His Bark is Much Worse than His Bite

     Being raised in the country, back many years ago, to drop in to see a neighbor was not unusual.  I don't recall Mother or Daddy ever calling ahead to let a neighbor know we were coming.  Today the drop-in visit does still exist, but it is not as frequent.
     Those years back, every neighbor had his trusty dog.  The dog pre-warned the owner that someone had come for a visit.  It was one bark followed by another.  If more than one dog was present, it was enough noise to arouse anyone. 
     To this day, I don't ever recall being afraid of any of the neighbors' barking dogs.  In fact, my parents proceeded to the front door and out would come someone who simply yelled to the dog, "Shut up!"  The dog did as it was told and found himself a place to lie down.  He was not heard of again during our visit.
     The idiom definition of "his bark is much worse than his bite," is someone who may well get angry, but doesn't take any action.  In further explanation, it is the giving of many threats but without following through.
     The internet states a barking dog seldom bites.  I really believe this somewhat.  Is a dog, in his behavior, much different than his owner?

Training your dog

     This will be short.  We have all seen amazing dogs that can do tricks on television.  Nowadays, I suppose the place to see impressive dog tricks is on Youtube.  I've seen dogs that can open refrigerators and bring their owners a beer.  I've seen dogs that can ride scooters or fetch one toy by name from several toys laid out before them.  I have friends that have taught their dogs to shake hands.  My own dog's skills include sitting on command and "fetch."  But there is one skill I think EVERY DOG OWNER SHOULD TEACH THEIR DOG.  This is one skill that YOU SHOULD TEACH IF YOU TEACH NOTHING ELSE.  It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine.  Please teach your dog not to jump up on people. 
     When we got Abby, she was so little and so cute.  It didn't seem like such a bother to have her jump up on us in excitement.  But my husband said we had to be firm and not allow her to do such a thing because she would not stay little.  And no one appreciates a dog jumping up and putting their muddy paws on their clothes.  I really don't appreciate a dog jumping up on a small child and knocking the kid over.  But you know what?  Dogs don't know any better.  They are excited.  They jump.  They need to be taught not to jump up on people just like a toddler needs to be taught not to touch anything and everything.  I am so glad my husband knew to teach Abby not to jump.  Oddly enough, the only person she ever jumps at is my father-in-law and I can't fathom why she does it.  She just really seems unable to contain her excitement when he comes around. 
     So please...please....PLEASE teach your dog that it is not okay to jump on you, your kids, or anyone. As a bonus, you will enjoy being around your dog more. 

(Written by my daughter, Karen.)

Babysitting Buddy

     Over the past five years or so, I have found our family in a position to help care for our friends' pets while they have gone on vacation.  It is a task that we enjoy since we love animals so much.  It hasn't been all roses and rainbows, though.  We kept a dog one time that didn't' like the kids very much and snapped at them. We kept another that cried if I walked out of the room. Our experience in keeping others' pets can open up a wealth of stories I could share on this blog.  Perhaps I can tell those at another time.  Today, I only want to tell you about Buddy.
     Buddy's new owners bought him on a whim- one week before a planned vacation to see family in New York.  Would I keep seven week old Buddy? A seven week old fully bred Chocolate Lab puppy?  Yes!!
     As "mother" to ten year old fully bred Yellow Lab Abby, I have vowed to only own Labradors for the rest of my life.  My husband has been trying for a few years now to convince me to go ahead and get Abby a Lab puppy to play with.  I always say "no," "that is ridiculous," and "she doesn't need a puppy." One dog is enough for us!  Dogs are work.  Abby has integrated herself into our family life so well that she is not work.  I definitely do not want a second dog, BUT I can try one out for a week. 
     I won't get into details, but the week with Buddy was rewarding.  It was fun.  It was exhausting.  There were accidents and some things were chewed a bit, but he's going to be relatively easy to train.  Abby seemed to bond with him and they played well together.  I have never seen her bond with any of the dogs we've kept until Buddy.  Is it because they are the same breed?
     I was both glad and sad when his people returned and Buddy went back home.  Glad-because I had to take him out so often and watch him every minute to make sure he did not chew up our belongings.  Sad because he was a mostly good dog and it would have given me pleasure to keep training him.  I can see myself really enjoying another pup someday.  Someday.  I am thinking that someday will come when the kids are grown and have left home. The children didn't offer much in the help department. The amount of attention a new pup would need from me would be all of it.

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.)

BAD BAD DOG (Finalized)

     Many news stations on television fail to give follow-up stories.  I will now give a follow-up story to two stories posted on the dog blog. 
     Stories entitled Bad Bad Dog were posted July 31, 2014, and August 23, 2014.  The stories told of a dog terrorizing children as they walked home from school.  Although the dog did no harm physically, he had children scared to pass by the house.  On many occasions, adults had to walk them by the house. 
     After being reported, the owner still did nothing.  But finally, maybe something was done.  The dog appears to no longer be at the house.  The children walk home past the house feeling safe once again. 
     I live on a street where my neighbors are not the original owners of the houses.  I was a first time owner of my house.  The neighbors I raised my children with have long since moved.  Now, everyone tends to stay to themselves.
     Whatever happened to the dog, I do not know nor will I probably ever know.  I just know that now the dog is gone. 
     I like to think the dog was given to someone who could take care of his needs.  I seriously doubt that he suffered euthanasia.  He hurt no one.  Regardless of his fate, the final story of Bad Bad Dog is, "He no longer lives on this street."

