I Can Fly

Molly and I were out for our afternoon walk yesterday and she pulled up lame. She hurt her back left leg somehow and the steps we have to climb up, there are fifteen of them, are pretty steep. Molly dutifully tried hobbling up a couple of steps and then she just quit. She couldn't make it. Molly has never been accused of being a lap dog and I have never really picked her up and held her so that left me in a real dilemma. We had to get up the stairs somehow. I picked her up and started walking up the steps. She wasn't thrilled with the new method of travel but I didn't have any other options. She went spread eagle and if Superman would have had a dog, I am sure he would have looked something like this. We made it up the stairs, she was thrilled beyond belief to be on solid ground again, and i was happy I didn't get bit.

Ownership And Dogs

My blog Molly's World has been written over the course of the past 4 years and it is just about me and my dog. I realize that some, most, or if not all of it is pretty boring, mundane stuff. I was spurred on by the tales of Giant George and other dog owners/lovers and I tried to keep it interesting and at one point, I even tried giving Molly a "voice" but that may have been when I was at my worst. The other night, I participated in a "survey" about blogging. I have been most consistent with Molly's World, posting on the average about 10-15 times a month. The majority of my other blogs are sports blogs I think just about everyone that is a sports fan has a sports blog. I really do not have any more deep insight than any other sports fan even though I still try. In talking to the man that was conducting the survey, the blog that got the much attention was my more personal ones and the one he quoted was one of my more sleazy ones. It is something along the lines of Fifty Shades Of Grey. The fact that blog got the most attention really surprised me. That was one I started thinking about me and Molly. I was going on the theory that "everyone loves a dog story." I was talking to a friend of mine about it the next day, and she pointed out that "nobody loves your dog like you," and she meant that applied to every dog owner. She is right. Nobody is going to love Molly like I do and God knows, Molly loves very few people. I will keep writing Molly's story but I guess not everyone loves a dog story and sex does indeed sell.

Caddy Shack

Watching Molly go after a mole reminds me of the movie Caddy Shack. Carl the Greens Keeper was always going after this gopher that was destroying the golf course, Bushwood was its name, I believe. Carl finally had to resort to blowing everything to smithereens and the gopher still came out dancing. In my case, Molly plays the part of Carl. She goes after them with everything she has and usually just comes up spitting out dirt and grass and with a real dirty nose. Once in a great while she will get one but that is few and far between. After all, she is slowing down a little bit and those refelxes are not as sharp as they used to be. Much like Bushwood, my apartment complex does not appreciate her efforts.

Mount It On The Wall

I took Molly for her walk this afternoon and after she did her business she wanted to continue up the sidewalk. Normally she wants to immediately come in and claim her afternoon treat so when she practically dragged me up the sidewalk, I knew something was up. She went straight to were the mole tunnels were and within about two minutes, she had killed one and I made her spit it out on the sidewalk. Molly wanted to bring it back to the apartment and mount the head on the wall like some people do a deer but I was not too accepting of that idea. By letting Molly display her kill on the sidewalk, it lets the everyone in the apartment complex know that at least one dog in the neighborhood is on the job and her name is Molly...

The Nose Is Still Young

Molly may be getting a little long in the tooth and little gray around the muzzle at 11 1/2 years old but the nose is still as good and as strong as the day she was born with it. Yesterday afternoon, she sniffed out a mole in the grass and happily tried digging him out (her reflexes have slowed just a tad), and last night she sniffed out those two dogs that live upstairs and was ready to take both of them on. Luckily I got her pulled back into the apartment before that happened. The girl that owns the two dogs got them put up before I let Molly back out again, but she went charging down the steps like she was a young pup. She knew every step those dogs had taken and made sure she reclaimed her turf. The nose knows.

Vanilla Wafers

Scooby Doo had his Scooby snacks that gave him strength, power, and courage and Molly has her vanilla wafers. I bought a box the other day because they were cheap, and I wanted something sweet and different. As soon as Molly hears me open the box and you can picture me hiding in the closet trying to sneak in a vanilla wafer and Molly comes on the fly. You also have to know Molly doesn't run that much any more. All of this for the love of vanilla wafers. Motivation comes in different forms and I guess the same could be said for dogs.

It's Time To Snuggle

The cooler mornings are finally here and Molly always wants to snuggle when the colder weather gets here. I am going to try to go as long as I can without turning on the heat because this is only the middle of October and way to soon to be running up my heat bill. Molly loves the cooler weather anyway. The cooler weather always makes her more energetic and much more frisky and she is always more excited to go outside when it is nice and cool outside.

A Memorial To Giant George

Molly and I were saddened to learn this morning of the passing of Giant George last night. Giant George was ordained as the world's largest dog by The Guiness Book Of World Records a couple of years ago, weighing in at about 250 pounds. The post on Facebook said that he passed away one month shy of his eighth birthday. Giant George was a gentle giant and a true ambassador for the canine world, authored one book, and made too many TV appearances to count. I first saw him when he appeared on Good Morning America and I, like most other people was amazed at his size. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Giant George and he will be missed.

