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...

It's been a while...

Between leaving town for the reunion (very fun) and returning to "real life" (which means work for me) and a husband who is retired and wants to travel (so we do), I haven't had a moment to sit down and write.

Murray the Marvelous

So let me first introduce you to Bella's cousin, Murray. Murray is a five month old Wheaten Terrier and belongs to my brother. It's been a while since he's had a puppy (see here), so he has experienced moments of "buyers remorse." Remember puppies? Chewing, whining, peeing wonders!

Murray is a good dog though. He settles right down when he comes inside but still exhibits that wildness puppies have when they are outside. All of a sudden he gets a bee in his bonnet and tears around the yard at 1000 miles an hour. Love it!

They are currently trying to train him to an electric fence. He hasn't quite caught on yet and it's posing a problem as he is becoming timid in the yard. Hopefully, by working with him and the company that installed it, they'll figure it out. Fencing isn't an option and although their neighborhood is quiet, they live on a corner that sees a fair amount of traffic. Plus, they are only one street away from a wonderful river that has a very active pedestrian/bike path which proves visible—and very enticing—to a small dog.

Three dogs waiting for food to drop.

Bella and Molly are happy and tuckered from a long hike.

Three days after my return, we left again to join friends over July 4th. We are baby-sitting Bella's half-sister, Molly (same mom, different dads). Molly hasn't been exposed to mountain biking, so we took her on a 8.5 mile, level, shaded trail with plenty of water and a lake at the turn-around point. She did really well. Being an Aussie, she's all about staying with the pack!

Molly isn't a swimmer, but a wader. Again, as a herding dog, she felt compelled to chase Bella into the water as Bellie swam after a tossed stick, but ended up weeping until Bella returned to shore. It was fun watching the interactions between the two dogs.

We also got some hiking in with friends who have a border collie/sled dog cross. The three dogs had a fabulous time competing to see who found the best smell first. Luckily, Bella and Molly were great about staying close. They'd venture down the trail, but always turn and wait for us to reappear. The little BC cross was not so attentive. He's fairly new to his family, and this was his first time hiking. They will have to work with him to stay closer or will need to keep him leashed.

It was a wonderful weekend and it seems to have brought on official SUMMER WEATHER. Fabulous! I'm taking the girls out back to prune the espaliered apples. Lazy summer days.

Leaving...

Next week I'll be out of town for a 5-day stint. This will be a reunion with old friends and I am looking forward to it. Lots of catching up and comparing faulty memories! Some of the women I have not seen in nearly 40 years.

There will be a difficult side to this trip, however. Leaving my girl. I realize this is not earth shattering, nor do most people see it as an issue. Yet Bella is connected to my heart and it will be quite difficult to leave her. My husband will stay home, so she won't be alone or in a foreign, strange place. But I will. A girl without her dog isn't a very pretty sight.

Mountain Biking on the Teanaway

It's been a long, hard run up the mountain.

We spent a wonderful three days exploring the different forks of the Teanaway River this past weekend. The crowd level was almost non-existent and the weather east side of the Pass was warm and sunny. We've had such a snow pack this year and the weather has remained cooler than normal—both factors which I think may have dissuaded other campers. I'm all for it!

Our typical mode of camping (non-campground) was easy to accomplish and the spots we found were spectacular. The rivers (whatever fork we were on) were raging. Lovely noise to sleep by.

We did a ride or more a day. All of them climbed quite steeply from the valley so provided great workouts. Usually before we chose to chuck our bikes in favor of hiking (because of incline), we were stymied by snow. Bella had a blast. She hasn't had a lot of exposure to snow, so she really enjoyed the cooling aspects of snow cones, not too mention the natural ponds she found in the streams. What better place to cool her belly and have a sip?

Mountain-biking girl-dog cooling her jets!

As always, she ran many miles beyond what we biked as she would tear down to the water for a drink and back to the trail to keep up with us. Back at camp, she was game for any fetch and retrieve games with balls or sticks. She has an uncanny capability of finding  balls in the least likely spots. This trip was no exception. She found three. In one camping spot. I saw zero. Poor dog that lost them, but fair game for our girl. We left all three for the next lucky hound who frequents the spot. Perhaps a coyote?

Dog Food—What do you feed yours?

I'm sure some of you have read this article by now. Information like this seems to circle through the dog community fairly rapidly. The article isn't strictly about food, but the pet industry in general. However the part I took notice of was the food. I don't know about you, but what I feed my pup is a big issue for me and I've discussed it before. (Just search this blog for "food" and see how many posts show up!)

Now things like super gourmet food, fancy dog coats, or heaven forbid—"neuticals"—is not my style, but making sure I'm keeping track of what's going on in the dog food market is in Bella's (and my) best interest. So although the fashion trappings don't rock my boat, I was stopped dead in my tracks when I read this section in the article from a professor of veterinary nutrition:

Are our pets healthier for all of this? Tony Buffington, a professor of veterinary nutrition at Ohio State University, says his students have studied the diet history of thousands of animals and have not yet determined that one pet food is better than another.

