Author Archive: Helen

Today I stuffed Kongs for a while. OK, a long while. Through three NPR shows. I used macaroni, cheese, shredded apple, pine nuts, marshmallows, bananas, and peanut butter. I now have a chest freezer full of stuffed Kongs waiting for next week. Now that the storm, Fay, passed us, I feel safer doing that. I didn’t want to risk the electricity going out last week and having to pull out loads of melting Kongs and saying, “OK everybody, eat! Eat! Eat!” Especially if in the dark. Not that anyone would mind. The FDSP would go for a good stuffed Kong anytime of day or night.

Raven’s signed up for Agility class basics. The class starts in September. Tonight I tried something new with the little temper-tantrum throwing beast. As usual, as I was serving dinners, she spat and barked and drooled and barked all over her crate. She calms herself down and huffs and puffs when I’m delivering dinners to dogs close to her, but as soon as I move into another area, she throws a bigger fit. She hasn’t learned patience yet. No, she hasn’t. That’s why she usually gets her dinner last. By the time I’m done, and standing nearby, she can hold it in long enough for me to give in and feed her.

But tonight, after everyone else got fed, and she was still blowing off steam, I opened her crate door. She wouldn’t come out. She stared at me with that “Well, serve me my dinner” look. Uh huh. I surprised her with a leash hooked onto her collar. I walked her out of the crate and brought her to the room where her bowl was waiting for her. Full and smelling good. It was on one side of the room across from the entrance where we were standing.

I put the little beast on a sit stay, and Lord Almighty, she was PERFECT! She sat and stayed and looked so saintly just waiting for me to give the OK and unleash her, so she could dive into her meal. Wow! And did she ever. She’s definitely as passionate about eating as she is about playing.

She’s also an enigma in fur.

Raven

Jet Update

Remember Jet? The portly senior gal? Her family sent an update today and a link to their blog and news that Jet has lost 10+ pounds. Please be sure to visit Jet’s blog and see how wonderfully she’s doing. She’s a gal after my Luigi’s heart – Jet likes sucking on pillows, too! What a gal.

Here’s the note from Jet’s mom:

Everyone loves her. Even people who say they thought they’d hate dobermans. They never met one up close.

We have a few more posts today!

linae.blogspot.com

To answer a couple of questions…we don’t have Jet on any pain meds! We gave her some baby aspirin when she was limping for a week but after that, she totally came around. It’s just her weight loss. She now JUMPS on the futon, can almost jump onto the king sized bed, and almost-kinda-maybe wants to chase squirrels. Chase is a strong word but Joe is trying to teach her “chase” to give her more exercise. She can run full out for about 50 ft. Very cool! We’re scheduling a vet/dental day in September. I’m trying to decide between my old vet and a more holistic vet who worked at the same aquarium where I was a dolphin trainer. Tough call as far as the vets go but we’re really choosing between a 9 or 9..5 on a scale of 10. I just have to say, Jet is blossoming. She has always been a gorgeous dog but with her new
waistline coming in, she’s a very striking dobergirl! No one can believe she’s 10.

Linae

General

Power-hungry Texas Police Officer Stands in Way of Saving Pet’s Life

“The couple pleaded with Stephens to allow them to get the dog to the clinic and then turn themselves in later, or to let Gonzales stay and get his speeding ticket while Hernandez completed the trip alone. Instead, they were kept at the scene for almost 20 minutes waiting for Stephens to issue the ticket as he chatted with two other officers who arrived.”

The dog died.

See the story here.

Sign the petition to fire this power-hungry, liar and leave your comments here.

I did:

This cop not only has no empathy, which is something I would expect every law enforcement officer TO HAVE, but he lies to cover his behind by saying the dog was already dead. He is a psychopath not a veterinarian. Who is he to say the dog was dead? And who is he to stand in the way of getting that dog help. The owners of the dog gave him every chance to help them and cite them later. This man should not only be fired, but should spend some time in jail!

News

If I Didn’t Have a Dog…

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn’t sound like a kennel.

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money – and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with six veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.

My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E- E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E.

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside or hairs on my clothes.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I’d look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading ‘mud’ season.

I would not have to answer the question ‘Why do you have so many animals?’ from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!

Email Tidbits

Chai and Four Paws

Please take a few minutes to click on this link and read the blog entry about Chai and the Four Paws’ Pimple Ball with Bell that absolutely needs to be taken off the market. Because of the response Four Paws has given the owner of Chai, I have little interest in purchasing any of their products ever. Please read to the end of the Chai blog entry and take a few moments to write to the company as the blogger requested.

I did:

Mr. Allen Simon,

I read the blog entry about a dog who’s lost its tongue because of the pimple ball Four Paws manufacturers and distributes. That you and the company have not removed this product from shelves and discontinued making it is despicable. I will boycott Four Paws until this horrible product – pimple ball with bell – is removed from shelves and you have stopped producing it. Have you no conscious?

I’m forwarding this story to everyone I know and also posting a link to it from my blog.

Helen Verte

—
Every dog should have a tail AND A TONGUE!
www.dobermannpinscher.org

News, Toys