Saturday, December 31, 2011

The Third Annual Christmas Quilt

Two posts in one day, WOW! I have some catching up to do, that's for sure!!

Anyway, as seems to be my December tradition, I made my third quilt this December.  Of course, I have to show you the journey.


Yes, it's a rag quilt. They are easy and relatively quick. Plus, I had tons of old jeans to use up.  Here's the intial laying out of the patterns.  Bu the way, you can see my foot in that pic- you can see my lovely new Alpaca slippers. They were a pricey Christmas present to myself, but I have a new found fondness for Alpaca fibre and I had a moment of weakness at a Christmas Craft Sale. So comfy!



I made it in 9 patch blocks, each with one pattern and jeans. Then, I stitched the blocks into 5 blocks by 5 blocks. I had 4 cozy flannels, yes again in pink. This one is for my couch and the size ended up smaller than the last two, but perfect for a TV watching blanket.


The dogs overseeing the process. Maggie was still here then. :)


Hmmm, comfy! Sophie as always HAS to lie on the quilt, mid process.


Anyway, the finished product, all washed and ready to go. It frayed up lovely and I am very pleased with the results!


I won't be waiting another year to make another quilt, I can tell you that. There's going to be some heavy duty sewing in my near future. :)

Change is A Comin'

It's been a hectic month around here at the Black Dog Blog! School wrapped up for the holidays and none too soon.  As a junior high teacher, I understand when kids have had enough. And, they were clearly at enough the beginning of December.  So, we wrapped up and Spike and I headed to my parents for Christmas. Sophie and Murphy stayed with Rebecca at The Poop Guys, and Maggie went to another kennel.

Maggie has not moved home yet- she's still staying at my friend Joanne's place. I miss her terribly, but Maggie was used to being an only dog. She had some serious jealous issues going on- especially with Murphy. Her way of showing it- BARKING. All the time. Loudly. Until my neighbours complained to the town and I received a warning from the Bylaw Officer. So, in the interest of maintaining my sanity, my dogs happiness and Maggie's ability to be comfortable, she's staying where she is at for now.  I am not sure if she'll move back- she might, but only if I can find a humane way to control her barking. In the meantime, I'm taking an extended break from fostering- I need some time just with my crew.

Other than that, I've made some pretty serious decisions about my future and that's a good thing. You'll be learning about those over the next bit- just watch the blog as it changes and morphs into something new. ;)  Yes, it's a tease, but I will be sharing as I get things re-organized and re-vamped.  It's December 31st and I think it's time.

The first big change is the start of my Rattery. I've been in contact with another hobby breeder, here in the Saskatoon area and we've decided to become sister ratteries. This means we'll share a client list, share rats back and forth for breeding and basically help each other out. The first help is thanks to Rebecca, at Mat and Bec's Rats; she is making the trek to Winnipeg and will be bringing back a breeding pair for me. That means the start of my Blue/Silver lines... very exciting! So, stay tuned for litter announcements.

The second big change- I've decided to take a break from Grad School. I've burnt out and lost my drive to finish my thesis, so I just need to leave it for the moment. It's not a bad decision, in fact I believe it's the right decision right now. Rather than dropping out, I'm taking a medical leave for now- with my anxiety and depression diagnosis, I qualify for one and at this point, my anxiety is creeping back up so it's time.

Other than that, for now, I'll leave you with some newly revamped pages.... check them out! :) And, later today there will be pictures of what I've been up to (New Quilt, new projects!)

Happy New Year all!  Here's to a great 2012, full of changes that bring joy.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Maggie has found a home

Maggie had a big day yesterday as she returned to the vet for her followup visit and to get her stitches out. When Dr. Nairn came in the room, the first thing he said to me was "I need to talk to you. I think you need to keep Maggie". I laughed and told him the thought had crossed my mind as I feel pretty attached to her at this point- having gone through 2 big surgeries and everything else, I do feel attached.  He sees her as a special girl who is clearly attached to me, and he wants to see her in the best environment for her senior years. Not sure it should be me, but well, that's a whole other issue.

