Mushroom squick

I am completely grossed out by the variety of mushrooms in my mossy lawn. I have dark brown ones, light brown ones, white ones, red with white spots, individual mushroom stalks, extended networks of continuous fungus, you name it. Step in it and guess what it feels like...? A slippery squish somewhat similar to dog poop.

I like the moss. I try to rake the leaves off gently so the moss stays green and soft. It's the ultimate in low maintenance lawn. Soft to walk on, stays green all winter, needs no mowing.

The crows and squirrels play out their competition by digging in the ground. They create little holes as the they search for items the squirrels hid earlier in the fall. Tearing up my lawn! Shoo, pests!

And, endless raking. I have raked a number of times already and still there is a ton of work to do. I have not even touched the front, which is covered in pine needles. the front has actual grass more than moss, and the ground is very compacted. I began to cut limbs from a pine tree to get more sun, so there are two large piles of tree cuttings as well as the infinite leaves.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Yesterday I went out to put the blackberries I already cut into the yard waste bin. I was so good-- I even changed into pants and wore leather gloves. I suddenly noticed, too, that a holly tree that I cut down in the summer had sprouted about 300 succors (is that how you spell it?) that were shooting about 3 feet toward the sky. Good thing I caught that, before the brambles and stickers surround my house, which I feel like I seldom leave, and turn me into a lonely princess. I mowed them down promptly. Perhaps I will make a holly wreath or two. Send to Bonnie with some fall leaves maybe.

Autumn

I enjoyed the weather today. The evening sky was beautiful, inspiring. Dark clouds giving way to bright clouds, orange and fluffy. Blue sky behind, and the treeline in front. So dramatic. I wish I could catch this on camera but there's nothing like the real thing. The sky is a major source of inspiration for me, and one of the reasons I love Seattle.

I lopped off some blackberries that have been growing thick as they drape up over the trees. I sliced up my hands a bit, and they caught in my skirt, but I am glad I got rid of them when I did. One runner had just sprouted a little ball of white roots, about an inch long. Foiled!

Last night I enjoyed the rain. I was on my way out when I realized it was yard waste day. The yard waste bin was 3/4 full with apples, and probably a fair amount of water. The bin was so heavy I got the dolly out to move it. It was still a struggle up the hill with the bumpy roots and stuff. I didn't dump the whole thing, though. I was glad I had the house to get me outside doing chores in the rain. I decided to go for a walk later that night again, sort of to welcome the fall by enjoying the drizzle.

The apples are big, red, sweet, and crunchy.

Peaceful, easy feeling

I woke up to my alarm, but I didn't need to get up for another hour. I got up anyway. Partly the heat was very warm when I woke up. The sunrise was pretty. I lay back down on my bed later and I felt content and peaceful. It was nice to pay attention and enjoy feeling so tranquil. The sky was pretty. I wasn't sad to be in this house.

After class I took Mona out in the woods behind Shoreline. It is a sunny day, and though the bushes are wet, it was warm and beautiful with the sun filtering through the trees. We walked through the trees to the overflow gravel parking lot. There's a drop and more woods, but we stayed on the easy trails. I even thought about things to include in a dog training book. I don't think I have made note of "staying on the path/trail" and "out of the garden," how those tie together with manicured spaces to trails and basically the concept of an intentional area to walk.

I looked up mercury going direct: Oct 15. Ta Da! We're practically there!

My poor dog has fleas. I finally did see one on her. I think she also scratches the bites, for days after she has them. I'll give her a bath really soon. I hope the flea treatment works. It seems not to work very well anymore.

This past weekend I went to a bachelorette party and got drunk. I also discovered that my ID is gone. First we went roller skating. Then we had a potluck/party, and then we rode a party bus to go club hopping. At the first club, I had no ID. Everyone tried to get me in, but I said, no I understand, it's fine. The music was loud so I just danced there by the door. The bus left to take one person back to pick up her forgotten ID. After awhile, a different door guy was there and I asked him what forms of ID he'd accept. He shuffled me in. It turned out that only one place did not let me in, using this approach. Or, friends would come out and as they went back in, I had to stay outside. The door guy would shoo me inside.

Raccoons

I think it was raccoons that killed the chickies:
"A raccoon typically attacks birds by biting the head or upper neck area. The heads of adult birds are usually bitten off and left some distance from the body. The crop and breast may be torn and chewed and the entrails eaten. Raccoons have been known to mutilate poultry in cages by pulling heads or legs off. Several kills may be made during a single night raid with part of one or more carcasses fed upon. Dead fowl may be at the kill site or dragged several yards away. Raccoons are also serious predators of wild bird populations."
http://www.geocities.com/KelliAnn293/predators.htm#Raccoons

I could not pick up Red because of the wasps, and the following morning, she was gone.

I think I will look into finding more adult hens. The next batch can just stay in the coop and never taste freedom.

All gone now

Little Red was hard to catch. I tried to lure her, but she wouldn't go in the coop after having been chased. I should have chased her until she was really tired and then caught her, but I had to go. She was killed too. I am sad about it, and I feel a bit guilty. I am not sure whether I should get more chickens or wait awhile. I don't want to raise pullets unless I have some laying hens. Everything seems up in the air about my life, so I suppose I should just get used to buying eggs.

