We are in storm season here in the Mid-Atlantic. Out of nowhere, the winds whip to 60 miles per hour and the skies turn black and menacing. The thunderstorms roll in all times of the day and night which is not good for dogs like Sofie who have extreme trouble tolerating the thunder. She seems to know when there is a storm anywhere within 100 miles. I mean it! Long before the skies change, and even if the storm never comes over us, she knows that it is storming somewhere in the state.
Peanut sent me this picture while I was at work the other morning around 8 AM. Sofie was hiding under a blanket in her room as a storm raged outside.
Today is Memorial Day in the United States of America
I repost their story every year because soldier dogs are truly amazing heroes and we must always honor our troops and our service animals and all the fallen spirits that have been taken, for oh, too many reasons. Take a moment, right now, just a few seconds, and be thankful for the wonderful service people that work so hard to stop some really terrible things from happening around the world and remember those that gave their lives for our freedom.
These are some of my favorite images from the book Soldier Dogs. There are more pictures in our slideshow today.
Military Working Dogs play a crucial part in America’s armed services. The best known “Soldier Dog,” Cairo, put crucial canine skills to work in the SEAL Team Six operation that killed Osama Bin Laden. Other Military Working Dogs serve as everything from bomb sniffers to troop companions to search and rescue dogs (and also serve in darker roles, such as duty at Guantanamo Bay). Their handlers and trainers, devoted dog lovers down to a man, form an unusually close-knit fraternity within the military.
Dogs are not only our best friends, but they are also an incredible asset to our safety forces. Thank you to all the handlers and animals that keep us safe around the world and on this MEMORIAL DAY to all those who lost their lives in service – Your friends at DogDaz Zoo
Louise loves her storm cloud. It has 2 little raindrops in it that you can pull out as separate squeaky toys. She got it in a complimentary Barkbox that someone sent us. It is her favorite at the moment.
Have a wonderful Black and White Sunday.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Comments Off on Black and White Sunday: Storm Cloud
Spring is an especially itchy time here at the DogDaz Zoo. All the dogs started on allergy medicine several weeks ago when the first crocuses started pushing their heads up out of the snow. Sofie tends to suffer from terrible skin problems in the warmer weather. I give her an antihistamine (this year it is Zyrtec) before her scratching starts to get too bad. Hopefully, this will delay the heavy duty expensive medicine (Apoquel) that we end up having to use by mid-summer (or she scratches her skin off). Louise and Charlie are sneezing and runny too, so everyone is on something every day until this passes.
Aren’t we lucky to live somewhere that everything that grows in the northern US, and everything that grows south, grows here?
What have you tried that helps keep the itch away? Spring flowers are lovely, but oh, this pollen!
Sometimes I need a free hand to be able to pick stuff up. I let them take care of each other. I thread Charles’ leash on Sofie’s, and then Sofie’s leash on Louise’s. As long as I have hold of Louise’s lead since she is the heaviest link in the chain, I find that this works. Sofie hates that Charles pulls on her, so usually, she will sit down and keep him in place (which she did right after I took this shot).
How do you control multiple dogs when you need a free hand?
DogDaz Zoo 