Yesterday was my Momma's Birthday and I don't exactly know what That means but I got some Chinese Fried Rice with my Dinner and Daddy told me that Momma didn't Look A Day Older Than The Day Before HaHaHa.
We went to the Dog Park yesterday because Daddy said it was a Very Pretty Day and Momma said that All Birthdays should be Celebrated in the Park. Daddy has a Red Car now because someone Smashed Into his Gray Car and Daddy told Momma that I probably Wouldn't Even Notice the Different Car but I Did Notice Right Away but I jumped into the Red Car anyway because Who Cares what Color the Car is as long as The Car Is Going To The Park.
There were Lots of Dogs at the Park yesterday and I Ran Around and Around with all of them and then I walked around the Edge of the Park with Momma and Daddy because they're Trying to Train Me to Follow Them and Of Course I'm going to Follow Them because They Have the Keys To The Car and How Else would I get Back Home to Sweet Pea and My Bed.
We were in the Park for a Long Time yesterday and just when We Were Ready To Leave two Big Dogs Came into the Park and they were Growling and Barking and Momma didn't Like The Looks of Those Dogs and she Grabbed My Collar and Daddy put My Leash on My Neck Real Quick and Momma said Okay Savannah We're Ready To Go Home.
We were Walking to The Gate of the Park and one of the Big Dogs came Running and Sniffing At Me and then He Lunged At Me and Momma Screamed as Loud as the Train Whistles and Daddy Pulled Me Away with My Leash and the Man with the Big Dogs clapped his Hands to Get His Dogs Away from Me but the One Big Dog wasn't Listening to that Clapping and He Lunged at Me again and Momma Screamed again and Daddy kept Pulling Me towards The Gate and the Man got his Big Dogs to Go to the Other Side of the Park and then those Big Dogs started Barking and Growling at the other Dogs.
Daddy was Mad and Momma was Upset and I was just Very Happy to Jump Into The Red Car so we could Go Home where I knew we Would Be Safe From Big Dogs who Bark and Growl. Daddy said that next time he'll Bring Mace or an Air Horn to the Dog Park and Momma said Maybe We Shouldn't Go Back To The Dog Park At All and Nobody is Asking Me what I think but I really haven't Made Up My Mind Yet.
Momma was All Upset and she Looked Me Over from my Big Nose to my Fluffy Tail and didn't see any Marks or Bites on me. Daddy was Mad at the Man with the Big Dogs and said that People Who Own Dogs They Can't Control Shouldn't Bring Them to Dog Parks In The First Place. Momma said we Can't Blame The Dogs and Daddy said that Stupid People Shouldn't Even Own Dogs.
Daddy told Momma that Nothing Like This has ever Happened before in the Dog Park and Momma said that If We Never Go Back There Again It Would Be Too Soon and that was So Confusing to Me that I still Don't Know what it means.
Momma brushed Every Inch of me when We Got Home yesterday and she said that we were Lucky I didn't get Hurt by that Big Dog and Daddy said he was Happy that I had My Leash On and Momma said she wished she Had Given That Stupid Man A Piece Of Her Mind before we left the Park.
Today wasn't Momma's Birthday again but it was Sunny and Warm just Like Yesterday and Daddy wanted to go to the Dog Park but Momma said No And That's That and Daddy looked at Me and said Maybe Tomorrow Savannah but then I looked at Momma and she said Over My Dead Body and I don't know what That means but I Don't Think it's a Good Thing because Momma didn't say HaHaHa afterwards.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Patience is a virtue...
...especially when you have a puppy. And no matter how old Savannah gets (she is a bit over 9 months now) and no matter how big she grows (60+ pounds at this writing) something tells me that this dog will always have a lot of puppy in her.
There are still nights when Savannah wakes us up barking at least two or three times a night. Sometimes my husband hears every single bark and other times he sleeps through every bit of it. I realize there are all kinds of wildlife out on our property in the middle of the night, but honestly, one would think that Savannah would have gotten used to the 'normal' night sounds around here by now. I understand why she would bark at a raccoon that found its way up on our porch, but barking at a bunch of coyotes off in the woods is just beyond reason. And there are very few nights when we don't hear dozens of coyotes howling out there in the moonlight.
I have to remember all the good things about Savannah when she starts her roaring barks at two or three o'clock in the morning. And there certainly are lots of good things.
First of all, Savannah doesn't hurt the cats, and she actually seems to enjoy their company. Sweet Pea is an inside cat and is always in the house with Savannah and never once has this puppy tried to play rough with him. On the contrary, Savannah sometimes tries to get into Sweet Pea's very small pillow-bed when that cat is all curled up in it, and there are days when Sweet Pea is stretched out in Savannah's bed and this puppy does very little to persuade Sweet Pea to get back into his own cat-bed. I've walked into the kitchen at times and found Savannah and Sweet Pea side by side, just sleeping on the rug in the middle of the kitchen. And neither one of them will be the first to move, resulting in me stepping over and around them in order to prepare a meal.
With our two outside cats, Savannah will walk up to them and let either Mickey or Gatsby smell her nose or walk underneath her. The only times when Savannah has tried to run after those cats are when they're running and playing in the driveway, and I really don't expect Savannah to not run if the cats are running, so I just hold her leash tighter so I can brace myself to prevent her from taking off after them.
Savannah quickly earned our trust with being allowed to roam around the rooms of the first floor... she rarely touches things that are not her own toys, and even when all the Christmas decorations were up in the living room and dining room in November and December, this puppy didn't bother one little thing. I still have not encouraged Savannah to go up the stairs to the second floor, but that's for her own safety, not because I think she would bother anything up there. Both the back stairs and the main staircase are not carpeted, and I think she wouldn't be able to get up and down without sliding or falling on the polished wood. And maybe she knows that, because she hasn't ever tried to follow us up either staircase. (Yet.)
Within days of coming into our house, Savannah quickly learned to let us know when she had to go outside. And wonder of wonders, she does that without barking. If Savannah has to 'visit' the grass, she will walk up to me and put both her paws on my knees, looking straight into my eyes, no puppy-grin, no whining or barking, just a long serious look of full eye-contact. That's her signal to bring her outside. And always, always, she will go quickly in the grass after her 'request,' being very focused and very determined to do what she needs to do.
Savannah has also learned that going to the dog park is a special treat, and leaving the dog park is not a punishment. When we first started taking her there, my husband and I had to practically get her into a corner by a fence in order to put her leash on her so we could lead her out of the park. For the past couple of months, however, Savannah just calmly follows us towards the park exit and she walks right through the first gate where we can attach her leash to her collar, and then the three of us go through the second gate and out into the parking lot. I think Savannah knows now that we'll bring her back to the dog park another time, so leaving isn't all that awful. And she believes now that we are "her people," and I'm certain she doesn't want us to leave the park without her.
After that first two months of not accepting or even acknowledging my husband, Savannah has learned that he's a good guy, not a bad person who's going to hurt her. We still have no idea why she's so afraid of men, but Savannah fully trusts my husband now and has learned to be his best friend, especially when he's eating because he always saves her something from his plate. Savannah does not beg at the table, she just sits there quietly and waits, or she will lie down in her bed in the breakfast room and keep staring at Gary till he's ready to give her a piece of whatever he's eating. And never once has Savannah grabbed at whatever food she's given... she takes everything gently from our hands, no matter if it's a dog biscuit or a piece of bagel with creamcheese.
When I sit on the sofa in the TV room with a book, Savannah will jump up next to me and put her head on my lap or curl up so close to me that I can feel the heat from her body. She is content to just watch me reading, sometimes putting her paw on top of my book to remind me that she's there. She does the same thing to my husband when he's watching television... it's like she wants to get as close to us as she possibly can, which sometimes means she tries to curl up right in our laps. She's too big to be a lap-dog, but she doesn't know that, and we don't try to discourage her.
All in all, Savannah is a very, very good dog. I have to remember that (and all of the above) at three o'clock in the morning when I'm standing at the top of the stairs in the second-floor hallway and trying to wake up enough to walk down the stairs without falling into a heap at the bottom.
There are still nights when Savannah wakes us up barking at least two or three times a night. Sometimes my husband hears every single bark and other times he sleeps through every bit of it. I realize there are all kinds of wildlife out on our property in the middle of the night, but honestly, one would think that Savannah would have gotten used to the 'normal' night sounds around here by now. I understand why she would bark at a raccoon that found its way up on our porch, but barking at a bunch of coyotes off in the woods is just beyond reason. And there are very few nights when we don't hear dozens of coyotes howling out there in the moonlight.
I have to remember all the good things about Savannah when she starts her roaring barks at two or three o'clock in the morning. And there certainly are lots of good things.
First of all, Savannah doesn't hurt the cats, and she actually seems to enjoy their company. Sweet Pea is an inside cat and is always in the house with Savannah and never once has this puppy tried to play rough with him. On the contrary, Savannah sometimes tries to get into Sweet Pea's very small pillow-bed when that cat is all curled up in it, and there are days when Sweet Pea is stretched out in Savannah's bed and this puppy does very little to persuade Sweet Pea to get back into his own cat-bed. I've walked into the kitchen at times and found Savannah and Sweet Pea side by side, just sleeping on the rug in the middle of the kitchen. And neither one of them will be the first to move, resulting in me stepping over and around them in order to prepare a meal.
With our two outside cats, Savannah will walk up to them and let either Mickey or Gatsby smell her nose or walk underneath her. The only times when Savannah has tried to run after those cats are when they're running and playing in the driveway, and I really don't expect Savannah to not run if the cats are running, so I just hold her leash tighter so I can brace myself to prevent her from taking off after them.
Savannah quickly earned our trust with being allowed to roam around the rooms of the first floor... she rarely touches things that are not her own toys, and even when all the Christmas decorations were up in the living room and dining room in November and December, this puppy didn't bother one little thing. I still have not encouraged Savannah to go up the stairs to the second floor, but that's for her own safety, not because I think she would bother anything up there. Both the back stairs and the main staircase are not carpeted, and I think she wouldn't be able to get up and down without sliding or falling on the polished wood. And maybe she knows that, because she hasn't ever tried to follow us up either staircase. (Yet.)
Within days of coming into our house, Savannah quickly learned to let us know when she had to go outside. And wonder of wonders, she does that without barking. If Savannah has to 'visit' the grass, she will walk up to me and put both her paws on my knees, looking straight into my eyes, no puppy-grin, no whining or barking, just a long serious look of full eye-contact. That's her signal to bring her outside. And always, always, she will go quickly in the grass after her 'request,' being very focused and very determined to do what she needs to do.
Savannah has also learned that going to the dog park is a special treat, and leaving the dog park is not a punishment. When we first started taking her there, my husband and I had to practically get her into a corner by a fence in order to put her leash on her so we could lead her out of the park. For the past couple of months, however, Savannah just calmly follows us towards the park exit and she walks right through the first gate where we can attach her leash to her collar, and then the three of us go through the second gate and out into the parking lot. I think Savannah knows now that we'll bring her back to the dog park another time, so leaving isn't all that awful. And she believes now that we are "her people," and I'm certain she doesn't want us to leave the park without her.
After that first two months of not accepting or even acknowledging my husband, Savannah has learned that he's a good guy, not a bad person who's going to hurt her. We still have no idea why she's so afraid of men, but Savannah fully trusts my husband now and has learned to be his best friend, especially when he's eating because he always saves her something from his plate. Savannah does not beg at the table, she just sits there quietly and waits, or she will lie down in her bed in the breakfast room and keep staring at Gary till he's ready to give her a piece of whatever he's eating. And never once has Savannah grabbed at whatever food she's given... she takes everything gently from our hands, no matter if it's a dog biscuit or a piece of bagel with creamcheese.
When I sit on the sofa in the TV room with a book, Savannah will jump up next to me and put her head on my lap or curl up so close to me that I can feel the heat from her body. She is content to just watch me reading, sometimes putting her paw on top of my book to remind me that she's there. She does the same thing to my husband when he's watching television... it's like she wants to get as close to us as she possibly can, which sometimes means she tries to curl up right in our laps. She's too big to be a lap-dog, but she doesn't know that, and we don't try to discourage her.
