Dog Blog - Bumps In The Road

Last Saturday I took Brandy to a rabies vaccination clinic at the Civic Center. I knew this would test her obedience, but I didn't realize just how much!

Brandy had a bit of a rough start from what I understand. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I do know she was a kennel dog for the first 2 years of her life. Having little socialization and being confined to a kennel, she became aggressive toward other dogs. In fact, when we bought her, she came to us in TX from NC with her nose mostly torn off from fighting with another dog through a chain-link fence.

We worked with her and broke her of her dog aggression for the most part. The only time we have an issue is if another dog looks like it wants to attack her (running up barking aggressively). It's hard to blame her for wanting to defend herself! If dogs are friendly, she doesn't have a problem with them. We also have a Chihuahua named Devon who is now her best friend.

So, I simply couldn't pass up $5 rabies shots and decided to take my chances. I am NOT kidding when I say there were more than a thousand dogs there! But the bigger problem was their owners! I'm sorry, but it is rude to let your aggressive dog (even if it is a 3lb Yorkie) bark right in the face of a strange dog.

I couldn't get over the apparent ignorance of some of the people there! I had Brandy standing calmly, minding her own business, and people would come right up within 6 inches of her nose and stand there, letting their dogs scramble at the end of their leash, trying to bite my dog! There was only so much poor Brandy could take. After asking a father and his daughter to PLEASE NOT let their puppy get so close to my dog when it was trying to attack her, Brandy finally took a nip at the annoying pup. The look I got from those people! Sheesh! I thought they were going to faint! Brandy never made contact with the puppy, but she did snap at it.

After trying to keep her under control for hours, my determination to turn her into a service dog began to waver. She was panting, stressed and clearly unhappy.

When I got home, I felt pretty blue. I felt like I had been a real dummy to think I could transform my bulldog into a service dog.

On Monday I received my book Teamwork II from Amazon. It was rejuvenating for me. When I got to thinking about it, I came to realize that the 1,000+ dogs all crowded together last Saturday would be an unnerving experience for most dogs. If I'm out in public with a service dog, the chance of running into 1,000 dogs all at once is actually pretty slim... especially at WalMart. In fact, I can't remember the last time I ran into ANY dogs at WalMart.

So today we were back to work. Not only did Brandy remember everything we worked on last week, but her "wait" was awesome! I started working her on down, and when I told her "wait," she figured it out and stayed down! I put her to the test when I put her in a "down" and told her to "wait." I then dropped the leash and ran around my car. Then... I opened one of the car doors.

I could see her overwhelming desire to go jump in the car... but she stayed!

I'm going to have an awesome service dog yet! I'm so proud of Brandy today. So far she has mastered "one step" where she takes one stair at a time. This will allow The Skink to hold on to her so she can slowly navigate stairs without falling.

Brandy heels perfectly, stopping on a dime the moment I stop. She will respond to "sit" about 95 percent of the time now. She will match my pace, fast or slow with NO pulling whatever. She will also "wait" or stay 95 percent of the time. She will do both "sit" and "wait" with a hand signal. Now we are working on "down" though she has the "down + wait" mastered.

And I was thinking about giving up?? ROFLOL!! I think NOT! Especially after my back and left hip went completely out at Iraq's ballet rehearsal tonight.

Yes - Iraq has a real ballet performance this Saturday! It is looking very good so far. Although she is in a group of 9 bluebirds, she is the one who will be the single bird while all the others are paired. Her social detachment seems to be preventing her from getting stage fright - this is a good thing!

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Call Me Crazy... Over the edge for Reece's Rainbow

I have to share a cause near and dear to my heart! Reece's Rainbow is an organization that helps people in the U.S. adopt special needs children (primarily those with Down syndrome) from other countries like Estonia, the Ukraine, Serbia and Bulgaria. In these countries, most children born with any kind of "defect" are put into orphanages. At 4-5 years of age, they are carted off to institutions where many die of neglect. Parents generally don't try to keep children with physical or cognitive issues because they have to pay for any of the "defective" child's medical expenses out-of-pocket.

Unfortunately, the institutions and many of the orphanages are underfunded, understaffed and overcrowded. Children with medical issues rarely receive proper medical attention, nourishment or the stimulation they need.

It turns into a vicious cycle where the culture shuns people who are different and places no value in those who have Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, blindness, autism, cleft pallet and other birth defects.

Because my husband and I are not financially able to adopt or send more than $10 to Reece's Rainbow every now and then, I have been looking into new and different ways of raising funds and awareness.

I may have gone off the deep-end, but this week I started a campaign to get ABC's Dancing With The Stars let me come on the show with 100 percent of the profits going to Reece's Rainbow. I realize it's a one in a million chance, but at very least, maybe I can get more people to go to the RR website and help out.

My FaceBook fan page can be found at: Ask ABC to Help a Great Cause! DWTS & *her*

Please spread the word! These beautiful angels all deserve a chance!

For more information, please click Reece's Rainbow

You can also make a donation directly to:
Reece's Rainbow
PO Box 4024
Gaithersburg, MD 20885

Or by credit card at: Show You Care

Most importantly, please spread the word!!

Dog Daze - Training, Day #2

Anyone who knows me knows that when I get a crazy idea in my head, I run with it... but like a kid with a paper bag over my head, I've been known to careen head-long into a wall on occasion.  Luckily, I'm hard-headed. So this time, instead of running about with a bag over my head, I actually ordered a book on training a service dog (called Teamwork II) on Amazon.

Of course it won't arrive until next week, so I went ahead and started on my own. *insert paper bag here*

I have to tell ya - I always had it in my head that service dog training was some intricate mystery left only for individuals who majored in dog training in grad school.  The elements of the unknown made it seem all the more intimidating. It takes time and patience and hard work...

Somewhat like training a horse...

Wait a minute...

I used to train horses.

It's true. Among the horses I've trained I count one young stallion and one big, ornery 4-year-old that had never had a saddle on his back. If I can train a horse, perhaps I CAN train a dog.

SO... Today I took Brandy to Petco. She heeled, she was polite around other animals, she didn't try to follow anyone else home, she didn't pee on the floor, she sat, she stayed... by the time we left, I was able to put her in a sit-stay and walk down the next aisle where she couldn't see me.

Sure - she made some mistakes, but for the most part I was quite amazed with how well she did.

Interestingly, I still need to work on getting her to sit immediately on command. She usually does, but sometimes she has ADD moments when birdies are more interesting than mommy. The other possibility is that she is getting a bit older and doesn't hear quite as well. Generally if I bump her hip or foot with my foot, she sits right down.

She's getting really good at stay, though I use the command "wait!" paired with a visual cue - - I hold up one finger. Yes... I can now put my dog on finger hold! She's better at "wait" than she is at "sit" currently.

She is already very good at heeling. I can thank Cesar Milan and the National Geographic Channel for that. (For any dog owners out there, if you've never watched The Dog Whisperer, you simply MUST make it a habit!)

Because Brandy is already good at heeling, I've already introduced "one step" which is my command to go up or down a single stair in a flight of steps. This way, when The Skink is going up or down steps, she can hold on to Brandy to balance herself. Eventually I want to get to the point where I can tether The Skink to The Dog, and it would sure be nice to know Brandy isn't going to leap down an entire set of steps with Skink bouncing along behind! Yes... "one step" will be a good thing.


I haven't worked on "down" yet, but I think we've got a good start. Our other hurdle is that Brandy seems to be a little out of shape. She was panting like crazy after our trip to Petco  - c'mon - the place is air conditioned! I also did a 2nd training session this afternoon when Iraq was available to provide a whole lot of distraction (this is good practice for the dog, and comes quite naturally to the kid). Again Brandy was huffing and puffing by the time we got back.

I'm thinking that just like a person who lives a sedentary lifestyle, it may just take Brandy a little bit to get into shape. I'll give her a few weeks before I decide she is physically unable to do be a service dog. She's limping a little on her right front - she has a shoulder that bugs her every now and then, but again, she needs to get in shape before I decide.

If bulldogs have a draw back, it's that they do tend to over heat faster than many other breeds. Olde Victorian Bulldogges are nowhere near as likely to over heat as their English Bulldog counterparts, yet still more likely than a Lab. I'd hate to go on a family outing to a summer festival only to have to carry the 80lb bulldog back to the car! That, and I don't want to threaten the well-being of my doggie!

So - here are some shots from this morning of The Skink wiping Brandy's nose, pulling her wrinkles and loving her :o)

Good Doggie!

Uh... good horsie??

Good night!

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Taking Bets: Teaching My Old Dog New Tricks?? and why I might want to...

Between my daughter with Apergers and my daughter with Down syndrome/poor eyesight/hypotonia, somebody around here would certainly qualify for a service dog if we pursued it... and happened to have a heap of extra money we didn't need for any other purpose.

Service dogs are becoming increasingly popular for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) as they can help a high-functioning child focus, prevent them from stepping out in front of a jogger or oncoming car, and they can also help prevent more profoundly autistic or cognitively disabled children from running off, with the use of a tether. See: 4 Paws Service Dogs & Autism and more info on Service Dogs for autism.

This is a Service Dog:

This is MY dog:

And this is my dog:

And this is my dog:

So - I realize most service dogs happen to be the notoriously "intelligent" breeds like Labradors, German Shepherd Dogs, Aussie Shepherds and Boarder Collies. Brandy Ann is an Olde Victorian Bulldogge (OVB). For all intensive purposes, this is a designer breed and not AKC recognized, though the breed has a large following. She's pretty, but she doesn't look that smart, does she?

On the other hand, she is patient, indestructible, powerful, she doesn't jump up on people and she loves my kids.

So maybe training my 7-year-old OVB to become a service dog for my kids is a pipe dream, but then again, maybe it's not all that "out there."

The Skink has severe hypotonia and has difficulty walking. Her balance is poor and she tends to fall a lot. She can't go down steps without holding something or being carried, and she's getting heavier every day! I think I've mentioned a time or five in previous blogs that I have an old back injury that makes it very difficult for me to pick up heavy objects... like my daughter. Brandy, on the other hand, could wear a specialized handle for The Skink to grasp to help her walk. Brandy could also care less if The Skink pokes, prods or pinches on her.

The Skink also still has no sense of self preservation when it comes to roads and speeding cars. Yet if tethered to my faithful 80lb OVB... well... she's not going ANYWHERE if Brandy stays by Mom!

Alright... alright. It sounds nuts. A 7-year-old bulldog?? Really?

So, with a bit of an embarrassed flush in my cheeks and armed with a pocket full of goldfish crackers, I marched out the front door with my goofy-looking dog earlier today to perform a service dog aptitude test.

A few years ago, I taught Brandy to sit and not to pull on the leash. That's about it... yet within 5 minutes, she was matching my gait, stopping and sitting at each stop. In 10 minutes she was obeying a "stay" command while I walked away from her, towards her and past her in the other direction.

Taking her floppy mug in my hands, I looked deep into her eyes and spoke to her in soft words.

"Who are you and what have you done with my big, dumb bulldog?"

So, I guess I have a lot to learn, and even more to teach my big, dumb-looking, old, sweet, smart dog. She won't need to learn to call 911 or retrieve a key out of a wallet, but if she can learn enough to help me keep my kids safe in busy public places, I'll be absolutely over the moon with delight!

I'm looking at a few do-it-yourself DVDs and books like: Teamwork and Teamwork II but of course money is tight all the way around right now. Perhaps I'll start with hints I find on the interwebs. I know most of the basics (and Brandy will do almost anything for a goldfish cracker) and we'll see what happens!

I'll keep ya updated on our progress... unless I get lazy and decide I really am nuts to try this.

I'd love to hear your opinions on this!!

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Kids and Garden and Stuff

When he moved from TX to VA in November, 2009, Broadway was thrilled to learn his new high school has JrROTC. He doesn't even mind that it's Air-Force ROTC even though he wants to join the Army some day. His ultimate goal is to become an Army Ranger.

Needless to say, the kid LIVES for ROTC these days. They only have uniform day once a week, but I don't think he'd mind a bit if he got to wear it every day. He has been participating in tons of after-school ROTC activities, community service events and training exercises. Getting straight A's in the class is nice, but getting a ribbon or medal to pin on his uniform is a veritable Nirvana in his eyes!

Today was uniform day. He was kind enough to allow me to take a picture of him. Apparently, wearing the uniform requires a certain level of ceremony. Smiling is not part of that ceremony.

Don't mind the ugly gates in the background on the front porch. That was a feeble attempt on my part to keep The Skink contained. Much to my consternation, she figured out how to escape from mommy's dumb gate in less than 3 minutes flat. Before I knew it, she was butt-scooting down the front steps and making for the road. Of course at that point I had to figure out how to let myself out of the gate... I wasn't as quick as she was (LOL).

Iraq has fully recovered from her bout with the stomach virus, thank goodness. Unfortunately, 2 days without her medication has left her very anxious. When she got home from school, she started crying immediately and told me she did NOT know how to do her homework. I picked up the 2 sheets of homework she had and reassured her she had done the same kind of thing at least 20 times  in the last few weeks. No dice! The tears continued. Then the wailing started. *sigh*    *deep breath*

I calmly offered her the option of going up to her room and taking a nap, or sitting down quietly to do her homework.

Don't you wish it were that easy??

I always follow up with what I say... yet she always has to test the boundaries of my sanity just to make sure I still have some hint of it left.

I finally got her to sit down and look at the paper (once she decided she did NOT want to take a nap). I attempted to get her started on her math work by drawing out a number line to make adding and subtracting easier. I made the dire mistake of drawing it on one of those magnetic, erasable pads. In a huff, she erased it and screamed that she didn't WANT the help of a number line - she wanted MOM help. (Yes - and I can assure you MOM was craving a little help too!)

*another deep breath*

I calmly informed her that MOM HAD helped her by drawing her a number line which she chose to erase. I again offered her a nap.

In tears she wailed that she was SOOOORRRRRRYYYYYYYY! She didn't MEAN to erase the number line and would I PLEAAAAAASSSE draw her another.

*another deep breath*

"I'm sorry. I can't understand you when you use that voice. When you are ready to use a nice voice without wailing, I will be able to understand you and help you."

*Sob* "I'm..." *sob* "trying!" She gasped.

"Noope... still can't understand you." *another deep breath*

At this point I'm starting to wonder when I will keel over from hyperventilation.

Amazingly, after only four or five mom-daughter exchanges, she realized she could do the homework, and that she was really quite good at it. Five minutes later she was skipping out the door to play with some friends across the street.

*banging head against wall to relieve stress from not loosing it with Iraq*

It has been raining on and off the last few days and Iraq has not had to water her garden. Still, she enjoys going out each day to admire her masterpiece that she herself grew from teeny little seeds. Gardening has proved a calming influence on Iraq... as long as we do everything HER WAY and the plants are kept in neat, orderly lines. This is how she has them arranged currently:

And just look at how our strawberries are doing!

And:

The Skink spent the morning wearing a Little Swimmer diaper as a hat. I was thankful it had Nemo on it as opposed to being plain white... She would have looked like a tiny little Klan member if it weren't for the fishie! She is a gangsta at heart, preferring to wear her absorbent headpiece down over her eyes. If I tried to pull it up a bit, she would yank it right back down and peek out at me with glowering eyes - ever questioning why I would try to *fix* something that she thought was fine just the way it was! My bad!

As for me, I am very happy to say that my new washer and dryer were delivered today! The Skink was most helpful in closing and locking the door each time the poor delivery guys would run out to grab another part or piece. I got some great exercise wrangling my tot as the guys worked their magic. The  washer and dryer can be used as side-by-side units and you can buy the pedestals for them, or they can be stacked. The house we're in right now is almost 100 years old and has been retrofitted to accommodate a  stackable unit. The new ones fit perfectly in the space :o)

Aint they beeeyoootiful? The last washer and dryer we bought were a really nice used side-by-side set which now resides in my parents' lower level laundry room. A stackable unit came with our rental house, but unfortunately the washer needed to be banged every now and then to get it to spin, and the dryer chewed up it's fair share of our clothes. I really can't complain... I mean, most rental houses don't even come with a washer and dryer! We also have some wonderful landlords (they came with the house) and the last thing we wanted to do was complain about this proverbial "gift horse." I'm really excited about this set!! They will work in whatever house we end up in next (though we plan to stay here for a while). Yet they also mean a little less stress in my charmed life. OK - enough blogging - I gotta get back to reclining on my chaise lounge and eating bon-bons! (Yeah - like that's ever gonna happen!) LOL!

