Annoying Password Changes...

Look, I'm all about the safety issues on the 'Net. But this is kind of ridiculous. In December of last year (two months ago, to be exact) I changed a couple of passwords.

And now, I try to get into those accounts, and I get "wrong password" or the equivalent. So I have to reset them again.

After resetting the password to get HERE, which I did about 10:30 a.m. today, I was ready to type today's entry. Just now, at 1:13 p.m., I get "wrong password." Really?

You mean the wrong password that I just changed this morning? So it says "type the last password you remember" -- easy enough even for me, since it was 3 hours ago! 

Finally, I think I have it done correctly - at least this time. We'll see about next time. But jeepers...

Rescues...

This is a hanky alert... Read here about Taysia Blue Siberian Husky Rescue. So - this is why we do what we do. And Hubby and I don't really do all that much, considering what some folks do. We do what we can, but as with every cause, there are superstars. These folks are. 

When you see these things on Facebook or if you get solicitations, consider donating to a local rescue or no-kill shelter. Volunteer if you can; either by helping to foster, or walking the dogs or transporting - which is what we did for a long time. Hubby still does it when he can, but that "working Saturday" thing has rather hobbled my ability to do so. 

And of course, for now, with our recent rescue Raisa, we're in the midst of integrating everyone and taking her to puppy training. 

By the way, speaking of that - today we had everyone off the leash and all was good for quite some time. She's still a little "lickey-face" with Tippi, which is typical puppy behavior. And we're watching it to make sure Tippi is ok with it. For now, she's tolerating it, but I'm certain Tippi will certainly let her (and me) know when it's enough. 

Goofy Quinn

Also speaking of rescues, today is Quinn's "gotcha day." She's come a long way from that scared scrawny puppy hiding under Kari's chair as Hubby tries to coax her out. She's still a little too easily freaked out, but she's smart, healthy, and strikingly pretty. And also a loon. See the picture... 

This would be the 5th in a quick series of pictures of her dive-bombing Kid #2 headfirst into his side, her butt in the air, swiveling around, sliding down his leg, wriggling her rear end in his face before sliding that part down his ribs, and then smooshing herself onto the couch so that he could rub her belly.

I didn't print the whole series here because Kid #2 has asked me not to print his pic in my blog. It's not like I'm going to print something humiliating, but he's asked and I respect his privacy.

Yep. So, this is a clip from the AKC page on the Norwegian Elkhound:

Right Breed for You?

The Norwegian Elkhound is bold and energetic, an effective guardian yet normally friendly, and does well with children, especially when introduced to them at a young age. The Elkhound is a very people-oriented breed and does not like to be shut away from its family. The breed does requires regular exercise, but does not require elaborate grooming procedures.

They are also often described as friendly and DIGNIFIED. I guess 50% is good... I don't know what we'd do without our scrappy watchdog. She's the noise, Tippi's the muscle. 

Snow buddies

I think what's freaking her out is that, at 5 1/2 months, Raisa is bigger than she is. Huskies are always bigger than elkhounds, but I believe she would've taken to Raisa better if she wasn't as huge. All Raisa wants to do is make friends, and when they're on a leash, they're amazing, as this shot shows. Hubby took this on the trail yesterday. 

Tippi, embodying the "dignified" thing, is alongside and behind. She's not about to exert herself if someone else does. 

Did I mention that Norwegian Elkhounds are also very smart?? 

Oh, and so are Siberian Huskies. 

We'll be lucky that they don't change our locks and fix our computer passwords... 


Knitting...

The afghan is more than coming along. I think I'll be done next week. I pulled the yarn (unwinding it from its hanks in the super-special steel bowl yarn holder device) and did about 25 pulls... I can see the hanks shrinking nicely and I think I'm getting excited to see it finally finished. Right now, when I'm knitting on it, I can drape it over my feet, as shown, and it's nice and toasty.

And, luckily for us, Raisa shows no interest in the super-special steel bowl yarn holder device. She's come close with tossing her toys, but she stops solidly before the afghan and yarn. She tried to mouth the afghan ever-so-slightly, but a good "AAAACK!" did the trick and she hasn't bothered me at all when it's in my lap. 

Almost done!

