Meet Miranda, Charlotte, & Carrie.

I have been terrible at posting lately, and a small reason why is because I have not one, not two, but THREE foster puppies this week! It's a little bit of an experiment, and not something I will likely do very often, but it's been a joy to have these three girls stay with us for a few days. They are a special bunch of puppies - every one of them is very affectionate, playful, and adventurous. It's hard to pick a favorite! I know their small, squatty bodies, soft coats, and kisses will win everyone's hearts over when they are up for adoption tomorrow. They appear to be some kind of Cocker Spaniel/King Charles Spaniel/Retriever/Corgi/other-short-legged-breed type of mix.

Miranda:





Charlotte:





Carrie:





All the girls together:




If I was at a better point in life to add a second dog, I would possibly consider one of these girls. They're some of my favorites that I've had! (And, after having had three all at once, one would probably feel like a piece of cake).

B & G

Just wanted to post this quick picture taken by Abbey Bernhardt of my co-blogger, Becca and her awesome blond Gabe. It's hard to believe I haven't met Gabe yet. I feel like I know him!

One day I will make the trip to CO. Either that or convince Becca to fly Gabe with her to Seattle...and fly home without him.... What?

Meet Ruffles and Totsy

It's a foster week again! After many weeks of being unable to take in foster puppies, I got to pick up two precious little ones this morning. They appear to be some kind of German Shepherd/Collie/Chow mixes, but have reminded people of bears, foxes, groundhogs, and guinea pigs too. Needless to say, they are very unique looking, cute puppies! I have been melted to the core by these guys, wishing they could stay for longer than one night! If anyone would like to adopt one and then conveniently give him/her to me, that would be ok :)

Ruffles:





Totsy:





So cute you could eat them, right? I don't think these two will have any trouble charming the masses tomorrow. As always, hoping that only good and responsible people will be the ones to take them home.

7 Tips For Raising A Puppy

I can't lie, getting a new puppy is one of my favorite things in life. I love everything about it from researching and choosing a breed, to visiting breeders, shopping and training. And with each puppy I raise, I try to correct mistakes I made the previous time. Sometimes reading books and magazines gives you good ideas but very little real life experience. So for this post I thought I would make a list of things that have worked well for me when raising my own dogs.

Puppies are a blank slate, ready to be molded. Some unwanted behaviors are easy to spot from the start; jumping on guests for instance. If you don't want your adult dog doing that, don't ever allow it as a puppy. Pretty self explanatory, right? But other formed behaviors aren't quite as obvious to spot the connection between cause and effect. I want to hopefully help point out some of the not-so-obvious things that make a huge difference in how your puppy turns out, beginning before you even see him or her for the first time.


8 week old Lab mix


1. Develop a vision before you even bring your puppy home

I don't know anyone who buys a puppy hoping it will become a problem dog that they eventually turn over to an animal shelter. Sadly though, that happens far too often and the evidence is in the millions of dogs abandoned at shelters each year, or worse, abused and neglected in someone's backyard. I believe the majority of these cases are the result of not enough planning.

It all starts with choosing the right breed for you and your family. So first, make a list of all the qualities you want in a dog, then find someone who can help you choose a breed that lines up with your expectations. Even if you choose to go the adoption route, having an idea of what breeds suit you will help point you in the right direction at a shelter.

Some tactics I have learned when it comes to finding the right breed:

-Read, read, read. Buy books, read everything you can on the internet about the breeds you are interested in. Something that helped me greatly was finding breed specific message boards online and reading over the conversations amongst the owners of that breed.

-Ask questions. I have found that breed specific message boards and mailing lists are some of the greatest places to get my questions answered.

-Watch videos of the breeds you are interested in on youtube and on AKC.com

-Go to meetup.com, do a search for a breed, find out where the local meetup groups are and visit them. Most of the groups are happy to have visitors even if you don't have a dog of your own. It is one thing to read about a breed and an entirely different thing to see them up close and watch how they interact with each other and with people. I went to a Dachshund meetup group before I got Mud and it was one of the most helpful things I did when narrowing down breeds.

-Go to dog shows! www.akc.org has an "Events" search where you can find upcoming shows in your area.

Getting a puppy is not a race and I promise you that taking your time will be completely worth it. Once you have selected the breed with the traits that line up with your own, you now have the task of developing a more detailed vision.

