Living with a Labrador

Recently Mark and I took Brodie Brown to the beach…and if you live in California there is only ONE dog beach to visit. That is Carmel Beach at the end of Ocean Ave in Carmel, California. This is the most amazing off-leash beach on the California coast. The views are spectacular; Pebble Beach golf course and resort sit at one end, and as you walk along with your pooch you gaze into the Pacific Ocean and marvel at the million dollar cottages that dot the roads of Carmel. Aside from the views, you have the interesting tourists to watch; many from foreign countries with cameras and kids strung across their bodies, the interesting dog breeds, and the crazy surfers who must be cold blooded and not affected by the frigid temperatures of the Pacific.

Brodie loves to run on the beach, jump into the surf, chase a ball and of course retrieve. He isn’t much bothered by other dogs, he is pretty indifferent about their presence and doesn’t even stop to sniff – he would prefer the ocean and his tennis ball. Mark and I typically walk the full length of the beach and allow him to run & play and at times we have left like ‘regulars’ or ‘locals’. When we arrive early mornings with coffee in hand and run into a lady who must be patient beyond normal human boundaries, as she has 5 yellow English Labradors – all hers, all pets (she isn’t a breeder). I know because I have stopped and asked her. I have also rudely said “why?” as in – why would you have 5 Labradors? She loves the breed and loves her dogs! There is the Frisbee chasing Border Collie, and the few Pugs that cruise low to the ground but seem to love the sand and ocean just as much as the big boys. One warning – you must have voice control over you dog – I have seen embarrassed owners yelling, chasing, pleading with dogs who won’t listen, an excited Standard Poodle and an exhausted older owner trying to coax her back onto a leash, a Great Dane who thought “come” actually meant run as far away as possible from my owner. Make sure you dog comes on command, if nothing else, at least does a recall to your side for any issue or danger or simply when it is time to go.

We visit Carmel frequently, once or twice a year, and that tradition was started long before Brodie Brown was in the picture. The Mission Ranch was our first ‘overnight’ trip together. Back in the day, that signaled the end of a relationship for me, after the first overnight trip and things started looking serious (read: exclusive) I ran – and fast. But my first trip with Mark to Carmel was fantastic and I didn’t run; 12 years and 2 Labradors later. We are no longer able to stay at Mission Ranch, they do not have a pet friendly policy…but many other places do. We have tried a variety of locations, but find the Cypress Inn to be most pet-friendly and most entertaining. You never know when you will run into a celebrity, a dog lover, or an interesting person in general. At the Cypress Inn they host ‘Yappy Hour’ starting at 4:30 where you can sit with your dog on the patio known as Terry’s Lounge – water & biscuits are provided (for the dogs!).

On a recent Thursday afternoon we found ourselves at Cypress Inn drinking a bottle of Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc while Brodie dried his coat, rehydrated and enjoyed some pets & ear scratches from strangers AFTER his beach time. It was relaxing, fun, and enjoyable – so we decided not to leave. If you do choose to travel up Ocean Avenue you will find the most dog friendly shop keepers and tourists – I have taken Brodie into all sorts of shops: apparel, jewelry, touristy, etc… He is reasonably well behaved and loves that he is ‘grown-up’ enough to go into the stores. All in all – a day at the beach like this can only happen in Carmel. SF Chronicle recently published an article on pet friendly cities – Carmel was certainly highlighted (link here for complete details). I highly encourage anyone who is in the area to spend some time with you dog on this beach – it is heavenly – and when you are done, enjoy the town, Yappy Hour and all that Carmel has to offer my fellow Labrador lovers!

Read Full Post »

Great summer day, we were on the river and prepared to spend the day cleaning and getting our houseboat ready for the season. It was the last weekend in July and the season was quickly passing us by….we didn’t let that bother us, we just moved forward and wanted to spend what summer we had left on the boat.

It was around noon when we arrived & assessed. The houseboat was a wreck, worst I’d ever seen; cob webs, layers of dirt, mud nests created by the wasps, bird droppings – general filth. Mark needed alone time: to pressure wash, scrub, and clean without an 85 lb Labrador making a dirty situation muddy. Brodie Brown loves the river, loves the houseboat and loves to swim. The only way to make both of them happy was for me to take Brodie swimming, away from the filthy houseboat. I decided to go the beach! No joke, a real sandy beach on the river – owned by our friends who graciously allow us access to their private property. Brodie and I headed out in Mark’s pick-up truck for the beach.

