I don't know What is going on here. Momma and Daddy were Out All Afternoon and when they came back Home they brought a Big Tree into the House. Momma gets upset when I bring Leaves in the House and today she let Daddy carry in a Big Tree and now there are Teeny Tiny Leaves all over the Floor. Momma was Sweeping them up and Daddy said What A Good Tree This Is and they're both telling me It's Christmas Savannah It's Your First Christmas.
I have no idea what Christmas is. I just learned what Thanksgiving is and I'm still getting Turkey every day and if Christmas means that Momma is going to let Daddy keep bringing Trees into the House then I'd rather they just stick with Thanksgiving and the Turkey and forget about Christmas because Who Can Eat A Tree Anyway.
Momma said I have not been the World's Best Puppy these last few days and if I don't Start Being Good then Santa won't bring me Anything for Christmas. I have no idea who Santa is and I don't know what he can Bring Me that I don't have already unless Santa has found Puppy #1. But if Santa brings Puppy #1 then I will have to Share the Turkey and I don't know if I want to do that. Momma gives some of the Turkey to Sweet Pea but he's Just A Cat and he doesn't Eat Much so sharing with Sweet Pea is Easy. But Puppy #1 used to take Almost All of the Food in the plastic dish and if I had to Share the Turkey with him then there wouldn't be Hardly Anything left for me. I don't really think about Puppy #1 anymore unless I hear Other Dogs barking outside and then I think that maybe Puppy #1 has Found me and I don't want to be Found by Puppy #1 because this is My Home now and Momma has said Over and Over that the Last Thing she needs is Another Puppy.
Daddy told me that he found Two Lost Dogs when they were Driving Home with the Big Tree this afternoon. Two Lost Dogs On The Road and Daddy stopped the car and got out to Read the Tags on Their Collars. Momma said one dog was a Border Collie and the other dog was a Pit Bull. Momma didn't much like the Pit Bull but both of the Lost Dogs were Friendly and Daddy called the Phone Number on the Tags and the Momma of those Dogs drove to The Road to Bring Her Dogs Home. The Lady told Daddy that her Pet Pig learned how to Unlock The Gate and that's how her Two Dogs Got Out. She said the Pig stayed in The Yard but the Dogs Ran Out Into The Road and Just Kept Running till Daddy found them.
Momma told me That's Why You Wear That Collar Savannah It Has Your Name And Phone Number On It In Case You Get Out Of The Yard. Well I don't think I'll ever Get Out Of The Yard because Momma always has my Leash on plus we don't have a Pig here who knows how to Open Up The Gate. And maybe those Two Dogs weren't Lost at all. Maybe they just wanted to Get Away from that Crazy Pig who knows how to Unlock the Gate.
Then Daddy told me that I should be Thankful that I have such a Good Home and a Warm Bed and Plenty of Food and Toys. And Momma said I need to Behave Like A Lady and not like a Hoodlum and then Momma said if it Ever Stops Raining then she will take me for Longer Walks. Daddy said I needed to Run Off Some Energy In The Dog Park and Momma said if she Never Sees that Park again it will be Too Soon. Momma said there's Too Much Bad Dog Energy in that Park and I must be Bringing It Home with me because I haven't acted Like A Lady since the First Time my Four Paws got into that Park.
I am Very Confused. I'm supposed to be Thankful for the Thanksgiving Turkey but before the Turkey is even Gone now I'm supposed to be Thankful for the Big Tree that's in the House for something called Christmas because Santa will bring me More Toys if I'm Good and I also have to be Thankful that I wasn't a Lost Dog on The Road because a Pig opened up the Gate.
I was trying to tell Momma that I don't even know what Thankful means but I know that Thanksgiving means Turkey to Share with Sweet Pea and I don't know who Santa is but I know that Christmas means that Daddy is allowed to bring a Big Tree into the House so Momma can sweep up all those Teeny Tiny Leaves. And I'm supposed to Be A Lady and Not A Hoodlum but I don't even know what a Hoodlum is but One Thing I Do Know is that Momma sure can Throw A Lot of Words Around and I don't know what Most of them Mean so I've learned to just Look At Momma with my Good Puppy Face and then she Rubs Under My Chin and tells me that she has to Remember that I am Still a Puppy.
Momma used to Kiss me on the tip of my Nose but she doesn't do that anymore because she says I've been Sticking My Big Pyrenees Nose Into The Mud and Heaven Only Knows What's Been In That Mud. I tried to tell Momma that I don't even know what Mud means but I thought it best to just give her my Good Puppy Face again and Let It Go. If Momma thinks that Taking Care of a Puppy is Hard Work then she should Try Being a Puppy for a little while and have all these Strange Names and Words tossed around every day.
I think I'm learning what Thankful means. I am Thankful that I am the Only Puppy in this House which makes me Puppy #1 and I am Thankful that Momma doesn't have a Pig.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Still a puppy...
I have to keep that thought in my head... Savannah is still a puppy. She's the size of a full-grown dog right now, but she's still growing, she will indeed get bigger, but right this very minute as I type, Savannah is still a puppy.
The past two days have not been Savannah's most well-behaved days on this planet, and I can only hope that these two days were her worst. For some unknown puppy reason, Savannah thinks the TV room is a playground and everything in that room is up for grabs. Such as Sweet Pea's pillows and blankets, the sofa pillows, the sofa cushions, afghans, small tables and wicker items. Since yesterday morning, every one of those things has either been pulled down, chewed on, knocked over, or taken hostage by this crazy puppy.
My husband said he would take Savannah to the dog park so she could work off that excess energy, but my belief now is that the excess energy that thrives in that dog park has been brought into our house and now Savannah thinks she can run and jump and play right here as she does in the park. Give me a blessed puppy break. And the dog park has been off-limits the last few days anyway because of this rainy drippy cold weather. Give me a blessed weather break as well.
What happened to that quiet little puppy who sat on the sofa with her head in my lap as I brushed her? And that serene princess of a puppy who could lay down in her bed and watch the world go by as she cuddled up with her blue monkey? (We have just one blue monkey left, by the way. All the others have been torn to shreds by the puppy-monster who has replaced Savannah.)
Yesterday afternoon, Savannah pulled every last pillow and cushion off the sofa and the chairs in the TV room. When I went in there, she was standing in the middle of all of them and just smiling as if she had just discovered a hidden stash of rawhide chew-bones. I told her No! No! No! as I picked up all those pillows and cushions, and she sat there and watched me and seemed to understand.
This morning while I was busy in the kitchen, Savannah was in the TV room and when I went in there (because it was just too quiet) there she was again, with all the pillows, afghans, cushions, everything she could grab... it was all in the center of the room like Mount Everest. I stood there with my hands on my hips and I didn't say a word. Savannah looked at me and then calmly got up on the cushion-less sofa and laid down and let out the longest and loudest sigh, and then she looked towards the back of the sofa so she wouldn't have to see the wrath-of-Momma look that I was giving her.
Once again, I picked up every blessed thing, saying No! No! No! with each item, and taking Sweet Pea's pillows and blankets and putting them right in front of Savannah's face and saying NO! DEFINITELY NO! before putting them back in their places.
When I was all done re-assembling that room, I got hold of Savannah's collar and got her out of the TV room and then I put the wicker magazine table on the threshold between the TV room and the breakfast room. For some reason, when that slight barrier is up between the two rooms, Savannah won't touch it or go past it, but Sweet Pea can easily slip in and out at will.
As I type, Savannah is sleeping quietly in her bed. It's been a drippy rainy cold day so far, and I've walked her twice so she's had exercise today, and she'll be going out at least two more times before the day is over.
For the life of me, I cannot understand this puppy at times. Savannah will walk around the dining room and into the living room and she will look at everything as if she's in Disneyland... but she will not make a tiny move to touch anything in those rooms. Ditto for the kitchen and breakfast rooms. But the TV room... nothing in there is off limits in her puppy mind and she thinks that pillows and cat-beds are to be captured and piled up bonfire-style in the middle of the room.
Puppy. She is still a puppy. Still a puppy. I'm wondering now if I will survive her puppyhood. Although, at nearly eight months old now, Savannah might be leaving the toddler stage and going into the "terrible 2's." Good grief... no wonder all puppy-hell has broken loose this week.
The past two days have not been Savannah's most well-behaved days on this planet, and I can only hope that these two days were her worst. For some unknown puppy reason, Savannah thinks the TV room is a playground and everything in that room is up for grabs. Such as Sweet Pea's pillows and blankets, the sofa pillows, the sofa cushions, afghans, small tables and wicker items. Since yesterday morning, every one of those things has either been pulled down, chewed on, knocked over, or taken hostage by this crazy puppy.
My husband said he would take Savannah to the dog park so she could work off that excess energy, but my belief now is that the excess energy that thrives in that dog park has been brought into our house and now Savannah thinks she can run and jump and play right here as she does in the park. Give me a blessed puppy break. And the dog park has been off-limits the last few days anyway because of this rainy drippy cold weather. Give me a blessed weather break as well.
What happened to that quiet little puppy who sat on the sofa with her head in my lap as I brushed her? And that serene princess of a puppy who could lay down in her bed and watch the world go by as she cuddled up with her blue monkey? (We have just one blue monkey left, by the way. All the others have been torn to shreds by the puppy-monster who has replaced Savannah.)
Yesterday afternoon, Savannah pulled every last pillow and cushion off the sofa and the chairs in the TV room. When I went in there, she was standing in the middle of all of them and just smiling as if she had just discovered a hidden stash of rawhide chew-bones. I told her No! No! No! as I picked up all those pillows and cushions, and she sat there and watched me and seemed to understand.
This morning while I was busy in the kitchen, Savannah was in the TV room and when I went in there (because it was just too quiet) there she was again, with all the pillows, afghans, cushions, everything she could grab... it was all in the center of the room like Mount Everest. I stood there with my hands on my hips and I didn't say a word. Savannah looked at me and then calmly got up on the cushion-less sofa and laid down and let out the longest and loudest sigh, and then she looked towards the back of the sofa so she wouldn't have to see the wrath-of-Momma look that I was giving her.
Once again, I picked up every blessed thing, saying No! No! No! with each item, and taking Sweet Pea's pillows and blankets and putting them right in front of Savannah's face and saying NO! DEFINITELY NO! before putting them back in their places.
When I was all done re-assembling that room, I got hold of Savannah's collar and got her out of the TV room and then I put the wicker magazine table on the threshold between the TV room and the breakfast room. For some reason, when that slight barrier is up between the two rooms, Savannah won't touch it or go past it, but Sweet Pea can easily slip in and out at will.
As I type, Savannah is sleeping quietly in her bed. It's been a drippy rainy cold day so far, and I've walked her twice so she's had exercise today, and she'll be going out at least two more times before the day is over.
For the life of me, I cannot understand this puppy at times. Savannah will walk around the dining room and into the living room and she will look at everything as if she's in Disneyland... but she will not make a tiny move to touch anything in those rooms. Ditto for the kitchen and breakfast rooms. But the TV room... nothing in there is off limits in her puppy mind and she thinks that pillows and cat-beds are to be captured and piled up bonfire-style in the middle of the room.
Puppy. She is still a puppy. Still a puppy. I'm wondering now if I will survive her puppyhood. Although, at nearly eight months old now, Savannah might be leaving the toddler stage and going into the "terrible 2's." Good grief... no wonder all puppy-hell has broken loose this week.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Momma said Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I should be Thankful that I have a Home and a Bed and Toys and even Turkey and Apple Pie. Momma also said that she needs to Be Thankful that she still has a Sane Bone In Her Body because I have not been The Best Little Puppy In This Country Bubble.
Thanksgiving was Okay but the Turkey was Better and if getting Turkey and Apple Pie in my Bowl is called Thanksgiving then I'm Ready for Another Thanksgiving tomorrow. We had Company for Dinner yesterday and Momma told me that I needed to Be Very Good and I think I was because I stayed in the Breakfast Room while Everyone was eating Turkey and then Momma called me to Come Into The Dining Room but I didn't know who the Company was so I stayed in my Bed and wouldn't Say Hello To Daddy's Friend and then Momma told the Company that I was Very Shy.
I thought that we would Go To The Park yesterday because Daddy was telling his Friend how I Run and Play with the Other Dogs there but then Momma told Daddy that the Dog Park is making me act like that dog Lupin and I get Wild and Crazy and the Last Thing She Needs is a Crazy Puppy. Momma says I used to act Like A Lady and I was a Quiet Old Soul of a Puppy until they started taking me To The Park and letting me Run Around with All Those Other Dogs.
When Momma walked me Tonight I was Pulling Up Grass and Eating Leaves and Chasing Moths and Momma said if I didn't Cut It Out she would Never Walk Me Again but I didn't Believe that because Momma likes to Walk and I like to Walk and it just makes Good Sense to Walk Together and I don't think Momma would Go Out Walking and Leave me in the House with Sweet Pea.
I pulled up so much Grass and Ate so many Leaves tonight on our Walk that Momma brought me into the House and dried me off with my Towel and told me I was Not Her Favorite Puppy At The Moment. So I went into the TV Room and sat next to Daddy and he told me I was His Special Savannah Girl and Momma said Well Go Walk That Crazy Puppy And Then Tell Me How Special She Is. So that's what Daddy did. We walked Up and Down the Road again but Daddy wouldn't let me Pull at the Grass and Chase the Leaves and before he brought me Back Into The House I peed in the Grass and then Daddy told Momma that I peed and Momma said Well It's About Freaking Time.
Daddy said that Momma is Cranky because the Weather turned Cold and Rainy and she's also Just Tired Out after Thanksgiving. Well no wonder Momma is Just Tired Out. She didn't have to Cook All of That Food just because it was Thanksgiving. Momma said I couldn't have Oyster Stuffing because it had Onions in it and I couldn't have Sweet Potatoes because of the Pecans and Brown Sugar and I couldn't have Baked Apples because of the Raisins and I couldn't have Mashed Potatoes because of the Cheese so All I Got To Eat From Thanksgiving was the Turkey so that's All that Momma really needed to Cook in the First Place.
Daddy has been giving me a little bit of Apple Pie and Ice Cream but we're not telling Momma about that because then she'll get Cranky again and Daddy said We Still Have To Get Through the Christmas Party and Christmas Day so we can't have a Cranky Momma in this house. Well I could teach Daddy a thing or two about that because Momma gets Cranky because of the Stupid Weather and the Who-Knows-What's-Out-There-Wildlife and this Blasted Country Bubble but she doesn't Always Tell Daddy that she's so Cranky but I know it because the Crankier Momma Gets The Faster We Walk Up And Down That Road.
Well Thanksgiving is Over and the Company is Gone but there is still More Turkey and Apple Pie in the Kitchen so maybe Momma should be Thankful for that. Plus she has her Sweet Savannah who is sometimes Crazy and not always an Old Soul and I don't see a Problem with that but then I'm just a Puppy so what do I know.
Thanksgiving was Okay but the Turkey was Better and if getting Turkey and Apple Pie in my Bowl is called Thanksgiving then I'm Ready for Another Thanksgiving tomorrow. We had Company for Dinner yesterday and Momma told me that I needed to Be Very Good and I think I was because I stayed in the Breakfast Room while Everyone was eating Turkey and then Momma called me to Come Into The Dining Room but I didn't know who the Company was so I stayed in my Bed and wouldn't Say Hello To Daddy's Friend and then Momma told the Company that I was Very Shy.
I thought that we would Go To The Park yesterday because Daddy was telling his Friend how I Run and Play with the Other Dogs there but then Momma told Daddy that the Dog Park is making me act like that dog Lupin and I get Wild and Crazy and the Last Thing She Needs is a Crazy Puppy. Momma says I used to act Like A Lady and I was a Quiet Old Soul of a Puppy until they started taking me To The Park and letting me Run Around with All Those Other Dogs.
When Momma walked me Tonight I was Pulling Up Grass and Eating Leaves and Chasing Moths and Momma said if I didn't Cut It Out she would Never Walk Me Again but I didn't Believe that because Momma likes to Walk and I like to Walk and it just makes Good Sense to Walk Together and I don't think Momma would Go Out Walking and Leave me in the House with Sweet Pea.
I pulled up so much Grass and Ate so many Leaves tonight on our Walk that Momma brought me into the House and dried me off with my Towel and told me I was Not Her Favorite Puppy At The Moment. So I went into the TV Room and sat next to Daddy and he told me I was His Special Savannah Girl and Momma said Well Go Walk That Crazy Puppy And Then Tell Me How Special She Is. So that's what Daddy did. We walked Up and Down the Road again but Daddy wouldn't let me Pull at the Grass and Chase the Leaves and before he brought me Back Into The House I peed in the Grass and then Daddy told Momma that I peed and Momma said Well It's About Freaking Time.
Daddy said that Momma is Cranky because the Weather turned Cold and Rainy and she's also Just Tired Out after Thanksgiving. Well no wonder Momma is Just Tired Out. She didn't have to Cook All of That Food just because it was Thanksgiving. Momma said I couldn't have Oyster Stuffing because it had Onions in it and I couldn't have Sweet Potatoes because of the Pecans and Brown Sugar and I couldn't have Baked Apples because of the Raisins and I couldn't have Mashed Potatoes because of the Cheese so All I Got To Eat From Thanksgiving was the Turkey so that's All that Momma really needed to Cook in the First Place.
Daddy has been giving me a little bit of Apple Pie and Ice Cream but we're not telling Momma about that because then she'll get Cranky again and Daddy said We Still Have To Get Through the Christmas Party and Christmas Day so we can't have a Cranky Momma in this house. Well I could teach Daddy a thing or two about that because Momma gets Cranky because of the Stupid Weather and the Who-Knows-What's-Out-There-Wildlife and this Blasted Country Bubble but she doesn't Always Tell Daddy that she's so Cranky but I know it because the Crankier Momma Gets The Faster We Walk Up And Down That Road.
Well Thanksgiving is Over and the Company is Gone but there is still More Turkey and Apple Pie in the Kitchen so maybe Momma should be Thankful for that. Plus she has her Sweet Savannah who is sometimes Crazy and not always an Old Soul and I don't see a Problem with that but then I'm just a Puppy so what do I know.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Savannah's First Thanksgiving
I was hoping for a sunny day today, thinking that we could bring Savannah to the dog park after dinner and before dessert, but that didn't happen because the morning clouds turned into a light rain, so that was that for the park.
Savannah stayed in the breakfast room for most of today... we had company here and Savannah wasn't much interested in meeting my husband's friend Jim. He came in with two pies for us and a big smile for Savannah, but Savannah growled a little bit at him, then she sat up in her bed and just looked like a big innocent puppy who wouldn't hurt a fly.
Gary and Jim walked into the breakfast room and sat down at the table there, but Savannah still didn't budge. She just sat there in her bed as if she were 'at attention' during a roll call... the guys talked and Savannah listened, but she wasn't interested enough in Jim to go near him and say hello.
