Randomess Squared

I have been even more random than usual.

I have been thinking a lot about racism, sexism, and all that other crap.

I just don't get it. Yes, I understand the why - because many people keep themselves separate from people not like them. But the time is past for tolerance of that sort of garbage. I am making a pact with myself to no longer tolerate it. There have been times when I turned a deaf ear because someone was elderly, or a patron, or something else.

I am going to be deaf no longer.

I want those people to know it is not acceptable.

I am going to write letters. Make phone calls. Those are the easy things.

The hard thing is to politely tell an elderly patron that I find it offensive she is making an unacceptable comment about a racial group.

Or the elderly man that I do not care to hear his comments on why women should never be in the army.

I have yet to come up with a good overall strategy for this.

So if anyone has any suggestions, feel free.

I have been thinking a lot about death.

Probably because of Magic.

I don't know if there is a heaven or not. I lean toward the "when we are dead , we are dead" theory. Or, whatever we transform into is not "us" but either becomes part of something larger, or something else entirely. I like the idea of reincarnation. I have theories. But truly, we will not know what happens after we die, until we ourselves are dead.

I know that if heaven doesn't allow pets, I am absolutely not going.

I have been thinking about extra senses.

I think we have them.

I don't know if some people have them more strongly than others. I think nearly everyone has "something" I do think they are leftover from a time when we needed more than just our five senses to survive. I also think that someday what we now view as psychic or extraordinary phenomenon will be explained by science. Why, after all, does tarot work? What about things people have seen that can't be explained? Or felt? Or known? I have personally had all these experiences, and I am a realistic person. Although I have an excellent imagination, I tend to be a sceptic more than a believer. There are some things I have personally experienced that can't be explained away by coincidence.

I have been also thinking about projects.

We have a lot of them this spring. Fix the wet floor in our house. New floors in the utility room. Clean the carpeting. New doors, front and back. Build a fence in the back yard. Clean up the flowerbeds. There is a lot to do this year. I am ready.

I am also thinking of starting a daily blog when we start getting information about our new puppy.

With pictures.

About getting ready for a new dog.

Mistakes we make, and mistakes we made in the past.

Maybe even blog about our other dogs.

It might be fun.

If anyone has any suggestions or comments, feel free.

Fun Home Projects You can Do......

So, this is what happens when the hot water leaks under the house.

Actually, even more of the floor will have to be cut away and replaced, but we have to live here while everything is drying out. Fun, huh?

Nemo Doesn't think so.

During they day when we're at work we have to put boards over the hole so Nemo can get in and out and walk around. If it was just the living room (right picture) we could just lock him in the utility room - but he has to go in and out through the utility room.

All the insulation will have to be replaced too.

We are just lucky that TS can do all the repairs himself, and not call in someone. But, I get to get rid of the ugly vinyl floor in the utility room.

And a new back door.

So, it's not all bad.

Just a pain in the neck, and the back, and the shoulder for Ken, until it gets done.

Let's Just Forget April, Okay?

This has been a horrible month so far. I want to skip to the end of all this heartache.

Magic died. I had the flu. Our floor in the living room and utility room is wavy like the ocean, probably because of a water leak.

Our Nephew broke his back racing his motorcycle. Luckily he will be okay, but it was very scary.

Upheaval and tension at work, with people quitting like rats jumping off a ship. Okay, most of them are because of other things, but it doesn't seem that way.

The shootings at Virginia Tech by a mentally disturbed guy. 33 people dead, because nobody was able to help that kid with whatever was wrong with him.

I am not one of those people who think guns should be completely banned. I grew up with a dad who hunted, who had a veritable arsenal, and who kept a loaded pistol in the bottom drawer of his dresser. Yes, we knew about it. We also knew if we touched it without meaning it, we would wish we were dead. If the house was being broken into, we were instructed to shoot to kill. (Yeah, RIGHT!)

It is unlikely that I will ever have a weapon in my house. I don't hunt, and it is highly improbable, barring total apocalypse, that I ever will. TS does not hunt.

OOps, almost got on the soap box, climbing down now.

A terrible week. A not-so fabulous month.

Let's just skip the rest of April, and go directly to May. The end of May. Maybe June.

Hopefully by then the floor will be fixed. Our nephew will be fixed. The worst of the horror at the VT massacre will be over. Maybe they will be able to help the next potential killer, if they can figure out why that guy snapped.

The weather will be good (we hope) and who knows, maybe by then, all things going well, we will be preparing for the arrival of a new puppy, that will help fill the empty spot where Magic was. Never replace - but will be loved for its own self.