Brodie was frantic when I put him back into the truck – how could we be leaving already? He didn’t get to swim? He paced back and forth in the backseat of the truck and was likely thinking “what a bitch” & how “life is unfair” because he didn’t get to swim. I imagine those thoughts circling through his brain until we arrive at the beach and his memory kicks in. There is much debate in the animal world about memories and emotions in dogs – I have no doubt that Brodie knew he had been here before; celebrated both his 1^st and 2^nd birthdays at this beach, and spent countless summer weekends, having more fun than most Labradors get in a lifetime. He ran full speed toward the water and leapt off the dock that was permanently installed as if it were just for him to show his fearless jumping skills. He has no anxiety when it comes to water – his motto is “jump in and see what happens” as opposed to one toe at a time.

We met some friends at the beach – our friend Amy was celebrating a human birthday and she & her family hung out with us. We laughed and caught up on life – watched the kiddos play & fish. Brodie loves kids and is not gentle per say but can sense when someone is smaller and less durable than he is. He knows not to knock them over, listens when little voices say the magic words “drop it” referring to his ball, and knows in general that kids need to be treated differently than a full grown humans. I am proud of him for his behavior when it comes to children – so proud.

Brodie swam for HOURS, likely 2.5 or 3 hours. Running, jumping, retrieving, swimming, seahorse (another blog for another time will describe his sea horse maneuver). I eventually realized it was time to return to the houseboat & spend the remainder of the summer afternoon with Mark. Once we made it back to the houseboat Brodie wanted to swim more – but I didn’t want our nice clean houseboat to be demolished by a wet Labrador. I gave him the command to do a down-stay on the back deck and hoped we could keep him out of the water. He was tired and struggled to keep his eyes open but had fits of awake-ness in which he shot me dirty looks for not allowing him in the water. The night was peaceful and dry for all 3 of us – we took a walk on the levee road after dinner and enjoyed a cool breeze which carried the sounds and smells of summer enveloping us all in happiness.

The night was difficult – Brodie was restless and he wouldn’t settle down. Up and down the small set of steps inside the boat, sleeping fitfully, whining, and needed 2 or 3 bathroom runs (which isn’t enjoyable at 2:00 AM nor 4:00 AM). He got up in the morning ready to swim though. The look on his face when he wakes up and realizes he is still on the boat is like a Christmas morning surprise for him – you can see his facial expression turn from ‘ordinary’ to ‘I am still here and I get to swim’. I let him out of the sliding door and he jumped right in; no hesitation. He swam for a bit, maybe an hour, but Mark and I had things to do; we loaded him up with all our things and headed home.

At home in the driveway he played and played while we cleaned and cleaned – more projects, more work, more everything. It wasn’t until our neighbor came over to play ball with him that we realized his tail was not right. Seeing him in a full horizontal stance was startling – he could NOT pick up his tail, it had a little crooked curve to it and then laid limp almost at a 90 degree angle. It was the oddest thing to realize he couldn’t lift his tail nor wag his tail – it took my brain a minute to process what I was seeing. A happy, healthy Labrador, playing ball – with one slight problem – no tail action, then I put that data together with his restless night and realized he was likely experiencing some discomfort – although not enough to stop playing.

It was my neighbor who said he heard of this problem before “Swimmers Tail” in Labradors and other water breeds. I googled it and felt better – not long lasting, typically after over extending with play or work, and will heal itself in a few days or a week. I had owned a Labrador prior to Brodie (my Bailey Boy) and he had never experienced this injury so I had no first hand experience. But there was plenty written about it – and all the information consistent – he was going to be fine. I have him some doggie aspirin (dogs can consume enteric coated aspirin at human doses given their weight) and followed the advice I found online – REST. Having a Labrador rest isn’t as easy as it sounds, but 3 days later his tail was back to wagging and all was normal again. There isn’t anything I would do differently; the swimming is great for him and he genuinely loves it – so I won’t restrict him from it unless it becomes a habitual problem – and we have learned a new phrase – Swimmer’s Tail.

