Working with Alzheimer's...

We had an interesting visit last night to a local Alzheimer's center. Marley was squeaky clean and dressed in her therapy dog garb. She was excited to go. She was a little stand offish with some of the patients but it was her first visit in a while. Hopefully within a few visits she will get back to feeling comfortable enough to snuggle up with the people who are very different than those she interacts with daily.

Last night Marley showed some stress signals with the woman who was reaching out to her and mumbling very loudly. Three months ago Marley would have been snuggled up with her. The woman seemed ecstatic about the presence of an animal. I couldn't understand her but I understood that she was excited about having a dog nearby. She got louder and louder and her excitement level rose. Unfortunately this made Miss Marley nervous and she could only tolerate this for a few minutes and we had to move on. Luckily, I was armed with treats and rewarded her for being calm in the presence of someone that made her a bit nervous.

I had a very interesting conversation with a woman who seemed so lost. She tried to hook me up with her son that lived in North Carolina. He's single and handsome and young and I am guessing 20 years older than me. LOL. She gave me his full name and then spelled it (she did this with her own name too) and then asked me if I knew him? Logic would tell a person that some random stranger would not know her son that lived all the way across the country. Often times, it seems logic never comes into play for the Alzheimer's patients. It makes my heart ache when I think about these people were once functional members of society like myself. This woman was so lost that she said she was in North Carolina and can she stay here because she doesn't want to burden her son any longer. I told her yes that she was welcome to stay and she asked me to bring her some canned food so that she would have something to eat while she stayed here. I advised her that they would deliver her meals to her and that she had a roommate who we had just met in the hall. The woman seemed to have no recollection of having been there before or of the roommate that she had been living with for sometime.

I felt bad leaving her but Marley was ready to move on. She wanted to give me some phone numbers for her son and his address in North Carolina so I could stop by to visit him. It made me wonder if she ever had visitors from her family and I really hope they are not all the way across the country?

Visiting with Marley has put a lot of things in perspective for me. I feel guilt for not visiting my Grandma more often when she was old and unable to care for herself. She lived for years in and out of facilities much like the one we visit. She had multiple strokes and to my young and irresponsible self; visiting felt like a chore. She was old and grumpy and I can't help now but feel saddened that she didn't have enough family around her to keep her company. My mother was a saint and was there nearly every day. I never understood how she could give up so much time and energy for her mother who was always boring and grumpy. It felt impossibly selfless. I was in my early twenties and was self centered and focused on partying and having fun. Family wasn't a focus for me at that point in my life.

I'm glad to have these experiences at this point in my life. It puts things in better perspective. I've already grown much closer to my family in the past few years but it reminds me of the importance our family members play. I know now that I want to play the role that my mother played. I want to do everything I can when the time comes that my parents can no longer care for themselves. It no longer seems impossibly selfless. My parents gave up so much for me when I was young. There's no reason why I shouldn't do the same.

I really hope that the Alzheimer's patients we visit have children and family there sometimes to visit. We often run into family who love to play with my princess Marley. I hope the others get some visits too. If not, at least they get to occasionally love my little girl. Hopefully she will want to love them back too.

Puck's Ashes

It's been over two months since we tragically lost our dear kitty Puck. The shock of it all has passed. The pain has not. I feel so fortunate that I have been so distracted by Marley's injuries because it's helped me move on. If I hadn't had a few other major events since Puck's death I'd probably not have dealt with his death as well as I did.

This week we went through some of his stuff and gave it to a friend who has cats and can use it. I am glad that Puck's toys and food and litter will be put to good use. He never would have wanted the food to go to waste. He always believed that every crumb of food deserved to be eaten!!

Paul has made a decision on what to do with the ashes. We are going to spread them in the yard and bury the cedar box and his crinkle cave that he loved so much. We also got some small urns on eBay for each of us to keep a small amount of the ashes.

I'm torn on the idea of getting another cat. I know I can't afford it but I miss Puck's presence so much. I am also very allergic to cats so I never should have had one to begin with. Puck was special though and I am not sure another cat will fill the void. At least I could save a life though.

Marley's a working girl!

Marley finally got released by the vet to go back to work as a therapy dog. She started out strong on Sunday when she went to the Park Silly Market on Sunday. We worked in the UUATA as a representative for the group. She was a great therapy dog and let all the people and kids love on her. She performed lots of tricks for people and made me happy.

I had been worried about taking her out to such a busy place. She's been more stressed around other dogs than she was prior to getting injured. She did great though and I just made sure she kept a few feet distance from every dog there! Some of the other people with the group think I am crazy because I don't just want her to socialize with the other therapy dogs there. I think they are crazy for not understanding that it's not the best plan to just let your dog approach another without asking permission! Some people there seem to have very little knowledge of behavior and training. Oh well, my dog = my rules. She doesn't get to socialize when she is working. Mostly, I worry that uninformed people may mistake her vocalizations for aggression. People don't understand that a little girl with so many issues and so much pain - needs to communicate to other dogs that they can't jump all over her.

I'm glad that we are able to get back out and working. We are actually going out tomorrow evening for our first visit back at our facility. Marley was ecstatic when I got out her collar and bandana. She new that it was going to be her time to be the center of attention. I'm glad that she is finally ready to go back to doing the thing she seems to love so very much!

Taking it off together Tuesday!

I didn't lose any lbs this week but I also didn't gain any. I did eat well most of the week last week but I didn't do so well on the weekend. I went out to dinner friday and saturday and ate lunch at the farmer's market on Sunday. I didn't make it to the gym but at least I got out and walked some dogs.

I will have to do better this week.

Chris - 2.8 LOSS (-5.8 overall)
Tammy - 2 LOSS (-7 overall)
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 2 LOSS (-2 overall)
Grace - 1.6 LOSS (-51.6 overall)
Leigh - 4 LOSS (-31 overall)
Clara - 1 GAIN (-9.5 overall)
Dette - no report...?
Julie - 1 GAIN (-4.1 overall)
Cheryl - 2 GAIN (+2 overall)
Cyn Blue - no report
Audrey - 2.6 GAIN (-0.4 overall)
Christy - 0 (-11 overall)
Tina - 1 GAIN (0 overall)

Totals:
this week - 4.8 LOSS
over all - 120.4 LOSS

Dylan survived the firework season!

Dylan is getting better every year with the fireworks. I think it helps that we don't live so close to liberty and sugarhouse parks where they have big firework shows on the 4th and the 24th. The 24th is a Utah Holiday so they have big fireworks all over the place.

I forgot to give Dylan the Acontinum that my holistic vet gave me to calm him down during the firework season. He did alright without it. I put him in the bedroom and let him chew on a bully stick for a while why we went out to watch Paul's neighborhood fireworks.

I did take him out to do some C/T while the fireworks were going. I kept a tight hold on his leash though and tried to get him to play and stay engaged. He did okay if we were closer to the house but I tried a bit of targeting to get him to move closer to the fireworks and more out in the open. There was a point at which it got to be too much and he would no longer eat the yummy homemade jerky that Paul makes. We backed up a bit and did some sits and tricks for C/T. He was a very good and brave boy and I am so proud that he was able to do anything outside with so many fireworks going off.

I'm sure there will be a few more fireworks for the next few days but we made it through the worst of it! What a brave boy!!

Marley is making progress!

We've been back to the vet for a follow up today. It's been almost 2 months since the dog fight where she got injured. She's making progress and healing well. The strained muscle in her leg is lots better and her lower back is healing well. There are still some tight and tense muscles in her mid back and neck. Time will help them heal and I think the accupucture and chiropractice help.

She's had some sort of reaction to the sutures. Her insicision from the first surgery is now lumpy. Our wonderful vet said it was probably the die that caused the reaction so I've called to have them add notes to her files at her other vet's offices (she now has 3 vets!) not to use those same kind of sutures if she needs stitches in the future. She got some Vitamin B12 shots in the scar tissue that will help break it up so we don't have problems in the future with her stomach being too tight.

Marley is still nervous about being in the vets office but she did a lot better today than last time. I think this whole thing has been a bit traumatizing. The moment we walk into Willow Creek she has her tail tucked and acts terrified. Luckily our holistic vet is wonderful to work with her and reward her for being a good girl while she is working on her.

Marley has been approved to go back to work as a therapy dog! I have called to try to get a date and time set up. She's still not allowed to do any agility or flyball but I'm not working her there anyway so it really doesn't matter. Mostly the vet wants me to try to limit her jumping as much as possible while her back continues to heal.

We will go in again next month for some more chiropratic and accupuncture. She'll also have a thermal scan and maybe some more B12 shots in the scar tissue. With time, she will heal and keep feeling better and better. I'm just so grateful my baby girl has made it through all this. Her injuries were potentially life threatening but she's a trooper and has done well throughout the many vet visits and having people poke and prod her all the time.

Her hair still isn't grown back all the way but it's coming back. It's funny that she still seems to have a ring around one leg where she had the IV. Soon you won't be able to tell though that there was ever an IV there!!

Dylan's fifteen minutes....

So the Park Record came out yesterday with a sweet picture of Dylan pushing off the flyball box. He has a bright and happy expression on his face as he pushes off!

Unfortunately, no pics online just yet. They do have a photo gallery online but it hasn't been updated with pics from the Bark in the Park. I hope they put some on soon!

I bought a bunch of copies. I'm just so proud of my boy!!

Some friends from our flyball club made the front page. Apache is a deaf cattle dog and there's a big picture of her launching off of Diane's back to catch a frisbee!!

It's so fun to have something to remember such a fun day with. I really do hope they put the pics online at some point.

Time for a biopsy....

So it's never a great thing when your doc says you need a biopsy. My doc said it to me last Monday when I went to have my knee checked. I have a spot on my skin on my arm that they are going to biopsy on August 4th.

I have my Dad's complexion. My skin generally turns brown in the sun. I don't usually wear much sunscreen unless I plan to be out all weekend. This past weekend at the bark in the park; I forgot to take my sunscreen. I am allergic to some kinds of sunscreen so I don't usually use anyone's but my own. Breaking out in hives in all the area you applied sunscreen is more than just miserable. It's really unbearable since you tend to put sunscreen all over your body. I spent 9-10 hours out in the sun Saturday and actually got pretty fried. I forgot to bring my sunscreen with me! Combine that with Sunday's yard work, I went to the doctor with a bright red face on Monday. Kind of ironic since it happened to be the day he says I need a biopsy.

My Dad says he has had a few biopsies over the last few years. He worked outdoors for 30 years and always had way too much sun exposure. They always turn out to be nothing. From his understanding, skin cancer is a lot more common in fairer skinned people. So it's probably just a precautionary measure. I still can't help but have a bit of anxiety over it all though. There's nothing I can do but wait for another two weeks though.

On a much better note, my doctor said the knee problem is probably just a bit of tendonitis. He says it sounds like it's on its way to getting better. Hopefully that means the end of my knee feeling like it's being stabbed over and over again!

Arte-y-Pico-Award! Twice!

Our blog friend, The Saint Lover Gave Dylan the Arte-y-Pico-Award. Dylan was also given the award by Marie at Resq Tails. That was so nice of them and I am sure Dylan will appreciate it when I tell him. Of course, Dylan appreciates anything I tell him because he doesn't understand anything I say (hehehe).

The Rules for Passing on the Award:
1. Pick five blogs that you consider deserve this award for creativity, design, and interesting material and also contribute to the blogger community regardless of language.
2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog to be visited.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given him/her the award itself.
4. Award winners and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of the Arte-y-Pico blog so everyone will know the origin of the award. http://arteypico.blogspot.com/
5. In compliance with said rules, the award winner must show these rules.

I'd like to give this award to r3k9s, Cynthia Blue, George, Melissa, and Julie. You guys definitely help keep me entertained when I am supposed to be working!!

Dogs afraid to swim? Clicker Training Works!

Three Summers ago I decided I really wanted to be able to take the dogs to swim. I knew Marley had some issues with her hips and swimming is good, low impact exercise for her. I was trying to drop her from 51 lbs to 35 lbs.

imming. She picked it up quickly just by chasing a ball. Dylan, however, was SO terried to go in past a depth where he could stand. So I decided that clicker training might be a good option. I hate the lake water but I got in anyway and had Dylan coming out into the water for a click and a treat. Several sessions later he was swimming out a few feet and getting a treat then rushing back. I invested in a life jacket for him because it seemed to give him more confidence in the water.

This past weekend there was a pond at the Bark In the Park. I wasn't sure if Dylan would swim much without the life jacket. He's been swimming more and more on his own but this was a great accomplishment. He swam way out into the pond to get his ball (over and over and over again!).

I love these pics thanks to my friend Cynthia! Check out my good boy who has become a pretty strong swimmer!!

I'm so proud of this big boy! He's learned to get over so many of his fears in the past several years. He's proof that clicker training can work wonders!!

Taking It Off Together Tuesday!

The results are in. I am not quite sure how I ended up with an 8 lb loss. But somehow it happened. I really was trying to count calories last week and feel like I ate plenty but I ate really healthy food. Saturday night I even went to a barbecue and ate a bunch of crap and chocolate cake!! During the day I made a point to pack a healthy lunch to take to the Bark in the Park so I wasn't tempted to eat whatever crappy food was available to me.

I didn't go to the gym at all but I stayed pretty active by walking dogs and hauling around 30 lb bags of dog food at work. I also spent all day Saturday out and about at the Bark in the Park and Sunday I did yard work.

8 lbs is way over my goal of 2-3 lbs a week. They say losing weight too fast is unhealthy but I feel like I did things right. I didn't starve myself and I didn't over exercise for sure. I only felt really hungry one day and I ended up eating an apple as soon as I got home from work anyway. So I guess it's alright. I don't expect that it will happen again but I guess I will keep on the same path and see what happens. I did get permission from the doctor to go back to the gym so I will be starting back on the elliptical a couple days a week after work.

Chris - 1 GAIN
Tammy - 1 LOSS
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 1 LOSS
Grace - 1.4 GAIN
Leigh - 0.5 GAIN
Clara - 0.5 LOSS
Dette - -1.5 LOSS
Julie - 2.2 LOSS
Cheryl - 1 GAIN
Cyn Blue - 0 CHANGE
Audrey - On VACATION
Christy - 8 LOSS!! You go girl!

Welcome new member Tina with a 1 pound loss!

Total : 11.3 LOSS WOOT!!

Chase and Dylan!

I stole this pic of Dylan and Chase from the Bark in the Park yesterday. I stole it from my friend and I hope she doesn't care but I can't help but LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

Chase is an awesome and fast border collie. He's a rescue and he competes in agility and does some obedience too. He and Dylan aren't exactly friends but they seemed to do okay when they were swimming together yesterday. If I make it to the flyball tournament in October Chase will go with me and I will run him since his owner can't go. It would be really fun to run two dogs and especially a really fast border collie who LOVES to tug!!!

It was fun racing yesterday but I got fried in the sun. We chatted about sunscreen and I was going to go back to my car to look for mine. I spaced it off and ended up with a very red and painful neck. My face is so red that an random stranger in the grocery store yesterday stopped me to comment on how sunburnt I was. Hopefully it will turn to tan within another day or two!

Messy House

I swear there is enough dog hair in this house to make up a third and a fourth dog. I am not sure where it call comes from but I think it has to do with a cute little dog named Dylan and a little girl named Marley. Together their hair seems to turn everything gray.

My house is messy. I blame it on the fact that it's only 400 sq ft. Really I think it's about 450 but I don't count the closet or the bathroom or the laundry room because they feel so small. There's no room to put anything and so things get cluttered really fast. Well, I'm a cluttery person anyway and I hate to clean and I'm lazy. I'd rather be out doing something for someone else than home cleaning my own house. I'm not sure why. I'd rather come clean your house than clean my own.

This is 100% intensified by such a small space with so much stuff. I'm not sure how I ever fit three big dogs in here and 3 cats. At some point I actually had that many fosters.

I'm sick of it though. My allergies to dogs are not helped by the fact that I have dog hair everywhere. I want to throw everything away but my trash can is full of rose bushes and tree trimming since I have been working in the yard all day. I don't even have space to throw things away.

I always envy people who have nice big houses with fancy counter tops and cute and simple decorations. I want to live there instead of here. I need to figure out a way to make this tiny space a place I want to be. It's my house and I don't have a choice but to live here. It would be REALLY nice to move into the big rental house on this lot but I can't afford it. I need the rental income to help me survive.

I just moved my bed out because I could see the collection of dog hair behind it. Maybe I should have thought twice about getting dogs that shed and adopted poodles or something that sheds a lot less. Or maybe I just need to take my dogs out and brush them a little more often?

Regardless, I sometimes wish I wasn't a homeowner. Doing yard work is not my area of expertise and it's nice when you have a landlord that does it for you. Plus, I could rent a bigger space. I really miss my 650 sq ft duplex in sugarhouse. It was cheap and nice with hardwood floors so I wasn't living with animal dander in the carpet. My landlord took care of the yard and I had a dishwasher and a decent bathroom and indoor laundry. Plus there was no responsibility of finding and keeping tenants and although I shared a yard, I wasn't responsible for anything relating to my neighbors. It was painted cute colors and I had room for my stuff. My T.V. was more than 2 ft away from the couch and I had a hammock in the yard that I could lay in while my dogs lounged in the sun. I didn't feel like I lived in the ghetto of a neighborhood and my neighbors spoke English and were friendly. I wasn't responsible for calling roto rooter or repainting someone else's house. I was messy there too but it was spread out more so it didn't feel so aweful. There were no concerns of putting a new roof or siding on the laundry room. No need to worry about how to make the yard look presentable and keeping grass alive without using chemicals and spending a fortune on water and sprinkling systems.

I'm not sure why home ownership feels like such a downgrade. All I know is that it's more expensive, smaller, less convenient, not cute, and a lot more stress. It's definitely not all it's cracked up to be. I guess maybe it will be worth it when I can finally sell this hell hole and get some money from the equity. I'm not sure the market will allow for me to sell for quite a while to come though.

Bark in the Park

It was a FUN filled day yesterday at the Bark In the Park. We went to a benefit event for a local rescue group.

Dylan and his flyball team showed off their stuff in a Flyball Demo!! A photographer for a local newspaper took some pictures of Dylan and he will be in the weekly paper this week! I can't wait. I'm trying to contact the photographer to see if I can get copies of his pictures of Dyl but

his email is bouncing because his inbox is full. I hope he cleans it out a bit soon. Dylan has had a few opportunities now to be in the news because of Flyball and racing Course a Lure. Even Marley was on the news once for flyball and just for walking through a dog event. My dogs are super stars (hehehe) but I love it!

I wish I had taken some pictures but I always space doing that. Luckily my good friend and teammate has a fancy schmancy camera and she seems to enjoy using it. Unfortunately, we always end up racing against each other at flyball! However, she does have some pics she took of Dylan swimming and Miss Marley and Tatum. Hopefully I will be able to get some copies of her pics (and btw I will pic them up from your place or you can email or I can bring a flash drive over)...I need to make a deal with her sometime that I will take some pics of Chase when he is running and then see if she will take pics of Dylan. My camera is too slow to get decent action shots at flyball. This pic of Dylan was taken at a different Demo but it makes me laugh because his ears are flying all over the place. It looks like he has slowed down a bit as he is approaching the box. I think it may be better to try to focus in on the second or third jump when the dog is running full speed.

We also cleaned up in the Prize department. Marley showed off her stuff in the best trick contest. She didn't win any prizes there but our friend Tonks did. She also competed in the roll over race and won first place! She rolled over and over and over and over to the finish line. Our friend Apache got second place. As a prize, Marley got a new fleece dog bed and I got a gift card for dinner in Park City! I entered a raffle at Petco and won a gift basket FULL of Yummy Dick Van Pattens food and treats. Dylan and Marley will be happy to have some canned food with their meals for sure!

