I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Off-Topic => Off-Topic: Talk about anything you want. => Topic started by: petey on May 07, 2008, 04:57:33 PM
-
A couple of months ago, Marvin started talking about trying to get a "service" dog to help him with small physical tasks (picking up things he drops, getting his newspaper every morning from the driveway, etc.). He also wanted the dog to be a companion while I'm at work every day. Well, I checked into it, and it didn't look good for us. First off, as a dialysis patient, Marvin isn't considered as "severely" disabled as others who apply for a service dog (and we understand that), and the waiting list is long. Secondly, you have to "pay" for the service dog (starts at around $5,000), and we just don't have that kind of money.
Last Saturday, we were at a little league baseball game, and one of the coaches from a nearby town came to me. He said he heard that Marvin wanted a service dog, and he said he raised German Shepherd Dogs. He wanted to know if I wanted a puppy for Marvin to train himself. I told this man it was a good idea (for Marvin to do the training), but we still couldn't afford to pay for a full-blooded, registered German Shepherd like he raises. This man (bless his heart) said he had spent about $50 in wormings, puppy vaccinations, etc. per dog in the litter. He normally sells them for $650 - $750 each. He said he had the runt left out of the last litter -- a six-week old female, and he'd be willing to let me have her for Marvin for only $50!
We went and picked up "Mandy May" Sunday night. She's gorgeous, and she absolutely LOVES Marvin -- follows him everywhere, whines when she can't find him, and sleeps on the floor beside his chair while he's doing his home hemo treatments (he wants her to learn to "alert" me, too, if he has a problem on the machine because I don't sit in the room with him the whole time -- just check on him every few minutes). The night we brought her home, Marvin made a "bed" for her on the floor next to his side of our bed. But, she went to the dirty clothes basket, drug out the shirt Marvin had on all day, and curled up on it. She slept there all night! Marvin is smitten with this puppy -- and she's ALL puppy! Every day this week while I've been at work, Marvin has doted on her! He's teaching her not to chew on my shoes, not to drag the rugs around the house by her teeth, not to pull the toilet paper off the roll, etc. My dog (Hop-Sing, a 5-year-old Pug/Peke mix) is not impressed with his little "sister," and he's trying to teach her some things, too.
Hop-Sing = That's MY momma. Don't sit in her lap. Growl, growl, growl.
Hop-Sing = This is MY big king-sized bed. Don't try to get on it. Growl, growl, growl.
Hop-Sing = That curly thing is my tail. Don't try to bite it....OUCH ! Snap! Snap! (no growl here)
Mandy May and Hop-Sing are learning to get along, though. But, I'm giving Hop-Sing extra attention (like he didn't get enough before), and Marvin is establishing himself as Mandy's master.
Mandy is an AKC registered German Shepherd Dog. Her grandfather was the top-rated police dog in the US in 2004 and 2005. Marvin is loving this, and I'm happy for him!
Here's Mandy May...
-
Sweet!
What a doll!
Funny, I call Amanda from Oz - Manda May!
-
the puppy is absolutly adorable. how great for marvin
-
petey, Manda May is beautiful. Look at that face. Hop-Sing and Manda May will end up being the best of friends. I'm so tickled for Marvin and I know he'll have her trained in no time. Bless that guys heart. :bow;
-
wow what a good looking puppy...Boxman
-
Gorgeous pup you guys. As a kid I grew up with German Shepherds (and Alsatians, similar but a little smaller). We lived on a farm and never had fewer than three dogs and usually more like five.
Mandy May is a real beauty.
-
Bless that guys heart. :bow;
willieandwinnie -- There really are people in this world who are generous and kind and expect nothing in return. All he asked was that I not tell anyone where we got Mandy May. When I said, "But this is a wonderful thing you're doing for Marvin, and this opportunity would not have been possible for Marvin without you. People should know how you've helped your fellow man." And, he said, "But if I'm doing it for praise from other people, it's not a gift. I want to do this just for Marvin. The Lord will know I did something good, and He will reward me for it eventually." I cried. Marvin shook his hand (like all manly men do), and then he hugged this other guy. I cried some more.
