The Marley and I Battle a Squirrel

The Marley and I had fierce competition with a squirrel that somehow made its way into the upstairs bedroom/office/storage of the house yesterday. Wow, and what a way to wake up.

Big Marley woke me ubruptly with the ususal morning "WOOF" but this time I could tell it was not a feed me or take me outside WOOF. Also it was just hitting sun-up and quite early I immedietly thought as my eyes focused on The Marley Dog.

He was staring intensly at the opposte end of the house and upstiars in a trance. I said a few early morning unpleasant words, rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. But The Marley would have no part of that and another couple big "WOOFS" got my attention.

So upstairs we went, no guns, knives or golf clubs but I had my favorite whacking stick just in case. All the while keeping The Marley as calm as I can because of his surgery he just had 4 weeks earlier. Again my sincere thanks to everybody at the Belfair Animal Hospital who genuinely give that extra love and care for the the goofy Marley Dog.

Anyway, I heard ruffling in the corner and as I investigated with no protection what ever except my underwear and of course, THE whacking stick a huge tree rat (squirrel) jumped at me and i think he was trying to kill me at six or so in the morning. Did you know they can climb walls and have no concept of GRAVITY?

Gosh those little disease infested varmits are fast! my immediet concern was my exposed body and The Marley Dog. "MARLEY STAY" and "MARLEY STAY" again just to make sure he absolutely knew this is a serious situation and then i saw the window with the screen on it of course. There were a few sign boards in the corner I use to promote my real estate busness so i gently reached for one.

O.K. now I have my guard dog, my whacking stick, (SWORD) and a nice firm cardboard sign, (SHIELD) which is all a good Viking really needs, to do battle with. Again, those little tree-rats are fast at 6:30 in the morning! The Marley stayed and franticly WOOFED while i swung and shielded my boxer brief clad body against this beast of burden and after gently taking the screen off the window I hearded him out the window apparently to the tree he uses anyway to gain access through that one screen missing on the soffet.

Major crisis avoided, (The Marley stayed and barked instead of confronting the intruder) GOOD BOY PUMPKIN! As for myself I just look up, give thanks for everything I have, which I like to do every morning, and time to start another day!

I sometimes wonder. Do All Dog Lovers Start Their Days Like This?

Just a Marley Dog Pic

Somewhat helping with fire wood

Treating Insect Bites On Dogs and Puppies

How To Treat Dogs With Insect Stings

Tuesday, 6 March 2007 - Jeff Clare

Sometimes the greatest threats to life and limb are too small for many people to take notice of. What this means is that dogs, with their heightened senses, will find a way to injure themselves with small but surprisingly potent health hazards. Two of these hazards include spider bites and insect stings.

Of the two dangers, spider bites are the greater threat, though in the United States, only two spiders are dangerous to dogs: The female black widow spider (distinguished by a black body and red hourglass shape on their undersides) and the brown recluse spider (distinguished by their light brown color and a dark brown mark on their backs). Spider bites are rarely fatal, but they still present a danger to dogs and require veterinary attention as soon as possible.

Black widow spiders are the worst of this small lot of creatures. Dogs bitten by black widow spiders are marked by a small red spot that sometimes swells. As the wound grows more painful and the venom moves through the dog's veins, the afflicted dog will become weak, clumsy, begin to drool more than usual, have difficulty breathing, and go into convulsions. Afflicted dogs should be kept as still as possible, and if a limb was bitten, that limb should be placed below the dog's heart.
Brown recluse spiders pose their own dangers. The bite of a brown recluse spider will cause a painful blister, noticeable after a day or so as the skin around the blister turns black and becomes ulcerated, causing the dog to become weaker. Though not an immediate threat, if a brown recluse spider's bite isn't treated quickly, the blister will spread and severely damage your dog's body.

Insects pose less of a threat to dogs than spiders. A dog's fur will protect it from most insect stings, but their faces and foot pads are still vulnerable targets. In most cases, the dog is stung only once. One sting isn't an emergency and treating a limited number of stings doesn't require much in the way of medical attention. The stinger can be removed with a pair of tweezers and a cold pack pressed against the sting wound. A mixture of water combined with either baking soda or instant meat tenderizer can be applied to the wound to help treat any insect venom in your dog's system.

