Coyote Bait on a Stick

(AKA "Gus")

But first, a little background...

Last summer the neighbors – the ones who give me drinks (like the oh-so-yummy smoretini) – got a dog. Correction, they SAVED a dog. You know, one of those rescue-type deals where everyone feels warm and fuzzy inside for not having purchased their canine companion from a nasty breeder (like I did).


So this snotty little Mister Warm & Fuzzy came into the neighborhood. No, for real, he was snotty – he had rabies or something. Just kidding, it was kennel cough. Either way, he was quarantined for a while. Anyway, so he's a black cairn terrier mix. You know, like Toto! Oh, and guess what? That was his name.




Well, of course most NORMAL people (read: more creative than neanderthals) don't appreciate dog names that are cliché. So the neighbors – let's call them "Dick and Jane" – decided to rename him "Gus." Because, honestly, who doesn't love a little shaggy dog with an old man's name?

(I forget what "Gus" is short for...I think originally it was August but they changed that. For some reason I find myself listening to Loreena McKennitt while I write so it has to do with something Scottish...)

I think Zada assumed he – Gus – would be just like our other small-dog neighbor (Hoy) who's scared of bigger dogs. Not so...this newcomer small dog has SASS. And proverbial balls the size of Kansas. He sees Z running towards him – a 70-pound bundle of lean muscle, sinew and wolf-like stance – and what does he do? Why, stands his ground and jumps up on her to say "hello!" when she gets close, of course!


Needless to say, she was a bit stymied. But, since that first meeting they've become fast friends...our "yappy hours" are now somewhat daily occurrences and I know both dogs love running around together. Z (ever the Fetching Queen) gets a little frustrated when Gus (a normal terror...I mean, terrier) doesn't play by the rules and steals her ball or stick and won't bring it back.

He's so concerned with the having of and the CHEWING of the stick that when I've tried to get it away from him he'll hang onto it even if I lift it into the air...dangling, suspended from only his teeth by a death grip that could put a bulldog to shame. (Pssssst: that's the "on-a-stick reference :) Also, when Z's running around with HER stick, Gus will invariably launch himself at it and in spite of her spinning efforts will acquire the tip of it and wind up chewing vigorously on his end while she resigns herself to holding it at perfect terror – I mean terrier – height for him.

Okay. So on to the meat and potatoes of this random story: Gus has become coyote bait. Literally.


What? We live in St. Paul, Minnesota. "How on EARTH could a cairn terrier mix come into contact with a coyote?" you ask. Simple. It's Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom behind Dick and Jane's town home (they have The Corner Lot next to The Woods). They've got it all: squirrels, song birds of all varieties, rabbits, ducks, deer, turkeys and recently...a coyote.

No lie. This coyote has been sighted by several people in our town home complex...but never before (since I've lived here, anyway) has the Canis latrans been spotted so frequently or so CLOSE to Dick and Jane's house as in the past couple of months.

Last week I was getting ready to go to work and Zada barked – yes, barked! – out the window. I assumed Gus was out and she wanted to join him, but nevertheless I looked out the window and to my utter surprise saw a coyote standing plain as day on the edge of the woods across the road. Right THERE. In broad daylight.


It seems our very own Wile E. has formed some sort of hunting ground/territory that encompasses our small patch of St. Paul and he likes to make his daily rounds. Of course, now that Dick and Jane have Gus this poses somewhat of a problem. Kind of like a fast-food problem.

See, they like to tie Gus outside on his tie-out so he can partake of the outdoors and get some fresh air. Nowadays this is sort of worrisome to them since, you know, there's a coyote around and according to Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge): "Urban populations of coyotes have been known to actively hunt cats, and to leap shorter fences to take small dogs. In particularly bold urban packs, coyotes have also been reported to shadow human joggers or larger dogs, and even to take small dogs while the dog is still on a leash."

Yikes.

