Was it the Eclipse that Caused my Problem?

I was shocked! The day of the eclipse I had such a great time at the big Eclipse Brunch I spent the afternoon sleeping it off!

So the next day started like any other day. It got hot in the morning and there was no eclipse. My afternoon was a lazy one. I had my usual kibble for dinner and spent some time in the back yard. And that's when it happened...

All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my paw. I didn't know what it was. I licked it and nothing changed. My paw really hurt. I tucked it up under me and slowly limped over to the deck where my owner was enjoying the shade and flowers.

I collapsed on the mat right by the door. She jumped up and wanted to see what was wrong. I was afraid it would hurt so tucked my paw under me. She made me show it to her and she went over the paw and between the pads and didn't find a thing. I kept licking it. I just wanted the pain to go away.

So she let me inside and I limped over to the darkness of the front door entry way and collapsed in the corner.... trying to hide so no one would get the idea that I needed to go to the vet. And my paw still hurt.

Here I am plopped in the corner with my paw safely tucked under me.
I didn't want anyone to touch it. I hurt!

My owner checked everything and then brought over my water so I wouldn't get dehydrated. I wanted nothing to do with walking or even standing.

The offending paw.

She was worried, I could tell. She rummaged through the shelves of the pantry and found some of Francesca's medicine from when her leg hurt her (it was a sprain). So she gave me a dose of some sweet tasting anti-inflamatory/pain medicine and I pulled away even more. I was scared she'd give me something worse... like a pill!

And then she left me alone. I guess she figured I wasn't going to move so she brought my bed over. When she was out of sight, I limped over and plopped on my cushy bed. Once I plopped, I didn't move much all night. I guess I turned around a couple of times. but I didn't go anywhere.

I spent the whole night on my bed by the door.

So I woke up and wondered why my paw didn't hurt. I was afraid to move from my bed thinking it would start hurting to I stayed there. When I heard breakfast being made in the kitchen, I forgot all about my paw and stood up. I didn't hurt! I carefully made my way over to the place where I get my breakfast and I was doing fine. I had breakfast and went to lay down again. Francesca asks for breakfast really early so we often go back to bed after we eat.

I feel much better now. See my paw?
I am mostly glad I didn't have to go to the pokey, proddy vet!

Later on, I walked around slowly and felt just fine. I went outside and felt just fine. I may have rested more than usual but by evening I was totally just fine. I wonder if the eclipse caused this because I don't know what happened!

Love, Cinnamon

Big Day for Francesca: Vet Visit, Heat Wave and the Break Out!

This is Francesca in case you see her wandering
the neighborhood.

We had, what I thought would be, a pretty uneventful day. We were lazing around because it was so hot out today. I live in the Pacific Northwest but temps are supposed to hit 100 several days this week. Ugh!

Vet Visit
So our owner decided to get us into the vet's office for a quick bordatella (kennel cough) vaccination. We were both due for it. Now Francesca is terrified of the vet's office because she has had: pneumonia treatment, surgery for an injury and examination of her painful sprained paw. So you can figure she really doesn't like to go.

So our owner made a deal with the vet's staff. We would both go in like nothing was going to happen and they would be ready with the liquid vaccine in the reception area. No exam room, no weighing and no poking. So we got there and it all worked like clockwork. The vet tech even hauled out the best treats.... from Mud Bay! I was well behaved and Francesca fell for the treats. Before we knew it... all was done!

The Big Break Out
So we got home and our owner thought we were back to resting because it was so hot out. Francesca went outside and was going to lay down in the shade when she spied something. The man next door was having landscaping work done and Francesca could see under the fence. Well, she proceeded to dig in the soft, dry dirt and a hole appeared.

At that point I said to Francesca, "You'd better not do it! I'm going inside to rest on my bed in the A/C. You'd better not do anything!"

About an hour later, our owner got a call from the neighbor down the street. THEY HAD FRANCESCA! Francesca had gone under the fence and out the next door neighbor's open gate. (When you have landscaping work done, they leave the gate open.)

