Doberkids

J and J Dog Supplies

Tonight is the last night – like 2 more hours – of the FREEDOM sale at JandJ Dog Supplies. They have a few items that are on sale for 10% off. JandJ is a dog obedience retailer that shows up at some specialty dog shows, not in my area, but you can also buy their wonderful stuff on-line. This weekend, they had the utility articles on sale. I need them because I haven’t got any except in storage, and I can’t find where I packed them. Besides that, they are 20+ years old and not even sure if they are not crumbled up or not. So tonight, I bought a new 12-piece set. That is 6 leather and 6 metal scent articles for 10% off. You can see them here, if you’re not familiar with scent articles. Well, the dog learns to scent discriminate with sniffing these beauties.

Raven!  Get off that table now!

Besides that, I got 6 boxes of OBEY treats. If you buy 6 of most of their items, you get a better deal. Six boxes of OBEY treats is a good thing. I’m going to give Raven a box a night for dinner for 6 nights to see if they live up to their name. Hmmm.

Helen

Red Dandruff on my Pine Tree

Red Dandruff Flakes from the Pine Tree Even on my chair?

I’d been noticing some red flaking under my pine tree, on the dog wash table, for weeks. I’d been thinking it was from some squirrels eating something that made a mess. Cleaning didn’t help. The specks were always there. Today, I stopped looking up the tree, and instead peeked in front of me.

Pine tree fuzz Trunk muck

Sure enough, the trunk itself was full of red fuzzy stuff that turned into Pine Tree Dandruff (PTD) when it fell. I have another pine tree which isn’t exhibiting this strange phenomenon. But that one is healthy. This one is in a weakened state to start off with. Eeegads!

Eeek!Sweet Potato bites

Did I stroll out to see the squash and pumpkin vines this morning? No. I ran. And there was no miracle. The “bug” these plants have is going strong, and to make matters worse, one of my sweet potato vines now has holes in it.

Baby’s disgusted with this mess

Baby’s pretty much disgusted with this mess, too. She was looking forward to the squash fest we were going to have. Not to mention the Great Pumpkin pumpkin patch for the fall. Shoot! The good news is the T-touching, essential oils, Wobenzym, Platinum Performance Plus, and the massaging I’ve been doing has helped Baby’s old rickety body (don’t tell her I said that) come around. She was back to wanting to stay outside to look for varmints this morning, and last night she sprung on the bed like a kangaroo. I swear! That was a big difference from the previous two nights in which I had to lift her. I wonder if she could smell any lingering cat aroma in the garden from the cat visit from last night.

Meanwhile, I sent pictures of both these problems to some extension departments. For some reason, my local extension department no longer lists e-mail addresses, and only has a form to fill out on the website, which you cannot attach pictures to. However, even before this deterrent, I found that above all, the Lee county extension department rules in South Florida. They are the most responsive and friendly of all that I’ve e-mailed in the past. So now I wait for an answer or two from those I did e-mail.

When I planted my vegetable garden, I was happy for rain storms. Now I’ll have to go back to that dredded, “Oh shoot. This rain just means I’ll have more weeds to mow” state of mind. Yep. The perspective shift has started.

I think I have a toothache, but I’m trying to think otherwise.

Helen

Goodnight Pumpkin and Squash

I let the FDSP out and everyone did or didn’t do their last-outing-for-the-day jobs. I’d gone outside rather cranky. I was doing research on why my squash suddenly woke up nearly dead. I got really irritated when I read this excerpt from an article you can see in its entirety by clicking here.

“What makes vine decline so bad is that it comes with little warning — and after growers have spent a lot of money to care for their crops. Vines wilt, leaves appear scorched, and fruit rots. All this can happen in a week.

The cucurbit leaf crumple virus blotches leaves and weakens the plants, and the cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus slows plant growth.”

Maybe one of those three viruses unique to South Florida is what is getting my squash, but I’m not convinced. What I am convinced of, this thing is bigger than me, and I am in no position to stop it. Almost all my squash and pumpkin vines are nearly deteriorated or on their way. It’s very disheartening to watch, so I came inside and said, “God and Goddess, this is bigger than I am, so I’m releasing it to You.” I feel better now. I also copied this link here so you can click on it to see what ominous squash news is there if you want, but I’m through trying to figure this out. I am. I still have my sweet potatoes and corn, and unfortunately, I have some new pumpkin vines popping out of the ground, which I must not get hopeful about. Why should I? So my hopes and me can just fall flat down on our faces when we wake up one morning to a vine full of death when the day before they were looking lively and perky? Not gonna fall for that one a second time.

Meanwhile, I saw something on top of the storage shed as I was going back inside with the family. I thought it was a possum. I put all inside, and took a closer look. No, not a possum. It was a possum looking cat. Maybe that’s the creature that’s run through my garden and smooshed my chamomile. Mother Nature’s set it up, I believe, where you choose. Are you a bigger plant or animal lover? I’ve had plenty of plants demolished by the dogs. I still have my dogs. So I’m on the animal side of the equation. And if that cat is there to undo the rats, that’s OK with me. I know there is another rat around. I found its poop in my shed! I have 3 set traps in there.

