Just Catching Up

You’ve probably been wondering what happened to me, since Ciera went back to her parents. Well, we’ve been busy relaxing and getting back into our old routines.

Also, now that we don’t have a car any more, any shopping we do takes a good 40 minutes each way, instead of 5 minutes each way! That’s because we have to walk there and back. This is good for us, though, because we needed to get back in shape.

We’ve been walking a lot at night with Auntie Debby and Bubbles, the 8 year old Chihuahua. I don’t happen to like walking at night. Mummy always puts me on the leash at night, because there are so many black and white squirrels out after dark. She always walks ahead, because it’s her job to make sure the coast is clear ahead of us, and I walk behind to check on our rear. It’s my job to make sure there are no bad guys or predators - like coyotes, raccoons and big bad dogs - sneaking up behind us, so I have to keep stopping and looking back. It jerks on Mummy’s bad back, but better safe than sorry, I always say

Well, when we walk with Debby and Bubbles, they rush off ahead with Debby still talking, while I’m dragging Mummy backwards..... I think it bugs Debby. Bubbles doesn’t care, because she’s off leash!! I’d think that wasn’t fair, but Bubbles did get skunked a few weeks ago.... !!! :0)

One night, it began to rain just after we left home, and by the time we got to the halfway point in our route, it was just pouring, and I was soaking wet. Bubbles doesn’t mind the rain, because her coat is really short and has oil in it that repels the rain. I don’t have oil in my coat, so it gets wet and plastered to my back. It doesn’t feel good; I get cold; and then Mummy will have to get the hair dryer out to dry me off when we get home. It just takes too much time late at night.

Anyway, I wasn’t having much fun, so when we got to the exit for our place, I sat down and told Mummy I really didn’t want to walk any further. Auntie Debby was afraid that Mummy was letting me be in charge, but even I know that the human is always supposed to think THEY are in charge!!

Mummy wondered about that for a split second, but, she told me later, if I had been a child instead of a dog, and I was miserable, cold and wet. nobody would be worried about who was in charge!! She just thought picking me up and going inside was the right thing to do – and of course, I agree!!

I’ve seen my BFFF – Best Furry Friend Forever – Reba (see above!) a couple of times, recently. We don’t see each other as often as we’d like, even though she lives in the same building as Debby and Bubbles. Reba and I have known each other most of our lives, and we always love to have a good long play fight when we run into each other.

The other day, Mummy had brought her camera along on our round-the-block walk, in case there were any pretty trees or flowers to photograph, but she decided to try out the videos function on her camera while Reba and I played. She has no idea how to make videos and no program to edit them with, but we’re both pleased with what she got. People think that I have a nice long coat, so I must be a spoiled Princess Frou Frou. Wrong-O!!! Here! Have a look!

　
Speaking of my long coat, Mummy thinks that my hair has finally grown back to the length it was over a year ago, just before I had the dreaded puppy cut. The hair at my shoulders, which is the longest, is exactly the same length it was almost 15 months ago. It is 6.5 inches long. The hair on my rump is shorter, though: it’s just barely 6 inches. And on my tummy, it’s 3.5 inches. My head is still really short, though.


I am one of those tri-colour Cotons, whose colour fades and fades for a year or so.... and then comes back!! Apparently most tri-colour Cotons fade to just about all white, but I’m not one of them! Mummy likes my colours, though: she especially loves the black streaks in my tail and the black collar I’m growing. I still have half of my moustache black, like it’s always been, too.
 

This afternoon, we walked over to the Safeway for some groceries. We ran into a woman and her dog whom we’d met the other day, so I went over to say hello. I don’t know what I did wrong, but the other dog, who was maybe 5lb heavier, decided she didn’t like me today and attacked me.
 
This has only happened a couple of times in my life, but it’s not a good idea for the other dog to try that stuff with me. I’m a pretty mellow dog, and I let other dogs play with my toys, but if someone wants a fight, I don’t back down, and I have really great reflexes. I only weigh 10 lb. under my 6 inch coat, but I’m no pushover!! My teeth are really sharp, and I’m ready to use them if I have to!!

I’m pretty sleepy now, so I’ll shut up for now….

Later ‘Taters!!

How Dogs "Know" Things

Mummy said I should try and explain dogs’ intuitions to you all. That’s a big subject, but I’ll try. (And remember, I’m only 2, so I don’t know everything yet!!)

First of all, everyone knows that Cesar Millan talks a lot about “calm assertive energy”. We dogs pick up on that so fast, we don’t even know we’re doing it! 

But a second factor in the equation – yes, I’m studying math.... ;0) – is the temperament of the dog. In my case, I am described by everyone who has ever known me - from Sara France to my mom, to her friends and the neighbours – as a “laid back” Coton. Of course, we all know there is really no such thing as a laid back Coton, but compared with others, that describes me pretty well. I love to play as much as the next dog, but I don’t mind sitting around looking at the scenery when my mom is talking to someone. If she wants to stay home and read, that’s fine. I’ll have a nap or visit the neighbours. So I have a fairly calm energy myself. I’m also somewhat assertive, but I do give way to older dogs that I should respect, like Ciera. If she tried to eat my food, it kind of ruined my appetite anyway, so I let her. I knew Mummy would give me some more later.

My friend Bean, who is now living with another family, but who used to live with Auntie Moira, was a nervous dog. He had never spent enough time with a family to know the protocols of family living – like where to go potty. Nor had he learned that a human can protect him. He was so used to having to protect himself that he was always on the look-out for trouble, when we went for walks. Trouble is, Auntie Moira was also on the look-out for potential problems, since she was afraid Bean would attack other humans and dogs. It was a case of Auntie Moira being a bit of a worrier anyway, even before she rescued Bean, and Bean being a worrier too. So neither of them ever got relaxed about going out for walks.

The reason I say he didn’t trust his mom to take care of herself is that he “knew” intuitively, that she wasn’t comfortable herself !! Auntie Moira just can’t stand the thought of bothering other people so she was nervous.

You might ask, well, who doesn't mind bothering other people? True, but as an example, my mom just doesn’t expect that either one of us is going to upset anyone. It’s not that she doesn’t care; it just doesn’t occur to her. I’m the same way. I have always expected people and other dogs to like me, since I almost always like them, so neither Mummy nor I are worrying about anything when we go out. Normally....

But things were different on Tuesday. Actually before Tuesday, Ciera and I noticed that Mummy was getting a bit tense. She was trying to get our apartment cleaned up and wearing herself out, doing it. Ciera and I knew that the way she was working was unusual - for her. She was pushing herself too hard. Also, we weren’t getting the same walks we normally get. Something was going on!!

When Mummy started unloading the trunk of the car one day, we began to zero in on what was happening. All of a sudden, stuff I’d never seen before was coming out of that trunk, and most of it smelled like Uncle Jim and Auntie Clare!! We hadn’t smelled them in MONTHS!!! And some of the stuff also smelled like Ciera! Some of her stuff turned out to be in the trunk of the car, too. (Mummy had packed a lot of her things in the trunk, since Ciera didn’t need them, and we are short on space at home.)

OK, so this told us that, whatever was going on, it must have something to do with Ciera, and her mom and dad. Of course, Ciera wasn’t sure what it was, so she got worried, and then, so did I. Well, when Mummy took Ciera to the groomer, we both wondered if there was some connection. Was Mummy going to give Ciera away to someone else – like the groomer, or someone who would be visiting him? When she left Ciera there, I was hoping she had just forgotten her..... Boy, was I ever glad when we went back and got her later!!

But we were doing other weird things that day. Getting the car washed. There were a lot of strange looking little people crawling all over the car and shooting us with hoses. It was a bit scary, and Ciera and I were already nervous. We could tell Mummy was nervous too. She was in a hurry and a bit impatient with us. Plus, you know how people – and animals – give off pheromones telling us when they are nervous, angry, happy or even sick. Yep, we were sure getting that message.


