BS: Our pets favorite things

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 12:41 PM

Oops--I didn't realize I saved the large photo of Cinnamon (the third one). It may take a while to load. I usually make a smaller web version for links.

She is a gorgeous dog, I'm sure she's purebred. She may have papers, but I don't have them. She's as smart as any dog I've ever owned (or met). I've told this story (probably in this thread) several times, so those know know it can skip to the next post. She dragged up my driveway about three years ago, and I saw her from the kitchen window and went out to take a look. I called her, she limped over, I patted her head, she licked my hand, and we had a contract. I'm convinced of it. Neighbors later told me that they'd seen this dog living in the prairie across the road from my house, and she'd been there for weeks, at least. They used to chase her off, being afraid of pits. The vet thought she'd been hit a glancing blow by a car, because she had a lot of cuts and abrasions, but she also had broken teeth in the very front of her mouth from where she probably bounced off of the concrete after she was hit. Poor girl was also dirty and greasy and covered with ticks. That day she arrived I left her be, she slept in the sunny corner near the garage all day and I put out water and kept an eye on her. By about 6pm when I was finishing the yard work I'd done all day she came limping around the house to see what I was doing. A companionable dog, she limped over and nudged my shoulder, kind of asking "what'chu doing?" She followed me with my wheelbarrow into the back yard, and that is where she has lived ever since. I do have a gate, and we do have a companion now and Invisible Fence, because she's smart and does like to visit the neighbors, but it isn't safe for her. Someone afraid of a pit bull might harm her, even as sweet as she is.

I ran an ad, but who was going to respond to a "found: injured pit bull" ad? And if I turned her over to animal control in Fort Worth, they would have destroyed her. It was at least $1000 before she was over her injuries, spayed, dental work, etc., but she is a great dog.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 01:11 PM

Pretty hounds, BiLL. Friends of ours work with greyhound rescue here, and have the prettiest fawn coloured girl I've ever seen. She looks more like a skinny deer than a dog, and is fond of doing 'rounds' when visiting, laying her head on one person's knee after the other until she's sampled all the patting techniques present.

SRS, that's a good story. Poor puppy! Makes me feel ill when I come across a hurting animal (or human, don't get me wrong!), but animals have a harder time explaining where and why they're hurting.

Dave's Wife, if I do change his name, it's gonna be Pigpen for sure, so don't wish too hard for a name change!

He's an amazingly well behaved cat indoors - one 'no' is enough to make him stop doing something, and he rarely repeats an offense. Whereas Tommy will look you straight in the eye while trying to shred the rug. He was a demon kitten, was Tommy, took ages to stop his habit of biting your hands and feet, and he'll still sometimes grab on pretty hard - out of love, I'm sure - maybe.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:03 PM

A lot of people who want to avoid their dogs' being identified with the horrors of dog fighting just never call their dogs "Pit Bulls" because the American Staffordshire Terrier has a different reputation that deserves to be highlighted and can carry the freight on their record. My hot clue was the fineness of her coat and skin, which come through clearly in the photo and which are much more than your excellent care and feeding-- that skin and the sweet tempearment are bred and have nothing in common with fighting dogs.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:22 PM

She has some of those characteristics--a strong prey drive (catches squirrels and possums on occasion) and does a pit bull "rooaaar!" at the catahoula if I were to give them both bones in the same space. (I separate them if I'm giving them durable chew treats.) But a lot of dogs will do that. You should see this dog hunt, though, it is a study in patience and strength. I've always interrupted and squirrels have gone free if I saw her doing it, but it is beautiful to watch. The catahoula caught a dove one day and was so proud of herself, but a bird is a lot different target than a speedy squirrel.

If I take her with me to the feed store people ask about her--the breed really is charismatic--and I usually tell them Am Staff as the breed, but I also use "pit bull" because I think it helps people understand that the generic name is problematic, and this splendid dog is an excellent example of why the stereotypes are unfair. (She has such a great memory--the first time she tried to stick her nose in the open box of dog treats at the feed store I told her "no," and directed her to poke around on the floor behind the boxes--she can have those. If I go in now, she goes straight to that space behind the boxes to see if she will get lucky!)