Multiple insect stings may send a dog into shock. Immediate treatment of shock begins by laying the dog down and keeping the dog's head lower and closer to the ground or floor than the rest of its body. The dog must be kept warm and calm and it shouldn't eat, drink, or ingest anything while it's in shock.
Though nowhere near as dramatic as a fight with a bear or wild cat, a dog's bout with a lowly bug can bring even the largest canine down. The little threats can be so insidious, as they tricks people into underestimating the danger posed by something apparently unimportant. Now, you're wise to their scam.

About the Author:

Jeff Clare runs Dog Training News where you can read many more articles on dog control. For more general advice on dog health go to Dogs And Dog News.
http://www.freearticles.co.za/pets-and-animals/how-to-treat-dogs-with-insect-stings.html

The Marley Thinks He is 100%

It's been 19 days since the surgery and The Marley's recovery is nothing short of amazing. These pictures are just before the staples were removed, when I bought the movie "Marley and Me". He always wants to watch it.

He doesn't need his giant megaphone lamp shade around his neck anymore because the scar from the plate removal healed up very fast. I mean really very fast. The Marley dog thinks he's 100% now and tries to jump and kill my jacket or pillow or anything else he thinks needs a good shake and kill.

If any of you have a Lab puppy of sort you know what I'm talking about. When they spin and jump then do figure eights and pretty much go into spastic happy frenzy!

Well, my job recognize when the whole spastic happy frenzy thingis about to happen and instantly calm the big monster down. All in all, my Marley is recovering above expectations. I just have to always remember he is still in a very fragile phase. My vet stated "His leg is like glass with holes from the screws"

Again The Marley and I wish to thank everyone for their donations and support.
Scott Nelson, Proud faithful companion of The Marley Dog.
www.DogDayShop.com

The Marley Post Op Update

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to give a quick update on the big dog.

The Marley Dog's surgery to remove the plate and do a little cutting on something in the joint, (I cant remember exactly but the end result is no more snap snap when he walks,) went as expected exept for the Staph infection which means of course more antibiotics.

He had his cast off a few days ago and is now following me around the house with his lamp shade E-collar on. The big lump is knocking any and everything off or pushing it over with that lamp shade on. At least he is used to it this time, it really does make my life a little easier.

The 19 staples come out on Monday and its back to the rehab part. I'm not keeping a daily journal like I did the first surgery I guess because I know what to expect.

The Marley and I would again like TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS AND GOOD THOUGHTS!

Scott Nelson

http://www.dogdayshop.com/

More Training Tips - Involuntary Signal Training!

Myth - You're only training your dog when you THINK you're
training your dog.

WRONG:
Let me explain. Many owners set aside and plan out dog obedience
training sessions. They have a set time, gather their set tools (all manner of
treats, clickers, leads), and go to a set place (the backyard, the park, or
even the weekly dog training class).

This is great! These owners are doing much better than those who believe
that a daily pat on the head or a steady salvo of "SIT!" commands every
now and then amounts to a successful dog training regime.

But what many caring dog owners either don't realize or simply don't put
into practice is the fact that you are effectively dog training
whenever you are with your dog.

Your dog is picking up on your verbal and non-verbal cues all of the time.
If you spring up and run to the phone every time it rings, you are training
your dog that it is ok to spring up and run around whenever he hears that
ringing sound.

Let's say you are relaxed at night when you get home from work, but
totally stressed out in the morning. You are basically training your dog that
there is a reason to be stressed out in the morning (not so good when you
are about to leave them alone for a while).

If you get nervous each time you pass by the neighbor who walks their
Great Dane on the other side of the street in the morning, you are training
your dog to be nervous if the Great Dane is in sight.

Remember, even when your signals are not directed at your dog, your
dog picks up on them. There is no line that separates formal and informal
training. You are training your dog even when you are not "training" your
dog. This is what I call "involuntary training." It just happens.

The important thing is to try to recognize moments when you can make
this involuntary training work for you.