michaelhphotography

Only one of the coolest puppies I have ever met…and doing pictures for Cricket Hollow Farms….I have seen a boat load of puppies.

Expect more of Popcorn (AKA Poppy) pictures soon.

You can see more of Cricket Hollow Farm’s labs at their web page by clicking here

Last Friday morning at 430AM I woke up to a disturbing sound. I glanced over the edge of my bed and saw Diesel having a seizure. I was baffled…I had no idea what could of caused this. Instantly I was out of bed and at his side letting him know I was there. After about 30 seconds, he pulled out of it but I could tell that he had no idea what was going on. I took him out and he seemed to be okay. I knew a call to the Vet’s office in the morning was in need. I went back to my bedroom and Diesel laid right back down and went to sleep.

700AM…That disturbing sound happens again. I peer over the edge of my bed and Diesel is back at it. Poor guy. We ride the seizure out and it’s a call to the Vet’s office. The Vet decids he needs to be on Phenobarbital, a medicine that helps eliminate seizures. Norton, my mom’s dog is on it and has no issues being on it. You would never know he is on a medicine the way he is so energetic.

To make a long story short, over the course of 24 hours, Diesel ended up having 7 total seizures. The Vet said it would take a while for the Pheno to regulate, but it was horrible watching Diesel go through the seizures. The vet decided Diesel needed some Valium to help him out until the Pheno could kick in.

Although the Valium was a huge downer for Diesel and he was not his normal self, it was nice to see him at peace and able to get a good chunk of rest. But did it knock him out! I could light off fire crackers next to him and he could of slept right through it! I think at one point he slept for about 10 hours straight! He also had huge munchies from the meds! At one point, when we walked through the garage, he broke off and buried his head in his bag of dog food and started munching away. Although I don’t condone that, I couldn’t help but laugh and let him get away with it.

Here is Diesel Piesel (AKA Deezy Siezey) finally at peace:

For the next few days, I was only able to grab 4 hours of sleep each night. Diesel was my main concern and each day showed progress. As of Monday, Hawk and Diesel got to go hang out at the Lucky Dog Lodge in Galva, IL.

Chris and Rebecca of Lucky Dog Lodge were so understanding of Diesel’s situation and had no issues whatsoever taking him in since I had to leave town. Rebecca, who also runs Tip Top Dog Training, has kept me updated daily on Diesel’s status. She assured me that he would be having a stress free stay at the Lodge with plenty of nap times. One of the days, Diesel even got to hang out in the office and nap on the couch!

I have already said it, but the Lucky Dog Lodge is AWESOME. Diesel and his situation is a prime example of how well they will take care of your dog while it stays there.

But finally, Diesel enjoyed a nap out in the sun yesterday and even enjoyed some fetch time. Those two things right there tell me that he is getting back to his normal self.

I can’t wait to see him when I get back into town.

Lots of it in Diesel’s case.

Anytime I need to head out of town for a few days and Hawk can’t tag along, I take him to the Lucky Dog Lodge. I had no idea this place was even around, but when I needed to head out of town last minute and find a place for Hawk, someone recommended the Lucky Dog Lodge. I went online to see if they had a website and they did. I was instantly impressed with what I saw. I figured this place would be perfect for a 7 month old explosion of energy (AKA: Hawk). They have a huge fenced in area for dogs to run, play and burn off energy. The dogs get plenty of socialization with humans as well….even a on-call Vet in case something were to happen while you are out of town. The first time Hawk stayed there, he was pretty sick to his stomach and they instantly switched him to a hamburger and rice diet to help settle his stomach. I have only mentioned a small amount of why this place is so awesome. Check out their website and you’ll see what I am talking about.

The owners of Lucky Dog Lodge also breed Labrador Retrievers….gorgeous ones might I add. Check out their website as well. Cricket Hollow Farm Labrador Retrievers is their name.

My most recent trip to Lucky Dog Lodge, I got to meet Duke. One of the puppies from their latest litter of puppies. I tried to distract Rebecca and sneak Duke into my truck, but I quickly learned how close they monitor these puppies. Joking aside, they really do take pride in their Labs and work very hard to breed the best labs possible. I did have my camera with me and got some pictures of Duke….you’ll see why I wanted to bring him home.

So you can see why I tried to tuck him underneath my arm and walk quietly out to the truck in hopes of sneaking him home.

I did talk to Rebecca the other day and they just had two litters of puppies so expect more puppy pictures to come.

I also wanted to mention that Rebecca does Dog Training as well. If you need a dog trained, then contact her business, Tip Top Dog Training. She is amazing at training dogs and has extensive experience training dogs.

I am in the market for a new lens and I borrowed Nikon’s new 35mm 1.8 lens from a friend. This lens is turning out to be a great lens and is well priced. It is tack sharp and very light on the camera. I have another photo shoot this afternoon and will be putting it to the test again.

Here is the Hawk….again. What you don’t see is the treat that I am holding at the end of the lens for each picture…otherwise he was off to the window to stare at the squirrels.It was the only way I could hold his attention to the camera.

Found these while going through Lightroom 3. Thanks to my brother for getting these pictures.

Such goofballs when Hawk and Diesel play together.

It was funny to watch as Hawk went outside and stopped dead in his tracks trying to figure out what snow was. He saw a little bit of grass that ran alongside of the concrete and decided to use that as his pathway. Once he ran out of the small bit of exposed grass, he ventured farther and deeper into the snow and then decided to let loose. He thoroughly enjoys the snow now and loves sticking his nose in it and plowing through it.

Now that Hawk is around, Diesel’s calmness is a blessing I did not appreciate. Diesel can lay around all day sleeping while I am at work, and then sleep another 8 hours when I head to bed as soon as I get home. Hawk on the other hand…..cannot do that. He lets me sleep for about 4 hours before a whine from the crate comes into play. It’s funny, as I type this, Hawk is asleep at my feet. He only does this when I am awake. If only he could do it while I am sleeping, we’d be perfect. But, although it is frustrating at times, Hawk is well worth it and so is Diesel. Knowing that they both have an awesome home beats the frustration.

But back to the Hawk. His favorite toy is his duck. I let him have at it with the duck and after about 10 minutes, I checked on him and this is what I saw in the hallway:

RIP duck.

About to get frustrated with cleaning yet another one of his messes, I look behind me and see this:

Frustration just went out the window with that look!

Then there is Diesel. He just lays around all day (unless Hawk is pestering him non-stop to play)

Still laying, just on his side now

Diesel is use to the camera being up close and personal. He just continues to do what he does best. Lay there.

Tired of laying yet?

I think not

Someone decided to follow in Diesel’s footsteps

I think I need a nap now

The rescue I got Hawk from put on a fund raising event at Petco in Davenport, IA on 07/18/09. There was TONS of giveaways, games and events going on. You could also get your dog microchipped and washed and the money would go towards the rescue.

We took Hawk for a ride so he could get chipped and washed. First the wash (he doesn’t look happy):

Now the dry (Still not happy):

While there, Hawk’s other brothers made an appearance. It was awesome to meet their new owners and the dogs. They all had a little brotherly love and started growling at each other right off the bat. All three dogs are going to be very big dogs. Diesel is going to have his hands full with Hawk (he already does now!)

From left to right: Joey (formerly B.J.), Griffey (formerly Radar) and Hawk (a.k.a Hawkeye). Don’t mind Hawk’s little straight ear thingy he’s got going on. He’s a goofball sometimes.

Griffey’s close up.

Good ol’ Diesel. He makes me laugh. A lot.