Hunter!

Thursday, October 10, 2024

My “Little Mitzvah” is fifteen pounds that finally grasped a skill that increases her value to my property. Her cuteness is always a given, but in the barn earlier this week, she used innate skills and caught a tiny mouse.

My barn hasn’t had a resident mouse hunter since my kitty Maxwell began preferring to be an inside cat. I’ve not introduced a new cat to the barn. There are roosters and often dogs around, and I have lacked free time for hanging out with a new cat and ensuring its safety.

Mitzvah is a Jack Russell Terrier mix. She discovered her skill set on catching that mouse and loving every moment. To more of Mitzvah’s credit, she has recognized a distinctive trail that mice use for entering and leaving the chicken coop. She’s been watching that trail intently.

For me, seeing her terrier spirit in action was pleasing enough. Yesterday afternoon, more of her terrier instincts became apparent.

We were in the shop/barn. My part-time job keeps me too busy to be in the shop playing with woodworking. After discovering that pack rats were in the shop, I entered it yesterday to work on clearing rat debris. Mitzvah, sniffing around, suddenly became very excited at a cluttered spot. I removed some of the clutter and out ran a large rat.

Mitzvah was ready, she chased it to another cluttered spot. Her constant sniffing and circling there communicated the rat’s hiding area. I peeked and saw it squeezed between panel boards. I pulled on one panel and the rat ran with Mitzvah hot on its trail.

She caught it, the rat got loose and hid again. We repeated our process. Mitzvah identified the hiding spot and I pulled away protective items. Before long, I saw that my little dog was exiting the shop with a large rat hanging from her mouth. What followed was au natural.

Mitzvah made sure that the rat was dead.

She rolled repeatedly on the lifeless body.

Mitzvah just needed to be in the right spots. She’s now a working dog, knows her job, and it’s a welcome one. Now, she’s even more pleasing company while we’re out and about on the property.

Dear Friends: A once-ornamental pooch’s true, transforming nature. Diana

Houdini Dog

Sunday, October 06, 2024

Soon after I left for work yesterday, my dog escaped his new escape-proof kennel. He immediately visited my neighbors, Frank and Annette, who brought him home. They got the now-resisting dog into his new kennel and re-secured its too-loose door.

When I returned home from work, Chase was in that kennel and perched atop his Igloo. Thanks again to great neighbors, Chase didn’t become lost or harmed in vehicle traffic.

We’re closer to confining Chase safely when I’m away from home. Today, I will secure his kennel door. He’s very smart, strong, and determined, and it’s a toss-up to him finding new ways of escaping.

I an concentrating on taking everything one day at a time.

My donkey Pimmy is on a diet. She’s losing weight and looking good. I’ve not yet moved my dwarf goat Breeze into the barn with Pimmy. One reason is that Breeze isn’t on a diet and needs separate feeding, which isn’t worked out. Another reason is that my two horses often enter the barn, and they must be pre-introduced to its newest resident.

Lots of thinking and too little action–simply, one day at a time.

Dear Friends: Now it’s a new day to solve old problems and face new ones. Diana

Worries To Rest

Friday, October 04, 2024

A considerable problem is solved: my puppy Chase won’t again escape a new “inescapable kennel” where he will stay when I must leave home. His driving instinct to follow me triggers escaping skills, which he specializes in.

Thanks to a bit of luck, and special thanks to my kind neighbors, Frank and Annette. They have sometimes rescued Chase, brought him home, and re-locked him into my big, sturdy kennel. (For many years, that structure was inescapable by dogs, but recently, Chase–super athletic and too-smart–managed to escape.)

The solution was a happenstance. Down by the barn near my chicken coop stood a wire structure where I occasionally isolated hens needing special attention. That structure has been unused for many months. It’s fully enclosed with wire, with a human-size walk-through wire door, and roofed completely by heavy wire. It looked perfect for safely and securely enclosing Chase but needed to be dismantled, relocated, and reset onto a concrete base.

That structure is large enough to accommodate a dog’s movement and would fit inside my larger standalone structure, which Chase escapes now.

My kind neighbors donated their time and turned the possibilities into a reality. Frank and Annette dismantled the structure, loaded its sections into their pickup, and moved everything uphill. They reassembled the new dog kennel inside the big standalone. We all viewed the result as inescapable.

The new kennel is set securely on a concrete base. Heavy stall mats laid over the concrete increase residents’ comfort. Finally, Chase will be secured; he’ll be in an inescapable smaller kennel within a safe and larger enclosure.

Dear Friends: I cannot begin to adequately describe my enormous relief. Diana

Still Chasing

Thursday, October 03, 2024

My puppy from hell, Chase, has figured out how to escape his escape-proof kennel, and he did that twice yesterday. I was at work when my neighbors let me know that Chase was running loose. They kindly captured the dog, returned him to his kennel, and repaired the spot where Chase had managed to exit.

Arriving home for lunch, I found my doggoned dog, again loose, bounding happily down the driveway and greeting me. A glance at his kennel revealed that he escaped by breaking through a “corner guard” opposite another corner guard he had broken through and my neighbors had repaired.

That escape-proof kennel is large—10′ x 20′. It is set on a concrete base surrounded by heavy wire fencing 6′ high, and its door is lockable. Over the years, I’ve kenneled many dogs there, and until now, none have managed to escape.

Chase is 2 1/2 years old and a mixed breed. When I adopted him, he was an adorable 8 weeks old. His rescuer promised he’d stay tiny because she’d seen his small parents.

Liar!

Chase has grown to 50+ lbs. and is visibly a Rottweiler/Shepherd mix (among other genes). His genes promote muscular strength and sheer-dogged determination. He specializes in leaping highly and digging unstoppable. Worst, he can climb up and over wire fencing.

As long as I’m at home, Chase may run loosely in the dogs’ sizeable common area but must go into the escape-proof kennel when I’m to drive away. My departures trigger his escape button. He has often managed to dig his way out of the common dog area, which is why he’s kenneled separately. For many months, the big kennel has kept him safely confined.

Finally, Chase managed to figure out a way of getting loose. I’m disappointed but not overly surprised because, clearly, he’s always thinking.

Today, I will try to out-clever this dog (again somehow) by escape-proofing the standalone kennel.

Dear Friends: I must keep Chase safe and never raise another puppy. Diana

LOL

Friday, April 11, 2024

Yesterday was National Dog Day, and I didn’t post photos of my dogs. Today is National Hamster Day, and I haven’t one of those pets. Years ago, I adopted a sweet Peruvian Guinea Pig from an animal rescue. His coat was very long and needed trimming regularly, or else, formed into rolls and grew into dreadlocks.

The guinea pig was a cute little fellow. He and my bunny, Speedo, were each pleasant pets. Speedo was a domestic white that turned up loose, hopping on my property and nibbling hay in my barn. Using an apple as bait, I trapped Speedo, and he became a house bunny. The sweet guy had been litter-box trained by somebody.

While I was thinking about interesting sorts of pets, George Rodrigue’s “Blue Dog” images began appearing in my FB feed. Years ago, I spent a week in New Orleans and I discovered The Blue Dog Gallery. Rodrigue’s sense of humor delighted me, and wow, still does.

Rodrigue, an excellent artist, snuck the Blue Dog into his larger, serious paintings. The dog always looking out of place and bewildered. This example is “Millenium 2000.”

Notice the dog has wings, is a butterfly out of place physically, and trying to process mentally.

Many Rodrigue paintings include his dog character, always out of place, trying to process.

I saw Rodriguez’s Blue Dog as representing elements of himself. Also, that dog represents an element of ourselves.

On a lofty side, we are that dog while viewing and interpreting works of art. Also, in daily living, we are that dog, for being in today’s world and attempting to comprehend the predictable vs. the unpredictable.

I enjoyed the art and that dog, but couldn’t afford a painting. Still, I barely managed to resist.

Rodrigue passed recently and that increases the value of his art. While value is a consideration, to me, his works represent more. They reflect much about ourselves.

Beyond the artist’s humor and insight, his Blue Dog is all of us, in all our whimsy.

Dear Friends: Here’s to enjoying a chuckle at ourselves. Diana

Evening Delight

Friday, March 22, 2024

Last evening in the darkness, I arrived home from work and saw my puppy, Chase, sitting in the big standalone dog run, on its concrete pad and waiting for me. The other dogs were safely inside the separate fenced dog area. Everything, as planned, was okay.

Before leaving for work, I had imprisoned Chase in an isolated big dog run because he had been in trouble with me the previous evening. That’s when I found he had dug a dog escape hole under the fence, and my littlest dog had wiggled through and was running freely. Experience with Chase teaches that he’s a compulsive digger and is proving unstoppable. My best hope is that next year, when he turns three years old, he’ll be more mature and much easier to live with.

After releasing the totally delighted boy and seeing him bounce happily last night, I invited him to accompany me to the barn. He dashed in large circles around trees and tracked me down the hill; he busily sniffed at the ground trails of visiting critters while I fed horses and replenished goat hay. In that scenario, Chase stays nearby, responds quickly to my voice, and is excited, busy, and he’s fun.

I’ve had lifelong experiences with dogs. Chase has been with me since he was eight weeks old, and my experience makes him nearly a great puppy, except that he’s a phenomenal escape artist. Maybe eventually, everything will come together, proving we’ve achieved some key objectives, that Chase (and the littlest dog) have remained safely contained, and that Chase is maturing visibly.

Dear Friends: Never again, another puppy, neither on a bet nor a whim. Diana

Hell-O!

Thursday, March 21, 2023

I knew he’d start digging as soon as high temperatures warmed the earth enough.