Another one bites the dust.

Blackie was killed this morning. I saw Little Red alone and went to look for Blackie. I found her on the lawn, covered in wasps. I tried to pick her up but the wasps scared me away. I'll wait for nightfall when the wasps go away, and pick her up then. I am sad. Now I have a lone chicken again. I tried to catch her but I'll have to wait until she goes into the coop so I can close her in there. What a bummer. I guess it is no longer true that no chickens were harmed. It just wasn't the dog that looked menacing in the photo.

RIP Goldie

I finally renamed "Black Cheep" a name of her own, and then she disappeared. I found her eviscerated all over the lawn. I hope nobody else had to see it. She only laid two blue eggs, in August. weird. I wonder what killed her. I figured it may be a wild animal because the insides were gone, and the meat was probably picked off by birds. What was in my yard?

So far Blackie and Little Red are fine. I was inclined to coop them for safety, but after 3 - 4 more days with them being okay, I guess I can let them range and live in risk. I would hate to lose them. Perhaps I am being irresponsible by letting them roost outside the coop. I notice they both lay in the external nesting box. Again, it's that question of quality of life versus risk.

There has been no sign of further rat activity.

I am far behind where I had hoped to be, as far as getting the garage cleared out over the summer. My brother in law Del came by briefly, and will be back. He's a mover and he offered to help. I need to prepare before I can really get into moving things, but he's coming back around Oct 8 so maybe he can help me then. Projects are slowing down due to me having a new sweetie and wanting to spend as much time as I can with him. Del had a fun time with Kayleigh.

I still have the woefully broken door that needs repair, ASAP. Still not sure who to call.

Catching up

I let the chickens out before I went on my 3 day camping trip. They were fine, but I did find out first(from cooping them for 3-4 days) that Goldie who lays the blue eggs is not laying. I have had only two eggs from her since early August. Now I am getting two a day usually, from Blackie and Little Red. The funny thing is, I have not been eating as many eggs!

I left the glue traps out while I was gone, and no action on those, still. No sign of rats nibbling on poison. I did see a siamese cat here twice. She was watching the coop, although the chickens were not in it. The second time she came around, I only saw her scrabble away when Mona came out. If that is why the rats have not been showing themselves, great. I also met a neighbor, who asked me about a siamese cat. This neighbor lives near K's bus stop. They have two boys younger than her, and an old dog. So that's a good family to meet!

Also, my immediate neighbor has put their house on the market. They have lived there one year and had two forced entry break-ins. sucks! The guy was so nice and offered to help me in the yard. I am thinking, no don't leave! Their house is set right on the street. My cars are not even locked, nor the camper. I wonder why I have been so lucky. It's just set farther back. I no longer light the whole property. I am in the process of installing another light fixture with a motion sensor. They got an alarm system. I have one here, just have to pay for service. I am not that kind of person, though.

Sometimes I still miss Daphne and her big big bark.

Update

The chickens have been in the coop for a full day now. It has been raining since then. The chickens made a lot of noise during the day. I placed glue traps but no rats were caught. Two brown eggs, no blue egg yet. I am waiting with baited breath, or rather, baited traps, to solve this whole thing. I feel bad for the chickies.

Developments

I have seen a wasp chase a hummingbird away from the feeder. I noticed the wasps drinking sugar water for a week or two, and then began to take notice. It was just one wasp present when I saw the hummingbird chased away from the feeder. Who knew? I guess it behooves that bird to be cautious. I heard about wasps swarming in defense. I purchased wasp attractant to place in the wasp catcher that the previous owners left here.

I have been giving chicken scratch to the chickens, but only inside the coop. They have grown more comfortable going in there. While luring them, I noticed eggs in the separate laying box on the patio. Nobody ever showed much liking for it, but I had two eggs in there yesterday. How encouraging! So, sadly, I coped the two Americanas because they were in there together and they are hard to catch. Blackie wouldn't come around, but I caught her later and stuck her in there. They complain. I feel bad. But then I set out two glue traps. I need to get rid of that rat.

I also heaved large slabs of stone in for a patio area back there. In the rain. Now I want more. They seem so, small.

animal management

I have spotted the rat out during the day a few times. Just for the sake of grammatical comfort, let's assume there is just one really fat rat that I'm dealing with here. I saw another path of travel it uses. I'll move the bait station to that one, and later, over to the worm bin area. I cleaned out the coop and put the wood chips in a spot where I'd like the kitchen compost pile. I set the live trap on there, adjoining a cinder block I saw the rat climb through. This morning the live trap was sprung, but I don't know if it was chickens or Mona doing her ditz run through the coop area.

I gave the chickens scratch inside the coop. Blackie and Yellow Cheep both went inside. I came out onto the patio so they'd get used to me being out there while they are inside. I came out later when Little Red was inside the coop, too. Tomorrow I am going to get two of them inside and then shut them in. I'll probably have to catch at least one chicken, unfortunately. I don't know how long I will need to jail them in there. One, I want to know if anybody is laying. Two,
I want to cut the rat off from the chicken food. We'll see if that makes the bait or the peanut butter more tempting to the rat. I should also get a glue trap too.

Rat Sighting!

