Heart Like a Dog

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

Follow-Up Friday

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For those new to the blog, my follow-up Friday provides me with an opportunity to update or revise a post from the previous week.

You know sometimes you post about something and you need an update but it doesn’t warrant a whole blog.  Or sometimes someone made a comment that really resonated with you.  Yup, Follow-Up Friday baby! 🙂

2012 Goals – Author’s Note

Many of you thought my goals were highly ambitious and I guess maybe they were, but you should know me by now.  I’m the one going Mock 2 with my hair on fire.

That’s just how I roll, I want to succeed with my writing and am determined to do so.

Blog The Change, BE The Change – Author’s Note

I was surprised that no-one thought I was whacked out in that post.  I mean, I really do believe in harsher penalties for animal abusers,  I thought my idea of the stockade in the center of town would get some flack, but you guys didn’t blink an eye.  Although at least one you was amused at the image of me with rotten tomatoes in my hands climbing down off a soap box. 🙂

Charitable Acts – Author’s Note

Some of you wrote in saying you used the grinding tool for your dog’s nails and you didn’t have to worry about cutting the quick.  We thought the grinder would be a good idea as well, but they were almost impossible to get when they first came out because everyone wanted one.  We finally got one and poor Sampson is terrified of it, I can’t stand his trembling while Hubby tries to file.  I put it away in the back of the closet and some lucky person will be able to pick it up for like $5 bucks at my tag sale. 🙂

Never A Dull Moment – Author’s Note

I’ve been wanting to write about Delilah’s habit of jamming her head between my legs for a long time, but truthfully, it sounds weird.  I really do think it would be a funny picture and might try to get a picture of it, she doesn’t always do it when there is someone around to take a picture though. 🙂

This morning when she did it, I decided to walk with her and see if I can teach her WALK  so I can complete Pamela at Something Wagging’s challenge to train your dog month. 

I had originally thought I would try to teach Delilah to roll over, but when I was preparing food and watching how high she was jumping, I started teaching her to jump up and put her two front paws on my hip.  Why?  I don’t know really, I was just thinking if I ever decide to enter a dance competition with her it might be a cool trick.

Which is also the same reason I am teaching her to walk with her head between my legs.  Just in case I decide to enter a dance competition with my dog.

Yeah, that’s it.

I would have to say we’ve had a pretty good week, and how was yours?

Book update: My book has 3,650 words.

Charitable Acts

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Do you trim your dog’s nails yourself?

I used to.  My attempts at nail clipping, ear cleaning and teeth cleaning use lots of treats.  And lots of coaxing.

There was a time when I always clipped Sampson and Delilah’s nails myself.  Sampson really doesn’t care for it and hides his head with his paw or hides his head in the sofa when the time comes.  When you call him to you he will come, but very reluctantly.  I think it is because there have been a couple of times when either Hubby or myself have cut the nail too short and made it bleed. 🙁

Delilah on the other hand knows there is food involved and she will shove her way into you, completely pushing Sampson out-of-the-way.  She’s a big goof ball.

One time after our Thursday night obedience class I noticed Sara cutting someone’s nails.  I noticed she had a really nice, big clipper and she clipped even skittish dogs with no problem.

That’s when I asked her to clip Sampson and Delilah.

Keep in mind the Mellow Mutt is a doggie daycare and training facility,with a lovely little retail section.  There is a groomer at the Mellow Mutt, but she rents the space, and technically is her own boss.

Not that Sara can’t (and doesn’t do) grooming, bathing and trimming.  But her passion is training and daycare.

One day when I was dropping the dogs off for daycare, Murphy’s mom asked for Murphy to have a bath and a nail clip.  She asked how much the nail clipping was.

Imagine both our surprises when we were told by Sue, “Sara doesn’t charge for nail clipping, she asks that you make a donation to a dog related cause.”

How freaking nice is that?

Sara also still has her food donation box out so if you don’t want write out a check for a donation, you can drop off a bag of food.

After I dropped S & D off this morning I got to thinking about their nails and how long it has been since they were clipped.  So I called Sara up and asked if she would mind clipping them.

Here’s the answer I got.

“I was just laying on the floor making out with Sampson and I mentioned that his nails were looking pretty long.  He hid his paw and said, “Don’t look at them Auntie Sara.”  🙂

They both had their nails clipped today and I told Sara I would pick up a back of food and add it to the donation box.

I think what Sara is doing is really awesome and I think it’s awesome she chooses to provide this service to animals in need.

Book update:  My book has 1,646 words

A Year At The Park

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The  company I work for gives me Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday off.  While I love having a paid day off and have nothing against Dr. MLK, it irritates me that we don’t get President’s Day or Veteran’s Day off.   IMO our Veterans have done just as much (if not more) for this country as Dr. King.  But that’s not what this post is about.

I had today off.  It was a nice day off and started with breakfast with my nephew (the Veteran,) my mom, my sisters, my niece, one of my daughters and my son-in-law.

After breakfast and a quick stop at Ocean State Job Lots for some gluten-free goodies, it was time to walk the dogs.  I figured if I walked them early, I could spend the afternoon resting on the couch because I didn’t sleep so great last night.

As we walked up into the park, it suddenly occurred to me, that it was exactly on Dr. MLK day last year that I first began taking the dogs up to the park on a regular basis.  I started thinking of all the things I had learned while walking the dogs this past year and I thought it would be fun to highlight some of them.

Walking the dogs and letting them run for at least a half hour a day 3 to 4 times per week will result in weight loss.  For the dogs.  I still haven’t lost any weight. 🙁

Some dogs need to be on a leash, because they just cannot be trusted to return when called.

A dog on a 30 foot leash, even one who has lost a lot of weight, can cause a severe fall when she takes off across a wet field.

A piece of deer leg will not be given up easily, AND if you carry that piece of leg, your dog WILL be perfectly heeled at your side.

Even in woods close by your house, you can still get scared.  Especially if you have an active imagination. 🙂

Beauty is where you find it.

I’m sure there’s probably more and if I think of them I will recap them in my Follow-Up Friday post.

How was your day?  Did you have it off, or did you have to work?

Book Update:  1,268 words.

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