A plane, a plane.

Sun was low which made for nice shadows. 

Yesterday I had Luke at the park.  It is a place where many people come to fly their remote planes and Luke use to love to watch them when he was younger.  Although it has been sometime since he's shown much concern for anything other than sniffing and leaving his mark there.  His reaction to a small plane yesterday made me smile so I had to share. 

Plane spotted.  

We stood for a while; just watching the plane and having a snack.  It really is all about the little things. 


 

The Golden Girls

 Lucy came over to play last week.  First a little background on Elsa and Lucy's relationship.  They first met when Elsa was very small, then we moved away.  Since we've been back they have only been together off a couple of times; and only once in  my backyard.  The rest of the time together has been spent walking on leash in parks.  We met out front of my house so that Elsa could get a heads up before they played.  Elsa knew she was there before I opened the door.  But I leashed her up and out we went.  Elsa did her hinged in the middle routine jumping all over Lucy's Mom while Lucy jumped all over me crying.  It's really nice when a dog that is not your own loves to see you.  :) 

                                        Of course there were retrieving games.

                                                 Elsa joined Lucy for a good sniff of the area. 

                   
                                                                Having fun just running around.
 

Then the big boy came out and Lucy was a bit nervous, very normal for a submissive dog.

                                    Lucy is a gorgeous Golden Retriever, inside and out. 

               Elsa was so excited to have Lucy over that she immediately dove into her full on play mode.  This actually threw Lucy a bit; they hadn't done the brawl play before and Lucy being very submissive was not quite sure that it was all play. 

                 Elsa tried shoving a toy in Lucy's face to get the game of chase going.  You can clearly see Lucy's tight lips here, she's a bit apprehensive. 

          Elsa growled, jumped and charged at Lucy.  Lucy was still a bit nervous to join in but started to relax. 

                                       Lucy's turn to check out Luke.  Luke loves Lucy. 

               A testing moment as Lucy comes to see if she can play with Elsa's toy.  Elsa gives her a  mock freeze and then dives into the game. 

                                                Elsa tempting Lucy to try to take the toy. 

     Elsa could tell that Lucy was apprehensive so tried to make it very clear that she wanted to play.  You can see Lucy's squinted eyes and pulled back lips here in submission.  So Elsa works harder.

                                                          Elsa's gets her goof on. 

                Elsa saying to Lucy "look how much fun I'm having, come join."

                  
     Another clear shot of Lucy squinting in submission.  They had fun being together but when Elsa brought out her brawling tactics, Lucy was a bit reserved.  By the end of the play Lucy was relaxing and starting to get into it.  We will get them together a lot more in my backyard so that they can get their game on together. 

A retriever to the core.

                        
                          A moment of rest but she is always ready with her prized possession. 

So how was your weekend?  We had a nice weekend, busy but nice.  Before the weekend on Friday morning Elsa had a play date with one of her best friends, Lucy.  I'll have pics tomorrow of that; Lucy is a beautiful Golden Retriever; Elsa loves her and was so excited to have her over.  Saturday Elsa and I headed over to a fenced field for some much needed chuck-it fun; then Luke and I did the "stop and smell the roses" walk. 

Chuck-it is probably one of Elsa's absolute favorite activities.  But as a high speed activity it is short lived; we don't chuck-it till she drops.  Instead we follow the "short and sweet" rule that I follow for my own work outs.  High intensity workout for a short amount of time.  It does not take Elsa long to get an amazing workout while doing her chuck it.  If you can throw that thing really well; it is truly amazing how far it goes.   Without it, I throw like a girl, pathetic really.  But armed with a chuck it and some muscle; that thing flies.  I love it and so does Elsa. 

But the retrieving doesn't stop there.  Miss Elsa is a retriever to the core.  Diehard retriever is what I'd have to describe her as.  No retriever we've met can keep up with her; nor do any have the drive that she does.  Of course Tilley would have given her a run for her money; more than likely out retrieving her with her ability to turn on a dime.  Tilley had a more compact body than Elsa does and was faster than her.  Most dogs who join us for fun soon learn to just stand and watch as Elsa does her stuff.

So the retrieving continues at home; albeit on a smaller scale.  Air tosses for catching and wall bouncing are a few other "ball" games that Elsa loves.  By far, the tennis ball is the absolute favorite object to retrieve and her new large sized Kong balls are prize possessions.   With Elsa's drive so high we limit access to the ball.  Plus if she is left with her balls for too long; she tends to strip them of their furry coat, if no one is tossing them for her.  Home retrieval is an allotted activity; the ball sits in a resting place until called upon.  I can often see Elsa sitting, staring at the lonely ball up on the shelf but it doesn't come off until I say that it comes off. 

The decision to play ball is always mine.  I know that once the ball comes down the retrieving will begin and not end until it is once again put up and away.  No matter where I am, Elsa will follow and she will continue to retrieve the ball.  It will be placed on my lap, in my weed bucket, Luke's head, someone else's lap or wherever it needs to be placed to be thrown.  She is amazing in her dedication.  She loves the chase but even more so, the catch.  It is all about the catch; preferably done on the first bounce. The power behind her back legs as she takes off is unbelievable and depending on the surface where she is taking off from, often sent flying. 

It mystifies me that the Standard Poodle is in the Non-sporting group.  Anyone who has ever lived with one knows that nothing could be further from the truth.  No doubt the only thing that landed them in this group is the "show hair" that they have to sport.  The Standard Poodle is a sporting dog in ever sense of the term, they are pretty much up for any activity.  Of course they are all different, even within the group, so some are more sporty than others.  I happen to have a very sporty girl who fits me to a tee.  Game on. 

