Strangers in Hats

Emme has always been strange around men in ball caps. Even if she knows the person and has seen them many times, if they put on a hat, Emme doesn't recognize them. She barks and growls and keeps it up until the hat comes off. Then she is fine. She goes up to the person with no hesitation.

I seldom wear hats so that hasn't been a problem for me but recently I decided that I needed to buy a winter hat to wear instead of the hood on my winter coat. So I went to the outlet mall and bought a winter hat (with ear flaps!) at Eddie Bauer. When I put on the hat in the kitchen, Emme was very unsure. She did not bark or growl and she didn't back away, but she came only hesitantly to me. She could hear my voice and smell that it was me, but with a hat on, I was a suspicious person. As soon as I took off the hat, Emme was fine. How can something as small as a hat cause such a reaction in a dog?

Permission to Go

Emme has decided recently that she is big enough to take herself outside to do her business. When one dog has to go outside, usually both dogs need to go. It is like they have a physic connection between their bladders. Ken sometimes will put both dogs on their leashes and take both outside at the same time. This feels to me like driving the eight horse hitch Anheuser Busch beer wagon. I usually take the dogs out one at a time. I put a collar on the most needy dog (usually Rudy) and let him go outside while I stand on the back steps or just inside the porch door. With a 26 foot retractable leash, the dogs can sniff around to find the perfect blade of grass and take care of business. If it is cold or rainy, I can stay dry and relatively warm by standing inside the porch.

Usually which ever dog is second waits until the first is done and then it is their turn. Emme has decided that this waiting is a waste of her time and that she is much too grown up to need a collar and leash to go outside. Although she sometimes will sneak out while Rudy is taking care of business, usually she waits patiently on the porch until I bring Rudy inside and take off his collar. As soon as I pick up Emme's collar and leash, she dashes outside. She is really good. She finds her spot, takes care of business, and comes immediately back inside. But she usually waits until I have the collar and leash in my hand. It is like a signal that she has permission to go. Race cars have a starting flag. Emme has her collar and leash.

The Leaf Game

Although autumn in Ohio is always beautiful, it is a mixed blessing. The beautifully colored leaves are lovely to look at but they make a lot of work to clean up. Ken and I sometimes look at the leaves and instead of thinking "Look how beautiful those leaves are," we think, "Every one of these leaves will need to be raked up."

Emme on the other hand has discovered that fallen leaves make a wonderful game. She loves to take her little tennis ball outside and bury it in the leaves. Then she pounces on it, just like Rudy pounces on his ball in the snow. Emme grabs the ball in her mouth and then drops it again in another pile of leaves just so she can pounce again. Emme loves fallen autumn leaves. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Two in One

Last weekend Ken and I went to Washington, DC, to visit our son and very pregnant daughter-in-law. Our grandson, TBD (To Be Determined) Nuzum, is due December 22 and we wanted to make a visit to them before he arrived.

We only went for a long weekend so we decided to try something different with Emme and Rudy. Usually when we board the dogs, we put them in separate crates/runs at the kennel. Emme gets a small one and, because of his size, Rudy gets a much larger one. The techs keep telling us that Emme is so unhappy being separated from Rudy. They take both dogs out to walk at the same time so they can spend time together, but when it is time to go back to their spaces, Emme runs into Rudy's crate and doesn't want to leave. We have been reluctant to board them together because we thought that Emme might make Rudy crazy. But we tried it this time, knowing that they had an available run they could move Emme to if things didn't work out. So we put both dogs in one space for the weekend. When we picked the dogs up yesterday afternoon, the report was glowing. Both dogs did fine. I guess we will do this again in the future.

Hide the Ball

Emme has a tiny tennis ball that she uses to play "Fetch" in the yard. Although it is an outside toy and is stored on the porch, Emme loves to sneak it into the house. As soon as she gets it in the house, she usually runs to the living room and carefully pushes it under the couch. This is a game she likes to play with Ken so she pushes her nose under the couch and makes little "Help me" noises to entice Ken to come play. He will get down on the rug and look under the couch with Emme. He talks to her about the ball and then slides his arm under the couch to get the ball. He pulls the ball out to the edge of the couch and then Emme pushes it back under again. She could play this game over and over again. This goes on for a while, Emme pushing the ball under the couch, Ken pulling it out again. If Ken didn't end the game, they could play for hours. Who knew "Hide the Ball" could be such a fascinating game.

