Every time I turn around for the last week, I am encountering puppies. Some friends of mine just had a planned litter. An uncle of another friend had a litter of mixed breed pooches. An old client found a pit pup at the train station and posted a message to a number of people including puppy-less me! I also just ran into an old dog-sort friend and she has a rescue that needs a home.
Is the universe trying to tempt me or torture me?
(whining) I want a puppy!!!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
What I Want for Christmas
I know what I want for Christmas. I must be crazy. I want a puppy. Faithful readers, you know from my last blog that I was anti-puppy as my darling daughter is asking for a "french" poodle (BTW "french" poodle means a poodle with a Continental clip which will be high, HIGH maintainance and roughly $80 a month with a professional groomer though I could probably work it out myself). However, something is missing. True, Buffy was a "kennel," working dog and not a house dog of late, but our house, our family is missing something. Poor Lopey, my other "kennel" dog is sad and is missing his buddy. Alan is against it for several reasons. Firstly, he doesn't want Lopey to continue being a "kennel" dog and wants to rehome him. That is NOT happening. Lopey is brain damaged and has only one home: this one. Secondly, Alan thinks that Pepper our cat may not adjust. Third, he wants to pick the dog and make it his. THAT is NOT happening. I told him as politely as I could that I am a professional dog trainer. This is my vocation. I did not interfere when he was building our house (his vocation) and he simply must defer to me on this matter.
However, he is so directly related to Santa that I think I will have trouble conveying my wish list to the man in red!
Perhaps I will have to celebrate Kwanza this year.
However, he is so directly related to Santa that I think I will have trouble conveying my wish list to the man in red!
Perhaps I will have to celebrate Kwanza this year.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
What My Darling Daughter Wants for Christmas
My daughter has been asking for the same gift for some time. In addition, every time she sees a toy on TV she NEEDS IT. We told her that we will ask Santa for 2 gifts. He may bring more but she can only ask for two when we go to see him.
Somehow this is all backfiring on me.
Several weeks ago she asked me for another little brother. Hiding my horror at the thought of having another baby at 40, I told her we wouldn't be having any more babies and that our family was complete. She promptly said, "Ok! We should get a pink French Poodle named Penelope!" I had to laugh. Being a Rottweiler and working dog enthusiast poodles are not really my cup of tea (or stein of beer if you catch my drift). Last week, Ella was telling me that she needed a number of toys on TV and I reminded her of the Santa Deal and asked her if she thought about what two things she was going to ask Santa for. She said, "A French Poodle." I told her I didn't think that Santa would be bringing that for Christmas. She said, "OK! How about a regular poodle?" I don't seem to be playing this game very well.
Jump to this week when we had to put our Rottweiler Buffy down. One of my concerns was how to tell Ella we lost our good, old dog that would have tea parties with her in the yard and was a co-owner of the Girls' Bakery in the playset. After we took care of Buffy, I dried my tears long enough to tell Ella that Buffy was really old and got sick and that she went to Heaven with Buster (Ella was too young to really get the loss of Buster two years ago). I asked if she had any questions and she asked how our dogs got from here to There. I gave a pretty creative answer and asked if she had anything else to say or ask. Ella said, "Well, if we don't have Buffy anymore maybe we should get a French Poodle?"
I think I'm in trouble.
Somehow this is all backfiring on me.
Several weeks ago she asked me for another little brother. Hiding my horror at the thought of having another baby at 40, I told her we wouldn't be having any more babies and that our family was complete. She promptly said, "Ok! We should get a pink French Poodle named Penelope!" I had to laugh. Being a Rottweiler and working dog enthusiast poodles are not really my cup of tea (or stein of beer if you catch my drift). Last week, Ella was telling me that she needed a number of toys on TV and I reminded her of the Santa Deal and asked her if she thought about what two things she was going to ask Santa for. She said, "A French Poodle." I told her I didn't think that Santa would be bringing that for Christmas. She said, "OK! How about a regular poodle?" I don't seem to be playing this game very well.
Jump to this week when we had to put our Rottweiler Buffy down. One of my concerns was how to tell Ella we lost our good, old dog that would have tea parties with her in the yard and was a co-owner of the Girls' Bakery in the playset. After we took care of Buffy, I dried my tears long enough to tell Ella that Buffy was really old and got sick and that she went to Heaven with Buster (Ella was too young to really get the loss of Buster two years ago). I asked if she had any questions and she asked how our dogs got from here to There. I gave a pretty creative answer and asked if she had anything else to say or ask. Ella said, "Well, if we don't have Buffy anymore maybe we should get a French Poodle?"
I think I'm in trouble.
Time and Tide Wait for No Man (wo-man or dog)
Two days ago I lost a friend. A really good friend. I knew she was slowing down this summer and I was watching her become an old lady. It became apparent that we needed to call the vet. She started bumping into things in the yard and I was pretty sure she had gone blind. Being the last of the Great Rottweilers of My Life, the last of the Dogs of Ward, I resigned myself to the fact she would not be with us for long. The night before the vet I woke up at 2 am and stayed awake, crying for her and for myself.
Some people will say, Oh, it's just a dog so get over it. Buffy was so much more. She was brilliant and trained for everything from basic obedience to handicapped assistance, seizure detection and protection training. I took a fancy-pants agility class with her and she kicked ass. I trained her for French Ring and she kicked ass. The bitch did everything I threw at her. When I got certified in dog training she attended the school with me and was the belle of the ball. Everyone loved her and the instructors dubbed her Buffy the Wonder Dog. She was an inspiration. Oh, and she was pretty... for a Rottweiler.
What I didn't expect was for Alan to take it so hard. Buff was always a "guy's dog" and she preferred the company of men. She adored Alan and since we lost her mate Buster 2 years ago (to cancer as well) she clung to Al. Our first night without her Alan said to me that he was so mad that he was powerless to do anything to save her that had he been a younger man he would have gone out and gotten into a fight just to feel better. I assured him we had done the right thing and that she had gone on to Buster. I would have traded a number of things to have her health and whole again and felt fairly powerless and useless as well. Mostly I told him that time and tide wait for no man or dog. My grandfather used to say that. I guess our lives are changing. Our family is certainly changed and the energy around our home is changed. It's sad but we'll ride it out. And we will miss our old girl.
Some people will say, Oh, it's just a dog so get over it. Buffy was so much more. She was brilliant and trained for everything from basic obedience to handicapped assistance, seizure detection and protection training. I took a fancy-pants agility class with her and she kicked ass. I trained her for French Ring and she kicked ass. The bitch did everything I threw at her. When I got certified in dog training she attended the school with me and was the belle of the ball. Everyone loved her and the instructors dubbed her Buffy the Wonder Dog. She was an inspiration. Oh, and she was pretty... for a Rottweiler.
What I didn't expect was for Alan to take it so hard. Buff was always a "guy's dog" and she preferred the company of men. She adored Alan and since we lost her mate Buster 2 years ago (to cancer as well) she clung to Al. Our first night without her Alan said to me that he was so mad that he was powerless to do anything to save her that had he been a younger man he would have gone out and gotten into a fight just to feel better. I assured him we had done the right thing and that she had gone on to Buster. I would have traded a number of things to have her health and whole again and felt fairly powerless and useless as well. Mostly I told him that time and tide wait for no man or dog. My grandfather used to say that. I guess our lives are changing. Our family is certainly changed and the energy around our home is changed. It's sad but we'll ride it out. And we will miss our old girl.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)