Hudson the Dog

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........................

2010-12-06T18:39:00.001-05:00

School reading program!

2010-11-13T17:01:00.003-05:00

Every Friday morning, I go to a nearby school with Rachel, and a bunch of kids sit and read to me! It's so fun. Of course, they have to pet me while they read, and if they forget to pet me, I make sure to remind them I'm there by tapping them on the arm with my paw. :)

Fourth Anniversary

2010-08-23T16:21:00.003-04:00

Just a quick note to mark the 4th anniversary of my first day in my forever home. Rachel, Kevin, and I moved to a new apartment last month. It's been a little weird getting used to the new place, but it's much bigger and more fun!

Here are a few recent pics. One of Rachel and me for our Good Dog Foundation ID tag, and two from my latest therapy assignment at a local middle school special ed classroom.

Life continues to be excellent. :D

A variation on a theme

2009-11-10T13:48:00.000-05:00

Ugh... We played too much again.

Can't play for one more minute...

2009-11-06T14:39:00.000-05:00

Scout and I played so much, we ran out of energy...

I'm a genius

2009-10-07T17:13:00.000-04:00

My friend Lela

2009-10-04T10:05:00.000-04:00

I did my favorite tricks for Lela, and she made me my very own medal! It tasted delicious, too.

I love my daddy...

2009-09-21T20:42:00.000-04:00

Being a dog in a loving home is just... blissful...

Comfort is everything

2009-08-31T11:25:00.000-04:00

Rachel always puts these cushions against the BACK of the sofa. What good can they possibly do there??? Every time she does that, I rearrange them to a more proper setup. Ahhhhhh!

My 3rd Anniversary!

2009-08-23T21:27:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics from my summer. First two are from Prospect Park and the other two are from my week in the country. Had a great time fetching sticks in the river and even went into deep water where I had to swim!

Today is the 3rd anniversary of my adoption day! We are all so happy... I've gotten some extra snuggles and treats today. Rachel says she loves me so much!

I'm a Therapy Dog now!

2009-05-04T16:02:00.000-04:00

This is a long overdue update. But, I'm very proud to say that Rachel and I are now a certified Therapy Dog team. Every Tuesday we go to the hospital to visit all my new friends in the Psych Unit and Geriatric Psych Unit. I get lots of love and attention, and I make people smile!

Here I am at my graduation

Here I am sporting my vest and ID badge at the hospital!

The first real snow of the season!

2008-12-19T19:31:00.004-05:00

I had a great time in front of my house playing with my girlfriends Scout (the one who looks like me) and Cassie (the great big Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog)!

I don't think we are supposed to be in the garden... (tee hee)

And this is how I look after a good play session...

A day full of fun

2008-11-25T15:56:00.004-05:00

Last week, I got to spend a whole day with my favorite girlfriend and soul mate, Scout. (Please don't tell Sophie, Cassie, Luna, or Tosca, ok?)

Aren't we perfect?

Yum... Let's share a stick!

People watching...

Here's my favorite tug toy, though I prefer to just chew on it.

No way... I'm busy chewing!

Don't show her how it works!!!

Ugh... See what I have to do now?

Phew!

Two Years...

2008-08-22T13:57:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! I know it's been a while, but tomorrow is a special occasion, so I thought I'd share a few favorite pics. On August 23rd, 2006, I came to my true forever home. It's been a really fun and happy two years. Rachel and Kevin absolutely adore me, and I love them right back. Here are some nice shots of me. As you can tell, I am not spoiled at all. :)

I want to go outside!

2008-04-02T14:42:00.001-04:00

Life's a Beach

2008-03-09T18:52:00.010-04:00

Ok, are you ready for this? Today, with a wind chill in the 20's, my most excellent parents, Rachel and Kevin, showed me a beach for the first time! I was so beside myself with glee and also confusion. They had to explain everything to me... the sand, the seagulls, the shells... But, boy oh boy, did I have a great time running around, climbing the rocks, and chasing (and running away from) the surf! Remember to click on each pic for the large version...