All in all, Savannah is a very, very good dog. I have to remember that (and all of the above) at three o'clock in the morning when I'm standing at the top of the stairs in the second-floor hallway and trying to wake up enough to walk down the stairs without falling into a heap at the bottom.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Momma has been Downstairs since Before The Sun Came Up This Morning. The first thing Momma said to me was You're Skating On Thin Ice Today Savannah. I don't know what That means but It Sounds Like Fun To Me only Momma wasn't Smiling when she said it.
Momma told me that I Bark Too Much At Nothing During The Night. And Daddy said that I should Save Some Of That Barking for during the Day when Everyone Is Awake. Well I don't Bark At Nothing and when Momma asked me Do You Know What Time It Is Savannah I tried to tell her that Dogs Can't Tell Time because All Time Is The Same and when there's a Noise Outside who cares What Time It Is Anyway.
Daddy said I need Ear Plugs when I'm Sleeping so I don't hear Every Little Thing Outside and Momma said Maybe I should Sleep In The TV Room With Sweet Pea but she didn't see The Look on Sweet Pea's Face when she said That. And being that Sweet Pea is a Cat and he was Here First I don't think he's going to Sit Still For That Idea so Momma should Just Forget About That.
I tried to tell Momma that there are All Kinds Of Noises on the Porch at night. She can't hear the Skunk who Skips Down the driveway or the Raccoon who comes up on the Porch to see if there's Cat Food out there and she doesn't hear the Bats bumping up Against The Windows because they Forget they're Underneath the Porch Roof and then there are the Coyotes which I know that Momma hears but I Never Hear Momma or Daddy howling back at the Coyotes at Night.
When the Trains go by at Night then the Coyotes start to Howl and all the Other Dogs here start Barking and I can Surely Hear That and sometimes I can hear Daddy singing I Hear That Train A-Comin' and then I hear Momma saying Oh Go Back To Sleep before she goes to the Top of the Stairs and tells me You Too Savannah! Go To Sleep!
Everybody here is so Busy worrying about Going To Sleep. There's Too Much going on here All Night and Who Can Sleep when it's Dark anyway. Momma told Daddy that I Slept Like A Rock All Day Long Today and I don't even know what That means and I was Just Too Tired to figure it out.
Momma told me that I Bark Too Much At Nothing During The Night. And Daddy said that I should Save Some Of That Barking for during the Day when Everyone Is Awake. Well I don't Bark At Nothing and when Momma asked me Do You Know What Time It Is Savannah I tried to tell her that Dogs Can't Tell Time because All Time Is The Same and when there's a Noise Outside who cares What Time It Is Anyway.
Daddy said I need Ear Plugs when I'm Sleeping so I don't hear Every Little Thing Outside and Momma said Maybe I should Sleep In The TV Room With Sweet Pea but she didn't see The Look on Sweet Pea's Face when she said That. And being that Sweet Pea is a Cat and he was Here First I don't think he's going to Sit Still For That Idea so Momma should Just Forget About That.
I tried to tell Momma that there are All Kinds Of Noises on the Porch at night. She can't hear the Skunk who Skips Down the driveway or the Raccoon who comes up on the Porch to see if there's Cat Food out there and she doesn't hear the Bats bumping up Against The Windows because they Forget they're Underneath the Porch Roof and then there are the Coyotes which I know that Momma hears but I Never Hear Momma or Daddy howling back at the Coyotes at Night.
When the Trains go by at Night then the Coyotes start to Howl and all the Other Dogs here start Barking and I can Surely Hear That and sometimes I can hear Daddy singing I Hear That Train A-Comin' and then I hear Momma saying Oh Go Back To Sleep before she goes to the Top of the Stairs and tells me You Too Savannah! Go To Sleep!
Everybody here is so Busy worrying about Going To Sleep. There's Too Much going on here All Night and Who Can Sleep when it's Dark anyway. Momma told Daddy that I Slept Like A Rock All Day Long Today and I don't even know what That means and I was Just Too Tired to figure it out.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Sunday in the Dog Park
Today was a bright and sunny day, and even with the wind that was relentless, it was still a very nice day. Perfect day for the dog park, said my husband, so off we went.
My husband is now driving a rental car, the result of a careless driver making a U-turn on the main highway here. Gary's car has to be inspected by the insurance adjusters to determine whether it's fixable or not, and until then, Gary's gray Camry has been replaced with a bright red Ford.
And don't think that Savannah didn't notice the difference. When we took her out to the car, she balked when my husband told her to get into the back seat. The Ford was parked with its back end towards the garage door and we were asking Savannah to get into the car from the passenger side. Well, that didn't work because she usually jumps into the car from the driver's side. My husband walked her around to the other side of the car and told her to get into the back seat and after a moment's hesitation and telling her the word "Park!" she did get into the car. Savannah did indeed know that she was in a different car even though her own blankets were on the back seat of the Ford. As my husband and I adjusted our seat belts, Savannah inspected every inch of that back seat.
We got to the park and it was like a party was going on there in both the small dog park and the big dog park. I think everyone was thrilled that the recent cold weather had gone towards the east coast. Savannah knows every inch of that park now and she walks into the gated area as if it's her own backyard. It amazes me that she's so willing to approach any dog that's in there, no matter their size. Savannah is still not confident enough to go near any of the people in that park. Doesn't matter if it's a child or a woman or a man... she will have no part of them, and she has, on occasion, barked at a few of the men. We just smile and tell them she's still a puppy and not really comfortable with strangers, and everyone just accepts that.
There are two dogs who are frequently at the park... Fiona (huge Irish Wolfhound) and Quincy (small terrier like Toto from The Wizard of Oz. Savannah plays with each of them, and even though Fiona is large enough to have a saddle on her, Quincy is the dominant of the pair.
Savannah was playing with an orange tennis ball today... my husband threw it into the pool and she would run out into the water to retrieve it. She won't give it back to us right away, but eventually she will drop it near us so we can toss it out again. Gary is careful not to throw it into the deep part of the pool because Savannah is afraid to go out past the shallow ends. My husband says that by the time Summer comes along, Savannah will probably be swimming the length of that pool.
Back to that orange tennis ball, though. We can always tell when Savannah gets tired from running around the park with the other dogs. She will stay close to us when she's had enough, and that seems to be her signal that she's ready to go home. Today, however, Gary and I were talking to Fiona and Quincy's owner, and Savannah was standing near us with the orange ball close by her paws. Quincy, however, wasn't tired of playing and running, and with his abundance of terrier energy, he lunged for that orange ball. Well, Savannah jumped up and growled, Quincy got the ball in his mouth, and Savannah pounced on him. I yelled 'Savannah!' and Quincy's owner yelled 'Quincy!' and Fiona just stood there looking helpless... and Savannah and Quincy quickly separated, both panting and watching one another closely. Neither one of them claimed the orange ball, and that was that.
I apologized to Quincy's owner, but she told me not to worry because Quincy has been known to "stir things up" when no one is paying attention to him. I was surprised at Savannah's behavior because she hasn't ever done that before, and heaven knows our cat Sweet Pea is always sniffing around her toys and treats and all Savannah does is calmly walk over to whatever has gotten Sweet Pea's attention and she just takes it away. I think Savannah was clearly over-tired today from all the running around she did at the park with the larger dogs this afternoon, and she really didn't want that orange ball anymore, but she didn't want Quincy to have it either. Dogs... they're just like kids at times.
Savannah slept for hours after we brought her home from the park today. She stretched out on the love-seat in the TV room and her 60-plus pounds now goes from end to end on that sofa.... her nose touching one side, her tail touching the other. No room for anyone else unless you either make Savannah get down on the floor or she curls up like a cat to take her nap.
And speaking of cats napping... Sweet Pea has discovered that Savannah's bed is a nice place for a nap, and he's been curling up in Savannah's bed from time to time. Savannah will come along and find him there and she'll nudge Sweet Pea with her nose in an attempt to get him to move. I think Savannah quickly learned that trying to move a sleeping cat is next to impossible. At first, Savannah just let Sweet Pea stay in her bed and she curled up on the floor next to the bed. When Sweet Pea got up and went to his own bed, then Savannah re-claimed her sleeping spot.
Savannah also learned that letting Sweet Pea sleep in her bed would mean a never-ending competition for the biggest and plushest pet-bed in the house. So now when Sweet Pea goes into Savannah's bed for a nap, Savannah will get right into the bed with Sweet Pea and then move her body inch by inch towards the corner where Sweet Pea has curled up, forcing Sweet Pea to either get out of that bed or else be crushed by sixty pounds of Border Collie/Great Pyrenees dog fur.
When Sweet Pea leaves Savannah's bed, he lets out a disgruntled meow that can probably be heard across the road. And mind you, Sweet Pea has cat-beds of his own, in the kitchen and also in the TV room, so it isn't like he doesn't have a comfy place to take a nap. I've told Savannah from Day One to be nice to Sweet Pea because he was here first, and so far, Savannah hasn't pounced on Sweet Pea the way she pounced on Quincy today. Nor has she pounced on our two outside cats.
Oh well... no one got hurt this afternoon at the dog park, but I'm sure that Quincy's ego was bruised just a tiny bit.
My husband is now driving a rental car, the result of a careless driver making a U-turn on the main highway here. Gary's car has to be inspected by the insurance adjusters to determine whether it's fixable or not, and until then, Gary's gray Camry has been replaced with a bright red Ford.
And don't think that Savannah didn't notice the difference. When we took her out to the car, she balked when my husband told her to get into the back seat. The Ford was parked with its back end towards the garage door and we were asking Savannah to get into the car from the passenger side. Well, that didn't work because she usually jumps into the car from the driver's side. My husband walked her around to the other side of the car and told her to get into the back seat and after a moment's hesitation and telling her the word "Park!" she did get into the car. Savannah did indeed know that she was in a different car even though her own blankets were on the back seat of the Ford. As my husband and I adjusted our seat belts, Savannah inspected every inch of that back seat.
We got to the park and it was like a party was going on there in both the small dog park and the big dog park. I think everyone was thrilled that the recent cold weather had gone towards the east coast. Savannah knows every inch of that park now and she walks into the gated area as if it's her own backyard. It amazes me that she's so willing to approach any dog that's in there, no matter their size. Savannah is still not confident enough to go near any of the people in that park. Doesn't matter if it's a child or a woman or a man... she will have no part of them, and she has, on occasion, barked at a few of the men. We just smile and tell them she's still a puppy and not really comfortable with strangers, and everyone just accepts that.
There are two dogs who are frequently at the park... Fiona (huge Irish Wolfhound) and Quincy (small terrier like Toto from The Wizard of Oz. Savannah plays with each of them, and even though Fiona is large enough to have a saddle on her, Quincy is the dominant of the pair.
Savannah was playing with an orange tennis ball today... my husband threw it into the pool and she would run out into the water to retrieve it. She won't give it back to us right away, but eventually she will drop it near us so we can toss it out again. Gary is careful not to throw it into the deep part of the pool because Savannah is afraid to go out past the shallow ends. My husband says that by the time Summer comes along, Savannah will probably be swimming the length of that pool.
Back to that orange tennis ball, though. We can always tell when Savannah gets tired from running around the park with the other dogs. She will stay close to us when she's had enough, and that seems to be her signal that she's ready to go home. Today, however, Gary and I were talking to Fiona and Quincy's owner, and Savannah was standing near us with the orange ball close by her paws. Quincy, however, wasn't tired of playing and running, and with his abundance of terrier energy, he lunged for that orange ball. Well, Savannah jumped up and growled, Quincy got the ball in his mouth, and Savannah pounced on him. I yelled 'Savannah!' and Quincy's owner yelled 'Quincy!' and Fiona just stood there looking helpless... and Savannah and Quincy quickly separated, both panting and watching one another closely. Neither one of them claimed the orange ball, and that was that.
I apologized to Quincy's owner, but she told me not to worry because Quincy has been known to "stir things up" when no one is paying attention to him. I was surprised at Savannah's behavior because she hasn't ever done that before, and heaven knows our cat Sweet Pea is always sniffing around her toys and treats and all Savannah does is calmly walk over to whatever has gotten Sweet Pea's attention and she just takes it away. I think Savannah was clearly over-tired today from all the running around she did at the park with the larger dogs this afternoon, and she really didn't want that orange ball anymore, but she didn't want Quincy to have it either. Dogs... they're just like kids at times.
