The Boys Are Back

Sat. May 21 2022

I had to go back in my files and photos to see when/if Sir Cash and Sir Henry had been together. That meant plugging in my older hard drive and going through the archives. I found no instances of the two of them visiting at the same time.
Now . . . either I just didn't get it into the archives or I've missed it or the two of them had never met.
That means I treat them as though they have not been introduced and go through the motions of an introduction day.
Up went the indoor gates. Toys of high value, balls (squeakys especially) were put out of reach and limited to one or two of each. I reintroduced everyone on site to me, the big dog,  one on one with the incoming dog, and slowly went into allowing them in the same space as I see relaxed behaviours. As you can see by the photos, that was so over board.

Sir Cash is an easy going guy. He's confident, strong in social behaviour and communicates very well. He's a no bones kinda guy, very compliant and I was pretty sure there would be no issues with him. 
Young Sir Henry on the other hand is still a growing puppy even though he's almost two yrs old now. He's bouncy and eager and sometimes forgets to 'listen' when others are speaking to him.  Little Miss Sage who is just 2 months older than Henry was visiting last week with Cash and has had previous visits with Sir Henry. Sage sometimes likes to exercise her seniority, and so my eyes were peeled.

Well, who was I kidding?  They were comfortable and united with in the first 10 minutes of meeting. Very good meeting behaviours Sir Henry. I'm impressed!
Good deal, a quick hello to Sage and we can get down to playtime and let the day begin!

Henry says hello to Cash. Cash says hello to Sage

Sage and Cash say hello to Henry
Henry says, "Let's go play!"

So, play they did. Cash mainly just sauntered about keeping an eye on the others. Sage and Henry carried on their game of tug, each hoping to be the victor.  

 When Sage went back home, Henry turned his attention to Cash. He tried unsuccessfully  many times to engage him in some rough and tumble play. Cash's game of choice is ball.  Or a lovely squeaky which he will walk around carrying with him.   Henry's preferred game is anything that involves exerting excessive amounts of energy and leaves you panting almost uncontrollable. 

Henry - "Look Cash, I found some balls! Lets run and chase them!"
Cash - " You do it, I'll watch."

 Are you sure you doan wanna run and chase? You're missing all the fun!
Cash - "I'm sure"

Sir Henry had a very full weekend of running and jumping and doing 'hound dog' things. He captured ever stuffy and gave them all a really good shake and a chew to make sure he had fully annihilated them. If I knelt down to putter in one of my flower beds, his big head was right there in my face. "Look Lady, I found a toy. Wanna play?" So drop everything I did and throw all the toys around for him to chase some more. I laughed a lot this weekend and really had full days of snuggles and cuddles and deep sighs. Cash is very much a follow you kind of guy and if Henry's big head wasn't pushing at my hips then Cash's was.
We even took a break to go for a drive. I wish I could read their minds when they so happily jump in the truck and off we go. They watch out the windows so intently. Do they recognize the streets and passing buildings? Do they think we're taking them home. I dunno. They sure seem happy enough to drive back in our yard when we get home again.

I think I heard my neighbour's cat!

These boys are two really good reminders of why I love dogcare. Even if the clouds show up and the sun fails to shine. They give all their heart and I can't help but smile.

Sometimes I'm indoors cooking and the gates are closed. I turn around and spy these two buddies just waiting patiently. The doors are open and they could choose to be out with the toys. They don't. They're right here. Ya ya ya I know they think they might get dropped kibbles. Sorry boys, not gonna happen. 

Drat

When it's time to head out they sit while I put on my shoes and if I take too long opening the door I get the laugh of a life. Good ole Sir Henry just cant sit still quite that long?

Okay. We're Ready. Let's Go!

Ahh come mon lady! Yer takin' furevvvvver!

Cash - "I think I'll just sniff around for now."
Henry - "Okay Im outa here."

"Look I found more toys Cash. Which one you want?"
Cash - "None for now Im watching for the girls"

By the time after dinner rolls around Sir Cash is getting ready to crash for the evening and Sir Henry is using up the last little bit of energy he has to conquer a chew toy.
I'd like to move his special blankie to the bedroom in preparation for the night, but he doesn't seem ready just yet.

Henry - "Why doesn't anyone else want to have a chew before bed?"

Before long he crashes like everyone and we call it a night.

