Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions, and generally just wrap up my week.

You Make Me Laugh – February 21, 2016

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom said, “With Callie and Shadow it was fairly easy; but adding Ducky to the mix made it nearly impossible, and taking Callie out of the mix didn’t make it any easier. So, guess who the instigator is. 🐶”

Oh yes, I don’t think you call her the little demon dog for nothing!

Emma said, “We can do it, but rather than both looking the same direction, we prefer to have one look right and one look left. It really drives the mom mad!”

I love how you roll that way Emma, I bet your mom does too. 🙂

Jan said, “It’s a study in synchronized avoiding the camera. It’s an Olympic event.”

It should be. Maybe I’ll have to save that for the next Canine Olympics? 🙂

Monika said, “That’s a rhetorical question, right? Whenever I even try to focus a camera on him, Sam seems to cast a longing look over his shoulder in the opposite direction. Stupid dog. 😉”

Ha ha, he reminds me of Delilah, who usually walks up and shoves her face in the camera, or turns away. Sampson usually just gets the ‘let’s get this over with’ look on his face.

Taryn said, “Wilson totally “gets” the super-model thing (although going deaf makes it a tad harder), but Jimmy hates looking into the big scary eye of the camera. Sometimes HE. JUST. WON’T. LOOK. That’s why I have so many more nice photos of Wilson.”

LOL it’s frustrating, isn’t it? I treasure those good photos of Delilah, as they are fairly rare, although I have to say, as she ages she really has gotten better.

Julie said, “I can get Cocoa’s picture if she is exhausted. Or if she is sleeping. Or if I surprise her but once she sees I am trying to take pictures she will NOT look at the camera. So I have to be quick!!”

She’ll get better! Delilah used to be like that.

Misty Shores Chesapeakes said, “I get them all set up turn to walk away and the minute I stoop down to take the photo one them inevitably starts to walk toward me.”

LOL whoever said working with multiple dogs was easy, never worked with our dogs. 😉

Elaine said, “It’s hard enough to get Haley to cooperate sometimes, I can’t imagine getting two or more pups to get excited during photo shoots. I think I like this photo better though because it makes you wonder what’s happening off to the side.”

Yes, they don’t always cooperate, which makes the times they do so much sweeter. I like the way it makes you wonder too. When my grandson was 10 months old we did a photo shoot with the dogs. My grandson was in a rocking chair wearing a Santa hat and the dogs were sitting on either side of side of him. My husband opened the blind to get more light in and they all turned at the same time. It’s still on of my favorite photos.

Finding the Beauty in Nature

Hailey and Zaphod said, “I enjoy the early morning walks. I have been bummed the last 2 mornings that it has been too cold to walk. Sigh!”

We walk no matter how cold it is out. We just bundle up well and sometimes we shorten the walks, but I’ve found the dogs really need to get out. 🙂 I’m sorry you haven’t been able to get your walks in.

Emma said, “Getting out in the cold and dark in the morning is the hard part, but once you are out it is so peaceful, and best of all…no other fools are out!”

Yup, you nailed it Emma. I love the quiet beauty and the sounds of the world waking up.

All Things Collie asked, “That was a nice surprise! You probably already explained, but why are you walking them so early? Do you switch them sometimes? (So Sampson can see the sunrise and Delilah the setting moon?)”

We walk early to help avoid encounters with other dogs. Typically Sampson goes first, but if there are days that he wants to sleep in, I take Delilah. 🙂

Dachshund Nola said, ” You could not pay me enough to walk (or wake up) before the sun is out. I much prefer walking at night!”

I have walked them at night and I just prefer the mornings. 🙂 Waking up is hard, but once I’m up and going, it’s all good.

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s Mom said, “Cardinals and blue jays are usually not afraid of people and other animals, even cats. I saw a blue jay dive-bomb a cat one day when I first moved down here…I don’t remember the exact circumstances, but I remember cheering the bird on for defending itself. The cat took off like a bat out of hell! ”

Oh my! Did you record it? I recorded a cat catching a chipmunk once. 😀

Sandspring Chesapeakes said, “You are so welcome!!!! and you know it was the darn postal service wrecking that bag of treats, lol. I took the broken ones and put in a dish for gman and gave you a brand new bag. Can’t ship anything without it getting broken! I’m glad you like the leash, I too like them because they are thin and can put in your pocket.”

See, you shouldn’t have told me that! I was impressed as hell thinking how clean your floors were because there was no dog hair in there. 🙂 Yes, the leashes are awesome. Most days I have it coiled lightly and loosely in my pocket while he walks slowly beside me.

Monika said, “Magic is everywhere…we just have to look closely though sometimes that’s hard to do when our minds are running like 60 and 9 miles down the road focused the things we ‘need’ to do during the day.”

Amen sister. We’re so darn busy, we forget to stop and look.

Elaine said, “Beautiful images. I never really liked birds either but now that I’m older, I do notice them more and think some are beautiful. Does that mean I’m an old lady before my time?”