So, fortunately, Francesca was at another house, unharmed, playing in the kid's swimming pool. She told me she already had been in a fight with the neighbor's dog who didn't like her at all. The kids loved her.

Francesca Slinks Around
So Francesca got home, wet paws and all and looked really guilty. I told her, "I told you so!" She wanted water and a treat and decided to go rest on her bed. She had experienced freedom and decided it was both scary and fun. I saw the hole and didn't go near it. I know better. I've been free several times and I always end up getting locked in a neighbor's yard while they call my owner.

Hot Dogs

Francesca is so Gross! Ewwwww

We are urban coonhounds, Francesca and I, so we are fairly well-mannered and clean. If we lose it and get muddy at the dog park, for example, we'll be headed for a bath for certain.

So I was very surprised to discover Francesca's dirty little secret. I noticed this when she was prancing around in the backyard one day with something in her mouth... something small. Then she would spit it out and roll on it. I didn't know what to make of her actions.

So I waited until she went into the house and checked where she had been rolling. Know what it was? Get ready for this... AN EARTH WORM!

Francesca mouths earthworms (she doesn't eat them) and when she's finished with that, she spits them out and rolls on them. EWWWWWW!

The earthworm wiggle and roll.

Now I've never done anything like that and can't even figure out why she's doing it. Anyone with a dog know?

Mouthing earthworms.... how gross can you get?

Love, Civilized Cinnamon

The Hidey Hole: Cinnamon Gets Francesca in Trouble

It's been a long week full of ice, snow and freezing water bowls. I haven't been too keen on going outside at all. When I do go out, I look for places to get out of the snowdrifts... like under the rhododendron bush and under eaves and things. I don't like to get cold and wet.

The snow covered our toys.

Today, that all ended with a marvelous burst of warm sunshine. It was sunny and it wasn't snowing. I felt so good. First, I spent my morning basking in the sun. If you get up against the fence with the sun shining on your black fur, you can get really warm. And so I did!

This is how you sunbathe in the snow!

Then I started looking for things under the ice. I found a ball and then a ripped up frozen toy. It was fun digging them out and then taunting Francesca by not letting her have one. I pranced around, ran in front of her and had a great time.

Long about noon, the sun was hitting our side deck. It warmed up real nice. I was in a feisty mood so went down under the juniper trees and started trying to dig under the deck. I was surprised. The dirt wasn't frozen! I think that's where our dryer vent is. So I continued a project that I had started before the cold weather started. I continued to try to dig under the deck. Slowly but surely I moved the dirt away. And... Bingo! I could get myself under the deck! I called to Francesca and told her what I had done. She came over and went under the deck with me. We were having a marvelous time sniffing for wild things when we heard our owner looking for us.

Whoops! Caught! We came back out from under the deck and went running up to the door. We had sparkles in our eyes and she could tell we had been up to something. We got treats for coming when we were called and then she locked us in the house. Why? Well, she figured we were up to something because of how long it took us to answer her. And, then she found the fresh dirt under the deck.

Later when we went outside, much to our dismay, we found that all the entrances to the underside of the deck were blocked off with all of her yard junk. We couldn't get to our Hidey Hole. It was starting to get cold so we gave up and laid down in the office to look like we were going to take naps. But actually we were waiting until she went into another room so we could talk.

She thinks this will keep us from getting under the deck!

We need a plan. We need to figure out how to get by all her stuff and GET UNDER THAT DECK! Because it is forbidden territory, and that makes it all the more enticing.

And it was fun getting Francesca in trouble! Hidey Hole, here we come!

I scared a Great Dane!

So here's what he looked like... huge!

I am feeling so proud of myself. Usually I pick on little dogs that bug me at the dog park but yesterday, I encountered a HUGE young Great Dane. This dog had absolutely no sense of personal space and kept bugging me and sniffing me and pawing at me. I turned around and snapped at him. I growled and scared him away.

So then I was trotting around the path minding my own business and here he comes again. Romping around me and bugging me. THAT WAS IT! I snarled, snapped and CHASED HIM. Then for good measure I CHASED HIM AGAIN! I scared him off that time. You should have seen me scaring that huge dog!

