Sucking Up To Us

As mentioned yesterday, Lady was a terrible human because she spent time with cats on her birthday and not us. To make it up to us, she and the Man took us to a dog park on Saturday.

We now live far from any dog park. Country dogs don't usual need to go, they run free in their yards, but some pup whose name starts with H, can't be trusted off leash in the yard most of the time. She is too comfortable and likes to hunt too much. So this is a chance to socialize and run free. Lady is always a little nervous about the dog park, but given the huge space, it is easy to avoid bad owners.

Here are some pictures from our visit (she didn't take too many because she wanted to be watching us).

Lee, on the floor in the back seat, under the canopy cover because Phod threw up in her spot

Phod talking to a puppy named Athena

Molly, Ruby - is that you?

It is important to stay hydrated on a hot day! 

We met up with cousin Emma and Uncle Chris

Two happy pups

Phod had a great time wallowing in a huge puddle. Lee just waded in. 

Man says he is looking to set up a meet up with a friend's dog later in July. It will be nice to get to go again!

Mischief Monday - A Terrible Trick - by Lee

Dearest Friends,

Our people played a horrible trick on us on Saturday. After only giving Phod half his breakfast (he let them know he was still hungry, he never has done that before and they ignored him), our peeps put us in the car. They said that we were going to the park. We were excited. Phod threw up, even though he had half breakfast 6 hours earlier. 

We did get to the park and we had a great time playing and making friends. 

Me and not Phod but a Phod like dog

Phod loved rolling in and eating the snow

Getting ready to play

Phod chasing me

There were a lot of dogs because it was a beautiful day - with the windchill about -5C/23F, but I admit getting Phod to chase me was my favourite thing. At one point he was laying in the snow and I was jumping over him like a hurdle. Lady says if I could be trusted at home, this could happen more often.

Anyway, after a lovely run in the snow in the sun, we got back into the car and the car stopped at the V-E-T. It was time for my annual check up.  

Waiting for Woody

In our case, check up means the vet, Woody, who is a good friend of the family, and the peeps chat, while I get checked out. Woody said I look great and to keep doing what I am doing. I needed 2 needles and needed stuff sprayed in my mouth. I was very cooperative. Lady learned the Revolution we have been on isn't effective for deer ticks so Woody gave us something different to try this year. Lady asked him when I should become a senior as some foods say at 6, and I am now 7. Woody said when I am 9 or 10. He also asked if my prozac worked and my peeps said yes, they had some left to get us started this year. The rest of the 30 minutes was spent on human chat that had nothing to do with me or Phod. I think the time spent in this horrible place should be limited to our care - do you all agree?

Phod, the Man and I waited in the car while Lady paid. Our clinic is a 24 hour emergency one, so can be very busy (there were several critical cases, the Humane society dropped 2 cats off to be checked just in the few minutes Lady was waiting). Then we drove home. Phod threw up again because Woody had given him a cookie. I told him not to feel bad as Lady deserved it for taking us to that horrible place. 

Now you know how the Lady and the Man tricked us and ruined a perfectly good trip to the park with a trip to the vet. What a terrible trick. 

A tired and angry Lee

Editor's note: While there are vets closer to us, we do drive the hour or so (it is about 50km/30 miles) to see our vet. He has been a family friend for 23 years and I trust him. When he retires we will look for someone closer, until then we will see him. Because it is so far, we try and go early so the dogs can have a run at the park. Makes the trip a little more worthwhile.

More Practicing - by Hailey

Last Saturday, we had to practice going in the car again. This time we had to go in the car for an hour. Phod had breakfast first, and he was sick in the car. Eating 1.5 hours before going in the car doesn't work for him. Last time we went in the car about 6 hours after he ate and he was fine. He was a gentleman and was sick on the towel Lady put down for him, so clean up was very easy. Lady says before we leave for BAR on the traveling days Phod won't have breakfast. 

Other than that, Phod and I did a wonderful job at sharing the backseat. He does take up a lot, but I will forgive him. 

We were so excited to be at the park! We went to a park called Bruce Pit. It is a huge area, former sand pit, with a fence around the edge to keep us in. It was surprisingly not busy for the Saturday of the long weekend.

We had a great time. We:

ran,

That is us in the middle of the picture

sat for cookies (or at least I did),

Did I mention cousin Emma met us there? You can see her paws in this picture

rolled in stinky things,

Emma waiting for me to move so she can roll

ran some more,

I love to run. Lady says I could run at home if I was as good there as I was at the park

found mud to play in,

Later Phod rolled in dirt to cool down!

begged for treats,

Cousin Emma begged for our treats a lot, so did a lot of dogs we didn't know. Beef lung is popular at the park

sniffed things,

There was so much pee mail to read, it was crazy

 left pee mail,

explored,

I always led, Phod and Emma followed me

made friends,

There was a great Dane group walking, we met a lot of them. They are big so I let them sniff me. 

and practiced our tricks.

Man made us do table at the park

After about an hour and ten minutes of doing the park, we were tired and really ready to go home. Lady and Man said we were perfect and we can go again. It is the first time in a long time that I didn't end up on leash. Lady says that is because she had beef lung in her bag (along with water) and I knew it. 

It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning!

It was a Very Good Friday

Friday, I got up, checked the weather and nearly danced. Highs of 12 C/53 F. The warmest it has been in months. I decided it was time to go to the dog park.

Going anywhere in the car is an ordeal for us given Phod's carsickness problems. I had to give him his meds. We decided to try a slightly lower dose as he hasn't been as sick the past few times. He either heard me say he was having a pill or he heard me get it ready because he hid and wasn't thrilled. Then Hailey can be fed, but Phod can't be so I took him out to play while Hailey ate. Then there was getting us dressed for going to a wet and muddy park, getting the car ready in case he threw up and waiting at least 2 hours before leaving. 

