The Meet and Greet

For whatever reason, all of the dog owners that live in my complex think that their dogs have a right to walk over and 'meet' and maybe even play with any other dog who may be outside at the same time.  I encounter this almost every day with a smallish terrier named Sophie.
Back in August, with a new puppy and a dog recovering from major surgery, neither one could meet dogs when we moved here.  I could not believe how many people would come walking over with their crazy, unstable, out of control dogs to 'meet' either my not completely vaccinnated puppy or my dog holding one leg off the ground!  Are you people stupid?  As soon as they'd get into earshot I'd yell out to them, "I'd rather they didn't meet!"  Well, apparently 'rather' wasn't a stong enough word on some occaisions, as I then had to follow with, "KEEP YOUR DOG BACK!!!" when they kept walking directly at us. 
Once I was walking Bentley and a guy comes up with a Chihuahua and says, "Oh, look at that sweet puppy!  Here, Lena, say hi to the puppy!"  I said, "I'd rather they didn't meet, he doesn't have all of his vaccinations."  And I picked Bentley up as HE KEPT COMING AT US WITH HIS RATTY LITTLE DOG!  I was talking to the property manager, holding a squirming 18lb pup and couldn't believe my eyes when the guy picked up his Chihuahua and attempted to put her NOSE TO NOSE with Bentley.  Then he told me that the dog was just submissive.  I could tell it was a fear biter.  She was pulling her lips back as he was coming closer.  I left. 
Now when people say their dogs have all their vaccinations, they are probably lying.  Most owners just get rabies done, or just get what their vets recommend, and that may leave a couple.  The really bad ones take it upon themselves to buy their own vaccines and vaccinate their own dogs themselves.  TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE 95% OF THE TIME!  Only licenses vets or techs have the knowledge to do that!
Sophie has issues, to say the least.  Her first time 'meeting' Bentley she growled at him, bit him, and tried scratching his eyes out.  All of that happened in less than half a second before I could tear him from her.  I felt so bad.  Ever since then we are wary of Sophie.  The other night walking we passed Sophie and her owner.  Sophie's owner just assumed that my dogs wanted to play with Sophie.  Wtf? Well, Lady'd never met Sophie and needless to say was completely overwhelmed by all of the biting and growling and high unstable energy.  Lady had a look on her face I'd never seen before.  All of her body language said she was about to lose it on this dog.  I said, "You need to move Sophie, Lady is going to do something."  The owner did nothing.  I said to Chris, who had Lady's leash to get her out of there.  It pissed me off that the stupid owner couldn't read her or my dog's body language.  Or didn't do as I asked to keep her own dog safe.  Lady was going to bite her because she was totally ignoring all of the formalities that dogs go through when they properly meet.
On the way back I witnessed a dog yank her leash out of her owners hand while 'playing' with another dog onleash.  Then there's the girl who just lets her dog offleash whenever she sees a dog coming so they can 'play' without getting tangled at all.  She's been fined for having her dog offleash multiple times, but she does it every day anyway.
In puppy class we covered socialization.  No growling, biting, humping, jumping, or ganging up on a puppy.  They were all onleash and if any of those things happened they were removed from the circle until they quieted down.  And even so they only got to 'meet' another puppy for a maximum of 3 seconds.  Give them much longer and they're going to start something at that age.
Now I'm not saying make your dogs antisocial, but beware of other people and their dogs.  Most of them are uneducated and have no idea what they are doing.  If you don't want your dog to meet every single dog out there with heartworms, worms, and God knows what else, you don't have to. 

Halleluia!

So I've been living in this complex for about six months and the weirdest thing happens.  No one picks up their dog crap.  Now, I've always had a sneaking suspicion that it was due to the fact that for some reason even though the complex has nice posts with bag dispensers and trash receptacles, there are no bags in the dispenser.  Haven't been for six months at least.  And so no one picks up the crap because they say, "Hey, if the city requires me to pick it up but the complex doesn't supply me with a means to pick it up, why should I?  They're the ones who need to make the first move."
Now, I totally disagree with this.  I think that if you own a dog and live in the city, getting doggie bags is your responsibility.  You got the dog.  You live in the city.  You should be responsible and pick up the crap.
So now that there are bags, we'll see if there is a decline in 'land mines' in the field.  I personally went out tonight and picked up four bags of other dogs' crap that we've been dodging for months.  Not that I'm okay with picking it up, but at least I don't have to waste my own bags on it.

