Category Archives: Dog related
Pilling the dogs
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We should own stock in the OTC allergy medicine company. I take two a day, the vet has Gavin on three a day, and Patty is on two. Then there are days when the pollen count is high and even DH needs them.
Pilling a Bull Terrier isn’t easy when you have one like Gavin. You want to what? Open my mouth? I don’t think so. Our vet has collapsed in the giggles while trying to get a look inside Gavin’s mouth and he’s a big guy. Gavin will clamp his mouth shut and you can’t get in there with a crow bar. On the other hand, Patty is easy.
At least she’s easy if she hasn’t seen you give Gavin his pill. Gavin gets peanut butter on a spoon with his pill on top. He’d eat a building if you covered it in peanut butter. Patty sees him get peanut butter and she wants hers served the same way.
I don’t blame her I like peanut butter too but I like mine on crackers or in a sandwich with jelly. Have you ever tried a peanut butter and jalapeño jelly sandwich? It’s good. Yeah, I’m weird.
Posted in Dog related, Food, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Dog slave
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We’ve certainly been busy around here. DH runs across town to his mother’s early every morning and stays there for a few hours. On the days that the OT and PT people are there, he stays longer. I’ve been sending along meals that she can easily microwave.
This means I have to get up earlier so the dogs can get out as often as they want. I am NOT a morning person. I never have been, never will be. No, but I am a slave to my dogs. Their needs come first even before my first cup of coffee.
Therefore, while I’m here granting the pups’ every wish, I am also doing things like pond maintenance, laundry, cleaning, and sometime next month, painting the interior of the house. I’ll be starting in the kitchen.
I have two Bull Terriers to contend with, which means painting around here isn’t an easy task. Any daytime painting has to be limited to the higher areas. Dog nose prints on freshly painted walls are not artwork. I hate ladders and ladders with nosey dogs are not secure. At night, I can paint at dog level. It’s a good thing I’m a night person.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Can two objects occupy the same space?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Today Gavin proved that the answer to that question is no. How did he prove it? Well, that’s the story for tonight.
I had Gavin out in the yard. He was behaving, sniffing around looking for a place to mark, when the kids across the street began doing a mad dash up and down the sidewalk. Gavin got excited and began to bark at them. Me, being the idiot I am, decided it was time to leash him and take him inside before he became too wound up.
He was standing still at the front fence barking at the kids. I reached for his collar to snap on the leash so I could drag him away from the fence. At that moment he decided to dart to his left. Where was I standing? I was at his left.
Now if you’ve never met a Bull Terrier in person you have no concept of what their heads are like. Think cinder block and you’ll have a decent idea.
Think fast, if I was at his left, and he dashed to his left, can two objects occupy the same space at the same time? The previously mentioned objects being Gavin’s cinder block head and my freaking knee, I say NAY. I also said ouch, and many other words in a sailor’s vernacular that tinged the air around me a lovely, bright shade of blue.
Yeah, go ahead and call me a klutz. You can even call Gavin an idiot for not looking where he was going. Now, if you all will excuse me, I need to pack my knee in ice again.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, can two objects occupy the same space?, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, relative theories and all that stuff, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
How to bathe the dog
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gorgeous weather today made the pups miserable. Actually it wasn’t the day itself it was what I did to them. Smelly Gavin and stinky Patty got baths. I am on their LIST. After they had their baths and were dry, their majesties did their utmost best to let me know that I’d gone to the top of their LIST. I rose higher on the LIST than squirrels, annoying kids, strange dogs who pee on their fence, and a late dinner.
I did not apologize to them. They reeked and were in dire need of baths. You’d think they’d want to be nice and clean sweet-smelling dogs. Nope, they’d rather smell horrible. It’s a dog thing.
How to bathe Patty: A) Keep her from hiding in either crate by closing the doors. B) Drag her upstairs to the bathroom. C) Lift her 65 lb limp, dead weight into the tub. D) Begin the torture of bathing. E) Spread a towel on the floor, drop a cookie, and back up. F) Dry her. G) Release her from the bathroom to have her karoom down the steps and around the downstairs. H) Crate her with a cookie reward until she’s dry.
