The (nearly) perfect dog

It's been a while, but that's okay. Hogan has turned into a lovely dog. He finally had a couple of accidents (peed in his crate) (pooped on the kitchen floor under the table), but they were both actually my fault. He hated the crate bed. I think he accepted it when first here because he was being very, very good, but I noticed that he was kind of tearing it up. I put a pillowcase on it and that worked for a few days, then he peed all over it. Ugh! I washed the bed and put a different pillowcase on it, and pow! he did it again. The time he pooped was when I was on a chat with a customer service rep. Hogan never lets me know when he has to go outside; I have to guess. But this time he was sitting at my feet looking at me with begging eyes. I knew he had to go, but couldn't stop the chat with the person from India. Next thing I knew, I smelled poop. At least he did it under the table on the linoleum floor making for easy cleanup.

But all of this was over a month ago. I bought a new bed for his crate, one much more comfortable, and there's been nary an accident. And now that he lets me know with his begging eyes that he has to poop, there's not been another accident. Of course I have come to know when he has to even without his begging eyes.

I've stopped crating him at night and let him sleep with me. I swore I would never do this, but he's very comforting and he loves it. Sometimes he gets under the cover and snuggles with me either in front of my stomach or at the back of my knees, other times he is outside of the cover and snuggles up to my chest, sometimes he's either under or over the cover at the foot of the bed, and sometimes he's either under or over the cover curled up to my back. This is a little strange for me, as I've always had cats and they always chose just one place to snuggle. Hogan has quite a variety, or maybe he's just experimenting.

He still loves to go on walks, although for the past few days I haven't been taking him. Got an allergic reaction which involved rashes and seriously puffy eyes, but it's going away now. I really really need to go to sleep now!

The Hogan Song (sang to the tune of Hogan's Heroes)

Okay, I couldn't help it. I tried to keep from doing it but nothing worked.

Hogan, Hogan, you're the very best,
Better than the rest,
In the north, south, east and west.
Hogan, Hogan, you are my dog
You sleep like a log
But other than that
You're the very super best dog!

UPDATE:

(First three lines didn't change)
Hogan, Hogan, I am so lucky
You are my puppy,
It's great to be so very blessed!

Rules and regulations - dogs are VERY expensive!

Just the heart worm and flea/tick pills are nearly $100 for a three-month supply. That's better than my sweetheart having fleas or heart worms, but back in the 50s dogs had fleas and occasionally died of heart worms. My own dog as a child went through that, and I would never want Hogan to suffer that way, so I guess I'll have to pay the price for heart worm and flea medication. Not to mention all the other regular vaccinations they need, such as rabies. So just regular upkeep is going to be about a thousand a year, not to mention extra mileage taking him for walks and doggie day care for when I'm going to be tied up for the better part of the day.

I found the PERFECT doggie day care for Hogan, yes! They are so nice and take the dogs out to pee and poop in the grass yard as opposed to having to be confined to a cement "run" and pee and poo there, which Hogan will NEVER do. He is soooooo house trained! They were crazy about him and only charged $10.00. 

Of course, in order to take him to doggie day care, they have to be up to date on all their shots. And there are probably other scenarios as well. It's not like the old days where you got a dog and all you had to do was feed it the leftovers. Frankly, I am completely surprised (but happily so) by all the rules and regulations. As I mentioned before, my beloved childhood dog died of heart worms and she suffered miserably for several weeks before my mother finally had her put to sleep.

shhhhh . . . another rule and regulation is a small trail that we visit that doesn't allow dogs. I had seen all the signs, which pretty much said the same thing all park signs say - no firearms, no bicycles, etc., - but until a lady in a car stopped and told me, never did I notice that dogs were not allowed. Really? Really. Not just "Dogs must be on a leash" or "You must pick up after your dog's business" or even "Dogs are not allowed on trail", but "Dogs are not allowed on the trail or any of the fields", which pretty much takes care of the whole property. It also happens to be the closest one to my house. We still go, just early in the morning or late in the evening and not when a lot of people are around, but if we ever get caught by anyone other than the lady in the car who was outraged that she was told not to walk her dog there, I guess we'll have to petition City Hall.

