Snow dog

I remember when we first got Kai it was a cold March weekend and snow was blowing everywhere. My husband said you need to take this dog now because we would not be driving back. How could I leave her after she gave me hugs and kisses? We brought her home and she was a little frightened, but she has acclimated quite nicely. She hates rain but loves snow, maybe it was where she was kept in western Virginia. But she loves being out in the snow. Tuesday we had our first snow. It wasn't much, just an inch, maybe, but she was out running around that evening. I took a video and all you could see was a black dog flying past the outdoor light and then nothing. She blended so well with the dark. We call her our little ninja because she can be on you in the dark and you cannot even see her. The next morning she was outside again playing in the snow, throwing a sock, a shoe or a ball in the air and chasing it. She would stop every once and awhile just to stick her nose in the snow. I also took video of this, but I am not sure how to post it here, but I will try and figure it out. I am glad she loves the snow, because I can let her out and she enjoys herself. In the rain I have to entertain her almost every second. Or suffer the consequences of her eating anything she can get her mouth on. Yeah snow, Yeah Kai.

Back to the dog park

We finally went back to the dog park, after months of not wanting to freeze. Kai was a little shy at first, but then started to warm up. Just like a kid having too much fun, it was hard to get her to leave after 1 1/2 hours. Then we came home and went for a walk. It is 4:30 and she is asleep. She did not even bother me when I started pulling out the chicken so I could fix dinner. I am thinking that I need to take a break from the house everyday for an hour just to wear her out. I am too boring, and can not play with her every minute of the day. We left after she started getting up in dog's faces. she wanted to play but I saw her hackles rise up and I am not sure why. There were 10 dogs at any given time while we were there. More and more people kept showing up with dogs. The dogs already in the fence would all rush toward the gate for butt sniffing. Which of course make the other dog get defensive. For the most part Kai hung back in this scenario waiting for the dog to get approved by the other dogs before engaging. There was one dog and I am not sure why but she ran immediately to the dog and tried to greet the dog, but this called the dog to start growling. Usually Kai backs off but she just kept trying to get her to play. Well we are both tired and now I must stop writing and start cooking. Tomorrow is another day and I hope the sun is shining, Kai definitely needs the exercise and she does not have my son to run with around the block. Stupid college gets in the way of fun play.

Sad puppy 1/10/2014

I have a sad dog, Kai is very much missing her boy. For the past several weeks whenever she wanted to play she would run upstairs, go into my son's room and steal something so that he would chase her. Or she would run up to his room, jump on him and bark. Then she would run all over his bed, which meant she stepped on his head, back, stomach, etc. He would finally get up and kick her out of his room, then she would again grab something and make a run for it. I am not as fun. I play but I do not run all over the back yard chasing her, just a little. I do not take her for long runs on her leash. I take her for long walks. So yesterday while my son was packing up things Kai was lying on her cushion watching him. She would not get up and she did not follow me into the TV room for our usual cuddle session. Today, she is still moping, though she did get my son up and she had a little race time with him. It is raining and I do not walk in the cold rain anymore, since I fell. I have played wrestle mania with Kai but she keeps looking up the stairs expecting the boy to come down them. Poor sad puppy. Currently she is on a terrorist binge of grabbing things that she knows are a no so that I will chase her around the house. I have managed to wrestle, plastic, toilet paper rolls and a pen from her grasp. This usually entails bribery. I am hoping the weather breaks so I can get at least a small walk, need the rain, prefer snow in the winter, but really would welcome a little exercise. I am sure Kai feels the same way. There is always tomorrow.

New Year

Kai has now been with us for 10 months and is now 15 months old. Wow time certainly does fly by quickly. She has grown in many ways but is not too big. She still has trust issues especially when it comes to men. The other day my daughter had a friend over who Kai seemed to like, that is until he decided to fall down the steps. This scared Kai so much that for the rest of the day she barked at him. When he went to leave she walked him out the door and then stood in front of the back door. I think that she would not have let him back in if he had come back. Noises, blankets and quick movements still make her jump. She was only 5 months old when we got her something drastic must have happened to cause her to still be so skittish. On a positive note she is such a joy to watch, if no one plays with her she makes her own fun. She hates being left by herself and is always full of enthusiasm when we walk in the door, she is still not allowed the run of the house. When we leave she is either in the back yard or in her crate. Even when I leave to go to another part of the house she finds something to tear up, even if it is a receipt of the table. One day I hope that we can leave her in the kitchen without finding a disaster, maybe this year. She is such a loving dog and I really love that we got her. She has started playing catch a little better. We gave her a ball that she can drop more easily, on cold days I roll the ball in the house and she runs and gets it and brings it back to me. Outside she still has to remember to come back and she is a little more reluctant to release the ball. I am not sure why but we are making progress, albeit slow. New Year new adventures, and hopefully I will be able to get her out on a walk more often after I finish recuperating after that last fall. Was able to get her for a short walk and then she wanted to play, I think that will be my new goal for when we can not walk a long time, short walk and then play fetch. Plus I need to get her back to the dog park for socialization as she has started really being obnoxious when it comes to dogs passing the gate. She sounds vicious but she really just wants to play. She needs a buddy, besides me.

