The Cat is Out of the Bag

On Mother's Day Husband and I wanted to do some hiking with Barry. We decided we would head North West of the city. We have friends that live in the area where we wanted to go so I contacted them and they said to come on over. The plan was to stop by and then head out to do some hiking with Barry and with their cutie dog. They also have two kids, and a cat. More on the cat in a moment.

Here is Barry's new friend, Kingston. Excuse the latter end of Barry here.

By the time we got to their home the sky was slightly over cast. It was still nice out and the sun shone through for the most part, but the weather forecast was calling for a terrible storm. It rolled in eventually but I think we decided, once we'd heard the forecast, to just skip hiking and we'd hang out with our friends for a few hours at their home instead. They have a fenced backyard and we spent most of our time there. I wasn't too keen on the idea of Barry roaming their house so staying outdoors was more comfortable so I could keep an eye on him. He's a very nosey and fearless dog. He will go from room to room to sniff and find things. Which is exactly what happened once the rain started and we herded everyone inside.

Our afternoon was really nice. Mike and I commented to one another how Barry is good with small dogs and it was a nice feeling knowing this. We try to be cautious any time we have Barry meet new people and dogs. We've never had an issue with any of those things so far. Barry loves people first, then dogs, then food and treats. Well, it's possible the food and treats come before dogs. Definitely not people. He truly loves people above and beyond all other things.

While we were all inside Barry was starting to get snoopy. He was going from room to room and he was definitely looking for something or hoping to find something. He did well overall. I had him come to the room we were all in so that he would hang out with us and I could keep my eye on him. He stayed for a while then got up to roam again. I peaked into the room where he was a couple of time and he was fine, laying by the garage door flat on his belly, so I let him be.

The third time (what do they say about the third time again?) I went to check on him and he was no longer in his spot. I called him and I heard nothing. I went upstairs to the where all the bedrooms are and still heard nothing. He didn't come when I called him. I didn't hear his jingling tags either. Finally I decided I would walk into the master bedroom and I still didn't see him and he didn't come to me. When I walked to the other side of the bed there I saw only the back part of him sticking out from under the bed. He was dead silent. He was stalking their cat. I pulled on his legs to pull him out just a bit to grab his collar and then I heard the cat hissing and spitting. Barry backed out from under the bed, the cat flew into their bathroom and Barry followed clumsily knocking into everything on the way. The cat dodged out of the bathroom and down the stairs with Barry following. I flew down the stairs and my body wasn't keeping up with my mind so instead of my feet planting on each step as I went down I just slid down the steps (only a few steps luckily) landing on the floor at the bottom.

Husband and our friend's older child were able to grab Barry and hold him while the cat was put away. I can't remember my exact thoughts in that moment but I was so sick to my stomach and scared that Barry had hurt their cat. He could have killed her! Barry's eyes were red and wild, the hair on his nape was standing up, and he was in the moment, barely noticing that we were trying to calm him. He was focused on getting that cat. We couldn't snap him out of it as quickly as I'd hoped then Husband finally told me to get the harness. In my confused and upset state I didn't think about getting the harness. I was worried about the cat and the family (our good friends) that we just disrupted by bringing our prey-driven dog into their peaceful and happy home. Poor cat! I have to say, I tend to be pretty good in emergency situations that involve human issues/accidents. When it comes to Barry I'm totally nuts and I can't think straight at all. I've realized this as we've had a couple of issues with Barry where I lost myself in upset and confusion.

As far as we are aware the cat is okay. Our friends have given her a clean bill of health and Barry has moved on already, back to hunting city squirrels on his leash during walks.

That is the good news. However, it's pretty sad and upsetting to me that Barry isn't good with cats. I mean, I know plenty of dogs that can't be around cats but there are also plenty of dogs that are great with cats. Barry is one that cannot be around a cat, we know this now. It's just hard to see your dog get like that. Wild eyed and unstoppable. Well, he was stopped but he wouldn't have stopped had there been no intervention. I'm not going to say with total certainty that Barry would have killed their cat, but my gut is going with he would certainly have killed the cat had he gotten close enough. He is a terrier at heart and all terriers have the strong prey-drive that we see when Barry goes after squirrels and now cats.

I wasn't sure how Barry would be around cats. When we adopted him we were told he was good with cats. They did a walk-by with him where the cats were in their cage. In that setting Barry was okay with cats. In a real life indoor setting where the cat isn't in a cage Barry is not good with cats.

