Heart Like a Dog

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

Dodge Dog

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One of the things I’ve been struggling with regarding Sampson’s ACL injury is trying to give him the care he needs, while not letting Delilah feel too neglected.  Many is the time I’ve had to push her away to insure she doesn’t step on Sampson’s bad leg.   Or I’ve been busy with him and can’t give her the attention she’s been seeking.  And that makes me feel very badly.

Luckily I think spring has finally made her way to the northeast, and I’ve been trying to take advantage of the nicer weather to get Delilah out for a walk.

Yesterday my mom came and sat with Sampson so Delilah and I could get out and enjoy almost 60 degree weather.   Typically I let Delilah choose our walk.  We start out with her in the lead and whichever way she turns, I follow.  Of course there are times when I encourage her away from a situation I’m uncertain of, which is how we found ourselves playing Dodge Dog yesterday.

As we were making our way into our favorite park, I noticed an animal moving in the distance.   I pulled my camera out just in case it was a deer, but upon closer inspection it looked like a black lab.  I could hear a woman shouting for it, so I directed Delilah onto one of the side trails.

As I huffed and puffed behind her up the hill, my eyes kept straying to the path I’d seen the dog on.  Within a minute the off-leash dog was joined by another off-leash dog and shortly after that a woman followed.  They headed into the soccer field.  I knew I’d have to keep my eyes sharp if I was going to prevent my leashed dog from encountering the off-leash dogs.

The good thing was, Delilah had not seen the dogs so she wasn’t on the lookout for them.  But I was.  And not being able to anticipate which trail (if any) they would choose, I kept my eyes sharp.  Sure enough as we approached the field from the other direction, I noticed the black dog, in the field.   I contemplated a trail that would take us along side the field, but thought that might be pushing my luck.  So we turned around and headed back the way we had come.

As it turned out, our walk was a bit longer than I had planned, but it was a nice day and we managed to avoid an encounter with the off-leash dogs.

What is Dodge Dog? Are you setting me up for something? Is that why you are making me sit, in the dirt no less?

What is Dodge Dog? Are you setting me up for something? Is that why you are making me sit in the dirt?  You have no Dogcorum, dirt is not for sitting, it’s for digging.  Sheesh Mama.

Life Outside the Gate

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I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with me.  Perhaps it’s my lack of sleep, perhaps it’s exhaustion or stress from dealing with a post surgery Sampson, maybe it’s just blogging burnout but right now I feel like I can’t manage to string two sentences together to make a blog post.

None-the-less I’m going to take my best shot for Thursday’s Barks and Bytes.

Sampson – A post surgery Sampson is exhausting me.  He wants to run, and he’s tired of being confined to a little room, in fact yesterday he made his way down the STAIRS.  If I’d put some thought into it, I would have led him out the garage and back into the yard, BUT in my blind panic, I led him back up the stairs!

I’m still kicking myself and praying he didn’t damage anything.

Since he and I are sleeping on a futon mattress in the office, and he’s pretty bored, he’s taken to waking me up shortly after 3:00 am so I can take him outside where he stands forlornly at the gate staring out into the great outdoors.  I think he’s dreaming of life outside the gate.  Once back inside he seems resigned to his fate and snuggles up with his head under my chin.

He’s also wise to how we are giving him his pills.  He used to take them willingly in a big ball of coconut oil and then that stopped working.   I switched to Ricotta cheese and when that stopped working, I started rolling the Ricotta Cheese in some dried beef liver.  He’s wise to that now too.  Yesterday I started out the day with him spitting pills on my wall.  My comforter was covered in Ricotta, he was covered in Ricotta and when I got in the car I realized I too was covered in Ricotta.

Yesterday we had a great conversation on my Facebook page and Carol Bondy suggested Liverwurst.  I stopped by the grocery store and picked some up (I can use it for training if need be) and last night he took the pills without a problem!  Thank you CAROL!

There were lots of good suggestions, such as peanut butter (which I’m trying to stay away from because of the calories and his limited exercise,) Tripe, Vienna Sausages and would you believe Marshmallows?

On a positive note, Delilah and I have been getting out and enjoying some nicer weather with some half hour walks.  It’s a start.

And because I can, some photos I’ve been wanting to share.

Sampson and me the day after surgery when I picked him up.

Holy Woof, please tell me my hair doesn't really look like that from the back!

Holy Woof, please tell me my hair doesn’t really look like that from the back!

