The Save Phineas Facebook Page or People are Stupid Part II

Briard Puppies from Mon Amie Briards

It is a wonder to me that people aren't bitten more often by dogs.   The Huffinton Post ran an article about how not to get bitten.  It centered upon a news anchor that loved dogs, but was a special kind of stupid around them.  The dog was clearly showing signs of anxiety which she did not read or understand.  She was more caught up in her own " I just love animals" and swooped in for a kiss and got nailed (bitten).  It is unfortunate that the dog  happened to be a pit bull type.  But it wasn't his breed, it was the behavior of the human that triggered this.  The three breeds most likely to bite are the Dachshund, the Chihuahua and the Jack Russell terrier.  Cocker Spaniels are also at the top of the list. 

Reality Check Folks:  Sticking your face into a dogs face is considered aggressive particularly if you are staring in their eyes.  How many ways can I say:  Don't Do It.

Having people stick their faces in your dog's face happens a lot.  I had Nana at a small town that is also a state park.  Nana is cute and attracts attention.  A young girl asked to pet her.  I said yes, and put Nana in a sit position.  My idea of "Can I pet your dog" was clearly different from hers.  She immediately swooped in, stuck her face in Nana's and started loving on her.  All I could think of is "Oh !@#$" .

 Being who I am I couldn't help but say:

"It's really not a good idea to put your face in a dogs face, it is a good way to get bitten".
"Oh, I never get bitten"  she said.
"You get bitten all the time" her Mother said.

Nana was a good girl and did nothing.  Maybe the girl learned something, maybe she didn't.  I did, no one gets to pet my dog; because Nana and I will be the one that will pay the price for someone's stupidity. 

Some dogs are vicious, broken or mentally unstable and that wasn't a breed statement.    I am not one of those who thinks there are no bad dogs only bad owners.  I do think there are lots of bad owners and stupid owners and owners that should never be allowed to have dogs and they have great dogs; and some bad dogs can have really good owners.   Some dogs should be put on the extermination list, but not without a fair trial and an opportunity to have the case reviewed by knowledgeable dog behaviorists not local county officials.  Blanket zero tolerance laws are bad laws.  Unless you plan to start putting children who bite on death row we need to stop putting dogs there unless they really have earned it.

The Save Phineas Facebook Page or People Are Stupid Part 1

I came across a page on facebook the other day and it put my panties in a twist.  I love dogs, but I could do without 90% of most people.  According to the Phineas Facebook Page   a yellow lab, named Phineas mouthed a child that had fallen on one of the children he lives with. No skin was broken, but the dog was confiscated the next day by officials, impounded and a movement has begun to get this dog off death row. Now I am not sure where the truth lies here, but I expect the dog intervened to protect his child. He very well might have grabbed the arm of the child to pull him off his the other child. Obviously if no skin was broken this was not a wanton attack. I'm not saying it didn't scare the child, but if a yellow lab was trying to do harm it certainly could have.  Dogs use their mouths to communicate and some dogs are "mouthier" than others. They have been bred to different functions (the original GMO experiment).

There has been a huge movement for zero tolerance for dogs that mouth, nip, or scratch  a human being.  In some counties, they are immediately confiscated and owners are given the option to re-home the dog, have it destroyed or move to some other county.  Some counties don't bother with options and just put the dog on the extermination list.  On the other hand there is a huge tolerance for humans that harm dogs.  Dogs may be kicked, hit, tied to chains and left in the cold or heat without shelter, water.  They can be confined to small cages for hours or days.  We even allow all kinds of medical experimentation on them so we can then euthanize them, cut them open and see how it all turned out.

Cattle dogs

A Heeler is a cattle dog, and they don't move cattle by sitting on the sidelines and politely pointing a paw in the direction they want the cattle to move.  They dive in there and nip at the cattle's heels, moving a herd by use of their mouth.  They are a member of the herding group and this group tends to be more protective and mouthy then some of the other breeds in my opinion.  We bred them that way.  We needed a dog that would move livestock and protect them from predators.  They aren't vicious, but they sure do communicate with their mouths.  If it's moving they have a tendency to want to herd it and they nip to get the job done. 

Does this make them vicious?  No.  A rancher does not want a dog that mauls or savages his livestock.  There is a big difference between a dog that nips to communicate and a dog that bites with intention to harm.  Unfortunately, too many humans can't tell the difference and dogs pay the penalty.  Owning a herding breed  offers some unique training demands.  To herd is instinctive, teaching them what to herd is a training objective.  Yes, to cattle.  No, to running children.

The Briard is a dog bred to herd and protect, it is in their DNA.  I was at my friend's house who does dog sitting for me and others in her home.  She generally has no more than 5 dogs at any one time.  We were sitting on the deck while the current group of 5 dogs were milling around.  A young Australian shepherd

Australian Shepherd

was down below us in the yard trying to engage a 1 year old, very small, rescue terrier with little experience of other dogs  This sweet little dog had spent the first 6 months of his life in a shelter.  He is somewhat timid; well, okay.....actually he screams like a girl if he feels threatened.  The Aussie was doing the play bow and tring to engage the small dog in they game of: now I'm going to chase you, then you chase me.  She hadn't even touched the little dog and was a good 10 feet from him,  but this poor little terrier was overwhelmed by this leaping, bowing Aussie and started to scream and leapt backwards to escape.   The Aussie was thinking GREAT!  It's play time!   At the first scream, my big, goofy Briard leapt off the deck and jumped between both dogs, gave the Aussie the "look" which immediately sent the Aussie up on the deck to sit. Then Nana looked around to see where the little black dog had gone, coursing until she located him under my friend's chair.  As soon as Nana determined all was well she settled down on the deck to watch over her domain until she was needed again.   This was no gang up on the little dog behavior.  Nana was intervening to protect a member of her flock.   Nana is a dominate female and the self appointed guardian of her flock whether it is a flock of dogs or people. 

