My dad always likes taking Sport on his morning walks with him. They leave at seven in the morning, while I am still asleep.
Yesterday morning, about a mile away from our home, two off leash dobermans spotted and chased after my dad and dog. Sport panicked and slipped his collar, running for his life towards the main road. My dad didn't chase after because he was afraid that the dobies would come after them. Finally, once the two dogs went back to their owner, my dad ran towards the road but Sport was already gone.
My father searched for fifteen minutes along the road before heading home to get me and a car. He felt so bad.
Imagine his surprise upon returning home and finding Sport sitting in our front yard! My little man had run across two main roads and over a mile to get home. Sport was ridiculously happy to see my dad and was jumping around like a madman.
I am so glad that it was a holiday and no one was on the roads. I gotta say, I am surprised that Sport knew how to get home. He curled up at my feet all morning and slept like a baby.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
My Christmas Wishlist:
-Flyball lessons for Sport
-Antler chews for Sport
-Bully sticks for Sport
-A chest freezer for Sport's food
-Exotic meats to fill the chest freezer for Sport
-More dog toys for Sport
-A digital camera to take more pics of Sport
-Money to pay rent
Of course, I will get none of these. Instead I will get yet more clothing that I don't need because that is what my mother does.
-Antler chews for Sport
-Bully sticks for Sport
-A chest freezer for Sport's food
-Exotic meats to fill the chest freezer for Sport
-More dog toys for Sport
-A digital camera to take more pics of Sport
-Money to pay rent
Of course, I will get none of these. Instead I will get yet more clothing that I don't need because that is what my mother does.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Frustration boils over....
Gah. It is totally my fault, but I just wish that my house was calm for once...
I took Leo for a walk today. I was working on his leash manners. Sport was giving me sad puppy eyes so I threw him a PB Kong and left him out of his crate. What's twenty minutes? He'll be fine.
Leo is a very hard puppy to train. He is clumsy so he doesn't really realize what his body is doing at any given moment. So when I am clicking him for walking by my left side, loose leash, he is like, "Great! Food is falling out of the sky!" instead of thinking about why he got clicked in the first place. Towards the end of the walk he was doing really well though and it was like he had caught on... but then the neighbor's dogs started barking and he just kept pulling and pulling and pulling. I hate ending the walk on a bad note, but my hands were sore from his hard mouth and I was dizzy from all the back and forth walking that we did.
Not pleased with the walk, but not upset, I enter my house to find two doughnut containers that my roommate had left on the kitchen table, on the ground. My bear claw was already gone and the three long johns were all half eaten. Sport! I was picking up the pieces when Leo sticks his head in the trash and devours what I think was a mango skin.
AHHHHH!
Both dogs are locked in their crates for the moment. I can't deal with them right now. Not until I am less angry and tired of their antics. Sport is definitely not getting dinner tonight. He will have a tummy ache and nothing more. I love these two, but I cannot wait for someone to take Leo off my hands.
I took Leo for a walk today. I was working on his leash manners. Sport was giving me sad puppy eyes so I threw him a PB Kong and left him out of his crate. What's twenty minutes? He'll be fine.
Leo is a very hard puppy to train. He is clumsy so he doesn't really realize what his body is doing at any given moment. So when I am clicking him for walking by my left side, loose leash, he is like, "Great! Food is falling out of the sky!" instead of thinking about why he got clicked in the first place. Towards the end of the walk he was doing really well though and it was like he had caught on... but then the neighbor's dogs started barking and he just kept pulling and pulling and pulling. I hate ending the walk on a bad note, but my hands were sore from his hard mouth and I was dizzy from all the back and forth walking that we did.
Not pleased with the walk, but not upset, I enter my house to find two doughnut containers that my roommate had left on the kitchen table, on the ground. My bear claw was already gone and the three long johns were all half eaten. Sport! I was picking up the pieces when Leo sticks his head in the trash and devours what I think was a mango skin.
AHHHHH!
Both dogs are locked in their crates for the moment. I can't deal with them right now. Not until I am less angry and tired of their antics. Sport is definitely not getting dinner tonight. He will have a tummy ache and nothing more. I love these two, but I cannot wait for someone to take Leo off my hands.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
:x
Sometimes, I can't really post what is on my mind. That is why the blog has been slow as of late. Job security and all that...
In other news... nah, I got nothing. I can't wait until my manager gets back.
Until I have something interesting to write about, here is a video of Sport and Leo playing:
In other news... nah, I got nothing. I can't wait until my manager gets back.
Until I have something interesting to write about, here is a video of Sport and Leo playing:
Monday, November 3, 2008
Puppies...
