue a bit of time to get to know me (he’s very focused on birds!) but once he realized I was a potentially good friend, we played chase and it was grand.

“Hey Blue,” I asked him. “Do you think our meeting happened for a reason?”

“Were birds involved?” he said.

“Birds? What do birds have to do with it?” I asked.

“Everything that happens for a reason involves birds,” he said.

Maybe it’s because he’s so young, but I was a bit confused by his answer. “Well there are birds here and you’ve been chasing them and flushing them out of the trees and underbrush, so yes, birds were involved.”

“Then yes, we met for a reason,” and off went Blue to find more birds.

I pondered his words the rest of the week and in a way, I kind of understood the Zen beauty of what he was saying. I couldn’t articulate it so I decided to ask Max who, out of all of us, has had the hardest life and therefore, I think, has learned some of life’s biggest lessons.

“What do you think about things happening for a reason, Max? Do you agree with Monty, Paige, and Blue even though they have very different answers?

He sighed, something he’s doing more of these days and said, “Well little buddy, I think they are all saying the same thing.”

“Really? How so?”

“Well, things happen to us and if we are aware of what happens to us then we try to figure out the reason so we can feel comfortable with those things happening — good or bad.”

“So in other words,” I said, “You’re saying that the reason things happen is so we’ll stop and contemplate the reasons?”

“Yes, essentially.”

And then I realized that there are many reasons for Max “happening” to us. First, he has expanded my circle of friends..I’m very happy to include him in my family of friends. Second, I needed his wisdom, which he doles out liberally and daily. Third, he needed us to help him heal (and his whole care team as well including his incredible long-term foster Mom, Suzanne). And most importantly, he has shown us that in helping others (like Max and Suzanne) we help ourselves feel the best parts of love and life.

Soon,

Rubin

Tired Pause/Paws

Much is expected of a dog.

We are more than companion and friend. Much more than warmth at the end of the bed or laughter wrapped in fur.

We are asked to be counsel and sage, to hold our heads in such a way as to reflect confusion or sympathy, joy or curiosity. We must not be a nuisance yet playful when asked. We must come when called but also come when we’re needed — no words, no motion — just a desire yet unsaid.

We are the silent conversationalist, the affordable therapist, the moment in the day when the sigh finds release. We are unexpectedly silly, a model of patience, and a loving irritation.

Yes, much is expected of a dog and of late, I have felt the weight of my responsibilities.

First, there were the boarders, though I don’t like to call them that since, in fact, Monty and Quillette are my dearest friends. I shared my beds (yes, I have more than one in the house), I shared my treats, and most importantly, I shared my family who loved and massaged my friends just as they do me.

Then there were our clients — Rosie, Tyson, Roux, Monty, and Paige. But again, my connection to them is much more than a business transaction.

They are my teachers, my friends, my playmates, and members of my extended pack.

Then there is my family –immediate and extended — who send me emails of love and woofs, who comment on my silly smirk, and who give me gifts like knuckle bones and homemade treats. My paws grow weary from all the correspondences –typing without thumbs my inner most thoughts and my devotion to each and everyone of them.

It is no wonder that, as 2012 unfolds, I find myself breathing in then out a most tired pause and licking the quiet exhaustion of my weary paws.

I am not unhappy. On the contrary. My life is so full I find it difficult to contain my happiness. I often roll on the ground trying to take in the immensity of my joy — as wide as the sky. Still, happiness can be exhausting and I find myself seeking the warm corner of the couch or the surety of my place under the desk.

And now, it appears, we are opening our hearts and our home to another new friend — Max. I have been assured that he is going to be with us for only a short while (two months), but that during that time, my responsibilities will expand. You can read about Max’s full story here and in the coming weeks, read updates about him as well on our blog in the coming weeks.

Today, Sunday, we are going to travel to Vashon Island where he currently lives and pick him up — all Great Pyrenees/Lab bulk of him though he’s really quite skinny and bony for such a big breed. But we, like his current foster family, hope to put weight on him, strengthen his muscles and teach him to walk more smoothly and confidently. I think it’s going to be an uphill battle. Max has such a long, long road ahead of him.

Still, I’m willing to try. I’m willing to open my home (and my heart) to this sweet fellow and do my part to undo the damage of his past, the neglect of his previous life, and the scars that are left on his body and his heart.

So much is expected of a dog. Max is, perhaps, my biggest challenge of all.

Big sigh. Deep breath. One paw, then another.

