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Follow-Up Friday – August 29, 2014

August 29, 2014 By Jodi

Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally wrap up my week.

You Make Me Smile – August 24, 2014

Sue said, “So sweet. When I’m in my office working on the computer, Rudy is napping right next to me. Rarely does a day go by that something doesn’t cause me to say sh*t. No matter how softly. Rudy immediately sits at attention and puts a paw on my leg to comfort me :-) Definitely makes me smile.”

Oh, that would make me smile too!!  Say shit for me. 🙂

Watta-Melon

She makes it sound so impressive, but really, any self-respecting Lab can handle half a melon.

She makes it sound so impressive, but really, any self-respecting Lab can handle half a melon.

 

Groovy Goldendoodles asked, “Here’s a question that came to mind as I read your story – were there a million bathroom breaks for Ms. Delilah that evening? It would have been for me… BOL”

Would you believe, no?  I fully expected her to be up at least once during the night, but she was fine!

Jan said, “We are all guilty of leaving unattended food. But any dog that doesn’t take advantage doesn’t deserve to be called a dog.”

That’s true Jan, but I have to tell you, Sampson the best dog in the world, would not have taken that melon. 😉

Dolly the Doxie said, “We’ve read numerous times that dogs love watermelon. So does mom she finally gave me a piece and it turned into quite the drama, don’t ask. Glad you like it that much! Love Dolly.”

Oh Dolly, you must tell.  Please put it on your blog!!

Frankie and Ernie said, “OMD that much Wally Melon is gonna cause the PEE SHOOTER to GO WILD… and the POOP Shooter may get in on the act … LATER…”

See, that’s what I thought too and maybe a couple of air biscuits launched in the middle of the night, but not old iron gut.

Seeing is Believing

Look at that!  She has to be at least 20 feet away from me.  Good thing you can't tell how badly I'm freaking out.

Look at that! She has to be at least 20 feet away from me. Good thing you can’t tell how badly I’m freaking out.

Sophie said, “I would be hysterical, leaving Gus off of the leash for a minute on a walk.”

I’m with you there, I freak right out when she runs off.  Mostly because I’m afraid she will get hurt.  Or someone will say she hurt them.

JanK said, “I sometimes let Sheba off leash, but do the same as you….only short spurts and keep calling her back to me.”

I think when you have a dog that has run off before, you absolutely have to keep it short, let them be successful with what you are doing and end it while the dog is successful.  Far less stress for the two-leggers in the equation. 

Jan said, “With all the scary experiences you have had with her who can blame you not to have total trust that she can remember what she is supposed to do when she hears you call her name.”

You are right.  It is more me, worried about it happening again.  That last time really stuck with me, she was so zoned out, she couldn’t even hear me!

DZ Dogs said, “What has helped us is just keeping our dogs attention while off leash, once the attention is gone its hard to get back (especially terrier breeds) they get so focused that they can’t even hear us! It can definitely be frustrating at times.”

It’s easy to get caught up in something and miss that opportunity to call them back.  I have to really check around, make sure there is no-one around and no distractions so I can concentrate fully on where she is and what she’s doing.

Kirsten said, “I think some dogs will never be fully trustworthy off-leash, because they are too prey-driven or too spaced-out or too food motivated or for any number of reasons. But maybe there will be some special places where your pups can be trusted, and it’s great they’ll have some foundation skills for those times.”

Agreed. Like if I was in the middle of 100 acres.  Then I’d feel safe letting her off-leash. 🙂

Groovy Goldendoodles said, “Leo was self taught, never required training and was born with excellent recall. I’m not kidding.”

Sampson was trained from a puppy, he is usually pretty good off-leash, although he had his moments.  That’s awesome about Leo!

2 Brown Dawgs said, “Good girl Delilah. Hopefully one day she will get with the program. Look how long it took Storm to learn steady at tests….lol.”

Ah yes, Storm and the steady.  Delilah and Storm, sisters from two different mothers. LOL

Keep Spam in the Can

Emma said, “Now I have something to think about on those blogs that do always hold my comment for moderation.”

Okay, comment moderation can be different.  Some blogs are set up so any comment must be approved by the administrator.  That is different than having a legitimate comment go into the spam folder.  If you are getting an “your comment is awaiting moderation” it is probably an administrative choice as opposed to your comment being perceived as spam.

2 Brown Dawgs said, ” I still use Akismet. It seems to work about the best. I really hope leaving a comment is easy for readers and if not, I hope they let me know. :) On occasion my spam filter spams a legit comment, but if I tell it it is not spam, it learns the difference.”

Akismet worked fine for me, it caught all the spam.  But there was about 185 spam comments going into the spam folder EVERY DAY.   Which meant, I had to go through the folder every day, to make sure there wasn’t a legitimate comment stuck in there.  Now my spam folder is empty.  No spam comments get through at all!

