What's Been Happening at Royal K9 Korner?

I know, it's been a very long time since we posted any news. Wow, time is flying by!  There's been a lot going on and I just haven't taken the time to sit at my computer.  October is always full with all the outdoor clean up chores that Fall requires. We've been so lucky to have such mild weather. It scared us one day and dropped a few inches of snow. It only lasted one day and we're back to sunshine again.  Whew!

Thankfully, this did NOT last!

We've been able to repair a few fences, get some touch up painting done, trim and clean out the flower beds and the trees are mostly all pruned.  The pool is covered and the boat is back into storage.  There's still a lot of raking to be done but the trees are hanging on to their leaves. Im hoping they drop well before the snow flies in.

There's still so much to do!

Yeti and Lady May take a  break from raking

We knew we would be doing home renos in Oct/Nov. Fortunately we've only had a few dogs around and we didnt have to turn anyone away.  I have most of the painting and sanding done now.  I wanted to get my walls, cupboards and kitchen door painted before the new flooring, counter top and tile backslash  goes in. I can hardly wait!

We've had Finley, River, Lil Molly, Mylu and Yeti. I know at least one dog has gone home with a splash of colour on the tail.  I've found tail tracks on my cupboards after a few went home. Oh dear, sorry mom and dads. It's pretty difficult to keep those fluffy tails from brushing up against things.

Lil Molly - "Not my tail tho, right lady?"

So even though I haven't been blogging or on Facebook, we are still active here. Hopefully I can show you some before and after pictures soon.   For now I better get back outdoors and do some more raking before that sun goes down.

Even though its warm during the day, the nights are CHILLY!

What leaves?

Zola Meets River and River Meets Mylu

The Royals had an overnight visit from little Zola last weekend. When Zola arrived she was eager to say, " Hey! Hi! Remember me?!"  Lady May allowed Zola to come and say hello but was quite clear in her body language. "You can say 'hello' but don't ask to play."  Princess MollyDawg was far to dignified to engage with a puppy right off. Instead she gave her best  'I'm so cool' treatment. 'You may follow me if you please.' So Zola did that for awhile or enjoyed a bit of playtime with me or by herself until it was indoor time.

 Checking out the yard with Royals is always interesting and fun, but it really doesn't give a puppy the kind of exercise needed to burn off excess energy. Lady May and Princess MollyDawg will only tolerate "the youngsters" a short while.  Then it's back indoors for a rest time for them. That really doesn't cut it for a 3 month old puppy and Zola made no bones about telling us so. I want more play now!

Where ever Princess MollyDawg walked, Zola was right by her side. 

Fortunately for Zola, River's mom called to ask if 1 1/2 yr old River could come for a few days, Yay! Zola is a happy and contented little girl, who really knows how to entertain herself just fine. BUT let's face it, another high energy furry on premise is great for a puppy!

They played for hours with each other. I really didnt want to have to start my indoor chores.  Those  are usually dictated by where everyone naps.  There's comfy mats scattered throughout the house for whoever decides to use them.  I can go about my chores once I know everyone has found their spot and is resting calmly. I periodically peek around the house at the occupied mats to check that all is well.  As usual with new comers, and double especially with puppies, they always seem to find the best spot in the house, "My Chair!" 

Sorry puppy, no dogs are allowed on the furniture. 
"Aww but why? Aren't I cute enough?"

 Oh boy, and yes, that's when the little puppy dog eyes come.  The first two times I showed her my disapproval and moved little Zola off my chair and placed her in the crate. By the third time I was onto her and caught her before she got too comfy.   A resounding, "NO" and off she came.  I placed her in the open crate with a toy and yes, with my chair's pillow. I got a little sigh from her as she said, "Okay here will do."

River's energy lasted far longer than Zola's so she just amused herself while Zola napped. 

