Mama's Boy!!

Today was one of the longest work days I've had in awhile [8am - 8pm]... Every break that I get is generally spent at home hugging, kissing & walking pups - every now and then i get the "pleeeeease take me with you" face from one of my own dogs - today it was Tilden. This dog will make you melt.

First stop was Loki... a 7 month old brick house of a pit bull puppy who lives with two chihuahuas and was THRILLED to have big dog company! Lots of jumps, licks, snaps & side swipes... which my boy handled like a pro, and I finally got an excellent walk with the both of them.

Next was Madison & Sadie aka The Golden Girls... Tilden loves them. All three walked together great [i'm going to pat myself on the back here for controlling 3 retractable leashes], sat patiently when i was on clean up duty, passed several other dogs just fine, and gently greeted a couple of toddlers who were out walking with their grandparents. People watched and were impressed... as was I. The girls are always well behaved, but I was very proud of Tilden.

I was nervous about our next stop, as Tilden has never met this group of dogs before... and when I say group I mean: 3 Jack Russells, 2 Boston Terriers, and an Italian Greyhound. The energy was high, to say the least... but Tilden, was a star!!



Found myself needing a pick me up - hellooooo Peet's. While ordering I noticed a woman and her small dog standing aside my car. I was afraid that Tilden would start barking if he hadnt already but when I went out and asked I was told "No, not a peep, I didn't even know he was back there". Wow Tilden! I had to pinch myself.

Final stop was with Edgar and Zowie, my seniors. Tilden is so respectful of them... I'm always amazed at how well he's able to read other dogs and adjust himself accordingly. He knows that Zowie doesnt want to be bothered with him, and he knows that Edgar is fragile [Edgar doesnt even know he's fragile, ha!]

So all in all... Long day... but well worth it! I love when I'm able to incorporate Tildens socialization and training with work.

Happy Halloween, Happy Fall... Happy Autumn!

If you can believe it...

*drumroll*

for those of you who were brave enough to participate in my previous blog contest, here are the results:

the puppies in photo #1 are half GERMAN SHEPHERD (sally is the winner, her guess was a belgian shepherd) photo taken by a westside shepherd rescue volunteer... all of the puppies and mom have been adopted earlier this year.

the puppy in photo #2 (Rebel) is half KING CHARLES SPANIEL (heather is the winner, her guess was springer spaniel... but only because that was her childhood dog. pure luck!)

Rebel is a puppy that boarded with me a few weeks back and after seeing a photo and communicating thru e mail with his owner, i was dying to SEE him and hear how she'd come up with his breed mixture - that is when she confirmed that he was born at a rescue, to a king charles mama. my best guess is that dad was a piebald daschund / rat terrier / chihuahua... those ears, WOW!!

He's a fun and well behaved little guy, only living up to his name every now and then. Despite his pint size, he had a great time here with Gia, Tilden, Buzz and Gracey...

so much for my nap on the sofa:



Gia referees. Rebel commentates:

Cats & Dogs

Call me crazy, this weekend I have 7 dogs! This is the most that I've intentionally kept, save for the 12hr "layover" I had a few months back in which there were 8. For those of you who have been here, you know that my place is small, which makes it extremely important for each n every dog to be properly matched and either a) take Tilden's lead and love other dogs, or b) go Gia's route and avoid other dogs. Never once have I outright required boarding dogs to be cat friendly (workable - yes - because i understand that not all families have the opportunity to cat test their dogs)... but between knowing my cat, knowing every nook and cranny of my house (escape routes), and having a good read on dogs general behaviors in regards to aggression and prey drive... never once have I had an incident or even a close call.

I've observed Mica (my cat) extensively. She has her post at the top of the stairs in which she'll sit and calculate the size, color, movements, scent and jingle of a collar, for every dog that walks into my house. If there are any doubts, she'll 'disappear' until they leave... but other than that - she trusts that I'll keep her safe (separated) from them if needed and she carries on as usual. She's either confident, or she's not... there isn't a bunch of hissing, batting, teasing, running, etc. If she makes an appearance, its because she knows the coast is clear.