How to bathe Gavin: A) Show him a cookie. B) Tell him “Let’s go bed bouncing.” C) Follow him upstairs. D) Throw the cookie into the tub and watch him hop into it. E) Close shower doors so he doesn’t jump back out. F) Begin his torture—you mean get me wet all over? G) Hose him down, get soaked when he shakes. H) Soap him, get soaked when shakes. I) Rinse him, get soaked when he shakes. J) Step back, get soaked when he shakes. K) Dry him, get soaked when shakes. L) Release him from the bathroom. M) Crate him with a cookie. N) Go dry all the walls and the floor of the bathroom. O) Change into dry clothes.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Ark too Brutus?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin and Patty requested the use of a raft to go out today. It might have worked except they have no thumbs and can’t hold paddles. We’ve had so much rain that I heard the stock prices on gopher wood jumped through the roof. I’ve seen pairs of animals strolling past all day. Ba dum dum.
The neighbor’s bulldogs Diamond and Brutus ordered snorkel gear although Brutus really wanted a boat. Cleo, the standard poodle across the street, rented herself out as a squirrel canoe. The two toy dogs next door stepped off their porch and almost drowned so Gavin lent them the raft.
The Koi are touring the neighborhood and the bullfrogs are using in the magnolia tree as a diving board. The daffodils want water wings. Did I mention that we’ve had a lot of rain?
Posted in Dog related, Misc, my garden, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Two dogs on a rainy day
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin rings the sleigh bells on the back porch door. “Wanna go out, NOW.”
“Hold on let me get a jacket.” I snag one off the hooks by the door. The bells are still ringing. “I’m right here. Stop with the bells already.”
We get outside and it’s raining.
Gavin runs for the door. “Wanna go in, NOW.”
We go in. Gavin doesn’t tell Patty it is raining. Patty wants out. I take her.
A raindrop hits her on the head she tucks her tail and reverses gears. “In. I wanna go in. Oh, please let’s go in.”
We go in.
Both dogs dance around in front of the cupboard. “Cookies! Don’t forget the cookies!” Gavin yells.
Patty sits and throws her front paws high in the air. “Stick ‘em up, I’m doing stick ‘em up! Give me a cookie.”
I give them their cookies, settle down in front of the computer and begin writing.
Five minutes later Gavin is ringing the bells to go out. “I’m bored. Wanna go out, NOW.”
Patty runs to join him. “If he’s going, I am too.”
“It’s still raining.” I tell them as I grab my jacket. Reread.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
What’s black and white and smells bad?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Or, where’s Billy the exterminator when you need him? Have you seen that program? He’s a hoot.
I should’ve known there was a problem outside when Gavin stood at the back door sniffing at it like crazy. As soon as I opened it, he began to bark and the hair on his back stood on end. A single sniff on my part revealed the problem, at which point I decided that neither dog needed to go outside. Somewhere out in the night our odiferous visitor was lurking. Yes, the skunk is back.
A couple of years ago they’d dug under G’s kitchen to nest. It was not a very pleasant thing when they let loose under there and stunk up the entire house on more than one occasion. Then her DH redid their deck. When he had it torn up, he put heavy duty weld wire all around the foundation of the house. The skunk moved down the street.
We hoped that the skunk had gone to play in the traffic and left our neighborhood permanently. Nope, no such luck. Heeeee’s baaaack.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
The trespasser
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin and Patty jockeyed for the best position at the kitchen window. They wanted to see and bark at the dark stranger in the yard. He ignored them.
Gavin barked, “My yard!”
Patty yodeled, “Get out. You don’t belong there.”
Gavin ran to the back door and rang the sleigh bells like a street corner Santa on speed. “Let me at him.”
