Apple's Annual Exam!

Apple had his first yearly vet exam today, and for some blasted reason I was really nervous about it.

However, I am very happy to say that he is very healthy!

Today, he got 3 shots (Rabies, DHPP, and Leptospirosis), had a heartworm test, and a physical examination. It is important to take your dogs in yearly to get their shots up to date, and vets also recommend testing them for heartworms every year even if they are on preventatives because they aren't always 100% effective.

I was so nervous about the heartworm test, even though I give him monthy preventatives, because my parent's dog, Macintosh, had heartworms when I was 7. In order for dogs to recover, they have to undergo difficult and expensive treatments and must be confined with no exercise for 2 months. I remember having to listen to her scream that entire time. Apple could never do that.

Fortunately, his test was negative. I saw the test and it's almost like a pregnancy test, except the vet draws blood and puts it on the plastic test. Then, if you get one line, it's negative, and two lines means positive.

This one uses dots, but you get the idea

If you aren't familiar with the shots he got, I will give you some information about them!

Rabies is obviously a pretty common vaccine. It is the only one required by law, but rabies in dogs is extremely rare these days (due, of course, to years of stringent vaccination.) It is important though, since it cannot be treated once the symptoms begin. According to the CDC, 90% of all rabies cases are in wild animals; only about 80 dogs are discovered to have rabies in the United States every year (as opposed to 300 cats!)

DHPP is arguably a much more important vaccine, although it is not required. This vaccine prevents Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, and most importantly, Parvovirus. It is a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus and a dog can catch Parvo from walking on a sidewalk that an infected dog walked on a year ago. When we first got Apple, we had to carry him through the clinic at Emancipet to reduce his risk of catching Parvo. This disease is especially dangerous to young puppies. Distemper is also serious, and is incurable, so it is very important to get this vaccine regularly.

Those are the two most important vaccines to give your dog. I also have given Apple Leptospirosis and Bordetella (which isn't due until August.) Lepto is recommended for dogs who play in dirty water sources in urban areas, which Apple does quite often. Bordetella is required when boarding your dogs, and is similar to the common cold in humans.

After Apple got his shots, the vet examined him and said that his teeth and coat were beautiful, his heart sounded great, and he was in excellent body condition. That was very nice to hear since Apple had to make many trips to the vet for various infections early on in our owning him. He had to go to the vet once a month for four months due to infections he had as a result of being a stray. I am so happy to know that he is much healthier now and that we are doing a good job!

Barkin' Springs!

Today was such a momentous day.

My husband left for E3 (the big video game convention) in Los Angeles today, and my family is also at Disney World, leaving me all alone and not on a super awesome vacation. 

I wanted to take Apple somewhere fun today, and it was hot, so I decided to take him for a swim at our old standby, Auditorium Shores.

Auditorium Shores on a good day

Now you know how much I love Auditorium Shores, but today, it was seriously disgusting. The Austin area has been experiencing much more rainfall than we are used to (which is a great thing, since we are in a severe drought,) but the increased rainfall and the heat caused a lot of nasty algae and bacteria to grow in the water. It was disgusting, green, smelly, warm, and basically un-swimmable. I let Apple get in it once to fetch a ball, and then I saw a "Swim at Your Own Risk" sign warning people that the bacteria levels were high and posed an increased risk for infection. 

I then promptly leashed up my dog and took him out of the park, and set off on a new mission: to find "Barkin' Springs."

In Austin, there is a popular natural swimming pool known as Barton Springs. It is 3 acres in size, 68 degrees year round (according to the website, I've always heard 62,) and home to a unique species of salamander known as the Barton Springs Salamander. 

Barton Springs Pool

Barton Springs Salamander

 It is a great Austin landmark, and it is with deep regret that I admit to you that in my 5 years of living here I have NEVER been to Barton Springs. I have always wanted to, but with good reason I avoid it; I have a condition known as Raynaud's Phenomenon that requires me to keep warm, and I thought the water would be too cold for me.

Downstream of Barton Springs is another swimming hole known literally as "Barton Springs Downstream" or colloquially, "Barkin' Springs." It is a free section of the springs that is blocked from the main part of the pool by a fence and a dam, and dogs and humans can swim there. I planned on just sitting and watching and testing the water with my feet while I let him swim, but I was pleasantly surprised that the water was very nice looking and it was not too cold for me! I got in with him! I couldn't go very far because I didn't bring my swimsuit, but we're going back tomorrow and I'll wear one then.