Christmas 2013

I should have been writing this blog for the past several days as I have been experiencing Christmas from a dogs point of view. Well actually it is if it is on the floor it is fair game. It started with me wrapping presents and bows disappearing. I had to keep finding ways to wrestle them back from her. Needless to say when you wrestle a bow back from a dog you do not wish to put it on a package, but I did not want her to ingest the glue of the back of the tab. The second problem came when I started to put up our tree. I am allergic to pine so I have an artificial tree, with lights already strung. First I had to get it in the door, while Kai jumped all over the bag trying to bite it. Then it was putting the three pieces together and connecting the lights while Kai crawled under the tree with me. Once I got all connected and started fluffing the branches Kai started helping by biting them. I finally got her to stop and I plugged in the lights, a couple of head turns and ear perks, and she went straight for a blue light. I got her before she chomped. Tree skirt down and then back up again. Kai found out that not only could she pull it away from the tree but she could run and slide on the tree skirt and go under the tree. Several times at this game and the tree skirt was put away. I decided to wait to put the ornaments on. Third problem, ornaments finally on the tree. I thought she would be all over them, but she is only really interested in what we have deemed evil Santa. It is a Santa ornament that I forgot about and when I pulled it out we were instantly thinking there is a problem with this Santa. Kai must think so to because it is the only ornament peaking her interest. She goes up and pokes at it with her nose. Actually, there is another ornament that has feathers and I have found several on the floor. Since she has a problem with anything hanging I thought the tree would be on the floor but she has kept a good distance away from the tree. Maybe she actually learned a lesson when I told her no. Christmas morning, Kai gets treats from an Aunt and a stocking from us, she is very content with all her things and is quite happy sharing in our morning. She has decided that the ribbons and bows are for her to take apart as well as any boxes left too long on the floor. She still has not taken the tree on and she has left everyone's gifts alone. She has finally pooped out and is lying on my back after she kicked me out of my chair and I sat back down in front of her. I really love this dog.

Clumsy Human

We were out on a walk one drizzly day when quite to my surprise a mud puddle lay. Me in my cold weather gear and Kai on her leash were strolling along at our usual pace. When up went my legs and down to the ground I fell with a whoosh, will my dog be found. I rolled over onto my back to see my dog hovering over my nose, she looked quite shocked, "Get up clumsy human we haven't finished our walk." I told her it was time to go home, realized my ankle was not very happy, though I hobbled quite gracefully. The bridge of my nose betrayed me, as my glasses had pounded into my face, and blood trickled down like lace. I had mud on my legs and looked quite weird, all the cars that went by kept moving don't blame them. My husband said I must have looked like the homeless, but that made me sad why judge by my mudness. My dog stayed beside me and didn't bother the squirrels, we arrived to my house, I did my assessment, no broken bones, just sore in some places, though I look like some boxers who got punched in their faces. Kai does not care she has let me be and occasionally licks my sore knee. Though she I am sure she has in her head, "Clumsy Human go to bed."

Kai the Christmas Tooth Monster

How do you get your dog to stop destroying things you are trying to do? I started pulling out my Christmas decorations yesterday, the next thing I know my dog is in the middle of the wreaths. Now I use fake wreaths so I do not et pine needles everywhere and also because I have pine allergies. So now I have a mess of fake pine needles all over my floor. She has also grabbed my bows and nicely deconstructed them. Every time I find myself occupied, she finds something to tear up. Now I do not mind her tearing up my bills, but only after I have paid them. Nothing escapes the Christmas tooth monster, bills, bow, fake flowers, wrapping paper, and the usual things she likes to tear up. Now she is after my camera. I know she is bored and usually we take a walk but it is freezing outside. What is going to happen when I put up the tree, utter chaos is my guess. I think I will wait until Christmas Eve, or just put unbreakable ornaments, because while visions of sugar plums should dance in my head, I have visions of a falling tree. Can anyone say TIMBER?