Assault with hot acid

So, of my 2 kids, the majority of the .... quirks belong to Piper. She had the rougher start to life, and is therefore saddled with more of the emotional and developmental baggage. Poor nutter.

There is one thing though, that belongs entirely to Odie.
Water

He is TERRIFIED of water. In all forms, at all times, for all reasons.

I use the same joke all the time, He seems to think it's hot hot acid that will burn and kill him slowly. Every time he hears water coming from whatever source he takes off like his ass is on fire, to hide deep in the depths of whatever blanket he can find. If I am holding him and dare to walk towards a water source (sink, shower, hose) he will start to breathe differently, his body goes stiff and he tries to climb up and over me to get away from it- even when the water is OFF.

He is totally mental.

The most entertaining, and frustrating, moment of dealing with this is when it's raining out and its time for a walk. Now, my little criminal is always game for a walk- he'll even hang in on a long hike that his little legs are struggling to keep up with. So we'll get him all geared up and open the door, only to see his face change completely from "YAY! WALK!" to "OH DEAR GOD WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" He has been known to try to back out of his collar in an effort to not be scalded by the acid falling from the sky in the worlds attempt to kill him specifically.

'Cause you know, that happens.

I can't help but laugh every time. I know I shouldn't cause it's open mockery of his terror, but I can't help it. The same thing he runs to drink at the end of every day could also kill him if it touches him on the outside? It just defies logic. His face when he's that scared is just so damn cute too. It's hilarious.

When it's raining out, and we're going for a walk, I notice all the more the individual nature of each of my creatures.
Odie, convinced he's going to die, does his best to run between raindrops or rush to every protected spot on the path.
Piper reminds me of the kids who run out in galoshes specifically to jump in puddles. She loves it and/or doesn't even notice it.

Every now and again, she will pick up on Odie's panic and balk at going out, but if we do everything fast enough for her to not notice, she's game for getting wet and smelling new smells and getting wet again. It's so enthusiastic and adorable, it's hard not to laugh just as much at her as I am at Odie's sheer terror.

On regular days, it's just good to know if I ever want a moments peace I just turn on the water. Brushing my teeth sends him running. Washing my hands practically has him on the ceiling. The Hubs changing the water in the fish tank nearly has him at the emergency vet's office.

Good thing for him his master, The Hubs, has an irregular amount of sympathy for him and consoles him constantly. Also good for him the power of a blanket over the head really does work to block out the evil acid. Between those 2 things, he's protected, and we're very careful not to mess with that. The game isn't fun if there's no safe zone, after all.

Forever!

Oh my god it's been forever since I updated here. I'm sure my mother is terribly disappointed in me- HI Mom! Sorry!

My criminals have been growing up and finding more and more time to behave themselves worked into our days. It might not be as ample for writing, but it sure is nice to live with. We have started a refresher training course for Piper, so I'm sure there will be more material from that Soon.

I do have one thing to write about- So i'll do that right now, but I wanted to take a second to recognize the time lapse, and let you know I'm thinking about it, and working on it

Sorry mom!

International Law

I just took my first, real, grown up trip to Europe.

We went to Italy for a week, hitting Rome and Naples/ Pompeii (which is spelled Pompei in Italy, BTW- and yet Spell check keeps saying NO YOU'RE WRONG).

Of course, because The Hubs and I are both unapologetic dog people, we spent much of the trip pointing out local dogs to each other.

Yes, it went as you imagine. We're standing next to ruins of buildings that were built in like 4000 BC and going "babe- chihuahua in a jacket!" "Aw, So cute!"

Because that is how we vacation.

yeah, I know.

Anyway, it was interesting to see how italians treat their dogs differently. It was different even between the 2 cities. Being a foreigner I was able to seperate myself and take note of it all, and try to take away something as well.

The only time we saw dogs in jackets, was in Rome. There are dogs who live and are cared for in Pompeii's ruins- they have been there for generations and continue to be part of the local lore. Naples was a more gritty relationship to dogs, no jackets, but still a part of the fabric of the city.

Overall the breeds we saw most commonly were Jack russell/ Fox terriers and german Shephards. I was SHOCKED as they are both demanding breeds who require a good bit of exercise to be happy, and we were in areas that are most definitely CITY. There were also some chihuahuas and mutts and retriever mixes.

I wondered how these folks do it, cause there's not a lot of green space available, and the apartments have to be pretty tiny. Then I realized something- these people take their dogs EVERYWHERE with them. I saw dogs enter grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants. One night as we ate dinner outside, we looked into the interior of the restaurant to see a bichon sitting at a table, waiting for her mother to finish dinner. Like, sitting up on the chair, face table height (when she wasn't lying down) off leash like a person waiting. NO one flinched. No one even minded when said dog got down and walked around the restaurant. They just stepped over her, or shooed her out of the way, and she moved, and it was no big deal.

