It's 2022!

 Welcome to the New year.   

Hope it's starting off well for you.   Us..could be better. 

We caught Covid at Christmas & are still recovering.  It's been a long 2 weeks. 

Before coming down with Covid & the symptoms, we had a nice visit with My Mom, Brother & nephew Ricky.  We again celebrated Ricky's 4th birthday.    

Peryn just turned 5 on the 3rd & Volos will be turning 7 on the 20th. 

Speaking of Volos, Dude had an awesome Christmas... Enjoy watching him open his gifts

I need to keep him away from packages that get delivered when he thinks they are for him.

Here's a little vid of Ziva & cousin Xena

As you see, not a lot to share right now, but we hope you enjoyed the little we did share.  

Happy Birthday/Gotcha Day Volos!!

Birthday Boy

Happy gotcha day volos

 It's been over a month since I last posted.  It's been a bit crazy--and when it isn't I don't feel like posting.  

So today is Volos' Gotcha Day and since we don't know his birthday, it's also designated his 6th birthday.  
He has come a long way.    

A year ago we brought home this big ball of fur that stayed in his crate and occasionally made an appearance.  He preferred to show his affection when he was outside vs inside.  It took MANY weeks before we heard him bark. 

He'd flinch if we moved too fast or made any loud noises. He'd run to his crate anytime he was caught off guard.      

I was upset he'd leave the room when I'd enter.  I didn't think I'd ever be able to have a cuddle bug. 

Times certainly have changed.   Now this pup is a big barking goofball.

His wounds have slowly closed/scarred over.   The skin still needs to heal, but we don't have any issues or worries about him getting infections or bleeding to death.    HE returned to day care two weeks ago.   It was time.

He didn't beg to go in each morning, but it was obvious over time that he missed his siblings.  He became a bit "antagonistic" the last week.  He started with Peryn several evenings after they got back home from day care.      Near the time they usually would come home, he'd wander to the door and patiently wait for them to come home.   Once the door opened he and Peryn would fly downstairs to start their routine.  

The evening after his return to day care, it was so obvious he was happy. His whole being just shined with happiness.     He prefers being with his pack and vice versa.

I missed posting about Peryn's birthday on Jan 3. He turned 5.  I can't believe my baby boy is growing up.      So as it stands today Volos is 6, Peryn is 5 and Lada is 4.     

Over Christmas the boys got to meet their cousin Ricky. Lada has met him before as she's my Tenn Co-pilot.  Gramma & Uncle Davey came up to spend Christmas with us and Ricky tagged along.   We celebrated Ricky's birthday while they were here.    My brother went all out for his "baby".

Fighting over Gramma

For my Mom's gift this year, I had family portraits taken. This did include the pups.  they turned out quite well if I don't say so myself.  the lovely brittaney brandt photography took the photos .   

The pups were the easiest part of the whole process.   the humans had a little difficulty understanding directions!

Christmas brought snow! Ricky wasn't too fond of it, but my pack thoroughly enjoyed having snow to leap through.  

Don't really have much else to tell you regarding these crazy pups, so i guess we'll just leave you with a few more photos.

VOLOS

RICKY, THE BDAY BOY

PERYN

LADA

https://www.brittaneybrandtphotography.com/

Bone, Hugs & Harmony

Interesting time with the dogs this week.    With all the changes going on , their day care days have been switched, Mommy is working from home, & Volos is truly starting to gel with the family.

Volos spends more time out with us than hiding away.    We've had him out in the living room with us as we watched TV after dinner (and this weekend).   He's coming into the bedroom all of the time.  In fact, he slept in our closet the other night.   Now, I don't know if that is something he's going to do all the time or if it had something to do with the loud thunder that was happening.  Either way--progress.

He's even hanging out at our feet while at the dinner table. While this isn't all the time, I'd say it's more often than not.   It's hard to believe that just a month and a half ago this dog was hiding in the corner of Rich's office if not the crate.     

He adores both of us and I couldn't be happier.  He is very 
confident in his role now and is barking more and more each day.   

Peryn trying to get Daddy's attention

His relationships with his siblings is a bit--there are drastic distances.  Athena- with whom he is home most often with, 
he has zero interaction with   She's in one of her beds all the time since she is unable to move or get up.   When she's in her cart, she is usually either barking at her younger siblings as they play or she's barking at the people walking by on the trail.  She and Volos don't bark or growl at one another. I guess they live in mutual respect with one another. 

He and Lada have a decent relationship.  She and he have 

Hey Mom

licked each other and almost started playing one day.  They 
acknowledge each other and show some affection.  They both 
often are attempting to get my attention at the same time, so they are often side by side.   I would say they are definitely 
fond of one another.     Hopefully that will grow as time goes on.