I meant to ask about the greyhounds--how much do they weigh, and how old are they? Did they come through a rescue group? (I haven't the whole thread for a while, it just caught my eye again the other day.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Becca72
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:37 PM

Every pit I've ever known has been nothing but a big marshmallow. She is lovely, Stilly.

I will say, though, that my nephew has a pit/rottie mix called Bubba and while he is gentle as all get out once he remembers who you are, I will not walk up my sister's driveway if he is outside by himself. I don't see him often and he is very protective of his space. He has been known to bark and snarl at people until someone he knows reassures him that it's ok.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 03:06 PM

If I don't walk newcomers to the gate and introduce them to the dogs, the dogs will bark the entire time strangers are around. Cinnamon practically did cartwheels when a guy climbed on the roof to give me an estimate back in October. I was busy with someone else in the yard and he didn't wait for introductions. If I had, they'd have known he was okay once he was on the roof and we wouldn't have had the fuss.

You could get the impression from all of my photos that my dogs rarely walk. :)

Poppy and Cinnamon 1 (big pups--Poppy is taller and longer now, but still weighs less than the pit)
Poppy and Cinnamon 2 (Yin and Yang)

I'm sure I'm not the only dog lover here who has the pleasure of seeing their dog make what could be misconstrued as a "growl," but it's a playful sort of smile. Teeth slightly showing, and the nose is quite mobile with the lip action, with a wrinkled muzzle. No noise, but a wagging tail. If you have a dog that is characterized as being of a "dangerous breed" you have to be really good at reading the body language and recognizing the noises they make. But I think that adds to the richness of pet ownership and strengthens the bonds with the animal.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Becca72
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 05:27 PM

I thought I had recovered my necklaces last night but I was mistaken. Sheldon started scratching around the vacuum cleaner, trying to get something underneath it. I went over thinking "aha, caught you, you little #$#!" but when I moved the vacuum the only thing under it was 6-8 treats he'd hidden away from his brothers. He's the only one who isn't afraid of the vacuum, so I guess this hiding spot was pretty well chosen. Still wish I knew were my necklaces were, though.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 11:54 PM

Sadie is progressing.

Amazing that she can learn any new stuff at all, considering how nutso (distracted) she is with the pent-up energy. She and F shared a tight space (like 2 XL crates' worth) happily for several hours without accident or enmity.

She is learning that OUT is via the dog corner, not the door she came into the house through when she was brought in from the van.

Tomorrow she will have first lessons on No More Pulling Thank You Very Much. I have one no-fooling, metal collar and one gentler, soft nylon head-collar-- I've kept her out of lead-dependent situations until I could get these. Faulkner will show me, first, how they work on his calm self before I try Sadie on either of them.

Handling her with just a hand on the collar has been exactly like marshaling an unbroken colt to go in and out of stall/pasture-- patience, patience, patience. And brute strength.

Tomorrow, the living room. And a LOT of snuggling.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 01:52 AM

Those gripper type ("German") collars work once or twice, but if you have a really stubborn dog, they can hurt themselves pulling against them. Have you tried the Gentle Leader? It really does work. I use that on Poppy, and I use their martingale harness on Cinnamon.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Mooh
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 10:28 AM

SRS...I agree the Gentle Leader does the deed, though to varying degrees. Rosie (12 year old springer/collie/coyote) was completely reformed by it at a few months old, but Cosmo (lab/corgi) still likes to resist it sometimes at 2 years old. Nevertheless, neither dog will co-operate on a simple leash when walking. Cosmo also has a body harness but all it does is create sores. Sometimes I sort of forget the dogs are with me walking, the GL is that good.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 01:44 PM

