Everything Sven

09/03/2025

OMGs thank goodness that's over with. Five days of hell, had to wait till pay day to sort this one out.

My phone suddenly died last week, without warning, no troubles or signs of impending failure. Just stopped taking a charge. Tried different cords, outlets, the car. Nothing worked. I was locked out of all my banking, emails, accts. socials, etc. because I couldn't get a text with the two-step authentication codes and couldn't get into emails either. Talk about traumatizing.

Fortunately, I use different emails for bills and banking than socials, and was able to get into one act. and shut a few things off and then had to wait till pay day to go get another phone and port the number over to the new one. And even that needed tech support because I couldn't get into any of my accounts or prove I'm me. Even my security questions were wrong or not updated in my passwords book. Four Pet names later and one high school mascot, first care I ever drove, and a few favorite movies, personal info and addresses, we finally got in and able to get a code. Poor guy on the line, his stats and quotas for calls per day are ruined. He had the patience of a saint, while I was here with my reading glasses and handheld magnifiers trying to read all the little serial numbers off for him while I'm in the middle of an autoimmune flare up from hell and really not in the mood for this sort of thing. I would have just gotten a new number, except all my accounts are attached to the old one, and how to get into your accounts to update or inform it's been changed. What a Catch22 Even with all my reset info and options, it was really difficult. I don't know how people can get hacked, but it happens.

Alas we prevailed and I'm up and running again, thank my lucky stars I managed to back up my contacts, if not all my photos. I'm not sure if I'm just too Old School, too broke to keep up with modern tech, or too stubborn to be beholden to these things, but in the end it nearly got me, nonetheless. I would have gotten a new number, except all my accounts are attached to the old one, and how to get into your accounts to update or inform it's been changed. What a Catch22 Especially with all the 6-year-olds back in school, there's none around for affordable tech support, and no pay phones either for that matter, (the old-fashioned ones, not the pre-pay burners) I had to borrow a phone to call tech support. Thank goodness there's no satellite or GPS stuff in my car and lord help us all when the time comes, as I still can't get a fountain drink out of those newfangled machines. Press this, tap that, and Viola pink lemonade with iced tea and soda.

Anyway... I'm back.

Sheldon on va**um comes back homeThe Big Bang Theory S02xE01 "The Bad Fish Paradigm"Howard makes Shledon drink "a milk that tasted funny".All rights reserved.

09/01/2025

Sorry no social media posts or blog posts right yet. My cell phone suddenly and mysteriously won't take a charge and now it's completely dead. Tried different cords, outlets, car, etc. Can't get login codes or do anything else. I don't know how people get hacked, I know all my info and still can't get in or reset anything. (scary) Managed to get into a few things with back up emails. Either way, new phone is on the way. Might take a few days to set it all up again, we'll see you soon.

08/31/2025

Sven's newest cousin Leo... he actually, arrived in July, but he's a rascally one, took a while to get 'em to sit still long enough to snap a shot. (Sven was eyeballing the pup thru the legs under the side tables., He looks so thrilled, eh?)

08/20/2025

🔥 Hard Truth: Not Every Dog Can Be a Service Dog 🔥

This post was inspired by a powerful piece shared by National Geographic Adventure. We thought it was so true, and it hits home for us, because every day, we get calls from people who have chosen dogs based on their looks rather than their lifestyle compatibility and needs.

🐾 I Am a 21st Century Dog 🐾

I carry centuries of instincts in my body, my heart, and my mind.
I was bred with a purpose… but today, I’m often asked to ignore it.

🔹 I’m a Malinois.
I was made to work, always ready, always skilled. But today I’m asked to lie quietly on the couch.

🔹 I’m a Beagle.
My voice once guided hunters to their prey. Today, I’m shocked into silence with an electric collar.

🔹 I’m a Border Collie.
I was designed to herd for hours each day. Today, without sheep, I’m scolded for trying to control kids, bikes, and cars.

🔹 I’m a Husky.
I once pulled sleds across wide-open spaces. Today, my world is four walls and a small yard.