Rachele Baker, DVM said, ” I always check the spam folder before automatically deleting spam – just in case.”

I would always check that spam folder too, but now I don’t have to because I don’t get any spam.  At 185 spam comments per day, if I didn’t go through it every day, it would take me hours to scan that folder just to make sure a legitimate comment wasn’t in there.

Jan said, “I always wonder why someone would spend their valuable time spamming blogs and emails and matching wits with those devoted to wiping them out.”

Somehow I think it is a program that someone sets up that does it automatically, I’m with you, I think there are far too many other great things to be doing with my time.

That’s it for me!  Have a great long weekend and be safe!

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Follow-Up Friday – August 22, 2014

August 22, 2014 By Jodi

Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally just wrap up my week.

You Make Me Smile – August 17, 2014

That's my Auntie!

That’s my Auntie!

Emma asked, “I wonder what Aunty does to make her so special to him?”

She loves him unconditionally, just like he loves her. 🙂

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom asked, “How’s he doing this morning after that sprint? Any noticeable discomfort?”

He didn’t seem to.  He is still stiff sometimes when he gets up, (which they tell me is normal)  but he didn’t seem to be favoring the leg at all. 

What the Fashionable Dog Walker is Wearing

This little light of mine....

This little light of mine….

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom said, “Well how about a doggie backpack with reflective strips on them?”

Good suggestion, I’ll keep that in mind.

Frankie and Ernie said, “Hunting and Fishing stores usually have some varieties of Lighted Hats and arm bands.”

Thank you!  I don’t know why I don’t think to go to Cabella’s in the first place! 

Jackie Bouchard said, “If we ever go at night when it’s dark, we only go if The Daddy can go along – and he carries the flashlight. And it’s a big ass light that doubles as a potential weapon.”

I like that.  Considering the off-leash dogs I run into, a big ass light sounds pretty good. I would need to clip it on me somehow though, I just don’t have enough hands.

Blueberry’s Human said, “As you know, I often hike in the dark this time of year. I know I may be slightly twisted, but I prefer nothing reflective. Do you realize how much fun it is to notice other hikers and their flashlights coming down hill and then quietly slip off the trail to let them pass and then have them gasp in fright when they finally notice the dog and human standing stock still?”

OMG you are hysterical.  I can see how that would be fun.  But my dogs would be making noise, so it wouldn’t work for me.    AND I wanted to tell you, I tried to comment on a couple of different posts on your blog, but for some reason, I could not. 🙁

The Grimm Business of Poopies

I'm sorry for what you're about to read, the woman really has no class.

The woman really has no class.

I e-mailed my friend David a link and he responded with this,

“LOL AWWWWWWWWWW  And I’m probably the only person you could dedicate a poopie list to, who is actually honored at the dedication! Most of my dog’s poops(especially when they go somewhere they shouldn’t, or when there is an audience) falls under the Aladdin Poop territory.”

Sand Spring Chesapeakes said, “Awesome, I think I love poop as much as you do, these were great!”

HAHAHA maybe one day I’ll dedicate a poop post to you. 😉

Frankie and Ernie said, “OKAY I (Frankie Furter) will tell on Ernie… he is a HANSEL.”

BWAHAHAHA Frankie, I’ll let you in on a little secret.  Delilah is a Gretel. 🙂

One Person’s View said, “How about the Goldilocks? “This spot is too high. This spot is too low. This spot is too east. This spot is too west. AH! THIS SPOT IS JUST RIGHT!” Aka, the Poopie Dance.”

Dang it, I was trying to figure out Cinderella, but totally forgot Goldilocks!!  Good one, I’ll have to go back and revise that list.

Pamela said, “I blew milk out my nose! I love your Grimm Poopie Tales. The worst one I’ve ever witnessed was Snow White and Rose Red, or the scary results when a dog eats your lipstick.”

Oh Pamela.  How long have you been reading this blog?  And you still eat and drink while doing so? LOL I checked for the Snow White and Rose Red post, but didn’t see it.  **hint, hint**

Guess What?

Jackie Bouchard asked, “Do you have any idea how many words the book will be when you’re done? ”

How many words do your books have Jackie?  I’ve read they should be between 80,000 to 100,000 words.  But I also feel like I’m petering out. 🙁

Frankie and Ernie said, “WE thought you had a Picture of our DAD there.”

OMG could you imagine a picture of old sure shot’s butt on this blog?  Your mom would not be HAPPY. 🙂

Hawk said, “Mushrooms do take on some weird shapes!”

They sure do!  A long time ago, I wrote another post about mushrooms…

As for the Round Robin, Pamela had a suggestion, “As for your round robin, how about going with a C alliteration: critters, caring, curing?”

