This blog is dedicated to our beloved Royal pack.
Our leader, King, Our Precious Princess Molly. Our Darling Duchess Sammy and Our Sweetest Lady May.
Four sets of paws reunited over Rainbow Bridge.
They will Rule Forever more, in eternal peace and good health.
So sadly missed and so lovingly remembered.
We've been keeping busy making bows and
wrapping prezzies to pass the time. Thank you so much Margaret, Hubert and Penny of
Tree Treasures Canada.ca for creating such lovely wooden ornaments for my gifts. You
make life so much easier for me.
Dog sitting is slowing down for the season. People are staying home and staying
safe! The few dogs that have visited have all helped to wrap and of course
sample the cookies. Thank you so much my helpers. Miss
Hazel made sure to check out the bows before they went on the cards. Everyone sat so well and waited for their
goodies while I took yet more photos.
Okay Lady, This batch is ready to go. I'll just check the cookies one, more, time!
How many bags of cookies went missing? I think I saw Suzy Q eat one! Suzy Q - "Not me, Gramma it was Lady May!"
Marchioness lil Molly - "What cookies?"
Maverick de Marquis - "I think we should check the Marchioness' breath!
Miss Sadie - "I saw crumbs on Sir Bentley's chin!"
Santa Paws Cedar, - "I'm sure I heard him burp too!"
Sir Bentley - "Don't beleeve him. Im alergic to cookies! Reelay I am!"
Miss Mylu - "Trust me! There was no cookies taken by anyone" (( Im sure {burp} ))
I know, right? They REALLY are on Santa's good dogs list!!
I promised to allow them to sit on the bed and watch some Disney movies. Awww I
know! They deserved it & loved it!
Can you close the door please. We're trying to watch a movie here!
Miss Hazel, Marchioness lil Molly and Lady May "Ooo it's Cinderella, Our favourite Princess"!
Royal K9 Korner wishes everyone, paws or feeties, fur or furless, tails or no
tails a very safe, healthy and Happy Christmas & New Year. 2021 is on the way.
A select few have been home for the last few months. We miss you and are howling for your visits in 2021 RarrOoooHOOooooo
Hello mommy and daddy! I've been taking good care of the people here at Royal K9 Korner. Thank you for letting me stay here while you're away. Lady May's mom says I've been very helpful around the house and yard. I'm getting better at leaving the rake thing alone. (most times) I just chew on a big stick the lady gives me until she needs me to guard her twig carrier thing. It's a very important, serious job!
If I see a stick that's going to fall out I fix it for her.
Oh Look! See! This stick needs fixing!
Then the Lady usually gives me another bigger stick to chew on for awhile. It's a fun game!
I've been sharing toys with Lady May and Suzy Q. When Suzy doesn't want me to touch her toys, she stares right at me and I try really hard not to take them. The lady here sees when it happens and she takes the toy away and keeps
it. We don't get it back until much later. Suzy likes to lay close to me so I think she likes me. Even though she's littler than me, I'm s'posed to respect her cuz she's way older. I'm learning to lay with her but I wont take her toys.
Learning to share
Mat sharing is much easier than toys
Maverick came a visited for alot of days and we sure had fun! I hope he comes back soon. He's FAST!
Hi Maverick, I remember you! Let's ZOOM!
Last weekend I had a surprise visit from The Marchioness, lil Molly. We had a ton of fun. I was trying very hard to get her to play chase with me, but she doesn't like that game. She loves this "Ball game" so now, I'm learning how to play that. The lady here says, I'm learning to play it really well. She gives me a bit of a yummy treat when I bring the ball back to her. I guess it's ok but sometimes I forget so I miss out on the cookie. Drat!
I have to bring it back for a cookie right? Right!
When lil Molly was here we went for a ride in Lady May's dad's truck. I had to show lil Molly not to be afraid. She's kinda scared going for truck rides so we didn't go very far or for very long. We all had to wear a harness and a seat belt. The lady here said I did a really good job so we got to have cookies when we got back home. lil Molly was so happy to get back, but I wanted to go for more. I thought we were going to see you mom. ((sigh)) Soon right?
It's ok lil Molly. I know the daddy here and he drives safely
Oh thank Dogness! I can see our house!