Poppy doesn't like it, she wants to rub her face on things because of the muzzle strap, but she walks well on it. I put a choke chain around her neck and then put the Gentle Leader on, and clip her into both. The plastic fastener isn't the strongest and she did pop it one time, so the choke chain is backup, but it hasn't happened again and she does walk better now than when that event happened. You can also clip into the regular collar as backup (the one I keep the name tag and rabies tag on); the main thing is that this harness controls the head from under the chin. The martingale one on Cinnamon is fine because she walks very well and doesn't need the face piece (she doesn't like it either), but I want something that is strong for just in case (if we meet other dogs, especially dogs off a leash it can get to be a tangle in a hurry, though we're getting better at ignoring other dogs and just continuing to walk past them.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 03:15 PM

Anybody know how long is typical adolescence in a Lab? I do not want to expect too much from her too soon, and she does seem like she is still in puppy bones and muscles.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Becca72
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 03:20 PM

In a Lab I think adolescence is about 8 or 9 years. :-)

Seriously, though, the rule of thumb I was always told is that "puppyhood" and "kittenhood" lasts until somewhere between 2 and 3 years...your mileage may vary.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 04:40 PM

That's how it was with Faulkner. One day he was a big puppy, the next he was a HUGE puppy, then he was a teenager. And then one day he just settled into early adulthood. He'd been neutered early, so it wasn't that which made the sudden change-- he just matured one day, almost overnight.

Actually, I'm not sold on Sadie being a Lab at all. The look, the head, the height, the coloring, the gait, the happyhappy dance seem much more Golden Retriever as her main component. I DO know that she is underweight, but I still cannot see her looking Lab even when she fills out. Golden and some kind of big hound, more like. If she's half Golden Retriever, she's horribly underweight. We'll get a worming check very, very soon.

It must be said that I do NOT believe her owners purposely mistreated, underfed, or misraised her. But she needs a serious upbringing. And it began (or resumed), today. She did about 10 minutes-- 2-3 of successful heeling around the kitchen, 2-3 successful sitting on command on a short lead in the LR, 2-3 successful lounging in the LR on the long lead, 2-3 successful LR/DR explore off lead, and successful heel back to the great outdors to romp with Jealous Faulkner (minus training collar of course).

It will take several days of short training sessions like that to get her attention focused on me securely enough to move to the Gentle Leader. And several days of feeding her up before I can expect her behavior to settle into a routine of non-desperation. But she IS highly motivated, she does like the cheap treats F already has in stock, and she is very, very interested in affection as well as mental and physical stimulation.

For a dog whopse main owner has been on and off deployments and who has been from farm to town with no more run space, she's not as messed up as she could have been, so I think there is a Good Dog in there.

She shows signs of having had some obedience training, so although that is not the approach that suited Faulkner, it is the approach Sadie will build upon. She seems to know what hand signals are, and to understand when her compliance efforts are rewarded.

All in all, she did well in the short time I had to give her on a day full of funerals, evening services, and so forth. I was at least able to make a number of important assessments (in addition to the above) without teaching her any bad tricks or letting her drag me around.

She seems happy for the work.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 05:33 PM

Our vet claims most dogs do not mature until about four years.She also said our girl was one of those dogs that retain puppy-like behaviour all their lives - and she was right.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 08:32 PM

Behavior, yes, but even her appearance is very juvenile.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 13 Jan 08 - 05:14 PM

my dog loves knotted old socks. He sucks them every time he feels a bit wound up about something.

Sal

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Jan 08 - 05:41 PM

Well, the pronged collar had exactly the effect I had hoped. Sadie respects my hand on her collar now-- even the narrower choke chain. She's not bright enough to realize the difference and has keyed onto the fact that it's ME, and I am HOLDing her. But she is much, much happier just loose in the house, and is beginning to show signs of settling down. I'll use the pronged collar if I have to take her out of the house on a lead, until I am confident in my ability to manage the Gentle Lead.

Looking through AKC breed pictures, I find the best match for her shape in a cross of Redbone Coonhound and Golden Retriever, though she may be neither. She sure acts like a Golden, though.

She and Faulkner are working out living room compromises, and the cats have begun her True Training from the chair they share.