-
petey, I'll say a special pray for this gentleman. :clap;
-
:yahoo;
It was meant to be!
-
What a sweety. Already laying by Daddy's feet.
-
Awwwwwwww, what a beautiful dog.
What a good friend for Marvin and you and eventually Hop-Sing.
How kind of the man. God supplies needs in the most awesome ways
and it is so good to hear about this.
Made tears come to my eyes.
-
What a beautiful thing for someone to do for you all. The pup is gorgeous! Marvin will have a good time training her.
-
Awwwww! :2thumbsup;
-
What a wonderful story, it's lightened my heart. Hats off to that gentleman. :clap;
Mandy May is adorable (so is Marvin but I won't say that out loud or Petey will :Kit n Stik; me!!!). You give so much of yourself Petey it's good to see someone giving to you for once and I'm sure the warm feeling that gentleman had more than made up for the money he may have sold his puppy for.
-
Congrats to all three of you on this lovely addition to your family. What a sweetie!
-
What a wonderful thing for this man to do. All too often we see and hear so much negativity and not enough good tidings and news. Love it!!! (I would have cried too).
Now to the puppy, OMG, she is soooooo cute!!!! LOVE German Sheps, they are fantastic dogs. She's already a Daddy's Girl!!!
-
OMG!!! I LOVE her!!! She's absolutely adorable (I hope Zoe didn't see me type this ;) )! Marvin looks so happy with her.
-
So petey, how is Mandy May doing today? I am so jealous!
-
Please don't be jealous, willieandwinnie -- you're missing the best part of puppyhood ( :sarcasm; ) now that Willie and Winnie have grown up! You see, Marvin, Hop-Sing, and I had become "laid back" around the house -- not much excitement, not much barking, not much running down the hall. Mandy May has reminded all three of us what it's like to be young again, and, frankly, she makes me and Hop-Sing tired! That puppy has the energy of 15 sugar-filled toddlers! She runs hard, plays hard, chews hard (two shoes -- and not from the same pair -- destroyed; two other shoes -- and not from the same pair -- missing in action). For about an hour, she's widddddddddeeeeeeee open. Then, she flops down at Marvin's feet and sleeps hard for 30 minutes (this is a wonderful time for me and Hop-Sing). But, then the little monster is up and going again >:D !
Marvin had me take a picture of her to put in his wallet -- and, hey, I don't think he has a picture of ME in his wallet! He is absolutely in love with her, and she is with him.
Potty training is going quite well. She seems to be really smart. Also, she has slept through the night every night this week (a blessing!). The only thing is that she's so little and gets under foot a lot. I've almost broken my neck several times when she got under my feet and I tried to keep from stepping on her (she doesn't do this to Marvin!).
Marvin put her in the car today and rode her around the block. He said he thought she needed to "get out of the house." She rode in the front seat. If he ever teaches her how to put in his needles, my spot as his caregiver may be in jeopardy!
However, she's cute as can be, and really, really fun to watch (galloping down the hall, her feet won't stop in time to make the turn into our bedroom, sumersaults!). Marvin has started a collection of toys for her -- so far, she has six; she likes her Scooby Doo stuffed dog the best. He used to tease me about how much I spoil Hop-Sing. The shoe is on the other foot now -- no, wait, the shoe is soggy and under the bed (that's where she hid the damn thing)!
-
What a wonderful dog for your husband.
Such a good idea. The dog is probably very smart given its breeding. Lots of potential there.
My husband's nephew (23 Yrs old), has been deaf his whole life and has had two service dogs. They have been wonderful
companions and are exceptionally helpful in every way.
