Catching up

Sorry I have been remiss in my blogging duties. I have started a personal workout program (long overdue) and had to adjust my busy schedule to fit everything in.

This is Leo. Isn't he absolutely adorable? He is a long coated blue Shar-Pei. Now before you run out and buy yourself one "just like the pic I saw" do some research on the breed. They aren't for everyone and you NEED to find a reputable breeder to avoid health problems common to them. (Every breed has health issues, find a breeder that admits that and works to avoid continuing those problems in their own lines.) Getting a dog should be about more than the cute face since it is a lifetime commitment.

That said I think he is just so freaking cute!! He is a real sweetie to boot.


Here is his sister Kloie. Now who couldn't love those faces?


This little guy kept me busy for awhile. He went to live with a fantastic family in CT.

This is Goldie. She is learning how to walk nicely on a leash for her owner.

Here is the new prison dog Hope. She is a German Shepherd and Rottweiller cross. She is doing great and learning quickly. She is also very sweet. I have a new handler I am training as well so that always keeps me on my toes. Here she is during one of our breaks.


These next pics are dogs that come to my sons baseball games and practices. Here is Willie in his stroller.


And his equally adorable sister Sadie. They are Boston Terriers.

Then we have Racer a 3 month old lab. He likes to dig holes. He's darn good at it too!

And here is Trouser. He's a yorkie that likes to strut his stuff. (don't they all?)

I hope all the great pics help make up for my lack of recent posts.

Dash gets his new family

Dash went to his new home this weekend. I think it is a perfect match. He gets to have an older brother to play with and some great parents to love him. It was hard for us to let him go, but knowing he is in such a great home helps alot. Here I am with Dash and his new parents with Ivan.

Here he is on the drive to his new home.

Tandem napping anyone?

Some yard time.

Taking turns with the toy.

Yes we are a handsome pair. Thanks for noticing.

And pretty darn cute too.

We will never forget our Dash man. May he have a long, healthy and happy life with Robert, Jess and Ivan.

A busy week

I had a busy week. Of course I forgot to get pic of everyone but here are the ones I did manage to remember. First some puppy breath.


Let sleeping puppies lay.


Then came Ru. He is learning to come when he's called.


And his big brother Jack helped supervise.


Another trip to Vinalhaven.


To see Charlie. He is a rescue dog from Second Chance Boxer Rescue. He is a fabulous boy that just needs to polish up some of his manners.


He loves his Kong toy.

This is Xena. She is a flyball dog in training. Not a client but a friend. She was at knitting last night schmoozing with everyone. There is literally no lap she doesn't love. She was adopted from the Bangor animal shelter. (Yes you can find cute small dogs at shelters to adopt if you are patient.)

"Oh no, the paparazzi have found me!" Photos don't do her justice. She is even cuter in person.

And another of our foster Dash man. I finally caught him (on camera) smiling. He is headed to his new home tomorrow. I am going to miss this face. And his grunts. (the grunts are just to cute for words) I am supposed to be getting his stuff and paperwork together right now. And he needs a bath. Instead I am blogging. Can we say denial anyone?

He'll be fine. I have promises of shared pics from his new family. He has a new big brother waiting for him to play with that I'm sure he will love.

One reason leashes are recommended

I got this today and just had to share. THIS is a perfect example on why leashes are a good idea in porqupine country. (And it totally gave me flashbacks to the days I worked for a vet and had to be the one pulling these suckers out.) That is supposed to be a bull terrier under there.


Can you say ouch!!


Authors note: Do NOT mess with quills. They do not deflate if you cut them off. One client tried that, we had to sedate his dog for just a few quills because we couldn't get a good grip on them thanks to having nothing left to work with. We also lost a bulldog to quills once because one migrated from it's chest into it's heart. (a necropsy was done to confirm) There is also the risk of infection setting in. If your dog gets quilled, get thee to a vet pronto!

A cute-fest is happening here!

Jack and I were alone for our Sunday walk this week. Here he is on his way to me during some recall practice. We ran into two off leash dogs on the way back to our car, a Norwegian Elkhound and an Australian Shepherd with their owner. I am happy to report that Jack was a perfect gentleman. Once upon a time this would have thrown me into cardiac arrest but I have learned to be calm and trust myself with dog greetings. It can be challenging when dealing with unknown dogs however.


And here is he posing for me.
This was Missy last night. I'm quite sure she was thinking something along the lines of "All these darn puppies are wearing me out!"


