I think Savannah knows and understands that she must be on not only her best behavior, but extraordinary stellar behavior on Thursdays when the ladies come here for tea. Whether it's two ladies or seven, this puppy has consistently behaved herself on Thursdays. So much so that everyone always comments on how well-behaved she is.
You think so? Well, come back here at two o'clock in the morning when this well-behaved puppy is roaring at an armadillo out in the yard or tearing up her plush and comfy bed or jumping up to catch and swallow June-bugs when she's supposed to be peeing in the blasted grass. (That's what I would like to say, but I don't. I just nod my head and say 'Yes, she's a good puppy.' (When she wants to be.)
Savannah put another hole in her bed this morning. Not a major one, just enough of a tear in a previously un-torn corner so now three of the four corners have the imprints and results of her considerably big teeth. I sewed up the newest hole with black thread and Frankenstein stitches, and then got an old sheet and just wrapped up the bed in that beige sheet that has an overall design of green palm trees. Those were always my favorite set of sheets in Clear Lake, but I don't use them here in the Hill Country because at night, those little palm trees look like scorpions. (I can hear you laughing.) All of our sheet sets now are plain, beige, and pattern-less. (I also have a set of once-favorite chintz-patterned sheets that are now used to cover my car when it's in the garage. Same theory--- you can't see the scorpions amongst all of that chintz.)
This puppy watched me wrapping up her bed... the sheet was more than enough to cover the entire bed, top and bottom and sides, and I folded it up neatly underneath to give the once-plush bed more 'cushion.' Savannah has pulled out enough of the fiberfill to make about four cat-sized beds. When I was done covering that bed, Savannah walked up to it and sniffed every inch, then plopped herself down in the middle of it as if her bed had always been decorated with little green palm trees. She hasn't bitten or torn the sheet, so maybe this will be a solution to the biting-the-bed problem. Sweet Pea, however, is thoroughly confused. He has walked up to that bed and sniffed the sheet and even put a paw on a few of the palm trees, as if he could erase the design. Sweet Pea will sit in front of Savannah's bed and meow a few times, and then walk away. I guess this cat doesn't like the palm tree design, or maybe he thinks they look too much like scorpions.
During tea (and crafts) this afternoon, Savannah walked over to my chair and sat there looking at me. I told her she was being a very good girl but she could not have a brownie or a cookie. She kept looking at me, then put her paw on my leg.... one of her signs that she has to go out. So on went her leash and off into the yard we went, and within three seconds, Savannah found the perfect spot in the grass to pee (right by the house) and then I brought her back inside. This puppy walked around the table in the dining room, took herself into the living room, and curled up and went to sleep. We didn't hear a peep out of her for the rest of the afternoon.
Savannah is a mystery at times. For as good (stellar) as she can be, there are moments and days and nights that all of her good behavior goes right out the puppy window and she becomes ill-mannered, scattered, and un-focused. I am no longer waiting for that magic one-year mark which I thought would signify the end of her puppy-hood. I think Savannah is going to keep being a puppy till she's a year-and-a-half or two years old. I hope we can both survive that.
And if Savannah knew what I just typed in that last sentence, the puppy in her would be joyfully and enthusiastically singing "I will survive.... oh yes.... I will survive...."
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
1:45 in the morning.
Just when I thought it was safe to put away the needle and thread, Savannah has decided to tear a hole in the other side of her bed.
This is the second time I've been downstairs since midnight. The first time was at 12:30 and this puppy was barking as if she had to go out. So down the stairs I came, on went the coat and the shoes, and off we went. The result of that trip was Savannah trying to capture some June-bugs that were attracted to the flash-light. After about two minutes of that nonsense, and not a drop of pee from her to make the trip outside worthwhile, I brought her back into the house. I didn't say a word to her when we got back in the kitchen, but I knew that she figured out I was not happy by the way I took that leash and collar off her. Before I even got my coat off, Savannah had gone back to her bed in the breakfast room. At that point, I didn't even look into that room, so her tearing-up process on that bed could have already begun.
At 1:30, Savannah barked again... not a 'need to go out' bark, but a 'something is on the porch' bark. Down the stairs I came again, on went the porch light and nothing was there that I could see. I was wide awake by then, so I turned on the light in the breakfast room and thought I'd catch up on the Blogs or look at Pinterest for a while. As soon as I put the lamp on, I saw the flood of brown fiberfill surrounding Savannah's bed. "What on earth?!?!" That's what I said out loud, and in answer to that question, this stupid puppy walked into her bed and plopped herself down in the midst of all that brown fluff. Give me a blessed break.
I got out a trash bag and just filled it with all the fiberfill, not even bothering to put any of it back into the hole Savannah made in that bed. Then I took the needle and thread (now conveniently kept in the drawer of the breakfast room hutch) and started sewing up that blasted hole. Both sides of Savannah's bed now look Frankenstein-worthy, and no matter which way the bed is turned this puppy's re-design of her bed can be seen. And so be it. I will just keep throwing away the fiberfill that she pulls out, sewing up the holes, and if Savannah keeps this up, she will be sleeping on a flat piece of fabric.
Tonight after dinner, my husband was playing with Savannah in the TV room. He gets down on the floor with her and Savannah just loves it. Her tail goes up in the air, she smiles that big innocent grin of hers, and she gets some extra exercise before bed-time. (Which does not deter her from chewing her bed, I might add.) While my husband and Savannah were playing with a little orange football-shaped toy, I decided to take out the last Blue Monkey. I had been saving it just because it was 'the last one' but I figured what the heck... there are more Blue Monkeys in the pet department of the local supermarket. As soon as Savannah saw that little monkey she quickly stood up, and then just as quickly sat herself down. Her eyes never left that once-favorite toy of hers, and she clearly knew just what it was from across the room.
We let her play with it however she liked, knowing that before the end of the night that monkey would be history because of Savannah's adult teeth. Now of course I'm thinking that the blue monkey, which is now missing his tail, prodded Savannah into chewing another hole in her bed tonight. I guess I can make excuses and think up reasons for everything this puppy does, but the bottom line is that there's no way I can read her puppy-mind and truly understand why she does what she does.
And sometimes, what she does just gets me nuts. Never a dull puppy moment, but this middle-of-the-night stuff is just ridiculous.
This morning, at a more reasonable hour, I took Savannah outside to use the grass. At 6:30 in the morning, I had been up and awake since just after midnight. When I got out on the porch with Savannah, I noticed that the bowl of water I keep out there for the cats was filled with dirt... little specks of mud floating around in the bowl. So Savannah's barking wasn't for nothing... there must have been a raccoon on the porch and that's what she had been protecting us from.
During the hours of 1:30 and 6:30 this morning, I sewed up the newest hole in Savannah's puppy bed, I finished the book I'd been reading for the past week, brought Savannah outside twice, and I added about 200 pins to my Pinterest boards. Very productive morning, wouldn't you say? Right now as I type, it's nearly 4:15 in the afternoon. I've been in town for groceries, stopped at the local thrift store, and also checked my booth at the antique shop near Main Street. It has been drizzling on and off all day and I think the sun made an appearance for about ten seconds this afternoon.
And where is the Puppy Princess? She is sound asleep in her once-plush bed, snoring lightly and probably dreaming of more ways to keep me up during the night. I am not ashamed to admit that three times this afternoon, I have made noise in the breakfast room and said "Savannah! Wake up! Wake the hell up!" If I knew how to bark effectively, I'd also be doing just that right about now.
This is the second time I've been downstairs since midnight. The first time was at 12:30 and this puppy was barking as if she had to go out. So down the stairs I came, on went the coat and the shoes, and off we went. The result of that trip was Savannah trying to capture some June-bugs that were attracted to the flash-light. After about two minutes of that nonsense, and not a drop of pee from her to make the trip outside worthwhile, I brought her back into the house. I didn't say a word to her when we got back in the kitchen, but I knew that she figured out I was not happy by the way I took that leash and collar off her. Before I even got my coat off, Savannah had gone back to her bed in the breakfast room. At that point, I didn't even look into that room, so her tearing-up process on that bed could have already begun.
At 1:30, Savannah barked again... not a 'need to go out' bark, but a 'something is on the porch' bark. Down the stairs I came again, on went the porch light and nothing was there that I could see. I was wide awake by then, so I turned on the light in the breakfast room and thought I'd catch up on the Blogs or look at Pinterest for a while. As soon as I put the lamp on, I saw the flood of brown fiberfill surrounding Savannah's bed. "What on earth?!?!" That's what I said out loud, and in answer to that question, this stupid puppy walked into her bed and plopped herself down in the midst of all that brown fluff. Give me a blessed break.
I got out a trash bag and just filled it with all the fiberfill, not even bothering to put any of it back into the hole Savannah made in that bed. Then I took the needle and thread (now conveniently kept in the drawer of the breakfast room hutch) and started sewing up that blasted hole. Both sides of Savannah's bed now look Frankenstein-worthy, and no matter which way the bed is turned this puppy's re-design of her bed can be seen. And so be it. I will just keep throwing away the fiberfill that she pulls out, sewing up the holes, and if Savannah keeps this up, she will be sleeping on a flat piece of fabric.
Tonight after dinner, my husband was playing with Savannah in the TV room. He gets down on the floor with her and Savannah just loves it. Her tail goes up in the air, she smiles that big innocent grin of hers, and she gets some extra exercise before bed-time. (Which does not deter her from chewing her bed, I might add.) While my husband and Savannah were playing with a little orange football-shaped toy, I decided to take out the last Blue Monkey. I had been saving it just because it was 'the last one' but I figured what the heck... there are more Blue Monkeys in the pet department of the local supermarket. As soon as Savannah saw that little monkey she quickly stood up, and then just as quickly sat herself down. Her eyes never left that once-favorite toy of hers, and she clearly knew just what it was from across the room.
We let her play with it however she liked, knowing that before the end of the night that monkey would be history because of Savannah's adult teeth. Now of course I'm thinking that the blue monkey, which is now missing his tail, prodded Savannah into chewing another hole in her bed tonight. I guess I can make excuses and think up reasons for everything this puppy does, but the bottom line is that there's no way I can read her puppy-mind and truly understand why she does what she does.
And sometimes, what she does just gets me nuts. Never a dull puppy moment, but this middle-of-the-night stuff is just ridiculous.
This morning, at a more reasonable hour, I took Savannah outside to use the grass. At 6:30 in the morning, I had been up and awake since just after midnight. When I got out on the porch with Savannah, I noticed that the bowl of water I keep out there for the cats was filled with dirt... little specks of mud floating around in the bowl. So Savannah's barking wasn't for nothing... there must have been a raccoon on the porch and that's what she had been protecting us from.
During the hours of 1:30 and 6:30 this morning, I sewed up the newest hole in Savannah's puppy bed, I finished the book I'd been reading for the past week, brought Savannah outside twice, and I added about 200 pins to my Pinterest boards. Very productive morning, wouldn't you say? Right now as I type, it's nearly 4:15 in the afternoon. I've been in town for groceries, stopped at the local thrift store, and also checked my booth at the antique shop near Main Street. It has been drizzling on and off all day and I think the sun made an appearance for about ten seconds this afternoon.
And where is the Puppy Princess? She is sound asleep in her once-plush bed, snoring lightly and probably dreaming of more ways to keep me up during the night. I am not ashamed to admit that three times this afternoon, I have made noise in the breakfast room and said "Savannah! Wake up! Wake the hell up!" If I knew how to bark effectively, I'd also be doing just that right about now.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Not a puppy was stirring...
....and all was quiet throughout the house.
For the past few nights, Savannah has been sleeping peacefully. Translation: I have been sleeping peacefully. The first morning I came downstairs after a full night's sleep (after last week of Savannah's constant night-time barking) I said out loud in the kitchen "Did someone come in here and kidnap Savannah during the night?" All I got in response to that was a big brown-eyed stare from Savannah and then a huge yawn followed that. Apparently, the Puppy Princess was not amused.
There have been an extraordinary number of coyotes out in the fields lately. I don't remember this population explosion of coyotes happening this early in the season during previous years, but clearly, due to the vicious-sounding howling after midnight, those heartless creatures are certainly out there. And yes, I believe they're heartless because they will attack any living animal that they come across.
The coyotes sounded so close last night that I thought they were right behind our barn. I turned on the back porch light as soon as I heard them and then I got the big flash-light and pointed that in the direction of that part of the property. I didn't see anything, but possibly the porch light scared them off. Savannah barked at the coyotes when they first started up, and I thought we'd be in for another long night of barking, but she was quiet for the rest of the night.
This morning during our walk, Savannah's nose hit the ground as soon as we got out to the road and she didn't lift that nose up till we had gone all the way up the hill. Apparently, last night's band of coyotes were up and down our road here. When we reached the end of the road, Savannah looked around and seemed to realize why we were out there in the first place and she got down to business. Honestly, she is the most easily distracted dog I've ever come across. Well, not exactly a dog. She is still basically a puppy. And I don't think her one-year birthday on April 12th will be the end of her puppy-hood. I really believe that she won't settle down into a mature dog until she's nearly two years old. That's my prediction, and I will be positively thrilled to pieces if I'm proved wrong.
After Savannah's assault on her plush and very expensive bed last week, I've sewn up all the holes she made, and one corner of her rectangular-shaped bed is definitely flatter than the other three because I didn't bother replacing the stuffing she pulled out. I turned Savannah's bed around and now the damaged part is right in the corner of the wall and hardly noticeable. I'm hoping that Savannah will forget about chewing her bed because I don't plan to replace it until I'm sure that she's definitely out of the chewing stage.
I don't know what on earth possessed Savannah last week to turn into a wild-child. My friend Cindy also has a puppy just about Savannah's age. His name is Jack and he's a mix of Black Lab and Great Pyrenees. Cindy and her husband have had dogs over the years but when we got Savannah, they were dog-less, after their much-loved dog Kate died over a year ago. One look at Savannah and Cindy was hooked, even though Savannah's cautious nature kept her from getting too close to Cindy when they first met. We tried to get in touch with the previous owners of Savannah to see if the other puppy (Savannah's brother) was still available for adoption, but they never got back to us with an answer.
My husband searched the Internet for puppies similar to Savannah's mix, trying to find a good puppy for Cindy. He found a litter of Black Lab/Great Pyrenees puppies whose owners were just giving them away to good homes. Cindy and her husband drove into the next town to have a look-see and fell in love with an all-black puppy. They named him Jack and brought that happily-wagging bundle of puppy to their home. After three baths to get rid of his fleas, Jack came here to meet Savannah. Unlike Savannah, Jack loves everyone at first sight, and every person he meets is immediately his best friend. I found myself wishing that some of Jack's friendliness would rub off on Savannah, but that's not going to happen. Savannah is extremely particular about picking her friends, and it took her nearly three months to warm up to Cindy, who is here twice a week every week, and sometimes more. To this day, Savannah has yet to make friends with most of our neighbors.
Last week when Savannah was acting out, so was Jack... and both Cindy and I were wondering if the full moon had anything to do with their strange behavior. While Jack was in his yard pulling up shrubs and small plants, Savannah was here pulling the stuffing out of her bed and barking at every blessed leaf-drop in the middle of the night. Maybe during such a full moon, our planet is abnormally tilted and not in sync with the universe and common sense and appropriate behavior dissolve into the atmosphere.
