Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail.....

Maroo and the North Star Tibetans wish everyone a Happy and Joyful Easter Sunday! The Easter Bunny has brought tons of treats for the gang here so Maroo will be very busy enjoying the day.........Susan and I will be visiting the other rescue dogs this morning up at the kennel......so they can enjoy some of the Easter treats as well!

A Dog's Dog and the Hollywood Blond

Yesterday was the Chambersburg Kennel Club dog show over in Harrisburg Pa.....Brother and sister, "Richard" and "Luna" were entered to be shown...both are puppies from my December 2007 litter and have been training very well to get ready for the show ring these past weeks....But things did not go as planned......both Richard and Luna unfortunately did not do very well in the ring yesterday.....a completely different story for another day :) Along on this journey out to Harrisburg was "Norma Jean" a gorgeous 13 month old blond as blond can be Afghan hound.........owned by my friend Loretta who also came along with us.........us being my sister, my niece, Maroo, and myself.......All of use packed into the new van very comfortably. I always keep a dog bed between the two front captain seats for Maroo to lay in when we are going somewhere. He just loves that bed and will stay there and fall asleep on the drive to where we are going....Norma Jean was crated for the ride out there and Richard and Luna were securely kept inside the van in the second row of seats....Maroo has never met Loretta or my niece Marie before so it would be a new experience for him.....He took to both of them without any problem. Licking Marie's hand and giving great eye contact to Loretta the entire ride out to Harrisburg once at the show I kept him crated under my grooming table while I prepared both Richard and Luna for the show ring....he sat there quietly playing with a toy and then fell fast asleep.....no stress at all since this was the third trip to a dog show that he has gone to with me.........he seems to really enjoy all the sights and sounds of the other dogs........He really is a Dog's Dog kinda Dog :) After the days activities had been over we loaded up the van and headed home........this time since Loretta left her gear at the show site because she was returning the next day for Norma Jean to be shown again....I made a dog bed on the back bench seat for Norma to rest on while driving home.....Maroo kept looking at Norma......and so was Richard :) I think they both were in love with her by the look in their little dark brown eyes....Several times during the trip home Maroo would venture back to Norma's area and give her a kiss or two........Richard on the other hand jumped up onto the bench and layed down beside her like they were a couple of newlyweds :)..... I do not think Maroo was jealous because he and Richard are best buds.....he politely continued to return to the bench to check things out with both of them.......paying no attention to Loretta and Marie seated in the back row as he passed by......weeks ago Maroo would have never even gone back to that area if he had to pass a person he was not familiar with! He would have stayed close to me and would not make any eye contact with strangers at all.....With this Hollywood Blond seated in the back row of the van there was nothing that would stop Maroo's gentle heart from stealing a kiss or two from his new heart throb! He has always taken to new dog friends very well from day one.......and slowly he has begun to warm up to the human friends he is seeing on a regular basis right now.....Trust is a very big thing with Maroo......it does not come easy.....being raised as a puppy with little to no social skills or experience he has a very difficult time trusting people he just meets.........but he is getting much better.....hardly any turning of the head and "zoning out" as he did in the first few days after coming into my life........Norma Jean is such a gentle dog and is gigantic in size compared to Maroo......the picture of the two of them being affectionate to each other is still fresh in my mind........The only thing I regret about this new adventure is that no one took a picture of Norma, Richard, or Maroo being dogs at their best on the ride home.....Today Maroo still seems a bit tired from the long day yesterday.......he is sleeping right now next to me as I write this entry into his blog......based on the cute little noises he is making every once in awhile I have a funny feeling he is dreaming.......dreaming of himself and the Hollywood Blond riding into the sunset.......with the wind blowing through is hair.

"Pesach samayach,"

Happy Passover from Maroo and the North Star Tibetan Terriers!

A step in the treat direction......