My owner was all apologetic with the dog's owners and they surprised me. They said that it was good for their dog to learn that he couldn't do that. He needed to learn to respect personal space or suffer the consequences.

So that was my brave day at the dog park!

Love, Cinnamon

What do you do with a dog who suffers from Obsessive Squirrel Disorder

This is what she thinks she sees

It isn't easy living with a dog who suffers from OSD. Yes folks, that's Obsessive Squirrel Disorder.

Now I understand all about coonhounds and their prey instinct. After all, I have that too. But I know when enough... is enough.

Francesca does not!

First, let me tell you what it's like at home. We go out into the backyard and I, of course, take care of going potty. Francesca, on the other hand, may be crossing her legs and needing to go but the first thing she does is scan the trees. And, if a leaf moves, WATCH OUT! She ASSUMES it is a squirrel and goes nuts!

I, Cinnamon, only get wound up when I actually SEE a squirrel. I use the backyard for sunning, playing ball, digging for things and listening for people who might prove a threat to our peaceful home.

Here's Francesca looking
outside for a squirrel

Francesca is totally and obsessively looking for squirrels 24/7. And if she should see one, it only exacerbates her OSD. Jeesh!

And, at the dog park, the one that has squirrel trees, she has all but given up playing with other dogs. She won't trot around the trail like everyone else does. She heads for the stand of trees in the park and stays there the whole time.

This is what she does. She goes from one tree to the next. If she doesn't find a squirrel she repeats the process all over again. Sometimes she tries climbing on a sapling to see if she might just reach an elusive squirrel. And, if she doesn't find a squirrel she starts looking through the fence at the woods in the distance looking for squirrels. And if she sees one I have no doubt that she could scale the fence and go running after it (although, she'd never be able to catch the squirrel).

Here's the squirrel section of the dog park.
This is where Francesca hangs out.

So now you see what I put up with. Do they have a support group for families of dogs suffering from OSD? I would attend!

Anyone have any advice for me?

Love, frustrated Cinnamon

Coping with Thunder and Lightning: Tips for Dogs

I don't like thunder and lightning. And, everyone knows, I don't like fireworks. So a couple of days ago I was really annoyed when I was awakened from a deep sleep by rolling thunder and a few cracks of lightning thrown in for good measure.

I immediately jumped up from my warm bed and sought refuge. I am pretty smart about finding the safest zones in the house. They are places in the center of the house with no windows. So I go into the master bathroom. This time, the shower door was open so I decided to go in there... even safer, right?

So I found out the bath mat was hung on the towel rack. I clickety clicked around looking for a place to lay my weary head... nothing. I was standing in the dry shower, scared of the thunder and it looked like I would be there for the duration.

The storm kept going through the wee hours of the morning. I clickety clicked around and finally my owner, feeling annoyed, got up to see what was happening. There I was standing in the shower pretending I was safe. My owner took one look and knew what was wrong. There was no place to lie down!

Here I am in my safe place weathering the storm.

She got the bath mat down and put it in the shower. Exhausted, I curled up in a coonie ball (another safety move on my part) and went to sleep.

When dawn came, it was raining but the thunder had stopped. I was so tired I spent most of the morning sleeping in the shower!

Heading for the safety of the master bathroom in my house works for me when I am scared. Here are some other things dogs tell me that work:

1. Wear a thunder shirt. The tight fitting shirt, relaxes dogs and gives them a sense of security. You can buy them on Amazon.com.
2. Cuddle up with your owner. Some dogs like to be held by their owners when they are scared.
3. Ask your owner to create a safe place for you to weather the storm. My safe place is the master bath. I am sure there must be a safe place in every house!

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon's New Warning Leash

I've had it! When I am on my leash I feel vulnerable. When other dogs come up to me and get in my face, I get scared and need to protect myself. So what do I do? I snap. Grrrr.... Snap! GO AWAY!

My owner was getting tired of explaining to everyone that I don't like dogs coming up to me when I'm on the leash. She had to explain that I was fine at the dog park where I was off my leash and I was a very nice dog. BUT DON'T GET IN MY FACE!

