Happy Chinese New Year - Year of the Horse

Happy Chinese New Year. My Mom is a Dragon -Wood (bet no one ever doubted that). This could be her lucky year. We Feng Shui-ed our home, and by We I mean Mom and her Yoda.

Last night was the perfect night to celebrate Chinese New Years Eve with food and friends. Lucky money doesn't hurt either. My cake was just the dog treat on the top!

Whichever you believe, I believe it's a great look into our future year.

Happy Chinese New Year.

I'm a big boy now and boy is this tough.

So I had a spanking great party in town with my friends. Tons of dogs came and all that. I was thrilled with the ones that showed up, they made this day about me, not themselves. Oh that's right, there's some shade being slung. You see, there are people in this world that cannot let anyone else have a spotlight, they have to infringe on your world. We are not friends with people like that. So when the regrets came we were thrilled.

This being two years old is a big step for me. I am not a baby anymore. I must share my Mom with others and like it or not, I cannot get the baby treatment anymore.

Another thing is our new journey has us trying new things, spending great times discovering things, and making many new friends. We are not forgetting about our tried and true friends, no Sir.

One thing that is exciting is I might be a daddy soon. Crossing paws, and hoping for the best. Another is we are taking in a few Dogs on Deployment. Nothing means more to a soldier than to know their beloved animal is being cared for while they are gone serving our country.

Finally, our Cars and Paws benefit show for Rufus Rascal's has been set for September 2014. We are so excited and cannot wait. We have arranged for a few special guests and hope that everyone comes and participates. Street Rod's meets Bulldogs. Stay tuned for that information.

Happy Wrinkles Day!

Gunner

Bulldog issues with snow, ice and salt.

A vet friend of mine in the Northeast came down for a little fun in the sun this past week. He had to come over and see me because I am his favorite elixir for snow and cold. Mommy was showing him my nose that is crusty. He told Mommy to watch for my paws. He said the cold will dry them out and they will crack and bleed.

After that little what to watch for he showed Mom some pictures of dogs that have salt damage in their paws. He said that we forget as humans because we always wear shoes in the snow or ice that the salt is a real issue. He said imagine having an open wound and going in the salt water, it burns right? Then it soothes. Well in this case the salt becomes small shards of glass like particles and wedges into our pads and will make them bleed and cause pain.

We joke about the shoes, but even if you live in Florida where the snow never lays and the idea of salt on the road is when you empty out a cooler from the beach, start early with shoes. Especially if you want to keep those pads clean and safe.

To do it again with a puppy I would do all the crazy things My MeMe would have laughed at. Shoes, toddler bed no crate, rocking to sleep, you know...

Please keep those feet protected...

Guest post from the Mommy to Gunner

Happy Birthday to my little man Gunner. You are a dog everyone wishes for, you have a heart of gold, the kindest smile and you melt my heart every single day.

You really listen when I talk to you, you are my partner in crime. Life has not been dull with you in the last two (2) years of your life and I hope that it continues to be as great.

Everyone and everything comes into your life for a reason, and you were no exception.  I love your morning nuzzles during our quiet tea time. Snuggle time at night with the tv off, and you and I sitting on the couch is my favorite part of the day. When I am away traveling it breaks my heart, I need to have you in my arms to cuddle.

With you in our lives, you have made the ancient people around you learn new technology. Twitter, Vine, Instagram, Youtube, you name it, buddy we all do it for you, and because of you. We love you very much.

This coming year is going to be filled with a lot of challenges and new journey's I hope each and every day is filled with your love.

My promise to you is to scratch you more, be gone less and have lots of bacon at your disposal.  We have opened our lives to new people, you have a God Mother now and Mommy feels very good about that, we have a lot of love around us and are very grateful.

Happy Birthday to the very best person who came into my life.

Love Mommy

Tonight's the night for our drawing for Lola

Hey everyone I am so excited to tell you that we are doing the drawing tonight for the gift basket for donating to Lola.

Because I am the Chairman of the Bull on this project I am not participating. But I will be hosting the event. So grab your bones and your treats... Mommy and I will do the drawing on Vine at about 10:00 p.m. Friday January 17, 2014. That is Eastern Standard Time, (in Florida). We are so excited and want to thank each and everyone who has donated to make Lola's last surgery (we hope) a very special time.

