Phineaus turns one, and Torean the Snow Hound

 

As you can probably tell, our zoo of fur has grown again, this time it is the addition of Phineaus George. Phineaus is a Husky Mix from Texas who found his way to a rescue here in NY. From there he found his way directly into Mom's heart, and he had no trouble finding his way in this crazy house of ours. He adores snow, leaping like a rabbit when he is excited, and he adores Torean deeply. Torean would hate to admit it, but he is rather fond of the black furball, in the odd moments when he thinks nobody is watching, he will lower himself to play with Phineaus. If you have followed my blog before, you will know what method Torean uses to play with Phineaus. Yep, you guessed it, it involves backing up and farting in Phineaus's face. If that fails to soothe the savage little beastie, Torean then resorts to sitting on him, Phineaus has yet to be wise to Torean's trick, and recently he fell prey to both attacks. Torean is not a super playful dog, he is very much a play on his own terms kind of Elkhound, but when the mood does strike him to play, he takes it very seriously as Phineaus found out. To set the scene, we had recently had a snow storm so there was plenty of nice, white fluffy snow to play in. Torean was feeling extremely silly and Phineaus was being his usual self, bouncing around Torean trying to tease him into playing. Torean apparently did not feel like sharing his play time and backed up to Phineaus to launch a stink bomb in his face, then he spun around and hit Phineaus, knocking him down and giving Phineaus a face full of snow before he ran off for a leisurely roll in the snow. Phineaus meanwhile sat up and looked around trying to figure out what had happened to him before he bounded off to pester Torean some more. Like he was with Simon, Torean is incredibly good with Phineaus, I have never had to worry about making sure he was too rough with him, and in return Phineaus is very good about realizing when he needs to back off. Phineaus recently celebrated his first birthday with a trip to Tractor Supply to pick out his own toys and treats. Of course Torean and Simon each got a toy of their own, which they promptly destroyed, decorating the living and dining room with a stuffing massacre. Torean has taught Phineaus well, Phineaus has now graduated from gently using his toys, to destuffing them so he can smack himself in the face with the flat toys. He has also followed Torean in the path of what his favorite toy is. Torean has always adored the squeaky pig toys that he can grab by the snout and smack himself in the face with, and it didn't take long before Phineaus discovered the same love and copied Torean. Phineaus is silly, loving, hyper, and he makes Torean a very happy dog. I don't think the cats have yet to recover their indignance about the new invader preferring to take the high spots and glare down at the dogs getting a few slaps in here and there when Phineaus races by.

 Torean and Phineaus breaking in Phineaus's pool filled with balls to play with.

Phineaus waiting with me to pick up Mom from work. He is such a good rider!



   As for Torean, he will be turning six in July, and I already have a day of adventure planned for him complete with toys he and Phineaus can merrily destroy to their hearts content. Sometimes I sit back and I can not believe how fast time has flown with him. Torean is still the same pain in the butt, loving, farking, shed monster we have all come to know and love. Like any Elkhound Torean has his little quirks, but I have to admit that the one he picked up this winter may be his oddest, and funniest one yet. As most of you Torean is a passionate hater of rain, and wet snow, and he will go to great lengths to avoid being out in it for very long. To solve the bothersome task of getting his paws wet, he has decided that snowbanks are the only appropriate place to fart and poop, even if it means getting a cold butt. His favorite snowbank is the one behind the house that accumulates from snow coming off the roof and from the driveway being blown out. Now that the snow is melting, Torean will spend a great deal of time climbing the bank, spinning and adjusting until it is just so, and he can complete his masterpiece. It is silliness like that, that makes Torean so special to me, and he definitely keeps life interesting. While he fancies the cold, I can not wait for it to warm up some more so we can get back into taking our daily walks to the river in the morning. Pretty soon he will be able to show the bothersome geese on the river that his honking is more impressive than theirs. I am pretty sure the geese could care less about his form of honking but we will let him think they do. It is highly likely that he honks way more than they do as well. With spring approaching it is very likely some of his walks will turn into impromptu grooming session so he doesn't look like a perpetually exploded Qtip, one of the many joys of owning a perpetually shedding furball. If only Torean could harness the power of his farts to blow off his loose fur, it would save me so much time, something I know he would do if he could. He is truly a nut of an Elkhound, one of the things I love dearly about him. Simon and Phineaus are very special as well, in their own completely different ways and that is why we love them so much. I hope everyone enjoys this blog post and I will post another soon. Have a wonderful week!

