8pm midnight and 4:45 feedings--- not too bad
and chaos talks -- when the kids need feeding --- she talks- and keeps after me it li get up and feed.by the tine they are fed/cleaned and asleep--- she is sleeping also-- so it is just "get up and feed now".
her temp 4:00 was 101.9
and being light on the sleep-- i found a second thermometer-- carefully labeled it "dog-mouth" and found the temp in those jowls is 99.9 when her rectal was 101.9
this is a must do study
putting that thermometer way back in the depths of those jowls is a lot more dignified.
we need a chart--- we have enough dogs--- we need the normal difference between the "areas"
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thank heavens for jodi's cut and paste--- it has been a long night--- and an early morning****
I just caught up on the Daily Doggies. Rain, you have rain??? What is that? And mosquitoes, I haven't seen one in months. Usually this time of year they are everywhere.
As we go to the Dean Ranch each week we have watched the small stock pond dry up completely. It looks like a miniature Grand Canyon is developing. Interesting to watch because it shows how things like giant crevices develop but so very sad to watch because there are cows and the dogs that need the water, not to mention the fire danger that is ever present. The large stock pond in the back is shrinking inches everyday, but it is still deep enough for the dogs to have a good time. Stormy aka Clipper has developed a routine of getting in the water, sinking in the mud and allowing herself to sink up to her neck. I was worried at first that she would get stuck in the mud, but when she is done soaking in the cool mud and water, she jumps out and runs over to Martha and me. She seems to enjoy smearing us with the mud that clings to her. Cinder, more lady like, goes in the pond and sinks but will not allow the mud or water to go farther than her belly. When the playing in the pond is all done, we go back to the house and rinse the dogs off before I put them in the the car to travel home. I have decided if I don't really scrub the mud off of Stormy's butt, it will dry and she might not be able to poop though it. It seems to dry like cement.
A Great Dane observation: When you say you have a conversation with one of your Danes, I understand completely. Understanding and remembering to use it are two different things. I have been politely asking Stormy to close the door when she comes in the house. A conversation about how it costs a lot of money to air condition the house when the temperatures are 110 degrees daily has ensued. She is closing the door more quickly now and only has to be told, "Stormy, would you please close the door? It is costing a lot of money when we are air conditioning the outside." She looks as if she knows exactly what I am saying. The door closes. I thank her. Happiness prevails. This is so much better than issuing the command, "Close it!" just to have the command ignored or even worse watching that slow Great Dane reaction -- first lean on the door, then push it a little. See just how slow you can close it. All the time knowing Stormy is thinking, "Am I beating my record for closing the door slower than I have ever done it before?" This can irritate the living heck out of me.
Then there is the husband aspect. He insists on saying, "Close the door. Push it. Close it," over and over. It drives me nuts. I have just discovered after almost twenty-five years of living with this man that telling him how to do something doesn't work. I haven't said a word to him about the secret of the conversations with Danes. The past several days and maybe even a week he has been asking her politely to please close the door. She does it. He thanks her. And everyone is happy. Why does it take twenty-five years -- and learning men don't like to be told what to do many times over during those years -- to finally realize that it doesn't work to tell him what to do? Let him observe. Don't nag. And surprise, he does what I want.
Danes need a conversation. Men would rather you were quiet. Learning all these things over and over is giving me a headache. Maybe this time I will remember the lesson.
I am anxiously awaiting my trip to SDP. I will arrive November 2 thanks to Southwest Airlines birthday sale. I hope everyone who knew Stormy, aka Clipper will be able to see her again. She is such a cute girl.
A miracle happened today with Stormy. I had to print several things from my laptop. The printer is in another room. Usually Cinder follows me everywhere. Cinder stayed in her bed. Stormy walked with me every single trip to the printer. Because I was having printer problems, this meant going to the laptop, hitting print, going to the printer, checking for the document over and over. Stormy never missed a beat. She was with me every step of the way.
Cinder hasn't wanted to go out with me anymore for quite awhile. I have been worried because Stormy just didn't seem to understand her job. I didn't trust her to take care of me. I decided last Friday she had to know what to do because I had two very important meetings this week. I knew Cinder wouldn't go with me. I had to trust Stormy. I took her someplace every day this week. Today she became the dog I should have known she would be.
