So Far, So Good

The good news is that Nana has been seizure free for weeks now.  Of course being very superstitious I am almost afraid to write those words.  The seizures had started when I had moved her to a Blue Buffalo dry dog food chicken product.  I then heard of a problem Blue Buffalo had about a year ago with the possibility of too much vitamin D in certain product lines.  To much Vitamin D can cause a drop in calcium levels which are implicated in the type of seizures Nana was having.  The line I was feeding Nana was not one of the affected dog food product lines, never the less I decided to change from Blue Buffalo.  Nana was now having between three and four seizures a day.  I switched her on a Tuesday evening.  She had three seizures the next day, then two days without and then a very minor event on the following day.  After that we have been seizure free.  It has been three and half weeks now.  Now any good scientist will tell you that correlation is not causation.  If I was a good scientist I would put her back on the Blue Buffalo product and see if the seizures come back.    I guess I will never be a good scientist.

Next on the Medical Menu.......

Just as I was feeling quite smug and pleased with myself for having figured out that Nana was lactose and wheat intolerant and had brought her inner intestinal track in line, she decided to give me something new to wig over.  Nana had her first small, epileptic seizure last Saturday.  She has had several more since then and we are now off to a neurological appointment on Wednesday of next week.  If that wasn't enough, in my panic/excitement of seeing a seizure and loading her into the car for a trip to the emergency vet clinic I left a pot of chicken in water on the stove.  I am now in discussions with the insurance company over a protein fire and the smoke damage that ensued  But, that story is on my Tired of Being Nice blog, or will be when I get to it.

Back to Nana.  Last Saturday while driving home I noticed she was doing this weird "bobble-headed" dog thing.  Whoa!!!  That is not normal.......while trying to see what Nana was experiencing and not driving into on coming traffic, or into the car in front of me I tried to assess just what I was seeing.  Do I drive straight to the emergency vet?  Do I wait?  The "EVENT" lasted about a minute and then was done.  No more events for 2.5 days.  Then last night, she is lying at me feet while I watch an episode of Dollhouse on Netflix when I notice she is starting to do the Bobble-head dog thing.  I go into over achiever mode, call her downstairs, load her in the car, call the emergency vet yelling:  "INCOMING" and totally spaced on the chicken I was boiling on the stove with the timer on.  Of course she is fine at the vet, neurological exam is normal, and there is nothing to see.  2.5 hours later I am home, discover that I have completely engulfed my home in grey smoke and spend the next two hours trying to clear smoke and apologize to my neighbors, apparently we share the same air duct systems, chat up the local fire department, and am grateful that I didn't kill my cat in the process.  By 11:00pm I am back in the house, Nana is really tired and lays down.  OOPS,  another seizure event;  I grabbed my little camera and filmed about 40 seconds, and called the vet.  The movie file was too big, required real player, quick time, God Knows What Time Player and so couldn't get it to her.  Blech.....   Nana had another event this afternoon, I leased her up and took her outside.  I had noticed that when her interest is completely engaged the episodes diminish and quit.  The seizure abated within about 30 seconds.  I am on the net doing my research and logging any episodes I witness for the vets.  I'm not sure what has caused this but am trying to figure it out.  They are increasing and I am trying to head off a Kindling effect if that is possible.  In other words there is a threshold where a seizure will occur, the Kindling effect essentially lowers the threshold or increases the likelihood of an event.  In the mean time our home is a smelly waste dump that I am told isn't toxic but they are recommending I move out for 2 weeks, not toxic?.......I'm thinking they aren't telling me everything.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho.....It Is Off To The Vet We Go

Once again we are off to the vet for the same old problem of bad gut.  She was doing so well; for over a week and half her stool was exactly as it should be.  Night before last she woke me at midnight with a need to go outside.  What was that horrible smell - ah yes, a large pile of liquid doggie poop on the floor and yes she did need to go out, and out and out; about once every two hours and then every half hour.  I have no idea what made her go from just fine to liquid ugly.  In every other respect she looks and acts just fine.  She is eating, playing, alert, no extended belly. 

I watch what she eats like a hawk and don't let her free graze anything.  I am really suspecting that there is some kind of impaction; how that would happen I have no clue.  So now I am getting concerned since it isn't going away and the food she is taking in does not equal her output.  I have a noon appointment, pet insurance and a credit card so I will just wait until then. 

