Pupdate: Part 2- Summer 2024

Cont'd- Pupdates

 Ziva. Ziva. Ziva.

I love this girl so much. She is so freaking sweet & cuddly - just not all the time.  Yes, she's sweet all the time, but her giving or allowing cuddles is the part that isn't all the time.  She is a bit of a loner here at home.   She often goes off by herself to relax. We saw a bit of this when we visited as a puppy, but when Volos was around-so was she. She was never far from him. She sleeps either in the closet on the dog bed in there or in the front of the house.

These days she's either in the basement by herself, in the bathroom, in the guest room, or in my office.  She only comes around when she's in the mood to be playful or wants cuddles.  For cuddles she'll come up to us and either lean into us to get scritches or climbs in our laps for some full body cuddles.  I love those moments.  Her affection is so sweet & she's so soft and just a wonderful girl to love. 

She loved Jen too. She would jump up & down when Jen walked in the door. 

When she wants to play, she wants to play. It's either wrestling with Khors, playing tug with him, wrestling with Lada as well, engaging with Peryn or wanting to play with us.  She still is all about food.  It feels like all this dog ever does is beg for food or treats.  

She does love her baby brother.  A completely different relationship than how it was with Volos.  If you saw her with V, then you would definitely see the difference.   She enjoys going to daycare with him.   

She loves going for walks with Daddy & Peryn (Peryn optional).  She loves her Daddy. She loves everyone, but her devotion to her Daddy is subtle, but very obvious when you see it.  Daddy's devotion to his girl is quite obvious as well. 

Where I once wrote about her laying outside all the time==the whole reason we got the insulated curtains in fact-- she does not do it at all. She is outside to go to the bathroom, check on people outside, & that is it.  We really think it has something to do with Volos being gone. Up until then, we could be outside & the both of them would be on the stairs chilling.  If he went inside, she would still lie out there.   Since then--nope.   She won't even hang out on the patio if we're out there.    Guessing it was a Ziva & Volos thing.  She's gotten very nervous over shots & thunder. Lightening does her in more than any of it, but the once chill as all get out girl is not so chill.   She really is a nervous nelly.  

Small changes in her personality since V left us.  

Tug is still her favorite game to play. Khors plays differently, so she is forced to play differently-but tug is still her game of choice. If one of the dogs has a favorite stuffed toy, keep it away from Ziva. She LIVES to play tug with those and loves seeing them explode!  One day after destroying the first, she immediately retrieved a second.  Guts everywhere.

Lada is still her favorite sibling, but Khors is her buddy.  Ziva & Peryn are still S L O W L Y  coming to the point where they may actually full-on play one day. One of her favorite things to do lately is annoy the beejeebus out of Khors. We got them this rubber tug that has a big "bulb" in the middle that squeaks.  She loves it. She will sit there and squeak. squeak. squeak. squeak.  The sound irritates Khors, or hurts his ears or something. He is not a fan of the continuous squeaking she has done.   He runs from it.   

Khors. 

Khors-man.  King of Chaos (King Kaos).   He's something else.  Seriously this dog is just a lot.  A lot of energy. A lot of fur. A lot of sass. A lot of dog.  

He loves-daycare, car rides, walks, water (swimming, sprinkler, the hose), chasing, running, tug, Hugs, food, patrolling, & so much more.   He loves life.  He tires me out honestly.   I wish we could afford to send him to daycare 5 days a week.  

Non-daycare times he absolutely loves patrolling the yard. He patrols for animals & people.  He barks at them all on the trail, in other backyards (that he can see from ours), from walking by the front of the house.   Additional cameras were needed to keep a visual on him when he is outside.  When he's bored & no one is wandering by, he likes to lay out & chill.   He's either on the patio, in the middle of the back yard, or in the front of the house--in the drive-- waiting for the next "intruder".   

He's barky too.  He can't do any of that above without letting the intruders know that our Yard/Homestead is protected by "Khors Security".  He's really good about the invisible fence as well so he stays where he's allowed. 

HE is also obsessed with going to the basement (a bit like Volos was).   He doesn't even have to be involved with any play, just being in the basement with Momma is enough for him. If he's down there and is in a playful mood; that looks like him wrestling with Ziva, playing tug with her or Momma, chasing after a ball or some toy.  He just likes to be in the basement with the pack.

