Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

It's been a long week at our house.  Maybe it's getting used to going back to work after having all those snow days.  It might also have something to do with the fact that this was conference week at school.  Thursday night I didn't get home until almost bedtime.  I was mobbed by four happy dogs when I got home, though, which made me feel better.  At least the girls missed me.

After slowly making my way through the kitchen and sitting my things down I was able to kneel down and greet each of them properly.  It seemed that each of them had something they needed to tell me.

Lilac:  I'm hungry, dammit!  Dad didn't arrange my kibble in my bowl the way I like it!  Where were you?

Blueberry:   It was horrible!  Dad took Morgan and Bunny for a walk and left me here! 

Morgan:  Where have you been?!  Do you have any idea how worried I've been about you?  Let me give you a thorough sniff over and see what you've been up to!

Bunny:  I've missed you!  Oh, I had to share a walk with Morgan and Dad and it wasn't nearly as fun as it is with you and I had to eat my food and fight off Morgan and Blueberry and Dad didn't do anything about it and I had to share the couch with Blue and Morgan and I had to sit in the middle with no armrest and I've really missed you!  Promise me you aren't leaving again.

I'll just say for the record that some dogs in our house might be prone to exaggeration.  Mr. Taleteller is quite fond of his girls and I don't believe for a second that any injustices were actually committed.  It's nice to be missed, though, and I was really glad to see them, too.  I made my way to the couch to sit down and unwind a little before going to bed. 

Usually, the Greyhounds lounge about the house during the evening while Morgan goes on patrol.  This night, Bunny was curled up tightly against me on the couch, suddenly stretced out as much as her tiny frame could be so that no one else would be interested in dethroning her.  Blueberry laid down on the bed nearest me, making eye contact with me every time I looked up.  Lilac kept walking over and pressing her head against my chest, making me pet her until her butt was drooping to the floor.  Morgan couldn't decide if she should patrol or keep a constant eye on me lest I think about separating from the pack again.

Friday, I got off work early because I had worked late Thursday night.  Mr. Taleteller decided to take the afternoon off and join me.  When I got home, the girls were more than a little excited.  It was obviously a pleasant change to their routine.

Morgan:  You're home early!  Oh my dog!  Can it really be true?  How did this happen?

Me:  I'm home early to spend time with you girls.  We have a long weekend ahead of us.  What would you all like to do?

Blueberry:  I have GOT to get out of this house!  You have to take me somewhere!  It's not fair that I never get to go with this stupid splint on.

Lilac:  Make sure you feed me!  Oh, and I need extra neck scratches! 

Morgan:  HIKING!  Oh, the sun is shining!  Let's go right now!  Just let me grab my Wolf Pack!

Bunny:  Hiking sounds nice, and maybe a trip to the dog park.  Oh, and I need some snuggle time.  Perhaps tomorrow morning in the bed.  Oh, yes, and I need Bunny time!

Me:  Well, the good news is that we have all of those things planned.  As a matter of fact, we're going to the dog park right now.  Blue, you're going for a ride by yourself later.  Lilac, we'll make sure we scratch you if you can at least let us sleep until when the alarm clock would normally go off.

Lilac:  I can make promises, but my bladder has a mind of its own. 

Me: Um, well, it's the thought that counts.  Can you at least give it a try?

Lilac:  I'll try to only wake Dad up in the morning.  Is it a deal?

Me:  It works for me.

So, our weekend started early with a trip to the dog park.  Bunny and Morgan ran and played to their hearts' content with a young Shepherd/Husky cross until Morgan had turned into a mudball.  Bunny managed to get only her little toes dirty, even while running like a little dervish through the park.  We stopped at the season opening of the local Ice Cream Shack and enjoyed the surprisingly pleasant afternoon.  Bunny and Morgan's spirits weren't even diminished by taking baths when we got home.  I guess the pleasant outlook for the long weekend is contagious.  Sometimes you just have to take time to stop and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.  Early Spring weather has a way of reminding you about those things.  Now I'll just hope that Lilac's bladder will remember her promise to let us sleep in just a little.  May everyone's weekend be pleasant and full of things you've been waiting to do!

Wordless Wednesday 1/19 -- Three Amigas

Bring On The Bubble Wrap

It's funny how sometimes you resolve to do something and then it comes back to bite you in the rear, or the toe as the case may be.  Tuesday I was talking about trying to find the happy balance for Blueberry between being active and not overdoing things.  We got a nice helping of snow Tuesday and it was my last day of break before going back to work, so we decided to take the girls to the dog park.  It's an activity that Blueberry enjoys, as do Morgan and Bunny, and she can go at her own pace there.

