Mom tells me a story

Mom was up early this morning because her back was hurting. So after she got situated on the couch with her heating pack I came up to snuggle. Mom started to tell me all about the places we are going to visit and who we will see. I was so excited as I love stories. Well she started out nice and then it turned into a lecture. It went something like this.

“Now first my friend is going to fly in to Phoenix and we will pick her up at the airport and drive to the bay area. We are then going to stay at her house for a night or two. Now while we are there I want you to behave yourself. No chasing the cats and do not bug her little dog Gretchen too much. Also there will be horses, do not bark at them blablablalbalba.
Then we are going to the bay area to meet some other SD and their nice owners. Now try to behave. Do not jump on everyone and remember not all dogs want you to kiss them and clean their ears, blablablabla.
Then we are going on a train to see Carole my best friend and your breeder. Try to behave on the train and when we get to her house there will be a lot of other Norwich running around. Do not forget your manners and blablabla.”

Luckily for me Terriers posses the ability to tune things out and especially their owners. Plus I interpret things differently then other dogs. Here is my take on things
I get to go to a ranch were I will try to sneak a roll in the horse poo, chase cats, and bug some dog named Gretchen, Then I am going to the bay area to bug the crap out of some older service dogs, were also everyone will tell me how cute I am. Then off on a train were I will be the life of the party. Then to my breeders house to run around like a wild women. Yup over all sounds like a fun trip.

Shopping, Gentle leader and trip planning

Mom and I are both okay we have just been very busy. Mom is getting ready for our trip in a week. She has been busy filling orders for the travel mats as well as all her medical appts. Her back and knees have been giving her some trouble but bearable. Mom and I have been working with the gentle leader. It is helping me to be more focused and heel much better. I am still fighting it just a little but mom gives lots of treats and encouragement. Today I did much better on our walk.
This morning mom and I went to Wal-Mart and Joann’s fabrics to do a few errands. I did very well in both stores. In fact mom dropped two things and I got them for her and brought them up to her knee. Mom did not put on my gentle leader as she is going to wait until I am no longer fighting it before using it in public. Mom did not take her walker but used a shopping cart instead. I wore my new red harness and it was great. The little pouch worked well.
Our house is a mess and it is stressing mom a little. Between getting ready for the yard sale on Friday and the trip on Monday mom has piles everywhere. I like them as I sniff and reorganize them for her. I made sure to get my smell all over the mats so the dogs who receive them will know who helped make them.
I am getting excited about our vacation. I do not understand most of it but I am sure it will be fun. We are going to stay on my mom’s friend’s ranch for a night and then we are going to meet a bunch of people with their SD’s. Then we are going on a train to see my breeder. She has a whole house full of Norwich I get to play with including my sister.
Mom is taking her laptop so hopefully we can do a couple entries while we are gone.

Dog show and new collars

Mom was up really early this morning and gathering up stuff. Right away I noticed my pack, collar lead, bait bag and other stuff. Then mom loaded me and the walker in the car. We went and picked up my friend Meadow’s mom, but Meadow did not get to come along. We then drove for a while and when we got out of the car I heard lots of dogs barking. Mom used her new disability parking permit so we would not have to walk as far. Mom then got me suited up and got the walker out of the car. We no more started to walk and ran into a man with a Norwich terrier. The man was very nice and knew my breeder, and his little dog was very handsome. Mom and her friend chatted with the man, but I was working so I could not visit. It was hard as he looked like all the dogs I grew up with as well as my real mother. The judging of Norwich did not start until 9:00 so we walked around the vendor’s booths. Mom and her friend oood and aaaahhd over stuff. We then watched the terriers being shown. I kept seeing all the little dogs running by me and I wanted to join in. Mom kept having me focus on her and I did very well. Then we went and did some more shopping. Mom saw some stuff she wanted but decided to do all the shopping later. It was then time to watch the beagles, as that is what my friend Meadow is. Once that was done we went to look at these beautiful collars for hounds. Mom wanted me to have something wider on my neck that she could slip on and off. They were beautiful but the best part is there was a big bone to chew on and a bowl of water. I think they were for her dogs but she said they could share with me. Mom and the lady kept interrupting my chewing to try on all kinds of collars. Mom decided on real nice red leather one with silver hearts. Mom said it looks kind of western. The lady thought I looked good in the rhinestone one but I am not that kind of girl. Then at another booth mom found leather and chain martingale collars but they did not have blue in my size, so they made one for me. Mom also bought some of the paw wax for when I go to malls and stores with slippery floors. I also got a lamb ear mmmmm. What a long fun day. The walker helped mom but she is still sore and wore out. Mom is going to take pictures of my new collars and post them but probably not until tomorrow.

Pack and Patch review

Okay I could not sleep so here it is
The pack overall is very nice. It takes a little more to put on and off as it has the chest plate and you have to put their foot through one side first. Dora did not like this at first but after a while she was fine. There are lots of adjustment points and I still need to work on a perfect fit for Dora but I am close. The bags are a little big for Dora and of course they will never be filled. I am going to put in a couple stitches to close the expanding part a little. I do not need the room and they may not stick out as much. I think for larger dogs they would especially be really nice. I love having the pack to put her cars, flyers, and a few of my meds.
Now for the hanging patches I made (pictures on her profile page). I love the concept just need to tweak how they attatch. It is nice to have one set of patches and I can move them around to anything. When we were in Vegas over the weekend they were great. In the evenings and mornings I would take Dora out for her business and a little walk. I did not want to put her pack on so I just put the service dog in training patch on the top ring of her lead and out we went. I can see in future many times this will come in handy. Just to run in a store or in the summer when it is really hot.
No review on the boots yet as I have not had the time to really try them out on her.

Las Vegas and Mom gets a Jackpot thingy

We are home from Las Vegas. It would take too long to tell you everything that happened these last several days. I will try to touch on the highlights. We arrived in Vegas on Friday night and stayed at Sam’s Town. This is the first place I every stayed as a SDIT. Just like last time all of the staff were amazing. They always found us the best table in the restaurants and followed good SD etiquette. The public is another story. Most of them were good but a few got upset at mom when she would not let them pet me and discouraged the whitty whitty dawgie stuff. Mom did really well and did not need her walker the whole time even though she took it. She did however get two head pains which I alerted to her ahead of time. Mom was then able to take her medication and lay down before they became really bad. The most exciting thing happened on Friday night. Earlier in the day I alerted to mom that something was going to happen. She ignored me for a while and then decided I was alerting to an upcoming head pain. She took her medication and we went up to the room so she could lie down and I could have dinner. I alerted mom just in time and the pain did not get severe. Mom then took me outside for a potty walk and then went to find dad. He was playing some slot machines that he and mom had never played before. Since mom was still a little off she played next to dad. Dad told mom that even though these ones were pennies she needed to play 75 cents at a time. So that was more then mom likes to play at ones but she decided to. I was still worried about her and clingy so mom put me on her lap in case I needed to be close to her. She had put about $8.00 in the machine when she got 5 flaming 7s. Dad told mom you just won the jackpot and pointed to the top of the machine. It said the jackpot was $1,010.00. Then a lady cam over and paid mom the money. Mom was so excited and said that now her trip to California would be covered. After that mom did not want to gamble she just wanted to horde her winnings. The rest of the weekend mom did not gamble much. Instead she did a lot of training with me. We used all the distractions to practice with. Mom said in some ways I was perfect and in some things I was still a little out of control puppy. I thought I did really well and think mom stresses too much. Mom is becoming very anxious about meeting the other SD teams next month. I am not worried because even if they think I am not trained that well yet they will all think I am cute.
I will have mom review the new gear tomarrow.

Private lesson, mock CGC, Costco and group lessons

We had another busy day today. Mom was up early and finished my patch thingies. Hopefully she gets a picture up tonight. Then mom and I had a lesson with our private trainer. Dad dropped us of at the outdoor mall. It was raining so we went into Barnes and Noble to work. The trainer brought the CGC test so we could go over it to see what I still needed to work on. The trainer said in so many ways my training is beyond the CGC , however there are two areas I need work. One is calmer around other dogs and not so playful. Our trainer said the group lessons will help that as well as a little age. The other area is sitting quietly when approached and petted. I get so excited and want to play and visit with everyone. We had some people walk up and talk to mom and shake hands and walk off. I did very well with this. In fact we did everything we could from the test at the store and I did great. Mom and she then talked about all the other things and they both agreed I would do fine with those. The trainer said I just needed a little more work and some maturity. She said dogs are like children and they all grow up at different times. She said I am a wonderful, smart little dog just a little immature in some ways. As usual she said I am doing fine and mom just needs to work on communicating with me better. She said we are doing great as a team we just need time.
When we were done mom, dad and I went to Costco. I did very well and heeled much better. Mom said the classes and practice is helping. When we got home I was pooped. We were only home a couple hours when mom said it was time for school. We headed to our group classes at Petsmart. I was bouncing off the walls when we got there. We always arrive early so we can walk around the store for a while. Today we worked on stays and recalls. We played games and it was a lot of fun. At first I was very distracted by all the dogs running around but I did start focusing on mom. By the end of the class I was doing really well. The trainer said that I did very well. She suggested that mom and I come to the store a couple times a week and practice. Mom said that was a great idea and we are going to do that. We are heading to Vegas tomorrow for a couple days so I will not be updating my diary until Monday evening. Everyone take care and we will talk then.

