Introducing Molly - Page 2

I understood you were joking (smiley face) and didn't write my reply to you. I wrote the post to midwinter because I didn't want him to think I meant something else.

I have been shot down enough times that now I try very hard to be civil and non-confrontational. That's why I'm not responding to your anti-American comment. Not all of us are dense.

Right on. Pax vobiscum.

She's turning into one fine looking bitch.

With respect.

Bob says he doesn't like it when the human uses the flash either.




Oh and he sends his commiserations about the (ahem) <discreetly>bucket thing.</discreetly>

You're not just depriving Molly, you're depriving us-- we need first hand accounts of a border collie herding bacon flavored bubbles.

Oh, and dude? This right here?


Is a ravening hell hound. Might be Molly's little friend, and all, but soon enough it will take your organs.

Also, the bottom of your cupboards need cleaning.

Just being helpful in case you and Mrs midwinter hadn't noticed.

izzy says hi

Bob tore a cruciate ligament on the weekend. He goes under the knife on Friday.

[QUOTE=midwinter;1178016]
Ok?....

Poor Bob! Poor you! Hope all goes well. Does he get a cast?

God I had no idea a dog could be so utterly miserable and forlorn for so long! It's like living with a major depressive. I mean, he'd attach himself surgically (?!) to me at the best of times if he possibly could. Being unable to remain within 3 feet of me every moment of the day is breaking his little heart.

I miss walkies so much.

While I knew about the recovery time, I didn't realize initially he'd be quite so incapacitated for such an extended period. He's wet the bed twice (both times with me in it). I'm concerned that he hasn't done poo but then he's not eating much either and he doesn't like to poo inside. But both times I've managed to carry him downstairs, he showed no signs of wanting to do any business. I think he's just too uncomfortable around the back end in general.

Nevertheless, everything seems to be going OK. The scar (approx 6 cm) is healing well, there are no signs of infection and the swelling has gone down. Just quietly, he is a bit of a sook at the best of times but don't tell him I said that. He may even be putting it on just a tad.

He spent the first few days quietly crying to himself off and on.

Other bad news (including for your lab friends) is that apparently the risk of them tearing the ligament in the other leg within 12 months is very high.


Nope, no cast. Not even a bandage and fortunately my vet doesn't believe in the bucket treatment because Bob would be mortified at having to wear one.

He bit me the other night when I was giving him his antibiotics (broke skin, hurt like all fuck, thought briefly he may have broken my finger).

I wonder how much the general anesthetic might affect him. Nasty things generals. Always seem to have a (largely unacknowledged) effect on humans IMO. He's sleeping most of the time.

He's 9 and often mistaken for a puppy. But over the last week, there have been several times when he just seemed so old and world weary. My poor Li'l Bobby Dog!

Stitches out in about 4 or 5 days time. Vet said he'll be happy if he's just touching his foot to the floor by then but as long as everything is OK he won't be worried if it takes a bit longer. Looks like it's going to be a bit of a long haul this one.

Quick update.

We are pleased to report a marked improvement in the last 24 hours in both appetite and bodily functions.

Bob indicated his desire to go out this morning so we enjoyed our first walkies together in over a week.

And yes Houston, we have poo! Quite a lot. He fell over twice in the attempt and managed to sit in one deposit. Given the logistical problems involved in being a dog trying to shit when you're right hind leg is out of action, it's hard to see how he could have achieved a result before now.

BTW, love that pic of Molly with her head buried in the snow. Being privileged enough to share in a dog's pure joie de vie and sheer delight at "getting amongst it" is one of life's most underrated pleasures.

Except of course when it involves rolling in those huge bird poos that straw-necked ibises drop all over the local playing fields.

Yay! Go Bob! Shit, Bob, shit!

How's his get-along? Is walkies a sort of lurching affair? Glad he's feeling better, at any rate.


I hate it when that happens. Wait, I mean "Holy shit! You have straw-necked ibises on your playing fields!"