They Just Listen

The question of the day has been "What will the dogs do when you are playing your dulcimer?" Opinions included howling and hiding among others. Actually what they do is listen. As soon as I go into the family room to play the hammered dulcimer, both Emme and Rudy come in with me. It is almost like they have assigned seats. Emme goes to the end of the couch to lie down. Rudy gets as close to me as he can. When he lies down, he usually bumps either the music stand or the dulcimer stand. It is almost like he wants to get near enough to feel the vibrations from the instrument. Then they settle down to listen. It doesn't seem to matter if I stay for 10 minutes or 45 minutes. They stay in their places while I practice. I have no idea what they think of the music but at least they don't howl along.

With a Song in my Heart

I haven't written a blog entry for a long time. Ken and I have just returned from a week's vacation at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. Emme and Rudy have been to Puppy Sleep Away Camp. We all got home yesterday, unpacked, sorted mail, and did laundry. Today we went grocery shopping and continued to get back to real life. Soon things will be back to normal.

We had a wonderful learning vacation. Ken took a woodworking class and made a musical instrument called a Campbellin. This looks something like a banjo but has three strings and is made with a dulcimer fret board. Not only did he make the instrument in a week, he can play Ode to Joy on it.

I took a class in hammered dulcimer. I didn't make my instrument, but purchased it so I had more time to learn tunes. I can play Home Sweet Home, When You and I Were Young Maggie, Oh Them Golden Slippers, Mississippi Sawyer, Amazing Grace and a couple rounds. I love the sound of this instrument and am eager to learn more.

As life settles back to normal, I will write more about Emme and Rudy for the blog. For now, all is well and I have a song in my heart. I fall asleep humming tunes and wake up humming others. Life is good.

Nitey-night in your Crate

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Yesterday afternoon Ken and I had to go out to run some errands. The day was warm so we didn't take the dogs but rather left them at home. Both Emme and Rudy are wonderful about going to their crates. They need no persuasion, only the command to go "Nitey-night in your crate." Both dogs stop what they are doing and run into the family room and get into their crates. We are so lucky. They never give us any trouble about getting into their crates. They just go on command. Good dogs.

Just a Dog

I loved this sticker and bought it when I was on vacation at Long Beach Island. What more can I say?

Goal Posts

When Emme first goes downstairs in the morning, she wants to play "Go Get." She sits by my feet and I say, "Go get Ken" and she dashes across the room to Ken. She sits at his feet to be petted and then he says "Go get Mary Lou." Back across the room she dashes with a doggie smile on her face. She loves the game so much, but I think she likes the running part best.

Ken says we are just human goal posts that Emme dashes between. Sometimes she is so excited to run back and forth that she barely sits to get petted. Occasionally she is so caught up in the game, she doesn't get all the way across the room before she changes directions to go back where she came from. After may runs across the room, Emme is panting and begins to slow down. Finally when the coffee is finished, we end the game so we can sit down and read the paper. Some things never change. "Go Get" never gets old.

Emme Likes Her Feet Dry

Emme does not like to get her feet wet. She does not like to go out in the rain to do her business. Sometimes she absolutely refuses to go outside when it is raining. If she does go outside in the rain, she holds up one front paw to keep her feet as dry as possible. When the grass is dewy, she does the same thing. We have purchased a child's swimming pool to use as a doggie pool. We put it on a slope so there are some areas with shallow water and some other dry areas. Emme will go into the pool, stand on the dry areas and drink the water. But she doesn't want to get her feet wet.

When we are at the lake, she is fascinated with the water. She will stand up at the railing of the boat and watch the water the whole time we are riding. On the dock, she gets as close to the water as she can and watches and smells.

We have never taken her swimming. The water by our dock is deep. At the front end of the dock, the water is over my head. This doesn't bother Rudy who jumps right in but it doesn't make for an easy transition from dry land to water for a Bichon. We have planned to take Emme to one of the swimming beaches sometime when no one is there to see if she will go into the water. I have no idea how she will respond. One part of me wants her to get in the water and swim and enjoy herself. The other part of me is concerned that she will like the water too much and will jump off the dock or off the boat and get herself into trouble in the water.

Rudy Loves to Swim

Rudy loves the water. As soon as we get to the lake house, he is ready to go down to the dock and jump in the water. We have never taken a boat ride with a dry Labrador Retriever aboard because as soon as Rudy gets near the lake he goes in for a quick swim.

Rudy's favorite activity at the lake is retrieving his throw toy. He has an orange toy that Ken bought him as a souvenir from the Labrador store on Long Beach Island one summer. (I wonder if we are the only ones who buy souvenirs for our dogs?) He jumps from the dock and swims out to get the toy. He then comes around the side of the dock to the rocks to climb back on dry land. He would do this a hundred times. It is a game that never grows old.