-
Please don't be jealous, willieandwinnie -- you're missing the best part of puppyhood ( :sarcasm; ) now that Willie and Winnie have grown up! You see, Marvin, Hop-Sing, and I had become "laid back" around the house -- not much excitement, not much barking, not much running down the hall. Mandy May has reminded all three of us what it's like to be young again, and, frankly, she makes me and Hop-Sing tired! That puppy has the energy of 15 sugar-filled toddlers! She runs hard, plays hard, chews hard (two shoes -- and not from the same pair -- destroyed; two other shoes -- and not from the same pair -- missing in action). For about an hour, she's widddddddddeeeeeeee open. Then, she flops down at Marvin's feet and sleeps hard for 30 minutes (this is a wonderful time for me and Hop-Sing). But, then the little monster is up and going again >:D !
Marvin had me take a picture of her to put in his wallet -- and, hey, I don't think he has a picture of ME in his wallet! He is absolutely in love with her, and she is with him.
Potty training is going quite well. She seems to be really smart. Also, she has slept through the night every night this week (a blessing!). The only thing is that she's so little and gets under foot a lot. I've almost broken my neck several times when she got under my feet and I tried to keep from stepping on her (she doesn't do this to Marvin!).
Marvin put her in the car today and rode her around the block. He said he thought she needed to "get out of the house." She rode in the front seat. If he ever teaches her how to put in his needles, my spot as his caregiver may be in jeopardy!
However, she's cute as can be, and really, really fun to watch (galloping down the hall, her feet won't stop in time to make the turn into our bedroom, sumersaults!). Marvin has started a collection of toys for her -- so far, she has six; she likes her Scooby Doo stuffed dog the best. He used to tease me about how much I spoil Hop-Sing. The shoe is on the other foot now -- no, wait, the shoe is soggy and under the bed (that's where she hid the damn thing)!
Oh petey, I am jealous. Willie is 8 and Winnie is 5 and the crazy cat is 15. It's been a long time since we have had that kind of excitement in our house. Our 2 are so small, 12 pounds, and I never pick my feet up, I shuffle them very slowly. Sorry about your shoes, did she take any of Marvin's? Isn't it amazing how they can go like atomic be-bes and then crash sound to sleep. Wish I could do that. Is Hop-Sing liking her any better? Willie bit Winnie when we brought her home. Why does he need a picture of her when she should be going everywhere with him? I'm so glad that she is sleeping through the night and is catching on to the potty training. Females, to me are easier to train then boys. I bet Mandy May thought she was hot stuff going for a ride with Marvin, that would be a great picture. I can understand what you mean about your caregiver position being in jeopardy, she just might take over the whole house, including poor Hop-Sing. Does Hop-Sing want her toys? Wait until they start playing tug-a-war, that will be funny. I hope you find your shoes in one piece and post more pictures of Mandy May, she is going to grow fast I bet. Give Marvin a hug for me and I guess Mandy May will keep him from joining us on IHD too. Isn't that convenient. :rofl;
-
Great looking dog. I have a large Black Lab named Cujo and we walk every night. My ambition is to pee on as many trees as he does. I'm losing but it keeps me inspired.
-
Petey--Just be careful about claiming she's a service dog and trying to take her in places. The dog must be a certified service dog and have a special license.
-
Calling petey........ How are you? How is Mandy May? How is Marvin? How is Hop-Sing adjusting to his sister? Update some pictures. We need information. :cuddle;
-
That is the sweetest story I've heard in a long time! :clap; She is absolutely adorable! I love puppies! I'd take them all if I could! She looks so soft and clean!!!! I love the awkwardness of puppies. The fact they can just fall over at any time makes me laugh! :rofl;
I've heard you can take any well mannered dog into The Home Depot (on a leash, of course). I haven't tried it, but our friends take their Golden Retriever all the time. ???
-
Scooter is jealous. Says he is happy for Petey and Marvin .
