Monday December 6

[Shirlv]

Morning All, overcast this morning and snow predicted tomorrow, a dusting to one inch. I spent yesterday sitting on hold for hours with DIRECTV and the internet service. I finally struggled through discontinuing Directtv on line. I needed to ask questions for internet service so called them 7 am and got a person right away. Yea! Friends my age are at the mercy of hold time and horrible sounding music. Daughter #1 texted that her company had a computer system breach so she was sitting at her desk unable to work. Still haven’t trimmed the tree but I will. Thanks for all the stocking stuffer suggestions, I am making a list. Friend Edith is now using a cane after back surgery and two falls. She is in the process of setting up her Christmas garden on two 6 ft folding tables walking with a cane. Told porch friend about Edith and her cane and she said “oh Lord helps us”. I laughed because that comment came from an 88 yr old who just trimmed her 9ft Christmas tree. Women are are the weaker sex, I don’t think so. Doctors appointment this afternoon and packages to pick up from friends porch so need to start the day. Be safe

[IrishIroamed]

Mornin' Shirl & all that follow~~~

Shirl love your branches with the faerie lights. I thought about getting a little something Christmasy for Dad's, but then decided nope, it would either end up in the trash or donated.

Martha your outfit for your camping was cute! Did it come with the kitty or did you add it?

Have a chiro appointment then the booster shot today
Will be glad to check that off the list. And I may be able to get the truck into the garage before the snow starts to fly. I'm to short to get the snow off the cab and since it's a Texas bought diesel, it doesn't have the engine block heater. My cousin that lives 3 doors away is supposed to take the riding mower to his house and then work on getting it started. I don't care if he makes some money from it. I just won't have to deal with it.

That it from me. Have a good day ladies.

[BirdbyBird]

The temperatures here in SW Ohio are expected to drop throughout the day. I have an appointment Thursday for my second round of Botox injections in my search for relief from the daily rebound headaches. I am not optimistic given my reaction to the first round but am giving it a chance as the neurologist has said that the often the first round does not yield results. I am investigating "Pain Reprocessing Therapy" in the meantime.....twenty years of not getting results from medical professionals is tiring.

I check the temperatures in Florida and would love to pack the bags and head south even if just for a little while. But...I sure would like to have the refrigerator swapped out in the roadTrek first. I am still waiting to hear that the second one has come in. The first one he ordered was too big. I know that I could travel without one but I would rather not. SO I wait. I am also waiting to hear from Cindy regarding making a quick trip down to the Orlando shows with her next week. "Player" from Westminster fame completed the year #2 Owner Handled and she is weighing the odds of making a trip down to compete for Best of Breed Owner Handled. (History: Josef went two years in a row and came home with the honors.) Josef's advantage for at least one of those years was a judge that had a history of placing Blue Roans more often that solid color English Cockers. This year's judge is known to both Cindy and I and our experience is that he really likes a nice solid colored (Solid black or solid red dog or bitch). So Cindy has been trying to figure out of the ten dogs eligible, who are all very nice, which if any of the owners of the solids are going to actually show up. You can't win if you don't show up. But it is an expensive drive if you know the odds are stacked against you to begin with. I had told her I would keep her company if she decided to go as pay backs for her coming down those two years in a row with Josef and I. It helps on the long drive and to split expenses.

Last bit of news: both Audrey and Lark picked up their first two double qualifying scores (Double Q's) in Rally towards the ten they need for their REA award. Some of the performances were not too pretty but some of the mishaps were their handler's errors. I also now need to look into whether Audrey may be losing some of her hearing. I can get her hearing tested but I will also need to start using more hand signals and not depend as much on verbal commands. I started putting together how soundly she sleeps during the day or in the evening with the times she "appears" to ignore me or seems to get confused on a few of the commands. There have been times when she just looks at me as if to say I don't know what you want. When I know it is a behavior that she used to know and she isn't trying to be stubborn. I can read it in her body language. She and I will work together. We will figure out methods of communication that work for us and make her comfortable and keep her tail wagging or I won't ask her to go out and compete.

