THE FINAL END OF KALIFORNIA KOTA - My Beloved Life Partner, Dakota

I took Dakota to her Vet the evening of October 29th. She was very weak on her hind end and wasn't eating. Doc took x-rays that showed endometriosis, her hips were still excellent, but we could see evidence of arthritis along her lower spine. 

He also gave her a 2 shots, saying she would feel worse for awhile, then be up and active as a puppy. When we got home, Dakota was practically comatose. Was gonna take her back to Vet, but Office was already closed.

Kota & I laid down on the floor: I "spooned" her and continually stroked her and whispered to her. She decided to wait till I finally fell asleep from 2 -4 AM. 

Sometime during that period, still in my arms, Dakota died.
There will NEVER be another, better PSD or Life Partner. I am dead inside and no longer have a reason to live - the pain of missing her is just too great...

But I hope the rest of you Keep On Keeping On

Kalifornia Kota

First Visit To Public Pool

July 17th, 2018

Just wanted to share a silly story that involved my Partner Dakota & I. At least one of you knows a bit about what happened yesterday morning, but I'm still laughing and decided to share it, even though it isn't a GSDC SV Inc. Meeting Brag.

Kalifornia Kota & I live in a nice gated Community with several very nice public amenities - including a huge pool of the MOST BIZARRE shape. My dear friend Veronica (w/Hessie), inspired me to go down to our Community Pool. I was sure there would be lots of kids and adults and I'd have to leave, so I'd never tried it in the 6 years I've been here. So after Veronica (she's got at least one Doctorate, and is the President of the PSDP - Psychiatric Service Dog Partners - a 501.(c) 3  <-- They're a charitable organization, I just forgot the dang code!) asked the PSDP List Serv for some positive vibes to help her go to a new swimming club, I said I wanted the same. She inspired me to go to the Pool here. It's only 4 blocks away, but I have to drive since I'm bringing Dakota & her huge blue crate. Everything that transpires below: both the very good and the very nasty sting is due to Veronica being my inspiration to get off my butt and go swimming for exercise too...

Had to walk a block or more from my parked SUV down to the big Community Pool, where it took forever to figure out how to use the fob to open the gate; where Dakota promptly went inside, while I'm fighting the over-the-shoulder leash and trying to cram the crate thru the skinny gate It was worse than trying to carry everything down to the ring when we were doing conformation training classes in Rocklin & Loomis. It was 9AM, opening time; but the assigned Security Guard wasn't there & never showed up, and we had the whole place to ourselves.

Taught Kota where the stairs SHOULD have been (this pool has NO STAIRS), using the word command "DOOR". If I continue to swim there, and repeat that command when we arrive and leave, then that word will eventually sink in as the place for her to jump in and save me from drowning and the place she should drag me to once i have her tail in hand. And yes, I taught her how to open the zippers on her crate door. (So far she's only come out for one perceived health problem, and once when she just HAD to get to Frank & Carolyn's little puppies that were climbing on the crate and into her duffel bag!) OH, if only she wouldn't choose to start her rescues by climbing onto my shoulders and face, as experienced in my Mom's pool previously :) Put her in her soft crate and dove in. [As an aside; NEVER dive into pool water that is clearly labeled as 6 inches deep - ouch] I can't swim worth crap - I always sink to the bottom, no matter what. I tried several strokes, but they were all REALLY hard on my chronic back problem. Even the back-stroke and the side stroke were a FUBAR as I sank after every single stroke, LOL!! Maybe I can find someone's used water flippers - those black things you put on your feet and they stick out with webbing and give your leg kicks so much more power? Then I could be on my back and relieve my back of all the pain as I paddle about with the flippers.

The deepest end of the pool is 6' and the lowest 6". It is a huge meandering-around pool; sort of like 2 kidneys connected with a really wide channel. There are grab rails on each side of the pool in the deep end. I tried and didn't have the strength to pull myself up & out. What a wuss! This old lady needs STEPS in the deep end! After 1 and 1/2 laps, I was exhausted so stayed in the shallow end by Kota and used my hands on the pool floor to "walk", dragging myself around for as long as I could take it. Looked everywhere when I was done, but couldn't find a shower to wash the chlorine off my body, suit & shorts. YES, I do wear shorts over my swim suit due to some pretty scary looking scars.

And to finish my day in the pool, I saw a large yellow-jacket - or wasp? - don't know the difference. He was floating on the top of the water and I clapped my hands on him & the water & he flew away. But Mr Yellow-Jacket or whomever, did not desire my applause, so he promptly slammed his sticker in me! How rude! Well, maybe not since I WAS trying to kill him... them he came back for another sting and I swatted him on my leg, which knocked his stinger out and into my leg by the inside of my right knee. The first aid kit with tweezers was clear up in the SUV, and I have no fingernails. Took a while and a lot of ouches but finally got a hold of it & think I have it all out. By the time we got home it had turned an angry red and swelled up. (This AM, it's still red, a big hole, but no swelling.) I promise not to applaud Yellow-Jackets or Wasps ever again...)

As I let Kota out of her crate, she immediately started to go down the spa steps; crate was in shade next to the spa. Had to stop THAT in a hurry before I got caught! The Management has already barred Dakota from the pool, and I must assume they meant the spa too. The windows of the main office look out over the pool, so I hope no one saw.

I was so exhausted and starting to hurt, that I had to lay down on the hot 'cool decking' and try to relax my back and the backs of my legs. THAT pissed Kota off; there's no reason why she can't come out of the crate and lie with me when I'm trying to relax my muscles and dry off a little bit. Finally I made myself get up, threw everything into that soft blue crate for my right hand, the keys I needed to get out of the pool area into my left hand where I had a death grip on Kota's vest's bridge handle to keep me from falling over AGAIN! Put the suicide leash on Kota, grabbed the crate and held on to Dakota, She knew exactly where to go, but first of all I couldn't get the crate thru the slender gate, and second I couldn't keep up with her pace, and she was really holding me tight.

I hurt so dang much, I thought I'd never get to the SUV. 4/5ths of the walk was all uphill, blech! And once everything was loaded (no, I didn't forget my Partner), I crawled into the front seat where Kota immediately Alerted on me. OK, fine, have it your way...got in the back seat with her, she laying across my lap, and stuck my nose in her ear, my left arm around her neck and feeling her heart pulse, her warm body, and the Tactile Stimulation of her warmth and weight while using my right hand to stroke her furries & fluffies and a couple minutes later she let me go. Back into the front seat and practically yelled every time I put pressure on any of the pedals.

When we got back home, we both collapsed on the floor right inside the front door. Dakota had gotten more than her daily allotted 2 x 10mins walks & I was just an out of shape old lady who went beyond her physical capacities. If anyone wants to come down to swim, we are allowed to have guests with us. Bring FLIPPERS - that's the word of what I want! There are plenty of chairs, plenty of those umbrella covers that stick out of tables, lots of tables, and because of the VERY ODD shape of the pool, there is some interesting landscaping. So you can sit in a chair in the sun, in the shade, or stretch out on the shady spots that have grass and flowers blooming.

OK, I do believe I have accomplished my mission: To bother and harass you. But you won't know that, nor that I sincerely apologize for typing so much, cause you probably haven't read the whole post - Tee-Hee-Hee!! So we both hope you all keep on keeping on...

Kalifornia Kota

 

The Beginning of The End...

Thursday, July 26th, 2018

     This is the beginning of the end for the World's Bestest Ever Psychiatric Service Dog, who also helped me with Mobility and Medical Alerts.

     Dakota is not well. She has several physical injuries and allergies. Medication helps her, but she will never overcome these problems. She has returned the keyboard to my "silver machine" in order that I may take over the typing. Since this is my first entry, allow me to introduce myself...

     I am a 65 year old white woman, mentally & physically "challenged". I've had Dakota since she turned 3 in 2009. I live in a little Community in Sacramento County, California. After running away from home, I joined the Army (USA MEDDAC), took Criminal Justice Classes during the day, since I worked the swing and graveyard shifts alone. I did well and got all "Excellent"s on my yearly Evaluations and straight A's in the Community College. Once I had left home and made a life for myself, I really flourished. The Army gave me a ton of responsibility which I thrived on, and the Criminal Justice classes were fascinating.

     When I left the Army, I moved to Iowa to be with my boyfriend. It was there that I entered the Law Enforcement field - a total of 28.5 years, from both sides of the mic. I had a blast! I followed one thing from the Academy with me for my whole career: "No one wants to lose their freedom. Only arrest someone as a last resort." I followed that bit of advice with me forever. I still made plenty of arrests for crimes in progress or warrants or drunk driving, etc. But in spite of all the arrests, I only had to go to court twice in those years. The Information's I wrote handed the Prosecutor's exactly what they needed, gave the Defense/Public Defender's Office enough to see they would not be able to win the case, so they all pled guilty - sure made my life easy!

     I'm wandering off the main topic because I don't want to face it... Dakota cannot live forever, nor even as long as I probably will. I cannot save her. There is nothing I can do to save her - I can only medicate, massage, meditate and pray that she wakes up the next morning and can spend that one day with me. 

