The very first time that I put up a couple of kennels in my backyard we attached them to the back of our garage. The dogs could go in and out of the garage as they pleased because I had a �doggie� door for them to use. Can I tell you how much I loved that? So did they. You just drill a hole in the wall of the garage and attach the �doggie� door to the hole. The reason I liked this so much was that the dogs went in and out of it whenever they wanted except late at night when I locked those doors for the evening.
The nice thing about having your kennels attached to a building is that the dogs can get out of the sun or bad weather if they want and come inside. These doors have been around for a long time, but I think they are a God send to dog owners for the convenience that they afford our animals. Besides fencing, �doggie� doors are one of the best inventions in my opinion. The dog is not forced to stay outside if he doesn�t want to. He comes and goes as he pleases. Ideally a platform should be placed out in the dog�s run and one inside the garage or building. This way he�s not lying on a cold, damp or hard surface.
Some people that don�t own a dog kennel but keep their dogs in a fenced in back yard love the convenience of the �doggie� dog as well. The only difference with this set up is that sometimes when your dog is feeling a little bit frisky, don�t be surprised by the little �gifts� that he may bring into the kitchen and deposit at your feet. This is especially true if you have cats. He may share the rest of his uneaten dinner in the form of a �nearly dead� mouse or worse.
Now let me say here that if you have pets that you want to give freedom to by coming and going as they please, caution and common sense should be used. Only use these doors attached to your house if you have a fenced in yard. Depending upon where you live (what state) there are other things to take into consideration. Are there venomous snakes or bad mushrooms that grow on your lawn? Do you live in a neighborhood where children can throw things over the fence for your dog that may not be healthy for them to eat like a chocolate candy bar? If you live in a state like Florida, are there fire ants on your lawn? These are all the kinds of questions you should ask yourself before giving �Fido� his freedom to come and go as he pleases.
Another reason that some people like having a �doggie� door attached to their homes is because the owner may have physical ailments that make taking her dog for a walk close to impossible. Because she realizes the need for her dog to get fresh air and exercise, having a �doggie� door is the answer for her and her animal.
Here are some �doggie� doors that I found on Amazon.
My rating: "Doggie" doors: (4)
Showing posts with label dog equipment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog equipment. Show all posts
Monday, 16 August 2010
Thursday, 8 July 2010
IS ANYBODY KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR?
So well known breeder calls me yesterday as the night before we got cut off in our conversation as one of her bitches started whelping a litter. We chatted about the new litter. I asked her about the older litter of two pups and her other litter by her Select Champion bitch bred to a top Select Champion male. She tells me that she sold the whole litter except for one she still has. �Oh I thought to myself, well that�s great.� I asked her what show homes some of her better ones went to. Her reply to me was, �What show homes? There all went in to pet homes!� �What do you mean you sold all of those pups into pet homes?� I questioned her. She said. �Barbara there is no show people knocking on my door to buy show puppies!� I�m thinking to myself, �How could this be with two superior parents?� Now this isn�t the first time that she has told me this. And she�s not alone. Another breeder friend tells me the same thing about her Select Bitches puppies. Her puppies sit and they sit with her until finally she�s left with several six month old puppies and she finds it harder to sell them now that they�ve lost their entire fluffy puppy coat.
So it got me to thinking, why are these breeders (or any breeders for that matter) spending literally thousands of dollars in preparation for a breeding when it really doesn�t matter anyway? If you don�t have the show homes for your show puppies to go into, why spend all that money on doing a breeding like this? Why not just breed to a local dog that�s a nice representative of the breed and save yourself money and the aggravation of looking for show homes for your puppies? If all of your puppies are going into pet homes anyway, then why not breed locally?
These breeders aren�t isolated cases. I hear this time and time again. People are not looking to buy show puppies. They�re not looking to pay more money for them. They are not looking to put the work into conditioning and showing them. They just want a loyal companion for their families. To compound and make matters worse, I read and hear that some breeders plan to stop showing all together.
Most breeders tell you that they breed for themselves. But ultimately most of their litters will go into pet homes. It�s just impossible to keep all of the good ones in any litter until they grow up. And who would want to anyway?
I would venture to say that famous stud dogs are being used less and less compared to just a few short years ago. Are breeders breeding any less? I don�t know. I believe the pet market will still be there for awhile, but I know that the show dog market is dwindling. There was a time when the better known breeders had their show puppies spoken for before they were even born. But even they are no longer hearing that familiar knock on their door.
I remember so many years ago in the German Shepherd Dog Review where people would take out two page ads on a new litter that they were advertising. I�ll never forget some breeder had pictures of all his top puppies from his litter displayed on those pages. I don�t remember who the litter was out of or who the breeder was, but let me tell you those puppies were breathtaking. I bet he had people knocking his doors down to buy one. I was a small breeder, but if I put an ad in the Review, I never had a problem selling my show quality puppies. Even if I owned now the same top quality bitch as I did then, I don�t think I�d have anyone lining up outside of my door. The times they have changed!