Here in Oakland we have pigeons, seagulls and dead people.

She looks like she suspects there might be some elk showing up soon that will require herding.

His new nickname is Hop- Along Bob. Recovery is now happening apace. He's got a bit of the circus dog about him. Likes to dance around on his hind legs (attempted this today) and does vertical jumps up to about 4 feet off the ground from a standing start. How the hell am I supposed to control these behaviors? Not to mention the blitz thing the bichons do. Which is what he was doing when he injured himself.

He also had a go at his fuck buddy tonight. An old quilt he moulds into an appropriate shape (did I mention he's also a soft materials constructionist?) and tries to screw (he's desexed). Kinda like the canine equivalent of a blow-up doll.


The ibises eat grubs that pupate in the soil and the birds dig them out to feed on.

My encounters with dead people are on the street. Two in the last year. One dying (me and some dude did CPR to no effect) and another just a couple of weeks ago who I had to check for vital signs because the woman who enlisted my help was too scared to go near him (he was just shit-faced fortunately). Although there was the burning woman in the park last summer. Luckily I didn't witness that one.


You know about Footrot Flats. Yep a whole comic strip about a border collie. They made a move of it too.

I was thinking of an anvil attached by a foot long length of rope.

Stitches out and all well. He was a bit peeved because it wasn't our usual vet on duty and he didn't get a treat at the end.

So here's the World Famous Li'l Bobby Dog Song. It can be sung to any tune or musical style, or spoken as a poem.

He's a Li'l Bobby Dog
He's doing Bobby Dog things;
He's snifflin' and he's snufflin'
And he's eating chicky wings.

He's a Li'l Bobby Dog
He's a happy kind of chap
He likes a bit of lovin'
When he jumps up on your lap.


There's a third verse about his penchant for singing to the slide guitar solo in John Hiatt's "Lipstick Sunset" but it still needs work.

So what's Molly's Song midwinter? Let's hear it!

My doggy



Yes, the picture is a bit photoshopped. Why? Because it was for a project last year. My dog, a like Molly, loves the snow. She is a Bouvier-Noir, and her breed is used for people who need seeing eye dogs. She is very smart, and fat D:

here's another one i just took today:

I loved that song as a little kid (the Rolf Harris version) and based a "book" I wrote (and illustrated) on it when I was about 7 or 8. I still have it.

I think you should change the verse (There's a green one......etc) to:

There's black and white ones
And black and white ones
And black and white ones
And black and white ones.


Never heard of the breed but love the oooh la la name.

Reminds me of the time Bob visited the local branch of Alliançe Francaise in search of his French roots.


But those damn Frenchies treated him like a doormat.


Singing Bob and friend.

What about the glasses and thought disrupting earphones?

Last year I was at the local renaissance festival and was stunned to see a little gang of sheep tripping across the hill nipping at the tourist-trampled grass, looking mildly cross at a whistling noise floating through the air. I was all like "What the hell's happening??" when I saw a janky black shape shoot out and hang a hard left, a harder right, finally snapping to a halt like a fighter jet on the deck of an aircraft carrier. BAM! dead stop.

Of course it was a border collie.

Turns out that I was seeing a demonstration of border collies at work, herding sheep. The dogs didn't look overjoyed at having real sheep to work, they looked intent and businesslike... this is what they do for a living.

What's funny is, this little pack of demonstration sheep *almost* seem to have learned what the whistles meant... often moving to the intended spot before the dog had time to "work them".

get used to some major activity--i had a family friend that used theirs for cattle and on the off times, the mom would tell "shelly" to get the kids and she would go through the neighborhood rounding up the kids. it was hilarious. the dog would go door to door bark and "herd" the kids home. funny funny, thought it was a trick. the dog i guess tell which "hood" in the area they were by smell. awesome animal very smart and a great family pet. a bit active but sweet

Well of course not, my thoughts are... (BRANG, CLANG, GOOOOOOOOOOONG).......

um... what ... uh... oh yeah... vote Democratic.



Nick