When Chip First Came Home--

SUMMARY: Remembering Chip. Rejects the World Sleeping Order.

Backfill: From Facebook June 23; posted here July 2

When Chip first came home, age 3, Tika and Boost were already sleeping on my bed. I wanted to (a) let the dogs become accustomed to each other's presence, (b) let Chip know that he didn't always get to sleep on the bed, and (c) confine him at night until I knew how well house-trained he was.
He scratched and bit at the softcrate, so I set up the x-pen next to my bed.

He'd have none of it. Repeatedly levitated from there onto my bed (no running needed, no floor required in between). I decided that (1) he definitely had the chops for agility and (2) I give up, he wins, I just wanted to sleep.

(Also mentioned March 31, 2014.)

Tika Sleeping

SUMMARY: Inspired by a thread at work

Tika was sometimes quite creative.

Puppy on the bed all night!

SUMMARY: Luke succeeds at sleeping with the big dogs!

I have tried periodically to let Luke sleep on the king-sized bed with me and Chip, but every time I've lain down, he starts climbing all over me and biting at me and will not be deterred.  I usually give it 5 to 10 minutes, depending on my patience and fatigue level, but he has always ended up back in his crate.

Last night--success! Only about 2 minutes of trying to be an annoying puppy and then, voila, he slept on the bed quietly all night!

I kept thinking:

• On the down side, it would probably be nice long-term to have dogs who don't sleep on the bed.
• On the up side, getting him out of his crate every morning, when my back has is usually at its worst, has been a pain in the backside, literally. Often a very big pain. So, if this keeps up like last night, I'll no longer have to worry about that. (Just the small amount of bending required to release him. Tellin' ya, this back thing of mine is not playing by my rules.)

So, well, anything is possible, and we'll see how the champ does tonight!

Sleeping Together

SUMMARY: A small Luke milestone.

To date, I've been unable to take a nap or go to bed at night before first putting Lukers in his crate. Otherwise, he's all over me and/or Chip.  I've tried it occasionally, with no success.

Last night before I got into bed, he had hopped up there and was lying so quietly and sweetly (I've seen it before, mind you) that I thought I'd try it again. Worked very well for about an hour an a half, until I needed to get up again for a brief couple of minutes, and then it was all over.

So into the crate he went again. But, still, that's progress on that front. (Assuming that I want to eventually let him sleep on the bed, too, which I think I want.)

That's all.

Happiness is a Cushy Chair All To Yourself

SUMMARY: Wordless Wednesday.

(Pre-Luke)

>>  Visit the Wordless Wednesday site; lots of blogs. <<

Chip trial day 1

SUMMARY: Getting accustomed to each other; figuring out bed time.

Backfill: Added March 30

Chip (Chipper) is here. Arrived about 4:00 and I needed to leave shortly for my company's annual holiday party. (Yes, really.)

Owner and Chip came into the house on leash. I had put Boost behind the gate in the living room so that he wouldn't be overwhelmed coming in. Tika was out of sight, but showed up as Owner and I were chatting. That meeting went OK, so I unhooked his leash to see what would happen, and mostly he looked like he was sticking around; he seemed slightly concerned but not cowed by any means. So I stepped around the corner to let Boost loose; had to convince her to come out (I think she thought she was supposed to stay there), and when I stepped back into the kitchen, there was a big yellow puddle on the floor.

Owner didn't see it happen, either, because I think he was paying attention to me. I assume that it was a stressing Chip, since neither of my dogs have ever done that when other dogs have come into the house. Quick cleanup with paper towels and Nature's Miracle.

At one point, Chip popped up to his hind legs, paws on the edge of the stove to sniff; I was able to grab him quickly and say, "I don't think so!" Probably not an issue really, but something to keep an eye on until I'm positive.

Then we went out to the back yard. He checked out everything briskly, and marked everything briskly, too. Had a brief entertaining interlude with Mr. Triceratops while Chip tried to decide whether he was a real critter or not. Sorry, didn't have my camera out for that amusement, didn't want the distraction.

Owner left Chip's crate--a huuuuuge Varikennel from when he used to have a Catahoula. Some toys, bowls, bag of food, leash. After we both watched Chip for a bit and I asked what I could think of to ask, then Owner left fairly quickly, or, he said, "I'll start to cry." Chip has had a good home but we'll see whether I can maybe give him a bit more.

He went into his crate easily on command, I gave all the dogs Guard The House Goodies, and went out for the evening.

Came back about 3 and a half hours later, let him out into the yard where he did his business. Then I kept him on a short leash attached to me while I did a few things around the house, checked my email, and so on. He whined quietly a lot when I wasn't actually doing anything. He got petted when he lay calmly next to me and other times, too. He is SO soft.


