Mega-Update

Ok, yeah, it's been a while since I've written anything here, and admittedly this blog is not my top priority -- especially when I'm as busy as I've been lately. Dogwalkers live mostly in three dimensions, and the last day off I had was June 8th. Not that I'm complaining (alright, not much!); I'll be grateful when I hit the inevitable dry spell.

I have been doing a lot of petsits lately, starting with Lucky, Ali and Mooschi.





These are three former hard-luck cases who have found a wonderful and loving home in Park Slope, with the support of each other and their 2 legged caretaker.

Lucky is a former racing greyhound who had the fortune of a relatively low prey drive. Since he showed less interest than the other greyhounds in chasing the stuffed rabbit around the track, he made it out of that racket at about 2 and a half years old, instead of suffering for another 2 or 3 years. At 13 years old, he has developed some fairly serious health issues; lumbosacral stenosis (which is a narrowing of the end of the spinal canal, which compresses the nerves found there); laryngeal paralysis, which makes it difficult for him to breathe sometimes and causes him to become overheated; and irritable bowel syndrome (basically a very sensitive digestive system -- he's on a prescription diet and could have epic diahrea otherwise). He also has only four teeth remaining (but they're the ones that count!) and his laryngeal paralysis is probably the result of an oversized tube inserted into his throat during dental surgery a few years ago.

All that said though, Lucky is in excellent emotional health and not in nearly as much pain as he could be given all of his ailments. Despite LS, he has a very healthy appetite, and he is incredibly social, both with his poodle and his human friends. He loves to go on walks, although he doesn't go very far anymore, and he's even been known to do the occasional sprint. At 13 he's doing pretty darn well, I'd say!

Ali (pronounced Allie) and Mooschi are both also rescued dogs. Ali came to her present home when she was just 21 weeks old, but still shows signs from her early traumas. She was sickly and emaciated when she arrived, and she often won't eat unless fed by hand. She's also rather wary of strangers and quick to warn of danger. Mooschi was obtained through a poodle rescue service in order to give Ali some canine company (they both have seniority on Lucky), and although she is very warm and loving towards all people (she's actually a therapy dog!) she's also picked up the habit of eating by hand at times.

Following my stay in residence with those three, I spent a few days with Ralph. As you might recall his mother, Riko, passed away recently. Ralph doesn't seem to have changed all that much, with one notable exception. At 14 years old, he's finally becoming socialized with other dogs! At the moment, that seems to be restricted to dogs about his size who are not too playful - he still gets nervous and defensive sometimes - but it's still a monumental step for him. And physically, Ralph is still in the prime of his life.



Another dog who's been showing signs that he can be socialized is Igwe. You'll recall that he was trained for fighting, and that I've managed to communicate to him that that is not what to do with other dogs. He recently met my friends puppy in a controlled situation, and while he showed no real signs of aggression he didn't know quite what he should do. He was very interested and excited, and with a lot of time, work and attention I'm convinced he can be helped along. Sadly though, I'm not sure that's an investment his owner is willing to make.

I'm currently staying with Kenny and Joya, which is old hat by now, and also watching a new dog for part of that time, named Duke.

Duke is a 7 year old mixed breed dog (pit bull and boxer, maybe?) with a happy-go-lucky approach to the world. He gets along with everybody as far as I can tell - canine, feline, simian - and lives for the simple pleasures in life - playing, food and company.

Next week I'm back to my full schedule but I'll try to check in here as much as I can. And, oh, if you've been reading along with me this long, you might want to check out my new flickr page. Most of my dogs are on there, as well as whatever else catches my eye. Just what I need -- something else to update rarely!

Season of Terror

No, I'm not talking about the color coded system of threats made by (ahem, assessed by) the Department of Homeland Security; but events some of our canine friends find much more immediate, such as this morning's intense thunderstorm and the sporadic bursts of fireworks left over from the 4th of July.

A particularly loud burst of thunder woke me up early this morning and I found Aberdeen cowering in a corner.

He shares this reaction with Joya, Igwe and Ralph -- all four of them rescued dogs -- and with Bella, who while not rescued did have a very jittery puppyhood.

I long ago learned that the worst thing you can do for a dog like this is what most people would do intuitively: providing physical comfort or speaking in soothing terms. The dog will almost always react by trembling even more and trying to get into an even smaller space. Instead it seems that a quick return to a normal routine does a lot more for his peace of mind. In a mild case this can mean playing with a toy or going for a walk (they usually won't eat food) but in a more frightened dog any form of attention seems to validate and increase the fear. It's best in those cases to completely ignore here and go about your routine, showing the dog that things are normal as far as you're concerned.

Sooner or later they'll return to this kind of behavior:

So that every mouth can be fed

That's two petsits done and one to go. I miss my home but love all my dogs (not to mention that fish -- gorgeous!).

We have what is potentially New York's first heat wave of the year, starting, oh, right about now. Make sure to keep your animals hydrated, and follow these other safety tips too!

Don't let the TV be your only petsitter!

I'm doing quite a lot of petsitting these days, spending more time in Park Slope then in my own home, most of it with dogs with serious psychological and physical health conditions. As you know I'm spending time with Riko and Ralph, and also in the schedule is Kenny and Joya; and Lucky, Ali and Mooschi, to whom I'll introduce you later.

