Flourless Peanut Butter Mug Cake (for Elka)

Not only had I quicked Elka's nail while trimming it Sunday night, but when Monday morning rolled around, and we took the sock off, she was bleeding again. Or still. I think again; it looked like A LOT, but I think being freaked out about it probably multiplied the volume. Me being freaked, that is. Elka minded it, but wasn't a wreck. I just didn't anticipate it to still be a problem; I knew that Elka didn't have Von Willebrand's Disease (will post about this on Thursday. This week is just coming together, isn't it?), so I didn't think it was life threatening. But still bleeding was a total problem in my eyes.

So I called out of work. And took her to the vet, hoping they would be able to get her in without an appointment. Last time we had to have an emergency vet trip was the year before I started the blog. She'd broken her toe by getting it caught in the leash while pouncing on a tennis ball in the back yard, and the vet sedated her to x-ray her to be sure of which toe was broken. In all honesty, I should've said no, because it seemed pretty obvious which toe, and that it was only one. But what it came down to was she peed the bed, with my fiance in it, while sleeping off the sedation. So, not knowing what the vet trip would hold, I called out, so that I could supervise her and keep her from worrying at it through the day, in the belief (hope) that things would be better Tuesday.

Of course, I still felt horribly guilty. She yelped when I pressed a paper towel to it, which she hadn't on the night of the Incident. So I sprinkled some cheese on her food after we came back (armed with cauterizing powder and gauze). I kept a baggie of treats on the coffee table and gave them to her for doing things like moving out of my spot on the couch. And oh yeah, making her a Flourless Peanut Butter Mug Cake, from the Kirbie's Cravings recipe.

Adventures in Nail Trimming

So, I finally did it.

I guess it was a matter of time.

Three years later, and I cut one of Elka's nails too short while trimming. Colloquially referred to as having "quicked" my dog. Let me tell you, it isn't a fun time.

She made a tiny little whine noise and pulled her foot away. She'd already been doing some foot pulling, which is frustrating when you're wielding little bladed things and trying to avoid the very thing that I realized I'd done.

Custom Caricature of Your Dog: Doberman Assistance Network auction

The Doberman Assistance Network has an eBay auction right now for a Custom Caricature of your pet!

The work that they have as examples looks pretty rad!

As always, the proceeds from the auction go to help Dobermans in need across the country. The Doberman Assistance Network works to pull Dobermans out of kill shelters, transport them to foster homes, and much more. Without them, so many Dobermans would be in jeopardy, languishing in shelters, and wondering if they'll ever have a person to love them.

So, if you have some cash to spare, head on over to eBay and give it a bid! Please share this, tweet it, tell your friends who are just as dog (and pet!) crazy as some of the rest of us. The Dobermans thank you.

Conklin Dobermans Now Available for Adoption

On July 5, I posted about 13 Dobermans being removed from a home. The "owner" signed them immediately over to the Broome County Humane Society, which is good. She's also apparently lodged a Not Guilty  plea in court, which is sad and laughable, but I guess that's the way it goes. At least the dogs are safe.....or at least most of them. My understanding is that one of them did not survive.

However, the healthiest of them have apparently been deemed good to go for adoption! They are listed on the Broome County Humane Society web page. When you click "Adoptions", you'll see "All Available Animals", including, when you scroll down, some of the Dobermans. They only have 8 listed as of the moment I'm writing this, and only 3 have pictures, but the sooner these dogs can get into experienced Doberman homes, the sooner they can get on with happy lives, cared for by people who love them. And will, one would think, do things like feed them.

I would be happier with their listings if they had more information about the actual dogs, but my understanding is that the Humane Society is more or less at capacity, and they do what they can. It would be good to know if any sort of temperament testing has been tried, however. The only concrete info they've listed is ages of the dogs, and that they are spayed or neutered. There has been a bit of contention because the Broome County Humane Society did not release these dogs to Doberman rescue, but it's my understanding that they did have some level of communication with the Doberman Assistance Network and the Doberman Pinscher Club of America. I do hope these things are true, and not rumor.

Bella

Dusty

Houston

Signs and Symbols

I've been thinking a lot about how we communicate with Elka, and how she communicates with us. Some of it is from working on the dog training book, some of it is just from those thoughts that surface when you interact with a dog as much as I do.

Dogs work off of body language, and scents, and sounds. Humans work off of body language, sounds, and words, both spoken and written. In fact, we humans take it a step further (if not more) and have symbols that aren't words, but still expected to mean things. Obviously, these things don't mean much, if anything, to dogs. But sometimes they catch their attention.

Last June, I wrote a post called The Things You Notice, where I talked about a red riding hood statue that was in a yard Elka and I frequently passed (now no longer there, sadly). Due to construction, we have a slightly different walk route lately, and today Elka noticed a Buddha statue in somebody's yard.

Product Review: Kong Squeezz

Ever since our recent Gummy Bear success, Elka has been a lot more interested in squeaky toys. She no longer seems to think that she's hurting the toys when they squeak, and will actually play by herself with one. This is nothing short of miraculous, I assure you. Elka is a sharer, of the highest caliber.

So, when I received an email asking if we'd like to review the Kong Squeezz with rope toys, I said "Yes please!" We love new toys at Casa Elka, and I love Kong toys pretty much as a rule. They're durable, they don't smell funny, and Elka tends to react well to them.

Wordless Wednesday July 25 2012