I am not ready to say Good-bye to my dear friend Ike. He will always be in my heart and in my memories even though he is physically gone from us. Someone else took him in a cruel and unnecessary way that I will never understand.
Ike - I love you......you helped to bring me back from that very dark place that I went after Starskey went missing. You saved me and loved me and trusted me and taught me to live and laugh and love again. I will be forever grateful to you for that. Your silliness and energy made life fun again. Your devotion and gentleness were comforting and heartwarming. Your high spirits were infectious.
Your puppyness had it's issues. Not many puppies weigh 60 pounds and stand 24 inches high at the shoulders - but then you were not just any puppy. You came in to our lives last April at just over 4 months old and already half grown compared to any other dog. You were with us through your first birthday in December and until February 15, 2012. There was never a dull moment. You were either entertaining us, loving us or peacefully sleeping - not too many in betweens with you. You went all out on everything.
Jeff lost a pair of old shoes (Thank you!) and the steering wheel on the golf cart will never be quite the same but we managed to keep enough toys and chew things around for you to be well entertained. Buck is taking care of your yellow Kong Balls. He sleeps with them. He didn't start playing with any of your toys until this week - and still a little hesitantly. Buck didn't see you Saturday but I think he knew when I returned home that the search was over. He has missed you as a playmate and buddy and has been kind of dumpy since you've been gone. He hasn't left my side since I came home from picking you up.
The race track from the squirrel tree to the hill behind the house has been quiet. Buck walks it now and then but he hasn't started to run it again yet - you aren't here to race with him. The pond is filling up with water again and the geese are back to nest. Buck sits where you showed him to sit to watch and guard them. Funny how a puppy can teach an older guy new things. You did teach him what was important about living here - Yes, he still rings the bells to go out and he can't bring himself to eat from your bowl. Was that a respect thing he didn't finish teaching you? You sure didn't have any problem eating from his bowl.
Okay - now I am crying....I have sort of been numb since Saturday when those people found you and came to tell me where you were. You were just across the road a little ways and yet so far from being able to be found. That is okay - I have needed to cry. I have needed to feel again.
The people who found you were working their dogs near the public hunting area (there's no hunting seasons open now so it is safe). They spotted something odd just across the fence and checked it out - there you were in that horrible trap. They came and told me where you were. When I got there and saw what they saw - I called the Sheriff and he sent a deputy out to meet me. We took photos, tripped all the remaining traps so nobody else would get caught and I brought you out of there.
As I stood there I looked around me and I could see Mike's house, John's house, Dan's house, the new house that was just built and our shed - all less then a half mile away in all directions and most were less then a quarter mile away. All these families have pets and some have kids. There is nothing where these traps were set or anywhere near to them - no livestock to protect and so close to a public hunting area where people and dogs would be during various hunting seasons. I just don't understand.......and I was a little set back by the way the Deputy said maybe somebody was just trying to put a dent in the coyote poulation. I have a shotgun for that - I don't need baited kill traps! Did they think they would be less responsible if someones pet got caught in an unnecessary trap then if they shot actually them? I just don't get it.........
Ike - is Starskey at the Bridge with you? He's the guy with the star on his chest. The last reputable reported sighting of him was along the blacktop headed toward town - right past the home of the owners of the land where the traps were set. That is right across the road from another public hunting area. Are they setting baited traps in other places? Is that were all the missing dogs in our area have been going because it isn't just you two that have gone missing in the last few years. How did Scooter, Missy and Jack avoid this cruel end? None of them were as restricted and trained as you were - and they all lived to ripe old ages with us.
I know - You can't tell me anything and I know nothing for sure so I shouldn't blame anyone in particular. It just seems to add up - but that is not why I started writing this....
I need to thank you Ike - for bringing me back from that dark place I had gone. I need to thank you for loving me, for making me laugh, for trusting me and for adding to my life. I hope your 10 months with us were as happy for you. You ran, you played, you chased squirrels, you swam in you own private pond. you grew stronger and healthier. You were in less pain from your hips because of your activity (and some meds) and you began to bulk up pretty good and gain some massive leg muscles. That must have had to do with the greyhound in you...it was that hound in you that got you in the most trouble I think. That nose of yours was always high in the air and working. What all did you smell anyway? I think it led the Lab in you astray from time to time - and maybe led you to your own end.
I will miss you dear friend. The grass is getting green and the tulips are sprouting. This is about the time of year that you came to me - and now you are gone. Did you give Buck tips on planting the garden or do I have to do that? He is more of a hole digger then you ever were so he might just help plant instead of chasing empty plastic plant containers.
I have a lovely urn for you. You'll sit right next to Missy's urn so you can both continue to keep track of things around here. Some of your ashes will go to Freedom Park - the one place that you were allowed to run free and unrestricted. By the way, Chopper passed away last month and she is there too.....you probably already know that. Is she as bossy at the Bridge too?
What else to say???? I guess it is just time to stop talking and just feel it and remember all the wonderful times. I'll see you again someday - will you meet me at the Bridge and help me find all my other beloved furs? Scooter, Missy, Jack and the cats Pally, Ming and Willow have been there waiting for a while. Tell them where you came from and then you can all share your own good memories together.
I love you Ike...........I will take care of Buck - I promise.
Starskey
At Freedom Park summer 2010
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Oh no - not again! Targeted?
Yes, again - and under similar circumstances as Starskey. Ike is missing and suspected stolen.
1 year old neutered and chipped Black Lab-Greyhound cross. Long legs and slim body about 60-65 lbs. Wearing a lime green collar, tags and ratty red bandana. Very friendly. Has Hip Dysplasia and is on meds. We love him and miss him and want him back home. Reward offered.
Contact 641-581-4604 or 641-430-8695 or 641-512-3518. Please leave messages!
After Ike and Buck were let out of the indoor kennel at the shop, to get their jobs done, while I shut off lights and locked doors - Ike was no where to be found 10 minutes later. Buck was sitting beside the van waiting for their "ride" down to the house but Ike was gone - totally gone! Ike didn't come when called - or even when I started the van. That is totally unusal for him. He may not come at breakneck speed when you call him, especially if he has a squirrel up the tree, but the van - I mean that is #1 above all else - it means a car ride and a treat! No way would he miss that - even to chase a deer or a squirrel.
I called for him. shut the van off and restarted in many times.....still no Ike. It was getting dark so I bagan "the drive" around the section and talked to all neighbors still outside in our unusally warm winter weather. Everybody saw him earlier that day when they came home from work or ran to town on errands. All said he and Buck were either playing in the yard or sitting side by side in front of the van watching them go by. They said Ike and Buck were always there like that. They can't imagine the two of them not being there to seeanymore..........They can't??????
Ike never went anywhere except his own big yard (20 acres of grass, pond and timber). He could'nt run far or for very long because of his hips - but he and Buck ran from one end of the place to the other at least a couple times a day and made lots of short runs to get those squirrels back up in th tree if they couldn't have them. Truthfully they did cross the road on occasion and frolic in the long grass on the side hill of the field there. That long grass was closer then the grass around the pond (that we try to keep trimmed anyway). I think they both liked to feel the grass tickle their bellies because they would just run back and forth in it, roll in it (and probably some deer poop) and play until I called them to come back in.
Ike was turning in to such a neat dog......Yeah - he was clumsey and awkward for a while, because of those long legs, but he figured them out and he did like his walks around the farm. Walking didn't tire him out (or make him hurt) as fast so he became quite an investigater. He'd walk a few steps then stop to sniff the air or check out something on the ground. When he smelled that squirrel he was off like a streak - at first anyway. Then he would slow to a trot as he looked up and located the object of his attention. Then he might charge to chase it up the tree and then just sit there and dare it to come down again.