Nah, I think as we mature we learn to stop and find the beauty in things.

Where We Are – Barks and Bytes

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s Mom said, ” Both our regular vet and the surgeon told us that most dogs do end up tearing the second ACL within 12-18 months of the first one due to the imbalance of the weight distribution during the first recovery.”

I had heard that as well, but Sampson’s surgeon said he didn’t subscribe to that, but if you think about it, it makes sense. After he fully tore it, it was two weeks of walking on that leg and compensating with the other one, not to mention the recovery time after surgery.

Cupcake said, “I agree with Sampson – tests and missed meals are no way to enjoy life.”

I knew you’d understand the missed meals Cupcake. 😉

Taryn said, “The trauma of repeated vet visits isn’t how I would want my dogs to spend their golden years. I hear about dogs that are OK(even happy) at the vets but mine never have been. And surgery and all it’s pain is a very tough choice. Just love Sampson and live in the moment with him.”

Sampson LOVES our vet, when I told him where he was going, he pulled me through the gate, Even so, I’m sure being surrounded with all the sights, sounds and smells that he’s not used to, is stressful when he’s left there.

Emma said, “Health and senior dogs is a scary thing. Katie has her good days and her bad days. We have our vet check next week. We will be seeing if her heart murmur is the same or has worsened. Right now she is having not so great days again with walking and falling, but every day is a gift and a new day. We treasure each day with her.”

You are so right Emma. Treasure each and every day.

Jan K said, “We really are a lot alike, aren’t we? I would have made the exact same decisions you have.”

We are and it’s one of the reasons I LOVE your posts when you talk about decisions you make for your pets. It’s like a kindred spirit. 🙂

2 Brown Dawgs said, “I probably would have done the blood test. Even if I wasn’t going to treat, I would want to know.”

I totally get where you’re coming from. But since I’m struggling with his aging to start with, I know that I would be a wreck if I found out something bad. Three years ago, I’d probably have done the test, but I’ve been digesting this for over a month now and my gut is telling me no. 🙂

Well that’s it for me folks, thanks for joining me and for all your love and support. Have a great weekend.

Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally just wrap up my week.

First, I’d like to wish a very Happy Birthday to my sister Sheena, make it a good one girl!

You Make Me Smile – February 7, 2016

Emma said, “Maybe it works like it does at our house. The doorbell is my thing. I am the official ringer of the bell. Bailie knows how but very rarely rings it. It is like elevator buttons and mini humans, only one should be pushing or ringing.”

You may be on to something there Emma. Maybe they’ve worked it out like you and Bailie have. 🙂

Jan K said, “Oh yes, this reminds me of the girls. They don’t want to learn any tricks, but when Luke does one they come running to see if they can get a treat too (probably because I’ll give them one). We call Cricket Luke’s agent or manager…LOL.”

I like that, Luke has an agent. 🙂 Yes, I give Sampson a treat too, whether he goes to the door or not. LOL

Misty Shores Chesapeakes said, “I’d say that’s pretty typical male…let the female do all the work and sit back and reap the benefits. lol”

Right? Do you think it’s instinctual?

Blueberry’s Human asked, “Would you rather they BOTH ring the bell over and over again until you open the door?”

UM NO. Actually Delilah will ring it again on occasion. Which reminds me, I have the funniest video of her ringing that bell. I have to work on getting that one up. 🙂

Loose Leash Walking

Lauren Miller said, “Oh leash walking, the bane of my existence… Sometimes when they are really distracted I will just stand there and wait for them to give me some sort of attention.”

I’ve done this and she is as stubborn as a mule, you could literally stand there for five minutes. Shit, the other day I stood in the street facing one way, my arm stretched out with her at the end of it facing the other way. I wonder what the car that drove by thought? LOL

Taryn said, “Most of the time my dogs walk sooooo slooowwwwlllyyyyy that I wish they would pull me. Mine are sniffers and unless they see the source of that smell dart out in front of them, they stand in one place taking it all in.”

Oh yeah, sometimes Sampson stands at the bottom of the driveway sniffing for what seems like forever.  He’s the one that stands and sniffs, Delilah is the one who puts her nose down and ferrets it out.

Emma said, “Bailie is our current puller, but she is getting better. Mom hates the turn around method, but it is effective, so she does use it sometimes even though it drives her crazy going nowhere! ”

It does work with her for a little bit, and most of the time on the road she’s great, it’s when we are in the woods that she really gets excited though. I imagine it’s all those exciting smells.

Julie said, “Cocoa is really good when we are running but when we are walking she is harder to control. ”

Surprisingly Delilah does pretty good running too, she doesn’t usually get going too fast, but I’m not a very fast runner and I can’t do it for long. I considered getting a bike, but then I pictured my busted face and changed my mind. 😉

Blueberry’s Human said, “First of all, I use a hands free leash system (it’s just a carabiner attached to my jeans belt loop). ”

Are you brave or crazy? 😉 Siriusly, you MAY have convinced me to try this. I say MAY.