Barton Springs Downstream, or Barkin' Springs

 It was so much fun! I was talking to so many other Dog Moms there who couldn't believe I had never been. Of course, it wasn't all free of downsides...I actually witnessed a dog mauling further up the shore, we lost a ball due to the uneven terrain and my lack of a swimsuit, and there's nowhere for the dogs to go potty. Apple hopped out of the water after an hour or so and started to run off because he had to pee...he didn't get lost and he doesn't often run off, but he's such a good boy he wanted to find some grass! I had to chase him down and leave all my stuff, but a nice man helped me out and brought my stuff to me.

Then, when he finally peed, it was near some POISON IVY. I feel like an ass because I told him to pee there (it wasn't as grown over with poison ivy as the other areas) but as soon as he started peeing I spotted a bit of it. I don't know if he came into contact with it or not, and I'll detail my preventative measures in the next blog post.

Despite that, it was ridiculously fun and I plan on going back tomorrow. I will wear a swimsuit and I should probably see if I can find some water shoes or something, so I can walk through the rocks and traverse the terrain if my dog suddenly needs to pee. When Steven comes back we totally have to come back again too!

DIY Dog Mom: Soda Bottle Sprinkler!

Recently on Facebook, I saw a fun post circulating called "27 Creative and Inexpensive Ways to Keep Kids Busy this Summer." While all the ideas were pretty great, there was one that stood out to me as something I wanted to do NOW, with my dog.

So, what better way to kick off the start of June than by playing in our own DIY sprinkler?

You can find the original directions here, but it's a very easy process, and all you have to do is drink a 2 liter bottle of soda, poke holes in it (you only want to do it on the top and sides) and tape it to a hose. The website recommends duct tape, but not having any I just used plain old Scotch tape, and while it didn't hold up super well, it lasted the entire amount of time that we played!

Here are some pictures of Apple playing in it:

He mostly wanted to drink the water!

It worked just like a real sprinkler and it was so much fun! I put on my swimsuit and played in it too. 

Then we took some more pictures when we were drying off in the grass:

I just love my dog.

It was really fun, and it only costs as much as the soda bottle itself (unless of course, I invest in some duct tape for next time,) so it really is creative and inexpensive!

Our Appleversary Cake!

For our Apple-versary, I baked the same cake that I made for Apple's birthday, and he must have remembered it, because he freaked out and wanted to eat it so badly! I am glad he likes this cake so much.

I cut the hole in the ziploc bag a little too big on this one!

Apple's birthday cake

I found this cake recipe on a website called Dog Health Guide. I chose this one because it contains no baking soda and is made with APPLEsauce!  It also calls for no sugar, but I confess I do add some to make it more palatable to us humans.

Cake Recipe:
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 
2/3 cup hot water
1 cup whole rolled oats
3 eggs (I only used two and it worked.  Lower in cholesterol!)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup granola 

First, you combine the applesauce, oats, and hot water, mix it, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then, you combine all other ingredients, put it into a greased pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

For the icing, I mix 16 oz of Neufchatel Cheese (like cream cheese with lower fat content) with 1/2 vegetable shortening, some sugar and a bit of oil. I put food coloring in it to make different colors to decorate the cake with as well.

Making these cakes has been very fun and Apple loves this cake so much. He eats so much of it and always comes back for more, and I do let him gorge himself a bit on this cake. We have already eaten the whole thing, and I think Apple had 10 slices of it!

Eating the  cake!

To My Dog's Previous Owners

To my dog's previous owners,

I wish I could read my dog's brain, or see a movie of what his life was like before that day we found him, so I'd know exactly what he'd been through. Because I can't do that, I can only take the pieces of what I know about him from the day we found him to form a picture of what you were like.

I know you existed because he knew how to sit on command. He was friendly around humans, but terrified of us when he had accidents in the house.

He had no collar or microchip. He wasn't neutered. He had fleas and an eye infection...and he was young, energetic, and very needy.

We never saw posters of him saying he was lost, and nobody responded to the found report we did online through the city, so we assumed you abandoned him because he was too big or difficult to handle.

Why? What would possess you to leave such a young puppy alone in the street? Did you take him to our apartment complex, or did he find his own way there? Why couldn't you just take him to a shelter where he would be safe?

