Bloggedy – K9 Junction

Bloggedy blog blog....

- Women in Business and Ageless AgilityAugust 14, 2021UncategorizedHello to all: May I just say…Double Vaxxed and 14 days plus. Funny how that would have meant absolutely nothing to me a couple of years ago. It is a very muggy day here in Ottawa, but the Covid restrictions are lifting (although I doubt Covid is yet done with us, so please do continue to wear masks and social distance) and we are the hosts of a delightful couple whom we have known for years and who just happen to be passing through Ottawa. We are going to see a Movie!!! And going out for Dinner!!! (Yes, I DO live dangerously, lol) I have a big smile on my face in anticipation of seeing them. Our first out-of-town, overnight guests in 2 years. I have begun (not quite whole heartedly yet, but I have my toe in the pool) a course that is very much geared to women who are business owners (Dog-business owners, even). The wonderful goal of our Coach is to guide us to, and show us how, to break through the glass ceiling and anything else that is stopping us from shining in our own lights. Does it make me nervous and afraid? Oh Yes, it does! (I think Module 3 relates to this, lol) But, listen to this; Women should be in business and should be as successful as they hope to be. Why? Because (and these paintbrush strokes are neither all inclusive, nor all exclusive, They are just some fun little facts) women invest back into the community, women hire more people and…when girls in developing countries get to stay in school for just 2 more years, The GNP of the whole country increases!! Wow! Women are pretty cool! I had the joy today of being invited by one of my young neighbours, who is both a dog and new horse owner, (so jealous, lol) to come watch her agility class at WAG (West Carleton Dog Agility Club). What fun. It was a delight, on a beautiful morning and after a beautiful drive, watching everyone enjoy learning a great sport with their furry companions. What I liked the most is that in the class, there was my neighbour, I believe she is 13, all the way up to a lovely lady, hair of snow and accent of the Isles, right along with her. Playing with your dog is ageless!...
- How to Save Your Knees at the Dog Park (aka do I still know how to post?)June 11, 2021UncategorizedJune 2021: Well! It has been a SERIOUSLY long time since my last post to Bloggedy. Do I still remember how to post a new Blog blurb? Heck NO! So, here I go with my attempt. Recently, I accompanied a friend to a new-to-me dog enclosure in our area. She had been taking her 7-month-old pup there for some morning romps to get out the a.m. sillies and it proved to be a sweet, little, trampled-down spot with a good solid fence. Plenty of room for a dozen or so dogs. It was not long before the few people at the park found out that I was a dog training coach and, feeling that I should give a wee something of myself, I gave them my recipe to keeping your legs safe when surrounded by dogs at play. Here is the recipe: Place your knees together, bend them and hold onto them tightly with both hands. Dogs running towards you will kind of ricochet off your knee caps, Dogs coming at you from behind will knock you over, but your legs are already bent and you are that much closer to the ground. No whiplash! There is one other direction that they can hit you. More on that later. Feeling that all was well in the world, and that a few people owning knees that currently work very well were now better equipped to keep those knees intact, I sauntered away to pick up a ball to throw for the gleeful dogs. RULE #1: Never take your eyes off the playing dogs. Why? Because many of the dogs (especially the ones who love being chased) will run full tilt WHILE LOOKING AT THE DOG BEHIND THEM!! So, you may remember that I am now focussed on retrieving a ball to throw? Too late, I turn to catch the final second of a lovely, but large, dog running into my knees in the third direction; from the side. Personally, I find this direction to be the worst. I am sure that the slow-mo version of my fall would be comedic at the least and the full irony of it all was not lost on me for a second! I had to lay on the ground for several minutes to let the pain subside before being helped out of (with masks on) the field. Thanks to all the lovely people who were there that day, holding dogs, opening car doors, handing me leashes and generally making sure I made it home. I am not sure if I yelped, but she sure did. Poor thing. She was, as previously mentioned, looking behind her to ensure that her pursuer was running as fast as she. (He was!) My knee is not yet healed enough, 2 weeks later, for me to yet have gone back to the park to see if the dog was indeed ok after our mishap but I have heard from good sources that she is fine. So, Please remember; when at a dog park or anywhere that there are groups of running dogs, save your legs. Bend your knees and place them close together, hold on to them tightly with both hands and NEVER take your eyes off the dogs. Hope everyone is having a happy and healthy day. -Colette ...
- New PicturesMarch 10, 2019UncategorizedHello to all my fans. Check out the Dog Gallery for a few fun images that I have posted of some of the dogs who spend time with me and my family…...
