May 2022

Day 81 (May 3, 2022)

Day 82, May 4, 2022

With supervision, I’m now letting Gracie grace some of the rooms in the house beyond the kitchen. It does mean my considering many more potential items Gracie will find and pick up. A favorite go-to place of hers is my magazine rack in the living room. She will walk over, select a magazine from the rack, pull it out, and RIP IT TO SHREDS. Old National Geographics seem to have particular appeal. My living room floor is typically littered with paper shreds these days.

OK, so sometimes (well, maybe frequently) Gracie will pick up something in the house to play with / chew on. And when I see it, sometimes (OK, well maybe frequently) my thoughts will go like this:

“She shouldn’t have that…but hmmmm, it’s just A MAGAZINE (insert here…a catalog, a store receipt, an old rug, a cat toy, the bathmat, or SOMETHING I FORGOT I HAD BUT DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT IT) and it’s OLD (insert here…easily replaceable, safe, readily digestible, something I was going to throw out anyway, or IT’S MUCH BETTER FOR HER THAN ANOTHER MORE VALUABLE THING ***).”

*** insert here…such as hearing aids or the last thing she had in her mouth

Then, I think:

“Well, I guess I’ll let her have it and I won’t yell at her (again)…”

Then, I turn away and go on about my business.

THAT IS, I literally IGNORE WHAT I JUST SAW AND PRETEND that I don’t see Gracie DESTROYING said item.

I have to admit this happens to me many times during the day. I truly wonder if a similar phenomenon happens to some parents when their kids get into things. I suppose some people would say this is a denial of misbehavior. I prefer to call it “picking my battles.”

Day 83, May 5, 2022

Today’s entry is not about Gracie, but it’s about my dear cat, Chloe. I made the very heart-wrenching decision to have Chloe put down today. Chloe’s lived with terminal cancer for several years now and she’s defied expectations for how long she had left to live. I took her to the vet earlier this week, and Dr. Walker confirmed her time now was very limited. She had a massive tumor on her head and recently a patch of fur came off over the tumor and her skin was exposed. Dr, Walker said the exposed skin wasn’t a danger. But there was a chance the tumor could rupture and that would clearly signify the end.

I kept thinking as long as Chloe still showed some good signs of life (eating, etc.) we could continue to hang on. This morning she jumped up on my bed. And she purred when I petted her.

But the quality of her life had really deteriorated recently. She ate very little food. She consistently missed the litter box. She no longer groomed herself. And she spent 95% of the time sleeping in my closet, hiding – no longer enjoying spots of sun or curling with me on the couch.

Making this kind of decision is THE HARDEST THING ABOUT HAVING A PET. With pets, we have the liberty to make a choice about euthanasia. But how to make that decision? It is difficult to determine when it is actually “time.” Chloe couldn’t tell me in words. I needed to assess her behavior. I sure didn’t want her to be in pain. I could have waited until she died naturally. But what would her quality of life have been like then? She had a terminal illness with no hope for improvement. Her quality of life could only have been expected to decline. And I didn’t want to wait until the tumor ruptured to make the decision. It seemed more humane to not wait until things got far worse.

But I so loved this wonderful cat I had the joy of owning for over 19 years. I didn’t want to let her go. But I did.

Day 84, May 6, 2022

Thank you so much for your many, many expressions of care and sympathy for Chloe. They’ve been a real comfort to me.

Day 86, May 8, 2022

Gracie and I are really enjoying a nice extended Mother’s Day visit with Mom!

Gracie never fails to surprise us with the things she drags in from outside. Last evening, she reluctantly dropped a dead bird in the stairway at the Oaks. IT WAS THE SAME DEAD BIRD SHE DROPPED ON MOM’S FLOOR DURING OUR LAST VISIT!

Accident data:

April 28 – 12 days

May 10 – 24 days

Accident on May 19

May 15, 2022 – Day 93

I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from the updates this past week while Gracie and I enjoyed an extended visit with Mom. As always, Gracie received LOTS of attention from her many human friends and family at the Oaks and nearby (Mom, Tom, Jan, Fred, Pat, Bill, Linda, Debra, Larry, Sally, Charlie, Dick, Ann, Betty, Les, Norma, Jane, and others). Gracie made more canine friends, too, at the Tudek Dog Park and in the Steeplechase neighborhood. Thank you, Debra, for giving Gracie a much needed hosing off following our 2+ hour stint Wednesday at Tudek!

Gracie’s behavior during this trip was improved over our last trip. We had less chomping on “bad” chewable items; she was generally calmer and more attentive. But she’s certainly still a work in progress, requiring careful supervision as she continues to be inclined to chew walls, rugs, magazines, books, coasters, and other coveted household items. As Mom says, “Gracie probably thinks her middle name is ‘NO’.”

Can you spot the irony in this picture?

Video: Gracie enjoying a swim today!

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0795MfTig4GoYVl8ip6VUdVNQ

Video: Drying off in the grass after the swim…

https://share.icloud.com/photos/014dUw4ezcLzhIKbC_tylDAbA

Some recent dog park photos:

May 17, 2022 – Day 95

We now have four obedience classes under our belt! Things are going pretty well. We spent most of the third class learning the “leave-it” cue. (This is used, for example, to deter the dog from investigating / picking up something undesirable such as a “bad” chewable item.) Compared to the other dogs in class, Gracie was a little slow on the uptake with this one. Purple-haired Jen said doodles typically take longer with this command, though I think Jen was just trying to make me feel better when I had no success with Gracie after 15 attempts. It took Gracie A LOT MORE practice for her to get the idea. And it’s still hit or miss depending on how excited or distracted she is, or how enticing the object might be to her. If a favorite Bil Jac chicken-liver treat is the “leave-it” object, Gracie will move quicker than a speeding bullet to snatch it, ignoring my commands.

