ALMOST SPRING

It is one of those busy times when you take one step forward and two back. It seemed like spring had arrived so I thought it was a good time to clean up my desk -– wrong! One should only do that when they don'’t try to do other tasks at the same time. Wrapping up odds and ends from the holidays turned out to be complicated. Nothing is simple anymore. While juggling those two jobs, I decided to check out heartworm costs for this year since Dakota now is my only canine companion. He was having some leg problems this past weekend, so I decided it was time to check with the vet and see if additional exams were called for or if I could wait until heartworm testing time. I have been giving heartworm protection to my dogs ever since it began. I cannot believe the increase in costs. One has to consider a second mortgage if you have a large dog or more than one. It is no longer just a matter of heartworm; you have to consider fleas and ticks too. More than likely this means two products. The catch is that the drug companies package most of these preventatives in 6-packs. In our neck of the woods we only need to worry about our short summer when the temperatures stay above the no freeze zone. The rest of the country goes for a full 12-month coverage because they are more civilized and wouldn'’t be caught dead in three layers of clothing and six feet of snow. However, it now seems our vets’ feel that we should appear civilized and use preventatives for seven months. I remember when it was just a six-month ordeal. But somehow they got sold a bill of goods - perhaps about global warming. That means you can no longer buy a 6-month supply, you must buy two 6-month application packs to cover seven months. That packs a wallop to one'’s wallet. And, heaven help you if your faithful canine companion[s] has all of their vaccinations due at the same time. So spring brings me a vet medical bill larger than my own medical costs for two years. That is when I think about contacting NASA to see if they could construct a bubble for my darling Dakota to wear for those seven months. I just thank my lucky stars that he is such a healthy dog for his age. I wouldn'’t deprive him of anything. He knows when it is pill time and stands and waits, patiently, for me to fork over his medication. Then he wags his tail, gives me a smile, and trots off to pounce on his teddy bear. That is worth every penny. After all, he keeps me happy and healthy too. Now, it is back to the desk cleaning. I can multi-task here. Dakota and I are guinea pigs for a new system I stumbled on to desensitize him of his storm fears. I play the segments on my computer while he sleeps in my office. This keeps my mind busy so I don'’t think about the thunder that is going on in the background. I discovered I was torpedoing the system by paying attention to the disc thereby giving Dakota a "“key"” to storm sounds on the CD and sabotaging all efforts to cure him. Darn, the dog is smarter than I am. He'’s making progress and I am a bit optimistic. However, I think it may all fall apart because, while the thunder doesn'’t bother me one bit, the lightening is quite the opposite. The thought of going through all of this effort only to fail because of me is quite disheartening. So far there don'’t seem to be any solutions to this perplexing problem. The sun is out and it is lunchtime. No point in worrying about things I cannot do anything about. Tomorrow is another day. For now, Dakota and I need to go play.

A FICKLE WINTER

A FICKLE WINTER

Green, green!
Yellow, yellow!

Yellow-green of Spring

Weeping willows splashed against winter’s white, white snow.

Blue, blue sky!
Brown, brown fence!
How warmly she teases us at first –

Knowing full well February will bring her curse!

………………. Katie 1978

LETTER TO MY DOGS

LETTER TO MY DOGS:

1. When I say to move, it means to go someplace else, not to switch
positions with each other so there are still two of you in my way.

2. The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. All
other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note that placing
your paw print in the middle of MY plate and food does not stake
a claim making it YOUR plate and food.

3. The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack.
Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help
in your quest to reach the bottom first, because I fall faster
than you can run.

4. I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very
sorry about this. Do not think that I will continue sleeping on the
couch to ensure your comfort.

5. Dogs can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not
necessary to sleep perpendicular to one another, stretched out to the
fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out
and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is
nothing but sarcasm.

6. For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom.
If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut,
it is not necessary to claw, whine, try to turn the knob, or get your paw
under the edge of the door and try to pull it open. I must exit
through the same door I entered. Honest. Also, I have been using the
bathroom by myself for quite some time -- canine attendance
is not mandatory.