Can We Say Lactose Intolerant!

I continue to examine doggie poop with the interest of a duck on a June bug.  One thing for certain Nana is Lactose intolerant, which I can't say without thinking of that wonderful scene between Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline in French Kiss.  If you haven't seen the movie - I highly recommend it.

Once I eliminated the dairy products things were looking up, well actually things were firming up.  Then I added Canidae and things went back to Cow Pie Central.  Argh!.......So back to just chicken and rice and off to the pet store to buy a SMALL bag of the old Controlled Growth Puppy Food by Nutro which is what she has been since I got her.  I will give it a couple of days and then start to introduce sprinkles of Nutro and see how it all works out. 

Best poops she ever had was when she was eating road apples at will while hiking.  Nothing like some pre-digested grass hay to add bulk to the diet.  Probably gave her giardia as well - so not a recommended diet addition, but I did find these vegetarian doggie treats that might do the trick.  Put let's be realistic if the dog treats were created by dogs they would have names like:

Road Apple Delight
Goose Poop Perfection
Duck, Duck, Goose
Road Kill Cafe

They certainly would not be pumpkin and sweetpotatoe based.  When Nana barks at the bowl that has pumpkin in it and runs around to the other side of the ottoman and lays down - you know it is a two paws down commentary on the dinner menu.  No Nana, I am not trying to poison you - it's healthy honest!

The Pee and Poo Report Brought To You By...........

I have recently become a connoisseur of Poop.  I look at it, squish it, and bring samples of it to the Vet.  No this isn't some new strange sexual fetish I have developed.  No, no, no.....Nana has Colitis with a dose of Giardia just to add to the fun.  I noticed a couple of days ago that there was blood in Nana's stool.  Not a lot and only in the first stool of the day.  Why she had blood in her stool is really a toss up.  I could be part of the horse hoof she grabbed at the barn and happily chewed on, and no the hoof was not attached to a snorting, four footed equine. It was part of  the trimmings left behind by the farrier.  Then again, it could have been caused by part of the cloth wrapped, piece of scrunchy rubber band I found in the stool, or maybe it was what looked like a hair ball the cat hacked up and Nana ingested.  Really amazing what you can find while rummaging through scat.  At any rate, blood in stool requires a Vet check particularly when it seems to be getting worse.

Nana does not look sick.  She roared into the vet clinic, barked at a couple of dogs, bounced up and down a couple of times, offered the treating Vet a play bow and bark and expressed trained out of there with new drugs to take.  The stool samples I dropped off also showed Giardia.  This she could have gotten anywhere since we walk, hike and hang out in low places - the kind that have interesting things to sniff and streams next to trails that meander under trees.  So who knows where she got this stuff, I watch her closely, but she manages to get into trouble anyway.  Other dogs can eat anything without problems, but my delicate little flower is a regular at the Vet whether it is for pulled muscles, fox tails in the paw, or blood in the stool.  I've kind of decided to just send them really large checks on the first of the month, because I can just about guarantee we will be there for something before the month is over.

Ah yes, the joys of dog ownership.  There are some moments I have to remind myself why I love it, pawing through scat is one of them.

Nana meets Risky the Wonder Dog

Nana met Risky the Wonder Dog a couple of days ago.  Now Risky is a 4 year old intact male Briard with a 300 word vocabulary.  He can accurately fetch a named toy or fetch it by color.  He is good at the old 'go fetch my slippers faithful dog'.   Nana on the other hand is good at the grab, go and rib to shred the slippers.  Though there is some improvement.

Risky is a very busy boy and does not tolerate a locked door, he wants to know where his people are and he wants to keep an eye on them.  Which is why he can open doors, unlock things and get you a beer or a bottle of water out of the fridge.  Joe claims Risky learns much of this on his own by observing, e.g. the newpaper retrieve.  Nana on the other hand does not open doors and is worse than a two year old when mommy is trying to use the bathroom with the door shut.  "What are you doing in there?!?!"  Open this door now!!!  Or I will huff and puff and claw it down.

