Beach Dog, Baby Teeth, and Bad Breath

Today, we met some friends at DP Beach for a barbecue lunch. The weather was overcast and windy, but we managed to survive the elements. Cabana had a lot of fun, running in the surf, chasing seaweed slivers, and drinking ocean water.

She looks pretty dirty here--but it's amazing how easily labradors clean up. A few wipes with a towel, and she's back to her spiffy self.

On another subject, Cabana's breath has been stinking to high heaven. When she opens her mouth in the back seat of the car, I can smell her breath from the front seat. It's a very metallic, rancid smell, probably due to the fact that she's losing so many teeth. Every few days, one pops out onto the ground. This morning, I went to get Cabana out of her crate, and there was a tooth sitting on the ground in front of it. She must have spat it out through the crate door. I hope her baby teeth will come out quickly so her mouth won't smell so bad anymore. It's highly unpleasant--I wonder if she notices it herself? Probably not.

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By George, I Think She's Got It!!

I was just about to give up hope on Cabana getting over her fear of refrigeration at grocery stores, when voila, today she was so much better! I was even able to push a cart while shopping with her, the first time I've attempted this courageous feat.

Cabana has also gotten better about not jumping while being petted. I was able to let a couple small boys pet her today at the store, and she sat very nicely for them. It always astounds me how much we all enjoy petting a cute animal. It's never enough just to look at a puppy--we all have the desire to touch, too.

One thing that Cabana has been great at for some time now is sitting nicely while we wait in line at stores. She melts quite a few hearts (mine included) when she behaves so well.

This morning, I took Cabana for a walk at C. Canyon regional park, which is something I've been meaning to do. Unfortunately, it wasn't really the best day for me to do this, considering that it has been raining all week and even last night. The hiking trails were definitely SQUISHY with mud. We both got pretty darn dirty. Blecch. I think I should start keeping a towel in the car, for just-in-case times like today.

But despite the muddy conditions, the park was gorgeous. The morning clouds were clearing, and everything was so green and lush. We're so fortunate to live is such a beautiful area. Here's a couple pics of the area surrounding our hike.

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Challenges That Must Be Met

I went to the grocery store today for a "real" shopping trip, and unfortunately, Cabana still had issues with the refrigerated sections. It's quite embarrassing really, trying to coax this puppy to come along and get out of the middle of the aisle. We definitely attract our share of attention, which isn't what we want. Of course, everyone is very nice about it, but I just feel a bit silly.

Here's Cabana on a pier at SB Lake, one of my favorite walking routes.

The weather has gotten very nice for the past few days, which is a mixed blessing. Nice weather is great, but when it's rainy or cold, there are much fewer distractions (other people, other dogs, off-leash dogs). This morning, people came to SB Lake in droves. Cabana gets a bit ornery when I don't let her play with passing dogs, especially if they show any sign of wanting to play with her.

Oh boy, I have my doubts about this pretty little puppy, whether she'll be one of the 66% who make it as a working Guide Dog. If she does, I know her new owner will love her so much--she's such a smart and sweet dog. But everyone in my puppy raising group says that Cabana is the toughest of the bunch. Coupled with the fact that we are first timers who don't quite know what we're doing yet, the stats aren't favorable. All we can do is our best, and I'm definitely trying.

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Refrigerator Fear

I hadn't previously taken any pics of Cabana in her dapper green jacket, so here are a couple. She looks so cute with her tongue out!


In the one below, she looks like she's trying to be a swimsuit model or something. Does that seem weird to say? I guess it's the way she has her body kind of twisted with her head held high--she looks so posed....Okay, I guess it does seem weird to say.


In the past week or so, I have become aware of Cabana's fear of the refrigerated sections in grocery stores. I think it's always been there, but I hadn't put two and two together to see the correlation between her sometimes hesitant/obstinate behavior in grocery stores and the fact that we were passing or approaching a cheese stand or deli counter.

It doesn't happen when we're going through a cold section with doors (like ice cream), but it definitely happens in the dairy section. I don't know if it's the sound of the fan/motor, or the cold air that's sinking down to her level, or that maybe the floor is cold there?

Last week, I needed two things at the grocery store, one of which was sour cream. Cabana would NOT allow us to get to that part of the store. I tried it from one angle and then another--but whenever we got close, she would hunker down and refuse to budge. I tried cajoling, pulling, giving treats. I finally had to ask another customer in the store to bring the sour cream to me!

Since then, I have gone back to the store when I wasn't in shopping mode. No purse, no hurries, no timeline. I tried carrying Cabana around the refrigerated sections, hoping she'd see there wasn't anything to be afraid of. I gave her treats to get her to come closer--but she was still fearful.

Then my puppy group leader and her GD puppy, Accord, met us at a grocery store so they could help Cabana overcome her anxiety. Nothing pleases Cabana more than to be around other dogs, and she would have followed Accord to the ends of the earth. She followed Accord through the refrigerated sections with no problem.

