The hardest part #1 The way things were...

APRIL 6 2020--  Athena's Gotcha Day-- 6 YEARS

Cuddling with Daddy-Day1

Anyone who has followed this blog for sometime has been here for the ups and downs with Athena.   This sweet girl had a cruddy life prior to us and we did our best to love her and give her happiness.   I'd like to think we succeeded.


Her Degenerative Myelopathy has been an unfair -hideous circumstance in this beautiful girl's life.   

How she looked first week with us

After bringing Athena home, she was a very loving and sweet dog. She longed for cuddles and affection.   As she became more confident in our house she blossomed.

She loved playing with other dogs. Her greatest joy was playing with Duchess, MasterChief, Barkley, and then Bridger.   She absolutely loved going to dog parks.

She could run around barking at other dogs, chasing them, corralling young /small dogs, and getting pets from the humans.      

Running at the park

It was at these dog parks that we also got to see the walks she was getting had strengthened her legs. Where she once fell behind, she now was running among the pack. 

She was nicknamed "Referee" because she would often get in between fighting and play fighting dogs.  Barking her way in to break it up.

Barking. EVERY emotion had a noise. Barking was her favorite form of expressing those emotions.  Gun shots from the gun range--BARKING.  Squirrels running by--BARKING.  Other dogs being walked--BARKING.  Happiness at playing with the other dogs--BARKING.      

Enjoying the run

I nicknamed her Ms Barks-A-Lot  or Barky Bark and the Furry Bunch. 

I LOVE THIS PLACE

One area that never changed in all her time with us is her reaction to food.   She would eat almost ANYTHING given to her.  She would snarl and bark at any dog that came near.  She loves her food and she does not share. EVER. This is one aspect that even today she has.   Don't come near her food or treats. She growls and snaps at the other dogs.





Athena really is a pack dog. That became apparent with Peryn and then Lada. She adored playing with them.   Where Duchess had a rough and tumble play style, Athena was more light wrestling.    She was very particular about which dogs she did this with.


In all her time with us, the ONLY dogs she ever played with were : Duchess, Master Chief, Barkley, Bridger, Peryn, & Lada.      AT dog parks she was a run and chase dog.   At home where she was most comfortable, she played with those she adored.
***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***BFF***

Playing with Bridger & MC

Playing with the BFFs

She lives for this.

push push push

Even in the snow

Her most favorite BFF

She loved to get up on the couch and snuggle in next to 

SHE LOVES HER DADDY

you.  For a long while, after work that was our routine.  I'd come home, let them out and then she'd climb up on the couch next to me and cuddle into me.   It was part of my wind-down.

When she wasn't out playing, her favorite thing was her spot. We placed an ottoman in my office and she would climb up on top and lay there. She'd either sleep or watch the neighborhood and bark.    

HER SPOT

This was her spot while we were at work or just out.  If I worked from home, she was there.   The window sill was dirty from her chin. The wall was scratched from her nails...  This was Athena's thing.  

If we weren't upstairs, she was either on the ottoman at the back window--looking out for either creatures or her BFF- MC.

When I would open the front door to let light or air in, she and Duchess would be right there.... watching and barking at EVERYTHING.  

Watching the neighborhood

Napping

Back Window

Enjoying the beautfiul weather

During the summer she loved to lay outside and enjoy the weather. She and Duchess could be outside forever soaking up the sun.

I'm surprised my neighbors didn't kill us for the amount of barking she would do and things beyond our sight.
 Our neighbor Sarah would joke "Oh was that a blade of grass?? BARK BARK BARK"


If she wasn't tied up and she saw someone walking...she had to run after them to say hello.  Even better if they were walking a dog.   

After getting Peryn and Lada, her most favorite thing in the world was to run back and forth with them as they played with their balls.  She didn't have to actually push the ball or chase the ball. She was happiest just running with them.

Rocky!

Toys.  She was particular with toys. She liked the floppy stuffed animal types. The types you could shake and pull out the stuffing. She had a racoon (several actually) and an elephant.  She loved to just nip at it at times.

