Catch Me If you Can

After the Howlaween Party at daycare all the dogs got to play and Zack found a new pup to entertain, a cute mixed breed called Apollo. I reckon the pictures say it all.....







but fun, fun, fun, comes to mind.

Happy Howlaween!!!

Zack's Daycare held their annual Howlaween Party for the dogs on Saturday and it was so much fun.

There was so many cute costumes, Izzy the beagle came as a Banana Split

Rolo came as the mailman

Paisley was there too and looked beautiful with her new hairdo. She was so well behaved for a 7 month old pup!!!

There were lots of games for the dogs, musical mats, dunkin for wieners to name but of few. Zack actually won the obstacle course and got a new toy and the best of the best is that afterwards all the dogs costumes came off and they were allowed to all play together just like they do when they are in daycare. A big thank you goes out to Paws-on-the-Run Daycare and their staff!!!!

Another Alias

Zack has got another alias - my 85 year old dad keeps calling him "Happy Feet". I thought that was so cute and fitting as he is always dancing about.

TGIFF

Thank God it's Froggin' Friday!!!!

New Therapy Dogs

We just received a group picture from St. John Ambulance of Zack with the other three dogs that passed the evaluation and became Certified Pet Therapy Dogs at the same time. They are all such lovely dogs. We have our orientation this Saturday morning so will find out more about when we start volunteering etc.

If You Don't Succeed, Try Try Again....

This time last year I tried to do a learn to run program and failed. I think it was physically hard but it was the mental stuff that was harder for me - I didn't believe in myself. Being so overweight I vowed I would never run again but a friend of mine has talked me into it. I have a goal of running a 5km race which isn't much for a runner but it is a marathon for me and somewhere to start from anyway. I found a running program called "Couch Potato to 5K" how fitting. It is a running/walk program building up your running each week. Anyways, for now I have fitted the run into Zack's daily walk.

I got my Garmin charged and started on Monday. It actually went really well. I have a special leash that goes round my waist for Zack so I can run hands free. Zack is so good he just keeps by my side or slightly in front and keeps pace with me, although I know when he breaks into a trot I am running too slow ahahaha. He is a really good running buddy he even held off going to the loo until I finished running - I am sure he knew that if I stopped during a run I wouldn't get going again LOL!! Poor boy as soon as I was on my cool down walk he did a big poop!!!

Zack is probably the fittest being in our house, he eats measured portions of food everyday, does not eat junk food and gets lots of exercise. I overeat, eat junk food and don't get enough exercise!!!!! It's funny how we do the right things for our dogs but not for ourselves. Time for change I reckon.

Unable to Comment

A friend of mine told me today that she has been unable to comment on my blog recently. I checked my settings and they seemed fine so I looked up info on blogger. It looks like they have had reports and there is a glitch in people posting comments if you have selected IE8/9 from the embedded form in your settings. I guess Blogger is working on trying to get this problem fixed. In the meantime they advised I change my embedded form to full page which I now have done.

So I am asking anyone who reads this blog please post a comment to see if my comments are now working. Thanks.

Home Sweet Home

Zack's just been hangin out on the front veranda in the Fall sunshine.

Fat Cat Day

As Asia was a stray we don't know when her birthday is and so I am declaring today Fat Cat Day. I have had her for approx. 8 years so we think she is about 9. She has gone through the loss of my two old Cavaliers (who she loved) and more recently my old cat Cuddles and she has lived through Zack's puppy years where he would pounce and attack her every minute he could nipping with those baby teeth. She is so not like a normal cat which would run she would just sit there like a brick and take it teeth and all. Occasionally she would let out a screech poor thing.

Eventually Zack learned Asia was not a chew toy and that if he was gentle with her he would get a reward. That is when things changed. Zack would lick her ears and then get a face cleaning - this was the moment we had been waiting for. Now they are inseparable always snuggling and curled up together.

I am sure she is allergic to food as she is always breaking out in fat LOL. She is on a diet (aren't we all) but is still built like a tank but we love her and so does Zack.

Happy Fat Cat Day

Fall Fun

We have been having such glorious weather this Fall that we are making the most of it taking Zack out for long walks before the -20 degree weather and snow storms hit. After Zack's Therapy Dog Evaluation on Saturday I took him down to the river bottom for a change of scenery and a bit of a romp. The trees are truly lovely right now.

