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Behind the Glamorous Facade

Despite the fact that Glamour has at her pawtips an extensive wardrobe of Sirius collars and accessories, Dog Gone Cute decorations,  and also some Lamae tutus at her disposal, these are all borrowed items to help her find a home and not her own belongings.  Her borrowed collar is frayed from repeated use by former residents of the shelter as is her leash and other items. 

Glamour, while I’m sure, is grateful for her stay at the shelter and the excellent care she receives, does not like it there.  A home of her own is what this girl wants and needs.  She showed me that she has pretty good house manners.

She helps with the sweeping and floor cleaning without judging my housekeeping skills.

She helps supervise the laundry without grabbing all undies and socks in sight. (ahem, Ray)  While she was not in her crate, she saw our kitties and had absolutely zero interest in them.  When she was crated, she did bark at Miko when he entered her room, but it was a brief shout out to him.  When Asia reentered the house, Glamour gave one bark as well.  Just one and she was good.  A drawback may be her size.  This lady is musclebound, but she is a “pocket pittie.”  Potential adopters looking for a small dog will overlook her as a “muscle-bound pit bull” and Pit Bull type people may overlook her because she is small.

Girlfriend is selective.  She doesn’t like all people all the time, she doesn’t like a hand coming at her head (who does, really?)  and we are still finding out what all of her triggers might be.  Shelter stress really has to be a big factor.  The morning before I took her back, we sat by the pool and just chilled.  Her tail wags so hard that it beats each of her sides as her booty wiggles back and forth.  She climbs in my lap and gets out and repeats, until she finds a nice spot in front of my to receive some back and shoulder rubs. 

I’ve heard and read how adopted dogs are so grateful, but since I adopted Ray at only seven weeks, he really accepts everything as his due.  That morning, I could feel the stress leave and the calm enter her.  I could just feel Glamour’s appreciation. 

If you know anyone who would be interested in receiving the love and gratitude that only Glamour can give, please have them contact me or the Allen County SPCA to find out more about the Glamour Girl.

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Not the Mama

But I worry about them just the same.  While I celebrate every adoption, a small part of me feels sad, envious, worried, frustrated for those not chosen, or the last ones picked, the ones overlooked, the long-term residents, my babies. 

My Glamour girl is a handful, make no mistake.  There were days when even I didn’t feel up to visiting her knowing that I’d have to keep her from jumping and the first 5 minutes or so of the walk will be an exercise in pulling. Because of that, sometimes her walks were shorter than they should be but on the other hand when things are going well, her walks were longer than many of the others.

Lately, though, I see her getting “small” when she comes to the kennel door and when I enter, she knows to go to her bed and sit or I won’t put her collar on her.  Once the collar is on, there’s a fair amount of twirly-whirls which often involve a bounce or two off the wall.  She has spirit!

Our shelter usually doesn’t have dogs in house very long.  Adoption rates are really good, so when a dog is there for over a month or more they usually get to become office dogs to help break up the monotony and keep up the socialization.  Glamour got a turn in one of the offices until she learned to jump the cubicle walls and ended up back in a kennel.  This week, due to some great adoption numbers, she finds herself in the front office area for awhile just as I am able to furlough her for a few evenings for even more of a break.

On the first particular evening, the stars aligned so that only Asia and I (and Ray) were home, so we orchestrated a little crate and rotate until we discovered that Glamour’s surname is probably Houdini.  Yep, she busted slithered out of the crate and made her way downstairs where she and Ray met face to face.  Since it was just a sniff and wiggle fest, Asia and I got a hold of a dog each and I parked Glamour out in the garage until I could come in and talk with Asia about a game plan. 

They had met, so we decided to take them out on leashes and see if they were socially inclined.  It was completely outside the original game plan of Glamour and Ray not meeting, but it actually turned out well.  Really well.  All twenty-five pounds of muscle gal, matched up really well with my Big’un and for short little bursts they played, they  bowed, and had a great time.  My pride in both of them knew no bounds.

