Kennedy's Funny Farm - Sadie Lou Who, Editor-In-Chief

Reasons to Smile

2009-11-13T18:42:00.000-08:00

Since I haven't been very good at blogging much lately, I thought I'd share some picture of some of the baby donkeys that have been born at our Funny Farm over the last three years. The babies are so cute and so rambunctious and full of personality. They really do give you lots of reasons to SMILE ~ ask anyone who's met a new baby donkey in person!

At 12 hours old, Hailey Lou the Little Moo just couldn't wait to stretch those legs of hers!

Baby Snitch trying to eat his mom Shadow. He's been rotten since day #1!

Sweet Pea was soooooo tired after a big day in the pasture.

Sweet Pea showing off her new green halter. (They don't make horse halters tiny enough, so this is actually a halter for a baby llama!

Snitch didn't get his fill biting his poor mama, so he tried to take a bite out of me!

Lady Jane Grey reeeeeeally loved her cheek scritches!

Sweet Baby Snitch before he figured out how to use his teeth!

Baby Petunia had the best bangs of them all! Soooooo poofy!

Hailey Lou the Little Moo at 12 hours old. Still a little damp, but ears up and at full attention!

Ella, Denali, Shasta (Denali's baby) and Lady Jane Grey (Ella's baby). Don't the babies look like the "Push-Me-Pull-You" from Dr. Doolittle?

Lady Jane Grey strutting her stuff in her new red halter. Even my husband was impressed.

Baby Petroushka, with mom Pandora. She looked a lot more like a dalmation than a donkey at first!

And so concludes the first installment of Baby Donkeys ~ Reasons to Smile! Hope they brightened your day. They brighten mine every day!

Just a Question for you....

2009-11-10T18:54:00.000-08:00

If you drove by me on the road, would my license plate make you laugh??

When His Family Is Away, Flat Brutus Will Play!

2009-10-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

And Play I did! Flat Brutus here folks, ready to fill you all in on my BIG weekend! While my family was on their "Earlventure," I had plenty to keep me busy. Those nice people and fur faces at the Funny Farm were gracious enough to take care of me. Mom told me that if I behaved, and used good manners and didn't have any accidents that I would have a great time....and boy, oh boy, was she ever right! I must have been SUPER good, because Courtney and Sadie Lou took me to my very first Agility Trial hosted by Medina Swarm. It was a blast. So much fun that I can't wait to do it all over again! They say pictures are worth a thousand words, so let me show you how much fun I had!

Welcome to the October Medina Swarm CPE Trial! This was my view for much of the day. Oy, we must have gotten up really early to get good ringside seats.

Here I am at the judges briefing....this is what you do before you have to run the course. I paid close attention, and my good friend Jenn explained the big words that I didn't understand. She is really experienced in the ring and really boosted my confidence!

After the briefing, I found my friend Riot the Border Collie. He's much to young to compete yet, but when his time comes - watch out world! He gave me a great pep talk and calmed me down a little. We did some breathing exercises to help me focus. He told me that his mom, Amanda M. would be there for me if I needed her during my run.

Then it was time for my run! I LOVE the tunnel! 3-D Brutus has NOTHING on my tunnel skills...look at the energy and fervor with which I'm exiting the tunnel. Bring it on Baby!

Next were the weave poles, and let me tell you....this is no territory for beginners. I've been working for months on perfecting my technique. Smooooooth like butter!

Then I headed to the dog walk. Note the precision on my contact with my feet in the yellow paint. A definite must in terms of safety and qualifying! Thank goodness Amanda P. was there to tell me to go easy. I don't see yellow so well (being color-blind and all).

Then it was just a mad dash to the tire followed by the finish line. I was out of breath, my muscles were trembling, but the end was in sight. Riot was right, without Amanda M. there to cheer me on, I don't know if I would have made it!

Once my run was complete, I was a bundle of nerves. I didn't knock any bars down - it was a nice smooth run. But, was my time good enough to Q? Then, the results were in....I rushed over to the computer to view them myself - the anticipation was killing me - I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest....

YES!!!!!! Hip Hip Hoooooooraaaaaaay! A qualifying run and a 1st place finish! Blue and a Q....LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!

After so much physical exertion, it's very important to regroup. That starts with a healthy, well-rounded lunch. Smelled delicious, and tasted even better. (Don't worry mom, I got all 4 food groups covered: cheese, turkey, donuts and carrots with dip!)

