Please note that some posts contains affiliate links & I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links Find out More

Bravo’s Shadow: Equal Time for the Comfort Puppy!

by | Jul 29, 2020 | Dog Training & Care | 6 comments

I figured we all need some extra smiles these days. I’ve focused most of the attention on Bravo’s cancer journey, and of course, that’s important. But an equally important part includes his comfort puppy, Shadow-Pup. Today’s a big milestone for the little guy — he’s at the veterinarians for his last set of puppy booster vaccines.

And to be neutered.

I don’t think he quite understood the idea of a new game involving balls, but… *sorry, couldn’t resist!* In fact, the clinic just called me and he’s already in recovery and came through with flying colors. Shadow spends the night, and we’ll pick him up tomorrow (Thursday) at about nine o’clock.

shadow comfort puppy

That bare spot on his side has healed but may never grow fur. The veterinarian believes he was burned.

Shadow’s Birthday & Gotcha Day

Anyway, we figured out based on puppy teeth eruption timing, Shadow’s age. His birthday is March 4, 2020, which means he was just 8 weeks old when dumped at our house on May 31. He’ll be five months on next Tuesday on August 4. We don’t know his breed/mix, although his markings resemble a Siberian Husky, and his bark (sharp-sharp-sharp!) and tipped ears remind me of the Shelties I’ve known. In the comments, feel free to guess his heritage–it’s a fun game, but really, we don’t care.

We don’t need papers to know Shadow’s a full-blooded lovin’ pup. He adores Karma–I’ll try to get a picture of them together (usually wrestling). But Shadow truly “shadows” his mentor Bravo’s every move. They might as well be joined at the hip, and stay close together nearly all the time. We do separate them for important puppy naps and Bravo breaks, or they’d run US to exhaustion!

So just for fun, here are a few more recent pictures. So, in the comments, care to guess Shadow’s heritage?

 

shadow bravo

Shadow collects toys, and presents them to Bravo–“Betcha can’t take it, betcha betcha betcha…!”

shadow bravo

When Bravo has a toy that Shadow wants, he does his passive-aggressive puppy routine, rolling while lip-licking and wagging over top of the toy…until Bravo let’s go.

bravo shadow

Sometimes, they’re satisfied with their own toys. Need help with chewing? tips here! 

YouTube Button

Subscribe to Amy’s YouTube Channel

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? NOTE: Some links to books or other products may be to affiliates, from which I may earn a small percentage of sales, but I do not recommend anything unless I feel it would benefit readers. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!

6 Comments

  1. curiocat

    I agree with you that Shadow is a full-blooded loving pup. He seems to be quite the mix and is a super handsome guy as a result. What about dna testing? I know at the end of the day it doesn’t matter but it might be fun to find out. Bravo, who really does deserve applause (what an awesome dog), and your whole family are in my prayers. I’m rooting for many more stories of your adventures together. Take care.

    Reply
  2. Franklin Steele

    It looks like both dogs are living the good life. As always, this blog brightens my day.

    Reply
    • Amy Shojai

      Thanks so much. We are certainly enjoying them.

      Reply
  3. Jackie

    I see some Doberman in his face, which reminds me of my friend’s Doberman, Joe. Having friends when we are experiencing health issues is such a blessing and I am so fortunate to have my sister if the heart, LeVerne. We’ve been friends for more than 30 years. I send love and prayers of support and healing for Bravo and the entire family.🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

    Reply
    • Amy Shojai

      Hi Jackie, thanks for the reply. I hadn’t thought of Dobie but you’re right. He does have that sort of attitude, too–he’s very smart! Thank you for the support and sharing your thoughts here.

      Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Puppy Proofing Tips: How to Puppy Proof to Keep Puppies Safe - […] summer, about the same time as Bravo’s cancer diagnosis, a stray puppy showed up. Shadow answered prayers we didn’t know…
  2. New Puppy Introductions: Intro Dog to Cat ComPETability #ad - […] have no history on Shadow. Here’s a blog focussing on him. But for the purposes of this post, it…
  3. A Shadow of Hope: Adopting Bravo's Shadow for a Comfort Puppy - […] in March 2021, we thanked doG again that a certain puppy showed up when he did. Now he’s our…
  4. Remembering Bravo-Dawg's Cancer Journey: A Very Good Boy - […] just realized that March 4 was Shadow-Pup’s first birthday. Awww damn… So any pictures on this post will be…
  5. Barking Problems: Why dogs bark & how to stop dogs from barking - […] you please, for the love of doG, stop barking!” Now that Shadow-Pup has joined our family, he and Bravo-Dawg…
  6. Check the Chip Day: Learn All About Pet Microchips - […] August 15! Your cats and dogs are microchipped, right? Last week, when he was (ahem) neutered, Shadow-Pup got his…

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories:

Recent Posts

Dog Problems? Cat Concerns? Here’s How to Find Pet Behavior Help

Do you know how do you find pet behavior help? As a certified animal behavior consultant for cats and dogs, I receive many requests for pet behavior help. Solving cat behavior problems and bad dog behavior can be a challenge. Some of these I address with articles explaining cat behavior (how to stop meowing, for example, or dealing with cat aggression), as well as puppy and dog behavior issues like noise phobias and separation behaviors.