Last night, after I had arrived home and entered the house, all my dogs suddenly sounded off noisily, warning distinctively of something significant and different occurring. I looked out a window for what was making them bark. Suddenly, I spotted little Mitzvah–outside the fence! She was running freely and teasing the other dogs.

I muttered, “Chase!” and hurried to grab a flashlight. He was still inside the fenced area, and it was imperative to find his dig before he enlarged it and could slip under the fence to freedom. Soon, outside in the darkness, I was running with a flashlight, searching the fence’s perimeter, accompanied by a now-hyper-Mitzvah and the chorus of barking dogs.

I spotted his dig in a distant spot that I’ve always assumed was too rocky, one he’d never manage to dig much into. Now, there was a hole nearly deep and wide enough for him to slip his fifty pounds of heft under. I tossed loose rocks from nearby into the dig, blocking it.

That blocking is temporary. Clearly, he’ll again dig through in this spot or another. I don’t know how to prevent digging into the inviting damp soil and escaping. Ahead, it’ll help that I’ll soon start working fewer hours away from home. (The managers at my workplace recognize that I’ve had too many working hours and will reduce them.)

Meanwhile, starting today, and whenever I’m away for long periods, Chase will wait for me in solitary confinement–still outdoors, but in a large standalone kennel. It’s surrounded by six-foot fencing, has a covering over its top, and guess what: its flooring is all concrete.

Dear Friends: I won’t toss a towel on continuing to try managing the Puppy from Hell! Diana

Gerald Re-Do

Monday, March 18, 2024

My puppy, Chase, is turning two years old and is still a handful. I adopted the then adorable eight-week-old in a whimsical moment that, on reflection, was more like craziness. After a few first weeks of purely cute ‘n cuddly, Chase began to evolve into what became a nearly unending handful.

He soon started to Boing (remember Gerald?), easily making high leaps that hoisted him upward and onto any fencing. There, his toes found grips, and Chase simply climbed and escaped. I spent many weeks adjusting my six-foot fence into anti-escape corralling.

The ever-growing Chase (Rottweiler/Shephard mix) became heavier, remained very muscular, and continued his boinging. So far, my corralling has reduced his successes. Once foiled, Chase turned to digging. With the high energy and determination letting him leap, Chase up-earths spots throughout a fenced half-acre. I cautiously tread there to avoid holes.

These days, Chase escapes through holes under the fencing. In sudden freedoms, the one place Chase knows to go is to our neighbor’s. There, so far, and luckily, Frank leashes and brings Chase home. After each escape, I haul as many rocks and heavy junk as possible to set alongside the fence, anti-escaping material.

In the past couple of months, Chase has had to cope with frozen earth, slowing his digging. Now warmer days make me start looking again for what he’ll do next.

As he approached turning a year old, I seriously planned to rehome Chase. He seemed very adoptable–was lovely in temperament, super-smart, and a devoted buddy. Interrupting my intention was knowing the great efforts needed to contain him. I doubted others would have enough patience and resources to ensure his safety.

So, he’s still here, and I’m more hopeful. FB postings and my readings in general teach that there’s a “magic time.” It’s when a dog turns three years old and settles, finally, into maturity. I keep reminding myself that Chase’s maturity is only one year away. If I remain patient, all signs point to him being a perfect companion by then.

Dear Friends: He’s an anomaly; otherwise, none of us would do any puppy-raising. Diana

Visions

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than giant snowflakes falling and fluffing on the ground. However, there usually is a point of “too much,” and now, enough is Enough. Seeing through a window the many tree branches piled heavily with white is lovely. All’s peachy unless one needs to head outside to work in the snow and cold. That outside work could be as little as removing snow from a vehicle and driving someplace. However, my outside work includes feeding horses and chickens, all hungrily waiting and spotting for me, kicking downhill to the barn.

This rough spring has lasted too long, and happily, it’ll soon be Daylight Savings Time. The lengthening natural light will ease my early morning and late evening animal feedings. I can’t wait to dump my headlamp and walk without kicking through snow or wading in deep mud.

One of my “inside activities” has been looking through old, forgotten photos. I stumbled across today’s header of Kinny, a capture that surprised me. I quickly ordered a print for framing.

I inherited Kinny from my elder sister when she couldn’t continue caring adequately for him. He was seven years old and had always been kenneled inside a run. Kinny had never had a dog buddy; he became aggressive on seeing another dog. It took weeks to introduce and integrate him with my other dogs.

Kinny especially feared my horses, and at first, behaved very aggressively toward them. The horses, in turn, aimed to kick his daylights out. Eventually, Kinny “got it” and joined my other dogs. He learned to run with them on trails and alongside the horses. Kinny turned into a loveable pet, and I still miss him.

The header is a worthy capture of the dog and his shadow. He’s playing and having fun; it’s pure Kinny!

Dear Friends: Sun is shining to melt the snow, ahead of coming bitterly cold days. Diana