Dreaming dogs

As I sit here ready to blog; my attention is drawn to Elsa, she's dreaming.  I wonder what the dream is about; don't you wish there was a way to know?  Whatever it is, the dream is causing a great deal of movement.  Both Elsa and Luke are big dreamers; slipping into action filled dreams almost as soon as they close their eyes.  Like us, they are all different.  Tilley dreamed, but did not move the way that Luke and Elsa do.  Every once in a while she'd have a big action dream that caused her legs to go, growling and such.  But Luke and Elsa are very involved physically in their dreams.  I love to watch and wish that there was a way to know what was going on. 

I assume that their dreams are much like our own; made up of bits and pieces of the life that they experience.  Even very young puppies can be seen actively dreaming and they have little to dream about.  But they have life experience as soon as they are born and even the smallest of daily activities can be brought forward into a dream.  Bits and pieces picked up during the day; a run in the park, a bath, car ride or meeting a new dog can all make it into our dog's dreams.  How they manifest into the storyline is all up to the brain. 

Psychology Today - Do Dogs Dream?

When we dream, the recipe for the dream can be random; leaving us with that "what the heck" feeling.  Single pieces of information tossed together to create a whole scenario created solely by our active brains while we sleep.  The same thing goes for our dogs.  If you have ever witnessed your dog abruptly wake, startled and run off; you know for sure that they were in full dream.  Luke has almost tossed himself off the bed before as he becomes so active; he is by far the most active dreamer that we have had. 

The old saying "let sleeping dogs lie," is a word of wisdom.  Many people have been growled, snapped at or even bitten by a dog who has been dreaming.  Touch a dog in the middle of a dream dog fight and you may find yourself taking a trip to the emergency room.  If you feel the need to wake your dog from a dream; do it very slowly.  The brain is a powerful thing; when a dog is in a dream, that is where every part of them is at that moment.  Best to leave them finish the dream. 

Do our dogs recall their dreams as we do?  Probably.  The brain takes pieces of daily life and throws them together in a new combination; bringing with it, new experiences for our dogs.  Dreams are fascinating no matter who is doing the dreaming.  

Foot protection

Before Elsa and I headed out to the beach the other day; Luke and I hit the park.  He can no longer walk as far as Elsa; sad but a reality, so we do our own old guy walk.  He is a funny guy; as soon as we get to our destination he throws it into overdrive and has a burst of speed.  So for the very first bit of our walk I'm power walking; just like the old days with my boy.  But it is very short lived and we slip into a slow but steady meander.  Luke sniffs everything that there is to sniff.  He loves to lift his leg on just about everything; although he takes forever, making sure that he is hitting just the right spot before the actual lift. 

As we made our way around the park; stopping often to have a little snack (Luke loves to snack on walks); I noticed him dragging his back right foot.  Before this day it had been every once in a while but it was now almost every step.  We walked and I watched that foot with much concern.  I stopped and asked him to see his toedie; lifting up his foot I could clearly see the two middle nails were worn down.  The rest of his foot was fine; it didn't seem to be dragging anywhere but those nails at this point.  This in itself was good news, it meant that the height of his leg lift when walking is the only thing that is lessened; a common occurrence in older dogs with arthritis. I placed his foot back down on the ground and he gave me one of his unbelievable face connection.  He reached up, gave me direct eye contact and touched my face with his.  What a guy. 

As we continued our walk, I thought.  I could wrap the toes but then the tape would be stuck on the fur of his foot which he would hate.  Maybe a boot?  Like a protective winter boot that dogs in cold places wear?  Maybe someone had already thought of this old dog dragging foot thing; and come up with a foot protector?  It has to have protection at the front of his foot; the pad is fine and not the problem.  I would need two, even though only one is the problem.  I think one would throw his gate off too much and perhaps cause more problems. 

One thing for sure, Luke is not going to like boots.  He will of course get use to them like anything else.  Luckily for now it will just be for walks.  But if we can walk on grass he won't need to wear one.  Not walking is not an option; walking is essential to keep what little muscle mass he has in shape.  Plus he would be far too upset not going out with Mom.  So the search begins.  If anyone reading this knows of a special boot made for foot draggers I would love to hear about it. 

Have a great day. 

Out and about

Elsa and I head out to the beach yesterday.  We hit Main Beach in Laguna; haven't been there for a very long time.  Elsa's nose is on overdrive when we go anywhere; but the beach has lots of different smells to offer. 

She has no objections to park'n it in the sand.  

She's not a huge fan of waves so when I venture out she just follows.  Mom is more important that dodging the waves.  :)  

Walking was wonderful, the sand was hard packed.  

Who doesn't love their toes in the sand?

Elsa is so cute, she stays by my side for the most part but occasionally likes to lead.  The more places you take your dog the better they are to deal with different situations.

Heading back to the car and home to see Luke and some breakfast.  

Vaccinating

                                            Photo:  property of Just dogs with Sherri

Too many vaccines?

Are we over vaccinating our dogs?  I think so, and the studies show that there is no need for annual vaccinations.  Yet, many owners haven't heard or have had such a fear of not vaccinating their dog yearly that they still head off to the vet for their dog's shots.  A couple of years ago I was at a Veterinarians that claims to be holistic.  As I sat in the waiting room a woman walked in with her elderly dog in her arms.  The Vet Tech told the woman that the dog was due for her annuals plus, bordetella, coronavirus, heartworm medication plus flea and tick.  I shuddered thinking what this poor little was going to be dealt with.  The woman handed her dog over to the Tech and smiled. 

