There's a New Top Dog in Town

If I had bet my entire bank account (which isn't impressive) on what just occurred, I would be bankrupt because I could have never predicted this one.  I am sitting here still stunned and yet, thrilled. 

I took Alvin and Stevie on their walk and we came across Moses at the park near my house.  Moses is a large, male, black lab who is dog and person friendly.  Moses and Alvin have had many interactions, with Moses getting quickly bored and Alvin and Stevie trying desperately to get his attention.  Tonight, Alvin tried harder than usual to interact with him and chased after him.  This in itself was remarkable and I was thrilled.  I keep both dogs on leashes and ended up dragging poor Stevie along so we could keep up with Alvin's advances.  I didn't want to discourage Alvin from trying to play.  Like many things for Alvin, it kind of backfired because Moses then kept trying to hump Alvin.  It became a scene with a lot of leash tangles.  Alvin looked a bit afraid a couple of times because Moses just kept chasing and chasing him, but I didn't intervene because it's good for Alvin to run around and he seemed okay.  But then the jaw dropping event occurred.  Alvin turned and made a deep growl.  You could have knocked me over.  I crouched down to make sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing and sure enough, it was Alvin because he made several, very convincing growls and even some snarls.  It was convincing enough that Moses kind of backed off.  I was so proud of Alvin that I praised and praised him, but kept looking at him because I still couldn't comprehend what I just heard.  Meanwhile, here came Stevie who LOVES Moses and promptly tried to hump him, and so we had a humping train going on. 

We then walked home and I ran into some neighbors and I promptly told them all about it.  The entire neighborhood is stunned.  We are home now and Alvin and Stevie are revved up.  It was terribly exciting for all three of us.  Alvin needed a lot of reassurance from me.  I am not sure if it was due to him being proud of himself or insecure, but I have been praising and petting him.  I am like the mother of the child that gets beat up on the playground and finally wallops and knocks the bully flat.  Moses isn't much of a bully but it still was quite a feat by Alvin.  He is still huffing and puffing and should be very proud of himself.  Who knew?

Alvin's New Toy Closet

I recently discovered that Alvin has found many new toys and there is a whole closet of them.  While wearing my little Barbie heel type shoes, I looked down to discover several little Alvin teeth marks in them.  I then discovered two other pairs that had his little calling card all over them.  His main chew toy (the odd belt thing) wasn't exactly where it should be and so he resorted to finding new chew toys.  Lovely!

Alvin finally barked for the first time.  I was putting Stevie's pill in the hot dog and apparently I was taking too long and Alvin became worried he wouldn't get his share.  My back was to him when I heard the oddest, high pitched yelp and turned around to realize that Alvin had "barked".  It sounded like the yelp a woman makes if you were to jump out and scare her.  I don't know who was more shocked by the noise, him and me.  After all this waiting, I was not disappointed because it sounded very much like I would expect a bark from Alvin to sound like.  It in no way resembled any noise from a dog and certainly wasn't masculine.  I was so excited that I instantly praised him and gave him some hot dog, in hopes that he would grace me with the sound again.

Yesterday I had to take Stevie to the eye doctor and I thought I could put the leash on her and scurry out of the house, without causing Alvin distress that he wasn't going too.  That instantly backfired when Alvin tried twice to go out with us and it was clear that he didn't understand that he wouldn't be included.  I put a leash on him and planned to take him to grandma's, but grandma ended up being right outside my door.  I handed her his leash and asked her to walk Alvin around until we could leave.  Poor little Alvin got so worried about me leaving without him that he put his bottom on the ground and refused to leave with her.  Alvin is terribly fearful of riding in the car but when he saw me putting Stevie in, he tried to get in too.  It is often difficult to assess how much Alvin has bonded with me, but yesterday it was very clear that he has indeed bonded, to the point that he was willing to risk life and limb to be with me.  Grandma called later to inform me that Alvin was at her house, eating a cheese burger patty and so I think he forgot all about me.

A few nights ago Alvin was in bed with me doing that odd mouthing thing he does with my fingers.  I willingly gave him my fingers because it distracted him from partaking in his new hobby, which is to lick the sheets.  Lovely!  While mouthing my fingers, he ended up biting down with his back teeth and it hurt!  I jerked my finger back and yelled, ouch!  Alvin responded by trying to sniff my finger and clearly realized he had hurt me, and he then laid down with his head resting between his paws and was very sad.  He is now back to chewing on this gait belt.

Alvin managed to scare another dog but sadly, he wasn't aware that his presence had been intimidating.  It was his one chance at being scary and he missed it.  A little Chihuahua ran out and was immediately frightened by the big dog, Alvin.  Because Alvin can't locate the direction of sound, he never spotted the dog and he missed his big chance to feel big.

Alvin is doing well.  He is improving on allowing me to pet him.  It is clear that being pet on his back, causes some type of irritation because he has to do a full body shake after each petting session. 

We're gearing up for another bath and grooming session.  I tend to sit and think about it for a couple of weeks because it just isn't a bit of fun for either of us.

I apologize for the lack of posts.  I don't have an excuse and just got distracted by the sun and fun. 

Alvin Finally Has a Toy!

I have wanted to find a toy for Alvin to play with because there are videos of him playing with toys in his former foster home.  In the videos he clearly observed and imitated the other dogs in the home but because I don't have any dogs here that play with toys, Alvin hasn't shown an interest in anything I offer him, other than my hand.  But my wish has finally come true and Alvin has a toy!!!  Okay, so the toy turns out to be a gait belt.  If you don't know what that is, don't feel bad.  It's the cloth belt that is used in physical therapy and nursing homes that is wrapped around the waist of the patient and used to help hold up their weight.  I have the one that we used to use for my grandma and Alvin recently discovered it.  Why would a dog use a cloth belt as a toy?  Beats me!  I now leave it on the floor in his favorite place to rest and he loves to do that odd, light chewing thing he used to do on my hand.  He then does his odd neck lunge and then again lightly bites the belt.  This keeps him busy for quite some time every day.  I want very much to video him doing this, as well as many other things, but the minute I get the camera out, he stops what he is doing and runs to examine the camera.  Unfortunately, his curiosity doesn't go away after a few minutes, but instead he will doing a staring stand off with me until I give up.  So, when considering a new toy for your dog, consider stopping by your local nursing home and requesting a gait belt because it seems to provide hours and hours of entertainment for at least one dog.

Can You Touch Your Face With Your Own Butt?

After having great success on our regular walks, I decided that we should all hit the trail.  I have a lovely walking trail near my house and so Alvin, Stevie, and I all went for our newest adventure.  It went quite well and Alvin was very interested in all the new sights.  I can't say that he was interested in the new smells because to add to his mystery, Alvin is the only dog, not to mention cocker, that doesn't stop to smell everything.  Although he can't be dragged away from wanting to sniff my mom's legs and feet, when we are out on walks, Alvin never tries to smell anything. 

A few people were taken aback because when Alvin spots a new person he beelines towards them while doing that spooky stare of his.  People tend to look a bit concerned as though he might be aggressive and I don't have the words to explain that not only is he not aggressive but in actuality, he is afraid of people. 

We were plodding along just fine until a man on a bike came up from behind and passed us.  Due to the fact that Alvin can't locate the direction of sound, he had no warning and he reacted by shoving his bottom so far forward that it just about met his face.  I have never seen a dog be able to touch his face with his own butt.  He was a bit shaken up by it but recovered within seconds and wanted to keep going.  We will be using the trail much more because it's good for him to get more accustomed to all different people, noises, and bicycles.  Stevie thought it was just grand but it was a bit challenging because she is the number one cocker sniffer of the world and so trying to drag her along, while Alvin was making beelines for frightened people left me looking as though I was trying to land surf, with my legs and arms spread in opposing directions.  But all of this is just part of our little family now.

I am only sorry that we can't take Maddie, the cat.  I used to live in an area where there was a contained walking trail and every time I took my dog for walks (about four times a day), she would come running when she saw the leash and then follow us the whole way and turn back with us as we headed for home.  My favorite part was that inevitably when my dog would go up on the grassy section to urinate, Maddie would follow, squat, go potty, and then come back down to resume the walk.  She had a genuine fan club of other walkers who had never seen anything like it and just couldn't get enough of watching her.  I am sad that where I live now deprives us all of her dog walks but she got a big, fenced back yard in the deal and so I think she has forgiven me.  Maddie recently turned 16 and I guilted my mom into throwing her a Sweet 16 party.  I wasn't going to do it because it's crazy to throw a cat a party but I suckered my mom into it.  Maddie got a Hello Kitty balloon and numerous treats.  The party was two weeks ago and she still goes to the special spot where we gave her the treats and begs for them......she is such a dog in a cat's body!

