Life of a College Student

Hi Everyone!

I trust everyone is having a good week thus far, I'm jumping on here to let you know that this blog will be quieter than it already is, I Texas has been slacking lately, and I haven't been all that motivated to keep on him. However I do have a good excuse, and that is well school.

Normally I don't take a "blogging break" until the end of the semester, but since I started a week behind all of my classmates I'm having to work double time to keep up with my classes. That and loosing Pompei a week ago sent me into sort of a depression tail spin, which...does horrid things to the motivation. Soo I'm having to abandon any semblance of keeping up the ol' bloggy and focus on getting through two chapters of statistic homework, (NOT EASY!!) Prep for a quiz later on this week, on top of working part time and attempting to keep Bubbles and Texas happy.

Let me tell you this, loosing Pompei has been difficult on them too, which I knew it would be. My goodness have they become super clingy not wanting to play outside and whining at my feet constantly. Poor Texas has attempted to get Bubbles to play several times, but she's just not near the same as playing with a puppy. He'd better enjoy it is my thinking, as the puppy is coming a lot sooner than I thought!!

Which brings me to getting ready for sad puppy. I don't know about you all, but in order for me to keep my life together with a new puppy, we have to a plan that runs like clock work, I believe I do, but we are still needing some supplies such as more toys (can't have enough of those with puppies!!), more cleaning supplies, rearranging of furniture to accommodate a puppy "play area" (puppies earn their freedom in my house), not to mention all the sleep I need to get between now and his arrival!

My sister will be "co-raising" (sharing the responsibility of raising) which will relieve my burden greatly.

Anyway, I apologize if this sounds rushed, but I'm trying to write as fast as I can so I get at least a few more homework problems done before I dash off to bed.

I don't know when I'll be back to bloggin full time...(hopefully before the summer!!) but we will be back with more fun than EVER! :)

Erin & Co. 
Bubbles, Texas and Puppy #5

Oh Fleas....

This is kind of an embarrassing post, but its something I know we've all had to deal with at one time or another. In the 8 years I've owned a dog, this is the second time they've gotten fleas. Still... telling someone you have fleas in your house somehow implies that you don't clean or are a dirty person. 


However that indeed is the case in my home. Back in July, Pompei came in contact with the little buggers and they have given him a run for his money, one really bad skin infection and an expensive vet trip later we were loaded up with antibiotics and medicated shampoos for the infection. We also put him on Comfortis since Frontline and Sentinel were doing no good. 

Bubbles and Texas were on Frontline as well, but I put them on Advantage Multi after spotting a flea on Texas. I take no chances. I thought we were good. All dogs were medicated Pompei's infection was clearing up, school was keeping me busy and I hadn't noticed any fleas lingering on the dogs. 


Pompei's shampoo treatment requires me to bathe him every three days, I have to leave the shampoo on him for about 10 minutes before rinsing him off. I really can't tell you who has more fun during this 20 minute ordeal. Actually I can, that would be Texas who sits whining by the tub wanting to get in too. (If I let him, he'd sit in the tub with Pompei and I while i bathe Pompei. Don't let that last picture fool you, he likes his baths...)

Anyway as I was massaging the shampoo into his skin, I noticed something run for cover. NO. PLEASE? NO! It was indeed a nasty little flea, I quickly squashed it and glanced down in time to see another floating towards the drain. Hmph. But I didn't think too much about it since, I mean he was medicated, and I'm sure these fleas were going to die anyway. Right....right?


A little later, curled up in bed with a book I thought I felt something jump on me, but chalked it up to my imagination at seeing the fleas earlier. It wasn't until the little perp landed on my book did I freak out. Seriously? Fleas in my BED!? How am I supposed to sleep now?  I grabbed my phone and googled "natural flea repellents" and got some tips for ridding my house of fleas, cause I refuse to do the "bomb" route. Too much work. Hassel. Etc.


What I found:

• Salt 
• Baking Soda
• Apple Cider Vineager + Water
• Earl Grey Tea
• Vacuum Cleaner
• Washing Machine 
• Lots of Work.

Yay.

So if you don't "see" me around the intraweb much this week. Know this. 

I'm Cleaning.

PS -If anyone would like to write my paper for me while I do this it would be greatly appreciated!!

Pompei Posts

Testing.... Testing...1..2...3....BARK!

So yes....um...this is Pompei, I know you haven't heard much from me lately, cause I have been busy, doing real work and stuffs like that. I had ta go to the grocery store and help mom buy food. THE RIGHT KIND. Den we had to go to a clothes place with mom and my other Auntie and her friend, den a piano store place, and a Zuma place, and a bookstore, and an ice cream shop place .....*phew 


"Me squished in the small space in da car" --->


The Zuma place was kind of scary at first, cause there was all these noises comin from the box things, all over the place, but then I got used to it, and it was ok. But there was like a lotta fun games for everybody! Even me...but mom was a meanie-butt and wouldn't let me. See here the people are throwin the balls and I wanted a turn too!                  

