What an emotional and touching family moment.
On Sunday... we hung around the house and took it easy... well, that is, until Steveio got a bug of an idea in his brain. (from watching too many episodes of The Rehab Addict on HGtv) He decided to tear up "just a corner" of the carpeting in the foyer "just to look" and see the condition of the hardwood floor underneath. We know the entire first floor of house is all maple hardwood flooring from 1913, but didn't know the condition of the actual floors underneath the wall-to-wall carpeting. Because the carpeting is in such good shape, we have never really ripped any up yet. (we did peek a bit around the fireplace when we pulled back the carpeting to expose the tile hearth area last spring)
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Well..... of course. like everything else in this wonderful home,
it's in EXCELLENT CONDITION!
I swept up the dusty layer after removing the pad as Steve pulled up the staples from the padding. Then he carefully removed the tack strips from the carpeting installation with a prybar and a piece of cardboard to pad it to avoid any more marks on the floor. The maple hardwood was in such great shape for 100+ years old. WHEEEEEEEEEE
On Monday, I cleaned the floor well and let it dry.
I had a plan in mind.
The I carefully spread on a layer of quick drying low odor polyurethane for floors. I used a wide foam brush as kindof a pushing motion to spread the poly, rather than stroking and painting it on which would leave bubbles. Then I shut the pocket doors and let it dry all day.
I picked up enough lengths of hardwood quarter-round trim and stained that down in the basement. It will be cut to size and put around the edges where it had been removed to install the carpeting years ago. The intricate cast iron grate on the cold air return easily lifted off to get the poly brushed right up to the edge.
This was SO exciting to "make it pretty" !!!
I left the house that afternoon, to run up to Oconto to babysit a couple grandtots overnight. The floor had a good time to cure. Steve was left a BIG HANDWRITTEN NOTE when he got home after work to not walk on it... It's a good thing we have the back servants stairs to get up to the bedrooms, or else he would have been sleeping on the couch overnight. Tee heee.... I had the dogs with me so so we didn't have any accidental paw prints running through it either.
I had a delightful evening up at the grandtots' house and it was first time for newly adopted Binney to be around children. We kept her leashed and harnessed until we could observe her demeanor... which I am pleased to say was gentle and loving. Both grandtots know how to be respectful of dogs and not mistreat or manhandle them. Soon Binney and Chelsea were best snuggle buds on the couch... and Finney was happily lapping up all the attention from Clayton.
We did run into one problem though.... little Binney would NOT go pee or poop while on a leash in our daughter's yard. She held it in hour after hour---- the stubborn little cuss. I took her out on leash at least 12 times in the 24 hours we were there, and she would NOT go. Finney did, but Binney refused. I got her home to our own safe little fenced in potty yard and she broke the dam loose and went and went and went!
Soooo that means with our upcoming vacation in 3 weeks, we have some major potty lessons to learn how to go in other places rather than just her safe little fenced in potty yard! "Pee On Demand" Today I spent at least four different half hour sessions with her out on a leash in various parts of the far back yard. None of the times would she relent and go. Finally I had to let her use the fenced in yard this afternoon.
We have only had her for five weeks so far, and each time we have taken her on walks around town, we realize that she always held it till we got back home. We never needed a doggie pickup bag for her because she just waited till she was in her secure little fenced in poop yard at home!
Some friends on my dog list suggested moving some of the leftover doggie poop from the fenced yard out to various spots in the big back yard which I did. No difference. Finney has repeatedly gone out there each time, but that doesn't entice her to go out there either.
Someone suggested a training spray from Nature's Miracle that you put down where you DO want them to go, so I will get some of that on Friday when I am in Appleton.
We have about two weeks to get her past this phobia, or else this little lady is going to be holding her bladder for six weeks! oh my....
Every dog we have had traveled easy and went on demand on the leash when we would stop for a fuel break, or a stretch break, or at the end of the day or during a walk around a campground. I just didn't think that this would be such a problem, and should have started taking her to various spots in the yard on leash from the beginning to get her used to it, I guess.
Our Little Binney will have to get with the program and learn how to be a Motorhoming Dog!
As soon as I am done typing this blog, I will go out with her one more time tonight to see if she will go on the leash. Sigh.
We are working on our lists and plans and ideas for 6 weeks Out West.. probably try to explore more of New Mexico, because we shirked on that state last time in our rush to get to Arizona and S. California. But we don't make any real reservations or promises. We will see where the road takes us.
As another girl who could never "pee on demand" I sympathize will Binney. I hope you figure something out. Maybe Finney can teach her. I'm sure you'll get it worked out. Love the picture of the pups with the kids.
ReplyDeleteWe liked Santa Fe a lot. Also Los Alamos with its A-bomb museum and the tea room run by Edith Warner, the subject of a remarkable book "The Woman at Otawi Crossing".
ReplyDeletesounds interesting Craig.. will see if we get over that way. Thanks!
DeleteHope Binney gets with the program--makes traveling a whole lot easier!
