a little of this and a little of that.

First off, I apologize that I don't have any pictures to share with you all from the past week. As you may have read/seen on the Facebook page, Claire injured her paw and therefore spent a few days gazing longingly outside and sighing with complete boredom. Just as I was about to take her to the vet, though, she bounced back and now it's like that paw is as good as new!

We've continued working on training and Claire is making excellent progress on the reactivity front. I know that it will take a lot of time, consistency, and positive reinforcement, but I'm really happy with how she's been doing since our session with Debbie. We BOTH learned a lot and are working very hard each day (I'll post more about our training session a little later for those who are interested). We're also working on come when called, which somewhere along the way became come when you're done exploring. This is a tough command for Claire, who is a hunter by nature and thus easily distracted by anything that moves. And when her options are (1) listen to me, obey, and get a liver treat, or (2) chase the rabbit and either outrun it and catch it or give it a heart attack and catch it, I usually come in second place. But hey, I'm used to taking on challenges, so we'll keep working at it!

An interesting shift in the dynamics around here is that my mom has been referring to Claire as her dog. She's cute, isn't she?! She even came home this afternoon with some raw beef marrow bones that she picked up while running errands. Claire's love languages are words of affirmation and receiving gifts of bones, so she was ecstatic and sat by the freezer door sniffing around for awhile. Mom also keeps telling me that it's going to be a long drive back to Nashville alone, since Claire will be staying up here on the Cape with her. Ha! I can counter that with, "So you're going to be redecorating by keeping the sheets on the furniture?" Aaaaand... checkmate!

My relatives are visiting the Cape this week and the place they rent is right down the street from our house. I took Claire for our usual early-morning walk/swim on the beach and then we swung by afterwards so she could say hi to everyone. We snuck her in, since dogs aren't even allowed on the premises, but of course the first thing she did was go up to the bay window, put her paws on the window sill, and look out over the pool area. Way to be inconspicuous, Claire! On another note, can I just mention how soft Claire's fur has been because of the salt water? She might smell like seaweed, but her coat looks beautiful and feels like down feathers!

I'll try to be better about taking pictures this week, and in the meantime, I hope you all are enjoying the last few weeks of summer!

cape life.

Here we are, a full month after our last post. Where does the time go?! Claire and I took a little road trip from Nashville to Cape Cod last weekend and we'll be here for the next month. Whenever I'm here, I feel like I can just exhale. I can't think of any other way to put it, so... that's that.

Can I just say that it is a VERY long drive from Tennessee to Massachusetts? It was quite eventful, too, as the air conditioner in my car broke halfway through the extremely large state of Virginia. If it hadn't been a sunny 90*F day, I would have tried to ride it out until we got here, but because it was just so hot, I had to stop and get it repaired. Thankfully it was an easy fix and we were able to get back on the road after three hours or so -- and I have to give Firestone a huge shout-out (the one in Nowheresville, VA) for being so awesome and letting Claire hang out in the lobby. They even gave her treats and water while we waited. Talk about service!

We finally made it to Harrisburg PA where we stayed in a hotel for the night. Claire got her own queen-sized bed, which she was quite excited about, as you can see by the blur of her wagging tail in this picture:

 

We made it to the Cape the next day without any hiccups, and I cannot emphasize enough how glad we both were to get out of the car. I actually have no recollection of what we did that night because my mind was blank from driving for so long. The one thing that I did not anticipate was how rough the drive would be on my body. My fibromyalgia flared up like mad and after a full week, I'm finally feeling better. Note to self for the next time: break up the drive into three days, not two.

 

The next morning, Claire and I woke up early and took a long walk on the beach. It was her first time there, and y'all, I can't wait to post the video of her reaction. But that will have to wait until I get back to Nashville, so hang tight in the meantime. At first she was afraid of the waves, but by the end of our walk, she was running straight into them. She tried to drink the water like she does when I take her to the river in Nashville, but the salt from the ocean made her sneeze. Puppy sneezes are the cutest! But she didn't try to drink it again, which was a safe bet. And hey, this is a picture that I took of the sunrise that morning. Can you tell that it was the perfect day?

 

 

 

 

Later that day, one of my besties came to visit and it was AMAZING to see her. It had been a year since we'd seen each other, and I fully intend for us to visit a lot over the next month!! We went out to lunch to catch up and then spent the afternoon hanging out on the beach. Claire was so tired after her morning romp in the waves, so I didn't feel bad leaving her for a few hours. She needed the rest!

 

 

I know some of y'all are connected with us on our Facebook page, but for those of you who aren't, you need to know that part of my mother's preparation for our arrival included putting sheets all over the furniture to "protect" them from Claire's fur. Clearly, we never had dogs growing up. Anyway, Claire's new favorite lookout is the window behind the sheeted couch, which gives her a good view of one side of our neighborhood (and, more importantly, of the squirrels and rabbits), so she's been spending a lot of time here. Again, please note the happy tail.

