Bittersweet

One of the downfalls to doing what I do is that you give your heart away to so many furry friends,and inevitably you suffer some losses.  On the permanent scale along side their owners I've been through the process of putting aged dogs in pain down and watching others fade away.  I've also experienced the sudden loss of what had seemed to be a healthy dog.  It is never easy, but in the end you are left with warm memories and an understanding that this is all part of life.

There are, of course, losses of a less permanent nature.  Dogs whose situations change and you are no longer needed in their lives.  They either move away, or their owner's life situation changes and you aren't needed anymore.  Some of these dogs you have a chance to see again when they come visit their old stomping grounds.  With others you get a quick goodbye, if you are lucky, and then they are out of your life, leaving only memories. 

Yesterday I found out I'll be losing a family of three dogs in a month due to a change in jobs.  Will it affect my pocket book?  A little.  Will it affect my heart?  A lot.  But these are dogs who have already come and gone from my life a couple of  times, and I suspect that I'll be helping out when their people go on vacation again at some point.  So with that in mind, I am just looking at this as a temporary separation.  Another chapter in my book with them.  And a chance to experience the pure joy they express when they see me after a long period of time. 

Wet and Wild Wednesday

Yesterday was certainly a wet and wild day on the lake.  Maisy has developed a love for the soft Frisbees.  She will pretty much do anything in her power to gain possession of one.  She is not much for bringing tennis balls back in the water but those Frisbees, that is an entirely different story.  She will have one of her very own to play with come tomorrow, and I'm sure she will be thrilled!

Chloe made a new friend yesterday, and they couldn't have been cuter.  Lola is a puppy still, and was fascinated with this little dog swimming around amongst all of the other water dogs.  Did I mention Lola is the biggest brown Newfoundland I have ever seen.  She belongs to my friend's pack.  I am hoping we get a chance to get them together again.  I tried and tried to snap a photo of them together, but they were always too far away to get a good one, so you'll have to settle for them separately, and imagine what togetherness would look like. (that is a mini aussie trying to pounce Chloe...she just swims away)

It was miserable wet and rainy at the park, but the dogs don't mind a bit.  As a matter of fact, on Monday when it was beautiful, they all just strolled off with me when it was time to go.  Yesterday, I had to leash them up to get them to leave the water even though we'd stayed an extra hour.  I guess once you are already wet and grimy, a little more rain doesn't make much difference.  I know it doesn't for me.

Technical Difficulties

Was hampered in my post-a-day efforts by some technical difficulties, but am happy to be back up and running again and with a new toy.  I managed to wash my cell phone, and it didn't survive.  Everything works but the screen.  So I had to purchase a new phone, which was a blessing in disguise.  My phone is my link to my clients.  They can wave me off last minute if their plans change, or add an extra trip if they need to.  As I am on the road most of the day, this is the method of choice.  My new phone has the most kick-ass camera, so I'll be able to share some photos of my exploits along with all of my words. 

In a related topic, my aunt is 82 and has Alzheimers.  Some nights it is difficult to find common ground to entertain her.  But she always loves to admire dogs.  So I have been taking snaps of the dogs at the park since I got my phone, and we sit and I tell her about all of their different personalities.  This is always a winner.  Now I just need to figure out how to download the photos from the phone to my computer.  Neither the manual, nor the help menu on the phone has enlightened me.  Time to give it to a teenager and let them figure it out!

Yesterday I had Camos with the rest of my large pack.  He is a huge, and rather tubby, black lab mix.  He loves to fetch, and he and Nuala had a really good time chasing balls.  Unfortunately, he is a little out of shape, and sounds like he is going into cardiac arrest after he gets a bit of exercise, not that he'd let that slow him down.  Actually, the funny thing about Camos is that he will run and run and run.  But when he is done, he just lays down wherever he is and refuses to move.  It is always a delicate balancing act to get him enough exercise, but still leave enough in his tank so he will walk back to the truck with me.  I can pretty much man handle most of my dogs if I need to, but that one is definitely beyond my ability to pick up!

Irony...sigh.

So I know that what we perceive to be ironic is sometimes not actually the dictionary definition of irony...but I am thinking this probably qualifies.  As I was writing my post about my "Chuck-It", I had already lost my new fancy Eddie Bauer "Chuck-It".  Probably left it in the grass while working with Maisy to get her into the back of my truck.  Double darned drat.  I tell you, that old one was magic, there is just no other way it could have stayed with me for that many years.  Ah well, hopefully purple "Chuck-It" will have a bit of bright green's mojo and will hang around for a while.

