All posts for the month December, 2009
I’m ready, you ready? Kenai just shy of his 2nd birthday.
Kenai’s official name is Shakira’s New Year’s Celebration, being a New Year’s Baby, born Jan 1, 2008. I called him Kenai after the Kenai Penninsula in Alaska. Figured if I name my dogs after places I’ve been or want to go, I’ll never run out of good names.
I also try to match the name to the personality, though I outdid myself this time: Kenai is by all accounts a rugged outdoorsman! He would love Alaska, in the summer time anyway. The cold invigorates him, but only to a point–then it’s time to take his short haired tush inside!
I’m all for that.
No telling what this new year will bring, though I hope a healthy pair of baby boy bottoms is in the near future. I do know I’m dropping my health insurance–they want $600 a month, for the priviledge of co-pays. I’ve been paying them more than I cost for awhile now but holy smokes.
New Year’s resolutions? I know better… for the most part. Quitting smoking will have to wait until I’m up for the colossal battle, loosing weight seems like more effort than I can muster. My goal is to spend the winter hibernating. If I can rest enough, perhaps by spring I’ll have some energy to work with.
Kenai doesn’t have the concept of calendars down, so he’s not really aware that one year is gone and a new one has begun. His understanding of time spans from one nap to the next. “That nap done, now what we gonna do?” (I admit with embarrassment to having the same problem often enough!)
Kenai and BB endured their head and shoulders lathering, with offended majesty and gooby wiggles respectively. It really helps with the dry skin itch if you water down the H & S conditioner then rub them dry with a towl. Cuts down big time on dander. Just an FYI if your pooch has the flakes.
The boys are still enjoying their Christmas toys, despite the moo cow baby not mooing anymore, and the elephant baby’s moving trunk is broken. Appearantly the crunching of mechanical parts is as enticing as the noise they made when whole.
The big toy breaker of the family is BB, of course, Mr Enthusiasm. His elephant lasted about 2 hours. Still, he gets lots of milage, playing with it anyway. He can’t help himself. Play, play, play PLAY, play, do ya wanna play?! Rolic and frolic and make a big brown pest = BB.
And after all that character assasination…it was Kenai who swallowed his butterfly baby whole. DUH. So Wednesday night had a puppy watching vigil, and 7 am brought a rushed trip to the vet for xrays. It is (was) a small toy, one he’s played with for over a year, naturally one of his favorites.
As small, soft, and flexible as it is (was) the vets all think he’s most likely to pass it. That means puppy poo patrol for the next few days. Not to mention keeping an eye out for the early signs of obstruction if it doesn’t pass on its own. What on earth possessed him?
He’s never swallowed anything but food or treats, even as a puppy. He didn’t chew on household stuff, he doesn’t mouth things either. He shall mourn the loss of his little butterfly, yet it shall not be replaced. Kenai is forever stuck with average to xxlg toys, by decree of “she who must be obeyed”.
That was a funny show, by the way, “Rumpole of the Bailey”, where she who must be obeyed came from. The old Bristish comedies are hysterical. “Are You Being Served”, “Black Adder”, “Upstairs Downstairs”…if you like to laugh at the ridiculous that isn’t ridiculous-stupid (Will Ferrell?), you might look for one of those shows.
Talk about a blog that can blather…how did I manage to combine Alaska, canine intestinal obstructions, hibernation, human health insurance, dandruff shampoo, and the Black Adder into a semi-rational post? “Oh give me a home where the brain-o can roam…”
Well, where ever my brain my be, my heart wishes you a very happy New Year.
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on December 31, 2009
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/bloggie-blather-and-doggie-lather-by-lisa-harmon/
Kenai, aka Sir Snooze Alot, waking up from his nap, 5 days to his 2nd birthday
I’ve been thinking about puppies lately–it seems everyone I know has a new puppy or wants one. Hopefully you will pardon me for a bit of preachy here. I try to get people to consider what exactly they want in a dog and choose the pup based on that. Unfortunately, most puppies are picked according to cuteness or this time of year are a “present”.
Christmas present puppies are a bad idea. At least as most are not picked out according to what the person recieving them want or need in a dog. Present puppies are often a spur of the moment impulse buy, and unless you know exactly what you’re looking for you can get in big trouble!
A friend of mine got a puppy from their grandchild last year. A cute little black lab. They’re in their 80′s and wanted a toy breed for lap sitting. Now these elderly people have a wild 60 pounder who can’t walk on a leash, took 5 mo to mostly housebreak, doesn’t get anywhere near enough exercise, and knocks them into the wall on the way by.
