Wanna Go For a Walk?

2011-07-20T08:34:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. The blog has been replaced by a Facebook page, for ease-of-use and quicker uploads. Pictures are now uploaded "live" while on the walk! Click the link below:

Wanna Go For A Walk? Facebook page!

2011-04-10T09:56:00.000-04:00

2011-03-30T20:25:00.001-04:00

2011-03-15T21:37:00.001-04:00

2011-02-15T21:39:00.002-05:00

2011-02-08T08:08:00.005-05:00

Snow!

2011-01-19T19:27:00.002-05:00

2010-12-09T19:07:00.003-05:00

2010-10-14T16:01:00.000-04:00

2010-09-23T20:54:00.000-04:00

2010-09-19T16:29:00.003-04:00

Stattie, Blue and Tank

Buddy

Maple, Sarah, Ellie and Parker

Maple and Kipper

Ollie and Stattie

Dolly and Maple

OMG, it's Rudi!

Way to go Parker.

Kipper's a bit tired after the walk.

Blue and Tank playing

2010-08-18T14:47:00.000-04:00

2010-08-07T09:41:00.001-04:00

2010-07-28T13:12:00.003-04:00

A little bit of advertising

Kiji

Maple and Jasper

Bishop and Jasper

Blue

Kipper

New truck, and Charlie spends the weekend

2010-07-19T14:49:00.003-04:00

It's been a big few days! First, Oliver and Spencer moved... I had been walking them starting the second month I was in business, way back in 2006. After seeing them 5 days a week for 3 1/2 years, it was very weird to not pick them up last Friday. I hope they find a good walker, and the pack (and I) will miss them.

Second, I got a new truck. Not because I wanted to, but because the old, stinky van was on it's last legs. It was at the point where I wasn't sure if it would survive week to week anymore. And the last thing I want to happen is to be stranded somewhere with a broken down van and a dozen dogs. The truck isn't in the budget, but it's a business necessity, so here we are.

Last, Charlie spent the weekend with me when his mom was out of town. I've never boarded any dogs before (my cats do not appreciate it), but all went well. Charlie lives with cats, so I was much more open to the idea. I took him up to the lake and we swam and generally had a good time.

That said, I guess I'm now in the business of dog boarding, too. As long as your dog is good with cats (preferably lives with one or more) and isn't too "barky", I have a spot for them should you ever need one. I charge significantly less than other boarding places, and the upside is the familiarity with me. Next time you're headed out of town, let me know!

Jak

2010-07-10T15:51:00.003-04:00

Although I really like to keep this "blog" upbeat and fun for my clients, I think it's appropriate that I say a few words about Jak here.

Jak has been with me for just over a year. He came to me from my ex-partner's pack when she quit the business and moved on to other things. Right from the get-go, Jak was welcomed to my group, and everybody loved him.

A big, slow moving red Retriever, Jak was never in a hurry to go anywhere. Whenever I picked him up, he'd try to bring along a toy (an old sock, a shoe, a stuffed animal...) and would take his time walking to the van. He'd jump in, and make sure to sit right at the sliding door, blocking the whole thing, so the next dogs I picked up would have to jump over him to get in. They didn't mind, and Jak didn't care. For a 3 year old dog, he was the "old man" of my pack, and was quite content with it.

On Monday, during the heat wave, he collapsed when I brought him home. He went to the vet as soon as his "mom" could get him there, and nobody was particularly worried. We both thought that due to his size, and the heat/bad air quality, he was just having a difficult time regulating his temperature. It turns out he had a bacterial infection that had gone through his whole body. Jak was one of "those" dogs, who would investigate and eat just about anything. I once took him out for a walk around the block in the evening - on garbage night - and he proceeded to attempt to bring an entire garbage bag home with him. The vet seems to think that he ate something toxic over the weekend, and that is what did the damage (not the heat).

Jak did not recover, and was put down later the next day.

The pack will not be the same without him.

2010-07-10T15:44:00.001-04:00

2010-06-27T14:19:00.000-04:00

2010-06-22T20:58:00.000-04:00

2010-06-17T19:47:00.000-04:00

Puppy Pictures!

2010-06-13T23:52:00.008-04:00

2010-06-07T14:25:00.002-04:00

Zwin, parker & Tank

Blue relaxing

Stattie & Zwin

Charlie munching on some grass

Moo

2010-06-01T16:03:00.002-04:00

Parker's wet

Stattie

Parker checks out Guiness

L-R: Guiness, Blue, Ollie, Kiji

Blue and Charlie

Blue's first day!

2010-05-25T22:43:00.002-04:00

These were taken using a great little app for the iPhone called "Hipstamatic". It basically turns your crappy iPhone camera into a recreation of the 1980's Hipstamatic plastic camera. (less than 200 ever made). You can change lenses, film, and even flashes, just like on the real thing. The idea is that you never know what you're going to get when you snap a picture.

