Hazel says Happy Furrrriday!
I don't know about you, but Hazel and I have had a long week. We're excited to break for the weekend. Happy Furrrriday Paws peeps! Stay safe and stay paw-sitive!
Pool side Victoria Day with Hazel the Saint Bernese
Wishing you a Happy Victoria Day from Hazel!
Photos: Hiking trip with our Chihuahua friend Yoshi
Photos: My mountain dogs enjoying first snow
It
finally snowed in Ontario!
It is very
exciting. Climate change couldn’t have been more obvious this Christmas here in
Ontario, Canada- a province that is usually draped in a thick blanket of cold, sparkling
snow by now. Instead we had a grassy-green holiday season- until today.
Hopefully this will be a big enough sign for everyone to change and make more
eco-friendly lifestyle and diet choices.
Both of the
girls were really excited for snow but Hazel was he most excited. She hasn’t
seen snow since she was a little, tiny puppy. Now she is a 97 lb almost one
year old. Saint Bernese dogs are in their element in the winter time and I was disappointed
that they weren’t getting to experience it. Finally today it snowed and we took
the girls on a hike through a winter wonderland. Check out our photo story in the
snowy forest.
Dealing with a doggy disability: X-rays show the progression of Hazel's broken femur
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Hazel at 9 weeks and 13 weeks
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Hazel, my Saint
Bernese puppy, is
four months old now and much has changed for this fluffy little spit-fire of a
mountain dog. When my partner Robert and I brought Hazel home on March 22 we
noticed that she walked with a limp. I brought her to the animal hospital where
I work the next day and received some bad news- Hazel had fractured her femur
bone in her left hind leg at some point early on in her life. It went un-diagnosed and untreated. The first radiograph showed that bone had completely callused over- making the left leg
shorter than the right.
As
I discussed in my letter from the editor Hazel will walk with a limp, is
guaranteed to have arthritis and hip dysplasia early on in life and may need major surgery. At that time I was still waiting for the surgeon’s assessment.
Later that week I received the news- the surgeon said I should leave the leg for
now but take x-rays monthly to monitor the growth and watch for signs of pain.
If we saw signs of soreness we were to put Hazel on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to help with pain management.
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| Photo by Liv & Phileas IWoman CC BY-NC-ND |
The 10 best cold weather dog breeds
for a family with children
Active families in cold weather regions who are interested
in adopting a dog will be looking for a breed that can tolerate the frigid
climate and play in the snow with the children. The list of Nordic dogs is a long
one but not all of those dog breeds will fit into a family with children. Small
children and even older kids need a pet that can tolerate playing and activity
just as much as it can tolerate four seasons. Kids need a dog breed that is
patient and loving to ensure that all play is safe play.
These 10 cold weather dogs are the best breeds to
introduce to a family with children. Although many are larger breeds it is
important to remember that when the dog has an even temperament it is easy to
train so the size tends to matter less. With the proper training a giant breed
dog can be just as easy to manage as a small dog. Many large and giant breed
owners swear by their family friendly dogs as being great companions for
children. Check out the 10 best cold weather dogs for a family.
A mix of tricks: Learn more about the highly intelligent Saint Bernese dog
Information available about training pure dog bred dogs is vast and never-ending. Which dog is the best, most intelligent and most trainable seem to be common questions. Why not mix it up and spend some time looking at a highly trainable mix breed that dog lovers may be overlooking- the Saint Bernese.
Most responsible pet owners do some breed research before they adopt and rightfully so- different lifestyles cater to different breed characteristics. The American Kennel Club (AKC) released its list of the top 10 dog breeds of 2013 and the top three dogs were repeats from the previous year- Labrador retriever, German shepherd and the golden retriever.
In the book The Intelligence of Dogs: Canine Consciousness and Capabilities author Stanley Coren came to the conclusion that the best breeds for training are the Border collie, Poodle and German shepherd. The Border collie is thought to be the most intelligent of all dog breeds according to canine dog experts worldwide.
What doesn't exist is well documented information about hybrid breeds. Some popular hybrids include the Puggle (Pug mixed with Beagle) and Labradoodle (Lab mixed with Poodle.) I own a Saint Bernese- three year old Keira.
The Saint Bernese hybrid is a mix of two mountain dogs: the Saint Bernard and the Bernese mountain dog. Both breeds have things in common and things that set them apart. According to Marc Dubé- a breeder of the Saint Bernese cross- these dogs are not only intelligent but they are extremely loyal.