Read Full Post »

Our home is beautiful, and we have spent a great deal of money and sweat equity to create our version of the perfect home.  Over the years nearly every room has been remodeled, stunning hardwood floors installed, home entertainment systems, and a spa-like master bathroom created.  In addition to the inside remodel we also boast a peaceful & relaxing outdoor living area; my husband takes meticulous care of our yards and garden – the roses are always in bloom, the hydrangeas are spectacular pinks and purples, a small redwood grove provides shade for the ferns and orchids which grow outside, and everyone who visits raves about the Japanese maple trees which add such amazing color to the landscape.  We invested in beautiful but comfortable outdoor furniture and spend the majority of our summer and fall days living outside.  In short the inside and outside of our home is exactly the way we want it and we love living here. 

Then we produced the most spoiled Labrador in America…

Brodie Brown belongs to the ‘toy of the month’ club from an online vendor who makes durable dog toys – not the kind that are destroyed in a few hours (or minutes depending on the dog) – these toys last and are impossible to destroy.  Every month my credit card is charged for a toy that is on his ‘wish list’ and UPS dutifully drops it at our front door a few days later.  We first were introduced to this brand of toys at a small dog boutique in Carmel, CA.  We picked up a boomerang and found that months later he could not destroy it, so on our next trip to Carmel we bought another one.  Eventually I read the tag on the toy and realized they could ship these toys directly to us and we could become a ‘toy tester’ creating our wish list and then rating each toy as it arrived each month.  To date Brodie has collected over 20 of these toys.  Ironically when we purchased the same style toy for my parent’s dog, she rejected it completely.  You never know who is going to like what…true of dogs and humans.  Brodie has favorites, his go-to toy is the ring and for some awkward reason he LOVES his shrunken head.   He has sporadic interest in the octopus and doesn’t seem infatuated in the one shaped like a football.  At this point other toys that remain in his toy box go untouched; he loves this brand of toys.  I completely understand his dedication to a brand; in the same way I love Kate Spade purses & sunglasses and stay loyal to that brand.   

Now to merge these story lines together….our house looks like crap!  The stunning hardwood floors are covered with aliens, sharks, rings, boomerangs…I stepped out of my shower recently in the spa-like master bathroom to find a shrunken head waiting for me on the tile.  Worse, if you step outside to enjoy our peaceful & relaxing outdoor area you will find a mixture of toys – including a dual sided tug toy, and a large octopus!  There is no space which is peaceful nor relaxing.  I am constantly picking up toys to put them back into his toy box.  Which is dumb on my part, because Brodie just retrieves them and takes them to the spots where he likes them to be at-the-ready and available in case anyone would like to pick up a toy and play with him.  I guess that is my fault in not understanding the breed, he is a retriever! 

His best afternoons at home are spent with my husband playing fetch in the backyard with a boomerang and a few splashes through his plastic pool to cool down before the next round.  Brodie has no idea he is destroying the sophisticated vibe I am trying to create in our home.  I am not sure how to explain it to him; he doesn’t understand money, he doesn’t understand effort, he doesn’t understand interior or exterior decorating, nor does he understand that when momma puts a toy away it should stay in the toy box.  Since there isn’t a way to explain it, and since he spends his days wanting to play, and since I provide the financial backing for this toy of the month situation – he wins!  If you visit us you will find a home cluttered with toys of all shapes & sizes, a small plastic pool outside, a large brown Labrador, and little dog hair.  Hopefully you are able to find our home a Labradors version of cluttered sophistication and can look past the toy collection strewn about. 

Given my slight case of OCD and a belief that everything should be in its place, it is very difficult for me to accept this fate. I could stop the toy delivery, I could remove the toys from the house, there are many things I could do to remedy this situation.  But I think the best thing I can do is find a way to accept it.  I working daily on accepting the fact that our home is destined to be littered with aliens, sharks and shrunken heads…oh my! 