I saw the rat. It was fat. It jumped easily, and then strolled down the stairs. The chickens were making a racket at the time. That's why I went out there, and the rat jumped out of the coop and hid. I set the live trap, right where it has been sitting for a long time. I expect it to get knocked by something other than a rat, but hopefully that big wad of peanut butter will be irresistible to the rat.

I have some photos I recently uploaded. I have yet to figure out how I can organize my things on the web. I started a site with google. I am hoping that each photo I uploaded to google-owned sites would magically appear in their picasa program. Here they are just in case:

Oregon grape, or mehonium

One morning I got three eggs. Did I post this? This is the only blue egg I have gotten to date. I thought it could have been reduced egg production due to excessive heat. Obviously that is no longer the case. It could be the rat issue. But anyway, wasn't this a beautiful morning in terms of eggs?

Ben and Kayleigh jammed out in a duet of piano and guitar. It was rather melancholy in tone, but went on and on, beautifully. I was afraid taking photos would disrupt it, but they even played through the flash. I love the view out that window.

Finally, I took a photo of my beloved border collie, sleeping.

who says roosters are noisy?

The chickens get really noisy every so often, usually in the morning. Then the dog barks and there's no sleeping after that.

home again, home again

I was pleased to return to the chickens being just fine. They were not roosting in the rhododendron near the house, nor in the coop, for awhile. I took that to mean they missed us.

A day or two later, I checked the coop and saw a rat sauntering slowly out the back door. Eeeeuw! So, I placed the poison in the bait station and replaced the chicken feeder with the bait station. Since then, the chickens have been using the coop. I have opened the door on Red Cheep, who scurried out of there, alarmed. Just this morning I opened the door on Yellow Cheep (formerly known as Black Cheep), who just sat there as I calmly closed the door back up. Later I went out and found three eggs! And one of them was blue!

I am happy to know they are starting to lay, and using the coop. While I was gone there were no eggs for my beloved chicken checker. I was concerned that they were laying in the garden somewhere. Now I am just curious who is laying what. There was one small brown egg, one large brown egg, and one large blue egg.

smart chickies

The new tenants stopped by yesterday, and we had the pleasure of sharing blackberries from the bush. I swear they ripened between morning and mid-afternoon. While we were chatting and snacking around the bush, Blackie came to investigate. She figured out that we were eating and worked on getting to the ripe berries. No wonder they were all there, ripening! The chickens had not caught on. Later I saw Blackie and the other chickens working on the berries. So far they have not jumped up to the top. They eat the unripe ones low down.

Paul picked up Mona yesterday afternoon. He left rather suddenly and I already miss Mona. It's funny how conditioned it is: I tickle Kayleigh and expect to be jumped on and licked. Nope, nothing. No dog. We fly out on the red eye tonight.

see you later, aligator

I gave Mona a good brushing today, and it was nice. She likes it, but then gets tired of it and wanders away. I had to call her back twice, but I produced a huge amount of hair. I am sure she feels better in this hot weather. Plus, the contact is nice, especially right before I leave her for over a week. She's beautiful and glowing.

I'll be out of town and not posting, so I am going to leave a few photos from my berry patch. I can't believe the berries are still there and not eaten by birds. I watered them for the first time today. I was skeptical that they would ripen, but today I wanted to help them out.

"Thunder and lightening, the Gods take revenge..."

Mona is pretty upset about the thunder storms. I was awakened at 6 am because it was so loud, just rolling on and on with sharp cracks here and there. I knew she was hiding in her cage, poor girl. I am pleased that she is using her cage again, after ceding it to Daphne for a year. It was just a day or two before she went in it, but when Daf was here Mona never went in it at all. When Mona was a pup and first heard thunder, she was inconsolable. She looked at me as if to say, "Don't you lie to me and say it's okay. You can't save me from that out there!"

Anyway, when the thunder is not going, Mona is still tentative because it could start up again. Plus, it is Independence Day. Hopefully this new neighborhood will be quieter than our last one, where the fire crackers started in May and went through September.

I took her to the lake yesterday so at least she had some fun before these days when she'll be staying in more. I met this great woman who was promoting fabbseattle.com, Families Against Breed Bans. I saw a poster in my neighborhood and was excited that we have that kind of vibe here. She's pretty serious-- she staked out and caught a couple vandals who were trying to deface the sign. Glad to meet her! I want to get more connected with right-on dog people in the north end. I sure miss Family Dog, but it's a relief not to drive so far weekly.

Just in case anyone is reading, don't forget to confine your dogs for July 4th!

Chase not, lest you lose your credibility with your dog

We went to visit Daphne on Sunday in her new home. She looked like she is well loved and doing well. I like the family a lot! It was nice to see little Daffy, who climbed into the car via my lap, and then Mermaid Girl's lap, as we were leaving. Sweet gesture, but hopefully the process is complete now. She'll know she is living there and not coming back here. She is a very sweet dog, though.

Mona came out of the car at Lake Bronson and found me on the dock. She stayed in the car after I rolled the windows up a bit more, but I hosed her a few times so she wouldn't be so hot. It seemed reasonable that she'd want a dip in the lake. It was like 94 degrees or something! Now there is the sweetest pup ever. Another dog came to find the owner so I didn't feel too bad after that. How irritating to watch the non-owners try to chase the dog. stupid stupid people. Like, if it isn't your dog, and you aren't partial to dogs, why do you think you can handle the dog more effectively than the owner? I saw the dog switch to avoid-the-humans mode, from the inquisitive businesslike demeanor of: gotta find my man, pardon me, excuse me, just lookin' for my owner. When I was putting Mona back, a number of people wanted to talk and meet her and tell me about their dogs, so it was a dog-friendly vibe.