-
Scooter-Pooter. That's what I'd call him if he were mine! :)
-
Scooter - that's some life you got there. :clap; I just want to see more pictures of Mandy-May, can't you just smell that puppy smell. :)
-
Puppy breath is the best!!! They should make a candle that smells like puppy breath! :) I think I'll send a suggestion to The Yankee Candle people...
-
Petey and M arvin,
Congrats on the new family member! (you too,
Hop-sing)
She is just beautiful, enjoy the puppy breath
Anne
-
Oh, to be the "mother" of a puppy! What an exciting life!
Mandy May is doing exceptionally well adjusting to our house (two weeks now). She loves -- absolutely loves -- my dog, Hop-Sing. She wants to play with him. She whines when he gets on the bed (she's not allowed). She whines when we all go out in the yard and I walk Hop-Sing to another spot in the yard. She pulls Marvin to try to get to Hop-Sing. Hop-Sing, however, is still not friendly with her. He's so jealous! If she has a toy, he will take it from her (and she lets him!). When she goes to get another toy (one that he's not playing with), he will go and take that one from her, too (and she lets him again!). He's started collecting the things he doesn't want her to touch (mostly toys -- even HERS) and putting them on the couch (she's not allowed on the couch -- he is -- and he knows all of this) to keep her from having them.
Mandy May also loves Marvin. She follows him all over the house and sleeps beside his side of the bed (Hop-Sing's IN the bed between us). So far, Marvin has taught her "sit," "shake," and "NO!" She's very, very, very smart. When she has to go outside to potty, she goes to the front door, sits, and whines. Marvin takes her out. When she goes potty in the yard and comes back in, she runs to the kitchen to the exact counter where I keep the "treats" and sits and waits for her reward. One day, she decided she would nibble on Hop-Sing's tail (not a hard bite because he would have snapped at her) -- just a nibble. Marvin said in a stern voice, "No!" and she started licking Hop-Sing's back! It was like she was saying, "But I'm not biting his tail. See, I was being sweet!"
She has the best personality and really is sweet and loving. She sleeps on the floor beside Marvin while he's having his treatments. The alarms and regular noises of the machine don't bother her. She's almost completely house trained -- down to an "accident" only once in a while -- and that's after only two weeks! She does, however, still have a shoe fettish! In our house, we take off our shoes at the door -- not good with Mandy May around. She loves for friends to come over and waits for them to take their shoes off -- then, it's snatch the shoe and run! She's a funny girl, too, and we love watching her!
She has kept Marvin busy. By walking her every hour or so, he's getting more exercise. We've also been taking her down to the ball park where we volunteer and let her run, run, run inside the fence when no one's there. She loved that! She will chase -- most of the time -- a tennis ball. However, she HATES a bath and will jump out of the tub when I put her in. When it's her bath time, I get soaked! She eats, eats, eats, eats -- her food and Hop-Sing's food, too.
I'll post more pics soon.
Signed,
Mandy May's Momma
-
There may not be a more loyal dog than a German Sheppard. Extremely smart! We had a "shoe" problem when we first got our lab/mix. But after puppy school at PetSmart he no longer messes with shoes at all. He only chews on his toys.
-
Easiest way to teach her no shoes is teach her leave it as a command. Put treats on the floor and tell her leave it. Then pick up the treat, make her do a puppy push up, sit and down. Then give the treat. When she gets leave it down with the treats, move on to the shoes.
-
puppies are love babies
-
Marvin and I both are absolutely in love with this puppy! Hop-Sing, I'm sure, is calling her the devil's sister under his breath.
Puppies are so adorable -- she's clumsy, funny, and has the sweetest puppy breath!
We took her to the ballfield last night to run (inside the fence). One team was just finishing its practice, and about six little boys came out on the other field where we were and ran and played with Mandy May. She loves children! One of the little boys' sister (about 3 years old) cried because she couldn't take Mandy May home with her!
