Heart Like a Dog

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

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.

 

Can I Bring My Dog?

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We’re having a cookout on Saturday.  It’s actually our Easter dinner.  You may recall I was in Florida on Easter, so I decided our family gathering would be a cookout.

I got a text last night from my cousin who asked, “Can my boyfriend bring his dog?  He’s a good dog as cool as Sampson, you will love him.  You will want to blog about him.”

My immediate response was yes!  Of course, all dogs are welcome at my house.

Then I started to think of the logistics of it.

  • People will be coming and going. Some people can only make it early in the afternoon and some can’t make it til later.  I figure this will go down in two waves.  The early crew and the late crew.
  • Hubby and I will be busy, he will be cooking and I will be monitoring the food to make sure Delilah does not eat it.
  • We will not be able to watch the dogs or monitor their meeting as closely as we would like.
  • My friend’s dog is a 120 pound Bull Mastiff…..I picture him like this:

Photo courtesy of http://dogbreedinformations.com

  • Sampson can get snarky with male dogs, especially those that are bigger than he is.
  • Little children will be running about.

I started to get a feeling.  Not one I could put my finger on, just a feeling way down in the pit of my stomach.  I thought back to the party I was at where I was the only one sober enough to drive the hysterical mother and her sobbing son to the emergency room so he could get his ear sewn back on after being bitten by a dog.

I sent my cousin a text: “I’ve been thinking about the dogs.  I hope you understand, Sampson can get snarky with other dogs especially males that are bigger than he is.  I’m concerned that Hubby and I won’t be able to keep an eye on him like we would want to and with the little ones around it makes me a bit nervous.  Could we wait on this?  Hubby and I can have you, H and his dog over when it is just us and we can see how Sampson does.  Sorry to be such a nervous Nellie…..if the grand kids weren’t going to be there it would be entirely different.  I will tell you a story on Saturday that is weighing heavy on my heart and guiding me with this decision.”

She understood of course.  If she didn’t she wouldn’t be one of my oldest and dearest friends.  And I don’t mean I wouldn’t speak to her, what I mean is she knows me and she knows my heart and my love for animals and she knows I wouldn’t make this decision lightly.

She said her boyfriend won’t come without his dog, which makes me sad but I understand.

Just as I have to do what I feel is right for my dog so he succeeds, her boyfriend feels he must do what is right for his dog.

What do you think?  In a situation such as I just described, would you have someone bring their dog if your dog(s) had never met them before?

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