Sophie > Diary of a Southern Belle 5

Adventures & Training

I am making every effort to expose Sophie to all kinds of stimuli so we visit various places, practice our training under the different circumstances. Example, lie down on the sidewalk while we sit at an outdoor table & I have a cup of coffee while people, skaters & cars go by.

One thing for sure: she likes to lead o the lead. She's like a scout. However, on our property, she heels like an angel w/o a leash but off property she seems extremely guarded, watchful. But she is not confident enough about all the 'stuff' going around her to heel well.....yet. She remains too distracted.

On a walk down main street she is still preoccupied by the activity around her; she changes positions,i.e. left to right or behind purposefully. Is she trying to protect me from somebody walking by on the right or behind me? (She is also now lying in doorways in the house.)

For pure exercise we walk along forest paths in the town  parks. There I let her drag a 10' lead behind her. When she gets too far ahead, she turns to see where I am. On her own, she will stop until I catch up. She also 'waits' on command. If there is a fork in the trail, she looks to me for direction and I point & she goes in that direction.  Sometimes we play hide & seek as I duck behind a tree or start walking in the opposite direction. This way she has learned to keep an eye on me.

There is a also good mile plus walk around our town recreation center. There we walk through high grasses on either side of the path, past several ponds, over a little bridge. There are picnic tables & benches along the way & I have her jump onto to those objects to give her more confidence & her back legs extra exercise. When she jumps it looks effortless  but we know she lacks muscle tone in her rear legs. On this trail, she did fine, again a little cautious if someone approaches. But at the end of these walks she is definitely tired so I think her endurance has to be built up. Soon Carol will start running with her.

When she was first rescued, she weighed about 125#, terribly overweight, because she was free fed and had zero exercise. I'm happy to report that with the regimen that her foster mom put her on and that I've continued, she is down to a measly 106# as of today 02/24/12. And a good thing, too, because her groomer had to pick her up to get into the tub. She did fine with him, the fussing, the hair dryer and all. But she was definitely glad to see me return. 

Now that Sophie has learned how to open doors, I'm trying to teach her how to close them.  This is one smart girl & I'm doing  my best to keep her busy. When you point at something, I've found some Bouvs look at the finger, others look at where it is pointed. Sophie does the latter. She is very sensitive to all things including subtle body movements so a point to lie down in your bed works for her.

She sits for her dinner & waits for permission to eat. She waits to go thru the door after me. She asks permission to come up on the sofa. She naturally moves over to give me room on the sofa or gets off the sofa automatically if carol is already there & there is no more room.  

She understands the words “no more” as in treats, scratching, etc. She has learned she is going to stay behind with “bye-bye” & makes no effort to get out the door as we leave. She has learned to move with “excuse me”.  She knows “sit”, “down”.  She will “talk” to me when I talk directly to her. She goes into attention mode on “watch”. “Do you want to go for a ride?”, “go to the office”, “want to go out”, “want a biscuit” gets enthusiastic responses. She aims for the “office” door if I use that word & aims for the house if I say “home”. If she's out & I'm inside she barks to be let in or pushes the door open. What will she learn in the months ahead? I can hardly wait.

Personality & Protection

On her first trip to the dog park for “socialization” Sophie was patient w some of the other dogs until they got a little rambunctious, at which point she would warn them. She didn't wander far from me but I saw her prey drive kick in once as she went chasing with some other dogs, but then realizing  she wasn't sure was ok with me, looked back for permission to continue. She went back to chasing and as a test, after a bit, I called her back to see what would happen & she immediately returned to my side.

Sophie's new attention word is "watch" and she does just that. We played at 'watch' today when the oil delivery arrived. She did pretty well.  On another occasion a friend arrived at the gate while we we were wandering around. She saw that & immediately went towards the gate barking. I praised her, then opened the gate & introduced her to person who I invited onto the property. She was fine. 

Then, the other day, while sleeping on her pad in the office, Carol sort of barged in unannounced. Sophie jumped to feet, immediately went into protection barking, started for the door until she noticed it was Carol, then became a little shameful. We both praised her effort. 

And finally, the other day a friend came over & knocked on the office door. Sophie immediately went to the door and quietly waited for me. I opened it  to a male friend who stuck his hand hand out for a  Sophie wifff. I told her it was ok & he entered. He petted her, then said 'hi' to Stella, & back to Sophie who seemed fine with him. But  for some reason as she was smelling him some more, he looked straight into her eyes which elicited a very low, mean growl, nothing unusual for a Bouv but he was properly startled & I explained 'staring' was a challenging 'no-no'. So there's something in there, unlike Stella, who is basically a shell of a Bouvier (but whom I love dearly).

On President's Day I again took her to the dog park (not my favorite place for more canine socialization). On lead, everyone took a smell & though she was apprehensive she put up with it & returned the same interest. I let her off lead. There was a lab chasing a ball but she showed no interest, walking along side me. I walked to an area where other dogs were playing. She observed but did not partake. I tried to interest her in the ball. She perked up sightly (a “1” on the 0-10 scale) but wouldn't chase. 

There was a bench in the sun so I decided to sit down to see what she would do. She lay down at my feet. A few curious dogs  came by  & I heard a growl. Two of the three decided it was probably better to move on but one stayed on to investigate further from the back of the bench. Sophie stood, stuck her head under the bench to watch & must have been putting out some signal because the other dog decided to move around to the front of the bench where I was sitting. BIG MISTAKE. Sophie went after him, chasing it away @ full speed. I called out to her; she stopped in her tracks & immediately returned to me. Clearly she was guarding 'our' space & had no interest in socializing so we left. Will try again in a few days.

Life With Stella Bella 

As reticent as Stella is, Sophie is exuberant.  Sophie explodes into action, Stella trundles along but Sophie watches Stella, stays away from her food & treats. But there are times Sophie's mischievous side emerges and she charges Stella who steps aside and does a mini charge back at which point Sophie goes into play stance, bowed front end, forelegs outstretched. It's very funny to watch but reminds me of every young Bouv trying to get its elder to “dance”.  

