Maybe we should try Dock Diving??

Sadie demonstrated her love for water this past week at Boshkung Lake in Carnarvon.
I always knew she liked the pool at my parent's house, but having a big lake to play in was a whole other world. Fun was had!!
First Attempt
Although we had a few cloudy days, that did not stop Sadie from going all out and spending the majority of her time in the lake. I never realized that she was so obsessed with swimming, retrieving and jumping off the dock, any chance she got. This was within the first hour of arriving at the cottage, Sadie did not waste anytime.
Second Attempt
I always thought that Sadie was a terrier mix of some sort, but after this past week I am now pondering what other breeds could be in the mix. Labrador Retriever? Spaniel?? Water Monkey??? It was an absolute thrill to watch her in the water. I had many laughs last week, all at the expense of my waterlogged dog, but I know she had a blast and I can't wait to get her on a dock again.

Kennel Cough Not Just From Kennels!

I am starting to notice that there are more and more places that are accepting the presence of dogs.For example, you can take your dog to your local pet supply store and bring him in with you when you're shopping. Dog parks are popping up everywhere, as well as doggie daycare programs. Dog shows, grooming shops and vet clinics have always welcomed our four legged friends of course. However, as time passes and more people use these outlets I am starting to notice an increase in doggie sickness, such as infectious tracheobronchitis or as most people know it, kennel cough. As a manager of a facility that kennels dogs I find it quite frustrating when a dog comes down with kennel cough and it is automatically assumed that the dog got it from a kennel.
First of all, some dogs can be carriers of the virus and show no symptoms, making it impossible to tell if a dog coming into our facility has the virus or not. Hacking, coughing, sneezing and sometimes even vomiting are usually indications that the dog is suffering from kennel cough. Not only is it hard to identify in some dogs, it is also extremely contagious, so once one dog brings it into a facility, usually you can count on quite a few of the other dogs getting it too. Think of the common cold in humans and how quickly it can spread around the office. Just to make it a little more interesting, you can vaccinate your dog against kennel cough but it is not 100% guaranteed that Fido won't get sick.
Why I find this frustrating is because the whole team of employees that work at our facility work extremely hard at keeping the enviroment clean and sanitary for the dogs in our care. I find it very dissappointing when I call a vet clinic to ask them questions or get their help and the receptionist I am talking to immediately assumes that the dog contracted the kennel cough from our facility and starts talking to me like I'm at fault. To all those bitchy receptionists that answer my phone call at whatever clinic I'm calling, I have news for you, I used to work in a clinic, I used to do your job, I understand how busy and stressful your position can be, but I ask you to take a step back and educate yourself on kennel cough. Thank goodness not all veterinary clinics are the same. There a some great clinics out there with educated staff that are a huge help to me and I appreciate their advice and understanding tremendously.

When will we learn?

How often do I hear dog owners say "My dog would never bite anyone"? I hear it too much for my liking. How many children will have to suffer wounds or even death before full grown, mature, adults will realize that you should never trust your dog around a child.
It is so easy to prevent, but still I hear about children suffering from dog attacks almost everyday. How stupid are these people? I know I sound harsh but reality is a dog is a dog.
Your dog is not a babysitter, or a sibling to your child. Your dog is an animal that has been humanized by today's society. We feel that our pets are part of the family, that they know right from wrong when it comes to our children. This way of thinking is so unfair to the dog as well as the child that is being exposed to that animal.
Why can't we just accept the fact that it's not a good idea to leave your child unsupervised with a dog? I have seen videos of babies crawling on the floor with dogs, face to face, eeeek!! I watch those videos with my heart in my mouth, just waiting for the dog's reaction. These movies are considered cute, heartwarming entertainment...what?? Am I missing something? In reality people should feel a stroke or heart attack coming on when seeing these pictures or watching these videos.

I guess we will never learn, as I read in the news about another child dying from a dog attack. So sad.

MAGNUM

Magnum was an Australian Cattledog mix that I had the pleasure of meeting and looking after. He had so many adventures in his life that I cannot record them all here. His story is a great one. His life started with abandonment as a puppy at the side of a country road. He was left there with his sister, who ended up getting killed by a car, but Magnum did not leave her side. Eventually he was found and picked up by a caring stranger. He travelled on from there with many different guardians who loved and cared for him very deeply. He was extremely intelligent, a great mouser, had his sea legs and enjoyed camping and the great outdoors. I swear he understood spoken word and sometimes I thought he could see into my soul with his wise eyes. He was protective but never aggressive and quite the ham when he wanted to be. In November my good friend Dawn, who also had the pleasure of knowing and caring for Magnum, and myself had to make that dreadful trip to the vet to put an end to Magnum's story. That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I've seen dozens of euthanasia's before, I used to work in a veterinary clinic, but this was so different. I cried for days afterwards, even though I knew it was the best thing we could've done for him. He was old and suffering from liver failure and it really was his time to go. I lost a part of myself that night, maybe a piece of my heart? If it is with Magnum then I don't mind losing it. Rest in peace my son. We will always love you and never forget you. See you at the bridge.

Snow Dogs

Winter is here once again and I keep saying how much I hate it. When I get home from work and take all the snow gear off (hat, gloves, scarf, boots, snowpants, jacket, two pairs of socks, long underwear, etc) I do not want to go back outside. I would rather stay in where it's warm, where my skin doesn't feel like it's turning into iced leather. Then I feel it. As soon as I sit down, there she is, my dog resting her little chin on my lap, looking up at me with those big, brown eyes. I know exactly what she wants. She wants out. She wants to go play in the snow. She loves it. I don't understand how she possibly could. Is she crazy? She hardly has any hair on her stomach and is constantly picking up her paws when out in the cold. I can't even imagine what it must feel like to drag a hairless belly across the snow, ouch! I do put her in a winter jacket but half the time it just fills up with snowballs and I end up removing it anyway. Booties are impossible to get on and they look absurd. Still, she convinces me that it will be fun and so I bundle myself up and out we go. It's true, once you're out there, that it is quite fun to get down to her level and romp around in the fluffy snow. I sometimes think that we actually have more fun in the snow then playing in the grass in the summer. In the snow we can jump higher, land softer and climb to heights that we cannot achieve in the summer, thanks to all the man made mountains at the side of the walk and driveway. So I guess I'm learning to love certain aspects of winter, like spending time outside with Sadie. I hope she appreciates it, well, actually, I know she does. I can see her tail wagging everytime I get my snowpants out.