We talked about her surgery and the results. When I got Maggie, she had 2 lumps. By the time she went for the second surgery, she had 4. They removed all 4 the second round, in an attempt to get clean margins. It's been a rough recovery, and while her stitches are out, she still is bleeding and not healed under her arm put at this point. (surgery was two weeks ago today).  All 4 lumps, even the one he thought was a skin tag turned out to be either a Grade 1 or a Grade 2 Mast Cell tumor. And, she has a new one, this week. I showed it to Dr. Nairn last night, and while we don't know 100% that it's cancer, based on what we've seen so far, it is likely that it is another Mast Cell.

I am devastated. I can't put this dog through more surgery. New Hope doesn't want to put her through another surgery for her sake and the sake of our wallets- she's cost us upwards of $3500.00 as of yesterday.  So, I contacted the powers that be and we have made a plan.

As of today, Maggie will live with me. Mags will live out whatever she has left in my home and be kept as comfortable as possible, until I don't think we can keep her happy anymore. She isn't appearing to be sick at this point, but the cancer is spreading, seemingly quite rapidly. I am treating her with Benadryl and Pepcid in an effort to keep the cancer at bay, but it doesn't seem to be helping at this point.  So, the decision is made: Maggie will come off Petfinder and remain a New Hope dog- but essentially mine.

I am happy to give Maggie as comfortable a home as possible, for whatever time we have- it could be weeks, it could be years. I am being realistic, and I think we have weeks to months together. In any case, if she starts to appear to be feeling worse or the cancer spreads more, I'll have lots of say in determining when enough is enough, and for that I am grateful. And, it just seems like the right thing to do, to see her through to whatever her end will be. She's a lovely dog, and I feel blessed to have been able to rescue her (ironically, after her owner died of cancer) and to take care of her this far- she's showed her quirky, spoiled rotten, only dog mentality to me through this whole time. But, she's also showed me a gentle, wants desperately to be loved side that is endearing.  So, there it is. Maggie is home.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Catching up

I took a couple days of "doggy therapy" to get over the flu I had.  They are VERY helpful you know.... just look!


Maggie is cuddling with me on the love seat. YES, she's wearing a TShirt. She's finally figured out she had surgery and she's itchy. So, there you have it- the latest in post surgery fashion, hehe!


Nap time!! Yeah for Labrador cuddles.


Doesn't she look great in her pretty-in-pink shirt??

Sophie and Guinness spent the day napping on the other couch. They seem to like each other. 



Sophie... I think she's watching TV here. 


Speaking of Mr. Gorgeous Guinness himself, he's moving out tomorrow!! He's found himself a stellar family and I couldn't be more pleased for him!


Murphy likes to cuddle UNDER my blankie, on the floor.   Just her little legs showing, hehe.



Spikey, in his crate. It's his "I want to be close, but it's too hot in here to cuddle, so I'll stick myself in my crate so at least I'm still in the same room" plan. He is quirky, that boy. 


He did come out to watch the street from his favourite chair at least.

In other news, I got the Christmas tree up.  Crossing fingers it won't get knocked down this year!



Oh, and I haven't done this, this year yet, but it makes me feel better about the LONG nights and SHORT days of winter in Canada. I keep thinking, at least the weather has been mild. Anyway, Dec. 1st, this is what it looked like as I was leaving... just mostly dark. The shortest day of the year also happens to be my last day before holidays so I will get a photo to compare. Hopefully I'll have figured out the settings on this camera by then to actually get a decent photo. :)




Wednesday, November 30, 2011

W-ratty Wednesday: Exploring the dirt box...

Ahhh, yes, I haven't done a Nearly Wordless, W-ratty Wednesday in ages. But, I managed in my "I feel icky and under the weather, should still be sleeping, but I have labs and jacks" kind of state to click some really bad photos of Zander and Giles.  Oh, and a couple of the girls, before I did the bi-weekly total clean job of the cages.