I sat with Tilley, waiting.  At that point Tilley had not received an annual shot in over 9 years.  She had titers done with results stating that she was immune to the regular annuals.  No more vaccines needed, so why pump her full of more?  It mades no sense.  Think before you shoot more vaccines into your dog.  Read and research before making the decision to add yet another "new" vaccine that has been introduced.  I am not saying not to vaccinate; I am saying don't over vaccinate. 

Dr. Karen Becker on vaccinating

Shirley's Wellness Café

Dog Listener

The only vaccine that is required by Law in many States and Countries is Rabies.  But not all Countries, Provinces or States require it.  Many have taken on the new protocol of every three years which is one tiny step in the right direction.  But so much more needs to be done as far as keeping our dogs safe from over vaccination.  The whole scare tactics that we have been fed for years about yearly vaccines needs to be replaced with facts.  Research, research, research is the only way to find out what is true and what is propaganda to get you to spend more money.  If your Vet is still pushing the yearly vaccinations then you need to arm yourself with factual information. 

New vaccines are being created all the time and not for the good of our dogs. 

If you have never heard of Titers, this is a good article on what they are all about.  They could save your dog's life. 

Dog's Naturally Magazine on Titers

Home again

 

Good to be home. 

I was away for a few days; away from Luke and Elsa.  As much as I hate to be away, it is good to get away now and again.  In fact I don't get away very often; so when I can I enjoy it to the fullest.  Of course this means that someone needs to take care of my dogs.  We have a couple of great sitters; so I consider myself very lucky to be able to leave Luke and Elsa in the comfort of their home when I have to be away.  I can't even imagine boarding them at a Vets like some folks do.  Left to sit in a cage until my return?  Uh, no.

Even though Luke and Elsa are happy to be with their sitter; there is nothing like coming home after being gone for a few days.  This time was no different; it is like there is a huge celebration party.  As Luke is getting older his big greetings are changing; this one was very different and had me smiling from ear to ear.  As soon as we walked through the door the excitement began.  Thinking that we were the sitter coming in; they were over the top elated that it was indeed Mom and Dad.  Elsa started to smile and continued smiling for the entirety of the home coming event.

Luke was on the couch; which is where he stayed for most of it.  He was so excited that he could not contain himself; he tried to run up and down the couch but his old legs kept giving out.  But that was not enough to stop him.  Resembling a seal on the beach he flopped around; half up, half down.  With my assistance he got to his feet once again, only to be down once more.  He had his happy sideways head on and was a huffing fool.  Our faces met as he felt the need to deliver some "WELCOME HOME" chin nibbles.  We had many eye contact connections; Luke's way of saying "Mom, you're home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

Luke and I were caught up in our moment while Elsa circled; her tail whipping us both as she passed by.  She continued her smiles which were very appropriate one sided Elvis grins.  She does on occasion do a full mouth smile but that is typical the first few.  Then she moves to the Elvis look; the left side of her mouth pulling up with excitement.  Her tail is lethal which we have all learned to keep at a distance.  Her whole body wags along with her tail; making her look like she is hinged in the middle.  With her head dropped, eyes squinted and lip pulled up, she is quite a sight.  A sight for sore eyes. 

We had a second greeting yesterday.  We had been at the gym very early and when we opened the door they were once again happy that it was Mom and Dad.  It was a much larger than the normal "oh hi you're home;" greeting but not as big as the one the evening before.  It's good to get away, good for us and good for our dogs.  Not ever going away is a big mistake; our dogs need to learn that we will return and be okay with our absence.  I know a lot of people that are never away from their dogs, but we should be; everyone needs a break once in a while, even our dogs. 

REPOST - Vestibular disease

So very important to share with everyone who loves a dog.

Lately I've been running into a great number of dog owners who have never heard of Vestibular disease so I decided that I would repost some of my past blogs on the subject.  It is so important to know the signs; sadly many people euthanize their dog at the onset thinking that they are doing what is right.  The symptoms of the sudden onset are definitely frightening but it all changes quickly.  Here are the past posts on the subject and as a side note Tilley was 14.5 in the above photo and was doing amazing; she was crooked but amazing.  She of course has now been gone over two years.

Link on Vestibular #1

Link #2

Link #3

The dance

The other day I was sitting with Luke while he ate.  Elsa was long done and sitting as well; quietly watching for that moment when I would pick up the bowl and she gets to eat what has been spilled on the ground.  Luke regularly spits the undesirables on the ground and she knows this.  As she sat watching he looked up to see her watching; she immediately turned her head.  I thought to myself at that moment "it's like a dance."  Dog signals to each other are just like a dance; so much so that they almost look synchronized when two well read and spoken dogs get together. 

We humans can see the signals but typically don't; not unless you know what you are looking at and are watching.  If you turn away while two dogs are interacting you can miss so much information.  Most people would not have seen the silent communication between Luke and Elsa.  There was no sound, nothing drawn out; it was quick and clearly understood.  Clearly understood is probably the most important thing here.  Many dogs don't communicate quite as clearly and there in lies a problem.  Of course personality will factor in; some dogs would challenge Luke on his "my food" communication.  When Luke looked at Elsa, there was no anger; he was simply stating that his food was not up for grabs.  She clearly understood this and by turning away; let him know that she had no intention of moving in on it. 

Writing this blog this morning made me think of this song.  One of my all time favorites.  Garth Brooks song done by Scotty McCreery, two of my favorites.  

                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9Hl-zk3Ztw

I remember when Jessie and Tilley were getting way up into their senior years.  We had an incident one night that made me aware that I had to be even more vigilant than I typically am.  Jessie wandered over to Tilley while she was eating; I was doing the dishes and had turned away for an instant.  I heard a very loud growl from Tilley and turned just in time to scoop Jessie up and away from Tilley's food.  In an instant Tilley would have flashed her a look; frozen her posture and lastly felt the need to growl at Jessie's continual approach.  Jessie, having poor vision, loss of hearing and suffering from Dementia had missed it all.  Something that would have never happened when she was young.  When the dogs were a young pack, I loved watching their communication dance.  It is truly amazing how much is said between dogs without ever uttering a word. 

