Week 2

Sunday
My first weekend during the internship...and I'm sick :o(  With the change in climate, altitude, and getting used to "working" again, I guess I overdid it. Woke up this morning with chills, aches, coughing and sneezing. I got up to let Google out for a potty break, and to give him breakfast, and then we went back to bed! This was pretty much what we did all day...eat, sleep, potty break, repeat.

Last night, Google woke up with a start and was panting fairly rapidly. He seemed worried or anxious. I could hear a dog whining in the yard behind my apartment (not in a painful way; in a puppy-ish way) and I figured that's what Google was hearing. He calmed down pretty quickly and went back to sleep.

Today Google showed a little more personality. Several minutes after he had finished his breakfast, he came back to check his empty bowl again, and turned it over with his foot. He seemed to be amused by the racket it made while spinning upside down on the floor. When I didn't look at him or respond to the noise, he walked over to the closet area and picked up one of my flip-flops. He dropped it immediately when I just looked at him - I didn't even have to say anything! He seemed to be just trying to get my attention. After I petted him and talked to him for a few minutes, he hopped back on the bed and napped.

Monday
I'm still sick, so I spent most of the day in bed again.

Early this morning, Google woke up and growled two small growls. I couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary, and he settled down quickly.

While I was on the phone with my mom, Google decided to play with a squeaky toy! Again, it was like he was trying to get my attention. When I continued to talk on the phone, he picked up a shoe. He's definitely got a mischievous streak!

Tuesday
When I returned Google to his caregiver this morning, I finally saw his "happy dog dance". I hadn't seen it previously and was beginning to wonder if there was actually a happy dog in that skinny little busy-body. He whined and jumped up to hug caregiver Betsy, and wagged his little nub-tail. It was super cute and it made me happy to witness it.

Betsy gave me an update on Jango and it's not great news. Jango is anemic and refuses to eat, so he's probably going to need a blood transfusion today or tomorrow. He's still recovering in the clinic. Of course this news made me cry again...I just can't imagine that my sweet Google, who just did a happy dance, could have hurt another dog.

I was still feeling very weak and sore from being sick, so I took the day off and went back to bed after returning Google to the sanctuary.

Wednesday
Today I worked in Conrad's & Leopold's, which is another area of Dogtown. Caregiver Marla was great to work with, and I met lots of dogs! A fun but exhausting day. I decided to go straight home and eat chicken noodle soup and get more rest, so I didn't take Google with me tonight.

Thursday
This morning I worked at Angel Lodges, where all the dogs have their own run because they do not get along with other dogs. Several of the Michael Vick pit bulls are there; they are affectionately referred to as Vicktory dogs. Many of the dogs at Angel Lodges are also red-collar, meaning that only staff members can interact with them. (Green collar means anyone can interact with them, and purple means only people 18 or older.) Despite the red-collar restrictions, I was still able to meet several very sweet dogs, including Garbanzo. He's a 12 year old pit mix who loves people but cannot live with other dogs. His joints are worn-out and loose, so he's quite wobbly.

This afternoon I worked at the Clubhouse - met many great dogs and caregivers!

Picked up Google for a sleepover and he was excited to see me! He did his happy dance again, and whined when I hugged him. I tried to take a video of him, but he would have nothing of it. Here's what he does when he sees the camera:

Friday
This morning I attended a presentation on Best Friend's Trap-Neuter/Spay-Return (TNR) program. It was very informative and inspiring. Click here for an article on the TNR program.

After the presentation, I had a free hour to spend with Google. I picked him up and we went to the Welcome Center, where we just sat and people-watched. He greeted several people and then sat contentedly with me until two children (a boy about 6 yrs old and a girl about 10 yrs old) came running through the lobby. At that point Google completely shut down. He pulled against his leash to get behind the front desk, where he laid down and stared at the wall. The children did not attempt to come over to meet him, but if they had, I would have stopped them. Google was not acting aggressively at all; he just seemed very wary of the kids' presence.

In the afternoon I worked at the Garden, where I met Poppy. She is a young Pointer mix who survived both distemper and parvo as a puppy. She sustained neurological damage that makes her "bop" or bounce when she's standing still. She doesn't really seem to notice that it's happening, and therefore doesn't seem to be in any pain at all. But to watch her "bop" is absolutely the CUTEST thing I have seen at Best Friends so far. I wish I had a video for you [UPDATE - click here for a video!]. Poppy is the sweetest girl; loves people of all ages and has great doggy manners. She reminds me of my sister and brother-in-law's dog, Tinky (don't you think, sis?).

Since I spent time with Google this morning, I took a different dog for a sleepover tonight. Bastian is an awesome dog, and such a clown! Bastian's goal is to do whatever you want him to do. He constantly looks to you, asking "What next?". My friend Kari would say he has "people eyes".

Bastian LOVES stuffed toys, but unlike most dogs his size, he doesn't tear them up to extract the squeaky. He picks them up gently and sucks on them, almost like he's nursing. It seems to be a source of comfort for him, so who am I to stop him? Here he is, in a blissful trance:

Isn't that an adorable spotted nose? So cute. He also knows sit, down, and roll over! Click here for a video of his tricks.

Saturday
This morning I worked at Maggie's, where training is the name of the game. There are only 11 dogs here, and each one has a specific training need. Rango is very shy and "spooky barks" if you make eye contact with him. Tahiti is a beautiful sweet girl, who needs to learn that she's not the only doggy in the world (jealousy issues). I really enjoyed working with caregiver Jackie and all the dogs here.

This afternoon we had our second training session with trainer Huck and our project dogs. We worked on "leave it" and "come". Google's doing great! After the session Google and I went home for our second weekend together.