A typical morning in the park

2008-03-01T20:39:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone... Here are some shots of my typical morning walk! Every day that it's not raining and not under 20 degrees, I get to go to the park. I even got to go in the middle of a snowfall last week, but no camera on hand that day...

This is what I look like waiting to cross the street.

Here I am walking towards the park wondering what Rachel is holding up to her face!

This is my friend Kepler running to Rachel

Sniff sniff

This is Smudge!

Mingling with the pack...

Watch out, here comes Luna!

Isn't she dreamy?

Here I'm being sneaky...

Running with Brady. The Basset Hound is not amused.

Posing on the hill

Ran into my friend Dodger on the way home.

Those are some highlights... Hope you enjoyed them!

A new cousin!

2008-01-27T19:58:00.000-05:00

Oh boy! I have a new cousin. Rachel's brother, Walt and his family adopted a beautiful Greyhound mix (aka Lurcher) all the way from Ireland! She is my age and my size, her name is Bailey, and there is an awesome dog park in her town in New Jersey a short 45 minute drive from my house. I met her yesterday, and we hit it off great. Rachel says I did a great job teaching Bailey how to play. I guess she never got to play before. They said she had a really hard life in Ireland, but now she's living the good life at last.

Christmas in New York

2007-12-25T15:49:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, everybody. We spent the afternoon in Manhattan! I saw seals and ducks and horses in Central Park, and the biggest tree ever in Rockefeller Center. Hope you like the pictures!

Find the Bottle

2007-11-30T16:05:00.001-05:00

Here I am playing my favorite game! Sometimes Rachel makes it too easy, and sometimes she makes it too hard. But I love playing no matter what...

Still hanging out

2007-11-25T12:17:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, I do go outside and play every day. Rachel says she and Kevin just can't resist taking pictures of me on the couch. More pictures from the park coming soon. This year I'll get to go running off leash in the snow!

But, in the meantime...

A recent trip to CT

2007-11-02T16:46:00.001-04:00

C'mon Uncle Reggie. Dontcha wanna play?

What you lookin' at?

Heeeeeelp?

More Couch Comfort

2007-11-02T16:45:00.001-04:00

Then and Now

2007-10-19T19:09:00.000-04:00

Ok, so my friend Tosca made a post like this, so here is mine!

There aren't really any pictures of me as a little puppy, but there are tons of pictures from my first few days home with my new family in August 2006. So, here are four pictures from then. Each one is followed by a picture from this summer that shows how different I look now! Mostly I just have have a lot more fur now, and it is silky smooth and shiny. Back then, I was pretty scraggly... Also I have more muscles now from all the exercise I get!

Then:

Now:

Then:

Now:

Then:

Now:

Then:

Now:

My new morning routine

2007-10-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

So now my mom takes me almost every single day to Prospect Park. Up until 9am, all the dogs are allowed to roam without leashes on! I have such a great time running around and playing with my friends. What a great way to start each day!

In these pics I'm playing with my best friend Scout. She lives across the street from me so I get to see her almost every day! See how much room we have to play???

Life is good...

2007-10-01T16:25:00.000-04:00

...when your humans let you on the furniture

Okay, here I am finally doing something productive!

Summer Vacation Part III

2007-10-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

These last pics are just of me hanging out at the cottage. Summer vacation was fun! I've heard that some people go on summer vacation *without* their dogs! Can ya beat that?

Some things never change. There's nothing quite like a nice stick!

Summer Vacation Part II

2007-10-01T16:07:00.000-04:00

These are from a fun hike in the woods!

Shhh... I think I heard something...

Phew... climbing this mountain is tough work!

Summer Vacation Part I

2007-10-01T16:05:00.000-04:00

These pictures are of all the fun I had swimming in the river! Well, my mom says I should be honest and admit that I didn't actually swim. I more like just "waded". I loved fetching sticks out of the water for my mom and dad, though!

Here I am waiting for the current to just bring me the stick. Great trick, huh? I figured this out pretty quick. A stick would get tossed into deep water and I'd just wade downstream and go out onto a rock. The stick would come to me every time!