So they've been keeping a close eye on Gussy while he's staked out but this evening at yappy hour Jane told me a scary story. This morning while Gus was tied out, Jane heard him barking. Not his normal, happy-go-lucky yapping, either. She said this was a "warning bark." She rushed to the patio door and saw her little Toto – sorry, GUS – standing at the edge of their patio, barking madly at a coyote that was less than 20 feet away. Not only was said coyote that close; he was slouching in for a little snack...Gus.

My brave Roadrunner whipped open the patio door and clapped her hands frantically, which sent Wile E. shooting off into the cover of the woods...Gus was safe.

Scarily, this is a real threat to little Gussy (aka Coyote Bait on a Stick). I'm not a small-dog person but damn, he is CUTE and he's so chock-full of attitude and energy you have to love him. When I told the story to Clint, he said maybe Dick and Jane should call someone about "re-locating" the coyote. I think he's right. At this point, it's not cool to see a wild canine that close...namely when it's stalking your pooch. Plus, we don't really want to put our names on the waiting list at the Great Minnesota Get-Together for a new creation.

Seriously, and all jesting aside, I think it's time for Mr. Coyote to find a new home. I mean, how can I stand thinking my favorite furry neighbor could come to harm???

Antiquing in St. Paul

Had another fun day antiquing with The Girls this afternoon. We started off with lunch at The Liffey (fried fish and pickles, beef sliders, sammich, maybe some drinks) and then made our way down 7th Street to a few shops.

We started at Wescott's and then moseyed across the street to Grandma's. We couldn't go into John's because they closed at 2:45. Not 2:30 and not 3:00, but 2:45. On a Saturday. Weird.

Since I was the only one who didn't really NEED anything, it stands to reason I was the only one who purchased anything. Naturally.

I did have a list of things I'd keep an eye out for...nothing too big, but just some stuff I've been thinking I could use. Mason jars, old horse bits, organizational items, antique cameras were all on the list.

While I came across a couple of old accordion cameras – for cheaper than I've ever seen them, no less – I wasn't truly enamored with either of them so in spite of the low price tags I didn't end up with either. Couldn't find any horse bits but ran across a LOT of rusty horseshoes for sale. Funny, since Mom and Dad have a ton at home they could evidently be selling.

Got some cool, old boxes for organization – including a little Coca-Cola box – and even a set of three mason jars for good prices (it's amazing how location has such an impact on pricing, even for antiques).



I also found a couple of old crocks. I'll use one as a water dish for Zada – I think crocks make great dog dishes – and while it's a different color than her food bowl, it's the same style and the perfect size. The other holds pens, pencils, scissors and the like on my desk.




I've been toying with the idea of making some sort of "craft" necklace – a long chain with some keepsake-y type things on it. To that end I bought an old skeleton key and some random museum token with a hole in it. We'll see how that pans out.



They weren't on The List, but I did pick up a couple of old books, too: Wuthering Heights and Gone With The Wind. I love books in general and antique books are even better.


Then comes the pièce de résistance: the one thing I didn't need nor intend to buy but just had, HAD to have.


Another trunk.

Yes, I realize I've already purchased an antique steamer trunk...and my plan of using this uber-cool, authentic trunk as a coffee table in a place of honor in the living room backfired when I realized how AWFULLY the thing reeked of mothballs. I think Clint still hates it (although almost 2 years later it's finally not smelly anymore...at least, not 'til you open the lid).

This "new" trunk is an immigrant trunk (from the late 1800s) that's entirely hand-made: from the wood down to the hand-forged "nails" and hinges. It's super-cool. Even Clint likes it (plus it doesn't smell :). Oh, and the only reason I was looking at trunks in the first place was because one of The Girls is looking for a trunk to use as a coffee table. Turns out she didn't quite like this one so I snapped it up :)

Where did I find this treasure? On the corner of Selby and Fairview in St. Paul. Bought it from Terry (good guy  – funny). He says he bought two of them at the same time and the "twin" of mine was painted and dated 1865. While this one doesn't have any dating or writing that we can find, he says it's exactly the same as the other...hence we assume 1800s. Either way, it's really old, totally hand-made and oh-so-cool.


