must love dogs - Everett Crowley Park

We love taking Kea on walks and hikes, and we do have a few regular places and routes, but now and again it's fun to try somewhere new.  This past weekend we went to Everett Crowley Park, near the Burnaby boundary, to try out their trails.  They offer both on and off leash routes.  We usually prefer off leash for Kea.  She's really well behaved off leash and won't run off to far, that and she just enjoys herself that much more.  

The park had packed earth pathways that were easy on my joints, and were also nice and wide.  There were big trees lining the pathways with some short shrubbery.  The city is doing a lot of planning in this park, as there were lots of young trees and saplings as well.  It sits up top an escarpment with viewpoints of the Fraser River and near by farms.  The over all route we took was probably close to 4 km, so a good distance for Kea (and us) to get some exercise.   

This park was a little further away, so we did have to drive, but parking wasn't a problem.  There were a lot of free parking areas around.  

Kea also likes to be quite social on her walks, so there was a good amount of other dogs there for her to meet and play with.

All in all, Everett Crowley Park was a nice change to our regular scenery.  I'd recommend visiting before sunset, as the views won't disappoint.  Have fun!

must love dogs - 3 easy steps to a cuddly dog

spring 2013

Kea is a very cuddly dog.  I like to think she got that from me.  We pet her and snuggle with her everyday, and I really do think that's how she shows reciprocation to the showers of love we pour all over her.  Making a connection and having little sweet moments with your dog is really what it's all about.  These 3 easy steps are regular things we all pretty much do with our puppies, but being a bit more conscious of it, will result in a snuggly, cuddly dog.  

1. Keep that pup close to you. Hold them, cuddle them near your face, rub your nose on their nose (yep, like an Eskimo kiss!), and pet and play with them all over their cute furry little bodies.  I found that this helped Kea to learn that I was her Mama, and we created a connection by having those little moments.  As well as, it teaches that your face is not an area for scratching or nipping.

That being said....

2. Don't be afraid to get a little scratched up. I know, puppy teeth are basically like needles, but I think it's important to have your hands near their mouth.  It's helps them to know the difference of what's edible and what's not.  Maybe get some extra Polysporin and band aids to keep in the medicine cabinet if this lesson takes a little longer to sink in.

3. Baby talk.  I talk to puppies the same way I talk to babies.  A higher pitched, soft voice can help them feel at ease, and more comfortable.  And this helps pups associate the action of being cuddly with the tone of your voice.  

Like I said before, I'm definitely not an expert, but these were things that I was practiced with Kea, and came out with the best results.  A loving, snuggly, cuddly dog.

happy 2nd birthday Kea!

I can't believe my little Kea is 2 years old.  In dog years she's 14...that crazy teenager.  

We got Kea on February 25, 2011 and knew she was about 2 months old.  And when it came time to decide a birthday for her, at first, we went with two months to the day we got her, which was December 25th, Christmas and my birthday.  We decided that was a little too much to celebrate all in one day.  The Bf wouldn't be able to handle his two girls birthdays and Christmas.  It was too much.  So we left it for a little while.  Then when Kea started to loose her puppy teeth a little earlier than expected, we figured her birthday had to have been a few weeks earlier. We agreed December 10th was a good day.  And Kea was enthused due to the treats and doggy cakes.  History made.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little lady!! Mama loves you!

must love dogs: adoption

Our first night at home with Kea.  The photo is so fuzzy because she wouldn't/couldn't stay still!

I think it's safe to say, adoption is the best route for getting a pet.  There are so many animals out there that need to be saved to good homes with loving people and there are lots of organizations out there that help to just that.  The SPCA, for example, not only house animals for adoption, but also offer great services to help you and your new pet make a lasting relationship.  We found Kea through an organization called Big and Small.  They specialize in saving dogs from high-kill shelters and all the dogs are saved from the euthanasia list.  We had a great experience working with them, and sometimes think it's fate that we ended up with Kea.

In this second installment of must love dogs, I thought I'd share Kea's adoption story.  

The Bf and I knew that one day we wanted to have a dog in our little life together.  I think I asked the Bf if we could get a dog, every. single. day. for months and months.  I would peruse different websites and swoon over all the cute furry faces, I would stop and say hi to every dog that walked by (of course, I still do this), and would pretty much whine about my cold, dog-less lap while sitting on the couch watching tv.  Than for Christmas 2011 the Bf gave me the greatest gift.  It was a book called "The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds", with a card inside saying "I think you know what this means".   This meant the search for our new family member was to commence immediately,  I don't think I've ever squealed quite so high.  

The Bf is a very calculated guy, so once this big decision had been made, we talked in great lengths as to all things dog.  A dog requires a lot of care, care that costs money, ie. food, medical bills, etc.  So, being financially ready was really important.  We discussed breeds that we like, utilizing my great gift of the encyclopedia, and what types of dogs we both grew up with.  What size of dog we thought would fit into our lifestyle.  Living in Vancouver, we live in an apartment (and probably will for some time), so our dog would need to be able to have enough space within our space.  There were many other factors, but we were able to come to agreement that we wanted a dog in a medium-ish size, and were open to different breeds. What we cared about the most was connecting with our future dog.  