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, I love the Rehab Addict and watch every week your Foyer looks amazing! I've enjoyed all the projects y'all have done so much!! I have 3 dogs and have had dogs all my life I would try a walk, not just going to a location and trying there actually take a 10 min walk down the sidewalk...I bet that would work! Hope so..and I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying the socks I want another pair soon as my PayPal builds up, I build it up by selling on Ebay then I can buy with no remorse! My most recent purchase is for my Mom she is 90 and she enjoys playing solitaire the old fashioned way so I got her a very neat card shuffler! Its a simply device you put your cards in turn a wheel and they get shuffled!!
ReplyDeleteThis morning everything is coated in ice, so we aren't going to walk. But I will try it if things melt out there on the sidewalks. During the last 5 weeks since we got her, each time we have taken walks with her around town, she waited till we got back home in her own secure potty yard to "go". Had her out four times now for 15 min intervals in different parts of our back yard. She just stands still and looks around. No sniffing, no wandering, no pacing. While I freeze!
DeleteSo sorry for the loss of your sister-in-law. Really like what you did to your floors. Sure did bring them to life.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a chance, don't miss Bryce Canyon or the other canyons in Southern Utah. We loved that area. I hope you have good luck and find the solution for "peeing" on demand.
ReplyDeleteWould love to get to Bryce Canyon someday, but this trip is only 6 weeks and it's still winter there too. Staying more to the south where it's warm.. haha
DeleteIn a former life, I raised seven Guide Dogs for the Blind. We trained the dogs using the command, "Get Busy!" Perhaps if you used that command while on leash in her favorite area with lots of praise when the deed was accomplished each time, you could slowly move to unfamiliar places and use the command again. It might be worth a try. It might also take some time for her to make the connection. :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this will work with dogs, but you never know. Years ago I used to work on a farm that had race horses. When the horses went to the track if they won they would be tested for drugs with a pee test. Or they could be tested randomly after racing even if they didn't win. So they had to "go on command." To train them to do this at the home barns if a horse started to pee we would go to his/her stall and whistle until he/she was done. We did this for every horse, every time, all day long! After a while the horse associates whistling with peeing. Worked like a charm at the track!
ReplyDeleteSo when Binney starts "going" in her little yard, start whistling, do it every time, and maybe she will start to associate whistling with peeing, too. It might be worth a try!
Good idea! I was out there humming and she seemed to calm down a bit.. the whistling got her hyped up.
DeleteMy condolences to your family on the death of your sister-in-law. The photo shows such a loving family.
ReplyDeleteFor about a year after I got Lady she wouldn't go while on leash. Fortunately she eventually got over it because most rest stops don't allow dogs off leash and we traveled a lot.
Those floors look beautiful. What a house - even down to the servants' back staircase!
Sorry for the loss of your precious sister-in-law. The floor looks amazing! Maple, how pretty! Would it be difficult to take down the potty fence, maybe 1 section at a time? Otherwise you may have to bring the fence with you ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your SIL. It's never easy. Floors look beautiful, surprised you didn't even have to sand them. Well, at least you don't ever have to worry about Binney peeing in the motorhome. You may have to dig up a little square of your backyard with her pee already on it and take it with you until she gets the idea.
ReplyDeleteLOL Colleen, best suggestion yet! Reminds me of when they were redoing the turf at Lambeau Field in Green Bay and were selling off chunks of the old stuff at $20 a section.. The Frozen Tundra! We could take along a hunk of Binney Pee Pen!
DeleteSorry for your loss. I have no advice to get dogs to go , but I'm sure you will make do. Floor looks great the poly really brightened the room.
ReplyDeleteSafe travels
I had the same situation with Hera, and I have to still be very careful to make sure that she has a chance to pee, without it backing up to her tonsils! She is different from all other dogs I've had. I think you should be living in the motorhome at least a week before your trip and also getting Binney used to the potty breaks from there.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the SIL...The grief is so terrible. I watch rehab addict also and enjoyed the floors!
Yah I think patience and time will get her ready... but living in the motorhome for a week is kinda outta the question. We are at sub zero temps here in Wisconsin, so we won't be heating it up until we are ready to roll. Although on sunny days I have been taking them out to sit in the rig while I make lists and pack the non-freezable items. It's still 20 or 30 degrees inside the motorhome with the sun shining on it, but getting her used to the motorhome is going well. She even knows where the dog dishes are and hops right up on the loveseat and claimed a spot.
DeleteSo sorry about the loss of your SIL - the picture was very touching. Your hardwood floor is Gorgeous! What a find!! About Binny - have you ever done any clicker training? Similar to what the person who suggested whistling - if you have a clicker, first get her used to it by clicking and treating. She will associate the clicker with good things. Then follow her outside and when she "goes" click and treat. You can also use a verbal cue along with the click and reward. When she associates the verbal cue with a treat reward, try her on leash, giving the verbal cue, click and reward when she does her business. I have used clicker training with my little problem mini-Aussie and it has worked wonders - but he is very food motivated. As well as you know the Shelties, I am sure you will find a solution. Best of luck to you.
ReplyDelete