Training day 2 and Gnawing day 11

I think Ember might have some beaver in her background.  Longest lasting toy we've had in a while!  And the cost was perfect!

Wednesday morning I made it to and through the financial appointment.  My son met me there and got to meet my financial advisor in person for the first time.  He also got far more financial information about my situation that he thought he really needed to know.  Certainly more than I knew about my parents' financial situation before they passed on.  My brother had done this with his daughter a few months before he died, and of course at the time neither of them thought it would be needed for many years.   

What came of it was an idea about what he does need more information about, being as he is now firmly in the sandwich generation.  Professionally he deals with aging veterans and the issue comes up for them.  He wants to review what I have in terms of long-term care coverage and how to access it should the need arise.  He's concerned that if/when such a situation occurs, he would be under a good deal of emotional stress.  I concur, knowing how I felt when my parents got to the point of needing help, and I had a brother and three sisters with whom to share the load.  He does not.  Better to set aside time now to talk about and review those aspects, before a time of duress.

As I was leaving the financial appointment, I got Scott's message to meet for the dog training session.  Cues I am to work on between now and next Monday are "easy" (for slow down) and "heel" (which is to come to and sit on my right side).  Wish me luck.  The other two are to get into the car "load up", and out "unload".  Ember did all of these just fine for Scott, I don't know how well she'll do them for me.  We shall see.

The thing I was most impressed with was his body language signaling to her when she "lost" the dummy, out about 25 feet from him.  She correctly read his signaling, found the dummy and earned high praise.  Oh, and his "loose leash" showing off once she was tired out from running.  She stayed with him as he dangled the leash loop on his thumb.  

We came home to meet the lawn dudes who are setting up my lawn sprinklers for the watering season ahead.  

They turned it on, double checked the scheduling, and tested, finding two PVC "couplings" that had given way over the winter of freeze/thaw cycles.  They fixed those.  We are ready to "Spring" into action.

The 4 p.m. puppy parade happened, and Ember and I joined it partway through.  She was a good girl, especially as she was tired out by her workout with Scott, I'm sure!

That was one exhausting Wednesday, and the hu-mom fell into bed and slept very well.

On to Thursday

This is day 2 of the transition to a new training diet for Ember.  For breakfast she got the last 1/2 cup of beef chunks from the can, plus 1/4 cup of the salmon/sweet potato kibble, and 10 green beans.  She left a little of the kibble behind, covered in gravy.  She is not too crazy about kibble once it gets "wet" with gravy, so about a half dozen of the kibbles got tossed, but good job on eating your green beans, girly!

We played 3 rounds of glow in the dark fetch, 5 fetches per round, 1 treat at the end of the five.  Worked on the release, which, unfortunately, her words for "drop it" are "bring me".  It was a mistake in training on my part, but it has stuck.  I throw the ball, she runs out, brings it back, but if she won't give it to me automatically, I say, "bring me" and she drops it.  If I say, "drop it", she doesn't quite get it.

We tried the "heel" command a couple times at the start of the puppy parade (before we joined the others), and I'd call it a start.  She's not as quick about it with me, as she was with Scott.  This morning's "load up" was kind of a mixture of the ritual we HAD been following, and what Scott is training.  He had her loading up in his Silverado at the Y Wednesday, my little Honda isn't nearly as big a jump!  But she got in.  I have her in the alternate harness today (the Easy Walk one).  And I warned the day care folks that she's now "in training" and on a diet, so go light on the treats during day care.

My trainer waved off today's session, so I mostly did human things at home.  I broke down the cardboard and took a load to the recycling center.  Looked like retirees' day there this morning.  Also did dog laundry, swept up the results of a dog that sheds a double coat (I felt like I was working at a beauty parlor, there was so much of it), and appreciating the sunshine as I shook out the Muddy Mats I have scattered around the house.  The Prisoner opted to stay outside all day.  And I got a little bit of a nap before going to pick up the pup.

There is something about the harnesses with chest connecting clips (which I use).  Newer day care workers often put them on her "upside down" so that the clip is on top when I pick her up.  I think I know why... I suspect when they take the harness off for the day, they leave the leash attached, and then it just makes sense to them that the connection should be on top.  Anyway, that has happened with both harnesses!

