Lili – Page 2 – The Dackel Princess

Woooops!

It’s not often that I write about Lili and her klutziness, but Monday found poor Lili in one of her worst incidents yet.

Our weather was warmer on Monday, sneaking up to nearly 50 degrees. This means more melting of the ice and snow in the yard.

We always snowplow a walking area and pooping area for the dogs. Today’s warmth turned all of those places into soggy, grassy, muddy areas.

Heidi needed to go for a walk and so I thought we would go around the house and see how Jack was doing sweeping up the sand on the drive. We have so much sand we could fill several sandboxes. (That is if it wasn’t mixed with salt!)

As we rounded the corner, Lili saw us and raced up to greet us, then she turned to begin to run back toward Jack when she slipped and caught three legs, and her belly in the mud!

Once I got to her and made sure she was okay, I saw that my beautiful white shepherd was covered with mud.

Jack took Heidi into the house, and I took Lili into the garage where I could hose her off.

But oh my goodness, what a terrible mess she was. It’s moments like this that keep me from being a fan of mud season!

A Dog’s World

I have been working to get Lili to accept that the puppy is here to stay. Lili didn’t seem to mind the puppy, but she was like a new fiancee going to meet her future inlaws. Lili has been on her best behavior. Afraid to do anything wrong.

I knew the day would have to come when Lili got sick enough of Heidi to let her know, that she wasn’t going to accept ankle-biting, ear-biting, and other obnoxious treatment from this young whipper-snapper.

That day was yesterday. The pups were up early and then Heidi was like a whirling-dervish. Go, go, go!

She ended up biting at Lili’s ankles and this time, dear, sweet, Lili turned around, and growled and snapped at her. I was monitoring, so I could see that this was doggy-puppy instruction, because immediately Heidi backed off and stared at Lili. She tried again. Again Lili growled and snapped her mouth in the air. This went on for a moment or two and I called Heidi and told her to stop. She left poor Lili in peace and then played with her bones and toys.

Later in the day, Heidi was playing tug of war with me, and Lili came over to see what we were doing. I got Lili to take the rope and for several moments they played with the rope together before Lili walked away. But this is a start!

Aside from this, Heidi is still in puppy learning mode and doing well. It’s now two weeks since her last accident, which is encouraging. She never used the pee pads I bought. In fact, I don’t even put them down. So I have 48 pee pads that will go unused.

Is Heidi completely toilet trained? No. But she does know where to go and has started to go right to the door when she needs to go out. Since I decided early on to devote myself to doing this and training her to the leash, coming when called, etc while she was still young, I have been very busy. Even during the Flu. Even during snowstorms. But the progress is amazing.

So the girl is not just beautiful, she is also smart! How did I get so lucky?

The Friday Five ~ January 21st

Here we are another week gone by. It’s been so cold here in New Hampshire that Jack and I live in long underwear with layers over them, and for me, a blanket too. Besides freezing up here, this week, this is what’s going on in my world.

On Monday we called to order oil for the tank. We were down to just below a quarter of a tank, and with single-digit- below zero temperatures we knew that wouldn’t last long. On Thursday we were very nervous about running out, then the Oilman cometh! 219 gallons later, we are no longer worried about that and having to deal with freezing pipes.
It’s been fun to watch Lili and Heidi become friends. Although Heidi can still bug Lili when they play.
Mostly, they play together nicely. Lili allows Heidi to lick at her and snuggle her.

Heidi will roll on her back telling Lili that she means no harm. And Lili starts playing once again.
Heidi went to the Vet on Thursday for her shots. She weighed in at 11 pounds. I guess this means she’s eating well here and likes her new home. Our Veterinarians love her and joke that they would take her in a heartbeat!
I am slowly starting to feel better from the Flu. This has been a tough one to kick. I am sure glad I went and was tested for Covid, Strep, and the Flu, or I would have mistakenly thought I had Covid.
I’ve been home for a few weeks now, but aside from the dirty clothes that I removed from my suitcase, the case is not unpacked. I plan to set aside time tomorrow to unpack it and put the case away. I don’t see myself traveling now for a while.

So there we go. This week’s Friday Five. All good and positive things as we head into the weekend.

I hope you all are well and enjoying your days. And most of all, I hope that Covid departs very soon!

