We're Back

We got back today from our weekend getaway to Canmore/Banff to meet Pete's sister who was there for a conference. It was a great weekend, albeit we saw all kinds of weather. We dropped Zack off at Hot Dogz Kennel on Friday morning. It was the first time I had left him at a kennel and I did have a few anxious moments.

This was him as we left. I don't think he knew what was going on although he was soon running around his kennel so we then just left him to it and got on our way. It was really hard for me to leave him.

It was a great place tho, he had a dog flap where he could go outside to a dog run and his own bed in his kennel.


Once I was away from Lethbridge knowing Zack was in good hands we had a great weekend. Did lots of walking around Banff/Canmore. The scenery was just stunning and changing all the time due to the rain/snow/sun that we had. There were quite dramatic skies at times.

Banff Springs Hotel was really stunning although we didn't stay there. Big money required!!

We stayed at Rimrock Resort which was lovely and woke up to snow this morning.

After having a wonderful breakfast in Banff, we headed home this afternoon to pick Zack up. Surprise surprise I guess Zack made friends with a white Jack Russell called "Buster" when he was in the kennel. They were playing together when we arrived to pick him up. He was having a blast with that little Jack. I think Zack lives life to the fullest even if it is in the kennel. I wish I had his attitude towards life. It made me feel alot better knowing he was having fun when we were away that's for sure. I was relieved and glad to be home. Zack wiggled his way into the house tonight so I think he was happy to be home too.

Weekend Away

So tomorrow Pete and I are off to Canmore/Banff for the weekend to meet Pete's sister who is from Abbotsford. Thought we would be going for a wonderful spring break in the mountains now it seems like it's going to be a winter break instead. 20cm of snow is forecast tonight. I can't believe I am digging out my snowboots again when it is June 1st on Tuesday.

Our friends who own Dylan the Labradoodle usually take Zack but they are away this weekend as well. I have Zack booked into Hot Dogz boarding kennel. This is a first for me and Zack. I have a knot in my stomach about leaving him but I am sure he will be fine. The kennel seems very nice and the lady seemed caring. Still, I am sure when I drop Zacky off tomorrow morning I will have my heart strings tugged. It's only til Sunday - I have to keep reminding myself of that. I am such a worry wort when it comes to my animals and wished I could relax more. My husband is the opposite and is truly mellow (or he hides it well) so he helps calm me down when I do get myself in a tizzy over Zack (like the hair clip incident). Zack will be just fine I am sure and he will enjoy the new environment with all the other dogs to look at.

I will probably have blogging withdrawals this weekend and will have to catch up with everyone's blogs when I get back on Sunday evening.

Bless Him

I know I blog every week about Zack after daycare, but when I was getting his supper ready tonight he couldn't even keep his eyes open while he was standing there in the kitchen bless him.

Going, going....

Gone

I am sure Zack's batteries will be recharged soon enough and he will be the Energizer bunny again LOL!!! He is so adorable - I just love him and his funny ways.

Zack Says....Whoo Hoo!!

Daycare today!!

Agility Class #4

Last night we had agility class #4. It was a cool, showery evening but the rain held off for our class which was great. We learned a few new moves that would be required for the agility and one of them is working from the right hand side. It sure feels awkward at this point as Zack and I have only worked rally obedience mostly from the left side. It will be good to get him to work from both sides that's for sure. I will definitely have to practice for myself more than for Zack as I am so uncoordinated.

Also we started using the pringle lids last night for the "touch" command. Zack seemed to catch on to that pretty good.

Zack frustrated me at times in class tho as his nose was just glued to the ground and not even food or his tug toy worked to get his attention. I know it is a new place and it is to be expected. I don't know if it's the gopher smells or all the dog smells but Zack loves them and pays no attention to me!!!! It is a good challenge tho and I have to remember to keep it fun, fun, fun, for Zack out there.

Before & After

So far so good with respect to Zack and the infamous hair clip feast. He has enjoyed me fussing over him these last few days, following him everywhere (as I have been the poop patrol) and loving the extra rice mixed with his food. Fingers crossed I think we may be in clear by now.