This will be about 42" x 46" - and my nephew is kind of a big guy. But I never committed to an exact SIZE of the afghans I'm knitting them all! This will be enough for a nice throw on the back of the couch, and I hope he likes it. 

I have the sock with me, but I have a doctor's appointment, so I haven't even brought it out. I'll work on it tonight, I think, just to shake up my fingers and since I'm feeling confident of the afghan.

And I hope I haven't just jinxed myself, with that comment!! Never mess with the knitting fairies. They'll get you every time. 

I saw the Yarn Harlot's new socks, in my favorite sock yarn, Trekking XXL - like neon Easter eggs. I may have to have that colorway to work on some more socks. I think maybe there's a sock binge coming on, and it can't be too soon for me. 

The hat binge is over for now, though I do want to knit one more, for which I've already gotten the yarn. It's a cloche and I can't wait to start on it. Oh, and there's the silver-grey beret...

So maybe the hat binge isn't over yet. Oh well. 

Irony overload...

Yes, this is a picture from a catalog I got yesterday. Look at the 2 entries at the bottom. God and Guns... 

I get it. Concealed carry is now legal in Illinois and I have to get over it. But I don't have to like it. 

And I can't help chuckling - "carry your concealed weapon, and as a side, carry your electronic Bible just so you're prepared for whatever happens."

Well, that's probably not what they thought. But that's what I interpret it as. 

Hey, at least both items are on sale. You can get 'em while they're in stock and you are then fully prepared for anything life hands you.

Or that you do. 

Like the guy in Florida who felt "disrespected" when a 17-year-old didn't turn down the music in his car. 

So he shot him. And of course, claimed that he "thought" he saw a gun. And felt "threatened." 

Apparently, in Florida, "Stand Your Ground" means "shoot 17-year-old black kids"... The closing arguments are today and I wonder what the verdict will be this time.

You'd think you could assume the verdict, right? Not so much. Google "Trayvon" if you're still confused as to why this isn't an open-and-shut case...

Random Picture...

Raisa & Tippi

See? They're getting a little better. I admit, this one had me flashing back to River and Tippi - they really got along well. 

I'm always positive - at least I hope I am. I'm positive that we'll be fine and everyone will get along. Eventually. I don't expect perfection immediately. The reason River was our "robo-dog" was because she got along with EVERYONE. There will never be another River. 

Just like there'll never be another Tippi. Or another of any other dog I've ever had. 

Each one has been an addition to our lives, and of course, when they died, they left a hole. 

Another dog can't fill that hole. In fact, sometimes I think I'm making holes by continuing to have dogs in our lives. But they're the kind of holes that I would like to believe make me a better person. 

Like the saying goes: "I want to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am." 

Hug your dogs. It's just that kind of day. 

Meandering Monday...

OK, so I know I should ("should") be blogging more often, because I know I have wanted to say stuff, but I'm just pffffffth lately. So here goes with a really random list of things I've wanted to say.

1.  Penn State: Sorry, not enough. The NCAA should've invoked the "death penalty" on them. The students/coaches at SMU did something rotten to earn theirs, but not NEAR as rotten as allowing a pedophile virtually unlimited access to children. Sure, invoke the fines, pull back scholarships and delete their presence from bowl games -- and YES, move the statue of "St. JoPa" - but more importantly, a "death penalty" will give people pause and give them lots to think about.

2.  Health issues: I'm feeling pfffffffffth because (a) it's hotter than a convection oven today and has been for a while -- and I'm not "lizard" like my mom. Not liking the heat. And (b) the medications I'm taking so far lower my heart rate, keep my blood pressure down, and thin my blood. And I'm still having the "joy of Mother Nature's visits" so I'm probably somewhat anemic. Tired much? I swear I have the stamina of a newborn and it's really annoying me.

3.  Health update: I have an appointment in August with a specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about the ablation procedure. They're doing a "cryo-balloon ablation" as opposed to a "radio-frequency" procedure. One is hot (RF) and one is cold (cryo). One is 6 hours on a table (RF) and one is about 2 hours (cryo). While I know there are risks on every procedure, to me - the fact that you spend less time "under and out" makes the cryo more appealing, but I've got lots of questions to ask. The ultimate goal, of course, is to fix my heart while it's still in good shape and get me off the meds that make me feel "pffffffffth."

