Progress (or Be Careful What You Wish For)

I have never worked so hard to socialize a dog before.  The puppy we adopted in November last year was terrified of everything.  Now Indigo doesn't see any reason not to jump on everything that moves to see if it wants to play.  Progress, right?  (We are trying to teach her not to jump on people...)

We took Indigo to puppy classes. The first day I had to carry her into the store and then she barely moved from between Iggy's feet. About halfway through class she decided she might like to play with the other pupil, Brutus, a Mastiff-Bulldog mix only 6 weeks old. He lived with 2 other dogs and was certainly interested in saying hi. By the end of class Indie had developed what I like to call the Rob Blake Hip Check - a move where she nuzzles alongside Brutus, then whips around in a circle and smacks him with her butt. That first week Brutus would go sprawling. By the last week she was tugging at her leash to get into the store and greet everyone -- and her little hip checks into Brutus (who by then outweighed her by 20 lbs) only sent her sprawling.

 

I used to walk her and Radar at lunchtime.  

But after Radar went to doggie heaven in February (miss you, big dog!), the little dog spent most of our lunchtime walks trying to stay between my feet as we walked, presumably for protection. It's a scary world without your protector. Eventually she got to where she'd once again walk at the end of the leash instead of tripping me constantly. Then a bike might ride by as it got to be springtime and she was pulling at the leash in the other direction trying to get away. A few walks later she was barking at them like, "get off my path!" Eventually she got used to the bikes whizzing past us and they barely warrant a playful lunge. Until the day we came across a bike some kid had left on the path while they went to explore the river. What the hell was that? A bike without a rider? That certainly warranted the ears going back, the tail between the legs, all the hair on her spine pointing up like a mohawk, slinking up at an angle so as to have a better escape route and a growl meant to be menacing!

Once the 90-degree-days got here our lunchtime walks got shorter until I had the brilliant idea that I could walk her before work. That light bulb went off for me on a Wednesday night. So Thursday and Friday I got up a little earlier and we went for our walk in the morning. On Saturday I was all set to sleep in (yay!) except that around 5:30am *someone* thought they might sit on my feet because, hey, don't we walk every morning at 5:30 am?!? (You know how it takes 30 days for humans to form a habit? I guess with dogs it takes 2...)

 

About the only area we haven't made progress is with barking at the boys next door when they're playing in the back yard, barking at people on the barkpath that goes by our back yard (you might call that a bike path, but not if you lived here) and eating TV remotes. We've ordered so many replacement remotes that Amazon probably thinks we run a resale business. We humans can't seem to learn the habit of putting the remotes up on the highest shelf when we leave the house. 

Anyways, happy 1st birthday to Indigo!

 

New Year, New Dog

We lost our dog last summer. It took a while to want to get a new one, but sometime time fall we decided to get one after we got home from our Christmas/New Year's trip.

We both knew we wanted to adopt from a rescue, the pound, the Dumb Friends League, etc. I think my husband wanted a puppy because you have the greatest chance to mold their personalities and the least chance of getting unusual issues. I have always wanted to adopt an older dog. I worry that they won't get the second chance. If I am truthful I want to adopt all dogs. I have a hard time choosing. In fact that was why in college I ended up with a grey and a black cat -- how do you choose just one?

The dog I had picked out from the web was an 11-yeat-old bulldog with "special needs." We saw her and she was really cute, but some of her special needs led to the conclusion that she would be best in a one-dog household. We haven't entirely ruled out getting a puppy. My second choice was another 11 year old, a beagle. She was cute and lovable to the handler we saw. However on our visit with her she wanted nothing more than to be on the other side of the door. The counselor said she was "independent" but to me it seemed we stressed her out. She would probably get over that eventually... The next dog we saw we took home. An 8-year-old yellow lab. He has a decided limp which I guess could be the precursor to arthritis or hip displasia. The vet there checked it out and said it was currently ok but to see if our vet wanted us to start him on something for joint pain...

