Ah... spring, funky weather and mud covered dogs!

Ok, the picture above pretty much says it all where the mud lovin' dog is concerned in our house.

Today is the first day of spring. The birds know it, although the weather can't make up it's mind. Yesterday afternoon it started raining, then came the thunder and lightning, soon it started to pour and hail, which then moved on to sleet and ended with 3 inches of snow by this morning.

While I will say the snow is pretty, I am not happy to see it back again. The collie, Corny, and the Peke, Biscuit, however were very happy to see it back. They love to play out in it, chase snowflakes and bounce in it. And Corny loves to make mud puddles and holes in the yard for these mud puddles. Darn it just when my yard had finally dried out and it was enjoyable outside for us humans.

Corny has a thing for any form of water, be it in liquid, or flake form. And he loves it even more if he can make mud and wear as much of it as possible. This leaves a lot of muddy footprints in the house, dried mud flaking off with fur all over, and very dirty towels requiring washing every day. Thank heavens for tile floors. And with that being said, I am getting to know my mop far more than I ever hoped to. I have to give my brother credit though, he usually tries his best to dry Corny off or wipe as much mud off as possible before letting him loose in the house. It's about like fighting a losing battle though. And Corny loves to be outside as much as possible, which is fine if it's a nice day and dry out there. He has also developed his dribble art to a new 3 dimensional form now. This means there are little peaks and valleys of firmly caked on mud all over my patio. And if you scolded him for the mud mess, and bring him in, he'll put his feet and muzzle in the sole water bowl and dribble it all over the floors in the house. And I hate to say it, I have no idea how to break him of this habit. Yesterday alone I cleaned out and refilled the water bowl no less than 4 times.

He is the sweetest dog you might ever like to encounter, but he has his bothersome habits like this. Good thing I also have slip covers on all the furniture and can wash the throw pillows, because he also thinks he's a little dog and should be on the sofa. Yesterday after one particularly close lightning strike and thunder I suddenly found myself sharing the little love seat with an 80 pound scaredy cat.  Silly thing..... Overall he's a great dog, and tries to please and loves to be the center of attention. I just wish I could figure out why he has this obsessive thing going with the water and the mud and dribbling it all over.

Anyone else ever have this type of thing with their border collie?

Some new observations on pets adapting to blindness....

So, as most of you know by now, this is Lil'Shit, my geriatric male chihuahua. And no I didn't give him his name, but he is appropriately named. And now we've nicknamed him "Super Dave". Meaning he is always falling off of things and gets up and goes on, perhaps a tad bit more addled than previously.

He is fully deaf now, and for some time blind, with cataracts. Although he could see shapes and shadows. This function is decreasing over time also. And it takes very bright light for him to distinguish things. And if he gets into a shadow, he seems lost. He also has developed this need to be on the edge of everything all the time. We are always trying to watch him if he's on the couch with us or in my brother's bed like the picture above. He seems drawn to teetering on the edge all the time! You pull him back to you, and he is like a magnet and goes right back to the edge. Sometimes we catch him in time before he goes teetering off, sometimes we don't. Sometimes he'll be sound asleep and simply slip right off the furniture and be very puzzled when he has his abrupt awakening. The song that keeps coming into my mind as I watch him always on the edge is Aerosmith's "Livin' on the Edge". He is absolutely never far from the edge of anything. And like Super Dave, he gets up, shakes his head and keeps on going.

However! The other evening I noticed something as I was working in the kitchen, I had to bend over to get to a lower drawer and this is how this came into my line of sight. I stood straight up and had to watch this! Poppy, the cranky one, was snuffling around the kitchen floor as usual when I am working in the kitchen (she's looking for dropped items to snag), and Lil'Shit was there with his shoulder to her back leg, and his nose sort of tucked into her flank. As she would move, he would with her, keeping touch with her, and if she stopped, he did. My Goodness! Exactly as if she was his seeing eye dog, so to speak! This went on till she made the circuit around to me, when he felt or sensed me, he transferred over to my ankle.

Well I mentioned it to my husband and brother at supper, and something clicked with my brother. He said well that would make sense with what he saw the other evening when he had put the dogs out after their supper. When he went to let the dogs in after they had done their business, Lil'Shit was out meandering around off of the patio. The others rushed in, and Poppy who usually was always the first one to rush in, didn't, she turned around and ran out to retrieve Lil'Shit, by nosing him till he noticed her then she brought him in.

It seems this has also happened before with Biscuit, the Peke, when the others came in, he stayed out with Lil'Shit, monitoring him till the both came in together.

This morning when I went to let them all in, in the rush of furry bodies, he got bumped away from the open door and couldn't figure out why the wall wasn't opening. Thumbelina (his daughter) darted back out to him to bring him in.

I have to say, this for me was not expected behavior for this crew. But it makes sense. Animals really do watch out for one another and they do care for their elderly. And he is just taking it all in stride. And he knows very well how to sound the most pitiful to get spoiled. It worked on my brother and his wife, how do you think he ended up on their bed with the lovely fleece throw wrapped around him?

So I guess I should note that just because a beloved animal companion, be they dog, cat, horse or bird, are losing one or more of their faculties; this is not cause for putting them to sleep because you think they are suffering. They really aren't suffering, they adapt much, much quicker than we do, we, as empathetic souls, are the ones suffering watching them lose their senses. So if we watch and wait, you will see some very beautiful and remarkable changes happen. Especially if you have other animals around them. They aren't suffering, they are learning to adapt to the new situations, and we just need to be understanding and supportive and not add more change to their lives right now.

Learning to live with the elderly, dog that is. :)

Ah yes, learning to live with an elderly dog. They are much like us as we age, things don't work as good as they used to, or there is loss of one or more functions, and they become needier and require a wealth of patience.

Well.... some days the patience part wears a bit thin. And while I know it's not his fault and I know intellectually he isn't thinking or doing as he once did, I still find myself a bit impatient with him and I have to try to catch myself and not let it out.

My little man, Lil'Shit is about 15 now, he's a chihuahua and has had some rough knocks in his life. And no, I didn't give him his name, but he felt and still feels he needs to live up to his name. He is a very loveable little guy, but very very hard headed, litterally and figuratively. In other words he is stubborn and single minded.

