Performance Anxiety

It was Hailey’s second night of puppy school and here are her scores:

Minutes spent barking: 4 (down from 15 last week)

% of sit commands she responded to the first time: 97% (last week 60%)

% of sit/stay preformed independently: 80% (new skill, first week)

% of down preformed independently: 50% (new skill, first week)

# of dogs was nervous around: 0/6

# of dogs she was better behaved then: at least 3/6.

(This is what happens when a behaviour analyst takes a dog to puppy school, she takes data on her dog!)

Hailey was doing sit/stay amazingly well (80% this is criteria) so she was selected to be the example dog. I thought, here is a moment to be proud. Hailey got to the middle of the circle to perform and I am saying got performance anxiety. She wouldn’t sit. After several attempts she was given back to me and another dog was used. I guess my dog is a little shy! (That is my story and I am sticking too it!)

Annoying Walk

Every morning I feel like the worst person in the world when I leave Gemi behind to take Hailey on her walk. She has the saddest face ever. However, I had decided that it is just easier for everyone to only take Lee-Lee (Hailey).

Drew convinced me this morning that I should take the 2 of them. This was probably a bad idea because I was grumpy. It was very annoying, for me and the dogs.

The top reasons this was an annoying walk:

1)      We had to walk really slow to keep everyone safe/untangled

2)      I kept get tangled by the dogs until I worked out a system

3)      I kept steeping on Lee as she pulled in front of me (this we have eliminated on our single walks)

4)      To keep us from getting tangled I have to keep a short leash, no one gets freedom to sniff

5)      Gemi has to trot behind when she is not getting dragged

The walk was so annoying, I could only last 30 minutes and then I let them run around the backyard!

Note from Hailey: Walking with another dog is dumb, we have to go so slow! I don’t get to sniff and have fun.

Note from Gemi: I thought I was missing something not going on these walks, but I think I would rather stay at home then getting dragged at the back of the pack, which is not my place.

The licked roast is served

To prevent a second licking, Drew locked poor Hailey Bug out. (She didn’t figure out the second entrance to the kitchen was open).

She waited well and was rewarded with some roast.

Miss Bug Waiting

Miss Cricket on the other hand did not wait well. She sang for her supper! Nin waited too!

A Water Dog????

It was pouring rain when the dogs and I got up this morning. When I opened the door, both dogs turned and looked at me like it was my fault. After careful consideration, Gemi decided she would risk it and go out. Hailey decided to stay inside. About 20 minutes later, Miss Hailey was so desperate to go out she was crying. She did go out. Yes, my dog with webbed feet did not want to go out in the rain.

I was a little worried about our walk, but fortunately it was not pouring anymore, it was just drizzling. It had clearly rained a lot overnight as there were lots of puddles, run offs etc. Imagine my surprise when a large puddle in the middle of the intersection was the first place my dog wanted to go. On our walk up the hill, there was a stream running down the grass beside the sidewalk. Apparently this was the coolest thing on the planet. She had to walk all the way up the hill playing in this. Most of the pulling was to the puddles!

It appears my water dog likes water when it is below her, and not when it is falling on her!

Proud Mommy Moment

Picture taken today after our return from walk. My second proud mommy moment of the day, the dogs so close and peaceful!

On our walk, that was not stellar, but ok, I had a very, very proud mommy moment.

We are nearing the end of our walk and we met a puppy who was allowed to play. Both dogs were playing nicely. My girl started to get too excited for puppy play on a leash on a street corner. I said “Hailey sit” and she immediately stopped and sat. I could tell the other woman was impressed. That was my proud mommy moment!

(Yes, I know, I need a life.).

Truce Signed

It has been a historic time in Ottawa. The Meow-Woof Truce of 2010 has been ratified. After talks that last well past 9 pm, the dogs and cats have been able to put aside their differences. Signing this truce is the first step toward lasting peace in this Ottawa home.

This has been a very slow process. In the beginning Miss Hailey Bug was unable to even be in the room with cats. If cats entered the living room (now known as neutral territory) she would draw her weapon and bark obsessively.  Talks between the members of the dogs, came to a halt nearly 2 weeks ago after warfare ended in casualties. Approximately a week after “the incident” Miss Gemini Cricket, was willing to put her hard feelings aside if Miss Bug were to unit with her in Dogs Only, the extremist dog group. Miss Bug briefly considered this, but was swayed by the persistence of the cat member Cinder “Nin”.

