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

I'm At My Wits End

Thursday - May 19, 2011

I am NOT a touchy-feely dog! If my partner hugs me one more time, I swear I'm gonna lose it! This den-hunting business is making her crazy and is driving me insane... 

A couple days ago we went to look at a den in Granite Bay. When she found it she was hugging me a LOT. The rent was a little higher, but this den was only a couple minutes from Mom's house and a 10 minute bike ride from my partner's 2 brothers. It had a huge fenced back yard, but you had to go thru the garage to get to it. The minute we went out there, 2 of the bordering dens had several dogs in their yards that started barking furiously and attacking the fences. It was quite a racket. My partner had filled out the application on her silver machine before we went there. The agent man had no fur on his head! He also looked at copies of our other applications and said he would verify them independently, but expected no problems, and that we were #1 on the list to have the house. The houses are very close together. All around the house are lots of gorgeous trees and bushes and flowers - they make the whole house dark and gloomy inside - the windows are all very small and high up on the walls. Mom liked this house because it was so close. My partner didn't like this one for reasons we won't go into here... but we still signed up for it, because she wants a big yard for me.

This morning, Ms Ashleigh of The Tudors called my partner. She reminded us that she was waiting for us and Mom to deliver proof of income. My partner was stunned to think that so many days had gone by and been wasted over something so simple that she had forgotten. She gets so very angry and upset and frustrated with herself when she realizes that she has forgotten something. She never knows if it's because of her bad memory or if it was because she had dissociated at the time. I know she was very sick and had gone away several times when she was in Ms Ashleigh's office last Saturday, so maybe that was it. But why didn't Mom know that we needed to do this???

At any rate, we had a copy of Mom's IRS 1040. So my partner got on this silver machine and pushed some buttons to make a copy of her 1040 and some bank papers. She was very excited, dancing around and hugging me every 5 minutes. We drove down to The Arbors to deliver those papers. When we got there, my partner realized she had left Mom's papers at home. She got all quiet and she went away. I jumped up on her and made her come back. Nick told her she could fax those papers when she got home. (We don't have a fax machine.) I took my partner back to the car and waited patiently while she fumbled with my seat belt. Thank dogdom she had the sense to get in with me until she was able to drive! And yes, I allowed her to hug me, because that was the right time for me to be hugged.

We stopped at Ben's Bark Ave Bistro in Roseville on the way home to get some yummy food for me. I went straight to the right freezer that holds my brand & size of bags - yep, I'm that smart. On the way to the register, I started pulling my partner to the left, and she was trying to stop me - she wasn't able to smell that Ms Sally was in the next aisle!! I love Ms Sally! She wasn't there 2 weeks ago and I missed her. She always scritches me and gives me a treat. So I had to go over and say "Hi!" to her. Finally my partner must have gotten a scent of her and she laughed and gave me the Go Greet command. When we got back in the car, I had to suffer thru even more hugs.

After driving all the way home, we picked up Mom's 1040 form, then went to Staples. We faxed those papers to The Tudors and confirmed they had arrived. Nick said all the papers would be given to Ms Ashleigh who would verify them. If they were, then a date would be set as soon as possible for us to view the house to say Yes or No as to whether we wanted it. Then we would pay the Move-In fee and sign the lease. So now we are in a waiting stage. And apparently my partner seems to feel that means she has the liberty to hug me every 15 minutes in her excitement that she is so close to getting this house.

My partner found out from Nick that the house does have a washer and dryer installed. So we have to find a good, loving home for the excellent Kenmore work horses we have. And we have just the perfect deserving family: my Auntie Jeanne is to be the recipient! I love my Auntie Jeanne - even though she doesn't give me cookies - it is just her being herself that I adore! Going to a laundromat is no fun at all. Now she can wash clothes in her jammies!! And when my partner found out that Auntie Jeanne had washer and dryer hook ups at her den, she got all excited again and started in with the damn hugging.

So, I request that those of you who have knowledge of my partner to please pray in the name of dogdom that she be darted with a tranquilizer gun so that she is knocked out, or at least calms down. I'm at my wits end trying to avoid all this hugging and cuddling crap. Now when she is sick, I immediately and happily go to her and do my works which do include tactile stuff like allowing stroking, holding and hugging. Or when she's overwhelmed, I'll quickly get up on the sofa with her and curl up as close as possible with my head or a paw on her leg and my body against hers. But these random, and hit & run, and out-of-nowhere grabs to hold me close and hug me telling me how happy and excited she is about moving are getting quite tiresome. I'm beginning to think she has turned bipolar and is in a mania phase. What is a dog to do? In the den I have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide: so I guess I'll just keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota

What Is Happening?

