We Have Liftoff!
We just had our first bark, and Lily is not a yippy dog! It was an actual bark.
Thank FSM.
I was just sitting on the front porch waiting for the rain, and I’ve been bringing her out on the porch sans leash to sit with me, and someone she had never met approached and we got a quick “woof.”
Awesome.
June 16, 2009 7:42 pm
Posted in: Dog Blogging
91 Comments
91 Responses
chopper - June 16, 2009 | 7:45 pm · Link
a “barl”?
Linkmeister - June 16, 2009 | 7:47 pm · Link
Better a barl than a burl, I always say.
Whatever it sounded like, good for the pooch!
Zuzu's Petals - June 16, 2009 | 7:47 pm · Link
Whoo hoo! All systems go! And a watchdog to boot.
‘Course now we’d like some video please. :-)
shelley matheis - June 16, 2009 | 7:48 pm · Link
Huzzah! She’s staked her claim.
bystander - June 16, 2009 | 7:48 pm · Link
Defending you and her turf is she? Then, she has – in her mind – moved in. For good.
smiley - June 16, 2009 | 7:49 pm · Link
Cool. Though it might grow to a frequency you would not prefer. My parent’s rescue dog didn’t bark or even wag his tail for nearly a year. Now, they get complaints from the neighbors about the barking. Hope that doesn’t happen to you and Lily.
Litlebritdifrnt - June 16, 2009 | 7:51 pm · Link
That wasn’t just a bark, that was a resounding “who are you? this is my house and my master and my cat and I am putting you on notice this is my territory!” Sigh (again) Lily is home and she knows it. I am going to go away and cry buckets again. (BTW don’t forget the play bow).
Anne Laurie - June 16, 2009 | 7:53 pm · Link
Since our dogs say “BarOOOOO!” in the sort of circumstances where their human companions tend towards, “Jaysus Haitch Chroist Onna Cracker!”... we have decided that Baroo is the God of Small Dogs. Presumably Lily belongs to the New Reformed Church of BARL...
Laura W - June 16, 2009 | 7:53 pm · Link
Word.
Comrade Stuck - June 16, 2009 | 7:55 pm · Link
Flying Spaghetti Monster is real.
Max - June 16, 2009 | 7:58 pm · Link
Congrats! My dog is not barky, but I always shed a tear of pride when he barks or growls in the right situation.
I especially love how when we’re out walking or whatever, if anyone approaches me, he stands sideways across me, blocking me from the stranger.
My father used to say that dogs form a closer connection to humans of the opposite sex. His female St Bernard was fiercely protective of him.
Annie - June 16, 2009 | 7:58 pm · Link
congratulations dad!
what’s happening with her and tunch????
ps. he still has my heart
tinat - June 16, 2009 | 8:01 pm · Link
Wow, another milestone, I can’t wait til her first day of school, and when she graduates it’s party time!
Your girl is growing up so fast.
GeneJockey - June 16, 2009 | 8:02 pm · Link
That’s great!
Our Greyhound took a while, but now she’ll bark. Not much, and not often, luckily.
Keith G - June 16, 2009 | 8:02 pm · Link
“Stand by your man
Let out a woof to claim him”
Sorry, I havent channeled Tammy for a while. Back to work.
smiley - June 16, 2009 | 8:02 pm · Link
@Litlebritdifrnt:
The joke that many people make about naming rescue dogs is that it should be named Lucky. My parents almost did that but chose another name. Lily the Lucky? Sounds good to me.
geg6 - June 16, 2009 | 8:03 pm · Link
And Lily now knows she’s home and who her Alpha is. Damn you, Cole. All you do is make me cry lately. But in a good way.
Death By Mosquito Truck - June 16, 2009 | 8:03 pm · Link
Oh God, John. I have tears of happiness in my heart. When I think back a few short hundred hours or so ago when she didn’t have anything to bark for and compare her to the one bark wonder she is now, I feel like barking myself in solidarity with her. No, howling.
demkat620 - June 16, 2009 | 8:03 pm · Link
That’s great John! She’s decided you are worth keeping.
John Cole - June 16, 2009 | 8:04 pm · Link
@Annie: Tunch is freshly furminated, then got a vigorous petting and some serious skritching, and as I type this he is currently biting the hand that feeds him. Fear not about Tunch- if I had not loved him so much I would never have even thought about getting a dog.
MikeJ - June 16, 2009 | 8:05 pm · Link
Cole now obviously needs a pet mouse to complete the comedy triad.
Comrade Stuck - June 16, 2009 | 8:09 pm · Link
.
Jeeze Cole, an encore saving Bambi and you might get a spot on the Ed Sullivan Show, if he weren’t dead as Julius Cesaer.
smiley - June 16, 2009 | 8:12 pm · Link
@MikeJ: I’d love to see a Fancy Rat introduced into the J. Cole household.
AhabTRuler - June 16, 2009 | 8:12 pm · Link
Well, maybe not, but what man doesn’t want to leave a string of crying women in his path?
Hmm, perhaps I should find another way of saying that.
@John Cole:
Thank FSM.You should love the bark that your dog has, not the one you’d like it to have.
I mean, who do you think you are, my mother?
Cat Lady - June 16, 2009 | 8:13 pm · Link
@John Cole:
You’re a good man John Cole. The FSM desires that you dedicate the merit of your auspicious karma to all sentient beings, so that all may be as happy.
w00t!
Concerned Citizen - June 16, 2009 | 8:15 pm · Link
She’s just getting warmed up. Expect much more conversation in the future. Pounds dogs take awhile, but eventually their true colors come out (As long as you’re not Michael Vick).
robertdsc - June 16, 2009 | 8:15 pm · Link
Love it. And Lils, too. Good on you, man.
Comrade Stuck - June 16, 2009 | 8:16 pm · Link
@AhabTRuler:
I left a few to a string of snickers, OK! they left me.
Laura W - June 16, 2009 | 8:16 pm · Link
@Death By Mosquito Truck:
171.5
South of I-10 - June 16, 2009 | 8:18 pm · Link
Good for Lily! I am watching tiny kitty play with my dog, who is so good. She and tiny kitty are taking turns chasing each other. Poor Hannah just got a full on tiny cat tail assault. This may be the first thing that has made me smile all day (though I think the wine is helping).
Death By Mosquito Truck - June 16, 2009 | 8:18 pm · Link
My dog barks if anyone tries to use the street out front without a car.
Laura W - June 16, 2009 | 8:20 pm · Link
@MikeJ: I was thinking bird, no? A very loud, constantly yammering, squawking, chattering, blathering sort of bird.
Cat Lady - June 16, 2009 | 8:22 pm · Link
@ John Cole: BTW, aren’t porches so much better than decks? Decks are for kids.
donnah - June 16, 2009 | 8:23 pm · Link
We adopted a shelter dog eight years ago and brought her home to two established cats. The dog never barked when we were getting to know her at the shelter, she never barked in the car (too busy puking, I guess) and she didn’t bark when we stopped by my parent’s house to introduce her.
Imagine our glee when we opened the front door of our house, led her in, and waited to see her reaction to our cat. The dog froze, raised her head like a coyote and bayed “Woo woo woo” at the top of her doggy voice.
It sure felt great. Congrats on the milestone!
Annie - June 16, 2009 | 8:23 pm · Link
You are awesome
Keep the Lily and Tunch stories coming. They make my day. And, I think I also am going to cry….
John Cole - June 16, 2009 | 8:26 pm · Link
You guys do cry an awful lot.
I think the last time I cried was when Bubba died in Forrest Gump. The hurt was deep.
Laura W - June 16, 2009 | 8:27 pm · Link
@John Cole: I was just about to post that I think crying is the new green.
I feel horrible. I have no urge to cry over Lily. I just feel happy. And I’m wearing black. So I just totally suck in all ways.
