Sookie and the snowstorm...

Sookie is special. Currently she is curled up on the couch obsessively licking herself (an apparent neurotic doberman trait). Yesterday and Today were trying for her. She has been mixed with excitment and neurosis that goes beyond her normal little mix of crazy. She will stop in front of me and bark her insessant high pitch bark but as soon as I go to take her out she realized her mistake and runs off to pretend to sleep. Ah snow storms stirring a mix of a emotion in the already overly stimulated puppy.

Yesterday when it started to snow I got her out of the house as quickly as possible to give her one last chance to go to the bathroom undisturbed by piles of white flullyness. She obliged but knew then her time was limited. It's interesting to watch her in this weather. She has an utterly adorable sense of curiousity mixed with extreme terror. It's really cute.

Today was tougher as the weather this morning was truly bad. Her normal urge to stick her head into the wind was certainly crushed by the bitter cold and wet that came with it. She hopped around trying to keep her body from touching any snow as she quickly tried to find places with less snow to do her business. Each time it was just taking to long before her little body started to shiver as the cold and wet set in. I feel bad for her; however I have tried to placate the dog with boots and sweaters time and time again and she just refuses to wear them. So instead Sookie suffers through the weather. She takes quick trips to pee outside while holding her poop and instead gassing up the house. God I want the snow gone for both our sakes. Every time I get up and go to the door she has this look of utter panic. Only superseded by her look of utter excitement as she watches the neighbors out the window dealing with the utter mess of white clogging up the neighborhood. Sookie is odd, but sookie is also going to have a long long winter if she doesn't get over it. I

NOT a Snow Dog.

Sookie would be most happy in a mild climate. I think she is meant to be a beach dog; however Sookie lives in Connecticut. So instead she gets humidity and snow. Like me she seems to thoroughly dislike both. I always feel like I have to remind everyone that I love this dog before I start complaining about her, but again I love her. She makes every day an adventure!

It snowed on Monday night which started an epidemic for this dog. I tried to take her out to go to the bathroom on Monday night. There was already a little snow on the ground and even getting the dog out of the house was a bit of a challenge. I managed to get the dog outside without carrying her or dragging her so it felt like a victory already! We walked around the yard a bit and it really seemed like she was going to go. She started to get down into squat formation and slowly lowered her butt to the ground, as soon as she felt the slightest bit of cold she decided she didn't need to go anymore popped up and ran us both into the house. I got up the next morning brought her outside thinking for sure she would go even in the snow as she hadn't been since around 5pm the previous day. Again she walked began to squat and decided peeing was not worth the cold in such close proximity to her private area. So we went back inside. I went to work and proceeded to pontificate on the state of the doggie bathroom affairs. I worried myself silly that the neurotic pup would add to her already long list of issues by giving herself an infection. So I rushed home at lunch as soon as I could to get the dog outside hoping that she didn't have an accident in the crate. (she hates those almost as much as I do!) She hadn't gone so I rushed her outside and finally the urge was to much and she went. Phew disaster averted. Sort of. So Tuesday night she refuse to go. She wakes me up at 2am drags me outside quickly goes and runs back in the house to bed. Refuses to go when I get up for work and then refuses at lunch. Refuses before bed and then gets me up at midnight last night. Again doesn't go this morning but did go at lunch. Ok I am sure everyone is like I don't care about your dogs bathroom habits. I get it I get it, but I am exhausted annoyed that its cold outside and feeling really gross myself now. I get it. It's cold. I personally wouldn't want to be squatting outside in the snow either. Seriously if I were her I probably would have gone in the garage or anywhere else but the snowy ground. This only proves that the dog is better behaved and more of a lady than myself (another reason I love her!).

So anyway. This was a pretty mild snow I can only imagine the winter is going to get worse for us both....any suggestions?

Sookie has a list of dislikes.

