Stitches

This has been a week filled with more adventure than I was seeking!

On Monday morning, Diane and I walked to the local neighborhood park. We took the shortcut to the park. Along the route, we saw two turkey vultures perched at the top of a pole. As I've mentioned before, I don't like turkey vultures and I was excited and barked at them. Diane and I walked around the park three times, with one rest on the bench at the park. There were about 7 or 8 other people at the park, unlike some mornings when we don't see anyone else at the park. We haven't seen another dog walking with a human companion at the park for a long time. After the walk, Diane decided to walk along Majestic to Oak Knoll, as we've done before. She didn't want to walk me past the turkey vultures again. After we walked over the bridge and past the second house, there was a young black (or very, very dark brown) dog who joined us along the walk. Usually if a dog starts following us, Diane yells "go home" at the dog, and it will usually fall back, or leave. However, this dog followed us all the way home.

The dog stayed outside the fence, while I was inside. Diane went back to the house where the dog started following us, but no one was home. Mike called Animal Care Services to have the dog picked up, because it was hanging around and didn't seem to belong to anyone--the dog didn't have a collar. But usually Animal Care Services doesn't get around to all the places they are called. The dog stayed outside the fence until Mike and Diane came home.

Then Mike let the dog inside the fence and his co-worker stopped by to look at the dog. The co-worker's dad's dog had died over the weekend, so his dad was open to getting a new dog. However, while Mike and his co-worker were talking, I got kind of jealous and fought a little with the dog. We were separated, and then got along ok. Mike was calling the other dog "Buster" until Diane noted that it was a girl, so Mike called her "Betty." Mike and Diane went back to the house where Betty began following us. No one was home. We talked to the neighbor, who thought the dog had just showed up in the past day or two. Diane later talked on the phone to the person at the house where Betty started following us. He had fed her for a day or two, but hadn't brought her in the yard, yet. So, Betty and I were in my yard together all night and we got along ok.

On Tuesday morning, Diane came outside to walk me. Mike was also outside watching us. When I was on the leash, and Betty came nearby, I got jealous and we started fighting. Mike had to separate us. Blood was drawn. Diane walked me away and we went for a short walk down Parkway to the bridge. It was obvious Betty wanted to be where I was. While Diane and I were walking, Betty got out of the yard--probably crawled under the fence--and came down to us and followed us home. However, when we were both back in the yard, I felt jealous again and we got in a fight. Mike and Diane tried to separate us by putting Betty outside, but she kept crawling inside the fence, despite the rocks Mike and Diane laid down along the fences. When she got inside, we would fight.

Finally, Mike said that either I would stay in the house, or he would take me to work. Diane didn't want me to stay in the house alone all day, so Mike took me with him to work. I was calm and slept most of the day at Mike's work.

Mike took me to our vet, because he didn't like the gash above my left eye. I weighed 38 pounds at the vet. While in the examination room, Dr. Granberry walked by, recognized me, and determined an alternative method for treating my gash, since it was near the end of the day, and there wasn't time for an anasthetic to take effect. I was given a strong sedative, and three stitches were put above my eye, closing up the gash. The stitches aren't dissolvable, so we'll have to go back to get them removed.

Mike took me home and had one of our neighbors hold my leash, while he got Betty into the pickup truck. The neighbor said that I'm a unique-looking dog, because of my coloring. Mike then put me in the house, because Dr. Granberry told Mike to keep me cool following the surgery. I was groggy from the sedative, so I wasn't going to be rambunctious.

Meanwhile, Mike took Betty to the Animal Care Facility, since it was obvious we weren't going to get along. The wait and intake procedure took about an hour, but Mike was impressed with the staff and new facility, which just opened a few months ago.

San Antonio has a high animal euthanasia rate, but Diane and Mike hope that Betty gets adopted. Diane didn't take a photo, but you might be able to see Betty's (A054729) photo at PetHarbor.com. To see her photo, enter 78227 in the Zip Code box, check the box next to San Antonio Animal Care Services: San Antonio, TX and click on Search Now. Then click on I Lost My Dog, click on the Dogs button, select Gender: Female; Age: Young, and Color: Black. You might see the photo and description for A054729 (those are Mike's jeans and shoes in the photo).

I got to stay in the house all night, but I was very groggy and sleepy. Mike has let me in the house a few times since, so now I try to go in the house when I can. It's cooler inside than outside and there are cats to sniff at inside. Diane doesn't like it when I come in the house.

Graduation!

This evening was our last night of "Beginner" training, so we had graduation.

Mike wants to note that the photo on the left with the diploma is taken at home on the new deck that Mike is building. Most of the deck is made of recycled material.

Saturday Walk

On Saturday morning, Diane took me on a different walk route through the neighborhood. As we were walking down Oak Knoll Drive, as we've done numerous times, Diane could not understand why I started barking as I looked up in the trees. I rarely bark when we are on our walks, even if I get excited. Finally, she saw the 3 turkey vultures in the trees. Although turkey vultures supposedly don't attack live animals or children, I don't like them, because they are 2-3 feet tall, with a wingspan of 6-feet. They eat dead carcasses, and we smelled several in the area on our Saturday morning walk.

