Visiting the Grandparents!

We made it safe and sound to Simcoe - about 7 hours in the car, but not a problem! The girls rode like champions in the backseat of the rental car - no barfing!

We've been home for almost a full day and the girls are getting used to the good life. Have had some turkey...some bread...and other various treats.

It's easy being grand dogs!

Hap Happiest Time of the Year!

Well, it's December 27th and the we have had a nice Christmas with the dogs. We decided instead of exchanging gifts, we would buy the dogs a little something.

I got them each a new collar, each a "Skinneez" toy, a giant orange squeaky ball that has feet and horns (?), some knuckle bones, and some dog treats.

They didn't get the idea of opening gifts...but they got really excited when we opened them. It was cute. They loved their Skinneez. Heidi loved the orange ball, but we didn't love the noise...so she gets to play with that one in small doses!

We're driving off to see my family today. The dogs know something is up because suitcases are out and some of their stuff is in one of them. Reese went and layed beside the suitcase on the bed with the saddest eyes. No need to worry...they will have a great time!

Next obstacle...preventing them from barfing in the rental car...LOL

Snow day - the morning after

The snow had stopped over night. The sidewalks were cleared of snow. The whole family was off on a 7:30 adventure to Minto Park to get some photos of the dogs in the snow.

When we got there, one of their little friends a small black curly haired pup was there to run and play with. He's a little on the young side though and as a result, he hasn't been fixed...so there was a lot of "Thomas!" (picture a spanish accent) "Thomas off!" But the girls were pretty good at letting him know they weren't interested in his advances!!

Jamey thinks we got some good shots...so I will post some tomorrow perhaps!

First Snow

Winter is here!!

We had a bit of a blizzard today, and there is about a foot of snow on the ground and still falling!! Our dogs LOVE snow!

They've been frolicking and rolling and eating snow all day.

Tonight after dinner, we decided to take them to the dog park to let them go for an off-leash romp. One thing about winter dog walking is that sometimes you think it would just be easier to slap on some skis and let them drag you down the sidewalk. Unclipping those leashes is like a vacation!

After all the excitement, what are the dogs doing now? Heidi's snoozing on my leg on the couch and Reese is stretched out napping on the other couch. So cute.

Sunday Family Time

I've instituted a new house policy...Sundays are excursion days with the dogs. Last week, it was actually Tuesday, but I think starting this week it will be Sundays.

I'm planning to take the girls for a looonnnnnngggg walk all the way to Landsdowne park where there is an off leash, fenced dog park.

I'm sure they'll have a great time romping around and we'll get to go somewhere new.

Then it's home to sweep up the fur bunnies!

7:15

Nope...not a bible verse...

It's the new time that the dogs have decided is "the time" to wake up every day. Sadly, Jamey and I are ecstatic!! At one point in our doggie driven lives, "the time" was more like 5am or sometimes even 4:30am....

Our girls will now even go out with us at 7:15, then come back home and go back to bed. It's great on those lazy weekend mornings (like today).

Three cheers for sleeping in!!

Off leash glory

Had the day off today so I decided to take the girls for a long jaunt to an off leash park that was within walking distance of the apartment. Ended up at Central Park in the Glebe and they had a great time running, sniffing and frolicking in along the path, in the grass, and in the brush along the perimeter of the park.

They even got attention from a few people along the way and surprisingly enough, had great manners about it for the most part! No jumping, and few attempts to jump which is odd for them! But I'm not complaining!! When we have a good time like that, I start to think that maybe they are maturing...

Now they're both curled up on separate dog beds, catching some z's and resting up for the next outing!

Stew's On!

So...made a huge batch of stew over the weekend! How does this have anything to do with the dogs you ask?

Well, I've actually started making dishes without onions so that we could add a little people food in with the dog food. I was never a big onion fan, so I don't miss them!

Needless to say, a couple of tablespoons of beef stew mixed into the kibble makes a big difference to the girls! I'm sure it must get boring to eat the same old thing all the time.

I'm sure some people would think I'm crazy to be making food for myself with the idea of sharing with the dogs in mind...but it's so cute to see them get so excited about their food. And on the economic side of things...if a few spoons of $20 stew can stretch out the $100 bag of kibble...then I'm all for it!!

If anyone has good doggie recipes to share, please comment!

Doggie intuition

On our way out for our morning walk this morning (and thank you to my dogs for letting me sleep in until 7:30am...WOOHOO!) we had a cute interaction with one of the other dogs in our building.

We were waiting for the elevator and I heard it go by us, it crossed my mind that the only other person up and out the door so early on a Sunday might be one of the dog owners in our building. We waited patiently and then headed down and out through the basement. The lights to the side door had been triggered to turn on so I figured it was definitely one of the dog owners in the building at that point.

The side door is marked "service entrance" but should say "dog entrance"!!

We step out the door and see Mike and Enzo about 50 steps ahead of us. Enzo stops, perks up, looks back and gallops toward Heidi and Reese to say hello. Licking, jumping and sniffing ensue.

I commented on how well behaved Enzo is because he's walking off-leash along the sidewalk. Mike said that just a moment before he was standing at the end of the sidewalk from our building, refusing to move.

I can't help but wonder if he knew we were coming and was trying to wait for us?

If only dogs could talk!

Bread Wars

Just got back from a walk with the dogs...what else is new??

We went to a little park near our place and Heidi and Reese got to one area where they were pulling really hard. I couldn't see anything obvious, but eventually I saw Heidi dive towards something.

Then I noticed there were three huge chunks of a loaf of multigrain bread. Heidi scarfed two of them down by the time I figured out what was going on. Reese found the third one and carried it in her mouth like a prized possession. I didn't mind this at all except for the fact that Reese hadn't pooped by this point.

I knew as she carried her chunk of loaf, that nothing would happen in the poop department until the bread was out of the picture.

I gave her the benefit of the doubt...we walked through a gold mine of grass and fallen leaves.

Nothing.

Eventually I had to stop, break chunks off the bread and guard Reese from Heidi so she could eat it. Heidi managed to bully her way in to get a few crumbs.

But, finally about a block later. Success! Full house!!

Making Plans

Scary as it sounds, I've started to think about the holidays and how we'll be spending them...