Savannah slept for hours after we brought her home from the park today. She stretched out on the love-seat in the TV room and her 60-plus pounds now goes from end to end on that sofa.... her nose touching one side, her tail touching the other. No room for anyone else unless you either make Savannah get down on the floor or she curls up like a cat to take her nap.
And speaking of cats napping... Sweet Pea has discovered that Savannah's bed is a nice place for a nap, and he's been curling up in Savannah's bed from time to time. Savannah will come along and find him there and she'll nudge Sweet Pea with her nose in an attempt to get him to move. I think Savannah quickly learned that trying to move a sleeping cat is next to impossible. At first, Savannah just let Sweet Pea stay in her bed and she curled up on the floor next to the bed. When Sweet Pea got up and went to his own bed, then Savannah re-claimed her sleeping spot.
Savannah also learned that letting Sweet Pea sleep in her bed would mean a never-ending competition for the biggest and plushest pet-bed in the house. So now when Sweet Pea goes into Savannah's bed for a nap, Savannah will get right into the bed with Sweet Pea and then move her body inch by inch towards the corner where Sweet Pea has curled up, forcing Sweet Pea to either get out of that bed or else be crushed by sixty pounds of Border Collie/Great Pyrenees dog fur.
When Sweet Pea leaves Savannah's bed, he lets out a disgruntled meow that can probably be heard across the road. And mind you, Sweet Pea has cat-beds of his own, in the kitchen and also in the TV room, so it isn't like he doesn't have a comfy place to take a nap. I've told Savannah from Day One to be nice to Sweet Pea because he was here first, and so far, Savannah hasn't pounced on Sweet Pea the way she pounced on Quincy today. Nor has she pounced on our two outside cats.
Oh well... no one got hurt this afternoon at the dog park, but I'm sure that Quincy's ego was bruised just a tiny bit.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Not a good-puppy morning...
As good as Savannah can be most of the time, there are days when I could just pack up her bed and chew-bones and tell her to hit the puppy-road and see if the grass is indeed greener on the other side of the hills here. And the colder it is outside, the more that bad-puppyness comes out of her. And the wind... this puppy loves the wind. Exact opposite of me, and I'm the one out there walking her.
When I was walking Savannah this morning, she would just not get focused on the task at hand. And what was that task? Simple--- just pee and poop and let's get back in the house before my mascara freezes my eyelashes.
I don't know what on earth was walking along the road last night, but Savannah's nose hit the ground as soon as we got near the barn and she was playing bloodhound and continually sniffing and searching and pulling as if both The Holy Grail and Jimmy Hoffa had been dragged all over our property by the light of the moon. What I should have done was just bring her back into the house and let her settle her puppy self down some, and then go out again and walk in the opposite direction. But I was all bundled up in sweater and coat and scarf and boots and I didn't want to get un-bundled and then have to re-bundle so I just kept walking. And walking. Big mistake, because Savannah just kept on pulling and sniffing. It was right about then that I started to question my sanity about getting a dog. And not just a dog, but a big dog who is now sixty-plus pounds.
And to make matters worse, Savannah's nose found a small pile of poop (probably from one of our cats) and before I could yank that chain to pull her away, she had snatched up a little piece of that frozen poop and she started to chew it. Are you kidding me?! I get her food that's fresh-baked-with-no-fillers at $40 a bag and she's out there eating what the cats have tried to bury?!?! (And this is exactly why I have never, never, never let a dog lick my face, by the way.)
Well, so much for a good-puppy morning. After about 45 minutes out in that cold and wind, Savannah finally remembered what we were out there for in the first place and she did what she needed to do. Wonder of puppy wonders.
Then we got to the driveway and there was Gatsby... I had let him out of the garage before I went up the road with Savannah, thinking that I'd be gone just a few minutes and I could let him back into the garage after our walk. Poor Gatsby was so cold that as soon as he saw us near the driveway, he ran at full cat-speed towards the garage door... and of course Savannah tried to chase him, stretching my arm out another couple of inches in the process. I was so mad that I yanked her chain back and made her sit on that cold driveway for a good five minutes before I let her get up. The problem with that little punishment was that I don't even think she minded because she spent the time looking at the goats in the pasture across the road.
When we got back into the house, I took Savannah's leash off and didn't say a word to her because I was so angry with her behavior, or lack thereof. She must have known that because she didn't sit down in the kitchen near her treat jars, she just walked into the TV room and found a spot on the carpet to lay down. And that's where she has been since we got back in the house.
Puppies and cold windy mornings are just not a good match.
When I was walking Savannah this morning, she would just not get focused on the task at hand. And what was that task? Simple--- just pee and poop and let's get back in the house before my mascara freezes my eyelashes.
I don't know what on earth was walking along the road last night, but Savannah's nose hit the ground as soon as we got near the barn and she was playing bloodhound and continually sniffing and searching and pulling as if both The Holy Grail and Jimmy Hoffa had been dragged all over our property by the light of the moon. What I should have done was just bring her back into the house and let her settle her puppy self down some, and then go out again and walk in the opposite direction. But I was all bundled up in sweater and coat and scarf and boots and I didn't want to get un-bundled and then have to re-bundle so I just kept walking. And walking. Big mistake, because Savannah just kept on pulling and sniffing. It was right about then that I started to question my sanity about getting a dog. And not just a dog, but a big dog who is now sixty-plus pounds.
And to make matters worse, Savannah's nose found a small pile of poop (probably from one of our cats) and before I could yank that chain to pull her away, she had snatched up a little piece of that frozen poop and she started to chew it. Are you kidding me?! I get her food that's fresh-baked-with-no-fillers at $40 a bag and she's out there eating what the cats have tried to bury?!?! (And this is exactly why I have never, never, never let a dog lick my face, by the way.)
Well, so much for a good-puppy morning. After about 45 minutes out in that cold and wind, Savannah finally remembered what we were out there for in the first place and she did what she needed to do. Wonder of puppy wonders.
Then we got to the driveway and there was Gatsby... I had let him out of the garage before I went up the road with Savannah, thinking that I'd be gone just a few minutes and I could let him back into the garage after our walk. Poor Gatsby was so cold that as soon as he saw us near the driveway, he ran at full cat-speed towards the garage door... and of course Savannah tried to chase him, stretching my arm out another couple of inches in the process. I was so mad that I yanked her chain back and made her sit on that cold driveway for a good five minutes before I let her get up. The problem with that little punishment was that I don't even think she minded because she spent the time looking at the goats in the pasture across the road.
When we got back into the house, I took Savannah's leash off and didn't say a word to her because I was so angry with her behavior, or lack thereof. She must have known that because she didn't sit down in the kitchen near her treat jars, she just walked into the TV room and found a spot on the carpet to lay down. And that's where she has been since we got back in the house.
Puppies and cold windy mornings are just not a good match.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Well guess who's Sleeping In My Bed. Sweet Pea. Just as Nice As You Please all Curled Up and Looking Cute like Cats always manage to do. And that Cat has his own Bed in the Kitchen and Three Other Beds in the TV Room so Sweet Pea doesn't have to Sleep in My Bed as if he has Nowhere Else to go.
I tried to get Sweet Pea out of my Bed by nudging him with My Nose which Momma says is Considerable In Size but Sweet Pea just stayed there and Meowed as if I was hurting his little Cat Self. Momma walked into the Breakfast Room and saw Sweet Pea in My Bed and told Sweet Pea to go back to His Own Bed but Sweet Pea just stayed Right There and Meowed at Momma and Looked Even More Cute. Momma said that Sweet Pea is Paying Me Back for all the times I put My Big Head into his Little Bed when he's Sleeping.
Momma told me that I have to Work This Out With Sweet Pea so that's what I'm trying to do. My nose is Very Tired right now because I've been using it to Move Sweet Pea but that doesn't seem to work. That Cat turns himself Into A Rock when he doesn't want to Get Up. I will have to think of Something Else but while I'm Thinking I may just Take A Nap right on the Floor near My Bed. The Floor has a Carpet on it but it isn't As Soft As My Bed.
I guess I should feel Lucky that Gatsby and Mickey are Outside Cats or they would be In My Bed right next to Sweet Pea and then I'd need More Than One Nose to get them All out of there. I thought I knew how to Speak Cat but Sweet Pea is acting like I'm not even Saying A Word. Or maybe Cats Just Don't Listen to Dogs when they Find a Good Place to Sleep. And Sweet Pea sleeps a lot so I may never get that Cat out of My Bed. Unless I just get into My Bed with Sweet Pea. He's so Small that he's only taking up a Little Corner.
There really should be Enough Room for both of us in that Bed but then I will have to listen to Meow Meow Meow and who can Take A Nap with that going on. Sometimes it's not Easy being a Puppy. It's Very Easy to be a Cat though. If you're a Cat all you have to do is Look Cute and Do Whatever You Want because You're The Cat and That's That.
I tried to get Sweet Pea out of my Bed by nudging him with My Nose which Momma says is Considerable In Size but Sweet Pea just stayed there and Meowed as if I was hurting his little Cat Self. Momma walked into the Breakfast Room and saw Sweet Pea in My Bed and told Sweet Pea to go back to His Own Bed but Sweet Pea just stayed Right There and Meowed at Momma and Looked Even More Cute. Momma said that Sweet Pea is Paying Me Back for all the times I put My Big Head into his Little Bed when he's Sleeping.
Momma told me that I have to Work This Out With Sweet Pea so that's what I'm trying to do. My nose is Very Tired right now because I've been using it to Move Sweet Pea but that doesn't seem to work. That Cat turns himself Into A Rock when he doesn't want to Get Up. I will have to think of Something Else but while I'm Thinking I may just Take A Nap right on the Floor near My Bed. The Floor has a Carpet on it but it isn't As Soft As My Bed.
I guess I should feel Lucky that Gatsby and Mickey are Outside Cats or they would be In My Bed right next to Sweet Pea and then I'd need More Than One Nose to get them All out of there. I thought I knew how to Speak Cat but Sweet Pea is acting like I'm not even Saying A Word. Or maybe Cats Just Don't Listen to Dogs when they Find a Good Place to Sleep. And Sweet Pea sleeps a lot so I may never get that Cat out of My Bed. Unless I just get into My Bed with Sweet Pea. He's so Small that he's only taking up a Little Corner.
There really should be Enough Room for both of us in that Bed but then I will have to listen to Meow Meow Meow and who can Take A Nap with that going on. Sometimes it's not Easy being a Puppy. It's Very Easy to be a Cat though. If you're a Cat all you have to do is Look Cute and Do Whatever You Want because You're The Cat and That's That.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Maybe Savannah is part Italian?
I tried something different with Savannah's dog food yesterday. Ever since I started ordering this particular food for her (all natural, freshly baked, no fillers) she has not been thoroughly happy with it. When we got Savannah from her previous owners, they had been feeding her a low-quality dry dog food that I didn't want to continue with. We bought some higher quality dry dog food which I thought she liked, but then she started to leave the food in the bowl till she got really really hungry, usually late at night. A very late-night dinner for Savannah also meant a late-night walk for her. I cannot believe how brave I've become, walking up and down this road with Savannah so late at night when all the local wildlife creatures are out there making their rounds. I was not loving those walks in the dark, armed with just one puppy and one flash-light.
Then I started ordering the expensive dog food that we used to get for Gracie... delivered right to the door by UPS, a high quality dog kibble baked from all natural ingredients with absolutely no junk in it. Well, you would think any puppy would love it. Not Savannah. Was she that used to the dog kibble that wasn't very good for her? I started mixing in the older brand with the expensive stuff, and she did eat it, but it stayed in that food bowl all day long till she realized she wasn't getting anything else. To make matters worse, she was using her nose to push that food out of her bowl, probably looking to see if anything better was hiding underneath the healthy stuff.