We've been getting things around the yard ready for winter. We're getting a fair share of rain and soon it will be snow. I've taken the gazebo cover off and we've put the boat into storage. A few more hedges need pruning and I've taken down the flower baskets.  Needless to say, I've been busy around the yard. My eyes are not always glued to the dogs. I still need to know exactly who's where and with who at all times.  Zola's colouring challenged me. I had to keep a close eye on her, she is so little.  I sure got me exercise that weekend. She was only here over night. I hope she had fun and will visit us again.

When Zola went home Miss Mylu came to visit us. This was a first meeting for her and River. I learned very fast, that's a recipe for "Keeping eyes glued."  They absolutely LOVED each other.

Hey River? Wanna ask if we can go outside 'n play?

River is quick as a whip and true to her breed, lively, energetic and loveable. She has a petite frame and light as a feather. Miss Mylu on the other hand is a big girl, a mixed breed Newf/Retriever/lab. She's a bit clumsy due to a serious hip injury and can't always control where her body ends up. She loves to run and zoom and absolutely LOVES other dogs. When I'm in the middle of a task I keep the section gates closed in the area Im working in and clip on a long lead. Sometimes it's needed to ensure recall or a quick redirection from me. It also makes it easier to see where they are at a glance. Spot the lead laying from under the hedge, and you know who's behind the hedge. Sometimes it's difficult to get a task completed cuz it's just so much fun to watch the play going on behind my back. I don't always capture all the fun and zoomies. I can't have my eyes in the camera, I need to be ready to step in at an instant. 

River continued to initiate play with Mylu and Mylu eagerly accepted. I occasionally interrupted  to ensure she didn't get overpowered. I can see how this friendship will provide great opportunity for Mylu to practice her body control. She's still only 3 1/2 yrs old so still learning as well.  I like to encourage indoor play when dogs are still getting to know each other. It proves to be much safer.  River has gone back home now and Mylu has to be content with the old Royals and the boxes full of stuffies and chewies. She doesn't seem to mind one bit. She just wags her tail and smiles.

It's okay Miss Mylu, the rain will stop soon and we'll head back outside again.
I can see you already miss your new buddy.

Friendship develops - Wherever one was the other followed

Thank you for visiting.

See more photos and videos in our Facebook albums 

Toys at Royal K9 Korner

Newcomers to our dog day care often ask me if they should bring a toy or two when their sweetie comes to visit us.  Comfort during a visit/stay is important to a happy dog.  We are called Royal K9 Korner because we boast to provide Royal treatment and comfort during all visits.  If you believe your dog will be more comfortable with his/her favorite toy then of course bring it along.

Maverick and sibling Goose are great examples
of two brothers who share beautifully

Sharing toys is important in learning good social behaviour for dogs.  When there are many dogs on premise, and oodles of toys to share, it makes their visit much safer.  I believe dogs should definitely have something they can learn to offer to share with the others. Siblings or otherwise. There are teaching techniques for good sharing behaviours. Your dog trainer will help you understand and practice those.
I always ask about areas you are working on at home.  Having consistency when training is important at home and away. I am not a dog trainer and will certainly respect what your trainer wants you to practice.

Goose and Maverick sharing a peach.

At Royal K9 Korner we do everything from helping to over come toy guarding to sharing food/treats.  Learning to share with the leader is one of the areas I try to work continually with not just new dogs but all. We play many one on one back and forth games. When appropriate, we incorporate sharing with other highly share oriented dogs on premise. We never push the envelope and the game is redirected immediately when it loses the fun aspect.

Is it necessary to bring a toy? Only to the point of allowing your sweetie to feel a comfort from home.  Blankets, old shirts and things that smell like mommy and daddy are sometimes the route to take for comfort.  

So, should you bring toys with your darling?  As long as you are fine with your dog sharing it. There is the possibility that it will become lost or damaged from chewing, ripping, tearing and tugging with other dogs.  If you want it returned in the same shape it was when brought here, I may need to put it out of sight. Remind me about it.

 There are plenty of toys in all shapes, sizes and textures.  We have various balls in all sizes. We have chew toys, pull toys, rope toys and tug toys.



There are squeakies and crinkleys, and rubbery ones. Hard ones for teeth cleaning and soft ones for puppies.  Inside toys and outside toys, educational toys, all day toys and bedtime toys.

Your furry will not be left alone or unattended during toy play time. I am always watching and making sure there are safe toys for that particular dog.  

Some dogs tend to try to “eat” toys. I watch for and stop that kind of toy behaviour. We don’t want a visit to the vet based on a swallowed toy. All toys are regularly gone through and sorted for the garbage when they become a danger.  Appropriate sized toys and materials are offered for the dogs’ size, age etc.  Only when we know your dog is safe with our wide range of toys, will they have unlimited access to the various bins/toy baskets.  Some dogs find that difficult so the toys are sorted out before they arrive.  

Stuffies with squeakers, crinkleys galore!

We want your dog to enjoy the visit here and providing lots of entertainment is crucial for that.  When you’ve visited us please ask to see our toys. It will make your decision about toys to bring for your sweetie or not, much easier.

Outside and pool toys. All toys are machine washed regularly.

Oh, and Thank you for asking!!  Hope to see you soon.

Check out Maverick and Goose's zoomies. Today's  Facebook video.

The Puppies Came to Visit!

I know everyone will agree, the summer has zipped by in a flash. The dogs have switched from strolling through the berry patches to reaching up into the fruit trees. They find the ripest lowest hanging pieces and enjoy a delicious little snack. Of course I've missed all those pictures!
Daddy says, as long as he has enough to make his pear cider, the dogs can have their snack.

It seems we have an increase of youngsters happening in around town lately.
We've just added two more little ones into our realm. Zola and Bentley.
Zola is a 12 week old little girl, an Alapaha bulldog. She will be spayed as soon as she comes of age.

If I'm good with the puppy, I get cookies right Mom? 

Hey! She's smelling my toes!!

12 weeks old tired little Zola

 The very next day we met with 5 month old, male border collie cross, Bentley. He's slated to be neutered as soon as he's old enough.  We can already see he's going to give Princess Mollydawg a run for her money.

Hi I'm 5 month old Bentley. I'm not tired!

The Princess makes really good use of her ability to exercise her authority around the youngsters. She's a gentle girl but doesn't hesitate to let them know when they're being a bit too pushy. First is the ole ignore routine. Then one or two quick nasty looks and a low growl or two usually let's them know right off.  If that doesn't work she goes into quick big loud bark, "GET OUT OF MY FACE!" and that's enough to make them jump back and take notice.

So who's the boss around here?

Of course, puppies' learning takes time so it helps when we have them come to stay a bit before hand.  Both Zola and Bentley will be back to visit later this month. (Not at the same time. I just don't have the energy, let alone the Royals.)  We look forward to their visits and will try to take lots of pictures for you.

Meanwhile we hope you enjoy the nice weather while it's back. I'm off to mow the lawns yet again. Really, it'll be nice when I dont have to do that for a few months.

Visit us on Facebook   facebook.com/K9KornerDaycare

Three strikes and we are NOT out!

The days have been so full, there really hasn't been a moment to sit down to write up all the fun visits we've had. I've been going through all the photos and will get some posted very soon. In the meantime I thought I better write to let everyone know we're still here and doing  just fine.

We've also had some not so fun times. We've made it through, and we can put them on the shelf and chalk them up to experience/learning. We'll soon be taking a bit of a break for some maintenance and renos. I'll send a flyer to let you know the exact dates soon. We're looking at closure during Aug. 30th- Sept 20th. 

I guess we really had the good, the bad and the ugly!
Starting with the "ugly", we had 3 of them. They say they only come in threes, so a big sigh of relief there.
First and least troublesome is our air quality. We have been covered in a thick layer of smoke for over 3 weeks now. Fortunately we have no fires burning close enough to threaten us. Our hearts go out to all those families who were and still are evacuated due to forest fires this year. I've posted to let those folks seeking care for their dogs know that Royal K9 Korner can and will take in a few extras. Please feel free to pass our info onto any needing temporary housing for their sweeties.
So many fire fighters working to exhaustion to bring some relief.  We still have smokey sky's and are trying hard not to complain about them. Things could be a whole lot worse.