One thing about having the dogs is that travel gets a little complicated. You can't just leave the dogs home and hope for the best. Since we have two dogs, you also can't just expect that a friend will dog sit for you. So that leaves taking the dogs with us when we go somewhere.

When we go visit family for the holidays, we'll have to see how it falls - but looks like we'll be renting a vehicle and hitting the road with the girls.

Morning Romps

This morning on our way into the building after our walk I must have spent at least 5 minutes trying to get the girls to sit down. It was very strange. Our routine is always to come up to the door, both dogs sit, then I open the door and we go in.

Today I could not get Heidi to sit.

She finally did after must coaxing and then just as I was opening the door, along came Mike and Enzo. We both unclipped our dogs and let them into the building to play and romp around.

They snarled, they pranced, they bounced.

There's nothing that can beat the sights and sounds of dogs playing.

DST

What WHAAAAAT for Daylight Savings Time!!

For those of us who are up at 6:15 to walk dogs (or earlier)...it is so nice to actually have the sun up, even if most other people are still asleep.

Beautiful clouds this morning.

Return of Waggy

The time changed last night, so I was up bright and early (couldn't help myself!!) and after a little bit of time playing Critter Crunch - which I highly recommend you download on PSN - I decided to take the dogs out for a walk.

We did our usual route over to a park a few blocks from the apartment building. Not far from home, we ran into Waggy who was very excited to see us. It's been a while. The dogs were happy to see him too, and now that he's wearing a winter coat and gloves, I'm less worried that a sharp edge of the dog's nail will tear his tissue-paper skin. He was giggling and asking the "boys" how they were.

It was a doggie love-in when we got there...there was a husky-type dog and an english bulldog pup named Willow that we've met before. I decided to drop the leashes and let the girls romp a little.

There was a couple there who said they come to the park to see other people's dogs since they don't have their own...Heidi plopped herself down and was happy to suck up lots of attention. Reese did her usual walk by routine...she's not much of a sitter.

I really enjoy the fact that our dogs are so friendly with other dogs and with people. I don't think they'd ever hurt anyone and it's very cute to see them sucking up to random people.

We ran into Waggy again on the way back to the building, so they each got another head pat and a giggle from him.

Keep off the grass!

Pet Peeve number 3684: Crusty old men who make it their goal in life to guard weed-infested, tiny, pathetic patches of grass in front of sub-par apartment buildings.

(but I'm not bitter)

All I have to say on the topic is that if your dandilion-ridden grass is that damn important to you...FENCE IT IN!!!

Otherwise, if people or dogs set foot on it...suck it up. It's grass, not gold after all!

Enough said.

*insert smug "humpf" here*

Could I have some of that?

We got our dog food delivered yesterday.

There's this great store called "A guy, a girl, two dogs and a cat" where we buy our dog food and they deliver it to us. We've been buying Fromm's kibble because it's grain free and made in its own factory which means no chance of a scare like the one with the Menu Foods tainted food.
Even better, they deliver for free!!

So this time, we got the "surf and turf" flavour...because of course, our dogs deserve the best...*insert eye roll here*

Anyway, they LOVE it. Or maybe they just like something different after having the same flavour for weeks...

This morning, I fed them a half/half mix of the new and old kibble. Heidi gulped hers down in a matter of seconds and then started to work Reese for some of hers. She put on her sad puppy face until Reese noticed. Then when Reese moved over slightly, Heidi slowly began to eat alongside Reese.

After they were all done, Heidi proceeded to saunter over to the bag, stick her nose in and try to continue eating. I had to stop her about 4 times before she got the picture...I wasn't going to let her eat from the buffet.

Nice try though Heidi - it was worth a try!

G'morning

My lovely husband let me sleep in this morning which was great!

I got home late yesteday and was trying to stay up to watch reality TV's finest: Survivor, but I was basically sleeping sitting up on the couch.

Fridays, Jamey has to be to school for 8am, which means up at 6am....so I was pretty thankful I didn't have to get up.

The dogs were happy to snuggle back in for some more sleep after going outside with him this morning. Around 8am though, I guess they decided it was time for me to get my arse out of bed.

I opened my eyes and I had one dog sitting on either side of me. Each of them had their face laying on my stomach looking up at me with longing looks like...."Come on, get up already!!!" It kind of makes me think of kids on Christmas morning who wake up at like 4am and then are trying to be quiet and wait around for their parents to get up so they can start opening presents.

As I type, they're both laying down, snoozing in their kennels...resting up for the next adventure.

Wake up call

This morning I set our alarm for 7am. Neither of us needed to be to work or school for the usual time, so we figured we could sleep in a little bit (We usually get up around 6:15).

Dogs love routine. Did I mention that in previous blog posts?

So, starting around 6:08, I began to get subtle cues that it was time to get up.

Heidi's nail digging into my back as she layed down beside me.

Reese adjusting her position and...oops...flopping down on my leg.

The occasional dog sigh.

I do not for one second think that these were coincidences. I think the dogs know very well how to get us to wake up "on our own."

I'm looking forward to a day when I can sleep in peacefully...

Boston

This morning I woke up to dog licks on my feet...just as I was about to grumble and roll over, my alarm went off. Reese is a great alarm clock and doesn't even need batteries or electricity!!

We had a nice walk, peaceful, if a bit dark. I much prefer spring/summer walks when the sun has risen by 6:30am...but you can't have everything!

Just before the end of our walk, we ran into a man with a tiny little Boston Terrier. I assumed that he wouldn't want my dogs to be in there sniffing up a storm, so I tried to get them to walk the long way around them by going up onto the front lawn of a building.

He wasn't scooping up his dog or trying to get away from us, so I just let things happen. The girls excitedly pulled their way up to the little dog. They sniffed. They wagged. After a few moments, we parted ways. The little Boston protested with little hops on its hind legs as if to say "Don't leave me!"

So cute.

Party Time

We had a get together at our house last night with four other couples. Our dogs LOVE when company comes over, but wow, do they put on a performance.

We noticed last night that their enthusiasm becomes less intense with each new arrival which may mean that our friends will try to arrive fashionably late in the future.

The first couple that arrived was greeted by pogo-ing, jumping on furniture, and having their glasses knocked off their face by face-licks.

