Last night at approximately 12:52, the cat freaked out, jumped onto the bed, and attacked my feet. It was a three Band-Aid attack, and it has set the mood for the morning. (If I was a mood ring wearing person, today would be something like black or red or flame throwing or whatever color symbolizes I Should Probably Take a Xanax.) ((My kids complimented me a LOT this morning, which they tend to do when I’m shooting sparks out of my eyeballs.))
I love Scout. I love Henry. I’m having a difficult time loving Scout AND Henry. (Don’t get me wrong. I will get through this.) The dogs are at each others’ throats from the time they are released from their crates in the morning (at approximately 6:00) until they are put back into the crates for bed (at approximately 10:00). During their awake hours, they are fighting and/or growling at each other. Constantly. About half of the time, I can tell that they’re playing. The other half? It starts off as playing, but then leads to something else entirely. SO, I’ve been spending my days trying to engage them and/or separate them. Henry is eleven weeks old, and he was just diagnosed with a bacterial infection as well as a skin infection. In my mind, he needs rest. (Perhaps I’m projecting!) Scout won’t let it happen. SO, I put Scout in her crate so Henry can have Henry time, and both dogs end up yelling and growling through the crate door. (Oh, man. I’m boring you again! Wake up! Please?) They love each other. They hate each other. I just want to eat falafel and sit on the couch…
Oh! Oh! (I really am good at whining! Buckle up!) Scout is pretty good at the whole training pad thing. Henry? Not so much. (Yet.) SO, I take both of them outside several times each day to do their business and run around. Because of our outside time, I now have ten (TEN!) of those big nasty swollen mosquito bites on my arms, and several more tiny ones on my ankles. (I smell really good, people. I’ve been using blackberry scented lotion! Bugs are really drawn to me, as are women in the freezer section of the grocery store. (I don’t know.))
When Jeff and I are complaining about silly things and we catch ourselves losing perspective, we tend to say, “It’s a living hell.” If you look at the big picture, we’re dipped in Nothing To Complain About. Oh, but the growling. The GROWLING! And the fighting. And the bug bites! And I’m limping today because I Was Attacked By My Own Cat. Living hell? Living hell.
Always End On A Good Note: Tempe and I had lunch yesterday at VegaDeli, where I enjoyed a Greek Wrap and some apple/beet/carrot juice. This may just be my new favorite place in St. Louis.
Someone make the fighting stop. (I know it will eventually stop.)
Poor Itchy Bullied Henry.
And Poor Mean Girl Scout.
And this is where I would put a photo of my feet along with a Poor Mangled Me, but we all know how I am about feet. Enjoy your day. ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
I feel your pain. We have two cats who are completely chill and two more who hate each other. So there’s constant drama and hissing and snarling and growling, not to mention power plays (I’ll sit here so you can’t come in the kitchen! Well, I’ll sit here so you can’t go down and use the litterbox!). So tiresome.
Henry looks A LOT like my Jesse, except Jesse is all beige. What breed is Henry? I ask because I really don’t know for sure what Jesse is.
Jesse is about 5 mos. old and he barks for about any reason and my right hand, of all his chew toys, is his favorite. The one bright spot is that his front puppy teeth are gone. The middle and back ones are still there. He hates the crate, carrier, and his preferred greeting to dogs and cats is barking. I feel your pain.
GOD but those dogs are cute! I remember the transition from one to two SO well. Mervyn (the new puppy) kept trying to suckle his big brother. Who was not lactating. And never would. And they hated each other. And I wasn’t sleeping. And then like two weeks later they were totally, totally fine.
Actually that’s why you got Henry – to teach Scout some boundaries so she wouldn’t play too rough with you and the kids. They’ll work it out. Each one will learn, when they get too wound up and bite too hard, they’ll get bitten back. Something human families can’t teach (except for one guy we had who I had to discuss the appropriateness of biting his dog on the ear.)
I say get a glass of wine (or whine), throw them in the basement and let them figure it out or you’ll be figuring it out for the next 12-14 years.
Scout is totally smug about her bullying prowess! You may as well have named her Regina George!