No Christmas decorating here in Ohio unless the dogs ask to get some of the dog hats and decorations out for a picture. The fact is that none of these three dogs have ever been asked to participate in holiday dress-up. Hummmm, I might have to introduce them to some elf hats and bells!

[OregonLuvr]

Good morning. Rain here today and most of the week. Yesterday was a "sloth" day for me. Read my book, watched a movie, but I did vacuum and do a load of laundry. Ate leftovers, cleaned my fridge and that was it LOL Today need to figure out something to make for dinner. Think it will be a chicken, broccoli, cheesy rice casserole. I can eat on that for today and tomorrow.

My lights on my front porch are really pretty. They put out lots of light and they are just teeny so I didnt have too much hope for them, but they are great. Has 8 different choices but I like just ON all the time. A few of them blink and carry on and thought if I did that I would be annoying, and probably have a siezure from the flashes. I am the only house on this end of our street that have some lights up, so glad I put them up. Not doing alot of decorating but put up my fiber optic small tree and will add a couple of other things around the house and call it good. Shirl yours are real pretty too. I did put a wreath on my front door made of BIG jingle bells, I got it at the thrift store and really like it.

BJ when do you get to bring your puppy home. I cant wait to see those pictures. Sue enjoy your snow I love snow BUT I dont want to have to shovel it LOL I believe God giveth he can taketh away LOL We dont get snow here now in my new home but a short drive up the highway towards Diamond Lake is plenty if I need a snow fix.

Time to get some breakfast and start my day

[Acadianmom]

Cheryl, the cat was what caught my eye when I was walking thru Walmart. I seldom dress for the campout things so everyone thought it was great. We'll see if I can find it next December. I don't like to have to make reservations but have one for next December. If you don't make reservations for the December campout you will be a half mile from the club house. The January campout is at the Abbeville city campground. The ones hosting are working on a theme. I like camping close but can do without a theme. The March campout is near a town that has a lot of nurseries and there is a nursery festival going on. I don't know if I'll go. I usually come home with plants that I have to work to keep alive.

Shirl, I like your decorations. You might inspire me to get my tree out if I could just get that table cleaned off.

Tina, hope you can find some relief for your headaches. I wake up with a slight headache often enough to notice the morning I don't have one. Seldom have the bad ones anymore.

It's already 77 this morning. We have a cold front coming thru today with rain. It's not too close yet. I need to decide what I'm going to do and get it done. Probably need to go to the post office.

Martha

[Colliemom]

Just finished lunch after being out clearing snow from yesterday’s part of this storm. Round two is supposed to arrive later this afternoon with another 4-6 inches and 20-45 mph wind gusts. I just cleared about 7 inches from my drive and part of the side yard, plus my neighbors drive that I do while They winter in FL. Same neighbors who took me u der their wing when I had my sprained ankle. Karen, had to laugh at your not wanting to shovel snow, look at all the fresh air and exercise you are missing actually I don’t do a lot of snow shoveling per se, as my snowblowers do about 95% of my snow removal.But I love my nice yellow ergonomic snow shovel that I bought last year. It has a bent shaft inste of the normal straight ones and it takes less effort to lift snow, so you don’t strain your back.lots of school closed today too.

Barbie, I think that’s good that you go back to GC. Might be some drama, where isn’t there any these days but you will be away from the other issues you are facing now.

So now that I worked off breakfast and had lunch, I’m going to go back to working on my last ornament design. Would like to try to get it out here before weeks end if I can and weather cooperates. Also keeping an eye out for Fed Ex as am expecting a delivery today. The girls are having an afternoon nap after being outside for a couple hours while I was blowing snow. I gave them the opportunity to come in after awhile, but Thry declined, so I just continued with my snow work. And now I see the snow has started again. So off to the paint pens and brushes and watch the snow fall.