     I simply cannot imagine life without her. I can't do anything without her at my side. Many have told me I should have, should now, get a puppy or another dog and start training it to replace Kota before she crosses so I won't be without a Psychiatric Service Dog. I have consistently refused and will not change my mind, regardless of the detriment to myself.

     On the 2 1/2 hour drive home with Dakota (when I first met her & asked to take her home for a 2 month trial period) I had told Dakota all the things I wanted her to do for me. Seat belted behind me, she lay there the whole ride with her hear up and ears perked at me as I talked the entire trip home. I told everything I was afraid of. I told her all the things I wanted to do. I told her how much help she could be to me if she wished to work for me. In return, when she could no longer work or no longer wanted to work, that I would care for her the best I could for the rest of her natural life and never bring another dog into the house to replace her. 

I have & I will keep that promise.

     So that's where we are now. I'm doing my damnedest to hold up my end of the promise. I pray that Dakota understands that. I pray she knows just how much I love her. I pray she knows how she has saved my life. I pray she understands that it was SHE who GAVE me a life. I will do my best at going on and keeping on...

 

Deb, for Kalifornia Kota

Good Grief, Is She Lost???

Tuesday - June 7, 2011

We had to leave at dark-thirty-early today to go to our new den in Antelope. I always thought Antelope were for chasing and eating, not living in. I've heard other dogs there, a little yappy dog is close by, and I've seen stray cats, but no antelopes. Very peculiar.

My partner had to be there to get a special present from the brown man. She said it was from someone called AT&T and it would be a silver box like she has on the picture box at home. It makes her silver machine go really fast so she can watch pictures that her friends send: Veronica sends her about super poodle Ollie, and Linden about her ever-lovely Iris, and Ellen about her super agile Rethey, and Deb with the hilarious Lolz Cats and Dogs. 

My partner is super excited about getting this present! She is going to save $150 by trying to install it herself. Yeah, right... we'll see just how far this brain fried human will get. And she's already told me this is yet another box I will NOT be allowed to play with. The problem is that we don't know when the present will arrive; we just know the brown man will come before the end of day.

So my partner took me for a little walk around the area, pretty much staying in sight of our new den. Since it was cool out, she went back to our moving crate and got out my long-line. We went in and got my football. She threw it for me and I ran really fast and grabbed it and made squeak! I was good at that. Then I'd drop it and smell all the good things around me and start to explore. My partner would walk over, show me the football and throw real far again. And I'd run really, really fast with all my feathers and petticoats flying in the whirlwind I created and grab that football and shake it and make it squeak! Boy, am I good at this game!

Then we went back inside. My partner was faced with about 60 big boxes of stuff from the old den. She would take them 1 by 1 to the room they belonged to. If it was possible, she'd unpack them and put the stuff away. Otherwise, she's stash them in one of the many closets. A week ago, Mom and Uncle Jeff had brought about 15 or 20 boxes down and put them in different closets. When my partner finished dealing with her boxes, she was getting all confused about there being too many boxes in the room closets and storage closets. She started getting real sick about it. She was wandering from room to room and from one storage closet to the next. She was getting worse and worse. I kept nudging her. I kept trying to herd her to the big room where we played and where she'd put some soft blankets down for me to lie on, but she wasn't listening to me.  Then she went away. I hate it when she goes away from me. So I had to jump on her and knock her back really hard. She almost fell over but she did come back! And I got a special cookie! 

Having a picnic on the football field of our new den.

After my partner calmed down from sitting on the floor with me she said it was time we took a well-deserved break. She got some things for herself and then she super-surprised me: she had brought me a meaty lamb rib! Wow, my partner loves me so much! (And I think she knows I love her too.) We had a nice little lunch right there on the football field. We both finally got to relax for a little while. And it was completely silent: no moving picture box, no music boxes, no birds were singing - just the peaceful sound of me chewing my bone.

After our calming picnic, I did a Paws Up on my partner and cleaned her face. She had salt on it. Then she began the long process of methodically going through each bedroom and closet, bathroom and its closet, and all the storage closets. She unpacked and put away what she could. The rest were put away in the proper storage closets. 

This time around, she took breaks every 45 minutes - I know because she brought a black box that had red numbers on it and that made a loud buzzing noise every 45 minutes. This was the same box my partner used to train me to wake her up every morning. But that was a long, long time ago - I sure don't need that now!

After my partner had done all she could do in our new den, she prepared the both of us to leave. She was going to ask the nice man across the street to accept our present from the brown man. She had put all the empty boxes in our moving crate, and had just put my seat belt on. She was in the kitchen getting her keys when I heard the brown man at the door and barked really loud to let him know I was here and was guarding this den. My partner came to the door, opened it, and we both looked out. The brown man was already half way down the driveway, so my partner shouted "Thank you!" and closed the door. The present was the one she was waiting for, so she put it away. 

The red numbers on the black box said it was after 5. My partner had already fed me at 4 which is normal for me. I already had my seat belt on, so we both hopped into the moving crate and went to our den in Marysville. We got there at 6 and my partner unloaded all the empty boxes. She was very, very tired, because she hadn't had any sleep at all for the last 2 nights. 

I tried to comfort her, and she did start to drift off around 9, but she was up again at 10 and never did go back to sleep. So while she worked on packing stuff, I fell asleep on the job, because I was really tired too. Whenever I wake up to check on her, she is massaging my head, neck and shoulders, telling me I'm a super good Kota and it's OK if I sleep; that she wants me to sleep, cause she will really need me tomorrow with the movers. So, I will keep on keeping on. 

Kalifornia Kota

New Den Is Ours!!

Wednesday - June 1, 2011

We met our Tudors agent, Ashleigh, at our new den on Teton Way for the detailed walk-thru today. Yesterday we had done a quick walk-thru to look at the insides for the first time and confirmed that we definitely wanted it. Today's viewing was to look for any damage or flaws prior to our moving in and to get the keys. Ms Ashleigh was in a hurry, and quite frankly, that pissed my partner off. 

The darn thing was called a DETAILED walk-thru for a reason. My partner was going thru the house methodically: checking every window lock, whether it opened fully, checking the mini-blind functions, opening every drawer/cabinet to see if they secured & were they clean inside, etc. We found things that obviously hadn't been touched in years. Ashleigh reluctantly recorded them, but kept pushing us to finish, saying we had 72 hours to find and report stuff.

They left us den-warming presents: a 4-pack of toilet paper, a roll of paper towels, one packet of laundry detergent, and a small bottle of dish soap. That was nice of them! And this den has a nice big oven and a dishwasher - neither of which my partner will use properly. She'll use both of them for storing NuNu's food, our treats, paper plates, chocolate stash, pans and other miscellaneous items.

I have properly anointed the side and very back yards. I haven't been in the little back yard that is fenced yet. My partner says she doesn't want me going out there and getting my petticoats and feathers dirty. She knows I spent a year outside with a family, then a year in an outside kennel. So I'm used to, and thoroughly enjoy being in dirt! The 2 times we went to Empire Mines State Park, I got filthy by sitting and laying down in the sticky pine needles and sappy stuff - what fun! If you want to see a few pictures, you can click HERE and HERE.

After Ms Ashleigh hurried away, my partner put me in a spare bedroom with a Milk Bone and some of my favorite toys - then she shut the door and left me in there!! WTF was that all about??? I could hear her and Mom going in and out the front door of the den and they were huffing and puffing as they went back and forth in the hallway in front of the door where I was standing. I scratched at the door and whined a few times, but my partner told me "Quiet!" so I did. 

After a 15 minute eternity, my partner released me and I jumped all over her in joy! To share in my happiness, we played football in the living room and in the hallway. She even managed to get a couple pictures of me as she threw my ball and they were clear enough to keep - gosh she has a super good picture taker!

With all the strangeness that has been happening around the den in Marysville and now with this den, things have gotten very confusing, and I don't want to be accidentally left behind, or worse, be given to someone else...I hope I'm staying with my partner when she moves into this den and that NuNu is going to come too. If you click HERE you can see what the new den looks like. My partner says it is best if you click on the first picture to blow it up full size, then use the right arrow key to cycle thru the pics, & you will also be able to read the long captions. This is a bright, light, airy den with loads of space and a peaceful feeling. I think we will be happy here and will easily be able to keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota

Remembering - Memorial Day

Monday - May 30, 2011

Always Remember - Never Forget

Last year my partner and I went to a very special presentation at the Calvary Christian Center in Yuba City. They asked all the Vietnam Veterans to come up on the stage. My partner was the only female Vet, and I was the only doggie!! They put on an extremely realistic and moving montage of a Vietnam jungle patrol that gets ambushed, then airlifted to an Aid Station, which in turn gets attacked and severely damaged. The huge auditorium was filled with noises: first the subtle sounds of the jungle insects and the soldiers footsteps and equipment as they moved thru the aisles of the darkened auditorium, then the firefight with its M16s, AK47s and grenades, followed quickly by screams of pain and yells for the medic, then the helicopters to medivac them out to the Aid Station... 

At the sound of the M16s and the AK47s and the grenades, my partner started to get sick. She was rocking back and forth and shaking. When the helicopter sounds came, she went away from me. I tried really hard to bring her back: I pawed at her, jumped up on her, tugged hard on the leash. I even pawed at the soldier sitting next to her. I couldn't make her come back. I finally jumped really hard on her and she came back, but was really sick. The soldier was talking to her, but she wasn't talking back. She finally listened to me and got up to leave. Even though the auditorium was pitch black, I was easily able to find all the doors thru all the halls to get us outside. 

