Sometimes life gets too busy

To all my loyal readers, sorry I haven't been here in a while. We're in the midst of planning a big bru-ha-ha at my work and it's taking up too much time! The only attention Boris is getting is fed, walked, fed again, walked again.

However there is a light at the end of the tunnel. . .the big event will be over on Friday. Then I can go back to reporting on Boris' life of herding, hangin' with Othello, and taking looooooong naps.

See you soon!

Lesson learned: Sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do.

C-ya. Now leave me to my nap.

I left Boris this morning just as you see him in the photo. It's Wednesday, so by this time in the week he's pretty in tune with the routine. He jumped on the bed while I was dressing and didn't leave that spot. He didn't even walk me to the door.

If he were a person, I'd probably be miffed at the lack of attention a family member was giving me at my departure, but he's a dog. He's also a dog that had severe separation anxiety as a puppy. Now I'm relieved that he calmly rests rather than in a panic trying to follow me out the door.

During Boris' first year, I'd leave our apartment every morning with dread as to what I would find when I came home. During his early puppy hood Boris ate three throw pillows, a number of pens, a pencil, a SODA can, a number of shoes, a couple of remotes, a set of coasters, a few books, newspapers, a wicker basket, and chewed through our Persian rug.

I wasn't upset about the things that were destroyed, because, after all, they were just things. I was worried that he'd hurt his internal organs with something he had eaten. Once I had to take him to the emergency vet because he ate so much pillow foam I thought he wouldn't be able to pass it. The vet gave me some kind of laxative to push it out, and he was fine. Soft things, not so bad. But, he had a particular liking for pens, and that's what scared me.

When Boris was around six months old, he'd learn that if he'd take something - usually a pen - I'd chase him to get it back. He being smarter-than-smart, figured out the exact time I was ready to leave, then steal something. He knew that I'd chase him and that would keep me home longer. Once he stole my eye glasses from the night stand. The little thief grabbed them, watched me to make sure he knew he had them, then trotted off. Once I'd catch him, I'd have a terrible time getting the object from him. I'd have to lure him away with a treat to get whatever he had away from him.

All this changed when we learned to use the crate. We discovered this when moving from Brooklyn to Jersey City. The weeks before the move, we had boxes and plastic wrap throughout the apartment ready to be moved. Our dog walker in Brooklyn pointed out that it really wasn't safe for Boris to be wandering around all this; he was now large enough to knock over a box that could lead to a number of boxes toppling down on him. So in the crate he went.

Crating Boris calmed him down tremendously when we weren't there. He was quite happy going into his own space to take a long, undisturbed nap. This worked so well in Brooklyn, we decided to use crating in Jersey City for the first six months we were there. Until he adjusted to the new place, he'd be crated all day with a break when the dog walker came. Then, after about three months in the new place, we'd crate him until after the dog walker came then she'd leave him free to roam the apartment. After about six months, he was adjusted and could roam the apartment while we were gone.

Putting Boris in a crate when he was a puppy seemed so cruel at the time, but as it turns out, leaving him to roam around a large space more more cruel. I'm so thankful that during that time he didn't really hurt himself. I'm even more thankful that he's over his anxiety and can enjoy a good long snooze while Kola and I are away.

Lesson learned: Crate your dogs if you have to - they actually like it!

Distracted by the Olympics

Many apologies to my faithful readers for neglecting my blog, but like the rest of the world I am glued to the Olympics! For the opening ceremonies Kola and I actually scheduled a date to order in Chinese food and watch the entire program!

Being a former competitive swimmer, am in awe of Michael Phelps accomplishments. Plus, he's appears to be a nice guy; he has an English Bulldog, so, what's not to like?

I'm also enjoying the gymnastics - both boys and girls. As much as I enjoy watching, they scare the crap out of me! All their twisting, rotating, jumping, rolling. . .I'm afraid someone is going to get seriously hurt! Remember Keri Schrug? Something like that is bound to go down.

The only sport I don't get is beach volleyball. Who in their right mind would want to jump around under the hot sun, in six inches of sand, tossing a ball back and forth? I get especially uncomfortable when someone falls and their sweaty body gets sand stuck all over them. EWWWW!