When he first came home we worked super hard to keep the dogs separated.  Let’s face it, Delilah can be a bit of a bull in a china shop.  But the first morning she came in to check on him and it was SO cute.

You gonna be okay Bubba?

You gonna be okay Bubba?

VOTE NOW

Remember that pancake I dehydrated?  Well now is the time to vote.  As of right now, I’m getting my ass soundly handed to me by a BICHON.  WTF?  Please, please for the love of dog, CLICK HERE and vote for #9!

I did mention that it was Thursday’s Barks and Bytes, didn’t I?  The blog hop for pet bloggers and non-pet bloggers and everyone in between!  Hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like a Dog.  Grab the badge, add your link and join the fun!

Heart Like a Dog

 

The Cone that Ate Sampson

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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 – March 23, 2014

YMMS 3-23-14

Emma said, “Goodness, I’m guessing hubby is in bed too which would make four full sized bodies in a full bed over full!”

Actually, Sampson and I have been staying on the futon mattress in a spare room.  Hubby and Delilah are still sleeping in the bedroom.  Except Hubby doesn’t usually settle in as early as Delilah would like, so she comes in and snuggles with us.

Frankie and Ernie said, “They Truly do LOVE getting to cuddle up with us, don’t they?”

This Mama sure does!

Donna suggested, “Maybe you can get YOURSELF a comfy dog bed?’

There have been nights when I’ve actually thought about sleeping on one of their beds. 🙂

I Dehydrated a Pancake

Many thanks to Vlad & Barkly’s Dee for the new (to me) gluten-free website!  I’m always up for finding new sites to help me with this dietary requirement.

Jenna, Mark “HuskyCrazed Drady said, “I saw this giveaway also, and I wanted to enter, but have no idea for a recipe, or anything like that!

Don’t let that stop you!  Here’s a little tip that Jodi gave me, if you can bake it, you can dehydrate it.  Take one of your favorite dog treat recipes and then place it on a cooling rack and set that rack on a cookie sheet and bake it at the lowest setting in your oven.  The time varies depending upon the treat.  You will have to check it.

Head For the Hills

Try to keep up woman, life is short and there are lots of good things to smell.

Try to keep up woman, life is short and there are lots of good things to smell.

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s Mom said, “Ducky, on the other hand, could jerk your arm right out of its socket when she pulls.”

Guess what Sue?  Sampson’s physical therapist told me about a different type of harness designed to stop the pulling.  I’m working on getting one and will keep you updated if it works.

No is When the Negotiation Begins

I'm comfy, how about you?

I’m comfy, how about you?

Molly the Wally said, “LOL D makes us chuckle as I try and do lap dog too.”

Molly, I think you are the perfect size for a lap dog. 🙂

Sue said, “In my experience, the hardest part will be towards the end of that – when he’s really feeling good and you’ll still need to keep him quiet.”

I do believe you are right.  He already tries to run (he tucks that leg up.)  Twice already Delilah’s started barking and he’s tried to run and investigate.  I’ve been off since Wednesday so I can care for him, but next week I go back 1/2 days,  which is why Hubby put the crate back up and he will have to be in the crate when one of us isn’t here.

I totally hate putting him in the crate with that giant cone on his head, but I can’t take a chance that he will run.  Have you seen that freaking cone?

I feel like a giant sunflower in this thing.

I thought I was supposed to eat cones, not the other way around.

 

It’s gifuckingnormous.

The physical therapist insisted he have a cone that large because he has a long nose.  Personally I feel he’s so dejected when I put it on him, that he will simply lie there.  BUT we can’t take any chances, so I have to put my baby in a cone and then in a crate.  But as the PT reminded me, it’s only for two weeks and most of that time someone will be monitoring him.  Although I do put the cone on him at night, just in case.

True story, the first night Sampson decided he wanted to snuggle with me and I got smacked in the face by the cone at 3 in the morning.

Jan K said, “There is nothing like a little silliness to help relieve stress! You and your sister sound like quite the pair.”

 

We like to think so Jan. 😉

Jan says, “I love what the vet office always says when you call with a problem. “Keep an eye on him.” Like, gee, who would have thought to do that?”

Right?  Like how do you think I spotted it to begin with?  It wasn’t because I was playing Candy Crush. 😉

Well that’s a wrap for me, hope you all have a great weekend!  And thank you again for all the love and support!

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