Christmas Chews

I come from an extended family of pet gift givers. In fact, I live in a neighborhood of dog owners who give other dogs a gift. Not everyone is as picky as I about what Bella is allowed to eat, so it is important to remain diplomatic while sometimes disposing of the treat after the fact.

What won't I give her?

• Anything that says "Made in China." I'm sorry, but too many horror stories have come from there regarding contaminants in human food that there is no reason to believe a pet toy would be higher quality. 
• Any toy that does not say where it's made. There is no reason to believe anything made here is better, but if it says made in the USA, I'm more of a believer. If it gives no place of origin, I am highly skeptical.
• Any toy of a vibrant, unnatural color where the smell is the most prominent thing about it. (This does not include disgusting, but obviously tasty, bully sticks.) What makes it smell like that?
• Any toy that is soft or has loose, easy-to-swallow bits. Bella is too vigorous a chewer to waste the money or risk the hazard.
• Rope toys with lots of color. I know some will be ingested so what dye did they use?
• Raw hide chews. This has been because of choking, but then I read this article in Bark. (I really should buy stock in that magazine. I love it!) If I could make the screeching sound here of tires squealing to a stop, I would. The author's description of how chews are made is enough to stop anyone from ever buying a raw hide chew again.

I quote from the magazine article:

Other poisonous residues that may show up in rawhide include arsenic and formaldehyde. Even dog skin is a possibility. An ongoing investigation of the fur trade by Humane Society International, an arm of the HSUS, resulted in this information, as listed on their website: “In a particularly grisly twist, the skins of brutally slaughtered dogs in Thailand are mixed with other bits of skin to produce rawhide chew toys for pet dogs. Manufacturers told investigators that these chew toys are regularly exported to and sold in U.S. stores.”

I'm sure there are toys that I give Bella that are far from perfect, that do contain dyes that aren't good, but I do try to find out where it is made and of what. In fact, I am almost more careful with what she gets, because I know some of it will be eaten, no matter how closely I monitor.

What I don't feel badly about is letting the gift giver know what can go into the manufacturing of a raw hide chew. It isn't good for any dog.

The Beauty of Aging Dogs

Bella is not an old dog, she's a young pup of two and a half years. Her best dog buddies, however, are mature. Boone is six and Amber, ten. Although they are nice to Bella, her energy can be a bit overwhelming for them. This Christmas, Amber and her owner will be joining us. Bella's half-sister, Molly, a young girl of three who is "mature" by nature, will also be there. There is a chance our in-laws' in-law's dog will be joining us also. If that's the case, he is younger than Bella. I'm anticipating a packed house with a fair amount of chaos.

Amber, the matriarch, and Molly, the mellow, will be the calm in the storm. There is something quite magnificent about an older dog. They know the rules; they are tried and true. Their lovely, graying muzzles exemplify their inherent dignity. They ask very little of your time, but never shirk their duty to greet you, follow you, or lend their head for stress-reducing pats.

Bella's best buddy, Amber.

Our first dog Suzie, was a two-year old pound-puppy  when she came home with me. She wasn't a big dog; at her heaviest she was only a hair over 45 pounds. At the time, dog food had not progressed in "healthfulness" to the extent it has today, but I tried to feed her well and she certainly got plenty of exercise. Perhaps it was her small size and good genetics, but Suzy was mountain biking with us up until she was 14 and even joined us on short rides for two more years. At 16, she was content to limit her activities to non-strenuous hikes and for two more years, small walks. Suz made it to 18. What a blessing she was! She will always have a special part in my heart reserved just for her.

Miss Lucy, my poor sick hound dog, barely crested 11. Even though she was a handful, I felt quite deprived that her time with us was so short. My fingers are so crossed that Bella makes a Guinness record for longevity.

There are two Internet links I want to share with you about old dogs. This one is from Bark magazine about a little, bitty mutt named Betsy who celebrated her 21st birthday back in August. A legal drinker! You go, Betsy-girl! I hope she's still with us; how awesome she's made it so long!

The other site is from the Daily Mail out of England and features some of the search and rescue dogs from 9/11 that are still with us. Look at the pictures. What lovely old faces! If you have an old hound, how lucky you are! If you've adopted an older dog, three cheers to you! Let their loyalty and love bring out the best in you.

"Let's Take the Long Way Home"

"Let's Take the Long Way Home" is a short memoir by Gail Caldwell about her friendship with another writer, Caroline Knapp. It's a sad and tender story about friendship, love and loss. The two women meet through a dog trainer, their love for their young dogs providing the first bond, their mutual respect and admiration for each other cementing it. I had read two of Knapp's other books, "Drinking: A Love Story" and Pack of Two" earlier, so knew a little bit about Caroline going into this story. The book makes you want to love up your pup and hug those friends who know you inside and out, and love you unconditionally.

So my advice is to go kiss your pup and call your best girl friend and let her know how much you love her. No dog gets enough loving and friends rarely hear how important they are, though they may know it intuitively. In the scheme of things, life is just too short.

Introverts as Pet Owners

A friend sent me this link regarding introverts. My friend is a bonafied introvert, not anti-social, just not chatty; she does not need, in fact, cannot be, with people constantly. According to the article, I'd classify myself as a border-line case. I do not need, nor do I desire, to be with people all the time. I can be chatty, but only with certain people. My truly close friends can be counted on two hands. In fact, I find if I am around crowds (even people I love) too often or for too long, the need for some "away time" to regroup is not only a powerful urge, but an absolute necessity.

My friend spends much of her time with her horse. I spend lots of time with my dog. It is quiet, satisfying and rarely depleting. I find I can diffuse, what for me would eventually become the sapping energy of crowds, by focusing on Bella, by making a virtual cocoon with just the two of us. Bella is fine in crowds and around other animals, but even for her it can sometimes prove too much and she becomes overly stimulated and a bit manic. With our previous dog, Lucy, and her anger management issues, time with her spent in crowds was emotionally exhausting for both of us.

This makes me wonder if many pet owners tend towards being introverts? I often hear dog owners say they like dogs better than people and prefer time spent with their dog(s), more than socializing with their own kind. My friend says this is true of horse people too. Neither my friend nor I exclusively prefer our pet over people...though sometimes their quiet personalities are wonderful!

I took a very quick, unscientific look on the Internet and found several references to a study done by Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas, who with a graduate student, conducted a web-based survey of over 4,500 people to discover if they were "dog" people or "cat" people and what that might mean. It certainly didn't bear me out. In the article I read by Stanley Coren, PhD, in Psychology Today, he states the results of Gosling's study this way:

The results showed that dog people were generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which dimensions are associated with social orientation. In addition dog people were 11 percent more conscientious than cat people. Conscientiousness involves is a tendency to show self-discipline, to complete tasks and aim for achievement. The trait shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behavior.     

In comparison cat people were generally about 12 percent more neurotic, however they were also 11 percent more open than dog people. The openness trait involves a general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience. People high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs while people with low scores on openness (dog people) tend to have more conventional, traditional interests.

In the same linked article, the author's own study of over 6000 individuals, Coren found:

According to my data, cat owners were one third more likely to live alone than dog owners and twice as likely to live in an apartment or flat. Being married, living in a house, and having children living in the home, are all factors that are more likely for dog owners than cat owners.

Turning to the personality profile of the person who owns only cats, we find a reasonable overlap with Gosling's recent findings. To begin with we find we find that people who own only cats tend to be relatively introverted (low on extroversion) and also reasonably cool (low in warmth or agreeableness) which is the pattern confirmed by the more recent data.

Hm-m. Next, I came across a blog entry cataloging what your dog's breed says about you. This is pure fun. As a Labrador owner, they were pretty spot-on about our life style. (Yes, yes, I know she's crossed with an Australian Shepherd, but that's a much smaller part of her personality.)

If your favorite dog breed is a Retriever or Spaniel (Labradors, Goldens, Labradoodles, American Cocker Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, etc) then your personality traits are:

• Family-focused
• Fun-loving and social
• Easygoing
• Active lifestyle
• Positive perspective, with an “open door” policy at home

Now that I've blown any possibility of connecting the dots between pet owners and introverts asunder, I ask you. What's your take on this?

Indestructible Dog Toys—Do They Exist?

I was chatting with a friend today about dog toys. Remember my post last December about the wonderful customer reward we received from our dog food store? My friend now shops there and we were discussing this year's goody bag which included a plush toy. Her dog, a lovely, sedate boy of six, has been carrying his toy around the house for the past two weeks. Bella and I picked up our bag yesterday. My lovely, energetic girl of two and a half, eviscerated, decapitated and delimbed hers within ten minutes. So I was lamenting with my friend that the amount of money I've thrown at toys is depressing as Bella destroys them so rapidly. Truly, if something lasts a week, I am thrilled.

