It’s to the point that no matter how stressed out I am, as long as I can get back to a place where it is just the two of us, sharing a quiet walk in the park, I know everything will be okay.

No matter how wrapped up I get in little daily woes, I try to keep that feeling with me everywhere I go. It reminds me that there is more to the human experience than hectic office activities or paying bills. Once I am outside on the trail, it doesn’t seem to matter that I made a mistake at work or that my house is a mess. When the day is over, as long as I can head out with Shiva, nothing else really counts.

To paraphrase a great disc dog champion, when it’s all over, I’d give it all up – every accolade, every medal, every promotion – for one more day in the woods with my dog.

The post Less Wordy Wednesday – Breathe appeared first on Rescued Insanity.

It is my unshakable belief that the relationships we cultivate with others – be they humans, dogs, cats, parakeets, or goldfish -  bring the most happiness and create the most meaning. If I can change lives in as positive a way as my dog has changed mine, I will have lived a successful life.

As I’ve ranted in this space and others, 2013 has been a trying year on many fronts. At times I have felt at war. However, through it all, I have also been the recipient of  much unexpected kindness. This kindness has been to such a degree and from so many quadrants and all I can feel in return is grateful and humble. It’s a bit tragic that things have to swoop so low in order for me to notice just how supportive people are and how lucky I am to be connected with so many generous individuals. I hope it is a lesson I will not forget. Even more, I hope it is something I will never take for granted.

I wish I was in a place I could repay everyone for their actions and kindness. Unfortunately, I don’t know if I could ever make a gesture or give a gift powerful enough to match the way others have made me feel this year. It may take me the rest of my life, but I figure I owe it to myself to try. Today is Pay It Forward Day. It is a day specifically dedicated to doing good deeds for others without asking for anything in return. I can’t think of a better way of beginning my own journey of thanks.

On the Pay It Forward website there is a terrific list of suggestions of ways people can make a difference in someone else’s life. They range from small, specific things like paying for a stranger’s coffee to larger, more general things like being a mentor. A long time ago, I wrote a list of ways people can show kindness in the dog world. There are some even better ideas in the comments. As a dog owner and a citizen in my community, I try to live my life according to the sentiments expressed in that list, even when it’s easier not to. These lists are hardly exhaustive. There are countless other ways we can reach out to others to make their days a little brighter.

Since I am also a blogger, I tried to think of ways to we can all show kindness in the online world.

1. Link up - To bloggers, traffic is always appreciated. There is no greater gift than sending others in a certain blog’s direction. Fortunately, there are so many easy ways to do this via your own blog and social media.

2. Write a meaningful comment – No one wants to blog in a vacuum. The reason I keep returning to this space is because of the sense of community it brings. It’s so heartwarming to know that you are not alone, that others have gone through the same things. There have been some rough days in my life that have been turned around by a kind word or a thoughtful blog comment.

3. Send a message – Who doesn’t love getting an email or a message on a Facebook wall? A short little message to share a joke or a fun video, a simple compliment about something they wrote, even just a quick hello. It all shows you are reading, which is the reason someone blogs in the first place.

4. Don’t say anything – I try to only comment if I have something positive to say or something constructive to add to a discussion. If something I read makes me feel upset or angry, it’s usually good practice to keep my emotional thoughts to myself. I understand having a knee-jerk reaction to something you disagree with but it’s much kinder to wait a little while before responding. Time adds perspective. Sometimes the kind thing to do is to keep quiet.

5. Offer to help – I know, I know. I am the first person to vent about unsolicited advice. However, when it’s offered freely and with the right tone, even I appreciate it sometimes. We all struggle with certain things and asking for help is tough. If you have a lot of skills in a particular area, say with the technological side of things, and another blogger mentions having trouble, sharing your knowledge is a huge way of paying it forward.

I am hardly an expert. Knowing the awesomeness of the Petosphere I am sure you all can come up with some fantastic ways to help other bloggers. I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments! Maybe you can help me start to repay some of the generosity you have shown me these past three years.

The post Ways to Show Kindness in the Blogging World appeared first on Rescued Insanity.

Yep. I am officially not young.

My teen years may as well be ancient history. My twenties are a humourous part of my past. My thirties are laid out before me like uncharted territory and I – almost – get excited thinking about what is yet to come.

