Not Too Bad

Emme and Rudy were not too bad over Christmas. We had lots of visitors, food and presents and both dogs behaved themselves pretty well.

Emme did create a new game called "Bow" in the last few days before Christmas. She discovered that if she went up to a wrapped present sitting under the Christmas tree and repeatedly bumped the bow with her nose, frequently the bow would fall off. Then when it was loose from the package and lying on the rug, Emme could grab it, chew it, fling it up into the air and generally turn the bow into a dog toy. I rescued a few bows from the game before they became totally tattered.

Both dogs were good around all the food. We don't give table food to either dog so they are not into begging, but food was everywhere: in the kitchen, the dining room, and the living room. Rudy is large enough that he could just reach up on the kitchen counter and help himself to anything that was sitting there and he did not. Emme could have swiped cookies and treats off people's dishes, but she did not.

There were many presents being unwrapped and often lying on the floor. Neither dog turned any of them into dog toys.

Both dogs did too much barking when delivery people or visitors came to the door and took too much time to settle down afterwards. All in all, however, they were pretty good for Christmas.

Where's Emme?

We just got back from a few days at the lake house and Emme is back at her same tricks, playing "Under". She loves to get under the love seat in the living room. She is absolutely quiet for a time and then begins to whine if no one pays any attention to her. That is my signal to say "Where's Emme?" and for her to whine a little louder. We haven't figured out what the attraction of the game is. At the lake house the only piece of furniture she goes under is the love seat. At Wooster it is only the cabinet in the dining room. What both of these pieces of furniture have in common is that the space is small, so only she can get under there and there is no skirt that interferes with her seeing out.

The Safe Place

During the hectic holiday season, everyone needs to have a "safe place" to go to rest up. For Emme, her safe place is in Ken's arms. Every morning after breakfast and again after lunch, Emme goes to Ken to be held in his arms for a while after we eat. This is her time to rest and recharge. I noticed this on Christmas day. After hours of activity and noise, the family was all in the living room watching the video of our niece's wedding and Emme needed Ken to hold her in his arms. Many people, much activity and only one safe place. This is a puppy who knows what she needs.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Emme, Rudy, Ken and Mary Lou.

Go Get Mary Lou

Emme knows both Ken and me by name. One of her favorite games is "Go Get Mary Lou." When Ken says this, no matter where I am, Emme dashes to find me and jumps up on my lap. She celebrates like she hasn't seen me in weeks, licking and wiggling. After a time, I tell her "Go Get Ken" and she is off to find him. Then she jumps up on his lap, wiggles and licks. She will keep this up until she is so excited and tired that she throws up. Ask me how I know. So now we only do it a time or two and then stop. It makes it a better game for all of us.

Speed Bump

If Rudy is a dog wall, Emme, being smaller, is a dog speed bump. She is not enough to stop your progress, but she is enough to make you slow down. Emme is almost always next to either Ken or me.

I am reading a book about dogs that makes the point that dogs are pack animals and no matter how large your house is, dogs often choose to be only inches away from you. This is a part of their genetic inheritance to stay with the pack. We see that with both Emme and Rudy. We call this "Velcro Dog." The dogs can't seem to stay close enough to one or the other of us. It is rather nice.

Progress on Tear Stains

In an effort to reduce the red tear stains under Emme's eyes, I have been giving Emme Tylan for almost two weeks now and there is a remarkable improvement in her tear stains. She never has very large amounts of stains, but I don't like even the amount she gets. The use of the antibiotic, Tylan, was recommended by Emme's breeder and endorsed by Emme's vet. I purchase it in powdered form at a livestock store in town.

This is the second time I have used the Tylan protocol and it works fast. I give her an eighth of a teaspoon daily mixed in a small amount of peanut butter to mask the bitter taste. Within days, I could see a lessening of red around her eyes. Each day when I wash off her face and paws with puppy shampoo and warm water, I clip any long stained hairs around her eyes and each day her eyes look better.

When I used the Tylan during the summer, I was able to reduce the stains to a very tiny amount but never completely eliminated them. I don't know how people who show dogs keep their eyes absolutely white. In my kitchen, I have a 2007 calendar with pictures of Bichon Frises and not one of them has any coloring around their eyes. None of those dogs, however, is as cute as Emme. Anyway, I am pleased with the reduction in tear stains in the corners of Emme's eyes. The Tylan seems to work and doesn't have any obvious side effects.