- Homage to the Tortoise and Hot, Hot, HotJuly 1, 2018UncategorizedHappy Canada Day to all. I am back home in Ottawa after visiting my family in the Maritimes for a month. A well needed rest and a truly delightful time with my parents and sisters. We can’t forget to treat ourselves once in a while. My folks had a lot of work to be done but, together and on a daily basis, we managed to plow through many garden and household “Spring Cleaning” chores. I felt very much like the tortoise; slow and steady. Boy! did we get a lot done. The steady bit-by-bit pace inspired me to do the same with training my little guy, Peanut, to do a lovely hind end swing into a heeling position. Five minutes a couple of times a day over a week and we now have a pretty decent heel on the left side both in the house and out of the house with a few distractions. Not bad for a behaviour that I had been struggling to train in an on-and-off fashion for about 6 months. Slow and steady is DEFINITELY the better way to go. So, Canada Day…A HOT one! Heat exhaustion; it is crucial to watch out for the signs on a day like today as the temperatures and humidity are suffocating. If you can leave your buddy in a nice cool basement with access to water and lots of activities for mental stimulation, please do so. Here are some signs that your dog is overheating and you need to act Quickly on his or her behalf. How to Treat (and Possibly Save!) An Overheated Dog...
- Dog Sweaters and Healthy Paw PadsJanuary 22, 2018UncategorizedSo, my last little craze in life is crochet. I sneak down to my craft room at night (recently, my hubby has actually agreed to letting the boarders (those which care to) come down with me) to the Crazy Dog Lady’s digs (aka the basement) and hang out while I search around for hat, scarf and (most importantly) dog sweater patterns. For other dog/crochet enthusiasts out there I have found one that is fun for very little dogs on Youtube titled “easy Crochet Dog Sweater Tutorial” by Annoo Crochet Designs. It is mainly a puff stitch sweater. I do every second row with a long single crochet just to snug those puff stitches in a little bit. Annoo is a soft-speaking French (I think) woman who seems very proper and makes sure that she is enunciating very well, but then throws in these unexpected winks, clucks and kisses. I find her quite endearing. Here is what I have done so far. (My first video thanks to my son’s patience to show me how to edit, etc.) If you have found a crochet pattern you like, please share. I would love to try it out. Ok…So…Dog Paw Pads. During these cold months, I like to keep near my door a container of “invisible boot”. I have a cloth there that, before going out, I give a wipe of this moisturizing and protecting cream to the underside of the dogs’ paws. The pads are soft and they do absorb things from outside so the salt can really hurt if the dog’s paw is dry and cracked. Bag Balm is another product that I knew from horsey days. It should be readily available at Apple Saddlery if you are having a hard time finding it elsewhere. Here is some info. www.cuteness.com/article/use-bag-balm-dog I also found this home made paw wax that looks pretty good. I am very late to offer it for Christmas gifts (the video is really great for giving packaging ideas if you do want to send it out as gifts for whatever reason) but I think it is an appropriate tutorial for any winter month. www.planetpaws.ca/category/diy-pet-health-tips (scroll down a bit past the video on tick removal to see the paw wax.) If your dog can tolerate them, won’t kick them off and you don’t mind putting them on, dog booties are a sure fire way to protect those delicate pads. Other tips to help your dog’s feet are to wipe them off after each walk, keep nails trimmed so they don’t split in the dry winter and keep the hair on the underside of his or her foot trimmed with scissors or (if your dog allows it) with trimmers. this will stop painful salt and ice from getting stuck under there. One last note is to purchase pet-friendly de icer. Many of the chemicals used to melt the ice are very toxic and can cause sores on your dog’s pads. All my best and Happy Training. Colette...

3 thoughts on “Bloggedy”

Lynne McDonough
December 7, 2017 at 2:16 pm

Hey Colette,

Jafar and I had a great long walk today. Which was wonderful. A very happy puppy dog. As of late only quick walks.

I almost can’t wait for a day to try out the muffin tin one. I bet Jafar and the boys will love to try this one out.

I can’t wait to see your next blog and photos

L.
- Colette Budge
  January 22, 2018 at 8:27 pm
  
  Hi Lynne;
  
  The muffin tin game is truly great. Every dog I see trying it out for the first time offers a different approach. I particularly like when one of the “plugs” that has to be lifted off is a filled Kong or a favourite toy of that particular dog. The tin gets left for a bit as the dog interacts with the toy or Kong and then is able to return to the tin for more play.
  
  Stay warm over there in N.B.
  
  Hugs,
  
  C.
Jill
February 16, 2018 at 11:51 am

Hi Colette

So sorry it took so long to get back to you. Gina and Kuma are well, Gina’s sight is extremely limited, so she has become very cautious, but she still plays exuberantly with her goofball brother. Your website looks great btw. Looking forward to seeing you in the spring.

More hugs,
Jill

3 thoughts on “Bloggedy”

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