Update on Sophie!

Sophie, Sophie, Sophie!  What can I say?

I will start with she is going to be just fine!  But, it was a scary situation- far worse than I imagined when I got up yesterday morning.  I called my friend who told me that the symptoms were suspicious and confirmed what I was worried about- Sophie should go to the vet.  Unfortunately for me, I was already at work and as a teacher it's not easy to drop everything and run back to the city to take her. But, Rebecca drove in, picked Sophie up and dropped her off for me; thank God!

By the time Sophie got to the vet she was majorly dehydrated, she was starting to shake and her heart rate was very elevated.  She couldn't keep anything down, not even water. So, they quickly checked her out and started an IV to get her fluids back up.  My vet decided an Xray was in order because  all signs pointed to a blockage somewhere in her stomach/GI tract/Intestines.  The Xray showed the possibility something was stuck in her tummy so they did an ultrasound. This showed for sure there was something but they couldn't tell what.

Next step? Surgery.  Poor Sophie as it turns out had eaten a freezer bag that was lodged between her stomach and bowels. It required 2 incisions to get the bag out and make sure that the blockage was cleared. Poor baby!  My vet decided to keep her overnight on IV fluids to make sure she was no longer dehydrated and to make sure that she was ok, post surgery.  I don't have my Sophiedog back yet but apparently she is looking much, much happier this morning. She is wagging her tail and it sounds like my girlie is on the way to recovery.

I learned SO MUCH from this experience-- if your labrador looks like she isn't feeling well, she isn't. My vet confirmed my worst fears; Sophie was in excruciating pain but wouldn't show it.And, if she won't eat, that is BAD! Sophie started down this path by throwing up multiple times but we turned the corner when she refused to eat. It's serious. Also, I knew her tummy was sore- I could feel it. Don't question it; if you think you need the vet, you need the vet.  8 hours would have meant a different outcome for Sophie because her heart rate was already so elevated. She was in danger of her organs starting to give out in the process.  I am scared to think what would have happened if I had let this go and decided to wait it out and see if she would perk up. Soph would be gone if I had done this.

Another lesson learned: the deep freeze will be moved to a place where Sophie is not able to access it as easily as she has been able to in the past. UGH!

Sophie is going to be just fine now- likely it's a 4 week recovery from the surgery until she is really back to normal but she will be fine. I will be fine eventually; this was an incredibly traumatic experience for me, one that I won't easily forget or shake off. It's not even fully real to me yet because I don't have my dog back. But, it will be and I know what to look for, heaven forbid I go down this path again.

Defining Moments

I've been thinking about this post for days, knowing I had lots to say, but I've been unsure how to go about getting it out.  Life is a series of defining moments, I've become more convinced of that lately. These are moments that make life crystal clear and the direction you are aiming for very certain. Or they can change the course of your life forever.

I've had several of those, and an unusual amount of crystal clear moments this winter and spring. But, most are way beyond the scope of this old blog, so will have to remain as just that; defining moments in my career and personal life that are changing who I am and where I am heading.

I've been very aware that I am just coming up on an anniversary of one such moment; nearly 5 years ago, I was in a car accident that caused the loss of my beloved, albeit way to much dog for me, dog Mortimer. It set into motion a series of events that brought Spike into my life and a determination to have a dog who could run dog sports.

Another such moment is just past; 3 years ago at Easter time, my niece Katherine was diagnosed with Leukemia. This changed my path as I found myself living in the Saskatoon area, when I had planned all along to go to Edmonton.  Katherine is about 9 months past chemo treatments, has a head full of red curly hair and enough spunk to propel her forward into life. She's full of energy, joy and happiness. Yes, she's well on the road to being just fine.  But, still a defining, life changing moment and with one simple declaration from a doctor changed my family forever.

This past weekend was another moment for me, in several ways. I attended an agility seminar with Spike and that was a moment for me. We accomplished more than I thought possible, and for the first time this winter I walked away feeling like I CAN run agility, Spike and I CAN be successful and I am able to do this!  I felt that way in the fall, after running a couple trials but I am feeling like I am getting there, not just my dog; I've never doubted Spike's ability, but I have questioned mine. I want to run agility, be successful,  and someday teach and judge agility myself. It's a new goal.

The other moment occured thanks to Sophie. Sophie met my friend this weekend from Edmonton who has multiple labs, all very sweet, all very good agility dogs. Sophie was her usual, wild self and my friend set me straight. She told me the truth, which I heard loud and clear: Sophie is an unmannered, badly behaved dog. And, I heard the message loud and clear and as such have changed Sophie's life forever. I am on a journey to learn to be a better dog owner; I babied her because I felt bad about how bad she felt. I babied her because she was cute and gave me "the eyes". As a result? I have a dog who is difficult to live with and I now have the task of cleaning up the mess. So, end result? Sophie is on "manners bootcamp" where she has no freedom in the house, is on strict leash walking routines, and is earning back privileges like "sleeping outside of the crate at night". It's hard work being consistent, but I am way more stubborn and determined than she is. I do not want a dog who snaps at another unsuspecting, undeserving lab. I do not want a coffee thieving, food thieving dog in my house. I do not want a dog who has no self control because I haven't taught her to use what she has. The defining moment was clear; I do not have to live like this anymore.