We went home, and Mummy was still rushing around. We didn’t even have time for dinner!! And then back we piled into the car and drove out to the airport!!! Well, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going any place, but Ciera and I both began to wonder if maybe she was. 

Neither one of us was expecting what really happened though!!

When Mummy took us over to where the escalator was, we sat very quietly, because we were worried and overwhelmed. People don’t communicate well with dogs, because their human noses don’t work very well, and they don’t know how to read – or give – body language. When I suddenly heard Uncle Jim cry out, “There they are!” I was thrilled, because now I knew that we had a happy reason for being at the airport. I was so thrilled I ran right over to him for a kiss, forgetting all about poor Ciera, who couldn’t see or hear him. It took her a long time to figure things out, because of that, along with all the commotion and smells of other people arriving and meeting their own families.


When she finally realised that her mom and dad had come home, she wasn’t too sure that she was safe yet, even after we all got in the car together. She was “reading” Uncle Jim and Auntie Clare’s vibes, and they were not happy campers. It had been a very long day for them; in fact, it had been a very long 5 1/2 months! Well, you know how it is when you’re already worried and upset and have been rushing around and not having your nap – or even dinner? You’re already psyched for bad news, and nothing that was happening was making things seem better. We had to drive to unfamiliar places and park, and Auntie Clare got out of the car and left us all.... We dogs had no idea that she was going into the Safeway to get groceries!

Finally, however, we did get back to her place, and the first thing Ciera did was sniff her familiar patches of grass while the humans stood around. When we went into her own apartment, it smelled funny, because strangers had sub-let the place for a few months but, since it was after 9:00 at night and the proper time, Mummy tossed bits of lamb and rice treats on the kitchen floor, which turns out to be where Ciera’s parents do it, and she began to feel better. We both did, plus.... we were hungry!! 

Next thing you know, Auntie Clare was making up the bed with fresh sheets and horsing around with Ciera the way she always used to, so Mummy and I felt a whole lot better about things when we left to have Uncle Jim drive us back home. That was last Tuesday.

........................................................................

Today - the next Tuesday - we had a BIG surprise!! (At least, I did!) The doorbell rang, and Mummy told me Ciera was here! I flew off the bed and raced down the hall to meet her. I was so excited to see that she was OK, that I couldn’t stop flinging myself on her and hugging her!! Mummy and Auntie Clare sat around and talked for a while, then we all went to Whole Foods and got lunch to eat outside, the way we always used to. It was just so great to see Ciera and her mom and to know that Ciera is a LOT happier, now she knows her mom didn’t abandon her 5 months ago, and everything is OK after all!!


Anyway, I hope this helps you understand a bit more about how dogs’ “intuition” works, that you will be able to figure out how to communicate better with your dog, or at least learn how to figure out what your dog is thinking....


Well, I need my nap now.....

Ciera has Gone Home

There sure have been a lot of changes around here in the last few days!!

Ciera had to go to the groomer on Tuesday. She was really dirty, because we’d been to the offleash beach 3 times last week! I don’t get quite as dirty as Ciera does, because I don’t have oil in my hair, and the sand and dust just fall out. On Ciera, it sticks. Then it gets on “her” pillowcase”!

Mummy was acting a bit funny that day, and I wasn’t sure what was up. When we left Ciera at the groomer, I waited outside and kept looking back, to tell Mummy we had forgotten her! But Mummy said, no, we’d come back and get her later, which we did. I was so glad to see Ciera – don’t ask me why!! – that I ran up to her and threw my arms around her neck. I don’t think she was quite as glad to see me, though..... But then, she doesn’t see anything very well.

Mummy had been busy un-packing things from the trunk of the car, bringing them upstairs and packing them again. (I don’t understand humans sometimes.) Once the car was completely empty, we took it to the hand car wash. That was kind of fun, because there were a lot of short dark people in red coveralls hosing the car down and smiling at us. After a while, we got out of the car and watched, along with some other people who were doing the same thing. Some little girls came over and played with us, too. Their mom was really pretty and nice. She had 3 little girls and a baby in one arm! Another woman came along, who also liked me. She was waiting for a Volkswagen Beetle convertible. It looked like a car to me, though.

After that, we went home, loaded up the car with all the stuff we’d taken out of it – Mummy said we’d done that, so the dark skinned people could vacuum the trunk – and drove to the airport. I’ve been there once or twice before, and so has Ciera.

There was a sign on the terminal door that said “No Dogs” but Mummy says we aren’t dogs; we’re puppies!! So we all went in and stood around something called a baggage carousel. Lots of people came past and stopped to say hello to me. For some reason, most of them were men. They got right down on my level and messed with my hair! Ciera didn’t pay any attention to them, though. Soon some people began to arrive in that room, so Mummy took us over to a place called an escalator to watch the people coming down stairs without moving their legs! 
Ciera and I stood there politely, wondering why Mummy wanted to be there – and at first we thought it was so the people could stop and say hello to us. Then, out of nowhere, we heard a familiar voice, calling out, “There they are!” and suddenly who did we see?? Why, it was Uncle Jim and Auntie Clare, Ciera’s dad and mom!! I was so thrilled I ran right over to the bottom of the escalator with my tail going in circles, so I could say hello!!

Uncle Jim moved to one side though, so the people behind him could come down. Meanwhile, Ciera sat there, not knowing what was going on!! Mummy took her over to see her mom and dad, and eventually she recognised him.... but not her own mom!!!! I could see that Auntie Clare was really hurt by that, but she was just standing there, and Jim was on the floor with Ciera, so that might be why. Poor Ciera was getting really disoriented! She kept looking for my Mummy, instead of her own. When Auntie Clare finally picked her up, Ciera struggled to get away! But when Uncle Jim picked her up, that was OK. When we were all leaving the terminal, one of those information women came rushing over to us to tell us that dogs aren’t allowed in there!! That’s probably because earlier, Mummy had been a wee bit sneaky, detouring around racks of carts whenever she saw Airport Security or anyone else with a uniform on, and waiting for Jim and Clare behind a pillar.....

Uncle Jim got in our car and drove us all to the Safeway to get some food for their place, since they’d been away 5 1/2 months, then we went back to their place. Ciera was finally feeling a bit better, because she got to sit on her mom’s lap on the way, and she recognised their building and the yard. She was happy to sniff all her favourite clumps of grass, but when Uncle Jim went to the front door and called her to come, she didn’t hear him and carried on walking away, sniffing. Mummy and I are used to that, but Uncle Jim must have forgotten that Ciera is deaf, because the next thing he did was whistle for her! Of course, Ciera kept right on going, and Mummy was mesmerised, she said, and just stood there, until Uncle Jim finally let the door go and went and got Ciera. We had to do that all the time when Ciera was living here!

I was glad we got to go inside and see where Ciera lived. She remembered it well, and went straight to the kitchen, looking for food. Her mom and dad were busy – Jim was turning on lights and checking to see how the place looked after a few people had stayed there, and Clare was putting fresh sheets on the bed. Mummy knew what time it was, though, so she got some of the lamb and rice sticks from the food bag that we’d packed for Ciera’s dinner and breakfast and threw them on the kitchen floor. I thought I’d like some too, though, so Mummy threw 2 sticks. Neither Ciera nor I had had any dinner with all the stuff that was going on.

Then Ciera got to play with her mom who was throwing sheets and pillows around on the bed. I guess they always do that, because Ciera was pouncing on the pillows Clare was shaking into cases, and jumping around under a sheet Clare threw on top of her. Clare tried to do the same thing with me, but Mummy and I don’t play when she’s making the bed, so I was just scared. We play when Mummy and I are in the already made-up bed, instead!! I like to jump on Mummy and lick her to death, and bite her hand under the sheets, and have her wrestle me to the mattress and rub-a-dub-dub my tummy!

We left them there and Uncle Jim drove us home. He was really tired! They had flown from the Canary Islands, but not Tenerife, to Madrid, to Toronto and finally to Vancouver. It took them 21 hours!! And I don’t think either of them was in a good mood when they got home!!

It was weird coming home and having the bed all to myself, but I had never slept on the pillows Ciera took over, anyway. Since then, I get to eat my dinner without “someone” looking over my shoulder and trying to get to it first!! But I kind of liked Mummy feeding me by hand, so I’m holding out for more of that!

Now we don’t have the car any more, we have been walking to the stores to get things. This is fine, though, because we can walk a LOT faster without Ciera! This afternoon, we walked to Dundarave, which – when Ciera was here – took about an hour. Without Ciera, it maybe took 20 minutes! And I got to play with my toys all the way over and back, too!! Mummy said she was so thrilled when we had to cross a busy street, and we didn’t have to stop in the middle and go looking for Ciera, or go and grab her if she was ahead.

So I don’t think I miss Ciera as much as I thought I would. Besides, the night we left Ciera at her own home, we came home and ran into Debby and Bubbles right away! We always go for walks with them at night anyway, so that was no different from usual, except we could walk faster.


The next day after she left us, we had a visit with Moira and Taffy and saw almost every dog we know in the neighbourhood! So the only change in our routine is that we don’t have to keep watching out for Ciera all the time and can have more fun. And.... Mummy can stop and talk to her friends, because I always sit right there and wait while she does it. Ciera always kept wandering off.

Yesterday, I had a bath, so that took a lot of time. Mummy likes the Tropiclean Puppy Shampoo for me and even more for herself! Mummy has grey hair that she lies to pretend is still blonde, and it makes it look much shinier. We aren’t quite as delighted with the conditioner, though. It does a good job, but it takes a LOT of rinsing to get it out! We learned from Sonya Paterson that you have to rinse the conditioner out really well, or my hair gets sticky really fast. With the Vellus, the shampoo is harder to rinse out, but the conditioner is easy!

This afternoon, Auntie Moira dropped in for a while, then a former neighbour of Mummy’s came for tea. When we went to Dundarave (high street) I met a lady in a wheelchair who was pretty and maybe in her mid-40s, but she had twisted hands and mumbled a bit. Mummy thinks she might have cerebral palsy. I sat on the lady’s lap and got quite comfortable, while she and her handsome boyfriend chatted with Mummy.

We also stopped to talk to Kenya the cat’s mom. She said he was inside eating dinner, but if we waited, she’d see if he wanted to come out and say hi. He did, but then he started to cross the street with a car coming!! Whoa!! I ran out to the middle of the street to get him to come back, but he wouldn’t follow me. Then Mummy ran out and picked ME up instead, while Kenya just strolled to the far side of the street. We felt sorry for the poor driver, who was waiting and waiting, thinking something was wrong with the cat! No, he just goes across the street, his mom said, to catch birds!!
 

Now it’s time for my dinner. It looks OK, but I’m going to see if I can get Mummy to persuade me to eat it!! ;0)

Chanel's 2nd Birthday

My birthday was on September 2nd, and I was 2 years old! Mummy says that means I’m almost a grown-up now! I’m not sure what she meant by that, though. Like, is there something I have to stop doing, or something I have to start doing, or some way I’m supposed to think about the world around me? I guess I’ll find out soon enough, so I won’t worry about it. I’m not really a worrier, anyway. My goal in life is to have a good time, and I don’t think that’s going to change. Mummy says that’s always been her ambition too, and she hasn’t changed even though she’s MUCH older than I am!!

We really celebrated my big day, too!! Mummy told me how important my birthday is, because if it weren’t for my birthday, I wouldn’t be here! First thing we did was get the birthday cakes. I would have been quite happy with the Dairy Queen ice cream log, but Mummy insisted on getting me a real doggie birthday cake. It was a brown layer cake in the shape of a heart, with a little round liver treat on top, and it sure was delicious! We went down to Auntie Moira’s place and got Taffy and Moira to help us eat the goodies. Mummy even put 2 pink candles on one of the cakes. She said she would have put them on MY cake, but it was too hard to get the candles into it, so she put them on the ice cream instead.

After we wore Auntie out, Ciera and I got to go to the beach and strut around. I was wearing my red and white party collar, which looked really great with my red bow and red leash. A lot of people stopped to admire me and say, “Happy Birthday”.

We watched a lot of big dogs running around on the beach and swimming after logs and frisbees their parents threw for them. I have a frisbee too, but I don’t like to get my feet wet. In fact, I don’t like to play fetch very much, either. What I like to do with a frisbee is bring it back near Mummy, but not too close, and then wrestle her for it!! We have lots of fun doing that! We go eyeball to eyeball and growl at each other.... and I think I win more than she does!

Anyway, we weren’t playing frisbee on Thursday, so when I met a Havanese puppy who was in the same mood as I, we had a great time chasing each other around, growling and jumping on each other!! It was lots of fun!

 

 

Ciera was with us, but she never plays. She’s too old, but Mummy says Ciera has never played with a toy in her entire life!! That’s hard to believe! I wonder what she did for all those years, if she never played?? It must have been really boring!

Today, when we went for our first walk, which is always around the block, we came across Uncle Angus, who lives there. He was really happy to see me, and I was just as happy to see him. He even decided to walk with us the rest of the way around the block. He just broke up with his girlfriend, and I think he’s lonely and hurting, so we were glad to cheer him up.

He says he wants to go for more walks with us..... He even tells Mummy how good looking she is, but he’s way younger than she is!! Maybe he thinks she’s rich – hahaha!! Besides, Mummy isn’t very good looking now, because she had a big skin cancer taken off her nose, and it’s still bruised and swollen!! Yuk!!

Later on, we went to the beach again. We never get tired of it, because we always meet lots of other dogs there! Lots of other nice people, too. And tonight, we went for a walk on the Seawalk with Auntie Debbie and Bubbles. Ciera is getting used to me at long last – after 5 1/2 months! She has touched noses with me a couple of times in the last week, and even smelled my bum today!

Trouble is, her mum is coming home from Europe on Tuesday and wants her back. Ciera doesn’t know that yet, though, because she’s deaf. Mummy says Ciera will be really glad to see her mum and dad, even though she hasn’t seen them in such along time. I just don’t know if she’ll be glad when she gets home, and I’m not there.

Actually, I’m not sure if I’ll be glad to get rid of her or not, either. She’s no fun, but I’m kind of used to her company. It’ll be weird being the only dog: getting to sleep on the pillow beside Mummy if I feel like it, not having Ciera eat my food before I get a chance at it, not having to wait all the time when we’re out walking, for Ciera to catch up..... I think I might find myself looking around for her and making sure she’s OK. She can’t see very well, either.....

But, right now, we’re all OK. Ciera is already asleep on the pillow, and the crickets are chirping away outside our window. I’M just waiting for Mummy to turn out the lights, and I can settle in beside her.

Talk to you again soon....

Getting along....

Mummy wants me to tell you about last night before I talk about today.

We were playing, and I was chasing Mummy down the hall and outside for our last potty break of the day. Mummy was wearing her mary jane style slippers, and I was trying to et them off her!! we were both having lots of fun, until I grabbed them just when she was off balance, and she fell. I’m pretty good at that kind of timing, I must admit!!

Well, poor Mummy staggered and then fell hard onto the cement driveway. The little finger of her right hand bent backward at right angles to her finger, as she put out her hand to stop her fall! LOL! And she got a really big scrape on her knee! Suddenly I realised it wasn’t so funny. Mummy seemed to be hurt, so I went to see if she needed me to lick her leg and make it feel better. I tend to think it’s my job to make sure everyone is OK, whether it’s a dog or a human, and that it’s my job to break up fights, too....

Mummy said she was OK, so we went and did our potty, and when Mummy got home, she washed her knee with peroxide and her leg and put Polysporin on them. She wrapped a small bandage around her finger, not because it was bleeding but because the skin had started to split!! Weird!!

When we got up today, Mummy had a headache. It was also a hot day, so on our first walk of the day, we first went and sat in the shade by the steps at the foot of 22nd Street, then we walked around the block – with Ciera dragging along way back. It irritates me that we have to stop and wait for her every 6 steps or so!! And when we stop to wait, half the time she slows down and begins to sniff every blade of grass.... Thankfully, we always have a throw toy to chase and kill the time.

It was hot today – 24C – so we didn’t play a whole lot, and after we got home and had breakfast, we all went down for a nap. Mummy had a headache today, so she napped too. And then when the sun got lower, and the temperature dropped a bit, we drove over to the Offleash park. There were hordes of people there, picnicking and getting their dogs to swim, so we met lots of dogs. Ciera wasn’t keeping up, but at least her tail was a bit higher today.

We met an 8 month old Pomeranian/Border Collie cross, and his Japanese mom. She spoke pretty good English but with an accent. Her dog was lots of fun!! He looked mostly like a Pom-sized border collie, except that his muzzled was narrow and pointy like a Pom. When Mummy started throwing my toy, he came along and took it away!! Grrrr!! I knew what to do and began chasing him! He was game, of course, but not as smart as me. Hehehe. I could figure out where he was going to be in a split second and deke to catch him. He was a wee bit faster than I am, but by deking and reversing, I kept up with him for the most part.

Mummy said she was just thrilled to see me playing like that. It had been so long since I’d had any real fun. Which is true....

On our way back to the car, the sun went down, and it got dark really quickly! Just as we were exiting the Seawalk, a couple of teenage boys, maybe 16-17, rode up on bikes, stopped, took out two small silver cans and drank from them really quickly, while talking loudly and sounding out of control. Mummy told me later that they made her nervous, and she almost never gets nervous! However, I didn’t recognise the behaviour as indicating potential danger and went up to one of the boys. I have to pat myself on the back.... I went up to them and made eye contact. The kid, who was tall as a tall man bent over to say hello and then talked to Mummy.

Mummy says, it’s always best to be friendly with people, because they are less likely to attack us or do something mean. So she and the boy talked about the dog he used to have, and then the boys rode away, telling us to have a good evening. Mummy also always tells people that she knows she’s safe from predators when she’s with me, because if a malefactor came along with bad ideas on his mind, I will charm him so much that he’ll forget what his original intention was!!

I’m not sure that would always be the case, but I do think our chances will always be better if we are friendly than if we let negative thoughts take charge. We find that most people appreciate a friendly word. (Mummy learned that when she was working. A lot of her passengers were intimidated by the flight attendants, which meant some of them would, like, cower in their seats, afraid to ask for anything, while a few others would get aggressive from the start. Mummy’s technique was always to surprise them by being agreeable. If someone rang the bell in the middle of dinner and wanted a drink or a blanket, or something that meant interrupting what she was doing, she always pretended it was a pleasure to stop everything.... Also it made the entire load of people feel more cheerful.

So you can see why we are soul mates.

 

Taking Care of Ciera

Ciera woke up feeling really sick yesterday. She could hardly walk, and her tail hung between her legs, which we’d never seen before. We only got half a block from home, when Mummy realised Ciera wasn’t going to make it around the block. In fact, she couldn’t even make it home! She was staggering and walking really slowly, with her usually smiling face showing only concentration to put one foot in front of the other, so Mummy carried her home.

There was a big crowd in the lobby,for some reason, and everyone wanted to know why Mummy was carrying Ciera and what was wrong with her. But we didn’t know!! Auntie Carole, who lives just two doors down the hall from us, always knows what people should do, regardless of the problem. She didn’t want us to take Ciera to the vet; she thought we should wait a day or two. And as usual, Mummy didn’t do what Carole thought was best! We took her to the vet anyway.

Good thing, too. Ciera’s temperature was 104.6, which, according to what we found online, requires an emergency call to the vet! A dog’s normal temperature is (roughly) between 100 and 102F. She had blood taken and made a big stink about it back in the examining room, shrieking like a baby, only worse!! We were reminded of the last time she got sick, a few months ago, and the poor doctor tried to get blood. Auntie Norma, who has since moved away, was there visiting her cat, Daisy, and she got really upset with the doctor and was shouting at him!! Mummy finally had to tell her to stop it!!

Ciera is such a drama queen; she likes to milk every moment!! If I brush past her, she staggers as if I’d slammed into her and nearly knocked her over. She is always hungry, and pants louder and louder to show how she is really starving to death. She always gets off the bed, using the steps, when Mummy is grooming me, and I’m having a nice nap; then she wants to get back up a few minutes later, but cannot use the steps. She pants and whines and gives big tragic eyes, and jumps up on the side of the bed, then she goes around and tries the other side. She will NOT stay on the floor and play with toys or entertain herself, or have a nap!!! Mummy says she is simply the centre of the universe. I say she is slow and boring, and I’m getting tired of having to stop and wait for her every few yards.

It would be even worse, if we were both on leash! Ciera won’t – and probably can’t - keep up with us. She was trained to walk off leash and refuses to walk on it.... unless Auntie Debbie has the leash!! Auntie Debbie, who is Bubbles the Chihuahua’s mom ( Gee, is Bubbles ever a common name! Like Daisy! We know several Daisys and one Daisy Mae) is a dog whisperer.

 

Last night, we got to leave Ciera at home, since she wasn’t up to a walk, and was it ever nice to walk fast and even run, without having to stop and wait and wait and wait!!

 

Ciera’s mom and dad emailed the money to pay the vet bill from Malta, where they have their boat moored, and Mummy deposited it to her bank account without even getting out of bed today! Wheee!!! Mummy says she remembers a time when people got paper cheques, which they had to take to the bank and stand in line to deposit. When she was a child, banks were only open from 10:00 a.m. til 3:00 p.m. and never on week-ends. In fact, the stores always closed for Wednesday afternoons! It was called Wednesday half holiday. People talked to a live telephone operator, who put their calls through to the person they wanted to talk to!! If they wanted to make a long distance call, they made an appointment with the operator, and letters overseas were written on rice paper. A local stamp was 3c and an overseas stamp was 5c. Oh, and music was put on breakable discs that you paid 98 cents for at the music store and played on a high-fi!!

Well, we took Ciera along tonight for our bed-time walk, and she was walking as fast as she normally does! But she was still listing to port and losing her balance a bit. Mummy is now wondering is the Metacam drops Ciera gets in her food might have caused the elevated liver enzymes.

That’s all for now. I can hardly stay awake. Mummy and I played toss & tug of war with my roadkill toy for a long time tonight. It was lots of fun, especially when I learned how to jump over Mummy’s outstretched legs to chase it!

August Action

Hi Everyone!!

We’ve had a busy week, and I was too tired to write it all down.

We went to two different off leash dog parks - on different days, of course!

The first one was the one we normally go to at Ambleside. There are a lot more people and dogs there, with a nice beach to run around and dig on, but most of the dogs who go there are big ones, who either don’t pay any attention to us little dogs or see us as prey. There is also a grassy area to chase balls on, but because it’s somewhat confined, it gets really chewed up and dirty. Besides, I don’t like chasing balls on it!

Mummy took lots of pictures, and her favourite one is of me barking at a couple of teenagers who were necking on what they had probably hoped was a secluded bench. Well, it wasn’t!! It was located right where we turned off the back road to return through the woods to the beach again. Well, I thought it was in really poor taste for them to be all wrapped up in a ball together, so I made my displeasure known. Hahaha!! And I refused to stop barking at them, too!! Mummy was laughing so hard, that might have spoiled the romantic moment too, I don’t know. Whatever – and I prefer to think it was my stentorian barking – they did get up and leave!! Job well done, I say!!

Another fun sight was a Boxer who was just approaching the beach with his owners, when he spotted a dozen or so Canada Geese swimming past. He leaped down the rocks into the water and swam valiantly after the birds, who just headed further out from shore. I must say he gave it a great effort, but the birds got away and he had to come back to shore empty mouthed. His owners said he does that every time he sees a bird in the water!!