While Clint's not hyper about me bringing home a bunch of stuff from antiquing, we both sat and ogled the thing for about half an hour. Plus, you can only open it by using the ginormous skeleton key so that's cool.

All in all, a great day of shopping for antiques in St. Paul, Minnesota!

My New Vacuum Really Sucks

Recently I kind of busted our vacuum cleaner. It was one of those bulky, heavy vacuums and it didn't have anywhere to carry it except for the actual push handle itself. So, it broke. Truth be told I was secretly glad since the thing was a pain to haul around and it hurt my back to use it.

Luckily, we had a back-up. It was much lighter and easier to use – although still bulky – but it had about half the sucking power of the old vacuum...which means it didn't really do much at all.

'Twas time to get a new one. After asking for recommendations from friends and randoms in the Twitterscape and on Facebook, everyone seemed dead set on me buying a Dyson. After reading reviews and various information, it seemed that yes, Dysons were powerful vacuums and everyone who had one would never, ever own another kind.

Problem is, the best reviews for these vacuums were for the version that costs $600.00. While I'm sure it's the Cadillac of vacuums, let's be honest – there's no way I was ready to fork over that kind of money for a vacuum.

On my way into Target to peruse the selection, I happened to be on the phone with my sister, who just happened to have purchased a new vacuum two months ago...she'd had her husband do the research, and the guy's thorough. He looked for the Dyson "comparables" and came up with The Shark. She was adamant: this vacuum sucked. Like, literally, it sucked up EVERYTHING in its path.

Plus, it was only $170.00. Sold.

So I brought home my new, little Shark, put it together and started vacuuming. And entered a whole new world of housecleaning.

First of all, it's lightweight (only 18 pounds). While at first I was taken aback by the small vacuuming surface (about 12 inches), I quickly realized how handy it is – I can get around, underneath and closer to the base of couches and chairs than I could with either of my two big, lunky vacuums. Also, there's no need to switch the "level" of the vacuum for different types of carpeting/flooring! No bending over and making sure the vacuum is in its locked and upright position while struggling to get the perfect height to vacuum.

There's a setting on the On/Off switch for bare floors, and one for carpeting. That's it. Having trouble pushing the vacuum over your shag area rug? No problem! On the handle there's a "suction release" valve that lessens the suction for easier movement across thicker pile (which, by the way, I don't even need to use over my shag area rug).

Also, in the "carpeting" mode (with the brushes engaged) the vacuum sort of pulls itself forward, so all you have to do is pull it back.

Easy.

Okay. So it's put together and I'm excited about how easy it is. Then I vacuumed the entire house. And emptied the canister THREE TIMES. Now, it's not a HUGE canister but it holds a LOT of hair and dirt.

Here's the kicker, though...the next day I actually cleaned the entire house (dusted, vacuumed, the whole works) and after dusting I vacuumed again – this time with chairs up and really getting into corners, etc. – and I had a full canister after just the upstairs. AGAIN. After having vacuumed the DAY BEFORE.

Now, my German shepherd – correction, German SHEDDER – sheds constantly. This I know. But to have THAT MUCH hair in my carpet that I didn't even know about...YEESH. No wonder my allergies have been so bad in this house (the Minneapolis house has hardwood floors).

After vacuuming the downstairs, I had ¾ of a canister...yikes. I was at once disgusted and ecstatic. What a vacuum! Then I detached the canister and used it to vacuum the stairs – super-easy! – and finally got the deep clean I needed (my little Dirt Devil is easy to use but it doesn't have the suction of The Shark!).

I've vacuumed twice more since then, and each time my carpets look like they were just professionally cleaned. I'm in love.

Thank you, Shark, for sucking so much :)

If You're a Dog Owner, You're a Dog Trainer

I'm a dog trainer.