Doggie Dementia

     A year and a half ago, my cousin Marisa called me. We don't talk frequently, but we do touch base from time to time.  She told me that her dog had been acting strange.  Her dog, Sasha, had just turned thirteen.  Sasha was howling all night long and refusing to eat.  Marisa took Sasha to the vet and was told that Sasha is physically healthy, but that her symptoms all pointed to Dementia.  It is just like dementia in humans....it is part of some dog's aging process (meaning not all dogs get dementia).
     I will be honest with you.  I couldn't believe what my cousin was telling me.  Dementia...?  In a dog?  Well I never heard of such a thing!  I don't know why I had such a hard time believing it.  Sometimes I get suspicious of vets-- like maybe they didn't know what was wrong with the dog, so they just made something up!  Here it is a year and a half later and Sasha has stopped the all-night-long-howling, but other things have gotten worse.  She refuses to eat sometimes.  My cousin will often purchase cheeseburgers for her from the local fast food joint because that is one of the things she will eat.  The only other thing she will eat is just one specific brand and flavor of dog food.  Sasha sometimes stands in a corner and stares at a wall or shakes like she is cold for what seems like an endless amount of time.  The funniest story my cousin has told me is a recent development.  Sasha will exit the house through the doggie door, but then stand on the outside and bark to be let back in.  She used to go in and out all on her own, but somehow she has forgotten that she can go back in the same way she went out. 
     If I hear about it enough,  I will eventually look up a condition or something I have never heard of on the computer.  I looked up dementia in dogs just a few days ago.   Surprise, surprise, it is a real condition.  I guess I just haven't spent enough time around dogs to have known any better.  The proper term for it is Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, or CCD. Some of the symptoms I have found are:(1) becomes lost around the home in places that used to be familiar, (2) has trouble using doors or even stairways, (3) often has accidents in the house when that has not been an issue before,  (4) can be found trembling, shaking, staring aimlessly, or wandering aimlessly in odd corners of the home, and (5) becomes more hesitant of food and water.  These are just a few.  If you are a skeptic like me, look it up on the web.  There are countless articles on the topic. 

 

 

 

Ralph's Rags

     When my middle child, Adam, was almost two years old, and the oldest, Andrew, was close to five, our family became friends with an elderly couple in our church.  Their names were Ralph and Maisie.  They had a Cocker Spaniel named Rags.  The kids loved to go over to their house and see Rags.  At first, Rags was wary of two very little boys, but Ralph showed them the way to Rags' heart.  Dog biscuits.  It became routine when we came to visit for the boys to give Rags a dog biscuit.  Then he was their friend. 
     Ralph had cancer.  He had battled it before, but this time the doctors said there was nothing more that could be done.  Ralph lingered for many months and we visited regularly.  He didn't get up and move around much, and Rags was his constant companion.  I forgot to mention that Rags was a bit chubby.  Ralph liked to give him the dog biscuits just as much as the boys did. He gave them to him off and on throughout the day, every day.  Then when we came through the door, Ralph would call the boys over to him and hold out the box so they could give them to Rags, too. 

     Of course, Ralph passed away.  Maisie and Rags ended up moving several states away and we gradually lost touch.  Young as they were, both boys still remember giving dog biscuits to Rags.  It isn't so odd that a five year old would remember that time, but Adam is usually the one who brings it up.  He was only two, but the memory of that early interaction with the dog left a lasting impression. 

 

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.) 

Abby is Ten Years Old

     Recently, one of our beloved family pets passed away.  It was one of our cats and she was thirteen years old.  The story is too fresh and raw for me to get into detail.  When she died, I looked around at our remaining pets, including our dog, Abby.  I couldn't help but think to myself, "One day, they will go, too." The sadness the thought brought was overwhelming.
     We have placed stories of Abby on this blog before.  She is our yellow Labrador retriever.  She has been a vital member of our family for ten years and three months.  My boys have grown up with her.  She isn't tied to a stake outside.  She lives indoors.  She sleeps beside us.  Sometimes, we have to nudge her off of the couch so we will have a place to sit!  When we eat, she patiently sits nearby hoping for a handout.  She is well-behaved but very spoiled.  I don't mean to be depressing, but did you know that the life expectancy of a Labrador Retriever is ten to twelve years old?  I know that her time with us will end someday.  Perhaps it will not be for another ten years.  One can always hope!
     It was three weeks after the cat died before I had the chance to see my best human friend, Marie, and tell her what happened with the cat.  There were tears when I told the story and it brought up memories of lost pets in both of our lives over the years.  We talked about how much harder it is to see an animal get sick or die through our kids' eyes-- how we wish we could spare them the pain. 
     And then a curious thing happened.  My friend, Marie said, "I worry about your family when Abby goes," and Marie's eyes got watery. 
     I said, "I know......hey?....are you crying?"
     She nodded and wiped her eyes.  "I just know how much Abby means to you all and I know it will be hard for all of you.  Heck, I even love Abby."
     I said, "No, you can't cry, too.  What if I need you to be the one to take her to the vet if she needs to be put down?  Because we won't be able to do it."
     She said, "I will do it for you if it needs to be done.  I will do it for you.  Because I know it will be too hard for you,"  and she wiped her eyes again. 
     I was reassured of two things.  She knows how Abby really is a part of our family.  She can empathize with us because she has a family and pets of her own.  I realized that anyone who really knows us well knows just how valuable Abby is to us.  It's transparent.  It's REAL.  And the other realization...that Marie is a true friend.  How many of us can say we are so blessed?

(This was written by my daughter, Karen.)