When dog owners go on vacation we're usually presented with the choice of boarding our pets or having a trusted person stay with them in our homes. For some dogs it may not make a whole lot of difference, but for most of the ones I've been familiar with in my life it's a lot more comfortable to stay in a familiar environment and follow the routine they are used to. For rescued dogs it can even be an imperative, and besides Kenny all of the dogs I'll be staying with have had some sort of traumatizing experience.

It's been really hard with Riko especially, this time around. I've mentioned how she lost her sight and her health deteriorated subsequently, but I think that now advanced senility has come into the picture. Most of the day and night she just sleeps, but she'll struggle to her feet in search of food or the yard from time to time. She doesn't respond to her own name anymore, let alone any commands or other words she used to know, and she doesn't even respond to being pet. She was always very intelligent and affectionate, and for a time after losing her sight became even more so, but now she doesn't seem to even be in her body anymore. There were signs of this when I walked her and Ralph for a week a few months back, but I was in denial of it then. Now, I miss her and I feel like I lost my chance to say goodbye.

Kenny and Joya are up next, and after Joya's recent cancer scare (long story short, there was no cancer - maybe I'll tell the whole story another time), I feel confident that they are both still in the prime of their lives.

By the way, the dog in the first picture is Brixton, a 9 year old boxer who I walk from time to time.

And here is Riko, as she spends most of her time these days, sleeping.

Doggy Daisy Chains

Two of 'em:



These guys know how to stay entertained!

M'aidez!

I hope you all had a wonderful May Day, International Labor Day, or Loyalty Day, or whatever you choose to celebrate today. I certainly did!

First, I happened upon evidence that Manhattan's loss, and the City Council's inanity, is Brooklyn's gain. Due to the new pedicab restrictions, many of the erstwhile giant trikes are on the market. Eddie(below), in true Brooklyn fashion does not stop to ask permission before doing something useful and sensible. I ran into him getting this pedicab into shape on Prospect Pl., and he was good enough to sit for a picture. Soon enough you'll find him prowling 7th Avenue and other hot spots in and around the Slope. Make sure to flag him down for a fun and emission-free ride!



Rounding the corner I saw an interesting looking pile of offal, within which I dug up this historical relic.


And here, because it's May Day, are three red tee shirts:

This one has been worn in demonstrations from 1982's Central Park No Nukes protest/concert (by me own sweet mum that time, and at the largest gathering in NYC history), to New York's streets during the 2004 Republican National Convention, and beyond.


And this I got for my service in the nineties in the only union of political fundraisers in the world, in Boston. (Don't worry, those days are long over -- I have no interest in hitting you up for Hillary, or anyone else!)


And this I found on the street the other day. It relates directly to today's nationwide immigrant protests.


Also, since this is a blog about dogs, here's a picture of Kenny, Moby, and Joya at the ends of their tethers, as I fear we shall all be soon.

Always on call...

and very glad for it to be so...especially today, since Kenny and Joya's apartment was visited by the exterminator! I got them out of the house pronto and we had a great time going for a stroll through the Slope for a couple hours. I found a flatware tray I've needed for a while along with a few kitschy old horror movies, and the spring weather was invigorating, body and soul. The dogs really enjoyed the beautiful weather too; they took full advantage and did tons of socialization. They were both really happy to be out of the house, and enthusiastic to return to a familiar place no longer in flux.

I won't say going sometimes a month between days off isn't tough, but I should get one tomorrow and, on the whole it balances out. I'm fortunate enough to be supported by doing what I love, even with enough time to maintain a blog on the side. And after all, I can always catch Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me tomorrow!


Here they are afterwords, all pooped out in their moth-free home.

Pit Bulls in Motion

Kenny and Joya

This pair, like Billie, have been with me from the beginning three years ago. They live together in Park Slope, along with a little girl who was an infant when I started walkig them and who is a continuing delight as she grows. Their house is one of the few I go to where I see other people - lots of other kids and everybody's nanny. Often it's the only time I see other people I know til I get home and I always look forward to my visits.

Kenny and Joya have a fantastic dynamic -- she's totally the yin to his yang. Joya, who's a rescue and is in the foreground in the pic, was completely agoraphobic three years ago. She's always been very sweet and gentle, and when she was rescued it was clear that shed had multiple pregnancies. She was about seven at the time, just past puppy-rearing age, and had been abandoned at the pound. She was incredibly fortunate to have been adopted -- most older dogs in her situation (especially pit bulls) are put to death -- and she didn't want to be out of her home for longer than it took to do her business. Through a lot of love and patience she gradually came out of her shell in public and now loves to walk. She's very social, loves to meet other dogs and people, and retains a soft spot in her heart for all puppies.

Kenny, on the other hand, is a clown. While Joya is the consummate mother figure he's a perpetual teenager. You know, the kind who finds fart jokes incredibly funny and barely seems able to control his physical behavior. He's very rambunctious and loves to play and run. He's a ball thief in the dog park and a lap dog at home. (Yep, that big lanky frame settles right into my narrow-ass hips if I let him! But it's only really useful on these frigid, soaking wet days.*)

I often find myself house-sitting with these guys on the weekend, which allows for a lot more cuddle-time and scavenging treasures from the sidewalks of the Slope.**



*-- more on frigid, soaking wet days later
**-- more on pop archaeology later