Cindy and I have also been wondering what could have possessed us to get puppies (puppies!) at this stage of our lives. There have been countless articles and studies written about pet-owners having lower blood pressure and living longer than people without pets. Personally, I think the people who wrote those articles were writing during a full moon when our planet was abnormally tilted and not in sync with the universe...
For the past few nights, Savannah has been sleeping peacefully. Translation: I have been sleeping peacefully. The first morning I came downstairs after a full night's sleep (after last week of Savannah's constant night-time barking) I said out loud in the kitchen "Did someone come in here and kidnap Savannah during the night?" All I got in response to that was a big brown-eyed stare from Savannah and then a huge yawn followed that. Apparently, the Puppy Princess was not amused.
There have been an extraordinary number of coyotes out in the fields lately. I don't remember this population explosion of coyotes happening this early in the season during previous years, but clearly, due to the vicious-sounding howling after midnight, those heartless creatures are certainly out there. And yes, I believe they're heartless because they will attack any living animal that they come across.
The coyotes sounded so close last night that I thought they were right behind our barn. I turned on the back porch light as soon as I heard them and then I got the big flash-light and pointed that in the direction of that part of the property. I didn't see anything, but possibly the porch light scared them off. Savannah barked at the coyotes when they first started up, and I thought we'd be in for another long night of barking, but she was quiet for the rest of the night.
This morning during our walk, Savannah's nose hit the ground as soon as we got out to the road and she didn't lift that nose up till we had gone all the way up the hill. Apparently, last night's band of coyotes were up and down our road here. When we reached the end of the road, Savannah looked around and seemed to realize why we were out there in the first place and she got down to business. Honestly, she is the most easily distracted dog I've ever come across. Well, not exactly a dog. She is still basically a puppy. And I don't think her one-year birthday on April 12th will be the end of her puppy-hood. I really believe that she won't settle down into a mature dog until she's nearly two years old. That's my prediction, and I will be positively thrilled to pieces if I'm proved wrong.
After Savannah's assault on her plush and very expensive bed last week, I've sewn up all the holes she made, and one corner of her rectangular-shaped bed is definitely flatter than the other three because I didn't bother replacing the stuffing she pulled out. I turned Savannah's bed around and now the damaged part is right in the corner of the wall and hardly noticeable. I'm hoping that Savannah will forget about chewing her bed because I don't plan to replace it until I'm sure that she's definitely out of the chewing stage.
I don't know what on earth possessed Savannah last week to turn into a wild-child. My friend Cindy also has a puppy just about Savannah's age. His name is Jack and he's a mix of Black Lab and Great Pyrenees. Cindy and her husband have had dogs over the years but when we got Savannah, they were dog-less, after their much-loved dog Kate died over a year ago. One look at Savannah and Cindy was hooked, even though Savannah's cautious nature kept her from getting too close to Cindy when they first met. We tried to get in touch with the previous owners of Savannah to see if the other puppy (Savannah's brother) was still available for adoption, but they never got back to us with an answer.
My husband searched the Internet for puppies similar to Savannah's mix, trying to find a good puppy for Cindy. He found a litter of Black Lab/Great Pyrenees puppies whose owners were just giving them away to good homes. Cindy and her husband drove into the next town to have a look-see and fell in love with an all-black puppy. They named him Jack and brought that happily-wagging bundle of puppy to their home. After three baths to get rid of his fleas, Jack came here to meet Savannah. Unlike Savannah, Jack loves everyone at first sight, and every person he meets is immediately his best friend. I found myself wishing that some of Jack's friendliness would rub off on Savannah, but that's not going to happen. Savannah is extremely particular about picking her friends, and it took her nearly three months to warm up to Cindy, who is here twice a week every week, and sometimes more. To this day, Savannah has yet to make friends with most of our neighbors.
Last week when Savannah was acting out, so was Jack... and both Cindy and I were wondering if the full moon had anything to do with their strange behavior. While Jack was in his yard pulling up shrubs and small plants, Savannah was here pulling the stuffing out of her bed and barking at every blessed leaf-drop in the middle of the night. Maybe during such a full moon, our planet is abnormally tilted and not in sync with the universe and common sense and appropriate behavior dissolve into the atmosphere.
Cindy and I have also been wondering what could have possessed us to get puppies (puppies!) at this stage of our lives. There have been countless articles and studies written about pet-owners having lower blood pressure and living longer than people without pets. Personally, I think the people who wrote those articles were writing during a full moon when our planet was abnormally tilted and not in sync with the universe...
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
When Momma came Downstairs this morning she said Did Someone Kidnap You In The Middle Of The Night Savannah. I think Momma said that because I Didn't Bark Last Night. Well I wish Momma would Understand that I would have Barked if I had Something to Bark about but it was Very Quiet outside so I just Went On Sleeping.
Momma says that Today is Easter Sunday and I don't know what That means but there is a Bowl of Pink and Blue and Green and Yellow things in the Middle of the Table. I don't know what they are but Momma says that They're Not Toys and I think she told me that because I had My Eye on the Blue One. Momma told me that Blue must be my Favorite Color because I will not Stop Eating the Bluebonnets. Momma can't fool me. I know that all those Blue Things growing outside will be Hundreds and Hundreds of Blue Monkeys. Momma also told me that with all the Bluebonnets I've eaten it's a Wonder that my Poop isn't Blue. I never Get a Chance to Look at my Poop because Momma takes a Bag and Picks It Up right away and I can't figure out Why She's Saving It.
I don't think Momma is mad at me Anymore because she's been Hugging me and telling me what a Good Girl I am. Well someone should Remind Momma of that in the Middle Of The Night when I just have to Pee. I also stopped Chewing On My Bed and I know For Sure that Momma noticed that I Stopped because My Bed is the First Thing she looks at Every Morning. Momma turned my Bed around so the Chewed-Up Part is in the Corner and no one would even see that I pulled All The Stuffing out of that side unless Momma tells them and I think Momma is keeping that a Secret because she doesn't want Anyone to know that a Puppy of hers could do Such A Stupid Thing. Well Momma would have Chewed on that Bed too if she knew that Biscuit Crumbs had gotten down into that Corner of the Bed and I was just trying to Get Them Out.
Momma doesn't walk me On The Road in the Middle Of The Night anymore. She said Enough Of That Savannah. So now if I have to Pee when it's Really Late I have to use the Grass right down at the Bottom of the Porch Steps. That Grass is just Way Too Close to the House and Momma doesn't Understand that but she Won't Give Up On Me Using That Grass so I just had to Close My Eyes and just Pretend that I was Out Near The Road and Not Next To The Steps. The first time I Peed in That Little Bit of Grass Momma said Good Girl Savannah Good Good Good Girl and I can't figure out Why Momma Gets So Excited over a Little Bit of Pee in a Little Bit of Grass HaHaHa.
Momma told me that From Now On that Little Bit of Grass is what I Have To Use when it's Raining. No More Walking Up And Down That Road In The Rain is exactly what Momma said. From Now On You Can Just Use That Grass Near The Steps Savannah And That's That and Momma had her Hands On Her Hips when she said That so I know she Means Business. It also Means that Momma has been talking to Miss Janice again and hearing her say You Are Spoiling That Puppy Something Awful Mmm Mmm Mmm Spoiling That Puppy.
Well Miss Janice would be Spoiling Me Something Awful too if she could see the Sad Puppy Look that I learned from Sweet Pea. He's just a Cat but his Sad Kitty Look gets him Anything He Wants from Momma because Sweet Pea says I Am The Cat And That's That. When I get to Meet Miss Janice I will just Tell her that I Am The Puppy And Puppies Are For Spoiling And That's Exactly That.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Let there be Peace on Puppy Earth.
For the past couple of days I've been reading various web-sites on Great Pyrenees dogs, and I've come to the conclusion that Savannah truly believes that her mission in this puppy life of hers is to protect this house and everyone and everything in it from unexpected noises and unwanted strangers. And that goes double for the hours between midnight and sunrise.
I think Savannah knew how upset I've been with her lately because she's been very quiet for a couple of days. Except at night, when night-time noises still make her roar like a lion. I did again entertain the notion that maybe we should let her come upstairs with us at night, but then that defeats our purpose--- she may not hear 'important' noises from up there, plus if she does roar in the middle of the night, my husband may fall out of bed with a heart attack. So even though Savannah watches me going up the back stairs at night, I am not inviting her to follow me, and she does not go up there on her own.
Speaking of those back stairs... the bottom step that now carries Savannah's teeth marks seem to be safe from further chewing. My friend Cindy told me that making a paste of cayenne pepper and water and 'painting' the step with that mixture would stop Savannah from chewing the same spot. So that's exactly what I did, and I happened to be in the kitchen when this puppy decided to take another bite of that vintage wood... and the look on her face was priceless. I didn't say a word to her, but I just watched her trying to wrap her tongue around her teeth in an effort to get the pepper out of her mouth. I have to admit that I couldn't even feel sorry for her, and she hasn't gone back to that step again since her first taste of cayenne.
Being that Savannah somehow knew that she wasn't exactly my favorite puppy in the world this week, she has been cuddling up to my husband every chance she gets. If he's sitting on the sofa, Savannah will lay her head on his foot or his ankle and just look up at him adoringly. (Shades of our other dog Gracie.) If Gary sits on the floor of the TV room, Savannah promptly puts her head on his thigh or she sits as close to him as she can get and then just leans her body against his chest. I have to wonder if she's trying to let me know that even though I'm upset with her, she still has the love of her daddy. Well, sure she does... he's not the one getting out of bed at two o'clock in the morning and taking her outside to the grass to either catch a moth or pee, whichever activity pops first into her sometimes-scattered puppy mind.
On Thursday afternoon, the ladies were here for tea, and we were all coloring Easter eggs in-between tea and cake. Being that I had the egg-coloring supplies on the dining room table, I set up the buffet for the desserts so we wouldn't be dripping purple food coloring on a vanilla pound cake. Savannah walked into the dining room and of course smelled the cakes... chocolate layer cake as well as the pound cake, plus a fruit-and-nut mix... and she sat herself right down in front of the buffet. She is certainly big enough to reach anything on that buffet.... all she had to do was put her front paws on that piece of furniture and her puppy mouth could have wrapped itself around her choice of dessert. But she just sat there, staring at the top of the buffet and sniffing the air... and of course my friends said "Oh what a good dog Savannah is!" I resisted the urge to tell them about the recent puddles on the kitchen floor and the tearing up of her bed, and the teeth marks on the wood step. I'm not one to put a sign around Savannah's neck that says "I have been a bad puppy!" and then post her picture on Facebook.
Honestly, Savannah can be such a good dog at times... and then sometimes all that puppy-ness bubbles up to the surface and it's no-paws-barred and she's off and running and trying to gobble up every bluebonnet and clump of grass she can find, and bark at every June-bug that hits the kitchen screen at night..... and the result is that I walk slowly through my day like a country zombie because I'm awake for half of the night.
And so goes life with a puppy that's part Border Collie (the smart and loyal half) and part Great Pyrenees (the unpredictable independent stubborn wide-awake-after-midnight part). My husband asked me recently if I would have chosen a Great Pyrenees if I'd known before-hand everything I know now about the breed. My answer was a very quick 'No.'
I would not have knowingly adopted a dog that insists on sleeping most of the day like a cat and then being wide awake for most of the night so she can protect her "livestock" from chirping crickets and distant train whistles and howling coyotes and every blessed thing that goes bump in a country night. And even on the days when Savannah runs around the dog park for an hour or more, she still insists on barking during the night because not even that extra exercise deters her from her appointed night-time rounds.
But the fact is that we did indeed choose Savannah, and after six months with us, this puppy has proven time and again that she truly knows she belongs here, and she does truly love us. And of course, no matter how mad I can get at her, the feeling is mutual. Savannah will be a year old on April 12. Surely some of this puppy-ness will have rubbed off by then. One can only hope.
I think Savannah knew how upset I've been with her lately because she's been very quiet for a couple of days. Except at night, when night-time noises still make her roar like a lion. I did again entertain the notion that maybe we should let her come upstairs with us at night, but then that defeats our purpose--- she may not hear 'important' noises from up there, plus if she does roar in the middle of the night, my husband may fall out of bed with a heart attack. So even though Savannah watches me going up the back stairs at night, I am not inviting her to follow me, and she does not go up there on her own.
Speaking of those back stairs... the bottom step that now carries Savannah's teeth marks seem to be safe from further chewing. My friend Cindy told me that making a paste of cayenne pepper and water and 'painting' the step with that mixture would stop Savannah from chewing the same spot. So that's exactly what I did, and I happened to be in the kitchen when this puppy decided to take another bite of that vintage wood... and the look on her face was priceless. I didn't say a word to her, but I just watched her trying to wrap her tongue around her teeth in an effort to get the pepper out of her mouth. I have to admit that I couldn't even feel sorry for her, and she hasn't gone back to that step again since her first taste of cayenne.
Being that Savannah somehow knew that she wasn't exactly my favorite puppy in the world this week, she has been cuddling up to my husband every chance she gets. If he's sitting on the sofa, Savannah will lay her head on his foot or his ankle and just look up at him adoringly. (Shades of our other dog Gracie.) If Gary sits on the floor of the TV room, Savannah promptly puts her head on his thigh or she sits as close to him as she can get and then just leans her body against his chest. I have to wonder if she's trying to let me know that even though I'm upset with her, she still has the love of her daddy. Well, sure she does... he's not the one getting out of bed at two o'clock in the morning and taking her outside to the grass to either catch a moth or pee, whichever activity pops first into her sometimes-scattered puppy mind.
On Thursday afternoon, the ladies were here for tea, and we were all coloring Easter eggs in-between tea and cake. Being that I had the egg-coloring supplies on the dining room table, I set up the buffet for the desserts so we wouldn't be dripping purple food coloring on a vanilla pound cake. Savannah walked into the dining room and of course smelled the cakes... chocolate layer cake as well as the pound cake, plus a fruit-and-nut mix... and she sat herself right down in front of the buffet. She is certainly big enough to reach anything on that buffet.... all she had to do was put her front paws on that piece of furniture and her puppy mouth could have wrapped itself around her choice of dessert. But she just sat there, staring at the top of the buffet and sniffing the air... and of course my friends said "Oh what a good dog Savannah is!" I resisted the urge to tell them about the recent puddles on the kitchen floor and the tearing up of her bed, and the teeth marks on the wood step. I'm not one to put a sign around Savannah's neck that says "I have been a bad puppy!" and then post her picture on Facebook.
Honestly, Savannah can be such a good dog at times... and then sometimes all that puppy-ness bubbles up to the surface and it's no-paws-barred and she's off and running and trying to gobble up every bluebonnet and clump of grass she can find, and bark at every June-bug that hits the kitchen screen at night..... and the result is that I walk slowly through my day like a country zombie because I'm awake for half of the night.