She’s a smart dog, and would be easy enough for some people. But she was not well chosen for the couple she was given to. This is a very common scenario, sadly. If you want to give a puppy to someone , BE SMART about it–give them a leash and collar as a down payment for a puppy to be wisely chosen at a later time. Help them decide what sort of puppy they want and fits their lifestyle.
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Energy–do I want a pup to go running with me or to snooze by my feet? How much time can a reasonably expect to devote to exercise and training each day? Am I currently able to provide the additional time up front for housebreaking, leash training, and other puppy lessons?
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Costs–some breeds require special care, ie regular groomer visits, or breeds that have more health problems than others. Bigger dogs eat more kibble, giant breeds have problems on cheap dog foods, large dogs in the car will mean trips to the car wash for upholstery cleaning.
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Personalities–more timid pups are less likely to do well in loud busy homes, stubborn pups are not for the person shy of firmness about no means no, sensitive dogs aren’t a good fit for an authoritative sort of human. There’s not much sadder than a dog and human who love each other but have clashing personalities.
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Breed instincts–if you don’t want to deal with a tendency to protectiveness, don’t get a pup from a guarding breed. If you don’t want to deal with very strong chase instincts, avoid breeds with hunting in their past…choose the breed wisely, asking the breeder about what behaviors you can or cannot expect from the potential puppy as they grow up.
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Environment–if you don’t have a fenced yard, you might reconsider getting a dog whose breed has less then astounding recall or a tendency to wander. If you have allergies or dislike a “lived in” home, you probably don’t want a heavily shedding dog. If you live in an apartment, you’ll want to look for a quiet dog that doesn’t bark much.
I cringe when I hear someone got a puppy for Christmas, but it doesn’t always turn out sideways. That said, resist the tendency to think the pup is so cute and it won’t be such a big deal to change your lifestyle, schedule, or budget. A dog that turns your life upside down doesn’t usually work out well for either of you. They need to fit.
If you’ve already recieved a Christmas puppy, or already given one, then let this be a post to help you really consider if it was a good idea. Yes, a bit preachy, but it makes me so sad to see dogs and people have a hard time living with each other. Puppies are much easier to rehome than an older dog with established behavioral problems.
If you know a pup just isn’t for you, like the lab and my elderly friends, please don’t let your affection for the giver make you spend the next 10-15 years struggling with a dog. You have to be wise enough and loving enough to tell the giver that despite the good intentions, you want to return the pup to the breeder so it can find a home more suitable.
If you worry that feelings will be hurt, you can make the approach gentle, right? You probably are grateful for the love that went out and got you a loving little furball, so tell them that! Then tell them what you’re looking for and ask them to help you find that “just right” pup. Or that you aren’t really ready for a new puppy right now if you aren’t ready.
***
Also I got a comment which pointed out that I haven’t really addressed a common problem for giant breed puppies like Great Danes: PANO, or panosteitis. It is a problem that results in rotating lameness and severe leg pain in fast growing puppies.
Pano is primarily a dietary issue. Like HOD, Dysplasia, knuckling, and other orthopedic growth issues, the underlying dietary problem is the over-absorption of macrominerals from food. The calcium absorption co-effecient is out of normal range.
In layman’s terms, the dog with Pano or other bone problems is absorbing a higher percentage of the calcium and phosorus in their food than they should. X-rays often reveal bones that are extremely dense and thus painful, but not deformed like in HOD.
Once a pup has begun to over absorb minerals, they will have that higher co-effecient forever. Their mineral intake will have to restricted through the remainder of their lives.
The first thing I really want to hammer home about Great Dane nutrition is PROTIEN HAS NO EFFECT ON BONES AND BONE GROWTH. Growth deformities are orthopedic conditions, and are not caused by protien intake.
The myth of too much protien for Danes has been around as long as dirt but it simply isn’t true, and as has been proven over and over in veterinary studies. Yet many vets, breeders, and owners still believe the protien is bad myth. http://intl-jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/121/11_Suppl/S107 and http://intl-jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/121/11_Suppl/S99 are excellent studies to read and refer a vet too on the subject if you hesitate to let go of old beliefs.
Aside from studies, common sense goes against the myth: Protien builds muscle, not bone. Minerals build bone, and if you have bone problems, minerals will be the culprit. The reason many associated protien with orthopedic problems with high protien is that foods with large amounts of protien (like grain free kibbles) often have dangerously high mineral contents too.