Settling In

I think that Heidi is starting to settle in. She seems more relaxed and enjoys her days, eating, sleeping, and playing! Heck, I think perhaps I would like that schedule!

Everything was icy on Sunday and I nearly fell on our patio. Luckily, I did not fall, and during my 100+ times (an exaggeration I am sure!) I took walks with Heidi, I managed to stay on my feet!

There was a funny incident with Heidi on Sunday. She was climbing the doggy steps and Lili was sitting on the sofa, and Heidi raced over and jumped full force onto Lili!

Lili was so surprised, but she never growled or snapped. She just stared at the young whipper-snapper and then got down!

Yes, life is good and the pups are doing okay with their relationship.

Doggy Feelings

It was a rough weekend for Mr. Arnie. I knew something was wrong, but I could not put my finger on it. On Monday morning, Arnie woke me at 4 AM. I tried to get back to sleep, but between Arnie not feeling well and Lili hovering around him, that was just not going to happen.

Right at 8:30 AM I called the Vet and made an appointment. I thought if I walked Arnie around the house to the garage, Lili wouldn’t be upset to see him go.

I was wrong.

Apparently, Lili could smell the problem that I could not. So, when we disappeared around the corner of the house, she went ballistic. Poor girl. I thought she had handled Anneliese’s passing well, but ever since Anneliese died, Lili has taken Arnie as a parent. She watches him. She follows him, and she worries about him.

Needless to say, when we arrived home with Arnie’s problem at least alleviated, Lili went right up and sniffed and checked Arnie and all but danced with happiness.

Arnie has a little infection in his anal glands and once drained he should be more comfortable. He is also on antibiotics and an ointment.

What struck me the most about this is that Arnie is in his golden years, and just like people “The Golden Years” also stink as far as little doggies go!

But alls well that ends well. Arnie should be right as rain quite soon and hopefully, we will go back into a healthy period for the dogs.

TBT: Cell-Phone Cameras

I’m having fun with the camera on my new Cell Phone. The crystal clear pictures really amaze me.

Here is a picture of baby Lili taken with my Galaxy S5 all those years ago. And on the right is the new picture of Lili taken with the S51-5G.

There is such dimension and depth in the picture of grown-up Lili.

All I can say is amazing!

Lili, My Hero!

Several new readers to my blog have asked me to share the Story about Lili saving me from the home invasion back in 2019, so here goes.

My Friday began like any other Friday. I got up, made breakfast for Jack and me, and then I started a load of laundry.

Jack got ready and headed off to a physical therapy appointment at the VA, and a few minutes later I got a phone call and sat chatting.

About a half an hour after Jack left I heard the door in the basement slam shut. That’s odd, I thought. Maybe Jack had car trouble.

I went to the window in my room and did not see a car, a UPS Truck, or anything!

It was then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs from the basement.

“Hello! Anyone home? Hello!” said a strange man’s voice.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Lili began to growl and bark! I raced to the cellar door and turned the lock and wedged my foot on the bottom.

“Who is there? Who are you! Tell me your name!”

There was no response.

“I’m calling the police!” I shouted again and again, as I dialed 911!

I didn’t hear the door slam shut. I didn’t hear him leave. I was frozen at the door waiting until the police arrived. It was just seconds until the police drove into my driveway.

The police searched the basement and the perimeter of the house. I’d seen a white SUV below us and so they put out an APB for any car matching that.

I filed the report, got the policeman to give me a few tips on how to protect my home (I need a few deadbolts and a long piece of wood to block the sliding glass door.), but he told me again that Lili was amazing and the two of us had done a great job under the circumstances.

Lili was amazing. She growled and barked and sounded so fierce. I guess it’s what makes German Shepherds such wonderful police dogs!

My Hero, Lili!

Yes, I did okay, but I have to tell you I didn’t start breathing again for a while. After the police left, and I locked every door I could, I sat down and slowly drank my coffee, and tried to relax.

I don’t understand why people break into other people’s homes. Why people think it is okay to steal. Today, I am just glad that Lili protected me, and that I wasn’t harmed.

Happy 7th Birthday, Lili!