4. Knitting update: I absolutely HATE the sweater!!! It's wrong. The gauge is wrong. The measurements are wrong. It looks like a sweater that would fit a 1o-year-old. And I knitted it according to the "XL" size on the pattern. I'm sure (ahem) that there's some knitter-issue there, but I've heard from some of the other KAL knitters that the yarn was a stinker to work with. I have one skein left, and I'll probably trade it for another color (pink or salmon) and make Kid #1's girlfriend a headband. She's a blonde, so the ivory yarn would just melt into her head.

5.  Politics: Does it strike anyone else that Mitt's going to LONDON to hold fundraisers? Yes, they'll be soliciting "American donations" but those folks work for Barclay's Bank. Conflict much? The Citizens United decision is stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. And for SCOTUS to have the gall to claim that there would be "no inherent conflict or corruption" means that those folks need to get out more.

6.  Knitting 2: I've started a bolero out of Knit One Crochet Two cotton. It's pretty. And yeah, I've already frogged and started over. Knitting = relaxation, right??? Auggggggggh!!! But it's coming along and I hope to have it done before Convocation, which is our big "start the fall semester" celebration at work. It'll be cute. If it's not 100* in the shade!! It's cropped AND short sleeved, so I'm hoping I can wear it.

7.  Tippi's Therapy Work: Well, the Tipster is working out quite nicely at Child Advocacy Center. We have a gig tomorrow that's THREE appointments! I believe she'll do well, as long as we get a break mid-way through for her to eat and decompress a bit. And we start the work at the main campus for "Tuesdays with Tippi" in September. She'll be a busy girl! We'll have that TDIX certification in no time! Not bad for a rescue dog.

8.  Knitting 3: Yeah, lots of knitting today. I'm trying to get organized and do a NO MORE SHOPPING approach till I get some projects done. Please, stop laughing!! I'm serious!! I've decided to bag up my projects (those not started and the WIPs*) and pull one out a month. Work on that project for a month (socks don't count if I can get them done quickly) and get some of this whittled down. *WIP is "manufacturing speak" for Work-In-Progress. The other common term is UFO (Un-Finished-Object).

9. Knitting 4: So the boys found "ear-flap" hats they want for Xmas. Blowing a slight hole in my "empty the stash" project... Yes, the yarn is purchased. Yes, they're bagged up. Will start THEM after the bolero.

10.   The Garden: So it looks like Hubby's persistent watering has done some good. We have our first batch of tomatoes, and the herbs are weathering the drought. We have a nesting pair of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, and they visit the feeders regularly (as do the wasps, but we have traps out...). The shallots are done and need to be pulled up, and the carrots are coming along swimmingly.  I do, however, have a severe problem with a soil-bound fungus which is totally screwing up my roses. Unfortunately, the only cure is to pull them up, pour on neem oil and then never plant roses in that area again. Bummer. But I think we'll shift over next year to a butterfly-and-hummingbird-friendly garden. I also have a Memorial Garden set up for our dogs who're passed on with solar gazing balls and little monuments. It's a rock garden, and we have St. Francis there. And my Cubs gnome.

11.  Ron Santo: Sorry, I was only going to do 10... But Ron Santo was finally (FINALLY) inducted into the Hall of Fame. Could you all have waited any freakin' longer??? The man is dead. He LIVED for Cubs baseball. And he had a pre-steroids record, including him being a diabetic, that should make most younger players hang their heads in shame. I'm so glad he's finally there, but jeeze....You're talking about inducting Sammy Sosa and the other 'roid-heads that are already there, and you leave Santo out in the cold till after his death? Heartless morons. His wife and family were very gracious. And actually, I'm thrilled. Just annoyed at the way it all came down.

Must. Get. Gauge. ALWAYS

The gnashing of teeth you hear is me. I've finished the pieces of the KAL (Knit-A-Long) sweater I've been slaving away on for the past one and a half months. I'd love to show it to you but right now, I'm in the throes of assembly.

Yesterday, I was in the throes of WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT????????????? as I tried to "block to measurements. Only to find that it's not right. I mean, really REALLY not right. As in about-2-sizes-smaller not right. Crap.