As he gets older, he is pretty much completely deaf now, and cataracts have robbed him of almost all of his vision. Although even the loss of vision hasn't fazed him, he actually has adapted to the house pretty well. And I know better than to move furniture right now so he'll always know where things are. His balance isn't that great and he doesn't eat with the gusto he once did. As he has been losing his sight, I know he can still see shapes and shadows, but only if there is enough light. He likes to be close to us at all times, and seems lost and disoriented if he can't find one of us. We all have to be careful when walking or turning around in the house because he is always right there and ends up underfoot. I notice too that he doesn't like to go outside to do his business hardly anymore. I think the backyard has become foreign to him now, and if  it's dark he won't leave the area that is lit by the porch light. So getting him outside to do his business is hard and one has to be on the watch to catch him and put him outside, otherwise there are little bombs left on the floor.

His balance is getting worse and he seems to carry most of his weight on his forequarters. And the part about being stubborn and single minded falls in here. He still thinks he can hop from couch to couch or couch to chair, or balance  on the edge of the couch before he jumps down. Of course we have to pick him up. We are constantly either just in time or helpless across the room as he slides off or simply loses balance and falls off the arm of the sofa or was sleeping too close to the edge and slides off. And you hear this "thump" as he hits the floor. And he has an obsession with the stairs. I cannot find a solution yet to keep him off of them. He mostly wants up there to look for us, and it's warmer up there.  Although if he is cautious he can get down by himself. Most times we carry him down and then he wants to go right back up.

There are times he will wander around the house and come to say the cross piece for the table chair and he can't seem to figure out how to go over it anymore or around it. And you will find him just standing there staring looking very lost. I am sure that dogs do get a form of senility.

As I learn from my boy, I also have a friend who's Golden is going through the same thing. She feels so bad for her pup, and thinks she is suffering. I keep reminding here how remarkably adaptable dogs are to all this and that she isn't suffering. She will learn to make her way around and always be close to my friend, whom has already fallen over her. It takes time, but they do adapt and we have to have the patience for them while they age and have these changes through the last years of their lives.

I enjoy most times loving on him when I get home. And have to laugh when he wants up then seems to want down, walks around the coffee table and wants right back up then over on the other sofa. While I myself might find it frustrating to lose my sight and hearing and not be confident moving around, I really don't think they have that frustration. They really do adapt well.

So.... Patience is my word (again) of the week.

Snow and fun lovin' dogs!

Well, I have been remiss in blogging lately. Things have been a tad bit hectic and I frankly haven't had much to blog about at the moment.

However..... Today it's snowing very big wet flakes in Santa Fe, NM. And the peke and collie are loving the snow.

Biscuit is having so much fun, he doesn't want to come in except when he wants all the snowballs attached to his fur to melt off then he wants right back outside.

Corny on the other hand wants to catch snowflakes for a profession!

Ah.... nothing like the lovely aroma of wet doggy in the house. Conversely, if you ask my 3 little dogs if they would go outside, you get this expression...

Yeah right, it's wet, and I don't do wet!

Ah well, we need the moisture here, but I am not sure it belongs in the house. LOL

Meeting new dogs and Ttouch attraction

Well, at present I am visiting Scottsdale, Arizona. While I am enjoying the weather, I am also getting to visit with people I either haven't seen in a long time or not very often. Saturday we spent the afternoon with my aunt and uncle here. They took us to lunch and around to some of the sights then we went to their house for a bit.

They have a dog here who actually is their son's dog but stays with them when they are in Arizona. Apparently she is protective of their home and strangers entering it. They found if they put her outside then people come in she is less agressive. However she isn't really a social dog, nor goes to strangers readily. Apparently she was a feral pup who was a rescue, so she is slow to trust or seek the attention of new people.

She was immediately attracted to my father and myself. She would go between us, and come to me for Ttouch. At first she wasn't sure about it but you could tell she liked it enough to stay and experience it more. After awhile she would come over and give a soft and gentle lick and ask for more. And she certainly felt comfortable enough to take a pull toy over to my father and ask to play with him. This certainly surprised my aunt and uncle. They said she never has done this or behaved like this before.

So I explained a bit about my Ttouch and how it has changed how animals view me, many  times I have had animals I have never met before come sit next to me, lean into me, seeking touch and the energy. Usually I end up with another good buddy before I go.

I can't claim to know how it works or how animals are attracted to it, but they are. And it is a form of communication and building trust on a much more energetic level than just voice or sight. It is really an amazing thing to experience. And it certainly has become second nature to me now.

If you want to better your understanding and communication with your pets, healing, or changing behavioral problems, it is well worth it to learn the method. www.ttouch.com

Updates on the tribe of furry creatures occupying my home....

So, since last week things have been quiet and interesting. My brother and sister in-law flew home last Thursday to finish clearing out the apartment and get finished moving down here. So, that being said it's just hubby and myself and all these lovely furry creatures occupying my household. Seems lately you can't go anywhere in the house or sit anywhere without there being an animal in the room or on the piece of furniture you choose to occupy. Which is ok by me.

Currently I am off work for 2 weeks, hooray! And as I sit in my media/office room upstairs, I at the moment have 4 out of the 8 critters in here with me. Yummy the cat, and 3 dogs. The dogs absolutely love being up here with me. And there are two of them that zip right over and claim a bean bag for themselves.

Ok back to the topic. For the first evening, my brother's two dogs were rather forlorn that he and Peg weren't coming back immediately. But they have adapted fast. They are getting used to my bunch's routines about bedtime and where bedtime is. Usually my bunch are sectioned off in an area with their crates (I have one who has never learned not to soil where she sleeps and I simply got tired of cleaning the thing out!), and usually the other two, Corny and Biscuit, have been kept in their room at nights. Well, they don't get to do that without my brother here. So, they've been learning to sleep with the rest of the pack. And actually there was very little complaint about it from Corny. Despite my brother noting that he would talk all night. Although the first couple of nights Corny was completely intimidated by Poppy, who is probably 1/10th his size. She thought the fancy big bed could be all hers. And I would come down in the mornings and find him trying to be curled up on a chihuahua sized bed. Well, that's changed now. He gets to his bed first now.

And now Biscuit has become my constant sidekick. He and I talk, and play and he gives me lots of kisses. Even my husband is becoming attached. And I see him more and more engage my littlest dog, Thumbelina, in play. And they play kissy face, and wash each other's ears. Corny has mellowed some, and is very good and patient and plays in the evenings with us. And they all play outside. Well except for Lil'Shit who is just simply confused in his old age and if he's with one of us, becomes very protective.