Let’s begin climbing the mountain.

Rubin

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

Another year has passed. I can’t believe it. Just like that, it’s January of a brand New Year! Wow.

As Gretchen and I finished up last week (aka 2011) we sat down for a moment to reflect upon the previous year (last blog) and look ahead to some big changes in 2012.

Big changes!

I’m pleased to announce that Wags n’ Words is expanding its operations this year. Not only will we continue to walk dogs as we have for the past three years, but we’re moving into Pet Sitting as well. In addition, Gretchen’s going to take her massage skills on the road (so to speak) and while she’ll continue to work (and love every minute of it) at Wellsprings K9, she’s also setting up shop to come to your house (well, if you live in the area) to massage your dog.

And if you have the need, she can do all three at once — walk your dog, massage your dog, and stay at your house to take care of your dog (and perhaps other animals) while you’re away!

Okay, I have to admit I’m exhausted thinking about it all, but Gretchen assures me she can handle it.

So, if you have any interest in any of these services check out our new Rates and Services page for all the de-tails! Of course, we can only pet sit at one house at a time so get your bid in early!

In addition, to the left of this blog you’ll find a calendar. We’ll post times we have available and times we are booked. If you see a date with an underline, it means we’re booked (looks like this: 13). But if it’s not underlined, then we probably have an opening. Give us a call or send an email to make certain. I have a feeling we’re gonna book up fast!

I’m kind of excited about the new changes because it means that I’ll get to meet new dogs, new people, and benefit from all the massage experience Gretchen will be getting. I mean, she’s good at what she does, but I bet the more dogs she works with, the more I’ll benefit. Don’t ya think?

2011 ended with a pack (as opposed to a bang). We took care of Monty over the holidays and just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, our good friend Quillette showed up to bring in the New Year with us. Monty’s Mom is in Hawaii — the land of light and warmth — and Quillette’s Mom went the opposite direction to Berlin, Germany — the land of dark and wet (at least, that’s how she describes it though she’s having a great time spending the holidays with her brother, his partner and their year-old baby, Henry.)

Anyway, New Year’s Eve and Day were spent with my two friends — Monty and Q — and it felt kind of like the best way to say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012. Well, here’s what Quillette thought about it all…she was relaxing as Gretchen gave her a much needed massage!

We also got to spend New Year’s Day with our extended “logicals” as we call them (as opposed to biologicals — biological family versus friends who are as close as family…our logicals).

Of course, we worked as well, though our only clients this week were Rosie and Tyson. But that turned out great because Tyson’s other dog walker was on vacation so Monty, Rosie, Tyson, and I all got hang out on our walks. We unfortunately couldn’t include Q once she arrived because she and Rosie have a girl-dog thing and it wouldn’t have been pretty, but still, each of them — Rosie and Q — got hang with their boys! And it’s all good when Gretchen has treats!

And I did my duty and took Rosie and Tyson out by themselves, too!

And I got a surprise walk with my friend, Olive…

And if that wasn’t enough for the week, turns out we might have a foster dog living with us in January. More about that later, though…

Yep, 2011 well is coming to a good end and 2012 looks like it’s gonna be a brand new adventure. My tail is wagging in anticipation! Happy New Year everyone!

Rubin

The Best of 2011

Another year is coming to a close and every year, we assemble calendars for our clients reflecting back on all of our adventures, compiling them in a 2012 calendar so that our clients can remember the joys of our “best shots”…or attempts at our best shots. I suppose I should be more humble and say that these are all Gretchen’s shots, but since I had to be in most of them (and posed patiently) I think I can take some of the credit.

Anyway, this is one of my favorite things to do — comb through all the photos and choose the ones that I like the best and in the process, remember all the reasons why I have the best friends/clients in the world:

First up, Monty. I put him first because he’s been a part of my life since the beginning. Well, since my beginning. When I first came home at the tender age of 2 months, Monty came for a visit. He was suspicious of me, at first, and when I jumped on him for the 90th time, he finally took his big, curly paw and put it on my head. He even gave me a little growl and from that moment on, I listened to Monty. He is my top dog.

This year we went on many walks together and every once in awhile romped like wild men (just like we did when we were much younger). This is one of my favorite photos of one of those romps…

I think why I like this photo is because, despite our ages, we’ve still got spunk, don’t ya think? Okay, while our romps a few years ago would last 15-20 minutes and they only last about 5 minutes now, they’re still fun and they fill my heart with curly joy!

