Another Bella and Tarra

For those of you familiar with the story of the incredible friendship between a stray dog, Bella, and Asian elephant named Tarra, here is the final chapter in their friendship. How sad; what good friends they were. Poor Tarra. I'm sure her heart is heavy.

Back from Utah

Bella happily running WITHOUT her booties.

What a great trip! The weather began beautifully enough—low 70s during the day and sunny. Nights were in the 40s; stars amazing. For rides, I put Bella into some Ruff Wear booties and though she wasn't happy about it, she managed. The slickrock in that area is like sand paper and I knew, even if our ride was short, her paws would be raw. Two of them were lost by the end of the third day. Bum deal—and expensive.

She did do a run/ride on an old jeep, 4-wheel drive road that was a combination of rock and dirt. Her paws were okay at the end of that, but her muscles were sore from four days of running. Luckily, with a day of rest, she was ready to go again and I was able to locate a shop in town that carried the booties and get another pair. We won't be losing those again even if I have to staple them to her!

The last third of the trip, the weather turned cold. Days were no more than 50 degrees and nights in the low 20s. Sleeping for all of us was fitful and it took a while in the morning to warm up and be functional. We did a lot of hiking during this period in an area called Cedar Mesa. Incredible Anasazi ruins and petroglyphs everywhere. Not all trails allowed dogs, so we stuck to those that did.

Locals warned us that the coyotes could be quite opportunistic, so we were watchful when we let Bellie roam. Luckily, by nature, she stays close to the van and stakes out only a small perimeter. During the time we were gone, we only heard one coyote chorus, but it was thrilling. Just as the night sky began to lighten, several coyotes began yipping and howling. They sounded joyous and almost next to our van! Had they run into buddies they hadn't seen for a while or had they just completed a terrific hunt?

For Bella, the thrill was to be with us 24/7, off leash, in an environment of delicious new smells. I do think she's happy to be back home where meals come on time and the bed is cushy and warm. But a leash? Nope. She'd rather be back in Utah!

FOOTNOTE: I mentioned in my last post all the dog paraphernalia I was packing for her. Guess what I forgot? A brush! We were in dusty, dusty locations and she became a "Pigpen" with clouds of dust rising off her with each pat on her side. Bathing her was one of our priorities on return so she's now a clean machine!

What's in your dog bag?

We're frantically trying to pack for our trip so that we can leave bright and shiny tomorrow. Like anyone who is responsible for others, packing becomes more elaborate when one packs for more than oneself! I usually pack Bella first while I'm calm and collected, as the closer we get to leaving, the tension of time-schedules-gone-awry amps up and I'm afraid I might leave something important for her.

What, you might be asking, do I pack for my dog?

• Food
• Treats
• Chews
• Bowls
• Chuck-It
• Dog bag

...and what's in her dog bag?

• Towel
• Extra leash
• Extra collar
• Poop bags
• Kong
• Tooth brush/doggie tooth paste
• Dog Booties
• Doggie back pack
• 2 water bottles
• Collapsible water bowl
• Blinking light for her collar
• 4 chuck-it balls (in case one gets lost in the tundra)
• Nail trimmer (2...not sure why)
• Doggie Shampoo
• First aid kit (better than ours)

What's in the first aid kit? That will have to wait until another time...

Sitting Cozy

Sitting cozy.

Quick camping trip to enjoy the autumn color. Fall is definitely in the air. Days are comfortably warm; evenings are nippy. Even Bella was chilly. Nothing like a 60 pound cuddler crawling into your lap!

Photographs

If I could adopt and care well for a zillion dogs, I would. But rules are rules and the rule in this household, set by The Husband, is only one. That's okay...for now.

If I was a photographer, this blog would be filled with thousands of pictures of my Bella-girl in action. But as you have witnessed, I am not a photographer and only on occasion am I granted a singularly acceptable shot. (Perhaps part of the issue is I rarely have the camera with me!)