Although there were fewer houses along our route Saturday morning, it seemed there were as many or more dogs than on our other routes. Maybe it was because fewer of the dogs were behind gates at their homes. At one house, there were at least 6 dogs, and the gate was not closed. A large chocolate lab came running toward Diane, but she stood still and then pointed and told the dog to go home. The dog didn't bother us after that. The next place had 3 cream-color dogs who looked alike and who sometimes wander down to Oak Knoll. That's life in the 'hood!

Updates

Several people have mentioned to Diane that I haven't posted to the blog for a while. Maybe I've been distracted.

I've been to several classes. Diane was out of town a few weeks ago, so Mike took me to class. We worked on "shake" paws that evening and I did very well.

The following week, I was the only dog who came to class. The rain might have kept some of the dogs away. I got very individualized attention that evening.

Last week, Gunther and I were the only dogs who came to class.

Yesterday, Diane took me on my first Volksmarch. A Volksmarch is a 6.2 mile non-competitive walk that can be completed at one's own pace. It was a year-round event that was located fairly close to our home. We started shortly after 7 AM while it was light outside, but not so hot yet. The walk went along a fairly busy road, past a new branch of the public library and a fairly new city park, and through a residential subdivision. A walk that might normally take Diane about 2 hours to walk, took us about 3.5 hours, because I like to lie down and rest frequently. Diane gave me water regularly, but I was thirsty by the end of the walk. It was definitely a longer walk than I am used to doing.

Adolescence

It's been a little while since I've written. I haven't had too many car rides--just to training class and we had one walk at Woodlawn Lake last Friday. Diane and I only walked two times around the Lake because it started sprinkling. We haven't seen very much rain lately.

Mike thinks I'm entering adolescence because I've been nipping and trying to bite pants and ankles a lot lately. He thinks I'm trying to get my way. I demonstrated some of this behavior in class on Monday night. I just want to play, but these humans don't want to play the way I want to play.

Diane continues to take me on morning walks in the neighborhood. Mike takes me on short walks around the yard at night. This morning, Diane and I walked up Lura Lane past the International Bible Center. Diane doesn't like the house at the corner of Pearson & Faith because a pit bull that jumps high and pushes on the old boards of his fence barks and growls. There's also a gray poodle that lives there that usually gets out and follows us for a short distance.

Another dog that Diane doesn't like is a little black dog just a few houses away. This morning he was outside with two humans and a small brown and white dog on a leash. The black dog is Charlie, and we've never seen him on a leash and he follows us and tries to nip at me. He nipped at me about three times this morning. Diane is frustrated that his humans don't keep him on a leash or behind a fence.

Training class again and updates

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, Diane took me for a walk/work-out at Woodlawn Lake. On both days, we walked three times around the lake, which is about 3 miles. There were a lot more humans than dogs walking on the trail. We saw a boy both days walking with his brother. Both days, the boy said about me, "That's a cool dog!" On Sunday, when we started our walk, a man and a dog, that was a blue heeler, jogged past us. We only saw a couple other dogs during our walk.

This morning, Diane walked me in the neighborhood to Ingram Hills Park. When we were across the street from the park, we saw two solid black, sort of long-hair dogs, in the park by themselves. One was on top of a picnic table and the other was on the ground near the table. Diane decided to turn around and take an alternate route.

We had class again tonight. Mike came with Diane and me tonight. Gunther and Bruno who are Rottweilers were in class tonight. They had not been in class together before. Another dog, Honey, who is at least part Poodle, was also in class. She barked alot and I hadn't attended class with her before. All four of us are between five and six months old.

We learned that we are getting a new trainer for class. I met the new trainer at Happy Hour last week. She carries treats in her pouch. We went through a number of exercises tonight and class went longer than normal.

Yappy Hour

I had such a full day that I'm posting twice!

This afternoon I helped Mike as he cut some branches in the yard. I helped him drag branches to the fence and he threw them over the fence for brush pickup. I didn't want to let go of the branches; once I have something in my mouth, I don't like to let go until I decide.

Tonight Mike and Diane took me to Yappy Hour at WineStyles at Inwood (located at Wurzbach & Bitters Roads). Yappy Hour was a fundraiser for Pet Pals of Texas, a nonprofit volunteer-organization that helps improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, the elderly, and terminally ill, by providing the pets they love with support services that allows them to stay together in a loving, healthy home.

Many dogs attended Yappy Hour with their humans. Mike figured there were about 30 dogs in attendance during the time we were there. There were dogs of all sizes--some were so small they could be held in a harness on their human's chest, and others were medium size like me, while others were large like Bruno the St. Bernard. Some dogs were festively dressed, while many of us received a bandana when we entered the store.

There were homemade treats for me and lots of treats and wine for humans. A singer named Brenna was singing. Mike said she was so professional that many of the humans thought that the vocals were recorded, rather than live, until they saw a live person singing.

I like family outings!