We arrived and Blueberry took off with Bunny.  I could tell that the snow and cool weather were a perfect mix for them.  Mr. Taleteller and Morgan soon joined us and Morgan was off to try to catch up with them.  They did several huge circuits around the dog park and it was awestriking to watch them do what they were born to do.  Blueberry was really enjoying herself and giving it all she had.  She and Morgan seem committed to helping Bunny get in shape for that big race.

The park has a section for small dogs and so the larger dog section is actually a large L shape.  Blue is particularly interested in hanging out in the back section and stalking squirrels.  As Bunny and Morgan came back around and kept up their antics, I didn't think much about the fact that Blueberry wasn't with them.  After a few minutes, though, I decided to walk around and check on her, to make sure I knew where she was and what she was doing.  When I walked around the corner, I saw her, holding her paw up and looking a bit relieved to see me.

I walked over to her and brushed the snow off her foot, figuring that the cold was getting to her.  Still, she held the foot up.  I tried coercing her into walking forward a bit.  She kept the brakes on.  Her back legs were trembling from the strain and cold and I pulled her over to lean against me.  Then I called my husband.  I could carry Bunny or even Morgan, but Blueberry is a big girl.  He huffed, but picked her up to carry her to the van to warm up.  There are a few perks to getting old.  Bunny and Morgan circled around to see what was going on and offer moral support. 

After Bunny and Morgan had run out of steam, we collected them and headed back for the van.  When I opened the door, I was surprised to see her still holding her foot up, but the van doesn't offer a lot of room to do exams, so we loaded up and headed home.  Morgan and Bunny were escorted out of the van and I turned to have a closer look at Blueberry's foot.  She wasn't having any part of being examined and when I looked down at her, without any snow on her paw, I realized that the toe was sticking out at an awkward angle.  Mr. Taleteller carried her into the house and I gave him the news.  He was not too happy.  To his credit, he did not say "I'm so glad I gave up half a day of work for this" or "You know Morgan and I are going to miss our first obedience class tonight."

It's not uncommon for Greyhounds to dislocate toes.  I was pretty sure that's what had happened.  I gave a sigh and made the call to the vet's office.  Mr. Taleteller dutifully carried Her Royal Blueness back out to the van.  We set of to have the toe examined and x-rayed.  I felt awful for her in the lobby while we waited as she tried to pretend that not being able to see her would make it all go away.

I wasn't quite sure if they'd actually be able to do anything for her, but I am glad we went.  It turns out that she broke her P3, which would be her third phalanx bone in her toe.  It's not shattered, just broken in two, possibly three pieces.  She has a splint and a nice IV bag to wear over it to keep it dry.  She won't be visiting the dog park, or hiking, or much of anything for the next six weeks.  I'm ready to go with Morgan's idea of bubble wrap suits. 

So, I guess we'll start easing Blueberry back in to easy hikes in the Spring and see how it goes.  I'm not too worried about her getting too crazy because she's pretty mellow and laid back, but I do want to come up with some ideas to keep her from getting too bored while she's on the mend.  My question is for everybody out there who's ever experienced an injury that required rest or who just happens to have any creative ideas.  What do you do with a dog who wants to be somewhat active, but is on restricted activity?  I know she's going to need some special time just for her or she's going to get depressed seeing Bunny and Morgan getting to go out and do things while she can't.  Any and all ideas will be appreciated.

This is framed in my vet's office.  It's a note he wrote to his mom when he was a boy.  His mom gave it back to him when he grew up.  Every time I see it, I have to smile!  I guess it's a good thing that we don't get everything that we wish for.

Snow Flight

Bunny here, writing a little about our day after Christmas fun.

You may have noticed that certain hounds here at our house were rather unfairly neglected on Friday and Saturday while a couple of humans who call themselves "Mom" and "Dad" were off attending all sorts of family Christmas get togethers.  It turns out that no hounds were invited to these festivities.  I can't imagine that they had any sort of fun at these get togethers, and Mom assures me that it was truly a torturous experience.  After smelling Dad's gloves Friday night, I'm not entirely sure I believe that, but I'm a generous little hound and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Sunday, however, they redeemed themselves.  We had more snow on Christmas and the world was a wash of white.  Blueberry and I got all bundled up in our coats and we went with Morgan, Mom and Dad to the dog park to stretch our legs. 