If that happened in the US, the place would be closed down for health violations and the owner would never open a food establishment again.

Now, this dog never used the place as a toilet, she never licked anything, she never blocked a doorway or tripped anyone. She knew her place and was never demanding attention from anyone. She was just living in the space with her mom, each doing their own thing.

I never saw people bending down to pet other peoples dogs, but I did see folks respecting the space a dog was in. It was almost as if the dogs were as much a part of society as the people around them. You don't stare at passerby, you just know they are there, and take note of them soas to not walk into them. The leashes were always long enough for the dog to walk comfortably, but not so long as to be very far away from the human on the other end. They never had more then a foot or 2 of leeway.

The only bouncy jumpy dog I saw on leash was a puppy. Like 4 months old most likely puppy. They can't help being bouncy, it's part of puppy-ness. Everyone else would just walk politely and stop and start according to the person they were with. They were treated as DOGS, and they reacted in kind.

We even walked the Dog park in Rome ('cause I am such a nerd I wanted to see a roman dog park.... Yes, I know.) and saw them all running around and playing. There were no real fights, and only one dog acted a fool that we saw, and ironically he was owned by an American expat. They all came when called.... within the first few calls anyway. They all played well and never left the vague boundaries of the park.

In Naples, there were more homeless folks with their dogs, and a more urban attitude overall. A couple of strays walking around and such. Again, the dogs were just there, a part of life that everyone saw and acknowledged, but didn't fuss over. Again the dogs were calm, well behaved and pretty healthy.

What I took away from it (and hopefully its not too late to apply this to my kids) is that if you state the expectation, set them up to achieve it and then just let them be dogs- chances are you will end up with a well balanced animal in your life. Take them out into the world, let them be part of the every day life, don't fuss, don't bother, just have them there.

Here is the US we tend to make sure a deal about our BABIES and their needs.... which we've put onto them the majority of the time. They mainly need food, play, affection, warmth, room to roam and guidelines for behavior. Once they have that, everything else is what we decide for them. No dog NEEDS to eat organic steak and carrots every night... trust me, wait long enough with the kibble out, and eventually they'll eat it. We've fussed over them so much that we've lost sight of the dogness of it all.

So, the italian lifestyle taught me things, not only about myself, but about dogs. La Dolca Vita is really just being a part of your loved ones world, but still retaining what makes you unique- be you dog or human. When you have that, everything else falls into place.

Also, the food was amazing.

Which has nothing to do with dogs but is totally true.

A Smell by Any Other Name

It's been a while since I've updated here. I have no excuses beyond being uncertain of anyone reading this AND just life in general.

Recently, one of our in home criminals added a new crime to her list. It was an Assault on the senses caused by her own misdeeds.

Basically, Piper's habit of getting into and eating really inappropriate things (the latest additions to this are a sharpie, a highlighter and sticks!) have caused her system to get junked up, and her anal glands have reacted in due course.

A couple of months ago, we noticed she was getting extra stinky in a way we hadn't experienced before. After a few days, it had gotten so bad I was convinced there was something wrong and we headed into the vet's office. It turned out her anal glands had become impacted.

I had the joy and pleasure of being in the room when they drained her glands out. If you have never had the pleasure of smelling that, let me tell you- DON'T DO IT! It is a smell that you retain for hours. It haunts you for a couple of days on and off. It goes way beyond a normal gland drain that the groomer might do that has a slight aroma to it. This is WAY bigger and MUCH grosser.

Just as a Tidbit of info- the groomer can work with the glands from the outside- the Dr gets all up in there and drains the hell out of it. Even the Doctor agreed with me when I said to her "this must be one the least enjoyable parts of the job".

By the time the glands have gotten full enough and infected enough to become impacted, things have taken a really gnarly turn for the animal. Our poor girl had been worrying at her glands for days, and we hadn't noticed how bad it had gotten until the smell started to invade the entire house. Fortunately, we got her in before it ruptured, and got her on her antibiotics. She LOVES taking pills because there's peanut butter involved, and bless her heart she doesn't look past that to find the pill inside.

We got her through her treatment cycle, get her better, and changed her diet slightly to up her fiber levels, hoping that would help her system stay in the reset position. We were doing really well for a while. She hadn't gotten into anything and eaten bathroom items, or office supplies. It all added up to a healthy girl for a few months.