It goes without saying the Metzger family should get an award for being so loving and caring. Rocco and Harpsickle have welcomed Lola into to their home and shared both Mom and Dad. We really lub you guys!!!

Dogtails will be served tonight, all non-alcoholic drinks for the bulldogs in your life.

Welcome to the ever growing Boston Terriers that are just as much apart of our group, and we thank you!!!

See you tonight at 10 pm. Eastern Standard Time!

Donate to Lola one more time please...

Lola has a very awesome video here on her life as she came into all of our lives. The day the phone call came, we knew she was destined to be with Rocco and his family. It was so heartbreaking and we knew we would want to help.

Keep in mind, compared to other donations we haven't raised a ton of money, but we have raised a lot of love. But as the song goes, Love don't pay the bills so to speak. I am begging you to open your wallets $5.00 anything, I believe we need $1000.00 to get her finished with this surgery stuff. I can 1000% assure each and everyone every penny raised that has been sent to the family has been used only on Lola.

Have you seen a cuter dog, really? Who has secretly wished they had found her? I know we have, we right now I think have raised $205.00 and we only have 2 more days.

I am sweetening the deal I promise. You are getting all the items that were shown, plus a portrait by Sam the Artistic Bulldog, and a bit more...

Personally I don't like to ask for money, I am not that kind of person, I am more of a here is my money and I go about my business. I can't even charge for the things I sell half the time.

Please do this for me, Gunner... My birthday is coming up, and Mom has promised to send the money she would spend on my gifts to Lola as well using my pawallowence.

My friend Lola's family has become a real friend to us. When I was sick, Mr. Bryan talked Mom through it, and it was ok. When Mommy made a huge mistake on something, Mr. Bryan was right there to help her pick herself back up. Rocco's one of my best friends and I wouldn't know what to do without them or Lola.

We appreciate everyone, but lets all try one more time... I promise, I won't ask again...

Much love,

Gunner

Lola Adoption

One week to donate left for Lola

Friday January 17th we are having the drawing for the basket of goodies for those who have donated this time. As of today we are only 250.00 away from our very low goal. I would love to get more, boy don't you know, but everyone has been so generous and kind, I just want to do what we can.

A recap of items; Throw, Toys, Gift Cards, Treats, Professional Portrait from Sam, Frames and Magnets, more items coming... This basket has some value!!!

Please think of Lola and help get her this last (crossing paws) surgery!!!

We all love her and want her great funny videos around for a long time.

Much love,

Gunner

Link for Lola  Lola's link

Cold dog story update

Miracles do happen ~! The Pet Resort place contacted the owner of said frozen dog and inquired about adopting the dog. At first the owner was reluctant because they couldn't figure out how he made it 25 miles away, but after some back and forth, he has a new comfortable home with people who want him 24/7 even thought the new car smell has worn off.

Sorry to bring this issue up, but it's real and painful for animals all over.

If you have a animal, remember it's a life commitment not until something changes in your life. There is always someone that will step in and help you out if you need to re-home your animal. ASK for help, don't ignore.

Remember: Dogs/Cats cannot speak to you, but you sure can speak to them. Let them know you love them always.

Gunner

Why having a dog isn't for everyone.

Tonight my Mom and I are at the keyboard trying to decide how to write this. We have sadness in our hearts. So bare with us this could be a bumpy ride.

Do you remember getting that new dog or cat when it was all shiny and new? You know, still had puppy or kitty breath, oh how sweet it was. This was going to be your pal, your buddy, your number One... Most likely you got this little gem on a weekend, you had a few cute but tiresome days, but hey Monday came and it was back to work for you.  You came home and that little face was looking for you. But you had a bad day. The wags and sniffles made you forget.

You might have had a few rough times but hey this would be ok, this was your baby. You remember that right? You cradled this little creature like a new born. You worried about the food to feed and when you took them out if that was what you did.

Then one day something happened, you met a person, and decided to spend the rest of your lives together, except... that number One wasn't number One anymore. Oh it's just a dog/cat, it has no idea. It's just an animal your friends say. So suddenly the dog/cat moves down the list. Next comes the baby, oh yeah a baby. Wow a little one to sniff and snuggle with. WAIT what? No touching the human baby, wait, what? I might harm the baby, oh, I see stay in your crate.

