OMG, I'm exhausted. ...have been babysitting these two beauties today!
I have had "The Girls," since 10:00 am. We walked (or shall I say I was dragged) through Saint Ann's Well's Garden, through the city, and along along the seafront. I picked up two, steaming piles of poo. Cleaned an "excited" wee out of the living room carpet. And now have to figure out how to hide the claw marks on the purple leather couches, before Hubby gets home! : 0
My arms and shoulders feel like I've been "drawn and quartered." One dog going one way... one dog going the other way!
How do you dog owners do it????
Sorry to say there will be no permanent dog, in this home, as long as I have PMR/GCA... : (
Just for relaxation find the live interview on BBC web page, some of the swimming team on the edge of the pool. First he sat on the side with them, the rest was pure slapstick.
He is known for being a clutczh. Tried everything. I did rewind tape a few times. As I did with the swimmers ...one had hat pulled back like a head band...the next one had it over her eyes.
I did cover it with a blanket!!!! She didn't like it on there so when I walked into living room, I found her clawing off the blanket and continuing on the couch!!!!!
For 34 years I was a proud ‘mum’ to cocker spaniels. They were my babies, no children in my life until my two step children came along and then they were in their late teens. I loved my woofs and miss them dreadfully. When Charlie, my last spaniel died we had three elderly parents between us and my husband had had a brain haemorrhage. I decided I couldn’t manage another woof. Since then I’ve been dog sitting for friends. A lovely way to fill the gap but still exhausting. Rather like grandchildren you can spoil them rotten and send them home. I do know I couldn’t have a dog of my own, I just haven’t the energy. You are suffering a much worse disease than me, your steroid dose is much higher. I have the greatest admiration for your brave attempt to dog sit, I couldn’t do it, they are beautiful woofs and I could easily fall in love but I couldn’t cope with the energy. We look after an elderly and not very well border terrier. I say to him that we are going out for a geriatric stroll! I hope your going to be able to rest after the girls go home. As for hiding the woof damage.... hmm..... good luck !
Thank you. I’ve just arrived back home having delivered my husband to the hospital for a knee replacement. The house is so empty. This is the time you realise just how much you miss that waggy tail and the exuberant welcome. No one to cuddle and listen to your concerns. Give your woof a big cuddle from me. A 12 week old puppy, I could get quite broody!
Thanks for your kind words Jean56. I am not sure if my attempt was brave or stupid! ...and I didn't have the energy. By the end of the afternoon, I was so over it! At 6:30 last night they were still running and jumping and licking and barking ... : (
I admire your fortitude. My OH and I have been grandpuppy sitting since last week. She's two years old and an absolute love. But she's developed some bad habits in our yard. She's started digging holes to bury her ball. We've had rain lately so the ground is soft, and muddy. Cleaning the labradoodle when she comes in is what wears me out. Both my OH and I have aching arms and shoulders from throwing her ball/playing catch with her. She can go all day.
I am too afraid of falling to take her anywhere on a leash.
But I really do love love love the cuddles and the licks. Dogs are such wonderful creatures.
Get a new garden spray bottle with warm soapy water and spray. Then 've Lear then a lovely big coat. Couldn't cope without my dogs coat. I am not sure I could clean a ladbradoodle sized dog!!
Lucky you to have found a way to spend a day with puppies!
As for the couch, if your husband is anything like mone, he'll never notice. Or he'll think it was his fault and studiously avoid ever looking at or broaching the topic.
For scratches, lots of folks say leather cream, shoe polish or olive oil will help make the scratches less noticeable. I'd call the manufacturer and ask them. Different leather finishing methods could yield mush different results. Personally, I'd rather have scratches than scratches and a grease spot. If you can't get the manufacturer, ask the advice of a shoemaker or furrier.
Have a good time with your new friends. There's plenty of time to figure out the rest.
Bull mastiffs are huge! How do you manage 2? My Joey is a 10 pound Coton...old, blind and slow. I fantasize about getting a Great Pyrenees when she transitions to doggy heaven! It is most unrealistic since I’m petite, have osteoporosis and spend weekends in NYC in an apartment! I may volunteer at a shelter for Gentle Giants!
Gentle giants, that’s it. And they were very well trained. I’m talking 5+ years ago, before PMR. Lovely dogs that don’t need a ton of exercise. They were happy to snooze while I was at work, and they have sensitive souls despite their size.
I’d have another tomorrow. But whether my PMR would allow that is another question entirely!
For now I content myself with my 2 terriers and the cat.
Our canary Rimsky- Korsakov is 'good' - he sings like an angel - eats gleefully and yes makes a bit of a mess with seed and when he has his morning bath - but he is not at all 'exhausting' and looks SO blithely innocent when we damage the furniture ...
YES !! and then listen to Emmylou Harris' (one of my most fav female singers) song : 'Songbird' - and train 'him' to sing along. Yes males are the wonderful singers (in this case anyway) and ours is 'educated' in almost all music 'genres. A lovely large and beautiful cage IS important - and antique would extra be nice - cos obviously they usually must stay inside one nearly all the time.