Beginning last summer, we realized that he would keep it up so long that he could hurt himself. He will swim to the point of exhaustion. We started limiting the number of times that he retrieved the toy from the lake. Rudy doesn't understand this and hates the forced rest times when he has to rest on the dock while his toy sits on the roof of the boat house. That is to prevent Rudy picking up the toy, dropping it off the end of the dock and then diving in to retrieve it. Even limiting the number of jumps and swims, Rudy is sometimes sore and tired at the end of the day and is reluctant to jump into and out of Ken's car when we go back to Wooster. It is a sort of balancing act: how much fun can you have before it becomes too much fun?

We Love to Ride in the Boat

Emme and Rudy both love to ride in the pontoon boat. If we say the words, "Ride in the boat" both dogs know what it means. They love to go down to the dock and can't wait to get into the boat. While we are riding in the boat I keep Emme on her leash because I am never certain that she won't go over the side of the boat to follow a water skier, Canada goose, tuber or other boat. I am not sure that she could jump out, but I never take a chance. She loves to stand on her hind legs with her font paws on the wall and look out at the water, other boats, and what ever catches her fancy. You can see her little nose wiggling so I know that she is smelling things also: water, fish, fuel, other people, etc. Throughout the ride, she goes from side to side and front to back to look and smell.

Rudy on the other hand rides in the boat without a leash. He usually lies down somewhere on the boat and just enjoys the ride. He is usually the first one on the boat and is eager to get under way. He loves being in the water or on the water. Both are good.

YouTube Puppy

Emme is fascinated with Ken's computer screen. She will sit on his lap and watch as Ken plays video games or wood turning or woodworking videos on Youtube. Sometimes she watches the screen. Mostly she just wants to be held in Ken's arms as he sits at his computer. She will stay there until Ken's arms fall asleep and he is forced to put her down.

I thought this was a special activity with Ken. When Emme is in my sewing room, usually she just naps on the rug or sleeps under my desk. I use my computer more for word processing, email, and embroidery designs. I don't watch many YouTube clips. I sometimes will play DVD's while I sew (favorites: Rocky Horror Picture Show, Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, A Fish Called Wanda, or Monty Python and the Holy Grail). While these are playing, I am usually at my sewing machine and Emme has never acted as if she wanted to sit on my lap.

But yesterday, I wanted to watch an instructional video about a machine quilting technique called McTavishing. The CD/DVD drive in my computer is not working and I am waiting for a replacement from Dell. So I asked Ken if I could borrow his laptop to watch the video. We set the laptop up on the kitchen table. No sooner had I started the DVD than Emme was by my side whining to be picked up. So I watched my DVD with Emme in my arms. Maybe she isn't interested in musicals or comedies, Maybe she is just into instruction. She is my YouTube puppy.

Bichon "Fries"

Emme loves sweet potato chews and I have had a hard time finding them. I have gone to the company's web site and I could order them from the Internet, but I hate to pay shipping if I can find them locally.

I first purchased the larger sized Sam's Yams chews at a kennel in town. After they stopped carrying them, I located a holistic veterinarian in North Canton and bought two bags of chews there. We now buy the ones shaped like a French fry. The big ones are just too big for Emme to chew up and are too hard for me to snap into smaller pieces. The French fry ones are just right.

Yesterday when we went to the local pet store, Pet Supplies Plus, I found both the large sized chews and the Bichon Fries. And they were on sale for a dollar off, to boot! I am delighted that I can buy them now in town. Emme goes through a bag very slowly. Each "fry" is about six inches long and I usually snap them into three pieces so it takes a long time for her to finish a bag. But when she does, I know where to go to buy a replacement.

A Visit with Maggie

Last weekend was our family reunion and we had relatives come from all over. My brother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece drove from Texas and brought Maggie with them. My brother-in-law found Maggie when she was about two years old and she has been a member of their family ever since. She is a lovely, even tempered lab and a great house guest. When she comes up to you, she wags her tail and wiggles all over. She loves to be petted and talked to.

The Texas Nuzums arrived late Tuesday night and on Wednesday morning, when I had another commitment, Ken went to the lake with Emme and Rudy. According to him, the dogs spent the day smelling each other's butts. If one dog was not being sniffed, it was doing the sniffing of another dog. They seemed to work that all out of their systems by the time I went to the lake house a day later. I didn't see much butt sniffing, but I did see the three dogs getting along like they had know each other all their lives.

The dogs got along wonderfully. Maggie and Rudy are both about the same size. Emme is much smaller. That didn't seem to make any difference to the dogs. They all spend a fair amount of time napping on the deck, napping on the rug, napping on the garage floor, taking boat rides, running, eating, and hanging out together. They all stayed at the house when we went out to dinner and all seemed to do well.