Meanwhile Sophie has invaded Stella's space w/o incident. Remember: the sofa, fireplace, 2 chairs forming a rectangular space is what Stella  considers her “crate”. Well, over the weeks, Sophie started to encroach on that space slooowly but surely. First step: Sophie's head & fore paws intruded while the rest of her body was outside the space. Then half a body. Now Sophie sleeps inside the space but NEVER on the sofa. She seems perfectly comfortable on the floor or on the hearth, at a lower spot than Stella. The sofa remains Stella's un-challenged, private domain as it should be. 

Stella's favorite treat is a mini carrot and Sophie has now learned to appreciate them which wasn't true at the beginning. When Stella hears carrots being cut she waddles into kitchen for treat. Sophie not wanting to lose out on a treat of any kind, is right behind her. 

Medical Report

Sophie no longer limps. Instead, she runs & jumps even though I try to limit it. She doesn't seem preoccupied with her other limbs. She is peeing less and we believe this is part of the bacterial issue which is being tended to. Her attention to her urinary area (licking) has lessened probably along with the lower bacterial numbers.

At 8:35pm A few days ago, Dr. Judith Feldstein (surgeon) called to say Sophie's urine culture came back negative so we are DEFINITELY gaining on infection. Also allowed the Soph off Tramadol & leash as long as she doesn't go crazy. We have follow up appointment on the 24th . I'm going to try to convince this vet to be Sophie's primary care vet as I REALLY LIKE HER A LOT. Carol & I agree that the extra expense of going to this place is worth it to us. Fingers crossed.

I don't like imagining things but Sophie yawns a lot or opens her mouth a lot & sneezes a lot. She also has a few reverse sneezing fits. It's odd behavior to me. But it can be explained by the bacterial invasion & possibly the time of year, i.e. allergy. I always watch behaviors & the Soph is eating, drinking & eliminating properly. Her spirits are good, her eyes -- a bit odd -- look clear but I will take her to eye specialist for a check up in a few weeks. Her personality is winsome & wonderful. We play & talk to each other. She seems to love it. And she wanders the property at will with Stella several times daily.

We had a follow up appointment today 02/24/12 & everything was fine; a good report. The current plan calls for finishing the antibiotics (another 7-8 days). Then another 7-10 days past   the last pill, we  return for another urine culture to make sure Sophie is clear of all bacteria. I have to keep special watch over her, paying particular attention between days 5-7 in case there is a relapse. Believe me, I'm on top of it.

Six Degrees of Separation

I think we've all been very lucky. Sophie's infection seems to have been caught in the nick of time. It must have been building up for a while considering the extremely high  levels. But we're over the hump. She had excellent and expensive care with the specialists at the Bedford-Katonah Medical Center. Fortunately surgery was not necessary but it was a close call. 

I have kept in close touch with Sophie's savior & foster mom (Deborah) through the entire process. The ABRL stepped up to the plate to help defray some of the thousands of dollars this cost.  I am immensely grateful to Deborah & Bob Dickerson for entrusting me with Sophie and to Marcia Proud for helping when it was really needed.

It's funny how the world works. A little over 13 years ago, I delivered a rescue, named 'Rheba' to Deborah & Bob as they contemplated their retirement to  their farm in North Carolina. 'Rheba' was a piece of work, a delightfully energetic girl whom Deb & Bob took under their wing & as company for a terribly abused rescue they already had named “Moxie” who came from an abusive breeder / groomer whom I knew here in CT.  'Rheba' lived a wonderful long life in the country with the Dickersons who have since resuced 85 other Bouvs. 'Rheba' died at age 16 1/2 and here we have the full circle whereby Deborah and Bob have given Sophie to us thirteen and a half years later. That's what it's all about.

I don't know when the next diary entry will be made. I will continue to take Sophie & Stella on walks through our various parks; maybe even to Compo Beach which is open to dogs in the winter. In the early spring I will have to teach Sophie about the flower beds &  in  early summer, Sophie, Stella & I will travel  to Sharon Springs, NY for the annual Bouvstock celebration. It'll be lots of fun. After that we'll get into swimming, hiking and other activities. I hope the girls are happy here with us.

If you get nothing else from this diary, please understand the importance & reward for rescuing a Bouvier in need. Please get involved. Do it. 

Love,
Sophie (and Stella).

Sophie > Reverse Sneezing written by Mo van den Tillaart

Reverse sneezing (Pharyngeal Gag Reflex) is a sudden, rapid and extreme forceful inhalation of air through the nose causing the dog to make repeated snorting noises, which may sound like he is choking. 

It sounds like the dog is trying to inhale a sneeze, and it is therefore known as reverse sneezing. Reverse sneezing is often caused by irritation of the the palate/laryngeal area. 

It causes a spasm in the muscles of the pharynx. Reverse sneezing is characterized by honking, hacking or snorting sounds (gasping inwards). 

It primarily occurs when the dog is excited, but it can also happen after drinking, eating, running, or pulling on the leash. A typical episode lasts only a few seconds, but some dogs may experience this for a few minutes and usually several times a day. 

Most of the time you can stop the spasm by gently massaging the throat of your dog, or briefly closing it's nostrils until the dog swallows. 

In some cases reverse sneezing is caused by foreign bodies in the nasal passage (grass blades), irritation from allergies or irritants (pollens, smoke, perfumes), or even tooth root infections. 

In those cases you should always consult a vet. If the dog is having repeated attacks of reverse sneezing, your vet may prescribe antihistamines to see if that helps stop the sneezing. 

When reverse sneezing occurs right after the nose-inoculation against kennel-cough, it would be advisable to give the dog some antibiotics. 

Most dogs that have infrequent episodes of reverse sneezing, can lead a perfectly normal life, cause reverse sneezing is a harmless condition and medical treatment is not necessary. Although it is important not to confuse reverse sneezing with a collapsing trachea or a heart problem. 

