Wookie Noises

When I first come home and let her out of her crate, she wanders around, seemingly a bit distressed, making wookie calls for a solid five to ten minutes. She doesn't want to go out, she doesn't need to eat, she isn't thirsty.

She's just vocal.


More wookie commnication from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.

Purple Cow's Leg

Mom got Harlow a purple cow when she was just a puppy. It was really one of her very first stuffed animals and she loves the thing.

Last night I went to the back door to let her into the house, but she had something in her mount. Convinced it was a poopcicle, I ordered her to drop it before entering. What fell to the floor with a clunk was a frozen limb of her purple cow, clearly left from a previous trip outside.

She was rather obsessed with playing with it for the remainder of the evening.


Frozen purple cow parts 2/24/14 from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.


2/24/14. More cow leg fun from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.


2/24/14. Purple cow leg take three from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.

Workout Pants and Online dating

I was shopping yesterday for workout pants. I felt defeated even before I started looking but I tried on a few pairs just the same. I realized as I put them back; shopping for workout pants is just like online dating. It's a total waste of time trying, but I have to keep trying because eventually, I have to find the right fit.

Mastering the Indoor Bark

Harlow - WOOF! WOOF!...WOOF!
Me (getting out of the shower) - Harlow! Stop barking!
Harlow - ...woof. woof.

Possible Realization

It's a sad thing when you come to realize that you're just to going to have what you always hoped you would; what you always felt you deserved, like everyone else.

For a long time I have been looking for my person. I am going to turn 38 soon and I am no closer to finding him than I was a decade ago. Or two decades for that matter.

I have no idea what I am doing wrong.

A lot of people say that their dog is like their child. I get it. To each his own. When I held Oliver as he was dying though, I wasn't holding my child. I was holding my friend. I was holding my puppy companion. I love Harlow, but she is not a human child. She's my puppy. And I love her. When I refer to her as "my kid" it's not in replacement of a human. When I say she's "like having a toddler", I mean that in the sense that she is a total handful, seconds away from drinking Drano if I don't watch her carefully. It's not because I think she actually is my toddler.

It is one thing to consider the possibility that you may never find what you were hoping for (a husband and a family of my own), it's another thing to actually come to the realization that maybe it's time to stop trying because, really, it's actually not going to happen.

Happy Valentine's Day

This morning we went to the dog park, of course. Ashley was there. Ashley is a border collie pit mix who is really rough with Harlow. Her favorite move is to hold onto the scruff of H's neck and basically not let go. But in truth, H doesn't seem to mind at all. It's a mystery to me, but a reality. After the jugular grabbing was at rest, Ashley found a stick. And so started the I Want The Stick, No, I Want The Stick game. There was no fighting though, only amusement. Silly girls.

After the park, I went to the gym. After the gym, I went to a plaza nearby with a Target and a PetSmart. (Here's the section where I explained why I was shopping at these two locations and then deleted it because I realized you do not care at all about what I needed).  When I parked my car at PetSmart, this is what I saw...

It's basically Harlow. I stood there and stared at the puppy, flabbergasted. And then I realized, it's Harlow's brother Blue!  But his parents live no where near here. I was amazed at the odds (and grateful Harlow wasn't with me because if they saw each other I don't know what we'd do!).  I went into the store looking for Peter and Kristen, Blue's owners. They weren't there. So, I got what I needed and when I came out there was a driver in the car. I tapped on the window. "My dog looks exactly like this dog!" I told her. 

"Oh, I'm dog-sitting for friends"

"Is this Blue?!"

"Oh my gosh, do you have his sister?"

"I do!"

She asked to see a photo of her, gushed over her unparalleled adorableness appropriately, and we marveled and the coincidence. She was at the pet store to get him toys to chew on so he didn't destroy her home. 

Smart move. I should have told her to keep the remotes away from him because if remote destruction is genetic, she's going to lose at least one this weekend. 

This last Friday we had a Valentine's Day party at work. It was a useless day really. No one did much of anything since we were up to speed on assignments. I made chocolate cameras for everyone and they were really excited about them. Quite a few people said, "I don't want to eat it!".

They should though because I ate the last one and it was pretty good!

"Can I try some?"

I made this fantastically gaudy cake for the work party too. It was yummy!

Snuggling while watching the Olympics at home.

It's the tongue that fractures me. 

Here are 20 essential facts

They all made me think of Harlow. Except the last one. The last one made me think of my Oliver.

Here are 20 essential facts dog lovers must always remember.

New Bed

"Harlow, I got you a new bed!"
"I don't like it"
"but it's a posturepedic! It's good for your puppy back"
"It's not fluffable and so I don't like it. It is NOT my favorite thing"

New bed 2/13/14 from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.

Wookie Calls and Shirts

I was tired last night. I came home at the end of my evening and put on my sweatpants. Then I put on my sleepshirt and sweatshirt, one conveniently still inside the other from the night before, and settled in for an evening of attempting to watching some relaxing TV with a whirling dervish who insists you throw the ball! Throw it again! THROW IT AGAIN! bouncing around me.