So I was really excited when I read about warning leashes and harnesses. Assuming dogs and/or people can read simple words, these leashes should make things easier on all of us. Here is what they look like:

I think I would be embarrassed to wear a leash or harness that said "nervous!"

I think if people read the leashes, they will understand. If a leash says, "Caution," wouldn't you back off? I sure would! But I am friendly with people so I got the "No Dogs" leash instead.

This is the leash I got. It means... "Dogs, get outta my face when I'm on my leash!"

Wordless Wednesday: What Does Cinnamon Want?

This is my "I want something" look.
What do you think I want?

On Gardening

I can't figure out why I get in trouble for doing the same things in the garden my owner does. I get in trouble for knocking over plants, for digging and for thinking about eating certain plants. I am happier when she leaves me alone in the garden to lounge on my little deck and do as I please.

Here I am lounging and staying out of trouble.

So please explain this to me:

I got in trouble for digging here. I left a nice hole against the front fence.
But I don't understand why it's such a big deal.

She can dig and even uses a garden tool:

Here she is making another hole. Don't ask me why she is allowed to do it and I am not!

And then she rips plants apart:

She cut all these branches off my shade Rhody.
All of them!

Then she ripped a bunch of these leaves out of the ground.

I just don't get it. I can't uproot a plant. I can't knock a plant over. I can't eat a plant. And I can't rip a plant apart. I get in trouble but she doesn't.

So that's my life in the garden. It's "No, Cinnamon... no, no Cinnamon!" more often than not.

I'll just go lay on my rugs and stay out of trouble.

Love, Cinnamon

Suffering from Neglect, Cinnamon Fights Back with Words

Many of you have wondered why I haven't written much lately. And my Facebook friends have suggested that I TELL ALL!

Well, first of all, because my owner has been going on walking tours of historic areas of Portland (way across the bridge from here), I've been having to get up really early. I love sleeping in. But several mornings this week I have had to be up and outside by 8 AM! Imagine! I have to get up, go outside and then can't go back to bed in my warm house because SHE IS LEAVING! So I am fed an early breakfast and have to go in the garage to stay while she is gone. I do have my old bed in the garage, so I usually just sleep the hours away.

So today, Sunday, I am sleeping in as long AS I WANT TO! See my magnificent coonie ball? Nobody better bother me until I, Cinnamon, am ready to get up.

Coonie Ball at 9:30 am

So this week has been a bust for any fun. While she is walking walking tours, I am sleeping. Here's what she does:

Notice that there are NO dogs on this walking tour.

And if that wasn't enough, she had to celebrate Chinese New Year by going to the Lan Su Chinese Garden with her photography friends. They don't allow dogs there either. She had a great time, saw the Lion Dancers and went out for Chinese food. All the while I was locked in the garage with a bowl of water. IMAGINE! And the celebration went on. One night after I had dinner, she took off and went  out to a Chinese restaurant for more celebrating. AND LEFT ME ALL ALONE!

Here's the Lion Dancers. I would have had fun chasing them!

So now it is Sunday and she is FINALLY STAYING HOME! I slept in and will have a leisurely breakfast. I think I'll laze in the sun on the deck because I don't have to go in the garage today. YAY!

See what a week I have had. That's no way to treat a dog, right?

Love, Neglected Cinnamon

On Country Clubs, Parties and Gifts

I was surprised. I was shipped off to my country club without much notice. Usually I know something is up because my owner is packing things and filling my food container to the tippy top. Often there are bags lined up in front of the garage door.

But this time not much was happening except she was cleaning house. So I was really surprised when she motioned to me to jump into the car. It was just me and a half container of food. What was up?

And I jumped in the car. We headed east down highway 14 toward Washougal.... It was either the dog park or my country club. When we headed into the hills I knew it! ..... I was going to my country club! I hoped there were some friendly dogs. Once I encountered a snappy dog. I didn't like her and we ended up biting each other!

This is what was going on at my house when
I was at the country club.

