Gabe 'n' Arch: The Beagle Boys

Oh my Dog! My Poor Lawn!

2011-07-19T23:45:00.000-06:00

Gabe loves grass. He loves to lie in it; he loves to eat it; he loves to dig holes in it; to get at the succulent (I'm assuming?) grass roots. Archie doesn't have the same love affair with grass but he likes to play on it. If the ground is a little soft, when he and Gabe run around on it, the flip of little clods of sod. Not good. For the most part, the boys are not allowed on the lawn in the summer. The yard is plenty big without having to use that area.

However, occasionally, especially when it's hot and the ground is hard, I'll let the dogs on it for a bit. And then Gabe, for one, really goes to town.

Sunday Sleepies

2011-07-17T10:51:00.001-06:00

Yes, we have ruff life.

Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-16T22:57:00.000-06:00

If Gabe were human, he wouldn't be one of those guys at the park, tossing a frisbee around, nor one of the guys at the beach, catching a wave. No, I firmly believe he would be one of those guys chilling in an Adirondack chair in his back yard, cold beer in hand.

Stay cool!

Propagating an Archie Tree

2011-07-02T13:29:00.000-06:00

Yes, that's my Boo, curled up in a hole he dug himself in one of my planter barrels. There was nothing planted in it, but there is now! Looking forward to my harvest of wee Archies.

It's a bird; it's a plane, it's ...

2011-06-15T22:40:00.000-06:00

a hot-air balloon! And pretty freaky to Gabe n Arch. When they notice a hot-air balloon in the sky, they always make a fuss. I'd like to know what goes on in their little beagle brains when they spot them.

Mother's Day at the Dog Park

2011-05-08T23:45:00.000-06:00

My children wear fur. If something makes them happy, I'll likely be happy too. I couldn't think of a better way to spend Mother's Day than a trip to the dog park - our first in months, since I broke my ankle.

Pre-broken-ankle, we would circle the park four times in about 50 minutes. Today, we managed two circles. It was lovely out there in the sunshine, though, and I think we were all happy to have the time together. Apologies for the hazy pictures - I didn't take my camera, so these are off my blackberry.

Lulu's family says ...

2011-05-03T18:44:00.000-06:00

Lulu is usually a happy go lucky beagle. She doesn't have any health issues, she's up to date on her shots and she's very smart. She is a great dog ... She loves being outside, rolling in the grass and running around the yard. She loves to play fetch but sometimes gets so excited she forgets to return with the ball! Her favorite toy is a toy dolpin, she always has to have it with her when they relax on their couch. She might possibly roam in a new area since it would be unfamiliar, but has always been good walking off leash with us when we go for walks in the country. She is housetrained, crate trained and knows many commands and some signs. She is a calm eater, and has no allergies that we know of. She is easy to take for walks as she is great on her leash and is great around other dogs.

We have 3 young (under 2) nephews in town and she is great with them. They have pulled her tail and stuck their fingers in her nose and she has never reacted towards them. We also have a cat, who gets along great with both of the dogs and Lulu and her enjoy snuggling on the couch. Our cat had kittens this past fall and Lulu was great with the kittens, they would play with little balls together and lay together for naps. It was very cute.
Now to find a foster family for this girl, on her way to her forever home ...

Foster Home for Lulu

2011-05-02T21:33:00.002-06:00

Beagle Paws is looking for a foster home in Saskatchewan for Lulu. Beagle Paws is a rescue based in Newfoundland that operates nationally. Archie is a Beagle Paws dog; and we shared our home with a Beagle Paws foster a few years ago (so glad you found your forever home, Annie girlie!).

To find out more about what's involved with being a foster family, please visit the Beagle Paws foster page. (Bonus points for you if you know which of the beagles on that page is our very own Gabe-o!) If you have more questions about Lulu, ask away, and I'll do my best to answer.

Takin' Care of Mama

2011-04-02T23:31:00.001-06:00

I broke my ankle on March 5. I was carrying a basket of laundry down the basement stairs and slipped. I landed on my butt and slid the rest of the way down sitting up - with my right leg horked up in an inverted v-shape. Bouncing down, I was looking at it and thinking, "This can't be good." I fractured my fibula in two places, chipped a piece of bone off my tibia, and dislocated my ankle. The dislocation was popped back into place several hours later (while I was gratefully under sedation). A week later, I had surgery to afix a plate and 6 screws on one of the fractures; and to sort of meld the other fracture together with a 7th screw. For three weeks, I wore a "splint" - a partial plaster cast on the back and sides of my leg, wrapped over with cotton gauze. I now have a fiberglass cast (a lovely royal blue) for 5 weeks.

Archie has been particularly careful to give my poor leg a lot of extra love.

The Path Less Taken

2011-01-20T14:31:00.002-06:00

Is this another reason why I should be called a "crazy dog parent"? Or do lots of people do this?

I shovel paths throughout the yard for the dogs in the winter. The dogs are so short, it's easy for them to end up belly deep in snow. When it's "warmer" (-12C/10F or warmer), they're not too picky about having to wallow in the snow; and they often have fun frollicking in it. But when it's cold, (-20C/-4F or colder), it's hard for them to be out there, and I imagine having your legs totally immersed in snow just makes it that much colder. So, I shovel for them. They can make it to a pee spot, sniff around, or even chase each other through the "maze" for a few minutes. They tend to stick pretty close to the paths when it's cold. I do think they appreciate it.

Beagles and Boots

2011-01-19T12:32:00.003-06:00

It has been cold here for the past 10 days or so. In Saskatoon, it's not unusual for our temperatures to dip below -30C (-22F) in January. Our daily lows haven't been quite that cold, but it's just not warming up much during the day. Our daily highs have been hovering around -25C (-13). Not freezing by Saskatchewan standards, but still pretty darn cold.

Gabe's arthritis seems to be bothering him more than usual lately. I suspect it's because his glucosamine supplements haven't been particularly regular. He's been on antibiotics for the past 3 weeks to deal with a bleeding peptic ulcer. One pill at 7:30am; one at 8:00am; three at 8:00pm. Because of this, I haven't been mixing glucosamine into his breakfast, as it's just too many meds.

So, out came the boots! I ordered them a few years ago, actually, but I gave up on trying to get Gabe (or Arch, for that matter) to wear them. The first time, I struggled to get all four boots on Gabe and then let him go outside. He went raving bananas. There are lots of funny videos on youtube of dogs trying out boots for the first time. Gabe didn't just walk funny. He was tearing around like his feet were on fire. He eventually managed to work all 4 boots free, lost in the snow drifts. Yay.

This time, I was smarter. One boot at a time. Still, as you can see, the boys weren't crazy about having to actually stand in them.

Gabe's been wearing his one boot outside each time we go, for the past 5 days or so. He's doing pretty good with it, but still isn't confident about getting back up the 2 steps to the door. I wish they had better traction on the bottom, but I don't know what to do about that. It's made a noticeable difference in how long he can tolerate the cold, so we're going to keep trucking on with this.

Both boys have Muttluks - Gabe's have a smooth leather sole; Archie's have a suede sole. Other than the traction issue, I really like these. I like how the shaft is fitted - I've seen some that make a sort of upside down open umbrella shape at the ankle; snow can pool in around the ankle that way. I also appreciate how long the shaft is - extra warmth right up to their knees!

Sunday Sleepies

2011-01-16T18:55:00.002-06:00

Is there anything cuter than a sleeping puppy?

Do you know, I "fell in love" with Archie watching him sleep. Both my boys are rescues and although they were cute little beagles from the get go, I didn't tumble for either on day one. I don't remember the moment with Gabe. It took awhile with him, as he was a little aggressive as a pup. I do remember the moment with Archie, though. He was such a Mexican jumping bean, but when he finally settles down to sleep, he's so small and soft and vulnerable. Looking at those little lashes, who can blame me?

Puppies, it's Cold Outside!

2010-11-24T23:59:00.003-06:00

Winter arrived earlier than usual and temperatures dropped fairly quickly in a short span of time. Gabe n Arch did not have a chance to acclimatize to the new weather, so for the past week or so, they've had to bundle up when going outdoors. Archie just freezes up when he's cold ... he sort of winds down like a mechanical toy and eventually becomes completely immobile. Gabe is a little tougher, but I've had to swoop in and hoist both boys up a few times, to get them back into the house.

Today was about -20C/-4F. We were able to play outside for about 5 minutes at a time, twice. Finally! Cabin fever is reigning. Fights are breaking out. Mittens are getting eaten. I think we're all looking forward to the predicted milder temps this weekend.

Snow

2010-11-09T18:51:00.002-06:00

Gabe n Arch in Modern Dog Magazine!

2010-11-02T18:52:00.001-06:00

I've been a fan and subscriber of Modern Dog magazine for a few years. I also "like" them on facebook. On facebook, they recently asked fans to submit photos of their dogs in Hallowe'en costumes. I submitted the one of Gabe as Michael Phelps and Archie as the hot dog. They selected our picture and it was featured on the Modern Dog website.

Aggie's Doggie Diner

2010-09-21T14:43:00.001-06:00

The last month or so has been fairly hectic with end-of-summer yardwork, a new class I'm taking online from the University of Hawaii, and of course all of Gabe and Arch's regular activities. I also chose this time to launch Aggie's Doggie Diner. I'm very excited about this, but probably could have chosen a better time to launch!

Aggie's is all about home cooked dog food. Right now I have five different recipes/dishes that I cook in huge batches and then portion out into 500g or 1kg sizes, which I freeze into blocks and vacuum pack. The plan is for people to purchase the food online at http://www.aggiesdoggiediner.com/, and then I deliver all orders once a week. Given the logistics, it's very much a local business, with delivery to Saskatoon residents.

I got the idea for Aggie's last Christmas. I always make dog cookies for Gabe and Arch, so I made a bunch for all the doggies in my life. The guardian of one recipient suggested I open a dog bakery; the guardian of another suggested I open a coffee bar for dogs. It was the coffee bar idea that really got the old gears spinning. It seems like every week there are more and more options for allergen-free dog cookies, but it's still a hassle to find allergen-free food. And so on those long 60- or 75-minute walks with my pups every evening I started thinking things through. And, voila, Aggie's Doggie Diner was born.

The logo is by the incredibly talented Tina Kugler of Handmade Logo Design. I told Tina I was looking for a Betty Rubble/Judy Jetson-type retro woman, but with a more substantial figure. I envisioned "Aggie" holding up a platter (a la "here I come with a burger on a bun!") and two pups looking up at the platter. Tina pretty much "got it" in one go (unlike a few other graphic artists I approached before her). So, yes, the woman is essentially me, and the dogs are Gabe and Arch. "Aggie's," by the way, came about by combining the "G" from "Gabe" and the "A" from Arch.

Thus far business has been a little slow, but I already have one regular customer on board. I'm hoping more advertising will help a bit. And, the wonderful vet who provided free accupuncture for Archie for one year has offered to refer suitable clients to Aggie's. Realistically, 5-10 regular clients would be about my max, given my day job and other activities. So, things are looking good. Knock wood.

Gabe does Stairs!