In a previous post I did say I would show a picture of Zack's newly "plucked" coat. Here it is

Before

After

He is definitely more red coloured than he was before and feels alot smoother too.

I am just on my way out to take Zack for a run and we have another agility class tonight - whoo hoo!!

Distraction for Me This Time

To take my mind off of Zack eating my hair clip yesterday and worrying about what might happen in the next few days, I finished the picture I was doing of him. It is in chalk pastel - which are like chalk pencil crayons. It is a much softer effect than paint. I haven't used them much as they are very different than paint to work with. Here is my first attempt.

Zack seems to be just fine this morning and is enjoying the extra rice rations he is getting. The poop patrol continues.

Stressed. Why?

Why do dogs eat what they do? I can't get Zack to eat his dog food without coaxing him on any given day, so why does he eat things he shouldn't? I came home from lunch today to find that my cat must have knocked my big plastic hair clip off the counter and Zack had eaten half of it and there were bits all over the floor.

Now I am paranoid he is going to get a blockage or rip his intestines as it moves through. He seems fine right now and there is no point in getting an Xray at this point, but will probably end up at the vets if he starts to show any signs. Of course, if something is going to happen it will happen on the long weekend coming up. I am super stressed over this as my old Cavalier Riley did the same thing when he was young and the piece of wire (from a fake plant he ate) took 5 days to come out!!! At least he didn't have to have surgery. Hopefully, Zack will be lucky too especially because of his senstive bowels - I hate the thought of him having surgery of any kind. I always seem to end up with dogs that are "high maintenance health wise". Why?

I am going to feed him lots of rice to try and bulk up his stools to coat whatever is inside him and see what happens. May be he chewed the plastic into small enough bits - the wait and searching poops is on!!!

Peace

I love doggy daycare.

A tired Zack is a quiet Zack.

Agility Class #3

Zack's agility class was lots of fun last night even though Zack's focus was in and out with me. He had a couple of terrier moments barking when he thought he could see off a truck that lost some of its load and then a couple of dogs from the boarding kennel that were let out to exercise got his attention. When I got Zack's focus he got really into his tug game which was great and his "give" command is getting better. We also walked on a lowered ramp and plank last night for the first time. It didn't seem to phase Zack, he just trotted right along. He had no nerves so that is a good sign of things to come I hope. I was really pleased with him anyway.

For a moment Zack couldn't take his eyes off of a svelte, good looking red head. He went over in his usual manner, rolled on his back and showed her what he's got (which isn't much Zack - snip snip) and then moved in with the kisses. He had his eyes on a lovely Hungarian Viszla. Cool dog.

Puppy Picture

I came across this picture of Zack when he was about 4 weeks old that the breeder sent me.

A face only a mother could love, ahahah!!!

The Hose

Zacky was fascinated by the hose today.



Then realized he could get a cold drink.

Big Dog, Little Dog

Zack is truly a big dog in a little package. He doesn't realize he only weighs 18 pounds and thinks he is a Great Dane the way he muscles his way into playing with the big guys.


Tonight, Zack's best friend Dylan the Labradoodle is coming over for a BBQ with his human family.

Dylan is so well behaved and is a true gentle giant. Zack goes nuts if I say the name "Dylan" so I have to wait til Dylan is actually walking up to the front door before I mention to Zack that he is coming over. It is so cute how Zack gets so excited.

The Little "Plucker"

After taking Zack out for a good run off leash last night and the fact he was panting quite hard, I thought it was about time to strip his coat for the summer so he will be cooler. It doesn't take too long and I just "plucked" away at his coat in the back yard. He looks alot better and his coat is actually less wiry. I start at his head and work my way down his body. It truly is like plucking a chicken, hence I use the term "plucked". I am sure it is not a correct term in the dog world but that is what I have always called it. Zack doesn't seem to mind me "plucking" away and seems to enjoy the attention. I always leave his face scruffy tho as I love his whiskers.

When Zack has been bad, I often hear my husband calling Zack, "you little plucker!".

I will post a picture of the new and "smooth" Zack in the near future (the battery in my camera is dead and I forgot to charge it).

Home Schooled

Not sure I like all of Caesar's methods but caught Zack watching!!

Terrier Trio

Zack met two terrier friends at the dog park. They kept nicking his chuck it ball.



Then his stick.






He finally got his chuck it ball back. Geesh darn terriers!!!! LOL

Agility Class #1

Last night was a great evening. The weather was finally lovely and Zack and I had our first agility class. There was a great bunch of dogs in the class, some really big and one little terrier mix smaller than Zack - too cute.

We practiced some obedience and got the "tug" thing going - Zack loved that!! Then we did some running recalls - don't think I am going to be able to keep up to Zack down the road - I will have to get myself in better shape.

Then we practiced the "follow the hand" (not sure what it's called). As Zack is small I tend to bend over alot to feed him. I have got to remember to stand up straight and let Zack come up to my hand as I was told that if I don't a certain Amanda would come after me with the clipboard to straighten my back up (ahahahahaha LOL!!! - Yikes ahahahahah).

The only problem I had all evening was that Zack's nose was superglued to the ground with all the new smells, although he didn't run off after the gophers so that was a bonus. All in all a great class. I can't wait til the next one.

Food Junkie

My cat Asia got her nickname "Fat Cat" because she is a petite framed cat but is built like a sumo wrestler.

As soon as I get up in the morning she is yelling at me for food. I give her her usual one scoop every morning (she is only allowed that because of her weight). After she has eaten a bit of her cat food she charges down the stairs after Zack and starts yelling for his food!!!

Zack has always been a picky eater and eats his canned food off a human plate (that's a whole other blog). However, Asia just pushes her way in and trys to get Zacks food too. It has gotten so bad that she pushes Zack away and I now have to kennel Asia when I feed Zack.


I got home for lunch last week to find Asia with her head on Zack's plate yelling at me for food. She didn't even move when I picked up the camera to take a photo of her, she just continued yelling at me.


She truly lives up to her nickname and I think she has become a definite food junkie!!! I can't give her any more food tho as she is so overweight already.

I think Asia and I are alike in many ways as if I were a cat I would probably look like Asia, and I have the same problem she does - food!!! ahahahaah

Road Trip

Today, Zack and I went on a road trip to Brooks to pick up a dog from the Brooks Animal Protection Society for the Windy City Canine Rescue.



The dog I picked up is called Farrah and she is a cattle dog x. She is a pretty, medium sized dog who deserves a great home. The people at the Brooks Shelter were super nice and gave me Farrah's blankets, toys, etc. to bring back with her so she has something familiar in her new surroundings.




I dropped Farrah off at her foster home in Lethbridge and now she can hopefully enjoy life in a house rather than a kennel and get a new forever home soon. She will make someone a great dog!!

The Terrier Coat

You either love it or hate it. It took me a little while to get used to it since I have only owned Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and a Shetland Sheepdog prior to Zack and their fur was so silky and soft. He is my first terrier.


The pros:

1. I love the scruffy look
2. It is very weather resistant and waterproof
3. No burrs seem to stick to it, and
4. Very easy to keep clean with a quick comb once a week.

The cons:

1. A little wiry (even prickly to some)until you get used to it
2. Should not be "clipped" as you lose the texture of the coat.
3. The coat needs to be "handstripped" to keep it neat and tidy.
4. There are no groomers in Lethbridge that handstrip dogs.

When I first decided on a border terrier I was a little intimidated about the "hand stripping" thing, but I am glad I got Zack because it really hasn't been too hard at all to keep his coat in check. Although this year now he has matured there is definitely more coat there. I kinda like it when he is scruffy looking and as I don't show him, I will probably keep him a little scruffier than one would see a Border Terrier in the show ring.

When he gets older and doesn't like being stripped anymore I will probably get him clipped and he can become a lovely "fluff", "fuzz ball" "wooly mutt" whatever his coat turns out to be (they actually look cute too - but lose their weather resistency). For now I will keep handstripping Zack as he seems to like it.

Zack and I are off on a road trip tomorrow to pick up a new rescue dog for Windy City to return to Lethbridge to it's new foster home.