The dog in this story is wondering what did I do? Why am I being shunned? We use to ride in the car, and play in the park and have fun. Why can't I do that anymore? Why don't you love me anymore?

Forget even going to the vet for shots and things, that money is needed for the baby. No more sleeping in bed because the hair might get on the baby and make them sick or worse allergic.

Your parents mention to a neighbor that "they have to get rid of the dog because it nipped at the baby when it crawled on them"... The neighbor says I would bite too if someone crawled on me.

Then the cold night comes and they forget you are outside. You bark, but lately you have barked a lot so what's the difference. Except this time, you bark because you are freezing to death. Who loves you anymore?

That very cold evening when the dog was barking because it was freezing to death, some crazy neighbor steals the dog and shelters it from the cold. Feeds it, warms it, soothes it, finds it needs medical treatment and gets it treatment.Then takes stolen dog to a resort under an assumed name and decides if they should return the dog. In some states stealing a dog is a felony, protecting a dog is a hero, neglecting a dog is overlooked.

There could be a happy ending to this story, the dog could find another home and no one be the wiser, the crazy neighbor could go to jail for saving the life of a dog who was neglected in 32 degree weather without food or shelter, or the neglectful parents could be eaten by a pack of wild opossums (my personal favorite)

All because having a dog isn't for everyone... Please think about the dogs in shelters, on the streets and in homes that are not wanted, love an animal for life, not just for the shiny days...

A few things you should avoid while owning a bulldog.

Having a pool especially in the South is pretty common. Most homes have them or are having them put in after buying. I have had several pools in my lifetime and never really gave it much thought with my dogs. Most breeds swim and I didn't think too much of it.

However, when Mom bought me, (Gunner) our breeder asked "do you have a pool" I said no, but my Mom's sister said yes. The breeder was not going to sell my litter mate to my Mom's sister, unless she had a pool protector. If you have a pool, please make sure you never leave your dog unattended at the pool. Think of this, would you leave a 1 year old at the pool alone?

We lost a friend last night who drowned. We sort of looked a like, we sort of acted alike. RIP Jarhead.

Another thing to avoid is rough housing. Bulldogs do not have an on-off switch. They do not know when to stop. If you start it, be prepared to have a tussle stopping it.  Keep in mind the origination of Bulldogs and what they were bred for. They have very strong jaws, and the tug capacity to take down a bull.

Pieces of advice I think other Bulldog families might want to think about.

What made two bulldogs snap?

Since posting Anna's story, I have had several inquiries and questions on how did this happen. Most have never ever experienced it, and one major question is; is this common in Bulldogs.

What happened most likely was Rage Syndrome. Rage Syndrome Please read what is listed here.

It can happen in any dog breed, and if you go out on the internet some will say just train them, that will fix it or ignore it. I am here to tell you right here and now, DO NOT IGNORE IT..

This is a very real and dangerous issue. Rage Syndrome is most common in those cute cuddly English Cocker Spaniels. As you read about Rage Syndrome you will find it has a connection to Epilepsy, a neurologist is the specialist that would diagnosis this in an animal.

Please know this was one of the hardest issues I have had to deal with in a very long time. I wanted so badly to get these dogs and bring them to Florida. At first thought, I was sure we could evaluate them and get some help. However, as the day progressed I did a brief intake on them and realized this was more than a one time occurrence. I contacted a behavior specialist Vet who stated these dogs are far more aggressive than you are thinking and rehoming will never happen because there is something inside that snapped.  That's it, nothing further. Basically don't do it, but not anything further. Much more questions came to mind than answers.

After the girls went over Rainbow Bridge, I couldn't stop thinking of them and what happened. Anna and I spent time talking about what happened and she wrote a guest spot for the blog to get a little relief. I had so many more questions, as did Anna. Without ever wanting to give up on an animal, I felt I needed to reach out a little further and get an expert that I trusted and could count on getting the information; good/bad/ugly... The straight scoop so to speak.

I reached out to a very well known Bulldog breeder who is an AKC Breeder of Merit, and Bulldog Club of America, (BCA) Hall of Fame Breeder, with over 25 years experience in English Bulldogs.