Butt now I had to do a lot of "sits" and "Downs" and "STtttaaays" and I couldn't even play wit the little kids, who kept runnin after following mom and me around. I heard mom say something like,she might have to kill someones kid today, butt...i could have magined it. 
But I got pretty bored of just sitting and downin cause it was no fun, so when mom topped lookin, I just crawled away as far as I could, and ate the snacks peoples always leave. But den mom saw me and made my leash really short. *sigh* Outside dare was a lot more stuff for humon's to do. and notin fur us dogs. Which I thoughts was stoopid. Dat is discrimination against service dogs I thinks.

Me in front of a fake hooman house.

I thinks it would make a great doggie house? Don't you?

Mom says dat school will start next week, and dat I will need to be on my "best behavior". She gaves me a "Pep" talk on Saturday, cause of my behavior wasn't "da best", and I have to be still and quiet the whooollle time. Mom thinks this may be hard cause we have lots of classes like bam - BAM- BAM! But I tole her notta worry, cause I wouldn't do anything too get her in trouble. 


hee hee hee


I sure hope we get to see dat other dog while we're dear, he was cool cause he had this harness thingy on dat mom says I'll get to wear one day! And I want to see all the ducks cause they are fun to scare outta the bushes, cause it makes mom scream cause she's not "spectin" it. And I can't wait ta see all my teacher friend peoples, cause sometimes they say I don't have to sit with mom, and I go and sit with them and lots of luvin. And then we can see the FA peoples and get lots of pets from them too! BOY! I can't wait for school!!!

Randoms...March 19, 2010

I miss having four dogs.

I feel ridiculously lazy with just these three.

Bubbles and Texas probably require at MAX 30 minutes of exercise a day to be mentally satisfied, though they didn't quite a bit more…

Pompei is still young so about 20 minutes of walking, and he's out for the rest of the evening.

Over the last 6-8 months, I've been used to about two hours of hard walking, or play times just to get the house semi-calm in the evenings, and then lots of training and food toys to keep these little minds busy enough for me to relax a bit.

Yes there were some days I wished it weren't so, but for the most part I loved the work of it.

Now when my dogs are snoozing the evening away, I sometimes wonder if its because they are actually tired, or just because there is nothing else to do.

I know I know. Who cares why they are sleeping.

It's just that were constantly running nowadays, I don't feel we're getting out enough for them to be tired..though I time myself.

I am thinking about sending Pompei and/or Texas to daycare at least once a week, but have some concerns about that…1 Texas doesn't "meet and greet" really well, and two when he was with me at when I worked at doggie daycares he alternated between sleeping or "screaming at the gate"…so I don't know how well that would go over with daycare staff…

We'll see about Pompei, he could use the dog socialization and I could use the savings in gas money…


I cAnNoT wait for summer.


But in other news.

Pompei is officially legal in the shots arena.

We went to class this morning, and then wandered around that side of town for about 4 hours until our appointment time at 2:30pm. (Our vet is near my school, which is about 35 minutes away from my house) We walked around the trails on campus; (No Dogs allowed there so we were safe.) went two a couple of stores looking for house décor…Pompei were really pushing some boundaries with his sniffing today. Gotta work on that. A couple of times I literally pried his nose away from a display full of breakable items…as he wasn't budging. We got some down/stay practice in as well.

Short Shopping Blurb:
Most of my puppies have considered shopping, and extremely boring event, so I'll normally put them in a down/stay at some point in the aisle (depending on the crowd in the store) and browse at my leisure. So far no "run aways":)

Anyway after that, we got some lunch..er.. I got some lunch and went to the vets office to wait for our appt time…only about an hour and a half away. The weather was BEATIFUL, and there was a huge field next too the office, so Pompei and I got out and walked. And walked, and walked, and then sat in the sunshine, Pompei in my lap…I love this dog. For real.

We got back to the car and sat there and waited for the last 15 minutes..I think Pompei recognized where we were at this point, as he started to get antsy and wanted to leave the car. When we finally made our way into the building, his little tail went crazy in anticipation of the "love session". The receptionist comes out to "love on him" then, he'll cast loving looks and wiggles to anyone else in the lobby who succumb to his charms quickly. Then its his turn and he bounces to the scale and tries to throw himself at the vet tech, while I'm holding him in place. J

Then we move into our assigned room, where the vet tech will give him lots of hugs and kisses while the tech surreptitiously tried to take his temperature.

Any Concerns? Nope

Diarrhea cleared up? Yep!

Sneezing? Coughing? Over amounts of urination? Normal amount of water intake? Eating Good? - Nope, Nope, Nope, Noope, YESssss,

{Pompei lies in the floor facing the door, hoping for another human victim to succumb to his charms}

One question that always makes me…I don't know wonder is even though I've been there almost every three weeks they still ask if he's only Heartworm and Flea meds…somehow I was under the impression that they lasted for thirty days…

Silly Me.