The second couple had pretty much a repeat performance, but afterwards, both of the dogs were splayed out on the floor resting up!

After a short while, Heidi was snuggled up on the couch with one couple and Reese was snuggled up with another one on the other couch. They were loving it.

Not to mention the cheese and cracker snacks they were given...

Seeking Doggie Manners

Just got back from our afternoon walk...the dogs were...okay.

Actually everything was fine until the last block of our walk when I saw Marilyn, a woman I used to work with. As soon as I was greeting her, the dogs went coo coo for coco puffs and started trying to jump on her.

I stopped that for the most part and was trying to just get them to sit down and wait...but they aren't very good at that.

So I led them to a little area with pea gravel that they usually love to sniff...that only worked for a few minutes. Heidi decided that it would be a good time to attack Reese and start trying to shake the life out of her with her jaws locked on her collar.

Good times.

My dogs make such a great first impression...

and have impeccable dog manners.

I'm so proud.

*insert sarcastic look here*

What do fall showers bring?

Just got in from walking the dogs and it was a chilly, rainy morning.

Heidi is oblivious to rain or being wet. She doesn't care at all. We do seem to have broken her of her habit of slopping through puddles and even deciding to lay down in them from time to time though.

Reese is a little more of a diva. She will actually hop over puddles like a little fawn to prevent her precious feet from getting wet. Sometimes, she takes forever to do her business when it's raining out -- although this seems to be getting better. I've actually seen her walk through a puddle since we moved downtown.

Maybe it was something about that Gatineau water??

One other benefit to living in an apartment building? We come in through the basement garage - and on rainy days, the dogs can shake the water out of their fur to their hearts' content. And I don't have to clean anything! It's a stinky old garage floor!

At any rate, fall is definitely here. I think I'm going to have to break out the mittens and gloves soon.

Happy Thanksgiving

Missing everyone at home, including Heidi and Reese of course!

Here's a little video my husband made about the dogs in place of a blog for today...

2 times is a charm?

Okay...another weird and wacky dogism. I have to put it out there to find out whether any of you other dog lovers have experienced this...

I have to warn you that it's kind of yucky though!

This morning on our walk, at some point Reese ate some grass because she stopped to throw up. Whenever my dogs throw up, they always throw up twice in a row. Then they're good to go.

This seems really weird to me! Anyone have any insights??

Heidi Wookie

This morning on our walk, we passed a little dog that lives in the building next door to us. In the summer, it had a cast on one of its front legs which made it's little hop step look pretty cute. Anyway, now she is back to walking on all fours and is still cute as a button. Heidi and Reese love her, but she's pretty excitable like they are, so they don't often get time to sniff.

This morning, as her owner scuttled her away so we didn't have to do the leash dance, Heidi and Reese attempted to drag me over to them. It didn't work. Heidi was quite annoyed by this and belted out a long, loud wookie cry to express her frustration.

This warbling cry is Heidi's code for all of the following:

"I've been inside all night...do you have to lock the door? Let's just get outside!!!"
"I've been inside all day...do you have to lock the door? Let's just get outside!!!"
"Damn you are slow at locking that door!!"
"Damn the elevator is taking a long time today!!!"
"Damn!! I wanted to sniff that dog's butt!!!!"

Heidi usually pairs her wookie cry with a bow and a few front leg stomps on the floor to highlight her point. What can I say? Heidi's a great communicator.

And they're off!

Went for a great morning walk this morning. It was cool and the breeze was fresh and we had a great walk. I love seeing the leaves on the ground in the park, with the little dew droplets on the undersides. Fall is a great season!

Then we get to our building. Heidi and Reese sat like champs for me at the side door (part of our entering the building routine). Then they behaved well to the elevator and while waiting for the elevator.

Outside the apartment door, they both sat, eager to get inside and have their breakfast. I open the door and they take off running at full speed into the apartment. I hear growling and snarling and snorting as I try to take off my shoes quickly. I hear another lap around the track as they run into the bedroom up onto the bed, then back off the bed into the living room, then across into the dining room where I finally break it up by grabbing Heidi's collar.

I was training Heidi to come in and go straight for a drink. Then I would pat her and talk softly while she drank, trying to reinforce her good behaviour. I guess she forgot.

I don't really understand why they need to do this thing of running all over the place when we get back from our morning walk. We've just walked for like 40 minutes!! It has to be annoying for the poor person living below us to hear their galloping at 7am.

Back to the drawing board...maybe I should try to train Reese...

Companionship

So...I'm pretty much recovered from my cold/flu (knock on wood) but now Jamey is feeling worse than ever.

This morning, he called in sick to work and went back to bed. I decided to do some housework I've been meaning to do...like putting boxes down in storage in the basement of our building (we only moved in in May...geez!!)

Anyway, as I was a busy bee, cleaning and rearranging furniture. What were the dogs doing? They were curled up on the bed with Jamey. Heidi alongside him and Reese snuggled up by his ankles.

Nothing like a little company when you're feeling under the weather.

In sickness and in health

Well...I may or may not have the swine flu, but one thing is for sure...I feel like crap!

Yet another good thing about sharing one's life with dogs is that they don't let you wallow.

Even though I was home today resting, I've been outside for four walks already. Maybe we didn't go at our usual brisk pace, but we got out there just the same.

In between our walks, the girls were happy to curl up next to me on the couch while I sipped my orange juice and gingerale concoction. They're just happy someone's been home with them all day.

I'm happy that I wasn't home alone today too. I think getting a little fresh air is good for the mind and body, so thanks Heidi and Reese for getting me off the couch when I'm not feeling so hot.

Urinalysis Rant

So...Heidi has finished her course of antibiotics as of Saturday and after receiving a call on Wednesday and on Saturday that we should bring in a urine sample to make sure that whatever it was that she had is actually gone, we agreed to do it.

It's not easy getting a dog to pee in a cup.

I did actually get enough to analyse though, I think.

The annoying part was that, after walking in the sticky humidity that makes you feel like you have been for a swim by the time you make it to the vet, the vet was open, but no one was at the counter.

