Go Straight to Dessert July 28, 2011

We just passed the four-year mark with Jasmine. I still marvel at the journey we’ve had with her. As I read back on our first days, I think about the happiness I feel when I see that happy little dog dancing at my feet when I come home from work. Or the little bundle of warmth that snuggles up to me in the middle of the night and sighs a happy sigh.

And I think of the dog who didn’t know what treats were. The dog that was not motivated by food. At all. And I laugh.

Jasmine’s evening routine is very centered around food. That’s because she’s a total “food hound.” I come home (waggy waggy waggy) and after I put down my things, I fix Jasmine’s dinner. I put it down, and she gobbles it up as I’m fixing our evening meal. I then ask her the long-awaited question, “Have you been a good girl?” The crowd (okay, Jasmine) goes wild! Leaps of joy, excessive wagging of the tail and a prancing pony emerge. Of course, it’s time for a treat. These days, that treat entails a piece of doggie chicken jerky. I hand her a treat and she goes skittering to the family room to munch on her prize. Hubby and I munch on our meals.

Jasmine, of course, is done much faster than we are. She then waits for the next event of the evening–Peanut butter time!

Now, Jasmine has recently decided that she wants to skip dinner and go straight to the treats. She has been practically ignoring most of her dinner and going straight for the “aren’t you forgetting something” stare. And then a wooft. And a stare. And a spy hop. Oh the agony I put her through!

So last night, I broke part of her jerky treat into little bits and mixed it in her food. HA! FOOLED YOU!

That was yesterday. I wonder what tonight will hold?

Okay. I’m a sucker. I admit it. But with a face like this…who could resist?

Barky Barky July 8, 2011

Life has a way of finding time for personal blogging difficult. Which would I rather do–sleep or blog? Play with the dog or write about playing with the dog?

Jasmine is wonderful. She is healthy, bouncy and happy. In fact, she has been increasingly…um…insistent about her routines.

Her evening routine is centered around food. I come home. I feed her. She scarfs up dinner. I sit and eat with Hubby. She stares at me. And stares. Not for my food. Nope. She stares because it’s “Have you been a good girl?” time…complete with treat. If I ignore her, a small ‘wooft’ is in order. If I ignore her long enough, a ‘wooft + sit-hop’ ensues. And if that doesn’t work, an all-out bark is in order.

Aside: Have you ever seen a sit-hop? It’s so darn cute. Jasmine hops with her butt still solid on the ground. She uses her front legs to lift her front-side off the ground, complete with cute floppy ears. It seems to make the ‘wooft’ go further. It’s not sitting up. She pops up and down. Oh, it’s hard to ignore, but I try.

If we get down to bark mode, I continue to ignore her until she’s calm and quiet. Then I ask her to lie down. THEN she gets her “Have you been a good girl?” treat. I DO have SOME discipline. Ahem. (Yeah, and if you believe that one…)

Then there’s PB time. After dinner, it’s Jasmine’s time to sit on Hubby’s lap and get a small bit of peanut butter. She gets up on my lap and starts wagging madly at Hubby. She’s a total flirt until she gets what she wants! She stares longingly at him, wags her tail, looks her cutest and entices him to invite her onto his lap. She then waits patiently for her prize, licking her lips. If she’s not on my lap, she sits on the floor with the Vulcan Mind Meld look on her face…”He will understand what I want…” and sometimes goes into wooft-bark mode.

It’s great that she’s communicating, but I think I’ve created a bark monster.

Broccoli? Seriously? March 9, 2011

Once again, I’m sorry for the long lag between posts. Life has been totally crazy.

Jasmine is doing really well. Last week, I left on a business trip–the longest one I’ve had in a very long time. Jasmine was her usual obstinate self. She refused to eat at first, but hubby finally coaxed her into eating her meals. She also refused to “do her business” for over 24 hours. I just wonder if it’s her way of trying to exert some dominance, or if she just likes to torture my poor, misunderstood husband…

When I returned home, she was overjoyed. Hubby brought her to the airport when he picked me up, and there she was…that little face was staring out the window, ears perked. There was whining. Lots of whining. And there was a waggy tail, kisses, more waggy tail, more kisses. I really wish Jasmine would give hubby the same love and affection she does to me. He’s so kind to her.

Okay, so that’s what’s happening. What does that have to do with broccoli? Absolutely nothing. Except tonight, hubby was out of town at a conference. Jasmine and I had a night alone. She was her usual cute self. I was cooking dinner (a nice pot of soup on a cold cold night), and I was steaming some frozen veggies to put into the soup. A piece of FROZEN broccoli fell off the counter and dropped onto the floor. Jasmine, food hound, pounced on it like it was chicken. And ate it like it was…chicken!