And so goes life with a puppy that's part Border Collie (the smart and loyal half) and part Great Pyrenees (the unpredictable independent stubborn wide-awake-after-midnight part). My husband asked me recently if I would have chosen a Great Pyrenees if I'd known before-hand everything I know now about the breed. My answer was a very quick 'No.'
I would not have knowingly adopted a dog that insists on sleeping most of the day like a cat and then being wide awake for most of the night so she can protect her "livestock" from chirping crickets and distant train whistles and howling coyotes and every blessed thing that goes bump in a country night. And even on the days when Savannah runs around the dog park for an hour or more, she still insists on barking during the night because not even that extra exercise deters her from her appointed night-time rounds.
But the fact is that we did indeed choose Savannah, and after six months with us, this puppy has proven time and again that she truly knows she belongs here, and she does truly love us. And of course, no matter how mad I can get at her, the feeling is mutual. Savannah will be a year old on April 12. Surely some of this puppy-ness will have rubbed off by then. One can only hope.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Puppies in the night...
Oh well. I am now resigned to the well-publicized fact that Great Pyrenees dogs are nocturnal by nature and from now on and for the next ten to twelve years, I may not always get a proper night's sleep. As Walter Cronkite would say: "And that's the way it is..."
Savannah woke up at one o'clock this morning, giving me her one-bark bark, which is her signal that she has to go out. There is just no way to ignore that... doing so gives me the surprise of a puddle on the kitchen floor when I come downstairs in the morning, which has happened twice now. And yes, Savannah can probably hold it in if she wanted to, but the problem is that she gets herself excited by barking.... and do I really want her to be decorating my tile floor with after-midnight puddles? In case you haven't guessed, the correct answer is 'No.'
I've also realized that Savannah is like a cat during the day... she sleeps a lot, sometimes deeply enough to snore. Well, of course she does... she has to conserve as much energy as possible during daylight hours, in order to protect her home and her cats and her people when it gets dark. As I'm typing now, Savannah is in her bed, sound asleep and snoring. I've learned how to concentrate on my computer and just ignore the snores, which are worthy of a 94-yr-old man.
Speaking of Savannah's bed... when I woke up this morning, I found a pile of brown fiberfill from the inside of this puppy's once-very-plush dog bed. After this puppy's three attempts to de-stuff that bed of hers, Savannah's bed is now more of an oval shape than a rectangle, and one of the front corners of that bed is no longer upright and pillow-ish.... that particular corner looks like a smashed lima bean. I've sewed up all the holes, thrown the fiberfill away, and being that I'm not the best seamstress in the Hills here, Savannah's bed looks Frankenstein-ish where my stitches were placed. This puppy princess will just have to learn to live with that because she will not be getting a new bed anytime soon. (Or at all, if she keeps making holes in this one.)
It was unusually cold and windy this morning (not normal here for late March) and Savannah was just loving the cold and trying to catch the wind while we were out walking. She literally jumps up with her front paws in the air and tries to swallow the stiff breezes of air. I'm the first to admit that when Savannah is being very good and old-soul-ish, she's an exceptional dog.... but when that puppy-ness takes over, she is just useless, easy to distract, and as stubborn as they come.
But... it is what it is. Savannah's personality was set in puppy-stone during the first three months of her life, which did not include us, and unfortunately, did not include as much early-training and certainly not nearly enough contact with sane and sensible dog-loving people. I think we're paying for that now, and I just hope and pray that as Savannah gets older, she will once again settle down into her old-soul self that has recently been captured by the Puppy Devil that has now taken control.
Savannah woke up at one o'clock this morning, giving me her one-bark bark, which is her signal that she has to go out. There is just no way to ignore that... doing so gives me the surprise of a puddle on the kitchen floor when I come downstairs in the morning, which has happened twice now. And yes, Savannah can probably hold it in if she wanted to, but the problem is that she gets herself excited by barking.... and do I really want her to be decorating my tile floor with after-midnight puddles? In case you haven't guessed, the correct answer is 'No.'
I've also realized that Savannah is like a cat during the day... she sleeps a lot, sometimes deeply enough to snore. Well, of course she does... she has to conserve as much energy as possible during daylight hours, in order to protect her home and her cats and her people when it gets dark. As I'm typing now, Savannah is in her bed, sound asleep and snoring. I've learned how to concentrate on my computer and just ignore the snores, which are worthy of a 94-yr-old man.
Speaking of Savannah's bed... when I woke up this morning, I found a pile of brown fiberfill from the inside of this puppy's once-very-plush dog bed. After this puppy's three attempts to de-stuff that bed of hers, Savannah's bed is now more of an oval shape than a rectangle, and one of the front corners of that bed is no longer upright and pillow-ish.... that particular corner looks like a smashed lima bean. I've sewed up all the holes, thrown the fiberfill away, and being that I'm not the best seamstress in the Hills here, Savannah's bed looks Frankenstein-ish where my stitches were placed. This puppy princess will just have to learn to live with that because she will not be getting a new bed anytime soon. (Or at all, if she keeps making holes in this one.)
It was unusually cold and windy this morning (not normal here for late March) and Savannah was just loving the cold and trying to catch the wind while we were out walking. She literally jumps up with her front paws in the air and tries to swallow the stiff breezes of air. I'm the first to admit that when Savannah is being very good and old-soul-ish, she's an exceptional dog.... but when that puppy-ness takes over, she is just useless, easy to distract, and as stubborn as they come.
But... it is what it is. Savannah's personality was set in puppy-stone during the first three months of her life, which did not include us, and unfortunately, did not include as much early-training and certainly not nearly enough contact with sane and sensible dog-loving people. I think we're paying for that now, and I just hope and pray that as Savannah gets older, she will once again settle down into her old-soul self that has recently been captured by the Puppy Devil that has now taken control.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Momma says she is Not Happy With Me. I don't know what That means but if Happy is what I think it means then I'm Happy All The Time and I have no Idea what Momma's problem is.
I think Momma got Mad at me when she Saw The Mess I Made Of My Bed. Who knew that all of That Stuff was Inside That Soft Bed and once I made One Little Hole in it then it Just Made Sense to me to Make That Little Hole A Lot Bigger and More Stuff just Exploded out of it and I needed to Get That Stuff Out Of My Bed so I carried it all around the Breakfast Room and the Kitchen and by the time Momma saw it she said it looked like Brown Snow had Fallen From The Sky.
After all of That Brown Stuff I wanted to Chew Something but I couldn't Find My Bones so I chewed on a Step that Looked Promising and when Momma saw that she Put Her Hands On Her Hips and said Seriously Savannah Seriously You Are Kidding Me Savannah. Momma kept her Hands On Her Hips a very Long Time so I went to Find My Bones and there they were Right Under All That Brown Stuff that Exploded out of My Bed.
Daddy smiled when Momma showed him The Mess I Made but then Daddy tried to Stop Smiling when he Looked At Me and I thought he would Put His Hands On His Hips also but he just put his Hand On My Head and asked me if I Needed A Hug. Then Momma said that she Would Give Me A Hug That I Wouldn't Soon Forget and then she got a plastic bag and Started to Pick Up all that Brown Stuff that was Inside My Bed.
Daddy told Momma that Maybe Savannah Should Sleep In The Coop From Now On. I don't know what The Coop is but Momma said Over Her Dead Body because if Savannah Doesn't Know By Now How To Behave In The House Then She Doesn't Belong In This House Period.
Before Momma went Upstairs last night she put my Water Dish and my Biscuits in the Breakfast room near My Bed and then she took Two Chairs and put them Right In The Doorway so I couldn't Get Into The Kitchen unless I could Jump Over those Chairs. Momma says I'm Not Allowed in the Kitchen By Myself at Night anymore until I Learn Not To Chew The Steps. Momma told me that if she hadn't heard me Chewing on that step the other night then I Would Probably Have Eaten The Whole Bottom Step.
I tried to Explain to Momma that I Just Needed To Chew and I couldn't Find my Chew Bones because they Were Hiding under the Brown Stuff that I pulled out of My Bed after it Exploded all over the Breakfast Room. But Momma wasn't Listening to Me very well and Momma has Sure Been Quiet since All Of This Started.
Momma told me that if I Didn't Make My Mind Up To Behave Like A Lady then I would be Finding Myself Looking For A New Home. I tried to Tell Momma that I didn't Need a New Home because I Already Have One and unless Momma and Daddy and Sweet Pea comes With Me then I'm Not Going Anywhere. And That's That because I Am The Puppy. I learned that from Sweet Pea who always says I Am The Cat And That's That. I figured if Sweet Pea can get away With That then So Can I. And notice that I didn't say HaHaHa after that so if Momma happens to say Seriously Savannah Seriously then I can say Yes Of Course I'm Serious.
I think Momma got Mad at me when she Saw The Mess I Made Of My Bed. Who knew that all of That Stuff was Inside That Soft Bed and once I made One Little Hole in it then it Just Made Sense to me to Make That Little Hole A Lot Bigger and More Stuff just Exploded out of it and I needed to Get That Stuff Out Of My Bed so I carried it all around the Breakfast Room and the Kitchen and by the time Momma saw it she said it looked like Brown Snow had Fallen From The Sky.
After all of That Brown Stuff I wanted to Chew Something but I couldn't Find My Bones so I chewed on a Step that Looked Promising and when Momma saw that she Put Her Hands On Her Hips and said Seriously Savannah Seriously You Are Kidding Me Savannah. Momma kept her Hands On Her Hips a very Long Time so I went to Find My Bones and there they were Right Under All That Brown Stuff that Exploded out of My Bed.
Daddy smiled when Momma showed him The Mess I Made but then Daddy tried to Stop Smiling when he Looked At Me and I thought he would Put His Hands On His Hips also but he just put his Hand On My Head and asked me if I Needed A Hug. Then Momma said that she Would Give Me A Hug That I Wouldn't Soon Forget and then she got a plastic bag and Started to Pick Up all that Brown Stuff that was Inside My Bed.
Daddy told Momma that Maybe Savannah Should Sleep In The Coop From Now On. I don't know what The Coop is but Momma said Over Her Dead Body because if Savannah Doesn't Know By Now How To Behave In The House Then She Doesn't Belong In This House Period.
Before Momma went Upstairs last night she put my Water Dish and my Biscuits in the Breakfast room near My Bed and then she took Two Chairs and put them Right In The Doorway so I couldn't Get Into The Kitchen unless I could Jump Over those Chairs. Momma says I'm Not Allowed in the Kitchen By Myself at Night anymore until I Learn Not To Chew The Steps. Momma told me that if she hadn't heard me Chewing on that step the other night then I Would Probably Have Eaten The Whole Bottom Step.
I tried to Explain to Momma that I Just Needed To Chew and I couldn't Find my Chew Bones because they Were Hiding under the Brown Stuff that I pulled out of My Bed after it Exploded all over the Breakfast Room. But Momma wasn't Listening to Me very well and Momma has Sure Been Quiet since All Of This Started.
Momma told me that if I Didn't Make My Mind Up To Behave Like A Lady then I would be Finding Myself Looking For A New Home. I tried to Tell Momma that I didn't Need a New Home because I Already Have One and unless Momma and Daddy and Sweet Pea comes With Me then I'm Not Going Anywhere. And That's That because I Am The Puppy. I learned that from Sweet Pea who always says I Am The Cat And That's That. I figured if Sweet Pea can get away With That then So Can I. And notice that I didn't say HaHaHa after that so if Momma happens to say Seriously Savannah Seriously then I can say Yes Of Course I'm Serious.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
4:00 in the morning.
When I woke up yesterday morning, there was a puddle in the corner of the kitchen. Again. Savannah must have barked in the middle of the night but I was so tired from her barking the night before that I didn't hear her the other night. The puddle itself was easy to mop up and clean, and I tossed the scatter-rug into the washer. Thankfully, we decided not to replace the larger area rug that had been in the kitchen when she peed the first time last Wednesday night.
I saw that Savannah's water bowl was empty yesterday morning, but it had been empty on plenty of other mornings when she did not bark in the middle of the night and did not pee on the kitchen floor. One would think that a nearly year-old puppy would have a bladder that wasn't the size of a thimble.
Last night before going upstairs, I made sure that Savannah's water bowl had less than half the amount of water I usually put into it. I also took her outside to the grass just before going upstairs at ten o'clock, and I stayed out there in the colder-than-normal night until she did something. At 12:30 last night, I heard Savannah bark once. The single bark woke me up... that's usually her signal to go out, plus I was aware (even in my sleep) that I didn't want to wake up to another puddle.
So down the stairs I came... on went the coat... and outside into the full-moon night we went. After trying to eat some grass and catch a moth, Savannah decided to pee in the grass. Finally, finally... this dog can be so dense at times. Before going up the stairs, I made sure Savannah had some biscuits to chew on and a little water in her bowl. As I got back into bed, my husband asked me what Savannah had barked about. I told him that she had to go outside, and I also told him that I was good and tired of being tired and also tired of walking up and down the driveway in the middle of the night.
"Look on the bright side... since we got Savannah, there haven't been any burglars." My husband laughed at his joke... we didn't have that problem before Savannah, thankfully. I told my husband that right that very minute, I would give Savannah to the first burglar I saw. "That's not nice," said he. I told him that I knew it wasn't nice but that's just the way I felt when I kept having to go outside after midnight with this blasted dog.
I heard Savannah barking again somewhere between 12:30 and 3:30 but my head was practically under the pillow and I was just so tired. She barked a couple of times and then stopped, so I didn't even bother to get out of bed. My mistake.
A little after 3:30, I woke up to sounds by the stairs. A mouse? Savannah trying to get up the back stairs? My husband heard the sound also and he thought the same thing-- that Savannah was trying to walk up the stairs. I got out of bed and stood by the bedroom door to hear the sound more clearly... it did sound like Savannah was at the bottom of the stairs but it didn't sound like climbing, it sounded like chewing.
Down the stairs I went and there was Savannah, with her teeth clamped down on the very bottom step. She was so intent on her chewing that she didn't even notice me till I was about five steps away from her. Then she looked up, got up, and ran through the kitchen and into the breakfast room.
When I turned on the light, not only did I see the teeth marks in the corner of the bottom step, but there was brown stuff all over the kitchen floor. What the heck? I put on the overhead light and the brown stuff went all the way across the kitchen and into the breakfast room and ended in a pile by Savannah's bed. One look at the torn corner of Savannah's eighty-dollar bed told the story--- she had torn the thick piping off one of the corners and had pulled out the plush fiberfill that made the bed so soft and comfy.
All I said was "Oh, Savannah, what did you do here?" The response from this stupid dog was a close-mouthed innocent look worthy of a Normal Rockwell painting. Give me a blessed break.
At that point, I heard my husband coming down the stairs. "Is everything okay down there? Do we need to call the police?" What the heck?!
I told my husband to come down into the kitchen.... I showed him Savannah's de-plushed bed and he said "All that money for that bed...." and then he asked me what the noise had been by the stairs, and I pointed out the teeth marks and bites at the corner of the bottom step. "Savannah did that?" he asked. "Indeed she did," said I.
By that time, Savannah had walked into the kitchen because she heard my husband's voice and her tail was wagging and she was giving him her paw and was just delighted to see him.
