Guido

 We lost our Guido, age 13 suddenly last week. He was big brother to every wolfhound in the house. We all miss you Guido, you left your imprint on us all.

Dog Eat Dog....Not Really

Another Sunday and a trip to our local off leash dog park for some socialization. Above is Sailor who is very happy to be visiting with all his friends today.

And here is Heartman, his tongue is hanging out because he ran all over the park to meet every dog that was there!

Ah, yes, a little sniff and you find out every thing you need to know about this cute little pug.

This shows you all the different kinds of dogs that were there today and every one got along just fine!

Sunday at the Dog Park

Here I am at the dog park in Washougal with the boys. Martin says I was looking proud so I was holding my head high. The truth was I was looking over his shoulder to see how close the people were who had two little dogs on the path in front of us. Pictured below is Sailor meeting one of the two miniature Schnauzers. The owners brought their dogs over from the small dog section of the dog park especially to meet our big boys. They wanted their dogs to meet some gentle big dogs as the last time they were in the park, one of them was attacked by an American Bull Terrier.

Sailor doesn't look too sure does he, smells like a dog, but is it really one? We had several people stop and talk with us about the dogs. I think there are some future Irish Wolfhound owners in Clark County WA! Love our off leash dog park, and they may be opening one in Camas soon. We have been very busy. There is a bit of a lull in the action this week, then next week Martin is off to DC for three days for a conference. I decided not to go with him, instead we are taking the last week of May off and doing a little road trip. We like to travel for our birthdays and Martin's is May 29th.

Bountiful Christmas

What a great day, after an early morning outside run the dogs actually let us sleep to 8am! I was shocked when I opened my eyes and looked at the clock radio. They were exhausted from all the hubbub surrounding Christmas Eve, so now they are sacked out enjoying the leisurely Christmas. They did wake up enough to play with their Christmas toys and I have enclosed a movie of Heartman playing with his. My husband loves his watch and I was gobsmacked by the framed picture of Heartman and Sailor and the water color and ink drawing we purchased in St John, New Brunswick. Now we face getting our new wireless Blu Ray set up so we can stream some movies from Netflicks and be lazy. More fabulous Christmas goodies will surely follow on this bountiful Christmas day...

Spiffed Up for the Holidays

Heartman drew the short straw today and got to go to the dog wash for a good deep cleaning. We have learned our lesson, not to take both wolfhounds at the same time as they feed off of each other's hysteria. Sailor is still pretty clean as we bathed him and gave him a haircut pretty recently. Heartman did pretty well, he was much more concerned with the other dogs who were suffering the same fate and not happy at all. This picture was taken right after we got home, Heartman looks pretty fluffy from his blow dry and is content to watch the squirrel raiding the bird feeder. Finished wrapping presents today, tomorrow is cookie baking and house cleaning, it will be Christmas Eve before we know it.

This is Not a Real Reindeer or Santa Claus

Enjoying our first day off, I was able to get all the presents wrapped except for Martin's. I did get those organized and put in boxes, so he won't be able to tell what he's getting. We both like surprises so we don't peek. We also did most of our grocery shopping for the holiday, just a few fresh vegetables to pick up and our menus will be complete. Mailed our gifts to my nephew's family in Seattle and my mother in law in Enterprise.

That is Sailor in the Santa cap, and Heartman in the reindeer ears. Not to be confused with the real thing we saw yesterday. My poor husband, thought I was just taking a picture, but I was filming, eventually he'll figure it out!

Beautiful Saturday

What a day, second day with no rain. Very unusual for this time of year in this part of the Pacific Northwest. We did all our ususal household chores, as well as managed to get the dogs out for a walk at Lacamas Lake which is on the outskirts of Camas. It is a great place for a hike that isn't too far off the beaten path. The dogs are exhausted after an afternoon of chasing each other around and we are, too. Looking forward to a quiet evening at home and a mug of hot chocolate!

Heartman Gets a Bath

Yesterday, Martin had a furlough day for the State of Oregon, so he put his time to good use. Heartman desperately needed a good scrubbing and Martin gave him one. Luckily we have hot water in our garage so he was able to have a good warm bath. After the bath, Heartman had a treat and got to come to my work for a visit. He couldn't come into the office but was able to visit with me and my team on a patio outside of our office. Today, it is Sailor's turn!

Tongue

Sometimes it's very handy to have an extra long tongue. Especially when you are also tall enough to reach the kitchen counter and the kitchen sink...it saves a lot of time waiting around for the humans to put the dish on the floor.

This picture was taken at the beach house in Yachts...and the tongue in question, is Heartman's.

Heartman Returns

This month we got Heartman back with us. It looks like he is here to stay now. Ann just had too many dogs, and Heartman was just one too many Wolfhounds..and it also didn't help that Heartman loved to bark at the horses on the farm. Well there are no horses here so everything is fine. Of course he has been here for short stays two times in the past so this was like coming home for him and Sailor is ecstatic to have another Wolfhound to play with. Heartman is two years old, so he is not that far from puppy-hood himself, and enjoys rough-housing with Sailor. Sailor chews on Heartman's face without mercy, but Heartman is so very patient with him.

Of course all is not as smooth with Guido. Heartman doesn't back down when Guido tries to boss him around, so there has been a few disagreements between the two. We keep them separate during the day, to make sure nothing too bad happens while we are gone. But for the most part they at least tolerate each other.

Last week we took a long weekend and went to our favorite beach in Yachats. We stayed in the dog-friendly house that we have been to several times before and of course all three dogs came with us. They had a great time, and so did we. Here's a few of the pictures we took of them while we were there. The first one is all three dogs romping on the beach, then WHW and Heartman, then Sailor and Guido and finally Heartman relaxing at the beach house.

