Crazy Doggone Holiday

We had a crazy first holiday that was filled with travel. Quincey was great through most of it. He was able to travel for three hours straight in a car without taking a break. When we were going through the Tejon Pass into LA county he started getting uncomfortable. He whined, panted and could not keep still. Five hours of driving, is obviously his limit. It was difficult for him to settle into new surroundings but with familiar people around he soon calmed down. He has become a watch dog for me. He is my protector. Good thing he likes people and other animals; at least, good for them.

During our travels to La Jolla, we went to "Dog Beach," in the Ocean Beach section of the San Diego shore just off the I-5 @ the Seaworld exit. This strip of beach is awesome! Quincey got to work on his hunting skills in the wetland preserve area and he really got to stretch his legs, running to and fro from waves and such. It is open 24/7 and is never crowded. I have never seen Quincey run so fast, so far and his recall skills are superb, now. I had no trouble calling him back if I thought he went too far. I think, based on Q's reaction, that this is his favorite place in the world besides his usual daycare center: Grateful Dog (which is the best boarding and doggie daycare in Sacramento, CA!) I highly recommend taking the trip if you have never experienced this lovely site! http://sandiego.about.com/cs/prosports/a/dogparks_sd.htm


For what it's worth, Quincey is becoming a sublime companion. He comes with many challenges, mostly to do with being young, but he is sensitive, intuitive, intelligent and as good a friend as I could have. I love his personality. He is proactive and positive. I never would have bothered to travel to the beach everyday in SD if it weren't for that little cur and I am all the better for having driven the 20 miles round trip. The hour and a half we spent there was well worth it. I learned a great deal about him and what makes him happy. It rained long and hard every single day we were there but that did not dampen our spirits one bit.

It has also been wonderful watching Q's social skills develop. I don't worry about him around the big dogs anymore. He seems to have learned the lesson of proper introduction and uses a more subtle and mature approach of 'sniff first, prance later-maybe!' This is a big step to adulthood and an indication that Quincey is learning valuable lessons. He also doesn't bother with the aggressive dogs anymore and knows how to out maneuver most.

I miss my family back home on the east coast. This Holiday especially for some reason, I feel the strings pulling tight. Both my partner and I have been feeling the tug of the east coast hard this Holiday Season. We think it is because of the puppy.

My partner's mom got a chance to meet Q over the summer and really liked him. She told me something I never knew about her before...that she once owned a dog she aptly named "Gypsy." I did not think she was the "dog-owning type." My folly for seeing only one side of a person. I was really delighted to know this. She actually got a kick out of Quincey. I know that my nieces and nephews would like him, too.

There is something about a puppy that makes you want to put down roots and spread out and grow.

Happy Holidays, doggonit! Here's to me and mine and you and yours!

Time and the Tide

It has been quite some time since my last entry. Quincey has grown to be over thirty-five pounds and has been through some rough times. He has also had quite a lot of successes as well. Through it all, he has been my closest and constant companion. We have gone through other dog attacks, almost becoming homeless, rejection, eye infections, facial scars, Giardias attacks, warts, demodetic mange and disappointments galore. He is loyal to a fault (he follows me everywhere and will not sleep until I sleep), friendly and obedient. He guards me constantly. He comes to me when called, even at the dog park and has more energy than three dogs combined. He can scale chain-linked fences, can jump over six feet and is as strong as a sixty pound dog. He will be due for his annual checkup soon but he has been to the vet twice since his last yearly for obvious reasons.

I read the pet section of Craigslist often. In fact, when I was looking for a dog, before I found Quincey at the pound, I used to read this section everyday. I get sad when I read "moving, so I have to let him go." I understand that there are restrictions from state to state that require a lot of hoop jumping in order to transfer a dog from one state to another, but I would never give Quincey up just because of that. I have even gone without dinners in order to pay his vet bills because life without him is just not an option. I am the richer because he is in my life. Yes, it has not been easy. I am not a wealthy individual. But as long as I live, I will never give up my friend. He is my buddy and always will be.