Alvin, the Bucking Dog

My computer has been on the blink and so I have been unable to update, but oh boy, have there been happenings around here.  I will try to post them all in the next week or two but for starters, Camp Cocker was kind enough to send Alvin a Thunder shirt.  For those of you that don't know what that is, basically, it's a shirt that gets velcroed on and is supposed to help anxious dogs feel contained and safe.  The philosophy behind it made sense to me because when I worked in foster care and we had newborns that were going through drug withdrawal and cried continuously, there was a specific way to tightly wrap them (very much like a burrito) that seemed to give them instant relief.  It was always a marvel to see because if you did it wrong, the baby kept screaming but if you undid it and got it right, the baby almost instantly stopped.  There are similar methods used for autistic children and when they receive constant pressure to certain parts of their bodies, they tend to be very soothed.  The Thunder shirt idea comes from Temple Grandin, who is the autistic woman who was able to write about what it feels like to be autistic and came up with specific techniques for anxiety ridden animals.  There is a belief that autistic humans have a much broader, better understanding of animals and from the reading I have done, I suspect that is very true.  So, the idea seemed like a good one but it kept nagging in my head that Alvin doesn't like being touched and so how was that going to work?  Well, it didn't!  Let's just say that putting Alvin in a thunder shirt resulted in a lot of crying, running, and tripping, and that was just me.  Alvin responded by turning into a bucking bronco and ran around the house bucking his back legs out from him.  He then resorted to his circus pony routine and ran in tight circles while still bucking like a maniac.  I wonder if I should have left it on longer but the two times I put it on, he seemed so wigged out that after a few minutes I took it off.  I have a feeling that a thunder shirt could be helpful for many dogs and according to the manufacturer, 80% of owners report a decrease in anxiety when they put it on their dog, but I read nothing about a bucking, circling, pony routine. 

Speaking of touch, Alvin has responded very well to going out on walks more often.  He thrives on the additional stimuli and he seems the happiest he has ever been when out walking.  What recently occurred is that when we are on our walks I can reach down and pet his back and head as much as I want without him shying away.  We have a routine of going for our walk, going to the "park" (grassy area in the middle of my neighborhood? and us both sitting down facing each other while I just pet and pet him.  I have had my mom come out with us and she gets so tickled at being able to pet his head and back.  She always shows him her hand so that he knows it's her, in the hopes that the behavior will transfer when we get in the house.  As soon as we come back in the house and my mom inevitably tries to pet him, he runs away and won't let either of us near his head or back.  My mom tries to shame him into complying by telling him that he is being just plain weird but he won't conform to her expectations.  It is odd and mystifying to have just pet a dog on his head and back with absolute ease and then walk 20 feet into the house and have such a different response.  With that said, he has started to be more receptive to allowing me to pet his head and back inside the house.  I have posted in the past about him being an utterly different dog on the bed and allowing me to pet him all over but he gets far more skittish on the floor, particularly when I am standing.  We have experienced a bit more progress in that area but it's just too much to ask him to let me pet his back right after coming in from having done it outside. 

What I have found particularly interesting is that whenever I pet his back or head when inside, he immediately has to shake his whole body, much like a dog does when they get wet.  It is as if the touch itself is irritating or itchy to him, but when I touch him outside he does not shake it off.  Who could even guess why?

There is much more to report, particularly our first try at taking a walk on the walking trail but I will leave it for another time.  In the meantime, it is bedtime and Alvin is going to need to get his cute little self up on my bed so he can be my cuddle partner.........does anyone else see the insanity of all the contradictions?

You All Saw This One Coming

I know, I know, you all knew this post was eventually coming and I was the only one that was clueless.  After reading a lot more about autistic type behavior in dogs, I have decided that it would be cruel to make Alvin go to a new home, with a new person.  All of the literature kept emphasizing the importance of not changing the dog's home and/or owner.  It all said to try to keep everything in the house in the same place and that just isn't ever going to happen here but I realized that I could prevent him from having to go through something as scary and confusing as a new house and a stranger as an owner.  So, I wrote to Camp Cocker and said that I would like to keep him..........I can hear your cheers from here.

When he first came here, he ran in a large circle all night long and cried like a puppy all night.  He didn't sleep for three days and was just a mess.  His former foster mom and I had no way of knowing what his issues were and how he would react to leaving her home, but it wasn't good.  I can't bear to make him go through that again.  He had no way of knowing that his time here was supposed to be temporary and making him leave here feels like I would be betraying all the trust he has put in me.  He wouldn't understand and with his world already being confusing, for me of all people to add to that would break my heart. 

I was very hesitant to consider keeping him because he wasn't my idea of the dog that I wanted.  I wanted a dog that would let me hold him/her like a baby and cuddle on the couch with me.  Alvin is never going to be that dog but I realized that I deeply love Alvin and he makes me laugh all the time.  He is also the most gentle and purest soul I have ever known.  I said at the beginning of this journey that I was certain that Alvin would teach me far more than I could teach him and he certainly has.  He has taught me a great deal about courage, not giving up, and that trust has to be earned.  He has also taught me that sometimes it's a blessing when you don't get what you thought you wanted.  This morning when I woke up to hot breath on my neck and looked down to see a sleeping Alvin lying across my chest with his face nuzzled in my neck, I realized that he is perfectly imperfect and he's perfect for me.  I am blessed.

I will write an update soon about how Alvin is doing.  I am convinced that Victoria Stilwell is magic and that just writing to her results in her waving a magic wand and heals dogs from afar.  Either that, or it helped for me to go back to the basics and by incorporating a couple new things, Alvin appears to be responding very well!  There have been no miracles because just tonight I called him, he ran right passed me, headed away from me, and started looking outside for me.  We're emphasizing progress, not perfection.

A Bit Discouraged

I have been a bit discouraged lately in regards to Alvin because it seems as though much of his progress has already taken place and I don't know what else to do to help him.  I went back and re-read my first five blog entries to remind myself of how far he has come and read about some of his behaviors and issues that I had completely forgotten.  Although he is doing far better than when first arriving, I get the sense that this may be about as good as it gets.  I worry that I am missing ways to help him and that I am missing important communication cues.  I actually wrote Victoria Stilwell about him.  She hosts the show on Animal Planet called, It's Me or the Dog.  If you haven't seen the show, it's a must see!  She is simply amazing and I adore her training techniques and her ability to understand dogs.  It was her technique of the sit command that I used to teach Alvin how to sit on command.  She is terribly busy but I gave it a try anyway because I think if anyone could give me insight or tips, it would be her. 

There is more literature out on canine autism and I spent much of the day reading about it.  Alvin clearly seems to fit the criteria, which makes me sad because there is no medication or cure.  I am secretly, and unrealistically hoping Victoria will write to say that she doesn't think Alvin's autistic and that there are numerous interventions.  Although he has improved, his world is still a scary, confusing place far too often.  I have no desire to change Alvin but I do have a strong desire to understand and help him, if I am missing anything.  There was some literature about giving autistic dogs a grain-free, meat only diet.  He has been on a grain-free diet since arriving in rescue, but that meat only part would require me cooking and I fear that could kill him.  I was the only female to flunk home ec. twice and resorted to paying a girl to complete my "projects".  Camp Cocker is sending me a Thundershirt.  I tried just a tight tee-shirt because some people suggested it but it resulted him him bucking and hopping throughout the house.  Wouldn't 'ya know it, all the literature speaks to the importance of not moving an autistic dog from their home or owner........great! 

Alvin has another behavior I haven't previously written about.  When I put him on the bed, he sits down and wherever he is seated, he remains.  I try to strategically place him but sometimes he moves and then sits down again.  When I go to get into bed, he simply won't move and a couple of nights ago, I tested it and ended up lightly laying on his front paws and he still wouldn't budge.  He then laid on my head and went to sleep.  It couldn't have been comfortable for him, but for whatever reason, he just won't move.  If I move him, it freaks him out but after trying to endure an Alvin hat, I finally had to move him.

It is the 4th of July and Alvin is afraid of the noises.  I am actually comforted by the fact that he is having a normal reaction to loud noises.  I did not anticipate it because of his unusual reactions to noises and didn't give him a sedative until about 9:00 PM, after I saw him pacing, circling, and the ever-telling stress signal of his mouth half open.  He doesn't jump or startle at the noises but he is now lying down asleep but panting in his sleep.  It takes so long, and so much, for the sedative to kick in and so we are going to be in for a bumpy ride for another couple of hours.  At least I will know for next year, because Lord knows he will probably be here. 

Definite Progress!

Just last night my mom was talking about what it would be like if Alvin got over his fear of being touched and she thought that he would then be a Velcro dog.  I looked at her like she was an alien and asked her what was the probability of Alvin ever getting over his issues to that extent.