2010-05-25T13:56:00.000-04:00

2010-05-21T15:44:00.003-04:00

Kiji

Kodiak sitting!

Monty

Guiness

Kodiak running!

Parker, Zwin, Laika and Dolly

Guiness

Laika

Status Quo (Stattie)

Big Jak

2010-05-14T17:58:00.001-04:00

Rudi!

Oliver (hearts) Charlie

Charlie sniffing the lilacs

Spencer

At the start of the walk

2010-05-05T17:55:00.000-04:00

2010-04-29T21:57:00.005-04:00

Spencer and Rudi

This is Guiness, the newest addition! He's a Newfie/Bernese mix. He's 5 months old. And 50 lbs.

Princess' last walk with the pack :(

Kiji held still just long enough for a picture! (I still can't get Bishop though)

Maple's first walk back after several months off for knee surgery!

2010-04-24T12:29:00.000-04:00

2010-04-17T08:47:00.002-04:00

Happy Brinkley

Kiji on the move

Monty

"Somebody's coming. Act natural."

Princess

2010-04-10T08:39:00.001-04:00

Monty before and after a haircut!

2010-03-30T16:50:00.002-04:00

2010-03-19T21:35:00.002-04:00

Brinkley has a stick!

Abbey making a break for it

Spencer enjoying the walk

Oliver rolling around

Happy Princess!

Brinkley

Something smells good!

Spring! (and new dogs)

2010-03-17T18:07:00.002-04:00

This is Monty. He's new. And he found a ball on his first day!

Statty having a look around

Monty is almost as big as Oliver!

Dolly

Jak

March

2010-03-13T08:41:00.006-05:00

Lulu and Zoe

Jasper and Oliver

Oliver

Zoe, Brinkley and Tank

Dolly

Buddy doing... what else? Eating foliage!

Hello Kodiak!

Dakota pouncing on Ollie

Brinkley looking for something

February

2010-02-28T07:41:00.003-05:00

Amos is not a tree hugger.

2010-02-02T15:21:00.002-05:00

Zwin and Laika, 2 newbies!

2010-02-02T15:17:00.001-05:00

Tank gets to know Zwin!

Winter 2009/10

2010-01-06T08:20:00.002-05:00

Otis and Kiwi check out the backyard

Molly checking things out

Group shot!

Mika loves the snow!

Ollie riding up front

This is what Tank does all walk...

2009-10-27T14:12:00.002-04:00

Rudi, Tank, Bishop, Spencer, Mika, Amos and Grendel

2009-10-18T19:05:00.003-04:00

Pictures! New dogs!

2009-09-02T16:45:00.006-04:00

Rudi!

Stattie

Oliver, Abbey and Jackson

Amos and Rudi

Rudi again

Jackson! (Grendel and Tank in the background)

Jak and Mika watching Oliver

Toko and Mika

Oliver

Mika

Buddy

Toko

Grendel

Parker

Sarah

Wow.

2009-08-27T08:39:00.004-04:00

So it's been over two months since I last updated. Yikes.

I have a whole host of new pictures to put up here. Guess I fell asleep or something. I'm normally much better organized! (stop laughing, I am).

It's been a slow summer, but we're just starting to get out of that, and back into something normal. I had days where I had 4 or 5 dogs this year, which is uncommon. It's typical that it slows down a lot over June/July/August (vacations, better weather, etc.) but this year was tough (thanks, economy!)

Pictures to follow. I swear.

Mika, Toko and Jasper

2009-06-12T07:36:00.005-04:00

Felix and Amos

Mika, Zool and Toko

Ellie

Zool

Jasper

Toko (above) & Mika (below)

June! (and some new dogs)

2009-06-02T17:24:00.005-04:00

This week was the first week for Amos & Grendel (Boxers), Jak (Retriever) and the official fulltime debut for Mika & Toko (Huskies) and Jasper (Schnauzer). Mika, Toko and Jasper have walked with me before, but now are all mine! All dogs are VERY good with my pack, and have fit in already. Pictures and video below:

Video of dogs swimming! And pictures! (it's about time, Alex)

2009-05-07T17:09:00.004-04:00

First week of April, first week of Dakota, last week of Ollie :(

2009-04-03T16:31:00.009-04:00

Oliver getting dirty

Maple - all smiles

Kodiak - Why so serious?

Abbey - mud bath

Zool - nodding off

Molly & Abbey

Kiji - "What? We're leaving already?"

Parker & Molly racing

Brinkley found the greatest stick ever!

Brinkley showing it off

Molly

Dakota is shy!

Fred "Do you hear something?"

Buddy looking around

Parker trying to fly

Ollie sniffing around

Buddy posing

Dolly

Dakota trying to look mean

Parker, Dolly and Kiji

Kiji

Brinkley

Pictures! And the snow is almost gone, too!

2009-03-30T13:58:00.004-04:00

Spencer! (and some other pictures, too)

2009-03-09T15:06:00.002-04:00

Sprocket, Oliver, Maple

Kiji and Maple

Oliver, Sprocket and Princess

Spencer having a roll

Spencer smiling, as usual!