I’ve had a dog that developed nutritional HOD from a food supposedly designed for Danes, ie low protien. The minerals were still high. It was horrible watching him deform and twist and suffer, so I don’t follow claims–I look at the nutritional analysis. A 1.1% calcium content in food thought to be ideal, which might change as giant breed nutrition becomes better understood.
I don’t feed pups a food with more than 1.2% calcium because it is getting high enough to increase the risks. The phosphorus content is intricately related to how calcium is absorbed, so I get uncomfortable when the phophorus content is above 0.9%
Pano has a genetic component, in that the tendency to overabsorb minerals can run in families. But controlling how much macrominerals are available in their diet will stop the pain, lameness, and prevent the development of even more serious ortho problems later on.
***
Back in my personal petting zoo…
The boys had a happy Christmas, despite the dead camera battery. Duh. I’ve been managing to get them out to run every other day reliably, though they really do want every day. This cold has gotten into my chest now, and my blood oxygen is low enough to worsen the chronic fatigue. But the boys have enjoyed the snows on my nose!
I can’t tell if he’s trying to look like a platypus or a cutting horse! Heaven knows he has the face and the turn for either! Kenai has such vigor, it amazes me. He is easily the most atheletic of all my Dane loves, easily. His enthusiasm for outside never ends.
Love the stick, the ice on it not so much…COLD! Unless little bro is on the other side of the fence, the lure for his coursing, Kenai trots around with the occasional outburst of a zoomie. And pees. Just in case the roaming cats and critters didn’t know this was his kennel.
He’s such a good boy, my Kenai. He’s mellowed a bit about the critter encounters, I think from the super cold temps. He’s in such a hurry to get inside he doesn’t care about the turkeys! Still gives me problems with intense excitement when he sees moving animals outside, but that’s going to be a long term fix I fear.
I’m hoping to take the rest of the winter to really rest, so I can regain some strength and endurance. Once the reserve energy tanks have something in them, I’d like to return to weekly public training. Maybe by then we’ll have their digestive problems sorted enough to be able to use training treats? Too much to ask for maybe, but here’s hoping.
Hope your Christmas was a merry one, and the New Year brings you joy and blessing!
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choosing a puppy,
Christmas puppies,
chronic fatigue,
great dane adolescent,
great dane growth,
great dane growth problems,
great dane nutrition,
Great Danes,
pano,
panosteitis,
veterinary care
Posted by greatdaneservicedog on December 28, 2009
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2009/12/28/snows-on-the-toes-and-snows-on-the-nose-by-lisa-harmon/
Kenai in the frosty ice fog, 24 mo
Kenai’s had a boring week last week, with me doing all the baking. Friday we mailed off the dozens 
and dozens of cookies, which meant…CAR RIDE! We ate a Ziggies, and I let him out to stretch his legs while Mom paid. Naturally, a crowd gathered to see him.
It was good to see him all friendly and interested, rather than running back to the car to hide. He had lots of attention, and couldn’t wait to see Mom. He tried to sneak in the door to find her more than once. Durn leash, always stealing his sneaky fun!
Then it was home for a rest. It’s back, btw–the coughing and wheezing–for an encore. Yeesh, c’mon. Round three for crying out loud? Leave me for another woman already, will ya?! That meant a car ride would have to suffice for his daily excitement.
We started this week off with a visit to Dr Susan, for his puppy puncture. “Oh must we do this?” He’s such a silly boy–the 
same routine everytime–always nervous when we get there, tense and twitches when the needles go in, snoozy halfway through, and perky when it’s over.
Dr Susan finally found some strong enough needles for his accupuncture, since the small ones for other dogs are too flimsy to get through. They bent and fell out half the time.
Only problem with the new ones is they are the same color as Kenai! Ya have to remember where you put them or he goes out the door with a couple! “Stop Thief!!”
He always gives her leans and cheek rubs, and always holds still despite his dislike of needles. It really does make him feel better, and he very much likes his lady friends. Tolerant boy, a typical gentle giant Dane. And she loves how big and easy to find the accupuncture points are.
Since he was a good boy, and I knew if I sat down that would be it for the morning, we had his outside romp as soon as we got home. It was bitter cold, so I had my construction worker look going on with insulated coveralls and mad bomber hat. But there was a beautiful fog, so I had to pull out the camera.
This time it was little bro BB who gave us the picture of the week. Isn’t it a good one? The fog is actually ice fog, a very rare event around here, but it sure made for a gorgeous shot of our little bananna butt boy.
