these are my confessions.

My sister sent me a link to this yesterday - the signs that you treat your dog better than you treat yourself. If you haven't seen it yet, you MUST check it out because the pictures are awesome. Here's what I have to say about the whole thing:

1. You shiver half the night because you let them steal all the blankets. Truth. I also sleep curled up in a ball because she tends to sprawl out in the middle of the bed.
2. They have their own personal tablet to watch animal shows on. Um, no, that would be weird. She uses the TV in our bedroom so she can get comfy and relax. Also, Animal Planet has some shows that are not age-appropriate for Claire, so she tends to watch The Food Network.
3. More people show up to their birthday party than to yours.  Again, truth. People and dogs. The neighborhood pups aren't willing to come to mine...
4. You take your job super seriously but you never get mad when they slack off at theirs. Yes. I mean, how can you get mad at that sweet little face?!
5. You sing them lullabies to help them get to sleep... every night. Well, I sing along with the Spotify playlist that I made for her. She finds The Civil Wars very soothing.
6. You pay top dollar for their groomer but you haven't been to a hairdresser in ten years. She has short fur so she doesn't need a trim, but she does get "manicures" - and I haven't been to get my nails done in a really long time... Pretend you aren't looking the next time you see me.
7. You took the time to teach them to surf, but you can barely swim. Not true; I'm a Cape Cod girl, so I love the water! Though I did take up running because it's Claire's favorite thing to do.
8. You take the day off work to make sure they don’t overheat on the hottest day of the year. I have done this in the past. Thankfully I won't have to do this at the job I have now because I can work from home and personally make sure that Claire is comfortable with the temperature set on the AC control.
9. You spend your life savings on emergency surgery for them and would definitely do it again. A few things about this: (a) I'm a social worker, therefore I don't make enough to have savings, and (b) I'd cash out the ol' 401K if I needed to. But praise God that she hasn't needed emergency surgery because my heart would break for her!
10. Your significant other is convinced you love them more. I don't  have a significant other. Probably because everyone knows that nobody puts Baby in the corner. No second place for my girl!
11. You take them to the dog park everyday after work instead of going out and having fun with human people. I did this every day for the first three years of her life - and I met some of my good friends because of it (humans, not dogs). Now she tends to have more low-key afternoons since she's a mature 4-year-old.
12. You sleep on the floor with them when they're not feeling well. I have done this on the few occasions that Claire was too sick to come to bed. When she had pancreatitis, she couldn't get off the couch one night, so she slept there and I slept on the floor next to her.
13. You spend more money on toys for them than your parents spent on you as a child. Hahaha! When we were home on Cape Cod, even my mother commented on the endless supply of toys!
14. You spent more time stressing out about their doggy wedding to the neighbor’s dog than your own. Not applicable, people! Besides, the neighbor's dog hates Claire. And Claire's many boyfriends would be jealous...
    
    

times, they are a-changing.

There was quite a scary incident that occurred at the park last weekend, and it left everyone a little shaken up. I've been thinking about it all week long, and my conclusion is that it's time to make some changes around here. The bottom line is this: somewhere within the past 1.5 years, the dog park has become less enjoyable for Claire. Whereas she used to love going all the time, it's now a 50-50 toss up. Her needs have changed. She tried to tell me, she really did. I'm just a little slow sometimes. But after The Incident, it clicked, and I finally get it!!

So here's what I have decided to do. She still adores her time with her friends at Bark-O-Lounge (as in: she waits patiently by the door while I'm getting ready in the morning), so this is going to become a Monday-Wednesday-Friday deal. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we will continue our long walks in the morning and at night. And on the weekends, like this one, we will run errands together, hang out, go walk down to the field by my house and play fetch, do some training here and there, and go for a hike or two. Stress free and fun quality time for both of us!

This weekend was our trial weekend without time at the park. Yesterday morning, poor Claire was visibly stressed out and seemed a bit depressed. But as the weekend carried on, she became happier and more relaxed and decompressed than I've seen in a really long time. It may be too soon to tell, but so far, it seems like a change is what Claire needed. And seeing her happily wagging that tail is exactly what I needed.

when we don't use our coping skills.

I rarely have to work on Saturdays at my new job, but today was one of those rare times. My friend Carrie offered to take Claire to the park this afternoon when she brought Tucker, and I knew Claire wouldn't mind being whisked away for some time outside. I was wrapping up my last case for the day when I got the following text message from Carrie: "One of your couch cushions did not get by unscathed." Apparently Claire doesn't like when I work on Saturdays either, and she didn't choose to cope with it very well...

the carb consequence.