The above picture of them walking together is a tribute to Risky's owner, Joe and Ceasar Milan.  Risky wasn't sure he wanted to meet Nana.  He is a bit of the "I'll sniff your butt, but your not sniffing mine" side of the street.  Now polite doggies know it is a mutual sniff routine.  However, Joe was able to get them walking together after a bit.  We're thinking sheep herding trials would be a cool thing to do.  I can see Risky herding up the sheep, sorting them by color,  grading their wool and making sure they are all in the proper pens with the gates shut and secure.  Nana on the other hand will be doing a play bow and wondering why the fuzzy white thing doesn't act more like a dog.

You can find Risky the Wonder Dog on YouTube  Risky the Wonder Dog


It was great to meet Risky and I have my friend Barbara Sue to thank for the introduction.  

Take That Anne Klein!

Nana is bored.  Nana is very bored and is looking for all the trouble she can find; my shoe collection will probably not be the same. She is also sneaky.  I once watched her very stealthily reach out and slide a rope toy out from under the nose of her good friend Patsy the Labrador when Patsy looked away for a moment.  Nana didn't want the toy she wanted Patsy to play with her.  When Patsy glanced back, toy was gone, but Nana was there with her best play face on in an effort to entice Patsy to a game of wrestling.

My closet has become the newest attraction with stealth missions being conducted daily for it's treasures.  There is the added attraction of a small, black, hissy toy that resides in there.  This animated toy can sometimes be spotted on the bed, but prefers the closet and refuses to play with Nana no matter how many play barks and bows Nana offers.  The hissy toy only has flattened ears and a yellow glare to offer in the play department unless Nana gets to close in which case the hissy toy has the fastest claw in the West. 

Now the shoe in the picture is one of a pair of Anne Klein loafers that I have had for years and are my "fall back" choice for pants.  I love the ballerina look and these were as close as I could get at the time; ballerina styles shoes being out of fashion at that moment.  This pair of shoes should have been thrown out a year ago, but I have a tendency to "keep" things in the closet of infinite holding far to long.  As much as I am not happy about her eating a pair of my shoes it does force me to pair down - not a bad thing.  Now if I can just bring myself to throw away the hiking boots whose soles are literally separating from the side of the shoe.  Maybe I should let Nana make the decision for me.

  

It Was Going So Well....

It was going so well, until she fell down the stairs this morning.  For those who have been following this blog will know that she had a puppy park injury a couple of weeks ago and has been on an anti-inflammatory and rest for the last week.  This week she got to go back to some light exercise which we did yesterday with nary a limp or gimp.  Well.....in her excitement this morning she missed her footing and tumbled down the stairs landing in a heap on the landing.  She caused some injury to a back leg that she walked out pretty quickly - but light exercise shows a slight hesitation in her front leg again.  I suspect she has slightly re-injured the leg again.  She is on her last anti inflammatory and I am watching her like a hawk hoping it will go away and not get worse through the day. 

It's hard being the owner of a delicate but clumsy princess.

The Doggy Orthopod

Nana is on house rest and anti-inflammatories after her puppy park trauma of a week ago.  I mentioned in my last post that Nana was lame on a front foot. Well....it just didn't seem to get better and my friend Pat, who conveniently is a vet, looked at her and said, "get her to the Orthopod"  or something like that.  Sigh.....fortunately for Loomis Basin Veterinary Hospital's financial sheet, they happen to have one.  So off to the doggie bone doctor on Thursday for a complete exam and treatment plan.  After some discussion, I decided to pass on the $700 worth of x-rays and try the rest, anti-inflammatories for a week then light exercise the following week.

It does seem to be helping, but try telling a 10 month old Briard with lots of energy that they need to rest and not exert themselves - particularly as they are trying to rabbit around the tiny living room I have in an uncontrollable burst of exuberance.  It was a nice stress test however and she wasn't limping after her zoomie moment which is a good thing.  So...I think she is getting better and probably just pulled a muscle playing with the other dogs.  A little rest, a little Ace at night to try and get her to calm down and we will both survive the next few days of house rest.

Someone commented that they couldn't tell what the picture was of in the last blog post.  It is Nana, upside down with her legs over her face.  I thought it looked like an "Oh no...." picture after all the things that she had been through.  :)

If it's Not One Thing It Is Another

This seems to have been our week for puppy trauma. 