Zander's nose. And, a junky eye that needs cleaning up. He's a sensitive soul, this one and dogs barking (Maggie) stresses him out a bit. Ah well, extra treats and cuddles....


Giles... WOW! New digging tin! COOL!


Get your fuzzy butt outta my way... Zander shoves Giles out of the way to explore the brand new tin.


PIGGY!  Giles has 2, TWO treats in that mouth! 


Smidgy... my word, you ladies are MESSY! lol


Smudge and Dru coming to see what's up.


All three girlies, pre- cage clean... Smidge, Dru, Smudge. This cage WAS imacculate just a couple days ago. The girls are way messier than the boys.

All I hear now is happy rustling as they scramble to see what's new, to work through mounds of crumpled papers to create new nest and to find any hidden treats.  All in all, a good way to spend an icky, sicky morning. 

Monday, November 28, 2011

Update on the Mags....

Good morning all.... it's Monday, isn't it?!?  And, I think I have the flu.  But, that's life; I'm going to head off to work for the day because it's a case of "planning for a sub at this time of day is WORSE than teaching with the flu."  If I'm not feeling better SOON, I'll be in bed tomorrow, cuddled with Maggie and crew. :)

Speaking of Maggie.... she amazes me! She still hasn't seemed to notice she had surgery and she is her playful self already.  She's supposed to be on crate rest, but I figure, what's the difference between chewing a bone on the couch or in the crate?  The difference for Maggie- she's quieter and happier on the couch, LOL.  She is recovering incredibly quickly with no issues. Phew!

And, Guinness, just a quick update too.... he met a family yesterday and as predicted they LOVE my boy!  If all goes well, Mr Guinness is off to live his life with a great family, complete with a 7 year old boy to grow up with.  I am hoping he'll be able to move next weekend- it's a little complicated by the fact that they live in Regina, and need time to drive up and get him but I believe once they get the "ok, the home check is great!"  they'll be in the car heading here to get their boy!

Otherwise, everyone else is happy, content and busy chewing on deer bones. :)  I promise an update with pictures (and maybe for a change, focusing on the dogs of the Black Dog Blog, LOL).

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Franken-Maggie

WARNING: Graphic, post surgery pics below.  (just in case you are squeamish!)

Maggie is back home. The vet wanted to keep her last night, but I couldn't figure out a way to manage to get into the city to pick her up, get her home, then back to the city for an 8 hour + day of agility, obedience, then hanging out with the Junior Girls Basketball team at their tournament. I'm supervising the tournament this evening. So, I asked if I could please try bringing her home and was told that as long as Mags is on complete crate rest for the next while, I could. And, I have strict orders to bring her back if anything looks bad or worsesome.

Maggie was incredibly tired and droopy in the car but by the time we arrived at my house, she was already perking up. She hobbled up the stairs, plopped herself in her crate and loudly demanded some dinner. :)  She MUST be feeling ok if she wants to eat, right?!?

Anyway, she cried most of the night, in a low, pathetic moaning kind of way- as if to say, "I'm lonely and I don't feel good! Cuddle with me please!!"  This morning, she just barks. She's decided that she is ready to go and should be allowed to get back to normal.

Sadly though, she can't.  They removed a big chunk of skin, on both tumour sites- one goes up into her armpit and the other is her neck.  Because of the incision in her side/armpit, she can't put full weight on that paw until the skin begins to heal/regenerate.  It pulls on her stitches too much and hurts. But, she still manages to do stairs and limp along bravely, tail wagging, happy to be up and moving. And, crate rest?!? Yeah, she's not too big on that!

