Reiko's Journey

Jinsei No Tabi

A life’s winding path and all the experiences along the way…

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A Creamy Dog’s Life

Mmmm…I’ll be here awhile, DogDad.

Not much new here in Roommate Ville as we cross over our 6th month anniversary.

Baths are now a regular thing and while it still entails a fight, I’m starting to think her resistance is more symbolic than an expression of fear.

She just hates to admit that warm soapy water and a nice scrub feels pretty darn good and then après-bath chew stick’s not bad either.

New favorite food – peanut butter! Possibly as ascendant in the treats pantheon as bacon. Takes it right off the end of my finger and from her beloved Kong toy.

Anyway, just wanted to drop a note so you know we are still among the vertical.

Have a good May.

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33 responses to “A Creamy Dog’s Life”

  1. marthadilo3 Avatar
    marthadilo3

    Chester is proud of her, stepping up to the dog union rules about bathing. Pb is the only way he will take the heartworm and tick pill but I think he spits it out so that he’ll get more PB. Sooner or later I can catch him eating it and give him another one really quick with the pill in it and he swallows it before he realizes it. it sounds like she is becoming trusting.

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      That’s the sneaky technique we used on Max the Maltese. Appealing to their gluttony is so effective with dogs. With Reiko, no need as she is not as crafty. She’ll gobble the pill in her food bowl even if only moderately disguised. Little by little I think I am seeing some signs of trust behavior.

      Reply
  2. Tynecastle Avatar
    Tynecastle

    Good man, Peanut butter is the thing. You are both doing well.

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      It’s amusing to watch her nibble the peanut butter from my finger and then try to get it unstuck from the roof of her mouth. Makes for a busy tongue. I can relate to that.

      Reply
  3. Helen Devries Avatar
    Helen Devries

    She’s expanding her horizons…..signs of progress in the trusting stakes now that she will take peanut butter from your finger.

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      I thought it significant because unlike other treats, she can not snatch, grab and run. With peanut butter she has to stay close and keep licking.

      Reply
  4. lois Avatar
    lois

    Peanut butter from your finger, warm baths with minimal resistance–this is great! No more house redecorating from her, either?

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      No recent Reiko versions of Magnolia At Home. Her former mildly destructive behavior when I left her alone has diminished and she now sits on top of the back of the Recliner of Sloth and waits patiently – not 100% yet but pretty good. Also, she is amazingly good at doing her business outside when I am home and the door is open and otherwise using her pee pads. Ladylike, in a canine sort of way.

      Reply
      1. lois Avatar
        lois

        I can hear her singing, “I did it my way!”

        Reply
  5. Murphy's Law Avatar
    Murphy’s Law

    From: Murphy’s Law

    You and Reiko are doing fabulous! Sounds like you’ve done your homework and found out Reiko’s soft spots. PB is the deal sealer Tom. No grab, run, and hide with a treat. She definitely trusts you now, maybe not 100%, but close enough. And watching her trying to get the PB off the roof of her mouth is your reward!

    Good to know you two are still vertical! Lol! I think Reiko should have her own recliner right next to yours. You know, the ones they make for young children.

    Hope you have an easy slide into May. Enjoy the weekend.

    ginger🦋

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      Thanks, Ginger, you have a good weekend too. Yeah, the recliner has more than its fair share of dog hair. She’s taken it over when I’m not around. At her current rate of progress I may (may) have a dog that will sit with me in another 6 months. Then maybe we can work on taking a walk or something. I have to look it up and see if peanut butter is even good for dogs and if so, how much. Probably should have done that first…🤷‍♂️

      Reply
      1. Tails Around the Ranch Avatar
        Tails Around the Ranch

        PB can be good for dogs (so long as it doesn’t contain Xylitol) but as is often the case, moderation is important. 😉 Think of it as building trust. Love the “Paws, Relax, Repeat” candle!

        Reply
  6. Tails Around the Ranch Avatar
    Tails Around the Ranch

    Progress with reluctant dogs comes in small increments. Congrats on crossing the 6 month metric. Progress is often measured in millimeters and that’s ok. It’s her timetable. Keep up the great work.

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      I’m not an especially patient person by nature so I continually have to rein in my expectations with this little dog. Someday she’ll sit on my lap and we’ll go outside for a walk. Those are the goals.

      Reply
      1. Tails Around the Ranch Avatar
        Tails Around the Ranch

        You’ll get there. It just may take some time.

