http://www.zazzle.com/annemorand?rf=238234046551724607

Thanks !

This new theme is called Paperbunch. I am not sure yet if I will keep it, or if I even love it !

I’ll keep you posted !

Thanks !

Well, he loved it ! Of course, it took us a few rides to find a way to get along well together – not roll him over, not being pulled by him, him staying to ONE side.

But I can tell you right now that it makes our relationship so much better. Jake is now so tired at night that he BEHAVE ! Yes, I know, it’s hard to believe !

And, I also have to say, Cesar (the Dog Whisperer) IS right. When you have a high energy dog, the solution to have a great relationship with it is to EXERCISE.

I think I have a great time with Jake because I used to run with him. He is used to me and we have our habits. When we ran (before my joints became so sensitive), he always did it, to my left, and never ahead of me. I also got him use to some command words, like RELAX, which means go slower and TURN, which meant to turn on the next sidewalk. And I am convinced that our running together is why biking together works so good.

Of course, the first time, Jake was so used to walk/run on the sidewalk, that he was scared to stay in the street (I know,  I have a well behaved dog ). But I first waited until the traffic time had passed on before going biking and it helps. Now, we can bike in any traffic conditions.

I also noted that when Jake gets into real biking, dogs can bark at him and people can walk/run by him, he doesn’t care. He is so busy running that he doesn’t pay them any attention.

Jake is funny when he is running though. I can see when the switch in his brain goes to GO. Let me explain. He walks fast and suddenly, he wants to run. And I mean RUN. And so he runs, until I get scared and tell him RELAX JAKE, RELAX ! Only at that moment, he goes back to walking fast, looking at me as if I was a weak character, as if I was a pansy (which I am, really. Sorry Buddy, I will not break my arm/leg so you can have a taste of freedom).

But this is what I learned from biking with Jake :

- Walk/Run with your dog first, so you can both develop habits. I believe that falling while walking is way different from falling from a bike ride.

- Bring a POOP BAG. I think that all that exercise gets their system working. Jake stopped running in front of one of our neighbor and left a “surprise”.

- Don’t let your dog decide what you do or where you should go. You are in charge and, believe me, your furry friend WILL follow everywhere if you are a good pack leader.

- Encourage your furry friend and tell him what to do. I always tell Jake what to do and what is expected from him. It’s the best way to have him  obey me. Otherwise, he does what he wants and goes in front of me.

- Have fun.

My dog is a different dog when I exercise him. Try it and enjoy the difference !

And today, I want to talk about something else, something completely different.

Today, I want to talk about … toeless socks. Yeah, you heard me right, toeless socks.

You might not know this about me, but I am a very simple person. I don’t do what is expected from me, but I do what I want, at least, most of the time. I love to have fun, I have the humor sense of a 14 years old boy, I love shoes, I hate people who think they are better than me because they have more money than me. I love being a mom to E and I love PC – which is why I call him PC. And I am a little cheap : I refuse to pay for stuff I will have no use or that I will not enjoy. I refused to have a traditional wedding, refused to pay an immoral amount of money to entertain people I didn’t know or didn’t like. Instead, PC and I got married alone, in front of a judge, and spent the money we saved on our first home.

Now, you might ask yourself : what does this have to do with toeless socks ?

Let me explain.

When PC moved to the North Country, he started hanging with a couple that were from around the City. The couple have been there for a little bit longer than PC and were able to told him more about the place and the people. They hit it off right away, probably because they had the same background. They liked the same things, disliked the same things and hate the same things.

But as the weeks, and later, the months passed by, something happened. I think it’s called real life. We, Jeff and I when I was there, began to realize that the people in the North Country were not as bad as we have been told they were. Heck, they were even nice ! They didn’t sleep with their animals and, for rednecks, they were pretty cool !