Read Full Post »

Started out the road trip strong, late of course, but strong. Anyone who knows me knows I am notoriously late, it is a family trait really, but I have worked very hard to overcome it and save my marriage.  My husband is a time fanatic, as where I was the complete opposite. I worked hard to learn to be ontime now, avoid fights, keep peace, and in general be a better person – because to be on the receiving end of lateness is annoying to other folks, now that I am on time for the most part I realize how frustrating it is to sit and wait on others. Sometimes though, left to my own defenses I am late.  It isn’t out of laziness; I simply try to cram too many things into a short time span. Today was one of those days, an early morning presentation, a 1.5 hour  flight, stop by my office to sign contracts & check-in, pack the car, pick up the dog from boarding, and be on the road by 1:00 pm – even as I write it down it is clear it just wasn’t going to happen.  Instead of 1:00, Brodie and I left Denver at 2:30.

Brodie is our 2 ½ year old chocolate Labrador and he is a great traveler, super cute, reasonably mannered, but super-duper spoiled.  Because he is chocolate we also refer to him formally as Brodie Brown, and or Mr. Brown to honor his chocolate coloring. He seems to respond best when you use his full name: Brodie Brown. According to the receipt time stamp at the boarding facility, I picked him at 2:30 pm and we headed straight for I-25 north. The route was to take us from Denver, to Cheyenne, across Wyoming, then straight up into eastern Idaho where my family was eargerly awaiting my arrival. As per my style I did a few ‘calls’, work mainly, checked in with a candidate I was recruiting, called the CEO of the company I work for, called an employee or two for status updates, and made a final call to a favorite client. The ordering of these events were fatal because the last call to a client was disconnected twice due to bad service in Wyoming and I eventually got off a text message to him that said simply “I give up, will email/call later this weekend”.  At that point, 2 hours into the drive, I finally settled into the road trip mentally.

On my way up I-25 I drove past the High Park fire in Colorado, anyone interested in the history can google it.  At the time I drove past it it had been burning for two weeks, and only at 50% containment. It is sobering to see a set of mountains on fire, thick white smoke billowing up towards the sky to reach then mingle with the clouds. It produced an emotional charge throughout my body, the loss of life, the loss of homes, wildlife, livestock, pets, etc…  The effect and impact of a fire is wide spread and is devestating. I had these thoughts while on the phone doing calls, but was still affected by the sheer magnitude of the living history situation along side me.

I took the I-80 west interchange in Cheyenne with a big smile and a happy heart.  At the end of this segment of the trip I would be at my aunt & uncles house, see my husband, see my other aunt & cousins.  I could do this, and I would enjoy it.  I cruised happily along, a tad over the speed limit, but not too much to get noticed, focused the radio on two country stations that I liked, that way if one song irritated me, I  could switch quickly to the other without missing a beat.  I was singing my heart out, Brodie dozed in and out and.  The drive was really windy and hot – record temps that week, but the AC in the car kept the perfect temperature inside the car for both of us.  I was cruising and I knew I could handle this road trip.

Got to the halfway point, stopped for gas and fed Brodie dinner, while hopping from leg to leg on a small grassy patch near the gas pumps.  I had to pee so badly and I had mistakenly sequenced taking care of the car and Brodie before my own human needs.  As I danced back and forth I realized how ridiculous my choices were, I loaded Brodie up quickly and did that crazy tight leg “I have to pee” walk to get to the bathrooms without embarrassing myself by peeing in my pants. Once that was taken care of, and I could think again, I finsihed up with Brodie, took some diet pills to keep me awake, called my husband and got back on the road – 4 hours to go.

Accordingly to google maps I was to head north now, towards the Tetons, 255 miles, then take a left into Idaho. Seemed simple enough, my phone would do the rest of the navigation directly to my aunt’s house.  Interesting point about my technology driven life; this car has navigation, problem is I have never figured out how to use it.  So all I had was my printed directions from google and was confident I would find my way.  I had the windows down, Brodie was hanging out the window enjoying the cool air, the temperature had dropped considerably, it was now a comfortbale 75 and I was singing along to the radio and enjoying the drive.  l was aware the speed limit was 65, but thought, no one is out here on this two lane highway, and there shouldn’t be any harm in going my favorite speed, 80+ miles/hour. I past through several small towns, from the road you can see the whole thing, they weren’t the same, but they were: only 3 buildings in each town.  One post office, one bar, and one church – nothing else but farms and wide open spaces.  Made me think though, where do these people go for groceries, if they need to go to Costco it must be a full day trip, and how do you not have any options for takeout or restarunts when you are just too tired to cook?   These towns were simple and I wondered if you lived here you knew peace, happiness, and contentment in your soul?

