A Puppy Metaphor

In March, we put down our best friend of 13 years. There were three dogs prior to Chester, but his loss was the most difficult. I had a hole in my heart the size of the size of the moon.

We toyed with the idea of a new dog, but I could not find one that would heal my soul. I continued my search. I even inquired about a pup or two... nothing felt right; until I saw a beautiful black fur ball in a town not too far from home.

He was still available when I called, so I arranged a meeting.
My heart began to fill the minute I saw him and immediately placed a down payment.

I snapped this photo and we proceeded to come up with a name.
Maximus (Max) is what we decided on and I made bi-weekly visits until the day we brought him home.

Raising a puppy is hard work. (We forgot that part.)
Especially when this young guy is still weeks away from being able to control his bladder and bowels.
He is under constant supervision and we are still unable to stop mistakes from happening.
Just today, after I was freshly showered and getting ready for church, I stepped in a cold turd left behind by this cute little creature.

As I explained what happened to my husband, we both realized the metaphor this event represented...
No matter how hard we try to teach our children.
No matter what examples we set.
No matter how much we watch over them.
They will still explore the world around them
and quite possibly leave a turd for us to step in and deal with.

What is important here, is how we respond to this turd.
We can rant and rave and kick up a fuss, which will most often fall on deaf ears.
OR, we can pick up our little loved one, lavish them in hugs and kisses
and give them the opportunity to do better next time.

B is for Brownies, or BAD DOG!

Tonight was my night to cook for the family. My mother, brother and his crew included.
I planned and prepared the perfect meal, including dessert:
Chocolate brownies infused with Blood Orange Olive Oil.
The house smelled of scrumptious oranges all. day. long.
The meal was timed perfectly.
All the guests arrived and we were enjoying a hot meal within minutes.
Good company. Great conversation. Dessert anticipation.

Suddenly, an unusual noise caught my attention.
I caught a glimpse of something under the pantry door.
Then, I realized, the dog was not at his usual spot
underneath the table in search of a dropped morsel.
I jumped up, opened the pantry door, and found him…
face down in the plate of fresh brownies.

What Chester ate today...

I got distracted today and did not close the pantry door all the way.
Then, I did not double check it before I left.

For most people, that is no big deal, but in our household…
well, there is Chester!

Our naughty cocker spaniel will be 12 in December.
He has slowed down (in his naughtiness), but he has not stopped.

Today, was proof. He took full advantage of my oversight.
It started with Halloween candy, still in the bucket from the 31st.
Fortunately, it shifted and the black caldron could no longer be seen through his cataracts.
He then moved on to the leftover Orange Rolls, and half a large loaf of Banana Bread.
(He has always had a thing for bread!)
Next stop, cashews. I finished one small baggie and by this time,
I am sure he had his fill.


Knowing his pattern in situations like this, I double checked the rest of the house.
Sure enough, I found his stash hidden behind a pillow in the family room couch…

You can take a Chester Refresher course here… {link}

Greed

Tonight, my daughter and I left to grab a bite for dinner.
My dog, Chester, wasted no time and ran downstairs into the room where
my daughter is [temporarily] storing her boxes after moving back home.

He managed to locate a bag full of chocolaty cookies.
He carefully pulled the package out of this bag and pulled it into the hallway.
He then went back into the room to find more yummy treasures.
As he did, somehow, the door to the room shut.
Trapping him inside, and worse, separating him from his cookies.
My husband came home shortly after and discovered the dog in his predicament.
Chester was freed from his prison, and never got to eat his treasure.

We make poor and irrational decisions if our decision is motivated by greediness: greed for monetary gain; greed that results in a conflict of interest; desire for power, titles, and recognition of men.

“He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.” (Prov. 15:27.)

Robert D Hales

What Chester ate today…

A nearly full pan of brownies
leftover from last night,
dusted with glass shards
from the baking dish they were in.

Followed by cotton balls
dipped in cream
because Google told me
it will help “remove”
the glass.

By the way…
he seemed to enjoy the cotton.
Ate it up like candy!

What Chester ate today...

I know better, but sometimes I forget.
Tonight, Taylor and I left to run a few errands.
I forgot that I left a stick of butter out on the counter to soften.

Chester remembered...
He ate the whole stick!

