In Sickness and In Health

When you make the commitment to share your life with an animal, it's not always good times. If you've read my blog so far, you are familiar with the behavior problems I've had to work on with Roman and Tikka. I have also had to deal with a lot of illness issues (Tikka has had heartworm, a liver toxicity, foxtail in the eye, two surgeries for mammary tumors and one surgery for another low grade cancer tumor since I adopted her almost 2 years ago). Luckily, Roman has been in relative good health...except for this week. He contracted a virus and was having explosive (I do not use that term lightly) diarrhea all Sunday night and into Monday, accompanied by some vomiting. Diarrhea turned to blood and a $280 vet bill later (thank doG I have insurance) has him on the mend.

The embarrassing story in all of this is that I brought Roman to work with me on Sunday (I didn't know he was sick, yet). Teachers have been allowed to bring their dogs in on the weekend, and Roman and Tikka love going. They are very well behaved; usually sleeping in my classroom and never out of my sight (rather, I'm never out of theirs). Unbeknown to me at the time, Roman snuck off and did a huge diarrhea on the second floor landing (must have been when I was in the hall janitor closet filling my bucket with water for the aquarium-the only time my back was turned, but he was right there when I turned back-clever boy).

At 6:30 Monday morning, a fifth grade teacher (not a dog lover) found Roman's present and called my principal (also not a dog lover), who had to call the custodian to clean it. Long story short, it got back to me and in a mortified state with my tail between my legs, I explained what must have happened to the principal.

While the whole thing is gross and disgusting, I am fortunate that the custodian is my friend and loves dogs. He was totally cool about it and understanding. I know he has cleaned up worse messes from kids but I'm still going to buy him a bottle of wine!

The moral of this story: Don't work on the weekends!

Dog As Teacher

(Tikka as Teacher: Nap often, with wild abandon and always show the belly)

About 15,000 years ago, wolves decided to align their destiny with ours. Many believe ancient man domesticated the wolf by taming wolf pups but I agree with Coppinger's findings that wolves domesticated themselves and, with the help of man, created the most diverse species on this planet.

Native Americans revered the wolf and looked to him as a teacher. He is the forerunner of new ideas; returning from his journeys to teach the clan. They also recognized the loyalty of dog. I believe dogs decided to stay with us to teach us how to live a happy and balanced life...something many of us forgot on the path towards acquiring things, keeping up with our neighbors and selfish, personal pursuits.

In the rushed state I've been living, I usually jump out of bed at the sound of the alarm, racing against the day. My dogs are always eager to keep up with me, but still take time for a good stretch and yawn. In fact, left to their own devices, Tikka and Roman love a long stretch and belly rub first thing in the morning. Roman will then rub his body against the bed, hoping for an errant foot to scratch his rump. Tikka rolls around on her back, stretching her legs in the air, while letting out grumbles of pleasure.Then, they are ready to greet the day with such joy and anticipation, my cup runneth over with guilt as I close the door on their eager faces in order to go to work.

Amazingly, Roman and Tikka do not hold any grudges against me. In fact, they wait all day and greet me with such enthusiasm upon my return. Always. How many of us greet our loved one's return with such love?

Even children recognize how special dogs are.

A friend sent me the following email:
Upon the death of his beloved dog, a six year old's parents mused how short a dog's life is compared to ours. Their son said, "I know why...
People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass...

So, what has your dog taught you?

Roman has taught me the art of patience and understanding. He has truly helped me become a more calm and relaxed person, even during times of stress.

Tikka has taught me how to see others as individuals, with their own special needs and gifts.

They have both taught me that hard work and perseverance can overcome almost any obstacle...that my goals are within my reach if I remain true to my dream.

Tikka has also taught me that if I fall asleep before her evening walk, she will poop in the dining room and not feel bad about it. Poor Roman is more forgiving of my human failings, thank doG.

Both dogs are still trying to teach me to live in the moment; that life really is only occurring right now, so I better reach out and enjoy it.

(Roman as Teacher: Leap with joy, trusting that the net will appear...and if it doesn't, that you will still land on all four paws ready to try again...)

Geckos, Silkworms and Crickets...oh my!

Whew. What a ride it has been. The parent/teacher conferences, SSTs (student success team meetings) and IEPs (Individual Education Plan meetings) are over (at least for the next month or so!) and I am hoping I can cut back the 11 and 12 hour days...I don't think I've seen the sun (or my son) in over a week (and we've been having gorgeous fall weather!). In the midst of this crazy time, Mr. Dog-ma decided to have a birthday and I was in need of a gift. Well, what better gift than a leopard gecko? Puka is a one month old, 'high yellow' leopard gecko. Though domestically bred, these geckos originate from the deserts of India and Pakistan. In order to keep "Puka" happy and healthy, he needs a good supply of food...live crickets (which I keep in a separate habitat until Puka is ready to eat).

Along with a gecko and crickets, I now have 25 silkworms munching away on mulberry leaves. These caterpillars are part of my next Science unit. Each child will get a silkworm and monitor its growth (they form silk cocoons, the adults hatch, mate then die, we harvest the eggs to watch the cycle all over in the Spring). The silkworm caterpillars are quite amazing. They are incredibly soft and use tiny pieces of silk to hold on. When they form their cocoons, they use a single strand of silk a mile long.


