Sleeping with dogs

Reasons why you SHOULD sleep with your dog.

 

Elsa this morning, making getting up a tough decision.

1.  The first and most important reason to sleep with your dog is that dogs naturally sleep with their pack.  No, you don't have to have them in your bed but they should be in your room.

2.  It is a great bonding time.

3.  Sleeping alone, away from the pack is sad for a dog.   They need to be with a pack member.

4.  Often the act of having your dog sleep in your bedroom with you says a lot about your relationship.

5.  They are snuggly to sleep with.

6.  It can be a time to build the who's who in your relationship.

7.  Some dogs should  never sleep on your bed but they should still sleep in your room. 

As we get older, the important things in life sometimes become clearer.  Sometimes because it doesn't always happen with everyone.  A close relationship with your dog is one of those things.  As the relationship grows so does the amazingness.  Dogs sleep together with their pack; just lie down anywhere on the floor and see what happens. 

Of course there are times when your dog/dogs cannot sleep in your room.  You may have too many dogs, be a really light sleeper or some other reason.   But if at all possible, before you close your bedroom door at night, make sure your pooch in there with you. 

 

A Retirement Party

I have been cooking and baking for a couple of days.  Yesterday was my Pet Sitters (Joan) retirement party at our house.  We had a celebration for an amazing woman; one who has taken care of my dogs for years.  She turned 80 this year at my house with Luke and Elsa to celebrate with.  When we left for our trip I left a bag full of chocolate for her to enjoy while I was gone for her Birthday.  She is one in a million.  Never in all the years that she has cared for my dogs, did I ever have a worry or concern when I am away.  I have been spoiled now for sure; having that type of care for your dogs is an amazing thing.  When you find someone that cares so much about your dogs, you want them to be available forever. 

Luke resting his head on Joan's lap.

                                            One hand opening gifts, the other on Luke.  Priceless. 

I'm sure that Luke and especially Elsa thought the party was for them.  Elsa was beyond excited; a house full of new throwers!!!!! She brought her ball to everyone and anyone who would throw.  Once it was put away she got another and then another until she'd run out of balls and started on her stuffed toys.  Luke made the rounds, he is so very social and loves having friends over.  

Joan has always described herself as "over the top," but over the top is what I want in a sitter.  I want someone to care for my dogs like their own, and more.  I do not want someone just popping in and checking that they are alive; I want compassion, love and real care given to my dogs.  Joan gave us this and more.  Joan sat for Jessie, Tilley and Luke and when that changed she welcomed Elsa to the family and cared for Luke and Elsa.  Most recently after Luke's bad fall; Joan cared for him while I had to be away.  I would have not gone if it were not for Joan.  She was there around the clock to care for my old man; it was all about Luke all weekend. 

So last night we celebrated a wonderful pet sitter, my pet sitter and the others who attended the party.  Joan LOVES chocolate so I made the party a chocolate theme.  We had pasta with chocolate, cocoa roasted brussell sprouts, chocolate dinner rolls, chocolate cheesecake and chocolate coconut cake.  We talked about all of our dogs and the years that Joan has cared for them.  She shared stories from over the years and her love and care for all of our dogs. 

When someone cares for your family like this; they are family themselves.  To the best pet sitter EVER; Joan, may you enjoy every moment of your retirement.  Of course petting and talking to as many dogs as you can.  We love you. 

Leave it, really leave it.

 

 

My voice rang out over the hush of the neighborhood.  It was early and as I let Luke and Elsa out for their morning pee, she spotted it first.  A rat was in our yard and probably suffering from the effects of poison.  The poison is not from me but I know that other people put out poison.  I was freaked out that she might touch it so screamed "leave it."  To my surprise, she did.  Oh it wasn't easy as she was in prey drive mode.  Her body was tense and ready.  I must have yelled five times; being afraid that she might actually grab it. 

Slowly she turned her head; she was still in prey mode.  I called her to go and pee which I never thought would happen with a rat sitting there.  Very methodically she tip toed away and onto the grass where I told her to "hurry up."  She did, and as she left the grass I motioned for her to go inside which she also did while her body and mind remained in the prey zone.  What a good girl, that is how a good "leave it" should look.  Of course it was much harder than most leave it exercises; this was nearly impossible to leave for her.  That along with the fact that she saw it before I did.  It is always much more difficult to stop a behavior once it in process. 

There are a few things that all dogs should understand.  Leave it needs to be taught and proofed.  That means you need to practice, practice, practice.  Not just under normal situations but weird places like at the park, with very high value items and when they don't expect it, not training time.  Clearly Elsa understood by my frantic tone of voice that I meant business, this was a very serious "leave it." 

Leave it is very strict in my house; each one of my dogs over the years has clearly understood that when something is dropped it is not a free for all.  Dropped things belong to me and if I don't say anything then they will eventually check it out.  I was cooking yesterday and dropped a mushroom; it was cooked in butter so Elsa probably would have eaten it.  If it was raw, she wouldn't touch it.  So as it fell I calmly said "leave it" and she did; then she was rewarded with a piece of meat for not touching the mushroom.  This was a much calmer "leave it" than with the rat. 

You should be able to ask for a "leave it" at a distance but this takes time.  I was quite far from Elsa and the rat when I belted it out.  A solid "leave it" means training and it means following up your verbal cue.  That means when you say it, mean it.  If you allow your dog to take something once you have told them to leave it then you are actually teaching them to disobey you.  Think about it. 

Parking lots

Across the country with my son and four dogs?   Not diving out when the hatch was open was essential. 