My husband suggested that maybe we should keep Savannah out in the fenced-in coop during the night if puddles on the floor and torn-up dog beds were going to be the new normal. I told him that if I had to keep a dog outside so she wouldn't destroy the inside, then I didn't want a dog. Period.
Gary went upstairs to check the Internet, his usual go-to when there's any sort of problem. He was back downstairs within a couple of minutes telling me that Savannah may need more exercise, or more chew-toys, or she may have teething problems. I reminded my husband that this dog gets walked up and down the road morning, noon, night, and in the middle of the night, plus frequent trips to the dog park. I also told him that she has plenty of biscuits and chews, and her puppy teeth are gone and her adult teeth were what she used to tear her bed apart and put her initials in the bottom step of the back staircase.
"I still don't see why we can't keep her in the coop at night... the weather is getting warmer now," my husband was telling me.
"And what happens when the weather gets colder again in the winter?" said I.
"By that time, she'll be more mature and probably won't do these things."
I insisted that a dog who can't be trusted inside the house is not the dog for me. Period. End of story.
My husband said "What would we do? Bring her to the shelter?!" And I told him that at that very minute, after cleaning up puddles and having to be out in the dark of night nearly every night, and finding the torn-up bed (which could have easily been a chair) and then looking at the teeth marks on the stairs, I would gladly do the honors of bringing her to a shelter and walking away.
And at the very minute those words came out of my mouth, I believed them. That is just how frustrated I get with Savannah at times, and I know it's not 'nice' and not 'good,' but there you have it. This isn't the first time Savannah has used her teeth on things other than her own chew-toys. A vintage wicker chair in the TV room has three-inches less wicker near one of the back legs. And one of the breakfast room chairs has three small teeth marks.... both chairs damaged when Savannah was younger and in the teething stage, so I forgave those mistakes. But now... this dog knows better.
Gary went back upstairs at that point, after telling me that Savannah had clearly changed our daily living patterns here, and sometimes not for the best. I got a needle and thread from the sewing box and started to sew up the torn corner of Savannah's dog bed. I had all intentions of trying to get all that plush fiberfill back into the corner of the fabric but then decided that it wasn't worth the trouble. The corner of the bed is all sewn up now, but isn't as soft and plush as the other three corners. So be it.
As I type this, Savannah is in her bed, curled up and sleeping like a puppy. And once again, looking innocent. My husband is upstairs, probably sound asleep. I am wide awake and will be for the rest of the morning because I'm not going back to bed.
When the sun comes up, I will walk Savannah up and down the road, her usual morning walk. I'm not very happy with this dog at the moment. And I wouldn't begin to make a decision about her destiny when I'm tired or angry or frustrated. I do know one thing... I will not keep a dog that cannot be trusted in this house. I could just scream.
I saw that Savannah's water bowl was empty yesterday morning, but it had been empty on plenty of other mornings when she did not bark in the middle of the night and did not pee on the kitchen floor. One would think that a nearly year-old puppy would have a bladder that wasn't the size of a thimble.
Last night before going upstairs, I made sure that Savannah's water bowl had less than half the amount of water I usually put into it. I also took her outside to the grass just before going upstairs at ten o'clock, and I stayed out there in the colder-than-normal night until she did something. At 12:30 last night, I heard Savannah bark once. The single bark woke me up... that's usually her signal to go out, plus I was aware (even in my sleep) that I didn't want to wake up to another puddle.
So down the stairs I came... on went the coat... and outside into the full-moon night we went. After trying to eat some grass and catch a moth, Savannah decided to pee in the grass. Finally, finally... this dog can be so dense at times. Before going up the stairs, I made sure Savannah had some biscuits to chew on and a little water in her bowl. As I got back into bed, my husband asked me what Savannah had barked about. I told him that she had to go outside, and I also told him that I was good and tired of being tired and also tired of walking up and down the driveway in the middle of the night.
"Look on the bright side... since we got Savannah, there haven't been any burglars." My husband laughed at his joke... we didn't have that problem before Savannah, thankfully. I told my husband that right that very minute, I would give Savannah to the first burglar I saw. "That's not nice," said he. I told him that I knew it wasn't nice but that's just the way I felt when I kept having to go outside after midnight with this blasted dog.
I heard Savannah barking again somewhere between 12:30 and 3:30 but my head was practically under the pillow and I was just so tired. She barked a couple of times and then stopped, so I didn't even bother to get out of bed. My mistake.
A little after 3:30, I woke up to sounds by the stairs. A mouse? Savannah trying to get up the back stairs? My husband heard the sound also and he thought the same thing-- that Savannah was trying to walk up the stairs. I got out of bed and stood by the bedroom door to hear the sound more clearly... it did sound like Savannah was at the bottom of the stairs but it didn't sound like climbing, it sounded like chewing.
Down the stairs I went and there was Savannah, with her teeth clamped down on the very bottom step. She was so intent on her chewing that she didn't even notice me till I was about five steps away from her. Then she looked up, got up, and ran through the kitchen and into the breakfast room.
When I turned on the light, not only did I see the teeth marks in the corner of the bottom step, but there was brown stuff all over the kitchen floor. What the heck? I put on the overhead light and the brown stuff went all the way across the kitchen and into the breakfast room and ended in a pile by Savannah's bed. One look at the torn corner of Savannah's eighty-dollar bed told the story--- she had torn the thick piping off one of the corners and had pulled out the plush fiberfill that made the bed so soft and comfy.
All I said was "Oh, Savannah, what did you do here?" The response from this stupid dog was a close-mouthed innocent look worthy of a Normal Rockwell painting. Give me a blessed break.
At that point, I heard my husband coming down the stairs. "Is everything okay down there? Do we need to call the police?" What the heck?!
I told my husband to come down into the kitchen.... I showed him Savannah's de-plushed bed and he said "All that money for that bed...." and then he asked me what the noise had been by the stairs, and I pointed out the teeth marks and bites at the corner of the bottom step. "Savannah did that?" he asked. "Indeed she did," said I.
By that time, Savannah had walked into the kitchen because she heard my husband's voice and her tail was wagging and she was giving him her paw and was just delighted to see him.
My husband suggested that maybe we should keep Savannah out in the fenced-in coop during the night if puddles on the floor and torn-up dog beds were going to be the new normal. I told him that if I had to keep a dog outside so she wouldn't destroy the inside, then I didn't want a dog. Period.
Gary went upstairs to check the Internet, his usual go-to when there's any sort of problem. He was back downstairs within a couple of minutes telling me that Savannah may need more exercise, or more chew-toys, or she may have teething problems. I reminded my husband that this dog gets walked up and down the road morning, noon, night, and in the middle of the night, plus frequent trips to the dog park. I also told him that she has plenty of biscuits and chews, and her puppy teeth are gone and her adult teeth were what she used to tear her bed apart and put her initials in the bottom step of the back staircase.
"I still don't see why we can't keep her in the coop at night... the weather is getting warmer now," my husband was telling me.
"And what happens when the weather gets colder again in the winter?" said I.
"By that time, she'll be more mature and probably won't do these things."
I insisted that a dog who can't be trusted inside the house is not the dog for me. Period. End of story.
My husband said "What would we do? Bring her to the shelter?!" And I told him that at that very minute, after cleaning up puddles and having to be out in the dark of night nearly every night, and finding the torn-up bed (which could have easily been a chair) and then looking at the teeth marks on the stairs, I would gladly do the honors of bringing her to a shelter and walking away.
And at the very minute those words came out of my mouth, I believed them. That is just how frustrated I get with Savannah at times, and I know it's not 'nice' and not 'good,' but there you have it. This isn't the first time Savannah has used her teeth on things other than her own chew-toys. A vintage wicker chair in the TV room has three-inches less wicker near one of the back legs. And one of the breakfast room chairs has three small teeth marks.... both chairs damaged when Savannah was younger and in the teething stage, so I forgave those mistakes. But now... this dog knows better.
Gary went back upstairs at that point, after telling me that Savannah had clearly changed our daily living patterns here, and sometimes not for the best. I got a needle and thread from the sewing box and started to sew up the torn corner of Savannah's dog bed. I had all intentions of trying to get all that plush fiberfill back into the corner of the fabric but then decided that it wasn't worth the trouble. The corner of the bed is all sewn up now, but isn't as soft and plush as the other three corners. So be it.
As I type this, Savannah is in her bed, curled up and sleeping like a puppy. And once again, looking innocent. My husband is upstairs, probably sound asleep. I am wide awake and will be for the rest of the morning because I'm not going back to bed.
When the sun comes up, I will walk Savannah up and down the road, her usual morning walk. I'm not very happy with this dog at the moment. And I wouldn't begin to make a decision about her destiny when I'm tired or angry or frustrated. I do know one thing... I will not keep a dog that cannot be trusted in this house. I could just scream.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
All night long...
...that's about how long the barking went on last night. I was up at midnight, then at 1:30, then at 2:30, and then at 3:15. After that I fell asleep and if Savannah barked between 3:15 and 8:00 I didn't hear it.
I tried not to get angry with her last night. I brought her outside at midnight, just in case she had to go. All she did was smell the air, sniff the grass, and start nipping at bluebonnets, so I brought her back inside. It was nearly a full moon out there and the coyotes were howling, and when I went outside with Savannah again at 1:30 the dogs from up the road were barking, as well as dogs from the other side of the hill. That's the trouble with so much distance between properties out here-- there aren't too many buffers for sounds so you can hear everything. Or rather, I can hear everything when I'm outside, but Savannah can hear everything when she's inside.
Instead of stomping down the stairs and telling Savannah that my sanity was again in question for getting a dog, I walked downstairs quietly and turned on the porch light to see what was happening out there. Except for a skunk, the porch was quiet. But of course Savannah heard and smelled the skunk, and I know she's going to bark at whatever noise she hears out there.
When Savannah barked at 1:30, I figured that I had two choices... either take her outside in the grass again for a minute or risk another puddle on the kitchen floor. On went the coat... out came the leash... and off we went. She did have to pee, and she went fairly quickly. I was thankful for that because our nearly 80-degree temperatures had dropped down into the 40s.
At the 3:15 barking, I walked into the kitchen and just looked at Savannah with my hands on my hips. She has learned that that particular posture doesn't mean that I think she's the world's most well-mannered puppy. I just looked at her for a minute or so, half asleep and my hands still on my hips, and then I went back upstairs and got into bed. The next thing I knew, my husband was sitting on the edge of the bed and was asking me if Savannah had to be walked this morning. I looked at the clock and it was eight o'clock.
"Why was Savannah barking so much last night?" he wanted to know. I told him about the skunk on the porch, the coyotes howling, the other dogs barking, and about taking her out twice in the middle of the night.
"We're catering too much to this dog's needs," said my husband.
Well. Isn't that why I was put on this planet? To walk a dog who barks in the middle of the night when an eight-pound skunk tip-toes across our porch? Of course I didn't say that, but I was sorely tempted.
The Great Pyrenees dogs are nocturnal by nature, which we did not know when we started looking at dogs back in September. These dogs were bred to protect livestock and property and their people from night-time predators, and they take their job seriously. Savannah has 'saved' us from countless raccoons and skunks when they had the nerve to come up on our porch in the wee hours of the night. However, being that Savannah has cried wolf so many times since joining our family, will we believe her if there is ever a "real" intruder?
I thought of keeping Savannah in the TV room with Sweet Pea at night... we wouldn't hear her barking from there, and that room is better insulated than the kitchen so she probably wouldn't hear every blessed footfall of the local wildlife. But then... if there were to be a real emergency, we wouldn't hear her frantic barking.
I have considered bringing Savannah upstairs with us at night, but then again, that defeats the purpose of having a watch-dog. Knowing how much Princess Savannah likes to be comfortable, she would climb up on the bed, settle her huge self between me and my husband, and sleep like a puppy. And, if an intruder came up on the porch, no one, including Savannah, would know.
Last night as I walked Savannah by the grass along the driveway, I looked over at our guest cottage and thought that if I put this dog into the cottage at night, the house would be bark-free and I'd get some really good sleep just like I did before bringing Savannah home on September 12 of last year. But of course I wouldn't do that. Savannah would feel lost and abandoned, and it has taken months for her to earn our trust.
So in answer to my husband's statement that we (and particularly me) are catering to this dog's needs too much: Yes, we are. I am. In the middle of these sleepless nights, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot, just can not, allow a pet of mine to feel unsafe, unhappy, unloved. Not having had children, every dog and cat I've ever had has been a child-substitute, and I've talked to them and fussed over them all as if they were indeed child-like. Whether this is good or bad for the pets, I have no idea, but except for one or two cats who got sick and died very young, every pet I've owned has lived a long and healthy and happy life.
As I walked outside with Savannah at 1:30 this morning, I looked up at that nearly-full moon and I could clearly see the stars, and the wind wasn't blowing and except for the coyotes howling and the dogs up the hill barking, it was indeed a beautiful night.
Savannah is in her bed as I type this. My husband walked her about an hour ago and she did all she had to do out there so I didn't have to walk her again. Just before Savannah went into her bed, she took one of the large dog biscuits that I set out by her water dish last night. She curled up in that bed with the biscuit hanging vertically from her mouth and when she put her head down, the bone-shaped biscuit stood on one end in the soft plushness of that bed and Savannah's chin rested on top of the other end. This puppy has somehow managed to balance that dog biscuit between the bed and her chin, and that's how she has been resting for the past twenty minutes or so. Not an easy trick... the biscuit is about five inches long and about 3/4" in thickness. If she moves her head even one-quarter of an inch, that perfect balance will be disrupted and the 'Milk Bone' biscuit will fall horizontally onto the bed.
Every time I look over at Savannah to see if she's still in that same position, she shifts her eyes to the left so she can look at me, then she blinks and stares straight ahead again, intent on keeping that biscuit upright underneath her chin. I have no idea what goes through this puppy's mind at times, but I'd give anything in the world to know what she's thinking right this minute.
We have a good dog here. A very good dog who has learned to love and trust us and thinks that her sole purpose on this planet is to protect us from everything that goes bump in the night. Savannah's "bumps in the night" are keeping us awake during the night, but there's no way for her to know that.
As I type this sentence, I can hear Savannah snoring. Her chin is still propped up on that vertical dog biscuit. For a very young and very pretty puppy, she snores like an old man.
I tried not to get angry with her last night. I brought her outside at midnight, just in case she had to go. All she did was smell the air, sniff the grass, and start nipping at bluebonnets, so I brought her back inside. It was nearly a full moon out there and the coyotes were howling, and when I went outside with Savannah again at 1:30 the dogs from up the road were barking, as well as dogs from the other side of the hill. That's the trouble with so much distance between properties out here-- there aren't too many buffers for sounds so you can hear everything. Or rather, I can hear everything when I'm outside, but Savannah can hear everything when she's inside.
Instead of stomping down the stairs and telling Savannah that my sanity was again in question for getting a dog, I walked downstairs quietly and turned on the porch light to see what was happening out there. Except for a skunk, the porch was quiet. But of course Savannah heard and smelled the skunk, and I know she's going to bark at whatever noise she hears out there.