So it certainly isn�t the lack of well bred litters that are available. It�s the lack of interest in those well bred litters. It�s just the lack of interest PERIOD! I�m going to venture to say, it�s not just in the show dog community. I had someone recently say to me (non-show dog person), that he honestly could say that he knows very few happy people today. �How sad is that� I thought to myself. But you know what, when I stopped to think about it, he wasn�t too far off the mark. So this atmosphere of the doldrums doesn�t just exist in the show dog world community. It�s something in the air. I guess it would be selfish of us to ask people to �lighten up, buy yourself a show quality puppy when they can barely pay their mortgages. Spend your money from your already overly abused checking account to show her. Take out a loan to breed her. Can�t sell her puppies into show homes? �Sorry �ain�t� my problem.�
You know each generation always says that they�re glad that they lived in the times that they lived in. I don�t know if that will hold true for this generation or not. It�s yet to be seen. A friend and I were just talking about this last night. We both concluded that we lived in some of the best times in the show dog community��the 70�s and 80�s. The entries were huge. The crowds were thick with multi-generations of top breeders. The Review kept you entertained all month long until the next one made its appearance in your mail box. There was no internet, but we kept AT&T happy and wealthy calling coast to coast to our breeder friends. The dog show parties were abundant. A match show could be found most ever other week-end. Dog clubs were active. I loved the era that I came from in the dog show community.
So I don�t know how many of you reading this has people knocking your doors down to get one of your show quality puppies. I truly wonder how much longer they�ll be a market for those well bred show quality puppies. Will show puppies become a thing of the past? Will all puppies born go into pet homes? Will the champion stud dogs be left to wonder why he's not "entertaining the ladies" any longer?
My rating: The importance of breeding to a champion show dog: (1 - 4), Availability of show quality puppies: (4), Availability of show homes: (1 - 2)
So it got me to thinking, why are these breeders (or any breeders for that matter) spending literally thousands of dollars in preparation for a breeding when it really doesn�t matter anyway? If you don�t have the show homes for your show puppies to go into, why spend all that money on doing a breeding like this? Why not just breed to a local dog that�s a nice representative of the breed and save yourself money and the aggravation of looking for show homes for your puppies? If all of your puppies are going into pet homes anyway, then why not breed locally?
These breeders aren�t isolated cases. I hear this time and time again. People are not looking to buy show puppies. They�re not looking to pay more money for them. They are not looking to put the work into conditioning and showing them. They just want a loyal companion for their families. To compound and make matters worse, I read and hear that some breeders plan to stop showing all together.
Most breeders tell you that they breed for themselves. But ultimately most of their litters will go into pet homes. It�s just impossible to keep all of the good ones in any litter until they grow up. And who would want to anyway?
I would venture to say that famous stud dogs are being used less and less compared to just a few short years ago. Are breeders breeding any less? I don�t know. I believe the pet market will still be there for awhile, but I know that the show dog market is dwindling. There was a time when the better known breeders had their show puppies spoken for before they were even born. But even they are no longer hearing that familiar knock on their door.
I remember so many years ago in the German Shepherd Dog Review where people would take out two page ads on a new litter that they were advertising. I�ll never forget some breeder had pictures of all his top puppies from his litter displayed on those pages. I don�t remember who the litter was out of or who the breeder was, but let me tell you those puppies were breathtaking. I bet he had people knocking his doors down to buy one. I was a small breeder, but if I put an ad in the Review, I never had a problem selling my show quality puppies. Even if I owned now the same top quality bitch as I did then, I don�t think I�d have anyone lining up outside of my door. The times they have changed!
So it certainly isn�t the lack of well bred litters that are available. It�s the lack of interest in those well bred litters. It�s just the lack of interest PERIOD! I�m going to venture to say, it�s not just in the show dog community. I had someone recently say to me (non-show dog person), that he honestly could say that he knows very few happy people today. �How sad is that� I thought to myself. But you know what, when I stopped to think about it, he wasn�t too far off the mark. So this atmosphere of the doldrums doesn�t just exist in the show dog world community. It�s something in the air. I guess it would be selfish of us to ask people to �lighten up, buy yourself a show quality puppy when they can barely pay their mortgages. Spend your money from your already overly abused checking account to show her. Take out a loan to breed her. Can�t sell her puppies into show homes? �Sorry �ain�t� my problem.�
You know each generation always says that they�re glad that they lived in the times that they lived in. I don�t know if that will hold true for this generation or not. It�s yet to be seen. A friend and I were just talking about this last night. We both concluded that we lived in some of the best times in the show dog community��the 70�s and 80�s. The entries were huge. The crowds were thick with multi-generations of top breeders. The Review kept you entertained all month long until the next one made its appearance in your mail box. There was no internet, but we kept AT&T happy and wealthy calling coast to coast to our breeder friends. The dog show parties were abundant. A match show could be found most ever other week-end. Dog clubs were active. I loved the era that I came from in the dog show community.
So I don�t know how many of you reading this has people knocking your doors down to get one of your show quality puppies. I truly wonder how much longer they�ll be a market for those well bred show quality puppies. Will show puppies become a thing of the past? Will all puppies born go into pet homes? Will the champion stud dogs be left to wonder why he's not "entertaining the ladies" any longer?
My rating: The importance of breeding to a champion show dog: (1 - 4), Availability of show quality puppies: (4), Availability of show homes: (1 - 2)
Thursday, 1 July 2010
PUT ME IN COACH
PUT ME IN COACH
By
Barbara J. Galasso
The hallways are alive with activity as the doctors and nurses rush to do their duties. People come and go to pay their respects to the ill. Announcements are made over the intercom calling Dr. James to come to the third floor. Patients are pushed in wheel chairs to their next CAT scan appointment. And so the day goes on as all the days before at the North side City Hospital.
