The Chair

Everyone knows that Labs are notorious for chewing. We found that out the hard way. When Cody
was a puppy he "ate" a leather couch. He chewed a spot on every door frame inside our house. He destroyed an entire shelf of books. He ripped apart the chaise cushion from one of the outside lounge chairs. Anyone every seen the movie or read the book, "Marley and Me"? That's Cody. He's even the same color.

You would think after all that, I would have learned. But noooo...I thought by buying Cassie lots of toys and chew bones she would be satisfied. Of course, I bought two of everything so Cody would have some. Couldn't do that when he was a puppy because Candy would take them away from him. She just didn't want him to have anything. So, he found other things to chew on. Again, I digress.

Cassie seemed satisfied with her toys. She played and chewed like crazy...entertaining herself for hours. Then she started bringing them to me, but not letting go. I would take it from her, throw it, she would go get it. We did this for just a little while when she figured out letting it go meant I would throw it. So, she started dropping them in my lap. This is now a regular nightly routine.

Since she was so pleased with her toys, I decided to test the waters and I left her to roam the house with Cody while I went to the store. Since she was still rather young, about 6 months old, I closed the doggie door for fear of her getting in the pool and not being able to get out. I closed the doors to all the other rooms and off I went. I purposely wasn't gone long just to see how she would do.  I figured with Cody around and all her toys that she had enough to keep her busy until I returned. And, she did great...this time.  How foolish of me to think that would last!

To give context to this story, I must explain how spoiled my dogs are. They each have their own recliner...no, really, they do. We have 4 recliners: one for each of us and one for each of the dogs. That's where they nap during the day. They never get in our recliners, only in theirs. They're old recliners but they still look good. And I vacuum them regularly and cover them when we have company.

Since things had gone so well with a couple of short trips out, I decided to try one a little longer. Well, apparently, Cassie had a sense of how long I was gone and thought to herself, "I'm bored with my toys, what can I do to entertain myself?" Well, she had herself one big time! I returned home, entered from the garage, through the laundry room and proceeded down the hall toward the family room. As I was walking down the hall I noticed white and yellow bits of foam scattered on the floor like bread crumbs. As I got closer to the family room my heart started pounding faster and the bits of foam started getting bigger. I turned the corner...well, you can see from the picture what I saw! Cassie had pulled the footrest up on her chair; pulled and tugged her chair across the room rolling up the rug in the process;  tearing the fabric and foam off the footrest and ripping it all to shreds all over the room! What shocked me was how strong she had to be to accomplish all this! She was 6 months old and dragged the recliner across the room!

As she headed for the doggie door, I knew that she knew she was in trouble. Of course, the doggie door was closed! Gotcha! In my deep, loud voice, I yelled, "CASSIE! WHAT DID YOU DO? BAD GIRL! BAD GIRL!" Behind my  chair she went, head lowered, trying to hide, all the while peaking at me from around the chair as I cleaned up the mess!


Again, you would think I would have learned my lesson....but, again, noooo. I thought it was a one time thing. She was scolded, learned her lesson, and would never do it again. Wrong! Let's just say 3 times is the charm, as they say!  Yes, it took me 3 times and her ripping the fabric and foam off the footrests of her and Cody's recliners before I got the message!


Now, when I leave, she goes to "her room". The laundry room. It's at the end of the hall and leads to the garage. She has her pallet, toys and water. She didn't like it at first. But as I've said in earlier posts, she's one of the smartest dogs I've ever had. First time, I had to drag her, all the while telling her, "Sorry Cassie, mama has to go and you have to go to your room." The biscuit she got made it easier to accept once she got there. Second time, I only had to guide her while telling her she had to go to her room. The biscuit helped again. Third time, I only had to block her from going the other way down the hall while telling her to go to her room. Biscuits always help. Fourth time, before I got the words "Go to your room" out of my mouth, on her own, she headed down the hall and was in "her room" waiting for me! I know the anticipation of getting a biscuit helps, but I was amazed!  Still am! Four times and she knows that the laundry room is "her room" when I leave! And she's not a year old, yet!

Mischievous? Yes! But, SMART! Maybe a little too smart...show her something just a few times and she's got it! She also seems to have a knack for figuring things out all on her own.....sounds like another story, huh?

Jumping & Table Surfing

It became evident right away that shyness was never part of Cassie's DNA. She thinks anyone who walks into our house has come just to see her. And how does she show her excitement? Why, like any puppy...she gets excited and jumps. Now, when normal puppies jump up to greet you, their front paws end up on your legs and back paws remain on the floor, right? Well, not Cassie! When she jumps up to greet someone she comes completely off the ground! And not just a little off the ground. My husband comes home from work and she jumps up to greet him...jumps to his shoulder; he's 6'1. She jumped up to greet one of my friends, hit her in the middle of her chest and almost knocked her down! Good thing she was a friend! Maybe she's trying to get to our face for a kiss...hmmmm....