The catching up begins!

2007-09-30T09:52:00.000-04:00

May 17th: Hanging out on the comfy windowsill.

June 9th: I've discovered a new species of miniature tree!

June 13th: There's a boo-boo on my paw. How undignified can this be? They even put on a PINK bandage! I'm no girl!

August 9th: Yummy Antlerz! My mom - the vegetarian - finally found a yummy healthy bone for me to chew that she can stomach! It is a piece of deer antler gathered from the woods. Did you know deer shed their antlerz yearly? No, I didn't either... but now someone makes a living collecting deer antlers from the woods and packaging them up for dogs to chew on. Yippee! See http://www.qtdog.com/antlerz.htm

WoW! What a summer it has been...

2007-09-27T17:48:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, I bet you all wondered what happened to me... I apologize for getting out of the blogging habit. I had a great first summer with my new family, and there are plenty of pictures. I promise to post some soon. We did lots of fun stuff like go on vacation. Rachel also decided I was ready to start enjoying off-leash hours in Prospect Park in the mornings. It's like doggy heaven! I get to run free through the meadows and play with other dogs and go swimming and stuff all off-leash almost every single morning!

Anyway, consider this a brief update. Pictures of my fun summer will follow shortly! Sorry to be away so long!

Love,
Hudson

Great day for the park!

2007-05-13T20:23:00.000-04:00

King of all I survey...

Swimming for sticks

Hooray for the Dog Beach!

Drying off in the sun

I can't imagine why Rachel thinks I'm so cute!

Sittin' with my favorite guy

Sittin' with my favorite gal

Wow, that was a tiring day! As you can see, I have managed to not get kicked off the couch yet!

Back by popular demand

2007-04-30T18:15:00.000-04:00

I'm going to start this post by just saying that my mom, Rachel, just stinks sometimes... After helping me make lots of internet friends, she just totally dropped the ball! It's been like six weeks since she helped me post on this blog. Not fair at all... Her only excuse is that she's been so busy with other stuff lately. Too busy for my blog? How is that fair?

I guess I should be grateful she wasn't too busy for the more "important" stuff like feeding me, walking me, taking me to the doggie park, playing with me, buying me toys. But, anyways, the blog is important too! I think I've made her understand that...

So without further ado... here are some pictures of handsome me doing the stuff I do best. Enjoy!

Mmmmmmm... Vitamin Water!

Why must Kevin try to share my bed? This isn't the first time...

I thought this bath garbage would be over when I recovered from the mange! No fair!

Okay... I guess it's good to be clean.

One of the things that's been keeping Rachel busy is going out now and then on a big blue two-wheeled object that recently moved into the apartment. This is what I do when she goes out on it... Just look out the window...

Oh when will she be back???

Ahhhh... She's back, so we can go back to how things should be.

This piano playing is blissfully boring...

Okay, and for the grand finale... Guess who guilted whom into changing the rules about lounging on the furniture?!?!?!?! That's right, I won! So far it's just the couch, and only when invited up by Rachel or Kevin, but hey, it's a start.

Doggie Park Fun!

2007-03-12T15:12:00.000-04:00

These last 3 are of me having some fun with Bella. I'm told she can't see, but it makes no difference to me! We love playing together...

It's been a while!

2007-03-09T12:14:00.000-05:00

Finally Rachel broke out the camera today, and took some more portraits of handsome moi!

These next two are of me tied up outside the health food store. I'm giving Rachel my best guilt-provoking look.

I hate it when my lip gets caught on my teeth!

To my fans

2007-03-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

Hi gang, sorry for the lack of news lately. Rachel has been really sick with the flu, and she can't shake it! I just feel so bad for her that I haven't felt like putting up pictures lately. Also, I think I'm a little depressed cause I haven't gotten to go for as many walks or gotten to play much at all while she's been sick. So, send good vibes for her to get better, cause I'm bored to death over here!

