and.....I'm back....

[ruby]

Well yesterday was the first day back. What a day. Quanasa was crazy
as always. What else is new.

But first I must tell you about what happened on my way back to
Quansa.

It really amazes me that people can't really see.....

I stopped at my local convenience store first thing in the morning
just because I wanted to grab a cup of coffee. I of course had Kinzee
with me. She was in her normal place...riding shotgun. She was
wearing her coat of many colors. It was easy to see her as she stood
out.

I went inside to get my coffee and one of the women that works in
there was all estatic because she could see my dog and is that a
Hawaiian shirt she is wearing and can I go say hi??

Well seeing that the car was locked and of course the wndows all
closed, I told her to knock herself out. Well, maybe not in those
excact words. Any way out whe went as I got my coffee. She came back
in as I was paying and said that the dog had gone into back of the car
and she couldn't get her to come forward again. So I said, I'm going
out now, do you want to meet her? Oh my yes.

Now I open my car door and as always I tell Kinzee to wait. I hear
the women going off about oh how beautiful and how cute and so on
but, I am not looking at the woman. I am looking at Kinzee and can
see Kinzee is thinking this is not right.....

I very calmly tell Kinz that she is fine and to just wait. So Kinzee
is just waiting and suffering the woman's attention. The woman was
petting her and making all the baby noises and she was completely
oblivious to the fact that this big dog was standing up on my car seat
making her eye level with the woman and she was letting anyone know
with out saying anything that this woman did NOT belong so close to
getting inside the car.

At this point I lost track of what the woman was saying and was just
watching Kinz. I again told Kinz she was fine and to just be easy. I
could see Kinzee visably relax somewhat but she kept rolling her eyes
to me to make sure it was still ok.

Kinzee was a perfect lady. The woman finally left to go back inside
to work. It all only took about 5 minutes. All was fine. I just
know that if I were standing face to face like that, with a dog that
big, inside their own car and they began to tense up like that and
give the neck a little arch.....I would NOT reach in with my hands to
touch. Oh well. We continued on.

So many new things to learn about at Quansa. Don't know where to
start. So when in doubt, go get a puppy...LOL.

Kinzee and I took Annie out in the back for a free run for some
exersize. And run they did. Even Kinzee, who has been doing not much
of anything lately except lay around the house and get plump.....

She has always encouraged Annie to be a bit of a free spirit. Around
and around they ran. Zooming through the tall grass. Around the wood
pile across the back and slide to a stop at the big tunnel under that
other wood pile and stick their heads in to see what is what. We made
two trips around the park. When we came back up by the lane, the
ponies were standing there looking very bored. They stood by the big
gate, hips cocked, soaking up what little sun there was that day.
Kinzee imediately began running her nose around the junk pile.
Annie...., she spotted the ponies and came to an abrupt stop, up on
her toes, neck arching, tail high and she just stared for a while.
(wish I had a picture of the free stack) Suddenly she began to try
big bad barking.

The ponies, of course, remained as they were. Kinzee stopped and
looked around to see what Annie was barking at....huh, nothing, so she
continued to put her nose to the ground. I began to walk slowly
toward the ponies and Annie followed behind me. The closer we got the
lower her tail went. She stayed a distance away and very carefully,
waving her nose in the air, kept that distance as she sort of walked
back and forth. I leaned on the gate and spoke to the ponies, who
were unimpressed, and Annie still was keeping her distance and rubber
necking the ponies.

Kinzee then walked over by me and sniffed along the gate. Annie then
came up behind me and peeked around my knees. As Kinzee calmly walked
away, Annie came out from behind me and slowly approached the gate.
She stuck her nose up to the slats of the gate and sniffed and then
quickly followed Kinzee away. I told her she was a good girl and
followed them both. I considered that a big success for Annie. She
carefully asessed a situation she thought scary and then concured her
fear.

I opened the gate to the pond, which of course is a big puddle of
solid ice. Annie followed Kinzee as she investigated every 'nook n
crannie'. As I called to Kinzee and went back out the gate, Annie got
side tracked and was running along the fence as Kinzee and I left. I
simply left the gate open and stood and watched and let Annie figure
out the whole 'find the open gate' problem so she could be with
Kinzee. It is funny how they will run back and forth and just as they
get to the open gate they go back the other way again.

Kinzee of course would not save her, so I didn't either. Finally she
discovered how to get through the open gate and flew out to catch up
with Kinzee. I just shook my head and closed the gate. Well,it was
time for Annie's run to be over. Kinzee and I went back up to the
office to warm up.

As I came out the front of the kennel I saw the neighbor coming up the
drive with some of the dogs running around her. I walked over to meet
her and she was sure that because the dogs that were loose and come
around the fence that goes up the edge of the lane, and that they
needed to be brought back. So as long as she was there she came in to
chat!