It took a lot of time to get to this point. Even a year ago I never truly felt like an adult. It seemed more like playacting at times, like dressing up in my mother’s clothes. Now that I am here the too-big heels are more comfortable than expected. Ill-fitting at times, but I am getting used to them. Blisters add character anyway, right?

When I think back on it all, it’s not hard to determine when these feelings of acceptance set in. I’ve always been seen as “responsible”, “practical”, and “mature”. I just never really felt all that accountable for my actions until I had someone relying on me. That is, until I had a dog.

Nothing forces a person to think beyond themselves more than having another living being depend on them for everything. No longer could I carelessly wander off to the bar after work or sleep in until noon on a Saturday. Granted, I didn’t do much of either before Shiva, but I noticed when these freedoms were removed. All of a sudden, I had to plan out my day, follow a schedule, and stick to my promises. It didn’t come without resentment.

I wish I could say that I took to dog ownership naturally and that I happily took to my new job without looking back. However, like any large change, it wasn’t so easy. There was definitely a wide period of adjustment for me. I remember moaning one afternoon about six months in, after an exhausting day at the office, “is this my life now? Is walking the dog all I am ever going to do again?”

The answer is yes, pretty much. My social life, never very large to begin with, has disappeared outside of dog-related activities. I spend the majority of my free time during the week either walking or playing with Shiva. Most of my thoughts are about her comfort. All of what little extra money I make goes towards providing for her needs. None of these things are at all what I had in mind when I said I wanted a dog. I expected a canine companion to add to my life, not take it over.

And yet, four years later, all of my resentment has dissipated. I don’t care if all I ever do again is take Shiva for a walk. In fact, it is my fervent prayer that I will have the honour of doing so every day for the rest of my life. If only it could be so. Have I been brainwashed by a pair of big brown eyes and a wet tongue?  Maybe. Or maybe I’ve grown up.

Age and experience has taught me that being an adult doesn’t mean I can’t have fun or do the things I’ve always enjoyed. It doesn’t mean I have to stop playing video games or watching animated films. It’s much more insidious than that. Adulthood in it’s proper form does mean responsibility and all of those other awful-sounding words; however, once one gets there, she finds it isn’t nearly so dreary as it once sounded. In a way, because I was perhaps mature beyond my age as a child, I think I might have stagnated. At eight I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. At seventeen, I acted much more like someone ten years older, prepared for the consequences of every small action. For a number of reasons, I think I hit a limit around age twenty and could not advance myself any further. This may be why I felt so young, so behind. Everyone else was moving on, making big decisions, and I was still contemplating whether or not skipping class would have dire consequences down the road.

Shiva’s presence has nudged me forward, kind of thrust adulthood upon me whether I wanted it or not. I find myself acknowledging things now that I denied before. I no longer make decisions on a whim or expect things to just happen for me. I now know I am the only one in charge. If I want something, I need to seek it out. If I screw up, no one is going to come along and fix it. It’s all on me now. This is a feeling both burdensome and liberating.

Shiva’s “Gotcha Day” was last week, April 15th. It means she is now around five years old. The magic number. People used to tell me during that first year “just wait till she gets older, probably around five, she’ll calm down.” They were wrong and right. Wrong in that Shiva is not a “calm” dog. I don’t think that is her personality. Everything she does, she gives her all – whether it be running at the park, jumping over an obstacle, or napping on the couch. It’s not in her to be a calm dog. Nonetheless, she has grown up. There is a maturity in her actions that shows in her decision-making. She now knows there are consequences for her choices and more often then not these days, she chooses the smarter path. When she chooses wrong, instead of reacting, she looks to me for advice. Shiva now knows how to ask for help.

That is one part of adulthood she has over me.

I like to think we are growing up together. Bumbling along, making mistakes, figuring things out, and sometimes feeling completely at a loss. I try to carry myself as a leader for her but in so many ways she is my teacher. Thus, I am also going to work hard to be the best student I can be.

The post Adulthood in Canine Form appeared first on Rescued Insanity.

“Live your life fom your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people’s souls.”

~ Melody Beattie

I am participating in the Black and White Sunday blog hop hosted by You Did What With Your Weiner, My Life in Blog Years, and Dachshund Nola to host a Black and White Sunday blog hop. Want to join the hop? Link up below!