When Savannah barked at 1:30, I figured that I had two choices... either take her outside in the grass again for a minute or risk another puddle on the kitchen floor. On went the coat... out came the leash... and off we went. She did have to pee, and she went fairly quickly. I was thankful for that because our nearly 80-degree temperatures had dropped down into the 40s.
At the 3:15 barking, I walked into the kitchen and just looked at Savannah with my hands on my hips. She has learned that that particular posture doesn't mean that I think she's the world's most well-mannered puppy. I just looked at her for a minute or so, half asleep and my hands still on my hips, and then I went back upstairs and got into bed. The next thing I knew, my husband was sitting on the edge of the bed and was asking me if Savannah had to be walked this morning. I looked at the clock and it was eight o'clock.
"Why was Savannah barking so much last night?" he wanted to know. I told him about the skunk on the porch, the coyotes howling, the other dogs barking, and about taking her out twice in the middle of the night.
"We're catering too much to this dog's needs," said my husband.
Well. Isn't that why I was put on this planet? To walk a dog who barks in the middle of the night when an eight-pound skunk tip-toes across our porch? Of course I didn't say that, but I was sorely tempted.
The Great Pyrenees dogs are nocturnal by nature, which we did not know when we started looking at dogs back in September. These dogs were bred to protect livestock and property and their people from night-time predators, and they take their job seriously. Savannah has 'saved' us from countless raccoons and skunks when they had the nerve to come up on our porch in the wee hours of the night. However, being that Savannah has cried wolf so many times since joining our family, will we believe her if there is ever a "real" intruder?
I thought of keeping Savannah in the TV room with Sweet Pea at night... we wouldn't hear her barking from there, and that room is better insulated than the kitchen so she probably wouldn't hear every blessed footfall of the local wildlife. But then... if there were to be a real emergency, we wouldn't hear her frantic barking.
I have considered bringing Savannah upstairs with us at night, but then again, that defeats the purpose of having a watch-dog. Knowing how much Princess Savannah likes to be comfortable, she would climb up on the bed, settle her huge self between me and my husband, and sleep like a puppy. And, if an intruder came up on the porch, no one, including Savannah, would know.
Last night as I walked Savannah by the grass along the driveway, I looked over at our guest cottage and thought that if I put this dog into the cottage at night, the house would be bark-free and I'd get some really good sleep just like I did before bringing Savannah home on September 12 of last year. But of course I wouldn't do that. Savannah would feel lost and abandoned, and it has taken months for her to earn our trust.
So in answer to my husband's statement that we (and particularly me) are catering to this dog's needs too much: Yes, we are. I am. In the middle of these sleepless nights, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot, just can not, allow a pet of mine to feel unsafe, unhappy, unloved. Not having had children, every dog and cat I've ever had has been a child-substitute, and I've talked to them and fussed over them all as if they were indeed child-like. Whether this is good or bad for the pets, I have no idea, but except for one or two cats who got sick and died very young, every pet I've owned has lived a long and healthy and happy life.
As I walked outside with Savannah at 1:30 this morning, I looked up at that nearly-full moon and I could clearly see the stars, and the wind wasn't blowing and except for the coyotes howling and the dogs up the hill barking, it was indeed a beautiful night.
Savannah is in her bed as I type this. My husband walked her about an hour ago and she did all she had to do out there so I didn't have to walk her again. Just before Savannah went into her bed, she took one of the large dog biscuits that I set out by her water dish last night. She curled up in that bed with the biscuit hanging vertically from her mouth and when she put her head down, the bone-shaped biscuit stood on one end in the soft plushness of that bed and Savannah's chin rested on top of the other end. This puppy has somehow managed to balance that dog biscuit between the bed and her chin, and that's how she has been resting for the past twenty minutes or so. Not an easy trick... the biscuit is about five inches long and about 3/4" in thickness. If she moves her head even one-quarter of an inch, that perfect balance will be disrupted and the 'Milk Bone' biscuit will fall horizontally onto the bed.
Every time I look over at Savannah to see if she's still in that same position, she shifts her eyes to the left so she can look at me, then she blinks and stares straight ahead again, intent on keeping that biscuit upright underneath her chin. I have no idea what goes through this puppy's mind at times, but I'd give anything in the world to know what she's thinking right this minute.
We have a good dog here. A very good dog who has learned to love and trust us and thinks that her sole purpose on this planet is to protect us from everything that goes bump in the night. Savannah's "bumps in the night" are keeping us awake during the night, but there's no way for her to know that.
As I type this sentence, I can hear Savannah snoring. Her chin is still propped up on that vertical dog biscuit. For a very young and very pretty puppy, she snores like an old man.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
The Kitchen looks Different now since Momma took away that Big Rug. After all the Time she spent Cleaning that Rug after I used it Like The Grass outside I don't understand why Momma just didn't Leave It There.
Momma told Miss Cindy that she Liked The Kitchen Better without That Big Rug in the Middle of the Floor so they Carried It To The Cottage and now it's in the Kitchen over there. That's what Momma said but I Know Better. I think Momma is Afraid that I will Pee on the Rug again the Next Time I bark at night and Momma doesn't Come Downstairs and Let Me Out. Momma told Daddy she didn't want to Take Any Chances on another Accident. Well it certainly Wasn't An Accident. I had to Pee Really Bad and Momma Didn't Wake Up and so I Peed on Purpose. Momma wasn't Happy when she Found That Puddle but she kept telling me I'm So Sorry Savannah I'm So So Sorry. Sometimes I just Do Not Understand my Momma.
The Ladies came for Tea the Other Day and I Walked into the Living Room while They Were Busy in the Dining Room. I just sat in the Middle of That Big Room and looked at all of Momma's Pretty Things and I know I'm Not Allowed to Touch A Blessed Thing in that room so I Just Looked. I've learned that on Tea Days there are Too Many Ladies in the Dining Room and Someone is Always Watching Me and Ready To Tell Momma if I do Something Stupid. So I've Learned to Just Look and Try Not To Even Think About Touching but that sure Gets Hard To Do because there are Some Really Pretty Pillows in there that Would Be Fun to Play With.
We went to the Dog Park yesterday and Daddy stopped the Car and Let Momma Out by the little Red House where they took me to Get My Nails Clipped. Momma said she wanted to Buy Flea Medicine For Savannah so I watched Momma get out of the Car but figured she would Come Back to us because it's Too Far To Walk Home From The Park. Daddy and I went to The Park and No Dogs were there so I tried to Play With Daddy but he Doesn't Run As Fast as Other Dogs so we Just Sat Down in the Gazebo and Waited for Momma.
After a little while I saw someone Walking All The Way Across the Grass and then All The Way Across the Parking Lot and then Into The Gate of the Park and I kept Watching and It Was My Momma! So I Ran and Ran and Ran All The Way From The Gazebo To The Gate and Right Up To My Momma and Momma was saying You Know Me Savannah You Really Know Me and I looked at Momma like she had Lost Her Mind. Of Course I Know My Momma after All This Time. I was going to say Seriously?! like Momma does to me when I Do Something Stupid but I thought it would Be Best to Just Sit There and Smile at Momma.
Momma bought New Rugs for the Kitchen yesterday. Instead of One Big Rug in the Middle she put down Four Small Ones where she Stands The Most. The first time Sweet Pea went into the Kitchen and looked at those Little Rugs that Cat didn't know Where he was. You can't Change A Lot of Things with a Cat because they Get Used To The Way Things Are and That's That. When Daddy saw those Little Rugs he told Momma that he Liked The Big Rug Much Better but Momma told him that a Big Rug would Have To Wait Until Savannah Gets Older so we Don't Have Any More Accidents.
I still don't know why Momma keeps Thinking it was an Accident. I looked Momma right in the Eyes and tried to Explain that when she Goes Upstairs Too Early and Leaves Me Too Much Water and then Doesn't Wake Up in the Middle of The Night when I have to Go Out then she's Going To Find A Puddle in the Morning that I put there On Purpose.
My Momma still has So Much To Learn about Puppies.
Momma told Miss Cindy that she Liked The Kitchen Better without That Big Rug in the Middle of the Floor so they Carried It To The Cottage and now it's in the Kitchen over there. That's what Momma said but I Know Better. I think Momma is Afraid that I will Pee on the Rug again the Next Time I bark at night and Momma doesn't Come Downstairs and Let Me Out. Momma told Daddy she didn't want to Take Any Chances on another Accident. Well it certainly Wasn't An Accident. I had to Pee Really Bad and Momma Didn't Wake Up and so I Peed on Purpose. Momma wasn't Happy when she Found That Puddle but she kept telling me I'm So Sorry Savannah I'm So So Sorry. Sometimes I just Do Not Understand my Momma.
The Ladies came for Tea the Other Day and I Walked into the Living Room while They Were Busy in the Dining Room. I just sat in the Middle of That Big Room and looked at all of Momma's Pretty Things and I know I'm Not Allowed to Touch A Blessed Thing in that room so I Just Looked. I've learned that on Tea Days there are Too Many Ladies in the Dining Room and Someone is Always Watching Me and Ready To Tell Momma if I do Something Stupid. So I've Learned to Just Look and Try Not To Even Think About Touching but that sure Gets Hard To Do because there are Some Really Pretty Pillows in there that Would Be Fun to Play With.
We went to the Dog Park yesterday and Daddy stopped the Car and Let Momma Out by the little Red House where they took me to Get My Nails Clipped. Momma said she wanted to Buy Flea Medicine For Savannah so I watched Momma get out of the Car but figured she would Come Back to us because it's Too Far To Walk Home From The Park. Daddy and I went to The Park and No Dogs were there so I tried to Play With Daddy but he Doesn't Run As Fast as Other Dogs so we Just Sat Down in the Gazebo and Waited for Momma.
After a little while I saw someone Walking All The Way Across the Grass and then All The Way Across the Parking Lot and then Into The Gate of the Park and I kept Watching and It Was My Momma! So I Ran and Ran and Ran All The Way From The Gazebo To The Gate and Right Up To My Momma and Momma was saying You Know Me Savannah You Really Know Me and I looked at Momma like she had Lost Her Mind. Of Course I Know My Momma after All This Time. I was going to say Seriously?! like Momma does to me when I Do Something Stupid but I thought it would Be Best to Just Sit There and Smile at Momma.
Momma bought New Rugs for the Kitchen yesterday. Instead of One Big Rug in the Middle she put down Four Small Ones where she Stands The Most. The first time Sweet Pea went into the Kitchen and looked at those Little Rugs that Cat didn't know Where he was. You can't Change A Lot of Things with a Cat because they Get Used To The Way Things Are and That's That. When Daddy saw those Little Rugs he told Momma that he Liked The Big Rug Much Better but Momma told him that a Big Rug would Have To Wait Until Savannah Gets Older so we Don't Have Any More Accidents.
I still don't know why Momma keeps Thinking it was an Accident. I looked Momma right in the Eyes and tried to Explain that when she Goes Upstairs Too Early and Leaves Me Too Much Water and then Doesn't Wake Up in the Middle of The Night when I have to Go Out then she's Going To Find A Puddle in the Morning that I put there On Purpose.
My Momma still has So Much To Learn about Puppies.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Savannah Grace
I've decided that Savannah needs a middle name. There are just times when I need more than one name when I speak to this puppy and I am good and tired of saying Savannah Savannah when I get frustrated with her. This morning, Savannah Grace just popped out, and it sounds good... and the Grace name reminds me of our other dog Gracie..... so Savannah Grace it will be.
Ah... this morning. Consider me chastened.
After two nights of very little sleep because Savannah was barking at the after-midnight wildlife, I was totally exhausted last night and the night before. I went to bed earlier than usual last night, which means that Savannah's last walk up the road was earlier than usual also. And, stupid me.... because I went upstairs earlier, I left Savannah extra treats and extra water.
Well. Savannah's water bowl was totally empty this morning, and that bowl isn't exactly small or even medium-sized.
Sometime after midnight, I heard one bark from Savannah. The bark woke me up and I sat up in bed, then Savannah barked again, just once. That second bark sounded as if she were sitting right at the bottom of the back stairs in the kitchen. I called out 'Savannah!' and then put my head back down on the pillow, with the thought in my mind that when Savannah has to go outside, she will give me just one bark.
However... I fell asleep. Next thing I knew, it was 6:30 and I got out of bed, got dressed, and went downstairs. Savannah was on the opposite side of the kitchen and she wouldn't come near me. She lifted her head and gave me the saddest look, keeping her ears down and her mouth closed. No puppy smile this morning.
I took her outside so she could pee, but then brought her back inside so we could wait till it got lighter for our 'real' walk. I didn't notice the puddle in a corner of the kitchen till an hour later, however, when friend Cindy came to help me clean the house. Thursday is cleaning day... Savannah wagged her tail at Cindy... but then quietly walked out of the kitchen and into the breakfast room when Cindy discovered the puddle.
Oh my. That's why Savannah barked for me in the middle of the night. And except for saying 'Savannah!' and putting my head back on my pillow, I ignored this poor puppy who was walked extra early last night because I was so tired that all I wanted was one good night's sleep.
Two lessons learned here: When going to bed earlier than usual, do not leave a full water bowl for Savannah. And, most important, when Savannah Grace barks just one time in the middle of the night, she's telling me that she has to go out. And I knew that signal of hers already, but I was just so exhausted that I ignored it.
Poor Savannah. I felt so badly for her this morning. We cleaned up the puddle, sprayed and scrubbed and sprayed and washed... and Savannah sat quietly in the breakfast room.
As I type, Savannah is sleeping in her bed. I think she has forgiven me because after the rug and the kitchen floor had been cleaned, I took Savannah out on the porch and brushed every inch of her and as she sat there being groomed she licked my arm, and then my neck. And then she put her Great Pyrenees nose on my cheek and exhaled the biggest sigh which resulted in a giant puff of hot air blowing on my face.
Savannah is probably thinking that sooner or later she will teach me all the puppy lessons I need to know in order to raise a proper dog.
Ah... this morning. Consider me chastened.
After two nights of very little sleep because Savannah was barking at the after-midnight wildlife, I was totally exhausted last night and the night before. I went to bed earlier than usual last night, which means that Savannah's last walk up the road was earlier than usual also. And, stupid me.... because I went upstairs earlier, I left Savannah extra treats and extra water.
Well. Savannah's water bowl was totally empty this morning, and that bowl isn't exactly small or even medium-sized.
Sometime after midnight, I heard one bark from Savannah. The bark woke me up and I sat up in bed, then Savannah barked again, just once. That second bark sounded as if she were sitting right at the bottom of the back stairs in the kitchen. I called out 'Savannah!' and then put my head back down on the pillow, with the thought in my mind that when Savannah has to go outside, she will give me just one bark.
However... I fell asleep. Next thing I knew, it was 6:30 and I got out of bed, got dressed, and went downstairs. Savannah was on the opposite side of the kitchen and she wouldn't come near me. She lifted her head and gave me the saddest look, keeping her ears down and her mouth closed. No puppy smile this morning.