Early on I bought him this green "duck" that he adores.   It eventually got torn to shreds (thanks Z)so he hasn't had it in awhile. I picked up a new one a month or so ago & he was so happy to have it again. He cherishes this thing. He will sit & sometimes just squeak it to make sure it still works. Other times he just moves it around.   Peryn has taken to taunting him with it.   Khors is very careful when any of the other dogs attempt to play tug with it. It is like he knows they'll ruin it otherwise. 

He's a pretty happy guy.  He tires me out though.  He requires too much interaction.  It makes my Tues & Thursdays difficult.  We're just days away from his 1 year gotcha day.  Physically he's come a long way from that skinny dude with patchy hair.   He's a BIG dude with nothing but hair. Hair, hair, & more hair.  He's been to grooming more than any dog we've ever had.  It's quite a task too.  Luckily we found a groomer who knows how difficult he is & can work with him.

One thing that has not changed with him from day one is his enjoyment of life.   He's a happy boy who finds joy in everything. 

 

Five months of Pupdates-Part 1 -9.27.24

 

Pupdates:Part 1
Yes, it's been awhile. It has been 5 months since I've had the time or energy to write. These pups have kept us on our toes.   They really do.    

Let's see if I can remember anything that has happened to share:

The pups got to chill out in the pool/pond a bit. We went to the farm a few times, I pulled out the pool for them to chill in, and we attended the end of the year splash.  Khors loves water.  He loves to swim & Peryn loves to just cool down.     It really makes my heart happy to see them enjoy life.

I'm sad to report there won't be anymore farm visits from here on out. Long story short, they're not renewing memberships. We have an alternate place to take them to have them have plenty of room to run.  I just don't like that we'll have other dogs around.  Khors is very particular about other dogs --and--if he gets over stimmed, he's a cranky boy. 

There are 2 other places we can take them next year to cool off--but we'll deal with that next year. 

Momma has left Peryn outside more often than she'd prefer.   Lada once ..and truthfully--I forget....   We're working on making that a thing of the past.

The purple herding ball died.   Lada finally broke through enough to pull up part of it & we had to pitch it. They REFUSE to play with the new one. We've worked on trying to get them to interact with it. Rich has gotten the boys to interact with it when HE plays with them. Lada still refuses to touch it.  She has taken to playing with one of the old soccer balls. Both her & Peryn.   They either "herd it" or play tug with it. 

We said "farewell" to their Jen.  She moved away early this week.  We luckily have Lissette come in to play with them Tues/Thurs.   Learning curve...the dogs getting used to playing with her instead of Jen and Lissette getting used to their play styles.

Well, let's get on with our pupdates....

Pupdate- Peryn

Last I wrote about Peryn, we had decided to start him on injections for his arthritis. 

Before I continue: if you stumbled upon this page randomly & have issues with the injection-we will not engage.  

Peryn is 8 1/2 years old and had began showing signs of mild arthritis.   

We have tried joint supplements, but to get him to take a pill (or anything he does not want) is a WWE match.  It takes way too much effort to give the dog anything that would benefit his health. Especially a daily one. Our vet told us about the injection, Librela, that helps dogs who have arthritis.   There is much controversy surrounding this drug.  I did my due diligence in reading both sides before putting Peryn on it. 

After his first shot, like days after,  we noticed an immediate difference.  Jen, who came to the house twice a week to play with them made the same observation. He had more pep in his step & was quite a bit more feisty.    

Peryn has been on the injection for 5 months now & we all agree it has definitely helped him.   He has so much more energy (or maybe not in as much pain?) and he is highly engaged in play.  Where he once just stood & barked when Lada played fetch, he is playing alongside of her. This is definitely new behavior. 

At first, by week 3, you could tell there was a wearing off period, but within 24 hours of the shot he was back at it. Now that he's been on it longer, the final week isn't as noticeable as before. Yesterday, his injection was a week over (over 30 days)   He didn't have noticeable decline either.   We're pleased with the outcome thus far with his injection.   

With his extra energy comes a boost to his A$$h0l3 gene. Daily he's a big pain. He's either taunting Khors with Khors favorite things, growling as Khors when he comes into the bedroom & may decide to jump on the bed. Khors does not take the bait. Peryn continues to play alongside Lada & still steals her balls (remember she is picky to which ones she wants to play with.  He enthusiastically jumps on your toes. He barks in your ear. He also snaps at Ziva when she wants to jump on the bed.  He demands to sit in the front seat of the car & will bully Lada out of the way so he can get it.  He barks and barks and barks when we get up to move in the house & its usually at the others. He just is just a big ole ray of sunshine.  