My crate

2007-02-14T17:23:00.000-05:00

It occurred to me that I haven't shared pictures of my crate! I don't like being in there for too long, but it's okay for eating my breakfast and dinner in. All that stuff up on top is mine! Treats, toys, food, vitamins, and grooming supplies too (though I don't like those too much).

Baby it's cold outside!

2007-02-07T12:34:00.000-05:00

Here are the various things I do when it's too cold to go on long walks outside... Somebody save me from being bored to death!!!

Woe is me!

2007-01-26T09:14:00.000-05:00

I know I don't deserve this! Rachel says that I figured out how to pull against my Sense-i-ble harness, so now I graduated to this thing called a Halti. I HATE IT.

My friend Lela

2007-01-26T09:10:00.000-05:00

This is my little friend who came to visit. She loved getting in my crate with me! Usually so lonely in there...

Torturous Toys Part I

2007-01-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, folks. Rachel says that figuring how to get food out of toys is my "job", and I'm trying to be the best I can be at my new career. I've got lots of different toys like this, so expect a series of videos of me at work!

Hudson's Artsy/Moody Side

2006-12-27T12:24:00.000-05:00

In Jail!

2006-12-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

Can you believe one of Rachel's piano students doesn't like me??? Well, he says he doesn't like any dogs at all. I just don't get it. So, when he comes over, I have to go to jail. Woe is me!

Hangin' with my people!

2006-12-26T12:33:00.000-05:00

With Rachel at the piano
With Kevin and my cousins Grace and Owen!

A 4-mile walk in Brooklyn

2006-12-22T11:56:00.000-05:00

What's that over there, Rachel?
You guys are lucky you've got that fence there to protect you from me! Otherwise I might just lick you to death!
Hangin' with Kevin
Water break!
Phew... that was tiring!

A typical day...

2006-12-22T11:47:00.000-05:00

Laying around...
Loving the camera!
Did I mention I LOVE plastic?
Getting beautiful.
Just being beautiful. What can I say?

I'm so abused

2006-12-06T16:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, sometimes life with a pianist is rather boring.
I lie under the piano and wait...

and wait...

and wait...

Hello again

2006-12-06T13:25:00.000-05:00

What?! You lookin' at me?

My statuesque pose

Just stopping to smell the roses.

Just some pics

2006-12-06T13:17:00.000-05:00

This one's for Tosca. Here's lookin' at you, kid.

Friends furever

2006-12-04T12:52:00.000-05:00

Me and my buddy Gus!

Demodectic Mange

2006-12-01T15:01:00.000-05:00

Hello folks, this is Hudson's mom, Rachel. The point of this post is to tell the story of how Hudson recovered from a nasty case of Demodectic Mange. I'm sure he's very embarrassed that I'm posting this on the internet! But, I think it's important to put this all in writing, since I occassionally run into people online and in real life who are battling this illness with their dogs. I wanted to be able to point them to a guide of a treatment that worked for at least one dog.

Hudson was rescued as a small puppy in W. Va. with a bad case of Demodex. He had lost nearly all of his fur, and the exposed skin was all horribly infected. Pussy boils everywhere!

The rescuers cared for him for 3 months, and he was responding to treatment slowly but steadily. Their treatment was 2 weeks of an antibiotic, weekly dosage of liquid Ivermectin (by mouth .7cc), once weekly baths in Goodwinol Rotinone shampoo.

When he came to live with me, he crashed hard on the 3rd day. Broke out in a terrible skin infection ALL OVER his body - pussy, bleeding bumps everywhere. His fur fell out on a few more patches. His fur was still pretty patchy anyway, though. He was in some seriously god-awful shape.

With a vet's guidance and also MUCH internet research, the following treatment took care of the mange and boosted his immune system.