You have to watch to see.  Seems like a simple concept but we humans aren't so good at it; we are seriously inferior to dogs in the watching and seeing department.  When you do take the time to watch; or decide to become more vigilant in your canine communication watching, you will be amazed.  But you have to learn what to look for; when dogs are together it is a constant stream of communications.  It is so fast that by the time I can say "see that?"  That is gone and missed by the other person.  So getting a good understanding of signals before trying to see them is essential. 

I love it, canine communication, the dance. 

Two years

Wow, it is the 2nd Anniversary of our return to SoCal.  Do you believe two years have gone by already?  If you don't know what I'm talking about; here is a short summary.

December 06, 2011 my son, myself and our four dogs packed up and headed from Southern California to Connecticut.  A lot happened on that trip; which you can read about in book number one of two.  PBJ and me.    It can also be found on  Amazon.  The book covers our trip from right before we head out to our arrival in Connecticut.  After we landed a whole lot happened; it was a very trying time for everyone.  We lost our little Jessie in Oklahoma during the trip and then three weeks later we lost Tilley to an inoperable tumor on her spleen that had ruptured.  It was a very sad and dark time.

On top of that I got a huge dose of poison ivy all over my face (yes charming); dealt with ticks and loads more.  When I look back, there was many lessons to learn but not a whole lot of happy.  It was a rough time and we got through it.  So here we are 2 years after our arrival back home.  That day I remember well; it was a very happy one.  In fact from the moment we got into the car to come back home, was good.  I am working on a second book that is titled And Back Again but it has been placed on the back burner for a bit as I needed time away from it.  It is almost finished and then will head off to the editor.

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you must wade through the crap to come out on the other side.  I can now look back without getting too sad, although I miss Jessie and Tilley every single day.  There was much to be learned from the whole ordeal and having had two years now to dissect it all, it's pretty clear.  It would be wonderful if life was just great all the time but that would not be reality.  Life is about experience and sometimes those experiences are horrific, sad, unbearable etc. etc.  Going through it and coming out with life lessons on the other side is what it is all about.  It is what makes us who we are.

We, Luke, Elsa and I, spent three and a half months in Connecticut.  The one good thing about that time was the dog beach where Elsa did most of her dog/dog socializing.  We hit the beach at least three times a week and met some wonderful people and dogs there.  We left Connecticut just a week before the beach was to close for the season.  It was funny that we arrived at the opening and left at the close of the beach; just long enough to get in some great beach moments.

Two years?  Where does the time go?  When we arrived back home in SoCal, little Miss Elsa was only eight months old.  She will be three years old in July, crazy.  Luke and Elsa have been across the Country and back again.  Plus they drove to Oregon and back just last year; they are amazing travelers.  Traveling with my dogs is something that I really enjoy; leaving them behind?  Not so much.  But road trips can be hard on old dogs; so great care must be taken when contemplating travel with them.  Road trips with dogs are all about the dogs; it is the way of it.

What will the next two years bring?

A new ball and more cell phone fun.

Elsa got a new ball.  I decided to get a few images of her catching but was frankly too lazy to run up and get my good camera.  So I took the challenge and used my cell phone.  It has a bad lag, something that I am not use to with my good cameras.  If the subject is moving it has even more lag.  So I worked on my lag timing.  

These are straight out of the cell phone; nothing done to them.  

I discovered that I had to actually take the photo before I threw the ball.  It's much like the old pat your head and rub your stomach thing.  It's a good thing I didn't end up throwing my cell phone.  

Elsa waiting for another throw and Luke coming to see what all the raucous is about. 

A little close but nice shot. 

The girl has great form. 

Awaiting another toss. 

Tip toe catch.

Ooops, too late. 

Just a fraction of a second too early.  

Maybe a millionth of a second too late?

Threw the ball too high.

Again.

Catching on the bounce. 

A little close.

:)

I love this one, even though the ball  is missing.

Cutie pie.  

Love the shadow and check out that chest.  :)

A little crop and a few tweaks in Photoshop makes it look completely different. 

These are just a few, I have lots more; some don't even have Elsa in them.  Working with a lag is tough but I had fun trying.  I hope this motivates you guys to get out your cell phone or camera.  Whether you are using an old digital camera or a cell phone, it takes work to get the shot.  The more lag, the more in tuned you have to be to timing and catching that moment. 

 

There's a lot more to getting a great shot than having a great camera.    

 

You don't have to have a professional camera to take great shots.  It just takes practice, sometimes lots and lots of practice. 

It's gotta taste good.

Recently I made a batch of cookies; they were to assist in getting some extra pounds onto Luke after his bout with a stomach bug.  He loves them and every time I open the can I think "donuts;" they don't taste bad either.  They are a little bland with no sugar but I'd eat them with a cup of tea.  :)  Anyhow, I am always on the look out for yummy tasting and healthy dog cookies.  Not an easy task I might add.  There is so much garbage out there to buy for your dogs.  Just let me say this, if it comes from a big box store, do not buy them for your dog.  I spent an hour one day going through every bag of treats at Target.  Reading ingredients, just to see if there was anything half decent, nope.

