Happy Valentines Day from the Halverson Pack!
This winter seems to be flying by….already Valentines Day! We have been so busy between the dogs and cats…our perpetual house project and trying to enjoy our new life in Kentucky.
We are almost through our first winter in Kentucky…we LOVED IT….we have had several days in January with temps in the 50’s and we have had a lot more sunshine than we were used to with Minnesota winters. My husband has even had his motorcycle out in both January and February.
We have had our hands full with our expanding family since we moved to Kentucky…Turnip continues to make great strides…he has started following Bret around the house in the evenings…a nice change from his days of running from men. He had his first visit with our regular vet…he hated it but behaved like a true gentlemen…he wore his new hoodie to his appointment…
I have been busy in my studio with both new paintings and with learning the process of getting prints made of my paintings…I have several prints available at my ETSY shop now….my prints of my Vera painting came in this week…they turned out fabulous. I finished this Rescue Dog on a Motorcycle painting this week…I envision many versions of this painting in the future.
Buster continues to make great progress in his training…while his energy level and enthusiasm for everything is quite remarkable…he is also a lovey and snuggley boy…he has become a pleasure to take on walks and manages himself much better (not perfect but better) in the 
presence of unfamiliar dogs. Working with Buster is something I plan to write about a lot in 2015….Buster is not my first rodeo with a reactive dog…we have learned a lot and I am hoping it can be helpful for other parents with dogs who need just a bit more help managing stress
Whenever Valentines Day comes around I am reminded of all the reasons why I love my husband….and there are many, many things about him that are lovable…but it is the love he has for our pets that melts my heart. I am not married to a man who will buy me jewels…I am married to a man who comes 
home with pet strollers for our Pomeranian who can’t go on walks anymore…who sits up with our pets all night when they are sick…who never tires of playing with them when they are rambunctious….I am blessed with husband who was made for caring for all these animals…
I hope you and your sweeties (two legged and four legged) have a wonderful Valentines Day…
Rescue On!
Nancy
Ah Buster! Memories of a our beloved Ray! He was afraid of everything that moved, and had a real problem with people with sticks, canes, walkers. No sympathy for people who had mobility issues. No time for children. Totally reactive with no warning sounds. Did not want to be touched …… and so the list goes on. Here we are two years later and he is still a “work in progress”, but so affectionate and cuddly. We wouldn’t change him for the world. The benefits from trying to understand him, taking care of him, and making him part of our lives with loads of TLC …………. priceless!
I love it!!!! Blessing to you for taking such good care of sweet Ray! Buster is not my first rodeo with a reactive dog…I have such a soft spot for dogs like him.
And understandably so! To take a dog with a lot of “emotional baggage” and manage to help him/her to socialize and general lead a happy and less stressful life is so rewarding. You not only get a great feeling of purpose and self satisfaction, but the reward from the dog has to be experienced to understand. 🙂