Flower aka Poophead Princess
I wonder what a morning would be like without Flower raising a ruckus? She wouldn’t stop barking at John this morning.
To mix things up a little, I decided to feed the girls their food in front of their couch. They are very comfortable eating outside now, but I need to make them comfortable inside, around John, and need to get Flower to quit barking, which makes the others uneasy.
They all came up to their bowls and began to eat without a problem, but Flower kept looking around nervously. She eventually ate, so the others did top.
I love my little Wild Flower, but I am definitely losing patience with the little psycho baby/control freak. Beyond the barking issue, she has to really want your attention to accept it. I went to cup her face in my hands this morning, which I often do, and she bolted out of the pen like her tail was on fire. Less than thirty seconds later, she was back, as if to say, “Oops. I overreacted, but just don’t get so close.”
My new nickname for her is the Poophead Princess, although it should be stronger, like Shih Tzu Head Princess.
Mom’s In a Mood
I had “elegant egg salad” (egg salad with big pieces of eggs) for lunch and decided to give the dogs some. I hand-fed Flower, Dottie and Shiloh some, and they loved it, but as usual, Candy held back timidly, so her sisters ate any intended for her.
I decided to put a little in each of their bowls. I set Shiloh’s in the kitchen and the girls in the living room, up near the dining table. Flower and Dottie went to eat theirs, while Candy was deciding if it was safe. Then, Shiloh rushed in and decided he’d eat Candy’s. I got irritated, since this is a habit, picked him up abruptly, said it wasn’t his food, rather loudly, and sat him down on the rocking chair. Candy flew under the table, and Flower followed her. I finally got Flower to come back out. The tension didn’t seem to affect Dottie.
I had placed a dog gate in front of the table to make it harder for Candy to hide under it, but she had found the opening. After the Shiloh incident, I ended up putting her bowl on the other side of the gate, with her, so she would be comfortable eating. I figured if she was that stressed, I’d let her stay there for now, as Flower (and Shiloh) are the worst problems, and not her shyness or insecurities.
Egg on Your Face
After Flower ate, she had egg salad on her face, so I got a pet wipe, hoping I could get close enough to clean up her already usually scruffy face. Not a chance.
I followed her into Shih Tzu Central and attempted to gently put the cloth near her face, but she jumped back and forth, eluding me. When I tried to catch her and hold her, she acted like she wanted to nip at me. I gave up, exasperated.
Later, I caught her chewing on the vacuum cleaner knob. I really need to find some nice, hard, plastic toys suitable for dogs with plastic fetishes.
Flower avoided me for a few hours after the egg salad incident, but decided later to come back around. First, she lay down on the carpet in the vicinity of my feet. She visited their corner for a while and then decided it was time to hop up on the couch and see what Dottie and I were up to.
Flower sat there for a while, staring at me while I petted her. When I stopped, she deciding to lie down.
Candy’s Home Under the Table
Candy spent much of the day under the table. When she decided to come out, she grabbed one of the stuffed animals I got the other day off the floor. She initially stopped on the carpet with it, then started to go back to Shih Tzu Central, but instead, ran back under the table with it.
She stayed there for quite a while before deciding to join the others back in their corner.
Usually once or twice in the afternoon, the dogs communicate somehow with each other that it is time to rush out of Shih Tzu Central. Sometimes I know what pushes their buttons, like the Magic Mesh commercial, but today I don’t know what caused it.
I had my small camera next to me and decided to try to catch their antics on video, so I picked it up and hit record. Shiloh got a little carried away and knocked it out of my hand. Oh well. One day I’ll get them on video.
Head Stomping and Hell Raising
Flower usually checks to see where Dottie is on the couch before getting up, but I don’t know why. She still aims her jump at one spot. Today, that spot was where Dottie’s head was. It amazes me how resilient dogs seem to be. Dottie didn’t even flinch.
Flower raised hell again when John got home. Heaven knows what makes her that way. When we went outside to give them their treats, she tore through the garden, jumped up onto the porch, rushed back down, then back up, bumping into things along the way, until she wore herself out. Sigh. And worse, my camera was inside.
The funny thing is that the entire time, John never said a word. He did, however, get up and walk towards her several times, which fired her up even more, until she eventually calmed down.
Poor Dottie didn’t know what to do, so she ran wherever Flower ran, always a little behind. Candy just tried to stay in the background, out of the way.
Dottie, Candy and I ran upstairs to get Mom and that Man out of bed, because they’re being lazy again. Mom was holding that little box again, which kept shining a bright light at us and making clicking noises. That was weird because she usually does that downstairs. She must have carried it upstairs with her last night.
We finally got to go outside and eat! That is always so exciting. Mom brought this round thing outside afterwards and threw it, asking us to “fetch,” whatever that means. Dottie and I weren’t interested, but Candy chased it, grabbed it, carried it a little way and then dropped it. I wonder if that is fetching?
the table where bad things happen 
Later, Mom gave us this flat, white thing that was fun to chew on. She said it was something called a Flip. It didn’t have much taste, but it was fun.
Still, I don’t trust him! Or any man! In fact, I don’t trust anyone, except I trust Mom just a little. While I was running away from that Man, I couldn’t help it. I did number two on the floor. Well, it’s his fault. I heard Mom say that I need a counselor. Is that true?
