Wonderful Wednesday Personal Blog
'Freki'? How on earth did we come up with that name? I suppose it is time to explain. We are history geeks at the MacRae abode. I have targeted the late 14th century Scotland for my books, DD is more interested in early 14th century Scotland, with a Norse twist. Enter the Norse deity, Odin. Two wolves, Geri and Freki, accompanied Odin. References to these can be found in epic poems such as the Prose Edda and in the poetry of skalds. Their names mean 'greedy' or 'ravenous ones'. I have to admit, our Freki has a very alpha personality and is very greedy when it comes to her toys. Sharing is a difficult concept for her. Ravenous? You should see her eat. It just so happens, as we considered names for our new puppy, DD recalled the history for a book he is writing. The heroine is a young woman of Norse ancestry, and her closest friend and companion is an Irish Wolfhound named Freki. Our dogs have a history of unusual names, and this certainly is different. People usually nod, then ask us to repeat it, then nod again. A few ask what it means. Some think we meant 'Freckles'. But we don't mind. We enjoy talking about our Freki. Just ask us. <g>
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You might construe from the title of this blog that this puppy rarely sleeps. Not so. Like most puppies, Freki spends a lot of time asleep. Just not in large consecutive blocks of time. We are very fortunate that she understands bedtime when her humans are sleeping. She does not cry or howl in her crate at night, and she occasionally puts herself to bed after a long day. However, during the night, she plays with her toys. She also moans, groans, yips at and chases her toys in her crate. It is hard plastic, and it resonates. In case you are unaware, German Shepherds talk. A lot. And though she is most vocal in the morning after missing us all night, and when dad gets home in the evening, in the middle of the night when she is bored, she talks to her toys. I'm sure she would rather sleep on her pillow, the floor, the couch, or even the bed. But she wakes often during the night, and there is simply too much for her to get into if left on her own. For my own sanity, I need to know she-and the rest of my house-is safe. She is now tall enough to put her feet on the kitchen counter and offer assistance on whatever is going on. We discourage this-who really wants large puppy feet in their plate of pork chops?- but now take the precaution to make sure the knives and chops are set back from the edge of the counter. She has also discovered there is water in the toilet, and we will be closing the lid on that bit of excitement. Freki can also reach the faucet in the bathroom sink and discovered, while Dad shaves, water runs in the sink. Amazing! She is endlessly curious, and from time to time, she sleeps. Sometimes she settles down, Ben and Dixie have a bit of peace and quiet and I get to stop wondering what she is getting into. Sometimes, during the day, we have quiet moments like this. And then it's off to another adventure. Let's face it. An active GSD puppy can be destructive. We spend hours developing activities to challenge her brain, and are always looking for toys that can stand up to her vigorous play. Stuffed toys? Yeah, may as well light a match to that ten dollars as it will take more time to pick up the pieces than it did for Freki to destroy it. And so, the search for the perfect toy. OK, not a perfect toy, but at least one that prorates at less than twenty dollars an hour. We found the Jolly Ball. I originally heard of these from a friend with horses. The company makes much larger versions with a rubber handle for horses to play with in the pasture. As sturdy as they are, people use them as dog toys for their very tough, active farm dogs. Bingo! Sounded like the toy for us. I found this version at our local Tractor Supply store. The rope through the middle is perfect for Freki to grab, and the rubber ball construction is tough, tough, tough. It also makes a great tug toy, since we are encouraging her assertiveness, as the ball is always between my hands and her mouth. She loves to sling it around, and will actually smack herself with it as she romps around. I saw her whack Ben with it once and scolded her. She gave me the 'What?' look and took off across the yard, whipping it about her head and shoulders as she went. This has become a great way to expend her energy in the evenings. It is amazing how she can go from a long-legged, furry tornado to sweetness personified, ready for bedtime in a matter of minutes. I think I will buy the larger Jolly Ball when she is a bit bigger. 10/29/2014 0 Comments Wonderful Wednesday with FrekiIt is official. She can now get on the couch by herself. For weeks she'd put her front feet on the seat and try to climb onto the sofa. But her legs just weren't long enough. She solved that problem today by getting a running start and landing on the couch with a bang.. Beneath the window in the little alcove to one side of the living room, is a loveseat. It is behind the main couch, and has two cute pillows on it. As I sat on the sofa, busy at the computer, ears tuned to the normal noises of a very active puppy chasing her toys through the room, it was a fairly normal morning. And then--things changed. Padding puppy feet, but they were quieter. I turned and saw Freki bounding happily from one end of the love seat to the other, flipping the pillows with her nose. She was having a marvelous time. She saw me. "Freki, what are you doing?" I wasn't upset, just bemused by her latest activity. She slid down onto the cushions. 'Nothing.' She is completely still. "Are you sure?" I crossed the room and sat beside her. She laid her head on a pillow. 'Uh, huh.' "So, you can get on the couch by yourself, now?" 'Uh, huh.' She nibbled on the pillow. "Freki!" She leaped from the couch, scattering pillows in her wake, off on another adventure. Freki came into our lives a little over 6 weeks ago. She was short- just Ben's height. Cuddly- except for her razor-sharp baby teeth. Had to be coaxed to eat instead of grabbing a bite and dashing off to see what else was happening in the house. Couldn't climb steps- or go down them. Was stand-offish to Ben and Dixie. Ran from the vacuum cleaner. What a difference those six weeks have made! Yesterday, she walked over Ben. Granted he was lying down, but his legs aren't that long, and, well it just doesn't make that much difference. (Sorry, Ben). She used to teeter-totter across his back and finally lurch over him. Now she steps right over. The other day, I caught her on the dryer. It sits next to the 3 steps down into the garage, and she had her back feet on the second step, the rest of her body on top of the dryer. She also steals items off the patio table in the same manner. She steps her front feet from the porch to the top of the table, takes what she wants, and leaps back to the porch. Or the patio. Or the yard. Steps are definitely not a problem. She wrestles the water hose, drags it across the yard, shaking it as though it were a monster to be killed. Once skeptical of its power, it is now fully in her control. The vacuum, mop and broom are no longer fearful beasts. They are foes to be conquered, scolded, postured before. She drags the wooden-handled enemies across the floor, ears pinned back, front feet prancing proudly as she once again defies the odds and bests the foul things. We do need those things, however, as evidenced by this scene that greeted me too early on a Saturday morning. Yet another potted plant massacred and presented as spoils of war. In the past week or so, she has changed the landscape of the back yard. Salvaged plants have been relocated and end of summer for the annuals arrived a bit early this year. The swimming pool is a great joy. Though greeted with much enthusiasm the first day it arrived, she completely lost interest in it for a couple of weeks. She has since made up for that lapse in behavior and we have towels at the back door for wiping wet feet and bellies and faces. Her color is also changing. We knew it would. Take a look at the photos below and you can see how her face is turning brown. There is also a definite sprinkling of brown hairs along her back, and her belly is almost completely brown. So, here is a short gallery of photos of Freki on day one, and six weeks later. Enjoy! |
AuthorThis is where I talk about things in my life outside of writing. Mostly gardening and dogs. Archives
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