So I was just being nostalgic and reading back through all the old posts of my blog. Its funny how many times I talk about Rowan being naughty. Now when I think back all I can seem to remember was how flippin cute he was, and none of the hair-ripping-out frustration, and often catch myself daydreaming about another puppy, especially one from Nona's latest beautiful litter! Selective memory I guess. But guess what? All the hard work has paid off. Rowan is such an amazing dog. He listens (for the most part), is smart, and I can trust him to hang out in the house alone while I work all day and know that I'll come home to a fully intact trash can. He seems to be lacking in the destructo gene that often comes with Ridgebacks, that or I somehow managed to pull off a miracle and train him properly ;)

I take Rowan with me everywhere. Most of my weekends are spent about 50 miles north of where I live, in Fort Collins. That's where all my closest friends live. They are my family, so I go as much as I can. I stay with my friends Lauren and Matt who have a gigantic Golden Retriever who resembles a bear, a pit bull lab mix that Rowan is 100% madly in love with, and a sweet old man Golden who is deaf and barks incessantly. Its funny because your initial reaction is to yell "Austin, SHUT UP!" but hey! guess what!? HE CAN'T HEAR YOU!! Its really quite humbling and I can really see the benefits of being deaf sometimes when I'm around him. He is just so damn happy all the time. Anyway, I've totally forgotten where I was going with this story....Oh yeah, Rowan's behavior. Well when I go up there he is just so well behaved and is the life of the party. He is loved by all and I guess the point of me telling you this is that, I love my dog and that I'm so so so proud of what he has become!


I will be going to France for 10 days on August 20th. I've never been away from Rowan for longer than 5 days. This is going to be tough. But he will be staying with Lauren and Matt, where he is comfortable, safe and has a ton of fun. So I know he will be fine, its me I'm worried about.

A couple of pics of the gang:

This little bugger is Caleb. An Australian Cattle Dog that my friend Josh just got. I know the breeder, she used to work for the dog food store I go to, and she is almost as cool as Julie and Sarah. He is from her first litter and is SUCH an incredible pup! He also frequents Matt and Laurens house.

Here we have bear dog a.k.a. Ryliee. He is an old fart at heart and keeps the little whipper snappers in line:

Sweet ol Austin, Rowan, and Caleb hangin out: