miradukesadie

It's Been a While

2011-05-02T08:39:00.007-06:00

It's been a while since I updated my blog. But life was pretty routine up until a month ago. Work, dogs, husband, friends, family, and rescue not necessarily in that order. Then everything changed! This is Kinley Elizabeth who now occupies 95% of my day! Good thing she's so cute.

The dogs have been adjusting well, and I'm very proud of them for being so patient and gentle. Although Sadie is the only one who can handle the up and down at night. At least we have more room in bed!

Duke is pretty oblivious.

Sadie is a bit sad she's not the only baby anymore.

Of course it's more work with 3 dogs and a baby, but as long as the dogs still get their walks, food, cookies and attention they are content with the new addition. I can't wait until she's old enough to interact with them and hopefully have the same passion about animals as her parents.

Girls Road Trip!

2010-06-22T17:54:00.013-06:00

Wendy and I went to Waterton for a hike today. I have to admit, when she first asked I wasn't sure I wanted to exert that much energy on my day off, but she said I could sleep in until 10 so I was game. I even woke up early this morning and was ready by 9am! I'm so glad I got my lazy ass out of bed. I think we had a great hike!

The girls both loved the snow, Wendy said she wanted to rub her face in it too.

I think Mira is scarier then the wildlife.

Everyone who passed us kept cooing over Lacey and her little backpack. I lost count how many times Wendy itemized what she was carrying.

I couldn't believe the amount of snow at the top of our hike.

We had a little snack at the top

Beautiful Waterton

New Foster Dog

2010-05-17T21:35:00.003-06:00

Anyone want the Devil Spawn Pug?............ok, I kid, I kid......... kind of.

Snuggle

2010-05-08T11:03:00.003-06:00

Sometimes it's tiring having a dog on top of you every time you sit down, but after talking to a friend last night who's dogs aren't extremely snugly I decided that I wouldn't trade what I have for much.

Any Takers!

2010-05-04T20:05:00.002-06:00

Seriously how cute is she? Lola needs a home, anyone?

Survival of the Fittest

2010-05-02T21:26:00.004-06:00

When we first moved to our house there was an open field out back. We frequently fell asleep to coyotes howling. Recently they have begun to develop the area back there. This evening we went out to the new school and ran the dogs. As is with most city expansion we have obviously disrupted the natural habitat.

This was in the school field. It was about the size of my lab. Maybe a coyote, maybe a deer, either way very disgusting and Mira tried to gnaw at it.

Annoyed

2010-04-27T12:04:00.005-06:00

After much debate I decided to make a complaint to the animal shelter about the cats that attacked Sadie and myself. It wasn't really for me, but more for preventation. What if it had been a small child? The owner admitted his cats were mean, and continues to leave them out at large. My breaking point came when I asked the owners to give me proof of vacination and 6 days later, no paperwork.

I have frustrations with our shelter, but nothing compared to their lack of compassion or uselessness after speaking with them today. Lethbridge has no cat bylaws, so these cats are free to roam the streets and attack the public. I encourage all of you to write to our city council. I was directed to make it attetion the mayor and council. I will be writing my own letter, if you wish to have your name added please let me know.

You can contact via email

mayor@lethbridge.ca

or snail mail

2nd floor City Hall

910-4th Ave South

Leth, Ab

T1J0P6

Attacked!

2010-04-22T21:05:00.004-06:00

Sadie and I were attacked today. Not by a dog, or even a human, but by two savage cats. These were not your run of the mill house cats. These were demons from hell. They stalked, circled and plotted against us. At one point the one cat ran up my leg for my face. We retreated bloodied and defeated. I wish I had Duke with me, little bastards.

OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Duke

2010-04-21T07:25:00.003-06:00

I'm not a doctor, or a vet, but I do see enough mental disabilities in my occupation to wager a decent hypothesis of the mental heath status of my lab. The verdict? I believe he has a touch of Obsessive Compulsiveness, or what we would call Obsessive Compulsive Tendencies in human psychology. Patients with OCD have rituals and routines, or compulsions that they feel they must do or their anxiety climbs, which is only relieved by performing said compulsion or intensive therapy and usually an extensive medication regime.

Duke, like his human equivalencies, has certain routines and objects of obsession. As I lay snuggled next to him this morning I realized that he only does this with me in the morning, and only after he has eaten breakfast. Furthermore he will only jump on the bed if I pull back the comforter, and at no point does it touch him. This got me thinking about his other compulsions . He must lay by the bathtub, but only if someone is either bathing or showering. He has an oral obsession, he must have something in his mouth when people come to the door. By default this was usually a shoe, but after several late mornings searching for a matching set I make it a point to clear the doorway. If there is nothing present he will grab an arm, leg, or other accessible body part, which obviously doesn't feel good and has led me to create a "go get a toy" command. Now he frantically surveys the house for something to grab, which has known to be a pot or dinner plate from the mornings naughtiness.

In addition to the routines, Duke has obsessions. Light reflections come to mind, but at a more intense obsession is water. He actually does what I've come to discover via google as "water freaking"

A common problem is "water-freaking," that is, once some find they can swim, they will get in any water they can find and swim around and around, often splashing, snapping at the splash, and yipping with excitement. Until they have a strong training foundation, they will not leave the water merely because you call them. If you have a water-freak, avoid water until obedience is well-established, and preferably force-breaking, too. The idea is to avoid reinforcing their enjoyment of playing in the water (so they don't develop a lifelong preference for water-freaking over retrieving).

I guess I have to be thankful that Duke is OCD and not ADHD which seems to be a common disability of labrador retrievers in this area. Duke is actually the easiest dog I have to train formal obedience. Which isn't actually an amazing feat, considering the level of obedience my other two have. And it's probably due, in part, to his OCD, but if I have to deal with it's negative aspects, I'm going to use its positive ones. I was once told by a respected psychologist friend of mine that most successful people have Obsessive Compulsive Tendencies and it's how you use them that equates failure versus success. Too bad Duke couldn't have sessions on the couch.

As a side note, as I sit on at the island in my kitchen typing this, the is sun shining through the window I can see little foot prints on the ceramic stovetop. But the terrier's diagnosis is another post entirely.

Safety First

2010-02-25T21:04:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Sadie!

2010-02-04T22:00:00.002-07:00

Sadie turned 5 on February 3rd. Her Dad made her breakfast. Happy Birthday you crazy lady!

Windows® phone-your Windows stuff, on the go. See more.

What's the Animal in You?

2010-01-25T21:21:00.003-07:00

This is a fun test at www.animalinyou.com - Those of you that know me can judge how true it is =)

Shrew

Genus and species:

Sorex araneu

Collective Term:

A lament of shrew

Careers and Hobbies

Journalist

Paramedic

Librarian

Salesperson

Actor

Traveling

Computing

Thrift store shopping

Sharing does not come naturally to shrews, and they are typically the last to pay their portion at a group dinner. It's not that shrews are greedy, rather they're responding to a compulsive need to save for the future. In this respect they are much like their cousin the mouse, who takes planning for the future to extremes.

With the conviction that it knows what's best for everyone, shrews are always ready with free advice. They seem to delight in butting into other people's private affairs. Sometimes the shrew turns this hobby into a career as a gossip columnist, movie critic, or TV evangelist. But more often than not, it retains its amateur status and practices on its long-suffering friends.

Because shrews are constantly on the move, careers that require concentration and sober thinking are unsuitable. They perform best in chaotic jobs and thrive on the unpredictability of disorder, making them natural production assistants, circus performers, wedding organizers or emergency room technicians.

Their predilection for collecting and organizing things would also make them good librarians or or bookkeepers, while the desire to keep moving makes them suitable for any job requiring travel and creativity.

Shrews' sharp eyes have a knack for spotting the hole in the fence, and with their ability to make instant decisions they impetuously seize the moment and scuttle on through. Their smart mouths and high energy are put good use in the workplace, and they excel as salespeople and journalists. But sometimes their reputation precedes them and they encounter built-in resistance to their pitch even before they've opened their mouths.

Quotes

2010-01-01T22:11:00.003-07:00

As Amanda always says - I freakin' love this dog!

Naughty List

2010-01-01T20:07:00.004-07:00

Sadie made the naughty list this year, but that didn't stop her grama from buying her the biggest and heaviest present under the tree. Too bad it wasn't a fun present for her. At least it came in handy after the honey incident!

I think she's a little embarrassed about her potty issues.

Money Honey

2009-12-30T04:11:00.002-07:00

There's always perks and downfalls of any job. My new(ish) job has many perks, a downfall is being on call. Last night I had to go back to the hospital at 12:30 am. After starting the car and realizing I was still in my pajama's I quickly ran back in to change and off I went. Upon returning I noticed the dogs were covered in something greasy looking, you can imagine my horror when I realized that I left the leaky honey container in the sink. Now it was spread from one end of the house to the next. Carpets, laminate, tile, bedding, dog hair all sticky with honey. Have you ever seen a terrier hopped up on straight sugar with post bath zoomies? Not pleasant at 1 am! Poor husband got the worst of it after his night shift! He asked what to do with one of the dog beds and I told him to throw it out along with Duke! He replied that Duke was wet, cold and outside afraid to come back in and was that good enough!

The Mira Claw

2009-12-13T07:17:00.002-07:00

My dogs know very few tricks so the handful we have are a very big deal in our house. My husband taught all the dogs how to "pound". He offers them his fist and they slap it with their paw, it's really just a modified shake a paw. Mira has her own version of how this is done. Instead of just slapping your fist she curls her toes into you and creates a claw with her nails whilst dragging them across the top of your fist, it's very cute although slightly uncomfortable. For whatever reason this amuses my husband and me greatly and somehow made it's way into our pounding technique with one another. Whenever one of us offers a fist to pound the other would do the "Mira Claw". It's really quite silly, but it's all in good fun and I never guessed I would have had to share this ritual with anyone.

About a year ago I started a new job, it's the same position, but in quite a different context and the learning curve was extremely steep. There are several different roles to play and some of them are extremely challenging and take months to master. I was in such role one afternoon, sitting in an important chair and I see the director of our department emerge from his office hole, quite a rare occurrence. He glanced over and saw me conducting this whole crazy operation and I guess it struck him to come over and congratulate me. I'm already busy and flustered from work so to see this elusive man coming over only increased my nervousness and flustered me further, so when he offered his fist in appreciation without thinking my fingers fanned out and curled in a claw formation...............

Yes I "Mira Clawed" my boss. And he's not only my boss, but my bosses boss. At some point while my fingernails were dragging across the top of his fist, I realized what was happening and my whole world stopped. As I stared into his frozen expression of, well confusion, I came to the conclusion that I had two options. I could explain the whole ritual that my husband and I had which was feeling more creepy and insane then silly fun at this point, or I could stop mid claw look away and never think of the incident again. I decided I did enough damage, and in my state I don't think I could have gotten out why I had clawed him without getting admitted down the hall to psych anyway, so I carefully relaxed my fingers and looked back to my computer pretending to look busy.

I don't have my camera, or I'd show you Mira doing the claw. But if you ever want to see the now famous "Mira Claw" when Mira and I are around, don't hesitate to ask! Just specify if you want her or me to demonstrate!

Potty Training 101 By Sadie

2009-12-12T05:35:00.004-07:00

Now that I am potty trained my first attempt to relieve myself will be outside. Rule number one -you have exactly 10 seconds from the time I have decided I need to go until the time of my release to grant me access outside. If this allotted time expires I will find an alternate location of my choosing. This location will be discrete and can never be on an easily cleaned surface or you will never learn rule number one. This means that if my dog door is in anyway impeded, closed from the wind, or other elements and you don't notice me surveying the situation I will resort to option 2. Rule number two, if you actually manage to abide by rule number one and I relieve myself outside, when I come back inside I not only expect to be praised with enthusiasm and sincerity, but I will receive a treat of my liking. And not a crappy carrot treat, a real cookie. I will dock you 1 second for each breachment of this policy on the time limit you have in rule number one. If and when you have failed to abide by rule number 2 and have used up all 10 seconds given to you, I will resort back to being un-potty trained. This means that if you expect me to bathroom outside you will need to physically take me out and do the encouragement dance of shame for all the neighborhood to see. Obviously treats will follow. This will continue until I have decided that I am no longer un-potty trained and we can start back with rules one and two.

And I should mention that if there is too much snow on the ground, the wind is blowing too hard, the sun is shining too much, or I just feel like it, I will go where ever I want.

Thank-you for your attention to this sensitive manner,
Sadie

Strange But True

2009-09-22T15:04:00.002-06:00

We were in Waterton this weekend and I observed the oddest couple. The first encounter was in town, where they were walking a little dog and carrying their baby in one of those backpacks that you wear in the front (frontpack?). The next time I saw them the baby had on a pink jacket and the wife was holding her. Then the dad came around and put her in a jogging stroller. As I walked by with my 3 beasts she cooed at the baby "aww look at the big puppies!!"

Now this might not seem weird at all except their baby was a dog. Seriously. The dog was dangling in the baby pack as they walked the town. And the dog was pushed in what appeared to be a very expensive stroller, while it's owner pointed out what they seemed to classify as another species when my dogs walked by. I have to add here that I'm positive the dog can walk because when they put it in the stroller it was standing and turned a few circles before laying down.

These people really disturbed me. I think they may actually think their dog is a human baby. Especially because they have two dogs, and one walks around on a leash as it should. People are weird.

Dominance

2009-09-21T20:52:00.001-06:00

Sometimes Sadie likes to sit on the other dogs heads.

Summer Stuff and Bad Vets

2009-09-17T07:45:00.002-06:00

We've been doing lots of camping this summer. First in our very old boler, which we have since sold and upgraded to a 2004 aerolite. It is about the same length as the boler (16ft) but it has a little slide out, it's very cute. The dogs have been loving all the weekend get aways, some too much.

A few weekends ago we stayed at Lumbrick Falls and our campsite was right on the river. Duke could reach it on his tie out so he was swimming pretty much the entire weekend. The last day he started limping quite bad and by Monday I had him into the vets office. This was not our normal vet, not sure if we even have one at this point, but we were told he blew his ACL and needed surgery, like yesterday. The quote was over $2000. Now if I hadn't known that this vet had a history I most likely wouldn't have questioned it further. As it turns out, this is his very favorite diagnosis, without X-rays I might add. So we went off for a second and then third opinion with X-rays and both disagreed that it was a cruciate injury. Low and behold the very next day Duke was walking fine. Still concerned that it might actually be a cruciate we kept him on bed rest for 2 weeks. The follow up visit with the second opinion told us he may resume normal activity and he has, and he is fine. Now I'm imagining a very different scenario that could have occurred and it makes me furious.

No one wants to put anyone through unnecessary surgery. Its hard on the dog physically and emotionally, its hard on the owner, and its definitely hard on the budget, not that it would have stopped us, but still. I would just like to stress the importance of at least a second opinion here. Before you do anything drastic, please consider this. Not all vets, or doctors for that matter are perfect, there is always more then one solution to a problem, and usually there is more then one diagnosis. Be informed, do your research and ask questions. Do be afraid to be rude! I learned that from a wise friend, and it has saved me more then once!

Pretty Mira

2009-08-21T21:55:00.000-06:00

Boler for Sale!!

2009-08-19T18:24:00.004-06:00

We have a updated/upgraded Boler for sale. If you or anyone you know wants this gem, let me know! Everything is new and ready to go.

Maybe Sarah wants to upgrade to a bathroom?

Scared Poopless!

2009-08-13T08:37:00.003-06:00

It's 8:30am on my day off and I am up. Why? Because I have a highly trained guard dog who has alerted me to an intruder in the basement.

Yesterday morning my neighbors were having a pow-wow in the cult-d-sac after a rash of break-ins the previous evening. Thankfully we were missed. Then this morning while I'm compromised in the bathroom I hear Duke barking, downstairs! And it's not a playful bark, it's a disturbing, low, alert bark. I panic, uncompromise myself and head downstairs but not before I arm myself with a kitchen knife. He's in the office barking at the closet. Fabulous. There's a burgler/murderer/possible rapist in my closet. But before I call 911 I figure if Duke has scared him to stay in his hiding place this long he isn't going anywhere and I can make sure there is something actually to call the police about.