Pictures

2009-03-04T18:53:00.004-05:00

L-R - Fred, Felix, Kodiak and Charlie. After the walk.

Molly made her way into the front seat!

Sprocket surveying.

Something smells good.

Felix digging

Fred rolling

Last Monday

2009-02-22T19:22:00.002-05:00

Sorry. I had to post this. :)

Back to the regular schedule this week, provided I make it back to Ottawa before 5am Monday morning...

Mild weather!

2009-02-11T14:57:00.005-05:00

Here's some video and pictures from today! 16 dogs in the van today (see how quiet they are?)

Liam and Felix wear muzzles because they eat poo, by the way. They're not biters! (just thought I should mention that in case anybody thinks I take on mean dogs!)

Monday...

2009-01-26T15:59:00.003-05:00

Getting back in the swing of things and will try to update this thing a little more often...!

Started two new dogs today - Lexie and Kaiser, both Weims. For their first day, they were awesome!

They had already met some of my pack before, though, as they used to go with one of the other walkers at the park. So they had some familiarity, and knew the park, too.

And Oliver left them alone! I was amazed! Usually he's right in the new dogs faces, but he couldn't be bothered! They're pretty much the same size as him, and there were two of them, so maybe Oliver decided it wasn't a good idea...!

Started out cold today, but warmed up. By the time I got home, it was almost nice out. Hopefully this keeps up.

Will get some pictures up of the new guys asap.

Wow. An update!

2009-01-19T18:20:00.004-05:00

Sorry for not adding anything in a while... Been a long few months. Here's a video of some dogs from last week!

Snow day!

2008-12-09T19:19:00.006-05:00

Brrrrrrr

2008-12-08T14:08:00.002-05:00

Holy h**l it was cold out today! Not expecting that. Not yet, anyway. At least the sun has been out to warm it up a bit.

A reminder to anyone who has a dog who requires a coat to please leave it out for me going forward. And to any dog who doesn't have a coat who may need one, please consider purchasing one!

Keep in mind that where we walk is always several degrees colder and much, much windier than in the city! (nothing to block the wind with, I guess).

All in all, the dogs had a GREAT time today. Especially the wooly ones like Zool and Brinkley. This is their element, for sure! This is the time of year when the usually stoic and reserved Zool really comes out to play! She played with everyone and anyone today, which is nice to see.

Some type of snow storm tomorrow, from the looks of it. D'oh!

Friday

2008-12-05T15:39:00.002-05:00

Yeah yeah, TGIF and all that... A hellish week is over. Only going to get colder next week, too.

Fred was off today, and we all missed him! Hope he was okay sitting at home and got lots of attention and cookies.

Oliver and Spencer are starting to get their winter coats back in, so they appeared to be nice and toasty. Wesley, on the other hand, ate his... It's held together with electrical tape (it works!) and one of the arm holes has been ripped open so it drags on the ground. Puppies put EVERYTHING in their mouths! Aaaargh!

Nice to see Princess again this week. Only had her once last week, too.

So, hopefully back to normal next week, and won't have to move any clients around as I did this week. Really screwed up my own schedule, too! I'm so far behind on paymnt notices right now. All my clients could probably screw me out of some money if they really wanted to... (you don't, do you?)

:)

Thursday, December!

2008-12-04T18:07:00.002-05:00

Wow, just haven't been able to get myself back into the swing of things since coming back from vacation... Obviously we needed it!

Dogs are beside themselves with this weather. Not unexpected. They love the colder air and the snow. It's also the time of year where the coats come out.

So Tuesday was a wash, as my Tuesday clients know... Van is okay and in tip top shape. Nothing wrong with it as far as driveability (it's a 2005 model, so it's not old), so nothing to worry about, reliability-wise. The winter tires sure make a difference though. Still have to get the heat fixed in the back, but mostly for convenience sake. The front heat works and it's not like the back, where the dogs are, is cold or anything. More an annoyance than anything.

So hopefully, I'll keep up with the updates a little more regularly again. Coming back from vacation, you tend to start forgetting things here and there!

Time for an update...

2008-11-27T15:36:00.003-05:00

Wow, sorry about not writing anything this week. Am still having a hard time adjusting post-vacation I think. And to the snow, too... aaargh.

The dogs were RIDICULOUSLY glad to be back with their usual friends on Monday. I've never seen them that frisky and ready to go before! Had a great walk that day and everyone tired themselves out (not to mention me).

The snow, of course, waited until the day we got back from vacation to come... That is our lot in life, as dog walkers. The weather is rarely perfect, unfortunately. But we're like mail-carriers. I forget how the saying goes... something like "Neither sleet, nor snow, nor driving winds, can keep us from our jobs."

Ah well, a few more weeks until the holiday break! A week or two off around then will be nice.

The week is over!