Sleep well darling boys. Im so glad you came back for a visit. I promise this time your meeting will go into the archives! See you in the morning.

Sweet Dreams Sir Cash.
The girls are back soon. You'll see.

May Long Weekend is Here!

Three weeks into May and we're doing okay. 

We're slowly recovering from the trauma of losing one of our Royals, our beloved Marchioness lil Molly. 

I'll be posting 'her return to us' soon. RIP Sweetheart. 

 

We're happily embracing the return to good health by another.
Yay Miss Sadie. We're so happy you're up and about and raring to go!

Last week Sadie's mom let Sadie come for a day visit while she had some appointments to keep. Sadie had a nice, calm, happy visit with Lady May. They just wandered the yard and rested anywhere they felt the desire to.  At bedtime Lady May gave Miss Sadie her cozy bed. What a good girl Lady May!

Let's just rest for the day okay?

 Being in a different environment than home can be both energizing and relaxing. Sometimes, stimulating the brain helps the healing as well as physical exercise. Sadie stayed overnight with us and the next morning she was able to have a short visit with Miss Khione. I expected to have to keep pretty close tabs on the activity level. However, Miss Khione was a very good girl. She arrived full of excitement and ready to ZOOM! I took hold of her harness and slowly let her indoors to meet Miss Sadie. Her entire demeanor changed as soon as she saw Sadie. How do dogs know that!? It brought happy tears to see how calm and gentle she was to Sadie. What a good girl you are Khione! 

Miss Khione - "I'm glad you feel better Miss Sadie."

The rest of the morning the two sauntered the yard and rested in the sun. We're happy to report Miss Sadie is now out of the woods and back to her morning walks with mom. Thank you for the visit, Miss Sadie. I know you'll be back to visit us soon. 

Relaxing while I prune.

Not only did our visitors have some medical issues that brought a few changes in the daycare schedule. We also had some folks who had unexpected changes in their jobs and plans. It opened up my days and has actually given me an opportunity to start on the gardening that so badly needed doing. The weather is about to get warmer. I hope. I've purchased a few bedding plants and I'm getting my soils ready to fill my planters while the couple of visiting dogs enjoy being outdoors. Daddy has been doing maintenance on 'Cora' and getting his boat ready for the warmer weather. We're keeping very busy.

Lady May is fully enjoying being outdoors and most days it's been hard to get her back inside. Who wants a fluffy mat when you've got a fluffy yard! Oh of course and the Bees are loving it too!

Look at all the hard work the bees have been doing mommy! I'm helpin!

 Sir Cash has a quite a few days booked with us and our little Miss Sage is back for a couple of weeks. What fun!

Lady May and Cash saying hello while little Miss Sage goes into her usual 'meeting position'

I've brought the small pool out of storage and Sage was the first one to jump in.  Countess River was right behind her. There's nothing better than fresh cool water in a pool. Who cares if puppy paws have been soaking in it. 
Our end of May visitors are many and I hope the sun keeps shining.  It feels like it's been along time coming this year.

Sir Cash cant wait for the pool to fill. He's thirsty NOW!

Why is there no one else in the pool? Don't they know it's ready!?

 

Sage - " I see that toy in your mouth. I know you're going to hide it. Im watching"

As I'm puttering in the gardens I've decided to create a special place in one of my beds this year. I'll take a few photos and talk more about it soon. Right now I still have alot of weeding to get through.
Enjoy the sunshine while we can and let's hope for more!

Don't scare us again Miss Sadie!

In the early hours of last Friday morning, I received a message from Miss Sadie's mom.
Sadie was being gently loaded into mom's car and on route to Kamloops Vet hospital. Sadie had been having severe abdomen pain throughout the night. She was unable to lay down comfortably and she could not walk. A big scare but all is well. 1 full week of recovery and she's almost up and about. 

Needless to say, her mom was more than just concerned. With a 2-hour drive ahead of them, there was no time to spare. Sadie is a big girl and her inability to move made loading for transport difficult.  Fortunately, mom's supportive and good friend, Rhonda was there to help get Miss Sadie in and then out of the car once at the clinic.

