The Never-ending Song

  Fri, Mar 12 at 10:16 AM I know this sounds ridiculous of an old retired woman, but I have not had time to play with the camera/phone so that I can take pictures of Edgar. Edgar IS taking a lot of time--I keep the leash attached and ready to correct him.  He is learning not to pull on the leash, just by being attached to it in the house.  Outside he still occasionally really yanks hard, so that is an issue. that must be addressed before I take him out with the scooter.  He is very strong for a short-legged bundle of red fur.  My scooter has 4 wheels and is more stable than my previous 3 wheeled one.  However, I don't want to chance having it tip over and injure Edgar (or me.) I ordered another stronger retractable leash for when we can do scooter.   He is doing great this morning.  some barking at passing vehicles from INSIDE the house that he sees thru the window.  Very good when outside. Bev, my friend and neighbor, came in, he greeted her, then came back and laid beside me.  H

 And then he does something so sweet!  Did he understand how disappointed I was in him yesterday? Last evening I was sitting at the table reading.  Edgar was in the bedroom on his pillow.  He looked up at me, picked up his pillow and brought it over, shoving it against my leg.  Then he curled up on it and there he stayed until time for bed.  He does have a good heart. The book I bought on retraining older dogs with attitude is going to be a big help.  It describes Edgar's behaviors to a tee.  So far what I have been doing is correct.  Just that it is hard for me to move fast enough on wheels.  to make corrections in the moment. It gives exercises (games) to play in the house to guide desired behavior.  Will try those later today. When we went out this morning he greeted (a very wary) Ginger nicely.  And Susie even washed his face .Of course Edgar was half asleep--not sure he was aware it was a cat.  There was a man across the way getting into and starting his car and Edgar watch

  /* setting alt tags to "" since that is the a11y recommendation given that the property name is the text of the href *. Yahoo Mail Cynthia Thu, Mar 11 at 5:58 PM  Edgar was fine this morning--out 45 mins and no barking at people or cars.  During the day he barked wanting me to take him back out.  first time I did only to discover all he wanted was for me to obey him.  After that I ignored the barking and he gave up and settled down.  This afternoon he has turned into a monster!  It began with a loose dog running around outside (no owner around) and he went wild.  I finally got him back inside.  Got out a new toy.  He only played a minute.  Then he attacked Ginger-went after her barking and teeth snapping.  They dumped over plants.  I got him by the harness and held him back, but he continued so I took him by the scruff of the neck--whereupon he swung around and would have bitten me.  It is so difficult when he cannot hear

Reading through the large medical file the shelter sent with Edgar, I discovered much info I had not been told.  I had asked if he was heartworm tested and they said he was Negative.  They forgot or just neglected to say that he was Ehrlichea positive.  He was receiving antibiotics for that and he came with two more days worth of pills. Record also indicated he had kidney disease and was on K/D diet. As I mentioned, the foster Mom had said she thought he was a bit hard of hearing.  My daughter and I tested him with banging pans behind him, and other sounds where he did not see the cause and determined that Edgar is totally deaf.  Now I realize I have really taken on a challenge-- an untrained , adult, Chow/Corgi mix with some bad habits and DEAF.  I called my Vet, Dr. Joy Watkins, and was able to get an appointment for Edgar right away.  I don't know what I would do without her.  She is amazing.  She sent two of her aides to pick Edgar up.  He spent the day and when the office clos

  What a joy is my little boy! He is figuring out our routine rapidly.  He got up this morning at 6:30.  Waited patiently for me to get a jacket on, then did not push about going thru the door--let me go first.  He trotted up to a wary Ginger with tail waving, sniffed her nose and went to the lawn to pee.  Last night he finally ate his dog food.  Then he got playful!  He taught me his game of Hide the Bone.  Instead of me hiding it for him to find, he likes to hide the bone and wants ME to find it!  He bounced around tossing his mat that I have by my desk and hiding the bone beneath it--then looking at me and "saying"  OKAY--find it!  He'd get so excited when I would peek under the mat.  Bedtime--he goes right to his bed and curls up.  I put his blankie over him and before I am in bed, he is asleep.  Susie finally came out in the night.  I had set out water and a cat box.  She got right up with me--then I got NO sleep for at least an hour as she pawed me, pulled

Fortunately there are people who volunteer to spend time working in the shelters.  At Lynchburg animal shelter, where Edgar found himself, students from Liberty University often come to walk, play with, clean, feed the "inmates".  There is a large living room with glass front filled with couches, cat towers, toys, food and water and litter boxes.  I was amazed to see how many cats were dwelling  there.  Some playing together, some eating together,  some snoozing up on a shelf.  No fighting!  The volunteers go into this room with the cats.  They play with toys on a string.  Sometimes they simply cuddle a kitty who purrs his delight at having this one on one attention.   The shelter also has the opportunity for approved families to take a foster dog or cat.  Right now they have several queens (female cats), very pregnant, looking for foster homes where they may go to give birth in a quiet setting and raise their kittens until they are weaned and go to their permanent homes.  It

I began right away, actually the day after saying goodbye to faithful Hannah, the sweet old Brittany who had kept me company for almost three years.  Her heartbeat was irregular when I adopted her and she was at least 10 years old.  So I knew her time with me would be brief.  It pains me to say that I never loved her as I might have.  Of course I provided all she needed- Vet care, special food and meds.  I petted her , groomed her, and talked to her.  We sat on the porch together.  But I never let myself love her.  Hannah came to me three weeks after losing Daisy, my heart dog, and I told myself I would never love a dog again.  It was just too painful when their time was up. I missed Hannah, though, when she was gone.  I kept thinking I heard her rustling around in her crate at night.  But it had been easy to find another dog to share my home after Daisy left  , so it never crossed my mind that it could be weeks before a new dog came here to live. I wanted to acquire a dog from a rescu

His name is Edgar.  He does not know that though.   That cold drizzly morning when the dog warden picked up the wet, shivering, muddy dog and transported him to the local shelter, the intake person wrote on his chart: Chow chow mix, 6 years old, intact male, medical needs, name: Edgar  She just selected the first name that came to her mind-perhaps from the book she was currently enjoying- as they need a way to identify every animal taken in.  Someone snapped his likeness on a call phone camera and the picture was copied to his record. So Edgar he became.  Taken to the shelter Vet for assessment  , the dog stood before her, head lowered, his body half naked from the horrific skin disease that had taken so much of his rich red mahogany coat, leaving elephant skin on his hind quarters and a long thin hairless tail which looked like a dry branch stuck to his butt.   Scattered over his body were growths of varying sizes, one on his chest was oozing a bit. The odor from his ears  was akin t