[Cudedog]

Best of Breed Owner Handled. (History: Josef went two years in a row and came home with the honors.) Josef's advantage for at least one of those years was a judge that had a history of placing Blue Roans more often that solid color English Cockers. This year's judge is known to both Cindy and I and our experience is that he really likes a nice solid colored (Solid black or solid red dog or bitch). So Cindy has been trying to figure out of the ten dogs eligible, who are all very nice, which if any of the owners of the solids are going to actually show up. You can't win if you don't show up. But it is an expensive Best of Breed Owner Handled. (History: Josef went two years in a row and came home with the honors.) Josef's advantage for at least one of those years was a judge that had a history of placing Blue Roans more often that solid color English Cockers. This year's judge is known to both Cindy and I and our experience is that he really likes a nice solid colored (Solid black or solid red dog or bitch). So Cindy has been trying to figure out of the ten dogs eligible, who are all very nice, which if any of the owners of the solids are going to actually show up. You can't win if you don't show up. But it is an expensive drive if you know the odds are stacked against you to begin with. I had told her I would keep her company if she decided to go as pay backs for her coming down those two years in a row with Josef and I. It helps on the long drive and to split expenses.

Good morning, Tina. Always nice to see your posts. I remember that "back in the day" when I was doing dog showing with my home-bred Staffords that there was a three-day show that I almost decided not to enter because I knew (or thought I knew) the second-day judge probably wouldn't put up my dogs. Finally, since I was going to be there for three days anyway (the shows were away from home), I decided to go ahead and enter the second day anyway. On the morning of this show that I almost didn't enter, there was a change - the scheduled judge was unable to attend for some reason or another, and another judge was to judge my breed instead.

LOL. A stroke of luck, really - this new judge had put up my dogs in the past, and on this day (out of a fairly large entry!) she put up my bitch as BOB and her son as BOS! It was an exciting, fun - and pretty surprising day. I hope you do well at the show/s, should you decide to attend.

As you know, Tina, anything can happen at a dog show.

Best of luck on whatever you decide.

----------

Another thing I have been chewing over for the last several days. Probably I should just keep my mouth shut (or my typing fingers stilled), but when did that ever stop me?

This has to do with the socialization of dogs, as mentioned in a couple of earlier posts (not Tina's).

Yes, for sure, socialization plays a major part in dog behavior, and also in dog social interaction. But socialization is not the whole story. Here is the short version: purebred dogs - all purebred dogs - have been selectively bred for some centuries to perform a particular "task" (whatever that task might be).

So, generally speaking, certain behaviors are set, because they are "in the genes".

Thus, no amount of socialization is going to completely eliminate in-bred behaviors (perhaps - and only perhaps - moderate such behaviors slightly): extensive socialization will not eliminate a herding dogs inbred desire to herd (think Border Collie), a retriever's desire to retrieve, a terrier's desire to. . . well, not to act like a terrier .

A great many problems that people have with their dogs - that sometimes cause them surrender their dogs to shelters - is that people don't understand that the "bad" behavior exhibited by their dogs is precisely the behavior that their chosen breed was selectively bred to do over some centuries.

I'll take this a step further. Dogs are not people (obviously); they perceive the world in a totally different way - by scent, more than by sight. And, again, much of their behavior is determined by their genes.

My sweet Joe boy (a Staffordshire Bull Terrier - if you like, Google this breed if you are interested in knowing what Staffords were originally bred to do) is calm, polite, obedience trained and extremely well-socialized. People that see us out together on our daily walks with their own dogs in tow often comment on his obvious happy demeanor (my vet loves him), and invite me to let him off-leash so that he can romp with their dog - "After all", these people happily exclaim, "They could both let off some steam".

This will never happen, because I love my Joe so well.

The chances are, both dogs would have a happy, exhausting, romp - and all would be well. BUT. . . They might not. Not knowing the behavior and propensities of the OTHER dog (not to mention that of the owner), with myself very clearly knowing, and understanding, the genetic makeup of my sweet Joe (I have owned Staffordshire Bull Terriers for more than 40 - yes, forty - years) this, for me, is always a no-go, and I always politely decline. And walk on.

Sometimes this seems to offend people, and I will get a parting shot (or two, or three), something along the lines of: "What's the matter with you?? My dog is friendly, wouldn't hurt a fly!! The exercise would be good for both of them!".

I just keep walking. If there are any parting shots like the above, I just pretend that I don't hear, or if the shots continue I might turn and smile and give a brief shrug and a wave - and keep on walking.