2010-08-21T22:37:00.004-06:00

When Gabe joined our family, our household was a little different. My mom and dad were still with us. They lived on the main floor of the house; I lived upstairs, in an apartment my parents fashioned out of the four bedrooms that were originally up there.

Gabe had no problem coming up the stairs to visit me, but he absolutely refused to come down on his own. I tried it all. I left him up there for hours by himself. I left him up there and fried bacon on my mom and dad's stove and then sat at the bottom of the stairs eating the bacon while Gabe looked down at me. I put a piggy puff on each riser, hoping he would follow them down. Another day, I did the same with caramel corn. (Neither were foods I would normally share with him.) I put his leash on and tried to walk him down, hoping it would give him a sense of added security. When Gabe was two, I took a vacation; while I was away, my dad tried to train Gabe too. Nada.

At the time my dad passed away, Gabe weighed over 60 pounds. I carried 60 pounds of dog down the stairs several times a day. Worse, for some reason Gabe feels the need to kick off once we hit the bottom riser, as if he's diving to safety. I had numerous bruises and even more scratches.
When Gabe was 3, we finally moved downstairs for good. I rented out my old apartment and became a (much!) younger version of Mrs. Roper. Gabe rarely had a reason to go upstairs over the next few years. Whew!

About a month ago, I was installing a window air conditioner upstairs. My current tenant is pretty awesome. The dogs love him and he loves them back. Gabe and Arch came with me for the install. When I was finished, I gathered up my tools and told the tenant I would come back for Gabe, since he couldn't go down on his own. The tenant said, "No, I'm sure he went down already."

I peered down the stairwell and sure enough, there was my big galoofus, at the bottom of the stairs! Sadly, though, I missed him in action.

This week, a new fridge was delivered for the apartment. The tenant was at work, and asked me to oversee the delivery. After the delivery guys left, I let Gabe and Arch upstairs so that they could sniff all the new smells the delivery guys brought in. And before I knew it, I actually saw Gaberushka hoofing it down the stairs. Ahhh! I ran and grabbed my camera, and made him come back up, so I could capture this Kodak moment.

Honestly, I think it's the dogpark. I think Gabe's gotten so much confidence from the new dogpark experiences that it's carried over. You'll notice though, that he hugs the wall pretty tightly on his way down. He's pretty smart, my boy.

Yay Gabe-o!

Happy Birthdayversary Archie!

2010-08-15T22:02:00.002-06:00

My Boo celebrated 4 years as a member of our pack today. He was found as a stray, and is one of the rescues rehomed by Beagle Paws. No one is sure of his exact birthday. He was about a year old when he came to live with us; so we designated his arrival date as his birthday. It's a special day for us.

So special in fact, that we wear party hats. I was thrilled to find these Snoopy party hats on eBay. Gabe was not so thrilled.

But hey, he knows resistance is futile, so he went along with the ride for a little while. I got a couple of decent party hat shots:

Besides wearing hats, on special days like this we do things that doggies love best. And just by chance, napping and eating are high on my list of likes too. We had a nice leisurely morning (avec nap). Stew fresh from the oven for lunch. In the afternoon, we went to the dog park, but I sadly didn't think of taking my camera. This dog park visit was memorable because we were out there in the rain. Archie is scared of thunder, so when the first rain drop hits, he usually seeks shelter. We did take refuge in the van for the heaviest part of the storm, but were back out in the park while it was still sprinkling.

We had our usual special day entree - bbq steak. Just to try to keep things healthful, I followed the home cooked idea of 40% protein; 30% carbs; 30% vegetables.

The steak went over well.

The peas, not so much.

However, after Gabe licked his bowl clean, he came along and graciously helped Archie out. I still regret not naming Gabe "Hoover."

After supper, we partook in some ball playing. In general, I think Gabe is more expressive than Arch. However, get the ball out, and Arch goes to town.

"Just try to get it away from me! Just try! I dare you!"

"But if you insist on waving that camera around, sure, I'll pose for a picture or two."

"Okay, enough with the camera. Please play, now. Pleasssssse!!"

The crowning "event" of the night was to be the presentation of two very special bones. The boys get a lot of chewies (Texas Toothpicks, beef pizzles), but rarely an actual bone. Gabe got down to business lickedty split.

Arch, well Arch was not as interested in chewing on his bone as he was in burying it.

All in all, a lovely birthdayversary! But, please pass the cookies.

Dogs on Thursdays: Play Please!

2010-07-29T23:30:00.001-06:00

Sultry Summer Sundays

2010-07-26T00:04:00.000-06:00

Napping works, rain or shine

2010-07-13T11:06:00.000-06:00

We've been having crazy weather this summer, with a phenomenal amount of rain. Archie is scared of thunder, so while Gabe is lounging on the sofa, looking bored, Arch is huddled in his tent, shivering and panting. But, when the sun does break out, Arch is more than happy to work on his tan.

Happy Birthday Gabe!

2010-06-06T23:14:00.001-06:00

He's 6 today! My big galoofus.

I'm painting my kitchen and in the mess I lost the cable to download pictures from my camera. I'll post some from today as soon as I am able.

Gabe started the day in a frisky mood, stealing my shoe and daring me to chase him around the yard. He got in some good naps - both indoors and out - before suppertime. I cooked us all bbq steak and baked potatoes for the birthday feast. Afterwards, we went to the dogpark. Gabe's new friend Luca was there, so I'm sure that was a high point of the day, as was his wallow in a mud puddle. And I do mean wallow, even dipping his nose in and tossing mud in the air. Ay-yi-yi. Yes, I had to drive him home like that. When we got home, I presented him with his gifts - a big bone and a toy (a stuffie with a squeaker inside, from the dollar store; it should last about 2 minutes once he decides he needs to get the squeaker out). Luckily for Archie, everything comes in "twos" on birthdays here, so Arch shared equally in all the loot.

We topped the day off with a much needed bath. The birthday boy is now snoring beside me.

Happy birthday Gabe!

Dog Park Bliss

2010-05-24T23:52:00.002-06:00

After reading Brad Pattison Unleashed, I felt it was time to take my boys to the dog park. Gabe has not been well socialized and it became a Catch-22. He wasn't socialized because I was scared to take him to the dog park, but because I was scared to take him, he wasn't socialized. I had hoped that obedience classes would help (we went when he was 3), but the instructor didn't really care about socializing his class (meanwhile, in the puppy class next door, all the little ones were chasing each other and tumbling around, making friends).

Gabe was my main concern, but I also worried about Archie. He spooks easily and doesn't listen to me when he's in that scary place in his mind. He was also a fence-jumper when he first joined our family, determined to see the world, and I'm not convinced that wanderlust is totally eradicated.

However, Brad Pattison makes strong arguments for taking your dogs to the dog park. His arguments make sense, and it was something I've always wanted to do .... I just didn't have the confidence - in myself, or in my dogs.

My worries were largely for naught. Gabe barks a bit when we get there. I think it's mostly excitement, "Whoo hoo! I'm here! I'm really here!" His fur stands up sometimes when dogs sniff him up, but he pretty much puts up with it. He even put up with a very rude pit bull that was absolutely determined to hump him. (Gabe was extremely embarassed by this, sitting down and hunching up, looking sheepish - his body language was clear, even to me!)

Archie was not impressed the first few times we went. He kept running back to the gate, wanting to go home. He doesn't do that anymore, but he certainly sticks close by. And, both of them give me no attitude when it's home time - in fact, they usually head to the gate before I do.

I'm proud of my boys - and you know what? I'm proud of me too. I regret that it took us this long to do it, but now that we're there, we're not turning back.

(It's windy on top of the hill!)

Happy puppies!

We went again this weekend, and met up with Annie and her family. Annie was a foster beagle who lived with us from November 2008 to April 2009. It was lovely to see her and her people, and her brother Zeus too :-)

Dogs on Thursday ~ Brothers

2010-05-19T20:53:00.000-06:00

Book Review ~ Brad Pattison Unleashed

2010-05-04T23:16:00.004-06:00

With my last review, I met my goal of reading and reviewing 13 books in one year for John Mutford's Great Canadian Book Challenge. When you've got another great Canadian dog book just waiting to be reviewed there's nothing for it but to plow ahead and make it to number 14.

I had been planning on buying Brad Pattison Unleashed anyway, and when Brad posted on his facebook page that he would be autographing copies of the book that were ordered directly from him, I jumped at the chance for a very small brush with fame. My book arrived inscribed, "Enjoy the book Jacki ~ Have a great day. Cheers, Brad Pattison." Coolness!

Autograph aside, the book is awesome. Here at Gabe n Arch, we're giving it 8 paws up and some tail wags too. It's a nice little physical specimen, without the quality issues that I noted in Pattison's Synergy. The book is really well written and very forcefully projects Brad's voice, clearly recognizable from the way he speaks on his television program, At the End of my Leash. Brad the Author once again seems much more approachable and less abrasive than Brad the TV Guy. He is someone I would love to sit down and chat with. Brad is funny and insightful, and most of all he is passionate about doing it right. Some people might argue that his methods are not the best, but the book is persuasive. I think by the time you're finished reading it, you'll be nodding your head and thinking, "by golly, this guy is onto something!"

The book goes over the same lessons we've seen in the tv show and in Synergy - replace treat training with umbilical training, get the dogs off the furniture, no talking, and lots of physical and mental activity; gradually working up to the ultimate doggie reward, off-leash freedom. Common issues like how to choose a puppy, house training, and how to introduce a second dog to your household are addressed.

Something I've never seen addressed in the tv show (though, granted, I've not seen every episode) is Brad's take on shelter dogs. Brad says, "I have mixed thoughts about shelters," and goes on to say that about 40% of his workload involves shelter dogs. I know from experience that shelter dogs are not baggage-free. They are a lot of work. But they're there, and they need someone to love. Earlier in the book, Brad points out that only 16% of dogs sent to shelters are actually adopted out. That's about the saddest thing I've ever heard. I'd love to learn how we can improve those numbers. Nowhere in the book does it talk about fixing your dog, and that seems like a big first step to me. What else can I do - beyond committing to my two rescues - to stop 5 million dogs and cats from being euthanized annually? (US figure) Someone that loves dogs as much as Brad clearly does must have thoughts on this.

Part of the answer is to commit to your own dog. Don't get a dog without giving it a lot of thought, and once you have a canine member in your household, give him the love and training that he needs. So people, buy the book, read it, love it. And most of all, embrace it. I'm still slacking off on umbilical, but we did try the hide-and-seek game tonight. We all had a blast. We're working up the courage to try the dog park next ....

Natural Tick Repellent

2010-05-01T17:18:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine forwarded a CBC news story about ticks arriving early in our part of the world this year. Thankfully, Gabe has only ever gotten two ticks in his six years on this planet; and Archie has never gotten any. Still, time to break out the tick repellent!

I have been buying Hartz UltraGuard Plus for a long time, even though it makes me uneasy. Have you ever gotten that stuff on your own skin? It feels cold and tingly for hours, not a comfortable feeling. And, since I wash my hands much more often than my boys get washed, I have no idea how long the cold, tingly feeling lasts for them. And what if they accidentally get some in their mouths when they're wrestling with each other or something? Although I'm generally not keen on chemicals, my stance is that some are a necessary evil. In this case, it's not so much that I was against applying chemicals to their skin as knowing what it felt like to have it on my own skin.

