Waiting for Spring

It's amazing how time gets away from you and before you know it, it's been forever since I have posted to the blog.

It's not that I haven't been doing anything but the blog seems to fall to the bottom of the list.

So what's new... The book was finally released with the 15 day old pictures of the Alex x Tipper litter from last spring. The photographs are gorgeous. It is titled "Newborn Puppies" by Traer Scott. It helps to tell about how horrible puppy mills are.

We have also been working on our own book about Apple & Whitney 2 beautiful deaf gives who were given special homes and are showing the world how special deaf dogs can be, rather that being euthanized because they couldn't hear.

We have also been showing Sizzle who is close to her championship,

They daycare dogs have been literally climbing the walls for spring and today is the first day in a long time that there hasn't been any snow in the yard.

We have some new clients including Nacho, Rio, Scout and Willow.

Childhood memories on an almost Spring Day

Despite being February 15th the weather is almost spring like. Granted I am dressed in long silk underwear and two layers of fleece, but no hat, no boots and no gloves. There is not a cloud In the sky and you can almost hear the snow melting.the top layer gives the appearance of cotton candy but be ware there is too much yellow snow to consider taking a bite . The dogs are even enjoying the warmth as they bask in the sun. As I sit here I feel occasional space of cold That emanates from the melting snow. This sensation never fails to bring back a specific memory from my childhood. It was a day in March and I was riding my horse through the woods. I was wearing a short sleeve navy blue shirt and I was more than comfortable as "Mairi" and I galloped along the trails. Then we came across a space that still held the winter cold as we traveled down the trail. I know it was just the air from a melting pocket of snow but it brought a shiver to my spine non the less!

The Road Most Traveled by "Sea Dog"

Leopold, Leo for short  lives by the sea shore, as a matter of fact he lives right on the harbor. A little history about Leo. He is a black and tan Min Pin, 1 year old who yes came from a pet store. But his owner saw fit to provide Leo with the best opportunity to overcome the first 4 months of his miserable life and he has made great strides. He is amazingly smart. It doesn't take him long to pick up on stuff. Good and bad. if I ever got a little dog it would be a Leo dog. He's got a big dog personality in a compact little body.
A few weeks ago I took to bringing Leo home after a day of daycare. It is about an 8 mile drive to his house.  I find the first view of the water and boats and the smell of the sea  almost as good as a cocktail at the end of the day.
The first few trips were uneventful. But last week as soon as we turned into his drive way Leo let out a little..."Hey everyone I'm home". He did it all three days!
Now people will tell you all the time about how their dogs hear the car when their owner turns into their street, or their dog sees a familiar landmarks and starts getting excited. I know my dogs can be returning from a dog show sound asleep and as soon as I turn into our road up their heads pop. So I got to thinking.
How did Leo know he was home. He couldn't see out the windows because he was in his carrier on the front seat  with his seat belt attached. Unlike an owners car his house wasn't making any noise. Could he sense the amount of time in the car? Did he feel the car climb up the incline to his house? How did he know?
And then last Friday evening it dawned on me as I gulped in the unmistakable smell of a low tide and heard the sailboat lanyards lightly clinking on the masts. Leo who's hearing and sense of smell was a hundred times better than mine knew he was home by the smell of the sea.

The Cast Iron Stomach...

One of my dogs will puke at least once a week. I spend a lot of money on dog food and despite that my dogs prefer crap they find on their travels. I tell people all the time I wonder why I bother to buy good quality food when they prefer dirt and grass.

Not having the double stomach like most grazing animals the grass always finds itself back in the yard. And as I write I hear that well known sound and sure enough  Tipper just deposited a big pile of food on the rug.

So when Margaux's owner told me she had been puking once or twice a week for the past few months it didn't seem to be too much of a concern to me especially when she also mentions that she chews and eats everything she can find. Typical of a puppy and a lab. But her owner had decided to bring her to the vets. Margaux was diagnosed as probably being allergic to her food. Her food was changed and she was no longer puking. Seemed as though the vet was right.

Now I love my vet dearly but having multiple dogs it needs to be serious before I pick up the phone.

Being in dogs for multiple decades I trust my instincts when it come to a vet visit.

If a dog is limping but will put weight on a limb, I check the paw and put the dog on crate rest and leash walks.

If a dog has diarrhea and no fever I rest the gut for 24 hours and start a meal of oatmeal and chicken. Some people like the hamburg and rice but I prefer the oatmeal. if there's anything in the stomach it seems to bind to the oatmeal.

Same goes for vomiting.

For simple cuts and punctures, cleaning the wound , some antibiotic cream and just watching the wound usually does the trick.

Fevers, not drinking or eating, lethargy (after all the saying sick as a dog has some merit) and we are in the car.

Sunday morning rolled around and Margaux puked. Being a long time student of poop and puke I was intrigued by the small little currents in her puke. On further investigation I realized they were tiny pieces of black plastic. The same plastic that her crate tray was made of. The same crate tray that she has been snacking on for months. Her owner has purchased a new crate with a metal tray which hasn't arrived yet but I'm betting on Margaux being allergic to her crate tray rather than her food! 

Defying the Odds

Take a minute to watch this video......


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8zKndhTCy8

Wow...

I didn't realize how long it's been since I posted to the blog. This week is quiet at Sit Stay and Play with 4dogs on vacation.... like they aren't every day right!

anyway to fill in the gap I am posting a slideshow of the puppies when they were 7 weeks old. Friday they turned 3 months and their dad turned 2 years yesterday.

The Heat is On and...

you need to pay special attention to your dogs.
Once the temperature gets above 75 degrees you CAN NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG IN THE CAR UNATTENDED. While you might think its cool enough with windows cracked or the sunroof open , it can still reach temps above 105 degrees in a matter of minutes.Temperatures this high will actually cook your dog! So you might think it would be nice to take your dog for a ride, but do them a favor and leave them home.
Water is very important...lots of cold fresh water. Once I hear the weather is getting warm, I start freezing big ice cubes. I use a 3 inch round tupperware container. The trick is keeping the dogs from removing the cube from the water bucket.

Bailey and Margaux...beating the heat.

Just like people exercise should be limited during the heat of the day. If your dog needs to run keep it to the early morning and late evening.
Dogs can suffer from heat stroke and it requires immediate emergency treatment. Dogs do not tolerate high temperatures as well as humans. Because dogs cool their body by panting, when the temperature is close to the thier body temperature it becomes difficult to cool their bodies.
Heat stroke begins with rapid, frantic , noisy breathing, the tongue is bright red, and saliva is thick. They will frequently vomit and their temperature can reach 106 degrees or higher. It is very important to cool your dog immediately and get them to a vet.
If possible keep your dog in a cool place. If your dog needs to stay outside, make sure he has shade all day and plenty of water that can't possibly be knocked over. If possible provide the dog with a pool of water.
Now if you should be crazy enough to exercise in 90 degree heat during the middle of the day, do your dog a favor and leave them home.