Merry Christmas from Sandy Dog

No snow right now, so this older photo will have to do.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2010 from Sandy Dog and me!

Where Are All The Dogs?

In the run-up to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver, BC, people in the Vancouver airport will be subjected to promotional videos of other areas in British Columbia.

Kelowna has this video showing.

Notice anything missing?

I’ll make it easy for you, so you don’t have to watch the whole 3 minutes and 18 seconds: There is not one dog ---- NOT ONE DOG --- in the whole video.

So leave your dogs in Vancouver, or San Francisco, or Cleveland, or Calgary.  Take it from me, they’re not welcome here.

Best toy ever

I was in Petsmart the other day to collect Sandy after her Hair & Nails appointment, and once again realized that there were hundreds of dog toys in that store.

Sandy has toys.  Her best inside toy is a rope.  I think I paid maybe $3.00 for the rope, which seemed extravagant.  The phrase "money for old rope" came to mind.  But, you can spend a lot more than that if you want to.

I've come to the conclusion that you can spend any amount of money on dog toys and the dogs will mostly want to play with the bag the toys came in.  At least my dog.

Here's Sandy with her best toy ever.

It was free.

Be vewwy, vewwy qwiet...

Cherries are just about ready for harvest. Between the fireworks for Canada Day and the propane cannons to keep the birds from the cherries, Sandy has been spending a fair amount of time in her crate. Or under the dining room table.

This year has actually been better than past years. I've been giving Sandy some Rescue Remedy two or three times a day on noisy days, and we've been playing games during the fireworks. She's been lots calmer.

When the dog bites...when the bee stings...

Sandy and I are outside enjoying the summer weather. Finally, it's summer. I'm on the deck, working my way through my RSS feeds on the laptop, and Sandy is wandering around the yard.

Suddenly, a yelp and a jump...back. Sandy stepped on a bee!

She limped up the stairs and presented me with her left front paw. She whined a little. She let me put some ice on it for all of twelve seconds, then turned around, limped down the stairs...and ate the bee.

Spring

The weather has been cold.  There was snow well into April.  But Sandy and I were at the trails behind the Capital News Centre yesterday, and the blackbirds are back.

 

I hope that means Summer is on the way.

Homecoming

Eric and I went to Vancouver last month for ten days.  It was good to be in a real city again, and there was lots to do.  But Sandy stayed behind in a kennel.

When I dropped her off, she didn't look happy, but she didn't protest.  When the owner came to escort Sandy to her quarters, Sandy wagged her tail and went along willingly.

When I picked her up, Sandy was so glad to see me she gave me the Wheten Greetin', which she learned years ago from her friend, a Wheten Terrier.  It's kind of cute in a Wheten, but a little scary to see a 62 lb shepherd jumping as high as your head.

A week later, Sandy is still pretty subdued, and every time we leave the house she looks at us as if it could be the last time she'll ever see us.  The hardest part is that we'll be away again for another ten days, and Sandy will be staying at the same kennel.  I hope she'll be as happy to see me when I come to pick her up next time.

Dog Haiku

Haiku - A Japanese lyric verse form having three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables, traditionally invoking an aspect of nature or the seasons; a poem written in this style.

~~~~

I wait on the floor
In case some food might fall here.
I am ready now.

~~~~

I sound the alarm!
Paperboy come to kill us!
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

~~~~

I must go out now!
There are crows to be chased.
I will keep us safe.

~~~~

I sound the alarm!
Mailman Fiend come to kill us!
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

~~~~

When will you get up?
It is almost six o'clock!
The sun will rise soon.

~~~~

I sound the alarm!
Meter man come to kill us!
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

~~~~

I am your best friend,
Now, always. Especially,
When you are eating.

~~~~

I sound the alarm!
Garbage man come to kill us!
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

~~~~

Where are you going?
I think you go to the park,
And leave me behind.

~~~~

I sound the alarm!
Cat next door come to kill us!
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

~~~~

I ride in the car.
I will bark at other dogs.
They must know I rule.

~~~~

I run to the lake.
The water is icy cold.
I meant to do that.

~~~~

Put down that sausage.
Let it fall onto the floor.
I will see to it.

~~~~

More Trials

Long story short, the Parks department here in Kelowna has spent years making sure that dogs and their people never have adequate off-leash facilities. And until 2006, City Council let them get away with it.  In 2006, City Council finally allowed dogs ON-leash to walk along the waterfront, but only after a trial period.

So this week, City Council will receive a report from the Parks people recommending that site under study for over two years should not be made available to dogs, and that three more off-leash areas be made available, but only on a trial basis.  The site which won't be recommended would have been just the second off-leash area in Kelowna to provide dogs and their people access to Okanagan Lake.  All this despite the fact that their own surveys indicate that most people who responded want dogs to have access to the lake somewhere, even the 50% who don't own dogs.

We have some new people on City Council, and a Mayor who has been a good friend to dog owners.  There's an email campaign underway. We'll see if Council will assert themselves and direct City staff to do the right thing.

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