The Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3 Blog

I don’t know why, but recently I have been overly busy greeting old friends at the Bridge.  I am always happy to see them, but I can also feel in my heart the sorrow on the mortal side after the new angel’s departure.  In the past month, the angels have come over the Bridge as relentlessly as the rain, and I keep praying that it stops. I have been blessed with so many friends from multi-pet packs that it is becoming routine to see new angels reunited with the beloved siblings that preceded them to the Bridge.  Recently, I have watched the Golden Girls, and Maverick and Lily meet again on the immortal side.  Seeing how happy they are together helping to lessen the sorrow that follows when the mortal world loses another precious soul. This week Tilly arrived at the Bridge and joined her brother Peabody, who passed earlier this year, and sister Doxie. It is terrible when a parent loses two of her babies in the same year.  It is like a ship being hit with a second wave after it had alre

There is a round thing that hangs on the outside of our shed.  It has a hand, but it isn’t a clock.  I have noticed that the hand rises during hot weather, and falls when it is cold.  On Monday the hand rose higher than it ever has before.  It even passed the hundred mark.  Coincidentally or not, it was hotter than the dickens outside.   That day my parents worked outside.  They knew it was dangerously hot, but they are old school:  There was work to be done, and it wasn’t going to do it itself.  They call this type of thinking old school because all of the people who subscribe to that viewpoint are all buried in the cemetery after dying from heatstroke.   They worked for a half-hour, then came inside, sat at the kitchen table to rest and enjoy the air conditioning.  River and I barked and squirmed to be picked up so we could give them rejuvenating licks, and enjoy their sweet, salty skin.  Then they went back to work. After a couple of hours of mowing, weeding, car washing, garden

I can't wait until they get finished painting my sister's apartments and he and her husband move out of here,

This one is about your parents?  Have they ever been bitten by a dog bad enough to draw blood?

Dogs are put on Earth to be best friends with their parents but sometimes dogs bond so strongly with their siblings that a pooch becomes the most critical relationship in a pup’s life.  That is why dogs can suffer when their siblings pass the same way that people do.  They don’t follow their kin into the light, but the magic goes out of them.  Their loving parents recognize there is something different in the pup. It is as if part of their souls were attached to the departed. It could not be retrieved until the day that they were reunited. Father Tim knew that Maverick was a unique dog.  He loved the little boy with all his heart.  It was shattered when Maverick made his final journey to the Bridge.  Father Tim knew he was fortunate to have Maverick’s sister Lily with him, to help ease his pain caused by Maverick’s passing.  After an extensive search, Maverick found a dog who was worthy of living with his dad and Lily, named Marshy. Before Maverick left, he had a long talk

I was fortunate not to be born at a puppy mill like so many of my friends.  I knew love from the first moment I opened my eyes.  That is the difference between being born at a puppy mill and a puppy farm.  But, sometimes, certainly not in my case, puppy mill dogs, because they did not have love from the first moment they opened their eyes,  become more loving towards their parents.     I recently learned the story of Sarah Kells.  She was a married woman with four rescue pups, all seniors.  Sarah and her husband divorced.  Over time all the dogs went to the Bridge except for Chloebelle a Bichon.     Chloebelle’s angel siblings began to search for a new pup for their mom but were hoping they could locate a dog who could do much more.  They were looking for the right dog to redefine their mom’s life.  The angels directed her to a shelter and then to a pup who had been used for breeding purposes.  Sarah decided the Bichon with one eye would be the new pack member, as her angels ha

River Song and I have always tussled.  It begins with us making snarling noises.  Then we get on our back legs and begin trying to bite one another like tiny versions of Godzilla and Mothra.  We don’t do much harm.  Sometimes, River nips my ear, and that hurts, but that is the most damage we do.      In the past couple of months, our main fighting has occurred in bed at night and consists of River attacking me in my sleep.  This not only angers my parents who don’t like being awoken by a fight that sounds like two muskrats having sex, and having to break us up, but it upsets Foley too, who always instructed us to respect the bed as a place of peace.    River doesn’t attack me for no reason.  She is very protective of our Mom.  She doesn't always sleep snuggled up next to Mommy’s top half, but she doesn’t want anyone else to do it either.  She lets me sleep against her below the waist, but anything north of the Mason Dixon is River’s territory.  If I get too close, she attac

Sam was at his worst when it was Yom Kippur and he did not get his breakfast. 