I guess family reunions are all about getting together. This goes for the four legged family members as well as the two legged ones.

Tired Puppies

Yesterday was the Nuzum-Sycks reunion and we all had a wonderful time. We were short seven family members: the North Carolina Nuzums were all sick and the DC Kendall/Nuzums are pregnant and not able to travel long distances. Everyone else was here. Maryland, Atalanta, Texas, Dover, Findley, Canton, Brimfield and Wooster relatives were all in attendance.

The good news is that the sun was shining. The bad news was it was HOT and humid. It didn't really matter. After we ate, we went on many boat rides and finally, late in the day, five of us were so hot and tired we decided to go swimming. It was hot on the dock but the water was cool. Ken kept saying that after we were in the water for 30 seconds, we would warm up. That didn't happen, but it was very refreshing.

Rudy and Maggie, my brother-in-law's dog, went swimming and Rudy over did it. He is stiff and sore today and he is taking a much needed rest. Going from a rather sedate life style to running up and down the hill from the house to the dock and jumping in the water many, many times wore him out.

Emme spent much of yesterday on her leash. She was spooked by men in ball caps and babies. She can know someone without a hat, but when they put on a hat, they must look like space aliens to her. She barks and carries on. Emme was also interested in but very barky around my one-year old great niece. I think that Rudy wanted to lick Taylor, but I don't know what Emme thought of her: toy, meal, interloper, enemy, friend? It just seemed a better idea to keep Emme by my side.

After a full day of food, conversation, boat rides, swimming, and hanging out, everyone was tired. By the end of the day Emme wasn't the only tired puppy. I think we all were.

I'm Bigger

Sometimes when it is time to go outside to take care of business, Emme chooses not to go outside. This is particularly true when it is raining or the grass is wet. She will go out to the porch and then hide on her shelf under the wicker table so I can't put her collar on. Then I call "Come" and she chooses not to come. I go to the table and wiggle her out from the shelf. I tell her, "You may be stubborn, but I'm stubborn too and I'm bigger." I always win.

I'll Eat After You Eat

Today was another chapter in the Breakfast Wars. Today neither dog wanted to eat first. After we have a cup or two of coffee in the dining room and read the paper, Ken and I go to the kitchen to feed the dogs. I prepare the medicine and Ken goes to the garage to fill the bowls. Then we put the bowls on the floor for the dogs to eat. This morning, both Emme and Rudy just sat there waiting. Waiting for what, I have no idea. Waiting for the other to eat. Waiting for the kibble to turn into T bone steaks. Waiting for Christmas. In the photo, you can see Rudy lying down behind the cabinets with his head in the lower left corner of the picture. Emme is sitting on the rug in the family room. Both bowls of kibble are sitting on the floor waiting. Ken is convinced that the dogs decide that they hate their food only when he has just opened a thirty-some pound bag of food from the vet.

We tried ignoring the dogs. Nothing. We tried picking up a piece of kibble in our hand. Nothing. I gave up and went upstairs to get dressed and Ken continued to try to entice the dogs to eat. He threw pieces of kibble toward each dog. Finally Rudy began to eat. When he finished, he went to lie down next to Emme's dish. Then she came over to her bowl and ate about half of her food and that was it. Breakfast was done. I want that "Up Collar."

Back from the Lake

We just got back from the lake house. We are preparing for an upcoming family reunion and we have been working hard getting the lake house and property in good shape for next weekend. We have been cleaning, mulching, doing laundry, mowing, clipping bushes, straightening, painting, planting and all the things you do when you are expecting company.

The best thing is that the boat has been fixed and is working well and we were able to take a couple rides around the lake yesterday and today. This afternoon before dinner we took out the boat and then came back to the dock and swam for the first time this season. Although it is August, the water was cool. It was nice however. Today when we went for a boat ride we didn't take the dogs. They were not happy about that but they will get their chance when we return to the lake house next weekend.

Everyone is tired. Ken just came upstairs to change into his pajamas and Emme came upstairs with him and took the opportunity to get into her crate and crawl under her pillow. I think it will be an early bed for all of us tonight.

Take Me for a Ride in Your Car

Both Emme and Rudy love to ride in the car. Both know the word "Ride" and get excited when we say it. If we say nothing but put on Rudy's collar, he starts jumping up and down in excitement. He is more like a kangaroo than a Labrador Retriever in his actions. As soon as she realizes a ride is coming up, Emme wants to be picked up and carried to the car as she was when she was a little puppy. She is perfectly capable of running out to the garage and jumping up into the car herself, but she prefers to be picked up and carried to the car.

