SIT*STAY*FLY!
When the Fur Flies
There! She Comes!
Hey everypawdy, I’m a new voice here fur most of you… I’m Bob, Bob the Dog. I was the dog before Maxx, and before Buddy. I was the original dog. I was the FURst dog, the one who started it all, who let Mom know that she was a DOG person. Oh she wasn’t so sure at first, she had only had cats before. Pfffffft! She thought I was a lot of responsibility. I ask you, who could resist this face???
So I stayed. Mom and Dad adopted me after seeing my sisfur, Schafer one day. We all lived in Montana and Schafer’s name was short for a beautiful place called Schafer Meadows in a very special place that I was then named after. You see my full name was: Bob Marshall Wilderness Dog, but everyone just called me “Bob.” We all lived in Whitefish, MT which was an extraordinary place to live for a dog. I taught Mom how to “be the dog!” Schafer, of course, helped…
Mom would drop me off at Schafer’s house on the way into town and we would play and gnarl and carry on in her yard. It was great to get to see my sister again even though we lived apart. Our necks were always wet. Schafer taught me how to climb up on the big wood pile her Dad built up for the long winters in the back yard so we could get over the fence and I taught her how to run a-mutt through the neighborhood and not get caught. We laughed and laughed as Mom would run behind us yelling her fool head off, but we had 8 legs between us and she only had 2 and she was just outrun BOL. We always headed back when we were ready. Or how about the time Mom was driving down Wisconsin Avenue right after Shafer had moved to her new house up the hill? Well, it seems Shafer must have wanted to go visit the old house because there, sashaying down Wisconsin (covered in mud I might add) was my sister with a little purpose. Mom pulled over and invited Schafer to get in the car. She was happy to do so as it had been a long walk, then realized she was a bit muddy so shook good. She was a polite one, that girl! The best part was that we looked so much alike that when I got stopped up on Big Mountain where I lived for being off-leash and they would complain to my parents, they would say it must have been Schafer because nobody was gonna argue with the guy who had just won the first World Cup for America in Tele Skiing!!! I got away with a lot using that one!!
Well, the reason you haven’t heard from me much here is because my life was cut very short. I went on ahead to the bridge when I was 8 years old. I was out on one of my epic adventures on the mountain one day and just collapsed. Seems I had a tumor on my heart that nobody saw coming. Hemangiosarcoma ended my life within 3 days. Schafer? Schafer carried on in rare form for me though. She had an amazing family and even got a new brother and a sister (furless) and they did everything together! They camped and they have a cool lodge where she ran the trails and cross-country skied and defined “being the dog.” She did me proud. She LOVED mud puddles and sticks and balls and carried on the legacy perfectly. I thought it would never end the way she carried on… but alas, at 14 Schafer is ready to join me. Her family loves her so, they know that she can no longer “be the dog” the way she deserves, so they are going to release her to come back and play with me again. I feel bad for them, for I know they will miss her. I saw how much my family missed (and still misses) me. But truly, this is such an amazing place… she will run like crazy again and we will be like pups and I am truly quite excited. I saw this parable on the wall up here, it made sense. It was found on the body of an American Jewish soldier, but I think it works for any soul in transition…
“I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails in the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength and I watch her until at length she is only a ribbon of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle whith each other. Then someone at my side says, ‘There! She’s gone!’ Gone where? Gone from my sight – that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and span as when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminshed size is in me, not her, and just at the moment when someone at my side says, ‘There, she’s gone!’ there are other voices ready to take up the glad shout, ‘There! She comes!’ And that is dying.
And so, I am gathering my most treasured sticks and balls (the ones that are kinda muddy and slobbery) and rushing right to the edge of the bridge. I want to take her paw immediately and be the first thing my sister sees. I have waited for her for 6 years now, and I’m so very excited to see her again. I will take the very best care of her, and there will be great joy in the Heavens!!
