When the going gets tough Jedi and I go for a hike. I find serenity in the woods. Unfortunately the heat and humidity have been oppressive, so we can only take short hikes in the early morning. On our last hike we found a shady spot to take a break as well as take a few pictures. I'm looking forward to cooler weather and longer hikes -- and more photo ops.
It's Sepia Saturday! Hop around and see what others are sharing today. -- K
Did you know that today -- August 26th -- is National Dog Day? Me neither. And the day even has it's own website. (Sheesh, they'll give a website to anybody! Even a crazy dog lady like me.) But I'm not going to pass up a chance to "celebrate" with the dogs. Looking for some ideas? How about:
Turn off the TV and step away from the computer. Give your dog your undivided attention. Talk to him. Tell him about your day. He won’t understand the words, but he’ll be thrilled to hear your voice. On the plus side, he’ll always agree with you. According to Jedi: yes, my boss was being unreasonable yesterday; I am the best Animal Control officer in the entire world; and I totally deserve a raise.
Be Silly. I once read that dogs enjoy a Three Stooges slapstick-type humor. True or not, I believe that dogs do have a sense of humor. I know they respond to laughter. I’m talking about real belly laughs, not that fake stuff you show to the in-laws. (Dogs can tell the difference.) And I may be anthropomorphizing, but I'd swear that dogs smile when they're happy.
Play a game. Fetch, tag, tug-o-war, chase the laser pointer -- it doesn’t matter what you play. Just play.
Take a walk. I'm not talking about the “hurry up and pee” walk, or the “I need some exercise” walk that we're all familiar with. Take a DOG walk. Put away your cell phone and enjoy the moment. Stop and smell the flowers -- or whatever you feel like sniffing. Your dog will love it!
Find the sweet spot. You know what I'm talking about: that one spot that makes your dog’s feet kick and tongue loll? Every dog has one. Pepper’s was at the base of her tail. Logan would actually groan during ear massages. Roxy loves having her belly rubbed and Jedi can’t stay still when you scratch his back. Where is your dog’s sweet spot?
Go out for a burger. When the weather is nice we like to go to Sonic. We’ll sit at a far table under the awning. Hubby and I enjoy people watching while the dogs split a plain cheeseburger and cup of water (no ice). If we go between 2-5 PM I can get a lemon-berry slush for half price! Cheap date, hunh?
Set up a play date. Does your dog have a canine BFF? Why not invite the dog and his owner over for some butt sniffing (the dogs) and margaritas (the humans)? We have friends that Hubby, Jedi and I visit regularly, though not as often as I would like. Friends have four shepherds of their own, so their house is very dog-friendly (as in no crystal vases at tail level). The puppies run amok while the adults play board games.
Go for a ride. This is one of Roxy’s favorite pastimes. A trip around the block with her head out the window is the Best. Thing. Ever. Want bonus points? End up at the park or pet store.
Learn a new trick. This is a great bonding experience for the two of you. Your dog wants to please you. Seeing you happy because he figured out “roll over” will make his day. Need ideas for tricks? Check out Janet Wall's site or one of the many books from Kyra Sundance.
Take an afternoon nap together.Spoiler alert: I let my dogs in bed with me. There’s not enough room for two big dogs and two not-so-small humans to fit comfortably all night. However, there is plenty of room for one human and two dogs to enjoy an hour-long nap. I’d like to think that we all benefit from the closeness of sleeping together.
How are you celebrating National Dog Day? -- K
P.S. To my regular readers: Yes I recycled this from a previous post. I was too busy playing with the pooches to write something fresh. To my new readers: Disregard the previous statement. Enjoy!
Between me and you, I'm not a fan of dog parks. I've discovered that some of the patrons are real jerks. My dogs aren't that fond of dog parks either. I took Pepper to one a few times. She couldn't have cared less about playing with other dogs. I took Jedi to the dog park here in my little beach town once when he was younger. He didn't seem overly impressed. Jedi and I prefer hiking in the woods; there are more exciting things to see and fewer people. If it were up to me I'd never go to another dog park, but . . . it's not up to me. My little beach town now has two dog parks. And even though they clearly say "use at your own risk" I'm required to patrol them and play peacemaker. UGH.
