Cinn has had a good few weeks. It's been a while since my last post, but that owes most to Katie not feeling very well lately. Literally minutes after my last post, Katie started having a seizure. This resulted in a trip to the veterinarian in Kamloops.
Cinn has continued her daily trips to the dog park and her wrestling matches, during this time. She loves her time with us, and yesterday I ran into a guy at the park who asked her age. I responded that she was twelve and he said, "So nearly a year then?"
He looked surprised when I told him that I meant twelve years old, in point of fact. Hopefully she can stay babyish for as long as possible.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
September 28, 2010
Cinn's had a good few weeks. Pretty uneventful, with trips to the puppy park and lots of pets. She seems really happy overall.
She did have a bit of an incident on my birthday (September 14). We always walk down to the mailbox, early in the morning that day. It reminds me of one of the last really good walks that Finn had with us. That day a few years ago, the three of us walked down to the mailbox, Cinn on her leash and Finn trotting freely beside us. We went down to the park, looked over the escarpment at the empty golf course, and contemplated getting older. A few months later, Finn got sick and had to leave us.
Well, this September 14, I slipped on her collar very loosely. Cinn only wears any sort of adornment for walks now, and I don't always check to verify that it is on securely because she doesn't really pull or misbehave much. As it was early in the morning, I was not fully aware when I leashed her up. It soon became apparent to me that I had made a major error.
We headed down the steps together and down the street. As we passed the first neighbour's house, Cinn slipped her leash off. She trotted across the street to check out the neighbour's yard (they have a pair of dogs). I called for her, but she wanted no part of being leashed again because her smell o vision had been triggered. I walked quickly after her, but she danced a few steps ahead-- still smelling the ground. I started to run, she smiled and glanced over her shoulder before running away. I chased her down the road, not catching her until she nearly reached the mailbox.
Breathless, I finally caught her with both hands around her neck. I had to grasp her little body with both legs to get the leash back on, but smiled the whole way. The little old girl still has a lot of miles left to go, and she gave me the best birthday present that she could with that confirmation.
She did have a bit of an incident on my birthday (September 14). We always walk down to the mailbox, early in the morning that day. It reminds me of one of the last really good walks that Finn had with us. That day a few years ago, the three of us walked down to the mailbox, Cinn on her leash and Finn trotting freely beside us. We went down to the park, looked over the escarpment at the empty golf course, and contemplated getting older. A few months later, Finn got sick and had to leave us.
Well, this September 14, I slipped on her collar very loosely. Cinn only wears any sort of adornment for walks now, and I don't always check to verify that it is on securely because she doesn't really pull or misbehave much. As it was early in the morning, I was not fully aware when I leashed her up. It soon became apparent to me that I had made a major error.
We headed down the steps together and down the street. As we passed the first neighbour's house, Cinn slipped her leash off. She trotted across the street to check out the neighbour's yard (they have a pair of dogs). I called for her, but she wanted no part of being leashed again because her smell o vision had been triggered. I walked quickly after her, but she danced a few steps ahead-- still smelling the ground. I started to run, she smiled and glanced over her shoulder before running away. I chased her down the road, not catching her until she nearly reached the mailbox.
Breathless, I finally caught her with both hands around her neck. I had to grasp her little body with both legs to get the leash back on, but smiled the whole way. The little old girl still has a lot of miles left to go, and she gave me the best birthday present that she could with that confirmation.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
September7, 2010
Cinn had a busy couple of weeks. She very much enjoyed her trip to Prince George. For the first time, she got to stay inside her grandparent's house. Well, for the first time since she was six weeks old, in any case.
Her exciting week began when she noticed that we were packing, and her dog stuff was in the pile of things to go. She paced around all night before we left, then followed me all morning while I got ready-- just to make sure that I did not forget to take her. When we left, she bolted for the car, jumped into the back, and would not even come out to pee before we left. After that, the trip north was a good one, with us stopping many times to let her out to go to the washroom, eat, drink, and generally feel important.
When we arrived in Prince George, she was excited to look around the basement suite. She had a tough time following both of us while we unpacked, but she managed to be somewhere between us-- just to make sure that she was included in anything that we did. She then nestled up on her new doggie bed to have a nap with us, while we waited for my parents to return home.
