The last four months or so have been terribly stressful. My mom's fading health, the rollercoaster ride of her being well enough to go the beauty shop one day, and unable to get out of bed the next, plus the necessity of picking up a puppy and driving him back to Monterrey, and finally Mom's death on the very day I was driving home with Karina and the puppy in tow, all have combined to set my running perhaps not to square one, but certainly square two. All my conditioning has been lost, and somehow I am going to have to get my fat derriere out there and begin regaining all the lost ground.
It may not be as difficult now that the summer is gently leaving us, since I can't run in the heat--period. And I am also going to have to let the dogs run and play in the back yard until my condition improves, because I can't jog with both of them in the security that all of a sudden Lusso may not jig when I jog and trip me up big-time. He seems to do fine, and TootSweet is superb, but I need to concentrate on my own physical condition right now.
If it rains today, I am going out to trot in it. Otherwise...well, it may be too hot. We'll see.
sábado, 29 de septiembre de 2012
jueves, 27 de septiembre de 2012
Dog Tails
Lusso has been here now since August 1, and there is hope for both him and me. He gains over two pounds a week, and I am beginning to wonder what I have gotten myself in for when it comes to size, but in the civilization area, he is doing great.
Every morning he and TootSweet either go for a long walk/trot with me, or they play in the back yard. Lusso has learned all the commands by watching what TootSweet does when I say "stop", "heel", or "sit". The most fun for me is to watch them in the yard: They chase each other, try to head each other off at the pass, steal dog toys from one another, and basically expend energy that may not be surprising for a six-month-old puppy, but an 11 year-old poodle?? They charge at each other full speed, Lusso galumping ahead on his long adolescent legs with their none-too-reliable braking system, TootSweet with a lightning stride he doesn't even try to control when he meets up with Lusso--he just jumps over the puppy, avoiding a collision.
People are finally beginning to wonder what kind of dog Lusso is when we go for walks. Everyone initially oohs and ahhs over TootSweet with his elegant prancing gait and nifty haircut, but now that Lusso is getting so big, they notice his marvelous eyes and magnificent pink nose. There is nothing elegant about Lusso's trot, however. He kind of swings along, looking like a teenager who isn't in complete command of his feet.
TootSweet is a unique dog, smarter than many people I know, especially politicians, but he has a certain aloofness too. He is basically a one or two-man dog, but Lusso never saw a stranger and thinks his owners represent the culmination of human evolution. He doesn't sit still tolerating being brushed; he collapses into your lap with a groan of pleasure, putting his head on your leg. If anyone comes to the door, he dashes to pick up a dog toy and hotfoots it to the door, making a sound that can be mistaken for growling but in reality is a kind of excited greeting. If in a bind there is no dog toy close by, he might grab one of my sandals to present to the arriving guest, or even one of my doormice--woolen mice filled with heavy pebbles and designed to hold the door open on windy days. The doormice are a big no-no because if he ever gets one open, it will take hours to sweep up its innards.
TootSweet, on the other hand, will dash to check out who is ringing the doorbell, and if it is someone known, he will do a few excited turns and then head off to whatever he was doing earlier. He will bark, too, and so far Lusso hasn't done that. Thank God! They both have huge barks, and if they start off together, it will trigger one of my migraines.
Soon as I figure out how my iPhone works, I'll post a picture or two.
Every morning he and TootSweet either go for a long walk/trot with me, or they play in the back yard. Lusso has learned all the commands by watching what TootSweet does when I say "stop", "heel", or "sit". The most fun for me is to watch them in the yard: They chase each other, try to head each other off at the pass, steal dog toys from one another, and basically expend energy that may not be surprising for a six-month-old puppy, but an 11 year-old poodle?? They charge at each other full speed, Lusso galumping ahead on his long adolescent legs with their none-too-reliable braking system, TootSweet with a lightning stride he doesn't even try to control when he meets up with Lusso--he just jumps over the puppy, avoiding a collision.
People are finally beginning to wonder what kind of dog Lusso is when we go for walks. Everyone initially oohs and ahhs over TootSweet with his elegant prancing gait and nifty haircut, but now that Lusso is getting so big, they notice his marvelous eyes and magnificent pink nose. There is nothing elegant about Lusso's trot, however. He kind of swings along, looking like a teenager who isn't in complete command of his feet.
TootSweet is a unique dog, smarter than many people I know, especially politicians, but he has a certain aloofness too. He is basically a one or two-man dog, but Lusso never saw a stranger and thinks his owners represent the culmination of human evolution. He doesn't sit still tolerating being brushed; he collapses into your lap with a groan of pleasure, putting his head on your leg. If anyone comes to the door, he dashes to pick up a dog toy and hotfoots it to the door, making a sound that can be mistaken for growling but in reality is a kind of excited greeting. If in a bind there is no dog toy close by, he might grab one of my sandals to present to the arriving guest, or even one of my doormice--woolen mice filled with heavy pebbles and designed to hold the door open on windy days. The doormice are a big no-no because if he ever gets one open, it will take hours to sweep up its innards.
TootSweet, on the other hand, will dash to check out who is ringing the doorbell, and if it is someone known, he will do a few excited turns and then head off to whatever he was doing earlier. He will bark, too, and so far Lusso hasn't done that. Thank God! They both have huge barks, and if they start off together, it will trigger one of my migraines.
Soon as I figure out how my iPhone works, I'll post a picture or two.
miércoles, 5 de septiembre de 2012
Puppyhood
Well, Mom would have had a good, long laugh over Lusso, the new puppy, and our trials and tribulations with him.
It has been a long time since I had a puppy--eleven years, in fact. And the one I had was a standard poodle, so easy to train that I really got spoiled.
Lusso is smart and sweet, filled with energy and longing to chew on the nearest item; it has been an uphill task to get him to distinguish between approved chew items and the rest. He has caught on, but once in a while he can't resist testing me, just to make sure I am going to stick to my guns.
All in all, he has been great. He is not very destructive, he stays in his lane when on the leash and walking with TootSweet, and TootSweet is teaching him the commands too. Lusso watches the Toots to see what is expected of him.
Lusso is a Spinone Italiano, a hunting dog--pointer/retriever, and a strong swimmer. However, so far Lusso has only gotten his feet wet in the shallow area of the pool, the steps. I keep a large clay bowl of water in the yard for the dogs, since they spend quite a while running, playing, and horsing around. Lusso has stuck his entire head into the water, blowing bubbles under the surface with his pink nose. The desire to be in the water is there, it just needs to be developed.
Yesterday, having made a momumental effort to get Lusso to try the steps, to my amazement it was TootSweet who jumped in and had to be rescued by me--he had never before been in water over his head, and I had to grab him and point him toward the steps. Ah, the joys of a wet poodle! They are only matched by the joys of a Spinone who gets into the waterfall in the backyard and then rolls in the nearest dirt.
It may be months before I know what color Lusso really is. I have an old dishtowel I keep handy in order to clean his face and feet, since half the time he wouldn't be able to enter the house in his usual condition after being outdoors. This is worse than little kids. Last night we went out to dinner with friends, and the woman mentioned that she is out of the house almost all morning; I told her I almost never left the house except to go to the store and the vet, but I wasn't about to tell her most of my morning was spent managing dogs.
And it doesn't matter, either. You've heard that old saw: "The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog."
It has been a long time since I had a puppy--eleven years, in fact. And the one I had was a standard poodle, so easy to train that I really got spoiled.
Lusso is smart and sweet, filled with energy and longing to chew on the nearest item; it has been an uphill task to get him to distinguish between approved chew items and the rest. He has caught on, but once in a while he can't resist testing me, just to make sure I am going to stick to my guns.
All in all, he has been great. He is not very destructive, he stays in his lane when on the leash and walking with TootSweet, and TootSweet is teaching him the commands too. Lusso watches the Toots to see what is expected of him.
Lusso is a Spinone Italiano, a hunting dog--pointer/retriever, and a strong swimmer. However, so far Lusso has only gotten his feet wet in the shallow area of the pool, the steps. I keep a large clay bowl of water in the yard for the dogs, since they spend quite a while running, playing, and horsing around. Lusso has stuck his entire head into the water, blowing bubbles under the surface with his pink nose. The desire to be in the water is there, it just needs to be developed.
Yesterday, having made a momumental effort to get Lusso to try the steps, to my amazement it was TootSweet who jumped in and had to be rescued by me--he had never before been in water over his head, and I had to grab him and point him toward the steps. Ah, the joys of a wet poodle! They are only matched by the joys of a Spinone who gets into the waterfall in the backyard and then rolls in the nearest dirt.
It may be months before I know what color Lusso really is. I have an old dishtowel I keep handy in order to clean his face and feet, since half the time he wouldn't be able to enter the house in his usual condition after being outdoors. This is worse than little kids. Last night we went out to dinner with friends, and the woman mentioned that she is out of the house almost all morning; I told her I almost never left the house except to go to the store and the vet, but I wasn't about to tell her most of my morning was spent managing dogs.
And it doesn't matter, either. You've heard that old saw: "The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog."
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