Tuesday, November 16, 2010

An Evening with the Peej


Pajamas was antsy all evening.  Pacing around, resting her head on my knee or the cushion on the couch and letting out a long sigh.  Those big eyes look up at me and I know there is no way I am getting through the evening without another trip to the park or at the very least a walk around the neighborhood.  I bundle up, preparing for the dark cold evening and Pj’s ears perk up as I grab my coat and head for the door.  She stands a few paces away still unsure if she’s invited.  “Come on then,” I say and she takes a few steps until she’s standing in the doorway.  I put on her leash and she is happy as can be. But, as we head out the door I realize it’s raining.  So much for the walk, I think and head to the front yard so Pj can have a pee at least.  I wait outside a couple of minutes as she take a survey of the yard and then gather her back up to head inside.  After the evening we’d had so far, all the crying and they whining I was sure the rest of the night would be more of the same.  However, the minute I came in and settled back on the couch Pj was right at my side, wet fur and all.  It seems that even for Pj the prospect of walking in the rain rather dampened her mood.  Maybe this warm spot on the couch next to mom isn’t such a bad place to be after all.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

A Day in the Woods

Today Pajamas and I packed the bike into my little red sports car and made the drive up to New Market for some biking.  Pj relaxed in the seat beside me, in and out of sleep.  Every once and a while though she gets up, stands her front paws on the centre console and gives me a couple short warm licks on the cheek.  She is so affectionate.  At first I wasn't in a very good mood, but with the sunroof open and the sun warming my face I slowly felt my mood change.  The trees look so beautiful and with each gust of wind leaves would swirl around the cars as we moved north on the 404.

When we arrive at the trails Pajamas cannot wait to get going.  She wanders around the parking lot smelling all the smells of the forest while I unpack the bike.  The minute I get on the bike she looses her mind.  She jumps around in front of the bike, her barks traveling well into the forest.

We weave through the trails Pajamas a couple steps ahead.  She looks back often to make sure I'm keeping up.  The trails were covered in bright yellow leaves, as the sun shone through the bare trees.  I love biking in the fall, with the cool breeze on my fast as we wind through the woods.

We biked for just over an hour and then made our way back to the car.  Everything feels better after an hour on the bike.  Pj takes one last drink out of my water bottle and then we pile back into the car.  She sleeps the whole way back to the city while I enjoy one last view of the fall forest before we hit the city again.

And the best part?  I have a pooped puppy for the rest of the day!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Thank Goodness for Pajamas

It's Thanksgiving weekend and I've just arrived home from my weekend morning walk.  Beside me on the couch is my puppy fast asleep, head resting on a pillow, tail tucked in close to her body. I look over at her and smile. She has given me so much to be thankful for.

Thank you for teaching me to love again.  To open my heart and love with all my might, even though I know someday we will have to part.
Thank you for showing me the beauty of the morning.  For sharing a morning sunrise and the crisp autumn air.
Thank you for being the last thing I see before I go to bed and the first thing I see when I wake.  For sensing that moment when I first open eyes and snuggling up close, slowly easing me into another day.
Thank you for helping me to be more active.  For pushing me to walk further, bike faster and get off the couch more often!
Thank you for your slobbery kisses.  Especially when you are licking away my tears, never stopping until my cries turn to giggles.
Thank you for your friendship.  I never feel lonely as long as you are near.

I love you Peej!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Caution in the Wind

As the days get shorter our mornings walks have become ventures into darkness.  Pajamas is extra cautious  in the dark even in the park she visits every day.  There is an old tree that has been loosing branches on windy days, so bright yellow caution tape has been put up around the area to discourage people from getting too close.  This tape had been up a couple of days, so I know Pajamas had seen it, but something about the yellow tape blowing in the wind just before dawn, set her off.

The minute she entered the park she headed straight for the tape, neck stretched way out in front of her, tail erect behind.  The bark she lets out is completely unlike the bark she makes when we play. She bowowowowow's, gradually getting higher and higher, until her voice actually cracks.  Then it starts all over again.  It's 6 o'clock in the morning.  I hear that woman from the beach saying "your neighbors must hate you."  I dash off after her trying to get her attention and hopefully stop the barking.

She stops within a couple of feet of the caution tape and stands, neck stretched out, barking over and over again.  Every time I get close to her, she moves sideways away from me, barking so loud all four feet leave the ground.  This continues for minutes, although as I think about all the sleeping people around me it feels much longer.