As squirrels will do - they change trees up high and he would have to change trees too. That made him mad and he would bark at them. Don't know what he was saying but I bet it wasn't nice. After a while he would tire of the pest and have a good roll in the leaves. No snow meant the leaves were there to roll in and make noise in and rest in. If he smelled a mouse, or other critter, while there he might go mouse tracking like Starskey did. He'd rather chase the squirrels though.
Living on a farm with lots of oak and waknut trees meant he had lots of squirrels to keep track of. Since he also had a pond to play in he got the occasional deer who wandered through while he was outside and he would chase them off his yard. He wouldn't chase them - just chase them away. He was very proud of himself when he did.
All that being done it would be nap time. He would sleep 3 to 4 hours before he would ring the bell to go outside again (or bark if we were in the shop). When Buck came to live with us Ike's routine didn't change - it just meant he had somebody else to do it with and it was more fun. He actually began to put on more weight and build up the muscles in his legs. Now his hips didn't seem to be such an issue to him - for the first half of the day anyway. Second half of the day they were both pretty beat just from playing. Ike taught Buck to ring the bells to go out but he never taught him to scratch the door to come in but he always seemed to come in first anyway.
Buck is kind of lost without his playmate.........and SO AM I............Ike was there to help bring me out of the depths of dispair I went in to when Starskey disappeared. Ike needed to be loved and cared for and I needed to love and care for him. It was a God thing.......the story is in other entries on this blog. We needed and helped each other! God knew what he was doing.
So what is happening now? I learned things and changed things......this great big dog came in my house just like Starskey did. If I couldn't be outside with him there was a big outdoor kennel in the shade of the trees when it got hot but with a sunny corner for a black dog to soak up the rays in. There was a house in there too, if weather got crappy (rain) but he didn't seem to mind the rain. He'd just play out in it....silly kid anyway.
There is also a trolly runner strung up from the light pole to the house with the heated doghouse on one end and the big house on the other and 50 foot of grass in between. At the shop we built an indoor kennel so the boys could be there with us, knowing that Ike would need the warmth in the winter. We had a big hook in a BIG yard rock that we hooked a cable to so the boys could be outside together if we were working. We only had to cable one of them for them both to stay right there. Every hour or two we'd let them out and hook up the one that wasn't hooked up last time (they took turns). The weather determined how long they chose to stay out so when they barked I would just let them in. Again, sometimes Ike wanted in before Buck so that meant Buck had to go on the cable - if he wasn't already. Customers enjoyed our "greeting party". The UPS and FedEx guys brought treats.
I took more precautions, I spent time taking more walks out and about, I learned (and invented) some indoor activities that kept him amused and busy. The cats helped there too...if they thought he was getting too lazy or sleeping too much - they would come down and walk right past him on their way to the back room for food or the litter pan. He used to get all riled up and chase them and they would hide under my desk, the coffee table or other places a big guy couldn't get. They were more stubborn then he was because he always gave up first. As they got to know him better they would go over and sniff that big black dog asleep in front of the fire then go on about their business - but make sure that they woke him up to chase them to the foot of the stairs. Then they would go half way up and just sit there....and he would sit at the foot of the stairs so they wouldn't come back down. He had no clue what they had done to him.
Note - we have a circular stair case and Ike can't run up them. Buck hasn't tried. It works well to have the dogs and the big screen TV downstairs and the cats and the bedrooms upstairs.
Have we become a target? Starskey in December of 2010, after 11 months with us. Now Ike in February 2012 after about that long with us too. Do we raise up that great a dog or what? Starskey was a cutie and a charmer but Ike is awkward, has health issues and is just my baby! If somebody was stealing dogs he wasn't the most desirable one we had.......except maybe to me!!!!!!
Good grief - Missy was 15 years old, a pruebred American Eskimo who was with us for 13 years before she passed. Her sidekick was Jack - a terrior mix who was 11 and spent 10 of his years with Missy and us. He didn't like life without her and just went away one day. We understood and didn't go looking for him because he had been unhappy ever since we lost her. Before these two we had a black cocker mix names Scooter. He was in his teens when cancer took him and had been with us since he was 8 weeks old. These dogs weren't even chained up. They got to roam free, unless we were gone. Even our cats are old.....we don't just lose animals around here!
Poor Buck - he's lost a friend, he can't move without a leash or cable hooked to him - and that doesn't even make me feel safe. Somebody could come take him off the cable, off the trolly runner - or out of the outdoor kennel. Would I hear them? How long would it take me to discover he was missing if I thought he was safe? How fair is it to imprison him inside just because I don't feel I can trust people? That is no life for a dog either!
Please share Ike's photo and information with the people you trust. I can use all the help and support I can get to find him.....and to keep myself from going back to that dark place I went after Starskey disappeared. I have done all the things that I know I need to do (posters, radio, law enforcement, neighbors and many searches) and I guess that is all I can do. I have to give it to God now and trust that He will take care of things as He sees fit.
If you have read past posts you know that Ike and I came together through a God Thing. It had to be God that guided my hand that day as I wrote his name on the adoption application - because it wasn't me. The Lord saw to it that I got the dog I needed to get - and that Ike got me.
Don't take him away from me now Lord - we still need each other!
Contact 641-581-4604 or 641-430-8695 or 641-512-3518. Please leave messages!
I called for him. shut the van off and restarted in many times.....still no Ike. It was getting dark so I bagan "the drive" around the section and talked to all neighbors still outside in our unusally warm winter weather. Everybody saw him earlier that day when they came home from work or ran to town on errands. All said he and Buck were either playing in the yard or sitting side by side in front of the van watching them go by. They said Ike and Buck were always there like that. They can't imagine the two of them not being there to seeanymore..........They can't??????
Ike never went anywhere except his own big yard (20 acres of grass, pond and timber). He could'nt run far or for very long because of his hips - but he and Buck ran from one end of the place to the other at least a couple times a day and made lots of short runs to get those squirrels back up in th tree if they couldn't have them. Truthfully they did cross the road on occasion and frolic in the long grass on the side hill of the field there. That long grass was closer then the grass around the pond (that we try to keep trimmed anyway). I think they both liked to feel the grass tickle their bellies because they would just run back and forth in it, roll in it (and probably some deer poop) and play until I called them to come back in.
Ike was turning in to such a neat dog......Yeah - he was clumsey and awkward for a while, because of those long legs, but he figured them out and he did like his walks around the farm. Walking didn't tire him out (or make him hurt) as fast so he became quite an investigater. He'd walk a few steps then stop to sniff the air or check out something on the ground. When he smelled that squirrel he was off like a streak - at first anyway. Then he would slow to a trot as he looked up and located the object of his attention. Then he might charge to chase it up the tree and then just sit there and dare it to come down again.
As squirrels will do - they change trees up high and he would have to change trees too. That made him mad and he would bark at them. Don't know what he was saying but I bet it wasn't nice. After a while he would tire of the pest and have a good roll in the leaves. No snow meant the leaves were there to roll in and make noise in and rest in. If he smelled a mouse, or other critter, while there he might go mouse tracking like Starskey did. He'd rather chase the squirrels though.
Living on a farm with lots of oak and waknut trees meant he had lots of squirrels to keep track of. Since he also had a pond to play in he got the occasional deer who wandered through while he was outside and he would chase them off his yard. He wouldn't chase them - just chase them away. He was very proud of himself when he did.
All that being done it would be nap time. He would sleep 3 to 4 hours before he would ring the bell to go outside again (or bark if we were in the shop). When Buck came to live with us Ike's routine didn't change - it just meant he had somebody else to do it with and it was more fun. He actually began to put on more weight and build up the muscles in his legs. Now his hips didn't seem to be such an issue to him - for the first half of the day anyway. Second half of the day they were both pretty beat just from playing. Ike taught Buck to ring the bells to go out but he never taught him to scratch the door to come in but he always seemed to come in first anyway.