My speed turned out to be a problem – that is what the Wyoming state trooper said when he pulled me over.  He said he had been tracking me for some time, and named some of the towns I had passed through, which didn’t resonate with me becuase I had forgotten the town names as soon as I left them in my rear view mirror.  But, his point was he had been tracking me for about 30 miles. I never saw him, and I didn’t notice anything in the air, so I am still perplexed on how this actually happened.  Here I was on the side of the road handing over my license & registration to a state trooper. He was extremely cute and very polite about the whole thing. He inquired about my destination, Idaho Falls was my response.  At this he raised his eyebrow; you shouldn’t be on this road from CA if you are trying to get to Idaho Falls.  I expalained that I have been living in Denver temporarily and this was the first leg of our journey home to California.  Once he figured out I didn’t have any warrants, he came back to the car and told me “this one will just be a warning, but you have to keep you speed at 65 while on this highway, we dont allow speeding like they do in California.”  Okay officer, I promise to put the cruise control on and keep it at 65 to honor your warning.  He left me with one final comment “did you really think driving a shiny black Escalade through Wyoming with California plates didn’t make you stick out like a sore thumb?” Nope, it actually never occurred to me!

The slow down in speed turned a road trip that was going okay into a super boring event. All that was ahead of me was torturous. I don’t know if the troopers speed demands turned the road trip into torture, or if it was bound to happen given it had been 5 hours of driving and I was just hitting my natural wall. I hate doing anything for more than a few hours, this includes driving or riding in a car.  I just don’t enjoy the time in a car, I am more a “get to the destination as fast as you can” kind of girl.  But right now, I didn’t have a choice, I was warned by a trooper and the only human in this car to finish the drive, there wasn’t anywhere to stop even if I wanted to. I sucked it up and kept driving – slowly.

Hours pass, the sun goes down, I chat on the phone a bit with a girlfriend  interuppted time to time with a disconnect, but the conversation helped the time go by.  She laughs that I got pulled over, the last time she got a ticket she was speeding and talking on the phone to me, years ago, but we still laugh about it like it was yesterday.  She warns me about the type of roads I am on and to be very careful, “doesn’t like me out there” she says.  I tell her I will be fine, I travel the country, and I can certainly handle this road trip, not sure if I am convincing her or me!  Brodie is up & down, but he is a great traveler, so there isn’t any crying or whining, at one point he lays his paws & head on the center console stretching his body from the back seat to the front.  I scratch his ears and tell him he is good boy and mean it, he is a great dog and I needed him as a companion in Colorado and also in the car. I wasn’t scared in the dark on a lonely mountain road, although in hindsight, I should have been.  I just wanted someone with me, and as sad as it sounds he was my someone.  As the drive got windier up and over the Tetons into Targhee national forest he had his head on the console and I could feel his breathing on my arm and I was content. Slow, because I am a person of my word I never went over 65.

It is dark, really dark, and I am trying so hard to do all the right things – manage my speed, high beams off and on for passing cars, stay awake and keep my family informed of my whereabouts.  Eventually it occurs to me that I am not on the road they think I am – they think I will be hitting I-15 soon, I won’t.   According to my map, I couldn’t be any further from I-15 than if I was in California already.  As I am figuring out logistics & my map out of this dark abyss I see another set of flashing red & blue lights behind me!  WTF – I look down, 62 Mph – what does this guy want?  I find a pull out; given this is a mountain road I cannot pull over just anywhere, more stuff to manage: turn off brights, get Brodie off the console, try to remain clam – staying calm was the hardest part!

Same routine – where are your headed, why are your speeding, can’t get to Idaho via Wyoming from California, yada yada.

Me: I am not speeding officer, your friend a few hours ago told me to slow down, and I did – 62 is not speeding.

Officer: It is when the speedlimit has changed to 55.

Me: Well, I obviously didn’t see that and I apologize for speeding.  How close am I to Idaho?

Officer: 2 miles.

Me: Are you kidding me? Just let me get to the boarder please – I will cross over and never be your problem again, I promise.