The post Black and White Sunday – Gratitude appeared first on Rescued Insanity.

Can I just say I am having a really bad morning? First, I cut myself in the shower. Second, Shiva jumped into someone else’s car at the dog park and stared fighting in the back seat with the dog in said car. Third, I was able to call Shiva out of the car only to have her jump right back in again before I could get her leash snapped. Whereupon the two dogs started fighting again.

Fourth, I wake up the kittens to discover they are covered in poop. For the second day in a row. Then, I realize not only are the kittens covered but so is every piece of bedding. The last of the bedding I have available as they have already pooped on every clean towel in the house that I have yet to wash. The only thing I have left to give them is a tablecloth left over from my single days. I knew it would come in handy.

Fifth, I spill litter and water all over myself when trying to close the door of the kitten room before Shiva can burst in to terrify the poopy furballs.

Sixth, I bang my toe on the baby gate we use to prevent Shiva from getting downstairs. It still kinda hurts.

Seventh, apparently the post I thought I published last night didn’t actually publish at all. Which means either WordPress deleted it or I was dreaming when I wrote it.

Eighth, my hair is not behaving and pieces are standing on end and everything I do to fix it only makes it look worse and I know I need a hair cut but it costs so much money and I would cut it myself but I don’t have any good scissors and aahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This was all before my first cup of coffee.

When it comes down to it, it’s all really just one big justification to show another baby goat video.

All better now.

How is your day going?

The post Cranky Human is Cranky appeared first on Rescued Insanity.

However, you asked for more pictures and I don’t want to disappoint. Here is the best of what I’ve got.

At least while attacking each other they are kind of looking my way. Better than this one of them staring at the wall. They were looking right at me less than a second before, I swear.

The below photo of the littlest girl is probably the best of all the pictures I’ve taken, and that is not saying much.

Even when I have someone to help, the kitten still won’t look at the camera!

Oh well. I know how adorable they are. I guess that’s all that matters.

The post Less Wordy Wednesday – You Asked For It appeared first on Rescued Insanity.

As a self-respecting dog-obsessor, a lot of the stuff I look up is canine related. I jump from article to article so fast that I barely register anything. The idea isn’t to learn or process, it’s just to read for the sake of reading. But what’s the point of that?

These days I am attempting to live with greater mindfulness. This includes my time spent Googling the name of the actress who plays the girlfriend of that movie I saw three years ago. Rather than powering through every link that comes up on my Facebook feed, I am trying to be more selective. When I do click on something, I commit to it. Actually read and consume it. It’s been pretty life-changing. So much so that I feel compelled to share what I’ve learned.

Here are some of the articles I loved recently:

Pawsitively Training sums up exactly how I feel about recall training: “Your dog has to want to be with you before he or she will recall to you.” Precisely. The video in the post is quite helpful as well.

Pit Bulls Make the World Go Round has some wicked advice for handling encounters with off-leash dogs, the bane of many of our existences.

The Working Pit Bull has a fantastic guide to understanding “soundness” and relating it to your dog. I am so grateful to My Life With Flyball Dogs for sharing it with me in a comment last week. It’s made me look at dogs in a brand new way.

This article by relationship-based trainer Suzanne Clothier on gauging thresholds in dogs has also helped me a lot. I still don’t know if I am an expert at reading Shiva’s body language. Sometimes I jump in unnecessarily and other times I think I wait too long. It’s so hard to know and she seems to react out of nowhere. When in doubt, it never hurts to increase distance. Good to know.

All five of the finalists’ stories for Freshpet’s World’s Greatest Pet Parent contest are inspiring and made me cry happy tears. My favourite kind of weeping. You may recognize the dog in the first story, owned by none other than the writer of No Dog About It. If you are as touched as I am, why not throw a vote her way?

Speaking of votes, it is now time to get your nominations in for the 2013 BlogPaws Awards. I’ve been having a blast putting up some of my favourites from the Petosphere. (Yep, that’s what I am calling it from now on. I decided.) I am so glad I have been able to take my time with my entries as well, as opposed to dashing them off at the last-minute in my usual style.

