Doppler Notes: Do I Taste Like Liver?

Once in a while, for reasons beyond my ability to explain, Doppler will start licking my arm. Fresh out of the shower or after working up a sweat, it makes no diff. She is driven.

Take a look for yourself!

Laura Loves Dogs

The story starts with Laura. There isn’t a reality show about Laura. There should be!

Stef called last night with a story she wanted in my blog. That’s unusual.

The story starts with Laura. There isn’t a reality show about Laura. There should be!

Originally from Wisconsin, Laura lives in Los Angeles where she trains and takes care of dogs including Stef’s dachshund, Roxie . Daycare, overnight and long term guests happily stroll through her place in the Hollywood Hills.

What Laura does is a business, but it’s driven by her love of dogs. There are rescue and rehab puppies along with the paying clientele.

Last year I decided to step up my efforts by rescuing a pregnant dog with the plan to raise all of her puppies, train her, find them all perfect homes, and film the entire process. I rescued Abbey when she was near the end of her pregnancy and hand-delivered her 6 puppies. The last two, Link and Oliver, were sick and barely alive, but I revived them and nursed them to health over the course of months. At 8 weeks old Oliver suddenly lost his ability to walk, and I began taking him to vets to find a cure. We saw 9 vets and spent thousands of dollars on testing, but no one knew what his condition was or could give us much hope for his survival. Finally, I saw a specialist and he was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Osteo-dystrophy. – From Help Save Oliver James

The cost of Oliver James’ veterinary care is high. Laura estimates over $24,000 over the next year!

In order to defray costs Laura is raising funds online and holding a one night benefit concert/art gallery/silent auction on Saturday October 6th in Los Angeles. Helaine and I have donated some of my original photography for the auction along with a contribution.

Only you can decide whether you’d like to help too. Here’s a link to the full story or you can watch the video below.

Save Oliver James from Wild Life on Vimeo.

Nancy’s Rescue: Doppler Helps Make The Sale

I didn’t do it. Doppler made the sale! Doppler is the poster child for good doggie!

There are lots of big, powerful dogs in local shelters. That’s great for some people, but not as good for others. For instance, we wanted a dog small enough to fly under an airline seat!

Doppler came to the Fox family last November. We sprung her from the joint! Doppler, then named Charlotte, was abandoned in a most upsetting way then plucked from the streets by Wallingford’s Animal Control officers who lovingly cared for her in their shelter.

I’ve spent a lot of time on this blog talking about our experience in rescuing Doppler and what a perfect fit she is. Our friends Cheryl and Steve adopted Doppler’s brother/father Bentley. Same outcome.

Surprise–people read! I got this note from Nancy Benson a few days ago

Well Geoff you did it – you turned me into a dog owner at the age of 52.

Thanks to all your Doppler stories and the fact that my 15 year old cat died in May I started looking and found WALLY at the Meriden Humane Society. We brought him home on Saturday. He’s a chihuahua mix and we found out yesterday as he was barking for the first time that the other part is probably beagle!

He’s warming up to us and had two milestones yesterday in that he finally went up our office stairs during the day (up and down a few times on his own after that) and went up our home stairs last night (after about 20 minutes of intermittant barking and whining during which I actually fell asleep).

He’s a welcome addition to our family!

I didn’t do it. Doppler made the sale! Doppler is the poster child for good doggie!

There are lots of big, powerful dogs in local shelters. That’s great for some people, but not as good for others. For instance, we wanted a dog small enough to fly under an airline seat!

Just because every dog isn’t for you doesn’t say one won’t be! If you’re looking for a loving family member start at a shelter where there’s undoubtedly a puppy waiting for you!

Congratulations Nancy. Congratulations Wally.

Doppler Looks Runnerish

Back when the late Richie Ashburn called the Phillies games he’d sometimes look at a base runner and declare him “runnerish.”

We see that in Doppler too. She did some wind sprints up-and-down the hallway today. Yes, we encouraged her, but she looked runnerish!

Doppler’s Latest Photoshoot

I appreciate that you indulge me and look at the photos I take. Photography is satisfying to me. Maybe I’m a little obsessive.

Having Doppler has greatly increased my photo ops. She’s always available!

I took the photos posted here this afternoon and tonight.

I appreciate that you indulge me and look at the photos I take. Photography is satisfying to me. Maybe I’m a little obsessive.

Having Doppler has greatly increased my photo ops. She’s always available!

I took the photos posted here this afternoon and tonight.

Helaine had just made the bed. Doppler was relaxing on it. The sky was dull gray, but bright enough to fill the room with soft light.