7. I can't stress this one enough -- kiss me, THEN go smell the other
dog's behind.

8. To pacify you, my dear companions, I have posted the following
notice on our front door:

RULES FOR NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT

AND THEN COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

1. The pets live here. You don't.

2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the
furniture. (That's why it's called "fur"niture.)

3. To you, our pets are just animals. To us, they are an adopted
son/daughter who happens to be hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't
speak clearly.

4. Dogs and cats are better than kids because: ---- they don't ask
for money all the time ---- they are easier to train ---- they usually come
when called ---- they don't hang out with drug-using friends ---- they
don't need a gazillion dollars for a college education, and ---- if they
get pregnant, you can sell the children.

Thanks to Kathy

WHEN I AM OLD.....

When I am Old I shall wear Turquoise and soft gray sweatshirts... and a bandana over my silver hair...and I shall spend my Social Security Checks on Sweet Wine and My Dogs...and sit in my house on my well-worn chair, and listen to my dog's breathing. I will sneak out in the middle of a warm Summer night and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow... and when people come to call, I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs...and talk of them and about them... The Ones so Beloved of the Past and the Ones so Beloved of Today.... I still will work hard cleaning after them and mopping and feeding them and whispering their names in a soft, loving way.
I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel, and I will be an embarrassment to all...and my family... who have not yet found the peace in being free to have dogs as your Best Friends....
These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall...and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to greet you as if you are a God. With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope that you will stay and hug their big, strong necks...and kiss their dear sweet heads...and whisper to them of your love and the beautiful pleasure of their very special company.... I look in the Mirror...and see I am getting old.... this is the kind of woman I am...and have always been. Loving dogs is easy, they are part of me, accept me for who I am, my dogs appreciate my presence in their lives.... when I am old this will be important to me... you will understand when you are old.... & if you have dogs to love too. Author Unknown

LIFE

AFTER A WHILE

Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while, you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open,
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
And learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans,
And futures have a way of falling down in midflight.
And after a while, you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure….
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and learn….
With every goodbye, you learn.

VIEWS ON AGING...

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is
when we're kids?
If you're less than ten years old, you're so excited about aging that you
think in fractions.
"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half."
You're never 36 and a half
.....you're four and a half going on 5.
You get into your teens; now they can't hold you back.
You jump to the next number. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16."
You could be 12, but you're gonna be 16. Eventually.

Then the great day of your life; you become 21. Even the words sound like
a ceremony. You BECOME 21....Yes!!

Then you turn 30. What happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk.
He TURNED; we had to throw him out. What's wrong?
What changed? You BECOME 21; you TURN 30.

Then you're PUSHING 40....stay over there.
You REACH 50.
You BECOME 21; you TURN 30; You're PUSHING 40; you REACH 50;
then you MAKE IT to 60.
By then you've built up so much speed, you HIT 70.

After that, it's a day by day thing. You HIT Wednesday...
You get into your 80's; you HIT lunch, you HIT 4:30.
My Grandmother won't even buy green bananas.
"Well, it's an investment, you know, and maybe abad one."
And it doesn't end there....
Into the 90's, you start going backwards. "I was JUST 92."
Then a strange thing happens; if you make it over 100,
you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half."
HAPPY AGING!!!

