Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Places Everyone…Day One Hundred, Eighty Eight

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We like to eat our dinner in relative peace.  In order to procure peace, and eat our meal without someone’s nose on our plates, the dogs must be on their “places.”  I bought some quilted material, cut it to the size I wanted and sewed the seams to form a “place mat” of sorts; where the dogs must lie while we eat our meals.

When we sit down with our food, we give the dogs a treat.  After we have finished eating we release the dogs and reward them with some carrots.

Sampson has been on his “place” since he was about six months old.

Delilah has been a challenge.  When we first started setting Delilah on her place, we would turn around and walk into the kitchen and Delilah would get up and follow us.  Eventually Delilah conceded to sitting on the mat until we came back with our plates but she wouldn’t lie down.  Then Delilah would lie down but as soon as we left the room, she would sit up.  Lately I have been really working hard on getting Delilah to “down” on her mat.

A few months back I read a book by Jennifer Arnold entitled “Through a Dog’s Eyes.”  Ms. Arnold trains service dogs for people with disabilities and she does all of her training with food as a motivator; she uses no force.

Delilah is pure lab, in English this translates to “highly motivated by food.”  So tonight when I brought Delilah to her place I also brought a small piece of carrot with me.  I used the carrot to entice Delilah to “down.”

When I came back into the living room, here is what I found.

I think this might actually work.

 

 

Yum Yum Pancakes…Day One Hundred, Eighty Six

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We had just moved in to our current house, when I had the urge to make pancakes.  Being the ever resourceful person that I am, I pulled out a box of Bisquick and whipped up some pancake batter.  (Do you ever wonder how something that makes pancakes, can also make biscuits, dumplings, shortcake and pot pie batter and all taste different?)

I had the griddle on the stove and while I waited for the pan to heat up, I ran into the den to check something on the computer.

I left Chet sitting on the couch, not more than 15 feet from the stove.

Thoroughly engrossed with whatever I happened to be doing,  it took a minute for the slurp, slurp, slurping noise to permeate my brain.

“What the hell is that?” I thought.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I left the computer and made my way back to the kitchen area, where I found Delilah, front paws on the counter, face in the batter bowl, slurping happily away.

By the time I got the camera, she had licked off a majority of the batter. (I have since learned to keep my camera handy.)

Meanwhile, Chet (who once heard me whisper something to my daughter from one floor away) was sitting watching TV, oblivious to what was taking place barely 15 feet from him.

Yes, we still ate pancakes and yes Chet got the first one. 🙂

The Dog Takes the …Mouse?….Day One Hundred, Eighty Four

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When I was a kid we sang this song called “The Farmer in the Dell,” I’m sure you know the song.  The Farmer takes a wife, the wife takes a child…etc and on down the line until the cat takes the rat/mouse (depending on who’s singing it.)

We had an instance in our house, where the dog took the mouse. 

UM yeah, you read that right.  The dog took the mouse.

Ollie (our daughter Lynn’s cat) caught a mouse in the house.  Lynn is a big animal lover.  She wanted to save the mouse from the double paws and gnashing teeth of death, so she took the mouse away from the cat.  On her way out of the house, she decided to show Mike (yes, she named the mouse) to my mother. 

As mother, Sampson and Ollie gathered around,  Lynn opened her hands to expose the mouse;  Mike mustering all the courage his little mouse heart had, decided he would rather take his chances in the wilds of Stone Manor, than in Lynn’s hands and made a break for it.  He put his little paws together and with perfect form, dived out of Lynn’s hands.  Sampson being ever the opportunist and very good at catching things mid-air snagged the mouse.  There stood Sampson, mouse tail hanging out of his mouth, jaws clamped shut.

Lynn grabbed a hold of Sampson and tried to open his mouth, but Sampson wouldn’t give up his prize.  Lynn had her arms wrapped around Sampson’s neck begging and pleading with him to give her the mouse.  Nope, not happening.  Finally mother remembered the command and shouted “Drop it!”

Sampson dropped the mouse and Mike made a run for the safe haven under the couch.

Lynn was in a panic!  Ollie was on the hunt for the mouse and Sampson was prepared to eat the mouse, then Delilah decided she wanted a piece of the action.  So now Lynn had a cat, two dogs and a mouse all congregated in the same area.  Throw my mother into the mix and you have the closest idea of chaos you can possibly imagine.

Leaving mother to keep an eye on the mouse under the couch, Lynn took Ollie and locked him in her bedroom; then she let Sampson and Delilah outside and finally (don’t ask me how) caught the mouse and removed him to the great outdoors.

Regretfully, despite all Lynn’s attempts to save Mike; it wasn’t meant to be, apparently his injuries,  whether from Ollie or Sampson were too severe and he died on the side of the driveway.

R.I.P. Mike.

Have you seen a mouse?

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