Once we get started, both dogs lie down and nap. I am not sure why napping in the car is so much more exciting than napping on the rug in the living room. But it is. They will stay lying down quietly until Ken puts on the turn signal. As soon as the sound of the clicking begins, both dogs are up, on alert, waiting for good things to happen. We haven't figured out what good things they are expecting, but they love the clicker.

Then when we return home the excitement increases. It is like hitting yourself with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop. They love to leave home to ride because the ride ends with returning home. Go figure.

We LOVE Pill Pockets

Emme and Rudy both LOVE Pill Pockets. We began using them a few days ago when Rudy decided that he didn't want to take his morning capsule wrapped in peanut butter and white bread. We had seen the Pill Pockets in the pet store but had not used them before so we purchased a pouch of them to give them a try. We started giving Rudy his capsule in a pocket each morning and he is so excited to get it he begins to drool as soon as I get the pouch out of the closet. Emme couldn't stand seeing Rudy get something so wonderful so we tear off a small part of another pocket and give it to her. They act like it is doggie Ben and Jerry's or doggie Godiva chocolate or maybe doggie drugs. They love pill pockets.

When I posted that we were using Pill Pockets, my son, who uses them with his dog, Lolly, suggested that we give Rudy an empty Pill Pocket occasionally so he sees them as a treat. A friend emailed that she uses liverwurst to give pills, an excellent suggestion. But we didn't have to convince Rudy that the Pill Pockets were treats and we didn't have to try liverwurst as a backup for pill delivery. Rudy and Emme are happy with Pill Pockets. Another small success!

Emme and Big Mama Gorilla, the First Video

This is my first attempt to add video to Emme's blog. It is, of course, of Emme and her best toy, Big Mama Gorilla. I used my new Nikon Coolpix S560 camera to take the video. I pulled it into Picassa and was able to edit the start and end point with that program. I also tried to use Windows Movie Maker and did not understand at all what I was doing. I will try this again tomorrow to see if I can figure it out. I wish I had a ten year old living with me to teach me all this technology.

How Many Words Does She Know?

Yesterday Ken and I were sitting in the living room and I offered to get a banana and yogurt for each of us for an afternoon snack. The minute I uttered the word "banana" Emme jumped up and ran for the kitchen. She must know that word. I know she knows the sound of me tearing one banana off of the bunch. If I go to the kitchen to make a breakfast of eggs and toast, she could care less. She stays in the dining room or living room and just lets me work. If I make oatmeal, however, and pull off a banana to cut up on top, Emme runs to the kitchen so she can have a slice. She loves bananas and I was not surprised that she figured out the sound of a banana being part of a meal preparation, but I didn't know she knew the word, banana.

Emme is sometimes so smart, it is scary. I know that she understands many words: ride, bed, walk, snack, eat, come (sometimes), sit, down, get Big Mama Gorilla, nap. I wonder how many words she actually knows.

"Come" Sometimes

Emme has decided that the command "Come" only applies sometimes. If I am preparing a meal and call "Emme, Come" she dashes to the kitchen. If I am in the closet and call her from the bedroom, she runs to me as fast as she can. So I know that she knows what the command means and is perfectly able to do it. When she wants.

On the other hand, if she is playing "You'll Never Find Me," she hides somewhere in the house and gleefully waits silently as I call "Emme, Come" and search the house to locate her. I thought that was the only time that "Come" didn't count.

Recently she has decided that "Come" doesn't apply to her if I want her to go outside for a hurry up and it isn't her idea. Three or four times in the last few weeks, I have called her to come and her behavior is exactly the same. She turns her head away from me ("If I can't see you, I can't hear you.") and she walks slowly away in the other direction. She doesn't run; she just meanders like she is taking a stroll, so I won't get the idea that she is running away, just that she hasn't heard me. I only have to say "Emme, no" very quietly to call her on it. I don't have to yell. I just have to let her know that I know she has heard me and she can't ignore me.

What is this about? Come means come all the time. Except when it doesn't.

Big Mama Gorilla is a Multi-tasker

Big Mama Gorilla is Emme's favorite toy. Rudy, on the other hand, has many favorites. Usually by the time we have finished breakfast, Rudy has gotten out three or four different stuffies and has spent some time loving each one of them. He spends a few minutes with each lovie and then moves on to the next one. Not Emme. It is Big Mama Gorilla or nothing.

Big Mama Gorilla is Emme's nap buddy. After lunch, if a nap is on the schedule, all I need to say to Emme is "Get your lovie for a nap" and she dashes around the house to see where she has left Big Mama Gorilla. She grabs hold of her and runs for the couch on the porch or the family room. Sometimes she needs a boost to get both of them up on the pillows or the arm of the couch and then she is ready to settle in for some quiet time.