If I hadn't mentioned it before Sookie has issues. She is a timid creature who is for all intents and purposes a clingy animal. When I am home she follows me around she sleeps in bed with me and she is pretty much sitting on my lap unless she is eating. She is a 50 pound lap dog. She is a 50 pound lap dog who runs the show and makes the rules. This week I discovered a couple of ways to push her buttons.This dog can actually be driven more crazy than her normal neurotic self.

The first discovery was that Sookie absolutely positively does not like raspberries. I don't mean the fruit I mean when you blow on someone and make that obnoxious fart noise. This was an interesting discovery to say the least.I blew on her made the noise and she freaked. I mean I have never seen this dog so frightened in her life. Well at least until this morning. She literally ran and hid from me. The dog who is constantly on me suddenly was afraid to be in the same room as me because I made a fart noise on her head. Does this seem odd to anyone else. At first I thought it was a game I blew on her she jumped up and ran then came back and we did it again until literally she would not be in the same room with me. I wonder if this works at bedtime??

OK so this morning I decided I was going to try walking her. I hate walked her with her normal collar because my wrists are week from my surgeries in April and it's hard to take the control I need to show her who's boss. I have a training collar that I haven't used in months because I feel awful every time I put it on her. It's metal and has rivets so that if the dog tries to run or pull you the push into the skin so the dog will stop. I hate this collar but I want the dog to be able to go for walks. I pulled the collar out of the closet and mind you the last time this was on her was seriously at least a year ago, I looked at her and she looked at me with the collar in hand and she turned into a quivering mass of Sookie. She stood there and shook as I held it in my hands. She got very submissive and put her tail down, nose pointed to the ground and just shook. I felt absolutely horrible. I watched the dog go from carefree and happy to a pile of nerves in less than a second. It was horrific to watch. I felt so awful. I quickly hid the collar away and yet she still stood there a quivering mass. I hugged her and gave her kisses and apologized profusely for turning her into a hot mess. She didn't seem to care for my apologies so I attempted to walk her with her regular collar. We got to the corner and had to turn around. Walks are apparently out of the question. She tried to run after a car with me still attached to her.

I love this dog if it isn't evident from my stories. I hated the way she reacted to the collar and want to be able to walk her and have it be enjoyable for both of us. So if anyone has any suggestions please share them. I will also make a mental note Sookie hates her metal collar, and raspberries. I will add that to the list that includes the beast dog behind us and stupid greyhound lady.

Sookie and the retainer....

Ah I have to laugh as I start to right this. My sister may not see the humor in this post but I certainly do.

I went to Hawaii in September. I couldn't find anyone to house sit so I had to find someone to pawn my sweet little Sookie off on. Sookie is on a special diet and has to take anxiety medicine daily, as you can guess this may get in the way of potential dog sitters; however under duress my mother agreed to take in the wayward dog for the week I was away. Before I left I made a hug container of rice, ground beef and green beans so that my mother wouldn't have to cook for her. I packed up the crate gave all the possible instructions. Dropped the dog off and wished for the best.

My sister who had been contemplating getting a dog of her own also agreed to take part in the Sookie experiment. I personally thought this was a wonderful idea. Understanding the responsibility of a dog may deter a brand new nurse who works 12 hour days from getting one. So to my sis I feel like I was doing you a favor!

So anyway I was in Hawaii and it was to late for my family to renege on the deal. They were stuck with the puppy and I was Sookie free for an entire week. I did call for updates, and I kind of went like I thought it would to spite the many assurances from my mom and sister that they could handle this misguided bundle of fur. She missed me. The first couple of days they had the neurotic dog in full swing she wasn't eating sleeping and was pretty much making everyone wonder what they had gotten themselves into. The only person who seemed to "get" the dog was my Step-father who was entranced by the dogs need to lay at his feet. Sucker.

