House Guests

My brother-in-law was in town for a week and we all had a ball—including Lucy! She was never alone, which is her favorite way to be, and she followed him around as if he was her one-and-only. When he went downstairs, she followed. When he was on the deck, so was she. Here he is reading at the front counter and look who is close by!

The Bath

Soap and water...














Scrubbing behind the ears feels pretty good...

















Torture is almost over...




















The big shake...
















Ah-h-h!!!

Harts Pass and a celebration

We stayed at Harts Pass over the fourth and it was wonderful! No firecrackers; lots of peace and quiet. The drive up wasn't nearly as terrifying as when I'd done it years ago with a stick shift. This time I was the passenger while my husband drove and for being a holiday weekend, the traffic was surprisingly light.

There was still plenty of snow around, but the wild flowers were extraordinary. Gorgeous! We found a little spot besides a babbling brook at which to camp and stayed there a couple of nights. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera.

The day before we rode a couple different trails down in the valley: Goat Wall and the Methow River—the latter being the superior ride. Lucy did all of Goat Wall and a bit of the Methow. We figure she logged at last 8 miles and was fine. Tired yes, but no shaking. It's been one year since her surgery.

Had I thought this out a year ago, I wouldn't have been so panicky about her recovery. If a human had gone through the same process, it probably would have taken a similar amount of time. Her back right leg remains wobbly with an odd gait, but that didn't affect her ability to run and enjoy.

Both nights at the camp spot a doe came into camp to graze. She was alert, but unafraid, and came within 10 feet of us. Luckily, Lucy was asleep in the van!

We gave Lucy a day off while we did a ride on the pass to some old mines. It was interesting to see, but the elevation gain and loss at the altitude made it a difficult ride for me. One of the mines had several collapsed buildings around the site, one of which was definitely a house.

The last day there we went on a four mile hike along the ridge on the Pacific Crest Trail. Lucy was more than ready. She was ahead and eager. Snow! Marmots! Freedom! What more could a dog ask for? I'm sure she added a mile to her walk. The weather was spectacular and the views into several valleys and across to many peaks, awesome.

I wrote a short email to Dr. Sanders to thank him again for the great job he did on Luce.

Fireworks

Lucy's hearing is diminished. One ear slumbers, while the other struggles to take up the slack. I was hoping that might help with July 4th, but preliminary bangs, particularly the deep basso profundo explosions, are heard.

I awoke last night to hear her excessively panting and got up to see if she was alright. She was curled up in our (walk in) shower. Poor girl. I hope we get into the mountains away from Friday's excessive display. (Personally I love fireworks, but her misery supersedes any visual desire on my part.)

Nuthin' 'bout nuthin'

Not much has happened. Life goes on as life goes on. Two walks a day with a random longer walk thrown in for good measure. Our weather is warming—finally!—so we're spending more of our evenings on the deck. Lucy's past fear of firecrackers has subsided for the time being (I dread the start up for her sake), so she wants to be on the deck with us. It's wonderful. She gargoyles; I'll try to capture a picture. She lies at the edge and hangs her head over to survey her kingdom. Very cute. But when the firecrackers start up, she hides in the basement and doesn't join us for the rest of the summer. This will be the one benefit of her slow hearing loss—she won't mind this firecracker season any longer. She still hears out of one ear, so this summer still might be frightening for her.

We started re-finishing the deck railings yesterday. We removed all the horizontal 2X's for stripping and restaining at a later date. The uprights and main rail were stripped yesterday. Because I'm so terrified of heights, the deck is a little unsettling for me as there are no guard rails. I wouldn't let Lucy out there. I don't want her to lie at the edge and then slip when she gets up. Her feet aren't as "grip-y" anymore and they occasionally slip out from under her. I don't want to go there. She was a bit miffed as we were working out there but she could only keep us in sight by lying by the screen door. It's a dog's life. She would have added to the confusion of electrical cords, hose, tools, belt sander, flower pots, deck furniture and us tripping over each other.

Dogs, dogs and more dogs

Life has been really busy. Lots of dogs. We had two different visits from Molly. Here's a picture of the young girl after a bath. Walking with her and Lucy elicited many comments from people: Is that her (Lucy's) puppy? Are they related? They look like two bookends!

Lucy initiated some play with Molly, but usually it was the other way around. Lucy would stand still while Molly ran around her. Periodically Lucy would lunge and Molly thought that was fantastic. Lucy was very tolerant of the puppy antics. There was, however, a fair amount of consistent warning growls which Molly chose to ignore for the most part. Molly would nip at Lucy's lips, her tail, jump in her face, run at her while Lucy was sleeping... It wasn't until Lucy nipped that Molly understood she'd overstepped her bounds.