Wisdom From Senior Citizens

1. I started with nothing. I still have most of it.

2. When did my wild oats turn to prunes and all bran?

3. I finally got my head together, now my body is falling apart.

4. Funny, I don't remember being absent minded.

5. All reports are in. Life is now officially unfair.

6. If all is not lost, where is it?

7. It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.

8. If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished.

9. The first rule of holes: if you are in one, stop digging.

10. I tried to get a life once, But they told me they were out of
stock.

11. I went to school to become a wit, only got halfway though.

12. It was so different before everything changed.

13. Some day's you're the dog, and some day's you're the hydrant.

14. Nostalgia isn't what it use to be.

15. Old programmers never die. They just terminate and stay resident.

16. A day without sunshine is like a day in Seattle.

17. I wish the buck stopped here! I could use a few.

18. Kids in the back seat cause accidents; accidents in the back
seat cause kids.

19. It's not the pace of life that concerns me, it's the sudden stop
at the end.

20. It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.

21. Living on Earth is expensive, But it does include a trip around
the sun.

22. The only time the world beats a path to your door is if your in
the bathroom.

23. If God wanted me to touch my toes, He would have put them on my
knees.

24. Never knock on death's door, ring the bell and run (he hates
that).

25. Lead me not into temptation (I can find the way myself).

26.When you are finally holding all the cards, why does everyone else
decide to play chess.

27. If you are living on the edge, make sure your wearing your
seatbelt.

28. There are two kinds of pedestrians. The quick and the dead.

29. An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.

30. A closed mouth gathers no feet.

31. Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

32. Its not hard to meet expenses; they are everywhere.

33. Jury: Twelve people who determine which client has the better
attorney.

34. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

I WANNA BE A KID AGAIN

I WANNA BE A KID AGAIN

.................SIGH.............

I want to be a kid again. I want to go back to the time when:

Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo."
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in Monopoly.
Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening.
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old referred to anyone over 20.
The net on a tennis court was the perfect height to play volleyball and
rules didn't matter.

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.
It was magic when dad would "remove" his thumb.
It was unbelievable that dodge ball was not an Olympic event.
Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot.
Nobody was prettier than Mom.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big
people” rides at the amusement park.

Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare."
Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute ads for action figures.
No shopping trip was complete unless a new toy was brought home.

"Oly-oly-oxen-free" made perfect sense.
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
War was a card game.
Water balloons were the ultimate weapons.
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin.
Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
Older siblings were the worst tormentors but also the fiercest
protectors.
........................SIGH.......................

I’d Pick More Daisies

Of course you can’t un-fry an egg, but there’s no law against thinking about it.

If I had my life to live over, I would try to make more mistakes. I would relax. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would be less hygienic. I would go more places. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less spinach. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary troubles.

You see, I have been one of those fellows who live prudently, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I have had my moments. But if I had it to do over again, I would have more of them—a lot more. I never go anywhere without a thermometer, a map, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had it to do over, I would travel lighter.

If I had my life to liver over, I would start going barefoot a little earlier in the spring and stay that way a little later in the fall. I would have more dogs. I would keep later hours. I would have more sweethearts. I would fish more. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would go to more circuses.

In a world in which practically everybody else seems to be consecrated to the gravity of the situation, I would rise to glorify the levity of the situation. For I agree with Will Durant, who said, “Gaiety is wiser than wisdom.”

If I had my life to live over, I’d pick more daisies.

DAKOTA POEM

DAKOTA

You were a gift to me in my darkest hour
A Golden angel
sent
To ease my pain and help me through my tears.
You nudge me for attention
Telling me it is OK to open my heart to you.
Do we dare to be hurt again?
Can we laugh again
You and I?

I’m grateful for your patience
We both need each other.

Together we will share our special years.
We will learn about our strengths and weaknesses.
We will laugh, cry, and hug .
We will discover, teach, and learn
building
New traditions, new routines.
Special memories that are just ours alone.

Beautiful early morning sunrises on the deck
Afternoon massages
Ice cream, popcorn
Roly-poly in the freshly cut grass
Kitchen capers

New beginnings just for a couple of seniors
Oh what fun it will be.

……..Katie 2005

RESCUE ADOPTION ADVANTAGES

There are so many advantages to adopting a rescue dog - especially for seniors. I have a contract that covers a number of points. I do not have any family that could step in and care for an animal if I ended up in the hospital or died. That was my biggest concern at this stage of my life. I have such a strong feeling of responsibility for animals in my care, that my age told me I shouldn't think about finding another canine companion.


Now I have an organization that will take Dakota, if necessary, and take care of him until I can return or see that he has a forever home and will never be placed in a kennel. He is a member of a "family" that cares about his welfare and he will be safe. Should I need to be hospitalized and my husband was not here to care for him, I can place him with a volunteer that will see that he is cared for until I come home.

This is a wonderful situation for seniors. Dogs have been so much a part of my life and to suddenly be without them made me ill and depressed. I felt my life was over and I really didn't have anything to live for. Dakota brings me happiness every day. He needs me and I need him. We have a mutual admiration relationship. I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile. I have a reason to get up each morning. He is company for me. I talk to him all of the time as I have all my past canines. His vocabulary is increasing even at his age. He makes me laugh and in return he has fun and is happy too. I cannot speak to younger people or families but I'm sure it is no different. Some years ago I did rescue another dog - Duke - you'll read about him later on.

This certainly is an alternative for anyone as long as you understand what goes with such an adoption.

BLOG vs COLUMN

This personal blog is not representitive of my professional columns. From time to time I may post some of my past columns and you will see the difference. Here I have a chance to write from my heart. My columns are written with my professional hat on and are much more reserved.

THE LAST HURDLE

Dakota's file said he had some separation anxiety. Just like the storm fear, this problem has the potential for destroying the house and causing unlimited problems for the dog. With a dog like Dakota, the seed was there. His high level of insecurity was the catalyst. Since he had a mix of problems, I determined that I had to solve one at a time if I expected any permanent success. So, I decided to stay home with him until we had made enough progress in other areas. This was not difficult for me because of being semi-retired and what work I did was done out of my office at home. My husband did the grocery shopping and handled all of the trips outside of the house. Dakota needed time to establish trust. He also needed some of his self-confidence back. Luckily I had the time and ability to wait it all out. I used the time to establish routines, develop his decision making capabilities, and assure his trust in me. In the beginning, just going to get the mail set off his anxiety. Over time we made progress little by little.

Then, one day we walked out of the house and disappeared. He handled that quite well with just a couple of barks. My husband had been leaving and coming back on a regular basis, so one day I decided to leave the house and he could stay home with my husband. It didn't phase him. Some time later, we decided it was time to make the big move. We intended to just go up to the drug store and be back in 15 minutes. I stuffed a couple of his bones, talked to him briefly and told him we'd be back. We put his music on, gave him a treat and shut the door. Our trip went well beyond our planned 15 minutes and I was really worried. When we got back home, Dakota greeted us at the door and trotted off to find a bone. What a surprise. Obviously he had developed enough confidence and security that he wasn't too concerned about us coming back.

Sometime later we decided to go for a major shopping trip. He managed the longer trip just beautifully. He was happy to see us, but went off to get his favorite bone and settled down to chew. I looked at the other bones I'd scattered around the hall and family room. Some were chewed, some were not. I'm assuming he went to sleep after chewing for awhile and didn't wake up until we got back. Trips since then have been the same. I'm crossing my fingers that this will hold. But I'm not about to try it in a storm this summer. I'm not confident that the storm desensitizing will work even if it appears to work. I will have to hide in the garage or stand in the rain a number of times before I'm convinced. But that's down the line.

For now, life is pretty darn wonderful around here. Dakota loves his Christmas teddy bear and drags it around most of the time. He loves being outside and makes his snow angels on a regular basis. He loves to lay out in the snow with the bear even though mom doesn't think it's in his best interest. I'm sure not the task master I used to be with my dogs. I've turned quite liberal in his management but it works. Since he doesn't have his chipmunks to keep track of, he's found a source of shrews to catch. Like a cat, he wants to bring them into the house, but I drew the line at that. It is not easy to get him to drop them, but I'm adamant about that.



