Month: March 2020

Drake is a demon

Percy is a pain. He’s always been a pain. He’ll probably always be a pain. Percy’s obnoxiousness can sometimes distract us from the other trouble makers in the house. Drake is quickly taking over the rating of most terrible lately.

Drake and Haas are not nearly as voracious as Percy when it comes to food. They often don’t finish their meals and as Percy will consume everyone’s food, they have to be fed separately in their crates. If Drake and Haas do not finish their bowls, I hide them for later. It generally works out.  This is where the power play began.

As I was taking Drake’s food out of his crate, he sniffed the bowl so I offered him a bite for the road.  He grabbed a mouthful and, instead of going to eat in front the tv, he dropped the kibble in front of Percy’s crate and ate them one piece at a time while poor Percy watched. I figured this was a fluke and went on about my business.

In the meantime, when Drake decided he was ready to snuggle, he would climb up on the couch and sit on Percy until Percy left. Then, Percy would sit and stare mournfully while gnawing on his blanket.  I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure I heard Drake laugh.  This was my first indisputable sign that Drake might be a bully.

I knew he might need an intervention when it was time for the dog’s flea tablet. The medication delivery system is a part of a peanut butter sandwich. Haas ate his.  Percy ate his. Drake looked at it, looked at me, crossed his paws, and huffed. Fine. I opened his crate to tear it into pieces. Instead, he grabbed part of the sandwich, dropped it in front of Percy and ate it slowly.

Drake is such a punk. I’d like to say I’ll have him trained and in line by the end of this extended time at home, but I have a feeling it will be quite the battle of wills. Maybe he’ll have us trained!

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Mom. You are done grading. Pay attention to me and bring me candy.

We hope you are having the opportunity to spend time with family, even if it is virtual. Be safe!

Dogs, kids, and starting a long stretch at home.

It’s been a while since I have taken the time to write about the boys. We have had some changes in the house and between a few minor medical issues, life, and a strange calming of the boys. They were even quite calm for a while.

Here’s the quick update on all of the terrible four footed friends.

Haas — Still a giant goof.  Still tries to bring concrete and rocks in for snacks.  New to Haas is pretending to eat but not actually doing it.

Percy — Still on a “weight management” plan. Still tries to eat everything that fits in his mouth. New to Percy is the loss of his “spot” on the couch as he has been bullied by his brother.

Drake — Still pretty sure he is part shark as his fur has this really strange grooves that look like gills on his neck. Still has a terrible sweet tooth and tries to break into candy he really shouldn’t have. New to Drake is his claim on Mom. There are times when Drake refuses to let anyone, human or canine, sit next to Mom. Mom doesn’t always tolerate that, but sometimes it’s nice to have her own personal bouncer.

Fish front– all original fish are now swimming in the great toilet bowl of beyond (figuratively, of course, since one was buried in a matchbox). As I have acquired another citizen of Angstville (aka Teen Town), that child brought a new fish. I have forgotten his (the fish’s — not the kid’s) name. I want to say Marvin…

Meri — Cat is still a hag. She still hates me working on technology so, to gain peace from fuzzy animals who are thrilled Mom is home all of the time, I am sitting in a coffee shop, well away from other patrons. It’s a local business so I am trying to support them as much as possible and not have the back of my head bitten.

In our house, we are going to keep taking walks and working on leash and training skills. We’ll probably check in more often and we hope everyone is staying safe, calm, washing hands, and learning something new. Find something that makes you smile today. You’re worth it.