I found a hard place around a tree where my partner could sit awhile. I did a paws up and laid partially across her lap and let her hold me, breathe me, stroke me. When she finally slowed down, she gave me a nice treat and we got up to leave. Out by the parking lot, the Army had parked a bunch of their moving crates. From the old jeep to some pretty humongous thingies; they were all pretty impressive. We walked over there and my partner was pretty relaxed talking to the Officers & Soldiers. She told them she was once in the Army - they didn't seem to care as they were quite smitten by ME and my flashing, flouncy, fancy petticoats!! They let me get into their moving crates in the front row. My partner NEVER lets me get in the front row - and she always makes me wear a seat belt. These soldiers let me go in the front and I didn't have to wear a seat belt in any of the moving crates. They all laughed at me when I put my paws on the circles in front of the seats. What was funny about that? I see my partner doing that when she's in that seat. My partner had taken my vest off, so I got to be loose on my leash and got to solicit all the attention I wanted from these humans dressed in green clothes. They all looked alike. They must buy their clothes from the same store.

So for the last week, my partner has been doing the weirdest thing. She has been on this silver machine and has had it making loud noises. Thank heavens she has stopped it after today. She was listening to noises made by M16s, AK47s, grenades, machine guns and the dreaded helicopters. Every time the helicopters started, she'd begin to get shaky, and she'd go away from me. I'd paw at her leg, or jump on the sofa and push at her to bring her back. She did this a couple times every day. It was not a fun week.

My partner had been in contact with a nice Captain lady who had made arrangements for us to have a special seat in the back like last year, so I'd have room to lay down and if she got sick again, we would be able to slip out without disturbing anyone. When we arrived, the Officers in the front greeted us by name! They were expecting us - we felt very special. One of them was escorting us into the auditorium, having to pass thru the patio area first which was crowded and scary for her. Then we entered the really big foyer...

I could smell my partner's extreme fear and anxiety and knew a panic attack was coming - that foyer was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with a hundred people all visiting with each other and now a lot of them noticed us and wanted to talk to us - but our escort had continued on. She was trying to respond to the people and keep walking but couldn't. Finally she told me to "Follow" and I pulled her thru that crowd, weaving thru the bodies, making a path for her until I found that Officer who was looking around for us. He took us to a nice padded bench that had a reserved sign on it just for her, and there was a nice open space next to it for me!

My partner was still in a panic state. There wasn't enough space in front of her to do an About to help her. So I did a Paws Up across her lap as best I could. My partner was shaking and she was going away and not coming back. I kept jumping on her. She was doubled over and I jumped onto her shoulders. I pulled hard on the leash telling her she needed to leave this place right NOW. I put my paw on the man sitting next to her, but he didn't know what I wanted. 

A soldier came over and talked to my partner. He talked at her several times while I was pawing her and finally she sat up and talked to me, then to him. She gave me a treat, then stood up and and at last allowed me to lead her out of that place that haunts her dreams. 

When we got home, my partner was incredibly sad that she wasn't able to watch this presentation that she wanted to see so badly. She didn't even get to see the Color Guard. She wasn't even able to go have fun with me on the Army moving crates. She so wanted to be a part of honoring Veterans on this special day. Instead, she had wimped out and felt ashamed and a failure. She got on this silver machine and made tappings to my Auntie Jeanne. That was the only good thing about this Memorial Day. So we celebrated by looking at our Military War Dog picture album which we always enjoy, and we will keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota

Poked and Prodded

Thursday - May 26, 2011

My partner spent the morning doing strange things. She went all around the den taking all the pictures off the walls. Then she wrapped them in towels and put them in boxes. I dropped some of my toys in a box too, like I did the other day. I like to help my partner!

My partner usually grooms me right after my noms in the morning. Well today, she brushed me again really good right after she stopped packing. I'm still shedding and by the time she got done, the living room carpet looked like she had slaughtered a rabbit! What a mess. After that, my partner geared me up and we were out the door for an adventure.

We ended up at our Veterinarian's office. I like to go there; they are very nice to me and give me treats and visit me when I have to stay in a kennel run or a cage. This time I was taken into a room and realized I was probably going to get a stick poked in my butt and sharp sticks poked into my back. And yup - I was right! A very nice human came in and pushed that stick into my butt - but I stood very still like my partner asked me to cause I'm a good doggie.