Anyway, Maggie is showing big signs that she is going to be just fine! Her prognosis is GREAT! They got it all and have clean margins on all sites. There was no sign of regrowth at the time of her second surgery. So, in a couple weeks the stitches will come out and Maggie will be deemed completely healthy. And, once her fur grows back, you'll never know she had surgery to have cancer removed. And, she'll be back to her playful, happy go lucky self, making me think that all is right in the world again, at least for a moment. She is easily the most resilient dog I have ever seen and she's teaching me loads about grinning and bearing it, and just getting on. Well done Maggie, that's a huge life lesson for me!

Anyway, here's the photo of her neck... it looks awful this morning!


Isn't that awful?!?  Poor Maggie!  Luckily though, she has been a strict diet the last weeks and she had loads of extra skin to make up for the huge patches they took off. So, it looks much, much worse than it is!


I had a hard time getting Maggie to stand still for this, but here's a photo of her side. That's part of her incision only; it continues up into her armput. It looks pretty sore this morning.


You can't see much here, but the yellowing you see is the start of bruising. This was two hours ago, and now it's incredibly bruised- the whole shaved area basically looks like a big, ugly bruise. I was warned that would happen.

Ah well, keep sending the well wishes- Maggie loves hearing that people are rooting for her!!


Friday, November 25, 2011

Christmas comes early....

Earlier in the week, I took my students to the Festival of Trees. This is an annual fundraiser for the MS society.  After looking at a few of these sites, I couldn't help but get in the Christmas mood!


The quality of these pics aren't the best. Sorry! I took them on my iPhone, and had to jostle through crowds, give the phone a second to focus and it didn't always work out. Ah well...


One of my favourite wreaths.


The Dr. Suess inspired tree!


Gingerbread house, a-la- Smurfs!

It was fun and I had such a good time looking at the 80 trees, the wreaths and gingerbread creations. I am definitely starting to feel the Christmas mood!! 

So, that HAD to carry over to last night, hehe! It was our First Annual?!? Steak Night to raise funds for New Hope Dog Rescue. I had to go, of course, as I have Miss Maggie and her surgeries/diagnostics have just past the $3000.00 mark.  So, I spent a few days, created some PowerPoint presentations to demonstrate the needs (they will be up here soon!) and I went, with no intention to buy anything. I just planned to eat my steak, play my PowerPoints and come home.

But, then I spotted this and my eyes lit up. It's a basket donated by the Meadow Lake Humane Society. I found it touching that another rescue donated to us, to help out! And, we often take puppies from them (especially mangy little pups that need extra TLC), so I guess that's why.  So, I bid. Then, I walked away and didn't think much about it- I ALWAYS get outbid on stuff.


It got a little jostled in the car on the way home, but it gives an idea at least.  


Look at all that Happy Puppy Making Goodness! 


Yes, I won the silent auction and brought home Christmas in a giant pail, for the dogs.  There's the food like treats. There's even a box for the ratties to enjoy, hehe!  I don't give rawhides to my dogs as they don't sit well with them, but I have the two chewing fiends lodging here who will LOVE them! 


The toys!  There is basically two of everything- two squeaky toys, two tuggers, two sets of balls (Yeah for Sophie!), two ducks.... I've put most of it away but the dog bed. Spike spent his night, curled up on the new doggy bed, now living at the foot of my bed.   All in all, I am pleased!

Yes, it was a bit of a big donation to get that bucket, but for Maggie, it's worth it! :)  Our steak night brought in over $5000.00 and that just warms my heart.  Hug your pups today and think a good thought for those in rescue. We are grateful for all your kindly thoughts and donations. :)

Oh, and if you can spare a kindly thought for Maggie, she's back at the vet having her second sugery today. If all goes well, Miss Maggie will be declared Cancer Free by the end of today!! 

Monday, November 21, 2011

Three peas in a pod

Ahhh, the motivated by food crew.  Should have been 5 dogs there, but Spike was off to the side and didn't make the shot. And Maggie was safely crated (due to bad behaviour, LOL.  She's learning manners, slowly but surely, my poor, spoiled rotten foster!)


