A good dog will make you laugh

It's a Dal Thing

I really don't like to compare one dog to another, like people, they are all a little different. And here's the "but"... Sometimes your dog will do something that is so like the dog you once had, you just have to laugh. I think it's great that Sparkle has so many of the "traits" that remind me of Kay'Lar. So to explain the picture, this is Sparkle chewing on her foot. Not just nibbling, but full on bring out the ketchup, chewing. It's not an allergy thing, Kay'Lar used to do the same thing, and around two years old she stopped doing it. Plus if Sparkle is sitting next to me on the couch, I can grab her foot and ask her, "what's this?" And she'll start chewing. Lucky though, unlike Kay'Lar, Sparkle is not a chewer of things she shouldn't. But they do have a few similar traits that make me laugh. They both will do a single bark when the doorbell rings on TV; compared to the multiple barks when it's really ours. And then there is the stealing of the catnip toys; it's catnip, not dognip. Then there's things that are all their own. Like Kay'Lar used to "toot" and scare herself. She would jump up and look around, funniest thing ever! And Sparkle likes to sleep in strange positions that make you laugh and ask, "Did I not assemble my dog properly?" They are many other things, but I don't have the time or the blog space. I just find it interesting that they have some of the same "odd" behaviors, when there is NOTHING in common when it comes to their pedigree... I just have to believe its a Dalmatian thing... Or maybe I can just pick out the "strange ones"; you know, so we get along.

Dog Fail!

 So this was Sparkle today, when she wasn't running in the back yard. I understand the need to relax when you've spent 30 minutes running around with a ball in your mouth. But there are certain things a dog is suppose to do, and one of those things is clean the floor. There was about a five month period when we didn't have any dogs. I really don't like it, for many reasons. One of the reasons and perks, if you will, of owning a dog and having small children is that the dog cleans up the floor. When we didn't have a dog I would have to sweep four to five times a day. So today Miss Sparkle failed in her dog duty, she was a little to occupied with playing in the backyard. There were things on the floor that needed her attention and she just wanted to run in the backyard. Ok, now I'm not to upset, seeng how the temps are going to drop below what Siberia would consider cold, but seriously, it doesn't take that long for a dog to "vacuum" up some Cheerios and a piece of bread crust. It would take me longer to get out the broom and dust 

pan... Come, tell me I'm wrong. Dog Fail!

What?

Spent last night writing a wonderful blog about Sparkle and her "talking"' only to have the whole thing "die" because, I guess, you can't upload video to blogspot... Seriously, what the hell? So new topic forthcoming later today. Sorry to those of you that read regularly, and those that just started, perhaps today, and all those in between... To tide you over, a little reality for those of you without dogs and for those of you with, a great laugh... Cause you know it's true!

Remembering...

Past and the Future

I started this blog to write about the funny things that Miss Sparkle does. From "talking" like a Malamute to allowing the kids to pile their stuff animals on her; because according to them, she needs "loveies" to sleep with. Some of the stuff that Sparkle does is one of a kind, like the "talking" but then there are other things that remind me of Kay'Lar, my first Dalmatian. The pictures are of her. The puppy one is from an old puppy picture that I found; she is 10 weeks old in that picture and chewing on one of the cat's balls. The other is of Her at about four, strong and beautiful. I miss her. She too did funny things as a puppy, one thing that her and Sparkle share is a love for running. Kay'Lar would run for ever, when is was younger, and I didn't have a big back yard I taught her to do "laps" around the tree. Sparkle loves to head out into the back yard and just do laps for five minutes straight. We have 1/2 an acre so laps are a lot easier for Sparkle. Kay'Lar did get to enjoy this back yard, but she was 10 before we moved into our current house. So her laps consisted of one lap around the back yard. She was still spunky and would put the Rotties in their place if need be, but by then she had slowed down some... Now for a Dalmatian that means not acting like a six month old puppy. People will say that Dalmatians are hyper, this is not true. You need to know what they were bred for and respect that. They were bred to run MILES every day. So do they have a lot of energy, yes, but if you have a place to put it, daily long walks and or runs, sprints in the back yard, for example, it's not an issue. But as with any dog, if they get bored they will find something to do, and that is usually not a good thing for the people. Kay'Lar was my first Dalmatian giving to me as a gift (gifting a puppy is not a recommendation or a good idea) by a boyfriend at the time. A short time later I got rid of the boyfriend and kept the dog; best thing I ever did. She was with me for fifteen and a half years. My best friend through so much in my life; college graduation, career changes, bad and good dating, getting married, moving across country and having kids. I had such a great "run" with her I couldn't imagine not getting another.  Enter Sparkle. We weren't looking for a dog. We had just lost our last dog (Cora the Rottie) to liver failure four months earlier and had donated all of our dog stuff to a local rescue. But here was this beautiful Liver Dalmatian looking for a home... I didn't know the first time I saw her that she would be mine, and I would be her's; and I am her's. But it was meant to be, everything fell into place. I won't bore you with the details. But she was perfect for our family. So I got a great Dalmatian a little earlier then I thought. And it's funny how many people ask if she's a real Dalmatian or if her spots are going to turn black... I love to educate. If you need color clarification please visit the color page at paisleydalmatains.com

I know I said I would be talking about working a lap top with a cat and dog in your lap, but I sort of got nostalgic today... And a little all over the place, sorry.