Dr. visit and new Ruffwear gear

Sorry this is long.
I went with mom to her NP appt today. First we went for a nice walk and played did some bit recalls, and lots of stuff to burn off my energy. Dad dropped us off at the clinic and then he went grocery shopping. I was very excited at the clinic. We went and checked in and then mom looked for a seat. She was glad to see the corner area open. They have an ottoman there and we sit behind it in the corner out of the way. No one ever sits on the ottoman so it works out good. She brought my mat and laid it down for me. It took me a while but I finally settled down. About that time a lady with two kids comes in. she went to the counter and told the kids to go find a seat. You guessed it the flopped down on the ottoman. The boy was 5 years old and the girl was 3. They were both very good it is just that I wanted to play with them. It took a lot of mom working with me to get my attention and settle. About the time I would ignore them the little boy would get closer. He was very good and did not talk to me but rather mom. He asked 100 questions and mom was very patient and answered all of them. It was one of the hardest things I had to do but mom was firm. The kids never touched me and I was not allowed to go towards them. Mom enjoyed the kids as they were very polite and well behaved and asked good questions. I would have loved to have cuddled with them but mom is soooo means. She says maybe someday when I learn to ignore and I am a big girl. Then it was mom’s turn and we got two male nurses. One it the one we saw before and the other was in training. The one who had seen us before explained to the new one that he was not allowed to look or talk to me. He said that he should only talk to mom. Mom was so impressed with both of them. When we got in the exam room mom put me on my mat on a down stay and I did very well. The new nurse took mom’s blood pressure and it was very high. So much for all the new meds to lower it. Then they left and a while later a lady poked her head in and said “ I was told that I had to come see your dog but that I am not allowed to look or talk to her”. Mom was trying not to crack up as the lady spoke to her and watched me out of the corner of her eyes. Of course I knew she was watching me and wagged my tail at her but I did not get up. Mom was very proud of me with all the distractions. Finally mom’s NP came in and never even looked at me. I had been with mom to see her before and she ignored me then also. She did tell mom that I am the cutest dog she has ever seen and I was so special. She and mom talked about how much I help her and the nice lady said that she thinks that it is wonderful mom has me. She also said that she could see how much mom needs me. Then they talked about all moms’ meds and her current condition. The NP was concerned about mom’s trouble walking and wants her to get a handicap parking permit until this back thing gets better. So mom will get the forms for her to fill out. Mom has had them before and never used it but agreed that in some cases it would be nice right now. She also adjusted mom’s blood pressure meds and wants more blood work. She wants to see mom back in two weeks and she said that for mom to bring me as well. We then went home and I was exhausted and ready for a nap. When we got home there was a package on the step. I was so excited I helped mom open it. Well so much for my nap mom made me try on new gear. It felt funny and I would not move in it. Mom said we would work on it later as she had to go to PT. When she got home she told dad that her PT was moving and this made mom very sad. Mom still has her for another month for them to come up with a plan.
Later mom got the gear out again and fitted it to me and took photos for all of you to see. She may keep both and try to make a light pack to put on the red one for days she does not need me to carry much and for when it is hot. She will think on it. They fit me great I am just not used to them. Mom can now lift me better without hurting her or I.

Heeling, flyers, and new gear

This morning was cold out and I slept in. Mom went to Physical Pool Therapy and mailed Barkley and Reboots mats. She was still in pain this morning and talked to her therapist about it as well as not being able to walk on Saturday. It seems the water traction helped for a couple days then the muscles went back and got tight around the nerves. She thinks that the muscle is fine now and we are dealing with nerve pain. So mom and she are going to work on it for the next couple weeks then mom will see her doctor. Mom really likes her therapist and says she is the best one she has ever had. When mom got home she had waited way to long to eat and was very shaky. I just gave her the look. After she ate and rested a bit we went out and worked on our heeling. I did really well then mom let me visit with the neighbors who were all out. After that I hung out in my pen with my big bone. In the afternoon mom had me bring some things to her and I did great. Mom then worked on my flyers and flyers for her mats. After that she was pooped and is just taking it easy. Oh yea mom ordered me some stuff from Ruffwear and it should be here Wednesday.

