Ok, so you haven't heard from me in awhile because Stella has become rather civilized. She has done such cute things this spring that I thought perhaps she was not really a dog. For example, when Meghan was in Disney World Stella snuck up to Meghan's room and brought a stuffed Disney animal "Simba" to her crate. Later that week, she went into my walk-in closet and stole a small fabric photo album of Meghan and put it into her crate. I must admit, that was kind of creepy. I'm just sorry I didn't take a picture of that one!
Fast forward to the merry month of May...Stella gets into the garbage can that had blown over in the last of many storms and ate 4 banana peels and ripped open a vacuum cleaner bag which was stuffed with her dog hair and dirt. She rolled in the hair and dirt until she was covered and licked her chops as she gobbled up the last banana peel. I had to decide if all of the above should pass through her system or induce vomiting... you guess which I chose!
Dog Moral: Your dog might act like a human (at times) but a dog is a dog is a dog.
Puppy Love
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
One more snow
Stella and I shoveled yet one more snow and played Frisbee- Stella is so happy it snowed again and she continues to rip holes in the pool cover. I wish we could take off the pool cover, but you don't see me out there ripping holes in it! However, watching her run and jump in the snow challenges my "cabin fever" attitude and reminds me that we should be content with our current state of being.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Stella accomplishes her goal.
Yes - Stella ate a hole in the pool cover. All the way down to the water. Estimated damages $500.00.
Just add it to the tab. :( Hubby not happy.
Just add it to the tab. :( Hubby not happy.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Another valuable is gone with the wind!
Stella has chewed up many items since she came to live with us in August 2009. Just to name a few:
Peter Rabbit's leg, newspapers, stuffed doggy toys (too many to list) coasters, newspapers, pens, glasses (she loves Kevin's reading glasses) yogurt containers, towels, mittens, gloves, shoe insoles, hot tub lid, pool cover, basketball scouting reports, pictures, slippers, rat poisoning, etc. She has dug up brand new landscaping including but not limited to bushes, sod and ornamental grasses. A few of these adventures involved trips to the Vet's and/or x-rays. If one was to tally up the damage...four figures is a safe estimate.
So what has Stella taught me regarding material things? Humans tend to put a great deal of value on things. I have asked Stella, "Why, why must you do this?" Her silent response and her insistence on chewing up the next "valuable" item reminds me of the famous line in Gone With the Wind. If Stella could speak, I believe she would give me one simple explanation, "Personally Mary, I don't give a damn."
Doggy Lesson/Moral: Even if you assign value to the things in your life, they might not have the same value to everyone else.
Peter Rabbit's leg, newspapers, stuffed doggy toys (too many to list) coasters, newspapers, pens, glasses (she loves Kevin's reading glasses) yogurt containers, towels, mittens, gloves, shoe insoles, hot tub lid, pool cover, basketball scouting reports, pictures, slippers, rat poisoning, etc. She has dug up brand new landscaping including but not limited to bushes, sod and ornamental grasses. A few of these adventures involved trips to the Vet's and/or x-rays. If one was to tally up the damage...four figures is a safe estimate.
So what has Stella taught me regarding material things? Humans tend to put a great deal of value on things. I have asked Stella, "Why, why must you do this?" Her silent response and her insistence on chewing up the next "valuable" item reminds me of the famous line in Gone With the Wind. If Stella could speak, I believe she would give me one simple explanation, "Personally Mary, I don't give a damn."
Doggy Lesson/Moral: Even if you assign value to the things in your life, they might not have the same value to everyone else.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Mr. Fed X Man! Wait for me...
You guessed it. Stella tried to get into the Fed X truck this week. It is her strong belief that every car and truck has the potential to give you a treat. Our mail carrier and waste management drivers provide her with treats...so why not assume Fed X has the same friendly folks. Only problem is..Stella broke through the invisible fence to try and catch a ride. Ironically, my childhood Collie, Laddie, (highlighted in Background History Part 1) disliked cars/trucks, chased them down and was hit twice. So although it appeared to be somewhat cute...we must stop this "I'll do anything for a treat" behavior, Oh Stella!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Wintertime Blues
Ok, so maybe I wished the pool cover wasn't on and it was summertime, but is that any reason to run around the frozen (non-pet safe) cover, dig down to the ice and chew the cover? Well...maybe it is!
