Category Archives: Dogs & Other Animals

Best Friends

Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, Rescue Happenings,

It is good to have friends. Best friends. I firmly believe that you can have more than one best friend when you are an adult. There are friends for different occasions. These two are my reliable best friends.

Yesterday we volunteered at the County Fair together. I have no doubt that I can trust these girls to be well behaved with hundreds of people around. I don’t have to worry about incidents with adults, children, other animals, or unexpected circumstances when they are with me. They can handle it.

Shelby, of the red scarf, is the most obedient, well behaved dog I have ever had. We are a finely honed working team. She watches me to determine whatever it is that I want from her. She responds to my requests, verbal and often hand signals too. I also listen to her. If she indicates that she is unsure or stressed, I either reassure her or provide her with a short break, depending on the situation.

Nikki, in the green scarf, does her best to comply with my wishes although she doesn’t have quite the ability to figure things out that Shelby does. Still, I know that she will be well behaved and not cause trouble because that is her nature.

Yesterday at the Fair we participated in three things. First was the Therapy Dog Demonstration. Both girls are veterans with close to 100 visits under their belts (leashes?). Most have been to nursing homes. After that we manned one of the entrance gates for a couple of hours since it is easier if everyone takes a turn. Above are the girls at our station by the gate wondering why there is so much traffic. For our last event of the day we participated in something called Meet the Breeds where each of the handlers told a few facts about their Breed. The audience was then free to meet all the dogs.

What fine little ambassadors these girls are, for their breed and dogs in general. Also, I adopted them both from Northeast Ohio Shetland Sheepdog Rescue so they represented how fine Rescue dogs can be. They make me proud.

And after such good and hard teamwork, good girls get ice cream. (I got ice cream too, but I will spare you that photo!)

Kitties In a Box

Dogs & Other Animals,

Why is it that kitties like boxes?

I have had this particular box for two weeks. Since I unpacked the Amazon order that came in it. Every time I go to put it in the recycling, there is a cat in residence. It remains the most popular cat hang out in our house.

Morty loves it.

Orange Kitty loves it. He was the first to try it as soon as the packing came out.

Have you heard the saying “as happy as a pig in mud”? I think that should be “as happy as a cat in a box”. That’s apparently where all the cool cats hang out.

I’m contemplating wallpapering it and adding a bed.

The Perfect Evening

Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, Gardens, Thoughts On Life, , ,

I’ve never been much of a summer person. What, with all the heat and humidity, it’s too much. But on evenings like this, I will concede that there are some wonderful, beautiful experiences.

This evening is pleasantly cool, after days of unrelenting heat, with temperatures in the 70’s. I hear the splashing sounds of the fountain. I have all my dogs with me in the garden and I am sitting down to finish a good book. There are freshly baked biscuits to put strawberries on for shortcake later. Life doesn’t get much better.

A dear friend recently asked what type of books I like to read since I do so much of it. I enjoy many subjects and genres, mostly it depends on my mood. Here is what I am finishing up tonight.

It’s a murder mystery that takes place in Maine. The main characters run a chocolate themed bakery. Also there is a dog or two in the story. I have enjoyed other books by this author and then you add in so many of my favorite things, how could I go wrong?

I wish you, my friends, an evening that is as enjoyable as mine.

Zekie the Wonder Dog

Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals,

Zekie the Wonder Dog strikes again. Proving once more that a smart dog is not always a good thing.

We have doors on our kitchen. They meet in the middle and are for protecting food from those of our animals that are sometimes less than well behaved. A number of our various cats and dogs can open these doors with a paw or a nose. So for some time we have also put a dining room chair in front of the door as a barricade. This has worked quite well.

Until, as my husband sometimes calls him, the Zeke Monster came along. Dinner was awaiting behind these doors and I needed to go outside for a minute. I came back and the chair was moved, the doors were ajar and I came upon Zeke finishing the top half of the bun and the melted cheese off of my salmon burger.

Not wanting it to be said that my dog is smarter than me, I have come up with a new system. In addition to the doors and chair, I have added a bungee cord to my methods.

This picture is from my first trial. Zeke did move the chair but was foiled by the bungee cord. So I win. For now…

Over Achiever

Dogs & Other Animals,

Zekie is becoming quite the poster child for intelligence gone wrong. He continues to prove himself to be highly intelligent. This is not a good thing.

His latest escapade took place a couple of days ago. We have swinging type doors on our kitchen so that we can close them and have food safe from the dogs and cats while it cools or we run outside, etc. Some of the animals are sneaky so we put a dining room chair in front of the doors if we expect to be gone for more than a minute.

Well Zeke managed to do something that none of the others had attempted, to date. While I was out of site for a minute, Zeke moved the chair, nosed open the doors, reached up on the counter top and ate the top bun and cheese off of my salmon burger.

