Does Dog Sitting Ever Get Boring?

Some people ask if I get tired of dog sitting.
Well, in my eyes, that's like asking a mother if she gets tired of her children!! So, yes sometimes I feel exhausted. Am I likely to change my business any time soon. No! Of course not!! I love 'my' dogs! All of them.
There are some days when I can sit quietly in the shade and supervise while I'm reading my book. Not all days are Run 'n Chase puppy days.

Miss Mylu and Master Rookie enjoy a placid afternoon in the shade

I can sit on my bench and read or watch them from my patio
while I do my house chores. No worries at all.

How quickly our day events change depends on who's visiting that particular day. We bounce between the speed loving, energy plus dogs to the tranquil, like to be left alone personalities.  Sometimes it changes mid day if we have an unexpected visitor stop by.
I haven't sat down to count how many frequent us lately, but I know there's about a dozen. It can get very busy on any given day. Especially if we get an unscheduled furry in due to an emergency at their home. 
One of the reasons I insist on a pre meet and greet is for those unexpected events.

On most days we only have an extra two furries here. It always works well when someone needs sitting and I already have someone scheduled.  I like it best when there is more than one extra furry.   It means there will be somebody else here, other than the  old fragile "Royal Girls" to entertain them. 

We sometimes have visitors who don't get along very well. I try to set a goal those days, to allow for as many safe, positive interactions as possible during their stay.  There is always a gate between them when needed.  I will also provide extra safety by placing a second gate two feet away.   Sometimes having opportunities for those who don't get along,  just to be in each others presence in a safe environment is enough to help them relax. They may even begin to accept each other.

How long is morning rest time?

The gates also provide a bit of security for The Royals. It allows a bit of a reprieve from active puppies and a rest from having to deal with others when they've had enough. Some of our gates are simple dividers while others are more sturdy for ensured safety.  All are used in a positive manner, reinforcements are always given when a gate is being used. They are NEVER used to lock a dog alone in a room for any reason what-so-ever! 

Sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to keep everyone happy and receiving full positive attention.
I'm very 'up' for the challenge and always look carefully at my calendar to see who's here on which days.  Do I ever turn dogs away?  Yes, I absolutely have to sometimes. It's necessary for not over crowding.
I also need to take breaks for my personal life and my Royal Girls. We are still a family and need our personal space as well.
We just have a very extended family and continue to love every minute of it.
Even on those days when I am run ragged. It's those quiet nights seeing those tired, sleepy eyes in bed that make me smile and say,  "Yes,  little one. You are safe with us until your mommy and daddy can come back home to you.

Sweet Dreams Little River.
You'll see your mommy and daddy tomorrow.

Mid June at Royal K9 Korner

Here we are already half way through 2019. I'm really wanting the days to slow down. We're having a great time being able to play out in the yard again. We're chasing each other and running in and out of the house, mucking up mommy's new kitchen floor with our pool soggy paws. She loves it! I can tell, cuz she always bends down when the floor is all wet. Im sure its to play with us!

 

Who has soggy paws??

Lil Molly, and Mylu and Bentley and River have all been over visiting us so far this month. Rookie will be coming this week along with Mylu and Lil Molly returning this weekend! Woo Hooo fun times ahead!
It took Lil Molly a few licks and circles to remember who River was but when she did, it was all, "Yahooo! Let's go!"

"Hi! Remember me??"

I remember you.

I think I love you

But no splashing please!

... and then River was alone with us Royals. Now don't get me wrong, She loves us. However, we really just Do Not play how River would like.

sigh...  are there any other dogs coming over?

Well of course there was! The very next day, we had an unexpected visitor needing day care. What a great surprise! River and Bentley had not had a chance to meet yet. Well, it turns out, these two are going to very best buddies! That's no surprise to me. Both are high energy. Even though they both have very different personalities.  2 yr old River has had an unpleasant experience with a dog in her past and is sometimes a bit nervous of new, over zealous playmates.  1 yr old Bentley on the other hand is all, "Oh who cares! Let's RUN FAST and JUMP and PLAY!!"

River, - " I think I like you but go slow okay!"
Bentley, "Slow? What's that?"

We gave them both lots of time getting to know each other. Bentley came a day early for a short meet with River. We left Bentley's halter on and added a short lead for a quick pull away if needed. He was very cooperative, even though he really wanted to just get the formalities over with and PLAY CHASE!  River showed signs of being leery but kept responding positively to Bentley's persistence.   She politely scolded him a couple of times with a good firm bark that said, "Look, I told you, I'll play, but not so rough okay?"