But today, I went back to my usual grocery store with Cabana, and the fearful body language came back. However, after 3-4 times of working back through the trigger spots, Cabana seemed to be much better. We'll see how it goes the next time we go back there.

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Extroverted Introvert

It has been raining for days and days, almost nonstop. But the rain makes everything lush and green. Here's some mustard, beginning to bloom in a field we pass on our walks. (This photo has nothing to do with the rest of my post, but it's always nice to have something to look at.)

I believe myself to be an extroverted introvert. I'm introverted by nature, but I have taught myself to function as an extrovert because it seems to be more socially acceptable. Still, if given the choice of going to a fancy cocktail party or staying home with my family, I would pick staying home every time.

But when I'm out walking or running, this learned extroverted behavior causes me to smile and greet people who are coming in my direction. I'm not interested in having a conversation, but I like to be moderately friendly and usually say hello or good morning.

However, now that I have Cabana, who is an extrovert to the extreme, I have realized that even these small gestures of extroversion on my part can't be continued (at least for right now). I have had to learn to use my body language and energy to convey to both Cabana and to passersby that we aren't interested in any interaction. A real "don't bother me" attitude. I keep my eyes averted from them, move as far over to my side of the path as possible, and hold Cabana's leash close to body. I feel super unfriendly when I'm doing this, but it makes a HUGE difference in how Cabana behaves toward other people. I don't know if my body language is picked up by Cabana directly, or if my body language affects other people's behavior, which in turn affects Cabana...probably it's some of both.

Before I figured this out, although it seems simple and obvious enough to me now, I would smile and say hello to passersby, and they would do the same. And Cabana would be pulling on her leash, lunging toward them (yes, even with her headcollar on), saying with every part of her being, "Hey, look at me! I'm a cute puppy. Please pet me and let me jump on you and nibble your fingers! I like you and I know you'll like me!"

With my newly adopted mode of behavior, Cabana is much calmer when a person is approaching. She still tends to perk her head up and quicken her pace even when the person is at quite a distance--but it is much more controllable and shorter in duration.

This is all very important because if there's one thing that might lead to Cabana's downfall as a Guide Dog, it's her tendency to be distracted by people and dogs. She can't be stopping to meet everybody when she's working as a Guide Dog--or her blind companion will never get anywhere on time! She needs to be able to focus on doing what her owner wants and needs, and she will never learn that if I don't teach her to ignore other people.

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Doggie Water Fountains Are Nice

We tackled the second Rainier loop today--yippee! A couple blocks from home, we pass through a park, where there are tennis courts, playground equipment, and best of all, a doggie water fountain.


The person who designed these water fountains was a genius. There's a tall one for adults, a shorter one from small kids, and one low to the ground for dogs. Cabana loves to drink out of this water fountain. She'll drink for as along as I'll let her.

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Creature of Comfort

Happiness is a warm puppy--and this puppy LOVES to be warm. As mentioned earlier, Cabana likes to get RIGHT in front of the space heater. And at night, when I watch TV, Cabana likes to cuddle up with me under this fleece blanket. My husband says she's a spoiled dog, but I can't agree. What's so spoiling about a warm blanket?

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Good Things Are Happening

So, Cabana and Angie aren't best friends yet--but we're getting there. Angie has gotten much more used to Cabana. Here, she has let Cabana get quite close. Sometimes, Angie still takes a swipe at Cabana, but Cabana is pretty much undaunted. Cabana is in absolute awe of Angie and spends quite a bit of time watching her from whatever distance.

Today, I was able to walk Cabana around the first Rainier loop. Yeah! It's probably a bit over 2 miles. I used to run the second Rainier loop several times a week, but because Cabana isn't allowed to run for several more months yet, I sometimes walk her and then go for a run myself. Now, though, since we're able to walk a bit further, our walk has just replaced my run. But since I'm walking every day, rather than just 3-4 times a week, I figure I come out about even with what I was doing before.

At just over 4 months, Cabana's desire to chew every piece of tan bark has diminished greatly. I'm so pleased! It's interesting to note that although Cabana wasn't picky about what she put in her mouth (bark, sticks, leaves, paper, rubber bands, berries, rocks), she has NEVER attempted to pick up a cigarette butt. We pass quite a few of them, too, disgustingly enough--but she passes them by completely.

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Pet Peeve

Our county has a strict leash law, which states that all dogs must be on-leash and under control at all times (except in fenced dog parks or your own fenced yard). The owner is also required to clean up after their dog.

However, it SHOCKS and annoys me how many dog owners let their dogs run around off-leash. Sure, their dog may be well-behaved and voice-trained. But the leash law doesn't stipulate that well-behaved dogs are allowed off-leash and only ill-mannered ones have to be leashed.