I took her outside so she could pee, but then brought her back inside so we could wait till it got lighter for our 'real' walk. I didn't notice the puddle in a corner of the kitchen till an hour later, however, when friend Cindy came to help me clean the house. Thursday is cleaning day... Savannah wagged her tail at Cindy... but then quietly walked out of the kitchen and into the breakfast room when Cindy discovered the puddle.
Oh my. That's why Savannah barked for me in the middle of the night. And except for saying 'Savannah!' and putting my head back on my pillow, I ignored this poor puppy who was walked extra early last night because I was so tired that all I wanted was one good night's sleep.
Two lessons learned here: When going to bed earlier than usual, do not leave a full water bowl for Savannah. And, most important, when Savannah Grace barks just one time in the middle of the night, she's telling me that she has to go out. And I knew that signal of hers already, but I was just so exhausted that I ignored it.
Poor Savannah. I felt so badly for her this morning. We cleaned up the puddle, sprayed and scrubbed and sprayed and washed... and Savannah sat quietly in the breakfast room.
As I type, Savannah is sleeping in her bed. I think she has forgiven me because after the rug and the kitchen floor had been cleaned, I took Savannah out on the porch and brushed every inch of her and as she sat there being groomed she licked my arm, and then my neck. And then she put her Great Pyrenees nose on my cheek and exhaled the biggest sigh which resulted in a giant puff of hot air blowing on my face.
Savannah is probably thinking that sooner or later she will teach me all the puppy lessons I need to know in order to raise a proper dog.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Momma is in a Better Mood Today than she was Yesterday. Daddy says that Keep Calm and Carry On only applies to The British and has Nothing At All to do with Italian Mommas. I don't exactly know what That means but I think it has Something To Do with Barking at the Deer in the Middle of the Night.
Miss Cindy was helping Momma in the Garden yesterday Morning and they were Pulling Up Weeds and Planting Flower Seeds and Daddy brought me Outside to Help and Momma said No Way because I was Wearing my Pretty Pink Leash and Momma said I would be Dragging It Through An Ant Hill before too long. So Momma got my Long Blue Leash and tied that to a Tree and told me to Sit Down Nice And Just Watch. Daddy said HaHaHa after that and I got up and Walked Around The Yard and started Eating Pecan Shells and Grass and Weeds and Momma said That's It! and she brought me Back Into The House and told me I could Come Outside when she Had The Time to Watch me. I don't think Momma likes it when I Play In The Dirt by the Barn or try to Crawl Under The Cottage. I wonder if that has Anything to do with being an Italian Momma.
Daddy said We Should Go To The Dog Park because it was Such A Pretty Day so we went there yesterday Afternoon. I got to Play with a lot of Nice Dogs but Hazel was there too and I Don't Much Like Hazel because she wants to Be The Boss all the time. Sort of like my Momma but Hazel is Too Rough and she doesn't put her Paws On Her Hips like my Momma does. So when Hazel wouldn't Leave Me Alone I just went and Sat Down Next To Daddy and then Hazel went away.
When we were leaving the Park I heard Momma tell Daddy that Maybe The Vet Could Clip Savannah's Nails While We're Here. I didn't know what That meant but instead of Walking To The Car we Walked Across The Grass to a Little Red House. Daddy told the Girl there that Savannah's Nails Are Way Too Long and next thing I knew they brought me Into A Room with Daddy and Two Girls were Petting Me and Holding Me and then My Nails Got Clipped while Daddy kept saying Good Girl Savannah Good Girl. Then they tried to Give Me A Treat but the Only Treat I wanted was the Back Seat Of Daddy's Car so they gave the Treat to Momma and told her to Save It For Later.
I thought maybe we'd Go Back To The Park after the Little Red House but we all just Walked To The Car and Momma said Now That Wasn't So Bad Was It Savannah and I wanted to ask her how she would like it if Two People Were Holding Her Down while they Clipped Her Nails but she was in a Better Mood by that time so I thought I'd just Keep my Puppy Opinion to Myself.
When we got home Momma Hugged Me and said I was a Very Good Girl and she Needed to Remember That when I Barked So Loud In The Middle Of The Night That Everyone In The Hills Could Probably Hear Me. Then Momma said that I Smelled Like The Dog Park so she got the Brush and started to Make Me Look Beautiful and then Momma said that she Brushed Out Enough Hair to Make Two More Puppies.
Then Daddy said Oh Great Are We Going To Get Two More Puppies HaHaHa and Momma said Over My Dead Body and I sure Do Know What That Means by now.
Monday, March 14, 2016
2:00 in the morning...
...for the second night in a row. And tell me again, Miss Savannah, why did I need a puppy....
Give me a blessed break. I have just about had it with walking up and down the road by our driveway when the moon is out and the stars are shining. I don't care how damn pretty the sky is at this time of the night, I really don't have to see it.
Last night's barking was legitimate, to a point. There were deer outside, either walking in the road or walking on the grass along the side of the road. Savannah heard them in the middle of the night and she started barking... one bark, then two, then three. That's when I got up and came downstairs. I looked out the kitchen window and saw the parade of deer and figured she heard them also. The deer do not make much noise, and I'm surprised she heard them at all, but this sensitive-eared puppy can hear a leaf dropping on the grass out there and will bark for all she's worth to let me know.
I gave the deer some time to wander up the road some last night, and then I put my jacket on and took Savannah outside. I counted nine deer while Savannah found a spot in the grass to pee... and then we came back into the house and she went back to sleep. I did the same, after drinking a little bit of orange juice and browsing through Pinterest for half an hour because by then I was wide awake.
We were out for most of the afternoon today (yesterday, really) and Savannah's schedule got upside-down a bit. When we're gone, she doesn't eat... so she finally ate her dinner at 9:00 last night, which also disrupts her walking schedule. I took her outside at ten o'clock last night and she was walking and sniffing and doing just fine and then someone off in the hills decided to shoot a gun, and that was that. Savannah is desperately afraid of gunshots. There's always someone shooting off a gun up here, and you would think she'd have gotten used to that noise by now. Not so, this sensitive puppy of ours.
One gun shot sends Savannah pulling towards the driveway and up the porch steps and she waits by the back door for it to magically open so she can get inside the house. When I heard Savannah barking about half an hour ago, I figured she woke up and had to pee since she didn't do that at ten o'clock last night. So down the stairs I came, ever so slowly because by now I'm running on fumes from not having enough sleep last night.
Honestly, it's a wonder I don't fall down those stairs and land in a heap in the middle of one of these nights. On go the boots and the jacket, I take her leash and slip it around her neck and out we go... and if I'm lucky... if a train doesn't go by in the next town, if a coyote doesn't howl, if an owl doesn't hoot, if there's not a moth hovering around my flashlight that Savannah thinks she can capture in her mouth... if there is nothing out there to distract this puppy princess, then she will find a spot in that damn grass and pee, damn it.
So frustrating.... I wanted a dog to feel safer out here in these stupid damn hills and where am I in the middle of the damn night? Out on the damn road with a damn flashlight with bats whirling and twirling in the sky and I've got a damn puppy who's more afraid of night-time noises and shadows than I am.
Give me a blessed break. If I don't stop pounding on these keys right now my computer is going to need fixing. And where is Miss Savannah right now? Curled up in her bed looking impossibly innocent and cute. Of course.
Give me a blessed break. I have just about had it with walking up and down the road by our driveway when the moon is out and the stars are shining. I don't care how damn pretty the sky is at this time of the night, I really don't have to see it.
Last night's barking was legitimate, to a point. There were deer outside, either walking in the road or walking on the grass along the side of the road. Savannah heard them in the middle of the night and she started barking... one bark, then two, then three. That's when I got up and came downstairs. I looked out the kitchen window and saw the parade of deer and figured she heard them also. The deer do not make much noise, and I'm surprised she heard them at all, but this sensitive-eared puppy can hear a leaf dropping on the grass out there and will bark for all she's worth to let me know.
I gave the deer some time to wander up the road some last night, and then I put my jacket on and took Savannah outside. I counted nine deer while Savannah found a spot in the grass to pee... and then we came back into the house and she went back to sleep. I did the same, after drinking a little bit of orange juice and browsing through Pinterest for half an hour because by then I was wide awake.
We were out for most of the afternoon today (yesterday, really) and Savannah's schedule got upside-down a bit. When we're gone, she doesn't eat... so she finally ate her dinner at 9:00 last night, which also disrupts her walking schedule. I took her outside at ten o'clock last night and she was walking and sniffing and doing just fine and then someone off in the hills decided to shoot a gun, and that was that. Savannah is desperately afraid of gunshots. There's always someone shooting off a gun up here, and you would think she'd have gotten used to that noise by now. Not so, this sensitive puppy of ours.
One gun shot sends Savannah pulling towards the driveway and up the porch steps and she waits by the back door for it to magically open so she can get inside the house. When I heard Savannah barking about half an hour ago, I figured she woke up and had to pee since she didn't do that at ten o'clock last night. So down the stairs I came, ever so slowly because by now I'm running on fumes from not having enough sleep last night.
Honestly, it's a wonder I don't fall down those stairs and land in a heap in the middle of one of these nights. On go the boots and the jacket, I take her leash and slip it around her neck and out we go... and if I'm lucky... if a train doesn't go by in the next town, if a coyote doesn't howl, if an owl doesn't hoot, if there's not a moth hovering around my flashlight that Savannah thinks she can capture in her mouth... if there is nothing out there to distract this puppy princess, then she will find a spot in that damn grass and pee, damn it.
So frustrating.... I wanted a dog to feel safer out here in these stupid damn hills and where am I in the middle of the damn night? Out on the damn road with a damn flashlight with bats whirling and twirling in the sky and I've got a damn puppy who's more afraid of night-time noises and shadows than I am.
Give me a blessed break. If I don't stop pounding on these keys right now my computer is going to need fixing. And where is Miss Savannah right now? Curled up in her bed looking impossibly innocent and cute. Of course.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Just when I think I know All The Rules Momma gives me Another One. Every time Momma takes me Up The Road for a Walk now she tells me No! No! No! Savannah! Don't Eat The Bluebonnets! I have no idea what That means but I think it has something to do with the Flowers that are popping up All Over The Grass and Momma keeps pulling my Leash every time I try to get one.
Those little Flowers are the Same Color as My Blue Monkey which I haven't been able to Find for Months and Months. Momma says my Teeth are Too Big now for a little Monkey so all I get to Chew On are Bones and Hard Treats and I'm not Complaining about that but it was Sure Nice when I had that Soft Blue Monkey to carry around All Day Long.
I know that Momma has One More Blue Monkey left and it's in The Cabinet with My Treats but Momma always closes the Door after she takes a Treat out. I'm waiting for her to Forget to Close That Door and then I'm going to stick My Head in there and Rescue that Blue Monkey.
I went for a Walk this morning with Daddy instead of Momma because he got Downstairs first. That only happens about Once A Week and most of the time Daddy forgets to try and get me to Walk In A Straight Line. I think he Gave Up with that because I can be such a Pig-Headed Puppy sometimes. Momma doesn't seem to Care about Straight Lines, as long as I walk and Do What I'm Supposed To Do out there.
Daddy walked me Up The Road like Momma does and when we were Coming Back the little Dog down the Hill was Running By Himself in the Road so Daddy and I walked down there. That Dog isn't usually By Himself because he has Four Little Kids and Two Big People in his House but when we told Momma what happened she said Maybe That's Why He Ran Off In The First Place. Momma said Those Kids Never Give That Dog Any Peace And Quiet.
So Daddy and I made that Little Dog turn around and Go Home and one of his Big People came Out of the House looking for him and There He Was because My Daddy saved him from The Road. When we were in Front of the Little Dog's house I saw All Those Kids Jumping Up And Down on the Porch because the Little Dog was back and they made a Lot of Noise and I think Momma was right. That Little Dog probably Ran Away because there's Too Much Noise Down There to even Take A Nap.
My house is Nice and Quiet and there's Only Me and Momma and Daddy and Sweet Pea in here. And even though Sweet Pea steals my Bed every once in a while he Doesn't Make Much Noise except when I step on his tail and then Momma says Be Careful With That Cat Savannah! We also have Gatsby and Mickey outside but ever since I got here Momma doesn't let them in the House anymore because she said One Dog And One Cat In This House Is More Than Enough.
Sometimes Daddy tells Momma that Maybe Savannah Would Like A Puppy Brother Or Sister and that's when Momma says Over My Dead Body. I already know what That means. When Momma says that to Daddy it means No! No! No! and Definitely No!
We went to the Dog Park today because Daddy said it was Such A Pretty Day but when we got there we had to Walk Around The Puddles from all the Rain we just had. Well to be Truthful Momma and Daddy walked Around those Puddles but I Ran in them and Splashed in them and Momma started to put her Hands On Her Hips but Daddy said Relax Savannah's Having Fun and that was that so I Splashed Some More. Then Momma was giving That Look to Daddy but she was Wearing Sunglasses so Daddy couldn't really see That Look but I know my Momma.
There were a lot of Dogs at the Park today but most of them were Too Fast and Too Aggressive for me so I stayed near Momma and Daddy most of the time. I heard Momma tell Daddy that Savannah Really Knows Who She Belongs To Now and I turned around to give Momma my Own Look but she didn't see that because she was Watching a Nasty Dog to Make Sure he didn't come Near Me.
Silly Momma. Of Course I know who I belong to. I've learned a Thing Or Two since I got here. I may be Pig-Headed at times but I'm not Stupid.
Those little Flowers are the Same Color as My Blue Monkey which I haven't been able to Find for Months and Months. Momma says my Teeth are Too Big now for a little Monkey so all I get to Chew On are Bones and Hard Treats and I'm not Complaining about that but it was Sure Nice when I had that Soft Blue Monkey to carry around All Day Long.
I know that Momma has One More Blue Monkey left and it's in The Cabinet with My Treats but Momma always closes the Door after she takes a Treat out. I'm waiting for her to Forget to Close That Door and then I'm going to stick My Head in there and Rescue that Blue Monkey.
I went for a Walk this morning with Daddy instead of Momma because he got Downstairs first. That only happens about Once A Week and most of the time Daddy forgets to try and get me to Walk In A Straight Line. I think he Gave Up with that because I can be such a Pig-Headed Puppy sometimes. Momma doesn't seem to Care about Straight Lines, as long as I walk and Do What I'm Supposed To Do out there.
Daddy walked me Up The Road like Momma does and when we were Coming Back the little Dog down the Hill was Running By Himself in the Road so Daddy and I walked down there. That Dog isn't usually By Himself because he has Four Little Kids and Two Big People in his House but when we told Momma what happened she said Maybe That's Why He Ran Off In The First Place. Momma said Those Kids Never Give That Dog Any Peace And Quiet.
So Daddy and I made that Little Dog turn around and Go Home and one of his Big People came Out of the House looking for him and There He Was because My Daddy saved him from The Road. When we were in Front of the Little Dog's house I saw All Those Kids Jumping Up And Down on the Porch because the Little Dog was back and they made a Lot of Noise and I think Momma was right. That Little Dog probably Ran Away because there's Too Much Noise Down There to even Take A Nap.
