Pooper Scoopin'

Business for "Miracle House Pet sitting" continues to flourish and yesterday started off with a large husky or malamute coming for the day.  Her name was Inga and she had recently had surgery on her legs (Cruciate tendons or something?  Of course I had to go doggin' so we popped her in the back of my dogmobile and although she was upset for a few moments and barked she soon settled down and all was well.  When I walked my two dogs I left her in the van as my back wasn't up to lifting her in again.  She didn't care but by the time we got home she was glad to go into the back yard and tend to her bodily functions.  A very quiet and shy dog, she was afraid to come in the house but once she did caused absolutely no upset.  Very mannerly and when I passed by her she would attempt to get up and out of the way but with her leg problem I told her it was okay not to and she understood.  I had a nice quiet afternoon resting my back until around four and then I puttered out in the front yard waiting for Ingas' owner to come.  She did eventually and we chatted for a time and then they left and it was just me and mine.
   I must say I am happy and proud of how Teko and Keeper have handled the different dogs coming and going.  I hope that means they are balanced and confident in their home and me and life in general.  I think it is good to shake up their lives every so often so they don't get possessive and jealous etc. And Mr.Peaches was most amazing! He showed absolutely no fear of any of the dogs. However I made a point of having him in the house at night on never left  him in the porch when there was another dog around.  He does like his privacy at times and simply opens the bedroom door and retreats to quiet when he fancies.  I miss Max but boy is it calmer around here without him!  JR's are just too busy!  And calm and quiet are okay too.  I enjoy it.  Someone told Max's owner I didn't like JR's but really there are few dogs I dislike and I know if they are really misbehaved it is the owners fault not the dog's.  In the end I was glad of the opportunity to work with Max and as I have said before I probably learned as much as he did!  All good in the end.
   I used to write for Pennywise about dogs and we called it the "Paws Up and Paws Down Corner"  I think I will continue that here.
Today's topic is:   Paws up to the pooper scoopers!  Thank-you to those that accept responsibility for their pets and pick up after them.  That keeps our town cleaner and the places where you walk your dogs as well.  I have always felt that if you have a dog you get the bark. the bite. and the POOP!  You get to deal with those things in order for your dog not to cause other people problems.  Our small village even provides stands with pooper bags for your convenience although I think any dog owner should come prepared at all times.  Got the dog? Have the bags!  So..."Paws Up" to those that deal with this and "Paws Down" and shame on you to those that leave it behind for someone to step in it!

