Southern Snow Days

Hootersville got 8 inches of snow plus sleet/ice on top. In an area with limited snow removal resources, this is serious business. The authorities have asked that no one go on the roads until Monday afternoon, and then only if required. I can see from the news, however, that some have tried to poor results.

It is absolutely beautiful (even more so since the power has remained on) but a challenge for the dogs to potty. Knuckles was too excited to even think about going to the bathroom. He dug burrows, used his head to toss snow into the air, and romped about - anything but do his “duty”. It took several trips to finally get him to pee and that was at doggy equipment level. Silly loved the snow just as much and experienced the same potty aversion.

As long as the power continues, this isn’t too bad. Knuckles is bored because we usually have long weekend field trips so he’s cutting up quite a bit. For the moment he is resting on my feet as I write.

I made ravioli lasagna on Friday with leftovers yesterday and some today. Tonight is wok night. I made a trip to a classier grocery store and now have more of the ingredients to explore more dishes. I plan something Thai this evening now that I have chili paste and rice noodles on hand. The fireplace is on and it feels great. Now if Knuckles wasn’t so bored, all would be perfect. Maybe he’d like to help clean out the closet…

Weekly Knuckles Update

Due to weather conditions and my injured back/hip, our weekly field trips were limited this week but it didn’t stop Knuckles’ amazing growth pattern. On Thursday he was 4 months, 10 days old, and weighed in at 40.9#. Yes, that’s right – over 5 ½ pounds in one week! Our new friends at the Dog Park said that they could see a big change from last visit and other people in the puppy class think he looks like a different dog each lesson. But he’s still a happy, healthy, mellow maniac. We did go to a couple places including one park visit after the ground dried out and he went into the bank with me where he got spoiled rotten by the staff. He did play a bit with a little boy at class – he loves kids. Knuckles is showing more interest in dogs after spending more time in training playschool and at the park.

Knuckles usually lets me know it’s time to go potty by going to the stairs and looking up towards the landing he used as his indoor potty for a few days. He tried to climb over the baby gate one day this week and got in Big Trouble so now he doesn’t hang there as much. To make sure that I get the potty point, he now gets the leash off the front table and brings it to me. Pretty smart puppy!

The puppy class is a little boring for Knuckles. Unlike the other puppies who wriggle, jump about in excitement, Knuckles usually just lays at my feet. He’s not even into it enough to sit at attention. This week, however, we got to play on the agility equipment and he’s the leader of the pack. He loves it! The plank was on ground level rather than elevated (some puppies in class are teeny, tiny) so he lost interest in that pretty soon and the jumps were okay. But he fell in love with the tunnel. Most people have more than one person attending so for us, the instructor held Knuckles at one end while I went to the other with a treat. With only one step of hesitation, Knuckles came zooming down to me. Only one other dog (8 months) went through without being dragged. The other families quickly moved back to things that their dogs enjoyed better leaving Knuckles and I to play there alone. No food treat necessary as he just loved running circles in, through and around.

As usual, though, we did get in some trouble this week at class – this time for working in advance. Knuckles is the quintessential “working dog”. Along with his natural intelligence, he always needs a new challenge. This week we learned “stay” independently and he likes this new trick the best. I can get into another room while he remains in position. Knuckles gets so excited waiting for “come” that when I finally say it, he practically leaps out and into a run. The stay is part of our everyday work – he sits and then stays until his food dish is set down. Anyway, the control freak of a teacher did not approve. We ignored her. We just started “shake” yesterday but he didn’t think that was very fun. Perhaps he sees no purpose?

Grand Child Arrives!

Everyone is healthy and happy with GC being handsome too! The new family member is a little boy weighing in at 8.8#. His parents are exhausted but they’ll become familiar enough with that feeling as time goes by. His Mom was a delivery rock star and Daddy was right in there catching his son and doing all the early duties. The family includes multiple pets all of whom either offer love and support or disinterest. No jealousy and lots of physical affection.

One of the rewards I felt in being a parent was watching the world through the eyes of my children. Being a Grandma adds another layer as you also get to see your own child discover the joys as they raise their own baby. When Son wrote that he opened the window to show his new son the world, I was flooded with such a strong emotion. This grandparent thing is amazing.