Anyway the vet came in, and basically repeats the above question, and plays with Pompei…

Then its shot time!!

This time Pompei actually noticed them shots as he was uber excited to have TWO NEW PEOPLE touching him AT THE SAME TIME!

Wiggling + Shots = Puppy feeling the Pain.

So he was biting at his butt area for a few minutes after the procedure was over. Tsk tsk.

But his attention was quickly placed else were when the vet presented him with a a RAWHIDE (AH AH AAAAH sung in heavenly tones)

He was loathe to part with his new toy, as we bagged it up for the trip home.

But after a firm command from me relinquished it for a cookie.

We came home and played the afternoon away.

{Pompei being held still while his callous mother takes a photo of him}

Trained for part of our dinner, and then "worked" the other part out of our Tug-A-Jug toy..

And he's been sleeping a very tired puppy induced sleep.

Aah.

Success!

Today was another school day for Mr.Pompei and I; it was the first class since lasts week escapades......

Last Week:
I knew I needed to exercise him before subjecting him to 4 hours of class time, but it was cold, and I was feeling very lazy about getting out and doing it. So I walked him around a little bit before heading to class.

Boy did I pay the price for that! The first 50 minutes of my 55 minute class was spent: "Pompei Sit" .."Down" Good..Noo SIT" "PoMpEi". And Pompei is not one to take these things quietly, noo he's gotten to let me know vocally. While he didn't bark, his whining was insistent.

It was very easy to let myself get frustrated and be harsh, but I had to realize that I was so focused on his "negative" behaviors, that I was failing to reward his positive behaviors. Such as responding to my commands.

So I had to mentally pull myself together and go back at it.

• "Pompei Down ... Goood Boy!" *kibbles
• 10 seconds late
• "Good boy" Kibbles
• 10 seconds later
• "No, Down" 
• "Good job" 

I had to teach him, what I needed him to do was lie quietly, and I knew jerking him or being harsh wouldn't teach anything, and could set us back, that and I could tell he was starting to pant and stress out and I needed to get him calmed.

Needless to say we both were worn out by the time we made it through our last class, and was beating myself up pretty good for being lazy! But we survived.

This week, I knew what I had to do, and we got out and pounded some pavement for about 20 minutes before heading to class. And this was the results: Success Baby!

 

As he grows, I will expect him to do this regardless of his energy level, but until that point I have to set him up for success, so that he will know what to do later. 

Thoughtful Thursday

{Pompei Laying in the floor with his head half wedged under a computer chair}

This is what good guide puppies are SUPPOSED to do while attending class with their humans. The challenge is  teaching them to be calm and quiet during this  time when they'd rather play. As my area coordinator likes to say..."If they were perfect, we wouldn't have them." 

:)

February

Wow February is here already! January seemed to drag on for so long...I'm hoping February won't be as crazy! There will be some craziness as I'm still trying to move, and then get the dogs adjusted to a new home..but as long as my dog numbers stay at or around three I should be ok. (crosses fingers hopefully)

Bubbles & Texas are still adjusting to my schedule/Victoria being gone/Pompei's arrival...so I'm sure this move couldn't come at a worse time. Bubbles has displaying some 'out-of-the-norm' behaviors, that I've come to associate with change. Guess there is some truth to the "Cant teach an old dog new tricks" statement.

Pompei on the other hand is not only growing leaps and bounds, but is excersising his brain more and more each day! I think he's going to win the Smartest Puppy award in my house.

On Monday and Wednesday's he's normally very antsy during my first class period, due to getting a good 35 minute nap on the way over...pretty much dissovling any exercise efforts we put into him before we leave.

So this week I employed a couple of different strategies to help him feel more inclined to sleep during class. On Monday I fed him his breakfast in a KONG, hoping that would keep him busy for at least half of our trip. Five minutes later, the kong was empty and he was settling in for a quick nap.

Sure enough, I spent the first part of my classes, reminding him what position he needed to be in, though during the second class, he went to sleep pretty quickly and with only a little bit of whining.

So Wednesday, I volunteered to take my sister to class (she has class about 40 minutes before mine) and I gave Pompei his breakfast in a bigger and much more frozen KONG. It worked! We were pulling off the campus exit as he finished;

Once we found a parking spot, Walked walked through a couple of buildings, than Potty'ed, before going to our building, and walking around each level. By the time we reached the third level he was more than ready to lay down. And slept through class. #phew

I was just as tired as he was, as I was hauling around all of his stuff, as well as my camera bag, and school books; I was more than happy to find out that my next class was canceled and I could run home.

Pompei is also proving too be a very vocal puppy, thankfully the public has been very forgiving, as Pompei tries to communicate with me vocally....

Yesterday while in Krispy Kreme, he gave the manager a good scare, when he barked at me for not letting him go after a crumb on the floor. It would have been embarrassing if everyone hadn't of been laughing.

I love this little guy. :)