subway dog | pic via
Tag Archives: pets
9.29.12 Sofie’s Blue-disk Blues
A lonely blue dog disk, all by itself.
Sofie: “Hey guys, do you see that blue thing over there?”
Louise: “Mojo, lets play keep away from Sofie!”
Louise: “Free-for-all!!! Sofie now’s your chance to pounce!”
Mojo: “Sofie, get off me you little pest!”
Sofie: “I’ve had it with your Labs, I’m taking a nap!”
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
9.25.12 Breezy Point
Breezy Point was a little breezy today. Did I explain that it is called that because it is the point where the Magothy River (which is our tributary to the Chesapeake Bay) splits into 2 creeks, Divining Creek and Mill Creek. I live in the middle of the 2 creeks and the peninsula point tends to always be breezy. This is one of my favorite spots and I think it is for the dogs too. The dogs and I love to go down to the very tip of the point and watch the boats out on the river and the seabirds doing their seabird things. Lulu likes to run in the stand of bamboo which is always getting overgrown and Sofie likes to venture out on the pier and sniff for new smells (she would like to dig in the sandbox, but I do not let her).
There 
are days that I could just loose track of time watching the clouds go by but the dogs seem to have a different agenda. They need to always be moving. They want to run and find something new and exciting to do. They need to chase a squirrel or a stick or each other; not content to while away the afternoon with me just reading a book on a bench. So off we go on another adventure, somewhere, over a hill or visiting a dog friend. I guess there will be time enough, when they are older to sit and just enjoy the view (maybe), for now, we press on and go explore some other beautiful vista.
Do you have a favorite spot with your dog?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
9.22.12 ‘Home’ Shopping w/ Louise
As you all know Peanut is away at college up north. It is getting colder and she did not bring enough warm clothes, like sweatshirts. So, being the TechnoMom that I am, she and I Skyped the other day (it was our first time since she left and it was so cool), and I was able to bring the computer into her room and go through her closet and drawers visually. It was like the ‘home’ shopping network in my own home. All the animals came in her room to help me, especially since the door has not been open much since she left. Louise, as you can see, tried to help me but got bored and decided to go to sleep instead. I walked around the house and each of the animals were able to see Peanut on the screen. I think some heard her voice but I am not sure they really knew it was her. 
I think the animals know that the kids are gone because they sit outside their rooms and scratch up the carpet to try and get in. Sometimes, when I go into Peanut’s room, Nine runs in unseen and then gets locked in when I leave. When this happens Stella goes crazy and tries to dig him out while he is on the other side, while he is trying to get out. “Help! Help! My brother is locked behind the door!” I am sure you can image what the corners of my carpets look like on both sides of every kid’s door. Lately, Noel has been pushing open K8’s door (old knobs don’t hold well, so a cat can push them open easily) and going to sleep on her bed. We have to be careful not to lock them inside. (You probably will think I am weird but I believe that cats have this ability to teleport behind closed doors somehow, since they always seem to get into closed rooms and closets which have not been opened any time recently.) Maybe I need to put ‘Nannycams’ around to see what is really going on. Then I could send the videos to the kids at college so they can feel like they are home.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
9.20.12 My name is “Milky-Toe”
Louise’s back toes are all white on the left and mostly white on the right. She has what we call here at the zoo: “Milky Toes.” I am not exactly sure where the name came from, I only know that K8 has a stuffed dog toy ever since she was a little girl that she named “Milky-Toe.” No one knows, or remembers, why. We thought about naming Louise that when we first adopted her, but the name ‘Louise’ just seemed to fit her so well, so we kept it. (Note: They also wanted to name her ‘Harlo,’ which would really not have fit now that I know her.)
Names are funny things. I used to name Peanut’s stuffed animals (of which she had a zillion) either after the person or state that they came from. She has a rabbit named Carolina, a lamb named Larry… you get the idea. It not only made it easier to name things but it also helped my old brain remember, who or where. But ‘Milky-Toe?’ Well, it kind of makes sense if you think that Lulu’s back paws were dunked in a vat of milk or white paint, but, I just didn’t want to run around the dog park calling for ‘Milky-Toe.’
Names are really powerful things. “A common concept in history is that knowing the name of something or someone gives one power over that thing or person. This concept occurs in many different forms, in numerous cultures—in ancient and primitive tribes, as well as in Islamic, Jewish, Egyptian, Vedic, Hindu, and Christian tradition,” – Loren Graham, MIT and Harvard University. The act of naming, a religious ritual for many, is important on many levels. Think about what it means when you know someone’s, or something’s name. In the human world, knowing someone’s name gives you the ability to contact them, to interact personally. You can’t find someone’s phone number if you don’t know their name and you definitely can’t Google them (that was a blog joke – LOL).