Because that's my second amazement. In this part of the world, I almost never see anyone walking a dog on a leash. Once in a blue moon I see someone walking with their unleashed dog in a very rural area, which causes me to have to come to a complete stop while they grab the dog's collar and pull them out of the middle of the two-lane road, but except for a few times while going to the Y, located in the middle of downtown Lexington, do I rarely see someone actually walking a dog on a leash. There is NO WAY Hogan will be anything BUT on a leash outside! Sounds cruel, you say? How about the time he saw a rabbit and shot after it, nearly ripping my arm off? I would have lost him forever if he hadn't have been on a leash.

My original plan was to get an invisible fence, but now that I know Hogan, I won't do it. First, he doesn't like to play, which was my main reason, so that we could go outside and throw/retrieve balls, etc., except he doesn't do that. Second, there isn't a doubt in my mind that if he sees a rabbit or a squirrel, he would suffer right through the electric force to go after them. When we were at the vet, he took his shot with only a small cough and didn't even flinch when the fecal sample was taken. He would buzz right through that electric fence. Good thing I didn't get it!

Hogan's first vet visit

Well, with me, anyway. We went to Village Vet on Highway 150. The only time I had ever been there was to euthanize my 16-year-old cat who was very sick. But they were so nice and they have a great location.

For the first time in ages, my niece and nephew were spending the weekend with me. So I picked them up from daycare first, then off to the vet we all went. Hogan was very good in the waiting room and the staff fell in love with him. Then came time to go to the doctor's office and again, he was very good, not nervous or wary or anything. The doctor came in, put him on the table; again, not even a twitch. He looked him over for a couple of minutes, then had to give him a kennel cough shot (whatever that is). All Hogan did was give a small cough in response. Then the doctor needed a fecal sample (ewwww) and Hogan was perfectly still. They were amazed at how good he was.

Then came time for checkout. While writing the check, a lady brought in a very large dog with a cone on his neck covering his head. No telling what set off Hogan, but oh boy, he started barking quite ferociously at the dog at least ten times larger than him. The other dog cowered and ran, the staff took him down the hall, but Hogan was still growling and barking and trying to chase him down the hall. Finally they took the poor large dog into a room and shut the door, and Hogan jaunted back to the waiting room as though nothing had happened.

Oh, well, he is completely up to date on all shots now and doesn't have to go back until November 2015. However, heart and flea pills cost a small fortune. I'll have to wait until next week to buy them.

Hogan the bedmate

I started letting Hogan sleep with me. Yes, that is against all my better intuition! I'm going to smell like a dog, he's going to make me change my sheets every other day, yada yada yada. Well, last night I woke up at 3:00 to use the bathroom, and Hogan was lying comfortably on the sofa. What? He didn't even look up at me. I guess not; he didn't want me to see the guilt in his eyes. So I put him back in the crate; not to punish him, although I'm sure he felt that's what it was, but to keep him from having run of the house while I'm sleeping. He whined and barked and kept me awake. I fed him at seven and took him out at eight, then back into the crate he went. This time he didn't protest and I fell into a deep sleep until nearly 11:00. I called the machine shop and said I would be there early tomorrow morning. Sheesh!

A break for Hogan (and me)

I ate some bad food last weekend, and while I felt okay yesterday, today it tore into me again. Hogan now only likes to poop only when we go on long (1-mile) walks instead of in the back yard. This morning I woke up not feeling good at all. I set my alarm so that I could take him outside, then feed him, then wait an hour to take him outside again for No. 2 before going back to sleep. We went outside a little over an hour after he ate and he had no inclination of pooping. I was so sleepy as I hadn't slept well the night before, so I put him in his crate when I laid down, not wanting to test him to make sure he wouldn't poop indoors. Just as I was falling asleep about 20 minutes later, he started whining.It's the first time he's ever whined since he arrived here permanent on August 2.  I couldn't decide what to do. I didn't want him to think that if he starts whining while in the crate, he'll get released, but on the other hand, I knew it was way past time to poop. After waiting a few more minutes, he kept whining, so I got his leash and brought him straight outside from the crate and he pooped away. He then laid down with me in bed and we took a short nap.