I was so proud of Faulkner today-- he's clearly the better dog. If asked, he will actually stay settled into a lounging position while she tries to create havoc. He even shares his supper as long as his face isn't actually in it when she tries to get some. But the rawhide chew is HIS, snarl/growl/lunge. And that's OK with Sadie: "No sir, that's OK really-- I'll just curl up way over here instead of coming near you uintil you're finished with that...."

She sure is bouncy though. Hardi's opinion of F goes up by the hour! :~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Jan 08 - 05:50 PM

PS, she's short-haired, not as feathery as a GR.

Mutt for sure, but not a yellow lab!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 10:41 AM

This morning, I am especially reminded how helpful it can be to have had some farm-animal experience, behind dealing with housepets. It matters so much what order I do their chores in-- if I have set up the environment smartly, their behavior is not in need of immediate modification at all.

We human beans have the brains and the opposable thumbs to prevail, even if the dog does have more pulling strength that I do right now! :~)

Farm animals teach us that we must use our minds, because they almost always out-power us. Take sheep for instance. If you have ever tried to catch a single sheep, you know how hilariously they can run off, breeze past you without being catchable, jump fences that usually hold them, etc. And if they get outside the fences entirely, good luck as they lead a "merry" chase!

But their instinct to flock is so strong-- so if you follow behind a flock madly running away from you, toward a narrowing passage, soon you will have them in single file in a narrow chute made of fencing. Since the one in front is stopped against a closed gate, you can easily tether the one you want from among the single-file group, and then let the rest go on into the next pen. Or you can take the ewes one at a time in their single-file line, gently compress her into a levered press, and tilt her over on her side to work on her feet. I've seen similar lifts in vets offices and large-animal ORs, kingsized for horses and cattle.

So it is with dogs. I don't need to work on her feet yet, and I have no lift (so I'll have to make another plan eventually for her foot care). But I do have a multitude of gates and doors at my disposal in this odd old Victorian house.

In many ways it is an ideal dog-fostering layout. Sadie will already follow F anywhere, and the various doorways and gates that lead to and from their dog corner make her quite easy to catch. Once I have her and get her attention, I work with her on increased management commands. By the time her nails need to be trimmed, she should manage nicely.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 11:04 AM

Food is a territorial issue for dogs, and my dogs know that I'm the alpha dog when it come to food. They lie on the ground in from of me and their bowls and I measure out their food and they aren't allowed to touch their bowls until I say so. They lie there and quiver in anticipation, and I think they actually enjoy the anticipation. But they wait, and sometimes one is told she can eat before the other is told she can eat. That one then looks at me for access to her food, not jealously at the other dog that is eating. It doesn't take long at all to train the dogs to wait for their food, and what the rules are, because the payoff, of course, is their food. :)

On another topic: does anyone else have cats who boss them around about bedtime? I've always had cats who felt that by a certain time in the evening I should head to bed so they can cuddle. If it gets much past 11, my Siamese, in particular, starts complaining.

When does your cat make you go to bed?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 11:13 AM

They don't make to go to bed, but they lie in wait on the stairs in an effort to make me trip over them and, they think, feed them first thing in the AM. It's nice to put my feet on the stairs they've pre-warmed for me, in a cold morning.

Yes, Hardi and I alpha the dogs on food distribution as well.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: peregrina
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 11:22 AM

Susan-I'm enjoying reading about your newcomer dog's adjustment...

Stilly River Sage: do your cats only try to train you to go to bed when they want? No waking up??!

Mine only occasionally try to get me to bed,and are rarely vociferous abut it. On the other hand, they need frequent discouragement from furry-four-footed-alarm-clock activities in the morning... One cat licks paper items to try to get me up. Countermeasure is usually sending them out and shutting the door for a while so there's no positive reinforcement.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 01:03 PM

I should have noted that the dogs get fed once a day, usually in the evening after we've gone for a walk. It's gone in about 90 seconds, each from their own dish. I started to hold out a few chunks from each bowl and they do tricks for the last of the food so no one is tempted to try to take food from the other, but this has long since ceased to be a problem.

