Kona showed me her post by the window, letting me know my actions were not OK. . .
I've banned local trails. Between Kona's foxtail scare at the beginning of the month and her vet visit this week, we've had enough close encounters of the sticker kind. An overreaction? Well, between those two blogged about stories, I also had to do some precarious pulling to remove a foxtail from the tip of Kona's nostril, plus I preformed full-on mini surgery to remove a sticker from inside her mouth. Four incidents in 20 days. (I promise, this is with me trying to keep her away from anything dry.) The numbers aren't in our favor.
We need trails, but foxtail season may last until November. I have an idea to get back onto dirt, but more on that next week.
So what's a girl to do?
To the neighborhood we went! I take Kona on neighborhood walks about three or four times a week, just before we head to the trails. We only go a few blocks and I keep a close eye on Kona's nerves. I felt hopeful this morning. Maybe we could go further...get a real workout in.
I leashed Kona and headed out the door. I could tell that the vet spookiness still lingered, but she still found things to sniff and ate some sausage. Then, around the corner, the paperboy made his way up the street. Oh #*#&.
I contribute Kona's wariness of cars to too many encounters with our paperboy. He's all of Kona's fears, rolled into one vehicle. He's unpredictable. His car drives on the wrong side of the road, stops, starts, U-turns. He gets in and out of the car. And, of course, he throws a paper out his window. Kona's not into him.
I would have hightailed it, but the paperboy headed towards home, so we kept going. To my utter joy, Kona was willing to take treats from me! Within a half block, she found something to sniff! Kona use to panic to the point of pulling her body sideways as she strained at the leash to run away. I did an internal victory dance.
Unfortunately, she couldn't completely recover, so we turned around after four blocks. I needed to run to push off the anxiety of the week, so I dropped Kona off and headed back out. My shins protested the concrete, but it felt good to move.
When I returned home, I got the full report. As soon as I left for my run, Kona bolted to the window and started howl-crying. Oh boy. She hasn't done that since she was four months old when she was learning to be left alone. I didn't have to ask for more details, I knew exactly how she sounded. It wasn't her pitiful whimper, it was a full blown wake the entire block. I don't think she liked the new routine.
Camera Saga Story
Yesterday, I called the camera repair service from my home in Los Angeles and talked to a man from Sweden who was working out of a call center in Costa Rica. Perhaps with the international support, my camera will make its way home.
8 comments:
I know that howl. Misty does it sometimes, like she is a wounded animal. At least you know how much Kona loves her runs with you.
I'm glad you are making some progress in your neighborhood. I know how tough that can be. Oreo lost it this week when two garbage bags were in a new place. You would have thought they were a couple grizzly bears the way Oreo acted. Luckily, he was able to recover and walk by the scary monsters, and didn't give them a second glance on the way home.
I hope you can find some foxtail free trails, so you two can get can get back to your routine.
Goodness, those foxtails are really out to get you two! What a bummer, but I hope you two settle into your new routine to keep Kona safe :)
And I hope you get your camera back soon, I miss the pictures of your pretty girl!
I was seeing those stickers in CA while I was there.They seem to be everywhere in a natural setting. Do you have any parks that are mowed nearby and not too populated? Glad Kona is OK.
Years ago, I had a mini schnauzer who hated to be left alone. She would get on the couch, stand at the window and howl her agony for all to hear. One that did hear her, was our neighbor's African Grey Parrot who loved the howl so much she would use it first thing every morning,much to his family's dismay!
Bitsy loved it and she would join right in. Animal music!
Cheers,
Stella, Jo and AZ
Yeah.. neighborhood walks are so tough around here, too. I'm likely going to skip them all summer and then start again in the fall. I don't know if that's a good idea or a bad idea or what.. she's been okay in the main road and I'll continue those, it's the side streets that really kill her, though.
As a paper girl, I totally get what you're saying about the erratic behaviors of the paper boy! Too bad I don't live closer and can't show Kona that we paper-people aren't so bad..
I know that sound... One positive thing - it tells you how much Kona really really wants to run with you, even if she gets scared sometimes.
It's been too long since I lived in CA to remember if there was a certain time of year when the foxtails were the worst. I do know that my SAR dog worked running directly through high grass all year long. We had about only 2 incidents when she needed surgery for foxtails and several other non-surgical removals by vets. That is a relatively low number - which leaves me wondering if you might be at the height of foxtail season now. Perhaps they mostly fall off the grass and blow around in the next little while? I sure hope that trails aren't off limits for you for so long...
I'm so glad that Kona dealt with the paperboy well. That's a victory!
I'm glad everything sounds better at last but I'm sorry about the foxtails. It's quite tricky to walk the dogs in the neighbourhood but this is what we do to our dogs as we don't have any friendly parks which allow dogs to roam around here. The paperboy here always comes at 6.30am and he is the most effective alarm clock as all the dogs in the neighbours start their barking. It's good that Kona has started her walk and it seems she's getting there.
OOOH Breeze does that howl and did it yesterday when I had to leave them crated in the car while I ran into someones house....
I tell you it is just a shame that those foxtails have to impact what you do like that, but gosh what are you going to do when they could really hurt her and they really seem to be a problem right now, it just totally SUCKS!
What a good girl Kona sounds like she was, she sounds like she really tries so hard, what a good girl.
Your camera now has all sorts of international collection, hopefully with the help of lots of people all over the world your camera can arrive home and work! I guess it takes a village to raise a child and a world to fix a camera?
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