Buck is kind of lost without his playmate.........and SO AM I............Ike was there to help bring me out of the depths of dispair I went in to when Starskey disappeared. Ike needed to be loved and cared for and I needed to love and care for him. It was a God thing.......the story is in other entries on this blog. We needed and helped each other! God knew what he was doing.
So what is happening now? I learned things and changed things......this great big dog came in my house just like Starskey did. If I couldn't be outside with him there was a big outdoor kennel in the shade of the trees when it got hot but with a sunny corner for a black dog to soak up the rays in. There was a house in there too, if weather got crappy (rain) but he didn't seem to mind the rain. He'd just play out in it....silly kid anyway.
There is also a trolly runner strung up from the light pole to the house with the heated doghouse on one end and the big house on the other and 50 foot of grass in between. At the shop we built an indoor kennel so the boys could be there with us, knowing that Ike would need the warmth in the winter. We had a big hook in a BIG yard rock that we hooked a cable to so the boys could be outside together if we were working. We only had to cable one of them for them both to stay right there. Every hour or two we'd let them out and hook up the one that wasn't hooked up last time (they took turns). The weather determined how long they chose to stay out so when they barked I would just let them in. Again, sometimes Ike wanted in before Buck so that meant Buck had to go on the cable - if he wasn't already. Customers enjoyed our "greeting party". The UPS and FedEx guys brought treats.
I took more precautions, I spent time taking more walks out and about, I learned (and invented) some indoor activities that kept him amused and busy. The cats helped there too...if they thought he was getting too lazy or sleeping too much - they would come down and walk right past him on their way to the back room for food or the litter pan. He used to get all riled up and chase them and they would hide under my desk, the coffee table or other places a big guy couldn't get. They were more stubborn then he was because he always gave up first. As they got to know him better they would go over and sniff that big black dog asleep in front of the fire then go on about their business - but make sure that they woke him up to chase them to the foot of the stairs. Then they would go half way up and just sit there....and he would sit at the foot of the stairs so they wouldn't come back down. He had no clue what they had done to him.
Note - we have a circular stair case and Ike can't run up them. Buck hasn't tried. It works well to have the dogs and the big screen TV downstairs and the cats and the bedrooms upstairs.
Have we become a target? Starskey in December of 2010, after 11 months with us. Now Ike in February 2012 after about that long with us too. Do we raise up that great a dog or what? Starskey was a cutie and a charmer but Ike is awkward, has health issues and is just my baby! If somebody was stealing dogs he wasn't the most desirable one we had.......except maybe to me!!!!!!
Good grief - Missy was 15 years old, a pruebred American Eskimo who was with us for 13 years before she passed. Her sidekick was Jack - a terrior mix who was 11 and spent 10 of his years with Missy and us. He didn't like life without her and just went away one day. We understood and didn't go looking for him because he had been unhappy ever since we lost her. Before these two we had a black cocker mix names Scooter. He was in his teens when cancer took him and had been with us since he was 8 weeks old. These dogs weren't even chained up. They got to roam free, unless we were gone. Even our cats are old.....we don't just lose animals around here!
Poor Buck - he's lost a friend, he can't move without a leash or cable hooked to him - and that doesn't even make me feel safe. Somebody could come take him off the cable, off the trolly runner - or out of the outdoor kennel. Would I hear them? How long would it take me to discover he was missing if I thought he was safe? How fair is it to imprison him inside just because I don't feel I can trust people? That is no life for a dog either!
Please share Ike's photo and information with the people you trust. I can use all the help and support I can get to find him.....and to keep myself from going back to that dark place I went after Starskey disappeared. I have done all the things that I know I need to do (posters, radio, law enforcement, neighbors and many searches) and I guess that is all I can do. I have to give it to God now and trust that He will take care of things as He sees fit.
If you have read past posts you know that Ike and I came together through a God Thing. It had to be God that guided my hand that day as I wrote his name on the adoption application - because it wasn't me. The Lord saw to it that I got the dog I needed to get - and that Ike got me.
Don't take him away from me now Lord - we still need each other!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Starskey - Meet Buck
Buckley Esquire - Buck 
Buck & Ike Oh, Ike doesn't back down. That is part of the issue - so I have to shout at them and remind them who's really in charge. It doesn't happen too often and they have been restricted by snow and cold so I suppose the play gets more intense sooner now. Separate them and they both act like they just lost their best friend - and they did....They are not happy apart. I'd have to say that they behave like siblings....fighting one minute and hugging the next.
Buck was one of the guys we found last year while we were looking for you. A neat man took him in and said he'd take care of him. I was really grateful to him because I was still pretty frantic about you. It gave me one less thing to worry about. Then this fall I saw an ad in the newspaper for a FREE dog.....I know what can happen if the wrong people answer that kind of ad so I called the number to offer to help the people find a good safe home for the dog. I got their voice mail and when I realized that it was the same gentleman who had taken the fellow in last winter - I just left the message to call me.
He called and was so glad to have heard from me. He had thought about calling me before putting the ad in the paper but he wasn't sure where we were in our search for you or even if we were ready for another dog yet. I told him about Ike and that we had been thinking about getting him a playmate (since you weren't back yet) but hadn't gotten around to it yet. I asked him to bring Buck out to meet Ike to see how the two would get along. Well - the first thing they did (after all the sniffing) was hit the pond together. I guess the decision was made for us by them....and we just sat in the lawn chairs and watched them run and swim and play and knew that was how it was suppose to be. Buck moved in that very day.
It wasn't easy for the man to leave Buck. They had become very close and I could tell they had spent a lot of one on one time together. The man was sad to part with Buck but he said he couldn't think of a better home for him to have or better people to love him. The man had trained Buck to obey, walk on a slack leash, fetch and some other good things. Buck is a very well behaved fellow! Some of that has rubbed off on Ike and Ike has taught Buck how to ring the bells to go outside and a few other "need to know" things for living here. I may need to do some of that behavior kind of training with Ike....he is a pretty smart guy and catches on pretty quick.
Buck has settled in just fine and our routine seems to suit him. He has his own Pet Lodge right next to Ike's and they both have big round pillows in front of the fire. The pillows were their Christmas presents, along with a big bones to chew on. I put the leather covered foam pads up for next summer. Your pillows are still here and your Pet Lodge is too - so you can come home to your own stuff.
Buck has kind of taken a special liking to Jeff. It might just be the "man" thing but it seems to be working for them. Jeff built a kennel in the shop for the guys when we go to work up there. They bark when it is time to go out - we'd never hear bells over the sound of the machines. We both go sit with them for a while (our breaks) and take them outside for a while. With Buck partial to Jeff that means I still have a hand to pet you with and time for both you and Ike.....
The three of you would make an interesting "black pack" for sure. The tall guy (lab/greyhound or Dane) with weak hips, the stocky and fast lab/retriever mix and you - the Border Collie/lab mix and the only one with a white star. I am betting that you are slightly smaller then Buck but probably just as fast. You got lots of practice running at the Freedom Park and you could almost keep up with the Kubota.
We have a 50 foot trolley strung between the pole behind the heated dog house and the deck so we can hook somebody up if we have to and they can still run a little. Jeff just brought home a wireless fence system that covers 3/4 of an acre. We can add on to it later if we need to but we'll mainly use it up at the store and over at Freedom Park. I still want to put up a fence to enclose the yard outside the back door so we can let everybody out in the morning to potty and still give them more running room then the trolley does. When we are outside we let them run free with us.