Then our Vet came in - I went straight to him and licked his hand. I knew what he was going to do to me, and he had operated on me when I was very sick and caused me great pain, but I trust him. He put a black and silver thing all over my chest that was connected to his ears. Then he put his hands all over my body, stroking me, squeezing me, checking every inch of me. He peered into my eyes and deeply into my ears. He always says I have the cleanest ears of any dog he examines and that surprises him because I'm a long coat with feathered ears. 

The only thing wrong with me was a teeny tiny spot/sore on the inside of my right ear. He told my partner to keep a close eye on it, as it was possible it could have been a tick bite. We are hoping it is just a sore caused by my partner being too zealous in her ear cleaning. Then the Vet surprised my partner by telling her to follow him to the back to kennel me. That they would draw my blood and give me my vaccinations later, and then Uriel would groom me.

So we followed the Vet back to the kennels. My partner started breathing really fast and hard. I wasn't happy about being put in the kennel - I kept trying to get past her to escape. I tried jumping on her to tell her she was getting sick and needed me and couldn't leave me behind - but she hugged me hard, turned her back and walked away from me...

While my partner was gone, I got all the shots that I needed - three of them!! My blood was taken, and they honored my partner's request to not shave my leg to find a vein. And my friend Uriel came and got me and gave me a wonderful shampoo and brushing. He also trimmed my nails and shaved the long feathers on the top and bottom of my paws. I sure was beautiful and fluffy and gorgeous when he got done with me!!

It was 11:30 when my partner and I arrived there, and 6pm when she finally was notified that I was ready to go home. After she paid my bill, she was allowed to come back to the cage area where I was crated - they had to remove a barrier so I could have 2 crates because I'm so big. As soon as I smelled my partner coming down the hall - yes, I could smell her through the closed door - I began talking to her, telling her where I was so she could find me. I was so very happy she was coming to take me home at last!

While everyone is so nice to me here, I still wanted to be with my partner more than anything else. They give me cookies here, visit with me a lot, pet me, spoil me - all so very nice of them, and I like it a lot while I'm there. But I sense when they are done and I'm put back into the kennel or into the crate, and then I'm a bad dog...

When it's time to go home, a nice human usually comes back, puts a leash on me with the intent of leading me thru the maze of hallways to my partner. But it ends up with me dragging that human all the way to front. I'm choking and gagging as I practically yank that human off her feet - it's all they can do to remain upright. It is very embarrassing to my partner to see me be so disobedient, and to see me hurting myself. So this time that finally allowed my partner to go back and get me herself. 

Well, it wasn't a whole lot better! Like I said, as soon as I knew she was coming, I started talking to her. When she took me out of the crate, I was talking louder and louder. Everyone was laughing at me as I crawled over my partner in joy at seeing her at last. I froze for a few seconds as she put my harness vest on me. Then I went blitzo with happiness and joy again at the knowledge that I was going home at last! I did everything in my considerable physical power to drag my partner out of that place. But she was VERY RUDE and kept stopping and making me slow down and walk properly.

I guided her straight to the SUV, she put my seat belt on and lept into the back seat. As soon as we got home, she ordered me to pee in the front yard - boy, did THAT feel good. We got inside and after my gear came off, my partner spoke those special words she has for me when we get home after I've been a good girl. Normally she gives me a special treat, but since it was over 2 hours past my noms time, she just gave me a little cookie, then fed me & NuNu.

After we had all settled down, I jumped up on the sofa to comfort my partner. She was still a bit out of sorts for having spent so many hours without me. That always upsets her very much. I let her cuddle, and she always strokes me with one hand, fondles my ruff with the other, and buries her face in my ear. She loves to inhale my scent, and says it is new today because of the shampoo I got from Uriel. And my coat is now even softer. She says I am even more beautiful than before! That makes me very happy, so I will keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota

Jasper???

Tuesday - May 24, 2011

Today my partner had to go to the meat doctor. She really dreads going to these appointments every 6 months. Six years ago, before we were together, she had a bad sickness in her right teat that had to be cut out. She refused to take the chemicals they give that make humans really sick and lose all their fur. Instead she just went in every day and they put her in a machine that shot special magical stuff into her body to make the rest of the sickness die. But it also made some good tissue die too and she got some burns.

After that, she was contacted by an oncologist and asked to be part of a cancer clinical drug trial for 5 years. My partner was given 2 bottles of pills every 6 months. One bottle had real medicine in it that was supposed to help her not get that teat sickness again, and the other bottle had medicine that did nothing. Every 6 months she had to go see that meat doctor. He would talk to her for a while, asking all kinds of personal questions, then make her lie down and knead her teats really hard which hurts her a whole lot. My partner says she feels like a slab of meat on a butcher's table, that's why she calls him that name.