We had dinner in the dining room and I kept the French doors open so Savannah could come in there with us, but she was content to just watch us a little bit from the breakfast room... she stayed in her bed practically the entire afternoon. Savannah is very cautious around strangers, even if the 'strangers' are our friends and are welcomed into our home. She just takes her own sweet time in making up her mind if the people she's never seen before are puppy-worthy or not. Jim was certainly nice enough to Savannah, calling her by name and talking to her from time to time, but she just kept her distance from all of us.
I gave Savannah some bits and pieces of turkey, and Gary gave her some pie and even a little bit of ice cream on top... all of which she ate in the breakfast room. Savannah's food and water dishes are kept in a corner of the kitchen and she wouldn't even come out of the breakfast room to eat or drink all day, so I finally just carried her bowls into the breakfast room so she could get to them without leaving her safe spot. That corner of the breakfast room where her bed is kept is her go-to place when she's tired or scared or anxious.
Our Thanksgiving was very nice... Savannah's first Thanksgiving was very uneventful, unless you count the little brown frog she chased in the driveway... or her attempt to play with Gatsby in the middle of the road during the little bit of rain we had when I was out walking her between dinner and dessert... or the fact that she pulled the tail off yet another little blue monkey. This latest blue monkey didn't even last three days... her teeth are getting much too big and sharp for the soft toys. We have just one blue monkey left... I may just keep it hidden away and give it to her on Christmas Day.
My husband's friend is staying in the guest cottage tonight, so we'll see if Savannah is any friendlier towards him when he comes back to the house for breakfast tomorrow morning. When Jim left the house tonight to walk over to the cottage, Savannah came out of the breakfast room within five minutes. She knew very quickly when the house was company-free.
There are times when Savannah is such an old soul of a puppy... and other times (like chasing the frog) that she's pure puppy, through and through. (Those puppy-times just wear me out!)
Savannah stayed in the breakfast room for most of today... we had company here and Savannah wasn't much interested in meeting my husband's friend Jim. He came in with two pies for us and a big smile for Savannah, but Savannah growled a little bit at him, then she sat up in her bed and just looked like a big innocent puppy who wouldn't hurt a fly.
Gary and Jim walked into the breakfast room and sat down at the table there, but Savannah still didn't budge. She just sat there in her bed as if she were 'at attention' during a roll call... the guys talked and Savannah listened, but she wasn't interested enough in Jim to go near him and say hello.
We had dinner in the dining room and I kept the French doors open so Savannah could come in there with us, but she was content to just watch us a little bit from the breakfast room... she stayed in her bed practically the entire afternoon. Savannah is very cautious around strangers, even if the 'strangers' are our friends and are welcomed into our home. She just takes her own sweet time in making up her mind if the people she's never seen before are puppy-worthy or not. Jim was certainly nice enough to Savannah, calling her by name and talking to her from time to time, but she just kept her distance from all of us.
I gave Savannah some bits and pieces of turkey, and Gary gave her some pie and even a little bit of ice cream on top... all of which she ate in the breakfast room. Savannah's food and water dishes are kept in a corner of the kitchen and she wouldn't even come out of the breakfast room to eat or drink all day, so I finally just carried her bowls into the breakfast room so she could get to them without leaving her safe spot. That corner of the breakfast room where her bed is kept is her go-to place when she's tired or scared or anxious.
Our Thanksgiving was very nice... Savannah's first Thanksgiving was very uneventful, unless you count the little brown frog she chased in the driveway... or her attempt to play with Gatsby in the middle of the road during the little bit of rain we had when I was out walking her between dinner and dessert... or the fact that she pulled the tail off yet another little blue monkey. This latest blue monkey didn't even last three days... her teeth are getting much too big and sharp for the soft toys. We have just one blue monkey left... I may just keep it hidden away and give it to her on Christmas Day.
My husband's friend is staying in the guest cottage tonight, so we'll see if Savannah is any friendlier towards him when he comes back to the house for breakfast tomorrow morning. When Jim left the house tonight to walk over to the cottage, Savannah came out of the breakfast room within five minutes. She knew very quickly when the house was company-free.
There are times when Savannah is such an old soul of a puppy... and other times (like chasing the frog) that she's pure puppy, through and through. (Those puppy-times just wear me out!)
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
'Twas the day before Thanksgiving...
... and all through the house, not a creature was stirring... not even a puppy. Actually, Savannah was 'stirring' quite a bit this morning while I was busy cooking. She got hold of one of Sweet Pea's blankets and started to chew on it... and because I was busy in the kitchen and not paying attention, she chewed a big hole right through it. When I realized how quiet it was in the TV room, I went in there and found Savannah's head immersed in the center of that blanket and she was surrounded by all sorts of threads and bit and pieces of the fabric. I stood there with my hands on my hips and I gave her my best "What are you doing?!" look.... and she moved away from the blanket and jumped up on the sofa and put her head down as if she had never seen that blanket in her life. Oh well. Into the trash it went. I didn't say a word to Savannah because she already knew that chewing up the blanket was wrong.
I've been busy all morning with preparations for tomorrow's dinner. With a little hiccup (the kitchen plumbing) tossed into my perfectly planned do-ahead schedule, I've been playing catch-up all day long, but everything I needed to do is done. Now it's my husband's turn in the kitchen... he makes the oyster stuffing and the mashed potatoes.
Our company tomorrow is bringing the pies, so I didn't have to bake my usual apple pie and pumpkin pie, and with the mishap (an understatement if ever there was one) with the plumbing and the water heater, the gift of the pies was a blessing. Over the past couple of weeks, though, my husband has been bringing home pies from the local stores... peach, cherry, apple. All very good, but I just prefer my own. At night when my husband has a slice of pie with ice cream, he is also fixing a small portion for Savannah. (As I've written before, our rule about not giving people-food to Savannah has been lost in the wind a while back.)
So there they are every night lately... my husband with a slice of pie and ice cream, and Savannah with her mostly-crust coated with a bit of fruit filling, and a small dollop of ice cream on top of it. Talk about being in puppy heaven... the look on her face is priceless when she gets that bowl. And, smart puppy that she is, as soon as my husband opens up the pie box, Savannah is in the kitchen by that counter and she is sitting down with both eyes focused on the pie. And she doesn't move from that spot, or hardly even blink, until she gets her puppy-portion of dessert.
The kitchen will be filled tomorrow morning with the aroma of roasted turkey and sweet potatoes, and Savannah will soon know what Thanksgiving has to offer. I'm hoping that the weather will be as beautiful and as warm as it was today... and I'm hoping that Savannah will behave during dinner so I don't have to put up the gate in the breakfast room. Too much to hope for from a seven-month-old puppy? I hope not.
I've been busy all morning with preparations for tomorrow's dinner. With a little hiccup (the kitchen plumbing) tossed into my perfectly planned do-ahead schedule, I've been playing catch-up all day long, but everything I needed to do is done. Now it's my husband's turn in the kitchen... he makes the oyster stuffing and the mashed potatoes.
Our company tomorrow is bringing the pies, so I didn't have to bake my usual apple pie and pumpkin pie, and with the mishap (an understatement if ever there was one) with the plumbing and the water heater, the gift of the pies was a blessing. Over the past couple of weeks, though, my husband has been bringing home pies from the local stores... peach, cherry, apple. All very good, but I just prefer my own. At night when my husband has a slice of pie with ice cream, he is also fixing a small portion for Savannah. (As I've written before, our rule about not giving people-food to Savannah has been lost in the wind a while back.)
So there they are every night lately... my husband with a slice of pie and ice cream, and Savannah with her mostly-crust coated with a bit of fruit filling, and a small dollop of ice cream on top of it. Talk about being in puppy heaven... the look on her face is priceless when she gets that bowl. And, smart puppy that she is, as soon as my husband opens up the pie box, Savannah is in the kitchen by that counter and she is sitting down with both eyes focused on the pie. And she doesn't move from that spot, or hardly even blink, until she gets her puppy-portion of dessert.
The kitchen will be filled tomorrow morning with the aroma of roasted turkey and sweet potatoes, and Savannah will soon know what Thanksgiving has to offer. I'm hoping that the weather will be as beautiful and as warm as it was today... and I'm hoping that Savannah will behave during dinner so I don't have to put up the gate in the breakfast room. Too much to hope for from a seven-month-old puppy? I hope not.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
I was All Ready to go To The Dog Park today when Momma and my Daddy walked to the Kitchen Door this morning. But Momma said we weren't going To The Park today because they had Errands to do. I don't know what Errands To Do means but it can't be More Fun than the Dog Park. And I don't know why I have to Stay Home for Errands anyway. I watched Momma and Daddy going Out Of The Door and I heard Daddy telling Momma that Savannah Has A Sad Puppy Look On Her Face And Isn't That Cute That She Wants To Go With Us.
When Momma and Daddy came Back Home Momma took me for a Good Long Walk and told me that Thanksgiving was This Week and I don't know what Thanksgiving means except Momma said I would Get Some Turkey If She Still Had A Kitchen To Cook It In so I don't think Thanksgiving is a bad thing unless You happen to be the Turkey.
Momma said that No Woman On This Planet Is Safe Anymore because YouTube Videos have made Every Man believe they can Do Everything and that includes Fixing a Faucet and Fixing a Hot Water Heater even if it's Just Three Days Before Thanksgiving. Daddy said I Can Do This It's Just A Minor Fix And Why Call A Plumber And Have To Pay All That Money. Momma didn't answer Daddy but Momma told me that she'd be Glad To Pay All That Money And Then Some just to get the Job Done and Done Quickly so she can get on with Getting Ready For Thanksgiving and then Momma said Small Fix My Butt The Only Small Fix In This House Is Changing A Lightbulb and She Could Do That Herself Without a YouTube Video.
Momma said this Big Old House must have a Ghost hiding up in the Attic somewhere and it only comes out Right Before A Holiday and makes Something Important like a Water Heater stop working. I tried to tell Momma that maybe we should Take The Ghost to the Dog Park and Leave It There so it couldn't come out Right Before A Holiday but Momma was Too Busy Mopping the Kitchen Floor because I had Just Taken A Drink and I sat there and Watched Momma with the Mop and I thought that Maybe the Ghost was the one Making Such A Mess on Momma's Nice Clean Floor all the time.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Back to the Dog Park...
After a frigid 35-degree night (Savannah slept with her pink sweater on) the sun came out this morning and the temperature soared into the high 50s and Gary and I took Savannah to the dog park this afternoon after lunch.
Probably because it was Sunday, there were more dogs at the park than we'd ever seen there before at one time. Mostly all of the dog-owners have more than just one dog. (Ah, that four-letter word: just.) Most of the dogs came in pairs or in threes, and after noticing that, my husband whispered to me "Maybe Savannah needs a sister." That remark of his took a few seconds to register on my cold-addled brain, but when I realized what he said, my answer was "No way. Savannah is perfectly fine being an only dog."
Actually, you could say that Savannah has a brother--- Sweet Pea, our inside cat. They get along famously, except when Sweet Pea takes a sip or two of water out of Savannah's bowl, or when that cat sniffs at Savannah's dog kibble. I doubt very much that Sweet Pea would be interested in taking a bite of the dog food, but Savannah needs to learn to share the water in that big bowl of hers. Sweet Pea does indeed have his own water bowl, but I think it's a challenge to that cat to 'steal' some of Savannah's water.
The dogs today in the big-dog park were all sizes, given that mostly all of the people came with one big dog and one small dog, or one big dog and two smaller dogs. Taking a large dog into the small-dog park is not allowed, but taking little dogs into the big-dog park is perfectly fine. The park was so busy today that all three sections were very busy (big-dog park, small-dog park, and the obstacle course area).
Savannah will go up to all the dogs she sees, but she does this cautiously, and if the other dog gives the slightest sign of being an alpha-dog, Savannah quickly backs down and assumes the second-place spot with that particular dog. I took note that none of the other dogs (not even the little ones) were wearing sweaters, so I was wise to leave Savannah's hot-pink sweater at home. As for her hot-pink velvet leash, that is what it is, and I have no qualms about showing that off at the park. Although I did notice that when my husband took Savannah's leash off her today, he put that pink leash into his pocket. When I bought that leash, my husband said he didn't mind walking Savannah with a pink leash, but no one sees him around our roads here. The dog park, however, is a different story and guys will be guys... so into his pocket went that very colorful and feminine-looking leash.
The people in the dog park are a friendly yet distant crowd... everyone wants to know what your dog's name is, some people ask how old the dog is, and others ask if the dog is 'fixed.' There was a huge Chocolate Lab at the park today (named Jake) and his owner kept throwing a yellow tennis ball into the swimming pool and Jake kept jumping in to not only get it, but swim around some in that cold water. Jake was having a high old time and Savannah was watching him retrieve that ball and swim around the pool, and I was just hoping beyond all hope that she wouldn't jump into that water today. I had forgotten to bring the towel with us, not even thinking about the possibility of Savannah getting into that water on such a cold day. Savannah didn't jump into the pool when Jake was in there, but as we were making our way towards the gate, she did wade into the shallow end of the pool and she stuck her head into the water to get a drink, splashing some of the water all over her legs and tail, and then she did it all over again just for the fun of it. When she got out of the pool, the bottom half of her was all wet and dripping. We walked around in the sun for a bit after that so she would have time to dry off before getting into the car.
I think Savannah knows when we're bringing her to the park... she sits up on the back seat of my husband's car, extremely alert, and she watches the road and the cars and everything else she can see. When we make the turn into the gravel driveway of the dog park, she stands up on all four legs and looks out of that window and seems to recognize the huge piece of property the park sits on. Without a doubt, she's "as happy as a clam" (as my dad would say) when we open the back door so she can get out and run into that park.
We usually spend about an hour inside the dog park, and depending on how many dogs are there, Savannah is either exhausted when we come out or just excited. Because of the great number of dogs there today (mostly all of them wanting to run and play with one another) Savannah was definitely exhausted when we left the park. She curled up to sleep on the back seat during the drive home, then I walked her when we got home, and ever since we got into the house, she has been in one of her favorite napping spots--- stretched out on the TV room sofa.
My husband thought Savannah's fur felt a little cool, so he took off his sweatshirt and covered her up with it. She didn't move, clearly liking the extra soft layer. There is no doubt in my mind that Savannah is a spoiled little (big) Puppy Princess, and she doesn't seem to mind. And we don't mind either. But we're still not getting her a sister.
Probably because it was Sunday, there were more dogs at the park than we'd ever seen there before at one time. Mostly all of the dog-owners have more than just one dog. (Ah, that four-letter word: just.) Most of the dogs came in pairs or in threes, and after noticing that, my husband whispered to me "Maybe Savannah needs a sister." That remark of his took a few seconds to register on my cold-addled brain, but when I realized what he said, my answer was "No way. Savannah is perfectly fine being an only dog."
Actually, you could say that Savannah has a brother--- Sweet Pea, our inside cat. They get along famously, except when Sweet Pea takes a sip or two of water out of Savannah's bowl, or when that cat sniffs at Savannah's dog kibble. I doubt very much that Sweet Pea would be interested in taking a bite of the dog food, but Savannah needs to learn to share the water in that big bowl of hers. Sweet Pea does indeed have his own water bowl, but I think it's a challenge to that cat to 'steal' some of Savannah's water.
The dogs today in the big-dog park were all sizes, given that mostly all of the people came with one big dog and one small dog, or one big dog and two smaller dogs. Taking a large dog into the small-dog park is not allowed, but taking little dogs into the big-dog park is perfectly fine. The park was so busy today that all three sections were very busy (big-dog park, small-dog park, and the obstacle course area).
Savannah will go up to all the dogs she sees, but she does this cautiously, and if the other dog gives the slightest sign of being an alpha-dog, Savannah quickly backs down and assumes the second-place spot with that particular dog. I took note that none of the other dogs (not even the little ones) were wearing sweaters, so I was wise to leave Savannah's hot-pink sweater at home. As for her hot-pink velvet leash, that is what it is, and I have no qualms about showing that off at the park. Although I did notice that when my husband took Savannah's leash off her today, he put that pink leash into his pocket. When I bought that leash, my husband said he didn't mind walking Savannah with a pink leash, but no one sees him around our roads here. The dog park, however, is a different story and guys will be guys... so into his pocket went that very colorful and feminine-looking leash.
The people in the dog park are a friendly yet distant crowd... everyone wants to know what your dog's name is, some people ask how old the dog is, and others ask if the dog is 'fixed.' There was a huge Chocolate Lab at the park today (named Jake) and his owner kept throwing a yellow tennis ball into the swimming pool and Jake kept jumping in to not only get it, but swim around some in that cold water. Jake was having a high old time and Savannah was watching him retrieve that ball and swim around the pool, and I was just hoping beyond all hope that she wouldn't jump into that water today. I had forgotten to bring the towel with us, not even thinking about the possibility of Savannah getting into that water on such a cold day. Savannah didn't jump into the pool when Jake was in there, but as we were making our way towards the gate, she did wade into the shallow end of the pool and she stuck her head into the water to get a drink, splashing some of the water all over her legs and tail, and then she did it all over again just for the fun of it. When she got out of the pool, the bottom half of her was all wet and dripping. We walked around in the sun for a bit after that so she would have time to dry off before getting into the car.
I think Savannah knows when we're bringing her to the park... she sits up on the back seat of my husband's car, extremely alert, and she watches the road and the cars and everything else she can see. When we make the turn into the gravel driveway of the dog park, she stands up on all four legs and looks out of that window and seems to recognize the huge piece of property the park sits on. Without a doubt, she's "as happy as a clam" (as my dad would say) when we open the back door so she can get out and run into that park.
We usually spend about an hour inside the dog park, and depending on how many dogs are there, Savannah is either exhausted when we come out or just excited. Because of the great number of dogs there today (mostly all of them wanting to run and play with one another) Savannah was definitely exhausted when we left the park. She curled up to sleep on the back seat during the drive home, then I walked her when we got home, and ever since we got into the house, she has been in one of her favorite napping spots--- stretched out on the TV room sofa.
My husband thought Savannah's fur felt a little cool, so he took off his sweatshirt and covered her up with it. She didn't move, clearly liking the extra soft layer. There is no doubt in my mind that Savannah is a spoiled little (big) Puppy Princess, and she doesn't seem to mind. And we don't mind either. But we're still not getting her a sister.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Dancing in The Wind
Yesterday's weather was sunny and warm and mild... a gorgeous day. I walked Savannah five or six times yesterday, just because it was so very nice outside. One thing about this puppy... she loves to walk, although she is still somewhat hesitant when I walk her further down the hill on more unfamiliar parts of the road.
Today's weather is changing rapidly. Started off cloudy and warm, then changed to cloudy and cool, and then a complete change to sunny and windy. And not just a mild breeze, but a wind strong enough to blow the lawn chairs out of the gazebo, which has happened twice already this afternoon. We had planned to take Savannah to the dog park today but it's just too windy out there and I don't think that park would be too enjoyable for my husband and myself.
