I swear he is smiling.

I got Kona home Monday night after over hundred long miles of contemplation of how it was going to go when we finally got home.  I was nervous, apprehensive, excited and having more than little buyer’s regret.

When we  got home, Lauren was off caring for a friend’s horses and was not there to greet us.  First, I had to get my dogs out of the house and get Kona in, without having a huge dog fight erupt.  I did not know if it would or not, but I have had dogs in huge fights before and the outcome is often swift, brutal and bloody.  The two dogs most apt to start the fight were the two rescue dogs, Muffy (the black and white spaniel mix found near frozen in the corn field) and Browndog, ( a brown lab and Australian Shepherd mix) whom Jordyn spotted behind our arena the year of the great drought, horrendously thin and needing a home.  These two dogs came from hard times, are more nervous and can become nippy if crossed.

I managed to get the dogs all fed (all outside at their usual stations) except PuppyGirl and Kona whom I separated indoors until I would know how the dogs would get along.  Kona had come with his own high dollar dog food made from Salmon and including blue berries (anti-oxidents, you know).  When Lauren opened the bag she said it smelled like a million dead fish.  But Kona loved it and ate it hungerly.  Introducing dogs is hard enough but you do not add the element of food. 

Then, on the leash, Kona and I went off to investigate the horses for the first time.  We got just outside the gate, when Kona realized something was a miss.  He got wind of the horses and the horses got wind of him.  He immediately started barking in a deep resounding bark while braced against his front legs in case he needed to whirl and run.  Mickey and Feather did not smell or see “dog”.  What they saw resembled an ape or a bizarre hedge hog and what they smelled was a floral scent from the grooming powder and shampoo.  Feather raced to the back of her stall.  Mickey stood his ground at the front of his but was puffing and blowing at the weird animal in front of him.  In my head, I thought, oh boy, isn’t this gonna be a great horse show dog!

But each time I went back out to water and then to hay, Kona came along.  By the third trip he was quiet, relaxed and looking for some horse poop to eat.  Good progress!

Inside the house, things were going a little slower.  Kona was not a threat to anyone, but he was acting like the exuberant puppy that he is, jumping, posturing and giving happy barks to invite the other dogs to play.  By bedtime, he, Muffy, Lula and PG were tolerating each other.  I finally laid down to read on my bed with the three existing dogs on the bed with me.  I had quickly learned that Kona had been taught not to get on the furniture and it seemed like a good rule to keep enforcing.  I put Kona in his big kennel and we all settled in.

I turned of the lights.  Kona started barking.  His barking engaged the dogs in Lauren’s room and it got pretty rowdy.  I yelled at him. Still barking.  Turned the light back on.  He goes quiet. I have no idea where his kennel was before (in a garage, a cave, in the pool house) but in my bedroom it was going to be a problem if I could not have the lights out and quiet.  I turned the light out again.  The barking started in full force.  I was tired, stressed and scared I had bought the hound from hell.

I put my ear plugs in (used last time to block out the giant cat mating under my house session), turned on a fan and eventually he quieted down and slept.

My goal for the next day was by day’s end to have all the dogs out together in the fenced back yard. It seemed like it was not going to be easy.

Meanwhile, Lauren saddled up Feather.  Kona and I headed to the arena behind them to see how a horse moving was going to effect him.  We have a horse show this weekend and Kona cannot go and bark at all the horses.

Keeping an eye on Feather but not offering to charge or chase her. He has ball in his mouth.

By the end of the evening, we were going to barn without incident and the backyard full on new sisters was going okay as well.  The best part of ending day 1 of Kona’s first day on the farm?  I put him in his kennel, turned out the lights and we quietly went to sleep.

An email that stopped my heart.

Those of you who have known me for a long time will understand that an email from Betty Brown would certainly give me pause.  And even though I knew it could not be from ‘her’ I still saw it as a sign.  Betty was my older sister.  Brown was my maiden name.  My sister was killed in a car accident over 30 years ago.  She never knew what a computer was or sent an email.  She was the better part of me-the better sister.

When we were growing up we would go spend summer vacations at the ranch in Granby, Colorado.  It was a working and guest ranch-still is, after all these years.  First, we were just another family that came to ride and enjoy the mountains.  Later, my dad managed the ranch awhile.  It is funny how things you learn, respect and enjoy as a kid, stay with you.  The owner of the ranch had cattle dogs of course, but she also had beautiful, intelligent standard poodles.  Before you scoff at the poodle, know it is not French at all, but bred to be a water retriever dog from Germany.  It is a working dog-I am not talking about the little toy dogs, but the 60 pound, non-shedding, rough and tumble standard poodles.  On the list of the top five most intelligent breeds, the Poodle always finds a spot. 