After waiting about 5 minutes, I finally peeked down the hallway and a woman made it to the counter. I explained that we were just dropping off a urine sample. The next annoyance was that she explained they weren't "really open." I said that we had to bring in her first morning pee within an hour of collecting it, so not much choice there! Then, she proceeded to act as though it was really strange that they didn't get a urine sample before giving the antibiotics. I explained that I wasn't able to get a sample other than about 2 drips. She went to look for Heidi's file to investigate.

All this time, Jamey is feeling like he's going to keel over because he is sick and didn't really want to be there in the first place (but I really needed his help, because collecting a pee sample and
managing 2 dogs on leashes would have been pretty much impossible). He's mouthing -- just pay and let's GO!

After continuing this dialogue with the nurse? receptionist? at the counter which left me feeling like I was wasting my time even bringing in the sample in the first place...let alone paying $67 to have it analysed...we were on our way back home.

The important thing is that Heidi is back to normal. Hopefully that shows in the pee!

Oh, and Jamey made it back home without keeling over...also important!!

Down to a science

I was thinking on my 6:30am walk this morning about how easily it was going. I had each dog on either side of me. We were walking in the same direction...sounds silly but this can be difficult at times. We were all walking at about the same pace (another challenge for dogs).

Our morning walks are pretty well scripted now. I have one or two yards that are close to our building where they are allowed to pee. Then when we get to the park at the museum, they have free rein to roam and find the perfect spot to go number two.

Other than that, I keep them at my side and we are walking.

I have to remember how good this feels. It's so nice when the walk isn't a struggle and a tug of war. It's also nice when I don't have to fish kleenex or 3/4 length baguettes out of Heidi's mouth.

Morning Street Sweepers

One quirk that my dogs have, and I do not think there are many dogs who don't have this quirk if left to their devices, is to inhale anything and everything that remotely resembles food.

On our morning walks downtown, there is much to be devoured: a scattering of McDonald's fries, a chunk of a hamburger bun, chicken wing bones...and most disgustingly, even the odd vomit puddle. The latter might receive a couple of licks before I realize what is happening and drag the dogs away, scolding them.

I guess this comes from a dog's inner wolf...not sure where the next meal will come from and looking to survive on whatever he can scavenge.

I just don't understand how my dogs think this is necessary? When they get 2 square meals a day??

Dog Park

I missed blogging about Heidi's attempt at downing three quarters of a baguette in one swallow yesterday morning on our walk...let me tell you, she did not want to give that up. I had to pry it from her jaw without her snapping it shut on my fingers!

This morning, the alarm went off at 6:00am, thanks hubby! Once the alarm goes off in our house, it's pretty much time to pack it in. The dogs will not let you go back to sleep.

"What do you mean it's Saturday??" Reese climbs across my back to lick my face.

So this morning, I grudgingly got up and decided I would make things easy on myself by taking the girls to the dog park a few blocks from our place. We got there, not a soul in sight. The sun wasn't even up yet. I unleashed the girls and they ran and frolicked and we played with the tennis balls we found. It was great. It was nice not having to worry about how the dogs were getting along with other dogs.

This 6:00am dog park thing is one tip I'll file away for future reference. I can just imagine Heidi after a fresh snow fall, leaping and flopping in the fresh snow.

Fall Leaves

I was walking the dogs after work today and noticed a change in the park. We're starting to have leaves falling. I have to say, I love the smell of leaves.

I think it takes me back to games we used to play as kids at my Grandma's house. Of course, we raked them up into a pile and jumped in them, but we also got a little more sophisticated too. We spent a lot of time playing outside at Grandma's house, while the grownups were inside talking...bo-ring! So, we would rake up the leaves from the maples in front of the house and then create the floor plan of a giant house. We'd assign rooms and play for hours in our leaf house.

It's funny how a smell can take you back.

Just a spoonful of sugar

Poor Heidi has a bladder infection...

But we got that solved...after a quick trip to the vet (they squeezed us in the same day which was awesome!) and an explanation of the symptoms, they said they were pretty sure that's what was going on. She was peeing like 20 times every time we would take her out.

So, 1 bottle of amoxicillin later, she will be as good as new.

I did find it funny that the same amoxicillin you get for people that costs less than $20 is just over $30 for dogs.

But I digress. The point of this blog is how we give the pills.

Not with a spoonful of sugar like in Mary Poppins, but with a spoonful of peanut butter. Which is pretty much equivalent to crack for dogs. They can't get enough. I've read that too much of the kind with sugar can be hard on their pancreas, so we limit it to rare occasions and small quantities. But since the prescription, they've been getting 1 teaspoon of the good stuff twice daily.

Heidi's comes with a little treasure tucked into the peanut butter.

Reese has to get some too, because otherwise it's just not fair!!

The best part is watching their faces as they lick the pb off the spoon. Their eyes slightly closing as if this is the best thing they have ever tasted. The way Reese tries to eat hers super fast so that she can bully her way onto Heidi's spoon for her left overs.

Needless to say, it works like a charm and we've never had a problem giving medicine to our dogs. It's a good trick to have and it's way cheaper than those little pill pocket treats they try to sell in stores!

And speaking of chewed clothing...

The night before I discovered the remains of my socks, as we were getting ready to go to bed, my husband exclaimed, "Geez, I felt like I was wearing a g-string today! I couldn't figure it out."

He holds up his boxer shorts to see that yes, he was wearing a g-string. Well, sort of. One of the dogs (or maybe a combination of both) had chewed the crotch out of his underwear so that there was one continuous string down the middle and a large "vent" to either side.

How Jamey managed to get those on in his morning groggy state I'll never know.

The fact that he wore them all day and never noticed...another peculiarity.

As this discussion was going on, where were the dogs? Lying on the bed, watching the scene. Looking as innocent as pie.

So long socks

Well...so much for my fancy dancy walking socks.

I've been walking to work most days since we moved downtown and one small purchase I made to help with that was a pair of special socks from Mark's Work Wearhouse that would help make sure I didn't get blisters. They were actually marked L and R and were shaped like the curve of your toes...they were fantastic!

I'm talking about them in the past tense...

I should have bought 2 pairs.

I woke up this morning to find them strewn about the futon in the den, not completely shredded, but the heal chewed out of both of them.

Reese.

I know this isn't Heidi's work because if it was...I might have found a thread or two...if I was lucky.