Officer: License & registration please

Me: Crap balls. Okay, here you go.  Since you are detaining me and delaying my trip, I am gonna get out with my dog & and let him pee.

Officer: I would prefer you wouldn’t, you could get yourself hit.

Me: Well I would prefer not to be pulled over, and he needs to pee.

Peeing and waiting commence while I assume he is checking on my story & my warrants.

Officer: Mama, I will let you off with a warning again, but please slow down and pay attention – be safe.

Me: Thank you

WTF – why did i just say thank you, he just held me up for 15 mins for a minor speeding infraction and then gets me to thank him – what a dumb ass I am.

Back on the road, 2 miles later in Idaho – but still not on the road my family expects me to be on.

Aunt Jacquie is calling – how close are you?

Me: Sign says 73 miles to Idaho Falls

Aunt Jacquie: Crap – where the hell are you?

Me: Just saw a sign – Pallisades!

Aunt Jacquie: Oh shit, why are you there?

Me: Google maps, and definitely later now because the second trooper pulled me over.

Aunt Jacquie: What!  A second trooper?

Me: Yes, story to be told tomorrow, I am 73 miles from you, doing the f-ing speed limit and hope to be there soon.  Will call when I reach town and get closer to you.

Aunt Jacquie:  “okay, watch out for critters & be safe” – famous last words

Exhasuted, diet pills worn off, cranky, stiff from sitting, done with the radio, hating myself, this idea, this car, the state of Wyoming, etc…  This sucks. The only person I like right now is brodie and he isn’t a person.  Trying, trying, and trying to stay awake. I would stop for gas station coffee if there was a gas station.  There is absolutley nothing out here, nothing, only darkness and apparenly critters.  Out of the brush two eyes appear with the body of a raccoon following.  Why oh why would he jet out of the darkenss into the headlights of my car?  Aren’t they safe in the darkness, dont their raccoon mothers teach them this? Avoid lights, typically equal death, use your nose and stay in the darkness.  I avoid hitting him and ending his life with my superb driving skills & cat like reflexes.  Actuslly that is a total lie, I have no cat like reflexes and I am as ungraceful as a human being can be born – but somehow I avoid hitting & killing this animal and sending Brodie and I into a ditch.

The end is in sight, GPS says 9 miles to go.  I am singing along to the radio again and trying to keep alert for the road signs that will lead me to my family.  I see it, a yellow intersection sign that tells me to turn left, just a few more miles now. In a full on state of delirium, I have been in the car 11 hours and awake for nearly 24 hours, I talk to Brodie as if he is a human, expecting a response. He is tired too, bored with this road trip, I imagine he would say to me “bitch, when are we getting out of this car, this is ridiculous, it’s like being a hostage”.  He would say that, but it wouldnt be true, he is the most spoiled Labrador in America – this I know for sure.  I may not be able to naviagte my way from Denver to Idaho Falls like a champ, but I can raise a Lab and love & spoil him with everything in my power.   When we hit the driveway the relief is palatable – for both of us.  The only one awake in the house is my aunt and she is a site for sore eyes, I have missed her, I have missed this place, and I needed some family.  Brodie is out like a shot and running through the yard with glee & does a few laps around the house, he is no help with the bags, but that is likely because he doesn’t have thumbs – and oh yeah, that spoiled part.  He jumps on & off the bed a few times when he sees my husband sleeping – I dont try to correct his behavior – that man should be up & helping me into to house – not sleeping off a 12 pack of beer consumed with my uncle!

Finally we all settle down, no more running, but we do pick out a few toys, have a bit of water, wash the face (that part is me) and head for bed. Brodie won’t sleep – wants to be up – can’t turn it off. I say “Brodie settle down”, I dont know if he understands my words or my tone of voice but he finds his dad’s side of the bed, hops up, curls into as tiny a ball as an 85 lb labrador can get, and starts breathing deeply. I know my husband is squished, I don’t care, we made it safe & sound and sharing the bed seems like the right thing in this moment – although in ALL other moment in life I say no to the dog in the bed. Everyone is finally down and I say “goodnight Brodie Brown, mamma loves you”.  Just for good measure and not to be out done I hear my husband say “and poppa does too”.   And with that we sleep.

Read Full Post »