Well, the television is calling me because gymnastics is about to begin and Michael is warming up. I do have some Boris news before I sign off - he's been microchiped! A microchip is one of those things that I'm glad to have but hope to never use.

GO WORLD!

Five Days Without Boris

I had a wonderful vacation. I spent quality time with my best friend and her family; caught up with some relatives that I hadn't seen for a while; ate the best pizza in the WORLD; visited the Steelers training camp in my hometown; and, of course, shopped. With all that going on, you'd think I wouldn't have had time to miss Boris.

I didn't miss him, and here's why: his presence never left me. The first two days of the trip were spent "crafting". The reason the trip was initiated was to have a "Martha Stewart" experience and spend two entire days doing a craft of choice. (When my friend told her husband that we were being "Martha Stewart's" he jokingly asked if that included jail time. We hoped not, but didn't guarantee anything.) My craft of choice was putting together a collage from a photo that Holly took of Boris, giving it a "pop art" alteration using Photo Bucket (right, Holly?). It was a lot of fun making the collage and I had Boris with me for two days.

Time spent visiting my relatives was about catching up. I have a very large extended family (there's got to be around 60 of us) so catching up can take some time. I learned I have a cousin getting married next year; a cousin in South Africa doing a pre-med school internship; a cousin touring colleges with her oldest daughter this summer; a cousin having open heart surgery next week; and a cousin that just had a baby. When it came time for me to share what's going on in my life, they were caught up - they've been reading the blog!

I had sent out an email announcing my blog to a number of friends and family members telling them about the blog. However, since I didn't receive any comments from them, I just figured that they were reading my posts occasinally at best. But much to my surprise - and delight - they knew all about my life with Boris! They knew he had diarrhea after road trip to PA, that he has a best buddy named Othello, and that I work for UNICEF and care that many kids don't receive the same standard of medical attention that Boris receives. They also know that Kola works a lot and hopes he takes care of himself.

My vacation to Ligonier was great because it felt so good to get away. It's healthy to do so. But it feels good to be home. As I write this, Boris is sleeping soundly beside me and I'm about to get a second cup of coffee. Oh, life is good.

Note: The posted photo is of the collage I made of Boris. Since I only have my phone to take photos with, I apologize for the quality!

It takes a village. . .

Tomorrow I leave around noon for every one's favorite vacation spot - Ligonier, PA. Well, it's not every one's, but certainly a favorite of mine. I grew up in the neighboring town of Latrobe, PA (Heard of it? Should 'ave. Rolling Rock Beer. . .Mr. Rodgers. . .Arnold Palmer. . .the list goes on) and my best friend from babyhood (yes, we met when we were infants) now lives in Ligonier. So, a couple of times a year we get together; either here in NJ, but mostly in PA. I can't go too long without my favorite pizza.

What does all this have to do with Boris? Well, I can't take him with me. Actually, I don't want to bring him along. He'd be very bored. While we're out running around, he'd have to stay crated and that wouldn't be much fun.

During the time that I'm gone, I planned many things for him so that he won't be lonely. Kola will be home, but is working his usual lawyer hours of all the time. He'll take him out in the morning; then again when he gets home after 11 pm. There's a long time between his coming and going so Kristen (my dog walker) will come around 3:00 to walk and feed him. Around 7:00, Holly and Michael will take him for play dates with Othello to make him nice and tired. Finally, Kola will be home again around 11 to keep him company.

Sounds like he has a great week planned; kind of like going to camp. Although, I still feel bad about leaving him. I'll miss him! I also worry that something dreadful will happen while I'm gone. Like he'll eat one of the remotes or something else. All my worries are unfounded, though. I have plenty of people - a village - looking after him and will keep him healthy and happy. But, still. . .

I'll try to blog while I'm in Ligonier, but the postings will be "Life Without Boris. . ." Sniff.

Caring for Boris and the World

This morning, Boris took his heart worm pill like he does every 17th of the month. Last night, he threw up and I gave him an antacid. On August 9th, he'll have a microchip implanted between his shoulders coded with Kola's and my contact information if, God forbid, he gets lost and ends up in a shelter somewhere. A while back he put on a few pounds and our vet wrote a prescription for him to receive diet dog food that we paid a fortune for.