The second place we went to was an off leash park in North Vancouver that we’d been hearing about all summer. How there were mostly small dogs there. So we went to have a look on Friday. It was a completely different kind of experience. It was along the shore in North Van, but there was no beach. Anyone who wanted to get down to the water’s edge had to climb down some pretty big rocks, and, if the tide was in like it was yesterday afternoon, there was no place to run around on. However, we did see one man throwing things into the water for his dog to swim after.

The area was mostly grass – like campground grass, not front lawn grass, with park benches scattered here and there over a long stretch. There were lots of small dogs, but they were not all bunched together. Their parents were sitting around in most cases, having picnics or throwing an occasional ball. Ciera and I had a nice time wandering up to them and introducing ourselves, while Mummy chatted with their owners. But we were all a bit shy, not knowing the protocol.

Still, when we met an elderly couple who seemed to want to meet me, Mummy put me on the lady’s lap and Ciera on the man’s lap. He was in a wheelchair. They were just delighted to have soft bodies to hug, and of course, I always like to give my fans a good kiss! Mummy thinks that elderly people – meaning people a LOT older than she is!! – should have a chance to cuddle me, since so many of them have had to give up their own dogs. So we do this a lot. I like it, but Ciera started squirming after only a few seconds. Mummy thinks she has a bad case of separation anxiety.

Ciera is deaf, so she can’t hear where we are, and her eyesight has gotten a lot worse in the last few months, so she can’t see Mummy unless she’s really close. Before we went to that park, Ciera was at the groomer for a few hours. Mummy feels guilty, because she cannot manage to groom Ciera as well as do me. That’s because Ciera hates being groomed!!! Her mom uses a slicker brush, and Mummy thinks it looked painful and that might be why Ciera can’t stand even a gentle comb. Anyway, she was pretty dirty, so we left her there and went back home for some alone time. When we picked her up, I wanted her to know how happy I was to see her, but she just turned her head away. I’m not convinced she likes me, even after nearly 5 months. I like her, though, and I always make sure she doesn’t get lost when she wanders off in another direction and forgets where we are.

 

We are very sad too, some of the time. A 90-ish couple had to put their 12 year old dog Katy to seep on Tuesday. She had had a funny incident in the spring, where she suddenly couldn’t walk!! Her dad, who used to be an RCAF Korean War veteran and whom Mummy likes a lot, carried her out to the front yard for her potty trips, thinking he was going to have to “euthanise” her, whatever that means, but gradually she recovered and for the last few months, Katy was acting like a puppy! She loved Mummy I think, or else she loved our Ziwi Peak kibble treats, because she was always delighted to see us. So we will miss her a lot. But her dad was way more upset than we were. We think that, besides the fact that they had spent 12 wonderful years together – with his wife, of course! - because he’s so old, that was probably their last dog ever. We wondered how it must feel when someone knows they don’t have enough time left on the planet to get another doggy. We noticed he was wiping his eyes and blowing his nose, once he thought we could no longer see him, so we went and gave him a hug.

Mummy gave me another bath a few days ago, too. I had a soft poop and then rubbed it into my back hair trying to get rid of it. I think it’s because I managed to persuade her to give me some of her ice cream! She had tried to clean it off me but didn’t do a very good job, because I still smelled. Also my coat was sticky from the TropiClean products we’d used. At least, we think that’s why. It is made partly from coconut oil.... My coat seems to be sun-bleached and dry right now. The sun has turned me from off white to yellow blonde, which I kind of like, personally.

 

Anyway, Mummy added a dollop of Satin Cream to the Static Stabilizer, and after sitting in (properly-diluted) conditioner for 45 minutes, she used the mixture to comb me out. I am soft as silk now!! But I had another, but lesser, messy poo today!! This time, Mummy sat me on the edge of the tub and cleaned my backside with a rinseless cleaner called Dry Kleen, which we’ve hardly ever used before. It did a great job, and there is no staining back there. After that, Mummy did what she thinks her friend Brigitte told her to do, and did another pass over my backside with the cloth dampened with a mix of conditioner and water, to keep the hair from drying out. We think it worked OK. Brigitte did say, though, to keep a detergent bottle with diluted shampoo and conditioner in it, so once we run out of Dry Kleen – if we ever do! – we will try Brigitte’s suggestion. No sense having cupboards full of all sorts of products we don’t use very often.

But, we do want one more! My paws have been bothering me the last couple of months. I don’t know if it’s an allergy, but it isn’t “nerves”, that’s for sure. Apparently, if a dog is paw chewing because of nerves, they usually only wreck one paw. I’ve been chewing the hair on all my paws! That tends to tangle them too, which makes it hard to get a comb through! We don’t know if the wet paws pick up greasy stuff when we’re out, but there is always dark oily stuff on the ends of my paw hair, too. Where does it come from? We never walk places that have noticeable grease lying around; could it be on the grass? Whatever, we hear Chris Christensen has a product with colloidal silver in it that might do the trick.

Mummy celebrated her 68th birthday a day early and had dinner with her kid sister Heather, who is 65. Her baby sister, Trish, who lives back east is only 64! Mummy and Heather always go to Milestones Restaurant for birthdays, and Mummy always has the salmon with rice. When you go there on a birthday, they always bring dessert with a sparkler on top. The waiter must really have been on the ball, because nobody actually told him it was Mummy’s birthday – since it wasn’t, really! – and he still produced a sparkler on Mummy’s dessert. Maybe the large bright orange bag, filled with brightly wrapped presents alerted him!!

We got to help celebrate too. Instead of leaving us at home (which would have meant Ciera driving all the neighbours crazy with her incessant barking!) Mummy brought us too and left us in the car, with water, food and my favourite roadkill toy. After she and Heather left the restaurant, we all walked around part of Park Royal Mall, sniffing and talking. Ciera, who is always thirsty, walked right into a fake river of 2 inch deep water and drank like a fish. A little girl went in with her and “helped” her. I had a sip myself, but from the dry edge. I don’t like to get wet. Heather and the little girl wondered if we could get sick from drinking there, but Mummy figured it was OK – since we were already drinking before she could stop us – because birds don’t go in there and have bird baths or dunk their food or worse.... use it as a potty.

And finally, tonight, when we went outside for our last bathroom break, Mummy decided she’d better harvest some of the huge Spanish lavender crop that is in our front garden. She does this every summer, before the gardeners chop it all down and throw it away. Last year, she took just the flowers, and not the stalks, and stored them in a pillowcase. We still have some left from last year, which we use for gifts, as well as in drawers and on the plants to discourage bugs.

It took her a while to rip off as much as her bag would hold, and she tied me to a post while she did it!! Waaah!! Apparently, just after she started the lavender heist, she saw a young skunk walk across the lawn on her side and cross the street. She thinks I still consider them to be black and white squirrels that need to be chased, even though I was skunked myself not too long ago! But of course I know what a skunk is!!! I just react faster than I think sometimes and begin to chase them before my brain has told me it’s a skunk!!

It was starting to sprinkle when we went out, which Mummy was quite put out about. She says it never rains on her birthday!! It's against the Law!! In fact, it’s not supposed to rain here in August at all, until the PNE opens!! That would be around the 20th of August, when it begins to rain constantly until the PNE is over and the kids go back to school. Right away, after Labour Day, the sun will come out, sure as shooting, and drive the kids inside those schools bananas!!

Well, Mummy is threatening to turn the light out on me, because it’s after my bed-time, so I’d better stop for now.

Cotonkisses to anyone who reads this!

Last night was my bath night, and I was too tired to write afterward. Mummy got some Tropiclean (puppy) shampoo and conditioner as an experiment, since her Coton friend, Dalva, says to change shampoos every now and then. Up to now, we had been using all Vellus products. We liked the Tropiclean stuff too, especially the coconut smell. The instructions didn’t say to dilute the products, but Mummy did it anyway, and that worked out well. We went to 3 stores looking for the face wash, and nobody carried it. In fact,t only one of the stores – 2 were big chains – had the conditioner. I think I looked pretty good afterward. Like all day today.

