Happy Birthday Sophie!

I can't believe my Sophie-Bug is 5 today.... where does time go??

This was Sophie, at maybe 6 months of age?? 

It seems like yesterday I brought my little pup-pup home!!  I have no idea where time goes- or why I haven't blogged in FOREVER... sorry everyone!  I know that I am hoping to be back to blogging as soon as my newest family member comes home.  She's going to grow fast and it's great to have a record of that.

Anyway, it has bee a busy, BUSY few weeks.  Daydreaming about Eromit's Here For A Reason coming home (tentative registered name).  Getting report cards done. Entering into the final homestretch of work for the year, which is always a nightmare busy time for a regular teacher, much less a Special Ed. teacher (PAPERWORK, here I come!), cleaning the house and on and on...

But, in the meantime, we are celebrating Sophie's big birthday today with bones for everyone...

Yum Yum!  Beef bones!

Spikey gets one too...

Chomp, chomp! Sophie has hoarded at least 2 more bones over there, beside herself.  She's in heaven while I ma meanwhile spring cleaning my house...

Murphy is forced to hide under a chair to avoid loosing her bone to a big, black dog.

In other news, it's 2 weeks until Rease (I think that's her official name!) is coming home... Can't wait. They have hit that adorable, roly-poly 6 week puppy mark. I should find out in the next week or so which girl is mine too. Exciting!

And, I've been quilting again. This time, a baby quilt for a colleague. I think it turned out adorable...

The gal already knows she is having a boy, but she likes green and is using loads of green in the baby room.  So, my EA's and I went together on this quilt- they bought the materials and I finished sewing it last night.  I love it!

I have a new sewing machine that does many, MANY quilting stitches so each of the blocks ended up with it's own heirloom stitch... I love that little detail that makes the blanket seem even more special to me.

Other than that life around here is pretty normal. Except, I am thinking the rats may just have to find new homes. Murphy is starting to discover her true terrier nature and I am struggling to keep her out of the rat room, keep her sane and not torture the poor things. :(  Any suggestions of what to do with a brood of adorable, SWEET ratties??

New Projects and faces :)

I have been quite cleverly creative lately. And, it's our Winter Break so I have time to paint and craft and do all those sorts of activities.  So, over the weekend, I painted an old desk I was given by the school I teach at. It's one of those old style, metal with fake wood tops. Because it was free, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and paint it. I am very pleased with the end result.

It's now Navy Blue.  There are a few flaws, mainly because I painted it outdoors in winter, but come spring I'll touch it up.

I've also added some new faces to the rat herd.

I woke up Dexter to say hello. He's a Black Hooded Rex (curly) rat who also carries Blue. He's nervous right now, but I think he'll grow into a nice, calm boy.

Zander saying hello!

This is Morgan. He's a sweetheart of a rat- calm, clever, lovely. He's a blue rat.

My blue girlie, in the corner hiding out. She's a blue hooded girl named Willow.

Smudge and Dru

This little lovely is a Mink Hooded girl named Buffy.

The new rats are all she wrote for now- they will become the foundation rats of my rattery, if all goes according to plan. Or, they will just be beloved pets. We'll see how it happens.

Here's to weeks off to get "stuff" done. Bonding with rats, playing with dogs and painting old yucky desks.

Nearly Wordless W-ratty Wednesday...

Seriously?!? No treats for me this morning?!?  MEAN, STINGY ratty mama, LOL.

Mr. Giles, looking kinda sad.

Brrr! It's cold out there.... (and Wratty Wed!)

Morning all from a frigid Saskatchewan.  I'm dreading going out there.... Temperatures last week hit +6.3 Celsius. This morning: -34 Celsius with a windchill of -46 Celsius. And, that's warmed up since I woke up earlier.  It's a morning I am grateful for dogs who try to go out (and it's tough, but they do it!), warm blankets, a warm house and a good block heater in my car. No matter the temperature, schools do not close here. Kids may not go, buses are not running but school is still open. So, soon I'll head out to warm the car up before I attempt to drive to work.  This too shall pass; after all, I'm reminding myself it could be November after all and already this cold.

And, to also to remind myself of some of the good things in life...

