Sam

thought I'd post an old picture of SAM- my friend sarah took this more than two years ago- almost right around the time when I first got him. It is one of my favorite pictures of him...
:0)

Mad. Sad....and happy?

So today was THE day. I took Sam to yet another vet- one who does alot of specialised orthopedic work.
His conclusion- almost instantly- was that Sam has a blown Cruciate. I am upset, but not really. I kind of thought that is what it would be- but it still comes as a shock for whatever reason.
I am mad:
Mostly I am mad...really mad. So mad in fact that I took a strip off a friend who just so happens to work at the vet clinic that I had Sam looked at initially. I feel extra bad for giving her a hard time when really it is not her fault. She did however promise to have a chat with said vet tomorrow about it. My dog has been in pain for 6 months with a blown knee and I could have months ago had it fixed, instead he has been hobbling around with no improvment. I am really mad. At the original vet(s) who were ho hum when examining him and didn't think that it was a cruciate, and at myself for not doing something sooner! Not that I have done nothing- I have done physio- with two different therapists, had two vets look at him (both of which couldn't find what the problem was) and have done months of crate rest and restricted activity. But I can't get past the fact that it has been 6 MONTHS!!! wasted, with my dog in pain, not getting better!!!!)
Regardless I am mad in general.
I am Sad:
my dog is in pain. still. and will be for a long while. there will be surgery which will be painful, there will be recovery which will be long and painful,
then there is the whole money thing. $1500.00 (an estimation) is more money than I ever really have at one time, But I will do what I have to, to make him better because here is Sam sitting at my feet with a sock in his mouth begging me to play. I am sad (and stressed)
I am Happy:
At the same time I am relieved. Now I KNOW. Now we can help him. Now we can take the pain away.

So the tears are both happy and sad. And Mad...sounds almost like something dr.suess would write...

So, the plan of action. Come up with the $$$ it is going to cost to fix it. Surgery, recovery, therapy, and maybe just maybe my dog will be able to walk normally and live like a normal dog. Oh, and I may just have to move- not sure if I can take a year of carrying Sam up and down the stairs...three million times a day!


On a funny note:
Sarah did point out that although it seems like a lot of money he really hasn't cost me a lot of money yet, so he kind of deserves it.
Wicca

• has cost me about $2000 in total for her Parvo incident,
• I would say well over a $1000.oo in dog show entries,
• $600.00 for her as a baby, and about
• $200.00 in a stupid agility game called Snooker...

So really Sam still has some money left-

• he cost me $75.00....
• and $500.00 for the first go round of this knee thing,
• maybe $600 in entry fees,
• and he did manage to get his starters title, and get out of starters snooker at his first trial..

so yes, I suppose he is owed... :o)

(I am joking of course )

Vito hard at Work

I take Vito to work with me almost everyday. Of all my dogs he is the one that most needs the socialising, and it is great because he is absolutely exhausted by the time 3 O'Clock rolls by- so when I teach in the evenings he's quite content to sleep in his crate.

Vito is doing really well now, and although we still have a few moments of bad Vito, mostly he is friendly towards people and great with dogs. The daycare has really helped with the dog issues he had before! I have been not doing much with him lately though and will need to start working with him more- he knows quite a bit of stuff already but he still has lots to learn!!!

(cute doesn't get you very far in life ya know!!!)

nothing exciting

well my week so far has been pretty uneventful- nothing too terribly exciting. Work is great, I love it...the dogs are all good, classes are all good...everythin gis just good...Boring, I know.
Sam has an appointment tomorrow with a different vet...that's kind of new...and a little nerve racking. I'll be sure to report what happens. And, I still need to make a new apt. for Vito to be neutered....and Sunday I am going to Calgary for one day of an agility trial...

oh yeah, and I am going to buy a video camera..today actually...fun fun!


-amanda

Please!!!

Here is a teaser picture of my adventures last night. This is the little Sheltie X sitting very nicely for her vaccine!! What a Good Dog! (She is definitely the sweetest of the bunch!!!)

