Sugar: I don't see it, do you see it?
Cupcake: I don't see it either, but I can smell it.
Sugar: I know there's a crumb here somewhere, so let's keep looking.
Wow, you know it's cold when Dick went to take Sugar out, he had to wear a golf shirt, a sweater, a heavy sweatshirt & a jacket…plus Sugar didn't even want to budge. Smart dog!
Sugar loves Janet her trainer and she loves the training treats.
As everyone knows, I am a sucker for sugar, both the sweet stuff and the fluffly white tornado that is now a part of our family. We got Sugar when she was just 8 weeks old and she has been working on training us ever since. So far, we haven't taught her anything but she has taught us that she is in control of the situation.
Sugar has become emotionally attached to one of my slippers – just the right one, not the left. That puzzles me because I didn't think dogs knew their right from left. I can only imagine my right foot gives off some kind of wonderful musky odor. I've checked this on Google, but there are no case studies indicating a single foot attraction.
She's also eaten the welting off of the corner of the sofa in my office, plus a countless number of sticks, twigs and branches from the yard. Three days ago she came upon a Palm branch that had fallen from a tree and for a while I thought she was also going to tackle that. This dog seems to have lost sight of the fact that she is only 6 pounds!
Anyone interested in a game of ball. I'll take it and run, you try to catch me – OK?
Last week, we finally faced the hard truth… Sugar has to go to training class.
We registered her in the Pet Smart Puppy Training Class with high hopes for results. Here's what happened…
Sugar wagged her tail a lot. She made friends with a black and white puppy named Oreo. She wrapped the trainer around her little paw. She got a lot of training treats for a very little bit of performance. And, she pooped on the floor which sent her Daddy scurrying off for the clean-up bags and wipes.
Aaaarrrgh.
This first week was Sugar's introduction to socialization and listening. She did quite well on the socializiation, I have my doubts about the listening. I hope this is not a harbinger of what is to come. Stay tuned…
This is me when I lived with my first people and my name was Princess
A lot of bad things can happen in a dog's life…I know, 'cause some of those things happened to me. I guess I have always been what people call dog, because the first I remember of life is being in a box with three brothers and Dog Mom. Dog Mom let us suck on her spouts so we got warm milk. That was good, but it didn't last long.
Just when I got used to all that nice warm milk, two big people scooped me out of the box and started tickling my belly. That was okay, but then the man person jiggled me too hard and Dog Mom's warm milk came back out of my mouth. I figured they'd quick put me back in the box where I belonged, but they didn't.
I never got to see Mom Dog or any of my brothers again. The peoples took me to live with them. They said my name was Princess and put me in a cage with bars that I couldn't squeeze through. The people said that was my spot. It wasn't warm like my box. It was cold and lonely. There was no Dog Mom, no brothers. I cried and the more I remembered Dog Mom, the louder I cried. People don't like when dog cries.
No more Dog Mom. No more warm milk. Just cage. Pee inside cage was bad. Pee outside cage was bad. Peoples said dog supposed to pee in grass. If I understood grass, I would pee in it just to make people happy. I know soft fuzzy thing in room where peoples sit is not grass, because when I pee on fuzzy thing they make mad faces and I go back in cage. Peoples is hard for dog to understand. I want to be back in box with warm milk. Finally peoples take me to where sun is warm like Mom Dog and ground smells like brothers, I like smell of brothers so I pee. I think peoples are going to put me back in cage but they say “Good Girl,” and pat my head. I think this smell like brothers thing must be grass, so I poop too. The peoples are happy.
I not so happy. Even when I pee in grass, peoples go away and leave me in cage. When they come home, I bark to show how happy I am, but peoples act strange when I bark. “Shut that dog up!” the lady people shouts, so I bark more because I think she doesn't understand I am happy to see her. She yells louder and so I figure loud yell is people way of showing glad to see me too. I am wrong about that. I am really missing Mom Dog, brothers and warm milk.
On day man people scoops me up and carts me off to place with many dogs in cages. He gives me to nice woman with hair like retriever and tells her, they're moving and can't take dog. At first I don't understand moving, but nice lady pets me and give me cookie so I figure not too bad. Man people never comes back. I am put in cage with pug who bares his teeth when I try to make friends. I quick learn this place not as good as peoples place. I really missing Mom Dog, brothers and warm milk.
Bad things happen in place with many dogs in cages. The nice lady says I am all full of tangles and fleas and ticks, I know the flea part is true because they bite my skin, so she cuts off almost all my hair and I look awful. The bad-tempered pug hogs the food, and I get so skinny my bones are almost poking through my shaved bare skin. Then, the awfulest thing ever happens, they take me into a cold room with bright lights and stick me with a needle. I fell asleep after that so I don't exactly what happened, but when I wake up I know I can't ever have puppies and my stomach really hurts.
Dogs do not keep good count of days, so I'm not knowing how many pass before more peoples come and take me from
This is me after I got rescued and named Katiecage. Uh-oh, I start to worry this might be bad. I am so scared, I tremble and am much afraid will pee on lady who holds me. “Poor baby,” she says and holds me close to her. She is soft and warm, I feel her heartbeat and think for a moment I am back in my box beside Dog Mom. “She's so sweet,” lady says to man person, “let's adopt her.” The man nods and starts scratching my ears. That feels good too.