One thing I wish he would do is let me know when he wants to go outside to do his business. I don't, and won't, have a doggie door. When I was a kid, my dog scratched on the door to let us know she wanted out, but I don't want him scratching on my door either. I guess I'll just keep taking him outside when it's been a few hours since the last time.

Meanwhile, it's been a looooong time since I've felt so complete! My daughter visits, my niece and nephew visit, friends visit, but this is the first time since my cat died in 2010 that I've had an animal friend living with me. Not that my cat was much of a friend. He and I basically went our separate ways. I fed and watered him and changed his cat litter; he hung out on window ledges. He was very good - didn't scratch furniture or climb on tables or countertops, but he rarely acknowledged me and only cuddled with me in bed when it was very cold and he wanted body heat. He was beautiful, though, in a way a dog can never be. Dogs are cute; cats are beautiful.

Thinking maybe Hogan needs a cat to chase around the house . . . NOT!

Bring your dog to work days

Yesterday I went to the office of a man who occasionally brings his dogs to work and didn't mind if I brought mine. Hogan at first just wandered around, sniffing at all the different dog smells, but didn't want to lay down in one of their beds, as he did at my friend's house. So I got his bed out of my car and put it by me as I was working and he was just fine. He did, however, do something he never does at home. Each time I got up to either ask a question to the owner or his assistant, Hogan followed me, and as soon as I got back to the desk where I was working, would follow me back and return to his bed.

I had told them that he never barked unless someone knocked on the door. Well, the owner left to go to lunch and run a few errands, and when he returned, Hogan started barking furiously, which sent the assistant and me into peals of laughter. The owner was amused and said to Hogan, "You forgot me already? You can't bark at me, I own this place!" and to me, "I thought you said he never barks!" His assistant remarked that he barked louder than one of the large dogs that belongs to the owner.

We were there for several hours, so Hogan didn't get his usual daytime naps. When we got home he crawled into his bed and snored for an hour.

Tuesday, I'm going to do an all-day training session in Salisbury for someone I had in a training class a couple of years ago who has hired a new bookkeeper. He asked me what day would work for me, and I said that I had a new dog and would have to coordinate finding someone to watch him before I could give him a day. He said bring him with you! Wow. This is great!

First walk in several days

Finally, finally, it stopped raining. Hogan doesn't even want to walk in a super light drizzle, sheesh! I knew the devil would start sneaking out of him . . .

Anyway, was went on our first mile walk tonight. He was excited at first, but soon became bored. He likes going to new (and possibly shorter) places. He kept trying to take shortcuts on the way back through the fields, but of course we didn't do that.When I was "new" (as well as the places we walked) he was more than thrilled to walk a mile. But now that the neighborhood, not to mention me, is getting "old", he's not quite as excited. He loves new places and pees every 20 seconds or so to mark his territory. There's nothing left after about the fourth or fifth time, but that doesn't stop him! But once he gets to know a territory, the thrill is gone. Typical male!

Here's how he looked after the very long one-mile walk this evening:

"Ma, how could you make me walk so far???"

Hah! Hogan broke into the garbage!

Back to the crate he goes. I had to get a padlock (don't worry, it's locked on the outside and has the key in it, so in case of emergency, it won't take but a few seconds to release him).

No more crate for Hogan

He doesn't like being in a crate, although he doesn't resist. But from the two times he was able to get out, he has proven that he doesn't do anything wrong. So I stopped putting him in the crate completely. He sleeps in his bed next to my desk at night instead of in my bed or on the sofa, which is cool. He doesn't bark, get into the garbage, poop or pee inside, or anything bad. Just sleeps and gets excited when we go for a walk (where he pees constantly and poos only when he needs to do so). I truly wonder why the last family who owned him for seven years gave him back to the shelter. I'm glad they did but completely confused.

