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Hey guys! I used to be so active here but recently rescued a puppy from a shelter! She's my first dog I've owned as an adult. I love her!!

On to the relevant point haha.

I CANNOT believe how much work she is! Especially with an older dog in the house I had to really watch them together! Suffice to say my piano learning took a dive for a solid month. I've been working on the same stuff for a month! I've finally got back into the routine and I'm glad to find I haven't lost much. Boy learning new stuff, i really have to force myself to get into it. Starting is the hardest part, once I've started its not to bad . My poor teacher tho I don't want him to feel like he's a bad teacher! I had to cancel this week due to a car accident I was in and my left hand wasn't up to par and probably still isn't but I'm eager to continue my progress. Any advice for getting back in? Just jump in and continue? It's nice to finally have a set routine to get settled into

Anyone have any similar stories they want to share?

Sweet06,

You have done a wonderful thing in saving a life. In return for your good deed and all the work and expense associated with your new puppy you will receive years of unconditional love and companionship. I would say that is a good deal.

Now that you're back to the piano your little guy/girl can begin music appreciation lessons.

We have 5 dogs and they all lie around the piano as I play. They have truly mastered the art of sucking up!

hahahah awesome!! Whats cool is my teacher loves dogs and encourages me to bring her to lessons so i totally do! She sits and lies down next to the piano patiently during the lesson! its totally the best thing ever and im very grateful i have such a great dog and such a great piano teacher

Go to your lesson and talk to your teacher about how your injured hand feels.

This thread is worthless without pictures!

I want a cuteness factor!

Sweet06 - how wonderful. And how terrific is it that you can take your friend to piano lessons!

I'm so sorry to hear about the car wreck! I was in last summer and while there were no physical injuries to me (the other guy ended up in the hospital) I was still spooked 6 months later. And I'm with malkin - see if your piano teacher has any insight into your hand.

But I love the puppy report

Cathy

http://imgur.com/hl6Cpf8

Thread is no longer worthless!

Oh, what a wonderful puppy! And just the right expression to steal your heart Those puppies are good at that. Thanks so much for brightening my day.

Cathy

Puppie's name?

Read the collar?

It's Athena

Sweet, what a lovely dog! Re: the hand, definitely talk to your teacher. I had 2 episodes with my RH about a year after I started playing - first surgery, then a cracked elbow 5 months later. It was only a couple of weeks each time that I couldn't play, & at that early stage it din't seem to make much difference.

Yea, its a little odd. I have full functionality in my left hand, but the feeling is off and on. the doctors said its swollen and cutting off some feeling nerves and once the swelling comes down it should be normal. So like i can still grip things fine, but the feeling comes and goes which is odd playing the piano for sure.

I have fond memories as a kid and young adult of my dog lying by the piano as I played and practiced. From you describing your lesson, I think once the puppy energy wears off, she'll love the piano.

I rescued a kitten 2 years ago. She hasn't quite gotten the sucking up part. For some reason practice time seems like play time to her and she runs around like crazy whenever I play or sing. I'm hoping she grows out of that and it's not that she's a music snob.

Definitely talk over your hand with your doctor and teacher. If it's swelling around the nerves, your best bet would be to rest it. The analogy I'm thinking of is carpal tunnel, which I dealt with when I was younger. Once the nerves start to get pinched, you can't really "Play through it". It gets worse if you do. I had to retrain and do some therapy, but from what you describe, the on and off nature of the feeling, I'm hoping it's just the swelling and full feeling will return with a little more rest.

Aww! What a pretty baby and a great name. Shelter dogs are the best; they seem to remember their past and are all the more loving for your choosing them to take home.

I hope your hand is on the mend, being injured is no fun.

Duhh... the name is clearly visible on her tag. Sorry for the redundnant question.

My attention was rivited on that adorable face so I missed the tree in the forest and the name on her tag. Having trained working dogs for decades, including police dogs, SAR, etc, I have learned to look into the face of a dog to read them, just as they do to read what we are thinking. Without a doubt, over the years, dogs have taught me more than I have taught them.

BTW, some of the brightest and best dogs I have encountered (and that is in the 4 digit range over 4 decades) have been shelter dogs.

Regarding your hand, the other poster who said you should rest it is right, if you have swelling, you need to let that swelling go down. If your doctor thinks it's ok for you to play (did you ask?) I would still recommend shorter practice sessions than usual. Did the doctor talk about icing? Because if you do have swelling, that might help. And if you do play the piano, you might consider icing, or even just putting your hand/arm in cold water for 10-20 minutes afterwards.

Don't push yourself, I suspect you'll heal better and faster if you really take it easy in the early stages of the injury.

And congrats on your (very cute) puppy!

Good luck with the hand recovery!

Congratulations on Athena. She is beautiful.

I have always wanted a dog but was born and raised in New York in apartments that don't allow dogs. I live in Westchester now and unfortunately there is no dog paragraph in my lease.

I will be retiring in three years and leaving New York. I will do three things in this order:

1) buy a place

2) rescue a dog

3) order my Grand Piano

Enough said.

You have an outstanding retirement plan!

One of our 5 is a little guy, a Pomeranian named Louie. He was rescued from a puppy mill many years ago and is deaf due to an untreated simple ear infection during that sad part of his life. Now he is also blind since he is about 15. Somehow, he finds his way to the piano when I play and falls asleep under the bench. He probably feels the vibrations as he knows when I stop and leave. Sometimes, he will go to that spot right around the time I usually practice and wait for me to show up. I leave the bench out for him all the time as he depends on things being in the same place due to his blindness.

Animals and music... two gifts that nourish the human soul. I can't imagine a world without either.

Animals and music... two gifts that nourish the human soul. I can't imagine a world without either.

Amen, my friend, Amen! You "got" me.