Herpes or Bentley?

So today Bentley gave me a fat lip.
The last thing I do at night is put Lady to bed.
The first thing I do when I wake up is let Bentley out of the crate and feed him.
Well, last night Lady left a toy out that Bentley's not supposed to have.  A 'puppy' Kong that he likes to try to eat through instead of strategically maneuver it to get the tasty treats.  So this morning as I stumbled around trying to get his food ready, half asleep, the first thing he did was go for the Kong.  I came up behind him and reached from above to grab it before he could destroy it any more. 
Apparently, this startled him beyond belief.  He reared his head back and caught me square in the mouth.  I thought at first that he'd knocked a few teeth out!  Luckily, no, just split my lip pretty good.
I tried to hide it as best I could, but when I got to class I was sure someone would say something, ask how it happened, or whatever.  Well, no one asked.  All day.  So I assumed it wasn't as bad as I thought it was.  Not even during my meeting with an academic advisor did he say anything about it.  Even though I couldn't really close my lips or smile completely. 
Tonight at rehearsal I apologized to the student director 'about my lip.'  I was told that she just thought it was herpes and the other actor agreed.  I felt so embarrassed.  So everyone thought I had this huge nasty infected cold sore that was deforming my lip all day!  I guarantee you, it is not.  I'll admit it looks pretty gross, but it is definitely not herpes.
It probably doesn't help that my stress has kicked in, along with a crappy immune system, and a skin condition, pityriasis rosea has flared up.  It looks like ringworm, but its not, it's just a rash.  Unfortunately it is creeping up my chest to my neck and looks like hickeys all over my neck.  It's not.  Its just a rash.  But this probably added to the whole herpes thing.
So, just to let everyone know, it's not herpes, it was Bentley.  And it's not hickeys, it's just stress! 

Opening Day

Today as Chris and I stepped out with the Labbies for their evening walk, they were sporting something that got us a few weird looks....
You see, I live 'up north' where we get school off for opening day.  You don't walk in the woods without orange on for months.  People take it seriously.
So tonight, since it is Opening Day, I put a hunter orange vest and bandana on Lady and Bentley, respectively.
You shoulda seen the looks we got!  People stared, laughed, giggled.  "Stupid Rednecks" I could just hear them saying.
Yes, I realize I live in an 'urban' area.  And that we walk in the suburbs.  And that most people in the city don't hunt.  But it's habit.  Its safety. 
No, I'm not worried that we're going to get shot on Broomfield.  But I do worry that if (God forbid) one of them got away from us and ran into the woods, that they would have orange on and not get shot, since they happen to be a lovely shade of fawn.
So if you see me walking with two labs with hunter orange on, don't judge me.  I'm a dog lover, damnit.

Positive Reinforcement

**If you've been one of my actors, please don't read too much into this!  It really is a good thing in this case!

I treat my actors like dogs.  I'm in the second directing scene for my class and I'm working with my second set of actors.  In class we started talking about what we'd learned about ourselves as directors.  I said that I learned that I was a very positive director.  The professor said he called that style the 'cheerleader.'  In rehearsal I started thinking about this, and I realized that I was using positive reinforcement dog training techniques on my actors, and it was working!!!

For Lady and Bentley I use positive reinforcement.  This means that I reward them for good behavior and ignore bad behavior.  It is also a very simple form of trianing for things like 'sit' 'down' and basic obedience commands.  I taught Lady how to 'bow' using this method and all her other tricks.  Simply, whenever she was sitting, I'd say "Good Sit!" without having commanded her to do it.  She learned to tie the word 'sit' with the action of sitting.

In rehearsals I've been pointing out all of the good things that my actors have been doing, and unless there is something I want to change, I don't point out anything negative.  I love my actors and thank them for doing this scene for me voluntarily!  Thank you so much, and I hope we rock it on Tuesday!

Woof?

Bentley:
Grrr grrr grrr!  Woof! Woof!
Grr grr grr, ruff.  Woof woof, grr grr grr.
Grr woof, woof.  Ruff ruff, grr, woof?
Grr, grr ruff, woof, grr.
Woof!  Grr. Ruff!!

Translation:
Hello everyone!  I'm excited to meet you!  I love toys!
There is a big squirrel outside.  It wants to fight.  I like barking at it.
Do you ever find yourself distracted by big squirrels outside?
Oh, well.  It's nice just to bark at it sometimes.
Goodbye, goodnight, Ruff!!