I have wanted to have one all my life. I am nearing my 56th birthday.  I have a menagerie of dogs, cats and horses.  Kid is my elderly quarter horse but not since I owned Wally my Doberman, have I had a dog that is mine. If I get a dog now, I will have it until I am 70 (Lord willing-about the dog and I).

I thought I would just check around and see what the market was for standard poodles.  You know, just to see.  Yeah.  So, I looked up Houston area breeders.  I really did not want a little puppy.  An older dog was great for me.  I found a breeder called Donnchada Poodles.  I sent them an email.  Then I got the email shown above from Betty Brown.  She was the the breeder and just coincidentally named the same as my sister.  There was very little that could have stopped me from proceeding at this point.  I mean, this just had to be proof that I had to have one of her dogs! Although, I couldn’t really think of anyone who would concede that this was a good idea.  They would say I already had too many dogs, cats and horses.  So, what is one more?  Then they would say, you can get one later when your dog population dwindles some.  I would say the time is now.  It is time to do something just for me.  Actually, when I started asking my friends if I was nuts, most were very kind.  I had texted Amber that I was going to do something that no one would think was a good idea but I was going to do it anyway and wanted to discuss it with her.  She thought I was cleaning out my 401K and moving to an island so the whole get a dog thing came as kind of a relief.

I went to see the poodles last week on Valentine’s Day.  I looked at two males, one white and nine months old and one black and six months old.  I just felt the six month old would ease into my home better (and stay cleaner!).  I called to Lauren on the long drive home.  She was not nice about it. But I feel she has warmed to the idea and knows there are times when you best go along with mom.  This is one of them.

I am calling him Kona-as in Kona Coffee, as in Kona black sand beaches.  I will make him my horse show dog and companion.  I am truly thrilled to have this boy sitting next to me right now. My sister would have approved.  I know, it is my kind of crazy!

Kona-before his hair cut. Don’t worry there will be lots of pictures.

The current dog members of Six Meadow Farm are quite diverse.  There is not a pattern here.  From oldest to youngest, the members of the dog household include:

Lula-the grande dame of Six Meadow Farm

• Lula, is an eight-year old, miniature dachshund bought for Ally to offset the break-up from her high school boyfriend.  Somehow, Ally has moved on and started her own family with her own dogs, and I have Lula.  Lula is my current favorite.  She goes to the barn with me, rides the horses with me (seriously), hangs out with the cats and puts up with the puppy.  She is tiny but determined and holds her own in a household of mostly bigger dogs. Mickey chased her down and almost stomped her yesterday.  I need to be more careful. I would hate to have something so preventable happen to her.
  

  Sneaky

• Sneaky, is a five-year old, Welsh Corgi bought for Lauren as her bribe for moving away from all of her friends.  Corgis are cute as puppies.  You can hardly walk through a horse show barn without stepping on several.  I am not their biggest fan.  I find Sneaky a little annoying, a little obnoxious and hate all her hair.  I swear I could re-create another Corgi from the hair I sweep up weekly.  On the plus side, she is loyal, compassionate, determined and loves Lauren. She does have a big personality and watches over all that happens on the farm.

Kena

• Kena, is a three year old Doberman and is a very sweet girl.  She loves to please and actually smiles when she is trying her hardest.  Kena needs to go to obedience school, more to socialize than to learn (although that would be a great by-product).  Since we have owned her, there has been so much going on; she hasn’t gotten all the attention and training she really deserves.  Sidenote-it took us about a week to teach the Corgi to sit, lay down and to stay.  My daughter, Amber, taught the Doberman all those things in about an hour.  Just saying…

Muffy

• Muffy, is a two-year old, spaniel mix, and who could resist this face? Obviously not me! Muffy was found in the corn field during one of our rare spells of snowy, icy weather.  She was tiny and sick.  She gave Parvo to Kena even though Kena was inoculated.  She is still scared of her own shadow.  But I found out when she started sleeping in my room after Wally’s death, that she has the sweetest soul.  First thing when I open my eyes, she is waiting quietly for me.  Then she helps me greet the day, cuddling with me, and just delighted that I have awakened. Believe me, no one else cares that much.  She is very special and I have called her my best surprise of 2011.