Hold My Chewie

Emme has developed this preference of having someone hold a chewie for her to chew on. I don't know what the attraction is, but she likes to have someone hold a bone or other chewie while she gnaws on it. She seems to like it held above the floor level, so maybe it has to do with positioning it so it is easier for her to chew on. This just another mystery that Emme knows about and about which we have no clue.

Better than Ben and Jerry's

Emme and Rudy both love to eat snow. It must be as close to doggy ice cream as they are going to get. It is even better than Ben and Jerry's because it doesn't come in little containers. The back yard is full of it. Emme pushes her nose through the snow, chews ice, and licks snow. This makes bathroom breaks much longer than in dry weather. Emme has to go outside and eat snow before she takes care of business, after she is done taking care of business and sometimes instead of taking care of business.

Me Too

Emme and Rudy are like two teenage girls on a double date. Neither can go to the bathroom alone. Every time one of the dogs has to go outside to take care of business, the other has to come along. Me too. It strains my belief that both their bladders need to be emptied at the exact same time but if one goes out, the other wants to go out too. If Emme whines at the door to go outside, Rudy is right beside her wanting to outside too. If Rudy asks to go outside, Emme has to be part of the action.

Sometimes Ken takes both dogs out at the same time. He is kind of like the driver of the Clydesdale team that pulls the Budweiser wagon. He has his hands full of dog leashes and is trying to keep every thing untangled. I am not that coordinated so I take the dogs out one at a time. Otherwise all three of us would be wound up in a hopeless tangle. Taking both dogs outside each time one has to go makes bathroom breaks a little lengthier, but keeps everyone happy.

Love Sponge

Emme is such a loving dog; she is like a love sponge. She can never get too much attention. She likes nothing better than being petted, tickled, talked to, held and loved. She is never too busy to stop and play. Her entire existence is focused on us and our attention. It's a good life.

Dog Walls

Emme is a little bit of a thing, but Rudy is a solid 80 pounds of dog. When he lies down, he is an effective dog wall.

When we are at the dining room table and Rudy lies down by my chair, I have to climb over a dog wall to get to the kitchen to refill our coffee cups. When Ken takes a shower, Rudy lies on the bath mat and Ken has to step over and around him to get out of the tub. When Rudy comes to visit me in my sewing room, he usually lies between me and the door, effectively making me climb over a dog wall if I want to go into another room. In Ken's office, Rudy lies right next to Ken's chair and prevents him from going to the closet or bookshelves unless he climbs over the dog wall. Rudy also lies right in front of Ken's file drawer in his desk so Ken is prevented from putting things away in the drawer while Rudy is lying there. At night if one of us needs to get up, we need to check to see which side of the bed Rudy is sleeping on and then gingerly, sleepily step over him to go to the bathroom. On our return, we need to climb back into bed, over the dog wall, without stepping on Rudy.

Living with a big dog makes for some interesting situations.

Emme Gets Ready for Christmas

Our house has been decorated for Christmas since Thanksgiving weekend. Christmas never lasts long enough, so I have to decorate as early as I can so I get as long as possible to enjoy the trees and decorations.

Last year when Emme was still such a puppy, we limited some of the decorations that we put out because we were not sure what she would do with them. She actually was very good so this year I put everything out except the stuffed bears that I sometimes put on the stairs. They are just too much like the dogs' lovies and I was sure I was asking for trouble with them.

Emme has been remarkably good with all the decorations. We have had only a few minor indiscretions. One time I caught Emme running through the house with a fabric ornament in her mouth. To give her credit, it looked just like a ball and I don't know if she picked it off the tree, or if it fell to the rug and Emme discovered it. I took it back and put it on the tree and Emme has left it alone since then. It is hanging to the left above her head in the photo above. Yesterday we walked into the living room and discovered that three pots of silk poinsettias that were sitting on the rug by the television were knocked over. Nothing was pulled out or chewed; they were just lying on their sides.

Other than using the white crazy-patch Victorian tree skirt covered in lace, crocheted trims, ribbons and pearls as a dog quilt, things are going well.

Lick, Lick, Lick

Emme loves to lick us. Since she was a little puppy, she has always licked our hands whenever she could get to them. We noticed this especially when we were riding in the car coming home from Barberton for G and G. On the way, we would carry her crate in the back of the SUV and Emme on my lap. When we got to Grandma's and Grandpa's, we would put Emme in her crate in their kitchen while we went out to dinner. On the way home, I would hold Emme in my lap and she would lick my hands like crazy. I use utensils to eat, so Emme was not licking anything from my hands, she was just licking my hands, a lot.