Savannah, on the other paw, would probably not mind the wind at all... she seems to love it. I walked her twice this morning and the second walk (in the wind) was the most fun for her. She will stand there with the wind blowing in her face, her ears folded backwards in the breeze, and that puppy smile of hers just breaks out on her face and you would think she'd found a huge stash of dog biscuits.
When Savannah is tired of just standing there and catching the breeze, she will start to prance up the road.... nearly dancing with glee and it makes me think of those 'Peanuts' comic strips where Snoopy and Woodstock are dancing in the grass because Spring has arrived. Well, I don't know if Savannah is wanting me to dance in the breeze with her, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. I hate the cold and I hate the wind even more because that makes the temperature feel even colder.
During my errands yesterday, I went shopping for a pair of warm boots because I'm sure I will need them when I'm walking Savannah in even colder temperatures during December and January. This puppy loves the wind and the cold and I'm thinking she will not just 'hurry up and go' as the winter months set in. I'm dreading that... I didn't even consider the dog-walking part of this equation when my husband and I were talking about getting a puppy. And lucky me... Savannah definitely likes me walking with her, rather than my husband. She will go outside with him and walk just fine, but she doesn't 'hurry up and go' with him... she just goes along for the stroll and then I have to take her out again for the 'real' walk. As a result, 99.9% of the time, I'm out there walking Savannah. No complaint here... I knew that going into this puppy-adoption... but I really didn't think about walking in the rain and the cold. Thankfully, our frigid days aren't that many, but the windy days seem to follow along this part of the Hills... and if there's a wind out there, it finds this road and stays here.
But now I have my nice warm boots... sort of like those Ugg boots, but a different brand that didn't cost as much. Heaven knows, I don't need designer boots to be walking up and down this road with a wind-loving puppy.
I have not yet taken Savannah out for a walk in her pink sweater. She's worn it in the house on some of the cooler days, and I've kept it on her at night when it was cool enough for a sweater but not cold enough to put the heat on. Savannah doesn't mind the sweater at all, and I think she even likes the snug feeling of it.... but walking her outside on the road in this country bubble.... I think most of the neighbors will be thinking we've lost our minds. Except for Judy, who is Bella's momma, and who has an extensive wardrobe for that tiny little Chihuahua of hers. Somehow, one expects a tiny dog to have cute little outfits... but on a puppy of Savannah's size (near to or slightly over 50 pounds now) I don't think the neighbors around here would be quite so forgiving. (Forgiving of me, that is... they will probably feel sorry for Savannah.)
Speaking of Savannah's weight... the more this puppy grows, the more she wants to be a lap-dog. When my husband and I are sitting on the sofa to watch the news, Savannah will get up on the sofa and squeeze herself between us... she's been doing that for quite some time now. However, this past week or so, rather than being content with sitting her puppy-self right on the sofa, she's been wanting to sit on either my lap or my husband's. And she does just that in the most puppy-charming way. Last night, Savannah put her front paws on my lap but kept her back paws on the floor. As she got the front half of her quite comfy and put her head on my arm, she slowly lifted one of her back legs so it was resting on the sofa beside me... then she got the other back leg up and put that on my lap with the rest of her. The result... mostly every inch of Savannah was curled up on my lap, with just one of her paws being on the sofa cushion, and her head landed half on my neck and half on my shoulder and then she turned her head upside-down to look up at me and end result of that was a giant tongue licking my neck. Glory be... how do I teach this dog not to lick me?
Savannah stayed all curled up on my lap for quite some time last night. Let me tell you, she felt nice and warm, and I couldn't have asked for a softer 'blanket.' But I don't think she liked being up on my lap without being able to see me, and that's when she started to tilt her head back and forth, rotating it to the left to look at me ("Are you still there?") and then turning her head towards the right to look at my husband ("Good. You're still there also.") With Savannah's weight and muscle mass, to put it lightly... she feels like she weighs a ton, especially when most of her in on your lap. And then if I'm not quick enough to move my own head out of the way when she tilts her head up to look at me, the resounding crack on my chin is more than enough to get my attention.
Life with puppy... never a dull moment.
Today's weather is changing rapidly. Started off cloudy and warm, then changed to cloudy and cool, and then a complete change to sunny and windy. And not just a mild breeze, but a wind strong enough to blow the lawn chairs out of the gazebo, which has happened twice already this afternoon. We had planned to take Savannah to the dog park today but it's just too windy out there and I don't think that park would be too enjoyable for my husband and myself.
Savannah, on the other paw, would probably not mind the wind at all... she seems to love it. I walked her twice this morning and the second walk (in the wind) was the most fun for her. She will stand there with the wind blowing in her face, her ears folded backwards in the breeze, and that puppy smile of hers just breaks out on her face and you would think she'd found a huge stash of dog biscuits.
When Savannah is tired of just standing there and catching the breeze, she will start to prance up the road.... nearly dancing with glee and it makes me think of those 'Peanuts' comic strips where Snoopy and Woodstock are dancing in the grass because Spring has arrived. Well, I don't know if Savannah is wanting me to dance in the breeze with her, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. I hate the cold and I hate the wind even more because that makes the temperature feel even colder.
During my errands yesterday, I went shopping for a pair of warm boots because I'm sure I will need them when I'm walking Savannah in even colder temperatures during December and January. This puppy loves the wind and the cold and I'm thinking she will not just 'hurry up and go' as the winter months set in. I'm dreading that... I didn't even consider the dog-walking part of this equation when my husband and I were talking about getting a puppy. And lucky me... Savannah definitely likes me walking with her, rather than my husband. She will go outside with him and walk just fine, but she doesn't 'hurry up and go' with him... she just goes along for the stroll and then I have to take her out again for the 'real' walk. As a result, 99.9% of the time, I'm out there walking Savannah. No complaint here... I knew that going into this puppy-adoption... but I really didn't think about walking in the rain and the cold. Thankfully, our frigid days aren't that many, but the windy days seem to follow along this part of the Hills... and if there's a wind out there, it finds this road and stays here.
But now I have my nice warm boots... sort of like those Ugg boots, but a different brand that didn't cost as much. Heaven knows, I don't need designer boots to be walking up and down this road with a wind-loving puppy.
I have not yet taken Savannah out for a walk in her pink sweater. She's worn it in the house on some of the cooler days, and I've kept it on her at night when it was cool enough for a sweater but not cold enough to put the heat on. Savannah doesn't mind the sweater at all, and I think she even likes the snug feeling of it.... but walking her outside on the road in this country bubble.... I think most of the neighbors will be thinking we've lost our minds. Except for Judy, who is Bella's momma, and who has an extensive wardrobe for that tiny little Chihuahua of hers. Somehow, one expects a tiny dog to have cute little outfits... but on a puppy of Savannah's size (near to or slightly over 50 pounds now) I don't think the neighbors around here would be quite so forgiving. (Forgiving of me, that is... they will probably feel sorry for Savannah.)
Speaking of Savannah's weight... the more this puppy grows, the more she wants to be a lap-dog. When my husband and I are sitting on the sofa to watch the news, Savannah will get up on the sofa and squeeze herself between us... she's been doing that for quite some time now. However, this past week or so, rather than being content with sitting her puppy-self right on the sofa, she's been wanting to sit on either my lap or my husband's. And she does just that in the most puppy-charming way. Last night, Savannah put her front paws on my lap but kept her back paws on the floor. As she got the front half of her quite comfy and put her head on my arm, she slowly lifted one of her back legs so it was resting on the sofa beside me... then she got the other back leg up and put that on my lap with the rest of her. The result... mostly every inch of Savannah was curled up on my lap, with just one of her paws being on the sofa cushion, and her head landed half on my neck and half on my shoulder and then she turned her head upside-down to look up at me and end result of that was a giant tongue licking my neck. Glory be... how do I teach this dog not to lick me?
Savannah stayed all curled up on my lap for quite some time last night. Let me tell you, she felt nice and warm, and I couldn't have asked for a softer 'blanket.' But I don't think she liked being up on my lap without being able to see me, and that's when she started to tilt her head back and forth, rotating it to the left to look at me ("Are you still there?") and then turning her head towards the right to look at my husband ("Good. You're still there also.") With Savannah's weight and muscle mass, to put it lightly... she feels like she weighs a ton, especially when most of her in on your lap. And then if I'm not quick enough to move my own head out of the way when she tilts her head up to look at me, the resounding crack on my chin is more than enough to get my attention.
Life with puppy... never a dull moment.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
One Week BeforeTurkey Day
This will be Savannah's first Thanksgiving... we will have to give her some turkey and I'm sure she won't refuse. My husband has already introduced Savannah to sliced deli-turkey when he makes himself a sandwich so Savannah will surely like the roasted Butterball. When Gary makes a turkey and cheese sandwich, he now has an audience of two... both Sweet Pea and Savannah will sit behind him and watch what he's doing up on the kitchen counter... and both expect to be rewarded with bits of sliced turkey. And of course they are, even though my husband and I both said that feeding people-food to the cats and Savannah isn't exactly a good thing to do. Well... before dog-food companies hit the billion-dollar mark on their yearly sales, that's all there was for pets--- people-food.
Today was a busy day... cleaning in the morning, then grocery shopping and other errands in the afternoon. Even so, I walked Savannah twice this morning and twice this afternoon... both times her huge fluffy tail was up like a flag and blowing in the breeze. This puppy does indeed love to walk, although I imagine she would love it even more if she wasn't wearing a leash.
I sometimes wonder if Savannah gets bored when I'm too busy to play with her, like today. The walking doesn't constitute play-time, and on my busy days like this, Savannah tends to play with her toys, chew on her rawhide bones and pigs' ears, and nap, nap, nap. Thankfully, Savannah does love her puppy bed. For the money it cost, she should love it, but you never know with puppies. We had bought Gracie a puppy bed years ago but she hardly ever used it because she was always up on the real bed with us, even though Gary and I said "No dogs on the bed!" Well, that rule lasted about twenty minutes... and Gracie was smart... she jumped up on that bed as if she owned it and cuddled up next to her hero and Gary said "Well, we'll let her stay for a few minutes but then she has to get down." Well... ha-ha to that one.... a few minutes lasted a good many years, until we got a new bed and a higher mattress and by that time Gracie's legs were too old to make such a jump and she slept on a blanket on the floor next to my husband's side of the bed.
Savannah has still not ventured up to the second floor of our house. She will watch us go upstairs at night, but she must know that it's time for sleep because she will just walk into the breakfast room and settle down in her bed and that's that. No whining at the bottom of the stairs, no barking at the trains and the coyotes during the night, not a whimper or a roar from this puppy and both she and I are sleeping like babies now.
Sweet Pea seems to have accepted the fact that he now has to share the first floor of the house with a non-feline. Savannah will only chase Sweet Pea if he ventures too close to her water and food bowls or if he happens to forget the 'puppy rules' and run across the kitchen. For some reason, a running cat is more prone to be chased by a puppy than a cat walking slowly from point A to point B. Savannah clearly just wants to play, and possibly the running makes her think about the dog park, where all the dogs are running and running and running. I don't think any of the dogs in that park just meander along the grass and take in the scenery... they all seem to run like mad to see who can out-run everyone else.
As I type, Savannah is in the TV room and I can hear her chewing on one of her rawhide bones. She loves those things, and I've been looking for the healthiest ones I can find. There was one brand of chew-bone that had a label on the front of the package which said "Allow Dog to Chew on an Easy-To-Clean Surface." Well, what the heck did that mean? Would the color of the bones come off on carpeting? Would the bones be crushed to smithereens by a puppy's teeth resulting in zillions of rawhide shards being permanently embedded in carpet fibers? Needless to say, I didn't buy that particular brand.
I've stopped buying stuffed animals for Savannah now... she has real teeth now, not itty-bitty puppy teeth, so the plush toys were barely lasting a day or two. All except the blue monkeys, which are still her favorite. I've lost count as to how many of those we have bought since September 12th, but clearly Savannah does love those monkeys (sort of heavy a chenille fabric, made for dogs) and she doesn't chew them to bits. The blue monkeys get carried around from the TV room to the kitchen, back to the breakfast room, into the TV room again, and there have been days when Savannah has tried to keep her current blue monkey in her mouth while I'm putting on her leash to go out for a walk. I've told Savannah that the blue monkey has to stay in the house because he doesn't like to walk on the road. I doubt very much that Savannah understands a word of that, but she does indeed understand the word "No!" and she will leave the monkey by the back door when we're on our way out and then pick it up as soon as we get into the house again.
Savannah just walked into the breakfast room... she saw me typing at my laptop here and she turned herself around and went back into the TV room and I can hear her chewing on that rawhide again. I think that was a subtle hint.... I should go in there and play with her for a while and then brush her. Savannah dearly loves to be brushed, and I think she even knows how pretty she looks when her hair is bright and shiny and brushed and just-so. Gary calls her the puppy-diva, and he's probably right.
Today was a busy day... cleaning in the morning, then grocery shopping and other errands in the afternoon. Even so, I walked Savannah twice this morning and twice this afternoon... both times her huge fluffy tail was up like a flag and blowing in the breeze. This puppy does indeed love to walk, although I imagine she would love it even more if she wasn't wearing a leash.
I sometimes wonder if Savannah gets bored when I'm too busy to play with her, like today. The walking doesn't constitute play-time, and on my busy days like this, Savannah tends to play with her toys, chew on her rawhide bones and pigs' ears, and nap, nap, nap. Thankfully, Savannah does love her puppy bed. For the money it cost, she should love it, but you never know with puppies. We had bought Gracie a puppy bed years ago but she hardly ever used it because she was always up on the real bed with us, even though Gary and I said "No dogs on the bed!" Well, that rule lasted about twenty minutes... and Gracie was smart... she jumped up on that bed as if she owned it and cuddled up next to her hero and Gary said "Well, we'll let her stay for a few minutes but then she has to get down." Well... ha-ha to that one.... a few minutes lasted a good many years, until we got a new bed and a higher mattress and by that time Gracie's legs were too old to make such a jump and she slept on a blanket on the floor next to my husband's side of the bed.
Savannah has still not ventured up to the second floor of our house. She will watch us go upstairs at night, but she must know that it's time for sleep because she will just walk into the breakfast room and settle down in her bed and that's that. No whining at the bottom of the stairs, no barking at the trains and the coyotes during the night, not a whimper or a roar from this puppy and both she and I are sleeping like babies now.
Sweet Pea seems to have accepted the fact that he now has to share the first floor of the house with a non-feline. Savannah will only chase Sweet Pea if he ventures too close to her water and food bowls or if he happens to forget the 'puppy rules' and run across the kitchen. For some reason, a running cat is more prone to be chased by a puppy than a cat walking slowly from point A to point B. Savannah clearly just wants to play, and possibly the running makes her think about the dog park, where all the dogs are running and running and running. I don't think any of the dogs in that park just meander along the grass and take in the scenery... they all seem to run like mad to see who can out-run everyone else.
As I type, Savannah is in the TV room and I can hear her chewing on one of her rawhide bones. She loves those things, and I've been looking for the healthiest ones I can find. There was one brand of chew-bone that had a label on the front of the package which said "Allow Dog to Chew on an Easy-To-Clean Surface." Well, what the heck did that mean? Would the color of the bones come off on carpeting? Would the bones be crushed to smithereens by a puppy's teeth resulting in zillions of rawhide shards being permanently embedded in carpet fibers? Needless to say, I didn't buy that particular brand.
I've stopped buying stuffed animals for Savannah now... she has real teeth now, not itty-bitty puppy teeth, so the plush toys were barely lasting a day or two. All except the blue monkeys, which are still her favorite. I've lost count as to how many of those we have bought since September 12th, but clearly Savannah does love those monkeys (sort of heavy a chenille fabric, made for dogs) and she doesn't chew them to bits. The blue monkeys get carried around from the TV room to the kitchen, back to the breakfast room, into the TV room again, and there have been days when Savannah has tried to keep her current blue monkey in her mouth while I'm putting on her leash to go out for a walk. I've told Savannah that the blue monkey has to stay in the house because he doesn't like to walk on the road. I doubt very much that Savannah understands a word of that, but she does indeed understand the word "No!" and she will leave the monkey by the back door when we're on our way out and then pick it up as soon as we get into the house again.
Savannah just walked into the breakfast room... she saw me typing at my laptop here and she turned herself around and went back into the TV room and I can hear her chewing on that rawhide again. I think that was a subtle hint.... I should go in there and play with her for a while and then brush her. Savannah dearly loves to be brushed, and I think she even knows how pretty she looks when her hair is bright and shiny and brushed and just-so. Gary calls her the puppy-diva, and he's probably right.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Today was Momma's tea party day. It's easy to Figure That Out because Momma puts a Tablecloth on the Kitchen Counter and before she puts the boxes of Tea on the Tablecloth she tells me that I Must Not Touch No Matter How Good The Tea Smells. My favorite Tea is the Orange Spice and Momma usually makes that For Herself in the Mornings. I stand behind Momma when she Pours The Hot Water and my Puppy Nose goes Up In The Air and Momma says that I would Drink The Air if I could figure out how to get it.
When the Ladies came to Tea this afternoon I stayed in my Bed in the Breakfast Room but then I started to smell Cookies and Orange Spice Tea and Strawberry Cheesecake Dip and I figured that if I went into the Dining Room and stayed Very Quiet maybe the Ladies would let me Taste Something and even if they Didn't then the Worst that could happen was that I'd at least get A Dog Biscuit.
I sat next to Bella's Momma Miss Judy and she kept Talking while I was sitting there so I put my Paw on her Lap so she would See Me and it Worked. So I did it Again after she said Good Girl Savannah Good Girl but she still Didn't give me an Oatmeal Cookie so I tried to put Two Paws on her Lap but that Didn't Work At All and three Ladies told me All At Once to Get Down Savannah Get Down and they were Loud Enough to Make a Puppy go Deaf. Miss Judy says I hardly look like a Puppy anymore because I've Grown So Big. I tried to tell Miss Judy that Puppies are Supposed To Grow but she didn't Understand and then I remembered how small Bella is so maybe Miss Judy thinks I am a Giant next to Tiny Bella.
Before Miss Judy went home Momma put my Pink Sweater on me and Miss Judy took Pictures of me with her Camera. Momma and Miss Judy said I was Too Cute For Words especially when Miss Judy pulled up the Hood on the Sweater and Covered My Ears which I will have to Remember the Next Time a Bunch of Ladies tell me to Get Down Savannah Get Down because I don't think a Puppy could Go Deaf if her Ears were Covered with a Hoodie.
After the Tea Party Momma opened up the door to the TV Room and Sweet Pea came out and tried to Drink Water from my Bowl so I had to Chase him Away. Then Sweet Pea tried to smell my chew-bone so I had to Chase him Away from that too. Momma said I needed to Settle Down And Behave but I didn't get a chance to Do That because Miss Judy called Momma and said she was Taking Bella For A Walk and Momma said We Would Go Walking Too.