Wes called and was looking for a new home for Dufus. When Wes moved Dufus went to live with his son-in-law and had kids to play with him. I was really glad about that. I guess that family is moving somewhere they can't take a dog that big and Wes says he has grown more (I can't believe that). If it weren't for Buck already fitting in and at home here - we might have thought about taking Dufus in - but what would we do with somebody that big? Would Jeff even let him in the house? Wouldn't be fair for him to be outside when Ike is inside. I would also be afraid he would wander like he used to and then Ike would follow him. Akita's are just awful big dogs with a lot of fur - but we also know how lovable and gentle they are. I gave Wes some tips on who might be interested and who might be able to help him find a good home for Dufus.
I really miss you little buddy!!! I am mighty grateful for having you in my life and for all the things that you taught me. I am really praying that somehow we can find each other again. I am still keeping your postings current and I am still looking for you. You have to work a little harder on your end to get yourself identified as Starskey and not just some black dog with a white spot on his chest.
If anybody reading this has seen or heard of a medium sized black dog (Border Collie/Lab mix)with a white 5 point star on his chest - contact Iowa Pet Alert at their website http://iowapetalert.com or the North Iowa Humane Society at hsni@netcox.net and let them know when and where. They know how to get in touch with me faster then posting to this blog - since you can tell that I don't post as much as I used to.
Maybe I'll have to start another blog about the life and adventures of living with two BBDs in the country and taking them to work with me. It is an adventure - and they do some of the funniest things. I like the way they sleep on top of each other or butt to butt or use each other as pillows.
Here is a picture of Starskey as he looked in the fall of 2010. At this angle his star looks like a 4 point one but that bottom point (going down between his legs toward his tummy) splits to make it a real 5 point star.
We miss you Starskey!!! Find a way to get back home! We DO want you back and we DO still love you!Thursday, September 22, 2011
Ike needs a playmate
Here I am again. Seems that no matter what else goes on in my life I keep coming back here to talk to Starskey. I'd really like to be talking to him in person - but I will do what I can. Somewhere here I will probably switch from the third person to the first person - that is just how things go in my mind. Don't get confused - it is still me talking.
Ike is lonesome. He thinks I am a pretty good snuggler and I don't toss a bad ball either but after a trip to Robin's house and several days with a real dog pack - he is kinda in the dumps. Doesn't even want to play tug-of-war with the knots as much. It isn't the same with me as it was with Sid and the silly new dog at their house....and it has been rainy outside so we can't go running or playing like we usually do.
You've never met Sid. He is Pokey and Pilot's new pack member. He came to them last winter as a very sick little baby with Parvo. Everybody worked hard to get him healthy again - and boy did they succeed. Pokey is only part Pit - but Sid is all Pit and so solid and strong. Since Ike is so tall (not small like you were) Pokey doesn't look at him as a puppy - even though he still is one. She didn't want much to do with him so that meant Ike and Sid could become pals.....when Pilot wasn't causing trouble. Pilot doesn't fit under the couch anymore so he is more particular about the trouble he causes so he can get out of there fast.
It took a day of sniffing and licking and stare downs for everybody but the next morning they all had it figured out. Ike is tall and Sid is solid and Pilot is a brat and Pokey just stayed away from it. Then there is the new guy. I can't remember his name but he is the oddest little stinker I think I have ever seen. He is part Chiquia and part terrier (has whiskers) or something. He is smaller then Pilot so he does fit under the couch but he and Sid are best buddies so he doesn't spend much time there. It is funny to watch the big guy and the little guy play together - reminded me of you and Dufus!
Sid shared the little guy with Ike too....now that is pretty cool. The three of them would play tug together - Ike and Sid would each have an end of the rope and the goofy little guy would jump up and bite on in the middle and just dangle there....Ike held his own pretty good. Taking that rope was the best idea I ever had so I just left it there. Ike has one here at home. Sid will probably just drag the new kid around by it - unless Pokey decides to play too. Sid might be stronger then Pokey - but she is determined. There are 4 dogs and 4 kids there now - plenty to do tugs!
You need to come home or find a way to get checked for your chip. Ike really needs a doggy kind of playmate and you are the only one I KNOW of that Jeff will be happy to see and have back home. I don't think he is too keen on the idea of getting a new guy.....He really likes Ike and they have a special bond and routine together - but he really wants you back home as much as I do!
Jeff has been pretty sad here lately too. Too long without a job and too tight on money isn't helping. He did get a driving job to deliver motor homes and took one trip already. He seemed so upbeat whenever he called home while on the trip - but that hasn't lasted. His back hurts and that doesn't help either. Sees the Doc tomorrow. We've both gotten a little short tempered lately and that doesn't help either
Ike is going to need special care for his hips. He has pretty bad displazia that was made worse by an injury before we got him. You wouldn't know it in the morning after a good nights sleep and his aspirin....he runs all over the place and makes sure everything is where it is suppose to be outside. He runs a while then comes in for a nap then goes out for another adventure and then in for another nap and so on. I have noticed that as the day goes on his naps get closer together and longer - probably as his hips get tired or start to hurt...
He figured out the stick thing better then you did...he picks them up and brings them to me instead of trying to drag them the other direction or hitching a free ride on the pile I am dragging. He really likes the pond too. He knows the same short cut that you know....what is it with black dogs and water anyway?
Midnight has become a terrible tease. He knows that Ike is bigger then he is so he won't let him get as close as he did you. Do you remember when that cat was bigger then you? That is when he taught you how to ring the bell to go outside....You weren't understanding what I was trying to teach you! Ike caught on pretty quick so he is a bell ringer too. Now Midnight just comes half way down the steps and sits there where Ike can see him but can't reach him - and he just sits there. It drives Ike crazy and Midnight knows it....Brat cat!
I am beginning to feel a little better now that I have talked to you for a while - but I sure do wish I could talk to you in person. This just isn't the same! I have 2 hands - one for each of you so it sure would be great if you came home to be Ike's playmate - and to show him the ropes he hasn't learned yet....well - maybe not all of them. There is an outdoor kennel now and there will be fencing going up to make a safe dog play-yard for when I can't be out there with you to let you run loose and get in the pond and all that neat stuff.
Ike is using your pillows and beds - and he fits in everything but your Pet Lodge - and he can fit in that too but he can't turn around in it - so we got him a bigger one. He sleeps in some of the oddest positions. Sometimes he curls up in a ball and fits inside your bed with the sides on it. Other times he is a sprawler and uses his special foam pad, your bed and another floor pillow. His favorite position is on his back with his legs stretched out (or up) or leaning against the TV.
Grandma was here last week and thinks he must be triple jointed to be able to get in all those crazy positions. She also thinks we have an awful lot of pillows - but when you want to let a dog be comfortable (without letting them on the furniture) you have to have enough pillows for them - besides some of the car pillows are in here to be washed so it looks like even more.
It is time to come home Starskey. Ike and me are waiting for you! I have 2 hands and one of them is for you......I am still keeping in contact with all my new Rescue friends and trying to keep your "Lost" postings up to date. I have NOT given up hope but you could help a little from your end too.................
Ike is lonesome. He thinks I am a pretty good snuggler and I don't toss a bad ball either but after a trip to Robin's house and several days with a real dog pack - he is kinda in the dumps. Doesn't even want to play tug-of-war with the knots as much. It isn't the same with me as it was with Sid and the silly new dog at their house....and it has been rainy outside so we can't go running or playing like we usually do.
You've never met Sid. He is Pokey and Pilot's new pack member. He came to them last winter as a very sick little baby with Parvo. Everybody worked hard to get him healthy again - and boy did they succeed. Pokey is only part Pit - but Sid is all Pit and so solid and strong. Since Ike is so tall (not small like you were) Pokey doesn't look at him as a puppy - even though he still is one. She didn't want much to do with him so that meant Ike and Sid could become pals.....when Pilot wasn't causing trouble. Pilot doesn't fit under the couch anymore so he is more particular about the trouble he causes so he can get out of there fast.