Then my partner finally got smart and came and got me and took me home with her. Not too long after that she took me to the meat doctor. She kept getting sick on the way down there and had to pull over 3 times to sit in the back with me so I could make her well enough to keep driving. When we were waiting for the meat doctor to come into the exam room, my partner was shaking and scared and I kept trying to make her feel better. Then the meat doctor burst into the room and I jumped up and let out one big very loud bark at him! THAT stopped him dead in his tracks. Then I smiled at him and sat down.

Every time we go there and he pokes and prods at my partner, I make sure he knows that I am supervising. I sit and put my head on the table and keep my eyes on his - and he always locks eyes with mine. If my partner starts to go away in her mind, I nudge her leg with my nose and bring her back. This seems to fascinate the doctor - that I will always be looking at him, but know what is going on with my partner. Ever since I started going with my partner to see him, he has become softer and gentler. He watches me as he does his work on her and she says it doesn't hurt as much any more, so that's a good thing!

This was going to be the last time my partner saw him and Sergio, the nice man that gives my partner the bottles of pills. It's been 5 years that she's been in this study. But the meat doctor doesn't want to cut her off. He wants her to come back in one year for another check-up, even though she won't be taking any more of those pills. She and Sergio are hoping the bad sickness does not come back again, now that she is stopping those pills. I hope she is OK too...

I've been getting along now with the meat doctor. I give him a sniff when he first comes in and he gives me a scritch under my chin. Then I lay down between him and my partner while they do their long talking. But from the beginning he has always called me "Jasper". That's a BOY'S name!! Can't he recognize a beautiful bitch when he sees one? 

I made my partner get on this silver machine and do her typings to find out what this Jasper actually means. She said it is indeed a boy's name from either Persia or Greece. And that its meaning is "treasure holder" or "semi-precious gemstone". 

Well, with my multi-colors, I certainly LOOK like a gemstone! All my colors flash and gleam in lights, especially the sunlight. I have reds and golds and bronzes and tans. I'm much prettier than any old rock. And I definitely hold treasures. My partner is always telling me that. She says I save her life every day and that I am a treasure to her - one that is priceless and that she would never give up - not for anything! So I guess that it's OK if that meat doctor wants to call me Jasper, and I'll just keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota

Boxes Everywhere I Can't Have

Sunday - May 22, 2011

I am in paradise today! I am surrounded by cardboard boxes. They are in every room of our den. I love boxes! When they are delivered to our den, my partner gets excited and takes things out of the boxes. She gets very happy about those things. Sometimes these things are for me or for NuNu, my cat. They are always fun things.

After my partner takes the happy things out of the boxes, she lets me have them - and oh, what a joyous time I have!! I carry them around. I drop them on NuNu. I toss them in the air and catch them. And then I have the ultimate experience with the box: I attack and destroy them! I rip them to shreds and spread the pieces all over the room. I make a glorious mess. It is such fun and my partner sits and watches and laughs at me. Then she picks all the pieces up.

But today she kept telling me to "Leave It" whenever I started to pick up a box. I don't understand. I've always been allowed to play with boxes. Why is today different? It is very strange. 

Today the boxes came from the den where stuff is stored that is attached to our den. They didn't come from the human dressed in brown. My partner is putting things INTO these boxes instead of taking happy things OUT OF these boxes. Everything is backwards today. It is very confusing. I put my nose in these boxes and find things that have been in our den all the years I've been here. Why is my partner hiding them in the boxes? I just don't understand.

And then there are the ominous big black bags. I've never seen them before. My partner got them out of a cabinet that I've never opened. She pulled them out and shook them and they became very big! She took them into the room where she never goes - it has a big fluffy sleep place that only NuNu uses. It has cabinets that hold my partners clothes. She spent hours and hours pulling out those clothes, trying a lot of them on. I had never seen almost all of them.

I guess because they had been hidden in there for so long, they were a little on the dusty side. My partner kept taking armloads of them into the laundry room and washing them. Then she would make scratchings on a paper and put them into different big black bags. Those black bags had a terrible smell and I didn't like them. But I kept putting my nose in them to try and understand why my partner was putting her clothes in there. She kept telling me "Leave It" and that she didn't want my fur to get on the clothes. At the end of the day she had bags and bags of clothes - more than she had left in her closet. Where will these bags go? Why did she put the clothes in them? I just don't understand this at all...

In the fireplace room is a whole bunch of boxes - boxes of all sizes - all tumbled together! Oh, they are all so tempting to jump right into and play with and tear apart. But I've been told to leave them alone. I am a good doggie and I obey my partner (most of the time <G>) so I won't touch them. But I take my naps right next to them, just in case she changes her mind and gives me the release command. I did get a treat for leaving them alone - my partner told me that I was very obedient about leaving all the boxes alone so I could have something special. She got out my "meat blankie" and I got a case of the zoomies. My partner gave me a really big lamb rib to chew on, and oh my, that was really, really good! So if that is what I get for leaving the boxes alone, then I will keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota

I Feel Pretty and Witty and Gay!