This summer, she discovered toes and spent minutes at a time, many minutes, licking our feet when we were barefooted. We learned that if we didn't want to be licked, we needed to keep some shoes or slippers on our feet.

Now she is into licking our hands whenever we hold her. After breakfast when Ken picks her up for a cuddle, Emme first has to reach up and lick his ears and then lick his hands over and over until she settles down to sleep in his arms. When Emme and I go into the family room in the afternoon to read or nap, she first has to climb up on my chest and lick my hands as I pet her and rub her ears.

I even checked the Internet to see why she licks so much. Most of the entries said that dogs' licking often was a gesture showing affection, respect, and submission. Some mentioned that dogs like to lick salt from skin. Others just wanted to know if it was healthy, knowing what else a dog had licked. The response was that being licked by a dog was like being wiped with a dirty washcloth, not the most sanitary, but nothing to worry about.

So Emme's licking may just mean she likes us, which we already knew. So Emme continues to be the lick-er and we, the lick-ees.

In Need of a Replacement

One of Emme's favorite toys is the hedgehog. It is so light that Emme can grab it and run around the house with it in her mouth. She never tears apart a stuffie, but she loves to pull the hairs out one by one. This poor hedgehog has been about played with to death. Luckily Santa has purchased two new ones, exactly like this old one. They are sitting in my closet waiting for Christmas morning. This hedgehog is definitely in need of being replaced.

Never Met a Quilt She Didn't Like

Emme has never met a quilt she didn't like. Any time she sees a quilt, she runs to it and lies down. Emme has a small quilt in Ken's car so she can be wrapped up until the car warms up. The dogs have two small turquoise quilts that lie on the rug and usually there is a dog on one or both of the quilts. Both Ken and I have quilts folded up on the back of our chairs and as soon as one of these quilts is opened and thrown over our legs, Emme jumps up on our legs and settles down for a long rest. She stays until our legs go to sleep from lack of movement, then we relocate her so we can get some circulation back into our legs. If a quilt should happen to drop to the floor, as soon as is it touches the rug it has a small white dog curled up on it. Happiness is any quilt within reach.

Resting by the Christmas Tree

Both Emme and Rudy have decided that the best place to rest in our house is beside the Christmas tree. They have chosen the white tree skirt under the tree between the dining room and living room as the premo resting spot. Usually we have one or the other dog lying on the tree skirt. Occasionally we have both dogs resting there at once. I was so kind to put a doggy quilt under the Christmas tree for the dogs to lie on. Shame on me that I chose a white one.

A Visit with Santa Claus

Yesterday Emme visited Santa Claus. The local pet store was having photos with Santa and I took Emme. Unfortunately, a fluffy white dog in front of a fluffy white Santa beard doesn't make for an outstanding picture. It kind of looks like Santa has three little lumps of coal stuck in his beard. Oh, wait, those are Emme's eyes and nose. I don't know what Emme asked Santa Claus for, but I do know that she was glad to get off his lap.

Favorite Lovies

No question about it, each dog has an all-time favorite lovie. For Emme it is Big Mama Gorilla and for Rudy it is the Really Big Lovie Bear. Both of these toys were sold as children's toys, not dog toys. Big Mama Gorilla came from Kohls and the Really Big Lovie Bear was a Christmas bear from Dillards. Every morning after they eat, Emme and Rudy get their favorite lovies and lie down on the rug in the dining room for a nice long session with their lovies. This is as regular a part of their morning routine as getting up, going downstairs, going outside, and eating breakfast.

This year for Christmas both dogs are getting two toys: another Kohl's stuffed animal and replacement hedgehogs. The Kohl's toy is in the shape of a dinosaur but has a similar feel to Big Mama Gorilla. The hedgehogs come from the pet store but are rather fragile and don't last long. Rudy loves the squawk they make, but after an hour or two of continuous noise, I think he punctures the plastic bag that holds the air and they no longer squawk. Because the hedgehogs are so light, Emme loves to race around the house with one in her mouth. Unfortunately, when she gets tired and lies down with the toy, she loves to pull out the fur, hair by hair. After some time, the hedgehog is silent and partially bald, so periodic replacements are needed. It is a good thing that Christmas is coming.

Our Trip to Washington, DC (Off-topic: nothing to do with the dogs)

Ken and I just returned from a bus trip to Washington DC with a group of docents and friends from the National First Ladies Library. We were invited to bring along spouses or friends which is how Ken came to be a member of this special trip.

