The Joshua Tree

According to Desert USA, the Joshua Tree thrives in a barren desert environment. Sprung up through the dry hostile environment of the Mojave Desert, where life seems impossible, the Joshua Tree has developed a symbiotic relationship with a single organism - the female Pronuba Moth. Only this moth can spread the pollen from the Joshua Tree to ensure its survival and blossoming. Reciprocated by the moth, the Pronuba can only reproduce in the Joshua Tree and feed off of the Joshua Tree's pollinated seeds. Without the Joshua Tree, there would be no Pronuba and vice versa. 

The Joshua Tree and the Pronuba have the perfect relationship in an extremely imperfect and challenging environment. They are an oasis of life where everything is at odds against them.

I have been through my share of relationships. I think we all seek this symbiotic relationship. Some of us have found it. Some of us are still traveling through the hostile environment seeking that one bright spot in our lives that meets all of our needs. Nature is a great teacher. I stop and look around at my surroundings for these small lessons. 

Our hostile environment includes our jobs, bosses, the world in general, and who can forget traffic. In nature, like the Pronuba and the Joshua Tree, there is drought, excessive heat, and predators. 

Everything happens for a reason. The great hope that nature teaches me is that life is possible, and the person that is perfect for me is out there. The Joshua Tree and the Pronuba know exactly what they are and what they need. Being true to myself, being myself, and knowing exactly what I am looking for in my better half is the lesson learned the Joshua Tree demonstrates. 

In the wasteland of challenges, the Joshua Tree thrives. The Joshua Tree exists without compromise to it's needs. Our challenge is being true to ourselves. Our goal: to navigating through adversity in order to make our lives... remarkable!

Ever Forward - Adelante!

From the Road - Ode's Story

Ode’s story begins a couple years before she was born.

Daisy

Our little girl was Daisy. A big, beautiful Belgian Tervuren, we had rescued her four years earlier. She was a helper dog for an elderly woman, and apparently wasn’t performing the way the woman needed her to, so the woman got a puppy and started to train the puppy, locking Daisy in a crate.

As you might imagine Daisy started acting out, and the woman was going to put her down. A rescue organization called Animal Crusaders stepped in and we found Daisy at an adoption fair.

Daisy was the first dog my wife and I took in together, and she was a great dog. She was smart, and seemed to know what she had in us. She gave as good as she got. We loved her very much.

While my wife was on her internship out of state, Daisy became ill. A number of vets couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong, until one determined that she had cancer.

My wife had been gone for five months. On the day my wife came home for summer break, we had to let Daisy go.

I picked my wife up at the airport in Phoenix, we drove home to Tucson and went straight to the vet hospital where we said goodbye. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and we were completely devastated.

Almost two years went by, and we still felt Daisy’s loss. Life moves forward. Always forward.

We just didn’t feel ready for a new dog. We talked about it a time or two, but it just didn’t feel right.

On a January day in 2007, my wife was working just outside of Phoenix, inspecting a truck stop (she’s a food safety and quality assurance auditor.)  As she walked through the parking lot looking for trip hazards, she felt like someone was watching her. She turned, and there stood a little desert dog. My wife checked around, no one had seen the dog before. My wife went to her car and opened the back door. The little desert dog jumped in and immediately laid down.

Ode

When I met her later that day she was skin and bone and she had a pretty serious wound on the inside of her rear leg. She drank a lot of water, ate some food, and slept for the next 24 hours. Frankly, I wasn’t sure she would survive the night.

When she woke up, she was a completely different dog, playful, energetic, chasing the cats around the house. My wife and I had talked about if we could keep her. I insisted I still wasn’t ready, but when she woke up and I saw those eyes and that smile, I knew there was no way this dog would live anywhere but with us.

We weren’t ready for another dog after the heartbreak of losing Daisy, even after two years, but this little girl knew different. When we tell the story, we tell people that she found us- she decided we were ready.

Now we had to find a name, it had to fit. We talked about it, did some research, nothing seemed right.

Then I looked in an Egyptian to English dictionary (we were exhausting every possibility) and we discovered the word “Ode’.” It’s pronounced “Oh-day” and it means “from the road.” It seemed appropriate, and our little desert dog finally had a name.

I don’t know what Ode’s life was like before she found us. I can guess by the condition she was in that it was a hard-scrabble existence. She was thin, dehydrated, wounded. The truck stop where she found us was right next to the biggest highway in Arizona.

Now as I watch her napping on our California King-sized bed, nestled in the covers and snoring softly, I’m thinking that her life is much different than it was before she found us. Much better.

Just like ours.

Brian and Terra Baltosiewich relocated to Charlotte, NC in March, 2010. While they have settled into their new home, Ode' has enjoyed familiarizing herself squirrels. 