This necessity for 'incarceration' is a dilemma for us but they are only 'safe' this way as we have some quite aggressive native birds which will try to attack him if he isn't in a well-netted cage when on our verandah. But warning - once you've had one of these marvellously intelligent little birds you'll never be able to be without them.
XX
PS. OH says: 'But SOMEBODY has to regularly clean his cage....' and they 'moult in Summer' etc etc etc
I LOVE Emmylou Harris... OMG, I have not heard that name in forever! Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogleberg... I just listened to it... beautiful song!
Oh my goodness..... *laughing*
I am so freakin impulsive!!!!!
When my husband comes home one day and there's a 6 foot tall, antique bird cage sitting next to the purple leather couch... with 2-3 male singing birds and he just looks at me with that "WTF?" look... I will give him YOUR number!
No problem whatever Melissa he can email me some insults if it helps !!- and if you haven't already DO listen to Emmylou's Wrecking Ball and Red Dirt Girl Albums - they are THE best from my point of view.
HA! My husband is soooooo polite and lovely that even an "angry" email would come across as lovely! Hahahahahahaha. Bless him... Good thing though, because I have enough indignation and straightforwardness for BOTH of us! : )
Dogs look adorable - you were probably bedraggled after being pulled along the seafront.
I start to hyperventilate at the thought of having to look after my granddaughter's tortoise - so well done you!
I do have a tip for scratches/cleaning leather sofas, of any colour, from a one time Spanish housekeeper - Nivea milk if they still do it. She would apply it, wait a little then buff it off - buena suerte!
Oh mamici1, I hear that you are tired,arms aching, etc, BUT you have the sea and the dogs......sooooooooooooo therapeutic! We can't have dogs where I live. Love all the doggy/cat stories on this forum. Also have dog-walkers/owners past my bungalow daily. I really ache to have a dog, but wouldn't manage, physically/financially. Those 2 are simply ADORABLE!!!!!
We cant have dogs either... and although it was quite exhausting, it was nice having company and a purpose! They are very cute... Peggy is the darker one and Audrey is the blond...
I agree with SJ you are nuts! but at the same time very lovely with it to be so kind and babysit two lovely pooches who, looking into their eyes, are clearly 'ready to go' at the drop of a hat..you must be exhausted!! We too have a beach to walk along but no longer have our doggies, when they died we were so upset said no more not even to babysit even though we yearn the companionship..they're too big a commitment now.
Yes... I had no idea. I am usually with the girls for only a few hours (in their house or here in mine) when I am visiting with their Moms. And then, they are just walking around or sleeping... having them for 9 hours (by myself) was quite an eye opener!!!!! They are not even 2 yet, so still quite energetic. Yes... sad to say my doggie days may be over. : (
Oh Melissa, you have purple leather couches, how wonderful. I spent 2 hours in a furniture store looking at the leather samples when we bought our new sofa. I lusted after the purple but ‘played safe’ and opted for boring ‘taupe’. Mind you I have had my dining chairs recovered in purple velvet and they are GORGEOUS. Hope you recover quickly from being dragged through Brighton!!
I remember being in the store and pleading the case to my husband (who is very conservative and somewhat "beige") I kept saying, "... I can make it work." "They will look beautiful." "Trust me!"
Thank God he did... we have had them now 9 years. Just had them refurbished and they look FAB! My home (all the junk in it!) is very eclectic and bohemian... so two, identical purple leather couches in the middle of the living room space, facing each other is quite comfortable. I have multi coloured kilim pillows thrown on each...
Thank you... feeling okay today! Arms and shoulder have calmed down a lot!!!!!
What beautiful dogs, I can well understand the pull from those two beauties both at the same time. Our family dogs when I was growing up were all terrier sized, Wire Haired Fox and Jack Russell's, but when Janet and I got together we decided that we would be animal free and now I just make much of neighbourhood cats. I especially like it when they talk to me, I always talk back. I even purchased a book "how to talk to your cat" some years ago.
This forum is so special just recently the topics being talked about have pulled so many nice memories from mine. I just hope you're not fed up with my ramblings.
A good result, the Acupuncture I'm having is making huge inroads into my back ache and I'm feeling so much better. The Acupuncturist says I should start reducing the Paracetamol I've been on since 2016 but slowly.
Hi Colin, happy you are thinking about happy times with pets!!! I never had family dogs growing up, but I do love them!!! These two are lovely... but young and energetic! They gave me a run for my money that's for sure!
I am happy to hear Acupuncture is helping... I need to find a good therapist here in Brighton. Trouble is the are sooo many to choose from, you cant tell good from okay...
I hope you are well, and YES try to cut down on the Paracetamol!!!
I'm aiming to get off them all together especially as the acupuncture seems to work so well for me. I'm told not everyone reacts the same way but I hope you are successful with your quest for a good practitioner. The needles don't hurt at all or perhaps it's the thick fat layer that surrounds me. Hahahaha! Another thing I made it into his consulting room without a walking stick this morning, another first, so life is looking up.
Regards
Colin
Good on you!!!!!! Good luck. Yes, I have had acupuncture before and loved it. but it was back in the states... hoping to see what it does for most recent ailments!
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New day - new aches and pains!
A few days away and the joys of a mobility scooter.
How a dose of the PMR/GCA community gets me through the day.
Good Day