Browndog

• BrownDog will be two this spring.  She appears to be a Doberman or lab mix.  As a puppy, she showed up in pasture one hot summer day.  Jordyn spotted her and I knew she was there to stay.  We named her Daisy but are more apt to call her “BrownDog” (all one word). She is big now, loves to chew, loves to dig, eats anything, and is a little quirky.  Of all the dogs, I trust her the least.  She is very territorial about her food and apt to snap at any of the other dogs if challenged. If she snaps at Lula or Gia, they will be gone.   She is very sweet to people and would never leave Lauren’s side if given a choice.
• Gia, a three-month old, Yorkshire terrier, was clearly bought when my impulse control was not functioning.  In fact, I bought two of them and gave her brother to Ally.  I was nuts. With that said,  I do like the breed.  They are little but hardy.  Gia takes her walk with the big dogs each night across the pastures.  She keeps up with her little one-inch legs.  She is game for tasting any nasty, dead animal or scat we encounter.  She trees cats three times her size.  I will never forget owning Jessa, a little Yorkie in Florida and taking her to the pet store to buy new bowls for the giant Irish wolfhound.  Three Jessas could have fit in the wolfhound’s water bowls.  Jessa was never intimidated by wolfhound’s size and neither is “Puppy Girl”, as we affectionately call her, intimidated by the giants that surround her.

Gia aka"Puppy Girl".

Wally, in the front, with Abby in the back.

When I was little, my mom did not like dogs, certainly not dogs in the house-dogs.  When I was in third grade, my mom went off to Oklahoma for a week.  My dad took vacation time to watch my sister and I.  As soon as my mom was on the plane, we were off to a breeder and purchased a four-month old, Miniature Schnauzer puppy.  At the time, I thought this was by far the biggest event ever.  We were finally getting a dog.  We were surprising my mom.  Biggest secret ever!  I realize now that my father would have never, ever purchased a dog without my mother’s approval but that knowledge was year’s away from occurring to me.

So, I had my first dog.  His name was Scamp.  He endured a lot with me.  Croquet sets, lawn chairs with brooms, tires stacked sideways and anything else I could find would be set as a jump course.  Of course he was not a horse, but there was no lack of trying to make him into my version of one.  He weighed 15 pounds but he tried hard.  He was the first of many. 

I went from small to large.  I developed an affinity for Dobermans.  I owned them and for a while, bred them, striving for great temperament and conformation.  I have owned many types of dogs over the years-from a huge Irish wolfhound (still so dear to my soul) to tiny Yorkies and Shih Tzus.  I would be hard pressed to tell you my favorite.  The wolfhound was my most challenging dog.   We started off the worst in our obedience class and ended up first after six weeks of hard work.  I am proud that Ryan and Amber took my advice to get a “gentle giant” as they are called. 

Ally holding Nicki (Shih Tzu), young Lauren, Mac, the Irish Wolfhound and Tippy (Bearded Collie). Clockwise from top

 I love the miniature Dachshund I own now-she is currently one of my favorites. 

Over the years, I have not discriminated.  Here is a partial list of what’s been in my home:

• Dobermans-my most common dog to own. I had two when Amber was born (over 30 years ago), many more throughout the years and I have two (one is a mix) now
• Dachshunds (both miniature and Standards)
• Cocker Spaniels
• Border Collie
• Bearded Collie (great breed of dog)
• Irish Wolfhound
• Keeshonds
• German shepherds (love them-hate the tail and the hair)
• Shih Tzus
• Yorkshire Terriers-in Florida and again now
• Jack Russell Terriers (never again-little too much crazy for me!)
• Welsh Corgi
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Poodles (toy and standards)

Obviously, I am all over the place with what I love.  I like the Dobs because they are smart, have short hair, no tails and don’t slobber.  My truest companions have been Dobermans.  I am a supporter of the Doberman rescue (here in Houston it is HADR.org).  Wally, who I lost this last year, was my best boy for so many years and came from that rescue. Abby, also from the Doberman Rescue, was one of the finest dogs I have ever owned.  She was six when she came to our home. Considered by many to be too old to adopt, we enjoyed eight more great years with her including earning her AKC-Good Citizen designation.

I try to get rescue or adoptive animals whenever possible.  We have supported so many over the years.  I have six (I know that is a crazy number) dogs right now.  Two just showed up and joined our family.  When you live in an area of low people population and a high animal population, there are not the resources for lost, starved or stray animals like there are in the city.  As an animal lover, I cannot stand to see one hurt, starved, or on its own.  I am a sucker.  I understand that.  Fortunately for the animals there are several of us that exist.  I have threatened multiple times to take an animal in the dark of night and drop it off near my friends, Gaylyn and Becky’s houses.  They are animal lover like I am and would certainly take care of anything that showed up at their door.  So okay, I have never done that-but know an animal could count on them if needed.

I love dogs.  I love all kinds of dogs.  There are some better fitted to my life-style but someone who can simultaneously own a Shih Tzu and wolfhound obviously just enjoys the company of dogs.