Feed Grandma and the Dogs

Morning Routine

Walking the Dogs

First thing in the morning is to take Emiko for a walk as soon as she gets up so she doesn’t pee inside the apartment. She normally gets up around 7:30. Use the blue retractable leash. Just need to take her for a short walk around half the block, heading north to Pennsylvania, turn left, then back home through the alley. She will normally pee either in our yard or our next door neighbor’s yard, and then poop somewhere in the alley.

Emiko's Morning Walk
Emiko’s Morning Walk

Save the bag you use for Emiko for Kona’s poop, too. That is, I try to use one bag for both Emiko and Kona since Emiko’s poop is so small.

After you walk Emiko, take Kona for a walk. Use the big pink leash. Kona takes a longer walk in the morning:

  • North on Centinela
  • West on Pennsylvania
  • North on Franklin
  • West through the alley just before Colorado
  • South on Berkeley
  • East on Pennsylvania
  • South on Franklin
  • East on Nebraska
  • North through the alley until you get home
Kona's Morning Walk
Kona’s Morning Walk

When you exit the alley on Berkeley, you’ll see what looks like an apartment complex being built across the street. Kona likes to go over there to pee. Her favorite place to poop is a dirt strip right when you turn onto Pennsylvania from Berkeley.

Feeding the Dogs

After both dogs have been walked, feed them. Emiko gets a third of a can of dog food (any leftover can will be on the top shelf of the fridge to the left) and Kona gets one and a half cup of kibble (next to her dish). Extra cans of dog food for Emiko are by her bowl. I sprinkle a little bit of canned chicken over the top of their food (in plastic container top left shelf of fridge).

Lately, both dogs haven’t been eating their full bowl of food. If Emiko doesn’t finish, I’ll put her leftover food in a plastic container for dinner. For Kona, I’ll put her bowl up on the TV tray so Emiko doesn’t eat it, and then try feeding her a little later in the day.

Make sure to fill their water bowl regularly. They drink a lot when it’s hot.

Feeding Grandma

I usually feed grandma after the dogs (if she’s up). I toast a buttered slice of Trader Joe’s Croissant Loaf (on bottom shelf of fridge, to the left). Put it directly on rack of toaster oven and turn bottom knob clockwise to 12 o’clock. Then I give her some fruit (grapes, pineapple, or watermelon) and put into a bowl. Lastly, put her morning medicine in a small plastic cup. Her medicine is in the yellow daily dispenser on top of the waffle iron, which is on top of the kitchen counter. Spreadable margerine is on the top shelf of the left door.

Grandma's Breakfast
Grandma’s Breakfast

Also make her a cup of coffee. On her nightstand is a thermal pitcher and a couple of coffee cups. Take the pitcher and one of the cups into her bathroom. Empty the pitcher and the coffee cup in the sink.

On her bathroom counter is a hot pot. It should already have water in it (I fill it up after I empty it so it’s ready to go for the next day). Press the lever under the handle to start heating up the water (usually I’ll start heating up the water before I start making her breakfast so the water will be ready by the time I’ve finished). The lever will pop back up once the water has started boiling. Put about a third of a rounded teaspoon of instant decaf coffee into the mug and pour hot water into it. Fill the pitcher with hot water so grandma can refill her cup from it later. Fill the hot pot with water for the next day.

Grandma's Hot Water Pot
Grandma’s Hot Water Pot

Noon Routine

Feed Grandma

Either take her out or get her a fish sandwich (no pickles) from Burger King. There’s a Burger King on the NW corner of Pico and 20th. Get her the small meal with lemonade so she can have fries. You can get something there for yourself or walk across the street to Campos and get some Mexican food. There might also be some leftovers in the fridge that you can heat up for grandma.

Walk Emiko

Only Emiko needs a walk, because I’m worried that she might accidentally pee before the usual late afternoon walk. Same route as in the morning. She may just pee and not poop.

Give the Dogs a Snack

Dog treats are on the dining room table. I give Kona a Trader Joe’s Jerky Stick, followed by a peanut butter flavored SmartChip. And then I’ll give her a Whimzees treat:

Kona's Dog Treats
Kona’s Dog Treats

I also give Emiko a Trader Joe’s Jerky Stick and then a Trader Joe’s peanut butter flavored cookie:

Emiko's Dog Treats
Emiko’s Dog Treats

Late Afternoon/Dinner

Walk Kona

Usually I take her either to the Airport dog park or to our next door neighbor (green house to the south) to play, because our neighbor (Oshea) has two dogs that are the same size as Kona and they get along very well. However, you can probably get by on just taking her for a long walk, same route as the morning. Usually around 4:30 or 5:00. She will pee and poop.

Walk Emiko

Another short walk. Emiko will probably poop during this walk.

Feed the Dogs

Same as the morning routine.

Feed Grandma

Take her out, get something “to go,” or feed her leftovers. Grandma will also eat the appetizer beef taquitos from Campos (she’ll only eat one and a half sticks, so you can eat the rest).

Late Evening

Walks

Just before you go to bed, walk Emiko first, then Kona. Usual route for Emiko. For Kona, she’s going to want to walk you up and down the alley looking for cats. Just drag her around the front of the block until she pees (she usually doesn’t poop late at night). Sometimes she likes to go across the street to go pee.

Snacks

Give them the same snacks as at noon, but also give them their flea tablets. The bottle on the left is for Emiko (7.5 mg), the one one the right for Kona (37.5 mg). I give Emiko’s right after I give her the Jerky Stick, she will eat it plain. For Kona, you need to doctor it up by sticking a gob of Nutella on it (the jar of Nutella is in the tall cabinet to the left of the oven, on one of the slide out shelves). Hold the nugget in your hand, put a gob of Nutella on it with a butter knife, then hold it out to Kona. When she looks like she’s going to lick the Nutella off, just pop it in her mouth and she’ll swallow the whole thing. I usually give it to her after the peanut butter SmartChip and before the Whimzee.

Flea Tablets
Flea Tablets

In Case Emiko Pees

If Kona needs to pee or poop and she can’t get someone to take her outside, she’s pretty good about doing it in grandma’s bathroom on the pee pads. Just fold up the dirty pads and throw them in the trash at the back of the apartment complex.

Emiko hasn’t been quite as good at hitting the pee pads, I think because she doesn’t realize she has to go until the last minute.

If Emiko pees on a throw rug, just put it outside the front door on the balcony and I’ll wash it when I get home.

If she pees on the carpet, then the pee needs to be soaked up and Nature’s Miracle sprayed on it so it doesn’t smell.

  1. Grab this chamois from the rack in front of the kitchen sink. Rinse it a couple of times with warm water (it works better if it’s damp), and wring out as much water as possible.
    Chamois
    Chamois
  2. Flatten out the chamois, fold into quarters (half one way and half the other way), lay on top of the pee spot, then use your foot (wear a shoe or sandal) to step on the chamois a few times to soak up the pee.
  3. Rinse chamois in the sink, wring it out really well, and repeat above step a couple of times.
  4. Rinse chamois clean, wring it out, and hang to dry on rack.
  5. Grab this spray bottle of Nature’s Miracle that’s in the hallway outside our bathroom. Squirt it liberally over the pee spot.
    Nature's Miracle
    Nature’s Miracle
  6. Get a new pee pad from the hallway to grandma’s room (it’s behind the door between the hallway and living room). Open it up and place upside down over the pee spot in case you accidentally step on the wet spot.
    Pee Pad
    Pee Pad