We left Wooster at 6:00 AM on Sunday morning. We went to the NFLL in Canton and boarded a bus for the trip. There were 41 of us on the trip and the bus was full. We packed a lunch which we ate on the bus and after stopping a few times for short breaks, we arrived at Arlington National Cemetery.
The weather was cold and rainy, but we got out our umbrellas and walked around. We went to the Tomb of the Unknowns and watched the changing of the guards. That was solemn and impressive.

The number of tombstones is amazing and the cemetery is large. We also stopped to see The Kennedy graves and the home of Robert E. Lee which overlooks downtown Washington.

Eric and Katherine picked us up for dinner and we went to Martin's Tavern in Georgetown. This is where JFK proposed to Jackie so even this location had a first ladies tie-in.

On Monday morning we went to Mount Vernon. The rain had stopped but we had strong, strong winds. We toured the house and spent time at the new visitor's center. We ate lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn and really enjoyed ourselves. I bought a Christmas ornament with a picture of Mount Vernon and it is already on our tree.
From there we went to the Capitol. We were met by our congressman, Ralph Regula, who took us on a tour. He took us on the floor of the house of representatives and demonstrated how the voting system works. He also took us to the gallery of the Senate which was in session while we were there.

From there we took the bus to Union Station where we ate dinner. We were on our own and Ken and I found an Asian restaurant where we ate dinner. We reboarded the bus for a nighttime tour of the monuments.
The next morning we departed the hotel for the White House. We had previously submitted our names and social security numbers for security clearance and were only allowed to carry a photo ID in with us: no pocketbooks, cameras, phones, etc. We were among the estimated 60,000 people who will see the White House decorated for Christmas. This year's theme was National Parks and there was actually an ornament with a painting of the Saxton House on the official White House Christmas tree. Unfortunately it was on the side of the tree we couldn't see. The decorations were truly gorgeous: everything was real greens, gilded leaves, pine cones, butterflies, birds, seashells, and tiny golden lights. In addition to the official tree, there were probably 10 to 12 other decorated trees along with a an impressive nativity set, tabletop decorations, garlands, and a gingerbread house covered in white chocolate in the shape of the White House. It was a great visit.

From there we went to the Congressional Club. It is a club that was created in 1908 for the wives of congressmen.

Mary Regula founder of the National First Ladies Library was the president of the club in 1980 and remains an active member. We had an elegant lunch in an impressive setting. After that, we boarded the bus and began the long ride home. We got back to Canton just before 10 PM and then made our way home. The roads were clear and dry and we were glad to be back in Wooster about 10:30. What an experience!

First Snow of the Season

Last night we got our first measurable snow of the season. The dogs were ecstatic! We had just gotten home from a weekend in Washington DC and picked up the dogs from the kennel this morning. As soon as we got home, Emme and Rudy wanted to go outside. They both love the snow and were soon busy fetching balls, pushing their noses through the snow and in general having a great time. Snow is a great dog toy.

I'm a Big Girl Now

Emme has been house broken for a long, long time and never has accidents in the house. When she was younger and house broken, she often would have an accident after she had been kenneled and returned home. It seemed that she got her signals crossed while we were gone and she was in the kennel and thought that maybe the rules had changed and she would be allowed to do her business in the house. Or maybe it was just a message saying, "That will teach you to leave me at the kennel and then go away and have fun without me." In either case, when we would bring her home, she would often have one accident in the house and then things would be back to normal.

In November, Ken and I made a long weekend trip to New Jersey and DC to deliver some Christmas presents and kenneled Emme and Rudy. We wondered if we would have our usual one accident after "Puppy Camp." Well, we didn't. Emme must be growing up. She's a big girl now and no accident.

Follow-up on Tear Stains

After my post on tear stains yesterday, I received an email from Darlene, Emme's breeder. She had two more suggestions for reducing tear stains. The first one is a spa product call Facial Scrub. It is available from Spa Lavish Your Pet. Darlene's daughter is a dog groomer and has started using this product and said it works wonders. It's left on the hair a few minutes each time it's used. The second is "Angel Eyes" which is a product that is given orally to the dog. It is available on the Internet from EntirelyPets.com .

I haven't tried either of these products, but I trust Darlene.

