Saturday, July 28, 2007

Sassie Poodle and Sassie's Little Sister


Sassie poodle will be 14 years old in December. We came home from vacation with a new poodle pup, we named, Sassie's Little Sister. We named her this because the name is easily transferable when we only have the pup. Little Sister was 5 months old yesterday. She is so smart. She is almost potty trained.

Before vacation we could come home from the grocery store and be home for 15 to 20 minutes and Sassie would not even know we were home. I would have to go pet her to wake her up. She would be sleeping so soundly that I could not tell if she was breathing. My heart ached. But now with Little Sister, she keeps me so busy and laughing all the time, my heart is lighter for poor little Sassie.

It is strange because Little Sister torments Sassie, yet Sassie seems to be better over all. She eats better and runs around more trying to get away from Little Sister. But Sassie still looses her air when she moves to fast. Little Sister is relentless and has no guilt about pestering the old dog.

Little Sister was just chasing a piece of towel we tied into a knot, but yesterday, she chased the tennis ball when I threw it. Previously, she would bark at the tennis ball but not chase it. I threw the rotten towel away. The ball requires much more effort on Little Sister's part and it is a lot of fun for me to throw it and watch her slip and slide on the floor.

Now Little Sister has much less energy to chase Sassie. Sassie is a loving little poodle but Little Sister is aggressive and barks a lot. Instead of giving you a hug, Little Sister bites you. We are still working on the COME command. She only comes when she wants whatever you have in your hand to eat.

I hope to see major improvements by the time she is 6 months old.

13 comments:

H2o said...

My Salem loves to bite also but what do you expect from a male cat.

Anonymous said...

I gave our dog MSM daily in his canned food the last few years of his life, he had a life expectancy of around 8 years, we enjoyed him for 14, he was old, tired, blind in one eye and stone deaf. The MSM helped his arthritic hobbling and eased the associated pain. You and Guy are wise to get a pup to ease the transition that is inevitable. God bless, they're like our children and just as precious.

NICKEL said...

Becky, maybe if you let that poor cat out once in a while, he would not bite, you think???

NICKEL said...

O.K. Jack, I'll bite. What is MSM?

My dogs are not only like my children, they are my children. Thanks for another great comment.

H2o said...

He is a indoor cat. He has been declawed so when he does go out I sit with him so he doesn't try anything funny like jumping over the fence.

Anonymous said...

They are the cutest!

NICKEL said...

Well, Becky, did you also take away his sexual urges? Why else would he want to go outside?

NICKEL said...

Thanks, Imp. Why don't you have a blog? You always have great comments and seem so at ease with this computer language.

Northwoods Woman said...

Oh how adorable! I'm sure Little Sister will settle down, just like a toddler, she'll out grow the terrible twos that puppies go through!

Just before I put my lab to sleep, I gave her some anti depressants and they were like speed for her! The vet was amazed. I've heard from other people that they had the same affect on their dogs. Want me to send you some? ;)

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry sweetthing, I haven't been to good at followups lately.

MSM, methylsulfonylmethane (METH-?l-sul-FON-il-METH-ane) provides sulfur, a vital building block of joints, cartilage, skin, hair and nails, and methyl groups, which support many vital biochemical processes in the body, including energy production. MSM is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in small amounts of many foods. As a dietary supplement, MSM is synthesized. When made correctly, it is identical to that found in nature. MSM can be taken alone or in combination with other joint health supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin.

I have used MSM myself, human grade MSM is very expensive, but you can buy animal grade MSM for a much less cost usually at the local feed and tack store for horses (CENEX carries it, for $10.00 to $12.00/ lb. ), some pet stores carry the same grade but they tend to gouge you pricewise around $30/lb, human grade can easily be double or triple the cost. CENEX carries AniMed Pure MSM made for them by AHC products, Inc. Winchester, KY 40391. Tel 859-737-3441. I've seen the same product at other outlets but at my age the mind is gone and I can't remember where. Here is one online source if they are still in business.Here is another source. Hope this is informative and of some help.

Anonymous said...

Aww, Mz. Nickel. thats very kind of you to say....well...I don't know right'ly. I've been told I should. I guess my problem is that I don't know if I have the fortitude to maintain one. I guess that is something I need to work on.

NICKEL said...

Livey, no don't send me any drugs. They are too expensive. I have a hard enough time with flea meds and heart guard. Besides, behavior is their only means of communication.

NICKEL said...

Well, Imp, just keep on reading our blogs, then. I was just inquiring.