This weekend we took a road warrior trip back to Cincinnati to see my Grandmother, who had suffered a stroke several weeks earlier and was now recuperating in a nursing home. We decided to take both dogs this time to see how things went with Pete being in an unfamiliar home in a new town. It was a tough trip on John and I, but even harder for Coop and Pete.
To begin, Coop is just straight up uncomfortable being in the car. He seems to have imbibed my lack of balance and his own natural distaste for certain surfaces (cardboard, metal) has apparently extended to the upholstery of any car. So 5 hours in the car with Coop means he paces and pants and drools and stalker breathes in your ear.
Petey, on the other hand, loves the car and takes advantage of Coop's weakness by beginning each trip with humping Cooper. Then he's in the front on your lap, then on the floorboard in the front, then in the back.
By the time we arrived at 3 am, John and I were spent. I could only assume the dogs were as well. Cooper went to sleep in my little sister's room, his usual ritual, but we kept Pete with us because we didn't know how Pete would react in a new room with the door closed. Well, he was in a new room with the door closed, but Cooper was in the room next door and he knew it. He stood on the end of our bed and pointed at the door for what seemed like an hour. He might have gotten a few minutes of rest before he spent the rest of the morning standing at the door whining. When John opened the door, Coop must have been waiting to come spend some time with us, because he was standing at the door, wagging his tail.
For the rest of the weekend, Pete was on duty. New smells, new people, new dogs- he was all atwitter. He was simultaneously incredibly happy to see all the sights and smell them as he was suspicious of them. With my stepdad, Chuck (who is very much a dog person), he was happy to see him, lick him and be petted and then he would start his growl and howl routine. It was as if he felt he needed to protect us from Big Bad Chuck. It was funny and strange because all the while he wagged his tail, he was just howling.
Finally on Saturday night, he felt ok to pass out on top of me and get some rest, but it wasn't until our whole family was in the car on the ride home on Sunday night that Pete truly slept. My poor dog felt the need to guard and protect us for over 48 hours and hardly slept at all in Cincinnati, though I suspect he still had a good time.
Hopefully on our next trip home, Pete will feel comfortable enough to take some time off from protecting his pack from Big Bad Chuck and the Cincinnati crew.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sam and Stanley Return to the 'Burgh
After spending last week with Winston, I was questioning the sanity of having a third dog whenever John and I upgrade to a house with a yard. Coop and Pete just didn't take to Winston the way you would want. They got along with no issues, but they didn't seem to bond very well.
But this week Sammy (John's oldest dog who lives with his parents now) and Stanley (another Riley family dog) returned to Pittsburgh from North Carolina for a visit. Coop and Pete could not have been happier. For Pete, it's just the return of half of his original pack. Stanley and Sammy were part of Petey's pack before Coop was in the picture. From the moment Cooper met Stanley though, Stan was part of Coop's pack.
Sam and Coop took a little more time to get acquainted, but rightfully so- Sam is 13 years old and isn't in to playing very much. He's also the ultimate aloof alpha male dog. If he doesn't want you in his stuff, he'll let you know. But Coop and Sam have come to really like each other over the past year. They are very similar in many ways and Coop has begun to pick up on some of Sammy's traits.
For instance, Cooper, who never used to bark when he wanted things, is far more vocal these days. Cooper is also more willing to spend the night out on the couch instead of in our bed when Sam is around. The two boys also like to cuddle on the couch or bed together and do the lazy dog thing.
It's clear though, how much Sammy boy is beginning to age. He is definitely going a little deaf. Sometimes its selective and sometimes its not, but nonetheless, his hearing is starting to go. He's also become quite the lumpy bumpy boy.
When we stopped by last night to pick up a few things from John's parents, they told us that Sam had a pretty bad little spell. He had tried to get up from his pillow the night before, but it was hurting his back leg and he couldn't move. He was whimpering and immobile. The next morning, Sam was able to walk, but he was still very stiff. By the time we saw him, he was doing much better, but John was clearly worried, as was I.
Today we'll be trying to get Sam dog into the vet's office to make sure that there isn't anything more wrong with him other than him just being the old boy. It could just be stiffness and old boy syndrome, but better safe than sorry. Besides, we'll give the vets office the chance to fawn over Sammy boy and then John and I can take him out to lunch at Point Bruegge on the deck for even more attention.
