Celebrating a Year of JOY
Today we celebrate the Adoption Day of our Zia (Jadzia Dax for those DS-9 fans).
365 days of smiles, laughter, cuddles, kisses and absolute JOY!
365 days of smiles, laughter, cuddles, kisses and absolute JOY!
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JOYFUL play video!
A little girl who seemed to have never seen toys before. If this video doesn't bring you joy, see a doctor! |
From day one, other than being under-weight, she was healthy and is THE MOST JOYFUL dog …
Always, every moment of every day in every thing she does, she does with a JOYFUL HEART! |
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July 3rd, 2019, we found this precious little girl at the shelter. Estimated to be a 7 to 8-month-old stray, she was clearly under-weight, but ever so happy and it was love at first sight for us. We brought her home and went out on the deck for a bit so she could explore her new yard, do her business and gave her a snack of fresh fruits and vegetables - after which we invited her to nap with us. We had her 'room' (a kennel in our bedroom) ready, but gave her a chance to bond with us in bed …
She has slept in bed with us EVERY night since, and never leaves the bed. Perfection from the start! And she smelled SO BAD we gave her a bath, but the smell didn't go away ... until a month later after being on good food and cleaning her system from whatever it was she was having to live on. |
Skinny Girl Maze Bowl Video
Having to scavenge for food was evident in how fast she ate, so to slow her down we got this maze bowl. You can see in the video how skinny she was for 7-months.
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1st week with us - July 2019 WHAT? A cat bed? |
The first 3-months were frustrating at times. No one taught her basic manners during those critical puppy's first 7 months. She clearly had scavenged for food and since she is a terrier mix … Well, she was a 'TERRORIST' at times! We're guessing she had loved a family before and been dumped, as her separation anxiety was very intense at times, even when we both were in the house with her, but there was a puppy gate between her and one of us. So we just had be patient until she realized that we were never going to give up on her – and when that happened, Zia fell in love! |
It was a challenge getting her to walk on a leash. The world was a big and scary place, I guess. She would walk a few steps and stop. We'd have to pick her up and carry her a few feet, then put her down and start again. I did this every day, sometimes twice a day until she began to gain some confidence and began to enjoy her walks.
We also realized that she HATED having a leash attached to her collar. Perhaps she'd been chained or tied up at some point, so we tried a harness and viola!
We also realized that she HATED having a leash attached to her collar. Perhaps she'd been chained or tied up at some point, so we tried a harness and viola!
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The shelter identified her as a Rat Terrier mix and no wonder she certainly looked like it, especially a 19.5lb seven-month-old pup, well except for the pink nose ...
So curiosity got the best of us and we did a DNA test: 50% American Staffordshire Terrier 12.5% Bull Terrier 37.5% a blend of seventeen other breeds of which the following are most likely prominent according to the results: Pomeranian, Pug, Keeshond, Shih Tzu, Border Collie, Australian Cattle Dog, German Shepherd, Great Pyrenees. Gotta love a mutt! They get the best qualities in the breeds they're made of and become one spectacular and unique character! We see strong Border Collie characteristics in her playtime and she's the sweetest, happiest, "bully" you'll ever meet. Not one ounce of aggression. Adores people and loves other dogs. We don't know about cats yet, that's a future discovery to be had. |
August 2019 |
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In September last year we took Zia to Bark in the Park, a fun day for dogs and their people put on by our local Humane Society. We met Penelope and Max and their people. Penelope is about a month older than Zia so a great and lifelong bond was made that day. Weekly play dates, weather permitting, followed and we saw such an improvement in her behavior after being able to play with other dogs. In February this year, those play dates came to a halt while poor Penelope endures a very long recovery after having surgery on both her hind legs.
Late this year or kicking off 2021, we all look forward to the new and improved Penelope who will be able to enjoy play dates without pain! |
Playing with New Friend Penelope Video
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After a couple of months of no play dates, it was clear that Zia needed something we simply couldn’t provide, so we took her to Paradise Doggie Daycare. She LOVES it! She visits and plays with all the dogs for a three-hour session every two-weeks and it's so good for her. We'll continue these sessions even when she, Penelope and Max resume their weekly play dates. A dog can never have too much time with good friends!
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Today, Zia is a joyful bundle of energy and 100% muscle, weighing in at 47.5lbs, she's 19-months and still a fun-sized lap dog! She's an athlete who can out play, out last and out wit (for those Survivor fans) any dog who wants to participate!
Her wonderful vet, Dr. Janah Crunk at Pine Grove Vet Clinic, raves about her sweetness and extraordinary health. Since Zia likes EVERYTHING, it's been easy to keep her on holistic, organic and all natural food and treats. |
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Today we walk for an hour most mornings, exploring the beautiful hills of our rural neighborhood.
We are fortunate to live where the seasons are prominently displayed and the wildlife roam, offering new sniffing and socializing opportunities every day and many different routes, so she's never bored. This hour a day, combined with her oncoming adulthood, has proved to be very satisfying for her and she's a calm and well-behaved doll the rest of the day. |
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Things we've learned this year about our girl ...
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SNOW DAY Video Compilation
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I buy Natural Bulk Femur beef bones (unfilled) and began stuffing them with various mixtures of egg and oatmeal, or spinach, peas and cottage cheese, or halibut, carrots and peanut butter ... you get the idea - stuff them and freeze them. She adores them, I know they are healthy and they last an hour or more! Sometimes I put a beef roast, organic sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, green beans, peas and brown rice - along with sodium free broth packets in water - into the crock pot and make stew which I then stuff the bones with.
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Though still struggling with the 'stay down' command when she gets to interact with other people - her excitement just gets the best of her, especially with last summer's Canine Virus running through our county which kept her home for three months, closely followed by winter, and then the stay at home order - socializing has been difficult. But, in all other ways, she's well-behaved and has settled into a wonderful routine.
July 3, 2020 - A Fun Day for Zia
A quick thank you to Zia's Aunt Susan at the Feed Barn for having such great toys to choose from, including some for POWER CHEWERS! Zia enjoyed her new dragon inside toy and had fun outside today with her new Chuckit!
I LOVE my new DRAGON! |
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Thank you to everyone who has been part of her life this past year and helped make her into the best girl she can be!