Tag: Thomas

Pets, Photography, Videos

Learning New Things

Shelly

After two months, Thomas finally decided to take his crate for a test drive. #dogs #boxerdog

Thomas has refused to get in his crate. I haven’t forced the issue, because I wanted to try to wait until he decided to test drive it himself. It took him two months, but today was the day. I heard a noise from that direction and thought it was Polly. She uses the crate as her fortress of solitude. But no, it was Thomas!

Now that he’s taken the first step, I’ve been randomly asking him to “crate” and giving him yummy treats when he does. He’s still doubtful, but he’s being a good sport about humoring me and my silly whims.

So today was a good day. Hopefully we won’t have a repeat of this:

If you have junk mail you want shredded, I know a dog, and I hear his rates are pretty reasonable. I will happily hook you up!

Crankypantsing, Pets, Photography

Sundogs

Shelly

Sundogs
Left to right: Harriet the Boxer, Frances the Boxer x Pit Bull, and Thomas the Boxer x Klingon

I got into a bizarre discussion on Facebook with a former animal shelter ACO who believes that folks who live in apartments should not own dogs. She thinks that a fenced yard should be required, and that lack of one is dog abuse. (And weirder, she feels that it’s also abusive to have children in apartments.)

Can you just imagine if the millions and millions of city dwellers in the world no longer had dogs (or children)? We would have to kill even more dogs than we already kill, and for what? The lack of a mythical “perfect” home? That’s kind of monstrous.

So here are the three dogs I’ve had while living in my current apartment. I don’t think they look miserable. Sure, in a perfect world, we’d all have acres of flowered fields and enchanted forests to play in, but that isn’t the world most people inhabit, and that’s okay. Dogs are incredibly adaptable, and lucky for everyone, they mostly just want a chance to play, to go for walks, and to hang out with their people.

Pets, Photography

Better Than TV

Shelly

Better than TV #dogs #boxerdog

It’s a good thing he’s entertaining, because that’s all I get to watch.

I can’t wait for the weather to cool off. The heat index has been in the upper 90s in the afternoons, which is far too hot for dog walking. The lack of exercise turns young dogs into giant pains in the ass. There’s only so much indoor stuffy fetch I can tolerate.