Noelle, our deaf pit bull terrier mix, came to stay with me while my husband Dave was gone for military duty. On the day he returned home, I took Noelle with me to an adoption event so Dave could pick her up from there.
Noelle patiently waited during the event, and although many people came up to say hello to her, she continued to lie there and ignore everyone.
"I want to go home."
She looked so sad that everyone felt sorry for her.
"I miss my dad."
Then, towards the end of the day, this happened:
And once again, all was right in Noelle's world.
I haven’t talked much about Noelle recently. She is my deaf, mascara-wearing, elevator-riding, coffee-table-standing, contest-winning, rough-n-tumble dog. Over a year ago, I uploaded a video of her to YouTube that generated disparaging remarks about lazy owners who don’t train their dogs. I have worked diligently since then to train Noelle, and a few weeks ago I made another video of her in the same situation to see if she has shown any improvement.
I am pleased to report that she seems much improved – her intonation is clear, her phrasing (breath between notes) is not as awkward, and the intensity she brings to her performance is brilliant. In my possibly biased opinion, I feel that a dog with Noelle’s vocal talent is rare, and that her training has really paid off over the past year. Wouldn’t you agree?
We've had a lot of rain here, which means my grass keeps growing faster than I can keep up with it. So this weekend I called in reinforcements.
"This grass is much too tall."
"And just look at all of these weeds!"
My dogs Noelle and Remi came to visit, and I had hoped they would help with the yard work while they were here. However, Remi kept laying down on the job.
"Just taking a short break"
And Noelle seemed too busy taking notes on the height of the grass to bother actually eating any grass.
"Much too tall over here, too."
In the end, I was disappointed to find that I'd have to do all the yard work myself.
I've been very busy the past few weeks, so now I have a lot to share! In no particular order, here are some recent happenings:
* Harry the American Bulldog/Lab mix went to a foster-to-adopt home. This is a great option for someone who is not sure if they're ready for a dog or who wants some time to make sure the dog will work with their household. They foster the dog, and if it works well, they adopt the dog, and if it doesn't work well they either keep fostering until the dog is adopted or return the dog to his original foster home. I am hopeful that Harry will do very well in his new foster home.
* Maddie the Australian Shepherd went to another foster home who fell in love with her when they saw her. Maddie has had her surgery and is now recovering. She was able to keep her leg (there was some concern that they may have to remove it) and will now be able to run and walk without being in pain. She's doing great in her new foster home and quickly learning all about living in a home and being spoiled.
* All of the Beagle/Shih Tzu/Brussels Griffon puppies have been adopted.
* Roxy the pit bull has had two adoption applications on her this week. One family lives in a city that requires a six foot fence for pit bulls, which they do not have. The other lives in a city that doesn't allow pit bulls. So Roxy is still stuck with me, but neither of us are complaining. Today she takes her Canine Good Citizen test.
* Tulsa the deaf Australian Cattle Dog and Noelle, my deaf pit bull, have both started beginning agility class. And Ziggy has started intermediate agility class. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.
* Yesterday's adoption event was very slow so we packed up early and four of us went to a nearby shelter and pulled four dogs that were out of time. They are all what we call "foo foo" dogs - small, fluffy, easily adoptable breeds. We took a Shih Tzu, a Lhasa Apso, a Pekingese and a Poodle. I got the Poodle. At least I think it's a poodle. You decide...
Poodle?
Or mop with a pink tongue?
He does have eyes under there, and he can see through all that hair, believe it or not. I named him Teddy, and he fits right in here. I say that, because he has separation anxiety just like Morgan, and he cries nonstop if I leave the room without him. He also jumps in little circles when he is happy, and he seems to be housetrained, and he does great with the other dogs and the cats.
Bunny, Morgan and Teddy
The first thing I did when I got him home was to give him a bath, because he was rather smelly after being in the shelter for two weeks. He will be groomed as soon as possible, and I think then he'll look like a whole different dog. Although I have to admit I kind of like the "mop" look.
One of my favorite blogs is Pitter Patter, the fun site that takes reader photos of pit bulls and adds funny captions. Ziggy and my own dog Noelle were featured on the site yesterday - here is their picture:
And for any Ziggy fans out there, here are a few other times he's been featured on Pitter Patter this summer:
I'd like to think that my dogs have been featured so many times because I take such excellent pictures. But I know better. The real reason is because my dogs are usually into so much trouble that I'm constantly taking their pictures. Check back tomorrow for a new Ziggy photo that is likely to end up on Pitter Patter sometime in the future and you'll understand what I mean. But in the meantime, enjoy the laughs offered by this great PBRC website and if you have a pit bull or pit bull mix, make sure to send in a few photos of your own!
It's a good thing dogs don't hold grudges. If they did, I'd be in big trouble. Last night was my first night at the new house. I took Remi with me, but my husband Dave won the coin toss for Noelle and she is staying with him at the old house. Okay, we didn't really toss a coin. We had a grown-up rational discussion, where nothing was decided, until I finally acknowledged it was his turn to win a fight so I gave in. She's always been his dog, since the moment they met. I still get visiting rights, but the only thing Noelle knows is that I've abandoned her. Fortunately, she's a pit bull - one of the most loyal breeds there is - and when I come visit her this evening, she's not going to hold a grudge. She'll instantly forgive me and shower me with kisses. Of course that'll make me feel even more awful when I leave her behind again.
But then I get to go home to Remi, who doesn't have a reason to be angry with me. Oh other than the fact that I took him away from his home and brought him to this strange house that he hates. Dave installed all new laminate flooring throughout the house, and it's very slick. Have you ever seen a giraffe trying to walk on ice? If you can imagine that, you can imagine Remi trying to walk on laminate floors. It's not a pretty sight. But Remi doesn't hold grudges, so it's safe for me to return home. I think. Even if he is angry, it's pretty easy to outrun him inside the house.
Tomorrow I get to go to an adoption event and the boot camp instructor dog rehabilitator is going to bring Ziggy by to see us. I am so excited and nervous. Because if any dog were ever to hold a grudge, I'd imagine it would be Ziggy. When I see him, I want to just bend down to his level and wave at him and say Hi Ziggy!! and then throw my arms around him and give him a big hug. Which of course is exactly the wrong thing to do. I didn't say I'll do it. But I really want to. Hopefully Ziggy is not holding a grudge for me sending him to boot camp. If he behaves himself I may even be able to take him home soon!
And then there's Merlin. Merlin has been living a life of contentment and luxury at my parents' house for several months. But I miss him, and my parents are not begging me to keep him, so I'm going to be bringing him to the new house in the next few days. And one thing that is different about cats and dogs - I think cats do hold a grudge. So Merlin may never speak to me again, after I bring him to the new house. At least the dogs won't be able to chase him very easily on the new flooring. With enough canned food and cat treats, I might even be able to convince him that life with me isn't so bad after all.
Have you ever done anything so awful that your pet held a grudge? Tell me your worst stories, and help me stop feeling so guilty for making all of my pets miserable!
My foster puppy Venture was adopted on Saturday. And Zoe went back to her first foster home since she's big enough now to start being house-trained, so both of my puppies are gone. This was a typical activity for the puppies while they were here:
They loved chasing each other through the house, and often ran in circles behind the couch, through the dining room, and back through into the living room.
I really miss my puppies, but I think they may have had a bit too much energy for Noelle. She would typically take refuge in the chair while they did their puppy zoomies around the house, and she just watched them as they went by, again and again.
Here they come again!
Finally they stopped racing in circles and she could take a much-deserved nap.
Ziggy has always provided me with a lot of material for my blog. Unfortunately, Ziggy is leaving for boot camp on Saturday, so I was a bit worried about finding things to write about. Actually, I was just worried that I wouldn't know what to do with all my time if I wasn't chasing Ziggy around constantly and ordering him to behave like a nice normal dog for just once in his life.
I need not have worried. Noelle, my sweet, wonderful, deaf pit bull, and first canine honorary member of the Naughty Kitty Club, has decided to help fill the void while Ziggy is gone. I caught her practicing the other day, by counter surfing and stealing a cigarette lighter. She then ran off with it and settled down to chew it into pieces.
Neither my husband or I smoke, but we usually have a candle or two lit, hence the lighter. I guess Noelle thought the house smelled just fine without the help of any candles, because she was none too happy when I removed the lighter before she had the opportunity to chew on it.
It's good to know that things will stay somewhat interesting around here even while Ziggy is gone.