The week flew by. Some of her highlights included the trip, cruising around with us in the car, stopping at Starbucks while Tracie went grocery shopping, and following me all around my parent's house the entire time-- just so that she didn't miss anything. The trip back was great for Cinn. She particularly liked stopping at Mcdonalds and getting a treat from Tracie while we ate in the car.
After returning, she slept for a good portion of the couple days that we had alone. Then she was all recharged and ready for when Tracie's mom, dad, nephew, and grandma visited. She was a very good hostess, looking politely for treats and pets, always present to and unobtrusive. She very much enjoyed herself-- especially when Tracie's grandma showered her with attention.
The dog park during these two weeks has been hit and miss, particularly in Prince George because the drive to Merritt would make such a trip untenable for a few minutes of running and sniffing. Today, I was going to miss because I got home from school at about four o'clock. I thought that I would feed her and get something to eat myself, before relaxing for the night. After feeding her though, I barely got upstairs when she nearly bowled me over like a year old pup en route to her leash and the front door.
I relented, taking her on a drive to see Colleen at the distance ed school, who actually turned out to be Steve Mcniven, which is an entirely different matter. Eventually though, we got to the park, which was under construction. Taking a short walk down the river, Cinn showed me again why people love dogs. She did not protest my lateness, having to wait while I talked to Steve, or not being able to actually enter her park. She was happy just to be in the presence of her friend and doing something-- anything-- with me. Setbacks and difficulties did not matter, and she smiled the entire time. She is truly a gift.
Her exciting week began when she noticed that we were packing, and her dog stuff was in the pile of things to go. She paced around all night before we left, then followed me all morning while I got ready-- just to make sure that I did not forget to take her. When we left, she bolted for the car, jumped into the back, and would not even come out to pee before we left. After that, the trip north was a good one, with us stopping many times to let her out to go to the washroom, eat, drink, and generally feel important.
When we arrived in Prince George, she was excited to look around the basement suite. She had a tough time following both of us while we unpacked, but she managed to be somewhere between us-- just to make sure that she was included in anything that we did. She then nestled up on her new doggie bed to have a nap with us, while we waited for my parents to return home.
The week flew by. Some of her highlights included the trip, cruising around with us in the car, stopping at Starbucks while Tracie went grocery shopping, and following me all around my parent's house the entire time-- just so that she didn't miss anything. The trip back was great for Cinn. She particularly liked stopping at Mcdonalds and getting a treat from Tracie while we ate in the car.
After returning, she slept for a good portion of the couple days that we had alone. Then she was all recharged and ready for when Tracie's mom, dad, nephew, and grandma visited. She was a very good hostess, looking politely for treats and pets, always present to and unobtrusive. She very much enjoyed herself-- especially when Tracie's grandma showered her with attention.
The dog park during these two weeks has been hit and miss, particularly in Prince George because the drive to Merritt would make such a trip untenable for a few minutes of running and sniffing. Today, I was going to miss because I got home from school at about four o'clock. I thought that I would feed her and get something to eat myself, before relaxing for the night. After feeding her though, I barely got upstairs when she nearly bowled me over like a year old pup en route to her leash and the front door.
I relented, taking her on a drive to see Colleen at the distance ed school, who actually turned out to be Steve Mcniven, which is an entirely different matter. Eventually though, we got to the park, which was under construction. Taking a short walk down the river, Cinn showed me again why people love dogs. She did not protest my lateness, having to wait while I talked to Steve, or not being able to actually enter her park. She was happy just to be in the presence of her friend and doing something-- anything-- with me. Setbacks and difficulties did not matter, and she smiled the entire time. She is truly a gift.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
August 24, 2010
Cinnamon has had a good week again. It started early last week when I woke up, made breakfast, and sat down to watch the morning news. As I ate my Leaping Lemurs cereal, Shakespeare the cat decided that he needed chocolate milk. I shooed him away from the glass, and finished my drink. After I set my glass down, he decided that if he knocked it over, he might still be able to get some milk out of it. We went through a bit of kabuki theatre with him pawing the glass, me scolding him, and then repeating the drama. Finally, I decided to take it to the kitchen.
