Do you consider yourself an observant person?  What is it that catches your eye?  Do you notice the rings on people’s fingers?  What kind of car a person drives?  Is it a person’s baby blues that gets your attention?   I am on the fence about whether I have a knack of being aware of what is going on around me. I think the things I notice aren’t the things that other people tend to pick up on.  I was out doing what I do, walking the dogs, it was a busy morning in the park so I decided to take an alternate route since the one I normally take was like the 401 in early morning rush hour.  We meandered through a quiet little area I like, but my one companion really does feel ripped off, if he doesn’t get to go down this one particular path in the park.  Some time had elapsed so I decided, what the heck, I will indulge him.  As we turned onto the path, I noticed a woman in a fushsia jacket and her pup up ahead.   I watched as the little white dog moved from side to side sniffing and thought it resembled  one of my canine friends, but the distance was too great and I couldn’t see that far.  The more I looked, the more I was sure that the gait on this particular pooch was one I was familiar with,  but the timing and logistics didn’t didn’t make sense that it could be her.  I convinced myself I was wrong, as there truly are a multitude of little white dogs in the area.  But me being me, I just couldn’t stand it,  that had to be my little girl friend up there, even though there was no two footed dancing on the back legs, I was sure I recognized the way the ears moved, the way the little feet struck the ground, it had to be  McBeans.  My curiosity had to be sated, do I yell out the dogs name or their humans name?   I decided to call out the person’s name and low and behold the woman turned around and I was right!  It was my furry friend Mattie!   I swear I could be walking behind by own flesh and blood and I might not realize it, but put one of my four legged compadre’s in my trajectory and I am keenly aware that I know that pooch!

Is it okay if I profess my love to more than one fur covered creature?  Does this make me a player?  This morning I was dropping Diesel off after our walk , and I bent down and gave him a kiss on his forehead and said “I love you, I will be back this afternoon.”  Often when I bring him to his home, he takes off like a shot to go rip and tear around the house, but some days he likes to perch himself on my foot and wait for me to give him a peck and  declare my love!  I find myself  expressing my feelings when I drop my  four legged friends back to their abodes, I have great difficulty heading out the door without reminding them that they are loved and I will miss them.    To be honest, I have a tendency to forget that their hearts don’t belong to me, that they are just on loan.   I have always known  I have a lot of love to give, but I do wonder from time to time, what do their pet parents feel, when I am stooped at the front door professing my adoration.  Hopefully it is kosher to be a Don Juan of the pet world!

Diesel, he’s my baby, but not really!  He belongs to the neighbours, but me and my boy, we walk together twice a day, every day!  He is my buddy and provides me with great entertainment on any given day!  Diesel has a youthful zeal for life and a slightly incorrigible nature.  I often give him a job when we walk to keep him focused on what we are supposed to be doing, walking!  Often he likes to roll or rub himself on someone’s front lawn or in the high patches of grass at the park.  He has a lot of comical quirks, one being if the texture under his feet changes it amps him up in the most peculiar ways, he starts leaping and bouncing and veering left and right. He’s a bit of a wild child.  The other day we were walking in the park, the same park I walk most of my dogs in, I had found Diesel a rather wonderful stick to latch onto, as when he has something to carry, he can concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.  We were traversing forward and the next moment  he stopped dead in his tracks, dropping his stick with a thud!  His head lowered and he gawked straight ahead and there she was again, my fox friend.  The thoughts that crossed my mind, had me laughing out loud.  If Diesel could have articulated his feelings at that moment I think he might have been saying.  “Holy Crap, she is a FOX…oh lady…”  His mouth was agape, as if he were some dude that had just spied a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model that had just sashayed in front of him!  There was no getting him to move forward, no he was enamored completely by this lovely wild creature!  What I found equally amusing was that she wasn’t in any hurry to skedaddle, she pranced over to the creek and laid down under the cover of a Spruce tree and watched us.  It was a mutual admiration society I believe!  She found my Diesel rather intriguing and for him, she was eye candy!  I love my canine companions and the way they help me see the world!