As I've ranted about mentioned before, one of my many "other duties as assigned" is to write articles for the local paper. But before any article is published it is "tweaked" by a sergeant, a commander and an admin assistant (none of who know a damn thing about animal control) and the poor excuse for an article never sounds like the original. More often it sounds like a third grade writing project. Thankfully they don't give me the byline, which would only reinforce the public's belief that I'm a total moron. The last article I wrote was a sterile piece on "Dog Park Etiquette." Here's what I wanted to write:
Leash all dogs outside of the park. Yes, this includes the parking lot. Yes, even if you're "only walking 10 feet." Excited, unleashed dogs have jumped on and knocked over people, once causing injuries to an elderly woman. Excited, unleashed dogs have started fights with other dogs. Loose dogs have run behind moving cars, nearly getting hit. One dog ran out of the parking lot and down the street. We didn't catch him for two days. And let's not forget, dogs off-leash outside the dog parks are in violation of the leash law. Animal Control officers will write tickets.
NO leashes inside the park. This is a fight or flight thing (Google it). A leashed dog surrounded by unfamiliar loose dogs can feel threatened and become aggressive. Being unleashed gives your dog the option of walking away from a situation that makes him uncomfortable, thus reducing the chances of violence. If your dog is on a leash in the park because "he doesn't like other dogs" then maybe the dog park isn't for you.
Don’t crowd the entrance. This can be overwhelming and/or frightening for incoming dogs. It's also annoy to others trying to get in. The dog park is the size of a football field, so move. Head towards the back of the park and let dogs meet each other on their own terms. If you can't walk more than 6 feet without getting winded then maybe the dog park isn't for you either. And to that woman who had to be by the entrance so she could see her car because one of her dogs was locked inside (he was being "disciplined" for barking): you're an idiot. And the fine is doubled for your next ticket.
Save the small dog area for small dogs. Again, this is directed to Mr. My-Dog-Doesn't-Like-Other-Dogs. The small dog area was created so that the little dogs can feel safe and have fun without being overrun by dogs twice their size. Big dogs -- yes, that includes labs -- can be scary and overwhelming. However, if you have a small dog in the big dog area and you don’t like the way the big dogs are playing, take your dog to the designated small dog area. Stop calling the police. They don't care. Really.
Do not bring in food. Whether its treats for the pups or a sandwich for you, leave it in the car. Even the nicest dogs can become aggressive when food is involved. Think about all the dogs in the park, not just yours.
Pay attention to your dog. Dog behaviors can change quickly. You can’t stop -- let alone prevent -- a dog fight if you’re not looking at your dog. Leave your cell phone in your pocket. Leave the magazine at home. Avoid engrossing conversations with other dog owners. Every single incident Animal Control has had to handle in the dog park happened because the owners were too busy doing something else.
Pick up after your dog. This should be a given. Unfortunately, it’s not. Whether due to inattentive owners or inconsiderate owners, there are stinking piles of feces left in the park daily. Bags and trash cans are provided for your convenience, so the only real excuse is that you are rude and lazy. I bet people would pick it up if my "Non-Compliance Poo Flinging" clause had been included in the park rules.
STILL not a dog park
Remove your dog if he becomes over stimulated. Sometimes a dog becomes over excited or overwhelmed. He may be cranky or timid or annoyed by a particular dog. If this happens, take him home. You can always come back later. However, ignoring the fact that your dog is being a jerk and/or making excuses for his bad behavior is unfair to everybody else.
Leave children at home. This is not the time to multi-task. It’s difficult to watch dogs and children at the same time. Just because YOUR dog is tolerant of children doesn’t mean everybody else’s is. And it's naïve to assume everything will be OK in spite of dogs running and wrestling with claws and teeth flailing about. This is a DOG park. Leave the kids at home and take them to a kiddie park later.
Stay calm. Despite your best efforts, sometimes things go wrong. Dogs fight, someone gets bit, shit happens. The best thing to do is calmly remove your dog from the park, call Animal Control, and/or exchange information with the other owner. Remember that your dog picks up on your emotions. Yelling and screaming will only make things worse. A bad attitude doesn't work well with the police or animal control officer either.
I promise that this version was much more entertaining (and probably more informative) then the one that the City sends out. I hope you enjoyed it!