Trusting the dog to take care of you is a big step. When you realize you have crossed this threshold, you have your miracle.
It has been an amazing week of discoveries about myself. It is funny how it was so easy to blame my husband, Patrick and Stormy when the real problem was me. I guess no matter how old you get and how much you learn, you have to get a little reminder lesson from time to time.
As we go to the Dean Ranch each week we have watched the small stock pond dry up completely. It looks like a miniature Grand Canyon is developing. Interesting to watch because it shows how things like giant crevices develop but so very sad to watch because there are cows and the dogs that need the water, not to mention the fire danger that is ever present. The large stock pond in the back is shrinking inches everyday, but it is still deep enough for the dogs to have a good time. Stormy aka Clipper has developed a routine of getting in the water, sinking in the mud and allowing herself to sink up to her neck. I was worried at first that she would get stuck in the mud, but when she is done soaking in the cool mud and water, she jumps out and runs over to Martha and me. She seems to enjoy smearing us with the mud that clings to her. Cinder, more lady like, goes in the pond and sinks but will not allow the mud or water to go farther than her belly. When the playing in the pond is all done, we go back to the house and rinse the dogs off before I put them in the the car to travel home. I have decided if I don't really scrub the mud off of Stormy's butt, it will dry and she might not be able to poop though it. It seems to dry like cement.
A Great Dane observation: When you say you have a conversation with one of your Danes, I understand completely. Understanding and remembering to use it are two different things. I have been politely asking Stormy to close the door when she comes in the house. A conversation about how it costs a lot of money to air condition the house when the temperatures are 110 degrees daily has ensued. She is closing the door more quickly now and only has to be told, "Stormy, would you please close the door? It is costing a lot of money when we are air conditioning the outside." She looks as if she knows exactly what I am saying. The door closes. I thank her. Happiness prevails. This is so much better than issuing the command, "Close it!" just to have the command ignored or even worse watching that slow Great Dane reaction -- first lean on the door, then push it a little. See just how slow you can close it. All the time knowing Stormy is thinking, "Am I beating my record for closing the door slower than I have ever done it before?" This can irritate the living heck out of me.
Then there is the husband aspect. He insists on saying, "Close the door. Push it. Close it," over and over. It drives me nuts. I have just discovered after almost twenty-five years of living with this man that telling him how to do something doesn't work. I haven't said a word to him about the secret of the conversations with Danes. The past several days and maybe even a week he has been asking her politely to please close the door. She does it. He thanks her. And everyone is happy. Why does it take twenty-five years -- and learning men don't like to be told what to do many times over during those years -- to finally realize that it doesn't work to tell him what to do? Let him observe. Don't nag. And surprise, he does what I want.
Danes need a conversation. Men would rather you were quiet. Learning all these things over and over is giving me a headache. Maybe this time I will remember the lesson.
I am anxiously awaiting my trip to SDP. I will arrive November 2 thanks to Southwest Airlines birthday sale. I hope everyone who knew Stormy, aka Clipper will be able to see her again. She is such a cute girl.
A miracle happened today with Stormy. I had to print several things from my laptop. The printer is in another room. Usually Cinder follows me everywhere. Cinder stayed in her bed. Stormy walked with me every single trip to the printer. Because I was having printer problems, this meant going to the laptop, hitting print, going to the printer, checking for the document over and over. Stormy never missed a beat. She was with me every step of the way.
Cinder hasn't wanted to go out with me anymore for quite awhile. I have been worried because Stormy just didn't seem to understand her job. I didn't trust her to take care of me. I decided last Friday she had to know what to do because I had two very important meetings this week. I knew Cinder wouldn't go with me. I had to trust Stormy. I took her someplace every day this week. Today she became the dog I should have known she would be.
Trusting the dog to take care of you is a big step. When you realize you have crossed this threshold, you have your miracle.
It has been an amazing week of discoveries about myself. It is funny how it was so easy to blame my husband, Patrick and Stormy when the real problem was me. I guess no matter how old you get and how much you learn, you have to get a little reminder lesson from time to time.
