I just can't catch a break

[Krislady]

So the Project is underway. The house is a disaster, and it'swhat? 2 weeks until Christmas?

I got an email late Friday from our secretary - the office park manager (whom Jar and I practically walked into Thursday on our way out) stopped by and told her that this is a NO DOGS ALLOWED building. Period, no discussion.

Sigh. Fine. It's only a couple more days, and he's been doing fairly well in the daycare, so he'll have to stay all day.

My husband talked to the project manager, and it'll be more likely Thursday at the earliest before they're done.

Okay, a week.

SIGH

So I went to pick Jar up as soon as the coast was clear, and he was wearing a Thundershirt (I don't know if it actually helps or not, but they seem to think so, and it doesn't hurt anything) - he'd had a rough day. As in, he "barked for basically 8 hours straight." The full day may be just too much for him.

So my husband will call when he gets out of work to see how Jar's holding up, and, if necessary, he'll bring him home early, try to ease him by the contractors (good luck with that!) and confine him to our bedroom. Our little tiny bedroom, where, at best, he can walk around the bed. And, of course, bark his fool head off. It's not the barking, exactly, that's the problem. It's this distressed high-pitched constant yipping. And I do mean CONSTANT. Makes you want to gouge your eyes out after a while.

My boss is going out of town this week, so I'm stuck there making sure everything he may possibly need to see, read, review or sign for the next 2 weeks gets seen, read, reviewed, and signed. His secretary took a couple of days off to "work on her shopping."

[Connie Lea]

What a bummer, just when Jar was doing so well going to the office with you. Hopefully the contractors will be done soon.

[Saralaya]

Connie Lea wrote:
What a bummer, just when Jar was doing so well going to the office with you. Hopefully the contractors will be done soon.

That is awful! I hope he does OK with the day care and being at home in the bedroom...better yet... that the $%&@# contractors FINISH EARLY!

[K9 Owned]

This bites!
I also know the yipping you speak of. It makes me want to crush their skulls.
So sorry that things are getting so awkward.

Hang tough Jarly...it won't be long.

[Krislady]

Thanks, guys.

So Eric picked Jar up around 11:30 yesterday and took him straight to the backyard. By the time he got into the house, Jar was waiting at the door for him, and Eric gave him a bone, so he hung out with that for an hour or so, then came in.

The contractors both met him, and they weren't afraid of him, and he was FINE with their being there.

I start to wonder if maybe it's ME that's the problem.

On the brighter side (sort of), we were walking this morning and ran into some guy whose car had broken down - he an his girlfriend had been pushing it (slightly uphill) for quite a while. I stopped to talk to him for a few minutes, and Jar just STOOD THERE LIKE A CIVILIZED DOG!

Poor guy. He did not have enough cash for a tow truck, and they wouldn't take plastic until after 8:00. I had nothing on me but dog treats, which would have been of no help. When we got home, I grabbed my purse and rounded Jar back up into the car, and we found them - they'd made it to the Hess station. I gave them enough cash to make up their shortfall for the towing, and hopefully get themselves some coffee. The girlfriend cried.

I guess there are suckier things than having the contractors run over a couple of days.

[Connie Lea]

Kris you are such a sweetheart and Jar is such a good boy. Kudos to you both.

[Saralaya]

Connie Lea wrote:
Kris you are such a sweetheart and Jar is such a good boy. Kudos to you both.

I couldn't say it any better......

[K9 Owned]

First what a lovely thing to do for that couple! You rock.

As to Jarly being cool about people... I think once we have had issues with our dogs we view them differently and expect problems. They pick up on attitude and body language so well that its almost impossible to hide your concerns. I know that if I expect Madison (for example) to be an ass in a situation with another dog she rarely lets me down yet the times that I 'forget' that she is reactive she is much calmer. It's just hard to give them the benefit of the doubt sometimes.

I'm really glad Jar doesn't seem stressed by the workers. It will take a load off your mind.

[Krislady]

Oh, pshaw, you guys.