So to combine my love of dogs and my appreciation of photography, I look at several sites of people who are able to take gorgeous photographs of dogs (cats, horses...and even people!). Even better, many of them give back as members of HeARTs Speak by donating their time and talents to help for the betterment of animal welfare. Each artist has a unique angle. See for yourself.

• Julie Austin Photography 
• Sarah Beth Photography All of her stuff is wonderful, but I particularly like her "Joy" sessions where she photographs very old hounds whose time is just around the bend.
• Furr Butts Photography This is similar to the one above in that she has very heartfelt shots of "old souls."
• Leesia Teh Photography 
• Erin Vey Photography 
• Nizhoni Pet Photography This one seems to be on hiatus, but I still love the shots and the "Saving Grace Project."

Is there an animal photography site you appreciate? Let me know.

Rally!

Bella and I have started a new Rally class at Seattle Agility. What a great class! I've included a little video of someone running the course in case you haven't seen rally in action before. (I don't know who is in the video.) With our impending trip to Baja, I wanted to work with Bella on paying attention to me and being able to follow commands in very different environments.

I've lucked out. The class is very small and my instructor, Tawnya, is amazing. In two classes, I've learned more about how to train/work with Bella, than I have from any other class or teacher. I am completely jazzed about what we're doing. Because of Tawnya's eagle eye and great ability to communicate, I feel I'm able to make myself more clearly and more quickly understood to Bella. Who could ask for more than that!

It's What's Inside that Counts

I saw this on the Internet today via an online article in Bark Magazine.This is from a contest among vets for the best finds via xrays...like balls, baby bottle nipples...even a whole rubber ducky. For any of you who have snarfers (a.k.a. dogs who eat anything), you'll appreciate the link. From this, it looks like spoons have a slight edge as a favorite. I would love to see what is inside Bella because Lord knows, she has consumed a wide array of inedibles!

At one point as a young pup, Bella got into her food box and ate almost three weeks worth of food. She went from a lovely slender dog to a pork chop. I immediately bought a box in which to keep her food that had a very-hard-to-open lid. At the register, the cashier made a comment regarding how difficult it was to remove the top. When I told her why, she laughed. Her dog, it seems, had gotten into a Costco packet of light bulbs and eaten everything but the twist at the bottom of the bulb. She was frantic and rushed her dog to the vet. The dog was fine...unbelievable!

Bella's Sick

Bella ate something, we don't know what. She came out of a neighboring yard licking her chops and has been lethargic since—that was four days ago. Her appetite remains strong. She can still play Chuck-It with the best of them, but she's not herself. My husband is going to talk to the neighbor and see what might have been in his yard.

Bella got sick in the living room the other night and seemed a bit better since then, but this morning I felt like I was walking a 15-year old dog. She lagged way behind.

I am uneasy about this and concerned. I don't want anything to be more involved than indigestion. I've had her on a bland diet. I'll give her until Monday and then... I'd love to take her to the vet, but the only sign of problem is "she's not herself." How do you test for that?

UPDATE  We found out the neighbor is composting food (and meat) scraps outside, uncovered. (Rat problem anyone?) Bella was feasting on that. The smell of food and rotting meat (according to my husband on a cool and rainy day) was pretty horrendous. Too much temptation for a Labrador. Bella is doing better today, but is still overly "frothy"at the mouth and still has stinky breath, so her tummy isn't completely settled. I believe we have an unused yard compost bin floating around the garage. Think I'll see if my neighbor might want it...

UPDATE #2 Labrador's are known for their iron-clad guts. I came across this link from a veterinary x-ray contest (who has the best find) and it makes me grateful Bella didn't get into more. However, if her stomach ever needs an x-ray, I hate to think what they will find in her little belly!

Feral Dogs in Japan's Disaster Zone

Disasters evoke mental images thanks to the plethora of pictures with which media bombards us. Hurricane Katrina or Fukushima both bring up immediate mental images of devastation. Usually it's of buildings and people, though sometimes there are shots of animals, bedraggled and confused. An acquaintance was involved in the rescue of displaced family pets for Katrina. This particular Coloradoan traveled many miles to help care for the lost, injured, and orphaned animals. She said it was absolutely heart-wrenching work—and rewarding. In a natural disaster our primary concern is foremost for the people, but we've learned it is also necessary to care for traumatized pets.