In case of doubt, it is important to have the dog examined by your veterinarian.Click here for a 'reverse sneezing' YouTube video. This is just one of the many examples on YouTube, so I advise you to browse YouTube for more. 

Be sure to seek the advice of your veterinarian about any question you may have regarding your pet's health and behavior. No diagnosis can be done without a veterinarian actually seeing and examining the patient.

The original article is here

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Sophie > Medical Update

To remain on leashed exercise even though, we think we're around the bend on elbow BUT discovered very high bacteria levels in urine culture which may have induced sepsis which traveled to elbow.

To make sure it's no where else, the Soph will be on antibiotics for another 4-6 weeks. Will do another urine culture 10 days after last antibiotic dose to confirm bacterial eradication. 

All joints currently OK, no temperature. Antibiotics seem to be efficacious. Hips OK, back legs lack muscle tone but that's from former life of zero exercise. We'll work on that as soon as this is over.

Walking w/o limp. Appetite, attitude, water intake, output all OK, fingers crossed.

Another follow up with surgeon in ten days. Dr. Feldstein turns out to be an Aussie and absolutely terrific! Wish I could clone her. Extremely confident having Sophie in her care.

Thanks everyone for your concern, notes, caring. Truly a happy valentines day for us. xoxo to you all.

 

Two things that have absolutely nothing in common. I just felt like doing it this way.

Granny > Not Mine !!

Diary of a Soutern Belle - Weeks 4 & 5

It was Thursday night. The Soph & I were cuddling on the sofa & we both fell asleep. About 1:00am Sophie's panting (not heavy) as she began to re-arrange her large frame, awakened me. She had decided to get off the sofa & I watched her step off, uncertainly pausing on her front legs while her rear was still on the cushions (not a pretty sight I might add).

After a few seconds in this position, she hopped off, walked unsteadily for a few feet & unceremoniously dropped to the floor. She moved onto her side. Frightened by this unusual behavior, I got down on the floor with her, stroked & talked to her while checking for bloat (sometimes successful but not always) & otherwise felt around what I could get to. She wasn't moving b7t she wasn't panting hard either.

I called for Carol and we determined that something was definitely wrong. What it was we couldn’t tell. I considered some kind of convulsion or stroke or heart/blood problem. She was quiet, calm, motionless for the longest time and then, as it turned out, gathered her strength, overcame or emerged from her problem to get to her feet. But couldn't.

That's when we made emergency calls. Sophie weighing 120# or so is not easy to move around as you can imagine. Carol searched for a veterinary ambulance to no avail, then contacted the emergency hospital we use to ask some quick questions of the vet on duty & to alert them that we were coming. Carol went off to move the car to the front of the house (shortest distance).

Sliding a large towel under Sophie was a chore but we managed; she whimpered a little. Then all three of us tried to get her up at which point she let out a scream & standing I could see she was holding her left paw aloft, refusing to put any weight on it.

I searched for a broken bone, something in the pad, all for naught but when I got up under her arm/leg pit, she let out another yelp so I moved the towel back & we started to move her to the car. It was a struggle. Sophie helped as much as possible but her rear was working too well either so it was like carrying dead (gulp) weight. I started to consider some kind of spine injury as we moved her closer & closer to the door, resting at 3 or 4 stages. At the car, don't ask me how but I was able to lift her into the rear of the station wagon & I got in with her.

Sophie is not yet confident enough to lie down while traveling by car so she sat, keeping weight off that one leg, leaning her body against my arm which was squashed between her & the side of the car. But I knew by then her spine, spinal column was ok which was some solace. In that condition we made the 20 minute trip to the emergency hospital.

There two/three emergency vet techs met us with a gurney which we transferred Sophie onto without much of a struggle (I think she knew we were trying to help) and the techs wheeled her into the emergency room where we could not follow. Two went with Sophie. One remained with us, to gather some history.

Eventually the vet, Michele Roch, came out to confer with us. Her cursory analysis was a leg problem in the elbow area. It was hot, swollen & produced an immediate reaction from the Soph when extended but she didn't know the cause. We authorized x-rays, blood tests, and whatever else was necessary to deduce what was going on & we waited, dozing off in the waiting room.

Nose was cold, wet -- not always a good barometer. Infection? A high white cell count might point that way but the result was a low white blood count. Conveniently, this could mean body was fighting infection & running low on ammunition.

Medication to relax Sophie enough for the x-ray didn't kick in so we agreed to anesthesia and signed a form authorizing CPR in an emergency. About an hour later we all looked at the digital x-rays together. Joints were good, sockets & seatings looked clean, no fractures, no bone spurs, chips & the like were in evidence. So Ms. Roche reasoned the damage was in the tissue surrounding the joint.

And what could that mean? Anything from an infection discharge to soft tissue cancer.

Sophie was resting comfortably, a surgeon was coming in & would examine her later in the morning so about 5:30am we decided there was nothing more we could do until the surgical consult & we went home, had an early breakfast & waited.... and waited.... and waited. Carol couldn't go to work.

About 10:00am Fri surgeon Judith Feldstein (a Brit) called to discuss Sophie's case. We reviewed what we had observed from 1:00 AM, what we knew of her background, what experiences we had had with her in the three weeks she had been with us: an active, playful, limber, wiggly, romping, chow hound who ate everything in sight, licked all bowls clean, drank water like a Bouvier, was smart as hell, had a winsome personality and perfect bathroom habits, resulting in good deposits left in various spots on the front lawn.

Ms.Feldstein decided to withdraw some liquid, put it under a microscope & send it out for a culture. Same with the blood work. Her concern was that infectious materials left to fester too long could lead to damaged tissues or even the joint, itself. To prevent that she would have to cut the knee open & flush it out thoroughly. However, as a first step, she wanted to put Sophie under again, drain what she could by needle, put her on massive dosages of intravenous antibiotics & wait one day (Sat) to see if there was marked improvement. I asked for her criteria for marked improvement. "If she puts weight on the leg". Sounded reasonable & made sense to us.