Boris gets the best health care, plenty of exercise, playtime, and herding training so that he doesn't get bored. I work for the US Fund for UNICEF so every day I juxtapose planning Boris' care along side trying to raise funds for children who, for the most part, don't have the very basic clean water to drink, or food to eat, let alone a school to go to. Sometimes they're sick; sometimes they're very sick. They've lost their homes due to war, natural disasters, or poverty. Some of the children are orphaned, and those who aren't have parents that care deeply for them and try their very best to keep them healthy. It's not unusual to for a mother to walk for days taking her child to a clinic when they hear that a doctor will be available.

I guess what I'm trying to say here, is that Boris gets better care millions of children worldwide. In fact, daily 26,000 children die from preventable and/or curable diseases. My dog is my responsibility, and I see to it that he's taken care of. I have the means. Besides, I love my Boris! I know that the parents of the children that aren't being taken care absolutely would do the same for their children given the means to do so. But, through no fault of their own, they can't. Here's where we come in.

If you can, I would encourage visit UNICEF's website (unicefusa.org) and learn about all the wonderful ways in which this organization is working so that every child has the opportunity for a healthy and happy life. Maybe after viewing the site, you'll be inspired to share your good fortune with those who are opportunity-challenged (how's that for a made up PC label!) and it doesn't have to be with UNICEF; there are plenty of worthy causes that support needy families (and other causes) abroad and here in the US. Boris regularly gives to the ASPCA; well, I give to the ASPCA in honor of Boris.

Okay, now I've cleared my guilt (well, not entirely) for spoiling my dog. From now on I promise to deliver more funny stories about my smarter-than-smart German Shepherd Dog, Boris.

Dog Days

I don't know about the rest of the country, but, man, it's been hot in NJ/NYC. The temps are in the 90s with 90% humidity; it sucks the life out of everyone.

With these hot days, I am concerned about Boris getting overheated. After all, he's in a fur coat. How I solve this problem is to keep the shades down, and the AC and ceiling fan running in the bedroom so he'll have a cool retreat when the rest of the condo is hot. I also leave him ice cubes in his water, but God knows how long those last!

Yesterday was particularly hot. When I left in the morning, he had already retreated to the bedroom. When I came home last night, he didn't greet me at the door; I found him on the bed catching the cool breeze of the AC air that bounces off the ceiling fan. Very Smart Boy.

My dog walker, Kristen, leaves me a note every day detailing her walk with Boris. Yesterday, she also found him on the bed soaking up the coolness. He didn't greet her at the door either. She found him on the bed and snapped the picture that you'll find at the top of the post. She also had this to say: "I have my vision of him on the bed, under the fan with white show poodles in pink bows all around him feeding him grapes, or liver ha ha!" That's my boy.

I took an on-line test once titled, "What celebrity does your dog resemble?" Boris matched George Clooney. I think the test was right.

Lesson learned: On hot days, nothing beats a cool breeze and being waited on.

To herd or not to herd

Boris had made such remarkable progress during the second day of the herding clinic that I asked the instructor to email me her rates and availability for consideration of further training. That email came this morning.

She's available during the evening and on the weekend, and her rates are reasonable. So why am I not jumping on this? Because it'll be work.

Truth be known, it'll be more work for me. This is because Boris lives in the moment. He's not the one shuffling his schedule to get to class, or worried that he didn't do enough "homework" in time for the next session. He doesn't have to drive the car to get him there, or make sure we have enough gas. He isn't embarrassed because of bad behavior- past or present. He just hops in the car, and takes it minute by minute - he's very zen that way.

The email did say that Boris isn't too far from working the sheep, and this is why I'm leaning more toward taking the lessons. From what I can tell, Boris LOVES feeling useful, and I want that feeling of achieving teamwork. . . so, it's off to Outback Farm for at least a couple of lessons.

Herding Clinic - Day 2

Poor Boris. The Day 1's experience left him exhausted. After he had his dinner, he slunk off to the bedroom, by himself, to go to sleep in the nice, cool, AC. He, and I, was spent physically and emotionally.

