As some of you may know, Seamus (italicized because we pronounce it with emphasis and a hint of dread!) has been coming to my house for daycare since he was only eight weeks old. He is now five years old.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Seamus is a wonderful dog. He is a German Shorthaired Pointer, so he’s very sweet and stunningly handsome, but…
Because he’s a German Shorthaired Pointer, he is full-tilt. I don’t have many pictures of him because if he is standing, he is a wiggly blur. We have lovingly dubbed him ‘The Gnat’ because he is always moving erratically. Even if you can get him to sit down, his head is still moving around aimlessly LOL! So, if you want pictures you have to do burst shots and hope that just one of them comes out clear!
This expression on Seamus’ face says A LOT about him. There definitely is NOT much going on in his head… But we LOVE him!!!
Some of you may also remember when we had Triple Puppy Days here. It was when the old clan of Oskar the German Shepherd, Roo – the Cattle Dog, and Seamus would all be here for daycare together.
They loved each other so much that they each would whimper and howl when you said the name of one of the other three. We used to call them the Three Amigos because they were the best of friends!
The German Shepherds eventually moved away and Roo stopped coming for daycare, but Seamus is still a regular every week. My dogs would play with him sometimes, but they are older. They just couldn’t keep up and they would get worn out!
Then a few months ago our friends got a Silver Labrador puppy. Merlin was full-tilt as well and a light bulb went off in my head… he should meet Seamus!
After months of trying to match schedules, it finally happened today because Merlin and his new brother, Moose are boarding here for the week. My instinct was right on… They are a perfect match for each other… times three! So without further ado, here is how their meeting went yesterday:
Success! They had a blast! A New Three Amigos has been formed, I just hope Merlin & Moose can come to play with Seamus more often (hint, hint to Merlin’s parents)!
So now you’ve met our honorary Boogervillains; Seamus, Merlin, and Moose. I am sure there will PLENTY of stories to tell you about them in the future. I hope you enjoyed getting to know them… and us.
From all of us Boogervillains, both original and honorary, we wish you and yours a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday!
Yup. We now have 7 cats, 3.5 dogs (Liam is only five pounds) … and a PIG! His name is Norton. We adopted him on June 9th of this year when he was eight weeks old.
This was Norton days after we got him:
Norton the Pig at Eight Weeks Old
Our friend was at a county fair in Maryland and he called Roger to tell him that they had piglets for sale: $60 each or 2/$100. Roger told him he’d call him back, then my 52 yr. old boyfriend came running into the house yelling; “Baby…can we get a pig?!”
I stood there with my jaw hanging open trying to find the word ‘No’… but it came out as ‘where would we put a pig?’ Roger squealed, ‘I’ll build a pigpen!’ and he ran back out and called his friend back and told him that I said yes!
Meanwhile, I still stood dumbfounded in the kitchen trying to recall exactly when I said ‘yes’! Roger came back into the house grinning from ear-to-ear and started pacing back and forth while filling me in on the details about our new bundle of joy which would be here in about an hour! An hour or so later… our adventure began…
Norton the Pig with his Proud Papa
He was terrified, so we put him in a crate in the living room with food, water, and a blanket… ya know, all of life’s necessities. Roger was eager to hold him but I said to let him calm down for tonight except for taking him out to go potty every couple of hours. I was NOT gonna have a piggy litter box in the house!
We carried him out and set him down in the cat yard to go potty, and that was when we realized how fast piglets can run. I can’t even imagine trying to catch a greased one! Thank god for fencing! I went rummaging through my vast array of pet supplies and dug out an old cat harness to put on him so we would at least have something to grab!
Norton the Pig in His Cat Harness
Pigs love to snuggle but they don’t like to be squeezed or picked up, in fact, they hate it! … Now, for those of you that have never heard a piglet scream, let me tell ya… it is blood-curdling! All of the neighbors within a 50-yard radius knew when it was Norton’s potty time LOL!