I could blame the yarn. And I might. But...I also need to blame myself. My stitch gauge is right on. 20 sts = 4" and that's what the directions say. What they also say is "30 rows = 4 inches" and that, my fellow knitters, is what's wrong. I'm 1 1/2" too short. Well, I'm not. The sweater is. That measurement takes it from a Large to a Medium. Which isn't going to fit me in this lifetime. Even though the bust measurement is correct, it's not gonna fit. Ever.

So. I'm going to assemble it anyway. And if the Knitting Gods are with me, I'll get the 2x2 ribbing done in time to give it to my mom. For her birthday.

Not that I don't WANT to give my mom a hand-knit sweater. And not that she won't like it. It's just that this was something I was very happy to knit for myself. Because it's only my second sweater. Ever.

And Sonda's not around to help me finish it. I'm on my own. Even Maggie Righetti couldn't help me because her instructions for weaving horizontal seams made no sense. I got it from about.com and it's working. But it's annoying.

I usually am right on gauge. That's not a brag. It's just the way it works. And for some reason, this yarn, probably because of its thick-thin-thick-thin texture, threw me off. (See, I can blame the yarn if I want to!)

I have two options. Frogging isn't one of them. I could toss the whole thing into a bag and bribe one of my fellow stitchers to finish it for me. Or I could just suck it up and do it myself.

Believe me, the "let Doris finish it" option was very tempting. But I have to learn this stuff. It's like making socks: scary till you understand it.

This will give me the impetus to GET GAUGE both ways for the bolero I want to start. And it also makes me think that perhaps my mother will get a few of my WIPs because they're too far along to frog. I may as well have SOMEONE get some joy out of them. (sigh)

So my hard lesson to you, Knitsters, is to always get gauge. Believe them when they say, "Save time now by doing a swatch." It's that important.

Happy 4th of July to everyone! Stay safe. If you're in the heat wave like we are, stay cool and hydrated. And please, please, PLEASE take care of your pets. Keep 'em inside because of the heat AND the fireworks. They get scared. And it's your job to protect them.

You Can Tell it Was a Full Moon...



Me and my Bear

 Hi Everyone!! This is Tippi, your intrepid canine reporter. So I need to tell you about my training class last Sunday, but I need some help with the words.

What's a "revolt"??? My Mom said that was what was happening. Shallot's dad was laughing for a while, till Shallot apparently did this "revolt" thing too, but Bobbie, our trainer, had the last laugh when Mom mentioned that last Friday, the full moon was hanging low in the sky, like a "Harvest Moon" --- whatever that is!

Anyway.... I really was happy to get to class. I like class. We went to class and I was in a hurry to get inside to see who was there. It wasn't as crazy as last week's class, but there were plenty of people to sniff, corners to try to peek under and tons of food bits all around. Heaven!!

We got off on the wrong foot when I tried to pull Mom across the parking lot and through the doors - because there was a human lady there with a big blue wheeled thing - she was in MY way. But my mom snapped my martingale and said, "Tippi - you'd think you've never been here!" The other human lady just laughed.

The first part of the class, Shallot's dad and my mom helped Bobbie with some paperwork to become a CGC evaluator. She is a GREAT trainer but mom said she "needs work" on her writing. So, we had such FUN! Bobbie shut the training room door and Shallot and I got to play off-leash for a while. But that just meant our class ran a little later. See, Bobbie wants to become an Evaluator but mom says she's a Procrastinator. Her dog Leo actually passed the test but has to be re-tested because Bobbie didn't send in his paperwork!

Anyhow. Bobbie is doing a lot of work to make sure that Shallot and I pass our CGC exams. She would like us to be her first "graduating" class, and maybe Quinn, too, if we take her to be "refreshed." Dad says she needs "refreshing."

We did the loose-leash walking. We did meet-and-greet. We did the grooming thing. We did weaving through a crowd. Mom got hollered at because her hand was below the paper clip! I have to tell you that one.

My mom tends to keep me on a short leash. Not because I'm a bad dog! No sirreeeeeee. But because sometimes at PetSmart, other dogs don't have manners or their owners think it's "cute" when they come bashing out of a lane and lunge at us. I don't think it's "cute" and I've had to do my Big Bad Elkhound act more than once!