It was glorious!  There was a Sibe there, along with a Sibe-Golden cross and a small spaniel.  They were more than happy to run in the snow with us.  We had the best time.  I believe our pictures speak for themselves.

We came home tired, happy dogs and took a long Winter's nap.  Now if I can just get them motivated to go see that waterfall!

 

Wordless Wednesday 12/8 -- Snow Angels

Let It Snow!

Bunny here at the keyboard to share pictures of our first snow of the season.

Friday night it started snowing and we were supposed to get just two or three inches.  Saturday morning we woke up and found out that we got a lot more snow than that.  It was so pretty as the flakes floated down out of the sky.  Mom and Dad had a talk and then they got me and Morgan into the van.  We headed off for the dog park.  Blueberry and Lilac do not like to get their feet wet or cold, so they stayed home.

We got to the dog park to find out that we had it all to ourselves.  Morgan and I were thrilled.  We set out to make good use of our time in the snow.  We thought a lot about our Siberian friends who have been missing the snow and wished we could share it with them.

There were squirrels in the park, too, and Morgan and I took a little time to hunt for them.  However, we simply had too much energy to spend much time sniffing for squirrels.  We had running to do.

Morgan gave her jingle bells a test run, and I have to say, they sounded great!  All you could hear was the birds, the squirrels scolding us from the trees and Morgan's bells.  We were really able to fly out there!

It was great to play in the snow, and Morgan and I really had an exciting time.  Hopefully everybody else had as much fun this weekend as we did.  It wasn't hiking, but it sure was fun!

Watch Out For That Tree!

Thanksgiving weekend is a crazy time for us, as I'm sure it is for many.  We have two family dinners to go to, thankfully not on the same day, and there's Christmas shopping and getting the house looking festive to do as well.  However, we are still a family with dogs, and some of those younger dogs have needs.  These needs must be met if we to ensure peace and quiet in our home.

Since we were a little too busy to hit the hiking trails this weekend, we decided that before we headed out to get our Christmas tree that we'd take the girls by the dog park so they could stretch their legs and have some fun outside time.  Since it's getting rather brisk here now, and because Saturdays can be rather busy at the dog park, we decided to leave Lilac at home. 

It was pretty much a day like any other autumn day when we've gone to the dog park.  There were only two other dogs there when we arrived, and three more came in behind us.  It was a lovely, sunny afternoon.  Of course, the cooler it is, the more Bunny is possessed to run.  The more Bunny is possessed to run, the more intent Morgan and the other dogs, excluding Blueberry, are to chase her.  Bunny loves this game, and this time, she wasn't holding back at all.  She was giving the dogs a true run for their money. 

However, we now realize that German Shepherds don't quite run the same way that Greyhounds do.  Of course, that seems to be stating the obvious, but what I mean is, Greyhounds hunt by sight.  Their eyes can see things from a mile away, and that is literally, not an expression.  Bunny runs and turns on a dime based on what her eyes tell her.  She's taking in all the information that her eyes are giving her as she goes.  Morgan, on the other hand, was only watching Bunny as she chased her through the trees.

Yeah, that was a tactical error!  She isn't seriously hurt, and as a matter of fact, she wouldn't even stop playing to let us have a look at it and make sure it was okay.  Ah, our puppy's first battle scar!  A thing to remember!

Some Enchanted Afternoon

Yesterday was my last official day of being on break, so I was thrilled when Mr. Taleteller told me he'd be able to be home early for the afternoon.  It was a beautiful Autumn day, the orange leaves falling from the bright blue sky with temperatures at very comfortable levels.  We decided to take the girls to the dog park since Morgan has had a bit of pent up energy and we could take all the girls because it was unlikely to be really busy at that time.

On the way there, Mr. Taleteller needed to run into a store and do a little business, so I waited in the van with the girls.  One of the reasons that we decided to take all of the girls is that lately Lilac seems to leave us a rather smelly gift to take care of if we leave her.  It doesn't matter if we leave her home alone, home with just Blueberry or with all of the dogs.  So, we figured she might as well just poop in the dog park where we can clean it up outdoors and not deal with it when we got home.  I should also explain here that Morgan rides in a crate in the van.  The Greyhounds use the back seat and Morgan is in the crate.  It makes life much easier for everyone involved. 