Yesterday I went by Target and got a ball thrower for Corny and took him to the dog park over by the Animal Shelter not far from us. He loves to ride, and he knew right off that the new toy was for him. As I didn't have anyone else going with me, I couldn't take Biscuit too. So according to my husband, he pouted the whole time. Well, when we pulled up to the dog park and Corny could see all the other dogs frolicking and romping, he got so excited and barked and bounced around in my van, making the whole thing rock. But he minded well. When we got inside we played ball for awhile, but the smells beckoned stronger. So we went for a walk around the perimeter. He met and made new friends, played a bit with some of the others, loved on every person he met. And found the water bowl out there to drink and do a little dribble art! For his first time there, he was wonderful and had a great time. Now to get him there a bit more often.

On the way home from the dog park, he sat in the very back seat, leaned back and looked regal. Like I was his chauffeur or  something! Biscuit turned himself inside out when he saw me, as did all the others. I have to say that this is one thing that we are really enjoying, is coming home to all these furry bodies happily greeting us when we come in the door. Even the cats are all for the most part doing very well. No fights, and Djinn and Biscuit are also developing quite a relationship. They greet and play a bit almost every day. Hubby and I noted last night, that my brother's fur kids have certainly changed the energy and demeanor of us all, and it's a happy place and our bunch is so much more outgoing and animated. We laughed that we just might have to keep them all here.

General Dog Behavior and Some Observations

 Now, before I get started, let me note that I am not a animal behavioral specialist, nor a "know it all" on animals. This post is just some of my observations having lived with animals in my life my entire life. I admit I learn as much as I can about alot of topics, and I learn alot about people and animals by watching them. Body language says a lot you know. 

That being said..... I got home from work yesterday to a lovely happy sounding, tail wagging bunch. It made the day so much better and helped me smile after the long day. Later my brother and I got to talking about how much happier he felt his dogs were here. He noted that they had their tails up more, and were wagging them more and overall seemed less stressed. He talked about his concern with the grandchildren that had been living with them in their previous state, and how of course kids being kids, a couple of them the boy especially was always poking at Biscuit's face or pulling and grabbing or trying to poke at his eyes. There was concern there as the dog in his fear had nipped the kid several times as the kid didn't learn to leave him alone. The poor little guy was getting very stressed out. 

I talked to him a bit about it and some observations about dogs being protective and such. We went on to talk about why most dogs might bite a child. Alot of times the poor dog is blamed, and what might seem like an unprovoked attack might have other reasons why a dog would "out of the blue" and "unprovoked" attack or bite a child. The truth of the matter is, we simply don't know if there were preceding circumstances, perhaps the dog had been tormented by neighborhood kids, and came to associate kids with fear, aggravation, or pain. Or the owners taught it to be mean and protect and attack anyone within it's territory. Or perhaps it's an older dog, and the kid unknowingly or knowingly hurt it in some manner and the dog felt cornered and needing to protect itself. 

Some dogs that are sadly deemed vicious by police may not really be that way at all. In Albuquerque, NM there have been several incidents where police felt they were being attacked by a "vicious" animal and shot and killed the dog. In actuality, perhaps the bigger picture needs to be considered here. A dog is very much a part of the family "pack" unit. And it knows it's job is to protect it's family, that is instinct. In ANY situation where the police will become involved, the emotions are heightened of the people involved. And the dog will react to those heightened emotions, and it becomes confused and upset. Now, enter the police. All the dog knows is that there is something terribly wrong, and strangers are invading it's territory and space and acting very authoritative and aggressive.  The dog reacts to this by barking and perhaps lunging to try to warn the strangers away and protect it's family unit first. Then if the officers don't heed the warning, it may attempt to bite them. Again the poor dog suffers a sad and terrible fate, just for trying to protect. I am sure perhaps the officers may have told the people to restrain the dog or control it, or put it up. But the people are too focused on each other to think of their loyal family member. And so, quite often the dog is shot, because they are in a hurry to end a volatile situation and don't call animal control to come control the animal in a humane manner. And of course when people are calling the police hurriedly to come end the situation, they don't ever think to tell the dispatcher there are dogs involved. Ah well, it's a hot button issue for me. And is very heartbreaking to read about. 

So my point was, that dogs that are so firmly bonded to the family unit can act irrationally based on how we act. And something I learned long ago that my folks taught me was to show respect for all animals, because any one of them can do me injury. And like people if you treat them with respect you gain respect and trust back from the animal or person. Perhaps that is why so many animals do get along with me. I immediately show respect to them in their territories, while my body language shows nothing but calm and compassion. It works, and I always try to talk to them in an upbeat manner, positive. They will always respond to it. Some dogs though who aren't used to this approach or who were only taught what their owners called respect by beating them into submissionor cowing them, will be afraid of you at first, but soon are curious and crave it and will come to you. When you treat your dog with respect, understanding and compassion, you have a much healthier and happier to comply companion. 

My brothers dogs show it in our house, they are more content, less stressed, and very happy to communicate back with us or play gently and lovingly. Biscuit and I have this little smoochie game going lately. He'll play and talk if I gently blow on his head somewhere, and rub his tummy. He talks like a little Ewok, and if he could say words he would. Then I'll start making kissy noises, softly, and even though he has his mouth open, he'll turn a cheek towards me for kissies. And I make the soft kissy sounds, and he talks like he's giggling when I do it. Then we start it all over again and do the other cheek. He just loves this, and where he was once very afraid to have his face touched, has learned to trust me to touch his face gently with love all over, I can clean his eyes and tickle his whiskers now. And he loves to give me kissies back. This is a big change and trust issue for him due to the kids that wanted to grab his face and poke at his eyes. 

And my little girl, Thumbelina loves to be held close and whispered to, give a little kiss on her cheek and she'll reciprocate. Licking and lightly chewing on your fingers is an acceptance behavior. And they do communicate emotions that way.  And with each dog, they have such a different personality, and how they choose to communicate with you is very different from the others. But when you have a content, and happy dog, they won't hesitate to protect you. And if emotions are heightened, they do become confused and worried and want to make you feel better, and they will protect you at all costs. 