The cats want me to go to bed and stay there so they can settle down and sleep all night. They're old enough now that we don't have the nighttime antics (racing across the tile in the kitchen and BAM! into the stove or other loudly-resonating object) we used to.

The vet came up with a good suggestion on being awakened by the cats at night. Feed them in the evening. They have enough food in their bowls to tide them over (the Siamese was a terror at times when his bowl was empty! He'd stomp all over you, offer not-so-loving head butts, licking a spot on your hand or face, and sometimes resorting to bites.) The calico is fat, so in the morning I pick up the food, and I have created the problem of the Siamese fussing about wanting to eat. We've reached an accord--when I'm in the kitchen during the day I give him that bowl to eat out of, then pick it up again. We have to get the fat cat to lose a few pounds, but the other one at a healthy, normal weight, a bit on the slim side, doesn't need a diet. I've tried various vet suggestions to get them to eat all at once like the dogs do, but it just doesn't work with these guys, the slim one always walks away and the fat one always gets his food before he comes back to it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 06:08 PM

well, since were telling all about our little fuzzbuckets, let me confess that the cat who lives under my cottage but more and more in my house, Inky - he gets fan mail from prison. Honest! Well, maybe not prison, but definitely from the Marion County jail!

My husband and I met a fellow 2 years ago who was trying to get sober and put his life back in order which entailed trying to sort out a lot of past jups from probation and such. This fellow, JR, is a sweet man in recovery. He used to come around to visit with Dave and borrow the latest Dean koontz book or two. JR became terribly attached to Inky and Inky became equally attached to him. They were kindred spirits I suppose.

Dave and I knew JR was headed back east to try and sort out an old warrant for his arrest from having jumped probabation in the mid 1990s so we weren't surprised when we got a letter marked "This Mail originated from an inmate in the Marion County Jail" from Florida.

So, Every couple days I get letters from JR and he often includes one to Inky that consists of various Cat noises spelled out. I guess it's code. I read them out load to Inky and he talks back so clearly, he understands whatever it is JR is trying to tell him.

So - any of your pets get letters from jail? huh?

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 06:31 PM

Dave's Wife...that is a one of a kind!

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: MaineDog
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 06:54 PM

Dex is four years old now, and he definitely shows signs of maturing. He is much more co-operative, and does not seem to need as much excercise as he did. He seldom chews anything, except bones, and bandages applied to his body, and yes, I almost forget, his current frisbee
His very favorite thing is his frisbee. He loves to chase it, in water or air, and he likes to redesign it (by chewing) to suit his needs. The objective of this surgery has only recently become clear: he wants to have a hole in the middle so he can wear it on his nose. Unfortunately, they don't fly well that way, and then they become uninteresting.
I have been getting him "Dogbies" which are soft, visible, and they float well, and fly pretty good when new. (Hard ones aren't good for dogs because of possible mouth injuries.)
Right now he is laid up with a broken toe-nail, and he is bummed out because he can't go out and play in the new snow.
MD

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 07:43 PM

Guess what arrived in the afternoon mail folks? Yep - another letter for Inky from an inmate in the Marion County jail.

Life is tough when your cat gets more letters than you do. The letters are even addressed to INKY (our last name), Care of us! Shows ya who runs our house, huh?

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 09:20 PM

Inky has moved in as much as Snowball, sounds like. letters from the pen, eh?

Snowball is impeding my typing at this very moment.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 09:57 PM

Dave's Wife...that is FUNNY!

I pulled into the drive after work today and interrupted 'something' at the far end of the drive, next to the garage. Our 'old cat', Yentle (she is at least 16, we don't know how old really) was all POOOOFFEEDDD UP! at something I couldn't see.

I got out of the car and started toward her when a young but full grown coal black cat came wandering out from under the trailer parked in the drive. I didn't think it was possible for Yentle to POOOOF more but she did. Young kitty does the cannine 'wanna play' bow at the old lady...old lady went HHHIIISSSSS! GIT ORF MY PROPITY!