Though Claire and I did not have the privilege of celebrating Thanksgiving Day with our family, we did manage to share leftovers of our friends' meals (thank you to both Callie and David!) I enjoyed everything, of course, and Claire loved the sweet potatoes and even some of the pumpkin pie!

Two words describe the outcome: carb overload. Or: food coma. Or: tryptophania mania. The possibilities are endless!!

Claire has been working it off at the dog park for the past two days, and she even got me to do a little rough-housing with her yesterday. I'm down one old fleece jacket and I've got some bruises, but hey, it was all in good fun!

Not only that, but she even was kind enough to push me out of bed this morning so I would go to the gym. On a Saturday.

What a pal.

Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving, and I pray that you have as many things to be thankful for as we do!

three's a crowd.

Claire and I had the privilege of hanging out with Chase this weekend while Alexandra and Josh went out of town. Let me just say: we both love this dog. He is such a sweetheart, and he and Claire are completely in love. You can practically see the hearts in their eyes when they look at each other. I mean, they spent the first hour of their reunification licking each other's muzzles and nuzzling. So cute. After that, they played nonstop from Friday night through Sunday morning. Seriously. When we got home on Sunday afternoon, Claire put herself straight to bed and slept clear through Monday morning -- it's like she had a complete puppy hangover from having so much fun.

I have learned, however, that Claire brings out the mischievous side of Chase. Because of that, I know that one eye and one ear has to be on them at all times. Like, even when I take fifteen minutes to shower. I left the door to the bathroom open so that I could hear them if they got into something that they shouldn't. I had just finished working up a good shampoo lather when I saw a little black nose move aside the curtain. And then a brown muzzle. I pulled aside the curtain and, for lack of a better word, I exclaimed Chase's name... and he took the liberty to jump into the bath tub. I became somewhat frantic (and may have started cursing, as well), which brought Claire running into the bathroom. As you may recall, Claire hates getting a bath. So naturally, the last thing I expected her to do was to jump into the bath tub too. Which is exactly what she did. I'm pretty sure that was when I started screaming. I leapt out of the shower to shut the door to the bathroom so that the two wet dogs wouldn't go galavanting through the house, and then I somehow managed to grab towels while simultaneously turning off the shower. Once I dried them off really well, I put them outside in the backyard so they could sunbathe.

I wasn't planning on telling Alexandra and Josh because it would've been way more fun for them to find out while reading this post. However, I saw Alexandra at the park yesterday, and she asked if I gave Chase a bath and brushed him because he looked all handsome and clean, so I had to 'fess up...
   

weekend recap (and a celebrity sighting!)

Guess who was hanging out in Nashville this past weekend. A celebrity, y'all: Lauren from Life with Desmond. And friends, let me tell you that she's as awesome in real life as she is in the blogosphere. Her husband is equally as awesome, and I really think he needs to guest post over at LwD, too. [And please feel free to get comment-happy on her blog to try and get him to agree to this idea]. Of course, I didn't think to get an autograph a picture with them, so there's no real proof that I actually met them, but I can promise that we all had a great time chatting for hours at dinner. I'm really hoping they come back to visit - and I'm still hoping that maybe Desmond will be able to come along too so that he can hang out with Claire.

What else, what else... My goal this past weekend was to spend as much time outside as possible. Claire was more than happy to come along. We hung out with friends at the park, went swimming in the river [attached to a leash, which wasn't ideal, but hey, I learned from last time], and took a walk through the woods - we even had a close encounter with a bold little fawn before he pranced off through the fields [perhaps he would've stuck around longer if Claire hadn't been jumping around and screeching with frustration that she couldn't go chase him]. All in all, I'd say it was an excellent weekend for both of us!

A big thanks to those who emailed, FB'd, and commented on this blog post from last week. I feel much better knowing that Claire's response is a normal one, but I've also decided that I need to engage with her more while we're together at the park. Over the last couple days, instead of sitting on a bench chatting with friends, I've been making a point to keep moving -- we walk around the park, run, play fetch, etc. I've noticed a big difference in Claire in that she not only plays with me, but she also has been spending more time actually playing with other dogs. I'd say that these trips have been much more fulfilling for her, so we'll just keep on doing our thing!

Hope you all had a great weekend too. Don't they just go by way too fast?

    

positive-reinforcement training.

I think we need to step up the training. Or I do, rather. Little One's anxiety has been gradually kicking in again. I think it's happened so gradually that I didn't even realize it until a friend commented about it the other day while we were at the park. My friend commented (with part humor and part seriousness) that Claire doesn't like many dogs. Maybe I'm biased, but I just don't think that's it. I mean, she's around dogs all the time at daycare and she is just fine. And again, she's great with the dogs that she knows. I guess I've always thought that it was normal for some dogs to need a little space when meeting new dogs. But maybe that's just "normal" for Claire...?

