A Year Ago....

Sad Elke in October 2011

It was a day much like today, weather wise. Mid-40s, maybe a bit warmer, gloomy and damp but not raining.

I was going to meet a cattledog pup today.  An older pup actually. IF Elke would be OK with him, maybe we'd adopt him.  I owe a debt of gratitude to Tisha A. for helping Elke as well.

She'd lost her anchor, Jesse Ann and she had actually gone into a bit of a depression.  She slept a lot and moped. As much as I loved so many of the dogs I'd worked with, my heart (and even the SU's heart too) were a little void. Jesse and Winger had gone to wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge. 2011 was a tough year.

A friend of mine, Becky L. had posted on FB!
"Check this out, Mia!" and there was a picture of an older cattledog puppy.  My heart fluttered a bit, and I contacted the foster mom whom I knew from the Humane Society: Jen Mauger, the owner and trainer of L'Chaim Canine.

Megan with her soon-to-be doggie nephew

I was worried because Elke isn't the most dog friendly dog and I haven't helped to improve that, really. But Jen assured me that we'd test her out with Jen's uber-friendly collie, Shay. (This wonderful, silly dog is, by the way, my Hero....Love that dog!)  Elke did too.

But first, Jen wanted me to meet The Dog Called Bandit.  I might not click with him.  I agreed. By the way....why folks name dogs with no facial mask "Bandit" is beyond me but that was his intake name. He was saved by Humane Officer Shannon at the Humane Society of Greater Akron.  She is another one of my Heroines!

Jen brought the bundle of cowpup into our yard, he seemed very friendly and curious.  I picked him up and he still had puppy breath, just the last vestiges of it, and soft puppy fur.  I held him to me heart, nuzzled my nose into his neck and I started tearing up. I love Elke (our Schmooby-Do) with all my heart but I'm a sucker for a blue cattledog. After Elke's successful meet and play with Shay, we introduced the pup into the mix!  They got along just fine.  Thank you, Shay!  We brought the little guy inside the house and all was still well!

The Spousal Unit meets
the pup for the first time.

Of course, I'm a sucker and my Spousal Unit knew it.  He met him the next Sunday at one of L'Chaim's classes!
Yep, we're sold on a little blue dog.
Marty immediately christened him "Artie."
"Why Artie?"

"He looks like an Artie!" And WAREHOUSE 13 is the SU's favorite show!

He became officially ours, adoption paperwork and all, on Dec. 22nd, 2011.

He was a HUGE trial in many ways.  House-training, chewing, mouthing, biting, etc. etc.  Etc. I cursed my friend Becky many-a-day! I spent hours often wondering what the hell I was thinking.....

He started growing......and Elke started to prick up, get some energy and life back,  play, growl, get after her new little brother and lose weight!

His first Christmas and New Year's came and went.  Puppy classes! Still working on the house training thing.....







And growing.....despite his often less than enthused big sister.....

And his color was still very light....but he was growing....This is Art on Jan. 1, 2012

And he was growing.....and getting tons of nicknames!  

Art, Artie, Artie Blue, and most often BLOOBY!

March 11, 2012 (below)

...and growing...and his color was beginning to darken......and he learned to LOVE to play Fetch!  After first he had NO idea he was supposed to bring it (the ball, Frisbee, toy) BACK!

...and growing.....late May (below)!  Finally he's "gotten" the House Training thing and can really hold it!

July 2012

Dog Classes and fun!  He learned what "water" was all about, thanks to his new doggie friends, Oreo and McKinley! (July 2012)

July 2012 saw some BIG milestones.....he is now taller than his big sister.....

AND.....

Blooby get his Canine Good Citizen!

Fall time comes and we need to decide on a birthday for him.....

The SU picks Sept. 21, 2011 as his birth date.  

"Why?"

"He told me that's when he was born."

"OK then...." (First birthday picture)

Fall 2012, he's beginning to mature....little by little.  We still need to work on NOT reacting to seeing kitties and meowing, being gentle around little, little kids...although he's good with older kids....but he loves to meet other dogs and play!

He has his first overnight with Auntie Gayle, Uncle Ray and Oreo and McKinley.....

He has fun swimming and socializing at the dog park, going for off-leash walks and learning new things!  

Picture with Santa at the Humane Society, where he gets to see people who saved him!

And now it's a year.  A whole year has gone by.....

We love you, you crazy, nutty, smart-as-a-whip Blooby Boy! And we thank all the people (and dogs) who brought you into our lives.....Tisha A., Becky L. Jen M. Kristen B. and Officer Shannon....

(However, when he's bad, we still blame Becky --- it's all her fault.)

Artie Blue 

Truhart's Find The Artifact, CGC