Lots of dogs in my neighborhood

Instead of driving ten miles round trip to go to the senior center's trail, Hogan and I have been walking around my neighborhood for the past three early evenings, which is just about exactly one mile in circumference. The first time, there was a dog without a leash who barked furiously at us for trespassing on his property (even though we were on the road). Hogan, unfazed, just sort of blinked at him and continued forward. The dog became aggressive and I yelled at him and he backed off. On the way back, his mom was outside but not the dog and we joked about how his dog didn't like mine and she said they're a mess (they have three or four dogs) but we love them.

Next time, we met a neighbor who has a small black poodle. We didn't talk, but waved at each other.

Last night, we met Katherine and Baby, a chihuahua, and we talked for a few minutes. Meanwhile, during our walks, I hear lots of dogs barking from inside their houses which I'm sure we will meet eventually. I've lived here for nearly nine years and barely know three neighbors. I think that's going to change, thanks to my sweet Hogan.

Hogan's first (and second) breakout

Yesterday morning, I had an appointment with my attorney, who said it was fine to bring Hogan. The plan was to feed him early, get ready, and take a mile walk in a park on the way there. Well, I overslept and had to race around to get ready, fed Hogan, took him outside where he promptly peed and pooed (he is SOOOO good!), then put him in his crate and left to meet with my attorney. I returned home approximately four hours after I left to the sound of a dog barking inside of my house. Huh? I opened the door and there was Hogan, happy as heck to greet me back home. I took him outside where he promptly peed and pooed, what a relief to know he held it in! I stayed home a couple of hours before going to the machine shop to work, crated him again, making sure it was secure, and when I came home, there was Hogan, happy as heck to greet me back home. How did he escape this time???? I studied the crate and realized that the mechanism which locks the door had somehow flipped to the inside, making it very easy for Hogan to get out.

But here's the deal. Hogan doesn't really mind the crate, but he didn't pee or poo in the house nor did he tear anything up, including but not limited to the closed garbage bag I had by the front door which I planned to drop off on the way to the attorney's office then decided to leave it there and do it later. He is such a good dog!!! So last night I went to bed and didn't put him in the crate as I had been doing at night. He slept in his bed in the living room (and is still sleeping as I write this). I spent $60 on a crate and $20 on a crate bed and he doesn't need either of them. Oh, well, it will come in handy if we ever have to travel . . .

First day at the spa

This morning I let Hogan sleep in while I did three miles and shower at the Y. I got back home just before 7:00 and fed him, then took him outside before I had to leave at 8:40. He was crated until nearly 2:30 and I felt so bad for him. To make up for it, I decided to pamper him with a bath and toenail cut, not knowing that I had to drop him off and pick him back up. The look on his face as they took him away was heartbreaking, like, we finally reunited and now you're going away again! But when I picked him up, he was very happy with his new clean coat and clipped toenails.

A couple of friends at a client's office bought him some "housewarming" gifts including a couple of toys that hide treats in them to make dogs play. And he did:

He played with that ball for nearly an hour and only got one of three treats out of it because instead of rolling it, he tried to eat them through the one hole that they fall out of. BUT at least he played with a ball! It's a start!

After the makeover, we went to Finch Park, which he liked very much. It has about 100,000 trees and even though he only marked about 100 of them, he was a very happy puppy.

Note: He's in his crate for bed for the night, and has barked several times, which he's never done at all before. I KNEW he was too perfect! Maybe it was the neighbors . . . I still love him with all my heart. He's the best dog EVER!

First play date

Today Hogan went with me to a lady who works from her home. She has a standard (big) poodle who is a bit hyperactive. They didn't seem to realize there was a huge difference in their size. The poodle kept wanting to play but Hogan kept pretty much ignoring her. Other than that, they got along just fine.

We also went to the vet today to introduce him. We got in a mile walk this morning at the Senior Center trail and then another one just before the sun went down in the neighborhood, where some dog kept barking at him. But Hogan didn't bark back, although he definitely noticed it. The dog backed off after I hollered at it and we continued on our merry way.

Tonight he seemed real sluggish when I picked him up to take him to his crate (he was sound asleep in his bed). When I picked him up he whined, so I hope he didn't eat something somewhere along the way that he shouldn't have.

Two one-mile walks today/first barks!