My house is Nice and Quiet and there's Only Me and Momma and Daddy and Sweet Pea in here. And even though Sweet Pea steals my Bed every once in a while he Doesn't Make Much Noise except when I step on his tail and then Momma says Be Careful With That Cat Savannah! We also have Gatsby and Mickey outside but ever since I got here Momma doesn't let them in the House anymore because she said One Dog And One Cat In This House Is More Than Enough.
Sometimes Daddy tells Momma that Maybe Savannah Would Like A Puppy Brother Or Sister and that's when Momma says Over My Dead Body. I already know what That means. When Momma says that to Daddy it means No! No! No! and Definitely No!
We went to the Dog Park today because Daddy said it was Such A Pretty Day but when we got there we had to Walk Around The Puddles from all the Rain we just had. Well to be Truthful Momma and Daddy walked Around those Puddles but I Ran in them and Splashed in them and Momma started to put her Hands On Her Hips but Daddy said Relax Savannah's Having Fun and that was that so I Splashed Some More. Then Momma was giving That Look to Daddy but she was Wearing Sunglasses so Daddy couldn't really see That Look but I know my Momma.
There were a lot of Dogs at the Park today but most of them were Too Fast and Too Aggressive for me so I stayed near Momma and Daddy most of the time. I heard Momma tell Daddy that Savannah Really Knows Who She Belongs To Now and I turned around to give Momma my Own Look but she didn't see that because she was Watching a Nasty Dog to Make Sure he didn't come Near Me.
Silly Momma. Of Course I know who I belong to. I've learned a Thing Or Two since I got here. I may be Pig-Headed at times but I'm not Stupid.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Don't eat the bluebonnets!
I keep telling Savannah that Lady Bird Johnson dedicated her life to saving the wildflowers of this country, and particularly the great state of Texas, but Savannah just looks at me and bites the top off another bluebonnet.
When the bluebonnets first began to bud last week, Savannah would stop and sniff them, and her sniffing was so intense that I could actually see those little blue buds nearly being inhaled by her Great Pyrenees-style nose. But after that one monumental sniff, this puppy would just walk on... sniff the grass... inhale another bluebonnet... sniff more grass... repeat, repeat, repeat up and down the road.
After the drenching rains we've had this week, the bluebonnets have received ax extra burst of spring-time energy and their stalks have grown inches and their tiny blooms have exploded into the Texas-proud blue and white marvels of Mother Nature... and Savannah has taken notice. I've lost count of how many times I've said "Drop it Savannah!"... and then out pops the sheared-off head of another bluebonnet, courtesy of puppy-teeth that have grown into sharp incisors which spare no blooms, whether wild or not. I'm wondering if the inside of Savannah's mouth has turned blue but I'm afraid to look.
Thankfully, the rain has quit now and the sun came out this afternoon for the first time in days. I took Savannah on a long walk after lunch-time and she walked ever-so-slowly in the grass, sniffing and inhaling and munching like a cow. I could actually hear her tearing off stalks of grass and the bluebonnet blooms. I kept giving her leash a good pull when I saw her mouth aiming for one of those pretty bluebonnets, but she quickly got smart about that and turned her head towards the left as if she were looking out into the pasture, and next thing I heard was the crisp-crunch of another wildflower. And then she looked at me, mouth closed, with just about an inch of green stalk protruding from the front of her puppy lips. When I told her to "Drop it!" out popped another bluebonnet tip. I think it became a test of wills... how many flowers can I pull up before my Momma catches me?!
If a six-month old puppy goes through 'the terrible twos,' then this eleven-month-old puppy must be in the midst of 'the even-more-terrible teens.' Sometimes Savannah will plop herself down on the floor with the biggest sigh and the loudest explosion of puppy paws and fur. Just the way a teenage girl throws herself into a comfy chair with a phone in one hand and a can of cola in the other--- that's exactly the way Savannah will plop herself down on the floor or in her bed. And the sigh that escapes from her.... you would think this puppy had the hardest life in the world, one filled with disappointments and dilemmas. At times I'm tempted to go to her and make sure she's not hurt when I hear that big sigh of hers. But I don't, because I know it's all part of Savannah's puppy act. And where she learned all of that, I have no idea.
Although... as I type this, I'm sitting at the little table in the breakfast room. Our inside cat Sweet Pea is sleeping in the chair at the opposite end of the table. He is curled up into a tight circle and every once in a while, I hear an unmistakable and quite audible sigh... a contented sigh of cat happiness, not a disgruntled sigh of puppy angst... but a sigh nonetheless. Savannah and Sweet Pea have become best-buddies these past few months... curling up in the middle of the kitchen nose-to-nose, or paw-to-tail in the TV room. Heaven only knows what's being whispered between those two when I'm not listening.
When the bluebonnets first began to bud last week, Savannah would stop and sniff them, and her sniffing was so intense that I could actually see those little blue buds nearly being inhaled by her Great Pyrenees-style nose. But after that one monumental sniff, this puppy would just walk on... sniff the grass... inhale another bluebonnet... sniff more grass... repeat, repeat, repeat up and down the road.
After the drenching rains we've had this week, the bluebonnets have received ax extra burst of spring-time energy and their stalks have grown inches and their tiny blooms have exploded into the Texas-proud blue and white marvels of Mother Nature... and Savannah has taken notice. I've lost count of how many times I've said "Drop it Savannah!"... and then out pops the sheared-off head of another bluebonnet, courtesy of puppy-teeth that have grown into sharp incisors which spare no blooms, whether wild or not. I'm wondering if the inside of Savannah's mouth has turned blue but I'm afraid to look.
Thankfully, the rain has quit now and the sun came out this afternoon for the first time in days. I took Savannah on a long walk after lunch-time and she walked ever-so-slowly in the grass, sniffing and inhaling and munching like a cow. I could actually hear her tearing off stalks of grass and the bluebonnet blooms. I kept giving her leash a good pull when I saw her mouth aiming for one of those pretty bluebonnets, but she quickly got smart about that and turned her head towards the left as if she were looking out into the pasture, and next thing I heard was the crisp-crunch of another wildflower. And then she looked at me, mouth closed, with just about an inch of green stalk protruding from the front of her puppy lips. When I told her to "Drop it!" out popped another bluebonnet tip. I think it became a test of wills... how many flowers can I pull up before my Momma catches me?!
If a six-month old puppy goes through 'the terrible twos,' then this eleven-month-old puppy must be in the midst of 'the even-more-terrible teens.' Sometimes Savannah will plop herself down on the floor with the biggest sigh and the loudest explosion of puppy paws and fur. Just the way a teenage girl throws herself into a comfy chair with a phone in one hand and a can of cola in the other--- that's exactly the way Savannah will plop herself down on the floor or in her bed. And the sigh that escapes from her.... you would think this puppy had the hardest life in the world, one filled with disappointments and dilemmas. At times I'm tempted to go to her and make sure she's not hurt when I hear that big sigh of hers. But I don't, because I know it's all part of Savannah's puppy act. And where she learned all of that, I have no idea.
Although... as I type this, I'm sitting at the little table in the breakfast room. Our inside cat Sweet Pea is sleeping in the chair at the opposite end of the table. He is curled up into a tight circle and every once in a while, I hear an unmistakable and quite audible sigh... a contented sigh of cat happiness, not a disgruntled sigh of puppy angst... but a sigh nonetheless. Savannah and Sweet Pea have become best-buddies these past few months... curling up in the middle of the kitchen nose-to-nose, or paw-to-tail in the TV room. Heaven only knows what's being whispered between those two when I'm not listening.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Boy oh boy Momma sure does get Cranky when it Rains and even More Cranky when it's Windy. All I keep hearing on a Windy Day is Hurry Up Savannah Hurry Up and doesn't Momma know that there are Just Too Many Smells Outside when it's Windy so who would Even Want to Hurry Up anyway.
After Momma tells me Hurry Up Savannah Hurry Up then she says Remind Me Again Why I Needed A Puppy Savannah and I can think of a Hundred Reasons Why Momma Needed A Puppy but I get So Busy Out There smelling for Coyotes and Skunks and Raccoons and Deer that I just can't Remind Momma Of Anything while we're Walking.
I heard Momma on the Phone today with Miss Janice and they were Talking about This Crazy Puppy Who Doesn't Know How To Hurry Up When It's Raining. Momma even said that she was Going To Pack Savannah Up and Send Savannah To Clear Lake and then she Laughed so I guess that Miss Janice was Laughing too. I don't know what Clear Lake means but if they don't have Coyotes and Skunks and Armadillos and Deer and Foxes and Possums and Snakes and Heaven Only Knows What Else then I'm going to Stay Right Here with Momma and Miss Janice can find her Own Puppy Who Doesn't Know How To Hurry Up In The Rain.
Tonight after Dinner Momma put me on my Really Long Leash and brought me Outside and told me to Go Hurry Up In The Grass Miss Savannah. Momma didn't even Walk Down the Driveway with me. She stood there at the Bottom of the Porch Steps and Told me Hurry Up Hurry Up Hurry Up. I think Momma has Forgotten How To Walk in the Wind and the Rain because she just Stood Right There. So I did the Same Thing. I just Stood Right There at the Bottom of the Porch Steps and Waited for Momma to Walk. Well she Walked but she didn't Go out to the Driveway she Walked right Back Up the Porch Steps and Took Me With Her and the next thing I knew we were Back In The House and I was Looking at the Kitchen Floor.
Momma kept my Leash on me while she told Daddy that she Was Finished Done End-Of-Story with Walking This Crazy Puppy in the Wind and the Rain. I looked at Daddy and waited for him to take me Outside and Down The Road but he Didn't Move At All except to Get Himself another Glass of Iced Tea. Then Momma took me Outside again and told me to Hurry Up In The Grass Savannah and by that time I really Had To Go after watching Daddy drink that Iced Tea so I Walked by Myself into The Grass and Found a Good Spot and next thing I knew Momma was saying Good Girl Savannah Good Girl and we were Back In The House again and Momma told Daddy that Miss Janice solved another Problem with this Crazy Puppy.
If I knew how to Use The Phone I would be Calling Miss Janice right This Minute and telling her that I am Packing Up Momma and Sending Her to Clear Lake because she has Forgotten How To Walk in the Wind and the Rain and maybe Miss Janice can Fix That Problem also.
After Momma tells me Hurry Up Savannah Hurry Up then she says Remind Me Again Why I Needed A Puppy Savannah and I can think of a Hundred Reasons Why Momma Needed A Puppy but I get So Busy Out There smelling for Coyotes and Skunks and Raccoons and Deer that I just can't Remind Momma Of Anything while we're Walking.
I heard Momma on the Phone today with Miss Janice and they were Talking about This Crazy Puppy Who Doesn't Know How To Hurry Up When It's Raining. Momma even said that she was Going To Pack Savannah Up and Send Savannah To Clear Lake and then she Laughed so I guess that Miss Janice was Laughing too. I don't know what Clear Lake means but if they don't have Coyotes and Skunks and Armadillos and Deer and Foxes and Possums and Snakes and Heaven Only Knows What Else then I'm going to Stay Right Here with Momma and Miss Janice can find her Own Puppy Who Doesn't Know How To Hurry Up In The Rain.
Tonight after Dinner Momma put me on my Really Long Leash and brought me Outside and told me to Go Hurry Up In The Grass Miss Savannah. Momma didn't even Walk Down the Driveway with me. She stood there at the Bottom of the Porch Steps and Told me Hurry Up Hurry Up Hurry Up. I think Momma has Forgotten How To Walk in the Wind and the Rain because she just Stood Right There. So I did the Same Thing. I just Stood Right There at the Bottom of the Porch Steps and Waited for Momma to Walk. Well she Walked but she didn't Go out to the Driveway she Walked right Back Up the Porch Steps and Took Me With Her and the next thing I knew we were Back In The House and I was Looking at the Kitchen Floor.
Momma kept my Leash on me while she told Daddy that she Was Finished Done End-Of-Story with Walking This Crazy Puppy in the Wind and the Rain. I looked at Daddy and waited for him to take me Outside and Down The Road but he Didn't Move At All except to Get Himself another Glass of Iced Tea. Then Momma took me Outside again and told me to Hurry Up In The Grass Savannah and by that time I really Had To Go after watching Daddy drink that Iced Tea so I Walked by Myself into The Grass and Found a Good Spot and next thing I knew Momma was saying Good Girl Savannah Good Girl and we were Back In The House again and Momma told Daddy that Miss Janice solved another Problem with this Crazy Puppy.
If I knew how to Use The Phone I would be Calling Miss Janice right This Minute and telling her that I am Packing Up Momma and Sending Her to Clear Lake because she has Forgotten How To Walk in the Wind and the Rain and maybe Miss Janice can Fix That Problem also.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Princess of Distraction
Honestly, there are days when I think Savannah is lost in her own little puppy world and I'm just a ghost-person holding the end of her leash.
This morning was definitely not a 'big-girl' walk.... more like a puppy in a china shop. Heaven only knows what animals are out on the road and in the fields during the midnight hours, but I truly believe that Savannah smells them all and when her nose hits that ground in pursuit there's no telling how long it's going to be till she comes up for air.
I think I walked her up and down our road for nearly an hour this morning before she even crouched down to pee. How in the world this puppy can hold it in for so long is just beyond me, but her nose touched that ground as soon as we got out near our driveway this morning and she didn't lift it up till we were all the way up the hill and around the bend in the road.... and then I guess she remembered why we were out there in the first place.
There are two neighbors further up the hill who have pick-up trucks and they leave for work every weekday morning around the same time I'm out there with Savannah. Those pick-up trucks aren't parked on concrete driveways, so whatever smells are picked up by their tires as they ride along their own property becomes fair game for Savannah.... and she again will put her nose to the ground and follow the trail of dirt and grass from those trucks as if she were on a frantic search for survivors of the Titanic.
And there I am at the end of that leash, telling her to 'Hurry up, Savannah, hurry up!'.... but she doesn't hear me at all because she's too focused on the scrapings from those truck tires. And this morning was a windy one, which made it worse because all the smells from the fields were just drifting in the air above us and when Savannah did lift her head up I could see her nose twitching and smelling the air like some giant bunny in search of sweet clover.
I thought it would be better to walk her on our own property today so at lunch-time I went out into our backyard behind the barn thinking there would be less distractions. Not a chance. Savannah's nose hit that grass and at times she plowed right into the high tufts of clover and bluebonnets and emerged with a fringe of green pouring out of her mouth like Easter grass. Stopping to smell the flowers? Not hardly.... I think she was searching for bits of cat-poop that our outside cats have hidden like land-mines all over the yard.
By the time I got back into the house after this morning's walk, I figured that I should have just walked all the way up to the main highway and back... that's how much time it took for Savannah to finally find herself a place to pee and poop. And I stood there telling her just that: "Finally, Savannah, Finally!!!" And she looks at me... as if she's asking "Oh.... are you still here?"
This morning was definitely not a 'big-girl' walk.... more like a puppy in a china shop. Heaven only knows what animals are out on the road and in the fields during the midnight hours, but I truly believe that Savannah smells them all and when her nose hits that ground in pursuit there's no telling how long it's going to be till she comes up for air.
