dogs – Page 2 – Me and the Doods.com

Connection & Coincidence

I recently read an article that said the key factor that determines life satisfaction and health isn’t money or even achievement. It’s “warm connections with other people.” As a basic loner who got even more so after Covid, I knew I was in trouble.

ELBEE Sad but true.

**Greeting people at the wound care center**

To make matters worse, it was a years long study by a Harvard psychiatrist. On the bright side, he determined that even casual connections can have real benefits. That’s where the dogs come in. Thanks to them, I interact with more people in an hour than I might in a week.

For instance, a few days ago I had a wonderful conversation with a man at the gym who always seemed very nice but generally kept to himself. Somehow, we got onto the subject of dogs.

ELBEE Maybe because someone asked her in a loud voice “Aren’t you the crazy dog lady?”

He smiled when he heard that and quietly told me he volunteers at a shelter. I commented on how difficult that must be and thanked him for doing it. Then, of course, I shared about the Doods. What are the chances that his thesis was on the human/animal bond. To make it even crazier, he’d gone to school in Ithaca, just outside of Syracuse, my hometown.

As we chatted about New York, I mentioned that I was born in Liberty, a small town in the Catskill Mountains. Growing up, I’d spent summers there at my grandparents’ resort. I couldn’t believe it when he told me that he spent his summers in the Catskills too! His family stayed at Grossingers, only a few miles away. I still don’t know his name but we had a warm connection of nostalgic coincidence.

The ending of this post is kind of a P.S. that wrote itself. My husband Doug and I decided at the last minute to go to the gym last night at a very random time. Talk about coincidence. As we walked in, I saw the man I’d been writing about. He had been just as amazed about our conversation and had shared it with his girlfriend.

By the way, his name is Ian and his thesis was more specifically about animal assisted therapy, exactly what the Doods do.

On a totally different note, a belated happy birthday to Stanley who turned five in May and to Henry who turned two.

ELBEE Belated? Seriously?

What a Week!

On a quiet dog week, I sometimes have to find inspiration for my writing in random places like the saying on a packet of Truvia or a coyote walking near me in the mountains. My husband, trying to be nice, will say, “That’s good. You made something out of nothing.”

ELBEE Is that a compliment?

He’s still trying to figure out why Elbee comments in my posts.

ELBEE Excuse me. I’m the heart and soul of her blog.

The past several days have definitely not been quiet. The Doods have been busy, working their magic in different places and in different ways.

Last week, for instance, Gus and a few of his People Animal Connection colleagues visited a local high school that has had some recent tragic incidents. A counselor thought that the dogs would be a positive distraction.

They were more than a distraction. They changed the overall mood. It was like a party. There was laughter and there were lots of selfies.

Tuesday was a historic day in Dood world. Newly certified Henry had his first solo “gig.”

ELBEE “Historic” may be a little over the top.

In April, I took Gus to the Wasserman campus of the Motion Picture and Television Fund to cheer up some of the staff. The physical therapy department is closing so morale is low. He was such a hit, they requested another visit.

Henry’s only two and very large so I’ve been holding back, but Gus and Stanley needed a day off. Turns out, I was worried for nothing. He was so sweet and gentle with everyone.

ELBEE Not to mention, he put up with all of the accessories.

As part of nurse appreciation week, we went to the award ceremony for Resnick, our regular neuropsych units at UCLA. What made it particularly nice was having the chance to speak to people outside of the work setting. Several came over to share how much the PAC dogs improve everyone’s day.

Friday, after Gus spent the morning at Tarzana Hospital, I stopped at the Starbucks on the way to the parking lot.

ELBEE She can’t help herself.

As we walked in, a very fussy toddler saw Gus and almost immediately calmed down. His grateful mom brought the little boy over to pet him. He giggled when I had Gus wave and play peekaboo.

The mom was so happy, as we waited in line, she insisted on paying for my order. It was such a lovely gesture to end the week.

A Cautionary “Foxtale”

This spring, following all of the unusual rain, the Santa Monica mountains are spectacular. The bush sunflowers, the caterpillar phacelia, the sage and the mustard are carpeting the hills in vibrant colors.

ELBEE Is the mustard taller this year or is she getting shorter?

The mountains are truly my happy place, especially in bloom, but lately I have refrained from taking the dogs up there. Along with the flowers have come rattlesnakes, poison oak and foxtails, a seemingly innocuous plant that can cause so many problems.

Despite an abundance of caution and sticking to local streets, Stanley had a recent run in with a foxtail. It started with him licking his paw non-stop and ended with a visit to the vet.

After two hours of waiting with Stanley as a walk in, I had to leave him there so they could resolve the problem. After some probing and a light sedative to ease the pain, they found the offending foxtail.

I had a real pang of dog mom guilt when they handed it to me in a small bottle. I don’t know how I missed it, especially since Stanley is very dramatic and throws himself on the sidewalk when something is bothering him.

STANLEY How else am I going to tell her.

Even worse, he came home wearing one of those huge E-collars that look so uncomfortable and have them bumping into everything. Gus was very sympathetic. Henry, on the other hand, took one look at it, bolted across the room, and stared at Stanley from a safe distance.

Fortunately, in the closet where I keep all things dog-related, I had a Zen collar for Stanley. It’s cloth, much softer and more wearable than those hard plastic versions. As a matter of fact, Stanley looked so relaxed that I decided to join him.

ELBEE Oy!

Seriously, keep an eye out when you’re walking your dogs. Those foxtails are a menace hiding in plain sight.

A Fabulous Friday

On Friday, the day after Gus visited the Motion Picture Television Fund, he did his regular rounds at Tarzana Hospital.

STANLEY I don’t usually butt in but is she forgetting me? I worked wonders at UCLA.

ELBEE I feel his pain.

As soon as the security guards greeted him at the entrance, Gus was ready to go. There were fewer kids in isolation on pediatrics so he was able to do several individual room visits. The smiles and giggles were a pure gift.

Then we went floor to floor offering stress relief for the appreciative staff, many of whom we’ve known for years. I’ll never get tired of hearing, “This made my day.”

It was after we left the hospital that the fun began. Our first stop was Starbucks. Someone was genius enough to open one in the lobby of the medical building next to the hospital. How convenient that I can walk through there to reach my car.

At first I was hesitant to bring the dogs in, but seeing all of our hospital ID, they couldn’t have been nicer. Now they know Stanley and Gus by name. By the way, their mocha Frappuccino is the perfect pick me up after a busy morning of visits.

ELBEE I used to love their Puppuccinos.

While I was waiting for my order, a woman, seeing Gus, came over to say she’d met me and my dogs before. A few year earlier, she’d been a patient at Tarzana and I’d brought one or two in to see her. She was so sincere and appreciative as she shared how much it meant to her, we were both almost in tears.

Our last stop of the morning was at a pharmacy in a medical building on the other side of the parking lot. The two incredible women who run it are always happy to see the dogs.

As we were leaving, two men in scrubs, whom I later found out were doctors in the building, came running over to see Gus. They were huge dog lovers. One even had a tattoo on his arm of a beloved Schnauzer that had passed away. They were also very entertaining!

One of them sat down on a bench so that he could hold Gus in his lap. Then, not sure if it was his idea or mine, he ended up in Gus’s hat and Harry Potter glasses, a great compliment to Gus in his pink shades. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous morning.

It’s a Wacky World

All you have to do is look at the weather and the news to see how wacky the world has become. Some of my friends and I actually take “news breaks” to save our sanity.

I always try to write from a positive place but lately there’s been a lot of crazy going on. For instance, last Sunday, as he often does, my husband Doug stopped at a small local deli to pick up sandwiches. He was inside with several others, when a man outside became very menacing, ranting, raving and threatening people. Three men held the door closed as he tried to break in. The police had to be called to take him away.

Walking in the neighborhood with the Doods, I’ve noticed that lots of houses now have “beware of dog” signs, alarms and cameras. I totally get it, but there’s one that kind of bugs me. As you go by, you hear an unfriendly woman’s voice saying, “Hi, you are currently being recorded.” I never know whether to wave, dance or make an unfriendly gesture.

ELBEE She’s also afraid to go for a walk without hair and makeup in case she’s on camera.

This week, I was passing by a house with the annoying recording, when I noticed a sign on the gate that disturbed me even more. It read, “Forget the dog. Beware of the humans.” I might have thought they were trying to be funny if there wasn’t a drawing of the barrel of a gun pointed right at me.

On a lighter note, I saw a wacky blast from the past. A friend and I were sitting by the window of a coffee shop on busy Ventura Boulevard in Encino when we saw a bright pink Corvette drive by. It was the exact kind of car that Angelyne, a buxom blonde who was famous for being famous, drove in the eighties. She had billboards all over Los Angeles. An Angelyne sighting was an event.

ELBEE I think someone was jealous.

Walking to my car a short time later, I saw the Corvette pulled over to the curb. Curious, I peeked in and couldn’t believe that it was actually Angelyne! I googled her and found out that she is my fellow senior peep. Is it too late for me?

ELBEE Oy!

And while I’m on the subject of pink, I want to end on a positive, possibly wacky note. A house around the corner has a huge statue of a flamingo at the base of the driveway. What are the chances that a therapist we work with at UCLA would recently have given the dogs a flamingo headband for their accessory collection?

I couldn’t wait to take a photo. The only problem was that I don’t know these particular neighbors and I might have been trespassing.

ELBEE I hope they have cameras.

Love Knots

When I was leaving UCLA with Gus on Wednesday, Jen, the director of the People Animal Connection, asked me how the morning went. Without hesitation, I answered “great.”

Considering that we had spent our time in Resnick neuropsych with several groups of patients, some severely disturbed, you might not think that would be the first adjective to jump to mind, but it truly was. The overall mood had lifted as soon as Gus bounced in.

I’m not saying that every interaction was perfect. A few patients sat a little distance away and didn’t initially engage. Still, I’d see them watching and sometimes they’d move closer to our circle on the floor.

Relaxing as they petted Gus, the patients shared stories about their own dogs. There was easy conversation as they rubbed his head. There were lots of smiles and a bit of applause as Gus did a few simple tricks. When I brought out his accessories, the smiles turned to laughter.

When it was time to leave each unit there were gentle good-bye hugs for Gus. More than one patient tried to convince me to leave him there. They promised to take care of him if I’d let him stay.

ELBEE No one asked her to stay.

A big part of successful visits is that the dogs love attention and know how to get it. It’s no secret that I’ve turned them all into total divas.

It begins at the groomer. They have to be bathed more frequently to go into the hospital and have come to regard the groomer as their home away from home. They run in the front door as if it’s a day spa.

Jen, the groomer to my pack of divas, has an assistant who adds that extra special note of affection they crave. It’s her adorable four year old daughter Anne. She has been around the Doods for as long as I can remember and has always been comfortable with them. Now she helps take care of them and keeps them company when they’re waiting to be picked up.

On the actual subject of grooming, last time I was there I asked Jen why Gus and Stanley seemed to have excessive matting, particularly on their necks and behind their ears even though I brush them constantly.

Her answer surprised me and touched my heart. Without hesitation she told me that it was from so many people in the hospital rubbing their heads, cuddling and hugging them. Then she smiled and said, “We call them love knots.”

A Break in the Clouds

This week I was planning to write a sweet, positive post but then everything went sideways again.

ELBEE Apparently she didn’t get the memo about a historic storm on the way.

It started raining Thursday night. The dogs had been walked and we were all snug at home so it was pretty cozy. It kept raining on Friday. Then the wind picked up and it looked like a hurricane. Tree branches were coming down everywhere.

Friday night at around 11:00 the power went out not to return again until Saturday at midnight. Oh, and in the midst of it all, I came down with a cold, first one in years. Good news is that it wasn’t Covid.

ELBEE She should have called this post “Whining.”

The dogs were the best therapy. They followed us from room to room. They curled up at our feet. At one point Stanley lay down next to me on the bed and gently rested his head on my chest.

There were only two problems with the dogs. The first was that they got soaked every time we took them out. We went through so many towels and had no way to dry them. My friend Mary, realizing the towel issue, even offered to drop off some extras.

The second issue was that, being part Poodle, the Doods barely shed but they do get knots in their hair if you don’t brush them out. I was their personal hair and makeup person.

ELBEE There was no makeup involved although it wouldn’t have hurt.

During breaks in the rain it was so clean and beautiful outside, it seemed the perfect time to take photos of the dogs.

ELBEE Told you she should have done makeup.

It’s also been very cold while all of this weather has been happening. I’ve been taking out warm clothes that I rarely get to wear. The only problem is that I still have the cast and bandage on my broken finger so it’s hard to fit into a lot of sleeves.

ELBEE Oy!

On the bright side, it led me to the back of my closet to find a very warm, very fabulous coat with wide sleeves. It was from my eighties glory days.

ELBEE There is a fine line between fabulous and frightening.

A Time for Love

With Valentines Day this past week, it was the perfect time for the Doods to be sharing their dog love. For me, there was also a note of nostalgia as I found old holiday photos of Charley and Elbee with “baby’ Gus.

ELBEE I looked strangely fabulous and ridiculous.

On Tuesday, Gus joined the canine cupids at UCLA. Several dogs, plus Blue Moon, a miniature horse, brought the holiday to the hospital. Dressed in festive attire, they delivered homemade cards, gifts and candy to patients and staff.

ELBEE Guess who helped herself to some of the candy.

The morning began with lots of chaos. Dogs and people were excitedly greeting each other outside of the hospital. There was a kissing booth. There were photographers.

ELBEE I don’t know how they ever got that photo.

The real magic of the morning began when we went up to pediatrics. Some of the dogs quietly visited with grateful staff. Others went into the rooms to cheer up young patients and their families. Everyone loved the festive cards and the gifts, but the dogs were the true valentines.

The next day Stanley did his regular visits at Resnick neuropsych. I’m always amazed at how quickly the mood lifts when the dogs walk in. What struck me on Wednesday was how much more the patients were interacting with each other while they were interacting with Stanley. In one of †he adult units, it led to a very positive group discussion.

ELBEE Don’t worry. The therapists keep an eye on her.

On Friday, Gus did double duty. He started the day at Tarzana Hospital. For the first time in weeks there were several pediatric patients who were not in isolation, so, to everyone’s delight, he was able to do bed visits.

Tired as he was when we left, Gus had one more job to before he could go home and rest. I was going to the wound care center to have my husband rewrap my broken finger and I needed a therapy dog.

It was a win/win. First, Gus kept an eye on my husband while he was working on my hand. Then he got lots of attention and love from the wonderful staff. I have found there is something about having a sweet dog with you that makes everyday seem like Valentines Day.

Hearts & Breaks

ELBEE I came up with that brilliant title. You’ll see.

This week, with Valentine’s Day coming up, and the dogs sharing so much love, I thought I knew what I was going to write about. I was further inspired by positive messages in the universe. I heard someone say that “harmony is different notes coming together to make things more beautiful.” I read an article that said “life satisfaction is dependent on warm connections with other people.”

ELBEE She thought her post would be a no-brainer.

Then everything went sideways. I was on a morning walk with Stanley and Henry enjoying the perfect weather. We greeted lots of people and even a few dogs. Then from a distance I saw a woman heading towards us with a tiny dog.

Generally, someone with a dog that size will pick it up if they think it may have an issue with two dogs, even friendly ones, who look like Yetis. The dog seemed okay until she got closer. Then out came a loud, high-pitched bark that only tiny dogs seem to be able to do.

ELBEE She was a soprano but not a good one. She will not be on AGT.

Stanley and Henry, assuming she wanted to play, began jumping around like goofballs. It was like two kids seeing who could get more attention.

STANLEY & HENRY Excuse us for being social.

Even the woman’s husband, who came up a minute later, said he could see how much they wanted to play. Still, I decided it was better to grab them and move on. That’s when it happened, I’m not sure how, but suddenly the back of my left ring finger felt weird. For the record I didn’t fall.

ELBEE Hey, old people fall.

As I was heading back to the car, with the dogs walking perfectly by my side, as if they knew, my finger swelled up and turned purple. To make a long story short, it’s broken, and apparently not the good kind of break.

ELBEE There’s a good kind of break?

On the bright side, I’m right handed (although I never realized how much I do with my left hand, like type), and it will heal with time. I also have three therapy dogs on call.

A Toast to Henry!

For some time now, friends who have met Henry and fallen for his charms, have been urging me to test him. Passing the Pet Partners certification would make him an official therapy dog. With a little extra training he could join his brothers working at the hospital.

ELBEE About time he got a job.

I’m not sure why I’ve been so hesitant. Maybe it’s because my journey with the dogs has been such a life-changing gift. I really want Henry to be ready when he walks into the hospital by my side.

It’s hard to believe that it began in 2006 with Charley, my first gentle giant. Thinking back over the years, there are countless memories that I am privileged to have even though some are difficult.

Charley was the source of comfort for a young schizophrenic girl whom he visited regularly in the neuropsych units at UCLA. After one extremely difficult encounter, when she had actually tried to kick him, she wrapped her arms around him and said “I’m sorry Charley. I love you.” Elbee reached another very disturbed young girl. When we arrived she was out of control, yelling and banging her head on the wall. Through the miracle of Elbee therapy she went from crying to kneeling on the floor teaching him how to do a trick.

Recently Stanley amazed me in the teen unit. As we were walking in, a few of the staff warned us that the group was very depressed. Looking in through the window, I could see what they meant. Within minutes, Stanley was sprawled in their laps on the floor getting belly rubs. Every single one was smiling.

Last week, as we were leaving, a staff member shared a very special story about Gus. A young woman who loved Gus was carrying his trading card with her everywhere. She didn’t want to let go of it for a minute. When they put Gus’s picture in a little frame for her, they had to make a copy so that she could keep his card close.

Now back to Henry.

ELBEE It’s about time.

Last week, I decided to go for it. I should mention that even though I have done the test more than a dozen times (the dogs have to recertify every two years) I still get nervous.

ELBEE She should also mention that we get scored separately and I’m sure I beat her.

Henry seemed at ease as we went through the process. He enjoyed the attention and he really liked the two volunteers who were assisting. I was so happy we’d done it. His story was about to begin.

There was one glitch on our way out. Joe Bruin, the huge UCLA mascot, was greeting everyone in the lobby. Henry, who had never seen anything close to that, would not even get near enough for a photo. Hopefully we won’t be running into him on our rounds.