My First Top Down Sweater!

I've googled for a bunch of knitted ornaments and found wonderful patterns everywhere. We had a dinner for Music Together Staff and I put these on a mug with "Cake in a Mug" Mix. They were a big hit as most people who've received them have asked how to make them. I like the idea, a serving of cake that you can make in the microwave. Baking is better of course, but sometimes you just don't need a whole cake sitting around ;-).

Here is a picture of the rest of the ornaments.


Now for a more serious matter. We are having problems with are doggy Sparky. He's getting older and less tolerent of pain or getting bumped around. I noticed it a few times when I brushed him and the last time he grabbed my hand (didn't break the skin or anything) and I told him to stop but had the feeling I was barely in control. Fortunately I'm not afraid of getting bit and when a dog grabs my hand (for whatever reason) I don't jerk it away. I'll use the growly voiced "Off" to let them know that's not acceptable and it seems to have worked. I think that may have saved me from getting truly bit in the past, especially working at the shelter. He's had issues with Bentley but now he's bit Maddy hard enough to draw blood at at least once a week for the past 3 weeks that I know of. Yesterday he bit her ear pretty good. I had to doctor it a bit and keep her inside to make sure she wasn't shaking her head making it worse.

I rescued Sparky from the shelter 10 years ago an hour before they put all the dogs down in his ward. We had problems with him being fear aggressive (especially on leash) with other dogs. I worked and worked with him and had a professional trainer work with him and evaulate him. He made great strides and overcame more than a lot of dogs or people would, coming from a neglectful and abusive background. I think a couple things make him bite harder than he needs to when trying to impress on Maddy to give him space. I don't think he had proper socialization when he was a puppy. He may very well be part Chow Chow.

So many thoughts run through my head. First I'll take him to the vet for a thorough examination and get advice from a trusted vet there. I'm going to work more with him (training wise). I do everyday right before I feed them, but he will get an extra session a day. On the one hand, I don't want to wait for a disasterous situation and have to make a hard decision then. Oh the other I don't want to be overeactive and make that hard decision to soon. When I got him from the shelter I was single and never dreamed that I'd have Esther in my future. There is so much more to consider now. I'm hoping there's an easy solution to make him feel better, or that training works. This would all be so much easier if he could talk, we could talk to him and I knew more about what I should do to help him. I try to tell myself that if the end is near for him, that he had a good life, about 10 more than if his life ended at the shelter.