Rambligs of an Insomniac

I've become a bit of an insomniac. Perhaps it's from watching too many episodes of Jersey Shore or Buffy the Vampire Slayer on our Netflix account or from drinking some soda for lunch. I don't know the reason behind it, but it certainly has not been great for the developing dark circles under my eyes or my temperament during the day.

Bella, however, has no trouble falling asleep. That dog can sleep through anything....except for the sound of kibble hitting her bowl. Thus, she still insists on waking up bright and early so that she can be let out and fed.

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Speaking of needing to be let outside, Bella has started peeing indoors again. I understand in a way why she would urinate inside the house if I'm not home, but I have been home during these last few incidents. A few days ago, I poured some food into her bowl and walked away. Not sixty seconds later and I heard that all too familiar sound of liquid hitting the floor. I ran back and saw that she was squatting there in front of her empty bowl, peeing away. And when this dog pees, she really goes at it. I mean I can be yelling at her for more than a minute long and she will still be releasing everything she has from her bladder.

This afternoon she decided to pee in our carpeted bedroom, right in front of the door. I was in complete shock as I had just let her out a couple of hours ago. I don't understand how the same dog who refused to urinate during an eleven hour road trip (despite several frustrating stops) can't hold it in for two hours. And she always knows that she did something wrong because she will look incredibly guilty afterwards, or perhaps it's mere fear of the punishment ahead. I lock her out in the backyard immediately, a proper punishment for a dog who hates being outdoors.

Thank goodness for super absorbent towels and our new steam vacuum cleaner! Any advice from my dog loving readers? Bella is almost five years old so this is getting a little ridiculous. I'm wondering if she has bladder issues from Parvo as a puppy, three separate leg surgeries, allergies, or if she's just misbehaved?

Bella is currently more on the chubby side, and so is her mother. Back in May, she was 57lbs and the vet told me that it wouldn't hurt for her to add a few more pounds. Lucky girl got a cup of food more every day, which was perfect when we were going on daily walks. A combination of travel, dog sitting, scorching hot weather, and a hurt ankle led to less exercise for the both of us.

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I'm looking forward to heading to the gym tomorrow after more than two weeks of absence. That is if I can get enough sleep tonight and wake up on time. I am incredibly behind on my progress to running a 5K in November. I tried running with Bella on Saturday and I was definitely out of shape. She also began jumping at my face while running at the same time because she thought we were playing.

A friend who hasn't had much encounter with Bella said that she still acts like a puppy, which I consider to be an insult in disguise. It didn't help that she jumped right into his car and refused to get out as he was packing things into his car that he had left in our garage for storage.

Despite all of this misbehavior, I still very much love her. I think it's important to focus on some of what she is good at. Bella is good at coming when called (unless she is loose in the neighborhood or around other dogs). She is a great little spoon. Her "leave it" and "take it" commands are great. She can give me her paw and switch to her other paw nicely. She stays out of the kitchen. She understands "go inside" which is helpful for baths, car rides, or kennels. She is wonderful with kids and allows me to clean her ears and clip her nails with very little resistance. Bella does tremendously well during car rides and doesn't make a peep. She's also wonderful with the following commands: get off, get down, sit, move, get up, go get it, go look, let's go inside, go outside.

Somehow, the sound of her snoring away peacefully brings me a sense of calm. Her paws also smell wonderfully of corn chips. Is it weird that I like to smell her puppy paws?