The web of life and life cycle these small creatures participate in humbles me. We humans are so caught up in our 'stuff' that we forget life's simplicity. I'm finding that in these uncertain times I need the powers of nature more than ever, and it's something I feel desperate to share with my students...others obviously agree.

Migration Meditation

The fall raptor migration is in progress. Every year, thousands of hawks, eagles and falcons congregate at Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands before they cross the bay. October is peak month, and today was simply gorgeous...so, I headed up to the headlands hoping for a glimpse of some raptors. Unfortunately, the peak hours to see them are between 10am and 2pm and we got there at 4pm. Still. We saw some kestrals, red tails and one unidentified (Cooper's?). While I was disappointed I didn't see more hawks and falcons, the view provided a consolation prize. Can I tell you how spoiled I am? I hop in my car, and 7 minutes later I'm sitting on the side of a hill looking at the city, bridge and Golden Gate. Engulfed by the beauty, I was ever so reluctant to return to the daily routine.

As I sat, watching, tourists from all over stopped, took pictures, got back in their cars and left. All that time I was watching two kestrals and the one unidentified guy (or were they watching me?)...the tourists never even noticed the birds. Most people are looking towards the bridge and the city when they take their pictures, but I was looking west. How many tourists have a picture taken with the bridge in the background vs. the Golden Gate?

Overwhelmed with an emotion I couldn't identify, I vowed to return by bike this weekend...

Below are pics of a red tail and a kestral taken from the internet:

Celebrating Indigenous People

The public schools were closed today, not because of Columbus (that fraud!), but to honor our indigenous people. I was just grateful to have a day off! We continue to have amazing weather...I just love October. What better way to celebrate than a day at the beach?

Roman was in heaven! He can be a little shit disturber, though. He is incredibly fast, especially for a shepherd, and does these drive bys. Slower dogs try to chase him, but then give up and he'll taunt them by racing by, while they bark at his heels...he'll slow down, let them catch up, then zooms off...leaving them barking in frustration.

Lottie Reincarnated

I did not ask permission to post this picture, but I have a feeling Caroline will not mind.

My dearest friend (and Mr. Dog-ma's sister) Caroline has finally joined the ranks of dog owner! She and her husband adopted a 3 month old boxer mix (I also see shepherd and ridgeback/hound) named Lottie. Caroline told me she felt an instant connection with this puppy (though she was not seeking to adopt a puppy). After telling me about her, I encouraged her to get that pup!

So, they did.

Caroline told me she felt it was a good omen given her uncommon name, "Lottie" (Lottie was my soul dog who Caroline knew well).

Here is a heart warming excerpt from Caroline's email this week:

"so now we're off to puppy training class...LOL...does this remind you of your life? can you believe i've finally joined the ranks of dog owners? but it feels very natural....i kind of wish i'd done this before, it might have helped me to settle...It is true that knowing Lottie is here gives me a sense of 'home" that is rich..."

And, it is true. Dogs make our lives rich in a way no amount of money can.

So, welcome to the family, sweet, little Lottie!

Am I Making a Difference?

It was a challenging week (euphemism for bad, LOL)..."maybe-I-need-to-seek-a-new-profession bad...

I love, love, love my students. But the array of academic need coupled with some severe behavior issues is pushing me towards the edge. Add to that my extra responsibility as the after school lead teacher and my induction program requirements it's no wonder I hit a wall yesterday. I simply cannot do it all. I don't think I've seen my own child in a week and my poor dogs are neglected.

I knew years ago that I would not be successful in a career unless I was making a difference in the lives of others (which is why I was always so bored and soul dead in office jobs)...but the question I am asking myself this weekend: Am I making a difference?

In the midst of this juggling act, I got an unexpected email from a blog reader:

"

Hi Dog-ma,

I just wanted to thank you for providing a little ray of hope during a very stressful time with my much loved dog. I stumbled across your blog while looking for dog trainers who specialize in fear aggression (towards other dogs). I really appreciated reading about your experiences with John Van Olden and based mostly on Roman and Tikka's improvements, I have an upcoming appointment with John. I've already done a huge amount of work to set boundaries and to be the alpha plus I've already tried a lot of training with our big dog, and he's only gotten worse so I was pretty demoralized until I read your post. I am thrilled that John seems so competent and has been around a lot of big powerful dogs with issues. So thanks for sending your experiences and trainer recommendations out into the blog ethers! Also, I really share your frustrations with other dog owners who haven't educated themselves enough to recognize their dog's rude (and therefore antagonizing) behaviors. Ninety-nine percent of our troubles arise out of other dogs approaching us head-on even as I'm calling to the owners to reign their "friendly" pooch in...

Thanks again - it was a boost not to feel so isolated during these stressful times with my big lug.

I wish you, Tikka, and Roman many lovely autumn walks!"

Here I thought I had about 5 readers reading my posts of miscellany and etcetera. I know this reader will be able to help her dog with John's help, so maybe I am making a small difference...though not always in ways I can predict.

Looking at these cute dogs and getting that email certainly lifted my spirits during a difficult time. I look forward to hearing about their training progress!