Togetherness

You know, getting a picture of the two of them together isn't as easy as you might think. Its a shame, since they're such a good looking pair.

Advanced Trick Dog

On May 12 (yes, nearly a month ago), Reyna earned her Advanced Trick Dog title. Her certificate came in last week, I think. I know, its taken me much longer than usual to get this posted, but I've been distracted by other things, like Reyna being sick. She's still sick (vomiting and lots of diarrhea today, fun!), but I decided it was past time to post something happy for Reyna.

The timing was actually pretty good for earning the title, because we did it before she got sick. She wasn't feeling really spiffy due to the recent addition of new pain meds, but she was willing (and able) to do her thing. Naturally, Suzie and I both forgot to have the video camera handy, so these clips are all of the second run-through. Reyna did a lot better the first time around, but what can you expect? I'm sure she thought we were complete idiots for asking her to do everything again, after she'd already done a perfectly lovely job the first time.

To earn her Advanced Trick Dog title, Reyna had to perform 5 tricks chosen from a list of 25 choices. Reyna showed off Chorus Line Kicks, Figure 8's, Find the Keys, Play Dead, and Object Guard.

This is Reyna's version of the Chorus Line Kicks. This particular trick is something she came up with years ago when we were first starting in musical freestyle, and its something she still defaults to if she doesn't want to do whatever I'm asking.



Her Figure 8's through my legs are usually a little more impressive, but again, this is the second time she had to do it.



You can't actually see the truck keys, but trust me, they're in the box she flipped over. She picked this trick up in no time at all (she'd done it once or twice the week before). All I did was show her the keys, give them to Suzie to hide, and then tell her to Find the Keys.



Reyna always dies very dramatically and it occasionally takes a long time to Play Dead...



I kept this entire clip, even though the camera is all over the place and Reyna really doesn't do the Object Guard like she's supposed to. But it was just too funny to not show. The idea of this trick is that she puts her front paws on the rug thats on the table and then she stands firm while someone tries to pull the rug out from under her feet. She's not supposed to move or let the person take the rug. The first time through, thats exactly what she did. This time was a different story...



Thats my silly, smart girl!

News From The Vet

Dr. Lapham called last night. The good news is that the UPC showed protein levels are down! They're still high enough to cause some concern, but they're definitely headed in the right direction. We'll check them again in few weeks, but Dr. Lapham is very happy about how far they've dropped. The bad news is that Reyna's still not feeling well, but her symptoms are all over the place. I'm positive she does this to make me crazy. The vet has no good ideas on where to go from here, so we finally decided to keep doing what we're doing and see how she is a week from now (unless there's a significant change in symptoms).

Reyna Update

I took Reyna to the vet today so she could pee in a cup. This was for the follow-up UPC test (30 days since the first one). With luck we'll have the results of the UPC tomorrow and maybe have a slightly better idea of what's going on with her kidneys.

Reyna started having stomach issues again Sunday week ago. The vet sent her a few days of sucralfate, which is what she took during the first bout of stomach troubles a few weeks ago. There's been some improvement but not a lot, and she's certainly not responding to the meds like she did last time. I've emailed the vet with an update on her symptoms, and we'll talk about what to do for her when we talk about the UPC results.

Reyna and Rally

This was a stressful weekend, but it ended up a lot better than I expected.

Reyna is definitely feeling much better than she did last week. The vet said we should see a significant improvement from the medication in a very short time and he was right. She was able to eat (and keep down) dinner Friday night and breakfast Saturday morning. She seemed a bit annoyed at how little food I gave her, but I was just following doctor's orders. John came to check on her while I was at the rally trial with the boys, and he said she was relatively energetic and didn't seem to feel too bad. Saturday evening, she actually had more pep than the boys or I did. Sunday morning, she was definitely disgruntled by the bland diet and small portions, which I took to be a sign of returning good health. By Sunday evening, she was acting as though she'd never had tummy troubles. She still has some meds to finish and I'm not taking her off the bland diet (its rice and stewed rabbit tonight) until the vet says its okay. I'll probably chat with him later this afternoon or early tomorrow.

