Jenny From the Block

Nail Trimming

It does not sound like an exciting topic, but when you see what it took to finally get her nails trimmed this weekend you'll understand why I am writing today.

The last two times we went to the groomer, Jenny put up quite a fight. The first time we ever went, the groomer was lightning fast with clipping nails and was able to do it  without incident. I could tell Jenny wasn't happy, but we were able to get the job done.

The second time had Jenny almost biting the super nice lady. Jenny was NOT a happy camper! Oh, and to show her displeasure with the whole nail trimming situation, Jenny decided to pee all over me while I was holding her. Thankfully I am not grossed out by that kind of stuff... but I have to admit, it was an uncomfortable drive home. 

Over the next few weeks I tried to get her used to nail clippers to do it myself, but she was way too squirmy. Plus, her nails are black, which makes it very hard to see the quick (the part that can be painful and bleed when cut.)

So, this weekend I knew it was going to be a fiasco at the groomer. The groomer we were going to is inside of our local pet store Centinela. I absolutely love it there. They do not sell any live animals and the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. They even carry my kitty litter out to my car every time I need a refill! The groomer is super sweet, but as soon as we turned the corner to head towards the grooming area, Jenny started to pull away and look at me with her "NO WAY AM I GOING IN THERE!" eyes. She put up such a  fight with me and the groomer that the groomer had to tell me that she would not be able to trim Jenny's nails.

I completely understood considering the way Jenny was acting.

Luckily I had a plan B - the vet. Sure it was almost twice as much money, but I was willing to pay anything at this point to get those sharp talons cut!

When I brought her in, they took her to the back. When I noticed it was taking a long time, I knew something was up. After a few more minutes, the vet emerged and said, "Three people.
One to hold her in a blanket,
one to pet her and talk to her,
and one to trim her nails.
But we got it done!"

Three people! Wow!

Random Things
She is starting to act very playful when she encounters 2 dogs that she sees a lot on walks (Leftie and Sasha.) I guess she is getting used to them! Today Leftie's mom said, "I'll take playful Jenny over fearful Jenny any day!"

She started to kick grass after she goes to the bathroom on walks as if to try to cover it up. I'm glad we don't have grass in the backyard!

The last 2 days she barked a few barks at me when I got home from work. I am not sure if this is her way of saying hello now, or complaining about me being gone, or what. She definitely has been getting more vocal in the house when she feels threatened by something outside. Sometimes she will sense someone outside long before we even see them. She still barks sometimes in the backyard if she hears/smells something strange to her.

When I get home from work and let Béla downstairs, Jenny's first order of business is doing "inventory" of any sweet potato chews that might be around. She then frantically walks around with it, looking for a place (usually upstairs in our bed) to hide it.

She was not happy with our friends Terry and Nancy who came over the other night. I was surprised since she has seen them quite a few times already. She barked when they came in and continued to growl at Nancy throughout the night. I think part of it was that Nancy was staring at her, which is a trigger for fearful dogs. Hopefully next time it will go a little better with them. 

A Few Pictures

On "Home Base" in the kitchen

"I don't want to get up this early!"

My favorite time of the day....