GollyLog

Winter explosion

2012-01-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

Today is the coldest day of the season, so far. There's snow on the ground. And this is what greets us every morning! I don't know why our azalea is exploding in January - but I'm happy it is.

About a dozen flowers and tons of buds ready to open.

It's not a pretty plant - leggy and woody and kind of dull green. The flowers make up for that - and bring us memories of the dear friend who gave it to us many years ago.

Snow!

2012-01-13T09:26:00.000-08:00

Here in Chicagoland we got our first major snow of the winter yesterday. It was quite late this year - usually by the middle of January there's at least a foot of snow on the ground. We finally got dumped on, though, with 6 inches or so of the stuff. This brings to mind the extra care we must take of our little dogs in the winter. I had to shovel a path through the back yard for Roc - our littlest guy who weighs only 10 pounds and is just 8 inches at the shoulder. We have to make it easy for him to go where we want him to! And while it's not a problem at home where, if we spread any ice melt, it's the kind without salt or chlorides. At the shop, it's another story - we have no control over the stuff that's spread here. And the snow removal people spread a lot! So, it's worth it to take a few minutes and put Pawz boots on to protect our dog's paws from the salt and from ice pellets forming between the pads. Pawz are natural rubber and are semi-disposable. That means that the after they're worn multiple times, they'll probably wear out, so we just throw it out and take another one out of the package. They're sold in packs of 12. Dogs accept Pawz more readily than other boots since they can feel the surface they're walking on. - Fran

No resolutions!

2012-01-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I don't make resolutions - they're are bound to fail, just like diets. I'm going keep on trying to do what I've been trying to do for years. Be nice to my family, dogs and friends. Train myself and my dog for life, then for competition. Eat stuff I like in moderation, and try to really like more stuff that's good for me. Try to keep up with paperwork so it's not overwhelming later. Exercise when I can, as hard as I can. Attempt new things. There you have it. Fran's rules. - Fran

Weeks of firsts

2011-12-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

As you know, Hope and I are the proud owners of an RV. It's stored at Knights Key right in the middle of the gorgeous Florida Keys. Our intention is for one or the other of us to drive down every month and spend a few days relaxing and working. That's the nice part of owning a mostly-internet business - we can work anywhere there's an internet connection! So Hope and I thought I should go down first. I don't know why. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But, my car was ten years old and showing its age badly. I'd had to put more money than it deserved in it over the last few months. So, I traded in the old rattle-trap and got a 2012 Subaru Forester. Able to handle our vicious Chicago winters, and roomy enough to handle all the stuff I schlep. So in my brand new car and with Tango along, I drove to Florida. 1500 miles and about 2 1/2 days one way. I arrived at our campsite, where we'd directed the nice people at Knights Key to park the RV. I connected everything and set up my laptop! Here are some pictures.

A Snowy Egret walking past our RV

My workspace. I did switch things around so that I faced the water. Tango is relaxing on his cot.

Tango enjoying a new Himalayan Dog Chew!


Sunset from our site.		-Fran

Happy Day After Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T09:51:00.001-08:00

Happy Day After Thanksgiving, everyone! After digesting that huge meal, we're staying home! Who has time to shop? There's training to continue! Yikes - Tango and I have an agility trial tomorrow and Sunday. While we've practiced and trained, I always feel that there must be more I should have done to prepare. Well, we'll find out tomorrow! - Fran

Yin-Yang

2011-11-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Hard to remember now that last year at this time Dax was doing her best to ignore Teddy's existence. She's finally figured out that he's warm, cuddly, and not getting out of her favorite bed. - Hope

Keep practicing everything!