Thursday ended up being a terrier only day for me.  But what a beautiful day it was.  We stayed at the park extra long just so I could soak up some Vitamin D.  I do my best to do that on nice days when the dogs are all getting along and enjoying themselves.  If I have the extra time, I see no reason to race out of the park to keep to a schedule.  And there are times when we have to leave a bit early.  Usually because there is an issue at the park that I deem to be a safety issue (an ill behaved of often unneutered male for example).  Or the dogs are sometimes just "done"...when the pack takes me to the gate, I figure they know when they have had enough and I should honor their group decision, so what if that is 5 minutes earlier than my schedule dictates?  It is always made up for on other days.  I am very up front with the dog owners about this.  I think they would rather have their dogs' needs met, than someone continuously looking at a watch to see if it is time to leave.

Friday was a water dog day, and boy did we play in the water.  It was windy, so the surf was up, and there were lots of fun dogs to swim with for my dogs.  The waterfront can be such chaos...but somehow they all manage to get along and have a good time and it really wears them out.  Much easier on their joints as well, good low impact exercise for a large dog, if they are willing to do it.  I always enjoy watching the dogs to see who is a "shore" dog, and who is a "swimmer".  It doesn't always follow the lines of breeding.  I particularly love the dogs who go against their breeding and love to swim, even though it is not part of their inherent nature.  I guess I appreciate anyone who is willing to color outside of the lines.

Chuck-It!

For those of you who are unfamiliar, a "Chuck-It" is a tool that allows you to pick up a slobbery, muddy, disgusting tennis ball and wing it across a field without ever having to get your hands dirty.  Basically, think about a 20 inch long flexible stick with a claw on the end that a tennis ball fits into, but which releases it when you make a throwing motion.  In addition to the advantage of  not having to touch the ball...it saves your back from having to bend all of the way over to pick it up in the first place.  Seriously, if you have any dog who likes to retrieve, a Chuck-It is your best friend.

Like a pair of good sunglasses,  a Chuck-It will tend to find it's way into the same black hole that eats one sock.  Especially if you are a dog walker, and are at the park all of the time with several dogs.  You forget it by the field, leave it in the paddock while leashing the dogs, or my favorite, drive off with it on the bumper of your truck.  I am not by nature a forgetful person, but I do occasionally get distracted.  I cannot tell you how many gloves I have lost this way, but I will say, I am the only dog walker I know who has managed to hang onto one Chuck-It for more than seven years.  I have had to go back and get it on several occasions, but have always been fortunate enough to find it. 

Recently I had to start breaking in a new one however.  And yesterday I finally had to have a funeral for my original.  The claw, after that many years of use, has finally been chewed to the point where it won't pick up a ball anymore.  And if I do manage to get the ball to "stick"...i cannot throw with accuracy with it...which is dangerous for man and dog alike if they are out on the field.  So goodbye bright green Chuck-It...you served me well.  Hello deluxe "Eddie Bauer" edition.

And no, I did not splurge, it was a gift from a client, and I LOVE the padded handle.  In the interest of full disclosure, two of my clients work for the company that invented the "Chuck-It"...this entry has not been a paid advertisement, they don't even know I've written it.  I used their product before I ever became their dogs' best friend.  I love my Chuck-It.  I take pride in my ability to launch a ball farther than most, and with great accuracy.  I've even got a few fancy moves for throwing grounders.  New dark green Chuck-It, I hope you hang around for a long while.

Crazy Dog!

I was reminded of a cat I once lived with.  No, you never really "own" a cat, they just allow you into the house.  This cat was an enormous barn cat from the WSU Dairy.  He had huge fangs that never really fit inside of his mouth, and his claws didn't retract all of the way.  But he was a completely gentle soul unless you put on a pair of work gloves we had with long gauntlets.  Then he'd pin your arms...and take no hostages.

Anyway, the reason he came to mind was I watched Sabine...the little white squeak toy, go totally "crazy dog" yesterday.  By crazy dog I mean...she tucked her little tail down and ran in crazy circles as fast as her little body would carry her just for the joy of running.  And as she was doing this, Miss Maisy decided to chase her, except Maisy is a much larger dog, and couldn't quite keep up, and it ended up with Sabine behind Maisy.  The cat used to have a "friend" squirrel who lived in a tree in the back yard.  He was actually raising a family there.  I cannot tell you how often we looked out to see cat chasing squirrel.  Cat was faster, but squirrel could turn on a dime...and how often you'd see them race across the yard one direction with squirrel in lead, only to return in the other direction with cat in the lead.

