The Encounter

This is so upsetting to me that I can barely type. I find that I use this blog as a way to keep track of incidents, though, so I am making an entry today.

When Toby and I go out these days, I take a can of Halt spray with us because several neighbors have been irresponsible about leaving their dogs out without leashes. One is a pit bull that is aggressive toward other dogs, and I have been afraid of having a run in. Instead we had an encounter with a different little dog that I have written about in the past.

Even though I am very frustrated that this family has been so irresponsible with their dog – to the point of endangering my own – I have tried to be kind. I can see that they adore their little dog, and the dog loves her family deeply. I’ve never said a bad thing about the family, and I have even defended the little dog to others. She is not a bad dog, she is a fearful dog, and her family is doing her no favors by not protecting her with a leash or fence.

These are some of the entries I’ve written about before: The Great Roundup, The Day After, Shhh!

When Toby and I got to the corner of the street where the little dog lives, we could see her in her front yard. I looked at Toby and said, ‘Let’s let the little dog enjoy her day outside. We’ll walk a different way.” We turned and went and were already on a different street when the dog saw us and came charging. If you’ve ever been present for a dog attack, you know the circling/growling/biting the aggressor does to disorient her prey. The victim dog has to keep spinning to protect his flank, and when he is turned around and dizzy the aggressor will either head butt him in the ribs to flip him on his back exposing his belly or she will jump on his back and bite him.

Not wanting Toby to be flipped and bitten, I tried to spray between the dogs so the aggressive girl wouldn’t want to come near him. Unfortunately the little girl dog lunged at Toby and got hit in the forehead. I felt so awful. I still feel so awful. I never wanted to hurt anyone. ..not this dog, not her family, nor did I want my own pup hurt.

As I figured would happen in a small community like this one, I am now the town pariah. I am the mean lady that hurts elderly dogs. Somehow folks never noticed the more than dozen times the little girl dog attacked my Toby. Somehow they ignore the other dog walkers in the neighborhood referring to her as “The Bad Dog on X Street” because she chases and bites their dogs. I have watched a neighbor with back problems painfully bend over to scoop up her senior Yorkie to keep her from being attacked yet again by this little girl dog.

Now Toby and I are on everyone’s poopy list, and I have a feeling that if we need help no one will help us or if we accidentally step out of line, everyone is going to be all over us. I feel bad for Toby. I haven’t taken him for a walk since the incident. He misses his friends and his exercise and doesn’t understand what is going on.

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Come visit with Geordie and Toby during happier times. In Dream Our World, they view the world of art from a canine perspective and enjoy a day of unsupervised fun.

Dream Our World and other fine gifts are available from my shop at L Bowman Studios.

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Where Oh Where

Where, oh where

has my little dog gone?

Oh where, oh where

can he be?

He’s back at home

hiding under the bed.

You silly,

silly puppy!

In the few seconds that I was distracted, a certain furry someone sneaked under the bed and fell asleep. As I cluelessly walked past, I found a grouchy terrier affixed to my slipper.

Since Toby has been sleeping in his kennel, we have barely had any run ins like this one, and things are much better between us. I doubt Toby realizes why, but he is a happier, less stressed out pup.

(And yes, I do need my name on the slippers so I can tell mine from Toby’s.)

Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.

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Looking for a beautiful yet practical gift to give this holiday season? Consider giving a handmade quilt or afghan. Not only would you be giving a loving gift to someone you care about, but you would be supporting a cottage, American-based industry as well.

Handmade ASL/American Sign Language Quilt with stuffed monkey posing on top.

These and other fine gifts can be found in my shop at L Bowman Studios.

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Nightmares and Dreamwalkers

Wednesday night was not a good night.

Figuring out what has been going on with Toby has turned out to be a painful adventure. For months, my otherwise happy puppy has been attacking me. Every resource I encountered mentioned checking the dog’s thyroid levels because low thyroid in dogs can lead to erratic behaviors. I had Toby checked; no low thyroid.

During the attacks, it were as if Toby were asleep. Sometimes he would “wake up” in the middle and looked confused or embarrassed about what was going on.

I think I may have finally figured out what is happening with Toby: Sleep Startle Reflex. Older dogs, deaf dogs – and for some reason greyhounds – tend to have this most often, but any dog can. Basically it is an old survival instinct where if anything – any little thing – happens near the sleeping dog it will attack instantly without even waking up. I don’t even need to touch Toby but make a noise near him and he will come running to growl at and bite me.

What made the condition even harder to pinpoint was that the attacks only happened in the evening or at night not during the day even though Toby sleeps at all of those times. Turns out that the SSR is only triggered during REM sleep. In the afternoons, Toby is merely napping, so he doesn’t dream then.

It felt good to find out that nothing is really “wrong” with my boy; he is just a sleepwalker…..er, sleep attacker. Experts recommend not punishing or yelling at your dog because he is unaware of what he is doing. To him, he just wakes up and everyone is mad at him. It is recommended that you put your furry attacker in a quiet room at night and block it off so that no one disturbs him. Little Toby’s heart has been breaking because I have been having him sleep in his kennel and not in the laundry. I feel awful that he can’t sleep in the bedroom with me, but this room is so small I can’t fit his kennel inside.