Some say Nin has been instrumental in bringing about this truce. He defied all by standing his ground and claiming the pillow by the fire place as cat territory. He was able to successfully ignore Miss Bug’s barking and was only ever temporarily displaced by Miss Cricket’s chasing. His persistence and proximity, has forced the others to consider peace.

Nin is known as an annoying, meowing cat, whose constant need for attention at inopportune moments drives everyone else crazy. Who would have thought a creature with this history, would be the essential figure in peace? Bagheera “Baggy” Pants a member of the cats says “I liken Nin’s efforts to those of Rosa Parks. He was not going to let anyone stop him for lying on that pillow regardless of species.”

While peace is still tentative in Ottawa, moments of warfare occasionally erupt but are quickly ended. This is expected as we move closer to lasting peace.

Gemi's day out

Gemi on her 5th birthday in March

Kristen: While this is the Hailey Chronicles, today it is all about Gemi.

Gemini: Finally, something people may care to read about!

Kristen: Today started normal enough. Up and fed. I had to work this morning (yes I often work weekends). Drew took both out for a walk on the coupler. This is extra hard work for Gemi as she has to work hard to keep up with Hailey and deal with all the pulling. Rumour has it, it was a pretty good walk.

Gemini: Rumour is wrong. It is horrible being dragged down the street. But at least I got to go out, which is a pleasant change.

Kristen:  The fun happened this afternoon. Our dog school was having their grand opening at their new location and I decided I wanted to go and we should just take Gemi.

Gemini: YES! Time out without beast! Excellent!

Kristen: We arrived at the dog school and were greeted with a goodie bag, and arrived in time for the first door prize draw. We didn’t win there, but we stayed and we won a prize later, some very fancy treats! (I knew if I stayed I would win!)

Gemini: I don’t think I got to eat enough treats while there.

Kristen: We stayed over an hour talking to other dog owners and letting Gemi have time to play with other dogs (or at least watch other dogs play and get pets from people). One of the women from our yoga class was there with her dogs.

Gemini: We stayed forever.  There were some crazy other dogs who wouldn’t stop smelling my bum. At least Peanut only just sniffed my bum, I saw Peanut peeing on some other dogs (one in the face!). Good thing he is just a tiny dog!  I thought about playing a few times, but decided against it. There were some really nice people who gave lots of pets. The best part was being out without the beast and getting all the attention. Now back to the real world. I wonder when my humans will get smart and just take me out again, probably never . . . .

Gemi on her adoption day in May

(Note this is the same day Loki died and this picture was taken a few hours before we said goodbye).

Attention Please, Hailey is in the room!

Miss Hailey Bug of Ottawa would like to report puppy neglect. She has contacted her lawyer to launch her complaint. In a statement released by Miss Bug, it appears she feels her owners were negligent in not taking her on a big walk this morning. We were able to obtain a report that shows her owner was unable to take her on a walk due to a shoulder injury. This injury was not due to Miss Bug.

She also believes she was mistreated when sent to prison when company was here. When asked to comment, Lady, her owner said that after refusing to play with her toys, jumping up and covering a visiting colleague with mud, and ripping the foam out of the couch, she was forced to put Hailey in her crate for approximately an hour so they could work.  Lady further stated that next time a colleague is over, after a greeting, she will immediately put her in the crate.

Although no photographic evidence is available, when asked to comment on Lady’s allegations, Miss Bug said “no comment.”

Things that go bump in the night

Miss Hailey bug of Ottawa, is pleased to share her findings on the supernatural. Here is a summary of her findings:

• Ghosts clearly exist. This is the only explanation to why when there hasn’t been a sound or movement I am forced to bark.
• Items that you think aren’t alive, are. For example, for several days there was a white bucket sitting on the deck. It was just sitting there, and then I went out yesterday and it had moved. Clearly when I was not looking, it came to life. I had to bark.

These things are scarier than the cats!

The morning routine – as told by Miss Hailey Bug

It is dark. I am in a cage. It is a prison. Why do they keep me in prison? I am a good girl. Maybe it was an accident, maybe they didn’t mean to leave me in here. I will remind them I am here. “Hello, I need love. Hello, I am still here.” Hmmm, they said something, they must want me to talk louder. “What is taking you so long? Let me out!”

