Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
New look
Guest Blogger: The Adventures of Yuppie Puppy & Super (Dog) Mommy
One of my favorite things about being a blogger is making friends with other bloggers! If it wasn't for blogging I never would have [virtually] met Lea Munley, and connected over our absolute infatuation/love of animals, particularly dogs. I have had so much fun reading Lea's creative writings, and have really enjoyed her dog Riley's blog. I'm sure you can identify with what it is like to own a Yuppie Puppy after reading her guest blogging post... I know I sure can! I say this after having bought a new set of ceramic handmade food and water dishes (yes, they even are hand painted with "Food" and "Water")... I'm justifying this purchase because they were 1) At T.J. Maxx 2) Milly's current bowls are a bit too small and she makes a mess when she drinks out of them. Without further ado, I would like to present to you The Adventures of Yuppie Puppy & Super (Dog) Mommy! ENJOY!!! :)
The Adventures of Yuppie Puppy & Super (Dog) Mommy
A specialty pet store?!
Salmon?! I don’t even eat salmon!
Beds made of recycled soda bottles?! For a dog?!
Dog parks that have secret codes to get in?!
Doggy daycare?!
WHO AM I?! What happened to the girl who wore cut off jeans from Goodwill & made tuna mac for dinner? I make fun of suburban moms with their pimp-my-ride, celebrity-crib strollers and organic baby food, toys, & clothes. Herds of women with strollers scare me, frankly!
I am the dog-owner equivalent! Much to my shock, amazement, and now acceptance.
I get up early and take Riley to the dog park. We walk around to the playground and visit with the young moms and their beautiful babies. I chat with the other dog moms and dads about doggy things--behavior, training, food choices, and funny things the dogs do. We all call each other “Fido’s mom/dad” because we don’t know each other’s name. But we know their dog’s names (& life history including health records). Or if there are multiple dogs or children, they are “Fido’s sister/brother”.
Riley & I go on adventures. This means I drive around and discover new neighborhoods while Riley hangs out the window or sleeps. He seems to really like this & it‘s not uncommon for me to keep driving as if he‘s a sleeping baby.
These trips usually end at the super-duper, organic, all-natural, holistic, hard-wood-floored, big-windowed pet store. I always go in for “just 1 thing”; but then there are new treats to try, funny toys to play with, and cute clothes to browse. Usually several dollars more than I intended later, Riley has new treats, a new toy, and a special Turkey Patty for the car. He expects these now!
Riley is Allergy Boy. He’s allergic to chicken, beef, pork, duck, lamb, turkey (we won’t talk about that turkey patty), eggs, wheat, soy, corn, and I’m sure preservatives of all kinds. He needs special food, special treats, hypoallergenic beds, free & clear detergent for bedding, and frequent bathing with special prescription anti-allergen-something-or-another shampoo.
In spite of these issues, Riley almost always gets a doggy treat (usually a veggie bone or doggy frozen yogurt) in the afternoon when I eat lunch--he gets a couple nibbles of this too). I packed a bone for him to have during “quiet time” at doggy daycare. I put his name and when to give it on the bag in Sharpie.
I forgot to give it to him, felt guilty, and gave it immediately when he got in the car at the end of the day.
Dinner is gourmet all-protein, no-grain fish & potato kibble. Said kibble is served in a Break-fast bowl so as to prevent bloat. I’ve added enzyme to his water to make his digestive and urinary systems happier. Once in a while, salmon dust (otherwise known as the end of the bag of freeze-dried, wild-caught salmon pieces that serve as training treats) get sprinkled over his kibble.
Riley loves training time because it means more treats! These treats are often salmon bits. The last box was Pumpkin & Quinoa Crunchies. He’ll do anything for food! He has learned the basic tricks like shake & roll over. He has also learned fun things like backing up, and nodding. This prevents boredom on both of our parts.
This dog has an immense amount of toys, and they are strewn far & wide! These toys are super safe, non-toxic, often all-natural and of course varied & fun. Wouldn’t want the lad to run out of choices!
I travel to pet stores far and wide, always in search of buffalo, venison, salmon or veggie treats & kibble. I seek out different dog parks and neighborhoods so that Riley & I don’t get bored.
I clip his toenails, trim the fur between his pads & whiskers on his face, clean his ears with special anti-whatever solution and brush his teeth. No groomer for him! He freaked out the first time, & I’ve never been back.