You can see Beebs is looking much better, though I worry about the massive amount of food it’s taking. 10 cups is enormous, and his tendency to constipate keeps me watching to be sure his stool is slightly on the soft side. He can actually obstruct from constipation, so I want to be sure he gets it all out, even if that means “going” 2-3 times a day.
Anyway, since BB has much more energy to burn off than Kenai, I’ll let them lure course with each other around the kennel for a time, then take Beebs off into the field while Kenai waits for us to come back. Then the fence games start all over again. I swear, cutting mares have nothing on these two!
I have a shot due Tues at the “people vet”, in Brown’s vocabulary, and I really have to get the Christmas tree up Wednesday. Add to that round 3 with the cold, now trying to get into my chest, and Mom’s fussing about not going to my neice’s Christmas program at nursery school unless I take her.
I guarantee I’ll be dizzy, nauseated, ears roaring,migraine starting, could fall down at any moment if I go to a place where there’s lots of kids, lights, and noise. At night when I am a my weakest no less. Such places don’t cause Mom any problems, but she won’t go unless I take her. I have to suffer or she’ll “punish” me by denying herself the enjoyment?
I might go anyway, if I’m feeling okay but I resent the duress of it, the utterly unneccessary guilt trip crap. Yes it’s a once in a lifetime (little girls grow up). Yes it’s a special thing. I feel torn so much about wanting to see my neices and nephews, to be more involved with them.
Yet my God I pay for even short bursts of time with them. And I hate feeling like I’m drawing attention to my problems when/if I am forced to step outside or go home early. Because of my physical difficulties, I go through long spells where I don’t do much with them while I’m in a downturn. When I eventually get stronger, I’m more willing and available.
Sure that makes it hard for them to understand! Honestly, I hope they never have enough sickness in their lives to ever really understand. Perhaps it is selfish, but sometimes I’m just unwilling to be miserable for days and days afterwards. Those are MY choices, though, not Mom’s.
I’ve got to come up with a way to get Mom’s helpless old lady act brought to an end. She just had cataract surgery, ie she has 20/20 vision and sees at night as well as I do. Oh but “i can’t drive at night”… She won’t do this, she won’t do that. “I can’t” is the most often used phrase out of her mouth for the past 2 years.
I’m barely getting done the must-do’s on my list, and these demands she places on my energy for what she needs to do have got to stop. It’s not that she can’t do something or can’t learn how to do something, it’s that she won’t. There’s a big difference. The uber dependence on me is way more than my weakened body can stand up to.
So that’s my Christmas wish to Santa. I have a feeling we’re going to start clashing next year. Maybe not, but she’s doesn’t have half the physical problems I do, nor the overt physical anxiety reactions I have to deal with, so it’s time she sucked up. Sounds harsh but enough.
Life dictated by fears and I can’t isn’t life. She wants to be chained to it, that’s her choice but she doesn’t have the right to chain me to her fears too. I have my own to fight. And it devastates my already devastated energy reserves. What on earth would happen to her if I ever got married?
Wow, that was a vent…guess it’s been building up awhile?
Well, maybe I’ll get another post up before Christmas, or right after (there’ll be lots of pics of that day!). Hopefully the pups will have lots of fun sticking their noses in the kitchen to sniff the ham. And following the bone-smelling boxes from wrapping station to puppy stockings! Should be a fairly good week.
Merry Christmas to ya!
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anxiety,
Christmas,
chronic fatigue,
co-dependence,
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great dane adolescent,
great dane exercise,
great dane play,
littermates,
migraines,
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on December 21, 2009
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/foggy-fun-for-boys-by-lisa-harmon/
“Is there no privacy…Bloggers! She got her big nose in there but did she get mine?” Kenai’s morning smoochie ritual, an opportunistic event occuring when he fusses about waiting for his food. 24 mo old
Kenai’s the kind of fellow who’s very concerned with his dignity. He even plays dignified, the stinker. He dozes leaning on one shoulder like a well fed lion. He is horrified if I try to put a winter “coat” on him, convinced he looks like a girl. He prefers to stand up tall rather than slouch. He’ll even pose for you if you want to take a picture…
But there are things that do overwhelm his sense of decorum. Noseberries, the infamous raspberry blown on the muzzle, will create enormous amounts of “that was icky” energy flying out all over the place. Those can turn my aristocrat into a golden fizz, complete with bear paw swatting.