Second, we had a torrential rainstorm that brought flash flooding destruction to our little town. We had a small flood come into our basement. Now it seems so minor compared to what others suffered that day. Sadly, there were lives, not only effected, but lost.
Our hearts bleed for those - https://www.lillooetnews.net/

Thirdly and thank DAWG lastly! We had an emergency vet trip for one of our extended pack. Lil Molly smashed into the corner of one of our concrete planters. She was charging after a ball that bounced off the tip of her nose and into the concrete she slid. She required 4 stitches to her side. Thankfully all is well with her and she is healing perfectly. Her stitches come out this Thursday.
So it's onwards and upwards with our day care for the next few days. I'll do my best to get a short picture blog posted soon.
Thank you for understanding our absence. Stay safe everyone.

Welcome Maverick and Goose

9 months old Maverick and Goose came for a sleep over. Two very happy little puppies.  These two puppies are very well behaved. It's easy to see that mom and dad are spending lots of time teaching them.  They spent the first day just checking things out and covered the whole yard in no time flat. They reunited with Princess MollyDawg and Lady May with a friendly, "Oh! Hi! I know you!" They enjoyed all the corners and nooks for them to explore and never showed any boredom at all.

Still on long lines

Like all new comers Goose and Maverick had to wear a long line for safety for awhile.  It's important to know they have 100% recall with us, before I let them move over to a short lead and onto freedom. At home, with mom and dad, they may already have it, but here at Royal K9 Korner we have to ensure they come on first call. We want to build their trust and confidence while in our care.  It's a safety factor we insist on.
It wasn't long before Maverick shed his long line and moved through to a short lead then a collar and  freedom. Even though Goose seemed a little more cautious about coming to strangers, he was also onto a short lead and then to freedom on the very first day.

On short lead - Checkin' out the toys and enjoying the shade.

We kept their halters on for awhile before we switched out to a collar only. The halters seemed to limit their play and they sure had energy to burn. Puppies are so much fun to watch! 

Princess MollyDawg keeps a good lid on how energetic they get. She puts a quick halt to it when she deems them too rowdy. We let her determine that for the first little while.

It didn't take long for her to decide she was too tired for this and the old woman asked to go to bed. I'm sure Maverick and Goose were well pleased with that call. Now they could get their zoomies out full bore!

Goose wasted no time in finding the pool and stepping right in for a lay down. Of course I had no camera at the time so I missed that opportunity. It certainly provided a good belly laugh for us though.
They loved romping around and between the obstacles for their catch me if you can game of tag.

 They continued to give us giggles all day. I opened gates to each yard section as I followed behind them. They'd tootle off through and I closed the gate behind. I'd come around a corner and scan the next section of yard for them. Hmmmm ... where the heck are they? Suddenly my raspberry bushes rustled and voila! Found 'em. lol Oh how I laughed!  It didn't take them long at all to find the raspberries!  Now I have a "Mylu Strawberry Monster" and two little raspberry monsters lol 

Freedom for Goose: "These are for us, right Lady?!"

After a great day of checking out all the interesting "stuff"  Goose decided he'd seen it all and found the crate at the top of the stairs for a nice cool rest.  Maverick joined him for a short while but soon left. I'm thinking there was just too much more for him to discover. 

Maverick; "This is boring!" 

Goose spent alot of his time relaxing, cozied on the porch. The gate was opened and he could come down the stairs at any time he wanted. We tried to encourage him to come play with us but he'd much rather stay in the shade on the big fluffy mat.

 

When we finally coaxed him down he found his brother and joined him for another lay down.

Goose; "Hey lady? Can you tell him to push over please?"

