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!

washed ashore

Happy weekend everyone! I hope your enjoying this fabulous Vancouver weather....Not! wait....it Not still a thing?....No? I didn't think so.

Anyways, the rain is pouring in the city, the snow is falling in the mountains, and I'm lying on the couch under a blanket.  All is normal on the west side of the country.  

These photos were actually taken last weekend down at Kits Point Dog Beach (when the sun happened to be shining, than went behind a cloud right as we pulled out the camera).  There were a couple of boats that had washed ashore, broken and weathered.  It was kinda cool.  I took some photos that I'll share later this week.  

With my busy schedule, finding down time has been hard to find, so it was nice to walk around Kits for the afternoon with the Bf and Kea in tow and just mosey.  Those little moments really help me decompress.  

I'll let you (and me) get back to your weekend now.

coat: Forever 21 (old)

sweater: Anthropologie

jeans: American Eagle

baseball hat: Target

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.

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.

Sit.Stay.Love

Anthropologie put on a great event this past weekend, Sit.Stay.Love.  A pet adoption and supply drive partnered with the BCSPCA.  I think it was the cutest thing I've ever seen, hello! homemade pupcakes! 

There were snacks and drinks for both the customers and the dogs, along with all the best dog appropriate home decor, dachshund tea towel anyone?

The Bf and I stopped by to support and for Kea to make a few friends. 

She loved it, treats and petting from everyone, spoiled girl.

They had a small selections of dogs that were looking for forever homes, and hopefully each one of them will find one.  The store had 2 different times set up to meet the pups, but by the evening the little guys were tuckered out from putting their best paw forward, so had to head back to the shelter (hence no photos of the dogs :( ).

For those of you that know me well, you know I am a big supporter of adopting animals.  There are so many out there that are looking for some love, and if I can toot our own horn (well, Kea's horn), we have the best dog.  We couldn't be a happier family.

To take a look at dogs for adoption check out the BCSPCA website.

And keep watch at Anthropologie for upcoming events! 

Kea

What a big dog! Kea is over 4 months old now and starting to lose her teeth.  I never knew dogs did that, kinda like people, except that they usually end up swallowing most of them.  She's such a good dog and people tell us that all the time.  She'll win over your heart!

Kea

 I thought I'd start off your week with a little Kea love.  She always puts a smile on my face...and I'm pretty sure yours too!  She had a pretty quiet weekend spent with the Bf, as I was working.  She took some afternoon naps, and a couple of walks on the beach.  Wait a second...that's pretty much her life.  Wish it was mine!

Kea

Look at my big girl!! 

She was at the vet on the weekend to get her final shot and when they weighed her she was a whopping 21 lbs.  A month before, at her last visit she was 12.8 lbs.  What a growing girl!

p.s. This photo was taken on my new camera! looks good, don't it?! 

so small...getting bigger

Yep, Kea's doubled in size since we've got her.  And right now, she's got a chubby belly and a lot of extra skin around her neck and shoulders, so that means another growth spurt is about to happen.  I bet she'll double again over the next two to three weeks or so.

We still love our crazy little lady!

In the water

I love this video, and I thought it might help you guys keep going during what feels like the longest week ever. You can hear my whole family in it, I think it hilarious. And, you should know, Cracker (my sister's dog) never voluntarily goes in the water. He's a little afraid of it, as of a lot of things ;)

It's basically my favourite memory from Fam Jam 2011. Gotta love my furry nephew!

Pinchy the Lobster

My sisters and I have a little (read: incredibly large) obsession with lobsters. It has a little bit do with the fact that my oldest sister lives in Nova Scotia, but none the less its a sister thing. We have quite the collection of lobster paraphernalia. I was even a lobster for Halloween a couple of years ago, claws and all. We have one character that lives on through the years....Pinchy. You may not always seem him, but you know he's there (I'm pretty sure you can be his friend on facebook too). When I found this photo on Pinterest I couldn't resist sharing it with you. I guess Pinchy got to this little guy... Pinchy the Dog.

Happy Hump Day! Half way through the week, Yay!

oh! if you want an invite to Pinterest, just let me know in a comment and leave your email address so I can send it off to ya!

And you can follow my Pin Boards too!

hello monday!

I think I just might have to say it, my weekend was de-...wait for it...-lightful, delightful! Although it rained all day on Saturday, we braved it with the dog and ran some errands. All of us were soaked, more so the dog and me, i didn't pick the obvious choice of footwear (as noted in my last post), and my bf is a bit of an umbrella hog. Our evening was pretty quiet, including a little cat nap to warm up from the cold outdoors. But, Sunday, ooooh Sunday, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the breeze was nice and crisp. We went for another looong walk down at Kits Beach with the little doggy and hung out at the dog park. I love the dog park! So many little pups around. Running and playing and oh, don't forget all the doggy petting I get to do. We even made a little stop in at Granville Island to pick up some fresh veggies for an amazing recipe (oh, don't you worry, I'll fill you in on it soon).

How was your weekend lovelies? I hope it was restful, with a touch of sun in there too!

weekend roundup

So, I've been a bit of a bad blogger. My weekend pretty much was as I envisioned, which was very low-key. However I was camera-less the entire time. Not because it was broken, not because it was lost, but it was all because I forgot it. I almost always have it with me when ever I leave the house, but unfortunately, this lovely little weekend we had will never be recorded due to super lazy-icoses. it's a horrible disease, full of television watching and napping.

oh the humanity!!

However, to no avail my bf saved me from this completely made-up disease and saved this post by reminding me of a few photos and little video i took on his phone, of our new favourite dog walking park. So with out further adieu, this is my weekend roundup.

Wolf Size

I came across this video the other day, I had completely forgotten about it. I think it's pretty much my favourite memory from the holidays. Its staring my sister and her dog (aka, my furry nephew), and you can hear most of my families voices in the background.

I just love watching his tail go back and forth. Such a spoiled dog.

guess what?

Just to let you lovelies know, one of my new years resolutions was published over at one of my favourite blogs, apartment 34. Of course, it was regarding my hope of petting more dogs. And for over the next month I get to exclusively pet this dog! I heart dog sitting.

Go on over to apartment 34, and check out her favourite resolutions for 2011.