Yes, other people's experiences are really helpful. When, in other threads, people said their dogs get sick 'a lot', I didn't know exactly what that meant, for lack of experience. Thanks, @Pawz4me, since you mentioned metronidazole, I looked it up and found this from a vet office in VT, basically giving me the same good advice/signs you all are. Nothing I googled yesterday didn't end in death (only slightly exaggerating). Dogs being sick is so different than children!! For some reason, this is so much worse. I maintain a take-charge nurse attitude with sick children and seemed to know when to call the Dr. This dog is stressing me to pieces. Too high maintenance! BTW, she is more normal acting, but usually sleeps all afternoon anyway.

Forever Erma by Erma Bombeck! When I'd read this to myself over lunch and almost choke on my food laughing so hard, the kids would ask, "What are you laughing at?" and I'd answer, "I'm laughing about us!" Later, they knew and would just yell in, "Are you reading that book again?" I used to send this to friends when they were in the slump with homeschooling and housekeeping. The book is a collection of Erma's columns from the 60s-80s that show the humor in everyday family life.

Thank you @Indigo Blue The Vet said 'never', as in bad practice. He knows me personally, so I would have thought he would know we wouldn't scrape our plate generally & give it to her. I got the sense that he was venting about all the exploration people do feeding their dogs. I thought to myself at the time, that it was advice that was no-fun because our only other dog ate lots of extra foods as treats and training tools - peanut butter wands kept in freezer for walks, cheese as a special treat, even once at a whole loaf of bread that was intended for the Thanksgiving Stuffing with no ill result. When I said my dog through up 1x/month I was trying to estimate. It is not that frequent but it seems to be when it is hot or when given a little Kong spray or another food besides her own. I made chicken thigh into chicken jerky recently & the next day after having just a few bites, she threw up. So, I am making the broad assumption that she is just extra sensitive. So, I am curious, what triggers others dogs to upheave and do they ever go through acute more-than-just-once episodes (including possibly to the point of blood) and it be just no-big-deal? Again, because other signs (labs weren't taken) were normal yesterday (belly still soft now), the Vet was like, "she'll be fine, blood is normal...by this she meant blood in vomit, just got into something you didn't see." But, with the lethargy and diarrhea (although kept down 1 cup of reg food), I am worried and wonder if dogs just can get sick for a few days since this is such a new experience to us.

She is eating today, but not last night when feeling worst. I have heard that about chicken & oatmeal, but she has had minor episodes with regurgitating meals on days with dog treats other than the occasional milk bone that it makes me chicken to try it! In addition, when she was a pup with undiagnosed giardia, a vet said that I must never give dogs people food. Is that really true? Meaning, can a sensitive dog, who never gets anything (allowed) besides her food, tolerate cooked chicken and oatmeal? How does that not break the 'don't switch foods suddenly' rule. I want to be prudent, but not overly so. Just so tempting to try.

Thursday, after the company (including children that went pretty well!), the dog was tired out as expected. Friday, she got sick three times, finding undigested food in crate in am, throwing up breakfast (technically regurgitating, ie. not continued vomiting) and a little in afternoon. I called vet, who said to withhold food. Since dog acted normal the rest of afternoon, I gave small meal in evening. Just gave smaller meals rest of weekend and no incidents. Dog was normal mostly - typical tired that we always see with heat. Yesterday, she began vomiting in afternoon...mucus over and over. After the initial episode was over, 10 minutes later, walked around kitchen vomiting/drooling bloody mucous for 5 minutes. All over the huge kitchen and her. She rested in crate. Took dog to vet. Fecal normal, gums and temp normal, no bloating, so they gave shot of Cerenia and sent us on our way, stating that blood was only b/c of excessive vomiting. Last night, lethargic. Refused food, drank a lot of water, no more vomiting. This morning, lethargic with bursts of regular play energy, so play we did. Short walks. Gave ½ regular breakfast and drinking normally. Just had a lot of diarrhea, now napping in crate. This pup is always with me, except when she plays in a field for a few minutes where other animals roam. So, she could have gotten into something or swallowed something when we weren't watching on a walk...the vet isn't concerned, but I am. The Vet thinks it is just something she ate or got on a vomiting jag, and that the cerenia pills she gave me, prescribed to be taken over the next two evening will calm her system down and 'reset'. (gross alert:) She throws up a meal about once per month and, if we let her, just eats it back up. Occasionally mucous vomit in morning, like 1/month as well. She used to throw up when other dog treats were offered (she gets milk bones occasionally just fine) Our last dog had a stomach of steel - threw up a doll shoe once, no other problems...ever. So, I just don't have experience with dogs having acute stomach ills. Reading threads regarding vomiting in dogs, it does appear that this is something that a lot of dogs do. Do your dogs have these types of acute vomiting jags? Do they ever go weeks without incident then just go to this extreme? Is this just truly a 'once she got on a bad cycle it is hard to get off of it' thing like the Vet said? I am just not sure what may be 'normal' in the doggy world. Thanks!

