I've been walking so much the past week or so that my poor feet are blistered and hurty, not to mention my shin splints are screaming bloody murder. I've re-embarked (for the third time) on daily dog walks. This time with a twist - I get up an extra 45 minutes early, so we can get our walk in before the day gets too hot. So far it's worked pretty well - particularly considering that I'm by no means eager to start the day or hop out of my nice, comfortable bed.
I've been trying to take only one dog at a time. Each dog, by itself, is a rather pleasant walking experience. But when I start adding them together... well, that's when the stress comes in and it's no longer enjoyable. There are exceptions. For instance, my two larger dogs walk fairly well together, and the two little boys do decently as well. Not great - but usually tolerable. I try to do at least two miles each morning. And now my fiance has told me he'd like to start walking with me in the evenings as well! So it looks like the dogs will be plenty well exercised without me feeling guilty all the time.
The other day, I took the boys over to the middle school, where there are acres of fields to play in, far away from anyone, and set them free inside a baseball diamond. Normally, Popper is quite good off leash, but Merlin totally schooled him in obedience! Merlin could be 300ft away, I'd call him, and he'd come tearing across the field to me (and get a cookie). Popper just didn't care. In his defense, he is half beagle, and I'm pretty sure all sorts of wildlife crawls over that area. He was tracking the entire time, and a hound on a mission - they tend to have selective hearing to the extreme. I've never encountered such a blatant disregard to my calls before with Popper, and I hope I won't ever again. But it's yet another lesson, I suppose, in owning a hound. Even half a hound.
I need to get new insoles for my sneakers (or new shoes altogether) to walk this much. I'm already feeling the shin splint pain intensify, and I have an agility trial coming up that I would be VERY disappointed if I couldn't do!
Monday, July 13
Tuesday, July 7
I Can't Find Scruffy
I haven't seen Scruffy since last Thursday. I haven't see her body in the road, so I can only assume she's terrorizing somebody else now. I'm pretty sad, I was intent on catching the little beastie. :(
Not a day goes by that I don't see a dog in my neighborhood, running loose. And 9 times out of 10, it's a dog wearing a collar but NO TAGS! What's the point? In this county, it is illegal to have a dog that's not wearing a dog license. Besides that, how am I supposed to return your dog to you? It's all well and good if you have your pet microchipped, but think about it - most pet owners don't have a scanner to detect them. I certainly don't. Put your phone number at the very least on a dog tag, so I can call you to let you know I've got your pooch safe and sound in my backyard.
Merlin's being amazing with our agility training. So far, he's doing *some* work in the backyard. He'll do weave poles, and he'll teeter, and he'll do a jump or two. It's a HUGE improvement from where we were a few weeks ago, when he refused to do anything but the teeter. We even made it through a very boomy fourth of July weekend. He's doing straight-up weave poles consistently, without any problems. I started adding a jump before the poles, since that's a problem I STILL have with Popper, and he's doing marvelously. Now, how he'll perform in class is another issue entirely....
Not a day goes by that I don't see a dog in my neighborhood, running loose. And 9 times out of 10, it's a dog wearing a collar but NO TAGS! What's the point? In this county, it is illegal to have a dog that's not wearing a dog license. Besides that, how am I supposed to return your dog to you? It's all well and good if you have your pet microchipped, but think about it - most pet owners don't have a scanner to detect them. I certainly don't. Put your phone number at the very least on a dog tag, so I can call you to let you know I've got your pooch safe and sound in my backyard.
Merlin's being amazing with our agility training. So far, he's doing *some* work in the backyard. He'll do weave poles, and he'll teeter, and he'll do a jump or two. It's a HUGE improvement from where we were a few weeks ago, when he refused to do anything but the teeter. We even made it through a very boomy fourth of July weekend. He's doing straight-up weave poles consistently, without any problems. I started adding a jump before the poles, since that's a problem I STILL have with Popper, and he's doing marvelously. Now, how he'll perform in class is another issue entirely....
Wednesday, July 1
New Flu Vaccination for Dogs
Apparently, there's a doggie flu going around, and it kills about 5% of the dogs it infects. The dogs most at risk are the brachycephalic breeds, like pugs, pekingese, and anything else with a mashed up nose.
There's now a vaccination for it!
Read more at the New York Times.
There's now a vaccination for it!
Read more at the New York Times.
Scruffy has a friend
Every morning on the way to work, my SO sees Scruffy playing with a yellow lab that's let into their front yard early in the day. He's spotted him three days in a row, and that's about where I look for the dog every day.
Today I packed up my leather gloves, a noose leash, and some stinky bologna. I hunted all over the neighborhood in all his usual haunts - no Scruffy. It's pretty dark out and going to rain, I can only assume he's bunkered down somewhere waiting it out. So I came home empty-handed and a little bit wet, but I did get a nice walk in before I even started work. I imagine I made my neighbors nervous, walking around wearing work gloves, carrying rope, and anxious scanning every house I passed, LOL!
Tomorrow I'm going to get up and leave the house at the same time the SO does, to see if I can catch Scruffy while he's playing with the yellow lab. And of course, I'll do my afternoon scan of the neighborhood to see if I can spot him. I'm thinking of using the corgi as bait, because Scruffy loves to come tearing out of wherever to bark at passing dogs.
Today I packed up my leather gloves, a noose leash, and some stinky bologna. I hunted all over the neighborhood in all his usual haunts - no Scruffy. It's pretty dark out and going to rain, I can only assume he's bunkered down somewhere waiting it out. So I came home empty-handed and a little bit wet, but I did get a nice walk in before I even started work. I imagine I made my neighbors nervous, walking around wearing work gloves, carrying rope, and anxious scanning every house I passed, LOL!
Tomorrow I'm going to get up and leave the house at the same time the SO does, to see if I can catch Scruffy while he's playing with the yellow lab. And of course, I'll do my afternoon scan of the neighborhood to see if I can spot him. I'm thinking of using the corgi as bait, because Scruffy loves to come tearing out of wherever to bark at passing dogs.
Tuesday, June 30
Another Scruffy sighting...
On my way to the dentist this morning, I spotted Scruffy having a good sniff about five houses down from mine. Unfortunately, I had to head on to the dentist but noted that he's sticking close to this area.
When my SO got home from work, he told me Scruffy was out and about again, and off we went to capture him. That dog knew exactly what we were doing. We slowly stalked him in our car, and threw some Cheez-its out the window when he laid down in the shade to keep an eye on his. He got up, sniffed those, tossed his little nose up in the air at them, and proceeded to zoom down the sidewalk. I jumped out of the car and gave chase, but he was just a HAIR faster than me, so it seemed pointless to continue to run after him. We followed him around the block, but he went in someone's backyard and escaped into the woods behind it.
So there goes my "run really fast and grab him" approach. I'm too slow.
I think I'd like to sort of herd him towards my house, with my gate open, get him inside, and shut the door. At this point, I think it's the best I could hope for. I really need a few extra people to help shepherd him where I want him to go, though.
I did get close enough to him that I determined he's a poodle mix. As his name implies, he really does need groomed in a bad way.
When my SO got home from work, he told me Scruffy was out and about again, and off we went to capture him. That dog knew exactly what we were doing. We slowly stalked him in our car, and threw some Cheez-its out the window when he laid down in the shade to keep an eye on his. He got up, sniffed those, tossed his little nose up in the air at them, and proceeded to zoom down the sidewalk. I jumped out of the car and gave chase, but he was just a HAIR faster than me, so it seemed pointless to continue to run after him. We followed him around the block, but he went in someone's backyard and escaped into the woods behind it.
So there goes my "run really fast and grab him" approach. I'm too slow.
I think I'd like to sort of herd him towards my house, with my gate open, get him inside, and shut the door. At this point, I think it's the best I could hope for. I really need a few extra people to help shepherd him where I want him to go, though.
I did get close enough to him that I determined he's a poodle mix. As his name implies, he really does need groomed in a bad way.
Monday, June 29
Catching Scruffy...
Scruffy is this little black ball of matted fur that I occasionally see on my dog walks. He loves to get within a few feet of my dogs and bark ferociously at them, but is smart enough to run for the hills if anyone gets too close. He's been loose in my neighborhood for at least a year.