I almost forgot why I try to not foster puppies. Don't get me wrong, puppies are the cutest things ever, but my new foster dog Leo, a 6-7 month old puppy, is CRAZY!
As soon as I brought him home, Sport and Leo were hellbent on destroying my home. Sport realized that he was faster and more agile than Leo, so he would run under the glass coffee table, through chair legs, behind the tv and over the couches to play "chase." Leo, who I am convinced is part puppy/part horse, would clod around behind Sport crashing into the glass coffee table, knocking over chairs, through the wires behind the tv, and over all of us on the couches. I sent them outside and Sport quickly taught Leo how to dig and then they munched on grass in between crazy chase sessions.
Leo gets into everything. I am apparently horrible at puppy-proofing and every time I turn my back he has something else in his mouth. Shoes, blankets, dog beds, trash, tablecloths, couches... I can not let my guard down for a second(currently he and Sport are in the yard running around like fools).
He and Sport are getting along fairly well. Sport likes to play with him a lot. I think the weirdest thing is what is going on with Sport. With his other doggy friends, he likes to play chase or play with toys and tug. With Leo, he wrestles. At first I was scared that he was hurting Leo because Leo is quiet, but Sport sounds like a Tasmanian Devil. However, they just continue to wrestle until I chase them outside. It is odd though, becase Leo always puts himself on the bottom so it looks like Sport is a big tough dog.
It's a good thing puppies are so darn cute. I can't imagine putting up with this otherwise. People who want dogs that stay puppies forever are crazy. But at the same time, I think someone should take Leo home soon cuz he really is funny and adorable.
Things the Leo is still learning about:
-Screen doors (he's crashed into it more than once...)
-Oven doors (There's a dog in the oven!!!!BARKBARKBARK)
-Stairs (his horse part doesn't like it)
-Dachshunds
Little Leo
Sport is a mean foster brother... haha
Friday, October 31, 2008
Playdate...
Some friends and I decided to get our pups together for a play date. There were five people and:
Sport (14 lb. doxie mix, 1 y.o.)
Cloey (~30 lb. aussie mix, 8 m.o.)
Leo (~30 lb. pit, 5-6 m.o.)
Rhino (~45 lb. pit, 6-7 m.o.)
Toad (~25 lb terrier mix, 6-7 m.o.)
Zoey (~35 lb. golden mix, 2 y.o.)
Olive (~40 lb. husky mix, 2 y.o.)
Sport was a little overwhelmed by everyone, being as how he was the smallest dog there. I felt really bad because he would want to play, but then he would get so freaked out by everyone rushing over that he would get scared. Then everyone would scramble to pull their dogs off him. Everyone kept correcting their dogs (calling them away, putting them in sit/stays or down/stays) and I didn't know if I should call Sport away or not. All he was doing was getting scared though, so I couldn't really correct that. And he was sticking pretty close to my legs, so I couldn't really call him off.
The unfortunate aspect of the group dynamics is the fact that all of the dogs are very young. Most are in their teens so none of them were ever correcting each other and play started escalating to the point where someone would get pissed off.
I will post pictures later. My friend took them so I haven't seen them yet. Sport did have a little fun when he wasn't being such a baby. I think for the future, I will only do one or two dogs until he gets used to playing with others.
Little Leo is coming to stay with us so hopefully he will get used to playing with him!
Sport (14 lb. doxie mix, 1 y.o.)
Cloey (~30 lb. aussie mix, 8 m.o.)
Leo (~30 lb. pit, 5-6 m.o.)
Rhino (~45 lb. pit, 6-7 m.o.)
Toad (~25 lb terrier mix, 6-7 m.o.)
Zoey (~35 lb. golden mix, 2 y.o.)
Olive (~40 lb. husky mix, 2 y.o.)
Sport was a little overwhelmed by everyone, being as how he was the smallest dog there. I felt really bad because he would want to play, but then he would get so freaked out by everyone rushing over that he would get scared. Then everyone would scramble to pull their dogs off him. Everyone kept correcting their dogs (calling them away, putting them in sit/stays or down/stays) and I didn't know if I should call Sport away or not. All he was doing was getting scared though, so I couldn't really correct that. And he was sticking pretty close to my legs, so I couldn't really call him off.
The unfortunate aspect of the group dynamics is the fact that all of the dogs are very young. Most are in their teens so none of them were ever correcting each other and play started escalating to the point where someone would get pissed off.
I will post pictures later. My friend took them so I haven't seen them yet. Sport did have a little fun when he wasn't being such a baby. I think for the future, I will only do one or two dogs until he gets used to playing with others.