 

 

Interestingly enough, my mom forgot to cover one chair in the house, which has become a great place for naps. Claire is smart enough to curl up here when my mom isn't home. I don't have the heart to tell her to get off, especially when she's as cute as she is. Who wants to disturb a comfortable dog, anyway? Not me. That's just mean!

 

 

 

Of course, I still have to work during the week (though I'm so thankful that I can work remotely!), but Claire and I have settled into a routine that seems to be working well. My "office" is in a room that I only go into while I'm working - I thought that would help Claire understand that I can't play when we're there. We get up in the morning and go for a long walk, eat breakfast, and do a little training, and then I get the work day started. Claire hangs out with me and naps until lunch, alternating between the floor, the couch, and this cozy little pallet that I've set up for her next to my desk.

 

 

 

I've got an hour break for lunch, so after grabbing some food, Claire and I spend some time playing frisbee, going running, and doing more training. After she's gotten out some energy, she's ready to lounge around while I finish up the second half of the work day. At night, we've been heading to the beach after most of the tourists have left, and we'll go for another long walk/run so I can unwind and Claire can get back outside for a bit. Then it's time for dinner and playtime (she likes to play tug with her stuffed animals, and four of them have already succombed to her destruction), and then we hang out with my mom and her boyfriend before calling it a night.

 

 

The other night we went for a walk at the Harbor instead of at the beach - mainly because I was feeling nostalgic for a place where my friends and I hung out a lot when we were in high school. There were a couple other dogs around and Claire did really well by not reacting to them. I was so proud of her! Anyway, while we were walking on the docks, Claire saw ducks for the first time EVER and was absolutely fascinated by them. She didn't cry or whine or bark, she just sat there transfixed. Birds in the water? Who would've thought!

 

So, now you know what we've been up to and where we've been lately! I'll be posting again next weekend, for sure. And of course I'll share more pictures too. Hope you all are well and have been enjoying your summer!

 

we know our memes.

I've been getting quite a laugh from a couple of the memes

that are circulating around the internet these days.

It's as if these were written specifically with Claire in mind...

The picky eater:

Flashback to when she was a puppy:

Every so often she tries to bury her bone IN the couch cushion

and this is what happens:

And then, of course, we experience this EVERY DAY:

What memes out there make you think of your dog?

Leave a comment or share it on the Facebook page!

   

a tired dog is a happy dog.

I can tell that Claire had a fun day at school because as soon as we got home, she put herself right to bed. She didn't come when I called her for dinner, which was odd, and when I went to get her, she had completely passed out. I brought her dinner to her in bed, which she was quite happy about [as evidenced in her wagging tail] and she ate while lying down. I'm not kidding. There's that quote: "a tired dog is a happy dog" - it's quite true! And I'm happy knowing that Claire is happy.

You might be wondering why Claire is so tired. Well, this is what she did today while I was at work - and please note: this is the first time that she willingly immersed herself in the kiddie pool! We're making memories, here, people! When I got this picture, I was so happy to see that she was having such a great time! Courtney said that Claire would stick her face in the water, splash around, and then go zoom around the yard. She does that at the river, too - it's like she just gets so excited that she can't contain herself!

Share pictures of your dog's summer fun on our Facebook page - we'd loved to see what you all are up to!

   

a dog's thoughts caught on camera.

I recently discovered a new smartphone app called DogCap and I've been having a lot of fun with it since downloading it! Basically, it allows you to take a picture or upload a picture and then it applies a random dog-themed caption to it. For example, check out these pictures of Claire and Chase:

Go here to download the app on your phone! If you get a chance to try it out, share your pics on our Facebook page! I'd love to see what you come up with!

    

would you like some fur with that?

My friend Katie over at Life with Arie posted a Facebook status with some tips on how to prepare for a new puppy. To save you some time, here's a sample, but go to her Facebook page to read the whole thing:

How to prepare for a new puppy:
■ Pour cold apple juice on the carpet in several places, and walk around barefoot in the dark.
■ Wear a sock to work that has had the toes shredded by a blender.
■ Leave your underwear on the living room floor, because that’s where the dog will drag it anyway - especially when you have company.
■ Cover all your best suits with dog hair. Dark suits must use white hair, and light suits must use dark hair. Also, float some hair in your first cup of coffee in the morning.

That last one got me, particularly about finding dog hair in your coffee. Claire sheds a lot for a short-haired dog so, though I don't drink coffee, I find her fur everywhere. There have been times when I have unloaded the dishwasher and found it on the side of a clean cup. Remember this if you come visit me and are the victim of a rogue piece of fur... This is your warning.