We go on road trips together. He’s been to my family’s 30-person Thanksgiving, my old haunts in western Mass, and several hotels. I wish I could bring Riley with me everywhere. I, of course, think he’s perfect and capable of going anywhere. No one agrees with me. But I don’t care.
I love every minute of spoiling my “Yuppie Puppy” speckled mutt & now understand all those super mommies. Right on, ladies!!
Visit Riley’s Dog Blog @ http://rileysdogblog.blogspot.com
© Lea H. Munley 2009
Back from Vermont
Everything about my trip to
The water levels in rivers are also insanely high, and all the rain has caused a lot of erosion of dams creating dangerous water conditions in many areas. My very first day of the trip I left Milly with her Polish Lowland Sheepdog (PONS) cousin Minka, her human aunt Amanda and human cousin Cecelia and went tubing with my boyfriend Bill and my brother Drew for a few hours. The river was insane! We hit many rapids, and in one spot Bill was actually stranded on debris in the river, with the cooler caught in rocks. The river was moving way too quickly for Drew and me to stop – we would grab onto low hanging branches that would 1) break off or 2) we’d get a hold of a large branch, only to have our tubes swept out from under us! It took us almost 30 minutes to get down stream to a safe beach to pull off on and wait for Bill. I use the word beach loosely as the place we pulled off on was actually someone’s yard, as their entire beach was submerged in 4’ of water! There were definitely moments where Drew and I were really worried that Bill would lose his tube in his efforts to get back on the river, and to make matters worse, the keys to both Bill and Drew’s cars were in our cooler, which was stranded along with Bill! Despite the rapid filled river and somewhat frightening water conditions, we were able to enjoy our tubing trip, and this is just proof to how relaxed and easy going Vermonters are. The rains have really caused a lot of problems for them, but the river was filled with locals (by filled I mean we passed three sets of people – so nothing like the “filled with tubers” my DC area readers can identify with from tubing excursions) and lots of smiles.
Minka has been great about sharing the house with new baby Cecelia!
If you have never been to
You can really see Milly's age in this photo, but she acted like a young puppy the entire trip! I think there is something very regal and wise about her expression in this shot.
We spent one day running errands in
I am sure I will fill you in on so much more about my trip, but with out further ado, here are some photos taken by Bill for you to enjoy!
Red barns are all over Greensboro, VT
We spent a large chunk of our time on Caspian Lake, here you can see the picturesque water, and the amazing horizon filled with wild-flower filled pastures.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Guest Blogger: Taming the Ankle Biter
Kate Devine and I have known each other for over a decade, and were even roommates the year after we graduated from our respective colleges. Kate has a tiny Chihuahua named Madeline who once was quite the ankle biter (I know first hand, as I lived with little Madeline and Kate for a year). I hope you enjoy this guest blogger post as much as I do. It is so important to train small toy breeds just as well as you would an extremely large breed. All too often people over look important training with toy breeds, because they can simply scoop up their dog and carry it when it misbehaves - this is one of my biggest pet peeves! Toy breeds in particular are very appealing to small children and toddlers because of their petite stature, and as a result it is just as important, if not more so, to have an exceptionally well-trained dog, with no-vices if you own a toy breed.
Taming the Ankle Biter
-Little Miss Madi
We’ve all heard the term “ankle biter,” and I’m sure we all have a pretty good image in our minds of what an ankle biter might look like—a tiny, possibly fluffy, and deceivingly cute little dog. They look so sweet until the yapping and snapping starts. So why are so many tiny dogs ankle biters? And is it possible to have a sweet tiny dog; even a tiny dog who, heavens, LIKES children? The answer is… YES!
Meet Madeline:
4 ½ lbs, tan, tiny, adorably alien looking, and incredibly loving, even with tiny kids
How did a Chihuahua, a breed notorious for cranky bad behavior, turn out so sweet and patient?
The art of socializing a teeny pooch:
Pulling from some psychological attachment theory originally developed to postulate human attachment, I decided when I got this insanely tiny dog two years ago (barely 2 lbs at 10 weeks) to attempt to socialize her as best I could in hopes of her one day becoming a children’s therapy dog for my future psychology practice (or at least in hopes of her being social and safe).