My sister, mother and little brother not so enamoured with her temperament. So my sister tried to let the dog sleep with her. I give her credit she made it through the week even though she had to get up a few nights at 3 and 4 am to take a dog out who really was just messing with her. I give my mom credit for tolerating the entitlement issues the dog has, and to my brother who slept with her the first night and listened to her cry and tolerated her pooping inches from his work boots. (Just so you all know the dog has never crapped in the house ever prior to her trip to grandma's!) So yes they had a rough week while I enjoyed the beach.

I got an update near the end of the week. My sister was adjusting the dog was sleeping through the night and things were seemingly going easier that is until the last day. My dog made it a week without destroying anything of value.....but then as my sister got ready for work something caught Sookies eye. So like any curious dog would do she jumped up on my sisters dresses throwing everything in her way from the top of it under she found my sisters retainer. Miss Sookie saw something she liked and went after it. Sookie ate the retainer. My sister was pissed. Sookie is now referred to as the soulless ginger, and has officially been banned from my mothers house.

My sister recounted the story. I asked "Why weren't you watching her?"  She hung up on me. Oh well. Steph no longer wants the responsibility of a dog. I say my job there was done!

Sookie versus the Neighbor...

As I may have mentioned before Sookie is all Bark and no bite. Literally this dog is a wimp. She is the the most timid dog I have ever met and a doberman to boot. Most people look at her and can tell she is a wimp although there is the occasional person who just assumes she is a vicious beast because of her breed. Vicious is a hilariously way to describe the dog who is more likely to annoy or lick you to death then maul you. Sookie however does have a couple of arch nemesis' in the neighborhood. Thankfully for Sookies sake she has always been separated by a fence or window otherwise she is likely to get her little red behind handed to her by the collie next door.

Sookies first enemy is the greyhound lady. The greyhound lady is a pompous old woman who walks around the neighborhood with her two rescue greyhounds which act equally as pompous. The woman has the mistaken idea that her arrogant dogs would be afraid of Sookie who is literally half their size. The woman looked at Sookie once when she was no bigger than one of the cats and said "Oh you keep that dog away from my greyhounds they are rescues and they are scared." Seriously I swear she said this. Sookie has never gotten out and never come close to the lunatics dogs but to this day the ignorant old bag literally crosses the street to stay away from our house. While we often discourage Sookie from barking at the neighbors she is the one exception. When ever greyhound lady and her dogs come around I purposely get the dog worked up and to the window to bark at the psychotic bitch and her dogs. It makes my day every time to see the woman scurry with the dogs in toe as fast as she can to the next street. So maybe greyhound lady is less Sookies arch nemesis and more mine. So what? We both get satisfaction out watching her frighten the woman by her mere presence in this world!

Sookies next enemy are the two dogs behind us. They are her true arch enemies. One is some sort of boxer, pit mix and the other is a St. Bernard mix. The dog is a beast and is huge. He literally could swallow Sookie whole. No lie the dog must be at least 200 pounds my dog weighs 50. Its not even a match. Yet Sookie in all her wisdom thinks that is the dog to F with in the neighborhood. No she can't go after the little Collie she wants a piece of the St Bernard. Seriously she only barks at the greyhounds when I push her to but if the beast is outside she senses him immediately and goes crazy. Needless to say having both dogs out in the yards at the same time is a nightmare of astronomical proportions.  While the beast lumbers back and forth guarding his territory Sookie squeezes her little body into a corner of the shared fence and lets loose with her most vicious bark she can muster. Granted it sounds frightening but again if she was face to face with the beast she would drop her stub of a tail and cower. The major issue with the match up between the beast and miss red devil herself is the fact that our fence is old. It's warped and its slowly rotting and one of these days miss all bark is really going to find herself face to face with a dog that weighs more than almost every member of this household, and honestly she is on her own in that show down. If it happens I am in the house and leaving her by herself. I am not throwing down with a 200 pound plus dog with a jaw as large as my head. F that. Sorry Sookie you will be out classed, out weighed and out barked and I will be enjoying a latte from the couch, but on the bright side I have been taking her to the bark park to try to improve her social skills.....It's not working.