Finally!

YAY! I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive. I must run and jump and cry, I’m alive! Oh my gosh, there is a cat. I need to be scared, why is there a cat here!

What, what are you doing? Why are you sending me outside? I just want to be with you! I love you.  Oh, I need to pee. Oh, let me back in. I am alive!

Oh, we are just sitting on the couch. This is good, I really wasn’t ready to get up. I just needed my people.

I wonder if we are ever going to eat.

I am going to have a little nap.

Food time! YAY! I am hungry. Why is there not enough? Does Gemi have more? I don’t think they feed me enough, I am done so quickly. Maybe I should steal Gemi’s food.

Oh, oh, it looks like we are going out soon. That lady is going upstairs. This means I get to jump on the bed. Yeah! I am alive and there are more people to love me! YAY!

That lady is taking too long. Why is she taking so long? Why doesn’t she hurry up? Does she not know the world is out there waiting for me? Sigh.

We are going back down. Look at what a great girl I can be. Look I am sitting. Look I need a cookie. I see you have the biscuit bag. Give me some, give me some.

We are going, yay, yay, yay! The world is wonderful. Garbage, squirrels, smells, people, cars! I am trying so hard to be a good walker, why am I not getting more cookies. I am so good, so good. Look, a bird! (Edited because this goes on for 45 minutes).

I am home, yay! Gemi I missed you, can I sniff your bum? Let’s look for the guy who lives here. He is gone. I need a drink. Need to sleep.

The lady is moving. I see her going to get a special treat (Editor’s note: usually Kong or raw hide). I get this if I get in my crate. I love the crate! The crate is the best place.

30 minutes later . . . I think this was a trick, I am back in prison!

A Nose for Trouble

Class of 2010????

I haven’t been to school for too long because I am exciting to think that I may be graduating something this year.

I may be overly optimistic but today was our first class and I am proud to report, Hailey was not the worst dog (I would put her in the middle of the pack, and I can handle that, average is good!). This was my only hope going into this class, how embarrassing if a behaviour analyst can’t control her dog!

When asked what my goals for the class were I said "general puppy manners, but not too well behaved because it would make for a boring blog and her followers would be disappointed!"

About the class:

• There are 7 puppies in total, aged 5 months to 1.
• 3 have finished puppy school (this is basic obedience).
• One other dog has only lived with their family for about the same length of time as Hailey.
• Everyone else knows what kind of dog they have. We are the only “mutt”.

Proud mom moments:

• She sat every time I asked, even with distractions (even if she wasn’t always right beside me in the correct spot).
• Her healing was ok at the beginning of the class – not too embarrassing.
• She had the perfect greeting with a dog that came in late (the best).
• She didn’t bark the most but had the loudest bark (and is not the biggest).
• She did not pee or poo on the floor (our other 2 visits she has).
• She was very friendly with all the people and dogs.

Other Moments: (and how to spin this as a positive)

• She does not like her new car harness. If she is wearing it and in the back, she whines and tries to chew it off. She is better in the front seat. (The plus: At least didn’t try and sit on my knee or destroy anything in the car).
• She kept jumping up and nipping when I wanted to give her treats which she never does at home! (The plus: I had a very powerful reinforcer).
• At the end of the class she was the worst healer. The other dogs in general were better at the end, my dog was better at the beginning before she was tired. (The plus: She can work with distractions when she is fresh).
• She was a little nervous around the other dogs at first. (The plus: Gemi has taught her to try and read other dogs before running head first into trouble).
• The long explanations of reinforcement and behaviour shaping. (The plus: I understand the basic principles of behaviour change procedures).

New Trick

5:20 am: Whine and carry on like you really need to go out. Human gets up to let you out and darn, you really don’t have to go. Be annoyed at human when they force you out.

But go back to your crate nicely.

6:10 am: Whine and carry on like no one has every loved you and you need to be with people now. Continue to whine even when the humans say we are not getting up to 7. If you are done sleeping, well everyone should be!

Complaint to the chef

Miss Hailey Bug of Ottawa launched a formal complaint against the owners of “The Kitchen” after an incident at dinner this evening. Shortly after consuming her dinner, Miss Bug experienced sharp abdominal pains and vomited. She believes the food was contaminated.

