<3 !!!
i get really REALLY mad when i hear fireworks going on before/after the official fireworks day/s: it's not fair to animals.
― smoove operator, Thursday, 4 July 2013 05:35 (ten years ago) link
basil otm
― mookieproof, Thursday, 4 July 2013 13:51 (ten years ago) link
Yeah i don't know why the country club down the road did their 20-min fireworks show last night? I got her a thundershirt, which is awesome, but we couldn't use it last night because I'd recent put her frontline on. Hence the snuggles. Interestingly she didn't bark or growl at all.
― tehresa, Thursday, 4 July 2013 15:04 (ten years ago) link
we are pondering this little old lady (her name is Joy):
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/q81/s720x720/1010383_692652954083609_1531078625_n.jpg
second attempt at convincing the landlord is underway :/
― smoove operator, Friday, 26 July 2013 02:40 (ten years ago) link
o jeez good luck! she is v. pretty
― mookieproof, Friday, 26 July 2013 04:07 (ten years ago) link
ooooh do it!!! sending good vibes to your crazy landlady.
― tehresa, Friday, 26 July 2013 17:55 (ten years ago) link
Any news? Dying over here!!
― tehresa, Tuesday, 30 July 2013 23:25 (ten years ago) link
not yet :/
i wrote a pleading email to the LL, since she keeps making a point to jordan that she knows him, but she doesn't really know me. and the head of the rescue group wrote to her as well, explaining that they are particular about who their dogs go to, and that joy would be perfect for us (and also gave a heartwrenching description of the terrible state she was in when they found her).
now we just wait. i think there is about a 5% chance she'll say yes, but we had to give it one last shot.
― smoove operator, Wednesday, 31 July 2013 00:48 (ten years ago) link
All appendages are crossed for you!
― tehresa, Wednesday, 31 July 2013 02:38 (ten years ago) link
she left a voicemail last night, saying that she is feeling "very positive" about this, swayed in our favour, etc. etc. and she needs to research pet lease agreements. but this is the same stuff she said last time, before finally saying no, so i'm not holding my breath :/
― smoove operator, Thursday, 1 August 2013 00:16 (ten years ago) link
Maybe the adoption people contacting her will help though!
― tehresa, Thursday, 1 August 2013 00:56 (ten years ago) link
yr landlady sounds like a piece of work
― mookieproof, Thursday, 1 August 2013 03:29 (ten years ago) link
nah, she's actually a very nice and extremely fair person, she's just SUPER neurotic. like, signing our lease when we moved in took FOUR FUCKING HOURS because we had to go through the entire house and note the condition of every.single.thing. we also pay about $7-800 below market value for this place because she is so insistent on being fair. also she is planning to sell eventually and said that when she does, if we are still here, we'll have 6 months notice or as much time as we need to find a new place before it even goes on the market.
she totally adores jordan, though, which is why he is the one that deals with her 99% of the time.
― smoove operator, Thursday, 1 August 2013 04:40 (ten years ago) link
joy is gonna be at another adoption fair on saturday, so the LL might come meet her. if she meets her in person, we'll have basically won bc no one could say no that adorable face.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151507675837050&l=63b796dcbd
― smoove operator, Thursday, 1 August 2013 04:42 (ten years ago) link
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/q71/s720x720/549479_10151507675837050_1176538601_n.jpg
<3
― tehresa, Thursday, 1 August 2013 17:24 (ten years ago) link
that's a lot of face
― mookieproof, Friday, 2 August 2013 05:30 (ten years ago) link
she is gorgeous, i hope the landlady goes to the fair.
― estela, Friday, 2 August 2013 23:41 (ten years ago) link
decision?
― spite n ease (harbl), Saturday, 3 August 2013 02:29 (ten years ago) link
still waiting :/
last time she said she would decide in "a few days" and we waited like 6 weeks so
― smoove operator, Saturday, 3 August 2013 03:01 (ten years ago) link
this lady, ughh!
― tehresa, Saturday, 3 August 2013 03:50 (ten years ago) link
she has definitely got an aggravating streak.