First, there was the foxtail in the paw that necessitated a trip to the vet to be removed.  Back on antibiotics and an antiseptic wash that I needed to soak her foot for 5 minutes in.  This entails mixing the antiseptic wash with water until it is "sky blue", pouring it into a baggy, jamming the foot in the bag and holding it closed for 5 minutes while Nana tries to dislodge the bag from her leg while I do my best to keep her from doing that.  This looks something like a Cha-Cha as she periodically kicks her foot out in an effort to get rid of me and the baggy.

Second, there was a string of incredibly hot days.  One evening, I failed to adequately monitor her water intake while at the doggie park and I realized when we got home that she was beginning to experience heat exhaustion.  I didn't like her respiration and she didn't voluntarily go to the water bowl.  ACK!!!   Fortunately the house AC was already on.  I got her some very cool water to drink and had her drink as much as possible in two sessions to get hydrated and cool her insides.  Then out came the cool wet towels to try and cool her outside down.  Now I am much more vigilant about making sure she stays cool (she hates being hosed down) and gets enough water to drink when it is hot and she is outside.

Third,  I clipped her nails and for the first time, cut the quick on a hind foot which refused to stop bleeding.  Flour can be used to help clot the blood.  Unfortunately it didn't really help in this case, so I had a dog paw covered in flour which was now the color of scarlet and being tracked all over the rug.  Two phone calls to Loomis emergency vet hospital, flour and red splotches all over the rug and a drive to have a tech at Loomis put some quick stop on the nail which was actually beginning to slow the bleeding characterized my evening.   While she was in no danger of bleeding to death, it definitely rattled me and my rug is a whole lot worse for the experience.

Fourth,  Nana is currently lame on her front foot.  I think it is in the ankle joint but not completely sure.  I do know it happened day before yesterday at the dog park while she was playing with two other dogs.  I watched her come up a three legged dog from the usual scrum, but still don't know how it actually occurred.  I think she must have stepped wrong, twisted wrong, something that would make her tender on the front right leg.  She is most lame when she has been sleeping and first tries to walk.  It gets better  as she walks it out unless she runs, twists, or plays to hard.  I think it just needs time to rest and heal if she strained it.  But I can't trust her to monitor her own activity so we are not at the dog park until I see some significant improvement.  Of course tell that to Nana - who just wants to run and play and doesn't understand why she can't visit all the usual suspects at the doggie park. 

I used to spend a lot of time at the pediatrician now I spend my spare time and money at the vet.  Not much different really.

QUIET!! Bad Dog Nana



Nana! Quiet!

 Sigh....I don't know why she was barking like an idiot today at the barn.  Normally, she is quiet and waits patiently in her exercise pen in Draco's stall until I am done riding.  Normally, if she barks it is because there is a dog she isn't familiar with who has arrived.  Normally, she is a good dog.  But not today.   Granted she and I were the only ones there and there wasn't the normal activity to keep her attention.  She was noisy enough for Leslie to come down from the house and request I do something.  Unfortunately, the only sure cure was to leave.  So, I took off Draco's saddle, put my stuff away and put Draco back in pasture.  Not that I think he minded the turn of events - he got groomed and fluffed without having to earn his keep.  At least someone was happy with the turn of events...well actually two critters were happy with the turn of events.  Nana was more than excited to be let out of the ex-pen, I was less excited as she leaped in the air, grabbed the leash, my shirt and tried to start a game of tug of war.  We had been to the doggie park before coming to the barn in an effort to get some of her energy spent - but apparently not enough.  I am really hoping this is not a new trend with her, since I currently have no choice but to take her with me when I go places if we get permanently banned from the barn my days of riding will be over.  So, Nana you need to be QUIET!!

Nana Goes to School

Nana turned 8 months this last week and I felt it was time she started school.  Like some pretentious parents, I wanted my darling to go to the right school, no public school for her, no..no..no.  Actually I didn't care if it was public or private, but I knew what I was looking for and so far hadn't found it.  It was suggested that I try a private facility in Granite Bay. The trainer had a good reputation, and now trained with an eye toward agility/rally competitions.  I couldn't just sign up,  I had to make an appointment for an evaluation.  Would Nana be right for this exclusive facility?  Did we have what it takes?  What did I think of the curriculum and would she like it there? 