Then just today, Alvin showed two signs of progress.  I have to remind myself that Alvin can't ever be counted out and his possibilities remain endless. 

First, I was over at my mom's house and I had shut the back door at my house because it was just too hot outside.  I knew that if Alvin had to go potty that he wouldn't be able to wait and he would go inside.  When I got home there was no puddle and I opened the back door and sat in a chair outside.  Alvin came right out and went potty.  I am assuming he was holding it earlier and it's the second time I have seen him be able to hold it when the door was previously closed.  I realize that most people wouldn't find that to be a big event but I was so darn proud of him!  While still sitting in the chair, I praised him and he came over to me and let me repeatedly pet his back.  He is more receptive to being pet when I am sitting, but considering I was seated up off the ground, it was definitely progress!  I am always so pleased for him in those moments because it has to feel good to be touched and it's nice when his fear doesn't get in the way and deprive him (or me) of those moments. 

I am editing this to add that after I wrote this entry, I came back again from being at my mom's house and when I opened the back door, Alvin again went right out and went potty again.  Goodness gracious, if he keeps this up I am going to have to get him his own dog to play with as a present.......just kidding, mom!

So Alvin gets a big gold star for the day!

Fearless.......Almost

While Alvin was still sedated from his hair cut, he was much braver and I was able to hug and pet him.  I had to go out to the garage to change laundry and for the first time, Alvin went out with me.  He bounded to the far side of the garage and then I heard an odd cry coming from him.  He became very afraid of something and started crying his little eyes out.  I have no idea what it was but I doubt he will be going out there again any time soon. 

Later in the day he was brave enough to bound out the front door when I was coming in.  My worst nightmare would be for Alvin to get out because I don't know how easy it would be to catch him, with all his fears and his inability to be able to process the direction of sound.  He bounded out about four feet, and much to my relief, he came right back in when I called him.  We went through this two more times and each time he came right back in.  When he is not sedated, he is good about staying inside but I have learned my lesson about the new and improved brave Alvin when sedated.

I Smell

A couple of days ago when I got out of the shower, Alvin could not get enough of me and insisted on gliding his nose up and down my arms, legs and back.  I started to question what was different and realized that I had just opened up a new bar of soap that was in a scent I had never used before.  The difference in smell caused Alvin to go on a nasal tour up and down my limbs.  I really threw him for a loop when the next day, I used a new shampoo and coupled with the recent change in soap, it was nearly too much for him.  He finally stopped smelling when he was convinced it was still me.  I don't dare change my toothpaste or lotion too, because I don't think his nose is built for as much sniffing as another change in smell would require.

Not His Best Look

I bit the bullet and shaved Stevie and Alvin down on the same night.  Alvin knew it was coming because I did Stevie first and Alvin responded by refusing to come inside and just had his head in the door while staring at me the whole time.  He ended up doing pretty well.  Of course, I sedated him.  He is shaved way down, which will definitely help for the next three weeks, until his fur grows back at lightening speed.  Unfortunately, I had to cut a lot of the fur off of his ears because he won't let me brush them and one of them was a tangled mess.  He has such beautiful ears and I hate when cockers have their ears shaved, but I had to cut them way down so we can start over again.  It isn't his best look.  He has responded to the whole thing by going outside and refusing to come back in.  He is boycotting me but I can abruptly end it by offering a treat.  Poor little guy, I wish it could be easier for him.

Red Rover, Red Rover, Alvin Won't Come Over

As you all have read in exhausting detail, Alvin doesn't do well with change.  He is getting far better at accepting change and just last night my mom was commenting on how much less he circles in response to a change in his environment.  On the whole, his circling has reduced by about 80%. 

With the heat and the need to pull out all the electrical fans from the garage, Alvin is now facing a new challenge.  Before he came to me I was warned by his former foster mom that he had chewed on two cords, both being expensive computer cords.  I made certain that there were no cords in sight before he came.  Alvin hasn't tried to chew anything since being here.  So, I pulled out the fans and there was a cord on the ground that was blocking the route he would take to get to me when I am sitting on the couch.  I use the term, blocking because it might as well as been a brick wall based on Alvin's reaction to it.  He refused to cross over the cord and it didn't matter how many times I called him, he just couldn't muster up the courage to walk over it.  There are times when I don't even venture a guess as to why, and this would be one of them.  It's just part of what makes Alvin a very memorable little boy!

Below is a video taken of Alvin at his former foster home when he chewed up his foster mom's quilt.  Make sure and watch to the very end because the last five seconds are priceless!  I find it cute because Alvin hasn't tried to chew anything of mine, heck, he can barely chew his food half the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26t0BsIgflI

Ice Cubes and Heatstroke

Due to it being so hot here and the unfortunate fact that I don't have air conditioning, I have been putting ice cubes in the dogs water bowl several times a day.  Stevie loves it and immediately starts drinking each time.  Alvin, it turns out, is afraid of ice cubes in the water bowl and finds them both scary and mystifying.  The good news is that they melt fast and he does seem to enjoy drinking cool water on our very hot days. 

With the heat, I am going to have to shave Alvin down again.  As you all probably recall, it was just two or three weeks ago that I shaved him.  It's terribly unfortunate that of all the dogs I have ever known, Alvin's fur grows the fastest.  I am going to shave him as far down as I can so that we will hopefully get at least a four week reprieve.  This is particularly necessary because Alvin tries to go out to the side of the house and lie directly in the sun when it's over 100 degrees outside.  I have written about that area being his favorite place to sleep, but in the past he knew not to be out there on really hot days.  That area is where the sun beats down the hardest and the concrete is like a stove top.  I have the door shut during the day to keep the heat out but when I have opened it, he tries to go out there and sleep.  I am thankful that I don't have a doggy door because it would be harder to control.  I don't know how long he would actually stay out there because I am always aware when he is outside on hot days and I don't give him the option to stay.  On the occasions when he has gone out there, I peak around the corner and he is lying there asleep already.  Why would he do that?  I would think that he could get heatstroke very easily.  I realize that he has his oddities but wouldn't he know it's too hot and not want to lie directly in the sun?  When I am gone, I keep the door closed because I am not going to run the risk of coming home to a cooked up Alvin.  He continues to mystify me at times, and although I usually let him freely partake in all his glorious oddities, his attempt to become a canine biscuit is one that I can't allow. 

Alvin was Trapped

It has been extremely hot here and I decided to turn on the sprinkles last night to give the lawn more water.  I didn't think it through because when I turned them on, Alvin was on the side of the house and because of where the side lawn is, he would get a very slight mist if he passed them.  He repeatedly tried to pass them but would get halfway through, stand in the only place he could get sprayed, and then retreat back to the side of the house.  After trying to coax him through it several times, I gave up and picked him up to bring him in the house.  Alvin looks so funny when he is picked up because he cranes his neck up as high as it will go and he looks like either a baby bird begging for food or a bobblehead.  Speaking of bobbleheads, wouldn't a bobblehead of Alvin be cute? 

What I didn't realize is that the experience would cause Alvin to be too afraid to go outside again.  About two hours later Alvin started to do the pee-pee dance and I could tell that he really needed to go out, but I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't go.  It dawned on me that it was due to the sprinklers having been on earlier and I had to go outside, repeatedly call him to come out, and then sit in the chair outside and wait for him to go.  The reason I had to sit in the chair is that he usually won't go unless I am seated because he gets so afraid he is going to miss out on something otherwise.  I didn't have to wait long because he really had to go and I think we narrowly missed him going in the house.  Poor Alvin, if it's not one thing, it's the sprinklers, his own shadow, electrical cords (future post), or ice cubes (another future post). 

My Disappearing Act

When I use my bathroom I leave the door open because it's only me and because Alvin likes to follow me in there.  He always comes in, does a circle and goes back out.  I can count on him to come in again and do the same thing.  He then tends to wait out in the hallway.  What is interesting is that even after he has come in twice and clearly sees where I am, when he is out in the hallway and I call him, he isn't able to figure out where I am.  I am able to spy on his through the space between the door and the frame.  My bathroom is unusually small and when entering, you can either go straight for less than eight feet or you can make a very small turn to the left, which is where the toilet is.  There are no other options, and yet, when I call him, and on the times that he eventually walks into the bathroom, he will keep looking straight ahead or even look to the right, which is where the bathtub is.  It usually takes me waving my arms for him to look left and "find" me.  What is particularly interesting is that he always looks terribly surprised and relieved to find me there, even though he just saw me there less than one minute before.  All I can say is, thank goodness I live alone because I look like an idiot sitting on the toilet, calling a dog, and waving both hands wildly in front of me to get his attention.......how much you want to bet I continue living alone for all of eternity, because one night of our antics in this house would be sure to scare any roommate or suitor away.  I'm not sad about it because when I put Alvin in bed with me and he rests his little chin on me and I feel his hot breath getting slower and deeper as he falls fast to sleep, I am reassured that as long as we have each other, we'll be just fine.  And yes, I realize that I sound like the crazy dog lady.

