Healing Properties

Benton had surgery on his knee on Monday. When he came home, Chloe was allowed to sniff his bandage.


Although she still has her joyful moments of total abandon (when we make sure the knee is nowhere near her), she also has empathy and knows that if she just cuddles close enough to the site of his surgery, love will surely facilitate healing.

A Different Approach

Chloe's take on things never ceases to amaze me. This is a frisbee. She loves to fetch it and run around the yard. I don't believe she is using proper form, but she doesn't care. She is having fun and wants me to throw it again and again. I questioned how well she could see as she ran full blast, but she dodges obstacles and even me if I try and chase her. I have to admire her: she's having fun and doesn't care what it looks like. Way to go, Chloe!

UNDER THE WEATHER

Chloe has been "under the weather" this week. She's vomited multiple times on multiple days. Her diarrhea turned the color of her vomit (I know--too much information).

After more than four hundred dollars of vet intervention, I thought maybe she was doing better. You can see on her left front leg where she was shaved when she was sedated for the x-ray and blood work was drawn. Her blood work, by the way, was declared "Excellent." Go figure. X-rays didn't show anything either.

This morning she puked up her anti-nausea pill.
Judging solely on her demeanor, though, she is feeling better. We can only hope. And we know from past experience, that once she starts feeling better, she becomes joyful. It is as if feeling awful has given her insight into how good it feels to feel good.

I think once again she has taught us a lesson--this one about appreciating good health. We take it for granted sometimes. Chloe reminds us that we shouldn't.

We Can All Use A Little Praise From Time To Time

When Chloe first got her haircut this spring, she was very sad. She did not make eye contact, and the next morning, she did not want to get out of her crate.

But, we told her how pretty she looked. I also warned the staff at daycare how sensitive she was about it and they all told her she was beautiful and soft, and the neighbors commented, and before you knew, she was once again strutting her stuff.

I realize we are each responsible for our own happiness, but I also know the occasional kind word helps when we're down. Apparently, this is true with dogs too.

Happy Birthday, Choe!

From all we can tell, Chloe is a happy dog. She came from the country where nature's farm symphony was on her ipod. Now, she hears orders at Taco Bell. At first, she was nervous about all the sounds coming from the alley.

She's come a long way. She knows who are the usual people, and what are the usual noises. And, if something is different, she lets us know. She has a deep chested bark that sounds menacing which borders on ridiculous because she loves everyone. Still, she seriously takes on the role of watchdog. I think she believes this is her job. And, just like people are happy when they have something to do, I believe dogs are too.

Happy Birthday Watchdog.

A SIMPLE THANK YOU

This is Chloe with her most recent favorite toy. If you are otherwise occupied, she has been known to place her paw on your knee to ask you to play. I don't find that to be particularly unusual for a dog. What I do get a kick out of is when I give her fresh water and when I put the dog dish down with the cool, clear water, she will give my hand a quick lick (kiss)--a sort of thank you before she begins her lapping and splattering. She does this maybe 25 percent of the time, but her intent is clear. She is appreciative. I tell her what a good dog she is as I watch her make the usual mess by her water dish.

CHLOE -- Super Dog

If I could post an appropriate picture today it would be a picture of Chloe sitting next to a little dog named Ollie, a puggle.

Chloe and I were in the car when a small dog went running across 38th Street, causing many, many cars to hit their brakes. Initially I tried calling the dog to join us in our car but to no avail. I spotted a woman hunting for the dog, I told her where it had run to, but she could not catch it.

I got out of the car with the dog treats I carry in the car and we tried to entice the dog. I found out the woman is a neighbor of the dog's owner, who has dementia. The old man soon joined us but the little dog was too fast. Then it occurred to me to enlist the aid of Super Chloe. I got her out of the car and she helped get the little puggle to play and follow her into a fenced yard where it was cornered and we were able to leash the little dog and get him back home.

Chloe had no idea how helpful she had been. All she knew is this was a potential new friend. She plays with dogs at least once a week at doggie day care. Her socialization helped us catch the little dog. She's a hero in my book.

Innocence Lost

As the snow melts in our backyard, we keep finding little orange, plastic BBs. We don't know who the guilty party is. It could be one of the neighborhood kids without conscience or someone driving through Taco Bell.

Chloe's breeder was painstaking in her efforts to produce good dogs. Chloe's mom and dad were very sweet, and we were able to love them up when Chloe was one week old and we picked her to be our new dog. We've done the obedience classes, seen that she gets regular exercise and she has been socialized with other dogs and people. But, you can't control everything--not with your kids, and not with your dog. There are bad people out there. And now, our admittedly spoiled but sweet puppy knows these people exist.

Agree to Disagree

It happens all the time: people don't always see eye to eye. It can be as simple as the choice of pizza toppings or as complicated as religious beliefs, but not everyone agrees all the time with everyone else.

Ash and Chloe have opposing views, but they can agree to disagree. If we could do this more as humans, the world would be a better place.

Come to think of it, pets already make the world a better place. Now, if only we could learn from them...

What snow???

Shoveling snow has lost its novelty for me, and January feels four months long--until I see Chloe. This is her first winter. She does not realize combining cold and wet can be uncomfortable AND dangerous. I kind of envy that.

Seeing winter through her eyes somehow makes it more tolerable. It's a gift she doesn't even know she's giving me.

All she knows is, she wants to stay out just a little bit longer, ok?