Leading the Dog Life - #MFRWauthor

Welcome to week 43 of the #MFRWauthor blog hop and boy am I happy to see it. Why you ask? Well the topic. After a few weeks of tough topics, this week will be a breeze.

For a while I was actively working with a Weimaraner Rescue. I still do things for them on occassion, but I don't take in fosters like I used to.

My wonderful mother-in-law bought me that plaque right after I started working with the group. It currently hangs in my kitchen. You could replace Weimaraner with dog and it would still very much apply to life in my house.

You see, we are dog people. Shocker right?! Most of the writers I see on Twitter and Instagram are all talking cats, but nope, they'd not survive in my house. I do have a feline 'grand-fur-baby' since my daughter wanted a pet and her life isn't conducive to dogs right now. She has two in fact, but I've only met the first one.

So who are the pets of the James' household? Well let me introduce you to them, in order of age, not by favorites.

Pixie

Pixie was my third foster, first foster failure when I started working with the rescue. What is a foster failure you ask? Well, it's when you end up adopting the dog you are fostering. A bit of a rescue inside joke.

When we got Pixie (her name was Marissa...ew no) she was really thin and had a wound on her foot. She'd been found in a school parking lot with another Weim. We were called to take her in and she instantly made herself at home. Right before Thanksgiving that year (which one escapes me, because you know, bad memory) and older couple tried to adopt her. They took her home and sent her back like two days later. Why? Well, Weims are hunting dogs and while Pixie is small and unassuming, she is prey driven and went after their cat. Twice. To be fair, I'd told them beforehand she'd NOT been cat tested and that Weims are prey driven dogs.

Anyway, when she was sent back, my husband, the same man that told me NOT to ask to keep any of the dogs we would foster, mentioned maybe keeping her. She got along well with the other two dogs we had at the time (Princess and Zeus who are both now in doggie heaven).

We guess-itmated that she was around two at the time we got her, she's closer to around ten or so now. She went from being our youngest dog, to now being our old grumpy lady.

Loki

Loki is also a rescue dog from that same group, and another foster failure. Really, I didn't keep them all I promise. LOL

When I got the call about Loki (who was then Carly, another ew) it was a few months after Princess had died. The lady in charge wasn't sure if we were ready because Loki is a bit of an oddity. The AWCR specializes in pure bred Wiems only, but when they got a call from a shelter saying Loki was on doggie death row, they took her in. The shelter claims she's a Wiem/Pit mix, but to me and the fam, she seems all Pit. Not that we care, Princess was the best dog ever and was a Pit. That, however, was the reason they weren't sure we were ready.

Loki had been with another family before us, but she's an escape artist, and by that I mean she jumps fences. Six-foot tall privacy fences. Like the one surrounding my backyard. We've tried several things to keep her in the fence, but the only thing that works is taking her out on a leash.

Yes, folks you heard me right. Loki must be taken out in our fenced backyard on a leash. Every time. Without question. She's also by far the barkiest (yes it's a word!) dog we've ever had. I mean we named her Loki, there had to be a reason for it right? The wind blows, she barks. A car drives into our cul-de-sac, she barks. She's scared many a delivery man, but her bark somehow doesn't scare away those annoying sales people that just "happen to be working in my neighborhood" and want to give me quotes on new windows or some nonsense. Go figure.

Thor

Thor is our big baby. He too is a rescue dog. We got him as a puppy though which was fun in theory, but then it's puppy training. And well you know how that goes.

The rescue group didn't normally tell people about puppies because folks will want only puppies but then after they get big, and boy is Thor big, they end up back in the rescue sometimes. Me working for the other one worked in our favor even though we weren't looking for a puppy.

The Boy (aka oldest son) had written this letter years prior. It was a lesson in school on persuasive writing. The letter came to us in the mail and he'd written about why we should let him have a German Shepherd. Laid out all the points on the breed and how he'd help take care of one.

The Husband held on to the letter, even had me scan it in so we could keep it in digital form. He attached that letter to our application, the rescue thought it was the best thing ever. So we got a Thor. Now before getting him, I'd always wanted a Husky. After getting him, not so much. THE SHEDDING!!! Man it's a constant battle of the fur with him. On a serious level.

People see Thor and get scared of his size, but he's really a wimp. We call him drive by licker because he will walk past you, give a lick, and keep going. He's an 80lb dog that thinks he can fit in your lap. And he tries!

Titan

Last but not least is our newest addition. Sir Titan The Mighty. Yes that is his full name, but we just call him Titan.

Where Thor thinks he's a little dog, Titan thinks he's a big one. I've wanted a Yorkie for as long as I could remember. They are cute and I wanted a small lap dog I could cuddle. The Husband isn't really a fan of small dogs.

Our last small one was Zeus, the Pomeranian. However, as a belated birthday present, The Hubs and The Girl worked together to find me a Yorkie. Titan is our first and only breeder dog.

Because he's a small breed, when I could find ones from a rescue most said "not good with children" and/or "not good with big dogs" which was two things I needed them to be good with. So one Saturday morning, The Hubs says take a look at this puppy. I do. He asks do you like him? I say yes, he's cute. Then he's like good, we have to go pick him up. So impromptu car trip because the breeder was like four hours away. But he's totally worth it.

Won't lie, he's a little dog with a big assholey attitude, but still he's cute and I adore him.

Honorable mentions would be Leo the turtle and Spade the snake. That latter is ALL my husband. I have zero interactions with that thing.

So there you have it. You've met the beast that reside at my house. We are deep dog people and will probably always be dog people.

Be sure to stop by the other authors on the hop to meet their pets, if they have them.

Thanks for stopping by
~Meka