We were Going Out The Door before I could Eat my Dinner and I was Hungry going Up And Down The Road so I had to pick up Grass and Dirt and Leaves and Mud and Momma kept saying Drop It Savannah Drop It and Momma didn't even know that my Puppy Tummy was nearly Empty except for the Dog Biscuits from the Tea Party. While we were Walking Momma told Miss Judy that I had Too Much Puppy Energy today and she was Surprised that I Behaved Myself During Tea but I was Making Up For It Now by being a Puppy Pain In The Butt and then Momma told me Not To Remind Her to Ask Herself Why She Wanted A Puppy In The First Place.
We said Goodbye to Miss Judy and Bella and then we got in The House and I Ate Up All My Dinner before Momma took my Leash off and then Momma said I'm Sorry Savannah No Wonder You Were Picking Up All That Bad Stuff Outside You Were Just Hungry. I tried to tell Momma that she would have been Eating Grass and Leaves and Dirt too if all she had to eat All Afternoon were two Dog Biscuits while Everyone Else was Eating Oatmeal Cookies and Strawberry Dip with Pretzels.
When the Ladies came to Tea this afternoon I stayed in my Bed in the Breakfast Room but then I started to smell Cookies and Orange Spice Tea and Strawberry Cheesecake Dip and I figured that if I went into the Dining Room and stayed Very Quiet maybe the Ladies would let me Taste Something and even if they Didn't then the Worst that could happen was that I'd at least get A Dog Biscuit.
I sat next to Bella's Momma Miss Judy and she kept Talking while I was sitting there so I put my Paw on her Lap so she would See Me and it Worked. So I did it Again after she said Good Girl Savannah Good Girl but she still Didn't give me an Oatmeal Cookie so I tried to put Two Paws on her Lap but that Didn't Work At All and three Ladies told me All At Once to Get Down Savannah Get Down and they were Loud Enough to Make a Puppy go Deaf. Miss Judy says I hardly look like a Puppy anymore because I've Grown So Big. I tried to tell Miss Judy that Puppies are Supposed To Grow but she didn't Understand and then I remembered how small Bella is so maybe Miss Judy thinks I am a Giant next to Tiny Bella.
Before Miss Judy went home Momma put my Pink Sweater on me and Miss Judy took Pictures of me with her Camera. Momma and Miss Judy said I was Too Cute For Words especially when Miss Judy pulled up the Hood on the Sweater and Covered My Ears which I will have to Remember the Next Time a Bunch of Ladies tell me to Get Down Savannah Get Down because I don't think a Puppy could Go Deaf if her Ears were Covered with a Hoodie.
After the Tea Party Momma opened up the door to the TV Room and Sweet Pea came out and tried to Drink Water from my Bowl so I had to Chase him Away. Then Sweet Pea tried to smell my chew-bone so I had to Chase him Away from that too. Momma said I needed to Settle Down And Behave but I didn't get a chance to Do That because Miss Judy called Momma and said she was Taking Bella For A Walk and Momma said We Would Go Walking Too.
We were Going Out The Door before I could Eat my Dinner and I was Hungry going Up And Down The Road so I had to pick up Grass and Dirt and Leaves and Mud and Momma kept saying Drop It Savannah Drop It and Momma didn't even know that my Puppy Tummy was nearly Empty except for the Dog Biscuits from the Tea Party. While we were Walking Momma told Miss Judy that I had Too Much Puppy Energy today and she was Surprised that I Behaved Myself During Tea but I was Making Up For It Now by being a Puppy Pain In The Butt and then Momma told me Not To Remind Her to Ask Herself Why She Wanted A Puppy In The First Place.
We said Goodbye to Miss Judy and Bella and then we got in The House and I Ate Up All My Dinner before Momma took my Leash off and then Momma said I'm Sorry Savannah No Wonder You Were Picking Up All That Bad Stuff Outside You Were Just Hungry. I tried to tell Momma that she would have been Eating Grass and Leaves and Dirt too if all she had to eat All Afternoon were two Dog Biscuits while Everyone Else was Eating Oatmeal Cookies and Strawberry Dip with Pretzels.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
The Art of Walking a Dog in The Rain
One of the best dog stories I've ever read is "The Art of Racing In The Rain" by Garth Stein. I've read the book twice, and given it as a gift to friends. Definitely worth reading if you have a dog, love your dog, or are thinking about getting a dog. (And if you have a dog, then please love your dog.)
I think about that book every time it has rained since we adopted Savannah. Not that it's rained all that much since September 12th, but on the rainy days we've had, the sky has opened up and poured forth with soaking sopping sloppy rain.
The first time I had to walk Savannah in the rain, she played in every puddle, splashing and drinking and just having a grand time while I was standing there with her leash in one hand, an umbrella in the other, and trying not to lose patience with that very happy soaking-wet puppy. I had been spoiled with our dog Gracie who hated to get wet so her rainy-day outings were less than a minute long in the backyard grass.
Today's rain is another soaking sloppy pouring rain, but Savannah is seven months old now and she has reconsidered her rainy-day activities. She waited till the rain quit pouring this morning and I took her out on our usual walk up the road. Before we got even halfway up to our barn, she had done everything she needed to do and she promptly turned herself around to walk back towards the house. No splashing. No drinking from the puddles. All she wanted was to get back to the house. I kept telling her what a good girl she was because I couldn't have been more pleased.
Such a difference in just two months' time. When we got up on the porch, I had Savannah's towel ready there and I dried off her legs and paws, her belly, and then wrapped her all up in that extra-large towel and told her she looked like Mother Theresa. At that moment, I had my face too close to hers and she licked me right on the chin... a great big slobbering lick. I draw the line at dogs licking me, especially on my face, but I think Savannah was very happy with her puppy self at that particular moment, so I resisted the urge to say "Yuck!" and wipe my chin off with tissues. (But I certainly did just that when we got back into the house and Savannah wasn't looking.)
My husband and I were talking last night about the changes in Savannah's sense of confidence since that first day we brought her home. She is no longer afraid of every little blessed noise that she hears in the house, and about the only time she will jump up and run away is when she sees me with the vacuum cleaner. There are times when Savannah is in a deep sleep and she doesn't hear one of us coming into a room and when we get up close to her, she will quickly get up and try and scramble away but then she sees that it's either myself or my husband and we'll get a "Oh, it's only you" look and she'll go back to sleep.
Savannah's relationships with the cats has also improved greatly. With Gatsby, who follows us up and down the road on most of our morning walks, Savannah will rub her face against Gatsby's head when he's waiting for us by the mailbox. On mostly every morning, Gatsby will walk with us part of the way, then turn around and wait for us by our mailbox near the driveway. When we come back from the walk, Gatsby bows his head down and sits there waiting for Savannah to rub the top of his head with the side of her puppy face. It's just very cute, very gentle and deliberate, and each of them seem to rely on this morning ritual.
With Mickey, our once-inside cat who developed ill-mannered litter-box habits in his old age, Savannah knows that she can play with Mickey when he hides under the tablecloth that's on the little table by our back door. Mickey runs under that tablecloth every morning when Savannah and I are coming back from our walk. All that's visible of Mickey is his tail sticking out from under the cloth, and Savannah seems to judge the position of Mickey's head by the placement of his tail. Savannah will stand there rubbing heads with Mickey (with the tablecloth between them) and that cat's tail begins to move from side to side and then his paw comes up and Mickey is touching Savannah's face through the barrier of the tablecloth. Savannah seems to enjoy the game because her tail will be wagging and I'll have to nudge her towards the door or I'd be out there for an hour.
Sweet Pea is our inside cat, and I was worried at first that he and Savannah wouldn't get along very well. I think Sweet Pea was very surprised when he discovered that he was not the only four-legged 'kid' in this house after Savannah arrived. Sweet Pea is very tolerant of change, however, and he just kept his distance until Savannah learned that she needed to be gentle with all of the cats and they weren't here to be her toys. As each week went by, Sweet Pea became more confident around the puppy, and Savannah learned that Sweet Pea was here first and needed some respect and consideration just because he's a cat and much much smaller than her ever-growing puppy self.
At the beginning of Savannah's life with us, I was thoroughly worried about my husband's acceptance of her, and Savannah's acceptance of Gary as well. They both had their issues: Gary wanted another Gracie-dog and Savannah seemed to be extremely reluctant around men. Thankfully, they have both come down to earth. My husband knows now that Gracie was a one-of-a-kind dog, truly his dog and his alone, and I think the disappointment in Savannah's hesitation with him showed in his face every time he looked at her. And puppies aren't stupid... they can read people like the proverbial book.
Everything changed when my husband started to accept Savannah as the puppy she is, and the dog she could become... and Savannah realized that not all men were out to hurt her. When we sit in the TV room at night, Savannah gets up on the sofa between me and my husband, and she cuddles and smiles and does her best to get as close to the two of us as she possibly can. Savannah has grown into a rather large puppy, and the weight of her on our laps is truly felt, but appreciated.
Puppies need patience, and love, and Savannah's life with us is filled with that. And without a doubt, Savannah has filled our lives with puppy love, and then some.
I think about that book every time it has rained since we adopted Savannah. Not that it's rained all that much since September 12th, but on the rainy days we've had, the sky has opened up and poured forth with soaking sopping sloppy rain.
The first time I had to walk Savannah in the rain, she played in every puddle, splashing and drinking and just having a grand time while I was standing there with her leash in one hand, an umbrella in the other, and trying not to lose patience with that very happy soaking-wet puppy. I had been spoiled with our dog Gracie who hated to get wet so her rainy-day outings were less than a minute long in the backyard grass.
Today's rain is another soaking sloppy pouring rain, but Savannah is seven months old now and she has reconsidered her rainy-day activities. She waited till the rain quit pouring this morning and I took her out on our usual walk up the road. Before we got even halfway up to our barn, she had done everything she needed to do and she promptly turned herself around to walk back towards the house. No splashing. No drinking from the puddles. All she wanted was to get back to the house. I kept telling her what a good girl she was because I couldn't have been more pleased.
Such a difference in just two months' time. When we got up on the porch, I had Savannah's towel ready there and I dried off her legs and paws, her belly, and then wrapped her all up in that extra-large towel and told her she looked like Mother Theresa. At that moment, I had my face too close to hers and she licked me right on the chin... a great big slobbering lick. I draw the line at dogs licking me, especially on my face, but I think Savannah was very happy with her puppy self at that particular moment, so I resisted the urge to say "Yuck!" and wipe my chin off with tissues. (But I certainly did just that when we got back into the house and Savannah wasn't looking.)
My husband and I were talking last night about the changes in Savannah's sense of confidence since that first day we brought her home. She is no longer afraid of every little blessed noise that she hears in the house, and about the only time she will jump up and run away is when she sees me with the vacuum cleaner. There are times when Savannah is in a deep sleep and she doesn't hear one of us coming into a room and when we get up close to her, she will quickly get up and try and scramble away but then she sees that it's either myself or my husband and we'll get a "Oh, it's only you" look and she'll go back to sleep.
Savannah's relationships with the cats has also improved greatly. With Gatsby, who follows us up and down the road on most of our morning walks, Savannah will rub her face against Gatsby's head when he's waiting for us by the mailbox. On mostly every morning, Gatsby will walk with us part of the way, then turn around and wait for us by our mailbox near the driveway. When we come back from the walk, Gatsby bows his head down and sits there waiting for Savannah to rub the top of his head with the side of her puppy face. It's just very cute, very gentle and deliberate, and each of them seem to rely on this morning ritual.
With Mickey, our once-inside cat who developed ill-mannered litter-box habits in his old age, Savannah knows that she can play with Mickey when he hides under the tablecloth that's on the little table by our back door. Mickey runs under that tablecloth every morning when Savannah and I are coming back from our walk. All that's visible of Mickey is his tail sticking out from under the cloth, and Savannah seems to judge the position of Mickey's head by the placement of his tail. Savannah will stand there rubbing heads with Mickey (with the tablecloth between them) and that cat's tail begins to move from side to side and then his paw comes up and Mickey is touching Savannah's face through the barrier of the tablecloth. Savannah seems to enjoy the game because her tail will be wagging and I'll have to nudge her towards the door or I'd be out there for an hour.
Sweet Pea is our inside cat, and I was worried at first that he and Savannah wouldn't get along very well. I think Sweet Pea was very surprised when he discovered that he was not the only four-legged 'kid' in this house after Savannah arrived. Sweet Pea is very tolerant of change, however, and he just kept his distance until Savannah learned that she needed to be gentle with all of the cats and they weren't here to be her toys. As each week went by, Sweet Pea became more confident around the puppy, and Savannah learned that Sweet Pea was here first and needed some respect and consideration just because he's a cat and much much smaller than her ever-growing puppy self.
At the beginning of Savannah's life with us, I was thoroughly worried about my husband's acceptance of her, and Savannah's acceptance of Gary as well. They both had their issues: Gary wanted another Gracie-dog and Savannah seemed to be extremely reluctant around men. Thankfully, they have both come down to earth. My husband knows now that Gracie was a one-of-a-kind dog, truly his dog and his alone, and I think the disappointment in Savannah's hesitation with him showed in his face every time he looked at her. And puppies aren't stupid... they can read people like the proverbial book.
Everything changed when my husband started to accept Savannah as the puppy she is, and the dog she could become... and Savannah realized that not all men were out to hurt her. When we sit in the TV room at night, Savannah gets up on the sofa between me and my husband, and she cuddles and smiles and does her best to get as close to the two of us as she possibly can. Savannah has grown into a rather large puppy, and the weight of her on our laps is truly felt, but appreciated.
Puppies need patience, and love, and Savannah's life with us is filled with that. And without a doubt, Savannah has filled our lives with puppy love, and then some.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Puppy-speak...
My husband and I are having to spell words now if Savannah is listening... words like c-a-r, p-a-r-k, and t-r-e-a-t. If we're not about to take Savannah into the car to the park or give her a treat, then we'd better not let her hear those words. One smart little puppy here.
Actually, that should be one smart big puppy. Gary was looking at the photo he took of Savannah on her first day here and when he bent down towards her, that cute little puppy nose was about up to his knee. Now if my husband bends down that way, Savannah's nose is up near his face. I'm guessing she must be over 50 pounds by now, and the neighbors keep telling me how much bigger she's gotten since she's been here.
Savannah still has that puppy-playfulness, even though she's quiet and docile most of the time. She loves to play and that urge to toss her toys around and retrieve a tossed ball mostly comes out at night when my husband is watching TV and I'm trying to read. Savannah sees us sitting quietly in the TV room and she'll come bouncing into the room and then jump up on the sofa as easily as a deer jumping over a fence in the pasture. For such a large puppy, Savannah can be somewhat graceful, except when she over-jumps and one of her paws lands on your leg... and then you realize just how much she has grown.
It amazes me that this puppy who was so timid with both my husband and myself now can't seem to get enough of us. If my husband and I are both sitting on the sofa in the TV room, Savannah will slowly climb up between us and manage to get half of her body on me and the other half on my husband. While Savannah is trying to get herself comfortable, Gary and I are trying to move to the very ends of that sofa to give Savannah more room. (What's wrong with that picture?) Savannah's bed is in a corner of the breakfast room and she will lay down in her bed while my husband and I are eating. Before our meal is finished, though, Savannah leaves that bed and sits down by Gary, putting her head on his knee just in case he doesn't see her sitting there. My husband will give her a little taste of whatever he's eating, then he'll say "She's learning a bad habit here, but what the heck..."
This morning I walked with Savannah up to one of the neighbors' houses... they're out of town and I've been checking on their pet bird (Margaret Hatcher) every day. Savannah walked very nicely all the way up their driveway, and then followed me to their yard and into the back door as if she'd been up on that property every day. We got into the house and I kept Savannah on her leash as we went into the little room where the cockatiel's cage was... Savannah was curious about the bird and walked slowly up to the cage while I checked Margaret's food and water dishes. That's when Margaret decided to show off.... and she looked down at Savannah and said very loudly and clearly "Whatcha doing there?!"
Well, Savannah certainly wasn't expecting that... and she turned around quickly to leave the room and was confronted by a wall of mirrors that she hadn't seen when she went into the room because her eyes had been on Margaret. I guess that was the first time Savannah had ever seen herself in a mirror before and she didn't know what to think... was that another dog? Did these people have a bird in a cage and a dog behind glass? While Savannah was pulling at the leash to get out of that room, Margaret called out with a "Woof-woof-woof whatcha doing there?!"
That ended the visit with Margaret and Savannah pulled the leash so far away from the bird's cage that she was halfway into the laundry room while I was still getting out of Margaret's room. Back out the door we went and I heard one last "Woof-woof-woof!" from Margaret just before Savannah's paws got to the driveway. I was laughing most of the way down that driveway.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Momma says I look like The Cat's Pajamas in my New Pink Sweatshirt and I keep Looking at Sweet Pea but he never wears Pajamas so I don't know what Momma is talking about.
My Sweatshirt is the Same Color as my Leash and Daddy says it's a Girlie Color and Momma said Well What's Wrong With That Savannah Is A Girl Isn't She. Daddy says that I am Spoiled Rotten because I have a Pink Sweatshirt to wear Now and another Pink Sweatshirt that will Fit Me when I Get Bigger. Daddy says Some Puppies Just Shop Till They Drop And That's That.
Momma put that Sweatshirt on me Yesterday and it was Soft and Warm and it felt like I Was Being Hugged All Over and then Momma pulled the Hood up Over My Head and Daddy said That's Not A Sweatshirt That's A Hoodie and Momma said it Didn't Matter What It Was Called because it was just So Darn Cute. Then Momma said that This Country Bubble May Not Be Ready For A Puppy With A Pink Velvet Leash And A Pink Hoodie. I tried to tell Momma that Little Bella up the Road wears a Pink Swimsuit and Pink Swim Goggles when she Goes into The Pool in Miss Judy's Backyard so This Country Bubble is Ready For Anything and Everything.
Momma took off my Pink Hoodie before we all Got Into The Car because Daddy said we were Going To The Dog Park but then he Drove Right Past It and went to a Store first. Momma and Daddy got out of The Car and Left The Windows Open For Me and then said You Be Good Savannah We'll Be Right Back. Well I had to Think about Should I Be Good or Not Be Good because there I was in The Car and People were Going In And Out of the Store and if I did something Bad then Someone would have Told my Momma so I just sat there and Watched All The People and Waited for Momma and Daddy to Come Out Of The Store and I think I was Good except for Getting Puppy Spit on the Car Window. Then Momma and Daddy came Back To The Car and Off We Went and then Daddy stopped at Another Store but Momma waited in The Car with me because Momma said the Hardware Store was Too Boring For Words so Momma and I watched All The People Going In and Out and we were Both Being Good but I got More Puppy Spit on my Window and Momma's Window was still Nice and Clean.