An Ode To Torean's Farks

I realized today just how long it has been since I put out a post concerning Torean, and the day to day antics owning a Norwegian Elkhound bring.  Even though this post has taken me a few days to write, I certainly have no shortage of material.  Torean turned four back in July, and while his celebration  was delayed, he finally got to enjoy a day of play outside complete with sardines, a Pupscotti treat, and a new toy which he promptly destroyed with great relish might I add. Because after all, what fun is a toy until you have ripped all of the stuffing out so you can slap yourself in the face with what is left of the toy? Apparently not much fun according to Torean. Most of his toys are in the same condition, just flat pieces of material he can slap himself with, or me, if I am not paying enough attention to him. It is hard to believe that it has been four years with this farking, toy annihilating bun butt who today has enjoyed the sound of himself sneezing and hitting his nose on the floor. I don't ask anymore, it is simply whatever makes him happy. Although I should add that the other day, what made him happy was parking his butt on a piece of cardboard and cutting a fart that was clearly heard in the living room, dining room and kitchen. Once said fart had been released, he simply had to spin around and stare at his butt, not quite believing that his butt had made such a mighty honk. Like always, most of Torean's funniest stories involve farting, because that is what he is best at. .

Torean is a very happy boy now that the weather is starting to become cooler, which makes his morning walks much more enjoyable for him and me. Lately our only companion outside has been the honking of geese and the blankets of fog that fill the air in the mornings. Torean isn't quite sure what to think about the geese creatures, and usually has to let a few audible farks, that is fart barking for those that wonder,  to make himself feel better and braver about seeing the noisy creatures. He doesn't think the honking of the geese is comparable to his own honking, a logic that I have yet to see sense in. But given how quiet it is in the morning, his farks sound more like a bullhorn which could scare off any creature in the radius of his backside. So maybe in the 'end' he is the more intimidating creature. We have had a couple foxes visiting the backyard this summer and while Torean has tried his best to sniff them out, he has yet to find them, or the whitetail deer who call the tall grass their safe haven at night. He is however, more determined to find the strange musical creatures that lurk on the banks of the river and sing their shrill song at night. Torean has a massive obsession for anything that hops, especially toads or frogs, and I have lost count of how many I have saved from him. I almost think Torean would willingly go into the river if it meant he had a chance to get one of those annoying hopping creatures, but I do my best to distract him from doing so. Thankfully Torean chooses not to get revenge on me for those acts of refusal, however, the day I denied him a chance to chase a chipmunk, he made sure he farted up every step into the house, waiting until his butt was level with my face before he popped them, giving me dirty looks over his shoulder every chance he got. It is hard to be offended in these situations because I am usually laughing my head off at him.

Torean's fur brother Simon is unfazed by it all, like always, looking at the world in his usual goofy self. Now that the days are getting darker earlier his vision has been noticeably worse, but it doesn't seem to bug him. We keep his environment as familiar as possible and make sure he gets his walks when the sun is brightest making him one very happy dog. Torean may have strength,but Simon has some of the craziest speed I have ever seen in a dog. He would gladly spend his days running full speed if we let him, and he has given more than a few rabbits out back heart attacks when it comes time to run. Simon never pays much attention to the rabbits, he is more focused on trying to go where they go in search of an adventure, or a new place to run like a speed demon. Simon turned three this year, and between the two dogs, there is never much peace in the house, never a toy that isn't being shredded, and never a bone that isn't being scraped across the floor while they chew it. On the good days it is madness at its finest, and I would never change any of it for the world. Whether it be dogs, cats, a demonic parakeet, or two bearded dragons, they all have our complete love and in some way, make our lives just a little bit better.

A Long Overdue Post

Perhaps tonight will be the night I finally get a blog posting out, fingers crossed cause here we go. I sat down and realized that it has been a ridiculous amount of time since I have done any writing on this blog pertaining to the antics that go on in this house on a daily basis. So far this year has had its share of ups and downs, with the ups outweighing the downs for once. My baby boy is now three years old and is still his same combination of lovable goofiness, frustrating bullheadedness, and undying loyalty all wrapped in the bundle that on some occasion can fart hard enough to gag the humans and peel the wallpaper. With Torean I never have to worry about running out of writing material when I do write a blog. He got some new treats and a stuffed toy for his birthday, and a short stay in boarding while I visited my sister in PA. Unfortunately Torean also came home with medicine for the lovely skin infection he gave himself thanks to an allergy outbreak. He is on his way to recovery now thankfully, and I hope it will be his last outbreak for awhile.
 

Simon is, well, Simon. He continues to have vision problems, more so at night than during the day, and he is loving a summer filled with walks down to the river so he can play in the water. Both dogs think this sport is the greatest thing ever, although I am pretty sure Torean is eagerly awaiting winter more. Simon has yet to experience being boarded at the vet but it is my hope that he will enjoy it as much as Torean does. Simon recently turned two and we ended celebrating his birthday with Torean. As usual, neither boy would look at the camera for anything, so old shots will have to do for now.

                                 

This year has also brought some heartache with the loss of Mom's beloved cat Blizzard who passed away after suffering a grand maul seizure at the vet. After a little over a week, after stays at the vet, rushing her in for emergency visits, a feeding tube, and countless medicines, our beloved Blizz was gone, leaving a massive hole in our hearts. Blizzard was my rescue kitten who quickly wormed her way into our hearts and gave Mom undying love and devotion. She was loving, she was feisty, she was mouthy, she was playful, a little Toothless in a cats body really. Her loss is still felt greatly, especially by Daisy who became inseparable from Blizz once they got over hating each other. Blizz came back home where she belonged and is buried in the spot where I first found her as a starving kitten, under a perpetual blooming lilac hedge. We were blessed for the five years we had her, and she will always be loved and missed.
                                 