Boost seems to mostly accept that he's here. She's looking for more attention from me and I'm trying to give her at least equal attention. She seems somewhat interested in his existence but is trying not to show it. He's definitely interested in her existence and follows her around when I let him off leash in the yard.

Tika is not happy; she actually exposes her teeth with a snarl when he comes close to her face, especially if she's right next to me. Never have seen her do that to another dog, but obviously everyone's a bit tense at the moment. He's good and backs off but I'm mostly trying to keep him away from her (he wants to make friends) and giving Tika plenty of loving, too.

He ate his dinner when I gave it to him, so he can't be too stressed. Eats slowly, though. Wow, when have I ever had a dog who eats slowly?

But he uses the same gentleness when taking treats from my hand, how nice compared to Tika! Even gentler than Boost, and she's pretty gentle.

Bed time: Set up the 24"-high x-pen with his bed and my dog throw about 2 feet from my bed, up against the dresser. He didn't want to be even that separated from the rest of us. He whined, tried cautiously to climb out, which I discouraged, pushed at the (unlatched) end of the pen, which I discouraged. And then, SPROING! He was on the bed! Jeepers creepers! I grabbed him and convinced him to go back into the xpen. Yes, I do have a taller one, but I just want him to get the idea of confinement with minimal trappings, as it's so much easier. He didn't want to settle again, whined, and once again, SPROING! He was on the bed! It's as if he levitated from within this little space, standing right next to the x-pen, across the space between, and up onto my high bed. I can't even tell you how he did it, and I was watching!

Yes, I think that this dog could do agility.

He stayed in the pen this time after I put him back, but kept whining and didn't want to lie down.

Then a funny thing happened. Boost jumped off the far side of the bed, came around, looked at him curiously for a bit, and then lay down on the floor between me and the x-pen, so that her nose was just a little way away from him. Then he settled down with his nose against the x-pen closest to her. I have no idea what her motivation was, but I'm very grateful to her. (She has never slept in that location before, ever, that I can recall.)

He might end up on the bed with the other dogs eventually (sigh), but for now I want my dogs to understand that this is still their place, and him to understand that I make the rules.

Eventually Boost ended up back on the bed, he stayed in his pen, and everyone slept, more or less.

How Are We All Doing?

SUMMARY: Reporting on Human Mom, Boost, and Tika.

Tika is refusing food more and more often. I'm not happy about this. Don't know whether it's her meds or her health. Need to call the vet to discuss. Not convinced that taking certain drugs to help her heart or her cough is good if it means that she loses interest in food. Until this morning, she was happy enough to eat the new fancy expensive kibble that I just bought--as long as I didn't intermingle regular kibble, which really ruined the whole thing, you know. But hand-feeding still worked. This evening she didn't want to eat much of it at all.

She even almost turned down her guard-the-house-goodie this morning when I left for work--and she's not rejected that before. (It's just a dry biscuit, but until now has been eagerly accepted.) No problems tonight in class, though, sucking down those Zukes minis!

Human Mom had a rotten night last night, what with back/leg pain, a cough that wouldn't quit between about 2 and 3 a.m., two dogs that needed to go out in the middle of the night at different times, and a sometimes coughing dog. H.M. got most of her sleep between 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Amazing I made it through the day. But work was interesting and urgent today, which helped.

And then, even more interestingly, felt really good in class tonight running Boost. Was able to actually run, fast for me anyway, without pain. That bodes well for the weekend. Still, the back and connected leg pain are such a...pain. Standing there, watching someone else's run, turned my head or some other innocuous minor movement, and whack! Sudden pain in lower back and I had to take steps to ease it out. So we didn't do a whole class this evening; want to save myself for the Regional Championships this weekend in Prunedale.

Boost--well, wow, what a great night in class! Not a single bar down! No nasty runouts (except pretty obvious handler errors) or refusals. Wow! Well, OK, couple of missed weave entries, darn it, she will just never be as good as Tika at the weave entries. And that's the thing we've most practiced through the years. OK, anyway, maybe it was because I was moving more comfortably and faster, dunno, but what a pleasure it was! Hoping that it lasts through at least some of the weekend.

See folks there Saturday through Monday; I bailed on Friday's events for various reasons. Weather should be great, people should be wonderful, maybe we'll get a Q or two.

Bump

SUMMARY: The elder statesman.

Bump got short shrift in yesterday's post. So here he is, all 14 years and 1 month of him.

Day After A Wild and Crazy Agility Weekend

SUMMARY: Wordless Wednesday.

Not Your Usual Nightmare

SUMMARY: It's not always about the dogs. But--Haydn?