Just a little word to the wise: if you ever decide to chase a dog, you are going to lose.

The Birds

Real life has really been interfering with my blogging lately. I have a lot of news about the birds in the back yard, though. The cherries have been ripening, and the squirrels and birds both go crazy for them. They make a ruckus up in the tree. Wild birds hold the branch with their feet, I think, and try to pick the cherry while flapping their wings to stay in the air. Then the bird swoops down the the ground to eat the fruit. Good luck, because the chickens come racing over with wings spread to scare the bird away, and the chicken eats the cherry. There are seeds all over the ground under the tree.

I'd like to net a portion of the tree so we can have some cherries! I need one of those guns from Batman that shoots a net about 40 feet. How else can I get the net over the branches?

Mona was watching the chicken coop. I mentioned to her that she should chase a squirrel, since one was making a huge commotion in the tree. Mona took off for the diagonal, but noticed the cherry tree action and diverted to the tree. She chased the squirrel to another branch and apparently scared it so bad it fell in front of her. (Don't worry, she doesn't kill things.) Off they went to the other trees. Very exciting! Nothing like ripening Rainier cherries to stir up some action.

In other news, I am showing my downstairs apartment to rent it, and most people have pets. I will be considering which pets to add to our little cast of characters. An 11 year old lab and a one year old toddler? Two chihuahuas? a kelpie?

Oh yes, and one piece of bad news: I saw a rat in the chicken coop. rats. I have to figure out how to exclude them from the coop. The chicken wire does not work, as I saw one scurry up the wire and then pass through the little octagon. This means I need to buy a lot more chicken wire and the stuff I have now is only good for keeping dogs out and chickens in. When I get the chickens confined things will be better all around. They free range, and I mean range. They go all over the property. Blackie took a dust bath on the far side of the house, by the front door, and Kayleigh thought it was a fire at first. Clouds of dust rose up and now I know why the window is so darn dirty.

We may have the chance to go visit sweet Daphne this weekend. We miss her, and I think it has been long enough to bond with her new home so she won't get confused when we see her but don't take her home with us.

party time!

I went to a party last night, and after awhile, I brought the dogs out of the car. There was a keg outside, so people were hanging out in the misty cold yard. The dogs ran around and played, and eventually Mona snapped at Daphne (who always hassles her to play) so I let Mona go back to the car. Daphne came back to the party. We eventually moved inside, where she would stay on the area rug and strain to visit people without letting her back legs off the rug. She did get all 4 paws off the rug in order to reach the cat food once. The woman who lives there is interested in having her. Her partner didn't display a lot of good sense in trying to relate to Daf. He picked up both her front paws as she tried to duck back and looked away. Later he was picking her up or trying to get her on his lap. I do that, but somehow when you grab her from the back end, she flops over onto my lap. She was struggling. So I don't know how comfortable I would be with them having her. Maybe they could dog sit while I am traveling, if she does not have a new home by then.

I thought it was good experience to be at the party. She ran around the yard and socialized with everyone. She was very wiggly the whole night, and turned out to be a great party dog. I told her once not to eat the cat food and I didn't see her go for it again. As I was trying to leave, I was delayed by all the Daphne goodbyes. She was a real hit.

Off leash area

I took the dogs to the off leash area last night, and enjoyed the dramatic sky's last rays of sun before it set at 8:30 pm. The whole city was rainy, but the dog park had a spot of bright sun and strong wind. I love that it is set on a peninsula on the lake. I am struck by the beautiful contrast of clouds-- white fluffy ones lit but the sun and dark, heavy ones on every horizon. Every time I have been there recently it has been overly crowded, but last night the rain had kept most people away.

Anyway, Daphne has excellent social skills with other dogs at the park. A cattle dog mix had some stern words for her, out of the blue, and she was appropriately respectful and took a hike. She takes an interest in the herding breeds because she grew up with Mona. They don't always appreciate the bully breed energy, but she is very respectful. One time she had a blast running with two border collies who were chasing a ball. They didn't pay any attention to her, but a dominant dog full of attitude like a cattle dog will sometimes want to tell her in advance, no BS. There was also a grown yellow lab puppy who was both rambunctious and insecure who wanted to play with Mona and Daphne. He was larger than both my girls, and clearly still learning how to approach dogs. I forgot what Daphne did exactly, but it conveyed interest in playing as well as some aloof dominance. He approached Mona and she snapped at him. She has no time for playing with puppies. So he went back to Daphne and they romped a bit. I was impressed with how Daphne set the tone with him, and managed the interaction well.

I also saw some progress on puddle-drinking. I make the dogs drink. I don't suggest others try it because it takes a lot (LOT) of patience. Daphne used to almost prefer drinking from puddles and runoff surrounding the dog bowls. I lean over her yelling, "No drinking!" (ready to move her if she does not comply) when she starts to drink from any source other than a dog bowl. I always did this with Mona, but after the leptospirosis scare last year, I am even more emphatic about it. I tell the dogs to "Get a drink." I tell Daphne in particular to "drink from the dog bowl" or "Drink some water from the dish." So, she is learning the vocabulary of dog bowl and dog dish.