We have a hummingbird feeder hanging from the eave of the patio cover in the backyard. The bottom of the feeder is about 5 feet from the ground. We enjoy sitting outside and watching the 5 or 6 hummingbirds flock to and fight to get to our feeder. One day, Cassie discovered the hummingbirds. At first, she would sit very still directly under the feeder and watch them...at first. One minute she was sitting still like a statue under the feeder. Suddenly, I saw her head...in the air, at the same level as the hummingbird feeder! It's a good thing hummingbirds are fast...no hummingbird was hurt on this afternoon!

The infamous "they" say, to break a dog from jumping, bring your knee up in such a way that it meets them in their chest when they jump. Tried that, doesn't work...we can't reach her chest with our knee...she jumps too high. We tested her once to see just how high she could get..I held one of her toys as high as I could reach...close to 7 feet...she got the toy! She was about 8 months old. She loves to jump.

I knew I was in trouble when I saw this...this is where her food is stored! Sure didn't take her long to figure that out! And, yes, she did have her head in the bucket and was eating! Suffice it to say, we now have a child lock (well, a bungee cord locking the two doors together) on the cabinet. One good thing...I never have to scrub her food bowl...or Cody's for that matter. She licks her bowl so clean, it sparkles! Does the same to Cody's bowl. Has to make sure he doesn't miss a bite. Speaking of Cassie eating...

We had friends and neighbors over for our annual Christmas brunch. At our house, you have to tolerate our dogs because they are our children and we do not lock them in a room when we have company. Our dogs come to the party. So, we're eating in shifts. My girlfriend and I are eating last because she helped me cook. We take our plates to the table outside. We're eating and talking to those sitting around us who have finished. She turns to say something to me and all of a sudden, a black streak of lightening swooped up, snatched a couple of eggs right off her plate and was gone before any of us had time to process what had just happened! It was a Cassie strike! As she stood by the tree watching to see if we would chase after her....all we could do was laugh and continue to eat! What we learned from that is "don't turn your back on your food." Another little habit we're trying to break. And don't think leaving food on the kitchen counter will help! If she can get her nose to the food, she'll get the food!

I made hot dogs for dinner. They were on the plate, all made and ready to eat - fixed to the max. By the time I reached for the chips on the opposite counter, my hot dog was gone! In an instant, Cassie was up on two legs, had grabbed the completely made hot dog...bun and all, made a bee line for the doggie door and was gone! Once again, all I could do was laugh...and make another hot dog.

I work from home. One morning I took my breakfast danish into my office. Imagine me sitting at my desk, arms resting on the edge of my desk with elbows out just slightly while typing, danish directly in front of me. Suddenly, I feel a soft, cold nose slip under my left arm just in the bend of my elbow...and, yes, you guessed it...my danish was gone!  And so was Cassie...all the while inhaling my breakfast. And she got it right out from under my nose...literally!  You know what comes next...yes, I laughed a little...but by now I'm starting to scold her with a stern, loud, "Cassie!  Bad Girl!"  And I think she's beginning to understand the scolding. How do I know? I'll save that story for another time.

All that being said, I'll brag a little, now. As a puppy, food still motivates her to learn new tricks and behavior. Believe it or not, she knows the "wait" command. I know, I know, how can a dog that loves to eat like Cassie learn to wait for her food?  I told you before, she's smart! It's just the food she's not supposed to have that she can't wait for...because she knows she's not supposed to have it! Anyway, I put her food down, tell her to wait, she won't touch it until I say ok. I tell her to lay down; put a dog biscuit on the floor between her front feet; tell her to wait; she won't touch it until I say ok. Of course, I have to give a little credit to Cody for helping me teach her that trick since he was doing it first while she watched. But she only had to see it a couple of times and she was doing it on her own. That tells me she knows the difference between her food and food she's not supposed to have...she just wants to see how much she can get away with. And so, our adventures with Cassie continue...wonder what she'll do tomorrow? I'll let you know...

Surprising Empathy

From the moment she became part of our family, Cassie was never shy, never intimidated by the other larger dogs and never one to back down from anything. She became a playmate for Cody and an annoyance to Candy. Remember, Candy's health was not good but you wouldn't know it to look at her. Candy was the princess of our house. Cody knew it and followed Candy's rules. Cassie tried desperately to break those rules. If Candy wanted to be left alone, she let Cody know it right away and he backed off. She also let Cassie know when she was annoyed with her...but, of course, Cassie was never convinced she meant it. Candy would growl at Cassie; Cassie would playfully bounce away and then slowly crawl back to be close to her. It was a challenge to Cassie to get close to Candy. And Cassie has never backed down from a challenge.

Her most memorable attempt is captured in this picture...Candy laying protectively at the feet of my husband's chair and Cassie sneaking up behind her and laying her head across Candy's tail. Candy's face provides all the reaction needed. I imagine her thinking, "Oh my gosh! Is this what I have to put up with from now on?"  She's looking at her knowing she must tolerate her like a big sister must tolerate the annoying little sister who always has to be involved. 