Misty Shores Chesapeakes asked, “When you turn around do you turn into her?”

No because she’s usually ahead of me and when I move forward, she does too.

DZ Dogs said, “Bring treats, and work on “look at me” while you walk.”

I do have treats and I use “look” when there is something distracting, but she’s a maniac with the treats and if I pull one out, she will stop or keep trying to walk in front of me. 🙁

Jan K said, “Sheba used to be my worst puller. But since I started bringing treats with me and training her to “heel” she’s been so much better.”

I’ve got to work on this more. Right now it’s so damn cold that I don’t want to take my hands out of my pockets. 🙂

Beth said, “I do lots of reinforcement with treats and some verbal commands–if there’s an area she keeps pulling towards, I’ll tell her to watch and give her treats as long as she’s staying right beside me with her loose leash–and sometimes toss treats ahead of us and tell Barley to find it so that I can redirect her attention.”

I need to work more on giving commands throughout the walk and not just when there’s something distracting. I have thrown treats down in from of us before (I’d forgotten about that), thanks for the reminder!

Daschund Nola said, “I taught a formal heel (in the house and yard first, to get it well established), and then one walks I’d cue her to heel. Just for a few seconds, and then I’d release her to pull. Since pulling was more reinforcing than anything I could do, I figured it couldn’t hurt to try that premack principle. It worked! I just slowly increased the heeling and slack leash duration, and now she only pulls when she’s released to do so.”

Okay so, like, I totally had to look up premack because I’d never heard of it. It’s brilliant, totally brilliant. I think when it gets a bit warmer out, I’ve got some training to do. Thank you, thank you!

Maggie said, “These guys are the same. Together they walk like jerks. Alone they’re pretty good. Except, with Cooper, when we see other dogs. My solution? A can of spray cheese! Gross but it works.”

Ugh, that is gross. LOL but you have to use what works.

I Hope He Poops In The House – Barks and Bytes

Genevieve said, “NOBODY finds humor like you do! I’m pretty sure I’m right about this.”

Is that good or bad? 😉

Emma said, “Katie is losing control of her back end muscles. She falls a lot, and she has a real tough time squatting to pee and poop. Sometimes, though, when she gets up in the house she can’t control herself and a “log” will pop out on the floor. We don’t care because as you say, it’s easy clean up but we feel bad for her because we know she doesn’t feel right about doing that.”

Do you think she knows she’s done it? My friend’s dog is totally fecal incontinent right now and she doesn’t know she’s doing it. 🙁

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s Mom said, “Poor Sampson. Perhaps he was just too tired to try to go up the stairs. But I love the way you find humor in so many situations. And the more politically incorrect the better, IMO.”

I think laughing beats crying, although I’ve done my fair share of crying over these two as well. 

Jan said, “Political correctness is ruining the country and causing miserable people and a total lack of humor. Thank you, Jodi, for being you and I hope you get lots of REM sleep.”

Thanks Jan. Would you believe I said this very thing to a co-worker the other day and we got into a heated debate? 

Lauranne said, “Glad to see some things don’t change! I wonder if Sampson has been talking to Poppy as her new favourite game is let’s not poo in my litter tray overnight. You have no idea how much it freaks me out seeing that she hasn’t poo’d. Why do they do this to us??”

I have no idea! Damn it you guys, stop freaking us out!

DZ Dogs said, “It’s easier to laugh than to cry right? I think I just need to hang out with you sometime!?

I love hanging out with blogging friends! I can make you laugh. 😉

Jan K said, “I know exactly how you feel. I feel like every other blog post I write is about Sheba’s cancer or our impending potential move. I’m afraid people might get tired of reading about both, but those two things are consuming my life and thoughts right now so how can I not be writing about them a lot? I know Sampson’s injury is consuming your life as well; but I’m glad you can find some humor in it because that is all that keeps us sane, right?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken up in the night and felt Sheba panting. Is she in pain? Is she just hot?”

I’m not getting tired of reading about either one of those topics Jan, if that makes you feel any better. 🙂 But it’s true that most people focus on the things that affect them the most and I think that’s very normal. And I hear you about being worried in the night because the dog is panting. I mean these guys are so stoic, it’s sometimes hard to tell!

Dachsund Nola said, ““Hell, I can pretty much find humor in most situations. It may not always be nice, or politically correct, but you can bet your ass I’m laughing about it.”
I laughed out loud at that one! Girl, sometimes you’re so much like me it’s scary.”

I read your comments and your blog and think the same thing. 🙂 Great minds..

Beth said, “Barley and Soth like to mess with my REM cycle, too. I’m glad Sampson was fine, and I’ve definitely curled up on the floor with my darlings in the middle of the night and had the same results.”

Honestly, there’s no place I’d rather be.  I know they are with us for such a short time, but I was grateful that I had Sunday to sleep in. 🙂

Alright, that’s enough for me. I think this post is longer than a children’s book. But that’s mostly your fault, because you’re all so awesome!

Have a wonderful weekend.