Oh Wretched Dog of Mine

Today, Polar Bear spent his hours walking through my water laden grass and then rolling in his dirt hole. For some foolish reason, I decided to actually water my lawn even though it's way too late for that and it now looks more like straw than grass. So the water pooled on top of the straw rather than sinking into the ground, providing PB with a veritable swimming pool to soak himself in before he went to cake himself with dirt. Once caked, it was time for him to come lie on my WHITE sofa and take a nap. Needless to say, mama bear was not very happy.

So I dragged him outside, brushed him thoroughly and gave him a bath. He was thoroughly scrubbed. I even did between his little toes and his muzzle which I usually leave but they were all filthy so he was subjected to the whole body treatment today. His favorite part, the toweling off came and then he went to lie in the sun on the deck. Unlike most dogs, he doesn't get the zoomies after baths. So off I went to attempt to cook dinners for work this week. Then I looked out the window and this is what I saw:

"Hi mom. I could or could not, be sticking my tongue out at you."

A squeal of horror escaped my lips (as did a word I cannot post here) and I ran outside to find my freshly bathed polar bear looking more like a sun bear:

"I feel so much better now"

I roundly cursed him as he had been so beautiful and pristine not moments before. This time he was smarter than last and didn't head for his dirt hole which I watched like a hawk. He went to the back of the yard and rubbed his face in the freshly raked dirt there instead.

"I have no idea what your problem is."

I went to leash him so I could rinse him off again and he tried a play bow to placate me while also trying to hide the right side of his face which got the brunt of it all.

"If you just look at my butt, you won't see the dirt."

Alas, his right paw gave him away as that was the dirtiest side and he couldn't hide it. So we went right back to the deck and he got rinsed off again, much to his supreme annoyance. However, water is always followed by getting a towel rubdown which he loves so I was not fooled by his snit over having to get wet again.

"Oh woe is me. What she won't do to me."

However, he swiftly remembered he had not yet eaten dinner and it would not serve him well to throw himself down on the deck in a fit of angst so instead he tried to make amends.

"I offer you the paw of penance. And not just any paw, but the paw with the extra claw. That's how sorry I am."

And thus ends our day. The polar bear is back to being arctic white again for a short time at least and his spineless mom has quickly forgiven and forgotten his devilish behavior. He is hard boy to resist and he has a way of getting under your skin!

The Family Tree

Is growing! This weekend, my parents went to a huge adoption event in Kent where animals of all sorts (and I mean that literally - boa constrictors, horses, dogs, cats, lizards etc.) were brought together from shelters all over the state to help eliminate the huge glut that seems to be occurring right now, especially in Eastern Washington. They found and fell in love with Jake. Here is a not so good photo of Jake who is currently a conehead because of his painful recovery from his neutering 2 days ago.



Jake is approx. 5 years old and he came from Wenatchee. He looks like a "little" miniature Samson although I am certain he is largely a flat coated retriever with maybe a tiny Chow background due to the blue spot on his otherwise pink tongue. When I saw this photo, he looked to me to be about 50 pounds but he is actually 76 pounds as per the vet we took him to yesterday to get him some pain pills and get him a thorough checkup. I guess we are all spoiled by truly big dogs like Samson and the Polar Bear who make Jake look small! So Jake was declared to be in good health other than his current man troubles and is now up to date on everything. He will be groomed and beautified as soon as his conehead is removed in two weeks.

Since I was not there for Jake's initial joining of the family, I insisted my parents get out of bed at 0415 this morning and meet me at the Marymoor dog park so all three of the mutts could enjoy the park with no one else there and I could meet Jake. This also makes it easier for Samson who is very sensitive to heat. So we met at 0500 with the Polar Bear greeting Samson joyously and greeting Jake happily but with a little wariness as to the cone. He has not met the "conehead" breed of dog before and every time Jake hit the cone on something, PB jumped. Jake stayed on leash and walked sedately due to his surgery but Samson and PB played and ran around off leash. I was happy to see that PB had absolutely no adverse reaction to Jake, making me feel even more certain that the muzzle is somehow involved in his previous snarky incidents. So we walked all around the park and the boys all played and then they waited in the cars while we went out to breakfast.

Jake has a great personality. Very mellow, but not too passive, he seems happy, well adjusted, quiet and easy going. They said he loves water so when he's better, we'll introduce him to the slough the borders the park. We got him a bed today and all the fun goodies you get to buy a new dog. Jake seems very people oriented and my parents suspect that he was probably left outside all day with little interaction, much like Hudson was, because he obsessively checks to be sure his people are still around him. So the Polar Bear will have a new brother to stay with in a couple weeks when I climb Mt. Baker. I am also hopeful that when he has recovered, Jake will be more able to play and run with PB at the park as he is desperately in need of a younger, more playful companion than Samson who is not interested and can't keep up.