We're in our settling in phase. I tried a walk with the dog...he tugs a bit, wants to greet every dog, every person we meet, and would like to hop in any car for a ride. So we don't have to worry about him being friendly. But he might try to go home with anyone with treats or a car! He had his first accident. We've had two or three dozen trips outside as we're trying to learn the signals for that. The only time I've heard him bark so far is on walks -- when he thinks other dogs should come over and play. He slept through the night the first night.

Jackson thinks I'm a Drama Queen

A friend of mine once told me a joke about "my dog must think I'm the greatest hunter since I come home from the store with chicken, pork, beef -- all at once and in only an hour or so."

I've always figured that this was basically true.

And if not, it's really fun to imagine how your dog sees the world without all the silly logic and convention that humans have. In fact, my new friend, Jackson, thinks I am the oddest, most unpredictable drama queen he's ever met. Can't you see the quizzical "what is your deal?" look in his eyes in this picture? Here's my best approximation of what he thinks about our relationship:

You know, it's an honor where I come from if someone sticks their nose in your crotch/butt. I don't know why you get all bent out of shape about this.

Or about mud. I don't yell at you or grab your feet and wipe between the toes when you come in from outside. If it's such a big deal, maybe you should invest in chocolate-brown carpet. I don't see any reason that you can't just leave the door to the back yard open all day. (I won't mind if you close it when it's time for bed.)

It's the neighbor dogs that bark. I just stand by the fence with my blinky ball in my mouth and wonder what their deal is. Ok, sometimes I do growl at them -- but it's only because they make no sense. Who cares if there's a fence there? I only bark at the mailman, the UPS guy, the FedEx lady, the snotty dog that gets to walk on my yard every day and people that don't belong on my block! Granted I'd be happier if most people would choose to use a different sidewalk for walking, but is that so much to ask?

Oh, and I bark at Iggy when he coughs or sneezes because I really don't think those things are healthy. We need to keep him in the pack because he is the best hunter in all the land -- you should see the stash he comes home with every day! Although he seems to not be able to find rawhides as often as he should given his obvious hunting prowess...it's really odd.

Speaking of food, why do you think I want to eat the same food every day? You have something different 3 or 4 or 5 times a day!!! Would it kill you to put some some gravy on my kibble?

If I lay down when I sit by the table at dinner, then I can't really see if you're going to drop something. It's better if I sit next to you and watch closely. Then I can clean up your precious carpet before that food gets ground in there and makes a stain. (I would do this for you, out of the goodness of my heart, even if you got that chocolate-brown carpet.)

I would like to eat that dumb cat that keeps walking on the backyard fence. Ooh! Who does she think she is? Grrrrrr!

I like your pillow and the soft blanket for the same reason you do -- they're comfy. And really, I have been sleeping on that side of the people-bed for a few years now and no one's ever had a problem with it. I like the floor-bed-thingy you got me -- thanks. Now I have one more place to nap during the day. Sometimes it's hard to give all the spots equal time, but the floor-bed-thingy is not a replacement for the couch or the people-bed. And I've even added your office to the list of places to sleep. You should be honored! We can talk about your role in dispensing treats in between naps later -- you need some work on this part of your duties. I am *always* willing to go on a walk (despite your frequent, superfluous sit commands at every single, friggin' street) or car ride with you -- even at 6a.m. in the snow.

Which reminds me -- when I have my nose out the car window and am gulping air, then farting is an expression of joy. Don't knock it. And don't stop. It's hard to keep my balance with your crazy braking habits. Plus it turns off the breeze I was so enjoying.

The blinky ball is mine. Stop trying to take it away. I will allow you to play tug with it, but I do not want to "drop it". That's why I am chewing on it. Duh.

No, I don't want a bath. I don't mind licking myself. You're just jealous that you're not that flexible.

I like socks. Worn ones are better. Just because I carry them around the house doesn't mean you can blame me for the ones you've clearly misplaced in the dryer -- I only take "clean" ones when there's no other ones available.