Please, consider you pets and their wants and needs too, don't become so wrapped up in each other you forget the protector of the family. 

 

 

Yes Scientists, Animals can think for themselves

While everyone is oohing and aahing over the cute octopus using coconut shells for shelter and as a safe place, it brought to mind my junior year in high school and my anatomy and physiology instructor. I don't even remember his name, but I will always remember this statement, " Animals cannot think for themselves, they only know what you teach them." I remember thinking back then what a crock and I still think he's an idiot. Anyone who lives with animals knows better.

So then why for all of us who know better and learn from our pets, are we all surprised that animals can think for themselves? Or that they problem solve? There are stories all the time of our closest relatives, the primates, using tools for many different tasks, like sticks to check water depth, or stones to open food or process food differently. Sea Otters who have long used stones to open  shellfish (clams, oysters, etc) to enjoy the good stuff within. Racoons that wash or moisten their food to eat and can open any garbage can we care to invent to keep them out of it, and they manage to get it open within minutes.

Or as the video shows below a compiliation of animals using simple things and solving problems to get to their goal.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/2En6zyJPs3I" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

So, again I ask, why are we surprised or amused by this? Sometimes we need to look to the animals to learn to think outside the "box" to solve problems. They are the original creative thinkers, perhaps we need to think more simply, more creatively and not over think things. Because when you over think things they never really work as well as you perhaps envisioned in the first place.

I know my bunch are very creative thinkers, and they are great observers of human failings and inattentions. Take for instance, Yummy my big cat, he can figure out who is the most likely to not be as attentive at the doors when going in and out or letting the dogs out so he can escape. Lil'Shit was a very creative thinker in his younger days, and he still is I guess. He figured out like the dog in the video how to use the desk chair (which rolls), to get onto the desk by the kitchen counter and onto said counter to eat the left over burrito my husband kindly left for him. He also learned how to get onto windowsills and if there were blinds in the way, get through them (by chewing through them) to enable him to sit and watch for me to come home. Lately though, he doesn't get around too well in his age and sometimes seems very senile, but he's still smart, the little bugger. He now has a game that changes daily to work to avoid going back outside after feeding. I watch the intelligence that is very visible in my brother's collie's eyes. And I for one am a believer that talking to them through the expressions in your eyes and verbally enhances the intelligence and betters your communication with them.

I am sure that at least 50% of the scientists who study animal behavior are pet owners, and if they are, why aren't they learning what their pets teach them at home? I'm sure they'd say to them and us, "Think outside the box, use your creativity,  live simply, and use only what you need to to survive. And be happy with each day."

 

 

Dogs, Snow and Beanbags

Ok, so we've gotten hit with a pretty good snow storm last night and this morning. And we had a delay by 5am for work, so I tried to sleep in. I had to giggle quietly listening to my brother let all the dogs out and do the feeding routine this morning, knowing my 3 don't like the white, wet, cold stuff. I am sure they ran out did their business and sat at the door shivering while looking martyred. His two I am sure thought it was a blast. And when I did get up, it was obvious by the tracks in the back yard all over, that this was so. Usually as soon as the dogs finish eating they go back outside to do more business. He had a roadblock there. My three weren't at all excited about that idea!

I don't think they were outside longer than two minutes than he gave in to the martyred look and the heavy shivering from my three and let them in. Of course he thought he'd get his two to come in too. He had a hell of a time convincing them to come in and quit frolicking in the snow. His dogs aren't used to a whole lot of snow in Portland, so they think this is fun, then come in and jump right back into bed with my sister in-law. I was expecting shrieks for that idea, however, I was disappointed.





My little old man then came up to the top of the stairs at the kiddie gate and started whining to be in with us. Oh well, so much for sleeping in. So here I am, blogging a bit this morning, ending up with a day off (thankfully due to weather), and watching him sleep in one of the bean bags. I do believe he and his daughter, Thumbelina, think we bought those bean bags just for them. Or that they are the best invention since sliced bread.

He likes the pink one as it's a bit smaller and easier for him to nest in.

What do you think your pet does all day?

Today's bit comes about from an article on MSNBC.com about what cats do all day when you're not around. They apparently did a study with about 50 housecats and a collar with a video cam. The results for me anyway were somewhat expected, but I guess others thought otherwise.

I think most of us would like to think our loving little furballs either sleep the day away or watch from some window for us to come home to entertain them. Not quite..... They're busy little bodies, playing, watching kitty tv (watching life go by out the windows), tormenting or playing with the other pets in the household, getting into mischief, and only 6% of the time is actually spent sleeping. For cats anyways. Some are a tad destructive or fascinated with other household item to keep themselves entertained, like this kitty who found the water flushing in the toilet fascinating.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/WofFb_eOxxA" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

For our bundles of bouncy drooling joy, the dogs,  some of them for the most part are pretty mellow and lounge around or watch the world go by out the window. But there is the occasional dog who will be pissed off that you leave him alone all day or has separation anxiety.



They can get into mischief. Some even sing or howl or bark all day when you are gone. If yours is a singer (howler) your neighbors will be sure to let you know this as it can be rather disruptive. Usually it's the single dogs who do this. And sometimes having a companion they can bond with like another dog or even a cat will provide them the company and a playmate.

I know when Lil'Shit was younger if he was mad at us for some reason he was quite the acrobat and would get up on the darndest places and wreak havoc, so that I came home to a visual and tangible mess to document his displeasure. Usually it was the coffee table being cleared off, or if he found tissues, or paper towels or the like they would be shredded everywhere. We learned to pen him and the others up whenever we left the house just for sanity's sake and to preserve things. Now he'll howl and get all the others singing too usually as we are falling asleep just to let us know he's not happy with us.

But unless we're ready to install video surveillance while we're out I guess we don't really know what they're up to unless they leave us an aftermath display for us to draw conclusions from.

So.... do you really know what your pets do when you're not home or even asleep for that matter?

Updates on our fur family and doggie art

  This is Corny, actually waiting for someone to say that they'll play with him.

It's been a couple of weeks now with the new critters in the house. The dogs for the most part all get along great! Corny and Biscuit very much enjoy the backyard, and having them go in and out off an on during the day has helped most of my bunch go outside more.  Which is always a good thing with little dogs.