When Mom Gets Sick

In my household, Mom is the caregiver. Mom takes the kids to most of the therapists and doctors. Dad is awesome and steps in when he has a day off, but in general, it's mom. There's always so much to do in our house. Just keeping up with the 3 kids is challenging enough, then add chores, school, appointments (I forgot to take the Skink to a follow-up to her ear tube surgery last week) and whatever else.

Normally when I get sick, I can still function enough to handle my usual mom-duties. Unless, that is, I happen to come down with the dreaded stomach virus!

I had something called a pyloric stenosis when I was born. Basically the opening at the bottom of the stomach isn't very open, and puts a "Return to Sender" label on all the food. I had surgery at 1 week of age to correct it. It worked, but whenever I get a stomach virus, the scar tissue causes the muscles in that area to freak out. We're talking a seemingly unending cycle of charlie-horses in the stomach muscles, galloping out of control.

I try to avoid getting the stomach virus.

On Friday night, The Skink (who also had a pyloric stenosis repaired at the same time she had her g-button inserted) apparently quietly vomited in her bed and happily went back to sleep. The evidence presented itself when we got her up in the morning. She was in a great mood, so we just figured maybe it was post-nasal drip related.

It wasn't.

Fast forward to early Monday morning - we're talking, just-barely-waited-until-Mother's Day-was-over-12:15 A.M.-early. It began.

The by the time my hubby's alarm went off at 3:15 A.M., I knew this wasn't a *mild* case of stomach virus and begged him to stay home. By 7:30 he was driving me to the hospital with my bucket in hand. Poor Iraq started vomiting about 3 hours after I did. With a sick kiddo and two more that needed to get off to school, my hubby dropped me off at the ER entrance and left.

I was super lucky - the ER was virtually empty. I was to the point where I was really dehydrated and craved a drink so badly it hurt. On the other hand, there were a lot of other things that would hurt even worse if I did. As I sat and waited to be taken back, I couldn't help feeling it was a cruel joke that the name called before mine was "Waters."

So I was taken back, plugged in to enough equipment to make me look half cyborg, and given over 2 liters of fluids plus meds and potassium. Just as I was starting to feel less ill, the ER gurney began to haunt my 17-year-old back injury. See On-line book, Ch. 5: What Back-Breaking Work Martyrdom Is!

Something very similar happened when I was pregnant with my 3rd child. I had pre-eclampsia as it was, but my back couldn't take the hospital bed and sent my blood pressure skyrocketing. Luckily for me, my best bud in TX just happens to be a chiropractor... talk about room service! No such luck here in Virginia. I didn't have anyone to call to come adjust me, and when I asked the nurse if I could get up and move around, she took one look at my blood pressure and told me I shouldn't move! Aaahhhhhhgggghhhhh!

I got this lovely shot with my cellphone camera. Yes - you read that right. 184 over 104. Normal is about 120 over 75-ish and anything over 140 over 90 is BAD! LOL! I've always been a bit of an over-achiever.

The doctor was called in and I told him what was going on. Within minutes I was shot full of sedative and painkiller. The next thing I remember, it was about 4 hours later. I called the nurse and told her I didn't have time to be in the ER and needed to get home to my kids (I may have been a little dopey still).

All in all, I spent 9 hours in the ER. When my hubby came to pick me up, he had his own bucket in hand. Poor thing got the bug just hours after dropping me off.

These are the times having a 15-year-old around the house comes in very handy! Broadway stepped right up and took over. He fed The Skink and kept an eye on her. He took care of all his daily chores, and most of mine. He made sure we all had what we needed and he never complained once!

I'm happy to report we are all doing much better now! I have still had nothing but crackers, chicken broth and ginger ail, but my blood pressure is way down! Iraq is feeling better too. Unfortunately she couldn't take her medication for the last 2 days, and her anxiety level and OCD behaviors are up a bit, but she should be back at school tomorrow.

And The Skink... she is enjoying the two new beanie baby cows I ordered on Amazon.com. I got her another of the black and white "Daisy" cows that she already had plus a "Bessie" the brown & white cow. Tonight she went to bed surrounded by the entire herd, with Bessie in her arms. I said "I love you!" and she simply replied...  "Moo."