Sookie and her Digestive Drama Part II....

OK so we left off with the chocolate incident but like I said that was just the beginning. Sookie suddenly developed a very sensitive stomach. I shouldn't say suddenly as I indicated before it's breed related; however I started noticing her having increasingly more problems. She has always been a fickle eater when it came to her food but generally she did ok with Iams. After a while though she was having difficulty going to the bathroom and she was having unproductive attempts at vomiting. I was scared as this could be a sign of bloat which is usually a fatal issue that involves the dogs stomach being twisted. I am not really sure of all the details and am really not ambitious enough to google them to give the readers more at the moment. If you're curious Google! So I got her straight in to see out vet and the vet examined the dog and indicated that she was fine from a bloat prospective. She took a stool sample (literally she took it right from the dog I was so shocked!) and got it tested for worms and recommended either prescription dog food, the natural brands or to cook for her.  She didn't have worms, she just has the doggie version of IBS as I like to say!
So first I tried the super expensive prescription dog food. I got to spend $50.00 to attempt to feed the dog for about a week. She hated the food and I literally had to mix in a not so healthy flavoring from the pet store. It seemed to me that it defeated the purpose so prescription food abandoned for the Vet's next suggestion. I went to the local doggie speciality store. They sold a line of dehydrated raw food that I had read about being great for dogs. Also super expensive but still a step down from the prescription food. I invested in a small box for approximately 25 dollars and she loved it. The small box got us through about a week and a half. I went back and got the large box for $56 dollars (Oh and this is the cheapest of the flavors mind you) and it lasted a little bit longer but by the third week it was getting increasingly harder to get the dog to eat the food. Her digestive system had been somewhat regulated and I didn't want to give that up. I tried mixing in other proteins occasionally to entice her to eat it but again it was defeating the purpose of the ease of just buying food. The brand of the food was Honest Kitchen and if your dog has problems and cost isn't an issue I do recommend it. It helped her tremendously. She almost immediately was regulated and the vomiting stopped completely. The food itself claims to be tested on humans however being human I can't see anyone willingly eating it. You added warm water to rehydrate it and honestly it looked like baby food mixed with soap scum. It was disgusting looking, but like I said it did work until Sookie just refused to eat it. Sookie is spoiled so she got her way.

On to the 3rd suggestion. Cooking for the dog. Now this dog eats better than most people. I researched cooking for dogs and talked to the vet more about it since it appeared to be the last chance at regulating the dogs freaking digestive system. It worked and Sookie has been going on 5 months now and not getting tired of her food. It is a huge pain in the butt, but it saves me from cleaning up her mess. Oddly enough I have found cooking for her although hugely time consuming to be the most cost effective way to deal with her digestive issues. Generally she gets a lean protein and rice and then green beans or carrots. Although the vet recommended carrots I try to stay away from them. They tend to make her go, I mean go go and it's usually an emergency. They do seem to clean out the digestive tract but when crating a dog during the day you may not like what you come home to find. I come home at lunch now to spend time with the dog, let her out and give her a snack. I usually give her snacks of either and egg, a slice of cheese or a spoonful of plain yogurt. If I know that I am home all day for a couple days to ensure that she gets out in time I may mix it up with a carrot dipped in peanut butter.

It may seem slightly indulgent to feed an take care of the dog in this manner; however I am a firm believer in treating your dogs as well as you would treat your children. She is a huge pain in the butt. She now thinks she is entitled to all people food which is a large problem and I am still learning effective ways to discipline her. Yesterday she jumped up on the stove and took a bite of the red velvet cake I just made! Which could have easily spelled the type of disaster the cookie incident did if I hadn't gotten there in time to stop her. I have taken to taping the lid of the garbage can shut as well. This dog has an sense of entitlement that just drives everyone nuts myself included. I don't understand how a dog who was so finicky about what kind of dog food she ate will literally eat anything out of the garbage and I do mean anything!

