Andi shares a heritage of love, respect and her own terminology just for pups! There’s some suffocating love and sneaky stolen sips of water too.
Transcript
Julie Jackson:
Hey, welcome to happy tales of happy tales, the podcast where you’ll hear stories of the way pups have touched our hearts and our lives. So for the next few minutes, let everything else go and just listen and smile. I’m your host, Julie Jackson.This week, I’m excited to share a conversation with you with my friend, Andi. Whenever you talk to Andi, there are two things that you know are going to happen, it’s going to be fun,and she’s going to bring some cool perspective to the conversation, and she did not disappoint. One of the things that I love that you will hear in this conversation is the way that her mother instilled in them. Just a love and a great respect for for pups and the terminology that they use when they refer to their pubs. It’s so great. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation. And I know you will, too. So sit back,listen and smile. Thank you so much for doing this
Andi:
Of course. I’m excited for you. This is cool. I’m excited.I think it’s a great idea for a podcast
Julie Jackson:
will thank you,you know, it’s not like their stories of like, you know, I was in an accident and my dog moved my car off of me. Right. You know, it’s, you know, it’s just everyday stuff, but it’s been really sweet. Probably and more of them than not, I’ve ended up crying. They’re not necessarily sad stories, but
Andi:
Right, like, just feel the love.
Julie Jackson:
Yeah, yeah. And just want an impact they have.
Andi:
I wrote a few things down.So I would not be too scattered in my house. I don’t know if anybody’s talked about terminology in their own home.But we have specific dog terminology that I grew up with.
Julie Jackson:
I love this.
Andi:
The first one. My mother was very clear with all of us that we should never use the word dog. She said dog is just kind of a rude term. You want to call everybody a pup or a puppy.You never want them. I guess in her mind. She didn’t want them to grow up or something. I don’t know. So whenever anybody says,How many dogs do you have? I always respond with. Well, like right now and I have two pups,and one of them is 15. But dog could be inciting. I don’t know why. But my brother ingrained that in me and I think it’s hilarious now. Because people are looking at you funny when you say how many other puppies?No, they’re not puppies. You know, it’s like totally confusing. Another thing is my mother. My mother is a crazy woman. But one of the terms she would say is the way the puppy runs and you know, that’s when your puppy or your dog see I can’t even say it now. It’s so happy or excited that they do the fast runs.
Julie Jackson:
Zoomies
Andi:
We call them puppy runs.Because again, you can’t say dog. We have a term for Ali who is one of the ones I have now.And we say she said she has suffocating love. And the reason we use that term with her is because she’s about six or seven and she’s a terrier mix mutt.And she was it was a tragic, you know, your bridge with other puppies only one that survived one of those kind of. So I’ve always felt as if she has some PTSD. But when she’s really excited or upset, she will jump up and she will put her face over your mouth like not her face, but like her neck or her cheek. And it’s so she can feel your breath. And I can feel her I can actually feel her start to relax as I breathe on her. It’s incredibly sweet. And so we call that suffocating love
Julie Jackson:
that sweet though you’re right it is incredibly sweet.
Andi:
But the other word I don’t even know if I should try to explain it. But for some reason my mother used to also say Inkster of bonita. It’s okay.Now.
Julie Jackson:
You have to explain it now you have to.
Andi:
I think she I think she said that because she liked the word tincture and you never get to use it, you probably do more.
Julie Jackson:
Well not even that much anymore. But yeah,you’re right. Probably more than the average bear. Yeah. And so
Andi:
I think she liked the term tincture, and then she was always wanting to compliment pups, as we say, pups that we have or love or no. And I think for some reason, see just thought bunnies were really cute too. And she would, whenever she would see she’d go, look at that pup over there. That pup has a beautiful tincture buddy tie.And we would all go yes, yeah,that’s it. So my daughter called me even Lydia called last week and said that her cat had tincture bunny thigh and I was like, I’m so happy. I don’t know.