Ugh — sounds like you’ve been having a rough go of it. No advice really (allergies…no pets…) but I hope it gets better for you soon!
Oh sugah.
You are hatin’ life, aren’t you?
Deet. It’s good for things. Use it.
You need the Dog Whisperer. And I need a veggie burger from the VegaDeli place.
I almost hate to say that I am glad I am not the only one itching this summer. After our rescue of Neo the Pug this summer I remembered one of the advantages to bigger dogs, they can hold it longer! Neo goes out many times a day and my poor legs are covered in itchy bug bites. :(
They will figure each other out and be BFFs!
Scout looks like she’s pleased with herself!
For the bites, try dabbing ammonia on them as soon as possible. It works amazingly well.
I feel your mosquito pain. Taking Oscar for walks and sitting outside with him mean the mosquitos get extra feeding time. I hate going to bed with DEET on so I’ve taken a two-pronged approach. I only use lotion and body wash that is grapefruit/lemon scented (I heard this helps so I figured it’s worth trying) and I use a bug spritz I bought a Whole Foods that’s all natural ingredients. It doesn’t work for hours like DEET but it seems to help for about 40 minutes after I apply it.
As for the dog fighting, I’m all for letting dogs sort it out on their own. Which does mean that my little dog sometimes gets taught a lesson when he tries to bully larger dogs – but he’s learned to back off. Can you not let them play in the yard together without you?
We know our Great Pyrenees would love to have a doggie friend, but I’m afraid that we would end up in a similar situation.
We bought a baby gate to use when we need Teddy to stay out of a room (obedience training be damned, if he wants to do something, he’s going to do it unless we block him). Could you get a gate to temporarily separate them?
Also, Henry? ADORABLE.
they’re trying to find out who’s the alfa dog. who’s the leader of the two. It happens when dogs are of the same sex, weren’t you told that?
I’d say leave them to it and eventually they’ll sort it out. OR you try helping them out and decide who’s boss (by feeding him first, letting him out first etc.)
They’re not people. They won’t just get along. It’s a pack thing I’m afraid…
Sounds like my two dogs! After about a year it was clear that they were best friends, but it was a long year… Good luck! It will be worth it.
We have three and they have never sorted it out. Sigh. We’re looking into the professional help.
Oy. I have the name of a lovely trainer here (who is wonderful! esp with me and my social awkwardness despite having a highly social dog!) but that’s not going to help you (there) very much. I think it’ll get better – and until then? Whine/wine away.
(I think giving them each some time with you is important/key, and working with each to sit and stay might be helpful in them figuring out the common goal of behaving well in the future.)
Good luck – and thank you for the pictures!
We accidentally adopted a puppy, who is accidentally part pit-bull, part Satan’s guard dog. If she were human, she would be the starting catcher on the Wellsley softball team. And all of this bothers our middle-aged Jack Russell to no end. He just wants to be left the f–k alone, and Lola just doesn’t have leaving him alone in her bloodstream.
In short, I feel your pain.
Skin-so-Soft (Avon) to keep the mosquitos away. My grandmother used it for years and it works well. Even what my friend was told to bring to Marine boot camp. I love the smirk on Scouts face. They are awfully cute and they will work it out. Wish I was up there. I would go and have lunch at the VegaDeli. Sounds yummy!
Picture of the three Band Aid cat please. Dan and I want to place our bets on which animal will be the “alpha” one year from now (and receive a guest starring role in an episode of Trials of Life). LOL
Okay, after seeing the picture of Ramona, Dan and I believe that Scout will be the “alpha” until one fateful day (we believe in March) when Ramona stages a coup and demands her crown.
P.S. Your dogs are the cutest EVER. Of course, we don’t have to listen to them.
*i will not be the one who says “OH YEAH?! WELL AT LEAST YOU’RE NOT STUCK IN UGANDA WHERE YOUR LITTLE BABY GIRL HAS BUG BITES AND A FEVER AND ALL YOU CAN THINK IS OMG MALARIA!”*
Ooops. Guess I was.
Seriously. Your dogs kill me with their cute. Your links to delicious St Louis food kill me because I’d sell a kidney for something like that right now.