The rally trial was a complete success for the boys. I'm so glad I made the decision to go (although I'm not thrilled that I'm still finding small ticks embedded in various parts of my anatomy).

Duncan ran four Level 1 courses and four Level 2 courses over the weekend. He already has his RL1 title, so the level 1 courses are for earning his RL1X championship, as well as earning points towards his ARCH title. He had very nice scores of 203, 199, 199 and 204 (out of 210 possible points). Duncan was also working on his RL2 title. He NQ'd his first run Saturday morning because he decided to refuse the jump at the last second. Silly boy. He redeemed himself that afternoon, though, with no hesitation at the jump at all. He took 1st place in his group for his remaining three level 2 runs, with scores of 201, 197 and 207, and earned his title.

He also earned quite a lot of loot during the trial - 7 qualifying ribbons, 3 first place ribbons, and 4 toys.

Here's Duncan's Level 1 run from Sunday morning:

And his Level 2 run, also from Sunday morning:

As proud as I am of Duncan, I have to admit that I've come to expect good things from him. Poor guy, he had no idea what he was getting himself into when he did so well at his first rally trial...

Kodiak, on the other paw, didn't have quite the same pressure on him (my hopes were high, but my expectations were low). I was very pleased with how well he handled all the people at the trial. He was quick to remember that those folks usually have food in their pockets. He didn't become great friends with anyone, but he did let several people pet him (with a bribe, of course). Thankfully, both judges were good about not scaring him in the ring, staying far enough back that they didn't freak him out too badly. Kodiak was entered in Puppy Level, which meant I got to treat him at any point during the course. Believe me, he needed it. Saturday he did better than I expected, although he wasn't able to focus on me as well as I'd hoped. He ended up with a 180 and a 192, both very respectable scores (lowest qualifying score is a 170). Sunday morning, he started out fairly well but went downhill rapidly. He broke a sit/stay when I accidentally brushed his tail with my foot, and then he completely lost it when a dog in the room started barking and just would not shut up. I barely got him back to finish that course, and not surprisingly, he NQ'd. Sunday afternoon was a different story. A lot of the people were gone, which I'm sure helped. That run was the best one of the weekend. He was focused (for the most part), I didn't have to repeat commands, and he even wagged his tail a few times. We finished that run with a 202 and Kodiak's Puppy title! Since we were able to qualify this weekend, Kodiak can stay in Puppy until he's 18 months old, which gives him time to practice and gain more confidence before he has to go into Level 1. 

Kodiak even relaxed enough to have his picture taken with the judge that gave him his title leg.

Kodiak also came away from the trial with a lot of goodies - 3 qualifying ribbons, 3 first place ribbons (he was the only puppy competing, so 1st place was a given, but still cool), and 4 toys.

The run that I had recorded just happened to be the best of the weekend, Sunday afternoon:

I'm so proud of both of my boys, and I'm so happy that Reyna's feeling like herself again. This was just a great weekend all the way around.

Rally

Reyna still looks like she feels awful, but she's managed to eat and keep down the small amounts of rice and ground bison that I gave her for dinner and breakfast. I feel guilty about it already, but I'm taking the boys to the rally trial today. Tomorrow will depend on how Reyna does. John is coming over today to check on Reyna, thank goodness, so at least I'll get an update while I'm gone. A friend offered to provide an extra crate for Reyna at the trial, but I really think she'll be happier snoozing on her own bed than hanging out in a crate all day.

Reyna

Its never a good sign when Reyna wipes out my checking account during a vet visit. Granted, its not like there was a lot in there to begin with, but still...