Julie Jackson:
Living on so. So it’s just like a compliment. If they’re beautiful, like,beautiful or something pleasing is tincture of bunny thigh.
Andi:
Yeah, but usually we’re patting them on the thigh area,you know, the hunch kind of area. And we’re saying look at that tincture buddy thigh. Or another one that we would use is with Tucker, who I know you probably remember. Tucker is 15.And he said that Chihuahua pug mix that I found on Granberry highway running towards our car was gracious. And I picked him up and he was kind of like,well, there you are. I’ve been waiting, you know, looking for you. In a lot of times when the kids would come in and climb in bed with me in the morning. And the dogs, of course are in there as well. We would all say I think that Tucker got some extra velvet last night. Because his firm would be so soft, that it felt softer than at other times.But you know, when you first wake up, and there’s that warm,snuggly kind of puppy feeling.And so a term that our family uses that I thought was interesting. You know,
Julie Jackson:
I love that.
Andi:
He got extra bill, but yeah. Again, Lydia will call me and say oh my gosh, Sadie got extra velvet last night. Oh, my goodness, you know.
Julie Jackson:
That’s the best way to start a day.
Andi:
Is Well, and then those were the terms I thought of. And then I was trying to think you know, their stories about every single up you ever have. Yes.Our very first one as a family.I’m sure. This is when I knew you. We got Molly MingMing
Julie Jackson:
Oh, yes, I remember Molly Ming Ming because she used to come in and visit in the store.
Andi:
She did along with us,too. But Molly, what happened was, that’s it’s an interesting story, I think. I’m sure people remember the Crocodile Hunter.Oh, yes. Yes, Stever wouldn’t,and my daughter at the time was mid early grade school, I think.And when Steve Irwin died, and I will never forget it because it was a Sunday morning. And she had pictures all over her room of him with animals. And her plan when people would ask her what she was going to do in her future was to grow up and work with Steve Irwin. So I woke up this Sunday morning with the news that Steve Irwin had died.And even now, I feel like I could get your secrets. He was like somebody that that we knew,you know. And so we had to tell Lydia and she was, I mean, it was the first big loss in her life. I think it was Steve Irwin. And so later that day, we were going outside and there was a cat in the driveway a black cat and Lydia, of course, assume that Steve Irwin had sent her this black cat from heaven to let her know that he was okay and we have to save this cat whose name is now Jade I believe she you know very young girl name yes as you are and that we have to keep the cat well the the problem here is that I knew growing up that I was not that allergic to dogs. As my mother said it would be ashamed to have to give you a way. If you were highly allergic to but we because this is yes. But unfortunately I a cat in my head I really would do me. I’m so allergic to cats. And I liked them fine. But you know. And so I told woody I said, you know,we can keep shade. But Jade has to be an outdoor cat. And I have to take Jade in, because I’m a responsible pet owner to the vet and have them check them over.And then if they think he’s okay, we’ll get his vaccines get him fixed all that, that he can stay. So of course, I take the cat to the vet. And when you know, cats usually have either the two biggies or leukemia or eights, yes. He had one or the other, like pretty bad. And the vet told me it would be irresponsible for me to put him back out on the street. I mean,it must have been aids because it’s so contagious amongst animals. So I had to have Jade put to sleep. So now in two in two days, Stever would died. And then the cat he sent from heaven died. And I thought I can’t do this. I have a 10 year old daughter, now. Not going to believe in God,
Julie Jackson:
Right, this has now become a test of her faith.