Walking towards the parking lot, I always stop and check.  Too many times the parking lot has been the place of a charge, unruly dogs or near miss.  People in general do not have control over their dogs; mix that with a parking lot and you've got a dangerous situation.  Guardians who allow their dog to dive out of a car unattended while they finish up whatever it is they are doing is a big mistake.  Don't do it.  One of these dogs charged my very old girl Tilley, knocking her to the ground.  Boy did I let that owner have it; she was at the receiving end of a grizzly bear guardian.  I hope that my words, posturing and demeanor moved her enough to change her ways. 

Owners who do not have control over their dog; allow them to jump out of their vehicle as soon as the door or hatch opens.  Not okay.  Teaching your dog to wait before exiting a vehicle is one of the most important things that you can teach then.  It is also important for everyone involved in your dogs life to do the same.  (consistency is a big problem)  Each time someone else in the family allows the dogs to dive out of the vehicle without any rules, they undo all your hard work (not mentioning any names). 

Another parking lot incident that we had was just a couple of weeks ago that I wrote about.  A woman who had her head stuck in her car while her very tall German Shepherd wandered around free.  Once he spotted us he picked up his pace heading our way.  The owner finally saw him and followed him along nonchalantly.  Not okay. 

Dogs running around parking lots unleashed are a danger to drivers, other dog owners and themselves.  It is just plain stupid. 

First, leash your dog/s as soon as you open the door/hatch.

Have them sit before they are told that they are allowed to get out; sitting makes things more official. 

Use the term wait and mean it. 

The only way that they get out is with their release word. 

If they do happen to get out before you say, get them back in and start over.  Do not allow them to enjoy a walk after breaking the rules. 

Proof your dog, use lots of words, arms swinging etc to be sure that they understand the only word that means they can get out. 

Practice, practice, practice, practice.

When you do drive into a parking lot, look around.  Scan the surroundings before letting your dog out.  I've been able to stop a problem from happening just by looking before leaping.  There are often unleashed dogs running around the parking lot at popular parks; leave your dogs in until that said dog is leashed.  I do not care how well trained your dog is, leash them for their own safety. 

You will never regret taking the time to teach your dog to wait until invited out.  I remember crossing the country with Jessie, Tilley, Luke and Elsa.  We had to make an emergency stop on the side of the highway and I was never so glad that they knew not to dive out of the car.  There are a few things that I am very serious about as far as training; boundaries is a biggy and that means your vehicle. 

Can you watch her?

We sat down to enjoy our Mexican food.  I hadn't had a chicken taco in a while and I was really looking forward to digging in.  The weather was beautiful; a bit warm but with a nearly hidden cool breeze hinting of cooler temperatures this week.  My husband and I sat outside on the patio as a gentleman walked by with his little minpin mix.  I said immediately "she looks older" as I noticed her cloudy eyes.  I am drawn to old dogs; there is something very special about them and their story.

The man tied her leash around a chair and noticed us looking at his little dog.  "Could you watch her while I go in?" he asked.  "Of course" we assured him.  He explained that he'd just be a minute so if we could just keep an eye on her.  We smiled and nodded "no problem."  As he opened the door he turned and asked "do you have dogs?"  I smiled thinking "do we have dogs?"  My husband let him know that we do indeed have dogs and the man smiled.  He'd given himself a little extra reassurance that his little girl would be fine under our watch.  Smart. 

I see dogs left out in public all the time.  Tied to a pole somewhere outside a store or restaurant and it actually horrifies me.   So many things can go wrong by leaving a dog just tied alone.  Someone can steal your dog; can you imagine if you came out and your dog was just gone?  What if someone walks up with a little child and the child hugs your dog tight?  What if your dog is not okay with strangers hugging them?  Anything can happen and you have left your dog tied, to deal with it.  Not okay, dogs should NEVER, EVER be tied to a post and left alone. 

This man was very wise to ask us to keep an eye on his dog.  Even though he could still see his little dog through the restaurant window, he added extra protection to had given her extra protection.   By asking us, he instilled a protective cloak over all of us; we felt like it was our job to watch and protect her.  He also had others watching her because of our discussion; everyone around was watching the little dog.  He had a patio full of volunteer watchers that he had unknowingly enlisted.  So when the door of the restaurant closed behind him and she started barking, no one minded.  Everyone was now involved in the watchful eye over her.  Smart. 

She soon stopped barking and just sat frozen; she wasn't taking her eyes off the door.  We ate our meal and watched her; no one was taking this little cutie, not under our watch.    He had asked the right people to watch his little dog; we would protect her like our own while she was under our watch.  He soon came out to her great joy.  He unhooked her leash and brought her to our table to thank us.  She was sweet and he shared her story.  He'd had her only four years; but in those four short years you could see the love and devotion shared between them.  She had been adopted from a hoarding situation where she had lived with  many other dogs who were all very overweight.  He told us how he'd got the weight off her and how they exercise together.  Her cloudy eyes were twelve years old; but if she remains healthy they have many years to share.  I told him "she's lucky to have found you" and he smiled saying "I'm the lucky one."  I love stories like this. 

They moved to a table further away and enjoyed their lunch together.  We finished our meal and said our good-byes as we head out.  I smiled at the connection they shared.  I love great dog relationships and stories. 