Even tho' my run was over, Courtney told me that we still had lots ahead of us. Fizzer looked awfully darn comfy in this chair, so I thought I'd join her for a little snooze. Had to recharge my batteries for a big afternoon! By the way, Fizz is a very excellent snuggle buddy, and never takes up too much room!

After a little shut-eye, I decided to check out what else there was to see at the Trial. A favorite of mine were these awesome tuggie toys handmade by my friend Jean. She is the owner of 3 Jacks Bakery and she makes OUT OF THIS WORLD Puppy Treats!

Then I went for a visit with my good friend George. He is a beautiful yellow lab, and he sure does have a lot to say! He also has a gorgeous smile (he must brush a lot, right mom?). I made sure to thank George for letting me borrow his mom, Amanda P., during my agility run. It was his first time too this weekend, and he rocked!

Next, it was on to my duties as a worker. Here, my new friend Amanda E. (sheesh, there sure are a lot of Amandas to keep track of around here) is teaching me how to be a "Gate-keeper." I had to let all of the dogs and their people know when it was their turn, and I had to tell the workers when to raise the bars as the dogs got taller. Good thing I'm a good reader with a big Bark!

Amanda said that I did such a good job I could fly solo as the "Gate-keeper". Wonder if I get a badge for this?

Next, it was back with the Amandas for some seriously important jobs. First, Amanda P. taught me how to time. It wasn't easy to work the stopwatch without opposable digits, but I soon figured it out. Gosh were some of those dogs fast!

Once I mastered timing, it was on to learn how to scribe with Amanda M. This is a little tricky....you have to watch the judge and listen, as you record the faults during a run. I didn't like that so much, I think everybody should get Q's! Then I had to write down all of those lightning fast times.

Here I am, back at the computer...this time I'm helping Julie and her dog Blitz score. We take the scribe sheets, enter all of the data, and then the computer does it's magic and spits out the results. Again, I tried to tell Julie that I was watching, I think everyone should Q, but, she explained that life isn't fair, and sometimes you Q and sometimes you don't. I told her that I would give her lots of chocolate if that meant everyone could Q.....and she said "Hmmmmmmm, let me think about that!"

After all of the hard work, and given that it is flu season and all, it's very important to remember to sanitize your paws periodically.

And then...oh, then.....my favorite part of the day......the Howl-o-ween Costume Contest!!!

This is my new friend Abbey in her very festive T-shirt. It had ghosties and the word BOO all over it! Everyone kept telling her she had nice "Boo's"....then they would laugh, so I did too.

Here we are getting our costumes on.....That's Sadie Lou in the white, and Fizzer in the black.

And of course, there was me in all of my fabulous-ness....can you guess what we were???

A FLOCK OF SHEEP! Complete with our Border Colloe Riot to watch over us - I'm right in front of Sadie (in case you couldn't see me). We seemed to have a shedding issue with our costumes, but no worries....we won 1st Prize. That's two big wins for me today!!! Wooo-hooooo go ME!!!

As a reward for all of my hard work and good behavior, I was allowed to choose a treat from the candy dish....that took longer than anything else that I did all day. So many choices, so many choices. (Don't worry mom, I brushed extra long before bed that night.)

And there you have it! My big agility weekend.....I feel so good about my debut, and can't wait to do it again in November! I worked hard, played hard, ate well, volunteered a lot and met lots of great new human and doggie friends!

For more information on Medina Swarm Agility or Jean's delicious 3 Jacks Bakery Treats, please see the links to the left (and NO, I'm not a paid spokes-dog, just super appreciative of all that I was able to enjoy this weekend!)

This is an exhausted Flat Brutus, signing off.....until next time!

More Introductions! Foxy & Holly Get A Great "Relocation" Package!

2009-10-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Funny Farm!

Today we are taking a break from the K-9 Clan and their antics to introduce a few of our donkeys and to make a very BIG announcement!!

Drumroll please........barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Foxy (aka "Lady Foxglove") and Holly (aka "Happy Hee-Hawlidays) are getting a new family! Congratulations to the Reinbolt family on their new additions! Along with their new human mom, dad and two sisters, Foxy and Holly are also getting two K-9 brothers (Jake and Winston) and two 100 pound potbelly pig brothers (oh gosh, how rude of me to not know their names - eek)! Get ready girls....lots to learn at your new home! Foxy and Holly won't be far from us, just a few miles up the road, and they'll be relocating in the middle of October....do you think they'll still be able to hear the hee-haws from the Funny Farm at their new homestead and send replies??

