Flashback Friday - G+ post 12-8-2013

Originally posted on G+ December 8, 2013

Congratulate me, I've finally got Fussy convinced that I should be committed to the criminally insane. ~headdesk~ ~sigh~

Fussy and the saga of the butt harness continues......

I did have a tiny breakthrough with her, she didn't try to play "broken dog" when I put the harness on her for the second time. But as they say "one step forward, two steps back."

It was time to put the butt harness into action. I tell the dogs that we are going out, I get my coat on, grab Fussy while she is excited to be going out and strap the harness to her buns. So far so good. Send the younger dogs down the stairs and out the door while Fussy waits patiently for me at the top of the stairs. Still going smoothly. I go back up to help her down, but this time instead of just guiding her down I grab hold of she new handle. Ok, no longer going smoothy. She gives me a funny look and very reluctantly goes down the stair with me. Outside goes well with the harness still attached, now to bring the dogs back inside. They young ones fly up the stairs and Fussy once again waits patiently at the bottom of the stairs for help. I grab hold of her handle and life as we know it comes to a screeching halt. She flips out and manages to twist back around and out of my hand pushes the screen door open races out into the yard. Hmmm....I get the sneaky suspicion she doesn't like the harness. I let her cool off in the yard a moment before bringing her back in for another go.

Going up stairs - round two. I bring her in and this time make sure the screen door is shut tight. I grab her handle but this time instead of bolting she decides a new tactic was called for.....activate mule mode! She digs in an refuses to move. I try to gently nudge her up the stairs but as I push forward she pushes backward with stick stiff legs. Seeing as how we were not getting anywhere it was time to fight stubbornness with with stubbornness. I lift and push her handle just enough that if she doesn't want to fall on her head (not that I would ever let her) that she is forced to step forward. Stiff and stilted we inch our way up the stairs. I can see this thing is going to take time for her to get used to, short brief sessions for the time being.

Wait there is more! When I bought her this harness I also bought a single raise dish for her to eat out of. I didn't want her to have to keep bending so far down to have to eat anymore and I thought this would be a big help. Dinner time rolls around and I hand her the new dish. Have you ever been talking to someone and they out of the blue say the most asinine you have ever heard of in your life? You remember the look on your face when they said that to you? I swear to you that is the same face Fussy gave me when she stood in front of that "strange" dish. It is a good thing that dogs can't speak English or dial a phone or she probably would have had me carted off for being insane.

Throwback Thursday - G+ post 2-17-2014

Originally posted on G+ February 17, 2014

 

The Adventures of Fussy The Wonder Dog .... as in I wonder why that dog did that.

The weather hasn't been a big help in allowing us much practicing with Fussy's wheels. With icy patches, uncleared sidewalks, and mountainous crossing walk corners it's been slow going.

Yesterday I took her for another outing. As we walked down our extremely ice patched gangway Fussy decided she didn't want to walk in front nor behind me. For some odd reason that shall only be known to her doggy logic she demanded we walk side by side. Normally any other time this would not be an problem, however the gutters have been dripping terribly causing great hills of thick ice to form on the walk way below. I did my best to accommodate her demands but it sure wasn't an easy task and definitely not one I will be repeating. Sorry Fussy, but seriously that was just nuts and ain't happening a second time. The last 6 feet or so to the side gate was ice free so I let go of her wheelchair. I turned my back on her just for a split second to open the gate. The gate swings open but no dog goes flying through. What's the hold up? I turn expecting to see Fussy but all I find are spinning wheels and flailing legs. Yeah that's right she managed to flip her cart. I easily calmed miss kicking legs which thankfully she wasn't scared but just trying to right herself. She stopped kicking and right side up I got her to her feet.

How did she flip over? Well my guess is the wall of our house has an odd edge at about little more the a half foot up the wall, and I think she ran her tire up onto the wall and then onto the funny edge, voila one upside down doggy. It is initially scary to see her like that but she didn't get hurt and it is all part of the learning process.  Stories like this may be heart stopping at the time but thankfully become funny tales to tell later.

Pooper Scooper Tips

          Pooper scoopers aren't the most exciting or glamorous thing, but if you own a dog they are certainly a very helpful tool. Buying pooper scoopers for use in the dog yard will save your back and knees from needless bending over to bag poo the old fashion way. There are also so called portable style scoops that are marketed for when you take your dog for a walk....what I say is save your money when it comes to that type of scoop. Just do the old school way of putting your hand inside a bag (like a puppet), grab the dog poop, then pull the bag off your hand and tie up the bag. This method is much more portable and less cumbersome then dragging around a scoop.