But is it the same with a dog? If you know a dog’s name, will it respond differently if it does not know you? Is it more likely to come to you if you call it. Does “Here, Lulu” from a stranger work any better than “Here, doggie?” In humans you have to fear this knowledge (especially people calling your children by name who they do not know), but I am not so sure in animals.
I used to just accept the name of an animal when I adopted it, not realizing that it was probably given to it just yesterday by the rescuer, or when it was picked up from the street or at the shelter. They know the sound of their name, but of course not what their name means in human language. All they understand is ‘Oh, they are referring to me. That is my sound (Luluuuuu).’ That is why you can name a Bull Mastiff ‘Tinker Bell’ or a Yorkie ‘Killer,’ what you name him or her is not really important. The fact that you can call the animal by name, now that is everything. That is the power of connection, of knowing, of intimate knowledge. Since I turned this whole name thing around and am looking at it from the animals point of view, I realize that the names I pick for them are more important for me than for them: I guess I could have called her ‘Milky-Toe’ after all.
How do you decide what to name your pets?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Wednesday’s Kidmation Adoption
Are You My Mother?
It doesn’t get any more adorable than when a dalmatian adopts a rare spotted lamb that looks just like her.
9.19.12 Batter Up!
New people moved in next door (well actually behind us). They have 3 boys of varying ages. So yesterday, I noted that the dogs had a new white ball. Hummm, I don’t remember buying them a white ball. They were running all over the place, chasing and stealing it from each other. So I had to investigate. Lulu brought me the ball and dropped it on my foot. Ouch! I declare, that thing is heavy. It was a real, honest to goodness, hard ball, the kind that baseball players use. I assume that it must have come over the fence from the new kids. I was going to return it but the dogs are having such a great time with it that I do not think the new people will want a ball with tons of teeth marks. I am so blessed that people are providing the dogs free play toys. I hope this is not un-new-neighborly of me. Baseball season is over anyway, isn’t it?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
9.18.12 Kitty Update
Miss Constance Kitty has decided that she will take over my office. When I take a break for a minute and then return to my desk, she is now always in my chair. When I try to move her she gets mad at me. If she can’t be on my chair than she has decided she will lay on my papers. She does not want to go into the cat bed under the window which would be a good place for her (but it does probably smell like Noel, since it is her’s, so I kind of understand that). I never thought Kitty liked me so I am really freaking out that she wants to be with me in my office and even is trying to get under the covers with me at night. Kitty is one of those one person cats and she was Peanut’s kitten at first, but she turned into V’s cat over the years, but now, she seems to be taking a liking to me. I don’t want her to like me! (I know that probably sounds terrible.) I already have to many other animals that beg for my attention in this zoo. I like when the animal attention requirements is somewhat spread around to the other humans. But, alas, it is now only V and me, which violates one of my rules – you should never have more pets than you have hands. You see when it was us and the 3 kids, we had 10 hands. At one point we did have 11 furballs (ok the guinea pigs had 3 babies, it was not planned). But than the oldest moved out and we had 8 hands and 8 animals, and when it moved to 6 hands we had 7 animals, but now it is four hands and we still have 7 animals. Oh my, I am in trouble here aren’t I, and I digress…..
I have come to some conclusions about Kitty’s behavior:
(1) Kitty pees on the coach when people are overnight visiting (especially intense energy people). She does this to tell us she does not like outsiders in her house. If her routine is changed or people are loud, she gets “pissed.”
(2) Kitty is calmer when I sequester her for dinner in the bathroom with her own litter box, for at least 1/2 hr. She is happy and calm when I open the door.
(3) “GoodNights” Disposable Bed Mats, with adhesive corners, are now an essential item on my shopping list. They protect the coach cushions, under a cloth cover, very effectively.
(4) I still do not know why she pees on newpaper or in empty bowls, but we leave no papers down, anywhere and no bowl empty, so this has not happened in a while.
(5) She secretly smiles when we spray Nine with the water bottle, mostly for chasing her or Muffin. Tonight I actually gave Nine a very long time out because he kept trapping her into corners.
(6) On days when Nine and/or Stella really terrorize her, she gets very upset and could act out. Separating the cats, especially at night, makes a lot of difference in her stress level (Nine and Stella still sleep locked in the kitten room.)
(7) Kitty is following me because I protect her and she knows it. She is staying close because I have the power of the spray bottle and the ability to lock cats and dogs behind closed doors.
OK, I guess I can get used to her snuggling up to me if it will keep her from peeing on the furniture. But I am going to keep my office door closed when I am not in there, just in case she changes her mind about the new improved relationship.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
