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my theory on getting a dog
Sep. 16th, 2005 05:50 pmIf you were to get a dog and wondering how, I'd reccomend that you assess the lifestyle you want to live with your dog. Primarily, how sedate are you and do you expect to be; always give yourself a lot of windage to the lazy. Learn the energy levels of the various breeds but don't give it too much credit.
Get a dog from a friend/person you know first, then check the pound, and then rescue groups. Look for one that seems reasonably calm, touch them, smell them and let them smell you. Have someone else play with a noisemaker and see how they respond (they should be interested or only a little scared but not insist it is theirs or run terrafied).
If you are new to dogs try to get an older dog, one that's been reasonably well mannered and calmed down. Learn dog body langauge and modern conditioning. Read the Monks of new skate, and "Don't Shoot the Dog." Spend time learning how to teach them to do what you want.
Two dogs are easier (or not apreciably more difficult) than one, dogs are pack animals and they hate being alone. The added medical is the one expense that isn't just a fractional increase in cost.
Get a dog from a friend/person you know first, then check the pound, and then rescue groups. Look for one that seems reasonably calm, touch them, smell them and let them smell you. Have someone else play with a noisemaker and see how they respond (they should be interested or only a little scared but not insist it is theirs or run terrafied).
If you are new to dogs try to get an older dog, one that's been reasonably well mannered and calmed down. Learn dog body langauge and modern conditioning. Read the Monks of new skate, and "Don't Shoot the Dog." Spend time learning how to teach them to do what you want.
Two dogs are easier (or not apreciably more difficult) than one, dogs are pack animals and they hate being alone. The added medical is the one expense that isn't just a fractional increase in cost.
Virtuous and Satisfied!
Sep. 10th, 2005 02:26 pmI didn't get to the dog park in time for the tai chi class this morning (durn ![[livejournal.com profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
luxcannon and his silver tongue), but I had misremembered and today was the first workday for the Bull Creek Park Foundation. I got there early enough to give a couple hours to help build the retaining wall they're working on to preserve the topsoil on the trail down to the ford. They'd already moved the large rocks into postion and were filling in around them with rocks from the creek. I raked up small rocks in the stream bed into piles, sholved the wet rocks (and not a little amount of water) into a wheel barrow, they pushed the wheel barrow up the hill and around behind the big rocks for an hour and half maybe two.
Then it got too hot to do that kind of work so the pups and I walked the high cedar trail on the back of the creek then we played at the ford with other doggies and wandered here and there seeing dogs and generally having much doggy exhaustion making.
Back now and my house is a marvel of quiet, deeply tired dogs.
I feel so proud of myself. I put in a good bit of hard work, then took a fair walk in the warm (and a touch muggy) late morn and I feel wonderful from it. I have tired in my muscles and there will be some sore tonight (particularly in my underused shoulders) but I don't feel exhausted or in pain. I feel centered and almost as if I am humming in tune with the universe.
luxcannon and his silver tongue), but I had misremembered and today was the first workday for the Bull Creek Park Foundation. I got there early enough to give a couple hours to help build the retaining wall they're working on to preserve the topsoil on the trail down to the ford. They'd already moved the large rocks into postion and were filling in around them with rocks from the creek. I raked up small rocks in the stream bed into piles, sholved the wet rocks (and not a little amount of water) into a wheel barrow, they pushed the wheel barrow up the hill and around behind the big rocks for an hour and half maybe two.Then it got too hot to do that kind of work so the pups and I walked the high cedar trail on the back of the creek then we played at the ford with other doggies and wandered here and there seeing dogs and generally having much doggy exhaustion making.
Back now and my house is a marvel of quiet, deeply tired dogs.
I feel so proud of myself. I put in a good bit of hard work, then took a fair walk in the warm (and a touch muggy) late morn and I feel wonderful from it. I have tired in my muscles and there will be some sore tonight (particularly in my underused shoulders) but I don't feel exhausted or in pain. I feel centered and almost as if I am humming in tune with the universe.
morning hike
Aug. 27th, 2005 11:31 amTook the pups out to the park this morning, I keep hoping I will actually get my shit together and get there before it gets hot but didn't actually get there until a little after 9. Sat and watched the tai chi class that happens on the south side court and ate breakfast (fruit and nut trail mix) and drank a liter of water, refilled the bottle and hiked up the trail to the falls and back, stopped to rest twice because my lower back is tweaky but did the loop in under an hour. Two weeks from now is the first trail workday since the spring and it really needs it. Gotten over grown and rutted.
The dogs are much calmer. I hope this lasts most of the day
The dogs are much calmer. I hope this lasts most of the day
It's his squirrel you can't roll in it.
Aug. 6th, 2005 01:34 pmJust back from the dogpark, sun exposure like that is contraindicated but my dogs were desperate for some park time. The needed to get out. I tried to keep to the shade and be covered but I think I got a sunburn on the back of my neck which means I am going to feel a bit yucky later today.
When we got home there was a big vulture in our front yard, bigger than tipareth, With the insouciance of an suburban carrion eater it just moved to the other side of the tree but didn't leave my yard. The dogs were KEENLY aware of his presence and I carfefully got out so I wouldn't interfere and the dogs projectile vomited out of my truck.