Big Mama Gorilla is also useful for a game of tug-of-war. Emme loves to grab some part of Big Mama Gorilla and pull while Ken or I tug on the other end. Some how this is a great game.

Big Mama Gorilla is also Emme's solace. If Emme is reprimanded for anything, such as making a racket, barking at someone on the street, Emme has to rush to Big Mama Gorilla for comfort. This must make her feel better because she always does this if she is scolded or shot with the plant mister.

Another task for Big Mama Gorilla is just being there when Emme wants some quiet loving. Emme with lie down and grab Big Mama Gorilla with her mouth. She mouths the stuffie almost like she is nursing and pushes her feet alternately against the side of Big Mama Gorilla and begins to fall asleep.

I don't know what Emme would do without Big Mama Gorilla.

Who Eats First?

There has been a change in mealtimes with Emme and Rudy. In the beginning and for a long time, Rudy ate first and often Emme would lie down on the waiting rug and watch until Rudy was finished eating. This never surprised us because we know how food-driven Rudy was and how Emme was a good eater, but not too enthusiastic. We were also told that often the "alpha dog" ate first and then the other dogs ate. Rudy was definitely older and much bigger, so we weren't surprised that he was the alpha dog of the pair.

Then we went through a period when they would eat simultaneously. Neither waited for the other to finish. We would put the kibble on the floor and both would eat. This went on for months.

Recently however the tables have been turned. Rudy will not eat his breakfast until Emme has completed her breakfast. He seems interested in his meal and even drools as he is waiting but he often lies down by Ken's side and waits for Emme to finish her breakfast. Only after she finished, does he begin his meal. This is much more pronounced at breakfast. Often at the dinner meal, he will begin to eat almost as soon as Emme does. But at breakfast, he waits. Have they decided that Emme is now the alpha dog and should eat first or is something else going on at the first meal of the day. I wish I know. I want that "Up collar." Now!

Pill Pockets

Rudy takes a few pills each day and it is usually not a problem. We give him thyroid medicine twice a day by stuffing it inside a dice-sized cube of cheese. He eats it down with no problem. We use cheese for any small hard pill with great success. Rudy also takes Cyclosporine daily and it comes in a large capsule. We have been giving it to him wrapped inside a quarter of a piece of white bread spread with about a teaspoon of peanut butter. This has worked for a year or more. Until now.

Rudy is refusing to eat the peanut butter/white bread/ capsule. If we put it in his mouth, he either spits it out immediately or holds it in his mouth for a few minutes and then spits it out. He is absolutely refusing to take the capsule but is not objecting to his other pills in the cheese cube. The capsule is too large to insert into cheese so we went to the pet store and bought "Pill Pockets" made by Greenies. They cost about nine dollars for 30 pockets. They are made out of some sort of doughy product and you put the capsule inside and then mold the pill pocket up and around the capsule. So far these work. Rudy eats down the hidden capsule. We plan to use the pockets for a month, until we use up the package and we plan to go back to the peanut butter and white bread method. Maybe by then, Rudy won't object. Who knows?

Same Dogs, New Camera

I went to the camera store yesterday to buy a new battery and photo storage card for my digital camera. It was taking too long to recharge the flash after I took a picture and I wanted the camera to be in top condition for the upcoming family reunion. When I showed them the camera, they told me that they did not stock batteries for that camera any more. They could order one but it would cost between 59 and 79 dollars. They can't get another storage card because the technology has changed and they no longer make the card that fits my camera. The camera was too old! I said that it was only four or five years old and they said "How old is that in dog years? It is the same for digital cameras." Manufacturers come out with new versions of cameras every nine to 12 months and my camera was eight or more versions back.

I asked to see new camera similar to my current camera and was told that they sold nothing like it. They said the new ones had ten times the features and capacity of my old camera and cost half of what I had paid for mine. So I bought a new camera. It is a little point and shoot camera made by Nikon. The model is called "Coolpix" and it is pink to my husband's chagrin. After charging the battery last night, I have been playing with the camera during breakfast. It is really nice and does have many features that I am sure I will use. It is easy to turn the flash off or turn it on all the time to use as a fill flash. It goes into macro mode for close ups with no problem. I can play back one picture or set the screen to show up to 16 thumbnail photos. It is easy to erase one or all the pictures. It has a five way zoom, both shorter and longer than my old camera. I really like this new camera and am eager to take more pictures with it.