Something really wonderful happened this week with Maroo. For weeks now he has been struggling with accepting treats/cookies from strangers, especially women. But yesterday when I brought Maroo to work with me to the grooming salon he made a big step in his reclaiming of courage. Mari who I work with at the salon just loves Maroo and has been quietly encouraging him each time I bring him to work with me....she gives him his space and does not come across to strong so that he would fear being in the salon with me. In the past she has offered him treats and he would not even go near her no matter what the treat might be.......yesterday he took the treat willingly from her hand without hesitation! Today when I had him with me the same thing occurred........He has now accepted Mari as a friendly person that he can trust. This is an important step for him in his recovery.......up until a few weeks ago he would turn away and not even look at strangers in the eyes. Slowly he is accepting the love and affection of others.........I could not be more pleased with the progress he has made this week......Having a few days off from going everywhere with me was a good idea....It gave him a chance to slow down and relax a bit before going back into the new world he is still learning about each day......

A Van for all seasons.........

I decided to give my boy Maroo a break for a few days since he has had some much happen to him since he has come to live with me and my other dogs.....I have been bringing him non stop to work with me, rides in the car if I have to go somewhere, to a few dog shows, visiting friends, and to class when I teach obedience..........he has had much happen in such a short time. A break was needed and I am glad that he has had this time to become accustomed to staying home when I am not with him.........He has made this adjustment very well. He still has issues in the play yard especially during the daylight hours........people in the next yard over or loud noises in the area still stress him to the point that he wants to keep running up onto the deck trying to get back into the house..........He ignores the other dogs in the yard with him at this point........I carefully monitor him during these times from the door which opens into the yard.....He has not tried to escape from the yard but I want him to know that I am there watching him so that he knows that he is safe. He has been very good in the house and keeps his crate very clean........amazing since prior to this he had NO crate training......I feed him all his meals in his crate also which with dogs is a smart thing to do because instinctively dogs will not soil where they eat.......unless it is the lazy owner who does not listen or watch for the clues dogs give them when it is time to go potty outside.........he still is a lover boy and just loves giving kisses! He also loves to cuddle on the sofa while I am watching TV or working on my laptop. The other dogs seem to enjoy interacting with him during play and while running in the yard........He fits right in as he did during the first days he was here. I have also noticed recently that he has put on some weight! and his coat is becoming very shiny......amazing what good nutrition can do! This week I had to get a new mode of transportation since the transmission in my car is going to die any day now.....So I bought a very good and gently used Chevy Astro Van.........Perfect for the dogs and my business and the dog shows! Maroo has not been in the van yet but tomorrow I will be taking him to work so he will have his first experience in a Chevy :)

It's Just a Dog......by Richard Biby


From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog", or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog". They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog".
Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog". Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog", but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog", and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
If you, too, think it's "just a dog", then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend", "just a sunrise" or "just a promise".
"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.
Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.
So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man". So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog", just smile, because they "just don't understand".

A visit to the kennel

Yesterday on Sunday afternoon I took a trip to the kennel where the remaining Tibetan Terrier rescue dogs still are being cared for. Camille met me there around 1pm....I was so happy to see that most of the dogs with the exception of "Fred" (a 5 year old male) who is still having difficulty with people....how sad it was to see him all by himself away from the gang pacing back and forth along the fence....I did go over to him a few times and placed my hand on his neck and stroked his coat gently so that he would know it was ok....he had no problem with me doing this but was very apprehensive about moving anywhere other than his spot near the fence....I could not help but to think of how far Maroo has come in the past few weeks since he has been out of the kennel. He now will come a little further when meeting new people and not look so "zoned out" when strangers approach him....At work when I bring him to the grooming salon he now accepts treats from Mari which was something he would not do a week ago! Also when clients come into the salon he has been coming a bit closer to them to check out who they are and what kind of dog they have brought in with them....He adores all dogs and loves to play with them! What a bright spot he has put into my day when he is with me....his eyes even have a sparkle to them now when he is happy!