Dogster

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Ride Wild, Ride Free

New Lease on Life!

My hips started going this year, so ball time isn't what it used to be and I don't do our walks into the mountains any more, hurts too much. But my mom and dad are fixing that. Yesterday I went in for stem cell replacement therapy, a new revolutionary treatment for big boys like me. Our Dr. D says I will be like a puppy again, I can't wait! That ball of mine needs some chasin' and I have a new little brother to play with, Ollie! It's funny, a lot has been happening with my family lately, finding Ollie, giving me a new lease on life. Yesterday before dad took me in to the hospital, mom reminded him that it was the exact same day that our Pups passed, two years ago. She told him in a way, giving me the treatment I need to make my life better on that day was a gift from our Pups, we knew he would be with me and I would be fine.

I am fine and I can't wait to get back to my old self.

When you are a Harley, this Harley anyway, you live to chase ball AND

RIDE WILD, RIDE FREE!

The wall

Mom and I built a wall this year, actually two walls that terrace down a steep hillside into our ravine. Mom started working on it right after our Pups passed and we finished it right before the triple digit temperatures kicked in. All told, mom lifted 4+/- tons of retaining wall block and put them in place down a steep hillside next to our house. Each block weighed an average of 85 pounds. Then there is the digging. Desert soil, if you can call it that, is 99.9% rock! Mom says for every shovel of dirt you get 10 pounds of rock. So, that's where I come in. I love collecting rocks, big rocks, little rocks, any rock you throw for me, I'll chase and carry back to my patio. My smart mom used this to her advantage. You see, once the wall was in place and the digging was done, mom used all of the rocks I collected over the past 5 years for the back fill and to finish off the top of the planter behind one of the walls. She even had me bring her some of the rocks down the hill so she didn't have to climb up and get it. Boy did I have fun! I felt really productive.

When Kiwi arrived, I helped out with that too. The three of us would get up early in the morning, mom would have me sit on the hillside watching Kiwi so he'd get used to being outside with us. Then, slowly, within about 4 weeks after Kiwi came to live with us, he started playing with me while mom worked. "It was good training," she'd say. I showed Kiwi all the paths and play areas on the property and he never left my side. Kiwi is also a digger, so mom would show him a spot where she needed a rock dug up or sand spread around and he'd go after it, not always the way mom wanted, but that didn't matter, "It was good training too," she'd say.

This project was really special to me and my mom, you see, it started a long time ago when our Pups dug the first hole into the steep hillside. Pups would dig a little burrow and then just climb into it and sit, gazing out across the top of the trees into our ravine. Mom knew then that she had to build a special spot where we could all sit with the Pups some day. She didn't get to it until after our Pups left us though, that's why the project was so important for her.

The new spot is named Kiwi's landing. It's a small patio mom created between the two retaining walls. We sit on it every morning and night. It's a great place to be because it gets a lot of shade from the trees and our bridge. Kiwi's landing is every bit the spot mom thought it would be and Pups is still there, in the original burrow he made on that hillside. You see when Pups got really sick, our special vet tech gave my mom this adorable little garden stake that has a little cartoonish puppy on the top that looks just like our scruffy little Pup. Mom stood that stake in the planter, right where Puppy's burrow was.

I love all of the special spots on our property, I love our bridge, I love Puppy's lane (one of our paths into the ravine), I love Harley's Country (our play pad out back), and I love my family. When you have the love of a Mastiff, you have love in every way, shape and form, that's what my mom says anyway.

Rock solid Dogsters AND Ride wild, Ride free!

It's a New Year!

My family made it through the holiday season, lots of family and friends visited, I got to play A LOT of ball, eat lots of good food, got lots of belly rubs, whew hew! Oh, I almost forgot, we also added a new family member. It's not a huge deal to me, but it is to my mom. Since we lost our Pups, mom had been encouraged to foster by our vet and others. When mom looked into it, she discovered Kiwi, a little wire hair Terrier mix that melted mom's heart. At first it was a foster, but quickly we realized he was right for us. First of all, I accepted him, that was a big clue to my mom and dad that this little guy should stay. My acceptance is not easy to come by, in fact almost impossible my mom and dad say. I just decided mom, heh hem, we needed the little guy and he needed us.

Kiwi is afraid of everything, even our walks about the mountain and parks. We have to get him over that, but other than that there isn't a whole lot that Kiwi doesn't like about us, whew. Mom and dad are relying on me to teach the little guy a few things. I have compiled my top ten rules for him, see what you think:

1. Road apples are not a dietary supplement (or a grassy spot to roll in)
2. Horses are not just big dogs and with that, they do not like having their hind-quarters sniffed or being chased
3. The remote control is dad’s, do not hide it and DO NOT roll over on top of it, changing the channel during his favorite show
4. The ball with the rope attached is mine, even if mom and dad tricked you into playing with it and think it is cute when you tug on it, I’m not just shaking it to shake you off, I’m shaking it to do bodily harm
5. Chewies are fair game, IF you can pry them from my cold hard lips
6. Chest butting is allowed, head humping is NOT
7. The family cats, even though they squeak and scurry around, are not dog toys, in fact, the big one will kick your b_ _ _
8. Mom sets the rules, we break them (we love you, mom!)
9. The urinal is not in the corner of the living room or behind the sofa, but mom will ALWAYS forgive you if you forget
10. Mom and dad give us the time and love they can spare. And in return, we give them our all. It's the best deal they ever made…that’s why we take ALL OF THE BED!

My New Year's resolution is to play more ball!
AND to Ride wild, Ride free