This past week, he's started hanging out on my street, close to my house, as opposed to a few blocks away. One day I pulled over and tried to nab him, but he took off. I am fairly confident I could overtake him because he's not very fast, but I'll have to make sure I have a blanket with me in case he's bitey.
Until that time, I've come up with a plan that will likely be affected by the millions of loose cats that run rampant in my neighborhood.
Stage 1 - set out food for Scruffy every day and watch closely for Scruffy sightings.
Stage 2 - when Scruffy seems to be coming regularly, open backyard gate at night and put dog food in it.
Stage 3 - either shut gate while Scruffy is inside, or set up the live trap and try to get him that way.
Hopefully, he's not so feral that he's an evil little SOB. He's only about 10# or so, so I wouldn't mind him in the household as it wouldn't make much difference.
This past week, he's started hanging out on my street, close to my house, as opposed to a few blocks away. One day I pulled over and tried to nab him, but he took off. I am fairly confident I could overtake him because he's not very fast, but I'll have to make sure I have a blanket with me in case he's bitey.
Until that time, I've come up with a plan that will likely be affected by the millions of loose cats that run rampant in my neighborhood.
Stage 1 - set out food for Scruffy every day and watch closely for Scruffy sightings.
Stage 2 - when Scruffy seems to be coming regularly, open backyard gate at night and put dog food in it.
Stage 3 - either shut gate while Scruffy is inside, or set up the live trap and try to get him that way.
Hopefully, he's not so feral that he's an evil little SOB. He's only about 10# or so, so I wouldn't mind him in the household as it wouldn't make much difference.
World's Ugliest Dog Named
Every year, there is a contest to see who is the ugliest dog. Sometimes it is televised, and I must admit that I do watch it whenever it's on. I just can't help myself. Generally, the competition is overrun with Chinese Crested Hairless dogs, who, because of rather poor breeding, tend to become quite hideous in their older years, losing their teeth, getting clouded eyes, and in general, looking like something you would only want to touch wearing a protective suit while having a chemical bath nearby.
This year's dog isn't even that ugly. Heck, I've had a dog with an underbite and cloudy eyes before.
Do you think he's really worthy of the Ugliest Dog Crown?
This year's dog isn't even that ugly. Heck, I've had a dog with an underbite and cloudy eyes before.
Do you think he's really worthy of the Ugliest Dog Crown?
Friday, June 26
My New No Soliciting Sign
I get a lot of unwanted folks knocking on my door all day long. In the spring, it is next to impossible to keep my door open for a breeze, because within ten minutes, someone will come along rapping on it and stir all my dogs into a frenzy. It's annoying!
I do have a no soliciting sign on my door, but I'm writing a new one now -
NO SOLICITING
This includes selling: magazines or subscriptions,
long distance phone service, cable television, satellite
television, religion, meat, or anything else you want to
bother us with. We may open the door for cookies and
candy bars, especially when sold by little kids, because
they are tasty. The candy bars, not the kids.
NO SURVEYS
We are not interested in taking your survey. If you
insist, we will answer every question with "your mom" or
"that's what she said."
Thank you and have a great day!
I doubt it will work though... seems these folks can't read. :(
Mommy and Roo Day
So, once a week, I try to do an activity with just Roofus and I - no other dogs are invited! The other two boys are in agility, so they get to hang out with Mom for a couple hours just by themselves once a week, not to mention all the time we spend practicing. Roofus doesn't really have a "thing," unless there's some special workshop I've signed him up for, so I like to have a time where we just do something enjoyable together without the other dogs.
Today we went to the local park (human park, not dog park). It stormed a lot yesterday, so I figured the creeks might be high enough to swim in for him. Well, they only came up to his chest since he's so large, LOL. But the first creek we went in, he flushed out a mama duck and her dozen or so babies. Roofus has taken herding classes, so I know he's okay with ducks. I let him practice herding (in the water!) for a little bit and then "that'll do," and we went on our way. Mama was getting a bit anxious because her kids were starting to get washed away downstream!
That was pretty much the norm for our time at the park. We'd do a half mile or so, then into another creek... At least half the time there were more ducks (though I did not let him bother baby ducks after his first time), so we practiced our "walk ups" and come with distractions. He did really well, though trying to herd, in a creek, on a 16 ft flexi leash is probably not ideal!