So, I googled, and I found a recipe for a natural tick repellent that has been amended and reposted to a few different sites:

2 tablespoons nut oil (I used almond oil)

10-25 drops rose geranium or palmarosa essential oil (I used palmarosa)

Pour into a glass jar or bottle and shake well. Re-apply a couple drops to your dog's collar about once a week. I'll let you know how it works out!

Book Review ~ The Stanley Picture Books

2010-04-24T18:50:00.003-06:00

I'm nearing the end of my journey to read and review 13 Canadian books about dogs within a year, for John Mutford's Great Canadian Book Challenge. I've been saving these books in case I needed help crossing the finish line. The help was not needed, but I can't resist reviewing these two, coming in together at lucky number 13.

I first heard about Linda Bailey and Bill Slavin's children's book, Stanley's Party, from my friend Colin. He remarked that Archie seemed a lot like Stanley, so I set out to find out just who Stanley was. Along the way, I also heard about Stanley from my friend Heather, who lent me her copy of the book for a looksee. By time I've gotten to this review, Stanley has become a bit of a franchise, the hero of 4 books, including Stanley's Wild Ride, which I'm also reviewing here.

First published in 2003, Stanley's Party is a lavishly-illustrated ode to Stanley, who looks very much like a Lab (albeit a rotund one with short legs). Stanley is a bit of a monkey, knowing very well what he is not supposed to do, but finding temptation too hard to resist. The end result is a packed canine house party while his people are out. Predictably, he gets caught, but not so predictably he gets the last laugh, and there is a lesson here for us dog guardians: keep your poochies busy and tuckered out so that they don't get into mischief; failing that, take them everywhere with yourself (which is really what they most want anyway, or so I would assume from Archie's mournful howling each time I pull out of the driveway).

Stanley's Wild Ride is the second book in the Stanley franchise, published in 2006. Bill Slavin continues with his detailed and expansive watercolour illustrations. Once again, Stanley is up to something he is not supposed to be doing - leaving his fenced yard (something Archie used to be keen to do as well). Escaping his yard, Stanley meets up with his usual sidekicks and they stay out until all hours. The night culminates with a wild ride when Stanley discovers a skateboard at the top of the hill. Once again, Stanley gets in trouble, but also once again, he has the last laugh.

The books are aimed at children ages 4-8. The stories are actually quite long for picture books but should keep most children, even those on the younger side, engaged. Bill Slavin is highly regarded for his illustrations in this series and they are certainly imaginative and they perfectly capture Stanley's spirit. Either or both of these would make an excellent gift for the children in your life - or for those dog guardians who live with and love an irrepressible spirit.

Book Review ~ Coren's The Modern Dog

2010-04-11T21:57:00.004-06:00

Stanley Coren's The Modern Dog is my twelfth read in John Mutford's Great Canadian Book Challenge. I have been a Stanley Coren fan for years - I remember watching his Good Dog! program on Canada' Slice TV network when Gabe was just a puppy. The program was on then at 7:30am on Saturdays, so Gabe and I (and sometimes my mom) would greet the day by watching Dr. Coren and playing fetch in the living room. (Gabe is still an early bird; Arch could sleep till noon, though, if I didn't drag him out from under the covers.)

I think I started with Coren's How Dogs Think and sort of went from there, reading most of his dog books. Coren is an engaging writer; a great researcher; and he clearly knows what he's talking about. One thing I'm not crazy about is how he reuses material from book to book. This is understandable - I mean if you're going to spend a chapter talking about the history of dogs in three or four different books, there's only so much you can say. Still, I was somewhat hesitant to shell out my $19.99 at McNally Robinson's for another look at the same topics. What sucked me in was the chapter on the fate of dogs (and pets in general) during Hurricane Katrina, something that interests me greatly. I'm really glad I decided to use my gift card on this one (thanks Marissa, Dan, and Mary!).

The Modern Dog is easily Coren's most accessible book. Coren is a psychologist, a professor emeritus at UBC. This academic background shows in his writing, which doesn't shy away from explaining things in depth. Sometimes it can be a little dry. Not so in The Modern Dog. This whole book shines. Each chapter is short and engaging and I believe most people who like dogs would find this an enjoyable read. In the preface, Coren encourages us to read the chapters in any order we wish, as each is meant to stand alone. The chapters cover everything from why people look like their dogs, to dogs who watch tv, to dogs who fly is space, and finally, to whether dogs go to heaven.

Highly recommended by all of us here at Gabe n Arch, the boys give this one 8 paws up! This would be a great gift for the dog lover in your life.

Book Review ~ The Dog by the Cradle

2010-03-27T00:15:00.000-06:00

Erika Ritter's non-fiction tome The Dog by the Cradle, the Serpent Beneath: Some Paradoxes of Human-Animal Relationships is Book 11 in my goal to read and review 13 Canadian books about dogs for the Great Canadian Book Challenge. It is one of the most difficult books I've ever read. The topic is a tough one to chew on, and Ritter's style leaves much to be desired. In the first chapter, she set my teeth on edge by making fun of Dr. Temple Grandin's beliefs and autistic behaviours. It set the wrong note for the entire book.

Central to the book, and the basis of the title, is the story about Guinefort, a greyhound in medieval France, who was killed by his master for a crime he didn't commit. Ritter comes back to this story repeatedly - introducing it multiple times in most chapters. By the end of the first chapter, I was annoyed; by the end of the book, I was gnashing my teeth as I reread the basic premise of the story for the umpteenth time. Ritter goes off topic repeatedly - not surprisingly, given how many times she goes back to the old Guinefort tale. Frequently, I lost my place, not understanding how I had arrived at the point I was reading. The book has a lot of promise, especially since it is clear that Ritter's research was exhaustive. With a strong editorial hand guiding her, Ritter could have produced something much more powerful. However, she has missed the mark.

My bottom line: If the topic really interests you, try checking it out of the library. That way you don't have to feel guilty if you can't finish it.

The light is at the end of the tunnel for the Challenge, whew. Two Stanleys to go to meet my goal of 13: Stanley Coren's The Modern Dog and Linda Bailey's and Bill Slavin's Stanley picture books.

Book Review ~ Lonesome

2010-03-08T22:34:00.008-06:00

When I joined John Mutford's Great Canadian Book Challenge last summer, I pledged to read and review 13 Canadian books about dogs over the course of a year. John himself made some book suggestions, but it's always a pleasure when I just stumble across a suitable book. I found Chris Czajkowski's Lonesome: Memoirs of a Wilderness Dog at a used bookstore. Serendipitously - or not - I was on a trip to a specific pet store, and decided on a whim to pop into the used bookstore next door. I had never heard of Czajkowski before.

Czajkowski has lived in the B.C. wilderness for more than 2 decades and has published other books about her experiences. Lonesome is unique because it's creative non-fiction, a memoir told from a dog's point of view. The dog in question is Lonesome herself, named after B.C.'s Lonesome Lake. Lonesome the dog is smart and polite; and I'm not sure if it's that persona that inspired Czajkowski's narrative voice or if Czajkowski always writes like this, but I often felt like I was reading a 19th-century tome. Some of the writing is a little formal, interspersed with words like "perforce;" and the descriptions tend towards the flowery.

Flowery, however, is not the way Czajkowski treats Lonesome. When I was growing up on a farm (30ish years ago), attitudes towards dogs were much like the ones Czajkowski has. Granted, Lonesome is a working dog in a harsh climate, and Czajkowski has few luxuries herself. I have to give Czajkowski props for admitting her own flaws, such as being quick to anger; but I question whether it is "tmi" to share that she smacked Lonesome so hard that the dog flew off the table the first (and last) time she tried to help herself to Czajkowski's food. Like Jack London's Call of the Wild, I really wouldn't recommend this for younger readers.

The book offers a unique perspective on living in B.C.'s interior - the harsh climates, the beautiful but punishing landscapes, the frequent meetings with wildlife, and the isolation. Lonesome has a beautiful voice; Czajkowski has done a bang-up job of portraying a dog's point of view. All in all, a worthy read; and one that should appeal to several different types of readers.

This is my tenth (yay!) book for the Challenge. Just three to go; and I'm saving Linda Bailey's and Bill Slavin's Stanley's Party and Stanley's Wild Ride for the home stretch.

Games Dogs Play

2010-02-15T13:21:00.007-06:00

Wrestling, keep-away, and fetch are games my dogs love to play outside. But what do you do when it's -35C (-31F) outside and you've got two frisky dogs on your hands?

Gabe n Arch n I have a few ball games we play indoors. I will stick the ball under a blanket or quilt, and they have to figure out how to get it out. Or, I will march around the house, waving the ball around, and then suddenly, through a nifty slight of hand, the ball is gone, tucked into a laundry basket or an open drawer. The second game has two purposes, really - entertainment and confidence building. I try to put the ball places Arch is scared to go, hoping he learns as he bravely retrieves it that that place (under the ironing board, on the chair) isn't going to fall down on his head or trap him after all.

We also have a few games that are a little more sophisticated. One, I got the idea from youtube. I have an extra-large muffin tin with just 6 cups. I put a small treat (a piece of kibble or a part of cookie) into each cup and then cover each treat with a ball. It's more difficult than it at first appears, as the dogs cannot simply pick up the ball with their mouths. Gabe has learned that the fuzzy balls can be carefully picked up by grasping the fuzz; but overall the ball have to be nosed out or pawed out. This takes each dog perhaps a minute or two.

Last winter, I splurged on a couple Nina Ottenson games. We have the DogBox. This one perplexes Gabe n Arch a little bit. The basic premise is that the dog has to drop something into the top of the box, in order to eject a treat from the bottom. Two wooden "spools" are included; but because Arch is a ball guy, he uses a ball. Any object that fits in the top would work. Both dogs seem to understand that getting the object into the box will eject the treat BUT they are confused about how to get the object into the box in the first place (or, more likely, too excited about the treat to think straight). I keep hoping for an eureka moment, but for the time being, I let Gabe knock the wooden spools off the top of the box with his nose; and I bounce the ball towards Archie, and then steer the box towards him so that he can deposit it as needed. This is the game that takes us the longest. Depending on how many treats you use and how well your dogs "get" the concept of the game, this one can easily last 5 minutes or better.

The other Nina Ottenson game we have is the wooden Tornado. This one has four round pieces of MDF stacked on top of each other, and held together with a central bolt. The top three pieces spin. The bottom three pieces have little compartments carved in them, where treats can be hidden. The dogs need to spin the layers around, to try and figure out how to uncover the compartments. Both dogs love this one BUT (1) I have to hold it down or they would just push it all over the place and (2) dogs with small noses will be able to cheat, as Archie demonstrates time and time again. He is able to fish treats out of the bottom compartment without having to line the layers up correctly (you can see him trying this out in the second picture). Like the muffin tin game, this one takes only a minute or two, as well.