I cannot explain this but adopting a rescue dog and bringing it into your home is totally different from bringing a puppy in and growing up with it. Both experiences are fantastic, but they are so different. Your views and feelings are different. You think differently. I wish I could share it with you but I don't have the words. There just aren't words...it's inside me. It's feelings, attitudes, a different kind of love and so much more. When I look at Dakota I often wonder about his previous life. I think he was happy. He seems to understand some commands, he's a gentleman, and so full of love that it spews out of every inch of his body. He never gets enough back. He keeps asking for more and in return he keeps giving it back. I am so glad that I can extend his life. He deserves it. We are creating new traditions thus bonding us together with special memories. Every day is so special. Each one I hang on to with dear life hoping we never run out of days or time. I am so thankful that Dakota was sent to us.

This week I must share with you how I came to adopt Dakota. It's a sad story so I wanted to warn you. But wrapped inside are some wonderful experiences.

TIME MARCHES ON

The days and weeks rolled by. My efforts to create an environment that would give Dakota a sense of security was working. Dogs that come into our homes want predictable routines and security. They can adjust to changes but it usually causes stress for them. Humans experience the same thing. Dogs need to have a degree of change so they can adapt. But I'm dealing with a very senior dog who was thrust into a series of big changes in his life in rapid order so he needed to be given a chance to recover from those stresses, adapt to the new routines, learn to trust again, and develop his own self confidence again. I needed to get a sense of his old habits, learn what special things were important to him, and hopefully establish new events with him.

I realized that he needed a diversion......something to take his mind off of the trauma he'd been through. It needed to be something that would keep his attention day in and day out and connect him with his new home. I found that in the backyard.......our chipmunks. It took a while to get him interested but soon he was spending his days watching them intently. I fed them on the deck so Dakota could watch them. Once his interest took hold, he was using his wonderful nose to trace them outside. He found their holes but didn't make any effort to disturb them. Soon our morning and afternoon deck adventures were dedicated to finding the chipmunks. I learned that his eyesight was incredible. He could see them moving around out in the garden under the plants or running down the top of our fence. What fun he had.

Because I constantly talk with my dogs from the day they come into our house, Dakota started listening to me jabber and picked up on key words like chipmunks, chippies. He would head into the family room and look for them out on the deck. Sometimes he'd stand at the back door and when he saw one way out by the fence he wanted to go out. Soon he connected with the chipmunks' schedules. He knew which one came from which direction to feed under the bird feeders and he'd be there to watch them. He never chased them, just watched them. Squirrels and rabbits were another story...they were fair game but only half-heartedly.

I finally was able to be in the house when Dakota went out but I had to stay near the door. Eventually I work in the kitchen or be in the family room while he was outside. He would only potty however, and then wanted to immediately come back into the house to be next to me. Soon, he started roaming around the yard for awhile before he came in. I let him make his own decisions. I made sure not to call him in but, rather, wait until he wanted to come in. He was slowly building up his own confidence. It was so much fun to watch him morph into this new Golden trying out his new legs. Now I fast forward to today. He loves to go out with his new Christmas teddy bear. He's learned that he has to bring it back in when he comes in. But he also just loves to tease me by coming up the steps to the deck and pretending he wants to come in and suddenly he wheels around and back down to the yard. He turns his head around to look at me and has a big smile showing that he just managed to con me. I realize that normally this would be a serious training problem. But in this case I don't feel it is. He's just a happy senior guy having a little fun. I'm not facing any such problems with him anywhere else.

When he came to live with us, Sheila told me he wasn't much for toys - just the sterile white hard bones. I had plenty of them. I left out a box of toys from previous dogs and he wasn't interested in any of them. Then one day he picked up Melodie's plush hedgehog that she carried around throughout her last years. At first I wanted to grab it away from him but I caught myself and let him have it. He carried it around a bit now and then. Soon he picked up Chaucie's favorite plush ladybug. That too he carried around for a while but he always went back to his bones. When Christmas came I thought I might just find him one plush toy. I wouldn't lavish toys on him as we've done with others in the past. I found a little teddy bear on sale and gave it to him Christmas day. I played with him and the bear. A little coaxing here and there. He really wasn't all that interested but suddenly one day he grabbed that little bear and I don't think it's been out of his mouth except at night since he picked it up.



