Harley & Brewer

This post will be all about my two children…errr I mean dogs 😉

I know that I will most likely be referencing one or both of them on here quite frequently, so I felt like they deserved a proper introduction! So, let’s get to all the cuteness!

Brewer aka Brew, Brew Brew, Bubba, Brewsy-boy, Baby Brew. Our 6 year old Australian Shepherd mix. Ryan rescued Brewer when he was 2 months old back in 2018 when he and his litter were found dumped behind a dumpster. Brewer was a rambunctious pup and loved to chew on everything – the bed frame, the walls, the couch, you name it, Brewer chewed it. Thank god it didn’t take long for him to grow out of that.

I didn’t get to know Brewer until he was about 1.5. But, ever since then, he’s been my Baby Brew. If he could talk, he would roll his eyes and say “yeah not quite.” Brewer took some time to warm up to me, but only because he is fiercely loyal to Ryan.

In the beginning stages of mine and Ryan’s relationship, Brewer would be in between us in the bed and once Ryan got up and out of the bed, Brewer would also get up and move away from me. He didn’t care one bit about me and honestly, he might have been a tad bit jealous that this new human was laying in his spot. It was several weeks of me enduring the judgement from Brewer.

Brewer’s 2nd Birthday

He eventually came around and we have been best buds ever since. I thought he was the perfect dog – so loyal, loving, and sweet. Wouldn’t and still won’t listen worth a damn and if you let him off leash or out of the house, see ya later, never coming back again! However, he was so perfect, that when I saw an ad on Facebook for Border Collie/Australian Shepherd puppies, I thought I would get myself another Brewer. I was so, so painfully mistaken….

 

Brewer’s last day as an only child

Harley aka Harlz, Harlz Warlz, Harley Woo, Harley Warley Woo, Woo Woo Girl. Our 4 year old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd. If you know Harley, you love her. You also know she is certifiably insane. I’m convinced this girl got absolutely nothing from her dad (the Australian Shepherd) and got everything and then some from her mom (the Border Collie). It was the puppy stage to the extreme. And I guess I did not do my proper research to know that Border Collies need a lot of attention, exercise, stimulation, etc. So, here I am in a townhome with this crackhead energy having dog. Brewer was not her biggest fan at first for obvious reasons, but Harley has always LOVED her Brew Brew and I’m so glad they have each other.

The day we brought Harley home

Brewer getting used to the idea of Harley

Anywho, we learned to adjust with having, at the time, a 1 year old puppy and a 3 year old puppy. Living in a townhome was tough, but we managed with daily walks, stimulating toys, doggy daycare once a week, and dog park visits. Of course in the years since, they both have calmed down so much. I’m convinced Brewer could be a couch potato all day if he had to be. He’s so content just watching his squirrels and birds and terrorizing the mailman. Harley, on the other hand, probably still needs more than we can offer her with our busy schedules, but we try our best. Which included buying a home back in 2023 that gave them a fenced in backyard and loving neighbors with a pool that they let us use whenever we’d like.

Brewer and Harley’s new house!

I could tell a million stories that would bore you to tears about these two, but I’ll summarize them in a *few* sentences.

Brewer is everyone’s friend but extremely protective, especially of his mama. He loves when I’m prepping dinner and he gets a cucumber or carrot, however he does not like cheese. He has tried many cheeses, but he declines every time. Brewer is the only dog I’ve ever seen beg for a sip of your beer as much as other dogs would beg for food. I guess he got it honest. He is so fast! Loves to play with a ball or a toy for about 5 mins and then he’s over it. He looks like the perfect croissant when he’s all snuggled. His lips get stuck up on his teeth quite often. When he’s in a hurry, his ears flop up and down ever so slightly and it’s one of my favorite things about him. Brewer is low-maintenance and easy to read. He’s been through a lot of in his little life, including 4 moves each of which he’s adapted to just fine. Our goal with Brewer this year is to let him live his best life. His anxiety prone parents have always held back a bit, but he has really grown and matured in the past couple years and we want to show him the world!

Harley, oh Harley. She’s our special girl. Harley would much rather spend her time with any human compared to any dog other than Brewer. She has BIG emotions. Harley loves BIG. She is a girl who is so smart and knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. Honestly, she’s too smart for her own good. She loves to fetch a ball – on land, in the house, for hours on end in the pool. At least we’ve taught her to now shake off after getting out of the pool very far away from us! Harley has gotten better at riding in the car, but getting out of the car and going any place other than her home is a nightmare. She is the most anxious dog I have ever met or have ever owned. She does not like being in an area that’s unfamiliar to her. Taking her on a walk, even around our neighborhood, is stressful for her and for her parents. This is probably partly our fault for not working with her properly on leash, but here we are and it’s a struggle. We try our best to indulge her and usually that’s by throwing a ball until we’re tired because Harley is never tired. harley is our ride or die girl, unless it involves being out of her comfort zone!

These two have changed my life. I am an almost 30 year old Millennial who considers her dogs to be her children and in this season of my life, that’s good enough for me. I am the obnoxious dog mom and I embrace it. I know, one day, I will hopefully be a mother to human children and these two will have taught me how to have patience, to be selfless, and to be loving (if you know me, I’m not a huge touchy-feely or emotional person). All of these characteristics are qualities of a good mom in my book.

Anyways, enough of the sappiness. I’m off to meet my husband for a beer after a long week and then home to snuggle my sweet babies!

Hope you all have a great, productive, relaxing weekend!

XOXO