And a shout out to my followers in the UK... Thanks for reading.

Nerd (or Geek, which ever you prefer) Alert: Kay'Lar comes from Star Trek: the Next Generation... Yes I'm a Star Trek fan... And yes I know Kay'Lar is misspelled, I went with phonetics; that's just easier on everyone; friends, family, vets and the dyslexic owner.

Physics

Mass, space and volume

Did you ever look at something and wonder, "How does something that small take up a space so big?" Or "How does something so big get down or fit into something so small? Sparkle is about 50 pounds, and yet she takes up more "space" then my 100 pound Rottie did. Will someone please explain the laws of physics to my dog... Or maybe just the fact that just because you CAN take up "that" much room doesn't mean you need to or should. Don't get me wrong, she shares the couch wonderfully, with me, the cat and the kids. But if she gets there first, it's hers! I'm sure it all goes back to the rules of dog ownership. If you own (or are owned by) a dog then you know these rules; If its yours, it's mine., If I once had it its mine., If I saw it, it's mine., If I'm laying on it, it's mine., So on, you get the idea. I have the "rules" somewhere, I'll look for them and post them later... They are funny. Maybe I just need to get a bigger couch? Or another one just for her? I think tomorrow we might discuss the finer points of trying to type with pets vying for your lap... Seriously where is your laptop suppose to go with a cat and a dog laying on your lap?
Oh, and I saw on my blog report I have a few readers from Germany. I'd say something in German but all I know has to do with dog training and showing terms used for my Rotties. Plus my English spelling is bad enough, we don't need to laugh at my attempt at spelling in another language. So please take my old fashion "Howdy", and thanks for reading.

Oh, the shame...

Dog Shaming

As a dog trainer and someone who did rescue (before kids) I have seen all sorts of dogs with all sorts so issues and/or problems. When the web site dogshaming.com first went up I laughed and did the "Ooo" face. And I did my biggest mistake by telling my hubby that we are so lucky that we have a dog that would not do something that would land her on this site. And if you know anything about the laws of the universe, you know that saying this out loud is the kiss of death. Don't get me wrong I know my dog is not perfect, nor were any of my previous dogs. In fact there are a few things that my Rottie, Connor did that would have landed him on that site. For example, because I know you are dying to know, he loved to eat my husbands socks. We would try ("try not, do or do not, there is no try") to make sure that socks were put away, but he always seem to get to them. We were "lucky" enough that he never had to go to the vet because of it, he would be nice enough to "deposit" them in the dog run; yes, gross! I would have to say that some of the Christmas shaming pictures were wonderful. In one, I believe a bull dog ate a baby Jesus out of as nativity scene; naughty list for sure. The picture above is of Sparkle and her debut on Dog Shaming. As responsible dog owners we do not allow a puppy to free roam in our house; my last Dalmatian was five before that happened. So we have a crate that she sleeps in at night; left over from the Rotties, so you know it's big enough. And if we are going to be gone during the day, we have a "run". There's an outdoor area about 12ft x 20ft with a dog door into the third stall, which she has a third of that is sectioned off for her with an "X-pen". I always make sure that she has toys and/or a frozen raw bone of chew on. I'm guessing she has decided that this is not enough to occupy her time. We thought these were chew holes, but on further examination we believe that they are actually "dig" holes. I know what your thinking, so she dug at the walls in the garage. Well, this summer we finished the garage. We had someone come in and professionally mud and sand. Then my husband and I sent two weekends painting. All clean and sparkly... Then came Sparkle and her dig holes. It's a good thing we love animals, because I think for a minute there we debated about a trying to knock her spots off (I am joking of course, those that know me; encluding her breeder, know this would NEVER happen). So know Miss Sparkle will not have "free time" in the run. Sadly those privileges have been revoked for a while. She will have to be in her crate when not traveling with me. My hubby did the first coat of mud yesterday, he will then sand, mud and sand again; then it will be my turn to paint. I know what you are thinking; just wait until she grows out of it to repair. Well it's also a visual thing. Dogs will go back to the destruction and make more if they see it there. So we are removing the reinforcement that its ok the dig there, by removing the visual cue.  

Ok, now the dog trainer in me must speak! It is not ok, or cute that your little dog growls and/or shows his/her teeth to you. It is not ok for your dog to "hump" kids or your house guests. These are all signs of dominance issues; meaning that your dog thinks (s)he out ranks you, your guests or kids. This in NOT ok and is especially NOT funny. If your dog does these things, especially to kids, please fix it, or get help to fix it. Ok, trainer side done.

Sorry for the lack of blog over the holidays, but it was the holidays and my life was super crazy.