K9 Kamp is Back, Baby!

May 17, 2012


This year is going to be better than ever, I can feel it. Koly and Kelly have put together some great fitness challenges for bloggers and their animal companions to work on at their own level. It’s all about getting out there with your furry ones and having a good time. Shiva and I had such a blast last year that when I heard they were running a second Kamp, I had to join in. Shiva’s nails are trimmed and ready to go! All I need to do now is pull on my rubber boots and we can get started!

Woo hoo!

Wait a minute, rubber boots?

You heard correctly. In my part of the world, it rains from February to July. No dog walker leaves home without them. This brings me to my first reason for participating in K9 Kamp again:

Motivation

It’s hard to feel a lot of enthusiasm for going outside and getting active with my dog in the pouring rain. K9 Kamp should be just the right nudge I need to brave the Haligonian weather. Besides, the extra weight of boots and waterproof jacket should increase the fitness challenge without me even trying. No matter how soggy we get, Shiva and I aren’t going to let a little drizzle keep us indoors.

It’s dull to hang around inside all the time and my second reason for joining Kamp encompasses this feeling perfectly.

Boredom

Shiva and I walk a lot. At least six kilometres every day, often more. However, we are deeply entrenched in Ruttsville with no way out. There are only so many ways to tour around residential neighbourhoods and only so many fire hydrants to sniff. Just yesterday Shiva was so bored with our daily routine, she didn’t even muster the energy to scarf more than three pieces of garbage. Not good. K9 Kamp will hopefully add some much needed excitement to our time together.

The third reason I am pumped to get going is…

Momentum

Most of you know I am running in the 5K portion of Halifax’s Blue Nose Marathon this weekend to raise money for the Nova Scotia SPCA. It’s not been an easy journey, especially in the last few weeks. I worry after the race is over on Sunday, I will lose all desire to continue on. I am counting on K9 Kamp to keep pushing me to other races in the future.

Which leads me to my fourth reason for Kamping it up.

Competition

Shiva is one of the fastest agility dogs on the course. If I am ever going to stop humiliating her with my persistent slowness, I need to get in shape. Furthermore, K9 Kamp is all about working as a team with your dog, as is agility. Any activity that brings Shiva and I closer, will make us better competitors in our favourite dog sport.

Also, as I mentioned above, I am hoping to participate in other local running events in the future. Due to a recent injury, I will probably end up walking most of the way this time. K9 Kamp will help prepare me for more running with Shiva, which in turn should help prepare me for future races. It may be a little premature, but I am hoping to enter the 10K in next year’s Blue Nose. Wish me luck!

And my final reason for joining?

Cats

That’s right. Cats. I am on a mission to prove cats make just as awesome pets as dogs. When I found out K9 Kamp was open to all animal friends I knew I had to get our cat involved this time as well. It’s going to be a challenge as he generally prefers to exercise on his own time, but if I can get him to spin for treats, I feel confident I can get him to walk beside me. Maybe even on a leash?

 There is still plenty of time to sign up and join in! Even if you don’t think you can fit in all of the challenges, I encourage you to participate in your own way, such as walking your dog for an extra ten minutes, or playing fetch at a different park. Everyone can get into the K9 Kamp spirit, no matter what your fitness level! Don’t forget, there are some pretty wicked prizes to reward you for your efforts.

Do you plan on joining K9 Kamp this year? What activities do you and your pets most enjoy together?

Check out the K9 Kamp Posts from Kol’s Notes and Peggy’s Pet Place and all other participating bloggers!



11 Comments

Filed under Challenges, Events, K9 Kamp, The Cat

Turning Away From Negativity

May 16, 2012


I was going to write a rant-filled post today, a la Jodi Stone’s WTF Wednesday, after reading this horrifying list on Cracked.com. Unfortunately, I had to go and read Karen Walrond’s inspirational post first, which made me feel guilty for even thinking about adding more anger to blogland.

The internet can be a harrowing place. Before pet blogging I spent a lot of my free time on politically-based websites. The bitter vitriol that was spewed out in comment sections left me sputtering. The more I read, the angrier I became. Everything set me off back then: television commercials, overheard conversations on the bus, comedic one-liners, newspaper articles, magazine advertisements. I quickly became just a seething mass of angry frustration. Nothing was safe from my outrage.