2008-11-15T08:27:00.002-05:00

No offense to all my dogs, but thank god that week is over! The last few days before you go on vacation are always miserable. Hurry up and wait... Thankfully everybody was more-or-less well-behaved this week, making it a bit easier!

So we're off to Vancouver on Sunday morning, will be in Seattle (our favourite American city!) and down to Portland to see what's going on there, before heading back up the way we came.

This will be our 4th or 5th time in Seattle, and first in Portland. If anybody knows what to do in Oregon in a 24-hr timeframe, let us know! We're pretty much winging it.

It's sad, but I'll miss the dogs this week. I'll feel bad on Monday morning when I think that nobody is coming to pick them up for their walk... Then I'll get over it, as this is our first vacation in years!

Back in a week.

Monday - last week before vacation!

2008-11-10T20:23:00.002-05:00

The dogs were GOOD today! Usually it takes a few weeks before they settle down, and it seems (knock on wood) that they have. You see, as soon as it stops being hot, and starts cooling down, they get crazy. So the last few weeks have been a zoo...

Fred fell asleep in the van on the way home today, and had to be woken up at his house. Must have had a great time!

Oliver had an excellent hair cut over the weekend, and looks like poodle again. I'm assuming it's his last haircut before the winter, where he grows out his afro.

Zool was crazy today, and spent the entire walk off leash (the first in a while - she bolts to the watering hole at a certain part of the park, wherein I grab her leash until we're past it...). She was HAPPY to be 100% free for the first time since last winter! I feel bad, as she LOVES the water, but some of the dogs are not allowed to go in, as they can get quite dirty. The water is actually pretty clean, but it's the sand around it that gets all over them. Some of them make a point of rolling in the sand while soaking wet, making for a not-so-clean experience. Good times.

Short week

2008-11-05T19:48:00.005-05:00

GREAT weather this week, wohoo! After the snow of a week ago, this is paradise.

Dogs still have fall fever and are insane. Something's in the air!

Ollie's been barking up a storm, letting the other dogs know she wants to play (she loves to be chased). Kiji's all too happy to oblige, and Maple will join in as well.

Hogan's been a great new addition to the pack, and his energy is good, as well. He's a very playful dog, who loves to jump!

So, a reminder (again!) We are off on Friday! And Thursday's walk will be much earlier than usual. We aim to have the dogs home no later than noon, so we can get started on our long weekend (first Montreal, then Toronto. That's a lot of driving!)

Election day

2008-11-04T08:31:00.002-05:00

Well, the big day is finally here. Funny how an election down South probably has more weight than the one we had in our own country just a few weeks ago...

In any case, looks like it'll be a nice, warm day for a change. No dog coats will be needed today!

Both Fred and Spencer wore their very nice fleece outfits yesterday and looked very stylish! Both their coats fit them perfectly, almost as though they had been tailored!

Wesley's winter coat, on the other hand, requires more tailoring... The poor little guy is stuck with a small dog's body, and a toy dog's legs! So the legs have already been brought up and in by my mother-in-law, but the holes are still too big, so the elastic has to be sewn tighter. I had him out in it last week after the snow, and within 2 minutes of getting to the park, Wesley had got his front legs stuck inside the coat... That didn't stop him, however, and he kept trying to move forward, like a tiny wheelbarrow.

Pictures

2008-10-28T09:12:00.010-04:00

Finally got the outdated digital camera working, so here are some pictures! (mainly of the newest addition, Hogan, on his first day)

Snow? SNOW?!?!?!

2008-10-27T19:11:00.003-04:00

Dogs had a pretty good time today. I put down excess carpeting in the back of the van yesterday. (I put in hardwood flooring over the weekend and would rather recycle it than throw it out). The hope was that it would make it more comfortable in the back for the dogs, and also to make it easier to clean when it gets dirty back there (just take the carpet out, clean and/or vacuum, put it back!). We'll see how that goes once it gets wet...

In any case, they seemed to LOVE it, especially on the way back. Oliver sprawled his long body out smack in the middle of it all and fell fast asleep, even making noises that sounded much like a dog snoring... The others took up what room was left and did the same (minus the snoring). It appears to be a big hit!

Anyway, that was the fun stuff. Here's the not-so-fun stuff courtesy of those jerks at the Weather Network:

THE FIRST MAJOR SNOW STORM OF THE SEASON LIKELY LATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT.

HUMDINGER MAY NOT BE A SCIENTIFIC TERM BUT IT MAY VERY WELL SUM UP THE WEATHER THAT MOTHER NATURE HAS IN STORE FOR EASTERN ONTARIO.

AN EXPANDING AREA OF SIGNIFICANT RAIN WILL BLOSSOM ACROSS FAR EASTERN ONTARIO ON TUESDAY BEFORE CHANGING TO HEAVY WET SNOW IN MANY AREAS BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. IN A SWATH FROM OTTAWA THROUGH RENFREW TO ALGONQUIN SIGNIFICANT HEAVY SNOW WILL LIKELY SET IN LATE TUESDAY AND CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.

SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN EXCESS OF 15 CENTIMETRES ARE LIKELY BEFORE IT TAPERS OFF DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY.

STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 50 GUSTING UP TO 70 KM/H TUESDAY NIGHT IN COMBINATION WITH THE SNOW WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WITH LOW VISIBILITIES ESPECIALLY WHEN THE MERCURY EDGES JUST BELOW THE FREEZING MARK.

TGI-whatever

2008-10-24T09:03:00.003-04:00

Had 15 dogs yesterday! 16 including Wesley. 18 including Kobe and Colt who decided my pack was more fun after crossing paths with Cindy's group. Funny thing is, the more dogs there are, the better they tend to be. Of course, it's harder to keep them all in your sight at once!

Considerably less today, thankfully.

Looks like it'll be a nice, sunny, warmish day for a change.

Brinkley got positively filthy yesterday after making his way to a mud puddle, sitting in it, getting out and then rolling himself in dirt and leaves. If ever a dog tarred-and-feathered himself, this was it.

** A reminder that we are off Friday Nov 7th, and the week of Nov 17th - 21st. I believe you
all received reminder notices this week, but just in case I forgot one...

Hump Day

2008-10-22T15:00:00.003-04:00

Buncha crazy dogs today! The weather brings it out in them. All in all, everybody had fun, and my nerves didn't get too frayed...

Molly and Hogan were at it again. They really seem to like each other!

Molly's new light blue fall jacket is now brown and blue. She likes to get on her back and roll around while wearing coats.

Sienna came today, wearing her pyjama-like fleece outfit. (it really does look like pyjamas, but it's warm!) It's a few sizes too big and we have to roll up the sleeves, but she doesn't mind at all! Talk about an easy-going dog!

C-c-c-old

2008-10-21T08:52:00.003-04:00

It was freezing this morning! Warmed up nicely throughout the day, though.

Hogan's second day today, and he was beside himself! Just so excited to be out. He still hasn't figured out who he wants to be friends with (his first day, he really liked Molly, but he left her alone today). I still think he'll end up playing with Kiji, Oliver, and probably Molly, too.

Supposed to rain this week. It's been such a good fall so far, but I think that's over. Here come the dark days and muddy dogs.

(still haven't forgotten the pictures... camera is flaky and I don't have the patience...)

Friday...

2008-10-17T09:25:00.004-04:00

I started a new dog yesterday - a 6-month-old Boxer named Hogan - and he was fantastic! He has the same energy levels as many of my dogs, and he's about as friendly as you can be! Molly especially liked him, and they played for a good 10-15 minutes solid.

Got back in late last night from Montreal and didn't get to bed until 3am, so if I appear a little dazed today, you know why. Don't worry, I'm awake enough to keep an eye on the dogs, but I might be a little slow if you try to talk to me. :)

I'll put up pictures of Hogan this evening, when I get the camera working again (I REALLY need to get a new digital camera...). Some pictures of Wesley and Romeo as well.

Short week

2008-10-15T09:32:00.004-04:00

Dogs had a great time yesterday, after missing their regularly scheduled Monday walk. The more active ones (Kiji, Liam, Oliver), especially enjoyed themselves.

Spencer came for her twice-weekly walk with the pack and thoroughly enjoyed herself. Great weather for her!

Have up to 15 dogs scheduled on some days this week, but between schedule re-arranging and Cindy helping out, have got it down to 12/13, thankfully. Not that it's all that difficult, but having a couple of extra dogs to keep tabs on can be difficult.

Here's hoping the rain holds off a little while longer (like 3 months!)

Happy first birthday...

2008-10-10T09:36:00.004-04:00

... to Kiji!

Long weekend... and as a result, please note there are no walks on Monday!

Had to post this. An oldie but a goodie, as they say. I don't care how many times somebody sends me this, I still read it and laugh every time:

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!

11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Diary

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.

In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

Break out the mittens

2008-10-09T08:38:00.003-04:00

Pretty much all week, I've been wearing a toque (keep in mind it's a bit cooler where we walk), and some of the dogs have even been wearing their fall jackets. Actually, I think it's been pretty nice, and I don't mind the 10-20 degree range at all.

So Wesley's been doing great with the big dogs! We brought along his friend Romeo yesterday, for the first of many walks. They're both around the same age, and are play buddies, so they know each other well. Romeo is, apparently, part Boston Terrier, part Basenji. What he actually looks like is a teeny, tiny Boxer puppy. He is as expressionless as a stone and always, always has the same face. I'll get some pictures of the pair of them today (if the camera cooperates)

Things I saw yesterday

2008-10-08T08:26:00.004-04:00

- Every squirrel in Ottawa

- 15 dogs in the back of my van (4 of them small dogs!)

- 14 dogs in Cindy's truck

- A clown driving a minivan

Cold!

2008-10-03T17:40:00.003-04:00

That was one helluva wind today. It was warm when it died down, but when it picked up again, yikes. Dogs didn't mind, though the smaller ones were shivering a bit.