So Bobbie doesn't like mom to keep my leash tight, but she understands. So. For class, Bobbie put a paperclip on my nice hemp leash (courtesy of Fun Time Dog Shop at http://www.funtimedogshop.com/ in a lovely pink color) and mom's hand isn't allowed to go past it.

So we did Loose Leash through a crowd AGAIN. This time, mom did ok.

Then we did the U-turn, and right and left turns. That was fun, and I did good. We had to do it twice because Shallot did have a problem, but it wasn't her fault. When we had our free-playing, she did get into the water. She's got a bladder the size of a flea, and she had a few accidents. So we took a break while Bobbie mopped up and Shallot went outside.

Then. Oh my. We did the "long-down-come-when-called" thing. I was not cooperative. I understand what they wanted me to do. I just didn't feel like it, thank you very much. Mom took FOREVER to get me to sit/stay. And every time she turned her back, I got up. We kept at it; I thought Bobbie was going to move on to Shallot, but she got really stern with me and said, "Sit. Stay." She's got a deeper voice than mom's (and she's got a pretty deep one!) and FINALLY I did it. I did cheat a bit and started my "come" before mom actually said come. I think we took a long, long, LONG time to do that. I was just not going to cooperate.

So then it was Shallot's turn. Mom and Shallot's dad think we planned it, but we really didn't (much). Shallot had a hard time staying. But then, she really did stay and when her daddy called, she just cocked her head at him and sat there. And sat there. So my mommy tried. She just sat there. Bobbie was laughing and that was when Shallot finally came; and then Mom mentioned the full moon.

Now everyone understood. At least the humans think that was why we did it. I just wanted to see if I'd still get treats. Bobbie did say "no cookies for Tippi" after it took 4 tries to get a sit/stay out of me. Drat.

Me and my favorite bone

It's our last class next week. Bobbie wants us to come back after that to help her with a dog in Intermediate. Is that therapy work? She said the other dog needs to be "socialized" and that we could help! I love to help! Maybe it means more treats. I have noticed the treats are getting smaller. Something to do with my vet saying "Tippi needs to lose about 8 lbs." I'm starving already! As I'm sure you can tell by this picture.

So as we were leaving, Shallot needed to piddle once more, right outside the PetSmart door. And this guy with this really funny-looking dog came up. My mom said, "Oh, a Bedlington!" and the guy was very impressed that my mom knew what it was. It looked like a sheep to me. Her name is Vera and she was nice. We got to say hello. The man asked my mom if I was a "Siberian" dog. Well, with all due respect to my Siberian Husky elder sister, NO! My mom told him I was a Norwegian Elkhound and he then said he thought his brother had one. Well, believe me, if his brother did have an Elkhound, he'd remember!

Till next week! Please go visit Fun Time Dog Shop - all the proceeds go to rescues like me and Quinn. They also help other breed rescues, so you can pick from what's on the list. Shallot and I really like the organic treats and I love my leash. Until next time!

Tippi

Snakes on the Plain(s)...

Hi all! Tippi your intrepid "Guest Editor" here. (Sorry, I really should be the head writer, but I got overruled.)

Here in the middle of Illinois, we had a lovely Christmas. Apparently, the human parents aren't used to dogs who REALLY like toys. Our respected elder dogs who've gone before us were used to milk jugs and the odd frisbee, but Quinn and I get the good stuff!

River just plans to kill them all.

So this Christmas, we hit the jackpot! We got a SNAKE! And it SQUEAKS! We got it from my hu-Mom's favorite pet shopping place: Fun Time Dog Shop. You can find them, she says, on the Internet --- which I'm not sure what that is, but here's where they are on that thing:

http://www.funtimedogshop.com/  And the neat thing about them is that they donate their profits to rescues like me and Quinn! Check them out. There's even a "snake fan page" because they're really popular. Lots of good, organic and tasty treats, too.

Here are some pictures. Dad got us some Kong toys, and I admit -- I'm smitten with the Chris-Moose. I tore a hole in his hat right off the bat. And Quinn tore off the fuzzy thing on the Kong Santa. The snowman's nose is still there, though.



I really AM staying!!!