The vet is definitely concerned about Reyna. He's hoping this is nothing more than a mild gastrointestinal upset, but its possible its connected to the high protein levels in her urine. Her temp was normal, which is good. Vet said she didn't appear very dehydrated, but he's worried that her kidneys are working too hard at keeping her hydrated and therefore not doing everything else they should. He was also disturbed by her rough/heavy breathing and her lethargic behavior during the visit. Vet gave her anti-nausea meds and another med that will coat her stomach and intestines. If she has an ulcer or other irritation, the med should essentially create a bandage over that spot. Reyna's stuck on a bland diet for a few days (assuming she'll even eat) and I'm not to give her very much. Basically, she'll get a bit of food, we'll see if she eats it, and then make sure she keeps it down. Vet said he's not worried about her losing weight nearly as much as he's worried about her eating at all. Vet also said that these meds should result in a significant improvement in a very short time (like tomorrow), so he wants an update tomorrow afternoon. If she's still having trouble after a couple of days, he said x-rays and/or ultrasounds to pinpoint the problem are a possibility. Of course, I also need to make sure she's getting enough water.

Now, to make this whole thing just that much more fun, Duncan and Kodiak have a rally trial this weekend and we won't be here during the day Saturday and Sunday. If I withdraw the boys, I lose all of the entry fees, along with the time and effort we've put in to getting ready for the trial. And Kodiak loses the chance to compete at Puppy Level for the rest of the year. I don't have an extra crate so I can't take Reyna with me (she would hate spending the day there, anyway). I hate to leave her home alone, but I also hate to cancel the trial. We'll see how she does tonight, and I'll make a decision in the morning.

Posting Delays

I had planned to get a few posts done this morning, but instead I'm heading to the vet in a bit. Reyna's thrown up multiple times in the last couple of days and now she's refusing to eat.

Not Ehrlichia

Finally got the results of Reyna's tick titer. Not only does she not have an active ehrlichia infection, her titer is actually lower than it was last year. Thankfully, this means we don't have to suffer through a month of Reyna on antibiotics (and I'm so glad I insisted on the test, rather than just starting the meds as the vet suggested). The downside of this is that we still don't know what's causing the high protein levels. Vet wants us to come back around June 6 (one month after the first test) for a follow-up UPC. If the number has increased, we're possibly looking at ultrasounds and biopsies. If its decreased, we count ourselves lucky and just keep a close eye on things.

More Reyna

Chatted with the vet again. He thinks the lab has enough blood to run the tick test, but he'll confirm tonight. We talked a bit about what we'll do if the titer doesn't indicate an active infection. We can treat with doxy anyway, if I'm willing to put Reyna (and the rest of us) through a month of her being sick every day. If I choose to not do that, she'll go back in a month and have another UPC test done to see if/how the results change. There really aren't any other easy-to-test options; most everything else requires ultrasounds and/or biopsies. So, if the titer comes back positive, we treat for a month and then retest. If it comes back negative, we could treat anyway, but we still wait a month before we retest.

NIMBY

When I took the pups out last night for their pre-bedtime potty, I looked over at the catiary and saw that Khar'pern was playing with something. At first, I thought a bug had gotten inside and she was tormenting it. Or maybe even a toad. When I walked over to see what it was, I realized she was hissing and pouncing at this:

I firmly believe that snakes have a place in the world. I just as firmly believe that that place is not in my yard, in my catiary, in my house, or anywhere near me, my dogs, or my cats. I don't know what kind of snake it was (waiting on my snake expert to get back to me on that), and it was a little thing, thank goodness, but I still didn't want it in the catiary. You can't really tell from the picture (I was focused more on getting the color than I was the position), but it was holding about half of its body off the ground while it hissed and snapped at Khar. After throwing gently encouraging Khar back into the house, I took a couple of photos for identification purposes, and then I proceeded to hack the snake into multiple pieces with my (what else?) hacksaw. I felt much better after tossing the pieces over the fence into the woods. Now I just have to figure out how the thing slithered into the catiary. I'm thinking there may be a small hole that needs patching...