Before deciding on a dog, something I learned for myself is to go through my daily life imagining that I do have a dog. Imagine your dog there when you go to bed at night, when you wake up, when you get ready for the day, when you go to work, when you come home, when you go out with friends on the weekend, when you run errands etc. What will you do with your dog and how do you expect him to behave throughout your daily routine?

Vision is important when it comes to getting a dog not because you hope to turn your dog into a robot, but because it will be much easier to train and mold your puppy when you know very clearly the goals you are working toward. Choosing the right breed will help you develop goals that are realistic. In other words, you will always need to keep in mind that your dog is a living being with his own likes, dislikes, instincts and personality, and there will need to be room for compromise as well as structure. You will figure out with your own dog that sometimes letting him be who he is can be more freeing than trying to force something that is simply not there.


"Kelly" 8 week old Lab mix


2. Habits and Consistency. Two words to write on your forehead.

Training begins the moment you pick your puppy up from the breeder's. Every new experience is a learning experience for him. Take advantage of this. If you don't want your adult dog on your furniture, don't let your puppy on the furniture either. It is much easier to form behaviors than it is to correct them, so keep that in mind from day one. This also applies heavily to house training. The goal in house training is to get your puppy in the habit of eliminating himself in the right spot. If you take your puppy to the desired location at key times --after eating, sleeping, playing, or as a general rule every 2 hours-- soon enough it will become habit.
I usually teach my puppies how to sit on their first or second day home with me because I want them to grasp the concept of learning as soon as possible. It is rewarding to watch a 7-8 week old puppy's light bulb go on when they realize it's actually beneficial for them to pay attention to your voice. Once your puppy figures out that words actually mean something, and are connected to a reward, he will be on the right track to being attentive to you in the days to come.

When your puppy has learned how to sit on command, you can start having him sit before eating, before going through an open door, when guests arrive etc. If you practice these consistently (meaning every time you feed your puppy, every time you open a door, every time a guest arrives) they will eventually become default behaviors for your puppy and that's how good manners are formed.

Make sure that you are being consistent in ways that make sense to your dog. Chasing your dog in a game and chasing him in an emergency are totally different scenarios to you, but to your dog, they are the same thing. This is why it's a good idea to only play chasing games that reinforce the recall command. For instance, wait until your puppy's attention is diverted from you, then whistle and run backwards in the opposite direction. Reward once your puppy reaches you. This is a chasing game that promotes the right idea. It's also equally important to never, ever punish your puppy for coming to you. If you need your dog to come to you for an unpleasent experience (nail clipping for example), go to him, with some sort reward in hand, and calmly pick him up. Otherwise you will end up with a dog that weighs his options and decides whether or not it's worth it to come when called!



8 week old Golden Retriever/Husky mix


3. Focus on only rewarding calm behavior

If you want to help curb separation anxiety and over excitement when you come home, don't make a big deal out of your coming and going. When you leave the house and put your puppy in his crate, toss a treat in, shut the door calmly and walk away without saying a word. Although tempting to say things like "Bye bye" and "We'll be back soon", remember that dogs don't understand English, they only hear words as cues, and saying these things consistently will only become cues for your dog to become anxious or nervous that you are about to leave. The same rule applies when you return home to your puppy. Running to his crate first thing and speaking to him in a high pitched voice will only intensify his already natural instinct to be excited about your return and will contribute to anxiety of all sorts. Overly excitable or submissive puppies have a tendency to urinate when greeting a visitor or when their owners return home. Almost always, the cure is to simply ignore your puppy (or have your guests ignore your puppy) when you come home. Give him time to settle down on his own before you pet him, give him eye contact or talk to him. (As Cesar Millan calls it; no touch, no talk, no eye contact). Once your puppy has calmed down, ask him to sit and then calmly pet and talk to him all you want. By doing this, you are rewarding calm behavior rather than anxious behavior.