Getting that harness on and off of him was a challenge so I decided to just leave it on him. He eventually got used to it even when we had to ‘upgrade’ it as he grew. Now he sports a fancy purple one and he does great on a leash. We’ve even taken him for short walks haha!
Having never owned a pig, this was certainly a learning experience. But far be it from me to run from a challenge! I did some research online…and luckily there is a family down the street that has a pet pig. Yup, his name is Pig and he is five years old haha!
Pig’s mom was very helpful because it seemed like every page I found online said something different. She gave me pointers on diet, hooves, neutering, tusks…all the fundamentals to get us started.
Norton Loves Belly Rubs!
Now as far as neutering, everything I was reading said to get it done as soon as possible, which is what I wanted to do because I can attest that an unneutered male piglet STINKS!!! No really, Norton smelled awful! Their hormones…OMG, pungent! The problem was, that every vet I called that will neuter a pig said they have to be at least four months old. Ughh!
My Mom has a friend that used to be a pig farmer and they said that they could do it for us. At first, it seemed like a great idea, I mean, farmers have been neutering their own pigs for centuries, right? But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t stand the thought of my little piggy screaming in pain while two strangers…
Just Look at that Cute Heinie!
I called the vet I used to work for and made an appointment for Norton to have a checkup prior to his surgery a month later. Now, not to brag or anything…but every gal in that vet’s office fell instantly in love with my Norton! He is quite a ladies man! Ahem, sorry… I’m a proud Piggy Mama! Where was I? Oh yes, the doctor examined him and once she felt how ‘developed’ he was back there, she agreed that he was definitely ready to be neutered. She had one slot open a few days later so we jumped on it! The smell would be gone soon…could I get an ‘Amen’?!
Now don’t get me wrong, or get grossed out or anything. Pigs are actually very clean animals. People ask me all the time ‘how can you have a pig in your house?’ Honestly, other than the hormone smell, which is gone now, he doesn’t make a big mess at all. The dogs and cats shed more than him, and we keep a washrag by the door to wipe off his snout when he comes in from rooting haha! I trained him to use the dog door so he goes outside to potty too. That’s it!
Pigs are the fifth smartest animal in the world, so training them is really quite easy. Sure, I may look like a genius pig-trainer in the video, but really he had been watching the dogs use the dog door for weeks. In the week leading up to the great success, I could see him watching every time they would run out to bark at something…almost like he was studying how the dog door works. He had started jumping up at the glass (you saw him do it in the video) when he had to go potty, so I just helped him put two and two together!
Now, because pigs are so smart, they get bored. A bored pig = mischief! As long as Norton can be outside to root, he is generally happy. Unfortunately, he was born in one of the rainiest years on record… pigs HATE rain. Seriously, to a pig, rain is like acid on their delicate skin haha!
Every time it rained…which has been about every other day… he would get into trouble in the house or just walk around squealing and complaining. I once again went rummaging through the pet supplies and came out with some old treat dispensing toys. Norton’s favorite treats are Cheerios and mini marshmallows. I filled a treat toy with some Cheerios and set it on the floor. Problem solved! …for about five minutes.
Now he has his own Boredom Basket, blankets for indoor rooting, and his very own bed!
Norton’s Boredom Basket
Norton’s Bagel Bed
Rain also posed another challenge on our piggy journey. Going potty. As I mentioned earlier, I refuse to have a piggy litter box in the house. Norton was doing great at using the dog door and going potty outside. Then suddenly I started finding accidents… floods, in the house! Norton didn’t want to go out to potty if it was raining so he was finding corners inside to tinkle in.
To make matters worse, we noticed that he was sucking down a whole bowl of water when he ate! … More online research… I actually found a page that described where someone else had had the exact same issue with their pig and I learned that it is just a habit they develop and to just limit his water intake.