Recently, I saw a Nat Geo special about dogs. I learned that when you pet them, there is an exchange of something called Oxytocin, a biological agent of some kind that gets transmitted on a molecular level through the blood. They have found traces of it in the blood of both the animal and the owner after a petting session. This same agent and molecular transfer, happens in mothers while they are breastfeeding and is considered a physical bonding mechanism.

I could never give up my friend.

Update

Quincey will be a year old in November and he has been at my side; a constant companion for the past eight months. I have learned a great deal from him in these last few months as he has gone through some major physical changes like overnight growth spurts. I don't even know how much to feed him anymore, he grows so fast!

When I adopted him, he was 12 weeks and 8 1/2 pounds. The volunteer said that she didn't think he would get much bigger than 25 pounds, fully grown. Quincey is a muscular 35 pounds and when all is said and done, I think he will reach 40 pounds. He is a powerhouse and when we play soccer in the mornings, I call him "Morning Thunder" because he sounds like low soft thunder as he gallops by.

He can out run just about any dog in the park and is all heart and steam when he plays. He has never gotten bitten again; he's far too clever and quick for that. He has developed a loyalty to me that borders on possessiveness. The feeling is mutual.

I really think I did the right thing by adopting him. Now, I want a companion for him.

Gmail: Email from Google

Gmail: Email from Google

The Latest Pictures Before Q Becomes One

Leadership Growing Pangs

"The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it."
Elaine Agather

I have great instincts. I can sit by the sidelines, analyze a problem within seconds and then come up with a step-by-step solution to just about anything. In fact, unlike many, I actually enjoy the logical process of coming up with a solution after the intellectual wrestling match. My problem has always been the fact that I second guess my motives. In each moment of problem-solving, I self-analyze and want to know why I have the need to solve this problem. I paralyze myself with soul-searching: 'Do I need to be wanted?' 'Am I being selfish?' 'Shouldn't I let them just figure it out for themselves?' 'Why do I have to control outcomes?' 'What's the most important lesson here?' 'Is this the right answer for this group of people?' Analysis/paralysis is not a very useful tool for leadership.

I have been doing that a lot lately with Quincey. Since I am fairly new to the 'metaphysics of puppiness,'or 'The Tao of Pup,' I find myself becoming more and more uncomfortable with the unknown. Here's the thing...my little pup has no fear of the unknown, in fact, since he lives in the moment, the unknown is not a reality for him. I see the dilemma as clear as the nose on my face. I have no fear of plunging into the abyss of the unknown when it is my own life I am responsible for. I am a total, unabashed coward when it comes to watching my puppy experience the same thing.

He's been dealing with some traditional maladies that supposedly are common to a puppy. I was told by the Vet, the best possible treatment for these things is no treatment and to curb his socializing activities because he is highly contagious to other puppies under the age of one. I was told that he needs to develop the anti-bodies on his own to deal with these issues or they will become chronic in adulthood. "One day they are here; the next day they are gone." was the exact quote.

That sounds a lot like measles, mumps, chicken pocks, the croup and a host of other 'common maladies' we all had to deal with as children....well at least my generation did. But that did not make them any less dangerous or important benchmarks to growth. I have an amazing immune system for my age because I went through some of those childhood diseases and I am grateful for the watchful and soothing nature of my mother during those times.


What does this teach me about leadership?

Sometimes, even when you love something, in order to maintain strength of vision and mission; detachment, faith and tranquility are necessary when there is trouble. It is impossible to make the proper judgment without it. Patience and persistence are just as important as tasks and activity. I could research the immune systems of puppies, I could get the latest, most expensive 'immune booster' for puppies, I could create my own, homeopathic poultice but ultimately he has got to work these issues out, just like I did-and he will be stronger for the successful completion of his task.

I have to have the wisdom to wait, to know when not to act and in inaction, having the faith in the process, that he knows what is best and will do the right thing. That is the lesson that this moment in his life is teaching me.

Making Doggie Biscuits

I can't believe this, but I actually created a recipe for peanut butter doggie biscuits. Quincey loves them. The ingredients are all natural and they contain no preservatives, additives or sugars. They taste rather bland to me, but Quincey can't get enough of them. I wonder if I should try them out on other dogs? I used a bunny cookie cutter and I think I am going to call them "Peanut Butter Bunny Bark!" I think it has a ring to it. Here's the recipe.