Little Leo is coming to stay with us so hopefully he will get used to playing with him!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Adventures in Sport's Land.
Today we deviated from the trail and decided to trek through the grass today. It was fun. The sky was so blue and the weather was just gorgeous. I really don't want it to snow just yet. We are having too much fun!
We practiced some recalls.
He practiced his flight.
But then he spotted something.
What is it, boy?
Llamas!! Why does it look so mad?
Cuz Sport wants to eat them.
After our walk, I had to go to work. My boss, Ali, let me do a bunch of vaccines and blood draws for heartworm tests. It was only my fourth time drawing blood, but I think I did really well. I did blow one vein, but I did six different dogs and I managed to get them done quickly and effectively. All were negative for heartworms.
The last dog that we had to do a blood draw on is a crazy shepherd mix pup. She was going insane, so I told Ali that she should do it instead. I restrained Zoey, the pup, while Ali tried to draw the blood. Unfortunately, Zoey chose a really bad moment to flip out and I lost my grip on her, Ali lost her grip on the syringe and I felt a stabbing pain in my thigh. We looked down and see the syringe sticking out of my leg! OUCH. I have a bruise around the site. I am just glad it was an empty syringe (she hadn't even drawn the blood yet) and not a vaccine or sedative or something bad like that. Man, who knew practicing medicine could be so dangerous?
We practiced some recalls.
He practiced his flight.
But then he spotted something.
What is it, boy?
Llamas!! Why does it look so mad?
Cuz Sport wants to eat them.
After our walk, I had to go to work. My boss, Ali, let me do a bunch of vaccines and blood draws for heartworm tests. It was only my fourth time drawing blood, but I think I did really well. I did blow one vein, but I did six different dogs and I managed to get them done quickly and effectively. All were negative for heartworms.
The last dog that we had to do a blood draw on is a crazy shepherd mix pup. She was going insane, so I told Ali that she should do it instead. I restrained Zoey, the pup, while Ali tried to draw the blood. Unfortunately, Zoey chose a really bad moment to flip out and I lost my grip on her, Ali lost her grip on the syringe and I felt a stabbing pain in my thigh. We looked down and see the syringe sticking out of my leg! OUCH. I have a bruise around the site. I am just glad it was an empty syringe (she hadn't even drawn the blood yet) and not a vaccine or sedative or something bad like that. Man, who knew practicing medicine could be so dangerous?
Saturday, October 25, 2008
R.I.P. Little Icky
Today, we put my little foster dog to sleep. He was in kidney failure. I will miss him so much. Sport is still looking for him..
I'm glad that I got to hold him while it happened. I am glad I had a chance to know him. Even only knowing him for a couple weeks, I admit that I cried the entire car ride home (and am still crying now). He was a sweet dog, full of personality, even when he was so sick.
It makes me mad though that his story ended this way. He should have died in the arms of his owner, the one he loved. Though I love him, he deserved better. He had better than most though. How many dogs die terrified at the end of a rabies pole? Millions. How many die in a gas chamber scared out of their minds? It is unfair and cruel. I hope that more people would think about that when they surrender a dog to a shelter (an older dog at that). Not only will they be stressed but it is likely that they will die surrounded by strangers (however kind they might be). Would you want your dog to be terrified in their last minutes? Most don't care, I suppose.
Icky deserved better. I honestly believe that he would have lived longer if not for being submitted to the shelter system and all the stress involved. Even loved as he was, I know that he was stressed.
Sorry for the rant, sorry if it isn't coherent. I am too drained today.
I'm glad that I got to hold him while it happened. I am glad I had a chance to know him. Even only knowing him for a couple weeks, I admit that I cried the entire car ride home (and am still crying now). He was a sweet dog, full of personality, even when he was so sick.
It makes me mad though that his story ended this way. He should have died in the arms of his owner, the one he loved. Though I love him, he deserved better. He had better than most though. How many dogs die terrified at the end of a rabies pole? Millions. How many die in a gas chamber scared out of their minds? It is unfair and cruel. I hope that more people would think about that when they surrender a dog to a shelter (an older dog at that). Not only will they be stressed but it is likely that they will die surrounded by strangers (however kind they might be). Would you want your dog to be terrified in their last minutes? Most don't care, I suppose.
Icky deserved better. I honestly believe that he would have lived longer if not for being submitted to the shelter system and all the stress involved. Even loved as he was, I know that he was stressed.
Sorry for the rant, sorry if it isn't coherent. I am too drained today.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Icarus Udpate
Little Icky is in the hospital. After talking to the vet and having her look over him, she told me that it seems like kidney failure. We decided to still run the blood work to confirm, but it doesn't look good.