Saturday morning it snowed a little here, of course it hit the ground and melted right away, but it was snowing. Corny loved being outside and playing. I also got to see him do dribble art. My brother says he does this all the time and he's making art, I wasn't sure whether or not I believed him until I saw the dog doing it. I'll try to describe what he does. There were a couple of things on the back porch (concrete pad) that had collected water from the melted snow and rain. Corny would put his feet in the water or get water in his mouth and on his snout, then he would wander around the porch with his nose down watching intently as he dribbled onto the concrete in patterns. He was very intent and serious about this. Needless to say I was  a bit flabbergasted.  I have decided when it's a bit warmer and I have a vid camera ready I'll try to film him doing it and post it here.

My littlest dog, Thumbelina and the Peke, Biscuit have obviously gotten to be buddies now. Where he goes pretty much, she goes, and vice versa. And she'll even play with Biscuit and Corny. However, Biscuit has another obsession he's developed. Our neighbor has a beagle and a dacshund and a young grandkid. Their dogs bark at us if someone is in the yard, and our dogs bark at them. Well Biscuit loves to go over to the fence and watch and bark at the other doggies, he really is trying to meet them. So they have this very intense conversation through the fence, unless their dogs aren't out, then he'll wait at the fence for them to come out to "talk". Sometimes it's hard to get him back inside.

My buddy Lil'Shit prefers to stay warm and cuddle a lot with us.  He is getting less and less coordinated lately, and I worry about him. He is less comfortable outside, so I have to be sure to keep puppy wee wee pads down. Thank god for tile floors! He will always go on the pad though. Overall though, he's been a good boy.

Cats..... Well where Yummy is concerned, it has been a trial. He has become a tyrannical bully lately. He has Corny completely buffaloed, all he has to do is hiss at him, and the dog will give him a wide berth. He is also intent on bullying and fighting with my brother's cat, Chronic. At first water squirt bottles would help chase him off, not so much now, he gets a one track mind and there is no deterring him except to lock him out of the room for a bit. Then he gets all pissy and goes and takes his frustration out on Djinn. What a mess he is! I think the Feliway is preciptating the fights now. Because it seems that the only areas that Yummy will attack Chronic is in the areas the Feliway is. Believe I will go unplug it when I get home this evening.

Djinn has figured out the big furry beast isn't going to eat him and could care less that Djinn is anywhere. He still sneaks by Biscuit most of the time though. But overall he's doing just fine.

Of course this past weekend, the dogs were a mess about food and stuff during our meal time. Poppy had absolutely no manners whatsoever! She quickly figured out the new person was a sucker and perhaps we could steal food off the plate. Naughty girl...... My dogs never used to beg for food at the table or during our mealtimes, my mother changed that. For the brief time I lived at home in 99, my mother would give the dogs scraps at the table. It used to drive me nuts! The only one who doesn't beg or run around under the table is Lil'Shit. My brother and sister in-law think it's humorous at mealtimes because of the sound Poppy makes. She will methodically run around the table and under it sniffling for crumbs or dropped food. The funny part is when she is sniffing she sounds just like a grunting little piglet. And nothing deters her from this routine. And don't even think of trying to retrieve the dropped item, it would be like putting said hand into a piranha tank, you're liable to get mistaken for noms and get bitten. Sad thing is, I rarely if ever feed any table scraps, only once in a very great while would I give them anything, and even then it's never at the table, only after everyone has finished eating.

Oh life is never dull around our house, no siree.

The Tellington Ttouch, my experiences

Almost 2 years ago I literally fell into and became reacquainted with the Tellington Ttouch. I was researching another alternative medicine modality for my class and the page hit for Ttouch.com  kept coming up. I remembered when my brother back in the early 80's tried to get me interested in her technique which at that time, if I remember correctly,  was then just called the TTeam method and it primarily was for Horses. I guess at that time I wasn't interested or drawn to it. But this time, it felt as if I was meant to include it in my life.

So, for my research project and final paper I  learned about the Tellington Ttouch. I bought Linda Tellington's book The Tellington TTouch. From the moment I opened it to read it, I was sucked in. In the copy I have, there were very few illustrations to help me learn the technique. But I figured the basics out. And I would practice on the animals in the house. The dogs took to it very quickly, Mushy was also quick to become addicted, and Djinn took a little longer to accept it. Yum, eh, he didn't mind it, but it wasn't his cup of tea. So, I set out to learn more and found out that her headquarters were actually here in New Mexico. And as I poked around the website more, I found out that she was to be in town for a 3 hour seminar! I quickly bought 3 tickets to go.

I must admit I was very moved by Linda and the energy in the room. I got to visit with her briefly and she showed me the difference in the way I was holding my hand and fingers and helped show me the correct way to do the moves. Wow! I couldn't wait to get home and try it and perfect it on the pets.

Well, proof positive came to me that there are fundamental changes that occurred in my pets as I did more Ttouch with them and as it became an intuitive movement for me. As it became more intuitive it also opened the door for my reiki healing to flow so much easier than it ever had before. The cats who were shy, weren't anymore, or if they did not like to be held or loved on closely at all, changed so that they couldn't get close enough to me. Mushy was one of those. The dogs were much more settled around strangers than they had been. And animals that I had never met before, would be instinctively drawn to me and would lean into me to get closer.

As Mushy grew closer to me (I probably have blogged about this earlier) he reciprocated the love and healing back to me when I needed it through being very close to my chest and purring and altering his  frequency until it resonated within me for what needed healing. While Djinn is trying to fullfill Mushy's place and help when I need it, I really do feel Mushy's loss, he became my heart companion and I miss it.

I also learned to use it on myself and my husband. I found it to help him with digestive upsets and nausea, and help some with achey joints and inflammation.

Anyhow, now it has become an intuitive and integral part of me. And I have been using it to perhaps help all the animals in the house to help destress and calm down. It has had some interesting effects on one pup. The Peke, Biscuit, just simply loves it and blisses out. And now likes snuggling with me.  Corny the collie, likes it but prefers to stay focused on my brother. Their cat, Chronic, for some reason is terrified of me. This is very unusual for me, as I am primarily a cat person and have never ever had a cat be afraid of me. They have always been drawn to me. I cannot fathom why, unless for some reason my energy scares him. He'll come out, wander around but if he makes eye contact with me, he'll run or slink off. So other than when my brother first introduced me to him that first morning, I have not been able to have any contact with him. I am in hopes that he'll soon figure out that I'm not such a scary person.