          There are different types of materials the scoops can come in, such as plastic, wood, aluminum, and steel. I've tried all but the plastic type scoops, so those will be the only type I can't give any helpful tips or opinion on. There is also a variety of types, with plastic scoops having the most options. In the other materials there are basically two types scissor and separate/single. Scissor types look and work much like the name suggests, both the spade and scoop are riveted together to create the scissor action. The Separate type have single spade and scoop that are not attached to each other. Personally my choice is the separate style, I like the versatility being able to operate each piece independently. Then we come lastly to style, which are either spade or rake. I've used both styles and they each have their uses, but I'll choose the spade for its all around use. Not to get to graphic, but if your dog has a loose stool at some point you'll have a much easier time collecting it with a spade. Also if you live in an area where you get snow and ice I recommend going with the spade style.

The scoop with the red cap is made from aluminum, the other scoop and 2 spades are steel.

Wooden Type Dog Pooper Scoopers
          This material does best if stored inside out of the elements such as a shed or garage. If you live in a climate were you get snow and ice I would avoid this style, you'll want something hardier. The pros to this material is it is fairly lightweight and is often inexpensive. The cons to this material is that it can splinter or break if not properly used or cared for.

Aluminum Type Dog Pooper Scoopers
          If you have no place to store your scooper inside, or if you just find the thought of storing a pooper scooper inside yucky then this material is a good one to go with. In the photo above the scoop with a red cap is aluminum and the other pieces are steel. All four pieces have been stored outside leaning up against my garage through all manner of weather for years. As you can see from the photo only the aluminum scoop is not damaged by the weather. The pro to this material is it is very lightweight, which will make it perfect for anyone who can not wield heavy or cumbersome scoops. The con to this material is it can be easily bent and misshapen. If you anticipate having to chip frozen dog poop from the snow you'll want some thing sturdier.

Steel Type Dog Pooper Scoopers
          Steel is my choice material to look for in a pooper scooper, I like its strength and durability. It will rust if left outside in the elements as you can see mine has in the photo above. If you live in a climate that gets snow and ice then you may want to choose steel for its sturdiness. Steel keeps it shape much better then aluminum but that is not to say with the right amount of force you can't warp or bend the spade head. The cons to this material is it is heavy and the handles are often a larger diameter then the wood or aluminum scoopers. So if you have dainty hands or can not wield a heavy scoop you may want to pick a different material to go with. Lastly steel scoops often cost more then the other kinds.

Face your pooper scooper like this during the winter.

Winter tips
          If you store your scooper outside during the winter you will want to make sure to face your scoop like I've done in the photo above. Having it stored this way makes it harder to get completely frozen to the ground. I find I run into the problem more often when the weather warms up enough to melt some of the snow then drops back down to freezing causing any pools of water to turn into ice. Also if they are stored like this when you are expecting snow will make it easier for you to extricate them. Most likely were ever you store your scoops, whether inside or out, they are wont be in warm temperatures. This means the scooper will be cold to freezing so wear gloves to handle them. I also found that if you throw a thin layer of snow into the bottom of the scoop before you try and pick up fresh dog poop it tends not to stick to the cold metal.

Summer tips
       If you store your steel scooper outside and you know you will be getting lots of rain turn your scooper over (like I do for wintertime, see photo above), this will keep water from sitting in the scoop for long periods of time which can cause rust. I'm often lazy and will let the rain wash out the pooper scooper for me.


Do you have any tips or advice you would like to share about pooper scoopers? Have you used any of the plastic scoops and want to share your knowledge? Do you have a funny pooper scooper story? Just add your comments below, I would love to hear from you.

Throwback Thursday - G+ post 3-4-2014

          I have been hearing rumors that Google maybe doing away with Google+, of course they are just unsubstantiated rumors. I've got my fingers crossed this is untrue as I really enjoy that social media platform. To be on the safe side I've decided to do #ThrowbackThursday and #FlashbackFriday were I will reprint my old G+ posts here. Even if the Google rumors are incorrect this will still give me "new" posts for my blog. If you've missed some of my G+ posts or if you've never even been to my page you are going to enjoy my reprints.

Originally posted March 4, 2014 on Google+

Fussy is burning rubber with her fancy wheels

Yesterday I took Fussy and her wheelchair for a walk again, but this time I was able to extend the duration. If the weather would cooperate and people would shovel the snow better we would be much farther along, anyway… She was having a great time even though we had to make detours to miss a few very icy sidewalks. It is amazing how many sidewalks were over salted, this also posed a problem for us. At one point Fussy walked all the way to the end of our flexi leash as it was time for us to turn back around and head the other way I called to her to come back. You wouldn't believe it, she ran back to me. That's right! She ran! Oh you should have seen the smile on her face, she was so thrilled to be able to do that again. OMG this wheelchair is such an incredible blessing.

We later got back home and went inside were Fussy being over stimulated for the walk went about barking and talking at me. She was so happy. Fussy has never been one much for licking so when she gives kisses you had better take them while you can. Boy, I tell you what! Fussy started giving me kisses and just wouldn't stop! She licked up and down my whole arm, just when I thought she might be done she kept on going. Wow, this dog was super happy, I nearly cried.

Yup, yesterday was a good day.