Awww ... Shelter dogs need you.

Every animal needs a home. Look at the change in these adopted sweeties. http://www.buzzfeed.com/chelseamarshall/adopt-yo-dog#.piN5EWmk9

ice cream w. dogs

 This blog has not been updated all summer. Wish i could say that Bella, Pinto and I were busy having way too much fun to worry about writing about it. But the truth is Summer was like Winter for this hooman - only warmer.

So, explores were few & walks were pretty much limited to around the neighborhood.

But, we were able to celebrate Pinto's Gotcha Day with a nice long hike in the park, a trip to Petsmart for a new toy and a stop for ice cream.

We stopped at a place close to home called Scooters. They serve a generous doggy bowl of ice cream topped w/ a milk bone. Very exciting..... for awhile anyway....

 

Pinto noticed I had something different......

And......

Bella, never the one to be wasteful, ate all of her doggy bowl. And then....

sad dog diary

Funny. May be more appropriate for grownups than children - just fyi. But funny. 

oh the places you go

Since Bella has injured her knee, our walks have been limited to the back yard,  down the street a little ways, sometimes around the block. She appears to getting a bit stronger and has been able to go to her "little park by the lake" a couple of times & also enjoyed some time walking in the river a few days ago.
But no long walks in the park yet. Maybe later in the summer, maybe not until next year.

I miss my hiking buddy. Given my druthers, i would hang out in a park all day every day in nice weather. There are so many wonderful parks to explore around here. Back in the day - pre crazy job and marriage -  day hikes were frequent. My son was a wonderful off trail partner until he became too cool.  But, when Bella came into my world, walks were a must. Soo... I was once again able to hang with the trees, sniff the breeze, explore both on trail (and off...shhh ;)) on a pretty regular basis.

 Bella is always ready to go .... somewhere. Seeing one of us put on our shoes is impetus for a big doggy stretch. Even a ride to the store is good for her. She loves to hang out in the driver's seat people watching. Having a partner who is ready for adventure pretty much all the time - even when i would prefer to stay inside - is pretty cool. She makes sure that i get out in all types of weather.

Bella is a pretty good listener. She is one of those dogs who doesn't want to be too far away from her person. I'm just lucky like that. Or maybe it's because of all the time put into training her. Whatever the reason, walking w/her off leash has never been too stressful.

Most training methods teach that the person is the "alpha" and must always act like the alpha - controlling every and any thing the dog does. Some people even train their dogs to poop and pee on command  which is good for dogs that compete or maybe live in the city or something.

And of course, on a walk the dog simply follows the alpha, only going where she is permitted. Again, there are times when that is helpful and even necessary. Truth be told, i wish we would have been more consistent when training leash manners with Bell. She can be a complete tyrant on walks. But, often she is a wonderfully agreeable hiking partner who, when given the chance has sniffed out some fantastic things that i probably wouldn't have discovered on my own.

Take the dog park for instance. Of course, i never went to the dog park before Bella. And the dog park isn't a very exciting place to go really. Some dog parks are set up very well with fountains and trails and trees and stuff. Ours is simply a field with a couple of picnic benches. There was one summer when we had to carry our own water it b/c the city wouldn't turn the hose on for some reason and if you don't have poop bags with you, be prepared to sling it a shovel that is usually there.
But, if i hadn't taken Bella to the dog park at the right time of day, i never would've seen this:
These trees sit at the edge of the fence. They provide no shade and just seem to mingle with the brush.
But they come alive at twilight.

 

This one especially is cool. I see a  hound dog poking his nose to the sky howling for the moon. Very apropos for a dog park.
















And the discoveries we made behind the dog park. I had no idea that my town has victory gardens and the fees are very affordable. Good to know if we ever become apartment dwellers again.

Also, behind the dog park was a bunch of cool trails! Yeah! trails! with a cool creek and everything.

Venturing further back we met up with the river.

And then found a way to get down to the river taking time to rest in these big plants on the way. 

If not for Bella, i would spend my entire winter scurrying hunchbacked and cranky from someplace warm to car then from car to someplace warm. I am not a fan of cold weather. But, the lake is beautiful in the winter.

And  a rainy day gives us the trail to ourselves.

