An Introduction

Dot, Dash and Jack

Today we started another chapter in reorganizing our life.  I am Susan.  I live with my husband Jim and daughter, Meredith.  Jim and I work for the USEPA in Region 5 (Chicago).  My daughter is a 7th grader and national champion freestyle roller skater!  We have 3 dogs.  We've had Dot, or Foxchase Peridot, since she was a 8 week old puppy.  Dash, aka "The Princess of Trash" arrived via the West Suburban Animal Shelter.  Dash arrived at the shelter after being purchased from a local puppy store as a gift for someone who didn't want her.  She spent the next 4-5 months in puppy foster care being socialized and potty trained.  Jack arrived last December as a companion for my daughter.  Jack (Jumping Jack Flash) is a 4 year old rescue poodle.  He was previously owned by an older woman who has since become bed-ridden. 

We've had a lot of changes in our life in the past year as my Mother, who lived with us, died of esophageal cancer in late December. I was off of work for 9 months to take care of her and work on getting creating our "new normal".  The humans have mostly adjusted to the new normal, but the canines are still adjusting.  We've had some aggression issues with Dash attacking Dot (her favorite target) and Jack (secondary target).  We've had blood spilled - both human (trying to stop a fight) and canine.  That's when we called Peggy.