Happy Birthday to Cabana!

Cabana is ONE!
I won't continue on with my bazillion things at bazillion months--all good (and not so good) things must come to an end. And trying to think of so many things to make a list every month was taxing! I will commemorate by saying that Cabana is a sweet, energetic and happy puppy.

The hats in the photo may be fake, but I did celebrate my birthday this week, too. Although 45-years old may not qualify me for any senior discounts at Denny's, I'm feeling a bit decrepit these days!

My left hand and arm are taking a toll from taking care of Cabana. I'm very left-handed (my right hand is quite inept), and I use my hands all day for work (sewing, graphic design) and hobbies (gardening, computer). I have had problems in the past with carpal tunnel and repetitive motion injuries, which make me very susceptible to re-injury.

Holding Cabana's leash during walks, coupled with the pressure of making dozens if not hundreds of small corrections over and over, is probably the major stresser on my left hand. It's not that Cabana pulls overly much even (although she definitely does her share), but simply wrapping my fingers around the leash has become uncomfortable. I've taken to looping Cabana's leash around the belt of my camera case (which holds a bit of kibble, my keys, and a just-in-case poop bag). Being able to let go of Cabana's leash for even a few seconds every 5-10 minutes seems to help.

What DOESN'T help is that I like to hold Cabana's bones for her in the evening while watching a TV show. Or that one of Cabana's favorite games is tug-of-war. I have cut back on doing these things with her, but it makes me sad because she loves them so much.

At the one year marker, Cabana still hasn't gone into season!! I'm looking forward to this milestone because I have heard that female dogs get calmer after their first heat, and because Cabana will be at the GDB kennels for the 3-week duration. It's not that I want to "get rid" of Cabana--I know I will feel quite lonely and even slightly worried about her when she's away from us. But I'm hoping that the long break will give my hand and arm some time to recover.

For now, we will celebrate Cabana's birthday with lots of new toys (I went a bit crazy at Petco last week with birthday money burning a hole in my pocket) and some extra kibble (just a little) for dinner.

Doggy Pat Peeve

I'm in the midst of reading (listening to) a great book called For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend, by Pat McConnell. While not a dog training book per se, it is full of insight and helpful information, going deep into dog (and human) psychology, sociology and physiology. I am looking at Cabana with new eyes and much deeper understanding for how she feels and communicates.

One no-brainer tidbit the author shares is the fact that most dogs don't really like to be patted on the head. I say it's a no-brainer, because if someone gave us bouncy pats on the tops of our heads, we'd all say it doesn't feel so great. But it's amazing how automatically people perform this gesture. After reading this, I purposely patted Cabana on her head, and sure enough, her body language told me that she isn't fond of that expression of my affection. She took a few steps away from me, still wanting my affection but acting a bit stiff, rather than going limp and relaxed like she would from an ear fondling.

The worst part is that I have caught myself patting her head a few times since without even thinking about it! It's not as annoying as the pat-pat-pat shown in the image above, but just a neutral stroke across the top of her head. Another human form of affection that dogs don't really care for is getting hugs. I wouldn't say Cabana dislikes these kinds of touches, but I don't think she enjoys them either. I'd like to give Cabana more affection that actually feels good to her, rather than things she just tolerates.

Some other topics in the book include how to select a puppy from a litter, how to judge its temperament, whether dogs have the ability to rationalize, tips for dealing with anger and separation anxiety, and reading a dog's facial and body language.

Skull Respirator: Finished Casting Stained

I have molded the fabricated skull, and have cast it hollow in cold cast aluminum so that it will fit over the nose and mouth.


Here is the casting after the preliminary polishing, along with the strap cut out of leather.

On the left is the same casting pictured above, and on the right is another one that has been stained black/brown. Once it is dry I will polish it and it will look like pewter.