Brian Baltosiewich owns Radio Exiles and Terra is a successful food industry health inspector

Featured on NoFIZZ Charlotte WaterBLOG

Hello! My name is Joe, and I’m a sodaholic. They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting different results each time.How much product can I get in? This will pick me up this time. I just want the fizz between my teeth for a little while longer.

If there were a meeting for a soda addiction, you might find me there. I moved up to Charlotte some years ago and it was at that point that I discovered even more local soda products that were not available in other parts of the country. This made my soda drinking habits even worse.

I enjoy coffee. I enjoy the pick-me-up. It can be argued that once combined, the caffeine rush with HFCS found in soda gave me the perfect peace of mind I so craved. Does this sound familiar? I will never argue to take away a good cup of coffee. What I will argue against is the experience of walking down the grocery aisle and feeling the craving of something that I would later learn can give me extreme issues with diabetes along with a myriad of other health consequences thanks to HFCS and the byproducts found within soda.

The first step was to take the challenge and admit there was a problem. Thankfully for beginning this challenge, food allergies were nothing new to me. I suffered severe migraines as a kid thanks in part to my addictively overeating a product loaded with preservatives. Still don’t think unnatural, unhealthy and processed food is bad for you?Luckily, I have outgrown most of those issues by this point in my life. The lifestyle I led as a result of those allergies has stayed with me, and forced me to make some changes. Why not turn over a new leaf and take a step against diabetes, obesity, and the bad effects of a sugary crash?

I had already begun the process of eliminating out soda from my life a few years prior. Encouraged by NoFizz Charlotte and the daily reminders via Twitter, along with the support of fellow Charlotte friends, soda and high fructose corn syrup-based products would be a thing of the past in my life.

The simple challenge NoFizzCLT presented to me was not a major lifestyle change. No body is asking me to remove my coffee drinking – simply the byproducts, and unnatural processed chemicals found within soda. The results are another step towards a healthier alternative to living.

There are no sugary crashes during the middle of the day. While I have no scientific proof, since the last time I cracked open a can of soda, even stress levels appear to have subsided. The impacts to my areas of life being a little less stressed have improved. I supplanted soda for water, sparkling cider, and carbonated flavored water mixed with natural juices.

Living healthier is not all or nothing. Making a healthier change is as simple as one step at a time. I encourage all to take one simple step as I did with NoFizz Charlotte and take this challenge!

About the Author: Joe, an avid dog trainer and rescuer, lives and works in Charlotte, North Carolina, and runs the blog Caffeine Central.

Original Post located on NoFIZZ Charlotte's WaterBlog posted September 22, 2010

Fang Discrimination

Caffeine Central accepts all people through it's doors. I personally believe in the paranormal. I have my beliefs. Others have theirs. Originally from Coconut Grove, Florida, the village for all walks of life, I hold true to the come as your are mentality found within each of us Grove-ites.

With this being said, I want to introduce Andrew U. Long blond hair, cowboy boots, Hell's Angels Tattoos, and tortoise glasses... Remember those?

Seems normal enough right? How many people would walk up to him and start talking to him? A master carpenter. I encountered him on a job site many years ago. I'm not sure if it was his professional workmanship that intrigued me or the fact that he had fang implants and a bottle of Scope that he drank out of while working. I had to introduce myself as the PM for the site.

What I discovered, as I thought I might, was a highly intelligent guy that had a deep fascination with the unusual. The man could hold a conversation about politics, life, and history. I might add that his breath smelled incredibly minty, too!

Andrew's alternative lifestyle was none of my business, but I had to discover more. In a conversation about history, he discussed his fascination with Transylvania and the loss of his girlfriend to a monastery there. Not thinking about the stereotypical  pun, I instead chose to say I was sorry his girlfriend left him. Why would she leave him?

His response? "I scared her away!" Puzzled.. I looked at him and said, "Scared her?" Andrew holds up both index fingers pointing down like fangs, snarls, and says "Yeah! I scared her away!" OHHH the FANGS! I really did completely forget about the tattoos, the fangs, and the bottle of Scope through our conversation. He was a normal guy with a terrific work ethic.

A month past. A new resource position opened for.. a lead carpenter. While I'm a PM for the site with direct contact with the client, each lead contractor must also have direct contact with the customer. The sad thought must pass through my mind - is this a good perception to demonstrate to a customer? Would this be fang discrimination? EEOC here we come. Sadly, I would never find out due to other circumstances beyond my hiring control.

Andrew was the genuine article. A deep, down-to-Earth gentleman. Would you have approached Andrew? Would you have hired him? While I might have hired him, would the clients have accepted him? My belief is that society judges a book by it's cover, and that society doesn't give good people a chance.

Carrot Soup with Cilantro

Fall is right around the corner gang. I thought I would get you off to a good start with a heart warming favorite of mine.

What you'll need:
1 tbs unsalted butter
.5 tsp fennel seeds
.25 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1.5 lbs carrots sliced
.5 lb sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
2 tbs brown basmati or other long grain rice
.25 tsp. curry powder or to taste (I use more)
5.5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for my vegetarian friends)
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly grown black pepper
1 cube chicken bouillon cube for extra depth
2 tbs fresh cilantro
sour cream or creme fraiche for serving

In a large pot, heat .5 tbs butter over medium heat. Toast the fennel seeds until darkened about 2-3 minutes. Add the apple, carrots and sweet potatoes and cook  5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Deglaze with wine. Add the rice, and curry powder, cayenne if desired, chicken stock, bouillon, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover and simmer until the rice and vegetables are tender (30 minutes or so). Drain, RESERVING THE BROTH, remove and discard the bay leaf.

Transfer the mixture and small amounts of the reserved broth in batches to a food processor and puree until smooth. When dealing with hot soups in a processor, really lean on the lid. You don't know pain until a food processor lid blows off the top splattering you and the kitchen with molten lava! Only fill your processor half way or less at a time. Return the pureed soup and any remaining reserved broth to the soup pot. Simmer for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, drizzle the top of the soup with remaining melted buttor and sprinkle with cilantro, creme fraiche and a dash of cayenne for extra heat.

Serve a nice rustic bread toasted on the side.

Maple Nut Crunch! - Caffeine's Tribute to Denis Leary

Coffee doesn't need a menu! It needs a cup! Maybe a saucer underneath the cup! THAT'S IT! www dot What the Fuck dot com.

Caffeine Central believes in Coffee Flavored Coffee! We drink for the effect!!! Right? Some flavors are ok. But let's face it. Give us a good old cup of coffee, shot of espresso, or Cuban coffee.

Caffeine now presents you with 8 minutes of absolute tear jerking comedy..

Denis Leary, Lock N Load - Coffee  [Explicit - of course]
Enjoy!

Virtual Meets Actual - Doh!

We have all taken actions that we wish we could have done better in. I call this life experience. Yeah we human's sure can fuck things up some times. I'm a man about town. I'm single at the moment. I come and go as I choose. I have a wonderful dog. I have awesome friends around me. Life is good. But just like in personal relationships, we can mess up with our friends too.

I'm sitting in a well know coffee shop. Everyone who knows me understands I'm high energy and I love to laugh (This is Caffeine Central after all). I'm busily having conversations with my smart phone. Twitter, Facebook, Text message, even on the phone. The look of death from the surrounding people when I answer the phone calls reminds me of sitting in a library. I want to say, "Look we all know you're here not to actually work, but to be seen instead!" I make the comment of feeling like I'm in a depressed library online. All hell breaks loose from two close friends. If I was in a library, I was in the wrong place.

I decided that the best course of action was to leave. I really did need to get things done prior to needing to pick up Josie from Charlotte's own Dogtopia doggy day care. I live at the North end of town. Dogtopia is at the South end.

I prepare to walk out and realize  those two good friend were sitting in the same "library" as me! I simply say, "It's a library in here because I say it is." Wish them a great day and leave. Not the smartest decision.  Text messages and Twitter replies start flying. I honestly didn't want to bother these two awesome people when I know they are truly working. One sided.. I know everyone in there was probably honestly working (and trying to be seen I'm sure) - I don't care and sit all the way in the back.

Needless to say, I turned my pickup truck around and came back. I spent a great hour with two wonderful people to me.

Sometimes in life we make the best decisions we think are right in that very moment.. It is amazing how our friends can quickly correct that thought process. I'm glad I got to spend time with them and share some of my bad influence.

ADELANTE! (Spanish for Ever Forward - to live!)
-Joe

How do you say that?!

Josie is too adorable for words!

Today was Josie’s first day of daycare. She is a Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced sho-lo-skwink-le), or Mexican Hairless Dog. The Xoloitzcuintli is the national dog of Mexico. According to the Xoloitzcuintle Club USA, Xoloitzcuintle was regarded as the earthly representative of the god Xolotl from which the name originates. In Mesoamerican art, Xolotl is portrayed as a man with a dog’s head. He was said to have created a protector and guide for humans in the underworld in the form of the hairless dog, the Xoloitzcuintle. Its task was to accompany the souls of the dead to the eternal resting place. It is estimated that the breed dates back 3,000 years and was a companion of the Colima, Mayan and Aztec Indians.


The website www.dogbreedinfo.com says that the Aztecs enjoyed the hairless dogs as pets, but also found them useful. They would even use the toy version of the breed as ancient hot-water bottles to relieving stomach pains and rheumatic joints, or simply for warming beds during cold nights. Extreme cold made for a “Three Dog Night.” I know that’s something to make me sing “Joy to the World!”
Whatever her ancient history, we’re so glad that Josie is here to help keep our playrooms warm now that summer is ending!


Originally featured on Dogtopia of Charlotte's Doggy Blog
Thank you Nicole Pennell of DOGTOPIA for featuring Josie!

