Heart Like a Dog

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

Delilah and Me

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I mentioned a while ago I thought Delilah would be very content as an only dog.  While she’s fiercely independent, she’s also jealous of attention given to another dog and she’s competitive.

There is no where her competitiveness comes through more than when she and I are walking with Sampson.  And it doesn’t matter if I’m walking both of them, or Hubby’s walking Sampson.  Delilah will pull to the end of the leash to get ahead of Sampson.  It’s not quite so bad if he’s off-leash, but if they are both on leash, she wants to lead the charge.

Having two dogs with different exercise requirements can be somewhat challenging.  Sampson has to have timed walks.  We started out at five minutes twice per day and are currently working ourselves up to fifteen minutes, preferably this would occur three times per day, but logistically that’s hard for me.

First thing each morning, I get up, throw some clothes on and take Sampson for his first walk.  We live practically smack in the middle of a hill and I discovered early on, it’s easier for Sampson to start the walk by ascending the hill and finish the walk with the descent.

After our walk it’s time for some range of motion and weight bearing exercise, then I ice him up, ready the dog’s breakfast and go get myself ready for work.

Once I get home I prep the dog’s dinner, fix their snack and grab Sampson for his second walk of the day.  Delilah needs to stay inside because when I leave her out, she tries to exit the yard with us and when I leave her, she barks her fool head off.    There is nothing enjoyable about a walk, when you can hear your stinkin’ dog barking like a loon.

Once Sampson’s back home I follow the same schedule as the morning in terms of physical therapy and icing.  Then it’s Delilah’s turn for a walk.  Typically Delilah chooses our walk and I simply follow along.  As long as I’m outside with her, it doesn’t matter to me where we go.

The whole walking two dogs is a pain in the ass, but in spite of this challenge something really awesome happens when it’s just Delilah and me.

I'm glad you're holding onto that leash Mama, I don't want you to get lost.

I’m glad you’re holding onto that leash Mama, I don’t want you to get lost.

Can you see it?  No?

4-15-14-1 How about now?  No, it’s not the toes that need a manicure!  It’s the loose leash!!

Notice how I have gathered it in my hand?  She is actually on about 4 1/2 feet of leash, walking like a princess beside me and not pulling at all!

It’s totally Amazeballs to have a nice, leisurely walk without having my arm pulled out of the socket.

Have you noticed competition with your dogs?  How do you handle that?

I Know Why They’re Called Labradors

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One of my favorite things to do is to figure out how certain sayings came to be.

Some of them are easy and make perfect sense to me, such as “A stitch in time saves nine.”  I interpret that as if you can catch a tear when it’s small and fix it with a quick stitch, you will save yourself a hefty repair down the road.

“Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”  I heard tell back in the day, baths came about on Saturday night and folks used the same water.  Starting with dad, moving to mom and progressing down the line, so by the time the baby got their bath it was so dirty, you might actually lose track of the baby.  EWWW!! (This one makes me particularly pleased that we have modern plumbing.)

“A penny saved is a penny earned.”  Never could figure that one out, I mean whether you spent or saved it, you still earned it, no?

Do you remember this saying?  “You make a better door than you do a window.”  My mother used to say it to us all the time.  Well the other night I finally figured it out and at the same time I realized why they’re called Labradoors.  Yes, we’ve been spelling it wrong all this time.

Here’s how the epiphany happened.  The other night Hubby and I were watching a television show.  Sampson was lying on the floor and as I’m prone to do, I got down on the floor with him and was rubbing his leg.  All was well except I couldn’t see the TV show because a LabraDOOR was standing directly in my line of sight.

Then I thought back to all the times she’s stood in my way, effectively blocking me from moving.   I can’t tell you how many times I have to switch direction just to get around Delilah.

You're really very cruel you know, I'm only looking out for you. I heard watching TV is bad for your eyes.

You’re really very cruel you know, I’m only looking out for you. I heard watching too much TV is bad for your eyes.

Or the times I’ve turned around and end up with arms flailing trying to keep myself from falling over her.  Or the times I go spread a throw rug or her placemat only to have her stand on it as soon as it touches the floor.  Or how she stands right in the area of the room I’m currently vacuuming.

Maybe I should call her a Labraobstacle instead.  I wonder if the AKC would recognize it as a breed?

You Make Me Smile – April 13, 2014

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You make me smile (or laugh.)  The funny, cute, loving things my dogs do on a daily basis that brings a smile to my face or a laugh to my lips.

Delilah, your determination to lay on the couch, despite the obstacles put there to keep you off…..

Miss Delilah, happy at last.

Miss Delilah, happy at last.

You make me smile.

Back story:  We are allowed to give Sampson a bit more freedom in the house, but he’s not allowed free access to stairs nor is he allowed to climb on furniture.

I knew the first place he’d head would be the couch, so I blocked it off, threw a couple of dog beds on the floor and encouraged them to use them.

The first night Delilah stood at the end of the couch contemplating.  Hubby said, “She’s going to go over.”

But she didn’t!

Yesterday morning same thing.   She stood at the end looking longingly at the couch, again she didn’t.

Hubby and I ran out to do some errands and I put Sampson in his room, and allowed Delilah couch access.  When we came home, we took Sampson out of the room and once again blocked off the couch.

While we were having a bite of lunch I looked up and said to Hubby, “She going for it.”

Sure enough she did.  She looks so damn content just lying there, I couldn’t help but smile.

I keep forgetting to remind you, please vote for #9, Crunchy Blueberry Pancakes, in the Excalibur Dehydrator give away hosted by Kol’s Notes.  The last day is tomorrow!

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