But mostly, my love for Monty is the greatest when we sit quietly next to each other and know that we are and will forever be best friends. Plus Monty is kind of dignified in a goofy way, yes?

It’s hard to choose who is next. I guess if I’m going chronologically, I’d have to choose Woobie. I first met Woobie on a walk through the trails of Leschi Woods. I’ll admit, I barked at her first (which was my usual greeting when I was younger…I don’t do it so much any more), but Woobie just ran toward me with this big smile on her face. Yes, despite the long hair, her smile shown through like a beacon of friendship. We gave each other a mandatory sniff, then Woobie started to run and I chased her. We chased each other for a good half hour on that first meeting while our moms got acquainted and shared information. A few months later, Woobie was a dog walking client and on occasion, stayed with us while her family traveled all around the world.

Woobie is really good for me. She’s calm and rarely gets flustered. When I’m around her I feel calm, too. The past few months haven’t been all that kind to Woobie. She broke her toe and has been going through all sorts of treatments to help the bone heal and so we don’t get to walk or romp much lately, but luckily Woobie has had a chance to go to the pool and get some much needed exercise and massage therapy there. According to Gretchen, she absolutely LOVES the workout and the healing hands of the therapist’s massage. I totally get that as I love it too!

Next up would be Rosie and Tyson because shortly after meeting Woobie, I met these siblings. But even though I got to meet them, Gretchen had been walking them for about a year. You see, no one was sure how they’d do meeting me. It’s not that they are aggressive, it’s just that Rosie gets a bit anxious when meeting new dogs. Because Tyson is very protective of her, Gretchen decided she wanted just the right moment to introduce us.

I got to meet Rosie first and despite everyone’s fears, we were fast friends from the first outing. Rosie likes me a lot. And I think Rosie’s pretty silly. Tyson on the other hand didn’t seem silly to me at all on first meeting. He was serious, serious, serious. It’s not been until lately that his silly side has surfaced and that makes me very happy. And it also makes me feel safe. Scanning through the thousands of photos we have of these two, I realized that when we are posed together, I very much like to be close to Tyson. There’s a quiet sense of security I get being next to him. I can see why Rosie loves her little brother so much.

Next up is Roux (chronologically speaking). I met her a few years back when we were both playing off-leash at a local field. Rouxtook a liking to me right away and since I’m a fella that likes to be chased, Roux and I bonded right away. I ran, she followed. Now, when we arrive at her house, she howls with delight knowing that there’s a possibility that we might go play another round of chase on one of the many fields around our houses.

What I’ve noticed about Roux in all of these photos is that she loves to smile — like serious tongue-hanging-out-smiles that can only make you laugh.

She’s as silly as I am, which is a good thing in case you were wondering!

Lastly, but certainly not least is my newest acquaintance — Ms. Betty Paige. I consider Paige my kid sister. She makes me feelyoung again. Paige is an adventurer and for that I love her dearly. As you may or may not know, I have some issues with confidence. My lack of confidence shows up as anxiety and when I’m out in the world, I can be reactive to new sounds and situations.

Running and playing with Paige, though, has helped me tremendously. Paige has enough confidence to fill up the oceans and she moves through the world like a queen reigning over her kingdom. I love following her around as we flush squirrels out of bushes or chase rabbits along the shore. Paige makes me feel confident and self-assured; she makes me enjoy the world around me, not fear it. I have a lot to learn from Paige and she’s a willing teacher as well as a true and honest friend.

Yep, looking through our photos from the past year has really made me realize how wonderful 2011 has been. I not only have some of the best friends in the whole canine world, but I have a pretty incredible life that I get to share with special dogs and special clients.

I know that having this many photos made Gretchen’s computer crash this year, which unfortunately meant that we lost a few good shots, but the photographic record of our time together has not been tainted too much.

Who knows what’s in store for 2012? Maybe Gretchen will finally get an underwater camera and we can take photos at the beach or at the pool. Maybe I’ll find some new canine friends who’ll want me to walk them, play with them, and teach them all I’ve learned from my short time on this earth.

Who knows…the point is, it’s been quite a year and I thank each and everyone of you — blog reader, dog clients and their owners, and everyone in between — your friendship and support is what keeps me keeping on!

Merry Holidays and Happy New Year!