All in a all, a good week. Minimal rain, and the dogs really love this time of year. So many smells, and no chance of overheating. Just perfect!

Things I learned yesterday

2008-10-02T08:40:00.003-04:00

- Wesley likes popcorn and broccolli

- Molly's rain coat (yellow, with ducks on it!) doesn't fit around her neck anymore

- Fred is particularly lazy on Wednesdays

- Abbey is 100% on the walk even if she's not 100% at home

- Chocolate Lab puppies have no attention span

- Kiji has no attention span

- If 10 degrees feels cold now, what will -20 feel like in 2 months?

- I REALLY have to update the website

Happy birthday to Maggie, who turned 4 on Wednesday (as far as her mom knows!). This marks 3 years since Maggie was rescued from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina!

Changing weather

2008-09-30T21:15:00.003-04:00

Every change of season I find that I can't wait for the next one to come. All last winter (with all that snow!) I couldn't wait for spring, and I said I wouldn't complain. Then all spring, I couldn't wait for summer, and I said I wouldn't complain. And now I find myself looking forward (!?!?) to winter again.

I guess every season has it's ups and downs in terms of our job. Winter is great because theres no mud, less people at the park, no bugs, and the dogs don't try to escape to the dirty water holes. But it's cold, and it gets on your last nerve quickly. Especially in February.

Spring is great because you're sick of the snow and cold, and it's just nice to not have to wear a toque again. But it's wet and rainy and muddy and dirty.

Summer is fantastic - shorts, sandals, sun, the dogs are tired from the heat... But the bugs get to you, and the heat gets to you, and the number of people at the park increases.

And on and on. So after about a month or so of each season, I find myself waiting for the next one. Maybe global warming will bring us 1-month-long seasons and I can be happy!

Maple and Kiji LOVE playing together!

Definitely fall

2008-09-26T08:37:00.003-04:00

You could smell it at the park. And the path is already covered in leaves. It's a bitterwseet time of year for us. On one hand, the weather is nice, the air is crisp, there are familiar smells, Thanksgiving, Halloween, all that fun stuff. On the other, there's rain and mud. I swore this year I would get some rubber boots.

Snoopy had fun yesterday, diverting all of us to the water hole for an unexpected swim. He's been very good this summer about not doing that, but I guess it was a little too warm for him yesterday, so he insisted.

Spencer came out again, and didn't look out of place in the slightest. She happily trotted along beside Fred and I, and I'm pretty sure she smiled the whole time.

Mon/Tues/Wed

2008-09-24T15:50:00.003-04:00

All in one go! Puppy keeping us active and out of the house, so haven't been on the computer that much recently...

Spencer (Oliver's older "sister", who I walk seperately, after the big walk) is now back in the pack one day a week. After over a year off and of private walks, she was THRILLED to get to ride in the van and hang with all the other dogs, many of whom she remembers from the good old days. Oliver was very protective of her all walk long, and kept running back to her to give her a lick and make sure she was okay!

Great weather this week, which means everybody is happy, including me. Rainy, grey weather really does make a difference with many of the dogs, and they tend to be a little down when it's like that (as am I). Let's hope the fall continues like this.

A quick reminder that a few of the dogs do not, still, have proper identification tags (you know who you are!). Microchips are not enough, as if your dog gets seperated from the pack, we need to have a phone # or something readily available on them so I, or you, can be contacted immediately. The odds of this happening are very slim, as most of the dogs don't venture too far from me, but still, it's better to be safe than sorry. Many of the dogs possess tags that not only have their home numbers on them, but my cell phone as well (or at least on a seperate tag).

The week is over, and it was a quick one

2008-09-20T07:40:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates this week. Having a puppy around the house really eats up a lot of time. Wesley's integrated into the pack very well now, and he trots along with everybody else.

The bigger, woolier dogs (Zool, Mika, Toko, et al) are all in their element now. Chillier weather and no humidity = happy dogs.

Kiji's getting "bakyard walks" for the time being after cutting her paw last week. Kodiak's back into the swing of things (and doesn't even notice his protective boot anymore), and Snoopy's beside himself with the cool air.

Here's hoping this continues into the forseeable future. We'll be doing our "no rain" dance for a little while, as we all want to avoid the worst time of the year, dog-walking-wise : fall. Rain and mud + dogs = dirty dogs, dirty van and dirty Alex.

Chilly dogs

2008-09-18T08:37:00.001-04:00

This time of year is when the dogs get crazy. The cooler weather means no over-heating, which means excited dogs.

Kiji is off with a cut dew claw, but should be back next week (fingers crossed).

Molly is off again for a couple of weeks while her mom is attending something work-related, out of town. She'll be happy to get back to the pack when she returns!

Here's hoping for no more rain today.

Change of season

2008-09-16T08:57:00.001-04:00

Boy, has it been cold these last couple of mornings. Not a very gradual change of season thus far.