― estela, Saturday, 3 August 2013 05:35 (ten years ago) link
i kinda feel a bit sorry for her - she was in a serious car accident 20 yrs ago, and it left her pretty fucked up. she walks kinda funny and she can't really open her mouth when she talks. apparently she has a whole bunch of plates in her body and can't ever fly again (my guess is the pressure would create swelling?? or something). she IS a nice person, just.... weird.
oh and jordan just got home and told me that she called and is meeting us at the adoption fair tomorrow!!!
― smoove operator, Saturday, 3 August 2013 06:35 (ten years ago) link
oh yay, that is very promising. and I admire how kind and fair you are about her even though she has been difficult.
― estela, Saturday, 3 August 2013 12:19 (ten years ago) link
Basil's expensive dog trainer just left and I am feeling like I may be wasting my money? I feel like she has given us some good techniques but I might have been able to find those by researching on my own? She didn't actually work with b but instead talked to me the whole time, and at the first sign of excitement she had me put her n her crate, which I think just made her anxiety level skyrocket.
― tehresa, Saturday, 3 August 2013 17:06 (ten years ago) link
I don't wanna be one of those people who thinks they know better than the professional, but it feels weird for her to recommend x,y,z without working with her and seeing her behavior more.
― tehresa, Saturday, 3 August 2013 17:07 (ten years ago) link
ooh i read this thing about crate training - that you have to get the dog to WANT to be in the crate, so you put a treat in the crate and close it and let the dog try to get in there for a while, then finally let them in.
UPDATE:
so we got to the adoption fair and joy wasn't there, they told us that she'd been pretty much already adopted by an older couple with a lot of malamute experience. my heart just sank bc i figured the LL would just freak out, since we'd talked up this one particular dog. but then they introduced us to vivienne, who is waaay different but so pretty and friendly. she's a husky mix (brown eyes), more energy than elderly joy, but still v v well behaved and only 2 yrs old so we'd have her a lot longer.
LL showed up and we talked with the rescue group people for a while, who have been totally amazing and answered all her questions and were v supportive and encouraging. THEN we had to go have coffee with LL and talk even more, but it's looking pretty good?? she wants us to get liability insurance with our renter's insurance, which is fine, we'll make whatever concessions are necessary. there's some issues with the other tenants in our duplex, but she doesn't really like them, so she's not gonna let them sway her decision.
next up is a house inspection by the rescue people, then... hopefully it'll be finalized??
― smoove operator, Saturday, 3 August 2013 23:23 (ten years ago) link
Oooh I'm glad things are looking up!
Xpost I never crate her without some treat or toy... Sometimes she just goes there and hangs out on her own (she napped there this afternoon), but she does not like it if she's crated and you're across the room and ignoring her. I don't know why this lady didn't just work with her to calm down or help me practice managing her.
― tehresa, Sunday, 4 August 2013 00:49 (ten years ago) link
yeah does she think you can just shove her in a crate when you're out walking her?? our rescue group hates caesar milan btw - idk much about him bc i've never actually watched his show, but i guess he focuses more on negative reinforcement?
― smoove operator, Sunday, 4 August 2013 01:49 (ten years ago) link
No she's given lots of advice/ideas about walks, it just strikes me as odd that the trainer would rather put her away than interact with her and understand what makes her tick...
Caesar is ughhhhh. His techniques, if used on a dog like basil, would make things worse! He does a lot of dominance stuff and punishing. Negative reinforcement isn't always bad; it can include "good things go away when you misbehave" (ie, if you get overexcited and start acting out, a game stops). But his techniques seem more like he's physically dominating the dogs :(
― tehresa, Sunday, 4 August 2013 02:13 (ten years ago) link
it's all but a done deal, guys!!!
the only 0.9% chance of this falling through now is:
our neighbours - the other side of the duplex - are being dicks about us getting a dog. apparently the guy has "hyper sensitive" hearing, and there are neighbours behind us who have a yappy dog that they leave outside all day. so the guy had a shit fit at our LL and doesn't want her to let us get a dog. BUT the LL just wants to check the legal stuff and make sure they can't cause any trouble bc they signed a lease with the assumption that none us could get dogs.