Blackie looks at me...I said, well, hello there, expecting her to run. Most cats do when presented with a strange servant. No, she started walking towards me. THAT set the old lady off even more! Yentle dashes up (well, as fast as she can dash) to give me the head bump that says this is MY servant, not yours!

Didn't faze lil blackie one bit...she walked down the edge of the flower bed and allowed me to actually PET her! Yentle goes plumb bonkers at that, and hisses of to lay claim to the Front Porch. I follow. (I was after all, going inside anyway)

Blackie follows....more POOOOFFFFIIINNNGGG and HHHIIISSSSSIIIINNNGGGGG!

I start to open the front door and of course by this time the dogs know I'm home. All 5 of them. I explain to lil black girl that she really, really doesn't want to go in there.....and Yentle backs me up. SHE is Queen of the Castle and about to take possesion. I open the door and of course the Queen changes her mind. YOU want ME to go in THERE? What EVER were you thinking?

I went inside (let dogs out the back door) and the last I saw of lil black girl she was waltzing around on the front porch teasing the old lady. Black girl had a collar on, so she must have servants somewhere, but I've never seen her before.

The saga may continue.....black girl was a really nice cat...even let me pick her up for a bit so she could see through the glass door and eye ball the 5 good reasons she didn't want to go in there.

Mr said NO MORE DAMN CATS!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 10:11 PM

I hope it's safe to utter this here in the midst of all you pet lovers. Sadie is a real pain in the ass! She needs to CHILL!

!!!!!

She needs to chill the hell OUT!

OK I feel better. She is also very lovey dovey, but God is she perky! BIG, and perky!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Donuel
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 10:50 PM

Sorcha!

We also had a cat named Yentle.

As well as Kevetch

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 11:57 PM

Bear up, Susan, bear up! A little more time and Sadie will likely settle in all right.

At least they aren't fighting. Before I was married I shared a house with two friends of mine. One had a lovely, kind, sweet, big black dog. Sometime after we all ended up in the same house, the other fella had a friend's ten year old ginormous yellow dog landed on him - friend could not cope with old dog and new baby. Now this was as friendly and good natured a dog as you'd want, but...

Black Dog and Yellow Dog hated each other on sight and it never got better. I've never seen anything like it. Both my friends are experienced and educated dog owners, and they tried everything, but those two dogs could not ever be offleash in the same area, or they would try to kill each other. Blood would flow.

We developed a routine of keeping the two seperated at all times, with closed doors between 'em, and peace reigned as long as this could be done.

One night, Yellow Dog's man had to be away. I took on the responsibility for Yellow Dog. Bedtime came round. Black Dog's man was already asleep with Black Dog in his room. Now, my room, in this very old house, was reached by going past Yellow Dog's room, and through a large bathroom. As I walked Yellow Dog towards my room, hanging onto his collar, he was behaving like a lamb. Then, for a second, I had to use both hands to manipulate the old fashioned latch on the door...

Lightning wasn't faster than that dog. Black Dog's door fell open before his mighty assault. In the pitch dark, the horrible sounds of doggie battle erupted, barking, snarling growling, yelping... I fumbled within, looking for the light switch, terrified at what might be happening to Black Dog's owner, a gentle and artistic man who must have been sound asleep just moments ago...

I found the switch! And there, curly hair in tousles, eyes shut, in his underwear, on the edge of the bed, sat my friend, an eighty plus pound dog gripped and held up by the scruff in each hand, all the while they struggled to get at each other.

Never seen anything so funny (or miraculous) in my life. I was laughing hysterically all the time I was apologising and catching hold of Yellow Dog, who came quite calmly with me soon's I had him. How he managed to get a hand on both those dogs, from a dead sleep, in rural darkness, I'll never know.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 12:11 AM

Don, and such a yenta she is, too! LOL
Bet you don't have a calico named Boudicca tho!

You DARED to name a cat Kevetch???? Yer brave.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 09:14 AM

Thanks, Scorchy. That IS funny.