Clyde almost got him, despite suffering the deficit of being in the back area and having to shove through saladin and tipareth, another 6-8 feet and he would had a taste of tailfeathers. Saladin however was the smart one and got to sniff the dead squirrel it was packing on. Not wanting them to be really nasty I hollered them in the house, yelling "It's his squirrel, you can't roll in it!"
When we got home there was a big vulture in our front yard, bigger than tipareth, With the insouciance of an suburban carrion eater it just moved to the other side of the tree but didn't leave my yard. The dogs were KEENLY aware of his presence and I carfefully got out so I wouldn't interfere and the dogs projectile vomited out of my truck.
Clyde almost got him, despite suffering the deficit of being in the back area and having to shove through saladin and tipareth, another 6-8 feet and he would had a taste of tailfeathers. Saladin however was the smart one and got to sniff the dead squirrel it was packing on. Not wanting them to be really nasty I hollered them in the house, yelling "It's his squirrel, you can't roll in it!"
I switched from Sentinal pills to Heartguard chews for my dogs monthly antiworm drug. I was tired of having to fight trying to get clyde to take a pill each month, he'll eat the cheese from around them and will even spit out peanut butter covered ones (and lick the peanutbutter off). Since he's willing to eat the heartguard yummies if I give them to the other dogs I decided to go with them. Heartguard is also quite a bit cheaper and the only major difference I could find is it doesn't protect against flea infestation like sentinal does, and since I take them out slogging through the creeks and brush all the time I have to use Frontline anyways to control the adult visitors they pick up.
Unfurtunantly I left the packages sitting on the dining table and yesterday afternoon someone got one of the packages and had a little yummy vermicide snack. Fortunantly it was tipareth's pack and it had to be one of the big dogs to get it off the table so I wasn't too worried about an overdose. The thing I wasn't prepared for though was later that evening sitting on the couch watching TV, Saladin was sleeping next to me with his head pointed away from me and I discovered that a slight overdose of heartguard will cause some really RAUCHY dog farts.
Unfurtunantly I left the packages sitting on the dining table and yesterday afternoon someone got one of the packages and had a little yummy vermicide snack. Fortunantly it was tipareth's pack and it had to be one of the big dogs to get it off the table so I wasn't too worried about an overdose. The thing I wasn't prepared for though was later that evening sitting on the couch watching TV, Saladin was sleeping next to me with his head pointed away from me and I discovered that a slight overdose of heartguard will cause some really RAUCHY dog farts.
wellnow THAT was exciting
I'm home for lunch, sitting watching last nights daily show and I hear something, a sort of light thump.
This isn't too unusual lots of thumpy sounds this time of year in the suburbs but it seemed to come from the fireplace. A little later I hear a skitter and another thump and tipareth definately pings on the fireplace.
Ok, looks like something got through one of the screens. Open the fireplace doors and screen and I watch most of the rest of the show and every few minutes there is a skitter - sliiide - thump.
The dogs all run outside after something, so I mosey over and open the flue all the way a bunch of soot falls down but not much else. Walk away from the fireplace and another sound comes as a squirrel falls into the fireplace. I look at him, he looks at me. We both blink.
Squirrel sees he's in a bad place and heads for the nearest tree, unfortuately squirrel didn't seem to grasp the concept of window and bonks on it. Clyde & tipareth have come back in and THERE'S A FUCKING SQUIRREL RUNNING AROUND THEIR LIVING ROOM. Hilarity ensues, dogs chase squirrels in rings around the couch. Clyde actually gets him a couple times but can't hang on, not wanting a carpet covered in squrrrel guts I open the front door and try to deflect the chase out side. After a couple rounds the squirrel heads out and up a tree with clyde in hot pursuit.
About that time saladin comes in the house looking around wondering what's going on. Poor dumb bastard, this would have made his year.
http://www.raystevens.com/SongLyrics/
I'm home for lunch, sitting watching last nights daily show and I hear something, a sort of light thump.
This isn't too unusual lots of thumpy sounds this time of year in the suburbs but it seemed to come from the fireplace. A little later I hear a skitter and another thump and tipareth definately pings on the fireplace.
Ok, looks like something got through one of the screens. Open the fireplace doors and screen and I watch most of the rest of the show and every few minutes there is a skitter - sliiide - thump.
The dogs all run outside after something, so I mosey over and open the flue all the way a bunch of soot falls down but not much else. Walk away from the fireplace and another sound comes as a squirrel falls into the fireplace. I look at him, he looks at me. We both blink.
Squirrel sees he's in a bad place and heads for the nearest tree, unfortuately squirrel didn't seem to grasp the concept of window and bonks on it. Clyde & tipareth have come back in and THERE'S A FUCKING SQUIRREL RUNNING AROUND THEIR LIVING ROOM. Hilarity ensues, dogs chase squirrels in rings around the couch. Clyde actually gets him a couple times but can't hang on, not wanting a carpet covered in squrrrel guts I open the front door and try to deflect the chase out side. After a couple rounds the squirrel heads out and up a tree with clyde in hot pursuit.
About that time saladin comes in the house looking around wondering what's going on. Poor dumb bastard, this would have made his year.
http://www.raystevens.com/SongLyrics/