Fun Facts

Ancient Egyptians revered their dogs. When a pet dog would die, the owners shaved off their eyebrows, smeared mud in their hair, and mourned aloud for days.

A dog’s shoulder blades are unattached to the rest of the skeleton to allow greater flexibility for running.

The shape of a dog’s face suggests how long it will live. Dogs with sharp, pointed faces that look more like wolves typically live longer. Dogs with very flat faces, such as bulldogs, often have shorter lives.

The most popular male dog names are Max and Jake. The most popular female dog names are Maggie and Molly.

In Iran, it is against the law to own a dog as a pet. However, if an owner can prove the dog is a guard or hunting dog, this restriction doesn’t apply. Muslim reticence concerning dogs is perhaps due to the fact that rabies has always been endemic in the Middle East.

Dachshunds were bred to fight badgers in their dens.

Laiki, a Russian stray, was the first living mammal to orbit the Earth, in the Soviet Sputnik spacecraft in 1957. Though she died in space, her daughter Pushnika had four puppies with President John F. Kennedy’s terrier, Charlie.

One of Shakespeare’s most mischievous characters is Crab, the dog belonging to Launce in the Two Gentlemen of Verona. The word “watchdog” is first found in The Tempest.

Eighteen muscles or more can move a dog’s ear.

The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world. France has the second highest.

Petting dogs is proven to lower blood pressure of dog owners.

Dogs have lived with humans for over 14,000 years. Cats have lived with people for only 7,000 years.

Zorba, an English mastiff, is the biggest dog ever recorded. He weighed 343 pounds and measured 8' 3" from his nose to his tail.

The most popular dog breed in Canada, U.S., and Great Britain is the Labrador retriever.

The oldest dog on record was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey who lived 29 years and 5 months. In human years, that is more than 160 years old.

Some dogs can smell dead bodies under water, where termites are hiding, and natural gas buried under 40 feet of dirt. They can even detect cancer that is too small to be detected by a doctor and can find lung cancer by sniffing a person’s breath.

The Beagle came into prominence in the 1300s and 1400s during the days of King Henry VII of England. Elizabeth I was fond of Pocket Beagles, which were only 9" high.

The grief suffered after a pet dog dies can be the same as that experienced after the death of a person.

One survey reports that 33 percent of dog owners admit they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages on answering machines while they are away.

For more fun facts, go to http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/02/15_dogs.html

Silly Labbies

So Bentley's got this thing.
He likes to carry sticks in his mouth on walks.  He'll find a stick at the beginning of the walk, and will carry it for most of the walk, or until he finds a better one.
This is a good sign, not to mention adorable!
This means that he is looking for a job.
This means that he should take to therapy work like a lab to water!
He's getting great at his walks and 'sit'.  We've got a good basis in everything else thanks to puppy class.
I'm excited for his firsts.  First Halloween, first snow, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas!

Lady, as far as I'm concerned, is a therapy dog.  My therapy dog. 
She's perfect just the way she is!

My Dogs Are My Life

When it comes down to it, there are choices I make that I base on my dogs.  And every decision is worth it.  The choice to get Lady.  The choice to get Squeak.  The choice to let Squeak's suffering end.  Adopting Ruby.  Letting go of Ruby's memory when she died an untimely death.  Adding Bentley.  Having Lady's surgery done.  Going to obedience class with Bentley.
I'm a full time student pulling 15 credits with a part time job.  I am in a relationship and I have two dogs, 5 months and 7 years.  Someday I'll look back and say: what was I thinking?  or how did I make that work?
What you love, you make time for.
Bentley is going to be a Therapy Dog someday soon.  Hopefully in June or so.  I've planned my spring semester to fit those classes in two nights a week.  This will pay off, though.  Bentley is the dog that I will have when I (hopefully) have kids.  He's going to be the one there if my parents have to go in the hospital.  He's going to be there for me.
Squeak was my little girl.  I originally got her for my dad, but once it was clear he wanted no part of her, she became mine.  I was her safety.  I was her love.  I was her reason for living.  Having to say goodbye to her was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life.  And will be until I have to do the same with Lady or Bentley or anyone else I love in my life.
Lady started it all, though.  I spent 12 years begging for a puppy every birthday and Christmas before my dad relented.  She started it all.  She is my constant.  My companion.  My friend.  My teacher.
I love my dogs.  My dogs are my life.