We’ve had some nice rains today, and the mosquitoes have had their fill. So not only am I cranky, but I’m itchy from all the mosquito bites. I need to make an essential oil insect repellent. That is made with drops of several varieties of oils and distilled water. Citronella is one of them. Eucalyptus may be another. There’s one I can’t remember because I can’t spell it. So that’s the recipe! Bahahahaha! I’ll have to look through my notes once I get over this demise-of-my-squash-and-pumpkin day and get uncranky.

I did make an olive oil and essential peppermint oil mixture and rubbed it into Baby’s sore spots and massaged her back. She liked it, and the rest of the FDSP were interested in the goings-on. More or less, they all seemed OK with the massage idea, and if it had to include “smelly stuff,” they’d sacrifice to get a doggy massage.

I don’t expect to have much left on the vines of the squash and pumpkin when I take my morning walk to have a look-see tomorrow. Maybe I shouldn’t even do the look-see part. If not for wanting to take more pictures, probably I wouldn’t be compelled.

Helen

Macho Macho Mann! I want to be a Macho Mann!

Macho macho mann!  I want to be a macho mann!

What can I say? He’s a Frenchmann. He’s a French Dobermann. He’s Bouchard, the macho Dobermann doing his morning exercise routine. Push-ups first.

Streeeeeeeeetch!

Rolling and stretching last. What exercises he performs in the middle of his routine are classified as highly confidential.

Helen

T-TOUCH DAY!

June 28, 2008
Weee…here we go again!

Here we go to the T-touch seminar. Baby is ready to take her trip. She’s the best back seat driver there is! If there is a squirrel, dog, cat, or any kind of varmint in the vicinity, she will let me know by barking. Sometimes, I get the full effect of it right in my ear if everything’s timed right. She’s a gem, I tell you. An absolute gem!

I’m here!

“We’re here! Let me out!” Baby is anxious to get started and see what’s going on in the midst of all this activity she’s seeing. “Is that a Pomeranian I see? Let me out!”

Karin from the Netherlands and Deirdre from England, our TTouch instructors

Here are the instructors, Karin and Deirdre. The stuffed dogs are their demonstration dogs. Karin is from the Netherlands and Deirdre is from England. They were both impressed with Baby’s all naturalness. Of course, Baby’s lovely personality and beautiful face were also awe inspiring (and “Ahhh” inspiring. She’s so cute!). 🙂

Baby needed to be touched in two places to be quiet.

Baby wouldn’t hush up if I wasn’t petting her, but my arms got tired. I put both of my feet around her, and that seemed to keep her quiet. One of the T-Touch principles is that you have two points with which you put pressure on the dog and that makes them feel comfortable. Maybe they have something right with that idea!

Baby meeting Deirdre

Here is Baby wearing her back leg ankle bands. One is black and one is white. They didn’t have a matching set. These are supposed to make her feel her backside again being she has pretty bad arthritis, the musculature in her back end is wearing down, and she doesn’t feel it. The ankle bands are supposed to draw attention to her that she has those back legs and needs to start using them again. We also were visited, during a break, by a participant who is a canine physical therapist. She said Baby could use her help! The PT said she was a human PT first, then took some special classes that lets her practice at a vet’s office. Ain’t that something? There isn’t a specialized field of study to be “just” a PT for pets and be able to practice without being under a vet. You have to go into human PT first, then specialize to be a solo practitioner.

Time for some good touching for Baby…ahhh. Where’s that special cookie?

Baby is very good at getting treats and here she is doing just that. Alongside of that is a T-Touch massage. “Yes, that feels pretty good,” she says.

I’ve been tweaked with little ankle bracelets.

Here Baby is taking a photo break after getting a drink of water, and shaking off her ankle bracelets. She’s very excited to be here, and really wanted to go around and explain this to each and everyone except it wasn’t allowed. There were many other dogs with big social issues. Baby doesn’t have a social issue. She enjoys schmoozing with anyone and their pets. Though with pets, she gives them about a 3-5 second introduction of niceties, then she barks at their face to back them off her bad DoberDiva self. She’s a special gal!

Snippy MinPin who doesn’t like anyone. Buster is the Beagle type on the far end and Fontleroy is the Pom next to us.  I didn’t catch the name of the Boston.

These are the dogs to the right of us. Buster is the Beagle, and there is a Boston Terrier, and a Pomeranian whose name is Fontleroy. The woman with the MinPin is trying the T-Touch wrap to settle this dog down. The MinPin is supposedly a biter and doesn’t like people or other animals. And she was originally very uncomfortable in her wrap. She got wrapped before the rest of us, during a break, to help her calm down.

What a young looking 11-year-old DoberDiva Baby is!Is that a lizard?

Baby is so cute! She may be 11 years old, but she looks like and has the curiosity of a puppy. I don’t know what she was looking for here, but maybe it was a lizard? Or an fairie? Whatever it was, Baby found it fascinating.