I chose the wooden toys because I thought they would last my dogs longer than the plastic ones. My dogs are chewers and they think it's great fun to steal things (like the plastic parts) and then parade around with them. Wood is harder to clean, so it's a bit of a toss up that each dog guardian needs to consider before purchasing.

And then the old standbys - our beloved molecule balls, which are also marketed as "atomic" balls. This is one of many variations of a treat ball - you insert kibble and the dog has to figure out how to get it out. Gabe has had his since he was a puppy. He figured it out lickedty-split with no help from anyone. He has some trouble picking it up, but he can do it, and he carries it around a bit. It's indestructable. Archie had no idea what to do with his when he was introduced to it at the age of one. I pushed it around for him, and when a kibble fell out, I cheered raucously. He still tends to simply push it with his nose, not really sure how (or not comfortable) to bat it hard enough with the old noz to make it tumble. He is pretty fair at using his paws for that purpose though. I do think these are their favourites. These probably take 3-5 minutes, depending on the amount of kibble, and how often the balls get stuck and need to be retrieved by moi. One caveat - these are noisy.

So that's us in the wintertime. What do you do to keep your dogs busy, and, more importantly, out of trouble in inclement weather?

Book Review ~ Wally's World

2010-02-15T10:55:00.003-06:00

Wally's World by Marsha Boulton is book #9 in my quest to read and review 13 Canadian books about dogs in a year, as part of John Mutford's Great Canadian Book Challenge. I've been struggling to finish Erika Ritter's The Dog by the Cradle, the Serpent Beneath for about 6 weeks. I decided to take a break with Wally.

Wally is a lovable bull terrier that Boulton and her husband - author Stephen Williams - purchase as a puppy. Wally is always up to something and his antics are sprinkled throughout the book. Carrying pails loaded with balls, undergoing surgery to remove ingested underpants, wrecking a hotel room by humping a feather pillow, and hogging the covers, Wally is clearly a rascal, and one who is likely loved all the more for his rascally behaviour. However, Boulton herself sums up her approach to the book about three pages from the end: "How could I have managed through [the problems of the past 10 years] without having [Wally's] mug to smile at every morning?" While the stories about Wally are fun to read, the book's focus is the legal wrangles that Boulton and Willimas went through following the publication of his two books about Paul Bernardo and Karla Holmolka. Some Wally stories - such as the underpants - stand on their own; but many others are only tangential to the main plot.

Boulton previously won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour for Letters from the Country. While Wally's World didn't elicit any guffaws from me, I did have to smile a lot at that Wally Boy. Boulton is an engaging writer and this read was definitely easier than Ritter's. Some things made me uncomfortable - I wearied of reading how nasty the police were to Boulton and Williams (I get it already!); and some comments Boulton made about her mother seemed cutting rather than funny. The book's cover boasts snippets of several glowing reviews, including one from The Globe and Mail on the front: "A gripping memoir." If you're in the market for a light memoir, this is it. If you're looking for a "dog book" you might find the main plot a disappointment. For me, it's not a keeper. If you want my copy, shoot me an email; otherwise I will release it as part of the bookcrossing program.

Book Review ~ Great Dog Stories

2010-01-03T15:46:00.004-06:00

Month Six of John Mutford's Great Canadian Book Challenge was not a productive one for me. December is one of my busiest months at work and with the seasonal festivities as well, I just didn't get much reading done. I'm hoping to make amends in Month Seven, and am kicking off with a review of Roxanne Willems Snopek's Great Dog Stories: Inspirational Tales about Exceptional Dogs. It is one of the "Amazing Stories" books from Altitude Publishing. This read clocks in as #8 in my quest to read and review 13 Canadian dog books within a year.

This is a short book, just over 100 pages long. There are nine chapters; except for the last, each is devoted to one dog, or to one person's dogs. In most chapters, either the dog or the person overcomes obstacles; and in a couple chapters, the dogs perform amazing feats of courage or assist in solving crimes. All the dogs and owners are Canadian until Chapter Nine. For inexplicable reasons, the last chapter is a two-parter, with the second part showcasing an American guardian and dog who travel regularly to Canada to compete in CKC competitions, since the dog's disability disallows her from competing in AKC competitions.

The book is easy to read - I would recommend it for someone who doesn't read a lot; or perhaps for an early teen reader who likes dogs. It might be a good book for a vacation. I finished it in a couple hours. The author has an engaging writing style and she writes well. With the stories themselves, two things annoyed me. First, there is a great deal of emphasis on disability. I am disabled myself and I work with people who have disabilities. I get tired of the media focus on "inspirational" stories about disability. In five chapters, the people have disabilities; in Chapter Nine, one of the dogs has a disability. Two other dogs in the book overcome behavioural issues. Perhaps refocussing the other three chapters, and retitling the book to reference disability would have been a better way to go.

I was also mildly annoyed that every single dog was either purebred or had certification of some sort (obedience, agility, canine freestyle, herding, Police Service, tracking, draft, therapy dog, water dog, and even a "Canine Good Citizen" - good grief!). The blind American Collie - Bonnie - in Chapter Nine passed her "Canine Good Citizen" test and became a certified therapy dog, but still her guardian "worried that this would be the extent of Bonnie's achievements." Clearly I am an under-achiever when it comes to my dogs! Getting through puppy school, meeting strangers politely, and not pulling at the leash are pretty much my highest expectations. Plus, wouldn't it have been more inspirational if a rescued Heinz 57 mutt had done something amazing that no one had trained him to do?

It was a fast, easy read, and mostly enjoyable. The things that annoyed me might not annoy other people - it's just my own life experiences reflecting off the author's choices. The book is not a keeper - one read is definitely sufficient. If anyone would like my copy, shoot me a note with your address. Otherwise, I will release it as part of the bookcrossings program.

Book Review ~ The Hidden Life of Humans

2009-11-24T22:12:00.004-06:00

And now for something completely different.

I'm in my fifth month of John Mutford's Great Canadian Book Challenge. My own personal challenge has been to read and review 13 Canadian books about dogs over the course of a year. Erika Ritter's The Hidden Live of Humans is my most recent read, and clocks in as book #7 of my 13.

I was kicking myself when I realized that this book would qualify for the challenge. My friend Tracy has a book swap each spring, and wouldn't you know it, I passed up my chance to score this book for free at this year's swap. It was also recently for sale on chapters.indigo.com for one lousy buck. gah! Eh well, it was worth the $14.56 CAD I paid at amazon.ca. But, still, free or close-to-free would have been lovely.

Erika Ritter is a Canadian wordsmith extraordinaire. Hidden Life is her sole novel - a Canadian bestseller when it was published in 1997 - but she has also penned a few collections of essays, as well as nonfiction. She is also a playwright, public speaker, and well-known CBC commentator. She grew up in my home province (SK) but now resides in Ontario.

Okay, so, Hidden Life. The basic premise is that the main character - a single 40-something woman named Dana Jaeger - unwittingly ends up taking care of an ex-boyfriend's dog while the ex is cavorting around Finland with his ice-princess Finnish dentist girlfriend. Murphy - the dog - has strong opinions, and pieces of the book are told from Murphy's point of view. Before I realized that the book was published in 1997, I thought either Ritter ripped off Garth Stein's idea from The Art of Racing in the Rain, or this was one of those synchronicity thingamajiggies. Kudos to Ritter for being about a decade ahead of Stein.

Overall, I enjoyed the book; I read from start to finish in about a week, and my reading time is pretty fragmented, so a week is good. It's sort of chick lit with an edge. It has some dark bits, including Dana's ex-husband, who is dying of AIDS; a graphic account of an accident Dana endures; and some uncomfortable childhood memories Dana dredges up. The humour is a little dry, which is just fine. Some of the narrative devices are not my cup of tea, though. Dreams are one device that allow us to see things we wouldn't otherwise be able to see from the narrators' viewpoints. It was a little fantastical for me. Also, Murphy is really very smart - so smart that I'm skeptical, and that's saying a lot. Much is made about Murphy's inherent dog-ness - he humps the laundry bag, for example - but at the same time, he is incredibly philosophical. In Stein's Racing in the Rain, Enzo acquires his smarts through watching t.v. Murphy's smarts are not explained, and we are expected to believe he has his moments of deep thought interspersed with his laundry-bag exploits. I dunno if it works. Maybe it's just me. Maybe that's what Ritter was trying to say - dogs are dogs, but they also have moments of insight that would blow our socks off (all the better to get their grimy little paws on said socks!).

If I did star reviews, I would probably give this 3.5 out of 5. A good read, not too heavy, keeps the reader interested. That said, it didn't really speak to me, and I really doubt I will ever re-read it. I'm on the fence about whether to shelve it or give it away.

Beagles, Beagles, Halloweiners!

2009-11-08T15:10:00.005-06:00

Okay, fess up! How many of you dress your dogs up for Halloween? I did for the first time last year, when Gabe was 4 and Archie was 3. I was ordering a bunch of dog toys online for Christmas, for all the dogs in my life (there are many besides my two - Emma and Patsy, Lennox, Farley, Kavanna, Lucky, Kona, Kody, and now Luca and Rowan too). The store I was shopping at had $5 "costumes" - a two-dimensional hat, a bandana, and a collar decoration. Gabe was a tough and very serious sheriff (cowboy hat, red and black bandana, and sheriff's badge) and Archie was a Mexican, complete with sombraro and fringed purple bandana (appropriate costume for my jumping bean).

This year, we got more creative. Gabe's swim instructor suggested he go as Michael Phelps, and together we brainstormed how to make a costume that would work. And Archie was finally my hot dog - I've coveted that costume for years!

How about your canines?

Book Review ~ Call of the Wild

2009-11-08T13:47:00.004-06:00

I'm into Month Five of the Great Canadian Book Challenge. Participants are to read and review 13 Canadian books over the course of a year, and since this is a dog blog, all 13 of my books will be about dogs. John Mutford, organizer of the Challenge, suggested I give Jack London's The Call of the Wild a go. I remember having this book as a child. I never did read it, though, and it's probably good that I didn't. I would have been scarred for life. I have no idea why it is marketed as a children's book.

The Call of the Wild lays claim to its Canadian-ness through its geography. London himself, of course, was American, and the book's main character, a Shepherd/St. Bernard cross named Buck, is also American. However, except for the opening pages, the book is set in the Canadian Yukon, during the Klondike Gold Rush. Although I have my master's degree in history, most of my knowledge of the gold rush comes from a history reality program, called "Klondike: Quest for the Gold" which aired on History TV and PBS in 2003. Having some background knowledge is helpful as London doesn't spend a lot time describing the the gold rush itself. Buck's journey is absolutely heartbreaking, but without the background, it seems as though this story is being told because it is exceptional - "a remarkable journey of courage" or some such hackneyed Disneyfied expression. But the sad truth is that most sled dogs probably experienced the same hardships as Buck during this era.

The book opens with Buck being dognapped from his comfortable home in California. He is sold to work as a sled dog in the far north. Buck is a quick learner, and adapts quickly to life on the trail. However, he experiences much hardship, including the frigid northern cold, vicious dog fights, brutal beatings from humans, starvation, overwork, and the loss of his comrades. It is above all an adventure story, a tale of adapting in order to survive harsh experiences.

