I've got to act like a bitch! Literally!
Well, Satchi has been exposing me to a whole new puppy experience. House breaking has been getting better, and she's growing SO FAST. Like a freakin' weed, she is. She's been difficult with the whole biting thing, so here's to trying a new tactic: acting like her mother. Quite literally. When she bites I make a high pitched "yip!" sound, like another dog would when the play bite is too hard. If she bites again I make the noise again and then walk away from her, refusing to play with her until she's calmer. If she keeps nipping then I have to get on her fuzzy ass like her mom would, pushing her onto her back and "growling" at her. Not *really* growling, but a low voice that tells her that I mean she's dead meat if she keeps making trouble.
Sheesh! Puppies! *headdesk* Oh! And I went alpha on her fluffy butt earlier tonight. She GROWLED AT ME when I tried to take the paper she was ripping up. I was shocked for a minute; I thought I was hearing things! But then she growled again and it was clearly not a play growl. I was down on her so fast -- had my hand on her neck so I could firmly hold her down without hurting her and got down over her and held her eyes. I wouldn't let her move until she broke eye contact first. Then I flipped her on her back, so her belly was in the air, and I took the paper from her. She was pretty meek after that. She knew she got on the wrong side of the Alpha of This house. Damn straight. Respect.
In other news: Wednesdays are ARF work days. =) This is week four(?) working with them and the kitties. There are so many kittens. Goodness. Three rooms full of cats or kittens, plus condos (large bird cage looking things), as well as the ones that are allowed to wander the center. If I count right, that's... 21 cats and kittens. @_@ And I take care of all of them. There was so much to do today that I didn't do the dog training, like I should have. I was a little sad that Pinky wasn't there, too, since she got adopted. Which is good! But I missed her. <3 She was such a sweet mommy dog. <3 But yeah, it was a busy busy day at the center for me. Lots of cat relocating because Sherlock, one of the kittens (he's orange and white and his fur is sorta wavy), he has an upper respiratory infection I think -- congested, runny nose, and fever. Poor baby. I helped to move him to a condo for just him, since we don't want him to spread his infection, if that's what it is. Hopefully, he's feeling better. Someone brought in a stray just as I was leaving, too, so that might even be 22 cats that I'll be caring for.
There're a couple new dogs at the center, too, but they're coming in and going out pretty quickly right now. Except Suzie and Sydney. They're both so sweet, but no one adopts them because they can't be in a home with any other animals and they need a very dedicated and strong willed owner. Syd is a lab/pit mix, but she's so loving, almost too much so, because she doesn't like other dogs, she'll jump at them and attack them. Suzie is a huge sheperd mix, and SO SO cute. She sleeps on top of her crate and on top of the desk in her separate room. Loves people, gives them plenty of kisses. But again, she needs just a one or two person family to love her. There's Beegee, too, with the same problems, but I haven't gotten to know her well yet, 'cause she's wary of me still.
BTW: As a random volunteer-insert: $25 for black cats at ARF instead of the usual $50! There's like six of them... (Onyx, Raisin, Pheobe, Allie, Ariel, etc...)
On a more sobering note, I'm home alone with just Satchi and Sunny for the weekend. My mom's good friend, Julie (I call her Aunt Julie 'cause they're so close), well, her husband, Randy, he's had a bad heart for a while and has needed a transplant. Unfortunately, his heart gave out while they were at their lake house in NC and his condition went down fast. He never got the transplant -- he passed away yesterday afternoon. He was 47. My mom is going down there for Julie, to help support her and wait with her till she gets his ashes back so she can take him home.
I am also in the company of my dad's brother's family this weekend too. My Aunt Lisa, Uncle Steve, Cousin Cody and friend are all going to be in Annapolis, so woot. -_- (Cody is NOT a favorite cousin.) It may prove complicated -- spending time with them and taking care of the monster. Therefore, Chelsea-chan to the rescue! She can puppy sit intermittently, should I need to go to DC.
Better news: Job? Might work out at the Deli?
Until next time and I have more joyful things to tell you of,
Kix
Sheesh! Puppies! *headdesk* Oh! And I went alpha on her fluffy butt earlier tonight. She GROWLED AT ME when I tried to take the paper she was ripping up. I was shocked for a minute; I thought I was hearing things! But then she growled again and it was clearly not a play growl. I was down on her so fast -- had my hand on her neck so I could firmly hold her down without hurting her and got down over her and held her eyes. I wouldn't let her move until she broke eye contact first. Then I flipped her on her back, so her belly was in the air, and I took the paper from her. She was pretty meek after that. She knew she got on the wrong side of the Alpha of This house. Damn straight. Respect.
In other news: Wednesdays are ARF work days. =) This is week four(?) working with them and the kitties. There are so many kittens. Goodness. Three rooms full of cats or kittens, plus condos (large bird cage looking things), as well as the ones that are allowed to wander the center. If I count right, that's... 21 cats and kittens. @_@ And I take care of all of them. There was so much to do today that I didn't do the dog training, like I should have. I was a little sad that Pinky wasn't there, too, since she got adopted. Which is good! But I missed her. <3 She was such a sweet mommy dog. <3 But yeah, it was a busy busy day at the center for me. Lots of cat relocating because Sherlock, one of the kittens (he's orange and white and his fur is sorta wavy), he has an upper respiratory infection I think -- congested, runny nose, and fever. Poor baby. I helped to move him to a condo for just him, since we don't want him to spread his infection, if that's what it is. Hopefully, he's feeling better. Someone brought in a stray just as I was leaving, too, so that might even be 22 cats that I'll be caring for.
There're a couple new dogs at the center, too, but they're coming in and going out pretty quickly right now. Except Suzie and Sydney. They're both so sweet, but no one adopts them because they can't be in a home with any other animals and they need a very dedicated and strong willed owner. Syd is a lab/pit mix, but she's so loving, almost too much so, because she doesn't like other dogs, she'll jump at them and attack them. Suzie is a huge sheperd mix, and SO SO cute. She sleeps on top of her crate and on top of the desk in her separate room. Loves people, gives them plenty of kisses. But again, she needs just a one or two person family to love her. There's Beegee, too, with the same problems, but I haven't gotten to know her well yet, 'cause she's wary of me still.
BTW: As a random volunteer-insert: $25 for black cats at ARF instead of the usual $50! There's like six of them... (Onyx, Raisin, Pheobe, Allie, Ariel, etc...)
On a more sobering note, I'm home alone with just Satchi and Sunny for the weekend. My mom's good friend, Julie (I call her Aunt Julie 'cause they're so close), well, her husband, Randy, he's had a bad heart for a while and has needed a transplant. Unfortunately, his heart gave out while they were at their lake house in NC and his condition went down fast. He never got the transplant -- he passed away yesterday afternoon. He was 47. My mom is going down there for Julie, to help support her and wait with her till she gets his ashes back so she can take him home.
I am also in the company of my dad's brother's family this weekend too. My Aunt Lisa, Uncle Steve, Cousin Cody and friend are all going to be in Annapolis, so woot. -_- (Cody is NOT a favorite cousin.) It may prove complicated -- spending time with them and taking care of the monster. Therefore, Chelsea-chan to the rescue! She can puppy sit intermittently, should I need to go to DC.
Better news: Job? Might work out at the Deli?
Until next time and I have more joyful things to tell you of,
Kix