The search began with continuing to look through different websites, and going and visiting dogs in shelters.  We must have driven around the entire lower mainland seeing visiting different shelters, and saw lots of dogs, but surprisingly enough, we weren't the only people doing that.  Every dog that we were interested in already had multiple applications for them.  I remember meeting this little cutie, named Oreo, and when we got to go in the little room with just the us and her, she instantly nuzzled me and sat down in my lap.  What a sweetheart.  We learned later that the other couple in the waiting area (which I swear to this day gave me the evil eye) was also hoping to bring her home, and had come to visit her again and scope out the competition.  Days later we got the call that Oreo went home with that other couple.  Looking back now, I just know they are a happy little family.

That being said, this made us very discouraged, and after other letdowns, I definitely had moments of doubt that this was going to happen. Then one day, a co worker suggested we go to a couple of local pet food/supply stores and ask if they know of any organizations looking for people to adopt dogs.  We tried Bow Wow Haus, which also happens to be a block from the BF's work, and they were super helpful and put us in touch with Big and Small.  Through email, they sent us photos of two dogs they had just recently saved, and that we could arrange a meeting.  It worked out perfectly that the foster for Kea also worked at the dog shop, so we were able to meet her there and meet Kea for the first time.  

We just knew.  The moment I laid eyes on her, and picked her up, I just knew she had to be ours.   

Within a couple of days, we had our application complete, a house visit done and we were approved to adopt Kea.  It happened so quickly, but after a couple of months of looking, we knew she was perfect for us.  

  

It's hard to know the full story of your pet's history, when adopting. And that also means, there may be some unexpected things that pop up along the way.  Knowing exactly what breed mixture your dog is, or what size it will grow up to be may be a bit of a surprise.  Something wonderful about adoption is that from that first meeting, you're starting to build your relationship with your pet, no matter what they grow up to be. 

Big or Small.

Kea was found in the desert in California.  We don't know if she was born there or dumped there.  We think she's some sort of mixture of Shepard, Heeler and Coyote.  She's the best dog ever.

must love dogs

this photo was professionally taken as a gift for my sister Julie for her grade 8 graduation

For those of you that know me, you know I've always loved dogs.  You may even refer to me as 'the crazy dog lady' after having a silly conversation in a silly voice with the Bernese Mountain dog that just walked by.

Since having Kea in our life, everything is just that much happier, that much more special. The relationship you can build with your dog is like none other, she's my best friend, my little furry child, and my confidant.

We always get compliments on how well behaved she is, happy go lucky she is, and of course how cute she is, usually followed by 'what's your secret?'  And we usually answer with 'she's just a really special dog'.
But there are a lot of things we've done and worked on with her to help mold her into the sweetheart she is.

This is a topic I've been wanting to write about for a while now, and I finally feel confident enough to share some secrets.  And I thought I'd start with a story of my first dog, Snoopy.

When I was about 8 or 9 years old, we adopted a dog from the pound in Caledon, Ontario.  My Dad worked in that town and pretty much knew everyone, so when he heard of this particular dog at the pound, he had to go check it out.  It didn't take long from that moment.  He brought home a polaroid picture and we all swooned at how cute she was. I don't know for sure, but I think my Mom wasn't too keen about the whole thing, but when my Dad set his mind to something, there was no stopping him.*  Within a few days we had her home and (after turning down many a name that I protested were the best, including Michael, after my classroom crush) named her Snoopy.

We had Snoopy for about 5 or 6 years and one thing we could never help her with was her abandonment issues.  The first time we left her home alone, she literally jumped up onto the dining room table and ate my sisters science project (something to do with how quickly pop can destroy your teeth, so chances are it tasted great), and ran a muck around the entire house, peeing, pooping and howling.
This obviously wasn't acceptable, so after trying every possible thing, we ended up having to tie her up to the back door when we left her alone.  And what damage she was still able to do, whenever I smell pine sol, I think of Snoopy.  She would run herself ragged while being tied up, and pee and poop all over her bed and the floor surrounding it every single time, which was pretty much daily.  Basically, she would be going crazy in a pile of her own sh*t.  You can only imagine what that looked/smelled/sounded like.  She would be so excited to see us when we got home, that even having to clean up after her daily, it was hard to resist her loving little face.  Once cleaned up she would trot over in front of the couch and lie down, calm and happy.

As she got older and more sick, she had an enlarged heart, this behavior died down a bit.  She walked slower and barked deeper and we knew the end was near for her.  And yes, we all assumed that her heart was just so full of love for us, for giving her a good home.  But what was really happening was her heart took over her lungs until she could no longer breathe.  She went peacefully in her sleep one morning and my sister was with her.  We were all so sad, and miss her dearly.

I guess what I'm trying to say with sharing this story is that, sometimes your pet isn't meant to change.  You love them and nurture them and take care of them no matter what and that is what will make them a 'good' dog.
I am by no means an expert, but I do agree with the strangers comments about Kea, we have done a really good job raising her.  So over the next little while, I plan on sharing a few of our secrets.

this (super old!) photo is of me and Snoopy in front of our house.

*We adopted Snoopy when she was approx 5-7 years old, so she was well into her little doggy life, and that meant that a lot of the habits she had weren't going to be easy to change, but my Dad didn't care. Snoopy was going to be put down because no one wanted to adopt her, but Dad insisted on saving her and bringing her into our home.
When I decided to start writing this series and this story I double checked a couple of facts with my sisters, and didn't remember this part.  It makes me smile.