Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts

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

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