The first mile was at the Senior Center this morning. We are wearing each other out. Who woulda thunk that walking a dog was so much more tiring than just walking by yourself??? I went to bed at 10:15 last night, woke up once for maybe half an hour, then didn't wake up until 7:00. So much for the Grimes Park/YMCA at 5:00 am plan I had. Not today, anyway.

Today he also barked for the first time. A friend from church came over and when Hogan heard the knock on the door, starting barking furiously. I am so excited that he's going to be a protector dog after all!

Then the little devil, shortly after he'd eaten dinner but before he pooped (I took him out twice, but no go), lied down in his little bed for the first time all by himself rather than me placing him there, and looked up at me with hungry, imploring eyes. Who's training who? So I gave him his rawhide treat, and shortly thereafter he got up and stood by the door. It was dark out by now, so I turned on the porch light and within a couple of minutes he pooped. He's now in his crate sound asleep, and I'm not too far behind him. To bed, that is, not in the crate.

First walk in Grimes Park

We arrived there around 5:30 am. It was still dark, and even though most of the park is lighted, there are still many dark places. He went to task peeing on every bush and tree. He'll have most of Lexington covered by the time we're through. The trail there is half a mile long. The first time around, he walked very quickly but when we were done with the first lap, he started to walk towards my car (which he now recognizes). I kept going and he didn't protest, and walked just as quickly. This time he ignored my car and continued. About halfway through the third lap, he started walking slower, and I thought that maybe we should stop after this. But then at the end of the stretch, his pace quickened and though he started towards the car, kept going when I just slightly tugged at the leash. So he had a two-mile walk!

I had read that it's bad to feed dogs less than an hour after exercise, so he ate at 8:00, about 1-1/2 hours after we had arrived back home. He curled up on the sofa to sleep, and I put him in his doggy bed. He tried a couple more times to snooze on the sofa, but each time was gently placed back in his doggy bed. He is now sound asleep in HIS bed and lightly snoring (8:34 am).

Well, he slept all day, so no more two-mile walks, at least not for a while!

First day at his new home

Hogan first came to visit from the shelter with another dog named Duke. Duke was a bit of a wild child and found some chocolate chips to eat. Yikes! Duke seemed to have a great personality, but was just a little hyper. Hogan, meanwhile, quietly sat at my feet and let me pet him and even gave me a kiss. I didn’t have to choose; I was chosen.

The lady who owns the shelter with her husband brought him yesterday with all his paperwork. She reiterated that he needs to get heartworm and flea pills once a month, to feed him only one cup of food a day and go easy on treats so that he doesn’t get overweight (a very real danger to dachshunds), and to exercise him frequently.

The first place we went was to Lanier Hardware, where they make doggie tags. The said it would be okay to bring him inside and of course he was so cute that people kept petting him and he loved it. He peed as soon as we got out of the car and again as we left the store. The next place we went was to my daughter’s group home. He peed as soon as we got out of the car. We didn’t go inside because one of the residents is afraid of dogs.

Then we went to a couple of stores, where he stayed in the car with my daughter, then we took a mile walk at the Senior Center trail. The first half of the walk he peed nine times. I do believe he is not peeing but attempting to mark territory, as there couldn’t possibly be any pee left inside of him. The second half he only appeared to pee three times.

So far, except for a mild snore when he took a nap soon after the lady from the shelter left a light sneeze or two, and a low yelp in the car when the seat belt wouldn’t allow him to get comfortable (I remedied that immediately), he hasn’t made a sound. I don’t know what his bark is like because he hasn’t yet barked. Neighboring dogs have barked at him, but he hasn’t answered.

I bought him some rawhide treats but only wanted him to eat it in the little bed he has been completely ignoring, choosing  instead to make MY spot on the sofa his napping place. But I didn’t want him eating the rawhide on either my sofa or my bed, so I put it in his untouched bed. He went for it and started carrying it away. I picked him up, put him back in the bed, and said, “Stay in the bed”.  I only had to do this twice more and he stayed until he finished his treat, which took about half an hour. He’s not been back in it since, however.

He really likes Rebecca a lot and sits by her most of the time when we’re watching TV. He truly enjoys going for rides in the car and walks. If I don’t lose weight now, I never will. I love him already.