When we got back home from the bark in the park, Marley and I went up Millcreek canyon to a barbecue. I got to visit with some old friends and Marley got to show off all her tricks and see her friends Josie and Chase. She also got to play fetch in the creek until she dropped her ball in an area where the water was moving pretty swiftly and it got washed away before I could retrieve it. That's why I hate using balls and toys out in nature. Hopefully some other dog will find it and get to play. I hate feeling like I littered in the canyon!

The best part of the day was the pond at the bark in the park (well maybe Dylan being in the newspaper and the prizes and the flyball and the contests all made it a great day). Finding a new pond that's somewhat easily accessible is such a great deal. My dogs will be going there to swim again in the future. Even Dylan was swimming way out to get his ball! I was so impressed with his bravery! He's come a long way from the days when I used to have to get in the water with food and my clicker to get him to come in. He even swam with Chase and the two of them did pretty well together. Dylan wanted to try to steal chases toys but he was a pretty good boy and listened to me when I told him Chase wouldn't be too happy about that. I can't wait to go back to the pond today. If I wasn't so fried from the sun - I'd take them back there today!!

A HAPPY GIRL!

This is Lydia and her dog Kade. She is my cousin's daughter. Her mom sent me this pic last night after we were chatting about her dog and how to train a recall.

I absolutely love how happy little Lydia looks with her puppy kisses. I put it on my wallpaper because it makes me smile to look at her happy face!

Sometimes I forget how much children can bond with dogs. Lydia and her sister Sarah always come and give me hugs and tell me all about their dog whenever I see them. I'm glad they have a furry friend to spice up their lives!! It looks like he is glad to have them too!!

Sandy City Council Meeting - BSL

The Sandy City Council meeting went well. The issue was tabled until they can do further research on the issue. They are going to have a group that includes a local dog trainer and a veterinarian to provide input on ordinances. There was a big turn out (so much that there were people out in the hall. Many people spoke to the council in opposition to the ordinance. It was an honor to be there and I am so happy that the City Council was receptive to the many many people who spoke in opposition of the ordinance.

I really enjoyed hearing the speakers talk about their beloved dogs who were therapy dogs, assistance dogs, show dogs, and family companions. There was plenty of representation from the dog trainer community and some from the veterinary community as well. Aside from the AC officer who was proposing the ordinance, there was only one person who spoke in support of BSL. Her stories were heart breaking and I wish she were able to understand that it was the fault of irresponsible owners and not the breed itself. She said that a neighbor dog used to jump over the fence when it was still on it's chain. That's not the dog's fault. No responsible person would chain a dog outside like that anyway. That dog has likely had little to no training and has not gotten proper exercise, nutrition, and socialization. How could that possibly be the dog's fault?

All in all I think it was a good step forward. Hopefully they will have a good team including a good trainer (crossing our fingers it's our own NeoMommy) and a good veterinarians to help draw up an ordinance that focuses on education of the public and punishing the deed rather than targeting any specific breeds.

I think BSL is a slippery slope. People will move on to other breeds and the list will continue to grow with time if this passes. I despise the part about dogs bearing pit bull or rottweiler like traits. Most people don't know how to identify different breeds anyway. Just last Monday I was at petsmart and had a pit bull owner if Dylan was part Pit? How on earth people get pit from him I will never know but I've been asked on multiple occasions.

The animal control officer sited several instances of dog bites and dog attacks including attacks on other dogs. Stating that Pitbulls and Rottweilers are responsible for the fatal attacks and mauling's on people and other animals. I do admit that my dear Puck was killed by a couple of pit bull's but I believe that most dogs who aren't socialized with cats are capable of killing them. My dear Marley was nearly killed two months ago by an Austrailian Cattle Dog though. Will they be the next breed to be added to the list?

Taking it off together Tuesday!

I joined a group of bloggers in a weekly weigh in and trying to lose weight. I didn't join til mid-week last week but still ended up doing pretty well with a 3 lb loss. :) There are also a couple of my friends in this group already.

I have been trying to eat better. I was trying to stop drinking soda at work but found I was drinking more outside of work as a result. So now I am not drinking soda at all. My work has it for free here and after 8 years, I think I have a severe soda addiction. I've tried to quit unsuccessfully in the past. I get bad headaches when I don't drink it but I know over time it will be worth it. I have my water bottle that I carry around here and I got some zero calorie drinks at Costco that are actually pretty yummy. The drinks also have a bunch of vitamins and electrolytes so hopefully they will be good for me.

I was going to the gym for a few weeks before my knee started acting up. I'm hoping to get back after I see my doctor next week. We have a gym here at work which sounds convenient in theory. However, I have 2 dogs locked up all day in my house and I feel guilty staying after work to go to the gym. I've decided a half an hour won't be too detrimental to Dylan and Marley and it will do me a lot of good in the long run. I walk the dogs regularly but I don't seem to get my heart rate up enough during dog walking so the gym will definitely help with that. I've been anxious to get back.

I need a better understanding of nutrition. So I am listening to some podcasts and doing some reading online. I think it will help me understand better what good things I need to put into my diet to help me be healthier.

Here are the reports for this week:

Chris - 2 LOSS
Tammy - 2 GAIN
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 2 GAIN
Grace - 4.6 LOSS
Leigh - 1 GAIN
Clara - 2 LOSS
Dette - 1 LOSS
Julie - 0.8 LOSS
Cheryl - 1 LOSS
Cyn Blue - no report?
Audrey - 3 LOSS

Everone help us welcome our 12th member Christy with a 3 LOSS!!

Total : 11.68 LOSS

You're So Vain...You Probably Think This Blog is About You

I thought this was a fun game and decided to play along...here are the rules:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you (and if this isn't on there...I'll assume you're a procrastinator like me and will check back later!)

A trip to the Rail Trail

We started out yesterday morning all gung ho and ready to go swimming at the reservoir. I had been telling Marley for 2 days that she FINALLY gets to go swimming. Unfortunately, we realized that we didn't have the gas to make it to East Canyon and had to turn around and go fill up. The road to the reservoir is windy and there were lots of bikes so Paul didn't want to head back up there after all that. We opted for the rail trail. It was fairly close and a good choice. Paul and Leon had never been there before.

This place is GREAT! You can walk for miles. We were unprepared to walk dogs in a place where there wasn't water for the dogs. We weren't going to go too far but at some point Marley went into the bushes and came out wet. There was water sporadically along the trail. Probably wasn't the healthiest water but at least it kept the dogs cool enough to walk for a while.

We didn't see any other dogs which was perfect for Dylan! There were lots of bikes but Leon was a good boy and listened to his Daddy when the bikes were coming by.

Here are some pics!!

Dylan and Marley in heaven with plenty of space to get out and move. I don't know how people tolerate living in places that don't have open space!

Marley with a face full of stickers. She doesn't seem to be too bothered by them though!

Good dogs holding a stay while the bikers passed by!

Good big boy Leon! He never moves to far away from his Daddy. He's not at all like my dogs who are constantly running up and down and around when they are out off leash.

Funny Miss Marley running in the grass! This picture cracks me up!! Dylan making splashes in a small pond. The one downfall of this place is that the trail is lined by barbed wire. All the dogs made it through without getting any cuts or scrapes but one time Dylan came home all cut up after walking here. I try to keep him on our side of the barbed wire but couldn't help but let them play in this little pond (see the barbed wire in the middle).

This is Marley's signature move. I think it's her way of saying "I'm wet and therefore must roll in dirt"

This is the man I love :) He's so good to come out in the heat of the day when he really hates it. He'd rather be out there in 5 ft of snow :)

All in all it was a great walk! I'm so glad that the dogs found some water here and there. I didn't want to cut it short. Sunday's are my only day that I really have time to go out and take the dogs somewhere fun and exciting!

Miss Marley the Therapy Dog

Marley is a wonderful Therapy dog. I realized today that I haven't written much on this blog about that. I think it may be due to the fact that she's been on a break due to her recent injuries. I think it will be soon time for her to get back out there though. I tried to call our facility this week to make some plans but wasn't able to reach them. Hopefully we will be going back within the next few weeks.

We visit at an Alzheimer's center regularly. Last summer we had the privilege to visit a few friends in the hospital. The first visit Marley went on after we passed our certification was to a friend who was dying of Liver Cancer and complications related to Lupus. It was such an amazing visit with my co-worker and his wife. Unfortunately, my friend passed away before I was able to arrange another visit. We needed to be supervised at the hospital and because we were inexperienced. A wonderful woman from Utah Animal Assisted Therapy Association (www.uuata.org) took time out of her day so that Marley and I could bring some joy to a friend. He was a dog lover and used to regularly stop by my desk and update me on the latest funny thing that his dog did. He especially loved his little shih tzu and his border collie who he has now joined in death. It was an incredibly moving experience and one that I will hold close to my heart for many years to come. It's amazing how much impact an animal visit can have on someone. His eyes lit up when we arrived and I think he never stopped smiling the whole time that Marley lay in his bed with him. Marley was a wonderful girl and seemed to enjoy herself for quite a while. This was so impressive with a green therapy dog. Marley was a natural.

A few weeks later, the founder of my rescue group had a very severe stroke. She was hospitalized and in ICU for several days. I was able to arrange another supervised visit to a completely different hospital within just a few hours. The other volunteers with this organization are all so wonderful and giving. They understand how valuable animals are in so many people's lives and only want to do what they can to help people in need. The above picture was taken on the visit where my very green dog did another excellent job as a working therapy dog. Emily had hardly moved in the two or three days since the stoke. But she did a good job of petting Miss Marley.

To be able to provide this service for a woman who is responsible for saving the lives of literally thousands of animals over the past 20 years is an incredible privilege. I feel so lucky to have had this opportunity. Since she was obviously an animal lover, having a dog visit at the hospital was the ultimate experience. She is a big cat person in her later years of life. We were lucky that another woman in our organization has a blind (and also rescued) cat that is a therapy animal too. So over the days that she was in the hospital, "Dare Devil" and his handler/owner were able to visit several times as well.

