Happy Holidays

Santa was very good to me this year. Thank you.

Calming Signals and Walking in Your Dog's Paws

Wow! So I think maybe it has been a bit too long between posts? One could see this as a good thing, an indication of how busy I have been. And yes, I've been busy. But I am now settling into a nice routine, adapting to working during the daylight hours. My mind and my body are loving it!

My learning curve is steep right now. Two weeks ago I completed the DogSafe Canine First Aid course. I am now certified to assess emergency situations, perform mouth-to-snout and doggy CPR, treat minor wounds and to hopefully get your pooch to vet in potentially fatal situations. The course was excellent, due in most part to the instructor's enthusiasm of the content. We also touched on assessing dog behaviour and communication. We discussed something called calming signals. When a dog is stressed or unstable, another dog approaching will lick their lips and yawn. Don't ask me why this works, but the stressed out dog will relax and let the other dog come into their personal space. This also works when a human approaches a stressed or unsure dog . Since my three dogs are very rarely stressed, I finally had the opportunity to try this out last Tuesday night.

Every Tuesday I volunteer at the Victoria SPCA, walking dogs. Last Tuesday I walked an Aussie Cattle cross for an hour. She was wonderful! I had a hard time not stealing her. When I returned to the SPCA, I found out that we were short of volunteers and I needed to walk another dog so that everyone had exercise and an opportunity to got outside. I selected a dog named Jean who I think had been surrendered that very afternoon. She was wiry thin and a bit frightened in her kennel. When I held up the leash, I don't think she had any idea what it was. Outside of the kennel in the halls, she kept herself low to the ground, another sign she was unsure of her surroundings. Once we got outside, it was another story. She pulled like crazy on her leash. And not just forward. She pulled to both sides, to the back, in circles around me. I thought my arm might rip off and I found myself getting frustrated. I stopped, took a deep breath and tried to see from the dog's perspective. A lovely sense of calm came over me when I realized that this dog had NEVER been walked. She had no clue what a leash was and the outside world was fascinating and exciting! She was sniffing EVERYTHING, leaping from one scent to the next. So then it was OK that she pulled, because she was having the time of her life and I was responsible for giving that to her.
And then the fun stopped. We were walking on a bridge over a highway and she just shut down. Lied down. And would not move forward or back. I crouched down beside her and started licking my lips and yawning like a buffoon. After a minute, Jean scooched a little closer. I kept lip-licking and yawning. And then she yawned. I stood up immediately and started moving forward. So did Jean. It worked!!! We ran most of the way back to the SPCA. I spent some time with Jean in her kennel. She was a lovely and affectionate dog who kissed my ear before I left her. I hope she finds a good home and a family who will spoil her rotten.

This is just one of the many lessons I have learned. Give the calming signals a go. It works! Oh yes, and when you find yourself getting frustrated with your dog, take a walk in his paws. Oh, and one more thing - visit your local dog shelter and share a little love. What you give, you get back a thousand-fold.

3 Weeks and Still Running!

Go Dog Go is now into the 4th week of business!

The sun came out today. Its been raining ALOT in Victoria and all over the West Coast. The trails where I run my dogs are very muddy, swampy really. While some dogs, like Lila a lovely Lab cross relish the joy of diving head first through every bit of wet, I am more like the Mini Pin, Lexi and skirt the muck in search of drier ground. After endless days of rain the sun is even more startling in its glory. My run completed, I stood still, face turned skyward, retinas burning and felt a beautiful sense of calm.

My life is good.

Open For Business

Oh Happy Day!

I flipped the sign on my door over. Go Dog Go! is now open for business.
Check it out at
www.go-dog-go.ca

Vacation Time is Over

Its been a while.