Dogs On a Plane
A Fresh View Of The Ride on A GII
Since more pets began traveling on private jets, Sit ‘n Stay Global, LLC, the leading pet air travel safety consultants, wanted to get a canine perspective on how that ride measures up. Our SpokesDog, Surf Dog Ricochet, was more than happy to help us out with that assignment. Ricochet has agreed to help put a face on our campaign to promote standardized pet safety protocols on private jets.
For those of you unfamiliar with Surf Dog Ricochet, she was originally trained to be a Service Dog but had a little too much interest in chasing squirrels and such. She could also surf really well, so her Mom decided to focus on that strength instead and now Ricochet lives a life helping people focus on what they CAN do as a SURFice dog. She raises money for worthy causes and promotes kindness, charity, philanthropy and social responsibility. Stop by and see her story at: http://www.surfdogricochet.com/ and be sure to join her on Facebook!
It just made sense to her when she rode on a Gulfstream 200, that she should share her take on it with her fellow pawsengers who might be considering this kind of ride.
A Ride on Air FURce One
By Surf Dog Ricochet for Sit ‘n Stay Global, LLC
OK, so can I just paws for a moment here and say “Oh yeah baby!” This is the way a girl of my stature is meant to fly. There were just a few steps up into this nice vehicle, no jumping required. The carpeting was thick and soft and looked to be almost a butter cream Persian. I could stand and walk freely, no crouching which was nice of course. There was an attendant on board who appeared to be there simply for my comfort which is always a nice touch. I wonder why nobody has thought of that for the back seat of the car? You know sometimes I would like the air vent adjusted in the car or a sip of water… but I digress.
My own personal seat was thick and well cushioned and the leather was a rich, soft, buttery piece of heaven. My attendant made it even more luxurious by putting a soft blanket on it for me and propping pillows around me. These were supposed to be part of keeping me safe, but I gotta tell you I was in dog heaven. My Ruff Rider harness slid right onto the aircraft seat belt like they were made for each other and I was as secure as ever. It was really cool; the attendant took a few minutes to teach my Mom different bracing positions for us in case there was turbulence or an accident and we even practiced, which was fun at first but then got pretty boring. She even had a special pet oxygen mask on board for me in case we lost our usual air supply when cruising around way up high. I tell ya, I could relax and enjoy the cushy seat because she thought of everything! I got up and walked around a bit too, which is something you like to do on a long ride that you can’t do in a car. I found that to be a big advantage! I discovered a small kitchen where you could counter surf if nobody was looking, a definite plus over a car. Then on my way back to my seat I discovered a couch!! The fancy airplane people call it a “divan” but it was just like my couch at home and it was sweet! You could really stretch out on it, but it wasn’t quite as worn or quite as squishy as my sofa. It is the only thing I think they might want to work on over there at Gulfstream. You could sprawl there and watch the nice flat screen TV without straining at all. We even got Animal Planet… BOL!
Did I mention how easy it is to eat while in one of these vehicles? They have beautiful burled wood tables that make it simple to enjoy a nice meal served by the aforementioned personal attendant. It is so much more civilized than rooting old Snausages out of the cracks in the back seat… seriously!
FURst Class Service
As we left I noticed the GII has two drivers. Maybe one was just learning?? Anyway, they were nice and they did a good job and one gave me a cookie so that was just icing on a perfect day. This was a beautiful way to travel and if you can talk your people into this mode of transportation you should definitely go for it!! I hear that, just like cars, they make many models. I hope to try them all soon. A girl could get used to this, BOL!
G200 As Tested:
Long Range Cruise: Mach 0.75
Range at Long Range Cruise: 3,400 nm
Basic Operating Weight: 19,500 lbs
Engine Type: PWC PW306A
Thrust Rating: 6,040 lbs
Typical Passenger Payload: 4 passengers
Cabin Length: 24 ft 5 in
Cabin Height: 6 ft 3 in
Cabin Width: 7 ft 2 in
Wingspan: 58 ft 1 in
New Base Price: $ 21.5 M
Ricochet’s Likes:
- Sleek and Luxurious from every angle
- Soft, Cushy and furbulously comfortable
- Can stand up and walk around
- Counter Surfing and Couch
- Smooth, quiet ride with quiet soothing hum in background
Ricochet’s Less Likes (what’s to dislike?):
- Couch could be sloppier and squishier
- Can’t open windows and stick head out
- Can’t see out front window when driving
Overall rating: 4 Paws UP!!!!!!!