I don't understand why you sit in the corner all day or why when you're clearly not enjoying talking to the phone you won't just put it down and let me out. I whine to remind you that you're being unreasonable about this. Really you should consider not talking on the phone. It just pisses you off. Sometimes I tolerate your frequent "work breaks" to rub my back or belly. But mostly I like those -- keep that up.

Anywho-o-o-o...time to go nap in the sunbeam on the couch. Catch ya later.

My Life Since High School: Reader's Digest Version

An old high school friend found me on Facebook. He asked me for a "Reader's Digest" condensed version of my last 20+ years. It was sorta fun to write up (and sorta morbid because it got me thinking about obituaries). Some of this is probably repeat for this audience, but I thought I'd post it -- and you should send me yours too!

School/Work:

· I worked at a book store during college. This was my favorite job ever. If there was a way to make a living at that, I would totally do it. I’m keeping it in mind for when I retire, although I acknowledge that there won’t be any books left in the world by that time. (As an aside, I got an Amazon Kindle for my last birthday and love that too…)

· 1992: Got my BS Aerospace Engineering – but I never used it to be a Rocket Scientist.

· My first “real” job out of college was as an “Engineer” for a company that made for roadside sobriety testing. Then I moved to the software industry since that was taking off. I worked at a dot-com for almost 8 years. I had several desks at that company in several buildings in downtown Denver, and the company had 5 names…but it was all the same group of people. I never got a car as a signing bonus and I didn’t retiresuper-rich at age 24.

· 2001: Was bored being a software developer and talking only to the computer all day long, so got an MBA International Business hoping to move into something where I could talk to actual people. Haven’t really used that either, but I did switch career paths.

· My current job is as a “business analyst” where I write technical software specs, but talk to the client to figure out what it is that they want. It’s my 2nd favorite job – and it pays a lot better. I get to work from home and travel to client sites. This is almost how I pictured my life as a “grown up” – if there were international travel it would 100% (except the part about being a female-James-Bond spy). It’s not as glamorous as I pictured!

Love/Family:

· Best Friend: I am still friends with my high school BFF. Outside of my family she has been my most constant friend/companion.

· College sweetheart: We dated for 5+ years and were married for 10. When we divorced I got my first apartment on my own ever (always had roommates until then).

· Ariel: I had a cat that I got in college outside a local grocery. She lived to be 19. When she passed away this summer, it was the first time I felt I was truly alone in the world. (My mom/dad/brother/grandparents all live in Texas now.)

· Akela: I had a dog, an Alaskan Malamute, that I took through a pet therapy program. We spent 9 months visiting an Alzheimer’s unit in North Boulder every weekend, but the clinical smells and machines made her nervous. So we switched to a halfway house in Boulder for the next 2 years. The whole experience was very rewarding for me (and hopefully the dog and the people we visited).

· Hockey: I picked up roller hockey, then ice hockey during my dot-com years. I’ve broken both wrists (separate incidents) while participating. If I break a 3rd one, I promised my mom I would take up ballroom dancing instead. I’ve played all over Colorado, in Laramie, Las Vegas, Dallas, Reykjavik and Toronto. I missed the Calgary games with one of my wrist injuries. That’s all with my women’s team. I occasionally play co-ed, but don’t travel with them.

· Travel: I’ve gotten to see a bit more of the world (my favorite pastime). I’ve been scuba diving in Bonaire, St. John and Cozumel. I went to Great Britain (Scotland, Wales, England) on a bus tour (gah! – possible preview of retirement travel). I took my brother to Rome, Italy one Thanksgiving. Went to Paris one summer to visit a different friend. Had the chance to move there, but couldn’t make the leap. I visited a friend in New Zealand (Wellington area) this year.