Although the narration is in the omniscient third person, the bulk of the story is about Buck and his relationships with other dogs and a few humans. Because of this, there is very little dialogue. I appreciated reading a "dog book" that actually focussed on dogs for once!

My final analysis: I can understand why this is considered London's masterpiece. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I'll probably keep my copy because it is a classic, but I won't be reading it again. It's just too harsh.

I've googled without success to find out how many copies of this book have been sold over the past century. The best I can do is assure you that it is in the "millions." The full text is also available online, if you are comfortable reading at your computer screen. I read the TOR edition pictured above (4 Canadian dollars, new).

Book Review ~ Brad Pattison's Synergy

2009-10-27T08:00:00.001-06:00

Yay! I'm in Month 4 of my quest to read and review 13 Canadian dog books, and for the first time I'm doing two reviews in one month (a good thing since the one book/month thing ain't gonna cut it in terms of the ultimate "13" goal). This time I've read Brad Pattison's Synergy in Training between Man and Dog. Pattison is well known from his television show At the End of My Leash, which airs on Slice in Canada (apparently my favourite network). According to Wikipedia, Brad was born in Calgary, so he is, yes, a bona fide Canadian author.

Let me just say that I have a love/hate relationship with the Brad I see on At the End of My Leash. He is extremely opinionated and comes across as confrontational. But, he's easy on the eyes and (most of) his advice makes sense, so I remain a loyal viewer of his program. However, Brad the writer is different from Brad the tv personality. His no-nonsense, in-your-face attitude is still very apparent, but the book has quite a bit of humour. And, surprisingly enough, Brad the writer anthropomorphizes. Who wudda thunk it?

I have a few quality issues with the physical book. Some of the black and white photos that were intended to be diagrams, I frankly couldn't make noses nor tails of. Also, I'm not sure if this was just my copy or if it is a prevalent problem, but the text was clearly formatted beyond the acceptable borders of the finalized printed version, and alphabets are missing along those edges. Some short words were missing entirely as a result of this, making it necessary to puzzle out the sentences.

But those are just quibbles. This is a great book about dog training; supplementing what you may have already learned from Brad the tv guy, or introducing you to his unique training methods and his thoughts on our canine companions. Two particular points of interest for me: Brad argues that changing dog food frequently is a good thing (which I've always believed) and that dogs do have memories. Dog trainers often subscribe to the belief that dogs have very short memory spans, and that it's pointless to incorporate mistakes (such as chewing your shoe while you are at work) into training, as the dog's memory of the shoe will only last for about 2 minutes after the last bite is taken out of it. I pretty much accepted that as gospel, but Brad feels differently and after reading his examples, Brad's theory makes total sense. My own two clearly remember where certain things are on our walks as well as where things stay in the house. They can gauge where I am off to (walk time, play time, Jacki time) based on which jacket I put on at the door. I would also argue that they do remember routes on our drives, as they become increasingly excited the nearer we get to our destinations.

I visit Brad's website on occasion, and I was also suprised to see that he advocates for clothing and booties for dogs in extreme weather, which I thought were a big Brad no-no. On one episode of his program, he berated a woman for putting clothes on her dog, telling her that if her dog is cold, she shouldn't get his coat cut so short. As Archie is always cold - and has never had his coat cut - I was a little peeved. It was a relief to find out that Brad the tv guy might be amping things up a bit for the sake of ratings.

My love/hate relationship with Brad may have a little more love in it these days.

I reviewed this book for John Mutford's Third Canadian Book Challenge.

Book Review ~ The Dog who Wouldn't Be

2009-10-14T23:18:00.007-06:00

Month Four of my quest to read and review 13 "Canadian" dog books brings me to a classic - Farley Mowat's The Dog who Wouldn't Be. Mowat is, of course, one of Canada's most beloved authors, who penned forty-two books. The Dog who Wouldn't Be was his fourth, first published in 1957. The book takes place in the gritty 1930s, when Mowat was a child. It chronicles the adventures Mowat and his dog, Mutt. Let me just say that I have no idea how I avoided reading this book up until this point. It's a great story; it's about dogs; and not only is it Canadian, but it's primarily set in Saskatoon and surrounding areas, where I've lived my whole life.

According to Mowat, Mutt decided that he didn't want to be a dog. Mutt was definitely a character and definitely whippersnapper smart. I think he was also definitely a dog. Some of his feats were amazing but believable - such as scaling a ladder. Others feats would be considered neat conversational starters, but actually pretty commonplace - such as eating cherries and spitting out the pits. Some of the tales are most likely yarns, or at least embellished (a lot). I'm not a fan of tall tales, but I kept reading because the writing style is familiar and engaging; the stories are fun to read; and there's a fair share of history too - although secondary to the story of a boy and his dog, you certainly do get glimpses of the Depression years on the Canadian prairies.

I read the Emblem edition (pictured above) which was published in 2009.

First snow ~ Dogs on Thursday

2009-10-14T23:06:00.003-06:00

Book Review ~ The Intelligence of Dogs

2009-09-30T12:04:00.005-06:00

I am in Month 3 of my quest to read and review 13 Canadian books about dogs over the course of a year. This month's offering is Stanley's Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Livers of Our Canine Companions (and just for the record, I read the "Revised and with a New Preface by the Author" edition, published in 2006). Born in the US, Coren moved to Vancouver in 1973 to take a position with the Psychology Department at UBC. Coren is now a professor emeritus at UBC, and continues to teach, research, and publish.

I have long been a fan of Coren's, ever since discovering his program Good Dog!, which used to be on the Life Network (now Slice) in Canada. I've previously read Coren's How Your Dog Thinks; How to Speak Dog; and Why Does my Dog Act that Way? I've consciously put off reading The Intelligence of Dogs because it contains a list of dog breeds, ranked by how intelligent they are, and I am well aware that most people do not consider beagles to be very intelligent. Which I would argue about, but it is too soon in my review to digress.

I believe The Intelligence of Dogs is the first book that Coren wrote about dogs, and it is still the most controversial. Coren argues that dog intelligence is largely predetermined by breed; and that certain breeds are more intelligent than others. Coren is careful to thoroughly explain what he means by "intelligence," and that the intelligence he measures and ranks in the book are based on "working or obedience intelligence" or how quickly and easily dogs can learn the commands we use to train them.

For the record, beagles are ranked at #72 in a list that goes to #79. What does this mean for me, and other beagle guardians? Coren states that dogs with a ranking of 70-79 are the most difficult to train, and any skills they do learn may "evaporate" without practice. That said, Coren, who is active in obedience training, trials, and competition, owns - and, yes, trains - a beagle named Darby. As Coren points out, sometimes intelligence is overrated. Very smart dogs may turn out to be a handful, as they may get bored very quickly or figure out behaviours to get away with things we don't want them doing. I would argue that beagles are most adept at figuring out such behaviours . Gabe can turn a doorknob and scurry backwards to allow the door to swing towards him. Archie is a master faker, and will do things like bark up a storm as he runs towards the gate, prompting Gabe to leave a prized toy or chewie behind in his rush to find out what the ruckus is about. My foster girlie, Annie, was quite adept at hoarding prizes on her bed, and she gained her prized possessions by opening cupboard doors and laundry basket lids.

There are sections in this book that show you how to measure your dog's IQ, how to test your dog's obedience personality, and how to stretch and improve your four-legged friend's intelligence. In my rush to get at least one review posted this month, I did not have an opportunity to do the testing, but I definitely will at some point (likely in the winter when it is too cold to go outside and I am looking for some way to amuse both the boys and myself).

Overall, this is a very interesting read and I continue - four books in - to be astounded by how well Coren "translates" boring scientific detail and terminology into lay(wo)man terms. Discussion on how dogs evolved from wolves/jackals/dingoes and a look at how Descartes's opinions shaped our view of dogs for centuries could be dry reading indeed, but Coren somehow manages to make it interesting and accessible. One quibble I do have with Coren's work is that he reuses some material from book to book, so that if you've already read one book, you'll likely be able to skip part of the next book you read.

Hi there cutiepie!

2009-08-31T15:17:00.002-06:00

Book Review ~ Mad Dogs and an Englishwoman

2009-08-23T22:06:00.000-06:00

John Mutford's The Real Canadian Book Challenge on his The Book Mine Set blog motivated me to set a goal: read 13 Canadian books about dogs within the next year, and review them here at Gabe n Arch. The second book I've read is Polly Evans's Mad Dogs and an Englishwoman: Travels with Sled Dogs in Canada's Frozen North.

Polly Evans is a British travel writer, and one who combines travel with a challenge. In Mad Dogs, Evans writes about 10 weeks spent in the Yukon, learning to run sled dogs. Her base is Muktuk, Frank Turner's home near Whitehorse. Turner competed in 22 Yukon Quests and operates Muktuk both a tourist operation and the home base for his son Saul, who is now running in the Quests.

Evans learns about sled dogs from the ground up, literally, beginning with scooping the poop of Muktuk's 108 dogs and learning how to properly fit dog booties. Her first excursion (or two) with a sled is somewhat hapless, but she hangs in there 'til the bitterly cold end, when she spends 6 days covering part of the Yukon Quest trail in -44 degree weather. Brrrrrr.

The book contains mini-lessons on history and geography, which, while interesting, are somewhat distracting. The tone is different in these sections and feel wedged into the main narrative. And, speaking of the main narrative, I was surprised that there wasn't more about the dogs! Now, of course, that's coming from someone who is writing a dog blog and who set out to read books about dogs. Still the title contains the word "Dogs" twice so I expected a lot of canine confidential. I was also surprised that as an urban-dwelling Brit, Evans doesn't note a reaction to the dogs' living conditions or the controversy over sled racing. Evans has an extensive photo gallery online from her time in the Yukon, and I'm glad I checked that out. The many photos of Muktuk's dogs add a dimension to her story that I was looking for.

That said, if you approach this book as a travel narrative that takes place in the Yukon, I think you will walk away as a happy camper. Evans is an engaging writer and she is not above laughing at herself. She is awestruck by the beauty of our far north and she inspires a similar awe in her readers. And I certainly admire her spirit in tackling such an adventure.

Rain, Rain, Go Away ....

2009-08-18T18:47:00.007-06:00

Gabe: "I am so b.o.r.e.d. Will this rain ever stop, Mom?"

Archie: "Really, Mom? You have new toys stashed away in special hiding spot? Whoo-hoo!"

Archie: "This octopus is a cutie! And it makes a cool crinkly noise too!"

Gabe: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is more handsome, me or the octopus? (me, me, me, me, me)"

Archie: "I don't know how my octopus got under the couch mom, honest!"

Gabe: "Thanks for the new toys mom. Now for nap time!"

Happy Birthday Archie!

2009-08-18T18:39:00.006-06:00

Archie came to live with me and Gabe on 15 August 2006. Since it was the start of a new life for Archie, we decided to keep that day as his birthday. We celebrated this year's occasion with a beef pattie with melted cheese for lunch, new bowls, and a very special once-a-year treat - a popsicle!

Archie is now (about) 4 years old. I am blessed he found me.

Happy Birthday Boo!

