Izzy - Still Great

It has been a while since we've updated so... will do the best we can without making this post overbearing.

Izzy is growing. On 23 July, she was six months old. Her weight was about 57 pounds. But aside from size... which really means little because it wouldn't matter if she never grew another inch (LOL), she is developing into a fine dog. She has become something of a young lady, displaying a kind of grace and fortitude not generally seen in many other breeds.

Let's do some pictures...

Always smiling

Izzy is a very upbeat animal. She rarely finds herself in a position where she is not in total control. Be it inside or out, she's always ready for a snapshot.

As for size...

Outgrowing her favorite chair

She has had to adapt to simply not fitting as well in places and spaces she once called her own. Momma's chair, being one. The image above is a few weeks old so... the fit is even tighter now than when this one was snapped.

On a recent trip to a nearby state park, she was headlong into the lake, under the falls and finally, up on the rocks. We kept her tethered simply because this was her first encounter with water deeper than her legs. But she neither feared or a lacked of skill...

In the swim

On the rocks

Upon arriving back home, she did not appreciate having her picture taken while still wet... and her hair less than sparkling white...

No pictures please!!!

By the end of the day, she was ready for a nap...

Izzy will be 7 months old on 23 August 2012.

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Bent But Never Broken

Izzy has healed well from her surgery and she's as happy as most any 50+ pound puppy you might imagine.

Yup, now well passed the 50 pound mark, she's become a major force in size. Places she once found an easy rest are now a tight squeeze. But she has a unique flexibility that I have never seen in dogs; she can (evidently) bend herself in ways to make those tight spots work...

How does she do that?

It really does look painful.

During the heat of the day, Izzy and Mya like to come in and soak the cool air from the A/C floor vent. They generally take in a midday nap before going back out to play in their pool...

Taking a midday chill

On a side note, both dogs have developed some rash on their bellies and the vet says that they appear to be an allergic reaction to something. We are investigating their brand of dog food as well as possibly grass pollen or ant bites.

More on this last item as information arrives.

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It's a Dog's Life

In spite of her surgery and the stitches, Izzy is doing just fine.

The following images were taken today... the first at about 6 am and the second, during the heat of the Alabama summer day about noon...

Outgrowing Momma's chair

Izzy has lost what I consider to be a substantial portion of her white coat... likely due to the season and temperatures. But even less the mass of fluff, she is quickly outgrowing her favorite resting spots.

Izzy, less a little doggy dignity

About midday, Izzy likes to crawl up under the porch swing where the fan blows down and keeps the concrete slab a bit cooler. Once in a relaxed state, all dignity goes out the screen door, lol.

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Oh, the pain of it...

We found Izzy by way of an ad on Craigslist. She was the daughter of two Great Pyrs that live just outside the small, rural community of Notasulga, Alabama. Prior to her adoption, we had a male, toy poodle that had recently passed. We also had (and have) a female Aussie.

We wanted a dog.

We both have a history of many pets and over the 14 years we have been together, we have never had a period longer than a few weeks when we didn't have a pet of one kind or another. Izzy came at a time when we all had a big blank spot in our hearts after the loss of our poodle. There was never any intention to breed our pet...

Izzy at normal speed, lol!

Izzy was to become a member of the family, not make a profit by way of reproduction.

So... last Friday, Izzy had her puppy machinery removed and now, she's bearing a few stitches, taking various medications and worst of all, instructions to keep this 47 pound pup from getting too active for a spell.

Yeah, just a little like trying to tie a ribbon around a passing cloud, lol.

But... so far, she has done well. She doesn't seem to have any respect for the pain she SHOULD be feeling. In truth, she wants to run and play just like normal. And she doesn't appreciate it that we don't let her!

Anyway, she'll be fine soon and she can spend all her days in the lap of luxury as a beloved member of our family.

A note from Izz

Growing Up

Izzy is gaining in size and weight. She now barks like a full grown dinosaur and can defeat most barriers we put up to hold her back...

Izzy on a roadtrip rest stop

This week, her brother is here for an extended visit as his owners (parents) have gone on holiday to the beach in South Carolina. Jock... actually spelled Jacques, is a little lonely for his folks but bearing up well with what is now a five-dog yard.


Pictures will (hopefully) follow... 

Great Days for a Great Pyr

It's tough these days to know what to share and what not to share... especially when children are involved.

Back in April, we went on a roadtrip to Reynolds, Georgia to a strawberry field to do some picking. As it happened, a class of elementary schoolers were there as well and for a few minutes, Izzy was the life of the party. The image below has been saved for all this time because the faces were too easily seen but... after dragging out an old bit of software, I think we made the scene a little less dangerous...

Additionally, thought I'd share this one... of Izzy's first night here with her new family after falling fast asleep next to her first bowls of water and food...

What a pup!

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A Day in the Life

The following is four images of Izzy taken taken over 72 hours on my cell phone. My apologies for the quality of the photos.

Lazy days as the warmer weather sets in and in this case, wetter as well. The porch is refuge... and the swing has become one of her favorite parking spots! But... noting the image in the top right, I still have not figured out how she was wrapped around that chair, lol!

The adventure continues!

One Great Part of Our Great Pyr

Prior to the arrival of Izzy into our lives, I had really never even seen a Great Pyr... at least, in the up-close and personal way.

Over a span of nearly 60 years, I have had all kinds of dogs; German Shepherds, Poodles, Redbone Hounds, Terriers, Dalmatians, Weimaraners, Aussies... and of course, the standard no-breed mutt that always makes a great pet. But... a Great Pyr? No.

