Loving a Sheltie, it truly is an experience!  My spouse only had one dog in his formative years, a Dachshund named Red.  When he met me it had been almost a decade since he had lived with a canine, I had just gotten my very first Shetland Sheepdog named Amber who was navigating the puppy phase.  I experienced a great deal of firsts with her, she was the first pure bred in our household, we had mixes up until that point and she was my first animal that I was to take on the role of sole caregiver.  After our two family pets had expired my parents had said no more dogs, so I promised that Amber was my responsibility.    Four years later I was  married and my spouse was ever so enthusiastic that he had a dog in his life.  The one thing you learn about Shelties is that as a breed they are a wee bit of an Oxymoron, robust and yet extremely fragile.  I used to work twelve hour shifts on weekends and the first opportunity that arose, my man jumped at the chance to take “our” dog to Lion’s Valley for a hike.  Twenty years ago the nice trails that exist today were more foot paths, as the two meandered up the steep embankments exploring, my spouse underestimated what shy means for a Sheltie.  As they walked along they encountered another trail user on a rather narrow stretch,  who couldn’t resist reaching out to touch my lovely girl.   Amber was not a dog who enjoyed the affections of strangers and backed away,  almost going over a rather treacherous embankment, thankfully my spouse caught her in the nick of time and rescued her from peril.  Lesson one learned, if you see people, make sure you have a good hold on the leash or ask admirers to look not touch!  Lesson number two came rather swiftly after the first.  We had received a deep fryer as a wedding gift and my hubby was eager to give it a whirl.  It was a wonderful meal, french fries, deep fried mushrooms and zucchini, I think he may have even tried donuts. When it came time to clean up my man had a rather brilliant idea of how to get rid of the rather smelly vegetable oil we had used, he took Amber out to the back yard in the dark of night for a pee break and unbeknownst to me, while she did her business,  he dug a hole in the garden and dispensed with  the oil.  Major user error, anyone who knows anything about the Shetland breed knows they are ruled by their stomachs, they don’t seem to have an off switch!   Much to my horror, my dear Amber decided to eat four litres of deep fry oil mixed with soil, because if the humans aren’t going to share the donuts then the essence of the fat they were cooked in would have to do!  The vomiting started immediately and she became seriously ill.   After a rather scary night, we finally brought her home with a severe case of Pancreatitis and I spent a few days away from work getting her stabilized and back on the road to recovery.  My poor hubby felt terrible, after that he handled her as though she were a delicate flower.  Having furry friends is an adventure, but I do believe that certain breeds should come with user manuals.

“Good hygiene, enhanced sound well-being.” Lailah Gifty Akita, ‘Think Great:  Be Great!’

This may sound a little crazy, but when was the last time you washed your pets water bowl or food dish?   I have made it a habit to wash the boys water bowl  with hot soapy water two or three times a week and I make sure I dump and rinse them out once a day and replace with fresh water.  Have you ever noticed what happens if you don’t do that?   A rather impervious coating of slime builds up that will give you a true test of how well your dishwasher works.  The same goes for your pets food dishes, I myself make a habit of rinsing and scrubbing the boys dishes after each meal.  Why, because I myself wouldn’t want to eat off of a dirty plate for every meal.   And what about the litter box or your back yard?  Do you regularly poo scoop?  I tend to find when I go away my family isn’t quite as diligent as I am about such matters, recently when I returned from being away for a week I realized our clumping litter had become completely incapable  of doing what it was designed to do, clump.  It wreaked , as I walked down the hall towards the room where the litter box is stowed that smell of cat urine  was all encompassing, I could feel my brain cells frying it was so strong!   Do your feline a favour, scoop regularly and completely clean out the box every month.  As for the back yard, there is nothing my boy loves to do more when he comes back from a walk then roll and rub his face in the grass.  It’s a little sketchy to do that if no one keeps up with the land minds!  Not to mention that occasionally there are a few dogs back there and they like to rip and tear, chasing one another.  I have to say, I am  rather conscientious about my scooping duties, nothing behooves me more when I go to hang out a load of laundry than an errant pile of poop mushed between my toes.  One particular day I had a group of three dogs in the yard for a meet and greet, they were having a blast chasing each other and rolling about on their backs.  I hadn’t noticed that one of the dogs had decided to make a deposit and that one of the smaller dogs had slid through it, later tracking it all through my house.  I can laugh now, but it’s shitty when it happens!   The take away from my rant, your companion has to eat and it has to make waste, but they rely on you to keep things clean and tidy for their well-being.