Dogs on Thursday - Canine Berry Pickers

2009-08-06T13:14:00.005-06:00

Dogs on Thursday hosts a great meme where we post about our dogs every Thursday. Check them out to link in or to see other participants in the meme.

Last week, I wrote about how Archie stole my saskatoon berries right out of the bowl I was using while pick them.

A few days later, I was watching Gabe pick his own berries, and inspiration stuck.

What if I taught Archie how to pick his own too?

Sure enough, he caught on right quickly.

Now, I've got two furry berry pickers in my family.

Book Review ~ Roy MacGregor's The Dog and I

2009-07-31T10:55:00.000-06:00

John Mutford's The Real Canadian Book Challenge on his The Book Mine Set blog motivated me to set a goal: read 13 Canadian books about dogs within the next year, and review them here at Gabe n Arch.

At first I wondered if that was an achievable goal - are there really that many Canadian books about dogs worth reading? A quick scan of amazon.ca and suggestions from John himself quickly assured me that yes, indeed, there should be an ample selection to choose from.

I started with Roy MacGregor's The Dog and I, which was first published in 2006. It is a physically small book - about 5-1/2 x 7", with 182 pages including the acknowledgements.

MacGregor is a well-known columnist (The Globe and Mail) and author, having written about things central to the Canadian psyche: hockey, canoes, cottage life, cold weather, and that ever-elusive "Canadian identity." Oh, yes, and dogs. MacGregor has been the proud guardian of five mutts throughout his life - and he does stress that these dogs are mutts, no pedigrees, no papers, most hawked out of little red wagons pulled around by different generations of neighbourhood children.

The Dog and I is a collection of previously written columns and new material, all drawing on MacGregor's own experiences with his dogs. Dog owners will chuckle or nod with recognition over many of the stories. I had to smile over MacGregor's description of his dog Willow's fetch obsession. Yep, been there, done that. But, be prepared for some sadness. Personally, I have not yet run across a dog "memoir" that doesn't include the death of a beloved dog. If you are like me, keep tissues nearby when reading this. A wad may be sufficient; or you may need a box.

I thoroughly enjoyed MacGregor's discussion of the differences in how dogs live now, compared with 50ish years ago. This is something I often ponder myself. I wonder what my parents - born and raised in rural Saskatchewan at a time when electricity on farms was still a novelty - would think about Gabe's weekly swim at the canine pool, Archie's regular acupuncture treatments, and the homecooked food (with added natural supplements) both enjoy. Even more interesting is - how did we arrive at this point? What cultural shift precipitated this change in doggie lifestyles? I'm not sure MacGregor has the answer, but he is not above poking fun of his own forays into big box pet stores to pick up some salmon sushi dog treats.

The Dog and I is a great little book. Even though each chapter is essentially a short story, there is flow and continuity throughout (which is great, because I am generally not a fan of short stories). However, this format does work well if you are the kind of reader that goes in fits and starts - if you only have time for a few pages as you take public transit, wait in line, or squeeze in a few minutes of reading time before bed. If you take it to the beach or cottage, make sure you take a backup - this one will only take a couple of hours to get through. But, they're hours enjoyably spent.

Dogs on Thursday

2009-07-30T21:16:00.003-06:00

Audacious is my middle name ...

... stealing my mom's berries is my game.

I wanted some saskatoon berries for an ice cream topping, as part of a "harvest on the table" post for my gardening blog. *ahem* However, someone decided that the berries were very tasty. What's interesting is that Archie has never even tried a berry before. I've offered him many over the years.

Gabe, however, is a whole other ballgame. Gabe picks his own. Will try to get a suitable picture for another post.

PS: Please pretend you don't see my weeds!

Sultan of the Shade

2009-07-23T18:33:00.003-06:00

While Archie is happily baking in the sun, Gabe and I retreat to the shade. If it starts to feel a bit cool, we may stick an appendage - such as a nose - out, but just a little bit. It's a whole new meaning to Snoopy's "Joe Cool."

Sultan of the Sun

2009-07-22T19:01:00.003-06:00

Archie is my heat baby. He will seek out the hottest, sunniest spot, so I gave him a little help over the weekend and set up a bed for him in the garden. Don't worry - he gets tossed in the pool every once in awhile by yours truly, to cool him off a bit.

A dog and his ball

2009-07-18T22:39:00.001-06:00

At Archie's first physio appointment, the physiotherapist (Theresa from Canine Reb) taught me massage techniques and showed me stretching exercises to do with Archie. She also asked me to buy a large exercise ball for our next appointment. That's all she told me. I had no idea what to expect.

Archie has always been crazy about any game that involves a tennis ball, but I wasn't sure how he would feel about this one!

I inflated the ball a few weeks before our next physio appointment, so that Archie could get used to seeing it in the house. When Theresa arrived for the second appointment, she showed us what to do.

I am supposed to sit on the sofa with the ball between my legs and get Archie on top of the ball, coaxing him on with treats. Once he is comfortable on the ball, the goal is to get him to stretch by reaching for a treat. The balancing and the stretching combined will improve his core strength. Another "exercise" I can do with Archie is to get him on the ball and then rock it back and forth. Again, the balancing should work his core. Theresa told me to do this 3-4 times a week; on his "off days" we are supposed to do his regular stretching exercises, which are basically the same sans ball.

So, how is it going? Really, amazingly well. I am surprised because Archie's always been somewhat of a scaredy-cat, and new physical objects as well as new experiences are generally cause for alarm. Not this time! Theresa was able to get him on top of the ball in minutes, and each time I've tried this by myself with Archie, things have gone just swimmingly. He actually gets excited when I get the ball out ... instead of getting on the couch first and then onto the ball, he hops right onto the ball. He stands on the ball, balancing like a little seal, reaching for treats like nobody's business. He loves it. We've been doing the ball exercises everyday instead of 3-4 times/week. Hope that's okay - it's so much fun!

Gabe n Arch on muttscomics.com!

2009-07-16T12:00:00.010-06:00

We are celebrating here at Gabe n Arch today.

I opened my "Daily Mutts" this morning and caught the words "Gabe n Arch" in the body of the email. I was momentarily disoriented. Did I accidentally flip to a different email? Did I not read correctly?

Nope, there is was, plain as day. muttscomics.com published an excerpt from the review I wrote of Patrick McDonnell's The Gift of Nothing. In the email, below the daily strip, it said: "Gabe n Arch: The Beagle Boys Review MUTTS Books We couldn't resist posting this great review from the Beagle Boys (pictured above). From the review: I am not particularly ... MORE >>>"

How exciting! I had to share the news so I forwarded the email to Chloe, my long-time friend and coworker. Chloe is pretty web-savvy and was most likely to understand the blogging-about-another-blog concept (as compared to, say, Maxine). I ran to Chloe's office, which is in a different building. Yes, I ran through the student reception area and past all the administrative people in their pods. I ran carefully, wearing my clunky thick-soled Skechers flip flops. I arrived breathless and unable to speak coherently. Unfortunately, I also somehow messed up on forwarding the email, so I ran back, past all the students and administrative people, re-sent the email, and yes ran back again, clunking my way past people too polite to stare.

Hours later, I am still beaming. I admire Patrick McDonnell for his work with promoting shelter adoptions; and I do very much enjoy Mutts the comic strip as well as his books. It was an awesome surprise.

It just made my day :-)

Maxine and Jane later visited my office and started joking about how Gabe and Arch are superstars. Arch in the Beagle Paws calendar; Gabe n Arch on muttscomics.com. They suggested a line of "Gabe n Arch" merch. I think we'll start with the whole cabana boy joke Gabe's swim instructor and I have - tiki water bowls with little umbrellas, inflatable rafts patterned with dogs in Hawaiian swim shorts, Hawaiian swim shorts, doggie flip flops, and an inflatable palm tree (aka restroom facility).

Happy day!

Homecooked dog food - the Gabe n Arch way

2009-07-11T18:35:00.015-06:00

There are a lot of different options out there when it comes to feeding your dogs. What works for us may or may not work for you. I feed Gabe and Archie a homecooked diet for a number of reasons:

(1) - It's extremely difficult to find processed dog food that Archie is not allergic to. To my knowledge, the only things Archie is NOT allergic to are beef, bison, vegetables, fruit, and dairy.

(2) - Our vet recommended homecooked (even though she advocates for BARF and sells BARF products at her clinic).

(3) - I am more comfortable handling homecooked than I am handling the raw food in the BARF diet plus I've read a lot about BARF and I'm not convinced it's the way to go.

(4) - I like having control over what my dogs eat, especially following the dog food scandals in 2007.

When I was researching homecooked diets, I found one recommended by Stanley Coren, a psychologist at UBC who specializes in dog behaviour. I am a big fan of Dr. Coren's and when I ran his recipe by my vet, she gave us the green light.

However, we had to make modifications to the recipe due to Archie's allergies. The biggest change is that there are no carbs in my food. Based on what I've read, I actually think no carbs (or low carbs) is the way to go with dog food. Dogs in the wild would eat few carbs, mostly in the form fruits, and most likely would never eat grains or potatoes. (If you're questioning whether wild dogs would eat fruits, I'll let Gabe answer that - he forages for berries in my yard, happily consuming all the raspberries and saskatoon berries he can reach.)

Our basic "recipe" is 1lb cooked meat to 1-1/2lb uncooked vegetables.

Each week I make a batch of dog food that contains:

6lb cooked ground beef

9lb uncooked veggies

apprx. 1 tsp salt

2 c beef broth

I was a Canadian school child in the 1980s, when our government switched us over from Imperial measurements to metric. I am one of those people who put x litres of gas in her car to travel y miles; and I buy my fabric in metres but sew with 1/4" or 5/8" seams. Please excuse me for using both metric and Imperial measurements - I think most Canadians reading this will understand. The rest of you, feel free to convert where necessary :-D

You will need 5-6 kg of raw hamburger to get about 6lb of cooked hamburger. It will be closer to 5kg of lean beef; and closer to 6kg of regular ground.

As far as vegetables go, I've tried a lot of different ones, and now I almost always use: precut coleslaw mix, celery, parsnips, and zucchini. Everything is fast and easy to wash and cut up. I don't peel the parsnips or zuchinni. The zucchini is from my garden - in season, I use unpeeled fresh zucchini; the rest of the year it is frozen. If my veggies don't quite add up to 9lb, I'll throw in whatever I can find in the fridge or freezer that is safe for dogs. If you are considering using a homecooked diet or if you just want to feed your dogs more vegetables, please research which ones may be hazardous to your dogs.

I start by breaking up the raw ground beef and placing it in a large roaster. Once that's done, I chop up 2-3 cloves of garlic and sprinkle that on top. Garlic in large quantities is bad for dogs, but they love the smell of it, so I always put just a little bit in. I also sprinkle on about 1 tsp of salt (on my vet's recommendation).

Cook the beef at 350F for about 3 hours. When it's done, the beef will have settled a bit, so that it looks a bit like a large meatloaf.

I break the "meatloaf" into about 6 pieces with a spatula, and then lift each piece out, making it easy to discard the fat.

I mash the drained hamburger well, measure out the 6lb, and refrigerate until it's needed again (in about 2 hours).