Ember's supper after day care.  1/3 cup salmon and sweet potato kibble, 2/3 cup chicken and rice kibble, and 10 green beans.  I warmed the green beans in the microwave and allowed them to cool to a safe temperature for her mouth before giving her the dish.

She joined the clean plate club!  We shall see how Friday goes.

Here's to surviving whatever each day brings, all in its own time!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Training Day 1

Connected with my triathlete friend, Scott, Monday morning, and he got to meet Ember for the first time.  He pronounced her a dog he can work with, and one that will be great for me.

What did he do with her?  Observing that she's both overweight and strong, he took her leash and took her for a run to wear her out.  Then he tested her sit, stay, and retrieve (with a dummy).  She did well for him, and other than wanting to bring the retrieved dummy to me, rather than to him, passed the initial test.

The plan is for him to work with us on Mondays and Wednesdays when the weather is good for it.  He can do this after his swim (and chiropractic appointments).  He's willing to just do this to help me out!  OMG.  I have seen what the locals charge for field dog training, so this is a big deal.

Here's Scott with Ember working at her identification of this new human.  Threatening to eat his beard, while she's at it.

Yep, she needs to be fed less.  One cup kibble morning, and one cup evening.  He recommends Salmon and Sweet Potato formula.  He was using it for her training treats today.  He says add green beans for volume.

Scott took a selfie of the two of us, as well.  Sunny day with breeze in our hair.
Scott is blessed in his life and willing to help out a friend.  When my brother died, he was one who reached out to me while I was still in New York state helping my niece with arrangements and things.

He is also the one I mentioned in an earlier blog, who lost his hunting dog, and then his buddy left a hunting dog behind and now the two are together, the man who lost his dog and his friend, and the dog who lost her favorite human.  Meant to be, one might say.

Scott promised a play date at some future point for Ember and his own overweight lab Miley.  Miley, though, is 12 years old, and Ember is still a young dog, so we simply must get her in shape.  The plan is to get Ember whistle trained, one tweet to send her out, two to call her back.  This will help in open field training, where my voice might not carry far enough for a recall.

I'm kind of hoping I will get a little more jogging fit in the process, too.  Lots of dummy fetching, too, says he.

Tuesday at the vet

Ember got all her shots today, in addition to the Bordetella squirt up the nose.  I had the vet look over a couple of spots on her coat that I was a little worried about, because this kind of coat issue can be many different things.  She confirmed it is NOT ringworm, so, whew!  

She weighed in at 93.5 pounds, which is 3 1/2 pounds up from when I had her at the vet in December.  The vet approved of Scott's recommended diet, and of my new plan of "five fetches to earn ONE training treat".  Bottom line, she has been pronounced fit to train.   

I left her there to play with her doggy friends and came home to clean and do things I usually do on Tuesdays.  Life is proceeding as life does, and it is good.  Spark on!

Training Season

Day 6 of branch sculpture.  The Prisoner (cat) for scale.

Friday morning, I was invited to run along with the foster grand kiddo on May 3rd.  It's the Mayor's run.  Only a mile, but I don't want to embarrass the FGC!  Another training motivation!

I fell off the blog writing cliff again.  Days full, plans changing, weather varying, and I've not been "at the keyboard".

The first session for field training for Ember has been penciled in for Monday the 31st.  I rescheduled her groom to April 8th.  She has the vet coming up on April Fool's day, for her Bordetella squirt up the nose.  I'll have them look at a couple places on her coat that I think might be harness rubs, and I plan to ask about nutrition as with Spring come allergies if her prior issues were related to the grass and things in it.

Ember will have her vet visit on Tuesday, Daycare on Wednesday and Thursday, while I do human things (financial dude and personal trainer).

Saturday's precipitation had enough gaps in it to allow for a leash walk.  The sidewalks were a bit on the wet side, but the temperature was mild so I took her out.  Unfortunately, toward the end of the walk, she spotted a work glove in the street, and I was not braced to expect her pulling for it, so I did get dragged to the street while she fetched the glove and refused to negotiate its release with me.  So, I let her proudly carry her prize across the street to our house, and negotiated once we were in our own kitchen.  

Then I posted the photo of the glove on NextDoor just in case someone really knows their glove is missing and wants it back.  It's a good leather work glove, I'm thinking probably belongs to a trash collector, so chances are not good that they would happen across my notice and respond to arrange to get it back, but at least I tried.

