The Weekend

Well, the weekend has come and gone and Pickles had a great time!  After taking Donna to work on Saturday, we came back home and I went to sleep for a bit (I didn't get off until 0200 Friday night) then, when I got up, we went to the park.  We ran a bit in the park while Pickles was on a long leash but she had fun!  She chased the ball and the kids but she soon got tired so we headed home.  She slept for a bit, had a snack then got on Facebook for a while.  She's a really good typist despite the fact that she doesn't have thumbs.  During the day, Pickles had two visitors:  Lee Ann who brought Pickles a pull toy with a big rubber bone in the middle, a card and a "Doggie Beer" squeak toy and Deanna who brought Pickles two big rawhide treats!  After some tug-o-war with her pull toy, it was time to go to PetsMart.  I originally went looking for a bed and some dry shampoo (I ended up with puppy wipes but they don't work that well).  Pickles needs bath because she didn't get one before she left the pound or the SPCA and I can't bathe her for a week because of the surgery.  Oh, I forgot to tell you, Pickles went too!  Everyone said how cute she and well-behaved she was and it was true.  It's funny to watch people talk to her because there's no way to tell she's deaf...other than she doesn't come when you call her.  The it was time to pick Donna up from work then to bed.  At bedtime, she gets a Kong toy filled with some natural peanut butter (which is her bedtime treat) that she really likes!  Only a few minutes of whining but then, she drifted off to sleep to dream about her pull toys, biting my hand and going for walks.  I like to think that she doesn't dream about being tied to a tree or being in the pound but I really don't know.  That was her life up until she changed mine so I can only wish that her life, for the last three days, has replaced the thoughts of the life that she had. 

Sunday was a bit different.  I took Donna to work, sans Pickles, and then picked up Zack for the day.  When we got home, Pickles was up but had a accident in her crate.  That wasn't her fault because I didn't let her out before I left the house but she was sleeping and was so cute!  We cleaned that up, hung out for a while, went to the park again until Pickles got tired then it was time to get the Christmas stuff out from under the house and Pickles helped...if you can call that helping.  I got one of the rugs from under the house as well.  We cleaned and put them away before Maddie died.  After a good cleaning, the rug was in the house and Pickles really liked it.  She was laying on the rug and wen to sleep and when she woke up, she started to bite and dig at one spot but I'm not really sure why.  Next was a few naps, playing tug-o-war and learning a couple of things.  We've been working on "watch me" where I would get her attention and point to my nose and she caught on after about 50 times over five or six sessions.  Then it was time for "sit".  With this, I would take her treat and bring it over her head until she sat, gave her the index finger (which we're using for sit), the "good dog" sign (thumbs up) and a treat.  She had this down much quicker and is pretty consistent with it.  I also got an email from a trainer that was recommended and I contacted and I look forward to talking with her on Monday.

Time to take Zack home and pick up Donna.  She was sitting in Zack's lap and began to growl at something outside of the car but there was nothing there!  Her hackles were up and she looked mean.  Still haven't figured that out. 

Once home, some more sits and watch me/s and some down time.  Then it was time for bed.

Some thoughts:  She's a great dog although she's bites a bit.  I can only chalk that up to her being deaf and relying on her mouth more that a hearing dog.  Pickles has opened my eyes to the plight of shelter dogs but I'm not sure what to do about that on the back end.  There's no dog that deserves to be treated in such a way and it needs to stop.

I have an idea for Christmas:  I would like everyone to find a broken ornament and "adopt it".  Everything deserves a home at Christmas...especially things that are "broken".

Well, time for bed.  My wake up time comes really early on day shift weeks.