It took some trial and error, and I admit there were a few times when I thought about making bacon, but I refused to be outsmarted by a pig! I finally found solutions:
Norton’s Canopied Potty Path
Norton’s Water Bottle
Norton’s Spoiled-Pig Setup
Norton now has his own canopied potty area with a canopy right by the door as well just to get him out there when it is raining. We leash him up and make a run for it from canopy 1 to canopy 2! We put the dogs’ water bowl up on a short stool just out of Norton’s reach and he has his own water supply on his crate, which he doesn’t even need to be locked in anymore.
If you are still reading this you’re probably thinking I have lost my marbles…and you may be right! Pigs come with certain challenges that are not the conventional puppy or kitten challenges. They are very intelligent, demanding, stubborn (pig-headed), and whiney even. When asked why he does certain things I find myself repeating the same sentence of explanation: “because he’s a pig.”
Unfortunately, every solution to a piggy problem makes him seem like the most spoiled pig in the world! Although, if I had to guess… I’d say that there are other pig parents out there that can concur that they are worth it!
Has he been a challenge? Yes. Did I ever have second thoughts? Yes.
But I can tell you this much… Norton has brought us more laughter than any other pet (we don’t tell the others that!) and it didn’t take us long to fall completely in love with him. All of his antics, some more challenging than others, have taught us about patience and diligence. And maybe, just maybe, we are better people because of a pig.
Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. My dogs…. May not quite feel the same.
We’d BETTER get treats after this!
They somehow know what it means when I either bust out the costume box, or I come home with shopping bags filled with brightly colored things…that aren’t toys.
It means they will have to endure looking ridiculous for at least one photo shoot, maybe more…and heaven forbid I should throw a Halloween party and make them pose for other people while they go gaga over them! (They really do love the attention…and the treats!)
Those are NOT toys, Ma!
My boys are used to it though, so they comply…quite nicely, I might add.
They tolerate my antics because they know that it means lots of praise…and treats for them. In fact, I have been dressing them up for holidays for several years now and I think they rather enjoy the limelight!
Cracker, my Pitbull (the laziest dog I have EVER known!), will eventually grow weary and just lay on his back in protest – mid-shoot. He’s my ‘Enough-for-now’ signaler haha! He will, however, let me have another go at it later if I need to.
Cracker Protesting a Christmas Photo Shoot
My boys are professionals when it comes to things like this. They are very well socialized because they work with me in my business and are accustomed to interacting with both people and other pets. To them, wearing a costume is simply an occupational hazard of being a Boogervillain!
That being said, it is always important to acknowledge what your dog or cat will tolerate, and not force them into doing something that makes them uncomfortable or even frightens them.
Halloween is a very fun time of year for us, but the costumes, decor and ghoulish sounds can certainly frighten an animal. Not to mention it is a holiday that comes with its share of mischief, and you need to be prepared for pranksters.
All of us here in Boogerville want to help you make this the best Halloween ever. If you would like some helpful ideas and advice on how to safely include your furry friends in on the fiendish festivities this Halloween, please check out our article, Halloween Safety Tips for Dogs and Cats. It covers topics like costume choices, treats and other things to avoid, dog etiquette, pet safety, and home safety.
So check it out, check it off, and then go out and have fun with your critters!
Make a plan. Get the free checklist. Make a Pet Evacuation Kit
This year’s hurricane season is certainly one for the records.
Watching the news coverage of hurricane Florence in the Carolinas, to Michael in Florida, and all of the many others in between, I definitely noticed a difference in the level of preparedness by both officials and citizens. I was especially pleased to see many efforts made to get pets out of those areas as well.
Even with all of the positive news coverage of evacuations made, however, our social media feeds and televisions are still flooded with pleas for donations to help the animals that were left behind.
…Our social media feeds and televisions are flooded with pleas for donations to help the animals that were left behind in this years hurricanes.
No matter where you live, there is some type of disaster that is possible in your area. Northeast = blizzards. Southeast = hurricanes. Midwest = tornadoes. Southwest = wildfires. Northwest = a sh*t load of rain, oh, and don’t forget about earthquakes☹. Then, mix all that up and take another look because any of these disasters seem to happen wherever they want these days!