Of course as soon as Duke sees me he runs up to me allowing the maniac to escape, but nothing. Duke now wants to run away, his job is over, he has alerted me to danger, now mom can hack him up with my paring knife. I told Duke to get his ass back in there and protect me. So he begrudgingly faced the enemy, but you could tell he was really scared, he would bark and smell and back up. I peeked into the open closet and saw......a helmet.

This was obviously the source of his contempt. He would get really low and inch over to the helmet and then do his low alert bark and back up. So I grabbed the stupid helmet and made him look at it.

I'm not sure if I'm reading into this too much, but he really hates motorbikes, he will jump and lunge at them. Maybe he had a bad experience with someone on a bike wearing a helmet? I'd like to think that, because the alternative is well, depressing.

2009-08-07T14:28:00.002-06:00

We are going on a camping trip in the next few weeks and in attendance are most of my regular dog sitters. I heard through the local dog grapevine that I should check with Bobby and her sister as they have boarded dogs before. So I emailed Bobby and asked her to take Duke who I assured her is my very mellow and laid back guy. Then the correspondence began.

I remembered she had a bunny, and cats.

"Dear Bobby, Duke is very bad with cats he will chase and probably bite them, and don't let him eat your bunny!" No worries Bobby told me the cats can stay in a separate area with Bunny. Crisis diverted.

She then asked if he would be ok left alone in the house for a few hours. Perfect, I can redeem myself here.

"Dear Bobby, Duke is great in the house, he has never had an accident and never chews anything". That night I came home to the contents of my kitchen sink scattered across the floor and remembered that I forgot to tell her he is a counter surfer.

"Dear Bobby, Duke is a bit of a counter surfer, don't leave anything out or in the sink. Especially garbage, I would lock that up for sure"

Bobby has dealt with counter surfers and since Logan got into the garbage, she is used to labs and their nose. Crisis diverted. Then Bobby tells me she has a pond on her property. Perfect! Duke would love to swim.

"Dear Bobby, Duke would love to swim in your pond. Except if you have plans within 2 or 3 hours prior to letting him in I would reconsider. He won't come out. Actually maybe you could keep him on a long leash" Crap, the leash! I forgot Duke has some minor leash aggression, and when I say minor I mean major.

"Dear Bobby, Duke has some leash aggression, maybe we should keep him off leash with the other dogs, then he won't bug them" Crap, the other dogs! I forgot Duke likes to mount other dogs off leash.

"Dear Bobby, Duke likes to mount other dogs, feel free to beat him at will..... Hell, I'm going to call Amanda and make sure he's available for back up!"

So after Duke eats the cats, and the bunny, destroys the house, eats the garbage, mounts all the dogs, and eventually swims away, feel free to call Amanda - she will know what to do!

A Good Giggle

2009-08-05T09:18:00.002-06:00

I love this picture of Mira. I mean really could it be anymore hideous? When I was working at the dog daycare I cut out her head in this picture and put it on the computer just for laughs. When I worked at London Drugs I put the cut out head over top of my managers head in the framed "Hi I'm the Manager" picture hanging in our department. I wanted to see how long it would take for him to notice but I kept laughing and glancing up at it and gave myself away. In good spirit he did leave it up there for a while.

So I present to you what I have come to title "Old Man Mira"

A Little Test

2009-08-03T09:05:00.004-06:00

How to know if your Dog is at risk for Snakebite?

Do you live in a Rattlesnake area?

Do you hike, run or play in snake areas?

Do you have a dog?

If so, you are at risk.

BREEDS THAT ARE HIGH RISK* Jack Russell* Siberian Husky* Terriers* Rottweiler* German Shepherd* Blue Heeler* Labrador* Golden Retriever* Australian Shepherd* Border Collie

Sadie flushed out a rattlesnake at the local off leash park yesterday. Now as I slip my feet under the covers my heart flutters to think that the snake is in there seeking its revenge.

I have never heard a rattlesnake before, but have been told that you will just know it when you do. And that sums it up pretty well. I think the snake Sadie found had to be the grand daddy, but really I have nothing to compare it to.

I was searching for tips to avoid rattlesnakes, I mean hindsight is 20/20 right? This is the quote that popped out at me.

"Letting them run off into the tall weeds is just asking for your faithful friends to stumble upon a rattlesnake lair"

So after the ducks, a bird and the rattlesnake I have retired Sadie from off leash. What is that about fool me once shame on me fool me twice......there isn't even a fool me three times, because their not really fooling you anymore are they?

July Blues

2009-07-26T21:46:00.005-06:00

July has been a really busy, hectic, and stressful month for us. But as I type this, I sit in a human deserted house. We have one extra dog, but I'd take that over extra people any day!

This is one of our amazing family pictures we had done on Sunday taken by a friend. As much as I could kill them sometimes, I wouldn't trade them for any other family!

Happy Belated Canada Day!

2009-07-02T12:26:00.003-06:00

Hope everyone enjoyed themselves last night!

Better Late then Never

2009-06-30T11:02:00.006-06:00

So a few weekends ago we got to babysit Vito. This is a rare occurrence because a certain someone (ahem, cough, Wendy) likes to hog this duty.

Babysitting Vito pretty much entails snuggling....

chilling....

and more snuggling.

A perfect weekend for me!

We Won

2009-06-23T16:00:00.001-06:00

A while back Amanda at manymuddypaws had a caption contest and I won! Duke won actually as he got this very cool and totally appropriate collar.

You can't really see from the picture but it has a black labs with flippers on it swimming in the sea! It's so perfect and Duke loves it. Thanks Amanda!

2009-06-22T20:56:00.005-06:00

I wrote this a while back and shared it with a few people. I received a decent response and I quite like how it turned out so I thought I might share it here.

I'm Off to See the Wizard

I'm a rescue dog. As soon as I can escape this cold dark cage I’m off to see the wizard.

You must think being a rescue dog that I need to ask the wizard for a brain.

I must be untrainable, have no manners, I must be unmanageable for someone to dump me here.

But I am very smart.

I use to memorize and perform every trick my master taught me, just to make him proud for his company.

No matter where he went I heeled at his side, he had my undivided attention at all times. So it must be courage right? Being a rescue, I must be scared and weak.

You may be worried about me around your children, or I may bite the neighbours.

But no. I am very strong. I would have defended my people to the death.

My family slept many nights peacefully knowing I was there to protect them.

And I have only gained more courage during this time; I had to, to survive this.

Well that only leaves a heart. I must be off to get a heart from the wizard then.

Even though my heart is broken it is still beating and it waits for someone else to fill it. But thats just it. My time is up in this cage.

They say that I am old, tired and no one wants me.

So I am not going to ask the wizard for anything.

I want him to take away my brain, so I don’t know what is happening when they take me into the back room to my death.

I want him to take away my courage so I do not fight the inevitable.

I want him to take away my heart so I can no longer feel the pain of abandonment and unwant.

I am a rescue dog and I’m off to see the Wizard.

All I want is for this all to go away.

2009-06-18T21:30:00.002-06:00

Duke not sure if he can dive.

Mira trying desperately to get out of the water. She's like her momma, we bask in the sun.

Notice the tether Duke has. We take no chances anymore!

2009-06-17T12:48:00.002-06:00

Our view

Our site

Our Campers

Vacation!

2009-06-16T12:47:00.004-06:00

Ok I am going to forget that my dog got skunked, my boler's toilet is leaking, that it took 5 adult strength gravol to achieve Duke's silence in the truck for all of 20 minutes, or that "we" forgot the axe, trailer jacks, and water hose. I'm going to start over. I'm on vacation!!!

On the open road

Skunk Removal Recipe

2009-06-16T11:03:00.002-06:00

In the spirit of sharing useful information here is a very effective recipe for removing skunk spray. I know this from personal experience!

32 oz hydrogen peroxide

1/4 cup baking soda

1 TBSP shampoo

Mix and use all, leave on for 10 minutes, rinse.

Viola! $25 plus tip later, we are on our way again!

Camping Trip

2009-06-16T09:04:00.002-06:00

Day 1

Sadie got loose and chased a skunk. She's in town at the dog groomers who apparently has a "secret recipe" for this type of thing. I'm too mad to write more.