I had elected not to visit Sophie out of fear of making her even more anxious with my coming and going but I conferred with the emergency techs taking care of her 2-3x daily. Sophie was NEVER left alone. I was comforted by that and felt I was doing the right thing.

Since Sophie met the criteria, Ms. Feldstein decided to continue intravenous antibiotics rather than cut her open. Sunday, her day off, she came in to check on her & was pleased with Sophie's progress. However, Sophie was not eating despite the fact that we had dropped off her favorite foods.

Sunday night's conference with the emergency vet resulted in the idea of picking Sophie up on Monday, subject to the surgeon's ok, to get her to eat at home, and to follow up with oral antibiotics, a return visit with the surgeon within a week, and only walking on lead to take care of business and then home again to rest up.

But you can't keep a good girl down.

Sophie wanted to run, jump, wriggle & bump -- all bad things. And I had to stop her which made me feel guilty as hell since one goal in her adoption was to give her total freedom to wander & play, something she lacked in her prior life. 

 

At home, we were to keep her off the furniture, medicated: 6 pills in the AM + 7 pills in the PM. We were to put hot compresses on her elbow 3-4x daily. Smart girl that she is, she wouldn't take her pills stuffed in a hot dog, in a pill pocket, mixed in with her dinner (she wouldn't eat), in cream cheese or wrapped in baloney. For one session, peanut butter did the trick. Then she saw it coming. You can put a pill into this girl's mouth wrapped in anything and she can shake her head until the pill falls out of one her jowls but the rest stays in. So we watched her shake her head violently with each attempt and stared helplessly as a little white pill dropped to the floor. I finally took to shoving them down her throat (last resort). A bit of treat, a pill, a bit of treat, a pill, a bit of treat, a pill....

Upchuck once, feeling punky each time but eventually good appetite, lots & lots of water and frequent trips to pee. Stella who is also a chow hound, walks out of the kitchen during the pill routine, wanting no part of it. I know how she thinks: "I don't want to be next. Out of sight, out of mind."

Tuesday we go for a checkup with the surgeon. Sophie is now licking her back left thigh. I don't know what that means. I hope nothing. She looks like an oddly shaved poodle, done by a groomer on hallucinogenics (Remember those days, Timothy Leary?). But she's still Sophie.

The saga continues.

Sophie - Diary of a Southern Belle - Week 3

Sophie has learned 'gentle', 'me first', 'go around','later', 'wait', "paw", sit until released to eat. She now asks permission to come up on the sofa. She is reticent to 'down', get groomed, have her nails done or to stay home.

She talks, plays & is extremely communicative using her paws to grab an arm for a scratch, barking to be let in.

I am now 100% convinced that this is a good match with the ever retiring Stella Bella.

Where once upon a time, Sophie thought she could eat from Stella's bowl if she was there or not, Sophie now voluntarily walks away from the eating area until Stella is finished and has walked away from her dish before re-approaching the bowls for her water or a final lick.

While Sophie is content to be inside, she frequently likes to sit by the window to see what's going on. Her bone is constant enjoyment & I am now going to try to interest her in the food Kong as I think she might learn to play if she knew she could.

I can get her to play with my hand, she starts wriggling, barking & jumping around. It's clear she is playing with me. A welcome distraction both of us. However, the other day, while playing rough house with her, I must have crossed the line for because she flopped on her back in surrender in the middle of the lawn.

Stella, on the other hand, has become a little more active (remember she is 13). It's funny to watch the two of them run in tandem, Sophie on those loooong slender legs & Stella on her stubby little tree trunks. But it's all good & Sophie keeps track of Stella's whereabouts when they are out together.

While Sophie seems to yawn a lot, she is no couch potato.She gets exicited when she sees the leash & sits for it to be attached or if let out on her own. She's still not totally comfortable in the car but learning that she can lie down on the seat but is not confident enough to do that when we're moving.

While on the property, Her recall is getting better & better. I want to take her to a fenced area -- like our local dog park -- let her go & while she's playing & try it there.

The Soph is doing better in town. The cars don't activate her prey drive. She is watchful of people, allows strangers to pet her but doesn't get involved in the process, i.e. she'd walk away in a nano second if I asked her to. In offices or stores, if it's a prolonged visit, she will lie down despite foot traffic.

Walking down the sidewalk is another story. She seems over stimulated, sometimes to a point of not listening well. She's not totally overcome but it's close. But if I sit down on a bench, she sits quietly or lies down & watches people, cars, fire engines, children, dogs walk by without much reaction, i.e. she seems calm. I haven't figured this out yet but I'm working on it.

In the house, she now checks out all the rooms on her own if she hears a strange noise or if called. This may not seem like much but in her prioor life, she was allowed access only to one or two rooms & (from her actions) I surmise she was struck/beaten if she entered any other room.

She is beginning to guard under door frames & is actively tryingt to make friends with Stella. She kisses/licks her when she allowed but I'm not sure if she is cleaning stella's eyes or ears of some yummy stuff or it's affection. In either case, it's better than the alternative.

The following has happened twice now so I know it's a routine. Around 3:30pm if I'm in the office with the girls, Sophie comes close to where Stella is sleeping, sits down & stares at her from the foot of the sherpa bed. That NEVER works so Soph walks around to the front of the bed & puts her paw on the bed itself. Stella thoroughly ignores this.

The first time Sophie tried this, she started to prance around & made a mistake of nudging Stella with her nose who gave her what-for with some teeth. Nothing serious, no sound. Sophie tried again. This time Stella escalated & just missed a bite.

So Yesterday, Sophie -- who learns VERY fast, went through the first two steps & then just lay down right next to Stella's bed -- on the floor -- patiently waiting for Stella to rise from her nap.

My guess is that she's trying to get Stella up so we can all go get something to eat as I try to feed them around 4-4:30pm.

