"Molly" Moved

"Molly", the Giant Schnauzer/English Springer Spaniel mix who lived adjacent to Kodi's backyard for the past year has moved away.

He spent a lot of time running up and down the length of the fence that separated them, playing with her. She was the sole canine socialization Kodi got to experience regularly, as he felt comfortable with her, seeing as how she was on the other side of the fence, he didn't have to fear being attacked and she was a puppy, so she was always in the mood to 'play'.

"Molly" broke our hearts whenever we were in the backyard with Kodi. She would watch us playing with him, clapping our hands and calling out to him, chasing him around the yard, as she spent all day, nearly every day, in her backyard without so much as a toy to amuse herself.

We often wondered if she were able to speak to us, if she would ask why her human family didn't play with her, why they provided her with no toys, why they left her outside all day and most of the evening until late at night in the bitter cold of Winter and the horrendous heat and humidity of Summer, while Kodi was always accompanied by his humans, provided with no less than 13 toys to keep him busy, enjoyed interaction multiple times a day on a daily basis.

Many of "Molly's" neighbors talked about reporting her family for neglect, as they provided no dog house or adequate shelter for her or the older female Beagle who lives with Molly. They allowed her to get into the trash and chew on tin cans and plastic soda bottles, often her only toys and source of amusement. Neighbors talked about reporting, but didn't want to cause upset in the neighborhood, didn't want to fight with the neighbor or have to fear some sort of retaliation.

Now, we understand "Molly" will be living with her family in a 'country' setting. We don't know if she will have a fenced in yard, if she will have a dog house or a place to escape the cold and heat. We don't know if she'll have toys to play with or fresh water to drink.

Being in the position of disagreeing with the way she was cared for, but having to live next door to her family was difficult, but the neighbors who discussed reporting her family for neglect should have done so, as now she will be living in a more remote setting where others may not be aware of how little is provided for her.

Kodi isn't sure what to think about why "Molly" isn't outside, why when he calls to her she doesn't bound down off the back stairs like she used to and meet him at the fence. He looks for her, calls to her and sits patiently waiting to see her again. It will be a hard adjustment to make, reaching the understanding that she's not there anymore. It will be hard for all of us to adjust.

Kodiak's Third Birthday

Today is Kodiak's 3rd Birthday. Happy Birthday my beloved boy.

Come Out to Play?

About a week ago, as Kodi and I were sitting in the backyard one evening a young girl on a bicycle came to the driveway. She parked her bike and asked if she could play with Kodi.

He welcomed her, sniffing and licking her, jumping up and talking to her.

For about a half an hour, she threw his ball, tossed his Kong Wubba around the yard for him. It was nice, as she and I got to chat while they played.

When she was ready to leave, as it was getting dark, she told Kodi goodbye and I told her she could come over and visit whenever she saw us out in the yard. Kodi would appreciate having someone who could run around the yard with him.

Last night, there was a soft knock on the screen door. I called out, as I was getting up to answer, “hang on.” A meek female voice asked, “Can your dog come out to play?”

I nearly fell over as I crossed the room. Now Kodi has ‘friends’ coming over and asking if he can come out to play… ugh! LOL

I’m telling you, he’s more human than some humans I know.

Attacked Again!

Yes, it happened again. Kodi and I were out walking, in an area we chose to walk in because we were avoiding another area where we had been attacked several times.

There is a stretch of road with no sidewalk, behind a ball field. Only the backs of houses face the ball field, so there isn't much activity on the street and portions of the road are shaded by old tree growth, so it makes for a quiet and serene place to walk.

We have noticed that one back yard is fenced in with a short decorative fence consisting mainly of a decorative lattice and a frame. There is a small boxer mix that has been in that yard on occasion, though she has barked at us, she's never attempted to jump the fence.

She jumped the fence! We were walking by, following (at a safe distance) a Samoyed and his owner who often walk the same route. As we were passing her back yard, she had her paws and elbows on the top of the fence, barking at us. We ignored her and kept moving.