I've been making my own dog cookies for years; after all I use to be known as the cookie lady at the Farmers Market.  I still like to buy them now and again; but finding good tasting ones that are healthy is quite the challenge.  The other day I was at my local health food store; so I headed over to the dog section.  I grabbed a bag of "organic" dog cookies made by Castor and Pollux Organix.  They looked good in the package, a little greasy so I thought maybe, just maybe.  Well, when I opened the bag and offered one to Luke he turned his head in the "I'm not eating that" way that he does.  Okay, so not unusual that Luke won't eat it.  I offered one to Elsa; she took it and spit it on the floor, nope she wasn't eating it either.  I smelled the contents in the bag; yuck, no wonder they don't want to eat these.

At that  moment I thought "does no one taste these things?"  Much like I ask myself the same thing when I taste a new human product that is horrible.  If dog cookies are made with human grade products then someone should taste them; and that someone should not be a dog that will eat anything.  Some dogs will you know, the ones who love to scarf down anything that isn't screwed to the ground.  These days  more and more people are feeding raw and/or cooking for their dogs.  Dogs have very personal tastes; what one likes another may not.  But there is a much more general "this is good" when something tastes good; most will like it but there will always be some that don't.  When I bake cookies, I bake for taste, nutrition and texture.  I like them to be eaten but I also want them to hold up in the dog cookie can. 

What is the point of making something that doesn't taste good?  Just because we are giving them to our dogs does not mean that flavor is out of the picture.  Plus if you are going to feed it to your dog; fill it with nutrition and not empty calories.  My dogs have things that they love; there are some food items that will literally get Luke off the couch and into the kitchen.  While, like the bag of yuck cookies, he will not eat no matter what.  I want nutritionally packed cookies/treats for my guys; hence the little fish eyed critters that they now get even though they creep me out.  :)    Unfortunately I don't want a pocket full of these on our walks so I look for something dry yet yummy. 

I just now finished sharing my paleo coconut cake and almond butter with Elsa; she loves it and if she smells it, comes running.  Smart girl, it is very yummy and great for both her and I.  Nutrition is number one, then taste; if something doesn't taste good it's not going to do our dogs any good.  So taste it if you can.  I know everyone I ask to taste my dog cookies gets a funny look on their face.  Like just because it's "dog" means that there is something gross in it.  When in fact it should just mean that it has been made with a "dog" in mind. 



If you are going to give your dog treats or cookies then give them great tasting, nutrition filled ones.  Why not? 

Love to watch a nose in action.

They truly are amazing how they get so much information from one tiny scent.


Today is sort of a dreary, windy and rainy one.  The sun came up bright this morning but it was surrounded by ominous clouds.  Odd for California but also strange this morning was Luke getting up early.  When I jumped out of bed to grab my coffee he followed along.  He's in a very good mood today which is nice to see.  After a quick trip outside we headed back to bed.  As I entered my bedroom, Luke stood staring.  With coffee in hand I ran and placed it down on the nightstand.  He wanted up, a rare moment as well.  So with a big hoist and placing pillows all around him we settled in.  Elsa was still outside, she'd wanted to linger in the morning wind today.  So much to smell with the wind.

Just as I readied to start blogging I heard her bark.  I jumped out of bed to see what she was barking at.  She stood in the middle of the yard, head pointing up towards the sky.  She was getting scents from the wind; they could have been from some distance as we had quite a gusty wind this morning.  I watched her take in the scents and bark every once in a while as she smelled something that didn't smell right to her.  Fascinating.

With one eye on Luke and one on Elsa I slowly slid my patio door open.  Elsa did not hear it but within seconds her nose changed direction; she got a funny face on and looked towards the house.  She smelled me.  Reminded that it was morning snuggle time, no doubt; she took a few more whiffs of the air and dashed in through the dog door.  Sounding very much like a heard of elephants, she appeared in the room at full speed; jamming her brakes on at the last moment, as she waited for her invite.  Once she had that it was up and snuggled down to enjoy the moment.

Dog noses are fascinating.  Both Luke and Elsa will often charge out to the backyard; their noses in the air and barking menacingly.  I wish I could smell what they do; but alas we are mere humans, right?   I challenge Elsa's nose a lot with games of hide'n seek.  She loves it and resembles a Bloodhound as we play.  She uses her nose much like Tilley did.  If she cannot find me she will immediately put her head to the ground and find me very quickly.  She does not muck about; losing sight of me for a moment is not okay with her.  She is constantly watching me so if she loses sight of me by hanging outside too long she goes into overdrive search.  It truly is amazing how she can pick out my fresh footsteps; even though I have probably walked up and down the same path hundreds of times.  In our home with my smell everywhere she can find the freshest scent.

Amazing, simply amazing.  Dogs.

Introducing new things

 

Sitting and chilling near Mr. Blue man.

I am a huge advocate of finding and introducing new things to our dogs.  Like us, the more that they deal with a variety of things in their life; the better they will be to do it.   Each dog is an individual; how you approach new things in life will depend on who your dog is.  Luke is a very aware dog but now with 13.5 years behind him,  nothing much fazes him.  Elsa on the other hand is extremely sensitive to the environment around her and suspicious.  She is not fearful, just suspicious to the unknown.  So when I get the chance to show her something new, I love it.

This past weekend Luke and I were at one of our favorite parks.  I didn't know that there was a "fly" festival going on when we got there.  But as I pulled in the parking lot was almost filled to capacity.  We hopped out and did a half go round of the park.  There were lots of people, booths set up and those little plane and helicopters there.  I wanted to bring Elsa here to see it all.  With Luke having finished his walk, we headed for home.  I switched out dogs and went back to the park.  By now the lot was full except for one last spot which I nabbed. 