Reyna

Got the call from the vet a little bit ago. The Urine Protein:Creatinine Ratio (UPC) test shows that the level of protein in Reyna's urine is definitely higher than it should be; high enough that we need to start looking for the cause, but not quite high enough to put us in a panic. Apparently, there are a lot of things that could cause the abnormality (of course, because nothing can be simple). One possibility is ehrlichia, a tick-borne illness. Reyna had a low positive for ehrlichia last year but wasn't showing any symptoms, so we didn't worry about it since a low positive can indicate an old exposure/inactive infection. The vet thinks its possible that Reyna has been re-exposed and is reacting to that exposure. His recommendation was to put her on doxycycline for a month and then retest her urine. The problem with that plan is that Reyna always gets sick on antibiotics, so I don't want to give them to her unless we know there's a good reason. The vet is checking with the lab to see if they have enough blood for one more test. If not, we'll go by tomorrow so they can take some from Reyna. The lab will run a tick titer to see if her ehrlichia number has changed and become high enough to indicate an active infection. If yes, we'll treat. If no, I'm not sure what we'll do.

Not Good News

The vet called this afternoon with the results of Reyna's blood test. Her amylase was a little off, but that's apparently not a big deal. What is potentially a big deal is that her protein levels were abnormal. She has a low albumin level, a high globulin level, and very high protein levels in her urine. The vet said this could be caused by any number of things, from very minor to very major. He has the lab running another test (should have the results tomorrow) to give him some specific numbers that will tell him if this is just something we need to monitor as time passes (minor) or if its something that we need to identify the cause of immediately (major). Cross your paws for her.

Belated Birthdays

My slackness in posting means I have a couple of belated birthdays to mention.

Mirabelle turned 14 in April. I can't believe we've been together so many years!


The kittens all turned 6 in April. Khar'pern, Parm and Per'la have certainly made life in the clowder a little more interesting.




Happy belated birthdays, Belle and Kittens!

Mother's Day

The kids gave me a great present – they let me sleep until 7:30 Sunday morning! The cats usually wake me up at least once before 6am, and the puppy normally forces me to get up absolutely no later than 6:30, so 7:30 felt downright decadent.

Medical Update

Reyna saw the vet yesterday for her senior wellness exam. It was a good thing we booked extra time because we used every minute of it. Overall, Reyna is very healthy (ignoring her mental issues, of course). As always, her hips are the main concern. She yelped several times when the vet checked her left hip, and was a little fussy when he checked her right. The right hip is the bionic hip, so it should be better than the left. What neither of us really expected was just how bad her left hip has become. The vet said there's absolutely no cushioning (cartilage) on the joint anymore - its nothing but bone crunching on bone. Since surgery is completely out of the question at this point, the only thing we can do is try to manage her pain. The vet gave me a couple of weeks worth of Tramadol for Reyna, and if it helps, he'll prescribe a nice big bottle for her. If not, we'll add another med or try something else. She'll also keep getting her full dose of Rimadyl, as well as her regular supplements. The vet also wants Reyna to do her cavaletti exercises three times a week for the next two weeks to see if she'll start lifting her back feet. That's the other problem - she's dragging her back feet (along with falling a lot) and we can't tell if its the start of a neurological problem or just the result of really painful hips. If she's picking up her feet to get over the cavaletti bars within two weeks, then we can assume its just the orthopedic issue of bad hips. If she's still dragging after two weeks, though, we're most likely looking at the onset of a neurological deficiency. My poor little girl. She's had such a rough time of it with her hips. I'd really like to find the people who bred her parents and slap them several times.

In other medical news, Duncan is now being treated for whipworms. The vet checked with several specialists about what might be causing Duncan's issues, and the general consensus is that there's a low-level intestinal irritation (there's a shocker), and whipworms are a potential cause. So Duncan's on meds for three days, and then we'll see what happens (or doesn't happen) after that.

Catching Up

Yes, I know, its been over a month since my last post. There's been a lot going on, but I just haven't felt like getting on here and writing about any of it. I'm starting to feel motivated again, so I will catch up on most of the goings on, but it'll probably take me a few days. I guess its a good thing I don't have any plans for the weekend....

To get things started, here's a quick sum-up:

We survived the tornadoes that came through the area on the 16th. We were very lucky, because there was significant damage pretty close to our neighborhood. Thanks so much to everyone who checked on us!