Krista - June 16, 2009 | 8:31 pm · Link
Awww…so glad to hear that Lily found her voice. And I’m interpreting it the same way as the others: she knows that that’s her home and that you’re her person. I’d say she feels very safe and secure and happy.
And I’m also glad to hear that Tunch is still giving you attitude—he’s a fine kitty.
Funny, it’s like Tunch and Lily represent two different aspects of your personality: the cantankerous yet thoughtful side, and the goofy, playful side. No wonder you do so well with them: you recognize yourself in them, and they in you, most likely.
John Cole - June 16, 2009 | 8:32 pm · Link
Actually, I think I lied. I misted up when the Steelers won the Super Bowl, but in a very manly way, and only briefly. General JC Christian Patriot would have approved, I’m sure.
Herb question- I’ve been collecting herbs for the week every Sunday, washing them, and then wrapping them in moist paper towels and storing them all in tupperware. Is there a better way?
mary - June 16, 2009 | 8:32 pm · Link
@Max: If this is true, then I can never get a male dog. Considering my little female literally follows me everywhere (seriously, she follows me into the bathroom and stares at me while I’m showering) I don’t think I can handle any more devotion.
Death By Mosquito Truck - June 16, 2009 | 8:34 pm · Link
@John Cole: The closest I came was during Radio Flyer. I punched a hole in a wall, then laughed hysterically for a few minutes. Crisis averted.
Comrade Stuck - June 16, 2009 | 8:36 pm · Link
He only needs a pet Badger to be complete.
Krista - June 16, 2009 | 8:36 pm · Link
I don’t know what everybody else’s excuse is. I blame the hormones.
Hell, I sobbed when the husband made me a grilled cheese sandwich and tweaked it by putting a different kind of cheese in it, but wouldn’t tell me what kind until I tasted it.
Davebubba - June 16, 2009 | 8:36 pm · Link
So when will Lily make her debut on ihasahotdog?
Srsly congrats on the breakthrough!
John Cole - June 16, 2009 | 8:39 pm · Link
Guess we’ll file this under family values.
AhabTRuler - June 16, 2009 | 8:40 pm · Link
Snake! It’s a snake…
mary - June 16, 2009 | 8:43 pm · Link
@Concerned Citizen:
Actually, the Vick dogs are doing splendidly!
http://vickdogsblog.blogspot.com/
Comrade Stuck - June 16, 2009 | 8:47 pm · Link
This always brings a tear. So unfair.
coffeegirl - June 16, 2009 | 8:49 pm · Link
what is it with Nevada Republicants?
Ensign admits it at least. Governor Gibbons? Still hiding from admitting his extramarital affair…. Sheesh.
Origuy - June 16, 2009 | 8:50 pm · Link
@Laura W: A small yellow Tweety Bird!
Comrade Stuck - June 16, 2009 | 8:51 pm · Link
@coffeegirl:
Ensign deserves a break for not involving diapers.
Litlebritdifrnt - June 16, 2009 | 8:56 pm · Link
@John Cole:
chop them finely, freeze in water in ice cube trays, then store in zip lock bags, last forever, when you have a need for an herb in a dish take out an ice cube (or two). Just adjust the cooking times etc., for the time that the ice will delay the cooking while melting.
Rochelle Lesser - June 16, 2009 | 8:58 pm · Link
Senator Ensign has always been a ladies man . . . but in a doggy style kind of way :)
I even have the photo to prove it.
http://landofpuregold.wordpres.....adies-man/
Litlebritdifrnt - June 16, 2009 | 9:02 pm · Link
@Krista:
My excuse is menopause, well that and the wine, obviously.
John O - June 16, 2009 | 9:04 pm · Link
Right on.
Big step. Kudos to you both! Next, you hope she attacks the intruder, or more precisely, makes the “intruder” think they might be attacked, so only in a way to keep you safe and give you time to get a grip on her—which I doubt will take long. Picture a baseball fight.