A little quick psych lesson:
Mary Ainsworth, a well-known attachment theorist in the psychology community, theorized that there are three types of attachment: Secure, Ambivalent-Insecure, and Avoidant-Insecure. She tested her theory in her famous experiment entitled “The Strange Situation” in the 1970s (definitely Google worthy if you have some free time). Overall she found that kids with secure attachment are rarely distressed when their parents leave because they are sure their parents will eventually return. They feel sure that they can seek comfort, reassurance and safety with their parents, leading them to feel more comfortable in strange situations. Ambivalent kids are very upset when their parents leave and generally feel like they can’t depend on their parents to be there when they need them for safety, reassurance, etc. Avoidant kids tend to avoid their parents altogether, which could be the result of a lack of care and possibly even a sense of punishment when they seek help or reassurance.
Who’s to say dogs don’t feel this way too? We’ve all seen pets that freak out when their caregiver leaves, who become overwhelmingly excited when their caregiver returns, or who frankly couldn’t care less if their caregiver disappeared. We’ve all also seen pets who are happy to make friends with people and other animals, and who gladly return to their owner when called. We also know that scared dogs are dangerous dogs.
Now I’m sure there are human and animal exceptions to this theory, but it’s worth a shot, right? So my aim was to have a securely attached and happy little Chihuahua who breaks the stereotype of the traditional tiny ankle biter. The day I got her I put her in her car carrier and took her to my mom’s office, letting every employee hold her and play with her. When I got her home I took her to coffee shops and tied her to my chair, letting everyone who wanted to, even tiny toddlers, come up and pet her, pull her ears and her tail (not violently though, and always under my watchful eye). I introduced her to all sizes of dogs, and she actually grew up with a very sweet-tempered golden retriever approximately 40 times her size. She got to play by herself during the day when I wasn’t home, but got to sleep right next to my bed at night, and then in my bed with me when she was “big” enough and not quite so fragile. She walked on a leash instead of being carried everywhere and generally learned to fend for herself, but also learned that mommy would come to her rescue if her giant buddy got too rough or if she got scared.
The results of this socializing were clear last Thanksgiving when my cousin’s 18 month old son immediately grabbed her leash and dragged her around the house and yard all day (which worked surprisingly well to teach her to follow her leash-holder). Not only did she follow that toddler everywhere, allowing him to tug her leash, her tail, and her ears, she would jump up and lick his little face every time he fell down. The final proof came when, at the end of the day, exhausted and napping in her car carrier, the toddler decided it was time to play again and. With no adults within an arm’s reach, but with all of us watching in shock, the toddler reached into Madi’s carrier, grabbed her by her nose, and pulled her out of her lovely sleep and safe haven. I think even I might have snapped at that point, but Little Miss Madi peeped open her adorably gigantic eyes, yawned, and licked that little boy’s hands, letting the games begin again.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Guest Blogger: Bissell Revolution Lift-Off Pet Hair Vacuum
Enjoy this wonderful guest blogger post by Anndy, and perhaps you too will want this vacuum! I know with all of Milly's hair in our house I'm dying to get one of these! Great product review!!! :)
Bissell Revolution Lift-Off Pet Hair Vacuum
One of the many joys of getting married is making a list of presents for people to give you. This does seem incredibly self centered, but I have to say it’s really nice when you are on the receiving end of it. My absolute favorite item on our Lowes gift registry was a Bissell Revolution Lift-Off Pet Hair Vacuum. With two big dogs (an Australian cattle dog and a black lab mix) living in a very small house, the pet hair adds up dramatically in a short amount of time. I had never been able to afford a nice vacuum to deal with all of the hair accumulation so I was really happy when my husband’s fellow teachers all chipped in and bought us our vacuum. This product is amazing.
We are currently living in a rental house with wall to wall carpeting. I am not a fan of carpet. I much prefer hard wood floors with a few throw rugs on top. I also really hated vacuuming with a bad model because it just took so long, even in our tiny house. Since we got the Bissell, I must say that my attitude towards vacuuming has definitely changed! Vacuuming takes half the time it used to. The brush feature of the vacuum gets up every bit of hair. Our cattle dog has fairly long hair and the lab mix has short hair and all if it gets vacuumed up. Every time I vacuum, the hair and dust builds up in the container (which either means my house is truly disgusting most of the time or the vacuum really works…or maybe both!) It’s so easy to clean out. The canister that catches the hair and dirt just lifts out and you can dump it in the trash. No bags are necessary. There is a light on the body of the machine that lights up when the filter needs to be cleaned. I haven’t had this happen yet and the vacuum has been used quite a bit.