The sun tries to sneak its head through the cloudy grey morning sky with little success. The quiet peace of morning is interrupted by the shrieking sounds of the ambulance rushing down the street heading to the back entrance that leads to the emergency room. People who live in this neighborhood are all too familiar with this unnerving sound of doom as they peek out their windows more from habit than curiosity. They've seen enough to satisfy their curiosity in the past, but today they bring a young boy in.
"Doctor, our son, how is our son?" the father anxiously asks as his wife clings to him for support. The doctor looks tired as he comes out of the operating room. "Well the good news is that your son made it through the operation just fine", he tells the anxious but relieved parents. The mother almost collapses from exhaustion. "Yes, do sit down", the doctor tells them. You've been through a great deal of stress. It seems when your son, was hit by that car on his way to football practice, it threw him and he landed on his back. He has extensive damage to his vertebrae, severed nerves in his legs, a broken collar bone and a dislocated hip.� The mother lets out a gasp and begins to cry.
"What's the prognosis, Dr. James?� the father asks. "Well I'll tell you Mr. & Mrs. Baxter, Johnny's not going to be able to play football for a very long time, if at all. He's going to need extensive physical therapy." "Oh no, Mr. Baxter says. Football is his life." Mrs. Baxter breathes a sigh of relief just happy that her son is alive.
The first few days pass and Johnny is heavily sedated because of the pain he sustained from the accident. When he wakes, it's decided that the father will be the one to tell him about the seriousness of his injuries. The mother sits quietly by his bedside as the doctor stands in the far corner of the room over by the window. Dr. James is rather thankful for the noise that the radiator is making today as it drowns out some of the words that are spoken between father and son. But it's not nearly loud enough when the father tells his son, "Johnny, you may never be able to play football again." A loud hysterical shriek can be heard coming from Room 56. Dr. James then decides he needs to step in. He tells Johnny there is a 50/50 change he can resume his life with physical therapy. "And what are my chances of every playing football again?" he cries. "That my son, I can't guarantee you.� Johnny yells at all of them to get out of his room and leave him alone. He decides to suffer his grief by himself as only a 16 year old boy can do. He sobs aloud, and even with his door shut, his broken heart is shared by those who walk past his room.
For the next few days, Johnny refuses all food and is forced to be fed by IV again. He pulls the needle out from his already very black and blue hand. The nurses keep reporting his uncooperative behavior to the doctor. The doctor sends a physical therapist in by the name of Mr. Hardy to talk to him. He tells him that in another two weeks, they will begin their work. "What's the use? Johnny screams. I'm a cripple". Don't play with me Doc. You know I don't stand a chance in hell. He rips off his blankets and says, Just look at these legs. Where the hell do you think I'm going with these?" Mr. Hardy tries to reassure the boy that it's his attitude that needs fixing and not his legs. "You want to get well he asks him. Then change your attitude. I'm not here to tell you son that you're ever going to play football again, but if you have a defeatist attitude, that's exactly where you will remain.....defeated!"
The next day as Johnny lays staring at the TV screen, a small knock is heard tapping at his door. "Might as well come in, he shouts out. Everyone else does." The door is pushed open and a young girl Johnny's age comes in led by a big German Shepherd Dog carrying a magazine in his mouth. "Hey, he screams. What's that dog doing in my room, and who are you?� he demands. "Hi Johnny, my name is Cindy and this here is Spike," she tells him. He's a therapy dog and he just loves to pay visits to see all the people in the hospital," she tells him.
Spike with his tail wagging and a glisten in his eye, goes over to the bed where Johnny is watching him with a scroll on his face. The dog gently places the magazine on the bed and looks Johnny straight in the face and lets out a friendly bark. "Get that beast out of here, he sarcastically tells her. I don't need a flea bitten dog in my room. Can't you see I have enough problems already? Now take him and yourself and get out of here."
As the last sentence comes out of his mouth, the physical therapist comes back into the room. "Remember what I told you about your attitude son? he reminds him. "It's all in your head, it's all in your head, and he repeats himself. You want to get better? Then change those thoughts in your head. This dog will be part of your rehabilitation. He will be helping you to walk again. That's if you decide that you want to walk again. Or you can lay there and feel sorry for yourself and never walk again. It's your choose. 50/50 chance? How about putting the odds in your favor son?" With that, Spike comes over and nudges Johnny's hand looking for a pat on the head. Johnny's first inclination is to pull his hand away, but he catches the eye of Mr. Hardy, and thinks better of it, and begrudgingly pats the dog on the head instead.
The next day a wheel chair delivers Johnny to the physical therapy room. Mr. Hardy is waiting for him. "Good morning Johnny he says to him. Glad to have you with us today. Let me tell you son, this is going to be tedious, repetitious, and painful work, day in and day out. There will be only one day of rest in between and that will be Sunday, and that's the day you�ll pray for relief from me. I'm here to drive you and to push you, and I push hard," he tells the boy. I want you to think of me as your coach just like you had a coach for your football workouts. Well this is going to be your physical therapy workouts." Johnny interrupts him. "Where's that big dog Spike fit into all of this?" he asks him. He tells him, "He's going to be your legs, your brain, and your direction. He will wear a harness that you will hold onto and he will lead you until we feel that you're strong enough to stand and walk on your own. We already know you're up for the challenge because you showed up here today for your first try out. Football practice is in session son. So let�s get to work shall we?"
The days and weeks pass by slowly with set backs and failures. Johnny gets more and more discouraged. But Mr. Hardy pushes him even harder. They put him in the water therapy tank and then take him out and massage his legs. They stand him up and have him hold onto the walking bars on the side of the mat. "Come on boy, move those legs," Mr. Hardy shouts out to him. His legs never budge.