Normally I don't let my dogs take toys out in the winter. We spent a fair amount of time digging through snow drifts searching for a favorite and my husband got tired of that routine when it was 30 below. But the day Dakota first wanted to take the bear out I let him. He came in without it. We went out and got it. Since mornings had become so special for Dakota and myself, I started working with him to bring that bear back in with him. I made a big game out of it. Now he brings in the bear. Sometimes he looks at it out there, comes in, and then I ask him where his bear is. With great delight he whips out the door, flies off of the steps, grabs the bear and comes back in. His tail is wagging a mile a minute and there is that big smile on his face. He and his bear come into the kitchen with me and he plunks himself down in the middle while I fix meals. Being a senior who is no longer steady on my legs, I have to turn and see where he is before I dare move. But it's worth it as I love having him out there for company.......especially during football season.

Dakota has gained so much confidence in himself. He trusts his own decisions. I'm not sure if I could have done all of this with him when I was in my twenties but as a senior I've been there, done that and I've been through so much with many dogs through the years and learned so much, I trust myself to buy time and gently work with a senior dog to give him the opportunity to enjoy his senior years with another senior - me. Today I think we're both happy to have each other for companionship. A lot of my success with Dakota is based on what I think was a good home and someone that cared a lot about him and taught him how to be a good dog. He is so gentle and sweet. He's willing to listen and willing to cooperate because he knows it will end in something good. Soon the chipmunks will be out again and we'll see what Dakota does then. The spring storms will arrive and hopefully he won't be so scared. But if he is, we'll deal with it then. Tomorrow I will write about his separation anxiety and how I successfully worked that out..

THE WEATHER GETS WORSE

A huge problem pops up. Yes, I know I said Dakota didn't have any bad habits. What he did have is what so many dogs seem to have these days.....storm fear! Here I was trying to figure out what to do about the darn rain to get him out and along comes thunder and lightening. This is no small matter with some dogs. It was one of the most often asked questions when I was writing my column and during my classes at the libraries. I had answers. I had solutions. I never had the problem with any of my dogs except for one Golden. As a puppy he started to show signs of fear but luckily Melodie, my Springer, wasn't phased by storms so that little Golden kept looking to her for answers and he finally decided it wasn't worth the effort to be frightened because of Melodie's lack of concern so the problem passed quickly.

Such is not the case with Dakota. I'd heard stories of dogs bouncing off of the wall, chewing their way through doors, walls, and furniture but it really didn't hit home until Dakota came to live with me. Talk about a wake up call. He's a big guy - really big and heavy and when he wants to go somewhere he goes and there's no stopping him.



Our weather got worse. Storm after storm. Thunder and lightening flourished. Dakota became more and more determined to hide. It didn't make any difference how he got to where he wanted to be - he got there. Luckily he didn't take it out on the furniture or the house. I decided we had to resort to the herbal drops. It calmed him down somewhat but wasn't a perfect. I talked to my vet about alternate solutions but the news was not good. I started searching the web. I guess I spent hours looking for answers but didn't find any help. Then one day I found myself on a sportsman page. They had several CD systems that sounded promising. One was called "Kennel Calm" and the other was for storm fear.

I read all that I could about this desensitizing program. A very nice sports writer contacted me and gave me so much advice and help. I decided that there was no point in starting the program until our fall thunder storm weather was past. That would give me a long winter to work on it. However, I started the Kennel Calm CD. It is music that is composed especially for dogs and is geared to play just below their heart beat. I don't understand it, but for all intense and purposes it works on Dakota. We play it when we go shopping. We play it during the day. He seems to relax and usually curls up and goes to sleep. I don't use any of the herbal drops when we leave the house. I do stuff a couple of his bones to pass the time, but I've noticed that he doesn't even finish working on them...so he must sleep while we're gone. He hasn't touched a thing in the house. He's been a perfect gentleman.