This morning was pretty funny... i woke up and noticed that both indoor water bowls were low or empty and once i started to fill them up, i had a "line". well i shut the water off and returned to the main room... i hear a meow and down the stairs trots Mica right past the line of dogs and politely sits in the front of them. I put the water bowl down and normally several dogs will rush the bowl and all drink together... well today, 6 of the 7 waited patiently until Mica was finished before taking their turns. And here I thought I was the one in charge, hmph! Gia, of course, being the brainiac that she is, was already waiting at the kitchen knowing that i'd soon come to fill the 2nd bowl and that she'd get first dibs.

Mica is amazing cat. I couldn't have asked for one better! Now lets see if Simone turns out just as savvy. Who's Simone?

Ha...you'll just have to wait and see =^..^=

Happy Labor Day!!

(an oldie but goodie, the day Gia and Mica met, 4yrs ago)

My apologies to the pool guy...

sorry about all the dog hair!!

the weather is heating up and although i'm not lucky enough to have a pool of my own, i am very lucky to have such an awesome friend who has allowed me to bring my dogs over for a dip in her pool, as well as any boarding dogs that i might have at the time.

i barely mentioned it to tilden and he already had a pool party planned!!!









video:


[notice how gia continues to cruise. completely unaffected by all the ruckus]

after racing around the pool and a couple of close calls - i decided that charlie should have a swimming lesson and directions to the stairs.



...and this is what a wet poodle looks like.



cant leave out the wet puggle :)



!!!

[the above photos are from our first weekend there. my apologies to lando and tucker for not bringing my camera the following weekend. but gia said she'll vouch for you guys being there and having just as much fun!]

Tilden & Tucker

i had a busy day yesterday, with appointments from studio city to woodland hills to long beach, yes long beach, and a few places in between - tilden got to tag along for the majority of it, ending with a tucker playdate. [as if inca, sydney & buckley weren't enough]

tucker is a new client, and at some point he may be staying overnight with me, so i figured what better time than now to see how he and tilden accept each other...













tilden approves :)

Goodmorning Ladies...

"...unfortunately that's not a dog bath, please keep them out of the fountain...........thank you"

How grateful I am, now we can all rest assured that Cal State Northridge campus patrol are doing their jobs :)

This morning was great - who knew that one could have so much fun before noon. Tilden and I got up at 6:30am this morning to meet with our dog walking buddy Sally and her German Shepherd Molly... I believe I've mentioned them before. Instead of doing the usual loop around Lake Balboa, I met Sally at her house and we decided to cruise the CSUN campus... hence my introductory quote! I will point out however that we were given a farewell compliment of "beautiful animals"... works for me!! The walk was nice and the campus was much different then I remembered it back in 1999. There is a lovely koi pond there... although I didn't notice any koi... but I was able to spare 2 quarters for the food dispenser so that we could feed the ducks & turtles.

After that we headed back to the house where the dogs had the time of their lives running [and chasing and peeing, lol] all over Sallys backyard - and Tilden was even lucky enough to be allowed in the pool... he LOVES water. Thanks again Sally!!

This weekend, for the first time, I'll be "sitting" for doves, pigeons, and chickens.... way to add feathered friends to my resume!

10am was my goal to head over and walk Kingo... I was running a little behind, so Tilden came with. Kingo is so good and non confrontational with other dogs that I didn't worry about the two of them at all. They got on very well. While walking, nature called, and of course I was armed and ready with a poop bag... Well to my surprise I was "interrupted" [in an OK way] by a guy riding past on his bike... he's a writer... and told me of the website Writers Almanac... said I'd find this mornings poem-of-the-day quite interesting, even humorous.

here it is...

Cleaning up after the Dog
by Jason Tandon

Pull plastic bag from pocket
and wave it like a flag

or diploma. Make sure many people
congratulate your care
for the community.

Check bag for holes.
Double check.

Inspect stool for odd hues.
Greens, blues, blood.

Evaluate consistency.

You don't want to leave smears
on the sidewalk or grass—no prints.

Getaway must be clean.

Prepare to go in for all of it.
Hold breath.
Grab, clamp, reverse bag, twist, knot, cinch.

Smell hands.

Hold loaded bag high in the air,
assure onlookers that Everything is Okay.

If a cop should cruise by,
his crew cut bristling
in the sun,

hold that bag higher,
so he, too, can salute
your contribution.

The bomb diffused,
the world a little safer, a little cleaner,

will not offend the deep treads
of someone's shoes.

funny indeed. thank you tarzana onlooker & good luck with your writing career.

