Tomato Pod and Cracus

We have been having more rain and overcast days than usual this year. It rained yesterday. It is May, and we are still having rain. This morning looked like another hot soup day. It was overcast with the potential to rain any second. Around 1 pm the sun finally came out and the sky became clear. I was so excited to open up both patio umbrellas that I rescued from the curbside. Cracus joined me in the yard as I worked on weed removal.

I wasn't planning on growing any tomato just because tomato isn't something I crave for usually. However, a friend of mine gave me a couple Miracle Gro cherry tomato seed pods a few days ago, so I had been looking forward to planting them. I cleared out all the weeds growing in my planter box before digging two holes for these pods.  To my surprise, I found some mint in the planter box.  I carefully pulled all the weeds around it.  After I was done, I sat down in the shade for a few minutes to pet Kelsey, who always likes to lay in full sun.   I turned around to gather all the garden tools, and that was when I noticed a hole where I just planted the pods. Cracus looked at me from a few steps away. Did he eat it? It had to be him. I ran inside and found dirt all over Kelsey's big bed. Cracus ran after me and lay right next to it proudly. I shook my head and started to clean up. I replanted the "pod" back into the hole but made it deeper. Hopefully he is not going to do it again.

Cracus Revisits His Rescuer

I came across Animal Refugee Shelter website on November 1, 2014, when I was looking for a dog to adopt around my area. I had already stopped by Berkeley Animal Services and didn't find a dog that was a good fit. I found a very cute and playful large labradoodle, who I adored, but I knew that I wasn't going to have enough time to devote to another large dog.

I found a few possible dogs on Animal Refugee Shelter and The Milo Foundation websites. I stopped by Animal Refugee Shelter first, and there I found Cracus. It's been almost a year since I adopted Cracus. I found out that his shelter was having a community BBQ today and wanted to bring Cracus for a quick visit.

Cracus appeared to be a little nervous when we got there. Perhaps it was from all the dogs' barking. Cracus barked a lot when I saw him behind bars on November 1st, 2014. He was happy to see Blythe, who runs the shelter. He put his head on her lap. I wish I had taken a few pictures.

I recently had a conversation with a woman in her 20's. She bought a male Akita/husky from a breeder a few years ago and has not get the dog neutered. She told me that she isn't able to board her dog at any dog boarding facility because he's not fixed. I asked her whether she's planning on breeding her dog. She said no. I asked why not get the dog fixed? She said that is cruel, and she will not abuse her dog. That was an interesting point of view because I feel it's a much bigger abuse when unwanted pets are euthanized. I asked her what if he gets out and get a female dog pregnant? She said he is not going to get out. She also insists her dog is very gentle and has no aggression. I couldn't say anything else to make her see that getting our pets fixed is the responsible thing to do.

Just look at all these dogs waiting for homes.

Introducing Cracus

I have been thinking about getting a second dog for a while.  I thought about what are involved in having another dog - space in the car, additional cost in food, living area, additional shedding and bathing of the dog, training, and vet bills, etc. Even though I would love to have another dog that's similar to Kelsey's size, I decided it would be easier to get a small dog. I stopped by Berkeley Animal Services and was immediately drawn to this super cute young labradoodle, who was adopted immediately a week ago but was returned due to his constantly playful nature. I could see that would be a problem for me as well but he was super cute. I almost wanted to get him out of impulse. The animal control officer gave me a book, Love Has No Age Limit, to read over and take everything into consideration before getting that second dog. It is a wonderful little book, which I highly recommend to anyone who is thinking of adopting a shelter or rescue dog. I have never even considered getting a dog from a breeder. All of my dogs were pre-owned.

Now with 2 dog houses

I ended up finding this little white dog at Animal Refuge Response in San Pablo. They think he's a poodle mix and is about 9 months old. The little guy looked so eager to get out of the shelter and is so sad when someone walks away. He would just then curl up in his little bed and wait for the next person to come by. I ended up taking him home on the same day. Little did I know he could turn into a little crazy monster.  He jumps on people and Kelsey and would try to bite my hands with his little sharp teeth. He also makes this crazy wild animal noise and runs super fast. He reminded me of Gremlins with his pink lips, nose, floppy ears, and somewhat unpredictable temperament.

Cracus vs. Gremlin

I wasn't sure what to call the little dog, but I kept calling him crazy little circus dog. I thought about calling him Gremlin or Mogwai (from Gremlin). At the end, I figured Cracus would be perfect. It sounds like a real name but it's basically Crazy + Circus = Cracus. He probably looks pretty normal and cute in the photos above. Take a look at the way he plays with Kelsey in the video below. Kelsey tried to ignore Cracus for a couple of weeks, but I guess she finally decided that she had to try to wear down some of his energy.

Introducing the Farm Dog

A mixed breed of Rottweiler and Australian Shepherd

Late last year, sometime after my trip to the Scandinavia, I thought of fostering a dog. By chance I came across a posting on Craigslist that a dog rescue group was looking for a quiet household to host a dog for post heartworm treatment. The posting indicated the dog needed to eliminate all activities while recovering from the treatment - no walks, no exercise, no excitement, and no jumping. An ideal situation would be staying in a garage of a childless household. I thought that sounded easy enough. I didn't even have to walk this dog. All I needed to do was making sure she was fed and had plenty of water. I spoke to the woman running the rescue, Hound Haven Hope Rescue, a few times over the phone, and it was settled. I was scheduled to pick up the dog at Bonnie Brae Kennel after she was transported from Lake County.

I was surprised to see the dog's docked tail. I was even a little disappointed for her lack of tail. She appeared to be shy and a little timid when she met me but was happy to go along with me.  On the drive back home, I could see her smiling from the rare view mirror.

I don't know much of her past. She was available for adoption as a stray at Lake County Animal Care and Control. I know that shelter is often over crowded, and many animals are euthanized. The rescue group got her out of there because they believed this dog would make an excellent companion for someone. They named her Kelsey and had a veterinarian giving her a physical. That was when they discovered that Kelsey had heartworm infection. They estimated her to be about 6 years old and a mixed breed of Rottweiler and Australian Shepard.

Being shy

I am no stranger to dogs. My parents adopted a doberman when I was a kid. I had an Alaskan Malamute in college and spent years working in Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital at UC Davis.

Although I have worked with hundreds of dogs, I was impressed with Kelsey for how well behaved she is. I am somewhat of a lazy dog owner, so I never adopted a puppy. I prefer full grown dogs who were already trained. Kelsey understands everything. After her recovery period, I realized that I could take her to off-leash dog parks. She is friendly with people and dogs of all sizes. Some little dogs would bark or growl at her due to fear, and Kelsey would just back off and walk away.  She would always make sure to walk near me. It turned out that is one of the traits of Australian Shepherds. They are often called "Velcro Dogs" for their strong desire to always be near their owners and for their tendency to form intense, devoted bonds with select people. While Australian Shepherds tend to be very active, Rottweilers are calm and more laid back, so she's got a good balance from both breeds. Needless to say, I decided to adopt so she could stay on the farm with me.

I am mostly relieved that Dusty shows no fear around Kelsy, and Kelsey shows no aggression towards Dusty. They don't exactly play with each other, but they could lay next to each other with the glass window in between them and feel totally relaxed.

Dusty approves the dog