When contacted, an employee of “The Kitchen” who asked not to be named stated “There was nothing wrong with the food. Miss Bug’s dinner companion ate the same food and did not experience any problems. I would suspect the problem occurred because Miss Bug did not chew the food and then ran around like a crazy dog. That or she got caught engaging in anorexic behaviour and is trying to blame us.”

Miss Bug’s dinner companion was not available for comment.

The investigation continues.

Helping

On Sunday, Drew had the pleasure of putting up new curtain rods.  I am not sure who was more helpful, me or Hailey! (My guess it was not me. This is why we hire people to do things around the house).

Pictures taken by my dad (who was supervising)

Peace Talks Resume

After a week of warfare, peace talks have begun again in an Ottawa home. Miss Gemini Cricket reports she is willing to look past the attack that occurred last week, if Miss Hailey Bug is willing to join her organization DOGS ONLY. DOGS ONLY is a movement to keep cats everywhere from getting love and attention. In the past, this has even included sneaking into the cats territory and stealing their supplies of food.  Miss Bug is considering the offer. Insiders say that Miss Bug may also be in peace talks with the cats. We will keep you updated as to the latest developments as they arise.

Dinner is on

“Well that is one less burger for us for dinner,” Drew said as he dragged Hailey in from the backyard. He left the burgers he had loving made on the edge of the counter and Miss Hailey (aka Devil Dog) decided to help herself to a pre-dinner snack. Well, I guess we won’t have to feed her much tonight!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly as we enter week 3

The Good:

• We are all still alive.
• The “sisters” are starting to get along a little (they almost played yesterday - is there a peace agreement in the works?).
• I have learned many life lessons (For example: don’t put 2 b**chs in the back seat of a car, I bet men already knew that; anything can be chewed up; I am reminded that what you want and what you get are usually 2 different things).
• I am getting into the best shape of my life, which may mean I have to buy some new clothes!
• I am getting to apply all my knowledge of behaviour change, shaping behaviour, reinforcement, pairing reinforcement to my daily personal life and a new population (all that school may be paying off!)
• I have been forced not to be a work-aholic (however, it is a time when being a work-aholic would be good because I have a lot to do)
• As my best friend says, I am taking on a Zen mentality “material objects and possessions are fleeting.”
• We are beginning to see gains in the training (Hailey is a great sitter, is pulling less on walks).
• My blog has given me a forum to find some humour and defuse the stress in my life and others! (I know one loved one enjoyed reading it during a recent chemo appointment).

The Bad:

• I have a lot of things to replace (Kong, leash, screen door, comforter just to name a few).
• The cats still don’t like Hailey and Hailey doesn’t like the cats.
• I am tired (sometimes not a good tired) and at times my patience is being tested.
• I have to deal with a lot of bodily functions.

The Ugly

• The first serious dog fight. (I must admit I can’t believe that people pay to watch something so horrible. Although maybe if it becomes a trend in the house, I could make some money to replace all the destroyed things in the house by selling tickets to them) .

Not fair

Drew is home with them all day and they sleep and are quiet and don't get into any trouble. He isn't trying to work or anything. But when I am home they get into everything and are a pain. Even today as soon as I got home, they got crazy! Sigh!

Twas the night

Twas the night before Kingston and all was well in the place, until Hailey started to vomit and it felt like a race. Drew cleaned the crate and Kristen took the dogs and looked at the starry sky glad there was no fog.

The cats were not pleased to see us return, but back to the bedroom the pack we did turn. We settled again and back to sleep we did go, until 7:04 when Hailey wanted a row. I tried to convince her she wanted to sleep, but she whined and she continued to peep.

She made such a clatter that Drew got up  once again to take her to empty her bladder. She still didn’t settle as well as we would have liked, but then it was time to get up because I am driving, I don’t have a flight.

Breakfast is over and she is out for a run. I hope that she and Drew are having lots of fun. Gemi and I have been enjoying the quiet, because soon she will be back and there will be a riot.

Here is hoping today is not as eventful as before, and that any other blog entries might be a bore.

SCREAM!