Then she ate a marker. Then we ran out of her diet supplement (canned pumpkin!). Then time to eat a highlighter. Then the smell started to come back.... So, yet again I had to drag her into the vet's office to get her glands drained. Fortunately this time we caught it just when the glands were just full, not impacted.

It's so frustrating, because if she just didn't do the one thing, she wouldn't have to deal with the other. I mean, come ON- a highlighter can't possibly taste that good. It just can't.

The price we have to pay is a truly stinky dog. When her glands start to become an issue, the smell is something that can't be denied or ignored. her crimes send us all to a level of punishment. Granted our punishment is much easier then hers, no one is stinking their fingers anywhere on us- it's just a smell.

Now, if we could just convince Piper that eating writing implements or anything in the 'lotion' category is a bad idea, regardless of how yummy it may smell, we'll be much happier overall.

SHELTER UPDATE- a true lady

Shelter stories

Working at the shelter as a volunteer has afforded me the opportunity to meet some truly fantastic dogs. Some of them come with baggage that means they stay at the shelter for longer then they deserve. It's a sad truth that less then ideal circumstances become a temporary home for these critters, but we do all we can to make them content while they're with us.

One of our current long term residents is a GORGEOUS blue pit bull lady named Garbo.

Garbo is young- about a year old- and a total goofball. She loves to play and be snuggled. She's very smart, and is truly a prefect example of all the positives of her breed. She's built for speed, but would rather sit on your foot. We've been working on her training and she has a solid Sit, and her Stay is getting rather good as well.

The only Crime this lovely lady has committed was being born a breed that gets a bad rap. Yes, there are bad and vicious pit bulls- some because they were abused violently once they arrived on the planet, some are just born that way. The fact is the same can be said of ANY breed of dog. Or Human, for that matter. The only thing different about this breed is the tendency humans have to abuse them into becoming violent, and their ability to do damage based on their size and physicality.

They are also loyal, gentle, and very smart. They will happily grow fat and old and be doted upon. They will make sure your house and family are protected while allowing your kids to yank, pull and play all over them without a flinch. The key to all of it is picking the right dog for the right family, regardless of size, shape or breed.

On the day I spent a long chunk of alone time with Garbo, we went into the play yard to get some exercise. She was so eager to go, she practically pulled me there like a sled dog (they don't get out every day, so every chance they have becomes a moment of GREAT ENTHUSIASM, which can be...... humorous). We spent some time just running in circles and sniffing every spot any dog had touched earlier that day.

Then it was Toy time.

The best time EVER.

Garbo very carefully selected her first toy out of the toy basket we keep in the yard. She played with it for a few minutes, I threw it around for her a bit, and a grand old time was had.

Then that got old.

So, she went and got another toy- more playing, more throwing, more running around.

And another.

And another.

By the time she had 4 toys out, I started trying to pick up the discarded ones, putting them on the bench, on their way back to the bucket.

This was totally uncool.

Garbo was very offended by my efforts to take away her carefully selected options. She wasn't truly content until she had about 7 toys actively being enjoyed. We played for almost a half hour, with toys being interchanged in the game as if they were all part of one bigger game.

I was able to reach into the mouth of this big scary 'dangerous' dog and yank toys out with no trouble at all. The only negative result was my being covered in a LOT of dog slobber. Not my favorite part of the job, but you get used to it.

Her ability to identify individual toys, and know that I had moved them, even while she was off doing something else really impressed me. She showed an intellect beyond what most young children have. Even while she was playing, when I asked her to sit for a toy, her butt hit the ground promptly. She had figured out very quickly that when I asked her to sit, she got to chase a toy, and was totally in for it.

Obviously, I have fallen a little bit in love with this dog. I find her to be absolutely gorgeous on every level. Her eyes are filled with intellect and a sad sweetness- she wants to bond with a family so very much. When she has her faced rubbed, she relaxes and I immediately conjure up an image of her sleeping by someone's feet, snoring and happy. She has committed no crime, and she deserves to be broken out of this shelter SOON. She will be an excellent hiking buddy, and friend. She represents a lot of other dogs I've encountered as well. Really lovely creatures who need space to run and people to understand their quirks and challenges.

This face deserves to be looked upon with love every day. She is a dear creature and I have such a strong desire to see good things for her. I want good things for all our... I'm gonna call them tenants.... but some in particular find a way into your heart and become special projects. Garbo has become that for me, as well as many other people who work at the shelter. We all adore her.

The true crime here is that not enough people outside of our staff have realized how great she is....

(see what I did there, I turned the "crime" thing on its head... Yep, I did it. And I meant it.)