Ricochet’s “personal attendant” was provided by Sit ‘n Stay Global, LLC. Sit ‘n Stay Global provides pet sitters who will spoil your pet wherever you may roam as flight attendants and pet nannies. We are all trained commercial and corporate flight attendants and have developed standardized Pet Safety Protocols for pets flying on private jets. Learn more about us at our website: http://www.sitnstayglobal.com/ or cruise with us on Facebook or Twitter and keep up with us there!
Each of our crew members travels with a pet seat restraint, a pet flotation device and a Pet Oxygen Mask and is certified in Pet First Aid and CPR. We are also available to train flight crews in Pet Safety on private jets.
Pet Safety is important however you travel, so give it some thought no matter how you and your pet get around. BOL, buckle up and enjoy the ride!!
Rescue Me!
Hey everypawdy, Maxx here! I keep walkin around singin that song “Rescue Me” and then I start reciting silly lines from Dr. Seuss books like “Sam I am…” Why? Cuz I have a new Frosty brudda who, WHAT? Oh, sorry, my Mom, editor, tells me he is my FOSTER BROTHER. Anyway, his name is Sam and he just got here last night. This is me meeting Sam:
So let me tell you a little about Sam. He was picked up from a shelter by the great folks at Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue about a week ago. My Dad volunteers for them so we heard about his situation. Seems he was being dumped at the shelter on a black trash bag covered in his own poopy when WHAT? No Mom, I draw the line there, that’s how I talk… Dogs say poopy, they don’t say “feces!” Ok, well, excuse us… He was dirty. Anyway, they were carrying him in like trash. He was very sick and near death. The shelter was just going to put him down. Someone stepped in and called the rescue and they came and got him and took him to the Dogtor. It was touch and go for a few days as his system was trying to shut down and nobody knew why. They cleaned him up and finally realized he was dehydrated and starved. After his initial bath he looked like this, poor guy.
After a few days in the pawspital alone, Mom felt bad that he was probably lonely, so she went to visit him. He liked her very much. He did not know really what a toy was so he ate the toy she brought right away. Oh well, at least he enjoyed that. Then Mom sang to him quietly until he settled and had a big smile and later a doggy dream. She wondered when the last time was he had dreamed??
It was really hard for her to leave him, but she had done what she came to: to show him pure love and that people could love him unconditionally. The next day we got a call that he was ready to come home and they asked if he could come HERE since he seemed to like Mom! Yippeeeee! So here he is, in my house with ME, MAXX! And ya know what? We play and goof and run around. He slept in my room last night and woke up in my bed this morning! I don’t know who was more surprised, him or me??
I don’t know what’s in store for Sam, but I do know one thing if my pawrents are involved… He will never be alone again. He will never be forgotten, starved, neglected or mistreated. Sam will be spoiled on the highest level. He will learn to be the DOG and enjoy life to the fullest and pawty with all of my FURiends and live a very large life. Our only regret is for all of those non-descript pets out there. The ones who are not the “chosen ones” like Golden Retrievers who are watched for and get rescued when dumped at the shelter. Please remember to adopt pets when you are looking to add to your family and if you see something that looks like neglect, say something. Not every dog gets as lucky as Sam. In the meantime, please join us in welcoming this lucky boy with a resounding YAY SAM!