The only probably I have with the vacuums is that long hair (which I have and I almost shed as badly as the dogs do) and string or whatever else is on the floor gets wrapped around the rotating brush of the vacuum. I don’t think there is anything that can be done about this though, and it is easy to clean out. I have also heard some bad things about Bissells. Some friends of mine have said that they don’t last very long. Since we’ve only had ours a couple of months, I can’t comment on that personally. I do think that this vacuum is great and I highly recommend it to anyone with pets, long or short haired.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Guest Blogger: Rachel & Hershey
I wanted to share a guest blogger post written by my dear friend Rachel. She was one of my very first blog followers, and it is so much fun having a local friend with a retriever too! I've dog sat Hershey, and she is just an amazing, spunky, dog that is still in that seems like forever Labrador puppy stage! I hope you enjoy reading her post!
I was asked to guest blog and I didn’t know exactly what to write about. I have learned so much from reading all of the posts and knew that I wouldn’t be able to provide such an informative, helpful post. Instead, I am going to share with you my dog, Hershey, and what I have taken away from the blog to help with Hershey.
First, let me introduce you to my pride and joy, Hershey! Hershey will be one years old on August 20th. I first met Hershey while I was visiting my family in Idaho for Thanksgiving last year. My cousin had bought her for $50 outside of a grocery store, so we don’t know too much about her. Obviously she has some Lab in her and we are guessing she is part German Short-Haired Pointer as well. I loved her instantly and my cousin said I could have her if I wanted. After a brief discussion with Dave, I agreed to take her and arrangements were made to have her flown out to Maryland the day after we moved into our new house, December 31st, 2008. I have been working on training her since we got her and will go over our progress to date.
Luckily for us, Hershey was practically housebroken and only needed some reinforcement to end that stage of puppyhood. Additionally, she knew to sit when told. I have her now trained to sit when I snap. To train her for this, every time I told her to sit I would snap my left hand and raise it slightly. She will now sit whenever I snap; ultimately I want to get her to sit when I just raise my left hand up. Occasionally I still need to verbally tell her to sit, but I highly recommend training your dog non-verbal commands. It was very easy for me to do and she picked up on it rather quickly.
Since her previous home was in the country, she was HORRIBLE on a leash. She just didn’t get it at all. We started off with retractable leash, a body harness, and a typical lead. We found that the harness resulted in less pulling. I think Hershey felt we had more control over her (which we did) and that resulted in less pulling. Key word is less. She still pulled quite a bit. After reading Lydia’s post on training your dog to walk properly, I decided to stop using the retractable leash and the harness. I took Hershey out for a walk on the lead and when she started to pull I used the “Lose it” method. I immediately yelled “no pull!” and lightly slapped the leash on her back. This may seem extreme, but it got her attention. After doing that a few times, she stopped pulling whenever I said “no pull!” Because I believe in positive reinforcement as well, whenever she was walking next to me and not pulling I would tell her what a good girl she was being and pet her occasionally. We had a few more walks where I was constantly saying “no pull” but it eventually sank in and we can now walk without pulling. Occasionally I still need to remind her with the “no pull” command, but things are MUCH better than before. We still have the occasional pulling when she spots something to chase, but she is learning that chasing is for when she is at the park and not on the leash.
Speaking of chasing and the park, Hershey has a lot of energy. Though we have a yard and she is not crated during the day, she still needs to go to the park to run and get some energy out. Annapolis has an excellent dog park at Quiet Waters. In addition to the fenced dog park, it has a dog beach for them to swim, but the beach area is not fenced in. This park has a $5 daily admission fee or a yearly pass for $30. We go there a few times a week and love it. For the days I don’t feel like driving there, I take Hershey for a run or go to the school down the street. We are so fortunate the Annapolis is such a dog friendly town!