Bye Max-Agility

My dear friend Max went home last night.  His presence is missed for sure.  he just seemed to fill the house and now it seems a lot emptier.  However I remind myself that a certain amount of worry and responsibility went with him!  An hour or so before his owner arrived he managed to pull an ornament out of a fishbowl I have flowers and rocks and marbles in.  This was a small turtle with a glass ball attached to make it float.  I didn't notice what he was into until I heard the glass ball break and saw him trying to eat it!! I managed to get most of it but he is so fast he may have swallowed some-don't know.  I went to bed with visions of all sorts of things tucked in a corner of Max's stomach and wonder how these puppies ever make it to adulthood.  I am hoping and praying he has a cast iron stomach and all bad things pass on thru!  Max was most excited with the return of his owner and also the fact that he had not had his usual walk yesterday as it was so rainy.  We did manage short demo of the agility course in the back yard(the tunnel and three jumps). He did well although still needs to understand it better.  With their bountiful energy I can certainly see how JR's do so well at games. And fast! Whewie!  Max and I spent several hours on the couch as I have a bad back.  That's the thing about dogs-they adapt themselves to whatever you are doing or not doing for that matter.  At this point in time max is not a yappy dog at all but he will bark when people arrive.  That's fine by me as one of the reasons we have dogs is to alert us, I think.  he will quiet down when told firmly and I appreciate that as well. My two dogs have hearing problems so cannot be trusted to accurately warn me of visitors and that happens very seldom anyway(visitor's I mean)
   When I started Keeper on agility she totally loved it and was pretty fast for and "aged" dog,being past ten. I could see right away I would not be able to keep up and soon she would do the whole line of obstacles by herself and wait for me at the end table for her treat and then do them all the way back again!  If I ran with her she got quite happy and excited and would even yark about it.  We had a lot of fun with it and once even went to an event that Linda Murray put on.  It was there we got to see the professional obstacles for the first time.  the tunnel was something else and large enough to accommodate the larger dogs.  The teeter-totter was interesting also and it was all a nice adventure and learning experience for us both.  Back home, I dreamt about an agility club coming together but have never been able to interest too many people in that.  And lets face it, its all work and time out of ones' busy schedule.  Not having any money to invest in jumps etc. I set about improvising things into jumps.  Short metal headboard pieces became small jumps when  bits of 2x4's were drilled to accommodate the "legs" and make them stand up.  A childs' wind tunnel made an excellent "tunnel".  My step-daughter gave me the first one and be darned if when it fell apart a kindly couple here in town replaced it for me!  The "chicken coop"(I think it is called) consists of a large piece of plywood attached to another piece by a hinge so you have something the dogs can go up and then down again.  I also had to add rungs for grip.  My husband made this for me-alas, I am now getting to old to move the damn thing and in fact need assistance to set up my course now.  In any event I have added the agility as a fun thing to do after the obedience classes I give.  Its kind of a break from the learning and something fun for owners and dogs. I have been fortunate to be able to use the Riding Grounds to store my jumps and also to give lessons there.  On some years we have even given a demo on the may day weekend.  but it all depends on how well the dogs will listen.
Most dogs seem to enjoy it a lot and love to please of course.  Not being very athletic any more, I set the obstacles and jumps up in a straight line as I am not about to run all over the arena. I realise this makes the dog and owner "think" but this is what works for me.  I also do not change tables accordingly but use two tables that are easy for most dogs and stick with that.  After all I don't have a grounds crew either.  some years when I was giving both spring and fall obedience class I left the jumps up for people to use whenever they liked.   But bottom line is, it has never taken off well here in Kaslo.(Apologies for change in print-don't know what I hit for that)  Nowadays. Keeper is far past any agility so I have no dog to use but if there is interest out there--let me know!

Living To The Max

Its getting so all these blogs are running together in my mind and I am not sure what happened on what day. I have gotten very used to living with Max and now its time to go back to how things were before his arrival. Boy-oh-boy I'm gonna miss him, but that's how it goes I guess and until next time I will have to manage. So much rain we haven't done any agility for a couple of days but I am sure he won't forget. Max spent a good part of the day destroying a stuffy. Its the second one to meet its' demise at his strong little teeth and what the heck? It kept him happy and busy too, and he doesn't eat the stuffing. He and I had a long afternoon sleep on the couch. When he's going he's going and when he's out he's definitely out. Doesn't move at all. I can't say I will miss the “patter of little feet” that's far too slow for Max. He's more like the gallop of four on the floor! He really makes me think at times and has obviously been taught to “Drop It!” That's a good one as he is forever picking up non-edibles. He came by the other day and had the squeaky thing from the first stuffy he emptied and when I told him to, dropped it right at my feet. What a guy but he gave me pause when he went by the first time and squeaked it in his mouth!

I decided yesterday that we could not work on his recall unless he was loose at some point in time, so I opened the door and all three dogs went out. Max tore down to the vehicles and kept going! I thought “Oh boy! Now I've done it But I called his name and then said “Cookies” like I had the night before with Maddie and he came tearing back to me! Unbelievable! Just when you think you are not getting through to him he proves you wrong and shows you just how clever he really is –when he wants to be!

I have been doing a great deal of walking and finally my left knee is telling me about it and getting rather painful at times. One person suggested it'd the rainy cold weather doing that to me and that would be okay as the rain will one day go away and I would not even want to think of having yet another arthroscopy. The last time did a real number on me and I didn't have the stairs then that I do now.