Frost, Friends & Cherimoyas

...last night i was yawning by 9:15pm and decided to officially call it a night at 10. of course that resulted in a 4:30am wake up in which no amount sheep could get me back to sleep. i sent a text message to a friend who tilden and i usually meet weekly for early morning walks around lake balboa and sure enough she was awake and preparing to go. because of the heavy rains, it had been a couple of weeks since we'd seen each other, so i was thrilled to turn something bad [the fact that i was up at what was now 5am] into something good [spending time with sally & molly].

between my broken coffee machine, the frost on the ground, the ice on my car, and the fog on the streets - its a miracle that i made it the 1.5miles to the park and roughly on time. but our walk was great as usual... sally is such a nice and interesting person, we find ourselves laughing more often then not and the dogs enjoy each others company as well. molly is very forward when it comes to professing her love for tilden.. but my boy on the other hand prefers a little game of hard to get - and he's so good at it. they're adorable tho - and after all this time we've yet to get a picture of them together. [makes a mental note to do that soon]

sunday isn't our normal walking day, although i wouldnt be opposed to it. after our walk we headed around the corner to the one generation / encino farmers market. its embarrassing that i live so close and this was my first time there. its really a lovely market... a bit narrow and not nearly enough samples, but the produce selection is pretty impressive. another shocker that came about... my introduction to a fruit called cherimoya. being such a fruit snob [i basically roll my eyes @ apples & bananas] and a dessert lover [many compare this fruit to custard], AND a vegan - i couldnt believe that i had only now come to try one of these miraculous fruits. sally was nice enough to buy one for me and i didn't even make it back to my truck before tearing it open to try it. google it... everything they say, its true!! it may not be my favorite fruit... but its ranking high up there next to persimmons.

yesterdays nap.

it was a very hectic and adventurous day which i successfully performed on less than an ideal amount of sleep the night before - so once i made it home around 4pm, i retired for a much needed nap on the sofa... well pressure in odd places woke me up. i opened my eyes to find tilden (my german shepherd) laying along side me on the very narrow strip of sofa that was left... mica (my cat) laying on my back... stimpy (a chihuahua who is not allowed on the sofa) curled up behind my knees... and gia (my old shepherd who can't make it onto the sofa even if there were room) laid on the dog bed next to us with her chin resting on my hand that had fallen from the sofa. too cute for words!! i was sleeping so soundly that i have no idea when or how everyone made their arrangements. i'm dying to know who was first... and to see the faces and thought process of each of them. wheres the camera and a spare set of hands when you need them???

My semi empty house...

Tilden and I are headed to the park, then stopping in Hollywood to take care of my kitty clients there. Inca, Tildens BFF this past week just left with her sister Sydney and for the last 15 minutes he's been pacing the house and whining. He never seems to get used to his friends leaving... The sisters were a perfect combo! Sydney is much more laid back and matched my personality... so most evenings we just sat around watching the crazy ones run around with each other, wondering how in the world they still had so much energy. Both girls were so well behaved and responsive to commands - I actually thanked their owners for them being so awesome!!

Tomorrow I'm meeting a prospective new client with a Lab/Boxer pup (Wrigley) who may begin "daycare" here a few days out of the week... So Mica will get a break before the fun starts again!!

Senior Love

...its so interesting how my last entry was celebrating Tildens 3rd year of life... and today, I can't wait until the silly boy is 10!! or 12 even!!

I had the pleasure of meeting a new client this morning with a 15yr old aussie/beagle and a 10yr old greyhound. The 15yr old (Zowie) immediately took me back to my B-boy! she was so happy and sweet and lively - you'd never guess she were 15! i only met her today, but i can definitely imagine what her puppy face was like so many years ago. Its amazing how they return to their youth. Its hard to think that B is no longer with me... over half of my life I spent with him... and the most special time was my last year with him. He became such an easy dog who just wanted to be loved. Seniors don't ask for much - but they GIVE so much in return! I was talking to Tina on my way home today... I told her that my next dog is going to be a senior. I don't want to think about Gia leaving me... but depending on how soon it is, I'll either match Tildens age with the newly adopted dog, or just go right ahead and shoot for 10. They're always the last to get adopted... its the least I can do really!

TILDEN IS 3 TODAY!!!