2011-11-18T10:17:00.001-08:00

Last night was Agility Class, and our instructor included the broad jump in the courses. The broad jump is not an obstacle that we see on a regular basis, but it is required in Novice Standard, and can be included at any level. We hadn't practiced it in a while, and Tango walked across the boards. Boo. But, he was not alone! He remembered what that obstacle was about the second time, but at an Agility trial, you don't get a second chance at anything except the weave poles! Of course, today when I got to the shop with Tango, the first thing we did was practice the broad jump, the chute, and the low table. For dogs who jump 12 inches, like Tango, at a trial, the pause table is set to 8 inches. But in class, to accomodate the most dogs, the table is always set at 16 inches. Not a problem for Tango, but he has to recognize the 8 inch table as a table! So, keep practicing everything! - Fran

Thank you!

2011-11-11T09:24:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all the men, women and dogs in uniform. Now and before. Without you we wouldn't be where we are. -
Fran

Back to reality

2011-11-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Enough with the pretty pictures. We've been playing catch-up for the last couple of weeks. Finally caught up on orders at the shop - thank goodness in this technologically advanced age we were able to keep in touch with customers through email while we were away, and were even able to place tag orders remotely! (If you haven't seen the new Red Dingo Tribal-design tags, you should. I especially like Tribal Arrow.)
This last Saturday we hosted the first annual C.A.R.E. Scare to benefit the volunteer organization for the local animal shelter. Check out the photos! Everyone, especially the dogs, had a super-fun, scary time!
And on the training front, we've been working away. In Agility Class, our instructor has been bending our brains with mind-twisting, confusing layouts that make no intuitive sense whatsoever. (This is in the Intermediate Class....) She said her objective is to test the dog's ability to stay with the handler. OK, we both got it wrong!
Back to work! - Fran

Camping in paradise

2011-10-26T08:07:00.001-07:00

We love spending time in Marathon, Florida. It's in the "Middle Keys" - about halfway between Key Largo and Key West. It's usually beautiful, relaxing, and has the added benefit of our wonderful friends at the Dolphin Research Center (www.dolphins.org) - both human and cetacean.

The weather usually isn't an issue. It can pour torrentially for about 15 minutes, then it clears up and the day is gorgeous. Not so much, this time. We had "rain with no name" every day but one. With thunderstorms, lightening watches, tornado watches and over 10 inches of rain in 12 hours.

We had one beautiful day. And a whole wonderful vacation. Our campsite was right on the Atlantic, in this gorgeous spot, with amazing sunrises and sunsets. Can't wait to go back. - Hope

Working obedience

2011-10-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of ladies are practicing Open obedience in the ring (Dogs in the Ring) with their German Shepherd Dogs. It's inspiring me to perhaps start working with Tango in obedience. He's been so much better at following my instructions. Agility has really given both of us focus and direction. Tango already walks at heel without my saying anything! And sometimes he sits when I stop - again without my saying anything. Something to think about. Maybe. - Fran

A sensitive guy

2011-09-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Does your dog pick up on your emotions? Tango does. When I'm happy, he's bouncy and silly and races over jumps and through his weave poles. If I'm stressed or unsure, Tango is, too. Figures. I really wanted a "box of rocks" who would do what I told him to, no matter how I was feeling. But Tango is going to MAKE me relax at class or wherever we are. I have to remember that at home, too. No more blowing up at the TV. I guess I need to practise more yoga. - Fran

Hard at work

2011-09-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

I'd wager everybody'd love to have the perks of my job! Ted's a wonderful butt-warmer and it's really hard to have a bad day with that face around! - Hope

Our heads hurt...

2011-09-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Last night was Agility class, as most Thursday evenings are. Our instructor, Dee, usually posts the sets (series of obstacles to be performed in sequence) online a couple of hours before class so that we can get a feel for them and plan how to handle our dogs through the obstacles. I don't have a whole lot of experience, but I can generally see a pattern if I look at the sets long enough. Yesterday I had no idea. Do 2 jumps, run across the room and do the weaves, do a jump and a tunnel, run to the far side of the weave poles and weave them back. Then in the next set, more of the same plus back-side jumping. Hunh?? We each took a turn and fumbled through once. Then Dee reminded us of some fundamentals, and it became clearer. Until then, though, Tango's and my heads hurt! - Fran

