Goodbye Little Man

June 10^th, 2011.
We won’t forget that date anytime soon.
That’s the day our beloved Hubert went to the Rainbow Bridge.

It all started about 6 weeks before.  He seemed a little “off” in class.  Had trouble doing repeat trips over the A-frame.  He also lost his enthusiasm for his food.  I changed his diet & things picked up briefly.  Then we had a 4-H dog show and it was clear that Hubert had no stamina.  We pulled him from agility after he refused the 8” jump in Rally.  He rested the remainder of the weekend & by Monday he seemed back to normal.  Tuesday his agility class was heartbreaking.  Wednesday he went to the vet.

I was sure that he would be anemic or something.  His digestive tract has always been “delicate” at best.  Sadly, that was not the case.  He had a tumor the size of a baseball in his abdomen and it had metastasized into his lungs.  Palliative care was the best they could offer, so we took Hubert home.  Thursday we went for a 2^nd opinion and heard a repeat of the day before.

Hubert’s last weeks were filled with home cooked food, gradually shorter walks and visits from his friends.  One drove 3 hours each way across the state to say goodbye.  His first junior handler came and sat on the floor & cried with him for an hour.  His training class at the dog club sent him a get-well card.

To the end he cleaned his plate every meal & wagged his tail anytime you spoke to him.  That last Friday though the look in his eyes had changed.  The pain meds weren’t working anymore and it was time.  That last drive to the vet’s office is always so hard.

Hubert, you were a tremendous dog.  You did amazing things in your 3 brief years.  You can never be replaced & you will always be missed.  Till I see you again Little Man.

A day at the dog show

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s been 2 months since I last posted. You might remember that was the post about how I was going to be better about posting. SIGH. When I thought about why, I realized that I’m just too busy. When I turned in my time card on Friday I realized I had worked 98.5 hours in two weeks. No wonder I’m tired. This definitely required a “me” day.
So, I called my friend & we went to a dog show. I love dog shows. I miss dog shows. I miss showing a dog. That’s an entirely different post though.
Today I walked around in the sun and watched beautiful dogs strut their stuff. I saw friends I haven’t seen in months or years. I held a tangle of leashes for friends showing dogs. I got love and kisses from soft smooshie Basset Hounds. I ate food from vendors and bought Hubert his favorite snack.
The thing I like best about going to the big conformation shows is the variety. The dog watching is only slightly better than the people watching. I especially love the families that come to just walk around and look at the dogs. They don’t know what makes a “good” dog, but they seek out the friendly ones they can pet! The Basset ring is a magnet for these people. The dogs aren’t so highly groomed they can’t be petted and most of them LOVE the attention.
If you’ve ever seen a dog show on TV and want to see one in person, they aren’t hard to find. Check out www.akc.org and click on the “events” tab. From there click on the “event and award search” tab and select the type of event you would like to watch and the state you live in.
The big, multi-day breed shows often offer “show tours”. A knowledgeable volunteer tour guide will escort groups around the show grounds, explaining what is happening in the rings. The tour guide will introduce the basic terminology, answer questions and explain “dog show” etiquette. If you aren’t able to attend one of the big shows, I can give you a few pointers.
1) Ask before you pet the dog! Some dogs don’t like strangers. Some dogs need to remember to stay focused on the handler. Some dogs are groomed & poofed for hours to get them show ring perfect, so the last thing the handler wants is somebody touching a single hair on their highly coifed bodies.
2) Stay out of the way. If there is a seating area, use it! Many of the people will be showing more than one dog and may be in a hurry or trying to maneuver multiple dogs. Be aware of what is going on around you and yield the right of way.
3) Watch where you walk. There are dogs. Lots of dogs. What goes in must come out. Get it?
4) Leave your pet at home. Most venues do not allow dogs not entered in the show to be on the grounds.
My day at the show has left me recharged & refreshed. Check one out and see if it doesn’t do the same for you.

Catching you up. Again.

