Gabrielle

Gabrielle is no longer with us. I have never been able to house break her. Not only did she not "get it" she also did things dogs never ever do. She would go to the bathroom on my bed! On my couch! In her bed! I tried everything I could think of. She was already on the very best food, she was up to date on her shots. She was clean and loved, but eventually was spending most of her time in a little play pen I made out of four pieces of plastic gate. Unless she was outside I could not allow her to be loose in the house.

Every morning and all day long her bedding would be soaked through and little piles of puppy poo would be chewed up all through it. I did leave her a place to go in there, but she never seemed to feel the need to use it. I called the vet and we talked. Eventually she suggested they do some tests. It was way more than I can even begin to afford right now and there is no guarantee anything is physically wrong except that she had begun peeing on me when we sat together on the couch.

It is possible that I was duped. Gabrielle did not come from champion parents and an outstanding show breeder like Chauncey did, but I never had a dog that did before and they were mostly fine, but maybe Gabrielle was over bred and maybe all those great pictures of kids and horses were a sham. I don't think so, though. I feel badly about it, but I do not have the money to run tests, so I did the next best thing.

I asked my groomer if she would be interested in taking her, seeing what she could do with her. I was up front with her. She would have started grooming Gabby this month. She is four and half months old. Once she has figured out what is wrong she may keep her, or she may sell her. She has a pet store. They don't sell pets, but they do have connections for people looking for a pet there.

So now it is once more just Chauncey and me. Maybe we'll have to try to do a little more walking and maybe I'll just use my laser light more. Chauncey loves chasing it. I use it to get him over to the part of the yard where he goes to the bathroom faster when it is cold outside. He acts more like a cat when he is chasing that little dot of red light, or maybe just a silly shih-tzu.

But this thot is about Gabrielle. She has moved on.