On A Side Note

If you are a return visitor to my blog, you may have noticed a shiny new banner just under the one for my book The Littlest Sister. I honestly didn't feel like going through all the rigmarole with a publisher again  - why take months on end when you can publish your own book in under an hour??

 
This one is just for fun! It's comprised of a silly poem and some artwork. As crazy as it sounds, the poem came to me in a dream. All I had to do is hop out of bed and type it. Of course I did that back in 2007 and it's been sitting on my computer ever since. I did the illustrations in 2008... ahhh yes... fine wine takes time... and a little procrastination. I haven't received my first edition in the mail yet, so I can only hope the layout is correct. It seems to be, but you never know for sure until it's in your hand!

Today was teacher appreciation day, so Iraq liberated some of our neighbor's flowers to give to her teacher.

I don't think the neighbor will notice. Her Wisteria is running rampant!

At least Iraq couldn't reach the neighbors roses.

Although the trellis looks like it just might be fun to climb :)  I'm afraid our roses and trellis aren't it as good shape, but as a renaissance girl, I rather like the cracked & peeling paint look.

I'm pretty sure that's lead paint...

I don't like it when the kids at the bus stop start playing rough. Eventually they end up in the road, so this was my solution. I draw a new one after every rain, and all the kids seem to really enjoy it! Even the boys play... of course they turn it into a timed event...

And finally, our garden is still growing, despite my brownish/black thumb. We just might get edible tomatoes yet! Iraq is still taking good care of her garden and enjoying the experience! Broadway shows little interest, though he keeps asking when the strawberries will be ready.

And peas...

So that's it for now. I gotta go get The Skink. I put her down for a nap an hour ago, and I can still hear her playing in her crib.

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Cow... MOO!!

The other day The Skink made up her first song. It was sweet and her little voice went up and down in the best tune she could muster. The words could not be understood. For about a minute, the song went on. It went something like this:

"Asha leber no ahtamaaaa, prillee doofa dub meee,
Moper dukah pooshie new, adah Cow...     MOO!"

In that moment, the joy that filled me was akin to what Beethoven's mother must have felt when he first showed his musical talent. The song had a substance and  clearly, to The Skink at least, a story... about a Cow.

As it happens, The Skink's favorite animals happen to be horses and cows. Her favorite toy - the one she doesn't want to sleep without - is a Beanie Baby cow that is black and white. She carries it about the house. Every so often the cow takes flight, and upon landing a small voice joyfully yells "Moo!" It's the one toy she has that has explored the interior of the washing machine many, many times. It's the one toy I really need to locate a doppelganger to... just in case!

Iraq's favorite item at the same age was a pink blanket. Lucky for us, the blanket's identical litter mates were sold in every Wal-Mart across the country. Though Iraq no longer requires the constant companionship of the blanket today, I believe we still have about 6 pink blankets tucked safely away in a drawer. Luckily for us, The Skink's reaction to having to go to bed without her prize cow would never reach the magnitude of the melt-downs we used to witness on the few occasions Iraq's pink blanket wasn't ready and waiting in her bed.

Last Christmas I looked everywhere for cow toddler bedding. I found CowBOY and CowGirl bedding, but no plain ol' cow bedding... so I ended up making some.

Yup - found pink and "cow" striped flannel and accented it with a black & white cow print for the bedspread and dust-ruffle.

And yes, she loves it!

Here are some new Skink shots of the day...

The COW is never too far behind... MOO!

With Daddy on the front porch swing.

Skinks -N- Roses

Hypotonia... Skink style!

Just... The Skink!

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Better Late Than Never...

I'm just now trying to catch up from the two weeks I spent in bed, but... better late than never! Here are some pictures from Easter!!

The Easter Bunny was kind enough to create three different hunt areas - one for each kiddo. The Skink was very excited when she realized there were EGGS in Mimi's yard. This was her first discovery...

Check it out! There's something IN here!!

This is FUN!

Nothing cuter than a Skink, in pink, by a lake!

The hunt resumes...

A bunneh!

Later!

Broadway and Iraq, finding the goodies!!

Iraq was generally too speedy to catch, but I caught up with her for this one. Broadway, on the other hand, doesn't want anybody to know he still likes to hunt Easter eggs at 15... I can't publish any of the other shots I got of him. *sigh* Teenagers!

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