Daily Ivermectin (.3 cc and then .6 cc)
Every-other-day bath in a Benzoyl Peroxide shampoo (Pyoben)
3 weeks of antibiotic (Simplicef)
Natural Balance Fish and Sweet Potato food
Daily Echinacea, Vitamin E, Ester-C supplements
Missing Link supplement
Probiotic supplement
Digestive Enzyme supplement
Daily application of Halo Derma Dream on any bumpy, scaly, hairless skin

I took him to the vet for several skin scrapings to check on the treatment's progress. Here is the timeline:

8/26 - initial appointment. no skin scraping. started treatments.
9/14 - skin scraping shows mites. increased ivermectin dosage to .6cc per day
9/26 - skin scraping shows some mites, but only dead ones
10/17 - skin scraping shows no mites. Ivermectin is stopped. Weekly Pyoben baths and supplements continued.
11/13 - skin scraping shows NO MITES! that's after 4 weeks off the medication!

I have since phased out the baths, extra vitamins, and enzymes, but will keep him on Missing Link, probiotics, and echinacea. He is a super healthy dog now, with an amazing shiny coat, thick fur, no skin problems!

So, I think the nutrition, supplements, baths, ointment, and mild medication did the trick very fast! This poor boy had been suffering FOREVER! He tolerated the Ivermectin very well. I'm glad no one suggested Mitaban dips, because those are very nasty and toxic I hear. He didn't need them...

Hope this info helps someone out there!

Help! My nose is turning pink!

2006-11-29T18:40:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Kevin seem to think this is funny. Rachel says my nose will turn black again in the spring. Yeah, if you believe that, I have a nice bridge for you going for a good price!

Just Hanging Out

2006-11-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

Hey there Mom! Whatcha doin?

Oh, ta heck with ya! I'm nappin'...

Fun in Cousin Parker's Garage.

2006-11-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

Hugs from Cousin Abby

Yummy plastic boat!

Throw it to ME!

Ridin' in the Car

2006-11-13T11:15:00.000-05:00

zzzzzzzzzzzz...

Snoozing

2006-11-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

Man, I'm tired...

Fun in the park!

2006-11-10T16:20:00.000-05:00

Chasing Lily

Chasing Sheba...

Hanging out...

I got Sheba's ball. Yeah!

Squirrels among us!

2006-11-05T14:45:00.000-05:00

I SAW THEM OUT THERE!!!

No more getting wet!

2006-10-27T11:02:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone... Rachel bought me a COOL rainjacket so I wouldn't get all wet and cold in the rain anymore. I'm so glad, cause getting wet is not one of my favorite things. Whadya think?

Hudson Showing Off

2006-10-16T14:33:00.000-04:00

How ridiculous that I have to do all this stuff just for treats!

Holy Harness

2006-10-12T11:21:00.000-04:00

Ok, so my Mom got me this thing called a "Sense-ible Harness". I guess it's okay... I feel like I must look dorky, but for some reason, since I got this thing, my walks with my mom are more fun! There's no more yanking on my neck, and she seems much happier too. So here I am in my new outfit...

More fun at the farm...

2006-10-08T10:44:00.000-04:00

Nice horsey...

Hangin out with Kevin

What's going over there?

Ha ha... I dare you to jump that fence and come try to get me!

Trip to the farm!

2006-10-08T10:42:00.000-04:00

So fun! We got to take my cousin Abby to her horseback riding lesson... Those horse things sure are funny-lookin!

Whoa...

Hangin' with Grandpa Jack

Just please let me get a good nip at those heels!!!

Another trip to CT!

2006-10-08T10:37:00.000-04:00

Acting goofy with my cousin, Emmy.

Why oh why do my cousins think it is necessary to share my crate?

Just being my handsome self...

Hey, what's going on out there???

Trip to the park!

2006-10-01T17:03:00.000-04:00

Here I am sitting at the crosswalk waiting for the light like an angel!

I LOVE BIG STICKS!

This is such a huge meadow I don't know where to go!

Bathtime...

2006-10-01T15:47:00.000-04:00

Some choice shots of the torture my mommy puts me through 2-3 times a week! Why me???

Embarrassment!

2006-09-30T15:44:00.000-04:00

Honestly, folks, I don't know who this is more embarrassing for... me or Rachel!

Cousin Parker, Yeah!

2006-09-25T16:59:00.000-04:00

This was when I first met my cousin Parker. He weighs 3 times as much as me, but I wasn't scared... FUN!!!