More in part 2 of how stupid people are around dogs.

Life Goes On

 

Nana and her favorite toy

 

Nana and I are learning to travel light, though she does a better job than I do. Her needs are simple, food, someone to throw her toy and then play tug a war with her, a hissy toy or two (the second favorite toy) and someone to watch over.  I could do without the hissy toys however.

 

Me on the other hand am having a tougher time of it.  I have definitely learned one does not need a lot of things.  It is amazing how few clothes one actually needs.  Caring for my father has taught me a few things - like what I really need to make me happy.

 

I learned I don't need cats.

They bring gophers in the house and then devour them on the floor only to puke it back up later.

They leave bits and pieces of intestine of mice, gophers, moles, etc out the back door which become covered in ants.

They can't manage to hit the cat box, or maybe they can and just want to make me nuts. They decide that 5am is a wonderful time to get up and smack you upside the head to make sure you get up.

Cat boxes reek, and yes I clean them regularly. 

 They vomit hair balls just because they can. 

 

I need my Staub cast iron pots.

 

I have discovered you can cook, bake, grill and boil in these things.  I have never cooked with better.  Pricey yes, but worth every penny.  Buy them if you can, they truly are a joy.  You can also buy whimsical knobs: pig, rooster, snail and I am currently on the hunt for the rabbit.  Yes, caregiving can make you crazy. 

 

I need to garden.

I need to work with fiber, whether that is to knit, spin, or weave

I need books to read

I need dreams and friends.

 

And most of all I need Nana; funny, silly, loyal and such a clumsy dufus.

 

Grooming The Briard

The Briard is a long haired dog. I am often asked if the shed. My response is always the same: They don't shed- they mat. It's not that she doesn't shed hair, but she tends to hold the hair in the coat and this soft undercoat mats.  I am always shocked how much hair I manage to get out after a grooming session.  It has taken two and a half years later, and minus the puppy coat to finally have a handle on the grooming thing - well sort off.  Their coat is definitely high maintenance and requires daily grooming.  I generally groom until I get a double handful of hair out and call it quits for the day.  I also decide which section I want to focus on, legs, face or body.  I have also found certain tools are a must:

The rake
Mars (or Orvis) Coat King Mat strippers in medium course (2)

       One extra wide
        One narrower
Wire curry

Do not buy a Furminator for a Briard.  It just rips the hair out.  It works well on short haired dogs but not on the long haired breeds - I don't care what the label says.

I also take Nana to a Master dog groomer about every 4-5 weeks.  Briards have black toenails which makes it very hard to see where the quick is.  They also have double dew claws in back, a breed requirement.  She gets a good shampoo and blowout, something I am not prepared or equipped to do at home.   I stay for the entire grooming, including helping with the comb out and have learned a lot which has made my life easier between visits.  In the beginning, when I was trying to find a groomer I didn't stay with Nan and one groomer shaved her face making her look like a weird afghan hound. There were also a number of other unpleasant discoveries.  I have come to the conclusion that I would never drop and pick up my dog from any grooming salon.  If they won't let you stay - find someone else.

And if all else fails - you can body clip the entire dog.  Been there, done that too.

I'm dreading summer and all the burrs that come with it.

The Loyal Dog

The Briard has been bred for centuries to herd and to protect their flocks. To domesticated briards, their family is the flock.  (Wikipedia).   These dogs were often left to their own devices to protect the flock and developed a certain independent streak and the ability to make decisions on their own.  They deeply bond with their owners, but remember they view the family as the flock they are to protect and direct.  This can lead to some interesting behaviors and negotiations.

It is one thing to read something it is another to see it in action.  Nana and I spend most of our time living in Sonora caring for my father.  Nana clearly sees my father as a more vulnerable member of the flock. One  she has to keep closer tabs on.   She has developed a morning routine guided by her internal clock.  She will decide that I have slept enough and pounce or stick her nose in my face.  If this is not enough to convince me to get up she has been known to grab the covers and pull them off the bed.  Once I am out of bed and moving she will then go to my father's room and lay down with her head on her paws outside his closed door until he gets up.  It doesn't matter how long or what cat walks by - she is there until he rises.  I always know my father is up because I can hear Nana clattering down the stairs, a vanguard to my father's arrival in the kitchen.

 She is happiest when we are all in the same room, but will settle for being able to lie where she can see us both.  Dad spends a lot of time in the library of the house dozing on his couch.  This is an acceptable place for Dad to be and Nana will wander in and out, beg me to play tug-of-war, escort me on my daily activities, try to play with or herd the cats.  But she always keeps track of Dad.  Dad has reached an age where he is often cold. We have had a few warm days and Dad has taken advantage of the warmth of the sun to sit and soak up some warmth.  Nana is wild if Dad goes out without her.  It doesn't matter if she can see him through the window her job is to be there next to him while he sleeps in the sun so he is kept safe from harm.  While wolves may be a thing of the past in Sonora, her DNA tells her otherwise and she is taking no chances with the most vulnerable member of her flock.

Nana is Alive and Well

What with everything that has been going on in my life, this blog has truly taken a back seat to everything else.  While I am struggling with taking care of my father, I can tell you that Nana is having the time of her life.  She has 3 cats and my father to keep track of and to a herding dog - this is GREAT!!


I adore Nana and so I thought I would post picture of a happy dog in the snow at my father's house.    It was the first time that Nana had actually experienced snow falling.  I caught it on video.

http://youtu.be/9at3JW33CjM

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.