I’m thinking Caring for Critters.

What do you think?

Dr. Rachele Baker said, “I checked out your Facebook page and I couldn’t find any information about your book. What is the title of your book and what is it about?”

And All Things Collie asked, “What is your book about?”

I’m not sure I’m ready to divulge the name of the book yet, I guess you would call it a mystery or detective/action type book.  Right now I think I’ve got all the action in the book, I just need to go back and enhance it.  

That’s it for me, look for your e-mail about the Round Robin, coming soon to an inbox near you. 🙂 

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Follow-Up Friday – August 15, 2014

August 15, 2014 By Jodi

Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally wrap up my week.

You Make Me Smile – August 10, 2014

Will you burp me when I'm done?

Will you burp me when I’m done?

He’s really just a lazy dog.  Honestly, he will work at that Kong for like five minutes, then it drops to the floor and he waits while you pick it up and poke the fruit out of it.  So I thought, why not save him that step and just give him the little frozen paws of yogurt and fruit I made?  Nope, he looks at you with those sad eyes, as if to say, why are you punishing me?   So it’s back to stuffing a Kong for him.

Delilah on the other hand, cherishes her Kong and eats it as enthusiastically as Ethel eats her chocolates (brownie points if you know what that reference is) LOL  She will work on hers until it’s empty and if she gets the opportunity, she will go over and take his off the floor. 

They are polar opposites I tell you.

Controlled Freedom

What I love best about this awesome community is how we share in each others joy and sadness. I knew when I hit publish that you all would be cheering with us.

Emma said, “That’s great news! I bet you can really see that he is much happier too. I guess the last step is for you to start jogging with both dogs.”

Yes, I can tell he’s happier.  I actually think his sadness had a lot to do with how long it took him to recover.  As for the running…um, no thank you. LOL  Delilah would take me out at the knees.

Jessica said, “I am desperately behind on my blog reading, and this is exactly the kind of news I hope to tune back in to.”

OMG me too.  It seems I can never catch up.

I Could Use Your Help

My mom is a new reader to the blog and she will always ask me, “Did you read your comments?  So and So had a really nice comment.”

I always tell her, I have the BEST READERS ever!  When I ask you guys for help, you don’t just come through for me, you come through in spades!!   And I can’t thank you enough.

Here’s where I think I went wrong.

When we first started walking in the woods I got lax with working the dogs.  I mean, everyone around there has their dogs off-leash and I kind of fell into that ‘they don’t need manners’ mentality.  Then Sampson got hurt and at first he couldn’t take his walks.  I felt bad that he was getting so much attention and Delilah was kind of on the back burner, so when I walked her, I let her dictate the walk. 

Along comes Sampson’s surgery and he needs to be walked but her exercise needs are different than his, so I walk them separately.  I’m exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally and again I let her dictate the walk.

Bottom line: I became complacent and lazy with my dogs, and increasingly frustrated.

Enter you guys, you are so freaking awesome!!  There are so many excellent suggestions as to working Delilah that I began implementing a number of them immediately!!  And it’s helping!  In fact, I’d forgotten how much Delilah loves to work and learn.  I want to share with you what we are doing so I’m planning on a full post about what techniques we’re using and how they’re helping.

In the meantime, if you are struggling with an issue with your dog, please go back and read through these comments, I guarantee you can find something that will help you.    And it doesn’t have to be complicated, redirecting a dog for a sit to change their mindset works wonders!

Sampson’s First Muttgarita

Emma said, “As for the stuffing on the floor, I though maybe Bailie had been at your house. Lately it looks like that around here a lot and some young GBGV is in a lot of trouble over it!”

Oh Emma, I’ve been following Bailie’s exploits on Facebook, she’s really hitting her stride in her adolescence isn’t she?

Sue asked, “You do bring up a good questions though – what is the legal age for drinking for dogs?”

Would that be three? Or four? LOL

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom said, ” I have to hide Callie’s “stuffie” toys from Ducky, too, so I understand!”

Sometimes the minute he gets a new toy, she takes it and guts it.  Other times the toys just hang around until that wild hare comes back. LOL

Jan K said, ” Stuffing on the floor is a common sight around here too. Luke and Sheba’s latest project was tearing apart a Kong Wubba.”

Typically the stuffing does not bother me, unless I’ve just vacuumed. LOL

2 Brown Dawgs said, ” Our dogs would destuff and probably eat.”

They eat the stuffing?  Thankfully they do not eat the stuffing, but they will pull the squeaker out and eat the end off.  Buttheads.

Well that’s it for me, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

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About Jodi

jodiHi, my name is Jodi. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog! I have all kinds of fun writing about my two crazy pups, Sampson and Delilah. Find out more!

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