Speed weaving

2011-09-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

So this week Tango and I have been working on speed through the weave poles for Agility. It's all well and good to do the poles properly, but our instructor Dee keeps telling us to "move it! Agility is a timed event!" Tango has become more interested in his rabbit fur pocket toy which I put his string cheese treats in, and while he doesn't consistently tug on it, he chases after it. So I've been tossing the toy past the poles and he's been running through them to get his "bunny." We've also been using our Premier Manners Minder which has a remote control to dispense treats beyond the poles - we "beep" the remote which acts like a "click" when Tango is past pole 4 or so. He's started to bounce and run through the poles! So exciting... - Fran

Two weeks

2011-09-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks since we lost Ceilidh and sometimes it feels like last night, other times like she was never a part of our lives. The other dogs don't miss her, aren't looking for her, and sometimes that's hard. While Ceilidh didn't interact with them much, you'd think that something about their demeanor (the older ones - Roc and Dax - especially) would be different. But no.

We've asked the younger ones - Tango and Teddy - to step up and be big boys. Tango is no longer confined to his crate at night. He sleeps with me. And we're asking both Tango and Teddy to make better choices during the evening. If Hope and I want dessert after dinner while we're watching TV, the boys are not in their crates but are not allowed to bother us - after we give them treats, of course. And for the most part they're doing really well. We're going along and things seem to be normal in our everyday lives, and then I see Ceilidh's beloved Latex Soccer Ball and it hurts all over again. But life goes on, and I'm sure one day I'll be able to let the other dogs play with the Latex Soccer Ball. - Fran

Ceilidh's gone

2011-08-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our Boston Terrier, Ceilidh, the bravest soul I've ever known, died yesterday.

Ceilidh was young for a Boston - only 10. As the vet who'd taken care of her since she was five weeks old said, "It was a hard 10." I think she was tired of trying so hard and needed to rest.

Ceilidh's brain was wired wrong. One of my best friends from college, experienced in the travails of autistic and ADHD children, liked Ceilidh best of all of our dogs. She recognized her for the "special needs" being that she was.

And because so very few knew her for the dog she really was - I'm going to indulge myself and my sister and write her biography here. Because we think this special little girl should be remembered.

We know the right way to buy a purebred dog. We knew we wanted a Boston Terrier, so we contacted the local Boston Terrier Club. We attended a couple of shows, talked to breeders and waited for their litters to be born. Both of the litters "missed" - there were no puppies. In the meantime, we'd lost another dog and our house was echoingly empty.

I did something stupid. I read the classified ads

in the newspaper and called a backyard breeder who was advertising puppies. I went to see the four-week old puppies and fell in love. Which is why you should never, ever do what I did.

The "breeder" called us a week later and told us that the puppies' mother had stopped nursing them and they were leaving for the summer. Come get your puppy. So we did.

Ceilidh was adorable.

That’s a regular old maple leaf she’s carrying. She was tiny.

At this stage, there was no hint of anything abnormal about her. Puppies at five weeks old eat, sleep, poop and pee. She did all of that very well. She adored Razzmatazz, our blind Brussels Griffon boy. And he, who never tolerated any other dog getting too close, allowed her to cuddle against him, walk with him, nuzzle in his fur. Ceilidh always loved the feel of other fur. Perhaps because she was fur-challenged herself (more on that later).

We took her to our dog club picnic a few weeks after we brought her home. She spent the whole time trying to cuddle our friend’s Border Collie, because he was soft. Luckily Chaser was a very sweet BC. He couldn’t quite figure out what that thing underneath him was, but it didn’t bother him.

We lost Razz when Ceilidh was just a few months old. And none of our other dogs took his place in Ceilidh’s life.

We started noticing how different she was when we started serious obedience training.

I would take Ceilidh to the local train station every morning to acclimate her to crowds, noise, people, etc. And every morning she was so excited to see everyone and everything, she couldn’t stand still. Not for a second. She was a happy flibbertigibbet – always dancing on her hind feet.