Little brother BB’s antics can abrade Kenai’s nobility often enough too. He’s usually up to play with his little bro, but there are times…And naturally, little bro is oblivious to “don’t even think about it” body language when play is in the offing. Okay he’s pretty much oblivious to anything but play.
My favorite dignity wrecker though is the morning smoochie ritual. Kenai starts his morning by snoozing grandly on the couch until I get his food mixed up. Then the moochie starts, (he has to wait 30 min because of the pancreatic enzymes). The moochie involves nose under the arm while typing, leaning the chest on my back with head over shoulder…
How could I resist such a chance to turn moochie into smoochie? He wants his food so he takes it, 
eventually deciding the cuddles and scritchy scratches on the neck feels good enough to be an acceptable way to pass the time. (Even if his “private” moment of “necking” gets put on the internet…)
That pic btw is a good shot of the ever so soft and molestable Dane jowels. You can always tell a Dane owner or previous Dane owner–first they have no shred of hesitation, crossing entire parking lots to reach your Dane for a petting. Second, the part they go for right off the bat is the jowels.
I just love Great Danes. My heart is taken with them. Yes, they’re gorgeous animals, no doubt. Kenai can literally stop traffic being watched. But more than that, Danes have this permanently endearing combination of tremendous intelligence and gentle sensitivity. Once you’ve had a Dane, you’re hooked for life.
Some days Grammy is all kinds of fun. When she’s moving around, picking up and such, there are opportunities… she’ll grab his tushie when he’s not looking, she’ll tease him with a bag or box, she’ll toss a boy an empty soda pop bottle.
Grammy’s his play buddy. (Mom is Grammy by the way, to my neices and nephews, as well as Kenai). When it’s time to play in earnest, we swap pups. I can get BB to gallopol all over creation and come back where Mom can’t. Mom can get Kenai whar-whar talking and slamming down those big paws in play bows galore.
We just play differently I guess, and they enjoy the change? Mom and Kenai’s hide and seek games turn into pretty good romps. All I have to do is say “grammy’s gonna get you” and he drops anything to look–she might goose his tush or blow a buttberry on his rump. “It’s so awful, do it again!” is the usual reaction.
I’ll never forget the first time Mom blew a raspberry on him: he swatted at her with a truly indignant whar-whar, did a zoomie indoors, ran over and leaped on the couch, and started bitching her out from behind me! “My Mommy get you for that!” His “mommy” could barley breathe for laughing.
***
Tuesday began the annual, week long, epic struggle: cookies for Christmas presents. First were “Hello Dollies”, then the no bake oatmeal fudge cookies. Next was the first installment of toll house cookies, while waiting for the other batch to defrost. I cheat when I can, freezing some cookie doughs.
As always, comes the idiot proof fudge, 4 regular and one small batch of white chocolate/peppermint to drizzle over one of the regular batches. Lazy girl’s after dinner mints! I sometimes roll the pieces into small balls to coat with sweetened cocoa powder for truffles.
Idiotproof fudge:
Melt 2 1/2 cups of chocolate, peanut butter, or white chocolate chips in a heavy no stick sauce pan with 1 can of sweetened condensed milk. Pour into wax paper lined pans to cool. Cut into squares when cool and set.
The hard work cookies will take a day of their own. I was totally determined to make the coconut shortbread cookies this year. OMG they are sooo good, and I’m not that big on coconut. Must be all the butter? Yum.
Coconut Shortbread Cookies: approx 6 dozen
Cream 3 sticks of butter and 1 cup + 1 tbsp of sugar. Add 1 cup finely chopped coconut, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt, and 1 tsp coconut extract. Mix well.
Stir in 1 1/3 cup of flour until barely blended, then add last 1 1/3 cup of flour. Mix until just starting to hold together. Divide dough in halves, roll up each half in wax paper and chill for at least 1 hour.
Roll out dough using either cake flour or powdered sugar to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 325 F for about 20 minutes, when cookies are just slightly golden.
This year I made a regular coconut batch. Then I replaced the coconut with orange extract and super fine chopped dried cranberries, using orange food coloring. Another batch had lemon extract and chopped dried apricots. A fourth batch had peppermint and dried plums.
Some years I make apple butter cookies, which stay soft forever and have that lovely cinnamon and clove smell. I’ve made stollens, linzertort, fruit breads, and spice cookies in years past too. But the legs. Yeah.
The legs are the first to go: they shake and get weak thanks to chronic fatigue, and the fibro makes everything hurt pretty good. I just plan on having my pain medicine refilled the week before cookie week, and spend a week afterwards doing nothing. And I mean NOTHING beyond feeding the dog.