Mr. & Mrs. Baxter feel Mr. Hardy is driving their son too hard and complain about it to Dr. James. Dr. James has a talk with him about it. Mr. Hardy tells him, "Sir, this boy's got a physical problem. We all know that. But I need to re-train his thinking again. I must get him out of this "I can't do it anymore attitude.� I know what I'm doing here sir." Dr. James say's �All right Mr. Hardy. I trust you. You're the best in the business. If this boy is to walk again, you're the man for the job." Mr. Hardy corrects him and says, "Sorry to disagree with you Dr. James, I won't be the reason Johnny walks again. It's all up to him. It's in his hands. He has to have the will to want to walk again. I can only give him the tools to do it with."
One day Spike is lying on the floor when Johnny comes in for his physical therapy session. Something is different today. Normally soothing, relaxing music is playing. Today is different. Today Johnny hears an old rock and roll song blaring over the speakers. It's music from his parent's generation but he recognizes it because it used to play in the locker rooms before a football game. He hears the familiar pulsating beat of �CCR� singing but for some reason, he can't quite remember the words today. Spike decides to get up from his resting place and goes and pushes the boy in the behind. "Hey, watch it before you make me fall,� he yells at the dog. Mr. Hardy watches silently from a distance. Spike nudges him again and this time, takes a little nip at him. "What's the matter with this crazy dog, Mr. Hardy?" He asks him. Mr. Hardy just shrugs his shoulders as if to say, "I don't know." Spike goes behind a chair and Johnny sees he's picking something up and when he turns around, he sees he has a football in his mouth. "Hey, be careful with that, or you'll puncture it with your big teeth,� Johnny says angrily.
Spike drops the ball about two feet in front of Johnny and starts to bark at him. Then the dog goes to the boy and starts to pull on his pajamas. "Hey, Mr. Hardy this dumb dog is going to make me fall," he protests again. Mr. Hardy says, "Looks to me like he wants you to play with him," he says and continues to do his paper work. Spike barks at Johnny again and pulls at his pajamas even harder this time. "If I could only get my hands on you," Johnny says. He can feel his face flush with anger. Spike picks up the ball again and stands there looking Johnny straight in the face with that never ending wag of a tail of his challenging him to try to take the ball from him.
Johnny tries with all his might and feels himself start to fall. Naturally his physical therapy aides are there with him through this whole ordeal. He shrugs off their help, and he concentrates with all his might as the dog continues to stare at him with that confounded football in his mouth. Johnny is mumbling something to himself now. Again he tries to move his legs. The aides are watching as they witness a small half of an inch movement of his legs pushing him forward. They look over to Mr. Hardy, and he stops them from saying anything by raising is hand in the air and the other he brings to his lips indicating for them not to say a word. Johnny pays no attention to them as he focuses on Spike with the ball in his mouth. Another half inch he propels his body forward. And then another half inch. And then another. He is now one foot away from the dog. The dog picks the ball up, walks over to him and drops the ball at his feet. As Johnny starts to collapse, his aides catch him. With that he turns to look at Mr. Hardy who gives him a wink and a �high five� as he hears the final lyric to the song he was trying to identify earlier..............."Put me in coach, I'm ready to play........today.�
From the book: "WHEN LIFE IS HARD"....When life is hard, you know, really hard, we often spend all our time pleading, begging, yelling, refusing, and questioning. While none of these things are necessarily unusual, they are missing the ultimate point. When life is hard, when things get ugly, when all hope seems to be lost� that is when we are able to display the superiority of the life lived in God. It is in those moments of despair, when we question what is happening, when we don�t know what to do, when some trials never�seem�to�end, that we can lean most heavily into God�s promises and truths. Working his way through five questions we've all had run through our heads trusted pastor James MacDonald helps us to understand what we should do now. We begin the journey by looking at different types of "trials" and figuring out exactly what we're dealing with and recognizing that God certainly knows. Second, the obvious question: "Why?" God sees us going through trials and we long for two things: for them to be over and to know why they happened in the first place. Next, we need to know what to do with these trials when they come (and they will most certainly come). Fourth, we have all wondered it, can trials be refused? Are God's purposes really being fulfilled in the midst of this trying time? And lastly, God reveals Himself to us through these trials. . . and sometimes, they just don't ever end. Why doesn't this trial go away? God refines us. Often in so many ways that we can't even see. Should we just try to weather the storm? Or is there something greater in God's vision for these difficulties? God told us to expect trials�don�t be surprised when they come (they are on purpose). Grow when they come. Find hope when they come.
My rating: German Shepherd Dogs as therapy dogs: (4)
By
Barbara J. Galasso
The hallways are alive with activity as the doctors and nurses rush to do their duties. People come and go to pay their respects to the ill. Announcements are made over the intercom calling Dr. James to come to the third floor. Patients are pushed in wheel chairs to their next CAT scan appointment. And so the day goes on as all the days before at the North side City Hospital.
The sun tries to sneak its head through the cloudy grey morning sky with little success. The quiet peace of morning is interrupted by the shrieking sounds of the ambulance rushing down the street heading to the back entrance that leads to the emergency room. People who live in this neighborhood are all too familiar with this unnerving sound of doom as they peek out their windows more from habit than curiosity. They've seen enough to satisfy their curiosity in the past, but today they bring a young boy in.