 Here's Quinn - just waiting. Finally. She's a bundle of energy, and this is the longest I've seen her sit still. She really thinks it's HER snake, but it's MINE!

It's MY snake.

She has learned to take all the toys OUT of the basket, but she needs to learn to put them back in. The humans have a hard time walking around us AND our toys! Here's one of me. It's MY snake! But I can't choose between that one and the Chris-Moose.

I finally had to resort to napping with it. And the flat-rat beaver thingie that River tried to kill. That was one of my favorites, but River got them all. We call them "flat rats" because they're the toys without stuffing, but they do squeak. River doesn't like the squeakers, so she's trying to figure out the snake. Everyone says it's "indestructible" but I can see in River's eyes - she's figuring out a "destructible" method. One of these days, we'll come home and no more squeak.

Here's me. I'm just figuring out that if I whack it good and hard, it squeaks. And the tail rattles. And it's been THREE DAYS and it's still alive, and has its tongue, though Quinn likes to chew on it. I sometimes have to carry it around. But sometimes, that snotty little Quinn grabs it and we have a tug-o-war with the snake.



Snake Fight!!



I think this is almost (notice, I said almost) as fun as the dog park on a snowy day.



Speaking of which, I went to the vet on Monday. Those tasty treats I've been getting for obedience classes have gone right to my waist. Why does my hu-Mom call me "Wide Load" now?? We go to the dog park nearly every day, and the vet's not too worried, but he did say I need to "lighten up" and I think my humans are starving me. I try to look pathetic. We Elkhounds really have that down. Those Labs and spaniels think they can do the "sad, starving dog" look, but nobody does it like an elkhound!

All we get is fruit. At least they finally stopped trying to give me carrots. Quinn and River eat carrots. But I have standards.

Naptime



One final picture: me with Chris-Moose. It's tough having all that stuff to play with. A girl needs her beauty sleep.

Obedience School Report

Hi Everyone!!!

It's me, Tippi!

I'm reporting about Intermediate Obedience. Mom and I have been going for about 3 weeks now, and so far, I think I'm the valedictorian of the class!!


Certainly the oldest, and I'm nearly 4 years old, but really - some of the stuff they're teaching, I learned in Basic Obedience. Like right turns, heel, long waits. But that's ok. I get treats. I'll do anything for treats; well, ALMOST anything.


Today was really fun, but a little annoying. We go to the PetSmart. The other place we went, a kennel club, had classes when we couldn't get there (Mom won't let ME drive), so we ended up at the store. Talk about DISTRACTIONS! There's stuff to sniff, people to look at, toys all over, and occasionally, a BONANZA when some kibble bag breaks open!! More on that later.


They don't let mom use the pinch collar, and so I do do quite a bit of tugging at her. She keeps saying, "Ack, Tippi - act like you've been to school!" So we go in today. Two rescue agencies are there. And there are dogs ALL OVER THE PLACE. We met a chocolate lab puppy with no name (his parents were "thinking about it") and Mom gave them several good choices.


And a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy that was just rescued, poor little fella: 3 homes and he's not even 4 months old! Then there was this brindle pit bull.


As I passed him, he lunged a little bit at me and was pretty aggressive. I just stood there, with my head held high, my "I'm a NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND so don't mess with me!" look on my face and was just like a statue. The guy who had him on the leash (he wasn't holding on very tight, I can tell you!) pulled him back and had to hold him, lifting the front of his body off the ground before he would back off and leave me alone. We were across the aisle from him. He didn't have to do that. He wasn't very nice, and our teacher was pretty upset. Seems that he was JUST rescued, and he's not too crazy about kids - which they kind of figured out AFTER they brought him! Well, PetSmart isn't the best place to be if you don't like kids! They wanted to pet the kitties and puppies they had, and this pit bull wasn't happy. My teacher finally had to ask them to put him in a crate or take him outside because he almost bit a kid. I think *all* dogs are pretty cool, but if they don't have manners, they don't belong in the PetSmart or the dog park!




Quinn



I know we've left both places when Quinn acts up (it's never me... just sayin'...). She looks nice and dignified in this picture, but even though she's been through ALL the obedience schools, she forgets what she's learned. She's only 1 year old, so I guess you can understand that. My dad says she has "doggie ADD" - I'm not sure about what that is, but I think it means she's a little bit lacking in the "paying attention" department.