Chewing. Puppies love to chew. Especially Labs. From day one I knew that this may be a huge issue for us. I didn’t want to set Hershey up for failure, so I purchased a lot of toys and continue to purchase new ones frequently. I figured if she had things of her own, with a little reinforcement, she would leave our stuff alone. Though there have been some instances where she has chewed our stuff, I stand behind this method. Hershey LOVES her toys. We have an excessive amount I am sure (well over 30), but she loves them and plays with them daily. Without them I think we would have had a lot more damage done to our stuff and the house. We have not had a problem with her chewing the wrong thing in the last couple of months and I am hoping we have conquered this (knock on wood). When she did chew something she shouldn’t have, I would show it to her, lightly tap her butt and yell, “No!! Bad girl!!!” Most time she would walk/run away and then crawl over to me and want to sit in my lap and give kisses to apologize. It didn’t take her long to learn the word “bad” and I can now apply it to other situations besides chewing with no physical correction.
A few days ago I decided it was time to teach Hershey to lay down on command. My verbal command for this is “down” and I move my right hand down towards the floor. To begin the training, I did my combo command and had to physically make her lay on the floor. Once she was down I repeated “down” and praised her. After three or four times of that, she got the point and would lay down on command. I plan on working on this every evening for 30 minutes for the next few weeks until she really gets it. I eventually want her to lay down when I lower my right hand, so this will take a lot of time.
We are very fortunate that Hershey aims to please us and has trained pretty easily. She is truly a joy to be around and I can’t imagine not having her. She loves to play and be active, but yet other times she is content to cuddle up with us on the couch or bed. Since she is such a lovable, fun dog and loves to get out of the house and meet other dogs and people, we are going to join the Pets on Wheels Volunteer Program in Annapolis. After I attend orientation in September, we will visit residents in long-term care facilities or the hospital. I cannot wait to start that with her. Not only will we be giving back to the community, but I think Hershey will enjoy it as well.
I cannot end this post without mentioning the Furminator. I absolutely LOVE this grooming tool and am so grateful that Lydia posted about it. Hershey’s coat isn’t too thick and she doesn’t shed that much, but this brush has definitely helped with what she did have. She did not love being brushed at first, so we started slowly and gave lot so praise and some treats. Though she doesn’t love it yet, she will let me brush her without running away. I have passed along the Furminator tip to others as well who find it amazing. If you missed her post on it, click here. I highly recommend it as well!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Greetings from Vermont!
As I've briefly mentioned in the past Milly does not like swimming (or did not) and is very hesitant about getting in the water. We are lucky enough to have a sand bar on our beach at the lake up here, and Milly was able to walk out for quite a ways, actually it was more like a hopping, splashing run, and actually ended up swimming! She swam for the first time yesterday, only about five feet before she turned around for shallow water, but today she went out about 20 feet, and really seemed to enjoy herself! Lots of treats and coaxing got her in the water initially, but after that I just let her do what she wanted, when she wanted, and she started swimming! I was thrilled! She still is unsure about just walking right into the lake near our boat house (it gets deeper quicker there), but she really seems to enjoy the security of going in off of the sandbar, and I'm more than happy to let her have that sense of security. It has been really neat to watch Lucy (she is almost one year) gain confidence about water after seeing Milly gain her own confidence regarding the lake. Lucy is now wading up to her belly, a big feat for her!
On a sad note, I took Milly to the vet on Friday for her semi-annual exam. About 7 months ago I learned Milly had a few (minimal) crystals in her urine, but the vet assured me this was probably nothing and we should wait and re-test at her next exam. Well, I got the call on Saturday that Milly's latest urinalysis shows an increase in crystals, and she now has moderate urine crystals. I was pretty upset, to say the least. The vet explained there isn't much beyond diet change we can do for this right now, and she is hesitant to change Milly's diet because of all of the skin allergies Milly has had. Just when we finally get the right food combination and this happens. I am in contact with an animal nutritionist, and hopefully she will have some ideas. In the meantime, I am continuing to force/bribe Milly to drink as much water as possible. Milly hates drinking when I am not home, and even when I am home she wants me to sit with her while she drinks. I am now adding her food to almost an entire bowl of water, and sit on the floor and hold the water bowl for Milly an addition three times a day. I'm hoping this will up her intake of water, and perhaps this will help.