On the walking path near my house, I see at least 2-3 dogs being "walked" off-leash every single day. How can the owner clean up after their dog if he's just defecated way over on the other side of the field? And what if I don't want their dog coming over and sniffing out my dog? By having their dog off-leash, I am subjected to their lack of control, and my rights are being encroached.

As a dog owner myself, I can understand the desire to let your dog run free. But I also understand that not everyone loves my dog, something that most dog owners don't seem to get. Just because YOU love your dog and don't mind it jumping on you or sniffing you or even coming up to you in a well-mannered fashion, doesn't mean that everyone else is okay with it.

My sister is deathly afraid of animals, and I always think about her when I see dogs off-leash. She would not be able to go for a leisurely walk through our neighborhood because she would be constantly accosted by dogs off-leash. Her fear is not a rational one, so it doesn't matter if the owner says, "My dog is friendly." She just doesn't want to be anywhere near a dog. Because these dog owners are not abiding the leash law, my sister and others like her can't even take a stroll through their neighborhoods. What a travesty.

But what a creep I would seem to be if I told all these dog owners that I pass, "Can you please leash your dog?" I can't even imagine it. So what is the answer? Should policemen patrol the neighborhood to hand out fines to all my neighbors? I don't have any good ideas, except to blog about it here.

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Naughty or Nice

This Saturday morning was foggy and a bit chilly, but it was one of those days where you can tell it's going to be gorgeous and warm later on. Because it was early and foggy, meaning that not many other people would be out with their dogs (majorly distracting to Cabana), I decided to try walking her without her head collar. It turned out to be a good idea because she did very well. With her head collar, she tends to sit down a lot, but when she's not wearing it, although she does pull a bit more, she's more willing to keep moving.

I snapped a couple photos of Cabana on our walk today. My camera is big, so I don't like to take it along, even though I often wish I had it with me.


Yesterday, we walked with the head collar on, and midway in our walk, Cabana got tired of being good. (Don't we all!) She started jumping and biting her leash, running in circles around me. All very naughty behaviors, which she knows she isn't supposed to do. It's her way of saying, "I'm gonna do what I want, and you can't stop me!" (She used to do this a lot more, but it had been quite a while since she had done this.) I grabbed her collar and scruff firmly and said, "That's enough!" (This is the GDB preferred way of saying "no".) Well, Cabana stopped and calmed down, but then, as I took a couple steps to start walking again, she came up behind me and BIT me on the TUSHIE!!! Not hard, but I definitely felt it. I was SHOCKED at her very deliberate gesture of disobedience. Of course, I gave her a firm correction, and we proceeded on our walk. Later, when I recounted the story to my husband, he asked if Cabana was repentant after that. I said she behaved herself, but she didn't seem all that "hangdog" about what she'd done.

One out of three dogs don't make it through the program to become a Guide Dog. Even the smallest undesirable behavior can cause the dog to be "career changed." I think tushie biting might possibly put the dog in the "career change" category--so it's definitely something we need to "nip in the bud" (ha ha).

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Park & Play

Today, I finally got my wish to take Cabana walking at one of our many regional county parks. We went to one across town, up hills and hiking trails. It was a GORGEOUS morning, and we both enjoyed the hike immensely. I wondered how Cabana would do on a trail as opposed to pavement, but she didn't pull or meander too much. I let her sniff the occasional horse poo, and that seemed to be enough for her olfactories.

When I got out of the car after the hike, though, I was alarmed to find TWO ticks on the back of my seat! I gave Cabana her flea/tick medicine on Sunday, so she's safe--but what about me! Blecch, now I'll have the willies all day.

Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera with me for a scenic photo op. So I'll post a photo of the girls playing in the snow with Cabana from the weekend.

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Snow Dog

We spent the weekend at Lake Tahoe, and Cabana had a blast. In fact, I think watching Cabana enjoy herself made the trip even more fun for everyone else.

On the first day we arrived at the cabin (not really a cabin--it was a very nice 5-bedroom house), there was snow on the ground with a few bare patches. We tried to get Cabana to "do her business" on the bare patches--but there were just too many distracting sticks and pinecones. Cabana likes to eat any debris on the ground, so she was too busy snatching them up and chomping them into mush to do any pooing or peeing. She wouldn't relieve herself on the snow either, which was also distracting to her. Finally, we wised up and got her to go at the top of the driveway where there was nothing for her to put in her mouth. Beyond that challenge, it was smooth sailing.

I brought a flexi leash, so Cabana could tramp around in the snow to her heart's delight, while we could stay on dry ground. She loved walking on the snow, digging in it, and eating it. In fact, one day, she ate so much snow that she threw up her lunch--poor thing!

Our friends who came with us on the trip also enjoyed Cabana. Cabana is definitely a people person and loved all the attention and affection.


Here she is on the hearth in front of the fire. Looks a lot like an LL Bean advertisement, doesn't it?

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