Some pet behavior challenges have solutions through reading books and articles, others via phone call advice, and more serious issues (dog aggression, for example) need one-on-one help. But how do the behavior experts receive training?

Dog Hot Spots & Home Remedies

Dog hot spots often happen during both the spring and fall shedding season and are the bane of many dogs’ existence. Some develop hot spots all year long, especially those with very thick, wooly coats. Have your dogs ever suffered from hot spots?

Fortunately, hot spots are not a problem for cats. Kitties, though, do have their own issues with shedding and hairballs. Bathing cats can help with that.

When dog hot spots are a chronic problem, it can be aggravating and frustrating for pet owners. And painful for the dog! While severe problems need veterinary attention, home remedies for dog hot spots often help enormously. Here’s what you need to know.

Memorial Day & National K9 Veteran’s Day

Memorial Day honors the American men and women who have lost their lives while serving in the military. It originally honored those who died in the Civil War, and now honors those who died in any war. It is also known as Decoration Day. This holiday differs from Veterans’ Day which honors all those who served in the military.

There is no Memorial Day for the brave military K9s who served and lost their lives, often heroically saving their human partners. I can’t imagine the bond that must exist between the soldier and his or her war dog—they share things and stand against danger to protect the rest of us against horrors we don’t want to think about. And because of them, we don’t have to worry about such things. Thank you.

I’m eternally grateful to those who sacrifice for our freedom. Losing a beloved animal companion anytime cuts deep. It must be horrific to lose a comrade-in-arms, including those with four feet and fur.

And since I focus on pet issues, I want to shine a light on the dogs of the military. There is a National K9s Veteran’s Day on March 13, too. But here’s an excerpt from my book DOG LIFE  to shine a light on military dogs through the ages.

What to Do About Dog Choking & Cat Choking: First Aid & Pet Heimlich Help

Have your pets ever choked on something they chew? Shadow-Pup loves to chew up inedible objects, no matter how much we supervise. Learn how to administer the pet Heimlich to save a life!

When Karma-Kat came to live with us, that put lots of cat toys within Magical-Dawg’s reach. Seren had never been too keen on such things and she was already nine years old when Magic came as a puppy. He loved to swipe Seren’s “sparkle-balls” and ended up with sparkly poop. Once Karma’s toys added to the kitty quotient, the big ol’ dog had a field day seeing how many cat toys he could stuff into his jaws.

Bravo played with rocks. And the new puppy Shadow loves to chew sticks. He’s already got one caught in the roof of his mouth. That’s the perfect opportunity for choking, and a need for the pet Heimlich. I hope that we’ll never need it, though. In case you do, read on!

Please Fence Me In: Creating Good Neighbors & Keeping Dogs Safe

Do you have a dog fence? Magical-Dawg used to take off after “critters” every so often, racing around the 13-acre spread (or beyond). We eventually trained him to stay with us, even when off-leash. It would have devastated me if Magic disappeared. He was microchipped, but folks would need to catch him first.

Bravo was a very different dog. He was so good off-leash during most morning rambles and didn’t want to go too far away from us. He’d chase and play with his “big-ball” in the field, and baptize every tree and grass tussock. And once he lost his leg, he couldn’t get out the back fenced area even if he’d wanted to.

 Shadow-Pup, though, takes after Magical-Dawg. He’s so small, not even the fenced back area keeps him contained. He also likes to dig, so we needed to address possible escapes. A fence is a dog’s best friend!

Why Cats Fight! What to Do About Cat Fighting

How do you stop a cat fight? And how do you know if the cat fighting turns serious—rather than just kitten play? Shadow-Pup thinks it’s great fun to chase and wrestle with Karma-Kat. We supervise, of course, and interrupt the play should one or the other object.

There are many kinds of cat aggression, and many are perfectly normal behaviors. Certainly, it’s not fair to you or the cats to allow cats to fight. Learn how to recognize the potential and reasons behind cat aggression and fighting cats, and what you can do.

How to Make Pets Vomit

A dog vomits more easily than nearly any other creature. So why in the world would a pet parent want to make pets vomit? When dogs or cats eat the wrong thing that could cause harm, you can save your pets’ lives by inducing vomiting. 

Pets vomit for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it’s because of illness, while other times the dog vomiting or cat hairball upchuck is more innocuous. Some pets eat grass to induce vomiting, or they get into dangerous candy that makes them sick. However, sometimes making pets vomit means life or death. That means you need to know how to make pets vomit.

Visit Amy's Website

Amy Shojai CACB is an award winning author.  You can find all her publications and book her to speak via her website. 

On Demand Writer Coaching

AmyShojai.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com http://amazon.com/.

Awards

Memberships