I think what Ms. Walrond says here encapsulates this perfectly:

“I think our general outlook is similar to our bodies:  our ability to look at the negative, if exercised like a muscle, gets stronger and more robust, to the point where all we can see is negative.  (And I think this is true, even if we try to wrap up these expressions with a wink and wry smile, even if we think we’re being funny or entertaining.  Negativity is insidious this way.)  And if all we see is negative, then happiness and joy necessarily make their departures.”

Please don’t think I was miserable. There were still many joyful moments of gratitude in my life. However, in the midst of the pleasant times, I would see something out of the corner of my eye in a store that would have me grumbling out loud. It must have been very annoying for those around me.

I have described all the numerous ways Shiva has changed my life, but blogging about Shiva has also had a large impact. The comments on posts about adorable puppies and the pros and cons of feeding raw aren’t nearly as fractious as those regarding minority rights. Once I entered the pet side of blogland, I didn’t have the time to check out the daily galling political news of the day. Eventually I was only reading about the latest attack on women’s issues once a week, and then once a month. Slowly, my daily rant at the television screen turned into a simple eyeroll. With Shiva on my brain, I had more important things to stress over.

It’s not that I don’t feel anger toward these things anymore – they are still very important – but I have learned how to better pick my battles. There are many things in the world of animal welfare that tick me off. There are many things worth yelling about, from abusive training methods to puppy mills. It’s all out there and it all needs to be discussed for the purpose of effecting positive change.

They keyword being positive. Hollering about my distaste of pet perfume isn’t doing anything to make the world a happier place, even if it makes me feel better for a few minutes.

Instead, as per Karen Walrond’s suggestion, I am going to share some of the things I found on the Internet that are making the world more beautiful today.

What did you find beautiful today?

11 Comments

Filed under Links, News, Personal thoughts

Baffled By Behaviour. Again.

May 15, 2012


Shiva has begun a new behaviour that has inspired my curiosity. I’m not overly worried about it yet as it doesn’t appear to be related to anxiety or reactivity. However, I am not really sure what it means and could be wrong. It’s nothing she has ever done before and I am hoping there may be someone out there who can enlighten me as to the cause of this odd little action.

Now that the warmer weather has arrived there have been a lot more dogs out on the streets. This used to make me a little resentful as I felt if people couldn’t walk their dogs all winter long they had no right to be bugging us the instant the temperatures started to climb. This year my attitude toward such interlopers has changed. Now I just few the increased sidewalk traffic as a challenge.

“Let’s see how many dogs we can pass without lunging tonight!”

Our record so far is five. We came close to more but Shiva just couldn’t resist a happy, wriggly Golden Retriever puppy. I couldn’t blame her too much for that one.

Much to my surprise and delight, these days Shiva is more often the lungee. Almost every walk now I am complimented in some way for her calm demeanor around other dogs.

“Look how nice that dog is walking,” I’ll hear someone say to their rambunctious canine. “Why can’t you do that?”

It always makes me laugh. Of course, as soon as someone says something Shiva does her best to prove them wrong, yanking me off my feet to go sniff at a random piece of paper.

But I digress.

Shiva has been lunged at a few times in the last few weeks while on leash. Most of the time it’s not a problem because I can see the dog is about to make a run for it ahead of time and am prepared. Her reactivity toward other dogs has all but vanished as long as the other dog is just another goofball like her. Luckily we haven’t had to find out what she’ll do if the other dog isn’t just a mannerless pal.

However, when these other dogs have started to ran at her to say hello, Shiva has taken to dropping immediately to the ground. And I can’t get her to stand or even look at me, not even if I throw a treat at her head. She just lays down on the spot and stares. It’s creepy.

It’s not with all approaching dogs, only the ones who have broken from their owners and ran towards her.  And only when she is on a leash.

Nothing happens afterwards. Once the dog gets to her she leaps up either into a play bow or starts sniffing. The tension completely disappears. Still, it weirds me out. I can’t help but wonder if the laying down is a sign of stress or an attempt at a calming signal. Or maybe she is just so excited that she has to quiet herself or she’ll burst?

Have you ever witnessed behaviour like this before? Is it something we should worry about? Just when I think I understand all of Shiva’s little quirks, she pulls out a new one. I swear she does it just to keep me guessing.

