Five Acres with a View

Yesterday, I used my Pedi Paws pet nail trimmer for the first time. (There is an audio track that starts when you click this link.)  I received it from a friend for Christmas.  Lody is good about letting me do stuff with her paws, especially if there is hot dog jerky involved,  and adjusted to it easily.  (The instructions warn to accustom your animal to the noise without using it a few times using food treats, but Lody didn’t seem to mind the noise.)  I then tried to accustom Orion to the noise, and he backed away, so I discontinued trying.

This morning, I did another session with Lody.  This time, I let Orion stay in the room with Lody.  He was trying to bounce up in her face, but she didn’t seem to mind, so I worked on her claws for about three minutes, and gave her a couple of clicks and treats.  Afterward, I held the device close to Orion and he didn’t react.  I held one of his paws, and with difficulty, managed to locate a black claw in the black fluff of his foot.  He allowed me to grind the claw for ten seconds and I clicked and treated before he decided to object.  I guess he thought if it was okay for Auntie Lody, it was okay for him, too.

People have been recommending a Dremel for grinding claws for years, but the Pedi Paws has a shield around the grinder which makes it a lot easier to use.  For big dogs, more torque would be nice, but it seems to have plenty for small dogs and puppies.   What would be nice would be a similar attachment to go on a standard Dremel, so one would have both the shield and the torque for large dogs whose nails have been neglected.

Yesterday, Lody and Rion were engaging in another session of The Collie’s Revenge. They had been playing for about ten minutes, and I happened to look over just as Rion flung himself on the floor with a piteous moan of frustration. Lody yawned very wide, and quite deliberately turned her head ostentatiously away from the opening, just long enough for Rion to scamper through.

A friend came by New Year’s Eve and helped to give Rion a bath.  Rion was quite cooperative, and really needed the bath, to judge from the grime in the tub.   Yesterday, while I was working in the kitchen, Rion started wading in the water bowl.  It was like the needed the bath to show him that you could do something with this stuff besides drink it.

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Lody and Orion have been getting on reasonably well together. I had my doubts  the second day Rion was here, because it looked as though our mild-mannered Collie, who is one of the most reasonable dogs I have ever known, was going to have a full-scale panic attack over the puppy. But next morning, Lody apparently woke up with a “oh well, what the hell” attitude, and has tolerated Orion’s antics fairly well since then. She even plays with him occasionally, which is fairly blood-curdling to watch, since she out-masses him 15 to 1.

However, Lody is not above throwing her weight around when it comes to Orion. The scenario in this photo has become common. I am in my office sitting at my desk. Lody lays in the doorway between me and the puppy. She will not let the puppy pass by her to get to me. BP (Before Puppy), Lody never frequented that spot. I can’t tell the difference between Lody’s growls that mean “I am playing with you, kid” and “I am serious about ripping off your face if you continue, you miserable little monster” but Orion seems to be able to do so, fortunately. (A few minutes after I took this photo, Lody went to her bed by the slider, and now Rion is curled up where she was laying.)

This is a general response based on questions in the comments.
 
Orion was nine weeks old last Monday, having been born in foster care on October 20. As far as we know, since he was born at a Pikes Peak Humane Society foster home, he is a purebred Miniature Schnauzer. Based on his size at nine weeks, I think he may run big for a male. From observing his behavior, his foster family did a great job with him. According to notes from his veterinarian, his mother was not good at keeping her puppies clean, and the foster family had to help, but otherwise the puppies in the litter were considered healthy. 

Lody, our elderly Collie, had a very hard time with him Saturday, and was extremely anxious even being in the same room with him.  Then, since Sunday, she has become increasing comfortable with him.  She now shows the same resigned tolerance that most elderly dogs display around obnoxious puppies.  She growls at him occasionally when he becomes particularly obstreperous, but hangs out with him with no signs of stress. 

Schnauzers frequently turn gray as they get older. However, we cannot find any gray hairs on his body, so he may stay black.  Based on his puppy coat, I expect he will have a very wiry, dense, long adult coat.