I got him back home, gave him a quickie bath, and he's happily snoozing on my bed now, no doubt dreaming of keeping those ducks all together in one bunch.
Today we went to the local park (human park, not dog park). It stormed a lot yesterday, so I figured the creeks might be high enough to swim in for him. Well, they only came up to his chest since he's so large, LOL. But the first creek we went in, he flushed out a mama duck and her dozen or so babies. Roofus has taken herding classes, so I know he's okay with ducks. I let him practice herding (in the water!) for a little bit and then "that'll do," and we went on our way. Mama was getting a bit anxious because her kids were starting to get washed away downstream!
That was pretty much the norm for our time at the park. We'd do a half mile or so, then into another creek... At least half the time there were more ducks (though I did not let him bother baby ducks after his first time), so we practiced our "walk ups" and come with distractions. He did really well, though trying to herd, in a creek, on a 16 ft flexi leash is probably not ideal!
I got him back home, gave him a quickie bath, and he's happily snoozing on my bed now, no doubt dreaming of keeping those ducks all together in one bunch.
Free Shipping till the end of June!
If you visit my Zazzle store, you can get FREE shipping on orders over $25 till the end of June! That's an awesome deal, I love it when I don't have to pay for shipping.
The code is FREESHIPON25 and it expires June 30th 2009.
Start Shopping Now!
The fine print:
To qualify for this free shipping offer, one or more Zazzle products must be purchased with an order subtotal of $25 or more. The coupon code FREESHIPON25 must be entered during checkout to receive the offer. Free shipping offer does not apply skateboards or photo sculptures. The free shipping offer is for standard (or economy if standard is not available) shipping. Shipping offer is for shipping to U.S. addresses only. Shipping charges will apply to oversized orders and orders being shipped on an expedited basis. Offer is valid from June 19, 2009 at 12:01am PT through June 30, 2009 at 11:59pm PT. Your order must be placed during that time to qualify for this special offer. This promotional offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or discount offers. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.
The code is FREESHIPON25 and it expires June 30th 2009.
Start Shopping Now!
The fine print:
To qualify for this free shipping offer, one or more Zazzle products must be purchased with an order subtotal of $25 or more. The coupon code FREESHIPON25 must be entered during checkout to receive the offer. Free shipping offer does not apply skateboards or photo sculptures. The free shipping offer is for standard (or economy if standard is not available) shipping. Shipping offer is for shipping to U.S. addresses only. Shipping charges will apply to oversized orders and orders being shipped on an expedited basis. Offer is valid from June 19, 2009 at 12:01am PT through June 30, 2009 at 11:59pm PT. Your order must be placed during that time to qualify for this special offer. This promotional offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or discount offers. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.
Keep your dog cool!
There was an interesting post on the BRAG group about keeping your dog cool... as canine athletes our little four leggeds tend to heat up very quickly, and heat stroke is never a good thing! Apparently dogs don't cool *quite* the same way as people do. Last night, Popper had agility practice, and I put a couple of things to the test. He absolutely HATES the heat (and the cold, for that matter), and will shut down and refuse to work. He was panting rapidly before we even started doing anything, he is that sensitive to heat.
Firstly, getting your dog wet does help. I took Popper out after every run and just dosed him with a gallon of water, which I rubbed in to make sure it got down in there. I have read that you want to do that right before a run, otherwise it can actually insulate the heat IN and make them hotter.
Secondly, if you get your dog wet, don't stick them somewhere with poor air circulation. If you put your dog in a crate (which we all do at trials) then stick a huge fan right on it. The evaporation of the water is what's going to keep your dog cool. If you just crate them, chances are, you're going to see your dog's temperature rise. Those little crate fans aren't much help - go buy a huge one. They do make large ones that are battery operated or can run on your car's power.
I've also heard good things about those cooling mats, if you can get your dog to lie on it, and those reflective coats/tarps.
On the way home from agility, Popper was soaked, and I turned the air on in my car and directed a vent full blast on him. After a minute or two, he was relaxed, comfortable, and not panting - I, on the other hand, was still hot, sticky, and panting!