"Doctor, our son, how is our son?" the father anxiously asks as his wife clings to him for support. The doctor looks tired as he comes out of the operating room. "Well the good news is that your son made it through the operation just fine", he tells the anxious but relieved parents. The mother almost collapses from exhaustion. "Yes, do sit down", the doctor tells them. You've been through a great deal of stress. It seems when your son, was hit by that car on his way to football practice, it threw him and he landed on his back. He has extensive damage to his vertebrae, severed nerves in his legs, a broken collar bone and a dislocated hip.� The mother lets out a gasp and begins to cry.
"What's the prognosis, Dr. James?� the father asks. "Well I'll tell you Mr. & Mrs. Baxter, Johnny's not going to be able to play football for a very long time, if at all. He's going to need extensive physical therapy." "Oh no, Mr. Baxter says. Football is his life." Mrs. Baxter breathes a sigh of relief just happy that her son is alive.
The first few days pass and Johnny is heavily sedated because of the pain he sustained from the accident. When he wakes, it's decided that the father will be the one to tell him about the seriousness of his injuries. The mother sits quietly by his bedside as the doctor stands in the far corner of the room over by the window. Dr. James is rather thankful for the noise that the radiator is making today as it drowns out some of the words that are spoken between father and son. But it's not nearly loud enough when the father tells his son, "Johnny, you may never be able to play football again." A loud hysterical shriek can be heard coming from Room 56. Dr. James then decides he needs to step in. He tells Johnny there is a 50/50 change he can resume his life with physical therapy. "And what are my chances of every playing football again?" he cries. "That my son, I can't guarantee you.� Johnny yells at all of them to get out of his room and leave him alone. He decides to suffer his grief by himself as only a 16 year old boy can do. He sobs aloud, and even with his door shut, his broken heart is shared by those who walk past his room.
For the next few days, Johnny refuses all food and is forced to be fed by IV again. He pulls the needle out from his already very black and blue hand. The nurses keep reporting his uncooperative behavior to the doctor. The doctor sends a physical therapist in by the name of Mr. Hardy to talk to him. He tells him that in another two weeks, they will begin their work. "What's the use? Johnny screams. I'm a cripple". Don't play with me Doc. You know I don't stand a chance in hell. He rips off his blankets and says, Just look at these legs. Where the hell do you think I'm going with these?" Mr. Hardy tries to reassure the boy that it's his attitude that needs fixing and not his legs. "You want to get well he asks him. Then change your attitude. I'm not here to tell you son that you're ever going to play football again, but if you have a defeatist attitude, that's exactly where you will remain.....defeated!"
The next day as Johnny lays staring at the TV screen, a small knock is heard tapping at his door. "Might as well come in, he shouts out. Everyone else does." The door is pushed open and a young girl Johnny's age comes in led by a big German Shepherd Dog carrying a magazine in his mouth. "Hey, he screams. What's that dog doing in my room, and who are you?� he demands. "Hi Johnny, my name is Cindy and this here is Spike," she tells him. He's a therapy dog and he just loves to pay visits to see all the people in the hospital," she tells him.
Spike with his tail wagging and a glisten in his eye, goes over to the bed where Johnny is watching him with a scroll on his face. The dog gently places the magazine on the bed and looks Johnny straight in the face and lets out a friendly bark. "Get that beast out of here, he sarcastically tells her. I don't need a flea bitten dog in my room. Can't you see I have enough problems already? Now take him and yourself and get out of here."
As the last sentence comes out of his mouth, the physical therapist comes back into the room. "Remember what I told you about your attitude son? he reminds him. "It's all in your head, it's all in your head, and he repeats himself. You want to get better? Then change those thoughts in your head. This dog will be part of your rehabilitation. He will be helping you to walk again. That's if you decide that you want to walk again. Or you can lay there and feel sorry for yourself and never walk again. It's your choose. 50/50 chance? How about putting the odds in your favor son?" With that, Spike comes over and nudges Johnny's hand looking for a pat on the head. Johnny's first inclination is to pull his hand away, but he catches the eye of Mr. Hardy, and thinks better of it, and begrudgingly pats the dog on the head instead.
The next day a wheel chair delivers Johnny to the physical therapy room. Mr. Hardy is waiting for him. "Good morning Johnny he says to him. Glad to have you with us today. Let me tell you son, this is going to be tedious, repetitious, and painful work, day in and day out. There will be only one day of rest in between and that will be Sunday, and that's the day you�ll pray for relief from me. I'm here to drive you and to push you, and I push hard," he tells the boy. I want you to think of me as your coach just like you had a coach for your football workouts. Well this is going to be your physical therapy workouts." Johnny interrupts him. "Where's that big dog Spike fit into all of this?" he asks him. He tells him, "He's going to be your legs, your brain, and your direction. He will wear a harness that you will hold onto and he will lead you until we feel that you're strong enough to stand and walk on your own. We already know you're up for the challenge because you showed up here today for your first try out. Football practice is in session son. So let�s get to work shall we?"
The days and weeks pass by slowly with set backs and failures. Johnny gets more and more discouraged. But Mr. Hardy pushes him even harder. They put him in the water therapy tank and then take him out and massage his legs. They stand him up and have him hold onto the walking bars on the side of the mat. "Come on boy, move those legs," Mr. Hardy shouts out to him. His legs never budge.