More Fun in Connecticut

2006-09-25T14:37:00.000-04:00

Here's my cousin Abby checking me out for the first time! I can tell she loves me already.

Here I am with Kevin (Dad) and Cousin Reggie. Reggie and I enjoyed napping together.

Hi Reg!

Here I am with Rachel (Mom).

Fun in Connecticut

2006-09-25T14:35:00.000-04:00

How embarrassing... Cousin Parker is kicking my butt.

I'll show you, ya big bully!

Here's my cousin Gracie. Pretty cute, huh?

Here I am with Parker and Gracie. What fun we had! They sure do have lots of grass up there in Connecticut!

At Aunt Bea's

2006-09-17T21:45:00.000-04:00

Didn't stay still long enough for too many pictures, but you can tell by my smile that I had a great time! Rachel looks pretty happy too!

Here is Uncle Walt checking me out!

On the way to Aunt Bea's

2006-09-17T21:44:00.000-04:00

These were taken at a rest stop on the way to Bea's place in PA.

Humiliation!

2006-09-17T21:38:00.000-04:00

The humiliating pose I have to assume when Rachel needs to treat my skin (In case you didn't already hear... I have demodectic mange.)

Don't you just feel sorry for me?

I'm sooooo patient.

ENOUGH ALREADY! This is embarrassing!

Kevin and Hudson

2006-09-14T11:48:00.000-04:00

C,mon human! I'm not allowed on your bed, am I? AM I?

First Movie

2006-09-13T16:05:00.000-04:00

OK, I know it's not too riveting, but at least it gives an idea of how I look on the move...

A few outdoor pics!

2006-09-13T12:35:00.000-04:00

Could we carry on here?

I'm so handsome...

A few indoor pics

2006-09-13T12:32:00.000-04:00

NY Pet Rescue

2006-09-12T16:53:00.000-04:00

Hi! Rachel here. Just a few words about Hudson's rescuers: NY Pet Rescue. They are a wonderful volunteer organization based in Larchmont (near New Rochelle). They have a really dedicated member base that care for and foster sweet, helpless animals that would otherwise be euthanized. I'm sure it's a terrifically difficult task, physically and emotionally! But without selfless people like this, I could never have gotten the dog of my dreams. Hudson was neutered, vaccinated, and very well-socialized by the time he came to me... in spite of very rough beginnings as an abandoned animal in a West Virginia pound. I know that the care he got in his 3 months of foster care must have contributed a lot to his wonderful personality. So visit the NY Pet Rescue link in the sidebar and consider helping them out!

Visit to Chris and Nanette's

2006-09-03T12:36:00.000-04:00

Where we goin'??? Huh? HUH?

Well, hello there!

Nice deck you got here...

Hey! What's in there?

More from week 1

2006-09-02T12:35:00.000-04:00

Curled up in bed. Awww...

Can't a guy get some sleep around here?

1st week

2006-09-02T10:38:00.000-04:00

I dig that classical music. So relaxing!

Sooooo Sleepy...

Now, that's comfort!

More Day 1 Pics

2006-08-23T18:32:00.000-04:00

Stop pointing that flashy thing at me!

Stick with me, kid.

Ahhh.... This is the LIFE!

Hi there.

Pics from Day 1

2006-08-23T15:20:00.000-04:00

What a wrinkly muzzle! Shar-pei mix perhaps?

Gimme that thing!

Hmm... I think I could get used to this place!

Are YOU my mommy?

Pictures from NY Pet Rescue

2006-08-23T12:24:00.000-04:00

Hi Rachel, here. Here are the pictures from the rescue's website that led me to inquire about the pup.

Welcome to Hudson's Blog

2006-08-23T12:01:00.000-04:00

Hi, I'm Rachel, and this is a blog to share pictures of and stories about my dog, Hudson. He is a very sweet pooch I adopted from NY Pet Rescue on August 23rd 2006 at the age of approximately 8 months. He's doing great in spite of a case of Demodectic Mange that we're working on getting resolved. Poor little guy had a rough start in life!