I ask these questions, and then I realize, that as awful and horrible I think it is to abandon a puppy, if you wouldn't have taken that course of action, he never would have been ours. We weren't looking to get a dog. But we found him and we shaped our lives around HIM. We changed our home and our lifestyle FOR HIM. We eventually moved to a new house JUST FOR HIM. We didn't get a dog on a whim and decide to get rid of him if he didn't fit our specifications.

But then again, what we did might be considered illegal in some interpretations of the law. I didn't realize until a few months after we kept Apple that we "stole" him. And if you came back looking for him, we might be expected to just hand him back to you. But we'd never give him up without a fight. (And I think the fact that we've had him for a year now, and put in a found report would put the law on our side.)

All in all, I might feel very angry about what might have happened to our dog, but in the end I almost have to be thankful that it happened the way it did. It seems sick and twisted to want to thank you for getting rid of him, but I have to. If any one little thing would have happened differently, we never would have gotten Apple. It was fate for us to have this dog, and your treatment of him was part of that plan. I am just so thankful that he found his way to our apartment and chose my husband to wander up to. I can't imagine if it would have happened any differently.

One year later, I don't know if Apple remembers anything about his previous life. I wish I could ask him. I hope that this never happens again, and that you take better care of any other dogs you might have...but for now, for today, I have to let go of what makes me angry and just revel in the happiness that everything worked out the way it did.

Apple is much better for it. So are we.

Let's Play Catch (Up!)

Hello blog universe!

Sorry I have been away for so long. Like I told my team lead at my end-of-the-year job chat today, I've just had so many things going on in my personal life that it has been hard to keep up with everything (like this!)

However, it is a great time to get back into my blog, because tomorrow is a big day...

Tomorrow is our Apple-versary...aka the anniversary of the day we found and kept our wonderful, beautiful dog, Apple. There will be many posts to come about this :).

Since I last posted, we did manage to find a house that would take Apple and our application was accepted!

In our front yard!

The houses that we looked at the day after I posted Moving When a Family Member is Four-Legged were a bit interesting. The first one was decent enough, but it had a tiny yard, some cleanliness issues, and it just didn't seem right. 

The second one was like something out of a nightmare. There were cracks in the walls, dirt and grass all over the floor, brown smudges, holes in the ceiling, and it reeked of drugs. It was awful. I was so worried we would never find a place, and I desperately hoped the last house would be better.

The last house was much better, and although Steven had to leave to go to a temp job, I went ahead and put the money down on it. We had a few security issues when we first moved in, but since then, everything has been fine and great!

The yard is awesome.

The Google Maps satellite picture of our house

 We painted the majority of the interior of the house, and it took 3 weeks to get our stuff settled in, but now we are quite established here. :)

Me painting the kitchen

Our living room

Our bedroom

I am so glad they accepted Apple, but I had hoped to foster dogs for Austin Dog Rescue after moving, and I have been too "chicken" to try to clear this with my landlord....we'll see if anything ever comes of this.

Apple has been really enjoying the yard, but has unfortunately been digging, and misses the company of other dogs at the dog park, so we still try to take him somewhat often. 

Tomorrow, I really promise that I will post blogs! I will have to show you his cake, and I plan on posting "To My Dog's Previous Owners," a blog similar in style to To My Dog's Mother, On His Birthday. It should be a great day!

Doggies of Silicon Valley

I had Apple's name picked out years before he ever came into my life. Apple is named after the dog I grew up with, a Cocker Spaniel named Macintosh who was named after the computer. After she died, I said that the first dog I would get as an adult would be black and I would name him Apple.

Even though Apple is much bigger than Mac was, he has always reminded me of her. So, when I was visiting my family in Victoria over spring break, I collected some pictures of Mac to post on the blog and compare to Apple.

Mac giving me a kiss!

Apple about to give me a kiss!

I love this picture of me and Mac in the grass. Her face looks so much like Apple!

Apple chewing on something on the ground

Mac helping me sniff out Easter eggs

Apple is on the trail!

Mac sneaking around the snack table...

Apple loves to be near the table

Mac and my cat Shadow (best friends) checking in on Flopsie the bunny

Apple loves to check on the mice!

Mac in her old age with my younger brother Rhett

Apple's First Haircut!

Yesterday, Steven and I finally gave Apple a much-needed haircut! 