When I returned, the cat was drinking the milk out of my cereal and smiling at me. I took the cereal away from him, but throwing it out seemed a waste. I decided to let Cinn finish it, which she did with alacrity. She gulped down the milk and cereal quickly before coming to sit beside me, now wide awake. Employing her puppy eyes, she convinced me to take her to the dog park, even though it was five thirty in the morning.
As we played at the park, a couple with two dogs-- one little old golden retriever and one puppy labradoodle-- came in to visit us. Cinn ran around the park with the labradoodle, while Dutch (the golden retriever) hit me up for dog treats and pets. She had a wonderful time playing with them, and the couple that brought them talked to me about dogs and dog parks in Merritt, as the woman was from Kelowna.
Eventually, we got home. We spent the rest of the morning outside together, watering the garden. Poor Tracie was inside resting her sore back, but Cinn enjoyed her one on one time. Following the watering, we made lunch on the barbecue, which Cinn got to partake of as well.
Fast forwarding to yesterday, she was able to attend the park again, this time with Tracie. We ran into a little guy from the local optical shop, with his two dogs. One small puppy and one large, old, ex police dog. The bigger dog snapped at Cinn on his way in, but then left her alone when I gave him a strong, "No". The little optical shop guy said, "No, let them work it out.".
I took my usual tact when confronted with a stranger who thinks that he knows best for my animal, when he obviously does not, and politely ignored him. I walked around with the dogs, and briefly talked with the man. He told me that we did not need to worry because his dog never fought or bit anyone. Then he amended this to, his dog only bit fifteen people, but it was an ex police dog that never broke the skin. Then he said that his dog never got into fights. Then he amended that to be his dog never got in fights, except with pitbulls who really could not hurt him because of his long hair. Then he further amended it to include coyotes, which he allowed or encouraged it to fight because they could stalk smaller dogs.
At this point, I walked over closer to Cinnamon, who was closer to his dog. He continued to talk to Tracie, when his dog snapped at Cinnamon once again. I gave it a strong desist, which it fortunately did. The little guy apparently told Trace at this point that it was just because our dog was obnoxious. I'm not sure what she was doing that was obnoxious because she was laying in the grass at the time and bending over in what is a clear invitation to play-- in dog terms a "play bow".
It was a clear case of user bias in his observations. It highlights the dangers of user bias for me because his previous discussion had been about the fact that his dog's fights did not really count because his fur was thick enough that pitbulls could not hurt it. Based on previous experience and putting zen self perceptions aside, I know that if the dog had moved on Cinn, it would have been in a fight. Unfortunately for it, since I won't let a dog fight Cinn, the fight would not have been with her. Previous experience tells me that a thick coat only protects so much from a kick in the ribs.
We gathered Cinn up and left without problems. It was very fortunate in my opinion that the dog stopped because he seemed a pleasant enough man, whose attitudes unfortunately led to some poor behaviors on the part of his canine companion. We'll have to watch out for the man's dog when we attend the park in future.
When I returned, the cat was drinking the milk out of my cereal and smiling at me. I took the cereal away from him, but throwing it out seemed a waste. I decided to let Cinn finish it, which she did with alacrity. She gulped down the milk and cereal quickly before coming to sit beside me, now wide awake. Employing her puppy eyes, she convinced me to take her to the dog park, even though it was five thirty in the morning.
As we played at the park, a couple with two dogs-- one little old golden retriever and one puppy labradoodle-- came in to visit us. Cinn ran around the park with the labradoodle, while Dutch (the golden retriever) hit me up for dog treats and pets. She had a wonderful time playing with them, and the couple that brought them talked to me about dogs and dog parks in Merritt, as the woman was from Kelowna.
Eventually, we got home. We spent the rest of the morning outside together, watering the garden. Poor Tracie was inside resting her sore back, but Cinn enjoyed her one on one time. Following the watering, we made lunch on the barbecue, which Cinn got to partake of as well.
Fast forwarding to yesterday, she was able to attend the park again, this time with Tracie. We ran into a little guy from the local optical shop, with his two dogs. One small puppy and one large, old, ex police dog. The bigger dog snapped at Cinn on his way in, but then left her alone when I gave him a strong, "No". The little optical shop guy said, "No, let them work it out.".