Tear Stains

Emme, like many white dogs, has tear stains under her eyes. Emme has only mild tear staining at the inner corner of her eye and the amount of tear staining often has more to do with genetics than anything else. One of Emme's parents gets stains only in the corner of her eyes and the other does not tear stain at all, which may be why Emme has only mild tear staining. These stains come from a number of different causes: dye in dog food, excess iron in the water, allergies, and are only a cosmetic problem. Many articles state that the most common cause of tear stains is excess tearing. The wet face hair is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and the most common yeast infection, Ptyrosporin or Red Yeast. Although most dogs can have this tear staining problem, it is most noticeable in white dogs such as Bichons and Maltese. In dogs with darker colored hair, the staining may be present, but may not be noticeable.

In an article about tear stains from the Bichon Frise Club of America, they recommend a few solutions. I have tried them all, with little success: feeding only good quality dog food, not giving treats with dye in them, keeping the hair around the eyes clipped short, keeping the area under the eyes clean and dry and using commercial preparations for tear removal. I bought a product called Tear Stain Removal from the pet store and put that on the stains with a cotton ball. It really made little difference. On the recommendation of our breeder, with the endorsement of our veterinarian, I have used a powdered antibiotic, Tylan, given in tiny amounts mixed in peanut butter and reduced over a few weeks. This helped reduce, but not eliminate, the staining. I have talked with the Emme's vet and her groomer, but they have no additional suggestions.

My best remedy is to wash Emme's eyes daily with a washcloth dipped in warm water with a little tearless puppy shampoo. Sometimes, there is a gummy mucus at the corner of her eye that I wash off; other times there is no substance that I can see. I then rinse her eyes with clear water and dry with a towel.

The tear stains don't bother Emme at all but I don't like them. I wish they were not there at all, but I do my best to keep them to a minimum.

A Tree Skirt is Just Another Quilt

Emme has paid little attention to the Christmas decorations we are putting up except for the Christmas tree skirt. As soon as the skirt was laid down, Emme had to go over to investigate it. She was sure it was just another quilt put on the floor for her to enjoy. It didn't take long until she was lying on top of the tree skirt. She didn't mess with the tree or the ornaments. Just laid down on the tree skirt. A little later, she carried over Big Mama Gorilla and settled down with it for a nice long cuddle. I think Emme likes Christmas.

Rudy the Tree Dog

The past few days, we have been putting up Christmas decorations and Rudy has decided that his role this Christmas is "Tree Dog."

We have up three trees: a table top feather tree in the kitchen and two large trees, one in the family room and one in between the dining and living rooms. Rudy ignores the small tree in the kitchen but he is making a habit of lying next to one or the other of the two large trees. He doesn't touch the tree or the decorations under them or the ornaments handing on them. He just lies down right next to one of the trees. He kind of looks like an LL Bean ad. Just lies there and looks cute. He is our best Christmas decoration.

So Smart it is Scary

Emme is sometimes so smart it is scary. A few days ago we were getting ready to crate the dogs before we left the house. We put both dogs outside for one last "hurry up" and got out our coats. Ken, without saying a word, went to the treat jar to get a biscuit for each of the dogs. By then, both Rudy and Emme had figured out what was going on without anyone saying "nighty-nite" or "crate," both words we use when we are putting the dogs in the crates. The dogs just figured out what we were doing by the sequence of activities. Both dogs dashed for the family room and their crates. Rudy got into his crate, but the door to Emme's crate was blocked by some boxes of Christmas tree ornaments that had been pushed there. Knowing that she needed to get into the crate before she got her treat, Emme dashed into Rudy's crate with him. If her crate was unavailable, she was going into some crate to get that biscuit. Ken went over to Rudy's crate, discovered both dogs inside, moved the boxes and opened Emme's door and relocated Emme to her crate. What smart dogs! Emme knew she needed to be in a crate to get a treat and when hers was not available, she did the next best thing and bunked with Rudy. Sometimes it is scary to know how they figure things out.

Emme Makes a Friend

Emme is not used to being around small children. Unfortunately, most of the members of our family are long past their pre-school years. Over the Thanksgiving weekend when my nephew's family came to visit, Emme got to play with the two little boys.

At first, Emme was very nervous around the children. Whenever they moved, Emme backed off and barked. She spent some time in her crate for time-out the first evening they were here because she just couldn't settle down. After the newness wore off and Emme was allowed out of her crate, she was very interested in the boys. She wanted to investigate how they smelled and what they would do. With Caleb, Emme mostly smelled every part of him: his hands, his feet, his bottom, his face, his ears. She also stayed near when he ate cereal to see if she could get any droppings.