I was working downstairs after the cleaners left. I went upstairs to get a book. Hailey who had been sleeping peacefully went upstairs with me. I went to the bathroom and as I came out Hailey went to the guestroom and peed on the floor. (That is 3 messes in the guestroom today, needless to say I have closed the door now).

Nothing else to say . . . . AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

While the cleaners clean . . . .

Today the cleaners came. I needed Hailey out of the way. I tied her up outside. This is not the first time this is happened, but it is probably the first time it happened when I was upstairs for any length of time (I really needed to get some work done).

This is what she did:

That is the screen from the door.

While she was doing this, Gemi was peeing and pooing on the guestroom floor. I have no idea what my pets have against this room.

Turns out our dying dog that had crazy medical bills may have been a cheaper pet to have then Hailey. I must admit my patience is wearing thin, but on the plus side there is almost nothing left for her to destroy.

Really???????

I didn’t know what to call this post and I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.

I have not even been up for an hour (I thought given that this was the only day for 3 weeks I could stay in bed until 7 am, I would try) and this what has happened.

Gemi has been growling at Hailey. Hailey has been just ignoring her. I think Gemi is feeling better and is trying to assert herself as the alpha.

I have been trying to do some tidying as the cleaners come this pm. I go up to the guest room to pick up the Hailey mess and Hailey comes to help. As I am bending over to pick up pieces of the comforter, Hailey jumps on the guest bed and starts peeing (she has been out 2 times already this morning). Yes, she peed on the bed. I stop her and take her out and now I have a load of laundry going. While she is out, I think this is the perfect time to scoop the cat litter.  I am not sure what happened but there were pieces of poo from the box up the stairs . . . . .

It is a bodily function kind of day apparently and it is barely 8 am . . . . can’t wait to see what happens next!

Hailey 3, blankets 0



Note to self, if you put the crate beside the bed, she can reach the blankets. (Hey, it takes an extra 15 minutes to leave in the morning because the dogs can't go outside together yet, I was in a hurry, I do actually work).

Then and Now

I was thinking of some of the ways my life has changed in the week and a half Hailey has been part of the pack. Here is a summary:

	Then (Pre-Hailey)	Now (Post Hailey)
Number of times needed to vacuum living room floor per week	1	7
Number of times I say off in a day	3	333
Number of steps I took before 8 am	200	5000
Number of times per day I needed to eat/felt hungry	4-5	All day
Number of pairs of pants that needed to be washed weekly	7	14 – all those puppy footprints
Amount of dog food consumed per day	1 cup	3 cups
The number of kids bus stops I knew in the neighbourhood	1	14
Number of garbage bags of dog destroyed items put out per week	0	1.5
Length of my left arm	Same as the right	2 inches longer due to the pulling

In this corner . . . .

In this corner we have the undefeated champion of Ottawa, weighing in at 32 lbs, in the black trunks, originally from Ohio, Miss Hailey Devil.

Her opponent, from PetSmart in Ottawa, the black crate tray.

This is the second match for the 2 opponents.

After 72 5 minute rounds, by KO, the winner and still reigning champion is . . . . .

Miss Hailey Devil!

Not a fun posting

Well, they can’t all be about stuffed monkeys and chewed up water dishes. Life is not like that, happy and joyful. Bad things happen and we had a bad thing happen last night.

First though, this is the picture from Monday night. My bestest girls!

The short story: Last night we went to take the dogs to the dog park. We went in Drew’s car. They got into a fight. We had to pull over. Gemi got hurt. Gemi got to go to emerg. She has puncture wounds. It appears she will be ok. She was able to do some weight bearing on her leg this morning, so this is good. Last night she and Hailey were not friends. This morning, there was caution but not total fear from Gemi. Hailey has no idea she did anything wrong.

Life Lessons: The dogs can’t be loose in the car; Work is hard when you were so upset you could only sleep like 4 hours.

Thunder

I LOVE thunderstorms. I love, love, love them. Last night I was very excited that we were having one (even if it was just a little one). It turns out Hailey does not share my feelings for them. Loki was a huge suck when it came to thunder (many a night he slept on my head). Gemi is completely oblivious to these things and she doesn’t even seem to even notice.

Back to Hailey: The other night we had a thunderstorm and she hid behind the couch. Last night, she tried, but in the end, decided to come and sit on me, on my arm in a very uncomfortable position. But she seemed more relaxed and the storm was not too long so we all survived.