Sophie is providing us both with much pleasure & laughter. Watching a 120# Bouv try to make herself invisible as she slinks towards a squirrel is funny to watch. She moves in slooooow motion, first one leg.....then another.....then another as she inches forward before the final dash. When the squirrel finally sees the black Humvee closing in, it scrambles up the tree at which point Sophie sits under the tree & patiently waits.

We continue to give her things to learn & she does. Meanwhile, she is familiar with the family routine & is becoming more possessive of the property & us.

Upon returning to the house -- having left Sophie behind -- she greets me so very excitedly that I feel guilty/sorry because she seems grateful that I haven't abandoned her. I have to find a way to assure her that I am hers & she is mine.... forever.

Is there a dream doctor in the house?

This dream takes place in a restaurant.

Carol & I & another (nameless) couple are having dinner. Everyone orders appetizer servings of various dishes including fruit balls. There must have been 20-30 dishes covering the table (Russian style) but there were no plates to eat off of.

I was annoyed that everyone was eating out of the food dishes and passing them around. The waitress appeared & Carol asked her for 5 checks (odd since there were only 4 people present).

I left the table to fix the check issue, i.e. I was going to pay for the whole thing since I felt dividing it by 5 was (A) a lot of trouble for the waitress & (B) it was tacky. I also wanted to get plates to eat off of. 

I followed in the direction that the waitress had taken. 

I found myself in another room. While waiting for the waitress, the establishment's manager -- who had been sitting at the bar with a male friend -- stood up & got snarky with me. He put his finger in my face & I did 3 very fast karate-type moves, knocking the finger out of my face, followed immediately by a 'pulled' punch directed at his nose & a circle kick which hit him in the ass -- but not hard. These were meant as 'warnings'

While the manager stood there speechless, his companion 'started up' with me. He was smirking & had a toothpick in the corner of his mouth. I woke up (not really) feeling firm about my reaction to these "threats". Then Sophie actually woke me up. I was calm.

Diary of a Southern Belle - Recall 17 Days After Adoption

Diary of a Southern Belle - Hello Sophie 17 days after adoption.

Sophie - Diary of a Southern Belle

Sophie is one of those Bouvs, given the freedom & opportunity, will take over -- the sofa, the pillow, the house. In short order -- in less than two weeks -- she has mastered the household schedule & is beginning to herd on a time table, i.e. it's time to eat dinner at the table, you've sat too long so it's time to leave the table, etc. All very charming until you start wondering who just rescued who.

This occurred to me today as she casually decided she was coming up on the sofa for a snooze even though there are various places for her to sack out. I made a quiet disapproving sound and shook my head "no". Shocked, Sophie turned her head to look behind her to see who I was talking to. Seeing no one, she approached the sofa once again. Same reaction. This time she looked hurt, bowed her head & slowly slunk off to her favorite rug. I think she will survive the trauma tonight.

Meantime we had fun today chasing squirrels, guarding against squirrels, sitting and waiting for some stupid squirrel to make a move, imagining squirrel stew. This is all fine & dandy except I'm also using this time to practice recall. She has been reacting appropriately but today she was pretty casual about the whole exercise which annoyed me. However, I couldn't say anything 'cause I let her get away with it, i.e. I had no absolute control over her.

Going forward, I must get through to her especially at moments when she is distracted just as a safety measure.

Watching her track quite naturally led to our playing a game of "where is your biscuit?". She is picking up on that faster than I anticipated but needs to learn more discipline in the search which I am confident she will.

Two days ago, Sophie -- unhappy with her temporary bedding in the cottage where I work -- approached a sleeping Stella who was luxuriating in her extra large Frongate pomegranate Sherpa bed. There was some room on the edge & Sophie, very gently, pawed at the open area to see if -- like me when she does that -- Stella would move over a little. No dice. Stella is NOT a trained human so Sophie sighed & walked over to mat on the other side of the room. She will be getting her own Frontgate extra large pomegranate Sherpa bed with monogrammed pillow soon but I haven't told her.

I can now confirm that I have, not one but TWO very active Bouvier dreamers. Between them, we hear snores, yips, growls, barks, sighs and witness all kinds of body movements.

And then there are the farts. Stella is not bad on that front but at least she warns us by emitting a sound but NOT Sophie. No. She falls into a blissful sleep & while dreaming about eating a squirrel or some other yummy morsel, an oder begins to float throughout the room. It's not the clearing-the-room kind but it's enough to make me and Carol suspicious of each other before realizing where it is actually coming from.

Sophie's eating, drinking and bathroom habits are all stellar. And she has her bone(s). After meals, Stella gets her beard cleaned and combed and so does Sophie who for the moment is sans beard but I want her used to the exercise when her beard grows in. Then they get their teeth brushed. And so it goes. Just another day in the Rifkinson household.

Take care y'all.

Sophie -Diary of a Southern Belle > 7 days after adoption

While Truman was the ultimate lover, Sophie shows signs of becoming the ultimate seductress. She's daddy's little girl: the sit, looking up into my eyes, the plaintiff paw, the tiny whimper. I mean who could resist? Not me!

In the meantime, Sophie has discovered bones. It took her as many days to discover the knuckle bones I have laying around for her & Stella to gnaw on as it took for her to adjust to our menus.

However, it also took her the same amount of time to realize she could bully Stella Bella. But it started veeeery slowly.

You see, Stella has small area in the living room that has become her woman cave. On the long side there is a sofa -- her place to sleep. Across from the sofa there is a fireplace. On the other two sides are chairs so it's a rectangular space, i.e. a crate, of sorts.

For the first few days, Sophie stayed clear of this space. Then she started to lie down with her head (& maybe a shoulder) in the space. Then she lay down on the hearth across from Stella's sofa. OK, Sophie said to herself "no reaction".

The next set of challenges occurred over the aforementioned bone. Sophie had her bone, Stella had hers. One day when Stella was out of the office, Sophie commandeered Stella's bone. And that was that.

A short digression: since Sophie was picking up bones, I decided to use that as a 'teaching' moment :-) and we have been working on 'pick up', 'carry', 'drop'. She learns fast.

So I had Sophie carry her bone up to the house where she dropped it (on command) onto the kitchen floor. There it lay. But while I was in the powder room, I heard a bark & saw poor Stella scurrying back to her living room 'crate'. I surmised Sophie stopped Stella from approaching her bone (and maybe me) but not having witnessed anything, I couldn't do / say anything.

Finally, it was time for dinner. And for the first time I saw Sophie move from her dish to eating from Stella's (and Stella retreated) at which point I made it VERY clear that this was UNACCEPTABLE behavior with a drastic change in my tone of voice, very serious eye contact, and a few choice words, BUT NO yelling, and nothing physical except for pushing her away from Stella's dish with my leg. 

Then I invited Stella back to her dish while I watched over her eating. Meantime, Sophie, totally grasping the situation, sidled over to me, sat down like an angel & looked up at me. Other than putting my hand on her head, I didn't react much to her overtures.

I think we've sorted out the bullying issue for the moment but we'll see.

One thing for sure, Sophie is extremely intelligent & sensitive. Remember when she 'escaped' & was feral for three months? I don't know what precipitated her flight but I saw that fear in her eyes just yesterday. 

Tomorrow I will try to explain my encounter with her 'flight' issue & what Sophie & I did to get past it for the moment. You know these Bouvs -- they have VERY long memories.

Ya'll come back, now. 

Thanks, Joe.

Sophie portrait

Sophie > Sun & Mon (Days 3-4)

Sophie literally has no tail so she wiggles her butt but she does talk and, believe it or not, we had a conversation yesterday. I talked to her, she answered. She also slept with me last night, not so cute because (1) she's a very active dreamer and (2) she takes up A LOT of room.

She now opens the door to my office on her own. She barks when she wants to come in the house if I'm not with her. She has not had a bathroom accident. She wanders the property at will, barks @ the next door neighbor's dog and air sniffs.

She & Stella are on the same schedule & this morning they went out together -- in the dark -- did their thing in privacy, wandered on a smelling expedition & came running home when called. It's funny watching them run together. Sophie lopes, Stella scrambles on her cute, stubby legs.

Yesterday, Sunday, I took Stella on some morning errands to give her some special time with me while leaving Sophie with Carol to bond & get used to my NOT being around ALL the time. Sophie and Carol went for a run.... well, Carol ran while Sophie trotted alongside.

You've got to understand that the Soph has legs that go on forever. In a different life she might have been a Radio City Rockette or a pantyhose model. Instead she's a dog with looooong legs. To give you an idea take a look at these historic photos of the early Bouviers

Then look @ Burton here. Smart.... and what an athlete he was !! And so different from the current crop of American Bouviers.

Anyway, after my errands & Carol's run, we met at a local coffee shop. The shop has tables outside where people walk by, cars drive by, i.e. there's lots of action. Stella is used to this so I had her lie down & told Sophie to down next to her & I watched Sophie's reaction as people walked by & cars moved in & out of parking spots, not 5 yards from her nose. 

She looked on with interest but no real reaction. As it happened some friends came by to chat so I stood up to talk to them while maintaining Sophie in the down position. (Stella I don't worry about as she stays until released.) No problem. At one point there were 5-6 people gathered in a knot, towering over her. Again no problem (Truman might have been growling quietly in similar circumstances). After about an hour of this, we went home where Sophie played outside on her own before choosing to go into the house.

In the afternoon I suggested that Carol & I follow our oft routine of going to the movies. We said bye-bye to both girls & left them with the run of the house. By the time we returned home 3+ hours later, it was pitch black.

As Carol approached the house, we heard barking -- not from one, but from two Bouvs. One in the dining room looking watching through the french doors, the other in the kitchen looking through the little glass panes. Stella exited first, then Sophie.

I was waiting at the end of the driveway & made my presence known with a "Hi girls!". Stella trotted down to my location but Sophie charged, full tilt in my direction. If she had hit me, I would have been flattened by her 110-120#. OMG, what a greeting!! Wiggle butt, talking, jumping around. I had to make room for Stella's greeting as Sphie surrounded me. <whew>

This is a very smart girl, this Sophie. She is very communicative. She will offer a paw if she wants to be scratched. She sits & looks directly in my eyes if she wants attention. She is learning to sit to wait for dinner. With a slight correction She now allows me to exit a door first. She comes when she is called but not yet 100%. She offers kisses in trade for a butt scratch. She was fairly patient when I started to thin out her undercoat although she is a bit sensitive about her upper legs. Well, what girl isn't sensitive about her thighs?

After dinner we comb her non-existent beard (to get her used to it) as we comb Stella's luxurious beard nightly. Then I brush Sophie's teeth w/o a problem, thanks to her foster parents. Finally it's time to rest but she is always attentive to sounds & movement around the house. 

However, when she finally falls fully asleep, she sleeps like the dead. And getting up is a chore. It's like waking a teenager to go to school. Let's just say she's a slooow riser. My hope is that -- should we have an intruder -- s/he will not come in middle of Sophie's REM sleep because there will be no more Sophie/Stella diaries.

Perspective. (originally posted by a friend)

It's Good When You Can Get It

Sophie Rifkinson, a Southern Belle

January 2012

North Carolina Sophie, age 7, has white around her muzzle. She is over-sized, probably at 30" at the withers, she's a little long in body, fully cropped (small ears like old style), has a deep chest, a great black nose, very pretty IMO. Currently her black coat is growing back but I think she will look beautiful & HUGE with a full Bouvier coat by next summer. She reminds me of the early Dutch Bouvs, good head, long limbs, etc

As I understand it, the first couple of years of her life were ok  but then, after a divorce, she was relegated to the back porch where she spent 90% of her day with two other Bouvs. When rescued, she was matted, nails curled under, free fed, the old story.