Rough night

I opened my eyes and tried to read the clock.  It took a minute as I focused on it across my bedroom.  2:38am.  Why was I awake?  Then I heard Luke stumbling around and jumped up to see where he was; he was standing in front of the door.  Funny how you just know when things are not right.  The smallest  noise that means Luke is up can wake me from a deep sleep.  I threw my covers off and grabbed my bathrobe before opening the door.  Luke had to go out and when he's in that frame of mind I have to get a hold of him.  Otherwise he will charge down the stairs without even giving it another thought; and he can't do that anymore.

I grabbed the hand towel that sits at the top of the stairs; and wrapped it around him quickly.  We ran down the stairs together with Elsa following.  Into the kitchen and out; but where was Elsa?  My house is all windows in the back so I looked out the kitchen door to see Elsa looking out the living room window, watching.  I called to her and she went out too; although she was back in a flash.  Luke was out a long time. 

This is becoming a more regular thing.  Finally he came back in and we all head up to bed again.  Unfortunately sleep was illusive for me as is customary these days as well.  So for two hours I lay there listening to Luke move around.  I'm not quite sure what the pacing is about.  He wants up on the bed; so he stands staring at me with his pleading eyes.  The bed has been off limits for a long time; unless it is morning and I am awake and watching.  He spends some time on the carpet; tries to fluff it for a while and then settles again.  He has a couple of drinks, looks outside and is on and off his bed again and again until hours later he settles for the night. 

He is always in the same place when I wake up each morning, his place.  He has his place in many different locations in the house.  His corner of the couch in the living room, his corner of the couch in the family room, his spot in my office and his corner in the bedroom.  The unsettling pacing is new; but it is also a symptom of liver disease.  Last Saturday, Sunday and Monday were bad nights; then he had two good nights until last night.  It is all about watching and figuring out what is okay and what is not at this point.  I fell asleep last night researching blood panels and results. 

I'm tired and no doubt Luke is tired as well.  But he'll have a chance to catch up on his rest today in one of "his" spots.  I feel like it was just yesterday that I was in the same place with Jessie and Tilley.  The sleepless nights of old dogs; I feel blessed to have had such old dogs to be sleepless with.  Early to bed tonight.   

Humans and communication

Communication - the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.

Every living thing communicates in their own way.  Some are better than others at the art of communication.  Have you ever tried to communicate with someone who offers the most minimal reply in their communications?  Could it even be considered communication when you have to work so hard to get it?  You want some feedback and it is literally like pulling teeth trying to get anything that you can use.  It is frustrating for us and frustrating for dogs.  I have often watched dogs in their daily life who receive little or no communications from their human guardian.  The dog may be wary, fearful, aggressive, overly bold, defiant etc. but they receive no feedback.  What a horrible thing for a dog. 

Life is all about communicating with others.  Communicating with our dogs should be an ongoing and never ending process.  The fact that humans communicate little with their body and more with words is already a handicap in the dog world.  Can we learn to communicate through body language for our dogs?  Most definitely.  Of course how well you communicate will be determined by how much you watch and are aware.  Throwing out meaningless communications are just as bad as not communicating at all.  When you learn to communicate with your dog in silence, it is a beautiful thing. 

I use body language a great deal with dogs; both with my own and others.  Dogs 'get' body language communications very quickly; it is a quick and easy way to send a message. ie.  Luke has taken up a new favorite spot in the last couple of weeks.  I think it is because he wants to know where I am at all times.  The spot is directly in the path for me going up or down stairs.  This means that he will know when I am moving and can follow.  But he is very old and I do not want him getting up every time that I have to run upstairs to grab something.  So when I approach his 'spot' I change my body posture to let him know that I am coming right back.  I lower my posture and turn slightly so he understands that I am saying something and put my hand out.  This is all it takes for him to know that he does not have to get up and I can run upstairs and back down; without him struggling to get to his feet for nothing. 

I am very much a 'need to know' type of person.  It drives me mad when I want information that is not given to me.  This can be the result of a lack of communication.  There are good communicators and bad communicators.   Communication is about sharing information; but just because someone talks a lot does not mean that they are a good communicator.  Often the more that is said the less is communicated.   In the human world we have speech; our words can say a lot but the lack of words can as well.  We also have reading between the lines; do you get what someone says when they don't actually say it?  When we communicate through text, email or IM; much is lost because we have a lack of tone in our voice and the absence of visual body language.  People often misinterpret what I say in an email or text because this important part of communicating is missing. 

Communicating is so very important in our day to day.  When there is a lack of communication or poor communication, much is lost in the sharing of information.  Our dogs can grow frustrated with no communication just like we humans do.  Watch, listen, share and give feedback. 

Working out with your dog

Elsa is sure that it is playtime.

I have two blogs; my Lifting for Life and my Just dogs with Sherri one.  Today I covered both topics in one blog.   This morning I decided to skip the gym and workout at home; which meant getting my dogs or dog involved.  Elsa thinks the whole idea of working out is great fun.  Luke on the other hand is more of a spectator; although he occasionally gets off the couch to see what I am doing on the floor.  My girl Tilley who is now gone, use to lay across my chest if I got on the floor to do leg raises.

Trying to force a toss.

When it doesn't work, she tries playing with my gloved hand.

I started my workout with leg raises and moved onto squats and lunges with a 25lb. dumbell.  I wear my gloves when I do any sort of lifting and Elsa thinks that my gloves are pretty great.  She loves to nibble on them and considers it free for all wrestling match time when I don my gloves.  

As soon as I get onto the floor she runs for her ball.  While I am stationary on the floor, she thinks that it is a great time for ball games.  Heck, my hand is right there for the plunking and it has a glove on for extra games.  When I do not respond to her ball placements; that is when the gnawing of my hand begins.  She is sure that my working out is some sort of game and she wants to be involved.

Trying to drop the ball on my face.  I'll sure throw it if she drops it there right?  

Dropped beside me as I do my planks.

Heading up the stairs where Elsa awaits. 

Waiting to attack me. 

Then it was onto the stairs.  I lunge up two steps at a time; again this is pretty great fun as far as Elsa is concerned.  She waits at the top to attack me each time; then runs back down the stairs with me and we do it all over again.  She is great motivation and keeps me laughing through my workout.  She stays with me the whole time I run up and down the stairs, great work out for her too.

Luke watching the shenanigans of Elsa. 

After my "at home" workout, Elsa and I hit the park for a power run and walk.  If you don't want to go to a gym, you don't have to.  With a few pieces of inexpensive equipment, you can work out at home.  The bonus is that you can workout alongside your dog.  

Just dogs with Sherri blog

Lifting-for-Life blog

Good morning dog lovers

We had Penny for an extended period of time recently.  One day as I sat in my office; she and Elsa had a quiet playtime before it got crazy.  These photos are from that fleeting quiet time.  Enjoy and have a great week.

Training dogs and life lessons

                                    You cannot force a connection; it takes time, patience and trust.

Training dogs means something different to everyone.  Some people consider it a horrible way of bossing your dog around; they prefer a more free spirited "do what you want" lifestyle.  Others take it to the other end of the spectrum and compete in the sport of obedience.  When a dog does something that we do not approve of; many say that they are a bad dog.  No so, they are not being bad, but in fact they are being a dog.  It is our job as our dog's guardian to instill life lessons; an education on how best to live in our human world.  There are certain behaviors that I think make living in our world easier; such as sit, down, stay, come etc. etc.  They don't need a lot but they should have at least the basics.  But as far as flourishing in our world; they need much more than an understanding of  the basic behaviors.   

Life, they need to experience life and everything in it.  When a puppy joins a new family; they are as many say, a blank slate.  That slate is blank as far as living in our human world.  They may already have much knowledge; but depending on where they came from it may only be about being a dog.  Funny how we get a dog and expect them to act like a perfect human.  Think about that.  They live with their littermates and mother.  Perhaps they hang out with other dogs in the house or around and then plop; they are set into a human world.  They have much to learn and it is our job to teach it all to them.

What to bite and not to bite, what to ignore, how to deal with annoyance, where to go to the bathroom.  The list goes on and on as far as our world and being appropriate in it.  Slapping a leash on and heading out into the world with no regard to how and what your dog is feeling about it all is very human of us.  We need to connect with our dogs as one.  When you achieve that connection with a dog; everything else falls in place.  Training and life lessons are still required but it becomes easy with that connection. 

This means that you must learn all about your dog.  What makes them tick, motivates, scares and puzzles them.  I was driving down the street the other day and saw a large scary Halloween figure on someone's front yard.  I immediately thought "Elsa would not like that," because I know her.  An ominous figure standing frozen and staring?  No, she would not like that at all.  There is a learning curve involved when you get a new puppy or adult dog for that matter.  The more you watch and pay attention; the faster you will know your dog.  So many people walk their dogs and never actually give their dog a second thought. 

Every single dog is different, just like us.  We look at the world from many different points of view.  Dogs are the same way so knowing how to approach your dog's education requires that you know your dog.  Training becomes so easy when you get up close and personal.    

When you get the bad news

I listened intently as the Vet specialist explained what was likely going on.  An ultra sound had confirmed a liver mass and the blood panel results were off the charts for liver cell damage, it looked bad.  As she explained, I stopped her regularly; I needed further breakdown of what she was telling me.  I had so many questions, my unanswered questions were the reason I was there.  In my hand I had the proof of a damaged liver; it was the details of it all that I needed to know. 

Lets go back a bit, so you can better understand where we are today and how we got here.  Luke has had raised liver enzymes for several years; they were only slightly raised but we kept an eye on them in case.  In May he had another blood panel done which showed his enzymes slightly higher than his normal range; which was then a worry.  While Luke was at the Vet, my Vet did a quick ultrasound on his liver. She came to the front to tell me that although she was not an ultrasound specialist; she was pretty sure there was something on the liver.  Her recommendation was to have an abdominal ultrasound done.

We got our appointment in July for Luke's ultrasound.  It took me a while to find a place where I could bring Luke in and he would be done at a certain time.  Many places have you bring the dog in early in the morning and they sit in a cage maybe hours until they are done.  That is not okay with  me so I had to find a place where they could give Luke a time, an actual appointment.  So we found our specialty Veterinarian facility and we headed to our appointment. 

There was indeed a mass on the liver but when aspirated; the sample was benign.  Since receiving this result I have done extensive research on the whole liver mass thing.  It is quite common to get a benign reading when there is in fact cancer.  Not all cancers give up their cells easily so a reading can be misleading.  The only way to know for sure was a biopsy; this meant opening Luke up which was not an option at nearly 14 years of age.  So we hoped for the best; we would monitor Luke and let the vet know of any changes.   

Two weeks ago yesterday Luke had a fall; he was not sick, he simply slipped and fell.  But that fall was devastating to him because he was stuck in an extremely uncomfortable position and couldn't get out of it.  I found him when I got home; he was sort of sitting with his leg splayed out on either side, crying.  Yes, heartbreaking.  Luckily I had not been gone for a long period of time.  I got him up and he passed out on the couch; it had completely exhausted him.  The first few days after the fall were scary; he wasn't eating and could barely walk.  I could just imagine what his poor old body felt like.  I gave him pain meds to help him through but after a few days I thought a Vet visit was a good idea.

I took him in for a full physical, blood panel and urine analysis.  His blood panel results came in and I got the call.  I could barely believe what the vet was saying; how could his levels have gone up so much?  She (a new vet) recommended an ultrasound and biopsy.  Then I explained that Luke had one done only three months earlier; so she said to call the specialist and give her the results, which I did.  I also made an appointment to see her which was yesterday.  Until our appointment I scoured the internet trying to find anything on the results of Luke's panel; everything pointed to liver cancer.

Her explanation was that it is most likely cancer.  Luke is drinking a large amount of water and urinating a lot, it is the liver.  The specialist was alarmed by Luke's blood panel and the fact that he looked so good.  We had a long discussion on what the next steps were and agreed that the best thing for Luke is to enjoy his life.  "Enjoy every minute with him" is exactly what she said.  We could open him up to see what is going on, but then what?  Then he would have to recover from that; if he even made it through the biopsy.  We could do more ultrasounds; "but what we do with the results?" the vet said. 

Our dogs live a long time these days; when cared for properly, they easily outlive their wild ancestors.  Because of this care, we are faced with illnesses that would never arise in the wild, because they would never live that long.  I remember meeting a wolf with Vestibular disease at a wolf sanctuary and asked the woman who worked there "wolves get vestibular disease?"  She said "not in the wild they don't, they don't live long enough." That statement has stayed with me.

Luke is epileptic; he has had grand mal seizures for eleven of his fourteen years.  The idea that he might make it to the ripe old age of fourteen was something I dreamed about.  Well, he made it and he is happy, eating and loving his life.   My liver fear was confirmed yesterday; what do I do with this information?  What do you do when you get the news that you didn't want?  You live life to it's fullest.  We came home from the vets and ate chips in my office.  Luke loves sleeping in my office and we all LOVE chips.  He had roast beef for dinner, his favorite and he ate like a horse.  This news has changed nothing for us; we will continue to do the things that Luke loves as we have been doing for most of his life.  One of the greatest things in life is watching someone you love, enjoy life.

Playing with Elsa and light

 

Wordless Wednesday, enjoy. 

Mud slinging

                                                                           For the love of dogs.

This morning I want to talk about mud slinging in regards to purchasing a puppy from a breeder.  A good friend and I were talking about this the other day; she told me that a neighbor of hers was mad because she bought her puppy and didn't rescue.  Just yesterday I read literally hundreds of comments on a blog; that were mud slinging back and forth because of a rescue/buy from a breeder debate.  Reading through all of the comments; you could feel the hatred, the anger, and for what?  I thought to myself "why not just put all that energy into the real problem?"  The puppy millers.

Some rescue people throw a giant blanket over breeders; scooping them all into one giant evil pile.  It is sad when people do this because there are monumental differences between an ethical breeder and a miller.  I have been told by an anti breeder, rescuer crusader that I do not deserve to have a dog because I want a particular breed.  When the woman blurted this out at me; I knew she had no idea who I was, what I do or how I love all dogs.  I didn't get into it with her; I could have but chose to be civil. 

I'm frankly sick of all this sh*t.  So much anger and pointing fingers.  There are good breeders who care about producing a litter now and again.  They choose carefully, test all breeding dogs, take the utmost of care in whelping and raising the puppies and scrutinize where those puppies end up.  There are also a lot of very bad breeders; and they do not have to have huge breeding facilities to be grouped in the miller pile.  People who breed puppies to make money are bad breeders.  They cut corners, they don't test because that cuts into the bottom line.  They feed low grade food to save a buck and they produce many litters to maximize the financial intake. 

Yes, rescuing is wonderful and I think if someone wants to rescue then they should.  Saving a life and offering a dog a good home and family is amazing.  But rescuing is not for everyone and if someone chooses to purchase a puppy from a wonderfully ethical breeder; to care for that puppy for their life then what is wrong with that?  I commend anyone who does their research, finds a great breeder and takes care of their dog for their life.  Good on you. 

Those who stand up on a pillar and spew anger for all breeders is wrong.  The shelters and rescues are filled with dogs from millers; whether they are a person who had one litter just because they thought it would be fun or a huge breeding facility.  They don't care where their puppies end up and will sell to whoever has money.  They often push the idea of two puppies instead of one.  Selling puppies to them is like selling anything else, tires, t-shirts, shoes, whatever.  Whoever has the money gets a puppy.  Impulse purchases are something that millers rely on and it is often these impulses that are at the highest risk of being shelter bound.  People don't think before they buy.  People want the newest up and coming when they buy something.  Millers will not take a dog back if something goes wrong.  These are the breeders who are filling the shelters and rescues.  The ones who lie about dogs to people who don't know.  Just like the designer dog, that have been advertised for its miraculous qualities.  People buy into it, buy a puppy and soon realize that it is a dog like any other.  They didn't want a dog they wanted a super dog.  Sad. 

Sharing information and letting people know where they should and should not get a dog is all that can be done.  Just like good and bad breeders; there are also good and bad rescues.  I know of one breeder who claims to be a rescue; she has a crazy amount of rare puppies but still claims to be a rescue.  You must research your rescue as well; not all rescues are rescuing for the good of the dogs.  Greed is the core to the problem of and shelters filling up; like anything else, greed is almost always at the core.    I know good breeders who have gone bad due to greed.  When I visit a website who has multiple litters listed; then I know that greed is the driving force. 