It hadn't occurred to me that there still might be loose dogs fending for themselves in Japan's no-entry zone around the Fukushima nuclear plant—that was, until I read an article in the local paper. Though not frequently touched upon by the media, pets also suffered terribly during Japan's disaster—not only from the earthquake and tsunami, but also from the separation from their owners and the new life these pets faced. None were familiar with finding their daily meal or a comfortable, dry, safe place to rest, not to mention the stressful competition from other animals trying to do the same.

What surprised me, however, is that in six months time, some of those pets preferred their isolation to the return of human company to which they had been accustomed. What would cause that behavior? Fear, certainly, but why? The only thing I could think of is perhaps there are people in the area, out of sync with society at large, who were also competing with the dogs for food...or maybe eating the pets themselves. (Ugly thought, I know.) Why else would a pet familiar with people shy away? I can't imagine a dog who has lived a comfortable "indoor" life not trusting a helping hand. Of course there are some dogs who are truly "lost" without their people. (A friend's dog is absolutely beside herself if left with someone else—even someone she knows well—while her owner walks off.)

The article states that puppies born after the tsunami are indeed feral. I understand that. If the parents are scrounging for a living and give birth, the pups know no other life. Yet aren't some of them curious about people? (I just finished reading Steve Duno's book "Last Dog on the Hill." It is a wonderful story about his dog, Lou, who begins life as a feral pup. When a litter of puppies is scrounging on a hill, they see Steve and all high-tail it into the woods, except for Lou who is drawn to Steve...and thus begins his story.)

The article states some pets have been found and taken to a shelter while their owners, still in emergency shelters themselves, await a new residence or return to their own. However, most of these pets had been left leashed in the house when owners were evacuated—and this number is a mere fraction of registered dogs in that area. Baited traps have been a bust. How quickly the dogs have become wary! Heaven forbid we should ever experience such a disaster, but my guess is Bella would be a sucker for a human hand with a handout!

In this same vein, a local training facility in our area is offering a free disaster preparedness class for pet owners. I'm looking forward to seeing what they have to offer. Not only will potential disasters be discussed for our locale (earthquakes), but also how to prepare one's home (with regard to your pet), what to have in a pet disaster kit and where to take your best buddy if you have to leave your home. Incredibly important information for any pet owner to have.

Someone has MY toy!

I love this picture.

Boone stole Bella's toy and she is none to happy with the situation. He's studiously ignoring her.

Oh the unfairness of it all!

Buddies

We've been gone for a while on a cycling trip with friends. It's an annual camping, active affair and always fun—road and mountain biking, hiking and sometimes, even kite boarding thrown in! This year, however, we cut it short as temperatures soared into the high 90s/low 100s. Can't do much in that kind of weather!

Bella blistered both front pads early in the trip, so she was out of the mountain biking loop early—much to her disappointment! Luckily we were usually near water, so there were many fetch-it games involving sticks and swimming.

Bella and Boone resting.

Her new buddy, Boone, was along for the trip. Our friends have had him just over six months. He's around five and obviously was well-loved and cared for by his previous owner. He's gentle and trusting, but didn't know much about playing. He's a fast learner!

Bella taught him all about play, fetch, and swimming. At the start of the trip, he did none of those things. He'd step in the water, but that was it. Play? Wasn't sure what that was about. Fetch? Why bother? Retrieve isn't his forte, but he loved chasing Bella (on land or water) as she went after the stick or ball.

Boone's owners are gone this weekend (celebrating their 30th anniversary), so Boone is here. We were a little concerned how he'd handle being left at our house being that he is fairly new to the group. But he'd been to our house several times already and lived with us in close proximity on the trip. What a gem! Bella's nose is a bit out of joint, but they've had a wonderful weekend together.