More to come as things progress. GC is only hours old but everyone is excited to offer unconditional love. I already fiercely love this baby in ways I didn’t imagine. Happiness and Joy!

Apple of my Eye

Another week, another massive weight gain (4 pounds), more Field Trips and continued a week of comments on Knuckles clown shoe feet. During our travels yesterday, we stopped at the independent pet store to socialize and pick up bedding for the pigs. We spoke to about 20 people and every one mentioned his feet. Knuckles received treats from the workers, so of course he loves it there. We don’t usually go there on Saturdays but I guess that will now be our target date – so many of the workers want to watch him grow.

We also had our first negative reaction when we visited the Carousel Park. It’s a great socialization location because there are lots of trails, bridges, picnic areas and it abuts a busy street. There is a large play ground where we sit at the end of our exploring time to watch the kids and hope that someone stops to say hello. The highlight was a mother that let Knuckles approach her baby in a stroller. He would point his finger at the doggy, Knuckles would lick his finger and the baby would throw back his head and really chortle with glee. They played that game for a while and the kid did his doggy sound – woof, woof. Another father asked if his son could pet Knuckles and the answer is always “Yes”. But as we were circling around the playground on the way to the car, a little girl, I’m guessing around 3, comes running after us asking to pet my doggy. She was alone and I didn’t see a parent. I can’t touch someone else’s child, not even to stop them petting Knuckles, although I did pull him close to me. He knows how to deal with children so he sat down. I looked around and told her to ask her Mommy, but by this time the girl already had her arms around Knuckles’ neck and he was kissing her neck and face. Unfortunately, not everyone loves dogs and some especially don’t like German Shepherds and this was the case here. The mom came screaming over yelling No, No, No! She picked up her girl and ran like the devil was chasing her. Poor Knuckles – he was just being a good boy. He watched the scene unfold with his head tipped and one ear up. He whined as the girl was carried away.

We now play fetch on a regular basis and he releases the ball with no problem. After a few times, it usually triggers his mad dash around the house. He cracks me up. Knuckles can still fit behind the couch although it’s becoming a tighter fit.

Knuckles is in the teething stage and used to think of me as one giant chew toy. He has learned that this is not acceptable although each morning we go through the ritual of checking to make sure I’m still off limits. He tries a couple times (finds my calves to be especially tasty). I think he pulls a doggy joke on me afterwards – he will open his mouth wide and just hold it open over my ankle and then look at me. He has a doggy sense of humor!

Early this morning we went to the new bakery. We wandered up and around because the cinnamon rolls were not ready yet. It gave Knuckles a chance to learn yet another shopping center. He’s allowed in the “Going Postal” store there. Knuckles waited in the car while I picked up a fresh from the oven roll and hazel-nut coffee mixed with hot chocolate and topped with whipped cream. Yum. The owner/baker (Trinity) has a 3 year old GSD that protects their 5 year old son. When the father wrestles with the son, their dog tries to separate them. It’s always fun to talk with another GSD lover. Then we returned home where I relaxed on the couch with the TV on. Knuckles napped on my feet while I ate, watched the fire, smelled the rich aroma of the drink and felt grateful for the good morning.

House Sweet House

Thanks to DIL, I received a second set of directions to add photos to the blog. I’m embarrassed as to how simple it is and how intimidated I was. Oh well. From now on you should expect to see ample photos. Thanks girl!

The above photos are my house in Nowheresville. The view across the street is the open dog area with a pond that features geese in the fall and bullfrogs in the spring/summer. Living on a cul-de-sac with empty space across the street keeps the noise down.

Now you can see where I live. Too bad it’s in the middle of nowhere.

What Passes for Fun Around Here

Love my boy Knuckles, but doing right by him leaves me sleep deprived and behind around the house. His training school offers a weekday playschool so both Silly and Knuckles attended this past Friday. I think one day is enough (both because we’re bonding but also finances). It only costs one dollar more than I paid for years for Beef’s brief mid -day walk/love session but this is an all day event. This particular “academy” is very sensitive about making sure everyone understands school is not a free-for-all like some day care. The dogs get to play but also train. Each dog gets one on one training for part of the day and the owners get to choose the theme. Some days they have pre-agility training. With a mix of excitement and trepidation, we dropped the kids off at 8 am.