In reality, yes it is a private training facility and I did like what I saw.  The dogs were having fun.  This was classical and behavioral training at its best.  Catch the dog doing something right and praise.  The dogs learn by playing.  No yank and crank.  No punishment.  Actually, this place is not a dog training facility - it's really a handler training facility where the dog benefits from handler improvement. So far it has what I wanted, a place where the dogs are happy, having fun, seem to really like what they are doing.  I'm not sure who will benefit more, me or Nana.  The instructor has her work cut out teaching me to be a better dog handler.  I don't praise enough, my timing is off, the art of play is not something I do well. But I am going to assume I can learn.

Nana and I must have made the cut, because I have a second appointment.  Now like any neurotic parent that wants their princess in the right school I will worry about managing the tuition costs - but she is worth it.

Nana goes to the Beauty Parlor

Nana went to the doggy beauty parlor today.  What should have taken a couple of hours morphed into almost 4 hours.  One of the consequences of the "donut of healing" was a large collection of mats everywhere the donut rubbed against her hair.

After several days of trying to de-mat the mess, I decided it was time to call in the experts.  Not only do they have a great little tool (beginners should not try this at home), but also extra bodies on hand to hold and distract the princess when she starts getting nippy.  So....several hours later, Nana was ready to come home.



Yes,  I really do have eyes

She ate, drank, and promptly went to sleep, getting beautiful is exhausting work.

5 More Days and Counting

Would it be a stretch to say we are going stir crazy in this purgatory called recovery?  Nana, who's recovery was rather problematic during the first 5 days has turned a corner and all that innate energy is trying to find somewhere to go.  Let's not forget how awful the weather has been.  I've even resorted to that time tested coping mechanism of driving around in the car on pseudo errands just to give us both something different to do.  I know Nana keeps hoping the metal machine will find its way to Hidden Falls where she can finally get out, find a few choice road apples and stretch her legs in a full on gambol.  Nope, she sits in the car while I buy more treats to stuff into a Kong that she can roll around the floor, keeping her occupied for short periods of time.

Bored dogs bark.  Given how impoverished her activity level is at the moment, she has decided to view anything that goes by the window as a threat that needs warning off.  This is not a good thing, she even barked at a video a friend posted on facebook.   Yep, boredom is not a good thing. 

The good news is I was able to take off the donut of healing for a little while this morning.  She is leaving her incision alone for the moment.  I still don't trust her, but as long as she leaves it alone I will leave the donut off.  Like a sheep, Nana is felting up where the rubber donut has rubbed against the underside of her chin and on her shoulders. Did I mention that it is the second donut I had to buy.  She managed to bite a whole in the first one. 

Like I said, 5 days and counting.

In Recovery

The donut of healing

Nana was spayed last Wednesday.  Recovery has been slow and we have made two trips to the vet for rechecks.  She will be fine but she does not take to personal pain in a stoic fashion, she doesn't do pain at all.  She is on two pain medications, but she doesn't want to get up and move if she can possibly help it.  She should walk a little to help circulation and the healing process, on the other hand, she should not be running, jumping, climbing stairs or leaping into the car, not that she actually has ever done this last feat.  She is pretty clumsy and manages to place her two front paws on the back seat then waits until I hoist her hinney the rest of the way. 

She is also pretty good at training me.  Currently, she thinks she has me believing that she can't make it to her water or food bowl and that I have to bring it to her or she will perish.  She doesn't know I heard her in the middle of the night get up and drink water.  She also walked quite well at the vets without the spinning and laying down indicative of a pain response.   I know she is capable, but we are both pretending that she needs to be waited on during this "perilous" time of recovery.  For a dog that has been accustomed to long, long hikes everyday - this is purgatory. 

So we have 10 - 14 days of house arrest, short walks for potty breaks and other than that a calm and restful rehab.  So you will excuse me while I bring her some toys since she can't manage to get up and reach the toy basket at the moment.