Rubin

Giving

Yep, it’s that time of year when humans decide to give to those they love. Don’t get me wrong. I really like this time of year and yes, I enjoy giving as well as being given too, but lately I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of giving not as a holiday tradition, but as a way of life. This is, perhaps, because I am a dog and, by nature, I am built to give. With a simple wag of my tail or the cock of my head, humans receive a kind of joy I can’t explain. In fact, some humans teach their dogs to wag their tails or cock their heads on command…that’s how much they adore it.

But on a deeper level, dogs are natural givers. We seek companionship. We express our emotions (yes we feel the same ones humans do!) clearly and frequently. Even if we’ve been damaged in some way, with the right kind of patience and love our true natures as loving companions can be restored.

I suppose what’s got me thinking about all of this are the stories Gretchen’s been telling me about Max the foster dog who’s now receiving therapy at Wellsprings K9. Max is making steady progress, but it’s important that he come in for pool therapy more than one day a week. This is difficult on a number of levels. First off, his foster Mom has a job (which she has to have because she needs to pay for all the fostering she does as well as taking care of her human family) and so finding time in the day to transport Big Max to the pool can be tricky.

Secondly, it’s not cheap. Yes, she’s been getting help from the Wellsprings K9 Fund and a very special person (a current client at the pool) donated 10 swims for Max, but Max’ full recovery is going to take time and the best way to help him regain and rebuild all that neural memory is through swimming (and massage, of course). So this is going to be a long and expensive process.

Is Max worth it? I’ve never met the guy, but from all the stories I keep hearing, he’s the most tenderhearted guy who has been to hell and back.

Which leads me to my point about giving. Think about what he’s been through (previous post) and still he wags his tail. He smiles. He reaches out for human affection. He wants to be with other dogs (and cats, though I can’t imagine why!). With every effort he makes to walk, he wins more and more human hearts. By simply learning to be a dog he has given humans a sense of hope and at the center of that hope is the definition of love.

Yep, giving is about love. If there’s one lesson dogs can teach humans it’s that when you give (whether by wagging your tail or snuggling up under the covers or by simply bringing the ball back in a game of fetch) you are personifying love (though in this case it would be dog-i-fying, I suppose). You are breathing love into each gift so that the receiver holds in their paws or hands not just a present, but a slice of purity — something so true and weighty you can’t help but feel fulfilled.

So this past week, as we went to work (and went out to play, which are often one in the same) I realized how many gifts I receive each day. From a simple walk with my friend Olive and her nervous friend, Isabella…

…to my regular time with Rosie and Tyson…

…my long-standing friendship with Monty…

Monty often accompanies me on my work…he’s a great dog dog walking assistant!

…and an unexpected sleepover with Olive…which included a really fun romp at the Leschi park where I got to teach Olive more about being a real dog (she’s a retired service dog and sometimes forgets that she can run and play with abandon now!)

…taking Woobie to the pool so she can get some exercise and a massage with Emily…

…to time alone with my family on a crisp, winter afternoon while the sun sets casting a pink glow on the lake and Mt. Rainier…

…I am the receiver of much love — so much in fact, I think my curls have curled even more in the joy of it.

Next week will be a shorter work schedule for us and while I shall miss my daily routines, I am thrilled to be heading into another kind of giving love — time with my human family! I’ll be sure to spread the love by sitting close to Grandpa so he can pat my head…

…following my Uncle Paul around so he can giggle with me…yep, that’s me with Uncle Paul when I was just a pup!

…letting my Aunt Patti snuggle with me on the bed…again when I was a young, young boy and didn’t understand the meaning of cats!

…and hang out in the kitchen so that if Grandma “accidentally” drops something unexpected on the floor, I can help her with clean up!

Oh and Monty is coming with us! Perhaps this is the best present of all since he is my best friend in the whole wide world and now I get to share with him one of my favorite places in the world.

They’ll be my human and canine cousins too — Lindsey, Nathan, Hope, and Ringo — and I’ll do my best to wiggle and wag, play gently and let Ringo catch me every once in awhile when we play chase. And each night I will curl up next to my Moms and count the love in my life, like sheep lulling me into a deep and joyous sleep.

Until then,

Rubin

‘Tis the Season

First, let me say that while our computer crisis is over, there is still mountains of work we must do to sort through and clean out photos, emails, and documents (that’s what today, Sunday, is dedicated to…along with some outside time with friends!), but all and all, we’re about 90% functional and it feels so good!

Next, we had a typical week walking our clients/friends:

Rosie and Tyson -

Monty and Roux

Woobie

We played…

And yes, that’s Tyson off leash for the first time…and we’re playing in the woods…much to Rosie’s disappointment!