…No matter where you live, there is some type of disaster that is possible in your area.
It is pretty safe to say, when a hurricane or other disaster happens, evacuations happen.
It got me thinking…with all of our instant online access to disaster footage and the wealth of information available out there, why are people still not prepared to evacuate their pets in an emergency??
I understand that we all are busy and making an evacuation plan can be easily put on the back burner, but getting prepared for an evacuation ahead of time can be done in only a few hours if you know where to start.
We all are busy and making an evacuation plan is easily put on the back burner, but getting prepared for an evacuation ahead of time can be done in only a few hours if you know where to start.
To make it a lot easier I have put together an article about Emergency Preparedness for Pets on my website that will walk you through the necessary preparations. At the bottom of the article, Join Our Pack for email updates and I’ll send you a free downloadable/printable Pet Evacuation Kit Checklist.
Having an evacuation kit for your pets is an act of love and can be a fun project for your whole family to do together. October is National Animal Safety and Prevention Month, so please, check out my article, join our pack, get the kids involved and let’s all make sure our pets will be ready in the event of an emergency.
October is National Animal Safety and Prevention Month
Thistle is currently my oldest cat. She turned seventeen on June 14 of this year. She was originally a birthday present for my mother. That lasted about two weeks. Mom wasn’t up for kitten-hood. This is exactly why they tell you not to give critters as gifts!
She was an adorable kitten, and was, and still is, just as sweet as she could be….but Thistle has some issues. When she was younger, she got an inner ear infection which left her with a mild head-tilt, and for some reason after that she began sticking her paw in the water bowl and licking the water off her paw instead of just drinking. No one knows if the two are connected, but it is what it is. She used to love to play with the toilet water too. I finally had to tell everyone who came over to put the lid back down because I got tired of the whole bathroom getting doused!
A few years ago she got ‘gotten’ by one of the dogs that comes here for daycare (we didn’t know the magnitude of his prey drive for kitties). Because of that, she has nerve damage which leaves her a little…unsteady. You can only pet the top of her head…anywhere else will send her back legs into a kicking frenzy, then she will shake her head and nearly fall over, because her front feet will slide out from underneath her on a slick surface. It’s sad, yet I admit it can be a little comical at times. If there is one thing this little gal has taught me, it is about overcoming adversity!
I absolutely loved the dog in question, so I told his parents to hold off on daycare for two weeks while I figure out how to keep it from happening again. It began with keeping the cats in my bedroom, but the litter boxes were downstairs in the basement…hmmmm. So, the only logical thing to do was to cut a hole in my closet floor and build cat walks along the basement ceiling and walls so they could have the run on of the basement as well. That’s logical, right???
Pardon the unfinished walls and ceiling, but I had to draw the line somewhere!
Then, that wasn’t enough so I bought a cat door for the basement window, and I fenced off the area immediately around the house and under the deck so that the cats could have their own yard and the dogs couldn’t get to them.
Then, that still wasn’t enough (guilt is an amazing motivator), so I began converting one of the rooms in my basement into a ‘Cat Room’. I laid vinyl flooring, bought several 1×6 boards and 4×4 posts, and cut and covered them with carpet. I then mounted them on the walls to make ramps and shelves for the cats to climb on. A few pieces of cat furniture and some cat beds later, and their cat room/my exercise room was completed!
It may seem crazy to a lot of you…I don’t know, maybe it is. But to me it’s love. I love my clients and I love my critters. If I had to do it all over again, or something even crazier, I would. For every problem there is a solution. You just need to get creative and remember to do it out of love.
Liam is a 10 yr. old Yorkie that weighs barely more than 5 lbs., but has a TON of attitude! He is tiny! I refer to him as my ‘half dog,’ partly because he is so small and partly because he is half mine. He was my best friend/roommate’s dog and when she moved across country she couldn’t take him with her. So, he became our ‘.5 addition’. He has fully earned the respect of every Boogervillain, native and honorary, because of his giant personality.
