Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Dog doors and warts and acrobats

So, yesterday my dad successfully installed the dog door in our house, and now we're working to train Montana to go through it. It has been surprisingly easy so far. Considering how scared she can be of new things and confined spaces--for example, if a door is open a few inches, enough for her to get through if she really wanted to, and you stand on the other side calling and calling, she will really WANT to come but she won't be able to bring herself to do it--it is amazing how fast she learned to push open that flap.

The secret is CHEESE. She's never had cheese before and OMG does she LOVE that stuff. Once I showed her the cheese through the flap she would come pushing right through and then practically snatch the cheese out of my hand. It was amazing! And now she totally knows how to go through, and will if you call her even if you don't have cheese.

The only thing is trying to teach her to just... USE the door on her own terms. She doesn't seem to have figured out yet that if she wants to go outside, she should just go through the flap. Instead, she stands at the door looking tragic, and only if you show her the flap and encourage her will she walk through it. Any thoughts on how to help her make the transfer here?

Also yesterday, when I went to get a pedicure with my mom? The pedicurist told me that I have a small plantar's wart on my foot. Am I the only person who is totally grossed out by warts? I actually don't really mind them on other people, but I've never had one myself and I am surprisingly horrified by the concept. The pedicurist thinks that I probably picked it up from the pool at the gym, which is another lovely concept, and also I'm not quite sure what to do to prevent it in the future. I got a little home freeze-off kit at the drugstore and used it last night, so I am hoping that will work and the damn thing will fall off in 10 to 14 days as promised. In the meantime: yuck.

And since apparently yesterday was the day of new things, last night we went to see Cirque du Soleil. It was my first show and it was awesome. Even on some of the really high-flying stuff when the people were CLEARLY WEARING WIRES, I was STILL scared for them. It was just so cool! And they did this awesome thing with a huge spinning figure eight thing with guys doing acrobatic type stuff inside each circle--and then one of them jumped onto the OUTSIDE of the circle and was doing all these leaps and stuff. It was horrifyingly petrifying. And he WASN'T wearing a wire. OMG. I still get tense just thinking about it. But I also loved it.

Lastly yesterday, I started a September discussion over at Very Bookish about Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. This book is awesome! So go over there and discuss it!

So yeah! Yesterday was quite the day. Now I'm off to encourage the dog to walk through her dog door again. I know, my life is so GLAMOROUS.

20 comments:

  1. Compound W works wonders! Wear flip flops in the shower at the gym. They say gyms and hospitals have the most germs. I used to play basketball in High School and you can get them from people handling the same basketball as well...I hate warts!

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  2. Warts weird me out- totally. I had a couple when I was young and had to use Compound W on them. I think they just get a bad rap, you know?

    Cirque is so amazing. I haven't been in years but the times I did go I LOVED it.

    I bet Montana will get the hang of the doggie door in time.

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  3. Oh, Cirque du Soleil. LOVE. The Vegas shows are my favorite. I can't wait until Bub is old enough to enjoy it.

    Also, is there a way to prop up the flap so she can see outside through the hole? Then, maybe she'll transfer that knowledge when the flap is closed?

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  4. People commonly find planter warts dont respond to freezing. Two other things to try. 1, paint it daily with clear nail polish. 2. cover it with masking tape for two weeks.

    My dog will do absolutely anything for cheese, ANYTHING!

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  5. I haven't had a wart since I was a kid, thankfully, but I'm here to tell you: just be thankful you have a small wart and not athlete's foot. That's way worse. And even worse if you get it elsewhere on your body, which is then known as ringworm - it looks awful and takes weeks of persistent application of anti-fungal cream to cure, and you have to apply it all the time and keep on doing it even after it seems to be clearing up. NO FUN. Plus it itches, and if it's athlete's foot, it hurts like crazy when you get in the pool. So as icky as they are, be glad all you have is a wart. And definitely wear those flip-flops all the time.

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  6. So much to comment on in this post so I'll just list them out!
    1) Our dogs took a while to learn how to use a dog door without our encouragement, but I think the way you're training her is just what we did. (It's been about 10 years). They eventually learned and never looked back!
    2) I had a plantar's wart in high school and it was so, so painful. Hoping yours goes away soon!
    3) Love Summer Sisters. I read it a few years ago because I loved Judy Blume as a kid. She did not disappoint in this book!

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  7. I had a plantar's wart for years that was the bain of my existence! NOTHING worked - I tried everything - freezing, duct tape, over-the-counter remedies. Then one day, it just went away. So, if someone tells you that "it will just go away" - believe them!

    And awww, I love Montana. Chloe does too :)

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  8. I had a wart on my finger when I was a kid and I had it frozen off at a doctor's office. Since then I've never had one. I did get the aforementioned ringworm when I worked at a daycare and it was horrible.

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  9. Omg, every dog I have ever had has loved cheese. If you get the long really hard bones from the pet store (I don't know what they're called, but you'll know what I mean if you see them) and stuff the middle hole with some cheese, they love it!

    I used to get warts all the time when I was younger and dancing from always walking barefoot around the dance studio. They're not so bad if you treat them as soon as you notice them.

    And, wow. Summer sisters. I think I have read that book like 12 times!

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  10. I love Judy Blume's adultish books. Summer Sisters is my favorite and I read it pool/beachside every summer :)

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  11. Eww, yeah... warts are gross!! I would highly recommend getting that sucker taken care of ASAP - I had a plantar's wart when I was in high school and didn't really do much until it starting hurting, and it had to be cut out by the podiatrist. OUCH

    Good luck!

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  12. Do you remember the commercials "Behold the power of cheese"? I think it was a commerical for Wisconsin dairy farmers or something like that. Anyway, we use that phrase a lot b/c we use cheese to get our dogs to do anything. It's like doggy crack.

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  13. I think dogs get it. I think they wait for you to encourage them because they think that's what they're supposed to do. Plus, they like to make you happy (and clearly, walking through that door makes you happy). I say, leave Montana to her own devices. Maybe leave through the front door and walk out back. She'll hear you there. She'll figure it out. Especially if her bladder is yelling at her to go through that darn door!

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  14. I've never read judy blume!

    With our cats, we jury-rigged the door flap to be permanently open for a while, and then gradually let it drop.

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  15. I'm with you warts never bother me on others but when I developed plantar warts on my foot it disgusted me. Good news, the pedicurist doesn't seem bothered by the them, the bad news I have tried E.V.E.R.Y. removal method known to mankind, including the $250 removal treatment for the dermatologist and guess what, they will NOT go away. Only hurt occassionally and I keep putting the acid stuff the doc gave me on them, to no avail...

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  16. PS, after finding a DEAD baby opossum in our air/heater closet today and having NO EARTHLY IDEA HOW IT GOT IN MY HOUSE, there will NEVER be a doggy door installed!

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  17. OMg Montana sounds so cute, really she's so sweet you don't have to worry about her just running away and rebel out :)

    And cirque du soleil, I've watched it once and I really need to see it again. I feel like transported back to the good old times watching it

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  18. OMGGGGGG I looove Cirque du Soleil, which show did you see?!?!?! I've seen La Nouba.. and I'm literally dying to go see Kooza!! That's just amazing that you got the opportunity to see one.

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  19. Plantar's Warts = Got one in college on the bottom of my heel...after limping around for 6 months finally got it surgically removed....it was pretty big and I had a week of no walking.

    Doggy Doors = my friend in Boulder has one, and yes, a raccoon has 'visited' several times since it was installed.

    CDS = AMAZING!! Have seen them 6x and they get better each time!

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