The next day was all about learning polite play behaviours, with River as the teacher. I had to step in a couple of times to assert my rank and remind them both of good manners. There was a full morning and afternoon of licking and playing, setting leadership and how the games would go. When ever Bentley was scolded he dropped to the ground like a good boy and gave River the respect she needed and rightly deserved. Good Boy Bentley!!
Before long they were into full open mouth play and ready to move out doors for the entire yard of RUN and Chase!


By after lunch, both were ready to follow the NO ROUGH PLAY after eating rule. We had quiet floor play only and then crashed for nap time. We're pretty sure Bentley and River will be at it before long again. Bentley sure is a good listener and River, well, she's just the best-est teacher ever!

Now, I better tell mommy to get back to moping up the soggy, doggy paw, wet kitchen floor! 

Not from me though, Right??

May Is Finally Here

It's finally staring to look and feel more like there will be a summer after all. Spring has definitely arrived.  The yard and gardens are taking shape. The flower boxes, beds and planters are almost all planted! My delightful visitors are returning and checking out what's changed in the last month.

There's cookies for helping right?

 We weren't surprised to see our first arrival was Lil Molly. She got here just in time to help with the top garden bed clean up. Next came our sweet lil River. She had her nose to the ground, wind and walls all day long. There wasn't a movement, bug, shadow or flash of light that escaped her notice.
It didnt take her long to recall everything here for her and the new toys were one of her first finds.

Cool new toys Lady. Thanks!

Of course her favourite things to check out were all outside. She spent the entire day just scouting out the yard, crates, and the POOL! Yay! It's back!

Hey!? I think you forgot the toys!

There was almost no need for toys once we were outside. So many sights and smells occupied lil River. Ever watching, ever hunting. So true to her genes!

Shhhh! I almost have this one!

This little bee catcher did more than just "Watch" them. She so badly wanted to catch one! Fortunately, her mommy and daddy have trained her well. One holler of "NO!" and she knew to 'leave it' alone!

 

She kept me on my toes with tweezers ever handy.

Lady May and Princess MollyDawg always get first dibs on the outdoor crates. Poor lil River had to find her own.

Princess MollyDawg: "Back off! Mom said, This one's mine!"

Is there one for Meee?!

Oh here's one!  I would sure rather what Lady May has though!

"Furgit it River. First come first serve.
Hey mom? When does our new turf come in?

Soon, Lady May, mommy and daddy have lots more work around the yard and the turf is not a priority sweetie.

With the help from a few wonderful friends, I've almost completed the flower purchases. River's mom was thinning her flower beds and gave me some great new plants!  Her and I also had time to take a drive to Desert Hills Ranch for a whopping great load of bedding plants!
Woo Hoo! Thanks Fiona!
I was able to fill my freshly dug bed in front of the house and my new cedar planter boxes.
Thank you Leisa and Rob, for posting your ceder boxes service on Facebook. What a great find!

We'll have to wait a few months to see the results.

I love my new cedar boxes.
I can't wait to purchases a few more!

One of our local schools, Cayoosh Elem.  had a fundraiser and my friend Nevaeh's mom, Mallory was so thoughtful to post to Facebook. OH BOY! Thank you! They are beautiful.

Instant COLOUR!

We had to wait until most of the tulips were finished to plant the geraniums.
A few weeks and Im sure they'll be full and lovely.

Miss Mylu came to check out our strawberry patch but its not quite ready yet. Just as well really. She didn't feel much like romping around the yard in hunt of them. She's just had her meds upped and mostly just chilled in the shade this visit.  Fear not Mylu, we'll save some for you!

Not quite herself yet.

Strawberry's will be here for you soon Sweetie

We're off to a good start again at Royal K9 Korner. We hope you'll visit us soon and check out the yard and fun things to do.
Enjoy the upcoming Mothers Day!
I know I will!

Royal K9 Korner is Almost Open For Business

 We have thoroughly enjoyed our down time over the last two weeks.  There's only 2 days left until its back to the dog care. We did so much it's hard to remember it all. We took drives and went for walks. The walks had to be extremely short ones due to The Royals leg conditions, but the smells and sniff arounds were amazingly fun. We stayed over night in Kamloops and shopped till we dropped.  I slept in for as long as the Royal Princess would let me. There was actually some mornings when we didnt have to be up till 6:30! Wow ! Thank you Princess MollyDawg!