All these shots have shallow depth-of-field. That makes what’s in focus pop. The background is very soft and blurry.

The files I work with are immense. Each photo produces a file around 25mb! Everything has to go through Bridge then Photoshop before it’s ready to be posted.

Fifteen shots this afternoon. Four shots tonight. Here are the three keepers.

The Puppies Of Wallingford

Please watch this video from today’s photoshoot and pass the word. Wouldn’t you like to rescue your new best friend?

If you like what you’re about to read and see thank Helaine. This one is her doing 100%.

We are beholden to the Wallingford Animal Shelter. After all they were the ones who found Doppler and made sure Doppler found us!

With that in mind Helaine had an idea, I could shoot photos of the Wallingford’s available puppies! Maybe, just maybe, flattering photos could move a shelter dog to a forever home.

We drove to Wallingford this afternoon and met with Dean and Marci and all their boarders. Lots of licks. Lots of love. Very photogenic.

It’s important for Wallingford to find homes for its residents. Here’s why from Lisa, Wallingford’s Animal Control Officer.

By law, it is entirely up to the animal control officer whether a pup lives or dies. As the animal control officer in Wallingford, I choose life. For I truly believe there is a lid for every pot – I just have to find it.

Please watch this video from today’s photoshoot and pass the word. Wouldn’t you like to rescue your new best friend?

What’s Up With Doppler?

Doppler has developed a strange behavior. It has to do with a “Busy Bone.”

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Doppler has developed a strange behavior. It has to do with a “Busy Bone.”

Busy bone chewbone treat with the meaty middle. Its delicious taste and fun twisted bone shape make Busy Bone the perfect alternative to rawhide chews. Some pet behaviourists have shown that toys and treats like Busy Bone also provide dogs with healthy outlets for acting upon their natural instinct to chew. – Busy Bone sales schpiel from Amazon

Doppler is small, but even the small dog size Busy Bone looks oversized when in her mouth. She used to take these bones and chew them up. That’s what dogs are supposed to do.

No more!

Doppler now treats the Busy Bone like some sort of companion or toy.

Last night’s 4:00 AM trip to the front lawn is typical of what’s going on. She showed up at the front door with the bone in her mouth as if it were a stogie!

She’s been taking it upstairs, leaving it on our bed or sometimes her bed in my office. She’s been taking it downstairs, parking it on the sofa or in her crate. The only thing she’s not doing with it is eating.

Her current Busy Bone is getting ready to enter day four. It’s uneaten, but well loved.

Four days must be some sort of Busy Bone record!

Doppler Gets A Fur Cut

The newly shorn puppy looked different enough that Helaine walked right by her without realizing who it was!

Doppler saw Gabrielle for a fur cut at Hot Diggity Dog a few days ago. She, Doppler not Gabrielle, was getting very scruffy. We wondered how poor Doppler was seeing through all that hair!

The newly shorn puppy looked different enough Helaine walked right by her without realizing who it was!

Thank heavens Gabrielle didn’t remove any of Doppler’s cuteness!

Have I Mentioned I Love The Mountain?

My forecast was for sunny skies. Ugh! Not so. The Sun should be out by 2-3p based on what I see now. I don’t like being wrong.

When you forecast the weather for a living the last thing you want to do is wake up on the weekend, look out the window and see something you didn’t forecast! Take this morning for example. My call for today was sunny. I woke up to cloudy. That’s not good.

Helaine and I planned to take Doppler up Sleeping Giant. I wasn’t showing my face with this kind of blown call!

Around noon I double checked my numbers then went on Facebook and Twitter to post:

My forecast was for sunny skies. Ugh! Not so. The Sun should be out by 2-3p based on what I see now. I don’t like being wrong. #hiding

Online friends started checking in. Western Connecticut got the sunshine first which then slowly crawled across the state.

By 2:00 PM the clouds had parted and we were ready to go.

On an afternoon like this Sleeping Giant Mountain State Park gets busy. We drove past the parking lot and into the picnic area. There were families and other groups of people walking toward the trails.

Doppler walked to our right. We were surprised to see she did little sniffing. She didn’t seem curious about the other dogs either… well, unless they were interested in her.

That’s how we ran into Benji. Benji is a Maltapoo–a Maltese/Poodle combination. There were some subtle differences, but he and Doppler surely share some lineage.

I’m glad I snapped these photos.

Doppler has four legs, but they’re short. She was taking two or three times the steps on twice the number of legs. Maybe she’ll make it to the tower at the top of the mountain later this summer, but not today.