I can hope, can't I?

We need some good news. So, on to June, Okay?

Rest in Peace, Magic Man

We had to euthanize our dog Magic Man this week. I woke up Tuesday morning, and felt horrible. I decided to feed the dogs before I called in sick, so I could go back to bed, and not get pestered.

Magic didn't eat. Not only did he not eat, he threw up his cheese.I immediately woke up TS, and told him we needed to get Magic into the vet right away, something was wrong. He got up and showered while I called in to work, and then while I was in the shower he called the vet and told them we were coming in. When we got there, I went in and filled out paperwork, and TS took Magic outside so he could pee. Magic collapsed in the parking lot, and had to be brought in on a gurney. I knew then it was bad, but hoped he was just dehydrated because of a lack of fluids.

The vet techs took him in back, and showed us into a room. A bit later one of the techs came in, and said that after they started him on an IV he was much better. His gums had been pale, but pinked up. His tail was wagging, as usual. X-rays would be taken.We were thinking it was another obstruction, but we couldn't figure out what he could have possibly eaten.

Yes, he had eaten a few things in the recent past, but nothing lately. We had been vigilant since the sock incident. Buying a covered hamper, since we thought that he'd purloined the last socks from a full hamper. Getting a bathroom garbage can with a step-opening cover. Making sure tempting items were thrown away, put away, or well out of reach (in Magic's case this meant the top of the armoire, or entertainment center). Finally the doctor came in and told us she thought there was another obstruction. She showed us the x-rays, and said it was concerning, because the only clear soft-tissue picture in his abdomen was his kidneys. The intestines were unclear. But there were lots of gas bubbles (which by this time we knew meant blockage). She asked us if we would like the radiologist to take a look, although it would take longer. Of course, we said. The radiologist wanted to take more pictures. The doctor told us it might be awhile, since Magic was groggy from the pain medication they'd given him, and we should go. Because of his previous surgeries and problems, they wanted the board-certified soft tissue surgeon to preform the surgery. We said, fine. Paid for the surgery. Left.

A few hours later, I got a call. Yes, I was still sick as a dog, and worried about my dog. The news was worse than even my imagination. Magic did not have a blockage. The vet felt he had not healed properly after the second surgery. His intestines were stuck together, adhesions had apparently blocked the flow of blood, and now his intestines were dying. Parts were dead. They felt other organs could even be involved, but there was no way to know for sure, because they couldn't see anything. He was bleeding internally. The radiologist felt there was no possible hope. The surgeon was ready to go, but they had to go right then. Everyone made it clear he didn't have much of a chance, that probably the surgeon would be calling us from the operating table. I told them I had to talk to TS, but I would get right back to them.

I was in shock. This couldn't be happening. I talked to him, and he called them back, to make sure I didn't miss anything. He asked if, on the slight chance they could save him, if Magic would heal correctly. The vet said there was no way to know for sure - but it was likely, with his past history he would have the same, or similar issues. So even if they operated and as unlikely as it seemed, saves him, he might go through this again.

TS came home, and we talked it over. Initially, I wanted to do the surgery. I did NOT want to make the decision to let my boy go without fighting until the end, no matter what. But as we talked, I remembered the discussion we'd had after Magi's second surgery, when things looked grim. How I'd felt I would probably not want to put him through a third surgery, without being certain they could fix him. How bad I'd feel if he died on a cold operating table, surrounded by people who didn't love him. Or worse yet, come through this surgery and then have the same thing happen again, after he had seemingly recovered - when he really wasn't. We decided to let him go.

It was the hardest decision I have had to make. Yeah, maybe I'm lucky in that respect, but I don't feel lucky.

He wagged his tail when they brought him in, even though he was groggy, and in pain, even with the morphine.

We spent some time with him. The tech who came in to give us our refund for the surgery Magi wasn't having was crying, and apologized. I told her it was okay, I appreciated the fact she cared. It was a very peaceful ending. His head was in my lap. After it was over, he didn't look like my Magic anymore. Magic was gone.

The worst things about it were that there was no obvious sign of any problem. After his surgery, he was back to normal within a week. We followed all the instructions the vet had given us. He was eating normally, playing, digging, being his normal merry self. We played fetch the night before, and he had a great time, shaking his head as he brought back "Grunter" his rubber ball with feet and devil ears.

There were a few things that made me wonder if all was well, but nothing that made even paranoid me call the vet. Nothing abnormal, for a dog. Eating grass - so was Nemo. (So have every single one of our dogs - sick or well.) No diarrhea, which would have sent me to the phone immediately. Maybe the occasional soft stool, but then they would be fine. Nothing that couldn't be blamed on a sneaked french fry, or his still-tender system adjusting to a foot less of intestine. Not laying the same way he did pre-surgery. I think I even asked the vet who took his stitches out about that. She said he might be a little tender for awhile, things were still healing.