The Safe Spot

Alvin has a place on the side of the house where he likes to bask in the sunshine will sprawled out on the concrete.  On a nice day I can usually find him sound asleep, without a care in the world.  I have discovered that if I go to the spot and sit down that Alvin will allow me to scratch and pet him all over his back, head, and neck.  He has recently started to even place his head in my lap, with his chin resting on my leg.  If someone who didn't know Alvin were to view the scene they wouldn't know that he has any anxiety over being touched.  I so enjoy the moments when Alvin is able to seem totally normal.  I feel like a mother of a special needs child because I get so excited over very small things that other people would take for granted.  He is particularly receptive to me petting him if I go out there after having been gone from the house.  This afternoon I went out there twice after having just come home and he was just a little love bug!  I am finding that although Alvin always wags his tail whenever I praise him, if I look away and don't speak that it takes the pressure off of him and he is able to let me pet him more. 

My hope is that this will help him become more relaxed with being touched on his back and head and that over time we can do this in the house.  I especially want to be able to move it in the house because on a couple of occasions I have gone outside and sat down only to discover that Alvin didn't follow me out.  I look entirely pathetic as I am sitting at the side of my house and calling, "Alvin, honey come see mommy."  Both times my calling was in vain because of Alvin's inability to be able to locate the direction of sound and I was left begging and dogless, while Alvin was circling himself dizzy in the house trying to figure out where my voice was coming from.  I am grateful that he chose the side of the house nearest my mom's house because if she spots me sitting out there alone calling Alvin, she won't bat an eye.  She has seen far weirder things when it comes to Alvin and me.  I wouldn't want to have to explain it to my neighbor on the other side because where does one even start when trying to explain Alvin? 

On another note, thank you for your very kind notes of condolence.  I deeply appreciate them.  I will miss my grandma for the rest of my life, but I love that because of her, I have cocker spaniels in my life and I will continue to help as many of them as I can in her honor.........this sentence is going to freak my mom out because she will immediately start worrying that "honoring grandma" will result in cockers galore running through the house.  I can already picture myself saying, "well, grandma would want me to have him/her," when trying to explain why another cocker magically appeared in the house.

A question for you all

I am noticing more and more that Alvin has a lot of processing issues, many that I have written about here.  I don't know if they are getting worse, or if I am just noticing them more, as I continue to get to know him.  I suspect it's the later.

One thing I have noticed and been alarmed by, is that when I am getting something out of the oven, Alvin tries repeatedly to approach the open oven and we have had a few close calls.  Luckily, I rarely use the oven.  He is not repelled or hesitant when feeling heat.  I have never encountered this with another dog and I am wondering if this is a common behavior in dogs, or if your dogs have felt the heat and known to keep a distance?  I am trying to ascertain whether this is another processing problem for him or if it's just what dogs do.  Please leave me a comment if you have had any experience with this issue.

Thank you!

Mutiny!

I don't know what's going on but clearly there was a family meeting consisting of all three of my pets and I wasn't invited. There have been several incidents of mutiny and I am outnumbered. It started with Stevie refusing breakfast before 1:00 in the afternoon. She is a girl that really enjoys sleeping in, to the point that if I dare wake her before 1:00 in the afternoon she refuses breakfast and goes back to sleep. I feel like I am raising a teenager in canine form. I have to feed the dogs at the same time because if I feed Alvin earlier and then try to feed Stevie later, Alvin panics that he is missing out and I can only see so many of his whirly twirls until I start to get dizzy. I changed their feeding schedule to accommodate Princess Stevie and so they eat very late at night and then have what can't even be characterized as brunch because it's too late in the day.

Then there is Mister Alvin who made me almost fall down today because of his rebellion. We went over to grandma's house and Alvin was terribly excited because he hasn't been over there for nearly a week. I was so proud of him because on the way over he didn't so much as break out even one loop, pranced by my side, and knew the way to grandma's house. Once we got there, we had a grand time, complete with hot dog bites. My mom decided she would come back over to my house with us and I was proud of Alvin because he was able to go out the door and didn't attempt to run back in at the last minute. This was obviously due to the fact that my mom was coming with us. Due to my mom's fairly recent knee surgery, she walks quite a bit slower and I tend to walk ahead of her. I was walking Alvin when all of a sudden I got pulled back so hard that I started to stumble backwards. Alvin is a little thing but he managed to plant his butt and pull against me so hard that it caused me to nearly fall. I turned around to find him sitting, eyes wild, and his neck extended. He flat out refused to go further until his grandma caught up. He lovingly trotted next to her and it was clear that he was running the show.

My cat, Maddie is getting pretty old and will be 16 next month. She has always been the ideal cat, not too needy, fearless, yet cuddly. She has recently taken to meowing loudly early in the morning while demanding one of two things, a treat or affection. When she wants a treat she stands beside my bed and meows repeatedly. She actually expects me to get out of bed, go into the kitchen and get her a treat. Keep in mind that her "treat" is her own cat food, of which she has a whole bowl full, but she wants me to serve it to her on the floor in small amounts. I made the huge mistake of getting up a few times to give it to her just so she would shut up. This has led to a terribly persistent, very verbal cat. She has started a new move of now sitting on my back and meowing repeatedly when she wants me to wake up and pet her. If I give in and pet her, she will then go back to her dog bed, but then apparently gets bored because 15 minutes later she is standing on my back meowing. For a cat that has never given me one ounce of trouble, she is certainly making up for it.

They have also taken to all standing near the food container and Maddie has taken on the roll of town crier and strongly advocates for me to get up and give them each a treat. Alvin stands there literally licking his lips. They look so darn cute as a trio that I usually give in.

There are many more incidents of obstinacy, rebellion, and being terribly demanding. When reflecting on their recent behavior, I could only conclude that I had created this entire mess. I have spoiled those three to the point that I find myself actually begging them to behave, or in Maddie's case to let me sleep. I concluded that it is such a blessing that I never procreated because if I had a child, I would be the mother getting the phone calls from school and when they told me that my child was once again suspended, I would just be relieved that the little darling hadn't managed to get expelled. I have the gift of taking a lovely, undemanding animal and making them a spoiled rotten mess within hours. And so to society as a whole, when reflecting on the fact that I didn't procreate, all I can say is, you're welcome!

Alvin, the Comforter

I haven't written anything for a few days because I kept getting an error message and couldn't access my page and also because my family suffered a significant loss recently. First, I want to thank the poster who took the time and effort to give me so many ideas of how to fund raise for Camp Cocker. It was frustrating because I could read the comment but I couldn't post an acknowledgment of it before now. They were all such great ideas and once I am more back on my feet I am going to try to use some of the suggestions. Thank you so much!

 

On Sunday night, my beloved grandma died. She was the one that I used to take my dog, Timmie and also Stevie to visit at the nursing home. She had a stroke on Friday and I was able to be with her nearly 24 hours a day until she died. On Saturday night and most of Sunday I laid next to her in bed and held her. I kept my hand or head on her chest most of the time so that I could feel her heart beat because I knew that soon I would begin missing that sound and wishing that more than anything it would return. I had my head on her chest and was able to hear her last, delicate heart beat. Earlier in the day I had curled her hair and put makeup on her because she would have been very upset had she looked sick while she was dying. After she died, I redid her makeup because it has to last for all eternity. I also knew that she would not be one bit happy if she went to meet Jesus with her hair undone or with no makeup. My grandma and I were always very close and shared a very special, red head, always in trouble bond. I spent most of my childhood saying, "well, grandma would say it's okay," when trying to get out of trouble for whatever lame brained stunt I had managed to pull.

 

I am writing about my grandma because something very interesting happened with Alvin. As some of you might recall, when Timmie died and I brought him home in the container, I couldn't bury him because it was in the middle of the night. Alvin responded to it by repeatedly making a guttural groans and cries. I noticed at the time how much he responded to me crying. Granted, it was more like loud wailing and was hard to miss, but Alvin had the most concerned look on his face and kept his eyes on me the entire time. Last Sunday afternoon I came home from the hospital to feed them dinner and to spend a few minutes with them. I sat on the floor because I needed the comfort of a dog and knew that Alvin is much more receptive to being touched when I am sitting down. Alvin responded by standing as close to me as he ever has, putting his head in my lap, and letting me pet him all over without backing away even once. He then leaned in and gave me one little kiss on my nose.  It was a marked difference to how he has ever been before, even in his most affectionate moments.