Our darling White German Shepherd, Lili celebrates her 7th Birthday today. Her life started in a rough way. She was quite ill until after running a series of tests we discovered she was suffering from Celiac Disease. Once we adjusted her diet she settled right down and she began to grow into the beautiful and sweet girl that she is.

Lili would have been great fun in a Circus. She loves to run and jump and run some more. A true whirling dervish! Winter is her favorite time, as she enjoys being able to leap through the snow at full speed. It’s like watching a deer.

Lili is also the Dackel Bodyguard. She goes outside with Arnie and watches should the Bald Eagle, or a stray dog threaten him.

Likewise, my husband has begun going outside to exercise and of course, do some snow shoveling, Lili will go with him. She never leaves his side and keeps a close watch. She is closely attuned to him.

Lili rescued me on January 12th, 2019, when a man broke into my house during the day. He made it to the top of our cellar stairs, but the door was locked and Lili was fiercely barking and was between me and the door. She saved me that day!

Yes, Lili is amazing and we all love being loved by this beautiful and sweet doggy!

So, Happy Birthday to our St. Patrick’s Day Baby Girl!

When Covid-19 Comes to Call

It’s amazing to me that some people don’t believe that Covid-19 is real. Unfortunately, it is.

Another friend (in a faraway State) called today to tell me that she has Covid-19. They are awaiting the results for her husband and two children.

A good friend in Florida also had Covid-19 and he was very ill. So much so, that he spent time in the Intensive Care Unit.

People say I am crazy to be so compulsive about wearing a facial mask, not going to indoor restaurants, and avoiding all places I do not need to be.

I don’t want to get sick. I hate being sick! Last November when I had the Flu I was so ill I thought I would die. It was a combination of having a really bad case of Flu and the fact that it dragged on and on. I am also a bit of a Drama Queen, so give me a temperature of 102.6 for a few days, a cough that sounded like I was hacking up a lung, and my inability to breathe, and I’m convinced I had an early case of Covid-19.

Everyone says no, but I know how sick I was and nothing will convince me otherwise. See? Drama Queen.

I get my flu shot on Friday and then I hope and pray for the best. I just hate to even consider being that sick again!

Happy Sixth Birthday Lili!!!

Today our Lili is six years young! Hard to believe it! Time has flown! Our little St. Patrick’s Day Pup will get a special dog food molded cake with five mini dog bones for candles! Bless you, Lili, you really are a gem.

We found that Lili would have been great fun in a Circus. She loves to run and jump and run some more. A true whirling dervish! Winter is her favorite time, as she enjoys being able to leap through the snow at full speed. It’s like watching a deer.

Lili is the sweetest girl and has developed a wonderful relationship with our smallest dachshund. The two are devoted to each other and sleep curled up together a great deal of the time at night. Lili is also the Dackel Bodyguard. She goes outside with them and watched should the Bald Eagle, or a stray dog threaten them.

She is amazingly intelligent. She follows commands and has become a retriever. Let me explain. If one of the dachshunds is out and is taking too long, I will say, “Lili, go get Anneliese” and she will run off and herd her back to the door. She seems to love having jobs to do.

Likewise, my husband has begun going outside to exercise and of course, do some snow shoveling, Lili will go with him. She never leaves his side and keeps a close watch. She is closely attuned to him.

While I am crocheting in the evenings she is either at my feet or in my loveseat next to me. She follows me everywhere I go and she is so loving, at times it brings tears to my eyes.

She is also the most beautiful White Shepherd we have ever had. No kidding. She is nearly completely white, with a fabulous black nose and nails. Her eyes are perfectly brown and her coat is a full, short tight coat, with soft fur.

Her best little friend is a five-year-old girl that is our neighbor’s grandniece. She will stand on their balcony and call “Lili” and Lili happily runs to greet her, pulling up just before she gets to her, so as not to knock her over.
She also loves our two grandchildren who wanted Bolt Dogs for Christmas that looked like Lili a few years back.

Lili rescued me on January 12th last year, when a man broke into my house during the day. He made it to the top of our cellar stairs, but the door was locked and Lili was fiercely barking and was between me and the door. She saved me that day!

So here we are, our darling Lili is six and all grown up and settling down. Knowing she is the last large dog we will have, makes her all the more special to us.

Happy Birthday, Lili!