Sookie and her Digestive Drama

As I first mentioned when I introduced Sookie that she is a Doberman. Anyone who is slightly familiar with the breed may also know that the breed is prone to digestive issues including bloat. This being the case it makes for very nervous parents whenever you see the dog in any sort of digestive distress. Like any dog she always had boughts of discomfort and "icky" BM's when her food changed but otherwise she seemed to have a generally healthy digestive system. This of course all ended the day she ate a box of double chocolate chip cookies...

I was at a Patriots game in November of last year. The dog was home all day but in the crate I had someone coming over to let out and make sure she got fed and exercises as I anticipated being gone for more than 4 hours. I got a message the she went out and was put back in the crate for when I got home. When I strolled into the house about 3 hours later I immediately notice that there were some things amiss. The first and major clue was that the unattended dog greeted me at the door. Yes something definitely was not right. It was most definitely a crime scene.

The now tired dog had now gotten into the love seat (by that I mean ate it) and green fluff was strewn about the downstairs den. As I made my way threw the house and Sookie's path of destructive I found the most disturbing evidence of all an empty plastic container of Double Chocolate chip cookies on the floor of the kitchen. When I had left the house it had been full and on the counter. I could only deduce from the evidence that Sookie had consumed the entire container. The dog had most definitely escaped from her jail and did pretty much what anyone would have done to their jailers. Eat what was forbidden and destroy their favorite toys. Oh she is a smart one.

I was not angry with her though I was borderline hysterical over the amount of chocolate that the dog had consumed. I called the emergency line at the Vet and got a call back. The vet asked some questions to determine the damage. The consensus was it was to late to induce vomiting and bringing her in would just be costly (she should have mentioned it might be worth it to save the carpet!). She gave further instructions to keep her from any food for 24 hours and ensure she doesn't get dehydrated. 

The dog seemed fine for the time being so I did as the Vet said and we all went to bed. I was jolted awake at 3 am by the cries of the dog. The nightmare had started. I would take her outside she would vomit and pee out her butt, then come right back in the house and do it again. I would make sure she had water and then the cycle would start over. I missed work that day to literally ensure the dog survived the drama. It was a long long day. Of course if she saw a box of unattended cookies she would still eat them without any lesson learned. She may not have learned a lesson but I sure did. Food is never left on the counter. EVER. I wish I could say this was the end of her digestive drama.. Unfortunately this was just the beginning..........

TO BE CONTINUED.

Sookie and the couches....

Sookie is a smart creature with an eye for destruction...Ok really she just has separation anxiety and a compulsive need to chew. Prior to the vet's instruction on crating the dog we had made every attempt to slowly let her free during the day from the crate. I love the dog and really wanted to see her enjoy freedom. Growing up my dog always had free roam of the house. Then again she was mellow and well Sookie is not.

 In addition to anxiety I have a sneaking suspicion that the dog may have an undiagnosed case of OCD because there is literally no hole, snag or thread that she can not resist pawing or chewing at. When she was first a puppy she was crated off into an area of the downstairs den. She saw a snag in the carpet and she dug a hole, maybe even two, and that started her appetite for textiles.



 She wasn't ready to roam free; however the thought was that she could be trusted for 5 minutes alone. Not so much! In the meantime one of the two responsible people living in the home may have sat down on one of the leather couches with a key that possibly made a small hole in the couch. If only we have called Bob's and enacted the goof proof protection at that moment! Fast forward a bit. Sookie is left unattended while I go grab something from the mail box. I maybe was gone 5 minutes tops. I came in to find the back of the couch shredded and her pretty little nose covered in green stuffing. Oh yes she was in trouble, but so was I. In an attempt to hide said couch from other responsible person in the home I grabbed a blanket and placed it over the couch like I was making a fashion statement. No one not even Sookie bought into that deception. Evidence of such was experienced everyday until the couches were replaced! Daily we would find her with a snout full of green stuffing. You would think that a lesson would have been learned there, not so much. Not until she at the love seat as well.