And now for something a little different. Inspired by my various friends who get their fruits and veggies through CSA's, I happened upon an add for Full Circle Farm on our employee classified site at work. This is a local 300 acre farm that grows everything certified organically. They deliver all over the Eastside, Seattle and Alaska and luckily for me, straight to City Hall where I pick up my box of assorted fruits and veggies right outside my locker. For $30 every two weeks, I get a large box of whatever's in season along with recipes and any extras I want to add. $30 pays for enough for two people which is fine because I eat only the fruits and veggies for two weeks as the majority of my diet and I can easily eat it all myself. The best part is that it has inspired me to cook finally and I eat far healthier in terms of variety than I used to.

So for anyone who has hesitated about organically grown fruits and veggies, the cost or accessibility, I would strongly encourage you to look into a local CSA. They are quite prevalent now, they are economical and they support a local business in addition to being healthier and tastier than the "enhanced" stuff you get in your local grocery store.

And that's my soapbox for today. More photos of the boys to come....

The Ups and Downs of the Polar Bear

Although I still have not decided on a name and probably never will, my boy is referred to as The Polar Bear by all my colleagues now, adding to his identity crisis. He rarely comes to work these days as it seems to cause him less stress to stay at home. However, he did come two nights ago so that he would be protected in our underground parking garage both from the heat and from the noise of the July 4th fireworks being set off a day early. Poor guy, between the stifling heat and the noise and mayhem of this holiday, it has been a Quiet Moments weekend for us and we haven't had to whip those out in awhile. I took him to my parents' house yesterday and we spent the night as it was much quieter there plus their house is air conditioned. He even made it all the way around their neighborhood for his regular walk despite the parties and noise.

PB went to the vet again last week as I was not organized enough the last time to get all my questions together plus we realized he was due for a couple shots. So back we went. He still wouldn't go inside but was far more relaxed in the parking lot. My vet looked at the discoloration in his molars and said that he is likely a tooth grinder which is a stress outlet much like in people but there is nothing to be concerned about. She also looked at a little spot on his tummy which he licks a lot and declared a small yeast infection to have set in. Lovely. So I have some ointment for that. Otherwise he is in good health and he got his shots. I also got some worming medication for him that I give him once a month since he is such a little scavenger. He is due in October for his rabies shot so we will go back and I will also schedule a blood draw at that time just to check levels as well as for a sample for the extended thyroid test that has been recommended by various people.

We haven't been back to the park in awhile so it's unknown about how he's doing with other dogs. I have noticed that when I am walking him on lead and using only the Halti and leash, he has no adverse reactions to other dogs. He still gets excited but in no way aggressive or in the manner he has at the park. My vet said that it may be the feeling of the muzzle strap around his neck plus another dog making him feel trapped that evokes a reaction. Although his new muzzle is much more comfortable and fits much better, it does make him look like the Hannibal Lecter of dogs and has a lot more straps than the other one. In essence, this aggression is probably another form of barrier frustration. I will look into it further with the behaviorist but I am relieved to see he is fine with other dogs when the muzzle is not on.

In this never ending cycle of crests and troughs with my big white dog, I am back to feeling as though I have endless patience with him and my frustration is a thing of the past. He is such a poignant dog in so many ways. His every move is very slow, precise and gentle. Even now, as he hides at my feet under the desk because there are still fireworks being set off, he very gently places his chin on my foot looking for reassurance. It's hard to believe this huge noble boy is, in reality, a lost little puppy constantly looking to me to protect him. He can look so utterly bereft and terrified that it is heartbreaking, unbelievable to think someone could have hurt him as he must have been hurt. It's hard to hold onto frustration for very long with him when he is the most forgiving, gentle, polite dog one could imagine.

His undeniable life of luxury here gives me great joy to provide to him. He has even learned to love the baths I give him every 3 weeks or so. On a hot day we head to the deck and he gets a thorough scrubbing which he loves but his favorite part is the toweling off at the end. A polar bear massage he seems to think. Due to the gravitational pull of his ever increasing dirt hole, he tends to get dirty and sappy beyond belief, hence the regular baths. And what a prancer when he has dried off. He gleams and seems to know he is a showstopping boy. In fact, my dad and I walked him around his regular route in their neighborhood last week right after a bath and someone actually turned around and drove back after they passed us to ask what kind of dog he was and to exclaim over his beauty.

We have had great success working with his mat and Control Unleashed. Unless his mat is out, he will rarely lay down or relax but if I bring it with, he will lie down wherever we are and sleep. We continue as always to work with all our other training tools and once my schedule changes in September and I have Friday's off, we will return for more T Touch. He does get out of practice in dealing with people if his exposure is limited for awhile. He regressed slightly at work but there are several male co-workers of mine that he has accepted and will allow to pet him which is a huge step forward. Others evoke a very strong negative reaction and I have not been able to figure out why or what makes the difference. He also regresses slightly with my dad if he hasn't been over to their house for awhile but he quickly picks up the routine and returns to where we left off.

The Polar Bear will attempt in future days to pose for some more photos in other settings beyond the backyard and we will post them as I take them.

And finally, on a completely different note, thoughts and prayers go out to Lieutenant Chris McOmber's wife and family this weekend. Chris died on Friday far too young, of cancer. He was a great Lieutenant, friend and mentor to many of us and a great father to his kids. Only the good die young.