Even after Barry tried to eat our friend's cat, they still like us and have even told us that we'll continue to be welcome at their home. Thanks guys for being so understanding and so kind.

Here is our outdoor space at our condo. Barry enjoys laying on the balcony but I'm sure
he prefers a grassy yard.

The Sun Doth Shine

The sun has started shining!

It's been really nice here. I mean, it's not perfect yet but it's been nice. Anything over 50 is fabulous. The wind can get treacherous, but the warm sun is nice. On Thursday it was nearly 90! I wasn't complaining.

Gotta keep my eye on da treats!

Yesterday it was rainy in the morning but cleared up and got up into the mid 70's. So needed and so relieving. Things are turning green, flowers are blooming, and Barry is loving it outside. He's walking around with that cute doggie smile you see so often on dogs. He never did the 'smile' unless we wore him out with indoor exercise. Even then, getting that smile didn't come easily. It never appeared outside in the winter. Now we see it every day. It's gorgeous.

This also means camping weather is upon us! We have a trip planned already at a very dog friendly state park in Wisconsin. There are even dog beaches. We don't know if Barry likes to swim yet or not but we are so excited to find out! We'll do lots of hiking and we think Barry's gonna just love it. He likes taking trips in the car more and more nowadays.

Alright, let's get going. I'll drive.

Happy weekend to everyone!

When Barry Met Squirrel Alley

As I may have mentioned before, Barry loves squirrels. He is obsessed (this is one thing we don't think he'll stop obsessing over)! There is a street by our building that we have dubbed Squirrel Alley. There are squirrels all over this one section. If it's around 25+ degrees out the squirrels are out. Since it's been a steady 40+ degrees out we have been seeing a lot of squirrels lately. Even rabbits, believe it or not. 

The biggest difference between the squirrels and the rabbits is that the squirrels are all little jerks that like to taunt and tease and the rabbits are more timid and stand still or immediately hop into a bush. Barry can obviously smell the squirrel or rabbit even if he can't see it. He's always on the look out. As soon as he spots the squirrel one of two things happens. One is that he'll only get a quick glimpse of it before it runs up a tree or out of site and then Barry calms down pretty quickly. Two is that there will be a stare down. It will stand right in the middle of the side walk watching us as we near and Barry will begin loudly whining and yelping and crying at the squirrel while pulling and dragging us behind him. Once we get close enough the squirrel will side step just out of reach and then jump onto a tree and stop half way up but Barry can still see the squirrel so Barry's demeanor is all wild and crazy and loud and people are starting to stare at this point. Are we killing the dog? Is he okay? What are those people doing to this dog? It takes just about everything we have in us to pull Barry away from the tree and continue down the sidewalk and turn a corner so that Barry no longer can see the little jerk that almost seems to be waiving and laughing and pointing at us. 

Those squirrels are laughin at me! I gotta get 'em!

Squirrel Alley is a nice little stretch of street. It is lined with trees and there are a couple of alleyways that jut off of the street to the East. Those alleys are magical to Barry. We try to move him forward so we can get this stretch of street over with and then there is the first alley. Barry cannot resist the urge to jump right in front and pull us into the alley for a look. Just to see. There's a fence with an opening at the bottom. Behind the fence are some garbage bins. Above are posts and some type of utility pole. He looks up to the top of the fence for any sign of life. He whines if there isn't any because he's thoroughly disappointed. If there is something down the alley as we pull him away from the alley Barry whines and turns back to look at the alley, walking half sideways to keep an eye on the alley. Then we get to the dog that sits in the bay window overlooking the street. The dog is only two floors up so he is very visible. The dog starts barking and Barry starts whining (Barry's not much of a barker, thank goodness). We pull Barry along and Barry continues his sideways backward walk so he can keep his eye on the dog. The second alley comes up but it's never as exciting. Barry still takes a peek in just to ensure all is safe. 

Okay guys, coast is clear. No squirrels here.

This stretch of street is the reason that we have tried two types of halters to help with his pulling. The first week with him we realized a collar and leash wasn't cutting. So after some light research and reading reviews I decided on the Sporn Halter. Immediately we could tell the difference. It did help and we had quite a lot more control over him.