Miss Mattie has a way of cheering me up!  I always say to her that I think in her other life she was part of a circus, this is because she can walk on her two hind legs, she’s a sight to behold.  The sun was shining Friday and we were fifteen minutes into our walk, it was warm and wonderful to be out in the park.  Mattie likes to bark, she barks at everything, other dogs, people, squirrels, rabbits…EVERYTHING!   As we made our way along the path she became extremely animated and began bouncing up and down through the air and literally walking for a couple feet at a time on her back legs, all the while, squeaking and barking.  I kept scanning the area trying to figure out what creature was worthy of such an enthusiastic response.  And then there she was, out in the open, the fox that lives near the pond!  She was about 50 metres from us, sitting beside the path grooming herself.  Mattie, literally lost it, she could not contain her zeal, making sounds I didn’t know a dog could make.  I started to think about her keen desire to be let loose to introduce herself to this wild creature and then it struck me.  I got it…it would be like me walking through the park and I look forward, and I think I see someone, I look again and I then I realize, it’s Ellen DeGeneres…I tell you, I would start leaping and whooping and wanting to run willy nilly.   Seeing that fox was like a celebrity sighting, extremely unusual and ever so special!  Thanks Mattie for making me smile!

I remember when my girls were little, they usually enjoyed having a baby sitter as they were able to bend rules and stretch bed times.   Having a break from Mom and Dad was a lot of fun every now and then.  When people leave their pets with me while they are away, their pooch moves in and my casa et su casa.   We kanoodle on the couch in the evenings, they hang out with me in the bathroom when I get ready in the morning and the really spoiled ones get to sleep on the bed!  I had one of my regular friends staying with me this past week and she is such a love and fits in beautifully with our family!  She lays at my feet while I make dinner, cuddles up next to me on the couch in the evenings when I am playing Scrabble and  she welcomes me when I come in the door with the same gusto and enthusiasm as my own dog does.  Today it was time for her to go home and it was comical, as she was heading out the door her human says to me, “say Thank You!”   There was no way she was going to climb back up those stairs and risk that her Dad might slip out the door again, she was eager to go home and be with her peeps.  I finally had to go down to her and gave her a little pat on the head and bid her a farewell.  It’s okay, my ego is in tact, I know that she loves me and has an awesome time while she is visiting.  Heck at my house she gets to romp around with Lucas, cuddle with the cat and sleep with my daughter at nights, it’s awesome!  But home is good too, it’s quieter there, she’s the only pet, so  she gets all the attention!   Next time she comes for a stay she will greet me with exuberance and zeal and love to be back!  It’s a win, win for me, I get to have all these fun and different characters come and live with me, but then they go home and life gets quiet again.  And as much as the house seems very quiet right now, and I miss her, I am also a little excited about not having to get up to take her outside at five a.m.  Lucas will be too, we can hit the snooze and sleep a little longer!

If your pet had a voice, what would he or she sound like?  I find it interesting, often my spouse likes to do a narrative for our pets and I will admit, that I too, am also guilty of speaking on my furry creatures behalf.  Lucas, our dear old dog, will be laying on the couch with his big soupy eyes, watching us eat dinner and my hubby will say, “I like chicken, yes I do,  I really like chicken, give me some chicken will ya”  Or when we are getting ready to go for a walk, my spouse will say “Are we going for a walk, I like walks.”  The thing is, when he speaks on Lucas’ behalf he makes him sound like Gomer Pyle, as if he is some country bumpkin that just got off the bus.  This behooves me, as I don’t think that is how my canine buddy would sound in the slightest?  He is not a simpleton!   Lucas has very expressive eyes that speak volumes, if he were to have a narrative voice it would certainly sound more eloquent!   I think both of my boys, if they could talk like humans, would sound intelligent and very distinguished.   For example, I think  our cat Romeo with his devilish smile and carefree ways would have Mr. George Clooney’s voice, after all,  he is an extremely handsome cat and he charms the begeezers out of everyone he meets.  As for Lucas, I imagine Vin Diesel’s deeply commanding tone,  which is incredibly expressive and can wow his audience with emotion. .. envision Groot in”Guardians of the Galaxy “and you have got it!  