Play Dates and Naps

My youngest asked me the other day if having Nana reminded me of when she and her sister were little. Boy does it ever.  My days are spent supervising the activities of the very young.  Mornings are spent making sure Nana gets the right nutrition, has plenty of fresh air and exercise, continues to learn her social manners.  She has a good lunch and then settles down for an hour or hour and a half nap.  While she naps I have an opportunity to get a few things done.  Instead of a play pen I have a crate that I use when I need to take a shower.  At least I know she isn't getting into trouble and eating the backs off my books.  My social activities have been ratcheted down.  There are some places you just can't take the very young.  I'm still looking for a reliable "baby sitter" and

I am making play dates with other nice "doggies" so she can learn to play nice with others. 

So yep.....having Nana is a blast to the past and very much reminds me of when the girls were very young.  Of course there are differences, next week Nana is going to get "tutored" so I won't have to worry about any unplanned pregnancies - now that is something you definitely can't do with your teenage girl type children - though I'm sure some parents wish it were an option.

Life as Usual

Briard with a touch of snow

There is nothing like snow to give a scruffy dog an impromptue cleaning. We have had some cold and snowy weather lately.  My daughter moved into a new place and promptly had the power go out for 4-5 days.  We even had snow at the 1000 ft level which is unusual.

My days are often spent trying to keep a very busy puppy occupied and getting enough exercise so that my books and furniture survive.  Nana and I spent 2.5 hours yesterday with a friend and his border collie in the snow.  That only took care of the morning requirement for exercise. I will confess that she does settle for the night around 5:30pm and I am able to get some things done.

Nana will be spayed week after next and after recovery I am going to start looking for a herding trainer.  Nana needs a job with leadership potential.  There is not a submissive bone in her body.  She isn't aggressive but I was reminded about the current genre in horse training.  Riders don't want to dominate their horses, they want to provide leadership.  She allows me the leadership role, until she decides enough is enough.  I am noticing behavior trends.  When she is tired and had enough of hiking she will move toward the trail leading to the parking lot and stare at me.  If I don't agree she will come back, but is likely to jump at me and then nip my calf if I move away from her preferred direction.  I see my job as retaining her intelligence and confidence without losing my executive right to make the final decision. At 6.5 months she is a teenager who thinks she knows better.

For all her cute stuffed toy appearance - this is one tough dog.   

Doggie Orthodontia and Carpet Cleaning

In the ongoing saga of Doggie Orthodontia, Nana had her gums sort of "shaved" back in an effort to create a passage for the stubborn lower canines that are coming in too straight and not flaring outward enough.  This involved her being put under anesthesia last Friday.  This made for a very calm and groggy Briard.  I, in my infinite wisdom, thought this mental state would be a perfect opportunity to take her to Meadowfarm Yarn Studio. It was a great idea right up to the point that her bowels decided to have a post op anesthesia fiesta all over the carpet at the Yarn Studio.  I have to wonder where my brain was that day.  I know that she reacts this way, I was just so lost in the - look what a calm puppy euphoria, I forgot about the rest.  Needless to say this did not endear either one of us to my favorite Yarn Shop.  So, I am on the floor trying to scrub the seven to eight "oopses" off the floor of the shop, before driving home and spending the rest of the day taking Nana outside every ten minutes. 

Of course I offered to pay to have the carpets cleaned which Ellen has taken me up on, or more accurately I am paying for half of the cost of the carpet cleaning since Ellen was getting about ready to do that anyway, I just hurried the process.  But more importantly I think I also precipitated the "no pet" policy that is going into place at Meadowfarm.  Sigh.....it was not my intention and Nana isn't the only dog that has "oopsied" there.  I know of another that has graced the carpet.  In addition someone's dog picked out a lovely cashmere ball of yarn for their owner to purchase.  Nana has been guilty of helping me pick a skein of yarn.

Personally, I wouldn't ban dogs - instead I would do a once a year "Dogs Run Amok" sale.  Something that would benefit the local "No Kill" animal shelter with a 10% of purchase donation.  It would work something like this.  Dogs get to pick your yarns off the shelf, which they would be more than happy to do.  Ellen would sell half her stock and there would be some mechanism in place for the owners not to murder their pets at the end of the free for all.  I think it would beat the heck out of the boring "year end sale", "going out of business sale", or "fire sale".

In the mean time I will keep Nana in the car when I visit.  However, in a couple of months I won't be able to visit the shop - summer is brutal here and I will have to fulfill my fiber addiction elsewhere until late in the year when temperatures abate.  Meadowfarm won't notice any big decline in sales, I'm not there biggest customer by a long shot - but hey at least I know their carpets will be clean for those customers who are.