Once the hamburger is done, I wash out the roaster and chop up the veggies. I don't add any spices to the veggies, but I do add about 2 cups of beef broth, which I make ahead of time and freeze. The veggies will cook better with some liquid. I use beef broth for flavour and because Archie is not allergic to it. You could mix up some Oxo/bullion cubes in 2 cups of water; or if you think your dog is okay with bland food, just add 2 cups of water.

The veggies will need to cook at 350F for 2 hours. Once you get the hang of this, you can adjust the temperature to suit your time requirements. If you're leaving the veggies to cook while you run out to do errands, you could bake them at 300F for 3 hours instead. Or, if you're in a hurry, you could do them for an hour and a half at 400F. Whatever works for you.

When the veggies are done cooking, I always check to see how much liquid is at the bottom of the roaster. This is "guess by golly" - you do want some liquid because it will make the veggies easier to mash. But, you don't want too much liquid or the food will be too soupy. Even though I use the same veggies all the time, and always 2 cups of beef broth, you can never gauge how much liquid you will end up with.

I mash my veggies because Archie used to pick them out and just eat the meat. I think he probably wouldn't do that anymore, but I still mash. If you think your dog will eat veggies (eg there is no question in my mind that Gabe will eat them in any shape or form), then you can skip the mashing.

Add the cooled ground beef and mix everything together well. At this point, I put the mixed hamburger and veggies back in the oven for another hour. It's probably not necessary, but I like to believe the veggies get more flavourful from cooking with the beef for awhile.

A batch of this size feeds two moderately active medium-sized dogs for 10 days. Gabe eats 380g/day and Archie eats 310g/day. I usually put about 3/4 of the batch in the fridge and freeze the rest. Every couple of months, I can take a weekend off from making food.

Our vet says that the only thing our food is missing is calcium, so on her recommendation, I add a bone meal tablet (550mg) to each breakfast and supper. You can purchase bone meal tabs at most health food stores.

When I started doing this I thought there was no way I could make homecooked food once a week for the next 12-15 years. It seemed like a crazy amount of work. Within a few months, it became part of my routine and it's easier now. I learned things that make it go more smoothly for me, like:

(1) - I go for groceries Friday after work. As soon as I get home I put the hamburger to cook. The hamburger finishes Friday night and then I finish everything else on Saturday. This way I'm not tied to the oven all day on Saturday.

(2) - Pick your veggies carefully. The precut coleslaw mix costs a bit more than a head of cabbage, but saves a lot of time. Most veggies (excepting potatoes) do not need to be peeled.

(3) - Drain the hamburger first (by lifting it out of the roaster with a spatula or slotted spoon) and THEN mash. Don't mash first - it will take a long time to drain 6lb of hamburger in a colander.

(4) - If you have access to a second oven or a very large slow cooker, you can cook the hamburger and the veggies at the same time. I actually have a huge slow cooker (a BBQ Pit) that fits 6kg of raw hamburger. There's a lot of cleanup to do all at once when you do it that way, though, so I only use the BBQ Pit when I'm short of time.

(5) - If you wanted to, there's no reason why you couldn't do up and freeze a huge batch of food all at once, so that it lasts weeks or months at a time. When I know ahead of time that I not be able to make food one weekend, I usually make a 9lb meat/13-1/2lb veggie batch for the 2-3 weeks preceeding.

Remember that you can use any meat or vegetables that you like; and that adding carbs will be a money saver. Dr. Coren's recipe recommends equal parts of meat/veg/carbs in weight, so if you use 6lb of beef, you can cut back on your veggies; and you can add 6lb of bread/noodles/rice/cereal(like porridge), which will end up stretching your batch of food further than ours goes.

And on that note: The ingredients I used this weekend cost $34.70 CAD.

John Mutford's Canadian Book Challenge 3

2009-07-06T13:14:00.002-06:00

John Mutford has posited a challenge on his The Book Mine Set blog: Take part in his Canadian Book Challenge 3 by reading and reviewing 13 Canadian books between 1 July 2009 and 1 July 2010. That should be easy enough; but since this is a blog about dogs I'm going to set a theme for myself: 13 books about dogs. I would see a lot of Stanley Coren in my future, except I have already read most of his books. Hmmm .... thankfully the author of the Stanley books (Stanley's Party, Stanley's Beauty Contest, Stanley's Wild Ride, etc.) is Canadian. Whew! That should cover about a third of my 13. And then of course there is Farley Mowat's The Dog Who Wouldn't Be.

Got any suggestions for me?

Book Review ~ Patrick McDonnell's The Gift of Nothing

2009-06-29T15:22:00.005-06:00

I first heard about Patrick McDonnell in Modern Dog Magazine, where he (rightly!) earned many kudos for his work promoting shelter adoptions. The article spoke of McDonnell's "Shelter Stories" series that run each November. My curiosity piqued, I checked out McDonnell's website. But that's about as far as I went until my friend Colin asked me if I had checked out McDonnell's Shelter Stories book. It seemed a bit serendipitous that McDonnell's name kept popping up everywhere, and Colin promised the book was a keeper. So, I picked up a copy and was overwhelmed. Archie is a shelter dog and Gabe was on his way to the SPCA when fate (aka my niece Michelle) intervened for us, so shelter stories and Shelter Stories particularly resonate with me. If you know someone who has adopted a pet from a shelter or rescue, I highly recommend Shelter Stories as a gift.

A few months later, I was browsing in the children's section of the bookstore and I came across McDonnell's children's books. I read through a couple of them and thought they were beautifully done with simple artwork and meaningful stories. But they weren't right for the gift I was searching for and at $20 a pop at McNally Robinson's, they were a little pricey for me to keep for myself, so I sadly left them behind.

Fast forward to my great-nephew Dylan's baptism. Dylan's parents have a Staffordshire Terrier who is the sweetest, most playful dog; and they decided to decorate Dylan's nursery with a puppy theme. I am not particularly religious and have never before needed to buy a gift for a baby boy's baptism, so I decided on a couple of Patrick McDonnell's books - The Gift of Nothing and Just Like Heaven. I thought Just Like Heaven was particularly apt for the occasion, as it has a gentle moral of finding heaven on earth. But, The Gift of Nothing is just the sweetest little book; a story about a cat (Mooch) who wants to buy a gift for a dog (Earl) who has "everything" (namely a bowl, a dogbed, and a single toy). Mooch decides that since Earl has everything, Mooch will get him "nothing" which proves harder to find than Mooch imagined. The moral of this one is that the greatest gifts you can give are your time, friendship, and a hug. Perfect.

I was initially unsure if the book would appeal to a child as much as it appealed to me. McDonnell's books incorporate the same spare sketching techniques of his comic strip, and the colours are muted and selectively chosen. So many children's books have a bright and busy Disneyesque style - is that what children prefer? However, thinking back to my own favourite books as a child - namely, Barney Beagle, Frances, and Amelia Bedelia - I realized that sometimes the best books are the simple ones.

Dylan is just short of 7 months old, and perhaps not quite ready to exclaim over a new book. However, all the adults at the party loved both books, and like me, particularly loved The Gift of Nothing. My niece Marissa loved the stories as well and mentioned that she would like to get McDonnell's books for her two-year old daughter Mary. Perfect! Another gift crossed off my shopping list.

Animal Crackers Petsitting Service - 8 Paws Up!

2009-06-21T10:21:00.006-06:00

I don't travel a lot, but when I do, my amazing niece Michelle usually petsits for me. The boys have known her from day one and love her to bits. Michelle actually met Gabe before I did, and is responsible for "placing" him with me; and she came along the night we picked up Archie at the airport.

However, a few months ago, Michelle's sister Marie (who is also pretty amazing) proposed a flying shopping trip to Edmonton for her 26th birthday. The group included me, my sister Corrine, and Marie, Michelle, and Marissa (my other amazing niece). So, what to do with Gabe n Arch?

I looked around online and found Animal Crackers. I sent an email inquiry, and pretty promptly, Anna replied. Anna suggest that we meet in early June so that the boys wouldn't forget her before the trip.

The day of our appointment, the dogs got comfy with her pretty quickly. She had some contracts for me to sign; took copious notes about Gabe n Arch's habits and activities; and thoroughly explained her billing system. The plan was for her to stop in for an hour at lunch and supper on both of Friday and Saturday and to spend Friday night at the house. The cost would be $85, plus any incidental expenses that might occur (such as an emergency vet trip).

Upon arriving home after one night (38 hours) away, I found the boys happy to see me and eager to return to our regularly scheduled programming, which always gets slightly thrown off no matter how prepared a pet sitter is. Anna left behind a comprehensive statement of her activities with the boys. The cutest part is where she says "They both slept with me last night and we had a very good sleepover." I had been wondering how the sleeping arrangements would work out.

Although the boys would prefer to avoid a petsitter at all costs, they figure Anna was pretty cool. She greeted them with treats, played ball, gave them cuddles, and even washed up their dishes. How cool is that? They voted 8 Paws Up for Anna from Animal Crackers.

Dog Days of Summer

2009-06-13T19:07:00.003-06:00

These guys totally destroyed my lawn about two years ago. It was a little shabby to start with, but still ... I laid new sod last year. It's a little patchy this spring, but lookin' good, all in all. The dogs are allowed to play on the lawn on the weekends only. And then, they go all out ....

And the paddling pool came out for the first time today. You can see Gabe waited for about 2" of water before the first dip.

Archie is not a paddling pool guy. Here he is puzzling over how to get the ball out ... Gabe eventually hops in to retrieve it for Arch.

And we have a very special guest with us today: Miss Kona! Miss Kona's people had to go out of town for the weekend and their petsitting plans fell through, so Miss Kona came to stay with us for two nights. She seems to be handling her own mini-break with great aplomb.

Swim and Trim at Bays Waterpaws

2009-06-12T00:39:00.001-06:00

My family went through some hard times in 2004-06, and Gabe gained a lot of weight as we all overfed him out of misguided kindness. Gabe has never been very active; even as a puppy he would go get the ball 2 or 3 times before giving up on fetch. Once Archie arrived, with his manic activity and his dietary restrictions, Gabe slowly started losing weight. In January 2008, he hit a "plateau" though - and stubbornly stayed at roughly 43 pounds all year. Our vet felt that his food shouldn't be cut back any further, and at Christmas 2008, she recommended swimming as a low-impact exercise.

We checked out the local canine pool - Bays Waterpaws - and booked a trial swim. I suspected Gabe would like swimming as he enjoys having baths and using his paddling pool in the summer. I think he initially viewed the pool the same way he viewed his plastic paddling pool - a place to hop into, to get wet, and hop right out of. He was in for a major surprise.

The first few weeks were tough. The swim instructor - Corinne - would have to give Gabe a few breaks during his 20-minute swim. It was often difficult to convince him to get back in the water after a break.

He's become a very strong swimmer over the past few months; and I'm sure the swimming was responsible for him finally reaching his goal weight of 38 pounds in early June. (Yay, Gabe-o!) Gabe loves swimming; and I'm sure he knows which day is Thursday, our usual swim day, as he seems expectant and extra prance-y when I get home from work. He knows the word "swimming" means we're heading to the pool; and lately when we get there he doesn't even want to pause to get his life jacket on - he just wants to pop into the pool as quickly as possible.