Nap Buddies

Today is one of those almost perfect summer days, extremely unusual in Ohio. The temperature is 75 degrees. The humidity is low. There is a gentle breeze and the sky is an incredible blue. Unbelievable! After puttering around all morning: making a crock-pot dish for tonight's quilt guild picnic, watering my house plants, finishing the last 20 pages of a novel, and preparing lunch it was time for an after lunch nap. Ken and I finished lunch, did the dishes and while we were busy with those tasks, the dogs got their lovies and dragged them out to the porch in case it was going to be nap time. They watch everything we do and try to anticipate our next activity. They want to be ready so they don't miss any opportunity.

In this case, they were spot on. The porch doors were opened wide and I had a new book to begin. It was cool enough for me to spread out a quilt and settle down for a nap. Rudy only stayed for a few minutes before he relocated into the living room to be with Ken. Emme stayed. After loving Big Mama Gorilla for a while, she jumped down on top of my legs to lie down as I read. Naps are good. Beautiful summer weather is better. Having two nap buddies is best.

I Want That "Up" Collar

If you have seen the Pixar film "Up" you remember the collars that allow the dogs to talk. I want one of those.

Emme and Rudy are sometimes so strange and do such unusual things that Ken and I have always wanted to have a way to talk to them and just ask each of them "Why do you do that?" We have wished that we could have 15 minutes with each of them to ask about strange behaviors that we have seen. I am sure that 15 minutes would not be enough time to get the answers we want, so I want to switch to an "Up" collar. I could put one on Emme and Rudy and when they did something weird, I could ask why in the world they were doing that. And they could tell me. Maybe I will put an "Up" collar on my Christmas list.

More Than an "Power Chewer"

For Emme's recent birthday, I purchased a chew toy labeled "for your power chewer" as a birthday present for her. Although Emme is very gentle with her stuffed toys, she is a powerful chewer. Because she loves to chew on marrow bones, I knew she would enjoy a chew toy of some kind for her birthday.

She has a Kong, but she never chews on that. She will lick peanut butter from the inside of it or figure how to get out little bits of kibble stuffed inside but she does not chew the Kong itself. She is so excited when she gets the Kong but as soon as it is empty, it could be invisible. She wants nothing more to do with it. I hesitate to give her rawhide to chew because I am just not sure about that. She does get sweet potato chews but they are consumed and gone. I wanted a toy she could chew when she wanted.

I read every label in the pet department of Target and selected two toys for Emme: a small pink stuffed rabbit and a blue chew toy labeled "for your power chewer." I also purchased a fetch stick for Rudy because I couldn't get a birthday present for Emme and leave Rudy out. After Emme played with the rabbit for a few minutes, she left it to pick up the chew toy. Rudy immediately picked up the little pink rabbit and has had it since. Emme didn't mind because she immediately started chewing on the blue chew toy. She chewed on it for only a few minutes before she chewed a chunk of the plastic right off. You can see the bitten off chunk in the upper right corner of the photo. If that toy was made for a "power chewer" Emme must be more than a "power chewer." She must be a "super power chewer."

So I took the chew toy away from Emme and will return it to the store. I will probably exchange it for another pink rabbit so she can have some time with it while Rudy monopolizes the first one. The blue chew toy she had is just too dangerous for her. She easily could chew off another chunk and swallow it. I wish I could find a good, non-lethal chew toy for Emme.

Happy Birthday, Emme

Yesterday was Emme's third birthday. Although we did celebrate her first birthday, last year when she was two, we were preoccupied with health concerns and it passed us by. So Emme's third birthday was a "do-over." We wanted to give her a special treat for her birthday but were stymied in choosing something appropriate. We are very careful about what we give to both Emme and Rudy because many things upset their digestion. For Christmas one year, I purchased a doggie ice cream as a treat. Rudy handled it well, but it was too much for Emme. It gave her very loose stools and I don't want to repeat that.

Emme loves both yogurt and canned tuna and has eaten both of those items in the past with no difficulty. So we chose tuna as her treat. When we got up, I sang "Happy Birthday" to Emme and she was underwhelmed. When Ken got out her kibble, I opened a can of tuna. That caught Emme's attention. So both Emme and Rudy got spoonful of tuna and the water it comes in on top of their kibble. This was a real celebration. No songs, just tuna.

Wild Life in the Garage

This morning Ken and I were working in the yard. The garage door was open for about an hour or so while we were planting some perennials that Ken got on a great end-of-the-season sale. He got 26 plants for $10.28 and we wanted to get them in the ground right away. While we were busy working, unknown to us, a little chipmunk ran into the garage and stayed inside. Ken discovered it on the window sill in the garage later in the day. We tried to chase it out of the garage by stomping our feet behind it but we were unsuccessful. We stomped and the chipmunk ran and hid. We left the garage door open when we went out to run errands and hopefully the little creature ran out of the garage and back into the yard while things were quiet.

