Bye Bye Vicki

We knew before we adopted Vicki that we would be away for some time and here's one of those times. I had to take Vicki in for boarding while we are away. She seemed excited at first sniffing out the other cute dogs, then her excitement turned to confusion as she was placed in the area she would live in for the next 10 plus days. I put her blanket down and gave her a toy. She jumped on the bouncy dog bed and then proceeded to follow me out the door. I said good-bye to her while she was exploring the outdoor area they have there for the dogs. Our flight leaves later tonight so I came back to our quiet home. There's no Vicki craving scratches and belly rubs or wanting her regular walks or waiting impatiently for her dinner. The place just feels so empty. I know she'll get the proper care and we don't need to worry. I look forward to coming home and bringing Vicki back.

The Taste of Tissue

Both Vicki and Augustus love to eat tissue. Vicki will even eat wet wipes if they're left lying around. I use wipes to clean out her wrinkly bits and she chomps on them immediately and eats half of them before I can clear her mouth. We use cotton pads to clean her ears and it is no wonder she doesn't snack on those from time to time. Augustus, on the other hand, unrolls the toilet paper from the tube and leaves the paper in a pile on the bathroom floor. We go through large amounts of paper products between these two with kleenex, toilet paper and moist wipes. Yum.

String Theory

Well Vicki found a ball of yarn we bought for Augustus about three years ago. No, I don't knit and don't plan on taking it up any time soon. Anyway, she was delighted with herself for discovering this wondrous thing and quickly began unravelling it everywhere. The yarn-thing confirms my suspicions that this dog has a little cat in her ( I know, KK, cause she ate it!!). Really though, the finicky eating, the purring sound she makes when I scratch her belly and the yarn just tells me she is part cat.

Now the string sits in a heap on the floor of our bedroom and, if we dare to touch it, Miss Vicki will have something to say about it.

Do Dogs Smile?

Yesterday, after lots of scratches, pets and generally lolling about after the T8 signal was raised, I could have sworn Vicki was smiling at us. The corners of her usually downturned mouth lifted ever so slightly into what Greg and I interpreted as a smile.

When I was a kid we had a black Springer Spaniel mix named Kaiser. The name is unusual, given that Kaiser was female. This dog was also unusual because she smiled when we walked through the door, gave her treats or any other form of positive attention. She showed her teeth, wagged her tail and seemed generally delighted.

Is it possible that a dog can smile at being completely satisfied with life? I think so and once in a while Vicki's face shows it :c).

The Many Expressions of Vicki

This dog has a

face full of expression. She has the most woeful eyes sometimes. Her bulging brown eyes seem brimming with hope when food might land on the floor. Her downturned mouth almost appears as though it might utter some sound such as, "oh, yeah scratch me there."

Good Girl

Vicki is a quick study. Within the 3 plus weeks since we've adopted her, she is now trained to go outside. We give her lots of attention, praise and a small treat (according to the book "Newdog" we discovered liver treats are a dog's delight). When she messed inside we wouldn't say or do anything just clean up the mess. She only pooped in our home once and peed a few more times than that. We developed a routine of walking her morning, early evening and night time. This works very well for us although I'm sure there are as many house training methods as there are dog owners. I guess for us consistency is key regarding when we walk her, where she walks (she has a favourite pee spot not too far from home) and how she is rewarded.

She is generally a good girl and the last accident she had inside happened well over a week ago. When accidents happen we just clean them up without a word. She has learned to save up her business for praise and a small treat.

Picky Vicki

You know, for such a...ummm...well-rounded dog, Miss Vicki sure is picky. She refuses to eat any food that has beef in it. She will inhale anything with chicken, pork or even lamb but if it has the slightest trace of beef, it stays in the dish. I can only imagine that this dog sat in the lap of luxury having meals of chicken and rice cooked for her on a daily basis and probably served in a silver dish. You may think, "Oh just leave it and she'll eat it eventually." This line of thinking simply doesn't work with her. She'll rip up tissues, scratch the walls and pace around at night if she does not get her food. This month, Vicki will turn five years old and having lived 35 years in human time she knows a thing or two about getting her own way. We know the way to a happy and well-behaved Vicki is through her discerning stomach.

I Miss My One Reader!

I really don't know what to write about as Vicki has settled in quite well. We did find out she doesn't like thunderstorms last night and she barked her disapproval at the gods. Great that she is able to snooze away the rest of the morning after a good walk and some decent food, really great (yawn).

It is difficult to talk on the phone from home now cause she can be heard snoring even over 4,000 miles away. Even my mother, whose hearing is not as acute as it once was, can hear her snoring through the phone. Vicki's reach is farther than she could ever imagine. Let's hope she'll reach a peaceful, deep and uninterrupted sleep tonight.

Hey, KK, I miss you. Come back soon, k? Bye.

An Ordinary Day

Nice to say we have fallen into a routine with Miss Vicki. We walk her 3 times a day for about 10 minutes each time. She gets to eat once in the morning and once in the evening. Chicken is her absolute favourite dish. She gets a bath once a week and lots of scratches and pets from my husband and me. She is a great addition to our little family and it is hard to imagine life without her now.

Vicki Dug Another Pug

Vicki did not want to go her usual route this morning. She decided to go another way and in so doing she met up with another pug. When two pugs get together there is usually an instant camaraderie and today was no exception. Of course, the other pug was half her size but that didn't matter to either of them. The other pug was also a female. Hopefully, they'll meet and greet again some day. She loves her daily walks now and looks forward to the socializing with other dogs and especially other pugs.

New Nickname for Vicki

We have a new nickname for Vicki these days. We call her "The Barge" for mainly two reasons:

1. She barges in the front door from her walks and

she barges in on us where ever we may be (as in previous post).

2. She is large and flat on top.

Compared to her body her legs are skinny and look like they could give way at any moment as she walks. She doesn't shy away from belly rubs or back scratches. The Barge always makes her presence known.

Moving Day

Today, our neighbours are moving and Vicki is busy telling us exactly what they are doing. She is panting, pacing and barking. These activities just are not allowed at her front entrance.

Her walks are becoming increasingly longer as she jaunts along on her lead past the usual turning points. She really enjoys getting out and meeting up with other dogs and the odd admiring human. She gets particularly overwhelmed by a group of seven or eight little dogs that flit past us everyday. Vicki doesn't quite know what to make of these petite puffs but seems to find them all very interesting.

The moving continues and Vicki has settled down for the moment.

Vicki Loves A Drink

Oops! I left my almost empty wine glass on the table and discovered another of Vicki's favs. Who knew dogs would actually drink red wine!? She stuck her nose in my coffee cup but wouldn't drink it yet the last traces of wine were gone, gone, gone. I love her but I'm not sharing my wine with her anymore. Augustus knows better! Wish I had of caught that action on camera or video.

Potty Breaks

Okay, ahem, this one is about what happens when I go for a little break. Usually, Vicki follows me everywhere and I mean everywhere! The Thinker wouldn't get any thinking done with her around. Good thing I save my thinking for other places. I took the pictures today to show what I stare down at while I, well...you know. If she does not follow me into the bathroom, she will push the door open, if the door cannot be pushed open she paws at the door. Even if I tiptoe quietly while she snores she jumps up and clips over to where ever I may be!

Walking the Dog

Vicki does not particularly like exercise. She starts out excited enough though sometimes halfway through a walk she'll just plunk herself down with her hind legs splayed out behind her. Once we give her a few minutes then she gets up and is ready to continue the walk. She seems most energetic when she realizes we are close to home. I must say, after two weeks of walks she is showing signs of improvement, she no longer plunks down in the elevator for the long ride to the 3rd floor!