If you were a human and went to a party, how would you act? Would you be the life of the party? Would you be shy? Would you eat all the food? Would you ask people to dance? Or something we did not think of? Let us know in the comments below:

When we began on social media, some of us, like me, were known by our individual names, while others, such as The Killer K9’s, and the MinPin Gang, went by what their pack was called.  One of the most popular of these groups is the Golden Girls. As you may have determined by their name, the Golden Girls were three golden retriever lollipops.  They lived with their mom Sharry and shared with her an unbreakable love. The Girls lived glorious lives, filled with sunny days, playtimes, treats, food walks, competitions, and blue ribbons.  But then the lions came, first for Misha, and then Guinevere.  That left Daisy as the last original Golden Girl. Daisy became a bridge between the original pack and a new Golden Girl group, consisting of Breeze and Ari.  Before Daisy departed for the Bridge, she needed to make sure the new members were prepared to help their mom through what could be the most devastating loss of them all, for when Daisy departed the tie to the original Girls would

I have had a busy time swearing-in, welcoming, and helping to assimilate new angels at the Bridge the past few days.  First, there was Harley Davidson, then Josie the guinea pig, and finally, Roland, a friend from my old Doggyspace, and early Tanner Brigade days.   Roland is the nephew of my great friend Tanner, who the Brigade is named for. When this kind and sweet boy crossed Rainbow Bridge, more than a decade ago, he was rewarded a huge mansion for all his good works on Earth.  After living with a big family, he was lonely, so he invited Rommell, who preceded him to the Bridge to live with him.  Over the years, Max, Cocoa, and Ruger, all pups who belonged to his mom, joined him, along with Roland’s sister Savannah, living at the house.  It was a rocking and rolling angel home.   But, it was not a home that was looking for new members.  Unfortunately, the one thing we always get here is fresh angels.  With so many family members at the Bridge, the angels prayed that Ro

Some dogs see things the way there are and go hide under the bed.  I see things as they should be and ask, “why not”  On July 4th weekend, when the world was exploding around me, and my parents were complaining about how this illegal activity was happening everywhere around them, I wondered how the behavior could be changed.     It would seem like there were countless fireworks celebrations going on around us.  With all that noise, I imagined there were thousands of people joyfully lighting up the sky and causing earth-shattering booms.  In reality, there were dozens at the most.  And then I asked myself how many dog parents were there?     There must be a thousand dog parents for every one person who thinks they have the right to shoot off fireworks.  If just half of those people have dogs who become trembling wrecks as Pocket does, then that is an impressive number.  The people who set off the fireworks are anarchists breaking the law for their own pleasure and creating chaos

Mom was right, good to the last drop

What would you do if you were with their parents and they were in danger and the assailant offered you a treat?  Eat the treat while your parents were assaulted?  Protect your parents?  Hide?  Run away?  Pocket:  I would run for my life. River:  I would protect Mommy with my life.  If it was Daddy, well, he can handle himself, at least until I am done eating my treat.

No dog wants to go to the Bridge.  Even ones that are homeless with no love in their lives, and little chance of finding any, want to stay because all dogs believe that tomorrow will be a better day, even if all evidence points to the contrary.  That is why so many dogs, when their heartbeats expire, and the dementors summon them to the Bridge, fight so hard to stay.     The dementors will give a dog illness, then step back to see if that brings the pup to the Bridge.  If not, they keep adding problem on top of problem until the little soul can no longer bear the weight and finally succumbs.  Humans see their dog become sick, then get better, only to become ever further ill.  It is a frustrating ride, as they think they are out of the darkness and then dragged back into it.  This is how Harley Davinson went to the Bridge and why his passing took an especially hard toll on his mother, Jerri.     Harley, a darling Schnauzer, who was able to avoid the dementor's reach and adv

