Black & White Sunday: Awwwww...

Zorro, one of Romy's puppies.
January 2013

Thanks to Nola Dachshund and Sugar: The Golden Retriever for hosting the Black & White Sunday hop, and thank you for visiting. Not sure I'll be participating during April; the A-to-Z challenge's got me stressed out already :) But I do have some cool photos I'm dying to share, so... Well, let's leave it at maybe.

#AtoZChallenge Tips & Tricks

So you took the leap and joined the A-to-Z challenge this April.

Back in January or February, when you signed up, you were all like "yo, I got this burger grilled"--but now it's end of March, and you're beginning to wonder if maybe you made a mistake.

You didn't. Now breathe.

You'll have the time of your life. April 2014 will go down in history as the best-ever month of your bloggy life. On May 1st you'll be exhausted, bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, ADD from too much coffee and not enough food, and you'll begin to count the days till April 2015.

That's it: baptism through fire. Welcome to the A-to-Z family.

As a challenge-warming gift, here's a collection of the best advice I've either learned myself (through fire) or have been fortunate enough to be a recipient of (through generous bloggers more experienced than me).

Black & White Sunday -- Duncan in Water

No, those aren't fangs. He doesn't fly, either, though he thinks he does. (He thinks he has fangs, too.)

You must be fed up of water- or beach-related pics on this blog. I do apologize for the lack of image variety... It's just that, first, that's where we spend most of our time, and (kind of an obvious) second, that's where I snap most of our photos. I do hereby solemnly promise to jazz it up (i.e., no water) next week. Solemnly.

Thanks to Nola Dachshund and Sugar: The Golden Retriever for hosting the Black & White Sunday hop. And do come back next week for my last B&W post--last until May, at least. With two blogs in the A-to-Z challenge and fiction writing deadlines I can't seem to keep up with, I'll need those Sundays off. But I hope you'll stop by for the April posts--lots of dog joy planned for those, too :) And this Tuesday I'll be posting an A-to-Z tips & tricks for those of you awesome pet bloggers joining the April challenge. 

(P.S. - If you're joining the challenge, let me know in the comments and I'll add you to my to-visit-daily blogs.)

#A2ZReveal: Lessons In Life & Happiness -- From Dogs

The Great & Powerful Theme Reveal is here!

As the blog's header says, dogs fall into my life like accidental blessings. Blessings, because dogs--animals--are the best life coaches. Accidental because I didn't do anything to deserve the lessons they've brought into my life.

But I can share them with you. A kind of pay-it-forward.

To most of you, being animal lovers, these lessons might not be anything new, but I hope you'll share your own experiences and celebrate the joy and goodness these furry four-legged ones bring into our lives.

April 2014:

Lessons In

Life & Happiness

From Dogs

Black & White Sunday: The Chase

Just another day at the beach...

Believe it or not, no dogs were harmed in the making of these photographs.

Thanks to Nola Dachshund and Sugar: The Golden Retriever for hosting the Black & White Sunday hop. Take a stroll through the other posts; some amazing photos, and all-around great bloggers. That's just how we animal lovers roll ;)

Romy's Story (Part II -- The Seven Dwarves)

Missed Part I?

How did we miss Romy's pregnancy? Easy: she was probably three days pregnant when we picked her up. All initial vet checks showed no signs because it was too early. And canine pregnancies go fast--before you know it, it's too late to do anything about it.

Romy at the vet on Oct 15 (2012)
Three weeks before giving birth. Looks very
un-pregnant, doesn't she?

Which is exactly what happened.

So Romy was going to have puppies. A problem in itself: in an island where homeless dogs are too many to count, where animal rights culture is a step up from non-existent, finding good homes, even for puppies--perhaps especially for puppies, because everyone wants them while they're young and adorable, not so much later when the cuteness is marred by their potential for destruction--is not an easy thing.

There was another problem, however. A more immediate problem. Romy's foster had upwards of 17 dogs. Romy would have to give birth in close proximity to them. Even separated by the iron fencing of the kennels, everyone could see this wasn't a good idea.*

Wordless Wednesday -- March 12

More Wordlessness.

Black & White Sunday -- Right- or Left-Pawed?

Panchita. Right-pawed.

Duncan. Also right-pawed.
(Ours is a love story of epic scale.)

Rusty. Also right-pawed.

Benny. The leftie!

Doggie ice cream: good-quality canned dog food mixed with a bit of water, and spooned into Kongs. Let freeze for at least three hours. Hand out. Sit back (with a camera) and enjoy.

Black & White Sunday hosted by Nola Dachshund and Sugar: The Golden Retriever

Nassau (Part II): The Rescue

(Did you miss Part I?)

Six PM. Usual feeding time. Nassau--so named because that empty lot where she lived, if living it can be called, is on the way to Fort Nassau--came out as soon as she heard my car, approached me as fearlessly as the day before.

Wish I could say the same for me.

Fear makes us tentative, hesitant. Fear stinks of adrenaline, the scent-tag of aggression. I had to get rid of the stink, or I'd get bitten again. Worse, I'd never get Nassau in the car.

Nassau (Part I): The Lesson

Nassau was the beginning of my formal training in dog behavior. I didn't even believe in dog trainers. In my mind, they were all nasty control freaks that used dogs as an outlet for their inferiority complexes, forced them to perform circus tricks for human entertainment. Punishment. Whips.

I had a lot to learn. And Nassau didn't waste time teaching me.

She bit me the first time I met her.

Black & White Sunday

This has been a serendipitous Sunday. One of these serendipities is finding Black & White Sunday, via... Well, I guess I took the long way, but the hop is hosted by Sugar the Golden Retriever and Nola Dachshund, and it'll be a regular feature in Life In Dogs.

Starting today. Meet Sam.

Sam at St. Joris, January 2014
Hard to believe this 22-kilo dog was not so long ago a tiny puppy that fit in my hand.

Thanks for the visit, and be sure to stop by the other awesome B&W bloggers. Beautiful photos, wonderful blogs.