Maybe this will be incentive to get rid of some stuff so my puppy can toot contentedly beside me in his sleep.

I hate this kennel. I wanna come back and sleep in the laundry.

Dirty laundry – the bed of the gods.

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Come see what Bitey and Super Sleep-Bitey (otherwise known as Toby) have been up to, pick up a copy of Bitey Dog and Toby in Dream Our World! Inside the boys view the world of art from a canine perspective and enjoy a day of unsupervised fun.

Dream Our World is available from my shop.

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Six Pack Attack

New puppy greets Geordie by jumping on him.

New Friend 1

After our encounters with the cranky terrier, I changed the walking route Toby and I take each day so that we could avoid trouble. Turns out, trouble has it in for us anyway.

Toby and I were nearly home after a beautiful early evening walk. Our path took us through the parking lot of one of the local churches. Normally church lots are empty on Thursday evenings, but this day some guy decided to use the lot as his own personal off-leash dog park. His pack of spotted monsters took one look at little Toby and flew over to growl at him and bite at him and even flipped him over. Poor Toby had no idea what to do. He was spinning around like crazy to make sure none of the monsters could attack him from behind.

Eventually the irresponsible human came over to try to bring back his dogs. None of them responded to his voice commands, and he resorted to yelling, hitting and kicking them. At least one of the dogs turned and bit him. After all that, he didn’t even utter an “I’m sorry” to us.

It is amazing how stunned you can be in a situation like that. I don’t know if I had had Dog-B-Gone spray on hand if I would have had the presence of mind to use it. I got Toby out of there as quickly as possible, not even thinking of getting the guy’s license plate until it we were already home.

The next day, I ran into a neighbor and told her about the attack. Her yard abuts a different church’s property, and she said that two days before she had found a guy running his dog off leash. She yelled at him that he had better put a leash on his pet. From her description, I think it was the same guy that I ran into the next day.

I am so irritated by these idiots. If you want to run your dog off leash, there is a dog park one community away. Just take them there. Of course, if this guy’s brood is as unfriendly to others as they were to Toby, he should keep them at home on a leash. Maybe train them a little so that they come when called.

A few years ago I remember seeing a bra advertised that would sense if person’s heart rate were elevated suddenly. If so, it would notify the police. I wonder if they have something like that in dog collars?

Black and tan brocade dog collar.

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Come to a happy place where dog attacks never occur, and all pups have a great time. Come to the MOTI (Museum of the Imagination) in Dream Our World! In it, the boys view the world of art from a canine perspective with a dash of humor and a lot of fun.

Dream Our World is available from Amazon.

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Toby Was Attacked

New puppy greets Geordie by jumping on him.

I am feeling lazy today, so I borrowed a picture from Geordie’s past to help illustrate Toby’s day.

My little Toby is a rather timid guy who has a deep and abiding affection for his girlfriend. Between her house and ours is a little terrier girl who has it in for Toby. Over the weeks, her behavior has escalated. At first she would just howl at him. Later she crossed the street to head-butt him and do some growling. Today she spotted us half a block away and chased after us before we could walk away. Her teen human chased after her, but this little pup is a terrier and won’t come when called. Ms. Crabby Puppy not only head-butted Toby and growled but bit him hard enough to make him yelp. No blood was drawn, but come on. This should not be happening.

Since Toby wasn’t hurt, I didn’t look into filing a report. Also, I didn’t have any third party witnesses to back up my claims. To Toby’s great dismay, we won’t be walking down that street any longer. This doesn’t guarantee us safety from the little dog, though. She was the one I walked home on the day of The Great Roundup, so she has been known to roam the neighborhood.

I guess Toby is going to have to make the ultimate sacrifice and find a girlfriend who lives on a different street.

Sad Cairn terrier looks out of door.

No one in the history of the world has ever been as sad as I am.

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To see Toby during happier, more carefree days, pick up a copy of Dream Our World. Dream Our World has been doing some exciting things lately, and I look forward to blogging about them soon.

Come read Dream Our World where art is viewed from a canine perspective, and Toby and Geordie enjoy a day of unsupervised fun!

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The Day After

Little girl dog chases poor Toby

Notice how everything in the neighborhood happens near this same mailbox?

In The Great Roundup, I told how a little girl pup from the neighborhood invited herself on a walkabout, and I helped her get home. I sort of thought that this might have been a bonding experience for us and that she would think fondly of me and mine afterwards.

Nope. The next day Toby wanted to walk down her street because his favorite harem girl (remember her from Odoglisque in Dream Our World?) lives nearby. Even though we were 1/4 of the way into the family across the street’s yard, this femme fatal came charging after my timid little Toby and rammed into him at full speed, growling all the while.

I try to be patient with the dogs realizing that they are a different species with a different perspective on the world, but this little girl really should be restrained. I worry that she might hurt my Toby or turn on me. There is also her own safety to worry about. Little dogs don’t check for cars before crossing the street.

I hope I never need to draw a story about her using the color red.

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Want to learn more about some of Toby’s favorite girlfriends? Then check out Dream Our World! In it, Geordie and Toby visit the museum of their dreams.

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