...i just thought i'd share. time sure flies... and my love for him just grows and grows. how lucky i am to have such an awesome boy. my favorite saying "best $32 i ever spent".



ps. merry christmas eve :)

Christmas & Bella

I have a new rule, no more apologizing for the gaps between my updates... lol.

Now that thats out of the way... Christmas is this week (yay?) and my spots are filling up quite nicely. I'm getting used to the last minute bookings (as well as the last minute cancellations) but I'm confident that everything will work out the way its intended. So far I still have a Christmas spot open for boarding, but New Years just good booked today. Tina (thank you Tina) sent me a craigslist post that a couple put up over the weekend in search of a petsitter for their two shepherd mix girls Inca & Sydney. I met with both girls today as well as their owners and Tilden and Inca hit it off right away! Sydney will need some managing because of some joint issues, but she was good at letting Tilden know when to back off and he was more or less respectful. They're really sweet girls and I look forward to having them here.

Bella (the French Bulldog) was here for the weekend. It's been about 6 months since I've sat for her and A LOT has transpired since. She had a slipped disk which called for a very expensive surgery and even then, left her partially paralyzed in her back legs. Although she is slowly regaining mobility - its still a process and elimination proved to be a bit of a challenge. The good thing, is that she's happy as can be and does not seem to know her limitations... To see a "two legged" dog run (yes, RUN), is quite the sight.

Well thats all for now, Tilden has a class this evening and even tho its not for another hour, I can already feel myself running behind.

Ciao

4 sleeping dogs.

I can't believe how incredibly 'right' this feels.

I have Buckley and Stimpy here along with Gia and Tilden. The 4 of them are surrounding me while making use of the 2 large beds downstairs and I doubt that even a rattle of the treat bag would wake these guys up right now. Playing playing playing, all morning!

Not only is everyone getting along, but they're genuinly enjoying each others company... something I've had absolutely no part in, its all natural. Stimpy sleeps with Gia... Buckley and Tilden are attached at the hip... Buckley finishes his food then goes right outside and waits for Stimpy to finish his... Gia still gives Tilden drive-by kisses... there is no question of how pack oriented this group is and i love it!

More on Buckley later... (how on earth do Beagle owners do it, lol)

Tiger

oh man, my Tiger boy.

i first want to give major props to his owner, Kishaya.

getting a dog was her idea, rescuing a dog was mine. having allergies and a (then) 5yr old daughter, it disqualified her from many of the local rescue organizations. i tend to make decisions on a casebycase // dogbydog basis... surely out of 35 dogs (one particular rescue that i have in mind) one of them would have fit into this family... and they weren't picky about age, sex, looks, etc.

long story short - with all the craigslist surfing i do - i came across a 1yr old male bichon//poodle mix who was in foster care. great with kids, great with people and other dogs, housebroken and had successfully gone thru an obedience training program. i jumped on the opportunity, as did Kishaya and Tiger was a complete angel his first day home. too good to be true? TRUE!

the only thing that was accurate in Tigers foster moms story was that he was male... and house broken (we now suspect that she wasnt a foster at all, but merely trying to rehome a dog that didnt work for her). it would not have been uncommon for a first time dog owner to head straight to the pound with this handful of a dog... but guess what? thru all this run aways, snapping, spite with other dogs and special dietary needs (the list definitely goes on)... 2yrs later (almost to date) Tiger is still in a very loving home and a cherished part of the family.

the two weeks that i had with him last month were awesome. it took some juggling (i had a chihuahua here at the time as well as my two dogs and a cat) but everything worked out perfectly and Tiger is always welcome here! i still can't figure out why he chooses to avoid Gia or why the bond between he and Tilden is so strong - but i love watching them play and that my 'son' has been accepted into Tigers tiny circle of friends.

testing the waters...

i have miss april here with me this week. i started off with several trips a day over to the westside, which wasn't so bad at all, but it pained me to leave her each time that i did. her eyes would widen, her tail would drop and she wouldn't even walk me to the door :( so... after a couple of trial runs walking she and tilden together - i figured i'd see how she'd do coming home with us... and long story short - she's still here - and seems so grateful. she and gia keep to themselves... tilden will greet her, but realizes that she's not here as a play buddy for him... and mica (my cat) is out and about with no concerns. it all worked out! i told aprils owner about the arrangements and she was thrilled that april was doing so well.