She;s not so exasperating when I have just gotten up from a good night's sleep, or when I am not in pain, or when Hardi is not sitting next to me hoping for a really calm evening. On those occasions, Faulkner is the dog of choice. Saide did actually fall out for about a 3/4 hour nap yesterday in the LR while F and I fell out..... she doesn't quite have ADD....

But I am in search of the turn-off switch for her because we need to find it in a hurry! :~) I cannot take her for a run just yet and I cannot just turn her loose to have it on her own, because of practical issues.

It's the old story-- you take a foster dog when it needs to be taken, as a rescue, and then you find out why she needed to be rescued and try to do better by them than the last owner, and in the meantime you are a little nuts and think about taking it back! ("I CAN solve this, I CAN solve this, I CAN solve this.....")

No doubt F likes having her-- he's never gotten so much playtime and exercise time, and she respects him enough to satisfy him. I've never seen him so affectionalte, either, with me. I could write a couple of pages of F monolog on how he is assuring us that "Really, I promise-- I'm the Only Dog You Need."

If I pour Valerian root tea on her dinner will she chill? :~)

Just kidding-- I'm teaching her Relaxation Techniques, breathing, etc., including ear rubs. :~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 10:49 AM

I figured out where it's stuck-- Sadie will settle down now for a nice long nap in the dog corner, if she's by herself, even if I go into the kitchen to do a thing or two, even if she sees me. So I should try her in the LR by herself, without Faulkner-- if I can get Hardi to take him out of the house for a couple of hours. "Couple of hours" is what he usually doesn't have.

She's insecure-- fretting-panting and restless hyperactivity. She seems to be more secure and less fretty each day, so maybe she'll chill in the LR WITH F before long???

~Mom

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 04:45 PM

Hello, my name is Susan and I'm addicted to dogs.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 10:45 AM

Sadie needs far more exercise, so today she and F started stair-climbing, chasing each other up and down the stairs as I sit upstairs to toss the ball back down for them to chase. This will also help her build up her very atrohpied rear-end muscles to go with the amazingly strong front-end muscling I see rippling, built up from her past owner-pulling.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 11:13 AM

Stair running, good idea, Susan.

I heard some dreadful caterwauling about an hour ago, and rushed outside, recognizing cat-in-distress noises. Once I located the source, the screaming was over, and there was Tommy on the ice under the wharf, puffed up to twice his size. As soon as I called he came running, and hasn't come down from his safe place at the top of the stairs yet. I checked him, but no wounds. I went down to look, and only saw cat tracks coming and going - all Tommy's, I hope, as there's no sign of Snowball. No blood, either, and Snowball is likely sleeping in the garage somewhere.

There was a patch where a lot of scrabbling and rolling had gone on. I suspect an owl or eagle flew down to see if he was a portable lunch and scared the bejesus out of him.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 11:38 AM

I would presume Tommy reciprocated!

There must be a lot of free-floating bejesus around. There may be no Gods, but apparently there is a bejesus. :~) I'm always on the lookout for potential new areas of agreement:

1. Cats good
2. Dogs good
3. Bejesus is verifiable

:~)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 12:31 PM

Found Snowball, snoring under couch.

Tommy's not a real big cat, only about ten pounds. An eagle could conceivably lift him, if it was big and hungry enough, I think.

As for bejesus, I - at least, the expression "scared the bejesus out of him/her" comes from her and her mother - bow to my mother's knowledge of its existence. Whatever it is, it is now verifiably out of Tommy!

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Becca72
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 12:41 PM

It's not funny, but I'm laughing over here. I hope the poor little guy didn't have a run-in with a bird of prey but who knows.

I remember a handful of years ago my B-I-L running outside to round up the pugs because there was an eagle circling overhead looking for take out lunch.

I may be agnostic but I, too, believe in bejesus and have had it scared out of me many times. I've never heard of bejesus exiting any other way, though...

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Bee
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 02:01 PM

Kidding aside, 'bejesus' is just a version of 'by Jesus', so could be interpreted as scared enough to utter an oath where normally one would be more verbally circumspect.

