Stella Passes Critical Test

At first there was some hesitation on my part when I felt the plan I had, was going to happen as soon as we returned from Stella's morning walk. The last time I went to Bloomington and was gone between 2-3 hours I returned home to see Stella eating my group of bananas on the floor, what was left of the mangoes and apples she ate, plus a few things pulled off the counters as she surfed for anything to eat.

I was going back to Bloomington to hand delivery my state tax return at one of their district offices. The reason behind that was in yesterday morning's post. I was also planning to have some Mother Bear's Pizza before I returned home. It is on that side of town so I could make a quick in and out of 'city' traffic for my return home.

Stella would decide how soon I would leave because she would set the schedule for the day. At 9am she was spread out in the middle of my bed, under the early morning sunshine coming through the east window, in a deep sleep. She was late compared to Sadie's old schedule. I kept reading the internet while she slept.

I knew as I slipped my jacket on, for another cool morning walk that was close to 30°, that I was not going to back out no matter what. As soon as the walk was over, I'd grab my tax paperwork, my phone, the keys and head out. After our walk Stella knew I was going somewhere because she walked into the bedroom, and waited for me to close the door. Heidi was still asleep as usual.

It was going to be a critical test for Stella. Would she pass the 2-3 hours that I would be away without trying to tear down the house to get outside to find out where I was? For those that don't know her history, she came here in August 2015 with a reputation of  havng severe separation anxiety. It did not take me long to confirm it was the worst I had ever seen. I was her 4th owner in her short 6 years of life.

I was in a little different mood this morning. I was not going to be in a hurry to get there and for the first time since last summer, I took the two lane highway with the 50mph speed limit to Bloomington instead of my wide open high-speed interstate I-69. I knew there would be times I'd be stuck behind cars, with the lead car or truck going 40-45 mph for whatever reason. I'm not a patient person, so I guess it was also a test for me too.

I saw the new business building where the Dept of Revenue was located just about the time I was about to pass it. There were no signs out by the street and it sits back off the road. I made a sharp turn into their last entry to the parking lot. No lines inside and I was taken care of immediately.

She did confirm that Indiana was no longer accepting electronic tax payments through online tax services where I file my taxes. Those payments could only be made on the state's website, just like I did yesterday. She did not understand why I could not go ahead and file my taxes electronically after getting the on-screen notice about the payment.

With it beingthe start of lunch breaks for those working, I thought it might be the wrong time to have pizza. I am not a fan of crowds but it wasn't the first time my urge for pizza outweighed any lines of people. I was happy to see as entered that no one had arrived. I walked straight back to the bar section where there are a couple of large televisions that would have sports on both of them.

I love this pizza place and that was one of the reasons I was somewhat shocked and somewhat pissed off. To the right of me on the U-shaped bar are three girls on iPhones along with some paperwork but they looked like they worked there. (They did)

Near the taps and register was the waitress for this section texting away on her iPhone. NONE of the FOUR waitress even raised their heads as I sat down. NONE !!!! Remember ... I am in my patience mood today, where slow traffic, idiotic drivers and now terrible waitresses are NOT going to ruin my day, my pizza or piss me off. THIS evidently was my test of the day ... not the drive.

Finally after about 10 minutes of watching a Pacers game that was played last night, I jokingly asked one of the three girls IF this place was open yet?? {loaded question :)} After all it was only 11:25am and it might be too early for pizza. (Playing dumb) When I asked that question it was the first time that any of the four waitress RAISED THEIR HEADS FROM THEIR PHONES !!!!

Even the bartender did not make a move and continued to text to whomever

I remained calm. I had a great salad and medium pizza. It was nice to see three hours later I had no signs of indigestion. I'll go to their website to get their nutritional listing of ingredients so I can add those to my Cronometer to log in as my meal for today. No, I didn't eat the whole pizza, just half.