Molly wasn't completely housebroken at the time she was with us, so we had to watch her carefully. Two mishaps occurred and that ended her freedom. Luckily she seemed happy with access from the kitchen to the yard.

As soon as Molly left, Suki came. We were supposed to have her for two weeks, but the other folks caring for her were nice enough to keep her another week for a total of three. This greatly alleviated the stress between the two dogs. As it was, Suki's owners came home early, so she was with us only five days.

Suki chose to pee in the basement in the same area Molly did. I don't know if it was the smell (though the spot had been thoroughly cleaned), the fallout from being without her 'pack' and moved between homes, her brain tumor, the meds she must take, or all of the above. I couldn't shame her, but that also ended her access. It was funny, because she has never wanted to go downstairs into the basement before and she was all over it when she first arrived. When I allowed her down, I realized something was up and went down to check. Of course, that's when I caught her in the act!

Now, being down to one dog, I can say the dog sitting wasn't as difficult as I anticipated, but reality says it wasn't a cake walk either. The puppy had to be monitored constantly. What was in her mouth? (Like a toddler, everything was ingested.) What was she up to, was she bothering Lucy, where was she? And with Suki, because of her slowing down, it was easier to take the dogs on separate walks, so I'd walk one then the other twice a day. It wasn't bothersome, but it was time consuming. Lucy walks way too quickly for Suki, and Suki is way too slow for Lucy. It was easier to let Suki amble and sniff on her own.

Luckily the carpets were cleaned yesterday, so the house is sparkling. It feels good to just be one-dogged!

It's been a month!

Lots has been going on, yet it's still part of the same-old, same-old. Our weather has changed and the ski areas finally closed on Cinco de Mayo. Unbelievable! Much of my free time has been prepping the gardens for the change of season, planting annuals and perennials, babying vegetable starts, weeding, edging, slug patrol. Lucy loves this time of year. She patiently sleeps her way around the yard finding the sunniest or shadiest spot depending on her needs.

We baby sat an Aussie puppy recently and will be doing so again. I promise pictures of Molly and Lucy together. So cute! Many people asked if Molly was Lucy's baby—their coloring is so similar. The puppy is not quite house-trained, but close, but oh the energy! I think we did a pretty good job of tiring her out, but she'd always rise to the occasion. Lucy was quite sweet to her and although she did instigate some play with the puppy, she didn't actually play with her. It was more tolerant engagement.

The puppy arrives for a long weekend mid-May and then the first two weeks of June, we have Suki. After that stint I think I'm putting a ban on dog-sitting. Lots of dogs come here, Lucy goes with us. It's not that I need the reciprocity, but the dogs that arrive require a lot of attention or care and I'm the caregiver. Suki is older and cannot walk very far and now is on meds for her brain tumor and is incontinent. That, my friends, is a lot of work.

Minty Fresh Breath

Here she is after a first inaugural brush. Yum! Love that poultry flavor!

Lucy had her teeth cleaned and she now has wonderfully normal breath. It wasn't bad before, but it was starting to get a little gamey. They also clipped her nails while she was under. I'd been given a gift certificate to a local grooming shop and the owner must have been a bit brutal when she clipped Lucy's nails. Since then, Lucy has not been interested in me doing it. Lots of flinching and pulling away has required me to work the bribery trick: clip one, small treat, clip another, another treat.

The vet tech did a wonderfully gentle but persuasive guilt trip on me regarding tooth brushing. And at the cost, it didn't take a lot of convincing.

Her recovery from the anesthetic was tough on her. I don't know that she was paranoid, but it certainly came across as that. She couldn't lay down for more than a minute when she was up and pacing, whining. Ears up and alert, wide eyes, frantic movements, in and out of the dog door. After about four hours, she was more settled...particularly as we were both in the same room with her. Another reason to brush. If I can hold off a little longer on the cleaning, then she won't have to go through that again.

The vet also said she was getting a bit porky. I noticed that too and so did a friend. Prior to her back surgery, she'd become so skinny (47#) that I was concerned, so started feeding her a little more. Now she's up to 58#! The vet said 50#, but I think I'll back her down to 55# where she's been for all her adult years. Here's an interesting article on figuring out if your dog is too heavy. There's also a link within it to a forum discussion on treats.

Good Health

Lucy went in the other day for her annual and the report back is she is A-OK. Gotta like that! The vet recommended she went on joint supplements as a mature dog preventative. I need to check out costs and brands, but I guess it's no different than me taking Vitamin D for bone strength. She also mentioned Lucy has some knotted muscles along her back and should go in for massage or acupuncture. I've called a couple of doggie massage therapists and have not heard back. Humph.