Full disclosure….. the Sorry! Post was published DAYS ago.  Problem was I tried publishing it from my phone & ended up making it a whole new page.  In the process of fixing it I managed to screw up the password on my WordPress account.  Trust me, you don’t want that to happen.  Everything is back on track now though and I’m ready to catch everybody up.

First up, Halloween.  Shannon went as a vampire & Hubert went as her bat.  Very cute.  Adorably sweet.  I gotta go to the dentist ‘cause I have a toothache sweet.   They got loads of candy & quite a few dog treats and had a great time walking the neighborhood after dark.  This year there were even a few other dogs in costume, which may explain why Hubert didn’t seem quite so embarrassed.  Or maybe that’s because this year’s bat costume was a manly step forward from last year’s sparkly fairy attire.

By the way, I’m terribly torn about posting photo’s on this blog.  I would love to show you pictures of my dog & child in their matching costumes, but since I’m leaving this open to the public I’m just not comfortable with that.  I’ll think on it.

After the big candy grab our focus shifted to the Pinellas County Apple Bake-Off!  Yipee!  This year I submitted my recipe for “Aunt Jean’s Awesome Apple Cake” and earned a blue ribbon in the Adult Apple division.  It went over so well I may enter it at the Florida State Fair.  The competition there is brutal so I haven’t decided yet.

The dogs, why they are just fine.  Thanks for asking.  Shannon is getting ready to show Hubert at a 4-H dog show so she has been the primary trainer for the last few months.  The closer we get to a show the less I actually work with him so that his focus shifts to her.  I have to say last week in class they were fantastic.  Shannon learned a new word.  “Anticipation”.  Yep, Hubert ran to her on the recall before she called him.  We are attacking this with a two prong approach.  First, Hubert is working on Stay.  Second, Shannon is working on “HUBERTCOME” as a fast, loud, one word command.

Again, I promise to get better about posting more often.  I think I have the technical glitches figured out.  We shall  see.

SORRY!

Clearly I have been neglecting the blog. I have an excuse. The Bahamas. First I was getting ready & then I was there & then I came back but my brain did not. Really. It stayed in the Bahamas enjoying the warm sand & beaches & friendly people while I returned without it. And then when my brain got back it decided it needed to bake. Allot. As in two different types of cupcakes, a bar cookie & a cake in three days. I was experimenting with recipes for the fall “Bake-Off” season. Wahoo! So, I promise that I will get back to posting about the dogs soon. Tomorrow. Maybe. Unless I get sucked into the kitchen again…

Getting to know each other…..

This weekend Hubert got a bath. That means one of two things for Hubert. Either he’s going to a dog show or he’s going to Grandma’s. This weekend it was Grandma.

Grandma loves her short & stubby grand-dog, but does not love his basset aroma. Since Hubert loves his Grandma sooooooo much he follows about 3 feet behind her most of the time he is at her house, a bath is generally a pre-visit necessity. Plus, he had to be clean to meet the new girl. As mentioned last week my parents have recently adopted a lovely mixed breed dog named Brownie. Now that she has had a week to settle in to their house we brought over Hubert for a get acquainted visit.

We introduced the dogs on leash in the front yard, but not right near the house. This was both “neutral ground” and a place where both dogs felt comfortable. The dogs both looked alert but relaxed with wagging tails. They approach and sniffed the sides of each other’s face and then went right to butt sniffing. Now most people at this point pull the dogs apart & try to get the dogs to great each other nose to nose. “NO, NO, NO, BAD HANDLER” I say. This is very rude doggy language. If there is an Emily Post in Dogville she is both shocked and appalled. In Dogville proper dogs with good manners introduce themselves by sniffing butt. We don’t have to like it, we don’t even really have to understand it. We just need to let them do it.