CiCi also has a new family....the Manganos - Happy Birthday Jenn! Cici will remain at the Funny Farm, as her family doesn't quite have enough space for her at their place. Cici's mom is "Ranch Hand Jenn", who'll you'll see regulary here on the blog! Cici also has K-9 siblings....they will be properly introduced in a post in the very near future!

The following photos were taken during one of the Reinbolt's recent visits. All credit goes to Sydney for her fabulous photography skills!

Cici (aka "She Sells Seashells): "Oh shucks! Is today the photo shoot?? I totally forgot...give me a minute to primp!" Ugh...I really need to get to the salon....this fuzz is out of control!!!"

The soon to be Reinbolt Girls....Holly (lighter brown) on the left and Foxy (darker brown on the right.

Rosa (Foxy's mom): "Pardon me, but it's hard work keeping up this girlish figure of mine.....CARROTS!!!!!! Oh, sorry.....CARROTS, NOW!!!!

After sufficient treats from the Reinbolts, Rosa begins her gymnastics routine.....under close scrutiny by the international panel of judges, the following results were submitted:

Germany: 8.5 (Good form and synchronicity, costume lacked lederhosen)

Russia: 7.5 (Fine incorporation of traditional moves with modern flair, like "pasture-ized" ice dancing)

Spain: 9 (Big fan of her ancestors, thought her rhythmic ear moves were stupendous)

US: 9.5 (Loved the music, the "down-home feel" of the routine and the hee-hawing)

France: 6 (Didn't think she pointed her toes properly, so nit-picky - it's always the French judge bringing us down!)

Foxy: "Um....hello...excuse me please....mom said you had CARROTS! MORE CARROTS!! Maybe you didn't understand me........CARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROTS!!!!

Foxy to CiCi: "Stop flicking that ridiculous tail in my face! The people think it's cute....not me!!" Ahhhhh...ahhhhhh...ahhhhhh.....chooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"

Holly: "If I stand here and bat my eyes, the people find me irresistable. I get 'em every time! "

Foxy: "If I only had my binoculars, I could see my new home! Westward Ho!"

Pandora (Holly's mom): "Ha ha ha hee-haw hee-haw! That's a great joke Cici! Stop, stop.....I'm getting a cramp in my cheeks! Ha ha ha hee-haw-hee-haw!"

Foxy: "I heard Pandora laughing....wondered what was so funny....tell me....I'm dying to hear this!

Cici: "An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along they passed some people remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right so they changed positions. Then, later, they passed some people who remarked, What a shame, he makes that little boy walk. So they then decided they'd both walk! Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey. Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The boy and man figured they were probably right, so they decide to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned. The moral of the story? If you try to please everyone, You might as well...Kiss your a$$ goodbye!"

Congratulations again to the Mangano and Reinbolt families! You are very lucky to have such sweet little creatures in your lives!! And, I think you will understand why my motto in life is so often: "Never under-estimate the power of a Hee-Haw!"

Pupcake Packs the Van!

2009-10-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, Pupcake had a pretty serious problem with his leg (to be detailed in a blog post in the very near future) and started joining me at work every day - he needed nursing care and his bandages needed to be changed every few hours (if they weren't already falling off). After about 7 weeks, he got "laid-off" (meaning that he was finally well and all healed - big whew). But, thanks to Teresa, at least once or twice a week, his services are still needed on an "Independent Contractor" basis. This past Monday, Teresa and I needed to pack the van to prepare for an upcoming show. That being said, Teresa made the call, Pupcake was available and we all began packing the van!

Pupcake supervised from the comfy floor mat outside of the van for the first half of the van packing project. Once we had the front loaded, Pup felt it necessary to institute some "Quality Control Inspections."
"Boy, oh Boy! You girls do good work. Not a wobbly box in sight! Not a cubic inch unused! Fine job!"

Security camera images show Teresa here trying to earn Brownie Points from the Inspector. Hmmmm....perhaps Human Resources should be contacted? They look a little too close for comfort for the workplace!

"Man, oh man!" Watching you lovely ladies load all of these HEAVY boxes has really taken its toll on me. I'm absolutely exhausted. Does the union around here allow for any breaks?"

"Really? It's ok to lay down on the job? Well, if you insist. Couldn't hurt and we'll brainstorm about how the 2nd half should be packed! Yessiree - that's the ticket!"

