Heart Like a Dog

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

Trail Blazing….Day Three Hundred, Fifty Five

By

One of the things I love most about living in New England is the change of seasons.

Something I’ve noticed lately is how the change of seasons can make something familiar seem unfamiliar.

I was looking around at the field today and was thinking how different it looks now then it did just a few weeks ago.

Most of the leaves have fallen now and the landscape looks so barren.

The winter storm we experienced three weeks ago also changed the landscape.  Leaves, branches and trees have all come down changing the woods and the way we walk.   The leaves completely hide the paths we carved with we our feet as we traveled the woods through the spring, summer and early fall months,  they also cover rocks and stumps and make the ground slippery beneath our feet.

I find myself really having to pay attention to the trail markings, and being aware of which way I am heading when I have to step off the trail to avoid some debris.

 

What about you, have you ever had something you were very familiar with change with the seasons?

 

Communication….Day Three Hundred, Fifty Four

By

I was noticing today some different ways my dogs communicate to us.

Delilah barks when I am in the kitchen preparing her meals, she is communicating her need to be fed.

When the water bowl is empty the dogs will use their paw to scratch the bowl, communicating their need for water.

When Sampson wants attention, he will put his head on my knee and look up at me with his big, soulful eyes.

When someone he loves comes to the house, Sampson will “Roooo” his joy and prance up and down in anticipation.

When the dogs have to go out, they will run to the door and if we aren’t quick enough, they will bark or run back to us and then back to the door.

When they want to come in from outside, they bark “Hey open up.”

When Delilah is bored…..

She brings me her bone and wants me to hold it while she chews it. 🙂

Who says dogs can’t communicate, you just need to learn to understand what they are saying.

 

Follow-Up Friday….Day Three Hundred, Fifty Three

By

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. 😉

Food Guarding – Author’s Note

What surprised me most about the incident was that it was Sampson that she snapped at.  They lie next to each other on their places every night while we eat dinner and they each have a couple of cookies.

Once they are released, they sit side-by-side in front of Hubby and he gives them carrots.

In the kitchen they sit next to each other while we prepare their breakfasts and dinners, and at snack time they both charge at me when I get their Kongs out of the freezer.

They have both snapped at the cat and Sampson has snapped at other dogs when I try to give treats out on the trail, but never at each other.

There were some GREAT comments with recommendations for games as well as some awesome training tips which I intend to incorporate into our training.  And now that I am aware of it, I will be extra attentive when we are around a high value food item. 🙂

Patience My Sweet – Author’s Note

Yes, even though she drives me to the brink of crazy, I love her to pieces.

Antlers – Author’s Note

One of my biggest concerns with the antler is not that Delilah will break a chunk off and swallow it, but that she will swallow the WHOLE THING!

Many years ago I had a cocker spaniel mix named Buffy, who died from ingesting a super ball.  The ball lodged in his esophagus and Buffy couldn’t get it out, his Electrolytes were thrown off and he died.

Ever since that experience 1) I’ve never had a super ball in my house and 2) I’ve worried about another dog having a similar issue.

I’ve witnessed Delilah trying to swallow a huge piece of raw hide and I’ve actually seen her trying to dislodge a chunk that was too big to swallow, I’m thinking the antler is too small for this dog.  Dear little Frankie suggested an Elk antler so now I’m on an elk antler hunt. 🙂

So how was your week?  Did you rock it like we did?

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...