Zool had a blast yesterday - hopped out of the van at Snoopy's house and ran to the door to greet him! She's pretty fast when she wants to be.

Wesley has been integrated into the back of Cindy's truck now, which is a big step for such a little guy! He only got told off once or twice (which he needs), and came home dead tired (which is good).

What's with the fog this morning?

A rainy Friday, Sept 12

2008-09-12T15:27:00.001-04:00

So everybody got wet! Some of them dirty! But everybody had a good time, in the rain and all.

Princess looked spiffy in her dayglo green bandana (I was able to see her when she went into the tall grass now!)

Caught Felix eating dirt today. DIRT. He and Ellie both eat poo, yesterday Charlie ate garbage at home, but dirt? What do these 3 dogs have in common? All three are Yellow Labs. Big surprise.

According to the "dog facts" widget on the right hand side, the Great Dane is the tallest dog. No kidding. Thanks for THAT little tidbit of information, widget.

Valley weather

2008-09-11T08:59:00.002-04:00

So for the past couple of days I've been wearing pants (not shorts) and a jacket. We go from 35 degrees and humid to 8 degrees in the morning. Not complaining, really. There's no snow. Yet.

Zool was full of beans yesterday. She's much like Snoopy, in that she'll pretty much entertain herself, except for the odd time where she'll actually want to interact with the other dogs. She loves this cooler weather though, being a bigger, longer-haired dog herself.

It must be a Monday

2008-09-09T09:33:00.001-04:00

I got peed on today. Not by one of my dogs, of course, but one of the other walker's dogs.

I was minding my own business at the end of the walk, when the other walker pulled up and let her dogs out. I assumed one of her dogs came up and licked my leg, from behind, as I felt a lovely, warm, wet feeling on the back of my leg. But upon further inspection, it was not. It was yellow.

Apparently this dog onced peed on her son, WHILE DRIVING. Slightly dominant behaviour, no?

So that was Monday.

Wesley!

2008-09-07T14:48:00.002-04:00

All right, half time at the Jets game, so time to post some pictures of the new dog!

This is Wesley. He's 3.5 months old, some sort of small dog mix, and lives with us. Oh, and he eats slippers.

Thursday fun

2008-09-04T20:49:00.001-04:00

So Ellie has come back this week, and has fit back in like she never left. (her mom is a teacher, so she was off for the summer). Everyone has been happy to see her, and she's back doing what she does best - leading the pack and sniffing ahead to make sure it's safe for everyone. (it usually is)

Somebody pooped in the van today. I think I know who. I won't name names... Dogs formed a perimeter around the offending pile, so nobody sat in it (don't worry!). Funny to see, at that point, 7 dogs all hugging the van wall and staring at poop in the middle of it all. I cleaned it up at my next stop... Thanks (insert dog name here)!

Our puppy, Wesley, has been hanging out with Cindy's group, as she has far less dogs that would give him a hard time (*cough* Kiji, Oliver, *cough*). Being 7 pounds, he's definitely an interesting little toy for the bigger, more hyper dogs to play with.

Camera batteries dead, will upload pictures of the little guy tomorrow, hopefully.

Good god it's hot

2008-09-03T20:27:00.001-04:00

Where are we? The Equator?

Dogs don't like it, I don't like it. Well, some dogs don't like it... Fred was dead to the world when I dropped him off this afternoon! I'm sure he slept well, in the closet.

Felix was back today! After about a month off. That was one smiley Lab!

So when I dropped off Oliver yesterday, and brought Spencer out for her pee and poop, she insisted on bringing her bacon-chewey-treat with her. She walked across the street, had a pee, and practically ran back to the house, making sure the bacon-chewey-treat didn't fall. She was so into this thing, she didn't even take a cookie from me. Hmmph.

So the dog walkers finally have a dog. He's 3.5 months old, and is, from what we can determine, a Papillon/Pekinese cross. He has short little legs, and floppy ears. Pictures tomorrow

Aaaargh... rain

2008-08-29T20:23:00.001-04:00

Wasn't too bad, actually. Once you're wet, there's no sense in complaining about it.

Princess and Oliver looked funny with their rain-soaked hair-do's. It makes Princess look really scrawny.

So apparently everybody is coming back next week. Back from vacation, back from injuries, back from god-knows-where. I have 14 scheduled dogs on Tuesday, with another 4 possibles. Clearly Cindy will have to help out if that ends up being the case. Amazing, I go from 3-4 dogs a day for a few stretches, to possibly 18. That's the business!

Felix and Ellie are back next week, and Kodiak, Kiji and Abbey are back to fulltime.

REMINDER: There are no walks on Monday, Sept 1st!

Thursday. 1 more day until the long weekend.

2008-08-28T15:02:00.001-04:00

Hot and humid today, so spent a lot of time in the shade with the dogs.

Maple likes to dig holes. And guard said holes. Molly likes to try to get into the holes that Maple has dug. Maple growls at Molly, and Molly rolls over. Aaaand repeat.

