Soooo Relaxed

When Emme is on, she is on. When she stops, she is off. She relaxes completely and usually falls asleep. Sometime she naps on our laps or legs. Sometimes she cuddles up next to one of us on the couch. Sometimes she lays right next to Rudy. Sometimes she is stretched out on the rug, often laying on her back with her little paws up in the air. In this picture you can see her belly freckles. She has no trouble unwinding.

"Walkin' 'Round in Women's Underwear"

Emme loves laundry. She "helps" whenever we are in the laundry room sorting clothes. If she is not napping on a pile of clothes waiting to go into the washer, she is stealing a sock to carry into the living room. She especially loves to go upstairs into the closet in the evenings when we change into pajamas. She is delighted if one of us pulls off a garment and throws it in her direction. If something lands on her, she will walk around in it until it is claimed back by the owner. She is never happier than when she is covered with a worn pair of underpants or a sock or two.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Emme asks to go outside many times a day. Before the snow, when she asked to go outside, it usually meant that she had some business to take care of. Since the snow, it may mean that, or it may mean that she just wants to go outside to sniff and eat snow. Sometimes she will go outside, do her business, come inside and ask to go out again in just a few minutes. I am never sure if it is business or pleasure. After a couple of unproductive trips outside I begin telling Emme that I am going to tell her the story of the boy who cried "Wolf." If she keeps asking to go out and does nothing, she may not go out again. Just when I am sure that it is another snow sniffing trip, she will go outside and leave a big pile of doodles. That's how much I know.

Rudy's in Love

Rudy has fallen in love with the really big lovie. He spends hours a day mouthing the lovie or napping with his paws around it. Since we have two identical bears, I am not sure if it always the same one, or if he shares his favors between the two. Emme is a little put out. When Rudy is with his lovie, Emme tries to pull the lovie away from Rudy which results in frequent low growls from Rudy. This usually continues until Emme gets tired of the game, Ken or I get the "Enforcer" (the plant mister) and tell Emme to leave it or Rudy gives up and finds another toy. If that happens, it isn't long until Rudy is back again loving the really big lovie. Maybe this is because of Valentine's Day or maybe Spring is in the air and a young man's fancy turns to...bears?

Walking on the Moon

Our backyard looks like the surface of the moon. Over the last two weeks, we and the dogs have walked all over the backyard and trampled down the snow. Then we had warm weather and some of the snow melted. Then the weather turned cold again (remember, this is Ohio) and every thing froze hard. There are craters, hills, plateaus, and a few spots of grass. Walking outside is an adventure. Rudy is heavy enough that he sinks through the top frozen crust and is up to his belly in the snow. Emme is so light she mostly stays on the top of the frozen crust. I just try to stay upright. It is like walking on the moon. I will be glad when this is gone. We have a prediction of freezing rain overnight but then warming up to 47 degrees and rain tomorrow. Maybe this will be over soon.

Where's Emme?

Yesterday I volunteered at the National First Ladies’ Library and after breakfast I went upstairs to get my Abigail Fillmore costume. Of course, Emme came with me. I went to the closet in the green bedroom and packed my suitcase and then left the room to return downstairs. At the top of the stairs I couldn’t find Emme. I opened the door to the bedroom and Emme was not there, so I went downstairs to check if she had dashed down the stairs before me. No Emme. I checked every room and could not find her. I called to Emme as I was looking around but heard no sounds. I went back upstairs and checked the green bedroom again and opened the closet to see if she was shut in there. I was really baffled and then remembered that I had used the upstairs bathroom before I went to pack my costume. Sure enough, there was Emme waiting patiently in the green bathroom. She was standing on the rug and looking up at me. Now, how come she couldn’t make any noise when I was calling her? When she is on guard downstairs, she barks at any movement outside. When I was looking for her and calling her name, she didn’t make a sound. I would think she would have barked or whined but no luck. She just waited patiently and silently for me to find her. Go figure.

