Do you consider yourself a dog person?  Have you ever really thought what that means?  I was pondering that concept the other day when walking one of my clients over the lunch hour.  I went in to pick up my four legged friend and was so busy greeting her and so excited to get our walk started I barely said hello to the human being that greeted me. As we were heading through the park I thought how socially awkward I can be when trying to talk to people.  I am that person when they are walking that will talk to your dog, ask your dog’s name and when I see you the next time I say “Hi Maggie” and then it strikes me a few minutes later that I didn’t acknowledge the human at the end of the leash.   I have often said jokingly “I like animals better than I like most people.”   It’s not that I don’t like people, I am also the same person that will strike up a conversation with a random stranger at the grocery store and you’d think we’d been friends for years.  It’s just that I truly love the acceptance and energy that one receives from animals.  Wouldn’t it be lovely if we greeted the people we meet with exuberance and zeal.  Nothing feels better than watching a dog’s whole body vibrate and tail wag as they say hello.  Dogs have a way of making one feel like a rock star when they greet you!  It’s great to feel accepted for you who are.  So when asked, am I a dog person or animal lover, the answer is whole heartedly, “Heck Ya!”

It is hard to say good bye to a loved one, the hardest thing to do in life, is to stand by and watch the one you love begin to fail.  I have to do this five times with my own pets, and it never gets easier.  I was thinking today about euthanization, it’s not for everyone.  Watching your friend grow old is not always graceful, it’s hard to watch your once spry dog, wince as it tries to go up the stairs or stand by the car, tail wagging, but unable to jump in without assistance.  It is hard to find them laying in a puddle of their own pee or realize that the dog that once loved to eat, no longer has an interest in food.  As humans, we don’t have someone making the decisions whether to extend our life, no, as we age and become a shadow of our former self, we are cared for and tended to.  Having an aging pet in the household is not unlike reverting to the puppy stage.  Accidents may begin to become a reality, leaving your pet alone and unattended for longer periods may no longer work, they may no longer sleep through the night and instead begin to pace.  What you do , as their caregiver is a personal choice.   Some people aren’t cut out to watch their best friend fall apart or the cost of keeping them alive is no longer viable.  Whatever the reason, if you have to euthanize your four legged friend I urge you to remember, they were there for you when you were sad, they cheered you up when you needed a mood booster and they laid on the end of the bed when you were sick. When it is their time to go, do them the courtesy of being with them when they take their final breath.  Yes it is hard, yes it is sad, yes, you will feel like a piece of you is being ripped away.  Every time I have had to say good bye I have been racked with grief and feel blue, but I have never regretted being by their side as they slip away.   When you make a commitment to a pet to bring it into your home I think you accept that their is going to be good times and hard times, letting go is never easy, finding the courage to be by their side is the bravest thing you will ever do.

Hanging out with my kitty today, I have to say as far as cat’s go, he is the most easy going, chillax feline I have ever met!  Romeo came to me as a Foster, after two weeks, I knew he was a keeper, too unique and special to let him go.  He is so affectionate and kind, his heart is truly made of gold!  At night, my little furry love is always cuddled up by my feet…that is, if things are going smoothly for me.  If I am having a tough time, he curls up on my shoulder and purrs by my ear, he takes his paw and he will touch my cheek gently, it is the coolest thing ever.  My sweet pea will also cuddle up to me if he is having a tough time, if he has had a rough day, he will not stray from my side.  Romeo, has a rare defect where his liver is wrapped around his heart, because he has a void where his liver should be, his stomach shifts, this creates a lot of issues health wise for him.  Because his insides are rather jumbled, he also gets crystals in urine and has had a few nearly fatal blockages.  Romeo’s first issue was the crystals, the emergency  vet we had thought he had a fluid sac around his lung and basically after  a rather emotional conversation , suggested we put him down.  I had a nagging little voice in my head that said, go see your own Vet for your own peace of mind.  So off we went, and the second opinion, albeit, not a good news, her suggestion was take him home and love him, he was here for a good time, not for a long time.  I laid with that cat on my chest for long stretches of time each day, he would purr and purr, so loud you could hear him on another level of the house.  He was at deaths door, but he managed to soak up all that love and fight, and here we are, four years later, and he’s still purring!  It’s a mutual admiration society, we have each other’s backs.   As I sit hear typing, he is right beside me, with that ultra loud purr of his, he’s happy to be here and I am equally thrilled that he has managed to stick around!  He’s my little miracle and I am thankful for him every day!