With Joshua it was a different matter. She and Joshua made friends. Joshua quickly learned that he had to approach Emme quietly and slowly so she didn't get frightened. As soon as he started doing this, Emme warmed up to him. She loved to be near him and he loved to pet Emme. I think both of them enjoyed the experience. If Emme were making a Christmas list, I think it would include one or two little boys. They make excellent dog toys.

Training Pays Off

This Thanksgiving our nephew, his wife and their two boys visited us for the weekend. The first night they were here, we sat down for dinner. All of us were at the dining room table, eating dinner, and the adults were talking and visiting. Suddenly I realized that Caleb who is 15 months old was feeding Rudy pieces of cereal from his tray. Caleb would pick up an individual piece of dry cereal and feed it to Rudy. I was not happy that Rudy was eating from the table, but I was delighted that all the time we spent teaching Rudy to eat gently from our fingers was paying off. Rudy would put his huge mouth up to Caleb's fingers and gently eat one piece of cereal from his tiny fingers. Thank heavens for lessons learned.

Carpet

Ken has been teaching Emme and Rudy to lie on the rug when someone comes to the door. This is so important because both dogs go wild when the door bell rings. They must think it is some special delivery of dog toys for them. They rush to the door and bark frantically. It makes it difficult to talk to someone at the door, sign for a package, or send a political candidate on his/her way.

Ken has been teaching the dogs to go to the rug in the living room and lie down. He says "Carpet" and has them lie down. They are not crazy about the idea, but they are getting the hang of it. We practice when no one is at the door and the dogs are outstanding then. They lie on the rug and wait semi-patiently. When there is actually someone at the door, they are less successful. Although both dogs will lie down on the rug at the command, when there is actually someone at the door, they sometimes can't wait to see who it is and they get up and dash to the door. This makes a slow process to answer the door, but we are getting there.

Update on Rudy's Health

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog entry about Rudy and his continuing health troubles. He has made significant progress so it is time for an update.

He continues to take Cyclosporine daily and this is making a major positive impact on his health. The most visible is his coat. He is growing hair, lots and lots of it. It is dark and wavy and shiny, so different from his previous coat that was light in color, dry looking and very sparse. He even has hair on his chest and is regrowing hair in his many bald spots. Eric and Katherine visited recently and said that Rudy looks like a different dog. When he goes to the vet, they ooh and ahh over his coat. He looks good.

He is completely off the Prednisone which was doing so much damage to his system. He even had to have some teeth pulled during the summer because the Prednisone was eating away at the enamel. Recent blood tests show that his adrenal glands are working and there is no sign of the Cushing's disease.

He is going up the steps to the second floor with more frequency. He used to come upstairs with us all the time when we went upstairs to change clothes. He was a frequent visitor in my sewing room. All that changed when he was at his worse in the summer. In the last few weeks, he sometimes climbs the steps to be with us upstairs. He is still reluctant to climb up the stairs from the basement, although he dashes down them every chance he gets.

He is eating well and sometimes plays fetch. It is not like "old times" but he does sometimes chase and return a ball. He seems to have more energy and zest than he did this spring and summer.

He was back to the vet's yesterday because we have noticed a strong smell coming from his body that we thought might be the beginning of another yeast infection. The vet said that the smell is coming from his mouth and his feet. The Cyclosporine is causing on-going stomach distress, so she is prescribing Pepcid AC before his medication to help with this. This should also stop some of the excess drooling which is coming from the upset stomach. She also said that Rudy has an infection between his toes which causes the scent glands that are located there to produce so much odor. So he is back on Cephalexin for the infection and a spray between his toes twice a day. This should take care of the infection and the smell. Hopefully the spray will work because the next step would be returning him to a low dose of Prednisone, which of course we don't want to do.

Calendar Girl

Although Emme is not "Miss February," her parents and relatives are the February photo on Dick Goddard's 2008 Weather Calendar. Many months ago, Darlene, Emme's breeder, was contacted by Dick Goddard, the weather man at Channel 8, to have her dogs photographed and included in an upcoming calendar. Dick Goddard is heavy into animal issues, animal safety, and rescue groups. It is a natural that his annual calendar would include pets.

A photographer was sent to Darlene's house to get a photo of all twelve of her Bichons. The photographer shot pictures of the entire process and many of the "in progress" pictures are shown on the February page along with the final photograph. It is nothing short of a miracle that Darlene, her family and the photographer got all twelve dogs to sit still for the photo. I can't do that with two dogs of my own.

The calendar is now on sale for $2.99 at Discount Drug Mart.