 

After my grandma died Sunday night, I came home and Alvin was very tuned into me. His eyes never left me. My mom came over a little while later and as you all know, I just don't exist in Alvin's world when she arrives. My mom pointed out that Alvin didn't even look her way and continued to circle around me, while staring at me. Later that night, I started crying again and saw Alvin with such a concerned look again. I put him in bed with me and he rested his chin on me all night long.

 

Alvin has since gotten over it and is back to "normal". Stevie was oblivious to the whole thing, which was fine. I found it appropriate that a cocker spaniel would be the one to comfort me through my grandma's death because my grandma was the one that started our now three generations of cocker spaniel lovers. She and my grandpa got a cocker named Maggie for my mom and aunts when they were little and the love of cocker spaniels started there.

So, to my grandma! I will love her always!

My grandma dancing at my brother's wedding just two months ago.  She's fist pumping with the best of them!

                      My brother having a chat with one of the most important women in his life.

                                              Our last picture as four generations.

My brother having the last dance with his grandma and me bawling my eyes out in the background.

My first effort at fundraising

This is what I wrote so far to go on the internet.  Wish me luck!

Hi all you fellow dog lovers! This is Janet White, a Camp Cocker foster parent and former adopter. I feel compelled to write this plea because for the past five years I have watched Camp Cocker Rescue go from a one woman show, with a handful of dogs to a rescue that saves close to 200 hundred cockers a year, with the help of many of you who have been kind enough to volunteer in all kinds of ways. This has been possible solely due to donations, which were made by many of you reading this. As you probably know, Cathy Stanley has started to lease a boarding facility so that Camp Cocker can now save more cockers. This is such a promising development but sadly, donations are way down and Camp Cocker simply cannot continue to rescue as many dogs unless we all find a way to get more donations. The sad reality is that on any given day, ten new cockers come into Los Angeles area shelters and only about half make it out. Every day lives are lost due to the sad fact that rescues do not get enough funding and foster parents. Their deaths are entirely preventable.

When I reflect on the lives saved by Camp Cocker, I get teary because so many of the dogs were the ones that animal lovers beg for a rescue to save but most rescues pass them by because they require expensive medical treatment. You have all seen the pictures of the particularly down and out cockers and people begging Camp Cocker to save them. Camp Cocker has become the go-to rescue when a situation seem hopeless. We all cheer for the lives saved but rescuing these precious souls cost money - a lot of money.

I think of Timmie, a dog that had been hit by a car, shattering his pelvis. He was in pain, in the Bakersfield shelter with little hope of being rescued. A volunteer for Camp Cocker drove from Los Angeles to Bakersfield on Christmas Eve to rescue him. It turned out it was an old injury and by the look of how emaciated he was, he had been out on the street trying to fend for himself while on three legs. He fully recuperated and I have enclosed a video of him shortly after his surgery, with Jenny, another cocker who probably would have died in a shelter because she had cataracts and could not see well. Jenny got cataract surgery and her then foster mom said she reacted by pressing her face against her foster mom's face and just staring at her. Jenny was subsequently adopted by her foster mom. What a tragic waste it would have been had they both died in a crowded scary shelter. Timmie went on to be a regular visitor at a local nursing home and would get in bed with the residents and allow them to pull, hug, and tug on him. He was an absolute shining light. I am currently fostering a dog named Stevie and a dog named Alvin, both who would have surely died had it not been for Camp Cocker. Alvin had bad knees and that one, correctable problem would have surely cost him his life had Camp Cocker not stepped in. Then there is Stevie who was older, black, blind, and deaf. The usually hardened shelter staff just didn't have the heart to put her to sleep and so she remained there for two months. After Camp Cocker rescued Stevie, she was able to get cataract surgery and see again. It turned out that she was younger than she appeared and is a happy, very humorous little being who is full of life and love. I also think of Stuart, a beautiful, young cocker spaniel who had been hit by a car and the owner turned him into the shelter stating that he couldn't pay for her care because he was remodeling his house. Camp Cocker went right down, rescued Stuart, and got him to a vet where he could get pain medication because he was in a great deal of pain. He had his surgery and also fully recovered. What became of Stuart? His mom did a lot of training with Stuart and he was so good that he was a star on an episode the television show, Saved, on Animal Planet. Not only did he fully heal but he now does agility!

There are countless stories like the ones I just shared and right now, today, there are many Timmie's, Stevie's, Alvin's, and Stuart's sitting in scary, dirty shelters waiting to be saved. Sadly, Camp Cocker cannot go get them and take them out of what can only be described as hell because there is no more money to do so. Please, do consider making a donation to Camp Cocker, whether big or small, every cent goes directly for the care of the dogs. Please also consider reaching out to people you know who might be willing to donate, and spread the plea far and wide. Camp Cocker's actual donor base is quite small and so the standard donations are not enough and the dogs in shelters awaiting euthanizing need us all to reach out, dig a little deeper, and help them. Some of you have become monthly donors and if you haven't done so yet, please consider being one. Also, for those you who are monthly donors, could you possibly up your monthly donation amount, even by just a few dollars? It is too sad to see so many beautiful dogs die in shelters simply due to lack of money. Camp Cocker has the time, the facility, the love to help many more dogs if we can just start raising more money. This is truly a matter of life or death! Thank you for your consideration! Here is a link to a new chipin and all donations will go directly to Camp Cocker and the dogs!

http://wigglebutthelp.chipin.com/camp-cocker-rescue

Below is a link to one of the most beautiful rescue stories I have ever known, and it was only possible because Camp Cocker rescued Stanley. Your eyes do not decieve you, he is not a cocker, but rather, a pitbull who simply had to be saved. I have also posted a few other videos of the dogs mentioned above.

Stanley video - Just One Dog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvZrQZAinMQ

Timmie and Jenny video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyyIrFglLws

Stevie in the shelter
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=418852401047&set=vb.666296047&type=2&theater

Stevie seeing for the first time right after her surgery. She kept looking out the window
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Im-RDKYfJ0

Alvin the bumblebee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTbIisRDDQE

Stuart helping out with home checks
http://blip.tv/camp-cocker/stuart-does-a-home-check-in-alameda-calif-5250964

                                                                   Alvin loves kids

Stevie the love bug

                              Stuart, little did he know he was about to become a television star

                                                           Timmie smushing Alvin

I could use your help

Camp Cocker, the rescue that saved Alvin, Stevie, and Timmie are experiencing a significant drop in donations, which means they can't continue to rescue as many cockers as before.  Camp Cocker means so much to me because of the dogs they are willing to save.  My dog Timmie had a fractured pelvis and would have surely been put to sleep had Camp Cocker not rescued him.  They knew that he was going to require an expensive surgery and most rescues pass those dogs up.  Timmie completely healed from the surgery and spent time visiting elderly people in a nursing home.  He was the most joyful dog I have ever known.  Then there was blind, deaf old Stevie who sat for months in a very scary shelter until Camp Cocker rescued her.  Then Alvin, who in the world other than Camp Cocker would have rescued him because not only was he odd, but he had two bad knees that required surgery.  So, I feel compelled to help try to fund raise for them but I don't know how.  I am wondering if any of you have any suggestions on how to fund raise?  We can't do events because it cost money to hold events and there is none of that at this time.  I am wondering if any of you know good ways to solicit donations online?  My sense of urgency comes from the fact that on any given day there are at least 10 cockers going into LA shelters and only about half make it out.  Camp Cocker currently has about 25-30 cockers and although they have room for more, they don't have the funding to pay for their medical needs.  If any of you have any suggestions on how I can help fund raise, please do let me know!  Thank you so very much!

P.S. I found Alvin's food bowl about 1/4 filled today and it was two hours after breakfast time.  He had clearly been distracted by something, wandered off, and forgot about the food in the bowl.  Good grief!  To make matters more nutty, my mom just brought over dog cookies for them and then gave them a wee bit of milk so they could have cookies and milk with grandma.  Yes, we are both mentally losing it and it's all the dogs fault!

You Know What Alvin?

I almost tripped right over your head.  This is what I heard from my mom as she was trying to make dinner for us in the kitchen.  It was much nicer than what she had said the night before when Alvin hurt her and I heard her say something similar to thank you, but it was definitely not thank you, and she said it four times in a row.  Alvin's response?  To just get closer to her.  While cooking in the kitchen she told Alvin and Stevie who were glued to her, "you aren't very well behaved children.  You're the kind of kids that only get invited over once for a play date."  Luckily Stevie is deaf so these comments aren't a blow to her self esteem and Alvin isn't phased by it a bit. 

On a different note, sure enough Alvin has to go to the right every time when exiting the back door and so we will keep the sprinkler schedule for 5:00 AM and hope it doesn't interfere with the time when he has to go potty.  So odd!