Then Daddy came Back To The Car and Off We Went again and This Time We Went To The Park That's Just For Dogs and For People With Dogs. When we went through The Gate there were no Other Dogs there so I just Walked Around and Smelled The Grass and Momma and Daddy Followed Me. Daddy walked over to a Long White Stick On Two Poles and he said Jump Savannah Jump! so I Jumped over The Stick and Daddy gave me a Treat and said Good Girl Savannah Good Girl and then Daddy made the White Stick a Little Higher and said Jump Savannah Jump! so I did that and Got Another Treat. Daddy was going to Make the White Stick a Little Higher but he told Momma That He Didn't Want To Push His Luck so I stood there waiting to see if Daddy would Jump Over That Stick but he didn't.
A lady with Two Dogs came into The Park then and I ran over to Say Hello and Daddy and Momma followed me. They called the dogs Ivan and Pixie and then the Lady called me Savannah and said I was Very Pretty and I was waiting for Momma to say Well If You Think Savannah Is Pretty Now You Should See Her In Her Pink Hoodie Because She Looks Like The Cat's Pajamas but Momma didn't say Anything at all except Well Thank You.
Ivan and Pixie's momma had a Yellow Ball that she kept Throwing and the Three Of Us kept Running after it. Pixie caught the Yellow Ball most of the time and Me and Ivan just Let Her Catch It because Pixie was The Oldest and her momma said that Pixie would Sulk And Pout if she didn't Catch That Ball. I thought that maybe Pixie's momma should have more than One Yellow Ball so Ivan could catch his own Yellow Ball but I didn't know how to Say That to Pixie's momma so I just Played With Ivan so Pixie could be Queen Of The Yellow Ball In The Park.
When we Got Back Home I walked around Our Backyard with Momma and she Picked Up Pecans from the Grass and said that It Must Be A Bumper Crop For Pecans This Year Because She Now Has Enough Of Them To Last Three Lifetimes. While Momma picked up those Pecans I found some that were Half Out Of The Shells and Momma said Those Were Nasty because the Birds and the Squirrels had cracked them open and Momma told me to Leave Them Alone. But Momma wasn't watching me Every Minute so I ate some of the Pecans and they were Fun because the Shells went Crunch Crunch Crunch but Momma heard that Crunch Crunch Crunch and told me again To Leave Them Alone.
When we got Back Into The House my Puppy Tummy didn't feel so good and next thing I knew a Whole Bunch of Pecans And Other Stuff fell out of My Mouth and onto The Floor and Momma said Oh My Savannah You Have Tossed Up Your Cookies From Eating Those Pecans. While Momma cleaned up the Mess I kept Looking For My Cookies but all I could see were Bits And Pieces of Pecans And Shells so I think Momma was Wrong about those Cookies.
My Sweatshirt is the Same Color as my Leash and Daddy says it's a Girlie Color and Momma said Well What's Wrong With That Savannah Is A Girl Isn't She. Daddy says that I am Spoiled Rotten because I have a Pink Sweatshirt to wear Now and another Pink Sweatshirt that will Fit Me when I Get Bigger. Daddy says Some Puppies Just Shop Till They Drop And That's That.
Momma put that Sweatshirt on me Yesterday and it was Soft and Warm and it felt like I Was Being Hugged All Over and then Momma pulled the Hood up Over My Head and Daddy said That's Not A Sweatshirt That's A Hoodie and Momma said it Didn't Matter What It Was Called because it was just So Darn Cute. Then Momma said that This Country Bubble May Not Be Ready For A Puppy With A Pink Velvet Leash And A Pink Hoodie. I tried to tell Momma that Little Bella up the Road wears a Pink Swimsuit and Pink Swim Goggles when she Goes into The Pool in Miss Judy's Backyard so This Country Bubble is Ready For Anything and Everything.
Momma took off my Pink Hoodie before we all Got Into The Car because Daddy said we were Going To The Dog Park but then he Drove Right Past It and went to a Store first. Momma and Daddy got out of The Car and Left The Windows Open For Me and then said You Be Good Savannah We'll Be Right Back. Well I had to Think about Should I Be Good or Not Be Good because there I was in The Car and People were Going In And Out of the Store and if I did something Bad then Someone would have Told my Momma so I just sat there and Watched All The People and Waited for Momma and Daddy to Come Out Of The Store and I think I was Good except for Getting Puppy Spit on the Car Window. Then Momma and Daddy came Back To The Car and Off We Went and then Daddy stopped at Another Store but Momma waited in The Car with me because Momma said the Hardware Store was Too Boring For Words so Momma and I watched All The People Going In and Out and we were Both Being Good but I got More Puppy Spit on my Window and Momma's Window was still Nice and Clean.
Then Daddy came Back To The Car and Off We Went again and This Time We Went To The Park That's Just For Dogs and For People With Dogs. When we went through The Gate there were no Other Dogs there so I just Walked Around and Smelled The Grass and Momma and Daddy Followed Me. Daddy walked over to a Long White Stick On Two Poles and he said Jump Savannah Jump! so I Jumped over The Stick and Daddy gave me a Treat and said Good Girl Savannah Good Girl and then Daddy made the White Stick a Little Higher and said Jump Savannah Jump! so I did that and Got Another Treat. Daddy was going to Make the White Stick a Little Higher but he told Momma That He Didn't Want To Push His Luck so I stood there waiting to see if Daddy would Jump Over That Stick but he didn't.
A lady with Two Dogs came into The Park then and I ran over to Say Hello and Daddy and Momma followed me. They called the dogs Ivan and Pixie and then the Lady called me Savannah and said I was Very Pretty and I was waiting for Momma to say Well If You Think Savannah Is Pretty Now You Should See Her In Her Pink Hoodie Because She Looks Like The Cat's Pajamas but Momma didn't say Anything at all except Well Thank You.
Ivan and Pixie's momma had a Yellow Ball that she kept Throwing and the Three Of Us kept Running after it. Pixie caught the Yellow Ball most of the time and Me and Ivan just Let Her Catch It because Pixie was The Oldest and her momma said that Pixie would Sulk And Pout if she didn't Catch That Ball. I thought that maybe Pixie's momma should have more than One Yellow Ball so Ivan could catch his own Yellow Ball but I didn't know how to Say That to Pixie's momma so I just Played With Ivan so Pixie could be Queen Of The Yellow Ball In The Park.
When we Got Back Home I walked around Our Backyard with Momma and she Picked Up Pecans from the Grass and said that It Must Be A Bumper Crop For Pecans This Year Because She Now Has Enough Of Them To Last Three Lifetimes. While Momma picked up those Pecans I found some that were Half Out Of The Shells and Momma said Those Were Nasty because the Birds and the Squirrels had cracked them open and Momma told me to Leave Them Alone. But Momma wasn't watching me Every Minute so I ate some of the Pecans and they were Fun because the Shells went Crunch Crunch Crunch but Momma heard that Crunch Crunch Crunch and told me again To Leave Them Alone.
When we got Back Into The House my Puppy Tummy didn't feel so good and next thing I knew a Whole Bunch of Pecans And Other Stuff fell out of My Mouth and onto The Floor and Momma said Oh My Savannah You Have Tossed Up Your Cookies From Eating Those Pecans. While Momma cleaned up the Mess I kept Looking For My Cookies but all I could see were Bits And Pieces of Pecans And Shells so I think Momma was Wrong about those Cookies.
Friday, November 13, 2015
"The Dog Whisperer"
The book I've just finished reading is "Cesar's Way" by Cesar Millan (co-authored with Jo Peltier). The sub-title to this book is "The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding & Correcting Common Dog Problems."
One thing I learned from this book is that the problems are hardly ever within the dogs... the problems begin with incorrect training or actions and reactions from the dogs' owners. My husband and I have watched "The Dog Whisperer" on The National Geographic Channel and we were always amazed at how easily and quietly Cesar could tame even the wildest dog and correct his inappropriate behavior patterns.
Cesar believes that people should never yell at a dog. By doing so, you're telling the dog you are totally out of control and the dog will just ignore you (as they would ignore an insistently barking dog). Reading through this book, Cesar doesn't care much for dog parks... too much excitement, too little control from the dog-owners, and the resulting behavior by dogs who might fight or attack isn't a very nice outcome at all.
We took Savannah to the local dog park today... I wasn't too thrilled about doing that, after just reading Cesar's book, but my husband thought it would be a good idea for Savannah. We first took care of some errands, leaving Savannah in the car when we both went into a store for a short time--- it was not warm out today, not too sunny, and cool enough for Savannah to be safe in the car with all the windows open a bit. This puppy just sat in the back seat of that car and watched the world go by... not a peep, not a bark, nothing. Savannah is proving to us that she not only likes riding in the car, but it agrees with her.
When we got to the dog park afterwards, there were no other dogs there bigger than Savannah, and certainly not any pit-bull types that one of the other dog-owners had warned us about last week. Within fifteen minutes of our arrival, a woman with two medium-sized dogs came into the park... friendly woman, friendly dogs... Savannah had a blast playing and running with both of them. After we all introduced ourselves (including the names of the dogs-- Pixie and Ivan) this woman told us to be careful of a pit-bull owner... she described the dog, the owner, and the owner's truck. This man's dog had bitten that woman twice, and has also fought with her older dog. Not good. And certainly not what I wanted to hear.
The woman told me that she has the license plate number of the man who owns that ill-tempered dog, and I got to thinking that she should have called the police immediately after that dog bit her. I told my husband that I wouldn't be bringing Savannah to the dog park if he wasn't with us. And I have to laugh... we have 23 acres here... way bigger than the dog park anyway, except all of our property isn't fenced and there are certainly not an ever-changing array of dogs for Savannah to play with here.
When we got home from town, the mail had arrived, bringing with it the second puppy-sweatshirt that I ordered for Savannah. The first one (XXL in size) is too big for her now, but she'll be growing into it. The second hooded sweatshirt is an XL, bright pink like the first one, and it fits Savannah very well. I put it on her as soon as I took it out of the package and she's been wearing it ever since. It's not that cold today, but it certainly isn't 85 degrees either... it's that time of the year when you don't need to turn on either the air-conditioning or the heater, and sometimes the inside of the house is cooler than the temperature outside.
As I type, Savannah is walking around the breakfast room and the TV room with her pink teddy bear, wearing her bright pink hoodie. Too cute for words, this puppy. She seems to like the sweatshirt and hasn't pulled at it or tried to bite at it. I'm wondering if the feel of it makes her more secure. They sell thunder-jackets for dogs now, just for that reason. It's a tight-fitting jacket that you put around your dog if it's afraid of thunder and lightning. My friend A in North Carolina bought one of those for her German Shepard who would howl and quiver and cry during rain storms. Not so any longer.... A ordered that thunder-jacket and now KoKo is as quiet and as content as a mouse in bad storms.
I wonder what Cesar Millan would say about these hooded sweatshirts and thunder-jackets... he does believe that American dog owners are guilty of over-indulging their dogs to such an extreme that it psychologically damages their dogs. In this book of his, he wrote that dog owners here just don't let dogs be dogs... he says we treat them like children with four legs and fur.
Well.... Savannah just walked into the breakfast room... still wearing her pink hoodie, carrying her pink teddy bear in her mouth while trying to pick up her blue monkey at the same time so she can carry them both into her very soft and plush dog bed.
Savannah seems to be very happy. I'm happy because she's happy. Cesar Millan would definitely not approve. Oh well.
One thing I learned from this book is that the problems are hardly ever within the dogs... the problems begin with incorrect training or actions and reactions from the dogs' owners. My husband and I have watched "The Dog Whisperer" on The National Geographic Channel and we were always amazed at how easily and quietly Cesar could tame even the wildest dog and correct his inappropriate behavior patterns.
Cesar believes that people should never yell at a dog. By doing so, you're telling the dog you are totally out of control and the dog will just ignore you (as they would ignore an insistently barking dog). Reading through this book, Cesar doesn't care much for dog parks... too much excitement, too little control from the dog-owners, and the resulting behavior by dogs who might fight or attack isn't a very nice outcome at all.
We took Savannah to the local dog park today... I wasn't too thrilled about doing that, after just reading Cesar's book, but my husband thought it would be a good idea for Savannah. We first took care of some errands, leaving Savannah in the car when we both went into a store for a short time--- it was not warm out today, not too sunny, and cool enough for Savannah to be safe in the car with all the windows open a bit. This puppy just sat in the back seat of that car and watched the world go by... not a peep, not a bark, nothing. Savannah is proving to us that she not only likes riding in the car, but it agrees with her.
When we got to the dog park afterwards, there were no other dogs there bigger than Savannah, and certainly not any pit-bull types that one of the other dog-owners had warned us about last week. Within fifteen minutes of our arrival, a woman with two medium-sized dogs came into the park... friendly woman, friendly dogs... Savannah had a blast playing and running with both of them. After we all introduced ourselves (including the names of the dogs-- Pixie and Ivan) this woman told us to be careful of a pit-bull owner... she described the dog, the owner, and the owner's truck. This man's dog had bitten that woman twice, and has also fought with her older dog. Not good. And certainly not what I wanted to hear.
The woman told me that she has the license plate number of the man who owns that ill-tempered dog, and I got to thinking that she should have called the police immediately after that dog bit her. I told my husband that I wouldn't be bringing Savannah to the dog park if he wasn't with us. And I have to laugh... we have 23 acres here... way bigger than the dog park anyway, except all of our property isn't fenced and there are certainly not an ever-changing array of dogs for Savannah to play with here.
When we got home from town, the mail had arrived, bringing with it the second puppy-sweatshirt that I ordered for Savannah. The first one (XXL in size) is too big for her now, but she'll be growing into it. The second hooded sweatshirt is an XL, bright pink like the first one, and it fits Savannah very well. I put it on her as soon as I took it out of the package and she's been wearing it ever since. It's not that cold today, but it certainly isn't 85 degrees either... it's that time of the year when you don't need to turn on either the air-conditioning or the heater, and sometimes the inside of the house is cooler than the temperature outside.
As I type, Savannah is walking around the breakfast room and the TV room with her pink teddy bear, wearing her bright pink hoodie. Too cute for words, this puppy. She seems to like the sweatshirt and hasn't pulled at it or tried to bite at it. I'm wondering if the feel of it makes her more secure. They sell thunder-jackets for dogs now, just for that reason. It's a tight-fitting jacket that you put around your dog if it's afraid of thunder and lightning. My friend A in North Carolina bought one of those for her German Shepard who would howl and quiver and cry during rain storms. Not so any longer.... A ordered that thunder-jacket and now KoKo is as quiet and as content as a mouse in bad storms.
I wonder what Cesar Millan would say about these hooded sweatshirts and thunder-jackets... he does believe that American dog owners are guilty of over-indulging their dogs to such an extreme that it psychologically damages their dogs. In this book of his, he wrote that dog owners here just don't let dogs be dogs... he says we treat them like children with four legs and fur.
Well.... Savannah just walked into the breakfast room... still wearing her pink hoodie, carrying her pink teddy bear in her mouth while trying to pick up her blue monkey at the same time so she can carry them both into her very soft and plush dog bed.
Savannah seems to be very happy. I'm happy because she's happy. Cesar Millan would definitely not approve. Oh well.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Yesterday was Momma's Tea Party and all the Ladies came by with Cakes and Cookies and Momma said there wasn't One Single Piece of Fruit on the table because the Lady Who Brings The Fruit is Out Of Town this week. I was listening to the Tea Ladies when they walked into the Dining Room and no one seemed Disappointed because all they had were the Cakes and Cookies. But then Bella's momma walked into the House with Strawberries And CreamCheese rolled up in Tortillas and everyone said Fruit! Finally We Have Some Fruit!
The Tea Ladies were Talking and Laughing so much yesterday that I left my Bed in the Breakfast Room and I walked into the Dining Room and no one saw me by the table, not even my Momma. I was standing there Quietly and Looking and Looking at all the Christmas Decorations that Momma says I Must Not Touch and then I Looked into the Living Room and there were Even More Decorations that I Must Not Touch so I walked in there and that's when Momma saw me. The Tea Ladies wanted me to Go Have A Look-See but Momma said No Way Can I Trust Savannah In That Room All By Herself so Momma made me Go Back into the Dining Room. I thought Momma was going to send me back into the Breakfast Room so I stayed away from Momma and sat down right next to Miss Cindy who is Jack's momma and I thought I'd be Safe there since Miss Cindy has a Puppy of her own and Knows that sometimes Puppies Just Need To Explore Now And Then.
Momma said I could stay in the Dining Room if I was Good And Quiet and Didn't Touch A Thing except one of my own Toys. So I sat there and Looked at all the Decorations for Christmas but I didn't see Anything At All that looked even a Little Bit like one of my Toys so I just sat there with Miss Cindy and every once in a while she Looked At Me and said You Are Such A Good Girl Savannah Such A Good Girl Because Jack Would Have Gotten Himself Into Half Of Those Decorations By Now. I tried to tell Miss Cindy to Bring Jack to the next Tea Party so I could watch him Get Into the Decorations but I don't think she heard me.
I have Lots of New Toys now because my Puppy Teeth chewed up most of my Old Toys. Except the Blue Monkey that Momma says I'm Easy With because he's my Favorite but still some of my Old Blue Monkeys have been Thrown Away because I ripped them Wide Open and their Insides came out and Momma said she didn't want to Rush Me To The Vet because I swallowed the Guts Of A Blue Monkey. So I think Momma throws out the Old One when I'm Not Looking and then she puts a New Blue Monkey into my Toy Basket and she thinks I don't notice. Momma doesn't know that the Old Monkey smells like Puppy Spit and the New Monkey smells like The Store but I guess that Momma never puts the Monkeys in her Mouth so she wouldn't know the Difference.
My Favorite New Toy is a big Stuffed Candy Cane that's Red and White and soft like a Pillow. I don't know what a Candy Cane really is, but that's what Momma calls it and when she sees me sleeping on that Toy she will say You Are The Sweetest Puppy Savannah And If Santa Saw You Sleeping On That Candy Cane He Would Just Eat You Up Because You're So Cute. I don't know who Santa is but if I see him in this House I won't let him Near Me if he's going to Eat Me Up. Sometimes it's not a Good Thing to be so Stinking Cute.
The Tea Ladies were Talking and Laughing so much yesterday that I left my Bed in the Breakfast Room and I walked into the Dining Room and no one saw me by the table, not even my Momma. I was standing there Quietly and Looking and Looking at all the Christmas Decorations that Momma says I Must Not Touch and then I Looked into the Living Room and there were Even More Decorations that I Must Not Touch so I walked in there and that's when Momma saw me. The Tea Ladies wanted me to Go Have A Look-See but Momma said No Way Can I Trust Savannah In That Room All By Herself so Momma made me Go Back into the Dining Room. I thought Momma was going to send me back into the Breakfast Room so I stayed away from Momma and sat down right next to Miss Cindy who is Jack's momma and I thought I'd be Safe there since Miss Cindy has a Puppy of her own and Knows that sometimes Puppies Just Need To Explore Now And Then.