Liam enjoys the finer things in life. He relishes in taking naps, sunbathing on the deck, going on walk-about around the yard (hey, that’s a long walk when you’re that small!) But alas, Liam has a darker side…He’s a stuffed toy rapist. No stuffed toy is safe around him, although he does have a favorite…his stuffed zebra ass. Yes, Liam has a toy ass! Hahahaha! I kid you not!! Look, here it is…
Hahahahaha!!! You thought I was kidding, right? I had to toss it to him after I took that picture because he saw me with it! But hey, everyone has a vice! Liam’s just happens to be a little disturbing…hmmm.
His other favorite hobby, when he’s awake, is looking out the front window for cars or people going by. Then he gives one quick yip and all the other dogs go running out the dog door to go bark at them in the yard. That is, until I get to the door and give a sharp ‘HEY’ to stop them in their tracks, LOL!!! The funniest part is that the other dogs get stuck in the dog door because they have no concept of ‘one at a time’! Whenever I turn back to Liam to scold him he is just sitting there, paws crossed, with the sliest looking snicker on his face. It always ends with saying ‘you’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?’
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know the native Canine Boogervillains. In the next few posts I’ll tell you about the Feline Boogervillains. Thanks again for reading and we’ll be seeing you soon!
I adopted Cracker on Dec. 11, 2015. He was a neighborhood dog whose owner would let him run loose for months. He was returned once by one neighbor and the owner asked him if he wanted him. He was then taken in for a night by another neighbor and returned, then captured again by yet another neighbor who called animal control. They picked him up and posted his picture on their facebook page in an attempt to find the owner. We all knew who the owner was but no one said a word because we knew he didn’t want him…that’s when my ‘Sucker Light’ came on.
I contacted Animal Control and began the adoption process. It took a few weeks to process and in the meantime Cracker was attacked by another large male dog while at the shelter. He was okay, but he began showing signs of fear aggression when they took him to the vet to be neutered. Because I was supposed to pick him up from the vet that afternoon, they informed me of his reaction to seeing other dogs in the waiting room and said that they would understand if I wanted to change my mind about adopting him. I called the vet mid-day to see how he was doing and they said he had shown no aggression with any humans or dogs in the back. I then knew that is was fear-based and that me and my boys, whom he had already met, could help him get over it. So I picked him up that evening and brought him home.
(Gargoyle on guard!)
I am not going to lie…I was concerned because he is a pitbull. Not because I ever thought they are bad dogs, I know several pits and they are very sweet. But, they are pits, nonetheless. They are a very powerful breed that have the power and the strength to do damage. They need an alpha leader. I call myself The Alpha Chic, but even I can lose my mojo from time to time. I wondered if I had what it takes…
I already had a Meet & Greet procedure for new dogs in place so I started with that for him as well. I let all of my existing clients know that we would be repeating that process for Cracker when they brought their dogs by. Everyone agreed and it worked great. Cracker was a bit too excited at first but we just waited for everyone to completely calm down and he did fine!
…Oh, and by the way, he was terrified of my cats at first, HAHAHAHA!!!
There were 2 dogs, however, who were particularly cocky and who each showed their teeth to either Cracker or the other boys. He tolerated it at first but then he had had enough…my Alpha-Chickness was to be tested and I passed!!! I diffused the situation each time and added some tools and steps to my Meet & Greet process. Now Cracker knows that I am in control and don’t need him to step in. He has also learned that when his ‘greeting Leash’ goes on him, he is to stay calm.
(Sunbathing/napping)
Cracker has completely stolen my heart because he is such a goofy lovebug. His favorite hobbies are sunbathing and napping, which he can do at the same time… And oh, he snores when he is awake haha!! He had almost perfect indoor manners right from the start, making him one my easiest adoptions ever as far as training and learning my rules. He has been a wonderful addition to our band of Boogervillains!