Bella and the short lived Mr. Leopard.

I have been very interested in getting her a Nina Ottoson toy but they are just too expensive to have Bella destroy in a sitting. Treat filled toys my other dogs "worked" to get their food reward; Bella just chews through. There is no game involved other than the direct route to the reward.

I have given her Tuffys before (not so plush, plush toys) and those do last nearly a week as long as I get her an "8" or higher on the chew scale. I've read about some other plush toys called Fluff and Tuff that claim they are nearly indestructible, but they aren't available here. So I was quite thrilled when one of the clerks at the pet food store told me about Bionics. Again, it's a treat toy. Their selling schtick is if your dog destroys it, they'll send you another one for free. If your dog destroys the replacement, your dog becomes a product tester. This could mean toys for life! And, no sooner did the marketing ploy suck me into buying one, but I read about Goughnuts which has a similar promise.

This is music to my ears and a jingle in my pocket. Could there actually be a toy Bella can't destroy? The verdict is out. I'll report back on what we discover. Now tell me, have you discovered a chew-proof toy yet?

Doggie Factoids

I found this site via City Dog/Country Dog. It's comically illustrated factoids about dog anatomy versus ours. How cool is this? What a great teaching tool to explore with children!

Perhaps one of the more enlightening pieces of information was the fact that dogs only have 1700 taste buds clustered around the tip of their tongue compared to our 10,000 that are all over our tongue (and even on the insides of our cheeks!). This could explain some of dogs—ahem!—less desirable food choices. Scat, anyone?

PTSD in Dogs

I came across this article today in the local paper. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in dogs is now officially recognized, thank heavens. It is wonderful to read that the military is helping the dogs that have been traumatized in a combat zone learn to cope.

Those of us who have picked up "pound puppies" know that it isn't just the military life that can traumatize a dog. My Lucy was a perfect example of a dog where something had occurred in her life to make her perpetually fearful. Bangs of any kind (among a myriad of other things) set her off. For example, we couldn't even go near a trail that ran behind a high school sports stadium where they used a gun-like sound to start a race. She was absolutely petrified of the place—and any percussive noises.

I think this speaks highly of positive training for affected pups. For dogs who live in fear, gentle training hopefully can help them deal with those things in their life that make them miserable. There is a local dog training facility where the owner has created a training called BAT (behavior adjustment training) that helps dogs control their response (lunging, barking, growling) to a threatening environment. Like the military's counter-conditioning, BAT training uses a similar approach to desensitize the dog.

FOOTNOTE: Here's another post on PTSD in dogs you might want to read:  Yes Dogs Really Do Get PTSD

Giving that Final Love—The Compassion Program

My friends tease me how at the mere mention of a sweet dog story, I well up. If I was an actress, this would be my method for bringing on the tears. Yet I can't help it. Dog devotion is powerful.

I came across this story this morning and barely began reading before tearing started. These wonderful people volunteer in a Manhattan animal shelter to be with dogs the night before they are euthanized—to give them a warm touch, walks, treats and love at the end of their lives. My hat goes off to the shelter employees and volunteers who thought up this program and continue it. I don't think I'd be able to do it without crying and further stressing the animals. But oh! I do appreciate the individuals who give this care so freely!

NOTE: And now, more from Bark Magazine (my absolutely favorite read)! This story is about the selfless volunteers who have been entering the evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to remove or feed (if the animals must stay) for the abandoned pets. These are some amazing people!

Thanksgiving

I thought for Thanksgiving I'd write about what I am thankful for in my dogs. It is a given that I've loved them unquestionably. The amount of love they gave back was limitless. And oh, what they have taught me—and continue to do so!

My girl, Suzy.

Suzy was my first dog. I had moved into a carriage house, had a good job and decided it was "time." I went to the local animal shelter and saw a big, rangy Airedale cross named Duke who struck my fancy. Yet when I brought him out of his cage to play, old Dukester was a wild man. Neither commands, nor his name elicited any response. In my tiny carriage house, and being gone during the day, I could only envision the havoc he could cause. (This was way before the sensibilities of crates.)

A friend was with me and read the tag on Suzy cage. "Look at this!" she commented. "Suzy can "come," "sit," and "lay down!"" Who would argue with that resume? Plus Suzy weighed in at about 45 pounds compared to Duke's easy 70+ pounds. Indeed, outside the confines of the shelter's cage, Suzy could follow all those commands—immediately. And so began my love affair with my little German Shepard, Border Collie cross.

Suzy was perfect. She was born to mind and what she lacked in humor, she more than made up for in love. I took her through a series of obedience classes, but it wasn't my ability to train that made her so impressive. It was just what Suzy did. She was my heart. I dated or didn't date men depending on Suzy's reaction to them or theirs to her. My life was no longer joining friends for drinks after work, but dashing home to be with my dog. Weekends weren't filled with partying, but quiet hikes with my new BFF. Suzy taught me the joy of having a dog companion, of trust, responsibility and friendship with another species that far surpassed anything I'd experienced with the dogs of my childhood. I was blessed with her presence for 18 wonderful years.

Luce, the Goose.

Lucy was my second pup and another "reject" picked up at the same shelter where I'd found Suzy. The shelter listed her as an English Springer Spaniel, Australian Shepherd cross. Humor? She had it in spades. What a funny, goofy dog. Friends called her "Goose" since she was such a character. It was nice to have a pup who didn't take herself, or life, quite so seriously. Lucy knew how to enjoy herself.

On the other hand, she was a handful. Leash aggressive and bull-headed. Life with Lucy was a whole different ballgame. She lived for her nose and would follow it over everything else. Walking her anywhere was an exercise for me in full-blown alertness. I was constantly changing course on walks to avoid other dogs and I developed a "loose-dog" antenna that most have been visible.

Plus, for the last four years of her very short decade of life, Lucy was sick. Her back, her head, her cancer. All different things in which the vets performed myriads of tests on the poor girl. How she hated vet offices! Surgeries, drugs, internal investigations, MRIs, you name it.

So what did Lucy teach me? She taught me to be grateful for the times when she chose to mind, when she didn't attack another dog, when she was feeling good and wanted to be with us. Those times were such a reprieve and so wonderful.

And now we are blessed with the amazing Miss Bella. Bella isn't a shelter dog. My sister-in-law has Bellie's half-sister, a purebred Australian Shepherd. Molly is such a kind, placid jewel, that I decided that was the kind of dog I needed after Lucy. Luckily, the neighbor's lab was Johnny-on-the-spot, and voila!  A mixed litter.

The amazing Miss Bella.

Bella has Lucy's goofiness and Suzy's loyalty. I can walk anywhere with Bella without fear an ensuing dog fight. I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. The antenna I developed with Lucy has all but disappeared. Bella likes everything—people, kids, dogs, cats—you name it, she likes it! What a joy! Bella also wants to be with us. Being in our presence is something she desires. Hiking or biking with her is no problem as she won't be out of sight.

All my dogs have made me a better owner. I'm more knowledgeable than I was when Suzy came home with me and Bella is the recipient of that improved consciousness. I continue to learn from Bellie. Instead of expecting her to always understand me, I'm trying oh-so-hard to understand what she's trying to tell me.

I can't imagine being dog-less. My life is so much richer for it and for that, I am oh so grateful! As a friend said about her pound pup, "It's not so much that we rescued him, it's more like he rescued us..."

Bloat

Bloat requires immediate attention. The day we had to put Lucy to sleep, we rushed her to the vet because we thought she had bloat. This condition tends to affect large, older dogs with big chests and Lucy fit that bill. It can occur after the dog gobbles (inhales) their food. The stomach fills with gas and fluid and can twist on itself cutting off blood and oxygen supply to other organs. (See this link for more information about the condition.) Chance of survival without veterinarian intervention is nil. Even with that intervention, the odds are not in the dog's favor.

Lucy had lymphoma and I was feeding her a homemade, high protein diet recommended by the vet. Lucy had always been a finicky eater, but loved this food. After eating this one particular evening, she went into the back yard and started pacing. I'm not sure what made me watch her from the house, but I did and could see she was pacing which was unusual. She tried to defecate and couldn't; tried to vomit and couldn't. These are both signs of bloat. Additionally, her stomach was noticeably distended and hard. Another sign of bloat. We rushed her to the vet. In her case, it wasn't bloat, but cancer. That was our last day with our old girl.

Here is a story and video from Bark Magazine showing what symptoms of bloat looks like in a dog. Truly, this is nothing to mess with. If you suspect your dog may have bloat, drop everything and get your sweet pup to a vet immediately.