Mike and I traveled to Kona at the beginning of October for the Ironman World Championships. While Mike trained and then tapered for his big race, I read books, soaked in some rays, ran and tried to pet as many native dogs as I could get my needy little hands on.
Our good friends, Kevin and Karen were also on the Big Island to vacation and volunteer for the triathlon. On one of our many day trips, we traveled about 30 minutes south of Kona to a beach great for snorkeling. I had done a fairly hard run workout that morning and did not feel like entering the water until I had a bit of a kip on the beach. Tough life! I settled down, decided I was more hungry than tired. I open a bag of pretzels which attracted all sorts of fun. Over wandered 2 pit bull type dogs to beg a little food out of the sucker on the beach.
When Kevin and Karen exited the ocean, there I was, snuggling with a 3 legged female pit bull who had taken over my towel. Karen just shook her head at me - then got out her camera.
I've always been one to attract the attention of dogs. As a child I wanted to touch every animal that came within a 100 meter radius of me. This got me into a bit of trouble in a rural area of Quebec when I was about 10. Apparently I was seen petting a rabid dog. Not a wise idea. When the family returned home to Southern Ontario, little Rachel endured a needle in her stomach everyday of a seemingly interminable time (I think its 12-14 days). I am a smart girl, but as much as I HATE needles I have not been deterred in the slightest from touching anything canine.

Lessons from the Fields and the Woods

I was sick with a cold most of the week. I developed a sore throat last Saturday night, then a full blown cold with a fever on Sunday. I decided to get myself together on Monday morning and take Murphy to our herding lesson. My head was foggy, energy level low.
We started out in the small round pen with 4 sheep. Flanking and balancing went OK, with only a wisp of music in the air. Then we moved on to a new skill. When a dog flanks, he should turn his head away from the stock before his body follows. Teaching Murphy this skill involved me standing between the stock and my dog, pointing the stock stick at his face and repeating "Out".
Murphy just lied there, staring at me as if to say "What are you talking about?"
As he continued to lie there, my commands became louder. The dog's not deaf, Rachel.

By the following Saturday, I felt well enough to go for a run. Murph and I jumped in the car and tootled out to Thetis Lake for a 30minute base run. It was quiet at the lake. After about 10 minutes Murphy and I fell into a beautiful synchronous rhythm and my mind began to wander. When Murphy and I run together, we are always connected. He follows his nose, is taken off the path by sounds in the woods and is constantly exploring his wondrous surroundings. But he is always aware of where I am and what I am doing. I might stop to retie my shoe and Murph will come bombing back from whatever adventure he was on because he no longer hears the thump-thump of the steps.
And then it occurred to me. I need to find this peace and implicit trust when we step out into the small pen or big field to herd sheep. Murphy WANTS to do the right thing, to work WITH me. He just doesn't know how, and I don't know how to communicate certain manoevers to him. I do know that being harsh, loud or aggressive will take me further away from communicating what I want. It may take a little longer to find our common ground, but we will be a more successful team in the long run.

Herding

Murphy and I had a solid lesson this morning. Herding sheep is a vast and complex endeavour. There are so many changing variables that cannot be controlled with a singular approach. I see herding as a dance with my dog. The music is the sheep. They are the ones who determine the rhythm and style. We decide what the movement is going to look like. Is today going to be a slow waltz, a classical ballet or a samba?
Today started more like a samba, or maybe a tarantella. The movement never stopped. Away!, Come by!, Lie Down, Away!, Lie Down!, Come by, WSHT!, WSHT!, Go get them Muprh! And then the music slowed to a Tango. Away, Lie down, walk on, lie down WSHT! lie down, come, lie down walk on, lie down, walk on, right there, lie down... and then we were waltzing. For but a moment.
That'll do Murph. Good boy!

Wag More Walking

This is the name of my business. I will specialize in adventure hiking and (if your dog is fit enough) running. I will start with Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a maximum of 4 dogs per hike. It will be door to door service. When you return home from work, your pup will greet you with a wag and a smile and plop back into bed. A tired dog is a happy dog!

Back to Work

I was back to work today after 4 days off. This did 2 things.
1. Made me really tired.
2. Solidified my intentions to follow whatever makes me happy. Working in a restaurant is not it. It has now become a means to an end. And when I start thinking in these terms, the end is nigh.

So this is what makes me happy...

Mike.
Dogs.
Running.

I plan to combine 2 of the 3 into a business. It will be a great success. How could it not?

Welcome!

Welcome to Me! to the new age of technology!
I am finally foraying into the world of blogging. I always kinda thought this was an egotistical venture. Who really wants to read what I have to say anyway? But I found myself checking my husband's Blog repeatedly over the course of only one day and I thought to myself - why not? Maybe there is just one person (maybe it is my husband!) who wants to see what is going on in my life.
I also thought the timing might be right as I am starting out on a new adventure. I am starting my own business with something I love to do. Maybe there is someone out there who I can inspire to do the same, or can help me along the way.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.