Sitting Pretty

Welcome to another great Black & White Sunday blog hop from the Bayou!  I appreciate Dachshund Nola and Sugar the Golden Retriever for hosting.

“If she lowers that treat, it is mine!”

Mad Dog Bentley Draper

Welcome to the Bayou and Sepia Saturday’s Blog Hop hosted by Ruckus the Eskie.

 Bentley wanted to channel his inner Don Draper from Madmen for today’s photo.

Tucker Trouble

    Hello!  I appreciate you stopping by Barking from the Bayou today.  We had a rainy weekend, so instead of being on the computer during the massive lightning storms, we caught up on some great movies.  If you haven’t seen Disney’s Frozen, it is awesome.  I’ll admit to watching it twice.  We also watched Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy.  The two are great together and hilarious!  Finally, we watched White House Down.  It was intense, but it was also Tatum Channing so...haha!  There wasn’t much mischief other than running in mud puddles after imaginary wild animals.

Leaving the Nest

Every spring when the fear of frost has passed, we set all of our plants back in their spot on the front porch.  The only hanging plant that I have is an airplane plant.  In just a matter of days, we have a bird nest and eggs living in the first class section of the airplane, along with a very protective mommy bird.  Once the baby birds leave the nest, we clean it out and try different ways to keep the next from being built.  From the photo below, you can see that we haven’t come up with a solution.  If you have stopped birds from living in your plants, how do you evict them?

“The bird dares to break the shell, then the shell breaks open and the bird can fly openly.  This is the simplest principle of success.  You dream, you dare and you fly.”
~ Israelmore Ayivor

This Dog Would

Hello!  I’m so glad that you dropped by to see us.  Thursday night we had bad thunderstorms rumbling through the night.  When a storm hits, I have to get up while Bentley frets.  He will tap my arm until I accompany him.  We usually just sit and talk.

Me: “Well, tomorrow is Sepia Saturday hosted by our friend, Ruckus the Eskie.”

Bentley: “I love all those cool sepia pictures.  Which one are you going to use?  Will it be another one of my handsome mug? 

Me:  “Daddy took some pretty shots of flowers.  Here look at this one.  Would you like me to use it?”

Bentley: “This dog would.”

Me: “Yes, this Dogwood.”

Bentley: “Ummm, yeah…”

Me: “Sorry, after the seriousness of my last post, I couldn’t resist!”

Grief and the Loss of Your Pet

   One of the most exciting times in a pet parent’s life is the day we bring home our new best friend. From the day they come into our lives, we love, feed, train, cuddle, and kiss them. They know our deepest secrets and give us unconditional love. We carry their pictures, post them Facebook, and talk about them like any proud parent. Our pets are happier than anyone else when we come home at the end of the day. Dogs and cats don’t question us, they never stay angry, and trust us 100%. They are very nearly perfect. 

   Their only fault is a shorter lifespan than we are given. I have grieved the loss of many wonderful cats and dogs. It never gets easier and I’ve never truly prepared myself to say “good-bye.”

The Pet Grieving Process

   The normal grief process usually begins with anger. Those feelings may be directed at your veterinarian, other family members, yourself, or your beloved pet. The other feeling you have to deal with is the guilt. Was there something you could have done to achieve a different outcome? Then, you dwell on the times you may have lost patience with your pet or didn’t throw that ball one more time. Once these initial feelings subside, the true feelings of sadness emerge. The important thing to remember is all of these feelings are the normal process in achieving your final goal of acceptance. It is also important to know that you don’t have to grieve alone. Share your feelings with the rest of your family. There are pet bereavement counseling services, pet-loss support hotlines, local or online Internet groups, books, videos, and magazine articles. You may want to plan a memorial service for your pet. Writing about your feelings, memories, and the things you want to tell your dog or cat can be very therapeutic.

   If there is a child in your family, it is extremely important to listen to their feelings. The loss of a pet is sometimes the first experience they have dealing with death. The way you handle this grief with a child will affect how they handle such losses in the future. You may find them becoming fearful of losing other loved ones in their lives. Give them the support and reassurance they need and don’t be afraid to let them know that you are also grieving.

   There is another family member who must not be forgotten during this time. If you have more than one pet, the ones left behind may also experience grief. The surviving pet might whimper, search for their friend, and refuse to eat, or become lethargic. This is the way animals express their sadness at the loss of their companion and is not much different from humans. Spend more time with the grieving pet and you’ll see a positive impact on both of you. Pets pick up on our emotions so a little extra love and snuggling will go a long way towards healing both of your hearts.

   A common sentiment after the death of your pet is “I will never get another dog/cat.  It’s just too painful to lose them.” Going out to get a new pet is not advisable until you’ve come to terms with your recent loss. It may be as short as a month to more than a year before you’re ready to welcome a new pet into your life. Everyone has his or her own timeline for the grieving process. 

   The only way to get through life without the pain of a pet’s death is never to know the love of one in the first place. I think that would be a sad and lonely way to protect your heart. You will always carry the love of a lost pet with you. They leave huge paw prints on our hearts. There is one thing that I am certain of though; your pet wanted nothing more than to make you happy. Don’t lose sight of the fact that your dog or cat wouldn’t want you to grieve too long.

Winner by a Nose

Welcome back to the Bayou!  It is Wordless Wednesday hosted by the great people at BlogPaws.  Be sure to hop in to see their salute to small animals.  I appreciate them hosting a day where we don’t write too much, but share great photos.

“My sense of smell is second only to a Bloodhound.  I don’t know any Bloodhounds, so in my opinion that makes me number one!”

**Please take a minute to give The Returns and The Returns 2 ~ Showstoppers a 5 star vote on AUTHORSdb.  It is the annual book cover contest.  Both books are on the same page.  Thanks in advance.  http://authorsdb.com/books/2014-book-cover-contest/humor-entertainment-2014

This is Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.  To join in the fun click the BlogPaws icon below.  Enjoy these other bloggers great photos!

Dehydrating and Adoptables

  It’s Tasty Tuesday and Tuesday’s Tails, my double day blog hop. Sugar the Golden Retriever and Kol’s Notes host Tasty Tuesdays and always have scrumptious recipes or reviews.  If you are interested in all things edible for your pets, hop aboard!  Dogs ‘N Pawz is our host for Tuesday’s Tails, where we all feature adoptable pets in shelters or foster care.  It is a great way to share and help find loving homes for deserving dogs and cats.  Is there a shelter in your area that you can help promote?  You’ll want to join this hop for sure.  Please post or tweet the animals on the Tuesday's Tails hop.  The more exposure, the better the chance of finding forever homes.