As far as I am concerned, there are VERY FEW good, ethical breeders out there.  If everyone only went to ethical breeders then there would be very few dog in shelters and rescues.  But sadly there are a lot of bad breeders who are filling up the shelters and rescues.  Rescue a dog, save a life.  If you decide to purchase go to a breeder who does all the health testing, temperament testing, placing of puppies after temperament test in appropriate home and has one or two litters a year. 

Those of you who do rescue; I applaud your choice to save a life.  But do not look down or mud sling at those who choose to get a puppy from an ethical breeder.  Mud slinging is counter productive and brings out the worst in us.  When humans have one way of thinking and cannot venture out to think in a bigger picture it is very handicapping.  To be close minded is a fault as far as I'm concerned.  Like I said in a previous blog, there is more to life than black and white.  If we all focus on the love of dogs; perhaps someday all the horrid people breeding for money will be non existent.  Its a nice thought. 

If you know someone who is considering a pet store or mill to purchase their puppy, educate them gently.  Screaming, name calling, pointing fingers, being rude or ranting and raving does nothing but shut people down.  Many humans go on the attack when others have a difference of opinion; it is sad and typically from those with closed minds.  

No call back

The other day I was reading an article that triggered a memory.  It was a long time ago; close to twenty years I would imagine.  I applied for a job at a big new Pet Store, PetSmart.  The big box pet store had come to our little town.  It was a first and I decided that it was the place that I should work.  Much excitement swirled around the idea of having a huge store open; which was devoted to animals.  Before construction was complete an advertisement was placed in the local newspaper; they were looking to hire.

My application was filled out, mailed in and I got the call.  The day finally arrived for my interview and I was stoked.  Being already very involved with dogs; as far as training, grooming and owning a dog walking service; I was a shoe in for the job.  Right?  I sat down in a dark room; across the table from a man who was younger than I was, wearing a suite and tie.  He wanted to know what I had to offer PetSmart; so I answered the questions that I was asked.  

But it didn't take long for  the interview to turn around.  I wanted to know what PetSmart had to offer my dogs and others dogs.  Before long I was interviewing PetSmart about their products, protocols and establishment in general.  I wanted to know, so I asked.  The guy in the suit who started out interviewing me was now back peddling and skirting my questions.  I asked questions that were important to me.  "Do you pull a product once you know that it is dangerous for dogs?"  "Does PetSmart use only positive training methods?"  "What sort of dog food did they carry?"  I didn't get many questions in before I was thanked; told I'd be contacted, and sent on my way. 

Needless to say I did not get the job; I never even got a call to tell me I wasn't hired.  But I was happy that I'd pushed.  You see I cannot sell bad or dangerous products to unsuspecting people for any amount of money, I just can't do it.   Plus I could not stand by and watch dogs be yanked around; even if I was just a bystander, not knowing what I know.  Of course this was a long time ago and I know that PetSmart now uses positive training methods which I am very happy about.  Not all training places do though so make sure you know the difference before trusting someone with your dog.  

Funny, I had completely forgotten about that interview.  Much has changed in almost twenty years.  Memories can stay buried until a trigger brings them out for us to ponder on.  I thought about the interview for sometime and laughed.  I wondered where that guy was now.  Is he a big mucky muck at PetSmart or did he move onto another large corporation?  Who knows.  

Sometimes no call back is good, evolution.  

Silhouette weight

 

Walking across the field in the park, my shoes are wet from dew and the morning mist is still rising.  As the sun peeks over the trees we are hit by the warmth of it.  We are also given a beautiful shadow display; as a photographer it is something that I love, light and the magic of it.  Luke and Elsa look like their legs are four feet long; I on the other hand look like I've gained fifty pounds, hmmmmm.  Depending on how I stand and let the sun hit me; I can lose weight in an instant.  Nice.

This of course has me going over Luke and Elsa as far as silhouettes.  They are both very lean; Elsa is the picture of an athlete in peak condition.  The muscles in her legs ripple and she moves with ease; not carrying around any extra weight.  Luke is skinny, extremely skinny and if he was a young dog with strong legs I would be working to get weight on him.  But, he is not a young dog; he is fourteen years old on very shaky legs so carrying even five more pounds around would be a difficult challenge for him.  For Luke's condition, skinny is good. 

Most dogs I see out in the parks, fields, beaches and streets of downtown are overweight.  They are not hugely overweight but carry a few extra pounds.  A few pounds on a dog is much different than on us.  The ratio of what they should weigh, together with their size makes just a pound or two a big difference.  I have seen dogs that look overweight with just two extra pounds.  My little Jack Russell who is now gone could go from pudgy to lean and mean in the matter of a week.  But much like us, some dogs lose easily while others have more of a struggle to lose. 

 All dogs should have a waste; that indent where the ribs end.  Of course there will be a difference in breeds and mixes who are beefier types but they should all have a waste indent.  Food and movement is at the root of it all.  Sadly much of the food that comes in a bag is a big part of the problem.  Instead of a protein based diet which helps to build muscle; much of it is carb filled wasted calories.  Our dog's bodies are craving protein and getting little.  The other day when I was at the Veterinarians; a woman was at the counter beside me buying "diet" food for her dog.  I shudder thinking of what might be in the food that she was purchasing.  We are feeding our dogs the wrong thing and expecting great results.  "Diet" foods are not the way to go for our dogs or us. 