You’re a good man, John Cole.
JL - June 16, 2009 | 9:04 pm · Link
@John Cole: Bring a tissue when you go to see UP. Dug is a cool!
Laura W - June 16, 2009 | 9:07 pm · Link
@Litlebritdifrnt: Do you know why my blueberries are ripening already when the blackberries have not even begun to fully form and darken?
It is totally back asswards from last year, and the year before, when I had no blueberries at all. I didn’t get the blues till late July, early August, last year.
This baffles me, but tomorrow after the walk, I will be down there in the blueberry grove twisting off the ripe ones, you betcha.
Litlebritdifrnt - June 16, 2009 | 9:14 pm · Link
@mary: now why the hell did you have to post that? I am now merrily blubbering like a baby. Thanks!
shelley matheis - June 16, 2009 | 9:17 pm · Link
Herbs? If you’re gonna use them within the week, you can set them in a glass or little mason jar of water, same as a bouquet of flowers. Not in the fridge and not in direct sunlight.
Your tupperware method in the fridge, Either stripped or left on the stem, I’d make sure they were thoroughly dried. Do you have a salad spinner?
The ice cube method posted above is excellent for long time storage. I’ve also done the ice cube tray method with olive oil instead of water for herbs like basil, parsley and sage.
And of course there’s always drying. Having bunches of herbs hanging up in your kitchen and you feel like youre in a medieval still room.
Delia - June 16, 2009 | 9:22 pm · Link
According to Josh Marshall’s site Ensign confessed because his ex-lover’s ex-husband was trying to blackmail him. Oh yeah, and he’s a member of Promise Keepers.
I’m very happy for Lily’s latest step forward. I’m so glad dogs don’t follow the news.
Litlebritdifrnt - June 16, 2009 | 9:22 pm · Link
@Laura W:
Could be all sorts of things, not least a weird winter (like we have alot around here) where we have seriously high temperatures in December and then all of a sudden it freezes in January. I have never had any luck with blueberries (tried once – failed, gave up) but just down the road from my house is a massive blueberry farm (Newberries Blueberries) so obviously they can be grown around here.
bvac - June 16, 2009 | 9:22 pm · Link
When I first saw Mira I thought she’d be a yip yap dog: http://www.flickr.com/photos/b.....524068206/
Fortunately the only thing that squeaks is her toys: http://www.flickr.com/photos/b.....401699642/
Litlebritdifrnt - June 16, 2009 | 9:26 pm · Link
@shelley matheis:
I constantly have mint, chocolate mint and lemon balm hanging in bunches in my kitchen drying, and you are right it seems like it is an old world kitchen at times.
Laura W - June 16, 2009 | 9:27 pm · Link
@Delia:
So sweet and rich it’s giving me (stomach) cramps.
Betsy - June 16, 2009 | 9:29 pm · Link
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Oh heaven above, I love chocolate mint. I had a roommate grow it in her window in college, and I’ve never encountered it anywhere else.
rachel - June 16, 2009 | 9:30 pm · Link
@John Cole: What works for me is standing the herbs in a cup so that their stem ends (but not their leaves) are under water, wrapping the cup and herbs in plastic and then putting the whole thing in the fridge. Parsley lasts about a week this way, cilantro for a bit less.
This is also how I keep my celery fresh.
Betsy - June 16, 2009 | 9:32 pm · Link
Oh, and yay Lily!! You are obviously a gifted pet caretaker, John.
CaseyL - June 16, 2009 | 9:43 pm · Link
It’s like the first time a human toddler poops in the potty, isn’t it? You lavish on the praise while also hoping there’s not going to be, y’know, too much of what it is you’re so ecstatic about.
At some point – on her first year anniversary with you, perhaps – you might want to compile all these Lily posts, along with photos and whatnot, and publish them. Suggested title: “Blooming Lily.”
People [and by ‘people’ I mean, ‘softhearted saps such as all of us here at BJ] have a bottomless appetite for animal stories that a) make them cry; and b) have a happy ending.
Delia - June 16, 2009 | 9:52 pm · Link
@CaseyL:
That’s a great idea. I have cried at dog and cat stories since I was a small child and I expect I will do so to my dying day. I’m now checking BJ several times a day for Lily updates. It’s kind of sad, really.
HRA - June 16, 2009 | 10:02 pm · Link
Love to read about Tunch and all the commentaries brought forth. Now it’s Lily’s progress I find interesting to read and of course, read everyone’s comments.
I will confess one way I always measured a person (male)was how they treated a pet. No tears here. Congratulations for reaching the next step in making Lily welcome.
I do grow herbs every year. I hang them upside down across my kitchen windows to dry after I have tied them with yarn. From my own experience, it makes the kitchen look French country in design and fragrant, too.
Betsy - June 16, 2009 | 10:10 pm · Link
@HRA:
Pets and waiters/waitresses. Basically anything/anyone with less power than you. (And I apply it to both men and women). If you don’t look your server in the eye and say please and thank you (and of course leave a decent tip), I have very little respect for you.
gex - June 16, 2009 | 10:18 pm · Link
I can’t help but be touched by Lily’s progress. I can’t believe it has happened so quickly. She seemed so damaged at the start. It’s a thing of beauty – you and Tunch taking in this dog and rehabilitating her. I can’t believe you’re all not crying.
Mike - June 16, 2009 | 10:22 pm · Link
I like the dog posts, but, seriously, this much crying? White people are crazy about dogs.
P.S. I cried at the end of Gran Turino.
SiubhanDuinne - June 16, 2009 | 10:31 pm · Link
@ Betsy / 71
Word on how people treat waitstaff. And not only looking them in the eye and learning their face, but make a little effort and address them, or at least thank them, by name. Most waitstaff introduce themselves or the name is on the bill or something. Most checkout personnel wear name badges. I always try to use the person’s name, and you wouldn’t believe how happy it makes them! (And of course, as you say, a decent tip when a tip is appropriate.)
Betsy - June 16, 2009 | 10:34 pm · Link
@SiubhanDuinne:
Oh, that’s so interesting! I almost never call waitstaff or checkout people by the names on their tags because i feel like it’s an unequal relationship and can come across as condescending. I don’t know them, they don’t know me, and can’t call me by my first name. It seems impolite to me somehow. But that also has to do with growing up seeing my dad address (condescendingly) all checkout people by their first names. It gives me hives.
I think basically, respect comes across, no matter what the individual actions are.
Delia - June 16, 2009 | 10:41 pm · Link
@Mike:
It’s very simple. Dogs are often nicer than people. And it’s such a joy to watch a previously unhappy creature blossom the way Lily is.
I know a lot of people here don’t like Cesar Millan, but I think he has quite a few useful observations. One of them is that dogs always live in the present, which is why it’s possible to rehabilitate a dog that’s had a miserable life. She’s ready to move on into a happier present the way Lily is doing. Another, which I found very interesting, is that the best way to bond with your dog is to walk. Dogs in a natural dog pack walk many miles a day and their natural instinct is to walk. Anyone who’s ever had a dog knows how much they want their walks. And John has told us how Lily’s walks are where she first began to perk up.
Krista - June 16, 2009 | 10:43 pm · Link
Definitely. Nothing makes me lose respect for a person more quickly than when they shit on those “below” them while suckholing those “above” them. I know a certain individual like that. He’s embarassingly fawning towards rich people, high-level politicians, and anybody with whom he’d like to curry favour, while being autocratic and patronizing towards bureaucrats, lower-level politicians, and anybody else who he thinks should be moving Heaven and Earth to make his life easier. If they fall into neither category (i.e. in no position to advance his ends), he’s cordial but utterly full of shit. The funny thing too is that people like this don’t realize that everybody sees right through that kind of thing, and it winds up garnering respect from none of the aforementioned groups.
gex - June 16, 2009 | 10:45 pm · Link
@Betsy: A thousand times, yes.
asiangrrlMN - June 16, 2009 | 10:48 pm · Link
I am not crying, and I am wearing South Park boxers. I’m just really happy that Lily is fitting in so well at the Cole household. Still, I am waiting to see Lily and Tunch romping together.
@Betsy:
Damn right.
Violet - June 16, 2009 | 11:13 pm · Link
She barked! How incredibly exciting. She knows she’s home. I feel all proud, even though I had nothing to do with it at all. Just cheering from the sidelines. You’re doing a great job.
SiubhanDuinne - June 16, 2009 | 11:36 pm · Link
@ Betsy / 75
I think you nailed it with your “respect comes across” observation. Hadn’t thought about it before, but of course I can get how addressing a person on the short side of an asymmetrical relationship by name could come across as pompous and condescending. So I think you’re right, it’s ultimately more about respect and tone. Thanks for a different perspective.
Phoebe - June 17, 2009 | 12:42 am · Link
I’ll make you cry, tough guys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqSgRsqK4aA
passerby - June 17, 2009 | 1:19 am · Link
Yay! Woof-dee-doooo! she’s staking her claim.
[Tunch wants him some tuna.]
Glocksman - June 17, 2009 | 2:47 am · Link
My dog is a flashy boxer who was one step away from the local ‘kill shelter’ when I agreed to take her in.
She’s not much of a ‘barker’, but when she does bark, you’ll pay attention both because she’s normally not a barker and because it’s a ‘deep’ bark that has me rolling over and grabbing for the .45 in the nightstand.
For some reason she loves kids* and is tame as hell around them but freaking hates males in hoodies.
She saw some guy across the street wearing a hoodie and his pants halfway down his asscrack, and went beserk.
Barking, growling, the fur on her back standing up, baring her teeth, Haley did it all.
The idiot started yelling at the dog but stopped when I stepped out and said ‘Do you want me to open the gate?’
*When I take her for walks, the females attracted to her seem to fall between 4 and 10 years of age.
Personally I’d prefer a nice 40 year old. :)
Damned at Random - June 17, 2009 | 2:52 am · Link
Krista-
On my old job, we called that kiss up and kick down. Saw a lot of it, unfortunately.
Chuck Butcher - June 17, 2009 | 3:31 am · Link
150 lbs of Gus barking is not an accomplishment because he believes a lot of things are his business and that belief is fairly clear…to anyone for quite some distance. He doesn’t bark just to hear himself but an awful lot of things are important.
Hearing that on the other side of a door would be pretty dissuasive, though. I’ll be damned if I can tell if his hair stands up, tail sure does.
Very cool that Lily is getting the idea, we’ll see where that goes, though.
Comrade Darkness - June 17, 2009 | 3:54 am · Link
@John Cole: Re Ensign.
The timing makes me suspect he’s still hoping for a 2012 run after getting this out of the way early enough.
For the record, I’m not crying over Lily, but I do feel uplifted by the proof that redemption is achievable, all around, dog and man alike.
The Saff - June 17, 2009 | 8:26 am · Link
The progress Lily is making is so heart-warming. I love these updates.
Trollhattan - June 17, 2009 | 12:13 pm · Link
Heh, indeedy, Lily stakes her claim to the hood. That’s freaking grand. There’s a good girl.
In the next phase, in her little doggy head she’ll pump up her size to, say, fifty pounds or so and start eyeing the neighbor’s Doberman (“I could so take him”).
The phenomenon tends to melt away with distance from the home.
Enjoying tales of the new clan; keep ‘em coming!
Betsy - June 17, 2009 | 1:49 pm · Link
@SiubhanDuinne:
Totally. I’m sure you don’t come across that way – I hope that was clear from my post. It is all about the respect.
The Tim Channel - June 17, 2009 | 11:22 pm · Link
Just checking on the hound. Sounds good. Me and my hairy gang of beasts are going to crash.
Enjoy.