Apple's coat had gotten pretty disgusting. Because he is (basically) a Labradoodle, he doesn't shed his coat, and it continues to grow even longer. In the 9 1/2 months that we have had Apple, we have never had him groomed outside of bathing him and brushing him ourselves. Lately, his long curls started turning into dreadlocks, and they could not be brushed out, so I knew a haircut was unavoidable.

See those nasty dreadlocks on his legs?

Experts and breeders suggest that Labradoodles be professionally groomed every 4-6 weeks. Topics like this make me feel guilty and sad, because we simply cannot afford that kind of lifestyle for our dog. It would cost $70-$100 to have Apple groomed only once, which would have been an investment for us. Luckily for us, Steven's dad has his own do-it-yourself dog clippers, which we used to groom Apple ourselves for free!

I was afraid to groom Apple myself for a few reasons. I didn't know if he would sit still, or if it would be hard, or if his coat would look terrible when I was done. Luckily, Apple was very good and did exactly what I needed him to do! His coat did look a little choppy right after I was done, but after I bathed him, it was much less obvious.

He looks a little choppy, but he feels really nice!

 He is so much softer now and I am sure that he feels better as well.  I didn't realize that Apple is at the stage in life where he is losing his puppy coat, so it was really important to groom him and get rid of the dead coat! I hope to keep up with brushing more often to prevent him from getting matted, but I know it will be a while before we clip him again for a few reasons: his hair is so short now that it needs time to grow out, and my amateur grooming is really for starting over, not for maintaining a longer coat. I realize that Apple will not look like a "breed standard" Labradoodle, but that is okay with me.

I plan on posting more about the challenges of raising a dog in a difficult financial situation, although it is a hard topic to address. Although Apple doesn't have all of the things a dog in a wealthy family might, he is definitely in a home full of love and attention, and I like to think that is what matters the most!

Accepted!

After much anticipation, I finally got word this past Thursday that I was accepted into the Master's of Science in Community and Regional Planning (MSCRP) program at the University of Texas!

Lately, I have been alluding to my planning interests by mentioning my support of the Mabel Davis Dog Park, and referencing community issues and gentrification in blogs such as "Dog-ography in 'Welcome to Dogtown'" and my book review of Katie Up and Down the Hall.

I am primarily interested in the relationship between community development/urban planning issues and the arts, but ever since getting Apple, I have also become intrigued by services/community areas for pets as well. I am really interested in analyzing the changes that have taken place in Austin's dog culture in relation to the gentrification that has been occurring particularly in the past ten years.

Now that I am soon to be a student at one of the largest, most popular universities in the entire country, I am excited to know that my large capacity for dorky school spirit can finally be put to good use. (I was full of school spirit at St. Edward's, but at St. Ed's being spirited isn't necessarily "cool.")

As UT sells an abundance of clothing and other items for fans and students to purchase, they also have many dog items as well, which I was excited to see. Apple doesn't particularly need most of these things, but there are a few items I wanted to pick out to showcase in my blog.

This Bevo dog toy is made by Tuffy, a company that makes super-durable stuffed toys for dogs. We already own a Tuffy shark, which Apple loves. (However, the shark is pretty much destroyed. Just because they are "tuff" doesn't mean Apple can't wreck it.) I would love to get a Bevo for Apple, as he already has shown an affinity for university mascot toys...

Topper Before....

 

Topper after. This is one of Apple's favorite toys

The website Footballfanatics.com has many Longhorn jerseys for dogs, but I found this item to be the most fascinating:

This is called a "Pet Trek Canteen"

I love this item not because of the university affiliation, but simply because of the design! Steven and I were just talking about how we need to bring water out when we play with Apple since it is getting warmer, and this is an incredibly convenient way to do it! The canteen hangs from your neck, and the little bowl snaps onto the back, and can hold that rubber bone if you want to bring a chew toy out with you. I actually really want to get this....it is a Dog Mom must-have!

The item that I really want to get for Apple is a Bevo costume. Unfortunately, they were not easy to find online! (The ones I did find were only for small dogs...) Maybe, in October, they will become more readily available.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on these adorable Bevo pups, and imagine Apple with a set of Bevo horns. We already know he looks great in orange!

This is Charlie, the winner of a costume contest.

This is Scotch, and I love his horns!

Husband Jumps in to Town Lake to Save Drowning Dog

I already posted a blog today, but this one could not wait.

Today, at Auditorium Shores, my heroic husband went out into the lake to save a dog from drowning.

I don't have any pictures of this rescue, but he also has been known to rescue Sonic the Hedgehog.