It took a day of sniffing and licking and stare downs for everybody but the next morning they all had it figured out. Ike is tall and Sid is solid and Pilot is a brat and Pokey just stayed away from it. Then there is the new guy. I can't remember his name but he is the oddest little stinker I think I have ever seen. He is part Chiquia and part terrier (has whiskers) or something. He is smaller then Pilot so he does fit under the couch but he and Sid are best buddies so he doesn't spend much time there. It is funny to watch the big guy and the little guy play together - reminded me of you and Dufus!
Sid shared the little guy with Ike too....now that is pretty cool. The three of them would play tug together - Ike and Sid would each have an end of the rope and the goofy little guy would jump up and bite on in the middle and just dangle there....Ike held his own pretty good. Taking that rope was the best idea I ever had so I just left it there. Ike has one here at home. Sid will probably just drag the new kid around by it - unless Pokey decides to play too. Sid might be stronger then Pokey - but she is determined. There are 4 dogs and 4 kids there now - plenty to do tugs!
You need to come home or find a way to get checked for your chip. Ike really needs a doggy kind of playmate and you are the only one I KNOW of that Jeff will be happy to see and have back home. I don't think he is too keen on the idea of getting a new guy.....He really likes Ike and they have a special bond and routine together - but he really wants you back home as much as I do!
Jeff has been pretty sad here lately too. Too long without a job and too tight on money isn't helping. He did get a driving job to deliver motor homes and took one trip already. He seemed so upbeat whenever he called home while on the trip - but that hasn't lasted. His back hurts and that doesn't help either. Sees the Doc tomorrow. We've both gotten a little short tempered lately and that doesn't help either
Ike is going to need special care for his hips. He has pretty bad displazia that was made worse by an injury before we got him. You wouldn't know it in the morning after a good nights sleep and his aspirin....he runs all over the place and makes sure everything is where it is suppose to be outside. He runs a while then comes in for a nap then goes out for another adventure and then in for another nap and so on. I have noticed that as the day goes on his naps get closer together and longer - probably as his hips get tired or start to hurt...
He figured out the stick thing better then you did...he picks them up and brings them to me instead of trying to drag them the other direction or hitching a free ride on the pile I am dragging. He really likes the pond too. He knows the same short cut that you know....what is it with black dogs and water anyway?
Midnight has become a terrible tease. He knows that Ike is bigger then he is so he won't let him get as close as he did you. Do you remember when that cat was bigger then you? That is when he taught you how to ring the bell to go outside....You weren't understanding what I was trying to teach you! Ike caught on pretty quick so he is a bell ringer too. Now Midnight just comes half way down the steps and sits there where Ike can see him but can't reach him - and he just sits there. It drives Ike crazy and Midnight knows it....Brat cat!
I am beginning to feel a little better now that I have talked to you for a while - but I sure do wish I could talk to you in person. This just isn't the same! I have 2 hands - one for each of you so it sure would be great if you came home to be Ike's playmate - and to show him the ropes he hasn't learned yet....well - maybe not all of them. There is an outdoor kennel now and there will be fencing going up to make a safe dog play-yard for when I can't be out there with you to let you run loose and get in the pond and all that neat stuff.
Ike is using your pillows and beds - and he fits in everything but your Pet Lodge - and he can fit in that too but he can't turn around in it - so we got him a bigger one. He sleeps in some of the oddest positions. Sometimes he curls up in a ball and fits inside your bed with the sides on it. Other times he is a sprawler and uses his special foam pad, your bed and another floor pillow. His favorite position is on his back with his legs stretched out (or up) or leaning against the TV.
Grandma was here last week and thinks he must be triple jointed to be able to get in all those crazy positions. She also thinks we have an awful lot of pillows - but when you want to let a dog be comfortable (without letting them on the furniture) you have to have enough pillows for them - besides some of the car pillows are in here to be washed so it looks like even more.
It is time to come home Starskey. Ike and me are waiting for you! I have 2 hands and one of them is for you......I am still keeping in contact with all my new Rescue friends and trying to keep your "Lost" postings up to date. I have NOT given up hope but you could help a little from your end too.................
Friday, August 12, 2011
Okay - Acceptance isn't the end....
How can I accept that Starskey is gone when I can't stop thinking about him? How can I stop looking for something that I loved so much? How can I accept NO answer to what has happened? Prayers for an answer just leave me with more feelings of hope.....God - Is that You telling me something ???? I need some clarity...........
I told you that Ike was his own man - and he is.....but almost everything he does reminds me of Starskey. It must be the Lab in them or something......Maybe it is the age. Ike is now 8 months old and Starskey was 11 months old when he went missing, after 9 months of stealing our hearts and teaching us a whole new way to love and be loved.
To explain how much Ike reminds me of Starskey would mean I would need to duplicate many of the experiences I have already written about having with Starskey. I just read all my entries to this blog and they are all on target - for how much and why Starskey has come to mean so much to me, as well as some of the adventures we shared that are so similar to the ones I am now sharing with Ike. These two boys belong together!!!
Ike had an extensive vet check this week. He will have serious challenges in life that we will have to help him through. For a fellow who is only 8 months old he already has a pretty severe case of hip displazia. Xrays confirmed that. You wouldn't know it to see him prance around the yard but his prancing has gotten shorter in duration and his naps have gotten longer. He has a foam pad in the house and in his bed and some dog cushions in the outside kennel. He uses them all. He gets an asprin a day (in a small chunk of hot dog) and that helps him sleep comfortably at night.
His breed mix is still in question too. The front half of him is all Lab but his back half is in question. We thought maybe Dobe or Hound but our vet wonders if maybe there is some Dane in there - especially given his growth. He has gone from a thin 30 lb. 4 1/2 month old to a 60 lb. 8 month old and he is still slim and almost twice as tall as he was. Vet says he has more growing to do too.........hopefully just filling out.
Ike is a mighty big puppy! None of that changes who he is!!!! Like a toddler - I just have to move the things he can't have to a higher location. His size should not be intimidating to Starskey - whose first and best non-family friend as an Akita called Dufus. Ike is also submissive....or is that just well behaved?
My mind says to accept that Starskey is gone - but my heart will not let go and with no definite answer as to where he is and what has happened to him - I have to continue to hope that he is alive and will find his way back home! Ike is as far as I can go forward without knowing...... I will care for Ike and love him and pray for the time when I do have an answer (or God guides me elsewhere). That is when Ike will get his playmate - whether it is Starskey returning home or another dog in need of rescue and love.
There are those moments when Ike will awaken from his sleep - sit straight up, look at the door, sniff the air and bark. I'll go to the door and look out and see nothing or a deer across the pond and I will wonder if Starskey is near and Ike can tell. If I don't see a deer or something (and there is no cat sitting at the top of the steps to tease him) I will go outside, sit in the swing and talk to Starskey. I'll tell him that it is okay for him to come home and that Ike would love to have someone to play with. I tell him how much I miss him and still love him. I tell him any new news he should know and then I just sit and hope and pray for a while. Then I come back in and give Ike a big hug.
I have stopped baiting. The only dogs that ever came were dogs from area farms who already had homes. Otherwise it was mainly raccoons or skunks that took advantage of the stinky cat food bait. I could tell that by their tracks and the feces left behind. I hope that means that you (Starskey) are not surviving in the wild but have found a home or were picked up.