Dinner Guests

Last night we had friends come for dinner. We hoped the dogs would be on their best behavior. Rudy even got a bath for the occasion so he would be clean and would smell good. Of course, just like children, the dogs were not as good as we would have hoped. Afterwards, Ken said that Rudy's behavior probably got a B- and Emme a C+. Emme barked far too frequently. Rudy was fascinated by a bag of gifts and could not believe that it didn't contain presents for him. Usually the dogs pay no attention while we are eating at the dining room table. Last night, they both were sniffing around and had a hard time just lying on the rug and napping while we were eating. Emme kept licking shoes and jumping up to smell people's knees. I guess it all takes time.

Clap

Emme loves playing "Clap." We lean over as if to pick Emme up and clap our hands. Emme dashes around the room, jumping on toys, running under the dining room table, picking up a soft toy, carrying it around the room, speeding behind the couch, diving over the ceramic tile by the front door, landing on the oriental rug, hopping on Rudy, jumping up on the couch and down again on the rug and coming back again to stop in front of us. We lean over again, clap and Emme starts it all over again. It is a favorite game and she will keep it up until she is panting. If we really wanted to pick up Emme, all we need to do is say "Sit" and Emme sits and waits to be picked up. "Clap" is a whole other thing.

Playing in the Big Snow

Emme loves the snow. Every morning, after Ken gets dressed, he takes Rudy and then Emme outside to play. Since we have had the big snow, Emme is even more eager to go outside and can hardly wait until Rudy is done. She stands by the kitchen door and whines all the time Rudy is playing.

She likes to walk where the snow has been shoveled and loves to push her head into the snow on either side of the path and eat bites of snow. She is a little reluctant to walk on top of the snow. The snow is deeper than her head and when she walks on top of it, she sinks down and is very uncertain of what is going on. Even with that hesitation, she is intrigued with the snow. She would stay outside much longer than is safe for her. We watch to make sure that she is not shivering or holding her paws up out of the snow and as soon as we see a sign of that, we whisk her inside and wipe her off with a towel.

Where's the Carpet?

Can a puppy ever have too many toys? Emme doesn't seem to think so. When she came to live with us, there were already some dog toys in the house from Rudy's collection. Since she has gotten here, we have had many celebrations: Rudy's second anniversary with us, Rudy's fifth birthday, and Christmas. That of course meant toys for both dogs. So the collection has grown.

Both dogs love large fluffy "lovies" so I have found some bears at end of Christmas sales and, of course, had to buy two identical toys when I found good ones. Ken made a wooden toy box that we keep in the corner of the living room. The toys fill that box and more. The overflow is piled next to the toy box behind my chair. Every day the dogs drag out a different collection of toys. Each morning, Ken and I put all the toys back into the box or toy pile and then all day long, the dogs drag out their favorites to play with. By the next morning, it is a challenge to see the carpet in the living room.

We Love Quilts

Emme is definitely a quilter's dog. She knows that whenever a quilt is around, you must dash to it and lay down. Sometimes you need to burrow under, and sometimes you need to lay on top. A quilt is even better if it has someone under it. No matter, we love quilts. With a wind chill factor of minus 25 this morning, every little bit of warmth helps.

Big Snow

Well, we have had our first big snow of the winter. The morning radio called it "well over a foot of snow" and the papers haven't been delivered yet. So I don't know how deep it actually is but with the hours of snow and all the blowing, we have some really deep snow in our back yard. The now is up to Rudy's belly. When he goes outside into the back yard, his legs disappear and the snow rubs the underside of his body. The local schools are closed for a second day and the snow plow hasn't cleared our road yet.

Emme loves to go out in the snow. In order for her to do her business, Ken has shoveled a path and a small spot for Emme. It continues to blow over so she is dealing with a lot of snow but so far, no problems. She waits at the door to go out; I suit up; we go outside, and she does her business.