Duchess had her toys and Athena had hers.  She loved it to the point she would sleep with it.  She was such a happy girl and enjoyed EVERYTHING.
She treasured her toys when she wasn't ripping them apart.  She would be gentle with them in between the tearing apart. Even the tearing apart was gentle.
  

She wasn't gentle with her "roll hides" .   She LOVED these things and would just go to town on them.    Gnaw gnaw gnaw.

 She was never a fan of sleeping in the bed with us.  She preferred dog beds on the floor next to us. At times she would even head to her perch and sleep in there. 
After moving a chair up to the bedroom, next to the bed (for us to sleep in when sick), that became HER bed.  

Her Bed/Throne

Every night she would climb up in bed and sleep.

She was NOT a morning dog. When it came to getting up and letting them outside, she often chose to stay in bed.  I would often bring her her morning treats to her bed because she was NOT getting up.    She loved to sleep in.

She had to be with the pack.   If Rich was in his office, Duchess would often be on the bed in there. Athena would jump up along with her and they would lie there until Rich was done or Mommy did something more important.

early AM photo  ZZZZ

For a long stretch of time, we would take the dogs to the dog park weekly.   Athena was NEVER an easy traveler.   She would whine and moan the whole ride. Barking as we neared the park.    Running free with her siblings or other dogs was what she lived for.

She loved our neighbors.  Some more than others, but she loved getting attention and affection from them.  We had friends from the dog parks whom she loved as well. She had to run up to them when she saw them and get some loving.

Athena's unbridled joy of life was something that always made me smile.   Whatever horrendous things that happened to her prior to her prior to us --were forgotten.   This girl loved everything.  She was truly an in the moment dog.

She came to us via a shared post. She had the most adorable photo ever. I loved it and showed it to Rich.  He saw it and said "I WANT HER."  I didn't even know if she was up for adoption, I just thought she was adorable.  Turns out she was up for adoption AND she was only a few hours away.

on the A Frame

We knew she had some health issues prior to picking her up and that was ok.   We didn't realize there were additional issues until we brought her home (go back to April 2014 posts).   She then began to bloom as we nursed her physical issues.   

Walking with Daddy

Puppy Updates...

Hey all.   Hope the summer treated you well.   So those of you wondering how the pups are doing, here's your info:



DUCHESS:

Duchess at the park

She's becoming more social at the dog park.  She's always been a bit of a loner. She'd be walking along the fence line or searching in the woods all by herself. She may run with a dog or two, but she's never really played with any dog.   She's never been overly affectionate and tended to be aloof.

Prior to Peryn she would become playful with her food, tossing it in the air and such. She and I would play a bit after I gave her a cookie.  She had her 2 stuffed animals: Lambchop & Hedgehog that she would play with on the bed.    

She would play with Athena until Athena discovered other dogs, now they don't play (or I should say Athena doesn't really play with her).

Since Peryn though, the jealousy Duchess has is showing. She competes for attention from Peryn. 
After getting over the initial "shock" of having Peryn in the house, she often played with him. Actually it was more of her pushing him around.   Peryn loved it though and her rough play helped him out.
With our wanting to socialize Peryn as much as possible, we often had meetups with others to have the dogs play. This additional one on one time with other dogs has made Duchess a little more comfortable around other dogs.  

While at the park she still tends to be by herself, she'll join in with the group more often than not.
Additionally at home she tends to seek out attention and affection much more often. While she still isn't very affectionate (she does NOT lick ) she has mellowed some.  She tends to curl up against us all the time now.   Her competition with Peryn has made her a much sweeter dog.

While the two of them do not play together as much, and I think that has to do with the constant exercise and dog park visits, pay too much attention to one or the other and a "fight" aka Playing starts.

Duchess is a good dog and very protective. I still don't trust her with strangers.  

One good thing that has happened is now that the dogs play often with Huskies (remember Duchess is half Husky) things are better.  I don't feel I have to explain her when she does some things (like her drive buys or aggressive play) because I'm with others who have dogs that are the same way.

So overall Duchess is good.   She is "aging".  Her snout which had been brownish when we adopted her 3 1/2 years ago is all white.  I am unsure her exact age and that worries me as Duchess is my favorite dog of the current 3.   