The Princess- "Go away mommy it's too early!"

I had time to get the yard and gardens in shape and renew some much needed fencing. We had one emergency dog come during our closure. Miss Mylu, who you may recall is prone to seizures, needed a short day of day care. Fortunately for her mom and dad it fell on a day when we were scheduled to be home and could tend to her needs. She stayed very close to me and even helped while I mowed the lawn for the very first time this year.

Mylu - "Go around me please. I'm not moving."

 I took extra time to  brush and clean the ears and teeth of The Royals. The baths will follow as soon as the weather is a bit warmer.  Yes Princess MollyDawg, you too my dear!

I dug old gardens and replanted a few clumps and bulbs. I'm looking forward to heading over to Desert Hills with a friend, for bedding plants, one day in the near future. I still have a few more beds to dig and replant. I need to organize my patio baskets and add fresh soil and fertilizer.
Lady May watched throughout my chores. She was a very good girl and only decided I was done, after I'd put the shovel away. 

Lady May - "I'm exhausted mommy! If only it would stay weed free."

I shampooed my carpets and dusted the entire house. Wow, I found dog hair in places you could never imagine! I've heard of dust bunnies before, who knew there are also dust puppies!  I still have a few more corners downstairs to get at.
I washed windows and caught up on dog mats and beds laundry.  My "dog shelves" are full again and the outdoors relaxing crates are almost ready for summer. 

A few more mats still being laundered

We had a wonderful time on Easter when our grandchildren came to hunt eggs and enjoy the sunshine. Of course Sir Muffin came along as well. What a good boy he's becoming.

Muffin- "Im egg hunting too!"

 My wonderful daughter and daughter in law made sure everything was taken care of for meals. We had a fabulous veggies, scalloped potatoe and ham dinner with lemon meringue pie for desert. YUM! Thank you Kathi! 💖
Thank you so much for breakfast the next morning Gina💖
Yummy bacon & eggs and fried potatoes. It was followed by dinner that day of a scrumptious pasta and hamburger meal.
I didn't have to think about cooking all weekend. I love my girls  I enjoyed being with my grandchildren with not a care at all. 🐇

Brooke in deep concentration.
Egg painting is pretty serious work!

1 1/2 yr old Lucas finds his very first Easter egg

I laughed and played and had "BatBoy come for a visit! Yes, it was warm enough that we just had to bring out a little tub of bubbly fun.

Thank you Easter Bunnies for hiding the eggs for us!

Wow! Those Easter Bunnies 🐇
sure know how to put together a basket!

I feel well rested and I'm ready for May 1st and the next batch of furries who need to run and play safely while their moms and dads have to be away.
We have Mylu and Maverick and Lil Molly already scheduled for May.  I love this time of year when the dogs can play outside and I can continue to work in the yard.
Bring it on! Im up and raring to go!

Weekend Getaway in Kamloops

We've made it back home safe and sound and more than a little bit tired. It was super relaxing to be away but it's always so nice to come back home to our own yard and beds.

While away, my brain gets a chance to rest and not be responsible and accountable for visiting dogs. I really enjoy having them here where they can stay safe while their moms and dads have to be away. They are so entertaining and always bring smiles and chuckles.

I am so appreciative to everyone for being so understanding of our closure for 2 weeks.  Sometimes a break is in order. A time to slow down and rewind and grab some calm, fresh air.  2019 started off super busy with little chance of slowing down any time soon.  With Easter and family birthdays happening, this month was the perfect time for a short closure. Heading out of town is a time when I allow my brain to go on holiday.  The daily ins and outs of dog day care disappear and fun "do selfish things" is welcomed.

We had a few very busy shopping days.  A chance to restock some much needed supplies and some just for fun items as well.  Our truck has a long truck bed and believe me when I say, we loaded it! The girls enjoyed going for truck rides with us all day, every day and being the only dogs in the pack for a while. We woke when we wanted and left early enough to have a full day. We returned late for play time and a last sniff around each night before bed.

Relaxed and heading out each morning.

New wonderful smells abound!

Crashing each night

The last day of shopping we decided to miss some places due to the weather. Most people don't complain when the weather turns hot and lovely this time of year. I complain because I can't/won't DO NOT leave the Royals alone in the truck. If the parking lot had shade and the clouds were out and if we were just going to dash in and out, they were safe. Otherwise we skipped the shop for another day.  My "girls" health is far more important to risk over heating.