Archie, however, is a landlubber extraordinaire. Corrine and I joke about Archie lounging with sunglasses on and an umbrella in his waterbowl, or on a inflatable lounge chair in the pool, floating by while Gabe methodically churns away.Originally, I thought it would be so cute if Gabe and Archie could play together in the pool, but it's not to be. Archie's not keen on new experiences and the swimming excaberates his cauda equina syndrome. He is more or less content to lounge poolside, with hopes that another canine client will arrive while Gabe is in the pool, so that Archie can scope out the new arrival through the window that is knee-high to an Archie.

Sometimes he seems so bored, I wonder if he would rather stay home? I'm guessing, though, that the possibility of meeting a new friend outweighs the boredom of waiting for Gabe to get out of the pool.

Regal Hound Designs - 8 Paws Up & Tail Wags Too!

2009-06-07T13:35:00.000-06:00

I first stumbled across Regal Hound Designs on eBay, early in 2009. I had been searching for a leash for a female beagle I was fostering. Annie has a very strong personality. She is regal and very strong willed, a tough as nails girlie, but still very much a girl. None of the flowery, bejewelled leashes I was finding at pet stores seemed quite right. As I usually do when shopping for something specific, I turned to eBay.

It was there that I discovered Regal Hound Designs, which goes by the username "joetriever" on eBay. Based in Calgary, the owner - Kelly - had listed a leash and martingale collar in a dark pink with chocolate hearts design. It was perfect so I snapped it up, and as a result "met" Kelly through email. Kelly does business like an oldtimer on eBay, with prompt, pleasant, and personalized emails. Kelly is also active in supporting greyhound rescue through her business.

I was impressed with the way Kelly does business, and even more impressed with the collar and leash I purchased from her, which were well-made, tough and lightweight. I decided to take her up on her offer of a discount if I purchased 6 collar/leash sets at the same time. With bulk orders, you can't pick and choose your colours/designs, but Kelly picked great patterns for us. Kelly was aware that I planned to keep 2 sets for my guys and donate the other 4 sets to Beagle Paws, for their online auction fundraisers. So, she made two "matching" sets - the flames Gabe n Arch are wearing in the picture above; and the diamond sets.

The problem was deciding which of the matching sets to keep. We went with the flames. Gabe and Arch like the "tough guy" attitude of the design and I appreciate the awesome construction plus, yeah, it was a joy dealing with Kelly at Regal Hound Designs.

Happy Birthday Gabe-O!

2009-06-07T09:42:00.001-06:00

So, it was the noise box's birthday yesterday. He turned 5. I can't believe he's been part of my life for almost 5 years - that number seems both too large and too small.

We had an excellent lead-up to his birthday. On Thursday, before his "Swim and Trim" workout, we stopped at the vet's to use the scale. He weighed in at 38.4 pounds! He has been on a diet for about two and a half years, stubbornly remaining at a 43-pound plateau from January 2008 to May 2009. His goal weight was about 38 pounds, so we kicked off his birthday weekend in a very celebratory mood.

His main gift was a matching collar and leash set from Regal Hound Designs and the new tag from Jazzy Tags. We all had bbq steak for supper (Gabe got 200g instead of his usual 170g of homecooked food - not wild and crazy, but a little extra); and Gabe also had an extra large chewie for his Saturday night movie chew time. Auntie Mary dropped by, too, with a toenail grinder gizmo as a birthday gift - we'll see how that goes over.

Otherwise, it was just a good day. A little play time, a little snuggle time, and our usual 3K walk.

Happy Birthday Gabe-O!

Archie's Acupuncture Adventures

2009-05-31T17:43:00.001-06:00

In late March, Archie was diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome, which, in a nutshell, means his spine is compressed near his pelvis and is causing nerve damage. It causes him pain and may lead to paralysis at some point.

Our vet, in whom I have great faith, is very holistic/homeopathic. She prescribed a natural anti-inflammatory (Zeel by Heel, available at health food stores), a vitamin B complex for nerve regeneration, and glucosamine, which is commonly used for arthritis. I discontinued the Zeel after one month, as it may cause liver damage; and Archie seems to be managing well without it.

Our vet also recommended physiotherapy, and Archie has had one home visit appointment. I need to book a follow-up. In the first appointment, we learned several stretches and massage techniques. For our second visit, I need to purchase an exercise ball (yes, that kind).

One thing our vet didn't recommend was canine acupuncture. The first people to suggest acupuncture were my friends Chloe and Jane. They were very familiar with canine acupuncture as their vet - Dr. Nairn at Westward Animal Hospital in Saskatoon - practices it. When another friend suggested acupuncture as well, I gave Westward a call.

I was told that Archie would have an initial consult appointment, to determine whether acupuncture was a feasible treatment for him. I assumed Archie would have a checkup and Dr. Nairn would talk to me about the treatment, before deciding if we would go ahead and do it. But, at our first appointment, Dr. Nairn was ready to insert the needles. Poor Archie!

Archie is my Mexcian jumping bean - the only time he sits still is when he's sleeping. He is also quite timid in new situations. It took quite awhile for Dr. Nairn and me to calm Archie down enough to insert the needles; and then we needed to keep Archie still for 5 minutes. Much easier said than done. Dr. Nairn had to keep adjusting the needles.

After the needles were removed, Dr. Nairn asked me to email him, and let him know how Archie was doing over the next few days. If we saw an improvement, we would continue with the acupunture.

The first thing I noticed was that as soon as we got home, Archie had a nap. At 5:00pm, which is hugely out of character for him. Dr. Nairn later told me that most pets do sleep after a treatment, but he has no idea why.

The next day, the first thing I noticed was that Archie was just FULL of wiggles. My "Mr. Wiggles" was back! I actually started crying. I hadn't realized he wasn't wiggling for me, until I saw him do it at long last.

The second thing I noticed was that he was sitting on the couch in a way I hadn't seen him do in a long time - actually standing on his hindpaws with his front paws on the window sill to look out.

The last - and most important thing - was that he curled up in a little ball that night to sleep. For the past few months, he had been sleeping s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d right out and would change positions several times during the night. His usual way of sleeping was to curl up into a ball and maybe reposition his head once during the night. When I saw him sleeping this way again, I knew the acupuncture had made a tremendous difference for Arch.

Dr. Nairn says that Archie should be treated once a week for a month; then once every 2 weeks for about 3 months; then once a month for about 8 months. If after a full year of treatment, he is still fine, we will discontinue it until he has "episode" and needs help managing his pain.

This past Thursday, Archie had his fourth treatment. He gets to skip a week now, and goes back again on June 11th.

The second and third treatments, in particular, were bad and I believe they caused Archie a lot of pain. I try to justify that by saying 5 minutes of pain makes him feel better for a whole week, but it's still hard to knowingly subject your pet to a painful procedure.

But, this last treatment went swimmingly. It could be that Archie is just more used to the whole shebang; or it could be that the pain from the needles is lessened as his overall pain decreases. Dr. Nairn inserted 6 needles in Archie's pelvic area and then we gave Archie rubbies for 5 minutes. Archie was in heaven. He kept leaning his head up and back trying to smooch up Dr. Nairn, who finally gave Archie a kiss. Aw! Kisses and acupuncture - now that's holistic!

Jazzy Tags - 7 Paws up!

2009-05-27T23:23:00.000-06:00

Well someone has a birthday coming up, namely Mr. Gabe-o, who will be hitting the big "5" next week. We do very much celebrate birthdays here, with a bbq steak (no bones!) and gifts. Gabe's had the same leash since 2005, and his tag is looking pretty scratchy (he's on his second one in 3 years) so I figured a perfect gift would be a new collar and leash set and a new tag.

Modern Dog magazine has several ads for online stores that specialize in dog tags. I checked an "artisan" dog tag store, only to see that their handmade tags run at $30-$50 USD. *ahem* a little too pricy for me. Moving along ... I checked out jazzytags.com. The photos of their tags looked "okay" and the price was reasonable ($13.99 USD, no shipping charges), so I decided to give them a try.
The only shape jazzytags.com tags come in is round, but they are stamped with a simple picture on the front - you can choose from 13 designs, 9 colours, and 3 tag sizes. Okay. Choosing was actually pretty easy. The website suggested the medium size tag would be appropriate for "most" dogs. For Gabe, I chose the bone design with a red background - I like red on him; and the bone is no-brainer. It's like his personal logo. I also ordered a tag for Archie, for his birthday in August. His has a green background to contrast nicely with his red fur; and his design is a fire hydrant because ... well, I'm sure you can figure that one out.

I used PayPal to pay for the tags late on May 19th; and on May 20th received an email saying I would get the tags in about 7 days. Voila, May 27th, they are in my mailbox - from the USA, yet.

These are beautiful tags - much nicer than they look on the jazzytags website. The tags are stainless steel, large and heavy - almost 1/2 oz, to be precise. They're about the size of a toonie and twice as thick. Everything is perfect. The colours are vivid; the designs are clear; the engraving is a good size (and no errors).

Considering that the tags from the vending machine at PetSmart run at about $10, jazzytags is certainly competitively priced, but offering a much nicer quality item in the end.

Gabe and Archie give them 7 paws up. They deducted 1 paw because the engraving may be difficult to read in certain lighting (this is where the tags at the PetSmart vending machine get a bonus point). But, this is a small issue - with luck, no one will ever *need* to read their tags to return the boys home to me. Check out jazzytags.com the next time your furkid needs a tag.

Introducing .... Gabe 'n' Arch!

2009-05-24T14:59:00.000-06:00

Okay, so Gabe and Archie are my beagles. It's always "Gabe 'n' Arch" - never "Arch 'n' Gabe" - 'cause Gabe came first, two years before Archie. But, in this picture, Arch is the little red guy on the left, and Gabe is the bigger dark guy on the right.

I am one of those "crazy" pet parents you hear about. My boys have their own dresser and each have a drawer with sweaters, t-shirts, rain jackets, and winter boots. They have a dog "castle" outside to use as a look-out point (it's designed specifically for them to hop on the roof). I cook them homemade dog food from fresh beef and vegetables every weekend. I bake them cookies. I take Gabe to a "swim and trim" program at the local canine pool; and Archie goes for physio and acupuncture treatments. I gave out 22 calendars at Christmas last year; it's a charity calendar for Beagle Paws rescue and Archie is Mr. May.

My name is Jacki and I am a crazy pet parent.

But, you know what? I don't think I'm that crazy. Archie freezes up when it's terribly cold, thus the sweaters and boots. Gabe was overweight and developing arthritis, thus the swimming. Archie has allergies, thus the homemade food. Arch also has cauda equina syndrome, thus the physio and the acupuncture. Every bit of my craziness has a reason, and I'm betting there are plenty of other so-called "crazy" pet parents out there who aren't so crazy after all. You're just doing the best you can for your four-legged family members.

That's what this blog is about - my search for solutions, my trials and errors, my pet-parent goofiness, as I try to keep Gabe 'n' Arch happy and safe.