 There were these 2 bigg-ish puppies, too - they were tugging and trying to get close to all of us as we were practicing in the aisles, but they were on a double-leash and their owners had a cart full of dog food, so they were moving right along. And I kept wanting to visit the kitties... (really, just a quick visit). They kept hissing at me. Hmmmmm.


Today, I was THE STAR!! We did "heel" when mom's back was turned. The idea is that I should be able to come right to her when she calls, even if she's not looking at me, and land at her left side. Well, Bobbie, our teacher, had me on a really long lead (she was worried about all the dogs and stuff, so we were all on that thing, which was a good idea!!) and told Mom to go to the end of the aisle. So Mom says, "Tippi, heel" and pats her left leg. I took off like a ROCKET!! I landed right at Mom's left leg, exactly where I was supposed to land. The teacher was amazed - she said something about "boy I didn't think she could move THAT fast!" I wanted to show her that I was quick, even if I'm not the tallest dog in the class! I went faster than Myla, the GSD puppy (she's my friend) but I don't think I was as fast as Shallot, a Chinese Crested - who I'd love to meet if the darned thing would HOLD STILL for a minute!!! I just sit there and bark at her telling her "calm down, dang it!!" She doesn't get it. Maybe she doesn't speak Norwegian Elkhound??? I thought I was making myself clear. When we did that move a second time, I started to sit a bit too soon, and wowza - I skidded about a foot in front of Mom, but I was looking at her! Bobbie said something about slippery floors. She should try living in MY house - we have a time with those wood floors!


We learned "Quiet" and I did that pretty well. The Golden retriever puppy and Myla had a little trouble with that one. They got sent to the "time-out" room quite a bit. I never had to go. Mom pulled a squirt bottle off the cart. That was all *I* needed!! :) Bobbie says that we SHOULD bark, but we need to know "quiet" when it's time to be quiet - and without a squirt bottle, if we can. Well, freeze-dried chicken persuaded me that "quiet" was a pretty good thing to learn. Now, if we can teach QUINN that.. (again, just sayin'...)


So then we had to do a sit-stay-wait (still on the leash) as if Mom was looking at something on the shelf. Mom was pretty crafty there. She took me to the DOG FOOD aisle! And there was a busted bag of kibble SOMEWHERE, because there was stuff on the floor. So not only did I have to sit-stay-wait, I had to LEAVE IT, too. And I did it!! Mom was so proud of me and Bobbie said, "Oh, what a SMART dog!" I got lots of ear rubs and a few extra turkey treats for that one.


Next week, we learn "park it" which has something to do with our bed. I wonder if it's the same as "good night" - which I already know. Hmmmm. It'll be interesting. Mom bought me a long (20') lead to practice on - if she ever gets done with her homework! And some Blue soft treats. The salmon is good, but not as good as the stuff she got from Fun Time Dog Shop (look for them here at http://funtimedogshop.com/ -- all the proceeds go to Rescue Agencies to help dogs like me!). And the turkey's pretty tasty, too. I have to watch because sometimes I do get a little nippy with the Pupperoni she stuck in my treat bag, and then I get a little bop on the nose. I think that stuff ought to be illegal (the Pupperoni, I mean. I'm not supposed to nip Mom's fingers!)! LOL


We get to have another week of class tacked on at the end - there was one family (and I mean the whole family came in!!) who missed 2 weeks (yikes!!) so we reviewed a lot this week. That's ok. I can't wait till Advanced, then the CGC. I would like Mom to take me to Tricky Dog. I showed Bobbie that I could sit up and shake, and boy-o-boy, I got freeze-dried chicken and another ear rub. Pays to be cute, I think!


Your pal,


Tippi

THANK YOU!!

"They'll never notice I'm on the couch!"

So on a whim, we entered the middle dog in a "Howl-O-ween" contest with the proceeds (a buck a vote) going to the rescue agency. Here's a picture of her Halloween costume. We had to caption it, and you'll see what we said  here. -->

She won. Seriously. She won. We were so happy to find that out; and equally happy to see that the rescue agency (John Nelson Moosedog Rescue Fund) raised over $8,000 for rescue efforts.