So I am curious…who would your pets celebrity voice over be?

Wow, what a gorgeous string of weather we have had!  It’s hard to believe that last week I was still strolling with the dogs wearing mittens, a hat and my winter coat!   Aren’t we lucky as humans that we can decide to take our big heavy jackets over to the closet and put them away until we need them again.   We humans are elated to be warm again and have the sun burns to prove it!   I noticed on the weekend, as well as Monday, when I was out doing my daily dog walks that all my dogs were really struggling with the change in temperature! Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining that it is beautiful outside, it is just that our canine friends can’t shed their heavy coat in an instance .    More than once, I had one of the dogs decide to sit or lay down in the middle of a path or on someone’s front lawn, making the statement, it is way too hot for me today and I am having trouble coping.  I felt lucky that I could take my sweater and tie it around my waist, but the poor dogs, their tongues were lolling outside of their mouths and instead of pulling forwards, they were lagging behind like pokey Joes.  Just some things to consider as our temperatures begin to sore in the 20 range.   Bring water on your walks, especially if they are going to be on the long side!  If you can, it would be optimal to do your walks early morning or late day when the temperature cools off a bit.  The big thing to be mindful of, if you are out running errands, please don’t bring your pooch, it’s too hot to be leaving your furry companion in the car!

I think that my Romeo might have been Budha in another life.  Why?  Budha is admired for his happiness, plenitude and wisdom of contentment.  One belief popular in folklore maintains that rubbing his belly brings wealth, good luck, and prosperity.  Romeo loves to flop on the floor by my feet and expose his belly when I am working on the computer, my job is to rub it, so he can purr so loudly one can hear it at the front door.  My boy is so accommodating, a myriad of times during the day and evening, he will position himself near family members so that they can have the pleasure of stroking his charming spare tire.  I have to say, I always feel lighthearted and carefree after I give him a good belly rub.  My Romeo certainly has the market cornered on  contentment and lord knows, he is the happiest feline I know.  He is the only cat I have ever met that  can suffer near death experiences and forget it in an instance by cuddling up to me and having his tummy scratched.   He exudes happiness and to me that is pretty enlightened and most likely why he is still here to date!  So I try and take a page from his book, and when I am feeling overwhelmed and life’s curve balls are getting me down, I search him out and rub his furry girth and after a few mere moments,  I can’t help but feel joyful!   Yup, my cat is Budha reincarnated, I think there is a little bit of godly like essence in all our furry companions.

