Heart Like a Dog

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

To Boldly Go Where No Dog Has Gone Before

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Yesterday I shared a little bit about an early morning walk I took with the dogs on Friday.

I had sent my friend a text asking if she and Brady were around for a walk, but hadn’t had a response back.  I figured we would just head her way and see if we ran into them.

On our way, we ran into one of her neighbors, Mark and his dog Bruno.  Since he was heading the same way we were, we walked together, chatting a little as we went.

The best way to describe our walking trails is like this:

My road ends in a cul-de-sac, if you went straight you would head up a hiking path to the field, just before the field the path heads up the hill to the right and if you went straight out that path you would enter another cul-de-sac.  My friend’s house is the second house on the right hand side.  The first house belongs to M & M who have Tia, the German Shepherd.

Just as we got to the top of the trail, near my friend’s house Bruno and Delilah started to play.  I made the mistake of dropping the leash.

As soon as I dropped the leash she stuck her nose to the ground and she headed out of the woods and into my friend’s neighborhood.  I snagged Sampson and said, “Go, Go, Go, Go, Go, Go” and started running back the way we came.

Delilah kept going.

I quickly realized she wasn’t responding, so Sampson and I turned around and headed out to get her.

Meanwhile Mark and Bruno were walking home and I could see Mark trying to get Delilah’s attention, but she ignored him.  She had wandered into M & M’s yard and their garage door was open.

Yup, Friday morning at 7:00 o’clock, Delilah walked right into M & M’s garage.

I was horrified.

Mark meanwhile had started walking down the driveway and was almost to the garage.  I got to the end of the driveway and started down myself, Delilah decided she was done in the garage and stepped off to the side thinking she could head over to Brady’s house, Sampson  meanwhile saw the open garage and decided to investigate like Delilah had.

Luckily for me as Delilah dodged out of the garage, Mark stepped on her leash and handed her back to me.  Sampson returned when called and we headed back into the woods to finish our walk.

Whew!

I will not be dropping her leash again anytime soon.  I swear to God, if she falls down a friggin rabbit hole, I’ll hold onto that leash and follow her down.

Change It Up

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I discovered something yesterday.

I had taken the day off to attend a memorial service for a beloved uncle of one of my SIL’s.  The service was about an hour’s travel time from where I live and I knew when I got back I had errands to run to get ready for today’s cookout.  I decided to walk the dogs early.

Like First Thing In The Morning Early.

I rolled out of bed after another night of tossing and turning and pulled on my hiking clothes, gathered up my equipment (treat bag, pepper blaster, poop bags, camera, cell phone and keys) and off we went.

We kept the walk at just about a half an hour, which put us back at the house right around 7:20 am.  Twenty minutes after the dog’s scheduled feeding time.  But I didn’t feed them.  Oh no.

Because they are big dogs and both deep-chested, I worry about bloat.  So I waited.  Wondering how this was going to work with the food obsessed chocolate lab?

I added warm water to their necks and set them in the microwave to warm up.  I made a pot of coffee, then I took a shower.  When I came out of the bathroom Delilah was curled up on the bed.

Sleeping.

I got dressed, and walked out of the bedroom.  Delilah followed me.  I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down to check out blogville.

Delilah curled up on the couch and went to sleep.

I got up, went into the kitchen and pulled the necks out of the microwave.

Nothing.

It wasn’t until I opened the pantry to get the Salmon Oil out that she meandered her way into the kitchen.

We played the ‘one strike, you’re out’ game (which she lost) and I put her in the crate.

By the time they actually got their breakfast is was almost an hour and a half late.  And she had not bugged me the entire time.

My thought is this, if you have an active dog and typically take her out when you get home from work, consider changing it up and trying to get her out for a quick walk in the morning.

I’m thinking by changing it up, you’ve given them something else to think about.

What about your dogs, are they scheduled?  Is there any way to incorporate some change into their routine?

Tomorrow I will share just what Delilah DID on our early morning walk.  It’s a doozy.

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! :-)

Dogs Think Like – Author’s Note/Update

If you thought that post was funny, I’m glad.  I was trying to inject some humor into my situation with my dog. 🙂

I was dead serious about the green bean though.  She is that focused.

She is responding very well to the one strike you’re out rule.  I give her the opportunity to sit at the edge of the kitchen as I begin food preparation.  If she raises her butt off the floor, she goes into the crate.  I put her food down and only when she is being calm will I release her from the crate.  I’m even getting her to the point where I can open the door and she must wait until I give her the release.

She has actually sat two times for the entire food preparation and I think that is PROGRESS!!

I must share that she does not sit quietly in the crate, she does whine a bit, but I am ok with that.

For all your suggestions and tips, I thank you!!

Bold And Beautiful – Author’s Note

I should have noted I tried to set her up once by putting a number of soda cans with pennies in them on a cookie sheet and putting a treat behind the sheet.  Somehow she managed to get the treat and only knock one can over so that back-fired on me.

Kari from Hound Girl had a suggestion that I really liked.  You know the plastic mats you get for your rolling chairs?  The ones that let you roll on carpet?  You get those and set them upside down on the counter, which will hurt their little paws without shocking them.

Me likey.  Thank you Kari!

W.T.F. Wednesday – Author’s Note

Well judging by the comments, W.T.F. Wednesday was a big hit.  I’m glad you all enjoyed it.  I will certainly be on the lookout for the animal stories that make me say, WTF?

Thank you so much for all the pawsome comments!  And if any of you find something that makes you think, “W.T.F” then please feel free to use it if you’d like.

Can I Bring My Dog – Update

I was happy that you all agreed with my decision.  It helped me feel better about making it, knowing that you all thought I was being reasonable.

My cousin and her boyfriend are perfectly fine with my decision.  She did send me a picture of Riley letting me know he wasn’t as big as I imagined.  🙂 In the picture he is laying on his side in the sun, just like my Sam Man likes to do.   He looks like a really nice guy, but I still stand by my decision.

For some reason my computer and phone aren’t communicating so I can’t post his picture. 🙁

That’s it for us, hope you have a pawsome week!  Enjoy the weekend.

 

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