Momma said I could stay in the Dining Room if I was Good And Quiet and Didn't Touch A Thing except one of my own Toys. So I sat there and Looked at all the Decorations for Christmas but I didn't see Anything At All that looked even a Little Bit like one of my Toys so I just sat there with Miss Cindy and every once in a while she Looked At Me and said You Are Such A Good Girl Savannah Such A Good Girl Because Jack Would Have Gotten Himself Into Half Of Those Decorations By Now. I tried to tell Miss Cindy to Bring Jack to the next Tea Party so I could watch him Get Into the Decorations but I don't think she heard me.
I have Lots of New Toys now because my Puppy Teeth chewed up most of my Old Toys. Except the Blue Monkey that Momma says I'm Easy With because he's my Favorite but still some of my Old Blue Monkeys have been Thrown Away because I ripped them Wide Open and their Insides came out and Momma said she didn't want to Rush Me To The Vet because I swallowed the Guts Of A Blue Monkey. So I think Momma throws out the Old One when I'm Not Looking and then she puts a New Blue Monkey into my Toy Basket and she thinks I don't notice. Momma doesn't know that the Old Monkey smells like Puppy Spit and the New Monkey smells like The Store but I guess that Momma never puts the Monkeys in her Mouth so she wouldn't know the Difference.
My Favorite New Toy is a big Stuffed Candy Cane that's Red and White and soft like a Pillow. I don't know what a Candy Cane really is, but that's what Momma calls it and when she sees me sleeping on that Toy she will say You Are The Sweetest Puppy Savannah And If Santa Saw You Sleeping On That Candy Cane He Would Just Eat You Up Because You're So Cute. I don't know who Santa is but if I see him in this House I won't let him Near Me if he's going to Eat Me Up. Sometimes it's not a Good Thing to be so Stinking Cute.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Plush Puppy
My errands this morning took me to the thrift stores in town, looking for stuffed animals for Savannah. Not only does she play with them, tossing them into the air and then chasing them when they land, she also carries these plush toys around with her all day long. From the kitchen to the breakfast room, from there to the TV room, she picks up these soft toys one by one and piles them up where she wants to take a nap.
Today's new toys included a green kangaroo, a red and white candy cane, a pink teddy bear, a pink pillow with a pig-face on it, and a tan teddy bear. All very soft and plush, without the button eyes or plastic eyes that Savannah could easily pull out and swallow. When I got home from town today, I cut all the labels and ribbons off of the toys and then put them in her toy basket when she wasn't looking. When she discovers them in there, it's like Puppy Christmas. She will put her nose into the toy basket to smell them all, then she'll pick one out (by color? by design?) and come and find me. Savannah will have her first-chosen plush toy in her mouth and she will either nudge my leg with it or drop it down at my feet. "Look what I found!" Not until I acknowledge her treasure does she take it and run back to the toy basket with it and try to pick up another treasure while still holding onto her first choice.
All of these plush toys are either fifty cents or a dollar, depending on which store they're from, much cheaper than the plush toys in those huge pet stores. Before buying them, I make sure the seams are tight and they have nothing that she can pull off and swallow (like eyes and noses and bow-ties) and I also smell them to make sure they're clean and fresh, not old and nasty. (And there are a lot of those in the toy boxes at the thrift stores.)
The ladies at the thrift stores know me, and when I put a batch of stuffed toys up on the counter, they know I've chosen them for Savannah, and I'm not buying them to re-sell in my own shop-space. As I type this, the red/white plush candy cane is underneath Savannah's chin as she sleeps on the wood floor of the breakfast room. Her blue monkey and the pink teddy bear are in her dog-bed, and the green kangaroo is on my husband's chair in the breakfast room... it either landed there when she tossed it, or she left it there as a gift for him.
Within a couple of weeks, depending on Savannah's teething needs as her adult teeth come in, these 'new' toys will either have a seam or two ripped apart (translation: into the trash they go) or they will be scrunched up and slimy with puppy-spit from much loving and tossing.
I've been reading Cesar Millan's book "Cesar's Way," which is all about the care and training of puppies and dogs. With all of our pets, I have constantly broken Cesar's Golden Rule: 'Dogs are dogs; they are not little children with four legs and fur.' Well. Guilty as charged. Never having had children, I have always treated all my pets as little kids... all of them over the years seemed to have been happy, healthy, and well-adjusted.
Exception (there's always one) to that was AngelBoy, my blue-eyed Birman. Inside of that magnificently beautiful cat was a blue-eyed person who loved me but also tortured me to my very soul with his questionable attitude and habits. We adopted AngelBoy as a tiny kitten and had to put him to sleep twelve years later. To this very day, those blue eyes of his haunt me and I can still feel him snuggling up underneath my neck at night. (AngelBoy either couldn't get close enough to me, or he was trying to suffocate me.... that mystery has never been solved.)
But... back to Savannah... she is a healthy, happy, well-mannered puppy who has been getting over her fears and whatever issues she brought with her from her first two homes before this one, her forever home. And when I hold Savannah's head in my hands and tell her that she is Momma's girl, she looks at me and just sighs and seems extremely content. I may indeed treat this puppy as if she's a child with four legs and fur, but she is taken care of very well and I cannot look at her as 'just a dog.'
Cesar Millan believes that American dogs are not as happy as they could be, for the simple reason that they're treated more like children than dogs. With all due respect to Cesar and his unique abilities to understand canine behavior, I don't know if I can agree with that. I will indeed finish reading his book, and I do admire that man for his comprehension of the psychology of dogs... but the proof of happiness is in the puppy. And Savannah is one happy puppy, living the dream... living the dream.
Today's new toys included a green kangaroo, a red and white candy cane, a pink teddy bear, a pink pillow with a pig-face on it, and a tan teddy bear. All very soft and plush, without the button eyes or plastic eyes that Savannah could easily pull out and swallow. When I got home from town today, I cut all the labels and ribbons off of the toys and then put them in her toy basket when she wasn't looking. When she discovers them in there, it's like Puppy Christmas. She will put her nose into the toy basket to smell them all, then she'll pick one out (by color? by design?) and come and find me. Savannah will have her first-chosen plush toy in her mouth and she will either nudge my leg with it or drop it down at my feet. "Look what I found!" Not until I acknowledge her treasure does she take it and run back to the toy basket with it and try to pick up another treasure while still holding onto her first choice.
All of these plush toys are either fifty cents or a dollar, depending on which store they're from, much cheaper than the plush toys in those huge pet stores. Before buying them, I make sure the seams are tight and they have nothing that she can pull off and swallow (like eyes and noses and bow-ties) and I also smell them to make sure they're clean and fresh, not old and nasty. (And there are a lot of those in the toy boxes at the thrift stores.)
The ladies at the thrift stores know me, and when I put a batch of stuffed toys up on the counter, they know I've chosen them for Savannah, and I'm not buying them to re-sell in my own shop-space. As I type this, the red/white plush candy cane is underneath Savannah's chin as she sleeps on the wood floor of the breakfast room. Her blue monkey and the pink teddy bear are in her dog-bed, and the green kangaroo is on my husband's chair in the breakfast room... it either landed there when she tossed it, or she left it there as a gift for him.
Within a couple of weeks, depending on Savannah's teething needs as her adult teeth come in, these 'new' toys will either have a seam or two ripped apart (translation: into the trash they go) or they will be scrunched up and slimy with puppy-spit from much loving and tossing.
I've been reading Cesar Millan's book "Cesar's Way," which is all about the care and training of puppies and dogs. With all of our pets, I have constantly broken Cesar's Golden Rule: 'Dogs are dogs; they are not little children with four legs and fur.' Well. Guilty as charged. Never having had children, I have always treated all my pets as little kids... all of them over the years seemed to have been happy, healthy, and well-adjusted.
Exception (there's always one) to that was AngelBoy, my blue-eyed Birman. Inside of that magnificently beautiful cat was a blue-eyed person who loved me but also tortured me to my very soul with his questionable attitude and habits. We adopted AngelBoy as a tiny kitten and had to put him to sleep twelve years later. To this very day, those blue eyes of his haunt me and I can still feel him snuggling up underneath my neck at night. (AngelBoy either couldn't get close enough to me, or he was trying to suffocate me.... that mystery has never been solved.)
But... back to Savannah... she is a healthy, happy, well-mannered puppy who has been getting over her fears and whatever issues she brought with her from her first two homes before this one, her forever home. And when I hold Savannah's head in my hands and tell her that she is Momma's girl, she looks at me and just sighs and seems extremely content. I may indeed treat this puppy as if she's a child with four legs and fur, but she is taken care of very well and I cannot look at her as 'just a dog.'
Cesar Millan believes that American dogs are not as happy as they could be, for the simple reason that they're treated more like children than dogs. With all due respect to Cesar and his unique abilities to understand canine behavior, I don't know if I can agree with that. I will indeed finish reading his book, and I do admire that man for his comprehension of the psychology of dogs... but the proof of happiness is in the puppy. And Savannah is one happy puppy, living the dream... living the dream.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Everything else under the sun...
My husband and I went shopping in one of those huge pet stores yesterday, looking for treats and toys for Savannah. Clearly, this puppy likes to chew, and being that her puppy teeth have been falling out and her adult teeth are coming in, she may still be teething.
I've bought rawhide bones and pig's ears, and jerky-sticks made out of everything from chicken and beef to sweet potatoes. Because of the plethora of chew-treats, Savannah has not chewed on anything that she doesn't find in her toy box. (Extra good-puppy points to her for that accomplishment.)
I thought the mega pet-store would have more options than our local supermarket, and they surely did... along with eye-popping price tags that made Gary and I say out loud "Are they kidding?" On the shelves were elk and deer antlers, split down the middle and shrink-wrapped in plastic, hard as the proverbial rock and just as heavy... nearly $30 for a just one of those (That's when the "Are they kidding?" remark reverberated in the aisle.) Needless to say, we didn't buy the deer and elk things.
I did find pork rinds and chicken chews, pig's ears and beef-dipped rawhide, plus cookies and biscuits of all shapes and sizes. Into the shopping cart those went. Then I looked at the discounted plush-toys and found a brown gingerbread man and a hot-dog in a bun, both of which squeaked at an ear-splitting pitch. (I have not yet found one squeaky toy with a pleasant sound.)
The store also had a display of dog clothes, all of which were on sale for 40% off. I've already bought Savannah a pink sweatshirt with a hood, which is too big for her now but I'm sure she'll grow into it before she's a year old. With the XXL waiting in the wings, I found an XL sweatshirt yesterday that was pink with purple hearts on it, made of a fabric that is as soft as an infant's pajamas. I put that into the shopping cart as well.
I saw the look on my husband's face at that point.... and I knew he was remembering what he said when he paid $80 for the plush and super-soft dog bed that Savannah just loves: "The puppies are free... it's everything else under the sun that costs a fortune." Indeed.
Off to the checkout counter we went with our cart-full of goodies....... the treats and the chews and the toys and the impossibly cute sweater.... seventy dollars and change. How could that be? But it was... and the cashier gave us coupons to use the next time we come into the store. And there will always be a 'next time,' for as long as one has a dog.
When we got home, the first thing I did was try that pink sweater on Savannah... it fit, but much too snugly. They didn't have a larger size in that style and color, so I'll just return it for a refund. This morning, I went to the web-site where I bought the XXL pink sweater for Savannah and ordered her one in an XL size. I hope the XL fits her when it arrives... we've had some cool and damp mornings and I think she'd appreciate that soft fleece covering.
With our other dog Gracie, I never did buy a sweater or coat for her, but then I don't remember having such cold days during the winter months years ago. Either the 'winter' weather up here in the Hill Country is not as mild as it was near the Gulf Coast, or the weather patterns have changed dramatically over the years. Whatever the reason, I don't want Savannah to feel cold or uncomfortable when we're walking. (And this is why dog-clothing and accessories is a multi-billion-dollar business.)
Since our two trips to the Dog Park with Savannah last week, every time I take her down the driveway she will walk towards my husband's car. Clearly, she expects to get into that car and be driven to the park again... and we will do that but not on a daily basis. I still shake my head over Savannah's graceful flight from the driveway to the back seat of that car, without a second's hesitation. How quickly she learned that a car ride isn't necessarily a bad thing... it depends on the destination. The vet's office may not be her favorite place in the world, but the Dog Park seemed to be heaven on earth for Savannah.
And how quickly I have learned that having a dog in the house again is a wonderful thing. I realize that there are hours in the day that I could be reading, rather than walking up and down the road, or cleaning up the water on the kitchen floor after Savannah drinks from her bowl (she is still the messiest drinker) but not having every minute of every hour to myself doesn't seem necessary anymore. Not when there's another life in the house that's dependent on me.
Savannah has been sleeping through the night now, occasionally barking just once when she needs to know that we're still in the house. I call out to her from the bedroom, telling her "Go to sleep, Savannah," and she does... not needing to be reassured a second time. Those sleepless nights of hearing Savannah barking every couple of hours are history now.
The amount of trust that a dog gives is just overwhelming at times. Savannah opens her eyes when I walk into the kitchen in the morning and those beautiful eyes follow me as I fix the food for the cats. Savannah will stay in her bed until I've gone into the garage and taken care of the cat food and the litter boxes. But when she sees me come back inside and hears the sound of me getting her collar and leash, she gets up and stretches and walks over to me with her tail wagging. (Gone are those early days when I had to chase her around the kitchen because she didn't like that leash.)
Trust. It's all about trust, which sometimes needs extra time to take hold, especially when you adopt a dog that's had a few months with another owner whose interactions with the dog may not have been ideal. I don't think Savannah had a bad life before we adopted her, but I think her living conditions were less 'soft' than the life we're giving her.
I was sitting on the floor of the TV room last night, brushing Savannah's fur... she is gleaming and clean and just as pretty as can be..... and all the while I was brushing and combing her she was sprawled over my legs, half of her in my lap and half of her hanging over me and on the carpet. And she just loved it... making tiny little sighs every few minutes, her eyes closed and her body just a big adorable mass of puppy. My husband looked at her and said "She's a Prima Donna for sure."
Indeed she is. And what puppy wouldn't want to be?
I've bought rawhide bones and pig's ears, and jerky-sticks made out of everything from chicken and beef to sweet potatoes. Because of the plethora of chew-treats, Savannah has not chewed on anything that she doesn't find in her toy box. (Extra good-puppy points to her for that accomplishment.)
I thought the mega pet-store would have more options than our local supermarket, and they surely did... along with eye-popping price tags that made Gary and I say out loud "Are they kidding?" On the shelves were elk and deer antlers, split down the middle and shrink-wrapped in plastic, hard as the proverbial rock and just as heavy... nearly $30 for a just one of those (That's when the "Are they kidding?" remark reverberated in the aisle.) Needless to say, we didn't buy the deer and elk things.
I did find pork rinds and chicken chews, pig's ears and beef-dipped rawhide, plus cookies and biscuits of all shapes and sizes. Into the shopping cart those went. Then I looked at the discounted plush-toys and found a brown gingerbread man and a hot-dog in a bun, both of which squeaked at an ear-splitting pitch. (I have not yet found one squeaky toy with a pleasant sound.)
The store also had a display of dog clothes, all of which were on sale for 40% off. I've already bought Savannah a pink sweatshirt with a hood, which is too big for her now but I'm sure she'll grow into it before she's a year old. With the XXL waiting in the wings, I found an XL sweatshirt yesterday that was pink with purple hearts on it, made of a fabric that is as soft as an infant's pajamas. I put that into the shopping cart as well.
I saw the look on my husband's face at that point.... and I knew he was remembering what he said when he paid $80 for the plush and super-soft dog bed that Savannah just loves: "The puppies are free... it's everything else under the sun that costs a fortune." Indeed.
Off to the checkout counter we went with our cart-full of goodies....... the treats and the chews and the toys and the impossibly cute sweater.... seventy dollars and change. How could that be? But it was... and the cashier gave us coupons to use the next time we come into the store. And there will always be a 'next time,' for as long as one has a dog.
When we got home, the first thing I did was try that pink sweater on Savannah... it fit, but much too snugly. They didn't have a larger size in that style and color, so I'll just return it for a refund. This morning, I went to the web-site where I bought the XXL pink sweater for Savannah and ordered her one in an XL size. I hope the XL fits her when it arrives... we've had some cool and damp mornings and I think she'd appreciate that soft fleece covering.
With our other dog Gracie, I never did buy a sweater or coat for her, but then I don't remember having such cold days during the winter months years ago. Either the 'winter' weather up here in the Hill Country is not as mild as it was near the Gulf Coast, or the weather patterns have changed dramatically over the years. Whatever the reason, I don't want Savannah to feel cold or uncomfortable when we're walking. (And this is why dog-clothing and accessories is a multi-billion-dollar business.)
Since our two trips to the Dog Park with Savannah last week, every time I take her down the driveway she will walk towards my husband's car. Clearly, she expects to get into that car and be driven to the park again... and we will do that but not on a daily basis. I still shake my head over Savannah's graceful flight from the driveway to the back seat of that car, without a second's hesitation. How quickly she learned that a car ride isn't necessarily a bad thing... it depends on the destination. The vet's office may not be her favorite place in the world, but the Dog Park seemed to be heaven on earth for Savannah.
And how quickly I have learned that having a dog in the house again is a wonderful thing. I realize that there are hours in the day that I could be reading, rather than walking up and down the road, or cleaning up the water on the kitchen floor after Savannah drinks from her bowl (she is still the messiest drinker) but not having every minute of every hour to myself doesn't seem necessary anymore. Not when there's another life in the house that's dependent on me.
Savannah has been sleeping through the night now, occasionally barking just once when she needs to know that we're still in the house. I call out to her from the bedroom, telling her "Go to sleep, Savannah," and she does... not needing to be reassured a second time. Those sleepless nights of hearing Savannah barking every couple of hours are history now.
The amount of trust that a dog gives is just overwhelming at times. Savannah opens her eyes when I walk into the kitchen in the morning and those beautiful eyes follow me as I fix the food for the cats. Savannah will stay in her bed until I've gone into the garage and taken care of the cat food and the litter boxes. But when she sees me come back inside and hears the sound of me getting her collar and leash, she gets up and stretches and walks over to me with her tail wagging. (Gone are those early days when I had to chase her around the kitchen because she didn't like that leash.)
Trust. It's all about trust, which sometimes needs extra time to take hold, especially when you adopt a dog that's had a few months with another owner whose interactions with the dog may not have been ideal. I don't think Savannah had a bad life before we adopted her, but I think her living conditions were less 'soft' than the life we're giving her.
I was sitting on the floor of the TV room last night, brushing Savannah's fur... she is gleaming and clean and just as pretty as can be..... and all the while I was brushing and combing her she was sprawled over my legs, half of her in my lap and half of her hanging over me and on the carpet. And she just loved it... making tiny little sighs every few minutes, her eyes closed and her body just a big adorable mass of puppy. My husband looked at her and said "She's a Prima Donna for sure."
Indeed she is. And what puppy wouldn't want to be?
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
There's a Park! A Park just for Puppies and Dogs! And I Was There! Twice! A Park! And all the Puppies and all the Dogs Do Not have to wear a Leash in the Park!
