Dogs On Thursday On Friday

I am so very sorry this edition of 'Dogs On Thursday' is a day late.
My server has been down all day. (I think it ate too much Holiday food.)

I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season.
I can not believe it is going to be 2008 soon!
Where did the year go?

I have been having fun reading about the packages received by the members participating in the Dogs Holiday Ornament Swap!

It should be wrapping up very soon.

Please be to sure to contact your pal if you are going to be late mailing your package so they don't worry.
Also please don't forget to post about your loot and/or contact your pal so she knows your package was received.
And lastly if anyone is in need of a 'Dogs Ornament Swap Angel' please let me or Natalie know.

We will soon be posting about the next exciting event so stay tuned.

Now for today's 'Doggie Spotlight' meet Zeus!

He is beloved by Mindy and Rich:

Zeus was brought home by Rich in 1998 from a coworkers house with new puppies. He is a beagle and pit bull mix, and adjusted to his new home quickly. Mindy didn't get to meet Zeus until the end of 2006. There are a lot more photos of him now!

Here he is as a puppy with some new family members.

Zeus is very loyal and lovable. He loves to cuddle. Now that the colder winter weather is here, not does he only want to sleep in the bed with the humans, but also under the covers. He'll curl up wherever he can. If you're sitting up straight he'll put his head in your lap, but just behind your knees seems to be his favorite spot.
He is a pretty quiet dog. He'll only bark when the doorbell goes off or if there's a knock at the door. When we come home he'll greet us at the top of the stairs and sometimes whine with excitement.
You can try to pet him when he's saying "welcome back" but he's not satisfied until he's managed to lick your hand hello. Strangers and family alike are greeted by him this way. When he's settled onto a spot where he's hanging out, all you have to do is look at him and he'll thump his tail in anticipation of some petting. Usually he'll roll over onto his back too.
He does have a couple of funny habits. He likes to lick things (bed, couch, whatever he's sitting on) and will leave a big puddle of slobber until we divert his attention elsewhere. He will hang out in whatever room you're in and follow you when you get up, even if it's just one room away. He doesn't like noise. His worst enemy is the vacuum cleaner. Once that starts up, he'll move to another room. He doesn't take off, but somewhat calmly gets up and walks away. And if any luggage is being packed, he knows that somebody is leaving. He'll pace and pant a little bit but he pulls through it just fine every time. Sometimes that means he'll just go visit family for a day or two until we get back, and he's happy to see them too.

Overall, Zeus is our buddy and home just wouldn't be the same without him!

Dogs On Thursday

Happy warm and furry Holidays!

A giant thank you to Natalie for taking over and running Dogs On Thursday so smoothly while I was away.
I also want to say thank you to my My Mom and Gretchen for helping out too!
And a special Thank You to all who sent me such kind words and emails when my Grandmother passed away and while I was recovering from pneumonia.
I am feeling better now.
I sure missed everyone and I am glad to be back!

Since our group has grown quite a bit since the summer, Natalie has agreed to stay on permanently to help out here.

I hope the doggie Holiday Ornament Swap is going well and those of you involved are having fun.

While trying to catch up on your blogs I noticed many have recived such wonderful packages already.
For those participating in the swap; if you have not heard from your pal or you need an angel pal,(as these things happen.) please let me or Natalie know.

For this weeks 'Doggie Spotlight' it will be on my dear Elise who gave me such a comfort over the past trying month.

Elise was born April 15th 2005.

She came to live with us through a basset hound rescue who saved her and her brothers and sisters who were on their way to a pet store and a puppy farm.
Elise was the runt of her litter and quite small with big floppy ears and lots of warm slobbery puppy kisses.

She came to live with us she was just 8 weeks old.
She was very shy at first but in no time at all she became quite the active, lively puppy full of energy and chasing the cats through the house and trying to chew on them.
It was really hard trying to get pictures of her when she was a puppy because she was always on the move except when was sleeping and even then she only seemed to be recharging her batteries.
I was a bit overwhelmed with her at first as she was quite the hyper little thing, always barking, running and chewing on everything in sight, and I won't even get started about all the drool and slobber everywhere, even on our guests!

House training was a nightmare and at the age of 1 1/2, she finally understood to go pee outside but we had to replace several carpets by then!
She has finally mellowed out now and will only occasionally try and chew on the cats.
Even though she spends quite a bit of time with me and travels with me just about everywhere I go, she has always been my husbands baby and she will always run, jump and sit in his lap at night when he comes home from work and tell him all about her day while pushing off any of the cats with her nose.