We were playing with Apple by having him retrieve balls from the water as we usually do, when a grey pit bull mix got a little too excited when we threw the ball. He dove right in after Apple, only this dog was not a strong swimmer.

While many pit bulls can swim, often they can be too top heavy and sink. This one had a pretty broad, stocky chest and when he tried to swim, his head went down and his tail went up, and he struggled around like that in the water for a bit. He was never able to get his head up above the water! 

The dog was there with a friend of the owner, who was near the water when the situation occurred, and she seemed to be hoping that the dog would get the hang of it eventually, as she had mentioned that he had swam years before but was never great at it. 

I stayed pretty calm because I knew Steven would go in after the dog, as we had discussed that he would go in after Apple if he was ever drowning. After it became clear that the dog wasn't coming up and the owner/owner's friend hadn't gotten him. Steven took off his shoes and his jacket and went right in the water to pull the dog out!

The dog was fine despite being underwater for a little while. I know it seemed a lot longer than it actually was. Other people noticed and watched, and it was one of those situations where people stand around and wait for someone to take action without doing it themselves. I wasn't worried though; I knew Steven would save the dog!

Also seen around the park today was another Landseer Newfoundland, similar to Ranger, the therapy dog we saw a month ago. Steven enjoyed using him as a towel to dry off!

Fashion "Faux-Paw"

On the day after Christmas, I went to Target with my husband and sister-in-law, and finally purchased myself a new coat that I desperately needed. I had been without a coat since losing my black pea coat somewhere on campus during Fall 2011, and had been getting by with a fluffy black cardigan (luckily winter 2011-2012 was very mild.)

I had put off purchasing a new coat because of course, they are very expensive, and I had never seen one that I really liked at any store cheaper than a department store. That is, until I ran across this beauty at Target. It was soft, comfortable, well-made, and on sale for $30. It was also fabulously lined in hot pink. I was excited.

You may be wondering what this fabulous coat has to do with my dog...but then again, maybe you know exactly what this has to do with my dog. Just before finally re-instating the use of the baby fence at night (as mentioned in Bananas for Bitters) I was careless enough to leave my coat out on a chair, and YES, he chewed it.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the damage that was done. Luckily, it wasn't bad. He chewed the lapel that crosses over in the front, and immediately when seeing it, I knew that it was salvageable. Only the edges were chewed, so the main triangle shape was still there. I decided to create some bias tape and encase the edges of the collar and the sides with a fabric that would coordinate with the beautiful pink lining.

Ta-da! Here is my new coat!

It only cost about $6 to fix, much less than the cost of buying an entirely new coat, and I was able to add my own special touch to it. I like to think that Apple was only chewing my coat to encourage me to pursue my creative sewing endeavors, but I know that it was really my careless mistake that caused it! Now that Apple stays behind a fence at night, I don't have to worry about these kinds of situations any more.

Ultimately, the main thing that I take away from these situations is this: I am SO GLAD I can sew.

For more dog-related sewing adventures, check out DIY Dog Mom!

Dog Park Reviews: Zilker Park

This past Saturday was my mother-in-law's funeral. I've been posting a bit less than I would otherwise.

My parents and my four younger siblings all came up from Victoria to attend the funeral, and of course, Apple had to spend a lot of time at home alone on Saturday. So, between the service and the family dinner that night, I thought it would be fun to take Apple and my three youngest siblings to Auditorium Shores. Am I right?

Wrong! It was so crowded people were illegally parked underneath the bridge and in the grass. There wasn't even room for me to park illegally if I wanted to! So, since we were short on time, I decided that instead of turning around and going to Onion Creek, we would go try out Zilker.

I have attempted to take Apple to play at Zilker park a few times, and only one of them was moderately successful. Every time we go, there have been people playing soccer on the Great Lawn (one of the areas designated for leash-free play) and no dogs in sight. The only time we actually played there was when the Great Lawn was being set up for ACL (Austin City Limits Music Festival) and we played with another dog in the grass across the street.

I hoped that on a Saturday, there would be plenty of dogs out, and that we wouldn't have to worry about the pick-up games. When we arrived, there was so much traffic that it was incredibly difficult to park, and I actually drove into a ditch that I couldn't see in front of me trying to park on this make-shift parking lot. There were plenty of dogs, but there were even more people, and it was completely insane.

This was taken during ACL, but this is pretty much how crowded it was!