But before I settled in I was cold. I thought, there's a draft in this house! It must be really cold outside to be so drafty inside! And then I realized that I was wearing my baggy sweatshirt with no sleepshirt underneath.  Well, that explains it!  It didn't explain where the sleepshirt was though. Where had it gone? Was it still on my bed? No.

Hm.

Then I realized. No, it's not on your bed, it's inside the sweatshirt. The sweatshirt that you are wearing. It is on you. Or more literally, it is one your back, and on the back of your arms.

So basically I got into my sleepshirt and sweatshirt but didn't actually put my torso into my sleepshirt. Only my sweatshirt. So, I sort of wore my sleepshirt between my back and my sweatshirt.

It was pretty brilliant.

Unrelated, This morning I decided I would record Harlow's impressive wookie noises. She makes these noises when she wakes in the morning, and when she's excited to go for a walk. I have never been successful in capturing them because when I try by bringing out the phone, she suddenly stops the neat trick.

She's not to smart for me and my resting-the-phone-on-the-heater-and-pressing-record skills though!

Gotcha!


Wookie sounds from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.

21! 52! 47! Hike! Hike!

I took Harlow to the park today to tire her out. Curiously she was very insecure when we arrived there. I don't know if she was unnerved by another dog there (there was a cairn terrier similar to the one that went after her a week ago), or what the deal was, but she kept milling around my heels, and licking at her paws. I'd check her paws. nothing.

So, we walked on and went for a hike through the snow. Afterwards, we stopped at the dog park again on the way back through and whatever was concerning her had gone, so she was a wild child again.

Over the river and through the Fells

Beat after the hike and the playing

Watching for the Boogyman

More mornings than not Harlow waits on the steps when we come downstairs to start our day. I don't know if she's waiting for me to turn the lights on during the weekdays when it's not bright out yet when we rise (which doesn't make sense really because she does it on weekends too, when the sun is up by the time we are) or if she's waiting for me to check for they boogyman.

It reminds me a little of this one which I took a week or so after I got her...

Looking at these photos of her from when she was littler, it makes me wonder what I've done to her! Her coat was so sleek and shiney!

Puppies

I inquired with the animal behaviorist about Harlow's poop consumption and was relieved (no pun intended) to read this response...

Several dogs (mine included) only eat frozen poop, but not fresh poop.  Of course, if you pick the poop right up before it freezes you can prevent this habit.  But if not, don’t worry it will not hurt her only your nose!  If it helps, it appears that during domestication wolves and the beginning dogs began to hang around humans because they not only liked their food but also their poop.   So poop eating is a natural behavior for dogs!


And I saw this on FB and thought it was nice:

Snow Days and Poopsicles

Yesterday was a snow day for Harlow and me. Yippee! One of the bonuses of working for academia is that I no longer have to cover the weather, or even go out in it if it's really bad.  Harlow and I went for a walk in the morning and we ran and ran around in the yard to and played "fetch" with the Frisbee.

Harlow's version of fetch with a Frisbee is a quizzical one; her favorite part seems to be batting at the Frisbee in the snow, picking it up then dropping it again, pushing it with her nose (turning her head into Frosty the Snowdog's), and so on. Some times she brings the Frisbee to me and that's very exciting. Then it's just a matter of getting the Frisbee from her again.

But it's fun to make you pull it out of my mouth, mom!!!!

She got good and tired from our romping yesterday and that was great.


Frisbee. 2/5/14 from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.


Today I came home from work by 1 because I came down with a cold a few days ago and was feeling miserable. AM feeling miserable. No assignments on the docket except for the one Jackie and I played Rock, Paper, Scissors for (I won - she shoots it!), so I headed home to make some homemade lemon chicken orzo soup.

Harlow was still out with Bonnie the dog walker when I got home, but when they arrived, H was very excited to see me and Bonnie looked tired. I can't say I blame her. She told me "I've seen a turn happening. At first..." she hesitated, "to be honest, the other dogs didn't like her. I think it's because she's so" (flails arms around to pantomime "hyperactive"), "but now she gets in the car, and all the dogs look at each other, and they kinda nod, and then they're good! It's like she found her notch!"

I think she meant niche but it doesn't matter. My dog is not the most annoying creature that others dogs must tolerate anymore. I am so proud!

She was a good girl the rest of the day. Aside from the part when she was digging for something in the snow and I called to her (the tenacity of her digging was suspect), she came running with the item in her mouth and dropped in on the patio. A frozen bird carcass? Nope, later I would look closer to find that it was, you might have guessed this, a poop.

Wonderful.  My dog has some nasty hobbies.

neighborhood walk

she likes it

SNOWWWW! IT'S MY FAVORITE THING!

Lesions and Glowing Collars

Harlow woke me fifteen minutes earlier than yesterday with her pacing and whimpering. I hope she doesn't continue to wake me earlier and earlier!

I went to work a bit late today because tonight I got to photograph some mini performances by the Boston ballet who came to BU for a Q and A. It was really beautiful to see!