Mr. & Mrs. Baxter feel Mr. Hardy is driving their son too hard and complain about it to Dr. James. Dr. James has a talk with him about it. Mr. Hardy tells him, "Sir, this boy's got a physical problem. We all know that. But I need to re-train his thinking again. I must get him out of this "I can't do it anymore attitude.� I know what I'm doing here sir." Dr. James say's �All right Mr. Hardy. I trust you. You're the best in the business. If this boy is to walk again, you're the man for the job." Mr. Hardy corrects him and says, "Sorry to disagree with you Dr. James, I won't be the reason Johnny walks again. It's all up to him. It's in his hands. He has to have the will to want to walk again. I can only give him the tools to do it with."
One day Spike is lying on the floor when Johnny comes in for his physical therapy session. Something is different today. Normally soothing, relaxing music is playing. Today is different. Today Johnny hears an old rock and roll song blaring over the speakers. It's music from his parent's generation but he recognizes it because it used to play in the locker rooms before a football game. He hears the familiar pulsating beat of �CCR� singing but for some reason, he can't quite remember the words today. Spike decides to get up from his resting place and goes and pushes the boy in the behind. "Hey, watch it before you make me fall,� he yells at the dog. Mr. Hardy watches silently from a distance. Spike nudges him again and this time, takes a little nip at him. "What's the matter with this crazy dog, Mr. Hardy?" He asks him. Mr. Hardy just shrugs his shoulders as if to say, "I don't know." Spike goes behind a chair and Johnny sees he's picking something up and when he turns around, he sees he has a football in his mouth. "Hey, be careful with that, or you'll puncture it with your big teeth,� Johnny says angrily.
Spike drops the ball about two feet in front of Johnny and starts to bark at him. Then the dog goes to the boy and starts to pull on his pajamas. "Hey, Mr. Hardy this dumb dog is going to make me fall," he protests again. Mr. Hardy says, "Looks to me like he wants you to play with him," he says and continues to do his paper work. Spike barks at Johnny again and pulls at his pajamas even harder this time. "If I could only get my hands on you," Johnny says. He can feel his face flush with anger. Spike picks up the ball again and stands there looking Johnny straight in the face with that never ending wag of a tail of his challenging him to try to take the ball from him.
Johnny tries with all his might and feels himself start to fall. Naturally his physical therapy aides are there with him through this whole ordeal. He shrugs off their help, and he concentrates with all his might as the dog continues to stare at him with that confounded football in his mouth. Johnny is mumbling something to himself now. Again he tries to move his legs. The aides are watching as they witness a small half of an inch movement of his legs pushing him forward. They look over to Mr. Hardy, and he stops them from saying anything by raising is hand in the air and the other he brings to his lips indicating for them not to say a word. Johnny pays no attention to them as he focuses on Spike with the ball in his mouth. Another half inch he propels his body forward. And then another half inch. And then another. He is now one foot away from the dog. The dog picks the ball up, walks over to him and drops the ball at his feet. As Johnny starts to collapse, his aides catch him. With that he turns to look at Mr. Hardy who gives him a wink and a �high five� as he hears the final lyric to the song he was trying to identify earlier..............."Put me in coach, I'm ready to play........today.�
From the book: "WHEN LIFE IS HARD"....When life is hard, you know, really hard, we often spend all our time pleading, begging, yelling, refusing, and questioning. While none of these things are necessarily unusual, they are missing the ultimate point. When life is hard, when things get ugly, when all hope seems to be lost� that is when we are able to display the superiority of the life lived in God. It is in those moments of despair, when we question what is happening, when we don�t know what to do, when some trials never�seem�to�end, that we can lean most heavily into God�s promises and truths. Working his way through five questions we've all had run through our heads trusted pastor James MacDonald helps us to understand what we should do now. We begin the journey by looking at different types of "trials" and figuring out exactly what we're dealing with and recognizing that God certainly knows. Second, the obvious question: "Why?" God sees us going through trials and we long for two things: for them to be over and to know why they happened in the first place. Next, we need to know what to do with these trials when they come (and they will most certainly come). Fourth, we have all wondered it, can trials be refused? Are God's purposes really being fulfilled in the midst of this trying time? And lastly, God reveals Himself to us through these trials. . . and sometimes, they just don't ever end. Why doesn't this trial go away? God refines us. Often in so many ways that we can't even see. Should we just try to weather the storm? Or is there something greater in God's vision for these difficulties? God told us to expect trials�don�t be surprised when they come (they are on purpose). Grow when they come. Find hope when they come.
My rating: German Shepherd Dogs as therapy dogs: (4)
Friday, 4 June 2010
DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
A few days ago I printed Kathy's first story about her dogs. I asked her if she had any other interesting stories to please send them to me. Well she did and this story is my favorite of the two. I knew immediately that I wanted to share it with my readers here. Thank you once again Kathy for sharing a part of your life with your dogs here with us.
When our dogs leave this earth, are they truly gone? Of course a part of them remains in our hearts forever. Sometimes dogs that I've lost come to pay me a visit in my dreams. They are exactly how I remembered them to be, only they're gone when I awake which makes me long for them even more. But what about Kathy's dogs? Did she and her husband Joe grieve so hard for their beloved dogs that their dogs felt a need to return to them to let them know it was alright to say goodbye? Do you believe that animals have souls? Do you believe in ghosts? It's one of my favorite type of stories! I can get lost in them. Read on.....
The Magical Mulberry Tree
October 24, 2007 � Kathy Sater-Partch
There was once a man that was down by a river pondering his life. There appeared a man that spoke to him of many wonderful things to come; he then vanished as quickly as he appeared. Many years later this same man appeared to him to teach him more wonderful things. He asked this familiar person, aren't you the man that came to me while at the river many years ago? The man's response was: why don't you go back there and ask him?