In my dream:

A woman I know fairly well [in my dream] suggested that we go see the world-renowned orchestra led by the world-renowned director, playing a fabulous work by Haydn. She could get 2 tickets for a mere $80 each, and I somewhat hesitantly agreed.

We arrived, and worked our way up the aisle. And I mean, UP! The angle was extremely steep, and it went up and up and UP and up and up, to where my moderate acrophobia really kicked. I had to grab the stairs and walls and chairs as I worked my way up just to be able to make myself keep moving and not freeze on the spot. So far up that you really almost couldn't see the stage. REALLY up.

(And I've been up very high in some very steep venues, but this had 'em all beat.)

THEN discovered that the concert hall was built over a hill, so when you got the the top, you started going down the other side. Now you REALLY couldn't see the orchestra. And barely hear them. Instead, they had a large TV screen (like someone might have on the wall of their house) and speakers.

Furthermore, my friend hadn't realized that odd numbered seats were on one side of the hall and even-numbered were on the other side. So we weren't even seated within sight of each other.

Furthermore still more, it was the very last seats in the hall. And people who had brought their small kids had sent them to the back of the hall to play.

So I had paid $80 to sit in the back of a room, by myself, to watch Haydn performed on a TV, listening through speakers, with noisy kids playing around me.

I woke up bawling. The dogs were a bit concerned and came in close to see what was the matter.

I wasn't sure whether to keep bawling or to break into hysterical laughter. Really?! This is the worst thing I could manage to have a nightmare about?!

Wordless Wednesday Snooze

SUMMARY: Boost shows how it's done.

Perhaps It's Time for a Break

SUMMARY: Upcoming agility and current (if imaginary) tribulations.

I have 3 weekends off from competition, then one trial, then 4 weekends off, then a trial, then 3 weekends off, and our last trial of the year. Perhaps it's a very good thing that I have all that noncompetition time--

I'm standing near the Steeplechase ring, and all of a sudden the gate says "We're done!" and the course builders rush onto the course. "Wait," I say, stunned, running towards the gate, "I haven't run yet!" She shrugs, "Tell the course builders," and walks away. I run onto the field, where they're pulling down the ring tape and picking up the course numbers. "I haven't run yet!" I say frantically, thinking of two dogs and two dang entry fees for Steeplechase about to go down the drain (I also just realized with rising panic that I haven't walked it yet, but first things first). One course builder say, "Tell the judge," and continues pulling up the tunnel stakes. The judge is nowhere to be seen. I stand in the middle of the ring and cry out loud--

"I HAVEN'T RUN YET!" which wakes me right up. The dogs are intrigued. Me, big L on the forehead. Doh. Taking a deep shaking breath and reminding myself, "It's just a dream! It doesn't happen like that in real life!"

Yes, perhaps it's a good think I'm taking some weekends off.

But I did sign up for the course building clinic after all--

Class Should Be Interesting Tonight

SUMMARY: We've had no class for two weeks due to rain. And--

--tonight it's not raining! But it's overcast and gray and the wind wails around the house with a message from the north. By 8:00 this evening, the thermometer will read 44F (6.7C), but with wind chill and humidity, Accuweather's estimate on the cold feel will be 39 (3.9C). That's almost bearable if there's no wind, but, dang, that wind!

And I'm running on 3 hours of sleep from last night. We won't mention any names, right, BOOST?!?!

Could be an interesting evening. I am, at the moment, after a nice warm bowl of chicken noodle soup, pondering just crawling into bed and calling it a night. But the canids are restless, prowling around the house and yard, gleeful with temperatures that allow them to run and run and never overheat!

Still, that down comforter and electric mattress pad are calling my name. How cavemen survived without electric mattress pads, I'll never know.

I have 45 minutes to decide. Ah, me.

Bad Internet Connections Cause Sleepless Nights, or Spiders Got Ears!

SUMMARY: In which damaged technology and neglected cynology don't mix. Plus spiders. (Fair warning. At the end.)

This was supposed to be a very short post because I already wrote a paragraph in response to Team Small Dog's Internet fixing post. Somehow, as usual, it got away from me.

Storm remember

Remember we had a big storm last Tuesday? (How could you forget, I made, like 500 blog posts about it.) The Storm Of The Part of Half A Century Or So. Guess what happened to my internet connection. Yes. Flake city.

Imagine your crappy internet

Imagine sitting with your fingers on the keyboard, staring staring staring at the little "DSL" and "Internet" lights on the gateway, one of which is now red and the other blinking, and wait for that moment when both are green so that you can REALLY QUICKLY try to post something on Facebook, or maybe upload a photo to Taj MuttHall, or say download a 900-MB file that you need for work, or pick up your email, and DAGNABBIT the photo started to upload but then the Internet light turned red again and hte little "working" is now spinning spinning spinning.