The really cool thing about walking with Bella is this: she can find the coolest places. Often when i just released the idea that i had to control where we went, we ended up in some really nice places. 

I mean, we're talking about hanging out with a dog. The only thing on a dog's to do list is to explore and experience each moment. & maybe have a little cheese when they can. 

Maybe it's simply because dogs are shorter than humans that they pick up on cool things that we miss? Or perhaps, probably it's because a dog really has no agenda except to enjoy whatever. They are the most zen of creatures that never seem to lose that wonderful sense of curiosity and wonder of the world.

Bella reminds me to take time to smell the flowers

and to get enough fiber in my diet

but not too take my diet too harshly. Allow some pig out food from time to time.

 






Bella reminds me to work towards balance

to take time for quiet contemplation & enjoy the beauty of the earth

 

And to remember to play

This tree is at Holden. I don't know the name of it but it has a wonderful little opening in its bottom branches that takes one to a very comfortable elfin style hideaway. There is plenty of room to sit and think under these droopy branches. I would've never stopped to investigate had i not been with Bella & she had not insisted that we go a bit further.

I call this tree the "elephant tree" because its trunk reminded me of an elephant's trunk lifting up towards the sky. 

Then there was the time that I thought we would hike in a familiar part of the park only to have Bella insist that we cross the road. 

Agreement with her resulted in the discovery of a most beautiful and private place beside the Chagrin river. 

We had to hike a far bit to get there but it was totally worth it. 

It's a rocky litte river beach that we have visited at least once every summer since. 

There are many other beautiful spots that have been discovered thanks to Bella's wonderful nose for curiosity.  But i have been working on this post way too long and must concede to my time limitations and just get the durn thing posted already. 

But.... one more share: Bella insisted on going to the river at Chagrin River Park (aka Crazy Deer park). Then, she insisted on crashing headlong into a deer trail that runs beside the river. I  followed behind picking through tall grasses and nettles getting a bit cranky, hollering to my dog to slow down. Instead of listening, she made a hard left leading me deeper into the reeds and cattails and then into a clearing filled with wildflowers and  Monarch butterflies. 

Yes, i said filled with butterflies.  Butterflies were everywhere - flitting from one flower to another. So many beautiful butterflies.  I can't describe to you how grateful I felt to witness so much beauty. 

Bella and I simply stood in quiet awe. Then she looked at me, tongue lolling, eyes twinkling. She seemed to be saying " I thought you would like this." 

And again

*sigh*

Again an injury.

After rehabbing and strengthening Bella's left leg, she injured her right paw sometime in the fall. After nursing her paw back to health, we were ready.

In February we started agility again. What a happy pup she was to do that. This dog loves her jump.

This month she started limping on her right side & yes, another ACL injury. Partially torn? Strained? Who knows. The good thing is it was not a complete tear as evidenced  by the fact that she put her foot on the ground. However she wasn't really using the leg very well as evidenced by a large loss of muscle in her right leg. And one middle of the night she walked into the back yard very peacefully and slowly. She came back with an exaggerated limp. So, she has done deeper damage.

Therefore, her re-entry into the agility world is now over. I so wish I had asked someone to videotape one or two of her runs. She was jumping 12", 8" lower than her original height. But that is not the point. When I say that she loves her jump, I mean this dog LOVES her jump. Not only was she happy to be back at jump class, but her whole demeanor at home changed too. The sport of agility seemed to give her meaning. Bella had her wag back.

And as a side note, if you live in northeast Ohio and are thinking of giving agility a go with your dog, I suggest checking out Rob Rachow's class at canine affair training center. He has great passion for the sport & endorses positive training methods. I highly recommend him.

We have decided to rest Bella for 6 weeks before deciding whether to have the surgery done. We have read and heard good things about the supplement cosequin and have started her on that. I have also been taking her to the vet every other day for laser therapy treatment. This is supposed to help increase the blood flow to the injured area & decrease inflammation. Because she is also taking 

anti-inflammatories I don't know if the treatment is helping or not. And of course she falls asleep while receiving reiki almost every night. Maybe she would be worse without all of this? 

