Barking & Barfing

Barking. Sometimes I think Chili loves the sound of her own voice. Bark, bark, bark, bark. What was that? Should I bark? I should bark. What do you mean no? I’m pretty sure I should bark. That’s it, I’m barking. Bark, bark, bark, bark. Then she looks back at you all proud of herself.

Luckily she doesn’t bark at everything and it’s more or less confined to inside the house. She doesn’t bark at the doorbell or someone knocking. She just barks at imaginary sounds and things outside. OK, she probably does hear something that we can’t, but it doesn’t make it any less annoying. She has a very big bark for a little girl, an 80lb little girl. She’ll go for a while where she just ignores everything, then it starts up again. She’ll casually walk over to the French doors and stare out the window. It’s quite amusing, especially since we now know her body language. She looks back and forth, searching for whatever. We know when she’s ready to start because her head starts to jerk, her body stiffens and leans forward. She does look quite remarkable. I really have to get a picture of her in her intense stance.

It’s one thing to be barking in the middle of the day. It’s another when it starts in the middle of the night. That really sucks. Imagine yourself, dead asleep, then being woken up as if you were just shocked. Sometimes being kicked in the head as she jumps up to defend against .... whatever. Not a pretty picture. What could make it even better? Add some barfing.
Yes, barfing. It’s been a tough month for the Chill. We noticed that she had a crack in one of her canines. Now, I like to be proactive about these things so we had to get it dealt with right away. Anyway, a few days before she was supposed to go in to have her tooth fixed, she stopped eating, got diarrhea, and started barfing. Now, instead of waking up in the middle of the night to bark, she was waking up to barf. Poor girly.

Somehow we’ve been able to train her to do her best to go outside if she has to barf. She really does try. Sometimes she doesn’t make it all the way, but at least she makes it to the tile. Once she get sick I don’t really sleep, I just go to bed and stay in this half sleep, half awake state. I know the signs. She starts to pant, and lick her lips, then smack her lips. When she’s ready, she jumps up and off she goes. I want to be there for her when she has to go. I think she likes the moral support. She relies on me. She just has to move the right way and I’m half way down the stairs before I’m completely awake. Right by her side.

She did manage to get better before she was put under anaesthesia, only to be sick again from the anaesthesia. Another couple of nights go by where we’re running outside in the middle of the night. Finally she started to feel better. I was looking forward to getting a good night’s sleep. I did, for a day or two. Then she got sick again. I don’t even know why I bothered going to bed. Again, poor girly.

After a tough month, she’s almost back to normal. Almost. We did find out that she has mild pancreatitis which might explain the occasional barfing. As a result, we’ve switched her food and stopped sharing. The last one has been tough on her and us. We’re all used to the sharing ritual but when it comes to her health, we can be strong. It’s not over, but at least she seems to be feeling better.

I’ll take the barking any day or night, it that means she’s well.

Christmas Presents for the Dog?!

It's the time of year when people talk about the ‘commercialization of Christmas’ that it’s a ‘racket for the retailers to make more money’, or they're just plain old ‘bah humbug’. What’s with the anti-Christmas attitude? Christmas is sparkly, bright, shiny.... an excuse for people to smile more and say ‘Merry Christmas’. The first time you say it sheepishly, almost a little embarrassingly, then as you see the light in the other persons eyes, you do it with a bit more passion, and suddenly people in your path are left smiling and feeling merry. What’s bad about that?

If you’re lucky enough to have a crazy dog in your life at Christmas, then you really have no excuse to feel like the Grinch. By the way, did you ever notice that no matter how Grinchy the Grinch was, his dog was always happy? I think he knew the Grinch had more in him and was just waiting for that moment when it all burst out.

I buy Christmas presents for my dog. There I said it. It’s the only time of year she gets new toys. I even buy her the toys that she really, really loves, stuffed animals; even though I know most of them won’t last the day. She has a stocking hanging above the fireplace too with her name on it in red glitter. You can’t have Christmas without stockings. Brad thinks I’m a little nuts and laughs at me but that’s OK. That’s the point, the laughter and fun that surrounds it.

There is nothing ladylike, refined, or demure about Chili. She’s all wild, free and crazy. If there’s an opportunity for fun, she jumps right in. When it comes to loving life, we could all learn from her. Christmas morning with Chili is great. It doesn’t take her long to get into the present opening mode. It’s funny watching her rip the paper off, then there’s that moment where out of nowhere, she realizes there’s a toy inside. This happens with every gift. When she sees the toy, it’s like she’s a super wound spring ready to let go. She takes her newfound treasure, flings it into the air, and springs after it. Then grabs it in her mouth and gives it a good shake. We have to duck for cover to avoid a black eye from flying stuffed animal limbs. She looks like she’s drunk as she stumbles around shaking her stuffed animal, with limbs everywhere.