I conked out immediately when my head hit the pillow. But, after a good night's rest Boris and I took on Day 2 of the herding clinic. I must admit, I was concerned that day 2 would be a repeat of the day before, but I was committed to finishing the weekend. It helped that I prepaid for the clinic. So, off Boris and I went.

Day 2's clinic had less participants than the day before (just 4 of us), so the atmosphere wasn't charged with as much energy. That alone was a big help for Boris. When it came time for Boris to work, the instructor, as promised, put on a prong collar on him and then we attached a second leash to his regular collar. My job was to let the leashes as loose as possible, which is a task. Given Mr. B's propensity to react to the slightest movement, I'm used to tightening up in preparation for the excitement.

Boris and I entered the ring and he gave a few barks. As instructed, I gave him a quick tug on the prong collar. Of course, this got his attention immediately. He stopped barking and had a look on his face of "What? Where am I? Oh, you're in charge." We then preceded to walk around the ring, and, what a surprise - Boris did not react at all until around the third lap around the ring! He even manged to walk up to the sheep with me calmly and without pulling.

The second day he was a completely different dog. We worked the ring a couple of times, got close to the sheep, without much excitement. I couldn't believe it. We even stopped to chat for a long while in the ring and Boris laid down at my feet calm and collected. I was so proud of him! He didn't get to go off leash to work the sheep, but that's okay because he made tremendous progress in keeping control of himself.

I'm so glad that Boris had a good day, and he felt better about himself, too. After finishing our second round, he earned the right to hang out with all the non-dog members of the clinic. He walked up to everyone wagging his tail and accepting congratulation pats on the head and scratches behind the ears. I believe it was his way of thanking everyone for being patient with him and for helping us figure this out a little.

I want to continue to train Boris to herd, but this last weekend has shown me that he has so much to learn. But on the other hand, he has great potential and he learns quickly. I think I've decided to start down this herding road with him and just see where it takes us.

Lesson learned: Patience, an experienced eye, and kindness make all the difference.

Herding Clinic - Day 1

On Saturday morning, Boris and I woke up at the ungodly hour of 6:00 am to pack up and get on the road for our herding clinic. The farm where we take herding lessons is about 60 miles from where we live in Jersey City. In driving time, that about an hour to an hour and a half away, depending if there are any detours. The clinic began at 8:00, so we needed to be on the road by 6:30.

I put his crate and the rest of our "stuff" such as towels (the forecast said rain; and it rained) water for both of us and treats for him, in the car the night before. All I needed to do was take a quick shower to wake me up, walk him, get us both in the car, then go. Besides both of us being sleepy, our departure went off without a hitch.

Boris passed his herding instinct test last April and it took us to now to find an instructor so we could continue developing his special instinct. This was our first experience with this instructor, so the drive there was full of anticipation. Well, I was full of anticipation; Boris sat the entire time in his crate with the "here I am with Mom and where going somewhere" expression on his face. Dogs live in the moment, and Boris doesn't process anything until he comes up in it. I, on the other hand, was both nervous and excited to see how he'd do and curious to see exactly what a "clinic" entailed. Soon I was to find out.

Passing a herding instinct test is only a crumb of information as to how your dog will react when actually tasked with herding. Boris during his test was able to move the sheep around, was completely interested in doing so, and displayed other behaviors that told us that he should continue to train in this event. Further, he had an absolute blast working these critters; it appeared he was born to do this.

When I arrived, I met the instructor of the clinic who is a woman with 30 years of herding experience. So, right off the bat, I trusted her. There were around 8 people attending the clinic this day. Boris wasn't scheduled to "work" until right before lunch, so I got to see a mix of different dogs and handlers at different experience levels work. The ranges were from around 5 years of experience to a 7 month old puppy.

All of the dogs showed a great interest and good potential as sheep herders. Even the 7 month old puppy calmly took to the ring and worked the sheep well. Then it came Boris' turn. Whatever good instinct shown during his test, wasn't coming out today. He was reactive (meaning barked at everything) to the sheep, people, other dogs, ducks and cows (in his defense, it was the first time he ever saw a cow; and he got to see one from about 5 feet. A pregnant cow at that. I imagine what went running through is head was "what the f@#k is that?"). Today was going to be a day of hard work.