I have a new-to-me computer coming in today and may not be able to write any more posts for a few days but I have so gotten into writing that I will be back at some point. I can't seem to get in touch with Telus and dread phoning them anyway. Apparently I will need a different wireless connector thing or something? We'll see how it goes. Although I am not looking forward to learning a whole bunch of new stuff once again once I do things should go a lot smoother? Maybe for years!!? That will be nice.

Between my writing and Max being on front street everyday he is becoming quite famous! When people stop and want to talk we say “Visit” and he knows he doesn't have to “heel” any more. People ask if “That's him?” etc. And it has all been a lot of fun. If you want to stay young just get a JR! They really enjoy life to the...well ,,Max! I must say it has been a very unusual two weeks living with Maximilian Jack Russell! That's it for now,hope you have enjoyed his stories!! JMD

More Max Days

Sorry for the lapse in postings the past couple of days folks but I have been experiencing technical difficulties with my computer. I have a different one coming tomorrow and hopefully will be okay for awhile. How does one manage without a computer again?? Answer for me anyway- Not Well! I missed it a lot and it changed my whole lifestyle. Meanwhile back at Miracle House Pet sitting things have continued to be happening. Young Max discovered the cats' shitty box! I heard him and he had gotten it moved so it effectively trapped him in a corner. The lickin' stick was handy and a few pops of that and much berating and he has not been near it again. Of course it was only a matter of time before he found it anyway-you don't get much past a JR. They “find” everything! And much that would be better off lost. I shall find life rather dull when he goes home and may have to visit him often for my JR “fix”, or would it just be a Max fix?? I really shouldn't lump them all together as I have no other JR's to compare him with.

Max’s' training has continued and although there is much more I would like to teach him time and my energy are running out. “Miracles” take longer even in Miracle House!

Maddie returned for a day and Max liked that and had someone to terrorize besides the older dogs-although thankfully he has left Keeper alone. Wednesday was the rainiest of days and Maddie didn't really want to be in the yard so I had her in the porch a lot after our walk. After supper she let me know that she wasn’t really happy and I figure it is my job to keep the dogs as happy as possible so I took her and Max out for a second walk. I did the unthinkable and turned them both loose at the park. I was banking on Maddies fairly good recall to get Max to come and it worked. I did it several times and reinforced things with cookies. Max ran as hard as he could run back to me after that. Recall is SO important and I wish people would spend more time on it at a puppies very early age. It could save their life! Of course Max's curiosity and energy work against him on that. Still, I was most pleased with the results. Wait til his owner is told to holler “Cookies!” for her dog to return. Too funny but whatever works. I have laid down the gauntlet to the owners of the three JR's at Teresa’s for a “Recall contest of $100 on which dog will return soonest. Foolishly I offered a bet of $100.00(which of course I don't have and can't afford) but I don't think they are going to take me up on it. Was most pleased to have Dave tell me I had done a good job on Max as they have been up front in seeing it happen. Its not often I get a pat on the back and I certainly glory in the few I do get. However I have been happy with the results my own self so there you go! Anyone else with a JR that's up for training?? He leaves on Sunday and it is coming all too soon! Max has certainly wrapped his paws around my heart and I really didn't see this coming at all! How long does it take to love a JR? Well for me I was done by the first week! Max is personality plus! Of course I love all the dogs that come here and they get to be favourites in no time at all. I am really enjoying having steady customers that return. Previous visits make it “old hat” for the dogs and me and we don't need to go through all that adjusting once we know each other.

I recently discovered Max does NOT like clothes and thinks them rather silly, He squirms and really does not like “getting dressed”. So he didn't wear the nice little raincoat that fits him and I only got one toenail clipped as he doesn't like that either. But it was a curled toenail and the one that mattered so I guess we could call that a stalemate? It has certainly been a crazy couple of weeks and if Max learned a lot so did I! If you think you'r life is a bit boring just try getting a Jack Russell. By the way one friend commented that they should be called Jack Russell Terrorists not Terriers. That’s almost as good as the misspelling of Cairn Terrier at the Village. They put down “Carrion” Terrier. I thought that was pretty funny and tell every Cairn Terrier owner about it. Thassit for today folks! We still have until Sunday anyway!

Dogs Are Wonderful!