Karin setting up the Ttouch course

Here is Karin setting up a course that the dogs will walk through once they have their wraps on.

Baby hears the Frisbee dogs barking.  She loves to play.  She’s very social!Something’s going on down there.

It looks like there’s some sheriff activity going on here. Nothing gets by Baby! She’s ready to tend to the task at hand, if possible, running down there to get some attention from those men! She’s a bit of a hussy, Baby is.

Let’s get going!

This is the snippy little MinPin again. She’s wearing a two-snap leash to make her feel more embraced and confident. Two touching points are the key. One on each side of her little body.

What are you wearing there, dearie?

The Pom, Font, is very cute in his chair. His owner is sitting on the floor.

It’s about time to get wrapped up! This wrap is to give the dog consciousness of its whole body. Unlike people where we can see ourselves in the mirror and know we are more than a head, dogs aren’t always aware of the back end or the rest of their bodies. They think they’re just a head, according to this theory. The wrap gives them awareness of all of them. Luigi is one who crabs when he heels, and is also learning that he has to steer the back end in accordance with the front. I’ve seen numerous Dobies throughout the years who are expert crabbers. The T-Touch idea may help with this.

Another hunky looker wrapped in ACE bandages This is not my idea of funny.

Baby is really not sure about all this stuff she’s wrapped in. The Pom seems to be taking it in stride. We were hoping to find some color coordinate wraps, but they only had one color at the drug store.

There was something called a snout wrap, too. That is an idea I might use on Little Big Pants. You can use a flexible head band and put a figure 8 around the dogs head and snout. Karin tried this on the brown and blue eyed Sheltie in the class. It worked, but not sure if it was because she stopped barking because of the wrap or because she was busy trying to paw it off her snoot. The concept on the snoot wrap is that the dog isn’t aware of its mouth. We also did a snout T-touch, and I am still wondering, “Raven isn’t aware of her mouth? That big boca? Hmmm. Maybe?” Well, the whole class settled down after the first break of three segments of the class. That was noticeable because the barking was very apparent for the first section. Many dogs barked.

Before I go outside, I have to take a look-see in here.

The wrap doesn’t make a DoberDiva anymore nosy than she already is, but it does enhance her need to snoop. Before going outside, Baby needed to check out what was inside every one of Karin’s shopping bags. She even attempted a jump up with front paws to see what was inside some storage slots, but that was not to happen. Not with Baby’s arthritis, and I didn’t have the strength to lift her high enough to see. So we set our sails for the great outdoors for new adventures.

Baby in her ACE wrap - a darling new look from the rear end

When we went outside, Baby sniffed a tree, and showed off her cute rear end all wrapped up. The wrap looks so much better when one has a flowing tail to drape through it. A stub amidst a wrap like this just wouldn’t look as elegant. Though Leissl and Luigi may have something to say about that!

Ooooo! The tail lady - she wants her dog’s tail to stand in the conformation ring

This lady has a Vizsla whose tail doesn’t stand in the show ring. She is here to try to remedy that, so her dog will show better in conformation. She has put Baby’s ankle bracelets on the dog! Mon Dieu! Baby would not like to have those ankle bracelet back now, thank you very much. No way!

Everyone’s working the course Working working working

Here is the group going through some of the obstacle courses. What fun. And thank goodness there was some shade!

This dog’s tail band is the same as Baby’s leg bracelet!

The owner of the Vizsla tweaked that bunchie on that tail. I’m not sure if it was working right, or not. But maybe come clicking and treating to get that tail up would help with the bunchie idea.

Deirdre and class members

Meanwhile, Deirdre helped some of the class participants, while Baby and I were wrapping it up. The little Aussie in this picture is a youngster, and put her face in Baby’s for over 5 seconds a couple times. Her owner says she’s learning slowly. Yep. Baby is so bossy, too.

We went inside for any last minute questions. I asked about the tail touch, which evidently I missed as it was touched on outdoors. So Karin took Baby and T-touched her tail, showed us how to gently pull the tail and release, so it falls down on its own. She mentioned that Baby’s tail is tight. Poor thing.

Everyone got a certificate from the group that sponsored this event, Performance Pups, Inc., for finishing the class, and we had to be out of the facility promptly at 5 p.m. We were and headed home where Baby got sniffed and had to recuperate from her full day of activities at Sunview Park.

Even as I write this today, the day after, Baby is still recuperating. It was an intense 3-hour “workout” for a senior DoberDiva. I had feared I may have hurt her or overdid it, but she is slowly getting back to herself. Just like us mere humans, DoberDivas take longer to rebound as they mature. It’s a fact of life all over the spectrum of life. I’ve giving her some T-touches and ear rubs, and even stretched her tail. She had a bit of a sore shoulder going into this, as well, which needs rest more than anything. But tonight, she has started to look more like herself and acting like it, too. I will try the wrap again, 20 minute max every other day, once she is 100% back to herself. In the meantime, I need to find one of those haribands for a certain Tree Climber in the family. 🙂

For more information on T-Touch, click here!

Helen