Friday - May 20, 2011

For those of you who are not familiar with West Side Story, just take the title of my blog as perfectly true of me. For those familiar with the song, you know exactly how I feel today! It seems that wherever I went, humans were looking at me and telling me and my partner how beautiful I was, how they wanted to hug me, how gorgeous my fluffiness was, and how well behaved and helpful I was to my partner. This made her very happy and made it easier to talk to all these other humans.

We left the den early to go to the Animal Eye Center for my annual ACVO/Merial eye ball exam. A lady puts drops in my eyes, then I have to sit for awhile before seeing a special doctor. This time there were a lot of doggies crowded in the tiny waiting room. It was chaos! Humans weren't controlling their doggies at all. They were wandering around on flexi leashes and getting tangled up with each other, human legs, chair legs... some were whining and barking and snapping. My partner was able to get us in a corner where we did our best to keep away from everyone. One of the doggies seemed to be quite sick: the little poodle kept coughing and sneezing and swiping at her nose, mouth and eyes. I didn't want to be near her, and when we left, we went out a different door to avoid the area where she had been. 

Because of eye ball emergencies, our doctor couldn't see us for almost an hour. My partner was getting really sick. I couldn't get up with her, although I did try to get on the hard little plastic chair next to her. I kept doing a paws up on her lap and she would hug me. Then she asked me to do an About and she buried herself in me and that helped stop her from getting too sick. The new doctor was very nice. Dr Danielle that we'd seen the last 2 years has moved away, and we miss her. After peering in my eyeballs, she declared that I had some opacity in my right eye. My partner said I was supposed to have 2 very tiny scars in that eye. But the doctor didn't respond, and then she left the room, leaving us confused... We left the clinic and my partner was upset and still confused and starting to get sick again. She took my vest off and we sat in the car together for awhile and that was nice, cause she had treats for me!

After leaving the eyeball clinic, my partner drove us all the way to Yuba City. We stopped at the Cigarette Store for those nasty sticks she smokes. There were a lot of humans in there, some of them sitting at a table and just visiting with each other. They were very curious about me and about Service Dogs. So we stayed awhile and talked about the different types of SDs and my partner ended up giving them my Dakota cards and explained that I was a PSD and what that meant, and what I do. They were totally amazed. One of those humans was a Vietnam Vet, and my partner said "Welcome Home Brother" and he almost cried. I tried to go to him, but my partner stopped me for some reason. Another human really, really wanted to pet me, and kept looming over my partner. I didn't sense any evil from him, but my partner was uncomfortable with the invasion of her space and didn't allow me to Go Greet.

Next she drove to a special machine that usually gives her greenish papers she gives to humans in big dens in exchange for things like our food or things we need. But this time she put just one paper into this machine and no papers came out. I stayed in my usual position, sitting cross-wises in front of her and watching her back. I touched her leg to let her know other people were there to use the machine too. I didn't move until she was done and she had zipped up my vest.

We went right into the big den called Bel Air where my partner gets her food, and always looks for tasty stuff for me too! My partner did not have to tell me the Cart command for the whole time we were in there - I was always in perfect position. I did all my Sit/Stay, Down/Stay, Wait, Back and Fronts excellently. My partner was very, very happy and gave me lots of praise, which made me very happy. 

It seemed that every aisle we went down, someone would say something very nice about me. They would say I was beautiful. They would say I was so fluffy and cuddly looking. They would say I had such good manners. They would say I was so well behaved and who and where had I been trained? They would say they wanted to pet me. My partner handed out a lot of my Dakota cards. "I feel pretty and witty and gay! And I pity any girl that I should meet today..." As a reward, my partner found some lamb ribs and got them for me.

We left the house at 9am and didn't get home till 13:45. We were both pretty tired. Usually when I have been a good doggie, my partner takes off my vest & seat belt right inside the door, tells me in special words that I did very well, then gives me a treat like a Milk Bone. And she does this before putting the food stuffs away or changing into comfy clothes. This time she took my gear off, said the special words, then went to put the food stuffs away. I was very confused. Then I smelled those lamb ribs. My partner opened the package, grabbed a big one, spread my special blanket in the living room which I promptly laid on while she repeated those special words and she handed it to me. Oh my, that lamb rib was ever so tasty! I had such joy chewing on that. So I hope you have a wonderful treat in your life today and if you don't, be sure to keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota