Tika's Bath Before Going Home

Tika is getting packed up to leave Royal K9 Korner. She's been a very good girl. She's had a few learning experiences and we can truly see an increase in her comfort level now.

We think she really enjoyed her stay and hope she visits us again soon. Her mom had asked for her to have a bath, so I started setting up our outdoor bath station. The Spring weather has been really warm.  We have hot water hooked up outdoors and I was looking forward to not having to scrub my bath tub down after.  The very next morning my goodness! What happened to our sunshine? There was no way Tika could be bathed outdoors.

So, into the bathtub she went. It took us a very long time to coax her into the bathroom. She obviously has some bath issues and we didn't want to scare her for future.  We used loads of nummy cookies and gentle positive persuasion.


In the end we simply hoisted the big girl up and into the tub she went.   Once she was in all was calm. I hope we helped her comfort level with the good solid rubber mat for grip and a perfect warm water temperature. She stretched her body out and allowed me to lather her up and use the bath brush to scrub her back and every inch of her body.  By the end of the bath she was squeaky clean and her lovely coat was shining.  What a good girl she was.  She is welcome to come back for a Royal K9 SPA treatment any time.
Even though I had the thermostat turned up so the house would be warm for her, this little girl was shivering after her bath. We made certain to rub her down with several big fluffy towels.

Im chilly so please leave 

me covered up ok Lady?

When she was done she found her daybed and cuddled down to dry off better. I changed her blanket a couple of times to make sure she was drying well. I certainly didn't want this short haired little angel to catch a chill. 

Oh yes! Thank you Lady I'm nice and warm now!

Soon it was time to take all the dogs out for their final piddle before bed. Tika decided she was staying in her cozy spot. That was fine. We went out and a few minutes later, guess who decided to come outdoors? Well, goodness sake, she had no coat on and was still wet! I happened to have my sleeveless Jack shirt on so off it came. It turned out to be a perfect warm up coat for Tika. I think we created a new fashion statement.

Ok, I'm done now. Let's go back in please.

Tika has been a delightful guest and is welcome back any time.

Soaking up some warm sunshine in the early morning.

Can you see my mom coming yet Princess MollyDawg? 

Tika still has a few other pack members to meet. We're gearing up for success for her.

Spring Break at Royal K9 Korner

The long awaited Spring has finally arrived. The dogs are able to run through the yard and not slip on ice or get covered in mud. It is so nice to feel warmth from the sun now. They are enjoying laying on the warm driveway and dry ground.  I'm enjoying not having the labour of cleaning up snow fur ball or muddy paws each time before they enter the house.

Tika and Seven enjoy the warmth of the driveway

Seven only spent a couple of days with us, but he's always such a delight to have in our pack. He has a very calm, no nonsense personality. He understands leadership extremely well and has a perfect ability to read/understand other dogs. Being the only male this time, meant no other younger male was trying to outrank him. He had a very relaxing visit with us.  The girls love to have his influence around and give him the respect he deserves for his 13 years. 

We also have both Lil Molly and Tika returning to visit us. There was a bit of toy guarding at first. I'm always only a foot step away the first couple of days we have these two together. They both have strong personalities and my eyes can not leave them for an instant.  It doesn't take long for them to learn that my growl is WAY BIGGER and the sharing rule must be obeyed immediately around here.

Lil Molly, Lady May and Princess MollyDawg
prefer the softer warm dry grass

Lil Molly is very toy oriented, she's patient, smart and rather sly when others have what she deems, "her" toys.  So sneaky that she often doesn't meet any resistance when she steals them away. That's fine if the other dog allows it and if she's not hoarding them all. Which she will do and I do not allow.

Honestly Lady! No one wanted these toys!

Tika is not as toy driven but is still trying to fit herself into the pack. Her place will come easier with more visits. It will be as a gradual process of just being here. We, people tend to think dogs shouldn't have to prove where their particular rank is. Dogs like to have that hierarchy in tact and it changes each time a new pack members arrives. Patience, consistency and constant supervision makes it an easier learning time.

She is also still learning that I'm a stickler for all dogs using mats and not laying directly on the carpet.

Honestly Lady, I didn't see any mats!

Tika begins her visit with a bit of a bully girl attitude. An overpowering, in your face, posture of "I'm stronger than you, and I might outrank you and I don't have to listen to you, I'll just sit and wont budge and ... Hey, that toy that dog has looks interesting. I don't really want it but I might later, so GIVE it to me! NOW!"
Lil Molly is quick to accept a challenge and sends a big "No Way" bark, right back! Tika is  immediately taken aback.
They meet my quick and loud growl, "MY TOYS!"  and an instant removal swoop of the toy that happens so quickly, they both take a step back..  Every toy is scooped and thrown back in the bin and they vanish immediately.  Sharing, turn taking begins immediately.