Zander and Giles cozied up in their toasty warm hammock.  There's a tiny little baby boy huddled in there too. I rescued a wee little 3.5 week old male last week. He's a doll- can't wait to get photos of him. (Is that the same photo I used last week?? Sorry! I didn't get anything new this morning....) 

And Murphy, sleeping on top of the doggy blankets in the basket. :)  She knows comfort when she sees it. 

Ah well, stay warm whereever you are and remember, Spring has to come eventually! In the meantime, I'll be spending my free time hunkered down on the couch, knitting my first project, a scarf that is sure to be done in time for the balmy summer weather that will eventually be with us.

W-Ratty Wednesday is back

Good morning all, and happy Wratty Wednesday!!  For your amusement, a pic of the boys...

Zander and Giles, hanging out, enjoying their lovely new Christmas present- their hammock.

So, Jean over at My Life with the Critters asked why someone who is so involved in animal rescue would make the decision to breed rats. It's a good question, and I've put loads of thought into it.

There are several reasons, to be honest.  I love the species, they are lovely pets and good breeders are very hard to find in this province. So, part of it is about ensuring I have a continued supply of ratties to live with that I know are healthy and well socialized.  As well, there is only 1 other breeder in this province (my sister rattery) and it's not enough to keep up with  the demand for quality pets.  She doesn't want to expand her rattery to the point of keeping up, preferring quality over quantity. I feel the same. So, between the two of us, we might be able to keep the Saskatoon area supplied with healthy little squeakers (but NOT feeders!).  As well, to perfect colour lines with great health. Like all pets, rats are susceptible to certain diseases, but with good breeding those isues can be eliminated.  For those reasons, I've decided 1-2 litters a year are ok.

Unlike BC, we do not have tons in rescue, and it's difficult to find rats that are socialized enough for pet homes with children (at times).  There is 1 store in Saskatoon that has a decent breeding program, but even he can't keep up with the demand for pets.  The province does not need someone breeding hoards of rats all the time or we will have issues with rats needing rescue (and occasionally it happens), but certainly 3-4 litters a year would not be difficult to place in pet homes.

I think my reasons are similar to why I would consider breeding Labradors in the future- to better lines, to provide a quality animal who is healthy. I will certainly begin this journey and see where it takes me. No promises that my rattery won't be a closed one (meaning what I breed, I keep and the program is VERY small) or that I will continue to breed, but when the right pair comes along, I will likely decide those genetics are worth being passed along.  Besides, we are starting "rat shows" in the Manitoba/Saskatchewan region and I dream of having a competitive Russian Blue Rex (curly) Dumbo Rat to show. Hehe, it's an interesting journey all right!

Anyway, here's to a great Wednesday.... hug your critters, everyone, even if your preference is a little ratty. 

Change is A Comin'

It's been a hectic month around here at the Black Dog Blog! School wrapped up for the holidays and none too soon.  As a junior high teacher, I understand when kids have had enough. And, they were clearly at enough the beginning of December.  So, we wrapped up and Spike and I headed to my parents for Christmas. Sophie and Murphy stayed with Rebecca at The Poop Guys, and Maggie went to another kennel.

Maggie has not moved home yet- she's still staying at my friend Joanne's place. I miss her terribly, but Maggie was used to being an only dog. She had some serious jealous issues going on- especially with Murphy. Her way of showing it- BARKING. All the time. Loudly. Until my neighbours complained to the town and I received a warning from the Bylaw Officer. So, in the interest of maintaining my sanity, my dogs happiness and Maggie's ability to be comfortable, she's staying where she is at for now.  I am not sure if she'll move back- she might, but only if I can find a humane way to control her barking. In the meantime, I'm taking an extended break from fostering- I need some time just with my crew.

Other than that, I've made some pretty serious decisions about my future and that's a good thing. You'll be learning about those over the next bit- just watch the blog as it changes and morphs into something new. ;)  Yes, it's a tease, but I will be sharing as I get things re-organized and re-vamped.  It's December 31st and I think it's time.