 Taking your dog to play on the Great Lawn at Zilker is like taking your child to play in a playscape at a bar on a Saturday night. Children might be allowed (in my hypothetical bar) but the bar is certainly not meant to be enjoyed by children. Almost all of the dogs here were just lying on blankets with their owners, not playing, while frisbee golf, volleyball, and flag football games were scattered around everywhere. People are having picnics on the ground that will attract your dog! If your dog is not incredibly obedient, they could easily get lost or hurt. Apple listened to me really well, so we didn't have any problems, but the whole experience was not fun and just felt dangerous.

We left after about 20-30 minutes and it took us about that much time, if not more, just to get home because of the traffic. We could not find a trash can so we had to take a poop bag home in the car. I can't believe I didn't lose track of my dog or one of my siblings because the entire environment was just....frenetic. That is the best way I can explain it. 

Zilker is a great park. But I wouldn't recommend taking your dog there! (Unless he is old and only wants to sit on a blanket and not steal your food while you have a picnic.)

1 out of 5 Paws...only because I actually had fun that one time before ACL

There might be great area in the park that I just haven't discovered yet. Forgive my oversight if such is the case.

My Experiences with Black Dog Syndrome

I posted in my very first blog about a phenomenon known as "Black Dog Syndrome." People typically fear black dogs more than any other color due to superstition, and these dogs become more difficult to adopt out of shelters. The fear of black dogs only increases with the dog's size.

I, however, am quite immune to Black Dog Syndrome. I have always loved black dogs the most, and was so driven to keep Apple because he was black, due to my love of the color, and knowing that others might be less willing to take him in.

Being that Black Dog Syndrome exists, it should come as no surprise that sometimes my sweet, lovable dog actually incites fear in some people. While I should expect this, it still doesn't make it hurt any less when people freeze in their tracks in cold-blooded fear or cower away from my dog when they see him coming near. 

This happens with both adults and children. Usually, the adults even have other dogs, which is what I find so ridiculous. They obviously aren't afraid of dogs, but they are afraid of my dog! When Apple is on a leash and sees another dog, it makes him completely miserable. Apple lives to play with other dogs. So, naturally, when we have to go into a crowded area on a leash (mostly Emancipet) Apple barks a lot. And because people see this big, black dog barking on a leash, they automatically assume he's vicious, when in reality, his heart is bleeding at having to stay still around so many other great dogs. When we walk near people in the waiting room, there are literally women who will squirm in their seats to get away from him.

 It also really breaks my heart when small children are afraid of Apple. I understand that I shouldn't get upset about it, but Apple is SO GREAT with children that I hate to see them react negatively to him. Apple is very curious about 2-4 year olds and he is very gentle with them. I love seeing him play with little kids that have a large dog in their home at the park. But, most children do not react this way. There are kids in our apartment complex that will actually scream if we come near them. There used to be two kids who would yell "STAY AWAY!" at Apple when we were walking him on a leash even though we were a good distance away.

But, yesterday's encounter really took the cake. Steven and I were taking Apple on a leashed walk to get the mail. After we picked it up, we noticed there were legal documents for a former resident, so I brought them to the office. The mailman was in the office and after I turned in the letter, he walked out ahead of me. He opened the door and froze as if he had seen a ghost. Or, maybe, this is what he saw:

I looked to see what horrible thing was happening outside, but it was just Steven with Apple. Apple was obediently sitting on the ground and waiting patiently. Steven said he perked up when the man opened the door, but he didn't leave his sitting position.

Apple barked only once, because everyone was staring at him and the man probably looked really strange.

I told the mailman that Apple was okay and wasn't going to hurt him, and to that, he sarcastically responded, 

"Yeah, he looks REALLY okay." 

WHY? Because he's black? Because he's big? He's literally JUST SITTING THERE! HE ISN'T DOING ANYTHING!

The mailman decided to hide inside until we left. We didn't say anything to him, but Steven and I were both very offended, not because he was afraid of our dog, but because he had the nerve to say that he looked dangerous when he wasn't doing anything wrong.

Apple is a sweet dog, and I'm not just saying that because he's mine. He has some puppy issues that we have been working on but aggression IS NOT ONE OF THEM. It never was and it never will be. All he wants to do is make friends and make people happy, and that's why it hurts so much when people are afraid of him.

I just want to be your friend!

How could you be afraid of anything that snuggles with a blue blanket?