It always totally puzzles me that complete strangers seem to think that they know my own dog better than I know him myself.

Have a nice day, everyone.

Anne

[Bethers]

Anne, I'm laughing because the terrier in Ty scares a lot of people and keeps me from letting Ty meet people until I explain. Even then there are people who will never understand he's playing and not harming. Then the people who constantly avoid him because they see his natural mohawk and first think his hackles are up. When I say no, he has a natural mohawk, these people ask why I would spend my time shaving him thus. What part of natural don't they understand? And I never let him meet other dogs without doing it properly. Especially on leash. (Ty is a dog that thinks you want to play rough with him if you put your hand out for him to sniff. It's very hard to tell people to keep their hands away unless they do want to play with him!)

Tina, good luck with the treatment for your headaches. Mine continue to worsen. I feel like I live on Tylenol. One reason for spending the winter in Texas is this climate in south Texas is supposed to be one of the best in the country for asthma and also somewhat better for sinus problems. So far I am taking less Tylenol, but I'm still looking for other methods to help my sinuses.

BJ, yes I take vitamin C.

Sue, I love seeing the snow. I actually like when I winter in Benson that I usually see snow once or twice but it disappears by afternoon on its own. But I don't want to do that with snowblower or not.

Martha the theme gtg's and too many scheduled activities are things that keep me from a lot of gtg's. Scheduled things at the big RV things are ok because I get to pick and choose what to do. I love our Q gtg's because they've always been so laid back. And I admit I never miss Navajo taco day!

[Acadianmom]

Beth, the activities at the campouts are optional. My friends know there are things I'm not going to do but it's fun to watch them. The Louisiana club I belong to is very loose with not many rules, no men, no kids and don't bring your dog to someone's site unless invited or to meals. It's usually the younger members that like the themed campouts. If they are hosting they can do what ever they want. There are a lot of crafters. I don't craft. Since we have members all over the state and Mississippi it depends on where the campout is who will go. There is a scheduled campout once a month, usually at a state park. There is usually only between 10 to 15 attending. If someone is planning on camping they post on the Facebook page and asks if anyone wants to join them. The really small groups are just as much fun as the larger one because you really get to know everyone.

Sue, my brother in Canada got to try out his new snowblower. He said they got about a foot of snow. You guys have fun with the snow. lol

Martha

[JudyJB]

Beth, I never had a reaction to a mosquito bite until 7 years ago which is probably about the time I came down with CLL, even though I did not know it for a couple of years. I remember walking to school or the school bus with my girl-cousin who was a year younger than me and a fair-skinned strawberry blond. She would often had bleeding mosquito bites on her. I was fine--no reactions to mosquitos at all.

My oncologist told me that 30% of CLL patients have this over-reaction to mosquito bites. His belief is that when we get bites that our weakened immune systems go into overdrive, so to speak. I had been hoping that when I completed treatment, my body would go back to operating normally. I will say that so far the reactions have not been as bad as in the past, but still my bites get a little bigger and redder than most people. I am not going out at or after dusk at all because I am afraid if i get too many bites, I will be back to huge reactions. Next time I go out, however, I am going to get some Vitamin C and give it a try.

Tina, I always used hand signals with my schnauzer many years ago because the lady who taught us how to train dogs always used them. "Stay" would be a pointed finger, etc. "Sit" would be a lower pointed finger jabbing at ground, etc. I think it really helped her understand. I did a lot of work with her, and I trained her to stop at the edge of the road in front of our house. Even if a ball ran into the road, she would go to the curb and wait for someone to get it. Barking, however, was another story. And she never stole food unless no one was in the room. I guess she figured rules had limits and all was fair when we were gone.

[BirdbyBird]

Judy in Rally Obedience you can use both verbal and signal directions. I use both but the exercises are multiple and quick paced. Some move along faster if the dog responds to verbal. Since dogs with equal scores are placed by speed being able to respond quickly and reliably to both visual and auditory directions is an advantage that might take seconds off a run. Especially important if directions need to be given when the handler’s back is turned…..