Marc and his wife Sylvie own Valley Ranch Kennel, a family run dog breeding kennel specializing in giant breeds. Located in Boulter, Ontario this family has been breeding big dogs since 2002 and have a great reputation due to their high standards. He breeds pure bred Saint Bernard’s and Saint Pyrenees (Saint Bernard mixed with Great Pyrenees) and is in his third year of breeding the Saint Bernese cross.
Hanging with Keira: Keira's beach story
At first, Keira was excited about the beach...
...but the weather turned dark...
Gentle Giant: Saint Bernard was once a hospice dog but is now a giant companion
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| Photo by Pipistrula Foter.com CC BY NC SA |
The gentle and quiet Saint Bernard may not have had an
official name until the 1880s, but it's now one of the most popular giant dog
breeds. The Saint's droopy face has drooled its way into the hearts of pet owners worldwide.
Saint Bernard is the dog definition of a gentle giant.
On average this decedent of the Mastiff weighs 110 pounds- but both males and
females have been known to weigh in at 200 pounds. Hazel's mother, a purebred Saint Bernard names Noisette, which means Hazelnut in French weighed around 150lbs. This gigantic pet belongs to
the working group of dogs and like its Bernese Mountain Dog neighbor, it was used for draft work in the past. Saint Bernard is most known for
its work as a search and rescue dog. It has a sacred past- which is how the
breed finally got its official name in 1880.
Hey Paws peeps- Keira needs your help!
My name is Keira and I'm a contestant in the Petcurean Savour the Moment Contest. I could win free Petcurean dog food for a year! That's my favourite food! My mommy and daddy could win cool stuff but what I'd be most excited about is being a spokes dog for Petcurean! But I'm having a hard time getting my two-legged friends to vote for me. So I'm reaching out to get some votes.
How to vote:
-Follow the link http://bit.ly/12CyGYu
-Like Petcurean's page: Petcurean is the leading Canadian holistic pet food that includes the pet foods Go!, Now Fresh and Summit. It is one of the last privately owned Canadian pet food companies and is committed to serving only the best to your pet.
-Visit the Savour the Moment contest page and click on View Gallery.
-You can view Keira and her profile in the Gallery; shown is the above photo.
-Facebook will ask you for certain Access to your Account. ALL THIS MEANS is that Facebook needs to create a SHARE link to post to your Timeline and in doing so it must Access your account to find your Wall and make a Post on your Timeline. It will not view passwords, information, or post on your behalf when you do not allow it to. There is no spam. You can even chose not to share it on your Timeline.
-You are able to vote once every 24 hours. Keira needs your votes!
More about me- Keira!
I am a two year old Saint Bernard/ Bernese Mountain Dog mix. I am quiet and very well behaved so my parents reward me for that all the time with lots of outdoor adventures. I am really good at hiking, swimming and climbing steep hills. I love to jump over things and run real fast. I was rescued from a shelter from my first mommy but she ran into tough times. So she found me another mommy and daddy and they told me they will keep me forever. Its okay though- I love everyone and I'm always happy as long as I have a family. I really want to win to show other doggies that even though your in a shelter there is a family out there that is perfect for you and that will love you. Just like my mommy and daddy love me!
Keira's favourite things:
-playing with the ball
-squeaking her ball
-playing hide and seek, especially the seeking -going in the water
-going in the water when mommy and daddy say not to
-doing my tricks; high five, playing dead, rolling over. I can do anything!
-Rolling in poop (unfortunate for my two leggeds)
-snuggles and kisses
-spreading my love around and just being a dog, a really good dog.
Bath time blues
Kickin' it in the wetlands
Mommy and daddy gave me a job!
I love the water! This was my first time at the cottage and I can't wait to go back!
Sometimes I roll in dirty stuff...then I have to have bath time.
But I guess bath time is not so bad- it does make me look extra pretty!
This is what I do when mommy works on the computer- I'm doing in right now!
Daddy can't get away with not giving me belly rubs when he lays with me on my bed.
I play air guitar too! I'm so talented!
Sometimes I squish mommy...
...but I'm so cute she doesn't mind!
I love affection almost as much as...
...I love impressing people with my skills- I'm pretty good at playing dead, rolling over and high fives!
I always make sure I shake off near mommy on warm days to make sure she stays cool.
My zombie is the first toy my mommy and daddy gave me. Its my favourite. I sleep with it on the comfy bed with me until its time for me to sneak into mommy and daddy's bed. I know I'm not supposed to but they never seem to mind because they love me so much.
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