Patty leapt upon the radiator. “Why I oughta…”
“Quiet you two. Enough!” I dragged Patty off the radiator and backed Gavin away from the bells. “One more peep out of you and you’ll kennel up until you cool down.”
DH yelled down the stairs, “What the heck is with them?”
“Woo, Woo, Woof!”
“That’s it. Kennels.”
They retreated to their crates and I closed the doors behind them. Then I went to the bottom of the stairs to thank DH for the ruckus.
“You had to mention there was a big old crow in the yard using words they know didn’t you?”
“What?”
“You said, ‘look, outside, and yard’ and you used an excited tone. They ran to look outside and saw the damned crow.”
“Oh. Sorry about that.”
{Sigh} Is there such a thing as a quiet day?
Posted in Dog related, Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
They keep us laughing.
Posted by doggonedmysteries
If it weren’t for the dogs, I do think we wouldn’t laugh half as much as we do. If dogs had day planners, harass Gavin every minute today was in bold print in Patty’s. She didn’t give him one second’s peace at all. It might have something to do with the improvement of the weather.
DH said that she started early this morning. She enticed Gavin into bully runs and teased him by hucklebutting on the couch with the bone of contention in her mouth. (The bone from the pictures below.)
When I came down, Patty went into her mine, mine, mine it’s mine dance. At one point, after leaping about on the couch with the bone, she shook her head. The bone flew out of her mouth, and landed on the coffee table with a crash. The pups know that things on the coffee table are out of bounds. She stared at the bone willing it to move.
DH figured we’d get a few minutes of quiet. He was wrong. By that time, Gavin had enough of Patty playing queen of the hill. He walked over to the table, delicately lifted the bone, took it to his crate, and closed the crate door behind himself. We didn’t know he could do that.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
I see flowers starting to grow
Posted by doggonedmysteries
The yard is almost void of snow. A stroll around the gardens revealed numerous spring flowers trying to push through the mulch. I can’t wait for them to bloom.
Both the dogs were past silly with this noticeable change in the weather. They don’t care that March came in like a lamb they’re happy it’s getting warmer and the snow is leaving. They leapt about the yard in wild abandon.
The birds were also letting us know that the weather was improving. I haven’t heard so much birdsong in months. What a joy it was.
DH was in a jollier mood. I even took two walks, one with each dog. It was nice to get out.
We’re looking forward to this weekend and the predicted temperatures of the mid fifties with sun, lots of sun.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
They say a picture is worth a thousand words…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
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- Mine! {Sigh, baby sisters are a pain}
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- I said gimme!
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- Gimme
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- I want his
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- Bone chewing time
Gavin can be so tolerant…
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Westminster Dog Show nights
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Every February we spend two nights watching the Westminster Dog Show. When I used to show our BTs, I dreamed of showing one our dogs there one day. Well, life oftentimes changes things as ours has. We’ll never have a dog entered at Westminster because we no longer show dogs. However, we can enjoy making our picks, competing with each other on which dogs will win, and watch the best of the best make it to the Best in Show ring.
I drive DH crazy because I pick an average 3 out of 4 winners in each group. (Dang I should’ve wagered money on this with him.) This year I picked all four ribbon winners in the Non-sporting group in the correct order. In addition, I managed to pick 3 out of 4 for the rest of the groups. For the last several years, I’ve picked the Best in Show winner too. I knew Elliot Weiss would pick the Scottie, Sadie. She was flawless, and once a terrier person, always a terrier person. I must add here that the Best in Show group, in its entirety, was breath taking.
When I first met him (oh, so many) years ago, Elliot was a professional handler. Malcolm had managed to make it to terrier group. Professionals, handle most of the terrier breeds, with the exception of some BTs and a very few others. When I entered the ring, I saw many handlers who, in the dog show world, were legendary and who was it in front of me in line? Elliot. He was very nice. He saw that I was nervous and gave me a few encouraging words. We didn’t win, but it certainly was exciting for me, a mere mortal, to compete in the same ring with all those renowned handlers.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, dog shows, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Westminster Dog Show, Writer, Writing
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