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/controlling-cat-litter-box-odor     an interesting read

“It’s all coming back to me now…”  I have had six dogs in my life since growing up, two of them were Sheltie’s.   My daughter basically grew up with Shelties, it wasn’t until our rescue Nishka that she experienced life with a different breed.  When she decided to actively pursue getting a dog she decided to go with what she was familiar with and got Rupert.  For me, it’s been about five years since we lost our Piper to Cushing’s Disease.  When I spend time with my Grand Puppy I sometimes find when I see him out of the corner of my eye or hear his bark, that I forget that she is gone, for a split second he becomes her.  It is fascinating to me how inherent certain characteristics are in a breed.  As well, it amazes me the things I have sort of forgotten that distinguish their kind or maybe it’s just that our dog Lucas is so different I am used to his idiosyncrasies and peculiarities.  Last week when I was hanging out with Rupert I was reminded how shy Shelties are, that they really struggle with strangers and other dogs.  Often when people see the miniaturized version of a Lassie dog they just can’t help themselves, their first instinct is to try and pet the cute little thing.  What people don’t realize is how introverted these dogs really are and how uncomfortable they are with the unknown.  You can socialize them, you can take them to classes, but when it comes down to it, it’s nature versus nurture, Shelties are reticent in new situations and with people that aren’t in their inner circle.  It seems cruel that something so sweet and lovable looking, is so painfully shy.  Then there is the other less attractive traits, which can often turn off the most avid of dog lovers, when it comes to barking, they are champions at it!  If it has wheels or is moving too fast, a Shelties herding instinct takes over, they have to slow it down!  And when it comes to activity level, the energizer bunny has nothing on these dogs, if not properly exercised they will drive you around the bend!  After a week with Rupert I remembered what I love about the breed and what I can appreciate about my senior boy Lucas.  It has also made me think, will I return to life with the Shetland Sheepdog or will I venture to find another rescue?  Hard to say, and I am in no rush to think about what lies ahead, I have Rupert to come and visit now and then.  A reminder of my former companions and a current friend to enjoy!

Puppies are exhausting !  My boys peacefully co-exist in our household.  There are times they get on each other’s nerves or get a bit testy, but the majority of their days under our roof they share the couch and their humans affections.  This past week we had my daughter’s dog visiting and he’s a bundle of energy.  Both Romeo and Lucas seem to enjoy his visits and have fun cavorting with him.  Today the boys are back to being a dynamic duo and I think this picture says it all…we are down right knackered !!  The two passed out on the car ride home today!  Feline and canine, best buddies, nuzzled together after an action packed week.  I love that they are such good friends!  And when we capture a moment like this, it reminds me that love transcends many barriers.

 

 

 

