Sunday, February 23, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
The Cost of Love ....
Been a sad, difficult time for too many dogs lately and lots of people are stepping up to try to help them and their people get through it.
Lots of people have been facing tough times without the support of the larger dog community too - getting through expensive vet bills by going into debt, tapping on family and friends or digging deep into savings that had been set aside for other things.
It's been an expensive start to 2014 so far around here ... and Sampson just ate the show budget for the year (literally he ate a blue kong that broke into pieces just large enough to get stuck in his stomach AND his intestine - because, really, why would anything be simple with our dogs?).
We were so very very fortunate to be able to simply say do it when surgery looked like the best answer. I was 95 % sure he was blocked somewhere (violent puking from 4 am to 8 am produced 2 of the Kong pieces but didn't bring him great relief) so we didn't drive to either Ottawa or Toronto for ultrasound or scoping that would be best practise if I had been doubtful about the block. We went ahead with exploratory surgery. Good thing. Sammo was well and truly blocked,. (Why do anything in half measure eh?).
Surgery was finished quite late in the day so the clinic convinced me to transfer him to emergency care for monitoring - which I would generally recommend to anybody. It was good to develop a first hand relationship with both the closest clinic and the emerg clinic but it would have been better had it been a something a little less serious.
I was my usual high maintenance self. Staff at both clinics were great and understanding, actually they all seemed to think I was pretty funny too. I think they might remember me. In fact I was told that my level of high maintenance was bearable because I was funny.
Sam went into surgery relatively quickly. Apparently people often have dogs that are sick for days before people ok exploratory surgery. I suppose his producing chunks of Kong was a good thing to encourage us to move ahead with getting the rest out. However, a sick dog is probably a little more sensible than Sam was at the emerg clinic. He got out of his lovely floor heated pen in the middle of the night, pulling his catheter partially out and filling his leg with enough fluid he looked pretty stocked up.
He quickly developed a foolproof method to remove his cone as well - he slammed his face to floor and used both paws to hold the hood down and yanked his head out - again, and again and again. So we went with a spray to prevent too much licking.
He developed some funky bumps along his belly - so he gets extra drugs for more time - because, you know, there is nothing any of us would rather do than ensure compliance with doctor's orders.
He is now BORED. REALLY BORED. I am terrified about how to ease him back to fitness. This is not a dog that knows the meaning of take it easy. Luckily he is not a huge house play dog so has been content to eat yummy treats and lounge on the couch. We've both been taking him out in the car too so he can watch the world go by at least. That's helping a bit.
PS - this dog with potentially terminal kidney disease when he arrived had, and let me quote, "PERFECT" pre-surgery blood work - sometimes one celebrates the little things ;)
Lots of people have been facing tough times without the support of the larger dog community too - getting through expensive vet bills by going into debt, tapping on family and friends or digging deep into savings that had been set aside for other things.
It's been an expensive start to 2014 so far around here ... and Sampson just ate the show budget for the year (literally he ate a blue kong that broke into pieces just large enough to get stuck in his stomach AND his intestine - because, really, why would anything be simple with our dogs?).
 |
| happy boy - run run run |
We were so very very fortunate to be able to simply say do it when surgery looked like the best answer. I was 95 % sure he was blocked somewhere (violent puking from 4 am to 8 am produced 2 of the Kong pieces but didn't bring him great relief) so we didn't drive to either Ottawa or Toronto for ultrasound or scoping that would be best practise if I had been doubtful about the block. We went ahead with exploratory surgery. Good thing. Sammo was well and truly blocked,. (Why do anything in half measure eh?).
Surgery was finished quite late in the day so the clinic convinced me to transfer him to emergency care for monitoring - which I would generally recommend to anybody. It was good to develop a first hand relationship with both the closest clinic and the emerg clinic but it would have been better had it been a something a little less serious.
 |
| a happier winter day |
I was my usual high maintenance self. Staff at both clinics were great and understanding, actually they all seemed to think I was pretty funny too. I think they might remember me. In fact I was told that my level of high maintenance was bearable because I was funny.
Sam went into surgery relatively quickly. Apparently people often have dogs that are sick for days before people ok exploratory surgery. I suppose his producing chunks of Kong was a good thing to encourage us to move ahead with getting the rest out. However, a sick dog is probably a little more sensible than Sam was at the emerg clinic. He got out of his lovely floor heated pen in the middle of the night, pulling his catheter partially out and filling his leg with enough fluid he looked pretty stocked up.
 |
| even on leash mr sniffer still loves to smell stuff |
He quickly developed a foolproof method to remove his cone as well - he slammed his face to floor and used both paws to hold the hood down and yanked his head out - again, and again and again. So we went with a spray to prevent too much licking.
He developed some funky bumps along his belly - so he gets extra drugs for more time - because, you know, there is nothing any of us would rather do than ensure compliance with doctor's orders.
He is now BORED. REALLY BORED. I am terrified about how to ease him back to fitness. This is not a dog that knows the meaning of take it easy. Luckily he is not a huge house play dog so has been content to eat yummy treats and lounge on the couch. We've both been taking him out in the car too so he can watch the world go by at least. That's helping a bit.
PS - this dog with potentially terminal kidney disease when he arrived had, and let me quote, "PERFECT" pre-surgery blood work - sometimes one celebrates the little things ;)
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Train for you - not for "them"
I'm a Fenzi academy course addict ... I've taken scenting courses , ring prep courses, a rally course, a play course and I've thoroughly enjoyed them. Courses are at the gold (working spot) silver (participant - auditor) and bronze (silent observer) levels and I've done both gold and bronze. One gold turned into an expensive silver when a camera died in the first week of class.
One thing I find really rewarding about the classes? They constantly reinforce my sense that I am on the right path for me. Usually it's subtle - being positive, approaching training as fun, only sending 2 minute video clips (which I of course interpret as I only need to train for three minutes!) but every once in awhile a pearl drops onto a thread of discussion, or out of a lecture that makes it all so blatantly in line with my philosophies I grin for days.
One such piece of wisdom came from instructor Margaret Simek the other day.
"One judge isn't gonna change how I train"
So deceptively simple. So so critical.
Whoever the "them", "one judge" is you have to train to make you happy. If you are like me you also have the goal of happy animals. If one judge in scent work will slam you if your dog touches a box, or in rally hates barking and marks it way way down, or in agility builds courses that asks questions you don't train for for whatever reason- either don't show under them or show under with the understanding that your principles matter and you will stick by your beliefs. Don't change your training long term and CERTAINLY don't change it short term.
I am, to all appearances, casual about training but I plan every single training session with the dogs and horses. I plan pilling cats. The plan may be simple "build Thea's confidence on teeter". Or it may be more complex "squish to front to heel for Dora" but it's usually simple and helps me move towards accomplishing one of my goals. Oh yes, must get on long term goal setting.
Train for you, and your animals. Not anyone else.
One thing I find really rewarding about the classes? They constantly reinforce my sense that I am on the right path for me. Usually it's subtle - being positive, approaching training as fun, only sending 2 minute video clips (which I of course interpret as I only need to train for three minutes!) but every once in awhile a pearl drops onto a thread of discussion, or out of a lecture that makes it all so blatantly in line with my philosophies I grin for days.
One such piece of wisdom came from instructor Margaret Simek the other day.
"One judge isn't gonna change how I train"
So deceptively simple. So so critical.
Whoever the "them", "one judge" is you have to train to make you happy. If you are like me you also have the goal of happy animals. If one judge in scent work will slam you if your dog touches a box, or in rally hates barking and marks it way way down, or in agility builds courses that asks questions you don't train for for whatever reason- either don't show under them or show under with the understanding that your principles matter and you will stick by your beliefs. Don't change your training long term and CERTAINLY don't change it short term.
I am, to all appearances, casual about training but I plan every single training session with the dogs and horses. I plan pilling cats. The plan may be simple "build Thea's confidence on teeter". Or it may be more complex "squish to front to heel for Dora" but it's usually simple and helps me move towards accomplishing one of my goals. Oh yes, must get on long term goal setting.
Train for you, and your animals. Not anyone else.
Sunday, February 02, 2014
Askhole ...
Yup sometimes I'm a total askhole. I apologize.
Urban dictionary defines askhole as "Someone who asks many stupid, pointless, obnoxious questions."
I'd add this element to it - asking questions only to completely ignore the answers! Might as well just use google if that is the plan.
If advice is all that is wanted with no intention of taking action I am going to start saying that.
If I already know what I want to do I am going to say so.
If I am seeking validation rather than advice I am going to say so.
If I just need a listening ear I am going to say so. When I listen I want to feel like a part of the conversation.
I am getting a little tired of being on the receiving end of askholes too - but they do remind me to struggle not to be one myself so I am grateful to them. A good problem solviong conversation should look like this
Urban dictionary defines askhole as "Someone who asks many stupid, pointless, obnoxious questions."
I'd add this element to it - asking questions only to completely ignore the answers! Might as well just use google if that is the plan.
If advice is all that is wanted with no intention of taking action I am going to start saying that.
If I already know what I want to do I am going to say so.
If I am seeking validation rather than advice I am going to say so.
If I just need a listening ear I am going to say so. When I listen I want to feel like a part of the conversation.
I am getting a little tired of being on the receiving end of askholes too - but they do remind me to struggle not to be one myself so I am grateful to them. A good problem solviong conversation should look like this
I am determined to do my part to make it so! Strategies to redirect askholes welcome ;)
Friday, January 31, 2014
The weather outside is frightful ....
freezing, icy, snowy
in short wild
The dogs are generally curling up and snoozing the winter away - every once in a while they get a little squirrelly - especially Yen and Dora - but a few laps banking off the bed or couch and a little brain work in the tv room seems to settle them quickly again.
