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When will I learn?????? Put two boneless chicken thighs wrapped in plastic wrap to defrost waaaay on the far side of the sink counter. Took Sassy and Buddy to do their morning walk. Came back and thought: "where is the chicken I put out to defrost?" You got it!!! I KEEP forgetting that Sophie just gets on the dinette seat then up onto the counter and HELPS HERSELF!! Ok so now I'm walking and walking and walking her waiting to see if her poo poo comes out wrapped in seran wrap. Vet said it will probably pass. Never thought I would be spending so much time inspecting her deposits. I'm renaming her "chow hound". She never even gets a tummy ache: the count now is (1), big chicken breast defrosting; (2) chocolate which kept me awake most of the night watching to see if she'd get sick (She didn't) and (3) two mostly frozen chicken thighs. She's thinking, "Thank God, she's so slow to learn."

Just before I left Kerrville I took her to the vet to have to nails clipped (She won't let me touch them - totally panics). It took a muzzle and three vets to control her so am going to have her sedated just to get her nails clipped. Tried a tranquilizer but it didn't even seem to bother her. I finally get a dog with white toenails that I can see the vein and I can't get near her.

Wouldn't it be nice if all their poops came out wrapped in Saran Wrap?

Being that she was a stray for who knows how long, she has become a great opportunist!

I had friends who adopted a greyhound. They were given 3 musts when they did so - the 1st was they must never leave any meat out to defrost, etc. They only forgot once. Lost all the steaks for a big family bbq. In their case, the greyhounds were given raw meat as an incentive. They were told never to punish for something the dogs were trained to want - but to not leave it out. Hard to learn, eh?

For me - I learned years ago that you shouldn't defrost except in the fridge - so I don't set things on the counter to defrost anymore. But if Peaches could get up there - she'd be stealing already cooked stuff before I get it wrapped and back in the fridge. Good thing she can't.

I've never had a dog that liked me clipping their nails. Because I walk them so much, usually don't need many clippings. Had them clip Peaches while I had her in to get her teeth cleaned. I know how you feel. But I've never had a vet need to muzzle the dogs to clip them - as long as I wasn't in the room. They told me once that Tips was putting on an act for me - making so much noise and fighting, etc - they took him out of the room I was in - and I didn't hear a sound. In no time at all they brought him back in, nails clipped. I didn't believe them. After that I always told them to let me leave before clipping him and it always worked. He still didn't like it but didn't fight them the same. I thought maybe they were doing some voodoo hypnotizing

Sophie, Peaches asks you to send her some of those goodies, pretty please.

Bethers wrote:... I've never had a vet need to muzzle the dogs to clip them - as long as I wasn't in the room. They told me once that Tips was putting on an act for me - making so much noise and fighting, etc - they took him out of the room I was in - and I didn't hear a sound. In no time at all they brought him back in, nails clipped.

That's the same thing with cutting kids hair! They put on a big hissy fit while the parents are standing there, but if I have the parents go sit in the lobby, the kid behaves just fine. Funny that dogs will do that too!

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Sorry, but the subject line made me laugh out loud! I'm still chuckling (at Sarah, too!)

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I did leave the room and she wasn't any better. Poor baby, who knows what experiences she's had.

Poor poor Sophie - but at least she's got you for a Mom now - so even tho her bad experiences are still there - she won't have any new ones - all good now (except they still clipped her nails).

Karen, I'm sitting here chuckling. Our fur babies sure are characters aren't they? I know with my pack, anything can happen. Suggestion ,if you want to leave the meat out to defrost, put it in the oven instead of on the counter. Unless Miss Sophie can open the oven door, it should be safe (just don't let her see you. Linda

Poor Sophie, getting blamed for natural behavior! Even dogs that are raised never being hungry will do that! They're quite the oportunist when given the chance. As far as getting nails clipped, I made it a habit to play with Chewy's feet from the time I got her...didn't do any good, she still won't hardly let me touch them. Some are just funny about their feet. She's sure a smarty, tho! You know she checks out that counter every chance she gets, just on the off chance Mom's goofed up again! She's another garbage gut just like Chewy!

I COULD put something to defrost in the microwave or oven BUT I would have to take out the bread/muffins from the microwave or all the pans from the oven. The pans would be OK but the bread/muffins would just be something else for her to eat. I do think I've learned my lesson now if I just don't forget.

My vet suggested I play with her paws. She happily lets me play with her paws and handle her toes, etc BUT the minute you try to bring a clipper near her she goes spastic. Am going to have to have the vet put her to sleep for a short time to get them clipped well. Think its gonna cost me more than just a nail clip - you think?

Its a good think I'm totally besotted with her. Even Sassy and Buddy like her. They're so cute all curled up together on my bed. They let me have about 12 inches of the queen size bed at night BUT I don't get cold. Sophie, so far, is sleeping plastered against me often on her back with her legs and jowls flopping in the air. She snores as loud as Buddy. Funny, but my exhusband snoring drove me nuts - on my dogs its cute.

I know that drill about watching for the poop. Gus, my dh's fox terrier, ate my rings one time. My fault. He was still in his puppy that will chew on anything stage and I stupidly left my wedding rings and my mother's wedding ring on the table by the bed. He simply jumped on the bed and had a snack. Luckily my wedding rings were not tasty and I found them intact on the floor a bit slobbered on but OK. But mother's 1942 wedding ring was a much softer gold and it took 2 "movements" to get all the pieces. Then there was the trip to the jeweler to get the ring rebuilt. Yep, I still have that ring. Jeweler had to adapt a bevel to the style to put it back together and I always put it in the ring case since then. Of course Gus is 12 next month and could care less about any kind of jewelry.

just to clarify...I'm laughing at saran wrapped poop
I have to take the girls in for their nail clipping too. They both fight me.
Bandit never did, he just stood between my knees as I picked up one foot
at a time and clip clip clip. Pixie does ok with the vet but Gracie has to
have a teeny tiny muzzle cause she tries to bite them when they come
near her with those "things" she hates them. I've used the sight of the
nail clippers to my advantage a time or two. when I was trying to
get something done and she was just being too clingy, I just got the
nail clippers out and laid them on the table next to me, she would just
slink off and disappear for awhile, and I never had to say a word or hurt
her feelings.

Hope Sophie passes all that plastic wrap without any problems.
I always hold my pup when he gets his nails clipped. Every Wednesday is "Wacky Wednesday" at the dog groomers/feed store and all nail clips are free. They are very good at letting me come in the back and hold him while sitting on a stool while they use the drimmel (?) on him. I like that they use that instead of the clippers as he seems to tolerate it better.

Thankfully, I've never had trouble with the nail clipping though, I use my toe nail clippers because I find them easier. Hard to get the correct angle, however. When one poodle went blind AND dear, the clippers really panicked her for the first time. She'd never had an issue with that before. So, I gave her a half a valium and that did the trick. So, you could try that if it doesn't offend you.

Has anyone ever used those gizmos one sees on t.v. where a mini sander on a battery is used to trim nails? Seems to me the vibration needed to successfully "sand" the nails would be rather annoying.

I'm anxious to hear what happens on the plastic wrap. Goodness, what we all don't go through for our "children".

DD