Boris is good at getting the sheep moving, but there's more to it than that. The dog must be in complete control of himself to hear commands from the shepherd (me) to successfully move the sheep, or other stock, from point A to point B. Self-control is definitely not one of Mr. B's strong points, expecially when he's excited. And, as I learned this day, because of this I have to be A REALLY STRONG leader (this somewhat has to do with his breed; GSDs are known to be quite strong willed. As working dogs, they have to be, particularly in police work).

It took us FOREVER to get around the ring because each and every time Boris reacted I had to stop him, and when he calmed down begin again. Thankfully, the instructor was quite patient with us (she had seen this before) as were the other participants in the clinic. He was so bad, that he wasn't allowed off-lead to work the sheep. Disappointing for me because that's the fun part of it, and he just wasn't ready for that. I really felt bad for Boris because even the puppy could get a grip and work the sheep, and he just couldn't. Not today. However, the group sensed my disappointment (the tears welling up in my eyes could have been a clue) and all of the experienced handlers there said that their dogs didn't get it right away either. In fact, most of them said it had taken 6 months to a year before their dogs could go off leash. Herding dogs have STRONG drive so that they can herd and confidence and control has to be learned. I guess that made me feel better.

Our first go at the ring was a mess; the second wasn't much better. On the second turn the instructor did notice something that proved to be key. From my last round of obedience lessons, the instructors at the school we attended demanded that we use a gentle leader collar. A gentle leader collar wraps around the mouth of the dog and behind the ears so that the dog can be controlled (or, more to the point, not lunge) when something sets them off. GL collars are like horse halters. This day, Boris' gentle leader was really annoying him. The instructor noticed this and concluded that Boris may be reacting to the mostly to the collar. And, because I used the collar to pull him in a down, the collar was hurting his nose.

At the end of day the instructor told me that she wanted to try something different the next day: a prong collar along with a second leash attached to his regular collar. The prong collar would be used as a correction devise when Boris reacted, and the second leash would be what I used to lead him with. The theory behind this is that Boris would learn how to be on leash and we would use the prong only when he needed a correction. In time, the prong would be removed completely once he learned how to walk without needing a correction. As we would later find out, this worked brilliantly.

So, that was Boris' and my first day at the clinic. To tell you the truth, after the mess of our first day, and if there wasn't a plan b, I don't know if I would have returned.

Lessons learned: It's not enough to have natural talent, one must be disciplined to learn skill to make anything work. Also, an experienced teacher is invaluable.

The long goodbye or why I'm late every morning for work

It begins when I'm in the shower. He bursts through the bathroom door to get in and lay beside the tub. It's at that point - when I'm in the shower - he catches on that I'm going to leave him for the day to go to work. His laying by the tub is somewhat dramatic. His body language is telling me, "I have to soak up every second of my time with you. . . before. . . you. . . sniff, sniff, sniff. . .From the time I'm in the shower until I leave he's mopey.

Once I'm out of the shower and working on the next phase of getting ready, he sees this as an opportunity to somehow try to convince me that I'd have more fun if I stayed home. He'll bring me his ball and set it at my feet so that I'll either throw it or kick for him to chase. He'll do that a couple of times until I leave the bathroom to prove to me that this activity is worth calling in sick for. Sadly, it has never worked, but that doesn't deter him.

Occasionally he'll steal something he knows he shouldn't have (like Kola's shoe or the TV remote. A couple of times he stole my glasses.) in an effort to get my attention. And he's smart. He'll grab the forbidden object, walk a few steps, then look back at me to make sure I see what he has. When I do notice and register a look of shock, he trotts off so that I'll chase him! It works, too. I'll chase him to retrieve the object before he destroys it or hurts himself or both. See, I said he was smart.

Finally, though, he realizes that as much I'd like to stay and play with him, I have to go. Someone has to bring home the chow and he has yet to send out resumes. So he walks to our bedroom, with head hung low, leaps on the bed resigns himself to being alone, and taking a long nap, until the dogwalker gets there.

As I leave for the day, I'll say goodbye to him. I'll scratch him behind the ears and remind him that he has task of minding the house while we're away. When I do this he turns his face away as if to say, "go ahead; just leave me" and dishes out a little guilt with his statement.