2009-06-09T17:51:00.009-06:00

Vito is coming for a visit this weekend! These pictures were from his last visit:

Thanks for the bone Aunty Sandy! I love being here, I wish my mom let me come more often.

I need to hide my bone, should I go downstairs....

Or in the bedroom?

Oh I think I'll sit on that nice comfy dog bed.

Yep, this is perfect!

Dammit!! That stupid terrier is here now. She'll probably bite me, I'm surprised she hasn't already....I'm outta here.

Gotta hide my bone, gotta hide my bone......

Now that fat mixed breed is licking her chops, maybe if I don't look directly at her she'll go away.

I'm so smart I found the perfect hiding spot!

(Can you spot the Vito?)

One More Night

2009-06-04T19:40:00.004-06:00

Mira gets her stitches out tomorrow! Wooohooo!

Bizarro World

2009-06-03T09:15:00.009-06:00

First off we have been tagged by Amanda at manymuddypaws.blogspot.com to tell our stories of how we came to have our dogs. Fun right? Except if you follow Sarah's blog digit-fetchit-herdit.blogspot.com then you've heard my stories. Ok maybe not exactly, but it's safe to say bizarro world strikes again.

THE DOG: Sadie

THE YEAR: 2005

I wanted a little dog that I could train while I was in transition from school to the real world. My husband said there was one, gasp, at the petstore. When I saw her, I thought she was a Jack Russell. I lived with a Jack Russell while going to school and it made me cringe to see her. But the nice petstore employee told me that she was a fox terrier, and would be much calmer then her terrier cousin the jack. Mmmmhmmm. She was the only one left, so we didn't have a choice and we went home with her.

THE DOG: Duke

THE YEAR: 2005

I wanted a lab all my life. I actually wanted a yellow one named Sailor. Dustin also wanted a lab for swimming, and hiking. He actually wanted a black lab named Duke, I guess we know who has more pull now. We decided to visit the Calgary Humane Society just to kill some spare time. There was a black lab named Duke, I didn't have a choice how could I say no?

THE DOG: Mira

THE YEAR: 2007

I absolutely did not want 3 dogs. We were fostering for a rescue in Calgary and we picked up a very strange, and shy looking mixed breed dog that I actually couldn't wait to have adopted out. Having 3 dogs was hard work! Then we went away on holidays and I missed my dogs of course, but I also missed my little freak as well. Now if you read Sarah's post on how she got Gyp you might think that I am making this up. But I kid you not the moment I quit saying she had to go was when she laid her head on Dustin's lap and looked up at him with those eyes and he said "so we are keeping her right?" and yes she is Daddy's girl hands down.

(insert creepy bizzaro music here)

*all photo's courtesy of paws on the run photography (photography.paws-on-the-run.ca)* awesome eh?

It's Pouring

2009-06-01T19:07:00.005-06:00

Its been a rough few days to say the least. Last night Mira had what can only be described as a doggy panic attack and ripped off her cast. It lasted all night, and as soon as I calmed her down and fell asleep, I woke again to the sounds of plaster cracking. Then I slept in after my alarm choose not to go off because it knows I'm in a rush to get Mira back to the vet and off to work after a sleepless night. In my morning panic I left the pantry door open and came home not only to food partially devoured and strewn around the house, but garbage as well because that is where I keep it locked up. And this is not your run of the mill garbage, no it had to be after my mom and I cleaned and tossed a bunch of old camping gear encrusted with dirt and mud. Cleaning old gooey and licked starburst off tile is not a joyful task. My dryer also decided it no longer wanted to perform it's only function - to dry clothes. Of course after a messy weekend, complete with dirty soaking wet towels. And the list goes on, but I digress.

I found some twisted humor this evening. I was given a fish for my birthday last December, one that lives in a small bowl, that has to be cleaned every week or the fish is no longer visable. Yesterday I couldn't find his food. I searched for it at supper and decided to just buy some more today. Then Mira had a melt down and I forgot. So again at supper I realized he had no food and I would have to go out and buy some. This came shortly after I strategically planned each day around Mira's constant watch. Even going as far as having a babysitter so I could buy groceries at some point. Angry, frustrated and clearly not thinking coherently I decided I would flush him down the toilet and peacefully "drown" him because I didn't want him to starve and I couldn't leave Mira to buy his food. As I watched him struggle against the swirling current I debated saving him only to reminisce over the weekly cleaning rituals, and I let him go. Not 20 minutes later as I stared helplessly out the kitchen window I saw his food on the ledge. I giggled psychotically as I realized that fish can't drown and wondered how in fact my poor fish would meet his maker.

But if I didn't laugh I'd cry and I'm all out of tears.

Something Fun

2009-05-30T09:09:00.002-06:00

With Mira's surgery behind us it's time for some fun stuff again. I stumbled upon this website which caters to the very posh dog owner ie. people who have too much money to spend. They have crystal collars and bowls that run in the thousands! But they also have this very cool idea - collar of the month. For $120 you receive a new collar every month! I have to say I am very tempted.

http://www.tailsandcompany.com/store/item.aspx?DepartmentId=123&ItemId=124

Surgery Pictures

2009-05-28T20:40:00.002-06:00

Pre-Op

The alien in all it's hideous glory

Closing up

The final product. No too shabby!

2009-05-28T18:51:00.003-06:00

Mira thinks this will be the longest 10 days of her life.

Some Good News!

2009-05-27T21:00:00.004-06:00

Mira is home! Besides sounding like she has a peg leg on the laminate she is as good as new! Her creatine levels were normal, so no kidney problems. The surgery went well, her heart rate dropped during surgery but they were able to get it back up. I will even have some surgery photos to post because the vet tech involved is my brother's girlfriend and she took some really gross and cool pictures.

Thanks Wendy for watching Mira tonight! And thanks for every one's good thoughts and wishes. We all really appreciate such great support!

Wendy and Mira after surgery.

More Bad News

2009-05-27T08:37:00.003-06:00

The new vet just called, they reviewed the bloodwork from Mira's last surgery. Her urea was high then, which is an indicator of kidney disease. I was never told at the time. This could be because the vet who did the last surgery didn't think it was high enough to warrant further investigation. This is where knowledge can play with your psyche. I know that these tumors grow back in dogs with underlying issues, I know the medication I have been giving Mira for her hip dysplasia is metabolized through the kidney's causing stress on them, and I know that I'm getting the new vet to run the test again.

Good thoughts, good thoughts........

Viral Papilloma

2009-05-26T20:24:00.002-06:00

I'm posting this in case anyone in cyber land has to go through the same thing I have these last few weeks. I have googled and wikipedia'd this topic quite obsessively. I have read the trials, and studies and lived through it.

Mira is having a tumor (a viral papilloma) removed for the second time. These tumors usually grow in young dogs and usually occur on the face or mouth, but rarely can occur on the feet, in between the pads, as in Mira's case. In healthy dogs the tumors are self limiting and will regress in several months. Recurrence is a sign that there is an underlying autoimmune problem. In Mira's case the vet is not convinced of this as she has been otherwise healthy, shiny coat, etc. We are crossing our fingers and paws. Remember nothing is black and white there are always shades of grey.

They are surgically removing the tumor again but this time they are modifying the procedure with hopes to prevent another recurrence. She will be on a round of zithromax (an antibiotic) and possibly some antiviral cream (Aldara). If it comes back again we will try cryotherapy (freezing) or chemotherapy. There has been some evidence that surgical removal during the growth phase actually stimulates more growth and the study advised postponing surgery until the mass reached it maximum size or started to regress. I'm not sure if this thing can get bigger, but I can't wait any longer as it is impeding her walking. I also read that you can crush the tumor in small sections which stimulates cell death, but this would be very painful and not an option for a dog like Mira. There is also information on manufacturing a vaccine from a section of the tumor but it has lead to cancer in that area later on.

In the end, the chemotherapy was described to me as not a very good option, showing less then positive results. Cryotherapy is relatively obsolete in small animals and they play a guessing game with how long to freeze the area. Too long and the bone can die leading to permanent damage and future surgeries.