My Husband had a terrible car accident almost 7 years ago when he was hit head on by a drunk driver and after 7 surgeries in 5 years on his leg, hip and knee he was told he would be permanently handicapped and would never be able to walk without an assisted device.
He became quite depressed then and was starting to give up on physical therapy.
As soon as Elise came home with us my husband became a completely different person and almost instantly the depression was gone.
He went back to physical therapy and even started the recomended hydrotherapy.
Now just this past autumn he has baffled all his doctors by walking Elise without any assistance at all.

But Elise and I are not baffled, we know it was her unconditional love that saved him and helped him to walk again.

This Woofie's Mom Is Very Ill

Doggie Spotlight on Oliver

Hope everyone is having fun finding their holiday goodies for family and friends....and swap pals. Remember to email me at gnatchat(at)gmail(dot)com if you have not heard from your swap pal or need anything this week. Please email me if you'd like to join our group as well.

And now...our Doggie Spotlight on Donna's Oliver.


Oliver's story is a simple one, but for our family a special one. We lost
a very beloved puppy about two Summers ago. Her name was Chelsea. She was a Golden Retriever that was close to our hearts. Unfortunately Chelsea left us at only 9 months old. She had a defective heart. It seemed wrong that such a big hearted dog, had a heart that didn't work right. After she was gone we thought that was the end of dogs as part of the family. But we didn't figure on Oliver......


A friend called about 1 month later and said that a Golden needed a home. The family that had him was going through a divorce and he was kept in the basement all day. A temporary home was found for him and would we like to see him? Off we went in our truck and we traveled about an hour from our home. As we pulled into the lovely home of the rescuer we saw a "largish" Golden barking and barreling up and down a run. I said to no one in particular " that can't be the puppy!" Well of course he was and we fell in love with him at first sight. It is hard to describe that excitement you get when you know a pup is coming home with you. He had all his papers in order and all his shots up to date. He ran to the truck and jumped right in and we never looked back. Our Oliver is quite a character as some of you know. But he is sweet and loving, full of fun and mischief and loves children like all Golden's do. We think he is a very handsome fellow and we have the best fun with him. He has a favorite game with my husband whenever they go for a walk. My husband puts his cap on and Oliver jumps up so high he nearly grabs the cap of his head! He is also is very popular with all the children in the park near our home. He runs into the park through a neighbor's gate and steals any unattended stuff toy around. Then begins another favorite game of keep away. He always has a line of children running around with him in the lead! Needless to say he gets plenty of exercise each day.


We have been blessed with 4 Goldens during our 33 year marriage and each one has been special, from our first dog as newlyweds, Sherlock, a sturdy male that had a joy for life, to our second one, Holly. A fine "lady" that we adopted one snowy Christmas Eve, to Chelsea our angel Pup. Then came Oliver and I can't think of any better way to add to a good line of beloved dogs that loved us unconditionally and taught us the meaning of loyalty, companionship and how just to have fun.

A Doggie Spotlight on Jackjack and Abigail Grace

Welcome to Dogs on Thursday.

Hi, I'm Natalie the "guest" blogger for a couple weeks for Paula. Please send her best wishes as she takes a small break from things.

If you've received your swap pals information please contact them as you receive their names. If you haven't received anything from Paula or your pal please email me at gnatchat(at)gmail(dot)com.

If you'd like to join Dogs on Thursday please email me as well.

Doggie Spotlight!!!

I have so much to say about my two babies I'm not sure where to start. I guess the beginning would be the best.

My first memory of Jackjack, then Blackjack, was of him in the family room at the local SPCA. My step-sister and I had dropped by to look at the dogs and find one for me to adopt. He had been at the SPCA for two months and was being kept in the family room for part of the time to keep him sane. Jackjack, a pretty large black lab who's ideal weight is 85, was very skinny at 64 lbs. I asked the lady there to let me meet him and she took us out to the play area. He was not that interested in anything but the outdoors, but came over to get a scratch or two. I saw that he just needed a stable home and a loving one. I needed a companion so I figured it would work out. I actually told the lady to hold him for me until I could make the decision later that afternoon. It took me 20 minutes after leaving the place to realize that he was for me. So...I picked him up the next day after he got neutered.

Jackjack hasn't always been the easiest dog. He's stubborn(like me) and loves to run outdoors. At first he would run away and was not able to focus outside. Now, after 3 years with me, he has become a loyal companion and a loving dog. He's had his ups and downs...such as his accident with a car.

