The Night of the Sea Wench

Oddly enough, Sea Wench is the name of the natural flea control soap that we use on Kenzie.  Over the winter we have found fleas on her twice.  Some people use flea medication (oral or topical) all year round but usually in winter there aren’t that many fleas around.  To save money and extra chemicals on the dogs, West Coast doesn’t use the monthly topical flea medication in winter.  But Kenzie seemed to find them anyways.  Or maybe the fleas found her because she is extra sweet and tasty.  So on top of a random month of flea control chemicals Sharon gave us a bar of the natural soap that someone had donated.

It’s actually nice – this was bath #3 with it.  (Three baths over a number of months.)  It makes a nice lather and smells good.  Kenzie and our whole house smell like a sea wench for at least a week.  Like going into Escents or Sage but in a much milder, nicer way.  You notice the smell but you aren’t bombarded with it.

Anyway, after a bath Kenzie goes crazy.  She runs back and forth, jumps up onto the furniture and tries to play with us much more roughly than she usually does.  And since she is barking and jumping up on people a lot lately, she added that in too, for good measure.

This is where we found Kenzie once she wore herself out with craziness after the bath.  She isn't allowed up in the chairs.  We still haven't been able to figure out how she managed to get the foot of the chair up.

So, yes, Kenzie is a teenaged tyrant at the moment.  It feels like 2 months ago she was doing so much better.  After the weiner therapy things were great.  And then they got not so great with not coming on command or leaving things alone on command (especially people) and barking and barking.  Sharon and Ryan said she’s a teenager, rebelling, testing boundaries and trying out her power.

And now she’s ratcheted it up again, and she’s even more of a teenager and even more frustrating.  The barking has increased.  She is even barking at us, for instance to tell us she wants to play, or that she’s brought the ball back but she’s not picking it up again to put it in my hand.  ‘The balls right there by your feet!  You pick it up!’ is what she seems to be saying.

And jumping up on other people and us all the time.

And being VERY slow to obey commands.

It’s quite frustrating.  We’ve actually conceded now and we don’t usually let her off  leash anymore except for at Spanish Banks…..

March 4 was her first birthday and it seems like every other dog her age with any training behaves better than she does.  She’s still much better in her assistance role than she is at just general obedience.

Didi, Maverick and Kenzie on their first birthday

Kenzie and Didi manged the posing better with Maverick to keep them seperated.

BUT

Skip a week or two in writing the blog and it ALL changes!  I won’t say it’s a trend because if I did that would jinx everything but let’s just say things aren’t so bad anymore.  Although V is still having difficulties with Kenz.  Ryan chatted with us for about an hour after class trying to figure out what the problems are and what V should do differently.

We have had some frustration with being kicked out of places, and not because of Kenzie’s behaviour.  At a restaurant we used to go to WITH Kenzie, but the manager had a complaint from a customer that led to some health board interaction.  He is now convinced that only blind people use service dogs and any other dog is just ‘for living’.  Those are his words, whatever it means.  He’s not saying he doesn’t want a service dog in training there, which he does have every right to say, but that he won’t let service animals in unless the animal is guiding a blind person.  Apparently the health inspector has called him back to clarify (and then he still told us we can’t come in) and gone to visit him (and he STILL told us we can’t come in.) ARGH!  It wouldn’t be so irritating if it weren’t good food!

Veronica tried to enter a gas station and before she was through the door or could say a word she was being yelled at by, not one, but two people!  When she started to explain she was cut off with ‘I don’t care about your bulls**t story!’  Literally, he swore at her!   How many dogs could people possibly be trying to bring into a gas station convenience store to make him that mad about it?! Most of his customer drive there. They aren’t going to get their dogs out of the car just to go into the convenience store. So that complaint will be going to head office.

And places that are good to us? Those I am willing to name!  White Spot (3 different locations)– not exactly exciting food – but always reliable about welcoming service animals so far!  Also The Rhizome on E. Broadway, East is East on Main, Sushiyama on E. Broadway, Thai Terrace on W. Broadway, Blue Moon/Flying Swan Café on W 4^th, Nando’s on Cornwall, Booster Juice on Cornwall, Bubbletea at PearlFever (UBC) and Bubbleworld (Robson)…where else have we been welcomed? Jericho Pharmacy(W4th), Pharmasave(W4th), London Drugs (W Broadway),  IGA(W 4^th) (W Broadway), liquor store (Main), library (Macdonald), Blenz (W Broadway) bakery at Alma and W10th, Coe Lumber (W Broadway) Windsor Plywood (Fir), City Square Shopping Centre (Cambie at 10^th) and so many doctors offices and medical appointments.  I am sure there are more.  We’ve also been to VGH and the airport.  Kenzie gets around. Value Village(Burnaby), Salvation Army(W. Broadway), SPCA(W. Broadway), Safeways, No Frills(W 4^th), Whole Foods on Cambie and W 4th, Choices (Kits)…

One day I will send them thank you cards.  Or at least to the ones we visit regularly.  Especially the ones with doggie biscuits. 

Oh yes!  Victory is ours!  Kenzie is tall enough to turn the light switches on and off at our house now!  And I’ve started getting her to lie down under my desk when I do computer work and she is a ROCK STAR!

And since I forgot to post this another few weeks have passed.  Kenzie was GREAT, so good for a few weeks but now she’s back to being a bit of a hooligan.  Still really good and capable with assistance tasks.  Still a bit of a handful with puppy out-of-control excitement and barking.

And sadly, since so much time has passed, she no longer smells like a Sea Wench.

Kenzie picking up coins!  I was worried about how to teach her this so I had never tried but one day it just happened and she is awesome at it!