As you all know I am slowly hunting for THE PUPPY to be my first show dog. I am hooked on Golden Retrievers, and the process of finding the right breeder has been long and slow. I found an amazing litter, and was offered a male, but turned it down because I really wanted a female. I found another litter, sired by an amazing dog, and I've seen an amazing dog from the same breeding, but decided to wait for a breeding with fewer outcrosses on the bitch's side. Now I am really regretting this decision. I told the breeder two days ago I was going to pass on a female from this litter, but I really want to e-mail her and say I changed my mind. I know down the road some people might turn up their noses at this dog's pedigree, but having seen a puppy from the first mating, and really trusting this breeder, I am starting to think I made a big, big, big mistake. My boyfriend really does not want me to get another dog, but I am dying to start showing, and I think I will just have to follow my gut. I'm going to reflect on my decision for the next few days, and talk to my parents about it a bit more, and then decide if I should e-mail the breeder when I return from vacation. There is a big chance all puppies will be spoken for by then, but I really am regretting passing this one up. On a happy note, I have found an incredible mentor of sorts in a woman from Michigan that I met through the Golden Retriever Forum. She has really helped guide me down the right path in finding my future puppy, and I am incredibly grateful for her insight as she has guided me away from some novice mistakes I was close to making.
I want to publicly thank all of my guest bloggers for their posts. I have a few more guest blogger posts to post in the next week or two, and I am sure you will all really enjoy them! If you e-mailed me a post and haven't seen it published yet, please be patient. I have a very slow internet connection and some of the guest bloggers e-mailed me some GREAT photos! I'd hate to publish these posts without the photos, but with the slow internet connection I'm having trouble posting more than one or two photos at a time!
Well, time for me to get back to vacation! There are three Golden Retrievers across the street that Milly is telling me she wants to go play with, and afterall, this is her vacation too!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Guest blogger: “Pet” Peeves
I am thrilled to share with you this guest blogger post by my dear friend Anndy. Anndy and I grew up riding horses together, and both have a love of all things furry and four-legged! We both have a tendency to rescue dogs, and love to consult each other about new products, training methods, or dog-owner etiquette. I'm sure many of you can relate to some of her pet peeves... I know I certainly can!!!
“Pet” Peeves
I grew up on a farm with a herd of dogs running wild and free through my parent’s acreage and the surrounding woods. Moving away from the farm was an eye opening experience for me since I now had to leash my dogs for walks and use a pooper scooper. However, I always always keep my dogs on leashes because I have had several run-ins with dogs that aren’t leashed. I have an Australian cattle dog, Barlee. Any of you that have ever owned a cattle dog know that they are a different kind of breed. I wouldn’t say Barlee is mean (but as her mother, I may be a little biased!) but she is super protective of me, of my husband and of our other dog, Crunch. She doesn’t like strange people and she really doesn’t like strange dogs. Several people in my neighborhood let their dogs roam free, and they, of course, like to run over to say hello to Barlee while I am out walking her. I have even had people yell to me, “It’s ok! He just wants to play.” Be that as it may, my dog does NOT want to play. My dog wants to bite your dog’s face off because it is getting too close to me. I literally have to stand in between Barlee and the strange dog to keep anything from actually happening, which is probably one of the most dangerous places to be when it comes to dogs…especially when I’m on the other end of the leash of a 45 pound overprotective, determined whirling dervish. But the fact is, if anything were to happen between the two dogs, it would be my dog’s fault because she is the aggressor. Even though she is properly leashed, I would get saddled with vet bill’s and maybe even a lawsuit. One time I had a mildly ferocious poodle come charging at us and the owner literally took 15 minutes to come outside and get her dog. I was screaming at her from the sidewalk, but she just didn’t think it was important.
Unfortunately, I have seen worse things happen when people leave their dogs unleashed in city areas. When I was still in college, I was walking my basset hound, Guernsey, who was the absolute sweetest dog. A guy saw me coming and yelled to his roommate or girlfriend that they had to come see this cute dog. He opened the door to his house to let his dog out to visit with my dog…and the dog ran straight into the path of an oncoming car. The owner was upset, of course, but I’m not sure what he thought would happen. If a dog sees another dog, the first thing they want to do is run to it and say hi. The dog seemed to be ok when I left the scene, but the situation was entirely the owner’s fault. He also screamed at the driver of the car, which was unnecessary considering there was nothing the driver could do.