Reese is a little more subtle.

Finder's Keepers

As I sit blogging to the squeals and squeaks of a bulldog shaped squeaky toy, I smile to myself. I got home, took the girls out for their walk...and what did Heidi find in the park?

The previously mentioned squeaky toy.

I figured, well...the park is our halfway point in the walk. If you can carry that thing all the way back home, you can keep it.

She did.

As it squeaks it's death hymns, Heidi is joyous. She has a certain affection for squeaky toys. She makes as much noise as possible, but with a specific purpose.

Destroy the toy.

Remove the squeaker.

Eat the squeaker.

At least I know that as long as I hear the noise, the toy lives. When the squeaking stops, the toy goes in the garbage...plastic isn't particularly good for doggie intestines.

New dog in town

Yesterday evening and again this morning, I saw what I think must be one of the cutest puppies ever...

She's a little light brown puggle I would guess. She's got the smooshy nose, but the body of a leaner dog than a pug. She must only be a few months old because she's tiny.

Definitely under 5 pounds.

Yesterday, her dog mom scooped her up before Heidi and Reese could get a sniff -- much to their disappointment. Today, they were a half a block away our building. I saw two women bending down to pet the little thing and then we hear little squeaks and squeals (from the puppy not the women). The dogs' ears perk up -- "What? A puppy in distress?" I have to wonder what they would do if not on leash.

Read an article on the weekend in the Cesar Millan magazine (yes, he now has a magazine) about this golden retriever who nursed...NURSED...3 kittens. And she hadn't even had puppies before! So maybe the girls' mother instinct was kicking in at those puppy sounds.

What do you mean you don't like dogs?

Got home today from work...beautiful day. Took the girls on my usual afternoon route towards the Canal and through a busy park.

In the park, Heidi must have flopped on her back more than she walked...it was rather entertaining.

On our way out of the park, (I probably had given them a little too much leeway on their leashes) Heidi made a beeline for this cyclist sitting on a bench. He shied away from her as she approached. I was about to make my usual apology "They're really friendly" when I saw her gently rest her chin on his knee. He couldn't help but smile and pat her on the head.

"She thinks she's a lap dog." I said. He smiled.

1 point for Heidi.

Couch Potatoes

Ahhh....had a very lazy long weekend with Jamey and the girls. We are two of the few people who had never watched Lost because by the time we wanted to watch it, it was well underway and we wanted to watch it from the start.

Wow.

Over the course of 4 days...we watched the entire first season and I have to say...if you haven't watched it, you should. Well worth the time.

What were the dogs up to while we were watching TV?

Snuggled up with us on the couch. They have this routine. Basically Jamey and I sit on separate couches, then each dog cuddles up with one of us. Then from time to time they switch.

Heidi was actually watching TV during the times when she wasn't napping.

Anyway, it was the best of both worlds...going outside to get fresh air, sunshine and walking, then coming back in for another episode or two of Lost. Now we're all caught up on our relaxation.

The calm before

This has been a fantastically relaxing long weekend. Just got back from walking the dogs...we took a longer route than usual since I knew I didn't have to make it anywhere by a certain time. It was nice.

And when it's a holiday, lemme tell you, those morning walks are even more quiet than usual. I saw maybe 3 other dog walkers and a handful of other people. It was great.

Jamey is going back to school this year and tomorrow is his first day. We've got a pretty good routine going with the dogs and I have to admit, I'm wondering how his change in schedule will affect everything. I know he'll be busy. I may have to pick up some extra walking duties.

I guess there's no way to know until we're living it.

That's another way dogs are great. They roll with the punches. They don't worry about what happened yesterday or what's going to happen tomorrow. They are just happy to get attention and are always game for a walk.

The girls don't care that Jamey's going to start school tomorrow. They're just really happy they got to eat some egg shells and a little bit of bacon with their breakfast.

A dog's life...

Among Friends

Didn't sleep well. Started waking up around 3 or 4am and kind of tossed and turned on and off until then. So when Reese started sitting on my back to let me know it was time for our walk around 6am, I wasn't feeling it. After about 10 minutes, I dragged my butt out of bed and we were off.

Nothing too exciting happened on our walk. The girls found some McDonald's french fries and some bread chunks that someone had thrown out to attract birds...instead they attracted some greedy dogs :) The girls had a full house and we made it back to the building without too much trouble.

I have a routine whenever we are going into a doorway. Mostly learned from watching a zillion episodes of the Dog Whisperer, I ask the girls to sit before I will open the door. So, I was practising this at the side door to our building when I saw one of our neighbours coming towards the door. He has a big, gentle Bernese Mountain Dog named Enzo. The girls love him and Enzo! I knew my routine was probably shot.

As soon as Heidi and Reese see them, they are jumping and pogoing and trying to lick Mike and lick Enzo...we're doing the leash dance. I explained what I was doing and he helped. We both asked them to sit and they calmed down for 1 second (long enough to sit) then pogoed some more and tried to lick Mike's face. (Never bend over when talking to my dogs...you will get your face washed!!!!)

One thing about having dogs is that it's like you've joined some club you didn't know existed. Other people who have dogs or like dogs will talk to you...people who never would have talked to you if you didn't have a dog. It's strange. But nice.

Sweet Dreams

One of the most amusing things I've encountered as a dog owner happens when the dog is snoozing away (which is often, but they don't seem to sleep deeply...they can hop up at the slightest sound...the opening of the fridge door for example...).

Our dogs will flop out on their sides and after a while, you see their paws twitching (they must be dreaming of the great walks we go on...). Often this progresses to little baby barks...one of the most endearing things I've ever heard. Heidi's are a little bit deeper and she usually does about 5 or 6 in a row...like she's barking at an intruder or something. Reese's are more like squeaks and they just happen in ones and twos.

If this YouTube video is real, this is the craziest dog dream ever, hopefully the poor thing doesn't do it often...check it out -

Port-a-Poo

Got a new device to try out...I'll let you know if it helps with the leash dance!

They're called Port-a-Poo and they are the cutest little bone-shaped do-hickeys that attach onto your leash with screws, then open kind of like a barrette.

What goes into the barrette?

Your poo bag of course!

One less thing to juggle when walking the dogs! I've attached mine, I'll be giving them a road test first thing tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!