Jack came to live with me in 2009 when a friend posted on the neighborhood forum that he needed a home because she could no longer keep up with him. That wording alone should have sent up a red flag for me but obviously, I missed it!
I told her to bring him by to meet Munster and we’ll see how they get along. She showed up with his food, bed and toys, stayed for 20 minutes and said ‘they seem to be getting along fine.’ …Then she ran like hell! Hahaha!!!
Jack is a sheltie that has a lazy ear and he is too tall for breed standards. He’s a show reject, basically. But I don’t care about that because his personality is larger than life! Anyone who knows shelties knows that they are springy, cocky, mouthy dogs and Jack is a typical sheltie.
He is also part goat…he will eat ANYTHING! I now have ‘step’ trash cans because he would eat the trash. I don’t leave any clothing, paper, tissues, rubber bands, plastic…anything, laying on the floor…or on my night stand, for that matter, because it will be consumed! When I walk the dogs, he is constantly trying to eat the tall grass on the side of the road. He has mastered grabbing a clump of grass in his mouth and eating it on the go!
He is also a tire biter…he runs the fence when cars go by. Some of my neighbors used to rev their engines and egg him on! When we go for walks the neighbors like to stop and chat, but while we’re talking they will roll their vehicle back and forth just to make him go crazy over the tires moving…
Jack goes Commando all year round and he LOVES it! He has a collection of sweatshirts for the colder months. I keep him shaved…short, because he gets so hot that he sleeps on my a/c vents and makes my electric bill go through the roof. I have to go almost down to his skin because his undercoat is too thick for any clipper guard, but, he also gets hot spots so keeping him shaved alleviates that. I’ll have to get someone to take a video of him after I’ve shaved and bathed him because it is so funny. He runs around the house and yard barking like “I’m naked!! Look at my junk!!!” We’re both happier with him naked so it’s a win-win!
Hey! It’s about function, not fashion! Notice the flag on the end of his tail…I love it!!!
Thanks again for reading and stay tuned to meet the rest of my Band of Miscreants!
Sorry It has been a while since my last post. I had the nerve to take a mini vacation for 3.5 days and naturally work was 5 times busier for a few weeks afterward, just to get even, haha! I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!
I want to introduce you to my dogs; Munster, Jack, Cracker and Liam. They are my boys,..my pack,..my unwavering clan of cronies. Can you tell I love ‘em? I’ll start with Munster, because he has the most complicated story.
This is Munster.
I got Munster in 2007 when he was approximately 10 months old. His ‘family’ kept him tied to the back of a truck near their chicken coop and his job was to protect the chickens. They must not have told him that because every time a chicken got killed they would beat him. I actually saw children hitting him with sticks…
Long story short, animal control picked Munster up and I brought Booger there to meet him and he came home with us! He was very shy and timid at first but that quickly changed. Within a couple of weeks his lack of any socialization and training was VERY apparent! He was a nightmare!
He chewed on my furniture legs, urinated in the house, ran away many times and scared a lot of the neighbors…more on that in a minute. I am sure there is much more but I’ll reveal his full rap sheet in the future, haha!
You might be asking yourselves how I dealt with all of this chaos and got him to blossom into what I now refer to as my role-model for the other dogs that come to stay here. Well, let’s see, the furniture chewing was the easiest to resolve…Tabasco sauce. Yup! I brushed it on all of my furniture legs and anything else he tried to gnaw on. All it took was 1 or 2 licks and he was cured of that deviant behavior. Victory!!!
The urinating in the house was slightly harder, well for me, anyway. I tried every conventional method and nothing worked. Finally I was so fed up that when my then boyfriend came home from work one day I told him he “had one week to teach that dog to pee outside or he is out of here”. Theo looked at Munster and said “come on Munsy, let me show you”. They went into the back yard and stood side by side. Theo began peeing in the yard with Munster watching. Next thing I know (I was watching from the window), Munster leaned forward and began peeing along side him! I was so mad I could have screamed! It couldn’t be that easy! But as God as my witness, it worked! And Munster has never peed in the house since!