Saturday - May 14, 2011

What a very strange day! My partner was very sick this morning, and it took all my skills to work on her to make her feel better. Then she started pushing the buttons on this silver machine, saying she was looking for more new dens that we could live in that were close to our Mom. There were so many to choose from - but they were either too expensive or were trash.

Then she got all excited and happy again. She was jumping up and down. She had found something called an "apartment house". It was in a city called Antelope. She called the humans that control that den and made a date for us to see one on Wednesday. They said this den would go fast. So my partner called Mom and asked her to give up watching golf and go with us to see this den. Mom agreed. So we drove down and picked up Mom then went to the den called The Arbors.

We met a nice lady called Ashley. She showed us some places that we could use for free if we get this den. There is a swimming pool, but I'm not allowed in it. There is something called a gym with lots of strange machines including a "treadmill" that my partner threatened to put me on. There are 4 parks there, including one just for dogs! Other things that I've never heard of are a Clubhouse, Business Center, Theater, Hot Tub, Basketball Court, lots of open green areas and it's next to a huge City Park & Rec Center. There is guard shack at the gated entrance and security guard is on duty all the time. If you want to read about this denning area you can push this button to read about it.The den we applied for is called the Sycamore and it's located at 7848 Teton Way if you want to Google it.

Living room, with part of dining room to the left.

Ms Ashley said there was a "model home" of the Sycamore that we could look at, so we walked over there with her. This den was already filled with furniture and looked very nice; as though it was lived in - with clothes in the closets and shoes on the floor! The first thing my partner noticed was that there are NO carpets! There's the traditional linoleum in the 2 full bathrooms and kitchen, but the rest of the den is all beautiful hardwood floors. This den has 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. It has a fireplace, a tiny fenced in patio, a small fenced back yard, a really big green area on one side of the den, so only 1 neighbor on the other side! The ceilings are really high up, the living room windows go from floor to ceiling, there are walk-in closets, and oh-so-many other neat things! 

Ms Ashley couldn't remember if there was a washer and dryer already in the den. If there is not, they would take $35 a month off my rent. She also doesn't know how many or the location of any ceiling fans. But she said it costs $200 per room to have them installed. All the exterior areas are maintained by them; we just have to handle the little back yard.

If we get chosen to have this den, it is available on May 21st, and Ms Ashley will hold it for us to move in on June 1st. Mom liked it and was willing to sign the application papers as our co-signers. That is so very generous of her. She says it is close enough to her. It is making my partner very nervous though because it is surrounded by "city" stuff that she isn't used to dealing with - so much traffic, and people and businesses.

My partner was very sick when we were in the office with Ms Ashley. She had her back to the door, which she hates very much. There was a birthday party in the Clubhouse which had spilled out into the foyer. A lot of children saw me and were calling to me. Several of them kept coming into the office because they wanted to pet me. My partner was hyper-vigilant, trying to understand Ms Ashley and trying to watch her back. I kept warning her, but she wouldn't leave. Finally we got to leave that office and go look at the den.

My partner turned very happy when she looked at the den! It was very open and airy. She really liked the wood floors, but I didn't - I think I will be slipping on them with the feathers I have on the bottom of my paws. She better keep them trimmed, that's all I have to say. It had things in the kitchen that made my partner laugh out loud cause she would never use them - garbage disposal, built in cutting board, dish washer, big oven - but she will use the big built in microwave. 

Then we returned to the office. My partner and Mom filled out a bunch of papers. My partner started to get really, really sick. There was still a bunch of children around that kept coming in. And she was having trouble understanding the papers. She did remember to bring papers from the last den. That had made Mom mad, but they came in handy today - she could copy the information into the application instead of taking it home and then having to drive back to deliver it. I kept telling her that she had to leave, but she just told me to lie down. I kept insisting. She refused. So I went to Mom and put my paw on her and whined. Mom petted and talked to me, which she never does when I have my vest on, but she didn't understand that I wanted her to make my partner leave. I tried so hard - I told her over and over, and I pulled hard on the leash, but she just wouldn't budge. Finally after making scribbles on a bunch of papers, my partner and Mom finally stood up and let me lead them out of there.

Floor to ceiling windows - leading to back yard.

