Lilly somehow suffered what we believe to be a hip injury sometime late Monday. We have no idea how it happened, but suddenly after dinner she could not sit or lay down without crying in pain. And, that’s saying something for my super-tough mountain girl who never whines or yipes. Even after the rattlesnake bite to the lip, she did not cry. So, this week’s update is a mishmash. …
Using a holiday gift card, I bought On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugass. It’s a tiny book, full of photos, so it’s a one-sitting read.
When my friend Lisa Metzger at Metzger Associates in Boulder recently sent me some hedgehog links, I realized I’ve never written about Xena — the pygmy hedgehog in my past. She was an albino (to boot), so she was entirely white, with pink eyes and everything. I would never have an exotic pet again, and I would caution others against it, but it was an interesting experience. Granted, it’s not a freaky as the camel featured over at Days of Speed, but it’s a tad bit nuttier than the goat who runs …
So far, it’s been a darn-cold winter around here. We’re not getting hammered with snow, like the mountain areas on the other side of the Continental Divide, but it’s been windy and c-o-l-d. I must be losing my tough, mountain girl barrier that usually protects me enough to go outside and play with the pups a few times a day. There was, however, one day of tolerable temps, so I performed an experiment with Lilly on our walk. …
Any number of animals graze on the ranch behind us. Lilly enjoys sassing these large animals who regularly walk the fence-line route. For fear of her getting kicked in the head by horses, mules, and/or cattle, I try to divert her attention and often reward her for looking at the animals without rushing the fence or barking at them. Recently, however, it’s been harder to call her off. She ignores my faint LEAVE IT, followed by COME as if I did not exist. And, now we know why. A new critter has joined the grazing pack, and (it seems) Lilly …
While casting about for something new to teach Lilly, I threw together a quick and easy scent discrimination training session. One word, my friends. HA! What seemed logical to me made ZERO sense to Lilly. But, first, here’s why I thought Lilly might be good at smells. …
Our big-picture trainer (Gigi Moss) often says that true pack-leader dogs seem completely normal. They don’t seem bossy or dominant or whatever term you use. They just appear like well-adjusted, normal dogs. If a dog does seem otherwise, then he or she is likely concerned about “status.” As Gigi likes to joke — It’s similar to people. All the posturing happens in middle management. In other words, most visible actions comes from a wanna-be, not the one with actual control. Lately, I’ve noticed some funny interactions between Ginko and Lilly that might shed light on things.
…
We used our one remaining group class (advanced pet dog obedience) from a punch card purchased over the summer for an outing on New Year’s Eve. Typically, we pay $90 for 6 classes, and get one free. So, that comes to $12.86 per class instead of the $15 per class cash rate. To keep our training accounting tidy, I wanted to use up our last class I’d already purchased. Lucky for us that the weather was decent and the location was a spot where Lilly sometimes does well. Plus, the usual Wednesday classes are typically smaller than the Sunday classes …
I’ve added a new category called “Foodie Tangent” since it seems I’m in the mood more and more to give you insights into my food obsessions and cooking methods. Today’s entry is all about holiday breakfasts. Growing up, as I’ve mentioned, in a big Italian family, I learned early that food and holidays go hand in hand. So, for New Year’s Day, I present the holiday frittata that I ate every Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Easter as a kid. …
Longtime readers know I’m not big on New Year’s Resolutions. Yet, 2008, I think will stand as a turning point. You very well may have witnessed the year I gave up the dream of ever truly doing agility with Lilly. I’m not sure, since I tend to be terribly persistent with a cautious optimism, but I do kinda feel like the dream is dead. …