My greatest fear is that you got caught up in the rescue system and have already been adopted out......but therein also lies my greatest hope. You have a chip so that rescues and vets can identify you and you are posted as "lost" on two chip sights. Those rescue people have a network all of their own as well. They let each other know when there is news or need of help and they check for chips. If you were to get picked up - the shelter should check for a chip. If you were to be adopted out (because you are so charming) then the new owners should take you to a vet who should also check you for an existing chip before installing a new one.
I need to say THANK YOU to all of the rescuers and shelters that have added me (and you) to their network of contacts. I can't do much to repay them except to share the requests and postings they send to me - but they can do so much for us by helping keep your photo and description active so that some other rescuer or vet or just regular person see you and let's us know where you are!
A huge Thank You too goes to Kathy for the tips on how to search for a dog in survival mode. I so wish it had worked because then you would have been home by now. If anyone else is baiting and waiting for a medium size black dog to come in to their trap.....it might be Starskey. Please contact me!!!!!
The only thing worse then not having a job that pays a living wage anymore (but still having bills to pay) is having a hole in your heart. Ike is helping ease my pain but he is making is own path in to my heart, which means that Starskey's path remains untraveled and waiting for him to come back in to my life.
Please don't forget that Starskey is still out there somewhere and that I am still here missing him and running out of options for finding him on my own. I do need your help! Please share our story and his description with as many people as you can. Maybe somebody has seen him somewhere!
Starskey - COME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I told you that Ike was his own man - and he is.....but almost everything he does reminds me of Starskey. It must be the Lab in them or something......Maybe it is the age. Ike is now 8 months old and Starskey was 11 months old when he went missing, after 9 months of stealing our hearts and teaching us a whole new way to love and be loved.
To explain how much Ike reminds me of Starskey would mean I would need to duplicate many of the experiences I have already written about having with Starskey. I just read all my entries to this blog and they are all on target - for how much and why Starskey has come to mean so much to me, as well as some of the adventures we shared that are so similar to the ones I am now sharing with Ike. These two boys belong together!!!
Ike had an extensive vet check this week. He will have serious challenges in life that we will have to help him through. For a fellow who is only 8 months old he already has a pretty severe case of hip displazia. Xrays confirmed that. You wouldn't know it to see him prance around the yard but his prancing has gotten shorter in duration and his naps have gotten longer. He has a foam pad in the house and in his bed and some dog cushions in the outside kennel. He uses them all. He gets an asprin a day (in a small chunk of hot dog) and that helps him sleep comfortably at night.
His breed mix is still in question too. The front half of him is all Lab but his back half is in question. We thought maybe Dobe or Hound but our vet wonders if maybe there is some Dane in there - especially given his growth. He has gone from a thin 30 lb. 4 1/2 month old to a 60 lb. 8 month old and he is still slim and almost twice as tall as he was. Vet says he has more growing to do too.........hopefully just filling out.
Ike is a mighty big puppy! None of that changes who he is!!!! Like a toddler - I just have to move the things he can't have to a higher location. His size should not be intimidating to Starskey - whose first and best non-family friend as an Akita called Dufus. Ike is also submissive....or is that just well behaved?
My mind says to accept that Starskey is gone - but my heart will not let go and with no definite answer as to where he is and what has happened to him - I have to continue to hope that he is alive and will find his way back home! Ike is as far as I can go forward without knowing...... I will care for Ike and love him and pray for the time when I do have an answer (or God guides me elsewhere). That is when Ike will get his playmate - whether it is Starskey returning home or another dog in need of rescue and love.
There are those moments when Ike will awaken from his sleep - sit straight up, look at the door, sniff the air and bark. I'll go to the door and look out and see nothing or a deer across the pond and I will wonder if Starskey is near and Ike can tell. If I don't see a deer or something (and there is no cat sitting at the top of the steps to tease him) I will go outside, sit in the swing and talk to Starskey. I'll tell him that it is okay for him to come home and that Ike would love to have someone to play with. I tell him how much I miss him and still love him. I tell him any new news he should know and then I just sit and hope and pray for a while. Then I come back in and give Ike a big hug.
I have stopped baiting. The only dogs that ever came were dogs from area farms who already had homes. Otherwise it was mainly raccoons or skunks that took advantage of the stinky cat food bait. I could tell that by their tracks and the feces left behind. I hope that means that you (Starskey) are not surviving in the wild but have found a home or were picked up.
My greatest fear is that you got caught up in the rescue system and have already been adopted out......but therein also lies my greatest hope. You have a chip so that rescues and vets can identify you and you are posted as "lost" on two chip sights. Those rescue people have a network all of their own as well. They let each other know when there is news or need of help and they check for chips. If you were to get picked up - the shelter should check for a chip. If you were to be adopted out (because you are so charming) then the new owners should take you to a vet who should also check you for an existing chip before installing a new one.
I need to say THANK YOU to all of the rescuers and shelters that have added me (and you) to their network of contacts. I can't do much to repay them except to share the requests and postings they send to me - but they can do so much for us by helping keep your photo and description active so that some other rescuer or vet or just regular person see you and let's us know where you are!
A huge Thank You too goes to Kathy for the tips on how to search for a dog in survival mode. I so wish it had worked because then you would have been home by now. If anyone else is baiting and waiting for a medium size black dog to come in to their trap.....it might be Starskey. Please contact me!!!!!
The only thing worse then not having a job that pays a living wage anymore (but still having bills to pay) is having a hole in your heart. Ike is helping ease my pain but he is making is own path in to my heart, which means that Starskey's path remains untraveled and waiting for him to come back in to my life.
Please don't forget that Starskey is still out there somewhere and that I am still here missing him and running out of options for finding him on my own. I do need your help! Please share our story and his description with as many people as you can. Maybe somebody has seen him somewhere!
Starskey - COME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Stages of Grief
They say the first stage of grief is denial. Oh boy - I am an expert at that one! I believe I have denied or explained away every possibility put before me when it comes to why Starskey is missing or what could have happened to him. Denial does not help. In fact it creates more problems that just seem to make everything worse and harder to get through. It can cause you to push away the very people who could comfort and help you. You, afterall, are not the only person who loved that animal or who is grieving the loss!!!!
They also say the last stage of grief in acceptance......I don't have to like it or even agree with it - but I do need to accept it. Starskey is gone. I didn't say he was dead, stolen, rescued or anything else - I just said GONE. That does not mean there isn't still a chance he might come home (he does have a chip) or that we might eventually find evidence of his demise or that somebody might just bring him back. Hope is still there but I have accepted that he is gone - for now.
We knew Starskey's family tree (at least part of it) so we kind of knew what to expect from him but Ike suprises us sometimes because we know nothing about him except what is physically visable. He is a BBD - part lab and part who knows what. He is the BBD that lays on the step in front of the house and watches the cars go by on the road - but can hear and identify our vehicles miles away and will be waiting there to meet us at the end of the drive when we come home.
Ike is gentle and tender and would rather be around the people he loves then just about anything else. He helps (?) in the garden, follows the mower, supervises hanging clothes on the line and lays at your feet in the house or near the door when outside. He does enjoy a good rabbit or squirrel chase from time to time and patrols the pond bank to keep us safe from aquatic invaders. Although he has his own pool Ike has to occasionally inspect the pond itself and spash and splatter to scare those invaders away.
Ike is twice the size that Starskey was at his age so it feels rather odd to watch this BBD do the same things that the LBD did at 7 months old. Frogs, toads and turtles are of great interest. They get nudged around with a nose and if they jump it is a delightful suprise. On occasion they have been carfully picked up and carried to Mommy - but only if they don't pee in the mouth first. If they do pee they are carefully returned to the ground and the spitting begins. Then they are looked at as if being asked "why did you do that?".