I do feel a little guilty, but I'm going to make it up to him. This weekend we're doing his absolutely most favorite thing in the world to do - sheep herding! Saturday and Sunday will be spent at Outback Farms in New Jersey at a clinic to hone his instinctive skills in sheep herding. So say tuned. . .

Lesson learned: Instead of pining for loved ones that are away, see it as an opportunity to take a long nap.

The "O" Factor

Boris' best buddy lives next door to us. He's a strikingly handsome, all black, German Shepherd Dog. I don't know if it's because he's a GSD, but Boris completely relates to him and sees him as a "big brother" that'll show him the ropes.

Othello is a few years older than Boris; he's 9, Boris is 2. 'Thello is calm and reserved, and Mr. B is insecure and bouncy. When they're together, it's apparent who's the alpha. For example, the first time 'thello came to visit us, he immediately went to Mr. B's bed and plopped right down on it. Definitely alpha dog behavior to let Mr. B know who is in charge, but Boris happily defers to him.

Having Othello be a mentor is definitely a help for Boris. Since Boris was 9 week old puppy, he has pretty much known only Kola and me. He's gone to puppy kinder garden, doggie daycare, and other obedience classes, but never lived so closely to another dog to help socialize him properly. Before 'thello, I felt sorry for Boris not having another of his kind to just hang and be a dog with. He loves us - or, we think so - but it's not the same. Like needs like companionship.

Recently the two went on a walk together. Boris has been on millions of walks, but it's always about getting exercise, going from point a to point b, or doing his business. It was very cute to see Boris watch Othello's every move to find out, "what do we do when we see a person? a bike? a group of kids?" In those moments I could almost hear 'thello say, "chill, little bro. You'll see this everyday and they're harmless. Relax. Just enjoy the great smells around here with a big sniff. Occasionally, if you're fast enough, you can find a nice snack on the ground. Chicken bones are especially good."

Lessons learned: Every living thing needs a companion that reflects who they are, and every once in a while you get to enjoy a snack that is bad for you - which are the most fun!

What Boris does with his day is a total mystery to us. Mostly I think he sleeps (wouldn't you?) but sometimes I think he guards because it makes him feel . . .important and it's part of his DNA to do so.

When Boris hears a dog coming down the street - and he hears this long before we do - he'll stop what he's doing (except when he's eating. Boris likes to eat.) to jump on the sofa and let the unsuspecting dog and dog walker know who's territory they're in. The funny thing is, the smaller the dog, the more he has to let them know he's watching. Maybe it's because the little dogs tend to have more jingling things on them; I think their owners believe jingling things enhance their cuteness. Whatever the reason, little dogs bug Boris.

Boris can get pretty rowdy guarding his turf and we usually correct him. I've seen dog-walkers stop in their tracks until they realize the crazed barking is coming from the second story of a building and they're safe from an attack. One day, during a particularly vocal barking session, I heard a voice from below shout, "Boris, no!" I looked down and saw a kid we see often walking his mixed breed spaniel type dog; apparently he hears me yelling at Boris and feels comfortable giving him a correction! Boris paid him no mind, he kept right on barking.

Lesson learned: Even though Boris' barking can be so annoying not mention embarrassing, it's who he is. After all, he believes it's his job to protect Kola and me. So how could we be angry with that. After all, we haven't had a break in yet!

If it's not one thing, it's another. . .be prepared, this is a rant

Last night I walked in to the sound of a vacuum cleaner running full kilter in the hallway and white smelly powder all over the place. Apparently, my upstairs neighbor is quite sensitive to dog smell, especially during the summer, and has been complaining that the building reeks of dog.

My Boris, smelly? No. . . . . .

For some reason, the smell doesn't hit me (or Kola) like it does him upon entrance of the building. Neither does it bother my next door neighbor. But, they have a GSD too (which, btw, is Boris' best buddy so I'm sure there will be stories of him and Othello to come). This is not to say that my neighbor doesn't smell dog, but his in-a-huff-urgency to get rid of it bothers me. He contacted both me and my other neighbor about the smell hinting that we do something because we have the dogs.