24 Comments

Filed under Shiva's Quirks, Soliciting advice

Running is Not For the Weak (Ankles)

May 11, 2012


The Blue Nose Marathon is just seven days away. I haven’t run a single step for two whole weeks. Screwed doesn’t seem expressive enough of a word.

It’s not laziness this time that has kept me from running. That’s a stunning turn of events, to be sure. This time I actually wanted to run. The desire was there and the opportunity. Unfortunately my ankle had other ideas.

I wish I knew what happened to cause the brutally throbbing pain in the area just above my heel. I don’t remember twisting or rolling it. When I returned home one evening after a run with Shiva, it felt a little sore but I took that for granted. Running is painful. Period. There was no reason to suspect the feeling in my ankle was anything different from the feeling in my calves the day before. Until the next morning when not only had the pain not gone away, but it was stronger and ever-present.

It was all I could do to walk, let alone attempt to run.

Fourteen days later I am finally feeling capable of hitting the pavement once more without fear of re-injury. Tragically, I know whatever gains I made in my endurance are completely gone. I have to start right back at the beginning of my training again. Given there is only one week before the race, it’s a certainty I will be walking most of the 5 kilometres.

Frustrating. To say the least.

Pretty. I think I can hear my wheezing already.

The kicker? I finally took a good look at the race route and discovered it leads right up Citadel Hill. Only the largest hill in the entire city of Halifax. I can understand why they chose the location. The view from the top is gorgeous. Too bad my brain will have shut down due to lack of oxygen by the time I make it up there.

Ah well. At least I can say I had another sports injury. That’s pretty cool, right? Even better, I have raised a decent amount of money for the Nova Scotia SPCA - the reason I decided to do this nutty thing in the first place.

Now that the pressure is off for the race, I can spend the next few days preparing myself in other, more fun ways. Like shopping for comfortable and lightweight clothing. I did most of my training runs in jeans and khakis because I didn’t have time to look for anything else. (And I wonder why I hurt myself?) I can research running and stretching technique, something else I should have done before. There is also much music to be downloaded on to my rarely used MP3 player. I never listen to music when I run with Shiva as I have to be vigilant to avoid any potential reactive disasters. On race day I intend to be loaded up with nothing but the most energizing sounds.

Oh, and I need to stock up on Tylenol. Just in case.

Do you have any final week advice? Have you ever participated in a running or walking event? I’d love to hear your war stories. I’d also love to hear any music recommendations or pain prevention methods. I want to be fully armed before stepping across that line and chugging up that intimidating hill.

Thank you so much for all of your support! It means more than I can say to know you are cheering me on.

19 Comments

Filed under Challenges, Events, News, Personal thoughts

Stray Dog Syndrome?

May 10, 2012


Most dogs are “food obsessed” in some form. I don’t even really like using the term obsessed as it implies abnormal behaviour. It believe it is very normal for a dog to seek out food at every opportunity. Nutrition is essential for survival. Being natural scavengers dogs are genetically pre-disposed to eat as much as they can when they can. A dog not interested in food is not a dog who will live on his own for very long.

Shiva takes all of this to a new level. She is a scavenger with a capital S-C-A-V-E-N-G and even an E. Nothing gets between her an a possible edible. Even if that edible turns out to be a boring piece of paper. If she thinks it might – possibly - in another world  – be food, she is going for it. And how.

As much as I dislike the practice of blaming a dog’s past for current behavioural issues, I can’t help but wonder if that isn’t at least part of case here. We don’t know how long Shiva lived as a stray mutt, roaming a bad part of town. It could have been days or weeks or months. All we know is where she was found and how she arrived at the shelter. The thing that most stands out to me is when we took her home after her brief stay at the shelter, Shiva weighed about 38 pounds. Three years later with a very consistent, very healthy diet, she weighs 40. She only gained two pounds in her solid home life versus her life on the streets of Spryfield.

This dog is a survivor.

 Am I assuming too much? Perhaps. It’s very tempting to make excuses for her wild food-related behaviours instead of working hard to train them out of her. I am aware that many dogs live as strays and then go on to be adopted into homes without jumping on every counter and lunging into every bag they see. Some of Shiva’s behaviour was definitely learned and I take responsibility for that. However, she also has a lot of natural drive. More than most dogs – at least I am guessing more than most. (If not I have no idea why so many people have dogs as pets! Cr-a-a-a-zy.)