These are really unique animals. While being a dog, they do display a lot of normal doggy traits but when you get to know one in that aforementioned up-close and personal way, you find a truly special creature. Their personality is quite unlike what you get used to with most any other breed.

And then when you take them out into public, they attract a lot of attention. People are used to seeing those other breeds but... here comes this gentle, giant (nearly) white mound of puppy-dog and you always get the 'what kind of dog is that?' Children (for some reason) are especially drawn to her where ever we go.

This past weekend, Izzy took another marvelous roadtrip to sights and smells before unseen and unsniffed. It was called The World's Widest Yard Sale and it stretched the width of the state. And as usual, she was a great travelling companion and getting the attention of complete strangers where ever she took a stroll outside the car.

Izzy (and her Momma) on a roadtrip

Izzy has been a blessing in our lives and has shown so much grace in every place we have taken her.

The adventure goes on...

Great vs. Small (and determined)

Over the last week, a small mockingbird has taken up residency in a camellia bush that Izzy and Mya loved to park under for shade, play and naps. As the bird completed her nest, she became more and more belligerent towards the dogs... as well as the local squirrel population. In fact, this mighty mite sent one squirrel tumbling from a nearby tree limb just a few days ago.

Camellia bush outlined with mockingbird nest circled within.

Located at far west end of the fenced area of the property, this is home to the family garden, utility shed as well as Izzy and Mya. The dogs have no interest in the bird but she did (and still does) terrorize them... diving on them regardless of what they were doing.

Please note that the bird has never made contact with either dog and neither of them have made any attempt at anti-aircraft fire so... it's mainly a psychological war that the bird finally won.

Yup, poor Izzy and Mya have now abandoned their favorite place in the shade and migrated away to old Blue's district. I'm sure she appreciates the company but... I'm equally sure that her retirement contract didn't included sharing her territory with these two young spitfires, lol.

Memorial Day Family Gathering

For our Memorial Day, the family gathered to celebrate the liberties our soldiers have fought and died to assure for each and every generation. This is our way of honoring their sacrifice...

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As usual, Izzy and Jock, along with Mya, Jax and old Blue, enjoyed their reunion. Pictures follow with captions...

Izzy

Jock

Jax (Left), Izzy (Top), Jock (Lower center)

Blue - Our 12 year old Aussie

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Wishing each and every one a very blessed Memorial Day.

Lazy Days

With summer coming on and the daily heat factor on the rise, Izzy spends much of the day chilling on the cool concrete slab of the back porch. But Mya doesn't allow her too much down time, especially when the pool is being filled...

Izzy and Mya poolside

Truth be told, Mya deserves her own website because she is quite a personality. Add some water to the mix and she becomes a riot...

Mya and her favorite pastime; getting wet

Izzy waded in for a few minutes but then moseyed off to a shady spot to dig out some cool dirt to watch from. The story doesn't end there, though, as the garden will have sprinklers going at dusk and these two love to play in the artificial rain... outside the garden fence.

Film at 11, lol.

Great Outings

Izzy is a really great car enthusiast. She rides well and when the outing includes her buddy, Mya, it becomes an adventure for both! Well behaved, they split their time between napping and watching all the stuff whizzing by outside.

This evening, they will be heading out for the city and a visit to the pet store where all the best treats and toys await them!

Pictures to come...

EDIT 1:

Along the way, there were (of course) road and highway constructions/obstructions. Whilst awaiting a breakthrough, Izzy and Mya found comfort in a shared nap...

Family Reunion

Today, Izzy's brother, Jock, came for a visit and as usual, mayhem ensued.

Out of a litter of nine pups, Izzy came to live with us and one of her brothers went to a member of the family. He has quickly outpaced his sister in size but even though they don't get to see each other that often, they have never forgotten their sib or felt estranged. Each reunion is a puppy party...

Izzy left, Jock right

When it all began, both were clean and white...

Jock left, Izzy right

Within an hour, Izzy had shown her brother just exactly how to look as though one had been swimming in a swamp. Jock's blue collar didn't get wet but, as usual, Izzy's did and the red/pink faded into her coat.

Meanwhile, Mya (the German Wirehair) found herself just a little left out... with only her favorite toy as the brother/sister team ran amok.

Just another day in the life of Izzy the Great... and Jock... and Mya...

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Sweet Sixteen!

Our first post will be a bit more introductory as Izzy has quite a story to tell...

Yesterday was Izzy's 16-week birthday and she weighed in at 29.5 pounds. Her growth has been really quite astounding... as is so many other aspects of this dog.

She has a very mild temperament but a very strong will she uses to enforce her wishes and opinions. As is one trait of this breed, she is nocturnal and does not always want to go to sleep when it is bedtime for everyone else. Her means of conveying this is to set off with howls, barks and yips that can go on for quite some time.

While researching Great Pyrs, we found that this breed needs a large area to run and plenty of attention. They also do not deal with boredom very well so keeping them occupied and amused is a definite plus. They prefer a lot of company as well... meaning that they are not the kind of dog you go off and leave inside for very long. Left on their own too long, especially indoors around household items, they can be somewhat destructive.

Izzy outdoors at play

Luckily, we have a rather large fenced-in yard where she and her best friend, a German Wirehair named Mya, romp and play at every opportunity.

Maya

Mya is a very different breed of dog. While Izz is a Great Pyrenees bred for herding, Maya is strictly a hunting animal that loves high adventure. Mya is also older than Izzy so she is dominate, playing the part of teacher and guardian.

One of their favorite pastimes is to play in and round a small, molded plastic pool we put in the yard for them. Water is nothing to fear for either of these two and the result is quite often... a bath at the end of the day to wash the tons of mud they both come in caked with.

It's something new every day.

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