Kenai’s keen on the butter, not so much the cookies. He doesn’t really have a sweet tooth, not even for apples et all. Most of my dogs have loved sweet things and fruits. BB will eat anything with enthusiasm, so there’s no telling if he really has a sweet tooth or not! Kenai has to be an orginal?
No Bake Oatmeal Fudge cookies: (have all the ingredients measured out before starting)
Melt 1 stick of butter in a heavy non-stick sauce pan. Stir in 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 2 cups of sugar. Bring to a boil for 1 minute over medium to medium high heat. Remove from stove.
Quickly stir in 1 tsp of vanilla, 3 cups of quick cook oats, 1/2 cup of coconut, and 1/2 cup raisins. Drop onto wax paper with small ice cream scoop to cool and set up. Makes 15-18 cookies.
***
The long ago bred in guarding and hunting instincts seem to start showing up at that age, and the not pups anymore but not grown dogs have to learn how to manage them in today’s modern lifestyles.
Having been created to hunt (bears and wild boars), and used for guard duty as well, Great Danes still have those instincts. Particularly the chase instinct and protectiveness. Adolescents have to figure out all over again what’s acceptable and what isn’t, while being influenced by newly appearing urges.
I doubt the teenage “years” are any less confusing to our dogs than to human kids. Those new desires are intense and irresistable. It doesn’t seem that any amount of pre-adolescence training or habit forming can prevent the advent of at least some behaviors: you just have to let them hit and work them out.
Sure, lots off excellent socializing and training before adolescence will reduce the number and variety of unwanted stuff, but you can’t tell me Talos’ lady slouched on anything! Nope, adolescence just hits and they have to be shaped in all new ways because they now have different instinctual behavior.
Not all Danes will show the habits of olden days–my Shabah never had any interest in chase or was at all a stand at the window guard puppy. I think he gave all his to Kenai for a double shot. Kenai’s a serious throwback to the Danes of a hundred years ago.
I had hoped for another Shabah when I went looking for an SD candidate 2 year ago–Shabah was unearthly sensitive to what I was feeling and responded by touching me or interacting. Either he seemed to understand what I was feeling was for internal reasons, or he just didn’t have to grapple with the hunting/guarding instincts Kenai does.
Kenai is actually more sensitive, but rather than tuning into me, he goes looking for an external cause of my emotions in our environment. Laughing, he looks for the cool fun toy. Anxious, he looks around for anything scary in the yard. No dear, the stray cat doesn’t need chasing away to make me feel better…
As much as I love him, my golden grizzly is the polar opposite of Shabah. Kenai would have been much more suited to tracking or lure coursing, belonging to a human with the legs to handle such physical efforts. He’s got the big time drives, and athleticism, that’s for sure!
***
The BB nose has been getting in trouble about every 20 minutes with all the baking. He’s too curious for his own good! Then the cookies become forbidden fruit, and we all know how that turns out… hasn’t managed to get one yet, but he’s plotting. Stinker.
So Beebs has found himself banished from the kitchen, and the dining room with a mounded over table full of fudge and cookies. To make matters worse, he had his puppy pedicure yesterday–those terrible clippers! As long as there’s soft talking and yummy treats, he’ll endure it though.
We’ve got a couple days of relative warmth, then it’s back to the deep freeze, so Beeber bottoms is getting his run about at least once a day. Does that make up for not getting swiped fudge for breakfast? It does keep him calmer, so he doesn’t drive me bonkers about all the activity in the house.
They’re lots of fun, the Brothers Grin. Lots of work too at times. The trick I guess if making the work fun. There is lots of work yet to do, if I ever get a spell with no demands on my energy to rest up and get strong. Maybe by spring they’ll be healthier and me too.
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on December 17, 2009
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/dignity-wreckers-by-lisa-harmon/
“I hear that silly bird again…” Kenai 23 mo
Our hopelessly dense bird is back again. Every winter this dumb-as-a-brick cardinal spends its days trying to hammer its way through the window. Peck, peck, thunk, peck, peck…The only way to stop it is put the blind down, at least most of the time.
At first Kenai would bark at the sound. Now I think he just gets aggravated when the noise wakes him up from his naps. He gives it this “look”, the one he uses on his brother when BB antics disturb his dignity…I can almost hear his thoughts “Dumb bird, THE WINDOW DON’T OPEN, get a clue!”