The best evidence is with the antibiotic zithromax which has potential to become mainstream therapy, even over surgery. I'm not sure how this works as the tumor is viral and antibiotics work on bacteria, but it was described to me that it was working by a different mechanism to kill the tumor other then antibacterial. It's cheap and non invasive so it can't hurt to try.

I hope that this information is helpful for others who are going through this.

Say good-bye to Mira's little friend

2009-05-26T19:47:00.001-06:00

Mira's surgery is tommorow. Please send good vibes our way!

If Dogs Were our Teachers

2009-05-25T19:18:00.002-06:00

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps. Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

Second Opinion Results

2009-05-21T20:37:00.003-06:00

The second opinion wasn't very promising. The tumor needs to be surgically removed, but she recommended that the borders be either infused with chemotherapy or cryotherapy (freezing) to ensure that the entire tumor is eradicated. The problem? No one that I have talked to has done either on a small animal before. The vet admitted that she wouldn't know how much or how long to perform the freezing. To much and the bone can be damaged and require future surgeries, too little and the tumor can grow back. Chemo is expensive, toxic and would require Mira to be in isolation for several days to weeks. Not ideal for a sensitive, nervous dog. So now I have to decide if I should just continue with the surgery at my primary vet, or have the whole operation done at by a vet I just met and essentially let Mira be a guinea pig with highly toxic and/or necrotizing materials.

Decisions, decisions.......

Second Opinion

2009-05-20T08:53:00.002-06:00

Due to Mira's alien growing to the size of a small melon, and an unforeseen scheduling error, I am going to have a second opinion done this morning. She was suppose to have surgery this morning and I'm not very impressed that it has been pushed back to next week. It has grown outside her pad and she walks directly on the tender tumor causing her much pain and discomfort. She is limping by the end of the day.

I am super frustrated because I asked for this to be removed over a month ago and was told it would fall off. Mother's intuition I knew this thing was thriving and would most definitely not fall off and I should have pushed for surgery then. The vet was concerned that there wasn't enough skin to close the incision from the previous surgery, now that it has tripled in size, I wonder where the skin will come from?

2009-05-18T18:19:00.000-06:00

It was a valiant effort, but ultimately he was lost in battle.

Mother's Day Picnic

2009-05-14T21:57:00.006-06:00

Mother's Day in the park.

Guess who feeds the dogs? Not Grampa!

You can tell Mira was getting trouble for mooching. Sadie was too but she remains unaffected.

Sadie loves her Grama

Pooped out on the way home.

The Neighbors Dogs

2009-05-14T21:47:00.005-06:00

Several months ago I saw the neighbor's child carrying a little puppy that looked like Sadie. The child was no more then 2 and was teetering around and abruptly dropped the puppy to the ground. I guess it survived as I found this in their yard this morning.

Anyone know what kind they are? They are sure cute!

Girlie Shoot

2009-05-03T20:19:00.022-06:00

Wendy has added photography to her business and she needed some willing demo's. The girls and I were more then up to the challenge. I'm not sure how helpful Mira and I were but Sadie was a super star!

Wendy sent me 3 CD's of photos - the uncut and the cut. I was so overwhelmed looking through the uncut that I figured Wendy knew was she was doing when she made the cut CD and just used them!

You can check out Wendy's website at http://photography.paws-on-the-run.ca/Home.html.

Here are some of my favorites.

Mira's Mass Part......I Lost Count!

2009-04-30T09:29:00.006-06:00

It's really hard to photograph a dog who shys away from the camera to begin with, and then to attempt to manipulate a paw whilst holding and focusing a camera - well what you get is what you see.

The update is that it's growing at an alarming rate, and as alway's it's disgusting. It creeps me out really.

A New Bed

2009-04-30T09:23:00.006-06:00

Anyone need a new dog bed? Costco has huge beds on for under $30. They are down and ceder filled, so it's even aromatic!

Belated Birthday

2009-04-29T21:31:00.004-06:00

Sadie and my mom were both born February 3rd. My mom and dad have decided to become snow birds and they came home for the "summer" a few weeks ago. Although I guess they should have stayed south a few more weeks. Anyway since they were gone for the official day we recently had a party for them. Sadie is 4 now, which is easy for me to remember because its as long as I have been licensed.

My Next Dog.....

2009-04-27T10:27:00.003-06:00

Ever started a sentence like this? I have collected 3 dogs and never once have I start a sentence like this, how bad is that? However, I have decided on what my next dog will be. But before I get my first official planned dog one of the current members will have to cross the "rainbow bridge". So in around 10 years I will have a retired racing greyhound!! and I am super excited about it! Recently a few friends and I went to a pet expo in Calgary and I met some really sweet retired racing greyhounds. I even made a list of why I want one!!

1. I love how they lean into you when you pet them

2. I love how big they are - but they don't drool

3. I love how lazy they are

3. I love their short coats

4. I love that one day I can give a retired racing dog a chance at a normal life being a part my family

My husband is quite easy going and is on board with our new future addition. He even changed my computer desktop picture (from a pissed off bunny ear wearing Boone) to this.....

I really like the tiger striped ones!

"Even Though They're the Same?"

2009-04-21T23:30:00.011-06:00

I'm the first to admit that I was a fairly naive dog owner, but I find it quite ironic that common sense isn't really common at all.

Last weekend Amanda and I went for a walk around a busy lake. I purposefully took Duke as he has some fairly appalling leash aggression and I wanted Amanda to help curb it. As it turned out the lake was a decent distraction in itself. However, there is a stretch of path that I nervously anticipate. It is about 4 feet wide with chain like fencing on either side. It feels like a game of chicken upon each approach, if there is a dog coming in the other direction there is no way out. Of course as we enter the last 10 feet or so another dog enters my view. I attempt to put Duke in a sit stay and I hear the owner comment on how his dog looks like mine. I digress, but my beautiful, potentially purebred Labrador did NOT look like this black and tan long haired mutt. As Duke proceeded to strangle himself against my restraint I stated the obvious to this guy that my dog isn't friendly. Now I kid you not, and Amanda can attest that this actually occurred, the man asked sincerely "even though they are the same?" and continued to let his "lab" butt up against Duke. At this point I considered releasing Duke, who is now frothing at the mouth and eyeing up the best spot on his dog to mount. Thankfully Amanda intervened and reinforced my earlier comment that he was not friendly and to kindly move on, in not so many words.

I believe it took about 20 or 30 seconds for either one of us to actually address the incident after it took place. We must have both been too speechless to respond. Then Amanda gave her famous "are you kidding me?" and I said "but they are the same" and we laughed and finished our walk.

This was taken moments after Duke pulled me into the lake. The walk continued with a distinctive sloshing sound.....

"Run Forrest, Run!"

Team Terrior Terrors!

2009-04-16T21:00:00.004-06:00

Sadie and I will be participating in the Purina Walk for Dog Guides on May 30, 2009 to help raise funds for the training and placement of Dog Guides for Canadians with visual, hearing and medical or physical disabilities. We need pledges!!! Please consider donating to this wonderful cause. You can visit our website at

http://www.purinawalkfordogguides.com/personalPage.cfm?ID=3737

If anyone wants to walk with us, please let me know. The walk is at Nicholas Sheran Park at 11:00m and May 30, 2009.

Sweet Ride

2009-04-15T22:05:00.002-06:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30140101/

The Japanese automaker showed off a "Dog Friendly" version of the Honda Element SUV at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday. The concept features a cushioned pet bed with safety restraints in the cargo area, a spill-resistant water bowl, and even a ventilation fan to keep canines comfortable. A folding ramp gives animals an easy way to get in and out.
In the back seat, there's an integrated pet carrier and machine-washable seat covers to make it convenient and safe to carry smaller pets. The rubber floor mats feature a toy-bone pattern, and paw-print emblems on the side and back of the vehicle draw attention to its pet-friendly status.

They listed the price around 21,000. I totally want one!

Breaking Point

2009-04-05T20:51:00.005-06:00

Duke has a very long fuse, the only one to actually reach the end of it has been Sadie, and that's after continuous abuse. 99.9% of the time he will let her have what she wants and continue on for the ride. Tonight he reached his breaking point.