What Caffeine is all about

In the heart of Historic Downtown Gastonia and down a short flight of stairs, you will find GasPump Coffee Co. I was gravitated to the smell of fresh local coffee being brewed up by owner/operator Ella Childe. Almost transformed, I was feeling more awake with each step down to the sub-basement establishment.

I'm a huge fan of popular coffee houses as many of you already know. However, I'm a huge supporter of buying local when I can. GasPump is a gem to our revitalizing local community. Just as the coffee vapors invigorate my blood, so too does establishments like this one to our historic district. The beat of hammers and construction equipment surrounding Main Ave. let me know just how much our community is finding new purpose. GasPump Coffee Co. is in the center of it all. Situated just behind GasPump lies another piece of our Gaston County history - the empty shell of one of Gaston's largest Southern textile manufacturing plants. I can feel this rich history in the original brick walls and tile floors lining this coffee house.

I can't go into any establishment, let alone a coffee house, without striking up a conversation with the people around me. I was fortunate to have owner Ella Childe there to talk with. Like the same old story, she and her husband are transplants like me. We have a common love of dogs (of course - I find all the animal lovers like a magnet). We also have a great vision and passion for what our Gaston County community will become. Like Cramerton's town motto states that we have: Pride in our past. Faith in our future. If you need your morning fix, visit the good folks at GasPump Coffee Co.

Dating in the Information Age

I'm on Facebook and Twitter. I've met quite a few people this way. I'd even venture to say that some of my closest friends come from one of these two sources. We're doing good so far, right? What about in terms of matters of the heart? There's nothing new about doing personals. We've all giggled at some of the personal ads we've seen in the paper. Wanted: someone passionate about love and not afraid to get rug burns on their knees. Call XXX-XXXX. Gotcha. Or something like this:

I think I might have spoken to her the other day actually!!! Perhaps it was all in her head....

Today, we use formats like Match.com and e-Harmony... In a discussion with one of my closest friends, the current thought is that 1:5 relationships were found online. Is there a real benefit to this? Does it work like my other relationships where we're a bit more comfortable seeing each other because we've already built up a huge relationship virtually before taking the plunge in physically meeting?

We can take the time to get to know each other much better over multiple messages instead of having one shot at getting a news clipping's worth of information out there in order to get that phone call.

In a recent investigation, the online sites still require you to get a news clipping's worth of attraction out there so that people email you or wink at you. Why not just get the information out there? Tell the people exactly what you're looking for in a single blip. I'm sure the person who fits you most will come knocking... And I'm sure a good case of some itchy STD

With that being said... I'll see you online on a popular dating site. My investigation must penetrate deeper into the inner reaching of cyber space.

Sarah Nell - The Adventure Continues

Sarah Nell's story is much like the millions of other stories I've heard over the years from fellow rescuers. What makes Sarah's adventure so special is that her time with me would be her third lease on life. Each story is as unique as the next. What I didn't realize when I stared into her eye when we met on that fateful day was that I was her only shot at finally living a happy life. I didn't realize that I was in the presence of a stately celebrity. Thus, she had an estate. However, like we see in many of the gossip magazines, coming from a great background does not equal a happy life. This was Sarah's past.

There are two different kinds of dog people in the world: those that see dogs as animals serving a purpose like a tool and those that believe in anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is the personification or giving human characteristics to non-humans. This would be me. I speak for my dogs: "Look at me! Hey! Hey! Play with me! Down here!" I envision them doing natural human behaviors. They are like my kids. I can hear the Miami Dog Whisperer, Richard Heinz, all over me now for this thought process. I can't help it. I've raised and trained many dogs in this form of behavior with great success. It almost fulfills a dogs natural freedom to some degree and builds trust between the dog and owner.

Sarah Nell came from the camp of thought that dogs, like other animals, serve a purpose. Sarah Nell was one of the last remaining GSPs from the well known Lawton Chiles line. Chiles, the former Governor of the State of Florida, used his line of dogs for hunting many types of birds. One of Lawton's most famous quotes was, "That dog won't hunt!" Chiles was referring to his then opponent Jeb Bush during the 1994 Governor's race. I would later come to believe that Chiles was subliminally talking about Sarah. Sarah was kept in a run in central Florida for years throughout her time with Chiles. A few years after Chiles governorship, he past away from a sudden heart attach. Sarah, along with her brother, were given away to a hunting buddy of his, James Johnson Jr., who lived in Coconut Grove.

Sarah's bad luck with owners did not end there. Sarah's and my paths would never have crossed if it hadn't been for Johnson tragically being killed in a car accident in the islands.Amongst many of the running jokes that Sarah brought to my life, I was to become Sarah's third male owner. It was quite possible that any male she came across would come to a violent or tragic ending. What I soon discovered was that Sarah was a slow witted slobber of a lover for men. She was the ultimate man's dog!