Physically he jumps in & out of the car, on the bed, and he bugs you more than ever-always wanting to play fetch.    

So fingers crossed we continue having positive effects.

Another change we have also noticed since Volos' passing, he's a bit more affectionate. Whether it's due to his sadness over Volos or his competition with Khors--unknown.  Peryn isn't really a cuddly dog--which is hilarious because we got the puppy so I could have a cuddle bug.    He wants affection on his terms and he's so awkward about it. He comes for attention & either over does it with licks or he growls when you pet or hug him because he doesn't care for being touched but he wants it at the same time. He's a weird little dude.

SO Peryn continues to be the biggest P.I.T.A.

Pupdate-Lada

Lada's bestie, Jen recently moved away.  We have a new person coming to play with them on Tues/Thurs. Peryn & Lada have known her their whole lives & she used to come let them out of their crates when they were first being crate trained.   It's been bumpy our first few days, but I am hoping by next week it will no longer be an issue.   Not sure how or when she'll realize she no longer will be seeing Jen.  

Things that are the same: Lada still is obsessed with Momma. She does NOT like sharing & gets in the others face if they attempt to come for any sort of loving.  It's a bit tiresome. She still cuddles with Momma when Momma is sitting down & still shares the pillow & blankets with me.  She still hates sharing her sister with anyone. SO if Ziva & Khors are playing or if Peryn attempts to play with Ziva, Lada is right there being the fun police-shutting it down.   

New Lada things- She & Khors have a weird dynamic.  The two of them absolutely love to run out together to chase after wild life & anyone walking on the trail.  If Khors is outside barking, she'll most likely jump up & head outside to bark alongside of him.  This only goes for the backyard though. 

Ever since we (Mom & I) took her on a drive throughout the area when we visited in May, she has taken to demanding to let her head out the window on drives lately.  It's cute because she hooks her arm over the door & leans her body out as much as she can.

A pretty significant change that happened since Volos' leaving is that she is scared of thunder, lightening, & gunshots.   Now both she & Peryn spent the first 2.5 years of their lives living next to an active gun range. So those types of noises didn't bother them.

After moving, we still hear the shots, but the distance & obstacles absorb a lot of the sounds--soo it was much more muffled.   Peryn ended up becoming petrified of rain & thunder because of day care.   The rain on the metal roof was loud to the point he hated being there when it rained (and eventually just being there).  

Peryn got WORSE because Volos was afraid of all sorts of noises-- beeps, alarms, thunder, & lightening....so the two boys would get all clingy & shaking when the noises presented themselves.   In the past year, Lada has taken on the same reactions. She shivers at thunder & lightening. And gunshots and fireworks. So she & Peryn are two peas in a pod when that happens.       

The difference that makes Lada much worse-- she tries to climb up me.  Her nails HURT. She digs her claws into me--usually on my upper torso-so I always end up getting hurt and trying to calm her down.   Fun times!

Otherwise Lada is the same. Still my loyal companion, BFF, co-pilot & guardian. 

and Khors

Khors

 I needed a whole separate post for this Monster.     

There's a lot to unpack, I don't even know where to start.  

So, Khors is still a very happy silly dog.  He's a gigantic silly dog.   He actually needs to lose some weight.  Vet wants him at a smaller weight, so we need to lose about 10ish pounds. He's not too far from 100#s.    Hard to believe this boy was all skin & bones.

It does not help that he steals food.   I've told the roll & mashed potatoes story.   Most recently was the Crumbl cookies.  I bought some cookies for Rich & myself.  I had the box on top of my one file cabinet, cookies in the box.   In about a 15-20 min time period from my last putting eyes on the box to when Rich asks "When did you go to Crumbl?" as he picked up the torn up box.

The little thief ate 2 of the big cookies! Those aren't cheap either.    He's such a thief!  He always looks so proud after he's been found out after going through garbage, bags, & other things he shouldn't be.

He loves to play with her siblings.  Tug with Ziva or Lada, the herding ball with the cattle dogs, or wrestling with Ziva. He loves playing tug with Momma too.    He's NOT a fan of the automatic launcher.   He loves running around with other dogs & playing with his buddies at daycare.

He's a jumper of sorts.   If it's something that can bring him off the ground to stand taller than everyone else. Rich calls it "Lording over". If he has a way to lord over you he will.   He's very agile for a big guy.

The best jump was onto the exam table at the vet (approximately 3-4 ft off the ground).