I've always been aware that Claire's anxiety mainly manifests itself in that she is leash-reactive, and we have continued to work on that; I'm seeing improvement there, mainly because we work on it every time we go for walks. But as I look back on the past few months, I find that, when we're at the park, she is only 100% comfortable around the dogs she knows. She hates when puppies jump all over her, and she gets nervous when dogs get in her face - even if they're just coming up to say hello. Her reaction is to give them one quick bark, and then she removes herself from the situation. I'm proud of her for doing this, but ideally, she wouldn't react at all and would just walk away. What are your thoughts? Am I overreacting and making this a bigger deal than it needs to be?

I'm big on positive-reinforcement training. It promotes trust and confidence. That's why, if you're around me and Claire, you'll notice that I praise her a lot with either treats or "life rewards" such as positive touch and verbal praise. I don't yell at her for doing something wrong, and I would never ever cause discomfort or pain. On the rare occasions that she needs a scolding, she gets a stern voice and a time-out immediately after whatever incident occurred. Instead of saying "no" all the time, I redirect her to do the correct thing and then I praise her for it. I'm a firm believer that positive-reinforcement training is the best training method for all dogs, but especially for dogs who deal with anxiety. This is why it's the best fit for Claire. So now it's time to kick it up a notch to get her over this hurdle.

dog days of summer.

It's been a little quiet here on the home front over the past few weeks, mainly because Claire and I have been soaking up the last little bits of summer. We've been going on lots of walks and hikes, and of course we've been frequenting the dog park as much as possible before the days get shorter.

So, for your Instagram recap, here's what we've got:

• Claire and Tucker playing frisbee/tug
• Sitting on Katie's lap while getting some love from Patrick
• Doing her best impression of a person - it's good, isn't it?!
• Playdate with the ever-so-handsome Chase
• Smiling all pretty
• Hanging out with Sooki -aka- taking all of Sooki's bones/toys for herself
• Staying cool with Courtney in the office at Bark-O-Lounge [picture courtesy of Miss Courtney]
• Muddy dog park feet
• Relaxing in the shade under a bench at the park
• Sleeping soundly

We hope you all have been enjoying the end of summer too! I love the warm weather, but I'm actually quite ready for the fall season this year. There have just been too many 100* days for us here in Nashville!

   

our bucket list.

So, by now, most of you have probably heard about this sweet story of a boy who created a bucket "lick it" list for his terminally ill service dog. When I read it, of course it got me thinking about all of the things I'd like to do with Claire in her lifetime. I have my own bucket list that consists of 90+ things that I'd like to do in my life [getting a puppy was one of them], but I decided to put together a separate list for me and Claire. Here are some of the items, in no particular order of importance.

1. Fence in the backyard so that Claire has more room to run when we're not at the dog park.
2. Go on a vacation to the beach, just the two of us - spend our nights staying at a dog-friendly hotel and spend our days playing by the ocean.
3. Share a cone of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream.
4. Walk a 5k together [I'd say that we'd run, but that would be a nightmare because she would think we were playing a game of chase, and I would die of either exhaustion or of embarrassment].
5. Have my friend and fellow photographer Erin do a photo shoot of me and Claire.
6. Let Claire lead a walk.
7. Have a birthday party in my backyard with a cake from See Spot Eat, and invite all of her friends. Send out real invitations, hand out party favors, and have decorations fit for a queen!
8. Go for a ride in a convertible. [I'll have to hold on to her so she doesn't jump out].
9. Take a picture of Claire in a field of sunflowers. Print it on a canvas to hang up in the house.
10. Get a tattoo of Claire's paw print.
11. Get 100 followers on Google Friend Connect, and reach 200 followers on our Facebook page. [This is obviously a personal goal, but I still felt that I needed to add it!]
12. Create another masterpiece and sell copies to raise money for the Nashville Humane Society.

What should I add to this list? What's on the bucket list for you and your dog?

  

true confessions of a dog owner.

It's time for some true confessions! Are you ready for this? I put together a list of twelve truths pertaining to being a dog owner. Know that I mean no offense, so I apologize in advance if anything written is taken the wrong way. But I figured it would be fun to let you all know some of my honest-to-goodness thoughts and maybe even share some of my own bad habits! Leave a comment below with some of your confessions - I love getting the scoop!

1. I am of the persuasion that raising a dog is just as hard as raising a child.

2. Every Sunday, when I go grocery shopping, I make sure to bring back a special little treat or toy for Claire.

3. It's very likely that I spend more money on Christmas presents for Claire than I do on all of my friends combined.

4. No matter how adorable I think your dog is, I'll always think that mine is cuter.

5. I think you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat their dog. I tend to write people off if I see them treating their dog poorly.