Finally around 10:30 we were ready! It is an hour drive to the park. 

Impatient dogs in the park

For all the hassle of getting ready and the stress it caused Phod (although fortunately he wasn't sick) were worth it. They had so much fun at the park!

A happy Phod running to the next tree to pee

Hailey enjoying some off leash time. 

Look who joined us - Cousin Emma! She was excited to see us.
I was glad to be wearing my boots and splash pants. Lots of people were not wearing
appropriate footwear for the swampy, icy, muddy mess. 

Phod on the snow going around one of the huge puddles. 

Hailey getting a treat before being put on leash. She kept going too far away
and not listening to come back in a timely manner. 

A new memorial to dogs who are at the rainbow bridge. 

The reason Hailey had to be on leash. Lots and lots of squirrels.

Hailey watching the squirrel

My handsome boy. He won the hearts of many small dog owners with his gentle
 and slow interactions with their dogs. They couldn't believe how sweet he was!

An example of one of the ice swamps. 

Hailey making friends 

A happy girl, even if she was on leash! 

The dogs had a great time. We can't wait to get to the park over the spring and summer. It is worth the drive and we like giving Phod the opportunity to go in the car to great places! They were very quiet on the ride home!

Mischief Monday - Phod's Annual Check Up

Saturday was Phod's annual check up.  The Man and I and the dogs piled into the car and drove the hour to the clinic and then the dog park.

Lots of mischief occurred on this trip.

1) The Man and I decided to try Hod in the car without his anti-nausea meds. While Phod was clearly more relaxed, he did get sick. We picked up more meds for our next trip.

2) Hailey and Zaphod both were not well behaved in the lobby at the clinic. They did sort of ok before the appointment but after when I was trying to pay and get Bagheera's remains and cat food for Nin, the Man actually had to take them outside. They were a bit embarrassing (and it being a Saturday the clinic was very, very busy). I said to them "Baggy was the best behaved on this trip."

Hailey complaining about being in the exam room (and this was when she was calm)

3) I get a huge fail as a dog owner. I didn't realize Phod had a yeast infection in his left ear. It had looked a little dirty, but I thought nothing of it. I didn't know German Shepherd's were prone to ear infections (this is Phod's first). We now know what it looks like so can watch for it. We also have drops to help clear it up.

4) At the dog park Phod found the one puddle and played in it, right after the vet said no water until his ear heals. Silly boy!

5) Hailey ate poop and had the stinkest poop smelling burps ever!

The trip wasn't all mischief, it had it's good points:

Other than the ear infection Phod is completely healthy. He weighs in at 70lbs, which is about 8 lbs more than last weigh in. The vet said both he and Hailey look perfect and he isn't at all concerned about the weight. I have to remind myself that when we got Phod he was very, very underweight (about 45 lbs), so perhaps it has taken him these 2 years to catch up and finish growing.

The vet checked Hailey's butt again because she has been obsessively butt licking the past few days, but there is nothing wrong with it. She just likes to lick her butt.

The dogs were super stars at the park. We picked one of the hottest days of the summer to go and we went at noon. The park was quiet. We walked slower, took lots of water breaks and stayed in the shade as much as possible. The pups ran, sniffed, played with other dogs and had a lovely time and no one got too hot.

Overall, it was a rather successful trip to town and the pups were exhausted the rest of the day!







Tomorrow is our instalment in Safety Week - please drop by.

Black and White Sunday - Come Along Hailey

The Good Friday Adventure - by Hailey

Running with a new friend

After we got up yesterday, the Lady and Man shoved pills down Phod's throat. This made him nervous, but I knew it meant only one thing, we were going in the car. Phody needs meds to go in the car. I was also nervous until I heard one of the world's greatest 4 letter words - PARK! We were going to a park! We use to go to the park all the time, but since we moved to the middle of no where, and Phody gets car sick, we have only gone a couple of times. I was so excited. After Phod's pills had been in his body for a bit, we went in the car and drove for 87 million years. Phody was very upset, and even with his great pills still got sick (Lady says maybe 1.5 hours isn't enough time for them to work, maybe he needs closer to 2). I was very good in the car.

Finally we arrived and it was glorious! I can't tell you how excited I was. I got to run and play and make new friends. Uncle Chris and Emma met us there (they live near the park, so they are lucky), I was so excited to see Emma I sang!

We got to run and play for hours [Editor's note: about an hour and a half]. I made so many new friends. I checked every white dog to make sure they weren't Gemi. [Editor's note: This made Lady a little sad, that close to 3 years later, she would still look for Gemi].

Here are some pictures of our fun!

Emma and Lee getting check in cookies

The three of us checking the park out! 

Hailey practicing her "table" at the park. She was so good she would even do commands!

Hailey trying to get her new BFF Neil to play - he didn't want anything to do with her! 

Uncle Chris, throwing the stick for us

Neil deciding if he wants to play with Lee

One very happy Phody! 

Then it was time to go. Phody was a bit nervous that Lady and I were leaving without him (we had to go back on the horrible leashes to go into the parking lot), cause Lady and I got ahead. Then we had to walk slow to wait for him. I was very tired and slept the 87 million year drive home, and all evening. It was a good day indeed. I can't wait to go back again.

Note from the Lady: Phody has only been to a dog park a few times with us, and Lee has not been in some time, however, they were both AMAZING! I couldn't believe how good they were. They were friendly and playful. Phod always stayed close and since Hailey knew there were treats in our pockets, she always came when we called and she even checked in. We hope to do this a bit more often and hope maybe it will make Phod a little less scared of the car, because he clearly loved it there.