So, as we sat in the van waiting, I was reading something when suddenly I smelled a waft of the aroma of disaster.  I turned around and saw the scene unfolding.  Blueberry had decided to take of the entire back seat, in typical Blueberry fashion, and Lilac had tried to find another path to the seat.  Bunny was laying behind my seat, out of the way, but close enough to poke her little nose up if something interesting to eat should appear.  Lilac hadn't accounted for the fact that it got narrower towards the back part where the seat actually was, though.  So, she was stuck. 

Most Greyhounds have a pretty good reverse and can back up easily.  However, Lilac's back end is a bit weak, so backing up doesn't really happen too well anymore.  More accurately, when Lilac backs up, crap happens.  Literally.  The worst part is that I saw it coming, like a slow motion scene in a movie that I could do nothing about.  I'm pretty sure I even shouted "Lilac!  Noooooo!"  I undid my seatbelt and leapt for the back seat, trying to avert disaster.  Morgan sat in the crate, staring at it all like a deer in headlights.  Of course I was too late and now Lilac stood precariously close to stepping in the disaster that was making my eyes water.  I grabbed a bag and tried to pick it up out from beneath her feet.  Somehow fortune smiled upon me and I did manage to get it out before she moved and stepped in it. 

Then I realized there was another problem besides getting Lilac out of the predicament she'd gotten herself into.  Mr. Taleteller has a particular black leather leash that matches Morgan's collar which he is particularly proud of.  Wouldn't you just know that Lilac could manage to make a direct hit on the handle?  I began to wonder just how long my husband could manage to be in there.  I wrenched the crate around and somehow convinced Lilac that she could, indeed, turn around and get out from behind the crate. 

Having finally solved that problem, I looked around and was rewarded to find that there was not a single trash can in sight.  I sighed and left the bag in the door well and figured that when Mr. Taleteller came out, we could find a nearby gas station and get rid of the offending bag.  Surely nothing else would go wrong.

Well, then it turns out that a man with a leaf blower decided that the parking lot needed to be cleared.  For those of you who know the joys of living with a German Shepherd, you can guess how thrilled Morgan was.  To say that she was unhappy with the leaf blower making a complete circuit around our van would be like saying the Mona Lisa is a nice picture.  The Greyhounds all watched her and I suspect Bunny checked for signs of rabies as Morgan did her best to protect our van from the leaf blower from a crate inside the van. 

Finally, Mr. Taleteller finished his business and came out to the van.  I could see the mirth in his eyes as I related the tale until I got to the part about the leash.  It took me a few tries to get that part out.  Fortunately, by then his eyes were watering too much from the odor coming off of Lilac's gift for him to get too upset.  We stopped and left her deposit in a trash can and then headed off for the dog park.

Once we got to the dog park, it was a bit more crowded than we'd expected, but it was a happy, mellow group of dogs, so we went in with all the girls anyway.  I thought I might just keep Lilac on a leash beside me, but she seemed eager to go explore, so I let her go off in a quiet part of the park while Bunny and Morgan were busy running and playing with the other dogs there.  I followed Lilac and Blueberry along as they enjoyed sniffing and looking around the perimeter.  Blueberry spotted a squirrel and gave it a run for it's money to the tree.  Morgan found a big dog who liked to play like she likes to play, when she wasn't busy acting as Bunny's bodyguard and doing head checks.  Bunny had fun playing chase with Morgan and some Labradors.

We had the Furminator along with us and at one point when Lilac stopped, I worked on brushing out some of the dead fur on her back.  She doesn't like to stand still for too long, though, so I didn't brush her for too long.  We walked on a bit further and then I called her again.  She knew I wanted her to come over, but in true old lady style, she walked on ahead of me, picking up her pace a bit.  I hurried to catch up with her, and darned if she didn't take off and start running.  Mr. Taleteller had a good laugh about it.  She may be old, but she still knows what she wants and doesn't want, and for a little bit, she can still even outrun us. 

So, while there are a lot of disadvantages to having a dog getting older, I'd just like to say, there are also moments that are priceless gifts. 

We're also participating in this Saturday's Pet Blog Hop, hosting by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume.  If you'd like to participate, please follow the rules and follow your three hosts, add your blog to the Linky and copy and paste the html code into your html editor.  Thanks again to our hosts for putting on the hop!