Let's Play

Emme, like many puppies, does a "play bow" when she wants to play. She puts her chest on the floor and lifts her bottom up in the air. She has done this since she was little.

Recently, she has created another sign when she wants to play. She scratches with her back legs. She looks at you with a gleam in her eyes and scratches her back legs out from her body. I don't know where this behavior came from or if other dogs do it as well. But I do know that it means "Let's play." She couldn't be more clear if she could say the words.

He Eats First

Emme has a rule at mealtimes: Rudy eats first. Emme will not eat her meal until Rudy is completely finished. When I put Emme's bowl of kibble on the floor, she sniffs it and maybe eats a kibble or two. Then she walks over to the waiting rug and lies down while Rudy eats. After Rudy is completely done, Ken gives him his thyroid medicine in a piece of cheese. Emme gets up and goes to the kitchen because she gets a tiny piece of sympathy cheese. Only after she has eaten that, does she go back to her meal. Then she eats a much as she decides she needs from her bowl. Usually she eats much less at breakfast, but often finishes the whole portion at the evening meal.

I don't know why she made up this rule or what it means to her, but she follows it consistently. Only when Rudy is finished, does Emme eat her meal.

He Won't Eat That

We feed both dogs at the same time at meal times and Rudy always gets done first, by far. He bolts down his meal and then comes to lie down near Emme's bowl. He has a rule for himself. If Emme knocks any pieces of kibble out of his bowl, Rudy will eat it, but he never eats out of Emme's bowl. He is a voracious eater, but he knows that Emme's bowl is off limits and he never touches it.

Until last weekend. Rudy finished his meal and then came over to lie down next to Emme's bowl. Emme was wandering around the kitchen eating a kibble at a time and deciding if she were finished eating. Eric and Katherine were visiting and we were not paying close attention to Rudy. I told them that we did not need to worry about Emme's meal; Rudy would not touch it. A minute later, I saw Rudy begin to inhale Emme's food. I guess I need to amend Rudy's rule: he won't eat Emme's food from the bowl if he knows I am watching him. When no body is paying attention, the rules don't apply.

Eats Like a Chickadee

At the lake we often watch the birds who visit our yard. We have a feeder that Ken made which he fills with various bird seeds. This attracts many kinds of birds including cardinals, blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees, doves and wood peckers. We love to watch the chickadees eat because they take one seed at a time and then fly back to a tree limb to eat it. When they are done with that seed they return and get another. This goes on for a long time until they are done with their meal. We have often said that the chickadees expend so much energy eating when they fly back and forth taking one seed at a time. It would be so much more efficient if they just sat on the feeder and ate their seeds.

Well, we have a puppy who eats like a chickadee. Emme will take one kibble, walk to the waiting rug, eat the kibble and then return for another. She does a lot of walking during a meal. It is not very efficient, but it is Emme's way. Like a chickadee.

A New Friend

We met our grand-dog Lolly this weekend for the first time. Eric was in town for the Buckeye Book Fair and Katherine and Lolly came with him to spend the weekend. Lolly and Emme are almost the same size and they had a fun and exhausting few days. They both wanted to play and they spent much of the weekend dashing around the house playing "You Chase Me; I'll Chase You." Rudy spent most of the weekend watching from the sidelines while the puppies played. He seemed to be overwhelmed by their speed and exuberance and was not usually interested in joining in their games.

Being with a dog of their own size was a new experience for both Emme and Lolly and they were testing the boundaries: How hard can I run; how rough can I play; what is this thing I am playing with? Periodically Lolly went back into her crate to chill out or Emme retreated into Ken's arms for a rest. All in all, it was a great visit and a wonderful opportunity to see Lolly while she is still a puppy. What a cutie!

Puppy Magnet

Quilts are puppy magnets. Everytime Emme sees a quilt, she has to run to jump on it and lie down. If I am reading on the couch in the family room and cover myself with a quilt, Emme is immediately next to me cuddling down on the quilt. If I am in my recliner chair in the living room, watching TV, and I cover my legs with a lap quilt, Emme dashes across the room and jumps on top of my legs and settles down for a long rest. After a period of time, my legs fall asleep with the sweet warmth and weight of her body, but often I don't move her. It is just so nice to have her cuddled on top of me. If I pick up a quilt to fold it, Emme will jump on the end of the quilt that is lying on the floor. It makes folding up and putting away a quilt much more difficult. Yesterday I was showing Ken a quilt that I had finished and as soon as I opened it up and the end of it fell on the floor, Emme was on top of it. Puppy Magnet.