Emme has four games she plays in the snow.
1. Eat the Snow. This one is pretty self explanatory. She looks at the snow and she eats the snow. End of game.
2. Snow Plow. She burrows her little nose down into the snow and pushes. She leaves little trails of a nose channel with little paw prints on both sides of it.
3. Cobra Pounce. She rears up like a cobra getting ready to strike and lunges at the snow. We have seen her do this inside with her toys but she has taken this game outside.
4. Almost Fetch. Ken takes her outside on the 26 foot retractable leash. He throws the Kong toy and Emme runs after it, usually picks it up, runs for the porch and refuses to give it up.

Not a Pretty Sight

This title does not apply to Emme, but rather to our back yard. Emme is cute. Our back yard has not been a pretty sight. We have had snow on the ground for many, many days. The snow is tramped down, dirty and filled with many spots of yellow snow. It is truly ugly. It is amazing how many times two dogs can go outside and color the snow. Today it is snowing and covering the yellow spots. We are expecting 8 - 16 inches of snow. Good bye yellow snow, at least for a while.

By George, She's Got It

I think that Emme has finally gotten this housebreaking thing. It has been about a month since she has had any accidents inside. She consistently goes to the door to be let outside when she has business to take care of. Often she whines and sometimes she just waits expectantly to go outside. Because she is almost always next to one of us, if she leaves our sides, it is either to go get a drink or to stand by the kitchen door. So if she doesn't come back with a wet mouth, we know to look at the kitchen door to see if she is interested in going outside. Hallelujah.

A Dog's Job

I read somewhere that a dog's job is waiting. They wait for us when we eat a meal. They wait when we go out to run errands. They wait for food. They wait to go on walks. They wait for us to give them treats. Emme is even waiting to get up in the morning. She went through a period of a few days recently where she whined to get up at 3 AM. On the advice of Darlene, the breeder, I have started telling Emme to be quiet when she wakes up at 3 AM and Emme goes back to sleep.

Yesterday Emme and Rudy had a longer than usual wait while Ken and I went to Cleveland to a Hosta Society meeting. With travel time, lunch, a business meeting, and a presentation, we were gone for about four hours. Emme stays in her crate easily all night. She also stays in it during the day when we leave the house to go out for a meal or to run errands. Usually those waits are only one to three hours. She handled four hours with no problem. She is learning her job, waiting, quite well.

Really Big Lovies

Can a lovie ever be too fluffy or too big? I guess the answer is "No." Yesterday I was in Canton and I stopped in at Marshalls to see what was on sale. I found two teddy bears on sale in the children's department that are incredibly fluffy and extremely huge. They were originally selling for $27.00 and had been marked down over and over until they were on sale for $5.00. I bought two identical bears (I have learned that lesson) and brought them home for Emme and Rudy. The bears are bigger than Emme and that doesn't matter a bit. Rudy is busy throwing his around the living room and Emme is trying to pull the fluff off hers thread by thread. They are in love.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Emme follows me like Mary's little lamb. We call this the "Velcro dog." If I go upstairs to sew, she is right beside me. If I am in the shower, she is next to the tub. When I am getting dressed, she is in the closet. When I lay down to read a book, she is cuddled up next to me on the couch. When I go to the laundry room to do a load of laundry, she is there tasting socks. When I cook, she is laying on the kitchen floor. When I am going to the bathroom, she pushes the door open to see what is happening. When I am in the living room, she is by my side. Last night I was cleaning up in the kitchen and neither dog was with me. How unusual. I looked all around and found both of them in the living room: Rudy lying in front of my chair and Emme sitting on my chair. I got so tickled, I had to go get the camera. I guess "Mary had a little lamb. Its fleece was white as snow. And everywhere that Mary went, that lamb was sure to go...usually."

Pup Cups

I use Kodak Gallery to store and share pictures over the Internet. I have many albums there: family celebrations, reunions, holidays, quilt guild activities, and of course pictures of Emme and Rudy. I read somewhere that if you don't order something from Kodak each year, they will wipe out your pictures. Sure enough, I checked their web site and it says that you must purchase something every twelve months for them to store your pictures. There is actually no minimum purchase; you can just by one print and that renews your storage space for another year. Last year for Ken's birthday I bought him a mug with Rudy's picture on it. So I decided to purchase a mug for myself with Emme's picture. I used the picture of Emme that Eric took in October. It is the one on the blog page with her tongue hanging out. It is my all time favorite. The mug got here last week and I have had my morning coffee from it a few times. Now Ken and I both have pup cups for our morning coffee and I have "rented" storage space from Kodak for another year.