Calling the AT&T

Wednesday when I called the AT&T about my internet connection waxing and waning, I discovered that I had an excessively generous quantity of static on the line, which can really hose a delicate data connection. It took me 40 minutes (really, I timed it) of looking things up on the web and dialling numbers and keying in my 9-digit phone number 5 different times and talking to various people and being on hold before I got someone who, when we connected, had a conversation with me like this:

* Person who knows what they're doing: How can I help you?
* Me: My internet connection has been flaky since the storm and...
* PWKWTD: ...and you have a lot of static on your line, which can really hose a delicate data connection.
* Me: Yes.

40 minutes. For a 14-second technical conversation.

After which he said maybe someone can come out next tuesday. I argued that I can't work in an environment where I can't even reliably get or send email. They argued that tough shit. Only he phrased it like, "we're very busy right now [duhhh (that's mycomment about the storm)] and Tuesday's the earliest anyone can come out."

Gone gone gone I've been gone so long.

So I kind of expected that eventually they would tell me WHEN on tuesday. But I can't work with no reliable internet (try downloading a gig of data with a connection that drops every minute or two), so I started commuting (gasp) to Mountain View every day. This means about 15 minutes every morning of packing up and getting ready to go, a 40-minute drive there, an 8-hour work day, and 40 minutes drive home again.

Plus Monday I had an emergency dental appointment, so take me out of the house for an additional 2 and a half hours, and yesterday I had an emergency chiropractic appoinment, so take me out of the house for an additional hour and a half. Make that gone 12 hours Monday, 11 hours yesterday.

Imagine your dogs

Imagine you have two active driven agility dogs who are used to you being home all day and taking occasional breaks to throw the toy and maybe walk for a mile or two and even do some weave pole proofing.

Now imagine that all you've done for 2 days is throw the ball for 5 minutes.

Now imagine trying to sleep at night while the dogs are restless, stand up, lie down, move around, chew on the foot, scratch behind the ear, sniff at your face to see if you're awake, get off the bed, get on the bed, get off the bed, go into the crate, rearrange the bedding in the crate, get back on the bed. In various combinations all night.

Appointment? Not really.

So anyway, yesterday morning I called the AT&T to find out when they'd be here, and they (AT&T being plural) said that I had signed up for a 12-hour window. I said that I certainly wouldn't have signed up for a 12-hour window if someone had asked me about it, and I can't sit here for 12 hours with no internet, so do I have to actually be here when they show up?

The said it would be nice if someone would be here but most of the time they can fix it outside the house and they guaranteed to have it resolved by 8:00 that night but if it isn't resolved ("guaranteed"? huh.) then I can call back and sign up for a one-hour window at some other time.

So I commuted to Mtn View again. When I got home well after 8:00 at night, I appeared to have a new, steady relationship with my internet, and an urgent phone message from the repair guy on my home line, and an urgent message from the repair guy on my office line, and the repair guy's business card stuck in my door telling me urgently to call him ASAP underlined. I guess I should call him to tell him that apparently he fixed it outside the house and I appreciate that.

Imagine gouging your eyes out

And all I had to do was to tear my hair out for almost a week and gouge out my eyes with the dull end of my mouse while trying to download huge files or even post to facebook. But at least I didn't have to open up any walls or any junction boxes and stare numbly at all the wires and try to remember what I did the last time I played with phone wires back in the summer of I think 1826 or so.

Happy endings

I felt so good about having a working internet that I took the dogs for a nice mile and a half walk around the neighborhood in the dark until Boost got to where she wasn't playing tug of war and flying back and forth hanging onto the end of the leash full tilt and had calmed to where she was merely trotting eagerly.

They slept better last night than before, but still. Not perfect.

Spider warning for arachnophobes. But this one won't bite, guaranteed. If it does, I'll call you back Tuesday.

Today, work at home, do some more weave pole proofing. And finally get around to taking photos of the cool Basic California Garden Spider whose lovely web is on my back porch and greets me in the morning when I let the dogs out. For those scientifically minded folks who want to know how big the spider is, I quickly grabbed a ruler and measured his body, and so you know: It is about 2 picas long. Oops. Guess I picked up the wrong ruler. So for you non-type-layout sorts of people, there are 6 picas to an inch, 2.4 cm to an inch--the rest is left as an exercise for the reader.

It was tough taking the photo at times because while I was standing on the bench trying to do macro photography, Tika stood on the porch near me and every time some molecule somewhere popped an electron, Tika would let out with a huge BARK! and the spider would jerk into an erect spider posture with his legs sticking out in the air and the web would vibrate (and so would my head). So apparently spiders can hear BARK!

And here he is (yay, can haz uploaded photos!):