Da Bears!

I ran into one of the office ladies this afternoon when I was out walking Molly and she said that a bear had been sighted on the premises. I walk Molly very early in the morning when it is dark outside and I have been trying to keep an eye out for bears. I do not know how Molly would react to one but I am thinking screaming like a girl and running isn't one of her top options in spite of what her owner would do. We live at the base of a mountain and are in close proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway so I know the chances are there that we may eventually run into one. I am going to have to try to minimize those chances.

Walking The Dog

I live in an apartment complex now and there are many dog owners but only a small handful of us actually walk our dogs. This is a fairly large complex with plenty of room to walk our dogs but the vast majority of the people only take their dogs in the area right beside their building, let them do their business, and then hustle them back inside. Molly and I usually cover most of the neighborhood at least twice a day, usually 3 or 4 times on the weekends. When Molly walks, she gives a new definition to "stop and smell the roses." Molly smells everything and and I mean a nose to the ground, "yes I inhaled", sniff test. Last Friday morning she picked up the scent of a rabbit and the hunt was on. People should get out and walk their dog. It is great exercise for both of you and you can see so many different things on any given day. Spend some time with your dog and allow him to introduce you to his world.

Bringing Home The Fleas

Molly's little stint at the kennel did have one negative side effect. She brought home a bad case of fleas. I immediately went out and got some Frontline that will hopefully fix the problem. I have to admit I was not happy when I noticed the little bloodsuckers crawling around on Molly but it is not the kennel's fault. The kennel did have a fullhouse this time and they can't control what the other dogs bring with them when they are boarded there. She has never had a flea problem before and she has changed environments, so I should have expected it.

Introducing Mazie

A really good friend of mine that just recently had to have her family dog put to sleep decided to get a new puppy from the Humane Society the other day. She made an excellent choice on where to get her from and she decided to name her Mazie. She has spent the last few days getting to know her and introducing her to the neighbors and the neighborhood which she will soon rule. I can't wait to meet her. Puppies look at things with such amazement and they can make a game out of everything. They are always testing their boundaries and you can't help but laugh most of the time. Puppies introduce you to their world also. They amaze you with their intelligence, sense of humor, and their individual personalities. They are able to teach you as well as you being able to teach them and it is such an awesome process.

Transitioning Back Home

Molly is back from the kennel. She dragged her ass and about 5 pounds of fleas up the steps and slept most of the day yesterday and this morning. The transition from the kennel to back home takes about 3 or 4 days for her to work out all of the kinks and ease back into her routine. Her bathroom schedule is the hardest to ease back into. Outside of sleeping all of the time (and the fleas) the transition seems to be much smoother this time. I think it is good for Molly to be around all of those other dogs. She seems much more tolerant of the other dogs that live in our neighborhood, at least for the first couple of days. After that her territorial nature takes back over and she starts woofing at everything that walks by our balcony. I should probably take her to the kennel more often.

I Love Kennels

I went and picked up Molly from the kennel this morning and I just love going to the kennel. They always have such an eclectic mix of dogs. Paw Pleasers has a play yard out in front of their office that has about a 5 foot tall fence around it so the dogs have some privacy. I pull up in their driveway and some reddish-brown colored dog sees me pull up so he trots over to the fence and he is jumping up and down like he is on a trampoline trying to get my attention. You can't help but laugh. I go inside the office to pick Molly up and they have a private room set up just outside the office. Their is a Boxer on the inside looking out the window just staring wistfully at me. I asked the lady behind the counter if he had been put in isolation. She answered, "no, it is just a private room." The Boxer still looked like he wanted my help in escaping. The lady went and got Molly and she came charging thru the kennel on her pink leash with the kennel lady in tow. She was happy to see me and even happier to get out of there.

Bacon!

Every time I fix myself some bacon I am reminded of the snausages commercial where the dog catches a whiff of bacon and he goes running thru the house and the voice is going "Bacon, bacon, baacooon!!" That is about what Molly does whenever I fix breakfast in the mornings. She will lay at my feet and she will let me know when she thinks she is not getting her fair share. I don't have to worry about a crumb hitting the floor either. I thought of this when I fixed myself some bacon this morning and I didn't have my 55 pound best friend with me to share my breakfast with. I will have to make sure I fix a big plate full when I go pick her up from the kennel.

Talking To The Spirit World

I believe that dogs know things and can sense things that humans can't. Molly was wound up last night. She was very hyper and agitated and she was barking and woofing at me and I could not figure out what she wanted. I believe there was a presence in my apartment and she was trying to tell me about it. She went into my bedroom by herself and she was barking and carrying on but it was the tone of her bark that bothered me. There was something or someone in there with her. I could not see it but she knew it was there. I also believe she knew who it was. It wasn't her threatening "I don't know you" bark. I walked into the bedroom to see what was going on and as soon as I walked into the room, a cold chill went up my spine. She calmed down after a bit but she refused to go in the bedroom by herself after that. I do not believe it is a malicious presence but Molly knows when it is there.

No Dog To Walk

With Molly being at the kennel and me being out of town, I feel lost without a dog to walk or to talk to or to confide in. Molly is my personal version of a therapy dog. She makes sure I get my exercise, she makes sure I get up on time in the mornings, and she lets me know when I am out of treats. She is also my security system. She lets me know when someone is at the door, she warns me when the UPS guy is in the neighborhood, and she tells me when one of those fleabags in the neighborhood is walking by. I have been around dogs all my life and it is very hard to survive without one for 5 days.