I got to thinking of my grandfather's dog Major, a huge German Shepard that grew up with my generation of cousins in the 1950s and 1960s. Everyone said that Major probably ate better than all the dogs in New York State. My grandmother would have a big bowl that she would put every bit and scrap of food into all day long... the ends of Italian bread, bits of macaroni or potatoes or sliced meat, vegetables that were left on the kids' plates, leftover French toast (made with Italian bread, of course)... anything and everything that was edible went into Major's bowl. Not one bit of food was ever wasted in that house. After everyone ate dinner, my grandmother would fix Major's dinner... one big scoop of a dry dog food plus all those bits and scraps she had collected all day long. She would mix that all up and then sprinkle a little bit of grated cheese on top of it because she said that Major must be part Italian because macaroni was his favorite food.
So.... maybe Savannah would like a little bit of grated Parmesan sprinkled on top of her freshly-baked with-no-fillers dog kibble? It was worth a try... and that's what I did yesterday. It took about ten seconds for Savannah to make her way from the TV room into the kitchen--- she heard me mixing that grated cheese into her food as the spoon scraped the sides of her bowl. She sniffed that food and took out one piece of kibble, then another, and then another... and she kept eating until the bowl was clean. That was the first time that her food bowl was empty before the sun went down. Happy day.... a clean bowl before dark meant that I wouldn't have to be out there walking her so late at night.
This morning when I put Savannah's food down, I again sprinkled it with a bit of grated Parmesan cheese and used a spoon to mix it all in and make sure all the kibble was lightly coated with cheese. Savannah's bowl was empty at noon-time. Happy, happy day.
I will have to decide whether to keep ordering that expensive food now or just buy the best brand of dry food that I can find in the supermarket. Either way, I think Savannah likes the grated cheese, and truly, that expensive delivered-to-the-door food is better than anything I can find in the store. I think I'll just stay with the good food and keep using the Parmesan cheese to make it more palatable to Savannah's Italian taste buds.
My grandfather's dog Major lived for 16 years.... possibly due to all that Italian cooking and the grated Parmesan.
Then I started ordering the expensive dog food that we used to get for Gracie... delivered right to the door by UPS, a high quality dog kibble baked from all natural ingredients with absolutely no junk in it. Well, you would think any puppy would love it. Not Savannah. Was she that used to the dog kibble that wasn't very good for her? I started mixing in the older brand with the expensive stuff, and she did eat it, but it stayed in that food bowl all day long till she realized she wasn't getting anything else. To make matters worse, she was using her nose to push that food out of her bowl, probably looking to see if anything better was hiding underneath the healthy stuff.
I got to thinking of my grandfather's dog Major, a huge German Shepard that grew up with my generation of cousins in the 1950s and 1960s. Everyone said that Major probably ate better than all the dogs in New York State. My grandmother would have a big bowl that she would put every bit and scrap of food into all day long... the ends of Italian bread, bits of macaroni or potatoes or sliced meat, vegetables that were left on the kids' plates, leftover French toast (made with Italian bread, of course)... anything and everything that was edible went into Major's bowl. Not one bit of food was ever wasted in that house. After everyone ate dinner, my grandmother would fix Major's dinner... one big scoop of a dry dog food plus all those bits and scraps she had collected all day long. She would mix that all up and then sprinkle a little bit of grated cheese on top of it because she said that Major must be part Italian because macaroni was his favorite food.
So.... maybe Savannah would like a little bit of grated Parmesan sprinkled on top of her freshly-baked with-no-fillers dog kibble? It was worth a try... and that's what I did yesterday. It took about ten seconds for Savannah to make her way from the TV room into the kitchen--- she heard me mixing that grated cheese into her food as the spoon scraped the sides of her bowl. She sniffed that food and took out one piece of kibble, then another, and then another... and she kept eating until the bowl was clean. That was the first time that her food bowl was empty before the sun went down. Happy day.... a clean bowl before dark meant that I wouldn't have to be out there walking her so late at night.
This morning when I put Savannah's food down, I again sprinkled it with a bit of grated Parmesan cheese and used a spoon to mix it all in and make sure all the kibble was lightly coated with cheese. Savannah's bowl was empty at noon-time. Happy, happy day.
I will have to decide whether to keep ordering that expensive food now or just buy the best brand of dry food that I can find in the supermarket. Either way, I think Savannah likes the grated cheese, and truly, that expensive delivered-to-the-door food is better than anything I can find in the store. I think I'll just stay with the good food and keep using the Parmesan cheese to make it more palatable to Savannah's Italian taste buds.
My grandfather's dog Major lived for 16 years.... possibly due to all that Italian cooking and the grated Parmesan.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Momma took me for a Ride In The Car this morning. I thought maybe we were Going To The Dog Park but we just went to the Post Office. Momma says I Will Be Right Back Savannah So You Be Very Good. Well what does she Expect me to be when I'm sitting in the Back Seat of the Car and there's Nothing To Do but Look Out Of The Window at the Other People who go to the Post Office. When Momma comes back to the Car she always says Good Girl Savannah Good Girl but I don't get a Treat for that like I do At Home. Maybe someone should tell Momma that it Might Be A Good Idea to keep Treats In The Car.
My Daddy has been Talking Me For Walks in the Mornings now. He says that We Both Need The Exercise and I don't know what Exercise means but Off We Go sometimes Even Before Momma Comes Downstairs. Daddy has All These Rules when he takes me Out. Daddy won't let me Walk Out Of The Door Until He Goes Out First. Daddy read that In A Book and he Told Momma that it's The Right Way To Walk A Dog. Well I guess Momma didn't Read That Book because she Doesn't Care who walks out First as long as we both Get Out There.
When I'm walking On The Road with Daddy I have to stay Right Next To Him or Right Behind Him. I guess he read that Rule in the Same Book because he told Momma it was The Right Way To Walk A Dog. But Momma told Daddy that he has Too Many Rules and That's Why I don't Poop when Daddy walks me because I'm Too Busy Following All Those Rules and What Puppy Can Possibly Find A Place To Poop that way.
So I just let Daddy walk me Up And Down The Road and if he Gives Me Enough Leash then I may be able to Poop but that Doesn't Usually Happen and Daddy brings me Back Home and makes me Sit And Stay before he even Opens The Back Door and then he tells Momma Savannah Peed But She Didn't Poop and I look at Momma and try to tell her that Daddy has Too Many Rules For Walking And Not Enough Rules For Pooping and then Momma puts her Coat on and Off We Go and then I Poop Real Fast because By That Time I Really Have To Go No Matter What The Rules Are.
Momma tells me to Be Patient with Daddy because He's Reading All The Dog Books so he Doesn't Make Any Mistakes. I tried to tell Momma that someone needs to Make Daddy Sit And Stay before he Walks Into His Own Bathroom and let him see that Sometimes you just have to Throw The Rules Out The Window.
Daddy told Momma tonight that I'm getting Too Much People Food and maybe That's Why the Dog Food stays in the Bowl all day long. Daddy thinks I'm leaving my Dog Food for Last so I can fill up on all The Good Stuff first. I sat there Right In Front of Daddy and tried to tell him that he Needs To Taste That Dog Food and then he'd know why I like People Food much better. Even the cat Sweet Pea gets Food with Gravy on it and no one is even putting One Drop of Gravy on my Dog Food. Momma says my Food is Healthy and Expensive and Good For Puppies and I need to Eat It All Up. I tried to tell Momma that I would rather have some food that's Unhealthy and Cheap and it would Probably Taste Better than the Stuff That's Good For Puppies. And how would Momma know what's Good For Puppies anyway? I don't think she was ever a Puppy in her Whole Life.
Sometimes it's Not Easy being a Puppy in this house. My Daddy is Reading Books Filled With Rules For Puppies and my Momma is Buying Healthy and Expensive Dog Food that gets Delivered by a Man in a Big Brown Truck and Sweet Pea gets Gravy on his Food and is allowed to Sit On Momma's Lap when she's Reading. Momma won't let me Lick Her Face because she says I pick up Too Many Pebbles and Too Much Grass and I drink Too Much Water from the Pool at the Dog Park but Daddy lets me Lick His Face all the time so I guess there's No Rule for that in his Book.
Well Momma isn't Reading Books filled with Rules for Puppies and I get to Go To The Dog Park and To The Post Office and Sweet Pea has to Stay Home and sometimes Momma mixes People Food in with my Dog Food so I guess it's Not So Bad Here After All.
My Daddy has been Talking Me For Walks in the Mornings now. He says that We Both Need The Exercise and I don't know what Exercise means but Off We Go sometimes Even Before Momma Comes Downstairs. Daddy has All These Rules when he takes me Out. Daddy won't let me Walk Out Of The Door Until He Goes Out First. Daddy read that In A Book and he Told Momma that it's The Right Way To Walk A Dog. Well I guess Momma didn't Read That Book because she Doesn't Care who walks out First as long as we both Get Out There.
When I'm walking On The Road with Daddy I have to stay Right Next To Him or Right Behind Him. I guess he read that Rule in the Same Book because he told Momma it was The Right Way To Walk A Dog. But Momma told Daddy that he has Too Many Rules and That's Why I don't Poop when Daddy walks me because I'm Too Busy Following All Those Rules and What Puppy Can Possibly Find A Place To Poop that way.
So I just let Daddy walk me Up And Down The Road and if he Gives Me Enough Leash then I may be able to Poop but that Doesn't Usually Happen and Daddy brings me Back Home and makes me Sit And Stay before he even Opens The Back Door and then he tells Momma Savannah Peed But She Didn't Poop and I look at Momma and try to tell her that Daddy has Too Many Rules For Walking And Not Enough Rules For Pooping and then Momma puts her Coat on and Off We Go and then I Poop Real Fast because By That Time I Really Have To Go No Matter What The Rules Are.
Momma tells me to Be Patient with Daddy because He's Reading All The Dog Books so he Doesn't Make Any Mistakes. I tried to tell Momma that someone needs to Make Daddy Sit And Stay before he Walks Into His Own Bathroom and let him see that Sometimes you just have to Throw The Rules Out The Window.
Daddy told Momma tonight that I'm getting Too Much People Food and maybe That's Why the Dog Food stays in the Bowl all day long. Daddy thinks I'm leaving my Dog Food for Last so I can fill up on all The Good Stuff first. I sat there Right In Front of Daddy and tried to tell him that he Needs To Taste That Dog Food and then he'd know why I like People Food much better. Even the cat Sweet Pea gets Food with Gravy on it and no one is even putting One Drop of Gravy on my Dog Food. Momma says my Food is Healthy and Expensive and Good For Puppies and I need to Eat It All Up. I tried to tell Momma that I would rather have some food that's Unhealthy and Cheap and it would Probably Taste Better than the Stuff That's Good For Puppies. And how would Momma know what's Good For Puppies anyway? I don't think she was ever a Puppy in her Whole Life.
Sometimes it's Not Easy being a Puppy in this house. My Daddy is Reading Books Filled With Rules For Puppies and my Momma is Buying Healthy and Expensive Dog Food that gets Delivered by a Man in a Big Brown Truck and Sweet Pea gets Gravy on his Food and is allowed to Sit On Momma's Lap when she's Reading. Momma won't let me Lick Her Face because she says I pick up Too Many Pebbles and Too Much Grass and I drink Too Much Water from the Pool at the Dog Park but Daddy lets me Lick His Face all the time so I guess there's No Rule for that in his Book.
Well Momma isn't Reading Books filled with Rules for Puppies and I get to Go To The Dog Park and To The Post Office and Sweet Pea has to Stay Home and sometimes Momma mixes People Food in with my Dog Food so I guess it's Not So Bad Here After All.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Walking with Savannah...
I have to say that Savannah loves to walk, and it seems that the colder it is outside, the slower she will walk. This dog must love the cold weather... very different than our dog Gracie who would run out by herself into the yard and do what she needed to do quickly and then run back into the house. Gracie knew that the words "Hurry up!" meant that she should either pee or poop (thanks to an old dog training book I read by Barbara Wodehouse).
When I say "Hurry up!" to Savannah she must interpret those words as "Take all the time in the world because I have nothing else to do." Very frustrating at times, especially when it's windy or rainy or cold. In a perfect world, every time Savannah needs to be walked, the sun would be out and there would be no wind and the temperature would be a balmy 80 degrees. As I said-- in a perfect world.
