CAT

Today was the first day back to work after Christmas holidays.  When everyone got up this morning, we were all a little groggy as we ground back into our work day routines. Greg led the charge down the stairs this morning to let the dogs out for their morning pee.  I was coming behind them.  When I reached the kitchen, Greg was outside and I could hear him screaming Bentley's name.  First thought, "oh no."  I opened the door and there was Greg and all three dog's, Greg yelling "Bentley" and all the dog's barking and going absolutely wild on the deck.

When Greg opened the door to let them out, he saw a blur of brown fur go running off the deck towards the north side of our yard.  Seconds later, the blur went running back the other direction, this time the blur included 3 dog's in hot pursuit.  When I came out, the blur had landed back on the deck and Greg was trying to keep the dog's away from it.  I remember thinking, raccoon.  When it leaped 5 feet, straight up and stuck to the side of our house I was still processing what the creature was.  It all happened so fast, but seemed to go in slow motion.  It was a cat, a Siamese cat, tiny and stuck with all claws onto the side of our house.  It was so scared that it peed as it hung on, and then lost its grip and fell in-between the decking and the side of the house.  When he popped back up with the dog's in pursuit trying to reach it from under the deck, he managed to land on our metal BBQ with all claws trying to catch a grip on the slippery surface.  It was hissing, screaming and swatting at every chance it got.  When it slid off the BBQ, it landed on a small piece of decking behind it.  The girls gathered behind Bentley, as he led the barking assault on the poor thing, trying to get it, but getting swatted at instead.  I kept thinking of how the breeder that Bentley came from told us that the Springers she kept in the large pen at her kennel never let a cat make it out alive if one dared to jump in.  I knew I had to rescue the cat.  I climbed down the side of the deck, in my slippers and wearing my house coat while Greg was in the house trying to find food to get Bentley's attention (it didn't work.)  I managed to get behind the cat and pick it up.  With all legs pointed straight out and away from me, he just kept swatting and hissing towards  the dogs.  Some how we managed to get me in the house with the cat (legs, claws still pointing straight out and stiff as a board), where I was able to put it down on the front step.  He stayed there for about a 1/2 hr. before finding his way out of our yard.  Poor thing.

Bentley is obsessed with anything that moves in our backyard and will sit at the windows waiting for something to move, a bird, a squirrel or the dog's that live 2 acres away.  This experience has floored him and now he is absolutely thrilled to get outside and take a tour of the yard, as if we needed this.  How does this happen to us?  You can't make this stuff up.

Bentley Meets the Neighbour's Malamute

Well, Bentley escaped from the backyard this weekend and it turned bad for him.  I was at the grocery store when I got an urgent call from Greg that Bentley was hurt.  Our neighbour was walking her Alaskan Malamute, who similar to Bentley, isn't friendly towards other dog's.  Bentley ran straight towards the dog and got a chomp to his muzzle.  Bentley ran away and hid in another neighbour's garage, where Greg had to go and carry him from.  This happened on a Sunday afternoon and after evaluating his bite, which was about an inch long and gaping open, we decided we had to make a trip to the emergency vet clinic in down town Edmonton (open 24 hrs.)  Greg had to fly out of Edmonton on business at 10:30pm, and so not knowing how long the trip to the vet would take, I ended going by myself with Bentley.  The vet who looked at him immediately determined that Bentley needed stitches and would have to be sedated.  So, as I waited for the administrator to total an approximate bill, I texted my friend Moira to share what had happened.  Luck would have it, she was only a couple of blocks away and said she would come by to visit me.  After gulping at the quote for Bentley to get fixed up, Moira arrived and rescued me and took me to her house.  What was only supposed to take a couple of hours ended up 6, so by the time I got Bentley back, it was 9pm.  He has 4 stitches on his muzzle and 3  in his mouth above his canine tooth where the vet discovered he was also injured right down to the bone.  He had a restless night, the vet said he would be 'wierd' coming out of the anesthetic.  Now he is supposed to keep quiet for 10 days. Since we moved here, Bentley only runs when he is in the backyard (for hours at a time) and his favorite place is the trees where he sniffs for squirrels, frogs and birds.  He is sleeping on the couch this morning and I hope he can stay satisfied like this for another 9 days. 