As for Brad and I, we’re rolling around laughing and laughing at her. We all take turns opening our presents but we have the most fun when it’s Chili’s turn. Well, actually, we do have fun laughing when one of us gets a bad present. You know those presents that you get but you really don’t get. You have to laugh when you open them because really, what else can you do.

In the end, Chili leaves a path of torn paper, chewed limbs, and slobber. She doesn’t just slobber on her own gifts either. She has to personally inspect each one of ours and since we aren’t completely capable of opening them on our own, she has to help. Yes, it’s not easy sitting in front of the tree trying to open a present with an 80lb dog hovering over you and shoving her head right in your way. It’s not easy, but it’s fun. So much fun that I wish there were more presents for us to open just so we can laugh at Chili.

So in the end, that’s the real gift. Chili. The best gift we could ever have.

Collection... Yeah, You Get It

As dog owners, we have to do some rather unpleasant tasks from time to time. I mean really, walking around with rolls of shit bags in our pockets waiting for the moment. The moment we get to pick up that big hand warmer and carry it around for a while. I guess it’s not so bad if you own a little dog, but a big dog, that’s quite the load. You just have to hope the wind is blowing in the right direction so you don’t pass out. At least most of the bags do what they’re supposed to do and you get through the task without actually having any of the load touch you.

Recently I had to get a pee sample from Chili. It’s not like this was the first time I’ve ever done this but for some reason the ridiculousness of the whole thing hit me. Is this some kind of joke? This is exactly what I was thinking as they handed me this little cup with an opening that was 2” wide. What the hell was I supposed to do with this? Talk about setting me up for failure. Do they all go into the back and laugh after you’re given the cup? There should be a prize for getting through this task successfully. It’s like one of those puzzles where you have to put everything in its exact place before the buzzer goes off. As the vet was telling me that I had to collect Chili’s morning pee I just kept looking from the cup, to her, back to the cup, then to her. I didn’t say anything; I just kept staring and then walked to my truck looking at this little cup.

I was not looking forward to this, so when it was time, I had to will myself to get out of bed. I’m half asleep, but I’m ready for it. Before we go outside I make sure I’m geared up. I tie my hair back, I don’t need anything impairing my vision, I’ve already got enough things working against me. I wear a close fitting jacket so the sleeves won’t get in the way, and no gloves. Now we’re ready and out we go into the yard. Oh hell, that’s right, Chili had diarrhea for a couple of days and I haven’t cleaned it up yet. So now I also have to walk through a maze too. This could be a wii game (get it?).

I’m at the ready, watching her every move and waiting for the moment that she squats. She’s looking at me suspiciously because I’m acting weird. “Come on Chili, just pee”. She stops to sniff and I get ready to go in. I already know this won’t go well. She’s a girl and she squats. How the hell am I going to get this little cup in the right spot when she’s squatted so low to the ground? How do people with teeny little dogs do this? The cup is taller than the dog’s squat clearance.

OK, here she goes. I dive in and shove the cup under her, moving it around. I can’t see unless I kneel or lay on the ground and there’s no way I’m doing that it’s still a little dark. I’m blind holding a cup under my peeing dog. I really hope she doesn’t pee on me. Figures, I just get the cup under her and she shuts off the tap, gives me a dirty look, and walks away. All I got was about a raindrops worth. But hey, at least I didn’t get peed on. I kept following her around, telling her to pee, but she was done. I can only imagine what she was thinking. Psycho Mom.

I know what you’re thinking, “You idiot, why didn’t you just use something bigger and then transfer it into the cup?” Well, I actually did think about it but then I started to overthink it and you know the story from there.

The things we do for our dogs.

So Many Reasons

There seems to be a theme lately with people having problems with their dogs. They’re just bad in general, or going to the bathroom in the house, cranky with other dogs, in-house destruction, etc. Sometimes I’m even hearing the words ‘if it doesn’t stop we’re getting rid of him/her’ or ‘some days the dog’s just not worth it’. Guess what, dogs don’t come with owners manuals. You shouldn’t get to return them for a better model when you think they are defective. Have we forgotten that they think and feel? I don’t care what anyone says, you cannot ever 100% control something that thinks. They are also not human so our rules don’t always apply. When you make the decision to adopt, you make a commitment to a life, and a life should never be taken lightly.