I don't cherish the idea of having to go through the next few hours with a couple of dogs that I can not praise or acknowledge because they're on time out. Oh My!  So we nip those behaviors in the butt quick and early on.

We spend a long time playing sharing games indoors and out. What a difference it makes when they know the toys belong to ME. I decide who plays with what and when.  By late afternoon both are very tired and ready to even share a napping space.
Good girls!

Just don't touch my body okay?!

Once the spacial boundaries are defined and hierarchy in place, (which frequently changes dependent on situation and environment) we can get down to just enjoying a wonderful time of being. There's always rules to follow and once they're known and understood our pack settles into relax mode very easily.

Why do we have to sit and wait before we go outside? 

Oh and ... yes, it's never ending learning around here. (sigh)

What About Princess MollyDawg's Story

I've been reminiscing about the others who have passed and left their furry paws so deeply embedded in my heart. This time of year always does that to me. I'm happy to say, I'm stronger these days and can now smile through most of those memories. It doesn't take long for my memory to find the day our darling little Princess MollyDawg came to us. What an adorable little ball of fluff she was!

8 weeks old baby Molly's first ever kong. 

We had decided not to adopt until we had a house of our own with a full yard. 2005 made that happen.  We went into the Kamloops SPCA to look for who needed a home.  One of the hardest decisions we ever had to make.  We had to walk away and think about which one of those sweeties were coming home with us. The little black sad/sickly looking puppy in the back had caught daddy's eye.  The SPCA workers told us little black puppies were hard to place because they grew into big black dogs. People had a tendency not to like big black dogs.  She was the last of a litter of 5 brown puppies to be picked. The workers told us these particular puppies were brought in from Merritt. They had been found at about 5 weeks old, all climbing in and out of a box by the side of the hwy. Someone saw them as they were driving by and stopped to pick them up and brought them into Kamloops SPCA. They had come up for adoption a few days ago. This little black n tan puppy was all alone now, her 4 brown siblings had been snapped up as soon as they turned 8 weeks.

We knelt down beside the big cage and the little fluff ball slowly and sheepishly came over. She didn't jump up on the cage and she had her little tail between her legs. Her little eyes looked sad.  The lady said it was because her last brother had just been adopted a few hours earlier and she was now all alone. Awww poor little thing. I worried we were going to adopt a sick puppy who would require big vet bills. Daddy said, "No she's not sick. She's just lonely." He was right and we brought her home with us.

First Stuffy Playmate.

We spent hours on hours on end training this little girl. We were very lucky to have a family member who is a dog trainer. She gave us loads and loads of tips. Some of them I didn't think were very important so I skipped them. Big Mistake now 13 years down the road. We love our Princess with all our heart and know exactly how she gained the Princess Title.
She went everywhere with us and met as many different people and dogs of all types. We frequented places where there were crowds and children and lots of other dogs.  She became very well rounded and socialized.  Her very first best friend was her Border Terrier "cousin", Seven. He was only 1 month younger than her and a spitfire of a little guy.  As time went on of course The Princess grew, lil Seven did not grow very much in body but in his spirit he grew into a very BIG dog. Not once did Miss Molly RatBag get the better of him. Though she tried many times.  Today they are still fast and wonderful friends.

Over the years Molly has been a wonderful girl always helping when I need it.  She will pick things up and pass them to me when I drop them. She brings me my shoes when its time to go out and forever brings me pens even if I don't need them. Oh brother, Molly gurl! 

"I'm always ready to help you mommy!"

She's made many friends. She had no choice. She loves a good romp and has always had way more energy than us. We walked her and ran her and played with her and found it very difficult to tire her out.  She's always been very loyal and a loving little girl. She's also incredibly smart. It was hard for me to train her because I gave into her beauty.  Her face and little antics always melted out hearts and we just caved in.

Look! I did the shredding for you!

Finally one day we decided she needed a playmate. So, our search for just the right playmate began and brought us our devoted beloved King. These two were inseparable. A tightly bonded pair right from the get go.  Princess MollyDawg fell deeply in love with her King and stayed by his side right to his last breath.

  

Today MollyDawg is 13 years old and definitely showing her age. She now rules over Royal K9Korner and keeps everyone in check. She's had a few serious bouts of tummy issues and now hosts an ulcer. Oh my poor Princess. We keep her on a very strict special diet. She can no longer eat cookies so we keep a little jar of her special kibble set aside and call it "Cookies."  She gets very excited about them and can even count out three of them.  She's been a very tolerant girl of all the others who have joined her extended pack. She's both resilient and resistant and can still be a real Ratbag! We love her with all our heart and can't wait to show her off to you when you visit.

"Oh and remember to bring cookies okay!"