Sounds cocky, doesn't it? Well, I am a dog trainer because I'm a dog owner. That's right: if you own a dog, you're a trainer. WHAT you're training might not be the "right" thing, but you ARE training. Always.

When you get home after a day of work, if the first thing you do is excitedly greet your dog using a high-pitched voice, frenziedly petting him, you're training that dog "when my owner gets home, I'm to get immediately riled up!"

If you give your dog a treat every time you go into the kitchen, that dog will start LIVING in that room (or following you around hoping for your feet to carry you into that magical place).

Pretty simple stuff.

I've heard dog owners tell me, "well, I HAVE to play with her or she won't leave me alone." What? Really? Who's training whom here?

I might not be a professional trainer, but I do know obedience is obedience and the key to having a well-behaved dog is consistency and clear communication.

Since we humans don't speak the same language as dogs, it's important to have a good way to communicate to them when they've done something right. I've found the most effective method of training is the clicker – and before you roll your eyes and say, "that doesn't work," remember back to whether or not you've ever met my dog.

OH, right. The well-behaved German shepherd (yeah, she's not perfect in every aspect, but she IS a good dog). I trained her – correction, I TRAIN her – with clicker training. That's really just a "junk term" for operant conditioning, but for the sake of argument let's just call it clicker training.

If you know how to modify behavior by communicating with your dog via clicker, you can train anything the dog is physically capable of doing. Literally. Anything from teaching a dog to sit to teaching her to stand on a ball are within your grasp with this simple training – and communication – method.

And why use a clicker, you ask? Why can't you just mark the dog's behavior with some word of your choosing? Well, you certainly can – but dogs trained with clickers as markers learn much more quickly than dogs trained with voice markers. Why? Because our voices vary in pitch, tone, volume, etc. while the clicker is a consistent sound.

How do you begin? Well, first, you have to have a dog, a clicker and some form of "treat" the dog really loves (this can be anything from actual treats to a favorite toy to scratching a good spot; it depends on the dog). Then, once you've charged the clicker (i.e., taught the dog what it means), you can have at it.

Happy training :)

House for Sale in North Minneapolis

My cute little house is for sale on Russell Avenue in Minneapolis again. The price has dropped but you'd better hurry – there's a showing this afternoon and I'm feeling lucky. This charming, well-built little number has cute curb appeal and is move-in ready.

Quaint 1920s Minneapolis House for Sale:

• 3 bedrooms
• 2 bathrooms
• 1½ story
• ~1,050 finished square feet
• Original hardwood floors
• New roof
• Eat-in kitchen
• Stainless steel appliances
• Unfinished basement with laundry & plenty of storage
• Spacious, light front porch
• Back mud porch
• Fenced-in yard
• Detached, one-car garage
• 10 minutes from Uptown / Downtown
• Central/forced air

Great for a single person, a couple or even a small family, this single family home is conveniently located near bus stops, a gas station and only five blocks from Victory Memorial Parkway – a perfect place to stroll.



Relax on the sunny front porch in the mornings with a cup of coffee or hang out on the backyard patio in the shade of the old oak tree on a summer evening.



The main floor has a nice, bright living room with two bedrooms separated by a full bath.

The eat-in kitchen has plenty of cabinets and a big pantry for storage.




Upstairs, there's room for a home office or craft area that leads into a big, carpeted bedroom with its own full bath.

 The basement, while unfinished, is spacious and light (several small windows line the perimeter), with plenty of storage space and a big laundry area that boasts a washer, dryer, laundry tub and cabinet.

This space is ready to be finished, with drain tiles and sump pump already installed – no fear of flooding or dampness!

If you're interested in seeing this little jewel in person, please contact my real estate agent for a showing.

Once inside I know you'll find it as homey and warm as I do :)

My Kozies Shepherd Has Hip Dysplasia

I know I said I wouldn't waste any more time thinking and opining about Mark Kozitza down in Mankato, MN, but since Zada's health has taken a turn for the worse I feel inclined to dissuade other German shepherd lovers from falling prey to this backyard breeder like I did.

While I live in St. Paul – in a town home, no less – and Zada is a "city dog," I have her out for 1½ to 2 hours of exercise per day. I have her off-leash quite a bit so she can run; I'm constantly playing fetch with her (she never tires of chasing sticks or balls); we go for daily long walks around the neighborhood and I walk fast (she trots the entire time); and I also work her physically/mentally by down-staying her and hiding her stick or throwing it into the woods and releasing her to "find it" (she absolutely LOVES this game).

Long story short: she's in great shape. You can see her muscle definition through her fur, which for a longer-haired dog is pretty impressive. I keep her lean and she's never been over-weight.

She's Lame...Again

In spite of all that, she came up lame a few days ago – this time on a hind leg (she's had chronic problems on her left front for years). Since the only weakness she's ever shown on a hind leg has been attributed to her luxating patella, I assumed this was the same thing. I took her to the vet clinic and the veterinarian said she didn't think this limp was due to any problems with Zada's knees and suggested I get x-rays. Of course I said to go ahead, even though it was late evening and I didn't want her to be groggy for the rest of the night (turns out they didn't even have to sedate her...my good girl :)

I wasn't prepared for the news that came back: my European-line German shepherd has hip dysplasia. Not only that, she also has arthritic changes on two of her vertebrae: lumber 7 (L7) and her sacrum. The vet said the spinal arthritis was more concerning than the hip dysplasia, since it will not only get worse over time (same as the hip dysplasia), but could end up impinging on nerves and could cause permanent damage.

If You Don't Want a GSD with Hip Dysplasia or Arthritis, Don't Buy From Kozies Shepherds

I was devastated. Zada's only five years old and already I was thinking of the years to come of playing fetch, horseback riding through the woods with her at my side, hiking for hours and how that would affect my poor girl's hips and spine.

For someone who purports to breed German shepherds of European working lines that have good genetics and are "structurally sound," Mark Kozitza sure struck out with this breeding. I've heard from a few other people who own Kozies shepherds and between the four of us our dogs have quite the list of afflictions.

Known Health Problems of Kozies Shepherds

• hip dysplasia
• spinal arthritis (transitional vertebra)
• EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency)
• aggression towards children
• luxating patellas
• dog-dog aggression
• limping on a front leg after exercise
• bad teeth

I've noticed that Zada's dam (also the dam of two of the other dogs I'm mentioning above) has been completely taken off the breeder's website. One of the other dog owners (who has a female half-sister to Zada) told me that Zada's sire was supposed to be the father of his female but at the last minute Kozitza changed the breeding. When I asked if he knew why, this dog owner told me "because the dog went sterile."

This is obviously hearsay but it seems like too much of a coincidence for me – plus I have the vet bills to prove the bad breeding practices of Kozies. If anyone wants to see Zada's x-rays, I'd be happy to share.

All of Zada's temperament issues aside – which can result from genetics AND environment, I know that – these problems (especially hip dysplasia) are solely a product of poor breeding. There's nothing I could've done to prevent this other than NOT get my German shepherd from Kozies shepherds. Period.

Dog-sitting Miss Tesa

While Mom and Dad spend the month in sunny Puerto Vallarta, their golden retriever gets to stay with us here in the cities. Being a country girl, Tesa is used to being outside all day, running hither and thither and doing, well, pretty much whatever she wants.

Here in St. Paul, we don't have a yard so the only time she gets to go out is under supervision. I do have Zada out every day for a couple of hours, and she's used to a mostly-indoor life...but when Tesa's here I feel bad that she can't be outside more often like she is back home.

However, I've put my guilt aside and realized she's just fine...as evidenced by the amount of sleeping (and snoring) she's done while staying here.

Me thinks this is the face of a content pooch. Well, except she was waiting for me to stop snapping so she could get on with her nap :)