May 26, 2009
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Tuesday afternoon
Wow. I have been incredibly unproductive today… what is that about?!
I got up and got dressed, got the puppies loaded up and headed out to take them to the groomer. I tried a new approach getting them ready… Hemmi gets incredibly excited about leaving. He coo’s like a dove, it’s the weirdest thing you have ever heard. So, in all our “conditioning” of the dogs to all types of things I decided to try something to help him settle down. I got their leashes out of the pantry and instantly he started. And it’s the kind of sound that makes you want to laugh and irritates you at the same time. I just walked around the house doing this and that with the leashes in my hand until he settled a bit. Then I put their leashes on them. He kicked it back up a notch, so I continued to move about the house doing things and letting them just walk around with the leashes on them. Just letting him settle in and calm down some. Not until he does do we start for the door. Now comes the real fun! I have to calm myself at this point, be ready for him to just go absolutely ape shit. As soon as I pick up the leash the cooing picks up again. When I touch the door knob, it gets even worse and he absolutely CANNOT sit still. I have to keep telling him to sit and stay. He listens, good boy. I open the door and have to continue with the “sit”, “stay”, “wait”. I step outside the door and he listens and stays put. Scout is just chillin’ waiting for the que. She’s much more relaxed about it, until she gets her nose to the ground. So I say “ok” and they head out. I tell them “easy” so they don’t pull me slap down the steps. They do very well and go gently down the steps. We get to the truck and Hemmi wants in before the door is even open. The process starts again, “sit”, “stay”, “no”. This is a bigger challenge than getting out of the door. I get the door open and after a few reminders I manage to get a few things moved from the back seat into the front to make room for them. Not until I give them the “ok” do they actually get in the truck. Ok, we are getting there.
Hemmi wouldn’t sit down in the truck. This bothers me because if I had to slam on my breaks he could possibly be thrown into the front seat. I ask him repeatedly to sit. He, of course, does not. I start to get pissed and decide that wont help his attitude and its probably not going to make him sit either. So I just stop trying and drive on. I stop at BiLo before the groomer so I can get some more coffee. I can’t run out of that while everyone is here… and if I stock up now I’ll have enough through Lillie’s arrival and all the family coming in. They were really good for that stop as well. They didn’t try to get out, they didn’t jump into the front seat, they just chilled in the truck. I was starting to relax a little more, thinking, maybe they are getting it.
We get to the groomers, a little shop down by the town square, parallel parking might I add! I feel my anxiety pick up, so they are going to pick up on that. I try to remain calm. I get out and tell them to wait. I come around to the passenger side, away from the traffic, and open the passenger door. They instantly want out. But I want them to wait and get out of the back half door. So I give them proper commands, grab their leashes and make them wait on me. At this point I am so proud of myself for using the right words, reinforcing what they already know and working so hard at it myself. I am also proud of them, they didn’t pull me down the stairs, they didn’t jump out into traffic, they really are doing pretty good. And in a second, that second where I tell them “ok”, how I feel about it all changes!
They both jump out of the truck, pulling me in an instant. Scout has her nose to the ground and she’s ready to be off to explore (typical lab). Hemmi, however, seems to have caught a case of the flying shits! It is truly terrible. Thankfully there’s grass there cause it would have run out into the street otherwise. He got it on himself. They are both pulling leashes in opposite directions, so he also manages to get it on Scout as well. It’s on Scout’s leash and I manage to narrowly avoid getting it all over me my standing on the leash so she pulls it through the grass. OMG! I am mortified. I tell myself that all dogs poop, especially when they are nervous. But I can’t help but feel irriatated with them pulling me and not listening. There are so many smells and sounds. I am sure they are freaked out. I just want them to stop pulling me, slow down and listen. I do manage to make it to the door and get them inside, at least I don’t have traffic to worry about. I tell the girl at the counter that Hemmi had a nervous stomach and I think it’s on both of them! She says no problem and takes them back. I am relieved to just not have their leashes in my hand, to not be in control at this point. I have to give yet another lady my information and tell her exactly what we want done. She is very nice. I can see the work space, it’s just a gutted old building. I leave out and just want to get the truck away from the mud pie that Hemmi left before someone associates me with it and expects me to pick it up. I know I shouldn’t feel that way, but its practically liquid and there’s no way to “pick” it up!
I leave and head for home. In my brains I am thinking about what to do when I get home. Too many things, I can’t focus on what I need to actually do. I get home, take all the CRAP out of the truck that shouldn’t be in there, pack it in and put it all away. I think “Do I dust first or go clean the bath room?… Or do I take the stuff that goes out to the shed out first to get it out of my way?…. Or do I make my Wal-Mart run first?… Or how about laundry?… Strip the bed?” and I am exhausted! So I get something to eat because I am hungry. I try to refocus and decide where to start. No luck, I could go sound to sleep. Finally I give in and head for the back. I lay across the bed and try to catch a little cat nap. Maybe that will help me get moving. Just as I am feeling like I might sleep some the phone rings. It’s Tancy. I tell her never again do I want to be left to take both dogs anywhere by myself. I tell her what happened and she of course thinks its hilarious. I do, at this point, but it wasn’t this morning when it was happening. We talk for a bit and then she’s got to go. While we are on the phone my Mom texts me to call her. So as soon as Tancy and I get off the phone I call Mom. We talk about groceries that I need to get. I have actually made one decision… that is while I am gone to get our groceries I am just going to get what we need for the weekend. So I need to make sure I have a complete list. We have a great conversation. We laugh. I have Mom laughing so much that she’s fussing at me and telling me I’m going to get her into trouble. That doesn’t stop the laughter and that just makes me want her here more. While we are on the phone I get the call from the groomer that the pups are ready to be picked up. I am both happy and apprehensive.
