Happy New Year

Overall the past year has had its ups and downs, an up would be discovering blogging. Thank you for journeying with me. I hope everyone has a wonderful new year.

Holiday Break

I will be breaking for the holiday due to the craziness that is going on. My best friend also just had her baby yesterday three weeks early, a little boy named Cohen who weighs just 4 pounds and 7 ounces. He is currently in the NICU with feeding tubes and the doctors are hoping he will grow more before they send him home. He is otherwise healthy. I will post pictures as soon I as i can.

See you all after Christmas

Training Time

I made a video so that everyone could see just how funny Sophie and Koda are while doing tricks. I had to voice over the video since my cheap camera doesn't have sound. I do add commands during Koda's tricks but he actually is responding to my hand signals. I will get someone to tape us sometime soon, so that you can see how he responds. If anyone has tips for Sophie they would be greatly appreciated. I would love to expand on her obedience to all my commands not just when she feels like it.

Treats

Sophie doesn't like to do tricks for treat, she would much prefer for you to just hand them to her while her brother falls all over himself doing all kind of tricks. She sits nice enough to get treats but couldn't be bothered to shake a paw, lay down or roll over. But she does feel that it is worth it to try to open the treat bucket,

A Ball

It's funny how much animals are just like children. You can buy the coolest, most expensive present and they just want to play with the box it came in. For instance Koda is not interested in anything that squeaks, looks weird or tastes weird but a TENNIS BALL makes his day.

He throws it for himself, runs after it, pounces and then shakes it all over. He also walks around the house looking at everyone like "I have a ball, don't you wish you had a ball, it's the best ball ever, I bet you wish you could have this ball".

Sometimes he has to watch out for his little sister Sophie who would like to know what is sooo cool about the ball, it's not like it even squeaks or anything.

I think if you gave Mango's brother Dexter and Koda a ball you would have trouble knowing who loved their ball more!

Flashback Friday

I wanted to share with you my past dog Jake, a wire fox terrier. Jake was the family dog at my Dad's house when I was growing up. He loved my Dad and had a clear pack order in his mind with my stepmom at the bottom. Luckily I was near the top and didn't have bad experiences with him like she did. He loved to go on long walks, snuggle, and play with toys in the house. He thought it was super funny to run laps all over the house hoping that you would chase him. My sisters and I taught him to jump over piles of VHS movies and to play dress up with us. He hated swimming due to two bad experiences where he fell in but still like to drink out of the pool rather cautiously. He was a great family pet and I fully endorse the wire fox terrier breed. Big enough to play with and small enough to cart around everywhere.

Updates on MY Life

When I first switched over to blogger and made my new blogs, I was going through a lot of changes in my life. I posted about some of them and thankfully my life seems to have straightened itself out. Instead of attending university to continue for my history degree, I start college in January. I am planning on doing college online taking my Early Childhood Education. I choose to do online since it enables me to work while attending school. I have been taking an introduction course online and love it while supply teaching at a daycare which I also love. I am enjoying living back at home with all my pets and family but I can't wait to live out on my own again with Blair and being able to foster.

Anyways it will be back to the animals as usual tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday

Vet Visit

This morning we treked all the way to the vet, which is one hour away. (I don't like the vet who is closest to us. ) All so that Sophie could get spayed and legs checked and for Koda to have his ears checked. Of course nothing would go as planned.....what day does?

Little Miss Sophie just so happened to be in the beginning of her heat cycle, so that would mean no spay. Of course in my mind, I'm going she was just in heat in September how can she be in heat again? The vet thankfully cleared that up for me, she has irregular cycles. Dogs can have irregular cycles just like humans. Well I have never heard of that before, my dog books covered false pregnancies but not irregular cycles. And just to top the cake Sophie has knee issues which make her limp as her hind knee caps shift out of place.

But it wouldn't be all fine and dandy after that, nope Koda managed to get not just one but two ear infections. Lucky for him well maybe not so lucky he has some ear drops and needs his ears cleaned at least once a day for the next week. Then weekly with special cleaner.

Oh such lovely suprises visits to the vet brings. On the bright side of the day Sophie and Koda got to play with Cousin Bo again. They have invited him and his family for christmas, hopefully they come!

Thank goodness there's backup

Sophie at 3 pounds, 6 ounces is a little toughie. She seems to think that even though she was the last pet here that she is the boss.