 See my arm is under her body.

The Hailey fear count: Cats; Thunder; Recycling bins (she is not sure of them, making this mornings walk more challenging as it was garbage day in the neighbourhood); the vacuum.

Destruction of the day: Razor toy. Drew did not appreciate me allowing her to do it so I could get a picture!

Guilty as Charged

In fairness my office is not dog proofed, in fact it is a huge disaster (half of it is piles of stuff I haven’t put back in the living room since the remodelling). Generally I work in the living room, but this morning I needed my printer and to go through some materials (because, yes, I actually do work). I thought that the 45 min walk and training might tire her out. Wrong! She started well and then destroyed a small straw hat (she was kind enough to do this on our bed). She ripped a huge piece of the plastic Ziploc bag that had materials in it for the assessment. She chewed a coconut vase. She took things from the garbage. She found a foam green ball and this I let her had so I might be able to get the few things done (redirecting her was interfering with work).  

Now that is a guilty face!                   

I know you are thinking why not lock her out. Then she barks and this is just as annoying. Since I was getting very annoyed and I really needed to work (because yes I do work and I am not just writing this because some of my colleagues may read this), I thought this was the perfect time to give her a huge raw hide we had bought. I came downstairs and unwrapped and put it down. She seemed excited. Then I went back upstairs and she started barking. She was terrified of it and was barking and barking. I came back down stairs, took it away and gave her a small rawhide. This settled her and I could get some work done. Tomorrow I am working at home less . . . might get some work done out of the house!                                                                    

The big scary bone!

News update: Peace at home!

Extra, extra read all about it! The truce between the dogs has turned into undeniable peace.

This started in the morning on the coach - Gemini tolerated Hailey laying beside her and resting her head on her.

The true moment, they played tug with “baby”.

Extra exciting: Gemi found a way to play a dog game with a dog! This is a first!

Suspected reason: Allowing Gemi to sleep in. She didn’t go on the morning walk.

Update: Possible peace between the cats and Hailey

Bagheera will now come to the top of the stairs into the living room. He will not hiss or run. Hailey will stay where she is and not bark or whine.

Hailey is still more scared of Cinder (but those who know him can understand - he is a little creepy).

Problem with moving toward peace: S**t disturber Gemi. As an only dog she would not hunt the cats. She and Loki had a great hunting system. Now that she has a partner in crime again, she is back to hunting. So when the cats come up, it is Gemi who needs to be controlled!

I am sure peace talks between the cats and Hailey will continue! We are ending our week with more peace then we started with. This bodes well for the future!

Puppy School Day 1

Last evening we were able to exhaust both the dogs. It only takes 1 hour at the Dog Park and 30 minutes in PetSmart. It took me about 20 minutes to evaluate all the chew toys and try and figure out which ones may last 20 minutes (one she seems to like, one she doesn't)! I also had to get her tag made. She now has doggie jewellery (they don’t cell the plan tin ones anymore). This one actually has Swarovksi Crystals. After dinner, both dogs were tired out! Poor Gemi is exhausted. 2 hours of exercise a day is more than she needs and is use to.

Today, I will admit I woke up tired and sore. Sore for all the pulling she does and I was very grumpy. Not the best frame of mind for puppy school. Today was our private lesson. With the trainer, Hailey learned and would do, “sit, watch, free” in 3 trials. The trainer said, she is bright and a fast learner! With us -wouldn’t sit right away, when we would give the demands she would scratch herself . . . . I would like to think the trainer got her before she was tired. We also worked on heel. Of course our dog did not pull with the trainer (maybe she liked her treats better than ours). She also peed on the floor (even though we took her outside during her class to go) and she peed on her leash, so I got peey hands, which I did not like.

Crate update: Today while we were having lunch and spending the afternoon with a friend visiting from Minnesota, she chewed the plastic water dish to hell, and decided to take the 20 year old sleeping bag apart. The room looked a lot like yesterday. I think we are going to use old sheets in the crate. They don’t have stuffing so maybe they won’t be so appealing! At least it doesn’t appear she is eating these things, just chewing them apart.

We have survived one week with beast, looking forward to the next one!