This picture is from mid December - just a couple weeks after he busted out of his crate
which is why his face looks so red. He is wearing the Sporn Halter here.

Once we got a dog walker she recommended the Freedom Harness to us. It took us about a month before we broke down and bought it but we decided if there was a better tool out there then it might be worth it. So we sprung for the Freedom. The look of it alone is very impressive. This is the harness we currently use.

Here's Barry struttin' his stuff in the Freedom Harness.

Perhaps one day we'll be able to take Barry down Squirrel Alley and he'll be an angel.

**Harness Reviews**
The Sporn Halter is easy to use and connect to a leash of your choice. The price is low. There are nice sherpa sleeves where his arms go to help stop chafing but for Barry this didn't help at all. He still chafed quite a bit due to how hard he pulled. He was also able to jump up onto his hind legs and pull while we tried to hold him down even when wearing the Sporn. The material the harness is made of is a lightweight thin woven material (acrylic or polyester blend?) that at the top where you tighten began to shred a little and fray as time went on. I knew it would because of how thin the material is and how hard Barry can pull. The spot where you connect the leash has a ring you can put your finger in and hold tight. As Barry pulls the harness tightens around him telling him he needs to slow down or stop pulling. That doesn't work with Barry but the spot where the ring was and location of the harness over his arms seemed to give us a bit more control.

The Freedom Harness is easy to use once you get the hang of it. It takes some tightening and some adjusting and making sure that it's not on backwards, etc., but once you've used it a few times it's not a problem. The price point is a bit more expensive than other types of harnesses. You can buy the harness with or without the special leash for training. This harness is a little strange to hold. There is a loop but it slides along the leash and takes some getting used to. Even though it's funny to hold I do recommend spending the extra money for the leash because it clips in to the front and top of the harness. The bottom portion of the harness has velvet straps. This has helped a lot with Barry's chafing. He has no chafing from the Freedom even though he pulls a lot. He cannot jump up onto his hind legs and pull easily with the Freedom. He still can but we have a lot more control over him with the two straps and it just isn't so natural and easy for him to jump up in the Freedom. The material is thick and smooth woven (acrylic or polyester blend?) that seems to me like it will stand up to any abuse Barry gives it. The metal rings and clips are thick and heavy. This thing is well made and heavy duty. We will not have to buy another harness for years to come. The leash clips onto the back-top above his should blades and then the other end of the leash clips to the front across his chest. The back-top portion squeezes and tightens around Barry as he pulls, which doesn't do a whole lot of good, but also has the added feature of the front chest clip. This helps to bring Barry's body toward you as you are walking bringing his attention to you. When you walk your dog if your dog has his attention directed toward you he is not likely to be pulling. We want this as often as possible during walks.  With the Freedom he is paying more attention to us due to the front chest clip.

**My final thoughts on the two harnesses used**
They both helped to improve our control over Barry. The Freedom wins my vote overall but it is just a tool and not an answer to pulling or walking issues. This doesn't improve how well Barry walks - it simply helps the amount of control we have. Both harnesses have clear pros and cons. It is always best to work with and train your dog to walk nicely on a leash. These two harnesses are gentle and humane and great tools to help with a strong puller like Barry.

Happy Birthday!!

Today is Husband's birthday so we are all celebrating with the family! Barry probably thinks we are having a party for him and we'll let him believe it.

Hope everyone is having a great Sunday because we sure are!!

 

The Day the Delivery Man Came

We ordered treats and food for Barry. The delivery came. We set the box on the floor and told Barry that he was allowed to open the box. So he did. Of course he needed a little help. Here's what it looked like.

Happy dog.

Happy Friday!!

The Onlookers & the Dog Lovers

When we first brought Barry home I noticed how often people would run the other way upon seeing Barry. I have definitely mentioned it in previous posts. It bothered me so much how people reacted to seeing him. I was so consumed with anger/confusion about those who were scared or just didn't like dogs that I failed to see how often people would come up to us and ask to pet Barry or make comments about him and how beautiful he is.

Now, for me, I just think Barry is gorgeous. He is well built, very healthy, shiny stark white and black spotted coat, sweet pink around his perfect snout with freckles (I call them freckles though, most would just say spots), large almond eyes, not too-droopy mouth (many pitties have that cute droopy mouth thing that I love - Barry has it but it's not as pronounced as I've seen), healthy white teeth, long strong neck, large heart shaped face, and soft pink belly. I assumed I was just biased to how lovely he is.