I know many people trust their dogs not to run off if they are left loose. I am certainly one of them. I love to let my dogs off their leash in a big open area, far away from roads, people or other dogs. Even if my dogs do take off, they will be back in a few minutes. However, letting your dog loose in a city area is so dangerous. There are many unforeseen factors like neighborhood cats or wild rabbits that will catch your dog’s attention, and they can be in the street in front of a car in a matter of seconds. For the safety of your beloved pet, please always keep them leashed. And remember, not all dogs necessarily like to visit with others so always ask before letting your dog make new friends.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Guest blogger!
When you cry from the Pet Smart ad on TV, because the golden featured in it looks just like your dog, you know you truly loved your dog. You know that you were a caring owner who would have done anything to make your best friend comfortable, happy, and healthy. When you are walking on the beach with your Dad while on vacation, and a golden runs up to you instead of its owner, you know it is because that dog knows you love goldens.
Lady was the only thing I ever threw a temper tantrum for when I was younger. My father had never allowed us to have a dog, only cats and horses as pets. His argument was that he had loved his dog, Lord Canterbury (an Old English sheepdog), too much to bear another dog possibly dying in his lifetime. So, for my birthday one year, I asked for a dog. Nothing else. Not even a new dress. I only wanted a dog.
So, when August came along, my parents drove my brother and me to Blacksburg. My Mom helped me pick Lady out. She was the runt of the litter, born from a beautiful tawny red mother and a palomino-blonde father. Both were AKC show dogs, healthy and happy. Lady had long eyelashes and this unmistakable grin, even as an 8-week old.
She was a big jumper in the beginning. But she could already play fetch like a pro. My Dad taught me how to play lacrosse when I was young, so when I was outside exercising Lady I would throw a lacrosse ball and she would fetch it. She learned so fast how to catch balls in the air and how to retrieve balls when they were buried in the sand, mud, or snow. I think autumn was the hardest for her, as we lived on a small horse farm and had several mature maple trees around the yard – and the lacrosse balls we bought were always orange or yellow… not in her favor! But my favorite thing is when she would lose a ball and then find it ten months later buried under a foot of dirt – it was like she had remembered where it was after all that time.
Around the age of 8 or 9, she started to become more lethargic, less active. She would still play lacrosse with us, but she did not enjoy taking walks as much as she used to. She would love to be in dark corners, the woods, or would run away to be alone. When we took her to the vet, they said she had a tumor on her belly, so we of course had her operated on… Two years later, another tumor and another surgery… This June, she was worse than ever. She had just turned 13, and she would not even get up to play lacrosse. It was sudden, shocking, and devastating. She was the light of my Dad’s life, who had taken to her a great deal after I left for boarding school and then college. When he called me to tell me the bad news, that she had a spleen tumor, he cried. I came home and spent 3 days with her. Spending hours brushing her hair and begging and pleading for her to even just pick up her ball that I rolled to her. She refused to drink water, so I would have to soak her beloved dog biscuits in water to get even some moisture on her. She loved for me to massage her limbs and brush her, and I was more than happy to make my pretty girl comfortable.
When I left to go to work on July 13, 2009, it was time to say goodbye. She actually was up and walking around with my Dad, and I wrapped my arms around her neck and smelled her unmistakable scent: sunshine, wet grass, and mulch. I convinced myself to not bawl in front of her as I had done it already a dozen times. I did sniffle a bit as I told her I loved her and I would never ever forget everything she did for me. She gave me her grin, and licked the tip of my nose. And that was it. Lovely Lady of Lexington was put down on July 14, 2009. My best friend, my most loyal friend, is gone from my life. Even now, almost three weeks later, my tears well up a bit when I think about future holidays and visits home without her greeting me at the door. She was an incredibly beautiful and loving golden for over 13 years.
Here is my lesson from this story: always watch for developments on your dog’s frame. Lady’s spleen tumor grew and developed almost overnight - you have to really be super-conscious of your dog’s behavior to catch anything fast enough. Spleen tumors are actually pretty common in golden retrievers, so be aware of them when they even just slightly limp. If you do not have the time to exercise your dog enough to notice a moderate change in her behavior in one day then find someone who can exercise your dog for you while you are at work. If my parents had not gotten her up to play as they did like clockwork three times daily, we would have had a much more difficult situation to handle. We could not have done anything even if we had wanted to, but at least we loved her enough to prevent her from suffering.