Uh-oh, I'm in love! Didn't think this would happen but after one week of keeping company for 24-7 I have fallen head over heels for a little boy named Maximilian! We had a wonderful day yesterday with him listening rather well and when we got home for nap time he went in his crate but I let him out to do the pee thing outside when Keeper asked to go out and when we laid down again there was Max! Right with me. What a cuddle bum! Lovely little dog. After my many comments about Jack Russell’s I am totally sold and just love this little guy all to pieces. But of course this affair can go nowhere as he is taken and I know Linda will never part with him. What am I saying??? But anyway that's how it is and I will miss him dearly when he goes home. In the meantime we still have a whole 'nother week! I guess the only way to understand a JR is to have one around.

After our walk we stopped for a visit with the Milners who were at Bea's house and ended up taking Jiggs uptown with us while we found a phone number etc. Its all good and with only three dogs it doesn't seem to be that much work and worry any more. Can you relax and live with a JR? Yes you can although you do have to watch young ones. I guess part of the peace around here is that Max has figured out the schedule and how things work-also the big dogs have gone home so not so many distractions.

I finally managed to get my photos off my camera and hope to have some of them included on my blog.(Diaryofadogcatcher@blogspot,com) One of the photos is of Jiggs in his snood. 

This is kind of a little bag, open on both ends that when slipped on his head prevents his ears from being gin his food. I'm afraid I did have to laugh at him but Jiggs takes it all in stride. His “snood” never made it here this time so I though I was pretty clever in using a headband on him but didn't get a photos of that. He really is a good sport and a wonderful dog as well. I knew it before but this past session of five dogs had really enforced the fact that “DOGS ARE WONDERFUL!' I am very happy in this job. Back to work tomorrow but its been a blast these past couple of weeks. Max has done so much travelling with me I know he will be fine going to work with me. He pops into the Dogmobile and then into his cat crate with no problem whatsoever. What a clever little duck he is and also getting to be obedient which I really appreciate! Alas I know he will break my heart when he leaves.

I haven't figured out how to put photos on things so cannot include one of my lovely little boy. But he really is a handsome fellow!! Thassit for today. Oh yeah when I vacuumed the rug I think the nose of the teddy went up there so Max didn't eat it after all but we don't know for sure. 'Till tomorrow, keep doggin' JMD

Pissidents & Assidents

Wow 'nother day! You know you are getting 'dogerized' when you go to bed at night and find a roll of pooper bags in the pocket of your pyjamas! It would be nice if it warmed up, I would like to try Max on a bit of agility and that was my first thought this morning upon waking. I think he would do well and it would be great stimulation (like he needs it?) but would also be a fun way to employ a little obedience as well. When 'last call' came last night old Keeper took one look at the rain and decided she didn't need to pee. Oh Well her choice, unless she has a problem in the night-which hasn't happened since the other dogs arrived! Great!

Because of the appearance of the fourth dog-the male black lab, Max was usurped on his training in town. Instead I put two signs on the black dog and walked him up and down front street in hopes someone would recognize him. They said “DO YOU KNOW ME? I AM LOST”. A Lady in the Insurance office suggested it might be Finnegan and finally when another woman from Sunnyside was sure it was he and told me where to take him I did. I should have known it was him but just didn't twig. He has been in trouble for killing chickens and also once did in a Raven at the school. His owners have parted company from each other and poor Finnegan really doesn't know where he is supposed to be right now and obviously no one is keeping tabs on him. Ah well I can't change owners attitudes and make them better but they don't deserve such a good dog.

A good friend and I call bodily function accidents with the dogs “Pissidents” and “Assidents” and there have been none for a couple of days. Then this morning just a couple of minutes ago the cat came over and had a pisssident right on my long lap rug!! I couldn't believe it and at first thought it was Max lying on my feet. Not so! Man! They are all out to drive me nuts. So Mr.Peaches has been put in the porch to think about his bathroom habits and I had better clean out his shitty box as maybe it is my fault??

