Little Green Buckets Are So Exciting

By katie, on May 31st, 2010%

This weekend it was vividly demonstrated to me how different things are really exciting to different people. I was glad to attend the wedding we were a part of on Saturday, but not “Sooooo excited I could hardly stand it!” as one of the other guests expressed herself.

However on Friday night when I had to drop into the store I was, ”Sooooo excited I could hardly stand it!” What would illicit such a response from me-a confirmed non-shopper?

Maizey will show you:

“See my new food bucket?!? Now I can learn to be a big girl like Meeka and carry my own bucket!”
Hmmm. . . this bucket carrying thing is harder than it looks!”
“Awwe forget it i’ll just eat out of the bucket!”
I’m absolutely positive the excited wedding girl thought I was from an alternate universe when I was jumping up and down and clapping when I found this treasure of a little green bucket, but you should have seen Maizey when I gave it to her, she jumped up and down too! Okay admittedly it was probably more because I was jumping up and down than because she truly cares about little green buckets but my girls and I have a deal, if their happy I’m happy. If I’m happy their happy. It’s a good deal. 
Meeka illustrates:
“This is the most awesome bucket ever! Every time I find it my crazymomlady feeds me!”
“Plus when I hold the handle she jumps around, clap sand cheers. She looks like a total dork so I laugh at her and run around and be wild. It’s the best game ever!”
“I mean its no pink bear, but common this is pretty fun!”
Today’s 4 legged lesson: take joy wherever you find it, even if its a wedding for some crazy people or in a little green bucket for the rest of us sane ones!LOL
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Walking Challenges and Bad Attitudes

By katie, on May 27th, 2010%

The 40 miles in 40 days walking challenge is not coming off so great this time.

The challenge itself is not the problem its the absolute lack of energy I have been having, which ironically the challenge would help. So I planned out some longer and new routes to take today thinking that would motivate me to get out there and see how it goes and yet here I am tick-typing away instead.

I have an enormous work day, company I have never met coming tomorrow, a weekend wedding event this weekend plus. . . Did I mention I am the orneriest person in the world and hate weddings? My friend that is getting married is like a little sister to me, I love her to pieces and I’m happy for her, I just hate weddings. Yeah, I’m mean. Besides why does a wedding have to be an on going event for a whole weekend? Yeah, I know, still mean.

But the walking. Its hard to walk when you’re tired, that kind of tired that leaves nothing left for little reactive barking cavaliers, even though it does make me happy to see her so happy.

Okay I guess that’s why I should go. They are already going to be bummed out when they figure out to day is a work day, not a mom stays home and plays with us day, I guess I should lever my laziness out of bed and at least give them a little stroll.

As for the miles? We’ll just see who wins that challenge.

It might be the miles. . . this time.

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Grooming With Some "Cowboy Magic"

By katie, on May 25th, 2010%

Around here we have been on a grooming mission to learn how to deal with Maizey’s ever increasing amounts of “long flowing locks” as my non-dog friend puts it.

She is fairly tolerant to grooming, loves the bath more than anything, is great for toenail clipping, and would probably be good for teeth brushing if her crazymomlady wasn’t a lazy loser about doing it. 
However those thick ears that seem to just keep growing are a daunting challenge to keep up with. I would really like to be one of those wonderful dog-ladies who brush every day, but honestly we do good to get in 15 minutes about 4 days a week. The other thing that makes it a challenge is those ears are constantly getting wet. From water bowl to puddles, to the river wet ears make for snarls and mats.
So after hours online I finally found a wonderful group of folks who are part of a yahoo group called OzCavalier. These wonderful and kind folks patiently put up with my inexperienced questions and suggested a wealth of great suggestions and products. Thanks to all of you who responded!
My favorite thing I have tried so far is a product called Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine. It is a non-greasy gel that you put a very small amount on the mat and with your fingers gently pull the loose hairs out of the mat. For once the name “magic” is not an exaggeration!
The other suggestion they encouraged me to do was to use a slicker brush on her. Due to Meeka’s extremely sensitive skin I am “slicker phobic” but I followed their advice using Maizey’s little slicker that has plastic tines instead of the traditional metal ones. It really works great and combined with the Cowboy Magic detangler her hair is not damaged at all.
Thus grooming has become a much more pleasant experience around here. Of course if would be nice if maizey were more like Meeka who when she sees you get out her brushes flops over upside down and writhes in pleasure at any brushing she can get!
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Small Victories Are Still Victories

By katie, on May 24th, 2010%

Perhaps I’ve mentioned before how Meeka gets her little metal bucket and carries it to the dog food to get her breakfast and dinner. This is an enormously cute trick that I have been trying to get on video fairly unsuccessfully. Also completely unsuccessfully I have been trying to teach Maizey to do the same thing. Tonight we had a breakthrough.

Ahh you should have seen me. . . such a proud momma when I told them “Are you Hungry? Go get the bucket!” Lo and behold! Who gets it? Maizey! And by the handle too! So as I squealed “good girl! Maymay got the bucket! commere! Bring it! Bring the bucket!” in rapturous tones and Meeka ran around trampling everything in sight and Maizey pranced around carrying the bucket and. . . ran in the opposite direction and dropped it. Looking back at me with the look like, “Aren’t I amazing?!?”

Insert my sighs here.

But it was progress so we set it up again. Cue: “get your bucket” and again Maizey gets the bucket and again. . . runs in the opposite direction and drops it with the look like, “I am the most awesome talented princessface in the world! Now where’s my dinner crazyfoodlady?”

At least she’s learning and every time one of them learns something new it reminds me of a 4 legged lesson: I get more excited than they do to see them so proud of whatever new thing they learn and in the way of dogs they get just as excited as I am for no other reason than that i am happy.

Chalk that one up on the list of what motivates me to train.

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