"Bentley" 8 week old Pug


4. Socialize, socialize, socialize

Socialization is one of the most important aspects of raising a puppy. And it's equally important to do it right. A good majority of behavior problems arise from lack of socialization at an early age.
Get your puppy accustomed to as many people, situations, and experiences as possible, particularly before the age of 16 weeks. But take care not to overwhlem your puppy. Puppies should be around a lot of kids for instance, but it is incredibly important that you supervise every child/puppy interaction to make sure the child never does anything unfair to the puppy. Kids are unpredictable in their movements and their moods and can easily hurt a puppy without realizing what they are doing. One traumatizing experience with a kid can make a dog forever uneasy around them, especially the smaller breeds. That being said, make an effort to get your puppy out in the world. Take him to outdoor malls, pet stores, puppy play groups, on walks, to friend's houses etc. Really anywhere that will allow your dog and is safe; go! Bring treats with you everywhere you go and hand them to strangers. I have done this with my puppies and most people are more than willing to give a treat to a cute puppy! If you see a kid or dog that looks too rambunctious for your puppy, steer clear until you are sure your dog is mature enough to handle it. You are the leader, but you are also your puppy's protector and it's detrimental that your puppy learns he can trust you to keep him safe.

Use common sense. There are times when your puppy will be frightened of things that are not dangerous. Even though our natural human reaction is to pick up and cuddle a scared puppy, what that does is actually affirm to your puppy that there is something to be afraid of. This is why it's best to respond with patience and not force your puppy into doing something he is truly afraid of. But at the same time, encourage him to get over his fears. Never sound frustrated, rushed, or sorry for your puppy when he responds to something in fear. Let your body language and tone of voice be matter of fact. If you find yourself in a situation where your puppy is in real danger, do your best to rescue him from it without panicking.

I also highly recommend enrolling your puppy in puppy kindergarten. Not only will it be a great place to socialize your puppy on a consistent basis, but it will also be a great place to learn and get your questions answered on training and behavior. Most puppy classes work on obedience basics such as sit, down, stay, come etc. and practicing these things in a class setting is excellent experience for your puppy. Plus, you might find that you love working with your puppy so much that you would like to pursue competitive events and puppy classes are the perfect place to get connected.

Socialization is one of the most fun parts of owning a puppy! So don't forget to have fun!


8 week old Golden Retriever/Husky mix

5. Crate train

Crate training, if done right, is going to be one of the best things you do for yourself and your new dog. I say this because I have lived with dogs that are intolerant of crates and it's much easier living with a crate trained dog.

The most effective way to crate train is through a combination of freedom and assertiveness. What I mean by this is, it's good to start out slow. Throw a toy or a treat in your puppy's crate several times a day without closing the door behind him. Let him go in and out of his crate on his own. Another good way to speed up the process is to feed your puppy in his crate for the first several months of his life. When you feed, close the door and gradually increase the time you leave it closed after he has finished his meal. At first you may want to let him out right after he's done, and the next time, try keeping it closed for a few extra minutes.

On the contrary, you also need to be a little head strong when it comes to crate training. When it's time to put your puppy to bed for the night, don't give into his whining, even if it turns to screaming! Make sure your puppy has eliminated himself directly before bed. The goal is to teach your puppy that crying does not get him out of his crate. Which leads to the next crate training tip; only let your puppy out when he's being calm and quiet. Do your best to never reward anxious behavior. Very young puppies may need to be let out once or twice during the night, so if your puppy is still whining 4 hours after you put him to bed or wakes up and whines, let him out again and put him back in his crate once he has gone potty. This way, you will at least know that his whining is not because he is trying to tell you something.

Crate training is also an invaluable housetraining tool. This is because puppies naturally do not want to soil their bedding, so you can use that to your advantage, but be careful not to abuse it either. Puppies can only hold it for so long, generally 4 hours at most for 8 week - 6 month old puppies and 2 hours for puppies younger than that. Put your puppy in his crate when you can't supervise him and when you fetch him out of his crate, take him to his potty area first thing. This will speed up the house training process immensely.

Never, ever, use your puppy's crate as punishment. You always want your puppy to associate his crate with good things. Also, dogs don't respond to "time outs" because they live in the moment. Your timing has to be perfect in order to correct a behavior, otherwise your dog will simply not connect cause and effect. Yes, your dog will learn to perceive when you are angry with him and will react accordingly, but that does not mean he understands WHY you are mad.

Make sure you get a crate of the proper size. A crate that's too large may cause your puppy to use one side as a toilet area and one as a bed. But you also want it to be big enough for your dog to be comfortable in when you leave him for long periods of time.