The good news is, however, with the many, many things Gracie gets into – and shouldn’t – we are fortunate to have INFINITE opportunities every day at home to practice the “leave-it” cue!

Lesson number four of doggie obedience training focused on walking the dog on leash, the “come” command, and more of “leave-it.” Each of the dog owners in class were handed forty-foot leashes (a GREAT training tool as per Jen) to practice the “come” command with the dog. We practiced “come” at progressively increasing distances. As we went through our paces in the aisles of PetSmart, I probably spent the largest portion of my time either untangling the leash, or, being preoccupied with preventing products from being knocked off shelves or making sure customers weren’t assaulted by my high-spirited dog. Nevertheless, Gracie performed quite well with this activity, earning a “Good job, today!” and a yummy Bil Jac chicken-liver treat from Jen.

Before we left, Jen was quick to remind us that PetSmart conveniently sells forty-foot leashes and Bil Jac chicken-liver treats!

May 20, 2022 – Day 98

What could possibly be better than a toilet plunger to chew on?

May 21, 2022 – Day 99

It’s nearly record-breaking heat today in the Philadelphia area (92 degrees in suburbs where I live). Our obedience class was canceled (purple-haired Jen was out of town), so I took Gracie to the swimming hole this afternoon. Gracie tried desperately to engage an older male bulldog into play, but the slow old guy would have nothing of it. Nevertheless, Gracie enjoyed a good swim and happily retrieved sticks from the water. The photo below was taken at one point today as she rolled in sticks and mud after a swim. Another dip in the water was absolutely required to clean her off!

May 23, 2022 – Day 101

It was another VERY hot day yesterday, so Gracie went for several dips again in the swimming hole!

A video – Gracie at the swimming hole:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/02cJbBf6VrvSLUIOVmvlZxvPw

Later, enjoying the deck:

May 25, 2022 – Day 103

I thought we’d try something new. So, for the past two days, I’ve been taking Gracie to a different dog park, Harford Park in Radnor, PA, about 20 minutes away. It’s an off-leash dog park from sunset to sundown. Mid-afternoon, when we’ve gone, it becomes fairly populated with dogs (and their owners, of course). Gracie loves it. Yesterday and today, she played with dogs of all sizes and breeds – wrestling in the grass, running, fetching balls and sticks, digging holes, and frolicking in an adjacent stream. It’s been fun to watch. Today a HUGE black and white bernedoodle was Gracie’s choice friend for a while. Harford Park is peppered with signs giving friendly reminders to dog owners to clean up after their dogs (see photo below). Another example: “Don’t forget to SCOOP. even if it’s not YOUR poop!”

May 26, 2022 – Day 104

May 27, 2022 – Day 105

Gracie enjoyed the park today before the rain set in. She played with a Swiss Mountain dog (Crosby), a beagle-lab-miniature pincher mutt (Gigi), a 160-lb. Bernese Mountain dog (Milo), and a pit bull mutt (Nutella).

At Teagarden Park yesterday, while Gracie romped with three French bulldogs, I pulled out a Nerf frisbee and threw it. The four dogs went tearing after it. The Frenchies grabbed it first and all three of them tugged it in different directions at the same time while Gracie looked on. By the time I grabbed my camera, only two of the dogs still had the Frisbee. Very funny to watch!!

Here’s Gracie retrieving the frisbee – a video:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0abc2wyYjj5wC5ffJ8r0U4FNg

For evening entertainment, Gracie further demonstrates the fine art of magazine shredding:

May 31, 2022 – Day 109

Gracie and I met this funny lady in the Teagarden Dog Park today. Her name is Diane, and she had her dog Zeke with her. Gracie and Zeke had a fun time playing together. Zeke looks kind of like a golden retriever without a tail, but he is, actually, a Heinz 57 variety dog (includes Australian Shepard – hence, sans tail). Anyway, Diane has a wacky sense of humor and entertained me with stories about Zeke (who loves to go on the amusement park rides at Koebel’s Park in Elysburg, PA where pets are allowed), her son (who is an investment banker in New York, is dating Paul Simon’s daughter, and – according to Diane – doesn’t appreciate his Mom enough because HE’S hob-knobbing around the big city with famous people while she’s going to cheap amusement parks with what was HIS former dog), and herself (who has no patience for people who don’t love their dogs unconditionally by spending most of their free time scoping out great dog places to go even if it’s a 3-hour drive one way and gas costs nearly $5 a gallon).

Diane told me about how New York City prohibits dogs on the subways unless THE DOG CAN FIT IN A BAG. (Actual ordnance: “No person may bring any animal on or into any conveyance or facility unless enclosed in a container.”) I guess the people who came up with this rule were envisioning a tiny teacup terrier nestled in a little pouch. Clearly, these neophyte lawmakers failed to recognize the resourcefulness of New York subway riders. As you can well imagine, passengers have taken full advantage of this ordinance, bending it to the nth degree.

Here’s one creative solution: