Dylan at the Course a Lure!

Dyl got to run the course a lure a couple times today. He had trouble with that last corner. It was just too sharp for him but overall he did well. He brought home a bronze medal.

My friend had her video camera there so she put it up on youtube.

She's home!

She's home and bouncy and energetic. That's not at all what I expected but I guess I didn't really think about the fact that the anesthetic has really worn off by now.

She does have a huge incision on her belly. There's also a good amount of bruising but I guess not as many external punctures as I originally thought. They cut through two of them in the incision and the others that I thought I saw on the outside were just part of the bruising. I have to keep her down for 7 full days and then no running or off leash activity for another 7 after that. She's already trying to jump up on the bed so I have to keep her babygated out of the room for now. I can sleep in the front room with her for the next few days though!

The one good thing is, I got some good clear x-rays of her spine. I can have my holistic vetrinarian check them out next time we go in for a treatment. The vetrinarian that treated her this week says it looks great and she doesn't see any problems with the vertebrae. I hope that means her spinal issues are better.

Marley is coming home!

Marley is coming home! I am getting anxious to go pick her up. She will be discharged about 5 PM.

The vet says she looks a LOT better today. She has perked up and acting like a good dog. She is glad that they decided to do the surgery. It could have saved her life!

I can't wait to get off work and go get my baby back!

Marley update.

Little Miss is doing better. She's awake and the hospital says she is standing up and will be happy when she gets to eat later tonight.

They did find 4 puncture wounds that went all the way through to her abdominal cavity. They are very glad they made the decision to go in and look around. They likely would not have healed well without surgery and could have been very dangerous. There was no organ damage and they were pleased that the intestines did not poke through any of the holes. They also did some cleaning of her little pipes since she hasn't had a bowel movement for over 24 hours now. They think it's just nerves though since it wasn't impacted. Hopefully that will ease some of her discomfort.

Now we just can't wait for Miss Marley to come home. Dylan's looking bored and I hate leaving him home all alone. Luckily we have Paul; who is so wonderful and took him out to play and walk today. He also took him home and let him hang out over there until I got off work.

This other dog wasn't a vicious dog. I reread that previous post and I think it gives a bit of a misperception. It's actually a friend's dog but the adrenaline was running too high and in the process of trying to break it up, I picked Marley up to remove her from the situation. Something in our dear canine friend just snapped. She is injured too from Marley defending herself and we are worried about her well-being. Marley's never bitten a dog in the past and I know she had to be hurting to have actually broken the skin of another dog. I've been in close contact with her guardians and it sounds like she may be going in just to get checked tomorrow. We just want everyone to be safe from infection and heal well.

Dylan was there too and we are all very, very, very thankful he did not get involved. He's my good boy who I am often surprised by. Sometimes I sell him a bit short and it's good to remember that he's not as bad and I sometimes portray him to be. He just can be a bit of a stinker sometimes and I need to be more consistent with him. I really am glad to see that he walked away without any involvement.

When it rains it pours...

My poor little miss was attacked by a neighbor dog. It's a long and crazy story that I don't want to detail here. She fought back and rightfully so.

She came away from this whole thing with multiple puncture wounds in her abdomen. It was exposed because I picked her up right before this dog went after her. We rushed to the vet hospital and found that one of the punctures was believed to have gone all the way through to her abdominal cavity. They kept her overnight on IV Fluids and antibiotics. They did more x rays this morning and decided that it was necessary to go in and check things out to make sure everything is okay. She should be out of surgery by now and I am waiting to hear back from the Vet.

It killed me to leave her there in the kennel last night but I know it's what best. I hate that they are pumping her full of drugs and antibiotics but I don't know what else to do.

I just keep thinking positive thoughts that my baby girl is gonna be alright. Hopefully she can come home from the vet hospital after I get off work.

Lure Coursing, Flyball, and Strutting Your Mutt!

I don't usually attend the NMHP in Utah's Strut your Mutt event. I have been the first few years I owned dogs but after getting involved with rescue groups I came to wonder what the hell NMHP does with all their money? They get so much money statewide and I don't see them making much impact with it.

This year, I'm attending but solely for the purpose of letting Dylan do the things he loves most. Plus I think deep down, he is a major show off so he wants to let all the people and all the dogs know how special he is. He'll be racing in the flyball demo, racing at course a'lure, and hopefully running through the agility course (if they have one like they have had in the past!). It's gonna be Dyl Pickle's special day and he will get to do some of the things he loves the most. It will be his debut with his new Flyball Team and his first time doing Course a'Lure this year.

We can't wait! It's sure to be a fun Saturday!! I finally have a weekend off from my p/t job and will be spending all day with my Dylan boy!

Monster Pics!

I always take pics with my phone but have never saved them. My phone has very little memory so I can't save Now, I regret not copying the pics before I deleted them. I had so many cute pics of the Monster Puck but have deleted them. I now saved the last few pics I had of him still in my phone memory. Picture quality isn't great but I love these two pics from my phone.

Anxious about work

On Fridays, I have to work both of my jobs. My part time job includes talking to people about their animals. I've been a little bit on edge all week and haven't really been wanting to have my normal conversations because I'm afraid the tears will start flowing. I cried everyday so far at my f/t job but have managed to maintain composed today. I really don't want to lose it tonight. I have a lot of anxiety today about working tonight. I talk about Puck a lot on my job and I just don't know if I am ready to do it.

This is a cute Pic that Paul had on his phone. He lined the countertops with foil to try to deter Puck from walking on them. It obviously did not work!!

Switching off to a tug!

I've always wanted to get Dylan switching off to a tug when he plays flyball. Most the dogs get rewarded with tug toys when they complete the course. Dylan has always been rewarded with food. Because of his tendency to overrun the runback, I always wanted to have a good reason for him to come to me. Since having the ball is something he finds so rewarding, he doesn't value the tug enough to drop the ball and grab a tug.

A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking and came to the realization that it would be simple to teach Dylan that grabbing a tug is part of the game. He's been playing flyball for a couple of years but he can certainly learn to come to a tug before he gets rewarded. Then I have the benefits of having my dog in a place I can hold onto him in case another dog gets in his way. I can't believe I never thought of it before. Hopefully, he will eventually find the tug so rewarding that I can phase out the food, He already loves to tug he's just not accustomed to playing with both at the same time.

We have been playing a game off and on where I throw the ball, have him fetch it, then have him drop the ball and play tug. Then we start over again. I am proud to say today was the first time that he seemed to be anxious to grab the tug when he had the ball in his mouth. He would try to grab the tug a few times and then realize he couldn't when he had the ball. After a couple tries, he actually dropped the ball and played tug!! YIPPEE!!! Hopefully, he now understands and it won't take him long to just be dropping the ball automatically when he gets to the tug. Once he understands and plays the game well, I will have to introduce it to him on the flyball course. Maybe, I will see if we can do newbie practice for a week or so two so that I can practice it with him one on one!

Puck Monster

I just found this video of Miss Marley and Puck. It made me cry but I am so happy I stumbled on it!

The ashes....

I never really had given a whole lot of thought of what to do with my animals when they pass on. Cremation was a given but I am not sure how I feel about what to do with the ashes. Maybe it's best to spread them or maybe I want them buried with me. Dylan and Marley and I are so close that I love the idea of having them buried with me. However, I still have a long life ahead that is sure to have many animals in it. How many animals could you really be buried with? And when you share animals with a loved one (as I did in Puck's case) how do you decide who can be buried with whom. In this situation, Paul had legally adopted Puck so if he made the decision to be buried with him it would be totally appropriate but if you are married and the animal belongs to the family, how do you decide.

We've discussed what to do with the ashes of our dear Monster. I am not sure what we will decide on but I am certainly thinking a lot about it. I like Paul's idea of spreading them in the yard at his house. But then what do you do with the cedar box that they came in? Only time will tell exactly what will happen.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Something to look forward to!

I am so seriously excited to find out that my two old buddies that moved out to SJC a few years ago are gonna be rolling through town next week on their way to CO. I haven't seen one of them in two years and a visit is long since overdue! I am ecstatic to hang out with my old buds and get to see the pup Nietzche and the whole deal should be a blast!

This news couldn't have come at a better time. It's really good for me to have something to look forward to right now. I think it will really help me move on from this disaster of losing Puck.

I cannot wait for them to get here!

In Mourning

I've been sobbing so frequently that I think my tear ducts have literally dried out. However, as soon as I start thinking that the tears somehow seem to start flowing again. My body feels dehydrated and malnourished. I've had a pounding headache and a nauseated feeling in my stomach for the last two days. I've had to force feed myself in an effort to try to make myself feel better. I'm trying to stay busy and keep my mind off of things; in hopes that it helps me get over such a traumatic loss. I sometimes feel like I am in denial that the lifeless little body that I held while I sobbed at the vet's office the other day could really be that of Puck. Maybe he's still out there somewhere? Maybe we will find him. Then reality sinks in and I know that Puck will never be with us again.

People keep saying he is there in spirit or that he is at the bridge. I'm not sure I believe all that. Sometimes I almost feel like these are things that humans have made up to make themselves feel better about loss of life. But then again, I want to imagine Puck being greeted at the bridge by Delta Blue, my former roommates dog, who lost his young life tragically a few years ago. The two of them would have gotten along so well in this life. So maybe just maybe, the two of them are out there somewhere playing together! Waiting for Miss Marley and Dylan to one day join them.

My heart aches for Paul. I know he has suffered from this loss. I really wish that he had more time at home this week but I wonder if going to work has been best for him anyway. I want to be with him because I know he shares in my grief. Unfortunately, our opposite schedules aren't very permitting of that. I am glad I was able to take yesterday off so we could have some time together. I hope he is dealing with all this okay. I think he's probably better off than I am because he seems to be more in control of his emotions but I'm not sure that's always a sign that someone is better.

I'm trying to keep busy to avoid laying around in depression. Yesterday, I got to play with my nephew and spent too much money shopping. I made some collage photo frames of our Monster for myself and for Paul. It was very therapeutic and now I will have some photos to hang at home and a framed photo on my desk at work. Paul also has the same. Tonight I will hang out with my dear friend who recently lost her own dog to old age. She understands how I am feeling and will be a good person for me to be with.

A terrible tragedy......

I haven't posted for a few days. We suffered a terrible loss when our poor dear puck was attacked and killed by some dogs. He somehow managed to go over Paul's 6 ft Vinyl fence into the yard of his neighbors. Apparently this is not the first time these dogs have killed a cat. Our poor puckers didn't seem to suffer long. We think he died almost instantly. We are lucky his poor little body was still intact so that Dylan and Marley and I could take some time with his body to say good bye.

I can't write anymore without crying and I am trying to keep some of the tears in so that I can be ready to go back to work tomorrow. I'll just post here the email announcement that I sent out to my friends yesterday evening.


Many of you have come to know a cat I so fondly nicknamed Monster. Others may have just heard the stories of a kitten named Puck that I nursed from infancy to adulthood. This feisty little bundle of joy changed my life one day when I happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was at the shelter picking up a dog when a man brought in a tiny little meowing kitten. The shelter staff said he was so young that he would need to be put down immediately. I started crying that this poor little thing hadn't even had a chance to experience life and the shelter staff slipped me a kitten to take home. I told them I knew what I was doing and what I was getting myself into which was a huge lie. I'd never nursed an infant and had no idea what to do next.

Thanks to the advice, assistance, and experience of many friends, this monster survived a troublesome first few months of life. He became such a part of my life that I couldn't bear to part with him. Paul also fell in love with him and made the decision to adopt him just a few months ago. I'm writing today to let you know that after an unfortunate series of events today, Puck has met an untimely death. I'm still unsure of how to deal with the road ahead but luckily I have some wonderful dogs, a wonderful boyfriend, and the best friends in the world to help me deal with this grieving process.

In memory of my little Monster's life, I wanted to make a list of some of the wonderful things I loved about him:

-Puck had a confident attitude in nearly all situations. He's the only animal I know that had enough confidence to whack Dylan on the face and then turn and run to try to entice him to play. He exuded confidence in everything he did and showed no fears to the three dogs that constantly surrounded him.
-Although his cuddly moments were rare, they were extra special. I appreciated them more because he just didn't want to cuddle that often.
-It sounds odd, but I will always cherish the way he could stand on you purring but then bite you if you tried to touch him. While it was annoying and sometimes painful, it's what made him who he was. His biting was a part of that feisty personality and it was in play rather than aggression.
-Puck had a food drive like no other cat I have ever met. It didn't matter what it was, he wanted to eat it! This made him easy to train. Puck is proof that clicker training can work for all kinds of animals. He's the only cat I know that understood that the sound of a clicker meant a treat was coming.
-He turned me into a cat person. He also had a profound impact on so many of the people that knew him. I know neither Paul nor I will never be the same since both living with such a lively and unique cat. I have no doubt I will get another little one day. I really hope that they will be as full of zest for life as Puckers once was.

Thank you all for your love and support since the day I brought him home. I couldn't ask for a better network of friends to support me through both the good and the bad days. I hope you will all remember Puck fondly.

May he rest in peace.

Another great Flyball practice!

We had Flyball again last night and had a great time! Dylan was on his game and did a great job racing! He came back every time and did his job well! I always feel energized after a good practice with him! We won't have practice next week because of the holiday weekend so it feels like he has been practicing only sporadically the last few months. I'm hoping he will stay injury free for the next few months (at least!) so we can get back to consistent flyball practices.

Miss Marley went along because I wasn't sure if they wanted her to run in the upcoming demo. They said they don't need her which is better for her in the long run. She's retired from flyball but I don't mind letting her run once in a while.

This pic is of Dylan at a tournament in St George. I really don't have any great flyball pics of him but I am hoping my friend will bring her new camera around one of these days and take some shots of my dyl pickle. She's taken a bunch of flyball shots at practice of the other dogs on the team but Dylan hasn't been there on the right days. One of these days he will get new pics; I hope!

Yet another vet visit?

Miss Marley had yet another vet visit. Just her annual check up with a heartworm test and some vaccine titers. The vet says she has a low heart rate which means she is in really good shape. I guess all that running is doing her good! She also said she has really good muscular tone in her back legs - especially on the right. This isn't that normal for a dog that has hip dysplasia but I have taught her some tricks with the intention of strengthening her back legs. I guess it is working. It makes me happy that she is pretty healthy despite her injuries. I am confident that the titer and heartworm tests will come back looking good as well. I just did them to be sure!

This little girl is a happy, healthy pup, despite the problems in her lower back and hips. :)

Podcasts!!

I listen to several podcasts each week. It's an unexpected bonus to having an ipod.

A lot of what I listen to is dog related (of course). My favorite dog podcasts hardly ever come out with new episodes but there are a few that I listen to regularly that have more good information than bad.

One of these recently picked up crappy Eukanuba as a sponser. It's really been bugging me the last couple weeks. I wish that more people understood what goes into dog food! Eukanuba's line is HORRIBLE and even their natural line sucks. Some of those crappy dog food companies are starting to come out with a natural line of food. They usually are a bit better than the regular food but cost a lot more and aren't near as good as some of the products on the shelf next to it. People buy things because of the brand name and it's completely ridiculous. When it comes to pet food - read the ingredients and understand what they are for!

I've been trying to decide what to do about my new hatred for the advertisements on this podcasts. I already emailed the woman after they did a podcast on dog food and had a vet giving lots of POOR information about how to pick out a dog food. I even gave her links to information and good points of contact on nutrition. She emailed back with a thanks for the suggestion and that she would look into it. Now she has this huge long advertisement at the beginning of the podcast for Eukanuba? I guess it could be worse, she could be advertising Beneful which is probably one of the most misleading products on the market.

I'm not sure if I will email her again and state my disappointment or if I just stop listening or if I just keep on getting the podcast. I haven't decided what I will do but I can say that I really hate the Eukanuba ad's.

The nickname fits!

Puck is a monster. So much so that we call him that. He thinks he's a dog and shows no fear to go smack Dylan in the face and entice him to play. Dylan has actually be play bowing and playing with him from time to time which makes me very happy! I love it when Dylan gets comfortable enough to play with another animal.

Lately, he's figured out how to get up on top of the cabinets at Paul's house. Now he spends a ton of time hanging out up there. Pretty much any time we start wondering what he is up to, he's hanging out in his new favorite spot.

When Paul adopted Puck I gave him the kitty cube that I had bought the little monster for Christmas. He loved it at my house but it was the only bed in his tower that I contained him in while I was away so he hung out in there often. He hasn't really used it at Paul's so last night Paul got the idea to put his kitty cube up on top of the cabinets. It didn't take him long to realize he now has a soft bed in his favorite hangout.

I'm sure he will be spending lots of time in his cube from here on out.

Zip

Zip was my last foster dog. I loved him so much that I wanted to adopt him. I knew, however, that I wasn't prepared to take on a third dog financially. My two tend to be so dang expensive and taking on another just wasn't a possibility.

I got Zip because I happened to be at the shelter picking up a cat just at the right time. Someone from the shelter asked if I knew anyone who was willing to take a border collie. He had been returned to the shelter because he was chewing destructively in the previous owners yard. It was obvious he had been left out all winter by his THICK winter coat. He needed some dental work because in the process of all that chewing he had broken several teeth. He was to be euthanized the following morning because they didn't have the space to try to place him a second time.

When I got him home, I fell in love instantly. He was exactly the kind of dog I would adopt if I were going to adopt a new dog! He was sharp and has a high working drive and an amazing toy drive! Easy to work with and easy to train but fast and motivated and dang adorable. Plus he fit well into my household of dogs who LOVE attention. His silly personality was just the right fit!

We did lots of obedience to help him learn how to behave like a good boy and even got started on some Flyball. I got to watch him go herding (and it made me cry seeing him do something so well without any training). They said he had a pretty decent herding drive and would be good in a home that wanted to do a bit of herding along with other sports. He got to go lure coursing on the Course a'Lure and got the second fastest time for the weekend (he even beat Dylan).

Ultimately, I knew I would have to give this dog up. At some point I realized it needed to be sooner rather than later because the longer time went by the more attached I got. I started posting additional ads online and on Border Collie/Sporting Dog sites. Eventually, a wonderful clicker trainer that was working at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary found an ad I had posted and contacted me. I knew with the first contact that she would make a wonderful home for my boy. She was so far away though and I couldn't do a home check like I normally do. However, she offered up photos, and references, and more references. I knew without even calling that it was meant to be!

We met up halfway between SLC and Kanab last fall. At a little grassy spot in the middle of no where Utah. I had to let her take my dear Zip away but I knew it was what was best for him. Initially, she took him on a trial basis. I really didn't ever plan on getting him back though because she seemed to be exactly what he needed. Her situation was better for him than my own was and I needed him to go somewhere where he had a better situation than I could provide.

It wasn't long before she contacted me to say she wanted to keep him forever and ever. Not only that but she wanted to take him all the way to Seattle, Washington to live. I knew he would be happy there with all the water! After all, swimming was his favorite past time!! He'd have a great guardian and a cute little border collie sister!

Nine months later, he is loving his new home. He gets to play Flyball and got to the park where he can swim all time. I can't wait to see him race at Flyball! I really want to travel to go see him run and take Dylan to race at the same place. One day when Zip is ready I will make it happen!

I'm so happy to know that Zip found such a wonderful home! It's comforting to know the dog I loved so much is being loved by someone so wonderful!!

The most common mistakes people make.

MSNBC had this great article on the most common mistakes people make:


http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24366592/


I had some thoughts that I wanted to post here.

Impulsive adoptions/purchases

I have to say that I really wish that not only would new pet owners take these things into consideration but also rescue groups and shelters. Failing to screen properly could be disastrous for that animal. There are too many situations that could be worse for an animal that euthanasia. It seems too many are just so anxious to save as many animals as possible that they forget about the quality of the animal's life. We shouldn't impulsively place animals with people that have not been thoroughly screened.


When people don't think things through before adopting or purchasing an animal - the best case scenario this results in the animal being returned to the rescue group or shelter or breeder. Commonly this results in traumatizing the animal when they get dumped at the shelter because people are too embarrassed to admit to the person they got the animal from that they didn't take the responsibility of owning a dog seriously. Worse off are the animals that end up tied on a chain and starving to death because people literally forget that they exist!


Owning an animal is a serious responsibility. It shouldn't be a decision that is made lightly. People need to take the time to consider all the ups and downs that could happen over the course of the next 20 years. Do they really have what it takes to provide a lifelong home?


Buying from a pet store

In my opinion, anyone still buying a dog from a pet store ought to have to visit the puppy mill it came from. Really, I could say a few choice words to people still buying dogs from pet stores but I don't dare to post them here. Puppy Mills are all over the news these days (even Oprah did a special on it!) but some people just don't care! Seriously if you walk into a pet store and there are puppies for sale, you should turn around and walk out. Don't buy a single thing and notify the management of why you refuse to spend your money at their store. I can't believe that it's even still legal to buy a dog at a pet store!! I especially cannot believe the AKC lets them register the dogs as well. It makes me physically ill to think about the horrors the parents of these puppies must suffer.

Killing with kindness

I admit to sometimes being guilty of this but agree that you can't allow your animals to rule the house. My dogs are spoiled and get their way sometimes too often but some boundaries are important.

I really think that all too often people aren't consistent or don't know how to communicate their boundaries with their animals which results in many behavioral problems. It seems most often with puppies, people don't worry about behavioral issues until they are 8 months old and out of control. Boundaries should be set and clearly communicated from the first day you bring a dog home - no matter the age. My foster dogs tend to earn privileges as time goes by and I can trust them (things like being left loose in the house while I am gone or sleeping are definitely privileges).

Focusing on punishments rather than rewards

I wish more people knew and understood the realm of reward based training that is out there for their animals. Positive training is not only affective but it helps you build a stronger bond with your animal. They learn to love you even more than you thought possible! You learn to appreciate their individual personality on a level you never could have thought possible. At least that's been my experience.

It's easy and effective and I wish everyone would do it. I'm not the best salesman but I wish I could tell everyone just to give it a try because it works!!

Assuming your pet is a person in fur clothing

I loved this statement and didn't think there was any better way to sum it up:

"Keep in mind that pets tend to think in different and often much simpler terms than we do. They aren't walking around all day plotting how to get back at you for leaving them at home while you go to work or to punish you for what you have or haven't done for them lately. Accusing an animal of being spiteful or stubborn does a great disservice to them and tends to create a barrier to a healthy relationship."

Not spaying or neutering pets

To me this seems like a common sense issue. Why would anyone (outside of those that compete in conformation) want to have an unaltered animal these days? Why would anyone want to have to go through having a dog in heat in their house or dealing with the marking issues that unaltered males commonly have? Why don't people consider all the medical benefits of getting fixed?

I just can't comprehend why people still want to breed and why people still have issues getting their pets altered. We are living in a country where tens of thousands of animals are euthanized each year because of lack of appropriate homes? How could anyone possibly justify creating more dogs or cats (whether or not it is intentional) is beyond what I can understand.

Anyone who has an unaltered dog of any kind or who is considering breeding should watch this video:

http://www.brightlion.com/InHope/InHope.aspx

If the video makes you the least bit sad - GO GET YOUR ANIMAL FIXED TODAY!

Lack of supervision between pets and children

Pets should never be left with small children unsupervised. This seems obvious to me? Isn't it obvious to everyone else too?

Offering behaviors

I've noticed lately how nicely Marley offers behaviors for me when she knows I want her to work. Sometimes she's a bit out of control and offers a roll over or a weave between the legs when I am preparing to ask her to sit. But overall she offers things so nicely. She always runs to her spot and sits when she knows I am preparing meals! I think this has a lot to do with her drive to work and her food drive in particular. She will work for any type of life reward but she definitely goes crazy if she thinks there is a food reward in store for her. Man life is easy with a dog who LOVES food as much as she does.

I've done a really poor job with Dylan in this area though. I've failed to capture him offering behaviors on his own. I want to try to really work to wait for him to offer me something. We need to do more free shaping and I especially want to work to reward eye contact when it is offered. I think it will help his focus and if he knows he gets rewarded for offering the behaviors that I want from him - maybe he will offer them more often. I need to work with my dog instead of working against him. The wonderful world of clicker training makes capturing behaviors really simple. :)

Dylan's always been a bit tougher for me. He has so much potential as an athlete but with that also comes the potential for trouble. His hunting breed doesn't help the situation since he has a tendency to spend time sniffing and wants to be able to explore at a long distance away from me. Keeping him close when he is off leash has always been a challenge and I really need to find a way to teach him how to stay close unless I give him permission. Maybe make the opportunity to go way out and sniff and pee on stuff his reward....The problem I have is that I don't want to keep him in a heel position. I want him to be able to run and chase with Marley but know that he shouldn't go out more than 20-30 feet. I haven't figured out a way to train this.

I've learned so much from this dog. He was my first dog and my first major responsibility in life. He's helped me make it through a lot of growing pains. He's really helped me mature and find a way to settle down. I've learned so much and feel like I have become much more of a grown up since bringing this wild little bundle of troubles home.

I've also learned a lot about how to work with animals. I started with traditional training and Dylan and I have gone on a roller coaster of a ride through all my learning experiences. I'm so glad we found PR and clicker training! It's made working with my dogs a much easier and enjoyable task for all of us!! It's become a very enjoyable hobby and my dogs even enjoy training as much as I do!

Marley's Pain

One really difficult part of having a broken dog is trying to figure out how they are feeling. Dog's are notorious for hiding thier pain. With Marley, I can notice sometimes very subtle differences in the way she walks, runs, and sits. I have to pay close attention regularly to monitor her pain level.

Last night we were out walking and she was hobbling along when she was walking but running almost normal. She's definitely not been feeling well and I am not sure if the treatment she had last week has been helping or not? I suspect that after such a rough treatment it might be good for her to go in for a follow up.

It makes my heart ache to know she is hurting. I just wish I could do more to help her feel better. I know I could feed her drugs everyday to block the pain but I don't think that's a life she would choose for herself.

I am going to give her a week or two before scheduling a follow up. In the mean time, she will have her annual titer tests and heartworm test at the regular vet tomorrow.

Jumping off the walls....

All these flyball people have been teaching their dogs to do a swimmers turn off the wall. It's supposed to help with form and speed.

Dylan already has excellent form. He is slow, however, coming off the box. I think part of that is because he is waiting for the ball but I think our team may be vamping up the box with new, faster plungers or whatever they are called.

Last night I tried the swimmers turn on the wall with Dylan. Thus far he is getting two paws up really easily. I think it would be easier with him if I had more space though. I really need to find a better place to work with him but my house is so small there isn't a good space with a soft landing.

I want to work on the ball to tug switch off. I am sure I can teach him if I work hard enough but often times it's difficult for me to find the time to do it. Every time I think about it, he is either injured or I am just too damn busy!!


Here is a pic of Marley turning on the box. I don't have any of Dylan! That's my old flyball team's logo (we are proud members of Thunder Paws now!) but it's a good example of the swimmer's turn! In a tournament they can't use any props like you see in the pic but both my dogs have been trained with and without the training props so their box turn is always nice at tournaments.

My crappy car!!

I woke up this morning and got ready for work. When I went to leave, however, my crappy car was completely dead. No signs of any power at all! I couldn't lock the doors!!!

I had to call someone for a ride to work and got here late. My mom just brought me this jump kit and dropped it off to me. My old friend from work is nice enough to give me a ride home - even though it's completely out of her way. I thought she still lived downtown but I guess she's moved since we last talked!!

All in all it made for a crappy start to the day. I'm just happy to have some family and friends that will help me without being too upset or put out. Hopefully it will start up tonight and I can take it to get the battery tested. It died on my Saturday but I have been driving it all over the place the last few days without any problems.

I want a newer car. Mine is old and has 180K miles on it. Plus people keep hitting it so it's getting all banged up. I just don't want to pay for a new car so I guess I won't be getting one anytime soon. I probably should start saving for one though since mine is gonna die one of these days. It seems it's just one more financial issue for me to stress over.

Surgery Went Well

The surgery was successful. I guess they had to really stretch that muscle to get it back in place so it will be tight and Paul will have limited movement in that shoulder for a while.

I've been amazed with how well he has seemed to be feeling though. He's been up and around and seems to be doing okay. I think the pain meds help of course but I am glad that things have gone so well.

Using Iodine to toughen pads?

Dylan is constantly wearing out his pads. I talked to my holistic vet who recommended painting iodine on the pads then patting it right off a couple times a week to toughen his pads. I'm really happy to know that something so simple should work.

She also said that part of the reason he has big problems with his pads is because of the length of his dang nails? His quicks are SO long and I can't cut them very short. I've been trying to dremel train him but haven't worked consistently with it for the last few months. We need to get back on it and work on it every day so that I can start dremeling his nails down.

Canine Chiropractic? Acupuncture for Dogs?

It really does exist. And it really does work. We spent this afternoon at the veterinarian's office where my darling Marley got one hell of a chiropractic treatment. I've never seen her flinch so much. I think she's really been hurting. The vet said that going so long between treatments combined with the rough winter we had has probably made her pretty stiff and sore. That's why she reacted the way she did to the Chiropractic treatment today.

She's had acupuncture in the past and it usually relaxes her. We generally have to hold her up to keep her standing once the needles are in. Today, she cried a couple of times when the needles were put in. It made me cry too. In the long run, it's for the best though. I hope she knows it will make her feel better overall.

I'm wondering if it may be time to have her x-rayed again. This is one of the x-rays she had done a year ago. It shows her shallow (dysplastic) hip joint and her vertebrae that are too close together.