Every Day is Friday

To dogs, every day is Friday.
No, take that back, every day is Christmas.
Each tree is the best tree with the best smells.
Everything to eat is something good to eat.
All pettings are good pettings.
All naps are the BEST NAPS EVER!
All love is welcomed.
With dogs, there is no rejection, no judgement, no "you shouldn't really eat all of that ice cream."
Dogs are the only things that love us more than we do.
My dogs know when I'm having a crappy day. 
When I cry, they do funny stuff to make me laugh.
When I'm sick, they curl up with me.
When I'm cold, they heat me.
When I'm warm, they heat me anyway.
I love my dogs.  My dogs love me.
May I always strive to be the person my dogs think I am.

Dogs are Procrastination Tools

I am a huge procrastinator.

Unfortunately, my dogs give me lots to do while I'm procrastinating.
Well, they could use a walk......
Well, they would like it if I threw the tennis ball a few times....
Well, maybe a few hundred more.....
Lady and Bentley do need their nails trimmed, and their feet trimmed, and brushed, and bathed, and blow dried, and their teeth cleaned, and their ears cleaned, and some massage, and they need homemade treats.......
Oh, what's this?  My directing scene goes up in less than two weeks?  I should really work on that.....

Or I could pet Lady since her head is nudging my hand away from the mouse.....

Dog Lovers Unite!

If you rely on your dog for happiness in your life, unite!
If you talk to your dog like it is a person, unite!
If you sleep with your dog, unite!
If you use your dog as a heater or vaccuum cleaner, unite!

Dog lovers unite!

If you can't stand it when other people don't pick up their dog's poop, unite!
If you hate it when other dogs are off leash in an area where there is a leash law, unite!
If you can't stand irresponsible dog owners that use flexi leads, unite!

Dog lovers unite!

Yes, it does bother us more than people who don't like dogs when we see other owners being irresponsible or not following the rules.  It gives us all a bad rap!  Here's to furthering education on responsible dog ownership!

Mount Pleasant City Ordinance requires:
a. dogs to be licensed
b. removal of excrement on private and public properties
c. rabies vaccinations
d. only three dogs and/or cats are allowed in any residence in the city
e. dogs may run loose in fenced yards, otherwise they MUST be leashed at all times
f. dogs that run or bark at pedestrians or vehicles, destroy property, or bites any human being are unlawful
g. dog walkers are REQUIRED to carry "devices for IMMEDIATE clean-up of animal waste"
The penalties for failure to follow any of the above is as follows:
First Violation: $20
Second Violation: $100
Third Violation: $250
And $250 for every violation after that.
LEASH YOUR DOGS, PEOPLE!

Za Good Boy?

Who's a good boy?  Huh?  Who's a good boy?  Za good boy?  Bentley is!
This is the most common thing that I say to Bentley.
Who's a good girl?  Huh?  Who's a good girl?  Za good girl? Lady is!
This is the most common thing I say to Lady.

Whenever Bentley is sleeping, "He's a tired Gus!"  His name isn't Gus.  We just call him that when he's sleeping. 
Whenever Lady is sleeping, "Za tired girl?  Oh, goodness!"
And whenever either one of them stretches they do what we call "Big Stretchers."

Bentley!  Bud!  Bentlers! 
Lady!  Lady Lou!  Lady Annie! Ladybug!

My dogs have a huge vocabulary.  And they understand every word I say.

Dog Mom

Some dog owners refer to themselves as 'masters.'  I refer to myself as a 'dog mom.'  I do not have fur babies, but my dogs are my kids right now.  I don't believe in dressing dogs, except for the purpose of warmth.  I do like bandanas, but as far as pajamas, booties, and tutus go, no way.  It is an animal, and probably does not appreciate the extra layers.  Pretty collars?  Fine!  Nail polish?  As long as it's pet safe!  But skirts?  Shirts?  No way.
Squeak had a sweater.  She didn't have any undercoat to her fur and got cold on walks in the winter.  Lady has a coat for the winter as well.  Bentley doesn't have anything yet.  We shall see....
My dogs sleep with me.  In my bed.  Well, at least they are going to a week from tomorrow when Lady can jump on the bed again!  I haven't been able to forgive myself for letting Bentley into bed when Lady can't, so for now, the bed is a lot colder than it was last winter.  Last winter I had Lady on the covers next to me, and Squeak under the covers acting as my personal space heater. 
An electric blanket just doesn't cut it.