I took my usual tact when confronted with a stranger who thinks that he knows best for my animal, when he obviously does not, and politely ignored him. I walked around with the dogs, and briefly talked with the man. He told me that we did not need to worry because his dog never fought or bit anyone. Then he amended this to, his dog only bit fifteen people, but it was an ex police dog that never broke the skin. Then he said that his dog never got into fights. Then he amended that to be his dog never got in fights, except with pitbulls who really could not hurt him because of his long hair. Then he further amended it to include coyotes, which he allowed or encouraged it to fight because they could stalk smaller dogs.
At this point, I walked over closer to Cinnamon, who was closer to his dog. He continued to talk to Tracie, when his dog snapped at Cinnamon once again. I gave it a strong desist, which it fortunately did. The little guy apparently told Trace at this point that it was just because our dog was obnoxious. I'm not sure what she was doing that was obnoxious because she was laying in the grass at the time and bending over in what is a clear invitation to play-- in dog terms a "play bow".
It was a clear case of user bias in his observations. It highlights the dangers of user bias for me because his previous discussion had been about the fact that his dog's fights did not really count because his fur was thick enough that pitbulls could not hurt it. Based on previous experience and putting zen self perceptions aside, I know that if the dog had moved on Cinn, it would have been in a fight. Unfortunately for it, since I won't let a dog fight Cinn, the fight would not have been with her. Previous experience tells me that a thick coat only protects so much from a kick in the ribs.
We gathered Cinn up and left without problems. It was very fortunate in my opinion that the dog stopped because he seemed a pleasant enough man, whose attitudes unfortunately led to some poor behaviors on the part of his canine companion. We'll have to watch out for the man's dog when we attend the park in future.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
I have not kept up lately as faithfully as I should. Cinn has had a really good couple of weeks though. She's been to the park daily, had to spend some time with Shannon and Petal (who she really seems to like), and has gone to Kamloops with Tracie and I. Throughout it all, she was her usual, smiling self.
The day in Kamloops, however, was not without stress. We went to Tracie's wool store, and Cinn and I had a coffee at Starbucks next door. She made friends with the girl who was cleaning the patio, got smiles from nearly everyone, and pets from a few passers by. After that, we went to several stores to do our grocery shopping. Between Coopers and the health food store, we obtained everything but Tracie's coffee. She thought that we might as well go home without it, but I told her that we might as well check out Zellers first.
Tracie went into the store, while I sat outside with Cinn. The sun was very hot that afternoon, so we could not just leave her alone in the car. Scanning the parking lot and seeing no one else there, I thought that it was probably a good time to let her out to go to the bathroom. She hopped out, but immediately began limping and hopping. I moved to pick her up, but she started walking normally. She did her business, walked around again, and started hopping and limping. Strangely enough, she stopped again when I moved to pick her up.
Thinking that she was just being stubborn, I walked her back toward the car on her leash. As we moved, she began the hopping and limping again. This time, however, I thought that I knew the origin. I led her back into the shadow of the building, where she stopped carrying on nearly immediately. I realized at this point that the pavement was so hot that my pup was burning her feet whenever we walked on the part that the sun was hitting. When she stood in the part that was shaded by the building, the heat was bearable.
Feeling a lot better, I bundled her into the car. Trace came out shortly. Following that, we grabbed some food for supper and headed home.
The day in Kamloops, however, was not without stress. We went to Tracie's wool store, and Cinn and I had a coffee at Starbucks next door. She made friends with the girl who was cleaning the patio, got smiles from nearly everyone, and pets from a few passers by. After that, we went to several stores to do our grocery shopping. Between Coopers and the health food store, we obtained everything but Tracie's coffee. She thought that we might as well go home without it, but I told her that we might as well check out Zellers first.
Tracie went into the store, while I sat outside with Cinn. The sun was very hot that afternoon, so we could not just leave her alone in the car. Scanning the parking lot and seeing no one else there, I thought that it was probably a good time to let her out to go to the bathroom. She hopped out, but immediately began limping and hopping. I moved to pick her up, but she started walking normally. She did her business, walked around again, and started hopping and limping. Strangely enough, she stopped again when I moved to pick her up.
Thinking that she was just being stubborn, I walked her back toward the car on her leash. As we moved, she began the hopping and limping again. This time, however, I thought that I knew the origin. I led her back into the shadow of the building, where she stopped carrying on nearly immediately. I realized at this point that the pavement was so hot that my pup was burning her feet whenever we walked on the part that the sun was hitting. When she stood in the part that was shaded by the building, the heat was bearable.