Sophie, Murphy and Guinness.

Speaking of Guinness, I am slowly but surely seeing what a beautiful, gem of a dog he is. He's patient, kindly, wise and gentle. He's everything, EVERYTHING a balanced Labrador is supposed to be. Some family is going to be incredibly lucky to be graced with his presence. We don't very often get a dog like him into rescue, that's for sure and I for one will be sad to see him go, but know he's meant for a special, special family somewhere. :)

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Stuff

It's been a busy couple weeks. I've been working on a couple slideshows for a New Hope fundraiser and that's kept me hopping. I'll post them after the event.

In the meantime, Miss Jorja has been adopted! I decided to place her up for adoption after all as she had some issues with strangers that she needed worked on with someone who had time to do so with her. Lucky girl had an application very quickly from a family I was delighted to see her live with. And, I will be able to keep up with her life, on facebook so that is great!




Maggie has gotten GREAT news!  All her tests came back fine so she goes for more surgery this week to get the clean margins she needs to be declared cancer free. She'll be up for adoption at that point and will be looking for the perfect retirement home.


And, Guinness has moved in. I don't understand people.... they have basically the perfect dog and they decide for the standard "My baby has allergies" and "I'm moving to a place I can't keep him" reason and I don't buy it. He had a blown cruciate and they paid for the surgery, then did all the rehab. And, he is in great shape, after his surgery (which was in July).  He may need some pain meds here and there as he's likely going to get arthritis in the knee, but that's so minor in the whole scheme of things. He's a gentle, gentle soul who just wants to be loved. I can't help myself- I'm smitten and can't wait to find him his perfect forever home!


In other news, I've been working on a little agility equipment and a door blocker for the Rat Room. That way, it stays warmer in there and keeps packs of wild, starving labradors from raiding their food. They seem MUCH happier with the door open! And, Murphy has no inclination to jump it, which is great!


Spike and Sophie are continuing on, in their usual, happy ways. I am so lucky they are open to having random new dogs come through here!! :)

Friday, November 4, 2011

The Save Maggie Campaign

New Hope has been overwhelmed by dogs lately that have HUGE medical needs. Some we knew about when we got them, others like Maggie were a surprise. And, because I am fostering Mags, I felt like I had something to say about her, the needs she has and what she has meant to me.  So, I wrote a letter to kick off a fundraising campaign to help these dogs. It just came to me, the day she arrived home after having her ultrasound done. And, I want to share it with you.....

Maggie is a lovely 8 year old Chocolate Lab. She is a CKC registered dog and came from a breeder in Saskatchewan.  She’s obviously had obedience work in her life, and she’s clearly been pampered and loved her whole life.