It was shocking to loose him so suddenly, and so young. I am having a very hard time. I know I will be okay, but it's so sad. He was such a lover. Such a sweet, merry, fun dog. He loved everyone, and everyone loved him back. I miss him jumping on the bed when the alarm goes off. I miss him coming over and just laying his head on my leg for a minute. Hugging him. The glint in his eye when he got something forbidden. His little "oof" when he lay his head down on my foot. His excitement when he saw something new. His lack of fear of the vacuum cleaner; he thought it was the Best Toy Ever. Watching him and Nemo play in the snow. His joy when we brought home a new toy. And of course, his gusto for food. His doggy kisses, even the slobbery ones, that grossed me out and made me laugh at the same time. His big old feet, and his soft nose. He is the fourth animal we have lost in a year. Cocoa to the wild, Suzie to cancer, Kiel to diabetes, and now Magic. I am so sad.

15 Things We Learned about Puppies & Dogs

This is in memory of our Magic Man. Born August 31, 2006, died April 11, 2007.

And all the other dogs we've had over the years.

1. Never punish your dog for something you didn't see him do.
They don't really "get" that you are yelling at them about what they did. If you feel the need to be mad, stomp around and yell things like "WHO did this bad thing!" They will get the idea you aren't happy, but you won't end up with a dog that cringes when you yell.
I remember yelling at poor Toby for a lot of stuff. He did a lot of bad stuff, but he really didn't understand why I was so mad at him. He was

2. Never rub your dogs nose in his mistakes, or hit him with a newspaper, or hit him for any reason when potty training. (Never hit your dog, period.)
The only time it's okay to yell at your dog when potty training is if you catch him in the act of going potty. Then say "NO", and take him outside right away, and praise, praise praise. There are lots of great places that offer puppy kindergarten classes that will help you potty train your puppy in ways that make your life easier, and are effective and KIND.

3. Gentle training is better than strict training.
You want to make obedience fun, not a time of punishment. All the dogs we trained this way were much better behaved, and faster to learn. The old school obedience training involved mean corrections that were not necessary.

4. Training your puppy when he's young is the best.
Don't wait until you have a problem dog, start training right away. Puppies are so eager to learn, and eager to please - it is so easy to do and doesn't take much time. (Sorry Toby) Training is like a game to them. With treats.

5. Never give your dogs toys that are a.) small enough to fit completely into his mouth or b.) look like anything you don't want him to destroy.
This includes shoe shaped toys, stuffed toys (especially if you have kids) (we don't so our dogs sometimes get stuffed toys). Some dogs, like our Suzie, could not have toys with squeakers. She would rip the toy apart immediately to get at the squeaker. We also don't give rawhide toys. Our Nemo as a puppy felt that rawhide was the same as leather. Which led to the destruction of a few pairs of leather shoes, the leather around the tops of three pairs of tennis shoes, a leather belt (complete except for the buckle) and a couch cushion. I am missing a few things.
We have never given socks, except for possibly to Toby and Tasha, who were smaller dogs. Big mistake, Tasha was a clothes thief. Tasha used to steal clothing out of the dryer and bury it. Toys that fit in a dogs mouth can be swallowed. Don't give tennis balls to dogs that can swallow them. There are over sized tennis balls for this. I am very leery of nylabones, greenies, or anything like that. Our dogs jaws are too powerful. They can eat things that will really hurt them. They find enough stuff on their own, don't let toys be a part of it.

6. Start grooming your dog once a week when he's very young.
It's especially easy not to worry about short haired dogs. If you groom them once a week you can keep an eye on any skin problems, or hurt places, in addition to having your dogs used to grooming tools, and not thinking they are toys (Magic) or Items That Might Hurt Them (Nemo).
Toby, the Cocker Spaniel hated to have his feet touched. Suzie was always Very Concerned about the toenail clippers (although she would allow them to be clipped).

7. Take your dog many places when he's young. Introduce him to lots of people, and other dogs. Socialize, socialize, socialize.
This should almost be number one. It's true that every dog has a personality. Toby could be nice, but he was stubborn, and had the Cocker rage problem. Tasha was very, very smart, and very good. Both of them could have been much better dogs (with reservations) if we had been better at socializing them. Toby was good with people, but bad with other dogs. Tasha was actually good with everyone. Suzie was an angel dog. In spite of her breeds (Rottie/GSD) she loved other dogs. People - it took her a few years with us, but she gradually lost her suspicion of people she didn't know, and became a people-lover. Nemo has always been shy, and because of his hip displaysia we didn't socialize him as much as we should have - so he is very reserved. If he knows you, he loves you. If he doesn't know you - you must be a little spooky. Magic - loved everyone. Everyone loved him. Part of all these things was personality - part of it was socialization. Do it.