Have you ever had a moment in time, that when you were in the middle of it, you were scared to bits?   Years later you think back on that moment and you can laugh and find the humour in it?   When we lived in British Columbia we used to love to go to Englishman River Falls for our weekend walk with the girls and our dog Amber.  This one particular day we had a wonderful 3km trek and the girls had enjoyed themselves, we stopped at this lovely area along the river for a photo opportunity.  I asked my spouse for the camera and he was posing with the girls along the rivers edge when I heard this PLUNK sound.   I lowered the camera lense and realized my lovely Sheltie, who had felt a little bit thirsty,  had bent over the rocks to take a drink, misjudging that the water was too low for her to reach and went in head first.  There she was paddling madly trying to fight the current…did I fail to mention that the spot where we had taken a little rest was at the top of the falls,  about 8 feet away from where the magnificent water fall began?   I just about let go of our smancy  camera, screeched in panic and told my spouse to, “Do something!!”  He is my knight in shining armour, he stepped into the water, boots and all, and fished her out.  It was awful, that thought that in a blink of an eye, I could have lost my best friend.  As I was out walking with one of my clients this morning and thinking about a few of the tense moments I have had over the past couple weeks, Amber’s taking an unintentional dip came to mind and I realized I can laugh about it now.  Perspective is a wonderful thing.  In the heat of the moment, what you are experiencing seems so scary.   Watching our dog, who wasn’t big on swimming, treading water and looking rather offended that she  was now immersed in it was sort of funny.  Once she was catapulted back to safety,  albeit, a bit water logged, she was able to shake it off and was ready for the return hike to the car.  Crisis averted.  It is a blessing when tight spots of the past become laughable moments of the future!

Y

If a picture could paint a thousand words.  Rupert is not a cuddler, he’s one years old and to put it bluntly, he has ants in his pants!  He’s always getting into things and ripping about, thus why his pet parents have him enrolled in different activities to give him an outlet for his energy level.  Today is a different story though, he’s been a couch potato,  sitting beside his human.  What makes today different ?  His people are going to have a baby and  today after his Momma had her membranes stripped, he has supportively been sitting at her side.  He is part of the animal kingdom, they have a sixth sense about these things, but I also wonder , is he realizing that he will no longer run the show?  That his place in the home life hierarchy is about to drastically change and he’s feeling a wee bit of trepidation ?  I remember the day we came home with my daughter, our dog at the time was a gorgeous Shetland Sheepdog named Amber, and she was my baby.  When I came into the house, with Craig carrying the baby in the car seat,  my little girl came up to me, nuzzling into my knees and cried.  I mean cried, I have never heard a dog sob before or since like she did, she was bereft!  She understood that life as she knew it, would never be the same .   I look at Rupert’s expression and I wonder what is going through his mind, is it excitement ?  Is it dread?   What I do know, although his needs may not be attended to in the fashion he as used to and he might find his families patience a little frayed,  when things get quiet, and there is a lull, if he is down for a cuddle, his humans will happily oblige!   That love you have for your four legged friends can not be diminished in any way, shape or form!

Yesterday my old friend Chewy moved on to the off leash park  behind the Pearly Gates with all the other lovely souls that let go  when their aging bodies are tired and ready to rest.  I know it was a very hard decision for his family to say good bye.  I only got to know Chewy in his twilight years, we would meander together to the park on walks and  I would have sleep overs with him when his family had commitments  that took them away and he needed the familiarity of being at home.  He was like the little engine that could, although his legs were stiff and sometimes a little lacking in doing their duty to keep him upright he would soldier on.   Chewy  was always eager to set off for a walk through the neighbourhood, he liked to seek out a spot where a bunny had just been resting or another dog had left it’s calling card.  Chewy reminded me what love looks like, it starts with a cute little pup that chews our sneakers, metamorphosing  into a dog that becomes a playmate and companion and finally a senior pet whose presence is a quiet force around the house.  A slumbering friend beside you when you watch a movie or a soft chin resting on your feet while you work away at your desk.   Letting go is one of the hardest things you can do, because you love your friend.  After they are gone, you come home and see a nose smudge on the front glass, their empty dish in the kitchen and your eyes travel to the spot where they liked to take refuge and your heart aches.   Rest in peace Chewy, I know you will be greatly missed.

