Wannabe Truffle Pig

Maisie spent a little time out in the yard on this sunny Sunday.  There's not much security work to do, so she's decided to concentrate her efforts on a thorough sniff-out, in hopes of finding something she considers edible.  A low rent truffle pig, if you will.  Here was her plan for today:

Step 1)  Scope out the perimeter

Step 2)  Begin sniffing in most open space

3)  Relocate to more promising area

4)  Get closer to subject in order to facilitate more in-depth sniffery

5)  Attempt to taste and/or ingest item for research purposes, at least until that lady yells "leave it!"

Damn.  Mission unsuccessful!  Clearly, more practice is needed...

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Maisie in the Morning

Maisie really didn't want to get out of bed this morning.  Once she finally did, she quickly took care of business in the yard, ate breakfast and immediately went back to (my) bed.  She usually hangs out with me for a bit post-meal (mostly to get some a.m. pets and scritches), so this was a slight change in routine.  I thought maybe she wasn't feeling well, so I went upstairs to check on her sleepy little head.

Once she saw me, she perked up.

To the point where she started rolling around like a crazy dog.  This blur is cuckoo bananas Maisie.

She then followed me back downstairs and became reacquainted with one of her antlers.

I think she's gonna be just fine.  :)

p.s.  for more frequent Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

Wordless Wednesday - Love It and Leave It

"I love you, antler."

 

"But I don't think this bed is big enough for the both of us."

(Not) Old Dog Learns New Trick

At four years old, Maisie isn't even close to being an elderbull...I figure we're probably stuck with each other for another decade or so.  Considering her relative youth, perhaps teaching her a new trick isn't all that impressive.  But since we try to appreciate the little victories around here, I thought I'd share this one. 

I know this isn't exactly "turn on the light" (as I saw on Dogtown yesterday) or even "shake" (which Maisie just cannot master no matter how many times we attempt it), but learning to "wait" with treats on her paws in just one day is an accomplishment in my book.  Even if she simultaneously stuck her tongue out at me!

p.s.  for Maisie updates and pics nearly every day, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

Never Enough Beds

Although Maisie has a seemingly endless supply of places to sleep, unsurprisingly I'm always concerned about providing her with the maximum level of comfort at all times.  Downstairs, she has the big chair, couch and overstuffed dog bed, as well as the staircase itself.  A few weeks ago, I bought a new dog bed for the dining room on the second floor, so she has a soft place to rest near me while I'm on the computer.

 

Upstairs on the top floor, she of course has MY bed.

I also placed her older dog bed in the bedroom.  She used it once in a while, but not very often.

Lately, I noticed she was actually spending most of her time on the memory foam mat in the bathroom.

So I started thinking that maybe the old bed (which didn't have much filling) wasn't enough padding for her compact "I play rough at daycare five times a week" body.  I thought, "she needs more, better, newer!"  That led to the purchase of an expensive memory foam dog bed to replace the not up to Maisie's standards one.

In addition to the extreme cushiness, Maisie also likes the fact that she doesn't need to fully leave the bed in order to enjoy a refreshing beverage!

Not wanting to throw away the old bed, I put it in the guest room...where I now find Maisie all the time.  *sigh*

Such a fickle little pickle, my Maisie!

p.s.  for more frequent Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!

Bad Press - And What Would You Do?

Lately, I feel like all I hear/read/see in the press regarding pit bulls is bad news.  It's always been the case to some extent, but recently it seems to have increased exponentially.  Although there have been silver linings (like the community bonding together in peaceful and adorable photographic protest against that McDonald's radio commercial, Ohio HB 14 passing the Senate and the Buehrle family's potentially successful struggle against BSL in Miami), most of the press has been just plain bad.  With so many people already ignorant and fearful when it comes to our beloved breed, the negative coverage as of late is sure to have some lasting effects and force us all to fight even harder when it comes to housing and public acceptance in general.  I fear it is a battle we are losing.

Last night after work, I picked up Maisie from daycare and we drove to our new pet store to stock up on a couple weeks of her raw food, which thankfully I've been able to have special ordered since we moved to Massachusetts.  While we were there, one of the clerks began mooning over Miss Maisie and mentioned that she had adopted a rescued pit mix as well.  She then proceeded to tell me a story.

Apparently, the girl (she looked to be in her early 20s) was out walking her very friendly dog when a seemingly nice man approached and asked if he could pet the pup.  The girl said yes without hesitation.  As the man was petting the dog, he asked "what kind of dog is this?"  The girl replied "a pit bull mix."  The man immediately took a step backwards then with no warning, leaned forward and smacked the dog in the head, saying "these are horrible, aggressive dogs and you shouldn't have one."  Again, this was the SAME dog who had been the happy recipient of this man's affection just moments ago...but now this dog was a pit bull.  The girl was so shocked and frightened that she simply took her dog and walked away.  In recounting the story, she expressed extreme regret at not speaking up or handling it differently.  I tried to reassure her that she did the best thing she could...she removed herself and her dog from a potentially dangerous situation.  But it got me thinking, what would I have done?  I understand that there is a time and place to educate, but I also realize that when it comes to the welfare of my dog I tend to act first and think later.  I hope that I would have been able to remain calm, but I can't say with confidence that I wouldn't have sunk to this man's level by screaming my head off or even shoving him away if he laid a hand on Maisie.

What would you do???

 

 p.s.  for more frequent Maisie updates and pics, please "like" our Facebook page if you haven't yet!