My favorite time

Every sunday, I start my day with my dogs. The morning we relax and enjoy time together. We go for a walk, then lounge around and do puzzles. As I am writing this post, both of them are next to me, one on each side. These mornings are precious times for me as they are peaceful and filled with love.

The Best for Our Dogs

Loving my dogs, I only want the best for them. Hence, I searched for high quality food (which my vet confirmed to be): Fromm, Acana and Orijen.  I would like to suggest to any of you that care and only want the best for our dogs to consider:

*Acana: I feed mines: "Duck and Bartlett Pear" and "Grasslands" (Grain Free).

*Orijen: I feed mines "6 Fish" (Grain Free)

*Fromm: I feed mines Fromm Four-Star: "Pork and Applesauce", "Duck and Sweet Potato" and "Salmon A La Veg". Also Fromm Four-Star Grain Free: "Game Bird Recipe", "Salmon Tunalini" and "Surf and Turf"

I try to match the food to the need of my dogs. In winter, I seek a leaner food as they get less exercise than in the summer. (Orijen 6 Fish- no carbohydrate). The rest of the year, I simply alternate, once a bag is empty, I move to a different one. My dogs do not have any problem with switching. I may use a bit of pumpkin when first changing, during the transition period.

On the matter of treats, I remind us that a slimmer dog is a healthy dog. However, I like at times to reward and give a special treat to mines. My dogs and I like: Northern dog treats, Mother Nature and Wet Noses but always in moderation.

*Northern Biscuit: they enjoy "Wheat Free- Canadian Bacon with Blueberries" and "Grain Free Glazed Duck with Blueberries".

*Wet Noses: they enjoy "Bananas and Peanut Butter", "Pumpkin", "Sweet Potato", "Agave and Pear".
Note: these contain molasses, thus I recommend keeping in mind that calories can add fast.

*Mother Nature: they enjoy "Carrot Cakes recipe"

To maintain good dental hygiene, I tend to give them deer antlers, cow hooves and dura chew nylabones.

On a special occasion, I may give them a smoked pig ear (not from China) and may boil them a small femur bone of which I remove the marrow (which is rich and can upset their stomach), I may also on rare occasion if I make bacon, save them a couple trips, which I cut into pieces.

If I was to recommend any wet food, I would suggest Merrick Grain Free "Grammy's Pot Pie" and Evangers Organic "Turkery with Potato and Carrots Dinner" which is organic certified, kosher, hormone and antibiotic as well as grain free. I give mine maybe a tablespoon each mixed with their dry food as a special treat once in a great while. I may be more inclined to give them some wet food, around the holidays or special occasion such as birthdays or when they exercised a lot and burned a lot more calories than usual. I also was advised by my vet that when our dogs are sick, they often get more dehydrated and as can food are higher in water content than dry food, good can food can be helpful.

Books as more

Today, I stumbled upon an article: "My 6,128 Favorite Books" by Joe Queenan in the review section of The Wall Street Journal. I thought I'd share some of his comments, which I find to be true.

"A case can be made that people who read a preposterous number of books are not playing with a full deck. I prefer to think of us as dissatisfied customers. If you have read 6,000 books in your lifetime, or even 600, it's probably because at some level you find "reality" a bit of a disappointment."

"Women in our own era read "Pride and Prejudice" and "Jane Eyre" and even "The Bridges of Madison County"- a dimwit, hayseed reworking of "Madame Bovary"- because they imagine how much happier they would be if their husbands did not spend quite so much time with their drunken, illiterate golf buddies down at Myrtle Beach."

"People who need to possess the physical copy of a book, not merely an electronic version, believe that the objects themselves are sacred. Some people may find this attitude baffling, arguing that books are merely objects that take up space. This is true, but so are Prague and your kids and the Sistine Chapel. Think it through, bozos."

Lucky us

About 3 weeks ago, I agreed on the phone to foster a dog. I had no knowledge I was going to fall in love. Rowdy was adopted 4 days later. Curley has a brother. I have the great pleasure to love 2 great dogs. They're my boys.
On a personal note, I believe we know when we found the one.

Memoirs

• The Bucolic Plague by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
• The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball
• The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn
• A Year In Provence & Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle

These are some of the memoirs that inspire me. Each tells a story of following your passion, pursuing a dream and live your life. 

