* In Training
I’ve talked quite a bit about Miss Sable. She’s kind of taken over my life, in a great way. After I lost my other cat, Grizzette. (Her brother Harold died of kidney failure 3 years earlier) I was convinced I wasn’t going to get another cat. I adored the two I picked up 17 years ago at the animal shelter in Espanola, NM. However, I didn’t want to have to scrub my house from top to bottom twice a week anymore. After 9 months without a pet… I don’t count the fish. I was really missing having a furry greeter when I came home. I was really wanting a dog. It had been many years since I’d had a dog. Sam was the last one. He was a pretty great companion, he love to go to the stables with me and follow the horses around when I was riding. I missed that. So I knew I was after a pet that was interactive than a normal cat. Grizz and Harry didn’t count as normal. Harry loved attention, he was a lap cat, that liked to play catch. Grizz, would walk on a leash, come when called and played fetch. Pretty sure they are really the reason I wanted a small dog.
I’ve been taking Sable with me every chance I get. I’d take her to work everyday with me, if I could. I think she’d do great in a pen in my office. Everyone who’s met her just loves her, almost as much as she loves them.
She’s great in the truck, so after getting used to traveling that way. I started her on the motorcycle. First, just hanging out in the lil travel bag.
Then putting her in the bag when I moved the bike around. Then short rides around the block. Slowly going for slightly longer rides.
Last weekend she went out with me to the Madrid area, to the KTM dealer, and to Verizon store. She did great. Seems to really like it. She does the “I’m super excited squeak.” At least that is what I think it means. Her english isn’t that great.
She has figured out how to stand up on the bag to really get her nose into the wind. This was the first ride that she started to object to the Doggles, she would rub them up onto her forehead. I’d just reach back and pull them back down on to her eyes. (All that practice riding one handed, while looking back at students on the race track has really paid off for this.) I decided the next day to order her some RexSpecs to see if she does better with those. I really hope so. She has to have some eye protection.
For those who might be concerned…. She has a harness on, the “bag” is designed for carrying dogs. It’s got a leash in it, so she is attached to it, it has just enough length to let her move around or lay down on the pad in the bag. She can’t jump out, She did try the very first time down the drive. The leash forces her onto the pillion seat. I can reach back to grab her at the point. She wasn’t freaked out by it at all. She hasn’t really thought about doing that again. She just loves the standing up to get into the wind for the smells. She does the same thing in the truck when the speeds are low. (Yes, she is harnessed into her travel box in the truck too.)
The Plan: is to get her comfortable enough that she goes with me for my Sept big bike tour. I’m planning on a week of camping off the bike and checking out some of the National parks in the 4 corner area. It’s after school starts so it should be quieter. Next I’m going to have to take her camping out of the truck for a night to try out sleeping in the tent.
In typical Sable style she just took her visit to the vet this week like a pro.
She has had a few firsts this week, first time to the vet (with me), first long bike ride, first abscess, first antibiotics, and first time in an E collar. That last one didn’t go so well. I had to figure out another way to keep her from licking the abscess. The cone had her freaked out, she wouldn’t move once it was on her. So that was going to make leaving her while I was at work really tough. There was no way for her to use the dog door. So I looked up other options. One suggestion was to make a collar that was tall and fat out of a rolled up towel. That worked great on her, she couldn’t lick, but it didn’t freak her out. So she’s on the road to getting better. Not a fan of the antibiotic she has the have 2x a day, but there’s only couple more days of that. On the other hand, the extra treats with the pill in it are a huge hit.
Sable got to meet Dusty this past weekend when he was in town teaching.
Next weekend will be our test camping trip. Just one night somewhere close.