Well, yes, I have been AWOL for a while. The nerve of people actually expecting me to WORK when I'm at the office!

So this happened: "Someone" evidently left their taVlet lying around the house unattended and a couple of furry wonders went shopping. A package appeared in my mailbox with this card:

and in the package was one of Renee's special "Protect This Dog" tag, with Roxy's name on the back. Of course I cried. How very sweet of Frankie and Myrtle to think of Roxy!

In other good news, Roxy spent all morning at daycare this morning and did great! She didn't play at all but hung out and didn't try to eat any smaller dogs. Success! I have to consult with the finance committee (me, myself and I) to see how often she can go back.

Because I know my audience, here's a sleepy girl before I move on to other tidbits:

yeah, giant yellow dog and dark green/gray couch. Anyone else see a problem?

So I took Elizabeth's suggestion and ordered an Adaptil collar. Since she never stops moving I would have had to spray the entire house. I suspect Wallee would object. The collar came yesterday and it's a good thing or I would have strangled her last night.

The Neighbor previously mentioned has been out of town the last couple of days and got home late last night. Roxy felt compelled to greet her homecoming by standing on me and going batsh*t crazy. Long after The Neighbor was in her house and tucked in, Roxy was still barking off and on at who knows what, up and down the stairs (not quietly) and periodically standing on me to better bark out the window. I finally got up at 2am and put the collar on her. She came back to bed and let out a huge sigh, shifted her position a little, another huge sigh and she was out for the night. Hallelujah!

Clare, to answer your question The Neighbor was fine with Isa. BUT Isa was at least 12 when they met and was also the world's friendliest dog. And Neighbor moved in mid-June last year, Isa was diagnosed July 1 (gotta love anniversaries, right?). So Neighbor never really met Isa at her best. Isa may well have been a tripawd by the time they officially met.

Neighbor continues to be a burr under my saddle; she got more than a little ugly with me earlier this week. And I have to wonder why, exactly, Roxy goes so much more mental when Neighbor passes by than any other human. The other troubling factor (for me) is that I had thought Neighbor and I were friends. But after some of the things she said the other day, I now see I was delusional on that particular topic. Probably other topics as well but that's a different conversation.

Roxy's barking is a problem, even the friendly neighbors have commented on it. So until a more permanent solution appears, Roxy is stuck in the house while I'm away, whether work or errands. Work days I'll go home at lunch to let her out. There is a dog door but her being outside is the bulk of the problem - she is the poster child for "territorial" - that didn't take long. Keeping her inside all day is not my top choice but it will keep me from strangling Neighbor. Or her me. Or Roxy. I don't know how it might play out but it would not be pretty and someone would undoubtedly require bail money.

Moving on, I will continue to try and get video of the Roxy and Wallee show. The problem is the minute I move to grab the phone, Roxy shifts focus to me. I will keep trying, I promise. It's too good a show not to share and they change things up regularly. Or Wallee does. She seems to change her mind more or less daily about how she feels/thinks about Roxy.

So I'll leave you with this tidbit. I really do need to work on my video skills but I think you'll get the idea.

Have a great weekend all!

Happy Fourth of July!

Hugs!

So I owe you guys the final chapter of the Wicked Witch saga. And I appreciate all your support - one does tend to doubt one's assessment of a situation when the reaction is so ... vehement. I've no doubt Roxy was picking up my energy about Neighbor, not to mention Neighbor's sheer terror of Roxy.

Turns out, Neighbor got a new job - in St. Louis! So she was gone as of July 31. As a final episode to the saga, the Friday before Neighbor left, Roxy let herself into my front yard. I don't normally let her out there by herself (the fence is three feet high - she could be over it in a heartbeat) but was keeping an eye on her through the window. The phone rings and it's Neighbor: "Roxy's out front. Don't know if you know it." I told her I'd get Roxy and hung up. By the time I got to the front door (ten seconds), Roxy was waiting for me to open it. Roxy did not emit a single bark the entire time. Not a sound - weird. When we walked back into the living room, I looked back out the window and Neighbor was still standing next to her car, not moving. Eventually she did go into her house.

And yet I was chastised for not inviting her over to meet Roxy. I wonder why?

That was the last conversation we had. The things she had borrowed when she was still speaking to me appeared next to the garage door (no need to go to the house door and get barked at; no need to actually speak to me). No good-bye. Nada. C'est fini.

In other Roxy-related news, we went Saturday morning to the Santa Fe river[bed]. There's only water there for maybe two months during spring runoff and then during a storm. Isa, Wallee and I used to live nearby so we walked there everyday. Wallee even went with us once (have I mentioned she thinks she's a dog?). It's still one of my favorite (in the city) places. As a (scary-to-me) experiment, Roxy was off leash. In the scheme of things I was lucky - we saw no beings other than a couple of lizards - no other dogs or humans, etc. She kept an eye on my whereabouts most of the time and came running joyfully every time I called her. Every! Time! She had a great time - I have rarely seen her so happy. And she was tired!

Also, we met with a trainer last week - it's a start. Still a long, long, long way to go before we can go for a walk in the 'hood without massive stress on both our parts. Other less populated places we can go for now. Definitely a work in progress.

Backyard barking is mostly under control thanks to the bark deterrent thingie. Although she has found places that are apparently out of its range. But in the house ... still a challenge. She's definitely barking at something/someone at any given time. We're in a townhouse and they all face into a common area so there's frequently something going on somewhere. She seems to be a little more relaxed and not EVERY car that drives past must be barked at. Or maybe I'm delusional. Hard to tell at this point.

A friend stopped by the house last weekend - that did not go well. Roxy was shut in the backyard while she was there. Talk about stink eye! (Roxy, not my friend. Well, maybe my friend a little but directed at Roxy.) And Roxy pretty much destroyed the screen door and some damage to the back door as well. That'll teach me! The "funny" thing is the dog door was completely available - six inches away. She obviously doesn't know what it is.

Okay, I've rambled on long enough. I'll see what I can do about more pictures/video.

Love,

Teri