I was so happy to get my partner out of there. I led her to the car as quickly as I could. She sat in the back seat with me for a while, which made Mom mad. Mom wanted to leave right away and didn't want to wait for my partner to just "cuddle" with me - she thought we were wasting time. So my partner cut our time together short and prepared to drive off. I kept sticking my head up by her shoulder where she could reach me and stroke my head and I know that helped. We had left our den at 11am and didn't get back till 6pm. It was a very long day for both of us. We shall see what happens with this potential den and will keep on keeping on. 

Kalifornia Kota

Very Sad Day

Saturday - May 14, 2011

This morning my partner is extremely sad and sick. She has been ever so excited about the den we went to see last March and again last Wednesday. She has been telling me about all the neat things she was going to do to make this big den a wonderful place for me and NuNu to live in.

She had made a typing on her little silver machine to some friends telling them about the den this morning. They made happy typings back at her. She was going to send them pictures of the den. But when she went to the machine place to get those pictures, she said the machine claimed the den was already taken by other humans...

So she got really sick, really fast. I jumped up on the sofa with her. She was rocking back and forth. I crawled onto her lap as best I could. She wrapped her arms around me and stroked me and smelled my ears. She told me she was sorry that she had told me about her dreams for me and NuNu being at that den. That she was sorry that she had gotten such high hopes for us to be in such a wonderful den. That she didn't deserve it and that was why she never got a chance at it. That if NuNu and I belonged to someone else, we would be living there now.

I went to get my toys and started bringing them to my partner. I wanted her to play and be happy again and not be sick. But she didn't see them. She was going away from me. I had to keep pawing at her to bring her back. She crosses her arms and rocks and that's one sign that I know that she has left me. So I paw real hard at her legs to make her eyes come alive and look at me and recognize me. Then she gets real confused and upset, but she always thanks me and then she hugs me. It is very scary for both of us when she goes away...

My partner is also sick about that Court thing too. It turned out she had the day wrong. Instead of it being on Wednesday, it was on Monday. Since she hasn't heard from her Attorney, she is expecting a letter from the mailman today. If it was good news, the Attorney would surely have called. So she is dreading the arrival of that letter.

And with these 2 things hanging over her head, my partner is also involved in 5 projects on this silver machine where she does typings like this blog! How she got herself entangled in these is quite perplexing, considering she can barely type, and has the memory of a gnat. With comprehension and concentration problems up the wazoo, she is the last person you want helping out on complicated projects! So she is getting increasingly upset and frustrated and sick over these projects. But I keep getting up on the sofa beside her to help her get grounded, and force her off this silver machine every day at 2pm. So together we will keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota

Learning Patience

Thursday - May 12, 2011

I tugged my partner's blankie off her at 4am as usual. I was surprised to see she already had socks on her feet! They were the magical Freedom socks that her special friend Linden had made just for her! She said she had to have them on for the whole day today, so she put them on last night, so they'd be on at midnight. Boy, humans do some very strange things!

Before I could tug her up off the sofa, she reached down and put on her Magical slippers that her special friend Veronica had made just for her! Then she finally let me tug her up. 

After NuNu and I had eaten, my partner started to groom me. That felt very good, as I am still shedding. The whole time she was talking to me and the word patience kept coming up. I don't know what that means, but it seems to be something she really wants. She says it is another Court day and that she's afraid of going to Jail. I remember being in Jail too. It was very scary for both of us. And I know this Court thing has something to do with us maybe going back to those Jails. So whenever my partner talks about Court, she gets very upset while waiting to get a telephone call, and uses the word patience, but she still gets very sick.

She is really sick today, so I will have to work extra hard to try and make her happy. I've already taken half my toys to her beside the sofa, but she doesn't want to play. I even tried tempting her with my new soft squeaky ball. She just holds my head and says soft words to me. I've been getting on the sofa with her and she seems to really like my head on her hip. She lets out a big breath and slowly strokes me and the sickness seems to go away for a little while. So I will keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota

A New Den - Part 2

Wednesday - May 11, 2011

Wow, what a day we've had! We had an appointment for 10am to meet Miguel at the new den we want to rent in Loomis. We got there early. As soon as I recognized where we were in the driveway, I started whining and pawing at the door to get out. I knew where we were and wanted to get to the den right away.

As soon as my partner undid my seat belt I bolted out of the car past her and tried to run to the opening of the den, dragging her with me. I am very strong and she just had to come along with me - although she sure made some angry sounds at me! When I got to the den opening, it was closed so I sat down like I'm trained to do and waited for my partner to put the little piece of metal in it to make it open. But she didn't.