Sarah was left in the Johnson backyard forgotten and unwanted. A relative, who came to settle Johnson's estate, discovered Sarah Nell. Doing the best he could, not knowing much about animals, dumped a bag of dog food on the ground for her so that she would not starve. Left in the environment, Sarah had filed down her teeth and became terribly infected on numerous fronts. Not only did her former owners lie about her being spayed to avoid paying fees to the State, but now she had a massive uterine infection, pseudomonas in her floppy ears, and a massive skin infection that caused her to scratch violently. She was a walking medical nightmare.

Sarah's estate included any and all medical expenses. Sarah was quickly spayed and her internal infection cleaned up in the process. Besides the pseudomonas super germ in her ear and her blind eye, Sarah was as healthy as a puppy. It is hard to believe that infection and sickness can cause such a dramatic attitude change in a dog, but it can. To prove herself feeling better than ever, Sarah would bolt around our small condo discovering all the glories of being free and knock everything over in the process. It was clear she never was given the ability to even play with toys. Sarah was goofy and a bit slow witted. When something new was discovered, I could almost hear the choirs sing from the heavens. She would smile at me approvingly saying, "That was awesome, Daddy! What's next!"

When I first rescued Sarah Nell, I thought I would be giving an old dog a comfortable bed for the next six months until the inevitable came to pass. Just like an ancient relic dug from the Earth, once cleaned and restored I discovered a priceless piece of my heart. Those six months turned into the best four years I have ever had in a relationship with a dog.

The Abstract Collage

What truly goes through the mind of a dog? We can only hypothesize. Some of the greatest minds in Veterinary medicine have tested numerous theories on the subject matter. I'm here to say that all of those theories might hold true for the average dog, but they don't hold true in the case of my Sarah Nell. The dogs mind is relatively complex. If there was spirituality involved, dogs practice perfect nirvana of living in the now. They comprehend and react to what's around them. They have wants and desires. It is my experience that dogs exhibit the ability to retain both positive and negative. Some behaviors are instinctive while other behaviors are learned through repetition, praise and loyalty.

Pit Bulls are great examples. I can tell you first hand that the majority of people don't understand the breed or have assumptions of the breed that are simply not true. As a matter of fact, Pits are perhaps the most loyal dogs I've owned. The greatest difficulty with them is that they have the uncanny ability to remember the bad often times resulting in the need for serious rehabilitation. I believe this is why they can be easily turned into vicious dogs that people dread and fear. They don't want to be abused and are more apt to fight rather than flight. They fight out of loyalty to their owners and out of the reaction to the bad. Simple abuse by owners. Don't blame the dog; blame the person. Anyone who abuses a dog is lower than dirt and should be treated no less than a child abuser. It is a statistical fact that you have a greater chance of being hit in the head by a coconut than ever being attacked by a Pit Bull. Also, there are more bites annually from little dogs like Chihuahuas than Pits. Talk about a misconception of a breed!

In Sarah Nell's case, however, she seemed to retain only a couple of things. First, she needed her man... Me. She would wait anxiously all day until I got home so that she and I could sit on the sofa together and watch the evening news. We were inseparable. She would actually knock Susie Q, my first love and original Pointer, out of the way just to get to me when I walked in at nights. I could tell from the first moment we met that she had always been handled by a man. I'm pretty sure that she wanted me all to herself. The running joke was that she plotted feverishly to snub out my girlfriend at the time so that I would be all hers.

I discovered her passion to accomplish this as she sat on my ex while she slept in the middle of the night possibly looking to make it look like an accidental suffocation. Who would suspect the old senile dog? That's my theory at least. The second thing she remembered was that she got more alone time with Daddy (her man) every night by begging to be walked by herself promptly at 8:00 p.m. She would jump up at the door then come running over to me. Then back again. Our ritual was to take a nice stroll around our long block to work out the day's energy. Sarah was always in the lead pulling as usual. It was our moment; it was just the two of us.

The remainder of Sarah's mental state, as we soon diagnosed as cognitive dysfunction - much like Alzheimer's in humans - was an abstract collage of randomness. She would lie on the sofa and stare out towards the wall as if to be holding some kind of conversation with an invisible person or watching the clouds roll by on an afternoon Summer day. She was unsure of the front door at times. Startled by its existence, she would leap backwards knocking over the water bowl. I've never seen a water bowl dumped over with more grace and passion.

Some dogs are great communicators. They'll cry at the door to let you know that they need to use the bathroom. Not Sarah Nell. Unlike the little foster Pointer puppy peeing all over the condo, we had Lake Sarah all over the kitchen floor. I was thankful we had the carpet removed and tile put down prior to moving in. Sarah didn't know how to play well, but was quickly discovering that she could spin around in circles (most times she spun backwards mind you) and bark loudly to gain affection and attention from the other dogs and me. If she had a Native American name, it would have been "Spins in Circles." Always backwards. None of the rest of our pack knew exactly what to do with her or how to play safely with her. Except for me. I knew her limits and would quickly get her into a game of tug of war... Her favorite.