Andi:
So we went I said to the kids, and I talked to Steve and I said, Let’s we’re going to the pound. It was time. I had been avoiding it because I knew how much work it was going to be.And you know, we had done rodents and tortoises and other things, other animals up until that point. So we went into the pound, and this mom had just delivered a litter of puppies,and Molly was one of them. So I think goodness, Paul was too young to be much of a decision maker. So I let Lydia be the entire decision maker in this.And so she started petting these puppies and one of them kept licking her. And then this boy came over and he tried to scoot in and pet that puppy can you believe that? The puppy that was licking Lydia been a puppy mom.We decided at that moment that that was our puppy and Molly Ming Ming was at a black lab Border Collie mix, we think and Oh, beautiful, beautiful coat.And just a wonderful. I was gonna say a wonderful human being.
Julie Jackson:
Actually, she was probably better than even wonderful human beings.
Andi:
Right? She’s very, very much so. She was just delightful. I mean, our Christmas pictures always had Molly in them. Now the reason we named her Molly Ming Ming is Molly. I don’t know how that we got that. But main beam was from a cartoon the kids used to watch called Super pets or something like that. Or pets. Wonder Pets wonder. Remember, it was a cartoon about animals in a classroom. And if you remember there was a duck named Ming Ming. And there was an I don’t know some other animal named tuck. And then Lenny. Well, we we never got Lenny. But that’s but we did have MingMing and Tucker. So that’s why we have two out of the three. Her first week home. She ate a pin cushion with all of the pins and that was like our $50 Pup because he gets a dog either. Oh, is now costing $500 The first week we got her because it took forever for them to to go down. I kept saying just use a magnet but they didn’t listen to me.
Julie Jackson:
You’re thinking first Steve Erwin. Now Jade now with
Andi:
me. Molly MingMing will not die on my watch. I knew that. No matter how much we spent.
Julie Jackson:
How much this cost? We’re saving Molly made me.
Andi:
We must. So it did cost about $500 to get all the pins out. She was definitely a very protective of the kids and and Steve and I she didn’t know how she felt when I brought Tucker home. She kind of hated him at first first few days. But that’s when I learned because I grew up with single single pups excuse me, Mom No pups, Andy, we
Julie Jackson:
will not say the D word. This is a family friendly podcast.
Andi:
It’s rather insulting. I never ever my brother doesn’t either. So anyway, when Tucker came home that’s when I realized how important a packet is. We’d always had single pups growing up, and we were part of their pack, I think. But there was something missing for them. And I hadn’t really known that until tuck came around. I ended up also inheriting my mom’s pub.Okay, I have a few more stories.Smalley Ming Ming came over to babysit, my kids went there. My mother came over to babysit my kids one day and mom Ming Ming was, of course here with her and loved my mother dearly, of course, ran up to greet her, and jumped up and just jumped a little hard knock my mother over, you know, which, as my mother said, and of course, if it’s a puppet doesn’t matter,you know,
Julie Jackson:
exactly. They can do what they want.
Andi:
But it really hurt her ribs were sore for a few days.And so she ended up going in and getting an x ray. And that’s how they discovered her wound cancer. Wow. And if they discovered it early enough, so she had a good with treatment and surgery and all that she probably had four years. From that point, which was was still fairly rare. 10 years 1012 years ago, you know, to have that much time. She would always say that she needed to take Molly out to a steak house if she could. But I’ve always liked that story,too.
Julie Jackson:
That was, you know, that was no accident.
Andi:
So I ended up inheriting her pup who was bunny? So we had Molly MingMing Tucker and Bunny.Bunny was like a white fluffball. And so I had her up until about the two of them six or seven years ago,unfortunately, both Molly and Bunny died a week apart. I thought I was gonna die. Right,Tucker? You too. But so that’s what we had to start looking for another pup to add. And and that’s when ally short for alligator came into the Oh,
Julie Jackson:
yeah, you’re right. There is something excuse me about them having a companion. That’s that’s a furry companion. It’s it’s the dynamic is always it’s it’s always different. But it’s always so sweet.