Could not this insano energy combine with her stray dog mentality to create a dog who will do anything to get to the birdseed located in a neighbour’s feeder? Or the treats that might be in a bag on the other side of the classroom? Or the chicken bone in the bottom of the garbage can? Or the bloody Tim Horton’s cup underneath the bench?

Maybe I am just trying to make myself feel better. I’d rather think there are forces beyond my control at play, than feel like a jerk who can’t train a simple “leave it”. Yes, my dog can do hand stands (almost) but no, I can’t stop her from eating your lunch. Love me, love my dog stealing all your food.

It doesn’t matter what I have in my hand either. I could wave bacon around, throw chicken pieces in the air like confetti. Shiva’s motto is that old adage: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. She knows with me she has to earn her treats. Why work for a piece of steak when there is perfectly good grass just over there?

Yes, she will turn down steak for grass. And mud. And seeds. And old shoelaces. And whatever else she can find that doesn’t require her to pay attention to me.

I am not being completely fair. This behaviour has gotten a lot better. She does focus a lot more and we do manage to actually make our way around an agility course every now and then. She isn’t always a maniac these days. Just most of the time.

I suppose even if Shiva’s past does contribute to this very annoying scavenging activity of hers, the results are still the same. It just gives me a weak excuse to toss out when she eats some other dog’s very expensive liver treats in one gulp.

“Sorry about that. She was a stray.”

Maybe I should start telling people she has an incurable disease. It’s a lie but it might prevent all the other dog owners from glaring at us. Just look how thin she is, it’s totally believable. Pity is much easier to handle.

24 Comments

Filed under Food Anxiety, Selfish Rants, Shiva's Quirks

Less Wordy Wednesday – It’s All Yellow

May 9, 2012


I wandered lonely as a cloud, that floats on high o’er vales and hills. When all at once I saw a crowd, a host, of golden

Dandelions?? 

I know, it’s cliche and more than a little granola, but I can’t help but love the vile weeds when they are gathered together in a cheerful mass. One dandelion is a pest. Hundreds scattered across a lawn with their bright yellow glow make me smile. They are just such happy, hardy flowers. Nothing keeps a dandelion down.

Spring always comes late to Halifax. Dandelions are the first real sign that better things are on the way. Even in the pouring rain their peppy attitudes make me feel optimistic for the future.

I have to resist the urge to pick them. As lovely as they appear mixed in with the green of the grass, they soon wilt when placed in a glass on a table. I think perhaps it’s this stubborn wildness that lends them their appeal.

I got a little desperate last evening looking for patches to photograph. There aren’t as many wide spreads of dandelions near my home as in other parts of the city. Shiva was very patient with me.

She was well-rewarded for her posing efforts with her favourite springtime treat: freshly cut grass from neighbourhood lawns.

Apparently the two of us would have made excellent hippies.

17 Comments

Filed under Wordless Wednesday

Not All Cats Are Evil, Just Mine

May 7, 2012


Dear Kitty,

Or, I guess I should say, dear Sabir. That is your real name, not that you’d ever respond to it. I feel a bit responsible for that. Not wholly, of course, as you were my PH’s cat long before you ever started coming to me for treats, but I did know you way back then, when you were just an itty bitty kitten. It met you during our very first date. Were you even eight weeks old? If so, barely. You were just a fuzzy ball of orange. So wee. So innocent.

Actually, scratch that. There has never been anything innocent about you. From day one you had claws that left permanent scars on my hands. I was afraid of cats back then too. Oddly, it was you who finally helped me conquer those fears. I highly doubt that was your intention.

To this day you refuse to turn around so I can get your photo. Out of spite, I have no doubt.

We’ve never been friends, have we? I have always adored you – obviously – and you have never felt anything but disdain for me. Our relationship has always been a little tempestuous as a result.

Lately, though, lately I kind felt like we’ve been building a rapport. It’s been what? Six years since we moved in together? You spent five of those plotting my death. It’s okay, you can be honest with me. I know you blame me for the dog. The important thing is that during this last year we seem to have come to an understanding. You seem to do more than grudgingly tolerate me. You seem to maybe even – dare I suggest – enjoy having me around. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone this, but the day you rubbed against my legs on purpose, it made me so happy. I felt like we had formed a real connection.