Momma and Daddy kept telling me the other day that We Were Going To The Park but I didn't know what that meant and when they took me outside to Daddy's Car I wouldn't get in. Momma pulled and pushed and said that No Puppy On This Planet Turns To Stone As Quickly As Savannah and then my Daddy Person got behind me and Just Picked Me Up and next thing I knew I was in the Car and I thought Oh No They're Going To Get Me Fixed Again but then we ended up at The Park! There were Little Dogs and Big Dogs and I looked for Puppy #1 but he wasn't there and maybe I'm forgetting what Puppy #1 looks and smells like because I haven't seen one Puppy yet around here Who Looks Like Me. The Park had So Many People and there was a Swimming Pool Just For Dogs that Momma said was much Cleaner than the Pond so when a Brown Dog jumped into the Pool I did too and We Both Got Wet and I saw Momma shaking her head and saying I Hope You Can Swim Savannah.
Momma said there was a Little Park for Little Dogs and a Big Park for Big Dogs and they were Both Fenced In and I could see the Little Dogs from the Big Dog Park and Momma said that maybe we should go into the Little Dog Park because I'm still a Puppy but Daddy said No Way Does Savannah Look Like A Little Dog To You? So we stayed in the Big Dog Park with the Big Trees and the Big Pool and the Big Gazebo and my Favorite Part of the Park was that I didn't have to Wear My Leash because there were no Cars and no Trucks just Dogs and People and the Pool and the Grass and Momma said Oh My Savannah Is Going To Sleep For Two Days Straight After She Runs Around The Park For Two Hours.
Momma and Daddy sat in the Gazebo and watched me Running and Playing with the other Big Dogs and then they Got Up so I followed them because I already Know who I Belong to but when Momma and Daddy got Close to the Gate that goes Out of The Park I turned myself around and Started Walking Back to the Gazebo. I heard Momma say that Savannah Is Too Smart For Her Own Good and I didn't know what that meant so I Just Kept Walking. But then I got tired and I let Momma catch me and put my Leash on and then I had to Walk Past The Other Big Dogs wearing my Leash and that was Not Fun but Momma and Daddy didn't Trust me not to Turn Around again when we got to the Gate.
When we got Home I slept for Three Hours and Momma said she hoped I didn't wake her up in the Middle Of The Night because I was Sleeping The Afternoon Away. I did Bark one time but Momma didn't Come Downstairs so I went back to Sleep and when Momma walked into The Kitchen in the Morning she said Thank You Savannah For Not Making Me Walk Outside With You At Three O'Clock In The Morning. Well if Momma didn't want to Do That why didn't she Just Say So. I haven't Barked in the Middle Of The Night since and when Momma comes Down The Stairs in the Morning she says Good Morning Sweet Savannah! instead of telling me that she Must Have Been Out Of Her Mind to Get A Puppy Again.
This afternoon my Daddy Person kept telling me that we were Going To The Park again. I remembered the word Park so when he put the Leash on me after Lunch I knew that I wasn't going Back To The Vet to Get Fixed Again. When Daddy opened up the Back Door of his Car I Jumped Right In There the same way I jump up on the Sofa. Easy Peasy. I was in that Car and Momma was standing in the Driveway and telling Daddy that she Couldn't Believe I Got Into The Car By Myself. I was Looking at Momma and trying to tell her to Get In The Car! We're Going To The Park! Get In The Car!
There were Lots of Dogs and even a Puppy in the Big Dog Park today. Everyone was Not Wearing a Leash and we all Kept Running and Chasing and Playing and some Dogs jumped into the Swimming Pool but I didn't do that Today because a Great Big German Shepard was jumping in the Pool over and over and over and making Big Splashes and all the Other Dogs just stayed Out Of His Way so I did too. Momma and Daddy said Hello to all the Dogs and the People and a Lady said I was a Beautiful Puppy and a Man said Wow She's Going To Be A Very Big Dog Isn't She and one Really Nice Lady said I was Very Elegant and I didn't know what that meant so I just Sat Myself Down in the Dirt and then Momma Rolled Her Eyes Up To The Sky.
One of the Dogs today was an Irish Wolfhound and Momma said that Dog didn't need a Leash she needed a Saddle but she was a Friendly Dog named Fiona and Fiona's Momma said that she was Just A Big Cowardly Lion who happened to weigh 140 pounds. Momma looked at me and said Don't You Even Think About Growing That Big Savannah.
We stayed in the Park for Two Hours today and then Daddy told Momma that it was Time To Go Home but he said not to let Savannah know we were Ready To Leave. I heard my Daddy Person telling Momma to wait until I walked into the Gazebo and then it would be Easy to Get My Leash Back On and then we could all Walk To The Gate instead of Chasing Savannah All Over The Park Like The Other Day.
Well I thought of Running to the Other Side of the Park right that Minute but I figured that if I didn't Behave Myself Like The Elegant Puppy that I am then my Daddy Person might not want to take me Back To The Park Again. So I walked into the Gazebo and sat down by Momma and she put the Leash on me and Daddy said See It Worked! We Don't Have to Chase Her! and I let Daddy think it was all his Idea.
When we got out of The Gate and walked up to The Car Daddy opened up the Back Door for me and I Jumped Up On The Seat Easy Peasy and Momma just stood there saying I Don't Believe How Quickly Savannah Learned To Get Into This Car.
I wanted to tell Momma that maybe she should have Driven Me To The Park a couple of times Before she Drove Me To The Vet's Office To Get Fixed but I think Momma knows that by now.
Momma and Daddy kept telling me the other day that We Were Going To The Park but I didn't know what that meant and when they took me outside to Daddy's Car I wouldn't get in. Momma pulled and pushed and said that No Puppy On This Planet Turns To Stone As Quickly As Savannah and then my Daddy Person got behind me and Just Picked Me Up and next thing I knew I was in the Car and I thought Oh No They're Going To Get Me Fixed Again but then we ended up at The Park! There were Little Dogs and Big Dogs and I looked for Puppy #1 but he wasn't there and maybe I'm forgetting what Puppy #1 looks and smells like because I haven't seen one Puppy yet around here Who Looks Like Me. The Park had So Many People and there was a Swimming Pool Just For Dogs that Momma said was much Cleaner than the Pond so when a Brown Dog jumped into the Pool I did too and We Both Got Wet and I saw Momma shaking her head and saying I Hope You Can Swim Savannah.
Momma said there was a Little Park for Little Dogs and a Big Park for Big Dogs and they were Both Fenced In and I could see the Little Dogs from the Big Dog Park and Momma said that maybe we should go into the Little Dog Park because I'm still a Puppy but Daddy said No Way Does Savannah Look Like A Little Dog To You? So we stayed in the Big Dog Park with the Big Trees and the Big Pool and the Big Gazebo and my Favorite Part of the Park was that I didn't have to Wear My Leash because there were no Cars and no Trucks just Dogs and People and the Pool and the Grass and Momma said Oh My Savannah Is Going To Sleep For Two Days Straight After She Runs Around The Park For Two Hours.
Momma and Daddy sat in the Gazebo and watched me Running and Playing with the other Big Dogs and then they Got Up so I followed them because I already Know who I Belong to but when Momma and Daddy got Close to the Gate that goes Out of The Park I turned myself around and Started Walking Back to the Gazebo. I heard Momma say that Savannah Is Too Smart For Her Own Good and I didn't know what that meant so I Just Kept Walking. But then I got tired and I let Momma catch me and put my Leash on and then I had to Walk Past The Other Big Dogs wearing my Leash and that was Not Fun but Momma and Daddy didn't Trust me not to Turn Around again when we got to the Gate.
When we got Home I slept for Three Hours and Momma said she hoped I didn't wake her up in the Middle Of The Night because I was Sleeping The Afternoon Away. I did Bark one time but Momma didn't Come Downstairs so I went back to Sleep and when Momma walked into The Kitchen in the Morning she said Thank You Savannah For Not Making Me Walk Outside With You At Three O'Clock In The Morning. Well if Momma didn't want to Do That why didn't she Just Say So. I haven't Barked in the Middle Of The Night since and when Momma comes Down The Stairs in the Morning she says Good Morning Sweet Savannah! instead of telling me that she Must Have Been Out Of Her Mind to Get A Puppy Again.
This afternoon my Daddy Person kept telling me that we were Going To The Park again. I remembered the word Park so when he put the Leash on me after Lunch I knew that I wasn't going Back To The Vet to Get Fixed Again. When Daddy opened up the Back Door of his Car I Jumped Right In There the same way I jump up on the Sofa. Easy Peasy. I was in that Car and Momma was standing in the Driveway and telling Daddy that she Couldn't Believe I Got Into The Car By Myself. I was Looking at Momma and trying to tell her to Get In The Car! We're Going To The Park! Get In The Car!
There were Lots of Dogs and even a Puppy in the Big Dog Park today. Everyone was Not Wearing a Leash and we all Kept Running and Chasing and Playing and some Dogs jumped into the Swimming Pool but I didn't do that Today because a Great Big German Shepard was jumping in the Pool over and over and over and making Big Splashes and all the Other Dogs just stayed Out Of His Way so I did too. Momma and Daddy said Hello to all the Dogs and the People and a Lady said I was a Beautiful Puppy and a Man said Wow She's Going To Be A Very Big Dog Isn't She and one Really Nice Lady said I was Very Elegant and I didn't know what that meant so I just Sat Myself Down in the Dirt and then Momma Rolled Her Eyes Up To The Sky.
One of the Dogs today was an Irish Wolfhound and Momma said that Dog didn't need a Leash she needed a Saddle but she was a Friendly Dog named Fiona and Fiona's Momma said that she was Just A Big Cowardly Lion who happened to weigh 140 pounds. Momma looked at me and said Don't You Even Think About Growing That Big Savannah.
We stayed in the Park for Two Hours today and then Daddy told Momma that it was Time To Go Home but he said not to let Savannah know we were Ready To Leave. I heard my Daddy Person telling Momma to wait until I walked into the Gazebo and then it would be Easy to Get My Leash Back On and then we could all Walk To The Gate instead of Chasing Savannah All Over The Park Like The Other Day.
Well I thought of Running to the Other Side of the Park right that Minute but I figured that if I didn't Behave Myself Like The Elegant Puppy that I am then my Daddy Person might not want to take me Back To The Park Again. So I walked into the Gazebo and sat down by Momma and she put the Leash on me and Daddy said See It Worked! We Don't Have to Chase Her! and I let Daddy think it was all his Idea.
When we got out of The Gate and walked up to The Car Daddy opened up the Back Door for me and I Jumped Up On The Seat Easy Peasy and Momma just stood there saying I Don't Believe How Quickly Savannah Learned To Get Into This Car.
I wanted to tell Momma that maybe she should have Driven Me To The Park a couple of times Before she Drove Me To The Vet's Office To Get Fixed but I think Momma knows that by now.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
The Dog Park
It was a beautiful day yesterday and we took Savannah to the local dog park. Getting her into the car is always a challenge... she balks as soon as we open up the car door and then turns to stone, and the look on her face is pure fright. My husband picked her up, though, and put her on the back seat of his car. Easy for him to do at this stage of her puppy life but she will soon be too big for him to pick up. (I'm guessing she's between 45 - 50 pounds now.)
Once Savannah is in the car, she's perfectly fine. She sits there on the seat and looks out the window, studying every little thing that she sees, from livestock to trees, from birds flying overhead to other vehicles on the road. It's getting her into the car that's the problem, but we're hoping this will pass.
Yesterday was the second time she's been in a car for something other than a vet visit, so we're thinking that the more 'joy rides' she gets, the more comfortable she'll be with the whole idea of getting into the car, and sooner or later she'll be jumping into that car with a big smile on her face.
The dog park near town is magnificent... one look at the three separate fenced-in areas and one can tell that a lot of planning went into that property. There is a one-acre plot for small dogs and puppies; a four-acre plot for large dogs; a one-acre area that is set up with equipment similar to that of a canine obstacle course; plus there is a separate area with a huge aluminum sink so you can bathe your dog before you leave the park. Both the small-dog area and the large-dog area have a gazebo and a swimming pool. (The pools are only to be used by the dogs... not their owners.) There are water stations with hoses to fill up bowls with fresh water. Lots of trees were left on the property when they cleared it for the dog park and it all has a very serene look to it. There are double-entry gates to each of the separate areas so getting in and out of each section is secure enough that a dog doesn't have the chance to just bolt out of the gate and run off into the woods after a rabbit.
When we got there yesterday, there were two dogs in the large-dog park..... a Brittany Spaniel and a Black-Mouthed Cur/Beagle mix. The spaniel was jumping into the pool (chasing a retrieval toy) and the Cur was barely getting his paws wet at the edge of the water. (Both of the swimming pools have shallow edges so the dogs can walk into and out of the pool if they're not of a mind to just jump in.)
Savannah did not jump into the pool after the spaniel, but she did wade in from the side, all the way up to her chest. When she realized that she had to start swimming, she turned around and walked out of the pool. I brought her towel with us because I had a feeling that she would test the water there, especially after having that experience in our neighbor's pond up the road.
We were at the park for nearly two hours and Savannah explored every inch of it. When we decided to go home, Savannah followed us as we walked towards the gates. By that time, the Brittany Spaniel had left and the Cur was nearly brave enough to get into the pool. When Savannah saw that we were close to the exit gate, she must have realized that we were about to leave. Well, she turned herself right around and started walking... and walking... and then we had to follow her, all the way to the farthest part of the large-dog park. Clearly, Savannah was not ready to go home.
When we caught up to her, I put her leash on and then all three of us walked back towards the exit gate again. I told my husband that we'd have to work on the "Come!" command with Savannah before we brought her back there..... and maybe taking her into the small-dog area would be better while she's still a puppy because she would have less space to roam.
I cleaned Savannah off with her towel before we got her back into the car... she loves that big towel, standing there and just eating up all the attention and trying to lick my face with thanks as I rub her down. Driving back home, Savannah sat on the seat and watched the scenery again, but then curled up in an exhausted heap in a corner of the back seat, clearly tired from her adventure. I don't think she stopped moving for more than a minute at a time for all the while we were at that park.
We're thinking that Savannah is afraid of getting into the car just because of her limited experience with any sort of vehicle. With her previous owners, when they brought her to the vet for shots, they put her in an open crate in the back of a pick-up truck, just as they did when they brought her to us that day we adopted her. Being in the back of an open truck, inside an open crate with only bars on the crate bottom (rather than a flat crate-bottom), Savannah must have been very uncomfortable and frightened, to say the least. I don't understand that whole country-thing about transporting dogs in the back of a truck.
When we got home yesterday, Savannah fell into a deep sleep for three hours. She didn't even stop at her water bowl when we got into the kitchen... she just went into the TV room and spread her puppy self on the carpet near Sweet Pea's cat-cave and went to sleep. (The cat-cave being the puppy crate that Savannah no longer fits into comfortably.) Not a peep came out of that puppy till dinner time.
I've noticed that when Savannah has a lot of activity, such as the other day with Lupin up at Jim and Judy's pond, or yesterday at the dog park, that level of energy takes a while to disappear. When she woke up from her nap yesterday, Savannah was clearly ready to go back to that dog park and start all over again. You could see it in her eyes... "Let's go! Let's go back! What are you waiting for?!"
On more quiet days, when it's just Savannah and myself in the house, with regular walking during the day and the only off-leash time being inside the house, she is a more sedate puppy, becoming once again the 'old soul' that I think she is in her puppy heart.
Once Savannah is in the car, she's perfectly fine. She sits there on the seat and looks out the window, studying every little thing that she sees, from livestock to trees, from birds flying overhead to other vehicles on the road. It's getting her into the car that's the problem, but we're hoping this will pass.
Yesterday was the second time she's been in a car for something other than a vet visit, so we're thinking that the more 'joy rides' she gets, the more comfortable she'll be with the whole idea of getting into the car, and sooner or later she'll be jumping into that car with a big smile on her face.
The dog park near town is magnificent... one look at the three separate fenced-in areas and one can tell that a lot of planning went into that property. There is a one-acre plot for small dogs and puppies; a four-acre plot for large dogs; a one-acre area that is set up with equipment similar to that of a canine obstacle course; plus there is a separate area with a huge aluminum sink so you can bathe your dog before you leave the park. Both the small-dog area and the large-dog area have a gazebo and a swimming pool. (The pools are only to be used by the dogs... not their owners.) There are water stations with hoses to fill up bowls with fresh water. Lots of trees were left on the property when they cleared it for the dog park and it all has a very serene look to it. There are double-entry gates to each of the separate areas so getting in and out of each section is secure enough that a dog doesn't have the chance to just bolt out of the gate and run off into the woods after a rabbit.
When we got there yesterday, there were two dogs in the large-dog park..... a Brittany Spaniel and a Black-Mouthed Cur/Beagle mix. The spaniel was jumping into the pool (chasing a retrieval toy) and the Cur was barely getting his paws wet at the edge of the water. (Both of the swimming pools have shallow edges so the dogs can walk into and out of the pool if they're not of a mind to just jump in.)
Savannah did not jump into the pool after the spaniel, but she did wade in from the side, all the way up to her chest. When she realized that she had to start swimming, she turned around and walked out of the pool. I brought her towel with us because I had a feeling that she would test the water there, especially after having that experience in our neighbor's pond up the road.
We were at the park for nearly two hours and Savannah explored every inch of it. When we decided to go home, Savannah followed us as we walked towards the gates. By that time, the Brittany Spaniel had left and the Cur was nearly brave enough to get into the pool. When Savannah saw that we were close to the exit gate, she must have realized that we were about to leave. Well, she turned herself right around and started walking... and walking... and then we had to follow her, all the way to the farthest part of the large-dog park. Clearly, Savannah was not ready to go home.
When we caught up to her, I put her leash on and then all three of us walked back towards the exit gate again. I told my husband that we'd have to work on the "Come!" command with Savannah before we brought her back there..... and maybe taking her into the small-dog area would be better while she's still a puppy because she would have less space to roam.
I cleaned Savannah off with her towel before we got her back into the car... she loves that big towel, standing there and just eating up all the attention and trying to lick my face with thanks as I rub her down. Driving back home, Savannah sat on the seat and watched the scenery again, but then curled up in an exhausted heap in a corner of the back seat, clearly tired from her adventure. I don't think she stopped moving for more than a minute at a time for all the while we were at that park.
We're thinking that Savannah is afraid of getting into the car just because of her limited experience with any sort of vehicle. With her previous owners, when they brought her to the vet for shots, they put her in an open crate in the back of a pick-up truck, just as they did when they brought her to us that day we adopted her. Being in the back of an open truck, inside an open crate with only bars on the crate bottom (rather than a flat crate-bottom), Savannah must have been very uncomfortable and frightened, to say the least. I don't understand that whole country-thing about transporting dogs in the back of a truck.
When we got home yesterday, Savannah fell into a deep sleep for three hours. She didn't even stop at her water bowl when we got into the kitchen... she just went into the TV room and spread her puppy self on the carpet near Sweet Pea's cat-cave and went to sleep. (The cat-cave being the puppy crate that Savannah no longer fits into comfortably.) Not a peep came out of that puppy till dinner time.