I’ve been very busy with work this week but the big project was sent out on Thursday so Friday was a day off. With all that no dog time in front of us, Youngest and I planned a day where we could do things that scheduled potty walks and new puppies will not normally allow. We did some of the usual (groceries) and some of the rare (movie at the earliest show which cost $7.50 for both of us – no food) but also got in some treats. Youngest spent part of her Target GC on apartment needs, we stopped at Hobby Lobby and bought cheap cloth bags to decorate (required for dog school). Youngest turned in one Siduko book for another at B&N. We ate pizza for lunch and Youngest got a haircut. The final planned excursion got scrapped, unfortunately, because there are no Reebok Easytones available anywhere in the larger Metro area. Who knew? I desperately need daily walking shoes and am disappointed. My older shoes are about bust and it’s like walking on the ground. Now that client X is on for 2 more months, I knew I could afford a pair.

We didn’t want to waste the day (or risk falling asleep) so we kept going. I have Best Buy GCs from purchasing points but we couldn’t find any DVD to purchase that both of us would use. Instead, I went to the local Red Box and rented “The State of Play”. Luckily, Knuckles was whipped from his day so he slept while I fought to stay awake and watch it.

We picked up the kids where the owner (Mary) commented on how pretty Silly is. No matter where we take them, Silly is called Pretty and Knuckles’ feet get comments. Both are true. They had a fun time and we learned that we can stop in during the day in the future to watch. We signed up again for next week (we’re playing this by ear) but I’m planning on a limited chores and a long nap that day. After so much inactivity, Friday wore me out as much as the dogs. Next week should be refreshing.

Knuckles Update

Another week and another growth spurt. He seems to be gaining about 3 pounds each week. Thursday weight = 31.2#. When we visited the vet to use their scale, he blithely went with a tech not even looking behind to see me. Unlike with Beef, I want to keep the vet office as a happy place with no histrionics. So far, so good.

Knuckles attended his first training class and we were the stars of the show for the first 45 minutes. He had already learned the basics and the instructor used our team as a positive example of how I get his attention first before requesting an action. We’re supposed to exercise our dogs before class but I must have gone overboard. With 15 minutes left, Knuckles lost it. He just wanted to sleep or chew his leash which got the teacher’s attention right quick. Mary grabbed Knuckles and addressed the issue in front of everyone. She was very Alpha and got him to stop right away. Then when she brought him back, he whined to work with her more. Knuckles is like a big sponge and is happiest when training. That’s a great trait until evening when I want to sit and read or watch TV. He is the quintessential working dog – he’s very attentive while we go through our daily chores and loves the field trips. When nighttime drives him crazy with boredom, we often do a second trip so he’ll nap afterwards and leave me to rest.

I try to get in something new for him on most days. We’ve gone to the local Mall (it’s a shopping center, people – call it like it is) so he could get introduced to random people, hear car doors slamming, and generally learn to adapt to new situations. He loves field trips like these. We’ve gone to grocery store centers at night and climbed in between the cart lines, sat on a bench watching people going in and out. We’ve gone into the kiddy play area at the “Outdoor Mall” and met children. Yesterday I was on my way to a kid’s park with a huge play area. Youngest called so I turned around to get her and Silly too. It turned our trip from a training session into just for fun. We are looking forward to February when the hiking park re-opens.

Speaking of the dynamic duo, they have become best buddies – Knuckles worships Silly. Sometimes we walk them partway home and he will cry until he can’t see her anymore. I’m relieved. Their first couple of days wasn’t a love fest but they are tight now. They race around the house with Knuckles’ route going behind the couch. I’m waiting the day when he goes for the dash and gets stuck.

Knuckles ears are still a mix of up and down. It cracks me up when he holds one up, one down and then turns his head on an angle. This morning he's been holding the right up and the left down. It's quite a look. It often takes up to 8 months for them to remain up permanently.

Next week will be another adventure with Knuckles. Can’t wait!