Back to the drawing board! Apparently we need some kind of latch for the doors. Eye hook? Sliding latch? We better come up with something quickly.

I love this boy. He is my kind of dog.

A Weekend Well Spent

Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, Gardens, ,

How many times can you go swimming in one day? Many times when it is 92 degrees with high humidity.

The majority of my three day weekend was spent in the garden with dogs. I lounged in my pool chair and read while drinking Fresca and cold water. I am sharing with you the view that I had while I bobbed around in the water.

This is how people without air conditioning (or at least we) survive. Given this week’s forecast there will probably be more of the same when I’m not at work. I’m so thankful to have the entire area fenced in now so I don’t have to choose between being in the garden or being with dogs.

Life is good!

Peace

Dogs & Other Animals, Thoughts On Life,

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. –Unknown

This quote could have been inspired by our Orange Kitty. (I tried to give him a real name but nothing else stuck.)

He is not disturbed in the least by our pack of five barking dogs. In fact they may pause to sniff noses with him. Other people’s visiting dogs do not bother him. Strangers don’t phase him. He does not join in with our other cat when there is a rodent to be hunted. He will chase bugs but I don’t think he ever hurts them.

His is the ultimate peaceable soul. Lessons abound around us if we are wise enough to see them.

Namaste.

Visiting With Friends

Dogs & Other Animals, Thoughts On Life

Hello friends! I want to share my good time with you. Shelby, Nikki, Baxter, and I had a fun time visiting the nursing home last evening. Or should I say, visiting with friends. You can see Shelby had a good time. She was smiling to show her “toofers” while she got a belly rub. It was one of several belly rubs.

Nikki did her usual sitting on the couch and asking to be petted. It’s not overly exciting for anyone who’s not sitting on the couch but it’s her thing. People going by still comment how cute she is. She knows how to work it.

Baxter wasn’t sure at first but he has developed a real liking for going on these visits. Part of it is because I praise him profusely since he is such a good boy and listens to what I ask of him. And there’s also that car ride which, I’m sure, is a big factor.

Shelby is a pro now and makes the rounds so that everyone gets a turn at petting her. She keeps looking over at me to be sure that she is doing the right thing, especially when approaching a new person. I have trained her to the command “go visit” so I can direct her to approach someone in a space where there is only room for her.

Baxter has only gone a few times but has taken to these visits quite well. He is naturally obedient and wants to please. Some of the men like to see the bigger, less fluffy dogs sometimes so he has been a hit.

Lest you be misled, I need to make the point that these visits could not be pulled off with just any dogs. I only take my obedient and trustworthy dogs. Dogs that I have confidence in. The other dogs stay home. And even so, you must continually read and watch your dog. There may come a visit when one isn’t feeling well or is not up to it for some reason. It is best if you figure this out before the visit. This is not always possible. If a dog acts up, you must be ready to end the visit. Sometimes a break is enough. Other times you may have to give it up and go home. This hasn’t happened to me often but I can recall at least one visit where we went home after 20 minutes.

The lesson is Know Your Dog! After all, you are a team.

What I Chose to Do the Day My Mother Died

Dogs & Other Animals

A re-share from a few years ago. The lesson, choose happiness. Live!

cindyhazelett's avatarSanctuary Acres

Mom

My mother died this past Monday. It was a sad event but then again, it wasn’t . She suffered from a lengthy and ongoing illness. She is at peace now and with this comes a sense of relief. It is sad for me because it brings to mind the woman she once was. I miss that woman. I have missed her for a long time now. Her passing makes the memories fresh again.

We knew that her death was imminent but didn’t know exactly when it would happen. So I had plans already scheduled for the day she died. I thought about cancelling them, after all my mother just died. Everyone would certainly understand. But I  decided to honor my obligations. They would mean something to the ones I gave my word to. For you see, I had agreed to provide therapy dog visits at the nursing home.

I’m sure…

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The Face of Innocence

Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, Rescue Happenings,

He is innocent. Just ask him. Here is a further tale of living with a smart dog who suffers from separation anxiety. Zekie thinks he should be with us, especially me, at all times. Usually he will stay in the pasture with the other dogs until I come home.

However, today he heard my husband on the patio. Zeke knows that he likes to hang out on the patio.

Here is a picture from the weekend of Zeke having a good time on the patio while I read. So when he heard my husband there he broke out of the pasture and ran to join him. Not wanting to encourage escapist behavior my husband told Zeke “that’s a bad dog, you’re going to have to go in your crate “. As they walked towards the house and the crate, Zeke ran back to the pasture and broke back in, pushing through the gate and putting himself back with the other dogs.

Having a smart dog is not necessarily an easy thing.