Andi:
It didn’t. And I saw in your text to me, you said that you were going to ask me what I’ve learned. Yes, yes. And I am assuming that the majority of people are going to say unconditional love. So I said to myself, don’t say unconditional love, you have to come up with something else. You’re challenging Andy. So I came up with that. I too, am a pack animal. And I love being part of the dog pack, as well as people pack. There’s something about it that to have. Have other creatures that are just comfortable flopping on top view, or coming up your body so you can suffocate on their face.Or you know what I mean? It’s just such an endearing quality to me. That I know that’s how I live my life wanting to be in different packs. Yeah.
Julie Jackson:
I love that. I love that. Thank you so much for sharing. And you know what I have to tell you, it was not as much a hard and fast rule it kind of developed. But after I had, I was in college when I And it’s funny, I’m thinking it’s kind of full circle. The first pup that I ever rescued from the shelter on my own was ally. So I had a pet and she was precious.I had a precious Allie. But anyway, it’s funny because as my parents then you know always referred to their grand dogs.And we didn’t specifically say we’re not going to use the word but we it turned into the little furry people. And then my dad would just refer to them as the LFPS
Andi:
The LFP’s. So on some level, your family also knew that dog is not…it’s not the best word.
Julie Jackson:
Right? It’s not it didn’t do them justice. So Right. So it would either be the dad especially it would be the the little furry people the LFPS. Or sometimes just for short, he’d be like the furries or the furries.
Andi:
You can’t say that anymore. That now is not the thing to say. So,
Julie Jackson:
yeah, so anyway,that it was funny, because we kind of it wasn’t specified, but we kind of had that same that same evolution in our house,have, you know, in our family,that we we’re not going to call them dogs? Because it just doesn’t seem to, to elevate them to where they need to be.
Andi:
Right? You know, that for some reason, puppy? Or puppy or LFPS? Obviously? Yes,
Julie Jackson:
although I do love you know, and several people, of course, make the reference and I certainly not going to disagree with it, you know, well, but you know, dogs spelled backwards. And
Andi:
then, but it always makes me kind of want to gag a little I don’t know why. Not that I don’t think that God’s all about dogs and dogs are all about God.I do. I think they are. But I think it’s more complicated than we realized. You know? Yeah,yeah.
Julie Jackson:
Yeah, that’s fair. I think that’s,
Andi:
I feel really sorry for people who don’t know, this kind of love. Kind of like having children. I feel sorry for people who haven’t. Because it’s a different sort of, you know,and I feel that way about animals.
Julie Jackson:
No, it really is.And it’s so of course, like you said, unconditional, but that’s true. But it’s so pure,
Andi:
very,
Julie Jackson:
it’s just such a pure, you know, just, and it cracks me up, though. Because I mean, you know, mine all have different levels of SAS, you know, and I have some that it doesn’t matter what I do,they’ll look at me with this huge, ridiculous derpy smile on their face, every single time and then I have others that will shoot me that look, you know,like, what, you know,
Andi:
my husband always says that Tucker looks like an old Frenchman wearing a Blu ray is smoking a cigar. And he says he just always feels like he’s that character kind of.
Julie Jackson:
Like they’re they are unique. There’s so individual. But even you know,even when sometimes, you know,some of them maybe will get a little out of sorts with you more than others. But they always forgive and they know they don’t ever love you any less. They just know, you know that. Okay, that was uncalled for.
Andi:
I’m setting you down for a moment since they want their treats and my kids. They can’t be delayed. You know what I mean?
Julie Jackson:
Yes, I’ve had that discussion numerous times that I have never in spite of all my years, being rescued by dogs have never become a good dog trainer. But I found out that pretty much all of the dogs I’ve rescued are excellent people trainers.
Andi:
Oh, without a doubt.Because yeah, I remember getting a rotisserie chicken once once.And I put it on the calendar.But obviously I didn’t know my way very well because I put it too close to the edge. And so we found Molly came in wagging her tail and we found just the plastic container. So in that little lesson I said what did we learn to push the chicken further back? You know, yes,blame for that. Yes.Opportunity. She needed to take you know, eight
Julie Jackson:
that that was just smart. That was just smart on her part.
