Things have been really crazy over here -- thanks to my new puppy, pictured above! Little no-name (we're working on it!) came home on November 6th. He was adopted from Sixth Angel Shepherd Rescue, although he's clearly mixed with Siberian Husky. So far he's been a good little guy -- only two accidents, and both I should have seen coming. He's learning our daily routine, mostly by watching Dexter and Denali.

Denali has been surprisingly good with him. She can sometimes be a pushy jerk around new dogs, but she's been almost motherly with him. She does get a little too rough from time to time (like when she tries to carry him by his back fur), but she's still a puppy herself. I have to keep my eye on them both.

Dexter, on the other hand, has been uncharacteristically shy with the new puppy. He was very excited initially, but has since become almost afraid of the 8-pound monster. He's even grumbled at him, which has me worried. He was a little more patient with him this morning, so I'm hoping his wariness will fade.

I don't have too much more to say, as it's only been a few days with the new guy. I'll post again when I take some better pictures. I can't wait until he's big enough for the training harness!

Wordless Wednesday: Bikejoring

Being a Grown-Up

Somebody stole my little fluff-ball of a puppy and replaced her with a lanky, long-legged young dog. As adorable as puppies are, I'm really excited for her to fill out. She's going to be a pretty girl. Hell, she already is, despite her "awkward" stage.


I ordered her adjustable training harness last week. She lets me put it on her and take it off her without any fuss, and she doesn't really notice it's on when she's wearing it. Unlike Dexter, who freezes in place whenever you put any kind of harness or backpack on him. Well, at least until he gets outside, anyway. He's got issues.

Hmm, what else is new. Oh yea, my car died -- something with the timing belt going bananas. So I bought a big, 6-cylinder, gas-guzzling monster!


My first self-bought vehicle -- kind of a big deal, I guess? My old car is probably going to be salvaged for my sister. My parents are paying to get it fixed, so I figured it was time to pass the car along and get something else.

I put about a year's worth of savings into a down payment and began financing a used 2008 Mercury Mariner. It's a lot like my parent's Ford Escape, which I really like, only newer and better. The gas intake will take some getting used to, but I really don't drive that often, so it's not a huge deal. I wanted something big enough to accommodate people and dogs, with the power to tow, so I really didn't have many gas-friendly options.

I also equipped the trunk area with a dog barrier gate, so most of the fur will be kept in the back of the truck. Time to rejoice and possibly wear black clothing again. My only concern: what happens when I have three or maybe four dogs? Where will they all go? I have problems!

Anatomy of Dexter

Yep, that about sums it up.

Seasonal Stress

I woke up this morning in a sort of panic. I guess it was the realization that Christmas is next week and I still have a lot to do. The upcoming weekend is already jam-packed, so that leaves me with lots of late night work to do. I've got presents here to wrap, presents to wrap at my parents', and more I still need to buy. I've also got some party planning to work on for next week's Eve Eve party.

It will all get done. It always does.

My job was also giving me a headache this morning. It's kind of lame, but I tend to freak out when I'm given lots of work all at once (and by "freak out", I mean stew quietly while in my head, I'm yelling, "FUCK!"). As usual, I powered through the assignments in just a few hours without any problem. Why do I panic? What do you call the opposite of a procrastinator? That's what I am.

The best part of today was my walk with Dexter. I didn't realize until we got outside, but it was snowing big fat flurries. They didn't stick and it stopped shortly after we got back, but it was fun while it lasted. Snow is my favorite precipitate.

On My Way

Dog Sled Race in Flin Flon, Manitoba

February 3rd, 1954

I never thought I'd be running a team of sled dogs through the NJ Pine Barrens. But that's mostly because I didn't know people did that. It was only a year or two ago that I discovered "dry land" dog sledding -- which uses wheeled rigs rather than sleds. And I only recently discovered a group that did this in New Jersey.

On Sunday, I drove down to the Pine Barrens with Dexter and met up with the mushers. Laura, the breeder I have been talking to, was there with her team. I hope to get a puppy from her sometime next year. My real purpose for going was to meet with a man named Bryan, who was selling a used gig (cart, rig, etc.).

Let's pause for a moment. I did not intend to purchase a gig so soon. My plan was to train Dexter with bikejoring (dog + bike) and canicross (dog + hiking) for a few months, then eventually add a puppy to the mix. When the pup was old enough, I'd introduce the gig and get them started on some actual training.

Sometimes, unforeseen opportunities arise that you cannot pass up. I found the gig for sale, and for much cheaper than I was anticipating. It needs a tiny bit of work, and maybe some fresh paint, but it's just what I need to get started.

Before buying the rig, I had to take it for a "test drive". Bryan was kind enough to lend me two of his dogs to put in lead, with Dexter in wheel. He also road on the side of the cart with me, so that my first run wouldn't end in too much disaster.

The run actually went pretty well. It was very brief, just a few minutes long, but still exciting. Dex was a bit worried at first -- he kept looking back at me in a quizzical manner. The steering and breaking is a bit unusual, but I should be able to get a hang of it. I managed to avoid toppling over or steering into trees, so I'm happy about that. On the run back to the site, Dexter found his groove and started to run really hard. I'm proud of him -- he looked like a real sled dog (despite looking very little like a husky).

Dexter behaved really well in general -- very calm around the other dogs and even around the horses that passed by us. I was more nervous about his behavior than anything else -- he loves to be embarrassing in new situations. Aside from getting a bit yappy towards the end (I swear, he picked that up from the other dogs right then and there -- he's not usually a barker), he surpassed my expectations and did great.

After we ran, we loaded the gig up and I paid Bryan for it. I brought it back to my parent's house with their van, since I'm not sure how I'll attach it to my car yet. There's no use bringing it to our place at this point, there's no where for me to use it around here. Weather-permitting, I'll head back down on Sunday for another run. All the mushers were extremely friendly and very helpful, so I look forward to getting to know them all.

On a semi-related note, I need to move to the farmlands of south Jersey. It's so beautiful and tranquil. I don't mind the long drive to the Pine Barrens; I love getting away from the congestion of suburbia.

Dog Dreams

I will devote a separate post to write Dexter's "story" (as I did with Tiki, and plan to do with all the other pets) -- but for now, a short tale from yesterday.

When Dexter was a little over six-months-old, we decided he was trustworthy enough to be loose in our bedroom during the night. Originally, we gave him a dog bed that we had received from a friend of my father. It was horrendous. It was way too big, a terrible color, held onto his hair and trapped every foul oder he produced. But it was free, and we were cheap college students.

When we moved out of our apartment, I happily threw it out. Our new bedroom had plushy carpet; I didn't think Dexter (who often slept on hard wood flooring) would mind. Boy, was I wrong. The first few nights he tried to crawl into bed with me. He'd shove his wet dog lips against my cheek and turn on my touch-sensitive lamp with his nose. I finally caved in and appeased him with an old comforter.

I knew this would only be a temporary fix, though. He was chewing holes in the comforter and pulling out the stuffing in clumps. He'd drag it around the room and leave it in a crumpled pile. No, that wouldn't do.

Finally, we went to good ol' Target and found a semi-decent bed. It's navy blue and white, so his hair won't be as noticeable. You can also unzip the cover and wash it, which was a major selling point for me (owner of a dog who pukes stomach acid when he gets hungry). It's looking a bit deflated in this photo, but I think the stuffing just needs to settle.

I'm sure he'll chew through this bed and before long I'll be out buying a new one. But, at least for the time being, he's a content pooch.