Those Bitches have attitude…  I have always held the bias that female dogs are more easy going, friendly and can roll with whatever comes their  way and that male dogs are more aggressive, want to get into fights and are  quicker to escalate.  Well, I have realized that the male dogs that I take care of,  are a lot like men, you put a group of guys in a room that have never met each other and they find a place to set into and get comfortable, sure they may mill around and do a little posturing to figure out who is ‘the man’, but they can usually co exist without drama.  The thing that surprises me, I have these two completely lovely girls that are exuberant and up for fun, I assumed these two would be immediate friends and cavort around the house playfully.  Wrong,  I got the two girls together and the theme song for the moment was not “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, nope, it was more like Rihanna’s song “Good Girl Gone Bad.”  The girls wanted a piece of one another, it was like there was one designer hand bag left and it was going to be theirs!  I was scratching my head a little wondering how these two sweet hearts weren’t fast friends, and then it came to me, both of them are like my shadow and follow me around the house, and the light bulb moment occurred, ” I was the designer hand bag!”  I was also reminded of my elementary school days when you would have this really great friend, but she was also really great friends with another girl. and then the three of you would get together and someone would always feel like the third wheel.  The girls have attitude because they don’t want to be a twin shadow, and I respect that.  It’s okay if the Bitches have attitude, it’s not about fitting a mold that girls are supposed to fit, it’s okay if the girls aren’t nice all the time as we might like them to be.  If you are a Bitch, you don’t have to say you’re sorry…it’s perfectly all right!

I was having a chat today with one of my children about my Grandpuppy, he’s being very naughty and biting.  Granted, he is young and has to learn what is acceptable and what isn’t.   Rupert has gone to obedience training and has done very well, he’s just decided as of late to test his boundaries, which is perfectly normal!  Parenting philosophies today are all about respect and not damaging a child’s self esteem when being disciplined,  and from what I understand, this is what was being discussed with training the puppy.  I was thinking as I walked about that expression, “spare the rod, and spoil the child.”  I am not an advocate for hitting any animal, but I don’t agree with allowing your dog to develop a behaviour that will end up becoming detrimental to it’s success in a family and social situations.  It doesn’t matter to me the size or the breed, biting isn’t cute and isn’t okay.  I am not going to weigh in on what training technique works the best, heck, I say go through a process of elimination, you keep trying one after another until something sticks.  The important part, is making sure something sticks and that your dog knows that nipping, biting, whether it is in play or not, isn’t going to fly!  Dealing with bad behaviour isn’t an option, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

Spring like weather today, totally awesome!  A rather comical thing happened one of my walks, which  reminded me of something my spouse did a decade ago. He had gone to pick up our daughter from a friends home, I was standing at the front window when I saw our Cherokee coming around the corner, my daughters bike on the roof rack.  As I saw my spouse making the turn I noticed a very attractive woman standing at the mailboxes across the street and I realized, he’s so intent on that lovely specimen, he’s going to forget that he has the bike and drive into the carport, and sure enough, in a split second “bang”.   The roof rack was bent, the bike a little dinged and we had a good laugh and a great story we love to rib him over.   Today as I was walking along with one of my furry companions a gentleman opened his front door and heard him talking to someone else saying he was taking the dog, I wasn’t sure if his dog was going to bolt out at us or was on a leash, so I was intent watching for a darting dog  and it appears so was my canine friend!  She was so intent on getting a look at the dog  coming off the porch, she ran into an electrical box at the end of the drive. Both of us were startled.   I scooped down and picked her up and gave her a hug, she was fine.  It reminded me though, that we all get distracted from time to time and we all can focus on things that seem more exciting at the time, but that curiosity can led us places that we don’t intend to go.

When I am out walking I often run into clients walking their dogs…first off, I love seeing my four legged friends, because they truly are my friends.  I was saying to my spouse, as he joined me this afternoon, that I often feel weird being remunerated for my services, as I get incredibly attached to the pets I walk and sit.   My hubby made an interesting comment, he asked me if I would feel guilty for getting paid to serve someone coffee, to which the answer was no.  He then said it was funny how people can feel guilty to be compensated for doing what they love and which is so true!  I do really love what I do!  I look forward to my visits, my walks and I am happy when I encounter one of my furry friends when I am out and about.  I really do have an awesome job, my pet friends help ground me, provide solace, companionship and lot’s of smiles and laughter! That expression “Do what you love and you will never work a day!”  Perfect!