"Mud" 7 week old Miniature Dachshund

6. Don't give up

Too many people give up when it gets hard. Dogs are most commonly relinquished to shelters between the ages of 1 and 3. This is the adolescent stage when dogs are no longer irresistible puppies, and their owners either lose interest or don't want to put the extra work into dealing with a teenager. But take it from me, it will get easier.

Whatever it is that you have decided you want your dog to learn, don't give up and don't give in. Certain behaviors will take longer to become habits for your dog and will require more patience from you, but hold on.

As an example, my Dachshund, Mud, despised being confined to any sort of crate or play pen from 7 weeks through about 6 months of age. He would scream at the top of his lungs to the point where I would actually think something was physically wrong with him. I almost gave up hope, thinking he was just going to be one of those dogs that can never be crated, but knowledgeable dog friends of mine encouraged me not to give up and I am so glad I took their advice! Today Mud has 2 crates; one he sleeps in and one in the car and he happily goes into both on his own and will stay there with no problem even with the door closed. It definitely comes in handy when we take him to friend's houses and when we have to leave him home alone!

Some things may take more time than others depending on your individual dog and your previous training experience. But that's not a reason to quit prematurely!



8 week old Lab mix


7. Accidents will happen

...and when they do, don't be too hard on yourself. If your puppy makes a mistake on the carpet, learn from it, clean it up, and move on!


"Ruby" 10 week old Yorkie




Lastly, here are a few book and magazine recommendations! All of these have helped me in one way or another!

How to Raise the Perfect Dog by Cesar Millan


Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan


Popular Dog Series Magazines


Family Dog by Richard A. Wolters




(All photos taken by Tory Cobrea)

Angie - April's Dog of the Month

I've known my friend Emily since we were toddlers. We grew up crazy about dogs, involved in 4-H and volunteering for the local animal shelter. Her own dog is a Miniature Australian Shepherd named Angie. 'Mini Aussies', as they are sometimes called, draw attention from people everywhere they go. This is because they are still relatively unknown as a breed, are highly intelligent (and athletic, as our picture above shows), and come in a variety of eye-catching colors - all in a smaller package than the more well-known Australian Shepherd breed. Tory and I love this picture of Angie doing what she loves more than just about anything else - chasing and catching frisbees. And, because today happens to be Angie's 9th birthday, we couldn't think of a better dog to feature for the month of April! Here's a little more about Angie:

Age: 9 (as of April fool's day!)
Breed: Miniature Australian Shepherd
Where did you get Angie? My family was on vacation in Florida, and Angie was from North Carolina. We picked her up somewhere in the middle.
What made you choose her? My family (I was in high school at the time) has another mini aussie, and we love the breed - they are lovable, very smart, great mountain climbers, and a convenient size. :) I chose Angie initially based on her adorable pictures - I loved her fuzziness and her spottiness. I knew she was the one when the breeder said she loved to "snuggle." Her breeder was definitely not lying... To this day, she prefers to be as close to people as possible!
How did you name her? She came with the name "Angel." I didn't want to keep this exact name, but it was very fitting because of the healing that she brought. I was devastated since my previous dog, Hayley, had recently been hit by a car. Angie really was a little angel in puppy form, and she continues to make my life happier all the time. So, instead of "angel" I just changed it to Angie.
Describe Angie in 3 words: cuddly, attentive, goat-like (she is very agile, and her ears look like goat ears)

Here's an additional close-up of Angie since the other picture is so far away. And, thank you to Emily Clader for letting us share Angie's picture this month!

Clicking With Your Dog 2

A few weeks ago, I wrote an introductory post about clicker training - a popular, humane method for molding, luring, and capturing desirable behaviors from your dog. Time slipped away from me, but I am finally back to expand on that!

If your dog is not yet conditioned to associate the clicker with a reward, you must first accomplish this. If you know what motivates your dog (food is often the best), it will likely not take long for the association to take place. You simply click once, then reward your dog (and remember your timing and consistency!) After this is repeated various times, there is a great chance your dog will be really excited when he or she hears that click. Don't worry about trying to get your dog to do anything in this stage. Your main objective is to simply teach the dog that a click merits a reward. Once you have this under your belt, you can move on to teaching a command!