Moral Support

Watching your dog slowly decline as they get older is hard. A dog's life is a microcosm of a human life at seven times the speed. Molly can't jump up on the bed any more unless I get behind her. It is kind of funny because I don't pick her up or anything, I just stand behind her for "moral support" and she jumps right up there. Maybe she draws strength from me or something but she won't jump up there any other way. Jealousy also seems to be a great motivator. If there is a woman laying on my bed, she is right up there in between us. Molly is slowing down fast. Our walks aren't as long anymore and the amount of naps she takes has about doubled but in the so called "dog years", Molly is about 80 years old. She passed her physical last week with flying colors but I am hoping she will know when it is time to check out on her own and I won't have to make that decision for her.

The Green Eyed Monster

I went out last night and Molly's jealousy genes have really been put into overdrive. I couldn't peel that dog off of me this morning if I wanted to. I don't know if she thinks something bad is going to happen to me and she is part of my Secret Service protection detail or what but right now, she is just getting on my nerves. Not to mention the fact that she has bad doggie gas and everyone that she rips wafts up and singes my nostril hair. She has not left my side since I got up this morning and when I get up, she immediately gets and follows me. Maybe she is afraid I am going to leave her behind but that is the way she rolls. No Dan left behind.

The Bed Hog

Molly decided to jump up on my bed last night as I was going to sleep and share my bed space with me and it has been a long time since she has done that. Like me, Molly has her good days and bad days, and they are turning into mostly bad. Those rare occasions she does jump up on the bed anymore, I have to be the cheerleader. I have to pound on the bed with my hand, telling her "C'mon girl, c'mon girl, I know you can do it!" She will get that happy look on her face that only dogs can get and she will crouch a couple of times and she will wiggle her butt and wag her tail everytime she crouches down until she decides that she can take that leap of faith forward and jump that whole two feet on to the bed. She then does what dogs do and that is hog the bed and generously allow me a corner of it until she decides to get down. She can have all of the bed space she wants. This is Molly's World and I am lucky enough that she lets me share it with her.

The Vacuum

Most dogs have a love/hate relationship with the vacuum cleaner but Molly's is more of a hate/hate. I can even pull the vacuum out of the closet and Molly starts getting antsy. She used to be afraid of the vacuum but now all she is worried about is that the vacuum is going to eat her food. As soon as I turn it on and I start vacuuming the living room floor, Molly immediately goes over to her food dish and starts eating until I stop vacuuming. I guess she saw me vacuum up a few chunks of dog food one time and now she thinks the vacuum is after her food. It is really kind of funny but she Molly does not find it so amusing.

Lazy Days

I believe it was the Carpenters that sang "Lazy days and Sundays always get me down...." My vacations are full of lazy days for Molly and me and that is all she needs is a nap partner. We take a short walk in the mornings and one around lunchtime and then we take a nap in the afternoons. I can always blame Molly for my lack of motivation. She has always been a bad influence on me and it continues to this day. We also take a walk or two late in the afternoon and before we turn in for the night. I had to do my weekly "chores" this morning- laundry, some light cleaning- and then it was time to be lazy.

Dog Tired

Molly was one tired pup after her Vet adventure on Friday. I woke up Saturday morning and I actually slept a solid eight hours which is very unusual for me. I looked over and Molly was still asleep in the exact same spot that she fell asleep in. I don't think she moved all night long. That is also why I felt very comfortable with my decision to not take her to the kennel. The Vet was very stressful for her and the kennel only would have stressed her out that much more. I can go out of town another weekend. She slept pretty much all day as well but the fleas are gone and she is finally able to rest now.

The Pill

When I took Molly to the Vet yesterday aftenoon, she had a slight flea problem. The Vet gave me a pill and he said that once Molly took it, it would start killing the fleas within 30 minutes. I was a little bit dubious about that, I was more worried about getting Molly to take the pill. I tried wrapping it up in a piece of bologna, but Molly smelled it, gently took a corner of the bologna in her mouth, and spit the pill back at me. I cut it in half but was met with the same result. I ended up having to cut the pill up in eight different pieces, hiding it in small pieces of bread, and she finally took the pill. I have to admit when I woke up this morning, there wasn't a flea on her. I was amazed. I inspected her from back to front, and she was completely flea free. No more scratching or anything. At $18 a pill, it was well worth it.