Because we wanted to keep it on a very positive note, they only played for two very short sessions before I took Glamour back out the gate and around to the front, up the stairs and into her temporary abode.

Before darkness fell, I found Ray’s old harness and Glamour and I went out for a nice long bedtime walk where she explored nature, did her nightly toilette  and got nicely tired out before retiring with a drink of water and some soothing classical music.

Everyone settled in nicely for the evening and when that rude alarm sounded, I slipped out of bed, showered and woke Glamour from a sound sleep.  She unfurled herself from the nest of thick comforters and we headed down the stairs and out the back door for her morning relief.  She spent a few leisurely minutes reexploring the back yard off leash and then wiggled back to me for some pets. We sat by the pool and I rubbed her back and shoulders while she really seemed to be appreciative of her reprieve from the kennels.  She was so relaxed and calm and just …. peaceabull.

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Dooley Noted

We had some good guesses the other day on the landscaping picture, most involving not digging a hole when in fact, I’m pretty stoked because of a hole. 



Check out the circled item.

Last fall, we decided to purchase a Doggie Dooley system but we didn’t know exactly where we wanted to put it with the considerations of  needing to either edge or mow around something that still sticks up above the ground a bit.  When the weather finally permitted, we decided on a low corner in the yard and in a stroke of inspiration, decided to extend the landscaping, add some grasses to camoflage the Dooley and voila! my new favorite thing about the yard. 

With this, scooping daily is so much easier to gear up for and being able to enjoy a clean lawn is priceless.

So for those of you with yards, what do you do with do-do?

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Landscaping

Last weekend we found this great crane statue to fill some space in our corner.  We originally had the lava rock ending just past this Japanese Maple but with the addition of something that I really, really wanted to add to our yard, we finished off this corner.

Can you tell what it is that has me so happy about the landscaping? 

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Thankful Thursday

I want to start by thanking everyone for their comments and private messages of support regarding our post on Tuesday.  The challenge with dogs and babies is that they are dogs and babies and both think differently than we do. 

Because Asia was there, she wrote the account so I do feel compelled to clarify a few things:  as a rule, all baby and dog interactions are done with an adult within reaching distance.  I believe that because Ray was focused on licking an owie, he was startled but I am so relieved in his reaction.  Also, we are all about positive training.  The pop on the bottom and the repremand that Ray got almost ended up “on the cutting room floor” but it happened so we included it.  I don’t want Ray to learn that what he did was wrong, because it was so right. I also am not here to hang Asia out to dry.  This was the first incident of this type and I can only imagine the heart pounding adrenaline going through her.  Any snap or growl to communicate discomfort is highly encouraged and we are so thankful that he did it and didn’t make any contact with the baby. 
So, once again, thank you.

…and the reason we are late with today’s post is that Ray and Mama got a little extra snuggle time in this morning. 

Who wants to get up and go to work when you’d be leaving this?
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Dog Gone Wednesday

Always one to jump on the bandwagon, especially if the said bandwagon is pretty, I decided to order some Just Dog Gone Cute collars for the dogs and cats at the Allen County SPCA as well as for a special new Foster Parent.  I love how eye-catching they are and adding the “Adopt Me” ribbon is even better.

Kelly was so great to work with, keeping me in the loop every step of the way about my order status, etc, and accomodating the need for two shipping destinations.

My boys are definitely NOT adoptable, just modeling for Mama

 I do admit that I had the shelter’s box sent to my house just so I could ooh an ahh over the contents before delivering them.  I also took that opportunity to have a mini photo shoot.

Dola and Max have both been adopted, but look at how cute they are.

I’m really excited to see if these will attract some positive attention at Outreach events.  Have you tried these fancy collar accessories yet?

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Learning Experience

This is a post I’ve held while debating on whether or not to let it go “live.”, the day it happened, I knew we’d have to tell the story, but each time I thought about it, my stomach wound into knots.  What if it we aren’t able to articulate it as a positive?  What if the words are regurgitated in a negative way?  I even considered editing a bit, but in the end, it is what it is and too many people I talk to don’t understand that a growl is a good thing.  What if, what if, what if…
But the bottom line is, it happened, we recognized it and can even be that much better  to have had the experience and since Asia was there, she has decided to tell the story.