I will start with the very basic objective of teaching a dog to sit since that is a good place to begin with training. I mentioned a few approaches above that are commonly used to teach a dog how to pair a word with a movement. I'll talk about molding first. Molding is essentially using physical assistance to guide the dog's body to the position you are desiring. So, in this case a hand applying some gentle pressure to a standing dog's rear end would assist in guiding him or her to the sit position. This may or may not be a helpful approach, as some dogs will resist the pressure and because forcing a dog into a position is never desirable.

Luring a dog is simply using a treat or toy to guide your dog to the correct position. With the 'sit' command, it is most common to hold the reward slightly over the dog's head. This typically will cause your dog to look upward and elicit a natural response of sitting. I find that by combining both molding and luring, it provides a dog with ample guidance and successfully induces a sitting position. This would involve using one hand to hold the reward slightly above your dog's head while the other hand applies the gentle pressure on the dog's backside. Often, this combination of efforts will provoke a very successful sit!


Oh, but don't forget - the clicker ALSO needs to be in one of your hands. Because I am right-handed, I typically use my left hand to apply the pressure and hold both a treat and a clicker in my right hand. As soon as the dog successfully gets into position, click first and then reward! If you are anything like myself, you will likely feel like having four or five arms (and maybe a couple of brains) would be helpful for something as theoretically simple as this. Allow yourself some time to also get 'trained' in the art of timing, consistency, and motivation. It does get easier with practice! And, as if you aren't already thinking about enough things, you should refrain from pairing a command with the action until your dog shows signs of 'getting it'. In other words, don't set out to teach your dog a brand new command like this: 'Sit, Casey. Sit. Sittttt, Casey. Sit? Casey, sit. Ok, goooooood sit! Good sit!'

Sound familiar at all? It might look silly to read in text, but many dog owners are guilty of the above 'conversation'. While I am definitely an advocate for being encouragers to our dogs, the excessive number of times the actual command is given will unfortunately only muddy up your dog's brain. Think about it - your dog is standing and hears the word 'sit'. Your dog gets distracted by a noise outside, turns his/her head to look around, and hears the word 'sit'. Your dog hears its name and again hears the word 'sit', then finally does sit and once more hears the word 'sit'. They will be left having no idea what that 'sit' word really meant since it was paired with so many different things in the span of just a few seconds! A better approach is to rely on the molding and luring to 'communicate' with your dog initially. Dogs need time to become familiar with muscle movement before also having a foreign word paired with it. The bottom line is: wait until your pup is showing signs of sitting rather fluidly before pairing a verbal command. Then and only then, you can give the 'sit command right before they begin to move into the correct position and eliminate a lot of confusion for your dog!

Another effective way of using the clicker is to capture behaviors your dog does on its own. For example, if you come home from some errands and your dog greets you by sitting politely, you can click and reward this good behavior. Of course, not everyone cares if their dog jumps all over them when they come in the door, but for large dogs in particular, it can be very helpful to teach them to greet humans in your home properly. This is because not every person who enters your home will be a dog lover, or even if they are, they may not be able to handle the boisterous welcome clobbering that your 75 pound friend offers (i.e. small children and elderly people). If you do not start from an early age with your dog, capturing desirable behaviors may not be enough to fix a problem behavior that has already been learned. But, it can be a great additional way to reinforce good behavior as you are in training, or to start with on a puppy as soon as you bring him/her home.

Before you can move on to teaching more complex tricks, it is very helpful to master the basics. In the future, I will aim to explain how some fun tricks are taught, but it is important to ensure that you have a good foundation with your dog before moving forward. Keep training sessions short and fun and frequent! It can be a lot of fun if you approach it with the right mindset. And finally, allow your dog and yourself time to make progress together! There is no 'quick fix button' with dog training, and it will take patience and repetition to see lasting results.

Overview on Weight Part 2

Yesterday's post was focused on overweight dogs. Today, I will go over underweight ones.


Dogs that have a lighter frame than most include the sighthounds:

-Greyhounds
-Italian Greyhounds
-Salukis
-Afghan Hound
-Borzoi
-Whippets
-Ibizan Hound
-Pharaoh Hound
-Scottish Deerhounds

With possibly a few exceptions, these are really the only breeds where it is not always a bad thing if you can see their ribs easily. On a Greyhound for instance, you should be able to see a little rib (1 to 3). Allowing a sighthound to gain too much weight is very unhealthy for them because their bone structure and body frames are not designed to withstand a lot of weight.