With that being said, Mom swore up and down that she would never get another black cat, but it didn't take long before a little black kitten up for adoption at the vets office wrapped her tiny paws around Moms heart and came home with us the day we picked up Torean from boarding. So once again our madhouse has another addition in the form of Nyx, a seven week old bundle of love and mischief. Nyx loves things that rattle, she eats like a horse, she perpetually purrs and she loves using people as her own personal runway during her tearing time. So far she has met Torean, Emmeline and Daisy, and she has discovered that my table is an endless source of fascination, and a great place to perch and catch the fan. Nyx fit right in immediately, and I truly believe she was sent by Blizzard. Just another treasured pet in our already blessed house.
                                   

 The next pet I have to cover is of course, my bearded dragon Emmeline who went to PA with me, and handled it all very well. It is my fondest dream that some day in the future Torean will come with me to PA, but until we can work over his anxiety at being in a car, we are working on just small trips right now. Seven hours in a car is an awful long time when you hate being in said car. Emme on the other hand seemed to enjoy her trip. She got to go Lake Erie, a park where she got to sun and look out at the water, a baby shower where she was snuggled and admired, several rest stops, and she got loved up on by quite a few people including children who weren't sure what to think of her. On the trip back Emme was content to snooze in her tank and be left alone, especially because she did not have to wear her harness, which she hates with a passion by the way! Emme finally got to meet my sister and brother in law, and did so with her typical indignant attitude turning away every time my sister went to look at her.
                                                                           

                                                                  Emme the rebel!

                                           Posing with me and Mom on the shores of Lake Erie


                                                                             

                                           

I am sure I am forgetting plenty to write about, but hopefully I can get back into this blog with more and more antics from Torean, Emme, Tiber, Simon, Nyx, Lindbergh, Tom and Tia, Sophie, Bond and Malcolm. Have a great week everyone, and love your furbabies!



                                                                               

Ode To The Boys Part 2

 S is for the silliness you exude
 I is for the intelligence you possess
M is for the monster that you are
O is for your outrageous antics
N is for your never ending energy

As you can tell that spells Simon aka Baby Shark. Toreans best friend, partner in crime, and overall favorite doggie. You bring your own uniqueness to the mix and some days we can never tell who is causing more problems. Love you too baby monster shark

Ode To The Boys Part 1

T is for the trouble you managed to find.
O is for the outrageous antics you perform
R is for your rowdy ways
E is for the exuberant way you greet us
A is because you are simply awesome
N is for the nose you can't shut off.

Put together that spells Torean, the greatest dog we ever could have asked for. Love you, you frustrating, goofy, mouthy bundle of love who continually enriches our life.

Catching up

Hello all. This blog post has been a long time coming and I am attempting to type it off my phone since my laptop is down so bear with me.

   Starting off, a happy belated second birthday to the star of the blog, Torean Alaistair, who turned two on July 21st. Unfortunately Torean celebrated his birthday by presenting us with a nice juicy hotspot when he woke up. He suffered the indignity of the cone when he saw his birthday chew toys and was even content enough to share them with his baby shark little brother Simon Winston. Torean has since recovered from his hot spot but the cone remains when we found a cyst near the hot spot. Torean however has decided that the cone is not so bad. It has it uses. Reason one, it is an excellent barrier to prevent Simon from getting something Torean has that he does not want to share. Reason two, knocking someone in the knees with the cone is great, great fun. And reason three, Torean LOVES hearing how his bark echoes inside his lovely cone. An Elkhound after all is only as perfect as his voice. Torean is such a special dog and a never ending source of joy in our lives. He and Simon are as close as ever and both are eagerly anticipating fall and snow, while us humans dread the inevitable white stuff.
   Torean and Simon have been spending so much time together that we decided to buy one of those leashes that you can walk two dogs on for Toreans birthday. After the boys burn off sone energy we discovered that the leash was one of the greatest things we could have ever bought. Torean proved that he will be an excellent guide dog for Simon if and when Simons vision goes completely. They walk perfectly together and Torean is such a wonderful big brother to Simon.
   We have had our fair share of problems and hurt aside from Toreans hot spots and cysts. One of our cats Sophie ended up having to be rushed to the vet but she has recovered completely thankfully. And lately we mourned the loss of a wonderful woman, my grandmother Sarah. Grandma passed peacefully in her sleep at 89 and her loss is one the family will be feeling for a long time to come. Grandma was wonderful, caring, generous and possessed so many different talents that were part of what made her so special. My Mom put it aptly when she said that heaven received another special rose for its bouquet. With that being said I have rambled enough on this blog and it feels great to be writing again. Here is to remembering our loved ones, cherishing our pets and to everything in between.

A Little Slice of Spring Cuteness

Just a little something adorable for all of you!