A true teacher will not validate or invalidate a person's experience. It is always up to us to discern what is real to us or not!
I would like to share this phenomenon with you. About two years ago my husband, Joe and I were sitting at our kitchen-Island reminiscing about our late, white German Shepherd Dog, Lobo and how much we missed him. Shortly after that conversation I got up and went to the kitchen sink. When I looked out the window above the sink at our large mulberry tree in the back yard, there was a perfect image of Lobo's face on its trunk. I had to look twice to believe what I was looking at. I said to Joe, �Come quickly to the window and tell me what you see on the mulberry tree.� In a second of his glance he said, �Oh my! It�s an image of Lobo's face!� Not the image of any shepherd. It was the exact image of this photo I had taken of of him laying by that tree years ago. The same photo I used in a story I had written about him, titled: "Divine Messenger." It wasn't my imagination; Joe saw it right away too. I ran quickly for my camera. But by the time I got to the tree, the wind came up and totally distorted the perfect image that had been placed there by the sunray�s coming through the tree leaves. I waited for the wind to calm down, but by the time it did, the suns� position changed just enough for the image to not reappear. I looked at the clock to see what time it was so I possibly could see the image again the next day -- it never returned.
All day I haven�t been able to get Lily off my mind. I think of her often, and miss her deeply. We shared an incredible fourteen years and some months together. [It will be a year this November eleventh since she left us].
Some time has gone by now since Lobo�s passing. And with Lily gone too, and no more dogs at the moment, I think of her constantly. Joe and I are sitting at the kitchen-Island once again for a lunch break as Lily�s memory lay strongly on my mind. I cannot tell you why I did this, but within seconds of intense thoughts of her, I looked out at the mulberry tree. And there she was! A huge chill ran up the back of my neck as goose bumps covered my arms. I�m so thankful Joe was there once again to share another unusual occurrence. �Joe, look quickly on the trunk of the mulberry tree,� I said. �Can you believe what�s there again?� He rushed to the window, and calmly said in a subtle voice, �It�s Lily.� �Am I crazy or what?!� I asked myself. �Well, then we both are because that's Lily�s face,� Joe said. Once again I hurried for my camera. And this is what I finally captured. Evidently Lily's spirit-energy was strong enough to allow me at least four different shots of the image. Then her image started to move around with the wind, just as Lobo�s image had done. I checked the time on the clock when it appeared. I waited for the next day to possibly see her again � there was just a slight image left. Probably the average person couldn�t have made it out unless they had seen it the day before, but she was still there.
And just think; Joe and I were there both times to witness the extraordinary likenesses� of Lobo and Lily on that mulberry tree. Maybe for only a few minutes, but for both of us, I think was extremely quaint. There must be something magical about this mulberry tree, because my German Shepherd Dog, Koda now lies in the very same place as my other shepherds use to rest in the hot summer days of Arizona.
The image as we saw it on the mulberry tree, October 24, 2007. When you sit back a bit, the image becomes unmistakable.
Wasn't that incredible? Just look at how much that image on the Mulberry tree looks like the picture of beautiful Lily! Wow, I wish I saw some of my beloved dogs that are no longer with me come visit me like that. Well maybe......or maybe not.......it might just freak me out also, so I better be careful what I ask for!
My rating: believing animals have souls: (4)
From the book "GHOST WHISPERS: TALES FROM HAUNTED MIDWAY".......Have you ever felt uneasy chills upon entering an old house or cemetery? Sensed someone watching you from the dark at the top of the stairs, when you knew you were alone? If so, then dim the lights and stoke up the fire. These stories will thrill and bewitch you, and unveil the hauntedness in us all. Read them and be scared... With his first book, "Ghost Whispers: Tales from Haunted Midway," local author William Gorman journeys deep into what modern master and Illinois native son Ray Bradbury called the 'October country'; that dark, unseen region where the natural and the supernatural worlds touch and sometimes bleed into each other. Only this time, it's right here in our own back yard: Rockford, Illinois, and her nearby environs. Within these pages you'll meet the ghost of a murdered girl who still wanders her former Haight Village neighborhood on rare, dread occasions; a southern-born taxidermist who lived as strangely as he died, and whose moody soul now will not rest until he finds his lost burial casket; the spirit of an old woman from Belvidere named Nellie, who donned her faded wedding dress one night and walked into the river like vapor; the vengeful phantom of an infamous Freeport assassin, who once killed a U.S. president and was hanged for his crimes; and lingering ghosts of a Rockford gone by, as three young boys take a coming-of-age midnight stroll through their fair city as it was in 1905, a burgeoning place filled with fleeting shadows and with a present already sadly becoming past. Plus many, many more. At times unsettling, at other times lyrical and life affirming, and at times just plain frightening, there's something here for everyone in this macabre collection of spooky tales. True or not, folklore or fact, strangers who visit this upper Midwest region-after reading these chilling accounts-will arrive from now on with a new appreciation of its spirited history and its somewhat haunted landscape. And local residents will never pass by and look at their own Gothic architecture or tree-shrouded graveyards in quite the same way again.
When our dogs leave this earth, are they truly gone? Of course a part of them remains in our hearts forever. Sometimes dogs that I've lost come to pay me a visit in my dreams. They are exactly how I remembered them to be, only they're gone when I awake which makes me long for them even more. But what about Kathy's dogs? Did she and her husband Joe grieve so hard for their beloved dogs that their dogs felt a need to return to them to let them know it was alright to say goodbye? Do you believe that animals have souls? Do you believe in ghosts? It's one of my favorite type of stories! I can get lost in them. Read on.....
