Erin is our February 15, 2015 Pup of the Week

            On that fateful day so many lifetimes ago when Pocket and I were banned from Doggyspace we began contacting our friends to form another group.  Then I got a message from Erin.  And I hesitated.

            Erin was a key cog in the DS machine.  She was the pup everyone went to for advice on how to lay out their pages, post videos or answer questions.  We were friends but when I first saw her e-mail I wondered if she was a mole sent from DS.  I almost ignored her request.  But I answered it.  When I did history was made.

            She was as tired of, and disappointed with, the old DS management and anxious to move to another site.  When we started the Tanner Brigade we checked with Erin first.  While we could invite the friends and drive content we needed her expertise in setting up the site.  She agreed.  If she hadn’t the Tanner Brigade may never have occurred.  Everyone who enjoys the site should tip their tail her way.

            She is also responsible for creating our motto:  “Freedom to Bark.”  We wanted a place where dogs could bark freely and her phrase fit our group perfectly.  It was the name of Erin’s website.  She helped hundreds of bloggers set up their own web pages by designing web sites and posting helpful tutorials on her page.  Her Freedom to Bark website was a guide to so many bloggers.  Her work can still be seen on them today.

            In the last few years Erin slowed down.  Her Mom got sick and had a long recovery.  Erin had a litter of pups and spent more time being a Mom than being a brilliant computer creator.  She left the site she helped create for a while and we mourned her loss.

            She recently came back to us and spent her last few days with her beloved online family.  She had trouble standing and walking.  She collapsed several times.  She could not get up the stairs on her own.  Her time had comes.  Her Mom made the hardest decision of all.  She sent her heart dog, the one she chose to be the face of her blog, , to the Bridge, to join so many other legendary dogs.

            After I swore her in Erin and I hugged for a long time.  We had accomplished a lot together, and now it was time for us to rest.

            Or so I thought.  I was awoken the next morning by Erin.  She had wires in her hand.  She made me come with her to the base of the mountain.  She moved some rocks away and then she showed me a jumble of wires that I had no idea that existed.

            “Look at this!” she said.  “The wiring here is archaic!  I have to completely re-work everything.”  She began ripping wires out and putting them back in.  “It is going to take me all week,” she said shaking her head.

            I left her doing what she loved best, fixing the messes we all made with our computers.  She is still doing it, while taking breaks to check on her Mom.

            While we know that hearts are broken on the mortal side of the Bridge with another original TB member joining us on the immortal side of the River of Life, and our hearts go out to her wonderful Mom Donna, we know our communications to all of you will become more reliable now that Erin is with us.

Buck is our November 25, 2012 Pup of the Week

Every pack has a primary barker.  In our pack it’s me.  Occasionally I will let Pocket bark if she has something important to say ~eye roll~ or if I need a break, but, for the most part, when you hear barking from us, it’s me.

I think there are a lot of packs like that.  Tommy barks more than Freddie Girl.  Hattie more than Jackie Lynn.  But that doesn’t mean that the quieter dog is any less loved, it just mean they have a slightly smaller personality (editor’s note from Pocket:  and ego).

When we were first trying out this dog networking thing one of our initial friends was Erin.  Erin knew everything we didn’t know.  There was no one better at explaining how to upload pictures, videos, and design a page than Erin and her Mom.  And she was always open to answer our many questions.

Some of us thought that Erin was an only dog because she was the only one who barked but Erin had a brother Buck.   We didn’t hear much from Buck but Erin would tell tale of him and post a darling picture or two.

It is ironic that Buck was so quiet because it was Erin who first coined the phrase “Freedom to Bark.”  At that time many of us were having problems with the old management at DS because some of our comments were being removed and our private messages were being read.  When we started the Tanner Brigade we borrowed the phrase Freedom to Bark as our motto because we believed if you let dogs bark what they wanted to bark everything would be fine because dogs never bark a bad woof.

As of late, because of the human issues that happens to all our humans from time to time, work, illness, family, the other problems of daily life, Erin and her Mom have not been barking much, but there would be no Tanner Brigade without them, and a lot of what newer members of DS take for granted like when someone teaches them how to post a picture or a video or do a new layout, they should know that many of those doing the teaching today have learned from Buck, Erin, and their Mom.

So the wonderful Mom who gave us the phrase Freedom to Bark bark had a pup who didn’t bark much, but he was loved very much by his Mom and will be missed very much by all of us.

There are lots of different ways to go to the Bridge and none of them are good.  At least for Buck it was fast and he didn’t suffer, nor did his Mom have to spend a lot of money on testing and treatments that failed.  Buck spent a pleasant Thanksgiving with his family but on Saturday he tumbled down the stairs.   He could not stand up, he had no reaction to any touch and had labored breathing.  His Mom made an appointment for the vet but Buck went to the Bridge before she could get him there.  He had made his choice to leave this earthly realm from the home he loved.  As his Mom put on her Facebook page.  “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”

So here is to Buck, who helped create the Freedom to Bark even when he chose not to bark.  And for all the quieter dogs who are strongest in heart and loyalty.  