When I finally get Pajamas leash back on, we slink out of the park....quietly.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

That'll Do

Find it
Flick it
Bounce it
Pounce it
                    When there's no ball.......
Roll it
Race it
Toss it
Take it
Throw it
Fetch it!
           .........an acorn will do!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

All That and a Bag of Chips

There is a large park near my house that is perfect for an off leash walk in the morning.  I wait until we cross the busy street and head down the main path into the park before letting Pajamas off her lead.  She bolts forward, nose to the ground as I slowly bring up the rear.

I walk further into the park as Pj's nose continues to lead her into a bunch of trees.  Suddenly, she bursts out from between the trees with a huge chip bag hanging out of her mouth.  It drags on the ground in front of her as she barrels towards me into the field.  There is no way I am going to get this bag away from her.  I decide to ignore her, hoping this bag full of crumbs will loose it's appeal when Mom doesn't get upset.

Pajamas digs her head deep into the bag.  So deep that her head is completely covered.  She shakes her her head and the bag goes flying.  She grabs its out of the air and throws it back up again.  Pieces of the bag are flying everywhere as she bounces around the field.  I've tried call her name, whistling.. it's no use.

Mom has finally had enough.  I grab a forgotten piece of chip bag, laying in the field and head towards her.  The piece of bag peaks her interest and she comes running!  Victory!  I quickly grab her collar and hook up her to the lead.  And then I praise her.  That's right, I fed her a ton of treats, patted her on the head and scratched under her chin.  After all, would you come to me next time I called if I yelled and screamed at you this time??  And what kind of chips had she been eating?  Jalapeno!  Yikes!

Later that day we while cuddling on the couch, I found tiny chip crumbs scattered throughout her fur.   Just another day with Miss Pajamas.  Never a dull moment.

Say it with Pride!


Like most Saturday mornings, Pajamas and I took our walk to the local coffee shop for our morning coffee and treat. Me with my cheddar scone and Pajamas with her bacon and peanut butter treat. The coffee shop has a great patio that faces east, a great place to catch some earlier morning rays before the heat gets unbearable. Pajamas loves the treats from this coffee shop. She sits on the patio looking in the window of the shop while I order my breakfast just daring me to forget her treat! When I come out with both our treats on a plate she licks her lips and sits as pretty as she can. I always like to split the treat into three or four smaller pieces so that she can enjoy it just a little longer.
I am sitting peacefully in the sun eating my scone when two men walk out of the shop and get into a cab. My dog barks. Just one pronounced bark. The people sitting next to me look over and say with a smile "our dog never barks". And I had the most amazing reaction. I laughed and smiled down at my dog and said "Oh, my dog barks!" I was happy! Even a little proud of my little munchkin. She is my dog and I love her just the way she is.

Even the Heat Doesn't Stop Her!

What's THAT Doing Here??

I am always a little surprised by the way Pajamas reacts to certain things. I think I have raised a fairly confident dog and she has definitely experienced many objects, environments and situations in her two short years. However, every so often something will take her by surprise and becomes very timid, nervous and shy.
This often occurs when we are walking through a park or forest and she spots something "unnatural" This could be someone's missing shoe, a pipe or electrical box of some kind or even......a plastic bag. While walking Pj in the park near my house early one morning, she spotted a white plastic bag laying in the grass. She approached it every slowly, as if trying to sneak up on it. Just as she gets close enough to reach her nose out and smell it a gust of wind comes and long and blows the plastic bag up into the air. Pajamas was completely shocked. She ran away, tail between her legs, barking. I couldn't help but laugh a little at her expense. You silly dog.
This morning a similar instance occurred while walking down the sidewalk. It was early on a Saturday morning and some newspapers that had been dropped off for the variety store on the corner had not been brought inside yet. Pajamas put on the breaks a few feet from the newspapers. She approached slowly, one foot at a time, neck stiff. She stops and stretches out her nose in order to give this strange object a good sniff before moving her paws to close. She starts to circle the object still sniffing, paws at a distance. After doing a semi circle sniff she apparently decided this object was no immediate threat to either her or her mommy and was then ready to continue on the walk as if nothing strange had happened.
I think it's important to let her be curious and approach the object at her own pace. Sometimes, I will approach the object without her which causes her a little stress at first, but when she sees me make contact with the object her body relaxes and she will usually come to investigate further after that.