Sadie had found an old piece of rawhide and Duke decided he wanted it. I heard Sadie's cries of protest and saw Duke making a beeline for the dog door with Sadie in hot pursuit. As he ran by I grabbed it out of his mouth, and by the time he realized what had happened he was already outside with Sadie. I'm assuming he thought she stole it back, all I heard was several bloodcurdling screams from Sadie. I opened the back door and he had her pinned on the porch, she had soiled herself in fear. As soon as I made my appearance Duke let her up and she limped inside. I was so stunned, speechless actually. I knew the day would come, but I always thought Sadie would deserve it and it would be good for Duke to stand up for himself, within reason of course, but Sadie really hadn't done anything this time. I scolded Duke, but not harshly. I scanned Sadie over, but didn't let her milk it.

My trainer, Amanda has told me to stand up for Duke, or one day he is really going to show her who is boss. I hope this little incident reminds her that he is bigger and stronger. However, I am reminded of when she had her ear ripped open, and that hasn't slowed her down. Oddly enough, Mira has only had to put the fear of God in Sadie once and Sadie doesn't mess with her anymore.

I would really love to get inside that terriers head and know her reasoning. Or lack thereof.

Swamp Thing

2009-04-05T18:46:00.003-06:00

Sadie came sauntering through the house and nonchalantly sat down beside me after her romp outside. It wasn't until I got the camera out that she gave me the suspicious "what??" look.

It's Raining, It's Pouring I'm Gonna kick the Old Man's @##

2009-04-02T18:06:00.004-06:00

I woke up this morning with what is commonly known as pink eye. The good news is that it is on the list of contagious diseases that prevent me from going to work at the hospital. I guess no one wants the girl with the red, oozing eye around their patients and their patients medications.

I also talked to my vet who in turn had talked to the pathologist who autopsied little alien. Apparently it can spontaneously recede and we are going to do some watchful waiting. Now I just have to keep her from nurturing the evil beast and prevent it from taking over our planet.

Shouldn't I be handed a light saber or something?

Alien Returns

2009-03-31T23:12:00.002-06:00

I'm on another streak of misfortunes. Some brought on by myself, others just happened to have shown up at an inopportune time. Mira's tumor has grown back. It was helpful to have my blog as a timeline reference. It has only taken 6 months for the tentacles to re-appear. Now it's deciding if another round of surgery is worth it.

Big Bad Labrador

2009-03-25T18:49:00.009-06:00

*disclaimer* I harbor no prejudice toward any particular breed. I am of the belief that bad owners make bad dogs.

There is a house kiddie corner to us which happens to border a small path that allows access out of the neighborhood. It is a rental house and once was home to a judge mentally impaired couple and their children. This family had a pitbull terrier eloquently named Scrappy. Scrappy had the short "fighting style" cropped ears and was built like a brick shit house. It was common to see him dragging the 9 year old son around the neighborhood. To add to this Scrappy sired a litter of puppies and he was very protective of them.

One day I was passing through the path and the side window of said house was open. Through it I heard a women shout "what the hell are you lookin' at". I didn't even consider she was directing her profanities as me and kept walking. Except named person stumbles from the back porch and looks me over with glazed eyes and says she's sorry I was not who she thought I was. Weird, but I proceeded to move on. Then from behind I heared the familiar scratching of nails on cement picking up speed. When I turned around my world slowed down. It was just enough time to know that Scrappy was coming straight for us and I had to act. So I widened my stance and accepted that I might have to boot kick this dog in the head. Just when the world resumes speed again out from behind me striked Duke just in time to jump on top of Scrappy and attack grizzly bear style. I saw a flash of white teeth and heared the deadliest sound come from Dukes throat.

In fairness to Scrappy if he wanted a fight he had an open invitation. As soon as Duke showed aggression he high tailed it out of there. The best part was on the way back I came across the women's husband and his cronies drinking in the alley. The asked me if I crapped my pants when Scrappy came at us. I asked them if Scrappy crapped his when my Lab sent him packing!

The saddest part came a few weeks later when I saw how the cycle of these losers continues. The young boy was passing us and Duke barked at him, Duke doesn't like boys 10-15yrs old, who does really? But the boy glared at Duke and told his friend that Scrappy could kill him.

Some people shouldn't breed.

The Unsolvable Equation

2009-03-23T12:12:00.003-06:00

I am hands down a left sided brain personality. Life is scientific, explainable, black and white. If something doesn't fit, I usually dismiss it as irrelevant. I can usually fit my life's problems into equations. Ok before your eyes glaze over I'll give you an easy probability that even my dogs have solved.

< 7am + shower = low probability of a morning walk

> 9am - shower = high probability of a morning walk

Balancing equations are definitely the most difficult. I had one this weekend.

passionate people + my suggestions - communication

Now factor in

my suggestions =\= others suggestions

It's one of those that you can try until your head hurts from thinking, your heart hurts from pouring and you've banged your head against the chalkboard enough times. Eventually it's one of those equations that you have to leave on the chalkboard unsolved and walk away.

Out with the Old in with the New

2009-03-22T22:47:00.003-06:00

If you have been following my phone drama I believe I was on replacement #4. It literally shut down and wouldn't turn on again. After words were exchanged with the lovley 17 year old telus representative. My options were to buy another phone - $300-500, or buy out my contract -$600. So I did a little sleuthing and figured out a way to get a little bit of my money back. I asked for a free phone, one of their flip models and hacked my plan down to the bare minimum - $10/month which works out to be around the buy out price at the end of my contract. This way I can fix my HTC touch crap under warranty and sell it on ebay for a few hundred. So what am I using now........

ya baby, ya.

The Biggest Loser

2009-03-20T09:05:00.008-06:00

Feb 26/09 ..... Mar 10/09

Mira -68.7 ..... 65.2 lbs

Duke - 74.5 ..... 72.7 lbs

Sadie - 17.7 ..... 17 lbs

My dogs are fat. Obese really. I don't believe it is lack of exercise as either my husband or I take them out usually every day, if not every day then every other day for sure. When Dustin takes them they come back almost dead as he will take his baseball bat and tennis ball. It's definitely the food. They were doing really well on the calorie reduced vet food, the problem was that it costs almost $100 for a 30lb bag. So I cheaped out and bought the Costco stuff. As of the Feb 26 weigh in Mira has been back on the vet food, and the others mixed 50/50 with the Costco stuff. It seems to be helping.

Today I went out to pour more the the vet food into a smaller container and it spilled all over the garage floor. Did I mention how much this food is???? All I could see was little gold nuggets dumping out before my eyes.........Guess who is "eating out" tonight?

Oh the Horror!

2009-03-16T20:08:00.002-06:00

Sadie is not impressed with her replacement jacket. She lost her favorite one in the river incident.

Friends

2009-03-12T20:46:00.007-06:00

They come in all varieties. I have friends with babies, work friends, dog friends, family that are friends and my best friend, my husband. I love them, I hate them, they drive me crazy, and I go crazy without them.

Mira's friend was actually intended for Duke. Duke's trainer, Amanda, said that I needed to make training more fun for him. She showed me this toy that you put a used water bottle in. It makes this crinkling noise that brings out Duke's inner Labrador! Mira thought it was pretty cool too, but she is part flat coat so who can blame her.

Sadie's friend is the little diffuser plugged into the wall beside her. It is called the DAP - or dog appeasing pheromone, it keeps the crazy away. Ok well not entirely but I can definitely tell when it's time for a replacement.

Duke's friend is the couch.

A Ray of Sunshine?

2009-03-12T10:23:00.002-06:00

AWOL

2009-02-28T14:03:00.003-07:00

I've been promoted! I have the important role of blogging for the prairie dog canine rescue. So far it's been really fun, but time consuming. I've felt like I've spent more time behind the computer then in front, and as such I have no stories to tell. My poor own dogs. So I've decided since I can't keep up, I'm going to take a step back from the blog about my dogs, so I can actually spend time with them, (and my husband, but he isn't as important =)

Please visit me at http://prairiedogcaninerescue.blogspot.com/ . Wendy takes amazing pictures of the rescue dogs, and some of the stories are really inspirational!

A Hard Day at Work

2009-02-23T18:50:00.002-07:00

Monday's are exhausting.