Sorta miss that cat.

OPD...Other People's Dogs

So one of the wonderful things about what I do is that I get to play with more than just "my dogs".  The dog park is a place where you will often find the same people and their pets at about the same time...we all have our schedules.  So often, the dogs in my pack will have play buddies in other packs.  Dogs they get along with, and occasionally, dogs that aren't that fond of each other.

Wally is one of those dogs.  He is at the park with his "dad" most days.  Wallie is a greyhound rescue, and he LOVES Ollie.  But Thursday I didn't have Ollie with me and an interesting thing happened.  Wally played with Benny.  Wally and Benny have never really played with each other.  Ollie and Benny play really hard with each other and really enjoy each other when other dogs aren't around, but when they can find another playmate at the park, they do.  It is as if they say, "well, we can play anytime so let's enjoy these guys while we can."  So when Ollie plays with Wally, Benny will find someone else to play with.

Friday, we were back at the park and Ollie got to play with Wally, Benny wasn't there.  So on Tuesday I am looking forward to seeing what the dynamic will be now that they have each played separately.  Will it become a threesome?  Will they be unable to share?  Should be interesting.  Most days at the dog park are!

Macrame

Leash walks are sometimes the best option for certain dogs.  Sometimes the whole dog park experience just doesn't meet their needs.  Either they don't have the manners for it, or it is too much exercise for them.  If you have ever seen a dog walker with oh, say ten dogs on leash at one time, I am sure your first thought was...how the heck do they do that?  Well, I can tell you, it is not always easy. 

I have one group of three that I take together than usually do pretty well, and they are quite the group.  Elliot is a bit-bull mix and is the oldest and largest of the three.  He is sort of a "Darwin" dog.  He does fantastic with people, but tends to want to help natural selection on by eliminating the meek and aged dogs.  Basically, he is a bully.  So the dog park is not the place for Elliot. 

Hank is a skinny butt dog.  He came from Taiwan and is exactly the opposite of Elliot.  He is the best dog park dog I've ever had.  He will play with any dog matching the other dogs level of temperament and play exactly.  He can be aggressive with aggressive dogs, and gentle with gentle dogs.  I have seen him play with the smallest of dogs, and Danes.  He plays chase, he wrestles, he plays tug, and he'll fetch if that is what is asked of him.  So why is he getting leash walked?  Well, Hank has a little issue with humans.  If I could get all of the people to leave the park, things would be perfect.  But as that isn't going to happen, he did almost two years in a cage muzzle.  Only had to wear it in the park, didn't mind it, and the cage variety allowed him to pant and drink and do everything he normally would, but not take a piece out of the humans.  Now that we've gotten him through his teen years, past the Hank the Destroyer stage, he leash walks very happily, and he and Elliot are able to function really well together.

Finally, there is Moki.  Moki is the middle child of the three.  He is the smallest by far, but the biggest Chihuahua I have ever seen.  He would be fine at the park, but since his two companions can't go, he gets stuck with them, such a middle child.  With the two big dominant dogs, you'd expect Moki to be their victim.  But if you watch their interaction carefully, Moki is actually the trouble maker.  He instigates all of the trouble the other two get get into.  Ultimately, I think Moki is the one who rules the roost.

So walking these three together involves a lot of good coordination and footwork.  It is like a ballet, switching leashes from hand to hand, behind my back, and stepping over whoever happens to be attempting to trip me at the moment.  There are essentially two kinds of walks.  Walker in control...dogs following, or dogs being allowed to follow their noses, walker keeping them safe...The latter is what these guys get, hence the ballet.  Sometimes I swear they are actually attempting to macrame a straight jacket for me!

The complete upper body workout!

I love me some Ollie, but he is seriously into his teenage years.  He spent last month finding every possible way to break out of his yard.  He is absolutely impossible to wear out.  The neighbor has a large kennel in his yard, so the neighbors finally started putting him in "doggie jail" when they found him roaming.  At least he is a good natured boy and comes right away when he hears my truck.  I cannot tell you how many days I ended up down in his neighborhood early because he was on the loose again.  Some dogs just have a knack for escape...we used to say my first dog's middle name was Houdini for that very reason.