We drove through the elegant gates, down the drive lined with manicured lawns and trees. Ah, the country club. I was looking forward to playing with some upscale dogs or maybe even getting a spa treatment. Naaa.... those are too much like baths!

The regular receptionist wasn't there. I heard she was on vacation. But the young woman remembered me and called me by name. She was one of the staff there who fed us, led us to our private rooms and took us out to play each day. I was happy to be there.

So I had a wonderful time and wasn't really ready to go home when my owner came to pick me up. I had just been playing with a fun black labrador retriever when they came to get me. "Your Mom is here, Cinnamon." (my owner really isn't my mom... she's my adopted mom).

Here I am opening my gift.
It matches my lovely pink collar!

When I got back home I was in for a real surprise. The furniture was all askew and it smelled like people (both strangers and friends, I deduced after sniffing around). And I could smell food... sandwiches and snacks. Hmmmm. I think I missed A PARTY!

While the dog's away, the owner will play, it seems. A big party happened and I WASN'T INVITED!

I wanted to go outside and bury my new rawhide.
But my owner nixed that!
See how clean the rug is?

While my feelings were a little hurt, I felt much better after I was handed MY PRESENT! One of the guests had thoughtfully brought me a housewarming gift. I carefully opened the paper. IT WAS SOME RAWHIDES! Yippee! I didn't have any and was dying to try them.

They weren't easy to gobble up like treats. Hmmm. This was something different. I tired of knawing on my new rawhide and decided to go out in the yard and bury it for future fun. But my owner wouldn't let me do that. The house was all clean and she thought muddy paws would not be a good idea. So I hid it in my toy basket!

So I missed a party. I can handle it. I had a pretty good time playing at my country club. And I didn't even get into a fight this time!

Love, Cinnamon

I get into MORE Mischief!

Here's the squirrel toy. Looks real, doesn't it?

Today my owner had to do errands that took up THE WHOLE CAR! So I wasn't invited to ride along.

Instead, since we cleaned up the garage, I was ushered to the garage to stay while she was gone. It wasn't too bad. My bed was there, freshly draped in a blanket. My crate was there and a ball to play with (A MEASLY BALL!). I didn't get too upset because I had a plan.

Once she drove away, I checked out the bags and boxes that were left in the garage after our move. I was on the hunt for something good. No food was found.

But in the back, near the Christmas decorations I found a VERY INTERESTING BAG! Inside the bag was something very clearly meant for ME! Now, I can tell the difference between dog toys and other things. I'm very smart that way. And in this bag were TWO DOG TOYS!

I got so excited! I pulled out the squirrel looking toy and chewed on that for awhile. It squeaked. Then I went back to the bag and pulled out a large floppy toy. I shook it. I chewed on it. Boy was that fun. TWO NEW TOYS!  Life was good, even if I was locked in the garage.

Here I am with my new toy.
Notice I am keeping an eye on the squirrels outside while I play with it!

When my owner got home she took one look at the toys and let me in the house to play with them. Then she told me. THOSE WERE MY CHRISTMAS TOYS! I found a bag with my gifts. They weren't wrapped yet.

Now I feel bad. I wonder if this means I won't get anything for Christmas!

Love, Cinnamon with two new toys

Why Cinnamon Felt Punished!

When we moved, I had to spend most of the time in the car sleeping.

Well, I am settling into the new house, chasing the squirrels away and adjusting to limited Internet. We still don't have that magic cable that will bring us full service including TV.

I have to say, there was a "little" incident when we moved in and I truly felt I had my Internet privileges taken away because of it. I didn't understand the cable issue. SO I THOUGHT I WAS BEING PUNISHED!

You see, when we moved in, the BIG movers brought our furniture inside. They brought furniture in the front door, the back door and all around. It happened pretty fast. Once they left, my owner wanted to go back to the old house to clean, so off we went.

When we got back, I wanted to go romping in the yard. So she let me out. And then it happened. I spied an open gate. OPEN! FREEDOM! I ran through the gate and into the cul de sac. The movers had forgotten to close the gate and my owner didn't check!