Starskey's favorite friend (Dufus/Sam) has moved and is living in a house full of kids. I am so happy for him. He was such a gentle giant and played so carefully with Starskey that I have no fear for the kids he now plays with. Dufus did not get the chance to know Ike as well as he did Starskey. Ike was being house trained so he was inside more then outside. That has reversed now - unless the weather is hot. It is probably a good thing that Ike and Dufus didn't become good friends - Dufus was a rover and I would always be afraid that Ike might rove with him and get lost, hurt or killed. Starskey did from time to time but together the two of them seemed to stay pretty close to one home or the other. I think I like my "home boy" Ike just the way he is - lazy and happy!
Bringing Ike in to our lives was very necessary for me.....my heart was broken and denial led to depression and then to stress related health issues. I began by volunteering at the local Humane Society shelter. It was a selfish reason to go but the animals gave me love and I began to put my life together again. I loved them all, talked to them, asked them if they had seen Starskey and where they would go if they were him......I know it sounds silly but it made me feel better and the animals benefitted from the attention.
Ike's name wound up on the adoption papers as a fluke. The papers had been there for a while but I hadn't added a name. One day I did and I don't know why it was his shelter name that stuck in my mind....I wasn't even sure whose name I was putting down. I just knew it was time and somebody there needed me as much as I needed them. When the Shelter called me to say that I was approved - I had to go over just to see who I had adopted. I would not have said no to any of them but Ike has proven to be a perfect fit. Sometimes the Lord works in strange or curious ways - but I am so glad that He works to take care of all of us.
Having Ike here meant that I got less anxious when I received "lost dog" calls and reports. I got smarter about asking questions about the "found" dog and about giving the callers some advice. Checking for collars and tags was the first thing I told them to do. There is a vet number on any rabies tag and many people add additional tags. If the animal had a chip there may be a chip tag or they needed to have a vet scan the animal to find out and to identify it.
I learned that the area shelter and Humane Society only accepted animals from official agencies (Animal Control, Law Enforcement, cities, DNR, etc.) so local lost pets, found by well meaning individuals, had no place to go if an owner could not be notified....unless an official agency would assist to help get them in to a shelter or the local vet could assist in finding good homes. Hey, if the local vet could do that every time it was needed, we'd have less need for the Humane Society and animal shelters and foster homes......
Thank You to the many wonderful vets who do help strays and unwanted pets to find homes and more Thanks to all of the vets that provide their services (for reduced rates) to the Humane Society and shelter and help the rescuers. Adopted pets are just extra special you know. They know that you have chosen or rescued them and they display their gratitude with great love and devotion.
Ike is now my man. He is my shadow and my friend. I feel at peace and believe that if Starskey were anywhere near and could get home - he would have by now. There is some reason he hasn't and I hope that someday he still can or that I will know the reason why he couldn't. He didn't leave me or intend to go away - he is just gone. I will love and remember him always.
I will love and remember all of the wonderful animals who have shared their lives and love with me!
They also say the last stage of grief in acceptance......I don't have to like it or even agree with it - but I do need to accept it. Starskey is gone. I didn't say he was dead, stolen, rescued or anything else - I just said GONE. That does not mean there isn't still a chance he might come home (he does have a chip) or that we might eventually find evidence of his demise or that somebody might just bring him back. Hope is still there but I have accepted that he is gone - for now.
All I pray for is that wherever he is (Heaven or earth) that he is loved and cared for. He will always have a very special place in my heart that no one else will fill - that is Starskey's space, but it doesn't mean I won't go on to love another dog in a similar way - but it will not be the same.
Starskey![]()
As I look out at Ike, stretched full length in the grass in the shade enjoying the breeze and cooler temps of today, I can't help but think of Starskey and of how he and Ike would be playing in this wonderful weather. How much more enjoyable Ike's life would be to have a friend to play with....he is still just a puppy himself at 7 months and full of energy - and love!
Ike is a different sort of fellow then Starskey - but his life has been different as well. Instead of having someone watching over him and making sure he had food and water until someone came to adopt him - Ike spent his early life having to fend for himself. It didn't make him a scared or angry fellow - but he is quieter, especially without a canine playmate. The felines around here just seem to pester him.
We knew Starskey's family tree (at least part of it) so we kind of knew what to expect from him but Ike suprises us sometimes because we know nothing about him except what is physically visable. He is a BBD - part lab and part who knows what. He is the BBD that lays on the step in front of the house and watches the cars go by on the road - but can hear and identify our vehicles miles away and will be waiting there to meet us at the end of the drive when we come home.
Ike is gentle and tender and would rather be around the people he loves then just about anything else. He helps (?) in the garden, follows the mower, supervises hanging clothes on the line and lays at your feet in the house or near the door when outside. He does enjoy a good rabbit or squirrel chase from time to time and patrols the pond bank to keep us safe from aquatic invaders. Although he has his own pool Ike has to occasionally inspect the pond itself and spash and splatter to scare those invaders away.
IKE![]()
Ike is twice the size that Starskey was at his age so it feels rather odd to watch this BBD do the same things that the LBD did at 7 months old. Frogs, toads and turtles are of great interest. They get nudged around with a nose and if they jump it is a delightful suprise. On occasion they have been carfully picked up and carried to Mommy - but only if they don't pee in the mouth first. If they do pee they are carefully returned to the ground and the spitting begins. Then they are looked at as if being asked "why did you do that?".
Starskey's favorite friend (Dufus/Sam) has moved and is living in a house full of kids. I am so happy for him. He was such a gentle giant and played so carefully with Starskey that I have no fear for the kids he now plays with. Dufus did not get the chance to know Ike as well as he did Starskey. Ike was being house trained so he was inside more then outside. That has reversed now - unless the weather is hot. It is probably a good thing that Ike and Dufus didn't become good friends - Dufus was a rover and I would always be afraid that Ike might rove with him and get lost, hurt or killed. Starskey did from time to time but together the two of them seemed to stay pretty close to one home or the other. I think I like my "home boy" Ike just the way he is - lazy and happy!
Dufus & Starskey![]()
Bringing Ike in to our lives was very necessary for me.....my heart was broken and denial led to depression and then to stress related health issues. I began by volunteering at the local Humane Society shelter. It was a selfish reason to go but the animals gave me love and I began to put my life together again. I loved them all, talked to them, asked them if they had seen Starskey and where they would go if they were him......I know it sounds silly but it made me feel better and the animals benefitted from the attention.
Ike's name wound up on the adoption papers as a fluke. The papers had been there for a while but I hadn't added a name. One day I did and I don't know why it was his shelter name that stuck in my mind....I wasn't even sure whose name I was putting down. I just knew it was time and somebody there needed me as much as I needed them. When the Shelter called me to say that I was approved - I had to go over just to see who I had adopted. I would not have said no to any of them but Ike has proven to be a perfect fit. Sometimes the Lord works in strange or curious ways - but I am so glad that He works to take care of all of us.
Having Ike here meant that I got less anxious when I received "lost dog" calls and reports. I got smarter about asking questions about the "found" dog and about giving the callers some advice. Checking for collars and tags was the first thing I told them to do. There is a vet number on any rabies tag and many people add additional tags. If the animal had a chip there may be a chip tag or they needed to have a vet scan the animal to find out and to identify it.
Mr. Ike![]()
I learned that the area shelter and Humane Society only accepted animals from official agencies (Animal Control, Law Enforcement, cities, DNR, etc.) so local lost pets, found by well meaning individuals, had no place to go if an owner could not be notified....unless an official agency would assist to help get them in to a shelter or the local vet could assist in finding good homes. Hey, if the local vet could do that every time it was needed, we'd have less need for the Humane Society and animal shelters and foster homes......