I think I walked her up and down our road for nearly an hour this morning before she even crouched down to pee. How in the world this puppy can hold it in for so long is just beyond me, but her nose touched that ground as soon as we got out near our driveway this morning and she didn't lift it up till we were all the way up the hill and around the bend in the road.... and then I guess she remembered why we were out there in the first place.
There are two neighbors further up the hill who have pick-up trucks and they leave for work every weekday morning around the same time I'm out there with Savannah. Those pick-up trucks aren't parked on concrete driveways, so whatever smells are picked up by their tires as they ride along their own property becomes fair game for Savannah.... and she again will put her nose to the ground and follow the trail of dirt and grass from those trucks as if she were on a frantic search for survivors of the Titanic.
And there I am at the end of that leash, telling her to 'Hurry up, Savannah, hurry up!'.... but she doesn't hear me at all because she's too focused on the scrapings from those truck tires. And this morning was a windy one, which made it worse because all the smells from the fields were just drifting in the air above us and when Savannah did lift her head up I could see her nose twitching and smelling the air like some giant bunny in search of sweet clover.
I thought it would be better to walk her on our own property today so at lunch-time I went out into our backyard behind the barn thinking there would be less distractions. Not a chance. Savannah's nose hit that grass and at times she plowed right into the high tufts of clover and bluebonnets and emerged with a fringe of green pouring out of her mouth like Easter grass. Stopping to smell the flowers? Not hardly.... I think she was searching for bits of cat-poop that our outside cats have hidden like land-mines all over the yard.
By the time I got back into the house after this morning's walk, I figured that I should have just walked all the way up to the main highway and back... that's how much time it took for Savannah to finally find herself a place to pee and poop. And I stood there telling her just that: "Finally, Savannah, Finally!!!" And she looks at me... as if she's asking "Oh.... are you still here?"
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Spring-time Puppy
We went to the dog park yesterday and hit the jack-pot.... five dogs were in there, all very friendly and playful and Savannah couldn't decide which one to play with so she ran around with all of them. It just still amazes me how fearless she can be when approaching another dog but Savannah is totally lacking in confidence when the owners of those dogs get too close to her. At those times, Savannah will literally back away and not take her eyes off the person wanting to pet her... she will not let them touch her, and after 20 or 30 seconds of eye contact, she will run off to play with the dogs.
All but one of yesterday's dogs were rescues, the Chocolate Lab being the only pedigree there in the park. Thinking back on all of our visits to that park, I would guess that 95% of all the dogs have been mixed-breed rescues, with very few of them being full-blooded breeds. And all the dogs have their stories, told by their owners as we all sit in the shade of the gazebo as the dogs run and play. Some of the dogs were found in parking lots of shopping centers, others were abandoned on country roads, still others were rounded up by the animal control officer and brought to the local shelters. And nearly all of the owners have given the same conclusion to their dog's story--- after nearly a year of learning how to trust, their dogs are the light of their lives and they couldn't remember how they got along without them.
I recently put a CD player in the kitchen so I could listen to my Manilow music, and one night this past week, a song featuring a duet with Barry Manilow and Louis Armstrong started playing and my husband and I started to dance in the center of the kitchen. Within ten seconds of that dance, Savannah walked up to us and put one paw on my husband and one paw on me and she stood there at her full (and considerable) height and just looked at us and smiled.
The title of the song was "It's A Wonderful World," which was one of Armstrong's trademark tunes, and my all-time favorite song of his. My husband and I looked at Savannah as she tried to join us in the dance, and we thought of our dog Gracie, who would also jump up when we were dancing in our other house years ago. Gracie, however, was trying to 'cut in' on our dance because she got very jealous if she saw me getting too close to her favorite person in her universe-- my husband. Savannah, with her one front paw on my arm and her other paw on my husband's, was clearly not showing favorites. I believe that Savannah loves both of us, she knows we are both 'her people,' and had she been able to twirl and dance with us, she would have done just that until the music stopped.
For this first week of March, Spring has truly arrived and some of the days have been more like Summer than Spring. The breezes are blowing around the fields, some of the bluebonnets are popping up here and there, and Savannah walks up the road with her head high into the breeze and her fan-like tail blowing in the wind. Quite a difference from that five-month-old puppy who kept her tail between her legs for the first two months of her life here.
All but one of yesterday's dogs were rescues, the Chocolate Lab being the only pedigree there in the park. Thinking back on all of our visits to that park, I would guess that 95% of all the dogs have been mixed-breed rescues, with very few of them being full-blooded breeds. And all the dogs have their stories, told by their owners as we all sit in the shade of the gazebo as the dogs run and play. Some of the dogs were found in parking lots of shopping centers, others were abandoned on country roads, still others were rounded up by the animal control officer and brought to the local shelters. And nearly all of the owners have given the same conclusion to their dog's story--- after nearly a year of learning how to trust, their dogs are the light of their lives and they couldn't remember how they got along without them.
I recently put a CD player in the kitchen so I could listen to my Manilow music, and one night this past week, a song featuring a duet with Barry Manilow and Louis Armstrong started playing and my husband and I started to dance in the center of the kitchen. Within ten seconds of that dance, Savannah walked up to us and put one paw on my husband and one paw on me and she stood there at her full (and considerable) height and just looked at us and smiled.
The title of the song was "It's A Wonderful World," which was one of Armstrong's trademark tunes, and my all-time favorite song of his. My husband and I looked at Savannah as she tried to join us in the dance, and we thought of our dog Gracie, who would also jump up when we were dancing in our other house years ago. Gracie, however, was trying to 'cut in' on our dance because she got very jealous if she saw me getting too close to her favorite person in her universe-- my husband. Savannah, with her one front paw on my arm and her other paw on my husband's, was clearly not showing favorites. I believe that Savannah loves both of us, she knows we are both 'her people,' and had she been able to twirl and dance with us, she would have done just that until the music stopped.
For this first week of March, Spring has truly arrived and some of the days have been more like Summer than Spring. The breezes are blowing around the fields, some of the bluebonnets are popping up here and there, and Savannah walks up the road with her head high into the breeze and her fan-like tail blowing in the wind. Quite a difference from that five-month-old puppy who kept her tail between her legs for the first two months of her life here.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Today was Tea Day and the Ladies were here This Afternoon. Momma opened the Door to the Dining Room and I was on my way in there but then All The Ladies started Talking At Once and I just Turned My Puppy Self around and went Back to the Breakfast Room. I had planned on going into the Dining Room when it got More Quiet in there but that just Never Happened.
One of the Ladies who isn't here Every Week showed up Today and all the Other Ladies wanted to know What's New and then she started to tell them and it Sure Was A Lot and that's why all the Other Ladies kept Talking and Talking and you would think They Would Get Tired but they just Never do and how is a Puppy supposed to Take A Nap when So Many Ladies are Talking Talking Talking.
So I just Stayed In My Bed and then I went to sleep but the Ladies kept Waking Me Up every time one of them said Well Where's Savannah You Wouldn't Even Know You Had A Puppy In This House HaHaHa. And I heard Momma say that she Sure Does Know There's A Puppy In This House When That Puppy Starts Barking In The Middle Of The Night. I was waiting to hear a HaHaHa after that but it Never Came.
It was Windy outside today and Momma says that I am not On My Best Behavior when we Go For Walks on Windy Days. Well if Momma could Smell everything that I Smell Out There then she wouldn't be On Her Best Behavior either. If Momma knew half of What Was Outside she wouldn't ever Step One Foot Off The Porch Ever Again. Since I got here back in September I've smelled Raccoons and Possums and Coyotes and Skunks and Wild Pigs and Foxes and Mice and Armadillos and Bobcats and Vultures and Rabbits and Moles and Snakes and Goats and Ducks and Cows and Horses and Cats Who Don't Live Here and Dogs Just Passing By and all Kinds of Birds and Bats and Bugs. Momma just has no idea What's Out There and I can Smell Them Best on the Windy Days and Who can be on their Best Behavior with all of That going on out there.
Sometimes just Walking On The Road is More Fun than going to the Park except there's No Pool to jump in. Momma has a Big Pond down the Hill near the edge of our Property but I'm only Allowed to Look at That Water. Momma says there are Turtles and Frogs and Snakes in the Pond and Puppies Are Not Allowed To Swim In There. Period. End of Story Savannah. No. No. No.
So I have to Stand There and Just Look at the Pond and watch the Turtles swimming around and I can hear the Frogs and they're probably saying Come On In Savannah There's Plenty Of Room In Here For A Puppy. But Momma says No. No. No. Sometimes Momma just Wears Me Out. Just like the Tea Ladies can Wear Me Out. Momma's Tea Ladies are here Just Once A Week but Momma is here Every Every Every Day.
(I think Momma is waiting for me to say HaHaHa after that but I think I'll just leave that out.)
One of the Ladies who isn't here Every Week showed up Today and all the Other Ladies wanted to know What's New and then she started to tell them and it Sure Was A Lot and that's why all the Other Ladies kept Talking and Talking and you would think They Would Get Tired but they just Never do and how is a Puppy supposed to Take A Nap when So Many Ladies are Talking Talking Talking.
So I just Stayed In My Bed and then I went to sleep but the Ladies kept Waking Me Up every time one of them said Well Where's Savannah You Wouldn't Even Know You Had A Puppy In This House HaHaHa. And I heard Momma say that she Sure Does Know There's A Puppy In This House When That Puppy Starts Barking In The Middle Of The Night. I was waiting to hear a HaHaHa after that but it Never Came.
It was Windy outside today and Momma says that I am not On My Best Behavior when we Go For Walks on Windy Days. Well if Momma could Smell everything that I Smell Out There then she wouldn't be On Her Best Behavior either. If Momma knew half of What Was Outside she wouldn't ever Step One Foot Off The Porch Ever Again. Since I got here back in September I've smelled Raccoons and Possums and Coyotes and Skunks and Wild Pigs and Foxes and Mice and Armadillos and Bobcats and Vultures and Rabbits and Moles and Snakes and Goats and Ducks and Cows and Horses and Cats Who Don't Live Here and Dogs Just Passing By and all Kinds of Birds and Bats and Bugs. Momma just has no idea What's Out There and I can Smell Them Best on the Windy Days and Who can be on their Best Behavior with all of That going on out there.
Sometimes just Walking On The Road is More Fun than going to the Park except there's No Pool to jump in. Momma has a Big Pond down the Hill near the edge of our Property but I'm only Allowed to Look at That Water. Momma says there are Turtles and Frogs and Snakes in the Pond and Puppies Are Not Allowed To Swim In There. Period. End of Story Savannah. No. No. No.
So I have to Stand There and Just Look at the Pond and watch the Turtles swimming around and I can hear the Frogs and they're probably saying Come On In Savannah There's Plenty Of Room In Here For A Puppy. But Momma says No. No. No. Sometimes Momma just Wears Me Out. Just like the Tea Ladies can Wear Me Out. Momma's Tea Ladies are here Just Once A Week but Momma is here Every Every Every Day.
(I think Momma is waiting for me to say HaHaHa after that but I think I'll just leave that out.)
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Momma said Today Is Not The Best Day Of Your Puppy Life Miss Savannah. I don't know what That means but I don't think it was Good because Momma was Standing In Front Of Me With Her Hands On Her Hips when she said those Words and when Momma's Hands are On Her Hips it's Never Good.
I thought it was a Pretty Good Day till Momma said that to me this morning. As soon as we Got Out Of The Back Door for our Walk this morning I smelled Raccoons on the Porch and that's what I was Barking at last night. By the time Momma got into the Kitchen and put on the light those Raccoons had run away and I was Proud of that because My Barking is what got them to leave last night but Momma thought I was Barking At Nothing.
I knew those Raccoons weren't on The Porch this morning but their Smell was still there and that Smell went Down The Steps and Down The Driveway and Across The Grass and I just Put My Nose Down and Didn't Lift It Up till I couldn't smell the Raccoons anymore. Momma doesn't understand all of that and she kept saying Hurry Up Savannah! Hurry Up! but that meant that she wanted me To Pee and I wasn't ready to do that yet because I was Too Busy Smelling Raccoons. But Momma doesn't Understand that either. Momma was trying to get me to Hurry Up! because she wanted to Go Into Town For Errands today and she says that I always Take More Time Than I Need on Errand Day.
When I couldn't Smell The Raccoons anymore then I found a Place In The Grass To Pee and Momma said Finally Savannah Finally! It's always better when Momma says Good Girl Savannah Good Girl because when she says Finally! about anything that usually means that I Took Too Long To Do Something.
As soon as I got the Raccoons out of my Puppy Mind this morning then along came Two Trucks so I had to try and Catch Those no matter how tight Momma was holding that Leash and then Momma told me she wouldn't Have A Fingernail Left To Her Name if kept on Pulling Her From Here To Eternity. She didn't have her Hands On Her Hips when she said that but I think that was because she had my Leash in her Hands at the time.
When we got Back Into The House Momma looked at me and said I Hope The Rest Of Your Day Goes Better Than Your Walk This Morning Savannah and I didn't understand that At All because I thought I had a Great Walk between the Raccoon Smell and the Two Trucks. Daddy says that Momma is Too Much Of A Girl and I don't know exactly what That Means but it may have something to do with Not Liking Raccoons and Trucks and Broken Fingernails.
I thought it was a Pretty Good Day till Momma said that to me this morning. As soon as we Got Out Of The Back Door for our Walk this morning I smelled Raccoons on the Porch and that's what I was Barking at last night. By the time Momma got into the Kitchen and put on the light those Raccoons had run away and I was Proud of that because My Barking is what got them to leave last night but Momma thought I was Barking At Nothing.
I knew those Raccoons weren't on The Porch this morning but their Smell was still there and that Smell went Down The Steps and Down The Driveway and Across The Grass and I just Put My Nose Down and Didn't Lift It Up till I couldn't smell the Raccoons anymore. Momma doesn't understand all of that and she kept saying Hurry Up Savannah! Hurry Up! but that meant that she wanted me To Pee and I wasn't ready to do that yet because I was Too Busy Smelling Raccoons. But Momma doesn't Understand that either. Momma was trying to get me to Hurry Up! because she wanted to Go Into Town For Errands today and she says that I always Take More Time Than I Need on Errand Day.
When I couldn't Smell The Raccoons anymore then I found a Place In The Grass To Pee and Momma said Finally Savannah Finally! It's always better when Momma says Good Girl Savannah Good Girl because when she says Finally! about anything that usually means that I Took Too Long To Do Something.
As soon as I got the Raccoons out of my Puppy Mind this morning then along came Two Trucks so I had to try and Catch Those no matter how tight Momma was holding that Leash and then Momma told me she wouldn't Have A Fingernail Left To Her Name if kept on Pulling Her From Here To Eternity. She didn't have her Hands On Her Hips when she said that but I think that was because she had my Leash in her Hands at the time.
When we got Back Into The House Momma looked at me and said I Hope The Rest Of Your Day Goes Better Than Your Walk This Morning Savannah and I didn't understand that At All because I thought I had a Great Walk between the Raccoon Smell and the Two Trucks. Daddy says that Momma is Too Much Of A Girl and I don't know exactly what That Means but it may have something to do with Not Liking Raccoons and Trucks and Broken Fingernails.
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