Attempted Prison Break

Miss Hailey Bug was held as investigators looked into the murder of Monkey. While in prison she attempted to break out. After leaving her for about 4 hours, this is what I came home to:

She has destroyed the very expensive Teflon coated crate liner. She has chewed part of the bottom pan thing. She seems to have left the 20 year old sleeping bag alone. Sigh! I would love to know how the tray part ended up in this location.

What a pup!

Monkey 2003-2010

Note: The following may be disturbing to some viewers.

Victim: Monkey

Age: Approximately 7 years old

History: Victim of shaken monkey. Loki shook him until he didn’t make sound. Amputee: Loki had removed a limb.

Date of current crime: September 9, 2010

The crime scene:

Witness statement:

"Monkey was minding his own business when a big black beast grabbed him and dragged him to the couch. The beast then slowly tortured Monkey, first by ripping off his leg, then by slowly pulling out his insides. Beast would occasionally jump off the couch and shake Monkey. It was disturbing to watch."



Charges are pending. A service is expected for Monkey early next week and he will be interned in a plastic bag, Tuesday and buried in the landfill.

The Comet!

Big project for the weekend:
1) finding a solution to the one spot she can get out of the yard
2) figuring out what type of creature's hole she was digging.

Today, with supervision, she got to run free in the yard. It was great to see both the pups playing! Gemi played and was not scared and Hailey was much more submissive outside. I think they are finally tired!

New Collar

Pet-ternity Leave

Yesterday I was joking that I was going to take today as Pet-ternity leave (usually I call these work at home days and not actually work . . . but I was honest that I wasn’t working). When I was on the phone with a colleague today, the dogs got barking, Hailey was into everything and my colleague said “you really have your hands full there.” Yes, yes I do, and it made me think that maybe we should have pet-ternity leave. If we did maybe 20 000 animals would not be euthanatized a year in one shelter alone in the Toronto area. As an animal lover, I can’t even imagine abandoning or abusing an animal. Mind you, how we humans treat each other, it really isn’t a surprise that we would treat “lesser” species poorly. Ok, enough rant, back to my puppy!

My pet-ternity leave started slowly. I waited for it to stop raining to go to the dog park (I had the time, so why not). I was brave and took both the dogs to the park alone. In many ways it is easier than walking because Gemi will just run. Hailey was ok. She only jumped up a few times and being on a leash got her tangled a bit. She did crazy dog on the leash in 2 ways. Way one, I stand in the middle and she runs around and around in circles. Way two, running as far to the right as she could on leash and then running as far to the left and back and forth about 20 times. The only bad part was when we got home, she got away from when she got out of the car. My heart stopped. Fortunately so did she and I was able to get her just about 10 feet into the neighbour’s yard. I have figured out now how to make sure this doesn’t happen again!

Next adventure was the vet. Now, I have been spoiled with one dog who loved the vet and one who while nervous was ok there. This was my first experience with a dog who was very nervous. She whined and paced and trying to get her on the scale was a challenge. My baby weights 15 kgs or about 33 lbs. Once we were in the exam room she relaxed a little. I am happy to report I have a very healthy baby, perfect weight. Vet’s best guess of breed, some sort of Sheppard mix. She is about done growing. He said the great thing about a Heinz 57 dog is they tend to have fewer health problems (let’s keep our fingers crossed). Some guy at the dog park said I could have her genetically tested to determine her breed. That sounds like going to far for even me!

The last part of our fun day was our assessment at puppy school. I liked the woman. Anyone who has Temple Grandin’s book on her desk is Ok in my books. Of course my dog pooped on the floor, kept trying to get the people food on the shelf, stole a plastic spoon and wouldn’t give it up. Other than that, she mostly just sniffed around the room. After the assessment we have decided that she is going to do group lessons (that includes one private class) and to help with the sibling rivalry in my house, 2 private lessons in the home. As her collar is too big (and she has slipped out of it), and they had beautiful collars there, I got her a new one. (I will have to put a picture on the site soon!). Apparently on the way home from the school (less than 20 minutes) Hailey got bored in the back seat and decided to join me in the front of the car – I tired to keep her in the back with my elbow, but it wasn’t safe to do that. At least she just got in the passenger seat. There was a straw there she was able to destroy, but it kept her safe and still.

Hopefully all this exercise and adventure will make some of us tired tonight!