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For whatever reason I felt the urge today to pop in and let everyone know that everything is still going well with Zoe and Zeeke in this household. :rolleyes: Unfortunately neither one will ever be without their issues, and neither my husband nor I will ever be professional dog trainers (LOL!), but within our household everything seems to be getting along just fine.

 

Zeeke, the shepherd who has butted heads with me since we got him, has slowly softened considerably towards me and now my biggest problem is that he greets me with such enthusiasm that he almost knocks me over. We're still working on that. But his attitude has improved a lot! After 5 years living here he is finally allowed to sleep on the bed, and for whatever reason he snuggles up to me instead of the hubby, rolls on his back and makes the most pathetic moaning sounds. He is unfortunately still obsessed with the cats. We manage that with gates and closed doors. He is not aggressive towards cats, thankfully, but he loves them. So much that he wants to play with them. All. The. Time. The cats are not amused by him in the least and really wish he would drop off the planet. Zeeke is by far my husband's dog... while he has grown to like me, he ADORES his daddy, and everything is right with the world as long as he is at my husband's side.

 

My little Zoe girl is somewhat stalled in her progress, mainly because we don't have people over very often and I don't have the energy for bringing her places and forcing the issue. She's still terrified of strangers, but given how we live (quietly, with just DH and I most of the time), it doesn't affect much. She is such a JOYFUL dog. She loves her family - including us two humans, Zeeke, and the cats. She loves her toys, loves her food, loves staring out the window. She's a very low-maintenance dog; even after all day of us being at work, I can come home and sack out on my recliner and watch TV and she just happily plays by herself with a toy. Just don't forget her dinner time, it's one of the very few times she will bark. Training her is more often than not a test of patience, because she is so jumpy and flighty. She wants so much to do what you want her to, but her memory is about 2 seconds long, I swear.

 

I am currently fostering a feral kitten, which has been a joy. He's turned into quite a lovebug with me (but is still really not sure of the husband!). Zoe is helping me de-sensitize him to dogs. The kitten started out hissing and spitting at her, but at this point is more confused than anything... she looks like a dog, smells like a dog, but doesn't ACT like a dog. She of course is nervous by the kitten, because mommy it HISSED at me! Sometimes I catch the kitten just sitting a couple feet away, studying her, while she stares at the ceiling, the wall, that smudge of dirt on the couch...

 

Zoe attempting to sleep in one of the cat beds

DSC_3836.jpg

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Hi Natalie! Its great to hear how everyone is doing. Sounds like things are going pretty good. You should stop by more often. We don't bite :rolleyes:

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To be honest, I think most of the reason I don't stop by very often is that I just don't have time for the dogs much anymore. I used to be so much more... involved. Especially with Oreo. And now I feel much more like just a dog owner than one of those "dog people" (granted, one who will go OFF on people about rescues vs. bad breeders and spaying/neutering pets and proper vet care). I do feel terribly guilty about it sometimes, but I know Zoe at least really doesn't mind if I'm not very active. Zeeke cares, but he always cares, and there's not much we can do about that besides finally finish the VERY EXPENSIVE FENCE we're halfway done paying for. (No, the fence isn't done yet, and wont' be until spring. GRRR.) Zoe makes me a lazy dog owner. All she needs is a few minutes a day of lovin and she's happy.

 

Some days I wish I had a "real" dog to train and really work with. But then I look at my disaster of a house that still isn't cleaned and realize I don't have time for it anyways. LOL

 

Life certainly would be boring without them, though. I kind of appreciate the havoc they create in my life... the unexpected joys (and messes).

 

 

BTW, I don't think I mentioned.... Oreo is still going strong at 14 1/2, living with my dad and family. She's going deaf and is certainly a lot slower than she used to be, she's mellowed out a ton too - I really noticed a difference this April when I last visited. It was kind of shocking to see her look... old. But she's healthy and chipper and enjoying life tremendously. I miss my girl. As much as I love our pets, they're not Oreo and never will be.

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