I've noticed that when Savannah has a lot of activity, such as the other day with Lupin up at Jim and Judy's pond, or yesterday at the dog park, that level of energy takes a while to disappear. When she woke up from her nap yesterday, Savannah was clearly ready to go back to that dog park and start all over again. You could see it in her eyes... "Let's go! Let's go back! What are you waiting for?!"
On more quiet days, when it's just Savannah and myself in the house, with regular walking during the day and the only off-leash time being inside the house, she is a more sedate puppy, becoming once again the 'old soul' that I think she is in her puppy heart.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Sleeping the night away...
....well, nearly the entire night. I was determined not to come downstairs last night when Savannah barked in the middle of the pre-dawn morning. I barely opened my eyes when I heard her bark just one time at 2:30 this morning. I lifted my head off the pillow and called out "Go to sleep, Savannah!" Then the next thing I knew, it was 6:30 in the morning and I was waking up without having had to get out of that bed and walk up and down the driveway with a flash-light while the stars were out and the coyotes were howling.
Glory be to the puppy gods. I had been reading dog-training tips on the Internet and one site suggested that a puppy barking just one time in the middle of the night doesn't necessarily have to go out... some puppies just want to know that someone else is around. They will bark one time to see if anyone answers them. Being that Savannah sleeps on the first floor and we sleep on the second floor, she probably feels lonely when she wakes up in the middle of the night, which she has consistently been doing for the past three weeks.
At nearly seven months old now, Savannah's bladder is mature enough to 'hold it in' from her late-night walk until her after-the-sunrise walk, and she proved that last night. Actually, when I came down the stairs into the kitchen this morning, Savannah was still in her bed and didn't move anything except her tail in greeting. I even fed the cats and cleaned their litter boxes before I picked up Savannah's leash and got her outside for a walk. And this puppy yawned and stretched all the way down our considerably long driveway.
Speaking of outside... after Savannah's baptism-by-pond yesterday with visiting-dog Lupin up the road, every time I walked her past Jim and Judy's driveway today she stopped and looked for that water-loving Irish Setter. Thankfully, Lupin is now on her way back to Colorado with her 'parents.' And I couldn't be happier. I noticed that in Lupin's company, Savannah turned from an old-soul mild-manned puppy into a hyper-energetic can't-get-enough-of-everything dog. Not exactly the type of canine that fits either my personality or my husband's.
After Savannah jumped into Jim and Judy's pond yesterday (following Lupin's lead) she was quite proud of herself and would have done it again and again until her pretty white and copper fur was thoroughly soaked with pond-water and mud and heaven-only-knows-what-else. If that's what Lupin's owners want for their dog, so be it. But it's not the kind of activity that I want for mine. If Savannah wants to play and splash in the water, then fine... we'll get her one of those plastic kiddie pools and I'll make sure the water is clean and snake-free before she gets into it. I was cringing in my shoes yesterday when Savannah jumped into that pond up there. Water-Moccasins love pond water around here, and I would have definitely not been happy if I'd had to rush Savannah to the vet yesterday after her pond adventure with Lupin.
Lupin's owner is very proud of his well-trained dog who has learned many commands and words in sign-language, and rightly so. Lupin is indeed a very smart Irish Setter, and her owners have put two years' worth of training into her, but the bottom line is she's still a dog with a dog's instinct. At one point yesterday morning, Lupin spotted a deer off near the woods up the hill and she chased it... her owner called her and commanded her to come back. Well... Lupin kept running towards the deer and had no intentions of coming back until she either caught the deer or got tired of chasing that deer. I heard that Lupin's owner ran off after her for a considerable distance, so far away that they were both on the other side of our hills here.
Lupin finally quit running when she realized that she could not catch that deer. Her doggie-daddy was not pleased at all when he caught up with her and commanded her with sign-language to follow him home. When I saw Lupin and her owner yesterday afternoon (pre-pond-immersion) I had to bite my tongue to not ask that doggie-daddy what the sign language would be for Lupin to not chase a deer into practically the next county. (I am so bad.)
Glory be to the puppy gods. I had been reading dog-training tips on the Internet and one site suggested that a puppy barking just one time in the middle of the night doesn't necessarily have to go out... some puppies just want to know that someone else is around. They will bark one time to see if anyone answers them. Being that Savannah sleeps on the first floor and we sleep on the second floor, she probably feels lonely when she wakes up in the middle of the night, which she has consistently been doing for the past three weeks.
At nearly seven months old now, Savannah's bladder is mature enough to 'hold it in' from her late-night walk until her after-the-sunrise walk, and she proved that last night. Actually, when I came down the stairs into the kitchen this morning, Savannah was still in her bed and didn't move anything except her tail in greeting. I even fed the cats and cleaned their litter boxes before I picked up Savannah's leash and got her outside for a walk. And this puppy yawned and stretched all the way down our considerably long driveway.
Speaking of outside... after Savannah's baptism-by-pond yesterday with visiting-dog Lupin up the road, every time I walked her past Jim and Judy's driveway today she stopped and looked for that water-loving Irish Setter. Thankfully, Lupin is now on her way back to Colorado with her 'parents.' And I couldn't be happier. I noticed that in Lupin's company, Savannah turned from an old-soul mild-manned puppy into a hyper-energetic can't-get-enough-of-everything dog. Not exactly the type of canine that fits either my personality or my husband's.
After Savannah jumped into Jim and Judy's pond yesterday (following Lupin's lead) she was quite proud of herself and would have done it again and again until her pretty white and copper fur was thoroughly soaked with pond-water and mud and heaven-only-knows-what-else. If that's what Lupin's owners want for their dog, so be it. But it's not the kind of activity that I want for mine. If Savannah wants to play and splash in the water, then fine... we'll get her one of those plastic kiddie pools and I'll make sure the water is clean and snake-free before she gets into it. I was cringing in my shoes yesterday when Savannah jumped into that pond up there. Water-Moccasins love pond water around here, and I would have definitely not been happy if I'd had to rush Savannah to the vet yesterday after her pond adventure with Lupin.
Lupin's owner is very proud of his well-trained dog who has learned many commands and words in sign-language, and rightly so. Lupin is indeed a very smart Irish Setter, and her owners have put two years' worth of training into her, but the bottom line is she's still a dog with a dog's instinct. At one point yesterday morning, Lupin spotted a deer off near the woods up the hill and she chased it... her owner called her and commanded her to come back. Well... Lupin kept running towards the deer and had no intentions of coming back until she either caught the deer or got tired of chasing that deer. I heard that Lupin's owner ran off after her for a considerable distance, so far away that they were both on the other side of our hills here.
Lupin finally quit running when she realized that she could not catch that deer. Her doggie-daddy was not pleased at all when he caught up with her and commanded her with sign-language to follow him home. When I saw Lupin and her owner yesterday afternoon (pre-pond-immersion) I had to bite my tongue to not ask that doggie-daddy what the sign language would be for Lupin to not chase a deer into practically the next county. (I am so bad.)
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Water! Lots of Water! It was like an Ocean even though Momma was calling it a Pond. And the Best Part was that I jumped Into the Pond and Got All Wet and Momma stood there holding my Pink Velvet Leash and saying Oh Savannah Savannah Savannah You're Going To Get All Wet In There. Well Momma was Wrong because by the time she Said That I was Already Good and Wet.
Momma walked me up The Road to Jim and Judy's so I could Play with their company's dog Lupin who is visiting from a place called Colorado. We met Lupin yesterday when we walked up The Road and Lupin and I ran in the Grass after a Toy that Lupin's Daddy kept throwing out into The Grass. Momma didn't like that I was Running in the Tall Grass at Jim and Judy's yesterday because she said Heaven Only Knows What Sort Of Snakes Are In That Grass but I wasn't watching for Snakes I was just Running after Lupin and it was So Much Fun! And today was Even More Fun!
This afternoon after the Tea Ladies went home Momma walked me up The Road to Jim and Judy's again and there was Lupin Running and Playing in the Grass by their Pond and next thing I knew Lupin was Running Into The Pond and Momma was saying Good Girl Savannah Good Girl because I stopped at the Edge of the Pond and didn't Go In. But then Lupin Ran again and Ran Faster and then she Ran Really Really Fast and I was Following her and Lupin Jumped Into The Pond with a Big Splash and I just Followed Lupin and made a Big Splash of my own and I could hear Momma saying Oh My Savannah I Just Brushed You And You Were Nice And Clean And Now You're Going To Smell Like That Pond.
But it was So Much Fun! I didn't even Know that I could Swim but I kept Swimming behind Lupin and making Splashes and More Splashes and Miss Judy and Bella were there and I was waiting for Bella to Jump In The Pond also but she's so Small that Lupin might have thought that little Chihuahua was a Toy and could have Grabbed her and Carried her out of The Pond so maybe Bella was Smart to stay in the Tall Grass and Not Jump Into The Water.
Everybody around the Pond was Laughing and Clapping and saying Look At Those Dogs Go Aren't They Having The Time Of Their Lives and there was my Momma still holding my Leash and telling Jim and Judy and Their Company that if Momma wanted a Dog who Jumped Into The Pond she would not have bought me a Pretty Blue Collar and a Pink Velvet Leash she would have Just Settled for a Plain Old Rope.
Miss Judy looked at Momma and said that Savannah Is Sure Going To Sleep Well Tonight and Momma said she Sure Hoped So and I looked at Momma to see if she was Still Upset with me for Barking In The Middle Of The Night and Waking Up The Entire State Of Texas At Three O'Clock In The Morning even though there were No Zombies stealing my Blue Monkey but I think Momma has Forgotten all about That and Now Momma is probably Upset With Me because I Jumped Into The Pond with Lupin and Got All Wet.
But It Was So Much Fun! More fun than the Little Blue Pool that I had with Puppy #1 because The Pond has So Much More Water and the Spashes Are So Much Bigger!
And I Know How To Swim! I Can Swim!
And I Don't Think I Smell Too Much Like The Pond but I don't exactly Smell Like Momma's Sweet and Clean Savannah either. Momma told me that A Bath Is In My Future and I don't know what a Bath is but Momma said We'll See How Much You Like Splashing In The Water When It's Bath Time Miss Savannah.
Momma walked me up The Road to Jim and Judy's so I could Play with their company's dog Lupin who is visiting from a place called Colorado. We met Lupin yesterday when we walked up The Road and Lupin and I ran in the Grass after a Toy that Lupin's Daddy kept throwing out into The Grass. Momma didn't like that I was Running in the Tall Grass at Jim and Judy's yesterday because she said Heaven Only Knows What Sort Of Snakes Are In That Grass but I wasn't watching for Snakes I was just Running after Lupin and it was So Much Fun! And today was Even More Fun!
This afternoon after the Tea Ladies went home Momma walked me up The Road to Jim and Judy's again and there was Lupin Running and Playing in the Grass by their Pond and next thing I knew Lupin was Running Into The Pond and Momma was saying Good Girl Savannah Good Girl because I stopped at the Edge of the Pond and didn't Go In. But then Lupin Ran again and Ran Faster and then she Ran Really Really Fast and I was Following her and Lupin Jumped Into The Pond with a Big Splash and I just Followed Lupin and made a Big Splash of my own and I could hear Momma saying Oh My Savannah I Just Brushed You And You Were Nice And Clean And Now You're Going To Smell Like That Pond.
But it was So Much Fun! I didn't even Know that I could Swim but I kept Swimming behind Lupin and making Splashes and More Splashes and Miss Judy and Bella were there and I was waiting for Bella to Jump In The Pond also but she's so Small that Lupin might have thought that little Chihuahua was a Toy and could have Grabbed her and Carried her out of The Pond so maybe Bella was Smart to stay in the Tall Grass and Not Jump Into The Water.
Everybody around the Pond was Laughing and Clapping and saying Look At Those Dogs Go Aren't They Having The Time Of Their Lives and there was my Momma still holding my Leash and telling Jim and Judy and Their Company that if Momma wanted a Dog who Jumped Into The Pond she would not have bought me a Pretty Blue Collar and a Pink Velvet Leash she would have Just Settled for a Plain Old Rope.
Miss Judy looked at Momma and said that Savannah Is Sure Going To Sleep Well Tonight and Momma said she Sure Hoped So and I looked at Momma to see if she was Still Upset with me for Barking In The Middle Of The Night and Waking Up The Entire State Of Texas At Three O'Clock In The Morning even though there were No Zombies stealing my Blue Monkey but I think Momma has Forgotten all about That and Now Momma is probably Upset With Me because I Jumped Into The Pond with Lupin and Got All Wet.
But It Was So Much Fun! More fun than the Little Blue Pool that I had with Puppy #1 because The Pond has So Much More Water and the Spashes Are So Much Bigger!
And I Know How To Swim! I Can Swim!
And I Don't Think I Smell Too Much Like The Pond but I don't exactly Smell Like Momma's Sweet and Clean Savannah either. Momma told me that A Bath Is In My Future and I don't know what a Bath is but Momma said We'll See How Much You Like Splashing In The Water When It's Bath Time Miss Savannah.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Middle-of-The-Night Madness
Or just plain mad. After so many after-midnights of getting up to let Savannah walk in the yard to use the grass, and then preparing for our Halloween party on Saturday and then cleaning up afterwards, I was just totally exhausted last night when I got into bed.
All that being said, I wasn't too pleased with myself earlier this morning. Savannah woke me up twice during the night, at 1:45 and at 3:45. Both times, she barked just once or twice and she was near the bottom of the back stairs in the kitchen. I took her outside both times, thinking she had to pee... but each time, all she did was walk around the grass a little bit and pick up a few leaves, then she stood there looking up at the stars (quite pretty last night, actually), and then she just became motionless on the lawn as she listened to the coyotes howling in the woods during the second visit out to the grass. I lost count of how many times I walked up and down our driveway so she could 'use the grass' on either side of the concrete.
And there I was, with my brand new flash-light that's much brighter than the old one, and with each minute that Savannah did not squat down in that grass, my patience was getting to the breaking point and I would have been perfectly happy to toss that flash-light out into the woods with the coyotes. It was at the moment when Savannah jumped up to catch a moth in her mouth that I drew the puppy line. I yanked that leash of hers and stormed back into the house... do not pass Go, do not collect 200 dog biscuits, go straight to jail, you crazy night-loving puppy.
When I got Savannah into the kitchen, I practically ripped that leash off of her, grabbed her by that pretty blue collar and hissed like a snake into her ear: "Do not EVER wake me up in the middle of the night again unless there are zombies on the porch wanting to steal that blue monkey of yours." Savannah didn't blink and neither did I. When I let go of her collar, I threw my jacket onto a chair and up the stairs I went. I was so mad with that puppy that I could have just screamed at her till my throat was hoarse. (Problem solving at its best. Not.)
I got back upstairs in bed and promised myself that there would be no more middle-of-the-freaking-night trips out into the grass from now on. To cement that promise, when I got downstairs this morning, Savannah was in her bed and didn't even get up out of it when I walked into the breakfast room. Clearly, she remembered my outburst from 4:00 in the morning. Rather than rushing outside with Savannah, I just let her wait. I fed Sweet Pea and cleaned his litter box, then went out to the garage and let Gatsby out, then fed Mickey and and cleaned the litter boxes in the garage... and then after letting Mickey out into the yard, I came back inside and took Savannah for her walk.
Up the road we went, and it surprised the heck out of me that Savannah did not crouch down to pee until we had gone all the way up our hill and turned left going towards Judy and Bella's driveway. All those hours, and Savannah's puppy-bladder had been just fine. Surely, this six-and-a-half-month-old puppy can make it through the night now without having to go outside at three o'clock in the morning to count the stars and listen to the coyotes.
One thing, though, that broke my heart and brought me back to a sane level of patience this morning: when I walked down the back stairs and into the kitchen at 7:15, there on the second step from the bottom was Savannah's blue monkey, face up and staring right at me with lifeless eyes. That puppy apparently left it there for me at some point after I had grabbed her by the collar and hissed in her ear and then went up those same stairs at 4:00 this morning. Seeing Savannah's monkey on that step just deflated me and I could have cried.
All that being said, I wasn't too pleased with myself earlier this morning. Savannah woke me up twice during the night, at 1:45 and at 3:45. Both times, she barked just once or twice and she was near the bottom of the back stairs in the kitchen. I took her outside both times, thinking she had to pee... but each time, all she did was walk around the grass a little bit and pick up a few leaves, then she stood there looking up at the stars (quite pretty last night, actually), and then she just became motionless on the lawn as she listened to the coyotes howling in the woods during the second visit out to the grass. I lost count of how many times I walked up and down our driveway so she could 'use the grass' on either side of the concrete.
And there I was, with my brand new flash-light that's much brighter than the old one, and with each minute that Savannah did not squat down in that grass, my patience was getting to the breaking point and I would have been perfectly happy to toss that flash-light out into the woods with the coyotes. It was at the moment when Savannah jumped up to catch a moth in her mouth that I drew the puppy line. I yanked that leash of hers and stormed back into the house... do not pass Go, do not collect 200 dog biscuits, go straight to jail, you crazy night-loving puppy.
When I got Savannah into the kitchen, I practically ripped that leash off of her, grabbed her by that pretty blue collar and hissed like a snake into her ear: "Do not EVER wake me up in the middle of the night again unless there are zombies on the porch wanting to steal that blue monkey of yours." Savannah didn't blink and neither did I. When I let go of her collar, I threw my jacket onto a chair and up the stairs I went. I was so mad with that puppy that I could have just screamed at her till my throat was hoarse. (Problem solving at its best. Not.)
I got back upstairs in bed and promised myself that there would be no more middle-of-the-freaking-night trips out into the grass from now on. To cement that promise, when I got downstairs this morning, Savannah was in her bed and didn't even get up out of it when I walked into the breakfast room. Clearly, she remembered my outburst from 4:00 in the morning. Rather than rushing outside with Savannah, I just let her wait. I fed Sweet Pea and cleaned his litter box, then went out to the garage and let Gatsby out, then fed Mickey and and cleaned the litter boxes in the garage... and then after letting Mickey out into the yard, I came back inside and took Savannah for her walk.
Up the road we went, and it surprised the heck out of me that Savannah did not crouch down to pee until we had gone all the way up our hill and turned left going towards Judy and Bella's driveway. All those hours, and Savannah's puppy-bladder had been just fine. Surely, this six-and-a-half-month-old puppy can make it through the night now without having to go outside at three o'clock in the morning to count the stars and listen to the coyotes.
One thing, though, that broke my heart and brought me back to a sane level of patience this morning: when I walked down the back stairs and into the kitchen at 7:15, there on the second step from the bottom was Savannah's blue monkey, face up and staring right at me with lifeless eyes. That puppy apparently left it there for me at some point after I had grabbed her by the collar and hissed in her ear and then went up those same stairs at 4:00 this morning. Seeing Savannah's monkey on that step just deflated me and I could have cried.
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