We had just passed her property line, on the other side of the street, closer to the ball field, when suddenly I was startled by growling and barking, two snapping dogs. Kodi had spun around, pulled the Halti off his face and was defending himself.

I didn't have my pepper spray in reach (of course), so I swiped at her with my hand screaming "No! No!" and "Get away from us!"

She ran toward her yard as the man walking the Samoyed came back. He said she liked his dog and he would get her in her yard again.

A woman was sitting on the monument at the corner of the ball field who had witnessed the attack. She and the man, who had returned with his dog, asked if we were okay. I was getting the Halti back on Kodi's face and proceeded to run my hands over the length of his body. There was saliva on his back/shoulder, but there didn't appear to be any breaks in his skin.

I have to say I was shaken up. Kodi was too. Once we had moved on and were a good distance away from where the incident took place, he kept looking up at me and slowing down. I stopped my chair and spoke to him, as he put his paws up on my forearm and licked my face, rubbing the top of his head and nose under my chin, across my chest.

Clearly, he needed reassurance, as did I. We stayed there on the sidewalk, and took care of one another for 2 or 3 minutes, just letting cars pass us by.

When he was comfortable enough to put his feet back down, we continued on our walk.

I don't understand what it is that gets us attacked so often. I've had people suggest that perhaps it is the power chair, that some dogs are frightened or threatened by the moving chair, something beyond their realm of understanding or experience. I've also had people tell me that one dog can be prone to attacks depending on the way they 'carry' themselves. I don't know... I wish I knew what was prompting these attacks. This would make no less than 7 in about 2 years.

We are never going to overcome Kodi's insecurity if this sort of thing keeps happening. Short of constructing some sort of bubble around us to protect us, I am clueless as to how to avoid future attacks.

Our area in which we can safely walk has shrunken considerably, as I avoid places where previous attacks have occurred. We are becoming seriously limited as to how much exercise Kodi can get by walking.

I wish there were more I could do to protect us.

Thrifty Eater

Huskies, as a breed, tend to be 'thrifty eaters'. One would think for such an active and high energy breed, they would be big eaters, fueling all that activity, but they aren't.

Kodi has been true to his breed, hardly eating at all. I'm amazed that he has the energy that he has, that he's able to walk twice a day for an hour or an hour and a half each time, to play in the yard for a half hour to an hour at a time, several times a day, seeing as how he sometimes really only eats once every two or three days.

He has never preferred canned dog food, nor has he liked kibble.

We started him with a well known, highly recommended brand as a puppy, he didn't care for that, we tried a Veterinarian recommended prescription diet, but he wouldn't eat that. We tried mixing canned food with kibble, which worked a half dozen times or so, but then he stopped eating that.

A year ago, the Veterinarian said that they weren't concerned about his weight, though he's in the lower acceptable range for the breed standard. He's lean, lanky and apparently some Huskies can be that way.

We talked to the Vet a couple months ago about whether we could put him back on the vitamin supplements he was on when he was a puppy. They didn't feel that was necessary, but suggested trying another flavor of the same brand of dog food, saying that Huskies can be finicky.

We changed to a lamb flavor, from chicken and he seemed to be willing to eat a little more, but he started begging for canned cat food when I was feeding the cats, so I offered him a teaspoon of cat food each time I fed the cats.

When we recently saw the Vet, this time, they said they weren't 'concerned', but would like to see him put a pound or two on. They recommended taking that little bit of cat food and smearing it all over the bottom of his food dish and up the sides, then putting his dry kibble in on top of that, so that to get to the flavor of the cat food on the bottom of the dish he has to eat through the kibble.

We tried it and it worked! Kodi's eating twice a day. He's not finishing all the food, but he's eating about 3/4 of it each time, which is more than he was eating in two or three days.

They also suggested a spoonful of peanut butter was a good source of protein, fats and carbs, since Kodi LOVES anything peanut butter flavored. I've always treated him at least once a month to some plain cooked pasta with a little browned hamburg as a treat.