Speaking of BB antics, Beebs has discovered the joys of peek-a-boo again. He wasn’t much on it as a puppy, but now it’s the best game in town. Anytime I spy a BB nose peeking around a corner, it’s “I seeeee you!”, and he gets a big case of the wiggles.
Peeking over the couch is the funniest. I keep tryin to get a pic of it. There’s a brown crown of the head, the bells of 2 ears, and a pair of blink blinks. “I seeeeee you!” is followed by the rustling sounds of wiggles and a tail wagging in the bags of Christmas presents.
Do this several times in a row and he gallopols around to the front of the couch and has a wiggle fit–it’s a zoomie done without running, a specialty of his. The best, THE best moment for a goose the bottoms! The goofy goobers get the best of him and he has to race to the kitchen and back a few times.
Kenai’s been my trusty box shredder lately, reducing the stacks of shipping boxes to small mounds sized just right for the trash cans. Maybe it’s all the chase me chase you games that makes him love box slaying? “Gimme that you boy, I get you, I steals it, he he”.
He’s also been my trusty nap companion. He always naps with me, but lately he’s wanted his closeness, you see. Sleeping in the living room, I take over the twin size matress that is their communal bed during the day. (Oh Lord when will the weird neuro stuff go away!)
He feels the need to rock me to sleep there, I guess. It’s a twin size! But roll me up on my side and here comes the boy. He leans up against my legs, effectively pinning me to the wall, and begins cleaning his appendages. Lift the head, rock me back, lick the leg, roll me forward.
There’s nothing quite so fun as being seasick at bedtime…NOT. I like the leans but the rocks not so much. At least the afternoon nap time is done in Mom’s king size bed, which cuts down on the clausterphobic pinned in place feeling. Silly boy.
Today will be a mixed bag for the boy. We’re heading out for a midmorning breakfast, so Kenai can hitch a ride, which he’ll like. But the viewing for Melba is this afternoon, which means he stays home. The funeral will be tommorrow, and he’ll have to stay home for that too.
If the knucklehead would get well…we’d finish his training and he wouldn’t have to stay home! But such isn’t life at the moment.
The rest of the week will be cookie baking, fudge making, and lots of on my feet all day. Ouch. I try to do the cookies last thing before Christmas, because it wipes me out bad. There won’t be much decorating or anything else the week after cookie baking. Double ouch. Fibro pain from hell, and too fatigued to care if I don’t get a shower. Yeesh.
But everyone loves homemade cookies and fudge for Christmas. My sister in law in Seattle is super concerned about nutrition and stuff, so I don’t know how much if any the kids get of sweets and such the rest of the year. But they get an actual bucket of sweets from me!
Hopefully it will all be done by Friday, so I can get the cookie buckets mailed off to the neices and nephews in Seattle. Then crash for a week. All that’s left is put up the tree. That can be done in peices, though, bit by bit. And no, BB you can’t help with that!
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on December 13, 2009
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/goofie-goobers-and-dumb-birds-by-lisa-harmon/
My little flapper…Kenai having a run, 23 mo
HOLY COW, I’m awake now…we’ve had a big winter system come through: teens, 30+ mph winds, the works. We thank God missed the snow and ice for the most part, our air being too dry for precip. Couldda’ done without that wind though. I’m wobbling like a fool when that frigid air hits my inner ears.
Kenai decided he didn’t like the wind making that noise, so he barked at it. He really let it have it when the door blew open, and there was no one there to see!
Kenai’s had a couple car rides, and today’s will wind up at the puppy store. I’d stay home if’n (how’s that for a good hillbilly word “if’n”), if’n we wouldn’t run out of kibble before the winds let up. I have one of those knitted face masks, so we’ll see if Brown barks at me…
It’ll be tough getting Mom out to the puppy store today–our dear friend Melba passed away yesterday afternoon. Three in one year…maybe if sorrow travels in three’s this will be the last death for awhile?
Mom is expectedly doing the Eore, sad and droopy. BB’s confused, and Kenai is alternating between grammy smooches and toy fetching. She’s crabbing at Beebs worse than usual, so I’m keeping him around me more. That’s okay with him–he just wants to follow you around and stick his nose in the way.
Oh yeah, and the latest of great funs is the mouse. We have a mouse in the house. Not unusual for the country, having a field mouse head for the insulated warmth of a country home. So we hear the scratchies in the walls, and rustling about in the storage room.
Of course we’ll catch it in traps, but in the meantime, there’s boy wrinkles and noses and funny looking butt wags when they think they know where it is. One thing I won’t be doing to catch it is getting a cat. That would not go well for the furniture (or weight bearing walls).