Waring With Elvis

I tell 'ya, give a bird an inch and he'll take a strawberry.  Elvis, the bird is now stealing from not only me, but Stevie as well.  For those you who don't know, I caught Stevie last strawberry season going out early in the morning and although she was completely blind at the time, she would go to each strawberry plant, sniff until she found the ripe strawberries and then gingerly pluck them off and eat them.  Unfortunately, I discovered this late in the season and even after putting the containers up out of Stevie's reach, I only got to enjoy one of my own strawberries because the season was over.  This year I have been waiting with baited breath, knowing that the strawberries would be all mine.  I was confused because although they started producing early, I have only found one ripe strawberry, with all the others disappearing when they were still white or very light pink.  I am naive and thought that since it's early in the season that they had just shrivelled up and died.  That was until I witnessed with my own two eyes, Elvis ripping me off blind.  Not only was it Elvis but he brought his wife (they're married in the bird world) to steal from me as well.  I have since concluded that any being named Elvis cannot be trusted, even though I named him.  There was only one Elvis and the rest are just sorry impostors.  Clearly it's not enough that not only do I let Elvis come into my house for meals but I leave a plate of food out for him for easier access.  Before I could think things through logically, I made my best crazy person impression and went out with a handful of the dog food he likes and actually yelled, "Elvis, don't eat the strawberries.  Here's your food."  I immediately heard myself and prayed the neighbors didn't hear me because I sounded like a lunatic.  I guess I am now going to have to cover the strawberries, but it might serve me better to conclude that clearly, I am not meant to grow strawberries.  I found myself genuinely irritated at the bird because if I'm not going to get to enjoy the berries, I would far rather them go to Stevie. 

As I write this, Stevie is curled up next to me on the couch and has kicked me at least 10 times, trying to get me to move so she can have more room.  Long ago, I concluded that I get no respect from the dogs but now I realize that even the bird world is thumbing their beaks at me.  Maybe I should get a goldfish.

Cuddle Time With Alvin

I continue to enjoy bedtime with Alvin because he allows me to scratch and pet him all over when we are on the bed together. I also love waking up to him lunging across me while not having a care in the world. I have been trying to spend more time sitting on the ground outside with him because he is most relaxed while outdoors and feels far less threatened when I am sitting at his level. He has been able to spend progressively more time standing next to me while I scratch and pet him. I have found that if I look away from him and don't talk to him that he can stand there for longer. I look like an idiot sitting on the concrete on the side of my house (his favorite sunning area) while pretending to be super casual, as though I hardly notice that I'm petting him. We have had a couple of sessions where I was able to pet him until my arm got tired.

The great news is that the nose tapping, sniffing behavior towards my mom has temporarily ceased. He still likes to be around her but is able to leave her feet and legs alone. I do often find him to be on the outside part of the doorway, looking in at her while she is seated in the chair and he sits and watches her like a TV. Anytime she moves, he runs in to see if maybe she is about to do something fantastic that he can be a part of.  If you are the center of Alvin's affections, you just can't help but feel important and valued.  I hope it doesn't go to her head and starts being difficult to be around because if one is to gauge Alvin's response to her, she's nearly famous.

Chef Grandma

My mom came over last night with some groceries she had bought for the dogs and cooked them dinner.  She prefers not to cook at all and certainly not for animals, but she has recently decided that she would like to make occasional meals for Alvin and Stevie, and yes, Maddie, the cat gets in on the action too.  The dogs could not have been more excited and stayed at her feet the whole time.  While waiting for the food to cool, my mom came into the living room and sat down.  Alvin stood and stared at her for a long time and then he just couldn't wait any longer and jumped up, placing his two front paws on her knees and remained there while just staring at her.  She kept getting her face closer and closer to his and he leaned in to get his face closer to hers, while furiously wagging his little tail.  He knew what was up and just couldn't wait another minute.  He was persuasive because my mom got up, checked the temperature of the food and announced that dinner was served.  They both gobbled up the dinner, while I took Maddie's into where she can be found nearly 24 hours a day, which remains the biggest, plushiest "dog" bed in the house.  She cooked enough for breakfast tomorrow and listed off the ingredients she is going to buy to try new meals for them.  We were discussing what a good cook she probably is in the canine world when she took a piece of gum out of her mouth and I told her just to place it on a plate that was on the coffee table and I would dispose of it later.  I know Stevie didn't see her do it because I saw where she was at the time.  Within 60 seconds, Stevie had located the source of a little piece of chewed up gum, and got on her back feet to lift the gum off the plate.  I didn't point out the fact that we could hardly gauge her canine cooking abilities when one of her two test dogs was thrilled with a piece of chewed up gum.  Just when you 'ya think you're all that, a dog can humble you within seconds.

Go Left

I was sitting on the couch last night and saw Alvin madly circling and then squat and poop on the floor.  The back door was open and I was perplexed as to why he was going inside because he has become fully house trained and only goes potty in the house when it's rainy outside.  I ran outside and started calling him and he started to go outside, would begin to turn right, and then run back in the house.  I realized then what the problem was.  Normally the sprinklers turn on early in the morning but I had turned them on for an extra cycle.  There is only one small patch of grass very near the right side of the house.  I went out onto the patio where the sprinklers don't spray.  The problem was that Alvin was unable to turn left towards me and kept insisting on going right where the sprinklers were spraying.  He repeatedly tried to come out but had to retreat back inside because of the sprinklers.  I have never noticed it before but I suspect that his pattern when exiting the house is to go right and he was unable to deviate from his pattern, even when there is an entire patio that is sprinkler free.  I choose my battles and this wasn't one where I was going to spend time trying to "train" him into deviating from his autistic pattern and instead, I just won't have the sprinklers on during probable potty times.  If it's not the rain, it's the sprinklers.

Behind Door Number One

I have mentioned this before but the fact that Alvin is completely unable to hear a noise and then process where the noise is coming from became glaringly obvious the other day while we were visiting my mom's house.  He clearly hears fine but he has no ability to process the noise to determine where the noise came from.  It is one of the oddest things to watch and I am definitely going to get it on video so you all can see it.  Here is what happened at my mom's house.  All four of us went outside (Stevie included) and I shut the french glass door behind us.  We all walked passed Alvin so he saw that we were not in the house and he saw my mom and I sit down on chairs about 30 feet from the door.  Alvin stayed near the door and so I called him.  He heard me calling and began looking in the glass as though he thought we were inside.  He started to do his circles and would look in our general direction. I stood up, started loudly calling him while waving both of my arms and yet, he could not spot me.  He continued looking through the glass and then circling.  I was stumped that even when he would circle and look in our direction that he was unable to spot me wildly waving.  His vision seems fine but he can't focus on anything when he is circling.  I finally had to walk towards him, while continuing to wave my hands and call him.  I walked up the ramp to the porch, which is noisy and ended up having to tap him on the back before he was able to spot me.  He looked so relieved to have "found" us.  He then trotted down the ramp, spent a minute with us, then turned and went back up the ramp, went to the glass door and started the insanity all over again.  He again started looking through the glass door for us and the more I called him, the more he was convinced that we were inside the house.  My mom and I just looked at each other without ever saying a word.  I would have thought it was just a matter of him really wanting back in the house but the look (three times) of relief when I tapped him on the back and he "found" us made it clear that he really thought that somehow we were in there.  We ended up packing it up and all going inside because it was too frustrating for all three of us otherwise.

Alvin's Locked in the Bathroom

My mom boiled two whole chickens (show off) and made a rice and chicken concoction for the dogs.  Alvin loves it but it's giving him absolute fits because he can't eat it in mouthfuls and ends up spitting most of out.  Not only does it create a mess but about nine years later, he finally finishes his meal.  Stevie is able to pound the food down and then acts like a crazed lunatic as she approaches Alvin's bowl and lunges for his food.  I have tried every which way to fend her off but it's useless because Alvin takes one little bite, spits it out, and then goes to each piece of rice and tries to eat it again.  It it such a mess that I can't feed him in one of the carpeted bedrooms and so out of desperation, I locked him in the bathroom to finish eating today.  It turns out that there is a huge gap between the bathroom door and floor, which I had never noticed before because I have never been on my hands and knees trying to peak into my own bathroom.  But there I was, craning to see if Alvin was indeed eating or just circling himself silly.  It turned out to be a combination of both.  He must have enjoyed it though because he let out a burp so loud that I think it put a dent in the door.  So, now he will be in the bathroom when eating my mom's home cooking, which ironically is where I often end up after eating my mom's cooking..........ducking now.