To see more pictures of all of the dogs check out our petfinder website

http://search.petfinder.com/shelterSearch/shelterSearch.cgi?shelterid=AB48&preview=1

Rescue Tails

So it is 11:33 pm on Sunday night. I should be sleeping as I have to work tomorrow morning. Instead I am so wide awake it would be impossible for me to even think about sleep! In the past 7 hours we (Natalie and I) have saved 5 lives. It is exhilerating. We made a trip out to a local reserve this afternoon and came back with 4 very, very adoptable dogs. It is always heartwrenching to go and I always am a little anxious but the feeling I have right now is well worth the indigestion!!!

The story of our afternoon:

On our way out there we saw a bunch of dogs in crates in a parking lot- it turns out that Pound Rescue from Okotoks was out doing their thing- they will take dogs for people, or just strays; spay/neuter them and bring them back. They took 28 dogs- amazing. They had trapped some from the dump and taken in dogs for people who can't afford to spay. They were heading out when we arrived.

Natalie and I figured that the dogs left at the dump would be pretty spooked so although we went out we didn't see anything. We did however pick up dog #1 (Polly) shortly thereafter. She had been saved by a really nice lady who has helped with rescue before. Polly is about the cutest thing on three inch legs. She looks like a kelpie (black and tan) but is short and stout. She is very submissive and falls to the ground when approached. She is a doll and will come around quickly with patience and love. With Polly safely stored in the back of the truck we did a quick tour through town- we aren't allowed to take dogs right from town as although they mostly appear to be strays they might belong to someone. I almost broke the rules with a little shepherd X pup- who looked to be about 7 weeks old, but there were too many people around when I wanted to grab him and when we returned later we couldn't find him. I thought of him alot today.

We saw a LOT of starving, neglected dogs. Dogs of all different breeds -not just mutts either- Rottweilers, Saint Bernards, Jack Russells, German Shepherds, Pittbulls. And of course your combination of all of the above. There are no fences, and the dogs are in rough shape, underweight, full of fleas or mange, scars and missing ears from fighting. Dogs limping around on three legs, dogs who have had litter after litter of puppies. We saw lots of young dogs- ranging from 7 weeks and up. It is a horrible situation- one that unfortunately will continue.

After finding nothing in the residential area we decided to try a new place- and after 15 minutes of the worst road ever we came across two little pups on the highway- about 3.5 months old and absolutely terrified of people. With Timbits from Tim Hortons and lots of encouragement I managed to catch one, a female. Unfortunately the other one would not be caught. The little pup is very cute- all tan and white with a little black grizzle on her face she will need a lot of rehab to overcome her fear of people. Getting her in a crate was really difficult. After much discussing between Natalie and I- the little tan pup will be going to a different rescue. We don't have a foster home that is willing to take on such a challenge.

About 1/2 hour later we found dog # 3- lying on the side of the highway.Yep. just lying on the road. As we drove by he didn't move, get up or otherwise acknowledge us. Instantly I noticed his best feature- SHORT LEGS!!! and He looks almost identical to the little female we already had!! (Polly) He was easily caught with just one Tim Bit- Natalie has dubbed him Tim. He is super cute- very stocky and about 13 inches tall. We guess he is about 18 months old. He really likes other dogs and is pretty friendly little guy. He is a little reserved right now but I think he is just a bit shocked at his life change!!!

After dropping the little tan pup off for pick up we decided to call it a day- no more dogs were readily available- and we still didn't have a shepherd cross! (of which we have a request for)

So back onto the highway to head home and we spy three dogs on the road. We stop and they all wag their tails. Dog #4 At first we guess Collie cross, about 4 months old. She is young and wiggly and very happy to see us! After a closer look we decide she is a Sheltie Cross who is almost a year old. She is adorable and is short and long bodied- (not as short as Polly and Tim though!) We decided we couldn't pass her up- We had reached our limit. We only had three waiting foster homes. Sadly we started closing the tailgate- the other two would have to stay. Then the beautiful shepherd cross sat, wagged her tail and tried to jump in the truck- how could we say no? We helped her up and closed the truck. The little lab pup had to stay. It was very hard to leave her standing on the side of the highway- but without a place to put her we were doing her no favours to take her. We can't save them all unfortunately and although harder than you can imagine those are the choices that people in rescue have to make. So we saved 5 lives, and brought 4 back to lethbridge.