When Mona was a puppy, she picked all this up very fast. I would tell her to drink and then wait for her. She still sometimes defies me, which can take up a lot of time. You really cannot make a horse drink, physically. But you can wait and not let anything happen until the dog at least takes a token lick. So most times, Mona just drinks when I tell her to. What happens is they don't think they need water, but then they have a little and notice how good it was. Then they drink a lot more. I also like to make sure they drink along the way so they don't gorge themselves at the end and then feel sick or vomit it up. Conditioning for this kind of behaviour promotes the dog to take care of itself without a lot of ongoing intervention. That way, I can trust the dog with other people who may not know not to let them drink from puddles.

Doubts about the cable run

I am observing signs of stress and other behaviour that indicates the cable run is a bad idea. I guess I knew it would be but I wanted to try it. When I let Daphne off the cable, after a half hour or less, she is frantic and overly needy. The ingratiating behaviour indicates that she may feel she is being punished. She seem okay when both dogs are out there, but Mona ends up sitting by the door and Daphne is alone. She has relaxed and sniffs around, using the area available to her on the cable, but there are a few aspects that a chain link kennel would provide that the cable trolley does not.

A dog needs to feel safe and protected in order to relax. They need to be "off duty" in order to not create problems. A chain link kennel may be okay with a dog house inside it. They dog has no choices and no responsibility. No call to guard anything or alert anyone. A crate is excellent because the dog can do nothing but go to sleep, and they sleep quite well. Passing an 8 hour day sleeping is no problem at all as long as they have activities at other times. But outside dogs
tend to take responsibility for guarding or escaping. Back yard dogs will develop barking and/or digging habits that do not go away. That is why I have been so careful about putting Daphne on the cable. It works as long as she is actively playing, but when she wants to lie down and sleep, she has no clear "off duty" place to go. I am not sure a dog house (or dogloo) would do the trick. Usually a dog has to have no choice but to lie in the crate, or else it will go seek out activity. Yesterday when she was tired of being on the cable, she started barking obnoxiously. I had to come out and spray her with bitter apple. As I left, she whined so I sprayed her again. The third time she was quiet, and I let her off the cable.

Yesterday I felt that I cannot keep her. She is too big and I just don't have the energy for it anymore. Maybe I will find the energy to interact with potential owners again. I was awfully burned out after the last roller coaster with a potential owner. Kayleigh loves her, and so do I, but she needs a best friend. She still jumps on Mona and interferes in my relationship with Mona. I know Daphne can spend more time in the crate, but meeting the needs of two dogs
separately is just more time and logistics than I can manage right now. I gave the cable run a try (to prevent her from chasing chickens and jumping on the door to be let back inside) but it only works when others are out there.

some city training

I had the opportunity to work with each dog in the city last night. I have not had Mona on leash in a long time, and so she wanted to pull. I jerked the leash a few times and she was not responging to that, so I stopped walking, let her out ahead, and then jerked right as the reached the end. I waited for her to come back to me and sit by my side, in "place" position. I did tell her place, just to be clear. Then we walked. I took one step and had her sit. Then two steps and sit. We did a few random sits while walking and that fixed up the pulling on leash problem. Mona is very good about streets, but I worked on them a bit, tricking her into stepping into the street and then working through it. I took her on the Broadway, a busy business district, and tied her out while I ordered some food. I let her pull on the leash on the way to the park while I was eating. When we got to the park, I let her off leash and she was a doll. I sat and ate and she sniffed around. I love the way she wanders and appears aloof but the second I call her she turns on a dime and runs to me. She avoids other dogs, too.

I walked Daphne on the city streets a little bit and worked mainly on street awareness. I made her sit in front of each curb, and even when I stepped into the street. She made 2 major mistakes so I had to be sure she was successful on the third try, so I made it easier for her and praised a lot. She did better on the next couple of curbs. I also worked on her paying attention to me and where I am going. She would get so distracted that she pulled in all directions. I waited for her to align with me and then we'd start walking again. I need to do more leash work with her. I have a new pinch collar for her, so that will help make it easier. I have not been taking her out on leash because of my neck pain. I cannot afford to be pulled suddenly and
injure my neck.

In our new house we do not have very good walking destinations, so my city walks have not been frequent. I used to live right in the University District, on a major arterial.

On scoop topics, I had a long grass experience thatr made me realize I will need to take photos.
(is that too gross?) I don't think I can describe the squiigi effect for long grass without a photo. Thank goodness I had a strong bag for bread rather than my thin nappy sacks. I had to tear the grass off. I need to get a camera that I can carry with me and download easily.

Tie out report

Daphne did not take long to adjust to the cable. She mostly lays under the tree when she is clipped out there. I watch from the house. When Mona is out there, she sniffs around, but when Mona lays out of sight, Daphne lays down and waits. I went out to take her off the line and she was very excited. She orbited around with a toy in her mouth and I chased her. She doesn't always play that way, so it is a good way to get some of that puppy energy out. She's very cute, moving her tail away from me as she passes by. Half way through I called her to me, and waited. she came to visit, and we played a bit more after that. I like to be very clear that we are playing, and make sure there is not a true element of fear when I am chasing her and razzing her up.