During my sister's first visit to Nashville, she had an opportunity to meet the guy that I was dating at the time. I was sick with a horrible cold, and he was kind enough to make me homemade chicken noodle soup. The three of us sat down at the dinner table to have some, and my sister happened to notice that he paused while eating to pick a stray fur out of his soup. This guy was so polite that he was hoping that neither of us noticed because he didn't want me to feel bad; there's only so much control that a person can have over where a shedding dog's fur lands. My sister, however, missed that cue of his and said, "EWW LAUREN!!!! THERE WAS SOME OF CLAIRE'S FUR IN HIS SOUP!! THAT IS SO GROSS!!" [She's not one for subtlety, but I love her anyway]. I was so embarrassed, not only because of the fur in the soup, but also because I was called out on it. Oh, and I believe she also made some kind of joke about cleanliness, which was completely unfounded since I'm a pretty Type A person and can't function without things being neat and tidy. But this guy and I were just getting to know each other, so I don't think he caught on to the joke...

Did I mention that we're no longer dating? I can assure you that it was not because of this incident. At least, I don't think that was why...

on our way to getting some answers.

Where have we been for the past four days? I've been busy making homemade food for the princess, while she has been lying around and being sick. Well, that's not completely true; on the days that she felt better, she went to daycare and had some fun with her pals. But we both stayed home today because she had an appointment with a veterinary specialist in the hopes that we could get some answers about this GERD issue.

It was a frustrating appointment. First of all, I specifically asked over the phone if I should bring a copy of her vet records, and I was told not to. Then, when I got there and explained what the past three years of GERD have been like for Claire, they asked if I brought a copy of her vet records. Yeah. I was pissed. I called up my girls at Banfield and asked them to quickly fax over her records, but they misunderstood and faxed over her vaccination records. I offered to call them back and have them send everything, but the specialist said, "Well, I have to get to my next appointment, but on your way out, make another appointment and then have them fax it before you come in next."

...And then I burst into tears. I told her that it's breaking my heart to hear Claire wake up crying in the middle of the night. I told her that I haven't been sleeping because I'm so worried about her. I told her how she won't eat anything but homemade food or else she throws up all over the place. I told her that I need her to do something today, because I'm not a vet and I can't fix this, but she can.

So she ordered a complete food allergy panel which will be sent out to a lab in Texas. We won't have results for the next two weeks, so in the meantime, she gave me prescription hypoallergenic food for Claire and prescription probiotics. $600 later and we're finally getting somewhere.

Keep praying those prayers and thinking happy thoughts for us. Lord knows the next two weeks are going to go by very slowly as we wait for results. And thank you so very much for all of your emails, texts, FB messages, and tweets - I read them all to Claire, and I'm positive that if she could speak, she'd say thank you too! Knowing that you all love her so much is the best kind of support I could ask for!

   

a giveaway brought to you by: barkbox!

Remember how, just a mere two weeks ago, I wrote this post about BarkBox? Welllll... because of all of your comments here, on FB, and on Twitter, they have decided to participate in a giveaway! Pretty sweet, right?! What can I say; you asked for it and here it is!

For those of you who didn't read the product review that we did a few weeks ago about this awesome service, here's a quick synopsis, but for more details about the items featured in March's BarkBox, go here!

Please let us introduce you to BarkBox. Here's how it works: you subscribe to this service and you get a package delivered to your house each month that is full of hand-picked treats, toys, and products galore! Basically, it's like BirchBox for dogs - but it's even better, since 10% of each subscription is donated to shelters and rescue groups.

TO ENTER:
...leave a comment below to let me know that you want in!

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: [and leave separate comments, please!]
...follow this blog with Google Friend Connect located on the left sidebar
...blog/tweet/FB the giveaway and leave the URL

This giveaway will be closed as of Sunday, April 15th at 12:00pm.
  

   

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!

  

  

angel eyes.

When I went to BarkWorld back in October, I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Courtney Johnson from Explore.org - an organization that uses media to promote the philanthropic acts of others. Amazing, right?! Well, interestingly enough, Explore.org has a social media community on Facebook called Dog Bless You, which specifically focuses on the selfless acts of animals. [Seriously, how much more incredible can this organization possibly be?!] Courtney contacted me a few days ago and let me know that they are currently running a Facebook campaign called "Angel Eyes" - and I want to challenge you all to join in this very worthy cause.

For the remainder of this month, Dog Bless You is running a "like" drive: for every 5,000 new "likes" on the Dog Bless You Facebook page, Explore.org will donate a guide dog to a blind individual through an accredited guide dog organization. There are two ways in which you can get involved - and my hope is that you will do both! First, take two seconds and click the "like" button on the Facebook page for Dog Bless You. Next, spread the word! Share the link to this post on your own Facebook page to let others know about the amazing work that Explore.org is doing. The more people who know about this campaign, the more people can help!