Back to the Teanaway

Ball? Did someone say "ball?"

We decided to try the Teanaway region again—this time with my husband's sister, her husband and their 16-year old son...and of course their dog—Bella's half-sister, Molly. What a difference six weeks makes on weather. HOT. BUGGY. DRY. We're such heat wimps, but really, 90+ degrees is just not healthy for anyone!

It was a wonderful weekend despite the biting flies and enervating heat. Molly is an Australian Shepherd, so the heat was particularly hard for her. Plus her pads are pink and blister easily. It only took one day for her to be relegated to "camp time" versus being able to accompany us. We took turns staying with her to keep her company.

We tried to accomplish all of our hiking and biking activities early, but when it's a group of people, time schedules don't always sync up. Our last hike was case in point, we left too late and the heat was brutal. Luckily there was a stream at the end of the trail. We could all cool our feet (dogs included) and soak our heads!

One of Bella's most favorite people is our nephew and he didn't fail her. He was a constant source of ball and stick tossing. I had made a request going into the weekend that we should not aid and abet by giving in to her constant demand, but no sooner had we made camp, then Bella was into the brush and came back with a tennis ball. Finally we tired of playing, so I placed the ball on the van's roof gutter. Not five minutes later, Bella comes back with another ball! Huh? After that one was removed, she went off and came back with a hard ball. Where does she find this stuff?!?

After all balls were removed, she went back into the brush (or which there was a lot) and dragged out part of a deer spine with ribs attached. Enough! We hung that in a tree and gave her back a ball. Co-dependency rules!

Flashback

Dora-Nellie-Bella, 5 weeks old.

I ran across this picture of Bella at about 5 weeks old. She was called "Dora" at the point by her first family. They renamed her "Nellie." She was so pudgy and cute; her coat had a lot more white in it. Her eyes were hazel then, though now they are light brown.

At that point I was fascinated by her coat, but more interested in another pup, an all black little girl called "Tweety" who was a bit spunkier than my girl.

It wasn't until I brought my husband to see the pups that Bella chose us...or more specifically, my husband. When he sat on the grass to observe, all five puppies jumped all over him, but only Bella settled in. I told him to move to see what she would do, so he got up and moved about 20 feet away. Bella got up, moved over to his side, and flopped back down  to sleep. Who could say no to a pup who says, "Your my family!"?

Car Travel Safety

Mountain biking outside of McCall, Idaho in '05.

Several years ago, my husband and I were mountain biking outside McCall, Idaho. The trails were gorgeous, the weather superb and the three of us (my husband, myself and our dog, Lucy) were having a wonderful ride until we met up with a young couple and their three legged border collie. They were also enjoying the area, but when we learned why the dog was missing one leg, my mood changed. Their dog fell out of the back of their pickup truck and was hit. Luckily the dog survived, but I am continuously flabbergasted when I see dogs unrestrained in cars, let alone loose in the back of a truck. What are these people thinking? Obviously not about their dog!

I used to own a Honda Civic hatchback (great little car) and initially kept my dog in the way back. At some point I had the awful thought of what might become of her if I was rear-ended. She then road in the back seat in a harness/leash/seat belt contraption.

Since then, all of our dogs have worn a harness attached to a short 18" leash. The seat belt passes through the handle and then into its buckle. I have looked at other harness mechanisms and at this point lean towards Ruff Rider's seat belt as I like the design, padding and chest criss-cross. It's not very expensive and has received lots of lauds yet suffers the same drawback as my present system. If the dog can step on the buckle, they can release the belt. Bella seems quite adept at this even though the buckle to hard to reach.

Periodically I revisit this issue to see if anything better has come along. Part of my recent research was because of an article in the May issue of Bark Magazine regarding traveling with your favorite four-legged friends. The article doesn't critique belts though and I wish it did. Recently I've seen several references to the downside of crating your dog in the car. Each time they refer to a German study. Here are some short videos from About.com that are horrifying even though they are testing with dummies (human and canine).