I Can't Compete

Yesterday I took Alvin over for an unannounced visit to my mom's house.  When first arriving, Alvin started dancing around searching for the bologna, but due to his cognitive limitations, he couldn't remember which room had the bologna in it and began frantically searching throughout the house, looking in boxes and on shelves that are low to the ground.  As I was opening the refrigerator my mom informed me that she had bought a new package of bologna just for him.  After feeding him a piece and visiting with my mom, I was getting ready to take him home and my mom put on her best grandma guilt voice and said, "well, give him another piece before he leaves."  It was at that moment that I realized that I am competing with the grandma factor.  Whenever Alvin goes over there he gets all kinds of treats and so of course my house is boring because I'm the mom with the healthy food.  I quit eating meat about five years ago but since I used to eat meat, it doesn't particularly gross me out but I have discovered that bologna is disgusting.  I have also discovered that the grosser the meat, the more the dogs love it.

While we were at her house, Alvin started to do his pee-pee dance and so I went outside and called and called him to come out too.  He becomes so fearful that he is going to miss something that he acts like a child who holds their crotch and dances, but doesn't want to take the time to go to the bathroom for fear they will miss out.  I finally got him on the lawn and he immediately urinated.  When we came back inside I very excitedly told my mom who then crouched down to tell Alvin how smart he is.  I told her that it seemed like he was learning where to go potty at her house but she interrupted me to claim that he already knows.  She was referencing the fact that on two occasions when he had to go, my mom sensed it before I did (I still don't know what she saw), opened the back door and he immediately went out and went potty.  She remains very proud of the fact that she called it before I did, that I argued with her that he didn't have to go, and then both times he went straight outside and pottied for her. 

When we left her house, Alvin didn't put on the brakes or try to run back inside before the door shut.  We both praised him and my mom being on a high from the display of normalcy then shouted, "see if he can find his way back home."  I just looked at her while Alvin continued to loop around me and I asked her how in the world we could ever determine if he was actually headed for home when he won't walk in a straight line.  She then laughed and made fun of us while we looped back home.  Alvin won't hold it against her though because she's the bologna grandma and his loyalty runs deep.

Not in Front of the Children

Before I start this post, let me concede that my mom and I may be certifiably crazy.  So, for any of you who advocate for me adopting Alvin, this post should cause you to pause and reconsider your stance.

Today Stevie was snuggled up next to me on the couch and I slid her over, put her in my lap and scratched her in all her favorite places.  While scratching her, I said, "You're mine.  You belong to us."  My mom responded by telling me not to say that in front of Alvin because it could hurt his feelings.  I would have liked to have responded by telling her she was crazy and that a dog can't understand what humans are saying, but I couldn't say a word because of my own behavior.  Once in a while my mom lovingly makes jokes about Alvin and I involuntarily respond by sounding horrified and saying, "don't you talk like that!  What if he understands what you just said?"  I know it's utterly ridiculous but I always think of people in comas when people talk in front of them, only to find out later the person could hear and understand them.  Granted, that would be a human I am talking about and Alvin is not only a dog but one that doesn't comprehend quite a bit, but crazily, I still try to cover the base of insanity.  I can't even comfort myself with the erroneously held belief that if a person thinks that they are crazy then they're not crazy, because crazy people don't know that they are crazy.  It turns out, that is not true and that there are crazy people who know they are crazy, and all signs are pointing the fact that I am one of them.  Much to your relief, Alvin remains up for adoption and may be able to escape Casa Crazy.

Alvin's a Bruiser

I just gave Stevie a bath and one would expect that due to Alvin being deathly afraid of getting baths that he would have run far away and hide.  If he had done so, I would not now be sporting a blossoming bruise.  After taking Stevie out of the bath I was leading her to a dry towel on the floor for her to roll on and there was Alvin, not only in the way but refusing to move.  I began to trip with nowhere to go and yelled at Alvin to move but he is utterly oblivious to loud voices and he stood his ground.  This caused me to propel into the side of the doorway and I connected with the tip of my shoulder bone.  It hurt like nobodies business and to top it off, there stood Alvin actually begging for a treat.  This caused me to actually swear at him and I said, "damnit Alvin that really hurt", and he responded by continuing to beg for a treat.  For the life of me, I can't figure out how a dog who can run away in fear from utterly harmless objects will insist on standing in the way of feet, even after being accidentally kicked on a regular basis.  It is such an issue that I constantly think about where my feet are when walking anywhere because if I don't, I am bound to trip on him and go sprawling.  How is it that nine months later he still hasn't caught on?  It is far more frustrating right now because my shoulder really hurts and I am bound to be sporting a big, fat bruise soon.  In the meantime, treat time is suspended.  Who else would have the nerve to trip someone, cause them to hurl into the door, and then ask for a treat?  Good thing he is so darn cute and that has served him well on many of occasions, particularly right now!

Alvin's Soul Mate?

My mom recently taught a water safety class to K-2nd graders at the school in which she recently retired. They also included the two special education classes, one of which my mom occasionally subs for the regular teacher. After the class, the special ed teacher brought up one of her autistic students who needed to be able to touch and feel the props my mom used. He was a little guy, maybe first grade and was as cute as they make them. I was immediately struck with how loving and patient the teacher was, so much so that when driving home I became emotional because I thought of how much a parent would want that kind of treatment for their child, and with a class of nine other, very time and energy consuming children, it would be easy to over look the needs he had to feel everything. She took each item he requested and let him feel and hold them. While watching him, I instantly thought of Alvin. The little boy had the same kind of innocence that Alvin has. It's difficult to put into words how innocent Alvin is but I saw it in this child. Of course, there was the similarity of needing to touch everything, but they also shared a gentleness and quietness about them. The teacher reminded me of how my mom and I interact with Alvin when we allow him to nose bump new things. Because of Alvin's innocence and quietness, one can't help but to be slow, quiet, gentle, and patient with him. He really brings out the best in people. I am certain that Alvin is autistic and autism does occur in dogs. I began to wonder how Alvin would respond to a quiet, gentle autistic child. Because most autistic children don't make eye contact, I don't know if Alvin's odd stare down behavior he does with children would scare them, but so often Alvin misses the mark and is staring at their knees, shoes, or wherever. He allows kids to touch him far more than he will allow adults and so I don't know if an autistic child's need to touch would scare Alvin or not. I would love to take this child and see because they clearly demonstrated similar qualities and behaviors. I wonder if an autistic child would be Alvin's soul mate in understanding him. There is a code to be cracked with Alvin and although I take guesses, I know that I am very limited in understanding his needs and behaviors. I am certain they all mean something even though it often looks like nonsense but as a non-autistic human, I just don't get it most of the time. Maybe Alvin's calling is to be a therapy dog for an autistic child, although he very well might loop the kid into traffic or constantly trip him when he wraps his leash around their ankles. So, although his therapy dog career could end in disaster, I have a feeling there is something to be learned about him through the eyes of autistic children. Stay tuned.......

You're Killing Me

I always appreciate when you readers take the time to write comments and I have carefully read all the new ones as to why I need to adopt Alvin.  I am so weak when it comes to him that every comment makes me even more shaky in my resolution that he should be adopted by someone else.  I really can't argue with any of your comments.  My biggest hold up is that I am currently renting a home and the landlord is very animal friendly and told me that I could have as many animals as I wanted.  I actually made her come up with a limit for fear that if she didn't, I would end up with Noah's Ark minus the Ark.  I also have a large back yard here.  Living in the bay area of California, it is rare to be able to rent a house that has a back yard and even rarer to find a landlord that allows so many pets.  I don't know how long I will be able to rent this house because they had previously mentioned wanting to sell it in five years and I have been here for four-and-a-half years.  I don't think I can afford to buy it for what they will want for it.  Alvin in a home without a backyard would be a disaster because he doesn't have the concept of holding it and I don't think it's a concept he will ever get.  When he has to go, he has to go and so I would contend with constant messes and can you imagine if it were carpeted?  Also, I don't know who would rent to a person with two dogs and a cat?  He has been here now for nearly nine months and so who knows, I may end up taking a leap of faith and adopting him but for right now, all of his needs are being met and since there hasn't even been one adoption application in the nearly two-and-a-half years that he has been with Camp Cocker Rescue, I don't think he is going anywhere anytime soon.  Plus, can you imagine the scrutiny I would put the perspective adopter under?  I would bet that I would be met with a frustrated replay of, "listen lady, I'm just trying to adopt a dog.  I don't know why you are insisting on interviewing all my neighbors, doing a criminal background check and asking for a note from my mother.  And why again do you think you are going to need to spend the night for the first month that he is here, and what is the hidden camera for?"  Forget Alvin being hard to adopt, I would be the one that everyone would flee from.  So, for now he remains Alvin Stanley, but if truth be told, I have tried out the name Alvin White on him a few times and I do like the sound of it.