I know that most of you thought that only Ziggy could be capable of such a horrendousterrifying wide array of sounds, but in this case, he was not the culprit (I can hear his rehab people letting out a sigh of relief). The normal barks you hear at the beginning of the video - that was Ziggy. The screaming was from the other alien creature that lives here. You've seen her in her normal dog form like this:
And a very long time ago, I shared a picture of her in her true alien form:
Now you all know what she sounds like in her alien form. You may wonder what causes her to make these noises that I think were best described as a "kind of torture would make him protest like he is being pursued by the hounds of hell". The answer? Placing her in a crate when her people are RIGHT THERE outside of the crate and she can't get to them. This is absolute torture to her. As proved by this video (in case you didn't get enough of the whining/screaming/crying in the last video).
Yep, we like to torture our dogs around here on a regular basis by placing them in a crate just to take video of the sounds they make. It's just great entertainment!
First, one final reminder that the contest to name a mouse in the upcoming Mouse Racing Fundraiser ends tomorrow, so don't forget to leave a comment on this post if you want to enter.
Second, when my husband got home from his Army Reserve training today, he was greeted by Remi and Noelle, as usual.
And next thing I know, he put his dog tags on Noelle and asked her to stand at attention:
I guess Ziggy isn't the only one around here preparing for boot camp!
Noelle took the taste test today, to compare the taste of Eukauba Large Breed food to both brand A (her regular food) and brand B (Ziggy's regular food). Did I mention that Noelle is a bit of a finicky eater? She's not one to gulp down her food, and prefers to inspect all food closely prior to eating it to ensure it meets her standards. Please watch this short clip of the beginning of Noelle's taste test to fully understand.
I was worried for awhile that she was never going to pick one! Fortunately she finally did. Her first selection was Brand A, which is her usual brand of food.
Once she had finished all of Brand A, and licked the bowl clean, she proceeded to her second choice.
And it wasn't until she finished off Brand B, and licked the bowl clean, that she moved on to the last bowl which was the Eukanuba brand.
I have two theories for this behavior. The first, and most likely theory, is that she was saving her favorite food for dessert. We're big fans of dessert in this house, and while we sometimes even have dessert before the main meal (or instead of the main meal), there's a good chance that Noelle was following the classic manner of eating which is to save the best for last. And then there's the second theory.
This theory states that Noelle, being the brilliant, two-year-old dog that she is, can spell. And since she likes things to be orderly, she decided to eat her food in alphabetical order. She ate Brand A then Brand B then Eukanuba - a perfect job of placing them in alphabetical order. I'm willing to admit this theory is slightly less likely than the dessert theory, but I don't like to rule anything out.
So there you have it. It's obvious that no matter which theory is correct, Noelle CLEARLY enjoys Eukanuba over the other two brands of food.*
*Being the conscientious blogger that I am, I will only share actual test results for items that I am given to try out in exchange for a review on my blog. However, I am not above bestowing my own interpretations on any such results. Pet Companies - feel free to send me your products for review. ;-)
You know those wildlife shows that they have where the predator is always chasing the prey, and sometimes they catch the prey and sometimes they don't? I watched one of those episodes last night - live - in my own back yard. It went something like this:
He sets off on the hunt, filled with purpose.
The snow flies behind him as he races toward his goal.
With intent focus, he approaches his prey.
Nearing his destination, he crouches down to hide.
The snow covered rocks hide him from his unsuspecting prey.
The unsuspecting prey continues to search for a dry place to stand, unaware that she is being stalked.
Suddenly, something causes her to become alert and look for potential danger.
She looks in both directions, but does not see the predator behind the rocks.
She soon resumes her search for dry ground, unaware of the danger that awaits her.
She makes her way ever closer to the rocks, as the predator patiently waits.
There is a brief interruption as the wildlife photographer is distracted by the sight of the frozen saliva on her Great Dane's muzzle.
Returning to the scene of the action, we find the predator has pounced out of his hiding spot, mouth open and teeth bared. However instead of running, the prey simply sticks out her tongue in a show of defiance.
The predator and prey then pose together for a group shot, and I realize that this episode lacks a bit in the action department.
We had over a foot of snow on Thursday. This was viewed quite a bit differently by each dog.