The first big change is the start of my Rattery. I've been in contact with another hobby breeder, here in the Saskatoon area and we've decided to become sister ratteries. This means we'll share a client list, share rats back and forth for breeding and basically help each other out. The first help is thanks to Rebecca, at Mat and Bec's Rats; she is making the trek to Winnipeg and will be bringing back a breeding pair for me. That means the start of my Blue/Silver lines... very exciting! So, stay tuned for litter announcements.

The second big change- I've decided to take a break from Grad School. I've burnt out and lost my drive to finish my thesis, so I just need to leave it for the moment. It's not a bad decision, in fact I believe it's the right decision right now. Rather than dropping out, I'm taking a medical leave for now- with my anxiety and depression diagnosis, I qualify for one and at this point, my anxiety is creeping back up so it's time.

Other than that, for now, I'll leave you with some newly revamped pages.... check them out! :) And, later today there will be pictures of what I've been up to (New Quilt, new projects!)

Happy New Year all!  Here's to a great 2012, full of changes that bring joy.

W-ratty Wednesday: Exploring the dirt box...

Ahhh, yes, I haven't done a Nearly Wordless, W-ratty Wednesday in ages. But, I managed in my "I feel icky and under the weather, should still be sleeping, but I have labs and jacks" kind of state to click some really bad photos of Zander and Giles.  Oh, and a couple of the girls, before I did the bi-weekly total clean job of the cages.

Zander's nose. And, a junky eye that needs cleaning up. He's a sensitive soul, this one and dogs barking (Maggie) stresses him out a bit. Ah well, extra treats and cuddles....

Giles... WOW! New digging tin! COOL!

Get your fuzzy butt outta my way... Zander shoves Giles out of the way to explore the brand new tin.

PIGGY!  Giles has 2, TWO treats in that mouth! 

Smidgy... my word, you ladies are MESSY! lol

Smudge and Dru coming to see what's up.

All three girlies, pre- cage clean... Smidge, Dru, Smudge. This cage WAS imacculate just a couple days ago. The girls are way messier than the boys.

All I hear now is happy rustling as they scramble to see what's new, to work through mounds of crumpled papers to create new nest and to find any hidden treats.  All in all, a good way to spend an icky, sicky morning. 

Stuff

It's been a busy couple weeks. I've been working on a couple slideshows for a New Hope fundraiser and that's kept me hopping. I'll post them after the event.

In the meantime, Miss Jorja has been adopted! I decided to place her up for adoption after all as she had some issues with strangers that she needed worked on with someone who had time to do so with her. Lucky girl had an application very quickly from a family I was delighted to see her live with. And, I will be able to keep up with her life, on facebook so that is great!

Maggie has gotten GREAT news!  All her tests came back fine so she goes for more surgery this week to get the clean margins she needs to be declared cancer free. She'll be up for adoption at that point and will be looking for the perfect retirement home.

And, Guinness has moved in. I don't understand people.... they have basically the perfect dog and they decide for the standard "My baby has allergies" and "I'm moving to a place I can't keep him" reason and I don't buy it. He had a blown cruciate and they paid for the surgery, then did all the rehab. And, he is in great shape, after his surgery (which was in July).  He may need some pain meds here and there as he's likely going to get arthritis in the knee, but that's so minor in the whole scheme of things. He's a gentle, gentle soul who just wants to be loved. I can't help myself- I'm smitten and can't wait to find him his perfect forever home!

In other news, I've been working on a little agility equipment and a door blocker for the Rat Room. That way, it stays warmer in there and keeps packs of wild, starving labradors from raiding their food. They seem MUCH happier with the door open! And, Murphy has no inclination to jump it, which is great!

Spike and Sophie are continuing on, in their usual, happy ways. I am so lucky they are open to having random new dogs come through here!! :)

W-Ratt y Wednesday and Huh?!?

First of all, welcome to Wratty Wednesday.... here's your weekly dose of rattly cuteness.

Yesterday I went into my office to find all three girls snuggled together in their Kleenex box. So cute! Please note their hard work at redecorating the Kleenex box; that was their nightly project. 

Now onto other news.... Spike is asking HUH?!?  Yup, it's true... I WAS taking a break from rescue. I guess it's ended in a flurry of Newfoundland/Labrador, puppy breathe cuteness.  How could I say no when they need a place just until Friday?!?