Even if it’s only because I can open the bag of Temptations. And you can’t.

We were bonded in that moment. You and I. Cat and human.

That’s why your behaviour the last two nights is so frustrating for me. I thought we had an understanding. Did I do something wrong?

Why? Why did you feel the need to play with your little mouse toy at three am two nights in a row? Why does your form of play consist of batting the rodent wildly against the bedroom door? It’s loud and, well, obnoxious . You may think three am is a good time to practice your fearsome hunting skills. We pathetic humans do not.

The thing is, the mouse toy is not a three am toy. This is a three am toy:


Only, it’s not a toy at all. It’s a bed. A bed for you to sleep on upstairs in the living room.

You are an adult now, after all. Almost eight years old. An eight year old cat shouldn’t be running around at all hours of the night, playing games. You have responsibilities.

I hate to pull the canine card, but I find it pretty sad that even Shiva the Wackadoo understands that night time is for sleeping. Your actions the past two nights in a row have officially rendered you more annoying than the dog.

Just think about that for a minute.

If that isn’t enough to disturb you, I have an idea. How’s about tonight, if you decide it’s mousey time before I think it’s mousey time, I pick you up and shut you away in the bathroom? And not the downstairs bathroom, where you can play with the shower curtain or wham your body against the door so loud the neighbours can hear. The upstairs bathroom. The one with no window.

How do you like them apples?

If that isn’t enough to motivate you to find other midnight activities, I have another suggestion. You know that blanket my best friend gave you for Christmas? The one I promised I would never let the dog drool on? If you frolic with that dang toy while I am sleeping just one more time, the blanket is going to be Shiva’ new tug toy. And you know how careful she is with her things.

Have we come to an agreement?

I really hope so.

20 Comments

Filed under Blog Hop, Selfish Rants, The Cat

Barking and Lunging on Cue

May 4, 2012


It’s new trick video time! Yay!

Today Shiva and I have two new tricks with which to entertain you. The first is responsible for several large bruises on my upper right arm and the second is why our neighbours are not very sad we are moving. Until I watched the two side by side, I didn’t realize how well they fit together. It makes me wonder if I could put her reactive behaviour on cue. It would come in handy for late night walks or avoiding religious missionaries.

Not that I would ever use my dog to escape hearing about the Good Book.

This may be the first time Shiva’s bark has ever been captured on video. It’s quite an impressive sound, I think. My only regret with this trick is that she seems to enjoy it a little too much and has taken to offering a bark when I am trying to work on something else. It gets very annoying, very fast. The next thing we’ll have to learn is a “shut up” cue, otherwise I foresee her woofing her way through every behaviour for the rest of her life.

Happy Friday!

24 Comments

Filed under Tricks, Videos

Guest Post: Rubbish Rage

May 3, 2012


The following article is a guest post written by my PH. I injured my ankle last week (more on that another time) and he has been helping out with evening dog-walking duties. As a result, he has recently encountered one of my biggest annoyances: litter in the park. Litter that our lovely dog views as her own personal buffet. This is his rant. You have been warned. (Photographs and italics are mine.)

I suppose I should begin with an introduction. Most of you will know me as the PH, but some of you will know me by other, often less flattering, names. For your entertainment pleasure today I bring you the first in a long line of  rants about dog-related things that really bug me. I was recruited for this for two reasons:

1-       My recurring rage against humanity and…

2-      Kristine is far too nice to rail against the things that bother her*, so I am the voice of both of us. (Note: Kristine does not necessarily endorse the views represented by her guest poster). 

With that in mind, let us establish a couple ground rules. When I rant I often cannot control the colour of the language used. Because of this, and the fact that this is contrary to the general feel of this blog, please refer to the following guide:

4 letter word that starts with F = will be replaced by the word pork

4 letter word that starts with S = will be replaced by the word piston

7 letter word that starts with A and ends in HOLE = will be replaced by the word fisherman

All variations of the above mentioned rules with be used (eg. porking, pistonhead, etc.)

With my variables defined, let us begin.