To keep the story as short as possible. He ran off one morning after we returned from the dog park and was struck by a truck. He shattered his elbow and was badly scrapped up. I saw the whole thing. It was traumatic for both of us.

He had to get pins put in his elbow and the recovery as hard as it was...was worth every moment. If you saw him at the dog park now, you would not notice that anything ever happened to him. He does limp a little when he runs or swims too much.

He's been the greatest decision and we've always been a pair....until we got Abigail. :)

Abigail Grace almost got her name changed to Jill...Jack and Jill...get it?? hehe. I'm a dork. My middle name is Grace and when I first heard that her name was Abigail Grace I knew it was meant to be. Abigail was a rescue through a friend of my sisters. She had been bought as a present for a woman who did not treat her well. She was kept in a kennel outside and given minimal attention, food, or water. Thank God that my sister's friend rescued her and found me. The first time I met her she was bubbly as always and full of love. All she wanted was cuddles and for someone anyone please throw the ball.

Abigail is a water dog that's for sure. She loves to slap the water and bite at it. Abigail is super friendly and great with kids of all ages. She has been a great addition to our family even though at first it took her and Jackjack sometime to figure things out. Coming from a home where she did not know where and when she would get food, she was a bit food and toy aggressive. We've worked a lot and she is now able to play well and eat in the same room as Jackjack. She is the sweetest craziest dog I've ever met and I love her.

I feel like I've written a book about my dogs and there is so much more to say. They are my babies and I love them. I hope you've enjoyed my doggie spotlight.

Happy Dogs on Thursday!!

Quick Note About The Dogs Holiday Ornament Swap

This is just a quick note to ask if those that wanted to participate in the Doggie Holiday Ornament Swap received their matches okay?
Even the best laid plans go array so if you have not received you match or are having any troubles please email me (Paula) or Natalie.
This is not a secret swap this year so whomever your pal is, she has your name as well.
Next year I will get more creative.
This year though, for the first time trying this swap out, simple is best.
Oh, and just a reminder that there is no real price limit on the swap goodies because I know most of you will be crafting your doggie ornament, but please keep the gifting somewhat inexpensive so as to not add stress to an already stressful season.
I hope everyone has a very festive holiday season and a peaceful one too.

Doggie Spotlight for Grover and A Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving and Welcome to the new members this week!
I had an unexpected death and illness in our family this week so I am late getting the swap pals out, I will do that in the next couple of days.
I have them ready to go and I will email them out tonight when I get home.
Some of you may already have received yours.
Please contact your pals as you receive their names.
I hope this swap will be a fun and festive one.
Natalie is going to run the Dogs on Thursdays for a couple of weeks for me.
Please contact her at gnatchat(at)gmail(dot)com if you want to join Dogs on Thursday or have any questions.
She will also be doing next weeks doggie spotlight on one of her lovable dogs.
I will see you in a couple of weeks.


This weeks Doggie Spotlight is for Cindy's Grover and here is what his humans say about him:

"Our beloved shepherd/golden mix, Dylan Thomas, was with us for nine years. He was smart and my best buddy. We walked every single morning and he was a jewel. On Easter Sunday this year he refused food and by the end of the week (a Friday the 13th, no less), he was dead from cancer. I was devastated and had decided no dog for a while. I had not considered how desperately lonely and unhappy my Mum would be without company of a pup. By the Friday after the 13th, we were discussing a dog. The next day we went to the Humane Society and asked about a lab (I love them and so does the Mum). They had several but they were all high energy (aren't all labs?). My Mum is severely crippled and unable to move quickly, so a high-energy dog was out. We were getting ready to leave when a young woman asked if we were interested in a really mellow dog, but he was "large". I said yes and they brought out Grover. He walked straight to my Mum and leaned on her. I think that was all it took. We went to an interview room and he showed us his stuffed fish and behaved like a gentleman. We walked out with a new pup. He honestly didn't look that big in the building, but when it came to putting him in our sedan..........well, it was an epiphany. He took up the whole back seat!

Since that day he has taken over our hearts and our lives and we cannot even think what life would have been without our big boy. The Humane Society told us he weighed 85 lbs. He might have when he got there, but he's now about 125 lbs. and he takes up our little house. We went to obedience class and he sits, goes down, heels and "leave it"s like a pro. The stay commands are sucky at best, but I don't really work at them very hard. He adores children and almost all people and he loves to play with the "kids" at the cageless kennel. Because he is so big and fierce looking, people avoid us on our walks. But, basically, he's just a big baby.
Our big baby.

