Hello again! It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything, and that is due to the construction of my new Canine Lodge (and home, which is right next door). Thank you Squalicum Builders! We broke ground in December and I moved in at the end of March. Woohoo!

While I am missing the dogs and cats I cared for during my days of pet services, I’m very excited to be able to offer doggie daycare and overnights for small dogs. If you missed our Open House dates, please call me to schedule an appointment to tour the Lodge. It’s a cheerful, open, and fun environment and my Campers are making the most of it! The Lodge features K-9 Grass indoors and the doggies absolutely love it! For all our rainy weather, it makes for a superior play surface that brings the outdoors inside. You can learn all about the Lodge from my revamped website.

CLIENT REFERRAL PROGRAM: Existing clients will get $5 off a visit for any referral who signs up for doggie daycare or for overnights. Tell your friends! I’m conveniently located near the Cordata neighborhood where many small dogs reside and what could be more fun than getting out of the condo for the day and having a day of play? A day of play is guaranteed to stimulate your dog and make him or her happier and better behaved. A bored dog can be a destructive dog, so think about the Lodge for even just a few hours of play a couple times a week.

On another note, Juno and I are busily training for the upcoming trial in Lynden on May 21 and 22 where we hope to earn our Rally Excellent title. We have not been doing much at all the last few months so we have our work cut out for us. In February, Juno secured her novice title in Jumpers and Weavers in the AKC agility trial that Chuckanut Dog Training Association hosted. Juno is a rescued Schip and I’m quite proud of her.

That’s it for now, but I’ll be back soon!

Deb

Juno did pretty well at last week’s Rally (and Obedience) Trials sponsored by Chuckanut Dog Training Association. This was our first time competing in Rally Excellent A and she qualified both days. Neither day was a spectacular performance, but given our lack of practice, I was pleased. Although on Saturday she want and visited the judge (OFF COURSE, of course!), at least she didn’t run out of the ring and get us disqualified! LOL.

Last week’s trial was also my first time showing my friend’s Schipperke, Raven. Raven is very smart with a very strong work ethic. Raven did very well in Rally Advanced A on Saturday, with a 91 score. On Sunday, however, it was “Earth to Raven!” She most definitely had other things on her mind (the floor, the fence, the weather. . . . ). I excused us halfway through the course. Oh well. We rarely get a chance to practice Rally together, so all in all, I think we had a good weekend. And no matter what, I adore Raven!

I have been competing in Agility and Rally for about two years now, so I still feel very much like a competition newbie. I only compete in local shows so at most we’re in the ring 3 to 4 times a year. There’s a part of me that loves to compete (it’s so great to do well!) but I have to continually remind myself that it’s all about having fun, and if it’s not fun, let’s not do it. It’s hard to remember this sometimes, especially after sinking time and money in classes and training, driving to the trials, feeling like throwing up at the trials (!), only to have your Schipperke run out of the ring halfway through a great run. . . . I guess the true lesson is laughter and humility. ??? hmmmmm. I have met some wonderful people – and dogs – at trials, and that has been rewarding. I think what I like best, though, is the teamwork between my dogs and me — seeing what we can do together, where the boundaries are, how to best communicate. And working with more than one dog definitely stretches and challenges me (in a good way).

On another note: Since it’s November (and perhaps due to shorter days so I spend more time inside!), I’ve been thinking about things I am grateful for: I am grateful to my Rally and Agility instrocutors who have taught me that classes are more about training me than my dogs. I am grateful for all the wonderful books by Patricia McConnell! And, it was truly awesome to sit in her day-long seminar in Seattle this past September. I am grateful for all the wonderful staff and volunteers who are a part of Whatcom Humane Society. They have the hardest (and sometimes the most gut-wrenching) jobs and yet they show up day after day to make the lives of dogs and cats (and other critters) a little better until that perfect human and home come along. I am grateful to the staff of Northshore Vet, Dr. Donna Kelleher, and Dr. Woodfield (and the staff at VCA Animal Hospital in Lynnwood) for saving Tripp’s life this past March. And thanks to all my friends for being there. Canine and human.

It has been just over a year since Tripp came into our lives. Tripp was rescued from an appalling puppy mill in Yucca Valley, CA. Tripp is a “blue” Schipperke, meaning he’s dark gray in color. When he was rescued, he was loaded with hundreds and hundreds of ticks, and was practically hairless (he looked like a little wild boar). He was also very ill. Lynn Brown, a wonderful rescuer and Schip lover in Southern California, is the angel who rescued Tripp, and there was something about his story – and him – that made me fall in love with him. Within a month, Lynn flew him to Seattle to start his life with us.

Tripp suffers from pulmonary hypertension, among other things. He’s doing pretty well at this point, and has almost a full coat. Tripp is taken care of by three veterinarians: our local vet (Northshore Veterinary Hospital), our local holistic vet (Dr. Donna Kelleher), and Dr. Woodfield, a cardiologist in Lynnwood. Together thise folks have brought Tripp back to life. I have learned a lot about Chinese medicine from Dr. Kelleher, and it is certainly serving Tripp well. I have come to rely on a mixture of Eastern and Western medicine in treating all my pets.

Tripp is amazing in that in addition to being incredibly sweet he also handles his physical issues with such grace. If anyone can teach me to live in the moment, it’s Tripp. I have heard from many rescuers that rescued dogs seem to behave especially sweetly, as if they are grateful . . . that may be the case, who knows. Tripp teaches me to let go and move on, something that is hard for a Cancer, if one is to believe in Zodiac signs (!). Tripp is the greatest beauty of them all, and despite having lung and heart issues, he can do the zoomies with the best of them!

Thank you for coming to my website. I owe a big thanks to Jane and Pam for making this website happen. If you need a service that you don’t see listed, please let me know. I tailor my services (including my rates) all the time.