Since we've lived there, Kola has been gracious enough to vacuum the hallways with the extra vacuum cleaner that we donated to the building (which, we found out with this episode that it has been broken by a contractor hired to do work in the building, but this is a rant for another time and place). Yea, we dog owners maybe contribute more to the dust and debris in the hallway (GSDs shed like mofos) but everyone in the building tracks in a fair amount of dirt. We all have guests, delivery people, construction workers dragging new and old building supplies, come in an out of the building. So why should Kola do all the work just because we have a dog? He gently suggested we make up a rotation schedule for vacuuming the common hallway. He (the complaining neighbor) plans the taking-the-trash-to-the-curb rotation, so it was suggested that we just tack on vacuuming scheduling as well.

Well I guess my neighbor couldn't wait for a schedule to be developed. And, knowing how well the trash schedule works, I can see why he took the matter into his own hands. But, what bothers me is: He dumped all the Fabreeze powder on the floor to be picked up, then couldn't find an extension cord long enough for the vacuum to reach all places, so he just left areas with white powder everywhere. He pitched a fit, began the job, and left it when it became inconvenient! Now the overpowering smell of the Fabreeze powder is worse than the - alleged - dog smell. Geez.

Lesson learned: We live in a condo with shared common areas that overlap into our own personal spaces. I have a dog; someone may smoke; someone may have guests coming in and out at all hours of the day and night. Sometimes you just have to suck it up.

Consequences to special occasion foods

Kola, Boris and I took a road trip this past weekend to State College, PA to visit a relative of Kola's. We considered sending Boris to the "spa" for the weekend, but we discovered Motel 6 is cheap and dogs can stay for free. So why not bring him?

The visit was great, and Kola got to catch up with a relative he hadn't seen for a while. Since this was an occasion, of course there was food. Everyone knows are no calories in "occasion" food, so we indulged in bar-be-que, onion rings, potato salad, french fries, donuts, sodas. It was a free for all, even for Boris. We don't usually feed him from our plates at home, but it was "an occasion" and wanted him to enjoy it as well.

But we all paid for it. Kola and I with a tightening of our belts; Boris with diarrhea.

On Sunday evening when we returned, he seemed fine. Tired, but fine. Even his Monday morning walk was pretty uneventful. However, it takes around 16 hours for a dog to process his food, so it was during Monday evening's walk that things got interesting.

When I got home from work, he greeted me with more than the usual enthusiasm. Wagged his tail, rubbed up against me, so happy you're home. . .so happy you're home. . .so happy you're home. I thought he just missed me. Little did I know. . .

I took my time changing into my yoga pants and t-shirt (with him dancing around me the entire time) then leashed him up an out we went. Not more than half way down the block, the explosion happened. Began normal, then got messy. Being unaware of Boris' delicate stomach, I had nothing but a grocery bag to clean this up with. I looked around for something to scrape this mess up with and found a piece of cardboard from a case of Diet Pepsi. So, I began scraping the goo into the bag with Boris wrapping himself around my legs and barking at everyone and thing passing by because, I assume, he was embarrassed. Not a pretty sight.

Lessons learned: Dogs aren't immune to the richness of occasion foods; people aren't either, we just cope with it better.

I'm a blogger!

This is kind of sexy. . .I'm now a blogger! I know, most of the world has jumped on this bandwagon, but being technically challenged, I thought that having a blog meant that I'd have to learn some complicated web language to design a very basic page with courier type font. I had no idea that canned blog pages already existed, are easy to set up, and FREE! The page is still basic, but I intend to learn how to gussie it up.

I also couldn't think of a subject to blog on. Should I write about children in underdeveloped countries? Naw, I do that all day long. Write about relationships or being a woman? Bor - ing. Cooking? Books? Homeownership? Nope, nope, nope. Finally, I remembered a subject I feel some passion about - my German Shepherd Dog, Boris.

Boris is by far the most intelligent, sweetest, playful, loves to work with sheep (Yes, sheep. We're novice sheep herders!) and loves just relaxing with Kola and me. He's not without quirks, though. For instance, he hates dogs that pass our home and lives for looking out our bay window to bark at them. He also steals used paper napkins to chew on. Go figure.

So, this blog is about Boris. Or, really, my perception of Boris. I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures and seeing a picture or two!