I finally got the video to load. Here are Terra and Frodo at the end of her visit. Phoenix and Wallace appreciated the extra hand in tag teaming to keep the puppy entertained.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Frodo Update
Frodo continues to grow in both size and temperament. The best word I can come up with to describe Frodo is "simple". Not as in being the village idiot, but in being uncomplicated. Life is simple to Frodo. Twice a day good food appears. He has Phoenix and Wallace to pass the time during the day, and good things just happen, if you wait.
We have been going for walk every day. Wallace turns into a banshee when on lead, and doesn't understand the "gentle" in Gentle Leader. Phoenix is pack leader and makes it her personal mission to warn us on everything: "Look! There's SHEEP!" (Yes, they were there yesterday.) "AUSSIE ALERT!" (Yes, that's the same dog you bark at every day.) "Mom! A CAR!" (Yes, and one passed by 30 seconds ago.). Frodo, however, trots quietly by my side. "Pace is fine, Mom." he grins. I'll look down and he has picked up a stick, and carries the treasure in his mouth for a ways. He looks at the sheep and keeps going. "Whatever" is his response to Phoenix's warnings.
Yesterday I took him into the pasture while I reduced our brush pile to ashes. He explored for awhile, then just sat and watched to chickens and turkeys. Soon one of the chickens came up to him to check him out. They stared at each other from a foot away, then each went on with their own business. I could see the wheels turn in his head. "Chicken." He then went to the back fence and looked into the forest. "Forest," I told him. He looked back into the trees. "Forest."
He takes the same approach with his ears. I thought I had them finally up this week. They stayed up for four days. Then one morning one fell. It was as if he was permanently pointing to the left. Two days later the other fell. All i get from him is a lok that says, "Ears." If I wouldn't be embarrassed to take him out in public as an adult, I'd leave them. They seem to be Frodo's way. They are just "Ears."
We have been going for walk every day. Wallace turns into a banshee when on lead, and doesn't understand the "gentle" in Gentle Leader. Phoenix is pack leader and makes it her personal mission to warn us on everything: "Look! There's SHEEP!" (Yes, they were there yesterday.) "AUSSIE ALERT!" (Yes, that's the same dog you bark at every day.) "Mom! A CAR!" (Yes, and one passed by 30 seconds ago.). Frodo, however, trots quietly by my side. "Pace is fine, Mom." he grins. I'll look down and he has picked up a stick, and carries the treasure in his mouth for a ways. He looks at the sheep and keeps going. "Whatever" is his response to Phoenix's warnings.
Yesterday I took him into the pasture while I reduced our brush pile to ashes. He explored for awhile, then just sat and watched to chickens and turkeys. Soon one of the chickens came up to him to check him out. They stared at each other from a foot away, then each went on with their own business. I could see the wheels turn in his head. "Chicken." He then went to the back fence and looked into the forest. "Forest," I told him. He looked back into the trees. "Forest."
He takes the same approach with his ears. I thought I had them finally up this week. They stayed up for four days. Then one morning one fell. It was as if he was permanently pointing to the left. Two days later the other fell. All i get from him is a lok that says, "Ears." If I wouldn't be embarrassed to take him out in public as an adult, I'd leave them. They seem to be Frodo's way. They are just "Ears."
"'Village Idiot' is more like it," thinks Phoenix.
"See, they stay up if I lay on my side!"
Auntie Terra Comes to Visit
Auntie Terra (Terra, Phoenix and Frodo are all related to each other) came to visit us while Gwen went to Hawaii. At first Terra was not sure about a puppy ruining her trip to the country, but she quickly warmed to Frodo. Here is a photo sequence showing how the week went. I got everyone as posed as I could, then Frodo attacked Wallace, finally Phoenix broke her downstay and joined in on the melee. (Frodo is underneath her). Note the expression on Terra's face ("Amateurs!").
Also notice how Frodo's and Terra's neck markings are mirror images of each other. I got my Terra dog after all!
Also notice how Frodo's and Terra's neck markings are mirror images of each other. I got my Terra dog after all!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Achilles Ears
Sorry the picture isn't very good, but Frodo continues to vex me in the ear department. I tape them up in the evening, and the next day when I come home from work, he has tattered shreds hanging from his ears. I think he is trying out as an extra for Les Miserables while I am at work.
I have finally found a method that works to keep the tape on Frodo for more than a day. I use foam rollers with the hard part taken out. I wrap the ear around the roller and secure it with 2" 3M paper tape. After wrapping the entire ear, I wrap it with athletic tape. I then tape across both ears. This seems to stay on for 2-4 days and his ears don't get irritated. I thought this last time that I had "up" ears, but after a day they wilted again.
Frodo weighed in at 20 lbs last week at his last-shot vet visit. Just like Clifford, the Big Red Dog, Frodo keeps growing. I suspect he is part moose.
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