Before my bath last night, we went for a walk on the Seawalk around 10:00 p.m. Two different men told Mummy I should be on a leash. Mummy did put my leash on after the first man complained, but she got crabby when the second man complained, so she told him I did have a leash on. He then retorted that the leash was supposed to be in her HAND!! She managed to stuff a sock in her mouth; at least, that’s what she said she did! I didn’t see any socks anywhere, because she was wearing thongs!

Anyway, that got Mummy talking to me about politics. She said that it seems as if people have to elect politicians, even if they don’t like any of them. And they get paid a LOT of money to think up more and more laws that restrict people’s freedom and freedom of choice, and to think up more and more ways to spend taxpayers’ money on unnecessary projects that will help them get re-elected in their own ridings. Everything boils down to getting re-elected, so they can make even more laws and keep spending more money to get re-elected!!

 

Mummy has trained me to walk off leash. Since I first came to live here at 11 weeks of age, I have walked at her side and slightly behind her. I understand and obey commands to “Stop”, get “on the sidewalk” if I stray onto the road, “Sit” and “Shake a paw” – the correct, right front paw. When we go out, I like to be able to sniff bushes and chase toys that Mummy throws. I check for cars before I chase a toy onto the street, and I always bring it right back to the sidewalk. I NEVER run away!! Why should I, when I am free to walk or run whenever I want?

 

We have seen quite a few dogs who are never allowed off leash, and who run away the minute their owners loosen their grip on the leash for some reason, or wander into the street. Our friend Taffy got away from her mom, Moira, while she was trying to grab her brother Bean’s leash as he was trying to run away. Just then, Taffy saw another dog across the street, ran right into traffic and was hit. Luckily, she wasn’t hurt, but it was pretty scary. Bean was never allowed off leash, not even to play, but whenever Moira put a collar on him, instead of a harness, he could pull right out of it and run off. That’s when I had to chase him and bring him back!! But we may never see him again. Moira is too sick to take care of 2 demanding dogs, so she had to give Bean away.

We have noticed that almost people who keep their dog on a leash, think they can ignore the dog, and the don’t even notice when the dog wanders into people’s gardens or off the curb and part way into the street. A leash seems to mean to a lot of people that they don’t have to think about their dogs. It's kind of like the young parents who take their babies out for walks and spend the whole time talking and texting on their cell phones.

I’m good on leash, too, though. When we walk on a busy street, or when Mummy is in a hurry to go somewhere, I’m always happy to wear the leash and trot along beside her. But Ciera isn’t. She is really good at dragging along behind us and pulling the collar right over her head. She doesn’t like being on a leash. But she has also been trained and never leaves the sidewalk. She can’t see or hear now, so nothing distracts her, but she also doesn't stop for traffic. Mummy has to go and grab hold of her so Ciera won't wander right into the path of an oncoming car.

Well, that’s how we like to live. Chacun à son goût.... I wear a tag that Mummy pays for every year, I have a microchip that we know works, because we had the vet read it to make sure, and I’m a good, calm girl. We don’t tell other people how to treat their dogs..... although I know I’d be pretty upset if I saw someone with a dog that was being mistreated. I don’t like anyone to be unhappy or afraid, and I always like to go to them and make them feel someone cares.

Eating Well

It was nice and warm (24 C.) today, and even though Ciera and I like to walk and play in the shade, we still enjoyed the weather. We went around the block for our first walk and were joined by a flock of crows who expect us to share our breakfast with them. Breakfast is Ziwi Peak kibble, which is actually my favourite. Mummy uses it for treats, too. She hands out bits to Ciera and me, as we walk, and especially to me, when I refuse to let her have whatever toy she is throwing back!! The crows like it, too, of course, and they give it to their babies, who have been squawking a lot in the last few weeks. Mummy says they will soon be able to eat on their own, and things will quiet down. But I kind of like having all the crows around, because then I can chase them!! Ciera doesn’t do anything, though. She just walks and sits.

When we got back home, Mummy threw a small handful of Orijen hard kibble on the floor for Ciera. That’s Ciera’s only game: attacking and killing food that is thrown on the floor, plus it then gives Mummy time to put on the tea kettle and get us some more food!! Occasionally I eat some of the kibble, but usually I’ve had enough Ziwi Peak to keep from starving to death. Once Mummy has her own tea and toast made, she gives us either a couple of small frozen chicken necks, a couple of frozen gizzards or frozen hearts to eat. Gizzards are my very favourite, but I also like a chicken neck or heart every now and then.

Later on, we went out with Moira and Taffy again. Moira and Mummy decided that Taffy needs to learn that her mum can’t always be tossing a ball around for her, and she needs to earn to entertain herself. I’m pretty good at that myself. I love having a toy thrown for me, but I also like to explore the parklet and sniff things out. I also like to bark at everyone and their dog who goes by, which annoys Mummy. Ciera just goes under a bench and falls asleep.

 

Moira went to see her doctor today. Because it's pretty certain she also has cancer in her thyroid, along with more CNS symptoms, they are hoping to move up her chemotherapy as soon as they can. Linda, who is Paco the Chihuahua's mom, thinks Moira should sue the doctors who forgot about the tests she was supposed to have, and gave her the name of a lawyer, but Moira says she doesn't have the energy to do it. (Besides, stress is supposed to be bad for people wth cancer.)

We were all thrilled today when Murray showed up with Zoe, the bitty little Yorkie. She had a really bad bout of collapsed trachea, and Murray and Gage thought she might not make it. Zoe is a neat little girl, 4 years old and 3 lb. Gage always tells people that Zoe is NOT a Teacup Yorkie; she’s the runt of her litter!! We don’t know if that’s the reason she has the breathing problems, but anyway, we were sure glad to see her again.

Her dad was funny. He was dressed up in beige pants, a navy jacket and tie with gold sailboats on it. He had just come from some sort of party at the yacht club and was, so Mummy told me, three sheets to the wind!! I don’t quite understand the reference, but he was talking really loudly and boasting about all his racing wins of many years ago, and his breath smelled funny. He was happy, though, which is always a good thing.

 

 

We went to Whole Foods afterwards to get fresh eggs for our home made dinner. Mummy took 2 large bags into the store, though, and sure enough! She came back to the car with both of them filled!! When we got home, she cooked us dinner, and Ciera and I thought you might like to know what was in it.....

• About 2 tbsp fat: virgin coconut oil – which is suppossed to help the immune system, extra virgin Greek olive oil and dab of butter. (We are temporarily out of krill oil.)
• Enough ground meat for 6 dinners – tonight it was ground turkey, but sometimes it’s pork, chicken or beef.
• Two chicken livers cut into bite sized pieces. Sometimes she adds gizzards or hearts, and sometimes she doesn’t add any other meat.
• Enough frozen veggie ice cubes to almost equal the volume of the meat. The veggies come from the Korna Pet Food store and are a puréed mix of mostly green with squash, carrots and sweet potato, plus some vitamins. Mummy added another handful of frozen kale to the mix, because I really like kale!!
• A tablespoon, more or less, or powdered cranberry extract, for Ciera’s urinary tract. Sometimes she adds a few pinches of dehydrated kelp, too, but she didn’t do that tonight.
• Once all that was cooked, she added 2 organic brown eggs and mixed them in. The eggs kind of scramble with the food and binds it together so it doesn’t all crumble on the plate.
• Once everything was cooked through, she added 1/4 tsp. of Total Health vitamin supplement.
• And tonight, she added a spoonful of yogurt to each of our dishes. Another time, it might be a bit of cottage cheese. We think we might try kefir some time.

It tastes really good, and even Mummy likes to eat a bit of it!!

I don’t really like chicken livers, though, so I didn’t eat mine. Ciera, of course, inhaled every bit of her dinner, so Mummy doesn’t have to wash her dish!!

I picked at mine, which is what I always do. I don’t live to eat, and yet I’m still a comfortable armful!

All of this takes at most 10 minutes, and then we have to let it cook a bit. What didn’t go on our plates tonight is in the fridge now, but when Mummy makes a larger amount, which she might do, she could freeze it. She did that once before and it was easy to get the right amount of crumbled food out without doing any thawing in the microwave.