The cats are...well, they're the cats. Not a lot going on with them. Five of the six are using the catiary on a regular basis, which is good (Belle prefers to spend her time on the love seat in the library).

Reyna has been having a lot of bad days lately. She's started falling a lot and needs help getting into the truck every time now. She's shown a few other odd behaviors, but she still occasionally acts like her old self. She sees the vet this Friday for her annual exam, and the nice receptionist booked us some extra time to make sure we're not rushed.

Duncan's butt is still having difficulties. He's been back on his old kibble for more than a month with no significant change. His fecal exam came back negative for parasites, so the vet's still scratching his head over this one.

Kodiak is doing really nicely. He's gaining more confidence every day and I think he actually stands a chance of Q'ing at the upcoming rally trial. My Great German Chow finally has his official name: ReyDunc's Wiley Little Bear.

Here's how Kodiak likes to ride in the truck. Notice the nose sticking out the window behind him? That's how Reyna likes to ride...



Mary and I took Kodiak to Crowder Park for a Doggy Easter Egg Hunt on the 23rd. He wasn't the least bit interested in the kibble-filled eggs, but he did a great job of interacting with the other dogs and people. He even managed to relax enough to pose a few times.

Great German Chow

According to the DNA results, Kodiak is....

1 - German Shepherd
2 - Chow Chow
3 - Great Pyrenees

He's a Great German Chow!

Who's Your Daddy?

The results are in! I was really curious about what breeds might be part of Kodiak so I had him take a doggie DNA test a couple of weeks ago. The company I used has 185 breeds on file and they identify breeds down to the 12.5% (great-grandparent) level. For Kodiak, they were able to determine three dominant breeds that make up 62.5% of his DNA (two at 25%, the other at 12.5%). The remaining 37.5% they say is “mixed breed”, meaning there wasn’t anything else at least 12.5%. In fact, they couldn't determine any other breeds at more than 5%. In other words, Kodiak has three breeds that make up more than half his DNA, and the rest is who-knows-what. Its possible that the "mixed" portion could be a breed that they currently can't test for, but its also possible (and probably more likely) that his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were just really friendly dogs. Before I tell you what he is, any guesses?

Kodiak’s stats:
Approx 9 months old
18.5” at the withers
40lbs

Wordless Wednesday

Here's Where I Whine A Bit

This has been a really crappy week. Duncan's colon is apparently still annoyed, even after his meds. Reyna's managed to vomit up some very nasty stuff on the one piece of carpet I have in the house (naturally). My butt still hurts from the long drive and a day spent in a very uncomfortable chair (the trip itself was fun, more on that later). Wednesday, I picked up Mikey for some petting and he somehow managed to dig a rear claw into the exact center of a very sensitive part of my anatomy. The darn thing still hurts. Woke up Thursday morning to discover that my back is acting up and I'm having trouble moving my left leg. To top it off, I woke up this morning to discover a chest cold has come to visit. I'm not going to say it couldn't get any worse, because I know it could and I see no reason to tempt fate. I swear, I am so ready for this week to be over.

Okay, I'm done whining. For now.

Cranky Colon

The vet thinks Duncan has a cranky colon, but he also thinks we caught the problem before it turned into a pissed off colon. Duncan's on meds for five days to see if that helps the problem. If not, we'll have to reassess. The good news is that the vet didn't find any tumors or other indications of really serious problems. Since Duncan would not demonstrate his primary symptom during the visit, the vet asked for photographic evidence. I managed to get a nice shot this morning. If you're really curious, here it is.

In other vet news, Kodiak went with us yesterday to get microchipped. Southeast German Shepherd Rescue includes a microchip and registration as part of the adoption package, which is great. Kodiak had a little trouble with the doorways, but he did beautifully with the techs. I wasn't sure I was going to see him again, considering all the squealing that I heard when a tech took him into the back... Another tech even asked me where'd I get him and does he have siblings. Kodiak was so full of himself after the visit that he pranced all the way back to the truck.