My husband has begun to walk Savannah in the mornings, which is indeed a great help since I have three cats to feed and their litter boxes to clean out before my day starts. Savannah has been extremely patient with the cats' schedule... she will wait for me to give Sweet Pea his food and clean out his litter box..... and then Savannah also waits while I go into the garage and let Gatsby and Mickey out for the day and then clean out the two litter boxes in the garage. Only after all of that does Savannah get to go for a walk. When we first got Savannah, she had top priority just because she was a puppy. But as she got older and learned to contain herself, I started taking care of the cats first.
But when my husband does the morning walk with her, Savannah doesn't have to wait for all of that cat stuff. On the other hand, Savannah hardly ever poops when she's walking with my husband. She will do the pee-thing but that's about it. The result of that is I end up re-walking her when Gary brings her back and more than likely, Savannah saves her poop so I can pick it up. Oh goodie.
When my dad was living with us in Clear Lake years ago, he would come with me when I took Gracie out for walks. My father was appalled that I would walk "Gary's dog" to begin with, and he was thoroughly shocked that I would pick up Gracie's poop. My dad's theory was that if Gracie was Gary's dog, then Gary should be doing all the walking and poop-scooping. I reminded my dad that Gary had a job to go to every day. "Then he shouldn't have a dog," said my dad.
I explained to daddy that Gracie belonged to both of us, but my father didn't see it that way. "Gary gets the fun parts, you get the dirty parts. And what man is going to want to kiss your hand when he finds out that you're picking up dog poop." My dad said that I took time to polish my nails so why would I want to spoil them up with "that dog's mess."
I told daddy that I used plastic bags to pick up Gracie's poop so my hands never touched anything, and besides, what man did he think would be kissing my hand anyway.
My dad's answer to that was "Men today don't know what they're missing." To make his point, after dinner that particular night, my dad took my hand in his and he gently and lovingly kissed kissed my hand and thanked me for dinner, then he said "See there... isn't that nice?" Actually, it was.
Gary did indeed walk Savannah this morning... and within three minutes of coming back into the house, Savannah was wagging her tail and giving me her paw and making serious eye contact with me which translates into "I. Have. To. Go. Out. Now." I put my coat and boots on and out we went, and within just a few minutes, Savannah did indeed find a place in the grass to poop. As always, I picked it up with a plastic bag. Even out here in the Hills, where coyotes and deer and raccoons and wild pigs and heaven only knows what else will drop their excrement wherever they please, I feel compelled to pick up Savannah's poop.
When one has a dog, it's just the right thing to do. Plus, now that my dad is gone, there's not a man on the planet that will be kissing my hand.
When I say "Hurry up!" to Savannah she must interpret those words as "Take all the time in the world because I have nothing else to do." Very frustrating at times, especially when it's windy or rainy or cold. In a perfect world, every time Savannah needs to be walked, the sun would be out and there would be no wind and the temperature would be a balmy 80 degrees. As I said-- in a perfect world.
My husband has begun to walk Savannah in the mornings, which is indeed a great help since I have three cats to feed and their litter boxes to clean out before my day starts. Savannah has been extremely patient with the cats' schedule... she will wait for me to give Sweet Pea his food and clean out his litter box..... and then Savannah also waits while I go into the garage and let Gatsby and Mickey out for the day and then clean out the two litter boxes in the garage. Only after all of that does Savannah get to go for a walk. When we first got Savannah, she had top priority just because she was a puppy. But as she got older and learned to contain herself, I started taking care of the cats first.
But when my husband does the morning walk with her, Savannah doesn't have to wait for all of that cat stuff. On the other hand, Savannah hardly ever poops when she's walking with my husband. She will do the pee-thing but that's about it. The result of that is I end up re-walking her when Gary brings her back and more than likely, Savannah saves her poop so I can pick it up. Oh goodie.
When my dad was living with us in Clear Lake years ago, he would come with me when I took Gracie out for walks. My father was appalled that I would walk "Gary's dog" to begin with, and he was thoroughly shocked that I would pick up Gracie's poop. My dad's theory was that if Gracie was Gary's dog, then Gary should be doing all the walking and poop-scooping. I reminded my dad that Gary had a job to go to every day. "Then he shouldn't have a dog," said my dad.
I explained to daddy that Gracie belonged to both of us, but my father didn't see it that way. "Gary gets the fun parts, you get the dirty parts. And what man is going to want to kiss your hand when he finds out that you're picking up dog poop." My dad said that I took time to polish my nails so why would I want to spoil them up with "that dog's mess."
I told daddy that I used plastic bags to pick up Gracie's poop so my hands never touched anything, and besides, what man did he think would be kissing my hand anyway.
My dad's answer to that was "Men today don't know what they're missing." To make his point, after dinner that particular night, my dad took my hand in his and he gently and lovingly kissed kissed my hand and thanked me for dinner, then he said "See there... isn't that nice?" Actually, it was.
Gary did indeed walk Savannah this morning... and within three minutes of coming back into the house, Savannah was wagging her tail and giving me her paw and making serious eye contact with me which translates into "I. Have. To. Go. Out. Now." I put my coat and boots on and out we went, and within just a few minutes, Savannah did indeed find a place in the grass to poop. As always, I picked it up with a plastic bag. Even out here in the Hills, where coyotes and deer and raccoons and wild pigs and heaven only knows what else will drop their excrement wherever they please, I feel compelled to pick up Savannah's poop.
When one has a dog, it's just the right thing to do. Plus, now that my dad is gone, there's not a man on the planet that will be kissing my hand.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Momma says I am Nine Months Old today but I don't know what That means. Momma also said that it's time I started Acting More Like A Lady and Less Like A Puppy but I don't know what That means either. Daddy told me we were Going To The Dog Park Today and I know what That means but we had to Wait Until After Lunch. I walked over to My Food Bowl when Daddy said After Lunch and I Gobbled Everything Up and then I sat by the Back Door All Ready To Go but Nobody Noticed. So I guess Daddy meant we would Leave After Their Lunch not My Lunch.
We got Outside and Momma said it was A Beautiful Day and Wouldn't It Be Nice If It Stayed This Warm All Year Long and Daddy said Don't Hold Your Breath. The Black Cat Mickey and The Gray Cat Gatsby were On The Porch and Daddy said he Wondered What The Cats Would Do If They Had A Cat Park Next To The Dog Park. Momma told Daddy that The Cats Would Probably All Be Sleeping Just Like They Do At Home HaHaHa.
Momma took me for a Walk before we all Got Into The Car because she reminded Daddy that I peed in the Car the Last Time I was in it. Well Momma would have Peed in that Car too if someone had Taken Her Back To That Vet's Office and Left Her There All Day To Be Fixed. So I Peed Real Quick in The Grass so Daddy wouldn't Change His Mind about the Dog Park.
So Many Dogs In The Park Today! Momma said I Hit The Jackpot in the Park because it was Such A Pretty Day. We met a Great Pyrenees named Wolfgang and Momma said she hoped I wouldn't Grow as Big as Wolfgang because he was 100 pounds and he had been The Runt Of His Litter. Wolfgang had other dogs in his Family named Ellie and Hope and Morgan. Hope was the Smallest Dog but she was The Boss of the group and Daddy said he could Relate To That HaHaHa. Daddy said Maybe Savannah Would Like Other Dogs In Her Family Too but then Momma gave him That Look and Daddy didn't say HaHaHa after that one.
The water in the Pool was Nice and Warm today and Daddy kept Throwing The Green Ball into it and I kept Jumping In The Water to get it and Bring It Back. Daddy said I picked up That Trick real quick and I tried to tell him that it Wasn't Hard to Learn That because All Of The Other Dogs There jump in the Pool to get Those Green Balls. Momma said it wasn't so Lady-Like to be Jumping in that Pool especially since I was Just Brushed before we left the House and Daddy said Maybe she should have Saved The Brushing for After The Dog Park and then he Threw The Ball into the Pool again and I had to Jump in and Get It but I tried to Look Like A Lady when I Hit That Water.
We were at the Park for a Long Time today and Momma could tell when I Was Getting Tired because instead of Running After All The Dogs I started to Stay Close to Daddy even though he was Throwing the Ball into the Pool. I stopped Jumping into the Water to Get The Ball because I knew if I carried it Out then Daddy would Throw it Back In again. Momma and Daddy started to Walk to the Gate of the Park and I followed them and before we knew it Hope and Ellie were Right Behind Us and I thought that Maybe they wanted to Come Home With Me and I was Very Happy that Daddy told them Go Back To Your People because I'm the Only Dog in Our House and I Like It That Way.
One of the dogs there had a Blue Toy that Looked Like my Blue Monkey but when I smelled it and Looked More Closely it was just a Bunch of Rope and Not My Blue Monkey at all. I don't know what happened to all of my Blue Monkeys but Momma has told me that I was Chewing Them To Bits because my Teeth have Grown So Big now and the only things I get to Play With are Chew Toys that don't have a face like a Monkey and they aren't Blue either.
Momma said that Maybe When I'm A Little Older and More Lady-Like she will give me Another Blue Monkey to Play With. I know that Momma has one Blue Monkey Hidden Away in the Cabinet where she Keeps all of my Treats and every time she Takes Out A Biscuit or Treat for me I sit there waiting for that Blue Monkey to Fall Out of his Hiding Place but that Never Happens. But that's Okay because Momma keeps buying me Different Treats so I won't Get Bored with them and the Last One she gave me had Peanut Butter in it and it sure Smelled Better and Tasted Better than a Blue Monkey.
We got Outside and Momma said it was A Beautiful Day and Wouldn't It Be Nice If It Stayed This Warm All Year Long and Daddy said Don't Hold Your Breath. The Black Cat Mickey and The Gray Cat Gatsby were On The Porch and Daddy said he Wondered What The Cats Would Do If They Had A Cat Park Next To The Dog Park. Momma told Daddy that The Cats Would Probably All Be Sleeping Just Like They Do At Home HaHaHa.
Momma took me for a Walk before we all Got Into The Car because she reminded Daddy that I peed in the Car the Last Time I was in it. Well Momma would have Peed in that Car too if someone had Taken Her Back To That Vet's Office and Left Her There All Day To Be Fixed. So I Peed Real Quick in The Grass so Daddy wouldn't Change His Mind about the Dog Park.
So Many Dogs In The Park Today! Momma said I Hit The Jackpot in the Park because it was Such A Pretty Day. We met a Great Pyrenees named Wolfgang and Momma said she hoped I wouldn't Grow as Big as Wolfgang because he was 100 pounds and he had been The Runt Of His Litter. Wolfgang had other dogs in his Family named Ellie and Hope and Morgan. Hope was the Smallest Dog but she was The Boss of the group and Daddy said he could Relate To That HaHaHa. Daddy said Maybe Savannah Would Like Other Dogs In Her Family Too but then Momma gave him That Look and Daddy didn't say HaHaHa after that one.
The water in the Pool was Nice and Warm today and Daddy kept Throwing The Green Ball into it and I kept Jumping In The Water to get it and Bring It Back. Daddy said I picked up That Trick real quick and I tried to tell him that it Wasn't Hard to Learn That because All Of The Other Dogs There jump in the Pool to get Those Green Balls. Momma said it wasn't so Lady-Like to be Jumping in that Pool especially since I was Just Brushed before we left the House and Daddy said Maybe she should have Saved The Brushing for After The Dog Park and then he Threw The Ball into the Pool again and I had to Jump in and Get It but I tried to Look Like A Lady when I Hit That Water.
We were at the Park for a Long Time today and Momma could tell when I Was Getting Tired because instead of Running After All The Dogs I started to Stay Close to Daddy even though he was Throwing the Ball into the Pool. I stopped Jumping into the Water to Get The Ball because I knew if I carried it Out then Daddy would Throw it Back In again. Momma and Daddy started to Walk to the Gate of the Park and I followed them and before we knew it Hope and Ellie were Right Behind Us and I thought that Maybe they wanted to Come Home With Me and I was Very Happy that Daddy told them Go Back To Your People because I'm the Only Dog in Our House and I Like It That Way.