I believe in this so much! Say yes, do hard things, and take your child’s social life as your own responsibility were so pivotal in our family. I do regret not knowing when to shut up, though...at least somewhat. Fortunately, my children are forgiving or amnesiacs, or so they say.

So many books...but these sit in my bedside always & are well worn. Fiction: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Stevenson Nonfiction: Uniformity with Gods Will - Liguori

Just throwing this out there for slower eating - we used a KONG ball, puppy. It was about the size of a tennis ball, and she rolled it around in her crate to eat for the first few months. Actually, now that I am remembering correctly, our dog had the opposite problem as a wee pup...she wouldn't eat and lallygagged. The KONG ball in the crate did the trick! Now that I realize that I am forgetting details, and we have had her 1-½ years, it must be time to get another puppy LOL

I'm sorry for your loss.

Thank you so much, Marbel. Discussing it is so helpful, so I guess that is mainly what I am asking, for examples of how other's treated the experience. My interest in presenting quantifiable outcomes is based on what I read over and over again that employers want to see. So, how much money or time (or, in my husband's case, how many earth resources), did one save by their endeavors. I am thinking of the scholarships earned, that, perhaps, show my hard work 'paid' in some way. (the accomplishment thread is so on my mind these last few days, that I just keep stumbling over my words with this part). Anyway, I guess my most current 'real' job is best worded in a skill/action format rather than quantity, that quantifiability doesn't really matter, because I want my experiences parallel.

What is your experience writing a resume after homeschooling? My resume is up to date, complete with expected gaps, but I would like to change it. I would like to do more of a functional resume, but do not know how to demonstrate quantifiable outcomes of my homeschool activities. The outcomes of scholarships and achievements are because of things I set up, sometimes supervised, occasionally directly directed. They demonstrate meeting a goal that I set for each child. If I were a professional tutor, how would it be worded? I know in other professions, outcomes are measured economically or environmentally, etc. I feel that I must offer the disclaimer (here, not on resume) that my children were relatively smart and relatively easy to direct, and the accomplishments are theirs, not mine, but there's still something quantifiable on my part, isn't there?

I agree @Pawz4me that collar, as illustrated in that story, sounds awful! Today was an adult visitor, not the children I am expecting later in the week. When my friend arrived, the dog barked like mad, so we sat in the adjoining living room. She calmed to a whimper, but, since that wasn’t letting up, I feel for the ‘she must have to go’ routine. Straight out past visitor, on leash, sniffing toward her. We went out, then right back to crate. Of course, she didn’t really have to go! But, this time, silence in crate! After a few minutes, I released her, put her on leash and kept in another room, within eyesight of friend, but 20 feet away, giving treats for simple ‘sit’ ‘stand’ commands. All was good and quiet. So, I let her off leash, took the treats to my friend, and attended to lunch setting. The dog did wonderfully! Sniffed my friend all over, but no bark. After a minute the dog laid down and took a nap at friend’s feet. I think the heat helped. And, my friend being a woman. I’ll let you know how the children go (ages 2-14). And, @Ktgrok I ordered the Pet Corrector. Sounds perfect for the barking out the window routine. I also need to train family to stop yelling ‘Enough!’

Thanks for the laughter (and tears=)! I had just read a review on Amazon for the Pet Corrector spray, and I thought that lady’s story was funny - yours wins!!

I appreciate the reminder that what she practices, she repeats. I just don’t want to work this hard ... yes, this is a whine! I don’t know how to get over the hurdle of not enough visitors to make it stick. I guess invite people over more. I may be able to swing once/week. Especially children. It was more fun having other people’s children over when I had someone to offer them to play with (thinking other humans=). It is honestly a little bit of a pain to invite children when we are no longer the ‘fun house’, and they have little to do (except play with the dog, which they cannot do b/c, well, barking haha) We ignored other behavior and redirected. This is so hard, because the guests make it hard. They.do.not.ignore.the.dog no matter how much I tell them ahead of time. Then, orchestrating it like I try to do, in order to make it clear when they (the company) needs to do makes it so ‘about the dog’ that it makes visiting awkward. I guess I would give up if I didn’t like occasional company so much. I would ‘try’ the remote, but I save it for distance work and recall almost exclusively. Low stim, she responds well and looks forward to be out in the woods with me. But, the timing with company in front of me, not to mention their potential horror at the use, just makes this potentially great solution, probably unrealistic.

Please discuss barking with me. I have a reactive barker. She is 1 and a half years old. Barks at deer, odd sounds outside, and visitors. I find this so frustrating because we have such a well behaved dog otherwise. If she goes to the vet, where she must be overwhelmed by smells/dogs, she miraculously doesn’t bark. There, she can show off all of her manners. They rave about her basic obedience (wait at doors, down on command, stay, etc) and says she is their best behaved client. Inside, I am thinking, “You don’t understand, she is obedient, but not in control” Twice a week, I take her to train at parks and parking lots. She does best in busy places. At the park, though, when quiet and there is a squirrel 40 feet away? She turns into a barking mess! Then, the visitors. Our big, black ball of fluff barks at visitors out of (I guess) fear. No lunging, no snarling, just stands there and barks. Well, we don’t let her stand there, but, if we did nothing, that is what she would do. Usually, she is crated out of sight of arriving company, but can hear them. We wait for her to calm, then take her out, past the company (only way out) to potty outside, then back in to bark/sniff/calm after a minute or two or we re-crate. Maybe the barking lasts longer. It is loud and, therefore, a long, long minute or two! Also, she may randomly bark at them again. Especially children, who I know she sees as unfamiliar creatures. If we put her back in the crate, she might whine or bark or quiet fairly quickly. Then we will repeat this process in half hour or so. This sounds so much better than it actually goes. Not that smooth, not always begun in crate, not very pretty We live so far out and have company so seldom, I just don’t know how to get past this. People are so unhelpful. I tell them to ‘Please ignore the dog’, but it becomes a HUGE event, and, as I said, people are so unhelpful. They either look uncomfortable to have her barking in the background (open floor concept with no where else to put crate...although it is tucked around a corner), they give her attention that I told them not to, they give me advice in the moment like, “You need to teach her to understand ‘he’s a friend!’”, or they are put out about the fact that the dog is taking over our visit. I don’t blame the latter, I also just want to visit with my company and not have the dog be the center of attention. I love my dog, but I am not the type of person who has cute decorative signs up in the house that say, “If my dog makes you uncomfortable, I’d be happy to lock you in the other room”. For basic obedience on leash, distance and household manners, we use a little of everything. Clicker, remote collar, prong collar, treats, good old yelling, each of those has its place in her life. She is a lazy, sweet dog, but when she decides to bark at something, I cannot regain control. This makes me start the search for the perfect barking solution. Oh, how many chapters & blog posts I have read and how many videos watched!! All those problem-solving sources talk about easing her into company or noises. Usually, they show the beginning (dog barking crazily) and the end (example of a well trained dog), but they leave out the messy middle part (the practice). Some are ridiculous. We still ROFL every time we remember the Dunbar guy saying to ‘invite different groups of 6 men over every week for beer, pizza, and a game on TV’. I guess I do not know that many men haha! And, we really are too far to ask people to just drop by to help train the dog. Another example is Kikopup demonstrating acclimating the dog to noises by banging on the side of the washer/dryer with a fist. Well, if dogs aren’t great generalizers, that certainly won’t help me when she hears a concrete truck driving by outside the house. I guess I am looking for perfection...can I have permission to just allow her to bark, loose among the company and be ill mannered like other people’s dogs when we visit their homes? Could this actually lead her to eventually accept them? Does it always have to be a slow conditioning process??