This coming spring might be a totally different story. He has not been left when storms are in the area. I'm starting the storm fear program so I don't know if that will help or not. It may totally fall apart with the first bang of spring. I do not think it's totally the thunder and lightening that scares him. I think the barometric pressure is another source of trouble. Being such a sensitive dog, he feels that barometer going down and there isn't much you can do about that. So far he doesn't move until the storms have moved out of the area.

As for the rain. He and I had a talk about that and he now is willing to go out during light rain where no thunder is involved. For me, that's real progress. I remain upbeat but realistic. I don't think I will succeed 100% but maybe I'll get to a point where he doesn't jump on top of me or try to move the couch to get behind it or climb through the table to get behind the bed. I'll keep you posted.

SENIOR MEETS SENIOR

Although I have a fair amount of experience in integrating dogs into my life, adopting a dog and one that is a senior is a different adventure. I wasn't quite sure what to expect although I had a lot of information from Dakota's foster mom. You automatically figure there will be adjustments and problems. I was sure I could handle problems but my major worry was psychological adjustments for both of us. This would be new to me. It didn't seem to worry all of my "doggie friends". My husband didn't even give it a thought.

Through the years my approach to dog training and potential problems has been "thinking". I have found that observing the situation, evaluating it, and working through a process of how best to handle it in my mind first has worked the best. This worked beautifully with Dakota. Each step brought about positive results and we became closer and closer to a trusted relationship.

It was a perfect sunny Sunday when Sheila and Gordon arrived in their van with four of their own Goldens, a black lab, and Dakota. What a wonderful afternoon we had - wall to wall Goldens. While all of them spent their time freely going between the backyard and the house, we ate lunch and I had time to observe Dakota and his reactions to the gang and people. He was pretty much pushed aside by the other dogs when it came time for seeking attention. They all had been together for some time and Dakota was the new kid on the block even though Shelia and Gordon had made him very much a part of the home.

Parting time was difficult on everyone. I don't remember much about those first hours alone with Dakota. I planned on trying to keep everything normal - whatever that was. Sheila had taken him upstairs to show him his bed. At bedtime he went right to the huge, round snuggle bed and stayed there all night.

Dakota was a Velcro dog. I couldn't go to the bathroom or get a cup of coffee without him pasting himself to my leg. This guy was loaded up with insecurity. Unfortunately I didn't know a lot about his background. So I decided to let things ride for a while. Sometimes I took clues from him. Other times I gently encouraged him to go with me while I watched his reactions.

Thanks to the warm weather it wasn't difficult to let him out in the morning when I got up. My surprise came when he wouldn't go out. I was trying to keep Sheila's schedule, so it was very early. It was light outside but the sun had not fully come up. I went out onto the deck and encouraged him to follow me. That part was easy. I started back into the house and he turned around and followed me back in - never having gotten off the deck. Quietly I turned around and went back out on the deck with Dakota following me. I sat down in one of the chairs. During this whole process I was casually chatting with him. Nothing in particular, just jabbering on and on. He decided he'd go down into the yard and potty. He came across a scent. I think it was from one of Sheila's dogs. One sniff led to another. He spent more time seeking more scents. Finally he came back up on the deck and sat next to me seeking a hand for a petting session.

I had been thinking about Dakota's huge bump of insecurity that was with him every minute of his life. I needed a plan to help him turn his life around. I determined that if I started with giving him freedom to make decisions on his own, he would be well on his way toward confidence and the insecurity would diminish. This would take a lot of time, patience, and stability.

For weeks Dakota and I were a team. Each morning we headed out to the back deck. I parked myself in my chair with my radio and he went about his business. At first he came running back to me as soon as he could. I would continue to stay in my chair, listening to the radio. Soon Dakota was getting back up and venturing back into the yard. He would come back to the deck and eventually found his own spot to lay down and listen to the sounds of the early morning. I noticed that he would pay particular attention to cars that came by. I knew that he used to listen for someone in a car in his past life. Probably waiting for his owner to come home.