One of the dogs there had a Blue Toy that Looked Like my Blue Monkey but when I smelled it and Looked More Closely it was just a Bunch of Rope and Not My Blue Monkey at all. I don't know what happened to all of my Blue Monkeys but Momma has told me that I was Chewing Them To Bits because my Teeth have Grown So Big now and the only things I get to Play With are Chew Toys that don't have a face like a Monkey and they aren't Blue either.
Momma said that Maybe When I'm A Little Older and More Lady-Like she will give me Another Blue Monkey to Play With. I know that Momma has one Blue Monkey Hidden Away in the Cabinet where she Keeps all of my Treats and every time she Takes Out A Biscuit or Treat for me I sit there waiting for that Blue Monkey to Fall Out of his Hiding Place but that Never Happens. But that's Okay because Momma keeps buying me Different Treats so I won't Get Bored with them and the Last One she gave me had Peanut Butter in it and it sure Smelled Better and Tasted Better than a Blue Monkey.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Quiet country nights...
I woke up this morning and looked at the numbers on the clock... 7:30... the sun was out and the bedroom was bright and my first thought was that Savannah didn't bark once after I came up the stairs last night.
Savannah's usual routine is to give me one lonely-sounding bark after I come up those back stairs from the kitchen. Sometimes I do have to go back down the stairs.... Did I lock the door? Did I leave a night-light on for Savannah? Does she have enough water in her bowl? On those little trips into the kitchen, Savannah will slowly walk over to me and sit by my feet. Then she puts one paw on my knee, then her other paw on my other knee... and she sits there looking up at me with the innocence of a two-year-old child. And I stand there and pet her and tell her that it's time for everyone to go to sleep, especially little (well, not so little) puppies.
There are nights when Savannah will hear something outside (like a raccoon on the porch) and she will bark for all she's worth. On those nights, I have to either go down the stairs to calm her, or just call out her name from the top of the stairs. If she does have to go outside and visit the grass during the night, she will continue to give me just one bark every ten seconds or so... her signal to me that she really needs to go out. That usually happens on the coldest and rainiest of nights which are devoid of moonlight and starlight... and I feel like I'm the only person left in the world out there on the road. (Savannah just refuses to relieve herself too close to the house.)
So when I wake up in the morning and I haven't heard Savannah during the night, the first thing I do when I get into the kitchen is to thank that puppy for such a good night's sleep. Invariably, Savannah just looks at me and yawns.
This puppy's latest self-taught trick is to investigate the bottom of her food bowl when it's filled with her dry kibble. In order to do this, Savannah uses her nose to push the food over the sides of the bowl, which results in a halo of kibble all around that bowl. Then she sniffs at the bits of food in that halo, picking out her favorite pieces, pushing the least favorites further out to form a second halo. She will eventually eat up all the pieces of kibble, usually leaving teeny tiny bits which will then be pushed around the floor by our cat Sweet Pea. I've lost count as to how many times I've swept that kitchen floor since Savannah came into our lives.
Sweet Pea has remained his sweet little cat-self during all these past months since the puppy invasion. I know that Sweet Pea wasn't all too pleased when we first brought Savannah into the back door, and that cat certainly kept his distance for the first few weeks. Not once did Savannah try to hurt Sweet Pea... on the contrary, Savannah would have been thrilled if Sweet Pea had wanted to play with her as puppies do. Being a cat, Sweet Pea wasn't going to agree to that nonsense... but from time to time, Sweet Pea will use his paw like a hockey stick and push one of Savannah's dog treats across the floor and Savannah will immediately get up to retrieve it.
Savannah will be nine months old on the 12th of this month. When I brought her to the vet's office to be weighed last week, she was 56 pounds. I doubt very much that she will grow into the 80 pounds that the vet had estimated. My guess is that she'll be 70 pounds or less when she's full grown, which is enough for a dog who is as strong as she has proven to be.
Walking along the road with Savannah has been less of a leash-fight these past couple of weeks. She loves to walk and does walk well on her leash... the problems occurred when a truck or car passed us on the road. Mild-mannered old-soul Savannah turned into Cujo, growling and snarling and trying to chase those vehicles away. While I admired her sense of protecting me, she was stretching my arms to their limit and nearly pulling me down because she's so strong (and strong-willed).
I bought Savannah a new choker-collar that fits her much better than the old one, plus now I remove her fancy collar before I put that choker on her. The result is more control over her, especially when she tries to chase cars and trucks. One good pull on that leash makes the new choker collar tight around her neck and she can't growl and bark, much less try to pull me into the road in her quest to catch the vehicle.
Patience, thy name is Puppy. Or maybe that should be: Patience, thy name is Puppy Owner.
Savannah's usual routine is to give me one lonely-sounding bark after I come up those back stairs from the kitchen. Sometimes I do have to go back down the stairs.... Did I lock the door? Did I leave a night-light on for Savannah? Does she have enough water in her bowl? On those little trips into the kitchen, Savannah will slowly walk over to me and sit by my feet. Then she puts one paw on my knee, then her other paw on my other knee... and she sits there looking up at me with the innocence of a two-year-old child. And I stand there and pet her and tell her that it's time for everyone to go to sleep, especially little (well, not so little) puppies.
There are nights when Savannah will hear something outside (like a raccoon on the porch) and she will bark for all she's worth. On those nights, I have to either go down the stairs to calm her, or just call out her name from the top of the stairs. If she does have to go outside and visit the grass during the night, she will continue to give me just one bark every ten seconds or so... her signal to me that she really needs to go out. That usually happens on the coldest and rainiest of nights which are devoid of moonlight and starlight... and I feel like I'm the only person left in the world out there on the road. (Savannah just refuses to relieve herself too close to the house.)
So when I wake up in the morning and I haven't heard Savannah during the night, the first thing I do when I get into the kitchen is to thank that puppy for such a good night's sleep. Invariably, Savannah just looks at me and yawns.
This puppy's latest self-taught trick is to investigate the bottom of her food bowl when it's filled with her dry kibble. In order to do this, Savannah uses her nose to push the food over the sides of the bowl, which results in a halo of kibble all around that bowl. Then she sniffs at the bits of food in that halo, picking out her favorite pieces, pushing the least favorites further out to form a second halo. She will eventually eat up all the pieces of kibble, usually leaving teeny tiny bits which will then be pushed around the floor by our cat Sweet Pea. I've lost count as to how many times I've swept that kitchen floor since Savannah came into our lives.
Sweet Pea has remained his sweet little cat-self during all these past months since the puppy invasion. I know that Sweet Pea wasn't all too pleased when we first brought Savannah into the back door, and that cat certainly kept his distance for the first few weeks. Not once did Savannah try to hurt Sweet Pea... on the contrary, Savannah would have been thrilled if Sweet Pea had wanted to play with her as puppies do. Being a cat, Sweet Pea wasn't going to agree to that nonsense... but from time to time, Sweet Pea will use his paw like a hockey stick and push one of Savannah's dog treats across the floor and Savannah will immediately get up to retrieve it.
Savannah will be nine months old on the 12th of this month. When I brought her to the vet's office to be weighed last week, she was 56 pounds. I doubt very much that she will grow into the 80 pounds that the vet had estimated. My guess is that she'll be 70 pounds or less when she's full grown, which is enough for a dog who is as strong as she has proven to be.
Walking along the road with Savannah has been less of a leash-fight these past couple of weeks. She loves to walk and does walk well on her leash... the problems occurred when a truck or car passed us on the road. Mild-mannered old-soul Savannah turned into Cujo, growling and snarling and trying to chase those vehicles away. While I admired her sense of protecting me, she was stretching my arms to their limit and nearly pulling me down because she's so strong (and strong-willed).
I bought Savannah a new choker-collar that fits her much better than the old one, plus now I remove her fancy collar before I put that choker on her. The result is more control over her, especially when she tries to chase cars and trucks. One good pull on that leash makes the new choker collar tight around her neck and she can't growl and bark, much less try to pull me into the road in her quest to catch the vehicle.
Patience, thy name is Puppy. Or maybe that should be: Patience, thy name is Puppy Owner.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Yesterday was Tea Day. Momma hasn't had a Tea Day for Weeks now because she was Too Busy With Christmas and so was Everyone Else. But now Momma says Christmas is Officially Over because The Big Tree is Out In The Field. Daddy carried it Out Of The House and he said that Little Birds will build Nests in it. Well they could have left The Big Tree outside in the First Place instead of bringing it Into The House for Christmas.
I watched the Tea Ladies yesterday from my Bed in the Breakfast Room. Miss Cindy brought me Good Treats but I didn't get Out Of My Corner. There were just Too Many Ladies in the Kitchen and I think Miss Cindy knew that so she Brought The Treats to me and Put them in My Corner. I gobbled them up quick when the Ladies went into The Dining Room because Miss Cindy didn't tell me that I had to Share them with anybody else.
Momma usually puts Cakes and Cookies and Fruit and Cheese on the Dining Room Table when the Tea Ladies are here but they were Doing Crafts yesterday so Momma kept the Treats for the Ladies on the Kitchen Counter. The Tea Ladies were So Busy making Crystal Snowmen Ornaments that they Forgot about the Goodies in the Kitchen. I could smell the Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Pumpkin Bread and Miss Judy brought Fruit and Cheese and Miss Cindy brought Chocolate! and it was all Out There In The Kitchen and I could have just put my Front Paws On The Counter and Tasted Everything but I just Stayed In My Corner because the Only Thing Worse than getting Momma upset is getting a Whole Bunch of Tea Ladies Upset all at the Same Time. For next week's Tea Day Momma said she's going to Put The Cakes and Cookies and All The Goodies on the Buffet in the Dining Room so it will be Easier for the Ladies so I guess I Missed My Chance in that Kitchen.
Almost every Morning now when Daddy comes into the Kitchen for his Coffee he gets my Leash and tells me We're Going For A Walk Savannah. Daddy is Teaching me To Heel because he says Momma Lets Me Walk All Over The Place and I should Know By Now how to Walk In A Straight Line. Well how can Anybody walk in a Straight Line out there on That Road when there are So Many Different Smells every Morning. Momma says Heaven Only Knows What Has Been Out On That Road During The Night and Watch Where You Step Savannah Because A Coyote Has Pooped Right In That Grass.
Momma doesn't Know The Half Of What's Out There After Dark. I've smelled Raccoons and Dogs and Possums and Snakes and Cats and Armadillos and Wild Pigs and Deer and Skunks and Mice and Squirrels and Rabbits and even a Fox and a Bobcat. If Momma could Smell all those Animals out there she would Never Set Foot On That Road Again and then I'd be Stuck walking with Daddy all the time and I'd have to Walk In A Straight Line while Daddy says Heel Savannah Heel.
When Momma comes Downstairs in the Mornings after I've Walked With Daddy he will tell her Savannah Peed But She Didn't Poop Out There. So Momma puts her Coat on and then she puts my Leash on me and Off We Go for Another Walk and then I can Walk Wherever I Want To and Smell Everything and sometimes I poop Twice instead of Just Once and when we Get Back to the House Daddy asks Momma if I pooped and Momma says Yes She Sure Did Not Once But Twice.
Then Under Her Breath Momma says So Much For Your Straight Lines! but Daddy doesn't Hear that and I don't say a Word because I've learned that Sometimes it's Best to Just Keep Quiet.
I watched the Tea Ladies yesterday from my Bed in the Breakfast Room. Miss Cindy brought me Good Treats but I didn't get Out Of My Corner. There were just Too Many Ladies in the Kitchen and I think Miss Cindy knew that so she Brought The Treats to me and Put them in My Corner. I gobbled them up quick when the Ladies went into The Dining Room because Miss Cindy didn't tell me that I had to Share them with anybody else.
Momma usually puts Cakes and Cookies and Fruit and Cheese on the Dining Room Table when the Tea Ladies are here but they were Doing Crafts yesterday so Momma kept the Treats for the Ladies on the Kitchen Counter. The Tea Ladies were So Busy making Crystal Snowmen Ornaments that they Forgot about the Goodies in the Kitchen. I could smell the Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Pumpkin Bread and Miss Judy brought Fruit and Cheese and Miss Cindy brought Chocolate! and it was all Out There In The Kitchen and I could have just put my Front Paws On The Counter and Tasted Everything but I just Stayed In My Corner because the Only Thing Worse than getting Momma upset is getting a Whole Bunch of Tea Ladies Upset all at the Same Time. For next week's Tea Day Momma said she's going to Put The Cakes and Cookies and All The Goodies on the Buffet in the Dining Room so it will be Easier for the Ladies so I guess I Missed My Chance in that Kitchen.