Great Day for a Walk and Moles

I walked Lucy along the Green River Trail today. I had an early morning meeting and was unable to take her on a morning ramble. Using the excuse of exemplary weather this afternoon, I played hooky and took off. It is the same place where she landed in the brambles back in February.

I didn't let her off her leash, but she didn't even look in that direction. Did she remember the bad experience or was there nothing good happening? I'll never know and she'll never tell. Being that she's going deaf in the ear facing that direction, it could also be that she isn't hearing anything either.

We did see one neat thing though. We saw a mole hill being made. Now that caught her attention! A mound of earth was burbling and erupting from the ground. She pounced on either side of it and immediately it went still. No dirt ascending. She stared, she sniffed, she backed off and returned, but the mole was no fool. I wish I'd gone a bit beyond it and kept watching to see how long before he began again.

By the end of the walk (warm enough to remove my jacket), Lucy's tongue was hanging long. And long she did...every time we came to a path down to the river, she'd start towards it. I kept her moving as it's an industrial river and the path was muddy and steep. I didn't want her getting dirty from the trail, the mucky water's edge or ingesting something disagreeable. After changing her latest dog food 10 days ago, her intestinal tract is just now getting back to normal. No need to disrupt it!

Seizures

Not much has been going on since our return. It's typical spring weather oscillating between sunny, almost warm days and windy, rainy, cold days. When the weather is nice, we (Lucy and I) go out to inspect the gardens so she can get a nice warm nap in the grass.

One of her dog buddies (the one in the foreground) who we do a lot of dog sitting with, just had a seizure. The owners said it was quite terrifying and those of you who have been through this with a pet will concur. Not only did she start shaking, but had bloody frothing from her mouth. They took her to the vet and she ended up being just fine, but they wanted to warn me in case it happened while we were caring for her. Chances are it may not happen again; I just wonder why it did in the first place. I guess that's something we'll never know.

Lucy in Death Valley

We saw all the weather we wanted (or didn't want) on this trip: rain, sleet, snow and sun, though we could have done with more of the latter. On the valley floor it was spectacular. Days were in the 70s and nights, 30s. Perfect! Because of the recent rains and season, the valley floor was a carpet of yellow from a particular flowering plant. Though there were some other blooming plants, this one was prolific.

Lucy didn't bike with us in the valley, though we did take her on some hikes. The rocks were too jagged for her feet and she limped frequently and though eager to go, seemed miserable once on route. The only riding we did with her was at Aquereberry Point on the high (6000+') west side of the park. She did nearly 4 miles and held up well. It was chilly at this elevation and that kept her spunky.

Most nights were in the 30s making for great sleeping—most of the time. Some nights, however, had I been awake enough to get up and put on socks, I would have actually slept. As it was on those nights, I was in that queasy state of not quite asleep or awake. Lucy, on the other hand, has her own comforter and loves it. If we stayed outside past what she considered her bedtime, she'd sit facing the van door until we'd let her in. Once inside, she'd just snuggle into her quilt.

Here she is in the snow off the road leaving the park (Death Valley Road). Tell me she doesn't look like a happy girl! We used her ramp for van egress and access. I felt the jumping out would be too hard for her million dollar back and I know it is jarring for her tender front right ankle.

Like our fall trip last year to Bend, OR when we noticed her hearing failing, it seems this trip completed it for her right ear. If she is sleeping on her left side, she hears nothing. The clank of her food bowl no longer rouses her and that makes us sad. For her, as long as we keep her engaged and let her know where we are, I think she'll be fine. DH is upset about her hearing, but I remind him it is a part of aging and Lucy is closing in on "senior citizen" status in human years. From what I've read, her human age equivalency is anywhere between mid-50s to mid 70s. Her sense of humor is still present as is her eagerness for adventure. We will just need to be more mindful of getting her attention to summon her and making sure she is comfortable and feels secure.

Hoping for sun & warmth

We're heading to Death Valley this weekend. The van is packed and waiting just prior to departure for fresh food and dog paraphenalia. We decided February was the time to go when we were in need of warm sun and Death Valley was not going to fry us.

Lucy knows something is up. On each trip to the van, she faithfully follows us suspicious that something is up and she'd better be included in it. She is...or will be.

We'll play our way down the coast and will take 395 into the north end of the valley. In last night's weather watch, we saw that the Sierra's will be seeing days of snow at the time we hit. Donner Pass anyone? We're bringing the warm comforter and another sleeping bag just in case. Lucy has her own down comforter to snuggle up in.

She Does It!

We took Lucy mountain biking. We debated whether to do it after the scare in November (see entry Improvement and Fear), but decided to take the chance committing to keeping her always in sight. Four and half miles! What a girl! And she was still pumped to go. This is the longest run she's done in a year, so we didn't want to push her despite her enthusiasm. She stayed close, so may have remembered from her last fright to keep us in sight too! At the end of the ride, she had only the merest shaking in her legs.

On our way home, we stopped at L&P's and Lucy was still chomping at the bit for more running. It must feel so good for her. I'm glad we chose to do it and I'm thrilled she did so well.

Tale of a Negligent Owner

I took Lucy on a walk yesterday along a river. The day was grey and chilly with only an occasional cyclist sharing the trail. I decided to try Lucy off leash to watch her gait from a distance. She's been tripping regularly and when I'm at the end of the leash, I don't seem to be able to discern what's happening. Interesting outcome. With only a few initial trips, she kept a steady, trip-less pace. It was remarkable and encouraging. However, the question remains, why does she trip while walking on a leash? Is it the speed—too slow on a leash? Is it that she knows the route and smells and is just careless? I need so explore this more, but an not sure how because of what happened.

The side of the trail descends a steep hill of blackberries leading to the river. I was initially concerned she might see a rabbit or cat or mouse and take off after it, but she maintained a respectful distance from the brambles. She never got too far ahead and periodically looked back to see where I was. When I saw a biker in the distance, I called her back to me and put her in a heel. What a good hound!

Ah, but then... On the way back, nearly to the car, it happened. I don't know what she saw, but she leapt and disappeared into the blackberries. I didn't hear any crashing and started running, concerned she was tangled.

Worse.

She was laying, twisted in the brambles. The front half was on her belly, but her (tender, expensive) back half was twisted, belly exposed. Luckily she wasn't struggling, but the last thing she needs is to damage an already vulnerable back. I climbed down through the brambles and was able to lift her chest, letting her back fall into line. I headed her up the hill, but the walking was tough: steep, deep in brambles and painfull to walk on. I got her front paw on safe ground and helped her back end up, placing her back feet on my knees, hands, feet—anything I could get under her. She was quite shaken—and shaking—when she was back on the pavement.

I felt all along her back and legs to see if I could discover anything out of line and didn't. Although my vet isn't big on aspirin, I did give her a buffered baby aspirin when we got home and another this morning. She has been doing a lot of stretching, so she did tweak something. I'll keep her on aspirin for a couple of days and take her on short, mild walks.

And I won't let her off leash again in that kind of environment. She operates from her nose and I know that. She doesn't think about circumstances and I know that. She's losing her hearing and I know that. What kind of owner am I? My poor girl.

Busted!

Oh how I wish I had had a camera in hand! A picture would be a perfect piece of evidence. Lucy is so busted!

Our dogs have never been allowed on the furniture—no chairs, no couches, no beds. I am allergic to dogs. Though I cannot live without them, I do need to guard their access to shared things, so furniture has been off limits. Now on occasion there has been evidence Lucy was on the bed in the basement. It took me an embarrassingly long time to discover this. I'd pass by it on my way to my car and notice the spread was just a tad rumpled and would straighten it out. Yet it took me three or four straightenings to realize a bed does not rumple itself and on closer inspection what was this dirt doing on the bed?

We discovered a mouse trap was a great deterrent to digging in the garden or getting on furniture. Snapping that little device in front of her was the only signal she needed. Just seeing said scary device was enough to dissuade her. So up the mousetrap went on the bed for a week or so and the problem was solved.

Enter "the couch." The last two times I've returned from work, she has been sleeping on the basement couch. Not just sleeping either, but totally passed out. The first time I thought (well actually, I knew) she had just slipped off and onto her bed on the floor. But today there was no stealth. I opened the basement door and entered the room before she picked her head and blinked, "Huh?" Oh my! BUSTED! One quick burst of "LUCY!" and she was back on her bed.

Now I could place the mouse trap on the couch. I should place the mouse trap on the couch. I will place the mouse trap on the couch, but not yet. She's an old girl. She trips and stumbles. The couch is comfortable on her old bones. And oh! Am I a sucker for her fuzzy face! She was cute and so sound asleep. How could I be truly mad. But I must stop this behavior...soon...

Neighborhood Alert System

We're slowly but surely growing our neighborhood alert system for dog walkers. Owner's phone number, email address, dog name and description have been disseminated. Most of our alerts are via email, though there are still some folks where the alert is word-of-mouth while passing them on a walk. Hopefully we can "grow" the list and increase our clout when it comes to dealing with bad owners, aggressive dogs and Animal Control.

We're using it for protection mostly. After the last two mastiff attacks, it really went into full swing alerting not only where the attack happened and the description of the offending dog, but what local animal control was doing about the situation. It really ignited us and with several calls in to AC, we got good results—the dog was removed.

Today the alert system was put into another good use. One of the local walkers was stopped by someone driving the neighborhood looking for their dog. They were in town visiting and their dog slipped his collar getting loose. The alert went out to everyone notifying them of the dog and the owner's phone number. Unfortunately, the walker who was stopped wasn't given the dog's name! Hopefully, the dog is friendly and found and returned.

Back & baths

I've been out of town for the past five days. I had a wonderful break in Corpus Christi where the extended family met to celebrate my nephews "winging"—military parlance for becoming a pilot. It wasn't a vacation as much as a gathering with all the aspects of family get togethers. Aborted conversations, waiting for the masses to assemble in order to do something, inside jokes, lots of hugs. Luckily my nephew and his wife have a beautiful young German Shepard, Daisy, so we weren't dogless.

The weather was a real break from what we get this time of year in the northwest. We stepped off the plane to warm and sunny. Ah-h-h! You could tell which of the family members weren't from Texas/Arizona...the minute we were outside we turned and faced the sun. Magnets. Amazing. The warmth!

Lucy was staying with our friends and because I lucked out and was able to get an early plane connection home, she was not here when I arrived. What a joy to see her when they brought her home. It was definitely a mutual admiration society gathering. She had a great time with them; they took her to work everyday leaving their dog at home. (Lucy has been known to jump their fence and although I think her legs aren't up to it anymore, you never know.) She also got to go on walks in different areas complete with new smells. An olfactory plus for her!

Quite awhile back when we were sitting their dog (3 weeks+), they gave us a gift certificate at a small local grooming shop. I'm taking Lucy in today for a bath and toenail clip. She'll look lovely for Floyd's return tomorrow.

P.S. The attacking dog has been picked up. It was a loose, aggressive, female mastiff. Because a series of complaints had been filed against the dog, the owners are responsible for not only the shelter boarding fees, but licensing, aggression and vet bills. My understanding is they stopped by the shelter to pick their dog up—actually they demanded the release of their dog, but AC refused to give it up until fines were paid. Additionally, if they do pay the fines, the dog must be removed from the county immediately. Should they get another dog and it is loose and or aggressive, they cannot get another dog for five years. Now I don't know how that could possibly be monitored. County Animal Control doesn't have the funds or personnel to monitor that, but it's nice to know they have the laws in place in case we should be faced with this again. Justice rules (somewhat)!

Leaving on a jet plane

We're heading to south Texas for four days. Our nephew is getting his "wings"—military parlance for becoming a pilot. It's very exciting. Even more exciting is he got top in his class and top pick for where he wanted to be stationed. There was only one opening at Miramar in San Diego and he got it keeping him close to his family and his wife's. How great is that?

Lucy will go to R&M's for the span. Though her back end is still weak since her surgery (eliminating the possibility of fence jumping), they will be taking her to their shop during the day. I have such a tough time leaving her and feelings are mutual, though she loves them.

The vet who did her surgery moved clinics and is now with Seattle Veterinary Specialists. If one can judge from their website, they look very complete. I hope it's a good facility—it's a lot closer than the one in Lynnwood!

Christmas & the manger

We introduced Stoli the Chihuahua to Lucy on Christmas Eve. We kept the dogs separated by a baby gate to get both used to seeing the other and avoid any fisticuffs. It worked well. Here's a picture of Lucy staring at Stoli behind the baby gate and Stoli looking out. Lucy weighs around 55#; Stolmeister hefts in at 3.5#.

The next day we went to L&P's and reversed the technique keeping Lucy sequestered. She was quite unhappy, but fair is fair. Stoli spent a lot of time visiting Lucy "in jail" as Lucy had laid watching Stoli behind the gate. Curious. No growls. L&P also have a cat, Lucky, which had both dogs curious and willing to chase. Of course, Lucky is about six times bigger than Stoli, so although Stoli was willing, she wasn't stupid. (What's a Chihuahua without its pack?)

Eventually we let Lucy out and she ignored Stoli. The only growls we heard were from Lucy warning Stoli not to approach her (Lucy's ) head when she was lying down. Stoli didn't quite get it, but we helped interpret.

Initially Lucy was quite taken with the cat, but didn't chase. The cat taunted her unmercifully! However, by the evening all the animals were so exhausted being around each other that they could walk within inches of one another and not even blink an eye. It was quite rewarding—and amusing!