If you want to see for yourself, check out www.portapoo.com

The Leash Dance

One of the most challenging aspects of having 2 dogs is managing the leashes. I cannot imagine how people with 3 or 4 or more dogs do it. I'm sure it's my technique.

I use regular old rope style leashes. We do have flexi leashes, but I find those even more difficult to manage with two dogs because of the bulk of the part that goes in your hand. Try holding 2 of those and picking up poo...I dare you!!

Anyway, I digress.

Inevitably during our walks, there is a moment when I have to stop and adjust the leashes because they are wound around my torso, hands, or wrists. We'll get going at a good pace and then Heidi will catch a whiff of something and try to circle around from behind. Uh..my arm doesn't bend that way!

Yesterday, Reese managed to get the leash wrapped all the way around one of my legs, much to the enjoyment of the tourists who were trying to get into their car. Luckily she didn't spot a squirrel or a chunk of someone's abandoned hamburger because I'd probably have an injury right now!

So...we've tryed flexi leashes, rope leashes, wacky walkers (leashes made from fitness tubing)...the latest gadget that's caught my eye is those y-shaped attachements so you can have 2 dogs on one leash. I'll have to give one of those a try and see if the going is any easier.

The Boob Tube

We watch quite a lot of the National Geographic channel and Animal Planet. One quirky phenomenon that we've noticed as a result of this is related Heidi's behaviour if a show involves a dog.

It's funny to compare Heidi and Reese. They each have their strengths -- Reese is much better at sniffing out things she likes (especially food) and in more than a few ways, she appears to be more alert, almost smarter. But then Heidi surprises us.

Anytime we're watching a show with a dog, Heidi plops up onto the couch and settles in to watch the show. She watches the dog(s) on the TV with interest. If a dog makes a noise on the TV -- barking, whining, or growling -- she is on alert. Her ears perk up, eyes on the TV, sometimes she even lets out a couple of warning barks, like "Hey!! This is my house - shut up!"

Reese on the other hand, is completely oblivious.

Maybe Heidi is just the laid back, quiet type and we should give her a little more credit? Or then again, maybe Reese knows that the TV dogs are not really in our house, in which case poor Heidi is wrong again! Guess we'll never know.

You're back!

There's nothing like coming home to my dogs. It doesn't matter how much you love and adore the person or people you are living with, we as humans just don't react the same way. We don't run to the door. We don't jump up and down. We don't lick the person feverishly (well, maybe some of you out there do?). We don't even hug the person unless they've been gone for a long time.

With our dogs, even if we're gone into a store for 5 minutes while the other waits outside with the dogs -- the girls go through this routine of greeting us when we come back. It's desperate. It's as if they're saying "I thought you were never coming back, but I'm so happy we're together again!"

I'll say it again...there is nothing like coming home to my dogs. They are always excited to see me. That's a nice ego boost. It's nice to know that when I get home, I'll be greeted like a queen coming back to her court. I'll take that over our standoffish human greetings any day.

Let them eat quiche

Had our walk today. Met "Waggy" on the way back into the building.

We bought our next bag of kibble for the dogs. We've been buying Fromm's which is made in its own factory and won't be affected by any future tainted ingredients scares (unless they happen at their own plant I guess). Anyway, we've been buying duck and sweet potato, but decided to try the salmon and veg. Wow! Guess we found the money spot, they licked up their bowls in seconds instead of the usual turn-taking that they do to eat.

So they've just had breakfast. Jamey and I are bantering back and forth about nonsense while he gets breakfast ready for us.

Then I hear "Reese...(insert swear words here)!!!"
I say "What did she do?"
Jamey - "She ate like a third of my quiche!!!"

I look over at Reese who is sitting on her dog bed and licking her lips feverishly. Guess it was worth it.

Scavengers

Another funny thing I've noticed about my dogs...they will eat anything! And no matter how much they are fed or how little, our walks have become their time to scavenge the all-you-can-eat-buffet that is downtown Ottawa.

I have to admit, we've been living downtown for almost 4 months now, but it really surprises me how much garbage is thrown on the ground under cover of darkness. Sorry to say so McDonalds, but a lot of that garbage is from your lovely customers! Not that the dogs mind, anything food related -- they're all over it!

bits of hamburger
bread crumbs
half a sandwich
pepperoni stick wrappers
french fries
sauce containers
pizza crusts

You name it, they've found it on walks and tried to get it down the hatch before I notice what they're up to.

And geez...they are quick! I'll give them the fact that they're closer to the ground and they have a way better sense of smell than I do, rather than admit that sometimes I can be a little foggy on our morning walks.

I feel like a bad parent who is starving my children or something...the way that they pull and struggle to get that one piece of bread crust. I'm thinking...geez, we feed you!!! You are not starving!!!

Today, Reese got a hold of some sort of paper I think, I didn't get a good look at it and it was gobbled up and down the hatch before I could pry open her mouth and yank it out. It must have been a tasty little morsel, hopefully it doesn't make her sick.

The moral of the story: garbage cans are there for a reason...Maybe I should start a downtown education initiative? Put litter in its place...don't be a litter bug...the only cure for litter is you...huh...guess it's been done.

Ode to Reese

Who wakes me up faithfully if I try to sleep in

Reese

Who can sniff out an old balled up Kleenex long forgotten

Reese

Who enjoys TV watching with a side of belly rub

Reese

Who pogos at the sight of another dog

Reese

Who sits her snout on my thigh to let me know she wants attention

Reese

Who loves to fetch tennis balls, running like the wind

Reese

To Reese, the peanut butter pup who has stolen our hearts!

Rinse and Repeat

One of the things I've realized now that I live with dogs is that they love routine. They want to get up at the same time every day, be fed at the same time every day and have their walks at more or less the same time every day.

Luckily for me, I like routine too. I don't mind repeating the same actions in the same order with the same tone of voice.

When this doesn't work out is the odd day when I just want to sleep in. If we got up at 6:00 the day before...guess what? The dogs will be subtly giving me signs it's time to get up. Fidgeting in the bed. Licking my toes. Resting their noses on the edge of the bed so that they are about a centimetre from my face and I can smell what they had for dinner the night before. You know, all those gentle ways to wake someone up.

