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.

Losing Friends

This week I recieved the worst news that you can get as a dog lover. A dear friend had to euthanize their three year old Scottish Terrier, Barney. The reason why is still unknown. All we do know is his liver had severe complications which, in turn, lead to his demise. A shock to us all, three is too young. What could of happened to our poor Barney? Will we ever find out why this happened? There is a huge possiblity that the answer to that question is no. So how do we cope with such a sudden, tragic event?

I know myself upon hearing the news I was shocked and saddened. I found it hard to believe. Of course I thought of my own dog, Sadie, and how awful it would be to lose her. Sadie is the same age as Barney and we used to joke that she was Barney's girlfriend. They loved spending time together. Both being terriers they had enough attitude combined to take on the world. Their favorite game was chase, either one running and the other following behind. I look at my girl and still find it hard to believe that Barney is gone.

So that is how I feel about the situation but how do dogs feel when they lose a fellow canine companion?

Now I've heard lots of stories of dogs dying within weeks of each other. The whole "dying of a broken heart" theory. Is that really possible? I know this usually effects dogs that have grown up together and lived their lives in the same household. What about dogs that have friends, like Sadie and Barney. They don't live together but see each other often. Will Sadie notice Barney's abscence? Will she sense that he is gone? Or will she never know the difference?

It's hard to say. I do know that Barney's owners will miss him terribly, and I will miss him too, and there is a part of me that believes that Sadie will know and miss him as well.

Rest in peace Barnbarn.

Do dogs get lonely?

When you've been rushing around all day and the dogs been sitting at home alone, I think to myself, could she be lonely? Now I know dogs get bored, I've learned that the hard way, but do they experience other types of human feelings such as loneliness? It's definitely something that as humans we all experience at one point in time or another but can it be the same for dogs? Both myself and my husband work full time and participate in "after work ventures" to contribute to our chosen career paths. So how does this affect our dog? I've noticed when I haven't spent alot of time with her she simply does not listen to me as well as if I've spent all day with her. It's almost like she is giving me the silent treatment. Now I'm not the type of person to apply human feelings to dogs but I have to wonder about this one. The picture on the right is proof of a bored dog, but was she feeling lonely????? Lesson learned, make sure you crate your bored/lonely dog.

Small Breed vs. Large Breed

Lately there has been talk around my house that maybe it's time to add a second dog to the family. Question is.....small breed or large breed. I myself have always been a fan of the large and giant breeds but I find myself married to a man that actually wants a small breed dog. Yes, that is correct, a man that wants a small breed dog. Don't get me wrong, I like any size dog really, our current dog is a small mixed breed whom we love dearly. She is fast, agile and easy to carry around (if neccessary). She fits in the car quite nicely and doesn't eat us out of house and home. So why am I so interested in the "big guys". Irish Wolfhounds, Leonbergers, Great Danes, now there's a breed right up my alley. Is it because I've always wanted a horse and they're the closest to that I may ever get? Or the fact that I will be able to fall asleep at night feeling protected if I'm ever alone? I think it may be the fact that a dog has always represented loyalty, companionship and protection to me. There is something about a large breed that portrays that idea just a bit more seriously then a small breed (think German Shepherd and Chihuahua, do you see what I mean?). By no means am I trying to put the "little guys" down, remember, I have one. The search continues...............

Life's Passions

Animals have been my passion since I can remember, and I've filled my days caring for them, learning about them or just being with them. I've decided to start a blog to try something new and give my life long obsession a bit of a twist.