We got out and made our way to the crowd.  Just before we got into the major crowd, a giant blue, waving thing welcomed us to the park.  It was there for the event and Elsa had never seen one of these things.  She didn't think much of it until we passed right beside it and she looked up.  At that very moment, it did it's bend down to grab you thing and she had a little startle.  I was surprised that it didn't scare her more.  Seeing that it did bother her; we sat on a bench right beside it, and watched. Like always, I got on my "we don't care about that thing," attitude.  It is essential not to react to anything that our dogs are concerned with; when trying to explain that it is just a nothing in life. She was taking in all the people and commotion that was going on; so the blue guy was just glanced at when he did his bend down to grab you thing.  I got my camera out for a shot as she kept one eye on the comings and goings and the other on Mr. Blue. 

Having sat with the blue man for long enough, we made our way through the maze of people and booths.   Elsa snorted quite a bit through it all.  When she has something to say it is done via snorts.  We had a big walk, did the whole park and around again through all the booths before heading once again by Mr. Blue balloon guy.  I made sure to walk right past him this time and Elsa only gave him a quick glance, nice.  She wasn't a fan of his; and put him in her memory bank for later. 

On the way home I decided that my Xterra desperately needed cleaning.  After going on an off-roading trip it was caked with mud so we hit the car wash.  This is something else that Elsa doesn't love but is fine with now.  She watches very carefully as we head into the dark tunnel and is clearly happy when she sees the light of day.  All in the day to day. 

Fun with shadows, my cell phone and stay.

I was waiting for Luke to finish, eating that is.  Elsa was done long before him so as I waited I watched.  I noticed that the light was great for casting perfect shadows.  It wasn't quite above us; it was slightly lower that gave Elsa a nice shadow right beside her.  She was entertaining me just by moving around.  I wanted my big camera but it was in my office as I'd had an early morning shoot; so while Luke was still finishing I ran into the kitchen and grabbed my cell phone.  

This one was great for perfecting "stay."  Having to shift her ever so slightly so that her shadow showed perfectly, I told her to stay.  So when she went to move it I gave her the "error" marker which is "mm."  Deep and barely audible but she hears it and knows what it means.  She stayed until her release and was off; having noticed the sun and was hunting for lizards.  So keeping her still until I got the shot needed a verbal cue. 

This one she set up nicely on her own.  As soon as she was there I told her to stay, and she did until I was done.  :)  

It looks like Elsa is looking at her shadow, but she's not.  I tossed a treat there to get her to move while I sat beside Luke while he ate.    

Waiting for another treat to be tossed.  Her shadow is heading down the steps without her.  

 

Ahhh, the simple pleasures in life.  Doesn't take much to enjoy the little things.  Want to capture them?  Grab your cell phone. 

 

Yep, dogs get stomach things.

Ahhhhh, we have come out at the other end.  Two dogs, two week incubation period of this, whatever this was.  "This" has happened before but at the time I had three dogs which just prolongs the agony.  Stomach virus, yes, dogs get it.  Years ago it hit us and went through all three dogs one at a time.  As soon as one was better it hit the next.   With this last one it hit 2 weeks after the first to the day.  Elsa came down with it first, she goes a lot more places than Luke so she is more prone to picking things up.  It wasn't horrendous but it is never good when your dog is sick.  I knew it wasn't something that Elsa ate because she doesn't eat things that she shouldn't.  I watched carefully as it came on, grabbed hold and then left just as I was considering the Vet.

Knowing your dog is imperative when something like this happens.  If you aren't sure, go to the Vet.  I have a very clear line about going to the Vet; and Elsa sat on the edge of it and then turned around.  Plus there was the fact that I'd done this before, ah experience.  Elsa is young and healthy so she fought the bug off easily.  For Luke it was more difficult and much more of a concern.  Getting food into him was essential; you all know what I go through trying to get him to eat on a regular day.  He was drinking and that in itself is great.

 Not eating is a biggy for any dog; Elsa missed one meal only.  But even then she picked away at it; like she wanted it but felt sick.  Luke on the other hand is a nightmare to feed on a normal day so he pretty much didn't want to eat the entire time.   After day one of not eating; his stomach sounded like a cement truck, churning it's contents.  I knew that I had to get something into him; I also knew that he was not going to eat.  It is a vicious circle; they don't eat because they feel sick which makes them not want to eat even more.  So I took organic rice, organic chicken broth and organic pumpkin and threw it into the blender.  Luke was eating this mush, whether he liked it or not.  I first syringed the mush into him; enough to stop his stomach from making the horrible sounds that it was. 

If dogs get diarrhea really bad or for a long time you have to be concerned about dehydration.  Luckily the diarrhea wasn't very bad; just every two hours and of course only at night.  But I still made sure that they were drinking and by adding extra water to Luke's mush I made sure that he got enough water.  Not drinking is always a concern, even if they are not sick.  It is worse if your dog eats kibble so always make sure that they get enough water.  Kibble is hard on a dog's organs because it is so dry.

The next meal was spoon fed mush.  Watching Elsa run in fear made me laugh.  She didn't know what was going on but she didn't like it.  Luke obviously does not liked being force fed but he had to eat, plain and simple.  So I got out a towel and placed it on his chest, front legs and couch.  Its a good thing that I did because it was covered and so was I.  He is pretty good about it actually; he only tried to leave two times and took it in stride.  You have to be very careful when you do this because you do not want food going down the wrong pipe.  Just a little at a time placed into his mouth.  The mush made it "nearly" impossible to spit out. 

The biggest issue with this stomach bug was the getting up at night.  Every two hours on the dot.  Both Luke and Elsa were identical in that act.  Elsa was two nights, Luke was four.  That means not sleeping, which for the dogs is fine.  They can catch up during the day, not me.  So I have been very, very tired.  On day four Luke needed a bath.  As the sun warmed the day I brought him into the shower for a nice warm water massage.  He dried outside in the sun and was finished up with the forced air dryer.  That is just in time for some more mush food. 

