12 posts tagged “macgyver”
Monday when we got home from work -- there was a black spaniel hanging out at the gate -- trying to get into the backyard with MacGyver. Steve and I went over to check it out and the dog was obviously well-taken care of, not a stray. His tag said his name was Ripley and gave a phone number - so we called. His owners weren't at home -- so we told them where Ripley was. By the time we went back outside -- Ripley had squeezed between the gate into the yard. He and MacGyver did the whole sniff each other thing - and then started running around a little bit. Steve went inside to get some treats for both of them -- and that's when I looked over and Ripley was licking MacGyver. And not on his face. :shocked: Then ... he starts humping up against his leg. Mac thinks he's playing -- and swats him away. Mac starts with his playing -- where he puts his front paws flat down on the ground -- and leans down with his head - and then jumps at Ripley. Then Ripley starts trying to hump his leg again. I was like -- STEVE! COME OUT HERE AND STOP THIS DOG FROM MOLESTING MACGYVER!!! Mac has finally figured out that Ripley "plays for the other time" and is not, in fact, interested in playing. He runs up to me and looks up at me like "what is going on here???"
Steve comes out - and just starts laughing because Ripley keeps trying to get-it-on with Mac. And he's having none of it -- just keeps swatting him off. We don't want to have to keep the horn-dog off Mac all night -- so I go inside and do a reverse lookup on the phone number. Ripley's house is about 2 miles down the road (I wonder how many other dogs he's been with ... :wink: ). We pop him in the car and drive him back to his house.
Mac was visibly relieved to have the yard back to himself ... but also to be free from Ripley's unwanted advances. But I'm still trying to figure out exactly what's going on. :uhh: I mean -- MacGyver is definitely a cutie -- but that's no excuse!!
Look what's living at my house for the next few weeks. We got two dachshund puppies for my grandmother's birthday (my grandparents have always had dachshunds and their dog, Brownie, died about 10 months ago; I know they miss having him around. These two will definitely give them some smiles!!!!) They're six weeks old - and they weigh TWO POUNDS each. I took a picture with a DVD for a size reference ;) I've never taken care of puppies before ... and I must say I"m pooped and we've only had them for two days now. They've woken me up 3-4 times every night ... and they're mischevious little buggers too! I think they plot to go in different directions to see how far one of them can get by the time I've caught the other one. And the pee! And poop! Oh my! I posted several pictures of the puppies ... and an OK of them with MacGyver (who weighs more than 26 times what they weigh). He's very curious about them ... and doesn't relax when they're outside with him. It's too funny. I'm just relieved he knows they're dogs (and not rabbits -- but that's another story for another time .... )
We spent this past weekend working at my parents old house (my childhood home). They have already moved into their new neighborhood (less than two miles down the road!!) and are going to rent the old house once they get everything cleaned out and spruced up. Steve and I painted a few rooms and helped mom with a garage sale.
When we headed back over to the new house — we were bringing over some outdoor furniture. MacGyver always travels to Cleveland with us — so he was in the backyard at the new house. Someone had the bright idea of putting him inside the fence around the pool while we were moving the outdoor furniture into the backyard. The pool was still covered — but it had been raining all week and the cover had little ponds of green, gooey, yucky leaf filled water all over it. We figured he would just run around a bit or sit at the gate and wait til we were finished unloading furniture.
Not our dog. Nope. MacGyver never does what you expect him to do. MacGyver, the dog who runs to the back of our property when the water hose is brought out (not even turned on yet!) — dove right into the yucky ponds on top the pool cover. He’s diving in — putting his head under the water — like he’s looking for something — and then he crawls out and runs at mach4 around the pool. It was like a dog on crack. He’s covered in green goo and we’re all laughing so hard — and he jumps in again. We’re worried the pool cover will collapse around him — so we try to get him out and he gets out only to jump right back in. My brother said he’s [MacGyver] probably not had that much fun (or been that cool) in a long time! It was soooo funny! We finally managed to get him out — and got him out of the fenced pool area — and he just runs and runs and runs around the backyard. That green gooey water energized him!!
Thankfully I had my camera out there - to get pictures of Sarah, of course - so we were able to capture a few of the pool-cover swimming moments!!! Click here for pictures!
We watched one of our friends dogs this weekend ... a black mixed-breed named Chloe. We joke that she's MacGyver's girlfriend - they get together as often as they can, and quite frequently have sleep-overs when their owners go out of town. And as some ladies are, she tends to lead MacGyver astray. As in - to bad behavior and craziness that he normally doesn't partake in. Like - destroying his bed. Or chewing up all his toys. Or - the latest - escaping from our very well-fenced in back yard.
Saturday morning, I went out at 7:30 to check on them and they were in the back yard. MacGyver was doing his "morning patrol" (he does this every day - walks around the edge of the fence line - all around the property) - and Chloe was bouncing up and down all around him as he walked.