Some dogs have a great sense of reason. Some dogs remember the good and the bad. They can demonstrate incredible abilities. Sarah Nell's ability was to love, to be compassionate, to be silly and to be the best man's companion in the world. I laugh at the zany antics including her homicidal tendencies. She wouldn't have been Sarah Nell without them.

Dirty Pick Up Lines

DIRTY?! I like it! Here are a few choice pickup lines...

1. How much does a Polar Bear weigh? ... Enough to break the ice! Hi! I'm <insert name>
2. Do you wash your clothes in Windex? Because I can see myself in your pants.
3. Do you want to go back to my place for pizza and to fuck? *Wait for Gasp* WHAT? You don't like pizza????
4. The word of the day is legs; why don't you come to my house and spread the word.
5. Fuck playing doctor! You wanna play gynecologist?
6. Are you free tonight or will it cost me?
7. I'm fighting the urge to make you the happiest woman on Earth tonight.
8. If it's true that we are what we eat, I could be you by morning!
9. Let's play 68! You do me and I'll owe you one.
10. Gee that's a nice set of legs. What time do they open?

The Perfect Fit

How should you decide what type of dog is right for you? What kind of dog is a perfect fit for you and your family? I have spoken with many people over the years, and I have asked this very question. I receive responses such as:

• I grew up with this breed.
• I researched the breed.
• I saw him/her at the adoption event and fell in love.
• The dog spoke to me and I knew I had to have him/her.
• I don't know. Ask my wife!

I recently attended the Mount Holly, NC hearing on the banning of Pit Bull types of breeds from the city. Having handled so many breeds over the years I can say that Pit Bulls receive a bad perception by many. I feel that there is a real reason for this too. In the case of the Pit Bull, a non-specific mix of breeds, people typically own them simply so that they can say they own one not realizing the amount of responsibility, training, exercise and effort this terrier based breed requires in order for the dog to be happy, balanced, and sociable. In the hands of the wrong person, a Pit can be trained to be aggressive and dangerous to society.


I pictured Sarah Nell, my German Shorthaired Pointer - a 70 pound dog mind you - coming out of a crate suitable for a puppy. It's a great picture. How in the world she squeezed herself into that crate is beyond me. Sometimes, this is exactly what we expect out of our pets as humans. Guilty as charged, I treat animals like my children. I place human traits onto them and speak to them on a regular basis. The point of the matter is that I try to keep in mind that each of the breeds I've handled in my life require a specific set of rules, boundaries, limitations and training tactics so that they are balanced as a breed. Dogs cannot be merely placed in our homes without any expectations, rules, boundaries, exercise, and mental foundation. The result of failing to provide these things to ANY breed creates an animal that is destructive, hyper, and dangerous.


When I go to a dog park, my first instinct is to watch the behaviors of the dogs within the park. Some dogs' energy levels are too much for another dog within the park. What can erupt is too hard rough housing and sometimes a fight. I have seen people bitten and dogs bloodied in the process. None of these dogs were Pit Bulls. The offending dogs are probably angels at home, but not in a social environment with other dogs. Sadly, this is the fault of the human owners - not the dogs. Lack of socialization, training, and structure causes theses these bad behaviors. It can happen with any breed on multiple levels. Left unchecked by humans, this creates a ticking time bomb for not only the world around the owner/pet, but also to the owner themselves.


Breed Specific Legislation will never solve the errs of humans. If we leave our pets, our furry family, in a home with no training, no exercise, no place to run, no socialization training, and no understanding of the breed(s) mental structure and instincts, then aren't we asking our 70 pound dog to fit into a crate only big enough for a 15 pound puppy?


My response to you when thinking about getting a dog is this: take the time to read up on the breed and what specific responsibilities the breed(s) require. Terriers for example need a great amount energy released. They are a working breed. If their mind isn't focused on contributing to a task or job, the energy will need to be released somehow. A trip to the dog park is not the right answer for this. It must be focused training to work out the mental stimulation the dog requires. The dog park and play time are post training rewards after both physical and mental stimulation. Teach your dog how to walk/run on a treadmill or heel along side of a bike. Then proceed with a formal training session. Lastly, take him/her to the dog park or a run outside as the reward.


Lastly, not every training technique will work with your specific breed. I mention this because of the amounts of publicity TV celebrity dog trainers receive. We as owners must remain committed to carrying out the training in its fullest. It is up to you to find the method and the trainer that has the best response with your dog. Dog psychology varies with each breed. When dealing with a mix, like a Pit Bull or another cuddly rescue we see at the shelter, the psychology can become more complex then what we are capable of working with. Don't give up. Seek help from a professional. Create the rules. Be consistent. I guarantee your dog will be healthy, happy and balanced.