Andi:
Exactly. But I do think they all train us to do whatever it is I sometimes feel like okay, now do you want me to hold your bowl while you drink out of it? Or? No, but
Julie Jackson:
yeah, we we kind of laugh because we recently got an elevated dog bowl for water.And we just use both both of the bowls we just fill with water.And then we still have their big water bowl like they also have it but for whatever reason now they’ve all decided that the elevated water bowl is the one and that they’ll get just almost a little bit obnoxious about like you need excuse me, Garson,I need some refill this.
Andi:
This is this is not working out. There’s one that care carry the water bowl to you. I had one that used to carry it to me and go look, you know, I love that
Julie Jackson:
they would the food bowls. Yes. So I have told the story. And then I’ll tell you again because it cracks me up. And I might have to send you a link real quick. So if if so just bear with me. But we got these rocks that are they look like lava rocks or something.And the premise is that they’re supposed to, you put them in their water. And it’s supposed to change the pH of their urine just enough that it prevents those yellow patches in your grass. Oh, you know what I’m talking about?
Andi:
I know exactly what of course
Julie Jackson:
and but marketing ploy maybe I’m not sure. The deal is you’re supposed to change those rocks out maybe every three months. I think they said I think you know we’re going on like six years now.Yeah, I mean, yeah. Didn’t have
Andi:
a sort of like an ice filter who? Exactly what?
Julie Jackson:
Yes. So they’re there, their water bowls are metal, and the rocks are still in there. Because those stinkers figured out very quickly, that if they bang the rocks around inside the bowl, we can hear it anywhere in the house. So when the water bowl is empty or low,it does not matter where we are in the house, someone will start begging the rocks around and they and the older dogs have taught the younger dogs to do it. So they all do it now.
Andi:
Kind of like an emergency response system, if you will,
Julie Jackson:
like they’re pulling the fire alarm.
Andi:
Some now people need water now. Well, I must admit, I do have a tendency now to fill up a mug of water and set it in the living room so that way they can sneak they could sneak over and drink. And then I can go
Julie Jackson:
It’s like a game.This is fun. Oh, I love it. Oh,well, Andi, this has just been the best. Thank you so much!
Andi:
Oh, this sounds really fun. I really I can’t wait to hear see watch. Whatever.
Julie Jackson:
Thank you so much for joining me today. I know that you are busy. And I really appreciate that you chose to spend some of your time with me.So let’s do a little bit of bookkeeping before we head out.If you enjoy this and you would like to receive the episodes automatically without having to seek them out, then in your pod catcher, follow or subscribe.And that way every time an episode drops, it’ll show up for you. And you’ll know that it’s there makes it super easy. You don’t have to think about it.Please go visit the website.It’s really cute. It’s got puppy pictures. Also, I’ve got a free gift for you over there if you will check it out. And if you would like to message me if you have any suggestions specific pup stories you want to hear. Or even better. If you want to share a story, you can message me right there from the website.That’s the best way to get to me for that. Check us out on all the different socials, Facebook,Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn,all of them. That’s where you’ll see pictures of the pups that we talk about each week. Also, just other fun pup things. I’m going to put episodes on YouTube as well. Sometimes the episodes are recorded via zoom. And so there’s video, a lot of times it’s just us talking, but every now and then there are some fun cameos from puppies or their shenanigans in the background.And you can catch all that on YouTube. If you want to help me out if you would leave a positive review and share the podcast that would be fantastic.I would be really grateful. And once again, if you want to help me out, I would love to share your story. So please hit me up and let’s schedule a time that we can talk. Some people have shared their stories in writing.Some people have gotten on the phone and done a chat with me so we can do whatever you are most comfortable with. Finally, do not forget that you are as great as your dog thinks you are and go smooth speech. Thanks, y’all.