Speaking of health, we made one super important stop before we headed home. Our wonderful Vet clinic in Cache Creek. The girls had their weigh ins and a chance to get some lovin' from our most favourite Vet receptionist Kara-Lee.  Princess MollyDawg has finally gained some weight. She is up to a satisfactory 27.9 kg. We're very pleased with that.   Lady May ran as fast as she could, up to the door and dashed in just as quick as her little leggies could go. I thought, "WOW! She excited to be here." Then I remembered the office kitty. "Oh ya, no wonder she was so excited to get inside."  Silly girl, kitty was safely outdoors.

 

The doctors were busy so we didn't get to visit with them

 We stocked up on all our vitamins and medications, loaded up a couple more bags of the Royal's special kibble and canned food, then headed back down the highway.  Just another hour drive and we were home sweet home.

Lady May went straight for her toys and The Princess found her crate and crashed! Daddy and I unloaded most of the items to be sorted later. Wow! There's alot!  Then we also crashed!

I've spent all day yesterday sorting through all our new purchases and getting laundry caught up.
Daddy bought us a brand new double recliner couch. That means the old swivel rocker had to be removed and the living room rearranged.  The girls are mostly in their beds happy to be home and staying out of my way. The doors are open and they can come and go as they wish.
The Princess has her nose out of joint because I've removed her large crate while Im rearranging. I've placed various mats around and the medium soft crate is still available. She has become so accustomed to having the extra large crate, she literally pouts as she searches for just the right bed.
It will return once all the furniture has found their new spots.  For now Princess MollyDawg just needs to be patient.
(I can't believe I used that term in the same sentence as The Princess MollyDawg!)

My plan is to use the next few days to prepare for our grandchildren to arrive for Easter!! Yahooo!
I am totally looking forward to this coming weekend!  The following week will be another relaxation week before we reopen Royal K9 Korner. 
Another word of appreciation to everyone for understanding while we take this time for ourselves!
You Rock!

Have a Fantastic Easter and stay safe!!

3 Years and 3 Days Ago

 As many readers know, we received our Cuddle Clone fleece blankets a few days ago. It's ironic sometimes how things tend to follow a pattern throughout time. When I ordered these blankets I had no way of knowing exactly when they would arrive. Yet here it is 3 yrs later almost to the day that King passed and we are holding him and Duchess Sammy in our hearts and cuddling them while we cozy under their warmth. 
Each year on their passing day I return to my blogs and re read their stories. Mostly I smile now. Of course there are still some tears. The pain has ceased, mostly and I can almost make it through all the blogs. Daddy and mommy still love you so much darlings.

If only life was eternal! One day we will run with you both again.

There are so many posts to read, if you are interested in knowing these darlings more, feel free to visit and comment.  Some of the posts can be found by going to these links

My Life As Duchess Sammy

Duchess Sammy is Running Free Over Rainbow Bridge

Our Pack Is Grieving

3 Yrs and 3 Days Ago

King's fleece blanket and Cuddle Clone

Duchess Sammy's fleece blanket and Cuddle Clone

Beloved King and his Cuddle Clone

Our Royal Girl Duchess Sammy and her Cuddle Clone
RIP Jan. 07/2013

Are Colour Coded Collars, Bandanas or Halters/Leashes That Big of a Deal?

Just a short blog today to bring in a reminder or perhaps some new info to everyone.

The other day a local gal, (Thank You Ale) posted a great reminder about colour-coded-dog-leashes-and-collars. It sparked my memory about how, when, and if to approach an unknown dog. It encouraged me to write a blog to put out that info once again. We used to sell brightly coloured bandanas to promote and encourage adoptions in past rescue societies I was involved with.  I think it would be great to be involved with some sort of  fund raiser for our little town. I own a sewing machine and would relish the idea to get involved.

As time passes I think, sometimes,  we forget the important lessons we once learned. A gentle nudge helps to bring it back.
Also there are so many people coming into "pet awareness" and safety for all pets, world. It's great to share that important info with everyone.
I'm so pleased to see and know that my own little town is becoming so proactive. People are not sitting  saying, "Someone should do something about that stray running around"  They are becoming "That Someone." Way To Go Lillooet. You Rock!

As so many of my readers, followers know, that is a slogan I came to hold very close to my heart over the years.
SO, here is a page I found to bring some information to you.
Please Check it out. Colour Coded dog leash/collars

Notice that Yellow is used for two meanings. One is a lighter shade, but it still catches your eye.