A Very Good Mix

Today while we were at the dogpark, I saw an interesting looking dog that looked vaguely familiar. She was about the size and shape of Ray but she was finer boned and her nose was more pointed. She also had the same kind of pattern; white fur with ticks and patches of color, except where he has orange patches, this dog had brindle patches. She definitely had Ray's houndy face and ears. She came up to me and looked me in the eye. Her eyes were calm and reserved. 

I watched her for awhile before I was able to identify her parents. I walked up to them and asked "What kind of dog do you have?" "They told us at the shelter that she was a Greyhound Pointer mix," they said. "But we think she looks like your dog and she has a bark like your dog but it's not as deep. Is your dog a pointer?" "No," I replied, "Ray's a Redtick Coonhound. They must not have many of them up here and can't recognize one when they see it because I've met a lot of 'Pointer mixes' that look a lot like Ray."

As I watched their dog, a lightbulb went off over my head. This is exactly what Ray and Halle's lovechild would look like. An excellent mix, if I do say so myself.

Dedicated to the Dog Whisperer

I watched "The Dog Whisperer" today and became re-inspired to try to teach Ray to heel. I was ready to project nothing but positive, calm energy to get him to do everything that I wanted.

I had dropped him at daycare in the morning while I went to try to find a new pair of jeans (it's amazing how quickly jeans wear out when you have to wash the dog park out of them constantly). So when I picked up Ray, I was full of new confidence. I exuded positive, calm energy at the daycare. I exuded positive, calm energy while driving home. I exuded positive, calm energy when I told Ray to come to get him to jump out of the back seat of the car. I exuded positive, calm energy as we walked down the block and around the corner.

As we turned the corner, Ray went into full-on Spastic Cannonball mode. It is VERY difficult to exude positive, calm energy when you have a 60-some pound blind dog running circles around you and hurling himself in your general direction. All I could do was laugh hysterically and hang on for dear life.

VIDEO ALERT! Ray vs. the Babble Ball

I think I may have mentioned the Babble Ball that Ray got for Christmas. It disappeared soon after Christmas Day and miraculously re-appeared this week. (I have a sneaking suspicion that the cats were involved but I don't want to jump to any conclusions). 

When the Babble Ball moves, it talks or sings. Also, when the Babbble Ball moves, Ray talks or sings. Whereas Ray was the victor in his encounter with Remote Control Cat, the victory in this match has to go to the Babble Ball... 

What a Day

Wow, yesterday was something. It's my own fault. I told someone at the party Saturday night that Ray had really calmed down and settled in in the past two months. And Ray, who loves to prove me a liar, immediately did.

He started by chasing Hugo and yelling in the house (not allowed) then moved on to the shoes in the front hall. One by one he picked them up and settled down for a nice chew. I ate my breakfast between shoe removals then took him to the park to wear him out. But after an hour and a half he was still going strong and didn't want to leave. Usually, he drags his feet but will give in and follow me out but yesterday there was active resistance. When we got home it started to rain, hard, so Ray was stuck inside. I went into my office to check my email and could hear Ray rummaging through a closet. I thought of Gregg's newly-retasseled loafers and hightailed it into the bedroom to drag him out of Gregg's closet before new damage could be done. I returned to my office but could hear unidentified noises coming from the bedroom again. I ran back to see a skein of yarn on the ground some shredded paper next to a trashcan. No Ray. I followed the noises into the bathroom where he was rummaging through the bathroom trash. I dragged him out and went downstairs trailed by my troublemaker. Ray peeled off for the family room while I went into the kitchen. It only took me a second to realize that he was up to something. I found him finishing off a basket of bread that we had forgotten to remove from the coffee table the night before.

The rain had stopped for the moment so I opened the back door to let Ray out. After about 10 minutes, Ray returned with a prance in his step and slap, slap, slapping something against his face. It was a muddy, moldy rawhide chew that he had just dug up. I grabbed the chew, opened the bathroom door, threw the thing in the kitchen trashcan (where it currently resides) and closed the door - all in the blink of an eye. I returned to the kitchen got a new rawhide strip and gave it to Ray. Ray took it in his mouth and without moving his head dropped it on the rug, his message loud and clear. I went back in the kitchen and saw Ray out of the corner of my eye headed for the bathroom. He stood with his nose smashed against the door for a full minute then reared up on his hind legs and with his mud-clogged claws tried to dig through the door to recover his prize. I went into the bathroom, grabbed the icky thing, threw it out the back door and closed it after Ray. I cleaned the mud off of the bathroom door and watched as Ray took his strip and went to rebury it before I could steal it from him again.

At 1:00 I took Ray for a walk. At 4:00 I took him for another one. Between 1:00 and 4:00, Ray spent some time renovating his grave (for information on Ray's grave go to http://www.raytheblinddog.com/2009/08/this-morning-i-checked-my-mail-and.html), digging some new holes against the foundation, and digging a very nice hole next to the patio. Mud was flying high and far. It landed on top of the cafe table and lodged in the backs of the cafe chairs. I spent all of my time between 1:00 and 4:00 keeping an eye on my dog, sweeping the patio, refilling holes, and wiping off muddy paws every time he entered the house.

This morning I took Ray to the dogpark and let him run himself into the ground. After an hour and a half he walked up to me and leaned against me while I petted him. Then I clipped on his leash and he dragged me to the gate to go home. When he got home, he climbed up on his futon, went to sleep and hasn't budged since.

Dog Park Pictures etal

Ray with his friend Nikki at the watering hole

Ray with Cherry and Nikki after a serious bout of wrestling

Did you hear something? I thought I heard something.

The afterbath... Ray in the tub at Just Fur Pets.

Ray, Party Animal

Ray slept too much yesterday. Saturday night we had a party. The weather has been gorgeous (up until today) and so we had a party outdoors. Ray was terribly excited to meet everyone and was more than a little interested in the table of food but as soon as I gave him a frozen marrow bone, nothing else existed. There was even another dog there but Ray was in the zone working that bone. He was good for at least 2 hours. As soon as that bone was finished Ray headed for the food. That's when I had to put him in the house. Ray scratched at the sliding glass door for a good long time trying to dig his way back to the food table but to no avail. Every time someone would enter the house to use the facilities, Ray was beside himself with excitement thinking maybe there was an escape route back to the food (there wasn't).

On Sunday Ray woke us up at 7:30 raring to go. We dragged ourselves out of bed, ate breakfast and took him to the dog park to wear him out. I couldn't understand where his energy was coming from. Usually when Ray's schedule is messed with, he's tired the next day, but Ray was into everything for the hour before we took him to the park. But by the time we got home, Ray was out and slept all day.

Today, I'm paying for it.

William and Ray

This evening, William (see his photos at http://www.raytheblinddog.com/2009/07/ray-and-william.html) came over to play with Ray and stayed to help me cook dinner. Ray curled up in the comfy chair that is right next to the kitchen door. Every five minutes or so William would walk into the living room, kiss Ray on the head, and say "I love you Ray."

I am 1000% convinced that the feeling is entirely mutual.