"And those 3 boxes can stack where you are resting your head, and those 4 bigger boxes can go right where I'm laying. Hey...where's that slacker Courtney....oh, that's right...she's carrying all of the boxes out here for us to see and talk about! You know I'd be happy to help, but without opposable thumbs and all...."

And somehow, magically, Pupcake waved his wand and the rest of the boxes jumped into the van, just as Teresa and Pup imagined they might! Ta-Daa!

Time for a big drink of water and some well-earned Puppy Treats!

Thank goodness Pupcake was there to provide moral support and to inspect our work! We couldn't have done it without him!!!

Meet the Kennedy K-9 Clan - Part 2 - Revenge of the Wild Children!

2009-09-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

You all asked for it...so you got it! Part 2 of the Kennedy Clan K-9 introductions! Lots to cover, so heeeeere we goooooooooo...

Hola blogging friends! I'm Taz (aka Taz-A-Mo, Mo-M0, Mr. Arbuckle)! I am the only Brittany with a tail and with Liver Roan color. Mom is convinced that I'm really a German Spaniel (Deutschlander Wachtelhund), but as those as so rare here in the US, I'm masquerading as a Brittany! I'm a dancer...I'll put my front paws on your hips and we can dance the night away! I'm also Teresa's Numero Uno choice for accompanying her on hikes - which makes me King of the WILDS. Lots more from my walking chronicles at another time! I came from the Franklin County Pound, and resembled a footstool more than a dog when I arrived 3 years ago. I could only take 10-15 steps before needing a rest. In 2 years, I've lost 20 pounds! Now I'm sleek and athletic and love to run like crazy and hike all over the National Park Trails!

Did I mention that I also have the longest tongue here at the Funny Farm???

G'day Chaps! I'm Sam (aka Samson, Sam-Ham, Handsome, Big, Bigness). I'm the only Springer Spaniel here at the Funny Farm and was rescued from the APL when I was 8 years old - just 3 years ago. I came with AKC papers, even tho' everyone thinks I look more like a 10-month old St. Bernard! I personally perfer to think that I'm an 8 pound Chihuahua and I have never met a lap I couldn't sit in. No one can resist my sweet droopy eyes, and really, truly I am the favorite because I'm so cute and irresistable, and I make everyone smile! Well, except for maybe my WILD snoring! I can wake the dead! I have some pretty advanced arthritis in my front shoulders and legs, but mom gives me daily treats in peanut butter to help with that. I LOVE getting my haircut. No foo-foo Springer "do's" for me...I like a crew cut, nice and comfy!

But, when mom does let my hair grow out for the winter, I'm equally as adorable! I love, love, love the snow. I bury my head in it and then plunk down and make snow angels! Nothing better than fresh snow!

Howdy folks...oops....I'll be right back....can't sit still for too long....just so happy to meet you all! Remember Tigger from Winnie the Pooh? Well, he and I have a whole lot in common!

The wonderful thing about Jaeger, Is Jaegers are wonderful things! Their tops are made out of rubber, Their bottoms are made out of springs! They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy! Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN! But the most wonderful thing about Jaegers, Is I'm the only one!

I came to the Funny Farm from friends, about 3 years ago, when they came to the Funny Farm to visit and watch an Ohio State game, and I came to play with some friends. My family had gone through a lot of changes and I had been feeling pretty lonely. It was so clear that I was instantly so much happier, that, well, I never went back to my old home! I had a very bad accident as a 6-month old puppy that damaged my left hip badly. I had surgeries and recovered, but that took it's toll on my right knee. A year after living at the Funny Farm, I had a total ACL reconstruction on december 27th, and after 1 pretty non-functional week, 15 more weeks of leash walking (through the dead of winter in soooooo much snow), and 4 more months of taking it easy, I am the WILDEST, friendliest, happiest, bounciest Black Lab that anyone have ever met!

And, last but not least.....Meet Winston (aka Winnie, Skinny Winnie, Wiffie, Wiffie-Fred) the quintessential WILD child at the Funny Farm. I just go and go and go until it's time for bed and then I just crash and burn! I was 30 minutes from the gas chamber at the pound when mom and Teresa walked in...that was the beginning of a whole new wonderful life. Mom can always tell my voice...I'm the soprano in the family! Dad and I are the greatest snuggle buddies. If he is sitting still, I'm right there by his side. I love to chase ducks, geese, birds and even bats. If it has wings, I'm on it! I'm so skinny that I get 1-2 extra high calorie meals a day, and in a year I gained a whole pound! The vet says that I am the Terminator of all Brittanys. All muscle and, did I mention that I'm WILD???