Mealtime Shouldn't be This Complicated

Good grief!  Mealtime has become exhausting.  Alvin has the attention span of a gnat and it has become increasingly problematic during mealtimes.  Backing up for a minute, Stevie has started to be a light eater.  I thought she wasn't liking her food anymore so I changed it, but she often remains disinterested in eating.  I have found that if I put some food directly on the ground that she thinks it's a treat and will eat it.  So, now I measure out her food in in a bowl and then take handfuls and put it on the ground.  Meanwhile, Maddie, the cat thinks it's treat time and comes out and meows her head off until I take some of her food out of her dish and put it on the ground as well.  Then there's Alvin who drives me nuts during mealtimes.  He used to be so good at staying by his bowl and gobbling down his food.  I had never seen a dog eat so fast and I attributed his loud burps after mealtimes to having inhaled his food.  It turns out that he burps like a trucker no matter how quickly or slowly he eats his food.  He has recently started to leave his bowl anytime I move and the problem is that once he leaves his bowl, he can't remember where it is and then trots around the house trying to find his food.  If Stevie leaves her bowl, there's a noise, I make the mistake of moving, or Maddie meows, Alvin loses focus, runs around, and can't find his bowl until I go over, stand over his bowl, and put my hand in it so the food makes noise, while saying, "Alvin, here's your food."  I have no idea why this started but we have to go through this several times during each meal.  I tend to be internally impatient because it just seems so obvious to me.  On a few occasions, I waited to see how long it would take for him to find it but after watching him circle around thoroughly confused, I didn't have the heart to watch him struggle and so I get up and show him his food again.  I have started feeding them right next to me so that when he wanders away, I can quickly bend over and jingle his food again.  Stevie then often stops eating half way through and decides that she will indeed eat food out of a bowl, as long as it's Alvin's.  I have lost count of how many times I end up getting up, getting another bowl for Alvin, and starting over again, with about 90% of the time, Stevie losing interest in the food within seconds of me returning.  Then Alvin starts dancing between the bowls and eating out of each one of them.  The obvious solution would be to then take one of the bowls away but nearly every time I do so, Stevie decides she wants to eat of a bowl again and starts even Alvin's food, leaving him with none. 

Even when I put four or five pieces of Alvin's kibble on the floor as a treat for him, if I don't stand there until he is finished, he inevitably follows me and then can't remember where the treat is.  Even when I stand right there, inevitably something distracts him and his search for the food starts up.  To make matters more complicated, I changed their food to small pieces of kibble because I thought maybe Stevie had stopped eating her food because it was large pieces of kibble and maybe it was hard for her to eat because of her aging teeth.  I even started soaking her food, but it's now clear that her not eating isn't due to teeth issues.  So now I have small kibble and with all of Alvin's issues with chewing, he can't hold multiple pieces of the small kibble in his mouth and they end up falling out of his mouth.  It now takes him much longer to eat, which I would consider to be a good thing due to the past inhalation of food issues, but criminy, with his new wandering problem, it takes us so long to get through one meal.  He then has a second meal finding all the pieces of kibble scattered all over the floor.  We are going back to the bigger pieces of kibble and if this continues, I am going to force Alvin to eat in on the bed because he can't get down and will have a much smaller space to hunt for his food when he loses it.  My life and my house have been taken over by three, very "unique" little beings and one doesn't even have to ask the question, who has trained who, because the answer is so darned obvious.

My Mom Claims That Alvin Makes Her Sick - Video Included

Isn't she just rotten?  Alvin has constantly watery eyes.  Two different vets diagnosed him with distichia, which is a condition where the eye lashes grow into the eyes and irritate them.  So, we went to an eye specialist three hours away where we managed to throw $800 down the drain and traumatize Alvin.  After lasering off the offending eye lashes, his eyes watered just as much.  I am wondering if he has a food allergy but he is on food that has no wheat, corn, or soy and I have changed the protein base, but to no avail.  His eyes do not appear sensitive or irritated.  Due to his eyes watering all the time, moisture accumulates and it causes a smell similar to rotten milk.  I noticed the smell when he was still in his foster home and I thought it was kind of gross.  Since he has been here, unlike my mom, I fully accept Alvin, with all of his flaws and no longer smell his face stench.  You can only smell it if you get really close or you rub your hand on his face.  My mom seems extra sensitive to it and claims to get nauseated by it.  It is nearly useless to bathe him because within about 36 hours the smell is back and neither Alvin nor I can survive baths three times a week.  He was on antibiotics once for it because the moisture causes a yeast infection, but the vet said it was probably useless because if moisture continued to accrue, the infection would come right back.  The skin isn't irritated and it doesn't appear to cause him any discomfort.  You can imagine how he reacts to having his face wiped down, but I do it when my mom starts claiming nausea.  We often have to do it twice, with scented wipes until he passes the grandma test, who clearly has a nose of a blood hound.  Could Alvin catch just a slight break?  Of all people to nauseate, of course it has to be his biggest love.  It's sad to see him looking adoringly at her while she responds by gagging.  If anyone has any suggestions, please pass them our way because I think it's hard on his self esteem to gaze at his love and see her respond by holding her nose and gagging.  I suspect that he isn't the first male to get that response from a woman, but it surely can't be good on any males self esteem.

I broke down and gave him a bath this morning, after having sedated him with three times the amount that would work on any other dog.  I detest giving him baths because even with the sedative, he is so scared and unhappy.  Trying to shampoo and then wash off a dog's face that is scared of water and touch is just short of torture. 

After the bath, I put a bowl of food next to the wall heater so that he would dry off a bit.  It is so hard to towel him dry because he squirms and is generally scared.  I always put dry towels on the floor and sometimes he knows to dry himself off on them but often doesn't remember.  This was one of the times that he didn't remember and so we utilized the wall heater.  I don't think I have mentioned it yet, but Stevie has taken to refusing to eat out of bowls and I now have to put small handfuls of her food on the floor so that she mistakes it as a treat.  I'll be darned if she didn't miraculously decide that she wanted to eat out of a bowl and shoved Alvin out of the way.  I then went and got a second bowl of food and put it near the other bowl and Stevie responded by straddling both bowls so Alvin couldn't get near the heater.  I then took the bowl and put it near me but she insisted on going back to Alvin's bowl and shoving him out of the way.  I finally had to hold her by the collar, while she stubbornly tried to go back to the bowl, and held her until Alvin was finished.  She drove me nuts!

We made this video to guilt grandma into no longer complaining about Alvin's smell.  I should video the actual bath for her to see the trauma (for both of us) when I have to wash his face.  It's a big price to pay for appeasing a woman with the sense of smell of the Bionic Woman and the stomach sensitivity of a bulimic.  I hope she feels really bad after watching the video because Alvin and I sure did.

I hope the day remains cool because right now we have the heat pumped up to 78 degrees so Alvin won't get cold.  Grandma's nose isn't on our popular list right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7J0K9K89sU&feature=youtu.be

A Video of Alvin Trying to Eat a Hot Dog

I finally tried to video Alvin eating a piece of hot dog to give you an idea of how he struggles to get mushy foods into his mouth.  I noticed while playing the video back that there are pieces of his kibble strewn about the floor.  I had interrupted his breakfast to film the hot dog, and when he eats, he walks around and because the kibble is small, it falls out of his mouth and goes all over the place.  We are going to switch to bigger kibble again but with the small kibble he ends up getting a second meal while cleaning up all the dropped bits. 

I also noticed that the hot dog piece looks much bigger on camera - my whole hand looks much bigger on camera.  In reality, the hot dog piece is a very reasonable bite size.  What the camera does not capture is how hard I am pressing to get it past his front teeth and tongue and it usually bounces back out. 

On the second try at sitting, he hesitates, which is very rare for him when a hot dog is present.  I realized after the fact, that it was a demonstration of how when I hold a treat in my "wrong" hand or there is anything different, in this case the camera, how he often doesn't know to sit.  Compared to how much he usually struggles to comprehend the command, sit when I try it with my left hand, he did remarkably better this time.  It is common that if I try to give the treat to him with my left hand, am sitting instead of standing, or have anything else in my hand that he stands gazing at me, with a confused look and doesn't know to sit.  He is a dog that needs everything to be exactly the same in order to comprehend the command.

Last, I just missed the opportunity to get my cat, Maddie on tape because every single time I give treats or feed the dogs, she hears it (she is supposedly nearly deaf), comes out, sits for her turn, and meows if I am not fast enough in giving her a treat too.  She had just come out and received her treat before I had though to pick up the camera.  I will get her another time.

 Here is a link to the his video.  Kind of interesting, but very odd, huh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmKvuFKe3PI