Of course, she came in, drank water, and proceeded to hack it up onto the carpet, so out she went again. Now they are both inside and resting quietly.

Spending some time on the cable changes the way Daphne uses her time out there off the leash. She seems disinterested in the chickens, so that is an improvement. So far there is no real wear pattern on the grass. I figure as she spends more time out there and has a chance to get bored, she'll come up with new things to do.

trying a tie out system

I just set up a cable trolley in the back yard for Daphne. I can't leave her in the fenced yard for too long for fear of digging, scratching on doors, or chasing chickens. I don't normally approve of back yard dogs, but when I watch her out there she frolics around, chewing sticks and chasing bugs. So I figure she could use more time to play and less time lying under my desk.

Immediately when I clipped her to the leash, her behaviour changed. She stopped barreling into Mona chasing the ball. She was more timid and seems afraid to walk. She has used the entire run (100 ft.), but only when I am with her. When she hears the high pitched whir of the pulley it scares her. So she is laying still. I am sure a little bit of familiarity will make her bold. I'll give her half an hour and then go let her off and play with her.

Bored Collie

A large fly got into the house, and Mona has been chasing it. I have been utterly remiss in providing the level of activity and interest for her that I hold myself responsible for,
so she has found a way to make things interesting. She still huffs around, indicating that it is high time for a Dog Activity. I do agree, but with my neck pain and my job search, I just have to work it in. I consider Mona a barometer for how I am doing, like a canary in a coal mine. Honestly, there are many ways that I am barely holding together. That means I can't make Mona as high a priority as I'd like, and when that shows on her, I often find I am more able to maintain us both. She motivates me, and the things that are healthy for her also help me.

The key to keeping these dogs happy is to take them individually. It isn't always easy. Today I plan to take Mona to the bus stop to get Kayleigh, but not Daphne. I cannot hold a leash if she pulls because of this severe neck pain. We'll have to take her out later in the car to an off leash area.

Scooping: actual technique, the flat instance

I mentioned briefly in my last post, the usual scoop technique, which I call the Claw. Fingers are slightly spread with a curve to them, like a rounded rake. In some instances (such as for large dogs like rottweilers), a two-handed system is required, with the two claw hands coming together and allowing grass to slip out of the grabbed material. This works for piles in tall grass.

Flat piles:
If you have not scooped your yard in a long time, and you live in Seattle where it rains a lot, you will need to handle piles that have been spread flat. There is still enough material that you need to scoop it. Another case when you might encounter a flat pile is when your dog is not feeling too well or has eaten the wrong thing, if you know what I mean.

For these you will need a two handed technique. The two hands come together from opposite sides of the pile, through the walls of the bag. When the hands meet, the bag and hands are inverted so the poop falls into the bottom of a fresh bag. (I suggest using this technique with fresh bags until you have enough experience to be confident and adept at using a bag for multiple piles.) When you are scooping a flat pile, use the side of your hands, though the bag of course, and try to get under the pile as much as possible. If it is totally melted into the ground, you will at best get a squigi effect. It's still worth scooping because you can get most of the material. Using the pinky-finger side of your hands, squigi the two sides of the pile together.

bag position:
Position the bag with the opening pointing down toward the pile and your thumbs pointing up toward the closed end og the bag. Make sure the sides of your hands are still on the plastic! A good choice would be about half way down the side of the bag. You'll need enough space to contain the material, with plenty of room for closing the top of the bag. Place the bag over the pile, squigi your hands together, and invert the bag. This may sound easier than it is.

Sometimes I give a little toss to get the material to go into the bag, and then scrape the ground again with my fingertips to get the rest. Again, through the plastic of course! There will probably be some material you cannot get, so don't worry too much about it. Once the bag is right side out with the poop inside, don't try to get any more with that bag. I mean, feel free, but be prepared to go inside and wash your hands with soap without touching anything on the way. Also note, with any use of fingertips, to mind that your fingernails do not puncture the plastic.

checking hands for contamination:
First look, and then smell. Sometimes eyes miss what the nose doesn't. For an accurate reading you may have to walk several steps from the pile and the bag.

Bag management:
Immediately after inverting the bag with poop inside, squeeze the bag together at the lowest clean point on the sides of the bag. The technique includes squeezing the air out to prevent tears from popped bags. Then twist the plastic tightly at that point. Assuming your handles are clean enough, go ahead and twist up the bag and tie a knot in the twisted rope-like section. Getting the bag twisted ASAP will significantly reduce the odor, and makes scooping much more bearable.

Scoop topics, backyard issues

I scooped the yard today, and it was so easy with just two dogs and maintenance a week ago! Just one bag full. With four dogs and not help from the owner of the other two, and a backlog of weeks at a time, the job was just horrible. I would come out with a good 20 pounds of poop in 3-4 bags, two in each hand, gingerly navigating the steps and opening the trash can lid. Hoping not to have a mishap and let the open end face down or scrape the sides.