It's so painful for me to have a broken dog. I feel badly that she's in pain and not able to communicate to me what she would like. I could drug her up on NSAIDs the rest of her life which is what a traditional vet would recommend. Or I can choose to try this homeopathic route. So far, I think it's working. I just need to make sure to get her in more often and keep stretching and massaging (something I have really slacked on the last few months). I can tell when she is really sore but sometimes I can't tell if she really feels well or she feels pain but not enough to actually display it. I wish she were able to talk to me and tell me her pains and her wishes. She's got a long life ahead and I have to make all the decisions for her. I have to just believe I am doing what is best and anything is worth it as long as it makes her feel better. I'm happy to have a wonderful homeopathic veterinarian who has a huge impact on her health and well-being!

Surgery is coming!

Paul found out today that he needs to have surgery ASAP. So it's scheduled and happening Wednesday. Two days to prepare is not much.

He wrecked on his mountain bike a few weeks ago and tore his pectoral muscle completely! It all sounds so painful! I guess the orthopedic surgeon want's to fix it right away.

I'm glad my work is flexible and it was easy for me to schedule time off on Wednesday and Thursday. I was also able to make arrangements with my P/T job to go in late on Friday. Usually Paul helps me fridays to get my dogs out during the day. I work both jobs and it's a really long day for me and for them. I don't think he will be in any condition to be worrying about my dogs that day.

Should make for an interesting week. I just hope the surgery goes well and he can make a quick recovery.

Flyball Practice!!

Dylan is still injured and so he can't go to Flyball. My friend was busy with her other dogs at Agility so I took her border collie. I can't believe what a good boy he was!! He rode so nicely in his belt in the car that I forgot to take him home. I realized he was still in my car when I was driving up my street. Good thing my friend lives close so it wasn't too much backtracking to take him home.

It's really interesting running a different dog in Flyball. I'm so used to Dylan who I have to really work to get him back so he doesn't over run the runback. Chase was such a good boy and ran right to switch off from his ball to the tug. Boy can that dog tug too! I couldn't figure out his command to drop the tug so I ended up just dropping it because when I dropped it he would do the same LOL. I finally understand why some people wear gloves to tug with their dogs.

I really wish I could get Dylan to switch off to a tug. I need to work with him but every time I think about it he is injured and can't really be playing rough. I'd like to to get Dylan turning on the wall too. His box turn is already pretty nice in form but he could sure use a bit more speed!! Hopefully he will get better soon and stay healthy so we can train some Flyball!!

Super Pet Adoption!

It's the super adoption weekend! It's a huge event with tons of rescue groups and shelters getting together to bring tons of dogs to one location for people to come adopt.

I' actually working most of the event with my p/t job. It's been great so far and I am happy to be able to get newly adopted animals started off with a wonderful diet. Hopefully people will stick with it since it really is an awesome product.

Usually I spend a lot of time volunteering this weekend but I won't be spending near as much time. I'm going to help out as much as I can though.

I sometimes worry about the dogs placed at this event. I hope the rescue groups are spending lots of time trying to screen the homes. When I place animals, I prefer to spend some time and let people take the time to think it over. I only really want people to adopt if they are positive that it's what they want to do. I also like to do home visits to check out the place where my animal is going to live. I know most people in the all breed rescue world don't do home visits but I hope that the efforts I put in make a difference in my foster's life by ensuring they have good homes for their whole lives. I also really stress feeding a high quality food and using PR training. I want to help people know how to be good, responsible dog owners. Especially if they are adopting one of my dogs!!

I really hope to get a foster again one of these days. I'd like to rescue a nice cattle dog or border collie or really anything. I miss having a foster dog. It's really rewarding and well worth the time and energy spent. The break I have had has been nice but I am starting to itch for a new dog. I have to hold out until I am ready to quit the second job though so I have enough time to work with the new dog and get everyone training and attention and excercise.

Vetrinarians cost way too much!!

I always envy those people who go to the vet once a year (or sometimes even less than that!) and have a check up and get some heartworm meds and then call it good for vet care for the year. I am not sure how that happens exactly? I realize the more animals you have the more likely you are to end up at the vet's office but I only have two little pups?

I really feel like I end up at the vet's office at least once per month. If not for supplements for Marley's back then for chiropractic or accupuncture treatments or for one of Dylan's many injuries. I never go more than a few weeks without seeing someone from some vet's office somewhere.

Marley's back and hip problems have become very expensive over the past year. It's well worth it if it keeps her feeling well and moving well. She's too young to live her life on pain medications. So instead, we go the all natural route. She sees a holsitic vet and takes a variety of dietary supplements and herbs to help manage the inflammation in her discs and keep her joints lubricated.

Dylan is a healthy boy. He really shouldn't need to go to the vet more than once a year for a checkup. However, he is also a crazy dog with lots of enthusiasm and athleticism. He manages to injure himself every couple of months doing any number of things. Currently, he is laid up because his pads are completely worn out. It's been two weeks and he's still limping in pain (although the limping has been much better). His injuries not only cost me lots of money but cause him to be miserable because he isn't able to get proper exercise. Plus he has to miss Flyball and Obedience classes.