Molly Goes To The Kennel

I had to take Molly to the kennel Paw Pleasers yesterday as I am going out of town for a few days. Molly loves to go for a car ride. I need to take her for more pleasant rides as the only rides I take her on any more are to the Vet and to the kennel. Paw Pleasers takes very good care of her and I know she is in good hands when I leave her with them. Me leaving Molly at the kennel is like a parent leaving their child at summer camp. I really hate doing it but I know it will be better for both of us. I was telling one of my neighbors the other afternoon that I was taking Molly to the kennel while I was on vacation and she made the comment "that gives y'all a break from each other." I guess we are a lot like roommates. We get on each others nerves and get in each others way. We get into arguments just like roommates. We got about 5 miles from my apartment and she knew we were headed in the wrong direction. I believe that she tried getting the attention of the people in the car beside us to see if they wouldn't help her out. I can see Molly holding up a handmade sign saying "Help! I am being kidnapped!" We made it to the kennel without incident and she begrudgingly went back with the girl at the kennel. I'll call and check on her in a couple of days and make sure she is o.k. I am already counting down the days when I can go and pick her up.

Dogs And Pickup Trucks

I think that dogs riding in the back of pickup trucks is a form of animal cruelty. The dog riding in the truck is not the act of cruelty but the potential for what could happen is the cruel part. I was driving down I-85 coming home from Charlotte one Sunday morning when I pickup blew by me going about 80 MPH with a dog in the bed of the pickup. I was horrified by this act of carelessness with this dog. I ended having to pull off at an exit a couple of miles down the road because I could not watch this anymore. They actually make dog seat harnesses now. I used to live down the street from a man who let his dog ride on the cab of his pickup. I was horrified by that. I think it is a dog owners duty to provide a safe environment for their dog.

The Search Mission

Yesterday afternoon I was standing on my balcony and I saw one of my young neighbors out with his dog on a leash. The little boy was only about 7 years old and it was obvious to me the boy could not handle this dog. It was pretty predictable as to what was going to happen next and sure enough, a couple of minutes later the dog broke free and took off. The little boy took off chasing after it but I knew it was gone. I put Molly on a leash to see if I could help. I canvased the upper part of the neighborhood but I didn't spot the dog. I was walking back down the sidewalk to my apartment and the little boy and his father passed me on their way to search for the runaway dog. The little boy was just bawling and my heart went out to him. I felt so incredibly bad for him. He tried talking to me but I really couldn't understand a word he said through all of the tears. I have been that little boy. When I was growing up, the family pet was a Poodle named Midnight. He died one afternoon when I was about 10 or 11 years old, and my Mom distracted me and my older sister by taking us shopping on a Sunday afternoon so my father could bury him. When Midnight didn't turn up late that afternoon, I went looking for him and I feared the worst. I was bawling just like the little boy this afternoon. My parents finally had to sit me down and tell me he had passed away. Luckily this story had a happier ending and the little boys dog turned up about 20 minutes later. I helped corral him long enough for him to be lassoed and returned to the little boy.

Our Annual Trip To The Vet

I have gotten really lucky with Molly. She has been relatively healthy to this point in her life and the only trips she has had to make to the Vet's office is for her annual shots. Today was the day. Molly must be mellowing with age. Today went off almost without a hitch. I have been loyal to my Vet over the years. He has been the family Vet for almost 35 years now. He has always been Molly's Vet. Now that I live in a town over 20 miles away, it makes it more inconvenient, but it is worth the trip knowing that Molly is well cared for. Getting there is usually an adventure, but today it was about as smooth as it could get. It also helps when the Vet distracts Molly with a cat so she can give her the shots she needs.

A Kindred Spirit

Molly lost a kindred spirit the other day. A dog named Sadie. I had the pleasure of spending several days with Sadie a few months ago and she was a beautiful dog with a powerful spirit. She accepted me without judgement and allowed me to take her on walks in which she shared her world view with me. Her world view was filled with curiosity and a dignified defiance. She was going to do what she wanted to do and she let me know that I could follow if I wanted to. It came that time in Sadie's life where her body just broke down due to her advancing years. Her owner made the compassionate and courageous decision to allow Sadie to leave life with the dignity that she deserved. She also made sure that Sadie was in familiar surroundings and surrounded by the people that made up her inner circle. If and when Molly ever gets to that point, I hope I have the courage to make the same decision.

Snawsomes

I buy Molly a dog treat at Wal~Mart called Snawsomes made by the makers of Snausages. She prefers the beef and cheese flavor but it really doesn't matter. They must have some addictive, narcotic-type quality to them because if I run out of Snawsomes, there is hell to pay. If I take her outside, she expects a Snawsome when she comes back in. If I forget, heaven forbid, she sits at my knee and woofs at me or gently nudges me in the direction of the kitchen until I present her with one. She knows exactly what cabinet I keep them in and if patience is a virtue, Molly is not a virtuous dog. She immediately takes it to her spot on the living room floor, props it up between her paws, and it is usually gone in under a minute.