Brandy and Val

They are SO happy now

After being told as a kid that I could not have a dog, I finally took the plunge a few years ago and went off to the internet in search of one. I did not know much about the different breeds and wanted to find one which would fit our lifestyle. After many long hours looking, it seemed a lab was right for us. Luckily, my local dog shelter, Fortunate Lab Rescue., was only 10 minutes from our house. After looking at many deserving animals, I figured I needed one with “training wheels” – I had no idea how to housebreak a dog, although my wife, Ilene did since she grew up with them.

I became friendly with the founder of the rescue and after explaining my situation, she found the perfect pup for me – Brandy. She was 11 months old and had already been in multiple homes and was cast out each time for reasons which were not her fault – children making promises to their parents about taking the time to care for their dog and not keeping it and then a divorce in the family, a young couple who decided that after having a newborn the dog had to go, etc. Luckily, Brandy was housebroken and trained. When I picked her up from her prior home she could not wait to get out of there as she was being confined to a cage with another dog and there was not much room for them to move around.

She has been a great addition to our family and truly, a great dog. She is the dog when one thinks of “man’s best friend”.

Holding my new girlfriend, Brandy

Since Brandy was such a pleasure to have, I did not have to think more than a couple of minutes when I was contacted by the rescue that Brandy came from about taking in another dog.  Ilene really resisted since we traveled a lot and when it gets really cold in Chicago, which is most of the time, Ilene wouldn’t walk them.  Anyway, Fortunate Pooches had taken 30 dogs from the ones which were made homeless by Hurricane Katrina. When we first saw Valenti he was pathetic. He was just a bag of bones and one of them, his wrist, was broken. He had heartworm, recent abdominal surgery and his fur was falling out due to mange. He nose was sunburned from wandering the streets. I did not think he would live but he had such a look in his eyes that said he was the one for us.

I love my dad

He could not really stand much and ate his food at mealtime like it would be his last. Eventually, he gained about 30 pounds and now is one solid guy! He is about as sweet as they come and he is my constant shadow following me where ever I go. He is well mannered as can be and rarely, if ever, barks. He is friend to all and including some of the more picky dogs in the neighborhood.

Considering I had no idea what I was doing when I had my first dog, taking the second could have been a disaster, especially considering my work schedule. Luckily, their mom is around for them. She is the “great entertainer” and has managed to get both of them as certified therapy dogs. They just love to “go to work”, mainly with disabled kids. I am sure all the treats the kids stuff into them doesn’t hurt either.

So if you are thinking of getting a dog, do your homework. Why not check out your local shelter – there are a lot of great dogs who would love to be your friend for life. I know I get more from them than they get from me.

There are lots of reasons for us to get excited about fall!  Sure, we are sad that we can’t go swimming every day and spend hours on end outside in the sun, BUT there is plenty of good stuff to do before the snow comes!

We really love going for our morning walks after breakfast once September rolls around because the kids in the neighborhood wait at the corners for their school buses.  Everyone knows us and we are are so happy to see the boys and girls and they always say “hi” and pet us.  Even the bus driver says good morning to us.

Probably our next favorite activity in fall is to chase the squirrels.  There are so many acorns at our house and so we have so many squirrels.  We chase them from one end of our property to the other, we chase them up trees and we chase them into the gutters.  In our book BRANDY AND VAL, there is a picture of Brandy starting up a tree at a squirrel.  We both could watch and chase them for hours….and often, we do!

Got him cornered!

Leaves!  So much fun to run in them and rustle them around.  Sometimes we find apples and pears from the trees buried under a pile.  Then we have snacks!  An added bonus.  Don’t worry, we don’t eat the cores and seeds.  We hear they’re poisonous to dogs so it’s a good thing we don’t like how they taste.

Not too many leaves yet

The last thing we like about fall is that when we come inside, it’s nice and warm.  Mom gives us a carrot or blueberry, usually, and then we get to take a nap.

Side by Side

New York Times/Nov 1, 2009

Provocative article in the “Week in Review” section of  November 1 NEW YORK TIMES:  Good Dog, Smart Dog Many of us are already aware of the human-like and super-sensory capabilities our canine friends possess.  They are so prominently on display in the roles of service dogs–in search and rescue capacities (think 9/11, Hurricane Katrina), pet therapy (soothing anxious patients in hospitals or making contact with autistic people), seizure and psychiatric service dogs and seeing eye dogs to name a few.  However, the verdict is still out as to whether dogs can actually think like humans or whether it is a combination of training and dogs’ keen awareness of the people around them that explains this perception.