In Obedience class, our friend and instructor told us that heeling should be done with all four paws on the ground. We knew that, of course – it was the same friend who owned Chaser. So we dared her to try it herself. Ceilidh went all the way around the ring, in perfect heel position, on her hind legs.

In those early years Ceilidh attacked life with zest. She ran into every new situation – eager to meet new people and dogs. Her uncurbable exuberance was too much for most. People don’t want dogs constantly demanding attention but unable to stand still to receive it.. And dogs were put off. More often than not, her constant, hectic motion was met with growling and snapping.

We noticed when she was about 10 months old that Ceilidh had many bald patches – as if her fur just disappeared. She was diagnosed with an immune disorder and so began the weekly, medicated baths that continued the rest of her life.

Ceilidh’s hyperactivity made it difficult to have company, or to take her anywhere. We tried agility – she was incredibly athletic, long-legged and muscular. She excelled at the obstacles (jumping, climbing, weaving), but the excitement of being in class was incredibly stressful. And it was hard to explain to your classmates that Ceilidh just wanted to rub herself in their dog’s fur when she went dashing off after them.

It turned out that, hard as I tried, I wasn’t Ceilidh’s person. She made it pretty clear that Fran, my sister, was her special person. It was an adjustment – the dog that I’d counted on being “mine” simply wasn’t. And Fran probably sighed and said “fine, then.” And Ceilidh was hers.

Being Ceilidh’s person meant having guardianship of her beloved latex soccer ball. It had to be the smallest one – the one that got too gooey to hang onto when she wanted to play tug. And she had to play with it every day, or she wouldn’t settle down. We had to train her to “drop it” – and even then she would grab her ball time and again to get it in just the right spot. We learned not to reach in until she’d backed off – very few people could beat her to her toy. After “drop it” we had to teach her “leave it” and “bring it closer.” Ceilidh was also rather obsessive/compulsive.

So like a ritual in our house, Ceilidh had a special kitchen timer. When the timer came out, it was time to play ball. When time was up and the timer beeped, it was time for the ball to go away. It took months of training to teach her, but she accepted it and enjoyed her playtime. Then she would get a drink of water, go outside, settle for the evening. No part of the ritual could be shortened or omitted.

Ceilidh had two speeds – full and off. She was a will-o-the-wisp, never lighting in a single spot for long, and never amenable to petting or cuddling. The only time Ceilidh could accept stroking or petting was when she was asleep. The vet once advised us to massage a certain spot “when she was relaxing and sitting on your lap.” She never did that. She never even sat next to either one of us. In some ways, Ceilidh was more feline.

I’m rambling as memories and thoughts come to the fore. That’s okay. I doubt anyone but Fran will read this all the way through. And she’ll be smiling and nodding. And weeping, just a bit.

Because of her personality, very few people actually got to know Ceilidh. Those that did know she was truly sweet – she wanted only to kiss you. Again and again and again. And again. Her “registered name” – the one the American Kennel Club knew about – was Sugar Sweet Party Attitude. Be careful what you name your dogs.

About three years ago Ceilidh was diagnosed with a couple of serious heart conditions. One involved the valves, the other caused her heart to skip beats. For long moments, like it just didn’t remember it had a job. We kept it under control with medication, but over time, her wiring seemed to deteriorate. She became very sensitive to the weather – changes in barometric pressure resulted in her not eating, sometimes for more than a day. We always had trouble keeping her weight up – she used so many calories. Thunderstorms were terrifying. Any loud noise was scary. Her attitude became more fear than joy – it was probably the first sign that her time with us was shortening. Of course, we didn’t know it then. The signs are always clearer when they’re behind you.

Ceilidh was the bravest girl in the world – not because she wasn’t afraid. Because she was frightened, and charged on anyway, just because we asked her to. In her own way, she loved us as fiercely as we loved her.

