**Hermes Chat**

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

Status
Not open for further replies.
#1,531
Balto Bag Lady said:
Hi LU!
I need to kvell for a moment. Yes, it is about DS.
I haven't heard from him in a week, so I called him yesterday. He called me back last night. We had a short chat; he has a job today, he is seeing an herbalist Monday, not much else. A half hour later he calls me back with a smile in his voice. What is it? He has a call from someone from the grad school to which he has NOT applied yet and she is saying that the 12 credits from the herbal course he just finished will transfer over. Yea!! Also, they sound so interested in him and say the essay is just an exercise for the student, not the administration. He is using this opportunity to write a book. Can't say what yet. It will be an ebook! Mom will have to teach him how. LOL. Anyway, he had emailed this person saying that he was waiting to hear from somebody else, but he never did. She called him from. Wait for it. Polynesia. I think they want him. Now, if they want him without the application, don't you think they might want to throw him some $$? I ask, he says he doesn't think so and the tuition is $73,000. My heart sank. Could he be as dyslexic as I am? Please? DS read that again? Oh, it is $7,300 a semester and it would only be three semesters. Oh Thank G-d. Anyway, let's have some scholarship vibes for him. He is really in demand now at two grad schools. I kvell with motherly pride. I can't stand it how proud I am of him.
Kvell is a yiddish word for being so proud that you sort of overflow with happiness.
This is the only way I can explain the word. Imagine a pot of chicken soup boiling over on the stove. That's how it is.
BBL, one proud mama.
Click to expand...


Now this is the kind of thing that can brighten up a cold, gray Friday! Mavel tov to DS! You have every right be proud of him -- he's found his calling and people are as excited about it as he is! Congrats to all of you!!!!! And maybe DS can recommend some herbs for Winky...:graucho:
 
#1,532
restricter said:
Now this is the kind of thing that can brighten up a cold, gray Friday! Mavel tov to DS! You have every right be proud of him -- he's found his calling and people are as excited about it as he is! Congrats to all of you!!!!! And maybe DS can recommend some herbs for Winky...:graucho:
Click to expand...

Thanks, R.
If you send me specifics, I can ask him about feline herbology. First it would have to pass muster with OB! Many mainstream meds are actually made from botanicals to begin with and they not be compatible.
 
#1,533
BBL, yay for DS!! You must be so proud of him!!!

Mindi, I felt the same way about Evil Kitty when I realized what an evil mean cat she could be, but I came to the same conclusion as BBL...what would happen to her if she were with someone else, maybe someone with no qualms about taking her to the pound or worse? I can tell you that puppies have been abandoned for much less than what HenHen has done, and I'm thankful that he has someone with your patience and willingness to figure things out. My suggestion is that you (actually, DH to be specific) bite the bullet and crate him during his potty training phase. A few months of crating (crate, play pen, small bathroom) may give you a lifetime of a well trained dog that you can trust and never have to lock up again. If it makes you feel better, I've asked myself if I'm suitable for being a mother on so many occasions...like when I found LilOB playing with a plastic bag or holding an empty picture frame with the glass broken on the floor :shocked: or when she watches 4 Sesame Street episodes in one day because I don't want to deal with another tantrum. I hear things get easier... :hugs:

Winky vibes for good results and locating Whiskas Crunch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
#1,534
Winky's Crunchies are on their way from Jolly Old England. I swear to you, he is the World's Most Spoiled Cat.

He's probably hunched over the iPad with Jinjy right now, working on a list of stuff for me to buy him. No doubt there will be a request for Taco Bell in my mailbox later.
 
#1,536
Nurse - don't let Winky hear you say that or he will insist that you fly over to wait on him 24 hours a day. If you thought Jinjy was high-maintenance, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Winky will actually walk to wherever you are and scream to let you know that he needs food NOW. Fresh food, not the stuff you put out ten minutes ago. Fresh, darn it.
 
#1,537
Mindi, I agree with cakey about crating. Put it to your husband this way: you wouldn't let a 2 year old go through a house unsupervised. Putting them in a playpen is for their protection. And dogs actually crave the security of a den or crate. If you can't get him to agree to that, try having him on a leash tied to your belt whenever he is roaming around. But I don't think he's capable of handling the run of the house.