I've struggled with Sophie's behaviours for a long time. There's no doubt that she is a spirited, willful dog but I haven't had the plan in mind until last weekend. That's when it became crystal clear; I can have a normal, happy, EASY TO LIVE WITH lab, if I decide that's what I want.  So, stay tuned on updates about Sophie's "manners bootcamp". We'll get there, her and I.  I'm way more stubborn than her and already in the span of a week have seen "baby steps" towards improvement. At this moment, I'll take what I can get.

Contest: Mango Minster 2011!!

Good morning all!  I am so excited to awaken to Mango's Mango Minster 2011 contest this morning.  Yes, it's true... I'm entering the dogs in a contest!!

In fact, I am so excited about it, I've offered to sponsor a category and make a brand new leash/collar set for them.

Of course, you all know that Sophie will be entered in the bad sports category... how can I NOT?? I'm even going to attempt to build a case for Spike to fit in that category too... it's a stretch I know, but I can't leave the boy out, can I? And, Murphers is a cracker dog extraordinaire, of course!  So, watch out all, I'll be taking photos and videos to prep for my entry into this exciting contest. I was even up at 5:20 this morning (thanks Murphy!), just in time to get some video footage of Murphy in full cracker dog action!  So, stay tuned! There might even be some crime reconstruction scenes (thanks for the great idea Khyra!!) of Sophie in action.

Plans are well underway... can you tell I am competitive and really want to win?!? Nah, not me!! :)

Bad Lab.

Yesterday was not the best day for Sophie and I. Our day started at 2AM, when she threw up on the bed. That's never happened before, and she looked as shocked as I was! And, you don't want to know exactly what she was eating that she felt the need to bring it back up. Needless to say, everyone is back on pineapple, because it seems to help keep her from backyard munching on inappropriate things. We'll see.

Anyway, her next offense was the bloody paw moment. After that she drank my coffee, but nicely spilt the extra all over the kitchen table that was covered in journal articles. Her final offense: I had cooked up turkey liver treats for training with Spike and Murphy. Of course, I know better than to do this but I ran downstairs to change laundry over and while I was out, she ate all but 3 of the treats. I managed to run up the stairs, yelling at her as it occured to me too late what she was up to. She hit the floor in the kitchen as I did so, and all that was left was 3 little hearts. Sigh. What a dog!

She needs more attention, I understand that but for the next couple weeks, things are busy. So, to console myself on the bad labby day, I gave Murphy a bath. If nothing else, the stinkiest dog in the house is clean, at least for a bit. After, I took the following videos of her... she's the comic relief in this house, that's for sure!!

New and Improved Cuisinart!

First of all, sorry dear blog readers for the potential fear of four legged disaster that blog title from yesterday likely caused you, especially in light of Sophie's gastronomical misadventures of late!  But, there are a few things you need to know about me.

First of all, I am a Graduate Student. That alone explains lots. And, I teach full-time on top of that, which I believe is the very definition of insanity. However, that is my life and that's what it is.

Second, I have a long standing love of coffee. People who have known me since the early days of my very first bachelor degree (in music, nonetheless) will attest to my love of coffee. I may drink less now, but it's a huge necessity in my day.  I have been through a few coffeemakers in my day, but I loved that last one as it's seen me through the last ten years or so of life which included several moves, within two provinces and a few major life crisis. Yup, my coffee is THAT important.

Third, I am very brand conscious when it comes to my kitchen appliances. I believe in spending a few extra dollars to get a good brand that will last and look lovely on my counter. And, within the realm of coffeemakers, I love Cuisinart.  So, I knew the old one wasn't going to last much longer and I started to research what I wanted a few months ago. I kept coming back to Cuisinart.  Yesterday morning, it was finally time to set out to Saskatoon (a whole 15 minute drive for me!) and see what I could find.

Home Outfitters didn't have one, and the gal there wasn't really that helpful; I don't think she fully understood the gravity of the situation and that there would need to be a new coffeemaker for Jen today!  So, I went to London Drugs where not only did I find the exact Cuisinart I wanted, it was on sale!! That's the fourth thing to know about me; I love a good sale.

So, without further ado, here's the new coffeemaker...

It's similar to my old one, and uses the same carafe so that is nice. But, it has an added bonus of having a hot water dispenser built in! No more heating water on the stove for a cup of tea!! That is very exciting to me and it was for less than what it would cost me to replace my old coffeemaker with the new Cuisinart version of it.

So, now I can resume my normal activities of fighting Sophie off my morning cup of coffee; we'll see who gets to finish that first cup tomorrow morning! 

Life Lessons from Sophie

Sophie is a thief. I have known this for some time, but it is getting worse and worse all the time. She counter surfs with the greatest of abandon and ease but times if to coincide with me being out of the room so she can pop up and see what is there. I can't catch her in the act which makes it nearly impossible to train out of her.