So yes now the dog is medicated. Doggie downers are an amazing thing, and she has not seen more than a minute to roam free in the house unattended. Fool me once shame on you fool me twice it's time for doggie downers!

Sad but true... we have new couches. She hasn't eaten them but I kind of miss her covered in green stuffing.

Sookie the camp reject...

Sookie has always had a tendency to gravitate more towards people then other dogs. She is a precocious 2 year old who loves to sniff people and give them kisses when the opportunity arises. This usually works out fine but every so often I have heart palpitations as she goes to kiss a child who barely stands at her level. Luckily as of yet we have not been kicked out of Petsmart for knocking down little kids, but who knows there is always next time.

Working my previous job meant long hours that Sookie was alone at home. After several incidents of excessive couch chewing the vet suggested maybe Sookie just wasn't ready to be left out. She said that we should consider going back to crated her while we were out or enrolling her in daycare. The vet suggested this as my anxiety ridden dog paced the exam room in an obsessive manner. The vet also made a comment with a soft laugh "I can see lack of exercise isn't the problem." So with that suggestion I tried to enroll Sookie at Camp Bow Wow. The brochure looked awesome and I figured for a hyper dog she would love to run around with other dogs.

Camp Bow Wow's brochure states there is a trial day for the dog. You get to drop the dog off free of charge while they observe how the dog does with the other dogs and then lets you know at the end of the day whether he/she passes the test.

I woke up one day for my appointment and brought Sookie down. The first sign this was going bad should have been when the dog refused to get out of the car and I had to drag her. I finally coerced the dog into the lobby of the camp and she found her way to the staff who was to judge my dogs suitability and manners. My dog apparently from the start seemed submissive and the staffer was concerned. She asked me not to leave yet as she was going to do a short test run in the back to see how she did with a puppy.

Well 10 minutes later she came back and informed me that this wasn't going to work as Sookie cowered in fear of a puppy who barely came up to her knees. Oh great! She suggested behavior therapy and I suggested we never come back.

Let me Introduce Sookie

Those of you who know me well have at one time or another heard and amusing anecdote about Sookie the Dog. Those of you who are gluttons for punishment or boredom actually seek out Sookie stories. To oblige my caring friends who for some reason find Sookie fascinating this blog is for you.

Sookie is 2 years old (her birthday was October 13th for those of you who didn't send cards and gifts!). She is a purebred Red Doberman. Sookie was a gift from a breeder who happened to be a member of my extended family; after reading stories about Sookie you may think the breeder is psychic and that's why she found her way to me free of charge. My belief is that she was just being generous and Sookie is a special creature. Either way you look at it the dogs extraordinary nature brings a smile or the desire to commit inhumane acts to those who meet her. I will let you be the judge of which. My sister will personally tell you that Sookie is a Soulless Ginger when she is being nice and Satan when she is not.

Sookie was named after Sookie Stackhouse for those of you who are fans. Like her namesake this Sookie is prone to dramatic flair and neurosis to a high degree. Sookie has been banned from my parents home for any extended period of time, she has been denied a place at the local Camp for dogs and often tries the patient of her very caring vet.

Sookie has a diagnosed anxiety disorder, and digestive issues. I also believe she may suffer from some unnamed disease in which a dog believes they are a person. To combat the person issue I have taken her to a local dog park to try to engage her in activities with other dogs. This has not worked. I will save the stories from the dog park and many others for a different day.

Today is to introduce you this funny creature who brightens my day most of the time and tries my patience 100% of the time. Sookie and her special diet, her desire to watch TV and sing along to music all make me laugh and cry on a regular basis. I will say that she is now a spoiled creature she wasn't always that way but as I started to see her "special" nature I unfortunately compensated with letting her get away with murder.