Keep cool and healthy

As the temperature outdoor rises, I explored a few new treats: frozen yogurt and flavored ice cubes. Keeping in mind that it may be too hot out, I avoid walks mid day and instead get up early (6 am) to go for walks when it is cooler out. I carry water on our walks and do not hesitate to soak him to help him keep cool. I remind myself that asphalt can be hot and burn his paws. While my dog needs lot of exercise, I seek new alternatives such as swimming and playing fetch in the water. Instead of carrying a stick, he retrieves it. Last when walking, I monitor his panting (as an indicator he may be too hot) and force him to rest in the shadows where he can hydrate (give him water) and cool off.

Loving our dog

Curley is not just my baby boy for being the dog that lives by my side, we share a bond. Curley taught me to love. I unconditionally love him. He makes me smile, brings joy in my life. I may be busy with life, but I will make the time for us. One thing I have learned is that Curley will never cease to surprise me. I am lucky to have him in my life.

Play quality

I believe our dogs need structure, love, exercise and play time. When it comes to play time, I like my dog to have times to play like a dog, but other times I want him to think. As a result, he haves various toys: balls, squeakers, laser light, and puzzles. Curley loves to fetch his squeaking balls which I buy in quantities. He also likes to destroy stuffed toys to get to the squeaker, hence I keep buying him cheap squeakers which he enjoys ripping. Thank to a friend, we discovered the fun of laser light. I point it on the floor and he hunts it (run after it). We both have fun. Last, I got him a few puzzles that require his sense of smell. I highly recommend Nina Ottosson dog puzzles. These are great ways to keep my dog stimulated. Plus, as he gets to the treats, he gets rewarded for his hard work (solve the puzzle).


Dogs may have fun fetching or chewing on a toy however they also enjoy being stimulated.

Dog food

I strongly believe what we eat affects us, so does what our dogs eat. As a result, I try to give my dog a diet that is higher quality. I, myself avoid high fructose corn syrup and artificial food including flavor and coloring or even chemicals. My dog food may be a little bit more expensive than some other generic dog food but it does not contain by-products. The way I look at it, I may be spending a little more but my dog may not need to go to the vet as much, plus I believe if you eat healthy, you're likely to live longer and healthier. I personally know I want my dog to live as long as possible: I love him.


I feed my dog FROMM dry dog food (pork and applesauce, duck and sweet potato, salmon a la veg) and sometimes give him as wet dog food Evanger's organic Turkey with potato and carrots dinner (which is hormone and antibiotic free, grain free and certified organic). My dog absolutely loves both.

You know you are a dog lover when

• Dog hairs cover everything you own. 
• Whenever you reach into a pocket you pull a poop bag (regardless of what you were looking for). 
• You're up early (6 am) despite that you are tired (even exhausted).
• Your car windows are covered with nose prints.
• You sign your dog's name on birthday and holiday cards.
• You have no kids, but you refer to self and spouse as daddy and mommy while to your own parents as grandma and grandpa.
• You don't need a door bell. 
• You feel too guilty to ever imagine taking a trip (especially abroad). 
• Whenever you shop, you manage to buy something for your dog. 

Understanding our dog

My dog and I understand each other. I respect that he needs to exercise a lot; walk at least 2-3 hours a day. So days, I am busy, we get up at 6 am and we go for our morning walk of an hour to an hour and a half, then I rush home midday for our second one hour walk before going to work. After work, depending on the season, we may do a brief 20 minutes walk or if light out may go back to a park for an hour walk.  Curl gets at least 2 hours walk a day. On days, I am free, we spend most day out walking, playing, spending time together. This week, we had the luxury to enjoy the weather, tuesday we covered 10 miles walking, wednesday we went running together, while thursday we walked 5 miles. Yesterday, we walked 7 miles and he went swimming. Curl loves water, he could be a lab, though it means I will have to bath him, I respect his needs. If he likes it and it makes him happy while being healthy (good on his joints, refreshing, keeping him cool as it's hot out) then I let him do it. He's happy then I am happy. In some ways, this is how we bond. I have a happy dog who loves me and knows I love him.

How much is enough?