We’d call that hurricane boobiehead, and need to contact FEMA. The mouse would survive, but I’m not so sure about our belongings…
Now that the flu has left me for a younger girl and the migraine storms are under control again, we’re returning bit by bit to “normal”. I’m back to the computer (obviously), and daily chores with Kenai. Stuff like:
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dodge the sweeper–with the requisite swat ‘n’ sneeze games
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pick ups stuffs–just when the laundry is in a pile, a Kenai happens
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sock snitching–”where oh where did my stripey socks go?”
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wake me ups–a progression from cheek nuzzles and hugs, to invigorating tushie rubs
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opportunistic molestation–pretty tushie is available while front end is involved in tug
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boy toiletry–clean the ears and tummy folds, no fungus amongus if you please
BB has decided that the boy toiletry is actually nice, getting the ears rubbed after cleaning, all the baby massages that go with brushing, and witch hazel for his dry spots. Since the pedicure involves treats, that’s not so bad either.
In a couple of days maybe, I’ll have the extra gumption to get the cookie packages started. Or the Christmas tree box up from the basement. Or toss some net lights over the holly bushes in front. I know better than to try for my usual whole house makeover.
For some reason I can’t find any of those plastic red bows for outside. They’re all sort of felted, which would essentially melt in the rain. Plastic bows would make it easier to decorate outside: no plugs or extension cords to deal with. Oh well.
Guess I’m getting back to normal just in time for holiday go-nuts…
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on December 9, 2009
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/getting-back-to-normal-by-lisa-harmon/
Get off your lazy ma and blog! Kenai, 23 mo
The boys are almost 2 years old–how’d that happen? Wow… Well, you can see we’re struggling with their health, Mr Skinny Ribs there. They were doing better during the Imizol/doxy regime but started deteriorating as soon as it stopped. Doxy alone doesn’t help at all.
I’m back sleeping in the living room since Kenai started having problems on the stairs again. I miss my own mattress! We’ve upped his kibble intake, and I fear it’s re-starting the bacterial overgrowth in the intestines again. Dang, there’s got to be a sweet spot for these pups, ya know?
Dr Susan, the holistic/traditional vet asked me to try a 10 day deal of Rimadyl to see if it helped with his symptoms. It is an anti-inflammatory, and Kenai doesn’t handle steroids well. I think it’s upsetting his touchy tum though.
On the happy side, BB has put on weight, up to 112 pounds again. Of course, he’s getting an absurd 10 cups of food a day…He should be round as a beach ball with all that food. I swear, when/if we ever figure out how to fix their digestive issues, I’m gonna let them get stupid fat for an entire month.
I’ll call BB “beluga butt’, and those rump bumps he so loves to do will be big enough to take down a grown man! And I’ll let Kenai be fat enough to waddle, and tease him about being a waddle wump. Once the fun is over though, I’ll take the weight off to normal.
I just want to be able to say my dogs can get fat if I want them to! I know, just because ya can doesn’t mean ya should, but I swear I will pork up the pups for a month if they ever get the ability to gain like that. If I can…
But for now–we’ve had a handful of training times, their favorite of which was the “peanut butter lick” practice. I smeared some peanut butter in a creme brulee cup and they got a few licks for each “good boy”. That was fun all over.
They’ve not had much outside time, other than short walks and the ocassional run about in the kennel. I’m still trying to recover my energy after the bout with flu. I’ve had to run some errands, but since the Imizol/doxy stopped, Kenai’s returned to nervous and noise phobic. And critter crazy.
He’s not even been inside Walgreens with me. I can’t see pushing him beyond what he can handle. Sad but there we are. Again. He’s even nervous about being left in the car, sweet guy. That means his car rides have been limited duration.
I really do need to give Lisa a call and set up a “training” time. It’s actually just play time, but that’s when pups learn the best anyway–when they’re having fun. Speaking of pups learning, I need to run over to Talos’ blog and see what he’s been up to.
And it’s time to put up the Christmas tree! That’ll be next post. It’s a brute of a two peice 7 footer, so I’m sure they’ll start by hiding out in the crates until it’s up. Then the nose…they’ve always been very good about it, and it’s on Kenai’s “side” of the living room. He’s body sensitive enough not to bump it. Yep, it’s tree time. We could all use some pretty.
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Posted by greatdaneservicedog on December 7, 2009
http://greatdaneservicedog.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/rump-bumps-and-waddle-wumps-by-lisa-harmon/