Getting Off on the Right Paw
Hey everypawdy… Maxx here! Welcome to the New Year and all that enTAILS. Time to roll out from under the covers and get this thing started. I was sniffing around today and noticed that I now have almost 2900 FURiends on Facebook! BowWOWza!! That means I have a lot of new friends and that’s pretty cool. Now I know a lot of you have come ofur because I’m just plain good lookin’ and I get that. Others just can’t resist a pupper, and I get that too. Some of you like to catch up on the funny stories my Mom and Dad tell about me and my adventures growing up, although I must remind you that none of my misbehavings or misfortunes should efur be mistaken fur entertainment. A lot of you enjoy reading about my Mom’s occasional misadventures that I post (like brushing her teeth with MY toothpaste BOL) and now that IS funny!! I know many of you are referred over here because you have a furry one with cancer or have had to deal with it in the past. You might get here and see us just goofin’ off and carryin’ on and think WTW? Well that’s all part of Buddy’s message… when you have the big C, you don’t just sit around talking about it every day, you LIVE. And by the way… Who is Buddy and where is he???
That big guy right above me there is my hero. That’s Buddy. Buddy left us last May after a 2 year battle with cancer. Started out as Melanoma, then Mast Cell showed up. Later on Nasal and Liver joined in and ended his walk here on earth. Buddy was the most joyous dog my Mom and Dad had ever known, and he made pretty darn sure that everyone around him knew he was happy. He was the second dog they had that got cancer, so they decided to help others understand the disease and learn how to fight it and deal with it and most of all, LIVE with it. They started Buddy’s page as a place to give support and got more support back than they could ever have imagined. Now I’m his Ambassador, Maxx! I get to carry on his mission to build awareness about the disease and who’s fighting it and how to live with it and how to BE THE DOG. That’s lucky, cuz that’s exactly what I know how to do!!
So now let me pass along to you some of Buddy’s main Zen-Dog type mantras, because they are a good way to start of the year on the right paw. You can scroll back through the blog posts and find where he wrote about these things much more better than me. See? My editor just told me that was a bad sentence, but I’m just a pupper and I’m trying my best, so work with me here ok?? Ok, here we go:
1. A dog only knows two times in life: NOW and NOT NOW. It’s that simple, don’t overthink this. Don’t tell me you’re going to take me to the dog park in an hour because that’s NOT NOW. Means nothing to me. NOW I’m bored. I will chew your shoe. The good news is when your dog has to go to the Dogtor and have something icky done and it hurts and it’s bad, that is sad. When you take him fur ice cream or a pupcake on the way home, it’s all good because the ice cream or pupcake is NOW and the Dogtor is NOT NOW. That simple, really.
2. It only hurts for a minute. This is related to the first one. If something hurts on a dog, it hurts. The dog does not go into some drama lamenting if it will hurt forever or weeks or even tomorrow. There is no concern for “how long must I endure this???” It hurts. Sometimes it hurts for a whole string of minutes and that’s a drag, but each minute is just a minute and probably the last minute it will hurt.
3. Forever. The third time that a dog does understand is: FOREVER. A pet will love you forever, period. Here, beyond and back. Once bound, that’s it, you got it.
4. Dogs are Grateful beings. What you have is what you need. We are thankful for whatever we get. A kind look, a pet or the smallest of treats. We don’t sit around thinking up things we need or want. We are so grateful for everything every day and so every day is a happy day somehow.
5. YAY. Celebrate every day. Mom and Dad started a great game with Buddy and carry it on with me and he wants efurryone to experience it. They would play with him on his walk and for at least 1/2 hour straight efurrything he did resulted in “YAY BUDDY!” I mean if he picked up a tennis ball: YAY BUDDY. If he dropped a tennis ball: YAY BUDDY. If he ran: YAY BUDDY. If he sat down: YAY BUDDY. Take some time every day to celebrate those you love completely. So when you see on his wall: YAY BUDDY, now you know why!
So now you know a little more about Buddy and what we’re all about. Welcome to our pack, make yourself to home and join in the fun. I think this is gonna be a LARGE year!!