It's only the end of January. I work outside virtually every day.
Sigh.
On a new, not my, computer so no cute pictures to share except
in short wild
The dogs are generally curling up and snoozing the winter away - every once in a while they get a little squirrelly - especially Yen and Dora - but a few laps banking off the bed or couch and a little brain work in the tv room seems to settle them quickly again.
It's only the end of January. I work outside virtually every day.
Sigh.
On a new, not my, computer so no cute pictures to share except
Happy Chinese New Year!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Staying True to You, and You, and Even You too ...
Usually sometime around now I do a goal setting post- and I'll get there someday rest assured.
But indulge me.
If I could wish one thing for you and youranimal friends dogs for 2014 it would be this: be true to yourselves.
Love reading? Training? Clinics? Showing? Learning? Talking about all of these things? Watching other people? ME TOO!
What I have never understood is the piece meal approach - you do any one thing and try just a little of what you many not understand well. You do a half assed job because you never got it or you didn't like it but you still changed something central to you.
I have watched my friends become confused, unsure, unhappy as they try to fit themselves into a trainer's mold.
You can do ALL THE THINGS and still stay true to your core values. If you try it and it feels weird - that's ok - it may be pushing you out of your comfort zone - and that can be a good thing. But if it has you doing things that are destructive to your own sense of self, or to your sense of partnership or that you think will impact negatively on your partner. STOP. THINK. And perhaps take a break or walk away.
When you find someone who works with you - allows you to be you even as they frame, guide and inspire you embrace them and know you are lucky. SO LUCKY. Celebrate.
So very grateful to Maxine, Renee (happy birthday lady!), Webb and Denise in dog sports and Laurie and Nicole in horse sports for letting me puzzle through how to be me and get with and stay with their programs.
But indulge me.
If I could wish one thing for you and your
 |
| I've been warned - Harri will likely be a three project if I insist on doing it my way. I do. I'll report in 2017! |
Love reading? Training? Clinics? Showing? Learning? Talking about all of these things? Watching other people? ME TOO!
 |
| Thea - the best teacher for this possible |
What I have never understood is the piece meal approach - you do any one thing and try just a little of what you many not understand well. You do a half assed job because you never got it or you didn't like it but you still changed something central to you.
I have watched my friends become confused, unsure, unhappy as they try to fit themselves into a trainer's mold.
 |
| so true to himself he's been a good model for this concept |
You can do ALL THE THINGS and still stay true to your core values. If you try it and it feels weird - that's ok - it may be pushing you out of your comfort zone - and that can be a good thing. But if it has you doing things that are destructive to your own sense of self, or to your sense of partnership or that you think will impact negatively on your partner. STOP. THINK. And perhaps take a break or walk away.
 |
| All better and looking forward to pushing my limits soon! |
When you find someone who works with you - allows you to be you even as they frame, guide and inspire you embrace them and know you are lucky. SO LUCKY. Celebrate.
 |
| Celebrate the mania! |
So very grateful to Maxine, Renee (happy birthday lady!), Webb and Denise in dog sports and Laurie and Nicole in horse sports for letting me puzzle through how to be me and get with and stay with their programs.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
the Best Christmas Gift
But first a little back story : Sally's results came back lousy ... really lousy - liver values off the charts (numbers in the THOUSANDS that should have been in the tens kind of lousy); positive for Lyme disease; and extreme pancreas numbers too ....pretty shocking she was able to stand let alone eat anything. Such a Sally thing to be so stoic ... so silly!
I promised her a long long time ago that she would never have anything painfully invasive done if there was no point and that as best as I was able she would never be left at a vets overnight. So with this broad ranging, difficult no matter how you looked at it medley of issues I kept her home and started networking for ultrasound possibilities. I went back to square one with meals, tiny frequent home prepared food - chicken, fish and sweet potato. She had anti-nausea, pain and antibiotic medications. She would be fevered, then frozen. She was eating because I asked her to not because of any desire. I found myself staring at her for hours wishing my magic wand worked better. She slept and slept. Ignored everything.
Then we had a three day power failure. She was still critically ill but thanks to the awesome Big T and a great wood stove we kept her warm and fed.
We spent much of yesterday away from home helping people de-ice as best as we could. We got home and Sally was up. Barking. She brought me chunks of ice to throw. She PLAYED with Dora and Yen. This morning she mooched at our Christmas breakfast. They were ecstatic; we are beyond happy.
She's not one hundred percent, in fact I am worried about saying she's out of the woods even but there is hope in the house again. Joy has returned in one Sally shaped package and for that we are so very very grateful.
Have a great holiday doing what floats your boat; cherish memories and love the ones you are with! Peace!
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