Better Lunch Today

I went outside at lunch to take a picture of Zack in the snow. I found him on top of the big pile of sod we had removed from our yard - it looked a bit like a small mountain with a border terrier on top!!! He was so cute and a little cheeky....



May be there was a mouse between the piles of sod - that's probably what he was after. He was sure interested anyway.

By the way, if anyone wants any good sod, it is free for the taking.

Shitty Day

I came home at lunch today to pick Zack up to take him to daycare. When I entered the house I could smell it. Then I saw it. Zack had diarrhea all over my area rug in the living room - it even went under the coffee table!! The whole ground floor of my house is laminate but he had to go on the only rug. Of course I kept Zack home from daycare just in case. Anyways, I took about 1/2 an hour to clean and shampoo my area rug trying to get the mess and smell out. I thought I had got it all cleaned up when I turned around and stood in it. I had missed a spot. I felt it through my panty hose (sorry, don't mean to gross anyone out). Oh yeah, and it was the last pair of panty hose I had.

Then after I cleaned up again I went and got myself something for lunch. Lo and behold what do I do but spill it down the front of my white shirt!!! Typical. What more can happen in my lunch hour. Then I am racing round trying to get myself cleaned up and have to go and get another pair of panty hose before I get back to the office by 1:30.

To top off my not so great day, my 14 year old cat Cuddles has been having tests at the vets and I just found out that she has kidney failure. It is heartbreaking news and I am just coming to terms with it. It is in the early stages but I know there is no cure and it will only progress. I will keep her comfortable, but know I will have to make a decision to let her go at some point in the future as I don't want her to suffer.

It truly has been a shitty day!!!

On a brighter note, Zack is back to his usual boistrous self this evening so he is over whatever it was that upset his stomach.

Hanging Out

With the weather the way it has been I only took Zack out for about 1/2 an hour last night for his walk. Then we just hung out. I have a rubbermaid container next to the chair I sit in when I am on the computer and it is Zack's favourite place. He has his blanket on top of it and he watches me blog.



It is doggie daycare today for Zack so at least he can burn some energy off this afternoon. I love Wednesdays.

Bloody Weather

Ok, enough is enough with this bloody wind. It is starting to annoy me now. Our first agility lesson was cancelled yesterday evening and I have been trying to complete my yard work but to no avail. We have sod that has been removed from the lawn but we have not been able to complete the removal yet so there is some lying around. Zack just thinks it is great to grab a piece of sod and take off with it. He has eaten his fair share of mud clogs too. Luckily he has not started to dig in the big mud holes where the sod has been removed. Oh shut up Lisa I probably just jinxed myself.

Anyways, this horrible blustery weather reminds me of the coastal weather in Felixstowe, Suffolk (near Ipswich) a little seaside town where I grew up in England. I do miss the rain on occasion but this is ridiculous.

Spring is my favourite time of year, so bring on the warm spring weather so we can all enjoy!!

Saturday Fun Match

Criky, yesterday was a crazy busy day for me, but I made time to go to my first Fun Match with Zack. It was a day of firsts.

I went to the Fun Match to do a rally run through. However, we ended up doing a novice obedience as well. Never trained at all for that but as it was a fun match so we could talk to the dogs a little more, etc. It was great. I did a sit for examination for Zack because he is just learning stand, but he still couldn't keep his wiggly butt still when the judge came over ahahaha.

Also, we did a 1 minute group sit stay and Zack rocked that. We then did a 3 minute down stay, Zack stayed for over 2 minutes (I had never trained him past 1 minute before) and he almost made the three. He did great. It was lots of fun.

Then we did the Rally and here is a video of me and Zack.



I totally screwed up one of the signs and totally missed the call front left finish!! I am such a dork!!! Read the signs Lisa!!! ahahahahah. It was lots of fun anyways. I wished I could have stayed to do the last run through for Rally but will have to wait for another day.

Blimy, this is only my second time I have uploaded a video to my blog. It has taken me 1 hour 13 minutes to figure out how to do it as I couldn't remember (I am technically challenged). Then I realized how simple it was - I am such an idiot!!! I missed blogging yesterday, so I guess I made the time for it today!! That's dedication and because I am a blogaholic!!!