        Reply
  7. Xena, Lucy and Chia Avatar
    Xena, Lucy and Chia

    Thank you for posting. Love your AI pic. And she’ll take it off your finger, eh? You’re crawling forward, but so much better than sliding backward!

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      That’s what they say…one has to crawl before one walks. Fortunately a misspent youth at college keg parties taught me much about crawling.

      Reply
      1. Xena, Lucy and Chia Avatar
        Xena, Lucy and Chia

        LOL!

        Reply
  8. Julia Avatar
    Julia

    What, peanut butter on par with bacon? Sacrilege!!

    Jokes aside, it is nice to hear she is willing to take peanut butter from your finger. She is trusting you more. Baby steps. With her being so nervous, I am surprised she handles baths so well. She must be wanting affection, but is afraid at the same time. Bath time may allow affection in a way she can be comfortable with.

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      Your interpretation of bath time meshes with mine. I think she craves touch but fears it, too, so she is a bit lost on how to react. Once I put her in the tub there is no resistance at all. She doesn’t shake or seek to escape. She can be handled and moved around in the tub to scrub different parts and she doesn’t seem to mind the spray at the end to rinse her off. Even the rub down and drying on my lap, while wrapped in towels, goes peacefully. But as soon as I unwrap the towel and start to lower her to the floor she twists, turns ands takes off like a cat on fire.

      Reply
      1. Julia Avatar
        Julia

        At least she is able to get some loving, even if she is scared afterwards. Will she let you pet her head while she is wrapped up?

        I would sit on the floor with Nox wrapped in towels to dry off. I would pet her head and scratch behind her ears. Once I unwrapped her, off she would run to Bruce. Bruce would take her outside and we would call her back and forth. The last two years, Bruce would take her outside and get her to shake several times. I would wrap her up in dry towels again to keep her warm will she dried off. Once dried off, she would wiggle out of the towels.

        Reply
        1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
          Reiko’s Journey

          Dog post-bath routines are usually hilarious. It’s like they were assaulted and just barely escaped a fate worse than death. Then there’s the zoomies and rollovers and shakes. Free entertainment. Yep, I can pet her head but frankly she is so bundled up I could do brain surgery and she couldn’t move so I cannot really count that as a win.

          Reply
          1. Julia Avatar
            Julia

            That is so true! They look at you as if you betrayed them by getting them all wet and putting smelly stuff on them. Then, the go crazy trying to recover!

            Reply
  9. Bitey Dog Avatar
    Bitey Dog

    Better than “A Chunky Dog’s Life”, I suppose. 🤔

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      There’s plenty of “chunky” with me in the house. Chunk a chunk ‘o burning love.

      Reply
      1. Bitey Dog Avatar
        Bitey Dog

        But I bet your chunk is honey-sweetened! 🍯

        Reply
  10. doesitevenmatter3 Avatar
    doesitevenmatter3

    YAY! Thanks for the update! So great to hear the PB news! And the bathing news! All good! 🙂
    Happy 6 month anniversary to both of you! I am so proud of both of you! ❤️❤️
    I never met a dog who didn’t like peanut butter. And it IS a hoot to watch them lick it down. 😀 It do take a lot of lickin’! 😁
    (((HUGS))) 🥜🧈 (Get it?! 😉 )

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      Like bacon, she initially refused to eat it but then discovered, “Hey, that’s good!” and now will gobble. I guess she was never exposed to anything but dry kibble in her former life so all these taste treats are a bit suspicious until the first couple of nibbles. She even refused Pupperoni snacks when she first arrived.

      Reply
      1. Avatar
        Anonymous

        Well, whatever she enjoys, she should have…Beautiful Queen Reiko! 🙂 ❤️

        Related to the baths…I’m so proud of both of you. Hope it just continues and continues to get better and better for her. I want so badly for her to be able to be able to enjoy physical touch and the love you have for her. 🙂

        Reply
        1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
          Reiko’s Journey

          I am happy that you are glad that I take baths. Most people who get near me are also glad that I take baths.

          Reply
          1. doesitevenmatter3 Avatar
            doesitevenmatter3

            Ha! 😀
            When people can smell ya’ arriving, it’s good if it’s a good smell and not a funky one. 😀

            Reply
  11. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Taking a new dog into our lives reminds us we’re never too old to learn new tricks of patience and care 😉 Well done.

    Reply
    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar
      Reiko’s Journey

      The sentiment is sound but I gotta say that I’m getting too old for this. Some folks think I am patient but it’s really just that I am getting sooooo sloooow.

      Reply

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