I didn't even look back.  I trotted across the street and went down the sidewalk. I love being free! I made it about two blocks and then decided to turn onto a side street.  I thought there were tons of squirrel trees down there. I kept going and then, since I didn't see any squirrels, thought I'd look for people with treats. I didn't think about going home because I think I forgot how to get back!

I smelled dogs at a nice house so I walked up to the door. No one opened it. I guess you have to ring the doorbell first. All of a sudden a young man came out of the house next door. He said, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He looked at my collar... my dress collar with my name, phone number, and home town. So then he asked the lady in the house if she was taking care of me. "Nope, I don't know who she is."

So then the young man called my owner. I wasn't sure that was a good idea. I wanted to explore some more. I wasn't ready for my freedom to end. I'd only been on the lam for 20 minutes!

Here I am in my dress collar with my phone number on it.

After a second call, my owner came driving down the street. DRAT!  She was really happy to see me. She told the people she'd been walking all over the park calling my name. She clipped my leash on and I wasn't sure I wanted to get in the car. I LIKE FREEDOM! But I gave in and went in the car. Home again! GATE LOCKED!

So when I wanted to get on the Internet to tell everyone about my adventures, THERE WAS NO INTERNET! I really thought I had my Internet privileges revoked. I THOUGHT I WAS PUNISHED!

But I wasn't. I was ok. I won't say I wouldn't do this again. I never think of consequences when I see an open gate or a hole in a fence. I just consider the possibilities!

Love, Cinnamon

Preparing your Dog for Moving: A Dog's Perspective

I've been house hunting for a couple months now. Sometimes I see a house that would be perfect for me but we don't even make an offer on it. No one explains it to the dog!

She'd better not leave without ME! I don't know what's going on!

Sometimes we make an offer on a house that seems perfect. And then my owner says there is something wrong with it? No one explains it to the dog!

So now something is going on and I don't know what it is. We are packing but no one shows me the new house or the backyard. There seems to be a big waiting game. No one explains it to the dog!

We go to Home Depot to look at carpeting. I have fun playing with the guy wearing a pink watch. But we haven't ordered the carpet yet. No one explains it to the dog!

I'm sleeping in strange places nowadays

I am confused. We have packed some breakables. Pictures have been taken off the wall. The curio cabinet is empty. The plants in the backyard have been moved. It's unsettling. I'm showing the stress. I sleep in strange places. Sometimes it is at the top of the stairs where I can watch her. Sometimes it is by the door so she can't leave without me. Today she found me sleeping in her closet. I've never ever slept there before. In fact, I'm not allowed in her bedroom!

I'm scared. Will I be left behind? These are the tough times for Cinnamon. I just want to be settled SOMEWHERE!

It is important, that during a move, the dog is informed. It is important that schedules are not changed and the dog's bed is still there in the right place. It is important that play time with toys and trips to the dog park continue. 

And in the new house, it is important that your dog's things are put in place first!

My crate is important to me. If we move, it had better be there!

So what can I do? I just want to be settled. I have started feeling sorry for myself.

So I went on the Internet and looked at what was going on with my peers. I read about a German Shepherd pining away for his owner who didn't come home. His owner was the soldier that was killed in Ottawa, Canada .... So unfair.

I read about a black an tan coonhound that lost one eye yet was watching squirrels with the other one right after his surgery. Could there be dogs who have it worse than I do? Yes, I believe there are.

But I am Cinnamon and I still feel unsettled!

Country Club Drama: Cinnamon Gets it in the Face

Here's the entrance to my Country Club

You would think that my Country Club stays would be all about fun and pampering. But in reality, there are some major challenges... challenges in affable facades. Let me tell all! (grab a cup of tea for this one.)

I had been at my Country Club for three days when the tide turned. I'd been playing with the puppies and the elder dogs, and resting too. Life was good. I got two squares and all the water I could drink. People played with me. Life was good.

Enter Goldie, the Golden Retriever. Goldie was one of those two faced Beverly Hills type dogs. Innocent on the outside.. only. She was a blue blood and probably had papers (I only have a rabies certificate!). She acted nice so she had the people fooled.