I gave the specifics and when the expert came back, I was shocked.  I am sure my expert wanted to choke me with my 3 constant questions. However, she simply wrote; Rage Syndrome. One minute they can kiss your face and the next minute bite you.  Rage Syndrome is not something you ever want to deal with. My expert went on to explain to me in terms I could understand and relay to. She truly made me understand without making me feel stupid. She answered questions, and truly cared about the discussion. I cannot begin to thank her enough. EVERYONE should have an expert to call, go to, ask a question to... If you don't have one, FIND ONE! Everyone needs an expert.

The decision in putting an animal down is not a light one and upon continued research with the thanks to MY expert, not the Vet, I have realized there are medical issues and behavior issues, but there are breed-lines that do throw this and that is why you go to a Breeder that is reputable with a proven history. THIS is most important. KNOW YOUR BREEDER!!!!

This was not meant to bring pain, this post is to educate and hopefully prevent this from happening to someone else.

Kym -

Welcoming Lola to her new family and getting her last surgery for a while...

So here we are !!! The papers have been signed and Lola is Officially a Metzger! She is the cat's meow... Her loving family have another surgery to get her through and that is where we are having another drive.

However, this is one with a twist!!!! Everyone who donates get's their name in a hat. We will have a live drawing via Vine for the gift pack.

What's in the gift pack you say????  These are all brand new items. One bulldog throw, 2 Petsmart Gift cards, one fancy china dog mug, some toys, a bulldog statue, a bulldog sign, a bulldog magnet frame, plus a portrait from our resident artist, and dog treats, and deer antlers...

So who can help Miss Lola get her hopefully last surgery? I am not above begging but we really need your help. This is going to be hopefully her last... If you donate, I will have your name and you could win this gift pack worth a GAZILLION dollars and Karma dollars... I am quite sure you know it's for a good cause. We are only looking for a help for this rescue who has been released to the Foster family.

Donate to Lola  This link is direct connect for Lola. Please help her!

Guest Post from Anna about the girls...

Hi to all my Twitter/bulldog family.

 

My name is Anna and I am Olive and Mizani's mom (@AnnaWillett).  Many of you have heard that something tragic and heartbreaking happened in my family. I want to share my story in hopes that it might help someone else. It has taken me a while to compose my thoughts and to process what we have been through.

 

Two weeks ago tonight I was out to dinner celebrating my 40th birthday with my best friend, Mel. We went to a late dinner and then started to drive around looking at Christmas lights. There were not a lot of homes with lights on so we decided to just head home. We were almost home and I remembered that my mom asked me to get a loaf of bread on the way home so we drove past the house and went to the store. My mom lives with me and my best friend and has for the last 5 years. After we went to the store we came home and as I came up on the porch I looked in the window and saw that my mom was sitting on the floor. She has had quite a few falls in the past year so I was worried that she was injured but I never imagined what I was getting ready to walk in on.

Mel rushed in ahead of me and as I came in the door I remember thinking, "how did the dogs get into red kool aid?" There was blood all over the floor and on two of the walls. I then realized that Mel was yelling for me to help her. She had pulled the dogs away from where mom was sitting on the floor and together we drug them out to the back porch.

 

I then ran back in to my mom and it wasn't until I saw her leg that I actually realized that they had been biting her.  Before I actually saw her leg, I was afraid that it was one of our chihuahuas that the dogs were attacking. Mel called 911 while I applied a tourniquet to my mom's leg. The paramedics came and bandaged mom's leg and took her to the trauma center.

 

Once we arrived at the hospital and I learned that mom was in stable condition, we were sitting in the hallway in our blood-stained clothing trying to make sense of it all. I contacted my siblings and our close friends for prayer and support, but I knew that I needed to talk to my bulldog people.  I knew that they would be the only ones who would understand the heartbreak of losing my babies. I went on twitter and Sam, Diesel's mom, was on the top of my timeline. So at 2:45 am, I sent her a private message telling her very briefly that my bulldogs had attacked my mom and that they would be put down the following morning. I sent a few more messages throughout the night. I knew she wouldn't get them until the morning but it was comforting just knowing that someone was there who cared. 