He jumps over the side of the couch to cuddle (or stand over) Momma. He's got a personality as big as he is. 

He loves to be outside.  He loves to patrol the backyard & front yard.  He either lays out on the patio watching for walkers on the path. 
He's taken to laying in the front of the garage. I've been leaving the garage open so he can lay in there as well.    He's been really good at staying where he's supposed to be.   

His other favorite thing in the world is car rides in which he can stick his head out the window & wind surf.   He loves it more than anything.  
Recently on the way to the dog park, I had the windows rolled up on the highway. Peryn & Khors together unrolled the window via the backseat button.   I quickly squashed that & now my windows are locked to avoid the repeat of that.

so here in this picture, Khors when he jumped on the patio table.

Of course I took the picture and we immediately started scolding him to get down.

It was very cute & very annoying at the same time.  He's so happy when he does it so it makes it difficult to yell at him.

But that's his new thing, jumping up on things to show who's the one in charge. 

He's a talker. If he wants something, if he feels like he's being ignored.   He "snaps" at you like he's talking.  It's quite cute.

His walks with Daddy had been postponed for awhile as Rich was ill for a little over a month.   Now that he's getting better, as long as it not raining.    

We introduced Khors to the Medina dog park back in January/February.   We went back recently & they all had a blast.   

We've had to avoid the farm to allow it to dry out.   We're hoping to return soon to allow them to run and swim.

He is a sweetheart though. 

 

Trying to work & he jumps on ottoman

On top of dog house

waiting for Dad, Ziva & Peryn

waiting for his turn to go on a walk

...It's been awhile

 I know. I know.  There have been few Facebook posts & 2 months of no blog posts.

It's a mixture of things.  The biggest & saddest is that my heart hasn't been in it.  Volos' passing hit me hard & still weighing heavy on my heart.   His silly antics,

shredding boxes for example, are no more. We received a few big packages & opening them was sad since none of these guys have an interest in boxes.

The other thing is we haven't gone much of anywhere because the farm has been out of commission.  My back is really messed up, so I am not on my feet a lot.   And truthfully, this bunch of bullies don't allow me much time to sit down & work on the page.  

Or when something happens, it's usually a big thing & I despise typing anything up on my phone.   SO I tell myself, when I get on my PC.  Then when I get to sit down & work on my PC....i'm hit with exhaustion.   My new schedule is brutal.  Going back into the office isn't all that fun.

That being said, there have been happenings. 

Starting with Peryn.

Peryn is a bit chunky. We're trying to get him to slim down, but that's the thing. This dog doesn't eat much.  He is the pickiest eater. Throw in the fact that even trying to give him a pill, hidden withing anything, is the biggest project.    He smells a pill pocket, he runs off. He smells easy cheese, runs off.  Put it in the middle of a sandwich, he spits it out.  This dog just KNOWS there is something we're trying to give him. 

His age (or his weight) is starting to show.  He now hesitates a bit before jumping on anything.  We attempted to give him a supplement  We've had this bag of supplements for 2 weeks now and he's only been given 4.  He has refused the rest.   
So we've made the decision to let him get an injection instead.   It's easier than chasing him down to give him medication or food laced medication. He's come a long way with his interactions with Ziva. The two of them have played together a time or two. He attempts to climb on her back (from the side) and she welcomes it most of the time (more on that later.

He & Khors still have a tentative agreement not to bug each other.  Sometimes Peryn remembers sometimes he doesn't.   Now we're just waiting for the day when Peryn & Khors wrestle.

He still barks & acts like a fool when Lada is playing fetch. He has also been hanging out on the bed a lot more. If nothing is going on & he's not feeling social, he is in the bedroom on the bed just chilling.  

He is still not a fan of the vet, but outside of the house he's a very well behaved dog. He jut becomes the little A.H. here at home.   
Still loves his herding ball and still loves fetch. in fact the day of the eclipse, during the time we awaited the sun to be covered, we sat outside playing fetch with Peryn & Lada.  The two of them had a blast.
Khors was out there keeping guard, protecting us from those on the walking path.

Peryn pretty much prefers being a homebody or just him & Lada.   Not a fan of daycare. He can tolerate it when his favorite person, Joyce comes to visit, but still not a fan. 

Took them to the dog park last weekend & he played fetch most of the time. Ran after a few dogs & walked with the pack through the trails.  We took him to another park a few weekends ago & it was more of the same.

That's the extent of his socialization.  

Lada.