As promised, here are updated pictures of Mandy May at eight weeks old. She was "guarding" our home by sitting at the front door keeping watch.
-
Oh Petey she is GORGEOUS, I want to pick her up and hug her!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
:bow; She is a goddess (she couldn't be evil!)
-
She's a cutie and a beauty! :thumbup; :thumbup;
-
I'm in love!!!
-
What a cutie!
-
petey, I want that puppy. Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. She is just gorgeous. I would let her lick my face all day. :waving; Is Hop-Sing getting along any better with her? Please keep posting pictures of her as she grows. She is going to be a big girl, looking at her feet. Give Marvin a hug for me, pet Hop-Sing on the head and let Mandy-May kiss you all over your face. I'm so jealous. :cuddle;
-
OMG she is so cute!!!!
-
I LOVE her. And she is going to big like W&W said. Her paws are BIG. :grouphug; That's us hugging the puppy breath out of her.
-
Hey Petey how is Mandy-May doing now? Does Hop-Sing like her any better? Hope you and Marvin are OK too, have the dogs managed to train you both yet :rofl; Big hug for all 4 of you :grouphug;
-
Yeah, I want to know too how you guys are? Where've you been lately? :cuddle; I've been missing Hop-Sing's mug on your avatar popping up regularly.
-
We've been busy, busy, busy lately. First, it's the end of school (students got out Monday -- I go until the middle of next week, then back the following week for a workshop). With exams, end-of-the-year paperwork :Kit n Stik; and all that other stuff, I've been maxed out! Then, it's baseball season (little kids -- ages 12 and under -- and Marvin and I are both very involved with the local program). And, lastly, I haven't been posting lately because I've been tired, tired, tired.
Marvin is doing quite well except the heat gets to him something awful (90-degree weather for a week, humid, muggy, sticky, etc.). The heat just zaps him! But, the home hemo is going great.
Mandy May and Hop-Sing have finally learned to live together. They have figured each other out. Hop-Sing will even play tug-of-war with Mandy! They will wrestle around on the floor, and they're hilarious to watch. (Picture this -- one toy in the middle and dogs on each end pulling on it. Mama says, "Stop" and both dogs freeze in their tracks, but neither will let go of the toy!) However, when Hop-Sing has had enough, he gets a little testy and snaps at Mandy May. She will cower over in the corner like her feelings have been hurt to the core! Even though Mandy May has passed Hop-Sing in size and weight, she still thinks he is higher on the importance level than she is. If she has a toy and he goes to get it, she will willingly let him have it. When Mandy goes to get another toy (and together they have close to 100 toys), Hop-Sing will go over and take that one, too. She doesn't protest. If he's eating out of his bowl, she sits back about three feet and won't go near him (she has her own bowl and her own puppy food, but she prefers to eat his) -- even though he's not food aggressive and would gladly let her eat out of his bowl. He licks her like he's the mother dog, and she lets him (and he's never thought he was a dog before -- much less a girl dog!).
We have some news -- Mandy May will be trained by a professional dog trainer. It's a long story, but it's kind of like the man who let me have this pedigree German Shepherd for $50. Marvin's niece's fiance works at a dog grooming place and is friends with a professional trainer who also works there. The niece's boyfriend talked to the trainer and explained why we wanted Mandy May and what we wanted her to learn to do for Marvin. He has offered his training services -- FREE -- !! Marvin took Mandy Thursday to meet the trainer and to have an evaluation. The trainer said he wouldn't start working with her on specific assistance tasks until she's six months old, but he wanted to have a look at her. After the evaluation, he said she's an extremely, extremely smart dog (like Marvin hadn't already developed that idea). Right now, she can sit, stay, come, and shake on command. She knows words like "go outside," "go for a ride," "treat," "NO!" "no bite," and "down." We're still working on walking on the leash -- she likes to lead. The trainer said get a choker collar -- I didn't want to, but he said it was best. He said he usually works with Labs, but that German Shepherds are much more intelligent -- although much more stubborn, too. He said he could train Mandy to help Marvin get up from a seated position (heavy, tied rope with a handle on one end for Marvin to hold -- Mandy will learn to brace herself and pull Marvin up), get a drink from the refrigerator (rope on door), retrieve a dropped item from the floor and return it to Marvin, brace herself and help him "steady" himself if he needs help walking or getting up/down stairs, etc. We can't wait for the training to start, but right now, we've got to get her through the basic dog commands (the trainer gave Marvin lots of tips and things to work with her on).
