OK so here is the scoop on Norman. Check what you got from him against these known facts. If you got something that isn’t mentioned here, it may be something true that I just can’t verify. If you got something correct check it on your paper so you have a record of your hits. Put an x by the incorrect answers and a ? by anything you can’t validate. Circle anything that you couldn’t have made up. That’s a WOW! Make a rough estimate of your accuracy and note the total number of WOWs.

Norman
A woman friend of mine told me about Norman. Norman belonged to a her neighbors, a young couple who just moved to CA from Texas. They called him Lucky. They got him from a shelter. He is three. I don’t know why he was in a shelter or at what age they adopted him. They just had a new baby and have another dog and Norman was too many dogs. Norman was way overweight. He was getting Nutros dry. He was spending a lot of time in a crate because when left alone in the backyard he was barking and howling and the neighbors were complaining. He got to go in the backyard but not in the house. He had to leave his dog friend, a girl, who I think was a scottie or something like that.

Norman and Bear
Notice the black heart on Norman’s side. He has another littler one the other side. Since he’s been here I have observed that he cringes when you go to pat his head,so someone hit him somewhere along the way. He does not do kisses. He barks at deer, and was barking when he heard other dogs, but we worked on that. At first he wanted to chase the cats and make them run up trees. Now he understands he has to go easy and get them to play with him. My cats are pretty much ok with him and Miles and Norman were actually playing chase and tug of war. Norman and Bear get on great and love to run around together and play. Norman gets up on the couch and likes to sleep there. At night he has a bed in my room. He can’t jump on my bed it’s too high for him. He is eating raw food now and doing great on it. He is very smart and learns really quickly. He didn’t know about horses and tends to run underneath them still. All my horses are ok with him except for Rio who tried to stomp him at first. Rio seems ok with him now.
If you got something you want me to check, email me and I will get back to you.
New Words
Words that should be in the dictionary but aren’t.
Omnibiblious – adj. Indifferent to type of drink. “Oh, you can just get me anything. I’m omnibiblious.”
I just found a whole stash of these…
Re Blogging
Apparently one needs to blog more frequently to be a true blogger and get picked up by the search engines. I’ve been advised to do shorter blogs and blog more often. So I’m going to three times a week.
Questions
Send in any questions or issues you might want me to comment on. I’d like to hear your insights too. For example, what are your thoughts on Michael Vick and the HSUS and ASPCA supporting him?
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I am angry about Vick & what he did to those dogs. Pure Evil. I heard that our pro football team might pick him up. I decided & I love my team, to stop supporting my longtime team if they pick him up as a player. Last I heard, they are not but not totaly sure yet. He does not belong in pro football. I just think of the terrible suffering those dogs endured at his hands. Those who support him are ignorant.
Where did you find info that HSUS and ASPCA were “supporting” him? I haven’t seen that anywhere at this point and would like to know how to find it! Thanks
Hi Jeanne
I read it in the sfgate blog and also on the HSUS blog.
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
Hi Marta
Boy, was I excited to read more about Norman- and guess what: I did have a WOW Effect!
First when I asked him what was the reason why the people (the man must be dominating in the couple) the idea “baby” came up, but somehow I felt it wasn’t the reason, then tried again ” a hunting dog, not quick enough” perhaps it might have to do with his first home. Finally I hit it with being noisy, barking & neighbours annoyed.That with the cats, Norman seems to have fun with them!
Well, I hope you do this exercise again- it was great fun- trust your feelings, Big hug to Norman Cheers from Switzerland Christina
Hello Marta,
about Norman: he told me (very fluently received) that at his former address, on a certain day while he was asleep, a little child of the family pestered him suddenly with a toy with sharp edges, on his head. The dog who then had another name) was so much upset that he has bitten the child. The dog was beaten severely and had to leave.
It was by no means his intention to bite and hurt, it was just a “normal” reaction. Norman feels still guilty, and he asks Marta for help.
Norman told me he loves this name, it sounds much more “sturdy” than his former name and “old English-like” he thought.
He likes chicken meat.
2 other informations were wrongly understood by me.
_______
Thank you Marta for this possibility to practice !!
All the best with your workshops and everything what you undertake.
Love,
Marianne
Hi Marianne
The only thing I can verify is that he likes chicken, which I now feed him. What you describe may have happened before he ended up in a shelter but I don’t know.
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
Since Vick has already been released and secured a place with an NFL team I think the best thing he can do is use a percentage of his significant salary to establish a national network of pit bull rescue, rehab and relocation (new homes) sites to help the breed he so abused. It should include public education to counter the misinformation that exists about pit bulls.
It should, in my opinion, be a part of his contract, not optional and it should be enough to make a difference. He should also be required to actively recruit other sponsorship dollars for this rescue network. It could support existing efforts and build new sites. It’s the least he can do.
Chris
I see Vick is now making speeches on behalf of Animal rights for this organization. I’m befuddled. I’m sure to make himself look better. He seems very uncomfortable making these speeches. He just doesn’t look like he means what he says. Like he is just going through the motions. It’s not over for him. I’m just so glad my favorite football team didn’t sign him. For the Eagles, you’ve got a bad seed.
Because I am so late doing this I didn’t check directly with him… did your indirect info method instead. This is what I got:
2-3 YRS, from a shipyard, big family
no time for him…
Likes: tractors, farming, cows, frisbee, wants to win a show? Wants a ribbon… almost like he’s seen it at a fair
Dislikes: spiders, bit once…. Candles, too quiet,
little girls pull his tail ears paws,
new shed,
Got lost for a long time once, a man found him, brought him back
Not a lot there but I appreciate any opportunity to practice.
:o)
Rats
Thanks for the feedback, Marta – I will look it up now. Hope all is well in your new digs!
J & The Pack