I inadvertently stumble upon a new game for me and Maya yesterday: chase.
Maya loves when I chase her, and yesterday we somehow got a game of chase going. Since she's so much smaller than me, she can easily get around and under things that I pretty much have to move out of my way. And this is where our typical game of chase changed.
I was chasing her around the kitchen table, and I kept having to move the chairs out of my way as I went around (I guess that's what happens when you don't push them back in). It didn't take long for her to catch up to me, and soon we had a game of let's-chase-the-human going. From the wag of her tail and playful barks, this might just be the most fun game ever. Now I just need to work on getting in better shape so our games can last longer.
Can't wait to see what fun games we come up with tomorrow.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Invader
I've been working with Maya on getting her to leave me alone when I'm eating. She does better some days than others, and it really doesn't matter what I'm eating.
Today was an especially bad day. I tend to eat in the living room, and Maya tends to curl up on the other end of the couch. Occasionally she heads my way, but I just block her path with my leg and she'll head back to her end. About half the time I need to add a stern "no" or "off." But that didn't work today. No matter what I said or did, Maya just kept trying to get on my lap and into my plate. The more I tried to get her to go back to her end of the couch, the more determined she was to get to my food.
And then I happened to glance to her end of the couch, where my laptop bag was laying. She wasn't trying to get to my food, she was trying to tell me there was something in her bed. I moved the laptop bag, and she immediately went to her end of the couch and curled up for a quick nap.
Today was an especially bad day. I tend to eat in the living room, and Maya tends to curl up on the other end of the couch. Occasionally she heads my way, but I just block her path with my leg and she'll head back to her end. About half the time I need to add a stern "no" or "off." But that didn't work today. No matter what I said or did, Maya just kept trying to get on my lap and into my plate. The more I tried to get her to go back to her end of the couch, the more determined she was to get to my food.
And then I happened to glance to her end of the couch, where my laptop bag was laying. She wasn't trying to get to my food, she was trying to tell me there was something in her bed. I moved the laptop bag, and she immediately went to her end of the couch and curled up for a quick nap.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
One Year Later...
Yesterday was Maya's "got day." What's that? It's the day I got her! :)
It's officially been one year since Maya came home, and what a year it has been. She started out as a really shy puppy who ran and hid from me to one whose favorite nap position is curled up on my lap or right next to me (where she happens to be right now). We've had our share of adventures, from a broken leg (her) and a broken foot (me) to meeting new puppies and new babies. We've visited the dog park (which she hates) and my parents house (which she loves), discovered her favorite foods (chicken and rice), her favorite treats (Cheerios), and her favorite non-chew toy chew toy (my socks).
Yes, it's been a lot of work, and we're still working on some things, but it's also been a lot of fun. So what's my favorite part about having a dog? Coming home and seeing how excited she is just to see me. It's been a year, but it still makes me smile every time.
It's officially been one year since Maya came home, and what a year it has been. She started out as a really shy puppy who ran and hid from me to one whose favorite nap position is curled up on my lap or right next to me (where she happens to be right now). We've had our share of adventures, from a broken leg (her) and a broken foot (me) to meeting new puppies and new babies. We've visited the dog park (which she hates) and my parents house (which she loves), discovered her favorite foods (chicken and rice), her favorite treats (Cheerios), and her favorite non-chew toy chew toy (my socks).
Yes, it's been a lot of work, and we're still working on some things, but it's also been a lot of fun. So what's my favorite part about having a dog? Coming home and seeing how excited she is just to see me. It's been a year, but it still makes me smile every time.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Sneaky Thief
Maya has always been a bit of a thief. I think it's just a dog thing, but since she's my first dog, I could be completely wrong. I've written about her being a thief before. If you'd like to reminisce, click here. She was just a little puppy then, so she's gotten better.
She still loves socks, so I have to be careful about those. But now, she also likes any piece of clothing that she can get her paws on. To be more specific, anything that is in my closet. Now to be fair, it's only the clothes on the floor, but still.
Maya loves hanging out in my bedroom when I'm getting dressed. I know it has nothing to do with me; it's just when she can guarantee the closet door will be opened sooner or later. She'll sneak in there as soon as I'm distracted and take off running with whatever goody she finds. This past week, as soon as I noticed she was in there, I would quietly close the door behind her, leaving it slightly cracked so I could still look in. She'd grab something and head to the door, only to find it closed behind her. Since she knows "drop," I would tell her to drop. As soon as she did, I opened the door. The first few times, she immediately grabbed her goody again, so I closed the door again and told her to drop. She caught on pretty quickly that she would not make it out of the closet with something in her mouth.