Current Likes:  Loves Grafton, Kirtland, & Medina dog parks for their sizes. She loves Grafton because it is wide open and in the country. She LOVES the country.  She loves Median for the woods. And she loves Kirtland for the water and the play area.  She loves to splash. She loves to explore and run free.
Loves running with ponies.   Loves her schedule: morning brusha and cookies & her out times.
Loves to lay or sit at the back of the yard, in the shade, and monitor. She loves to lay out on the patio and sun bathe.

Favorite toy: Anything that dispenses treats as she plays with it.
Car rides?   She is a horrible traveler. HORRIBLE. She paces back and forth and whines and husky howls until she can stick her nose out an open window.

Favorite sibling: Peryn

Athena getting some loving at the park

ATHENA: Athena has come such a long way. I was looking through her paperwork from when we adopted her.  She's gained weight (14 lbs),stronger legs, and her infections are gone.
Personality wise, Athena hasn't really changed much over time. She's pretty much the same dog as she's always been.
She really loves us and loves being with us. She loves playing with other dogs..sort of.
She'll play with Peryn, MC, & Bridger, but at the dog park she's happier to run after other dogs and bark at those wrestling.   
She and Peryn are ok. Peryn loves to bug the crap out of her. He will "munch " on her as she goes up and down stairs.  
They're more likely to play with one another than Duchess and Peryn would.   

She loves loves loves going to the park to "play" with other dogs. She's still obsessed with smaller dogs as she tries to mother them. She tries to break up "fights" (dogs wrestling with one another) and sometimes ends up as a protector of weaker dogs by doing so.

She does not sleep in the bed with us as the uneveness of the bed bothers her legs. She still has weak legs from her life before us. While we've strengthened them by allowing her to play and walk, she still has issues with them.  Her own bed is either the big chair next to the bed or the dog blanket/bed on the floor in front of it. 

She has a bladder of steel and once she's in bed for the night, she won't get up until we force her out the next morning.

She's the best listener of the bunch.   Call her once or ask her to stop and she does. She is a barker.  I call her Barky Bark and the Furry Bunch...
  

Current Likes:  If the place has dogs, she loves it.  She loves other dogs.
She's a doll who loves to be outside. She could be outside watching all day long if we would let her. 

Favorite toy: Rocky the Raccoon.

Car rides?   She is a horrible traveler. HORRIBLE from the minute she got in the car with us. She's better than she was, but only if no one (Duchess or Peryn) encroach on her space in the car.  

Favorite sibling: Peryn

PERYN the Pup: Peryn. Peryn. Peryn.   Lil dude is a handful.  He's an extremely happy dog who loves his Mommy very much. He loves Daddy too, but it's like a 60/40 attachment with Mommy being 60.  Personally I think it's more, but we don't want to upset Daddy!

Peryn loves playing.  Other dogs, balls, toys, anything he finds on the floor, the tie outs... 
He is full of life and loves to show it.    He still is not to be trusted alone, so is crated during the day. 

He loves to swim, play rough with his friends, and most importantly FETCH.   The dog can play FETCH non-stop for hours if you have it in you to keep up.  

He LOVES bodies of water. He loves to run, play, & swim in water.  It's going to be a long winter for him.

If you read up on Cattle Dogs, he's matches everything perfectly.   He has more than the regular puppy exuberance.  We've had 2 dogs at the 9-10 month age and neither of them had Peryn's energy.    We've discovered that if he is not regularly exercised, he's a monster.
He will chew anything he finds, walk all over Mommy in the middle of the night, and just bug the heck out of you until you play.  

We started him in day care 2 days a week-starting last week.   A big difference it's making.  It makes dealing with him the rest of the day and the whole next day much more bearable. 
Yay!


He has a few friends he LOVES to play with: MC, Akira, Apollo, & Kato (last 3 are huskies)

Current Likes:  Fetch, balls(Squeakier the better), going on rides, parks, other dogs, walks, playing

Favorite toy: ALL

Car rides?   He's WONDERFUL in the car.  He's like Galen was.  Quiet, comfortable, and enjoyable. He is a great traveler.


Favorite sibling: to play with: Athena.  TO sleep around & run with: Duchess.