I gave Max a small teddy bear to play with and later heard “crunch crunch” and went to see what he was doing and of course he was chewing the nose out. I got one piece but in the process of running him down he simply swallowed the other. Hopefully it was small enough to pass, although with all he eats(dust bunnies,goose poop and anything small that he comes across) its a wonder he is still alive! I looked in his mouth and think he is actually teething with the back molars coming in so of course he wants to do a lot of chewing. He has also picked up on the morning sleep thing. After the first pee break you come back in and 'cause the boss is just on the computer and isn't going to feed you until 7:00 a.m., you may as well catch some more zees. Its the quietest time of the day I tell you! But as the hour hand on the clock gets closer to 7 there are often many “looks” and trips to the kitchen to see if I somehow quietly put down everyone’s food without them hearing about it. Fat chance of that happening. The other two may be getting deaf but Max can hear a fart I am sure! Uh-oh I am getting a tad “common” so will just wrap this up for today and let you know in the next post how today goes. Thassit everyone! JMD

Lost Dogs and Learnin' Dogs

Oh boy! Another busy day! I think I am doing very well for a not-so-young-person. With two dogs gone I was running rather late yesterday but then having a Jack Russell around is like many dogs anyway. They (at least Max anyway) can be described in three words-fast,busy and active all the time! He is so funny! We reached success in the poop department because what I found on the carpet had been done before he went in his crate. I figure I won yesterday and got him outside enough times for long enough to get the “business” taken care of-outside! But I really don't think he understands that’s where to do it. First thing in the morning he can't get out fast enough for a pee but after that he won't always go out. After all, the big dogs are not around to play with-only the Old (Keeper) and the Cranky (Teko). I really don't like a defiant dog so have “run him down” several times. When finally caught his little heart beats like a trip hammer but its all part and parcel of learning. The leash lesson went well and Max has now figured out the “sit” part and is wise to the turnaround as well. Its always a plus when the dog is watching for the turnaround. Means he understands and is paying attention. Good for Maximiilan! We are dispensing with treats for everything and he will crate for the command now-although it may have to be repeated so he knows you are serious. Max is a big boy now and is handling it very well. Looking after him is like having a little kid around and I am always checking to see what he is up to now, kind of thing. Went to check him in the front room yesterday and couldn't see him-turned around and there he was checking on me! This morning I looked and looked for my slippers and really was wondering where they could be. Well, on the couch of course! That’s where Max thought they should be! Another little “habit” we are dealing with is him scratching at my knee while I am on computer. Max dislikes loud noises and a simple smack of the “likin' stick”(a rolled up newspaper in my hand was enough to get the idea across of what “Off” means. On a return visit I had only to reach for the stick and he understood. Its important to say “Off” when a dog jumps on you because later “Down” will mean lie down not get down. The ball on a strap has had a good going over with many thumps on the floor as he shook it and “killed” it. So much to learn and Max is eating it up,

Besides my usual board money, my reward is seeing him learn. As soon as he was put on a leash with a choke chain he learned the big one-”RESPECT”. It was obvious and I was glad to see it as it proves he does have all his marbles its just his breed working against obedience. I mean after all he is supposed to spending his day catching and killing rats!

After our morning walk, I was kept busy looking for a stray dog (although I am on holiday). Never did see it but have the dog in mind – it runs so much people have christened it Hobo as it kind of looks like a smaller version of the “littlest Hobo”? Then we had a normal day except for leaving the dogs for an appt. at hospital. There has been no word on the boxer female that disappeared and the owners are really out looking for it. Someone must have it or else it has met its end? Later I got a phone call regarding a found dog but it was a Male LabX. Always room for one more so it took Maddies place in the porch last night and seems a nice quiet dog. He has white on his chest and many white toes. He has taken to sitting on the rocking lounge and watching out the window but this allows the dogs inside to see him and Teko whom I thought was near blind with cataracts insists on sounding the alarm when he sees him through the window. Silly little fart. The dog seems to be waiting for its owners to come and its a bit heartbreaking so I hope they phone soon-will phone the vets and let them know as well.
And that is our present status for today and it looks to be another good one. Woof 'til tomorrow!!JMD