Today we were celebrating my friend Odie’s Bridge Day.  Four years ago, on this date, he crossed the river and became immortal.  We celebrate such days because they are sad reminders of what we have lost.  Humans think that you should celebrate when you are happy, but we dogs know you celebrate when you are sad because that is when you need the party the most. We gathered for a massive party with Odie as the guest of honor.  His angel brothers Scooby and Rusty sat at the head of the table with him.  His mortal brothers Max and Baron were present in dream form, as were River Song and Pocket.  Then we got a most unexpected visitor. A tiny fuzz ball landed on the table right next to the roast beast.  We dog love these little animals.  They have never sat on a porch and mocked us or snuck into our garden to eat our plants and vegetables like bunnies, chipmunks, and the dreaded squirrel.  Still, it was strange to see one in Doggyspace.  Why he was with us was solved when Odie procl

The Independence Day war is over, and, with the possible exception of some ill-digested meals, there were no casualties, at least on this front.    In the weeks leading up to the battle, we heard artillery in the distance.  The sound was far enough away to be drowned out by the television and air conditioner.  But, each day, it got closer.   On July 3, an attack occurred at our home.  It was launched from the east.   As soon as dusk settled in, the bombing began.  When the first explosion occurred,I lifted my head, and when the second happened, I sprung into action.   I have been tasked, since coming into the family, with protecting my parents.  This is a challenge for a five-pound, four-inch-tall dog, but I take my duty very seriously.  When I was sure that we were under attack,I decided to save my Dad.   I climbed up his chest and sat on his shoulder.  My parents thought I did this because I was frightened.  They could not be more wrong.  I climbed on top of my dad, so I

This was the exact moment when Dave realized being a drug sniffing dog was a bad career choice.

What was the first site where you posted as a dog? Ours was Doggyspace, a very fun site for eight years.  I still remember being very moved the first night because of all the kind people we met there.

I am very partial to Shih Tzus.  Twenty years ago, I came home to find Blake, my first and best sister, in my house, and she taught me so much that I wouldn’t be the dog I am today without her.  While I love all pups, I have a special place in my heart for that breed.  That is why I try to make their arrival memorable.      When I learned that my old friend Henry the Shih Tzu was arriving at the Bridge after a period of failing health, I invited Blake to come with me.  Every breed experiences crossing over differently, and I figured Blake could help Henry with the transition.       Shih Tzu should be in their group.  All dogs have a specialty, even the little ones like Yorkies, who were bred to chase ratters out of small spaces.  But, Shih Tzus were meant only to love.  They were produced to sit with humans and keep them calm, and nothing else.  That creates for a relaxed and peaceful relationship with their parents and strong codependency.     That is why we knew Momma Ly

On Sunday,  I told you a story about a mom who followed her pup into the dark.  It was a joyful reunion.  But, it doesn’t work like that all the time.  Seniors lose their dogs tragically every day and do not immediately follow.  But there are times when the passing can still be a life-changing event that restores people’s faith in humanity. Ken is an 80-year-old man who lived with his beloved dog Zack in a retirement community, much like ours.  They were seldom seen on the site, except when they took their daily walk.  Ken would offer a friendly hello but no conversation.   Two weeks ago, Ken found himself in a situation where he had to rely on the people who he had been successfully shunning for years.   A neighbor of Ken’s, Carol Burt, was considered the development’s dog expert, having fostered pups, and successfully diagnosed the ailments of pets in the community.  She was startled by a loud banging on her door.  When she answered, she was told that Ken needed her desper

We dogs have a marvelous sense of when something is bothering our parents.  If they are sad, we try to act in a manner that will cheer them up.  If they are nervous, we must take all the worry out of their minds.  Most of the time we try to make things better, but sometimes, just to entertain ourselves, I must admit, we do the opposite.       We are also very adept at identifying when something is physically wrong with our humans.  When a dog is specially trained, we can even sniff out cancers and other maladies.  We are even being taught how to identify COVID 19 just by the smell.  A much better alternative than a footlong Q-Tip up your nose.     We can tell when our humans have minor discomforts too.  Sometimes they worry us more than they do them, who can be stubborn.  Often, like an experienced diagnostician, we use both physical and psychological clues to determine what is wrong.  One of our specialties is telling when our parents have to pee.       If you are like me, a