Research on these topics is discussed citing studies by scientists in Hungary, Germany, that of  Clive D. L. Wynne at the University of Florida, and reknowned psychology professor Stanley Coren, the author of several books on dogs, including The Intelligence of Dogs and Why We Love the Dogs We Do.  The U.S. Army is even now planning to study how psychiatric service dogs might help soldiers cope with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

How often does one hear the phrase, or some variation of, uttered in dismay or disgust, “my dog has more brains than he/she does.”  Well, maybe one day the evidence will confirm that.  In the meantime, we can simply refer to Dr. Coren’s rankings of the 100 most intelligent breeds where Border Collies, Poodles, Retrievers, Labradors and Shepherds round out his Top 5.

Val, what a sorry state we found him in!  We weren’t necessarily looking for another dog, but my husband and I were at a vet’s office looking at one who, we were told, was Brandy’s biological brother.  Without going into the details, we all recognized, including Brandy, that this would not be a match made in Heaven.  There was another dog at the clinic that I noticed because he was so emaciated and his eyes were so full of loneliness and sadness.  I was told FPALR was trying to find a home for him but we went home, not giving it another thought…..or so I thought.  My eye contact with Val haunted me,  I ultimately relented and told my husband that if he wanted a 2nd dog, the sickly yellow lab we saw from the other day would be it.

We didn’t know anything about Val’s history at the time but when Val walked through the door, further explanation was warranted ASAP!  His belly was full of surgical staples, he smelled, his leg had a big protruding bulge of bone on it and he was covered in some form of skin rash.  I was not  thinking of giving him back since I felt even sorrier for him now but I definitely was thinking “what did we get ourselves into with this one?” AND “ka-ching, ka-ching on vet bills!”

Ileana brought over Val’s papers.  A Katrina Dog.

We heard of all the abandoned pets and saw the pictures of the lost souls wandering New Orleans, standing on roof tops, etc. and felt awful.   It turned out that FPALR brought up 30 dogs to place (they did) and Val was part of the group.  We know nothing of his background but can only assume that he had a family since he clearly was trained, obedient, walked easily on a leash and adores being around little children.  As for his name?  Don’t really know but he was called “Valenti” and the school of thought is that the ASPCA veterinarians in New Orleans oversaw the care of  groups of animals and they were identified by the name charge or some variation of that theme.   By the time we adopted him, he reasonably enough responded to his new name and we didn’t have the heart to change it again.  He was 40 pounds upon arrival to our home; he truly must have been at death’s door when he was picked up in New Orleans.  I wonder every day why he was chosen to survive and what his story was.  How I wish he could talk.

Needless to say, we nursed him back to health.  He weighs in at 72 pounds and shows very little signs of his traumatic past.   He remains petrified of heavy rains and storms and can detect thunder and lightening at a distance.  He shakes so much and it is so pitiful.  Many dogs, however, fear storms so I’ll never really know to what extent Katrina played in this.  Surprisingly, Val loves to swim.  We thought, for sure, he would stay away from water.

Fortunate pooch, indeed!  One look into Val’s eyes and I know each and every moment how grateful he is for his new family.

Before we continue on with the “nitty gritty” of the blog since, like people, our personalities generally result from the cumulative products of our pasts, I’d like to share with you some background on Brandy and Val.  The dogs are very lucky, indeed, and given what I know of their histories, it appears they both overcame incredible obstacles with little psychological ramifications.  Each day, I am thankful for them and am so overwhelmed by how little emotional scarring they seem to display.  Talk about picking yourself up by the bootstraps and moving on!

Brandy was originally discovered in a kill shelter in southern Illinois.  Why Ileana, from Fortunate Pooches and Lab Rescue (FPALR), decided she was a “keeper” I’ll really never know unless she saw the same qualities in Brandy that my husband and I did–boundless energy, a great disposition, interesting looks and smarts.  She was quickly adopted by a family but ultimately, became the casualty of divorce  so back she went to FPALR.  Next up was a couple who caged her with another dog for 10 hours a day while the pair was away at work. Needless to say, with her energy, the cage wasn’t the place for her, let alone one with another dog.  Back again to FPALR, being told she didn’t get along with the other dog and had social issues.  DUH.    At 11 months, Brandy finally found us and we her!

As I write in BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS, Val’s story is even more amazing……