There really isn't anything different to say about her.  She is very consistent in her behaviors & attitude.   

She gets to see her favorite person twice a week. She plays with her sister quite often (no one else can have fun without her).
She IS a teeny bit more possessive as of late.  None of the dogs can look at me before she's growling or whining at them. 
I guess the one new thing is Khors & her patrol.    When he's out there & starts barking, she goes flying out there to be next to him to bark along side of him.   They have a little partnership of sorts.

Still Mommy's baby.   She sleeps while I work. Looks for Jen when it's time and expects us to go to the basement to play when we're not doing anything else. 

The minute Khors & Ziva start wrestling she must break it up to wrestle with Ziva instead.   She is the only one each of the dogs are allowed to interact with, anyone else and she has to interrupt.
 She's still leery of Khors, but not enough to snap at him. Caught her reprimanding him the other day.

We did bring out the ball launcher a few times & she's still crazy obsessed with that. She still does it wrong.    
You look at it, she gets hyper focused on it.   You move to where it's hidden, she focuses on it. 

She loves that dang thing.   She is still very particular about which balls she will play with .  We have a crate full of balls that can be played with & she'll only choose one.   
If that one gets taken from her while playing, she won't pull out another. She may sniff them to check, but most likely a new one isn't the right one.

  

Lada with the launcher

She's good otherwise. We'll be going on another road trip in a few weeks.  Will be interesting to see how she does being away from Ziva.

As I said, Lada is the one thing consistent in our lives.  The only thing that really changes is the intensity of her possessiveness.

Ziva

Ziva is definitely one of the dogs which a lot has changed.   We don't know if this is just a result of her growing up or if Volos' death really changed her as well.

Ziva had LOVED hanging outside. In the winter, in the spring, in the summer...she wanted to be outside all the time.  I bought the insulated curtain door covering for that reason alone to allow her the freedom to move inside & out when she felt like it. 

Nothing used to scare her. She was our chill unflappable dog. Thunder & lighting-nothing. Gun shots-nothing. Fireworks- made her twitch, but she was still pretty cool.
These days she does not like being outside. She does her business & comes back in. Gone are the days of lying down to rest.  She does not like to lay outside on the patio or patio steps at all.   She's always indoors. 

Fireworks, gun shots, & loud thunder scare her.  If she is outdoors when a gun shot from the range goes off, she flies into the house.  Thunder--the same.

However, she loves playing with her pack. She loves this more than anything. If you reside in this house, she loves to play with you.  With humans it's usually tug with whichever toy she has.   She'll also run around with you to jump on you.   She loves interacting with both of us.  She loves to grab a tennis ball and run around with the others if they're playing with the herding ball or just playing fetch. 

She actually likes the ball launcher.   She gets excited to play when it is brought out. 

With the dogs, she is more involved. Khors is her favorite wrestling partner when it involves knock down body wrestling.  She & him also love tug.    She loves to destroy Khors' toys.     If it's a new toy, she has to play tug on it in order to rip it in half.   No one is allowed to have a new toy otherwise she ruins it.

When she's wrestling with Khors & Lada isn't too focused on fetch, she will interrupt and take over to get into it with Ziva.   The two of them adore each other so very much.    Ziva loves to run around with Lada when they play with the herding ball. 

She's calmed down a lot.  On the days she is not at daycare, she sleeps most of the time.  She doesn't bug me as much as she used to.  She does enjoy her treat puzzles & snuffle mats.   Let's face it this girl acts like she starves on a daily basis.   She is always looking forward to food & snacks.

One good thing though is she is a lot more affectionate that she was. She comes by for hugs and kisses regularly.   She still off on her own a lot, but she does show a lot more affection that last year at this time. 

She comes for me anytime they're downstairs without me.  She wants her back together.   If Momma's not with them, screw it!

The one thing for sure, she loves her baby brother. He's been very good for her. They get along well together & are BFFs.

to be continued....

Pupdate February 2024

 Happy "Heavenly" birthday to Grandpa Couch Crew.   He's hanging out over the rainbow bridge with all the puppers in our lives who have since left us.

Sooo which story to begin with??  This past Wednesday it was Valentines day. Our favorite puppy photographer along with her trusty assistant (moi) attempted to get some photos of the crew for Valentines day.  
If you regularly check out the FB page, you know we posted a gorgeous banner of those photos. I was even able to share a behind the scenes collage of those photos.     
As always a very big Thank You to Jen! for her holiday inspired photos and the patience of a Saint when it comes to getting them to pose!

