Dog and Boxes

Yes, I am moving again and that means the dogs have boxes to attempt to eat and it also means they are going to be subjected to pictures with boxes.



Fancy does not want to get left behind in the move so she packs herself up. The Mals are not so worried and instead devote their energies to eating Fancy's box. This makes Fancy sad because how will she get packed up and moved if her box gets eaten?



Fancy investigates the damage. I taped it back together to ease her mind.


Dottie does not know about moving (she was too young to remember our last move and she was sequested in her crate at the time with "distempter.") She figures she will play it safe and put herself in a box. But being a silly puppy she picks a box that is too small. Pie laughs behind her back. Pie, it is not nice to laugh at your little sister.




Yep, still too small from the side also.


Dottie gives up (loudly) and gets out.


Guess who found a box big enough to contain her? Except for her wonderful, lovely long tail. Does that mean the tail might get left behind?


Pie kindly shares her box with her sister.


Dottie is mostly concerned with eating boxes.


Eventually I had to lock Dottie up and eject Pie from the room because the box nibbling was becoming ridiculous! I need those boxes and nibbled on (or shredded) boxes do not work as well. Plus, there are little pieces of cardboard everywhere for me to pick up.

I am moving back into the duplex I moved out of a year ago because it is cheaper and I like it just as much. Also closer to work and town (food shopping and gas, etc.)

BZZZ...

As I already wrote about, last Sunday I got stung by a bee for the first time in my life. 2 days ago the foot started inching like crazy. I almost went insane. It was really bad again today. But it has now progressed from just being itchy to the foot swelling up so much I can't bend my toes, redness, and a strange yellow stain within the red, that looks like a river of venom, except that it is huge and no bee stinger could possibly have that much venom in it.

I bought some anti itch spray, and that helped, but the tingling is annoying and so is the pressure from the swelling. I will ice it and see if that helps.

In better news, today at work I was awarded the Air Force Meritorious Achievement Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster for doing a very good job getting prepared for an inspection. A nice surprise.

Also at work today was an airshow. It was not at our base, but at the base next to us. We are not able to see it. However, the show was a bit delayed due to a heavy marine layer in the morning, so the AF Thunderbirds went later than planned, and by the time they started, we had been released for the day. A few of us made our way onto the roof of our building, where we had the best seats of anyone! The only word to describe it is cool. I suppose also awesome. Many times the planes flew right over us, seemingly low enough to touch as they roared by in preparation for their next maneuver. Wow.

My family had attended the air show so afterward we all met for dinner at my local favorite pizza spot. I just wish I had been able to attend the air show with them.

I hope my foot does not swell up so much it bursts. That would be pretty gross.

Bad Week with Creepy Crawlies

Earlier this week I was stung by a bee for the first time in my life. I stepped on it. I was surprised how much it hurt, not only initially- I expected to find a huge nail embedded in my foot- but also how much it continued to hurt. I looked for the stinger, but never found it. My foot swelled up and I couldn't bend my toes. I was actually unable to sleep that night because of the pain. I eventually took some Benadryl that I had bought for Fancy, hoping if it didn't help at least it would make me sleepy. That was on Sunday. Today the swelling is all gone and I can walk normally, but the top of my foot is itching like crazy! The top in that area did swell and turn red so I assume it is related, but not really sure why it is still itchy.

Today I opened up a storage box to get out my obedience jumps to practice for Pie's upcoming competition and I was swarmed by earwigs, which is to be expected. What was not expected was the biggest black widow I've ever seen. I've always thought if you see a huge black spider you are safe because black widows don't get that big. Now I have to re-evaluate that idea. I took the wimpy way out and attacked it with Raid. Then I scooped up the dead body (without touching it) and put in in a baggie for a picture.



Then I put the baggie in Tupperware. I'm not risking it coming back to life and eating it's way out of the bag and getting loose in my house!

Since that is a yucky picture here is a nice one. Fancy and Pie practicing the long sit framed by the jump I set up at risk to life and limb from the hugest black widow ever.


I hope that is the end of my bad luck with small nasty creatures. Please excuse me while I attack my foot itch foot with a cheese grater.