How about you? Do you "do" dog parks? Why or why not? Do you have any other tips? -- K
Remembering old friends who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
I don't know what's gotten into me lately, but I've been feeling nostalgic. I've found myself looking through old pictures and listening to 80's CDs. Does anybody else do that? Or is this just another example of Kelley being not quite normal? Maybe it's just stress. I was talking to my 21-year-old the other day and I told him "When I was your age I thought I'd have my shit together by my 40's. Turns out I just have more shit."
If you're another 40-something person thinking back to simpler times, then I'm sure you'll enjoy the following video too. (And seriously, when did Motley Crue become classic rock?)
It's Sepia Saturday. Quick, hop around before my nostalgia turns to melancholy. I'm going to. Maybe I'll take a nap first. Yeah, nap . . . . -- K
It's Friday! Truthfully, this last week hasn't been any better than the week before. But I did get a little time to read and found a few goodies to share.
I think dogs are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Just the other night Hubby gave Jedi an empty ice cream container. When Jedi finished licking it clean, Hubby asked Jedi to bring the empty container to him -- and he did. This is not something we've ever taught him. I often wonder what cool things can I teach him? How about the difference between "left" and "right"? Seriously! Clicker guru Karen Pryor has a fun article on How to Teach Your Dog Left and Right. I know people who can't even figure that out!
Dogs are fun and generally good natured about the odd things we do to them -- like dressing them in funny hats and T-shirts. I get a kick out of silly dog tricks too. And I'm always impressed by dogs that balance stuff on their heads. (What can I say, I'm easily entertained.) Check out Maymo the beagle balancing 100 fruits and vegetables in 100 seconds:
Ok, now that you're laughing at Maymo, and seriously considering learning how to balance stuff on your dog's head, take a look at this post from Mother Nature Network: 11 things humans do that dogs hate. Balancing stuff isn't on the list per se, but I think it may apply. Hmmm. I suppose you should ask your dog. I know when my dogs really dislike something versus when they're tolerating something to humor me. But if you're going to do it, make sure you're using positive reinforcement with some extra-special rewards.
A blog that I really enjoy is Walks with Rama. I identify with the author: she also lives in Florida, shows her dogs (better than me), and has "personal issues" (which she handles better than I do). She has Cane Corsos -- large Italian mastiff dogs, often mistaken for giant pit bulls. She also has an interesting take on things. I often finish one of her posts with a "Hmm. Never thought of it that way." Last week she had a great post on Obedience Time–Equipment & Watch Command. Did you know you're not suppose to put your hand through the loop?
Another interesting blog post (with a contest no less!) is Dog Safety For Your Good Buddy from the All Things Dog Blog. This author is from central Florida and discusses dogs and gator safety. Yep, you read that right. We have alligators here too, so I urge all my local friends read this post.
I hope you enjoyed this week's hodgepodge post. See you next Friday with a new group of things that made me laugh and made me think. TTFN, -- K
Animal Control Officer is weird job. People ask me questions all the time. Some are annoying -- usually complaints disguised as questions, as in "If you had a neighbor who . . ." Some questions are funny; my favorite: "How do I get the raccoons to stop eating the food I put outside for my cats?" (BTW, the answer -- stop feeding your cats outside -- is always followed by a whiny justification.) Most are genuine requests for information, and I (usually) enjoy the opportunity to help. The question that bothers me most is "What's the worst thing you've seen?" Why would someone ask this?! Are they sickos looking for ideas? I usually say "embedded collars" though what I want to say is "[censored horrible thing done to an innocent animal] for pure entertainment. Now you can have nightmares about it too."
But truth be told, I don't want to share the ugly parts. If I say them out loud they become more real. I have a small group of ACO friends who I vent to when needed. My husband gets a condensed, cleaned up version -- if anything at all. I compartmentalize the horror; I lock the sorrow away where it can't hurt me. (My therapist calls this a "coping mechanism.") Most of the time that works. When it doesn't, I try to fill my mind with funny cat videos like this one:
Have I seen horrible things? Yes. Neglect. Abuse. Embedded collars. Hoarding. Puppy mill busts. It takes it's toll on the soul. Just last week I had a day long seminar on animal abuse and dog fighting investigations. There were videos. They were awful. Trust me. But don't ask for details. Instead, let's watch another kitten video:
Seriously, this works. And unlike wine and brownies, I can do this on duty and without worrying about my uniform getting too tight.
It's Thoughtless Thursday! Hop around and see what other mindless stuff you can fill your head with. I will. -- K