We actually started to prefer the company of the “rednecks” to theirs. The “rednecks” welcomed us with open arms, opened their family and friends to us. Hanging out with the “rednecks” was more fun than with them. Their children behaved better than theirs… Anyway, you get the pictures.

Now, let’s go back to my toesless socks.

Because I like to do things my way, and because I like to wear flip-flops – yeah, I like to wear them, from April to November (and sometimes later) – my mom knitted me socks that looks like this :

so I would be able to wear my flip-flips when I want.

I love them, wear them and I do so proudly. PROUDLY. When I showed my knitted-with-love socks to them – not the rednecks – the answer I got flabbergasted me. I was speechless.

“You can’t wear that in America ! No American would wear that !”

“Wow”, I answered. “It’s funny but, see, my mother knitted from an AMERICAN pattern, took in an AMERICAN booklet.”

And then, she (it was the wife) told me something people say when they have nothing else to say :

“You’ll see, nobody wears them”

Whatever. I still wear them, still wear them proudly. And you know what ? Nobody has judged me yet. And I don’t think I’ll be judged either.

Because you know what ? America doesn’t really care if I wear toe-less socks. Heck, America produced Lady Gaga and made her a millionaire !

The enticing thing about America, is that I can do WHATEVER I WANT. And if you don’t like it, just don’t look at it !

I love America !

(Jake having fun at the dog park)

When we first start to hang out at the dog park, I realized that, even if it wasn’t written down, there is a Dog Park Etiquette. I didn’t invent it, but I sure do live by it.

And now, here is the :

Dog Park Etiquette

1. Bring your own leash/collar/dog poop bag.

2. If you bring a toy for your dog, be aware that other dogs can steal it form your dog to play with it.

3. Be careful when you open and close the door of the dog park.
Some dogs are con artists that are always on the look-out  for an escape route.

4. If you have a humper that starts to hump, YOU have to leave.
I shouldn’t have to because my Jake knows how to behave.
Oh, and don’t be proud. There is nothing be proud about.
And if you allow your dog to hump, I wonder what it says of your character.

5. If you have a bully, please invest in dog obedience lessons and change your own energy/state of mind.
Not only no dogs will want to be around yours, but dog owners will also stay away from you.

6. Your dog should have ALL his shots up to date. And that, is common sense.
I would be devastated if my Jake would get sick after a visit to the dog park.
And I would, no, I will, sue your sorry ass.

7. Please accept my apologies, and I accept yours, if my dogs jumps on you and licks your face
because you have a ball.
He is a Lab and have a *light* addictions to balls.

8. If you have an aggressive dog, don’t even come to the dog park.
Even if you keep your dog on leash, he will exude bad energy that will set the other dogs on edge.

9. If it is summer, bring your own water. I can’t go back home to get more water if Jake’s bottle is empty
and my first priority is MY dog.
(as seen on http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=900)

10. Have fun and be happy. Your dog will feel it and act like a happy dog.

(Jake so happy at the dog park that he is flying)

See, it’s quite simple. The Dog Park Etiquette is not asking you for your first born and/or a pint of blood. Most of it is really common sense.

What are YOUR rules when you go to do dog park ?

Always together

Jake in the snow

Since we worked all day Saturday, yesterday, Sunday, was a day reserved for fun and relaxation. In our house, fun and relaxation days involve the whole family, PC, E, me and The Beast.

The day was beautiful, sunny and warm. Very warm. 80 degrees. We had shorts and camisoles and we were still sweating.

And that brings me to our furry friends who spends as much time as we do outside. And not only do they spend time outside, but they play outside too. Well, my Jake plays outside all the time. Running after squirrels, birds and whatever his little brain conjure for him, spotting a green spot for his next pee-pee (Jake likes yellow you see) and mostly, playing ball, when he is not chewing it like a bubble gum.

As we were playing ball, I saw my Jake’s tongue more and more out. When he decided to not return with the ball but to lie down in the dirt under the cedar edges, I realized that if I was hot, so was he. And the problem with Jake, is that when he hot, because he has so much stamina that he doesn’t know when enough is enough. At least, he doesn’t know it most of the time.