And here is one of those puppies to whom she is referring:

Pretty darn cute isn't he? He will be staying a few days for some beginning training and socialization. He is an 8 week old chow chow puppy.

You put your right paw in.......

Things that make you go AWWWWWW

I ain't afraid of you!

Dash says, "Hey, what you got there? Is it food?"

I had to add this one. Dash is about to pounce.

A perfect example of Dash's lack of spacial issues. He sits where he feels like it.

And now a couple of videos. First is Dash playing with the puppy.

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/Akitamom2/?action=view&current=IM003736.flv

And Jack playing with the puppy.

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/Akitamom2/?action=view&current=IM003735.flv

I hope you enjoyed the cute-fest.

*****Just an important reminder, the pet food recall is NOT over. There are new developments every day. Keep an eye on these sites for the up to date info. I HIGHLY recommend you check the food lists EVERY week, if not every day. It is up to US to keep our pets safe. *****

http://www.itchmo.com/

http://www.howl911.com/

www.petconnection.com/blog/

I love my job

This is what I did today.



I evaluated a litter of 8 week old Chow Chow puppies. Some of them are coming to stay with me for some training and socialization before they head to their new homes.

The girls.
The boys. How cute are they?

This is Pippa. She is a springer spaniel client originally from England. Would you believe this is where she went and what she did when I wasn't interacting directly with her? She did not read the springer handbook apparently. VBG (They are usually much more active than this when awake.)

This cutie is Baxter. He is a labradoodle. (lab/poodle cross) Most of the doodles have a curlier coat than this. Though you can't see them in the pics, he only has some whiskers and a few furnishings on the legs. (The whiskers are adorable I must say.) He is learning some basic obedience and puppy manners.

And here is Duke, the prison dog, wearing a cone of shame. He decided to pull his neuter sutures out and had to go back to the vet to get them re-done. Silly boy! Now he is having some tummy issues so he is back at the shelter until he stops er, being so "messy".

Poor guy!

Here are a few cute pics of Dash. It looks like he will be going to a home in Mass if everything checks out. I wish he was going to be closer to us so we could visit. At least he will be in Red Sox territory. He will have a Boston Terrier brother to play with. :-)

Caught in the act! He isn't allowed toys on the couch but he occasionally tries. I snapped the pic as he was trying to act casual about it. (Kong? I don't see a kong??)

Learning to speak "Dog"

Yesterday I attended a seminar in Portland with Sarah Kalnajs. (pronounced call nice) http://www.bluedogtraining.com/aboutSarah.html


It was on how to read dog body language. For anyone working with dogs, this is critical information. I really think this is one of those courses that should be recommended for ALL dog trainers. Training and knowing dog behavior goes hand in hand in my book. Some of the local shelter staff came with me to learn too. It was a wonderfully fun day surrounded by other "dog nuts" learning more about dog behavior. Pretty much a day of Heaven on earth in my book. I also got to see old friends/trainers I know and meet new online friends. I couldn't resist getting this photo of the facility's cat checking out one of Sarah's DVDs, The Language of Dogs. Interested in becoming species bilingual perhaps?


And here is Sarah getting photos of the crowd.


We decided to make it a mutual shot.

She was fantastic. Her videos were excellent and the information is top notch. She also has a great sense of humor. If you ever get a chance to attend one of her seminars, I highly recommend that you do. I also like seminars because even if you think it is a repeat of info you already know, there is always a few other nuggets of info you end up finding as well. Besides, everyone needs refresher courses in stuff they think they know. (Because none of us knows it all when it comes to dogs.)


The hosting facility was My Wonderful Dog. (http://www.wonderfuldogs.org/ ) Please check out their website. They train dogs for disabled people that really benefit from their use and companionship. Go! Look! Donate! It is a fabulous program and needs our continued support.


This is Auden. She is shown relaxing while I talk to her person. She is learning that she doesn't get to demand attention on HER terms. Beautiful isn't she?
Her are some pics I found while looking for some other pics on my computer.


This is Jack on North Haven with Pal, a Portuguese water dog and Squirt, a shelter mix. Taken last spring or fall. (I forget)


Me and my daughter (with Missy) taking the ferry home.


Jack was pretty pooped after all the running and swimming. Pal went in so he figured he had to follow suit. I never thought he would have gone into salt water for a dip. I guess he showed me!