· Road Bike: With my tax return in 2005 I bought a road bike (from a company known for their mountain bikes, if that tells you anything about how I do things). It was on sale and 2 years old (still new on the showroom floor though). My tax return only paid for about half of it. It was the single best investment I’ve ever made. Even though I’m not very good at it, I love riding and in the summer try to take my “lunch” for a couple hours and ride the trails in the Denver Metro. I rode my first organized tour (Elephant Rock – 33 mile road route) this summer.

· Next Chapter: I spent a couple of years “dating as an adult” (without the coercion of high school dances and meeting hundreds of new people in massive college classes) and enjoying being on my own, doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I have never really believed in “the one” theory, but last fall I re-met someone I knew years ago and I might be changing my mind…

In Memoriam

When we first “adopted” you outside of King Soopers Grocery, you and your sister could sit on top of a medium pizza box!

I remember you meeting Akela and telling her who was boss.  And not really believing that we needed another dog when we got the puppy.

I liked the expression you had when Akela would hold your head in her mouth—and you had to walk around with crusty hair until you could find a place to clean your fur.  I could almost see you roll your eyes.

Although, to be fair, Akela wouldn’t let any other dogs chase you (you were HER cat) and she did save your life once.

I remember our battle over you being an indoor cat.  You were so determined that I once accidentally caught your tail in the door as I was carrying in the groceries! :( The vet fixed that though—and even if your tail became one vertebra shorter than normal it looked OK.

You were a radio-active cat once!  And you had to stay at the vet for a few days until your levels were “safe”… But it worked and the hyperthyroid issue never bothered us again.

The school bus driver once stopped because you were following Akela and I on our walk.  She wanted to know if you followed me on all my walks.  You usually did.  But when it was time to come home, you would lie down and meow at me to carry you back.  I guess that’s fair — your legs were much shorter than either mine or the dog’s...so it was probably like walking a marathon for you.

The neighbor across the street asked if I could keep you inside on their wedding day because you were apparently in the habit of leaving them presents (little mice) on the doormat.  And they didn’t want to have to clean that up when they were in their fancy clothes.  You used to leave me presents by my truck if I had scolded you for something.  You used to leave GW presents by his jeep if he scolded you.  I assume the presents on the front door mat were for Akela.

Although there were small squirrels and rabbits in addition to the plethora of mice you left us in your lifetime, probably the most impressive “present” was the hummingbird.  And all that without front claws!  I used to joke that if you had front claws we’d find the mountain lion on the front doorstep sometime.

You were very snuggly and loved people.  The vet always commented on this.  And you were a great comfort to me when I broke my wrist (both times) and especially when I moved out.

We had a good run—19 years!  I miss you.

Is it time?

I work from home and my cat, Ariel, sits on my lap most of the day. Friday she would not leave the spot on her chin alone - kept incessantly scratching it. She had a cancerous lump removed from there when she was about 14 or 15. At that time the vet told me to take her to chemo. I balked - I have no idea what 14 "cat years" are equivalent to in human years - but I wasn't sure she'd survive cancer treatment. And how happy could she possibly be? Besides being sick and getting hairballs from her fur as it falls out, she hates car rides and it would've been weekly car rides for a couple months. Ariel will be 19 sometime this summer (in retrospect, I probably should've done the treatment) ... and that lump is back again. I'm also noticing that she's getting sorta skinny despite the premium food and canned chicken.

Ariel's had a pretty good run, I suppose. She's an excellent mouser - even without claws - and has left me "treats" by the front door in every place we've lived. She used to go on walks with me and the dogs (although she would want to be carried back instead of walking back). She purrs so loud that sometimes on conference calls people ask me what the background noise/feedback is on my phone. She's mostly deaf now, so she scares the bejeebers out of me once in a while - she meows loud enough to hear herself and in the middle of the night it's somewhat unexpected.

My ex called this weekend to see if I could dogsit one of the dogs that we used to "own" together. I declined because Ariel is totally over dogs ;-) and I told him I couldn't make up my mind what to do about "the final visit". It was an interesting conversation because he we were dating when I got her outside the local grocery store and because he lived with Ariel as well for 13 of the years we were living together/married. It was sorta nice to talk through it with someone that knows Ariel...and someone that I've had to make this decision with before.