Peanut Butter Bunny Bark!

1C Whole W. (WW) flour
2 T white flour
1/3 c cornmeal
1 T veg oil or margarine
1 egg
1/4 c 2% milk
2 T low fat salted peanut butter or 1/4 c ground roasted peanuts

Preheat oven 350
Mix dry ingredients
add wet ingredients
roll out 1/4 inch thick
cut and bake
30 mins~golden brown
cool very well before serving

Slings and Arrows

We suffered our first bully attack today at the dog park. My husband took Quincey out to the park. We can't get Quincey to play with the smaller dogs or rather the smaller dogs just won't play with him. He prefers the company of the big dogs. He usually holds his own pretty well and manages to have a lot of fun in the process. There are actually quite a few of the big dogs that like to play with ol' Q because he just doesn't quit and he's got variation and skillz! I am usually standing right over the proceedings and never let him out of arms reach or my sight. This gives me a workout as you can imagine but it is worth it.

As my husband explains it, all the dogs took a water break at the same time (rare but not unusual) and when Quincey went to get a drink; a blond lab was drinking as well. The lab nipped Quincey on the muzzle but Quincey was fast. He's got a scratch there and has experienced a lesson I hope he won't ever forget. The wound is not as deep as my husband's wounded pride but I can't do much about that. He is going to have to do a better job keeping up with the puppy and these things can and do happen. It occurs to me that it is much like the first scrape on the knee that draws blood for a kid, the first black eye, the first set of stitches. Quincey got off with just a nick. That's how smart and quick he is. I just adore that phenomenal pup!

The Little Pup That Can

Okay, Quincey is now officially eight months old. Today I saw my little puppy outrun a great Dane that was at least five times his height, length and weight. He out maneuvered him as well. He ran so fast I could not believe it. He can also leap. I am just a few inches over five feet tall and this little puppy, standing twelve inches high on all fours, can jump up past my shoulders.



He's quite the charmer too. I read that the Basenji will charm it's owner into play. He does this all the time. He pretends he's sleepy, sidles up next to me, licks my cheek and then grabs my scrunchi with his mouth, pulls it from my hair and runs away with it, expecting that I will chase after him. Of course, I have to if I want it back!

"Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things." Musashi Miyamoto from The Book of the Five Rings

My pal, Quincey, is a rescue pup, about to turn eight months old. I got him when he was twelve weeks and he weighed eight pounds, five ounces. His ribs were showing and one eye socket was bigger than the other. The first time I saw him, he was in a cold kennel with three other puppies around the same age. He was the smallest and was in a corner, napping in the middle of a bleak and rainy day in late January. The other puppies were playing and running around the kennel, barking and biting each other but Quincey was just chilling in a corner, curled up tight, his big ears pinned back as if he was trying not to listen to the noise. I stood, fascinated by the fact that he was so independent for such a little one. My gut told me, after four months of waiting and searching, that he was it. But I didn't want to make a rash decision so I left, hoping to see him the next day. I got half way home and was afraid that I would never see him again. Then, a little voice told me to have faith. I listened.

I went back the next day, same time.

The City Animal Shelter on Front Street in Sacramento places informational cards in plastic pouches attached to the kennels. These cards tell prospective owners the information they would need to know before making a decision to purchase a rescue dog or puppy. When I got there, Quincey's card was missing from the pouch. I turned and left in tears. I went back the next day, saying if it was meant to be, it was meant to be. When I got there, he was playing with an all-black pit bull female pup about the same age and twice as large.
I was so happy, I grabbed the card and walked to the front desk and told them I wanted to meet this little puppy, the rest, as they say is history.

There are many reasons for wanting the companionship of a canine. The title "man's best friend," is attached to them for a reason. One of the most valuable lessons dogs can teach us actually comes from their ancestors, the wolves. Dogs teach us how to become clear and direct leaders. You can't beat around the bush when you tell a dog to do something and you can't treat them poorly and expect love and devotion. You must balance firmness with a light touch and be direct and consistent so they know what to expect and what is expected from them. Training is very important and consistency is an absolute. Nothing makes for a more nervous dog then inconsistent behavior patterns in humans.

I am ready for some lessons. I think Quincey is too.