Once I got some mush into him he felt much better.  If he would just eat himself, geesh.  Once he was feeling better then he finally was looking to eat on his own.  One of those little fish with the eyes was the first thing he wanted.  I cannot believe how much he loves those creepy little things.  :)  So with the same meal he had been eating but not in mush form he ate.  Best to feed little bits many times, this works great for Luke.  I made some cookies for him to get the weight he'd lost back on him quickly.  I have to say that the cookies are amazing and each time I open the can I think of donuts.  (Not a bad smell)  So he loves the cookies and chows down on them.  He is eating several creepy little fish a day and the organic chicken/rice sticks that he loves so much. 

It has been much harder on Luke, at 13.5 he does not bounce back like Elsa.  He also has issues with his back legs being weak; so having to poop so much has been very  hard on him.  He is stiff and limping from just having to be in that position.  On good days I often have to help him when it is poop time, poor guy.  But he is now on the mend and ate like a champ yesterday.  This makes me very happy.  He even went for a very tiny walk yesterday; just for his mental happiness.

I was going to take Luke to the Vet yesterday; but with the turn around I opted to wait.  He is due for a blood panel and I knew that this sickness would cause his results to be cloudy.  We will go next week once he is back on his wobbly feet and we can make sure that all is well. 

We are back to sleeping through the night.  Never, ever take sleeping through the night for granted. 

Smelt - great new find.

Bahia Blue goodies

I am always on the lookout for a great new food product, both food and treats.  So when my daughter's fiancé told me about a fish treat he'd found that his dogs loved; I wanted to check it out myself.  I asked if he could bring me some the next time they were over.  He did and was I surprised by Luke's opinion.  First we tried the fish; wild caught Canadian rainbow smelt (not from China).  The whole thing is dehydrated and they look sort of creepy staring up at you when you open the bag.  But I got past that quickly as both Luke and Elsa were pushing and shoving to get a whiff of what was in the bag.  Not only did they want to smell, they wanted to taste.  Luke is not a fish eater, he has never been a big fan of any fish that I have given him.  But, this was different; he LOVED these tiny fish.  Elsa loved they as well but I wasn't surprised by that.

The company that makes these little freeze dried fish is Bahia Blue; which is located here in Southern California.  The name Bahia Blue comes from their first dogs, Blue and Bahia.  Read about them on their website.   Visit them on their Facebook page and give them a like. 

A pic taken from the bottom of a fresh new bag.  Mmmmmmm.

These fish are a great source of Omega 3s, protein and lots more.  What I like is that the source of Omega 3s is the fish itself, it is not processed oil in pill form.  Luke loves these so much that when he was not feeling good, it is all he would eat.  Not only did he eat these but he ate them with amazing gusto; snatching them from my hand as fast as I could pull out another.  I will be keeping these little guys on hand.

Luke's dinner the other night.  He didn't want to eat until I put these on top.  Presto, food gone.  

If those beady little eyes are too much for you; there is the same thing in flake form.  The whole fish, ground to flakes for ease of use.  Great for putting on top of breakfast or dinner.  A wonderful way to add some extra oomph, nutrition wise to a meal.  I love having these little flakes handy.  In fact they came to my rescue just last night.  I was trying my hardest to get Luke to eat, but he wasn't having it.  I told him I was going to put fishies on his food; sprinkled some flakes on and he ate. 

Products available from Bahia Blue. 

But wait, there's more healthy treats from Bahia Blue.  Sea Biscuits, treats made of dehydrated smelt, sea kelp, sardines, organic rice flour, flax seed  and other great ingredients.  Talk about a nutrition packed treat.

SPECIAL - for my readers only.  20% off your online order.  Just type TRYIT20 discount code at check out.  Special expires 4/30. 

I feel really good giving these Bahia Blue products to Luke and Elsa and the LOVE them.   A big thank you to my future Son in law for introducing us to these.  I am happy to share them with you all.  Four paws up. 

Order online

The sad and lonely life of an "outside dog."

                                                      Dog pile, Penny Elsa, me and Luke.



"An outside dog will never know the joys of being a pack member." Sherri Regalbuto

__________________________________________________


"She prefers to be outside, she seems uncomfortable when we let her in."

"I can't imagine having her in the house."

"Dogs belong outside."

"They like being outside."

Oh believe me, I've heard it all.  I've said it before and I will say it again; no breed or mix of dog wants to live outside.  No dog wants to live a life of isolation.  Dogs are pack animals; where the pack lives, they should live.  Many, many times I've heard people ask "can this breed be an outside dog?"  NO BREED, NO DOG wants to be an outside dog.  Of course most dogs like to be outside; but being an outside dog has nothing to do with enjoying the outdoors.  Outside dogs live away from the pack, alone and isolated, sad.

When people tell me that their dog likes being outside; they don't realize that it is just the comfort of the same that dogs like.  They get use to living outside and when brought indoors for some reason; they may become uncomfortable in their surroundings.  All they  have known is outside so inside seems strange and a bit scary.  Everything is different inside, plus all of a sudden the dog is in the pack where they are normally on the outside of the pack. If you have more than one outside dog, then they have their own pack; far removed from yours.  Outside is their domain, different rules, different leader.  Not good.

When I am awaken during the night by the sound of constant barking; I know that there is a lonely dog sitting in a back yard.  Alone and isolated from the family, is no way for a dog to live.  I really just don't get it; I do not understand why people feel compelled to get a dog and put it in the yard.  What purpose does it serve?  What sort of reasoning is there to have a dog living in your back yard?  Worse still is a dog tied in the yard; life on the end of a chain is horrific. 