It was really a nail-biter for a while. There were a lot of good costumes (even CATS entered this contest!) and she was neck-and-neck with some really good dogs. With costumes way more creative.

Let me tell you how this came about. She was on the couch. They're not allowed up there unless the blanket is down. So she was all snuggled in for a quick nap. My hubby wrapped her up. She stayed there. For a good 10 minutes. I was able to grab the camera and snap this shot. We uncovered her and she looked at us as if to say, "Are you done with your foolishness so that I can get on with my nap??" and that was that. We talked about a caption and sent it off, never figuring she'd win, since we thought the rescue folks would actually like a picture where you could see the face of the dog! They've put this one up there and one of her "uncovered" so you can see how pretty she is.

It takes about $400 to rescue a dog. The rescuers transport; they vet the dogs; they treat them if they have medical issues (which many do). Did you know heartworm in a dog can cost THOUSANDS of dollars to treat? Well, when a dog comes in with treatable heartworm, it gets the medications it needs.

My husband was recently involved in a rescue with an elkhound that was literally 30 hours from being put to death. His owner had abandoned him, along with some other animals. One of the coordinators took him home, got him vetted, spent THREE HOURS cleaning him up (burrs in his coat, scars on his ears, badly in need of a bath) and then he was subsequently adopted by a woman who had an older female in need of a friend. THAT is what rescue does. It takes dogs that people don't want or which are found and it places them with people in  foster homes and eventually in permanent homes. 

I wrote a little "thank you" for the voters for our dog, ostensibly 'from' her. I didn't include a lot of detail. Here's a little more detail about her. She was 3 when we got her. With us, she was headed to her FOURTH home. She had TWO litters of puppies before she turned 3 years old. She was abused in her first two homes, and in her 3rd home was held by a woman who had good intentions, but lacked both money and sense. Sense because she had an intact male elkhound and was "surprised" when this little girl turned up pregnant. Go figure. Money because she'd only had limited veterinary care. Tippi had her rabies shot, but she also had Lime disease, had a coat that looked like a drowned rat (due to multiple pregnancies and cheap dog food) and was almost world-weary. Like she didn't even CARE whether she went with us or not. It was just one more car ride for her, to who-knew-or-cared where. She was quiet and subdued that entire ride. There was no emotion in her face or body. She hopped into the car, laid in the back seat and just sighed.



All smiles now!

 But all that's changed. She's in her final home. Period. She's happy, well-fed, well-loved and is a beautiful dog, inside and out. Check out this picture, taken in the summer at our local dog park.  

The month after we rescued her, we went back to get her daughter. Did we plan that? No, not really. But was it worth it? Yes. Yes, a thousand times yes. Having a puppy back in the house after nearly 15 years was an adjustment, but we are so happy that these dogs are "in our Pack."

If you have a favorite breed, find the breed rescue organization. If you don't have a favorite breed, donate to your local no-kill shelter. Foster a dog or cat if you can. Too many animals go homeless - particularly now, in this economy. We've seen lots of very nice dogs who have had to be given up because their people lost their homes and have moved in with relatives or into apartments where they can't have the animals.

Those animals break your heart. They just KNOW something is wrong, but they can't figure it out. If you can, give a dog or cat a new "leash on life" by either your donation or your ability to take the animal into your home or your heart. You will not regret the decision one bit. I can probably give you a dozen worthy causes, and good reasons to donate to each of them. But for today's entry, let's just say that I've "gone to the dogs." And I hope you'll join me!

To see the rest of the entries for this particular contest, check out the link here: http://www.elkhoundrescue.org/ 

Meet Quinn...

...the daughter of the little one we rescued in January. Suffice to say that she's adjusting nicely. She still needs a LOT of socialization. She loves to either sit under my chair or under my desk in the office.

She barks at the hubby and boys. But she's been out for walks and is good on a leash and knows where her crate is. The test will be tonight: will we get any sleep!!

The bottom picture is her under my desk. The other one is her under my chair. It'll be interesting to see if this continues as she grows - because she won't fit under my chair in a month!! Her other favorite spot is alongside and under my legs as I sit in my office chair. I almost feel as if I have to stay in the office more - she's so comfortable I hate to disturb her!