Stop! Thief!!

Our Thief has struck again!  If you read at least the last post, you know the story of the stolen roll at Thanksgiving & the stolen mashed potatoes last month.   

On Friday, we ordered pizza for dinner.   We usually do something like this as the leftovers last us the weekend for a meal or two.   

I ordered a wrong pizza. It didn't really impress us much, kind of bland.   So the box along with a remaining handful of slices was placed on the island. There was a small bag of garbage placed on top of that.   We usually place things to be thrown out there until someone walks to the garage or near the garage door. 

Last night, I was in bed first as usual. Rich stayed up and was on his PC playing his games.   He got up to get ready for bed, walked into the living room to find the empty box in the middle of the doggy bed. The bag of garbage, strewn around the living room & not a sign of a leftover.   

That big oaf pulled an entire pizza box off the island, carried it to the living room, & proceeded to enjoy the remaining piece of pizza.   

We think he did this in part because he was pissed at us.

We're Gorgeous!!

For various reasons or another, Ziva has been taken to another groomer than the one we used for years. So she had an appointment on Wed.  She really needed it as her hair was stringy, longer, & she was shedding tufts. OH & the mats behind the ears. 

Ever since we took them to the park at the beginning of the month and they had gotten muddy & bathed, the fur has been ...they were looking worse for wear. 

Ziva had her appointment on Wednesday and as usual they did a phenomenal job.  Cleaned up her ears & got rid of more mats that they found.   She looks absolutely adorable!!  Rich loved the way she looked the last time we took her, but he loves this look just the same if not more. 

Before

After

Khors was unable to get in at the usual spot & I could NOT WAIT ANY longer, I got him a last minute appointment somewhere else. 

He had a full on spa experience.  He was cut & cleaned up, bathed in high quality shampoos, nails trimmed, facial, balm on his nose & paws, teeth brushed & all that.    I was nervous because saying "I want him trimmed/cleaned up" isn't giving a specific razor height or anything. 
Plus it was our first time here. 

I had nothing to worry about. He came out looking quite gorgeous.  I'm so happy with the work they did. Debating about taking him to Ziva's groomer or bring him back to this place.    Decisions. Decisions.

Isn't he just so handsome?

Lada & Peryn.....
These two are doing well.  They've been left alone on the days I'm required to go into the office.
They are a little more than excited, more like UBER enthusiastic to greet me when I do get home. 
I actually don't look forward to it as it's painful at times.    

But it's the affordable alternative and they can be trusted at home alone.   They may get hyper, but their overall energy level doesn't lead to them destroying anything when left at home. 
Besides, they've always been good dogs when left alone. 
Lada has really taken to joining in the shenanigans when Khors & Ziva are wrestling. She doesn't necessarily wrestle with Khors, she focuses on Ziva so in a sense Ziva is being double teamed with Khors in one direction & Lada in another.

Peryn is getting closer & closer to joining them.    He's slowly adapted to wanting to wrestle with Ziva. 
He started his attempts when Volos was still here & has continued.  He's more so gotten her to respond.    For awhile she was weary of him because he is a Jerk & has snapped at her more times than we can count.  
However she's finally recognizing that he does want to play.   It's real progress.

With Volos he had both sisters adore him. They would lick him & interact in their own ways.  Lada would groom him & mouth fence with him.     Ziva was his companion. They often were found next to each other & would play tug all the time.   Ziva LOVED playing tug with him. She would be glued to his side at home.
Peryn, he had his weird relationship with Volos. They missed each other when separated. Peryn would groom Volos on occasion & Peryn still loved to taunt him with Volos' toys.

I find he's much more engaged these days. I don't know if it's because Khors is much more active & responsive --or-- if Peryn's personality is shifting again.   All we do know is there is more group involvement of the 4 than previously.   
Probably why I am so tired. I have to go downstairs more often & be more engaged than before.     

SO that's pretty much it with the pups to date.   I was in the basement with them before I began typing this & left the phone upstairs.  And yet again, I missed some great /new moments.   I really need to look into wearing a go pro all the time with these guys .....

Pupdate: Khors Jan 2024 Three Months in....

 

Khors.... Dude needs his own post

I don't even know where to begin. 

This dude has adapted very well since the moment he stepped inside our home.   Nothing seems to phase this dog. Seriously, he just goes with the flow. Seems to like EVERYTHING and is the BIGGEST HAM.