I also think sometimes there is a poor fit between dogs and owners. And it is possible that you and Henry would both be happier if he was in a different home. It doesn't make him a bad dog, or you a bad owner.
 
#1,540
cakeymakeybakey said:
Mindi, you're not a bad dog mom at all. You just seem to have your hands full with this one and it's really stressing you out. You were spoiled with Olive, and unfortunately HenHen is more of a challenge.

I'm sorry to say I totally disagree with your DH. Crating is a very important part of the dog's training and early development. Especially for a small dog. The entire house is a HUGE space for them, and way too much responsibility for them to manage and for you to monitor them in. If you cannot keep a close eye on him for longer than it takes to breathe, he should go in the crate. It will keep him safe, and you sane.

What should have happened with the bed pee incident is he should have been taken outside immediately to finish his business, with verbal reinforcement of "Good boy, Henry, good business." Crating him immediately post-pee (or mid-pee, in this case) tells him, "this is where you should go." You're giving the poor dog mixed signals in your stress and confusion about what is the right thing to do.

If you live in an apartment and it's impossible to take him outside immediately if necessary, you might want to consider a pee mat with a grassy surface.

My heart goes out to you, but you do need to consider that this whole situation is causing you an awful lot of concern and distress. You talk about it an awful lot, and I'm growing concerned that it's just getting too overwhelming for you. Perhaps he needs to go to a professional for a while.

:hugs:
Click to expand...


BBL, it is comforting to hear that your babies gave you trouble, too, and you all got through it intact. And no, I wouldn't wish HenHen on anyone else unless I was thoroughly convinced that it would be a marvelous situation for him. I would never consider finding a new home for him if I felt there was the slightest risk he would be even mildly unhappy. I may be screwing up left and right, but I do take my responsibility for him seriously, as you know.

CMB: First, you are dead-on right about the post/mid-pee response I should have given. I really wasn't awake and thinking, or I might have realized he wasn't done. I thought he had finished. D'oh. From now on, I will be clear and consistent about the GO OUTSIDE message even if I must carry a dripping Henry through the house. He is only my second dog evah. I am a rank amateur.

"Poor dog." Yup, I agree, and ouch. I prefer that Henry not be seen as a "poor dog" because of his owner.

Finally, I apologize to you and to everyone for my constant kvetching about Henry. I understand you didn't mention that to make me feel bad but because you take my behavior as evidence of my distress. Correctly, as it happens. But I am deeply embarrassed to realize that I have been such a bore on this subject. From now on, Peeps, please assume that no news is good news.

Thanks and sorry.
 
Last edited:
#1,541
mistikat said:
Mindi, I agree with cakey about crating. Put it to your husband this way: you wouldn't let a 2 year old go through a house unsupervised. Putting them in a playpen is for their protection. And dogs actually crave the security of a den or crate. If you can't get him to agree to that, try having him on a leash tied to your belt whenever he is roaming around. But I don't think he's capable of handling the run of the house.

I also think sometimes there is a poor fit between dogs and owners. And it is possible that you and Henry would both be happier if he was in a different home. It doesn't make him a bad dog, or you a bad owner.
Click to expand...

I agree on all counts. I am not giving up on Henry yet, as I do feel that the "problems" are mine, not his, and I have more capacity for change than he does. He is actually quite good on the house training overall; there's just the occasional urgent moment and he doesn't yet understand my desire that he run to the back door, odd woman that I am. He has a very high pack drive and is distressed by being crated in that it prevents him from being with the pack. This has actually been confirmed by a behaviorist, so I don't believe that I am merely anthropomorphizing here. Doesn't mean he shouldn't be crated, but it does explain DH's reluctance. DH is not an idiot, but neither he nor I are canine behavior experts and we are finding our way.
 
#1,544
Mindi, we all kvetch about stuff here, knowing that people here will lend a sympathetic ear (as opposed to my DH who rolls his eyes and zones out when I start complaining), so don't apologize! And furthermore, we love hearing about HenHen whether he's being angelic or not. If I only talked about LilOB when she is well behaved, you guys would think she no longer existed :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top