We desire to keep Bella comfortable through all of this. I know it's a common injury, but this is my dog. & it's a big deal to me. What I most desire is to help Bella keep her wag. Her mopiness was not my imagination. And the spark in her eye, wag in her tail and strut in her step after getting back into the ring, is proof that she needs something that is all hers.  

We have tried Rally. She is very good at it. But it bores her. Too slow. We have done CFF musical freestyle. She just thought that was weird. 

So, if anyone reads this and has any suggestions as to how to keep an energetic dog happy while convalescing, I would love to hear them. 

Waiting her turn - Mar. 2013

doggy bootcamp

Here  is  a story about exercising with your dog.

People think that if you have a dog and you walk the dog, you are getting exercise, yes? However, while it's true that some walking is better than no walking, if you allow your dog to be a dog and enjoy her walk in a doggy way, then you are often agreeing to take many sniff breaks on your walk. Bella can find  the tip of 1 fallen leaf to be the most interesting thing in the universe - until she gets to the most interesting blade of grass just a mere 10 feet from the leaf. Often our walks are simply short bursts of movement in between reading very long pee-mails. But, this is how she explores her world. So, so be it.

But, the truth of the matter is, while i can rock the yoga and walk at a moderate pace for miles and miles, i need cardio. Not that i want it. But i do need it. & i am not the type to go to a gym or "out for a run." & i really do enjoy spending my limited free time with my 4-footed friend (honestly, Target would get so much more of my money if i were allowed to bring my dog shopping.). So, what's a lazy girl to do?

Hubby and i first learned about doggy boot camp on an episode of Cesar Millan (Yes, i watch Cesar. & i would watch all the other dog training shows too if they were available on Hulu). We looked at each other and said - "how cool. but it will never come to Cleveland."

But - Ta daaaa - it did. Right around the time that i promised myself to shape up and not become a old flabby fat woman, I met the boot camp ladies, Heidi and Lisa.

Really, i am a cardio wimp. Just don't like it. Never really have. When i run i kind of feel (& probably look) like a flopping fish desperately trying to get back to water. But, i must say the class is doable and participants are encouraged to go at their own pace. So, that's nice.

The class consists of cardio and resistance. About 10-15 minute intervals. So, my dog gets to rest while i "pump it up" with Heidi's instruction.

I say that my dog is resting. The fact of the matter is that she is working in a different way. She has to exercise self control and stay in one spot while i work the resistance. If the dog has a problem with this, then Lisa steps in to help give the dog and owner obedience training tips.

All in all, i am very happy that this type of class is available in my area.

Now, if someone wants to offer doga?

to grandma's house i go - woof woof

So, Bella is pretty smart - this is a fact. She loves to work, think, learn new things. And she loves to explore new places, be it a new park or a parking lot. But sometimes how smart she is amazes even me.

Last night we were out for our walk. I had been  home almost all day & really didn't feel like driving to a local park. So, we started out on a neighborhood walk. My idea was to either walk to the closest lake front park (30 minutes one way) or to just to simply walk around the area for an hour.

By the time we approached the decision making intersection, I had decided not to go to the park but to turn and walk the other route. Bella was in agreement to turning. However she soon started communicating to me that she wanted to cross the street. Bella has rottie stubbornness through and through. When she wants something or doesn't want to do something, she is loud and clear about it - kind of like a whiny child in the checkout aisle. This doesn't mean that she always  gets what she wants. She will relent, but it takes some doing on my part. Rotties need to be convinced that they really want to do what you want them to do, that there is something in it for them. Thank goodness Bella is only part Rottie. Because, I tend to be a real pushover. :)

She let me know her desire to cross the street by attempting to walk into the street. When that didn't work, she stopped dead in her tracks and pointed towards the other side of the street w/her whole body.  I was more interested in staying where we were. The street is a 4 lane road. Traffic was sparse at that time. But if we crossed, we would have to cross again & traffic may be heavier. So, I had her walk on with me. But she would not relent. She kept insisting that we go to the other side. Then I thought maybe she just wanted to smell something different. We always walk on the same side of the street. Maybe she was bored. & I was feeling a bit guilty for not taking her to a park where she could sniff deer scat to her heart's content. So, we crossed.