For the past few days, I got to think about how much exercise or walk a dog needs. First, I believe it varies for dogs, some are fine with a 30 minutes daily walk while others like mine requires a lot more. Curley is a Jack Russell terrier, needs lot of exercise. As his care giver I assume the responsibility: I get up most days at 6 am just to start his day with an hour long walk. Does it make a difference? Absolutely, I don't have to feel guilty for leaving him or worry that he is bored. He is often just tired and ready to digest his breakfast and take nap (really he is just recharging his battery). By mid-day, we often go for our second long walk (an hour). I admit that he is lucky but at the same time he is really just getting his basic need met. We enjoy a third walk in late afternoon, sometime it is shorter as it gets dark sooner (longer in summer, an hour).

Some of our walk are just relaxing walk where he gets to explore or simply carries a stick as we follow a path. Others are more instructive (do drills). For example, I may turn around and see that he pays attention which way I am going or I may on and off call him when off leash to come and sit (practice commands) before I tell him to go play. In other words, I try to make him do some mental work not just physical. Another type of walk I do once in a great while is what I refer as one-on-one. I will bring one of his favorite "squeaky" ball and toss it to him throughout our walk. I may also try to induce him to cover more distance, by faking a throw and as he goes further ahead on path, I will squeak the ball to get his attention and then throw it behind me (other direction). He is definitely forced to be mentally focused on these walks while having fun (he loves to fetch).

The more exercise he gets definitely tires him out though there are times that he remains true to his breed and isn't much tired at all. He is ready to fetch once home (high energy).

Benefits of ensuring he gets enough exercise is that I won't worry about him destroying my furniture (at least for that day). These walks certainly help maintain my weight and keep me fit. Also as I don't want to be bored and do circles of my  neighborhood, I will make a point to visit a park, thus breath fresher air (less polluted) increasing my life span. In other words, I benefit from these longer walks, I get mental breaks as I just relax, listen to birds or have time to think by myself, while also doing cardio (exercise- walking) and breathing some better quality air. I should really thank Curley, he is making me a healthier person.

Who is lucky?

Working with rescues, I often hear how lucky one dog is to be adopted, but truly is the dog lucky or are we the lucky ones. I am not going to deny that having a dog or dogs is always easy, it requires responsibilities: walking them (thus getting up early for me-though I don't mind it), training them (takes time)... However, I know Curley is why I get up early in the morning. His love is why I don't ever feel alone. Curley is my family. I feel "lucky" that Curley is in my life. His love is unconditional, so is mine for him. He teaches me everyday about "life". He taught me to appreciate the simple moments in a day, whether it is walking early and hearing the beautiful sound of birds, or simply enjoying having him in my arms. As I observe him, I learn the importance to explore and live in the moment. I am the lucky one, no doubt about it. In many ways, Curley saved me: he taught me to live and love.

I Rescued A Human Today

“Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels.  I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.  I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. 

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage.  I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today.  Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card, I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past.  I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and make little kissy sounds at me.  I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.  Gentle fingertips caressed my neck, she was desperate for companionship.  A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.

I would promise to keep her safe.  I would promise to always be by her side.  I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor.  So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. 