Once back to lethbridge- vaccines, capstars (instant flea killer) revolution (for internal parasites) and a wound clean for the little sheltie and Polly. Everyone was set. We delivered three to their foster homes and Tim came home with me. I will have pictures tomorrow- and will be sending out a mass email in the morning. We did good today and although we had to leave some behind the ones we saved are very, very thankful. I just tucked Tim into a crate for the night- the gentle wag of his tail and a quick kiss makes it all worth it. And that is what rescue is all about.

-Amanda

What is a Title?

What is a title really? Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone

to a higher title, a title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a

way to honour the dog, the ultimate memorial. It will remain in
record and memory, for as long as anything in this world can
remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard. And
though the dog itself doesn't know or care that it's achievements
have been noted, a title says many things in this world of humans,
where such things count. A title says that your dog was
intelligent, and adaptable and good-natured. It says that your dog
loved you enough to do the things that pleased you, however crazy
they may have seemed. And a title says that you loved your dog,
that you loved to spend time with it because it was a good dog, that
you believed in it enough to give it another chance when it failed,
and that in the end, your faith was justified. A title proves that
your dog inspired you to that special relationship enjoyed by so
few; that in this world of disposable creatures, this dog with a
title was greatly loved and loved greatly in return. A title is
nothing less than love and respect, given and received, and
permanently recorded.

"What is a title" is written by Sandy Mowery of Wisconsin and was
written up in the AKC Gazette and Front & Finish in the 90's. I have read it before but never really read it, you know. Anyway, I really love it and thought I would share.

Something must have smelt realllly good...

Rolling...

Rolling.....

Smart one, Scored the chewie!!!

Growing Up

Wicca is really becoming a pretty good dog- lately it seems that she has really grown up...don't get me wrong, she is still very bad <grin> but in a good kind of way now.  She is a little more affectionate- and by a little more I mean she will actually come to me for attention, and asks to be petted. Amazing, I know. Also she has slowly, over the last few weeks, changed her sleeping position on the bed. She used to sleep on the far edge of the bed- as far from me as she could get. And all of a sudden she is sleeping up by the pillows- still not touching me, but close enough that if I dared I could reach out and pet her. Amazing, I know. :)

Sam is really not doing all that great. He is not as happy as he was and is actually becoming more obnoxious than before. He is whining an awful lot and being really pushy with the other dogs, he has also started to lick- which I HATE, and he is very insistent with the licking too, which annoys me more. It all comes down to him wanting more attention, more one on one time with me, and him needing more exercise. Too bad that the guy is hobbling around on three and half legs...I am going to have to figure out a way that I can get him doing something without injuring himself more....

Vito is as cute as ever- he is going to be neutered tomorrow. For some reason I am pretty stressed about it. Usually I am not really the type to worry about something so routine but....you never know. I actually think that I am going to cancel it and wait until I feel a little better about it...I am not a huge believer in karma and such but it is really unlike me to be worried about things like this.....

More Pics and a Forgotten Title!!

In the excitement and fast pace of the summer I forgot about Wicca's new title! At the Cardigan Nationals she earned her Novice Jumpers title in CKC. Which really cracks me up because...well, there's jumps in Jumpers...and well...my dog can't seem to keep any up! :o)
Anyway, here is my new most favorite agility picture of Wicca- my friend Sarah (who takes all the good pictures of my dogs) took this for me.




And here is Mr. Sam- who is still lame and has not done anything fun for more than six months. So he doesn't feel anymore left out than he already is- here is a picture of him smiling- just happy to be, what a sweetie he is...I love this dog to death. He has got to be the happiest dog I know...well, Kaleb probably has him beat...but it would be close!

First Week!

Today signifies the end of the first week at my new job. And I must say I love it. Already I see the difference in myself and it's only been a week! Paws on the Run is a fantastic work place. It really is a dream job. I get paid to play with dogs all day. It is a 10 minute WALK in the morning to work, I am home by 3:30 and my dogs are tired after playing all day. I feel appreciated and that alone makes a huge difference. I feel that we are providing GREAT care for these dogs, and that too makes a difference in the way I feel. It is hard to "sell" a product that you don't beleive in. Or in my case work for something that you don't believe in. You can see pics at the POTR blog- (link located at the bottom of the page)

Not much to report in the way of fun dog news. I just reformatted the blog and noticed that there is not one picture of Vito on here, poor guy...so here is the most recent picture I have of him. On that note I am having a heck of time with this blog lately. For some reason unknown to me I can't get the Archive link to the right side, or my favorite link panel either. I thought that changing the template might help but it didn't...If anyone has any ideas I'd be happy to hear them!!!