8. Crate Training is Good
While I am not a fan of keeping dogs in their crates all day, except when they eat or exercise, or go potty, I also feel they have a place in training. During the first few days of being in a new place, they are good. I also think that our next dog may be more crated than our other dogs. Just because it's an easy way to transport them.

9. Pay Attention to What you feed your dogs.
We have always fed our dogs good food. We also don't give them people food. People food is not good for dogs. Toby and Tasha probably got the most people food of all our dogs. Suzie got some, but then when Nemo came along, we gave him very little, and Magic got only a few things, mainly cheese, because we give Nemo cheese in the morning for his glucosamine. Listen to your breeder. Pay attention to your dog. Some dogs need special food, some don't. More expensive is not always better.

10. A skinny dog is better than a fat dog.
Of course, this goes for people too. But we learned the hard way with Suzie. When she was 11 we had to put her on a strict diet, because she was too fat. Her hips started going, and she could barely get up and down. After she lost 35 lbs, she was a different dog. Getting up and down was easy. She became more lively again, and more playful. It gave her several more years of life. So, now we keep our dogs on the lean side. (If only we could do the same for ourselves...)

11. Always remember that 30 lb puppy is going to be a 160 lb. dog.

Since we have big dogs, especially we remember this. A cute little puppy jumping on your head is cute, maybe a little funny. A 160 lb. dog (or in Nemo's case, 200 lb. dog) could be life-threatening. A small dog can still be a pain in many places - a two pound puppy might be a 20 lb dog. So keep that in mind when you are playing.

12. Don't let your dog be the boss.

Don't let your dog get away with dominate behavior. Our dogs nearly always are required to sit before they are fed, before they are let out into the field for a supervised run, for pretty much any fun thing. Even if they con you into giving them treats, make them sit before you give it to them. If you let dogs on the furniture, bed or anywhere else, they have to yield to humans. Nemo's "safe spot" is the couch, but sometimes we make him get off for us. He pouts, but even though he sighs and whines, he knows that we are the boss. If your dog ever snaps at you, or anyone else, seek professional help. Obedience training is very important.

13. Don't put your dog a losing situation.

Don't put a shy dog into a room with 20 screaming kids. Don't put an aggressive dog into a dog park without a leash. Don't corner a fearful dog. Be smart about your dog. Don't leave a dog that isn't used to kids with children. Don't let a small kid walk a large dog unsupervised. Don't walk a cat-hating dog without a leash in a neighborhood with cats. Forcing the issue is just going to make it worse. Nemo is a very shy and timid dog. As long as he feels he can flee if things get too bad, he's okay. Suzie was very wary of people she didn't know. We were very careful about introducing her to people. Gradually she got over that. But we were always aware that with her looks, it was better to be safe. Use common sense. Most problems can be overcome with training, but don't put your dog into situations that he could fail.

14. Keep your dog fenced.

Dogs , unless they are in the middle of nowhere USA, should never be allowed to run free. It's dangerous for them, and dangerous for other people. Dogs as a pack may do things a single dog would never do. Get hit by cars. Get lost during storms. It's just a bad idea. A fenced yard is the best. Some people say dogs should not be allowed out unsupervised even in a fenced yard - I mostly disagree with this. We have a dog door, and it works great. Our dogs have a small run, but also a big field to run in (supervised, since it's not entirely fenced). But we would never allow our dogs out of our yard without a leash. It's just not smart. Dangerous for the dog. UNLESS your dog is trained in off-leash healing. But, even the most highly trained dog will be tempted by things. Cats, say. Or squirrels. Someone with a treat. A dog across the street he's friends with.

15. Sometimes it's kinder to let them go.

All of our dogs, except Nemo, had to be euthanized. We know his time will come someday. It's a hard choice, but don't keep your dog (or cat, or llama) alive for you. Of course, the hope is that you will wake up and they will have died peacefully in their sleep. (I hope this for all my pets, but it rarely happens....) Sometimes, like with Magic, it is a very hard decision. Sometimes, like with Suzie - who had mouth cancer, it's not as hard.

Even when you are prepared, it's still not easy. But as a caretaker, sometimes it's the kindest choice to make.