So, here is Dory.  She is a doll... cute, cuddly, snuggly and full of impish playfulness. Love her, she's been wrestling with Sophie and Murphy non stop since arriving last night.

Macy! She is a little bit more of an independent girl, off exploring. She also is less in the midst of the doggy play sessions. But, what a doll.  Please note their size: at 8 weeks, they are approximately the same size as Murphy. Can you say LARGE puppies?!? LOL

Snuggly Dory. Sigh!  

So, they are 8 week old pups from the Meadow Lake shelter. They stand a better chance at a quick adoption in Saskatoon so they have arrived with their sister (who already met a family last night!). Like I said, they are moving to their real foster on Friday but they needed a place to crash for a couple nights and I crumbled at the sight of their faces.  They are still a bit grubby and will be getting a bath along with a vet visit as soon as we can manage it, but in the meantime they are still cute!

Wrestle time with Sophie and Dory. :)

Anyway, in other news.... 

1. I never did give an update on Sophie after her vet visit last week. She has indeed torn her other ACL. It isn't as bad as the other side, but it was still inflamed and sore the day I took her in- about 3 weeks after it happened. But, thankfully I kinda knew what it was, so she was already on mostly crate rest and Deramaxx so I had done the right things to help it heal. She is on the mend, but sadly, this spells really truly the end of Sophie's agility career. Sigh.

2. Spike's titles.  Alright, here's the explanations!

FDCh-S:  Flyball Dog Champion-Silver. This is the 4th flyball title, after Flyball Dog, Flyball Dog Excellence, Flyball Dog Champion. So, Spike and I earned 1000 points and achieved that title over 3 weekends of racing. Of course, he is retired now so that's the end of this flyball titles, but that's ok!

SJATD: That's Spike's St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog title. It allows us to volunteer with St. John Ambulance as a dog-handler team.

SGDC:  Our first agility title!  In agility there are 3 levels of competition and you have to complete enough clean (perfect) runs at a level to move up. As well, there are different types of runs you can enter; standard runs (which include all equipment) and the games runs. There are 3 different agility games to play, and for the Starters level you need 2 perfect runs in each of the games to achieve this title. So, we finally got the last of our games to move up to the Advanced level. And, we are 1 standard round (out of 3 needed) to achieve our Agility Dog of Canada title.

So, yes, I am proud of my little rescue dog who could: he tries soooo hard for me and he LOVES his agility! He doesn't care about the titles, and really neither do I, but I do love to see how far we've come and what a team we are becoming. He truly is a once in a lifetime dog. :)

Well, that's likely enough from the Black Dog Crew this Wednesday morning.... hope the rest of your week runs smoother than mine likely is with these cute balls of puppy fuzz in the house!

W-ratty Wednesday

I think rather than Wordless Wednesdays, I might just give Wednesdays to the rats. Then they don't clutter up the rest of the blog, and I can maybe limit their cuteness to one day a week.... hehehe.

Anyway, I couldn't help myself yesterday morning when sleepy faces peered out of their hammocks as I came in to check my emails in the morning....

My boys peering out. Sooo tiny still that I worry about them a bit. They really did come to me, to young to be away from the litter. So sad!!

Smudgy.... I can almost hear her thoughts "what'da want?!?" lol

Dru was the only one who dragged herself up to say good morning!

Smidge lounging.

Yes, they really do make it out of their cages, but they move tooo fast still for me to get decent photos when they are free-ranging. So, for now until they get past the baby phase I'll have to content myself with photos through the bars.  Won't take long until they settle a bit.

The Rattie Girls

Warning Mom: DON'T READ THIS POST! :)

My mother reads my blog regularly, but has a decided distaste for the ratty critters that have moved in. I  guess I am free to go ahead and rescue some little ones that needed a great home, even if she isn't impressed. At least I gave her a warning before she decides to visit again.

Anyway, I added a third rat and I became increasingly aware of how unhappy they were in their cage. It was simply too small for active baby girl rats. They NEED to run and play. So, I set about to create a grotto for the girls; a cage made out of a bookcase. It was a total adventure and I will not confess how much I spent on supplies I may or may not have used, or how much my back hurt by the end, hehe.