My mom had to stay in the hospital so Mel and I headed home about 3:30 in the morning. The dogs had remained in the back yard and I opened the back door to let them inside for the night. As soon as the door was opened and I looked at the dogs I realized that they were not my babies anymore. When I looked into their eyes, they were blank. There was nothing there and there was no recognition of me. They were not my girls. I slowly closed the door and thanked God for the unseasonably warm weather.  

 

I laid in bed listened to the dogs outside and wondering how I would make it 3 hours until the vet opened. We got up about 6:15 and got ready. We went out back to get the dogs and still they were totally different animals. Olive had been my baby... she LOVED me. If you have a bully, you know what I mean. But that morning, there was absolutely no recognition from her. Her entire personality was different. A bulldog who only 2 days before begged to ride in the car, had to be forced into the car that morning.  It was like something had clicked in their brain and they were not our girls anymore. We took the dogs to our vet who was kind and compassionate and allowed us to come into the back of the clinic. We left the dogs in the capable hands of our vet of many years who assured me that he would take care of the situation personally.  

 

Sam messaged me back in the morning and let me know that she had reached out to Gunner's mom (Kym)  for help and that Kym was willing to talk to me. Kym and I texted back and forth a bit while I spoke with doctors at the hospital about plans for my mother's care. About mid-day I was able to talk about the situation without breaking down so I gave Kym a call. She was so kind, patient and understanding. We talked at length about Olive and Mizani and asked about our history together. After our talk I realized that the dogs would have to be euthanized. They were not my babies. I would not be able to live with wondering if/when they would hurt someone else... or worse.

My mother had a 3 hour surgery to clean out and close what wounds he could. He used over 100 stitches and staples to close up her wounds with the exception of a large wound on her shin. It was about 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. She was in the hospital for a week and is now home. She has a wound vac on her leg in hopes that the wound will close up so that she can avoid having a skin graft. She has been brave and strong throughout this entire ordeal. The first thing she said after surgery was that she was sorry about the dogs. She loved them as much as we did, but said that when they were attacking her she looked into their eyes and there was nothing there. We are all heartbroken over losing our girls, but we feel that they were gone that night. 

 

I think the hardest thing is that we didn't get to say goodbye. It is almost as if they are at daycare and then I remember that they aren't coming home.

I truly hope that no one ever has to go through this and that is why I want to share my story. I want other bully parents to learn from my experience. So, what have I learned?

 

1. Bloodlines and breeders DO matter. If you are getting a puppy, know where they are coming from. Ask to see papers and family trees. If you can, visit the breeders homes. Get recommendations from other bully parents.

2. Don't get a puppy from another country unless you know the breeder or you have researched them thoroughly and spoken to someone who has one of their puppies.

3. Educate yourself about common bulldog traits and characteristics. And if your dog has traits that are atypical, find out why. Don't make excuses for behavior that is not typical to the breed.

4. Ask other bully parents for help. Be specific about your concerns. Be open and honest - even if you are afraid or embarrassed or scared.

5. Get help at the FIRST sign of any aggression. Do not give up if you reach a dead end. Persevere until you find someone who will help. If you can't get the help you need, find someone who can.

6. Don't be afraid to lean on your Twitter friends for help and support. Sam and Kym were a lifeline for me as I went through all of this.

I will be sending out my Christmas cards tomorrow to those of you who were in the card exchange. The photos on the card are my girls. Olive LOVED the beach. She would run and jump in the waves for hours. Mizani is asleep in her photo and that is what she loved most. She was a loving girl who never missed an opportunity to nap.

 

I cannot express how much I appreciate all of the messages and encouragement. I am so thankful for my Twitter bully family.

 

Thanks for all the love and support, friends.

Anna

The first picture is Olive, their mom Luna and Mizani. They were 2 months old.

The second is Olive in the foreground and Mizani in the back. This was just from earlier this month and they were 5 years old.

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Happy 2014 !!

2014 came in with a bang, literally... Fireworks and blasts that made the wrinkles on my face straighten out. The noise was really disturbing for me and I was pretty scared. Mommy packed up her party bag and home we went.

What 2014 brings for us???? We just don't know. Maybe a new house, maybe a new state, we are hopeful and continue to look toward the future.

My birthday is coming and I plan to celebrate big!

We are off to play with our new friends and hope everyone has a great New Year!