Keep Away

Emme loves routine. One of the things she always does after we eat a meal is go up to Ken and whine to be picked up. He holds her in both arms against his chest, facing his left side. The first thing Emme does when she gets in his arms is reach up and lick his ear. After that, she starts licking his fingers and wrist. Only after a little licking does she settle down to rest in his arms. She usually stays there for ten minutes or more as Ken and I continue conversation. Emme often falls asleep in his arms.

Lately she has added a new step to this routine. Before she lets Ken pick her up, she plays "Keep Away." She whines to be picked up and as Ken leans down to pick her up, she slides away, just beyond reach. Then she will come closer to his chair, let him pet her with his fingers, but just as he reaches to pick her up, she dashes across the room. Then she comes back, whines, and lies down on the rug. Ken pets her and she lies on her side. As soon as he goes to pick her up, again she runs away. After playing this game a few times, it is time for some real loving so she sits still for Ken to pick her up. Then it is lick the ear, lick the fingers and settle down for a nap. Just when we think we have Emme all figured out, she does something new, like play Keep Away. It keeps us on our toes.

Bite My Leg

Emme has a spot on her upper right front leg that she just won't leave alone. She has been chewing this spot, nonstop. This has been going on for two days. When her allergies get bad, she chews on her paws but this seems to be something different. I wondered if it was what is called a "hot spot" and I searched the Internet for information. There was a lot of information, perhaps too much, and I still had no clear direction about what to do. Most of the photos showed skin that was a lot worse than Emme's. She was constantly chewing on the skin, but had not lost any hair or broken the skin.

Not being sure what to do I called the vet. I was told to up Emme's antihistamine to on half tablet every eight hours, three times a day, instead of the two times she is doing now. I am also to rub a little Cortisone salve on the itchy spot and then distract her so she doesn't lick it off. So I began that yesterday and things seem to be lightening up already. I think I caught it early and no damage was done, but it was such a surprise. We went from no problem to not being able to leave the leg alone. Now things are getting better.

King of the Hill, Almost

Emme loves to sit on the back of the couch and survey her kingdom. She looks like the King of the Hill, except when she falls off. This weekend she was watching out the window and not much was happening. She often will just sit and wait for a little kid, a walker, a dog, or someone on a bicycle to go by the window. She just watches patiently until something interesting goes by.

This weekend, something really wonderful must have passed the window and she hopped up excitedly to get a better look. In the process, she lost her balance and fell down in between the couch and the window. I was right beside her and swooped her up in my arms. She seemed dazed and a little confused, but she was not hurt.

I have heard that Bichons are the cats of the dog world. They like high places and they like to get up on things. Emme does like to get up on the back of the couch, but she must not be as sure footed as a cat. So much for King of the Hill.

A Combined Visit to the Vet

Emme and Rudy had their first combined visit to the veterinarian this week. We had gotten a postcard saying that both dogs were due for various annual shots so we made an appointment for both of them at the same time. Although Rudy goes to the vet with some regularity, Emme has only gone a few times in the past year. Even so, each dog reacted to the visit. As we entered the waiting room, Rudy pushed as close to Ken's legs and he could. He sat quietly on the floor, but he couldn't have gotten any closer to Ken. I held Emme in my arms and as soon as she entered the vet's waiting room, she began to shake. I don't know what she smelled or heard, but it obviously was upsetting.

After getting the dogs weighed and dropping off a stool sample, we went into the examination room and Dr. H. looked Rudy over first. He was very pleased with the condition of Rudy's coat and said that everything looked fine. After examining Rudy's body and taking his temperature, the vet gave him three shots. Rudy was a champ. No whimpering, no whining. Just a very clear desire to leave the room as soon as possible.

Next came Emme. The vet needed to draw some blood from Emme's leg for a test and Emme did not like that. She whined, and pulled back. I held her on the table while the vet took blood. I felt like whining and whimpering, but I kept quiet. After her examination, Emme got her shots and was very good about them. Dr. H. gave both dogs a dog treat. Rudy gobbled his up, but Emme was too upset to eat hers and we saved it to eat later in the car.

While Ken settled the bill, I took Emme out to the car and she calmed right down. She ate her treat and we waited for Ken and Rudy. When Ken got into the car, he said that the vet visit cost about the same as two tickets to Cirque de Soliel. It doesn't matter. I figure that we both worked hard for our money so we would have it for things that are important to us. The dogs are both important to us and worth every penny we put into them. We are blessed to have them.