He's so active, has a high metabolism and burns up everything he's eating, so a little indulgence won't hurt him.

I can't imagine what he might look like if he puts a few pounds on. He's going to be an incredibly intimidating figure of a dog.

A Healthy Environment

I am a bit obsessed with Kodiak's environment being safe, clean and healthy. Whether it be indoors or out, I try to make sure that there's nothing within reach that could cause him harm. I was meticulous about 'puppy proofing' the house before bringing him home as a puppy and I made sure there was nothing in the yard that could pose a threat to his health.

I'm fanatical about keeping the solid waste out of the yard. I am on my fifth 'pooper scooper' as a result of how often I use them, I've worn them out, their hinges have broken or they've simply fallen apart.

When I walk Kodiak in the community, when we go out to run errands and I use my chair, I have a 'pooper scooper' strapped to my chair so I can clean up after him.

I was cleaning up in the yard, a while back, when a neighbor yelled, "if I 'went' in your yard would you pick mine up too?" I was appalled! He often made fun of the way I immediately took up the 'pooper scooper' and went into the yard once Kodiak had finished toileting.

I don't see the entertainment value in being a responsible pet owner and caring about the health of my dog, perhaps I'm missing something?

I know I'm very protective of Kodiak, as I never tie him out and leave him alone in the yard. When he's outside, I'm outside with him, interacting, throwing a toy, watching him, praising him for 'taking care of business', as he was nearly stolen once when he was less than a year old, while I was outside with him.

I realize other pet owners aren't as vigilant as I am, they are of the mind that their pet is 'street smart', 'can fend for themselves', etc.

I've had occasion lately, to observe Kodiak's friend "Molly", the puppy who lives next door on the other side of the fence. While she lives in a large fenced in yard and does go inside, she's often left outside for hours, sometimes all day and evening, without a water bowl, with no supervision or interaction. The only toy she has in the yard is the one Kodiak gave her.

Her yard is littered with piles and piles of waste, as she shares the home with another dog, as well as a kitty who goes out into the yard. We hear her crying and whining for hours on end, wanting to go inside, but has been relegated to the outdoors because the family isn't home to work on housebreaking.

Lately, she's discovered the garbage can, emptying it into the yard, where she plays with plastic milk jugs, tin cans, bottles, etc.

She spends hours chewing on tin cans, trying to dig out from under the fence, tossing garbage around the yard, chewing on fallen limbs and sticks. I'm terribly concerned that she'll injure her teeth, gums or tongue, especially since she's a puppy and losing her teeth.

I may be overly protective, but I think having a dog (or any pet) is a serious commitment, a serious responsibility that we shouldn't undertake if we're not prepared to do what needs to be done to care for our pets.

My elderly neighbor called me to complain that she's been threatened with a fine by the city for the dog feces in her yard. The water meter reader complained about the mess. The problem is, she doesn't have a dog, her son who lives next door does and the waste in her yard is his dog's. The meter reader counted 56 piles of mess in the small area between the two houses.

People don't realize that waste that isn't removed from the yard can cause infections and disease in your own dog. It draws insects to the yard which can become a serious problem for the home owner and the smell of waste attracts stray dogs, cats and wild animals to your yard where they deposit their own waste which can contain disease and parasites.

It goes without saying that people who don't practice waste control in their own yards also don't pick up after their dogs when walking in the neighborhood. Sometimes our walks are more like navigating a mine field.

Some food for thought, while you can take off your shoes, if you 'step in something', when you go inside, I can't exactly take off the wheels of my power chair, so whatever I roll through, ends up in the house, so cleanliness and waste control is of great importance to me.

A healthy environment is important to all of us. Keeping Kodiak healthy and happy is key to my own health and happiness.

The "Rules" Don't Apply to Friends?

Kodi and I have been working really hard on diminishing the 'puppy' behavior we still struggle with, rushing to greet people at the door, putting his feet up on people in an effort to try to kiss them, barking inside the door, etc.

