The Bully

No amount of preparation for our move could have prepared me for the unexpected event of last Monday.  I had worked so hard to ensure that Jellybean would successfully transition to our new home with such things as frequent visits prior to the move and bringing blankets and beds into the new house without being laundered so that familiar smells would follow.  Meeting and greeting new neighbors, of both the two and four-legged variety, was also high on our list.  All went well with that, until a meet and greet went bad.  It started quite normally.  Body language determined that both dogs were interested in meeting.  Tails were wagging and they were speaking to each other as dogs do.  Remember, Jellybean is a therapy dog and she attends doggie day care on a regular basis.  She seemed very comfortable with this dog.  If not, she would have circled back to stand behind my legs.  They sniffed and circled, tails still wagging, when suddenly the other dog latched on to her ear with his teeth. It all happened so fast, I still cannot determine when the other dog’s disposition changed.  There was lots of yipping from Jellybean as the owner pulled his dog back and I picked up Jellybean and held her close to my frantically beating heart.  An evening in the animal ER and four stitches later, with a report to the local police and Jellybean is doing just fine.  She adores the attention she is receiving from our neighbors, as they call her “our hero” for reporting the dog who bit her.  It appears that this particular dog is a bully and has gone after others before.  While Jellybean basks in all the glorious attention, I privately wish someone had reported it previously so that she would not have had to go through a sedation, sutures, pain pills and two weeks of antibiotics.  Cheeseburgers and ice cream are the ticket, however,  for hiding the medication, and she is eating it up, literally!  Whatever it takes, right? Jellybean, ever the happy go-lucky pup, doesn’t seem to mind wearing her cone.  My personal thought is that because she is so used to wearing sweaters, jackets, pajamas, hats, etc. she simply thinks it is just another piece of apparel to add to her ever growing closet.  Here’s to our new home and neighborhood, and perhaps a higher level of awareness in the meet and greet department!

Beverly Stiffler Smith

Children’s Author

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The Talk of the Town

Jellybean rocking the selfies. 

It didn’t take long for Jellybean to be the talk of the neighborhood.  “What a cute puppy!”  “Look at those eyes!”  “She’s so friendly!”  “Is she always so rambunctious?”  “Doesn’t she live in the corner townhouse?”  It seems that everyone knows of her.  When out walking, she races up and down the street, pulling as hard as she can on one of her colorful leashes.  Even though she has mastered the basics of sit, stay and down, walking gently on a leash is not her forte.  She tenses those short legs of hers, leans forward and off she goes.  I, on the other hand, can be seen holding on for dear life as she darts in and out of grassy yards.  Not one to go unnoticed, Jellybean, is determined to greet everyone in her path.  Children riding on bikes and scooters stop and play with her.  The maintenance men at our complex were trained to stop, get out of the golf cart and give her a pat and belly rub.  Upon sighting puppy friends, she lies in wait, tail wagging, so they approach and greet HER.  Cars driving down the street slow down so she can acknowledge them with a frenzied pawing motion, and in return they give us a smile and a wave.  If we are inside, she suns herself in the kitchen window, not unlike a cat.  The neighbors know to look over to see if she is there, stretched out on her blanket or watching in wonder as birds and squirrels frolic in the front yard.  Our recent move did not cramp her style at all.  She simply took up where she left off.  The new neighbors just love her.  She has personality plus and is not afraid to show it!