Duncan

Sigh. Duncan gets to go to the vet Friday morning. I'd describe the rather worrisome symptom, but I'm guessing that not everyone's stomach is as tough as mine. Let's just say that it has something to do with his back end, and not the walking parts. Anyway, with luck it'll be something minor and easily resolved. Let's all cross our paws...

Horses!

Sunday afternoon, I took the boys over to John's for a visit (Reyna stayed home because she was still tired from Saturday's trip to the hospital). It was Kodiak's first trip to John's, so I knew it would be interesting.

Kodiak got to smell chickens for the first time ever.


And then he discovered a doggy's dream - composting horse manure.


My boys.


Kodiak got to meet Cheyenne, a neighbor's dog. He did fine with her, which wasn't surprising. Cheyenne and Duncan got along, too, right up until Cheyenne jumped on me and Duncan decided he wasn't too happy about that. Right as John told the neighbor that Duncan was a very passive dog, the growling started.


And finally, the main event - introducing Kodiak to the Horses!


Indy's a good Horse! for an initial meet and greet. He doesn't get too worried about dogs in the paddock.


Indy was more than willing to walk Kodiak for us.


Up close and personal.


By this point, Kodiak was comfortable with John, and he wasn't even worried about the Horses!


This is Jack. I think Kodiak was just a smidge more worried about him.


After visiting with the Horses!, we relaxed on the porch for a bit. Kodiak didn't want to climb the stairs at first, but when Michelle pulled up behind him in her car, he decided that maybe those steps weren't such a bad thing, after all. I was very proud of Kodiak - he met several new animals and people, he let John hold him, and he let Michelle and her friend pet him. One of these days, it'll be hard to make people believe he was ever feral.

She's A Good Girl

Reyna didn't get to go to the hospital Thursday because of the rain, so we went Saturday afternoon instead. We got there at 1pm and had to sign in at the Critical Care waiting room. It took us almost 20 minutes to get out of there because several people wanted to pet Reyna. We spent our shift on the Pediatrics floor this time. We were given a list of 10 patients, and in over 2 hours, we only managed to get to 7 of them. Some of the patients (and their parents) just didn't want to let Reyna leave. One of the parents said Reyna is a hero - Reyna's visit was the first time her child had smiled since she'd been admitted to the hospital. Its really hard to tell a parent and patient that we have to go after hearing that. Reyna was a good girl, tolerating lots of hugs and pets, and even doing a few tricks (until I ran out of treats). We finally made our way off of Peds and back to Critical Care, where she was mobbed again. 1pm to 3:45pm is a long time (for both of us) to be socializing with a bunch of strangers, but Reyna did a wonderful job - and she was one pooped pup after all that. Its a good thing she doesn't have class tomorrow, because she's still worn out!

Miracles Do Happen

Tonight, in what I can only assume was a hunger-induced delirium, Kodiak put his head in Reyna's dinner bowl.

While there was food in it.

That she was eating.

He even snagged a mouthful of food before my heart started beating again and I got him out of the way. Miracle of miracles, Reyna actually didn't eat Kodiak in retaliation. Either she's getting very mellow in her old age, she was in a hunger-induced delirium of her own, or she really likes Kodiak. I don't know which it is, but I'm grateful we aren't making a trip to the emergency vet.

Big Steps For Little Paws

Kodiak's made some great progress this week. He had his first all-by-himself class this past Sunday (well, not ALL by himself - I was there, but Reyna and Duncan weren't). The class was held in a small space in a store, and although he was stressy going into the store, he settled down nicely in the enclosed space. Its easy to tell when he's worried because he'll stop taking treats. He actually let the other people in the class pet him (on the chest, not the head), and he even worked for a few minutes with another person. The other dogs in the class were small breeds, so he looked like a big dog for the first time ever.

Monday was our regular session with Suzie, and Kodiak got a lot of first time experiences there, too. He learned that he can pay attention to me while scary things are happening (he couldn't actually look at me, but he was willing to touch my hand and take a treat). He also learned that he could walk past terrifying orange cones.