Since our move, we've fallen into a comfortable routine. I was thinking about that this morning as the girls trotted happily along beside me on our walk this morning.

Full House

I have never monitored another being's digestive functions like I do now that I have dogs. I'm certain this is not unlike most dog owners...you feel like you have to keep track since your dogs can't come up to you and say "Uh, how's about you take me for a pee break?" or "Well, you can walk me now, or I'll just go over in the corner and have a big poo on the floor, your choice."

We do about 5 walks a day. One upon rising, one just before bed, and at least 3 throughout the day, on a day when we're home. If we are home alone with the dogs and the other is at work, we leave little notes for each other: "11am - 1 pee, 2 poos." To the average person who does not have a dog in his/her life, I'm sure this would seem very strange.

We know we've hit the jackpot on a walk if we can come home and say FULL HOUSE. Our code for 2 pees, 2 poos.

So, for those of you who were hoping I was going to reminsce about tv sitcoms in this particular blog, sorry to disappoint. But isn't poop much more exciting???

Squirrel chasing at sunrise

Heidi dragged me for half a block today chasing a squirrel.

She noticed the squirrel before I did and took off...my heart was in my throat because the surprise factor threw off my balance and I was imagining being dragged along on my stomach down Metcalfe street for the entertainment of everyone driving to work. I kept it up on two feet and ran along behind her until I could get her stopped.

My doggie discipline (who knows if it works) is to calmly and assertively (thanks Caesar!) get Heidi to sit, then I hold her face in my hands so we're looking eye to eye and say "NO. BAAAAD." Writing it, it sounds ridiculous. But it doesn't hurt her, and getting her sitting down and listening usually snaps her out of whatever behaviour she was getting into.

Okay, back to the squirrels....DAMN YOU SQUIRRELS!! I think squirrels are cute, I've always liked them....until I was a dog owner, that is. Now, I would swear that they knowingly taunt dogs. Some will run just out of reach, then stop again, so the dogs keep trying to make chase. Others will climb a tree, but stay low enough to still be within reach - making the dogs crazy with longing for squirrel meat.

My dogs have never caught a squirrel and I would bet money that they never will. No matter what happens though, they are persistant, they keep trying.

And what suffers?

My arms
shoulders
wrists
fingers
from holding on for dear life.

Their necks
and windpipes
from pulling against the leash.

If only the squirrels would go about their squirrelly business from the sanctity of the tree tops....

So if you see me walking, you'll know it's me because I'll be the one scanning the sidewalks and lawns for squirrels so I can catch Heidi before her ears perk up and she decides to take off in pursuit of her little rodent snack.

Waggy

On my list of cute things in the world...little old men. And there's one who lives on our street who grins from ear to ear whenever he sees me walking the dogs. This morning, just as I was coming up to our building, I saw him coming. I slowed down and waited at the walkway to the building so he could pat the dogs.

"Waggy! I call them Waggy because their tails are always wagging!" he says with the brightest smile. "I like your dogs, they're so friendly!" Every time I run into him, he has nothing but nice things to say...I try to wrangle the dogs to sit politely so that he can give them some affection.

Heidi plops down looking up at him with pure delight, as he pats her and smiles down at her.

Until next time Waggy!

Does size matter?

Here's one of my doggie pet peeves. People with little dogs who treat their little dogs like they are fragile babies. Who pick them up at the first glimpse of a dog weighing over 20lbs. Who haven't taken the time to socialize their winky little dog so that it doesn't wet itself or become a barking, snarling menace when it sees a bigger dog. Who make excuses for their tiny dog's misbehaviour.

When it comes to dogs, size does not matter.

A dog is a dog.

Some people get this. Most people who go to dog parks get this, because they have no control over what size of dog uses the park and they let the dogs be together. It's great.

Yesterday, we were out for a walk with the girls and we saw this tiny little 4-month-old Boston Terrier skipping towards us. All 5lbs of it was pulling the young man walking it towards Heidi and Reese...it was hillarious. Heidi and Reese were pulling just as enthusiastically in the Boston's direction-tails wagging-anticipating first sniff!

The little dog was not frightened in the least. It marched right up to Heidi and Reese (who I admit can be a little intimidating with their level of excitement when meeting a new dog) and the full sniff was happening. It then proceeded to bat Heidi in the nose and bow as if to say: "Let's wrestle tubby...I could take you anyday!"

Anyway, my point is, the dog wasn't scared in the least! And neither was the owner who allowed the playful interaction. He was willing to at least give the dogs a chance to meet before deciding they wouldn't get along.

Unfortunately for us women out there...I have to admit that it is almost always women who scoop up the little dogs, making excuses for why they "aren't good with other dogs."

Is it really the dog who's scared and nervous? Or is it the owner?

Peace

Okay, so I know I've implied that there is some sort of anamosity about getting up early in our household, but the truth is I'm a morning person. I'm my best until about 3pm and then I progressively go downhill from there.

I
love
early
morning
dog
walks.

But don't tell my husband that!

I roll out of bed at the first stirrings and fidgetings (silent code for mom, time to get up!!!), wash my face, brush my teeth and we're out the door. Usually it's between 6 and 6:30 and it is so peaceful! We maybe run into 5 other people the whole time. The only other beings we regularly have to share the world with at that hour are the squirrels (and I swear they know how to taunt dogs...but I'll write more about that another time).

This morning, I think we saw 3 other dog walkers and 2 other people, one of which was an elderly gentleman who called "Good Morning" across the street with a radiant smile, which I returned. The other was a middle-aged man with a coffee who wanted to know if my dogs were friendly and then cooed at them for a minute or two.

Did I say this already? I like my early morning walks.

It feels good to be up early.

It's peaceful.

I feel like I'm part of something that all those sleeping people are missing out on.

I don't have to rush with the dogs.

There are no people looking annoyed because we're taking up so much of the sidewalk.

It's the best time to be out walking a dog! (Now that I've let you in on my little secret...maybe there will be more of us out there? Who knows!)

Open for Business

One benefit to living in the downtown core of a city is that there are actually businesses that allow you to bring your dog inside! I never would have imagined this growing up in my small town...even the idea of Petsmart was novel.