There was one day I was kinda chilly so the lady here said I had to wear my coat. Im sure glad I have it. It keeps me really warm. Oh and guess what else? The lady here built me a cozy warm tent thing. Oh mom! It was so warm. I loved it. The heat just poured all over me. Can we build one please? That night I was allowed to sleep beside the fireplace. I only stayed there for a little while cuz I much rather sleep closer to Lady May. I think her and I are going to be really good friends soon. I just have to play soft with her.
There is a metal thing that pours out the heat. It's great mom!
I dream of you every nite.
I still sleep with your PJ top mom. It reminds me that you'll be home
soon. I hope you and daddy are staying safe. I sure miss you. I'm being a really good girl!
OH and Guess What? Did you know that Santa Paws is coming here soon! Yay! The lady here says all the dogs are sure to get a present cuz we all been SO GUD! We have been practising being Santa Paws and Santa helpers. It's alot of fun and there is mega cookies for being good Santas. I think I'm the best!
I bet Santa Paws will bring you home to me. That's all I really want. Give daddy big hugs for me. PS Did I write a letter to Santa Paws yet? I'll see you soon mommy. Your very bestest puppy ever HazelNut ❤💓💜🐾
Cedar visited back in early July for an initial Meet 'n Greet. However, due to many factors, his full M&G could not be completed. We believe COVID is no longer a threat, at this time, and the cooler temps are here! We're happy we were finally able to have him back.
Welcome to 4 1/2 yr old Malamute/Shepard X Cedar! Cedar is a well known boy who spends most of his days with his mom at the local pet supply shop in town. Many of our visitors already know Cedar from their visit to BearDog Cafe.
Cedar's personality truly meets his physical proportions. He's inquisitive, full of life and just wants to please. He said a polite, quiet "hello, I remember you." to Lady May, and they stayed outside together while Cedar settled into strolling around the yard soaking in all the scents of the others before him.
Cedar still uncertain if he's going to like it here. Watching the front driveway gate.
As with all new comers, Cedar wore his halter for the first
little while. It's a precaution I always take. It allows me instant control if the need arises. Before it's
removed, newcomers have to demonstrate calm behaviour and reliable recall. When that is achieved the halter is replaced with a long lead. The lead gets removed when a good level of comfort is noticed and I know there will be no attempt to "leave the premises." If you're familiar with my blogs/posts, and have viewed the photos, it's easy to
determine how long a dog has been here or what his/her behaviours have been
like each day, by which type of halter/lead (if any) they have on. Sometimes even old timers are required to wear a lead if they're having trouble staying calm. It can be a safety issue for others as well as themselves. Cedar passed the lead test in less than
an hour. His halter was removed and replaced by a short lead only, which was removed in no time at all. He stayed right by my side. We spent alot of time in the yard together getting to know the boundaries and checking out who's been where. I was impressed with Cedar's quick comfort levels.
It's obvious to me that his mom has spent a great deal of time training Cedar. Although Cedar is a very strong boy, he is well behaved and very gentle. A definite positive attribute for such a big fella. Imagine what happens to puppies that jump and run wild without proper discipline and then grow to be a massive size and still want to jump and zoom at will! OMG! Thank you Stella for taking the time to teach this wonderful boy good social manners!
Hey Lady, got any bigger mats?
Cedar happily strolling through the yards checking out all the other dog scents. Lead free!
Due to Cedar's size, I knew it was possible for him to be uncomfortable indoors. I made sure to remove any obstacles and clear paths for this gentle big boy before he arrived. It's important for him to feel he has room to roam and turn around. My house can seem a bit confined with all its gates and separated areas. Cedar was very good with allowing me to lead him through the areas and simply stopped when he wasn't sure. We spent time going in and out of the house, in and out of rooms and up and down the stairs for a few hours. I could see his comfort increase and he learned there was room for his big body very quickly. Then it was toy time!! Cedar had an opportunity to check out every type of toy we have. Lady May was quietly relaxing on the porch and not the least bit interested in playing. The toys were up for grabs for Cedar. We checked out the tuff chewer toys, the soft tug toys, rope toys, hard balls, soft balls, squeakies. YES! Squeakies! That was the favourite. Oh what fun we had! Each squeaky has a different tone and we played "music" on them all.
Cedar testing all the different toy types. Finally settled on a squeaky!
We had planned this visit to fall during lunch time. I always like to see the level of comfort around food time and to allow a new visitor to experience eating time. Being an 'only' visitor gives that time to know where, when and how it will happen and makes it easier on visits when there are many others around. When lunch time arrived, Cedar found a station that suited his size and sat patiently while I portioned out Lady May's before his own.
Cedar, so serious. "When does the food come Lady?"
The time seemed to pass so quickly and before we knew it, Cedar's 4 hour visit was up.
His mom would like him to be able to visit a few times a week. We are happy to welcome Cedar back for future visits! We know he's going to have fun with many new friends when he's here. Cedar is already booked to visit us during Hazel's day next week. Yay! What a blast that's going to be!
Cedar's mom very generously donated 2 delicious tubs full of their very own Gingerbread cookies! Oh YUM! Thank you so much!! Just wait until you see the smiles on our visitors faces!!
The sun came over the mountain in just the same way it does every morning. The Stellar Jays started chattering about their days. I watched a few small clouds form soft, grey shadows with bright glowing edges against the cool, dark blue sky. I knew today I would have to sit down and finish writing what I started a month ago. I sipped a hot caramel coffee, the same as every other morning. I felt the chill in the air that reminded me, Winter is not far off. As I sat and thought about the task for today, I knew it would be the same for me. I would write and cry so hard I would stop. Today I had to complete this, I had to push through the tears and allow myself to remember and cry and let it out. Something stirred across the yard and forced my gaze from heaven to earth. It wasn't our beautiful 15 and a half year old Princess Mollydawg. She used to slowly amble up the small hill towards her favourite spot near the fenceline. She knew just where to find the best new blades of morning grass. It would soothe her tummy and allow her to begin her day in less discomfort. She was old and not well and it took longer for her, but she'd get there. Then she'd just stand a few feet away from me and we'd watch the sky and yard together. Today it was Lady May coming up the hill to lay at the top with me. She is taking her place. I felt my mug warm my hands this morning like it has for the last few
mornings. Everything seemed the same. Yet in the quiet morning, I know,
it's not. It hasn't been the same since the morning daddy came up the
hill and stood with us. He wasn't going to work that day. We were going
for a long drive.
That day a month ago, Molly seemed to sense the pain in our hearts and looked up at her daddy as if to say, "Let's go for my last car ride
today daddy. Please don't cry. I can't keep going on this way.
I need some peace. My body is so tired and it's beginning to hurt me now. I really just
want to lay in your arms and fall to sleep Daddy. Let's go for a drive
today. Please?"
Please don't cry daddy. I've had such a good life! I'm just tired now.
Our hearts still ache and we're still sobbing when we let ourselves think about our darling, daring, beautiful Princess MollyDawg. We know the pain will get easier for us to bare. We know it was her time to leave us. For now our pain is so very strong, its difficult to bare. She is so terribly missed!!
Thank you so much to Cheryl and Dave, for the absolutely beautiful Rainbow Bridge card. We have never seen anything like it. It brought tears of course. Your thoughtfulness is so welcomed. One day we will meet and hug in real time! Our hearts hurt so bad, even though we know she is resting and she's
with the buddies she has loved to play with so much. We are still in
grief and walking one day at a time.
Yesterday daddy took another long drive. This time he drove alone. He drove to Cache Creek Veterinary Hospital to receive our Princess Mollydawg's urn. We held the urn close to our hearts and cried and tried desperately to feel her essence. We know she is all around us, yet we still wish we could hold her again. Our beautiful girl, The Best Princess Ever! She is home and will never leave us again. I can not write any more.
Our Molly The Best Princess Ever 13/04/05 - 22/09/20
You have gone ahead and nothing is the same Leaving paw print on our hearts that always will remain
Thank you once again to all the caring staff at Cache Creek Veterinary
Hospital. We know you gave our girl the dignity and respect she rightly
deserved as she passed over Rainbow Bridge. Special thank you to
Kara-Lee for all the extra care and thoughtfulness in filling our
Molly's special paw heart once again. I know it is not an easy task.
Thank you so much!! Now our Royals are also reunited in their place holders next to my heart forever more.
Where I go my dogs always come along
Thank you for allowing us to share your space. We will love you forever and ever. Mommy and Daddy and Lady May XOX
Royal K9 Korner has been going through some rough emotional times and requested a break while we recovered from the heartbreak of saying goodbye to our Beloved Princess MollyDawg. Our visitors have gone above and beyond to help us get through our current struggle.
Thank you again for all your empathy and understanding!
One of our visitors returned and has now headed back home.
3 yr. old Belgian Malinois, Macy, had been quickly booked in for a 21-day stint prior to The Princess' passing. Her mom and dad, (Alicia, and Liam), were deployed to California to fight the fires raging there. We were proud to play a small part in giving our local firefighters an opportunity to assist, and we quickly welcomed Macy so her parents could go.
Macy's trial meet n greet sleep over, showed she had some issues with new dog introductions.
We recognized those and were fully prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure everyone remained safe during their visits. It was a challenge that we met with calm, firm leadership and with as little stress as possible. We had not anticipated the added emotional stress of our darling Royal Matriarch, The Princess MollyDawg, heading off to Rainbow Bridge.
We were forced to make a few quick alterations in order to accommodate everyone safely. Including our own mental/emotional health.
I'd like to offer my sincere apologies to those people who had to make alternative arrangements for daycare during Macy's visit. I fully understand the unexpected inconvenience of that short notice of having to find another sitter for your darlings. I felt it was an important decision to keep your sweetie safe. Rather than to put them in a situation that could create an unsafe and at best an unpleasant experience for everyone.
Thank you for your understanding.
Macy has headed back home now, with her grandparents. Her mom and dad have had their deployment extended and RK9Korner has previous bookings that will not allow us to accommodate Macy's needs.
During Macy's 14 day visit, I've taken a slew of videos and photos and just never found time to create an album for her. So today is the day. I will blog more about Macy and her visit in the coming weeks.
I hope you'll enjoy her photos. Macy's Facebook Album
The first day of Autumn will forever bring new meaning to us. A few days ago, we made one of the hardest decisions we'll ever make again. We'd been watching our Princess struggle day by day. She'd been showing her age in the last few weeks and we knew her time was near. She was uncomfortable every day, though we knew it was mostly due to her age. In dog years our girl was 103 yrs old. Who wouldn't be uncomfortable at that age. Her bones and muscles were getting tired and it took much longer for her to walk around the yard. She spent most of her days snuggled in her outdoor crate or cozied on one of her foamy indoor mats.
To remain standing and be uncomfortable on her wobbly legs, was easier for her than to go through the greater discomfort of trying to position herself safely, to sit down.
We often watched her just standing in the yard, while other dogs frolicked around her. I would like to say a Very Special Thank you to Royal K9 Korner mom's and dads for being so understanding of our situation. You did not hesitate to make alternative arrangement for your sweetie. Thank you so much for your thoughtful gifts and your kindness during these very stressful last days. You are all so appreciated!
Princess Mollydawg still looked just fine physically. If only we had X Ray vision.
Molly was tired of taking the meds to keep her regular and was refusing to eat certain foods. Especially if she suspected a hidden pill inside. I'd found various ways to "trick her" into taking her meds which she caught onto quickly. As the days went by, the meds became the most important part of meal time and because of that, her refusal to eat became the priority. Without adequate food intake, she would not last regardless if she had meds or not.
The Princess was just plain tired
Without the meds, she would be in pain and suffer constant diarrhea and vomiting. So every 2 hours we played the game of, "Oh look yummy cookies! If she refused, we'd try again in an hour. I was presoaking her kibble and grinding it up for easier digestion. Every 8 hours we played, hide the pill/liquid/powder in the meat/cheese/canned-food/peanut butter and gently force it far enough at the back of her throat for her to swallow with the least amount of discomfort as possible. DONE! The next few hours would be fine. She was on special GI foods and getting extra fiber powders and extra cellulose pills to help with her diarrhea. She was taking liver support pills and kidney support pills and an anti vomiting pill. Our girl was getting everything she needed to keep her as comfortable as possible in her last days.
Our Veterinarian Dr. Quinn Gavaga (With Dr. Ross Dickinson who moved away a while ago) have been Molly's doctors since she was 8 weeks old. She was so well known and was given the very best advise on supporting her through her old age. Although the medical staff has changed a bit over the years everyone who has ever helped us with our girls has gone above and beyond to support us.
Thank you SO MUCH!
Daddy and his girls chillin outdoors while Dr. Q tends other patients.
The one constant has been Kara-Lee. She is the most wonderful kindhearted person we have ever met. Thank you so much all your years of kindness, support and comfort for us on so many difficult days. You are the BEST! Last week our Molly started to refuse all food! She began accepting only bits of dry kibble and I worried it could cause her to have tummy pain. Yet, she was eating on her own! We decided to let her be the judge of what she wanted to eat and her appetite picked up. She was slowly munching on a few bits of dry kibble She started to accept her meds in Peanut butter and we were relieved. We thought that hurdle was crossed! She was feeling better. Our Princess has often been in poor health in the last couple of years. Even last Christmas we prepared to lose her. She surprised us and yet again bounced back up. Maybe this was just another bad bout. After all she still enjoyed her daily hedge rubs and grasshopper hunting
Of course that was not the case. She relapsed and was going through a severe bout of diarrhea and vomiting again. Off to the Vet we went. At that appointment Dr. Quinn told us her pancreas was no longer
doing it's job and her kidneys were shutting down. They were at 10% and Molly's bloodwork showed high toxicity levels. The doctor suggested she was just days away from some very painful days. Daddy brought her home and we cried and talked and cried and talked some more. We were losing our precious Molly!
A Healthy Princess Mollydawg. Still full of life and energy. Ready to take on the world by the tail
Her days were dwindling. We knew what she deserved. She has been a loyal, loving, companion and we owed her a calm, peaceful exit from this realm. We refused to allow her to endure even one day of pain. If it meant we would have to say goodbye sooner, then it was a hardship we would bare and not her go through the pain. She deserved a calm quiet peaceful entrance to Rainbow Bridge and we would see to that. We spent the next few days just being together. The visiting dogs were all asked to leave and we soaked up as much of our Molly as we could absorb in just a few days. On the morning of our last truck ride to our last vet visit we took our sweeties for DQ ice cream. It used to be a special favourite for The Princess. This day she was very reluctant to eat it but appeased us with a couple of licks and then turned it over to her daddy to finish off.
It's okay daddy, Im done now
Lady May - "I still want mine though okay daddy?"
We strolled through the park in Cache Creek and headed off to Ashcroft Park as well. Molly had an opportunity to visit with a little baby whose mom was kind and allowed Molly to be stroked. Normally our Princess would have relished being able to kiss the little girl and enjoyed the attention. This time however, she did not pay any attention to the child at all. She simply turned her head away and began to walk away. She was giving us ample signs to recognize what she was feeling. She was tired! We let Molly determine where we walked and when it was time to head back to the truck. She wanted to stay ambling around the tress and gardens longer than Lady May. We put Lady May back in the truck and stayed out with our Princess. We were only a few feet away from the truck just sauntering back and forth. After a few more shrubs to sniff and a couple of flowers, she seemed to become a bit confused about where she was heading. We knew it was time to head back in the direction of the truck. She layed in down beside Lady May. An unusual position for Molly. Normally she must be standing so she can see out he front window. Lady May gave her sister a little ear sniff and the two just rested while we head back into Cache Creek.
Princess Molly - "Im tired Lady May Lady May - " I can tell my sweet sister. I think it's time for you to go to sleep now"
At the hospital the resident kitty was outdoors to greet us. Molly walked straight passed her with only one tiniest bit of " I see you"
In a quiet private room Daddy held our dear Molly in his arms and Lady May cuddled close to mommy. Dr. Quinn spoke soothing supportive words and gently guided our darling Princess Mollydawg onto Rainbow Bridge at 1:30 pm. We lowered Molly onto a big fluffy blanket and allowed Lady May to visit her sister one last time. She showed little interest and seemed more aware of having missed her lunch. We stayed with Molly and sobbed for a short time. Our Molly was no longer in her earthly body. We knew she had left this realm. Our Precious girl was being reunited with so many others who have passed before her. She is in spirit form now. We know she will visit us in the wind and we will try to find comfort knowing we made a decision for her that she deserved. No Pain.
Just exactly what she gave us for 15 1/2 years. Love, Devotion and Bravery!
Run Free beloved girl You were such a GOOD GIRL!
Our Molly's Prayer Flags blow in the wind along side King and Duchess Sammy
Lady May sat quietly by as Daddy hung up her big sisters prayer flags
Finding the time
to sit at my computer to do any updates has been a challenge lately. I've gone thru my pictures and realized there are
so many that I've not shared. The days
are dashing by faster than I seem to be able to keep up with. Our regular
visitors continue to keep us busy and give us smiles with their antics.
Muffin and Suzy help us enjoy a BBQ at Aunty Kathi'
Lady May, Princess Mollydawg, Miss Suzy Q, Marchioness lil Molly and
Miss Hazel wait so patiently for me to get my camera in focus. If they quit moving it would go faster, so its not my fault.
All The Royal Ladies wait patiently
Bentley takes a moment from ball zoomies to rehydrate
Miss Sadie and Suzy Q crashed for the night
River joined us while our daddy launched his boat one day. She is definitely a water girl.
She was kept on a tight lead because there were unknown dogs around running freely
River came for a ride to Seton Lake
We're
working on developing acceptable levels of tolerance with our new visitors. Not
all dogs immediately hit it off socially. We are going super slow with Macy. We know she gets along fine with other dogs on her daily walks and at the dog park. However she has shown me, she is not ready to be trusted around our other pack members yet. Macy came for a trial sleep over and was a wonderful polite girl with our Royals. We've welcomed her back for a few weeks while her mom and dad head down to fight the fires in the USA We
have a few visitors scheduled to be here in the coming days and we will
be practising safe distancing via multi gates during those days. Take care Macy's mom and dad. Thank you for your service! We promise to keep Macy safe until you return!!
Enjoying some quiet front porch time
3 year old Macy has hit it off really well with Lady May and Princess Mollydawg
The weather has been
more than cooperative. We couldn’t have asked for better. We've done a few
small reno's to the property to get ready for the winter months. We added a
hard top to our gazebo, so there is no need to remove and replace the soft cover
each Autumn and Spring.The carport gate
is often closed due to projects happening using tools that make the area unsafe
for the dogs in wet weather. Summer is ending fast now. Often our visitors still
want to stay outdoors and play but I don’t always want to stand in the rain that
long. I sometimes limit their wet weather play time. Now we will have a dry
shelter year-round.
Yay me! Thank you,
daddy!
Mylu just chillin' while I hang the new curtains in the gazebo
We've had some health ups and down in the last little while. Our two aging Royal
girls are struggling to stay healthy. I
plan to write a more detailed post soon.
The Princess is now 15 1/2 yrs old. Her pancreatitis has taken a turn for the
worse and we're learning to accept the fact that her time in this realm is
limited.We are sad to see her lovely
aged face some days. Mostly she still greets our visitors with a wagging tail
and a happy step, though they're a bit unbalanced now.
Our 11 yr old Lady May's daily pain meds are starting to affect her as well. She had a sudden and extreme bout of vomiting
and diarrhea a few weeks ago. Of course, it was on a Sunday when there were no emerg.
vets on call close by. It warranted a rush trip into Kamloops in the wee hours
of the morning. She was in very serious
condition by the time we get her in. Thank you so much to Oriole Road Animal Hospitaldoctors and staff. You were amazing!!Thank
you so much to the RK9Korner visitors who had to find alternate daycare while we
were away on such short notice. You are amazingly understanding customers!! Our Lady May is in
recovery mode now and is doing much better.Too close for comfort!
We stayed again at our regular Scott's Motel. We were so lucky they had a room available!
After 3 days we were finally able to bring our darling back home with us. It was a very scary time!
So both our girls given us a good
scare and a reminder of their ages and health issues.We press on knowing for the time being they
are enjoying their daily visitors. Having an extended pack means they are
always looking for rest of their pack and even seem to search the gates and
yards on days when there are no visitors.The more visitors here the calmer they seem to be.
That's good cuz we're pretty booked up until Nov!
There should be lots of smiles and tag wags all round!
Today is vet appointments for both our Ladies. Paws crossed for pawsitive results.