So our beautiful, small, smiling girl is gone. I’d like to, but I don’t really believe in the Rainbow Bridge, where our dogs wait for us to join them. I’d like to think that a healthy Razzmatazz, with his sight back, is once again taking care of the little, fragile, sweet Boston puppy. So, for now, I’ll pretend I do. - Hope

Stumpless

2011-08-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

So the last bits of our tree, recognizable as a tree, disappeared today. This machine is huge, noisy and fast. A tree stump over 30 inches in diameter disappeared in less than an hour. It was actually kind of cool to watch - back and forth just pulping that thing. Now we have lots and lots of mulch. It's a good thing. - Hope

Gas Explosion

2011-08-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

We live in a quiet neighborhood. Aside from the occasional explosion. Lightning during a storm early Saturday afternoon hit a power line which hit a gas line igniting a fire. Flames shot up 25 - 30 feet in the air. Authorities evacuated those living closest to the fire. Power was shut off for those of us unlucky enough to live in a four-block radius. As dramatic as this appears, fortunately no one was hurt.

Gas company crews beginning to tear up the street after the fire was extinguished to repair the gas leak.

The poor stop sign after the fire was put out. (This is a close-up from the above picture.)

The nice electric company crews working to restore our power. The fire had been burning for four hours. Our power was restored after about five hours. Five gas company, four electric company, numerous police cars and a couple of fire trucks were on the scene all afternoon. -Fran

A good training night!

2011-08-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Last night was Agility Class and I think maybe, hopefully, perhaps? - Tango is starting to get the idea! No snarking, very little barking, he paid attention and pretty much did what I wanted him to do! We worked on handling jumps last night. At the start of our second set, I took my lead-out (yes, Tango stays for a lead-out!) and gave him his release word, pointing at the jump he was supposed to take - and he sat there. And sat there. I waited for him. It felt like days but was only a few seconds. Tango screwed up his courage and jumped, following my direction! And was happy doing it! He got lots of cookies! -Fran

Dynamite (T and T)

2011-08-16T12:49:00.001-07:00

Teddy and Tango were being unbelievably cute this morning. Teddy's chomping on a Nylabone, and Tango waited his turn. Because, of course, there's only one good toy in the house. And it's the one the other guy has. - Hope

Yesterday and today

2011-08-10T10:15:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had the Norway Maple tree in our backyard cut down. We were convinced of the need by the number of huge branches, narrowly missing our power lines, house, and garage that had come down during each of the storms that have blasted through our area this summer. It was a bit of a sad/relieved feeling. Relieved we won't have to worry about the tree coming down on its own. Sad because our father planted that tree more than 50 years ago and it's been a constant in our lives.

We are hoping it will have a second life - as our new kitchen cabinets. We found a local company that recycles trees into lumber. Watching them maneuver the giant logs out of our yard yesterday was a nail-biter - but the loader was amazing.

This is all that's left of the tree today. Teddy, as always, sees it-climbs it. Dax always enjoyed lying in that spot when the tree was there. Don't know what she'll do when they remove the stump.

Tango likes to dig in the wood chips and chew on them.

And he thinks its funny. He's right. - Hope

Waiting for supper

2011-08-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Dax and Teddy look calm, but they're ready to spring into action as soon as their bowls start moving toward the floor! - Hope

Typical

2011-07-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

This is what it looks like when I let the dogs out on my day off. Fran has Tango at work, so he's not in the picture, but he probably wouldn't be anyway because he's always in motion. Ceilidh (Boston Terrier) lies in the sun, Teddy (fawn Frenchie) finds a stick to chew on, Roc (Brussels Griffon) is on alert for anything to bark at, and Dax (brindle Frenchie) eats grass (which she promptly regurgitates). - Hope

Stormy weather

2011-07-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

The last few nights have been interesting here in the Chicago area. Lots of lightning, thunder and inches upon inches of rain. It's now the wettest July on record here. We've learned just how much we depend on electricity for simple things. Almost 20,000 people in the area are still without power from last night's storms.On a personal level, I'm really tired of it. I'd like to get some sleep tonight!

-Fran