COLOR THEIR WORLD - ADOPT!
-Joe

Sofa So Good

Sarah Nell past away a few years ago. I have yet to find that "shade tree" perfect spot to lay her to final rest. Many years ago, another avid German Shorthaired Pointer owner gave me a tractor trailer hood ornament of a GSP on point which rests on top of the box. She sits next to my other recent loss of Pride, my rip-wrap English Pointer. Pride's final destination belongs with her mother back in Florida. A garden was built in Susie Q's honor (Pride's mother). There's a beautiful bird bath there to constantly attract the many song birds and hopefully a quail or two so that even in her passing she can continue to point the birds in spirit.

In speaking with many psychologists who specialize in the loss of pets, holding on to your best friend's mementos serve as a great reminder of the special times and connections we had with our beloved pets. However, without that final step of putting your past friends remains in the ground, the last step of grieving will not be complete. The completion of grieving also serves best if we change out the toys and any thing else that we view with a large connection between our former best friend and the object.

This is especially true if we own multiple pets or bring in a new dog into our lives after the passing of our last one. The connection with the new family member will suffer as a result, including our ability to train our new pet and build the bond and trust that training requires. Our new family member can't speak to say, "Hey! I'm your new best bud! Lets play! I'm sure you miss him/her, but we're going to have good times too!!!" Or at least so I thought.

Sarah Nell was a loony at times. She learned how to play with the other pack members a little less than gracefully. She would spin in circles backwards and jump up onto our leather sofa. She would bark and play bow at the excitement taking place in the play rough housing going on. In one instance, she left me a hole in our leather sofa going right into the foam core underneath. I'm guessing she bit down, a single canine tooth hole, in frustration over her wanting to rough house too.

All of the money on a leather set only to have it destroyed by our dog. I laughed and rubbed my finger over the hole many times trying to figure out what was going through her mind. The hole and the sofa outlived Sarah Nell. When company came over, we put a slip cover over the sofa so that our guests wouldn't see the pencil sized hole. I thought it was hilarious that we tried to cover up for a dog!

In this recent past year, I adopted a big Black Lab/Great Dane mix by the name of Patch. Patch Farnsworth to be exact. I never thought a dog would prove to me that a dog wanted me to move on from my former best friend's memory, directly or indirectly. All I can say is that Patch loves foam. Within a couple of months of rescuing him, he discovered the small pencil sized canine tooth hole going through the leather sofa seat. It was underneath a leather slip cover mind you. What was a small pencil hole turned into a softball sized hole with stuffing removed. It couldn't happen again right? I let the picture speak for itself:


Please note: completely eaten cushion, slip cover nicely pulled off onto the floor, and the foam once neatly packed inside said cushion now all over the floor! The cushion that Sarah Nell had so nicely left me something to remember her by now laid strewn over the floor of our house, and the remainder firmly sitting like a brick inside of Patch's stomach.

In a way, it was sad. The good times that Sarah had on that sofa, including her primary sleeping place at night, were gone. Instead of being upset, I was completely in a state of laughter. The sofa was replaced and so too were the memories of the great times Sarah Nell and I had spent rough housing together with the other pack members. While the memories of my best friend were not gone, I awakened to the supplanted new ones still in the process. Life moves on. We must not forget. However, we cannot overlook what is right in front of us. My reply to Patch, "Hey! You're right. We will have good times together!"

Enjoy the Adventure!

Bobby DeMuro and KOTA

I recently ran the Humane Society of Charlotte's Pet Palooza 5k, with one of my client's beautiful dogs by my side, and something clicked - it was time for a dog.

I had a few concerns going into the process... because of my job (I run a personal training/sports conditioning company) I am in and out of the house quite a bit, and my schedule involves some weird hours (I get up at 3:15 am every week day, for example). I also don't have a ton of room in my house for a big dog - or so I thought.

I knew I wanted to adopt from HS of Charlotte. I have friends with expensive pure-bred dogs, and they're cool, but I wanted to rescue. So two weeks ago, I drove down to their facility on Toomey Road and went through the kennels.

The First Meeting
A few things stuck out about Dakota. Off the bat, she struck me as different. As I walked around, every dog in every kennel was playing, barking, jumping, running around, and interacting with me. Dakota just laid there - she barely even looked up at me. I kept coming back, walking by, standing in front of her kennel - and still, nothing.

Eventually, she stood up. Whoa - definitely looked like a pit bull. Her information sheet called her a "Boxer Mix," but to my untrained eye, she looked ALL pit bull and no boxer. With my limited (and wrong) perception of pit bulls, I knew I didn't want to get into that world.

But even so, she was SO calm that I had to see more. I had a volunteer take her out so I could play with her. I won't lie - I was a little intimidated. She still looked like a pit bull to me, and even though she was sweet, I was a little iffy on the whole thing.