Out of total desperation for her safety (not to mention the cost of a new cover), I call Stella to the backdoor for a "bacon" treat. These treats are saved for emergency situations. For example, like the time she was eating the mouse. Once again, Stella gets rewarded for being naughty. Oh dear, what a vicious cycle. Any suggestions Stella! Blog followers?
Doggy Moral: If you get your loved ones "desperate" enough they will enable you and reinforce you for making bad choices.
Out of total desperation for her safety (not to mention the cost of a new cover), I call Stella to the backdoor for a "bacon" treat. These treats are saved for emergency situations. For example, like the time she was eating the mouse. Once again, Stella gets rewarded for being naughty. Oh dear, what a vicious cycle. Any suggestions Stella! Blog followers?
Doggy Moral: If you get your loved ones "desperate" enough they will enable you and reinforce you for making bad choices.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Background History Part I
Unfortunately, I did not start Stella's blog the minute we brought her home, but of course hindsight is 20-20. I feel it is important to provide background information to help her readers understand...why she is the way she is! ( OK so maybe it is just as much my background as it is hers. LOL)
I was a young girl during the "Lassie"era. I begged my parents for a puppy and I won. Laddie was my dog for some 13 years. I dressed him up in doll clothes, pushed him in the stroller and confided in him when I became a teenager. I ran to him (and got bit) when he was hit by a truck and we both lived to tell the tale. There were no "invisible" fences and chasing cars was one of his bad habits. Of course, back in the old days, dogs were dogs. They were tied up, not walked often ( for fear of loose dogs attacking) and put in the basement for long periods of time. They were feed, petted and nursed back from diseases they caught, because there were very few vaccines. I can still see where I was standing, in my sorority house, when my Dad called to tell me he had to put good old Laddie to sleep. I cried all day. When I think of Laddie's dog life I feel bad, but then I remember that dogs were dogs. So maybe I am trying to make up for Laddie's past by making Stella a MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY!
Fast forward to 38 years later. I fell in love with a great man in 1977, but I forgot to interview him about pets and allergies. Thirty years of marriage and no dog. Then one day, during our empty-nest phase of life, I realized he was not sneezing in houses with dogs! He outgrew his allergies!!!
Once a dog person, always a dog person. I began to beg. (Please note I learned how to beg for dogs and win at a very early age.) My nephew's girlfriend's Golden had puppies and I just went out to look. Ok, maybe I went out just to hold them. I found myself driving by, just to see if the puppies were out. Well the rest as they say, is history. I did absolutely no research. I just knew that I always thought Goldens were so lovable and cute. I had no idea that you shouldn't pick the pup who runs to you first, but I thought that was so cute. I picked Stella. No, actually, Stella picked me.
Now I just had to convince my non-dog person husband.
I was a young girl during the "Lassie"era. I begged my parents for a puppy and I won. Laddie was my dog for some 13 years. I dressed him up in doll clothes, pushed him in the stroller and confided in him when I became a teenager. I ran to him (and got bit) when he was hit by a truck and we both lived to tell the tale. There were no "invisible" fences and chasing cars was one of his bad habits. Of course, back in the old days, dogs were dogs. They were tied up, not walked often ( for fear of loose dogs attacking) and put in the basement for long periods of time. They were feed, petted and nursed back from diseases they caught, because there were very few vaccines. I can still see where I was standing, in my sorority house, when my Dad called to tell me he had to put good old Laddie to sleep. I cried all day. When I think of Laddie's dog life I feel bad, but then I remember that dogs were dogs. So maybe I am trying to make up for Laddie's past by making Stella a MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY!
Fast forward to 38 years later. I fell in love with a great man in 1977, but I forgot to interview him about pets and allergies. Thirty years of marriage and no dog. Then one day, during our empty-nest phase of life, I realized he was not sneezing in houses with dogs! He outgrew his allergies!!!
Once a dog person, always a dog person. I began to beg. (Please note I learned how to beg for dogs and win at a very early age.) My nephew's girlfriend's Golden had puppies and I just went out to look. Ok, maybe I went out just to hold them. I found myself driving by, just to see if the puppies were out. Well the rest as they say, is history. I did absolutely no research. I just knew that I always thought Goldens were so lovable and cute. I had no idea that you shouldn't pick the pup who runs to you first, but I thought that was so cute. I picked Stella. No, actually, Stella picked me.
Now I just had to convince my non-dog person husband.
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