I'm in Charge

Emme has recently taken charge of her schedule. Up until a week or so ago, I took her outside on a regular basis and Emme cooperated by doing her business in the back yard. Recently she has been asking to go outside herself and I couldn't be more delighted. She goes to the kitchen door and either looks expectantly out to the back yard or whines to go out. If she is in another room, she dashes to the door to let me know that she has to go outside. She even whines if she is on the second floor and we go downstairs and outside. None of this sounds like a problem. Whenever she asks to go outside, I take her and she does her business.

The problem comes in the early hours of the morning. Emme has started waking up at 3 or 4 o'clock to ask to go outside. She hasn't done this since the first week she came to live with us. Since that time, she has waited from the time we go to bed about 10 PM until I get up about 6 AM. No accidents, no problems. Now she is waking up during the night and whining to go outside. Since I am trying to teach her to whine to ask to go outside, I don't want to ignore this, so either Ken or I get up and take Emme outside. That means of course that Rudy wants to go outside also. They both do their business and then we put Emme back into her crate and she sleeps until I get her up at 6 or 6:30. I know that she has the physical capacity to hold it all night long, but I don't want her to get the idea that if she whines I might or might not take her outside. I am not crazy about getting up in the dark with a wind chill factor of -20. Should I get up or tell her to back to sleep at 3 AM? I wish I had all the answers. At this point, I am getting up and hoping that this is a passing phase and we will get back to sleeping through the night. Raising a puppy can sometimes be very challenging.

"Under" and "Behind"

For months I have been teasing Ken about Rudy's game of "Under." Rudy pushes a ball under the couch and then annoys Ken until he gets down on the floor to get the ball out again. Rudy is able to push the ball far enough under the couch that he cannot get it out and Ken often has to get the yardstick to push it out. It is so funny seeing both Ken and Rudy down on the floor in front of the couch trying to get a ball out.

Now it is payback time. Emme has discovered the game of "Under." She pushes her little fuzzy ping-pong sized ball in back of the lighted bookcase and it rolls under the bottom shelf from the back of the book case. Then she whines until someone (me) gets the yardstick and gets the ball out. There is a variation of this game that must be "Behind." She pushes the ball with her nose until it gets behind the speakers in the dining room. And then of course someone (me) must get up and get it out for her. I wonder who is training whom.

Last night, Emme and Rudy discovered a variation of Under. Emme got under the cabinet in the dining room and Rudy laid down in front of it with the little ball. Rudy then pushed the ball under the cabinet to Emme. Emme used her nose to push the ball back to Rudy. After Rudy chewed on the ball for a few minutes, the game continued: Rudy pushing the ball under the cabinet to Emme and Emme pushing the ball back out to Rudy. This is much better than having to go for the yardstick.

"On" or "Off"

Emme has two speeds: "on" or "off." She has never discovered "medium." If she had a dial with a scale, she would be either set at 1 or 100 per cent. She is a ball of energy or asleep. Last night we were riding in the car and she would be this wild thing for the first few miles: looking out the window, smelling the car, growling at pedestrians, licking my hands, and sniffing the window pane. A few miles into the ride, she would settle down and nap the rest of the ride. She is the same thing playing in the house: jumping on Rudy, chewing on a toy, barking to get up on our laps, chasing a ball, running around doing the "blitz," definitely "on." After a time of 100 per cent play, she lays down on her side, or sometimes on her back, and naps. All "on" or "off," no "medium."