Zack was loving every minute of it with all the different smells. He didn't know which way to turn.


He got himself in quite the frenzy at the base of this tree



I am sure there must have been some sort of furry critter in there!!! I just thank my lucky stars Zack has not come upon a skunk or porcupine yet. Crikey.

He Made It

Yesterday Zack had a 2 hour evaluation and testing to become a Certified Pet Therapy Dog. There were several elements to the testing some of which was how he reacted to people banging walkers and canes, people in wheelchairs, being crowded in, walking through crowds, being manhandled (feet, mouth, toes, legs - everywhere) his social interaction with other dogs, his reaction to loud noises, and of course how friendly he is with people. Some of the testing was quite intense but I am glad to say Zack handled these situations really well and gave lots of kisses and he passed!!! Whoo hoo!!. I am so happy to say he is now a Certified Pet Therapy Dog.

We have an orientation to go through yet and Zack will be receiving a special vest he has to wear showing he is a therapy dog when we visit the residents and/or patients. I look forward to volunteering as I think it will be a very rewarding thing to do with Zack.

Dragon Face

These pictures are deceiving because Paisley only lives 4 doors down and it has gotten to the point that when Paisley leaves her house to visit she starts barking - Zack recognizes her bark outside so he knows she is coming and he starts whining and when she arrives neither can contain themselves and then they are off -- a total madhouse....it is so cute. I am glad Zack has found another "regular" buddy to play with now Dylan has gone. Here are a few more photos without the teeth!!! ahahah




Finally pooped!!!! LOL

The Throne

These last few months we have been having an issue with Zack jumping through to the front seat of the car and he would not stay in the back which was very distracting. He had hit the dash a couple of times and was starting to get a little nervous which we did not want so we tried the harness through the seatbelt, but he would somehow always turn himself around and get tangled in it - again causing distraction. We then started putting him in his kennel in the back of car which was safe but he could not see out and we couldn't see him and we had to have the back seat of the car down all the time which was a pain and the seat squeaked loudly and was driving me bonkers!!! Finally I saw this solvit solution seat online which was big enough for Zack which was great as most of them are for chihuhuas etc. They didn't ship to Canada so I had it shipped to my sisters in the US and she in turn sent it to me.

Initially I put the booster seat together and left it in the living room to see what Zack thought. Before I knew it there was a fight between the cat and dog as to whose bed it was.

Fat cat wormed her way in giving Zack an extra face cleaning



Since putting it in the car Zack is a happy dog. He can see out of the window clearly and is safely secured

We have now been on a couple of long road trips and it has worked wonders.

Pete calls it Zack's throne aahahahah. I am just glad we found something that seems to work. Yay!!!!

Really?

That's a tomato!!!

More Pictures

Here are a few more pictures of our day at the lake yesterday.





Today we are having our Thanksgiving dinner, turkey with all the trimmings....hmmmm. Poor Zacky can't have any cuz of the worry about setting off his belly so for his treat we are off for a long walk along the coulees. It's a beautiful sunny morning today not like the clouds from yesterday and it should be awesome. Happy Thanksgiving.

Fisherman's Friend

Today Pete, Zack and I went fishing for the day at Pine Coulee Reservoir. Zacky knew where we were as soon as we arrived as he remembered there are gophers in the campground. He was scanning the fields intensely but no luck today - too bloody cold!!!


Zack was wondering what was taking so long to get to the lake.

The water was a little choppy today so we held onto Zack while the boat was moving

and bundled up in our neoprene winter woolies to keep warm


We thought we were going to get rained on from these spooky clouds but nothing came of it


Pine Coulee is the only place I know of where I get tired of catching fish. It is constant, one after another. As soon as you drop the line another fish bites. I actually had to take fishing breaks!!! LOL

Zack as usual is totally not amused by wiggling slimy fish ----- I hear ya Zack, I love fishing but hate touching the fish which can be a problem as we always catch and release .... ahahahah.

When Pete caught this monster Pike at the end of the day it was yep, you can handle that one honey!!! It was a great day other than being a bit chilly. Probably the last fishing for me and Zack for the season, but Pete is die hard and will be out again - probably next weekend!!