Ta-Da (all 8 doggies say, taking a bow)...there you have it!!! Now when you see us in upcoming blogs, you'll have some background and recognize our adorable, beautiful faces!

Meet the Kennedy K-9 Clan - Part 1

2009-09-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and welcome back to our blog! In an effort to get everyone acquainted with the crew here at the Funny Farm, I think it's only appropriate for each of our "woofs" to formally introduce themselves....So, without further delay....

Hello, my name is Pupcake. I’m the original puppy and the A #1 Black Dog. I keep everyone in line – the number one alpha dog. Mom had me before she even met my dad, so I'm the original "man" in her life! I was rescued as a 4 month old puppy from the side of the road 10 years ago on October 26th, and the rest is history!

Hi, my name is Mulligan (aka Mully, MuffleCheese) – I’m the sneezy hunting dog. I love hunting and chasing squirrels and birds. I have lots of cute freckles on my nose. I was born on June 9, 2000 and Mom chose me as a 4 week old puppy from a litter of 10 as a birthday gift for my dad. She chose me because I wasn't a wallflower, got along with lots of other puppies and had a blast attacking the door mat! A few weeks later, I came home to live with mom and dad and a month later dad put a shiny ring around my neck, and I got to give it to mom, and that's when we became an official family forever! I'm a great bird dog, and am the original A #1 Brittany.

Hello Blog readers! My name is Sadie Lou, and I'm your Editor-In-Chief here at the Funny Farm. I’m the fussy one, the fidgit, the wiggle worm, the mother hen, the busy body – always in everybody’s business – but hey, that’s my job. I look like Mully, but I don’t have a wide white stripe on my face. Mom got involved with the great people at NBRAN (National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network) and I came as a foster dog in the fall of 2005. Well, just a few months later, these Kennedy people moved from the city to our 5 acre Funny Farm, and dad gave me to mom as a house warming gift! Hooray! Mom started taking me to agility about 2 years ago, and I have lots of CPE Q's under my belt now! I don't love agility, but I love my mom and I'll do anything for her!

Hello, I’m Dinah (aka Dinah Doodle, Dolly, Dolly Dumples)– the only orange girl Brittany - and I absolutely love food – I was a chef in my last life – so am always on the lookout for new tastes – including any garbage, your sandwich – any kind of left-over – anything on the counter is fair game. I came to the Funny Farm as an NBRAN foster in the spring of 2006 and I was so scared of all men. I didn't know anything about love or a family, and it took me a whole year to give my mom a kiss. I was available for adoption, but after my past and all of my quirks and the length of time it took me to "come around", it was decided that I should probably just stay put! Thanks to my family of people and dogs, I have learned to be a very happy girl. I'm a superb "snooter" when the closest available hand isn't petting me appropriately, and I love licking the peanut butter jar when there isn't enough left for the people!!

Well folks...there you have it....the first half of the woofies here at the Funny Farm! Stay tuned for Part 2 - The Wild Children!!!

2009-09-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hello from all of us at Kennedy's Funny Farm....I'm Courtney and I'll be your tour guide along all of our wild adventures and blog posts! My husband and I have 2 cats, 8 dogs and 13 miniature donkeys. You'll get to know the "players" as the blog proceeds, so sit back, relax and enjoy!!

Your patience is appreciated while I travel the "Learning Curve" in the world of blogging...our first several posts might be pretty sketchy and experimental, but hang in there...it'll get better - I promise! Many thanks to our blogging friends, Brutus and Michelle, for inspiring us to blog too!

For our first official post, I'm "borrowing" a chapter from the Kennedy Dog Walking Chronicles, written by my very good friend and employer Teresa. She is owned by two wonderful cats, but borrows a few of my dogs on a regular basis for hikes in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area (in NE Ohio). This post features Sadie Lou, a 5-year old, liver & white spotted rescued Brittany and her "brother" Tazz, also a 5-year old, liver & white roan rescued Brittany - with a tail! So, on with the blog!

Tazz and Sadie explore O’Neil Woods 7-9-09
Rules of Conduct in the Metro Parks

First, and most IMPORTANT: secure the seatbelt before leaving the driveway! Safety is imperative!

Second: pay close attention to nature – there is a myriad of creatures to be seen.

Third: take advantage of the numerous spas along the trails.

Fourth: Remember to pace yourself – take breaks.

Fifth: There are ALWAYS puppy treats at the end of the trail!