Like Anne I am very protective of my dogs. Even being Sporting Dogs I respect that dogs on leashes have a greater propensity to try to protect. And mine at least have each other to socialize with. What was neat about gtgs was that after walking together on leash along trails and getting comfortable with each other when given those opportunities to run together. They pretty much ignored each other and acted like friends. I am thinking of the pack of dogs that ran through Nan’s old house when 5 of us camped out in her yard. And then there was the time several of us stopped to visit Karen in Kerrville. Yes dogs can learn to get along with each other but I want to decide if they are ready. I am responsible for their safety. If I am not familiar with the other dog I too will politely refuse.

[Redetotry]

I have to chime in on the dogs socializing. When I have Toby out, the miniature poodle, if another dog walker from the area sees us they turn around or wait to see if we are headed inside. He goes absolutely nuts and if I try too hard to correct him he turns on me! I took him to obedience class but had to drop out he was so reactive. He was a year old when I got him and I think they abused him while training. He still cringes when I go to put his harness on. After he was here, the breeder told me not to be afraid of being too hard on him! She was supposedly a reputable breeder, recommended on the AKC's list. I had to keep him and Emma separate until she was his size.

Judy I think for the Vitamin C to work you need to take it for awhile so it can get in your system. Beth, guess the C doesn't work for you and insect bites.

Karen, Pippa arrives this Saturday evening. They get into St Louis from Ft Myers around 5 but then it is a 2 hour drive home. Her little space is ready and waiting. I bought her one of the Snuggle Puppies I saw advertised all over. It has a heart shaped insert you put in a pouch on the toys stomach area plus a heat insert. The heart pulses like a heartbeat and the heat warms it so they feel like they are with their litter mates.

[Bethers]

I am careful which dogs Ty meets. And never go up to people with dogs without their input. Or let them come up to Ty. But I do believe that dogs are pack animals and like being around others if given the support to do so. And, like Tina mentioned, once they accept each other, often they walk and ignore each other. I remember Liz and I walking our dogs at a state park in Alabama. They ignored each other but always knew what/where the other was. Moxie (pure white and loved water) saw a big puddle and headed straight for it. Roe, lucky for Liz, was just far enough behind her that when that puddle proved to be mud, she was able to stop Roe just short of joining her. We were kidding Moxie the rest of the walk that she wasn't a pig (she knew how to grunt like one from time visiting on a farm). My other dog Tips didn't care for water so he wasn't in danger of joining.

Woohoo, BJ, arrival date is almost here. So exciting. I'm wondering if any of the supplements I take are negating the vitamin C effect to deter mosquitoes. I may never know.

Temps dropping into the 50's tonight with a high of only 70 tomorrow. I'm looking forward to this. Then back into the 80's which is okay but I don't like the nights that are staying at upper 60's or even 70. Too warm for sleeping. I know, I shouldn't complain lol

[JudyJB]

My California kids have one 5-pound ancient cat (age 21) who pretty much lives in my grandson's room and is head cat. They also have two 7-year-old cats that have always been big cats but are now overweight--each weighing about 16 pounds. As they have gotten older and gained weight, they have become very lazy, but they have a cat door to go into the back yard. Anyway, my son and his family dog-sat a 4-pound puppy last week. Being young, it did a lot of racing around the house. The older cat whacked him with a paw, but then ignored him, but the two younger cats completely panicked at this tiny bundle of energy. I don't think they had ever seen anything that ran that fast!

So, both the younger cats zipped through the cat door for the safety of the backyard and spent most of the first day outside. When they did come in, they sat together, which they never do, on the rug in front of the cat door so they could make a fast escape. Food dish is near door, so they ate, but would not come farther inside, except at night when puppy was put in his crate.

Anyway, everyone got a kick out of a four-pound puppy terrorizing two 16-pound cats!

[OregonLuvr]

BJ I am so excited to see your new puppy. I love your setup. I had an xpen set up with her crate in it and her litterbox, food and toys. She hollered for a long time the first night without her littermates and Mom. Wish I had known about the puppy heartbeat and heat. I knew about the heartbeat for our newborns LOL just didnt relate it to a puppy. I know we got our Emma's close to the same time as mine will be 5 in January. How old is Emma now?

This was my set up waiting for her arrival