Marley seems to understand the needs of the people she visits. She snuggles closer to the ones that need it most and backs of the ones who enjoy seeing her at a distance. She performs tricks like a circus performer and does so with extreme joy. She is ecstatic when I get out the backpack and put on her therapy garb. She's not super stoked about the grooming but she tolerates it well with a few rewards for good behavior. She walks into our regular facility now with excitement. This is her time to shine and she knows it. There's no big brother Dylan to overshadow her and take the limelite. She is the center of attention from the time we walk in the door til the time we leave. She gets all the love and attention and brings joy to other's in the process. No wonders she seems to enjoy her job as a Therapy Dog. She's found her niche in life.

I can't wait to get her back out there and working. I know she's probably wondering why we haven't been to this special place where she gets lots of treats and lots of people love her. The place where some of the people seem different but Marley knows better than to judge them on their appearance. Because all in all, they are people and they deserve to have dogs love them too.

Article on Sandy City Dog Laws.

Oddly enough in this article they talk about Pit Bulls and German Shepherd's. There is no mention of any Rottie biting anyone one. Yet the restricted breeds they mention are Pit Bulls and Rotties? I wonder if there is a longer list? Or if they are just trying to scare the ignorant into believing this law should be created?

http://deseretnews.com/article/content/mobile/1,5620,700242075,00.html?printView=true

Sandy may change dog laws
City considers adding breed-specific restrictions to animal-control ordinance
By Rebecca PalmerDeseret News
Published: July 10, 2008
SANDY — In early June, a 6-year-old girl was attacked in an apartment complex here by an unattended pit bull that had escaped its fence.
The child's face was mauled before the dog was stopped. She was taken to Primary Children's Medical Center and received sutures in her lip, cheek and chin, said Sandy Animal Control director Rich Bergan. The girl is now home recovering.
"There are truly dangerous situations going on," Bergan said.
Just days after the pit bull attack, a female jogger was bitten by a German shepherd that had recently been adopted by a Sandy family. The woman suffered eight puncture wounds. In the final weekend of June, three fighting pit bulls were quarantined after they bit a man trying to stop them.
These incidents and about 200 per year like them have the Sandy City Council considering breed-specific changes to the city animal-control ordinance.
If approved, the new ordinance would put vicious dogs in three classes: prohibited, restricted and dangerous. Prohibited dogs would include coyotes, wolves, dingos, and wild hybrids — animals already outlawed in the city.
Breeds such as pit bulls and Rottweilers would be in the restricted class. The city could require their owners to take out insurance policies, build escape-proof kennels and pass an inspection by animal control officers.
Restricted dogs could be upgraded to dangerous dogs if they showed a tendency for violence or were classified dangerous by a judge. Those dogs could only be taken in public with short leashes and muzzles, according to the proposed ordinance.
"Animal rights is almost a religion now, but we think we need to bring (this issue) to people's attention," Sandy council member Chris McCandless said in a work meeting. "The main thing is preventive. We're not trying to keep animals out."
Two residents at a City Council meeting July 1 said the ordinance should outlaw pit bulls completely. One woman, who was attacked by a pit bull at the age of 9, said there was no need for Sandy to have such unpredictable and ruthless animals.
Last year in the United States, about 5 million people were victims of dog attacks, according to the nonprofit Web site dogbitelaw .com. Of those, 800,000 needed medical attention and 1,000 were hospitalized. Also in 2007, 32 people died as a result of dog attacks.
Utah has had no recent deaths caused by dogs, but neighboring Wyoming is consistently a leader in dog-related fatalities.
A 2006 study showed that 65 percent of dog-related fatalities nationwide have been caused by pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes.
Some people acquire vicious dogs as kind of an alter ego, Bergan said. Those people are likely to mistreat their animals. The trend is evident by the disproportionate number of these dogs that wind up in Utah animal shelters, he said.
Pit bulls are particularly dangerous because they have been bred as fighters, said Utah Humane Society animal cruelty investigator John Paul Fox. Other dogs, such as poodles, were bred for their looks.
Disparate breeding practices make pit bulls harder to identify, Fox said, making breed-specific laws hard to enforce.
The Humane Society of Utah generally discourages breed-specific laws but encourages vicious-dog ordinances that restrict individual canines, Fox said.
"It's unfair to those dogs and those owners who are good owners and have never become a problem," he said, saying the laws are as inequitable as a hypothetical law that fined drivers of certain models of cars just because similar cars had crashed.
Sandy's vicious dog discussions are coinciding with similar discussions in Provo. Leaders there had considered a breed-specific ordinance but decided instead to tighten laws on all vicious dogs.
Other Utah cities have gone further. North Salt Lake, for example, requires owners of certain dog breeds to keep their dogs either fenced in or muzzled and leashed and take out $100,000 insurance policies.
"That alone is usually enough of a deterrent," said city recorder LaRae Dillingham. The North Salt Lake law restricts the bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, pit bull, Tosa, and Shar-Pei.
South Jordan outlaws pit bulls except for those acquired before the ordinances changed. For the remaining dogs, a $50,000 insurance policy is required. Several other Salt Lake County cities have rules for dogs deemed vicious but don't specify breed.
Sandy attorneys are considering adding insurance requirements to the proposed breed-specific ordinances. The City Council has scheduled a short presentation on the issue during its regular July 15 meeting.

Happy Birthday Eros!

Happy birthday big droopy drooling Neo! Eros turns 9 today.