I guess I'll start first with home.  He LOVES his family, especially Ziva. They are found playing often around the house. Either playing tug, wrestling, or just running around with the others.   He instigates play as much as she does.   
They don't care where or when, if they're in the mood-they play. 

Lada & Peryn are a bit "leery" of him.  Not that they don't engage with him, they do to an extent.  When they're all playing with the big ball, they back off when it's his turn. They don't wrestle with him, but they sure do chase him when he gets the zoomies outside. 
There has been some tug with Lada (maybe with Peryn too). 

He has a BFF at daycare as well.  Killian, an Aussie. The two of them are often at play when he's not going at it with Ziva.  
Khors absolutely loves activities.  Playcare? Definitely.  Going on a walk? Heck Yeah! Car ride? Roll down that window baby! Basement? Outside? Dog farm? Dog park?  He's for it all.

He loves the herding ball with the cattle dogs. He loves tug or wrestling with Z.  When he's not doing either of those in the basement, his next favorite thing is to cuddle with Momma.  He will come up to where I am sitting and expect some hugs & kisses.   He's a sweet gentlemen.    A big lover.

Oh and he's a talker.   It's most definitely the collie because Galen used to talk like Khors does.  We see a lot of Galen's "spirit" in Khors.  It makes us smile. I love his little talks. I'm trying to capture enough on vid to share.   

Khors also likes to push buttons. Not literal, figuratively.   Dude ALWAYS wants to be outside. He will pound at the curtain/door to see if it's open.  He's quite loud about it so you have no doubt what he wants. 
He's nosey as all get out & has to be in our neighbors business. So he will watch them in the backyard or if nothing is going on back there, he's decided he doesn't care what we say, he goes up front to lie down on the front porch to watch all those walk by.   
We had to purchase a new camera to monitor him at the front of the house.

He hates being warm & insists on lying out in the yard.   Yesterday with 14 degree temperatures didn't mean a thing to him. He was lying out in the yard like it was any other day.

He loves toys. When he gets them, he's usually gentle with them & loves to press the squeaky on them.  They of course get ruined because Ziva must play tug with all toys he loves.  She did that with Volos all the time as well.  

Took him to Petsmart to pick out a toy. First time in the store & it drove me crazy as he peed EVERYWHERE & it was A LOT!!  I spent more time cleaning that shopping. However, we found a toy he liked & he happily carried it to the car.   

I told Rich we would not do it again by myself.   Holding him & trying to clean up a giant bladder was not fun.   Everyone said it was because it was his first time. Regardless, precautions will be taken for next time.

Shower is cool

not hot here

Khors has filled out & grown.  Since he was only a year & a half-ish, we expected the growth.  However the filling out...he is such a handsome boy.

He's also a pig.  He eats A LOT. He raids trash cans.  He raids the counters.  He raids & he eats. The boy is a bottomless pit. 

At Thanksgiving he stole a roll right from the container of the island.  Right in front of everyone-no remorse. 

He goes through my trash every chance he gets looking for something.     Yesterday the stinker stole a container of mashed potatoes off the counter & ate them up long before anyone knew they were gone.  We discovered it when I was helping Rich make his dinner plate.  We couldn't find the container & Rich mentioned seeing Khors with one when he came in. 
Sure enough, emptied container on the dog bed.   

When Gramma was here for a visit, he stole 2 different pieces of banana bread.   Now to be fair, it was completely Gramma's fault as she did not appropriately put them up.   
The first time he stole it off the coffee table where she had wrapped up the piece she did not get to, to save for later.   Of course that's in easy reach and he ate it.

The next day, she had a few bites in the morning, wrapped it up, & placed it in her tote bag.  The tote bag sitting on the office chair--within reach.

Khors proceeded to help release the piece from it's confines & ate the rest.   If this dog is going to steal from a counter top, anything lower is fair game. 

He is a happy & healthy dog.  He loves everything about his life & has helped the pack overcome their grief.   

As for me, I'm still struggling . With Volos I lost my cuddle buddy. I lost my faithful boy. The boy that loved to climb up in my lap for snuggles. The boy that would plop down next to me when I took a break from work to lie on the floor with them.  The boy that climbed into bed and would either sleep on my & help me sleep through the night or cuddle next to me so I would want to stay in bed.   
The boy that would be so happy to come stand by me & let me hug him to death.     