We did it!!!!

Mom got up this morning and said she was better and we were going out. First she took me for a little walk (with her back I am lucky to get that). Then Dad put the walker in the car and off we went. This was our first trip with just mom, me and the walker. Mom was determined to be independent and give it a go. She was a little worried with lifting the walker in and out of the jeep but it was fine. First we went to the fabric store, mom carefully got the walker out without stressing her back. Then she got me out and off we went. The stupid little basket would not fit on the walker so mom grumbled but we moved on. Mom was afraid this would happen so she cleaned out the little basket on the walker in case we needed it. It was not to busy so we were able to get what we needed pretty easily. Mom is so silly sometimes. Instead of putting all the stuff in her little basket under the seat she piled it all on the seat. Well she made a sharp corner and most everything went flying all over the floor. Luckily there was no one around. Mom’s back was not going to be happy if she had to bend over and pick up everything, she looked at me and said “Dora get that and bring it to me” while pointing to her knee. Well I jumped into action and started bringing her the items and standing on her knee. For each one I got a treat so it was fun. There were a total of about 8 little items and on the last two I tried to bring both at the same time. Unfortunately I could not figure out how to get both in my mouth. Fortunately that meant two trips and two treats. Well after we had cleaned up the mess we headed to the cutting counter to get our number. This is always stressful for mom as everyone gathers in a clump and surrounds us. I was very good and laid down under the walker until it was our turn. Mom laid the lead down next to me while we ere at the counter. Then when she said are you ready she pointed to the lead and I picked up and handed it to her and we went to the checkout. I was actually strutting after my cleanup of mom’s mess. We then made it out to the car. Mom sat on the walker so she was lower and I stood up to make it easy for her to pick me up and put in my crate. She then carefully maneuvered the walker back into the jeep. At this point we were both feeling pretty smug and mom decided to swing in Target on the way home. She was trying to find a collapsible crate in small. The other Target closest to us was out. We were able to park right next to the cart return so she used a cart rather then the walker. Once in the store mom could not find the pet section. She is not familiar with this store and her back was really starting to hurt. Finally after going around the whole store we found it and they had a small. She then needed to get a couple grocery items and knew she could not handle another stop. This was a super Target so they had groceries. We headed to groceries and got a few things. On one of the isles mom just stopped. I figured she was getting something but no she just stood there. I am not sure what was wrong but I knew something was. I started pawing at her leg. She sort of had a weird look on her face and was sort of bending over the cart. After a bit we started moving again. I heeled perfectly and watched her. Once out in the car mom sat there for a minute then off we went. Mom called dad and told him she got a little light headed but was fine now. If she felt weird again she would pull over. When we got home she went over to our friends who is an EMT and he checked her blood pressure and heart rate. He thought her BP was a little low and could be from the blood pressure lowering meds. He told mom she should take it easy the rest of the day so she did. She is going to discuss this with her NP on Wednesday. Then she finished our friends Reboot’s bed. So now she can mail her and Barkley’s mats to them. I laid at her feet while she sewed in case she needed anything. Of course she dropped 2 things and I got them for her. All in all it was a good day. Mom and I are very proud of our accomplishment. Oh yea I got to lie out in my pen and chew on my big bone. Life is good.

Help mom and play in tunnel

At 3:30 this morning the light went on. Mom was in so much pain she could no longer stay in bed. It was her lower back with the pains shooting down her leg. She got in her recliner which is the only position that seems to help. She let me out of my crate so I could comfort her. She got all her favorite comfort things, a cup of tea, her heat pack and me. Once the meds kicked in she felt a little better. Finally she fell asleep and dad found us in the morning cuddled up together asleep. Mom could barely walk and he helped get her into a hot shower. She was disappointed as she was going to miss her first free lesson that came with her new sewing machine. Once back on the recliner couch dad made and brought her some breakfast. I was very concerned and tried to help her relax. Later in the morning mom was able to move around a little. She let me get a few things for her and pick stuff up. In the afternoon she got out the tunnel she bought at the thrift store for $5. She set it up near the couch and using treats and the clicker we played games. I would go do stuff and then she would click and then I would come over to the couch for treats. I got to play and burn off energy and mom could just sit on the couch. Then we worked on a few of my tasks that she could do from the couch. It was so much fun to play with mom. After that I took a nice nap by mom while she played on the computer.