Leda: Your Penny is adorable! The dog in my avatar photo is our Golden Retriever "Bo", short for Boeing the aircraft manufacturer, (my husband teaches in the aviation field.) Bo is 9 months old this week and we just got him at 7 months so he was already a big boy when he came to live with us! He weighs 80 pounds already and is a real handful! He's a good dog and knows a few commands like sit, down, shake hands and roll over but we are in the process of getting some additional training (for him and me) so that I can walk him on-leash. He's pretty good for my husband but too strong for me to handle, he wants to pull and pull and I can't control him. We also want to teach him to come when called, and stay. He used to obey the command "Leave it" when we wanted him to drop something that he shouldn't have but it seems he's suddenly forgotten that command or else is just trying to exert authority and ignore us, LOL. That is something we need to work on too. He's a happy, playful and big puppy but he needs to learn some manners.

Rick: That video would have scared me into wearing safety goggles/glasses too! It's so very important when working with power tools or chemicals! Regarding terrain and gardening shoes! I live in flat Florida and there's no uneven terrain here in my city. Florida does have some areas with kinda hilly terrain but that's mainly a little NW of me and way up in the panhandle. Some areas of the state have heavy clay soil too but I'm in an area that's pretty flat and mostly sand, so the soil needs to be amended greatly for planting. I am mostly barefoot or in flip-flops most of the year but when I mow I do wear sneakers. Hubby is always getting after me to wear sunglasses when I mow because he worries that something will shoot out of the mower and into my eyes ... but I usually don't remember to put them on I am bad.

>> That video would have scared me into wearing safety goggles/glasses too!

The one about strong acids and oxidizers was also enough to motivate protective gear: I think it was concentrated sulfuric that stripped a turkey leg to the bone in a short time. Nitric acid, or some other industrial oxidizer, if concentrated enough, could cause wood to ignite!

Neither of those are easily purchased by consumers, but any chemical you aren't familiar with merits some attention.

Little Willy was a chemist.
Little Willy is no more.
For what he thought was H2O
was H2SO4.

Lin,

Bo is absolutely beautiful! I can imagine how strong he is! I think I may have something that may help you and will not cost you a bundle. It is as simple as going to youtube and put "kikopup" in the search area (no quotation marks). You will be in for a treat. Short easy lessons by one of America's rising trainers. Videos are only a couple minutes long but it is somewhat important to learn to use a clicker, not that it can't be done without one. Dog treats that Bo values greatly are important as well. I use kibble around the house and very small pieces of leftover meat when out working the dogs outside or in a pet store. I would choose the lessons of "Watch" (some say "Look") "Come" and "Leave It" first since that is something you need right away.

For walking I use an "Easy Walk Harness" with a fastener in front which directs the dog back to me. When the dog turns towards you, click, treat. I would follow Kikopup's ideal method for not pulling. If she says get another harness, I would follow her suggestions because I don't know the newest equipment these days. After watching her videos, you will understand more. If you have questions, you are free to ask me. I may need to know which video you viewed, there are so many! You may not have to find training at all.

Remember Bo is a teenager about now which is part of the problem....!



This is Frankie, my 10 year old, blue eyed Mini Aussie. He picks stuff up for me around the house.



This is Jack-Jack, an 11 year old, Italian Greyhound who was a stud at a puppy mill for 3 years. He was afraid of anyone and everyone at first.

Rick,
Eyesight is so very precious. Chemicals are what life is comprised of so your warning will be heeded in this house. "Better living through Chemistry" as they say...
Leda

>> "Better living through Chemistry"

In the 1970s, I had a poster that said that.

It was a photo of long-haired young people with beads, sitting on their front steps in Haight-Ashbury, staring off into the distance with gentle smiles on their faces ...

That is funny. I did not mean it quite that way.

In 2009 I was cutting back dahlias before digging them up and walked right into a branch:


No damage done other than to my ego.

Wow! Yours looks worse than mine did! Does it still hurt?

About a year later, my grown son scratched his eye doing yard work. Both of our doctors said if our eyes get dry, or our bodies get dehydrated, or we sleep on our eyes during REM, we will have pain throughout our lives. My doctor wants me to use a petroleum based ointment for the rest of my life so that it won't scar. I hate greasy, blurry eyes!

