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.