If you have a large, older dog with a big, barrel chest who inhales food, you have a dog that is more at risk. Consider getting a food bowl that inhibits or slows down gobbling. They go by a variety of names: "Brake-Fast," "Slow Eating," "Eat Slow," "Slow Feed," etc.

Stuffed Kongs

What do you mean you don't want to throw the ball now?

Besides the Chuck-It, the Kong has been the favorite, most used, dog toy/product I've purchased for Bella. We rarely see a day that doesn't have at least one Chuck-It session and any time we leave the house for an extended period of time, my Bell-Girl gets a Kong.

In fact, she has four Kongs through which she cycles. Once they are "finished," meaning she has successfully licked the insides clean, they are washed, refilled and thrown into the freezer. Licking it clean takes her all of a matter of minutes, so whatever is frozen inside, barely has time to thaw.

The Kong site has some great recipes to get you started, but I tend to serve up whatever I have available in the house. I nearly always include an organic grain (though the kibble I feed her is grain free): brown rice, millet, farro, quinoa, etc. If I plug the small opening with peanut butter, I may dribble in some chicken stock at the end through the other ingredients. If I don't add a liquid, I don't bother plugging the end.

A typical stuffing for Bella is brown rice, yogurt and banana. I may add some peanut butter mixed in with it. Often I'll dice carrots which she loves or fruit and mix that in to. Today she got her Kongs filled with brown rice, sunflower seed butter, ground flax, blueberries and diced, organic chicken hearts with a dribble of chicken stock.

What do you put in your Kongs?

Winter Weather

We've had rain and sleet and hail for days now. The wood-burning stove has been going non-stop. Soup is bubbling on the stove and though there are jobs to be done, motivating ourselves to go outside is futile. Even Bella is disinterested.

Which reminds me of our recent camping trip when the night time temps were in the low 20s and Bella's water bowl froze solidly. To keep the pup warm, we bundled her in an old, down comforter that is a mere shadow of its former self. Still, there are enough feathers left to keep a puppy warm!

Toasty dog!

Leash Work

Have you ever noticed how people manage their dog leash? I think it says a lot about the whole relationship with their dog. Are they paying attention to their dog and where their pup is walking?

Here are my completely biased observations:

• Flexi-lead walkers: I've written about flexis before and don't like them as I think owners are often oblivious to their dog. I find most either walking with a friend chatting, or on the phone—in either case, the dog wanders unobserved somewhere at the end of the lead. Pros: I have never seen a dog wrapped up in their flexi lead.
• Short leash walkers: Many have either a short lead, or a long lead that is looped enough times to make a short leash. The dog is on a tight heal. The dog? Old ones plod along looking resigned to the whole experience. Young dogs, eager to explore, usually are looking elsewhere with a gap on one side between their neck and their collar as they try to pull away. Not often do I witness an exceptionally well-trained dog healing no matter what their leash length. (This says a lot about dedication to training. I am no exception to this, unfortunately.)
• Long leash walkers: How frequently have you seen some dog at the end of their six-foot leash with the lead wrapped around a leg? These are the ones that most amaze me. Is the owner not aware of this? Don't they feel the odd pull of the leash? Hats off to the pups who just march along. What an uncomfortable walk!

I just got Bella a harness. Bella is an infrequent puller. She often walks ahead of me; I have not mandated a heal...sometimes to my regret. But on occasion, she'll spot the perfect stick in a yard and without a moment's hesitation, lunge for it. I worry about what that's doing to her neck, hence the harness. It has a chest d-ring and one on the back. A strap goes not only around her chest and across the front, but also between her front legs for stabilization. For inveterate pullers, hooking to both d-rings is supposed to give you much more control. I find the chest ring sufficient to eliminate the pull on me when that stick is spotted.

There are two things I am getting used to with this contraption. One is the feel of the leash swinging. It is a totally different sensation hooked to the front of Bella than a leash feels hooked to her collar. Two, because the leash is hooked to the front, I have to be more mindful if Bella is on my left or right. We live in an area without sidewalks, so sometimes it is necessary that she walks on my right, at others, she needs to be on my left. I'm trying to learn how to move the leash in front of her before she moves to a different side so the leash isn't over her back and pulling her in a circle away from me.

FOOTNOTE: I just switched her leash to the back d-ring. Much better! No wild swinging and she can walk on either side without an issue. Because Bella is not a dynamic puller, the extra control I might get from the chest d-ring isn't necessary. Easy schmeasy!