So, how did she come to be with New Hope? You see, her owner recently died of lung cancer. Her breeder was not interested in taking her back. And, no arrangements were made for Maggie, or at least none that worked out for her. But, lucky for Maggie, a family friend decided to contact New Hope and ask if we could help. Me, being the Labrador lover I am, said “SURE!”  When I picked up Maggie and all her belongings; her crate, a bag of food, a blanket, bowls and her registration papers; I saw on her neck a lump. Of course, the nice man exclaimed “OH! I had no idea that was there!” and jumped in his car and drove away.
I brought a very scared, confused Maggie home that day and she began the steady process of settling in with me. It hasn’t been easy for her. She’s been an only dog her whole life and she was clearly attached to her owner and was clearly loved by him.  She has been grieving his loss; at times I catch a far away look in her eyes, as if she knows she’s missing someone desperately. It’s heartbreaking to see that look of sadness and confusion in her eyes, as she pleads with me to take her home. But, she’s trying and Maggie has learned to get along with the pack of dogs here (2 other Labs, a Jack Russell and a mixed breed dog).
Also, lucky for Maggie she found us as she was taken for vet care immediately.  The vet originally thought the two lumps were fatty tissue. However, by the time her appointment came to have them removed, a third was growing. Dr. Nairn, at Erindale Animal Hospital made the decision to have the lumps biopsied and it was a good thing. Sure enough, poor Maggie has Mast Cell Cancer, a common skin cancer in dogs.  She’s had her lumps removed, only to find one regrowing almost immediately.  Today she was back at Erindale having a liver biopsy and ultrasound to see if her cancer has spread. As of tonight, it sounds like good news; the cancer has likely not spread but further surgery is required to ensure there are clean margins on the tumor sites in an attempt to keep them from returning.  She’s been poked and prodded, and shaved to do these tests; she’s pretty miserable this evening, huddled in a lump on the couch beside me, post sedation. She’s trying to sleep it off, but her shaved belly is itchy and irritated and it’s keeping her awake. She’ll be ok in a few days, but at the moment, Maggie again is looking at me with longing in her eyes, to make this stop, to help her feel better. I am trying.
Maggie has become part of the family for the time she is with me. She runs in the yard with the other dogs. She sleeps on the bed, occasionally. She cuddles up on the couch and she wrestles and plays with the others. She chews a bone and really just wants a soft touch and a nice place to have a nap. She is a great dog working hard to make the best of a situation she is powerless to control. She continues to break my heart though as I look at her, and wish I could make it all better. She really NEEDS her own family, a family where she can be loved and cared for, in a quieter place that has more room to give her all the attention she needs. I wish I could give that to her, but part of fostering is loving them as best you can, while they are in your care, but also knowing that there will be a time to let them go. I am doing the best I can to look after my girl,  but, I still need help for Miss Maggie.
What help does Maggie need?  She needs YOU to help her in a variety of ways!  You can choose to donate money to help us help dogs like Maggie. Maggie did not ask for this fate and she certainly is longing for the comfort and care she deserves. She also deserves the medical treatment she is receiving; if she had been placed in a shelter, Maggie would have been euthanized. Not here at New Hope; we choose to treat her with the dignity and respect she would have if she was one of our own personal dogs. And, truly, I’ve grown to love Maggie as if she was one of my own. But, her surgeries and scans come at a price and New Hope along with Maggie need your generosity to keep us able to save and take care of the dogs who need us.
As well, we need MORE FOSTERS! If you think you could provide compassionate care and love to a dog in need, please, PLEASE contact us today! We have puppies and seniors, purebreds like Maggie, and dogs who are uniquely mutts. We have large and small, most healthy, some with big needs. They all just want a home that cares and helps them become the best they can be, in order to find their forever home.  In order for us to keep operating, we NEED YOU!  Please, consider donating. Consider volunteering. Consider fostering.  Consider adopting- especially one with needs or a senior like Maggie. I promise you, it will truly change your life.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Not a Sport?

This little clip made me smile yesterday. This is for all those who wonder why I work so hard at my agility.... it's because Spike and I both LOVE it. And, it is a sport, requiring hard work, determination, persistence.  :)  Even Murphy is getting in on the action; she trained for nearly 2 hours yesterday between an obedience class and agility class and loved it all!

Anyway, for your viewing pleasure...




Saturday, October 29, 2011

Needing some POTP and an pupdate

Hey all!  It's been a couple weeks since posting and I've just been trudging forward, through work, dogs and life. But, I figure I really should give an update, especially before Monday.

First though, Jorja.  I've made some big decisions around Jorj- she is up for adoption. I actually really was thinking to keep her, but I've realized that while I love her to bits, she needs less dogs in the house. She's been through a great deal in her short life and I am going to allow her to find a home that can focus on HER, because I believe it's best for her. Ultimately, yes, I DO want another agility dog. Sophie is done and Murphy may never run as she's kind of "when I feel like it".  Spike is not getting any younger so I AM thinking about another agility dog, but I suspect that Jorja, while she would make a fantastic little agility dog, will thrive in a home where she's the only dog.  SO, lucky girlie has a solid application in on her, and she's meeting her family next weekend. Cross paws.... I think it's a great match!