― smoove operator, Monday, 5 August 2013 04:42 (ten years ago) link
Hmmm if the dog behind you makes noise (something completely out of the control of ll) then i don't think there's any prior expectation of no dog noises. I hope this works out!!!
― tehresa, Monday, 5 August 2013 22:15 (ten years ago) link
Also his assumption that neither of you could get dogs...is his assumption, right? He hasn't seen your lease... He doesn't know for certain that your lease says no dogs...
I just really want you to get this dog!!!!
― tehresa, Monday, 5 August 2013 22:17 (ten years ago) link
me too!!!! it's so close!!!
― smoove operator, Tuesday, 6 August 2013 02:10 (ten years ago) link
so we found out some more info about neko (that's what we're calling her, it's the only name we could agree on): she once peed in the car of her original owner (fyi she was just a PUPPY) and he beat her so badly that she sustained a broken back, broken ribs and a collapsed lung. the only good thing to come of it was that it happened in a public parking lot and some good citizens called the cops on him.
― smoove operator, Thursday, 8 August 2013 00:14 (ten years ago) link
Ugh horrible, horrible person. You will give her such a nice home!
― tehresa, Thursday, 8 August 2013 11:06 (ten years ago) link
We finally got a home inspection scheduled by the rescue group, but now the LL says that she has been too tired to look into pet leases this week AND she has to give us 30 days notice for any lease amendments?? I mean, seriously?? So I don't even know of neko will still be available :/
Also they don't have enough foster homes available so she is being kenneled right new which is really bumming me out :(
OMG JUST GIVE ME MY DOG ALREADY
― smoove operator, Thursday, 8 August 2013 17:56 (ten years ago) link
Ughhh this is ridiculous. 30 days? Why? I think that's to protect tenants which obviously isn't an issue here. Seriously i called my landlord and asked him and he said "you go get yourself a dog, miss tehresa!" Done. Do you want me to have him talk to her?
― tehresa, Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:38 (ten years ago) link
http://i41.tinypic.com/2v8ondj.jpg
only good thing about today!
― tehresa, Thursday, 8 August 2013 22:31 (ten years ago) link
j show us a picture please
― spite n ease (harbl), Friday, 9 August 2013 22:55 (ten years ago) link
Tomorrow!.definitely taking my camera and getting a million glamor shots of her.
We are gonna pay her boarding costs between now and adoption, so they will hold her for us!
― smoove operator, Friday, 9 August 2013 23:28 (ten years ago) link
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5525/9482437732_9bb0d66ce4_z.jpg
we spent about 2 hours with her today, she was such a good girl, really well behaved and we have yet to hear her bark, even when she saw squirrels she wanted to chase. she has the softest, loveliest fur, and she's very trusting and affectionate for such an abused dog.
― smoove operator, Saturday, 10 August 2013 21:25 (ten years ago) link
Awww j looks so happy!
― tehresa, Saturday, 10 August 2013 21:59 (ten years ago) link
it was the best! we're going to spend another couple hours with her tomorrow too!
― smoove operator, Saturday, 10 August 2013 22:51 (ten years ago) link
j&j she is so beautiful and she looks perfect for you both and so loved already. i'm so glad she has won the puppy lottery after that horrible beginning.
and basil is as beguiling and beautiful as ever.
― estela, Sunday, 11 August 2013 00:30 (ten years ago) link
can't help sharing this one from this afternoon!
http://i44.tinypic.com/5vvp85.jpg
― tehresa, Sunday, 11 August 2013 00:34 (ten years ago) link
I bought her a backpack because I think she should start carrying her own weight when we hike, but i have no idea if it fits properly. I guess i will find out tomorrow!
― tehresa, Sunday, 11 August 2013 00:41 (ten years ago) link
love her.
her new backpack reminds me of that tv show called 'dogs with jobs'.
― estela, Sunday, 11 August 2013 00:45 (ten years ago) link
i like neko. i'd like a dog like that but it's too hot here i think. dog backpack seems like it could make a dog feel very useful.
― spite n ease (harbl), Sunday, 11 August 2013 02:22 (ten years ago) link
They like to have jobs. I think it makes them happier. Basil also likes to herd people when we're hiking!
― tehresa, Sunday, 11 August 2013 02:25 (ten years ago) link