Peaceful Morning

All dogs chill with me when I do my morning stretches. 

Clipper & Breton

Happy 5th Birthday Bentley Boy!

All Towelled Off

Bentley raided the neighbours vegetable garden. The girls tried to get him back, but discovered the swamp water in the ditch instead. All three dogs got hosed down and Greg and I got swarmed and eaten alive. Dogs are towelled off now and Bentley is currently asking to go back outside.

"Three Dog Night"

‎"Three dog night" started with Eskimos and means a very cold night--so cold that you need three dogs around you to keep warm.

Conditions Observed at: Edmonton City Centre Airport
Date: 9:00 PM MST Tuesday 8 February 2011
Condition:Clear
Temperature:-15.3°C
Wind:SSW 8 km/h
Wind Chill: -20

Dreaming of warmer days.

Nala

Here is a picture of my girl, Nala, taken by a reporter from the Edmonton Examiner for an article about DWW.  Nala is from Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California.  She was donated to us in the Spring of 2010.  School's across Canada and the USA often donate dogs to eachother as away to support eachother's breeding programs and to help eachother grow. 

I have been Nala's trainer for nearly a year.  She is one of the many special dog's I get to work with.  Nala just turned one year old and loves to practice her Service Skills.  In the photo we are demonstrating how to get her to use her paws for things like hitting wheelchair buttons or closing a door.  I love ya Na Na!

Snuggley Morning

Pathways through the Snow

We have had almost 50 cm of snow so far for the month of January; the most snow seen here in years!  Boulevards and side streets are ploughed as high as or higher than minivans.  We have had to dig out poo alley more than once and make additional pathways in our back yard for the dogs to get around. Along with the large amounts of snow we've had, it has also been cold!  Too cold for doggy paws to stand outside for too long, so the pathways in the backyard have helped make efficient relieving for the dogs.  The snow has filled up areas along the fence and garage to where it's hard to believe that our fence is 6' tall because the snow has piled so high up against it.  If the dog's really wanted to, they might be able to hop the fence now.  It is very scenic; the trees are weighed down heavy, houses are tucked in tight, pathways from endless shovelling and ploughing have created giant snow banks all around the city making it feel like a mountain village.  Here are some of the pathways we have created with our shovels for our four legged friends at home and at work.

Stairs off the deck, buried, at the enterance to poo alley.

Post Christmas Hedge Hog

Christmas Morning

Christmas Eve Bentley

Bentley

Christmas Girls

Breton

Clipper

My Puppies

Breton, Bentley, Clipper

Happy Fall!

Summer Post

I've been waiting for inspiration to post pictures from our summer vacation with the dog's, and today I think I got it.  For the first time since Spring, I have turned on the furnace; it is going right now.  The weather is rainy and dreary, the leaves are changing color and at the dog park today, I noticed leaves on the ground.  I think a summer post is definetly needed to brighten this day.

There is a fenced field right on the highway in Clearwater.  It is actually school grounds, but during the summer, no one is there.  We camped in Clearwater our first night, and let the dogs run here twice.  It is perfect for anyone passing through with dogs.

Once we arrived to the Shuswap, the dogs swam every day.  If you were to ask them, it was one of the best vacations of their lives.  They were in complete bliss.

Swimming led to lots of sleeping. This picture is a gem; who knew we would ever get a picture of Bentley, asleep on a beach!

Clipper was so tired after her morning swim that she climbed back up into the trailer when we got back, and curled up on our bed and went straight back to sleep.

Smokey day on the boat.

Look!  There's a pirate on the boat!

Our Clipper in Jasper, showing off her well behaved self infront of a busy coffee shop while Greg went inside for coffee's.  We were sitting beside two well behaved (beautiful), five-month-old, chocolate lab's when I took this picture.

Clipper on the home stretch.  She had enough of being in her kennel and decided that she would rather be on her kennel instead.

What a great holiday!