To My Surprise....

So it has been seven months since the arrival of our beautiful baby girl Paisley.

Time has flown by and I cannot believe more then half a year has passed. Not only has our life changed as we have become a little family of our own but life has also changed for the animals in our house.

I do have to admit that I had some concerns and fears about Sadie having to share our attention with the new addition. I was very strict with the boundaries that I was preparing to set for mixing the pet dog with the new baby.

The first time Sadie was introduced to Paisley I only let her sniff her foot for a second. I didn't want Sadie's face being anywhere near Paisley's. No licking, no sitting beside mom or dad when holding the baby, no barking, no sleeping on the bed, etc, etc. This list seemed to go on and on and by the third month the guilt I felt for Sadie started to grow.

I felt bad when I left Sadie at home to take the baby for a walk. If I did take Sadie with us she had taken up barking and lunging at other dogs we passed on our walks. Not only was this out of character for Sadie, it was down right embarrassing!

If Paisley cried Sadie would dance around my feet while I tried to console the baby. This often led to frustration for me as I was trying to deal with my upset baby and not trip over the dog, resulting in me yelling at Sadie to go away or to her bed or anywhere but under me!

If we went out without Sadie, upon our return Sadie would always approach the carrier, tail wagging, to see if we brought Paisley back too. This is when Sadie tries to lick Paisley's face the most.

What is this behaviour??

Some people tell me that Sadie is jealous and competing for our attention. Other people have shared with me that they think she is being protective of the new baby. She is a female dog and females supposedly do this. I personally am not going to make any decisions on what Sadie is trying to do. I am just going to keep living with baby and dog the way that I have been the past seven months. I do admit I've relaxed a bit since the beginning of this wonderful adventure into parenthood but I will never fully trust my dog with my child.

However, I do want to say that Sadie has all in all been really great with all the changes that she has endured.

And as for Paisley she loves Sadie already. She loves to look at her and watch her play. Paisley laughs at her when we do go on walks together and is always trying to reach out and touch her.

To my surprise Paisley also loves Shivers, our cat.I spent so much of my time concerned about the dog that I didn't even think about the cat!

Great Expectations

I'm 39 weeks pregnant and due in 3 days to deliver my first child.

I've noticed that my dog, Sadie, seems to be concerned about me. It appears that she just can't get close enough. If I'm sitting on the couch she is practically on top of me (yes, I know, I'm a bad pet owner I let my dog up on the couch). If I'm in bed she wants to be there too, which I actually don't allow, and if I trip over her one more time when I'm walking down the hallway I swear I'm gonna pull my hair out!

So what is up with this behaviour? Is this all in my head or is my dog sensing the "miracle of life"? Can animals tell when you're going to go into labour? Do they know when things are gonna start happening better then we do?

I'd love to know what's going on in her little brain.

Whatever the case there will soon be a new little person to share our life with. I know it's going to not only be a huge adjustment for my husband and myself but also for Sadie. I feel that she is going to handle it ok and I'm not the type of person that will take risks with my baby and my dog. I love Sadie with all my heart but I understand that she is still a dog not a babysitter, a toy, or a subsitute for entertainment for my child. Baby and dog stay seperate and that's just the way I think things should be. With lots of supervision and praise, over time, Sadie will get to know our child and I'm sure eventually the two will become great friends.

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.