For Everything Else There's Mastercard

2009-02-21T18:56:00.002-07:00

I was doing a mental inventory of Sadie's vet visits. This is on top of the regular annual visit and vaccines.

Spay and anal gland removal - $800
Worm incident - $100
Toe nail removal and subsequent antibiotics - $150
Barium enema for possible blockage - $150
Eye scan after incident with husband and elastic band - $100
Removal of fox tail from nasal cavity - $50
Re attachment of ear after foster dog incident - $750
Teeth cleaning - $400
Antibiotics for recurrent stye infection - $70
Diagnosis of mild separation anxiety and prescription of DAPP pheromone - $40 per month
Urinalysis from falling through the ice incident - $60

Then I got to thinking about Duke...........ummmm well he had an ear infection one time.

Amanda cleaning out Duke's ears while Wendy gaggs - two starbucks

Spooning with my angels at night - Priceless

Evil River Strikes Again!

2009-02-20T23:27:00.004-07:00

The results are in, and it seems Sadie's incident at the river has left more then just emotional scars. The blood in her urine apparently has a distinctive pattern under the microscope to indicate some sort of blunt force trauma. Something like falling through ice. So it's back to the vet we go. Did I ever mention how much our vet loves us?

The scene of the crime (courtesy of Wendy photography)

Bladder Infection Anyone?

2009-02-19T19:39:00.002-07:00

You know you have a problem when your husband emails you a picture like this at work, and tell you it's your dogs urine.

Memories

2009-02-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen that really sad commercial where the old man comes home and tells his wife he picked up the milk? The wife smiles and pats his weathered hand. Then when the old man leaves she looks all sad and opens the fridge to put the milk away, and inside the fridge there is about 4 or 5 cartons of milk. It's a commercial for a support group for the families dealing with Alzheimer's.

Well I was putting my groceries away today..............and yes it is me who does the majority of the shopping.

The God Mother's

2009-02-16T08:08:00.011-07:00

I have a slight obsession with our untimely demise. Maybe it comes from helping with rescue and seeing dogs left homeless after their owners passing or maybe I've just watched one too many T.V. shows. Regardless, I have been determined to arrange placement for them in the event. The only problem is their placement arrangements keep changing.

Sadie was originally going to my parents, and then they adopted the devil spawned pug. Duke and Mira were going to go into our rescue and then during an adoption fair I mentioned to Amanda that Mira would have a melt down at one of these events and she said "oh ya, Mira is totally unadoptable"!! So I have decided instead to place the onus of the well being of each angel in separate God Mother's. That way they will feel tremendous pressure to either keep them or find them loving homes.

Sadie has been gifted the God Mother Amanda. And yes after the last incident I did ensure that she still in fact wanted this responsibility and she said yes! Amanda said she would probably keep Sadie, I believe she muttered something about liability issues if she adopted her out.

Mira has been gifted the God Mother Roberta. Mira has stranger, small children, and male gender issues. Roberta is perfect because she is single, lives with her sister and has no kids! She just has to remain status quo!

Duke has been gifted the God Mother Wendy. Duke loves Wendy a lot. But I suppose it would put an end to Coulee and Duke's current relationship. I believe adopted sibling love is frowned upon.

So now it's in writing ladies. That must make a binding legal contract right?

And Then Reality Sets In

2009-02-15T09:00:00.004-07:00

So as much as I'd like to believe that I made it to the bottom of the jagged cliff in a single bound, my protesting body tells me otherwise. I struggled out of bed this morning and after surveying the damage I have found some significant bruising and lacerations. Mostly down the backs of my legs and thighs. So really I must have slid down the cliff on my butt. Not the red caped hero that I originally thought, but it worked, so I'm happy.

Then my history in drug dealing (legally!) surfaces and I'm thinking, if I could cultivate and bottle adrenaline I would be a rich women.......hmmmmmm........

In the Event of an Emergency

2009-02-14T16:25:00.008-07:00

You have all seen or heard of those stories where someone acted in an emergency situation and they say they didn't even think about it, they just did it. I've always wondered if I had what it takes to "just do it" if the occasion presented itself. Now I have an answer. It's exactly true, you just do it. It's like your watching someone else, someone cool, calm, and collected take control and your just watching thinking holy shit their doing everything right.

Sadie fell through the ice today. It was actually quite ironic because it was immediately after Amanda said that in the event of our untimely death she would take Sadie, that I noticed her and Kort wandering over by the cliff that precedes the river. We called them, and Kort, who is still a puppy, came back and Sadie who must have caught wind of the geese who had prematurely returned, didn't even glance back. By the time I got to the cliff and saw her heading toward the partially frozen river I had let out a number of blood curdling screams and it must have looked as if I had succumbed to an untimely death to my horrified onlooking friends as I stumbled over the cliff and down the embankment.

I believe it was at the point where I saw her break thru the ice that the adrenaline kicked in and I performed feats that I could never duplicate in real life. Somehow I managed to make it from the top of a steep, icy cliff to the river bottom in under 10 seconds, in one piece. I don't even remember touching the ground. Hell even high school math resurfaced and I remembered that the greater the surface area the less mass in any one spot. So as I am laying flat on the ice, belly crawling to my struggling terrier I am thinking, I better have gotten that freakin' equation right! I pull her out and remove the ridiculous coat that I have her in, irritated that it could have weighed her down, and put my coat over her shaking body. As I make my way up I'm struggling to hold her and keep my footing on the icy incline, and by this point Mira is deeply disturbed and barreling her way down to me impeding my path.

Thank God for good friends. At the point where I could no longer make progress I see them at the top of the hill and they too are "just doing it". They tell me to put Sadie down and she makes her way to them. While Amanda makes her way to me, grabs me and hurls me to the top with strength I had yet to experience, Jolene already has her coat off and Sadie wrapped, while Wendy is herding our other 10, (yes 10) dogs.

And when you think you don't have the stamina to run with a shaking wet terrier across a park field your wrong. You only see that your next move is the car and cranking the heater full force on your way to warm blankets and a soft bed. And it's only when the last drop of adrenaline leaves your blood that your mind allows you to think what if, instead of do what. And that's when you become what you thought you would be all along, a quivering mass, curled in the fetal position, holding your precious bundle. And then you realize what you could have lost, and it's clear what your next move will be.

The Black Widow

2009-02-13T11:36:00.004-07:00

Mira loves it when we bring home young, male, foster dogs. She has the whole routine down pack. Day one, she acts aloof and bashful. Enticing them with only the slightest of intentions. Day two, she plays slightly flirtatious, but very indirectly. She will roll over on the floor beside them and kick her feet playfully, "accidentally" giving them the lightest nudge. Day three she is a full blown bar star. I can see her in a tight mini skirt, tube top, bangles and high heels. She saunters out of the bedroom and has built up the tension so much by this point that all she has to do is glance in their direction and it's all over. There is running, rolling, nibbling, kissing, it's really disgusting actually, because I know the sad fate of this relationship. They never see it coming. But like most young beautiful women, once the thrill of the hunt is over, the novelty wears off. When Mira has had enough, game over, black widow style. This morning I missed the kill, she did it while I was still sleeping, but I heard it. And when it started security kicked in and the poor bastard got it from the terrier as well. His heart was shattered. But that's the plight of the black widow, it's about survival of the fittest.

Victim number 13-02-09

Fireside

2009-02-12T22:28:00.001-07:00

A peaceful night was spent round the fire.

Can't Fight the Seether

2009-02-11T21:04:00.001-07:00

Seether is neither loose nor tight,Seether is neither black nor white.
I tried to keep her on a short leash,I tried to calm her down.
I tried to ram her into the ground, yeah.

Cant fight the seether
I cant see her till Im foaming at the mouth.

Seether is neither big nor small.Seether is the center of it all.
I tried to rock her in my cradle,I tried to knock her out,
I tried to cram her back in my mouth, yeah.

Cant fight the seether
I cant see her till Im foaming at the mouth.

Keep her down, boiling water, Keep her down, what a lovely daughter.
Oh, she is not born like other girls, But I know how to conceive her.
Oh, she may not look like other girls,But shes a snarl-toothed seether, seether!