On Sunday, I was sitting next to Goldie minding my own business watching the younger dogs play. She was sitting there in all her blonde glory basking in the sunlight. The people thought she was so sweet. They petted her and brushed her golden hair. She was the darling of the play yard. Well, that's because they couldn't understand what she said. She was a two faced gossip. People don't understand dog language, that's for sure.

Goldie? Innocent? NOT!

Here's a gang of Mexican street dogs.
Goldie insisted that I was once part of this gang.

All of a sudden she started talking to me. And it wasn't pretty. She said she heard that I was nothing but a street dog from Mexico. What? I was from NEW MEXICO! She was really mean.

She taunted me and went on to suggest that I must be part of a Mexican dog treat cartel... Dealing in illegal dog treats. A Mexican dog treat cartel! Imagine!

Yo soy una buena perra! I am a good dog! I follow most all laws... really!

Then she started to tell me my nails were too long. I gave her "the look."

I think she was just trying to start something. She kept taunting me, insulting my heritage and my homeland. I had enough and told her to shut up! Cállate, I said.

See... New Mexico is in the US!

And that's when she growled and lunged for me. Of course she made sure no one was watching first. She took a nip out of the side of my face! Ouch! That me me mad! So I nipped her ear. :) She didn't like that and whined to the people in charge.

They ran over and looked at both of us. There was blood on both of us. I required first aid. They put hydrogen peroxide on my wound and it stung.  And they told me it was MY fault.. It certainly wasn't. She started it!

We were separated. No big loss, I thought. I think she was jealous because I am a celebrity. I am a well known blogger.  She was also jealous because word got around that I was getting a spa treatment before I went home.

Here's what Goldie did to me. Click on the photo to enlarge it. You can see the scar on my cheek. :(

By yesterday I felt just fine. The swelling had gone down and, luckily, Goldie's owners picked her up. (I saw their Mercedes drive up the long drive to the Club.) My spa appointment time came. The people came and took me to the spa room. They had a fancy tub with sweet smelling shampoo. I told them I might need a facial after what happened to me. BUT ALL THEY WERE GOING TO DO IS GIVE ME A BATH! I put up with it and they washed all the dust out of my coat. I came out shiny and smelling gorgeous. I am sure Goldie didn't have it so good!

So when my owner arrived yesterday afternoon I was really glad to see her. I was shiny and smelled great. The lady in the office showed her my wound and told her version of the Goldie vs. Cinnamon story. But I am sure my owner BELIEVES ME!

I got home and was so worn out from all that drama, I just went straight to bed.

Love, Cinnamon, the good dog.




.

The Pros and Cons of Guests

Here I am looking all innocent before our guest arrived.

I was so excited, I couldn't contain myself. I ran in circles. I was thrilled. We had a person come visit us. I was eager with anticipation. Would this person bring treats? Would this person bring toys? Certainly this new person would bring much more fun than I was having!

So my elder friends, Remi and Indy, attacked her at the front door.... smothering her with attention and love. My owner was embarrassed. But we thought this was the best way to get treats, attention and toys... right?

So they settled in and we tried to behave but really took turns kissing up to our house guest. Toys? Treats? Attention? It was all there for us to soak up, right?

As the days passed we did get loves and attention but then something else happened. We had to admit that the new friend was also there to see our owner. She wanted to do things WITHOUT US DOGS!

So here's the story. One night they took off after feeding us our dinners rather early. The were going to dinner THEMSELVES, BY THEMSELVES! That's rude, right?

That is when I decided that having a human friend visit was not all that good. THEY WERE OUT UNTIL 10 p.m. Can you believe that? 10 p.m.! I thought that was rude and neglectful.

So while they were gone, we talked... we dogs. We decided that we would NOT be peacefully asleep when they came back from the fun downtown. We would stay awake and make a rukus!

So we did. They pulled up in the car about 10 p.m. We barked, we yelped and we scratched at the doors. We acted like we were starving. We acted like we had to go to the bathroom. We acted like we were severely neglected. We acted like we had to go chase coyotes in the pasture.