We stopped at the bench a little over halfway to the top and rested for a moment before heading back down. Doppler’s pace quickened with gravity finally on her side!

As we walked the lower part of the trail I turned to Helaine and told her how good it is to live near The Giant. It’s tough to express how much I love that beautiful chunk of Connecticut.

Tonight I’m typing with a sleeping puppy next to me. Her paws are a lot dirtier than they were this morning.

White Dogs Can’t Jump

If there was an NBA sofa sleeping contest Doppler would be the paws down champ!

We’re at the end of a lazy day spent at home. The NBA slam dunk contest is on the TV. I’m not much of a pro hoop fan. It’s only marginally entertaining.

Paul George of the Pacers just made a dunk over a 7′ 2″ teammate. I couldn’t clear 7′ 2″ with my chin much less the more sensitive body parts he put at risk!

Meanwhile Doppler is totally uninterested. She spent most of the day on the sofa in repose. I am so jealous of her ability to take it easy round-the-clock.

If there was an NBA sofa sleeping contest Doppler would be the paws down champ!

The Dog’s Got Bling!

Doppler’s normally very docile, but you probably don’t want to diss the Phillies.

Doppler is nothing if not a stylish pup. She wears a collar with hearts, skulls and crossbones. Her sweaters carry designer labels. And now, on this day Phillies pitchers and catchers report, Doppler has a new tag to wear around her neck.

Doppler’s normally very docile, but you probably don’t want to diss the Phillies. Just because she doesn’t use her teeth doesn’t mean she won’t!

Man/Dog Discussion

Helaine took a few shots last weekend. I’d forgotten they were on the camera. Here’s the one I like these. It’s as if Doppler and I are in a deep discussion.

Helaine took a few shots last weekend. I’d forgotten they were on the camera. Here’s the one I like best. It’s as if Doppler and I are in a deep discussion.

Doppler And The Night

I know it’s time to go when she climbs onto my lap. That’s her signal. She is purposeful and resolute. It’s time!

Thanks to Doppler I’ve started to get a great appreciation of night. I know it’s time to go when she climbs onto my lap. That’s her signal. She is purposeful and resolute. It’s time!

She doesn’t particularly like the cold and acts accordingly. She is efficient.

I put on my heavy jacket, picked up the leash (with bag dispenser) and an immense flashlight and headed out. Doppler walked to my right. That’s her preferred side.

She’s small, but the front steps pose no challenge to her.

Cold tonight and crisp. There were thin clouds. The Moon was low in the east–just rising.

We walked on the lightly frozen grass. It gave grudgingly with each step.

There are noises from the woods. Not my favorite thing. We’ve got critters of all types around. They want to avoid me. Right back atcha.

The stars are beautiful. Some nights before the Moon rises or after it sets the sky turns a very deep inky blue. The longer you’re out the more stars there are!

Even when the weather’s been bad it’s obvious Doppler and I have a mutual interest. Good doggie.

She’s already sound asleep on the sofa.

Adventures Of The World’s Cutest Dog

“They look friendly,” I said staring at the much larger dogs running in the adjoining area. We opened the gate and brought Doppler in.

Helaine made the suggestion. “Let’s take Doppler to the dog park.” It sounded like a good idea. Our town has Basset Park with two fenced in areas just for puppies.

We put Doppler in a sweater and headed out. She doesn’t associate the car with “good times.” We’re trying to change that.

When we got to the park the small dog area was empty.

“They look friendly,” I said staring at the much larger dogs running in the adjoining area. We opened the gate and brought Doppler in.

Skittish? Apprehensive? Fearful? Yes, Helaine was all those things! Doppler too.

Most of the time Doppler kept her tail curled under her body. She was in a defensive posture.

Sometimes even the best ideas fail. We walked back to the car and headed out.

Lunar Noon

Is there such a things a lunar noon? If there isn’t there should be. It’s lunar noon.

I’m on the sofa watching Flying Wild Alaska. Don’t bother. It’s reality rewritten for reality TV.

Doppler is on a sofa that runs perpendicular to this one. A few minutes ago she stood up and stared at me.

“Come over,” I offered while tapping my palm on my right leg.

She got up walked the gap between the couches and stood on my lap licking my face. That meant she had to go to the little girl’s lawn.

Excellent timing. The sky is clear. The Moon is nearly full and absolutely overhead. As bright as night can be.

Is there such a things a lunar noon? If there isn’t there should be. It’s lunar noon.

I remember walking on nights like this with Ivy. It bothered me she never looked up. Do dogs even know there is sky? It is totally inconsequential to them.

Shame. What a pretty night.