I sat in the chair in front of the desk and she stood in the office
door talking about...???...huh...I don't remember what.

She kept trying to make up to Kinzee. She was taken with her. So
Kinzee stood in front of her letting the lady pet her. The lady was
standing next to the chair I was sitting in and was pretty much
keeping a running comentary going. Poor Pat.

Suddenly the woman decided to see if Kinzee would sit. So she stood
there asking Kinzee can you sit?

Can you sit? Can you sit? Can you sit? Can you sit? Can
you.......do you know what it took for me NOT to reach over and bap
her like we used to do to a record player stuck?? Kinzee just stood
there looking up at her wagging her tail and I swear she was laughing
under her breath.

I could NOT stand it any more and since I couldn't bap the woman, I
gave Kinzee the signal to sit. Finally, she quit saying...can you
sit?

She kept talking but I don't know what she was saying. I don't even
remember at which point I quit paying attention.

Well everyone, this is getting long again and it is getting late so I
need to let dogs out one last time for the night and get to bed. I do
turn into a punkin at 10 and it is already almost 10:30. I'm
crashing.

I have more to tell.

Will try to finsh this tomorrow. (or the next day)

Quansa's Nanny...(jeez i hate not having spell check!!) Night.

[Janis Moore]

Ruby thanks for the update! Cool that you will be there on a regular
basis, love the "can you sit" story (:

Looking forward to coming for a visit soon.

Janis

[Rubyanna Skrede]

Just a moment here as I finish my first cuppa.... 
 
got to get to going soon.  As much fun as Annie had with Kinzee and myself, Mia had more fun that morning. 
 
Kinzee taught Mia how to hunt and kill.  Kinzee and Mia and I were walking down in the back of the park and Kinzee flushed a HUGE, FAT, mouse out of the tall grass.  When Kinzee noticed it escaping across the park through the short grass, she bounced out and snatched it up and gave a crunch.  Mia, always keeping an eye on Kinzee came running to see what Kinzee was doing and as the mouse was in the last kicks of death, Kinzee dropped it, and backed away so Mia could have it. 
 
Mia carefully sniffed it, but as the mouse gave another kick her instincts kicked in and Mia snatched it up and gave a crunch.  Poor Mr. Mousey.  He went out in a blaze of glory.  It took two Airedales to kill him really dead. 
 
Mia carried the mouse around for a long time tossing and retrieving it in a game of fetch all by her self.  Kinzee and I walked on up toward the buildings, ignoring Mia.  She followed behind playing her game the whole way.  I knew if I tried to take it away just yet what would happen. 
 
We got to the buildings and it was time for Mia to go in and have her bath.  I stopped and looked at her.  Mia, I said, you need to achh it out now.  Mia stood there looking up at me her trophy hanging out of her mouth.  I reached down and took a hold of her collar and said again...Mia, achh it out.  It was then she understood what I meant.  She froze still for an instant and then, chomp, chomp, gulp, and mouse what mouse?  She looked up and me wagging her tail and grinning from ear to ear.  So, it's official.  Mia is an Airedale.  Mouse tartar....yum, good breakfast. 
 
Eweee, now when you have your bath I gonna hose out you mouth too...........!!
 
Mia came home with me that night.  She has been with Kinzee and I all week.  Last night was especially good.  Mia got to work in the Wednesday night class.  I was so proud of her. 
 
When Pat, FINALLY, got free of the training center that day and came back up to the office to catch a rest and something to eat, Kinzee and Mia and I took that time to go play by ourselves before class.
 
When we got in the building, the rope in the center was still hanging there and I told Mia, oh good, lets take advantage of that.  I hooked Mia on the center line and left Kinzee to watch us and Mia and I began to practice THE most important part of her training.  Walking calmly on the line.  Around and around, both directions, at different speeds.  We worked 'easy' and 'wait'.  Then I took her off the center line and we just walked on a loose long line in different directions.  As Mia would pause to sniff something, I went the other direction.  After a couple of times of the line coming tight, she would do a quick sniff and come along in my direction so the line didn't tighten.  I was very happy with her and gave her one treat for a reward.  She liked that. 
 
Now I asked her for a sit.  Walk along, 'Mia wait'.  We stopped and I said 'Mia sit'.  Mia is one of those girls that when you show her something she likes to really think about it, and make it have sense in her mind.  Now I was asking her to just sit with out thinking about it, just do it.  This one was a struggle for Mia.  We walked back and forth and back and forth.  It took a while but finally she complied and stood there telling her how good she was and what good sit and then, I was carrying a toy, and I gave it a toss for her.   She bounced out there and grabbed it and came running back to me with it.  Hey, I thought, lets make this a fun spot and I tossed it several times and each time she bounced out and grabbed it and brought it back.  Yee haaa. This will come in handy later, but let's leave her wanting more and I ended the game. 
 