Jake under the cedar edge

It made me think about what are the basics when you have a dog and it’s summer.

Fresh cool water : I always make sure that Jake has fresh water when he hangs outside (whenever he sees the sun, he wants go go out and lie down on the deck. He is so cute ), and when I say fresh, I mean fresh. There is no sense in having water if it’s so hot outside that the water gets warm and evaporate.  Also, whenever we go,  I always keep a water dispenser for dogs. Google it and get one, I promise you you won’t regret it.

Shade : We installed the parasol on the deck yesterday mostly because of Jake. I want him to have a “safe spot” when it’s sunny. When the “safe spot” is not enough, he’ll go lie down on dirt. And I let him do it because I think his comfort is more important than the dirt he’ll bring inside. I can always wash him, but I can’t replace him if he suffers from an sunstroke/heatstroke.

Cars : As much as I love to bring Jake with me everywhere I do, I won’t do it during summer. Cars can be deadly to dogs. No, I correct myself : cars are deadly to dogs. Do you know that an idle car can reach 100 degrees in a manner of minutes when it is under the sun ? So Jake stays home, with the AC.

Running/Walk :  I like running/walking with The Beast. But I don’t go or I don’t bring him with me if it’s too hot. If I do run/walk with him, I wait until it’s dark outside because the temperature will have lowered.

There is also a fact that is mostly unknown to everybody. The reason why we have to take to precautions, is because dogs don’t react to heat the same way we humans do. Humans can regulate their body temperature with their whole body by using their skin, their sweat glands, etc. Dogs only have two ways. Their tongue and their paws. Yes, you read that right.

Tongue
Next time you play ball with, for the purpose if this post, let’s call him Fido, notice this : the more you’ll play with Fido, the more his tongue will stick out and he will pant.

The more his tongue is sticking out and he his panting, the more he is trying to regulate his body temperature. The way it works, in short, is that by panting, Fido is cooling down his mouth and his tongue and makes a draft of air go in to cool the major blood vessels surrounding his nose. It keeps his brain from overheating (frying) and it helps to cool the blood that goes through the rest of his body.

The more the tongue is out, the more area is out to be cool through evaporation. Same goes for panting. It cools down the respiratory system through evaporation. But when Fido pants, you are to be careful because he can start to pant so rapidly that he could start to hyperventilate, which can also be dangerous.

Jake is cooling down by panting

Paws
The other way Fido have to regulate his body temperatures, is …. with his paws. Yeah, you read that right. Since most of Fido’s sweat glands are situated along the base of his feet, you have to be careful not to make him walk or stand on a burning surface (sidewalk or asphalt). Provide him with a cool surface or, let him lie down where it is cool.

What is a heatstroke ?
You might think a heatstroke is really not that important. I mean, if the Fido is hot, just give him cool fresh water and let him cool down inside, right ? No.

The signs of a heatstroke can include : an accelerated or abnormal breathing and heart rate, a dry mouth and nose, heavy drooling (when your dog’s tongue is out and you can see big drops of saliva drooping from it), seizures and pale or extremely dark gums. What follows those signs, is major organ damage and death, if the condition is not addressed immediately  by a veterinarian.

Also, and this is scary, the difference between normal body temperature and a heatstroke is 3 degrees F. Only three. The normal body temperature is 101-102 degrees F and a heatstroke is only 105 degrees F.

Is it really worth it to have Fido waiting for you in the car while you are grocery shopping or having breakfast at your favorite restaurant ?

Yeah, I didn’t so either.

I just stumble upon this video. It’s the story of a dog, Ricochet, that was born and raised to become a service dog. But Ricochet had other plans.

It is a beautiful story that proves, again, that you in life, you have to go and let go and be and let be.

Let me know what you think.