He is still licking his greasy lips.

I-witness

There is nothing more tender or wonderful as witnessing a distraught child snuggling with their pet for comfort.

Caught on tape.

Today was a typical day.
Work and school for the household.

What was unique about the day
was a phone call from Taylor as I was leaving the office.

She asked me if I was on my way home yet.
She explained that she could not leave the upstairs
because Chester was getting onto the counter every time she left.

Holding my daughter hostage was the last straw!!
I set a plan in action.
The girls were downstairs and were instructed
NOT to come up, no matter what!

I placed some crackers on the counter
with a tiny piece of chocolate (Chester’s favorite) for scent.
I pretended to nibble and made yummy sounds so
Chester would see me put the food on the counter.

I unlocked the back door so I could make a quick re-entry.
I set the video camera to record and staged my fake exodus.
I closed the garage door for added effect. (Chester is that smart, you know!)
I tip toed around back to listen and watch.

This is what happened the SECOND I walked out the door…

We showed Chester the tape.
He still denies it!

Speaking too soon

This Sunday was no different than any other Sunday.
Church, rest and food.|
As always, the parentals joined us for dinner.

We enjoyed the usual after-dinner discussion at the table.
The question was posed: Has Chester ever gotten into the Crock Pot?
I proudly boasted …“NO”. I explained that I usually booby-trap the Crock Pot, 
surrounding it with  small appliances and doggy shockers.

Today, being a holiday, I was able to stay home and plan an extra nice dinner.
Sweet Pork Tacos!! Everyone was looking forward to them.
(Did you notice the word WAS?)

I carefully planned the timing. Marinade, slow cook, shred, dinner by 5:30.
The pork was progressing well and the Crock Pot trap was set as we prepared to meet Taylor for lunch.
(She is enrolled in a CNA class, today is her first day.)

When we returned home, it appeared as though the kitchen had been struck by a tornado.
Small appliances were strewn over the floor.
The Crock Pot was dangling off the side of the counter, still set on high, and empty. (Fire hazard?)
The cleaned out crock was on the floor, right next to the wet rug, spotted with meaty remnants.
Chester was panting on the couch, well deserving of a belly ache!

I proceeded with the hour long cleanup.
Scrubbing rugs, mopping floors, washing dishes, shampooing ears.
As I cursed and cleaned, I reminded myself of the last Chester episode.
I promptly searched the couch. Sure enough, a buried chop was discovered.
I tossed it and added the couch to my list of things to scrub.

Afraid of what spoiled meat might do to the air quality inside the house,
I decided to expand my search. Every nook and cranny was checked,
and another chop was discovered buried in the couch in the front room.

Lessons learned:
Chester seems to be undaunted by small shocks when meat is the objective.
The basement is now the preferred site for preparing Crock Pot meals.

What Chester Ate Today…

In an effort to clear out the leftover Halloween candy,
I bagged it up to take to Family Home Evening with the single adults last night.
Unfortunately, I forgot to set it out and brought every piece of it home.
I also forgot it when I pulled it out of the box and set it on a self in the spare room.

Anyone who knows Chester will most certainly know what happened next.

After the last person left the house, Chester went to work.
The first task was to retrieve the bag on the shelf.
It seems to have taken some effort, because a sack of office supplies that was next to the candy was shredded and the box of tissues behind the candy was dented.

After successful retrieval, the consumption began.
He enjoyed as much as he could, and then took his actions to a whole new level.
He proceeded to take the leftover candy bars, one by one,
and strategically stash them in various places in the two couches in the family room.

Evan noticed his efforts and proceeded to confiscate the buried treasure.
Thinking he found it all, Evan went back to work and Chester napped.
The story was shared with me when I got home from work
and I have since found, what we hope is the last piece.

If Chester disappears in the middle of the night,
it will be safe to assume he has one more hiding spot!

In case you were wondering…

If a dog finds a staple on the floor and tries to eat it,
there IS a chance that the dog will end up “stapling” the roof of his mouth.

What are the signs of this happening?
The dog will continually lick the roof of his mouth in the same fashion as a dog eating peanut butter.

Can you remove this staple yourself?
Yes, but it takes two.

In case you were wondering…

If a dog (Chester)
eats grapes,
he carefully
picks them off the stem.