Broccoli Jasmine? Seriously?

Hence, the title.

Hunger Strike September 6, 2010

Jasmine is still being difficult about her mealtime. Except I think it’s my fault. Oh the guilt.

I’ve been feeding Jasmine the same food for several years ever since the unfortunate whipworm incident–we thought it was a food change that caused her some tummy issues; it turned out to be parasites). We feed her Innova Small Bites mixed with a spoonful of California Natural Chicken & Rice canned food and 1/2 cup of water. She doesn’t drink much water, and this encourages her to get a good amount of water with her yummy meal.

Well, she apparently doesn’t think the food is very yummy anymore. And I know that dogs SHOULD be switched from food to food every few months to help them get a different balance of nutrients and to get some variety. I just got complacent. I also was kind of afraid of rocking the boat. She has been happy with her food and welcomes meal times. Until a few days ago. She now thumbs her nose at the kibble (still drinks the canned-dog-food-flavored water). I thought it was because of nervousness, but she’s hungry for “other” food (treats, meats, etc) that are dropped into her bowl.

So, I have to go back and try some other food for her. To keep her engaged in mealtimes, to keep her balanced nutrition, etc. I know to ease her into a new diet, but I also know that it’s time for a change.

Big Changes Coming Our Way August 14, 2010

I have a bad back. I’ve had a bad back since I was 17 and was in a car accident and developed herniated a disc. Now, many years later (I shall not say how many), my bad back has made it known that I need to go into the “shop” and have a “tune-up.” As in back surgery.

Around the time when we moved from California to New Hampshire, I had a fall. I was putting something up on the wall and fell off the stool I was standing on. The floor was very hard and I really walloped my back and hip. And as a result, I herniated a disc. It took me six  months of pain to finally go get an MRI and a diagnosis. The doctor recommended surgery, but I decided to take the more conservative route and try to let it heal on its own. And it did, for the most part.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a bad case of the flu. I spiked a fever, and I was in bed for five days flat. When I emerged, my back was inflamed. It’s the worst pain I’ve ever felt throughout these years of back pain. It was painful enough that all I could do was stand. That was the only time I was out of pain. I went back to the doctor, had a repeat MRI, and confirmed my fears–the herniated disc was worse than ever, and I needed surgery for pain relief.

One of the reasons that I didn’t get the surgery done last year, and it may sound stupid to most people (although I know you, as a fan of dogs and dachshunds, will understand), is that I wouldn’t be able to pick Jasmine up for a full six weeks. And since Hubby can’t get close to Jasmine without her skittering off in fear (yes, that is still the case after three years), I was afraid that we wouldn’t do well with my inability to care for her.

Now I have no real choice but to move ahead with the surgery. And the six-week recovery period. Six weeks without being able to pick Jasmine up and bring her downstairs, put her in my lap, in bed, oh my…not good. Her routine has already been altered, and she’s been very…er…vocal about it. Since I haven’t been able to sit down since the recent flare-up, she can’t sit in my lap. I have a make-shift office in my kitchen so I can stand here and work. She’s been by my side all the way, but she has taken to wooft-ing at me for attention. “Wooft…why aren’t you sitting in the recliner so I can sit next to you?” “Wooft…why can’t we snuggle?” “Wooft…why can’t you play?”

The one benefit of having to be on my feet for hours on end is that walking does give me pain relief. So we’re back to our walks, and both Jasmine and I are starting to be in better shape because of it.

The surgery is scheduled for this coming Wednesday. Some people might think it silly of me to be worrying about how my DOG is going to respond to the changes due to my recovery. But it’s a big consideration since she brings so much joy into my life in the things we do together.

Traveling Blankie July 25, 2010

Jasmine has been taking the heat of this summer well, thanks to our central AC system. Every night, she’s been snuggling atop her fleece blankie at the foot of the bed. She likes the spot because it’s right under the ceiling fan–blowing the cooler air down on her. That’s all well and fine until the middle of the night when the temp drops down to a cool level. Jasmine rolls herself up into her blankie to keep warm. When that’s not good enough, she shimmies up to us to snuggle. However, she doesn’t want to leave her warm blankie behind, and she shimmy-pulls the blankie along with her.

Well, that’s what hubby tells me. I’m usually asleep through all this, but hubby is a light sleeper and has witnessed the unique shimmy-pull process. Just think of how you’d pull a blanket that is wrapped around your entire body–including underneath you–as you’re trying to move about 5 body lengths up in the dark.