As for his ancestry, we have Anatolian Shepherd, Irish Wolfhound, English Mastiff and whatever else anyone can come up with. His gait is something to behold and he runs like a colt. When you save a dog's life, you do more than just save a life, you enrich yours beyond measure."

Thank you Cindy and Grover for sharing with us a part of your life today.

A Doggie Spotlight on Baci

Welcome to this weeks Dogs on Thursday.
Also a big hello to the several new members that joined DOT this past week.


If anyone who wanted to join the Dogs On Thursday Winter Ornament Swap please see last weeks post and email me or Natalie and include the questionnaire from last weeks post.
We will combining names this week and will have them out to you by Thursday the 24th
(Thanksgiving)

For this weeks Doggie Spotlight meet Rhonda's Baci:
Due to some of my computer technical difficulties I have taken her Bio information from her human Mom's blog post on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 and also because it is quite a complete bio and is wonderful to read.
Thank you Rhonda for letting me share Baci's story that way.

"Our little person in a fur suit"

"Baci Fiona Jana was named for many reasons. Her mother, Kissed by the Storm, is how she got her first name, Baci, as it means kisses in Italian (we love Rome, that's what the Italy thing is all about). She got her middle name, Fiona, from the character on Shrek, as well as the fact her little ears and big head remind us of an Ogor! Jana is based on her dad’s given name, No Moon Out Tonight. Jana comes from the Italian goddess of the moon. (The moon being the connection here.)
She was born 2-4-06 and was shipped to us from a highly reputable Shar-pei breeder, ShenaniGans Shar-pei in NC. We chose her because of her color, because she’s a protector and incredibly intelligent too. My plan was to put her in AKC shows (some day *sigh*), as she comes from a national champion line. So we got the pick of the litter. This is the pic we saw on the Shenanigans' web site! The breeder titled her foto, "Kisses girl."
She makes me laugh and warms my heart. Her personality is so special, I can’t help but feel like we were paired on a different dimension prior to us coming together. (Look – she’s in the womb!)
Her unique personality makes me also think she is part human. I think maybe I gave birth to her in that other place, because she even does things like me. I began making this funny sound when I yawned and literally a week or so later, I heard her making the same noise! Here’s proof that her latest adorable feat is picking up things that are lying around the house and then showing me what she’s found. She knows she gets a treat for bringing them to me. Here she found a set of lost keys. (Now, I’ve taught her to bring me my flip flops.)
Another unique trait I dearly love: she leans on her shoulder, like a human…While I was driving, I safely (no, really, i did!) took this foto with my camera phone. Look where her right paw is! Do other barkers do this?
In addition to all the above reasons, we got her because of my bouts with depression. When I know I’m dropping, all I have to do is touch her and my whole world changes. Everything is suddenly OK. I love to feel her heart beating; I love to feel her coat. Then there’s that face. I can’t imagine having a dog with more collagen. She’s so touchable, albeit she hates it. How can someone not reach out and grab this? Sometimes it makes me crazy.
Our gorgeous, spoiled little person in a fur suit.
She’s my life and friend; she’s our daughter."
Thank you Baci and Rhonda! What a sweet story!
To read more about Baci you can visit her and Rhonda at their blog.

Doggie Spotlight on Teutul and a Holiday Swap Announcement

Welcome to this weeks edition of Dogs on Thursday!

Please give a big warm Welcome to the new members this week!

If anyone who was supposed to receive a treat bag from the Dogs Costume Parade did not receive their treat bag please email me.
I am pretty sure I got them all out last week but I still have that sinking feeling that I may have forgotten someone.

I want to announce the "Dogs Winter Holiday Ornament Swap."

It will run from Thursday November 22nd to December 27th
(This pretty button was made by Natalie, please take one.)
The rules are relaxed and easy:
Once you have received your swap doggie pals name(s)
*You are to make or purchase an ornament for the dog(s) whose name you have been given and also include a toy/treat.
*Since the holidays are stressful enough for some of us please keep this somewhat inexpensive but quite creative, festive and fun!
*Once you have your pals name and info you are to please contact your ornament swap dog via email/ snail mail to let them know who you are and to verify their information.
*You are to please mail package in plenty of time to be received before the pals preferred December holiday. (ie,Chanukkah, Yule, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwansza, etc...)

If you would like to participate in this swap or have any questions please email me or Natalie.
Also if participating in this swap please include the answers to this questionnaire and your name and webpage in the email and write Dogs On Thursday Holiday Swap in the subject box.