Anyway, onto the Power of the Paw news.  I've had Maggie to the vet and this has been a big part of the no posting. I've just been hanging out, trying to figure out what comes next for Mags.  She had her tumours removed and by the time her appointment arrived for that surgery, there was a third one growing. So, New Hope's great vet called and asked if he could remove all three and send them off for biopsy.  Of course, I said, please yes!  He had thought they were fatty tissue, due to her fairly young age of 8.  But, the third tumour was a tip off and sure enough, he called a couple days later.  Mast Cell Cancer.  In the whole scheme of things, this is a fairly treatable cancer. They were all grade 2 tumours and because I have no medical history on this girl, who knows if this is the second occurrence, or how long she had them.  So, Mags is scheduled for an ultrasound of her liver on Monday to see if it's spreading.  I don't have loads of optimism, to be honest, but I'm trying. So, Monday is decision day: more surgery to get clean margins? Moving Mags to a quieter home to live out her life? Keeping her with me, if it's a rapidly spreading cancer?  I have no answers, I just know that in the meantime, my poor girlie is getting loads of love.

Other than that, at least my little clan of dogs and rats are doing well. Sophie's limp is slowly improving. Spike and I ran some agility last weekend and while there were no Q's I learned a great deal about what it's like to be in Advanced Gamblers (and where we need to work!).  Murphy is as cute and energetic as always.

Alright, better run- I'm working at the kennel this weekend. I promise pics next entry, but in the meantime, hug your pups and send some positive thoughts for Miss Maggie, if you would.

Monday, October 17, 2011

There's a new girl in town...

And her name was Sadie. This is her....


She isn't the prettiest lab in the world, but poor baby is 10 months old and on house #5.  She's a drivey, energetic, LOVELY little (well, not that little, let's be honest- she's the biggest dog in the house) Black Labrador. 


She started life out by being sold to a drug dealer and she lived in complete hell until someone rescued her but couldn't manage her so gave her to a friend, who gave her to the family I got her from. They said she was untrainable. They said she was destroying the house. They said she was AWFUL, stubborn, hated the cats etc.


What did I find? A dog that Sophie LIKES. That NEVER happens. A dog that learned the tunnel in 2 seconds flat. Also sit. And, respect the leash when I have it in my hand (mostly). I also found a dog who has the best doggy greeting manners I have ever seen in a rescue- she like everyone! Yes, she's 10 months old and has had no rules. Yes, she's a bit of a brute.  But, she's black and everyone loves her here. I'm in trouble. I've renamed her Jorja and I suspect I'll be keeping her around for a while at least.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers!!  Celebrate big with family, turkey and pie. :)

I opted to stay home this Thanksgiving as I just didn't feel up to travelling my my parents; you know, with going back to work, germs creep back into my life and I feel a tad flu-ish. So, I celebrated quietly with dogs, a roast chicken rather than turkey but certainly with pumpkin pie! I also went out with a friend for coffee, had breakfast yesterday with my brother and his family and managed to get the dogs out for some play times.

There's been LOADS going on around here... dogs have come and gone. Macy and Dory have both moved out- they were the cute little Newf mixes. Paco, the Jack Russell spent one night here then moved on to another foster. Maggie is here, for an undetermined length of time, but I'll get to her. At one point, I had 6 dogs shoved in and learned that is CRAZY!

I've also started to look for a new vehicle. My trusty Buick is no longer quite so trusty so I am moving onto to a mini-van I suspect. I'm not in a rush, but I certainly felt some sticker shock as I visited Honda on Saturday. Sigh.

I've cleaned the house, cleaned kennels, cleaned cages, worked and done yard work. So, there's reasons for the absence, but I do apologize.... But, we're back!!

Everyone here wants to wish you a happy Thanksgiving should you be celebrating this weekend....