“We have been unable to distinguish an outcome in healthy animals eating a wide variety of foods,” he says. Asked about the variety at megastores like Petco, he says, “I don’t even go in there anymore. I wouldn’t know where to start.”

He adds: “If you put them all in a plain brown bag, you’d probably be fine with any one of them.”

Huh? There's got to be some missing information here. What pet foods are they studying...just premium or all foods? Is he saying they studied dogs who ate a wide variety of foods (meaning their diet changed regularly) or the dogs they studied were all eating a different diet?  (I had read something similar in the past stating that any dog food would be adequate for your dog; that basically ingredients were the same.) I don't buy it. I am not a scientist, but it doesn't add up. And all ingredients are not the same.

With my first dog, Suzy, I noticed a rapid decline in the shine and silkiness of her coat when I switched to a less expensive, generic brand. When put back on a better food, her coat lost its coarseness and once again was glossy. For Pete's sake! I know how I feel when I eat junky food. (Just watch the movie Super Size Me and tell me a crummy diet works!) Why would I expect or want less for my dog? This of course is one of the selling points in feeding (home-made) raw to your pet—you have control over the ingredients.

Bella has had a bout of (sorry) diarrhea lately, so I immediately cooked up a bland organic chicken and organic brown rice diet for her (which she loves). If I eat organic foods, it makes sense to me that I would also feed my dog organically if I could afford it and find it.

Granted, I have not switched to raw yet. (I don't feel confident enough yet figuring out the essentials.) I also realize many people with limited budgets can't afford a better grade pet food—and that's okay. We all do the best we can within our circumstances. But to say that the students at Ohio studying pet nutrition haven't determined one food is better than another seems downright silly. Better food is to going to make for a stronger, healthier body.

What's your opinion?

Beyond Exhausted

Ball-catching water baby.

I think Bella is setting up a theme for the summer. I'm realizing if she doesn't set limits for herself, than I must. I haven't heard of a dog working themselves to death, but I was watching her very closely this weekend for over-exhaustion.

The weekend was wonderful. It was a true taste of summer—each day broke sunny and warm—and was quite the contrast to our year to-date. We were visiting friends at their home on a small Puget Sound island. It began with a girls' weekend: the owner, another friend, Bella and myself.

Getting there is a bit of a chore as there are few ferries and those run infrequently. The ferry that you catch takes people only, no cars. If you have your own boat, you can go at any point, but that wasn't the case for us. We had to bring not only our own suitcase, but all the food for the weekend (and there would end up being eight of us). In addition, I was schlepping Bella's bag as well Bella. The ferry requires all dogs wear a muzzle. Luckily I had one from Lucy, but because the trip was rather spontaneous, I had only a few days to work with her on it.

I came across this video that I think is truly fabulous and wish I had had more time to do this to acclimatize Bella. Fortunately for me, my Bella-girl is quite accommodating and although she tried a couple of times to rub it off, was basically nonplussed by it. This will work well for Baja next year!

When we reached the island, we unloaded all of our things to a cart which we could wheel to the car our host leaves there. It was truly wonderful to have 24 hours by ourselves before the others joined us. Girl Time! We walked around the entire island. Bella was thrilled to be able to run loose. It took her no time at all the jump into Puget Sound and paddle around! The only accident was that she took quite a chunk out of a toe on her back left paw. It didn't seem to slow her down and I felt bandaging it would be futile considering she was in and out of the water. I left it to the salt water to keep it well rinsed and always hosed her down when she came on shore again.

She also had the opportunity to ride in a motor boat. I was concerned she might try to  leap out (too much water around her inducing dive in to swim), but she stayed put. She got plenty of  "fetch time" with us, but when the six other guys arrived, she was in heaven. Eight people throwing things on the beach and in the water makes for one tired puppy!

The last day we were there, I was watching her quite closely. I could tell she was flagging at the end of the day, but if people tossed, she continued to run. One of the guys kept throwing a ball out into the water and though I was on the deck, I kept my eye on her to see if she was slowing or having trouble swimming. She was also ingesting large amounts of salt water. She didn't get sick, but I was worried she wasn't getting enough fresh water down her gullet to flush herself out.

Last night when we finally got home, Bella crashed. She no sooner got out of the car than laid down. Got up for dinner, than down again. And she couldn't see to settle—that disturbed me. She groaned frequently and wasn't able to find a comfortable position. I finally gave her a baby aspirin. I'm sure her muscles are sore and I think her toe is very tender.

Next time we're in that situation, I will moderate her activity (and her enablers!) before she gets so worn out. She has barely moved today and tomorrow, I expect more of the same. I'm sure she'll be perky by tomorrow evening and rambunctious by Wednesday, but right now she's just dog-tired.