Lack of muscle is something else I see a great deal of.  More weight and few muscles make moving more difficult than it needs to be.  Exercise is the only way to grow muscle.  But even then our dogs need a great deal of protein to fuel those muscles.  Have a look at your dog, is there an indent?  Do they leg muscles bulge where they should bulge?  If not then it is time to cut back on food and get moving with your dog.  We owe our dogs at least that.   

Its a juggling act

Digging into the office toy basket.

A much deserved quiet moment for the man. 

Walking through the house, I survey the path of destruction. Yep, Penny is at our house for a visit and when that happens there is a constant tornado to pick up after and avoid.  It is not just Penny, on her own she is much like a speeding bowling ball but with Elsa in pursuit, you have your full fledged tornado. 

Yesterday afternoon as I sat on my computer writing, I heard it; I am always listening.  In a few moments it was over and I went to check on the girls. Rugs were crumpled, dog beds lay in the middle of the room, couch cushions everywhere and two girls sitting quietly panting, watching me. 

For much of the day they simply coexist; napping here and there, each taking there turn wandering and watching out the office window.  But when it's on, it's on.  This is where the juggling and utmost of care needs to be taken, for Luke.  Luke had a bad fall last week and since then he is even more frail than before.  He can tumble on all his own so I have to make sure the tornado does not hit him. 

Chill'n as a pack.

My day begins peaceful and quiet.  As I sit here now in bed blogging; Elsa is snuggled up close and Luke is in his bed sound asleep.  Penny in her crate in my office; she cannot sleep in the same room with Luke.  First I need coffee, I get up and grab my coffee and breakfast; heading back upstairs to blog.  Next I will get Elsa and Penny up and out for their morning pee.  After that it is Luke's turn; I help him to his feet, give those old back legs a massage and assist him down the stairs.  I am on constant guard should the girls want to give him a morning greeting.  Out for his pee I remain on guard.  Then it is back upstairs for a morning snack. 

If I am heading to the gym in the morning; Luke and Elsa will stay in my bedroom while Penny is gated in the kitchen.  When I return, Luke and Elsa are let out first, then Penny.  We all enjoy the outdoors until breakfast.  Penny eats separately as I cannot get Luke to eat with her distraction.  We then move onto the rest of the day.  There are naps to be had, meandering, bone chewing and walks; while I constantly juggle.   

In the afternoon while I work on the computer; Luke sleeps in my office.  He is safest there and if the girls join us then I am on watch duty.  It is nice when everyone naps at the same time; this is my most productive time of the day.  When they are awake and in play mode I must be on high alert.  Penny is very good with Luke now; she manages to control her adoration for him and keeps it in check.  A simple "leave him" usually does the trick. 

As the afternoon turns into evening the activity level rises.  We all sit outside and enjoy the setting sun.  There is a little play, but mostly we just enjoy each other.  Dinner preparation is again a juggle; but we have a great routine in place.  After and more chill'n in the yard we head down for Luke's favorite part of the day, tv time.  Then it is game on.  I try to watch tv but who needs tv when you have Penny and Elsa around?  It is like watching WWF and NFL wrapped in one display of craziness.  Ahhhhh, love it. 

Snoop Dog, he will be missed.

 

 

Sadly we lost a family member over the weekend.  Our little Granddog, Snoop. 

 

 

Snoop and my son in law were a team since we met both.  Snoop was Hamid's sidekick, friend and constant companion; they were inseparable.

 

Snoop was a first dog and as such, he had much to teach his Guardian.  He did that and then some.  Snoop was no push over and had his own agenda in life and was a big dog in a small body.  I still laugh when I think of the attitude that little man had. 

 

Snoop and his Dad

Photo from engagement shoot which I had the privilege of doing.  There was never a more adoring Dad.  Snoop lucked out in the Dad department. 

 

 

Snoop with his Mom and Dad.

 

Jamie with her little man.

 

When my daughter Jamie and Hamid became a couple; Snoop wriggled his way into Jamie's heart. Then this past April they became a family when they were married and Snoop was the Best Dog for the event. 

 

                   
                                                                     One adorable little face. 

 

Grandpa holding the Bestdog during rehearsals.

 

 

               
     Snoop did much in his life.  You never really know the impact of a dog until you consider your life before that dog.  He had a great impact on those who knew him; he was the man, Snoop Dog.  That little man touched so many; changed so many and altered lives.  Snoop did what Snoop wanted to do; by his human's side he was the happiest, just being. 

 

  He will be sadly missed for his huge Snoop Dogginess. 

For or against, and grey stuff.

                                                                         Life is a tug of war. 

I have run into people who want to know "for or against?"  Funny how issues can be created into two sides; and you are expected to take one.  With  many issues in life there are more than two sides to the story.  Others may have a clearer one sided stance and there is no budging from it.  For those things with a clouded middle area, it can get complicated if you can only think in the 'for or against' scenario.  Discussions with those who can only see one side or the other can get heated as you cross into the cloudy zone. 

What am I talking about?  Anything and everything really.  Take vaccines for instance, "for or against?"  Dog food/real food?  Organic/non organic?  Educating/allowing a dog to live without rules?  Conventional medicine/holistic?  Decisions, decisions, it is what life is all about isn't it?  Heck even that question is a decision.  When I talk to people and try to give my opinion on things it often ventures into the cloudy zone; the fine tuned decisions that one can make.  There are always things that make a difference, small options to take when you form or stand by your opinion.

Life is a never ending evolution of oneself.  I am not the person I was thirty years ago.  This is because we are constantly given more information; learning, being educated by experience.  Throughout our life we will be offered new facts and ideas; what you do with those are completely and entirely your decision.  You can take new information and ponder it or toss it out; never giving it any chance to assist in your evolution.   If you shut yourself off; take a stand on one side of an opinion, vowing to never waver then you are closing off options and sadly your evolution will be slow or nil. 

