the K9 Nannies

Lighting doesn’t strike twice

I have several customers who have more then 1 dog, often times 4 or more.  In these situations, the pack roles and various personalities seem to be mimicked throughout every pack.  It’s so strange the way it becomes so clear, it’s incredible to watch and experience.  The Leader - the pack Alpha, the one who dictates most situations and all the others seem to follow in some way.  The Aloof - the laid back, sometimes grumpy, almost to the extent of “loner” one, the one who remains close enough and follows just subtly enough to remain a pack member but truly doesn’t care and doesn’t show much interest in pack related activities.  Often, this is the dog who prefers to be with humans more then other dogs.  The Hyper Puppy - Usually the baby of the group who is constantly trying to play with one of the others, the life of the party, the most energetic, and often times the one who causes all the trouble, and guaranteed he’s also the one who will push boundaries, constantly!

On a routine walk today, a walk I’ve taken at least 3 times a week for the past year I noticed a girl about 8 years old standing on the sidewalk holding an 8.5″ x 11″ white piece of paper with some pink writing.  I also noticed a small Hello Kitty table just near where she was standing and a pitcher of pink liquid and a small stack of blue plastic transparent cups.  I approached and asked if she was selling lemonade.  She held her sign perfectly still so I could read it properly and said, “Yes, I’m selling Lemonade.  It’s $1 per cup.  Would you like some?” with enthusiasm and a bright smile.  As I don’t carry money with me on walks I wasn’t able to purchase what sounded like a nice welcome on such a warm day.  So I told the girl, “I’m sorry but Good Luck” and Lucy, the 4 year old pit bull and I continued on our walk.  The girl and her sign stayed with me, haunting me. I admired her, I wanted to congratulate her and give her some business advice.  I wanted to help her make a better sign, relocate her to the park to attract more customers.  I couldn’t help my business drive from kicking in and wanting to initiate and execute various action plans.  I wanted to help her.  So I finished my walk with Lucy, getting back home and settled, and headed over to the make-shift Lemonade Stand.  I paid for my Lemonade with 4 quarters.  I felt proud, accomplished, and have rarely been more proud of myself then watching, hearing, and seeing the look on this girls face as each coin slowly dropped into her hand.  

Here on the West Coast, it’s foxtail time. This grassy weed is everywhere outdoors – in the wilderness areas where we hike, yes, of course, but also alongside suburban sidewalks and coming up in cracks in city parking lots. They are in my backyard and front yard and side yards. I spend hours each week pulling them up by the roots and carefully discarding them in the green waste bin, because there is a tiny seed at the base of every single strand on every waving frond on every plant that will grow another foxtail plant next year. If you have a very small yard, with enough years of dedicated weeding, you can eliminate them from your yard. I have a large yard and I will never see the end of them.

Why are they a problem? They are so pretty! You can run the fronds through your fingers and they are so soft – as long as you stroke them from bottom to top. If you try to reverse the direction of your caress, you learn instantly why they are the most reviled weed in the west.

Every single strand is lined with nearly microscopic barbs that catch on anything they touch, from fur to collars, clothing to bare skin. When the barbs come in contact with anything, they propel the strand forward, pushing the sharp-tipped seed at the end forward – relentlessly forward. The barbs can be felt when the grass is green, but as the plants dry out in the late spring – like, right now – they get sharper and more defined, like a brand new metal nail file. So when your dog walks through the drying grass, they practically fly off the plant and attach themselves to his fur, where they relentlessly drive those seeds into his flesh.

Top four favorite places for foxtails to invade: between dog toes and in dog noses, ears, and eyes. But they don’t discriminate; they are just as happy to burrow into dog armpits, urethras, vaginas (when girl dogs squat to pee) – anywhere there is a bend or soft, sensitive flesh.

The classic sign of a foxtail – the sign you actually want to see when you suspect a foxtail – is a little wet hole in the dog’s flesh, perhaps one that’s oozing a bit. That’s where the vet starts the search, with a little local anesthetic and a long, skinny alligator forceps. The foxtail will sometimes create a little track in the dog’s flesh, that the vet will try to follow to its end and pull it out backwards with the forceps.  That’s the best case scenario.

More often, a little pimple indicating where the foxtail seed may have entered his flesh, but no track to follow and no ooze indicating where the seed is causing an infection that can be lanced and cleaned. The vet will lance the spot, find nothing, and then you’ll have to wait and see. Was the piece of awn or seed small enough for his body to break it down and the swelling will subside? Or is the awn big enough to resist a quick disintegration? Will it keep traveling and cause trouble elsewhere? I’ve heard horror stories of foxtails traveling into dogs’ hearts, lungs, brains – you name it. I’m telling you, I HATE THESE PLANTS!

* To all of you who don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, count your blessings. On the other hand, those of you who live in chigger country, or where your ticks are epidemic and carry Lyme or Rocky Mountain Fever, you got me there.

When it comes to improving your state of zen, furry friends come with benefits. "A number of studies support the relaxing effects of interacting with pets," says Sandra Barker, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and director at the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Medicine. One Harvard University study showed that 87 percent of people felt less angst-y after spending time with a pet. That's right—Fido can fetch and make you feel chill. Here are some more reasons to cuddle up to your pet tonight.

They reduce stress hormones.

In a sucky mood because of a spat with your boss? Annoying Bumble date? Put away the stress ball—and squeeze on your pet instead. In a study conducted by Barker and her colleagues, pets lowered the presence of the stress hormone cortisol. "We believe that by providing a nonjudgmental form of social support, pets may buffer the impact of stressful events," Barker says.

They boost feel-good chemicals.

Having a pet around keeps you in a haze of happiness. Research published in Science revealed that just by looking at your pet's eyes, you get a hit of oxytocin and prolactin, hormones that leave you feeling majorly blissed out. And Barker adds: If you really want to up the feel-good factor, go ahead and pet your cat or dog—the act of touching your animal activates even more serene-fueling hormones, like dopamine.

They're good for heart health.

Seeing your pet doesn't just make your heart skip a beat—it actually helps keep your heart rate from jumping up, Barker says. When your heart rate is elevated, it's easy to feel on edge, she says, but your cute creature may just be the cure.

Even better: The American Heart Association recently published research on the health perks of having a pet, and linked it to reduced heart disease, lower cholesterol and a greater chance at surviving a heart attack (although there is less data available to support that claim). It's believed that pet owners are more active, which helps keep your ticker healthy.

They make you more mindful.

If you're always spiraling into a worry zone, the same Harvard study shows that pets allow you to stay plugged into the moment.

They get you outside.

A relaxing byproduct of your pooch needing another walk? Being outdoors majorly improves your mood. In fact, according to a recent Stanford University study, escaping the indoors actually changes your mind and allows you to feel relaxed and more focused. So having an animal that always needs a daily dose of fresh air is constantly exposing you to exactly what you need to feel at peace.