Anyway, step one: Attach shelves with screws and staple wire on the back.

Make sure there are little hole for them to climb up and down between shelves.

Add doors and let the girls start to explore.

Smudge and Drucilla exploring their new home yesterday.

Smudge. She's a cute little dalmation rat. 

Dru, climbing up to see what can be seen. 

The final project.  I'm quite proud of it and the girls are happier than they've been in days. They have spent HOURS running, wrestling, playing, climbing. It's good!!  

How are the dogs? Banned from the office as they are just too interested still. Well, scratch that- Spike doesn't care. Sophie wants their food and Murphy, well Murph is dreaming of murder I am sure. But, they are learning impulse control and that's a good thing.

Ahhhh, rescuing critters is good for the soul, even if they are rats. :)

Updates!!

ARGH, where does time go???

Due to popular demand, the official update on Moose:  Moose is now Cooper and he will spend his life with Sara, his adopter. Yes, she is the girl that met him at the fundraiser. She has a roommate who has a young husky dog named Shout and when I took Moose over there, he took one look at me, then he was gone in a flurry of teeth, fur and wrestling with his new sis. They both were smitten. Sara was smitten and honestly, I tried to say goodbye to the boy, but he wouldn't; he was too intent on trotting around after his new Mama and playing with Shout. PERFECT PLACE for him! Exactly where Moose/Cooper should live.

Otherwise, my summer is winding down as I am back to work next week. I am dreading being away from my dogs all day- I've been home for 3 months after all with my sick leave then summer holidays. But, such is life and we'll all adjust.

The ratties are great. Yes, they are RATS. And, I love them!  I am making them a new cage; a giant grotto that likely will help me expand the family a little. I already added Dru, a black rat who is just a little doll. She fits with the other girls so well. Honestly, their temperaments are likely tiny dogs. They LOVE people, they love socialization and are highly trainable. I can't wait to clicker train some tricks! hehe

The dogs and I are great! I worked a weekend at Rebecca's and they were in heaven, running around, chasing, digging, enjoying the space. Then, they got a weekend at Bec's while I hung out at a Leadership Camp for young people. They had fun and I was inspired about the next generation. There are some super stars growing up in this province and it gives me hope!

In light of the fact that I ended last school in such a difficult position (sick leave, essentially due to stress) I have made some big decisions in the last while. The most recent one is to take a step back from the rescue. I love New Hope and the work they do, but I personally need a break. So, that is huge for me as I have been involved pretty much since I arrived here. I think the time away will be good; I will be able to re-find my passion for dog rescue, perhaps. And, at the end of the day my focus is on getting my thesis done, creating a better, more stable and normal routine for the dogs this fall and making sure that I stay healthy! I'll miss it, and I'll miss the variety of dogs who have come through my doors over time. But, a break and a rest is good sometimes.

That's all for this morning; I promise pictures and stories about the dogs soon. I definitely have some to tell!

It's hot Ma!

Part of my self care plan has been to be outside as much as possible, soaking up sun. Good for what ails ya, I am sure! I had intentions of getting pictures of my flowers, the dogs and things we've been up to but I ran out of batteries and have yet to manage to remember to get any while I'm in the city. Today, I promise-today. Enough of the lousy iPhone photos!!

Anyway, yesterday wasn't too bad but the dogs were still warm. We celebrated with ice cubes. The only one who refused a cube was Sophie; I offered her two, she accepted both and spit them out. Silly girl!

Everyone else wanted one, even Spike, which suprised me.

Chomp! Chomp!

Moose, across the room, chomping away.  I tried to upload a cute one of Spike and Murphy, but it just won't let me, in a reasonable size. Blogger.... grrr!

And, finally a teaser.... stay tuned to find out who/what these little gafers are and why they are here. I'm sure I'll be getting a phonecall from my mother about going something like "you got what? WHY?!?"  Ah well, let's just say it was the better choice than another puppy and I NEEDED some baby fuzzies, post house deal falling apart, hehe.

Yup, they ARE cute!