This fascinating article from National Geographic suggests that the domestication of dogs  may have had more to do with the “survival of the friendliest” rather than any active effort on humanity’s part. Really, when it comes down to it, science is just catching up with what dog lovers have always known. The world doesn’t change when we adopt them; the real magic occurs when they adopt us.

Do you share my online addiction? What is on your must-read list this week?

The post Mindful Interneting – What’s Up in the Petosphere This Week? appeared first on Rescued Insanity.

You suck.

Sincerely,

Terrified Dog Walker Who is Just Grateful to be Alive

Dear Foster Kittens,

I am new to this fostering deal. Really, this is only the second time I’ve done this. I have absolutely nothing to base this on but I gotta say, all three of you are the cutest little bundles of fur I have ever cuddled. You are sweet, you are funny, and you have yet to insert your sharp teeth into my skin. You are proof that three are definitely better than one. You all validate everything I’ve ever said about early socialization being crucial to developing stable personalities.

It’s going to be very hard to say goodbye when you are big enough for adoption. In a perfect world, I would keep you all. You were the best Valentine’s gift a girl could have. I am going to miss you.

Sincerely,

Your Temporary Litter Box Cleaner

Dear Shiva,

I want to thank you for your patience. I haven’t made things easy on you lately and have instead put a lot of weight on your well-muscled shoulders. You’ve handled it with style. Despite not getting to do as much together as we normally do, you’ve retained your sanity. I promise a lot of fun is on the way.

I love your silliness and, secretly, I don’t even really mind it when you jump on me in the morning, spilling my coffee everywhere. Okay, I do mind the coffee all over my pants. I only have so many pairs suitable for the office and laundry is my least favourite chore. But then you wag your tail and lean your head against me and all is forgiven.

It is my unshakeable belief that as long as you keep wiggling your bum and jumping on registration tables, everything will be okay. Don’t ever change.

Sincerely,

Your Hopeful Human

Dear Kind Dog Park Man,

I’m sorry I doubted you. I should have known that someone who is willing to slip on icy paths at six in the morning is automatically a kindred spirit. You are a fellow member of the pre-dawn dog walking society. You live in Pretentiousville and yet you proudly show off your goofy mixed-breed pals. We should be instant friends. You, of all people, get it.

I am even more sorry to hear your smaller dog was attacked. I am a selfish heel for not looking beyond my own issues. Obviously there could be many reasons you stayed away from us at the park. It’s awful that this time was one in which the little guy was hurt. I am so glad he is okay. And not just because he is Shiva’s favourite little buddy.

It was great to see all three of your again this morning. I hope you enjoyed the rest of your walk.

Sincerely,

Your Fellow Mutt Lover

Dear Dragon’s Den hosts,

It is too bad you felt the need to denigrate a presenter’s business simply because it was about helping senior dogs. Many of you didn’t even bother to ask questions about the entrepreneur’s financials. The fact that it was a business that involved selling diapers for dogs was enough for you to say no.

I wish you hadn’t felt the need to draw a line between helping people and helping animals. I don’t understand why the two have to be mutually exclusive. To help animals isn’t to ignore the needs of humans. The two intersect much more often than you are aware. It’s too bad you can’t see that.

In the end, it’s your loss. The pet industry is growing exponentially. No doubt the business owner is better off without you anyway. More money for her.

Sincerely,

Dismayed

Dear High Cost of Heating Oil,

You suck.

Sincerely,

Broke Renter Who is Running Out of Clean Blankets

The post I Write More Letters appeared first on Rescued Insanity.

Wow.

This is the stuff for which I have been searching: definitive proof that cats are just as awesome, just as trainable as dogs.

There are so many things I love about this. The fact that the handler is a young boy, the fact that the equipment is accessible and can be put together by anyone, the fact that the cats were trained using a clicker. Not to mention, it looks like he happens to be Canadian and I am not above a bit of patriotism.

All of the cats seem to be enjoying themselves. I doubt they would do it otherwise. It’s fascinating to note the way they jump as compared to the way I am used to seeing dogs move over the obstacles. Clearly when motivated, cats can get much, much higher.

The above video isn’t even my favourite of all 85 posted on his Youtube channel. It’s just the most flashy. The one I like the most shows footage of Daniel King teaching his cat named Puffy basic tricks. The relationship between human and feline in this video is so evident that I beam all the way through.The best part is how excited he gets when Puffy learns something new. Their connection is beautiful to watch.