So many more to be saved.  At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.”

~~~Author unknown

Quotes

This is one of my favorite pictures. I took this picture last week, it is already framed. Looking for quotes for my last post led me to think about how others describe this special relationship between dogs and humans. (I said dogs first for a reason)


Here are two quotes that I think describes how I think:


"I'm an introvert...I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees,flowers,the sky." 
— Audrey Hepburn

"The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs." 
— Charles de Gaulle


Below are other quotes that I hope you'll enjoy (while make you think- sure make me):

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." 
— Josh Billings

"A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the doo." 
— Jack London

"If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience." 
— Woodrow Wilson

Books as my friends.

With the reminder of a dear friend, I am obliged to post a list of books I recommend anyone to read:

*for dogs lovers: 

1) White Fang by Jack London

2) The call of the wild by Jack London

These are absolute classics for anyone that loves dogs. It describes perfectly the loyalty of these wonderful creatures while also making us the readers aware of how powerful a bond between man and dog is. 

*for people who wish to get a glimpse of what french culture is like:

1) A year in Provence by Peter Mayle

2) Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle
3) French women don't get fat by Mireille Guiliano

4) French women for all seasons by Mireille Guiliano
5) A lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard 
6) The sweet life in Paris by David Lebovitz

Last I thought I'd share a few quotes about books:

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend."
― Groucho Marx

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

“You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” 
― Paul Sweeney

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.” 
― Ernest Hemingway

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” 
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice


“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
― Charles William Eliot

“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” 
― Gustave Flaubert

“I cannot live without books.” 
― Thomas Jefferson

“but for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.” 
― Jane Austen

Snow is fun!

Snow day- for Curley it means having fun. Just watching him exploring about brings smiles to my face.
Despite Curley's daily walks, he struggles maintaining a healthy weight. Being a conscientious mother, I am not just monitoring his food intake, ensure he gets to walk at least 2 miles daily-I am being active.
Curley does certainly not enjoy his strict diet, but his health is important to me. I tried green beans, didn't work. He is a picky eater, won't even touch his dry food if mixed with. Someone recommended pumpkin puree, he loves it. I use it as a filler (as contains fibers). I selfishly want Curley to live a long healthy life. I also recommend bones (femur bones which I cook thoroughly and remove marrow) or deer antlers as a substitute to treats. He is not only a powerful chewer, but he appears to be constantly hungry. When given a bone or antler, Curley will entertain self: he absolutely loves them. Better than caloric treats, bonus- it will keep him busy and clean his teeth. Great!
I will admit it took me a long time to see Curley as having a weight issue - don't be in denial! I am to blame. I assumed that because I walked him daily for 2-3 hours, he could have treats. I overfed him. Since my awareness, he lost 3 lbs and looks healthier.

Lucky dog

Today, Curley and I went out for a walk earlier. We got up at 6 am, met with our friends at 6:15 am. Our dogs, I would say are happy and lucky. Lucky as I don't believe everyone takes the time to take their dog out for long walks. I unfortunately know of many dogs in my neighborhood that are maybe left out for 5 min before their companion leaves for walk and when they return later in the evening. Some may consider that providing a roof and food is sufficient, or rather is already a lot. In some ways it is, especially as I understand many dogs are without home. However, I believe dogs require time to exercise and expand their energy. While some dogs are more easy going, others require exercise, whether a hour walk or running about. When I first got Curley, I knew I was getting a high energy dog, I ultimately had to make adjustment to my schedule, made a point to get up earlier and go on walks for an hour before work. It helped with anxiety separation, as well as made me realized there is more to life than work. I also believe it made our bond stronger. I am less stressed, we relax together. We are both happy. I will say my dog is certainly a reason I stay fit, all these walks. I aim in winter to walk him for 2 hrs a day, 2 long walks a day. In summer as it stays light out longer, we do more. Walking together had the effect to make us connect more, relaxes me, tires him (prevents him from getting bored and destroying things around-he ripped my mattress twice). It works for us.

Early walk

Today, I got up at 6:30 am to take Curley to a play-date with his friend, Jane, a lab mix. This is the time when my dog and I bound. There is almost nobody out, we get to enjoy the moment, listening to the birds, while enjoying our quiet walk in the woods. Even though it is chilly out, we don't care, we know this is our time. Curley starts his day with adventures, smelling around, finding a stick to carry around proudly... Something that never seems to amaze me is how Jane and Curley greet each other; happy to see each other. I feel lucky and grateful to experience these precious moments with my dog. If it wasn't for my dog, I certainly would not be out that early walking through a forest preserve. Instead, I'd be missing out, still in bed awaiting my clock to force me out to get ready for my hectic day. In other words, I wouldn't be "living". Since Curley came into my life, he taught me to appreciate these moments of solitude while experiencing nature. We'd walk and I'd hear birds singing, realizing that this is life.

Black dogs are dogs too.

For the past month, I have been fostering Tommy. Tommy is a sweet lab mix, which we rescued. This dog like many others taught me lessons about life. I've always been an animals lover, rescuing wild birds which I bring to a state licensed rehabilitation, turtles, feral cats... Since I got Tommy, the question which came to mind is why does it appear that there is a prejudice against black dogs. I grew up with a black lab, this is probably why in the first place I felt the need to rescue Tommy. He reminded me of my "Dog". Many rescues that I came in contact as a mean to find him a permanent loving home, kept saying that it would take time as being a bigger size dog and "black". My question is why? Does it matter that much, isn't a dog, a dog? In the world of rescue, this is referred as the "black dog syndrome" or as the "BBD" syndrome (big black dog).