She was cleaned up, vetted, had her teeth cleaned (she doesn't mind having her teeth brushed), her hair is growing back. It will be a luxurious, probably soft coat but I'll do what I can to thin it out & stiffen it up a bit like Stella.

Watching the two of them together is like watching Mutt & Jeff -- Sophie being oversiezed & Stella being undersized. 

As Sophie has not had any real freedom most / all of her life she is VERY interested in everything. Initially she got slightly unnerved by all the new stimuli but she tries to figure them out w ears pricked, etc. She does not appear fearful, just careful & observant. Bottom line: she LOVES being outside to wander & see new things although she also likes going into the house.

The problem is she has a real FLIGHT fright. At one point in her first life, she ran away for unknown reasons & led a feral existence. After 3 months she was 'captured' in a weakened, emaciated and starving condition in someone's backyard. The animal control folks who were aware of her disappearance, picked her up & returned her to her owner from whom she had fled.

Sophie's foster parents, Deb & Bob Dickerson, very committed & wonderful, experienced Bouvier people didn't have the kind of property to let her roam free but they cleaned her up, stipped her of her matted coat, cut her nails, vetted her, got her shots, cleaned her teeth and loved the heck out of her for two month. They took her on daily 2-3 mile walks to help her lose weight. Seeing a leash immediately causes a butt wag.

To meet Sophie, I had Stella dragging a lead in a forest walking path setting. When Deb / Bob approached with Sophie, who was at full attention, pulling her lead to see who that was up ahead (us), Stella took one look & retreated quickly, fortunately not out of sight. With some doing, I was able to coax her back. There were only a few snorfuls, but not much interaction between them at all, as we stood around. talking. I made sure Stella felt appreciated and that she was a good girl. 

Leaving the foster parents behind, Carol, Stella, Sophie & I walked along the forest path @ Aldrich Park until Deb & Bob were out of sight.

I used a veeeeery long training leash for this exercise so Sophie had the illusion of freedom. She alternated between going forwards with us -- out of interest in her surroundings -- and backwards to look for her foster parents -- but was obedient, coming when called (after a slight tug), sitting & lying down for petting sessions when we rested.

After about 45 minutes we returned to our car (fosters had left). She got in readily & we drove home.

At home I let her loose trailing the training leash behind her to investigate the property. She checked the entire 2.5 acre perimeter probably trying to figure out if she could escape. She also checked the front gate a few extra times as she must recognize that as a connection to the outside & freedom.

Carol took her shopping to Pet store w/o incident.

At home she was calm but curious, always looking out the windows & glass doors but eventually settling down. Probably still looking for foster parents.

Dinner was un-eventful. She clearly likes to go outside, gets very excited when she sees a leash but is curious / startled / interested in all the new noises & lights she sees around the property. She spent the night sleeping on a window seat, the same place where Stella goes when I leave her alone. It's a huge window seat so I don't anticipate any issues.

Sophie shows no outward nervousness, perhaps a tiny show of anxiety w licking & paw raised every once in a while but it dissipates quickly & she does react to commands. She is naturally glued to one of us at all times. She will make eye contact with both of us.

The girls together are like two ships passing through the night. I don't think there will ever be a problem there.

This morning they enjoined a barking session with the next door mutt by running down, just short of the fence but turning around to see if I was still there and / or to see if it was ok. Then we toured the property again, totally leashless. Afterwards she wanted to come back into the house.

She has no hesitation entering the house or the cottage as Stella had at the beginning. On exit (off lead) She started to go out the door first & a very low throat clearing from me caused her to look up @ me & back up. Not one word was spoken & I went out first. 

I think she's very intuitive & communicative & I can see her developing a big vocabulary in time. She has prey drive (un-like Stella), is very sweet & when we peel back the onion layers I suspect -- as did her foster parents -- what will emege will be ALL Bouvier.

I will continue to update her blog here. Eventually I will move it over to the Bouvier section of the big blog. For those of you who have twitter, Sophie has her own hash tag which is #sophierifkinson where I will post 'stuff'

Orchid Show > New York Botannical Gardens

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ORCHID IMAGES

A Very Ruff Xmas 2011

Don't know the origination except that it was posted to FB by Michael A.... a friend with a wonderfully warped sense of humor

Payback

Next step, Newt Gingrich

By John Roach 

After six years and several million dollars, scientists have created a 3-D model of a rat brain circuit.

The accomplishment is a first step toward creating a complete computer model of the brain that will allow a deeper understanding of how our noggins work — and what causes them to malfunction, according to the scientists behind the feat. 

For a starting point, researchers at the Max Planck Florida Institute are focused on how the rat brain processes information gathered by a single whisker. 

They did so because studies in their lab and elsewhere have shown that a single whisker is able to detect, in complete darkness, whether a gap is safe to jump over and, if so, trigger the order to jump. 

What's more, there's a specific region of the brain "that is dedicated to processing information from a dedicated whisker," Marcel Oberlaender, a researcher at the institute and the first author of a paper explaining the research in the journal Cerebral Cortex, told me today.

That region is called the cortical column, a vertically-organized series of connected neurons that form a brain circuit and an elementary building block of the cortex. 

The cortex is the part of the brain responsible for many of the higher functions, such as memory and consciousness.

To build the model, the researchers studied the cortical column in awake and anesthetized rats as well as brain slices and then used computer software and other tools to reconstruct it.

"The model we built is really based on a complete reconstruction of these nerve cells," Oberlaender said. "So how the model looks in the end resembles how it would look in the real animal."

It is composed of 16,000 neurons, each of which can be divided into one of nine different cell types that has characteristic functional, structural and connectivity properties, he added.

The model can now be used to run computer simulations that show, in realistic detail, how signals flow within the brain. So, they can begin to understand, for example, what neurons fire as the rat detects the gap and decides whether or not to jump.

Until now, researchers have only been able to see how a single neuron or a small group of neurons interact during such a process. "We can now, in simulation experiments, mimic what is really going on in these circuits," Oberlaender said.

