As silly as it may seem, one of my favorite things to photograph is my dashund Roco. He can be incredibly silly, express sadness and disappointment. Most of all, he expresses love.
Most people photograph their adventures, their children, and family members but fail miserably at including four-legged family members that follow them, admire them, and love them.
My aging friend and fur baby.
These endearing creatures pass through our lives for a short period of time. They deserve to be captured while they are here.
You don’t need props. Just capture moments. Our Roco is now twelve. While we don’t know how much longer we will have him, I want to always have these memories of him.
Making a path.He loves being near water but doesn’t like getting in it!He loves going camping in our travel trailer.He knows how to bait me with this little sad face.He loves snuggling under quilts and found a friend to snuggle with.A walk on the beach. He loves the sand but hates the water.Finds a friend on the pier.I think this is my favorite of Roco. This was when he could still see.
Thanks for taking this journey with me. While we hope Roco will still be with us for a long time to come, I will have these and more photos to capture his life and journey with us.
Don’t forget to like and share with your friends. Have a great day in Christ, our Lord.
Let me just say I am not a veterinarian but an advocate for loveable fur babies everywhere, and this is my dog’s story.
About three months ago, my Dashund Roco began kicking his paws intensely, scratching and biting himself until he bled. Convinced it was a gut problem, I put him on a pre/prohibotic medication. While the medication did help some, it wasn’t enough. The symptoms lingered. The playful dog I loved was quickly disappearing.
Consult you vet people would say but the vet was of no help. After three months he had stopped playing with his toys, lost most of the hair on his back, his skin was literally flaking off to the second layer of red inflamed skin. I watched him closely and was prepared to watch him die.
Out of desperation, my husband and I walked into Petsense and talked to a young man. After listening to my story about Roco, he asked about his food. He said most likely he is allergic to either chicken or wheat in his food. Shocked that it could actually be his food, I questioned him further. The second thing he cautioned me on was additives. He, of course, then gave the usual line “consult your vet” because this could have severe effects.
I knew that God had put this young man in my path to save my dog. Under his advisement, I tried a different brand of dog food that contained no chicken and no wheat. Over a two week period, I could slowly see some improvement. He still had the symptoms, but they were not as aggressive.
This is one of the additives in the original food he was on: Carrageenan. This additive, as it turns out, can cause aggressive gastric disease and colon cancer. This is just one of a number of additives in dog food.
Now, four months out from the onset of this horror story, Roco’s has a new layer of skin that has healed to the point that he is now slowly growing hair back. He scratches and licks only occasionally now. This week, he grabbed his old toy and started playing again.
The moral to this story is to care enough about your pet to know what is in his food. Choose food that is at least 90% natural. Yes, it is more expensive, but you don’t want my story to be your story. Not only did my dog suffer, but I didn’t sleep for three months.
My dog is like my child, and I want only the best for him.
Well this is a trial and error process as I have never painted that many dogs
OreoOreo2
This little guy named Oreo made a delightful impression on me recently. When his owner brought him to an auction we attend on Friday nights he just seemed to take to me. I took a few photos of him including the two above in hopes of being able to get enough details to paint him. Here is the result:
I am a firm believer that God created all things with a purpose in mind and that certainly applies to dogs.
In the photo above my dog Rocoe is laying beside me and has cuddled himself with his duck in a bundle of blankets and a quilt. I don’t recall a day when I have thought of him as “just a dog”. He has always had a personality much bigger than his small body.
Dogs can be very sensitive to disease so after my husband was diagnosed a few years ago with mini strokes we set out to find a dog that was sensitive enough to warn us of such events. When we found Rocoe in a local animal shelter we knew he was special.
There are reasons why native americans reference animals to people. Certainly because of physical difference you would not think there would be a connection….clearly there is. If you look at the native american spirit chart you will find that the dog spirit represents protection and loyalty. Rocoe certainly proves that on a daily basis. While my spirit animal is actually the bear…Rocoe certainly acts like my spirit animal. He saved us from a fire just a few months after we got him and is very protective and loyal to a fault.
The Native americans valued all things and wasted nothing. We could learn a lot from them. Check out the spirit animal chart and see what animal you have a connection to!
While my little man Roco was not very cooperative and sat down on the job, he is very cold natured so I made this simple sweater for him. The back and sides are made of granny squares and half squares sew together and then added a rib neck and trim.
Don’t forget about your pets this winter. Roco is an indoor dog but if you have a dog that stays outside make sure you check on them often and bring indoors when the temperature gets too cold.
About fifteen years ago I received my certification as a Doula (a professional advocate in natural childbirth). While I helped a number of families navigate through the natural delivery process, I didn’t realize how much I was helping myself.
While I still find it difficult to maintain a healthy diet, I slowly started changing the way I looked at things in my lifestyle. I was in a stressful job, my father was dying of cancer and the day-to-day struggles of life were overwhelming. I started applying some of the relaxation techniques and other natural theories to myself.
I trashed all over-the-counter medications and started researching natural alternatives. Even in the grocery stores, I began reading labels and opted for non GMO food products. You do not realize how many contaminates you eat daily. I don’t take any medications that are not prescribed and my physician understands my desire for natural substitutions when possible.
Am I healthier than I was before? Yes to some degree. That doesn’t mean I don’t have issues but I have healthier choices in how to handle them.
Start with the basics, the way you breathe. Sit in a comfortable chair, not a lounge chair guys, breathe in slowly for 7 seconds and exhale the same way and relax. Breathing with this method will not only relax you but benefits the lungs. Try this at least twice a day.
Meditation – I was never really a believer prior to my research but now I can say it is beneficial. Sit on the floor in a Lotus position (reference yoga position crossed legs) relax every muscle from your head to your toes. Next clear your mind of all negative thoughts. This is a great opportunity for prayer or music, whatever benefits you the most. I personally do both.
I even apply some of these techniques to my dog. He enjoys a good massage and I try to supplement healthier foods and snacks when possible.
These are just a few of many changes you can start for a healthier lifestyle. Have a great day.
Through My Eyes 