After looking at the video and the Ruff Rider harness...and then at my homemade, jerry-rigged setup, I think I'll be purchasing a real doggie car harness!

Bella's seat belt from in front and from behind.

Do Our Dogs Love Us?

Do dogs love us? I have started this post numerous times and continue to save it as a draft. Why? It just seems a bigger question than I can cognitively handle combining what I feel at a gut level and what I'm willing to accept intellectually. And really, my pup and I share lots of things, but not a common language, so I can’t just out and out ask her, “Do you love me?”

This question is one I periodically have with my family of non-scientific dog fanatics. We all agree that we think so as the dogs behavior is similar to our own with those we love. Coinciding with a family visit, a friend sent me this article, (What Pets Think of Us, by Steve Dale, USA Weekend) on whether dogs actually "love" us and it made me ponder whether Bella really loves me? Having been inculcated with the "don't anthropomorphize" school of thought, I am hesitant to say "love", but I will emphatically say she is definitely bonded with me and because she's my pup and I'm me, I'll say (under my breath) she loves me too.

Then there is this post, When You Are Generous, Your Dog Is Watching You, by Con Slobodchikoff regarding canine generosity and this one, Why Dog Trainers Will Have to Change Their Ways, by Kate Kellaway with The Observer on John Bradshaw's studies regarding letting a dog "win" when you play with him.....so is it the old "do unto others..." with dogs also?

I've grown up with dogs and each had a distinct personality. Some were quite attached to us and stuck with us when it might not have been "fun" for them, contrary to Bradshaw’s point of view when the dogs weren’t always on the “winning” end of the equation (though I realize he isn’t intimating they always have to win). The dogs were our compatriots through and through. They went where we went. They were aware when one of us was sick and stayed by that person's side. So does that mean they loved us?

Of the three dogs I've had as an adult, two have exhibited that behavior: Suzy, our first dog, and now, Bella. It's not that I think Lucy wasn't attached to us, but she was such a re-actor. In retrospect, although we gave her a good home and good care, I think she needed someone else who was more knowledgeable in dealing with a dog who acted so impulsively. I never felt that she "loved" for us, as much as she "needed" us.

Bella, on the other hand, is very attached to us without being needy. She is quite sure of herself and her relationship to her world. She can be put in a myriad of situations and does quite well assessing her place. She is incredibly attuned to our moods and health. And though she enjoys everyone’s company, she is most definitely attached to my husband and me.

But is that love? Am I happy with saying she is “merely” bonded? I am, but what do you think about this? Do you feel your pup loves you?

UPDATE: I just picked up John Bradshaw's book, Dog Sense, from the library. Chapter 6 is "Does Your Dog Love You." I'll report back when I've read it!

Where Has Your Pup Been?

A friend and I were shooting the breeze the other night, luxuriating in the fact that summer has finally hit the Pacific Northwest. It's been too long since we've had one—two years as a matter of fact—and we were making the most of it! It was one of those fantastic evenings where the air is the perfect temperature and so is the wine.

Our conversation covered the map: cooking, politics, kids, politics, dogs, politics, and then, since we were covering the conversational map, maps. I hauled out an old road atlas and we gazed at different states we'd visited and reminisced about our travels together. From there we wandered on to which dogs we had on which trips. Well, Bella had about enough of our talking about those dogs. She wanted to participate! So here are the states Bella has mountain biked, hiked and walked through in her short 27 months of life.

Bella's (orange) journey through the West.

Not bad for a whipper-snapper, eh? Where has your pup been?

Dozer, the Half-Marathoner

What a great story this is! A loose dog joins half-marathoners, finishes the race and his family sets up a fund-raiser for cancer after the event and raises more then $13,000 for cancer research!

Flying your Pup

If you been following this blog, you know my reticence for flying Bella. Well, I just found this article in our paper regarding a survey taken by PetFinder. Pet Airways seems to be a winner, though they still don't come to my city! I'm surprised Alaska Airlines didn't get named as they are the "Iditarod" airlines. I wish the article would post the survey questions and compilation rather than just the results. I'm curious what questions they asked. PetFinder's article can be found here where you'll see several other links that help in your decision-making should flying your pet be in your future.