I wonder if it's possible that I will ever go a year where I take even one of them to the vet just the one time? It amazes me that some people manage to go years? I don't like that plan but man would it be nice to just have a yearly check up.

Dave Ramsey on Podcast

I listen to several podcasts every week. One of my favorites is the Dave Ramsey radio show. Paul actually introduced me to him a few months ago. Dave's a financial advisor that helps people learn how to get out of debt. He also talks a lot about investing and planning for finances in the future.

I gotta admit, at first, I felt a little dumb listening to it. But the reality is, I really like it. It's motivating for me to try to keep my finances in better order. I'm really trying to stay more organized. He's a little more religious than I would prefer but overall his financial advice is great. He really stresses staying out of debt and I think that's a great plan. I've never been a big fan of credit cards (mostly becuase I don't trust myself with them) so I have very little debt. I've worked my way through a bunch of financial stuff the last several months. I'm really feeling the momentum to get things all straightened out and in much better order over the next few months.

I would highly recommend the show to anyone experiencing financial stress. I'd say try it but give it a good couple of weeks before making a decision about how you feel about it. You will hear from some amazing people (e.g. people who have paid off 30K in debt on a 40,000$ income with a family of 4) and hopefully come to some realization that living with credit cards is a vicious cycle that will never end unless you just stop using them. You can get it free on Itunes or check out http://www.daveramsey.com/.

It's been tough for me to have to miss concerts, dinners out with friends, and even trips to flyball tournaments and seminars. Missing Flyball has by far been the most difficult. I have no doubt though, that it will be well worth it in the end.

Big Black Dogs

This is a big black boy named Leon. My boyfriend's dog is such a handsome dog. I can't understand why people are so afraid of big black dogs. Big black dogs are the least likely to be adopted and for no reason other than their color.

Leon is the sweetest boy! I wish this pic showed more of the definition in his face. He's such a cute boy with all his curls! I really enjoy being with him. Lately he has been getting more and more excited when I come over. It makes me happy when he is happy to see me.

Black dogs are much more difficult to photograph! I sometimes even have issues with Miss Marley. It seems often it looks like she has no eyes because they blend in with her black fur. This pic makes Marley look like she doesn't have eyes at all. Here eyes are actually open but you just can't see them because she isn't showing any of the white of her eye.

No good at Ping Pong!

I feel lucky that my work has a ping pong table! I get to play occasionally on my breaks.

I honestly don't think I have ever won a game of Ping Pong here at work. My team always loses - no matter who is on it. I'm always hitting the ball with my knuckle or hitting it so hard it misses the table. It is, however, always enterataining.

I wish I could practice at home so I could actually win sometime. I don't take losing too seriously though as long as I had a good time. I'm really not too competetive when it comes to stuff like that anyway. Guess that's why I never cared much for sports!

Poor Deprived Pups

It's gonna be a long weekend for Dylan and Marley at home without much attention. Sometimes it's hard for me to live alone, and work two jobs, and volunteer, and take care of the pups. My dogs sometimes have longs days indoors. I feel so lucky to have Paul to help me from time to time. I also have great friends who occasionally come look in on them and let them out to potty when I have a long day at work. I don't really like dog doors but my yard isn't secure enough for one anyway.

I used to telecommute for work and the best benefit was always just knowing that my dogs didn't have to spend 9.5 hours a day locked up inside the house without a potty break. It was so great to be able to see their cute faces all day and work with a warm body laying at my feet. Since going back into the office, I miss them so much while I am away. I wish I worked at a place that allowed dogs (but then my dogs wouldn't be friendly enough anyway). Dylan and Marley are such good sports though and never complain. They rarely get into trouble while I am away. The only time I ever seem to come home to a mess is if one of them was sick during the day. These days leave me with a ton of guilt because I know my dogs won't have an accident unless they really cannot help it. So I envision them trying to hold it and making themselves feel worse because they know they aren't supposed to go to the bathroom indoors.

I've got three long days ahead between the two jobs and the Super Pet Adoption. I know they will survive but I always feel guilty for having too many long days too close together. Maybe I can get them some special chew treats or something to keep them busy while I am away.

For kicks this pic is of my Little Princess Marley. She loved that super deep snow this winter!! Hopefully, it is over for this season. I really doubt though it because it's been snowing out there today!!!

Survivor Night

Tonight is Survivor night.

My friends and I have Survivor night every week. We get together and watch Survivor on TIVO. It takes us like 4 hours because everyones chatting away. For most of us it's more about the social interaction than about watching the show Survivor anyway. We always have a lot of laughs and a good time!

I'm always urging everyone to watch survivor so it doesn't take so long. It makes me feel like a party pooper but I have to work early on Friday mornings. I've also been working both jobs on Friday so it's a really long day. I definitely feel myself aging as I realize I just can't stay out as late as I used to. I used to be able to work on only a few hours sleep but I just can't do it anymore!

When Survivor is in it's off season we still often get together on Thursday evenings and hang out! In the summer time they have the Gallivan Center shows on Thursday so we did that all summer last year! It's just good to have a night to socialize with good friends!