And it took Tyson a bit to understand what off leash meant…

And we visited the wounded…

And we posed as Gretchen is always wanting us to do…

But none of that is what I want to write about. Yes, it’s important and it’s my life and it’s all wonderful, but what I want to write about is this guy…

This is Max and for those of you who follow me on Facebook (Rubin Dietz-Gilpin) or Twitter (@wagsnwords) or via our Wellsprings K9 connection (@wellspringsk9 or Facebook Wellsprings Canine), you’ve seen many postings about Max.

I have yet to meet Max, but I can tell you that the story Gretchen recounts make me realize what a wonderful life I have as well as make me angry that not every dog in the world has a life like mine.

Max is a rescue from a high-kill shelter in Los Angeles. From what everyone could piece together, he was kept in crate for most of his life. He is only 2 years old and the crate was half his size (he most likely grew into it or out of it over the years). Because the crate was too small, he grew to its shape. Hunched over, positioned on his hocks and elbow — Max came to his foster home in Seattle unable to stand let alone walk.

His foster mom, Suzanne, worked with him daily — cleaned him up, fed him nutritious meals, and took him to the vet where they surmised that while everything was in working order, Max would have to learn to walk from scratch.

That’s when Suzanne brought him to Wellsprings K9 — our other job — and after two sessions, Max is walking better — not as hunched, more on his toes, and most importantly, wagging his tail.

We’ve put the call out to everyone we know — Please Help Max — because the costs of his therapy and rescue are mounting.

I know Gretchen loves me. I know I am at the center of her heart, but let me tell you, this guy has really touched her and in the telling of his tale, he’s touched me too. Gretchen says he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He just wants to be loved. Imagine living in a box most of your life then traveling thousands of miles to land “outdoors” and then “in a pool” — experiences you’ve never had in your short life.

Max has handled it with complete trust and an open heart.

You can read more about Max here (http://blog.wellspringsk9.com/) and if you feel so inclined, we ask that you contribute to his therapy.

Oh and if you want to adopt him, that would be fantastic, too! I’m trying to talk Gretchen into it, but she says our dance card is already overflowing.

Tis the season and we hope you can find it in your heart to help our new friend, Max.( http://seattlesobaka.chipin.com/animal-rescue-and-advocacy)

Have a great rest of your weekend,

Rubin

Squall

Seattle is known for its rain, but contrary to what you might think, it’s mostly just gray here and when the rain comes it comes in spurts. Occasionally though we get a squall — rain that just keeps coming, like the Dogs in sky decide to wring out every raincloud all at the same time. These squalls usually last three days. Yep, three long days of heavy rain — the kind that floods the streets, raises rivers, empties into basements and makes everyone very very grumpy.

We had such a squall on Thanksgiving day. It was the third day of constant rain, wet umbrellas, soggy shoes/feet, and that sound of squish squish squish whenever you dared to step onto grass or soil. The day after Thanksgiving the sun came out and everything felt clean and beautiful and the greens and blues and yellows and reds were so vibrant your eyes hurt.

But recently, we’ve had a  squall of an emotional kind. Our computer crashed and that was the beginning of “wet” technological-crisis days. It involved two hours on the phone with Apple Care (at a cost of $50 because our 3-year plan had run out), a trip to the computer store to find out that yes, the hard drive was dead dead dead, a long and involved sales pitch where so many decisions had to be made our eyes hurt (like what was actually LOST on the old computer and how might it get recovered from the external hard drive?), coming home to plug in the new computer only to find out it didn’t work (ARGH!), a trip back to the computer store only to find out that yes, they’d give us a new computer but wouldn’t (as they’d promised on the phone) transfer our information from the external hard drive to our new computer unless we bought a One-to-One plan (about $150!).

And this was only day one of the emotional squall.

I could go on and on. Three days was not enough to contain this miserable mess we found ourselves in. There were lost emails, lost photographs, passwords gone forever and every attempt we made to resolve the issues was thwarted by one thing or another. Gretchen spent hours on the phone with Apple tech folks and friends who know a heck of a lot more about Macs than we do.

Still it rained (in that metaphorical sense) and there was a time there when we thought we’d never be dry again.

And then the dishwasher died.