She walked in her normal fashion, sniffing this and that. All was well as we walked past the apartments that are on this side of the street. She walked past the ice cream stand on the other side of the street and looked for a moment like she wanted to cross again. But no.  We came to the entrance of a condominium complex. Bella took a hard left. At the first street, she turned left again, and yet again after that. With a determined air she walked straight up to the steps of her Grandma's house. 

I kid you not.

"Grandma" is my husband's mother. Now, here's the thing  - we have never walked to Grandma's house.
She has been to Grandma's in the car, but the route taken depends on who is driving. And she hasn't been to Grandma's that often, really.  It isn't like we visit weekly or even monthly, and we don't always take her when we go. And Grandma doesn't live on the main street, so Bella had to remember which streets to turn down. This she did with amazing accuracy & without any prompts, discussion or encouragement of any kind from me. Going to Grandma's never crossed my mind.

You hear about dogs and cats finding their way home after getting lost. It's just kind of common knowledge that they can do that. How they do that is still really unknown.  There are theories of course. Some are very practical. Some are more new age & energetic sounding.

But she wasn't finding her way home. She was going to Grandma's house - a place that she goes to occasionally. My opinion is that animals are simply smarter than we give them credit for being. & how Bella knew where she was going - whether she mapped the land by sight, or traveled by emotional waves - really doesn't matter to me. What does matter is the knowledge that if Bella were to get lost, she can find her way to a safe place with someone who loves her and will make sure that she gets home.

eating dog food for Nitro

So the cleveland dog blog and the Scene magazine recently shared stories about a Florida dog trainer Nikki Moustaki who is currently munching on dog food for one meal a day.

Ms. Moustaki does not live in Ohio. She spends her time jet setting back & forth from New York to Florida. She is a dog trainer and a prolific writer about dogs and dog training. She certainly appears to be able to afford fine wines, fresh seafood & all the organic chocolate she wants. So, why is she chowing down on Lucky Dog Cuisine once a day?

While Ohio is the 8th ranked state for deadly eating habits (meaning high consumption of sodas and fast food not kibble) and has led the nation in poverty, obesity and toxicity, the state ranks 45th in this great nation for effective animal cruelty laws.

Nitro's law otherwise known as House Bill 70 came about after  Ohio based dog trainer, Steve Croley, caused the suffering and death of 7 dogs at his training facility High Caliber Canines. Mr. Croley was originally charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty. This number was soon dropped down to 4. He received 1 month in jail for each charge and had to pay a fine. Nitro's owners lost the opportunity to share 10+ years with their loving dog. Nitro and the 6 other dogs lost their lives, and spent their last days starving, scared and abused. Is 4 months, some probation time, and close to 3,000 dollars in fine enough for the loser Croley? I don't think so.

Neither did Nitro's owners & 2 house representatives from Mahoning County, Ron Gerberry and Robert F. Hagan. They introduced Ohio House Bill 70 otherwise known as Nitro's Law. Sadly this bill died on the house floor last December.

Enter Nikki Moustaki - pretty girl Florida dog training who has grabbed the House Bill 70 baton and is running full force with it. To get the word out about Ohio's lack of concern about animal welfare and the need for reform, she has committed to eating one meal of dog food a day. She is posting her progress on her you tube channel & is asking that others join the cause by eating one meal of dog food a day.
As evidenced by postings on her blog site, a few have joined in.

I completely and wholeheartedly support her efforts. However, I probably will not be eating dog food. For one, I am primarily vegetarian.
 For two, we tend to feed our dog a lot of people food - so, what kind of point would I be making?
For 3, Moustaki suggests feeding Lucky Dog dog food because she is sure that it is safe for human consumption. Hmmm...... sounds like the next campaign needs to be about dog food reform. I certainly do not want to feed my best friend anything that would make me sick.
And lastly - this crazy new regime that controls this state isn't going to give 2 bits that a chick in Fla. is eating kibble or that a few people in OH and the rest of the country is following suit. They would probably just find some way to market the idea of eating dog food so they can make even more money while killing their constituents.

I will however write letters to house reps. I will write a letter to the evil governor. I will get the word out about Nikki's and Nitro's cause in any & every way I can. I will attend protests, sit ins & may even consider camping out in front of the governor's house in a dog crate.

Who's in?