Our bank branch is on the same block as the dog park, so I've taken to bringing the girls in with me if I need to use the instant teller (I'm not brave enough to try it when the bank is actually open!)

But so far, we have discovered that the magazine/newspaper store allows pets inside and so does the video rental store. Yay! Even better, they give your pup a treat for going in! Now there's positive reinforcement.

So yay to stores who are dog friendly!!

The Big Dork

Home from work, beautiful day...took the girls out for a walk. About a block from our house, Heidi did one of her special dorky talents...her somersault/back flop on some random lawn. She then proceeds to squiggle left and right like there's a hinge in the middle of her body...until it feels right. Then she hops up and repeats the process as many times as I'll allow before I coax her onward.

I've heard that many dogs will do this to camouflage their scent and therefore roll in feces or other equally gross findings...Heidi never rolls in anything visible to the naked eye...but she seems to adore the fragrance of her special spots.

What does Reese do while Heidi is rolling on her back, all 90 lbs of her, looking like a giant dork? Sits politely, always facing away, as if to say "Oh god, there she goes again, how embarrassing..." Then she looks to passersby longingly sending them the message-- "Don't worry, we aren't related biologically...I don't even know her that well!"

This absolutely cracks me up. I guess Reese has decided that rolling should be reserved for the privacy of one's home?

Morning Surprise

*Warning...poo discussions are coming, if you're weak of stomach you might want to skip this post!*

So, I'm woken up this morning by Heidi who is pitifully whining just loud enough that she knows it will wake me up. I look at the clock 5:59...sigh...for those of you who have dogs you have probably accepted the fact that lazy mornings are a thing of the past. I figured she probably really had to go because she almost never does this and she did have a bit of a sick stomach the day before...so up I get.

I step out of the bedroom to find nice little poo-pudding lilly pads in perfect formation on the floor of the hallway...sigh...for those of you who have dogs, you've probably enjoyed the occasional surprise such as this upon waking. Heidi is acting like she's ready to create another one any second, so I pick up the pace --not even looking in the mirror before I open the door and release the hounds!!! Heidi RAN to the front door of our building (usually she's a bit slow on the stairs) and was looking back at me like "hurry the F*&$ UP!!!!!!!" So I clipped in the leashes to prevent a traffic accident and, although I never let them do this, I let them drag me to the corner, running, to the nearest patch of grass.

I'll spare you the details of the ensuing 45 minute walk, but I guess Reese decided that since Heidi has gone enough for both of them, she'd hold off.

Hopefully whatever Heidi ate will be out of her system soon, cause this sucks!

Got tips? Please comment on my post.

The Pied Piper

Food. Sometimes I wonder if we aren't feeding our dogs the right amount of food or the right type of food...because they will eat any thing, any time, any where!

On walks, their little noses are constantly going...trying to sniff out tasty little morsels. A french fry here, a pizza crust there. Even the occasional muffin wrapper has made it down the hatch before I could fish it out. Lately they've taken to eating walnut shells...that can't be good, can it?

At home, any time someone goes into the kitchen it is an event. If you take a moment to turn and look, you'll see two pairs of eyes watching your every move. "Is this my lucky day?" "Are they filling my food bowl?" "Did she just drop something?" Tonight, when Jamey was coming to sit on the couch with a snack, I saw both dogs following in perfect formation. Heidi even had her nose in the air in the "Just follow your nose" fashion from the old Fruit Loops commercials. Hillarious.

Sad Eyes

Okay, so it's Monday. Monday for most of us means workday after having a couple of days off. Well for the girls, any day when both Jamey and I are at work is a sad day. This morning we were up and at it by 6am and once the dogs see that both of us are showering right away, they know.

We're going to work.

There are a couple of ploys they use to try to make us stay home...sometimes they both go lay down in their kennels well before it's time for us to leave, as if to say "Fine, we're ready...just leave then." Today it was the sad eyes. Reese was laying on her little bed, feet out in front, nose low with the saddest puppy dog eyes ever...just hoping that Jamey and I would be convinced that quitting our jobs, living off of water and cardboard would be so much better because we would be TOGETHER all day, every day.

But, tempted as I was by Reese's offer of cardboard and water, I headed out to work. And what do you know? They both survived.

Seven years of bad luck?

I've decided I wanted to start blogging and as anyone who has one or a few dogs can attest, there is much to say about life with dogs. My husband and I have two beauties: Heidi, a two and a half year old newf mix who is full of beans and loves to cuddle and Reese, a small lab mix who has the most killer puppy face (even at the age of almost 2) along with the softest velvety ears.

I love having dogs. I never really had the chance to have pets growing up (my parents rented) and so I played it off like I didn't like animals...but I think the number of people in the world who truly don't like animals are few and far between. Anyway, so in May of 2007, we adopted Heidi and life completely changed...

Dogs are a lot of work!

There are the walks (of which we do 4-5 per day), feeding, grooming, cuddling, training, and the cleaning up after of course...and I don't just mean in the poop and scoop manner...I mean the dog fur tumbleweeds that accumulate within a day of sweeping, the water and food splatters around the food bowls, the black smudges on walls, baseboards, and even the fridge (the FRIDGE??!!) and the random gifts of clean up like the one yesterday...

I was in the shower, my husband had gone to the store, when I heard this giant crash (multiple crashes actually I think) and I was imagining the 42-inch TV crashing to the floor, or the PS3 in pieces scattered on the hardwood...and I was thinking "Oh crap, Jamey is gonna be PISSED!" (Let's just say my husband enjoys techie gadgets...) I get out of the shower, glance into the living room expecting the worst, only to find everything as I left it. Hm. Strange. I know I didn't imagine the crashing sound...I'm not on drugs...I peer cautiously into the bedroom with the glimmer of hope that they just knocked over the pedestal fan...and YIKES! Saw the damage...my beautiful antique mirror was lying on the floor with the glass shattered into a million bits. I guess it could have been worse! Glass can be replaced and no one got hurt, except that my husband got a few tiny shards of glass in his feet before I suggested we put on our shoes before we clean it up!!

So, knowing that our dogs now have 7 years of bad luck (if you're superstitious) I figured I will have LOTS to write about for quite a while.

So strap on your seatbelts and get ready for some dogtastic stories!