She has created tons of rules: Nobody walks inside or outside without her permission. Nobody disturbs her while she is sleeping even if she is hogging the bed. She is allowed to eat cat food right from the cats dish. She is allowed to lick your face. She is allowed to sniff until you get grumpy. Nobody is allowed to get grumpy with her. She is allowed on any furniture she wants even if you are already sitting on it. And nobody is allowed to have any friends over.

Of course if you do not listen to her already made rules or ones she makes up as she goes you will be bitten. So small children, large adults watch out as you may be chased down and bitten on your ankles, fingers, or toes!

However little Sophie may forget to mention that if you pretend to chase her back, she will run the other way and hide growling behind Koda or I. Because big Koda is really gonna help her out, he might......actually no he won't....he is more likely to lick you and then sit on your lap for you to pet him!

Our Adoption Stories Post

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Koda: Since I am the oldest, I was allowed to use the computer all by myself. I was born in 2004 to a hobby breeder who breeds Golden Retrievers especially for my nice red colour. The kids in my family were not told that they were getting a puppy and Dad put me in his lunch box to suprise them. Yep I used to be small enough to fit inside a lunch box. My Erika wasn't at home for the suprise but I knew who she was by everyone's description when we picked her up from camp. I ran right to her and knew she would be my best human friend ever in the entire world. I can't find my puppy pictures since they were before digital time. But I will look all over for them and make Erika do a special puppy post just for me. Instead here is one of me packing myself in Erika's car so she will not leave without me.

Sophie: I was a suprise too although this time everyone in the family knew that there was dog talk going on. A girlfriend for Koda, or a little pug or yorkie. Lucky for me they picked a yorkie and started looking. They found me on kijiji just like Erika's kitty Blair. Unlike Koda and Blair I had another family first; I was adopted from a backyard breeder and taken home to my first family which had two teenage boys. The mom named me Emma and thought her boys would like me, but teenage boys and a teacup yorkie don't really go together. The mom also didn't have much time to spend with me, so she put me up for sale. Lucky for me, my new family found me and brought me home. Here is a cute little puppy picture of me,

Jack: Meow I don't have much time for this online blogging thing although Erika tells me she puts me on it occasionally. I'm supposed to be Erika's kitty as she picked me out of all my litter mates at her family party. She named me Jack because she wants to name her first son Jack imagine a kid named after me hahahaha. I know boring adoption story right. Here is a photo of a littler me doing what I do best, sleeping after a good hunt.

Indy: Hi everyone I'm so excited to tell my adoption story. My family had a lovely wirefox terrier named Jake who had to be put down due to cancer. It was about 2 months later that my family realized then needed another dog. So the puppy breed searched started, they choose the portugese water dog since they are big, playful, swim and look like cute little black bears. My family came to visit my litter 3 days after we were born, they picked my brother who was black and white. They came back to visit one more time with Erika who missed out on the first visit. Thank goodness she came otherwise I wouldn't have my family, she said no to my brother and picked me out. Then she said my name was Henry Jones, aka Indiana aka Indy. Here is a picture of my litter,

Sugar Cookies

We made dog treats today thanks to Sugar the Golden Retriever's awesome recipe located here http://www.sugarthegoldenretriever.com/2010/08/tasty-weekend.html . Everyone in the family pitched in making the dough and then rolling out the cookies making them into fun christmas shapes.

Still waiting on them to cook, they are taking forever!

Fun with Christmas

Christmas at my house tends to be a whirl wind of events, normally we have lots of family over who often bring children and pets.

Koda loves all the attention he gets and the fun playmates. We have a big hill that all the kids go sliding down and Koda loves to chase their feet as they go down the hill. He acts like he is going to eat them all up, but at the bottom of the hill he is happy puppy again. Koda also has a harness so that he can pull little kids around on a sled in the snow. Of course he loves dressing up as their raindeer in the house too!

Last year Indy undecorated the christmas tree TWICE while he was home alone during the day. And Sophie thought it was okay to bite everyone who went near her bone that Santa brought her. I finally found a photo of Jack sleeping with the christmas tree, I'm really not sure why he likes to sleep under it so much. Blair just likes to play with the decorations.