Before Chili was even 3 she already gave me many reasons to doubt our decision:

• The times she walked around the house chewing on everything with a crazy look on her face.
• The times that I sat and cried because I just didn’t know what to do with her anymore.
• The time we thought she was finally house trained and she pooped on our bed.
• The time she chewed a chunk out of the new baseboard.
• The time she dragged me off my feet and through the mud.
• The other time we thought she was house trained and she peed 5 times in a row on the new carpet.
• The time she chewed a hold in the love seat.
• The times she ran through the garden and wrecked a bunch of new plants.
• The time she jumped on the table and spilled coffee on the computer.
• The time she ate the roast off the counter.
• The time she ate a hole in the other love seat.
• The other time she dragged me off my feet onto the sidewalk and I ended up with ripped jeans and bleeding knuckles.
• The time she broke one of the new blinds.
• The time she went right through the screen to get to a squirrel.
• The time she was tied to the truck and knocked her daddy to the ground when she saw another dog.
• The time she ate the stuffing out of her bed.
• The time she ate a hole in her other bed.
• The time she dragged me across a field trying to get a chicken.
• All the times she’s lunged at another dog and caused an altercation between me and the other owner.
• All the times she stomps on me before work.
• And, I could go on, but I’ll stop

Even though the list is long and incomplete, I never once considered getting rid of her. I looked at myself and thought about the things I needed to change. It was work, but it was worth it. Chili is the absolute greatest thing that ever happened to me. She made me change and she made me be stronger and challenge myself. Just because you don’t have an easy dog, doesn’t mean you need to take the ‘poor me’ road. Yes, I’ve felt like that but I’ve always come around. I had no choice. I made the decision to adopt Chili and it’s my responsibility to find the solutions to these problems. Chili, well, she’s just doing what she does. She’s a dog.

So, embrace it. Easier said than done? Yes, in the beginning. But you will learn soooo much about yourself and you will be soooo proud of what you’ve accomplished. The connection that you’ve made with your dog will be kind of surreal. It still makes me say 'wow'. It’s a feeling of accomplishment that you will love. Remember, you don’t have to do it alone, find a good trainer, or connect with someone else who has a challenging dog. It does help to talk to someone who understands.

Most importanly, enjoy it, and have fun!

The Magical Halti

Magic comes in many forms. One dictionary describes it as the use of means (as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces. Well, a cookie seems to have supernatural powers over Chili, who you could describe as a natural force. The other tool that I’ve found to be quite magical over a certain natural force is the Halti.

From what I understand, the Halti is meant to keep your dog from pulling on leash. Chili actually walks pretty well, so what am I doing with a Halti? From the time I started training with Chili I’ve been constantly trying to find a way to get her lunging in hand. It’s been a non-stop quest for me. She’s such a great dog except for the lunging. I’d used many different tools and techniques but hadn’t found the right one yet. So, one day Michele (owner of Connective Training) and I were going out for a walk. I was telling her that I wanted to stay on the trails that were wide because they gave me some room to work with Chili when she started lunging. We decided to walk at Beaver Lake.

When she arrived she had left her dogs at home and came armed with some tools. She had a gentle lead, a Halti, and a leash that was only about a foot and a half long. I knew these were meant for Chili but didn’t know what made her come up with these items. They are meant for dogs that pull, and Chili didn’t pull. She told me that after we spoke these items just popped in her head and she just had to give them a try. OK. Who am I to argue with that logic.

Both of these tools are strapped around the dogs snout and head, not the neck. Because of this, they take the dogs power away since you’re essentially leading them by the nose. The difference is night and day. You must use a short leash to avoid causing harm to the dogs neck and spine. You don’t want their head snapping back at the end of a long leash. You must also avoid doing leash corrections as well for the same reason. Unfortunately, most people who use these tools don’t know this. Fortunately for us, we have Michele.

Chili was not impressed with this new development, but I was. Now, the answer to the question of what am I doing with a Halti. The revelation is, just because something is supposed to be used for one reason, doesn’t mean it can’t be used for another. Of the two pieces that Michele brought, my choice was the Halti. I like how it was loose around her mouth unless she pulled, then it pulled her mouth shut, which gave her something else to focus on. I also like that it connects to her collar so if for some reason it does slip off, she’s not loose, I still have her. Now, in the past when Chili would see another oncoming dog, she would stare it down, then lunge. The Halti gives me the control over her head and nose area which allows me to gently pull her head up and break the stare. Breaking her stare prevents her from building herself up to the point where she wants to lunge.

It took me about a month of using the Halti and practicing moving her head towards me and relaxing before things started working. I was teaching Chili, and me, a new routine. Now, instead of lunging 95% of the time, we have 95% success. The times that she does lunge, since she isn’t being held by her neck, the whole incident loses its power, and so does she. Basically, it’s less dramatic and over very quickly. We’re not perfect yet, but have we ever made leaps in the right direction.

So what’s changing? I’m more relaxed, which makes Chili more relaxed. Since I’m not just focusing on making sure that I’m in the right position to hold her back if she lunges, I’m able to relax, and watch her for the signs that tell me I need to step it up. Chili is learning to walk closer to me when she sees another dog and she is starting to look to me on her own rather than me always averting her stare. We’re working towards the day where we won’t need tools any longer, where when another dog comes our way, she just checks them out and continues moving forward.

Now that would be magic.