My Fire Hydrant

I woke up before my alarm clock this morning to find Tyler snuggled up against my side. What is it about the smell of  a warm cuddly dog that makes me feel so good? If you have a dog, you know the smell I’m talking about–it’s kinda like warm old popcorn or warm comfy sox that you’ve worn for a little too long. OK, that doesn’t sound very appealing, but for as long as I can remember, the smell of a warm dog cuddled next to me has made me feel good. And every dog that’s ever been available to me for a warm cuddle has produced this aroma. Maybe I associate the smell with the unconditional love that’s implied in the cuddle. Maybe there are pheromones in the dog’s smell that make me feel happy and loved. Or else it’s my emotional association: warm sox smell=cuddly canine love. I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s a smell that makes me feel good. What a great way to start the day!

Maybe I’m a total nut case, but do you recognize the smell I’m talking about? How do you describe it?

Today marks six weeks that Tyler has been in his new home. It also marks his first visit to Aunt Tracy, our groomer par excellence. Not that she could do much more than even up the bad haircut he got when the dogtor treated him for parvo. But she did the best she could with what she had to work with, and I must say that Tyler is looking very handsome and fluffy today!

I haven’t been in a hurry to change my profile photo from Bailey to Tyler, but maybe it’s time. I think Bailey would be pleased with the way Tyler is running me ragged with his demands, and it seems right to start including him in my online life.

So today we took some photos:

 

I have updated my “About Me” page and you’ll now see the new profile photo of me and the new little man in my life.

This is really such a small thing, and yet it feels like I’m making such an enormous change in my life. I’ll never forget Bailey. But this silly little change of profile photo is a new indication that my sweet girl is gone and will not be back. Another step in that whole “stages of grief” thing, I guess.

Maybe I’ll go cuddle Tyler for a while.

Recently, I was doing some work on the Eukanuba Facebook page (remember I work for Eukanuba) and came across a couple of wall posts that mentioned “pink bumpers.” Over some emails I learned that there’s a “Pink Bumper Club” on Facebook who’s members either own or want to own a Eukanuba Pink Hexabumper!

The Eukanuba Pink Hexabumper was a free gift that consumers received when they purchased a 40-pound bag of Eukanuba dry dog food. As with all of our promotions, not every retailer chose to participate, so the pink bumpers are sometimes hard to find. Because of this “exclusivity,” the members of The Pink Bumper Club have been collecting the bumpers so that they can be auctioned off to raise money for breast cancer research. The silent auction happens on July 30, and you can RSVP here.

For fun, I swiped a Pink Bumper from the office and gave it to Tyler for review. His response? Four paws up! He confided to me that it’s an excellent toy that is helping him to build muscle (it weighs nearly as much as he does!), and use up some of that puppy energy in retrieving it each time I toss it. The pink color makes it easy to find in the grass. And he especially enjoys chewing on the cord that’s attached to it.

 Don’t you wish you had a Pink Bumper to play with?

On July 4, Canine Companions for Independence will celebrate 35 years of providing assistance dogs for people with disabilities free of charge. As part of the celebration, they’re hosting an essay contest asking people how their dog has changed their life. Submission deadline is July 4, and the winner will get a free year of Eukanuba Dog Food!

To enter, or for more details, visit the contest page on the Canine Companion’s site.

 And be sure to check back here on July 4 when I will be posting about my recent trip to Santa Rosa, CA—headquarters for Canine Companions!

It’s 2 weeks today since Tyler and I first met in Phoenix. and I realize that I have not told Tyler’s story. 

Tyler was found one morning in late April on busy street corner in Phoenix, Arizona. He was starving and nearly comatose. Some good Samaritans took him to the local shelter, where they discovered he had parvovirus. The folks at the shelter had very good intentions, but parvo meant that he would be euthanized. One of the shelter people called Small Paws Rescue–because Tyler was a Bichon, and they knew that Small Paws helped Bichons. The nice man who was the regional representative for Small Paws went right away to pick up Tyler and take him to a local veterinary clinic, where he was placed in isolation and given lots of meds and IV fluids to fight the parvo–all paid for by Small Paws. Tyler recovered.  

I had put myself on the Small Paws puppy waiting list back in March. I knew when I did it that my puppy would find me. Around the time that Tyler was recovering from his ordeal, I was preparing for a business trip that would take me to San Francisco. Ten days before I was scheduled to leave, I got an email from Small Paws–a puppy was just about ready to be adopted. Did I want him? 

DUH! OF COURSE!! 

It was karma. Instead of flying straight home from San Francisco to Dayton, I rearranged things to make a side trip to Phoenix.  

Tyler’s very wonderful foster mama brought him to me at the Crown Plaza near the airport (an excellent hotel for traveling pets!) He was so tiny, and had a very bad haircut (I think because parvo is so messy and contagious). But I could see his potential in his sweet face. 

I was almost afraid his foster mama would keep him herself cause he had wormed his way into her heart! But she left him with me, and we spent the rest of the day getting to know each other and getting Tyler used to the bag he would need to fly in. 

The next day we flew home to Dayton by way of Atlanta. 

That was two weeks ago. Tyler has settled into our routine with all of the energy and excitement you would expect from a puppy. His antics lift our spirits and make us laugh. I think the thing that touches me the most is that he has bonded so well with my mom (we share the house).  And I find great joy in watching him charm her with his silliness!