Anyway, one way I am approaching this book idea is to compile the topics I want to write about:
1. The whole physical process of the scoop.
2. Twisting the bag for odor control
3. Holding bag to the side, and back, preferably downwind.
4. Untwisting, scooping dried out ones and then re-twisting.* Good fur sunny days like today.
5. How to deal with grass
- to try to tear grass and keep in bag? or
- to scrape what you can off the blades and leave some (stinky process)
6. Beware twigs! How to prevent tears, how to decide whether to remove or keep in bag.
7. It's so old and dried out, I can leave it, right? (why would you! Just get rid of it. You'll miss enough by accident, and dog shit does not make good fertilizer.)
8. Bag diagrams, bag assessment
9. The basic hand motion-- the claw, the two-handed rake, inverting the bag and using one side to scoop and dump into the other corner of the bag.

* Not recommended unless conditions are suitable, ie, new pile to scoop is dried out and easy to pick up.

Folklife Festival

Yesterday I took Mona to the Folklife Festival at Seattle Center. I used to take her out on the bus and to business districts in the city regularly. Living in the U district, I had a busy street to visit all the time. I haven't taken Mona to Seattle Center, let alone to a really crowded festival in years. She did really well. We have worked out pretty good communication so I could steer her a little bit on the leash, sometimes giving a lot of line for her to forge ahead, and other times keeping her close to my side to protect her.

I could tell she enjoyed being out because she pushed the limits a few times, and also laid smiling and panting on the grass with us. She ate some gyros that fell on the ground. That's the best treat ever, I'd say. Dry, salty, meaty. She broke the belt loop I had tied her to, straining for the gyros. That was the only acting out she did. She visited with people sitting near us and made friends all around. Twice people kindly tried to help bring her back to me after she wandered 10 feet or so, but when I called her, she came before they could reach her. She lingered long enough for me to say, "Right now!" and then some, but moved just as the stranger came within reach. This is the kind of behaviour that screams manipulative bitch. She is always on top of the important issues, though.

There were at least 4 intact male pit bulls. what are these people thinking?? Mona was appropriate with all the other dogs there, of course. Many folks liked her, telling us about their border collie at home. One commented that she didn't seem very stressed out. A booth vendor had water out for dogs. That's always nice. I taught Mona to drink from fountains early on. I had taken her into the Center House to the fountain, and she had that weird reverse sneezing thing after drinking. I think she feels weird drinking from a bipedal position. So a bowl on the ground was nice for her. We hung out so she could take a couple relaxed drinks and not ahve to hurry. You know a booth that flags you down to share their dog water likes dogs!

All in all, I really enjoyed having Mona there. I wish I had the energy to bring Daphne,
but I just don't. I have worked hard to be single-handed with Mona and Kayleigh (my 6 years old daughter). I have to pack hats, coats, an umbrella, water, bags, snacks, and a leash. It would be a great experience for Daphne. I have not even taken her on the bus. With her fear of slick flooring, and submissive social position, she might need a lot of looking after to help boost her confidence and make it a positive experience for her.

I am still looking for a home for Daphne.

chewing needs

I seem to have a thing with elderly rottweilers. I had a roommate with a rottie, and after she moved out, she took a job with frequent travel. I ended up caring for this old lady rott for several months. I learned quite a lot from her, actually, about the breed and about the kind of mellow energy they have. She was a real character, but it took awhile to really 'get' her. One funny thing she did was interrupt dinner with a crescendo of growling. It is frightening! I realized, though, that she was trying to include herself in the conversation. Nothing was wrong, once we looked at her and talked to her. But just conversing amongst the humans and eating dinner was not to her liking. (As a training issue, of course I wouldn't go for a regular dinner interruption.)

Anyway, this year I have cared for an 11 year old intact male Rottweiler, Salvador. He's a well trained dog and a big sweetie. Daphne loves him. He stands tall with a ball in his mouth, growling, while she wiggles up to him and licks his mouth. They give each other hours of entertainment.
I dropped her off at his house for an overnight, just to keep each other company. They seemed to enjoy it, but after I picked up Daphne, she was wanting to have more action. I was just hanging out with the family, so I gave her a nylabone. She had not been very interested in it before, but she sat on the floor and chewed it up once she realized it was going to be mellow time. In fact, I had to hold onto it for awhile, sometimes playing with it and other times just keeping it from her. I finally made her sit and gave it to her, and shortly after, Mona had it and started to chew it. Finally, all this desire for the nylabone made Daphne suddenly find its value.

What I reflect on is the variety of activities she needs. She did not seem to chew at all in the two days at Salvador's house. But when it was time to just lay around and chill, she really relished that chew session. She holds the bone so it touches the floor and makes a huge racket. I suspect this is part of making sure she is in everyone's awareness. Sort of like when I pet Mona, Dapnhe suddenly needs to hack and cough, for attention.

Obedience training/competition

Mona and I began training classes in May or June 1999 with Kathy Lang, at her business Family Dog Training Center. Kathy Lang won the Training Instructor of the Year award from WSOTC for three years running until they abandoned the prize because nobody else won it. I love training with her. She is someone I truly admire on many levels. I have dropped out of the activities because I am looking for employment and cannot afford the hobby, but my heart swells with pride when I read the following show report:

Cheryl & Blaze -- Rally Nov B -- second leg, third place with a score of 98

Kathy & Flame -- Rally Nov B -- another bonus leg, first place with 100 score & fastest time out of 3 100 scores

Kathy & Tory -- Rally Nov B -- another bonus leg with a score of 97

Kathy & Flame -- Regular Obedience Novice B -- brain lapse heeling off leash, required a second command to get back into position, score of 189-1/2 and 3rd place

Kathy & Flame, with Cheryl handling on stays -- Veterans Novice -- 1st place score of 191 (I'm sure Cheryl will have a humorous view of handling stays; Flame gave her many dirty looks but did do the stays for her!)