Ok, I have two stops to make before picking up the dogs. I need to go by GNC and take back the Glucosamine and Condroitin that I got for Tancy and get Ginko, which is apparently what I was suppose to get. I do that and then head to BiLo (Yes, I was just there this morning getting coffee) to get cream of shrimp soup for our weekend menu. Like the coffee, this is the only place in North Carolina, that I know of, where I can get cream of shrimp soup. I run in there right quick, and since they have buy one get one free on dressing I go ahead and get the italian dressing we need for our menu. Ok, I’m outta here! Off to get the pups. I get there, park at the scene of the crime and go in. I don’t even know how bad they might have been or if Hemmi shit a mess all over the place after I left. Scout normally leaves her mark at the counter before she ever goes back… so I don’t even know if she shit on them too! However, much to my delight as soon as I walk in they begin to tell me that they LOVE both dogs and would take them in a heart beat… that they were incredibly well behaved. Hemmi was a bit shaky while they did his nails… but gave in to licking the lady trimming them before it was all said and done. He was also, apparently, a little Houdini and let himself out of the kennel! But they went on and on about how well behaved they were and how much they just loved them both! Whew! I was so pleased to hear this. I just can’t even tell ya!
The trouble started when they brought them out to me and they both proceeded to pull me around the front of the shop. I got out as quickly as I could for fear that one of the them would leave a present in the floor before we could get outside. When we get outside they both pee, but no shi-tastrophe! Yay! They do try to drag me to the truck. Again, so many sites, smells and sounds that they are unfamiliar with. I try to be understanding of what a challenge it must be for them… but it is incredibly irritating to me. I don’t like being pushed, pulled, shoved or anything of the like by anyone or anything. It results in me being instantly pissed! We get to the truck, I take them around the drivers side, in traffic, to prevent them from getting in the poop. It’s a bit of a challenge, but I don’t get them or me hit by a car and finally we are all in the truck! Home James!
We get home and now we go through the same routine as we did leaving, only, obviously, in reverse. I make them wait till I say “ok” to get out of the truck. I make them sit for me to get a few things out of the truck. I take them to the front yard to potty because there’s some grass there and they wont, hopefully, get muddy. Then we head inside. I tell them “easy” going up the stairs so they don’t pull me up the stairs. They lsiten. We get to the door and they are made to wait to come in until I give them the signal. They have to sit once they are inside so I can take the leashes off of them. They move about the house and Scout plops herself down in the living room floor while Hemmi follows me around. I go back outside and get the rest of the stuff out of the truck that I couldn’t get with them. The cream of shrimp soup, the Ginko and the trash in the truck. I pack it all in and put everything away. Hemmi just wants to be right under me, which also aggravates me. I finally settle down, ready to pass out just from that little bit and both dogs settle down and PASS OUT!
So here I sit, on the couch, Hemmi at the other end of this couch sleeping and Scout on the love seat sleeping… and I am wishing I was sleeping. I am exceedingly tired. That’s the only way I know to explain it. I want so badly to get up and finish up what I have to do here. It’s an hour, hour and a half worth of work max. But I just can’t seem to muster up enough energy to make it happen. And the thought just occured to me that I need to figure out something for dinner tonight. I am tired of eating fast food… but I am tired in general and don’t really want to cook. Ugh.
Ok, now it’s time for the lessons that I have learned today. I am looking at today and seeing the lessons it has provided me for what is to come. A dog pooping in the grass is what dogs do. If a little poop bothers me I have such a rude awakening coming. If I am embarassed by a dog doing what it naturally does, I am going to have an even harder time with a kid! Getting frustrated isn’t going to do anything but make it all worse, my attitude will only get worse and the dogs (or kids) will only feel that tension and their behavior will only get worse. To surmise, my lessons are, today and probably for many days to come, in what is truly embarassing, in my own behavior (it is possible to look like a jackass over something small) and in patience.
I am sure once Lillie is born some of my feelings on this subject will change. But I firmly believe that having pets, especially dogs, especially inside dogs, teaches you great lessons and prepares you for having a kid. I know there’s someone reading this right now who disagrees so vehemently they are debating a response… but we are all entitled to our own opinions. I’ll get back with you when Lillie is about a year old. But I can tell you, I experienced today what I know I have watched parents go through… to me the dogs were behaving horribly, I was trying to correct them. I ended up looking a bit like an asshole and to anyone else, the puppies were just being puppies. And at the end of it all, the people I left them with loved them and said how well behaved they were. The real problem was my reaction to them.
I don’t know if that makes any sense to anyone but me… but I am trying, not only to train the dogs, but to learn more about myself each and every day. There are wonderful examples of places I could improve each and every day… the trick is me being able to see it.
Well, my dinner dilemna has been solved. We are having dinner with some friends of ours who we have been planning on having dinner with tonight for more than a week… I just wasn’t sure if it would work out. It will work out. So, I am thinking I have about 3 hours till Tancy gets home and I would be happier to knock out at least one task before we go. Plus I need to freshen up a bit so I don’t look so tired, knocked up and frumpish when we go to dinner. That means I need to get off of here!
With that said, let me wish you all a great evening. I am sure it’s been a hellish day back to work after a long weekend. So I really hope that you can leave work shortly and head home for a great evening, relaxing, quiet and just exactly whatever it is that you need. I am sending each and every one of you all the positive energy I can muster… just send me your energy (so I can get my butt up off the couch). Haha!
Love to all!
