site renovation

I have changed the Training Tips page to Tip of the Day for members.  I strongly recommend you subscribe to the page feed (coming soon, it will sit above the facebook sectino) so you can have the daily tips, doggie blog and food journal delivered to your email. 

These tips will be bits of info as I think of them, not always 'daily' but regularly, and meant to be helpful especially to new owners as you get used to living with a puppy and a Toller!

LINK

another new trail

Splash and Rhys and my friend Carla and her Malamute Bailey went for another trail hike today, to a new place I had never been before and ended up on the most beautiful perch overlooking the village.  The girls all got along very well, Rhys even engaged 8 year old, grumpy Bailey into a game of chase which was pretty adorable.  Carla was amused, as Bailey doesn't play much with other dogs.

Tomorrow I will bring Bhindi and Topaz.  On new adventures, I keep the numbers down because I want to be able to focus on the terrain, potential doggie hazards, and in this case, the view :)

Change that to Bloody Buddy

So ever since he was a puppy, Topaz has had an almost fetish-like fascination with huge sticks.  Logs, really, or even whole trees if he can get near one that's wet, in water, submerged half in sand or water, salt ocean or fresh lake or river: you name it, he wants to ravish it.  Ravishing takes the form of squealing like a stuck pig, chewing pieces off of it, and dragging it around begging me to throw it for him to be the big strong dog and drag it back in to shore for me.

Add to this, Bhindi who thinks it's all the coolest thing ever and since she follows her Dad around like a shadow anyway because he's cool like Fonzie, she starts to SCREAM and squeal and bark-bark-bark-bark-bark-bark-bark-bark, well you get the picture.  Luckily we mostly have the beaches to ourselves at this time of year and because I know of some less travelled, or other folks would think we were nutso.

So today Topaz found one of his famous large logs, about 12 lbs soaking wet, and maybe two feet long.  This got dragged around beside me for awhile until I ignored him long enough that he brought it up the beach and hunkered in for a good chewing session.  Bhindi was barking at his side the whole time, also getting bites in when Topaz would allow.  I called them a couple of minutes later, and they came, Topaz dragging his precious log, and also bleeding from the gums. 

Luckily nothing serious, I wonder if he feels the pain and just keeps going?