Erin and Max are our February 26, 2012 pups of the week

We recognize two pups this week.  Two pups who will probably never read this.  Two pups whose Moms won’t be able to read this either.  If a pup of week is recognized in a forest and they aren’t there for the ceremony do they know it?  Doesn’t matter.  When it comes to pups of the week I go by my heart.  

One of these pups you have never (excepting one.)  The other you know well but haven’t seen in a long time.  And I owe tracking them down to the intrepid Hobo Hudson.  If you are unfamiliar with his wonderful writings you can read them here, and his Mom’s columns here.  Both are very informative.

While Hobo is as good a dog who has ever barked a tree we are here to thank him, not to honor him.

The first is the dog we have never met.  His name is Max.  He doesn’t have a computer profile anywhere.  He is Interneterlly homeless.  But when it comes to real homes he is very lucky.  His name is Max and he is the brother of one of our most beloved Bridge friends:  Ladybug.  Since Ladybug went to the Bridge we haven’t heard much from her.  But sometimes these sites are too painful to come to for our Moms after we go to the Bridge.



But Max’s Mom hasn’t been able to get on the computer.  She has had family problems, and she has had bad arthritis.  The kind that keeps are Mom’s off the computer.  The kind that keeps her from all the friends she has made in the social dog world.   I can’t imagine how sad that would make both my Mom and me.  To know that all our friends are just on the other side of that keyboard but not being able to get to them.  My Mommy has bad arthritis in her legs and back.  It hasn’t reached her hands yet.  Sometimes the Bridge separates us from our friends.  Sometimes it’s the pain of Earth that does.  If Max ever reads this I want him to know that I was Ladybug’s friend and even though we haven’t barked, I am his.

Our second Pup we recognize is well known on The Tanner Brigade, in the blogging world, and for those long time members of DS.  She is a German Shepard called Erin and her mother’s named is Donna.  Together they taught many of the older members of DS, and many other dog  bloggers, the ability to design their own pages.  She showed an enormous amount of patience with us bloggers, who weren’t very smart.


It seems to many of us that there wouldn’t be any dog blogging if it wasn’t for Erin.  It’s like she created the entire medium.  She certainly did a lot to improve our blog pages.  Her Freedom to Bark blog is still up here.

She too, because of physical problems has not been able to be on the computer.  Erin not being on the computer is like Michael Jordan not being able to play basketball.  Like Max’s Mom we miss her friendship and her humor.  And I know it is hell for her not to be able to bark at her good friends.

So this is for Max and Erin and their Mom’s.  You are in our heart always and hopefully you will be on our pages soon.  Until then we will keep praying. 

Erin is our second anniversary Tanner Brigade Pup of the Week

It has been a difficult past few weeks for us Brigaders, with many good friends becoming ill and needing prayers.  Now, as our second anniversary approaches Pocket and I needed to pick an appropriate Pup of the Week.  Thankfully no pup has experienced any serious health trauma this week, although Paco did give us a scare at the beginning of the week.  We figured it would be quite a battle this morning about who we should pick.

Then this morning we powered up the Brigade.  We were greeted with the most spectacular layout we have ever seen.  And then our decision became easy.

Since the day we broke ground on the Brigade this pup has been with us.  More than any other she has made our site a beautiful and exciting place to be.  Which makes Erin our second anniversary Pup of the Week.

If you are reading this on the Tanner Brigade you have seen the marvelous job she did with her Mom Aunt Donna to create a layout celebrating our anniversary.  When I announced the party for tomorrow she made mention that she could do a new design.  But both Erin and Donna are quite busy.  We would certainly understand if she were unable to do it. 

But Erin always comes through for us.  Every original design that has been created for us she has done.  And even though this is her business she has never asked us for a single kibble.  (Editor's note from Pocket Dog: Wouldn't it be nice if Foley represented paws for free in legal cases instead of charging kibble.)  Plus Erin and her brother Buck are so famous they were interviewed on another blog.  You can read it .here

For those of us in the blogger community like Koli and Felix, Smoochy, and Silvie, we know how respected Erin's Freedom To Bark site is in the rest of the blogger world.  To be honest, because of the work that Erin did on Doggyspace, we thought she was part of their management.  And boy did she prove us wrong.  I was surprised that someone gave so much advice for free.  In this blog written two years ago Erin did better then anyone explain what was wrong with Doggyspace under the former management.

Because of some physical issues Aunt Donna has had Erin has not been as active on the site as others, but she is always watching over us.  If anyone is having problems with their computers Donna is the first one to step up and help.  And again she never asks for a dime in compensation.

Her computer skills are also offered to other bloggers.  She is the most influential pup on the Internet.  And most important:   She is on our side.