After several do si do’s of circling & butt sniffing Hubert tried to jump up & put his front feet on Brownie’s shoulders. This is a clear sign of dominance and part of the package with many dogs, especially intact males. This however is NOT acceptable. With a quick leash pop I pulled Hubert off of Brownie and told him no. After that it was nothing but FUNNY! We took the leashes off & Brownie took off running across the yard with Hubert running full speed behind her and baying like the hound he is. Brownie then slammed on the breaks. Hubert did not. He hit her mid stride, full speed, and bounced off of her. She spun around and took off in the opposite direction & repeated the whole thing again. And again. And again. Kind of like doggy bumper cars.

Weird little dog!

Last night Hubert kept making a face at me. Big brown eyes framed by velvety soft ears. Truly they can burn a hole in your soul. Really, it can be quite unnerving. I offered him a cookie. I got a tail wag but then I got the face again. Weird little dog, I’m going to bed!

Today, I had an epiphany. Looking at my calendar I realized we haven’t DONE anything in a few weeks. No, dog shows, no seminars, no trips to Grandma’s house. Just us & the dog club & hanging out at the house. So, tonight I’m taking Hubert for a walk. We will go somewhere and he can sniff some things. He can be cute and cuddly & run around like an idiot.

Then maybe he will stop making the face.

Welcome to the family

A new dog joined our extended family over the weekend.  She is absolutely adorable and I’m probably about 50% responsible for her joining our crazy bunch. 

About 2 months ago my parents lost their dog, Buddy, to a very aggressive form of cancer.  I waited a couple of weeks & then sent my dog Molly to spend the night (along with the child) while Kevin & I took Hubert to an obedience trial.  This of course started the discussion about how much they missed having a dog.  Shortly after that I began to mention when I heard about dogs looking for new forever homes.  One thing led to another and Sunday night they brought home Brownie, a large, happy, fuzzy brindled black dog. 

Brownie was clearly a well loved (and well fed) girl!  In all the years I have fostered dogs for various groups I have never seen a dog come with so much stuff!  A variety of leashes with matching collars for all the major holidays.  Flea control and heartworm preventative for a year.  Ear cleaner.  Ear wipes.  A HUGE folder with all her vet records, obedience school records and even her  AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate.   A large bag of expensive diet dog food.  It wasn’t just the stuff though.  This girl clearly listens when you talk and responds accordingly.  She gives kisses and wags her tail.  She puts up with the cranky old cat and appreciates hugs from children. 

I’ve fostered enough dogs to know, this one is special!  After just a couple of days she is barking at the right things, wagging at the right things and making friends with the cat.  Clearly, she was meant to be part of the family.

Dogs just wanna have fun!

Watching Hubert today I realized (again) that his primary motivator is fun.  Sure, he loves cheese and a well-timed tidbit of steak will work wonders when we are learning something new, but when the boy wants to play he pulls out all the stops.  First he plays with Molly.  When the old girl wears out he pesters me.  When I finally send him packing he goes to Jake.

It’s interesting to watch.  With Molly he does something mildly naughty.  Something timed to annoy her just enough to get up.  A poke or prod to annoy her Border Collie sensibilities, but nothing that will get him in real trouble.

When it’s my turn he usually starts by stepping on my feet.  If that doesn’t work he’ll mouth my toes.  If all else fails he will put his front feet on my lap , lay his drooly chin on my arm,  and alternate staring with mouthing my hand.

Jake gets an entirely different approach.  He never touches Jake to start the game.  Instead, he gets really close & wiggles his upper lip.  Maybe a head dart in his direction.  He pretends he’s a big bad dog & he’ s gonna eat the cat.  Jake pretends he’s a vicious dog hater that eats Basset Hounds for breakfast & waves a paw in his direction.

For a dog that I often think of as a big goof he sure is smart.  He’s figured out how to get three different creatures from three different species to play.  Maybe we should send him to Washington!

Hello Gentle Reader & welcome to my blog!  So, what will you find here?  Well, first & foremost stuff about dogs, and kids, and dogs with kids.  Random thoughts and mussings.  Things that grab my attention at the moment.  Stuff and nonsense (but really isn’t that what makes life fun?)  So, thanks for stopping.  I promise some real content will arrive here soon.  Promise.