But this week Sammy (John's oldest dog who lives with his parents now) and Stanley (another Riley family dog) returned to Pittsburgh from North Carolina for a visit. Coop and Pete could not have been happier. For Pete, it's just the return of half of his original pack. Stanley and Sammy were part of Petey's pack before Coop was in the picture. From the moment Cooper met Stanley though, Stan was part of Coop's pack.
Sam and Coop took a little more time to get acquainted, but rightfully so- Sam is 13 years old and isn't in to playing very much. He's also the ultimate aloof alpha male dog. If he doesn't want you in his stuff, he'll let you know. But Coop and Sam have come to really like each other over the past year. They are very similar in many ways and Coop has begun to pick up on some of Sammy's traits.
For instance, Cooper, who never used to bark when he wanted things, is far more vocal these days. Cooper is also more willing to spend the night out on the couch instead of in our bed when Sam is around. The two boys also like to cuddle on the couch or bed together and do the lazy dog thing.
It's clear though, how much Sammy boy is beginning to age. He is definitely going a little deaf. Sometimes its selective and sometimes its not, but nonetheless, his hearing is starting to go. He's also become quite the lumpy bumpy boy.
When we stopped by last night to pick up a few things from John's parents, they told us that Sam had a pretty bad little spell. He had tried to get up from his pillow the night before, but it was hurting his back leg and he couldn't move. He was whimpering and immobile. The next morning, Sam was able to walk, but he was still very stiff. By the time we saw him, he was doing much better, but John was clearly worried, as was I.
Today we'll be trying to get Sam dog into the vet's office to make sure that there isn't anything more wrong with him other than him just being the old boy. It could just be stiffness and old boy syndrome, but better safe than sorry. Besides, we'll give the vets office the chance to fawn over Sammy boy and then John and I can take him out to lunch at Point Bruegge on the deck for even more attention.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Shedzilla and the Great Winston Churchill
This week, while my friends Tara and Diego romped around Germany, John, Coop, Pete and I looked after their Greyhound, Winston. Winston Churchill, that is. Cooper, who is usually the grand host and ever so accepting of all fellow canines, was nice, but standoffish and definitely a little suspicious at the start. Pete seemed not to notice much, though it was funny to watch him walk beneath Winston when he wanted to get around him.
I can only guess that Coop felt that Winston might be here to stay, and he wasn't thrilled at the prospect. They are so alike in many ways. Coop, when he is not with Pete, is calm and relaxed, and truthfully, he is more than just a little lazy. He is often still asleep on the bed when you get home when he is without Pete. Winston is the same. Calm, relaxed, and lazy.
They are cut from the same dog mold (John has a hankering that Cooper is part greyhound)and for that very reason, Cooper just seemed a little nervous that he might be staying for good and oust from his forever-our-best-behaved-boy standing.
But Winston Churchill will be leaving us tomorrow and Coop can resume his place in the house. Though I suspect that that place will not include eating a whole jar of peanut butter and some raisins(damn dogs).
Also leaving us tomorrow? The second dog Coop carries in his undercoat. That's right. Cooper is getting shedzilla'd tomorrow. I used it a little tonight and I am confident that Coop will drop a good 5 pounds of undercoat tomorrow. Shedzilla, $20 bucks at Walmart or the Furminator, $40 bucks at Bed Bath and Beyond. You pick but we unleash the Shedzilla at dawn!
I can only guess that Coop felt that Winston might be here to stay, and he wasn't thrilled at the prospect. They are so alike in many ways. Coop, when he is not with Pete, is calm and relaxed, and truthfully, he is more than just a little lazy. He is often still asleep on the bed when you get home when he is without Pete. Winston is the same. Calm, relaxed, and lazy.
They are cut from the same dog mold (John has a hankering that Cooper is part greyhound)and for that very reason, Cooper just seemed a little nervous that he might be staying for good and oust from his forever-our-best-behaved-boy standing.
But Winston Churchill will be leaving us tomorrow and Coop can resume his place in the house. Though I suspect that that place will not include eating a whole jar of peanut butter and some raisins(damn dogs).
Also leaving us tomorrow? The second dog Coop carries in his undercoat. That's right. Cooper is getting shedzilla'd tomorrow. I used it a little tonight and I am confident that Coop will drop a good 5 pounds of undercoat tomorrow. Shedzilla, $20 bucks at Walmart or the Furminator, $40 bucks at Bed Bath and Beyond. You pick but we unleash the Shedzilla at dawn!
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