Introducing Knuckles

While I didn’t want to bring in a new dog during Beef’s last year, I did begin researching breeds and breeders while back Up North. I wanted a larger breed dog, protective, intelligent, trainable, good with kids, loyal and also enjoys a long life span. After much deliberation, I decided upon the German Shepherd breed. As with all breeds, there are generalized traits and I admire the GS personality. Their intelligence makes them perfect as service dogs (Seeing Eye, etc) although they require lots of socialization and training. Since I work from home, I have the time to devote to bonding and teaching.

Knuckles came to his name via an episode of “Bones” when a character vowed, during a siege by a madman, that she would go home afterwards and hire a full-time body guard named Knuckles. Perfect! His vet thinks that GS are one of the best protective breeds because they bark – they want any bad guys to go away as much as the owner does. Other breeds, such as a Mastiff or Doberman, have innate attack reactions that are silent and give no heads up. I prefer a warning dog, so again, a great match.

Knuckles is a smart dog, maybe a little too smart for his britches. He likes to be mentally challenged which is an effort on a daily basis. Yesterday we worked on socialization by going to a shopping center and walking up and down until he settled. Each nice person we met is another positive interaction. Then we went into PetSmart where he was an angel. When we got home, he slept for a couple hours. Today we will go to the local, outdoor “mall” and practice in another, more crowded, location.

Some dogs love water and Knuckles is in that club. He drinks a lot of water and plays in his water dish. He drops his toys in the water. Soaked tennis balls do not bounce. During Knuckles’ first bath, he lay down and rolled around in it. I will need to get a kiddie pool for Knuckles this summer.

Silly is not too thrilled with the new edition. He was slow to get used to her and would rather snuggle than play. Also, Pretty Princess isn’t the only center of attention which she would prefer. Knuckles will act submissive to Silly with licks and exposing his belly, but he will also interrupt her water drinking so that he can have one too. Silly will just step back and get frustrated. Youngest and I have vowed to have them be friends but we all know from Max and Beef that you can’t force love. When Silly goes home at night, Knuckles acts relieved and starts to play with a vengeance. They are not at odds but they have yet to develop any true affection.
During his first vet visit, Knuckles was very cooperative. He is in good overall health. Although he comes from a breeder that focuses on service, therapy and agility dogs (his father made Nationals in Agility this year), which are usually smaller in stature, Knuckles is destined to be a Big Dog. In a breed known for their large feet, the vet used them to estimate his adult size to be over 100#. Knuckles feet are massive! The vet encouraged me to bring Knuckles each week to use their scale to watch him blossom and to also get more socialization. He weighed in at 25# upon delivery and 28.3# just 5 days later.

Raising Knuckles properly is going to be a lot of work but I’m thrilled to have the option. He’s going to be my training partner, family protector, extra ear and best buddy. He’s one hell of a dog.

NOTE: Lovely DIL sent me the directions to add photos to the blog but I am unable to locate following several full computer searches. Argh. I will mail you photos of our side by side feet individually. Sorry. I was excited to attempt my first blog photo. Damn.

Rest in Peace

Even after several weeks to mourn, I have been avoiding this post because it makes things so final. The Center of my Universe, Beef Noble, died in mid-November. He died in my arms and I remain grateful to God for making sure that I was home with him when he became ill.

Youngest came over and helped me to contact the Trauma Center and she also guided me in when the damn GPS died on the way. Both Beef and I were in shock and we needed a grown up to step in.

Knowing his advanced age and ailing health, I had been preparing myself for this moment for a couple of years but you are never really prepared. I wasn’t.

I have written this post in my head so many times, dreading the final chapter. I intended to remember all the funny things Beef did - how he hugged but didn’t lick, his former break dancing, how he would lay against the front wheel of my bike when I rode watching TV… it could go on for pages. But I can’t. I still cry when I suddenly think of him and the tears are streaming now.

Beef’s ashes are waiting for Spring when I return up North to scatter them over his favorite places. The remainder will move with me to the Forever Home so that part of him will always be with me.

How can you say good-bye to someone who was such a prominent piece of your life? You can’t but you can say see you again someday. When I get to Heaven, I hope to see Beef younger, darker, pain free and we'll be eager to give each other strong hugs.