Later in the day we had a little accident in the basement.  I did not discover it until Sunday morning, so it probably happened during the extra time I let her be uncrated and she did not choose to go outside.  The weather cleared in the evening and Ember did spend some time out on the deck, just chilling.  She likes to do that, just watch the world go by.  I have yet to put the deck chairs out, as we keep having these chilly snaps.

The foster grand has soccer games every Sunday afternoon through May.  I got a message from DIL that the Y has cancelled the afternoon's soccer game due to weather conditions.  But the nap schedule is such that I don't think I'll be able to make it to the Purim Spiel that my niece is participating in this afternoon.  Like her father before her, she's playing the part of a villain.  They are more fun, according to him.

Sunday morning, I took the time to review the candidates and issue on the ballot and fill out my mail-in ballot.  

It being a chilly and drizzly day, I coaxed Ember into the car after she got up from puppy nap #1, and we drove over to the election commission to drop the ballot off.  Primary voted!

Since she was such a good little girl, I took her through the coffee drive thru and got her a doggy treat.  Without the whipped cream, just a milk bone, really, but it's special because this particular treat she only gets at the coffee drive-thru.  She got her full cup pup on Friday.

When we got home, I let her go explore the back yard, we tossed a few balls to retrieve, etc., but when it started to come down as a steady drizzle, came inside and curled up on the couch to old episodes of Murder, She Wrote.

By the way, puppy communications to mom?  When I came upstairs while she was crated for puppy nap #1, she barked.  Did she need to go out?  Nope!  She wanted me to change the TV channel to the Dog TV music, which is her nap-time program!  LOL!  After I did that, she settled down to properly nap.

Couch napping here.

Life is good, even with all the uncertainty in the world.  Trying to focus on just what's in front of me, one day at a time, and live that life, best can do.  Spark on, my friends!

Fallen branches

 

The gifts of nature return.  Tried to take a leash walk on Sunday and got distracted by a pile of fallen branches at the neighbor's house.  Neighbor said Ember was welcome to take one, and of course she planted herself mid-pile and chewed until mommy (that would be me) got impatient and "helped" her drag one all the way into our own backyard, behind the fence.

I then unclipped the leash and took myself inside, leaving Ember to do her own thing, and she managed to drag that branch through the yard across the patio and up the steps to the deck.  We went through a little education about how the branch is an outside toy, and the puppy may come inside but like the garden hose, the branch has to stay outside.

She's still working on it, Monday morning.

We learned that the soccer venue does not allow pets inside the park. We drove down to at least wave and say "hi" to the foster grandkid on his way to his game.  They were running late, so it was very brief hello / goodbye, have a great game.

Monday we got in two leash walks and a car ride.

Tuesday was Ember's Daycare day, and she was still working on that "branch sculpture".

Wednesday it is still there, but the branch is slowly shrinking as she chews it up.

Wednesday the new collar and ID arrived.  We're changing colors... in honor of the foster grand-kiddo, whose favorite color is yellow.  The bigger collar just pops against her dark fur.

We took a trip to the dog park Wednesday morning, and got a leash walk in the afternoon.

On the human front, an online article spooked me into attempting unsuccessfully to contact the Social Security administration, but I finally found the update on their website (could NOT get through on the phone, either local or national, they disconnected me without even offering the option to leave your name and number for a call back). 

I clearly was not the only spooked client!  I did eventually find the information I was seeking on the website!  To wit:  If you are already receiving Social Security via direct deposit, you do NOT need to go to the office and verify your identity UNTIL you need to make a change.  That would be a change to your name, address, or bank deposit information.  If you need to make such a change, or if you are applying now, and not yet a current recipient, you will need to go to an office and verify your identity.  And to go into the office and be seen, you need to make an appointment, and the best way to make such an appointment is on the phone to the "local" office.  The rest of us should probably get off the line so that those who really do need to make an appointment can do so.

I swear some of the news outlets leave out the information that would help keep you calm and steady (and the phone lines working for those who really need them).  My father, who started his career as a newspaper man, would be spinning in his grave looking at how reporting is done these days.  News reports that are misleading, like the one that stirred me up, only make matters worse.  Written in the wrong order, the important stuff gets buried... and that is often the goal of online sources, to get you to click deeper in search of something so that they earn more ad revenue.  Sigh!