Almost every Morning now when Daddy comes into the Kitchen for his Coffee he gets my Leash and tells me We're Going For A Walk Savannah. Daddy is Teaching me To Heel because he says Momma Lets Me Walk All Over The Place and I should Know By Now how to Walk In A Straight Line. Well how can Anybody walk in a Straight Line out there on That Road when there are So Many Different Smells every Morning. Momma says Heaven Only Knows What Has Been Out On That Road During The Night and Watch Where You Step Savannah Because A Coyote Has Pooped Right In That Grass.
Momma doesn't Know The Half Of What's Out There After Dark. I've smelled Raccoons and Dogs and Possums and Snakes and Cats and Armadillos and Wild Pigs and Deer and Skunks and Mice and Squirrels and Rabbits and even a Fox and a Bobcat. If Momma could Smell all those Animals out there she would Never Set Foot On That Road Again and then I'd be Stuck walking with Daddy all the time and I'd have to Walk In A Straight Line while Daddy says Heel Savannah Heel.
When Momma comes Downstairs in the Mornings after I've Walked With Daddy he will tell her Savannah Peed But She Didn't Poop Out There. So Momma puts her Coat on and then she puts my Leash on me and Off We Go for Another Walk and then I can Walk Wherever I Want To and Smell Everything and sometimes I poop Twice instead of Just Once and when we Get Back to the House Daddy asks Momma if I pooped and Momma says Yes She Sure Did Not Once But Twice.
Then Under Her Breath Momma says So Much For Your Straight Lines! but Daddy doesn't Hear that and I don't say a Word because I've learned that Sometimes it's Best to Just Keep Quiet.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Ooops.....
Well, I thought today would be a good day to drive Savannah to the vet to get her weight checked because the supply of flea/tick/heartworm medication needed a renewal, but they needed her weight before giving me the new prescription.
I had walked her this morning around eight o'clock, and was ready to drive to the vet at 9:30.... I didn't walk Savannah again because once she pees in the morning she doesn't pee again until lunch-time... and the vet's office is only a little farther than the dog park. I spread her blanket on the back seat of my husband's car and off we went. I'm sure that Savannah saw the dog park as we passed it on the main highway, and was probably wondering why we didn't stop there.
A bit past that dog park is a large intersection where I took a left turn to get me to the second big intersection that gets me on the road going towards the vet's office. That particular road is just two lanes and any obstruction causes major traffic jams (if you can call the small number of cars here 'traffic'). The obstruction this morning was three huge trucks from the highway department... they were removing old yellow metal reflectors from the road and re-painting the yellow lines where the sun had disintegrated the paint. A worthy endeavor, to say the least, but those three trucks were filled with the most god-awful pitiful uselessly slow workers that I think I've ever seen in my life.
They didn't pull over towards the shoulder of the road, and the trucks were so wide anyway that they took up not only the right lane but part of the left lane as well, which made working on those yellow lines even slower than it needed to be. One worker would drive the truck four or five feet, put the vehicle in 'park,' get out of the truck and pull up a reflector and toss it into the back of the truck, then he'd get back into the truck, put it in gear, drive up another few feet, put the vehicle in park, etc., etc., etc. To say the least, it was maddening, and I swear that the man getting in and out of that truck couldn't have been any slower if he had tried. I looked in my rear-view mirror and I think every vehicle in this town was backed up behind me. Some of them were making U-turns, in an effort to get out of that mess and take another road to where they needed to go.
When I realized that it had taken me 15 minutes to drive about 150 feet, I made a U-turn as well.... and because of the road I needed to take to get to the vet's, I had to drive all the way through town, get on the feeder road by the highway, then make a left to get on that same two-lane road which would get me to the road where the vet is located. And there was Savannah... very quiet in the back seat of the car... looking out of the window and seeming to be just fine.
Finally, finally.... I got on that same two-lane road where I had made the U-turn, but now I was going in the opposite direction towards the vet's road, and I could see that the three highway department trucks were still hopelessly, slowly plodding along, and now there must have been five hundred cars backed up behind them. I drove along effortlessly and made a right turn onto the vet's road.... and Savannah was still sitting in the back seat and very quiet.
The vet that we use has his offices in a brown log-cabin type of building... very distinctive... and the kennels where he boards dogs are right close to the parking lot. I looked in the rear-view mirror and I could see the very serious look on Savannah's face... I was positive that she recognized that log cabin and remembered that the last time she was there was for spaying... plus I had to leave her there for the day three months ago.
I got out of the front seat and in the three seconds that it took for me to close the front door and open up the back door, Savannah had peed on the blanket, which of course went right through to the seat of the car. Oh my. Savannah put her head right down in embarrassment and she couldn't even look at me. I rolled up that blanket and put it on the floor of the car and then noticed that the pee had gotten on part of her leash as well. Good grief.
I didn't say a word to Savannah other than "It's okay, Savannah... everything is okay." I didn't want to even call attention to her mishap because I knew it wasn't her fault. First of all, I really should have walked her before I made her get into the car. And when that traffic was all backed up because of the inefficiency of those workers, I should have just headed for home when I made that U-turn instead of making such a long trip all around town to get back to where I needed to go. I think all of that driving was just too much for this puppy, and then the sight of the vet's office was the last drop in the puppy bucket that got her upset.
The weigh-in took just a minute or so (Savannah is 56 pounds now) and they gave me the prescription for the medication. I had also wanted them to trim her nails, but I thought she'd had enough trauma for one morning so I just paid for the medication and got us out of there without mentioning anything about Savannah's 'accident' in the car.
I walked Savannah around in the grass outside the vet's office but the sight of the outdoor kennels there frightened her. (Was she remembering her previous life in a similar kennel?) Into the car we went, and I got home quickly being that the highway work trucks were still out there, but moving slowly in the opposite direction.
When I pulled into our driveway, I walked Savannah there in our grass and she did everything she had to do and then some... clearly, the entire morning drive made her very anxious. I took her blanket and popped it into the washing machine, and then I soaked her leash in soap and water. I cleaned off the underside of Savannah and I kept telling her that she was a good puppy and every bit of her 56 pounds was just perfectly perfect.
Savannah is growing and growing... but she's still a puppy. Never again will I make her get into a car without first walking her up and down the road. Savannah is fine now... the car seat is cleaned and fine... the blanket has been washed and dried.... but I still feel badly for this poor 56-pound puppy.
I had walked her this morning around eight o'clock, and was ready to drive to the vet at 9:30.... I didn't walk Savannah again because once she pees in the morning she doesn't pee again until lunch-time... and the vet's office is only a little farther than the dog park. I spread her blanket on the back seat of my husband's car and off we went. I'm sure that Savannah saw the dog park as we passed it on the main highway, and was probably wondering why we didn't stop there.
A bit past that dog park is a large intersection where I took a left turn to get me to the second big intersection that gets me on the road going towards the vet's office. That particular road is just two lanes and any obstruction causes major traffic jams (if you can call the small number of cars here 'traffic'). The obstruction this morning was three huge trucks from the highway department... they were removing old yellow metal reflectors from the road and re-painting the yellow lines where the sun had disintegrated the paint. A worthy endeavor, to say the least, but those three trucks were filled with the most god-awful pitiful uselessly slow workers that I think I've ever seen in my life.
They didn't pull over towards the shoulder of the road, and the trucks were so wide anyway that they took up not only the right lane but part of the left lane as well, which made working on those yellow lines even slower than it needed to be. One worker would drive the truck four or five feet, put the vehicle in 'park,' get out of the truck and pull up a reflector and toss it into the back of the truck, then he'd get back into the truck, put it in gear, drive up another few feet, put the vehicle in park, etc., etc., etc. To say the least, it was maddening, and I swear that the man getting in and out of that truck couldn't have been any slower if he had tried. I looked in my rear-view mirror and I think every vehicle in this town was backed up behind me. Some of them were making U-turns, in an effort to get out of that mess and take another road to where they needed to go.
When I realized that it had taken me 15 minutes to drive about 150 feet, I made a U-turn as well.... and because of the road I needed to take to get to the vet's, I had to drive all the way through town, get on the feeder road by the highway, then make a left to get on that same two-lane road which would get me to the road where the vet is located. And there was Savannah... very quiet in the back seat of the car... looking out of the window and seeming to be just fine.
Finally, finally.... I got on that same two-lane road where I had made the U-turn, but now I was going in the opposite direction towards the vet's road, and I could see that the three highway department trucks were still hopelessly, slowly plodding along, and now there must have been five hundred cars backed up behind them. I drove along effortlessly and made a right turn onto the vet's road.... and Savannah was still sitting in the back seat and very quiet.
The vet that we use has his offices in a brown log-cabin type of building... very distinctive... and the kennels where he boards dogs are right close to the parking lot. I looked in the rear-view mirror and I could see the very serious look on Savannah's face... I was positive that she recognized that log cabin and remembered that the last time she was there was for spaying... plus I had to leave her there for the day three months ago.
I got out of the front seat and in the three seconds that it took for me to close the front door and open up the back door, Savannah had peed on the blanket, which of course went right through to the seat of the car. Oh my. Savannah put her head right down in embarrassment and she couldn't even look at me. I rolled up that blanket and put it on the floor of the car and then noticed that the pee had gotten on part of her leash as well. Good grief.
I didn't say a word to Savannah other than "It's okay, Savannah... everything is okay." I didn't want to even call attention to her mishap because I knew it wasn't her fault. First of all, I really should have walked her before I made her get into the car. And when that traffic was all backed up because of the inefficiency of those workers, I should have just headed for home when I made that U-turn instead of making such a long trip all around town to get back to where I needed to go. I think all of that driving was just too much for this puppy, and then the sight of the vet's office was the last drop in the puppy bucket that got her upset.
The weigh-in took just a minute or so (Savannah is 56 pounds now) and they gave me the prescription for the medication. I had also wanted them to trim her nails, but I thought she'd had enough trauma for one morning so I just paid for the medication and got us out of there without mentioning anything about Savannah's 'accident' in the car.
I walked Savannah around in the grass outside the vet's office but the sight of the outdoor kennels there frightened her. (Was she remembering her previous life in a similar kennel?) Into the car we went, and I got home quickly being that the highway work trucks were still out there, but moving slowly in the opposite direction.
When I pulled into our driveway, I walked Savannah there in our grass and she did everything she had to do and then some... clearly, the entire morning drive made her very anxious. I took her blanket and popped it into the washing machine, and then I soaked her leash in soap and water. I cleaned off the underside of Savannah and I kept telling her that she was a good puppy and every bit of her 56 pounds was just perfectly perfect.
Savannah is growing and growing... but she's still a puppy. Never again will I make her get into a car without first walking her up and down the road. Savannah is fine now... the car seat is cleaned and fine... the blanket has been washed and dried.... but I still feel badly for this poor 56-pound puppy.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Everybody is still So Busy here but Yesterday we went to the Dog Park. Momma wanted to take the Big Tree outside but Daddy said it was Too Pretty A Day for that and he said Let's Take Savannah To The Park instead. Well Momma said she couldn't take the Big Tree outside by herself so Off To The Park we went.
There were So Many Dogs there Yesterday and I heard All The People saying the Same Thing--- Finally Finally The Sun Came Out and Wasn't It Nice For The Dogs To Run In The Park Again. Some of the Dogs were Running After Tennis Balls and some Dogs were Chasing flat things that were Flying in the Air and then there was a Chocolate Lab who kept Jumping into the Pool to Catch a Toy That Floats and I didn't Understand how a Dog could be Chocolate because Daddy says that Chocolate Isn't Good For Dogs. Daddy only says that when he's Eating A Piece of Chocolate and I Nudge him with my Nose but he Still Won't Give Me Some. I guess Chocolate may Not Be Good for Dogs but it seems to Be Good for Daddies.