I thought we had turned a corner yesterday. We were playing fetch and her ball accidentally went into the closet (which I had inadvertently left cracked). She used to just run in there and maybe come out with her ball, maybe come out with a goody. This time, she stood outside the closet and barked at the door until I went and got the ball for her.
At first I felt a little bad because I had made her scared of the closet. But at the same time, I was kind of glad because I didn't have to remember to keep the door closed. And then about an hour later, Maya ran by with a sock in her mouth. Apparently she got over her fear of being locked in the closet.
She still loves socks, so I have to be careful about those. But now, she also likes any piece of clothing that she can get her paws on. To be more specific, anything that is in my closet. Now to be fair, it's only the clothes on the floor, but still.
Maya loves hanging out in my bedroom when I'm getting dressed. I know it has nothing to do with me; it's just when she can guarantee the closet door will be opened sooner or later. She'll sneak in there as soon as I'm distracted and take off running with whatever goody she finds. This past week, as soon as I noticed she was in there, I would quietly close the door behind her, leaving it slightly cracked so I could still look in. She'd grab something and head to the door, only to find it closed behind her. Since she knows "drop," I would tell her to drop. As soon as she did, I opened the door. The first few times, she immediately grabbed her goody again, so I closed the door again and told her to drop. She caught on pretty quickly that she would not make it out of the closet with something in her mouth.
I thought we had turned a corner yesterday. We were playing fetch and her ball accidentally went into the closet (which I had inadvertently left cracked). She used to just run in there and maybe come out with her ball, maybe come out with a goody. This time, she stood outside the closet and barked at the door until I went and got the ball for her.
At first I felt a little bad because I had made her scared of the closet. But at the same time, I was kind of glad because I didn't have to remember to keep the door closed. And then about an hour later, Maya ran by with a sock in her mouth. Apparently she got over her fear of being locked in the closet.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Chipped
I've been debating for a while now whether or not to have Maya microchipped. On the one hand, she's a completely indoor dog who never goes anywhere without me, so when would she ever get lost? On the other hand, someone could always break in, or maintenance could accidentally let her out, or there could be a fire or other disaster and we get separated, or..... I realized that even if none of these things ever happen (and I hope they don't), there's always the possibility that she could get lost. And yes, she has a collar and tags, but what if they fall off?
So I called my vet to inquire about pricing. They charge $89, but they do all the paperwork for you. This seemed a little steep to me, but since it was my first call, I guess it could be in line with other vets. I then called the local animal control. They charge $20, but you have to do the paperwork. So basically my vet is charging me $69 to fill out a form? Wow. My final call went to a vet recommended by a friend. This is actually where Maya was spayed and where I had been considering making her permanent vet. They charge $30. I was amazed at the differences in prices for the exact same product. A $10 difference seems perfectly reasonable, but charging three times as much?!?!
Anyways, I made an appointment and Maya got microchipped today. She doesn't particularly like the vet, so she hid under my chair at first. She eventually ventured out, and she let the vet play with her and check her out, but she did not like that big needle. She turned her head so quick when the vet inserted it that I thought she was going to snap at her. But a second later it was over and we were heading home.
I know that if Maya ever gets lost a microchip won't guarantee her safe return, but it gives her another chance to make it home. I just think of it as a tag that can't fall off, and that means a little peace of mind.
So I called my vet to inquire about pricing. They charge $89, but they do all the paperwork for you. This seemed a little steep to me, but since it was my first call, I guess it could be in line with other vets. I then called the local animal control. They charge $20, but you have to do the paperwork. So basically my vet is charging me $69 to fill out a form? Wow. My final call went to a vet recommended by a friend. This is actually where Maya was spayed and where I had been considering making her permanent vet. They charge $30. I was amazed at the differences in prices for the exact same product. A $10 difference seems perfectly reasonable, but charging three times as much?!?!
Anyways, I made an appointment and Maya got microchipped today. She doesn't particularly like the vet, so she hid under my chair at first. She eventually ventured out, and she let the vet play with her and check her out, but she did not like that big needle. She turned her head so quick when the vet inserted it that I thought she was going to snap at her. But a second later it was over and we were heading home.
I know that if Maya ever gets lost a microchip won't guarantee her safe return, but it gives her another chance to make it home. I just think of it as a tag that can't fall off, and that means a little peace of mind.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Alarm Clock
Since Maya came home almost a year ago, I have rarely had to use my alarm clock. Maya is very good about getting me up in the morning to take her out, and the vast majority of the time, that's between 7:00 and 7:30. That also happens to be the time I need to get up in order to get ready for work.
Today I decided to sleep in. Maya woke me up as normal, and we went outside. When we got back, I laid down on the couch and catch a few more z's. Maya was nice enough to let me sleep half an hour, then she decided I really needed to get up. She growled at me, barked at me, hit my arm with her snout, and then jumped on me. I finally decided that I was not going to get any extra sleep and got up.