Going forward, the researchers should be able to use the methodology developed to build this model to add more parts to it, thus incorporating other brain functions such as the motor system that sends a signal down the spinal cord and makes the limbs move so that rat can jump over the gap.

*  *  *

John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. To learn more about him, check out his website.

My friend & colleague

 Annie

My Marie > Fifty Two Years Later

When I was a very, very young and lucky fellow, I dated a dark haired, ravishing, buxom beauty named Marie (accent over the 'e'). We were inseparable at school, after school, movies, sandwich shops, parties and so forth. It was a very serious affair for a pair of 16 year olds.

Finally I thought I'd better bring Marie home to meet my parents just in case we decided to get married. She was okay with this but understandably nervous.

Marie, a dresser as well as a looker and sex goddess, donned one of her finer outfits: a beautiful but modest blouse with a full skirt maxed out by all the undergarments of the time, did up her hair and makeup in demure fashion, to prepare for this august occasion.

When I saw her, I was both pleased and relieved by her appearance. And so I took Marie home to meet my parents. 

We arrived and the folks met us outside on the front lawns along with our boxers Junior and Cleo (as in 'patra'), Rita, the pet black white goat and the mini-dachshund, Chiquita.

And there stood Marie, hand outstretched, greeting first my father (whom I think she momentarily flirted with as this was her way) and then my mother, the Empress.

It was a very warm day and I was sweating it but everything seemed to be going well as I watched the expression on my parents' face for a sign.

Meanwhile, one of my faithful Boxers (it was Junior) ambled up to Marie, walked between her legs, stuck his head under her crinolines, looked straight up and started panting.

For a moment, Marie tried to be 'cool' and ignore it, thinking it was a momentary aberration which would disappear on it's own. But Junior didn't move and the seconds seemed like hours.

It must of been dark under all those crinolines so I don't know what he was doing but Marie was finally forced to step back and gather herself and her skirts, thus utterly destroying this important teenage moment.

Of course everyone apologized for Junior's bad behavior except me as I couldn't blame him for reading my mind.

Anyway, the following year I was away at boarding school and Marie ended up with a different guy.

Last I heard, which was many years later, she was married with five kids.

I've never seen her again.

December 2011

Bootie Call > OMG !!

Annual Event > Annie & Carol 2010

This is why I love her so....

A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney (Written before election day when I lost my bid for a seat on the Board of Selectmen, when it snowed & the lights went out...... for 8 days)

From The Ridgefield Press November 10, 2011
Written by Jan Rifkinson 

Win or lose, I wanted to use this space to thank everyone who gave me a few moments of their time, who worked on my campaign, who signed my petition to get me on the ballot, who voted for me. And to congratulate my opponents who were re-elected.

But this weekend another kind of outage interrupted the campaign. Andy Rooney died & I want to write about the few minutes Carol & I spent with him & how we remember him.

Andy Rooney was a principled man. He made his living writing as a member of the Writer's Guild of America. When CBS technicians struck, he was one of the few who refused to cross their picket line.

After an editorial spat, he left to PBS for a few years but then returned to the CBS family. We all respected these things about him.

I worked with Andy & Harry Reasoner on television specials with titles like "Essay on Doors", "Essay on Women". Andy & Harry were good friends. Andy wrote for Harry & Harry -- also an excellent writer -- read Andy's words beautifully.  Both had old Mercedes diesels .

Years later, Carol's office was opposite Andy's. She was working on a program called "West 57th" and Andy was doing his "60 Minutes" gig. Frequently, Carol & Andy walked to the garage together & chatted about the day's events.

And many, many years later, Carol & I were strolling through an antiquing warehouse in Stamford & we spotted Andy shuffling along.

"Mr. Rooney" I called out. He ignored me (he despised notoriety).

"Mr. Rooney", I said again, introducing myself & Carol. "I worked with you & Harry on the Essay Shows." He stopped & we reminisced for a few moments. Then he shuffled off.

That was the last we saw of him.

He was a principled man.

You can't make this stuff up

Check out clerk @ local Stop 'n Shop to Carol who was next in line:

"Please be patient w me. I have A.D.D. & I just had a hysterectomy. "

Six Degrees of separation or one strange day

The other day I attended a senior lunch at the Ridgefield Community Center, also known as the Lonsbury House. It's a beautiful place,  built by former CT governor, Phineas C. Lounsbury, in 1896. It's right on main street, Ridgefield.

Before lunch was served, I sat down on a rocking chair on the front porch next to a gentleman, also in his 60's. I introduced myself & discovered that we shared a common denominator. His mother was Puerto Rican & I was born in Purto Rico. So we chatted on about Puerto Rico.

As we moved inside for lunch, we found a table with two  ladies. already seated. Soon, several others joined the table. Joe sat to my left. I introduced myself to the senior woman to my right. Her name was Ginny. And I reached across her to introduce myself to her friend, another senior lady, named Carol.

After a few seconds I looked at them both & said, "I will never forget your names. The first love of my life was a beautiful girl named Gini. The second love of my life was a girl named Carol to whom I've been married for 39 years."

We all had a good laugh.

So you tell me, is this what is meant by six degrees of separation?

Fascinating display > Syncing 250 camera flashes to music by Bright Siren group

See the photos taken simultaneously by clicking here.

No Truer Words Have Ever Been Spoken by a Navy Seal Commander

Reported by ABC News/Martha Raddatz:

The top commander of U.S. special forces says he thinks it's time for women to go into combat as Navy SEALS. 

A Navy SEAL himself, Admiral Eric T. Olson said at the opening session of the 2011 Aspen Security Forum that he would like to see female SEALs in combat roles. 

"As soon as policy permits it, we'll be ready to go down that road," said Olson. 

He added that being a SEAL is not just about physical strength. "I don't think the idea is to select G.I. Jane and put her through SEAL training, but there are a number of things that a man and a woman can do together that two guys can't," said Olson. [...]

Problem Solving Video > Canine Methodology (Full credit to his owners who published this video on YouTube)