I shall continue to use it judiciously, however, since 'by Thor!!' isn't really a regular part of my vocabulary.

According to a couple of eagle sites I looked at, eagles cannot carry more than four or five pounds, but will sometimes try.

A few years ago, out solo camping, I heard an angry scream and looked up in time to see an eagle, and below it, something falling. Further up the trail, and just off to the side, I found a very dead and broken-boned half grown rabbit. So even three or four pounds may be too much sometimes for a long carry.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 03:46 PM

scared enough to utter an oath where normally one would be more verbally circumspect.

Oh I know, I was just kidding around. But the next time someone tries to scare me, I'm gonna tell I'm fresh outta bejesus till I stock up again.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: Becca72
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 10:54 AM

Not to get all gloomy but today would have been my Mara's 15th birthday. She passed away almost 2 years ago and I still miss her. Man, that cat was a bitch! :-) Nothing but attitide.

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 12:30 PM

(((Becca)))

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: MaineDog
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 09:33 AM

One of Dex's favorite things is "his" foghorn. I borrow it from him sometimes when I want to go kayaking on a misty day. Anyway, he has trained me to use it to call him when I am out of earshot. If I blow two blasts in the same rhythm as "DEX,,,COME!" he will understand that I want to give him a bone-us biscuit just now, and so he will come running even if he is a long way off (which he knows he shouldn't be). If we go out walking together, I usually show him the horn and the biscuits before we depart, just to remind him of the game. So I don't actually have to use the horn very often.
A few notes:
The horn is made of bright orange plastic, so no animals have been sacrificed in its creation, and not really too much oil hope.
The horn is non electic so, since I regularly breathe in and out, its use does not materially increase my carbon footprint.
As for his delicate hearing (which is excellent, due the quiet environment in which we mostly live), the horn is much less loud than his own bark, and never so close to his ears.
MD

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 10:47 AM

I just found this out about Sadie's provenance:

As of today (Jan. 21): "...I want to let everyone know that I am expecting, and I am due in the month of February...." She mass-sent that to a whole Freecycle group!

From the same lady whose dog I "rescued" because:

"We have a two year old yellow lab that we unfortunately must find a new home for or at least a foster home for. My husband is deploying to Afghanistan, and I can no longer care for her. I am 9 months pregnant and even walking her is difficult because I end up getting drug through town. She is used to our old home where we had a good amount of land for her to run. She is an outside dog because she likes to run, but she is very good indoors. She is housebroken, current on her shots, and fixed.... We have a small Pekingese that we can handle, but poor Sadie is neglected at this point. I feel really bad for her because there is just nothing that I can do! .... My husband won't be home until December of this year. It could possibly go until March....."


So given that she "exaggerated" her due date (also telling me by phone that she was scheduled for delivery (I assumed C-section) for THIS WEEK), and given that she has not replied to repeated requests for license/shot/vet info-- do I take this dog back because she may have undisclosed problems, or do I keep her? (She BETTER be spayed!)

I COULD take her back and tie her back onto her old tether-- break my heart-- or I could drop her at the lady's police station and name the owner. Or we could "keep" her or, if she's not going to settle down, find her another owner.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 10:48 AM

PS, the "9-month" statement was January 8!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Our pets favorite things
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Jan 08 - 11:12 PM

After non-stop documentation wars since Monday AM, I will NEVER Freecycle a pet again-- in or out of the house. But pending a vet check Friday for potential undisclosed health issues, Sadie's staying unless and until the Law comes and tears her out of my cold, dead hand on her chain collar.

Next week, MUCH more news on Sadie fun. Little samples:

Sadie hung the dog toy on F's shoulder and then he could not find it for the life of him-- where did it went?

Telling Hardi she has NEVER offered to get in F's dog bed, bragging that thus she clearly possesses key dog taboo instincts. Five minutes later, she plops right into it in front of all of us, as if it's her exclusive property. F misses this (busy at Hardi's hand), but she soon decides for herself that no, maybe she better NOT be in there, and vamooses.

~S~