When I wake up in the morning, I have a dog-roll snuggled up next to me. I’m glad that she likes her blankie enough to bring it with her, but I wish I will get a chance to witness the great migration!

No Skipping The Bone May 13, 2010

Last night, I had a work-related evening event. I got home fairly late. Jasmine was eagerly awaiting my return. As usual, she had not eaten her dinner before my return. She gobbled it up after I came in.

We went to bed right after she ate. I figured she was sated and would be happy to snuggle up and go to sleep. Nope.

I put her on the bed, and she narrowed her eyes at me. I thought it meant she was getting sleepy. Nope. She made a small “wooft” sound. Hm. I ignored it. Eyes narrowed again. Wooft. Wooft. Hm.

Then it occurred to me. Jasmine had not had her “Have you been a good girl?” bone yet. I looked at her, her ears perked up and she KNEW that I understood. She stood up, tail wagging madly.

I picked her up, took her downstairs and got a small dental chewie. We went back upstairs and I gave her the treat. She flew around the room in joy, settled down and began chewing in happiness.

After she was done, then and only then was she ready for bed.

Routine is routine. There was no skipping it, no matter how late it was.

Shhhhh! April 20, 2010

One of my latest work tasks has been creating marketing videos for my company’s website. The current video I’m working on is a combination of voice over narration, music and demonstration. Sunday night and today, I was working on recording the audio narration for the video. I have a great microphone, and all I need is a quiet room to get the narration created. No problem, right? WRONG!

Let’s see. Thus far, I’ve recorded (and erased):

• Sensational ear flapping noises
• The tick tick tick of nails on hardwood floors
• The sound of licking parts we won’t mention
• Very vocal yawns
• The scritchy scratchy noise of pawing your bed until it’s JUST right
• The scritchy scratchy noise of petting a dog while you’re trying to narrate
• Whines
• Snoring
• The sound of thundering hooves on a carpeted floor
• The sound of a wagging tail bouncing against the my leg
• A few chuckles (because I just can’t help myself)

Jasmine is not making this easy. I removed the obvious offender–the clinking-tagged collar.  It didn’t make one iota of difference.

Ring! Ring! Whine! Part II April 5, 2010

It’s amusing to think that Jasmine knows that when I call in the evening, it means I’m coming home. It’s so cute that she reacts and makes me feel that she misses me.

However, Jasmine’s doggie ESP is getting to be uncanny.

In the last two weeks, I’ve had a number of evening business events that I have attended after work. Instead of calling to say that I’m coming home, I have been calling hubby to let him know I’m on my way to the event of the day. These calls have taken place around the same time that I would be calling to announce my impending return home, so Jasmine doesn’t have a clue that the call is for another purpose.

I had assumed that the timing of the call was Jasmine’s cue that I was coming home soon. Nope. When I’ve called to let Hubby know that I was safely on my way to the event, she has remained stoically silent. No whine. No sitting up in her bed, ears perked. She just continues to lay there, not a whine or a whimper.

It’s as if she knows that I’m not coming home YET. So there’s no reason to get all excited.

Perhaps it’s Hubby’s tone of voice. Perhaps she really does have a Doggie ESP connection to me. Either way, it’s still kind of cool.

Total Recall–NOT! October 5, 2009

One of the side effects of Jasmine’s fascination with the smells in the yard is that she’s no longer reliable for recall. She gets out there, she romps around, and I call her to get her back inside. She is totally taken with the smells in the air and on the ground, and as she runs around sniffing at the chipmunk holes and other such exciting sites, her selective hearing starts.

We speculated that maybe it was her hearing…but the tiny crinkle of a food wrapper from 100 yards away will roust her from a deep sleep into full attention. Nope. Not it. She’s ignoring me. So much for my pride in my ability to recall her and her steadfast focus on me. How silly of me!

What’s really wonderful about all this is that there are signs every day that she’s coming more out of her shell. She’s now focused on mooching food off of me every time I eat. It’s like she thinks she has a nickel of “cute” and I’m her vending machine…plop in that coin, press a button, and out comes the candy! And for the most part, she’s right. I’m such a total sucker for that cute face. I know I have to stop reacting or she’ll become increasingly whiny and difficult. I have to have courage!

She’s also pushing other boundaries (another good sign). The boundaries with the recall, well let’s just say that we’re starting from basics. I’m asserting my control by leashing her when I take her out so she doesn’t have a chance to ignore me. I’m also starting to do our recall exercises as well…I should be just about back in control when the snow flies. Then, she won’t want to go outside at all, and recall will be the least of my worries.