saralima2's blog

This week marked many a milestone in our house. Tuesday, May 31st was Chance's 10th birthday and in celebration of his special day we forced Chance to wear an embarrassing and irrelevant hat while we sang happy birthday.

This week also marked another significant date - the one year anniversary from when we became Chance's foster family. It's hard to believe that it's only been one year since I was captivated by the photo that catapulted out lives into a sometimes hilarious, often frustrating whirlwind of incontinence, random attacks, stolen socks, spilled blood, fights, health dilemmas, snuggling, and a plethora of other events. Over the past year, I've recounted Chance's time with us and have loved hearing all the feedback from you, the "Mongolian Monster" groupies. You've shared in the ups and downs and have helped us in our struggles with your advice, funny stories, and well wishes.

After a year with Chance as a member of our pack, it seems odd to continue to refer to this blog as "A foster story," since it has now developed into a forever story. As long as the folks at SAINTS are cool with it, Chance will live out the rest of his ornery days with Jeremy, Roxy, Cash, and myself, whether he likes it or not. So this marks the end of this chapter, and the end of this blog. Don't fret, as the end of this story marks the beginning of another. Although this will be my last post in this blog, starting next week we'll be launching a new blog that will chronicle my everyday life living with three dogs, as well cover dog-related events, stories, products - in short, anything that encompasses my personal motto of "if it barks, I like it." I hope that you'll all follow my new blog to keep up with of all the current happenings in the canine kingdom as well as with Chance and my other delinquents. Until next time, everyone, Bark On.

I can't speak for all dogs, but I can definitively say that Roxy and Cash both have "types". They each are suckers for a certain kind of toy that sends them over the moon when they see/hear it. For Roxy, it's balls, especially ones that squeak. My personal fav is from JW Pet - it's durable enough that if Cash gets a hold of it I have time to repossess it before all hope is lost. It's also slightly larger than a tennis ball which makes it less likely to disappear for eons underneath the sofa (Roxy's own personal nightmare).

Cash's favourite is by far the stuffed animal. Watching him systematically pull the inards from some poor unsuspecting teddy should be disturbing, but instead I find it charming. My favourite option for this mega destroyer is a Tuffy Toy - Cash has had both a pig and a triceratops and surprisingly still shows interest once its contents have been strewn throughout our yard.

The one other toy that has captured my dogs' attention (and kept it) is a combination of both a stuffie and a squeaky which I've found with the Invincible snake toys from Kyjen. A stuffed toy (sans the stuffing) filled with numerous squeakers which take a lickin and keep on squeakin. I know this is hard to believe, but much to Jeremy's dismay, the squeakers in the snakes continue to make noise even after they're punctured. So suffice it to say, they are taken away at night, much to Roxy and Cash's dismay.

As for Chance, his favourite toy has yet to be discovered. However, I am forced to smile each time I find him curled up in his bed with a pair of Jeremy's socks.

As the proud parent of a bully mix (Cash is an American Bulldog/Boxer mix) I am endlessly confounded by those who seem to have some unfounded prejudice against these incredibly sweet and gorgeous dogs. I can't tell you how many times other dog parents have picked up their dogs at the park or crossed the street when they see Cash coming because they are "afraid of pitbulls". There are so many things amiss with this statement and I don't have all day, but to sum it up quickly....A) There's no such thing as a pitbull. B) If there was, Cash wouldn't be one. C) Breed should never predetermine your opinion of a dog (see the "What is it about Pitbulls?" article in the Spring 2011 issue of Modern Dog for a full run down on the issue).

I try to comfort myself in the face of discrimination - these people are ignorant, and their opinions should not affect me. But they do, and they affect my dog, his confidence and his ability to play and socialize with other wonderful pups like himself. Breed ambassadors like Cash should be revered for their gentility, kindness and fun-loving dispositions, but instead they are feared and misjudged. I can only hope that someday we'll all open our minds' and our hearts' to every breed; pure or mixed, big or small, sleek or fluffy, muscular or chubby, until we are all breed-blind.