Clicker Training

I attended a make-up class this past weekend for a rally class I missed on our trip. We had a new instructor and the class was the first one for this particular session: Advanced Competitive Rally. They were kind enough to allow me to attend as I am not competitive and as a team, Bella and I are way below advanced.

The instructor, however, did nothing with rally, but worked us for an hour on how to use the clicker. For those of you who use a clicker regularly, you probably scratch your head at those of us who complain of being "clicker disabled." I have to admit, I am. Totally. Clicker disabled. I click at the wrong time, I click and don't treat, I treat and don't click, I treat when I shouldn't. It's an embarrassment.

But this class was great! Initially all she requested of us was to click when our dogs reacted with a box. She didn't care what they did, how they did it or whether it was the same reaction over and over again. Sniff, look, paw, back away, step on it—anything deserved a click and treat. We did that for two minutes, than stopped and let the dogs rest. Repeat.

For a new spin on it, she asked us to click at any new behavior. If they looked at the box, click and treat. But if they looked at it again, don't click and treat—wait until they offered a new behavior. Bella knew looking at the box got a treat, so she was confused that repeated glancing at the box didn't bring a reward. You could see the wheels spinning! Finally she pawed the box. Bingo! Click and treat! She nosed the box. Click and treat!

We did this exercise a number of times also. Always a duration of two minutes with a nice break between exercises.

The next exercise required us to use a hog pan. The pan was turned over with the bottom facing up. (The bottom was also covered with non-skid tape.) For this exercise, the instructor asked us to decide on what we wanted our dog to do with the pan. A student had brought her own bucket and she wanted her dog to knock it over. The rest of us used the hog pans.

One owner was only looking for her dog to put her front paws on it. Another wanted their dog's front paws on it and for the dog, keeping his paws on the pan, to rotate around the pan. Yet another owner wanted her dog's front paws on it and the dog to stand still. For me, I initially wanted Bella to put her front feet on it and eventually her back feet too. From there, I wanted her to sit. Ta-da! She did it! Smart puppy!

Yet another break. The final clicker exercise was for the dog to shake paws. However, we were to get close enough so when the dog's paw came down it would touch our knee. When there was contact: click and treat. Eventually the idea was that we would walk backward as the dog walked towards us tapping our knees with their paw, left paw to right knee, right to left. Bella was pooped. She could barely figure out how to shake and luckily the teacher recognized it before I did. She told me to just let Bellie rest.

Our final exercise was a five minute down with us wandering around and greeting each other. Bella almost made it. She was good until someone greeted me with a squeaky voice. That's okay. She'd worked hard in class and squeaking is so enticing. She went back down and stayed there for the remainder. All in all, a great class for the both of us. Seattle Agility and their instructors rock!

Have You Brought Your Dog to Baja?

This has turned into an ever-changing target and is making me edgy. We're bringing Bella with us to Baja this year and we'll be in Mexico (southern Baja) for a couple of months. Not only do I have a concern about how she'll manage in the heat and with cactus, but with other dogs (native and gringo), poisonous fish and a totally foreign environment. To top that off, the criteria to get her back into the United States seems to be elusive.

Having crossed the border heading south several times before, I know having up-to-date vet records for her is a priority, but not always requested.. She is current on shots and she's healthy, so I don't see that being the problem. I'll have her on flea, tick and heart worm meds, so that takes care of that concern. I have booties for the cactus for her feet, but will have to deal with them if they get elsewhere. I have a muzzle that I'm training her to that should help (but not eliminate) the fish issue. It's getting back across the border into the US that has me guessing.

Some folks say that the same certificates that get us into Mexico will get us home. Others have said I need a certificate signed by a Mexican vet stating that she's healthy and it must be issued no more than seven days before we cross the border. Yesterday, I found a site the said I needed an International Health Certificate (#77-043) and another form called APHIS-7001.

My vet is knowledgeable about crossing the border into Canada, but not about crossing the border into Mexico. Today I called the state vet office (the person I spoke with was pleasant, but knew nothing) who faxed forms to my vet, but said I needed to talk with the federal office (under the FDA). I'm still waiting to hear from them.

Of course, my nightmare is returning home to find a glitch at the border. ...That I'm missing that form. ...That Bella will have to be quarantined. ...That....

Have any of you experienced a border crossing south to north? What has been your experience. Don't be shy; let me know—please!

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.