Heart Like a Dog

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

A Story of Dogs and Pancakes

By

The following story originally appeared on my free WordPress blog back on June 4, 2011. Facebook reminded me of this post yesterday and I thought it might be a good time to share it again.

I love going back and looking at old posts, both to see where I was with my writing and blog (the original post had no SEO title, no SEO description and no SEO key words) and also to remember stories and fun times with the dogs.

For this particular post, I’d been blogging for just about 7 months.

Looking back on this post I can see that my writing has changed a bit, but Delilah still retains a lot of her quirkiness.

Yum Yum Pancakes…Day One Hundred, Eighty Six

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.) **I may have learned it then, but you all know that right there is no longer true. 🙂

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. 🙂

So there you have it. What do you think? Has Delilah changed a lot? Do you see a difference in my writing? Do you ever go back to the beginning to see how your blog and voice have evolved?

The DADO Report for May 2016

By

So here’s the latest DADO report for last month. (For those that might be new to the blog, DADO stands for Dumb Ass Dog Owners and believe you me, there are a number of them in my neighborhood.)

Last Thursday I was taking Sampson for his morning walk. We did our six minutes and then I turned around and crossed the street like I usually do. I noticed one of the houses with an e-fence had their garage door open and I had a brief thought that I should cross the street, but I didn’t.

I should know better because the woman who lives in this house always takes her dog in the car with her when she takes her son to the bus stop. And she passes us almost every day.

I looked carefully and didn’t see a dog and really, what should it matter, the dog’s on an e-fence, right?

Sampson and I are taking our time as is his our custom. Just as we pull level with the driveway, I hear the distinctive sound of a dog on a mission. I look up to see the dog (Roxy) flying out of the garage and across the lawn.  (You may remember Roxy, she’s the little puppy that didn’t want to poop while on leash, so the woman left her off and in doing so, her brand new puppy ran across the  street to greet Delilah.)

Sampson (of course) starts jumping around, which is horrible for his leg, so I start walking to the other side of the road. Just as we reach the safety of the other side, Roxy gets to the end of her yard, pops out into the street, realizes she’s popped out of her yard, spins around to head back in, then realizes she didn’t get zapped and barrels across the street at us.

I hear the mom call Roxy and then I hear the son say, “Told ya.”

I don't always leave my yard, but when I do, it's to sniff a handsome lad.

I don’t always leave my yard, but when I do, it’s to sniff a handsome lad.

And there I am standing on the side of the road with my dog, who is now being sniffed over by Roxy.

The mom comes over and tries to grab the dog, but Roxy thinks it’s a game, so she darts away as the woman tells me that her husband ‘edged’ through their electric fence.

And yet, you took your dog outside without a leash?

Roxy dances close beside me and I say, “I’m afraid to grab her collar, I don’t want to startle her and I don’t know how she does with strangers touching her.”

The woman ponders that, “She’s never bitten anyone before…”

Yeah, I’ll keep my hands to myself.

I reach into my treat bag and hand the woman a few tiny pieces of kibble.

“Wow, you’re good” she responds as she takes the kibble and holds it out to her dog, who turns her nose up at it and darts away again.

Sampson’s grown bored with the whole process since he’s already met the dog by now and sits down on the side of the road.

What can say? The lassies all love me.

What can say? The lassies all love me.

Meanwhile, people in the neighborhood are leaving for work and cars start moving along the street, while Roxy continues to dance about and play the keep-me-away-from-my-mom game.

Finally, after what seems like 10 minutes, but was probably more like three, Roxy gets close enough for the woman to snag her and the son comes out into the street and carries the dog into the car.

I gather up my wits, my treats and my dog and stagger home clutching my heart.

Really, you can’t make this stuff up.

Does this stuff happen to anyone else? Or is it just me?

If It Was Any Closer

By

Have you ever been looking for something and you just can’t see it, but it’s actually right in front of your nose? When I was a kid my mother always said, “If it was any closer, it would bit you.” This is one of those times.

As is usual with me, some of the funniest incidents that happen with my dogs, happen when I’m not ready with the camera.

This was the case Sunday morning. Since I wasn’t ready with my camera, I’m going to do my best to paint a picture for you.

Long time readers will remember Delilah has an obsession with chipmunks. You can read about that here, and here.

Delilah loves to chase the chipmunks but she really has no chance because she runs out barking like a fool. For years I’ve been telling her, “Stealth my love, stealth.” But she doesn’t listen.

On the weekends, Hubby and I take turns sleeping in. Saturday is his day and Sunday is mine. I decided to hit the grocery store early, so breakfast was a bit late.

The dogs were both intent on Hubby who was in the kitchen working on breakfast. I happened to walk by the french doors and noticed two chipmunks sitting out on the retaining wall.

Ok, I'm no good with the photoshopping, but I did my best.

The chipmunks in our yard aren’t THAT big, I just haven’t yet mastered photoshopping.

I ever so carefully opened the door. Typically when I open that door, it makes a noise that alerts the chipmunks, but that didn’t happen on Sunday.

Instead, I opened the door and stood there watching the chippies, trying to figure out how to get Delilah over there without tipping the chips or Sampson off.

Delilah looked over at me, realized the door was open and casually sauntered over to and then out the door. At this point, the chipmunk closest to the house, jumped off the wall and darted into one of his tunnels. (That’s the one facing UP the steps).

Delilah didn’t see that chipmunk, instead, she headed for the steps.

And then she stopped.

Right in front of the other chipmunk. I mean, the chipmunk was literally 8 inches away from her head. If she’d only turned to her right, she could have snapped that chipmunk up.

But she didn’t.

Instead, the chipmunk turned around and ran up the rest of the steps and Delilah had NO IDEA anything had happened, until she got to the top of the steps. She must have caught a whiff of chip because she darted over to one of their entrances and started sniffing about.

Fee fie foe fum, I smell the smell of chipmunk scrum.

Fee fie foe fun, I smell the smell of chipmunk scrum. (Old photo, we have green up there now!)

I stood in the doorway, and said to Hubby, “Did you SEE that?”

But he didn’t.

And there I was, at the door unable to capture it on film when I realized my camera was right next to the door.

Right next to it! If it was any closer, it would have bit me.

I guess I know where Delilah gets it from. 🙂

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...