Glorious Hissy Toys



Doggy Yoga

 There are squeaky toys and then there are glorious Hissy Toys.  Hissy toys are self animating objects that live on beds, under beds, on the backs of chairs and in closets.  Every once in a while you can catch one in the hall way and then it is really fun.  If you find a Hissy toy on the bed and you poke your nose at it, it begins that wonderful hissing sound.  If you poke your nose at it more than once you can make the hissing sound undulate.  The hissy toy doesn't actually move or do anything it just sounds like a tea kettle about to implode. 

Resident Hissy Toy

The particular hissy toy that lives around here is black with gold eyes.  It isn't afraid of Nana and will be happy to walk right by her crate knowing full well that the evil dog is safely contained.  She will lay on the bed ignoring the dog unless provoked in which case, she still won't move - but will begin to emit that glorious hissing sound that is just hard to resist if you are only 6 months old and think the world is your playground. 

No doubt about it Hissy toys are sooooo much more interesting then squeaky toys.

The Briard

Nana at five and a half months of age

The Briard is commonly described as a "heart wrapped in fur".  This is apparently a quote from an actress that owned one.  I agree, they are an extremely intellegent old working breed that is naturally protective and very affectionate. 

The AKC Standard states that the Briard is " a dog of heart, with spirit and initiative, wise and fearless with no trace of timidity. Intelligent, easily trained, faithful, gentle, and obedient, the Briard possesses an excellent memory and an ardent desire to please his master. He retains a high degree of his ancestral instinct to guard home and master. Although he is reserved with strangers, he is loving and loyal to those he knows. Some will display a certain independence." 

It should also be added that they have a huge enthusiasm about life.  They are not a hyper dog - just very, very busy.  They are also velcro dogs, wanting to be near those they care for.  They are also a touchy-feely kind of dog and I don't mean "oh let me lay my head on your lap and gaze with adoration at you".  They are touchy-feely the way a defensive line backer is.  Go to the bathroom and shut the door for three minutes and you will be greeted with a full body tackle of affection when you come out.  "OMG...there you are!".  At three months Nana had mastered: sit, down, go potty, and shake, but is completely oblivious to the command "Off" meaning stop launching yourself at me as a sign of affection.  Because we walk in a large regional park and it is winter with all the muddy red dirt of the Sierra Nevada's I generally look like a homeless person with the dirt I have acquired from our walks and all the full body signs of affection that are directed my way by Nana.  I have a vague memory of what good clothes look like and have great hopes of wearing them again in the future.

They are also a breed that requires a lot of socialization to dampen the guarding instinct.  I apparently have done a good job since she has yet to meet anyone she doesn't think is just wonderful and a "fuss over me fest" about to happen.  I have decided to postpone formal obedience classes for a while.  I think she needs to just be a dog and grow up.  Oh, she is getting some schooling.  She is being socialized, overcoming her fear of cows, has good recall when off leash, long distance traveling and how to behave when in a store, plus which things she can play with in the house and which she should not touch. 

The Briard is a wonderful dog, but I can see why they might not be for everyone.  I love mine and would not trade her for the world, even if people stop me and direct me to the nearest homeless shelter based on how I look after a day hiking with the tawny tornado. 

Doggie Orthodontia part 3

Nana at approximately 8 weeks

Last Friday we went to the Doggie Orthodontist for a recheck.  Two weeks of constant supervision, being a human chew toy and lots of walking at Hidden Falls Regional Park had paid off.  She had managed to break the side covering of the retainer, exposing the wires, but all in all it was good.  The exposed wires required the appliance be removed.  Personally I think had it still been intact, he would have told us one more week and I would be a crazy person (okay, crazier than I already am).  I say this because one side is good the other is a little questionable.  However, the new therapy involves the smallest Kong stuffed with peanut butter and chew, chew, chew! Nana gives two paws up to this therapy.  The more she chews the more the teeth will be encouraged to move outward.

Want a stick?  Go for it!
Bite that rubber frisbee! 
Liquid Amber seed pods are a favorite chew delight.

She has certainly gotten easier to live with and it has opened the way to more places I can go and not worry about what she might grab.  So life has gotten a whole lot easier.  And of course the pet insurance has declined to pay.  Hmmm.....and I am paying them why?????