 

Scene: On leash human area

As you know, there is an on leash dog area in a little forest not far from our home that we often use for walking the Pupinator (I will refrain from further cute pet names from here on in, I just had to get that out). As a responsible dog owner, I rarely let her run free on the pathway. Rather I leave her on leash until we get to an isolated back section of the park. I do this out of courtesy for other dog owners who may be struggling with reactivity and for the locals who use this picturesque setting to engage in recreational fishing or strolling.

I like to fish myself, and love showing up to a lake or river when the sun is rising and the fog is lifting off the water’s surface. This is just slightly (cue sarcasm) ruined by the pile of porking trash left by the previous fisher. Just last night one stop in particular was riddled with two  full grocery bags of garbage, no less than five disposable drink cups, and various other piston that people leave behind.

Garbage is circled to make it easier to spot

Two points on this.

1-      Good on fishermen (remember the definition) who have the foresight to bring a bag for their inevitable waste. But my questions is: if you go through the trouble to bring a garbage bag to fill with waste, WHY THE PORK CAN YOU NOT TAKING YOUR PORKING BAG OF PORKING GARBAGE WITH YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE?

Such a pretty scene, too bad about the disgusting thing hanging off the tree

2-      What the pork is wrong with a fisherman who goes fishing, knowing full well (based on the last 80 times they went porking fishing) that they are going to generate waste, and do not bring a porking way of bringing it back out with them?

Garbage cans are handily placed at all three park exits for just this purpose.

Now that I have identified my issues with fishermen, I will get on with my glorious afterthought. On average the park by the lake to which I refer is even less frequented as the local off leash dog park. Despite this, the dog park is always in immaculate condition, free of litter and cared for by all who use it. Birdhouses are built, benches are donated, and plaques are hung in memory of beloved pets.

I think you are able to see where I am going with this, but indulge my righteous outrage. The muggles** of the world (or whatever it is that you call them in this dog blog scene) seem to have a hate-on for dogs and all their “wicked” and “unclean” ways. It seems to me that the real porking problem is the jack-fishers that cannot be bothered to even walk their porking garbage 30 porking metres to the garbage can. I do not know if this is a fundamental error in their wiring, but I am sure I can come up with something for a future rant.

Shiva is probably eating a Tim Horton's cup in this photo

So now we are left with two options on how to deal with the current situation. I will use number bullet points for this again because I like numbers and because I can.

1-      Make all green spaces in every city off leash, upon approval of local dog owners. This way the dog owners will take pride in something that is theirs and keep it clean. It will also allow them to impose rules upon fishermen that will either force them to conform or see them banned.

2-      Expand the definitions of “on leash” to include all fishermen. This will require them to be with a guardian at all times who will hopefully  shame them into complying with social norms and environmental common sense. If not, there are always shock collars.

Does your city have a similar littering problem?

*Really? Clearly someone doesn’t read this blog very often.

**Please excuse the gratuitous Harry Potter reference. At least, I think it’s Harry Potter – I could be thinking of something else. I haven’t read the books so I am fairly clueless on that scale.

23 Comments

Filed under Guest Posts, Selfish Rants

How to Keep a Dog Toy Alive

May 2, 2012


Shiva may no longer be the antler-anihilator she once was but we still have to work hard to keep her toys intact for longer than five minutes. Below is a picture of the alien Tuffie toy we bought for her Gotcha Day. This was taken before she first got her teeth on it.

Look, Ma! No holes!

That was two weeks ago. Today it looks more like this:

Quite impressive stitching, don't you think?

I am thrilled the toy resembles its original form. Green Alien Man has not lost a single body part in over fourteen days! It is completely unprecedented.

How did we do it?

By never allowing this:

Ensuring this stays gentle:

And if this does happen:

Doing a lot of this:

That's right, my PH can sew.

Our home is now an official safety zone for dog toys. No more will they cower in fear when we enter the store. Once word gets out, toys will be fighting for the chance to come home with us.
 
“Finally!” They’ll cry with glee. “A family who understands toys have feelings too!”
 
Don’t worry toys. There will be no more mindless violence under our watch. Shiva’s murderous ways are over.
 
 
Well, as long as we’re in the room anyway. If a toy “just happens” to fall off the shelf when we’re not around… Green Alien Man is on his own.

18 Comments

Filed under Photos