Feeling a lot better, I bundled her into the car. Trace came out shortly. Following that, we grabbed some food for supper and headed home.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
July 22, 2010
Cinn has had a great couple of weeks. She has enjoyed running around the dog park and has loved wrestling me during the day. She's even happy during thte stupidly hot days that we have been "enjoying". All of that said, she has been stretching her boundaries at times. The other morning I was wrestling with her in the morning when Tracie woke up. I went to the washroom to say good morning to her. While giving her a hug, I heard some commotion in the hallway.
Walking out into the hall, I saw Cinn looking back at me. The box that blocks the hallway was pushed halfway across the hall, her tail was wagging, and she had what can best be described as a look of confusion on her face. She seemed to be looking at me as if to say, "I wonder how that box got moved and how I got down the hall. Do you know how that happened?"
Naturally, I moved her out of the hallway. Naturually, I did not get angry at her because she was too cute. It's possible to get away with a great deal, if you do things in the right manner.
Walking out into the hall, I saw Cinn looking back at me. The box that blocks the hallway was pushed halfway across the hall, her tail was wagging, and she had what can best be described as a look of confusion on her face. She seemed to be looking at me as if to say, "I wonder how that box got moved and how I got down the hall. Do you know how that happened?"
Naturally, I moved her out of the hallway. Naturually, I did not get angry at her because she was too cute. It's possible to get away with a great deal, if you do things in the right manner.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
July 7, 2010
Cinn has had a pretty good couple of weeks. She got to go to the dog park most of the days, which she enjoyed despite the sweltering heat. She also got to go in to the school for an afternoon once the students were gone, which was a debacle.
The dog park has been pretty laid back lately because not many people seem to be using it. She spends her time there just running about and sniffing the grass. Her leg seems to be doing well in general, but I try to slow her down to prevent any injuries while playing at the park. Needless to say, I have very little success.
The afternoon at the school was short lived, but funny in retrospect. Cinn went in and wandered around while I cleaned up some of the tables. She was really well behaved, and smiled for the first half hour after we got there. Unfortunately, something about the building told her that it was o.k. to use the floor as a toilet. Probably the fact that it smells like a feed lot.
In any case, about half an hour into her visit, she just dropped trow in the middle of the floor and peed out a huge puddle on the ground. I was shocked. Yelling from across the room for her to stop, I dropped a pile of books on the ground as I raced to grab her. I was way too late; however, and she finished while staring blankly at me. I had to lock her in the kitchen while I cleaned up, which elicited whines and yelps. I then loaded her into the back of the car and whisked her home.
Luckily, I got the mess off of the floor quickly enough that there were no lasting marks. I had to use enough water that it was apparently still there when Angelo came in that night. He asked Pete what had happened the next day. Pete told him that he thought that I had dropped something on the floor, but was unsure what it was. I guess that I owe him one now.
The dog park has been pretty laid back lately because not many people seem to be using it. She spends her time there just running about and sniffing the grass. Her leg seems to be doing well in general, but I try to slow her down to prevent any injuries while playing at the park. Needless to say, I have very little success.
The afternoon at the school was short lived, but funny in retrospect. Cinn went in and wandered around while I cleaned up some of the tables. She was really well behaved, and smiled for the first half hour after we got there. Unfortunately, something about the building told her that it was o.k. to use the floor as a toilet. Probably the fact that it smells like a feed lot.
In any case, about half an hour into her visit, she just dropped trow in the middle of the floor and peed out a huge puddle on the ground. I was shocked. Yelling from across the room for her to stop, I dropped a pile of books on the ground as I raced to grab her. I was way too late; however, and she finished while staring blankly at me. I had to lock her in the kitchen while I cleaned up, which elicited whines and yelps. I then loaded her into the back of the car and whisked her home.
Luckily, I got the mess off of the floor quickly enough that there were no lasting marks. I had to use enough water that it was apparently still there when Angelo came in that night. He asked Pete what had happened the next day. Pete told him that he thought that I had dropped something on the floor, but was unsure what it was. I guess that I owe him one now.
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