For some things in life there is only two sides; going into a grey area is not an option.  Typically these are things that are detrimental to life itself.  These should be steadfast and unshakable. But for most other issues in life; there are the "what ifs?"  Those questions that can lead us down multiple paths of  further questions and concerns.  Are you one to take given information and cement yourself in with it?  Or do you question, delve and research?  Are you constantly seeking better, more, defined?  Ask me a question and you could be unraveling a whole bucket load of grey stuff.  Questions?  Always. 

Free wheel'n

Threw the Doggyride, Luke and Elsa in the truck and away we went. 

This was to be Luke's second time in his little cart.  It's just been too hot to have him in it so I was excited to get going.

When we got to the park I took the cart out before Luke and Elsa.  I place it along side the truck and we ventured off without it.  Luke and Elsa met their friend Hank and all had the customary excited greeting.  I wanted to give Luke time to sniff, pee and anything else he wanted to do before putting him into the cart.  It wasn't long before his legs started to give way so we head back to the car, slowly.

Luke is most definitely not a fan of the cart yet but he will be.  I LOVED it today; what a sense of freedom.  Elsa is of course up for really long walks so with Luke in his cart we can go forever.  The large screen was closed at first, for safety; just in case Mr. Luke decided to leap out.  Seeing that he wasn't I opened up the screen so he could get more cool air in there.  

Luke, started to relax in his ride.  Elsa is learning the ropes as well.  She walked great right beside the cart for most of the time.  We got her leash caught in the wheel a couple of times but we're working it all out.  I even gave it a bit of a jog test (although I am NOT a fan of jogging) and it felt amazing.  I might just start jogging, we'll see. 

Happy Poodle day.  Thank you Teri for taking these two photos.  

Come on cooler weather.  

A path of destruction

 

Here is the results of a bulldozer (Bull Terrier) running into the screen protector. 

 

As I said yesterday, Penny was at our house for a visit over the weekend.  The girls played, rested and played some more.  Well into the evening, Penny was wandering around the backyard so I did what any Grandma would do, I stalked her.  She was on one side of the fence; I was on the other as we continued the game.  Elsa joined in charging and attacking Penny who then began a full blown Bull Terrier style zoom.  She raced around the yard like a maniac; hunched over with her tail tucked as the zoom took over her body. 

 

When she left the grass area I never even considered what happened next, might be a possibility.  Being that it was evening I had closed the screen door into the living room; I guess she never saw the door because she ran head first into it.  This was no regular slam into the screen; this was a full speed, Bull Terrier force hit.  The door screeched as she hit; we all stopped in our tracks at the sound, even Penny.  What the? 

 

I approached the door as Penny charged off to continue her playing.  I surveyed the damage; man, a Bull Terrier is truly like a bowling ball.  The door was half in the house, half out.  The screen protector had suffered quite an impact and had the dent to prove it.  I grabbed the edge of the door and tried to right it; but it was wedged in place so hard that I could not budge it.  I tried for 20 minutes to get the door out of its forced entry position.  With all of my might I pulled and struggled. The door screech again as I tried to pull it into place.  Penny stopped playing with Elsa and watched, she was quite upset by the sound.  It was the same sound she had heard when she hit the door.  I left the door, giving my arms a break and time to consider what needed doing. 

 

After a while I returned with a screw driver and rested arms.  I tried again, rested, then tried some more.  With the screwdriver under the door I gave it a lift while trying to hoist the door t the same time aand it was finally out.  Once again I surveyed the damage.  I never even considered that Penny was damaged as she had charged off immediately after impact.  Her and Elsa continued to play. 

 

 

 

This is the next day, it looked much worse the day after.  There was no redness after it initially happened, just missing hair and what looked like scratches. 

 

When Penny's Mom got home she immediately asked what happened to her head.  I didn't have my glasses on and hadn't even noticed.  Elsa and Penny had been brawling intensely for an hour after the incident. 

 

 

 

The next day as I prepared to complete the door repair; I found Penny's hair where she had hit.  The door was not closing properly so I had to remove it and straighten out some of the metal frame which had been damaged by the impact.  Once that was done the door seemed almost back to normal.  A piece of the wheel that the door slides on had broken off and of course there was the huge indentation from a Bull Terrier head left in it. 

 

                                                         Yep, that's Penny hair. 

So, in conclusion I have discovered that Penny does in fact run with her head down for a good portion of time.  She did not impact the door with her nose, but the top of her head.  She hit the door with such force that she had an impression of the screen protector on her head; minus some of her hair which she left in the door itself.   There have been a few occasions of dogs hitting the screen door before this; but none with such an impact to even shift the door out of place.  For the average dog, a screen protector works wonderfully.  For a Bull Terrier, perhaps it is not such a good thing.  Would it have been better to have her just run through the screen?  In our previous house, our little Jack Russell Jessie regularly ran through the screen after lizards.  She was unharmed by going through the screen but the screen had to be replaced many times.  Perhaps this is the way to go with a Bull Terrier?  Although there was one time when our Jack Russell ran through the screen, taking the whole door with her.  I can picture the scenarios of Penny going through; running into the door from the inside out and bringing the whole door with her.  Maybe not such a great plan. 

So here is the question:  When you have a tank like dog running full speed; is anything in it's path safe?  Ah Penny, gotta love that little Pig/shark.