22 posts tagged “pets”

Yesterday it rained 4 inches. Over a period of several hours. Of course, the dogs had to go out at some point. I tried to put it off as long as I could, because remember how I mentioned that I can't use an umbrella when I take them out in rain (I thought it was just because it causes them to dawdle for ages or never go?!)...well it was raining so hard that I decided just to try the umbrella...

I geared up, leashes on dogs, rain boots on me, grabbed the umbrella, stepped outside into the downpour...opened my umbrella, and in that split second I remembered why I can't use an umbrella....

Wallace is terrified of umbrellas.

The second I opened that umbrella he took off...fortunately or not, he was still attached to me by way of his leash. So I'm skidding (as close to water skiing as one can get) across the flooded backyard, screaming at him to stop.Of course, I'm still senselessly holding onto the umbrella and so when he does slow down, he turns to see that I still have that wretched contraption, and so he starts up running again.

Gromit thought it was all some big game, so he was running right along with Wallace. I'm lucky I kept my footing and didn't land face first in the mud, and Wallace only stopped running when a giant boom of thunder scared him to his senses and I closed the umbrella and dragged him back inside. Of course no one managed to go potty....and once again I thanked my lucky stars that my parents don't have neighbors at least all theses shenanigans of the dogs have been unseen by others.

Wallace has numerous irrational fears besides umbrellas;

ponchos (I tried this number on him later...he was just as terrified as with the umbrella), balloons, big blue balls (only big blue balls- all other balls are fair game to be popped), vacuum cleaners (he loves Gavin don't you think?), moving trucks, crinkling paper or bags, suitcases, I know I'm leaving out so many of them...it would almost be easier to say what he's not afraid of....thunderstorms (unless they involve umbrellas), food, beds (unless they are air mattresses), and petting.

Otherwise, you can just assume he's terrified of it.

I once read on a website about whippets that since, in general, they have a mind of their own when they are running off-leash; that if they get away from you, you should drop to the ground like you've been shot...screaming and making a scene. Chances are, your whippet will forget whatever he's taken off after and come back to see why you've seemingly lost your mind. Otherwise, if you don't catch their attention somehow, they will dash into oblivion at a pretty fast 38 mph.

Yesterday I had let Gromit out to run, (I've decided I'm going to let him fetch tennis balls as a form of exercise so that he doesn't lose his mind inside my parent's house without a fenced backyard.) He had worn himself out almost and then he just off and decided to run away, after a butterfly or other bug no less.
I yelled for him to come back, I waved my arms like crazy...he paid me no attention. Visions of missing dog posters flashed in my mind...and then I remembered the sage advice from that website...

I very dramatically dropped to the ground, writhing in pretend agony..yelling for his help...and wouldn't you know it..he immediately stopped running, turned around and high-tailed it back to me to check on my physical and no doubt, mental state.

No comment on if I'm going to be willing to do this if he escapes in public. I know I will if it's necessary, but for pride's sake I'm hoping it won't come to that.

Show us a better way to spend $300 than on the iPhone 3G.

Wally!

We got Wallace for $300, and I think he's a much better deal than any phone.

 He's also wireless....completely independent of all power sources, no  lengthy recharging here- well, except for food and petting, he requires daily recharges of those.

 He's fast (the I phone says it's 2x as fast previous models)...well, 2x as fast compared to a whippet? I don't think so.

So the I phone has an Ipod built in...Wally makes his own music, "Awwwwoooo"- no silly 99 cent song downloads here...it's free and ready to go at any time.

He responds to touch too...Just scratch his neck, he'll be your best friend forever.

I'll take a whippet buddy any day over a cell phone :) 

We had a terrible thunderstorm this afternoon. I hate storms, always have- when I was little- I borrowed my dad's shop headphones and would wear them whenever it stormed...even through dinner...Now, I am pretty much am content to snuggle under the covers to wait it out,  with my ears covered of course ! But that's not feasible when you have a one-year old. And I think I may have scared him by being scared. I was trying to carry him around and act like nothing was wrong, but the lightning was so close, I jumped and almost dropped him- then gave up on holding him, put him down- he screamed.

It struck again, closer this time, I jumped again, which made him jump- which started the waterworks flowing...I went into the hallway and tried to play with his ball popper toy, to drown out the thunder- but that didn't make him feel better (or me honestly). I watched the power flicker on and off, and the floor and walls shake with each convincing boom of thunder, and realized I couldn't find the dogs.

Lo and behold- my dogs who (honestly) aren't scared of thunderstorms or any other loud noise (fireworks) were snuggled ASLEEP on our bed. They could've cared less.

Then Gavin started signing, "eat" and  was getting really grouchy when I told him to wait a moment ( I didn't want to venture out of the hallway). Finally  I did and quickly retrieved the box of Cheerios. He clapped and we sat in his room, and ate cheerios together. The dogs (of course) got up for this- and sat in the floor, side by side patiently waiting for cheerios.

Gav didn't make them wait too long, he got his fill and then doled them out one by one to the waiting whippets. It was absolutely adorable...Pretty much went like this..."One for you, *CRUNCH*, okay, and one for you *CRUNCH*. He was so fair with them it was too cute!

No pictures though- I was too scared to get up and go get it ;)

If you've ever wondered how diapers are so absorbent, I can enlighten you. There are MILLIONS of tiny little gel things that absorb everything, whisking it away from baby's bum so they stay dry. And they are almost impossible to clean up after your darling dogs find one in the trash and "kill" it in the living room.

I heard a weird sound in the living room, turned on the light and Gromit is shaking the living daylights out of a diaper. All over the carpet, the couch, the floor, the toys, the blinds, the tv, you name it..there were MILLIONS of  tiny balls of pee gel EVERYWHERE! I couldn't do anything but stammer.."HOW am I going to clean this up?" as I threw both dogs out the back door angrily. It took forever to clean up, and I'm sure tomorrow morning I'll find more that I missed...

I wasn't kidding when I said everything exciting happens when Andrew's gone.

Wow...Wallace just scared the living daylights out of me.
He's asleep on the couch in the living room, I'm back here, wasting time reading blogs (not wasting time really, but I could/should be sleeping!) and I hear what sounds like I have a wolf in my house...

AaaaWooooooooooo! (Very very loudly). Scared me to death, I get in there, and Wallace has startled himself awake. Apparently he was dreaming of distant lifetimes as a wolf or something and howled himself awake. How nice.