Our little Vital Zoo :).

I wanted to introduce all of our pets that Drew and I  have adopted over the past 6 1/2 years.  Each has such a different personality, and I can not imagine life without them they are truly our first children.  Drew and I like to think how each will react when Tristan arrives and what kind of bond he will have with them.  It is interesting for me to think about because we have 8 pets.  He will have quite a choice to make when it comes to show and tell in school.  You should see us when we get the pets blessed at the Feast of St. Francis; this year we may have to bring along help.  We did adopt one at a time, so as we got use to the situation with one adding another didn't seem to bad.

I will start with our three dogs in this first blog.  Sapphire or (Saphie as we call her) is our 10 year old Blue Weimeriner.  Her nicknames include Sassa-phrass, Saph-a-lap-agus, and Saphie Dog.  She was the first dog I have ever owned and she definitely has a lot of personality.  She is the protector, smart as a whip, and very stubborn.  She knows a ton of tricks, but sometimes doesn't feel like doing them ;).  Her favorite game is fetch (preferably without other dogs around), and she can run extremely fast.  She is also a very vocal dog and likes to be in charge of the other two.  We unfortunately had to invest in a bark collar for her because of the upcoming arrival of the baby.  It has been a lot more peaceful at our house, and I think we both mentioned that we should have done that sooner.  With baby Tristan I think Saphie will be protective over him like she is with the rest of her pack (or family); although I can imagine Tristan's first sentence being "No Saphie".  Bambi and Rudy may get on her nervous, but she would definitely be there for them if they needed her.  She is the perfect inside dog, and she can be trusted off of a leash.  She always wants to be by our side, and would never dream of escaping the backyard.  We call Saphie our beauty queen with her head always held up high and legs properly crossed.  

Saphie and Jazzy.  This is one of my favorite pictures of Saphie.

Our next dog is my Baby Girl Bambi or Bam-Bams as what we call her.  My dad nicknamed her "Snake Bite."  She is a 3 year-old Red Nose Pitbull.  I have to say she is the sweetest dog I have ever met (and I am not just being partial because she is mine); if you are upset or crying she comes over and licks your face almost like she is trying to make you feel better.  Bambi was our first rescued dog decision we made together.  Drew works at an animal hospital and she came in one summer with snake bites on three different occasions.  Her owner decided she could no longer take care of her because she was an outside dog and would continue to get bit.  Drew had fallen in love with this dog, and asked if we were ready for a friend for Saphie.  Bambi immediately adapted to her new surroundings her favorite place became our bed.  Shortly after we adopted her we discovered she was pregnant, and she gave birth to two little puppies in December of 2009 (we found homes for both).   With Tristan I think she will be almost motherly or a nanny dog, but very very gentle like she is with everything else (except Rudy).  We already call her Nana-Bams or Banana-Bams.  Typically when I am in bed she lays her head on my stomach, and I think she can hear Tristan's heartbeat or his movements.  I like to think she understands what I am going through since she was pregnant before.  Bambi is a very lazy dog and sometimes would rather hold it or wait to eat then leave the bed.  She sleeps in the center of the bed with her head on my pillow.  She has come along way and is house broken, and can now be trusted inside when we leave for work.  She definitely is an angel dog.

Poor Bambi after her 3rd snake bite.  She has been snake free for 2 1/2 years now.

Our third and most recent dog adoption is our little unruly boy Rudy.  He just turned 1 and is also a Red Nose Pitbull.  He has quite a few nicknames Rudy-Buders, Buddha-Belly, Rota-Rutter, The Brick (my Dad calls him this) and Buddy.  Rudy was rescued by a cat shelter when he was found wondering the streets, and needed a home.  Rudy came into Drew's clinic for his shoots and to be fixed, and Drew would come home talking about this dog he really wanted.  Rudy is also very sweet, but is definitely all boy.  He loves Bam-Bams and they wrestle and play pretty much all day.  I can't imagine life without him and I am very attached.  He is an escape artist and has helped us meet most of our neighbors.  We have a 6 foot privacy fence and an electric fence as well, but he shocks himself and goes, we believe, up and over.  Rudy is a very sweet dog as well.  He follows me everywhere and even when I take showers he sits on the bathroom rug waiting for me.  I think he will end up being Tristan's best-friend.  Rudy's favorite thing is belly rubs.  He loves to be petted and cuddled, and typically sleeps right by my feet next to Emma (our cat).  We still have some training to do with him, and we are possibly looking into Doggy Boot-Camp for some extra help.  I remember how Bambi used to be when we first got her, and I think some of his behavior is puppy related.

 Rudy on the left and Bambi on the right.  They are best friends and are always side by side.

 Overall I think we are pretty lucky for the dogs we ended up with.  Not one of them is perfect, but they make life entertaining.  I can't wait for them to meet Tristan and to see how he grows up with his Dogs.

 Our 2011 Family Pictures.

Saphie, Bambi, and Rudy