Gone to the Dogs

In third grade I had pretty much figured out my entire life.

I knew exactly what I was going to do and how I was going to make it happen.

I was a planner.

A long-term planner, but definitely a planner.

I knew that I was going to work with dogs. 

That was a given.

Remember my first words were "GiGi"-my grandma's dog.

It was inevitable that my life was going to the dogs...

Literally...pun intended.

My life's work was going to be surrounded by dogs and making the world a better place.

Either I was going to groom dogs, I had plenty of stuffed animal practice...

Or train police dogs...they were cool and tough...

Or I was going to need a seeing eye dog...

I must have had trouble with my eyesight even then,
but I was a good actress so I put on a competent show...for a couple years anyway.

Of course, being a teacher was always in my mind.

I was bossy, controlling, and liked to learn. 

Yeah...you know why my life took me there, not much has changed.

But in 3rd grade I wrote a report on training police dogs.

They were cool.

Come to think about it, I must have had some kid picking on me 

because I remember really liking the idea of telling a dog to "Go get 'em"

Hmmm...third grade Lori was a thinker. 

I had to give a speech too,
so whoever was bugging me would know that I could train dogs to catch bad guys.
(duh, I read the book!) 

Boom! problem solved.

But during my research I learned that Little Lori
was probably not a good match for jumping and lunging dogs during their training process.
Luckily for me there are so many others ways to work with dogs
and I've been fortunate to find other ways to work with dogs.

As a little tribute to our furry best friends,
here are some of my favorite things around the web this week about
our side-kicks.

These 10 Must-Watch Animated Dog Shorts Will Make You Want To Go Hug A Pup

Here is just one of them...Makes my heart heavy and then happy.

“Omelette” by Madeline Sharafian

21 Facts About Dogs That Will Blow Your Mind

Frito Paws!  :0)

If Dogs Could Apologize- BuzzFeed

Doggie Tops
Sometimes you just need to show how much you love your dog by wearing a cute t-shirt.  Plus, 10% of the profits are donated to rescues.

I'm pretty fond of the border collie t-shirt in red.

Piglets- Will It Herd? | Petcentric

Murphy LOVED this video!  I think that he was wishing that he could herd a group of piglets too.  :)

And last but not least...

SHAKE PUPPIES by Carli Davidson

Who can resist a whole gaggle of adorable puppies, including our sweet Duncan Lou from Panda Paws shaking water off of their cute selves?  No one that I know!  Click on the link in the title to watch the adorableness in action.

Animals are the Best Medicine

A couple weeks ago, I had two puppies in my arms. 
TWO!
Picture this...me, a puppy in each arm,
snuggled around my neck. 
Pure bliss.



Now I'm a pretty giving person,
but when it comes to puppies,
I'm really selfish. 
REALLY SELFISH!
Nothing comes between me and a puppy...
No, really.
Don't try it!
Really.
You might lose an arm.

I need all the help that I can get to make it through the end of the school year. 
Things get a little crazy in a middle school in the Spring. 
Okay, things aren't just a "little" crazy...it can be a zoo at times.  A crazy zoo! 
Think, apes in a cages...hormonal apes! 
Now, if that image doesn't scare you, well, you're much stronger than I am.
But there are always some things that are consistent, even during insane moments.
Middle Schoolers moods can change in an instant, but silly animals can make even the surliest teenager smile.

Since we can't have puppies at work, (darn it!)
I need to find other ways to lift my spirits and lower the coo-coo levels.
Giggling through a cute video with an animal,
even if it's animated,
works every time.

Simon's Cat-
On Fridays, during the last five minutes of the day we watch a video or two...
Here are a couple favorites.

 Double Trouble...I love the kitten!

Cat Man Do- Don't mess with a hungry kitty.

See?!
Now don't you feel better?
Giggling helps the spirits, and doesn't your blood pressure feel lower?
Though videos are fine, I still think that we need a puppy room...or at least a dog in the school! 
Hmmmm...there has to be a grant out there somewhere for therapy dogs in school...
Do you know of one?
No...seriously...
Do you?
I really want one.
And what teenager doesn't need a pup to help them feel better?
I actually think that it would be a service to the entire community.
Happier and healthier teens...
The bonus would be a happy, less stressed out English teacher too.

Paws and Smiles

Some people say that animals don't have emotions.
That animals are just mimicking the things that they see, hear, and feel.
Those people are stupid.
Very stupid.
Maybe they have no senses?
I haven't figured it out yet,
because when I see an animal with their human
you can feel the emotion.
It's felt through all of the senses.
You can hear the squeal in their happy cries.
You can see their faces filled with love and joy and elation.
You can feel those emotions in the air around you.
That's exactly what I felt last weekend
helping Rex and his beloved person build a new living space.

Rex loved his person...and she loved him too.
Anyone can see that...feel that...hear that.

That's why we build.

Well, one of the reasons...

but we build.

That and the chance to

love on a pup.

Of course, that is my favorite part and

that day I was able to snuggle, pet, and brush, sweet, sweet Rex.

"Love animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harass them, don't deprive them of their happiness, don't work against God's intent. Man, do not pride yourself on superiority to animals; they are without sin, and you, with your greatness, defile the earth by your appearance on it, and leave the traces of your foulness after you--alas, it is true of almost every one of us!"
--Fyodor Dostoyevsky (novelist)

"Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul."
--Pythagoras (philosopher and mathematician)

Rex has a beautiful soul and his person mimics that beauty too.

As soon as Rex was unchained,

he raced to his girl and then the wiggling began.

Wiggle...Wiggle...Wiggle.

He was so excited to share his new yard with her.

Thank you for letting us join in the celebration of setting Rex free from the chain.

Our hearts have gained another paw print.

I love every single paw print,

and this sweet boy has a very special spot with all of my herding dogs.

Chewie in my heart

I seem to fall in love at every fence build.
Normally I don't fall in love quickly,
but when they're pups, it happens very fast.
Instant love.
Look at this sweet face?!
And today,
this sweet face will have a space to run and play,
free from a chain.



Do you see that chain? 
Well today it's history...though the cuts on my legs from that stupid chain may be there for awhile, they are worth it to set this boy free.  Plus, the cuts are good reminders of why we sweat and toll in the sun, and rain, and cold...because the cuts are temporary, but the freedom we give is eternal.

 That alone is priceless.

But first, we needed to clear an area for his fence.

Good thing we had two expert brushcutters on site. :0)

 

 Amazing how a field was tranformed into a fence yard in just a couple hours!

While they brushcut, we prepared ground wire, brought in his new house, pounded stakes,

stretched wire, and secured the area for our Chewie boy.

 He couldn't wait to get through the gate. 
Tug and pull...tug and pull.
After living on a chain,
he was anxious to start his new life.
And we were ready to share the adventure with him.

Chewie was so thankful for his new shady space to run and play,
that he went around to each and every volunteer to show his appreciation.
He thanked each of us will snuggles and kisses.
Perfect love and joyful appreciation.

 Nothing fills my heart with joy like an un-chained dog.

Freedom is a joy like no other,

and I'm thankful to be a small part of each release.