What do dogs really know?

If you didn't get the heads up from the title of this post - this will be one about the dogs. Just FYI.

Of course there will be food involved.

So, I was plodding along on the usual walk with the dogs and Abby veers off to the left. This is in the direction of my friends apartment.

And Abby does not do this in a 'lean on the leash - I wish we could go this way' kind of way but in a bounding, joy filled, HOLY CRAP we have to go THIS way - kind of thing.

This is Abby as a young puppy - she is still beautiful but not as sweet.

So, me being filled with Catholic guilt (this is a permanent condition) I indulged her urge because the thoughts running through my head are, "Is my friend dead and Abby is alerting about this?" or "Is Abby picking up on my guilt that I didn't stay to clean up?"

So we go left. My friend is perfectly fine. Abby curls up on the couch with a look on her face that says, "Oh, yeah, this is what I wanted this morning."

Connor is left in a stressful state of 'This is off our usual schedule - this is SO WRONG!'

So what do dogs know? Connor alerts to almost everything - but Abby knew I was feeling super crappy this morning and could use an easy morning of visiting with a friend. 

So, she hijacked the usual routine and led us in a different direction. 

How pleased she was with herself? It would be impossible to express this in words. She was one happy girl.


Oh, yeah, and I had this for lunch.

 Black bean soup with a spoonful of greek yogurt. Yes, it was good.


And I should add - I do actually have more than one friend, but since none of them want their faces posted on the blog (along with any member of my family) they are all referred to as 'the friend'. 


Night, all.

Tummy troubles and thoughts

So, I am home tonight feeling like crap. 

This is my dinner.

Yup, a mug of mint tea. The dogs are quiet, indolent, unable to move - and it is because of me.

And it got me wondering - thinking - about life before having dogs that went all sentient and now work as assistant dogs.My life - before dogs that alerted - was very predictable. I attended to their needs - they did funny things but I never thought it meant anything.

Now that I depend on Connor (Abby alerts too but only in a - "holy crud could the boy do a worse job?" kind of way)  - the relationship is very different.

When Connor needs something - he 'knows' that I understand that he is asking for something. When I say no, either because I am being pissy or busy or dealing with an issue he is unable to foresee - oh, wait, there it is - the bit he can't foresee - and I guess there is the tricky bit - trust. 

When that odd bit hit - the moment he realized he needed (or I needed him to) alert to things - that created the odd teeter totter of trust.


He knows I understand him - or he has a way of making himself understood - if I will listen - and when you know someone CAN understand you and either can't or won't  - holy crud that brings a whole mess of issues into any relationship.


Ok, Connor is poking at me - I should go to bed.


I will tell you the rest later.

 

Preserves and insomnia

I had another one of those odd nights when I wake up at 3am and there is no hope of getting back to sleep. Even warm milk didn't help.

By 6am I was starving so an early breakfast it was.

Blood orange slices, strips of toast with butter, slices of a Cortland apple and in the center - nectarine and blackberry preserves.

If you have never tried a Cortland apple you should. I grew up in Massachusetts and I have fond memories of going to the apple farm every November and picking up bags and bags of McIntosh and Cortland apples. My mother preferred to use the Cortland apples for baking. They are firm and have a nice tart taste that hold up well to cooking. 

But I think they are delicious any way you can get them. 

I gave up on falling back to sleep at around 5am so this is my third mug of tea. I will be vibrating by noon time...

The dogs were especially interested in the toast this morning so they got this as a snack:

Connor gobbled down pieces of toast with apple, a juicy wedge of blood orange and a drizzle of Udo's oil.

Most dogs don't enjoy citrus fruits - in fact citrus scent is used in dog repellents - but for some bizarre reason Connor enjoys the occasional nibble of orange. 

Abby munched on apples and toast drizzled with Udo's oil.

The dogs have gone back to sleep with contented and full tummies. Sigh, I wish I could do the same.

No food, just a dog

I should divulge something - so you can appreciate the story I am going tell you.

Connor (unofficially) works as my hearing assistance dog (but he alerts to much more than that). You rarely see him in photos because (unless we are out on a walk and he is in front 'working') he hates being photographed. 

I took this picture of him today - but you can see he looks worried - he is always thinking "Am I supposed to be doing something?"

I have a hearing loss - first diagnosed when I was 25 - the doctor at the time commented, "Too many loud concerts." Which I was very proud about. But, nope, it is just genetic.

It has not become much worse over time but it is bad enough that when Connor was a pup - I encouraged him to point out things. Where is the phone? What is making that noise? That kind of thing. 

At some point when he was an adolescent the realization seemed to hit him, "Holy crud, she will burn the place down because she hasn't heard the kettle whistling for the last 10 minutes." 

I never had him certified as an assistance dog because I could not stand the idea of him poking me about every noise. 

If I clearly react to the noise and I choose to do nothing - he does nothing. If something is going on noise related or otherwise and I have not reacted to in any way - he alerts. He whines, pokes and just bothers me till I pay attention.

And I will have to say I am the worst person to assist - when he alerts - most of the time I say, "No, I am not getting another rawhide. ENOUGH."

But he is unswervingly persistent - until I pay attention to whatever is amiss.

So, today, he is pestering me - I get annoyed - he keeps pestering me. Finally, I give in. Fine! show me what is the problem.

It turns out I left a big chunk of avocado on the edge of the table after making lunch(I was too excited about watching the horror movie and forgot). He did not eat it - he just calmly walked over and pointed out the item. 

Ok, now I feel like crud. But Connor and Abby did get to enjoy avocado as a snack :-)

And no, Connor rarely if ever gets a food treat for alerting. He is just a great guy that way - he does it for the satisfaction of doing a great job.