Ollie goes on long runs three days each week, and dog parks it the other two.  Financially that is what works for his owner, so we are doing our best to keep him content on that.  When I first started running with him, he was such a good boy.  Ran along with me like the well mannered dog he will someday become.  Since his descent into teenage insanity, not so much.  I think of our runs as cardio and resistance training all rolled into one.  We set a nice pace and are moving along, then zoom, off we go at warp speed after a squirrel...and around the tree, tied into knots, complete stop.  Untie, redirect, get started again and wham...towing an anchor...the grass is particularly sweet and yummy right here.  Back to pace and, left turn up a front path because there is a dog over there....

I know I should be able to train this dog to run, focused on me and ignoring all of the distractions.  I am a professional, it is my job.  And I am working on it.  I guess I am just saying - it's not going so well!  But I am getting a fantastic workout in the process!

My Girl Friend's Back!

And she wasn't any trouble!  Nuala returned to the pack yesterday after her week of vacation.  When her family is away, Nuala gets to go to the doggie spa for the week...actually, I think it is a ranch that she is sent to.  In the past, our first day back with her has been problematic, but this time I was prepared. 

Terriers in general are pretty smart dogs.  They are much like two year olds, boundary testing is their job.  If you stay on top of them they can be fantastic but if they notice a chink in your resolve, if just one time they don't have to follow the rules, then things can go a bit haywire.  For example, if you must sit before going through a doorway...you have to sit EVERY time.  The first time a door is magically opened for you while you are still on all fours, then you don't have to sit anymore, ever - because who would want to.

Nuala is like that after a week at the spa.  Why would I possibly need her to wait to have a leash on before walking down to the car...and why would she take herself into the paddock at the end of our park time.  Of course I should need to "get" her (as if I could catch her)!  Come has no meaning anymore. 

Fortunately, we have been down that road before, and I was the one who learned my lesson.  So Nuala was thwarted by a door only opened a crack before I could catch her leash, and a leash over the last 100 meters before we got to the paddock so we could leave on my schedule rather than hers.  All in all, a pretty good solution, and by next week, I am sure she will be back to her usual stellar self...for the most part.

Maisy goes vertical!

We have lift off!  Yesterday after her play time at the water, Maisy walked straight up to my truck as if she owned it, and when I opened the back door she jumped right in...no boost from me needed!  How fantastic is THAT!  The last few trips I've managed to bribe her to put her paws up onto the bed of the truck, and then I have hoisted her back end in for her...even getting those front paws up took a lot of patience and work.  And even when I picked her up that morning, she shied from the truck a couple of times and needed some good ear scratches to reassure her that it was okay to get in...so jumping in all by herself was a huge step...I cannot wait for Wednesday to see if she will continue to be the confident dog I know she can be.

She has two Monday playmates she loves, and knows from outside of my dog pack.  Chloe and Sabine.  They are lowchen...the little lion dogs, not a dog you would usually mentally equate with a lab, but these two are very suited.  Chloe is a lab in the water.  She swims and retrieves as if she were meant to be a water dog.  Of course she also has no undercoat to keep her warm so she comes out of the lake shivering.  But just try to keep her away from the water, she lives to swim and that little tiny dog will DRAG me to the water if need be.  Getting her out is a totally different story.  I keep a long line on her so I stand some chance.  Before the long line I had to wade in up to my waist a couple of times to get her...not my favorite thing to do in January.  She truly will stay out and swim away long past the time when her body temperature becomes dangerous if I let her.

Her little sister, Sabine, is still a puppy, but what a puppy.  She has not taken up her sister's swimming obsession, thank goodness.  However, she stayed with us here when she was quite small, and apparently has never actually looked in a mirror.  In her mind, she is my dog Mac...the big black lab.  She is basically the size of my foot.  Small, white, and bouncy.  But at the park she is nose to nose with the big dogs all the time.  She bounces up to them, plays chase and basically acts as if she is 75 lbs of dog.  She even does some stalking...very sweet. 

As you can imagine, the big dogs are quite curious about what that bunny looking thing is, but generally determine her to be dog quite quickly, and we don't have problems.  Every once in a while one will decide rabbit, however, and try to roll her.  Most of the time she handles this with aplomb.  Yesterday, she made the mistake of letting out a yip...and an entire pack of dogs discovered the coolest squeak toy they'd ever seen, because it could run!  She climbed some poor man like she was a cat, with the pack hot on her tail.  She really was fine, and was right back down amongst the dogs as soon as possible so that she didn't develop any terrors.  But hopefully she'll learn that the yip is not the answer.