It wasn't that long ago that I was young and broke - I know how devastating a broken car can be, especially this close to the holidays. Okay, it's been long time ago since I was that young - but still. Plus, I figured that if Jar didn't have a problem with the guy, he couldn't be all bad, right?

And as to Jar, I am really starting to suspect that a great deal of his "issues" stem from my being worried that he'll be a jerk-fact. Duh, right?

And even more of his problems come from his "need" to protect me.

[Saralaya]

Krislady wrote:
Oh, pshaw, you guys.

It wasn't that long ago that I was young and broke - I know how devastating a broken car can be, especially this close to the holidays. Okay, it's been long time ago since I was that young - but still. Plus, I figured that if Jar didn't have a problem with the guy, he couldn't be all bad, right?

And as to Jar, I am really starting to suspect that a great deal of his "issues" stem from my being worried that he'll be a jerk-fact. Duh, right?

And even more of his problems come from his "need" to protect me.

You're still a terrific person to help them...and possibly with Jarly, that is part of the problem ...now that you are aware of it.. if you try to relax you can see how HE reacts and go from there.

And yeah, you are HIS PERSON and he needs to PROTECT you!

[Krislady]

OH MY GOSH this is never going to end!

I stopped by the daycare place on my way home to let them know that Jar would be back YET AGAIN today. And to bring a cookie tray for them, because honestly, they're going above and beyond with this situation.

One of the guys had taken some video he wanted to show me. Of Jar barking. And barking and barking and barking. Because, I don't know, maybe he thought I didn't believe him?

ANYWAY, and I hate that I even did this, this morning I gave him a dose of Benedryl, and I'm going to wait until after the butcher shop opens, and I'm going to go get him a BIG bone - one of the marrow bones that he has to really work at to get his tongue all the way down in it. . . and I'll leave that for him. He can't bark with his mouth full, right?

And tomorrow, assuming they're not done (I'm pretty sure they won't be done, because they'll NEVER be done) I'm just going to stay home with him, upstairs, until my husband gets home.

Hey, if our secretary can take two days off to go shopping, then come back and moan about all the work she's got to do, I can work late today, and take a morning tomorrow. Darn it.

[Krislady]

Well, CRUD. I just double-checked the butcher shop's website. I thought they opened at 8 - you know, like a CIVILIZED business. But they don't open until TEN! I can't wait around until 10:00!

I'll have to see what I've got bone-wise stashed in the freezer, I guess.

Aaargh.

[Connie Lea]

Cheer up Kris - things will eventually get back to normal. I can't believe the daycare people showed you a video of Jar barking. Right - like you didn't believe them. Oh well only a few more days, right?

[K9 Owned]

They will be done. It will just seem like forever.

I get that the day care folks are going above and beyond but how was it helpful to show you the vid? Isn't that kind of like "see what a PITA you and your dog are"? Perhaps they are just looking for strokes. On the plus side you now know from the other day that Jars hips are no where near as bad as you had thought. You have also discovered that he is better with strangers than you had anticipated so a fair amount of good has come out of the chaos. Yeah, I know - easy for me to say when it's not my chaos.

Start a new mantra.....'this too shall pass..this too shall pass'

[Krislady]

That was my first thought, too - that that was kind of a jerky thing to do.

Then I've thought about it, and I wonder if he simply wanted me to see JUST HOW stressed Jar is there?

Given what I've seen of this place and the people whom I've dealt with, I am inclined to want to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I mean, he doesn't start doing that barky thing until after I leave (mostly), and he keeps it up All. Day. Long. Which, besides making you want to gouge your eyes out, can't be good for the state of mind of the other dogs there.

Yesterday, I gave him benedryl in the morning, and I brought a bone for him. Evidently he dialed it down a notch - he was doped up, I guess.

But he took the bone and just sort of dropped it and ignored it - and he tried to follow me back out the door when I left.

I'm taking this morning off, and I'll stay home with him until Eric gets home, and hopefully that should help some. Poor puppy.

Oh, and the contractors told husband they'd be done today. Ha - I'll believe it when I see it.