Dolly was thrilled to be out today, and made sure to give everyone kisses! At one point, when we were stopped for a shade/water break, both her and Liam came and sat with me for about 5 minutes. This is amazing, because these 2 little dogs are always on the go and getting into something. Dolly gave Liam kisses, of course!

Brinkley spent the ENTIRE walk by my side, waiting for me to throw something for him. I'd grab every stick, rock or pine cone I could get, and off he'd go. Over an hour of this, and he STILL wanted more!

Pictures

2008-08-27T09:37:00.002-04:00

Maple and Molly!

Fred!

Oliver is ready for his closeup.

The Ol' Waterin' Hole

Princess is FANCY

Dog bums

Let's play "Spot the Molly"! (click the image for larger)

Maple is pretty and she knows it.

Pictures... and VIDEO!

2008-08-27T09:22:00.001-04:00

So the video is mostly sideways... sorry! At about the 30-60 second time frame, Oliver emerges from the bushes with a branch stuck to his ear. At first he doesn't notice it, but when he does, he tries to get it off, and consequently almost falls back into the bushes.

Dogs in video: Oliver, Princess, Molly, Dolly, Maple, Liam, Fred and Buddy.

The return

2008-08-26T08:50:00.000-04:00

Welcome back Kodiak!

Finally, some nice weather

2008-08-26T08:44:00.000-04:00

So 22 degrees, sunny, light breeze, no rain, no bugs. Why couldn't it be like this all summer? This week is shaping up to be the best one, weather-wise, all year (with the exception of possible rain on Friday. Whatever, it's a long weekend, I'll give you that one, Mother Nature).

So Kodiak is back, tentatively, and apprehensively. He had been off for about 4 months with a paw injury that wouldn't heal correctly, and now has to wear his winter boots to protect it. He could care less! He's HAPPY! He was so excited to get back in the pack and see all his old friends, and sniff all his old places at the park. I'm pretty sure he smiled for 3 hours straight on Friday.

Mika and Toko were thrilled to see him, too (well Mika was, Toko could care less!). They all sat together in the back of the van on the way to the park and the whole way back. All three of them grinning wildly.

Spencer has been full of beans lately. She got a fancy haircut the other week, and looks totally spiffy. For an older dog, she can really move when she wants to. (she's motivated by cookies I think).

Felix will be coming back next week! As will Ellie, I believe. Wohoo!

Fred comes out of the closet

2008-08-22T14:35:00.001-04:00

Literally!

Once or twice a week, when I pick Fred up, he walks out of the closet where, I assume, he has been napping.

Did you think I meant something else?

Thursday, and Buddy and Charlie

2008-08-21T17:22:00.000-04:00

So Buddy was back this week, after about 3 weeks on "vacation" (do dogs take vacation? Only if they go to the cottage I guess). He seems, for whatever reason, to have a bit more confidence than he normally had. He's usually a pretty shy and quiet Lab, not particularly paying attention to anyone, and going the other way when someone wants to play with him. But he appears to be infatuated with Fred (who isn't?). And by "infatuated", I mean "wants to hump constantly". Buddy is usually the humpee, not the humper, so this is a role reversal for sure. Fred is none to pleased about this, as Buddy probably outweighs him by 50lbs...

Charlie, one of the 4 Labs I walk, spent some time boarding with Al a few weeks ago. Charlie is not a normally hyperactive dog. He saunters everywhere. Except when he sees Al now, like today. Here's his thought process:

"Boy, what a nice day. I'm in no particular hurry to go anywhere. I'm just going to go over here, maybe eat some grass, stare at the sun. Hey! Is that Al? OH MY GOD! IT'S AL!"

And Charlie changes demeanour and charges poor Al, all smiles and bounces and licks.

I don't get that kind of reception. Mind you, he sees me every day, so it's not that exciting anymore. And he spent a week or two AT Al's house, so you know... I don't feel that bad.

Light day tomorrow, only a few dogs. Then weekend!

Random picture of Sprocket and Maggie

2008-08-20T22:58:00.000-04:00

Sprocket loves to kiss his step-sister Maggie

Thursday at the swimmin' hole

2008-08-07T14:18:00.000-04:00

Went swimming today. The swimming hole is almost gone, but it's deep enough for the smaller dogs to still be able to swim. The others can pretty much touch bottom, but it's still a good time.

Liam can really swim! For such a little dog, he's pretty adept at keeping up with the others in the water.

I put Fred on a double leash so he could go farther into the water, and he swam too! Not just waded, but actually dog paddled for a little bit! He's awfully buoyant, that's for sure. Once he got out, he ran around in circles for a little while until he got hot again, then went back in.

The van smelled like wet dog on the way home...

Finally, a blog!

2008-07-13T14:38:00.001-04:00

After months of hmm'ing and haw'ing, I've finally set this up. A little place to chat about the dogs I walk, and the funny little things they do.

More coming soon!