As you might guess, we are not health food freaks here. We just don’t like too many of the commercial brands of dog food. Mummy doesn’t add grains to our dinner, because we always beg for hers, and she shares some of it with us. Sometimes she even shares a bit of her ice cream with us too!! Mummy thinks that, if she has managed to hang in for nearly 68 years (she will be 68 on the 14th of August!) without eating a “scientifically” balanced diet that has been stuck in a metal or plastic-lined can and cooked to death, we can probably manage on a diet of normal good food, too. Heck, Ciera has survived 13 years eating kibble and hot dogs, greenies and lamb and rice treats! (Granted, she's deaf, nearly blind and a bit gaga.....)+

After dinner tonight, I did a bit more barking practise. Of course, I like to bark at Mummy, when I want her to play with me. I bark when I think a dog I know in this building might be going out for a walk, And I bark at other dogs, and people I see on the street. But tonight, while Mummy was just finishing her dinner, I decided to put on a little barking concert! I just barked and barked and barked...!! It was after 10 pm. – we eat late, like Spaniards – and Mummy thought some of the neighbours might be sleeping, but I was sure they would enjoy my little lullaby of barking.

 

Well!! Mummy was NOT pleased!!! In fact, she put down her tea and went and got the fancy schmancy, small dog citronella bark collar and put it on me!!!

I HATE that collar!! In fact, it really hurts my feelings when Mummy makes me wear it, and after a minute or two on the floor, I scuttled up onto the bed and needed Mummy to reassure me that she still loved me. I curled up on her lap and put my head on the laptop keyboard. Then I started coughing a bit, and panting a lot!! Mummy got worried and felt sorry for me and took it off, so I didn’t need to stay on her lap much longer, after that.

 

Well, I think we are going to go for our bedtime stroll, so I’ll say "bye for now!!"

 

 

Being Nice

We saw a bright shooting star the other night!! Wow, was that ever neat!! Mummy says it was probably a meteorite that couldn’t wait til the Perseid Meteor Shower in August.

I didn’t write in my journal last night, because I was worn out from a play fight with my pal, Reba. I came home with my hair sticking up straight all over, and it took Mummy several hours to get me ready for bed.

We finally heard from Ciera’s mum, that she will be home on September 6th. I’m not sure if I will miss her or be relieved. I sure won’t miss her at grooming time!! She always gets off the bed after we start the procedure, regardless of the time of day, looking for food and then jumps around, panting, whining and hitting things to get our attention, just after I fall asleep.

We haven’t spent any time with Auntie Moira and Taffy, because Auntie is feeling sicker and has tremors. I don’t really play with Taffy, but I know she likes to go out with us and fool around with her own ball, so it must be hard on her. Yesterday, Auntie Moira snuck out and took the Seniors’ Shuttle bus to Dundarave to get some groceries. She forgot to put Taffy’s bark collar on, and Taffy barked for a good hour before Mummy twigged that it was she. So Mummy phoned her – she likes to call Auntie on her iPhone, because Auntie has special ring-tones and Mummy’s sounds like a dog barking!!

It turned out Auntie M. was going to wait with her groceries at the bus stop for the next shuttle bus, which wasn’t going to come along for another half hour, so we decided to drive over and get her. It’s basically a 10 minute walk, or 2 minute bus ride.

When she went inside, Hilton, who lives in an apartment kiddy corner to Auntie’s, came out on his balcony and wanted to know why dogs barked. Mummy said she didn’t know, why didn’t he ask one. She thought he was referring to me, because I had been practising my own barking. The she explained that I had been barking at the black lab I spotted in the apartment next to Hilton’s, barking at a crow, and barking just to keep my vocal chords warmed up... Well, of course, Hilton likes me; that wasn’t the problem ; it was Taffy!!

Well, then Mummy “lost it”! LOL!! She barked back at Hilton - using some very unpleasant but – ah – colourful language to tell him about Auntie Moira’s brain tumour. She suggested, impolitely, that he get a life and stop being such a nosy parker old lady. Hilton is the local complainer; he cannot bear to be made aware of any of his neighbours, or their birds or pets. I think Hilton was upset, because he shouted loudly that “Nobody had told him!!” about Auntie’s brain tumour. Surprise, surprise!! He really IS a nosy parker, Mummy says.

So that was exciting.

Today was Mummy’s Payday #1. It’s when she gets her government cheques, so we walked over to Ambleside Village (another high street) for a treat: the best latté around for Mummy and water for us, and we shared 2 supreme cinnamon buns while Mummy read the free Metro newspaper. Ciera and I fell asleep together on the sidewalk. On our way home, we detoured into the nice park behind the cenotaph – that’s the World War II memorial where a big ceremony is held every year on Remembrance Day, November 11th. WE had fun sniffing around in the park and chasing toys.OK, I was the only one chasing toys. Ciera just sat there.

Mummy is a Pacifist. She says wars never solve anything; they just make people even angrier with each other and want to take revenge. Also a lot of innocent people who have nothing to do with the disagreements get killed, along with their dogs and cats..... She thinks it’s much better to turn the other cheek and be friendly. I agree. I have LOTS of friends, and I’m sure it’s because I’m so friendly, myself!!

Case in point! As we were nearing the park, we saw a big family of many generations leaving a Persian restaurant we were walking past. There were obviously grandparents, aunts and uncles, young women, and a little boy. Mummy decided they must be Afghans, because they were very dark skinned like east Indians, but didn’t look like any she’d ever seen, and because they speak Farsi – thus making a visit to a Persian restaurant a good place to eat out. Well, of course, when I saw an audience like that, I was in 7th heaven, dashing around making sure everyone was greeted and with the proper enthusiasm. The family were all smiling happily, although couple of the women did seem to be a bit afraid of me getting too close. But the little boy, who looked about one year old, REALLY loved me!! He was just thrilled and tottered around trying to touch me. Finally I let him do that and kissed his hand. Oh, what happy cheers went up from the gathered throng!! Then I stood up on my back legs, put my front legs on the boy’s shoulders and kissed him on his face! I’m sorry to say, that scared him, and he began to cry. I felt badly and didn’t chase him any more, but the grownups were now starting to get out their cameras. Mummy decided I should show off a little, so we did me twirling 360 degrees on my back legs, and then shaking a paw. I know that you always shake a paw with your right hand, by the way, not just any old paw!! Well, you’d think the Ringling Brothers Circus had come to town!! There were cheers and smiles all around, and the family thanked us all for the good time we had all had.....

And those are people who are probably refugees from the war in Afghanistan!! At a quick glance, they look like “foreigners”, but after some Coton love and kisses, we were all good friends!! Even the women who were afraid of dogs!!!

“A soft answer turneth away wrath.....” When Mummy started working as a stewardess, she learned that pasting a smile on her face when passengers were boarding always – no exceptions! – made them happy, and they would smile back! When they got on the plane in a bad mood, if she gave them a chance to talk about it and think someone was actually listening to them, instead of getting angry, they would soon cheer up.

Tonight, when we went out with Debbie and Bubbles, Mummy got all soft and teary eyed, remembering some of those passengers, some of whom she only met for a brief time many years ago. She thought about the middle aged man who had stood up in the middle of the 747 cabin, right after the seat belt signs had been turned off, asking what a person had to do to get a drink around here. Even though it was the ‘70s, the man looked silly. He was wearing a maroon shirt with maroon pants, a wide white belt and white shoes.... Mummy talked to him and got him a drink, even though it wasn’t his turn, and eventually asked him if he had, perhaps, been recently divorced. Why yes, how did she know? (It was the loud clothes and the loud behaviour, but she didn’t tell him that.) Mummy was working in the biggest cabin of the 747, and the plane was full, but pretty soon, the recently divorced man was handing out blankets and helping to serve drinks to people. He just needed something to distract him from the loneliness of his new life.