Molly Goes To The Vet

As usual, taking Molly to the Vet is an adventure. She knows where we are at about two mile before we get there. She starts whining and I don't care which way I go. I always get there about thirty minutes early to make sure I get to walk her around a little, she can take in all the smells, hopefullu use the bathroom, and then I try to get her in the door. She was much more calm this time in the reception area. She started getting a little bit antsy when we went into the waiting room and she even tried her old trick of hiding behind me so the Vet wouldn't see her. That didn't work either. He always try to distract her in some way and this time around, he tried putting a blanket over her. I suggested the "cat" method in which she is distracted by a cat (as long as the cat owner doesn't find out) but he said he didn't have one available. I left the room so he could do his thing because Molly feeds off my nervousness but I watched through the window in the door. I must say Molly put up a hell of a fight but he got the shots in. The first time I looked in the window, the blanket idea had obviously not worked. When I looked in, I saw The Vet administer her shot, he pulls his hand back very quickly because Molly had whirled around and tried snappimng at him. He looked like an Olympic athlete getting out her way. I couldn't help but laugh. We all survived and she is relatively healthy at 11 1/2 years old. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Feeling Better

Molly is feeling a little bit better today but much to her dismay, she is still going to the Vet tomorrow afternoon. I called the kennel this morning and they said they would still take Molly but with a few restrictions and I can understand that. I wanted to call them and let them know what was going on with Molly so there would be no surprises for either party. I have always stressed being a responsible dog owner and that is how I want to be. Part of that is your dog not passing on any of her problems on to relatively healthy dogs.

Vacation

I am one day closer to vacation. That means Molly is one day closer to the vet then the following day, on to the kennel. I really hate putting Molly in a kennel but I chose one on the far side of Hendersonville because I feel more comfortable with them and their set up. Paw Pleasers in East Flat Rock is better staffed, more dog friendly, and even though it is a little bit further out of my way, I feel more comfortable with the care Molly gets there. I will go out of my way to make sure Molly is more comfortable and more importantly, I feel the most comfortable with her at Paw Pleasers. I feel guilty about leaving Molly behind, a fact I am sure Molly will take full advantage of. It's okay. I will be glad to buy her all the treats she wants.

I'm Ready For My Closeup Mr. DeMille

I do not even know where that line came from but that suits Molly almost perfectly. She, along with Giant George, has to be about the most photographed dog on the planet. The only difference is, he is making millions, and Molly is not. She doesn't really pose for pictures (unless she is sleeping or just waking up), she is my test subject for my camera. She has for the most part been cooperative, but occasionally she has those "diva" days in which she is pouty and just not going to cooperate. Those pictures usually get deleted.

The V-E-T

I was talking to someone on the phone last night and I told them that I was going to have to take Molly to the Vet for her yearly shots sometime this week. I even spelled out V-e-t. As soon as Molly heard that, her head snapped around, she shot me that look, and she came running up to me and demanded to be petted. She knows what I said and knows how to play that information for some extra attention. I believe humans call it a guilt trip. It is a good thing that I did not spell out K-e-n-n-e-l. That is where she is going on Saturday. She would have guilted me into buying her a new pet bed and a case of dog treats.

Feeling It

Molly and I were both feeling it this weekend and by it, I mean feeling bad. Friday night, I felt like I had been run over by a steamroller and I just laid on my bed most of the night with Molly in the floor right beside me. It has pretty much been that way all weekend. Nice weather, really kind of hot for it to be early October and Molly and I really felt too bad to enjoy any of it. You know you are on the down side of life when your bad days outnumber your good.

An Indian Summer

It looks like we are having another "Indian Summer' here in the mountains of Western North Carolina and Molly is suffering because of it. She picked up a flea problem from the flea bag next door and they are not going quietly. I have tried most every method from hmeopathic to medicine to try to alleviate this problem and the medicine worked better than anything else has so far. I am hoping to completely clear the problem up when I go on vacation in another week but that is still a week away. In the meantime, its hot, we're both miserable, and life goes on.

The Seeing Eye Human

Molly is starting to get cataracts in her eyes real bad and she really has a hard time seeing at night. I take her out usually twice in the morning before I got to work and at least once at night before I go to bed when it is dark. My apartment complex, being the dump that it is, has a light that is out on the landing ramp right outside of my door so it is really dark. Molly will go to the top of the steps but I really have to provide encouragement for her to go down the steps. I usually rub her head and stroke her chin and tell her that I love her and that "Daddy" will be right there beside her. I wish she would let me pick her up and carry her down the steps but that is not going to happen. We will make it down those steps together or not at all.

Some New Bling

It is time to buy Molly some new bling, namely a new collar and a new leash. Usually I try to buy a matching set but the last time I bought a dark blue relective leash (the reflective part wore off after about 4 days) and a dark pin collar. Molly might be color blind but she is not fashion blind. You can usually take your dog into a place like Pet Smart but I can only imagine the brawl that would ensue. I don't think I could deal with the stigma that would come with being permanently banned from a Pet Store. I'll let Molly have some input into her fashion choice and then I will go by myself.

Friends Come And Go

Friends come and go in my life at a rapid pace and the only real constant in my life is Molly. Right now she is helping me do the dishes. Molly is there for it all- the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the strippers and the "good" girls- and she helps me weed them out. It is probably a good thing she can't talk or she would be keeping her own journal and blackmailing me every step of the way.