The Magical Mulberry Tree
October 24, 2007 � Kathy Sater-Partch
There was once a man that was down by a river pondering his life. There appeared a man that spoke to him of many wonderful things to come; he then vanished as quickly as he appeared. Many years later this same man appeared to him to teach him more wonderful things. He asked this familiar person, aren't you the man that came to me while at the river many years ago? The man's response was: why don't you go back there and ask him?
A true teacher will not validate or invalidate a person's experience. It is always up to us to discern what is real to us or not!
I would like to share this phenomenon with you. About two years ago my husband, Joe and I were sitting at our kitchen-Island reminiscing about our late, white German Shepherd Dog, Lobo and how much we missed him. Shortly after that conversation I got up and went to the kitchen sink. When I looked out the window above the sink at our large mulberry tree in the back yard, there was a perfect image of Lobo's face on its trunk. I had to look twice to believe what I was looking at. I said to Joe, �Come quickly to the window and tell me what you see on the mulberry tree.� In a second of his glance he said, �Oh my! It�s an image of Lobo's face!� Not the image of any shepherd. It was the exact image of this photo I had taken of of him laying by that tree years ago. The same photo I used in a story I had written about him, titled: "Divine Messenger." It wasn't my imagination; Joe saw it right away too. I ran quickly for my camera. But by the time I got to the tree, the wind came up and totally distorted the perfect image that had been placed there by the sunray�s coming through the tree leaves. I waited for the wind to calm down, but by the time it did, the suns� position changed just enough for the image to not reappear. I looked at the clock to see what time it was so I possibly could see the image again the next day -- it never returned.
All day I haven�t been able to get Lily off my mind. I think of her often, and miss her deeply. We shared an incredible fourteen years and some months together. [It will be a year this November eleventh since she left us].
Some time has gone by now since Lobo�s passing. And with Lily gone too, and no more dogs at the moment, I think of her constantly. Joe and I are sitting at the kitchen-Island once again for a lunch break as Lily�s memory lay strongly on my mind. I cannot tell you why I did this, but within seconds of intense thoughts of her, I looked out at the mulberry tree. And there she was! A huge chill ran up the back of my neck as goose bumps covered my arms. I�m so thankful Joe was there once again to share another unusual occurrence. �Joe, look quickly on the trunk of the mulberry tree,� I said. �Can you believe what�s there again?� He rushed to the window, and calmly said in a subtle voice, �It�s Lily.� �Am I crazy or what?!� I asked myself. �Well, then we both are because that's Lily�s face,� Joe said. Once again I hurried for my camera. And this is what I finally captured. Evidently Lily's spirit-energy was strong enough to allow me at least four different shots of the image. Then her image started to move around with the wind, just as Lobo�s image had done. I checked the time on the clock when it appeared. I waited for the next day to possibly see her again � there was just a slight image left. Probably the average person couldn�t have made it out unless they had seen it the day before, but she was still there.
And just think; Joe and I were there both times to witness the extraordinary likenesses� of Lobo and Lily on that mulberry tree. Maybe for only a few minutes, but for both of us, I think was extremely quaint. There must be something magical about this mulberry tree, because my German Shepherd Dog, Koda now lies in the very same place as my other shepherds use to rest in the hot summer days of Arizona.
Wasn't that incredible? Just look at how much that image on the Mulberry tree looks like the picture of beautiful Lily! Wow, I wish I saw some of my beloved dogs that are no longer with me come visit me like that. Well maybe......or maybe not.......it might just freak me out also, so I better be careful what I ask for!
My rating: believing animals have souls: (4)
From the book "GHOST WHISPERS: TALES FROM HAUNTED MIDWAY".......Have you ever felt uneasy chills upon entering an old house or cemetery? Sensed someone watching you from the dark at the top of the stairs, when you knew you were alone? If so, then dim the lights and stoke up the fire. These stories will thrill and bewitch you, and unveil the hauntedness in us all. Read them and be scared... With his first book, "Ghost Whispers: Tales from Haunted Midway," local author William Gorman journeys deep into what modern master and Illinois native son Ray Bradbury called the 'October country'; that dark, unseen region where the natural and the supernatural worlds touch and sometimes bleed into each other. Only this time, it's right here in our own back yard: Rockford, Illinois, and her nearby environs. Within these pages you'll meet the ghost of a murdered girl who still wanders her former Haight Village neighborhood on rare, dread occasions; a southern-born taxidermist who lived as strangely as he died, and whose moody soul now will not rest until he finds his lost burial casket; the spirit of an old woman from Belvidere named Nellie, who donned her faded wedding dress one night and walked into the river like vapor; the vengeful phantom of an infamous Freeport assassin, who once killed a U.S. president and was hanged for his crimes; and lingering ghosts of a Rockford gone by, as three young boys take a coming-of-age midnight stroll through their fair city as it was in 1905, a burgeoning place filled with fleeting shadows and with a present already sadly becoming past. Plus many, many more. At times unsettling, at other times lyrical and life affirming, and at times just plain frightening, there's something here for everyone in this macabre collection of spooky tales. True or not, folklore or fact, strangers who visit this upper Midwest region-after reading these chilling accounts-will arrive from now on with a new appreciation of its spirited history and its somewhat haunted landscape. And local residents will never pass by and look at their own Gothic architecture or tree-shrouded graveyards in quite the same way again.
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