Of Dogs and Weekends

January 22, 2012 By Jodi

We had another nice long walk through the snow this morning with our extended pack.

I found out from my walking buddy that the guy who allows hunters on his land, now has chickens. Yes, another reason why Delilah must not be allowed off leash in that area.

Our walks go something like this, we do a loop then we let the dogs run around in the field for a few minutes, lather, rinse, repeat.

Since it is winter and the leaves are off the trees, it is much easier to wander deeper into the woods, which we did. We found a spot where the deer had spent the night.

Can you see the impression in the snow?

On one of our trips into the field Delilah and Brady got their zoomies on. The funny thing was that somehow Delilah started to lose her vest.

You can see the vest is hanging off her butt.

I tried getting her attention by calling her, but she was having so much fun with Brady, that I let her run. As you can see the vest didn’t seem to hinder her running.

It's almost off now.

I found myself just standing there watching and laughing hysterically because it was so comical. Eventually she got it off on her own.

Yup, she got it off.

I picked it up and she came over to me and waited as if to say, “Please put my vest back on.”

As I was fixing her vest, Sampson and Brady decided to play with a stick.

My stick, No my stick.

After about an hour and 15 minutes of walking, we decided to head home. My buddy and I ended up just standing chatting and I was very impressed because the dogs all stayed right with us.

We weren’t even in the door two minutes before Sampson was on the couch. Delilah joined him shortly after.

They’re still there now. Of course, they changed positions once or twice.

I’m sorry the weekend is over already, I can hear Monday calling my name.

How was your weekend? Were you busy or relaxed? Or were you like us, a little bit of both?

Book Update: My book has 4,734 words.

Follow-Up Friday

January 20, 2012 By Jodi

For those new to the blog, my follow-up Friday provides me with an opportunity to update or revise a post from the previous week.

You know sometimes you post about something and you need an update but it doesn’t warrant a whole blog. Or sometimes someone made a comment that really resonated with you. Yup, Follow-Up Friday baby!

2012 Goals – Author’s Note

Many of you thought my goals were highly ambitious and I guess maybe they were, but you should know me by now. I’m the one going Mock 2 with my hair on fire.

That’s just how I roll, I want to succeed with my writing and am determined to do so.

Blog The Change, BE The Change – Author’s Note

I was surprised that no-one thought I was whacked out in that post. I mean, I really do believe in harsher penalties for animal abusers, I thought my idea of the stockade in the center of town would get some flack, but you guys didn’t blink an eye. Although at least one you was amused at the image of me with rotten tomatoes in my hands climbing down off a soap box.

Charitable Acts – Author’s Note

Some of you wrote in saying you used the grinding tool for your dog’s nails and you didn’t have to worry about cutting the quick. We thought the grinder would be a good idea as well, but they were almost impossible to get when they first came out because everyone wanted one. We finally got one and poor Sampson is terrified of it, I can’t stand his trembling while Hubby tries to file. I put it away in the back of the closet and some lucky person will be able to pick it up for like $5 bucks at my tag sale.

Never A Dull Moment – Author’s Note

I’ve been wanting to write about Delilah’s habit of jamming her head between my legs for a long time, but truthfully, it sounds weird. I really do think it would be a funny picture and might try to get a picture of it, she doesn’t always do it when there is someone around to take a picture though.

This morning when she did it, I decided to walk with her and see if I can teach her WALK so I can complete Pamela at Something Wagging’s challenge to train your dog month.

I had originally thought I would try to teach Delilah to roll over, but when I was preparing food and watching how high she was jumping, I started teaching her to jump up and put her two front paws on my hip. Why? I don’t know really, I was just thinking if I ever decide to enter a dance competition with her it might be a cool trick.

Which is also the same reason I am teaching her to walk with her head between my legs. Just in case I decide to enter a dance competition with my dog.

Yeah, that’s it.

I would have to say we’ve had a pretty good week, and how was yours?

Book update: My book has 3,650 words.

Never A Dull Moment

January 19, 2012 By Jodi

Some days I really struggle to find something people will enjoy reading, but truthfully most days I rely on my dogs to give me something to write about.

Most mornings Delilah is laying on the bed while I busy myself in the bathroom. At a certain point in my routine she determines either a) it is time for her to rise and shine or b) I have spent enough time in the bathroom and it is her job to come in and help me move along.

She does this by coming up at me from behind and shoving her head between my legs. I know, totally weird. It looks like I’m giving birth to a chocolate lab. Once she has her head there, it is pretty hard to make her stop. You walk, she goes with you. You stop. She stops.

Cute? Maybe.

Funny? Not really when you are on a time schedule.

Work for “Dancing with your dog?” Quite possibly.

Most days Sampson has turned in his spot on the bed, for a spot on the sofa in front of the fire. Smart dog that Sampson. Sometimes when he hears Delilah making her ruckus, he comes to peek in and see what we are doing.

Other days, they start wrestling on the bed.

Today was a combination day, Delilah came into the bathroom and walked with me (with her head between my legs) all over the bathroom. Then Sampson poked his head in and the two of them went out into the bedroom and started wrestling.

I was in a mood to listen to some music this morning, so I grabbed my iPod and put the ear buds in. When I was finished in the bathroom I turned around to shut of the lights and leave and that’s when I saw it.

Blood. Fresh blood. Little drops of fresh blood all over the bathroom floor! Lots of little drops of fresh blood all over the floor.

I shouted for the dogs and they both came running and then the real comedy began. They know their names. Really they do. But for some reason when you call them and say, “Delilah sit” they both sit. “Delilah sit” and “Sampson come” result in both dogs sitting or both dogs approaching me.

Finally I got them sorted out and I had Delilah in front of me while I checked her nails. It made sense to me to start with the nails. As I was checking her second paw I looked over and noticed Sampson was bleeding on his right forepaw. Is that a word? It is now. It would be your forearm, you know the part between your elbow and wrist? It was the part between his elpaw and paw. Yeah, that’s a word now too. Elpaw.

I got a towel and wet it and scrubbed at the blood to find out what I was dealing with, it looked like a small wound, either a scratch from the woods or maybe a tooth puncture from wrestling with Delilah. While I was cleaning at this I noticed he had blood on his shoulder too! Thankfully the blood on his shoulder was secondary blood from the first wound, but don’t ask me how he got it from his forepaw to his shoulder, but he did.

I cleaned him up, put a little Cortaid on it and sent him on his way. But I will keep an eye on it just in case.

Book update: I have 3,007 words in my book.

Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Of Dogs and Weekends