So they started to feel badly and let us outside. I, Cinnamon, went bonkers. I smelled rabbits. I smelled mice and I thought I heard a coyote. I was inconsolable. I had to hunt, to chase and to howl. Arooo!

Finally we were so obnoxious that my owner came and caught me by my collar and the scruff of my neck and brought me back to the house. We were told, in no uncertain terms, that WE WERE TO CALM DOWN AND GO BACK TO BED!

So we did!

Sometimes I Don't Do a Very Good Job

Well, here I am at the Country Cousins' taking care of those two geriatric dogs. Aside from beating me at a game of "Lumpy Balls," Indy is pretty well behaved. But today, during nap time, I walked in to the living room and look what I saw.

Here's Indy making herself comfortable on the couch. Who does she think she is?

Indy had decided to disobey the house rules and sleep on the couch! Not only did she sleep on the couch, she messed it up!

I wasn't sure what to do. I thought she might bite me if I tried to move her. So I just laid in my USUAL PLACE ON THE FLOOR and watched her out of the corner of my eye. I figured I would give her a good talking to when she finally woke up.

Here I am keeping an eye on that ill-behaved Indy.

What do you do when dogs disobey rules and they are bigger than you?

Love, Cinnamon

Full Moon and the Woods are Full of Coyotes

Here I am at 4 a.m. wide awake. I wanted OUT!

I woke up with a start. I looked at the clock. It was 4 a.m. If you know me, you know I usually don't get up until, say, around 9 a.m.! But things were really weird last night.

The full moon shone on the trees in the woods and was lighting up the den where I sleep. I heard the terrifying sounds of coyotes on the prowl. THEY WERE IN THE WOODS RIGHT BEHIND MY HOUSE.

I jumped up and howled! I ran downstairs to the sliding glass door to the yard and went bonkers! My owner came running and wouldn't let me out. The hair on my back was standing on end. Nothing could quiet me. It was as bad as knowing a pack of werewolves were out there. I had to get out. I just had to!

But my owner would have no part of letting me out. She knew if I went out, I would awaken the whole neighborhood. By then it was 4:15 a.m. I paced, I growled, I howled inside the house.

To calm me down, my owner took me out in front on the leash. She walked me up and down the street. I was still hyper-alert but that helped. The coyotes weren't in front. Finally I calmed down a bit. She shut the windows in the den so I couldn't smell or hear them.

After several trips down stairs begging to go out (and the my immediate forced return to my upstairs bed) I finally gave up.

By 5 a.m. I went back to sleep. WHAT A NIGHT!

Cinnamon Wins the Chair!

Here's the den. The forbidden chair is the green one on the right.

It was a lazy Easter day with not much for me to do. They don't allow me in church so I stayed by myself all morning.

And I got in trouble, too. I ran outside and barked at the neighbor cat not once, not twice, not three times. Well, you get the picture. I barked even though I didn't know if the cat was in their back yard or not. It just smelled like cat over there... reason enough to bark.

So after dinner my owner was getting ready to go spend time with her friends. I was all comfy in a marvelous sunbeam in the den. When I found out she was leaving I eyed the BIG GREEN CHAIR. THIS IS FORBIDDEN TERRITORY!

Usually when she leaves, she boots me out of the den and closes the door. Because she knows that the minute the garage door closes, I AM UP ON THE CHAIR!

She took pity on me this one time and this is what I saw. She went to the linen closet and got out a brown sheet. Then right before me eyes she put the sheet on THE FORBIDDEN CHAIR! I couldn't believe my eyes.

And after that she patted the chair and said "It's OK Cinnamon!" I climbed up onto the chair in utter disbelief. I was going to get to luxuriate in the chair all evening! I could stay in the "sunbeam room."

Here I am in the forbidden chair with a look of utter disbelief on my face.
I even have one of my favorite toys with me. It's what's left of the toy Chaser, the Border Collie sent to me!

I never know what happens in church but it must be something really good. BECAUSE I AM BEING TREATED REALLY, REALLY GOOD TONIGHT!

Love, Cinnamon (Oh yes, Happy Easter!)