Cassie, being the smart little thing she is, learned quickly.  And, as good parents, under watchful eyes, we let them work it out themselves. Cassie began to understand that Candy was the oldest and in charge; Cody was the middle child and could sometimes be manipulated; and she was the baby; spoiled and protected because she was small and had to be tolerated while she learned the rules. She learned quickly that she could lay close to Cody, even lay on his legs and sleep...but Candy was to be kept at a distance.....until that fateful day when we had to say goodbye to Candy.....

Candy's cancer began to make it extremely difficult for her to get up and down. After two surgeries within 4 months, the tumor grew back faster and larger. She was 11 years old and nothing more could be done. The time had come. This is the last picture of Candy. Our Veterinarian would arrive shortly. What amazed me about this scene and why I took this picture is the behavior of the other two. All afternoon...as Candy lay quietly on her pallet, Cody and Cassie did not play, they did not run, they did not make a sound...it was as if they knew...and I think they did. They lay like this, beside her for at least an hour...quiet, calm...saying goodbye. Cassie, 5 months old, knew something was not right in our house this day. Cassie, 5 months old, my rambunctious, full of wild energy, always wanting to play puppy knew instinctively, even at her young age, that our family dynamic was about to change. At this moment, I knew she would be something special. I knew she would become a spark of joy in our home. Not to replace Candy, but to help us through our grief and help us and Cody fill the void left behind. It's been proven that pets provide comfort during grief. And I must say, she has done that and more. She fills our home with fun, laughter, adventure and surprises. She irritates and aggravates Cody to no end...but I know he loves every minute of it! She is the spark that always keeps us guessing and surprises us every day. God knew she would be just what we needed...mischief and all! Especially for me...you see, one month before losing Candy, I lost my mother. My sorrow was just beginning. There have been times when the stories to come in Cassie-isms have lifted my spirits and made me laugh when I thought there was no laughter...so, you see, God knew I would need this wonderful puppy with boundless energy...He knew her mischievous personality would be just what this family needed. 

And so, the stories begin.....

She's here.....

Cassie came into our lives late September 2012.  She was a small, skinny bundle of endless energy and mischief. Of course, most Labrador Retrievers are...but they grow out of it.  We should know because we also have Cody, an 8 year old yellow Lab. And he eventually grew out of his mischievous years...after he ate a couch and drank a keg of beer. But I digress.... Cassie may break the record for mischievousness.  On the other hand, she may be one of the smartest dogs I've ever known. Maybe I should start at the beginning....

Our friends/neighbors got his mom a chocolate Lab puppy as a birthday present. Since her birthday was 2 weeks away, they had to keep her at their house. Can you see where this is going?  After one week they were all in love. And she so fit their family....this beautiful chocolate Lab was sweet, calm, quiet, well behaved....almost docile....not your normal Lab personality, but oh so sweet and loving! So, they decided to keep her and get his mom another puppy. So Sadie became a member of their family.

They found a beautiful, shiny black Lab puppy, one month younger than Sadie, for his mom. Since mom's birthday was still several days away, they had to keep this one at their house, too.  You've heard the term "different as night and day"? Well that so fits the difference between these two dogs! Where Sadie was quiet and docile, this black Lab puppy was loud and obstinate! Where Sadie was easy-going, this black Lab puppy was fast and furious! Sadie was the "day" and this black Lab puppy was the "night." Complete opposites and turning my friend's home upside down. We kept the black Lab puppy one night and knew right away that his mom would have her hands full with this one.

My friend's mom's birthday came and they gave her the black Lab puppy. She was so happy! About 2 weeks later, my friend called to ask me, "If mom can't handle the puppy, would you take her?" Well, of course, I said yes. Apparently, this puppy was waking mom up every few hours wanting to play so mom was getting no sleep. At 3 months old, she was jumping on a kitchen chair and then jumping up on the kitchen counter to eat whatever was within reach. She would NOT come when called. Mom was exhausted.

It wasn't long before I got a phone call from my friend asking me once again if I still might want the black Lab puppy if mom decided she just couldn't handle her. My answer was still yes. The next day my friend called to say he was bringing me a puppy. Mom reluctantly admitted she could not handle this bundle of wild energy. This dog needed discipline and a lot of attention!

Enter Cassie into our lives....a so shiny black she looks blue, wild thing, but beautiful black Lab puppy. And our house has not been the same since! She has brought laughter and joy and entertainment to us and to Cody (remember, he's our yellow Lab). At the time Cassie became a part of our family, we already had 2 dogs, Cody, and Candy, a Chow/Golden mix. Candy was 11 years old and not in good health. We lost her to cancer 2 months after Cassie came into our lives. In retrospect, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. She helped us through our grief. But I'll get to that story later.

For now, suffice it to say our house was full....Candy, 11 years old;  Cody, 8 years old; and now Cassie, a 4 month old bundle of wild energy set on disrupting the natural order of things in the Sumrall household! And what an impression she made!  Let me just end with this...Cassie was NEVER intimidated by Cody and Candy...."2 big dogs in this house? No problem! I'll just take over!" That's what I imagine she thought when she came to live with us...and so will you when you read the stories I call Cassie-isms!