I am a dog of the 21st century.
I am pretty, loyal, and intelligent, but I am not a blank slate.
Inside me lives the hunter, the guardian, the herder, the worker.

👉 And that’s why not every dog can be a service dog.

Service work demands calmness in chaos, focus in distraction, and stability in the face of the unexpected.
Not every breed - or every individual - is meant for that life.

❌ If you choose a dog just for their looks…
❌ If you hope love alone will erase their instincts…
You’re setting both of us up for heartbreak.

✔️ But if you love me enough to respect who I am,
✔️ If you understand my genetics, my drives, and my needs…
Then you’ll give me the right life, and maybe the right job.

If you’re wondering whether your dog is truly suited for service training, we can help you find out before you invest years into the wrong path: https://www.medicalmutts.org/train-your-own-service-dog/assessing-your-dog

Because the most loving choice isn’t just to get a dog…
It’s to get the right dog, for the right life. 🐕❤️

08/19/2025

Today it was finally cool enough for us to get out for a bit, cruise around town in relative comfort so-to-speak and not fry Sven's butt through the window glass in the backseat. ♨️

We had a fun day with Grammy as she came along, so Grampy could have a break. We went to lunch at , did some housewares shopping and then stopped for an impromptu photo when suddenly all the traffic slowed, the street parted and conditions were almost perfect for it, albeit the sun was behind the statue, and we should probably go back some really early morning when the sun is on the other side of the street. Nonetheless it was just one of those peaceful moments of quiet beauty. 📿

I also got some lovely flowers last week from the office staff at the community garden, coincidently marigolds. I think the universe is trying to tell me something. 🧡

08/13/2025

Truth!

08/10/2025

In other news Sven's at vet visit, Sven's self-imposed hunger strike caused him to lose some weight and is now down to 194 lbs. and not fat, his ribs and pelvis bones stick out. He is up-to-date on on all vaccine shots until next year, blood and f***l tests came back normal. Just a case of the nerves.

As for management and treatment of his allergies, I had to really press them to change the brand of heartworm, they weren't really willing to admit it could be the problem or even try. They refused to give a script for Apoquel stating it was too many pills, also
not willing to give him a cytopoint shot for inflammation, sighting he looked better than last year and instead they said to me "he'll live." And tried to tell me without any xray, exam, ultra sournd or anything that his sore elbow was a hygroma, and to get him a better bed. Let me just say, It's not a hygroma, don't even insult my intelligence with bu****it like that, I've seen those on other Danes enpough to know the difference and he has a big barker bed. Sigh.

I'm not impressed with thie Vet's lack of empathy, care or concern, it's not the first time and I've as much said so to his face.

Sven's aches, pains and grumbles have gone on long enough, what we thought were moving nerves might be more than meets the eye and the vets unwillingness to exploe it ruther lack luster. I've opted to go with another veterinary clinic yet again and in the process of moving his records.

08/10/2025

Hi all, sorry we're a bit MIA, ...

I lost my balance leaning over to reach to shut the car door and I took a fall out right out of the car in a parking lot smashing my bad shoulder yet again. Sven was in the back seat taking a full on nutter because he couldn't get out of the car to help me. To his credit he attempted to climb over the seats but for a dog his size in my car, not enough clearance space. Thankfully the door stayed open and car was running with the AC on.

Any security guards watching camers were probably making copies to upload to AFV. To anyone that ever wondered why tumbling and mat exercises in grade school gym class were important... wait till you're over 50 and trying to get up off the ground. (my feet were still in the car).

I haven't gone to the ER yet for xrays or anything else, loathe to sit there for hours with the upcoming heat wave we have a lot to do this week. Thankfuly we finished mostly everything in the apartment before annual inspections.

We're home with the TENS unit on and thankfully my recliner has heat & massage.

Retrical isn't Sven's forte, he isn't so great at bringing me things on account of the slobber factor, it's mostly wet toys. He pokes holes in water bottles and I seldom remember aheat of time to put the remote in ziplock.