It all happened so quickly that afterwards I almost thought it was a dream. My heart was pounding as I held my daughter close. I’m an overprotective Mom.  Even my own mom teases me about it being a wonder that I made it to the age I am since I sometimes give her “suggestions” when she is watching Baby, but I can’t help it. 

I think all dog owners with small children worry about an incident happening and we did a lot of work with a trainer in anticipation of Baby’s arrival. When I was pregnant I had no idea how Ray would react to a baby and because he was such a high maintenance puppy, I prepared myself for the worst, but in my heart I knew our loving Ray-Ray would be gentle with her. He might be confused with her arrival, since HE was the baby of the house but I knew he would learn and grow to love her, after all, we were prepared.

 

Ray mostly hangs out in the kitchen and living room area, but Baby and I have been spending more and more time with him in there as well as him roaming the house freely. Baby was sitting on the floor while I was sitting above her on the couch and Ray was lying on the floor near us. Any time Baby starts to crawl towards Ray; I pick her up and redirect her. He gets nervous easily and I don’t want to push their relationship too fast. This time I wasn’t quick enough. I looked away for a second, and Baby had crawled over to Ray who was licking a sore spot on his back leg. I stood up to get the baby, and in that same moment she grabbed his leg and Ray jumped up and made a sound; a growl and bared his teeth. I picked Baby up and we were both shaken. I smacked Ray’s butt and yelled “bad!”  (I know, I know!) Then I left the room as he slinked under the kitchen table, his safe spot.

Ray did not touch her and he would not have even if I didn’t pick her up. He had been startled and I knew that he was just giving her a warning, “My legs are sensitive and you pushed my limit” but it scared me, obviously. Afterwards I called my mom and she explained that it was a good sign that he showed this warning. By him doing that it helps us know what his boundaries are. He was not trying to hurt the baby; he just wanted to ask her not to do that. I went back in the kitchen with the baby and saw Ray lying on his mat under the table looking sad. I felt horrible. I shouldn’t have yelled at him, because really what he did wasn’t bad at all. I got a treat and coaxed him out of his safe zone; pet him and let him give the baby a kiss.  I’m thankful that my mom has done a tremendous job training Ray and that he is so loving and patient with the baby.  Our cats are extremely patient with her as well; I couldn’t ask for more from them. 

Yes, what happened shocked and scared me, but after the fact it was a great Learning Experience.
I’m glad Ray shows us signs and that he didn’t bite or hurt her in any way.  Some dogs would skip the warning and do harm first and I know that we want him to continue to show us his limits and I know to allow him his space.
As a new mom and new part-dog owner, I encourage people that are introducing a baby to a pet to take it slow and be patient.  You can’t expect the animal to understand right away what you want.  And you also can’t expect the baby or small child to know how to treat a dog.  As my daughter grows up I look forward to teaching her how to treat all animals the right way; with care, caution, and respect.  Animals are not toys and they deserve to be treated like a human being, in my opinion.

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Sickie Poo

You know how karma has a way of putting you in your place?  Yeah, well sometime last week, I had started to feel kind of burnt, overwhelmed and discouraged so in my mind, I declared that Saturday was going to be Selfish Saturday.  I planned to sleep late and cuddle with Ray, get a pedicure and not clean the house -at least in the morning. 

While I had my hedonistic morning, something else happened and if you follow him on Facebook you already know;  Ray got sick.  He starting throwing up in the early afternoon and every few hours throughout the evening, once overnight, again a few times on Sunday.  I was starting to feel a bit panicked because he only ate half of his breakfast on Saturday morning, refused food all the rest of the day-even the boiled chicken and rice I made him.  Thankfully he still drank water and ate ice chips to keep hydrated.  Also, Ray usually smells like nothing and I could smell sick-dog smell on him. 