Eventually we would go into the house and get breakfast. He let me know that he wanted to go out again after he'd eaten. So we went out again and followed the same routine. Then we'd come in. I would pour a cup of coffee and head for the family room, turn on the TV, and listen to the news.

Dakota became used to the routine and happily followed it every morning. Soon his tail was wagging and he had a big smile on his face as he looked up to me to open the door. It came to an abrupt halt the day it was raining when we came down. He refused to go out. No amount of encouragement got him out that back door. I didn't make an issue out of it. Instead I turned around and went about my business of making coffee, watching the news, and ignoring him except for assuring him he was a good dog and petting him. I quickly learned that he had a darn good bladder. With the rain came the thunder and lightening. That will be my next post.

MY BLOG PARTNER

Introducing my Golden Angel - Dakota. He is a big boy and ten years old. Very much the gentleman, he has no bad habbits. I kid you not. Even I did not believe a ten year old rescue dog could be so virtuous. That is why I believe he is my angel - we all have one - and he came to be my companion for a number of reasons.

Dakota is one of those creatures that you can just look at and he knows what you want of him. I used to run into Bud Grant, the long ago coach of the Vikings, at the vet clinic. I marveled at how his dogs did whatever Bud wanted without a verbal command. At one time that was one of my goals in training my dogs...but I never quite achieved that status - until now. Dakota is that dog. This capability does have a down side - at least with Dakota. He reads my mind. He knows what I am thinking. It is a scary thing. This is the second dog in my life that has been able to read my mind. You have to change your whole life. It requires keeping an ongoing check on your thoughts - quite a challenge. But it is well worth it. By the way, the other such dog was a Golden too.

Dakota came to me through RAGOM, the local organization that rescues and rehomes Goldens. They are quite a group of very, very dedicated individuals that work long hours to save these wonderful creatures. Dakota was living in Iowa and needed a new home because his owner had to go to a hospital and then into a care facility. Other family members were not able to take him in.

I will coninue my adventure of why Dakota came into my life in future posts. For now, it is only important to say that Dakota saved my life and now each day is so happy and filled with love and respect for him. He is happy here and has accepted me as his "Forever Mom" and this as his "Forever Home". He makes me smile and laugh daily. He has learned new things and I have learned new things. After years of dog training and companionship I thought I had a pretty good handle on dogs but Dakota has taught me a whole new perspective on canine relationships. I will attempt to explain that later too.

DOG FOOD ALERT

Alert: I am concerned about the recent dog food recall because of Afloatoxin. It has killed so many dogs. This happened a few years back and practically took down some dog food companies. I had a bag of food that caused me concern before I knew about the problems. The food didn't smell right and there was a sting to my nose when I inhaled. The dogs didn't want it either. Luckily I had an excellent manufacturer and my dogs didn't get sick. With the toxin raising its ugly head again, I contacted the company to inquire whether I needed to be concerned. Their reply was immediate. This company tests every load of incoming ingredients before they accept it. They gave me their testing limits so I feel comfortable that I do not have to worry. I certainly would contact the company that makes the food I'm feeding my dogs and inquire about their procedures. It's also important to stick your nose in the bag when you open it. It can tell you a lot

Tomorrow I will get going on my adventures. Every day Dakota amazes me more. He is such a happy dog and has adjusted so well with all he has been through at a senior age. He delights me every day with something new - all on his own. Hopefully I can get a picture of him with tomorrows post.

STARTING MY NEW ADVENTURE

I created this blog to continue my adventures with the canine world. I recently adopted a very handsome senior Golden Retriever from our local rescue organization - RAGOM. First of all I will share with you why I did this and then venture into the world of adopting a rescue dog. It has been a wonderful experience. One that has left me in awe and feelings so overwhelming I just had to share them with anyone that would listen. You will see pictures from time to time of this beautiful creature and the canines that came before him. Hopefully you will enjoy their stories too.