I don't think Icky is coming home.
How weird that I could be so attached to him after only a couple weeks. I started crying as we discussed it. The sad fact of the matter is that he is not my dog and I cannot afford to pay for expensive treatments for a foster. Nor can my shelter, really. There are so many more things we could do than try to extend the life of an old min pin.
I also found out his whole story today. Apparently his owner died and the person who inherited him surrendered him to the humane society because he was biting (no teeth!!!!). The humane society transferred him to us because of his attitude and age.
The first day here...
Hanging in the yard with Sport
I don't think Icky is coming home.
How weird that I could be so attached to him after only a couple weeks. I started crying as we discussed it. The sad fact of the matter is that he is not my dog and I cannot afford to pay for expensive treatments for a foster. Nor can my shelter, really. There are so many more things we could do than try to extend the life of an old min pin.
I also found out his whole story today. Apparently his owner died and the person who inherited him surrendered him to the humane society because he was biting (no teeth!!!!). The humane society transferred him to us because of his attitude and age.
How sad that this boy had to live the end of his life amongst strangers. Strangers who love him, certainly, but not the people he has known and loved for his entire life.
He is such a sweet little dog and he deserved better than this. I am just glad I got to meet him. I am glad he got to spend these past weeks in a home and not a shelter.
The first day here...
Hanging in the yard with Sport
Smarty Pants and Icky-poo
I have never practiced "Leave it" outside of my house. I usually only use it for cheap parlor tricks (put a piece of food on Sport's foot and tell him to leave it until I release, "Okay!") or when I drop something I don't want him to eat (like chocolate) and then I reward with a treat.
Today on our walk, my little boy surprised me! I had him off leash and he was bounding through the field. I called him back and he came running and stopped right before he got to the trail. He looked down and sniffed. I walked over to him and saw a BLOODY RODENT SKULL just as his little jaws were opening to gobble it up.
"Leave it!"
He looks up at me.
"Good boy!"
He looks down and opens his mouth again.
"Leave it!"
He looks at me.
"Let's go!"
He runs towards me and we go down the trail.
"GOOD BOY!"
I honestly was expecting to have to pry it out of his mouth. I made the mistake of rewarding him before I called him away. He is used to me saying "leave it" and then releasing him to eat it with "okay" so he thought I was releasing him to eat the skull. But he still listened to me!
Even more amazingly, he still left it alone when I went back to take a picture of it (because I am a zoology major/nerd and I wanted to see if I could identify what kind of rodent it is). It had to be tempting since it was very fresh. Probably just killed a couple of hours ago.
I'll spare you the pic, it even grosses me out. But I was really proud of him.
I am worried about Icky, though. He hasn't been eating again and he has lost quite a bit of weight. He ate some turkey tonight, but hasn't has a meal since Monday. I am taking him to the vet tomorrow to run some blood work. I am so disheartened about him sometimes. Who is going to adopt this goon? But honestly, if I find out that he is sicker than we thought, I will be willing to keep him. It's not like he is any trouble. I bet my parents will even take him on...
Today on our walk, my little boy surprised me! I had him off leash and he was bounding through the field. I called him back and he came running and stopped right before he got to the trail. He looked down and sniffed. I walked over to him and saw a BLOODY RODENT SKULL just as his little jaws were opening to gobble it up.
"Leave it!"
He looks up at me.
"Good boy!"
He looks down and opens his mouth again.
"Leave it!"
He looks at me.
"Let's go!"
He runs towards me and we go down the trail.
"GOOD BOY!"
I honestly was expecting to have to pry it out of his mouth. I made the mistake of rewarding him before I called him away. He is used to me saying "leave it" and then releasing him to eat it with "okay" so he thought I was releasing him to eat the skull. But he still listened to me!
Even more amazingly, he still left it alone when I went back to take a picture of it (because I am a zoology major/nerd and I wanted to see if I could identify what kind of rodent it is). It had to be tempting since it was very fresh. Probably just killed a couple of hours ago.
I'll spare you the pic, it even grosses me out. But I was really proud of him.
I am worried about Icky, though. He hasn't been eating again and he has lost quite a bit of weight. He ate some turkey tonight, but hasn't has a meal since Monday. I am taking him to the vet tomorrow to run some blood work. I am so disheartened about him sometimes. Who is going to adopt this goon? But honestly, if I find out that he is sicker than we thought, I will be willing to keep him. It's not like he is any trouble. I bet my parents will even take him on...
Icky-poo!
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