Peryn....  Peryn. Peryn. Peryn.  We have often said that Peryn is the best dog we've had. He listens, watches out for his pack, doesn't beg for food, and gets along well with the pack.     

Cute but annoying

Lately though.  .... I don't know if it's because Duchess is gone and he's mourning her or trying to take over her role as "Leader".  He and Duchess were pals. He ADORED her.  I don't know if it's because he feels threatened by Volos.  I don't know what it is but lately he's become an aggressive little shit. 

One of the things he has been doing for a long time is try to reign in Lada.  Lada--for those who don't know--is VERY HYPER.  She's very reactive and the BIGGEST DANG DRAMA QUEEN you've ever met.    

Peryn often shuts her down or at least tries to.  When we let the dogs out to potty, we use the front door as we have no steps off the back door.  When they're let out, they run to the back.  We have a metro-parks trail right on the other side of the back fencing.    Duchess, Athena & Lada tend to bark at those walking by. If Peryn happened to see someone, he would "cut them off" from running and barking at people.

When Lada would hear something and go to react, he would growl and snap at her to get her to stop from running off.  He does this often when they hear "Daddy" open the garage.  

Lately though, he does it and keeps doing it.   To make matters worse the drama queen sounds like she's being murdered.  SO the two of them cause quite a ruckus.  Peryn shutting her down and then keeps snapping at her for a bit.   Lada will fight back and then pull the "AHHHHHHH MOMMMY HE'S KILLING ME" thing.   

Sitting at the table w/us -playing cards

So that's ramped up the past month or so.     Then he snapped at Athena.  A T H E N A.      Now mind you, Athena will snap at you if you come near her when she is eating.   That is one thing she's never gotten over from her mill days.  She guards her food/bones/snacks.     

Volos.   When we first got Volos and he started to slowly open up , he would (still does) runs to us once he's done outside.  Peryn often tried to engage him to play.   Volos wasn't there yet and would ignore him.   

Well, now that Volos is more secure in his role within the house, he is around more. Peryn has taken to closely following him when he's up and about and it becomes a stand off.    Growling and snapping.  They've gotten into one tussle. 


Volos isn't letting him bully him around. He growls right back and will snap right back.   I'm proud of him because he's secure enough to know he can do that.   
HOWEVER the harmony in this home has been off for the past two weeks.     We allow for some of it because they need to work out whatever it is, but when I see Peryn trying to start something, I shut him down.    But that little shit follows him and HOVERS.  

If Volos wants to eat/drink, Peryn is right there. IF Volos wants to come in to my office and he's not already there, Peryn hovers over him.

He's just been a big annoying shit lately.  We're hoping it only goes on for a little longer, but if it keeps up-- need to figure out something.  



Lada went with Momma to visit "Gwamma".  She got to meet 
her cousin Ricky.  They didn't hate each other and they didn't 

Cousin RIcky & Lada

really love each other. They spent most of the time taking back a piece of roll-hide that was there.      It was pretty entertaining.   Ignoring each other is as preferable as them getting along.   We don't have to worry about them killing each other, so yay.

As usual Lada was the perfect passenger.  The only thing that worries Momma here is that 

Ricky with the roll-hide

she does not sleep. She will not relax. She will lay in the front staring at me from her various positions. If she lays down in the back seat and I glance at her, her eyes are focused on me.    She has to keep me in her sight at all times.  She's like this every time we drive there and home.    
We stop enough to let her stretch her legs and get  a chance to go to the bathroom- she usually doesn't.   Her one thing, that we kind of have always done and she now continues it, is while at a stop she does walk around a bit.   Walks, stops looks up at me and jumps into my arms.   She wants Momma to hold her like a little toddler.

It was a short trip as we knew there would be a "Stay At Home" order soon and we wanted to get home before it was issued--which we did.

They are LOVING the fact that Mommy is home every dang day.    Mommy not so much.

VOLOS UPDATE as of 16:46EST on 3.30.2020. Today he went in for his PRP.    He received them in both of his knees.  We're trying this route first hoping to repair some of the damage.    We're trying to avoid having surgery if we can.   Fingers crossed that this works.

Trying to move herself over

Athena--It's official. She's 100% down.  If we place her just right, she can hold herself up--but don't move her or she'll fall down.    Her front legs are weak and she cannot lift herself up in the front. 

Her legs splay wide in the front and she can't hold herself up too long in the cart.   We sent her to playcare on Friday and she was out the rest of the night and next day.     

Because she lies on her chest and can't lift herself up, she sounds wheezy when she barks.   It's not looking well. I'm thinking a few weeks.   Once she no longer runs around in the basement with the cattle dogs, that's it.    That's what she lives for and if she can't do that-- that's our sign.

How she lays