And, of course, all my advice comes at a "use at your own risk." Always consult a veterinarian if you are unsure about how to keep your pooch cool in the summer heat and use common sense.
Firstly, getting your dog wet does help. I took Popper out after every run and just dosed him with a gallon of water, which I rubbed in to make sure it got down in there. I have read that you want to do that right before a run, otherwise it can actually insulate the heat IN and make them hotter.
Secondly, if you get your dog wet, don't stick them somewhere with poor air circulation. If you put your dog in a crate (which we all do at trials) then stick a huge fan right on it. The evaporation of the water is what's going to keep your dog cool. If you just crate them, chances are, you're going to see your dog's temperature rise. Those little crate fans aren't much help - go buy a huge one. They do make large ones that are battery operated or can run on your car's power.
I've also heard good things about those cooling mats, if you can get your dog to lie on it, and those reflective coats/tarps.
On the way home from agility, Popper was soaked, and I turned the air on in my car and directed a vent full blast on him. After a minute or two, he was relaxed, comfortable, and not panting - I, on the other hand, was still hot, sticky, and panting!
And, of course, all my advice comes at a "use at your own risk." Always consult a veterinarian if you are unsure about how to keep your pooch cool in the summer heat and use common sense.
Thursday, June 25
Firefighter Kills His Dogs
Okay, I am one of those people who are firmly into "eye for an eye." I believe murderers should get whatever they did to their victims, done to them. I believe child rapists should be lynched, drawn, and quartered. But today I am absolutely INFURIATED by this story, which sadly takes place in my hometown -
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090625/ap_on_re_us/us_firefighter_dog_deaths_1
Essentially, this guy killed his two mutts because he didn't want to board them while he went on vacation.
And what, you may ask, was his punishment for this completely heinous crime??
90 days in jail. 90 freaking days.
The guy was bragging to folks about how he offed his dogs (tied them to a pipe in the basement and shot them with a silencer) and they're going to let this maniac out in the streets after 90 days.
It's not right.
People like that, who have no regard for life, do not belong in society. Nor should they be a drain on society's resources - in other words, we shouldn't have to pay for Mr. Idiot to sit on his butt in prison while I have to go out and work a 9 to 5. Is he learning his lesson? I doubt it. I also firmly believe that his genes should not be passed on, either. My conclusion? Euthanasia. Now, I'm willing to compromise, don't get me wrong. While it would be pleasant to see this man tied to a pipe in a basement and likewise shot, and tossed in a garbage bin, I am fully willing to settle for less.
Castrate the bastard, tie him to a pole, shoot him in several places that won't kill him, and don't give him pain medication. I think that would be far more effective than a 90 day stint in jail. When he's sufficiently recovered, he can perform supervised volunteer work at an animal shelter. Not to have any contact with the dogs - he can clean out the kennels.
Too bad I'm not a judge.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090625/ap_on_re_us/us_firefighter_dog_deaths_1
Essentially, this guy killed his two mutts because he didn't want to board them while he went on vacation.
And what, you may ask, was his punishment for this completely heinous crime??
90 days in jail. 90 freaking days.
The guy was bragging to folks about how he offed his dogs (tied them to a pipe in the basement and shot them with a silencer) and they're going to let this maniac out in the streets after 90 days.
It's not right.
People like that, who have no regard for life, do not belong in society. Nor should they be a drain on society's resources - in other words, we shouldn't have to pay for Mr. Idiot to sit on his butt in prison while I have to go out and work a 9 to 5. Is he learning his lesson? I doubt it. I also firmly believe that his genes should not be passed on, either. My conclusion? Euthanasia. Now, I'm willing to compromise, don't get me wrong. While it would be pleasant to see this man tied to a pipe in a basement and likewise shot, and tossed in a garbage bin, I am fully willing to settle for less.
Castrate the bastard, tie him to a pole, shoot him in several places that won't kill him, and don't give him pain medication. I think that would be far more effective than a 90 day stint in jail. When he's sufficiently recovered, he can perform supervised volunteer work at an animal shelter. Not to have any contact with the dogs - he can clean out the kennels.
Too bad I'm not a judge.
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