Sophie, napping happily on the loveseat. :)


Maggie. She's a lab. She's 8 and her owner is dying of lung cancer. She's the wrong colour, but other than that, I LOVE her. She technically has an application in on her already and she may well move to Edmonton, but in the meantime, I am trying to figure out if I can let her go. She is a sweetheart of a dog!


Spikey. :)


Murphy. Why do I always manage to cut her ears off? LOL


Even Dru and the crew want to say happy thanksgiving. The girls are thankful for a brand new SPECTACULAR cage, with 5 shelves for their amusement.


Zander, peaking out who is grateful to move into the girls old cage- even if I haven't completely redone all the shelf liner.

Anyway, from my crew to yours... happy Thanksgiving!


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

W-Ratt y Wednesday and Huh?!?

First of all, welcome to Wratty Wednesday.... here's your weekly dose of rattly cuteness.


Yesterday I went into my office to find all three girls snuggled together in their Kleenex box. So cute! Please note their hard work at redecorating the Kleenex box; that was their nightly project. 




Now onto other news.... Spike is asking HUH?!?  Yup, it's true... I WAS taking a break from rescue. I guess it's ended in a flurry of Newfoundland/Labrador, puppy breathe cuteness.  How could I say no when they need a place just until Friday?!?


So, here is Dory.  She is a doll... cute, cuddly, snuggly and full of impish playfulness. Love her, she's been wrestling with Sophie and Murphy non stop since arriving last night.


Macy! She is a little bit more of an independent girl, off exploring. She also is less in the midst of the doggy play sessions. But, what a doll.  Please note their size: at 8 weeks, they are approximately the same size as Murphy. Can you say LARGE puppies?!? LOL







Snuggly Dory. Sigh!  

So, they are 8 week old pups from the Meadow Lake shelter. They stand a better chance at a quick adoption in Saskatoon so they have arrived with their sister (who already met a family last night!). Like I said, they are moving to their real foster on Friday but they needed a place to crash for a couple nights and I crumbled at the sight of their faces.  They are still a bit grubby and will be getting a bath along with a vet visit as soon as we can manage it, but in the meantime they are still cute!


Wrestle time with Sophie and Dory. :)

Anyway, in other news.... 

1. I never did give an update on Sophie after her vet visit last week. She has indeed torn her other ACL. It isn't as bad as the other side, but it was still inflamed and sore the day I took her in- about 3 weeks after it happened. But, thankfully I kinda knew what it was, so she was already on mostly crate rest and Deramaxx so I had done the right things to help it heal. She is on the mend, but sadly, this spells really truly the end of Sophie's agility career. Sigh.

2. Spike's titles.  Alright, here's the explanations!
FDCh-S:  Flyball Dog Champion-Silver. This is the 4th flyball title, after Flyball Dog, Flyball Dog Excellence, Flyball Dog Champion. So, Spike and I earned 1000 points and achieved that title over 3 weekends of racing. Of course, he is retired now so that's the end of this flyball titles, but that's ok!

SJATD: That's Spike's St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog title. It allows us to volunteer with St. John Ambulance as a dog-handler team.

SGDC:  Our first agility title!  In agility there are 3 levels of competition and you have to complete enough clean (perfect) runs at a level to move up. As well, there are different types of runs you can enter; standard runs (which include all equipment) and the games runs. There are 3 different agility games to play, and for the Starters level you need 2 perfect runs in each of the games to achieve this title. So, we finally got the last of our games to move up to the Advanced level. And, we are 1 standard round (out of 3 needed) to achieve our Agility Dog of Canada title.

So, yes, I am proud of my little rescue dog who could: he tries soooo hard for me and he LOVES his agility! He doesn't care about the titles, and really neither do I, but I do love to see how far we've come and what a team we are becoming. He truly is a once in a lifetime dog. :)

Well, that's likely enough from the Black Dog Crew this Wednesday morning.... hope the rest of your week runs smoother than mine likely is with these cute balls of puppy fuzz in the house!