Something's Clicked

Something has recently clicked into place for Emme in the last week. When she needs to go outside, she stands at the door to the porch and whines. She seems to know that this is an actual communication. Actually it can mean "I need to go outside and do my business" or it may mean "I want to go outside and eat snow" but either way she has learned that whining at the door means "Go outside." So, I take off my shoes, put on my boots, check my pockets for tissues in case there are doodles in the plan, put on my red LL Bean coat, snap up the front, flip up the hood, put the collar and leash on Emme, put on my gloves, flip on the outside light if it is dark, go out on the porch, sweep the back steps if we have had more snow, and go outside into the 13 degree weather. Sometimes this is for real business. Sometimes this is just for Emme to push snow around with her nose. Either way, I am glad to do it, because Emme has learned how to ask to go outside. Up to this time, I have taken her out regularly on my schedule and usually when I have her outside, she has done something. Now she is initiating the activity. This is a major break and I couldn't be happier.

On Guard

Emme has discovered that the back of the couch in the living room is the best place to guard the house. She jumps up on her perch and lets us know if anyone is walking on the sidewalk, if anyone is driving on the street, if anyone is out in their yard or if there are golfers on the golf course. Of course when she barks, Rudy has to join in. It doesn't matter that he doesn't know what he is barking about. If it is good enough for Emme to bark, it is good enough for Rudy to bark. No one is going to sneak up on us.

26 Foot Leash

Recently I went to the pet store and bought a retractable 26 foot leash for Emme. She is fascinated with the snow and loves to run in the back yard and I don't want her out there without a leash. Each morning Ken goes out to play fetch with Rudy and recently he has been taking Emme out on the long leash to play fetch. She is so excited when he is outside with Rudy that she sits in the kitchen by the back door and watches them and whines. When it is her turn, she wags her tail and her entire body and dashes outside. Ken throws a little ball for her and she runs to fetch it. She does grab it up in her mouth and begin running, but not to Ken. Every time, she dashes toward the porch. She is going to take that ball inside and keep it forever. Ken is trying to teach her that part of the game of fetch is returning to the person and giving back the ball. She hasn't gotten that part of it yet, but she loves to go outside to play on the long leash.

Almost Double Digits

We stopped at the vets Friday to get more medications for the dogs: Frontline for Emme and 3-V caps and Levothyroxin for Rudy. While we were there, I asked them to weigh Emme because she had not been weighted for a while. She weighed 9.6 pounds: almost double digits. She is really growing up. She should be nearing her adult weight at this time. She should be at the end of losing her puppy teeth and should be getting her adult coat soon. She seems to have thicker fur, but it is still so touchable. I don't think that will change. In one of the books I read, it said that a seven month Bichon will have the adult look. She is nearing seven months and is a cute as she can be. I wouldn't mind if she looked this way forever.

"Woof" means ...

Emme has discovered that she can bark, "Woof," or whine and that somehow those sounds have meaning. The trouble is that we don't know what the meaning is. Sometimes I am sure Woof or whine means "I need to go outside and do my business, now." Other times it means "Pick me up and cuddle me" or "I am hungry and I want to eat." Other times it means "I am bored and I need someone to play with." I know that sometimes it means "We are out of water" and sometimes "We need treats." Other times it means "I want to go outside and eat snow." "There are people walking on the sidewalk." "The phone is ringing." "The mail is here."

As soon as we get smarter and figure out what Emme means, we'll have this communication problem all worked out.

Piece of my Heart

When we were considering getting Emme, I was unsure how well Ken would like her. She is SO different from Rudy. Rudy is truly a "man's dog" low maintenance coat, active, big, and strong. Emme is certainly a "frou-frou" dog: small, high maintenance coat, small, and cute. I never should have given it a thought; Ken has fallen for this little puppy, hook-line-and-sinker. She certainly has a piece of his heart. The first thing Emme wants to do in the morning, after she had gone outside to do her business, is to cuddle up with "Hans" for a morning massage. Ken sits down on the dining room floor and lets a cold, often wet puppy into his lap and the two of them start the day. After breakfast, Emme wants to climb onto his lap and be cuddled inside his robe. She dashes into his office during the day to sit on his lap as he works on the computer. When Ken is outside playing with Rudy, Emme sits in the kitchen looking out the window and whines to go outside with Ken. She lays next to him on the couch when he is reading and falls asleep on his legs while he is watching TV and Ken loves every minute of it. When it is time to go outside, Ken puts her little pink collar and leash on her and takes her out. When I am gone for the day, he puts Emme up on the dryer and combs her fur so she doesn't get tangles. When he gives Rudy medicine wrapped in a piece of bread, he also gives Emme a small bite of bread as well. He picks her up and rocks her and talks to her throughout the day. And he loves to rub her fur. One day, out of the blue, he said, "I am glad we got this puppy." I think it is mutual admiration.

Andy Rooney Eyebrows

I am getting better at cutting the hair that hangs down over Emme's eyes. She has such a wonderful, full coat and it grows quickly. I love the fur on her body because it is so silky and touchable, but I don't like the hair that grows over her eyes. She has such expressive dark eyes and I don't like to see them covered with hair. When she is first home from the groomer, her face seems to be all eyes. As the weeks pass, however, the hair above her eyes grows like mad. She looks like she has Andy Rooney eyebrows that hang down to cover her eyes.

It scares me to try to trim around her face, because she is so wiggly. When we first got Emme, I went to Sally Beauty Supply and bought a pair of scissors for trimming. Although they are called "blunt tipped" they look like lethal weapons to me. I absolutely was not comfortable trimming Emme's face with these. Next I bought a smaller pair of sewing scissors and although they were better, they were still too big and too pointed for my liking. A few weeks ago, I went to the kid's craft department in Joann Fabrics and bought a short, really blunt tipped pair of children's scissors. I figured that if they cut paper, they should cut puppy hair. The blades are short and very rounded and I am more comfortable using them. I still don't like cutting the hair around Emme's eyes, but I am more comfortable as time goes on. The older and quieter Emme gets and the more confident I get, the easier it will be.

Two Meals a Day

Emme is now eating two meals a day, instead of her puppy three meals. I think that puppies are given smaller meals more often because their stomachs are small and cannot hold half their daily food at one time. Up to this time, Emme has been eating in the early morning, after our lunch and about 4 PM. She is a good eater, but inconsistent in the amount that she eats in any one meal. We have started giving her two meals a day and that seems to be okay with her. She is on the same meal schedule that Rudy is: once in the early morning and once before out dinner. Each week she grows more cleaver and more knowledgeable. She has learned many things and has many more to learn. I am pleased that she is growing up, but I would hate to lose all her puppy charm. I don't want her to grow up too fast. One of the characteristics that drew me to a Bichon is their reputation for keeping that puppy playfulness and curiosity all through their adult lives. I hope that is true, because she is just so much fun to watch and to live with.

Without a Leash

Yesterday we celebrated Chet and Leota's 50th wedding anniversary and the dogs were not invited. They stayed home in Wooster in their crates while we celebrated. Ken and I drove separately because after dinner he was transportation to the airport for some of the relatives, so when the celebration was over, I drove home to Wooster. The dogs had been in their crates for a little over four hours and were eager to go outside when I got home. Usually when I take both dogs outside, I put the collar and leash on Rudy first because he gets right down to business and I have Emme wait on the porch. I take Rudy outside and when he is done, I return Rudy to the porch, take off his collar and leash and then put the collar and leash on Emme to take her outside. Yesterday, as I opened the door to take Rudy out, Emme dashed out the door. She had on no leash or collar and I was terrified that it would be the last time I ever saw her. I was afraid that she would run away and I would never be able to catch her. She ran to the edge of the house, squatted down and did her business. I called, "Good girl. Good hurry up. Come. Let's get a treat." She quickly ran straight back to the porch, dashed up the stairs and was ready for that treat. I was just lucky. The combination of having to go really bad and being eager to get a "good girl treat" saved me. I have learned my lesson. From now on, I will put the leash on both dogs before I let one out the door. I never want Emme outside without a leash until I know she is absolutely trained and will not leave the yard. A scary lesson.