First there was Remi. He was not overly affected by the snow... but then again, even a foot of snow only came up to his ankles. Do dogs have ankles? Nevermind. Suffice it to say that the snow did not slow him down at all.
Look at me - I'm finally the fastest dog around!
I can leap invisible snow banks in a single bound!
Then there was Noelle, the Princess. She prefers not to get wet. Therefore a foot of snow on the ground was not her favorite thing.
If I just walk in Remi's footsteps, I think I'll be okay.
And finally, there is the Snow Monster. I mean Ziggy. Ziggy likes the snow. In fact, he likes it so much, that he makes really strange faces as he is running around in it. Someone warned me that if I shared this photo on my blog, it would ruin all chances of Ziggy ever being adopted. But since it's been a year and no one has adopted him yet, I think I may as well share the photo anyway. Because really, everyone should see this photo. I believe it is proof that the Abominable Snow Monster does in fact exist. And he's living in my house.
Yep, that's Ziggy. Strange. Silly. Cute, in a strange way. And mostly just strange. You, too, can have an abominable snowdog living in your house!
On Saturday, my foster puppy Peanut went to his forever home. This is great news for Peanut. But for those of us left behind, it means a bit of an adjustment. Things are going to change around here.
For one thing, Peanut won't be annoying Noelle anymore.
Are you my mommy?
He also won't be using me as a jungle gym.
I'm King of the hill!
He won't be giving out little Peanut kisses.
I WUV you so much!
And he won't be entertaining me with his cute little Peanut looks.
Can we cuddle?
I will miss my little peanut, but I'm happy for him that he has a wonderful new family where he will be very spoiled and loved.
It's been three weeks since I wrote a post specifically about Ziggy. So for any new readers out there, let me give you a quick summary. Ziggy is an overzealous, highly intelligent, extremely food motivated, deaf American Pit Bull Terrier. I started fostering him over a year ago, and in spite of being listed for adoption on several websites and attending weekly adoption events, he has never been adopted. In fact, he has only received two applications in the past year - one of whom lived in a city with breed bans, and the other of whom changed their mind after filling out the application. I have tried everything - hired a trainer, taught him tricks, changed his adoption listings/pictures/videos numerous times, made him wear adopt-me vests and bandanas everywhere we go, and even tried shrinking him in the dryer when someone liked him but wanted a smaller dog! Okay, fine, I didn't really put him in the dryer. I did consider the use of a hair dryer though.
Suffice it to say that I refuse to give up. I continue to hope that someday he will get a real home of his own. And that home is definitely not mine. Some foster dogs just "fit" into a household very easily, and those are the hardest ones to adopt out. Ziggy is not one of those foster dogs. I love him, but life will be easier for everyone, including him, if he can go to a home that is a better fit for him. So we'll keep trying.
Now for those of you who don't know Ziggy well, you may be curious why he hasn't been adopted yet. I'm curious too. But I think it might have something to do with the fact that he's a pit bull, he's deaf, he has food allergies, he has way too much puppy exuberance, he chews on everything and everyone, and oh yeah, he will only "listen to" roughly 1 of every 100 people that he meets... unless they have food - then he'll listen to anyone. Until they run out of food. He's fickle that way.
Here is how Ziggy has spent his last few weeks:
Chewing the vaccum cleaner cord into two:
Signing "no" to a deaf dog while taking his picture is not an easy task!
Waiting outside my visiting stepdaughter's bedroom for her to come out.
Rachael has become Ziggy's favorite chew toy. Suffice it to say that Rachael is NOT in the 1% of the population that Ziggy obeys. He does not mean to hurt her - he just likes to play with her just like puppies play with toys... by chewing them! This is the reason that Ziggy needs a home without children. Sigh...
Ziggy has also been busy teaching Noelle how to circumvent the ex-pen that was being used a fence between the kitchen and the living room for the safety of Peanut and Cricket.
Ziggy figured out if he jumped up onto the glass-topped end table, then pushed aside the wire ex-pen with his nose, then stepped onto the kitchen trashcan, he could then jump down onto the kitchen floor. And not only did he figure this out, he did it often enough that Noelle eventually figured it out by watching him. This picture is of Noelle trying out Ziggy's new route for the first time.
In other words, Ziggy has been up to his usual tricks - nothing new - just general Ziggyness.