Now…the scaring of the neighbors, hehe…
I mentioned in the past that Munster is the reason for us putting up the fence, hence Miss Booger’s Pet Sitting was born. He used to go wandering the neighborhood chasing deer and whatnot, and he would pass through other yards and growl at whoever approached him. So, we installed the fence and then one day I was channel surfing and came across The Dog Whisperer…I was amazed. I began watching it religiously and implementing his methods. I also started walking Munster 2.5 hours a day. This went on for months but I was definitely seeing results. He still growls…at everything, even himself, but eventually we noticed that even though he growls a lot, the other dogs seemed to pay no attention to it. That’s when it dawned on me that he chews on his feet and growls at himself for entertainment! After all, when you spend the first 10 months of your life tied to a truck, what else is there to to do?!
Today, everyone that knew him back then and even new people are amazed at how well behaved he is, and I couldn’t be more proud of him! He still grumbles nervously if strangers reach out to touch him, so I just explain his past to everyone and tell them to just ignore him and not touch him.
Well, I think I’ll leave it at that for now so you all can get on with your day. I will write about my other 3 canine companions in the next posts. I hope you are enjoying reading these posts and getting to know all of us Boogervillains, because I am really enjoying writing them for you. Have a great day and we’ll see you soon!
I can’t introduce you to all the Boogervillains without first paying homage to the gal who inspired it all, or at least the first phase; my best girl, Booger. If you haven’t already, read how Booger inspired my business on my website. Let me tell you about her as a dog and a friend here, if that’s okay.
This was Booger.
Booger was a beagle pointer mix and was the sweetest dog that ever lived. I know everyone says that about their dog, but she was! She didn’t have a mean bone in her body, which made her a terrible guard dog. If the doorbell rang she would bark while running to hide behind me – haha! She even had a heart-shaped splotch on her side!
When I would walk her and we would encounter people, I would jokingly say ‘kill, Booger, kill!’ and she would wiggle waggle up to them so they could pet her! I swore if anyone ever broke into the house she would just show them where the T-R-E-A-T-S were!
For her tenth birthday, we threw her a party! She used to love to rip open presents!
I can’t remember what year it was, but Booger was a Jefferson County Bark-In-The-Park Tail-Wagging Champion! She out-wagged all the competition that year and there were some tough competitors, haha!
This is Booger and I after she won!
She was very intuitive with me; I didn’t have to say anything to her and she always knew my next move. At first she followed me all over the house, but she eventually realized that I never stay in one place long enough for her to lay down so she found the perfect spot from where she could watch me wherever I went. She was always ready whether I needed a dance partner (yes, she danced with me) or a shoulder to cry on.
….That all happened later…once she turned about 7 yrs old. Up until then, she was a TOTAL NIGHTMARE! It took me 7 years to fully housebreak her. Finally, crate training did the trick but she still did the nervous/excitement pee until we consulted a trainer who gave us some simple yet effective advice. I will divulge that tidbit in a future post (hey, I gotta get you to come back somehow!)
She was full of energy, lightning fast and destructive…she shredded my childhood teddy bear, she ate cigarettes, she ate gravel…she ate an AA battery one time and pooped it out the next day!! …Total nightmare! She was lucky she was so sweet!
I adopted Booger when she was 6 months old and she passed away at 12.5 years old. I admit that there were times when she was a puppy that I almost gave up on her, but I’m so glad I didn’t. Booger captured my heart and inspired my imagination and I owe all that I am today to her.
So if there are any of you out there who are currently frustrated with a nightmare puppy, hang in there…it could very well end up being a journey that changes your life!
This is Liam.
This is Cracker.
(Gargoyle on guard!)
(Sunbathing/napping)
(Just plain dashing!)
This is Munster.
This was Booger.
This is Booger and I after she won!
Miss Booger's Pet Sitting 