About half an hour into our playing session, she dropped down at my feet, rolled over, and showed me her belly. I scratched her for about ten minutes as she looked up at me, as if to say "you are going to be my human. I'm really cool, and I'm really relaxed. Just trust me." OK.

I filled out the paperwork, and the very next day, it went through - and two days later, Dakota (or, as she is now known, "Kota") came home. She had a few accidents on the first few days, and she didn't eat a lot, but I was told both things are pretty normal (and they were), and she eventually settled into my daily routine.

The Routine
We get up at 3:00 every morning, because Kota and I take an extra 15-minute run before I leave for work around 4:15. After my morning training sessions, I come home to my little girl - and no matter how long I've been gone, she acts as though it's the first time she's seen me in months. She goes CRAZY - ears down, rolls on her back, tail going 100 miles per hour. She even wags her entire butt for a few minutes (which makes me think she's more lab than pit bull/boxer...).

We run together every afternoon or evening, depending on my work schedule. In a typical day, between morning and night, we'll run 3-4 miles. She makes me so proud because every time out, she pulls a little bit less, she listens a little bit more, and she runs a little bit better. I wouldn't run without her, but I look forward to it when we are together!

And after runs, she's exhausted. My only beef with her at this point, regarding her lounge time, is that she takes up a good 2/3 of the couch. Keep in mind, she's only 52 pounds...

"Her" Human
I knew that I was "her" human on the second day she was with me. Two things happened on that day. Late that morning, I ran out to my car (about 50 feet from my place) to pick something up, and left her inside. I was gone for maybe 90 seconds. When I opened the door and came back in, she acted like I had been gone for a year. She was attached!

Later in the day, she showed me her loyalties. I live on the second floor, and so I often keep my balcony door open for her to run out, check out the walking path and street, and keep tabs on the outside world while we're hanging out. She went out there that day, and started growling. The hair on the back of her neck and all the way down her spine went straight up in the air, as she came sprinting back to me in my office.

She started whining as she climbed all the way on top of me in my desk chair. Her tail was wagging and her ears were down. She led me out to the balcony, where I saw (keep in mind, like 40 feet away) a miniature dachshund walking with its owner down the street. Kota, who was now sitting on my feet, looked at me, hair on her neck standing up, as if to say "Daddy, see? That was a threat. That dog was on OUR territory. I am trying to protect you Daddy! That dog won't get through me!"

At that point, I was totally sold. She's the sweetest, most calm dog I could have asked for, and she already knows to protect me and look out for me. As I write this, she's sound asleep on the couch next to me. Every time I get up to do something, she gets up and sits at my heels. To some people, that's probably annoying. But that's the reason I got a dog in the first place!

I hope more people consider going the rescue dog route in the future - I have noticed that so many rescue dogs, Kota included, are so eager to please, and so aware of their human's emotions and actions. When I'm in a bad mood, Kota knows it - after just a week together. Plain and simple - she needs love. And she gives it back abundantly. She's a great best friend!

Bobby DeMuro is the Chairman, Founder and CEO of FusionSouth LLC

For the Little Things You Do - Roxi's Story

I love that you were the only one shaking nervously in the farthest corner of the kennel, trying to hide from the world while your brothers and sisters were jumping all over me yelping "Pick me, pick ME!"

I love that when I said "That one, in the corner..." you gave the kennel manager a run for his dirty money.

When I held you for the first time, you stopped shaking.

When we went home that very same day, we both looked at each other as if to say "Oh shit, what do we do now?" And then you squatted and proceeded to do just that all over the front porch.

Your "bent" right ear that droops forward. 


How you used to "escape" from your teether and run to the neighbor's garden to dig up their veggies.

Even when you found your sneaky way into my garden, I knew I couldn't stay mad long.

I loved watching you dig for worms in the stream that ran through our front yard.

How you'd bark to high heaven at the lawn mower.

When we moved, you never let up on that "How could you be doing this?" look. 

When you would go hungry so I could feed my habit, you never left my side.

You put up with hours in your kennel while I went to work, trying to forget the feel of cool grass on your back and mud in between your paws.

In my darkest hour, you loved me when I couldn't love you back.


Your forgiving, unconditional heart. 

You jump up and have to, HAVE TO get in a "kiss" on my chin each and every time I come home.

When I'm having private time on the potty, it doesn't bother you one bit to barge right in.

How you get excited every morning to take our walks to the football fields. 


The way you hunt for lizards.

How you scramble over the red rocks on our hikes. 

How you nozzle my hand when it's not doing anything on my lap when it could be rubbing behind your ears.

When you act all tough around the smaller doggies and about pee yourself when the big ones arrive at the doggie park.

You're never far. 



How you bark at the bad people. 

When you run, full speed - you take my breath away.
More from Roxi and her Mom Jennifer Nunn can be found on her blog:
Something Within
And on Twitter: @IHavDefX