I joke, but it's always nice to see that Stella is not standing outside after a return from a trip longer than normal. Stella's test last 2 hours and 20 minutes today. The kitchen door was still closed so that was a good sign. :)  I glanced in the door window as I unlocked the door to see the bedroom door as I left it. It had the "three level security system" ... door tied shut by tight cord, backed up by a baby gate that was backed up by a chair propped up to keep the baby gate from moving IF she got the door open.

She had passed her critical test with flying colors. Do you know what the final step of confirmation is? As I open the door I reach around it and feel the door knob on the inside for any wet or semi-wet bloodhound drool. That tells me if she made any attempts of trying to pull the door open. She has done it before so I know it's possible.

What would have happened if she had failed the critical test ???

Nothing.

She would have still be the same lovable, goofy, great personality bloodhound that no one else wanted to put up with. IF she had broke out she would have made me laugh again while I commended her ...  "damn your good" ... just like last time.

I had crossed over their time for lunch which I thought back in December might have been her trigger point for escaping. Heidi was thrilled as usual when I returned with nonstop barking, which makes Stella nonstop howling ... in other words, it's time for lunch.

It wasn't until a little after 1pm when Stella stood by my desk chair as I was downloading the photos from the morning walk. She had her ears perked up and was whining, a rare thing for her to do. Once Heidi heard that, she jumped from her living room couch and headed to the door. They wanted outside and Stella wanted her walk a few hours early.

With Heidi hanging back to roam the yard and take a day off from the walk, Stella and I took off. She wasn't waiting on me, she was out in front and getting her second walk of the day early in the afternoon. Could it be a three walk day? The weather is good enough for it.

Due to my excitement after our morning walk, thinking it was spring. I changed out of my thermal underwear and shirt, the fleece lined jeans, and the wool socks. I found out pretty quick that it might be April but there is still a chill in the air with just a tshirt under a sweatshirt and regular jeans on. I was tempted, but held off from wearing the cargo shorts.

It was an interesting drive over to Bloomington. It's a beautiful drive through the rolling hills of southern  Indiana, a great road for a sports car. You would also see a wide range of houses and income brackets. From immaculate farms, large new houses to smaller old houses almost falling apart as well as house trailers in such bad shape that you are shocked at seeing a parked car in front.

It has always been that way for as long as I can remember. Around Monroe County you can see wealth and poverty at the same time.

Today there was something else much different. Yes, I did notice a lot of changes since last June or July since I had not driven that way in months. Today, maybe 15 miles apart were two different beat up house trailers with flag poles in the front yard. They were not new as I had seen them before a long time ago. The flags on those poles had changed though.

Both flag poles around 15 miles apart were flying the Mexican flag.

It reminded me of the article I was reading yesterday about the baseball fan at Dodger Stadium in LA, that was beat up in the parking lot after the game and was in critical condition. It's the second time it has happened in the past few years. It wasn't the article that was interesting as much as reading the comments after the article.

Some comments were from Dodger fans still attending games and those that had stopped going because "Dodger stadium is like a third world country now as well as the surrouding area" and they didn't feel safe taking their family to the game anymore. It was similar to the comments I read in an email from an old old friend of mine that grew up in Carlsbad Calif and still lives in Carlsbad Calif.

It was sad to hear what North San Diego County was turning into. Just like the county next to mine here in 'the tropics', you can see wealth and poverty all in the same area. Only out there crime is on the rise as well, but more of those crimes are now classified "violent" crimes. It use to be nothing more than a quiet small beach town in southern California.

Here we have a huge meth problem. I see some of those people in the 'jail beat' section of my local paper or in the "court news" section. It is normal to see out of the top ten crimes listed by the name and age of the person, seven of them are usually meth related. It's been that way around here for at least the last 15 years that I can remember, maybe longer.

Not all of those rushing the southern border are going to get jobs. Nor have the hundred thousands before them gotten jobs. So how do they live? Do the ones that don't find work live on food stamps and welfare, housing support paid for by me and you?

If I am wrong about this let me know. I'm just curious how they live. Not every one can or will work in a field, a meat processing plant or making yogurt in Idaho. So how are they supported financially? I don't see a lot of cheap rent listings in the San Diego paper so how can they afford living in Los Angeles? What a mess.

I am on pace to see an all-time record in for the fewest miles driven in a calendar year unless I hit the road this summer. You would not believe me if I told you what my average mileage is for a month, after the first three months of the year.

It just proves how close I am to living in the New Green Deal without a car or nearby public transportation. I am only one Amazon drone away, that will deliver my groceries, for not needing a car. .... Sorry dingbat AOC, NOT going to happen.  :)

Before I could finish this blog post, Heidi and Stella came back to my desk to let me know they wanted back outside. I stopped what I was writing ... pulled out my camping chair and spent the afternoon outside while they enjoyed the sunshine.

Oh ... the blog header image went away because it didn't look right when you see the blog on a phone or tablet. The header image and the blog post feature image were running together. I kind of like the 'no header image' on my large computer screen better than having one.

It was a great day in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana today.

Stella Escapes AGAIN !!!!

Anyone want a bloodhound??? An EXPERT in getting out of any kind of confinement. She can open doors with lever handles or round. If she ever gets outside the house, she will sit and wait for your return. Her funny personality and being a great bloodhound 99.99999% of the time keeps her from any animal shelter or me giving her away. Don't panic and don't scream at me .... I'm kinda joking here and need some space to vent as I tell the story from today. Thank you.

When I left at 10:42am to drive 27 miles to Best Buy, I was using the tested proven security of a tight, a very tight, cord tied around the bedroom door (she is behind that door), stretched tightly to another door handle that goes to a closet maybe 10 feet away.

The theory being ... if she pulled the doorknob from inside the bedroom, the tension from pulling would tighten the cord from the opposite direction and prevent her from opening the door. This has worked many times since her last escape almost a month ago

This is the other doorknob the cord is tied to. I double checked both doors before tying the cord to make sure their latches were in place and would prevent either door from opening.

When I arrived home at 12:53pm .... around 2 hours and 11 minutes later .... I saw that top photo, Stella standing next to her LAST apple out of five of them. I bought some great Red Delicious apples just yesterday morning. I was in total shock about her standing there, a lot more than the damaged fruit.

For those that read the post this morning you may remember it was suppose to start raining at noon. When I walked out of the store it sure didn't look like rain nor did it rain at home ... so that isn't what made her want to escape. Maybe she was hungry since I was almost two hours late serving her lunch??? Who knows???  LOL

All I could think about was HOW DID SHE GET THAT DOOR OPEN  ?????? God Almighty she is good!!!!! Anything I have tried the past 3 years and 4 months with a 18 month gap of nothing in the middle ... she has figured out ways of escaping !!!! I cannot tell you all that she has destroyed in those first 22 months ... but to give you an idea I'll mention the word "drywall."

Today, she had opened the bedroom door just enough to chew the cord in half, thus getting out. I guess by her pulling inside with her mouth and jaws around the door knob, it popped the closet door open releasing the tension on the cord. THEN she probably chewed the cord in half.

I glanced to my left and saw what was left of a new bundle of 7 bananas. Obviously from all the small brown marks on the floor, she had not only eaten them but had walked on soft bananas and the peelings, with sigs of her paws on the floor.

She has not been sick today, in any way. This isn't the first time she ate all of my fruit sitting in bowls on the kitchen table or on the counter. The first week I had her in September 2015, I was outside mowing the yard while she ate all of my bananas, apples, half of a whole pineapple, three mangos minus the pits (which are poisonous), and four kiwi. She didn't get sick then either.

Like I said I was in shock. At least there was no damage in the bedroom like in the past. She did not touch my desk and probably never walked in the computer room. She walked up to me slightly cowering, slowly wagging her tail. She knew she had done something she shouldn't have. When she looks up with those eyes of hers, any frustrated or angry feelings I have are always gone instantly. She really is a great bloodhound.

For new readers, I was her 4th owner in her first 6 years of life.

Seeing that she had escaped took away any excitement I had about buying the Apple Watch. Here I am just starting to set it up, getting ready to change the face and move the information to where I want it on my watch face.

With Stella's escape I was mentally stymied again, slightly confused on what do I do now? Will I ever be able to leave my house again while she is living here? Am I a prisoner in my own home? She had 18 months of perfect manners, never trying to escape with just a closed door. There were times during that 18 months that I was gone 8-10 hours visiting friends.

Later in the afternoon she had a second change ... a short test. I had to go buy some dog food. I had two choices ... take her with me for the half mile trip to the store or leave her at home in the same set up ... only this time I would add the baby gate right next to the door in case she opened the bedroom door again.

In the afternoon test I was gone for less than 10 minutes, in and out with a new 40 pound bag of kibble. I was relieved when I pulled into the driveway to see she was not outside waiting on me. (that happened in 2015) I was thrilled as I looked in the kitchen door window to see the bedroom door still closed. I didn't care that I was only gone for 10 minutes at the most ... I was just happy she had not escaped.

As she walked out with Heidi wagging her tail, I praised her like I was training an 8 week old puppy again ... then gave her a couple of grain free, bacon flavored (what a combo that is) dog treats. I will continue that positive reinforcement no matter how long I am gone, IF she is good. She went almost a month since her last escape.

I am still learning all about the Apple Watch Series 4. In the few hours I have owned it, it is awesome !!!! In fact it might be the BEST Apple product I have bought in the last 10 years. It is that good.

I did my first ECG (EKG and was told my heart rhythm is normal. Of course I will have to get used to charging the watch every day or at least every 18 hours. It came 100% charged. I will write a review about it after a few weeks of using it or a month at the latest.

Since Stella figured out I was not going to hang her from the highest rafters, give her away or keep her outside as punishment ... she was more interested in finding a car door that was opened or one she could open for a ride around town. Or, she was smelling the bag of dog food in back of the car, locked up.

I had another toy show up in the mail today. It's a Canon G9 X Mark II, with a 1" sensor and from I have been told by a friend that recommended the camera to me, it will do just as well if not better than my Nikon D3200. I am anxious to use it on the morning walks as soon as the rain stops. Maybe by tomorrow morning. In the meantime I'll take some photos with it in the house, low light conditions, so I can compare those with my iPhone 8+ photos.

To say the least, it's been quite a day. From being very happy, to pissed off, to laughing as she looked at me with those crazy eyes of hers, then feeling busy again while I read about the watch and the new camera.

No worries .. I just had to add a little flavor of honesty to the story about Stella's escape.

I will continue to think of a Plan C for securing her when I am gone and I am always open to suggestions. Just remember, she is an EXPERT, not a normal dog you may have experienced with separation anxiety ... plus she is strong as an ox.  :)

Friday night in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana, exciting times!!

Sadie and Her Separation Anxiety

Since the first day I brought her home as a twelve week old pup, she has shown separation anxiety. I thought after we moved past year six that it would change. In a way it has, she doesn't destroy things now, just tracks scent and drags it out for her own use and to show me what she has found.

It is always my stuff and not hers. She seems to follow The Bloodhound Laws that you can see here at the bottom of the page.

In the case of the photo on the left, she spent a lot of time hauling her red blanket from the floor to my bed for a little siesta while I was gone. This happened some time ago.

After a couple of years I spoke with a different breeder than whom I bought Sadie from and she explained to me what and why Sadie was doing what she was doing. At the time there was a lot of destruction involved while I was gone anywhere from 10 minutes to hours. While I was at work, she was kenneled for her first four years to keep her safe and my possessions safe. But during short periods of being outside she would get into stuff.

The breeder had acquired Sadie's dad and their personalities were almost identical. The breeder said she gives her puppies a test at forty-five days old to see if they are trackers or couch potatoes. After I answered four out of five questions positive, I found out that Sadie was rated as a tracker and the reason for her nose to always be in the working mode. It was the reason during the times I would be away that she would get into things, drag them out for me to see when I got back and some times destroyed.

The breeder said if I had bought Sadie from her, she would have given me a pup that tested out to be a "couch potato" instead of one that tested high for tracking. She would not have sold me Sadie. I had originally picked out a different bloodhound pup at first but changed to Sadie because she would follow Winston anywhere he went and would try to get him to play. She was the only one of eight pups that did that. Now I found out that when she followed Winston that showed a tracking instinct more than the other pups.

The two basset hounds can stay anywhere in the house while I am gone, no matter how long I am gone without any problems. I found out a couple of years ago the best room in the house to keep Sadie was in the bedroom. She sleeps on the floor at night, had familiar smells and fewer things she could get into. I also put the two bassets in the room with her to keep her company with hopes of preventing any tracking activity. I no longer kept her in a kennel due to her size compared to the largest kennel you could buy for inside use.

Overall things have improved a lot the past few years and now things she does at times are funny stories rather than getting home and pulling what little hair I have out of my head. Of course at all times when I am getting ready to leave, I have to put a baby gate up not to block the door because I shut the door, but to keep her from getting into my closet.

Her "specialty" use to be, get into the closet (sliding doors) and chew just the plastic tip off of the shoestring and only one shoe per pair. Honestly, there was never a time when both shoes had the tips chewed off, just one shoe per pair. There was never a time when the shoestring was chewed up ... just the plastic tip. I wish Nike, New Balance, Merrell would sell the exact same shoestrings for the shoes they sell.

So where this post is going is what happened yesterday. It was time to mow the yard and the normal procedure is to put her in the locked bedroom while I mow the backyard, then bring her outside where she is connected to her 100' climbing rope so she can roam in the field behind my house while I mow the front yard.

For some reason yesterday I decided to let her roam the house with the two basset hounds (they sleep the whole time). After finishing the backyard in about fifteen minutes, I moved to the side yard and glanced into the bedroom window to see if Sadie was sleeping on the floor or bed. No Sadie anywhere.

As I moved by the side window for the living room I glanced inside the window to see if she was in the living room. There were two basset hounds sleeping by the window on the floor, no Sadie anywhere.

In my small downsized house there are not a lot of rooms left to choose where she might be but I knew exactly where where she was. I mowed along the front of the house, shut it off and then as quietly as I could I walked into the house and glanced into the room where I have my computer, desk, dog blankets and the large rubber container full of forty pounds of newly acquired dry dog food. Like she use to do in the past while I was getting ready for work, she had removed or knocked off the lid, TWO 15# dumbbells and moved the lid to the side. This lid also locks to the container once you push down on the edges.

Someway she can get them off. The dumbbells are on the lid to keep her from getting into the food, even if I am inside the house. Usually during the time I am watching ballgames in the living room.

As I glanced into the room I see a wagging bloodhound dog tail and her head inside the container eating dry dog food. Luckily I had caught her soon enough to where she had not eaten a large amount and that would decrease the potential for her bloating. Bloating is common in large breed dogs and luckily she has never experienced that. Eating large amounts of food though could set that off. It didn't look like she had ate that much, still it was only an hour after I had fed her the regular meal.

When she saw me she knew she was in trouble and caught red handed. She took off in a sprint to her dog bed in the corner of the bedroom, laying there like nothing happened. With that bloodhound innocent look like asking me "is something wrong"?

Words were not needed ... she knew.

I babygated the closet doors, shut the bedroom door and then went back outside to finish mowing the front yards. It had been one of those days where she didn't want to be outside and would bark until I would bring her back inside, so this time I left her inside.

I began thinking and wondering what she would do or get into if we were in an RV or trailer and I left all of the hounds inside the trailer while I was out hiking, mountain biking or grocery shopping? There would not be a room I could shut her up in if I had a trailer. Temperatures would determine if I could leave her in the FJ while shopping. In a motorhome I could gate her off into the back bedroom where she could still get into things.

This issue with her and me being gone has always been in the thought process, asking myself if she would ever be a good dog to RV with. Would this separation anxiety also determine what kind of RV I would buy?