Instead, we went back off the porch and into the back yard. Oh my, it is SO big! It is all grassy and has big fences so I can run as fast as the wind without a leash on! That will be so much fun. Now my partner can throw my balls and I can chase them without getting tangled in the long line. There are some bushes there I can explore. The neighbors have some big trees that hang over and give plenty of shade. Oohh I hope we get this house and yard!

At 10am Miguel arrived. I recognized him and gave a yark to say hello. I wiggled my butt at him! I was trying really hard to push past him to get in the den, and my partner was getting angry again at my bad manners. And I was really disobedient inside the den. I wanted to go all over really fast and my partner wanted to linger and talk with Miguel. Finally she was so angry with me that she didn't want to be with me anymore.

My partner took my leash off and I was free! I ran and ran all over the den. I could go in circles and in and out. The dens within the big den are interconnected in very interesting ways. The soft floors have brand new softness on them - not the smelly dirty stuff that was there the last time. I peeked and sniffed at every nook and corner. I made sure that this den was completely safe and the right place for my partner, NuNu and me to live in. I decided it was and went back to my partner and jumped up on her and smiled and told her so! We are crossing paws and fingers that we are chosen to get this den, and will keep on keeping on. 

Kalifornia Kota

A New Den?

Wednesday - May 11, 2011

We were up almost all night. My partner was so fidgety that I had to keep calming her down.  She is all excited and nervous about a big den she is going to see this morning. It is the same one she went to see last March. She really loved it, but other humans were in line ahead of her and they got it.

Just last Sunday she found out it was back on the market again and made phone calls to get back on the list for it. Right now she is #5. I like this big den too. It has large rooms I can go all around in as they are interconnected. 

And it has a really big back yard that is fenced just for me! It is all grassy, so no more gravel for my paws. It looks small from the front, but it is really quite big.

So my partner is gonna brush me really well this morning so I look extra nice and shiny. Then we'll go down there and try to make another good impression on Miguel again. Maybe my partner will have moved up on the list? I hope so. She said my Auntie Jeanne has proclaimed "I have spoken" in regards to getting this den, and she is always right, so... we will keep on keeping on.

Kalifornia Kota

Happy Mother Doggie Day

Sunday - May 8, 2011

This is a special day! Everyone is celebrating the birth of their dams. My dam is far away in Clear Lake with Linda, my first Mom. So today I am with my partner and we are going to party with her Mom. 

I always get excited when Mom comes to visit! I hear her car coming from a block away and run to the window, telling my partner that she is about to arrive. I get all wiggly and whiny with excitement. My partner has to put me in my cave because I'm so big and may knock Mom down when she comes in the door. But after Mom puts her packages down, she comes to let me out and I try really, really hard to remember to sit in front of her. My butt is almost on the floor as I contain myself to receive her greetings and pets. Then I can relax and be a good, calm doggie.

My partner received some fun stuff from her on-line Vet friend AP/GI Joe about this day. She altered it a bit to fit me and sent it out to our GSD friends that know me. She wants me to include it here so it will never be lost, and I agreed to let her...

_______________________________________________
Dakota's Daily Diary
04:00 am - Oh Boy! Wake mom up! My favorite!
04:05 am - Oh Boy! Tug blankets off & tug Mom out of bed! My favorite!
04:15 am - Oh Boy! Raw meat breakfast! My favorite!
04:30 am - Oh Boy! I get brushed! My favorite!
05:00 am - Oh Boy! A walk! My favorite!
07:00 am - Oh Boy! A nap with my cat! My favorite!
09:00 am - Oh Boy! A training session! My favorite
10:15 am - Oh Boy! Remind Mom to take meds! My favorite!
10:30 am - Oh Boy! A nap with my cat! My favorite!
12:00 pm - Oh Boy! Play football in the Park! My favorite!
12:45 pm - Oh Boy! A car ride! My favorite!
13:00 pm - Oh Boy! Walking around a store! My favorite!
13:10 pm - Oh Boy! Make my sick partner well! My favorite!
14:00 pm - Oh Boy! Make my partner get off the computer! My favorite!
14:30 pm - Oh Boy! A walk with my cat! My favorite!
15:45 pm - Oh Boy! I get brushed! My favorite!
16:00 pm - Oh Boy! Raw meat dinner! My favorite!
17:00 pm - Oh Boy! Sneak onto sofa to watch TV! My favorite!
20:00 pm - Oh Boy! Remind Mom to take meds! My favorite!
20:15 pm - Oh Boy! Watch over Mom in bathtub! My favorite!
20:45 pm - Oh Boy! I get a relaxing massage! My favorite!
21:15 pm - Oh Boy! I join my cat on the sofa with Mom! My favorite!
23:00 pm - Oh Boy! I lay by my Mom till she sleeps! My favorite!
______________________________