Another time, there was a strange looking woman flying from Calgary to Saskatoon on a DC9. A 55 minute flight, and they are always full! This woman had straight, greasy, mouse coloured hair and was very, very fat. She had 2 children with her, and it turned out she was an American, travelling to Saskatoon, because her dad lived there and had had a stroke. She was pretty upset, needless to say. Mummy let her talk about it, and said she would pray for the woman’s father, which the woman seemed to really appreciate. Well, a week later, she saw the same woman and her children on their way back to Calgary, and it turned out her dad had passed away. Once again, the woman seemed to need the chance to talk to someone about it. Sure, there would be others, too, but sometimes people need a stranger they will never see again to listen to their personal stories.

Another flight was held up waiting for a man who was coming from downtown and whose young son had been killed back in Montreal. When he got on board, he was so angry, he made a spectacle of himself before he even found his seat. (Mummy isn’t part of this story, though; she was just an observer.) The reason he slate had something to do with trying to check out of his hotel and losing his credit card that he was going to need, and etc. etc. One of the other flight attendants got his information and had the pilots radio the hotel to get the card, and got the man to come and sit at the back of the plane where she could talk to him. She didn’t get angry back at the man; she just let him vent, and sympathised. Well, the mans wasn’t happy when he disembarked, but he was a lot less angry!!

Being nice is always the best option.... and even Mummy knows she didn't smooth things over with Hilton by barking at him!!

Maybe I should think more about my own barking, eh?

Night night.....

Mummy is upset with me tonight. I barked so much today that she claims she has gone deaf from the racket!! It's true, I really outdid myself barking at every strange dog I saw - and there were lots - every toy I chased, at Mummy to do various things for me.... and just because I think I have a nice voice!

Besides I wasn't feeling 100%. Had a little throw up this afternoon, while Auntie Moira, Taffy, Mummy and I were at the parklet around the corner. That's as far as Auntie Moira can walk. Taffy bugged Mummy to throw her ball, over and over and over, so I went and sat in the shade under a tree and chewed my own ball. I took the roadkill toy over there, too.

This is the entrance to the parklet

Auntie Moira says she is getting so she doesn't like Ciera any more. She says she feels grumpy from being so tired and out of breath, but I know that it's because Ciera always lags way behind us. Sometimes she wanders off in the wrong direction, without checking where we are. Today, she thought she should go back inside when we had just started out on our walk. Mummy had to go looking for her, and there she was, standing in the middle of the driveway, staring off into space..... Auntie Moira said she's senile. Mummy says she's just got a bit of dementia right now, and not being able to hear anything makes it worse.

Mummy is also wondering if Ciera's presence and/or behaviour is making me behave badly. Especially wrt the barking. Well, like any normal puppy, I do worry about Ciera and like to make sure she's all right - that is, when I don't try and get her to play with me, which never works, anyway. But I do wish we could walk faster and have more fun.....

We haven't heard from Ciera's Mum for 2 months now, and we're beginning to wonder what to do with her if her Mum doesn't come home when she said she would. My Mum says this has been the most stressful 4 months she's had in decades! Maybe I've been picking up on those vibes, eh? We did have more fun before Ciera came to stay, and I didn't have to worry about her stealing my food all the time. And taking the best spot on the bed. And slowing down everything we do. (Fortunately, Mummy and I have managed to sneak some alone time, anyway, even though it means Ciera will bark her head off while we're out!!)

I think it might be time for our bedtime walk now, or maybe Mummy will want to comb me first, I don't know....

Sweet dreams!

A Quiet Day Here

Woof! We finally had a half day of real summer today. We had a quiet day though. Our morning walk was just around the block, which is what we almost always do. We brought the hedgehog toy with us, and I had fun chasing it and making Mummy wrestle me for it. I don’t think she realises that I know this, but when she gets tired of trying to pry the toy from my jaws of steel, I know that she’ll offer me some treats (Ziwi Peak dinner flakes) to distract me. I’m always ready for a treat, and besides we don’t have breakfast until we get home from our walk, so it keeps me from starving to death.

This afternoon, Mummy called Moira and got her and Taffy to come out with us. Moira is getting really out of breath but doesn’t seem to want to ask any of her scores of doctors about it. She said she was stressed out after lunch with her stock broker on Friday and wasn’t up to calling anyone. At least Moira remembered to bring a toy along for Taffy, but Mummy did most of the toy tossing. I had my favourite roadkill toy, and Taffy had a pink rubber piglet that is holding a rose. We had one like that too, but it got lost. We sure lose a lot of toys! I can hardly wait for payday on Wednesday, so we can replenish our supply!

Mummy has been having a discussion with her former co-worker Jim about how it is that self-professed Christians can ignore all the biblical admonishments about turning the other cheek, loving our neighbours and praying for our enemies. Even though Jim ad Mummy have very different spiritual beliefs, they both agree that most, if not all, wars cannot be spiritually justified and rarely lead to peace. I agree. I prefer to be open and friendly, and it works for me!! Most people and dogs we meet like me a lot!

Auntie Len sent a good article about giving dogs short summer haircuts to Mummy and her Coton e-group. I like it a lot, because I like having long hair and get tired of people who worry that it’s too hot out for me. It’s funny about people: everyone knows better than Mummy and me how we should live our lives. Anyway, here’s the article. We couldn’t find it online, but a famous vet, Dr. Schelling, wrote it.

Shaving A Dog To Keep Cool

Every year when summer arrives and the days grow longer and hotter, you can’t help but notice many people out walking their freshly shaved dogs. Well that’s nice, you think, the folks are helping their pet cool off.

Is it sensible and helpful to shave down a dog’s coat? Does it aid in refreshing them?

No. And it may prove detrimental to not only their comfort, but their health. Nature has seen to it that a dog’s hair affords him protection from the sun, heat, insects, dirt, and water.

Dog’s coats are designed to capture air and use it as an insulator. In the winter it keeps the cold out and holds the heat in. During the summer it holds the heat at bay, and helps him regulate his body temperature. Without this insulating layer of hair he is susceptible to heat stroke. He is also at a greater risk of sunburn and skin cancer. Think of a bald human head at the beach in the sun. That bald head is better protected, and the occupant cooler, wearing a light hat.

Dogs do not cool as we do. When we are overly warm, our skin perspires and the evaporation of the perspiration helps us cool. We have the advantage of perspiring skin over our entire body. Evaporative cooling in canines is limited to a very small area—their footpads, which sweat, and their lungs, where their panting allows for latent heat to be removed through evaporation. Shaving the coat will have no effect on these areas.

Dilated (enlarged, expanded) blood vessels in their ears and on their face carry warm blood closer to the surface of their skin and allows the heat to escape. Again, body shaving will not affect this process.

Not only do we run the risk of causing our dog to overheat, but in many breeds shaving also often results in improper re-growth. Shaving can cause color and texture changes, and may contribute to hair follicle damage and clogging.

Take large northern breed dogs such as Labradors, Shepherds, Huskies, and Golden Retrievers. These dogs have two coats of hair. An insulating downy undercoat that sheds regularly, and the outer-coat, or guard hairs, that are coarser, fewer in number, grow longer, give the dog his color, and tend not to shed readily.

If we shave down a coat such as this, the undercoat will grow out quickly and shed normally. The slow-growing guard hairs are left behind and your dog, or random sections of your dog, will assume the texture of the undercoat and may appear to change color. In many cases the guard hairs become crowded out by the fast growing undercoat and can’t come through the hair follicle at all. Guard hair loss, particularly in large-breed dogs, causes the loss of important foul weather and water protection.

The best way to assist your dog to keep his cool is to tend to his coat by regular brushing. A clean and fluffed coat is his best defense against the heat......

Always remember to have plenty of cool, clean water available for your dog at all times, and provide extra water when he is outside.

Do not leave your dog out all day in hot weather. Remember humans cool more easily and quickly than dogs do, so if it is hot for you it is hotter for them. If your dog is out during the cooler parts of the day in the summer, make sure he has plenty of shade available.