Molly

Two days ago I had to euthanise my 13 year old Yellow Lab, Molly.

My father and I went out looking for her when I was 20 years old. She was going to be my mom's birthday present. The search started when I brought home a copy of Dogs in Canada Annual to see if we could find the right breeder for us. I was working at Pet Valu at the time and these resources were at my fingertips.

We then travelled around to many small towns meeting different breeders and their puppies. It was so easy to be swaded by the wriggling, little masses of fur and puppy belly. We had agreed on a yellow from the beginning but we met blacks, chocolates and yellows of all kinds and it was so hard to choose just one. Our search continued, despite wanting to take them all, we knew we could only pick one special puppy for our family.

We ended our search in Sunderland at Mollyreach Kennels. The breeders were a nice elderly couple with a lot of experience, patience and love. They were different from alot of the other breeders we had met. We felt very comfortable around them and we could tell that their dogs were comfortable too.

When we went to see the puppies we told them we were looking for a yellow. They had just had a litter of 12 puppies, 3 yellow and 9 black. Unfortunately only 1 yellow had survived. During labour the mother was so exhausted that she had rolled over on to the other 2 yellows and they died. So we had 9 black labs and 1 yellow lab to choose from out of this litter. We held and touched and pet and cuddled all the puppies but could not help feel that the little yellow one was meant for us.

So we decided she was the one.

At the time of my mom's birthday Molly would only be 8 weeks old, the breeder did not let his puppies go until at least 10 weeks of age. He agreed that we could take her for a few hours the day of my mom's birthday and then bring her back the same day. I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep puppies in the litter until at least 9 weeks of age. So my dad picked her up on the way home from work and I hid out in the garage with her until my dad gave me the signal. I went in the house and put little Molly on the floor, hoping she'd walk over to my mom. Instead she just sat there like a little, tubby seal, in the middle of the kitchen. My mom saw her and scooped her up immediately. I'm sure it was love at first sight for all of us, but such a nice surprise for my mom.

Two weeks later we got to keep our puppy and my mom chose to name her Molly, not realizing that the puppies grandmother's name was also Molly, hence the name of the kennel. That was the name my mom wanted so that's the name Molly got and it did suit her perfectly.

We had lots of good times with Molly. She was my first large breed dog. She was rough and tumble and loved to swim. She travelled everywhere with my parents, from out East to out West and down through the states. She camped with them and just recently started spending the summers up at the trailor my parents bought a few years ago. She really loved being outside and being with her family.

So a few weeks ago when I dropped by for dinner, I noticed Molly was having alot of trouble with her back legs and didn't seem to be her happy self. My parents and I started the "talk". What an awful thing to know your family pet, your beloved companion is starting to deteriorate and there will have to be a decision made. My mom was the person who spent the most time with Molly and she said she had noticed a change in her slowly happening for months. It seemed now that it was accelerating at a faster pace and we needed to do something soon, for Molly's sake. We took her to the clinic and the doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory and pain killers as a last attempt at keeping our Molly with us. This only gave Molly about two weeks of relief before she started to dwindle again and we knew there was really nothing more to do. To keep her alive for our sake would be cruel and selfish, but it was still so hard to accept, we would have to go on without her.

We were so lucky to get in touch with a mobile veterinarian that could come to our house and provide the service for us in the comfort of our own home. We were so relieved that we did not have to take Molly into the clinic atmosphere. Not that our clinc is a bad place, but if you own a dog and have taken him to the vet clinic I'm sure you know what I am talking about. The nervousness and fear that some dogs experience is not the nicest way to spend the last few minutes of life.

Dr.Silcox was so understanding and loving with our Molly, we couldn't have asked for a better person to help us with our last act of love for our dog.

In the garden, on Friday June 11, 2010 at 4:45pm, surrounded by her loving guardians, Molly slipped gently into the deep sleep. I feel such an emptiness as I know my parents do too. I think it really hit me on Friday night as I looked at my own little Sadie lying peacefully asleep on my bed.

So until we meet again my Moll Doll, rest in peace and see you at the bridge.

Dog Spelled Backwards

This past Wednesday I was involved in a car accident. It could've been alot worse. I am lucky I got away with only minor injuries. However, the next few days after were not particularly fun. The soreness and stiffness had definitely set in and I was left to recooperate in my bed or on my couch.
During this time, my usually hyper, energetic terrier mix was quietly observing me. Whether she was hovering over me on the top of the couch or lying on the bed by my feet, she did not leave my side, not once. Nor did she complain about our boring existence for the rest of the week. No walks, no playing tug and only going outside for bathroom breaks didn't really seem to bother her.
I have to wonder if she knew what was wrong. Did she know that I had just experienced a very scary incident? Could she tell that I was hurt, sore, not myself?
Every morning she gets out of her bed and comes running into mine to make sure I am still there and, I think, ok.
Dogs are such "in tune" creatures. We use them in police work, protection work and search and rescue. They lend their intuition/senses to us in the form of service dogs, helping the blind, the epileptic, etc. I want to give credit to not only my little girl but to all the dogs out there that help us humans work out our issues and problems, our pains and our struggles. Curiously enough, ask yourself, what is dog spelled backwards?

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.