He's been doing wonderfully. We've established 'Kodi's spot', which, when escorted to his spot, he's able to stay there until released to 'greet' company. He learns so quickly, when we are consistent.

My husband's Uncle has been visiting for Sunday dinners every other weekend, which gives us a great opportunity to practice our manners.

I have a friend who comes to visit about once every week or so. She is of the mind that the 'rules' don't apply to her. In fact, she's said as much. She allows/encourages him to put his feet up on her, to kiss her, to hold her down on the sofa and put his face in her cup, his nose near her food, etc. When I correct him, she always says, "It's okay, he knows I don't mind."

We don't allow him to do those things with us, or anyone else. We correct him, even though she's telling him it's okay. She doesn't understand that she's undermining his training and our efforts to have a well mannered dog.

She seems to think that it should be okay depending on the individual person's preference and somehow Kodi should know which people are 'okay' with being mauled by him and which people aren't.

When we encounter her in public, he gets excited. She coaxes him to put his paws up on her chest, to give kisses, etc. When I correct him she says, "You better not, you have your vest on, you're getting in trouble."

It's hard to expect strangers, who may or may not know better, to respect the vest when friends who do know better don't/can't/won't.

A "Girlfriend" and Concern

Kodiak has a new friend, a little girl doggy who lives next door. She's only about 14 weeks old and simply adorable. She thinks he's the greatest thing since "kibble".

She's an English Springer Spaniel/Giant Schnauzer named "Molly".

Little Molly came to live next door when she was 7 weeks old. Immediately, upon seeing her outside, Kodiak was attentive, watching and listening to her, unable to focus on much else while outside in the backyard.

I decided to let him meet her, so we went to the fence. There was a lot of sniffing, wiggling and tail wagging. They had a little 'talk' and I must say, a bit of daily interaction through the fence with Molly has certainly had a positive effect on Kodiak's disposition. He gets bored easily when we can't walk a couple times a day, so being able to reach the fence and play up and down its length with Molly has done wonders for him.

Kodiak and I have some serious concerns though. Molly is often left outside in temperatures below freezing for more than an hour at a time, without a house to seek shelter in, with no water dish, while her family is inside going about their business. Several days, when the wind chill was approximately 11 degrees, Molly and the older dog (Maggie - a Beagle) she lives with were left outside all day.

The family said they were having trouble housebreaking Molly because they are out of the house all or most of the day. This makes sense to me because even when they are home, they don't go out with Molly to encourage or praise her when she 'goes potty outside'. When she's outside, she's playing with Maggie, playing with Kodiak, raiding the garbage can where she brings tin cans and plastic milk jugs out into the yard to play with.

My husband brought Kodiak in from a potty trip to the yard and said "Kodiak thinks it's a shame Molly doesn't have any toys in her yard and feels bad playing with the 7 or 8 toys he has in his yard, while she's dragging milk jugs around her yard, he wants to get her a toy." So we went to the store and got her a tuggy tennis ball toy. Kodiak and my husband went to the fence and gave it to her.

Kodiak is very sensitive to her crying. He will sit in the yard and watch her, listening, especially when she's at her back door where he can't see her. Even in the house, he can hear her crying and will stand at the windows whimpering, wants to be taken outside so he can check on her.

As a responsible pet owner, I feel badly for little Molly. Her human family isn't making much of an effort to housebreak her or give her a little praise for going outside, they don't seem to care that she's chewing on metal cans and plastic from the garbage can, they don't seem concerned at all that she's outside, sometimes for many hours, with no shelter, nothing but snow or concrete to sit/lay on.

An adult dog, even Kodiak being a Husky, gets cold and can't tolerate prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures. An 8, 10 or 12 week old puppy certainly can't handle 11 degree windchill for an indefinite period of time.

I'm afraid we're going to have to keep an eye on Molly and perhaps call the local Dog Law Officer if the situation doesn't change.

It is incredibly cute, how Kodiak sits and watches her, how she comes to the fence and stands against it 'talking' to him. You can imagine the little pink and red hearts floating up into the air around their heads. :)