I just looked at my ASPCA calendar hanging in my cube at work, and discovered it’s Be Kind To Animals week.  So, if you see a lonely or lost animal out there whether you can help or not….please be kind.  Leave a little food and water out for those sweet strays in your neighborhood.  If you see an injured animal…try to help.

If you are thinking about getting a pet; think about adopting a pet from a rescue group or shelter.  It’s worth it.  I promise.  I have one from a rescue group and one I found in a Kroger parking lot.  Both are the most wonderful sweet things in the world.

If you know an animal that is being mistreated call the ASPCA and report the abuse.  You don’t have to confront the person yourself; the ASPCA can do it for you.

So when you get home today give your dog, cat, bird, snake, hamster, goldfish, pet rock, or insect collection a big smooch and let them know how much you love them.  I know I will.  Not your pet…I mean I will be giving my two a big kiss….silly!

When we first adopted our dog Wrigley over 2 years ago she had severe separation anxiety issues.

Wrigley

For example….

She would freak out when we would leave her in a crate during the day (or any time of day for that matter).  The 1st crate she broke free from was a metal crate that she somehow bent and crawled out of the bottom, but not before she managed to PULL one of our carpets INTO the crate with her.  I have no clue how she did this with the rug.  It was on the other side of the room when we left the house that morning.  This dog is like Houdini.

Crate #1

Paper Towels

Oh yeah, she also opened the pantry doors and attacked an innocent package of paper towels.  Oh the horror!!!

Then, we purchased a SECOND $100.00 crate, but this time it was made of plastic.  We hoped the limited amount of holes in the new crate would lessen her ability to pry her way through it.  WRONG-O!  This one she managed not only to escape by chewing her way out of it, but flip it over in the process.

Crate #2

After that we had no choice, but to leave her out in the house during the day.  There was no way we could afford to keep buying crates.  Not to mention, she was doing everything in her power to escape and I felt she would eventually hurt herself.  So, we would hid everything we though would tempt her except the couch, and then we came home to one of these scenes.

Couch Cushions

THEN, we learned not to leave the cushions on the couch during the day, because they obviously made her a bit too angry.  So, each time we left the house we would not only move everything out of her reach, but put the couch cushions in the guest room too.  Look where that got us….

1/2 Eaten Couch

Yup, that’s right, she began eating the couch.  After that little snack we finally broke down and put Wrigley on the puppy version of Prozac. (Per the vets orders) The med is called Reconcile and it is Prozac. I think the vet said it is just a smaller dosage than what humans take. The “stuff” doesn’t work right away, of course! The vet gave us a DVD to watch explaining a behavior modification program called BOND. (It was horribly cheesy!) However, if you can get past the dairy portion of the DVD; the program they are explaining seems like a good idea. It seems to be working for the Wriggles & Coco.

Reconcile

* Side Note: Thru the life of this blog you will see me call Wrigley many nicknames. It’s an illness really. The nicknames I use, change from day to day, hour to hour, & minute to minute.

Okay, back to the story. So, we have been trying this BOND method and there are some tactics involved in it that I think more work on the owners separation anxiety from the dogs. When you enter the house you are not allowed to acknowledge the dogs for @ least 5 minutes or until they calm down and no longer want to smother you with puppy kisses. (I love those wet nosed kisses!) When you leave the house you are not allowed to say goodbye, give them hugs, or kisses. They call it “NO MORE DRAMA.”

Reconcile & BOND

Little Bit (a.k.a.- Wrigley) has laid off eating the couch, and no longer moves the front door rug. Just after our wedding we began weening Wriggs off her meds since she was doing so well.  She is now completely off Reconcile and we couldn’t be happier.  Those pills are like $50.00 a bottle/per month.  Yikes! After a full year of no “incidents” and living with a 1/2 eaten couch; we broke down and purchased a new couch.  So far, so good.  I am extremely thankful for everyday I walk in that door and nothing sends me into a state of shock.

Our dog Wrigley has begun an obsession with a wall outlet in the baby’s room.  This obsession 1st started along with the room’s remodel; in preparation for our new little bundle.  This all began when an animal, I think it’s a raccoon, moved in under our tub.  The dogs began hearing the animal move around and rubbing against the porcelain.  This made them loose it.  I mean loose it.

Wrigley HATES the bathroom, because that’s where baths happen, right?  She refuses to go in the bathroom if one of us is in there.  She will walk all the way around the house just to avoid passing by the bathroom door.  Since the discovery of the animal the dogs are constantly running in there to listen to the noises and sniff the tub.

Wrigley is now so invested in this mystery that she will walk into the bathroom while one of us is in there, but you have to be sitting on the toilet.  She knows I’m not gonna grab her in mid pee.

The reason she has now moved into the baby’s room, or her room….she seems to think, is that the outlet shares the same wall as the bathtub and she thinks she can smell the animal through the outlet.   She can also hear this mystery animal from the baby’s room so she has taken up residence right in front of this outlet.  This child will not move for hours…seriously.  When I’m in there  painting, she’s in there staring at the wall.  This new hobby she has taken up sounds about as fun as watching grass grow!

We’ve noticed that she doesn’t like anyone to get near the outlet.  As a matter of fact, I have to lock her out of the room if I plan to paint anywhere near the outlet.  We discovered that if you try to get near the outlet without her permission she will shove you out of the way.   I guess this is her protective instinct.  Who knows.  Derek decided to demonstrate Wrigley’s guard she keeps over this stupid outlet.

Listen for her breathing around :15 seconds.

This is what Wrigley does when she wants your attention.  Isn’t is precious?

The dogs really love playing in snow.  Cohen likes it a bit too much.

Week 49

This picture is of my dog Wrigley as my husband desperately attempts to put her Yoda ears on.  For Halloween I decided to buy a doggy Yoda costume and have a little photo shoot with our dogs.  Although this is more of a candid shot it is one of my favorites.

Wrigley just found her ball under the couch, and was clinging to the thing like it was her security blanket.  So freakin’ cute!

To check out more amazing entries visit I ♥ Faces.

Cohen has a strange fancy with licking things.  Wait…let me explain why a dog licking things is strange.  Cohen doesn’t lick the typical things other dogs lick like his fur, a person’s face, or your hands after you eat.  Nope, not my dog.  He licks things that have no flavor, no purpose, no nothin’.

For example, last night I was using my laptop just sitting on the couch, and Cohen walks up to me.  I pet his head, and in return he licks the screen of my laptop.  I mean he wasn’t even looking at the screen.  He just turned in and…L-I-C-K!!!  He tends to lick the strange object after he has been standing there for a brief moment.  It’s like he’s thinking “Hey I wonder if that taste like anything?”  After owning this licking machine for over 4 years; we are still trying to decided if Cohen is truly dumb as rocks, or just eccentric.

Here are a few other strange things Cohen puts his tongue on.

• the top of the diamond in my engagement ring
• the toe of my shoe
• the seam on Derek’s jeans (near his knee)
• a basket
• the bathtub
• Derek’s laptop
• a chair
• the upstairs office trash can (it was empty)

Does anyone else’s dog do this?