6. It's really hard for me to like you if you don't like my dog. And please know that "like" does not mean "tolerate."

7. I have more of a problem with separation anxiety than Claire does. She usually does just fine when she's at Bark-O-Lounge while I'm on vacation. I, however, call/text a few times per day to make sure that she's all right...

8. I have been late to work a time or two solely because I've stayed in bed cuddling with Claire for too long.

9. Sometimes when we're at the park, I yell "SQUIRREL!!" really loudly because I think it's hilarious how Claire's ears immediately perk up and she looks all around to find it.

10. There have been many times where I have slept on the very edge of the bed as to not disturb the angelic sleep of Princess Claire.

11. Claire's vice is digging, and I even encourage it sometimes because I feel like it helps file those nails ;)

12. If I believed in past lives, I would definitely think that I was a dog.
  

guest blogger: amy and kingsley.

If you read this blog on a regular basis, then you already know Kingsley who belongs to one of my dearest friends, Amy. They have had a rough year, as 2-year-old Kingsley was diagnosed with Wobbler's Disease. I asked Amy if she'd mind sharing a little about their journey together, which completely displays true love and companionship at its best. So, grab the tissues, curl up with your pup, and settle in for this heartwarming story.

Some people never plan on getting a dog but end up with one when a stray shows up randomly one afternoon. Or maybe they didn't expect to see that cute box of puppies when they headed to the supermarket that day. I, on the other hand, had dreamt of getting a Great Dane for more than ten years. Everyone always asks me "Why would you want such a HUGE dog?" Well, I grew up on a farm. I had horses, cows, pigs... just like Old MacDonald. I love animals and have always been a "dog person." I was always intrigued when I saw a Dane. It was something about their gigantic, regal, yet clumsy stature that pulled me in. I researched the breed a good bit and only became more enamored. You'll find most anywhere that they are unequivocally referred to as "Gentle Giants." With that moniker, you'll often find images of them with tiny toddlers hugging their necks, which seems ironic given the notion that the bigger the dog, the more they tend to scare people. There's something that speaks to my soul about an animal that embodies such capable power and strength, yet chooses not to wield it.

I finally got to a place in my life where I decided I was ready. It took me a few years to convince myself I could handle it and afford it, but the time came when it was a "now or never" moment. In all my research, I found a  great breeder just west of Nashville at the time. Reading up on Danes you'll discover purebreds have the potential for quite a few health problems mainly due to their size. With the anticipation of being a first time Dane owner and wanting to ease into it, I decided getting a pup from good stock would help ward off some of the genetic issues and give me a better shot at a prolonged lifespan, since the average textbook lifespan of a Dane is only 7 years. Little did I know that my breeder had show stock and had some of the best Danes around. I wasn't completely ready for the price tag of such a pedigree, but I was committed and fortunately, even though I wasn't going to show, they allowed me to get a puppy.

"Sir Kingsley" (as he's AKC registered) was born on December 4, 2010. The breeder called and let me know I could come out and take a look when the pups were a couple weeks old. When I got to the nursery I found four little fur balls huddled together near a heating lamp.

The breeder picked Kingsley up and handed him to me. It was love at first sight. I held him and he snuggled close up into my neck. I was elated! The worst part was having to leave him since I couldn't bring him home until he was seven weeks old - which is prime attachment time. Seven weeks couldn't pass fast enough. However, I had plenty to do to get the house ready for a baby puppy. You quickly learn that the size "XL" sometimes isn't big enough and you hope the pet supplier carries "giant" sized items. His crate was a nightmare trying to put together. I bought one that ultimately fit a full-size Dane, but you also buy this divider that you use to let your puppy grow into it. The crate is slightly smaller than a MINI-COOPER, a beast to maneuver, and took a community effort to put together. I was ready!

Take Home Day came and I was so excited and nervous! I went with a very close friend to pick him up. They drove, I held him. It was late January and it was cold, so I zipped him up inside my jacket and he couldn't bury his head in my neck deep enough. He eventually stopped wiggling and fell asleep. When we got home, I immediately took him to a grassy area to do some business to try the potty training bit right away, which was pretty successful. We had friends come visit and he instinctively hid behind my legs when he was unsure. After having him only a few hours, he already seemed to be attaching to me.

Kingsley grew like a weed the first year. I could literally leave for work in the morning, come home in the evening and see that he had grown. He went from being born to weighing 125 lbs in one year. We became very attached to each other. As soon as he was old enough and had his shots, we went through two levels of obedience training, took hikes together and went to the dog park. It was important for me to socialize Kingsley early. When he was a puppy everyone would comment on how big his feet were. As he grew, his feet did too. To this day, he still gets comments on not only his size (often called a "horse"), but the size of his feet.