This is Biscuit with his very blissful little expression while getting Ttouch.

Overall though, it has been a wonderful experience to learn the Ttouch, use it to help better another life. It certainly helps keep them healthier and more active as they age.  And it does help with fear and stress.

Guest Blog: Meet Cornelius (A.K.A. Corny / Corndog)

Meet Cornelius (A.K.A. Corny / Corndog)

Hi Corny tell us about yourself...

Corny: Well, I'm a Border Collie, Guess you could call me a tri-color Black and white with a bit of brown mixed in.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Corny:  Ummm  I sleep alot when im bored, I like to play ball... you got a ball I can play with? Food is good! hey look a ball... wait that's not a ball thats a duck... ooo it squeeks!  yay!!!  *SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK*!

Uh... Corny Tay appension....

Corny: uh ....ok. sorry.

So do you like to go for walks?

Corny: Oh yeah!  You got a leash? Lets go? Hey look a ball!  Oh wait... Walk cmon let's go...let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!

Hold on buddy...  just a few more questions? 

Corny:  Ummmm ok....

How do you feel about cat's?

Corny: Oh... They're ok...  I like Cats.  Although there was one cat Katelyn,  She used to pick on me alot.

Ummm You're a dog and a big one at that... how does a 15 pound cat pick on you?

Corny:  You dunno Katelyn... She was mean.  And claws hurt!

So you just moved here from Portland right? 

Corny: Where's here?  I just know im not where I used to be at home.  bunches of little doggies here...  They Bark alot.

Did it take a long time to get here to Santa Fe?

Corny: It...took...FOREVER.  It was so cramped in the car with me and mom and Christy and Biscuit and Chronic.   But I was a good dog.  I let them know when I needed to go potty and behaved myself and I got treats (I..just...love...Cheezburgers!) OH And when we were in this place called denver a big red truck went by and was singing real loud it made my ears hurt so I sang back and I guess it hurt Biscuits ears too because he was singing too AWROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo! You got a Cheezburger?

LOL no I don't but maybe later we can get one...

So how do you like it here

Corny:  Lot's of little doggies! and new Kitties...I like kitties.  Although they close me up now with the other doggies when they all go out and one of the little doggies took my bed and growls at me when I try to lay on it.  She's so mean...  But now theres a big yard I can go and explore...  I like to explore lots of new smells! Hey look a ball!  *NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM*

Hey Corny?

*NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM*

Corny?

*NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM*

Darnit...

Moving along....

Ok, I can happily say the doggies are getting into the routine bit quite well and are overall socializing well. Well being relative I guess where Poppy is concerned though. She is so grouchy or touchy if she thinks some other animal wants to usurp her spot. So she gets snarly.  With the new bigger doggie beds for Corny and Biscuit she believes that the biggest one is now hers. So poor Corny gives us the martyred look and sits on the mat.

The Feliway is working and seems to make Chronic more inquisitive than usual at night now. And my two are slowly figuring out the new "beasts" aren't going to swallow them whole.

Supper time for the furry kids, is becoming easier and less like a chaotic chinese fire drill. And Chronic who has been a carbovore most of his life is now appreciating that he doesn't have to survive on cereal and is enjoying the canned food a little more each day. Tonight he'll get a little intro of raw. The less waste I have to clean out of the litter box the happier I am!

Oh and Corny, the Border Collie, is feeling comfortable enough that he will now dribble water all over after noisily slurping at it. I realized this last evening when I stepped into the kitchen and thought at least 2 dogs had tinkled everywhere! My brother dashed into the kitchen and said, "Oh, no, that's Corny's water art! He is dribbling again!" I thought I still needed to get the mop out, but strongly controlled my small ocd by not instantaneously cleaning it up. Thank god for tile floors! And right now, I am actually glad I have less pets than I did have once upon a time. Talk about being stressful!

A few pics.....

Chronic the cat



A critter Christy pile in the morning:



The enclosure with all in while we go out for a bit:

Day 3 of our adventures.... :)

So it's day 3 now with all the critters in the house. Things are starting to get better.  HOORAY! Well except getting ALL of the doggies outside for the feeding routine, that's more like a chinese fire drill. I think it's easier to herd cats personally.

Got home last night from work all the dogs were outside and my brother was starting the supper routine for me. And my 2 kitties were sitting on the stairs with very confused expressions on their faces. They finally went in to eat when I went back there and called them. We got the doggies dishes all ready and set down. Now, his doggies didn't eat breakfast really and we withheld free food during the day so they would be hungry for supper and pick up the routine that much easier. Hey it worked! Once the initial confusion died down where Corny's and Biscuit's bowls were and who got what, there was much smacking of doggie lips and slurping to be heard. No one left a crumb anywhere. Polished dishes and they all went out fairly orderly after supper. YAY I  thought.

My brother had gotten the Feliway during the day and we plugged that in to settle the cats more. And so far that seems to be helping.

After we let the doggies back in, my two kitties had returned to the upper levels. We played a bit with Corny who is obssesive about toys and playing all the time, we finally got him to settle down. Djinn decided to brave coming downstairs, but lo and behold there was a very large black and white scary beast laying on the floor between the stairs that he was on and his mom, me. I thought perhaps he was trying to figure out how to get past the fur to get to the litter box. So my brother put Corny outside. Djinn quickly figured out the fur was outside and made a beeline for me for loving. That worked until we let the dog back in, then poof cat disappears or teleported. It was so fast I am not sure which.

Last night worked much better with the dog / cat situations. But last night Yummy and Chronic had another discussion, verbal, no fighting, just lots of talk. Then Yummy came back upstairs and slept with us. But my brother reported this morning that then Chronic, who is more nocturnal than my two, got very active and explored everything and played with anything he could in their room, disturbing their attempts to sleep.

This morning was an adventure unto itself. I let my pooches outside, fed the cats, and had planned to not bother my brother and his wife trying to get his dogs outside with mine. I figured he could feed them outside later if need be. I know, lazy of me right? Well my brother woke up, and brouught his dogs out to put them outside, of course my crew thought it was time to come back in and I hadn't even gotten to setting up the dog food bowls yet.  After much wrangling, and us pleading with the dogs, we got them all outside. Got their dishes set up, opened the door and let them in, and it was that damn chinese fire drill all over again! Everyone had to find their bowl and check each other's to see who got what and if we wanted to be a piglet and eat a bigger portion, well you get the picture. Got them sorted out with minimal fuss, they chowed down, checked each other's bowls looking for leftovers before we could get them back outside again. "Sigh" I can see this will still take a few more runs to get them down pat. But overall it was all good natured and worked out ok.

Good news this morning, my two kitties are doing much better about coming downstairs and while wary of the 2 new dogs, they are much better about them and are realizing they aren't going to be eaten or chased.

Hope supper this evening goes smoother, so we'll see.

Day Two.... :)

Ok, it's day two for the critters now co-habitating with 5 adults in the house. Yummy for all his bravado and bluster, I am finding is a chicken at heart. He seems somewhat intimidated by my brother's cat Chronic. And poor Chronic is just absolutely scared to death. He mostly is hiding under their bed, but does come out to use the litterbox and eat. Last night he and Yummy had a verbal but polite conversation over the food bowl I believe. Just some talk no fighting thank goodness.

Both Djinn and Yummy are absolutely terrified of the 2 new dogs. And they will only come downstairs if it's quiet and they feel safe enough to get to the food and litter area. Otherwise they just hide upstairs right now. But I did get them down while all the dogs were outside this morning to let them eat some. Then Yummy came down later on an exploration trip until Biscuit decided to get off the couch to make his acquaintance, which sent Yummy quickly heading back up the stairs with a very disappointed Peke following. He actually did only want to say howdy.

Biscuit, the Peke, he figured he needed to keep all other animals away from his human mom and dad all night. LOL.... So anytime the cats tried to sneak into the litter box he'd chuff and they'd split. I think the collie could care less, just so long as he's with his humans he's ok. And won't leave their sides all night.

We will be trying the Comfort Zone Feliway for the cats and the dog version for the stressed out dogs. My bunch of pups I don't think care one way or the other. Well, except Poppy, she still won't share her space with anyone and thinks all the extra food bowls now are for her enjoyment. LOL I am sure there are more adventures around the corner.

Family and pets moving in....

Ok, as of 5:30 this morning, our little home currently has 5 adults and 8 critters in it. My brother and sister in-law have moved in with us with their pets.

Either my bunch is old enough they don't care, or they were still in shock by the time I left for work this morning. As most of you know, I have 3 older chihuahuas and 2 cats left to my herd. My brother has a wonderful mellow, happy go lucky Border Collie, a Pekenese rescue, and a very plump black and white kitty.

I have had him visit with the collie before, and they all did fine. The cats weren't so sure though. And after having met his kitty, Chronic, this morning I think he may outweigh my Yummy. Wonder if the house can stand two kitties who think they're rhinos. LOL

This should be an adventure with the animals at least. By the time I left this morning, Djinn was absolutely acting like he was traumatized from the get go, and was hiding upstairs, Yummy and Chronic we just staring at each other over the food bowl, and the dogs were actually doing all ok together so far. Only Thumbelina had to bark at the new person who she hadn't met until today.  And at last report via my brother before lunchtime, my bunch and the peke were all ensconced on top of Christy his step daughter on the couch while she slumbered away. Of course I worry about Lil' Shit probably the most as he is rather territorial. So we'll see.

And Sir Yummy is the laird of the manor, so if Chronic is as laid back as my brother claims there won't be a problem. LOL

In the meantime, I think it  is going to be a bit hectic round the house. And if need be while they adjust I may try a aromatherapy essence for pets to keep them calm, it was recommended to me by a friend, I think it's called Feliway. They claim it's the ticket to reducing stress of introducing a new pet to the household.



Here is Djinn watching from the bookshelves.  Hmmmm, think I will have to get new pics soon. Maybe take my brother and his doggies over to the dog park to socialize.

Small Dog Mentality....

So, I went back to work today after two days off from a bad back. The dogs are always happy to have someone home with them all day. Understand, I have a small herd of Chihuahuas, 3 to be exact. Once upon a time it was 4. They are all a bit older and for the most part mellow. Lil'Shit being the eldest and most needy these days. With Thumbelina being the smallest and thinks she's the most independent and ferocious.

Things I have learned over the years living with little dogs (as Yummy the cat sits draped over my shoulder and encouraging me to write this).

1. They truly have no concept of their size. Their whole attitude says Rottweiler.

2. They are vengeful when things don't go their way. For example, you come home from work and turn around without sitting with them for at least 1/2 hour and go out again for supper. You come home to find that the coffee table is cleared off and what was once on it is now littering the floor, or.... you find a lovely pile of fresh poo behind the front door, or..... something is chewed up. And as you grumble and clean up they sit there looking like innocent angels blaming the cat.

3. Never, ever come between a small dog and their food or bone, it's a sure fire way to get bitten.

4. Never underestimate their loyalty and protectiveness to the person they choose as their person. Patting that person's knee or even kissing or touching that person is another way to get bitten.

5. They can love everyone when they choose to, unless you are the vet with a syringe or nail clippers. Then they become miniature tasmanian devils, all teeth!

6. The smaller they are, the cuter they are right? Don't let the size fool you, they're a devil in cute clothes.

7. They can be very needy when they choose to be, and are kind of like leeches, pick them up and you can't detach them from you again without some sort of surgery involved.

8. Only if they choose to will they allow themselves to be housebroken. If they choose not to be, there is absolutely nothing in the world you can do to change it.

9. You will never be more stubborn than they are. See #8, you can leave them outside all day in the hopes that they will figure out that outside is the place to go, and it won't work, they won't leave the door, and will hold it all day till you give in.

10. They are either very finicky eaters or eat everything except what is good for them. All but one of my dogs loves the raw diet. The other, if you put it in her bowl she won't touch it. But if you drop a piece of raw meat on the floor accidentally, she'll gobble it down like a piranha.

11. Speaking of piranhas, who needs a floor cleaner in the kitchen. You drop food, you either need to be very very very quick in getting it off the floor or be prepared to lose fingers. Doesn't matter what you dropped, even if it's a lemon or dill pickle, it's human food and it's theirs when it hits the floor.

12. Be prepared to have  bells on their collars or some other noisemaking device for when they start aging and losing sight or hearing. You need to know where they are, otherwise you are always falling over them.