The man calls new lady Bette. She calls him Dick. Sometimes I hear her call him other things too, but his name is Dick. The woman person Bette is still holding me close to her when the Dick man gives the lady with many dogs in cages some green paper. Then the Bette and Dick people leave and take me with them. Already I am worried.
We are only in the car for a little while and Dick laughs and says, “I can't deal with a dog named Princess.” Now I'm more worried.
“So, we'll change her name,” Bette says and when I look I see she's got a Pupperoni in her hand. She breaks off a piece and gives it to me, suddenly I'm not so worried. People with a Pupperoni in their pocket can be trusted. She starts talking about one name and another but I don't know who she's talking about. She hands me another piece of Pupperoni and I am feeling good, good, good. “Katie!” she says, “Let's call the dog Katie!”
“Katie Lee Crosby,” Dick says, “Yeah that works.”
This is me relaxing by the pool
The Bette is scratching my ear and feeding me Pupperoni, but she's calling me Katie. I'm not knowing who this Katie dog is, but somehow they are thinking I am her. Even if I could talk, which as everyone knows dogs can't do, I'm not going to tell these people that I'm Princess. Whoever this Katie is, she's got it good, so if they think I'm her, fine with me. I catch onto this quick so when we get to the new people house and she calls Katie, I come running!
These things happened a long time ago. Bette tells people I am special because I'm a rescue. I'm not sure what that means, but I can tell you this, my life is good now. I sleep in the people bed, I never get put in prison cage, I get lots of treats and when I look at her and lick my lips like I am really, really hungry, she gives me pieces of chicken and cookies. Dick says I am spoiled, but then he reaches under the table and gives me pieces of his chicken too. We go for long walks and sometimes I even have play dates with Winston and Scooter, they're dogs like me. I can't run fast as I used to, because I got chubby from eating lots of treats, but I don't care. This is one good dog life….except sometimes I wonder what happened to Mom Dog and brothers. I sure do hope they got rescued by good people like me.
No, I'm not talking about a dog of a story, I'm talking about the yapping, tail wagging, love you forever kind of friend that writers should not be without. However, in deference to all my kitty-loving friends I must admit that some cats have been able to capture the same wonderful traits found in dogs.
Katie is my baby…well, she's actually a Bichon Frise, but as far as I'm concerned she's my baby. She loves me unconditionally, pines for me when I go out and jumps for joy when I return. Okay my husband loves me, but he doesn't miss me if I spend hours at the mall (actually he's glad he wasn't asked to come) nor does he jump for joy when I return.
Katie is thrilled with a piece of bologna…, husband, not so thrilled.
Katie is content to sit in my lap for hours on end while I work…husband prefers to watch ballgame (any kind)
Now that you've got the picture, I'll tell you the truth. Sweet adorable little Katie is a replacement dog. She was adopted from a rescue center after my first Bichon died at the ripe old age of 18. My first dog was Brandi, and she was every bit as loving as Katie (it's a dog thing) After I lost her, I was heartsick, could not write and cried at the drop of a hat. I was wearing my sadness like a plastic raincoat that has no warmth and leaves no room to breathe. As enveloped in this sadness as I was, I simply could not bring myself to go to a breeder or pet shop and pick out a dog to replace my Brandi, yet I missed the companionship more than words (even a writer's words) can tell.
I finally wriggled out of my own sorrow and decided that if I could no longer have MY dog, I could at least give a less fortunate pooch a home. I found Katie through an internet adoption site and applied for her. Thus we became Mistress and Dog. While Brandi was fluffed, puffed and adorable, poor little Katie came to me shaved, newly fixed and looking like she'd just escaped a concentration camp …how could I not compare this scraggly creature to the adorable dog I'd just lost? But God in His wisdom gives dogs something that people sometimes lack…the ability to keep on trying to win your heart regardless of rejection. Within the week I was hers. Now I can't imagine my life without her. Oh she's not Brandi, and I know longer expect her to be. I love this feisty little rescue dog who of her own free will leaped into my lap as I sat at the computer, and stayed there. Quite obviously she knew more about love than I did…but I'm learning. Now Katie is as much a part of me as an arm or a leg; and I wouldn't change her any more than she'd change me.
1) A Dog needs to pee, so you are forced to periodic breaks from the computer.
2) A Dog happily listens to that revised manuscript as many times as you want to read it.
3) On a cold afternoon a dog in your lap keeps you warmer than a space heater.
4) A Dog does not expect you to actually cook dinner…a slice of bologna or take out is fine.
5) Although you can paper your walls with rejection letters, your dog still thinks you're better than Jodi Picoult, Anne Tyler, or Sara Gruen.
6) A dog doesn't punch a time clock, they'll keep you company for as long as you work.
7) A dog will join you in a lazy day nap, or stay in bed beside you if you're sick.
8) A dog will prevent you from getting fat (they get half of every cookie!)
9) A dog eliminates the need for a doorbell.
10) A dog will teach you what unconditional love actually is.
But a word of warning…once you fall in love with a dog it is a forever thing! I know. Trust me, I know!