Shouldice Speciality Weekend

It has been a long 5 days, and we are all tired but what fun we had!!!

The corgis and I headed to Calgary on Wednesday night for the Canadian Cardigan Corgi Club National Specialty. We spent 5 action packed days showing, shopping, visiting, and playing! Thursday was the settle in day- we got all set up, walked around, talked to lots of Cardigan people and just relaxed most of the day. Friday and Saturday Wicca and I played NADAC all day- she was amazing, NADAC's courses are very open, very fast, and all about distance. Wicca earned 4 Q's- tunnelers, jumpers, standard and touch 'n go. I was thrilled with her performance. She was controlled, responsive and had only a few moments of Wild Wicca. Sunday was THE BUSIEST DAY!! It was the day of the specialty and also CKC Agility, and CKC Rally Obedience.  We started the morning with a clean run at Agility. Ran to the conformation ring, I showed a dog for my breeder, ran back to the agility ring with Wicca- ran a standard course without walking it and knocked the first and last bars, ran back to the conformation ring and showed Wicca in Sire and Get- and we won- her Dad was quite famous in the "old days" and although quite old and out of shape now, has quite a few good looking progeny. ;o) Then I showed Wicca in altered and we placed third out of five. Wicca is a good litle show dog and knows exaclty how to stack herself and look cute, too bad she weighs less than half the other dogs in the ring!!! She looked like a midget compared to all those other dogs. Out of that ring and heading for Rally- I hadn't walked it and asked the judge if I could be moved to the next walk through- thank goodness he said yes!!! Back to the set up for a drink and some shade. We ran one more CKC Agility class-  clean and the fastest time overall! Go Wiccie Go!!! Over to the rally ring, confident with my dog- sign number four, Wicca is a bit sluggish but I chatter away to her and she perks ups, 1,2,3Step Halt. 1 step, Sit...AND WICCA DECIDES AT THAT MOMENT TO PEE!! She didn't just squat to pee either- she lifted her little leg and marked...what a little devil!!! Of course we were excused. I was pretty ticked off at her...but gave her the benefit of the doubt that she REALLY had to pee....I wanted to win the High Cardigan in Trial and we totally could have...Back to the set up, more shade, a nap for Wicca and one last CKC Run of the day- and she ran it clean! What a good dog!!! She has never had such a high Q rate before...Sunday night we slept well except for the poounding rain on our tent half the night!

Monday- the day that the agility counts for High In Trial for the Specialty....and Wicca blows them all except one. Her first run was amazing- Jumpers with Weaves and we nailed it- no bars, awesome weaves, no problem. 2nd Run...not horrible but I can feel that she is beginning to push it a bit. We had a knocked bar. 3rd Run, a standard. It was a mess- broke her start line, slid off her contacts, I eventually picked her up and carried her out. I was pretty dissapointed but she is a dog who will ALWAYS push and if I give her an inch she will take it. Sunday the contact equipment was slippery so when she slid off I allowed her to continue. Monday they replaced it with better stuff- and Wicca thought that she could still come off...she's a dog afterall! We had one more run to redeem ourselves, and it was almost exactly the same course as first thing in the morning. We knocked two bars. So no High Cardigan in trial for Wicca. Despite that I am still very proud of her, she worked hard and had some really amazing moments. It seems like each time we go to a trial she is better than before. It is the best feeling in the world. We got quite a bit of attention from some of the other cardigan people- and from people who hadn't seen her run, the woman who won the high Cardigan trophy had wonderful little dogs from Finnshavin who did great, and although they weren't as speedy as Wicca, it was really neat to see different Cardis run. It was also the debut for one of my students who has a cardi and Guiness got a Q and did fantastic at his first trial. He wasn't phased by all the noise and the people or anything. His owner did a great job with him and should be very proud! So it is Tuesday today and I have taken the day off from work to unpack, unwind, and clean my house. The corgis are all sleeping- Wicca is pretty tired and the boys are just bored I think...they didn't do much at all except play and have lots of walks. The both gathered a lot of attention where ever we went because they are so unique looking...I have alot of pictures and wil have some video too in a few weeks so will post them later!

 

-Amanda