At any rate, Ariel seems to be doing better today - she tried to eat the flowers on my desk and she was grumpy when I snoozed the alarm because it meant a delay in the presentation of her breakfast. But I still wish she could speak English so I could figure out if she's uncomfortable.

My favorite Ariel picture - her showing the new puppy who is the boss. She's probably 2ish here.

Attack of the Viscous Floor Lamp

Usually our dog, Akela, jumps up on the bed after we stop reading and turn out the lights.  She'll nose her way in between us to lie down.

2 people and 1 dog fit on the bed.

After our cat, Ariel, is sure that the dogs are asleep she will come in and lay down next to my arm on the non-Akela side.

2 people, 1 cat and 1 dog fit on the bed.

Our other dog, Tasha, likes to sleep on her mat at the foot of the bed.  So as long as we all lay relatively still this configuration works.  If you move too much the animals will let you know that this is unacceptable verbally.

Around 3 AM, Tasha must’ve had an active dream chasing a big rabbit.  She knocked over the floor lamp that is in the vicinity of her mat, scared herself silly and went running around.  The ruckus woke me up, so I turned on the overhead light and it was pretty obvious (even at 3 AM) that I just needed to stand the lamp up.  During my 10 seconds out of bed, Tasha had come back into the room and firmly lodged herself into my spot on the bed.  Apparently, as a dog, after you have been through a life or death struggle with a floor lamp, you’re not willing to budge from your spot on the bed.  All my coaxing only got her to move over a little bit -- Tasha would have nothing to do with her mat.  I tried artfully arranging myself between the various animals, but since Akela didn't want to be next to Tasha, she kept nosing me over to the edge of the bed, which left Ariel less room than she liked.  If it had not been 3 AM, I might've been able to come up with a logical solution, but as it was I found out that: 

2 people, 2 dogs and 1 cat do not fit on the bed.

At least the cat was willing to make the sacrifice and sleep elsewhere so I didn't have to sleep on the couch.

This is from an old letter I found today.  I had written it to my mom back in the days when I was married, but when we were down from 2 cats/2 dogs to just 1 cat/2 dogs -- so probably around summer/fall 2003.  Thought it was vaguely funny and since I haven't been too inspired to writing anything, thought I'd post it.

Shimmers and Aoraki

I'm reading a book called Straying from the Flock by Alexander Elder to get some background on New Zealand before I head out on my trip. I like this (p.37):

I realized that Shimmers [the cat] was a hard-working animal with an important role in the house. Klaus and Micha brought back carpets from the many countries that they visited and Shimmers made sure those carpets stayed in place. He moved from one carpet to another, following the sun throughout the day, and at night he held down the carpet in front of the fireplace.

I never knew my cat (Ariel) was doing such important work all day!

In an earlier post on my Kiwi Project, I mentioned that "Aoraki means Cloud Piercer in Maori" and that Mt. Aoraki was buffeted by fierce winds called the "Roaring Forties". I found an interesting legend about both those things. Here's a quick summary:

Aoraki and his 3 brothers were sailing their canoe when it struck a reef and capsized. The 4 men climbed onto the reef and sat down. They were caught by the wind and frozen in place. As they turned to stone, they became the South Island of New Zealand. Aoraki was seated the highest on the reef and became the tallest mountain.

In thinking about Mt. Aoraki/Mt. Cook, I think it will be even more awe-inspiring than our mountains here in Colorado. Sure it's a couple thousand feet shorter. But it starts from SEA LEVEL! Our mountains start from a mile high or so... In a couple places in the book (so far) the author mentions going from 'glacier to rain forest' or from 'palm trees to snow' in a few hundred feet!

Additional info:

Mount Aoraki Legend:
http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/HeManawa/LegendAoraki.asp
http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/newzealand/a/aorakilegend.htm
Straying from the Flock by Alexander Elder, p. 81