In our experience: Boys seemed to like protein bars a lot! Girls: little treats for purse like scented hand sanitizer, lotion, lip balm and fancy mints. A hit for both groups (an idea I got from this board) was to send a pan of brownies right in the foil pan w/a plastic knife on top then wrapped solidly in plastic wrap - fit right in the medium Priority Box. Yes, care packages were pricey, but a few times a semester wasn’t too much of a budget cruncher. The small items (along with cold hard cash in a card) could be sent first class - cheaply.

...now this has me crying tears of joy. Happy for you all. Life it full of twists and turns. Keep the faith, everyone!

So sorry you are going through this.

Congratulations everyone!!

I have a question. Viewing the video of the 20 foot surge of water splashing the home windows of Michael Pintard, Minister of Ag in Bahamas...I can’t help but wonder how many hours even those solidly built homes can withstand that inundation. Wouldn’t the foundation, despite its moorings, eventually lose its grounding?

They are close with a family of eight. Know 9 a little. Lots of 5-6 child families.

Embarrassed to ask @gardenmom5, but what is the ‘cbe’ you listed after his name? I don’t want to put that in my text to ds w/out knowing. This particular ds was just playing Bohemian Rhapsody on our piano after Mass on Sunday. A real treat...didn’t know he was keeping up with those hard earned skills after 8 years of piano lessons from many years ago!

As is so often the case, @Scarlett, I wholeheartedly agree with you!

It will get better over time. As quiet and natural as you try to be, they will pick up on your nerves, but they will gain confidence with experience. We have found that this routine makes it much, much easier to get out on the road with a new driver: Beginning the day the teen gets their permit, we begin in a large acreage park nearby. This stage continues over a month or two of mostly Sunday drives. Relaxing affairs as time goes on while I sip my coffee and talk at random about whatever. There are multitudinous winding roads, parking lots, and hills. The teens learn to master the car as a pro before I ever.ever.ever. allow them on a legal road. This eliminates the stress & fear of traffic. Then, when I believe they can make tight, smooth turns and pay attention to more than the mechanics of the car, they drive part of the way to the park, then a few weeks later, the full way to the park. At this point driver's training on the road commences. Everyone is relatively relaxed. Although I still keep my hand on the door arm...I gave birth to this driver after all, and I find them driving me innately unnatural. Learning to drive is like writing. First there is mastery of the pencil and mechanics of forming letters and words. Only after the mechanics are automatic can the student confidently express themselves. The very first lesson each of children has that is repeated a few times a year (beginning at 13 or 14) is simply to drive 10 feet in a park: letting go of the brake, gently pressing the gas pedal, reapplying the brake, and putting the car in park. All gently. Eliminates the 'putting everyone through the windshield when braking' stage. They are so eager to begin that they follow exact directions. I know our 16 yo's wouldn't be so directional as those eager young ones.

I have learned to agree with this so much, especially the last sentence, as I have matured through life. I do not mean that maturity makes accepting other people's rudeness something to be strived for, I just see, with gained experience, that people/families are so varied in their ways of communicating. If this were a child, I would follow up and explain that the proper social norm is to acknowledge communication each time, in some polite way. If they feel exiting is necessary to avoid conflict, they should face the person and tell them so, as other's have stated above. If this were an adult, it depends on the person and so many other things. Well, it IS rude behavior, but why they showed this behavior determines how I would handle it. Were they raised thinking this was acceptable? Are they working on not losing their temper in even more rude ways, and exiting was the best they could muster in this occurrence on their journey of conflict management? Was a verbal fight involved, or about to begin? IMO, this person needs to hear that you find this offensive behavior and would appreciate acknowledgment each time you speak. This will, hopefully, open the door to improved communication with others, as well. None of us behaves well all of the time. If this was an adult who is also a spouse, helping them make changes through gentle guidance/suggestion/request, while giving an occasional pass, helps more than reacting defensively right back.