*** Vent done *** we now return you to Emberville!  

Life is good.  Spark on!

Recalculating... recalculating... reconfiguring?

New entry to the family room.  I put it up during Thursday's puppy day care time.  Ember has whimpered at the "new" gate, but has yet to breach it.

Too bad it's a bit late for the destroyed couch.  Sigh.

Meanwhile, up three steps and around the corner, the couch where we cuddle together, I'm allowing a bit more access to with this new X-Pen configuration.

On the toys front, I think I can safely declare that the "Indestructible Bear" from Allard & Beaufort lives up to its hype.  We have had this bear since Valentine's day, and while some threads have been frayed, the body and arms and legs are still intact.

Today another such toy arrived in the mail, a duck.  I'm hoping it will have a similar story.  It's from the same company.  Should I blush when I admit it's Chinese made?  

Saturday morning featured another sunny leash walk.  It also featured a bold Prisoner wandering into the house while Ember was loose... twice!  The first time, my attention was somewhere else, and I heard more than saw, but turned and saw the streaks of fur heading back out of the house.

The second time, Ember caught up to the cat halfway down the basement stairs.  Fortunately, she still had her harness on from a car ride to fill Dexter's tank, and I was able to open the laundry room door a bit, grab Ember's harness, work with the cues to "let the kitty get away" and "we're done, thank you" to get the pup to let loose of poor kitty.  

Prisoner escaped into his laundry room luxury suite, I closed the door, and Ember and I went back upstairs.  I praised her for letting the kitty go.  Bit by bit we ARE getting better.  She took a little nap to process her cat interactions.

In the planning phase of "field training"... I looked up prices of those "train your hunting dog" places and about fainted.  My friend hasn't even mentioned money, but I would expect to pay for services, friend or no friend.  "A workman is worthy of his hire."  He says we should meet next week.  I'm still second guessing myself over this whole thing, not just if she's "too old to start training" but if she's too unfit (fluffy), and if I'm too out of shape for the endurance required.  Scott hasn't seen me since I dropped out of the triathlete circles.  And I'm not getting any younger.  Still, if I didn't take this at least to the initial phase I would second guess in the OTHER direction.

You see, back in the day when I had Diamond, that was my one regret, that while she had great pointer instincts, we never had her field trained, despite her field championship breeding.

Diamond, in her later years, still a handsome animal.

Despite the uncertainty circling around these things... Life is Good, and I am taking my own advice to LIVE it.  Spark on.

Carrots and sticking to toys

 

Carrot number 1.  This one is a chew toy that came in the Easter version of the Bark Box.  Will it stick?  

Those teeth marks were made in the first 12 hours this carrot "lived" at our house.  The greens at the top are fabric, and I am impressed that she hasn't managed to detach them from the hard rubber of the carrot itself.

Bark Box, by the way, is a subscription thing.  I started a 6-month (once a month delivery) deal in January.  That's when the dinosaur egg came as a promotion.  So this would be our third such box.  We got one with a Valentine's theme in between.

The boxes have some treats, and usually two toys.  They survey you for what your dog likes and doesn't like, so that they can customize your order to your specific animal's taste.  So far with this small sample, I would say they are doing a good job.  Fabric covers, intended to be chewed off, hard rubber toys inside?  Ember likes some of the fabrics, but others she turns up her nose.  She still has not "hatched" the raptor egg that came in January, nor has she completely opened the heart-shaped "tart" that came in February, although she has at least chewed on it enough to make a small hole in one seam.

Thursday morning, we did get out early, as I had a breakfast presentation that I really did want to attend.  Ember went to play with her doggy friends at day care while I went to it.  

In the aftermath of Wednesday's Spring Blizzard, there were "interesting" features on the roads.  On my side of town, the surfaces were pretty good, dry or wet, with a few small icy patches that I could easily see and avoid.  The tricky bit was that mixed with drift from dust storms a couple of states to our South, the snow had obscured the North-facing traffic signals.  My son reported that he accidentally ran a red light that was so obscured.  Luckily, no accident ensued from his "wake-up call", but not everyone who encountered there situation was as fortunate.

I discovered one traffic signal that was completely not functioning at a three-way intersection.  Two lanes on each of the roads, but one side of the north-south road ended in a parking lot with a couple of businesses attached.  I was impressed with the drivers who were out in this pre-8 a.m. time frame.  Stopped, and treated it in a rational "4-way-stop-sign" fashion, just like they teach you in driver's ed.  Must have been because these were regular commuters?  I don't know, but I encountered this non-functional signal both going to and coming home from the meeting, and the situation was well handled both times!

The fire department got out to power wash the signals that were obscured, so between that and the nature's melting cycle, things were back to normal by Friday morning.

Friday morning Ember was not ready for her crate nap at the appropriate clock time.  We are still adjusting.  I think the "going to day care" schedule is modifying her "at home nap" schedule, as well as the daylight savings shift.  I decided to take her on a practice car ride to where the foster grandchild will be playing soccer this upcoming Spring season.  The first game is this Sunday, and it's at the newest high school in town's fields.  I had not been there before, so off we went.  Ember was very good in the car, and we stopped for a coffee and pup cup on the way home.

Carrot number 2... in the toy bin in the pantry.  She hasn't been introduced to this one yet.  It's plush, so I'm holding off for a while before introducing it.

On Thursday while she was in day care I sifted through all her toys and discarded several that are "finished".  Stuffing removed, or partially so, frayed, replacements already in hand, etc.  I left several from the bottom of the toy bin out in her X-Pen so she had "new toys" when she came home from day care.

Also removed dog hair by vacuum, shaking out, etc.  I always feel better when I bring her home to a "cleaner" house.  I am not going to say "clean" because it's certainly not up to my grandmother's standards!  LOL!

I also did some online dog-shopping.  A new "shitty kit" will be coming, along with a fresh collar and ID tag, and a new seat protector with hard bottoms and folding feature for the back seat.  It should be here well before the May time frame when I'll be playing Grandma the Uber driver as a role in foster kiddo's life.  Meanwhile, I'm thinking it looks a lot more comfy for Ember than the sling version she slips down in.

Life continues to be good, especially if I begin with the attitude of finding the good, every day.  The news may be a bit on the scary side (OK, more than a bit scary in some areas), but there is still good going on.  Keep your Spark lit, and choose to live your own life!

She likes big toys

 

It's a month yet to Easter, but I had them add a giant Easter egg to the heavy chewers box from Barks this month.  Between the horse jolly ball, the dinosaur egg, and the giant Easter egg, Ember is well supplied with "big toys".  

We got a leash walk in on a nice Monday, in between storm fronts.  We are supposed to get gusty rain Tuesday overnight changing to snow between 7 and 9 Wednesday morning.  Snow to continue, accumulation prediction 3 to 5 inches, which would make it our biggest snow of the season.  

I weather wimped Ember's groomer booking Wednesday afternoon, when it could be at its worst.  I'll do a "mommy and me" day with her instead.  The grooming has been moved off to Monday the 31st and will be combined with a day care day for her.  She has the vet on Tuesday April 1st for her Bordetella booster, and it's important for me to be there with her on a vet day.  

Thursday is supposed to be a day care day for Ember, while I go to a breakfast meeting (get the little fur-child up early).  I will see how the storm develops overnight Tuesday and all day on Wednesday before I decided whether to go to that breakfast or weather wimp out on it as well.

Wednesday morning... the wind is howling out there

The precipitation hasn't started yet, it's due in about 40 minutes as rain, and the temperatures are still dropping, so eventually it will turn to snow.  But with that wind, it truly is a blizzard.  Going to scoot and try to get the pup outside before the rain.  Updates later.

Here we go - 9 a.m.

Early in the day, this was just sleet, that started about 6 - 7 a.m. hour.

11:45 a.m. -

It was falling as snow by then.

If you expand the second shot, the neighbor across the street, you can see the wind has blown down their basketball hoop already.

2:45 p.m. - But note, the streets look OK in my neighborhood.

My front sidewalk and driveway were only wet come 5 p.m. after it stopped falling.  I'm not even that scared of the snow blowing arounds.  Too wet and heavy to drift once it's down.

Ember went out for her "last call" about 8 p.m., and we are now tucking in for the night.  Tomorrow is a new day, and believe it or not, the temperature is supposed to rise to over 50.  Whew!  Weather roller coaster.

Fingers crossed for the morning street conditions after a chilly (think refreeze) overnight.

Life is good.  Keep on Sparking!