The cat and the dog are conspiring with one another!   In our house, Romeo, our rather sizable Maine Coon cat and Lucas, our canine Shepherd mix,  peacefully co-exist.  The boys occasionally share the couch or snooze side by side on my daughter’s bed, but if I was being honest, they live under the same roof, but they do their own thing.  I was struck today that their relationship is a lot like that of my two children.  I have always called my daughters the night and day girls.  They are completely different in temperament and interests, if one likes black the other would choose white, if one wants chocolate chips in their pancakes, the other one insist hers need to be plain.  It has been  a source of amusement for my spouse and I,  as well as trying at times!   And yet, as different as they are, they have surprised me over the years.  I remember once a little boy on our street was being very rough and aggressive with my oldest daughter, our youngest was only three when she came out of no where and got right in his face saying “leave my sister alone!”  The oldest one has always been a bit jealous of her little sister and can be quite bossy, as first borns often can be,  and yet when asked once at a banking appointment who her beneficiary would be, without a seconds hesitation she said her younger sister’s name.    My furry boys are similar to my girls in many ways, I would not say the cat and dog are close, but they are loyal and protective of one another.  Lucas is a loner and likes his personal space and Romeo is the social butterfly and wants as much love as you can bestow on him.  It isn’t uncommon that the cat will try and steal the couch, before the dog can secure a spot.   Lucas, will surreptitiously eat Romeo’s breakfast when no one is looking.  My two boys can be a bit competitive for our affections.   Much to my surprise this morning, I think the two banded together for a common goal.  Lucas had been enjoying the back yard, the snow is almost gone and the sun is shining today.  Romeo is an indoor cat, but itches to get outside when he gets a hint of Spring in the air. I opened the back door to let the dog in, and I was going to take some garbage out to the garage.   As I went to step out, Lucas blocked me, if I went right, so did Lucas, when I tried to go left, he moved into my path again.   I was so busy trying to navigate past him, that I was caught unaware that Romeo was laying in wait behind me.  The next thing I knew, my furry little feline was bounding up the back steps and making a break for it and gosh darn it, the dog was still floundering around in front of me preventing me from getting past him.  Finally, I did a half trip and a leap over him, raced after the sprinting ball of fur,  who has no collar on right now I might add , and pounced on the cat as was about ready to clear the back deck.  As I walked back into the house with Romeo resting on my hip, Lucas stood in the open doorway looking rather sheepish, it was like he was saying “Sorry bro, I tried to help you escape.”   Lesson learned, I will not underestimate the connection that my  furry little creatures have with one another!

Do you ever take note of your pooches ears as you walk?  Strange to say, but your dogs ears aren’t just listening, they are talking too!    The position of your pooches ears, truly is a great indicator of how they are feeling!  There are three types of positions to note with your dogs ears, Relaxed, Attentive and Alert.  When your dog is relaxed, his ears will be in a neutral position, meaning, they are not pasted to his head, pricked upwards or drooped down!  No matter what kind of dog, pure bred or mutt, if your canine friend is relaxed, those ears should be resting easy.  Most days, Lucas’ ears are loose and happy!  I love it when he is enjoying himself when we are out and about.  Those happy go lucky ears tell me he is enjoying himself.   Those ears can change in an instance though, not that your dog  isn’t still over joyed to be out strolling.  For example, Mattie and I were out today and she was having a marvelous time, we turned off the main drag and there was some men doing road work,  her ears went from a relaxed position into what would be labelled as Attentive ears.  She was processing the information as she was suddenly feeling unsure,  her tail went straight up in the air and she shut her mouth, she was on high alert.   Paying attention to what your dogs ears are saying as well as other dogs that you encounter while  you are out can help you determine whether your dog is in a good frame of mind to meet others.  One of the young men thought he would like to give her a pet, I knew that Mattie’s body language was saying it wasn’t a good idea, she was too nervous and was liable to nip.  When your dogs ears change they can be trying to tell us that they are feeling a bit concerned and making an effort to figure things out.   Mattie was attempting to decide how she felt about the current situation as there was noisy equipment and men in bright coloured clothing.   Her ears had underwent yet another change of positioning, they were now  pricked in an upwards position and became pinned to the side of her head, these are called Alert ears.  For example. if there is a weather event like high winds or rain, Lucas’ ears will be extremely taut and pinned tight  to his skull, his body will become hunched, and stiff. This is usually a sign that he is feeling rather stressed.  Another indicator that I will look to,  is his tail, which will slink low between his legs and his shoulders will turn inwards.  In some ways he looks sheepish or meek.   When this happens, I know my poor boy is having a tough time and it isn’t a good idea to have other dogs get in his space and I respect that he is feeling unsure.  The next time you are out and about, take note of how your dog’s ears react to noise and other goings on in their environment, unbeknownst to you, they are having a conversation with you!    Watching the positioning of your canine friend’s ears can speak volumes if you are just willing to pay attention!