Thank You to the many wonderful vets who do help strays and unwanted pets to find homes and more Thanks to all of the vets that provide their services (for reduced rates) to the Humane Society and shelter and help the rescuers. Adopted pets are just extra special you know. They know that you have chosen or rescued them and they display their gratitude with great love and devotion.
Ike is now my man. He is my shadow and my friend. I feel at peace and believe that if Starskey were anywhere near and could get home - he would have by now. There is some reason he hasn't and I hope that someday he still can or that I will know the reason why he couldn't. He didn't leave me or intend to go away - he is just gone. I will love and remember him always.
I will love and remember all of the wonderful animals who have shared their lives and love with me!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Life and learning go on
Every person and every animal in my life has taught me something new or reminded me of how important some of my past lessons have been. Ike is proving to be no different.
Since living here we have had many wonderful pets. Ebony (lab/setter) taught us that wild animals and pets can get along together better then we imagined. She shared her dog food with the deer and they curled up around her heated dog house on extra cold nights. She had been dumped with her mother and brother in the State Park where I worked. Mom hunting to feed the kids was one thing but when she began to teach them to hunt we had to remove them from the park. They came here as fosters while we searched for homes. A loving home was found for the well trained mother and her son and we adopted Ebony. She was with us for 4 years before being stolen, along with several other dogs in the area. She was never recovered and only one of the other dogs was recovered.
Scooter (cocker mix) was a gift left on our doorstep after Ebony disappeared. He won our hearts and taught us that even a little unassuming black dog can put on more miles and meet more people then we could ever really know. He introduced us to many of his friends when they would call the number on his tag to tell us he was visiting them. Scooter was with us for 12 years before his health failed him.
Missy was a stray American Eskimo that we adopted after fostering for 6 months. She too had a roving nature (as a result of time surviving on her own) but once she knew she had a loving home her range became smaller and her roving less often. She was a devoted family guardian and the protector of the wild geese that nest here each spring. She was also extremely loyal and loving.
Jack (Jack Russell mix) came to live with us after we'd had Missy about a year. He had been my daughter's and was only suppose to be here a short while.....Missy put up with him in the beginning but their bond grew stronger and they grew inseparable. He had short hair but refused to be in the house without Missy. Missy refused to be in the house period - too confining and likely a bit too warm for her double fur coat. They took care of each other, sleeping together in the doghouse when it was cold and when Missy's sight began to fail her Jack became her eyes and steered her around gently keeping her off the road and out of the pond.
We lost Missy a couple of years ago due to heath, age and an accident that Jack couldn't protect her from. She was 15 years old and had been with us for 13 of those years. Jack did his best on his own. He kept up their routine as best he could and we gave him the heated dog house when the weather got cooler (he still wouldn't come in the house). He would disappear for hours and I would get scared but he always came home. I suspect the two of them had a route to follow and he was keeping up that patrol but he was never the same without Missy. He missed her. She was his other half. He went away one day in December and never came home. Jack was about 12 or 13 years old himself.
We were dogless that winter and I could not believe how much advantage the deer took of us because of it. It was March when I first met Starskey and I wasn't sure I was ready for a new dog - much less a puppy - but he had a way of getting to you.....Starskey came to live with us the first week of April 2010. If you have read this blog - you know his story. He taught us so much that I can't even explain it all. I was a farm kid with all kinds of animals all of my life but not one that crawled in to my heart as deeply as he did. I think Missy and Jack started the route there and he just crawled in the rest of the way.
I watch Ike now as he sniffs everything with such care. He is meeting Scooter, Missy, Jack and Starskey through scent in the things they left behind. Sometimes he'd rather be outside wandering the yard then to be inside on his pillows. I believe that he is looking for those playmates that aren't here anymore. I still hope that we will be able to bring Starskey home so they can be friends and playmates.
I am learning from Ike that secondhand toys are way okay (I already knew that) and that just being loved and feeling safe goes a long way for a guy who was a stray and spent time in a city kennel. He is so appreciative of everything and would rather spend time laying at my feet then just about anything else on earth. Walks are fun but love is better.
I love you Ike - I have loved all of you and I miss you all too. I will tell Ike stories about you and keep looking for Starskey so that he has a partner like Jack and Missy had each other. Life does go on but I will never forget and never stop loving all of my wonderful pets
Since living here we have had many wonderful pets. Ebony (lab/setter) taught us that wild animals and pets can get along together better then we imagined. She shared her dog food with the deer and they curled up around her heated dog house on extra cold nights. She had been dumped with her mother and brother in the State Park where I worked. Mom hunting to feed the kids was one thing but when she began to teach them to hunt we had to remove them from the park. They came here as fosters while we searched for homes. A loving home was found for the well trained mother and her son and we adopted Ebony. She was with us for 4 years before being stolen, along with several other dogs in the area. She was never recovered and only one of the other dogs was recovered.
Scooter (cocker mix) was a gift left on our doorstep after Ebony disappeared. He won our hearts and taught us that even a little unassuming black dog can put on more miles and meet more people then we could ever really know. He introduced us to many of his friends when they would call the number on his tag to tell us he was visiting them. Scooter was with us for 12 years before his health failed him.
Missy was a stray American Eskimo that we adopted after fostering for 6 months. She too had a roving nature (as a result of time surviving on her own) but once she knew she had a loving home her range became smaller and her roving less often. She was a devoted family guardian and the protector of the wild geese that nest here each spring. She was also extremely loyal and loving.
Jack (Jack Russell mix) came to live with us after we'd had Missy about a year. He had been my daughter's and was only suppose to be here a short while.....Missy put up with him in the beginning but their bond grew stronger and they grew inseparable. He had short hair but refused to be in the house without Missy. Missy refused to be in the house period - too confining and likely a bit too warm for her double fur coat. They took care of each other, sleeping together in the doghouse when it was cold and when Missy's sight began to fail her Jack became her eyes and steered her around gently keeping her off the road and out of the pond.
We lost Missy a couple of years ago due to heath, age and an accident that Jack couldn't protect her from. She was 15 years old and had been with us for 13 of those years. Jack did his best on his own. He kept up their routine as best he could and we gave him the heated dog house when the weather got cooler (he still wouldn't come in the house). He would disappear for hours and I would get scared but he always came home. I suspect the two of them had a route to follow and he was keeping up that patrol but he was never the same without Missy. He missed her. She was his other half. He went away one day in December and never came home. Jack was about 12 or 13 years old himself.
We were dogless that winter and I could not believe how much advantage the deer took of us because of it. It was March when I first met Starskey and I wasn't sure I was ready for a new dog - much less a puppy - but he had a way of getting to you.....Starskey came to live with us the first week of April 2010. If you have read this blog - you know his story. He taught us so much that I can't even explain it all. I was a farm kid with all kinds of animals all of my life but not one that crawled in to my heart as deeply as he did. I think Missy and Jack started the route there and he just crawled in the rest of the way.
I watch Ike now as he sniffs everything with such care. He is meeting Scooter, Missy, Jack and Starskey through scent in the things they left behind. Sometimes he'd rather be outside wandering the yard then to be inside on his pillows. I believe that he is looking for those playmates that aren't here anymore. I still hope that we will be able to bring Starskey home so they can be friends and playmates.
I am learning from Ike that secondhand toys are way okay (I already knew that) and that just being loved and feeling safe goes a long way for a guy who was a stray and spent time in a city kennel. He is so appreciative of everything and would rather spend time laying at my feet then just about anything else on earth. Walks are fun but love is better.
I love you Ike - I have loved all of you and I miss you all too. I will tell Ike stories about you and keep looking for Starskey so that he has a partner like Jack and Missy had each other. Life does go on but I will never forget and never stop loving all of my wonderful pets
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