I got a visit for Eros and his Sister Eudora this morning in the parking lot at my work. I also got to see his Mommy and Daddy! I think my work thinks I am crazy because I get dog visitors at work pretty regularly. I'm surprised that my friend who came by here yesterday didn't bring either some black labs or her darling Pit Bull. They've all been here before though! Co-workers can think I am crazy but it makes my day to get some puppy loves during the course of my workday!!

I love these big droopy dogs! He's a Neopolitan Mastiff. They make Dylan feel like a toy breed! Eros is 9 and very healthy. 9 is old for a giant breed!! His Mom has taken good care of him though and fed him yummy raw foods his whole life! He's proof that diet makes a big difference in longevity of life. Eros can still handle running through the course a lure (yes he can even go through the tunnels and everything!!

I hope this big boy has a GREAT day! I hear he got a new fun toy and a bully stick!!

More BSL laws in Utah?

I can't believe they are actually considering more BSL laws here. There are a few already and I can't believe the number of people who judge a dog by it's breed. I got this announcement today:

Sandy City is considering restricting or banning certain breeds of dogs. Currently this list includes 'Pit Bulls' (not yet defined), Rottweilers and Presa Caranios.

Please attend the public hearing for this new animal ordinance

Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Sandy City Hall
10000 Centennial Parkway
7:00pm

The draft ordinance should be available this Friday, though it may be in paper format only (no electronic copies).

Please forward this email to Sandy City dog owners. Although all those concerned about this type of issue should attend, Sandy City residents will have the most influence on their City Council.


I don't own bully breeds but I still don't think you should be able to completely ban a breed of dog just based on it's breed. There are plenty of wonderful bully dogs out there. There are also plenty of wonderful and responsible bully breed owners. I'm friends with multiple people who own bully dogs. I can't believe these dogs get a such a bad rap just because a few bad people have bred them to be aggressive. It's ridiculous to punish the dogs instead of the bad people who have created the problem.

**PLEASE CROSSPOST**I will there asking some tough questions. I have also started a petition... These breeds are close to my heart as I have been working, training and rescuing them for almost a decade. Please forward this link to everyone you know - I would love to have several signatures by next tuesday!Thank You!Anna SIGN HERE: http://www.petitiononline.com/SandyBB/petition.html

"Until there are none... adopt one!"
www.HappyHealthyPup.com
Anna & The Neo Nectar Gang - Eros & Eudora

**PLEASE CROSSPOST**

It sounds like Provo is considering a dangerous dog law. This would apply to all breeds rather than just the dog's breed. This is a much better option to control problems with dog aggression.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700234957,00.html

No News is good news...

I haven't had much to post the last few days. I figure no news is good news. My mom is home and doing well. She's gonna be on a new diet and all that.

Marley is on her way to getting better. She is still limping but it getting out and walking and doing well.

My tenants gave notice and my rental will be going vacant in 2 months. I'm glad they gave me so much notice and I am sad to see them leave. It's part of having a rental property though. I dread having to find a new tenant. I want to repaint though and am reconsidering whether or not I can allow dogs there. Fargo was the perfect tenant but having her there resulted in Marley getting seriously injured. Maybe my dogs just aren't well suited for sharing property with another? I have a few months to decide for sure. If I allow dogs, though, I will be very picky about which dog to accept. It's tough having to guess right away how a dog might react to my own.

My knee is still messed up and I am anxious to see the doctor next week. I get the stabbing pains randomly but at least they aren't as often or as intense as they were a few weeks ago.

Life changes so fast.

I keep thinking I am at the end of the streak of what seems to be one major issue after another. Yet then I get surprised by yet another. Life seems to change so fast when you aren't expecting it.

My mother had a heart attack today. I guess there's been some ongoing issues the last week that she hadn't told any of us kids about. I knew she was sick over the weekend but Monday she emailed and said she was feeling much better. Today I got the call that they were on the way to the E.R. because she was having chest pain and had been having high blood pressure every time she checked it the last week. Over the weekend, her blood pressure was so high that they said she was at high risk for a stroke.

She is doing well and says she is feeling fine. They will do an angiogram tomorrow and hopefully fix any blockages. With luck, she will be able to come home Friday.

On a lighter note, Togepi is home from the vet. She has a bladder infection and an ulcer on her eye. They also did some x rays and found she has hip dysplasia in one of her hips. Nothing life threatening. Hip Dysplasia obviously won't be able to be healed but at least they can now manage the issue. . Hopefully she will get feeling better soon.

My New Favorite Place To Hang Out

I've decided that Willow Creek must be my new favorite place to hang out. I'm going back again today but not with Miss Marley this time.


Togepi is my god-pug. I'm her god mother. She's the first dog I ever fell in love with. She's the reason that I have dogs of my own. I used to dog sit her all the time but I don't get to have her over very often these days because Dylan is a stinker.

She's been staying with a friend while her guardian is out of town. She's gotten very sick and is peeing constantly and can't wait until she gets outside. I'm taking her in this afternoon to get her checked. Her guardian is on her way home to take care of her.

I hope it's something simple. I just feel bad that she isn't feeling well.