13. Older little dogs and stairs. Be prepared to carry them up and down the stairs as their coordination and balance is not that great on their own and they tend to fall down the stairs without injury quite often. Or put up a child gate at the bottom of the stairs.

14. Oh, speaking of child gates..... don't get the ones with the diamond plastic mesh in them, they are too easily chewed through by a tiny determined dog that feels they should not be locked out of any room in the house.

15. Strange chewing habits..... Let's see, I had one who felt she must audition for Frederick's of Hollywood and create all these custom crotchless panties and pants if she could get to them. Her daughter has a thing for chewing through small plugged in electrical cords, like those for cell phone charging. Another loves anything of paper, tissue, napkin, or paper towels if he can get to them.

16. And be prepared for other OCD issues as they get older. Lil'Shit has a think about licking everything, fabric, ankles, toes, shoe insides, you name it. It's rather unnerving when he goes up to a guest and begins licking their ankles. LOL Hmmmm, Poppy on the other hand, if she feels you are even remotely close to where she has staked her claim, even if she is sound asleep, she will bark sharply and growl and snap. Usually no one is remotely close.

17. If they wish to be trained they will be and it'll be a breeze, usually they don't wish to, and will tolerate only the absolute things they must tolerate, like leashes.

18.  And either they are very social and love everyone, or they are scared of everyone new and have to bark constantly, or just only like their owners.

A few observations on the laws of pet ownership...

I thought perhaps I would do something on the laws of physics and how they apply to my pets anyway.

We've all heard "An object at rest tends to stay at rest", well that doesn't quite apply to pets now does it?



Here's my take on things:

1. A cat in full sleep mode attains a semi-liquid condition and cannot be picked up easily.

2. Waking a dog suddenly from full sleep mode tends to get the offender bitten.

3. If your book, magazine, paper, etc is open either on a lap or flat surface, this is an absolute invitation to your cat to occupy said space for maximum attention.

4. If you have more than 2 pets in a house, expect to find fur in your food and drink.

5. When you are in a hurry to be dressed to leave for something important will be the time the cat hacks up a furball into your shoes, or the dog to develop diarrhea on the carpet.

6. Forget being able to wear all black again, it doesn't matter the type of fabric, it is an absolute magnet for all possible light colored fur in the home.

7. Cat's tails will always find a way to be where you are just setting your foot down when you are never ever fully awake. You will be soon though!

8. Cats really do expand to fill a space! A kingsize bed is a necessity for the pets not a luxury.

9. Pets will seek out the warmest locations in cold weather, this means under the covers snuggled up to you until you try to roll over then you get the switchblade effect.

10. Trying to be considerate of your sleeping spouse and quietly creeping in to bed is a sure way to get bitten by the dog who thinks you're the bogeyman after his mamma.

11. Your having a tummyache is a sure invitation to the heaviest cat in the house  to come make you feel better by standing with all his weight on two feet or actively kneading your tummy.

12. Intimacy is an invitation for the pets to give you the "Oh Yuck" digusted look and stare at you.

13.  If you are looking for something important, and in a hurry, this is probably the signal that it's been chewed up by one of the dogs or been drug off an hidden by a cat as a toy for later.

14. Don't leave sparkly items out, like jewelry, the result is the same at #13.

15. Sneaking downstairs for a midnight snack is a sure signal that the dogs are to bark at you instead of barking at the person sneaking through your backyard.

16. You glass with ice water in it is much tastier when the paw is dipped in and licked off. This ensures that it is no longer the Hooman's water.

17. Never wear too much cologne, you will surely be watered down (peed on) by the dog before you can leave for your date, thereby ensuring you change clothes at least once to reduce the aromas.

18. Going to bed too early because you're exhausted is a mistake, it will ensure that the dogs feel you didn't spend enough time with them and they will howl and sing for the next 10 to 20 minutes.

19. Trying to be considerate of others still sleeping and not turning on lights ensures you will trip over a cat, especially if it's anywhere near the stairs.

20. If it's lit up and sparkly it must be the Christmas Tree and therefore requires climbing and playing with all the sparklies!

21. If the plate has food that has melted cheese or roasted meat on it, if you get up from the table to get something it will certainly be gone before you get back.



22. If it's a bag, or box and it's empty, it's now the cat's playhouse and ankles and toes are fair game.

23. No matter how frustrating they can be at times, they still give you unconditional love.

I am sure I have missed some in here some where, but these are what I can remember or come up with, have anything to add?

Life or rather work is better with pets?

Ok, so after the serious subjects lately I figure it's time for a bit of humor. Meet Yummy, my extrovert, and my brother's newest PR assistant.



My brother is currently visiting with us to help my father with things and while he is here, he is telecommuting for his work. He provides technical support and troubleshooting for a communications archive company. So while he is working during the day, it is from my home. While it's nice for us to think about bouncing out of bed and going straight to work in your jammies, having your sister's pets around can make those customer support calls interesting. Or retriving information on your computer while talking to a customer.

Well, I think Yum had decided that my brother needs a little PR help now and then. Yesterday apparently my brother had a an unhappy customer on the line he was patiently trying to help. The customer asks him where he's located and he tells the customer that he's based out of Portland, Oregon.  Little bit further into the call, and the customer is still grumpy when Yummy comes into the room, puts his front paws on my brother's knees and meows at him in a plaintive voice, obviously looking for love and affection.  The client hears this siamese meow and asks my brother, "What the heck was that? A Cat?"  My brother replied "Yep, it's my sisters cat.  I'm working remotely and he seems to think anytime is a fine time for him getting loved on."  To which the customer responds "Don't I know it. My Cat thinks the middle of a trading rush is a prime time to sit down in front of my computer screens."  They ended up laughing about it, and the situation was taken care of with the customer in a much better mood.

Hmmmmm, Now if only Yum would do that on cue! Animals are so good at relieving stress. And sometimes I think my brother thinks he's there to create it. He has also without warning jumped up, and either walked across the keyboard or in front of his monitors at inopportune times, usually at least once a day. Personally I think it's comic relief, reminding you to take time out and not get so wound up over things.  But then Yummy does it to me too, if he is adamant about wanting attention, he'll get up on the desk and then into your lap and stretch his bulk over your tummy and chest and then give you the sweetest, most polite, kiss on the tip of your nose, give you the baby blues, and demand attention. I am sure he's tried this trick on my brother too.

Maybe we need more like him working in public relations jobs!