The caring staff at Kamloops Vet Clinic on Dalhousie Dr. took Miss Sadie quickly and began a thorough examination. GVD was ruled out (Twisted stomach). Sadie reacted to them touching her lower intestine. Something was there.  They administered pain meds and dye and X-rays were taken. There was a partial blockage.They could not see bones or rocks or the cause or the blockage. They administered meds that would hopefully, help her push out what ever was there. Sadie would be staying overnight. The hope was, the meds would help her dislodge whatever was in her lower intestine. If not, she would need exploratory surgery to discover the cause. We crossed our paws and we prayed it was not a tumour.
Sadie's mom is very diligent about watching what goes into Sadie's mouth, what she plays with and what she eats. However she was concerned Sadie had been able to sneak a sock! (one of her favourite things to steal)  Sadie had been visiting us 2 days before and I immediately started going thru my laundry to spot if anything was missing. All matched up! Whew!
As you can imagine her mommy was distraught having to leave Sadie overnight but needed to travel back home. She felt confident leaving Sadie in the nurturing hands of Dr. Emily and her two surgeons Dr. Irene Peychev & Dr. Kathy Blackford. Even though, as we all do, she worried about her girl all night long.
The long night finally passed and Sadie's mom received the phone call telling her Miss Sadie was going into surgery. She had not passed anything during the night and was still in discomfort.  It would be another day before Miss Sadie was out of the woods.
That day finally arrived and the culprit of Sadie's pain was discovered. The surgery showed it was not a tumour but her pancreas! A sigh of relief and now she needs a specialized maintenance plan.
When Sadie woke she was anxious and unsettled and the doctors felt it would be in Sadie's best interest for her to heal at home. Mommy quickly made plans to head over to Kamloops to pick up her sweetie pie.  

Still feeling the sedation effects.

Sadie was home by 8:00 pm that evening. Still under the effects of her anaesthetic but she was more relaxed when she was awake. She finally settled by 11 pm and slept until 5:30 the next morning. She had a sip of water and tiny bite of food. Her mommy had created a soft, safe place for her to rest during her recovery and provided waterproof pads so Sadie didn't have to try to get up to piddle. Her mommy was by her side to keep her clean and comfortable to heal relaxed and comfy.  Sadie's 'grandpa' built a small ramp on their porch that would help Sadie when she was able to navigate the outdoors again. A caring family full of love for her, who watched over her and enabled her to heal from her trauma.   Dr. Emily had provided several meds to be taken. There was anti nausea pills and antibiotics and pain meds and instructions that mommy followed to a tee.
The very next evening Sadie began to vomit and her mom feared the worse. She made a phone call to the vet and they suggested Sadie return to the hospital. Mom made the call to the hospital and she alerted her travelling companion, she had gathered the necessary items for Sadie's transport. By then, Sadie was sitting up and smiling with a wagging tail! 

What's going on mom? Why am I going back to the docs?

"Oh no you don't!" thought mommy! "I'm taking you back anyway. The doctor can give you a thorough exam and give you the 2 thumbs up before I bring you back home again. You scared me!"

That's just what happened. Dr. Emily gave Sadie a 2 thumbs up and mommy felt reassured. She was doing everything right and Sadie's incision was healing well.  Her meds were altered, a probiotic added, along with a topical cream for her incision. She is going to be just fine!
She has her loved ones by her side and will now be on an even stricter diet and modified exercise program. 

Minkie - "Where did you go Sadie? I missed you!"

Emelin - "I'm so happy you're home Sadie. We were so worried about you!"

In the days that follow, Sadie is perking up slowly and beginning to show her happy face again.  Mommy is able to get more sleep and started working on preparing Sadie's meal plans.
There will be no more cookies in Sadie's diet and her already regular exercise routine will be modified when she's up and able. 
We're hoping Miss Sadie will be able to visit us during her healing, on days we are 'dogfree' and use our yard as a playground for safe activities.
We were all so very worried about you Miss Sadie! We're so happy you're on the road to recovery. Please take care and come visit us soon!

Our Marchioness lil Molly Has Crossed Rainbow Bridge

 Many years before we became Royal K9 Korner, we were known as The Royals.
We were King, Princess MollyDawg and Squire Seven.
We've always been involved with rescue societies and dog sitting.
We always had several regular drop in visitors so the playful times in our yard were numerous.

Then one day a friend adopted a rescued puppy.
We were thrilled to meet her and offered our dog-sitting service to her mom and dad.
That was 13 years ago.

That little puppy became known as our 'very own' Marchioness, lil Molly.

lil Molly always loved her squeakie toys

She immediately fit into our pack. The bond between King and lil Molly developed fast and was extremely tight.
Right from the get go King took her under his wing and literally showed her the ropes of good play and all the yard rules. 
He was my shining example of strong, benevolent leadership.
I knew, this puppy was safe having him in her corner.
Where King went lil Molly followed.
It didnt matter if he was busy entertaining his Princess.
She made up her mind to fit in anyway.  Fit right in she did.

So much so, that she was able to soften even the tuff bossy Princess' heart. She was even brave enough to steel the Princess' toys. No one else could/would ever do that!  lil Molly was sneaky and persistent and very clever.

Often times The Princess would take over for King to give him a break from the puppy.  lil Molly was a typical energetic healthy puppy. I was only able to keep up with her energy level because I had two wonderful helpers.  I should have known how they would shape and mould the strong independent girl she was to become.

Strong leadership was something that little puppy would challenge each and every minute of every day. She was a tough little girl and took every challenge straight on with a powerful opinion of what should or should not be allowed. She watched King and The Princess practicing their stalking techniques and tried her very best to stay focused and patient while they played. Not an easy task for a 3 month old puppy.  

 

 lil Molly was never intimidated by anyone and The Princess was no exception.  Even as a puppy lil Molly would use nose punching to try to initiate play.  There were times when it wasn't a very good idea and she definitely learned the hard way a few times. She was persistent and relentless and fearless.
She was the perfect fit to our Royal family and she will be sorely missed.  Over the years she made many friends and almost all our visitors fell in love with her, eventually!

Lil Molly turned 13 years old this year. She was truly beginning to show her age. She was slowing. Her disposition was softening. Most times she would avoid a confrontation rather than stand her ground. Although there were a few who she just could not see eye to eye with. That was our lil Molly.  A real tuff nut and we wouldn't have wanted her any other way. 

lil Molly had been developing several lymphomas over the years and her mom and dad were constantly monitoring them. The doctors had run the usual tests and all came back clear each time.
However, over the last few days, lil Molly started having some problems breathing deeply.  She still loved to run and play ball, but after only a few throws, she would tucker out. She was a happy girl and always eager to play.  On her last outing with us we visited Suzy Q and Walter on a beautiful sunny day. The yard is very large and lil Molly made sure she covered every inch of it. She was a happy girl for sure. Even though we still couldn't trust her off leash in an unfamiliar yard.
That evening she was completely pooped and slept in the next day. I was fine with that. lil Molly often stayed in bed on weekends. She especially loved to stay in bed until our own daddy got up.
Such a daddy's girl!

lil Molly visits Suzy Q and Walter
She was so happy to meet a new boy.

Later in the week, while she was at home, lil Molly developed severe breathing problems and was unable to lay on her side to sleep.  She was sleeping in an upright position. She began panting, coughing and showed signs of obvious distress. Her mom and dad knew that lil Molly needed vet care immediately. They made the necessary emergency calls and loaded up their tired, old, slow moving little girl and headed off on a two hour drive into Kamloops. 

Lil Molly's last truck ride. Cozy in her soft warm bed.
She stopped by to say farewell to me.
She accepted a kibble and gave me kisses of appreciation

The caring staff at ValleyView Clinic ran all the tests, blood-work, xrays etc that needed to be done. They were extremely thorough and reached their diagnosis quickly. lil Molly was in a dire situation. She was suffering from a large tumour which had shut down one of her lungs. She had another tumour surrounding her heart and her blood work showed cancer.
lil Molly's mom and dad sat with her and stroked her fur. Her dad used his knuckles to rub the inside of her ears. Something lil Molly loved very much. She made her contented moaning sounds and made her daddy smile.
It didnt take long for them to reach a decision about their sweet girl. She was now in pain and there would be no trip back home.
lil Molly drifted off to Rainbow Bridge in the arms of her mom and dad. This day was April 29 2022. Ironically on exactly the same day, 14 years earlier, King was found and rescued back in 2008. We want to believe somehow the 'powers that be' could manufacture an event that allows a better chance of lil Molly finding her beloved pack leader. Perhaps this was the day?
She'll meet up with the Royals who led the way before her. A reunion I'm sure, that will rock Rainbow Bridge on its heels.
You were such a good girl sweetie. We will forever love you. 
Get ready Rainbow Bridge. The Royals are celebrating.