I came back inside - Steve and I watched a bit of HGTV - and at 8:15, we were going outside to start working in the yard. The phone rings - and it's a couple from about 2 miles down the road. They told us MacGyver & Chloe were in their yard!! We quickly grabbed shoes and were headed out the door to go retrieve the dogs when they run up to the front porch.
"We're back! You wouldn't believe all the stuff we've seen!"
Pant. Pant. Pant.
"But now we're pooped. And no one gave us treats out there either. So we decided to come back and get a Frosty Paw! Thanks!"
Eeeeek! I'm so annoyed with them for getting out - and have no clue where they managed to get out. MacGyver's never gotten out before. And I hate that they were out roaming the streets - because that is THE most annoying thing to me when I'm driving. People who don't watch after their dogs - who let them roam free. Grrrr - that drives me crazy. I don't know how people can say they love their pets when they don't keep them safe from cars?
So - We got them back in the yard and Steve and I proceeded to walk our fence line to see if there was a breech somewhere - but there wasn't. The fence was still in tact - all the gates were still secure. We have no clue how they got out.
They're exhausted though - and spend the rest of the day hanging out in the back yard and trying to stay cool.
Then this morning we wake up. They're gone AGAIN. This time we have no clue where they are -- so I get out in the front yard and whistle (I do this for Mac all the time in the back yard). Within about 3 minutes, they come running to the house. I am so thankful he knows where home is.
I'm very worried because what will happen when we leave for work on Monday? Is he going to start getting out EVERY day? Arghhhhhhh We HAVE to find the "escape hatch".
I put the dogs back in the back yard - go around to the front porch - and maybe 2 minutes later MacGyver is out again. Thankfully - at least I have some clue which direction he's getting out from. So Steve and I hide around corners of the house to try and narrow down how he's getting out.
The new deck. The supporting beams and posts below the decks are hidden with lattice-work. They broke a section of the lattice, and crawled underneath the deck and shimmed on their bellies (no wonder they're covered in dirt!) and then popped out on the opposite side of the gate. Eureka! They actually did this in front of us a few minutes later - when we found the hole in the lattice. In goes Chloe, then MacGyver - and about a minute later - they both pop out on the other side of the gate. Too funny. They look very proud of themselves too. It was kinda hard not to laugh. Atleast we didn't give them a treat on the other side ;)
So we closed up the hole in the lattice - and Chloe and MacGyver kept going over to it and looking at it like - Awww shucks! They found our tunnel.
Sigh. We returned Chloe to her owner this afternoon -- and I have to say we were glad to be back to a one-dog family. I've had enough of the Houdini-doggies!
Guess who won?
I never thought I would actually be the type of person to take Christmas photos of their pet. Oh well ... that was pre He's-so-cute-MacGyver-World. My mom sent Mac a Christmas scarf in the mail - so I had to get a few shots to email her. (And there's another thing ... I never would have believed my mother would be sending my dog things in the mail. What's up with that? He's a charmer, that's for sure!) And I was at Walmart the other day and saw this little Santa hat for 96 cents - and thought I would try and get a few shots of him with that on. Here are my favorite two:
How did I ever think he was going to let me put the hat on him?? He had a GREAT time ripping it to pieces though ... and I got some fun photos ;)
We got MacGyver, our dog, from a couple at our church. Their niece was moving, didn't want to take him with her, and was going to put him in the pound. !!! The aunt/uncle stepped in and said - no we'll keep him until we can find him a good home. Two weeks later, we learned about Mac and jumped on the chance to adopt him. We had been looking for a siberian husky for a while ... and here was someone who was going to give us one?
He's been with us now for more than five months. We love him. He's a part of our family. We thought long and hard before getting him ... because we knew it was a lifelong commitment. This was going to be our dog for forever.
Last week, I got a phone call from the girl who wanted to take him to the pound. She wants to see him. I figured, hey ... why not. We arranged for her to come over yesterday morning. She shows up, with a guy ... and they stay for about an hour before asking us if they can have him back. They really miss him. Yes, they're living in an apartment and would have to keep this big dog inside all day long - but we miss him. :censor:
It's like -- they didn't even take into consideration that MacGyver is a much happier dog now. He's bouncing around with so much energy. He has 3 acres to run and play on at our house. We walk him every day. When we first got him ... he wasn't as active. He was used to being cooped up inside all day long. He's a SIBERIAN HUSKY. They LOVE to run. They HAVE to be active. Anyone who has read anything on the breed knows they need frequent exercise.
I couldn't believe they had the nerve to ask for him back. What did they think? We were just going to say "Oh well... here you go! It's been fun, Mac ... but they MISS you. And don't you want to go hang out in a 800 square foot apartment? Woohoo!" Uh ... no!
These two people who were going to give him to THE POUND. They weren't even going to make the effort to try and find a good home for him themselves. Huskies sell for at least $250 -- and MacGyver is a registered purebred so he would have gone for way more than that. Geez - it would have taken one ad in the pet classifieds here in Nashville to find that dog a good home. But they were just going to take him to the pound.
And now they expect us to just hand him over? So that in 6 months when they get tired of having to take care of such a big dog again, they dump him again?