This morning I decided to try and get H to the dog park before I headed in. I hoped it would chill her out for when I left. I put her int he crate and used the carabiners and still she made a big fuss. I sat outside the porch window as the snow drifted in and watched her paw at the door and bark and bark.  I think she only does this when I leave her because the dog walker has told me that she she just goes right in.

Tonight I was snuggling with her when I found this on her side. Likely from trying to break out of the crate. I sure hope my dog isn't covered with crazy scars!

I also recently bought her this glowing collar which arrived in the mail tonight. I can never seem to find her when she's out roaming in the yard. It doesn't really help, I still can't find her!

Philip Seymore Hoffman

Although today was slow, it was a great day.

This morning H and I went for a walk/hike at the Fells. I set my timer for 20 minutes when we got started and basically just turned around when it went off. I can't read any of the maps I find online and as such have no idea where the trails go, so I just feel it's safer to do it that way. It was a fun little hike.

At the end of it, I cut her loose at the Sheepfold dog park where she ran for another 20 minutes or so. She befriended a small lab pit mix and the two wrestled like I've never seen H wrestle before. Running full speed and then running into each other, sending H sliding on her back for two yards or so. It was wild! But the field was basically all hay - tall grass which had never been tended to and was very dry and soft today. So it was nice to not worry too much about ice and rocks.

By the end of her exercise she was totally out of breath and covered with a combination of mud, dry grass, and some dog's drool.  She was a happy happy pup.

We returned home and I spent the day cleaning, making a sea glass necklace for Kristyn who had puppy sat while I was in PR, painting a onesie for a coworkers baby who is due soon, and repairing a few things H has damaged.

At one point I was on my computer for one reason or another when I thought I'd run down and check on her. She'd gotten a hold of my tooth floss (again) which I'd foolishly left on the coffee table (MMMM, minty!), and to my horror she sat on her bed with a bottle of super glue between her paws.

I had been repairing my ottoman with the glue when something shiny must have distracted me and I left the bottle within her reach.

Dog Owner of the Year!

I have not managed to vacuum but I DID figure out how to program my DVR remote to change the volume on my TV. That was a more than just a little victory for me.

Oh, and the low was learning that Philip Seymore Hoffman was found dead in his apartment which a heroine needle in his arm, leaving behind three small kids.

As I wrote on FB,

"I am far more sad than I probably should be to learn this news considering I didn't know the man. But I found his work to be so exceptional and it's so sad we will no longer be graced with his talent. To be clean for over twenty years and then fall off the wagon. I can't imagine what that must have been like- to conquer such demons to have them return. And leaving behind many who loved him including small children. It's so terribly tragic."

Happy Harlow after our hike and the dog park antics.

Queen of the stoop with her sceptre 

The Crate Escapes Continue

I leave the shade open a bit at the front of my house. I do this so that when I leave I can peak in and see to what degree the dog is wigging out when left in her crate. How high on the rictor scale is the severity of the wigging.  Last night I came home from work and let her stretch and roam.

I got in touch with an animal behaviorist at this point. I found a few in the Boston area and ended up calling Dr Amy Marder, because basically, she had the most letters after her name. I told her about Harlow and my concerns with her, her behavior and so on and my concerns about her turning into a difficult adult dog. Dr Marder reassured me that her behavior was puppy-related and that I brought her out of her crate too soon. She needs to be crated until she's two.

Two! That surprised me, but I'll go with it.

I put her back in her crate with treats and kongs and hard rubber toys and placed about four clamps on there. When I returned home from my (very nice) date I peaked into the window to see no dog in the crate and signs of mess.

*sigh*

I opened the door to a friendly welcome, "I got out! Look, Mom!  You challenged me and I won the game!"  There was only a magazine in her wake so it wasn't too bad.

Dr. Marder also recommenced that I leave her bedtime crate open with a bed just outside. That worked fine too. I was in bed at midnight and she didn't fuss til about 8:15.

This morning I took her to the dog park. There was a few people there with their dogs, which was surprising because it's so nice out I thought there would be more.

Among the group was two middle aged women sitting next to each other at the picnic table, one woman my age with a doberman lab mix, and a couple with a feisty cairn terrier. Harlow got acquainted with the dogs and because to run and play. When she got to the cairn terrier however, the terrier chased at Harlow and nipped at her, making contact. Harlow gave a yelp, whimpered and came over to me for consoling.

"You're fine!" I reassured her, giving her a once over. The Cairn got a mouthful of fur according to their owner but aside from that, no biggie.

I encouraged Harlow to go play again but the two women on the bench cooed over her "Oh, she got nipped!" they exclaimed "Poor baby!"

"Oh, she's fine!" I told them.

Harlow went to them and stood up on the bench between them, happy to get the attention. They gladly gave it to her.  Then she slumped over to the owner to the terrier and leaned against him pitifully. He obliged too and gave her some nice petting.

"Well, now you are just totally milking it!" I scolded her.

She walked it off and returned to running like mad with the doberman mix. As I watched them run, I could hear Harry Nilsson's song "Best Friend" in my head. Harlow was very happy.

My mission later on was to get some carabiners in an effort to keep Harlow in the crate. We'll see!

Escape artist from C.M. Scott on Vimeo.