I had a Spider Plant that uncurled, too. It joined the 100's of straight leaf varieties in the yard. I heard that the amount of sunlight helps determine how much or how little it curls. I very little sunlight in my yard so that might be why. I have another curly variety and have kept it in the sunniest part of our yard, on the driveway. It, too, is pot bound. It has stayed curly. But get this! Since winter, it has been in the garage. It is on the edge of the garage where it will get sun if the door is open. But even with the door open, it certainly gets a lot less sun than usual. It wasn't doing well in the cold, so I brought it in. It is NOT AS CURLY as it was before! Now it is indoors in a partly sunny window. I will be repotting it soon and hopefully the sunshine is the cure to it's "perm".

Cheryl,
Fascinating! I am starting to agree with light being the key here. After Tara suggested I get it closer to a light source, today it's tending to curl, ever so slightly, but enough to give me hope. I will keep those interested informed.

What kind of plant do you have as your avatar?

Leda: Thanks for the tip about the YouTube video's, I will definitely check some of them out! We have that Sensible Harness but only tried it a couple of times ... the dog had a field day with the leash being in front of him, he wanted to eat it. We also purchased (at the recommendation of folks at our vet's office) the harness that has a strap that goes around the dogs snout ... he twisted and pawed and twisted and pawed at that one and after doing some research we learned that Golden Retrievers don't like anything around their snout like that. LOL, regarding Bo being a teenager ... I've been describing it as like having a 2 or 3 year old toddler in the household and having to constantly be on alert to what they are getting into or being headstrong and not wanting to mind or pay attention to what you are saying. But, he's a good dog and very smart so we know he will get it eventually; we just need to be consistent with training. He knew the command "Leave it" when we first brought him home but he's gotten really stubborn and sometimes he does not heed the command and when I go to him to try to get whatever it is out of his mouth he either runs and wants me to play and chase him or he stands there and clenches his teeth so tight that I can't get his mouth open ... a few weeks ago I could open his mouth and stick my hand way back to his throat to retrieve a leaf or piece of wood, or a rock but now he thinks it's a game.

Your Frankie and Jack-Jack are great looking critters too! If I was younger I'd have a few dogs and cats! We've thought about getting another kitty but want to concentrate on training with the dog for now.

... I just realized this thread has gotten way off topic so don't be surprised if we end up in the sandbox.

Well, I have a question that might get this back on track. I've never seen a curly spider plant. Is there a picture in the database? Sounds like something I might like to have.

Hi Lin,
I kind of like sand boxes. Oops, bet that was inappropriate! To get a dog to drop something from his mouth, grab a treat or a favorite toy and offer to trade. After you watch the youtube videos, (they don't take much time) you will never feel the same about your dog.

I think the snout things are awful for the dog. They do have a place in certain training situations though.

Goldens' always want something in their mouths (that is part of the retriever in them.) He can carry something else in his mouth rather than the leash, but that will take a bit of training. The Sensible harness is a good one! The other one that might help you I think is called "Sporn" which goes under the front legs, but is attached from behind.

Talk to you soon (I hope.)
Leda

Don't tell Amazon or Hirt's Gardens that I stole this picture.
Please send beautiful Woofie to protect me!!!

If I had a curly spider plant like that I would always be afraid that it was dieing from drying up. I would be sure to over-water it ... like I do most plants.

I wonder if there is any 12-step program for over-waterers?

Rick,
That is a good one, the "12 step program for overwatering"!

Leda

Thank you!

I'm still quivering about the "eye" conversation and that photo.

I thought I was unusual about falling into bushes. I did that twice - once I tumbled into a red azalea and broke several branches. That's how I discovered that you can prune flowering branches and keep them indoors in a vase for 4-5 days before the blooms fall.

I doubt if that is very good for the azalea!

Rick,
I am glad you bought some sturdy shoes for ankle support!

I take falls every once in awhile too, but in the house usually. (I have a few medical problems.) I have good sturdy shoes though.

Leda

Oh, that is cute! I WANT one of those! Some of mine got frozen on my back porch during some of our really cold weather, so I can justify picking up something new.

They are cute, aren't they? I hope you find one soon!