- First Posted June 19th 2010

A Quiet House

I am leaving on vacation this afternoon and had to drop Pajamas off at my Aunt's house yesterday. I cannot believe how empty my house feels with out her there. I find myself watching for her under foot while I do the dishes, even though I know she isn't there. I am careful where I move my feet at the end of the bed at night, so as not to kick her as she sleep. I even found myself regretting having to make the trip outside for a bedtime pee last night before I realized I didn't have to take her out.
I stepped on her bone this morning as I was getting dressed and I smiled despite the pain. A scan of my room reveals just how thoroughly my dog fills my home. Her toy hippo that she carries with her to bed and uses as a pillow on the couch is laying in the middle of the floor, next to her furry pink kong that we play tug with. There are one, two, three, four bones laying around the room as well. The carpet is covered in dirty puppy prints that I haven't been able to remove on my own. I'll need to get a carpet steamer.


I walk up my hallway and see her empty dishes and her empty bed. I hear my upstairs neighbor come in and there is no barking, or growling or scrapping of her nails on the floor. I suppose I should be thankful for this peace and quiet, but all I feel is loneliness.

- First posted June 13th 2010

Crashing Waves of Lies

I took Pajamas down to the beach the other day and the minute her leash came off her barking began. I don't have a ball with me so she proceeds to jump around in front of me, barking so loud her ears are bouncing off the side of her head. She's barking so loud it echos off the houses behind us. A woman approaches, her quiet dog prancing along near by. "Your neighbors must hate you"
I was completely taken aback and before I realized it I was responding with, "She never barks." ..... She never barks? Where in the world did that statement come from? My mind immediately thinks back to this rightly named blog..My Dog Barks.
What prompted me to state such a bold faced lie? I tried to back peddle with embarrassment. "It's only when we're at the beach," I hear myself say. Another lie. "and when she's excited," I add. But, it's definitely more than that isn't it.

Ball Obsessed!

Pajamas is completely ball obsessed. It started when she was about 6 months old and escalated quickly. We couldn't go to off leash parks because she would latch herself to anyone carrying a Chuck It, jumping around them in circles, barking. It was so embarrassing! I started bringing extra tennis balls with a squeaker inside to use as a decoy when Pajamas stole other dogs balls, as well as tons of treats to reward any semblance of good behavior in these types of situations.
It didn't take long before even the park at the end of my street became an unwelcoming place. I found myself confined to one end of the park away from all the other dog owners who just a few short weeks ago had been my friends. Now they were staring and whispering, or so it seemed to me at least. I started walking down to a park a few blocks away that is much bigger and less busy. Here Pajamas could bark till her heart was content without the judging looks of other dog owners.
The only problem was that I began to loose my own patients with the situation. Every time I bent down to pick up the ball she would bark in my ear. She would get so worked up her whole body was shaking and her eyes were like two black saucers. I was ashamed at my inability to control the situation and very quickly lost my own love for this game that turned my dog into some kind of maniac!
We have come a long way since then. I can now go to an off leash park and fairly confidently walk past another dog owner carrying a Chuck It and not shudder in fear. The problem is far from fixed. It is a constant battle, but it is good to think back to where I started in order to truly see how much work I have put in.

The Secret is Out

When I got my dog, Pajamas, I had very high expectations, of myself and my dog. I've been through countless obedience classes and even started teaching at the obedience school part time. I have spent hours practicing sit stays and recalls in the park and take Pajamas to agility classes once a week. All of this should have resulted in a very well behaved, well balanced, well socialized dog. And in the eyes of most people I know, this is exactly what I have.
However, I cannot keep it a secret any longer. My dog barks. She barks at children, she barks when she plays, she barks when she's scared, she barks at birds and raccoons and cats and most of all....she barks at me. We've been exiled from the park at the end of my street in the early hours of the morning and the latter part of the evening. During the day I am shunned to the edges of the park, no longer socializing with the other dog owners who congregate there.
So my secret is out and it feels good! From now on I will share the stories of my barking dog in hopes of finding others who share my isolation in parks and embarrassment on the streets. Together we will reclaim those public spaces that have been denied to us! After all barking dogs deserve to play too!