1.)How many dogs have you?
2.)What is/are your Dogs name?
3.)What Winter holiday you celebrate?
4.)Do you or your dog(s) have any allergies?
5.)What is your snail mail address?
6.)What is your Email address?
7.)What is/are your Dogs favorite treats/kind of toys?
8.)Anything else you would like to share about your dog(s) to help me make your gift more special.

Okay now on with this weeks Doggie Spotlight.

Meet Teutul!
He was 4 years old on October 25th
Nichole writes on Teutuls special Birthday page and on his Dogster page that he
was named "...after the Teutul family from the OCC boys of American Chopper fame, Tut came into our home & lives on Superbowl Sunday, 2004, the day the Patriots beat the Panthers!
You see, Teutul was originally a foster dog named Tigger. He stole our hearts and we obviously failed at our first ever attempt at fostering (which may be why we waited 3 years to give it a shot again!). Tigger was just not fitting at all and I had wanted to name him Brady, however Matt said he wasn't going to have a Tom Brady dog... so I said what about Mikey? Matt thought for a minute... then replied "only if he's Mikey Teutul." And, Teutul stuck. Tut for short.... though he prefers King Tut.
We believe Tut is a black and tan coonhound mix, but don't know for sure. He's one of those "southern mixes," lol He was found along with his brother (Tango - who my friend Tanya has, see the Dogster page) by a good Samaritan in TN on a dirt road. The man brought the pups home with him and they lived in his barn until they were adopted up to New England.
Tut has a tendency to make a "nest" in his crate with the stuffing from beds, pillows, etc. -- I think this may be in part due to living in a barn and perhaps nesting in the hay.
At first it was REALLY annoying because I'd buy him new beds & pillows and they'd be shredded in no time so he could have the stuffing to make his bed with. Now we give him blankets mostly and I switch his pillows/stuffing out as needed. Its kind of cute now, so long as he keeps his "nesting stuffing" IN the crate. The rule is - out of the crate and to the trash it goes, lol! He's very protective of his stuffing too and watches so you don't mess it up in his crate.
Tut has 2 siblings, Zeus and Lola." Also his Mommy fosters and gives lots of care and love to many unfortunate dogs so he often has new foster brother and sisters to play with too!

Thank you Teutul for sharing your story with us you are quite the handsome dog!


Since I have to leave early this morning for work I will have to wait until tonight to visit everyone's Dogs On Thursday Post!
Please visit each other today when you can and leave a friendly comment to say hello!

A Doggie Memorial Spotlight for Fred the Basset

Thank you to all who participated in last weeks 'Doggie Costume Parade'.
I added some more pictures and then linked all the pictures to their blog homes then put up a link to it on the side bar. I wanted to do this last week but I just ran out of time.
So please scroll down and revisit last weeks post to see the updated Doggie Costume Parade.
Also all the treat bags for the participants of the costume parade were mailed out the other day.

Next week I will announce The details of a 'Holiday Dogs Ornament Swap' and I will also add to the side bar the previous Doggie Spotlights also with links their blog homes.


Now for this weeks Doggie Spotlight; it is a special memorial for a special dog.
Chan's and her husbands basset hound Fred went to the rainbow bridge on October 5th this year.
Chan wrote the following for today's post;
"His registered name was Tack Hammer Fred, because my husband's nickname is "Hammer," and because he'd known for years that he wanted a basset named Fred, after the hound in Smokey and the Bandit.

His nicknames were Hooey, Honey Hound, Old Man, Booey, Grumpy, and anything else that came out of our mouths.
He was 11.5 years old, and was Mugsy's constant companion. The only time he was mommy's boy was when it was kibble time, and in the middle of the night, when his Dadaw slept too soundly to be of any use. Oh - or if his Dadaw suggested that climbing onto the sofa might get him a yum-yum...
His favorite food was fresh pink grapefruit. He'd drool a river until I gave him a bite, and then he'd drool more from the sourness. He was also especially fond of chips with dip, raw baby carrots, and ice cream.
He loved to sing with his favorite people, and even learned to sit on his haunches to humor his humans. How I wish I'd gotten a photo of that! Walks were okay, as long as they were at his pace, which meant rather slow, with lots of sniff breaks.
I miss him. While legally and technically the Knight's dog, he sure made footprints all over my heart."
Thank you so much Chan for sharing Fred's memory with us in your time of grief.
I am sending big cyber hugs to you,the knight and Mugsy too.