Ever since we got Dash, Sara's parents have just loved him so much that they have been considering getting a dog of their own more and more. Well a couple of weeks ago, Sara found a Silky Terrier on the Dumb Friends League website and sent it on to her mom. Well doing that got her mom set on finding a dog they could adopt. The Dumb Friends League dog, Spike didn't work out for them (don't worry, he got adopted the next day), but a couple days later, Terri found a dog that she couldn't resist even though he was at a pretty run down shelter. He was a stray that seemed pretty healthy and Terri took him home right when she saw him. The Kennel said he passed their vet exam with "flying colors". Terri took him to get groomed but they said without proof of a rabies shot, they couldn't take him. She took him to the vet the next day. The vet told her that he had some pretty bad teeth (this often is the case with terriers), and that was causing a lot of larger health issues, like upper respitory problems and maybe some other issues. They also called later in the week to tell her he had tested positive for canine influenza. This was after their dog (Ozzi) had hung out with Dash for two days in a row. Wikipedia says that there is an 80% chance that if a dog comes into contact with canine influenza they will get it too. Well, it's been seven days now and Dash is as lively as usual and Ozzi seems to be slowly getting better. We're glad Dash didn't get sick and are relieved Ozzi is getting better but I just can't believe what kind of a shady kennel would say a dog "passed with flying colors" and the next day another vet would find so much wrong with the dog.
Actually, Dash is forced to be more brave than I, because tomorrow morning, we are taking him to the vet to be neutered. While it may be just what Bob Barker always dreamed of, rest his soul, it is something that makes me feel so bad and so sorry for our little buddy. My friend Jared had a great idea that I am hoping to benefit from. He was hoping right before they took their dog to get neutered that the dog would do something bad, like pee on the carpet or chew up something so they could tell it what a bad dog it was and take it directly to the Vet. He would never do anything bad again. Here's hoping. Dash has also been in puppy training the past 4 weeks and is doing alright, but is a little more distracted than some of the bigger dogs there, which is every dog. The rest of the class are labs or retrievers. I think it will take a lot of work and hopefully we can be patient, but I think we can help him be a great dog. I also went to a wedding last week in Sonoma, California. My cousin got married there and it was a really nice wedding. We were able to fly out to San Francisco and see my sister, and see the rest of my extended family, who are all really fun to be around. My cousin got engaged after we did and already had her wedding. Makes me scared to think of how much work we still have to do and how quickly it will come.
So today was the first day we let Dash have a little freedom. We have been keeping him in his kennel while at work, and our neighbor has been kind enough to come let him out and play with him a little bit at lunch (she just had a baby so she has been home during the day). We set up shop this morning in our mud room. It's a small area, but enough to where he can stretch his legs and not get into very much trouble. Except when he escapes. This evening we came home and he was not in the mud room. He was, in fact, in the main part of the house and all the barriers were still in tact. He must have shimmied around a piece of furniture and squeezed through some cardboard. He was actually blocked out of his designated area. Luckily I left the trash can out from under the sink so he was able to drag trash through the entire house. Eat some days old salad, some diapers from my nieces, various plate-scrapings, T.P. from the bathroom roll, etc. It was actually just kind of funny, here his first day of freedom and anarchy ensued. Needless to say, we think he had a pretty good day. "That was my last cigar." Labels: dash
The other day while Sara was on vacation with her mom, I had a particularly bad day with Dash. I woke up and was about to take him outside for his morning pee when he decided to blankly stare at me and just start peeing right there to get a good head start. Fine, this happens from time to time, he's a puppy. After gently scolding him, I led him out to the back door to show him where he should go. He decided to go again, but this time he started going half way through the doorway. Great. I fed him, and got ready for work, eventually got down on the floor to play with the little guy. We were doing some belly rubs and head scratches when he somehow made his way between my legs, and ...bit me in a place no dog should ever bite any man. Luckily this was not a real bite but rather a play bite. Unfortunately a play bite in that region hurts about as much as a punch to the face from a rusty propeller. I decided I was not happy with him at that point. At lunch I came home and let him outside, careful this time to actually carry him outside, as to avoid peeing on the doorway. Naturally, he peed on the outside doormat. After work, I thought a walk might help him get out his energy so we started down the block. Not yet one house away he starts nosing in something in the neighbor's lawn and pulls out of the grass with his teeth this dead-grass-sticking pile of poop with thousands of ants all over it. Well Dash is only 15 months old and not fully vaccinated, I don't know what to do, so I run him back in the house, put him in the sink and start spraying his mouth with the kitchen sink nozzle. He doesn't like this but it's the best I can do. We recollect with ourselves and actually take the walk. Afterward, we go out back for a potty break and I decide to water the flowers. After a few, I look over to see Dash lift his head, snout-deep up from a pot as mud drips down his chin. Not a problem, right? This is mud, "god made dirt" and all that, no harm. Wrong. This is Miracle Grow dirt. God didn't make it, some Austrian bio-scientician did. It is full of white "miracle" specks. The package recommends not handling the dirt with your bare hands. I rush dash back to the kitchen sink, again with the sprayer in the mouth. Later that night I drive to the airport to pick up my sister who has never met the dog. I get there and she opens the door, "Hi Dash!!!", leans in to pet him and he starts peeing on me. On my leg. A good amount. Julie says, "give him here!" so I do, thinking she will set him outside on the asphalt of the passenger pick-up lane. She instead sets him on the passenger seat where he continues to pee, but much less this time. I get out of the car and it looks like I just full on wet myself. Later in the night, the dog stayed up until 2, I had to get up at 5. It was not a great day with the dog.
I know that posting YouTube videos of my puppy doesn't make a good blog, but that's what you're getting for now. It's better than nothing.
Labels: dash
We have spent our weekend (and today) playing with our new family member, Dash. Dash is an Australian Terrier (a slightly larger version of a Yorkie) and a little crazy fuzzball. He is only 10 weeks old and acts like it. He will go crazy for 30 minutes, then just conk out, but he can never get comfortable sleeping, always twisting and squirming in his sleep until he eventually ends up in some incredibly awkward position. We had been wanting a hypoallergenic dog (for Sara) for a while and this little guy had such a great personality, and passed all of our puppy tests, so we basically had to get him. I am putting up some pictures of him on flickr, being careful not to go overboard with the pictures of my pet and become one of "those" people. He is a challenge but we love him and he already seems pretty attached to us. I'm sure there will be many stories, good and bad, to come. And here are some quotes that have emerged from this house over the past 3 days:
Labels: dash
 
|
|