Farewell to Heartman

Well, we said goodbye to Heartman yesterday. Anne came to pick him up, and he went off in the back of a pickup filled with dogs. He came to us a few weeks ago, the day Sketch died. He helped fill an empty space during a sad time, and he also was a great help in getting Sailor adjusted to his new home.
Heartman was like Mother, Father and big Brother to Sailor. It was truly amazing how patient he was with the puppy following him everywhere he went and nipping and chewing on almost every part of his anatomy. He developed this mock growling sound when he played with the puppy, that sounded like Chewbaca from Star Wars, and at times he would almost put the entire head of the puppy in his mouth, but yet he was ever so gentle.
So sailor is getting adjusted to not having Heartman around, and we think that in a few days he will be over the worst of that adjustment...Guido however is adjusting very quickly. As WHW said yesterday to Anne..."Guido would send you a dozen Roses if he could" Guido didn't like not being the top dog of the house. Heartman was the first Wolfhound that he really couldn't push around...So now things are more to his liking, and Guido and Sailor are developing their own relationship...which is not quite as playful as the one Heartman and Sailor had, but all and all they're doing fine

House Breaking Trials

Well it's been a little more than a week now since we've had Sailor. It's been a busy week for both of us at work, and at home as well. Most of the activity at home revolves around the house breaking of Sailor, and it's progressing rather well...or maybe I should say that Sailor is making good progress in training us. You see, sailor moves and we jump. We've learned that certain behaviors proceed peeing. So when we see those behaviors we react by jumping up from what ever we are doing, including trying to sleep, and escort him rapidly to the back door. Once outside sailor almost always quickly does his duty. He's got that part down very well....getting a little treat helps...in fact some times he comes right over to get the treat while still in the process of doing his duty. The part we're still working on is the part where he lets us know when he needs to go...We know that usually right after he drinks water is a very likely time (and he drinks a Lot of water)...also after he's been actively playing with Heartman, or us...or when he just kind of walks around looking at things... The question you hear between WHW and myself a great deal is "Where's Sailor?" we always get a little nervous when we don't actually see him.

But actually it's going well in spite of a few setbacks. He's really quite a smart dog. You get the impression that he knows what he can and can't do already. He loves to chew almost anything, but he seems to know that it's best to chew the multitude of dog toys and chews in various places..he does try an occasional shoe or piece of furniture, but quits right away with a word or two.

He is really attached to Heartman...he follows him everywhere and constantly harasses him by nipping at his beard or face, or just about anything he can reach. Heartman is so very patient with him...he occasionally growls a little if Sailor goes to far, but nothing too serious. It's going to be hard on Sailor if Heartman has to leave. Although he also seems to like Guido, but Guido isn't nearly as patient with him.

It's been great fun having Sailor with us. It's fun to watch him grow and learn, and the bonding process is beginning with him and us as well....It's also great to know we have him for keeps...and that hopefully that will be for many more years to come.

Clocks, Trips and Jobs

We have a new alarm clock. It’s relatively hairy has 4 feet and a very wet tongue. Oh and by the way, its name is Heartman. Heartman is a great sleeper. As long as he gets a chance to pee a little before bed, he will sleep the whole night through,…generally. But he also has an amazing internal alarm clock. Almost every morning two to three minutes before 5:00AM – the time our old fashioned clock radio alarm clock is set for…We are awakened by a sloppy wet and cold tongue. First WHW, and then over to the other side of the bed to get MBD. The clock has beat him a couple times, but when it does, he springs right up for the rest of the wake up treatment. He will be great if the power ever goes out - the only trouble is, he has a hard time telling weekends from weekdays!

Heartman and Guido met their house sitter, Ruth Yesterday. She will be staying with the boys while we begin our vacation starting tomorrow. We will be heading toward Glacier National Park for a week and then back home for the next week to pick up our new puppy and help him out through the first week of transition.

BD had big news on the job yesterday. I’ve been made Interim Assistant Director for Business and Employment Services. My boss took a voluntary demotion last week, so I’ve been appointed to fill in for him for the next three to four months, while they conduct a nation-wide recruitment for his position. Of course the first thing I had to tell them was I had one condition…The two week vacation previously scheduled doesn’t get changed…and they agreed. So one of my first duties today has been to select and Acting Asst. Director for the time I’m gone...or is that an Acting Interim Assistant Director, Or an Acting Acting, Assistant Director…..

Should be an interesting next few months

Heartman Therapy

Sadness for Sketch today, miss the routine of her and the place she held in our home. Anne is a smart woman. Heartman has so totally distracted us. He fills that hole that his mother left. He licks our faces in the middle of the night like she did, and whines and sighs before he settles in for his sleep. There must be an Irish Wolfhound maual for our home that only the wolfhounds understand. How does he know the preferred places, the same spots that his mother and Chiani had called their own before he was even born?

Heartman is a goofball, picture a young Jerry Lewis in Errand Boy. All arms and legs, and a silly wild eyed take on life. He is incredibly sweet and has slipped into our lives and routines easily. Easily that is except for Guido, who is suspicious, but gives him respect. It is not clear who the top dog will be yet. Guido is used to the girls who let him run the show, Heartman doesn't back down at all. The boys haven't had the important conversation yet, so for that reason we will keep them separate when we leave them alone until we know pack order has been established.

Weekend gone too quickly and would like more time before facing those stresses so unique to my job. But I will inhale, for work also offers a good distraction for me. Soon we will have a puppy, who will turn this house upside down!