Aug 27, 2020
Merlin, buddy, it's been two years today. We still miss you so much.
seen from China
seen from Russia
seen from Mexico
seen from Australia
seen from China
seen from Gabon
seen from United States
seen from Yemen
seen from Yemen
seen from China
seen from Portugal
seen from Ukraine
seen from China
seen from T1
seen from T1
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Singapore
seen from China
Merlin, buddy, it's been two years today. We still miss you so much.
Yvaine’s Portable Furniture: Look at that flexion! And extension!
Merlin’s Primary Human: You know he’s not a horse, right?
Yvaine’s Portable Furniture: Well, perhaps a very small one.
[Image Description: Merlin, a buff cocker spaniel, trots in grass. His right hind leg is lifted quite high (flexion), and his left front leg is stretched quite forward (extension). What we actually hope is that he's comfortable moving, and his arthritis treatment is helping.]
Head tilt. Mlem. Floof. Spaniel Eyes.
*ded*
Happy Yvaineversary!
On this day in 2011 we drove four hours to meet a dog that sounded like a good buddy for our senior cocker. She was described as 3 1/2 years old, playful, friendly, and had been dumped at a Humane Society for developing severe allergies.
[Yvaine meeting Galahad, Aug 20th 2011]
We were looking for a dog to do a "job" (aside from housepet): to be company for Galahad, our first cocker, and to wake him up and get him excited a few times a day. His deafness had advanced such that he just snoozed all day--not because he was lethargic, but because nothing woke him up. My bouncy sweet girl! She was so good at her "job," until we lost Galahad in 2015. (We adopted Merlin a few months later, in September 2015.)
[Yvaine on the trip home]
I got a real shock, when I went to look back at first-day photos of Yvaine. I had noticed that something looks odd about those early photos (besides all that darker red), but hadn't taken a good look. She's not *IN* there. There's no Yvaine there. My bright little munchkin, my personal Embodiment of Eternal Optimism, my little strongly opinionated mommydog, she's not there in those early photos.
[Yvaine napping with Galahad; if she heard something and woke, she would bounce enough to wake him, too]
Now she's confident, outgoing, secure, and bossy. What a delight she has been, and I hope will continue to be for many more years.
[Yvaine in Spring 2018]
My dog melted. [Image Description: Yvaine, a white and red cocker spaniel, lays with her head on my knee. She looks very flat, possibly puddle-like.]
Somethin’ tells me Yv’s into somethin’ good (Somethin’ tells me Yv’s into somethin’) Good, oh yeah, somethin’ good
I love the way Yvaine pulls her nose back to closely examine whatever she’s chewing. Mostly it’s cardboard, but occasionally I don’t want to know.
(this should have been a rerun from May but I can’t find the original) (Yvie makes me laugh so much)
Oh. Crud.
That’s a really-not-a-wart next to Merlin’s tail nub, and just about the same size. (of course, his tail nub is criminally short)
Photo sent to vet with distressed email. I don’t know if this is “looks harmless,” or if it’s “do a needle aspirate and have a look,” or if it’s “rush to get it removed and send to pathology.”
Dogs don’t understand “don’t do that.” They don’t understand “stop barking” or “the tractor is going to be out there working all day, cut it out.”
They *do* understand “do this instead.”
The Spaniels know “go lay down,” which is originally useful while eating. If they back off from the interesting thing, lay down and ignore it, then afterwards they get a treat–or even get to lick the plate, very special. Obviously this took a while to learn, but it’s very useful.
It’s also useful when the Spaniels are getting worked up about something. The more they do it, the easier it gets. I originally kept Merlin on a leash to remind him to stay in “go lay down” (and not keep jumping up to go yell at the intruders outside).
He has improved very much, and with occasional reminders (and occasional rewards) Merlin has successfully gone hours without reacting to the tractors bushhogging or other noisy work being done right outside.
[Image Description: A very sad, pitiful Merlin would very much like to go yell at the tractor please. But instead he is being a good boy and staying in “go lay down” in bed.]