Wednesday, June 30, 2010

New patio furniture!

Today was an exciting day. We had Tara from Bark Buster over again. We needed a reminder lesson, because Denny is so stubborn, and is making Happy all anxious with his yapping, and biting. We didn't do all the exercises we should have, sometimes it's just not possible, and our daily routine was disrupted as well, and you notice when something's up when one or two pups start gnawing the base board of the stairs.
The other day Denny yapped for an hour before settling down, and by that time, we all were ready to tear our hair out, Happy was howling in frustration.

We stood for about 15 minutes when Tara got here, after we let Denny out of the crate. He wanted to jump up on her, and greet her and be petted etc. get as much attention as possible, while Happy was getting unhappy and was running up and down the stairs. We couldn't even talk because Denny was so loud. Anyway, patience is what we need, and less attention is what Denny needs. He's very pushy, and before you realize it, you do what he wants you to do.

We called her to help us with walking him. He's still pulling like crazy and getting stronger. Happy walks wonderfully, since the first day Tara came and helped us with him. It's a pleasure to walk him now.

We didn't get out of the driveway for a long time with Denny though. Every time he passed us, we would change direction. Of course that was nothing new to us, but what we didn't realize, while doing this, it was attention training for Denny. At the end of a long hour, he was trotting behind us, lovely as a lamb, while chewing on a pine cone, like it was some chewing tobacco. He was really pooped once we were done.

He's very destructive too, so he's not getting any freedom in the house. Either he'll be in the crate, or on the leash with me or my son. They both can run as much as they like, every time we go out in the backyard, and we have to work on our walks, so that we get further then the end of the driveway.
I actually made it to the mailbox with him, which is down the road.

The other exciting thing was the delivery of our new patio furniture!

new patio furniture for our deck-6

We went to look at patio furniture last week. It's all the same style everywhere. I liked the chairs with the green stripes, but they were last years models, and they could scare up only two intact chairs, from all the different stores. At first he didn't really want to sell them, but I insisted I liked them the most. We did want four chairs though, so we got the other two, not the exact style, but I didn't care, as long as I got my green ones. The other two are beige! There were no other colors this year, how boring!
I loved the umbrella as soon as I saw it. What a lovely warm green it is!

new patio furniture for our deck-4

We didn't have a BBQ for the last five years at least. This year we decided that we'd like to have one, and it will come in handy, when we don't have a kitchen during August/September renovations in the house. We don't know how to grill really, so we bought some samples in the store and threw them on the grill. I like it because there are no pans to wash, and it's fast and smells good.
Happy got a whiff of it, and licked his chops in anticipation! He did get a mushroom, and some chicken later, after we were done. He played with the mushroom for a while, before he ate it. I don't think it's his favorite food. :o)

new patio furniture for our deck-9

The pups patio furniture is not unlike ours, and both use it as much as possible.

June 27-26

It was also a good mail day. I've got my raffle prizes! It's some Wollmeise yarn in the colorway "Taube". It's lovely. And a project bag from the yarn floozies. I'm thrilled with my prizes! :o)
raffle prize

O.K. off I go, sitting on my new deck, enjoying a lovely evening, and after that a walk in our driveway! ;o)

***

17 comments:

Freyalyn said...

Denny is going to be so rewarding once you get his little world-domination thing sorted. Love Happy's choplicking. And Wollmeiser - wow. lucky you.

Frieda said...

The new deck is spectacular , you've got so much room ! We love our BBQ , can't imagine summmer meals without one . Enjoy !

Anonymous said...

Oh that patio looks so lovely. I'll be right over with my sock knitting! I'm sure the dogs will like me since I smell like bunnies. :)

Nanette said...

Oh that patio looks so lovely. I could spend so much time out there knitting. I love that the dogs even have their own patio furniture!

CelticCastOn said...

ohhh Mr. Denny, I hope he gets calmed down a bit so you can enjoy your walks.
Love your striped chairs and green umbrella, perrrfect! You`ll be a grilling queen by the end of summer.

Laurie said...

Denny sounds like he has some doggyboy adolescence going on. I'm sure you'll get it worked out. In the meantime, love the darling pictures. :-)

Beverly said...

Once you get started bbq'ing it can become addictive. I love grilling out in the summer and early fall.

Wonderful prizes. Love the Wollmeise.

Herta Haunschmid /quer durchs leben said...

hallo Monika!
auf deiner Terrasse ist es zum aushalten,genügend Platz zum Grillen und unter so einemgroßen Sonnenschirm ist es bestimmt ngenehm zum Handarbeiten.
liebe Grüße aus Österreich
Herta

Kathy... said...

LOVE your new patio..... what a great place to sit and knit - and watch the pups play of course!

MiA said...

Oh my! VERY nice furniture!! We need an umbrella too - the sun is hot now!

2paw said...

It's good that, eventually, you are able to be The Leader, instead of Denny. The trainer must be very good!! How wonderful that Happy is such a good and clever boy!! I love their furniture and yours too. What a pain that they didn't have 4 green chairs, but I like the combination of the two colours and the wonderful umbrella!

Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog: said...

I'm going through much the same here with my little guy, so you are not alone :)

I love your new patio furniture!!!! I would never have noticed the fabric difference if you hadn't pointed it out. Really nice match.

Your BBQ looks wonderful. I've love chicken kabobs and find that adding red onion helps keep the meat moist.

La Cabeza Grande said...

I'm with you on the green-stripey love! What a beautiful deck and backyard area!

Here's hoping that Denny will settle down and pay heed to his training.

Virginia G said...

I probably shouldn't put this bug in your ear (so to speak) but in the book "Knitting in the Sun" there's a pattern for a knitted beach chair...

you could probably do the same thing for your patio furniture.

Love the color of that umbrella! Looks gorgeous.

Anonymous said...

Looks like a great place to site - enjoy!
margieinmaryland

Michelle said...

It seems like I say "poor Happy" a lot. It sounds like Denny has some good potential and I totally get the not always having time to reinforce training thing. Looks like you're all ready for a summer out on the patio!

Walden said...

The patio furniture looks great as well as the deck!