I think the dishwasher was the turning point. Gretchen was so uptight and frustrated that when she worked at her desk trying to problem solve all the computer glitches I slept in the living room. This is not where I usually spend my time when Gretchen is working. I usually spend my time under the desk offering suggestions and keeping her feet warm. But the living room was a much safer place to hang out during this squall and so there I laid … on the couch all curled up in a blanket shielding myself from the sputter of vulgarity that spilled from her mouth from time to time.

When the dishwasher wouldn’t work, she walked away from it, put on her shoes and coat, grabbed my leash and off we went — she grumbled the whole time. When we got home, she walked up to the dishwasher and literally gave it a swift kick and lo and behold, it started working.

Finally…FINALLY the clouds of our discontent were on their way to torment someone else. (We send that person or persons courage!)

Most of the photographs are back. Most of the emails, too. We found our passwords and the only “missing” items are those that didn’t get backed up because November was crazy and we didn’t take the time to plug in the external hard drive.

Now the external hard drive is permanently plugged in and every hour, from my normal spot under the desk, I hear it rev up and save all the changes from our computer.

Still, we morn the loss of a significant amount of data. For instance, all of November’s photos, which include work photos from dog walking, from the pool, and yes, from our personal life. Like the photos of Zoe who came to visit us from Michigan.

Yes, some of these photos are on this blog so we can rescue  those, but some of the ones that we never posted anywhere are lost for good.

Sigh.

You may have figured out, but this is why this blog post has no photographs. There are really none to share.

There’s still a lot of clean up to do. Many of our data files got thrown hither and tither when we transferred them over. Yesterday Gretchen spent about 2 hours hunting down photos that for some reason didn’t make it back into their proper folders. She has her work cut out for her this weekend as she’ll need to go through all those folders again and delete what she’d already deleted in November.Oh and all those documents she uses to prepare for taxes? Yeah well, she put those together in November and they never got backed up so she must start from scratch recreating the year of our work.

Double sigh.

I’ll be writing more this weekend and this time they’ll be photos. For now though, I’m going to go back to my warm blanket on the couch and wait for the last of the clouds to move on through.

Thanks for your patience…I promise to be more witty and upbeat soon,

Rubin

The Mad Rush

I’m not sure what it is about this time of year, but time seems to simultaneously speed up and slow down. How can that be? And the weather. I can’t even begin to contemplate this weather only to say that because if it, we got very few photos this week. Actually, we got none of work.

In a word RAIN — like Noah’s Ark kind of rain — and wind and very little reprieve with any of it.

Oh, and let’s not forget Thanksgiving. Delightful, wonderful, filled with family and friends, but for a dog like me — being outdoors is what it’s all about and frankly, when the rain comes down from the sky like Dog above is crying, well the fun is limited.

So are the photographs. Dare I say, they are all of me and my human family. Though I only worked three days last week, I have nary a photo to show for my work since every day we slogged through puddles and soggy leaves and pushed our curls through the wind and whatever flew at us sideways.

The only photos were taken on my walk with Gretchen where I was forced to wear a boot on my right front paw. Why? Because I tore it up on the weekend playing in the woods with my friend, Paige and wouldn’t stop licking it. So whenever we went out, I was forced to put on the boot. I took my frustrations out on a stick.

And though we don’t have a photo of it, I was also forced during our work outings to wear my red raincoat. That, my friends, is a testament to how yucky it was outside.

The highlight, despite the miserable wetness of the week, was going to Grandma and Grandpa’s for Thanksgiving only this year they broke with the long, long tradition of fixing the meal themselves and instead headed to a local lodge where they had dinner served to them. While I’m happy for them, I must say that I was asked to sit in the back of the car for 3 hours and watch the rain fall in the forest (and hear it pound on the car). I didn’t mind. I was all snuggled up in my soft round bed and warm, warm blankets, but I really would have liked to have been curled up under their table listening to their conversations.

Alas.

Still they brought me something yummy and that made up for it all. Yep, my nameplate was edible!

And the rest of the time we were together, I got to hang out with my Grandpa. He is very gentle with me and while I like helping Grandma in the kitchen, I like hanging out with Grandpa wherever he is.

Luckily, the rain broke for a bit and I got to go to the fairgrounds where I was allowed to race around and smell the leftovers of the August fair. I even saw a cat race across the lawn and into a barn. I raced after it, but then I was baffled because it ran into the horse barn. Can’t the cat read?

Even though we relaxed and had a great time, it all went by way too fast. And what do I have to show for it? Certainly not many photographs, but my heart (and belly) are full and I am ready for the new week to begin (sans rain I hope!)

Stay dry everyone!

Rubin