I gotta admit, I am envious. This is the way I wish I could approach training with both of my pets all the time. Daniel King is patient, gentle, and incredibly dedicated. With his attitude, I suspect he’ll well known in the animal world one day.

The post My New Cat Training Hero appeared first on Rescued Insanity.

As a lover of dogs and a longtime secret fan of dog shows, conformation is a subject that lights up my dog geek side. After reading the author’s analysis of proper “soundness” – or the architectural quality of an animal, as defined in the post – I couldn’t help but turn my newly informed gaze to my own canine.

Obviously as a formerly stray mutt, Shiva wasn’t bred with any sort of ideal in mind. No doubt she was from an “oops” litter and either abandoned or allowed to roam at will in an infamous part of town. Not the best of beginnings for any dog. Regardless, I have always taken a bit of pride in her athletic prowess. It doesn’t have anything to do with me as a breeder or even as a trainer, but it’s hard not to beam when I see all she is able to accomplish physically. Especially as I have no athletic abilities of my own. I’ve always had this idea that Shiva is structurally sublime.

Does my incredibly biased opinion hold up to scrutiny? That is the question.

One of the first things outlined in the Ruffly Speaking article was topline. Essentially, a dog’s back should be either straight or convex. Level or curved upwards is considered sound. A back that curves downwards… Notsomuch.

It wasn’t easy to get a good picture of Shiva standing still and straight. I ended up having to put a carrot – literally – in front of her nose in order to get her to hold still for a photograph. It turns out, she is not a natural stacker. So much for her big show career. This is the best I could get out of her.

I don’t know if it is possible to tell, but her topline does go slightly down before her shoulders. This is not looking good for the Sheevs.

The first thing the article instructed, was to draw a line from the elbow to the top of the shoulder. And then another straight across the back. If the dog is sound, the entire head and most of the neck will be above and in front of the lines. This means the shoulder is laid back correctly and the heaviest part of the dog is behind the neck instead of under it.

Hmm… Shiva’s head is above this line but only barely. If she wasn’t looking up, it would almost be on the same level as her back. Another strike against her.

In the second picture, I drew a line through the middle of her front paw. This is supposed to be the line of weight that bears on the heaviest part of her body. According to the blog post, with a sound dog that line should go through the front part of her body and not her neck.

This is looking less dismal. The line goes through Shiva’s shoulder more than her neck. One point? Or is this just wishful thinking?

The next line is drawn at the end of Shiva’s ribs. You want to make sure the dog can breathe properly for her active lifestyle. The ribs should end more than half-way down the body. Surprisingly, I couldn’t easily detect Shiva’s ribs from the photograph. To make sure I drew the line right, I had to feel for them with my hands.

Has the scrawny spotted one actually put on weight?

This photo looks pretty good to me. It’s kind of funny how her thigh muscles are just as big as her chest. I don’t know if that has anything to do with her soundness or not.

This last one was the hardest to draw. I am still not sure I got the placement right. To show balance, the angle formed by the shoulder joining the upper arm ideally should be similar to the angle formed by the femur joining the knee. They don’t need to be identical in inclination, more in the size of the angle itself.

Once again, I am not so sure things are looking good for the poor puppy. Her rear angle looks much wider than her front. If I drew it correctly, it is definitely more than ninety degrees, which I learned is problematic.

Despite all her abilities, it looks like Shiva’s structure is off. I have always been a bit worried about her stance, to tell the truth. I fear we may have either hip or ACL issues in our future. She seems to naturally stand with her left rear leg out, as in the picture below. When she sits, she often leans on one hip, extending that leg. While she doesn’t seem to be in pain and it certainly doesn’t affect her activity level, it might be a sign of future problems.

Ah well, I can’t let it bother me too much. She is who she is; structurally sound, or a canine disaster, we’ll keep on having fun. Still, it was an interesting exercise and I am glad I know a little bit more now about how an ideal dog should be built. Perhaps in the future, when selecting my next nutty rescue, I will be armed with a bit more information. Especially if I intend to practice agility again.

Knowing myself, I’ll just end up being suckered in by a cute face and a wild personality. Those seem to be my weaknesses lately.

The post Is Shiva a “Sound” Dog? appeared first on Rescued Insanity.