I Ran and Ran after that Chocolate Lab yesterday but I stopped at the Edge of the Pool because he kept Going into the Deep Part of that Water with a Great Big Splash that kept everyone Away from the Pool. Then the Chocolate Lab came Running Out of The Pool with his Floating Toy and he Shook and Shook and Got Everybody Wet who wasn't Smart Enough to Stay Away from him.
When Momma and Daddy were ready to Leave The Park they started Walking towards the Gate. I saw them Walking and I knew where they were Going so I started to Follow them. Momma went out of the Park first, then I followed Momma, and then Daddy put my Leash on and we got Into The Car. Momma made a Big Fuss and told Daddy that it was the First Time they didn't have to Catch Me Before Leaving the Park. Momma said What A Good Girl Savannah and Daddy said You're The Best Dog Savannah and I was going to Tell them that I was Just Plain Tired From Running After That Chocolate Lab but then I thought maybe it was Better for them to think I was The Best Dog after all.
This morning Daddy got the Big Tree out of the Dining Room and Carried it Way Out into the Pasture. Momma said the Birds will be Building Nests in that Big Old Tree and she'll be Picking Up Needles till the End Of The Summer. When Momma put the Vacuum Cleaner away she said that Christmas Was Officially Over because the Big Tree was Gone. My People do some Strange Things in this house. Momma won't let me bring One Little Stick into the Kitchen but she lets Daddy bring a Whole Big Tree into the Dining Room.
This afternoon Sweet Pea was Sleeping in his Little Bed right in Front of the Heater in the Kitchen. That Cat always gets the Best Spots in the House and I guess that's because He's a Cat and no matter how Big they get they Always Stay Cute and can Get Away With All Kinds of Stuff. So there was Sweet Pea all Curled Up in a Circle in his Bed and I walked over there and Felt That Heat and I put my Head into Sweet Pea's Bed and it was Nice and Warm so I kept my Head there half on the bed and half on Sweet Pea. Momma saw that and said Oh Savannah How Cute Are You and then she said You And Sweet Pea Are The Best Of Friends Aren't You.
I wanted to tell Momma that I was just Trying To Keep My Nose Warm but then I thought if Momma wants to think that Sweet Pea and I are Best Friends then What's Wrong With That. I have Learned that Sometimes it's Just Better to Let Momma Think that I'm The Best Puppy In The World so maybe when she finds a Sofa Pillow on the Floor she'll think that Sweet Pea did it instead of Me.
There were So Many Dogs there Yesterday and I heard All The People saying the Same Thing--- Finally Finally The Sun Came Out and Wasn't It Nice For The Dogs To Run In The Park Again. Some of the Dogs were Running After Tennis Balls and some Dogs were Chasing flat things that were Flying in the Air and then there was a Chocolate Lab who kept Jumping into the Pool to Catch a Toy That Floats and I didn't Understand how a Dog could be Chocolate because Daddy says that Chocolate Isn't Good For Dogs. Daddy only says that when he's Eating A Piece of Chocolate and I Nudge him with my Nose but he Still Won't Give Me Some. I guess Chocolate may Not Be Good for Dogs but it seems to Be Good for Daddies.
I Ran and Ran after that Chocolate Lab yesterday but I stopped at the Edge of the Pool because he kept Going into the Deep Part of that Water with a Great Big Splash that kept everyone Away from the Pool. Then the Chocolate Lab came Running Out of The Pool with his Floating Toy and he Shook and Shook and Got Everybody Wet who wasn't Smart Enough to Stay Away from him.
When Momma and Daddy were ready to Leave The Park they started Walking towards the Gate. I saw them Walking and I knew where they were Going so I started to Follow them. Momma went out of the Park first, then I followed Momma, and then Daddy put my Leash on and we got Into The Car. Momma made a Big Fuss and told Daddy that it was the First Time they didn't have to Catch Me Before Leaving the Park. Momma said What A Good Girl Savannah and Daddy said You're The Best Dog Savannah and I was going to Tell them that I was Just Plain Tired From Running After That Chocolate Lab but then I thought maybe it was Better for them to think I was The Best Dog after all.
This morning Daddy got the Big Tree out of the Dining Room and Carried it Way Out into the Pasture. Momma said the Birds will be Building Nests in that Big Old Tree and she'll be Picking Up Needles till the End Of The Summer. When Momma put the Vacuum Cleaner away she said that Christmas Was Officially Over because the Big Tree was Gone. My People do some Strange Things in this house. Momma won't let me bring One Little Stick into the Kitchen but she lets Daddy bring a Whole Big Tree into the Dining Room.
This afternoon Sweet Pea was Sleeping in his Little Bed right in Front of the Heater in the Kitchen. That Cat always gets the Best Spots in the House and I guess that's because He's a Cat and no matter how Big they get they Always Stay Cute and can Get Away With All Kinds of Stuff. So there was Sweet Pea all Curled Up in a Circle in his Bed and I walked over there and Felt That Heat and I put my Head into Sweet Pea's Bed and it was Nice and Warm so I kept my Head there half on the bed and half on Sweet Pea. Momma saw that and said Oh Savannah How Cute Are You and then she said You And Sweet Pea Are The Best Of Friends Aren't You.
I wanted to tell Momma that I was just Trying To Keep My Nose Warm but then I thought if Momma wants to think that Sweet Pea and I are Best Friends then What's Wrong With That. I have Learned that Sometimes it's Just Better to Let Momma Think that I'm The Best Puppy In The World so maybe when she finds a Sofa Pillow on the Floor she'll think that Sweet Pea did it instead of Me.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
New Year's Day
When I opened my eyes this morning and looked at the clock, it was 8:45... can't even remember the last time I've slept so late. But it didn't surprise me, after having hardly any sleep the night before when Savannah did all that after-midnight barking. When I got downstairs this morning, Savannah was still in the breakfast room, sound asleep in her bed. I literally walked right to her and thanked her for not barking during the night. She looked at me with sleepy eyes and then yawned.
My husband has been reading one of Cesar Millan's books so he has been taking Savannah for some of her walks during the day. According to Millan, the three things a dog needs is exercise, discipline, and affection. (In that order.) So Gary has come to the conclusion that the more exercise Savannah gets, the better behaved she will be. When he and Savannah walked out the back door after lunch today, Savannah's head was turned back towards me and I know she was wondering why I wasn't coming along. I had suggested to my husband that he give Savannah enough time to do what she needed to do out there before he started trying to teach her to 'heel.'
One of Millan's rules with his own dogs is that he goes out of a door first, then the dogs come out behind him. That's what my husband is doing with Savannah, and he suggested that I do the same. Well, I've tried that, but my arm isn't long enough..... the kitchen door opens in and the screen door opens out, and I can't reach back and close the kitchen door after Savannah is out on the porch without making that poor puppy come half-way back into the kitchen, which is ridiculous. In my own puppy-book, I really don't care who goes in or out of the door first.
Speaking of doors, I remember when we first got Savannah... she hadn't ever been inside a house before and had no idea what to do with a door and she was afraid of it. Savannah is no longer so afraid of loud noises inside the house... I've been trying not to be so quiet in the house all of the time and I think that helped. About the only outside noises that frighten Savannah now are the gun-shots that we hear occasionally, and the fireworks that were lit off on Christmas Eve and Christmas night.
Savannah used to be petrified of the ironing board, the vacuum, the broom and mop, and the step-stool... just about anything unusual that I would bring out of the utility closet and into the kitchen. She seems to have memorized every single item in the kitchen and breakfast room and she knows right away if something has been added and she will back away from it initially, but then slowly go up to it for a sniff or two. Still such a cautious puppy.
When I walk Savannah on the road now, I take off her fancy blue collar and put on just the choker collar. That method has been more effective when I need to get her attention and make her listen to me, especially when a neighbor's car or truck is going up the road and she's trying to either chase the vehicle or protect me from it-- I haven't figured out what she's thinking in such situations. My husband has stopped suggesting that he take her to the Walmart parking lot and walk her around and around there so she can get used to cars. When he first told me about that Internet-found idea, I told him that I didn't agree and wouldn't want to subject Savannah to that parking lot. I think my exact words were "Over my dead body."
Savannah will be nine months old on January 12th... she has surely come a good long way since that day we got her from her previous owners and put a leash on her for the first time in her puppy-life and then put her into the back seat of my husband's car for the ride to her new home. Looking at the very first photos of Savannah, she looked petrified... not knowing where she was and probably wondering why she had been taken away from her puppy-brother and the outdoor kennel she was so familiar with. My husband and I both think Savannah's life as an inside dog is more plush and cozy and warm than her other life in her old backyard kennel.
As I type this, Savannah is sleeping in her bed in the corner of the breakfast room, and she is snoring lightly. If I move my chair a bit and stretch out my right arm, I can pet her and tell her that she has been a spectacular puppy since September. Except for trying to chase cars. And except for that roaring bark of hers in the middle of the night... and also that roaring bark when I'm reading and the barking scares me so much that I drop the book. Oh well... she has still been a spectacular puppy.
My husband has been reading one of Cesar Millan's books so he has been taking Savannah for some of her walks during the day. According to Millan, the three things a dog needs is exercise, discipline, and affection. (In that order.) So Gary has come to the conclusion that the more exercise Savannah gets, the better behaved she will be. When he and Savannah walked out the back door after lunch today, Savannah's head was turned back towards me and I know she was wondering why I wasn't coming along. I had suggested to my husband that he give Savannah enough time to do what she needed to do out there before he started trying to teach her to 'heel.'
One of Millan's rules with his own dogs is that he goes out of a door first, then the dogs come out behind him. That's what my husband is doing with Savannah, and he suggested that I do the same. Well, I've tried that, but my arm isn't long enough..... the kitchen door opens in and the screen door opens out, and I can't reach back and close the kitchen door after Savannah is out on the porch without making that poor puppy come half-way back into the kitchen, which is ridiculous. In my own puppy-book, I really don't care who goes in or out of the door first.
Speaking of doors, I remember when we first got Savannah... she hadn't ever been inside a house before and had no idea what to do with a door and she was afraid of it. Savannah is no longer so afraid of loud noises inside the house... I've been trying not to be so quiet in the house all of the time and I think that helped. About the only outside noises that frighten Savannah now are the gun-shots that we hear occasionally, and the fireworks that were lit off on Christmas Eve and Christmas night.
Savannah used to be petrified of the ironing board, the vacuum, the broom and mop, and the step-stool... just about anything unusual that I would bring out of the utility closet and into the kitchen. She seems to have memorized every single item in the kitchen and breakfast room and she knows right away if something has been added and she will back away from it initially, but then slowly go up to it for a sniff or two. Still such a cautious puppy.
When I walk Savannah on the road now, I take off her fancy blue collar and put on just the choker collar. That method has been more effective when I need to get her attention and make her listen to me, especially when a neighbor's car or truck is going up the road and she's trying to either chase the vehicle or protect me from it-- I haven't figured out what she's thinking in such situations. My husband has stopped suggesting that he take her to the Walmart parking lot and walk her around and around there so she can get used to cars. When he first told me about that Internet-found idea, I told him that I didn't agree and wouldn't want to subject Savannah to that parking lot. I think my exact words were "Over my dead body."
Savannah will be nine months old on January 12th... she has surely come a good long way since that day we got her from her previous owners and put a leash on her for the first time in her puppy-life and then put her into the back seat of my husband's car for the ride to her new home. Looking at the very first photos of Savannah, she looked petrified... not knowing where she was and probably wondering why she had been taken away from her puppy-brother and the outdoor kennel she was so familiar with. My husband and I both think Savannah's life as an inside dog is more plush and cozy and warm than her other life in her old backyard kennel.
As I type this, Savannah is sleeping in her bed in the corner of the breakfast room, and she is snoring lightly. If I move my chair a bit and stretch out my right arm, I can pet her and tell her that she has been a spectacular puppy since September. Except for trying to chase cars. And except for that roaring bark of hers in the middle of the night... and also that roaring bark when I'm reading and the barking scares me so much that I drop the book. Oh well... she has still been a spectacular puppy.
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