So many outside dogs suffer from a fallout behavior of living in isolation.  Given a tidbit of affection, can push them into a state of crazy excitement which then solidifies the fact that they will never be a pack dog.  The owner hates the over exuberant behavior and leaves it behind, closing the door between the dog and themselves.  Little do they know the behavior is caused by their own callous act of leaving a dog to live their life alone.  Sound harsh?  It is reality for many dogs and truly sad. 

I have worked with many people to bring their outside dogs in.  It takes work, there is an adjustment for all; but the benefit for everyone is tenfold.  Having a dog in your life, means having a dog in your life.  Not outside, behind a door or tied to a tree.  Dogs are part of the family and if you don't think so then you should not have a dog, and that is sad for you.  Having a dog means sharing; your home, your life and your heart.  It means interactions on a day to day, moment to moment.  You will never truly know your dog unless you live with your dog, that is a fact. 

Sure outside is great, we spend hours and hours outside, together.  Most of the time when I am outside in the yard; Luke and Elsa are out there with me.  We enjoy each others company.  I cannot imagine not sharing my life with my dogs.  There are times when Luke and Elsa are outside and I am not, but it is not for long.  They enjoy soaking up the sun or hunting for lizards but the door is always open for them to come back in. 

I remember several years ago, having a conversation with someone about dogs and how I know exactly what they are saying to me or need.  The woman I was talking to looked puzzled and asked "how do you know what they want?"   I told her "I know my dogs."  She had four dogs who were outside dogs; living outside the pack.  She would never understand what I was saying to her. 

Dogs belong with the pack; that is us.  When you are going to add a dog to your family, think first.  If you don't want messes, hair, barking, companionship or a constant shadow in your home; then get a new patio set for the back yard.  If you have an outside dog now, think about the lonely life your dog lives.  It is truly a sad life indeed.  Make a plan to bring that dog into your family where they belong.  It will take some work, but once they are assimilated you will never look back.

There's a dog stuck in the yard.

           This is the German Shorthaired Pointer in my side yard.  Hard to see because of the glare. 

What?  What the heck?  A couple of nights ago I was watching t.v., (you know that it is Luke's favorite thing in the world) when I decided to make a cup of tea.  Telling Luke that I would be right back; Elsa and I head up to the kitchen.  As I reached for my cup I heard a strange noise; I froze, trying to locate it's whereabouts.  Elsa starred at the water cooler; was it making the noise?  I walked over to the water cooler that is beside a bay window in the kitchen.  Listening very carefully I leaned in to see if it was the cooler that was making the noise, when I saw movement.  There was big movement out the window but the glare from the light was making it hard to see.  As I moved in to get a better look I gasped; it was a dog and it was trying to get out of my side yard. 

I stopped and thought for a moment; it couldn't get in the backyard as long as the gate second gate was shut.  I ran out immediately to check that it was.  I came back in and had a good look; there was a small German Shorthaired Pointer trying to scale the half wall that is on one side of my house.  I have no idea how long it had been there; we'd been downstairs for sometime.  It was very dark on the side of the house, so I considered that I was going to have to grab the dog right away if I opened the gate.  I'd need two hands to catch the dog maybe and I wouldn't have enough light to read the tag if there were tags on the dog.  When I went out to open the front gate a large black dog came running down the side hill.  Back into the house I went to think some more.  There were two dogs out there?  I grabbed a flashlight to have a look. 

At this point Elsa was charging around the house like a crazy dog.  She could hear the jingles coming from the black dog's collar and was barking up a storm.  The dog was running around the yard, up the hill and down again.  I went back to the kitchen to see if the dog was still there and it was.  But now the black dog was in there as well; what happened next was amazing.  The black dog leapt out of the side yard; over the wall that is about three feet high.  Once it was up on the hill it turned to wait for the other dog.  The GSP made a gallant effort but didn't make it.  Then the black dog went back down into the side yard and jumped out again.  The German Shorthaired just could not jump high enough to get it's back legs over the wall.  This happened several times, the black dog was trying it's hardest to show the other dog how to get out, amazing.

I wanted to contain both dogs so that they didn't go running off into the night but it would be difficult.  Luckily Brad got home and with a heads up from me as to what was going on he called to the black dog as soon as he got out of his truck.  I finally saw the dog well enough to see that it was a Labrador.  She was afraid of Brad so he bent down (that's my boy) and she came to him.  He read her tags out to me and I dialed.  They lived just a few streets over and the owners didn't even realize that they were out.  I asked if they also had a GSP; they did and both dogs were apparently friendly.  The Labrador was most definitely friendly and we leashed her up until her owners arrived. 

I decided to leave the GSP in the side yard where she was stuck.  She seemed frantic; I thought the second that I opened the gate that she'd bolt and be gone.  A dog in such a state of panic can do things that they would never normally do.  So there she stayed until they got to the house.  It was a good thing that we left her in the yard because even with her owner opening the gate she tried to bolt past him as he grabbed her collar.  But they both went into the car and headed for home.  Lucky dogs and lucky owners.  Standing waiting for the owners to arrive, I realized just how invisible a black dog at night is.  She or both could have easily be hit. 

Brad and I went back into the house where Elsa gave us the once over; sniffing every spot the dog had touched on us.  She finally calmed down and I took the baby gate down that I had put up so that Elsa wouldn't see the dog in the side yard.  All was back to normal and Mr. Luke?  He was still on the couch downstairs waiting for me to continue our t.v. watching. 

We put a fence up on the side hill so that stray dogs could not wander into the backyard.  Another one will be going up this weekend so that they can't get into the side yard either.