Pets Rescue the Holiday
Hey everypawdy it’s me, MAXX! This has been an amazing 7 months fur me. BowWOWza, but a lot is going on here in this place. My furst 2 months were mostly just running around with my litter and then that family decided not to be my family any more. I didn’t know what was going on, but my litter started to disappear. I was the only one left and then I came to this place. That’s when the REAL adventure began. Well, the last week or so have not disappointed as this whole new experience they call Christmas is upon us. Mom tells me in some houses they are celebrating Hanukkah and others will celebrate Kwanzaa, but most efurryone is celebrating. Me? Well, I’m mostly Golden Retriever which is known by the AKC as the “party group” and I’m always in fur a pawty. That’s why I was SO excited to go meet Sandy Paws in Sandy Aygo last week and even sit on his lap!!!
That was so cool, I was beside myself. It was at a Golden Retriever Rescue Event for the Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue group that my Dad volunteers for (pssst: he was Santa!!) and we put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces. After a while though, I noticed a few tears. I didn’t quite get that, so I tried to lick them away real quick and give those folks a snuggle. Efurry time I would snuggle in real close, someone would stroke my soft fur and tell me how they had just lost a sweet loved one and how much they missed their baby. How they remembered when their beloved was a young pup like me and the end seemed impossible. My Mom would gently remind them that we had just lost our wonderful Buddy and that I was now bringing new joy to them.
I spent quite a while there and we were in a small shopping center. There were LOTS of people. I LOVE people and watched them all. They were rushing all over, in and out of stores and all about but when they came by us they would slow down and pet us dogs and talk. Seems they all had a story. Their faces softened and they told about times with family or ones they missed. They were happy to hear we were trying to find some dogs without homes some new homes which is the greatest gift this season… But they seemed drawn so to me. There were tears and memories and smiles and the best part, HOPE.
As I snuggled in the car on the way home and dreamed a few dreams, some thoughts came together fur me. The wonderful Christmas story my Mom had told me was about a baby coming and starting life in a manger surrounded by animals. It seems young ones and animals can break through so many barriers that people put up and get right through to what is important. That one story has been told a million times and people marvel at the simplicity and purity of a baby and animals. I realized at this ripe old age of 7 months that I have such a purpose already. Not just to be a wild pupper and source of great entertainment…
…But to help lead people forward rather than leaving them stuck in one place looking back. To give hope, to shine a light. Sometimes you just need to slow down and smell the fur ya know? That’s what’s missing this time of year for so many. So take a moment and roll on the floor with your favorite fur ball. If you don’t have one, stop by a shelter and pass out some love. It’s time we put the doG back in these holidays! Merry, Happy and Peace to all, and to all a Fur night ::
Doggone Thankful!
Hey everypawdy… Maxx here on my very FURst Thanksgiving Hollyday. Mom woke up this morning and looked at me (since my nose was in her face, which is a lot nicer that a few other things that she often wakes to BOL) and said “Happy Thanksgiving, Maxxy!” Well what’s that? What made this day Thanksgiving??
I had noticed some increased activity around the house the last few days, lots of cooking for sure. Well, I’m always thankful for cooking, but I’m even MORE thankful for eating ya know Mom… When are we eating all that stuff?
She said “speaking of stuff, we’re having stuffing today.” Well gee, Mom, I have stuffing almost EVERY day BOL! So why does THAT make today special??
Well, she told me, “A lot of your FURiends are coming over to play with you and tear up the house…” Great! Now you’re speakin’ to me Mom!!! But that happens other days too, so why is this Thanksgiving?
I could tell I had “stumped the band” so to speak. She was thoughtful. Then she simply explained to me that this is a day when we Paws to give thanks fur all of the fabulous blessings in our life. That we have food, and shelter and friends and love in our life. That even if we don’t have our own family around us, we are grateful for friends; the family we choose. We also give thanks for all of those who make this pawsible for us and all of those less fortunate, that we may find a way to at least share our love with them even when we don’t have money to spare.
I gave that some thought, then I looked at her and in my own way, let her know that she had just described EVERY day of a dog’s life. Dogs (and to some extent, Cats BOL) are grateful by their very nature. We have no money or material goods, so we always give our love to show just how grateful we are. Then I licked her. A big ol’ slobbery one. I think she was thankful for that… I think that’s what those tears were… Happy Thanksgiving to all, from this grateful heart!!