I wouldn't want Emme or Rudy to go our into the garage and capture the chipmunk. Even worse, I wouldn't want it to run into the laundry room and hid in the house. So for now, I think the wild life is out of the garage and back outside. At lease I hope so.

Seed Collector

Last evening after dinner Ken and I went on a walk around the yard to see what is blooming. We each took a dog on a leash. We looked at all the plants as the dogs sniffed, ate grass, and wandered along with us. When we came inside, Emme got up on my lap and I discovered that in addition to walking around the yard, Emme had been a seed collector. She had about 30 little black seeds sticking to her coat. I had to take her into the laundry room, wipe her off and comb the seeds out of her hair.

She usually spends her time in the house, on a sidewalk, or on the grass to take care of business or play her version of fetch. She seldom walks among the plants in the gardens. I don't think she will do that again. She collected every weed and flower seed that was available. The next time we check out the plants in the yard, I think I will leave Emme on porch to watch.

Hit Me On the Head

We have some little kibble sized treats that we use to put inside the Kong toys with peanut butter. Ken decided that he would use those treats to teach the dogs a trick. He was trying to get Emme and Rudy to catch a treat when he tossed it to them. Both dogs sit about three feet in front of Ken. He tosses one treat to each of them so they can catch it. Rudy is pretty good. He catches the treat almost every time. Emme doesn't seem to understand the game. I think she thinks the game is: you toss a treat; it hits me on the head; it falls on the floor, and I bend over and eat it. She isn't any better at catching the treat than she is playing fetch. She has other talents. Like just being cute.

Like a Cat

Emme is as agile as a cat. She loves to get up on the back of the couch and walk along the top of the cushions. She also loves to look out to monitor the activity in the neighborhood. She spends a good amount of time during the day watching, with an occasional rolling growl or bark to ward off intruders. This usually includes anyone walking on the sidewalk or the street. Anyone working in the yard across the street. Anyone in any yard she can see. And anyone on the golf course. This keeps her busy.

I usually draw the drapes after dinner and with these long summer days, it is still light when I do this. I think sunset tonight is at 8:59 PM so there is still plenty of light and lots of things still to see when I close the drapes. Emme is not deterred. She hops up on the back of the couch and knows just where to insert her head between the two sides of the drapes. Then she sits and watches the sidewalk and the street. She does stop after dark, but she is on duty again the next morning, early.

Private Bathroom

I have three giant Sagae hostas growing at the corner of the back porch. They are lush and lovely and Emme has decided that they are her own private bathroom. When she goes outside, she loves to go down the steps and under the Sagae leaves to take care of business. She disappears under the leaves. It is kind of like having the key to the executive restroom. It is all hers and private.

Dirty Mouth

I never knew it would be so hard to keep a white dog, white. Emme is like a little dirt magnet. She sniffs the deck and comes up with smudges of dirt, twigs, little pieces of leaf, and assorted messes all around her mouth. She picks up dirt, pollen and dust on her paws. She goes to the lake house white and within a few hours she is grey in places. I wouldn't trade her for the world but it is challenge keeping her clean.

First Swim of the Season

This weekend Rudy went swimming for the first time of this season. He absolutely loves to dive off the dock and play fetch with his orange toss toy. On Friday, we went down to the dock for a first boat ride of the season and Rudy had to bring his toy and play a little fetch. Ken threw the toy a few times and Rudy was in heaven. You can see then that he is really a water dog. You wouldn't know it when it is time for a bath or to go outside in the rain. Then he can't stand water and will do anything to avoid getting wet. If he misbehaves, we spray him with the plant mister and he hates it. Only in the lake is water good and there it is very good.

His coat is so thick that it takes hours for him to dry. After our ride, we all stayed out on the deck for some time so Rudy could begin to dry in the sun. When he is wet and goes inside immediately he uses the rug and all the furniture to dry himself off. Drying in the sun is better.

Emme has never gone swimming. She is fascinated by the water and loves to be out on the boat. I keep her on the leash because I am not sure that she wouldn't just go over the side. She stands on her back legs and sniffs the water over the side of the boat. The water by our dock is deep and the only way to get in is to jump off the side or the end of the dock. We don't have a gradual slope so you can wade in. We just have deep water. Later this summer we are going to take Emme to one of the beaches at the lake some week day when no one else is there. We will let her get her feet wet and see what she does in the water. I wonder what she will think of that.