Now some of the people began to arrive for class.  Wanting to use the distraction of it all, I began walking Mia back and forth again.  Mia, come on.  Mia, wait, Mia come on.  Mia wait.  Although she wanted to bounce around and be silly and greet all the new ones coming in, I made her be 'easy', 'come on', and 'wait'.  As people took there places and sat and began to talk, I again asked Mia to 'sit'.  Woah...she looked at me....are you sure about this???  I simply pulled her line up tight.  She very slowly sat.  Oh good sit Mia.  'Come on' and we walked slowly to the other end of the room.  'Mia, wait', 'Mia, sit'.   Again she looked at me and again with out another word to her I pulled the line up tight.  Slowly she sat.  Oh what a good girl.  'Mia, come on'.  Back to the other end of the building.  'Mia, wait', 'Mia sit'.  She looked at me but slowly she sat without a tight line.  'Ohhhh  what a good sit girl'.
 
That is where we ended it.  She is sooo funny.  When she does something right and gets a good girl and I reach down and stroke the side of her head and her ear, she is so happy, she chatters her teeth.  It so funny.
 
Well, we took our place too then and joined the conversations going on. 
 
Then Pat came in and guess what was the first exersize she had us do...???   She set up the merry go round on severl center lines!!!  Yeaaaa, with out little dress rehershal before anyonearrive, Mia was a STAR.  He-he-he.  As class progressed we went aroung the merry go round and even traded dogs.  Each of us got to work the other dogs in class.  As I worked someone elses dog I kept and eye on Mia too.  She did very good.  She would occasionally try to get silly for someone, but if they didn't tell her easy I called across the room, 'Mia, easy' and she did.  She was a prancy, dancy wiggle butt yet, but she went slow or fast or in any direction.  She was having goooood time.  Yet she was sooo under control.  When we all got our own dogs back we stood there caritqueing each preformance, and Mia just lay down, stretched out on her side and had a nap.
 
She is going to be one awesome service dog.
 
Today she will go back in the kennel for a few days to be able to relax and think about all she has been doing and I will take Annie for the next few days.  She too, will come home with Kinzee and I and be with us for the weekend.  Annie and Mia will trade off like that now for a while as they both need work time and then down time. 
 
Well, I really need to get my butt dressed and get to work....so more another day. 

Quansa's Nanny **************************************** Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, Airedale in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO what a ride!


 

[LMcCain]

Ruby -

Where have you been????

Lynn

[Rubyanna Skrede]

Hi Lynn and all,  ya as soon as I got back to Quansa I got sick.  I picked up a viral infection, according to the Doctor.  Last's a week he said and, he was right.  I've been stuck at home for a week with a sore throat, a head about to explode from internal pressure and leaking gallons of yuck from nose and eyes.  Truly, if someone had walked in those first few days you would have thought I was crying.  Water ran from my eyes down my face non stop for three days.  Today is the week and the Doctor was right.  I am much better.  While I still blow a lot, I am no longer crying non stop, my head no longer feels like an over inflated balloon, and I no longer have spells of sweats and the throat is not sore.  Man this has been a week!
 
However, it has been a training opp for Annie.  She has been learning that sometimes life is very boring.  There were a couple of mornings where I got up, let the girls out, they came back in and into their crates for their breakfast while I fell, shivering back into bed, only to wake up an hour later, sweating like mad.  Annie was quietly waiting in her crate.  She had her water and a bone.  I would get up then and again let the girls outside.  I would leave the out for about 10 minutes this time, while I sucked down coffee and lots of pills.  Back in then and Annie would be on her settle line at my feet with toys and bones and I curled up in a blanket in my recliner and again slept.
 
Kinzee would set the good example and curl up on her couch and sleep too. 
 
Now that I am back on my feet (sort of) Annie has been getting a few more lessons.  Annie's settle line is on the leg of the other couch.  There is a big heavy end table at the end of the couch with my recliner on the other side of the table.  Now that I can spend time doing things around the house and not in my chair, Annie has been learning some things about MINE.  I have a pile of JUNK mail laying on the end table right by Annie.  Annie learned we do NOT steal and shred mail or paper.  Annie has also been learning when I sit in my chair and have a cuppa sitting on the table it is NOT ok to try and sample whatever I have sitting there.  Annie is also learning that she is not allowed to teethe on the corner of the big cedar chest sitting in the middle of the couches.  (they sit in an L shape)  The cedar chest acts as a coffee table.  That poor chest has one corner that is slightly rounded from many puppies learning the same lesson....MINE!
 
Right now as I sit over here at my computer, Annie is over on her settle line.  She has a few toys and a couple of bones, which she selected before being tied.  Kinzee is on her couch sleeping. Annie is calmly knawing on a bone.
 
