Dog Days

Long before having a baby was even on our radar, we were parents.  I know. Scandalous. ..
It really isn't that scandalous though since we were parents to our dogs!   What started out as a one dog house, has turned into a three-ring circus – literally.  We now have three dogs.  Three very large dogs.  I sometimes cringe saying it because it makes us look crazy!  I promise we’re not!  Life often has a plan of its own, which may not always be the plan you envisioned.  Without further ado, please meet our beasts!

Maggie

Maggie is our almost 8-year-old blue Weimaraner.   Her coat is darker than most of the Weimaraner’s that you see, which makes her the defect of the liter.   For any of you who know of or have had a Weimaraner, you can skip over this description.   You know exactly what I am going to say.
Maggie is rambunctious, energetic, neurotic and needy.   She is a 60 pound bony lap dog.  She is wild beyond words and most days slightly irritating, but then she turns on the charm and we couldn't imagine our home without her.  As with most Weimaraner’s, she’s highly intelligent, yet also dim.  She barks at the slightest sound and demolishes anything left in her crate when we leave her.  She truly believes that she is a human and sleeps under Brian’s legs each night.  Note: Never again will a dog ever sleep in bed with us again.  I don’t know how he sleeps at all because she is up and down all night.  Thank goodness Brian is a sound sleeper.

This is what we wake up to every morning.

She was given us to by my Dad when I was still in college.  He and my step-mom already had two dogs at the time and although they thought they could handle a third, it made their home dynamic crazy.  It was just too much for them to handle.  |Insert foreshadowing of things to come with us. |  I was finishing up college and Brian was starting his career and we had often talked about getting a dog, so the timing worked out perfectly.  She was our one and only dog until Brian, who works in law enforcement, told me that he wanted to join the K9 Division.  Within 6 months, we added another dog to the mix.

Meet Kemo

Kemo is our 8-year-old German Shepherd.  He was an active working dog for many years in law enforcement before transferring to our family and becoming my husband’s partner.  Although already trained, Kemo and Brian needed to be trained together, so he underwent another 3 months of training for his skill with Brian.  Once he graduated from the Academy, Kemo worked on the road every day for 8 months, until he started having hip problems.
What started out as a slight limp turned into Kemo not being able to walk seemingly overnight.  He couldn't move his hind legs at all.  If Brian left his sight, he would drag himself after Brian.  We rushed him to the vets, who ran a variety of tests, all of which came back negative.  The agency that Brian works for told us that we had two options – to put him to sleep or they would sign him over to us.  We were heart-broken.  After a long day of tests, this was not what we wanted to hear.  Late that evening, around 9 p.m., the vet called and said that she had been researching Kemo’s case all day.  She said that it was rare, but that sometimes thyroid disorders can cause partial paralysis in dogs.  Our only hope was to get him on medication as soon as possible. Brian rushed out to pick up the prescription and we gave him his first dose that evening.   We went to bed with heavy hearts, knowing that we may have to put Kemo to sleep the next day.  It just wasn't fair to him to watch him suffer.
The next morning, we woke up to Kemo standing and wagging his tail!  It was nothing short of a miracle.  He was stilled retired from active duty and signed him over to us.  Kemo is very young at heart and more active than ever.  He romps and runs around our yard as if he never had a problem.   You would never know that he has any problems, other than the two pills that he takes daily for his thyroid.
Kemo makes Maggie look even more neurotic and magnifies how needy she is.  We often refer to Kemo as our pet rock!  If you feed him, play with him, and pet him, he is calm and needs nothing else.  He doesn't require anywhere near the work that Maggie does.

Kemo is kindhearted and loves McKenzie.  We sometimes call him Nana because he truly believes that he is her keeper.   He loved her from the second we brought her home for the hospital.  One of the very first nights home, he gently jumped up on the side of the pack and play and pulled her by her swaddle closer to him.   After a slight heart attack, we realized that he was watching over her.  They have been best buds ever since.
Since Kemo was retired and Brian was still a part of the K9 division, he needed another working dog.  Enter dog #3…

 Kilo Gram

Kilo Gram is a 6-year-old black lab.  He is actively working with my husband in the K9 Division.  He is one of the most productive working dogs in the agency, but you would never know that by looking at him.  If you are looking for Kilo when he’s not working, you will often find him in a spare bedroom, sleeping on the floor.  I guess he works hard, so he rests hard!  We call him the camel because he doesn't ask to go outside more than twice a day.  Again, Maggie will cry to go outside every 10 minutes.   He is a big baby at heart and loves to be loved.  He refuses to give kisses, but will gladly accept all the love and attention he can get.   During a thunderstorm, you will often find him in our hallway bathroom, in the tub.  Recently, he’s even begun to shut the bathroom door before he climbs into the tub.    My big, brave police dog is really quite a chicken, but the epitome of easy.
McKenzie loves to pet him because he’s an easy target since he won’t run away from her.  He is really rather indifferent to everything.    Easy going and lovable, he completes our perfect family.
Some days make me crazy with all three of them, but I couldn't imagine our crazy life without them.
Is there any wonder why McKenzie’s first word was dog-dog!?