Christmas is taking over

We dug our christmas decorations out of the closet this past weekend thinking we could get it all up in one afternoon if everyone helped. BOY WERE WE WRONG! We are beginning to be over taken by decorations already though.

Unlike Puddles's little snowman family, we have a HUGE, SINGING AND DANCING snowman,

We did manage to put up one christmas tree which Jack loves to sleep under I couldn't get a photo though so here is Koda modelling,

The dogs needed some christmas wear so tonight I found these at walmart, a pretty red sweater with red and green hearts and a pretty bow.

We hope you enjoy decorating your houses for christmas,

Silly Sophie

My little sister, Koda and I visited the pet stores yesterday. We have a really cool new pet store in town which allows you to bring your dog in bathe them yourself in their raised tubs and then dry them on a raised drying table. They supply shampoo, conditioner, towels, brushes, nair clippers, hair dryers, scissors, and clippers, everything you could possibly need to wash your dog. And the best part is you don't have to clean up the mess either. Koda was thrilled until he saw the tubs and realized what his visit to the pet store was all about.

Afterwards we let him pick out some bones and christmas presents which he enjoyeddoing until we got them home....

Yes it actually is the same length as she is!

Koda and the Horses

When I first got Koda, I also had horses. So he had to learn the proper way to be around them, luckily for me the horses made great teachers.

Momma helped to teach him to go out riding, she stayed semi-calm while he ran around doing loops learning to stay close. He also learned car safety and to this day will jump into a ditch when walking if a car comes on the road.

Momma also taught him that he was only allowed to enter the horse field with her approval and if he acted out she would chase him out.

Spirit taught him that friendship transcends all species, she and Koda used to run all over the horse field together. She would even lay down to see him.

Having the horses also helped him to learn many basic commands as well as fun ones for him such as go get the horses and bring them back for supper. Chasing them was great fun for him.

Now that the horses are gone I can tell that he misses them especially whenever I move around the horse equipment as he gets all excited thinking we are going riding.

Have any of your pets had some unlikely teachers?

Wordless Wednesday

Look closely!

Florida

For those of you who follow me know that last week I went on vacation to Florida. My Dad's family and I drove to Disney World from Ontario. I was able to finally see the beautiful country of the US, it was amazing driving through Virginia and the Carolina's so those of you who live there I am coming to visit! I didn't see many dogs on my trip but there was one really cute chihuahua in a pink dress. I didn't get a chance to get a photo though. I also saw lots of these guys,

I joined in their parade. At the end of the week we had weather that was fit for ducks but we did get some nice warm days at the beginning. I hope everyone had a great week too, I am getting around to all the blogs, slowly but surely.

Vacation

I'm going to be going away for the week but plan on taking lots of pictures to share with everyone hopefully I will meet some cool pets on my drive down to Florida.

See you all in a week

Hunting Dogs

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile I came down with a case of the flu and no time. But did discover a topic of thought I wanted to discuss with all of you. With the fall season starting and as Frankie Furter pointed out hunting season is also upon us.

I do live in the country and am used to such things changes with the season but driving by a house with 4 dogs outside tied to a dog house quite upset me. All of my dogs are house dogs and enjoy even sleeping in my bed with me at times. I did however once own a hunting dog of my own who came inside occasionally much to my dismay I wanted her in all the time. However luckily for her she went hunting one year and found a new home with one of the hunters. He offered her a new home where she could be a house dog. I visit her sometimes and you can tell the difference in her that she loves her new home.

Here is a picture of my Holly the beagle,

She remembers me everytime I go to visit and gives me lots of kisses. She even remembers Koda which was supprising since he was just a pup when she left.

As for hunting ....Yes I understand that the dog has a job to do every fall BUT would the dog not do a better job if it was taken care of properly. Most of these dogs are barely trained to even hunt, luckily their instincts kick in. Some hunters even think that a dog will hunt better with an empty stomach, or leave them behind when they get lost out in the woods.

Every year our local humane society rescues tons of lost or abandoned hunting dogs who are thin and hurt from being outside alone. They try not to adopt them back out as hunting dogs but many of these dogs are not socialized with dogs, kids or other animals. They also have problems with food agression and do not even know how to be a normal dog. It is very sad that many of these dogs go out every year and hunt yet the owners do not care at all about them.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Here is a little something I thought you would enjoy!