Doggie Orthodontia part 2

Well it is Tuesday and the retainer is (as of this moment) still in her mouth. I have become her favorite chew toy in the process.  I am doing the best I can to keep her tired.  We walk and we walk and we walk on leash.  But I choose where we walk - no sticks, nothing that she might decide to bite. This entails doing laps around the local regional park which has a large population of geese.  Most of our walk is an attempt to make some kind of forward progression while not jumping on me, making wild grabs at my vest, or eating goose poop. I was shocked at how large a goose poop can be,  it is the size of a small dinner plate.  I, in desperation, bought a muzzle so that I can let her run on the back pasture at the barn. Put the muzzle on, let her run, take it off and hopefully have a tired puppy.  Yes, I am very conflicted at having bought a muzzle for a very sweet puppy.  Besides, it pushes all her hair up and I'm not sure she can see anything.  She is so desperate to chew on something that she has taken to whirling like a dervish in pursuit of her tail.  She hasn't mastered the art of not getting dizzy yet and falls over - but is up again to chase it in the other direction.  Briards are comical dogs and need things to do, she is a very busy girl and I am working hard to find things for her that don't entail biting me or anything else.  This is a very short term problem and I will know if this retainer is working on Friday - hopefully we will both survive until then.  Oh, and just as a side note most of my friends are laughing at me for having a dog with a retainer.

Doggie Orthodontia

Two weeks ago my dog went to the dentist and came home with a retainer in her mouth that she will have to wear, if she doesn't break it first, for the next couple of weeks.  If you have stopped laughing I will explain why she had to have a splint (retainer).  It wasn't for cosmetic reasons, it was strictly medical.  Her lower canines were coming in straight up and into the roof of her mouth.  She has a narrow lower jaw with a slight underbite.  Her adult canines came in on the inside of her baby canines.  For about a week she had double canines. Hmmm....this didn't look good, so I grabbed a friend, who conveniently is a vet, to look at her mouth.  Which is why I found myself with an immediate appointment with a doggie orthodontist.  And in the immortal words of that vet as we sat on the floor of the exam room with the patient "Your screwed, those canines are going to grow into the roof of her mouth causing holes which become vectors for infection and then we will have to file her adult canines down and risk of infection is........"  Damn.

So.....there is a narrow window of opportunity to intervene as the adult canines are coming in to get them to shift outward and not drill holes into the roof of my dogs mouth.  As my youngest daughter said this morning: "How do you end up with all these high maintenance pets?!?!"  She was laughing....as I tried to protest that I don't go out looking for them, how was I suppose to know that the rescue cat I adopted had thyroid disease and needed a compounded medicine from a little boutique pharmacy.  Once they are mine, they are mine and it is what it is.

But in the meantime it is awful.  No toys for Nana, nothing to chew on, her food has to be soaked to mush and I can give her Benadryl to try and calm her.  She is a very busy girl and I am trying to come up with alternatives during this next week that will keep her interest and her mouth empty.  Not easy when you are only 5 months old and you think everything belongs in the mouth.  I've explained it to her, but I just don't think she gets it.

The Tawny Tornado

My Life has been hijacked by a tawny tornado. I do know that for the last 3 months I have been deep into puppy madness. I am owned now by a Briard, commonly described as “a heart wrapped in fur”. They fail to mention the teeth. At four and half months she can sit, down, shake, come, stand, and bite with enthusiasm. Vampire dog! For awhile I was thinking about getting stock in bandaid companies.


I have been fortunate to be able take her out the barn and walk a lower pasture. Three laps is about three miles. Nana does about four to five miles with all the running and zooming back and forth. That’s good for the morning, but doesn’t cover the afternoon exercise requirement. But we are working on it.

So now is the time for resolutions as we move back into the light and out of winter darkness. This will be the first year that I will be completely through with the messiness of divorce, court dates, and the expenses and paper work that comes with it all. Nana, the biting machine, was part of my commitment to building the life I wanted. So I am going to risk more, spend less, try to be a better friend, blog more (lucky you), and craft a life filled with laughter, love and simplicity. At least that is the plan, oh yes….and try and teach the tawny tornado that “bite me” is only an expression.