Wordless Wednesday: Dad's Bad Aim

It is the Small Things

It really is the small stuff with Katy. Like children, it is wrong to compare dogs, but sometimes you cannot help yourself. Things came easier to Bailey. It may have been that he came to us as a puppy from rescue and he had less baggage. He might have a more outgoing personality. I do not know. I do know that Katy has fought hard to believe and each victory is amazing.

People can debate the issues with dogs on furniture, but we have always enjoyed cuddling with the dogs on our beds and couches. That is why the couches all have fleece blankets on them. They wash when company comes and it reduces the hair to clothing ratio for our guests. When Katy came to us, she had challenges with stairs and jumping was not something she would do. We were not sure if it was training or fear.

The stairs were necessary. In order to reach the backyard she had to be able to negotiate the back stairs. My husband carried her down the first few times, but that was not a long-term option. With cookies and Bailey's help, we coached her on walking the stairs. Today, the problem is still getting her to walk the stairs. Now, she flies over them. Getting her to touch the stairs is a thing of the past. She flies up and down every set of stairs indoors and out. It is wonderful to see her fearless, but we do have to work on keeping her from breaking her neck with her races with Bailey around the house.

I started a tradition of picking her up and scratching and petting her on the couches for short periods of time to help her understand she was allowed on the furniture if she wanted to be there. She was not interested for a very long time. Last night I walked into the room my husband and his friend were watching the game and I saw Katy jump up on the couch and curl up with my husband. I struggled not to say anything. For some reason when you notice what she has done, even in a positive way, Katy leaves. My husband told me later that she has started to come out at night and watch sports with him on the couch. It does not sound like a big issue. However, if you understood how far she has come not just jumping up on her own, but to initiate contact it is huge.

Katy may always be shy. Several people have remarked that may be her personality. I am fine with that. My hope has always been that she would choose to do things based on personality, not on fear or bad past experiences. She may never be comfortable with strangers. However, she has won so many of the battles with challenges since she arrived with that I leave it to her to decide.

Monday Night Football

The season has begun. We had our first college and professional football bonding with Dad this weekend. However, tonight is a special night. Dad's best friend is coming over to watch the Patriots open the Monday night football season. Dad is getting Pizza and this friend ALWAYS has dog biscuits in his pockets. What more could a Sheltie want?

Football Season Begins

We are so ready for football season. We watched the first game with Dad last night. We heard one of our favorite people is coming to watch the opening Patriot's game with Dad. You may not realize it, but we are big fans. Mom's Aunt made Bailey his own Patriot's fleece blanket with remnants she had left over from making Christmas blankets for family members. Grandma made Dad a knitted blanket with the Patriots logo. Dad keeps the hair controlled on the couch, rotating fleece Patriots and Red Sox blankets. We inherited our sport's obsession from Dad.

Enjoy the football season everyone.

Our Weekly Book Review: The Dragon Princess

Mom is right I like romantic books. I sat through all the Jane Austen books including the horror versions she reviewed and I loved them all. Bailey was off in the other room chewing bones. I have listened to the Tales of the Frog Princess all the way through the marriage of Prince Eadric and Emma. Now Mama has brought home The Dragon Princess which is the tale of Millie their 15-year-old daughter and I am still hooked. Yes, Bailey you can groan all you want, but this is a Sheltie version of a soap opera. You can have your endless sports, but give me a story first of a frog princess and now a dragon and I am hooked.

Yes, Millie can turn into a dragon and this adventure is about her learning to control her powers and have the choice over when she wants to be a dragon and when she wants to be human. Of course throw that in with her problem with finding a prince who can deal with a dragon princess and I have my romantic fix. After all as a Sheltie princess, I love reading about how others deal with the challenges the title brings.

Bailey is concerned because he now has to be afraid of snowmen. First, it is veggies and now dangerous snowmen. Who would have thought snowmen could be dangerous? After all sit on them for a bit and they melt.

I can't wait until Mama brings home the next book The Salamander Spell from the library.

Wordless Wednesday: Enjoying the Last Days of Summer

The Appliance Vet is Coming

Dad says the appliances are getting a checkup today with something to do with their warranty. The dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer are seeing the appliance vet who comes to the house. I guess it would be hard for the appliances to get in Dad’s car and go to the appliance vet.
Bailey wants to know if they get shots. Every time we go there always seems to be shots involved. Mom talks about the temperature in the washing machine, so we are curious to know if the Vet will be checking on it when he/she is here.

Have any of you had experience with appliance vets? We have had plumbers and electricians here. We had no idea there were vets for appliances or that they got checkups. The plumbing has had inspections and repairs, but it has never had a checkup. Maybe that is why our favorite plumber visits instead of a plumbing vet.