Since they were both out and about again we decided to introduce the Cookie Waiting room to them. You can check out the video of it in our Facebook videos album at this link.
https://www.facebook.com/K9KornerDaycare/videos/1767024576708944/

There was no hesitation in entering and sitting down on the mat. Do you s'pose cookies are in their repertoire of learning already? I have no doubt!  The day seemed to pass quickly with two around and before we knew it, it was dinner and house relaxing time. 

We left our porch door open for them and allowed them to enter as they chose.  Maverick of course was the first to decide inside had great toys. Goose stayed in his favorite porch crate for awhile but entered shortly after.

"Can I stay outdoors for awhile please lady?" 

Oh goodies more toys!

Is it safe here?

 Bedtime was an absolute easy peasy go to sleep time. Maverick chose his mat and Goose nestled in beside him. That was of course until he looked around and figured there would be more room if he shifted over to the open crate. They slept all night without a peep. They only woke for morning piddle time when Lady May and Princess MollyDawg woke. 

Sleep well little ones. See you tomorrow morning

A Full Long Weekend

Our Canada Day weekend began on June 28th this year. Tika and Lil Molly led the way for Muffin and Mylu and our darling furless grandchildren. Yes it was full around the house and yards at Royal K9 Korner. We ended up having a wonderful time with everyone tolerating the commotion. Tika and Lil Molly are now able to be together off leash in the yards. What a difference it makes not tripping over long lines.

I was anticipating a full house and was ready with our New Cookie Waiting Room. It may look like its a time out pen. Well, it's NOT! It's a special room set aside for allowing any dogs who need a special treat.  Yes, a Cookie Waiting Room. You can bet your bottom dollar the dogs know what it means to be in that room and actually walk in and wait! Did I have to train that behaviour?
Well, of course I did! Dogs are too smart to just walk in and wait for cookies in what otherwise looks like a time out pen. Right? Right!   Tika was a necessary unscheduled visit and would only be here for two days. She will get her Cookie Waiting Room training at a later day.

Lil Molly: So, your mommy says,
"If we come in here, she will ALWAYS come to us with cookies.
That's pretty cool eh?"

We spent a few days in advance walking in and out and staying on the mat getting reward after reward every hour or so. The door stayed open at all times. My goal was by the end of day three, at least Princess MollyDawg would be heading straight to the waiting room each time she went outside.  Was it successful? Okay well not really. BUT she was entering the room on her own and sitting on the mat. I immediately followed with praise and treats and the others followed soon after. We're still in learning mode with "The Room" and not all dogs have seen it yet.

Muffin: "Are you sure I get cookies if I'm in here?"
Princess MollyDawg: "Oh yes you'll see. Mommy's on her way!"

By the time the others arrived we had to put the training aside and concentrate on having fun and keeping everyone safe. When Tika went home, Mylu arrived. This was the first visit for lil Molly and Mylu together.  Lil Molly was not scheduled to be here this weekend but had an extended visit due to a family emergency.  We weren't able to do proper introductions between the girls so we kept them separate to avoid possible altercations when my eyes could not be on them. We had our two grandchildren visit at the same time, and of course that meant their safety came first. Even though we know these dogs are children friendly we still believe in avoiding any possible unacceptable behaviours. Dogs can become protective of children and more than one dog can be... well . . . It goes without saying. I'm sure you understand.   Our motto - "Your paws are safe with us!" Even furless paws.  Until all dogs have met and fully accepted each other, temporarily being behind a gate ensures safety.  Some dogs find it difficult to remain calm around children and we refuse to put either at risk.

Mylu: "But I'm calm and there's children here and I LOVE CHILDREN! . . .
and who is the other dog I see and smell?"

I know Mylu, just not right now and not today.  You will have an opportunity to truly meet "the other dog" when it is safer and I can give my full attention.

Is it time to come out yet?

It was a long, long weekend and we know the dogs are all happy to be heading back home now. There's always lots to smell and do here at Royal K9 Korner but nothing beats being home with mom and dad.
Thanks for visiting us. Hope you come back soon.
Next weekend we have two new comers for a sleep over. 9 month old Rhodesian Ridge-back cross, Goose (on the left:) and his brother Maverick. They came for a meet and greet and we can't wait to welcome them back!

