Heart Like a Dog

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

You Better Run Squirrel – Barks and Bytes

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A few years ago a squirrel got into our attic. (It’s the hazards of living in a rural area.)

I was the one to discover it one rainy Sunday afternoon. While sitting on the couch reading, I heard the distinct sound of something above me. To some people this would be normal, but our attic is only a crawl space. I paused, listened and then I heard it again. Delilah sat up.

“I heard it too” I told her and got up and looked out the door.

Did you know that squirrel’s paws look a lot like a human hand? Well they do.

I stood there, staring up at the roof of my house.

Im not sure how you would react to seeing what looks like a tiny human hand sliding under the edge of the roof of your home, but I can tell you how I reacted.

I may have screamed and it’s possible I even tinkled a little. I’m pretty sure I swore (A LOT) and I know with certainty that  every hair on my body stood at attention.

Squirrel Paws

Yeah, they look like fingers bitch, whatcha gonna do about it? (Photo courtesy of Daily Mail)

We needed to get rid of the squirrel and fast. Squirrels can be very destructive inside a home.

We borrowed a Have-A-Heart trap and while we waited to capture that little beast, we learned a little bit about squirrels.

The most important thing we learned is that squirrels are territorial. Let’s just say a squirrel somehow gets relocated to another neighborhood. There’s a good chance the new neighborhood will not welcome the squirrel, and he may have to keep moving. Sort of like a fugitive or a gypsy.

Yeah, a gypsy squirrel. That’s it.

It took a few days, but eventually the squirrel was trapped. (I know I had a picture of it, but for the life of me I can’t locate it) There was lots of information on the internet about how to dispose of the squirrel but they were all distasteful to me, so Hubby kindly relocated the squirrel to a nice wooded area.

Since that time, we’ve lived with virtually no squirrels in our yard until just recently. I’m not sure why, but this year we’ve had an influx of squirrels.

Maybe we’ve got good nuts.

Squirrel Statue

Don’t mind me, I’m just sitting here eating my nuts. (It kind of looks like it too.)

I snapped this picture out my front window on Tuesday.

Yesterday morning I snapped this one in the back yard. (Before I threw a rock at it and scared it off. Hey, I couldn’t find the BB Gun.)

This Squirrel is Nuts

Can’t a squirrel eat his nuts without someone shoving a camera at him?

All I’m saying is keep to yourself, you can eat your nuts in my tree, you can eat your nuts on the roof of my shed, but stay out of my house Mr. Squirrel, or you’ll go the same way as your predecessor. 

Heart Like a Dog

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One Fell Swoop – Barks and Bytes

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Once upon a time this was my treat bag.

Dog walking essentials

The basic dog walking essentials…cell phone, house keys,  pepper blaster and treat bag. Only thing missing? Poop bags!

I never actually LOVED this treat bag. It had a draw string to close it and clipped to the waistband of my pants with a small plastic clip. I had it fall off on more than one occasion and had to trace our path back to find it. Still it served its purpose, until the Diva of Destruction got hold of it.

She chewed holes in the lining so all the little crumbs and (and sometimes bits of food as well) worked their way between the lining and the exterior. It made it super hard to clean that sucker out.

I put get a new treat bag on my to-do list. I shopped them online, but you can’t really tell the quality and function of a product online, and those rare occasions in the pet store, it simply slipped my mind.

Finally income tax season rolled around and as I had cause to be in a an awesome little pet shop/training center, I purchased a new one. I put the big pieces of treats in the new bag and threw the old bag on the dining room table. I passed it every day and one day in passing I thought, gee, I’m surprised she hasn’t discovered that bag yet.

But did I move it or throw it out?

No, of course not. This is how I set my dog up to fail.

Bad dog owner.

One day last week when I came home the treat bag was on the floor in the living room.

dog ruins treat bag

Notice the Delilah modifications.

She had made some modifications. Specifically I think her goal was to have treats drop out a regular intervals as we walked. Genius really if you think about it. I mean it’s every Labrador’s dream to have an unending supply of noms.

dog ruins treat bag

A closer look at modifications.

I think she went a little too far though, I mean the whole idea would be to have the treats come out regularly, not in one fell swoop.

Welcome to Barks and Bytes Blog Hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like a Dog. Barks and Bytes is the blog hop for any and all bloggers. So what are you waiting for? Grab the code at the bottom and link up. If your site does not permit code, please link back to one of your hosts.

Heart Like a Dog



Baby Come Back – Barks and Bytes

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Monday we took the bandage off Sampson’s foot and sent a picture of it over to the vet.  As it happened the vet was sick and didn’t get back to me until yesterday.

Unfortunately the vet felt Sampson’s nail wasn’t healing the way it should and suggested surgery, so I dropped him off around 2:30.

To keep my mind off of Sampson, I went home and grabbed Delilah for a nice long walk.

Spring hasn’t fully arrived here and the floor of the path was a carpet of leaves.  Our feet crunched along the well known path as we made our way in the warm spring sun.

Woods

You can’t tell, but the trees are just beginning to bud.

It always amazes me what a difference a walk is when you only have one dog.  This dog, the one I yell at, who pulls relentlessly, chomps my fingers when I give her a treat and basically acts like a crazy dog when walking with Sampson, is a dream to walk by herself.

Chocolate Lab

You’re talking about me, aren’t you?

Just look at that loose leash! 

We hiked the main trails and around the field and then a lap around the block as well. 

Afterwards she sacked out on the couch, tired and content. 

Sampson got picked up about 5:45. His paw is bandaged again, and he’s on Carprofen for another two weeks or so as well as an antibiotic.  He was panting a lot when I picked him up and wouldn’t lie down in the car.  It almost broke my heart because he was trembling so badly.

Once we got home and he lay down, I snuggled up next to him and held him for a few minutes.

I offered him half his meal and he refused.  I offered him Kefir and oatmeal and he declined those as well and yet he stood in the kitchen expectantly.  I offered him some liver wurst and he at a few pieces, enough to get some of his meds in.  The antibiotic is supposed to be taken with food and three pieces of liver wurst just didn’t seem like enough, so he’ll get his first dose this morning, providing he eats his breakfast.

I called the vet to see if it was normal and was told it was.  I was also told there might be some pacing and anxiety during the night.  

As of this writing he seemed much calmer, and had eaten a few treats and made an attempt at his Kong.  So fingers crossed we had a decent night.

As you can tell from this boring and humorless post, my Mojo is still MIA. Please if you see it in your travels, send it back.

Baby come back!!

Heart Like a Dog

Welcome to this week’s edition of Barks and Bytes hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like a Dog. Barks and Bytes is for anyone and everything! Please share the linky code in your post and if your blog does not support linky tools, please link back to either Linda or I.



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