Mandy doesn't like the heat outside, either. She has the thickest fur -- two coats! She will run to get back in the house! She likes to lie down on the air conditioning vents (on the floor) and let the cool air blow on her tummy! She doesn't like to get a bath in the bathtub, but she will try her best to jump in the shower when Marvin's in there! She loves to "steal" socks, washcloths, anything she can get her mouth on when I have the dryer door open and am folding clothes -- then she runs, looking back over her shoulder to see if I'm chasing her! She sleeps all night long on her bed (huge, fluffy bed that Marvin just HAD to buy for her) right beside Marvin's side of our bed. She is almost completely house broken! She does, however, have a SEVERE shoe fettish -- but that's the only thing in our house she wants to chew and scatter around the floor (except the toys --- every hour, it's toys, toys, toys everywhere!).
Mandy May is a beautiful dog with a happy, fun spirit. You can tell that she's trying very hard to fit in with us and to learn the "rules" of our house. She is very smart and catches on quickly. She absolutely adores Marvin (as he does her), and I predict that she will become Marvin's best friend (instead of me), but that's okay. She will devote her life to being there beside him and will make his daily life easier. Life around our house has changed (but doesn't it always when you have a new "baby"?), but we think it's for the better.
Do you have time for a "Mandy story"? When she goes outside to "potty," we always bring her back in and she goes to the kitchen and sits by the cabinet where I keep the puppy treats. The trainer said we didn't have this routine down correctly. He said by treating her after she came back in the house, she thought she was getting the treat for coming in (and not for going potty in the yard). He said, instead, to put a couple of treats in our pocket and give them to her in the yard immediately after she went potty. So, we tried this for a day or two. But, being the smart dog that she is, Mandy caught on quickly. One night I took her out (it was dark and I don't want Marvin stumbling around in the yard in the dark). We were out there for a total of five minutes, and she squatted and (I think pretended to) pee-pee 13 times! It was like ....squat, turn around for treat, walk two steps, squat, turn around for treat, walk two steps, squat. etc., etc., etc. I certainly don't think that she urinated 13 times in 5 minutes! But, she did understand that a squat meant a treat. My mom said that must mean that Mandy is smarter than Marvin and I!
Marvin dotes on her, and she tries very hard to please him. This is one of the most beautiful relationships I've ever seen.
-
Hey Petey Sweety. Good to read from you again. Missed ya and love the Mandy stories, always have time for them. I hate the heat too so I feel for Marvin. Keep taking care of each other. :cuddle; :cuddle;
-
:clap; Thanks for posting - I too missed hearing from you.
Glad all is well - love to hear about the pups!
:waving;
-
:waving; Hi Petey, great to hear from you, loved you stories - always got time for those. Glad you are just busy and not ill or anything, was getting a bit worried not to have seen you post lately. Next time we'd love :pics; particularly of Mandy-May but, better still, all 4 of you! Take care :cuddle;
-
Hi petey. Glad your busy and Marvin is busy with his new girlfriend, even if she is a bit hairy. Very happy to see your posts. :cuddle; Give Hop-Sing a big hug from me. :grouphug;
-
Hey petey, how is that beautiful puppy doing? We need infomation and more pictures, :pics; don't you think. Tell Marvin hello for us.
-
loved reading about your dogs