Went on a long walk with one of my four legged friends today.  It was sunny, but very windy and cold and as we walked along quietly I got to thinking about a family member who is currently struggling with a very aggressive form of Cancer.  I was lost in thought when I realized that Mia kept looking up at me, and at one point, she nuzzled my hand that was holding her leash.  Her simple little gesture spoke volumes to me,it reminded me to never under value the intuitiveness of dog and to appreciate her companionship.  Animal friends are incredibly perceptive and are very capable of sensing when we are happy or troubled.  Getting some exercise is always a good way to clear ones mind, but getting out for a walk with a friend at your side who is there to share your time and help lessen your load is incredibly valuable.  It made me sad for all those people out there who don’t have an animal friend, the friendship of an animal is such a blessing on so many levels and it is a relationship that really has a wonderful balance of give and take. Most of the dogs I walk , don’t live with me on a full time basis, and yet they seem to have an understanding of who I am, normally when I walk with them I chat away to them, but when I am quiet, they seem to sense that those are the days that I could really use a lick on my nose.  Mia, when I dropped her off at home, went as far as to nuzzle her head into me as I cleaned her paws, and just stayed there when I was done, she gave me a kiss and wagged her tail, one of the high lights of my afternoon.

I was out this beautiful sunny morning, walking with one of my dog friends , she’s a beautiful black lab and such a love.  This morning we were heading toward the park and bumped into another black lab in our area who is her buddy.  It was so much fun to watch the two cavort in the snow, jumping all over one another, tails wagging.  It is interesting that this particular dog that was so happy and exuberant to see her, is the same dog that barks and raises his hair when he sees a lot of my other clients.  Just like we like to pick and choose our friends, so too do our Canine friends.  I just wish sometimes I could get the inside scoop and ask my canine companions  why do you like this dog, but not that one?  My four legged  girl friend this morning, is also very discerning about who she likes to play with and who she can’t be bothered with, she is not only this way with other dogs, but also with the people she encounters.  She is so beautiful that people often approach us and want to pet her and say hello and I have to ask them not to as she recoils and will start to bark.  It’s not that she doesn’t want to know new people, she just needs time to process and take them in on her own terms.  What struck me the most this morning is that often people assume, all Labs are friendly and that dogs like one of my clients that is an American Bull dog, are the reverse, scary and aggressive towards other dogs and people.  Big dogs, small dogs, and regardless of breed,  we have to learn to not make assumptions and accept that we must put our biases aside and allow our canine friends the space and optimal situations to get know the people  and other animals they encounter out in the world they interact with.  And to not admonish them if they aren’t friends with everyone they meet, they too should be allowed to decide whom they are compatible with.

This past weekend I was visiting with family for a Robbie Burns dinner, lot’s of fun and laughter.  I was recounting some comical experiences when out doing my dog walks.  I was reminded of a time when I used to live near a park where some pretty sketchy people hung out,  and it was very close to an area where there had been a couple of stabbings.  The neighbourhood was generally safe, but I always tried to make sure I was paying attention to my surroundings.   This one particularly cold, wintry day I was out walking Luna, Tramp and Belle, three gorgeous Labs, through the deserted park.  I was standing along the path when I noticed a guy standing  at the far end by some play equipment pacing back and forth, but the next thing I knew, he was running in my general direction.  At first I wasn’t sure if he was on the same trajectory as I was going, but  as luck would have it as I considered turning around to leave, Tramp decided it was time to go number two.  As this man got closer I got a little nervous, and wasn’t sure what to do, I was with Labs, whose general nature is to lick you to death then growl, and I had no clue what this guy wanted.  I looked around, and I was on my own, and I thought ‘what will I do if his intentions aren’t of a generally warranted nature?’   Frankly, I was more worried about the dogs, than I was about me.  And then it struck me, I had a bag over my hand, ready to stoop and scoop, and had an epiphany, I bent down quickly to grab the 120 pound dogs excrement, not a small deposit I might add! As the man got right up to us, I held the poop up in my hand in way that said “buddy, one step closer and this is in your face.”  He stopped dead in his tracks, stared at the poop, eyes wide, he didn’t say a word and took off in a different direction.  Usually, when I am out walking I can’t find a garbage can fast enough, but I remind myself sometimes who needs pepper spray, when you have “pootection”.