And now I lay me down to sleep,
The California King is soft and deep...
I sleep right in the corner groove
My human Mom can hardly move!
I've trapped her legs, she's tucked in tight
And here is where I pass the night
No one disturbs or dares intrude
Till morning comes and "I WANT FOOD!"
I sneak up slowly to begin
My nibbles on my human's chin
She wakes up quickly
I have sharp teeth
Though not a puppy, don't you see?
For the morning's here
And it's time to play
I always seem to get my way
So thank you Lord for giving me
This human person that I see
The one who hugs and holds me tight
And shares her bed with me at night!

I hope you have a marvelous Mother Doggie Day and you keep on keeping on...

Kalifornia Kota

Want my Pawtograph?

Saturday - May 7, 2011

My partner says I am now famous and that people will want my pawtograph! When we go out in public, the paparazzi always finds us and takes my picture - whether they have permission or not. Now my partner says that things have happened that will make people want my pawtograph as well as my picture!

It all started many months ago, when my very first mom sent a picture of me to a lady that helps make a calendar to raise money for rescued GSDs. She thought I was pretty and wanted a Service Dog in that calendar. So she contacted my partner and asked her to submit some pictures. She sent in this group of photos. One was chosen by a group of Judges and we became the February pin-up girls!

My partner was browsing the German Shepherd Dog Club of America (GSDCA) web site. She sent them an email asking why there was nothing on the site about Service Dogs. They said because they knew nothing about them and would my partner submit some information. Well, my partner got all excited and carried away! She ended up pushing buttons on this magical machine for hours and created a really big typing about SDs. She had help from her friends Veronica, Dr Joan, and Linden. She said they were invaluable in getting this big typing done. The GSDCA people were so happy that they made a permanent tab on their site with the whole typing for all the world to see!

Then out of nowhere a lady named Susan Casey contacted my partner. Ms Casey is the Editor of the magazine The Review. It is all about GSDs and even has circulation outside the USA. Ms Casey wanted to include my partner's typing in the magazine, but would have to edit it to make it fit, and she was an expert at that!

A little while later my partner started receiving emails from people who had read the article in The Review! They were breeders of GSDs who wanted to donate puppies to needy Veterans - how wonderful is that!! 

And this is all because my partner loves me so much that she wanted to tell everyone all about me and what I do and how she learned to teach me how to do it properly. She made sure that everything pointed to the Psychiatric Service Dog Society so they would get lots of hits and credit for how they helped me and my partner. She wanted to bring awareness to the world about PSDs like me and how we help Veterans and how quality puppies are needed for Veterans.

My partner is very happy this has all come about! But she is also very scared and quite a bit sick about all the attention she is receiving. She doesn't do very well in the spotlight - she is very afraid of people and would rather avoid all of them. So she tries to point everyone to me. She says that I am famous now and she'll have to buy a pad of ink and have me give pawtographs to people we encounter - she thought that was a funny idea and it made her a little less sick. So while we concentrate on that, we urge all of you to keep on keeping on...

Kalifornia Kota

Shopping Trip

Friday - May 7, 2011

My partner was late in grooming me this morning. Afterwards she put her jeans on and I knew we were leaving the house. Next she picked up my vest and that's when I realized we were going shopping! I love going to stores - people admire me and make my partner happy. But a lot of the time people stare at us and interrupt what we're doing or run up and try to pet me and that makes my partner feel sick and I have to take her to a safe place and make her well again. 

The first place we went was PetSmart. It is a very smelly store. Other dogs pee all over and I want to sniff these marks and learn who was here and leave my mark to tell them I was here too. But my partner always tell me "Leave It" and I have to stop reading those marks. 

My partner got a lot of stuff for my cat, NuNu. I like him. We sleep together and share treats. And every time my partner comes here, she always gets lots of stuff for NuNu, but rarely gets anything for me! I used to get groomed here until my partner saw something that made her very mad and she never brought me back. NuNu would like this store. It has all kinds of food and treats and toys and kitty furniture. NuNu would have a lot of fun here! My partner took my vest off and told me I could "Pick a toy!" I wandered up and down the aisle a couple times looking and sniffing and even picked up a football. But I already had one of those at home. I couldn't find anything that I wanted, so my partner put my vest back on and we went to go get me a big box of fresh Milk Bones - yummy!