At the dog park Kingsley met LOTS of dogs and owners. Some welcomed him warmly, some didn't. As he grew and some other dogs were intimidated by his size, he would get picked on, and he would take it. As a mom, you want everyone (including other dogs) to like your dog. Your dog is your child. You feel responsible. Yet, I was intrigued to see the development of his personality and that witness that gentle strength that made me fall in love with the breed in the first place. The best thing Kingsley found at the dog park was his girlfriend, the one and only Claire Baby Butterworth. He's been taken with her from the beginning.  Claire and her mom are the warm welcoming wagon of the dog park. Sweetly, Kingsley would follow Claire's lead and pretty much do anything she did. Claire taught him how to dig and crawl under the park benches. Most of all he learned the art of chasing and racing with her. While Kingsley is not incredibly fast compared to some breeds, watching him run is a sight to behold and always left me in awe. His big, beautiful strides were so amazing to watch as he'd thunder past you at a full gallop with his giant paws. He was a pretty active Dane growing up and he loved to play.

About a year ago when Kingsley was just about to turn two, while at a routine visit to the dog park I noticed Kingsley trying to run to keep up with the pack. He couldn't seem to get coordinated with his front half and his back half. Inevitably, he tripped and fell. He scared himself and wobbled to get back up, quickly marking the end of our play time for that day. The first time it happened, I thought he just tripped. I took him to the park again a little while later, but this time when he fell in the pack he managed to get flipped on his back and it scared both of us. Thankfully he wasn't injured, but he still struggled to get back up. We immediately went home. While driving home I recollected some times when I noticed some weakness in his back end, and that he splayed his back legs when he'd walk/run. I decided it was time to check in with the vet. It took a couple vet visits and a lot of explaining, but they surmised that he might have Wobbler's Disease and said they needed to send me to a specialist to know for sure. 

We went to a few specialist appointments. They did x-rays and an exam and diagnosed him with Wobblers. For those of you unfamiliar with Wobblers, basically Kingsley has a malformed cervical vertebrae that is putting pressure on his spinal cord causing inflammation of the spinal cord and therefore weakness in his body. This is a disease that, over time, can take a toll on a Dane. Immediate treatment consists of steroids and medical management, which includes minimal and light exercise - meaning no dog park, no rough play, no quick jerky head movements (which makes playing tug very difficult and is one of his favorite games), minimal car rides, minimal stairs and other uneven or slippery surfaces. The other not-immediate option is surgery, but the prognosis of surgery is grim at best given that the procedure is difficult, quite invasive, and there is still no guarantee that it will be successful. The specialist didn't recommend the surgery unless his condition was so severe that it prevented him from daily self-care activities such as eating and going to the bathroom. While the specialist explained all this to me, I broke down and sobbed in the exam room. Kingsley was lying on the floor and I laid down with him and buried my head in his cheek and kissed him while my tears soaked into his fur.

I pulled myself together and became determined to take care of him the best I could for the time I'm graciously given with him. I took an inventory of all the things we needed to adjust, and accommodations were made. The steroids definitely helped and I've seen the weakness disappear for the most part. However, the steroids made him gain weight - he's topped out at 180 lbs this year, which isn't good. I don't think I mentioned earlier that the reason Danes don't live longer lifespans is because their hearts can't keep up with their body mass. So weight on a Dane is not a good thing. You want them lean to try and keep the stress of the weight off their heart.

However, I'm happy to report that we're a year in and Kingsley is doing okay. He is on a diet and has already been able to get down to 170 lbs, though I'm hoping he can still lose a bit more. While we miss the dog park terribly, we're thankful for dear friends like Claire who come over to the house to visit and socialize. Kingsley has adapted well and he continues to be such a good boy. He makes the most of his toy box which keeps him occupied for play time. As for me, I try not to take any moment with him for granted and I make a point to try and live in the moment of one day at a time. I love letting him put as much of himself in my lap as possible, cuddling (for the record, he likes to be the baby spoon), playing games in the living room, wrapping him up like a burrito in the bed sheets, and simply just spending time together. 

Looking back, I don't regret a thing - and certainly not my decision to get a Dane. This is the reality and fragility of life. Getting Kingsley was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. We're a good pair and we take care of each other - and I pray that we continue to have many good years together in front of us.

TGIF.

It has been a busy few weeks around here. I'm sure that most 27-year-olds are out on this Friday night having a grand old time with their pals and staying out until the wee hours of the morning, but not this girl. Nope. I can honestly say that there is nowhere else I'd rather be than in this bed, snuggled up with Claire. Let's give a quick recap of recent happenings, yes?

• Work. Work is always crazy busy, but especially when you're covering for a coworker. [Elizabeth, next time you go to Switzerland, don't forget to pack me in your suitcase. Just kidding... or am I?]
• Preparing for a conference. I have a little over a month to do some research, make a powerpoint presentation, and come up with an hour's worth of pediatric social work goodness to present at a national conference. [I'm really excited about this opportunity, and I've got some great material. The only hitch is that I have a slight phobia of public speaking...]
• Uganda. The missions trip with Visiting Orphans is three months away, and it's coming up quick! We've been doing a lot to prepare, both individually and collectively. A lot of the planning has been for our fundraising event that is tomorrow night [if you're in Nashville, you should come!]
• Dog-sitting. I love my friends. I love dogs. So, it just makes sense that I help 'em out by doing this, you know? Also, Claire loves it! She gets to hang out (a) with me, (b) explore new places, and (c) hang out with her puppy friends. What more could she possibly want? [Answer: an endless supply of Nylabones].
• Photography. My other job. You know, aside from being a social worker and blogger. I absolutely adore photography, and I cherish the times that I get to use this creative outlet - especially when getting to take pictures of people's beloved pets! [That being said, I'm booking shoots into the fall, so let me know if you're interested!]
• Working out isn't my favorite way to spend my time, but it's important. You know, for my health and all that. I try to go 2-3 times a week, which gets a little tricky now and then, but I try to make it happen. [Unfortunately, in this case, it's not the thought that counts].

Even with all of this great stuff going on, the most important thing is that I get to spend some solid time with Claire each day. She goes to school with her friends on my busiest days, so when we get home, we usually just get into bed and cuddle [and there's no complaining from me about this!] while I blog or read or watch a movie. During the other days of the week - the less busy ones - I rush home, pick her up, and we go for walks and hang out at the park for a couple hours. Lately, I've been trying to squeeze in some time to teach her some new tricks, too - she loves to learn, that's for sure!

Claire is one of my main priorities, and because of that, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I'm always up for a quiet night at home with my best friend - especially with the busyness that has been going on throughout the past few weeks. It's no sacrifice at all. :)

    

remembering puppyhood.

I was sitting on a park bench yesterday, Claire perched on my knee [yes, in all of her 50-pound glory], when I realized that it was just a little over a year ago that we came to the end of an era: puppyhood. It finally hit me yesterday, as I watched the next generation of puppies playing together, romping around with the big dogs. I still consider Claire to be my puppy, and I will always refer to her that way, even when she's a healthy thirty-eight in human years [just humor me]. But in reality, she's an adult dog now - a young one, but an adult just the same.

She's got a whole slew of friends that she has grown up with, and it has been so sweet to see all of them grow up together. Thankfully, she still sees most of them on a regular basis. But now there are new little ones who are learning the ropes at the park, and honestly, I get a little nostalgic as I watch them all play together and figure things out. Where does time go when it flies by?

Nostalgia aside, it is time to introduce you to two of the newest members of the dog park gang: Riley and Murphy. They are both incredibly sweet and full of that wonderful puppy innocence. There isn't a dog or person out there who they don't like [which is great because it means lots of cuddles for me when I see them]. From what I can tell from our interactions with them, Murphy is going to be in the middle of the action all the time, while Riley is more of a thinker; she plays hard, but she also has moments where she goes off on her own and watches things from a distance. [Sounds a bit like Claire, doesn't she?!]

Riley and Murphy

You know what I miss the most about the puppy years? The endless excitement at discovering new things, and the fearlessness that accompanies it. As Claire has grown up, I've noticed this excitement give way to a tentative curiosity. Though, on one hand, I am glad about this, because it's a bit safer!

What do you miss the most about the puppy years?

   

grand ideas and new inventions.

I've got a pretty solid group of friends at the dog park. Every time I go there, I know I'm going to see at least one of them. [We're regulars, people, so don't try to mess with us]. Sure enough, I ran into Brianna and Ross today, and we had a conversation about an idea that Ross came up with on the fly. Now, Ross is a pretty talented dude. He's an actor, a videographer, a teacher, etc etc etc. And so it didn't surprise me that he came up with this a new invention so quickly - and it's patented and trademarked, so don't even try to steal it. [Okay, well not yet, but it WILL be].

First, here is the backstory... One of the things that happens frequently at our park is that someone will go around pointing out where others dogs did their business, hand them a bag, and tell them to pick it up. What's tough, though, is that the dog owner often can't find the spot because it's such a big park. So Ross came up with an idea for a product that will be called "Poop Patrol". Poop Patrol is a packet of flags that you will be given upon entering the dog park. The purpose is to stick a flag into the ground next to the business so that you don't lose the spot while you go tell the owner to pick it up.

Great concept, right? That's Ross for you. Changing the world, one grand idea at a time. Well... maybe not the world, but certainly the cleanliness of our park. Such a good guy.

Poop Patrol.

Keep your eyes open for it at a store near you.

  

the anatomy of a trip to the park.

I was sitting on the park bench chatting with some friends, and I looked around for Claire just to make sure she wasn't getting into trouble. She was a little ways away introducing herself to the people who came into the park. She could've cared less about the dogs at that point, since she'd had a pretty busy afternoon at the river with Gracie and Asya.

One of the guys who was loving on Claire called over to me and asked if she's the dog who sits on the bench. When I said that yes, she's the one, he asked if she does that because she's afraid of the other dogs. I told him how she's been coming here since she was a puppy, so she knows most of the dogs who frequent the park as much as we do. I said that, it isn't that she's afraid of the other dogs, it's just, now that she's older, she has a certain routine for herself when we come to the park.

Claire spends a half an hour or so sitting next to me on the bench observing everything, and then she goes and plays a little bit with her friends. She checks in with me more during this playtime, and, if she finds a tennis ball that meets her high standards, she'll ask me to throw it for her a couple times. Sometimes she digs a hole or two under whatever bench I'm sitting on. And every so often, Claire will stop whatever she is doing and will go find Asya; she likes to antagonize her until she agrees to chase her in circles around the park. After that, Claire just hops back on the bench and sits with me for awhile until she lets me know that she's ready to go.

When Claire was a puppy, we used to go to the park for hours on end, and Claire would just run and run the entire time. It's funny how her needs have changed in the past couple years. She's not old by any means - she's just three! - but she certainly doesn't have that constant flow of energy anymore!
 

pushing the limits.

My schedule has been a little ...different... lately due to unexpected circumstances, so I have been able to spend a lot of extra time with Claire. And this time with her is such a blessing amidst much the chaos and confusion. The better part of our days have been spent at the park and the river, and Claire has gotten pretty bold throughout her adventures. Her new game involves swimming across the creek, jumping up the riverbank, and going to explore the woods. I wouldn't have such a problem with this if she would come when called, but lately she looks at me - from the other side of the river, mind you - like, "Mo-om, this is soooo not a big deal - I'll be back later" before she turns away and continues exploring. NOT OKAY!!!! After two days in a row of such behavior, the Little Miss has been placed on river restriction. What does this mean, you ask? Basically: she's grounded.

  

sunburnt and waterlogged.

We hit record temps in Nashville this weekend, and, naturally, Claire and I tried to spend as much time outside in the sunshine as possible! Yesterday we hung out with friends at the river and at the park (check out some pics at the LWC Facebook page), and today was solely a river day as it topped out at 90*F.

I don't have any pictures to share from today's adventures, though, because I was floating down the river in a raft. That's right. And it was awesome! Our pals brought some inner tubes, so off we went! I was a little nervous because Claire has never had the chance to swim long distances, and I really didn't want her to drown. [I mean, that would really put a damper on the weekend, don't you think?] But when she saw me begin to drift away, she dove right in, and then alternated between swimming and walking along the bank with my friends' dogs while we floated down the river. She needed lots of encouragement, but she did it, and I'm pretty confident that she had fun!

It's gotta be tough to be a black dog in the summer spring heat. Claire gets tired so quickly at the park because she can't cool off, but when we're at the river, she can play for hours. I have a feeling that we'll be down there every weekend until October. And Claire has already had more practice swimming this year than in the past two years combined, so she's reached pro status. I wouldn't say that dock-diving is in the near future, but hey, we've got time to work on it!

  

  

close encounters of the third kind (or the fourth, maybe).

When Claire was still in her puppy stage, she had a hard time distinguishing between small dogs and squirrels, cats, chipmunks, etc. They were all the same to her: squeaky and quick. In the past two and a half years, however, she somehow learned the difference, which makes my life much easier.

But tonight at the dog park, she came into contact with a dog who made her a bit confused - and it was hilarious to watch her try and sort out what she was looking at. First, take a look at this little dog:

This is a dog called the Chinese Crested.

In my opinion, the Chinese Crested looks a bit like a My Little Pony.

Does anyone else see the resemblance?!

Tonight we were with some friends at the dog park, and Claire met a Chinese Crested for the first time. Naturally, she was interested. Her ears perked up and she looked at him for a few seconds, and then she got a little closer and sniffed him. He jumped back and barked at her, and she started to bark back. Then he growled, which prompted her to go into a puppy bow to try and engage him in play. So far, Claire was actually doing really well around this little guy. But it was at this point when the owner of the Chinese Crested swooped in, noting that her dog "isn't comfortable around big dogs", and then she did the ultimate no-no: she picked him up.

She picked up her little hairless dog who was barking at an extremely high pitch. Now, for those of you who don't have dogs, let me explain something to you: whenever owners pick up their little dog to try and "rescue" it from others, it's the equivalent of holding up a squeaky toy. If you hold up a squeaky toy to any dog, they're going to try and get it away from you. Because they think it's prey.

That being said, when the owner of the Chinese Crested picked him up in all of his barking glory, Claire saw that as a challenge. And she started jumping up to this lady at eye-level to try and get to her My-Little-Pony dog. After multiple attempts to try and grab a very bouncy Claire, I was able to wrangle her in, at which point I apologized profusely. I actually think I said, "I'm so sorry, I don't think she knows that your dog is a dog."

...Oops. My bet is that she won't come back to the dog park. Though it's still up in the air as to whether she won't return because of Claire or because I (quite unintentionally) offended her...

  

  

someone needs a breath mint.

I tried. I really did. But it was nearly impossible...

It was so difficult that I gave up after the second attempt...

I failed.

But she just would not let me brush her teeth.

We were in the car the other day, heading to the dog park. She was standing on the center console with her head sticking out the sunroof, ears blowing in the breeze. Maybe it was the way the wind was blowing, but I caught a whiff of something that just smelled terrible. Like dead fish.

I'll be totally honest with you: I thought it was my breath at first. I'd eaten some spicy food for lunch, complete with garlic and onions [yes, my officemate adores me, if you were wondering]. I was mortified. I stuffed a whole pack's worth of gum into my mouth in the hopes that it would eradicate any remnant of my stinky lunch before I got to the park. [Did you know that eating a whole pack of Orbit at once isn't just hard to chew, but the mint makes you sneeze at least eight times? Truth. Firsthand knowledge]. But when we stopped at a red light and Claire leaned down to give me a big fat kiss, I realized -- partly with relief and partly in horror -- that it was not MY breath causing the dead-fish smell... it was HERS.

She's never been one to have bad breath, but I recently started giving her a different flavor of her food - trout and potato, as a matter of fact. And apparently, it reeks. But she actually likes it and it's easy on her stomach [which is important with her chronic GERD and recent pancreatitis scare], so I am hesitating to change it back...

The next day, after taking a quick trip to PetSmart, I sat down with Claire and discussed why I absolutely have to brush her teeth. She listened to me explain that I don't want her to be the smelly kid dog at school daycare who doesn't have any friends because they can't stand the stench. She also heard me say that preventative care is the best care, so we had to nip this in the bud. I believe I also told her that this would be more painful for me than it would be for her. And then I tried to persuade her by telling her that the toothbrush itself is peanut butter flavored, so maybe she would like it.

Aaaaand... nope. She let me look at those pearly whites, but she wouldn't let me touch them with the toothbrush. Actually, when she saw it coming towards her, she kept leaning backwards until she tumbled over. And then she rolled over for a belly rub. [Does she think I'm an amateur?! As if I was going to get distracted by that!] I tried putting the toothpaste on my finger to brush her teeth that way, but when I started walking over to her, she turned and ran into our room. And then, my fifty pound dog tried to hide behind the bookcase.

That's when I gave up.

I realized that this was not going to happen, no matter how badly I needed wanted it to. I haven't yet come up with a solution, so suggestions are welcome. For now, I'm trying to manage it with dental chews, a water additive, and raw marrow bones.

HELP!! I just can't let the trout win this battle.

  

TLC for CBB.

Claire is exhausted right now. I think she might sleep straight through the next few days, actually... It's just that the weather was so beautiful this weekend, that we absolutely had to take advantage of it! We spent a couple hours at the park this afternoon and then we went for a three mile walk around the greenway with my friend Melissa and her [incredibly adorable] little boy.

Because Miss Claire spent so much time on her feet today, she needed some TLC when we got home. So... [and I feel sort of ridiculous admitting this] I gave her a puppy massage. Some people say that she's spoiled, but she's not, she's just very well loved! And who doesn't want a massage, right? I mean, if she had opposable thumbs, I'd train her to reciprocate.

Anyway, Claire loved it. When I stopped to go and make dinner, she followed me into the kitchen, laid down on the floor, and rolled over on her back for more. And yes, I did lead her back to our room and oblige. Now she's sprawled out on my bed, fast asleep.

If you want to be known as a crazy dog lady too try it out on your pup, watch this video first to learn some techniques. I promise that you will have the happiest dog ever. Or the most comatose. Whichever comes first.