Odds and Ends

Summer has arrived.  Daytime temps of well over 100 ....yesterday's high 106.  Overnight low a little less than 80 making for a closed home with air conditioning.  Cowtown now faces a traditional 60-90 days of 100 degree heat.  Hot is good unless you're on the water in a sailboat.  We'll have to restrict our on the water sailing fun to early morning or late evening.

Last week it was our job to pick up Gracie and her step sister Hannah at noon from vacation bible school.  Grace usually spent each afternoon with us while Hannah was taken elsewhere to be with friends or relatives.  Wifey, Hannah, Grace and Kiri are shown in the photo above.

Last week was also a tough one: 

Zoe was put down.   A horrible experience.

Then, during the course of a READ program (children reading to trained pups) visit, a boy sat down with Wifey and Zeenie to read.  Instead of beginning to read the boy immediately grabbed the dog firmly by the fur on either side of her face and stuck his face right into hers. 

Being startled and feeling very threatened Zeenie barked, tried to move away and was quickly snatched up Wifey.  But somewhere in the brief exchange the boy was either scratched or inadvertantly in contact with the dog's teeth.  Two small red marks (less than 8th of an inch) were on the boy's nose.  A little blood was drawn and wiped off.

The mother of the boy didn't seem concerned as it wasn't much of a commotion.  No around even  knew that anything had happened. The boy, between 9 and 10 years of age, appeared to have behavioral issues that even the mother had difficulty in controlling. 

Regardless of who did what, a dog having a negative reaction to a "client" or scratching/biting a "client" is not a good thing in the pet therapy world.  That said dogs are going to be dogs.  I don't care how much training they've had given the right circumstances they'll react to protect themselves if threatened or hurt.   And that's exactly what our dog did. 

Now if this boy pulled on the ears of another boy and stuck his face in the other boys face.....who would be justified in clocking that kid?  Yeah, you're right.  The boy asked for it.  But heaven forbid a dog reacting in the same manner.

All things being equal, it is likely that Zeen will be blackballed and her certification revoked all due to the actions of an impulsive boy.  There are no excuses, no justifying.  No whining allowed.   That sound you're hearing?  It's Zeenie's hours upon hours of training going down the drain.

Yeah, it was a tough week.  And this week looks even tougher.  I'm not complaining.  I'm just saying.

BTW:  Blogger has decided to not allow me to place the photos here in the order I had hoped.  So, top photo, 6 month old Kiri last night burrowing under the pillows on our bed.  Second photo is of Zeenie.  Always smiling.  Ready to play ball.  Always somewhat timid.  Always mellow.  But soon to be labeled something she really is not.