Kathy & Keeper -- Veterans Novice -- 2nd place score of 163 -- must have been Alzheimers, but she didn't come on the first recall command. However, she was relaxed and happy and did everything else quite well!

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Keeper is the Belgian sheepdog that was the demo dog when I first started with Mona. I love those old bitches. She just has a special place in my heart.

Anyway, if you are able to attend training classes at Family dog, I highly recommend it. Theirs is the training philosophy I subscribe to and use.

My dogs

I posted a photo of Mona, my border collie, keeping track of Blackie, the chicken that thinks it is a dog. Blackie comes when I call the dogs and tries to follow them into the house. She once stood up to Mona, giving her a directed flap: wings spread, lunging. I reinforced that and told Mona to back off. Every once in awhile, Mona will get a big grin on her face and stalk and pounce at the chickens. She loves to make them flap. Immediately she looks away and comes over looking guilty, but not sorry. She just likes to raise a flap.

We have another dog right now, Daphne. Little Dafodil. She is a pit bull mix with the softest heart, afraid of linoleum floors. We call her Daffy, too. After raising a border collie, Daphne was a little dense (in more ways than one). Actually, the most dangerous thing about her is the potential for being bonked by her hard, hard head. Her tail is thick and meaty, and will make your leg sore when she wags her tail and it hits you. Otherwise, she's not that big. Just 50 pounds or so.I took Daphne home from the Off Leash Area when she was 11 weeks old. A man was giving her away, along with 8 siblings. I could tell what a great dog she was, with symmetrical features, beautiful markings, a sound physique, and young enough to not have any problems yet. I picked the smallest of the litter, the one that was most wiggly and lickey like a border collie. I figured I would spay her, train her and find her a new home. We wavered back and forth on that, but now I seem to have found a suitable new home for her. I was able to see Daphne's parents because I took a woman to go get one of the other pups. The sire was a huge, friendly, light brown brindle pit bull who was tethered in the back yard. The dam was a large black vicious herding mix. Obviously she was not being treated too well. Daphne displays some herding instinct, crouching down to stalk dogs she is playing with. Being raised by a border collie, she has a lot more respect for personal space than most pit mixes. I have kept on top of her indoors training, making sure she does not step on toes or beg at the table. I used to a do a lot of training with her (stays, recall, etc) but since I was laid off, I can't justify the time spent on her. I haven't been keeping up on Mona's training either. But Daphne has a solid foundation of conditioning, and I am eager to help a new owner pick up the tricks I use and the language Daf knows. She's a great dog and I hope to keep in touch with her.

I posted some ads mentioning a dog-share idea. I got flamed a bit, but also had a radio interview as a result. One woman told me it was unhealthy for the dog. I disagree. My experience is that dogs are flexible, just like people. Some kids grow up and do just fine with two homes and different rules at mom and dad's houses. Similarly, I find that the dogs we once lived with as roommates are happy to come stay with us when their owners are out of town. My ex husband's dog still fits right into the pack even though we only see him occasionally. It is like extended family. You pick up right where you left off, and so long as there is stability in the primary relationship, the dog is not at all confused.

In fact, When my ex went to live in Chehalis and could not take his dog, I had the dog for a few months. My ex lamented that he didn't seem like his dog anymore. But when he got a place where he could have his dog, the transition went seamlessly. Now the dog (Tucker) still obeys me but looks primarily to his owner even when they are here for the weekend. we have an extended pack, and I enjoy providing support for responsible owners. Everyone needs a break sometimes, and some freedom to travel.

Here is a photos of all three dogs taken in April. You can see Mona is aloof and busy while Daphne and Tucker play together. Tucker is amazingly beautiful and soft, with excellent manners. I call him our friendly dog. Total chick magnet.

Greetings and welcome

I was hoping to have The Dog Blog, but naturally that name is taken with no real content. Darn! So instead I am naming my dog blog "How to Scoop" in honor of my upcoming book on the ins and outs of effective scooping. This issue is something every prospective and current city dog owner must consider. Furthermore, it is something to consider when selecting the size of dog a prospective owner wants. I can give tips on making do (no pun intended) with inadequate scooping supplies while avoiding unpleasant mishaps, and evaluating the circumstances effectively to maintain responsible scooping despite adverse conditions. More on all that later.

As an accomplished trainer and dog behaviour enthusiast, I will address behaviour issues, pack dynamics, and training methods in addition to documenting my very special border collie companion pet, Mona Luna Diosa, GCG, RN, RA, CD. (All titles through AKC.) That is, Canine Good Citizen certified, Rally Novice, Rally Advanced, Companion Dog. The CD title, while sounding modest, was actually the most challenging. Since this is an introduction, I'll save the
bragging for future posts.

Please send me questions of any nature relating to dogs. Thanks for reading!