Khors does not sleep in bed.  He climbs on me for no more than 2 mins and jumps off. He does not curl up against me when I get on the floor. He has helped ease the pain to an extent, but he does not fill the void.    
I also miss the "pure Bernese" look.   Volos looked all Berner.  Khors has a Berner look, but the tiny bit of collie gives him a distinct look....not so Berner.   I miss it.  I do still cry missing him I had the greatest dog for such a short amount of time.   




In 3 days we would've been celebrating his "Gotcha" Birthday. He would have been 9.    

Pupdate: Peryn, Lada, & Ziva

1.17.24-started this 1.11.24
Khors is going to need his own post 

Hey there! 
Sorry there hasn't been a lot of activity here or on the Facebook page.  I really am having a hard time finding inspiration or desire to put together something to post.   
Momma is really still having a hard time without Volos.  
Lots going on, just my heart still hurts.

Let's get to the updates:

Peryn:
Our Peryn boy just turned 8 on the 3rd. I know I suck that I didn't do a huge blog post.  I did post of FB.

I can't believe he's getting older.   

There has been some very noticeable change in him the past few months.   First we have the weight loss. Since Daddy now walks the dogs regularly on the days they do not go into daycare, he's gotten more exercise. The more exercise has trimmed off some of the extra bulk he had & that the Vet wanted him to work off. 

He's also a lot more engaged with the pack. Instead of only barking at them all, he's tried engaging in some play. He has played tug with Ziva a bit & has attempted on several occasions to wrestle with her.   
Additionally, he's more affectionate.  That's kind of big as he's always been a bit standoffish and hates being touched too much. 

He definitely is mellowing in some ways (Others-not so much).  One down side behavior that has gotten worse is that he likes to follow me around & stay RIGHT.AT.MY.FEET.  I trip over this butthead so much cause HE'S RIGHT THERE!!!!

He's also started taking to hanging out alone in the bedroom (on the bed of course) when it's too "chaotic".

His distaste for rain has diminished a bit. Before he refused to step outside if it was raining at all. Due to the walks Daddy has been providing, he's had to walk in the rain a number of times.   So he'll step outside to use the restroom if he has to.   That's a good improvement.

Not exactly sure how much is related to age or circumstances.  He has accepted Khors and they have a tentative friendship.    

Don't get me wrong.... Peryn is still very much an A$$ H0l3.   He still steals Lada's tennis balls. Still takes Khors toys to taunt him with.  Still steals bones & bed spots.    So a few tiny steps forward I guess...

I do appreciate the "softer" side of Pear Bear though.....

Lada-

Lada is Lada.   Both she & Peryn got to go on a car ride down to KY to pickup Gramma (& later drop off).  So she was in HEAVEN to see one of her favorite people.
Whenever they're together, Gramma & Lada do a bit of cuddling together. I love capturing these moments.  

Another thing that Lada got to experience was her most favorite person (aside from us) came back.   Her Jen had to be away for a few months (the entire time we've had Khors truthfully) and is back.  Lada did get to see her once during that time for a few minutes, but the day she came back.....Lada was in heaven!  
She's known Jen for practically her whole life & Jen always has taken time to play with her -as well as love on her.   So she's had her back a few times & is just as happy as can be.  

She also has taken on playing with/joining in the wrestling between Khors & Ziva.   She doesn't necessarily play with Khors, but she joins in on the ganging up on Ziva.   She loves her baby sis.

She's gotten incredibly possessive of me.  Khors comes to me often for affection & Peryn is doing so more often, so she gets up in paws about it.  I absolutely laugh & love the sounds she makes when she is unhappy with sharing me.

I love my lil girl.   She's my BFF-co-pilot.

Ziva....

Ziva is a very happy girl.   She first mourned Volos' loss more deeply than the others & it was heartbreaking.   She adored him so much.   

Khors has DEFINITELY eased that & given her a new outlook. She absolutely loves her baby brother.  She randomly comes up to him to start playing or wrestle.   I hear the two of them are non-stop at daycare. 

She is more engaged in playing of some sort at home.  She hasn't "annoyed" me as much due to boredom since she really shouldn't have any.

Just like with Volos, she & Khors are always near each other.  They definitely are BFFs.  

She too is super happy that Jen is back as she loves her too.   She also was SUPER happy to see Gramma.   Gramma was there when we picked her up. She was there at Christmas & on vacation... Gramma is the best.

Otherwise, there isn't much else new with Z.  She's just happy to have a companion again. She still adores her older sister & still follows her around in the basement when they play--she just ends up playing with Khors most of the time. 

Ziva is a beautiful, sweet, adorable girl who is super happy with her family.