To Bite

Finally I have pictures of my dogs working in SchH. Dottie is much more of a natural than Pie. Pie feels some conflict over biting. Dottie has no such reservations!


Dottie is ready. And very strong for someone who weighs only 42 pounds!



I got it... how is he still pulling on it?





Ready again.


Chomp!


Too fast for the camera shutter. Or at least, too fast for dim conditions.



And still ready.


I knocked him down! (Shhhh... don't tell her that he is a good actor!)


Victory lap.










Next it was Pie's turn.

I try to avoid getting caught up in the line and Pie goes in the find the bad guy. Looking goofy, Pie.


Found him!


Pie does her best to look menacing.


This was supposed to be a "miss." That makes them frustrated, but instead Pie got a hold with her front teeth.





Pie's first time doing the bark and hold. She ran around the blind, and then wondered what to do. He was just standing there... and the sleeve was hiding.


She barked out of frustration....


And gets rewarded with a bite.


Searching the blind.


Biting again.

SchH is so much fun!

Here are some more picture.


Whee! Dottie has fun.


Pie comes around the blind during the search...



After barking at the bad guy he decides to make a move...


And she gets him. Good girl.

Dottie Practices Heeling

I still have vacation pictures to post, but first.... a video of Dottie heeling. Thanks to the training help I've received from the Somis SchH club, Dottie is going to have very nice "head up" heeling. For those in my family who have only ever seen Dottie bouncing off the walls or confined in a crate- here she is showing that she can be a very good girl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtQjo1c9MZI

Big Bear Day 4

So... our last full day in Big Bear.

We got some lunch and ate it at the Boat Launch Ramp, then headed out for a walk on the Alpine Pedal Path along the North Shore. First chance we got, the dogs frolicked in the water. This beach was not very nice compared to the one we normally go to. There were some yucky dead fish and the water was not deep enough for swimming. We did not stay long.


Bad Dottie harassed Fancy the entire time.


ffluffy and dogs


It was a very nice walk.


Fancy holds onto the tennis ball.


We went off the pedal path and onto a path that went along the beach.


A neat tree.


On the path.


Pie's ears check out a tunnel on the way to the Big Bear Discovery Center.


Having a drink at the Discovery Center- which turned out to be closed!


We had to wait forever to get this statue free. The other people hogging it took forever taking pictures. The lady counted, "ooooonnnnneeee.......tttttwwwoooooo....." and as she was getting to three, the guy took his sunglasses off and she snapped the picture as he was still fiddling around! He never said, "Wait" and she just kept counting and took the picture. Of course they had to start all over. And when they were done with that, they remained standing on the statue and took pictures of my dogs as we stood by, waiting.


Fancy sat on the foot. I didn't tell her to do that, it is just were she ended up.






I love my dogs!!

Interlude

This blog post is from after the vacation, but have no fear- I will get back to that.

My mom gets a gold star for pouncing on an unsuspecting older woman and asking her if she wanted a dog- with Bacon in mind. She did have a reason to suspect she might want a dog as the previous day she had seen the same lady walking a boxer and then later 2 smaller dogs and then on that day she wasn't walking anyone. It turns out the lady had been dog sitting her children's dogs and then they had to go home.

The lady agreed to meet Bacon and take him for a 2 week test drive. I think they are perfect for each other. My mom spotted her walking Bacon last night and reports that so far she is thrilled with him. I say- What's not to like? He is sweet with everyone and gets along with other dogs, is house trained, and can be left loose in the house. Why am I not keeping him again? Ah yes- because I have three other dogs and he loves attention so much he is not getting satisfaction from me.

As I was loading up the car to take him to meet his potential new home I left him loose to come back to find this.








Alas, I did not let him ride there but instead made him share the seat with Fancy.

Both the lady, my mom and I all agree this home is meant to be for Bacon because the lady almost did not take a walk that day and it was pure chance she met my mom, who happened to speak up on her state of doglessness. All the events conspired for Bacon to find this home! I do not see why she would decide not to keep Bacon, but I will still keep my fingers crossed everything goes well for both of them.