When I first brought Annie home she always was turned outside dragging a line.  I learned a long time ago, that the catch me if you can game is NOT fun.  These last two days, I have not had the drag line on Annie.  She is now very good about following Kinzee in and out.  When she first came home she had to learn very quickly about going up and down steps.  The drag line helped with that. 
 
When Kinzee goes out, every time, she is certain that squirrel or that stray neighborhood cat is out there, so, barking, she leaps off the steps to the patio.  Scrabbling like mad and still barking she crosses the patio and out the patio gate to the back yard where she begins leaping like a rabbit across the yard to the corner where she usually finds either the cat or the squirrel.  My yard is small and enclosed by 6 ft high kennel fencing.  The patio also is enclosed by fencing and I can, if I want, close the gate and keep dogs either off or on the patio.  The squirrels use the top bar of the fence as their private highway and Kinzee loves to run the bottom of the fence, bouncing off it trying to dislodge the squirrel as it runs the top.  Also, at the back corner of the fence, kiddie corner of my yard, the neighbor has a pile of junk, under which lives a wild, stray cat.  Kinzee is in heaven. 
 
So Annie has learned, as they go out the door, half way down the steps, Annie stops and peeks through the railing to watch Kinzee.  She waits until Kinzee is through running, bouncing, and barking before she finishes going down the steps and runs to Kinzee out in the yard.  They often times will play a game of tag around the huge pine in the middle of the yard.  Sometimes Kinzee is busy snooping the fence line and Annie will do a series of tuck-butt runs around the tree by her self. 
 
Kinzee will sometimes come racing up on the patio, slide stop in the corner, roll back and race off again, all with Annie hot on her tail.  I sometimes stand in the door watching the two of them, laughing to myself.
 
There is a pile of snow on the corner of the patio by the drive and garage from shoveling.  Kinzee will sometimes just stand, head and tail up, in a grand pose sniffing the air in the middle of the patio.  Annie will then run up the pile of snow and looking like a crouching tiger she hits her belly down and spins back and forth while still crouching, looking like a game spinner and grabbing mouthfuls of snow.  All trying to engage Kinzee in play again.  Kinzee will ignore her for a while and Annie keeps up the spinning and suddenly Kinzee will take off through the patio gate into the yard around the tree with Annie doing her best to catch her. 
 
Does it sound like I spend to much time standing at my back door??  Ya, well it is a great place to stand on not to cold a days and sip that first coffee.  This morning was a different schedule.  Once Kinzee hit the yard she stopped and began lifting a foot at a time in turn.  Annie followed doing the same.  They ran to the back fence and did their duties and came to the door wanting back in.  It apparently was very cold this morning.
 
These last couple of days I have turned Annie out with out the drag line.  At first, as soon as she came through the door, I grabbed the line and took her to either her house or her settle line.  She has now gotten to the point where she will follow Kinzee in and I have their breakfasts ready and they both go to their houses for breakfast.  When it is not meal time Annie comes dashing in and has learned that she is allowed to go to one of the toy boxes and pick a toy or to the treasure box of bones and pick a favorite.  While she does that I sit in my chair and pick up the line and wait.  She makes her pick and dances in a circle with it and when I call her she now comes over to me to be hooked on the line and get her morning hug.  She has also learned that it is NOT allowed to dash in and go to the bathroom and grab the roll of TP for a toy choice. 
 
It is funny how all the puppies have their own little challenges.  I remember when Puppet was here, her biggest challenge was the corner of the cedar chest.  When Guinness was here his biggest challenge was Moochie Monkie.  You see I have in my bedroom a little chair in which sits a big, outrageously bright purple and day glo chartreuse green stuffed monkey with very long arms and legs.  He is posed there tempting every puppy that comes here.  Moochie Monkey is where Guinness learned MINE the most.  Guinness learned MINE over and over again with Moochie Monkey.  It was very difficult for Guinness to learn why the best stuffed toy in the place was not to be played with.  But he did.  As have all others.
 
Annie's challenge remains, the things on that darn table right there by her head where she is tied.  So, Annie's training continues, in spite of viral infections!!  It is very hard to learn to be boring when you are just a puppy, but Annie is doing VERY well at learning to be a house dog.  I'm very proud of her.  I just truly wish I could have continued lessons with out the help of viral infections.  Of course there is the problem that I would not be a good boring, sick person with out the infection. 
 
So....that is where I've been.  At home.  And I intend to be back at Q on Monday and not be spreading the infection to any one there.

[Sara Peterka]

Ruby,

 

I'm glad your feeling better.  I hope you feel well soon!

 

Sara

[LMcCain]

I'm glad you are feeling better! I hope by Monday you are feeling
100% again. It was good for Annie to have this time with you, just
being quiet. It was probably the best thing for her. I am looking
forward to more stories of your adventures/misadventures in coming
days.

Lynn