By Way of Introduction...

My name is Staci, and I'm excited to be contributing once a month to the BRAT blog. As a first post, I'd like to start off with an introduction to me and my pack.

I have been a BRAT volunteer for about the last 4 years. During that time I've done plenty of fostering and coordinating. I don't claim to know a lot about dogs in general, but I "get" Basenjis. I'm lucky to have a healthy and well-balanced pack. I feel like it would be a shame if I didn't work with BRAT, because my dogs enjoy the rescue work as much as I do!

I am a knitwear designer and knitting teacher here in Austin, Texas. I am also working on a year-long photography project, which means I take a LOT of photos of my dogs.

The dog in front here is Ike, my introduction to the breed. Ike is 11 years old and I've had him since he was a puppy. He is the most gentle and mellow (lazy?) alpha dog I've ever encountered. He takes every foster under his wing, and teaches them the basics about where to potty, where to sleep, and how to sit for a treat. He also makes sure everyone's ears are squeaky clean.

This is Abe, a BRAT rescue. (All of my dogs are named after American Presidents.) Abe is 5 years old, and has been a resident of my home since 2007. He is the most independent of my dogs. He still carries some emotional baggage from his pre-rescue days, but he's come a long way in the last two years. His job with the rescue dogs is make sure they mind their manners. He's quick to give them a grumble if they aren't being respectful. Abe is a big dog due to his under-active thyroid, but we're working on getting his meds just right.

No emotional baggage for this boy! This is Tippy, another BRAT rescue, and the newest addition to the pack. He is 4 years old, and has been with me since September of last year. He is the resident goofball, and a permanent puppy. Since so many fosters come to me confused and stressed, Tippy's job is to remind them how to PLAY.

One of the great pleasures I share with my dogs are our walks. Twice-a-day, every day, no excuses. The walks help us stay fit, keep my dogs well-socialized, and have been a good way for me to meet my neighbors. I also believe that walking makes my dogs better behaved in the house. By using up their excess energy, they're simply too exhausted to be destructive or snippy. (This photo includes a recent foster, WillieMcGee.)

I'll be contributing to this blog on the fourth Wednesday of each month. I'm not sure that I have much wisdom to share, but I have plenty of photos and silly stories. If you can think of this blog as a newspaper, my posts might be the comics section. :)

See you next month!

My personal blog can be found at verypink.com, and my 365-day photography project can be found on flickr.