I took him out on an errand today. He had a little trouble going into the store, but after a couple of minutes he was willing to take cookies from an employee. The odd noises coming from the storeroom worried him, but he handled it pretty well. He seems to be learning that I'm his safe place and that he can come to me when something scares him. He still has a ways to go with getting comfortable in parking lots, but I did manage to get some hand touches and a bit of heeling from him before we left.

All in all, I'd say he's had a very good week.

That's My Girl!

Today was a big day for Reyna - she earned her Intermediate Trick Dog title! (I still have to mail in the paperwork in order to get the certificate, but all the hard stuff happened today.) Reyna had to perform 12 tricks from a specific list, and she did a lovely job.

Reyna's first trick was "pick a card." She did it on the first try, but Suzie missed the photo op. This is Reyna's response to Suzie's suggestion that she do it again...


Here's Reyna "identifying objects." She knows "squeaky," "rope," and "ball." She's learned to put her paw on the correct item (when she feels like it).




A not-so-great photo of Reyna "sitting pretty." Poor Suzie just isn't used to my camera, and I'll admit, its not the best for those quick action shots.


Reyna's "waving good-bye."


Reyna likes to use her feet, so she paws my hand to indicate "where's the treat."


Reyna has a lovely "paws up."


"Wipe your paws" is a trick Reyna initially learned several years ago - and then she started eating the rugs...


This first clip shows a few tricks - "food refusal," "hide and seek," and "over/under."

And this video shows a very impressive "Easter egg hunt" (finding hidden treats). This is the first time we've ever asked Reyna to do this trick, so she really had to figure out for herself what we were asking.

For those who are counting, her 12th trick was "heeling forward."

This is Reyna's opinion when asked how she felt about earning her Intermediate Trick Dog title. Let's face it, she's always more interested in chasing her tail.


Reyna was such a good girl today! I'm so proud of how well she did!

I'm In Trouble

This is a pup who knows how to use the Power of Cuteness.

Lots Of Newness

Reyna didn't get to go to the hospital today, as she's managed to lick a nice open wound on her front leg. Paws crossed it doesn't get infected, because we just can't do another month of antibiotics.

Since I had some free time, I decided to take Kodiak to PetSmart. He handled the parking lot fairly well, but was definitely freaked out by the doors that opened on their own. He spent about 5 minutes just sitting on the carpet inside the door, looking around and shaking with his tail covering as much as possible. Once he started walking around, he did okay. Carts and some of the displays were very scary. He did fine on the scale (34.4 lbs, up 5 lbs from his vet visit on 2/4) and really enjoyed meeting the dogs. We walked around for about 40 minutes, just getting comfortable with a new place. Before we left, he'd let a couple of strangers pet him and he was walking (mostly) confidently past carts. His tail was no longer tucked under, and I actually saw it wave a few times. Right as we were leaving, he sniffed a spot where another dog had peed (yellow stain was still on the pallet) and he completely lost it and started drooling excessively. I debated staying a few more minutes so that wouldn't be his last memory of the place, but I could tell that he wasn't going to be able to deal with that. He was very happy to get back in the truck and he calmed down almost immediately. We'll go again in a few days.

Oh, another customer suggested he's mixed with Australian Cattle Dog, because of his body shape. Who knows? I love playing "Guess That Mix!"

Happy 7th Birthday, Reyna!

Today is my little girl's 7th birthday! Since her birthday falls on a weekday, we had a little celebration this past Sunday. The pups' Aunt Mary joined us for cake and photos.


Reyna was a very patient girl, tolerating her photo shoot with grace, dignity and tongue.



Kodiak, on the other paw, was very curious about the camera. Probably wondered why it wasn't focused on him...


We even managed to get everyone together for a family shot. I think this one turned out very nicely.


Happy birthday, baby girl! You're such an important part of my life, I hope you have many, many more!

AOE - L1

Yesterday I was asked to provide photographic proof of Duncan's AOE. Here it is!