Am I thinking about flying Bella? Nope. But it's nice to see airlines being rated.Our local paper also had an article on tips for traveling with pets. However, the author, Michelle Higgins, with The New York Times, states what all pet owners fear the most:

"Meanwhile, pet safety has become a more pressing issue. Incidents of animals being lost, injured or dying have recently risen. Thirty-nine animals died while flying aboard commercial jets in the United States last year, compared with 22 in 2009, according to the Department of Transportation. Thirteen were injured and five were lost. Delta was responsible for a significant portion of the increase, with 16 deaths and six injuries in 2010, compared with three deaths and no injuries the previous year."

Whether or not this is a small percentage makes no difference to me. I would rather keep Bella in my sights. This is the only time I wish she was small enough to be in an on-board carrier in the passenger compartment!

Bloat

The day we had to put Lucy to sleep, I feared she had bloat. She'd been diagnosed with lymphoma and the vet had given her a very short time to live, so we knew any time with her was a gift. She had just finished a meal and wished to go outside and for whatever reason, I felt it necessary to watch her. She paced around the yard which was not unusual, but she couldn't stop. She tried several times to throw up or to defecate and couldn't manage either. I ran to her and saw (and felt) that her stomach was rock solid and big, so I feared bloat. We rushed her to the hospital and though they were about to close, stayed open for us. It wasn't bloat, but her cancer. Our decision was made.

Today in looking at our local paper on-line, I came across this article on bloat and thought about Lucy. Bloat is so scarey because your time—your dog's time—is so very limited and the odds so poor of your dog surviving it. No one seems to know what causes this though large breed dogs seem more prone. Exercising immediately after the dog eats and drinks seems to be a culprit too. Heredity and stress also see some finger-pointing (which makes me think about the benefit of a mutt though a friend reasoned with me that mutts can inherit bad traits too). Raised food bowls remains controversial as a cause, but the story states a huge probability in predisposed breeds.

Please read the article and be aware of this deadly situation. If you suspect your dog may be suffering from bloat, do not delay. Get your pup immediately to an emergency vet!

Paddle Boarding with Bella

Bella is a water dog, right? I thought paddle boarding with her would be a snap—after all in the videos (see the YouTube video above), it looks so easy. A friend's dog is so addicted to paddle boarding that she has a hard time keeping him off other people's boards. The minute someone comes close to shore, her dog, Boone, hops on. I also wanted to get some practicing in before we head back to Baja this winter when I want her to be able to go out with me. I'd even looked into floats for Bella thinking if she fell off she'd be able to swim to shore if she couldn't get back on the board.

So the last time we were in the Gorge, I borrowed a friend's board to give it a try. Perhaps it was the wrong place to experiment. The Event Site in Hood River is a zoo. There are people, kids, dogs, strollers, windsurf and kite board equipment scattered everywhere, paddle boards and lawn chairs cheek and jowl to each other. Kids dropping food, people tossing balls, frisbees sailing through the air—chaos! To expect Bella to be able to pay attention is really asking a lot.

None-the-less, we were down at the water and she was game. I brought the nose of the board to the beach so she could walk onto it. Walking on proved not so easy. There were a few leaps off the board into the water—both for lack of balance and for the uncertainty of standing on a tippy surface. But my friend's board has a sticky surface, so once Bella settled in, I took off and headed out into the Columbia River.

I had paddled out perhaps 50 yards from shore when I saw the stick floating in the water. I tried to stir away from it so she wouldn't see it. Too late! Bella took a flying leap off the board to retrieve the stick; I flew off the board backwards. She returned to shore with the stick, dropped it and looked up at the nearest person to beg sweetly for a toss. I crawled back onto the board and gimped back to shore.

Lesson One was a bust. If it ever stops raining, maybe we'll get a chance at Lesson Two...