I think Erin wouldn't argue if we made every member of The Brigade the Pup of he Week this week.  In their own way every member of the Brigade makes this the most special pup home on the Internet.  I could start naming all the wonderful pups, but if you are Brigade member, and are reading this, then we mean you.  You all bring something special and needed to the site.

It has been a very difficult year for the group:  loss of dear friends like Baron (Bear Bear), Pepsi, and harder still the loss of members of our human family.  Gina, who never left us without a smile, and Jackie Pool, whose passing on February 12 has left a large hole in all our hearts.  But with every passing, or illness, we have all gathered around to pick up the hearts of those that were broken  and helped rebuild them again.  As we proved with Boris last week, our prayers carry a mighty weight.

It has been nothing but a pleasure to help hold such a wonderful group together.  When the Ning Weasels asked us for money to keep the site going our members contributed enough to keep the site paid in full for three years.  So while the sun shines brightest on Erin this week let's get everyone together for a picture..  Erin's in front, try to squeeze next to each other 12 and Matilda, Hattie stop staring in jealousy at Sydney's dress, Hurley put down the frisbee, Logan get yourself dried off, everybody get ready, and say Tanner Bub.

Excellent.  Wait why is there a yellow spot?  Oh Pocket!

A New Year for the Tanner Brigade

Hi, the Foley Monster here, wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year. We haven’t posted a blog in a week. We were on staycation. We had a great time. We played the slots at Mohegan Sun, had a dinner at a nice restaurant (but it was our second choice, the first had spiked milkshakes but it wasn’t open, we’re still wracked with disappointment), we celebrated my Mom’s birthday, we stayed up New Year’s Eve watching the annual exploiting of Dick Clark’s deteriorating health while drinking Foleytinis (Mix cocanut rum, peach schanppes, pineapple liquor, and orange juice and garnish with a jerky stick). On Friday Pocket and I chopped down the Christmas tree then hid under the bed when Mommy began yelling about it being artificial. (Mommy’s New Year Resolution was to be calm and assertive, oops.) Guess you’re not supposed to chop down an artificial tree. Who knew? Saturday we helped Daddy get rid of the snow with our massive pees.

Pocket made a resolution not to pee in the house anymore. She broke that shortly after we chopped down the Christmas tree. I had resolved not to attack Pocket anymore if she didn’t pee, but I am no longer held to the resolution. I have not attacked her yet. My main weapon is surprise, which is why I attack her in her sleep.

We finally figured out how to use one of Erin’s layouts on our homepage. We were so excited we accidentally downloaded ourselves to Hobo Hudson’s house, which normally is a good thing, but my forgetting to file paperwork in time may have cost him a few thousand kibbles when he sold his company. We were able to make it home safely without facing the wrath of the Hobo because he was making googley eyes and leaving bacon strips for the girl down the street.

Pocket then decided we should use Erin’s layout as the main layout for the Tanner Brigade. I knew immediately how I felt about this. If people like it, then it was my idea, if they don’t, it was all Pocket. I think it will affect pages that contain blogs, members, videos, photos, and forums. Let us know what you think. We want to snazzy the place up a bit.

I am very excited about the upcoming year for the Tanner Brigade. It’s our first full year together and we’re trying to come up with even more fun events. We have so many brilliant pups here: the computer expertise of Erin, the beautiful artistry of Zoe, the fun contests run by Luca and the Argentinian pack, Shiloh’s Caniscopes, the Pack’s Puppy Digest, Tadertot’s Popsicle jokes, Hobo’s business blogs, Hattie Mae’s fashion photos, Sarah Jane’s smart tips for dog owners in the economy humans screwed up so badly, Buttons’ wisdom, the runway magic of the Lambies, and the daily miracle of Morgan.

So please either let me know if you like the new look, or Pocket know how badly she screwed up the old look. We look forward to many fun days of play at the Tanner Brigade, and to be ready with snuggles, soft licks, and broad shoulders, for the bad days.

We may not be calm, or very assertive, but we are a pack: loved by our parents, unconditionally loving them back, and looked over by Tanner and the Rainbow Bridge Angels.

We are the Tanner Brigade.

Long may we run.

Erin is the Pup of the week November 30, 2009

Some weeks Foley and I have to debate about who will be our Pup of the Week but this week it was simple.

This pup spent her Thanksgiving working on our site. Her initial efforts were stymied by the Ning elves but she would not be denied. She used her big, beautiful brain, and now, we have smiles everywhere, on our comments, on our replies, in our personal messages, everywhere.

We like to think that the Tanner Brigade is the best dog social network site on the Internet made up of the best dogs. One of the things that make it so special is all the smiles and there is one pup we have to thank for that.

So for giving us our smiles back, and for always being there whenever we become confused about the series of tubes that is the Internet, Erin is our pup of the week.

Congratulations Erin on a job well done.