He’s so freaking handsome and so incredibly high maintenance!  This is my boy Romeo, love of my life, apple of my eye, he’s my peanut butter and I am his jelly!  He has recently been banished from the kingdom to go live with his cousins in Belleville.   Every once and awhile I have a dog staying with us that has a ‘history’ with cats, to be on the safe side it isn’t worthwhile to risk fuzzy boys life and limbs, so I pack him up and send him off to live with my daughter .  It’s kind of like summer camp, at least that is what I tell myself.   The first time we sent him away was for almost a month and I am not sure who it  was harder on, me or him.  I cried like a baby, I was sure he was going to have one of his episodes and get very ill.  Silly me, he was just fine!  It is good for him to have to live with others, because he is way too dependent on me and I enable him, which isn’t good either.  So a little break from one another teaches us both how resilient we can be.  Currently, my little man has been gone for 13 days, and I check in with my daughter daily to see how he is doing…oh, and how she is doing, as she is 9 months pregnant and expecting her first child any minute now.  Today’s report was that my furry son is getting on her last nerve, waking her throughout the night and wanting her to get him a snack.  In case you haven’t read other posts, Romeo has a bunch of health issues that essentially require him to eat small meals frequently to prevent him from throwing up.    For me, that’s life with Romeo, but for my daughter, whose bladder is being pressed on by a small human, coupled with the heat that is making her rather uncomfy, my cat’s neediness is not so charming!!  Before the cat left for Belleville he wasn’t really waking me that often, just once at three a.m. and then around five. but his frequency has been off the charts since leaving home.  I was sitting here feeling guilty that I have put this on a first time expectant Mom when it hit me, if she can handle Mr.  High Maintenance then she is ready for Motherhood!  Romeo isn’t trying to be a pain in the backside, no, my intuitive friend is trying to prepare his sister for what is coming right around the corner!  Babies don’t sleep, babies are a lot of work and he wants her to be ready, what a smart feline he is!   My self-reproach has been assuaged and I am going to go as far as to say this was planned, me and the fuzzer were in cahoots, it was our intention all along to help my girl get ready for being a Momma.

“Say Hello to my little Friend…”   I think a lot of people when they look at this little guy’s face, make a lot of wrong assumptions.  My buddy Diesel and I get out for some exercise twice a day, sometimes in a group with other dogs and other days we are a twosome.  When we first met, I wasn’t sure we could have a relationship because he was so enthusiastic  and ripped and tore about that I was basically making my chiropractor a rich woman.    It took a few tries to figure out what apparatus was going to work so that the experience could be enjoyable for us both.  A pinch collar is where we ended up, which I use for my dog as well, it does not hurt the boys…it just prevents them from pulling so hard that my arms aren’t in constant pain and truth be told together they out weigh me so at times it was questionable who was walking whom.   The problem with the appearance of said collar, is it makes an already “Gangsta” like dog, look even more ominous.    It makes me sad that people shy away from my little friend, as he has become quite the gentleman and is very thoughtful and engaged with people and other dogs.  Diesel carries a raw hide in his mouth, I discovered one day that when he has a prize, whether it be a mitten, ball or a stick, he likes to strut his stuff.  He looks at passersby as if to say “Look at me, aren’t I clever!”   This morning, as we made our way down a quiet back street, where the shade trees are awesome, we encountered a woman who whisked past us and said,  “Thank God he has that stick to keep him busy, I am afraid he would eat me otherwise.”   I was caught off guard, so I was speechless.   As we made our way through the park and home I had this overwhelming sense of sadness, to the point that a tear rolled down my cheek, this person had truly missed out on what a sweet natured and friendly dog that Diesel is.   He is no Tony Montana.  If I had to characterize my buddy, I would say he is more like Tom Hank’s portrayal of Josh in the movie Big, a big goof with a delightfully playful spirit…so please don’t judge a book by it’s cover!   Feel free to say Hello to my Little Friend,he has no desire to eat you,  he will wag his tail with great fervor and be most happy to meet you.

Miss Lily

Today I would like to send my love out to Heather who lost a dear friend.  She found her sweet little girl at the end of the driveway when she was just a kitten and provided her with a wonderful adventure moving  across the country together with her buddy Kojo. Starting in the East coast with new addresses in between, finding her resting place in Alberta.    I had the pleasure of meeting and caring for Lily  when we lived in Thunder Bay!  She and I would sit and watch music videos and keep each other company when her Momma was out of town.   Rest in Peace beautiful girl, I am grateful for your company and the opportunity to get to know you.