She used to randomly steal food off the counter. Lately it's been utensils to lick clean, presumably. She doesn't want to chew them, just lick them. She will even steal cutlery out of the sink to lick, even when there's dirty dish water there.  Exhibit A... spatula on the living room floor (look at how clean that carpet is!! I just bought a steam cleaner and it can cover for a multitude of doggy "sins" on the floor!)

Yup, freshly licked clean after I cooked bacon.  Tell me, is this the face of a guilty dog?? YOU BET!

I've always hated that Sophie does this, but I have decided it's a lab trait and I must live with it. After all, my vet has told me stories that make my toes curl and worry that much more. And, did you know that about 85% of all emergency trips to the vet for foreign body injesting accidents are labs? I am convinced the other 15% are terriers because I wouldn't put it past Murphy to do something similar. She tried to jump on the counter the other day and that got squashed fast!

However, Sophie crossed a line last night into dangerous territory. I was making homemade pizza and had left dough on the counter, ready to go in the deep freeze. I don't know what I was thinking but I left the room to get something out of my office, a few steps away. In the time I was gone, Sophie got the dough off the counter and had eaten 1/4 of it. I, of course panicked, and ran to the computer to google what to do. All I could find was information telling me how bad this is, as the rising dough will continue to rise in the tummy, potentially causing it to twist and bloat, thereby needing immediate intervention, possibly surgery to get it out or it could kill her. So, I called my vet who gave me the following information:

3 TBSP 3% hydrogen peroxide given straight down the throat. If she doesn't throw up in 15 minutes, do it again. If it doesn't work, rush her into the vet clinic.

Lifesaving information people!! You have to shove it down there; Sophie was not happy but down it went, and 5 minutes later all that dough came out.  She was very stinky last night (but that could have been the nearly full bag of Mighty Wolf Dog Treats she had stolen previously in the day and eaten) and seemed a little tired but fine. Today, she is back to normal... see, she's looking  a little cranky that Murphy has decided to steal her shot...

And again, still avoiding looking at me (and looking a little rumpled. That is NOT the sign she is not feeling well, that was panic that Murphy was coming too close, LOL) This is typical early morning stuff for Sophie!

Anyway, I've decided enough is enough. I am taking back my kitchen and I am going to work on catching her in the act. Or, maybe I'll get one of those "scat cat mats"; I think that's what they are called. The principle is simple, they shock the animal a bit who jumps up on the counter and maybe that would help? Of course, training her to stay out of the kitchen would be ideal but impossible in this house; to go out to the backyard, she has to go through the kitchen. Anyway, any ideas to help live with a crazy, food stealing labby are welcome... we seriously need an intervention here!

The continued battle of the Strawberries....

My strawberries are having a lovely growing season on the front step. I harvested maybe a dozen lovely berries this morning, intending them for my lunch today after class. I however left them too close to the edge of the counter and could hear suspicious noises as I stopped to check my emails. By the time I yelled and got to the kitchen, this is what was left....

The guilty party??  Well, Sophie of course! 

She's trying to look innocent here, but a few minutes later, she knocked the container on the floor where she and Murphy ate the rest. Sigh, so much for my strawberries today!!

The Battle of the Strawberries

Last summer, I fought a battle with Sophie, the whole summer, over my strawberry plants. She loves strawberries, so much that I didn't get a single one off the two plants I had in pots on the deck, the entire summer!  She would nap with her head, lying in one or the other pots of them, then lazily wake up and munch off any green or red berries or even flowers she could find on the plants.

This summer, I thought I was smarter than her, and I have left my strawberry plants on the front step. So, yes, safe from the evil clutches of Sophie.  And, my plants look lovely don't they??

Yes healthy and growing well!

So, what's wrong with this picture??

Last night, this plant had TWO lovely, just ripe strawberries on it. And, there was a frost warning, so the plants spent the night on my kitchen table. Apparently too close to the edge, because that lunatic lab had herself a midnight snack.  

Clearly the war is NOT over. Watch your back Sophie, watch your back!!

Typical Saturday Morning

It's a typical Saturday morning in my house, during the late spring. All doggy training has moved to weeknights and my weekends are free to run in tournaments or attempt to sleep late and lounge. Of course, Murphy doesn't know that yet and had everyone up at 5AM, as if it was a normal morning.

Of course, it's a lovely sunny morning out, casting beams through my living room window where I caught these two cuddling together...

Yup, they like each other. Or at least, Spike seems to like Murphy when she's not attempting to levitate in front of him or detach his ear with her great love of tugging on just about anything. Murphy ALWAYS likes Spike.

Where's Sophie during this little cuddle-fest?

Why downstairs of course, finishing off the bag of chips I accidently forgot.

She's attempting to plead her innocence here, but I caught her with her head stuck in the bag. She might *look* innocent, but let me tell you, she's a chip thieving girl! 

Ah, Saturdays... gotta love em!