:yell: Uh no. He's ours now. He is loved. He's part of our family. We have his best interests at heart ... and you don't. :mad:
So, obviously - we said absolutely not. I told them they could visit him (but I'm hoping they don't, because now I dislike them even more than I did before) - but that there's no way we could give him up. No matter what the situation.
Steve and I were even talking later - and if for some horrible reason we had to move to a tiny apartment and couldn't have Mac with us - we would give him to my parents or my grandparents who both have huge yards and they already love MacGyver anyway.
Am I being unreasonable? I don't think so.
Grrrrrrrr.
Our beautiful white, blue-eyed, thick-haired, sweet siberian husky MacGyver has sarcoptic mange. :worried:
As is typical of his breed, MacGyver has been shedding his second coat all summer long. We brush him daily - and usually get about half a garbage bag full of loose hair. Brushing him is supposed to help relieve the scratching that would result from having the loose hair in his coat.
About two weeks ago, we noticed that he was scratching a lot. More than normal. So we got some hypoallergenic shampoo ... thinking maybe he was just having a reaction to the White Dog shampoo we had been using. This didn't help.
A few days later, when we were outside working in the yard - we looked over and he BIT his tail. Drew blood. Today - you can see his tail. As in ... only the bottom half of his tail is covered in hair. The scratching continues.
After a phone call to our vet, we put him on benadryl on a trial basis for 3 days - to see if that would help. No effect. Still scratching.
So yesterday we had our appointment at the vets office. They took blood. Skin scrapings. All those turn up normal - but there is obviously something wrong with him. His hind legs are almost completely bare. His left side .... the hair is so think you can see his skin. He looks absolutely pitiful. :cry:
After two weeks of trying to figure out if he had allergies - the vet finally "gave in" and decided that it must be sarcoptic mites. You can't see them - so it's hard to diagnose. They burrow under the skin ... and then reproduce.
:book: So - last night I came home and researched a bit - and sure enough. All the pictures of the dogs on the pet websites - they look exactly like MacGyver does. Their ears, legs - everything. If only I had known to look for sarcoptic mites as a diagnosis ... I thought for sure it had to be allergies since there was nothing crawling around on him.
UGH!!!! So - the vet gave him a shot of Ivermectin. He's on prednisone for 10 days (to try and help with the scratching) - and we go back in two weeks to see if he needs another shot of Ivermectin. Starting this Monday - we have to give him medicated baths 3 times a week. That should be fun. We've also got him taking the de-worming pills. And when he finally is healed up from this ... he gets to have his annual shots. It's not going to be a fun month for Mac.
:pi: I'd never even HEARD of sarcoptic mites. And how do they get them? I still can't find that. They can catch them from other dogs and from foxes ... but he's only been in close contact with two other dogs ... and they're both healthy.
So ... at least he is on the road to recovery. Poor MacGyver. :sick:
Behind our house, we have approximately 1.5 acres of our property surrounded by a nice sturdy fenceline. When we first brought MacGyver home two weeks ago, and let him loose in our back-yard, he went insane with joy. Then he proceeded to pee on every single tree in the yard. It was a systematic and thorough process. We had recently planted some leyland cyprus trees - and they are only 2 feet tall - but he didn't miss those. Every single tree. We have LOTS of trees. When we take him on walks, he tries to mark all the trees along the way. Does he have an un-ending supply with which to mark his territory? He seems to never run out!
On Monday, I had picked up a large Yucca Cane plant from the Home Depot Nursery. I unloaded it from the car, set it down on the driveway, turned around to close the car door - and by the time I turned around to pick up the plant and take it around to the front porch, MacGyver had already peed on it. I'm talking less than 30 seconds here, people.
Sometimes it's wonderful to have a weekend at home where you can just get some stuff done! Our weekends usually find us either out of town visiting family and friends or traveling/working on Silver Strawberry business. So a weekend at home with no plans is a treat! Friday afternoon I got home and MacGyver and I cleaned up the garage and deck area. The garage was a bit of a mess due to our recent construction project - and the deck was getting overrun by dog paraphenalia. We got some nifty plastic storage bins for all of MacGyvers stuff - his food, shampoos, tick/flea drops, brushes, treats (he loves those treats!), leashes, toys, etc.
We think MacGyver is going to be our first step towards actually having a human baby. :wacko: The accumulation of stuff certainly seems to be in line with having a baby. My niece Sarah has so much STUFF. When Sarah was born, my brother and sister-in-laws house was just completely taken over by strollers, cribs, high-chairs, diapers, toys, bottles, pumps, car seats, blankets and of course the plethora of baby clothes. I think she definitely has more clothes than I do.
Now, obviously, we won't be able to just put food and water out in a bowl and tell the baby to "come and get it". And I'm pretty sure the baby won't sleep on our back porch. Leaving the baby at home while we go to work is probably also out of the question. But yeah ... other than that ... I'm sure having a dog is exactly like having a baby. :sarcastic:
