A Boy and His Dog

Last week Winston and Bogey had their first meeting with Baby Henry.

Bogey and Henry. Meh...

Winston and Henry, love at first sight.

A Boy and His Dog. Book and movie rights currently being negotiated.

Geese Herder

There's a lake behind our house. Geese love lakes. Therefore, we've been having a few problems with some large feathered birds at our house.

Apparently some of the flock decided it would be a swell idea to hang out in the far end our yard. No, nope, uh-uh. For one thing, this means poo everywhere, since geese do their duty approximately once every 60 seconds. For another thing, Winston believes goose poo is a delicious delicacy arranged for his personal enjoyment. Yuck.

To make matters worse, two of the birds actually came strolling up to the back door and rooted around in plantings right next to the house. Apparently this signifies their readiness to move in, build a nest, and have a plethora of little geese. Geese become quite aggressive and will attack anyone if they have babies to protect. Not to be uncharitable, but I refuse to be held hostage by birds in my own yard. After all, this isn't a Hitchcock story.

So first I tried going out and shooing them away. The birds would casually waddle out of range and then return the second I went inside. Next I tried making loud noises. No dice. Then I swished cellophane paper in the air. Same result. We were obviously at war, and the geese were winning.

I consulted the internet for suggestions. Apparently the best method to keep geese away is by using a herding dog such as a Border Collie or Australian Shepherd. I had a talk with Winston and we decided to try the goose herding business. He runs to the end of his lead and the geese stroll away. Since Winston stayed outside longer than I could do, the geese apparently decided to avoid further annoyance by moving into a yard three houses away.

Winston may be smaller than even the tiniest goose, but in my book he's an honorary border collie.

After all, it's not the size of the dog in the fight. It's the size of the fight in the dog.

Fred Astaire Flair

My son's dog, Brady, spends about three days a week at our house while his dad and mom are out of town for work. 

Brady is a somewhat high maintenance kind of guy. He has terrible skin allergies that literally leave his sides and front feet bare due to him licking and pulling in an effort to make the itching stop. This condition is worse during spring and fall because grass and pollen are two of the biggest triggers.  

Imagine having a dog who is allergic to grass.

I can tell you that Son has probably built a new wing at the vet's office due to all Brady's appointments and medications. Brady has even seen a doggy dermatologist several times for help. When a pet has medical issues, a pocketbook can be quickly depleted. I think Brady is a very lucky dog that his parents are so conscientious. 

But I digress. Brady has another problem which is not very endearing.

He likes to mark his territory. All. Over. My. House.

I used to put down towels in his favorite spots which seemed to deter him. Then I realized my floors had virtually disappeared under terrycloth. Plus I had nothing to use after a shower.

Then I discovered doggy diapers. These are nifty little belly bands that fasten on with velcro. It seemed the perfect solution until I realized Brady doesn't have hips. Therefore, the diapers would slide right off him.

More research and I found another solution...doggy suspenders. Hey, they work. And I think it gives him some Fred Astaire flair, too. 

So how do you like Brady's new look?

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Welcome Winston!

I'm hijacking the Girls' Road Trip saga to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Throw in my birthday (December 23) and I can safely say that it's been quite an eventful week or so at my house. Let me explain.

After my sweet Indy boy went to the Rainbow Bridge back in June, I had doubts about getting another dog. There were plans to do post-retirement traveling, a practice that doesn't easily include dogs. Besides, I dog sit Brady (Son's dog) and Tinker Bell (Daughter's dog) fairly often, and definitely enough to give me a dog "fix".

Well, I didn't have either dog for the past several weeks and I must say, the house felt pretty empty. Bogey can fulfill a lot of roles, but playing the part of dog, isn't one of them. So I started a dangerous practice...looking on Petfinder. My husband was thrilled since he's not comfortable with selecting gifts and told me, "Great! I'll just go out and get you a dog for your birthday/Christmas present!"

This made me nervous, so I started searching seriously. I saw plenty of sweet-faced dogs that made me smile, but non really tugged my heartstrings until I noticed this precious little face.

He and two litter mates were 10 week old breeder surrenders (Pekinese/poodle mix--Peekapoos!) to the St. Louis Senior Dog Project. They were scheduled to be at a Petco Adoption event in Kirkwood. Interesting. I traveled to Kirkwood where me and about 4 dozen other people came to see this little guy. I held him and fell in love.

I asked one of the volunteers how the puppies came into care. She explained that their group occasionally gets breeder surrenders because some breeders don't want too many male puppies as females are more marketable. In order to avoid the expense of caring for the "extra" males, some breeders kill them (I never heard of that before--what a horrible practice!). Fortunately, an arrangement came into being. Their group and other adoption groups would take the unwanted puppies instead and find homes for them. Thank goodness!

Well, you guessed it. This little guy came home with me. I believe Petco now feels I am one of their best customers.

So here I am, exhausted and wondering if I can keep up with all the puppy energy, training, and care. Did I do the right thing? I hope so. No other pup will replace my Indy boy, but in the words of Eugene O'Neill, it would be a poor tribute to his memory to never have another dog.

My new baby's name is Winston. He and I are busily establishing the home rules. He's smart and feisty and I sure hope he lets me win once in a while.

I guess in world history there have been cuter pups, but I surely don't know when. Okay, maybe I am slightly prejudiced on the matter. Please meet Winston!

A Dog's Life

Last weekend, my son, DIL, their pup Brady, and I participated in Trails for Tails, a fundraising event to benefit Five Acres Animal Shelter. Some of you may remember last year when we caught up with David Backes (team captain of the St. Louis Blues Hockey team) at this event. David and his wife, Kelly serve on Five Acres' Board of Directors. Sadly, we didn't get to see "The Man" this year.

A large and enthusiastic crowd turned out.

Our little group bravely started the 5K together, but Brady quickly grew weary of going the distance. He planted his butt on the trail and refused to move another step. We didn't give up. Instead we decided to carry on to the finish line.

Carry the dog on to the finish line, that is. He rode in style, with each of us taking a turn staggering along the path while carrying 24 pounds of Cairn Terrier. We finished dead last.

I think you can officially call Brady a very pampered pup.

In Like a Lion...

I think one too many people observed we were having a mild winter. Over the weekend, Mother Nature emphatically reminded us who's in charge. Winter isn't over until it's over. Millions of plump snowflakes created a heavy, fluffy snow which clung beautifully to tree branches. Since I didn't need to drive anywhere, I could enjoy it from the comfort of my cushy easy chair while sipping a cup of hot chocolate.

My old Indy-boy used to love a snowy day. Now he's easily confused. This means I pull on my boots and troop out to fetch him back inside whenever he loses his way. Let me tell you, snow clings better to fur and hair than it does to tree branches. Even after a towel sweep off we're both pretty damp. Snow is pretty, but I'm looking forward to the fresh yellow-green of early spring. I sure hope March intends to go out like a lamb.

Of course, kids adore snow, no matter what fuddy duddy adults say about it. Watching them sled down the hill behind our house until their cheeks and noses are bright red, can't help but make me smile. I think being around children helps to keep oldsters like me feeling young.

Speaking of being around children, I recently wrote a story about my two grandsons which appears in this month's Sasee Magazine. If you have a moment, I'd love for you to pop over for a read. Please consider leaving a comment, if you are so inclined. Here's the link. Sasee is an awesome magazine for women and I bet you'll enjoy flipping through the pages.

Well, yippy-tie-yie-yay, here it is. March has arrived!

A Lesson for All

Here's my sweet boy, Indy. He's been right by my side since the day I got him nearly fifteen years ago. Then he was an eight week old fluffy ball of energy.

Today his vision and hearing are both practically gone, and his back legs have a pronounced wobble. But there's nothing wrong with his sense of smell. He's not too old to follow after a yummy treat...

and he's still fast enough to beat Bogey to the prize.

Indy can accomplish a goal without letting life's obstacles get in the way. Nothing's going to stop him. My little Indy demonstrates a perfect lesson for us all.

We Are Itching for Advice

Visiting grand-dog, Brady is not having fun. I've posted before about this guy's terrible skin allergies. He's highly reactive to grass (among other things) and spring time makes his itchiness flare to an alarming degree.

By the way, lest you think Brady's "parents" have lost their minds, they keep a shirt on him to discourage licking and chewing. He has one side pretty bare and still tries to chew through the shirt to do even more damage. However, nothing can keep socks on his feet. If you look closely you can see that Brady has chewed all the fur off his front paws. His eyes are dull and matted.

Brady and his regular vet have frequent visits. He also sees a doggie dermatologist and takes a plethora of expensive prescription medications to little avail. According to the docs, the allergies are not related to food.

I think we're willing to try about anything, from holistic remedies to anecdotal reports of success. I found a website for a product called Derma-Paws, but know nothing about it other than what the makers claim.

Help! Does ANYBODY know what to do for a dog with constant skin allergies/itches?

Unfavorite Phrases

Easily the most horrifying sentence in all dogdom...

Time for a bath.