D.O.G.'s first blind!

I have a retreiver in the making!  Last night after I got home, D.O.G. was giving me fits and wanted to go outside.  So I grabbed his outside bumper and threw it across the street.  Over the fence to Lake Hood.  When he hit the fence and saw that he couldn't get the bumper he gave a wine.  Soo...

I treked, no coat or cleats, around the corner (off lead of course) with him to retrieve the bumper.  I told him to go find his toy and walked along the street.  He swept the area and came back to me.  We moved farther down the street and I told him again to go find his toy.  Off he went and lo and behold!  He found the bumper!!! 

He came running back to me with it and we turned around to walk home, bumper proudly in his mouth at the heel position.

Last winter we went and did a little bit of retrieving work and last night really got me thinking about doing some more.  Just for fun of course...  But wouldn't be cool to have a Mutt with a Jr Hunt Test Title!!!

My sewing machine and I are argueing on tension and bobbins.  I guess I don't sew enough to fix it.  Hopefully Reihl Sew and Vac can fix it!  I've got stuff to make for Christmas! 

Winter Resolutions!

I decided to create some winter resolutions.  I think if I post them and try to stick with them I will hopfully have a good winter and get some things accomplished.

This is what I have come up with so far...

1.  Walk the dogs more, morning and night!
2. Read Anna Karenina by Tolstoy.  So far I am up to page 20...
3. Finish my quilt
4.  Spend some time with Charlie out of the house!

So far two morning walks this week!  :-)

Some Pictures from August

Here's a couple of pictures from this fall.  The first weekend of August to be exact in Fairbanks, AK.  This first one is of my horse P.I.T.A. and my honey Charlie.  He's holding her riegn and making sure she isn't afraid of his hat.  It's a very good picture taken by my friend Don who came with his wife to see what a horse show was like. 

The one below is a great one of Terry and P.I.T.A.  She has a nice soft look and Terry told her she had to be a good pony.  We won a second and a third in our trail class after he said that.  Of course he left, she spooked and we got disqualified from Western Pleasure.  Oh well.  I still think this photo is powerful and shows the bond that is instant between humans and horses.

Dog on the Mend

In case any of you don't know I spent Saturday the 19th of this month in the Pet Emergenery Clinic after Belle ate a bone that did agree with her stomach.  The bone was by Pur Luv and we found them at Pet Smart.  Within 12 hours she could not keep any food down and her stomach was so full of gas that it was causing her intestines to bunch in the back of her body. She had surgery for over two hours with a bill totally a little over $3,700.00.  After a week of recouperation and a bunch of rice, chicken and turkey she is now keeping dog food down and feeling better.  I have to keep her quiet the rest of the week and no stairs.  Not a problem since they are not allowed upstairs.  Dog free allergy zone!  But I slept on the couch most of last week in order to be with her.  Charlie was able to spend a day with her too and she really loved that! 

Belle has 21 staples that will be coming out next weekend.  She'll roll over for bellie rubs and is loving having a lunch! 

Cuation to all my dog owning friends.  The vets told me that they see this type of impaction with Greenie Dog Treats as well as now with the Pur Luv Bones.  Just watch your dog and know that even if you think it is ok, it might not be. 

Wish me luck on keeping her quiet this week and D.O.G. exercised!

I know its dark, but this is Belle's stomach last Monday when she first came home. 

Now its much whiter and healing beautifully.  However her whole belly area is shaved.

Love you girl!

Winter is here!!

You know winter is here not when the snow falls but when the wind blows...  Today it doesn't seem too windy.  At least my windows at work aren't sounding like they would like to blow away and its actually warm sitting next to them.  However the sun is out and there is a slight breeze. Enough to make you wonder why you carried your mittens across the street and didn't put them on.

My father is out of town visiting his parents so yesterday morning I went over and shoveled mom out of her house.  They live in the house my mother grew up in.  If you've ever seen it in the summer you know where they live in Anchorage.  However during the winter, or at least this last wind storm, they had snow drifts on their front door.  Which has a screen door on it, that opens out...  Needless to say I was out there freezing shoveling my mother out of her house.  It felt good to be able to do something for someone who has always encouraged me and loved me. 

One of my new pet peeves however is 9th Avenue between 'I' and 'L' Streets.  The road is supposed to be two lanes.  Right now its a lane and a half...  Needless to say that if you ever drive that way going home the traffic is more congested then it was before they remodeled it...  Want to make a left hand turn onto the parkstrip anyone???

Winter is here, I watch the sunrise and the sunset from my office and see P.I.T.A. in the dark during the week.   Time to make the winter resolutions and stick to them!  Below is a picture of Image and I from a couple winters ago.  Rest in Peace Image, you are missed! 

You know your dog is spoiled when...

You go to leave in the morning and tell them to go lay down.  One dog hops up on the couch and the other goes across the living room to its bed and lays down. 

This morning really amazed me by how well dogs learn and how quickly they learn.  When leaving the house this morning both Belle and D.O.G. were by the door wanting to go.  I told them to "go lay down."  Belle turns around and hops up on the end of the couch.  D.O.G. looks at her walks over to their beds and lays down and looks at me.  I had to laugh at how spoiled we have made our dogs.  Belle gets the couch while D.O.G. gets the floor.  However I know for a fact that not five minutes after I left he was on the couch with her.

The real reason behind Belle hopping on the couch is its closest to the door.  Its also the easiest place to put her when you are trying to leave.  No treats were necessary to teach her to hop on the couch.  She loves being on the couch.  So my dogs are spoiled.  No doubt about it.  Love them dearly and I wouldn't change a single thing about them!  :-)