Cant fight the seether

I cant see her till Im foaming at the mouth.

Bloodsport

2009-02-07T12:06:00.004-07:00

This is Sadies birthday present. We got it from Paws on the Run Doggy Daycare. We had to take it away shortly after she recieved it. Sadie takes balls very seriously, if you can make it out in the close up that is blood on the elastic string.

The Hair on my Chinny Chin Chin

2009-02-06T19:29:00.004-07:00

I was reading Sarah's blog http://digit-fetchit-herdit.blogspot.com/ about Kaleb's greying chin and it got me thinking of Duke. We don't really know how old he is, but his estimated birthday was 2004, making him around 4 or 5. This last year his chin has turned grey, making me think he is older then we thought. What do you think?

I tried to get one of his teeth. Ok no comments! This was the best I got!

Happy Birthday Sadie

2009-02-04T21:33:00.003-07:00

Sadie turned 4 years old yesterday. Happy Birthday to my angel!!!!

Closed for the Season

2009-02-03T18:51:00.004-07:00

This has to be the worst time of year for dog owners. Don't get me wrong, I love that the weather is warming up and I can take my dogs on walks that last longer then the time it takes to bundle up for them. However, the combination of dusty wind, melting snow and 12 furry feet have made my life a nightmare! I'm reveling in my past decision when buying the house without carpet. I couldn't imagine trying to deal with this without my precious swifter wet jet. My feeble attempts to keep on top of the mud have long since dissipated, and I have decided instead to ban any visitors to my house until the snow is gone. I think that's a better plan.

Just a Picture

2009-01-29T19:22:00.003-07:00

Ingenious or Pathetic?

2009-01-29T08:08:00.004-07:00

I couldn't decide which title suited this post better. It's windy out again today, like 100 mile per hour wind, so the dog door must remain locked. If you missed the earlier post this month on the outcome of this, think of a terrier and a new white comforter, which actually came out surprisingly well in the wash. Anyway, I couldn't decide what to do this time. Sadie can't go to daycare because of several incidents, the last ended in an elderly wiener dog screaming bloody murder. So I fashioned a "pee pad" out of some swifter wet jet pads. I was pretty proud of myself until I thought.....I just taped 8 wet jet pads to my floor for my 4 year old terrier. I'm thinking pathetic is more appropriate.

Baby Mira

2009-01-26T20:15:00.005-07:00

I don't have many "baby" pictures of the dogs. We didn't have a digital camera when we ahem..purchased Sadie, Duke was already 2 years old when we adopted him, and Mira was almost 1 year when we "fostered" her. The rescue that had Mira also had her 2 sisters as babies so I asked them if they had any puppy pictures of the girls. I thought this one was cute. Mira is on the left and her sister Abby is the other pup.

I like her funky white toes in this one. I wish I could have had her while she was still this small! But then again I'm not so good with the whole potty training process. Sadie still poops downstairs!

Getting Along

2009-01-24T11:55:00.002-07:00

If he can fit in here, he can fit in anywhere!

40 Things!

2009-01-23T21:14:00.004-07:00

Really!? I was tagged by Amanda from manymuddypaws to post 40 things about me that people may not know. This is defiantly going to be a challenge as I'm not a secret kind of gal.

1. My short term memory is non existent - you can drop off your prescription at one counter and no word of a lie I will ask you your name 5 minutes later at the pick up counter

2. I was a geek in junior high, and "popular" in high school

3. I lived alone in a one room apartment for my 2nd year of university - as in no bedroom, just one open room all of 500 sq feet, and I loved it.

4. I got 100% on my high school English final exam - I had my paper memorized before I even know what the topic was, and I just adapted it to fit.

5. My first dog was a Chinese Shar-pei (wrinkle dog) he was diagnosed with cancer while I was at university and died the night after I got home to say goodbye

6. I cry when I'm mad and that makes me angrier

7. I have 2 tattoos - not sure if anyone has even noticed them

8. I have a mild case of OCD

9. I am a slight hypochondriac

10. I can sleep anywhere, anytime, for as long as I like, even if I'm not tired

11. I hate coffee

12. I hate seafood, but crave a good tuna fish sandwich about once a month

13. I have been in a few fist fights

14. I have given an ex-boyfriend a black eye and broke another one's nose

15. I have a temper (hmmmm refer to #14)

16. I played competitive soccer for about 5 years

17. I lived in Loma Linda California and did my hospital practicum in the infectious disease rotation (see #9)

18. I have been to Italy and Paris

19. I have had my belly button and tongue pierced

20. If I can't do something 100% I usually don't do it at all

21. I knew I was going to marry Dustin the second I saw him

22. Sadie spoons with me at night

23. I spent one summer waiting and then collecting cow urine in a barn at the research center

24. I spent the same summer wet sieving cow poop and weighing the contents of each sieve

25. I have been paying my student loan for almost 3 years and I'm not even close to paying it off but I will attend Sarah's party anyway

26. I now have to pay off my husband's student loan

27. I am an evil stepmother

28. I don't know the actual color of my hair anymore

29. I chronically clear my throat and it really annoys the people who notice it

30. I'm paranoid about bad breath

31. I'm addicted to chap stick

32. I purell my hands at least 5 times in an hour (see #8)

33. I have worked at 6 different jobs since last summer

34. I have fallen asleep at work (it was on a couch with a dog at daycare on a really slow Saturday - sorry Wendy!)

35. I grew up very spoiled

36. I have two older brothers, I am the only daughter (see #35)

37. I have been the same weight since grade 8 (that was 15 years ago)

38. I'm really glad I'm almost done!

39. I use to be in modeling and was told to walk like I had a quarter stuck in between my butt cheeks, I quit shortly after my mom's friend yelled out at a soccer game that my quarter fell out

40. I'm the happiest I have ever been in life

I hope I surprised you at least once.

Ok I tag Bobbi at Crazy Dog Days and Lauren at Why Everyone Should Train Dogs

Go!!!!

I'm Vince and I'm a Good Dog

2009-01-22T17:46:00.007-07:00

This is our new foster. He is such a sweet, wiggly guy. I don't think he will last the weekend.

Bath Mat

2009-01-17T00:02:00.005-07:00

Like my bath mat? I have to be careful when I step out, as the bath mat likes to sneak in while I'm showering.

Insert Foot Here

2009-01-15T19:44:00.002-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth, to say things that should really stay private thoughts, and to then feel really bad about them for longer then necessary. Today was one such day. It was staight out of a T.V. show, you know the one where the girl writes an inapriopriate email about someone and mistakenly sends it to that person. Then they are frozen in horror and try uselessly to hit the delete button, like some how that is going to reach cyber space and snatch the email back into your outbox. Yes that girl was me. And the best part was that when I got home from work I got a nice email back from said person in which my snide remark was quoted directly. Now I'm delaying stuttering through an apology that will undoubltley end in me feelling like an ass for monthes to come.
This must be why I love dogs so much, they are so uncomplicated.

Show

2009-01-13T22:20:00.002-07:00

Ok here is a picture of the yards, you can't actually see the fence, but you can guess where is should be!

No Show

2009-01-13T18:22:00.005-07:00

I have no pictures to share so you will be forced to believe my word on this. We live on the edge of town, and our backyard borders an open field. The city has built a fence parallel to the length of the houses. We like to walk back there because its open, quiet and the dogs can run off leash. It has snowed so immensely here that is has piled up just shy of the top of this fence on either side. Thus allowing two dogs to literally walk over the fence and out of their backyards to play with us!

I debated taking a picture of this second incident, but erred on the side of caution. Because of the fierce wind and snow I had to lock the dog door shut today. Theoretically my adult dogs should be able to hold their bowels for a minimum of 5 hours. Upon returning home I discovered that a certain terrier either couldn't hold it or decided that it was unacceptable to have to hold it. Either way she relieved herself on the spare bed. Number one and number two.

Sleep over anyone?

Happy Sunday

2009-01-11T16:12:00.007-07:00

Here's to lazy sunday afternoons.

At Work

2009-01-07T19:24:00.005-07:00

Doesn't this look like I work at a drive thru? Would you like fries with your meds?

Brought to you by a crappy phone on a crappy network.