Goose: "Are you really going to leave us here over night mommy?"
Maverick: "But you'll come back soon, right mommy?"

You'll be okay buddies and I promise you'll have lots of fun. 

See you soon!

Finley Visits with Mylu and Muffin

Finley has been a very busy boy at his mom and dad's shop. He hasn't been here for a visit since last July 2017
Wow. I can't believe it's been so long.  We're so happy he came back to visit us! His mom had called several times asking to bring him over. Unfortunately we were booked up and had to turn the ole man away.
Well, thank goodness mommy is persistent and patient!  She finally hit on a day when only Miss Mylu and Muffin were here. Yay Finley! So good to have you back boy!

When's my dad coming back for me!?

 Finley really did not want his dad to leave when he first arrived, he was not comfortable with being "left behind".  So we just left him alone and encouraged him to walk around the yard with us. Even though there are alot of changes and new smells since he was here last, he still gravitated to the gate several times. He pawed at it a few times. Fortunately he trusts me well enough and stopped at my first suggestion. "Come on Fin ole man let's walk this way."
 It's completely natural and expected for some longing to have mom and dad come back. I discourage excessive pining of all visitors. We ignore, use distraction and positive reinforcement to help create an environment they learn to feel comfortable in as soon as possible.

Where's dad?

It took Finley a little while to feel comfortable with us again.We introduced him to Mylu to give his mind something else to distract him. Mylu is just 2 yrs old and a sweetie. She's a persistent 'licker' and wants to play with everybody! Finely said,"Hello, I see you. Now go away."  Then decided to follow the pack around the yard but kept a watchful eye on the driveway the whole time.

Do I hear dad's truck?

Muffin and Finley have met in the past and we knew they would be fine together. Finley is clear in his communication and Muffin hears him.
This visit Muffin had to stay separated most of the time. He had a different playtime from the others. He's 2 years old now and still FULL of P*ss  and Vinegar. He hasn't learned his strength or power and still thinks he's a tiny little puppy who can bulldoze the others. He's friendly and happy and only wants to play. ALOT! We don't allow rough play, so Muffin needed to release some energy before we could include him in the others playtime. He'll be back again next weekend, I'm sure we'll have time to work on that.

In the meantime Finley got to know Miss Mylu a little better and gave her some ole man knowledge and guidance.  Finley is a great communicator and insists on being heard. "I like you kid but, don't lick all the time and we'll get along great!' Before we knew it Mylu was listening to him and following Finley around most of the days. We kept a long drag lead on her just in case her licking desire was too hard to resist. It gives ample opportunity to give a little reminder nudge to back off. She was soon lead free and learning just fine. 

No more licks please

Along with dogs this weekend we also had our adoring grandchildren, Muffin's furless kids, visiting.  Finley has children at home and Mylu is over the moon with children also.
Being around the children seemed to put Finley straight into relax mode and the rest of the time was just, "Okay, fine, I'll relax until dad comes for me." Mylu was in bliss! Kisses galore and allowed!

Finley: "Hi little girl! I love you. wanna play?"  Mylu: Hey, wait! I give better kisses!" 

Finley: "Are you still following me Mylu?"

Mylu: "I think, we're not allowed past this. Wanna lick?"

Mylu still on her drag lead for a little while longer. 

Finley: "I feel like I'm being watched?!"

Mylu: "I'm sure there's room for us both" 

Finley: "Hey, know any places to hide from Mylu?"

Peace at last

Mylu learning to have respect and give personal space.

I love being able to see the difference in dogs after a few visits. What a great job of teaching and learning. The old teach the young far better than we furless creatures can. Given opportunity with structure and safety, allows them to grow and become independent secure pack members.

It was a full and wonderful weekend! I love the nicer weather! It allows for fun outdoors time and socializing at it's finest. We have another full weekend coming up. Bring on the dogs!

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