Tales of Oreo, a Tripawd Dog

Today was the easiest day so far. I thought my phone malfunctioned because the training was over so quickly. Turns out the app worked fine, but my phone did actually die a couple of hours later. Hopefully I can figure out my new phone before tomorrow’s training. Here are the last two pictures I got off my old phone before it kicked the bucket. In fact, Oreo’s sporting her new GPS tracker because her old one fritzed out. Weird. Must be our magnetic personalities freaking out our electronics, ha ha.

This is getting easier! Well, getting out of the house is anyway. I’m using the ramp for Oreo to get in and out of the SUV too, we’re both too tired to either lift her or for her to jump in. Tonight I’ve got my smoothie ingredients in the Vitamix in the fridge ready to go in the morning. Oreo and I share bananas before and after the training. The earlier we get out, the cooler it will be.

We had a rest day today so just walked at Oreo’s pace. When she got hot she got a buggy ride for most of the rest of the way. When *I* got hot she had to get out and walk on her own uphill, ha ha. We saw some people with New England Patriots gear on and I knew they were actually from New England because of their lily-white legs. The video came out sideways, not sure why.

Day 4 R4R video

I finally figured out what’s wrong with my DoggyRide and its wobbly wheel and as always, it’s operator error. I’ve actually started going too fast to use the front wheel on its stroller mode and have to lock it into place for jogger mode. My triceps get a workout pushing down on the handlebar to steer all the time but when Oreo shifted back just two inches it made a big difference.

People in this park are very nice, smiling at Oreo and saying what a beautiful dog. One lady whom I saw yesterday stopped to ask if Oreo had had an accident and when I said I wasn’t sure, I got her with three legs, she blessed me! It was a real blessing too, not just a “Bless your heart” like they say down here all the time, I really felt it. Love Love Love.

It was rather a hot one today. Oreo only made it about .25 miles before climbing aboard her DoggyRide, which STILL has a wobbly front wheel. [Update: of course it was me, I didn’t have it locked in jogger mode!]  I don’t know why I thought not using it for a year would change that. I’ll try adding some ballast to the front but really, I’m already pushing a 35-pound stroller and a 52-pound dog. We created quite a scene unloading from the SUV apparently, and I said out loud to a woman passing (and gawking, but also smiling), “We’re training for a…marathon.” It was the first time I’d said it out loud, hurrah! Glad I remembered water and sunscreen.

Oreo in the rain

We went for our last casual walk for a while yesterday, got caught under a pavilion during a rain storm. No worries, I had plenty of coffee and did a bit of stretching and watching dance instruction on the DVIDA app (Dance Vision International Dancers Association). Today we started training for a marathon using our Couchto5k app. What did I ever do before smartphones? (Well, I got lost a lot…thank God for GPS.)

Hard to believe over a year has gone by since I’ve posted, so sorry! Oreo’s doing fine. It’s pretty hot for her here in Tennessee so we haven’t been going out much. I had been working three job; editing books, teaching ballroom dance, and dog sitting through DogVacay. All three have slowed down tremendously, so I believe God is trying to redirect me to focus on just one or two (okay, just one, but I really don’t want to give up the dog sitting). 🙂

We’ve been working on Oreo’s separation anxiety all year, ever since I crated her to go to the post office and she lost a tooth trying to get out. I came back after 20 minutes and there was blood everywhere, I felt so awful! I broke my beautiful, perfect girl. 🙁 So now we’re up to about 1.5 hours of her alone in the house, but not the crate.

I’ve been thinking about learning to skateboard so she can pull me, she just loves to mush so much. Then I think about how old I am and wonder…should I wait a few more years so I can blame it on senility? 😉

Wow, I can’t believe how long it’s been since we posted! Oreo is doing great, loving Tennessee (not the heat so much, but our rental home is so great). We became a DogVacay host home in May and have been busy busy with doggie guests ever since! Oreo is the hostess with the mostess. We’ve hosted two Boston terriers, a toy poodle, an Irish Wolfhound, a cockapoo, and currently have a Great Dane staying with us. He’s the only one I’ve kept separate from Oreo and Buddy the cat (well, Wolfie got kept away from the cat after taking a nip out of him; he’s all right though). In a couple of weeks we’ll have two fabulous Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. They are even sweeter than Oreo–hard to believe, I know!

After having been so isolated in the cabin for eight months, I started to get a little worried about Oreo’s manners. I didn’t want her to forget how to have doggie friends. So, after a murder on the trail we usually walk (!) I decided to look for a dog-walking group, and found one on MeetUp.com. What a great bunch of people and dogs! We met once already, and Oreo made friends with Walter, a handsome young boxer/Lab-looking mix. All the other dogs were little so she really wasn’t that interested, but even when one went right up her butt (retractable leads really should be outlawed) she just gave a little warning growl and that was it. I, on the other hand, barked at the woman on the other end of the leash to lock that thing and get a real leash… 😉

Since I was nervous I put a yellow ribbon on Oreo’s leash, as in the Yellow Dog Project, but took it off after about five minutes.

We missed the next MeetUp at the quarry because I got lost. Every time I stopped for directions to the quarry, no one could understand me. Finally someone said, “Oh, the QUAIRY!” (like fairy). Yeah, that big rock hole filled with water. 😉 We went anyway, and there were four other dogs there. Oreo tried to make friends with two of them who didn’t want anything to do with her, and she ignored the other two, even when they came right up and smelled her. Isn’t it funny how they all have their own personalities, and they like some dogs but couldn’t be bothered giving the time of day to others.

We’re really looking forward to the next MeetUp!

Here’s a throwback video from when we lived in New Hampshire and my nephew’s team won a ballgame. It’s a shortened version without sound.