 

The really cute and somewhat sad thing about Ray is that he hates to throw up in the house.  He runs to the door and stands there, waiting to be let out.  He actually seems to hold it as long as possible until he can go out to a good spot.  Everytime we missed the signal or overnight, there was a bit of vomit by the door.  What really started frightening me was when he vomited on his foot and didn’t even seem to mind. 

I think he probably ate something that disagreed with his tummy and after thinking and talking about all the possibilities, we feel it was a certain one of his treats, which we will obviously no longer give him. Finally Sunday afternoon he ate his chicken and rice with a little kibble and acted like he was regaining some strength.  By Sunday evening he was acting a bit more playful and even begging for a taste of my sorbet and this morning my happy wiggle butt was back.

Thanks for all the good healing thoughts and wishes you all sent over the interwebs.  We really appreciated all your kind words.

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Feline Friday

With some good “leave it” training, some sturdy gates and a lot of praise for “doing the right thing,” Ray now (for the most part) has very little interest in our kitties.  Though the kitties show varying degrees of interest in him which manifests itself in unique ways.

Jae spends most of his time on top of hte table that Ray sleeps under.  He is the one who walks anywhere he wants, drinks from dips his piggies in Ray’s water bowl, and steals kibble.  They can pass each other in the hallway without so much as a “how ya doin'” to each other because Jae has learned that a moving cat is FUN to chase and a stationary cat isn’t even worth the effort of nodding to.

Miko is our largest and youngest cat.  As Asia mentioned, Miko is our Inspector.  Everything has to be just so and follow the rules of Miko.  If the gate is open and Ray is laying on his mat, Miko will sit on “his” side of the gate feeling as if he is in the safety zone.  He can talk and meow at Ray to his heart’s content because whether or not the gate is open, Miko is on the right side.  He will also venture into Rayville and steal kibble, sit by the garage door and whine (the garage is “outside” to Miko) or just generally sit in the choice sunspots as long as Ray is out of Miko’s sightline.  When Ray is moving about the house, Miko tends to hug the walls behind furniture and keep a clear path.

That’s 9 lbs of Boo Kitty and 20 lbs of Miko.

Boo Kitty is our oldest and smallest cat and she used to have a best friend.  Our dog Bam Bam (Baa Baa) was Boo Kitty’s friend, guardian, and cherished companion until Bam Bam when to the bridge.  Boo Kitty feels it is her bound duty to remind Ray at every opportunity that he is ‘not the Baa Baa.’ 
Recently, Ray was laying in the living room on the sofa and behind the coffee table.  Boo Kitty enters the room walking on the opposite side of the table, see’s Ray, hisses, doubles back to stand in front of him and hisses again, you know…just in case he didn’t get the first message.

She definitely has some chutzpah.  Who is your bravest fur baby?

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Walk This Way

Asia has graciously offered up another post!

When Ray comes upstairs with me, he always has to reach the top first. No matter if I’m ahead of him the whole way until the last two stairs, he always pushes his big butt past me to win. I told my mom this and she said, “I’m not surprised, you are the same way.” And really, I am. Ray and I are lot alike, as well as my cat Miko is a lot like Ray and me.


Ray and I are both completely in love with our mommy, and sometimes all we want is her attention. Just being around her makes us feel happy. We will follow her around, and wait for her to get home. Ray is very calm most of the time, as am I, but we both also get so worked up sometimes that we can’t calm down. Me, while playing soccer and him while playing with his toys. I’ve found that Ray is a great opponent in soccer, and I enjoy playing with him.


When we got my cat Miko, he was just a baby and since we had two other cats he lived in my room with me for the first week or so. Everything in the house belongs to Miko, and if we get something new he is our inspector. I am very much the same way in everything is “mine, mine, mine!” Sometimes as a joke, but most of the time I am serious.

This makes me wonder, when our pets are born do they already have their own personality, or do their humans influence how they act? Do any of your pets act like you, and how so?