That being said, sighthounds are anything but weak. These are among the most athletic of dogs and are built for speed and endurance. Think of these guys as the jocks of the dog world. They are light on their feet but are also muscular, powerful and very fast. Whippets can run up to 40mph, and Greyhounds can reach 45mph in three strides. Some think that a fast dog must translate to an active one, but that is a misconception. Although sighthounds love the chance to run on occasion, most are actually very mellow indoors and are known for making excellent house dogs; content to lounge around. Greyhound owners say their dogs are playful and will sprint a few laps around a yard, but after that they are done. This is also something to take into consideration because even breeds built for athleticism can be low key and won't require the same amount of calories as a more active dog.
For instance, retired racing Greyhounds generally only require 2-4 cups of food a day and they weigh 60-70lbs.

Even though sighthounds are narrow, they can still become too thin.

Emaciated Greyhounds



Severely underweight Greyhound

These Greyhounds are in the proper weight.





Salukis often appear even lighter than Greyhounds, but they too can be terribly underweight.


Healthy Saluki

Dogs that require extra calories aren't limited to breeds but rather activity level.

Dogs are the same as people in the sense that how much they eat depends entirely on the individual and their activity level. In my experience, sometimes when a dog is overly hyper, it can actually be an indication that it needs more calories and is suffering from stress. For instance, have you ever been so hungry that you begin to feel anxious or shaky?
It's fairly safe to say that a dog with a daily job to do (hunting, herding, competetive sports etc.) will on average require more calories than one that simply watches TV all day with its owner. But there are many busy, active dogs that expend a great deal of energy even if they are kept in the house all day. If your dog does a lot running up and down stairs, uses your furniture as a jungle gym, gets anxious, cold, or nervous, he most likely uses more energy than an average dog and it's possible he should be fed more than a laid back dog of the same size. At the same time, it should be noted that giving an already energetic dog extra calories can create excess energy and lead to behavior issues.

When a dog isn't getting enough to eat, his focus will be on his next meal, which can make for some behavior that is annoying to us but is a desperate attempt to our dogs. Behavior such as running to the bowl every time you get up, becoming overly possessive of food, stealing food when he never used to, and obsessively licking an empty bowl are all signs that your dog may need more food. On the opposite end, these behaviors can also be seen as dominant, bad habits your dog has formed. So again, it depends on the individual dog. If you are unsure of why your dog is acting this way, get a second opinion.

Horses for example will "fret" when they aren't getting enough to eat. This means that the hungrier they are, the more they move, which is most likely a panic driven instinct to get moving and look for food. And it becomes a vicious cycle.

Severely underweight dogs are sick in more ways than one. They aren't getting the proper nutrition to keep everything functioning properly and it's only a matter of time before they begin suffering from health ailments. They are also not in a proper mental or emotional state and will begin to rely on their survival instincts more and more.

Dogs also put weight on differently depending on their age. A 6 month - 1 year old puppy is going to be lankier, whereas a 4-5 year old is going to appear more "filled out". But neither are necessarily underweight or overweight for their age.

If you feel that you are feeding your dog plenty and he/she is still not putting on weight, there could be an underlying health problem such as parasites, bad teeth, diabetes or the brand of food you are feeding may not be right for your dog. Consult a veterinarian if this is the case.

Picture examples:

Healthy Vizsla. Vizslas have a thinner than average body type, but notice how this dog's ribs are not showing and the muscles are visible.


Severely underweight Dalmatian.


For dogs with long hair or thick coats, it can be hard to tell just by looking if they are underweight. So if you have a breed like that, make sure you can feel the ribs easily through a thin layer of fat and make sure hip and back bones are not protuding. This Malamute mix is unfortunately past the point of not knowing.


Underweight Boxer

Boxer in excellent condition

Underweight Italian Greyhound


Healthy Iggy (as their owners often refer to them :) )



I honestly don't know very many dog owners who don't want the best for their dog. The problem clearly doesn't always lie in uncaring owners but rather owners who are unaware, for whatever reason, that their dog is too thin or too heavy.

When deciding if you need to cut back on food or be more generous with it, it's extremely important to not just go off of what you read, but to get the opinion of your vet or someone who knows your dog personally.

Lastly, here is a weight chart by Purina to compare your dog to.

Dog Weight Chart


Thanks for reading!

(I do not take credit for any photos used in this post!)