While my partner struggled to get the big box off the bottom shelf and onto the cart,  there were 2 elderly humans that were staring at me. They asked why I was wearing a vest. My partner said I was a Service Dog. They didn't know what a Service Dog was. They hadn't even ever heard of Seeing Eye or Guide Dogs for the Blind! My partner had to spend a long time educating them about the different types of Service Dogs and then what type of SD I am.

Then we went to Rite Aid because my partner needed some vitamins. I like this store because the employees always smile at me and say hello, but never interfere with us in any way. It is very relaxing in this store. The only interaction is asking if we need help locating anything. My partner whispered that she was gonna get a treat - I really perked up at word!! Well it turned out it was a box of ice cream for herself, not a bone for me...

Next we headed to Roseville to get food for me. It's a long drive that takes almost an hour. My partner was upset that the buttons that make the cold air blow thru the SUV wasn't working and it was a very hot day. She had my fan in the back seat blowing on me. She pulled over right away and took my vest off, so I just had my seat belt on. That felt better.

At Ben's where we get my good food, they had one of their Min Pins behind the counter. And as usual, it charged out, barking and snarling at me! I just stood my ground and stared at it while the young clerk grabbed it and tied it up. I looked and looked but could not find Miss Sally. She always pets me and helps my partner get my food. She talks to my partner and makes her happy which makes me happy! And when we're all done, I'm allowed to do a Paws Up on the counter and Miss Sally gives me a very tasty treat! I like her a lot - and not because she gives me a treat. Just because she is a good human. We were both very sad that Miss Sally was not there today...

We had left the house at 11am and didn't get home until 3pm. It was a very long day for both of us. I got rewarded with a Milk Bone as soon as we got into the house and NuNu got a treat too. We were both very tired. After dinner I got my usual nightly grooming. And as an Atta Girl I also got a nice relaxing massage. My partner kept telling me how good I was today. She went down a long list from the time we left the house until we got home, of all the things I did that were good, and right, and helpful, and professional, and stuff like that. I was half asleep and didn't understand a lot of the words she was saying anyway. I just know that I did my job and was never corrected except for a couple sniffs in PetSmart. I made sure my partner stayed upright and got to where she needed to go and made certain that she did not get sick. That is my job, and that is what I did. Enough said! So keep on keeping on...

Kalifornia Kota

 

Presents !!

Saturday - April 30, 2011

Boy are we lucky! Recently my partner and I received gifts from our friends. (I got the best gift!) My partner has been getting very sick about something called a "court hearing". I don't know why - she doesn't even have to go there. But she keeps getting very sick, and I keep working to stop that and to make her happy again. 

Maybe I'm not doing my job right, because some humans sent presents to her that made her very happy. Then I got distracted by the smells of the packages the presents came in. My partner let me play with them. They smelled so interesting! There were other doggie smells on them. I threw them in the air and carried them around. I tore them up into little pieces, until she had to take them away from me.

The first presents that came were a little metal circle that smelled like chocolate. I'm not allowed to eat chocolate, but my partner couldn't eat this chocolate either. Then she pulled out a brightly colored ball, that was for me. It wasn't just any ball. This was a soft, stuffed ball with a squeaker inside!! So it had all of my favorite things in one package. How did Veronica know that squeakers, stuffing, plushness and balls are my favorite things? I went nuts when I got it! I was so happy. I played and played with it. When I finally settled down to take out the stuffing and the squeaker, my partner took it away from me - how rude was that! But I found ways to get it back, as you shall see...

The next present came yesterday. They were soft things that my partner put on her feet. (She's always putting soft things on her feet. Her pads aren't very strong.) My partner called them "Magical Freedom socks". She said they were hand made and would keep her out of "Jail". Jail was the place she was taken to some months ago. And I went to Jail too, but we were in different Jails. It was very scary for both of us. These Freedom socks were specially made by a special friend called Linden, who kept thoughts of freedom in her mind while she made them so we don't have to go back to that scary Jail again.

These wonderful presents made my partner and I very, very happy. My partner was overwhelmed that Veronica & Linden thought enough of her & I to go out of their way, and to use their time & efforts & love to get & make these wonderful gifts just for us - to help take our minds off the scary Jail, and to keep us out of that Jail. She was touched, and I was happy to have a great toy to play with! 

If you'd like to see some silly pictures of me with Veronica's & Linden's presents, you can go here. Please don't laugh too hard - my partner is not a very good photographer with her shaky hands! Until next time, keep on keeping on...

Kalifornia Kota