08/06/2025

Just a little mid-week shenanigans. We don't have an actual doorbell here., It's more or less an intercom system.

However... Sven somehow taught himself about doorbells from TV. Smart dog right? Ha-ha He barks at commercials and one day I almost crashed the car when out of nowhere he scared the crap out of me driving when a doorbell came over the car radio and I sewered thinking he was alerting me to someone in the street or something. Heart pounding fun this dog of mine. LOL

- Not actual pic of Sven, it's a meme, but sure looks a lot like him.

08/01/2025

I wanted to address a FAQ, as it occurred again today and a few times since moving.

While I would love to and it’s extremely tempting when someone offered me $40k to do so, sadly I do not and cannot train your Service Dog. I am disabled. This could put me at risk for further injury and jeopardize what little benefits I do get.

There are also liability issues with insurance and certification as we’re not an organization or business. Service Dogs are not about learning a bunch of cookie cutter commands, they are trained to meet and mitigate your individual needs and you have to meet certain disabling qualifications. Further, if I train your dog a certain way and you are not consistent in keeping up with it the same way or get to ill, lazy or slack, then that can pose a dangerous threat or injury to yourself or the general public, when or if your dog misses a queue for allergy, seizure, blood sugars or whatever else.
While we truly appreciate the interest and are flattered by it as it is a testament to all our hard work and success, I am not willing to take that risk of training other dogs at this juncture.

For those of you interested, there are several organizations out there for those of you that can’t train your own service dog. I also read a lot in the years leading up to the decision to get a service dog and what to expect. I never expected a Pandemic, who did? It threw us another curve when everything shut down and then we had no options but to train by ourselves and find places to go to use stairs outside and other such circumstances to meet the standards expected of a service dog. I also knew police and military, and Sven’s scent training was born from that background.

Please, please, please do not go out and just get a dog or think you can train it to become a service dog. It’s harder than you realize. Not all dogs are the same or suited for this work, and while many do success some won't. Please do your research and learning and understanding of these things before you get a dog, it is a 24/7 commitment. It can be expensive, and you as the dog owner are responsible for everything health care bills, enrichment, exercise and liability in housing and public. It can be deeply rewarding but please do your homework first and foremost. And without doubt invest in pet health insurance, there are enough companies out there offering a wide range of coverage plans.

08/01/2025

It was a glorious day for a car ride. We had a few quick errands to run. Managed the necessary ones and then had to cut it short. Sven was very nervous in public today, so we cut things short. And it's a good thing we did, he had another case of diarrhea when we got home and I can only assume he was nervous about holding it till we left the shop. Even more surprising, he never alerted while I was talking with a few folks. He's had no treats, bones or people food whatsoever, I'm left wondering if we got a bag of spoiled dog food from the warehouses being so hot in this weather or sitting on a hot delivery truck? How would I know. I guess we'll be googling how to spot rancid dog food. He usually gets a bit of an upset tummy from the heartworm meds but that was a week ago by now. sigh. I put down some wee pads just so I could make a solo trip over to the feed and grain shop to try another bag of food only to come home and discover he missed the wee pads by a mile too. Unusual for him. We have a vet appointment first thing next week so maybe we can sort it out. This was one of the major reasons we didn't start the feed raw or make your own dog food project, fear of the eColi, along with the sheer volume of meat we'd need for a dog this size. Other reasons could still be the heat even with going outside during the cooler mornings and later nights or the neighbor upstairs has been a bit overboard smashing things screaming and yelling, at odd hours or the fire alarm incident. I didn't think that bothered him, he didn't even bark, but you never know, so we'll have to see what the Vet suggests.

He was also being stubborn, with the won't look and wouldn't show off his step skills either. In retrospect, I can't blame him. At least we made it home, it was one of those all back roads long ride days.

He's home here in the AC sleeping it off and I picked up another collar for him too. Current one is pretty cruddy now that I see it.

Have a good weekend everyone.