I assumed Maya wanted to play, but I was wrong. As soon as I got off the couch, she got on, curled up and went to sleep. Apparently she just wanted me out of her bed.
Today I decided to sleep in. Maya woke me up as normal, and we went outside. When we got back, I laid down on the couch and catch a few more z's. Maya was nice enough to let me sleep half an hour, then she decided I really needed to get up. She growled at me, barked at me, hit my arm with her snout, and then jumped on me. I finally decided that I was not going to get any extra sleep and got up.
I assumed Maya wanted to play, but I was wrong. As soon as I got off the couch, she got on, curled up and went to sleep. Apparently she just wanted me out of her bed.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Help! I'm Being Attacked!!
Maya is scared of bubble wrap! Ha ha ha!!
I opened a package the other day, and the contents were wrapped in bubble wrap. I love bubble wrap. More specifically, I love popping all the little bubbles one at a time. Apparently Maya does not like this. The first few pops intrigued her, the next few startled her, the next few scared her.
I guess that's partially my fault. When I first started popping them, she came to investigate. This was the giant-bubble bubble wrap. Since she was pretty close to the wrap, I thought it would be funny to pop the bubble right by her, where it would blow a little air in her face. She did not like this.
After realizing she was scared of it, I set it on the ground and tried to get her to come check it out, but she wanted nothing to do with it. She started growling at it and walked way around it. I felt bad for her, but I couldn't help but laugh.
I opened a package the other day, and the contents were wrapped in bubble wrap. I love bubble wrap. More specifically, I love popping all the little bubbles one at a time. Apparently Maya does not like this. The first few pops intrigued her, the next few startled her, the next few scared her.
I guess that's partially my fault. When I first started popping them, she came to investigate. This was the giant-bubble bubble wrap. Since she was pretty close to the wrap, I thought it would be funny to pop the bubble right by her, where it would blow a little air in her face. She did not like this.
After realizing she was scared of it, I set it on the ground and tried to get her to come check it out, but she wanted nothing to do with it. She started growling at it and walked way around it. I felt bad for her, but I couldn't help but laugh.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Haircut Time?
Time to catch up on some Maya adventures!!
I've decided that Maya needs a harness. It something I had considered in the past, but hadn't thought about recently. Then Maya broke her leg. Then I broke my foot. Then we've had 40 days of 100+ temperatures. So what does that have to do with anything? It means she hasn't gotten regular walks in a LONG time, and she's somewhat forgotten how to walk on her leash. If we got out to potty, she has no problems. But if we try to head out for a walk, she gets super-excited and pulls like crazy. She's choking herself, coughing and gagging, but she won't stop pulling. A friend took her for a walk the other day, and she suggested a harness. It should help her not pull, but even if she pulls, she won't be getting choked. That made sense to me.
The next day, I took Maya to PetSmart to check out the selection. Maya loves going to PetSmart because she knows they have treats at the register. Of course, that's the first place she heads (pulling the whole time). The lady there knows her and bends down to pet her. The first words out of her mouth? "Hi there! Looks like you're going to see the groomer today!" Um, no.
Now don't get me wrong, I know that sometimes I let her coat get a little too long, but I thinks she looks really cute right now! Am I right or am I right?
I don't know, but that seems like something you shouldn't ask, kind of like asking someone who's gained a little weight if they're pregnant. (Ok, it's not that bad :P)
And by the way, they had a horrible selection, so Maya is still harness-less.
I've decided that Maya needs a harness. It something I had considered in the past, but hadn't thought about recently. Then Maya broke her leg. Then I broke my foot. Then we've had 40 days of 100+ temperatures. So what does that have to do with anything? It means she hasn't gotten regular walks in a LONG time, and she's somewhat forgotten how to walk on her leash. If we got out to potty, she has no problems. But if we try to head out for a walk, she gets super-excited and pulls like crazy. She's choking herself, coughing and gagging, but she won't stop pulling. A friend took her for a walk the other day, and she suggested a harness. It should help her not pull, but even if she pulls, she won't be getting choked. That made sense to me.
The next day, I took Maya to PetSmart to check out the selection. Maya loves going to PetSmart because she knows they have treats at the register. Of course, that's the first place she heads (pulling the whole time). The lady there knows her and bends down to pet her. The first words out of her mouth? "Hi there! Looks like you're going to see the groomer today!" Um, no.
Now don't get me wrong, I know that sometimes I let her coat get a little too long, but I thinks she looks really cute right now! Am I right or am I right?
I don't know, but that seems like something you shouldn't ask, kind of like asking someone who's gained a little weight if they're pregnant. (Ok, it's not that bad :P)
And by the way, they had a horrible selection, so Maya is still harness-less.
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