Lately I've come to see how popular he is. There isn't a day that goes by (no exaggeration, at least once a day) that someone doesn't say something to the effect of how gorgeous he is, or how cute, or what a nice dog, or can I pet it? People will stop in their MOVING VEHICLES to shout out the window about how nice looking Barry is. I think since we adopted Barry we've had people stop in their vehicles to say something about Barry to us or to our dog walker (she always lets us know) five times. Is that normal? I'm not sure, really. I think Barry is worth about 25 out-of-car-window compliments. Oh, I forgot about the time we were crossing the street and a guy in a jacked up Jeep was turning right (in the direction opposite us) when he popped his head out the window, nodded, and then gave us the thumbs up while speeding away with tires screeching.

We have a lady that lives in our building who has said to us multiple times that Barry is the one reason she wants to get a dog. That he is her favorite dog of all the dogs she's met in our building. I know that I've mentioned that the building we live in is very dog friendly. It's like a *dog-zoo, our building. I'm not kidding. There are easily over 100 dogs in our 189 unit building. I know of people that have two dogs so it's possible that there are quite a lot more than just 100. So, Barry above all others. To this girl. Well, to me and Husband too, of course. I could say that's impressive. Perhaps she's just being nice.

There are the people that stop us and our dog walker as we're walking Barry. They like to have short discussions about Barry and give him a quick pet. Barry is totally oblivious during the chat and pet. He's seriously thinking about that squirrel he possibly smells 10 yards away. That is the most common encounter for us. Or those that say something as they walk by with big grins and comments of adoration.

I guess I'm starting to realize that more people like Barry than are scared of him. We still get the street crossers and the looks but for the most part I hardly notice the negativity anymore. I know it's there but it seems like it's less and less noticeable.

*dog-zoo - this word is accredited to my dear husband, who has called our building a dog-zoo on numerous occasions. It just wouldn't feel right to take credit for his genius.

Maxin & Relaxin

Does that title bring back any cool 90's memories? Like an after school TV show about a family that was flipped, turned upside down? Will Smith? The Banks' family? Bel Air? If you don't remember this then you may be too young or had a childhood that was spent outdoors on a farm and have never gone inside since (so why are you reading this blog??). Fresh Prince of Bel-Air! If you don't know then please google the theme song for the show. I know every. Single. Word. My mom and I would watch the show together and I'm pretty sure she encouraged me to sing along to the theme song and I did. I still think about it and I still remember every. Single. Word.

BUT this post has nothing to do with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It's all about Barry, still. It's about our lifestyle. It's about maxin and relaxin. Husband and I work Monday through Friday in a typical corporate America setting. We sit at desks, do stuff on the computer, work with humans, think about retirement, and then come home around 6 PM everyday. Even though most of our day consists of sitting down, we are tired! I do work out at least four days per week plus I walk to and from work (weather permitting) which is about a mile and a half each way. I consider myself relatively active during the day. That's not including walking Barry. All this to say, we work, work out, walk, walk Barry and WE ARE TIRED. The weekends are purely all about relaxing. That's not to say we don't love doing other things besides relaxing! We love going out and having a good time. We like all of that fun stuff. However, most of our evenings and weekends do consist of us relaxing or hanging out, or maxin and relaxin.

We happen to be lucky that Barry enjoys this lifestyle as well. He doesn't mind sitting around and lounging with us. He likes to be with us, doing whatever we do. I know he'd prefer being outside a lot more. We take him out as much as is reasonable to us. I think that's why he's cool with maxin and relaxin. He is so good at it too! I think he's better at it than we are. He really knows how to chill...

Sometimes I feel bad that we don't have a yard for him to run around in at will. Then I realize that he's totally fine with it. It's very possible that he gets more exercise than some dogs WITH yards. So he does enjoy downtime with us.

Don't worry - those grapes were only eaten by us. Barry is picky, remember? He
could have cared less about those grapes. Now the Lomo Curado we were eating?
That's a different story, hence his huge tongue taking over his whole snout.

This is what we do. We take nice fulfilling strolls outside with Barry and we relax a lot. It's just the way it is. Husband and I have very similar outlooks and interests. We also both like down time. We're so happy that Barry likes down time too. I think he fits very well into our life and we fit into his.