Who took the socks to the living room when we were out?

Here is the culpret!

Charlie loves socks!!! He can't help himself when he is alone.

What Kind of Dog is Charlie?

For any one wondering what kind of dog Charlie is. His scarf today is a BIG hint!

Charlie is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, with a little bit of something else thrown in.  

Duck Tolling Retrievers were first bred in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia in the 19th century, as a hunting dog and to toll waterfowl. Duck Tollers were admitted to the Canadian Kennel Club in 1945 and is Nova Scotia's Provincial Dog! 

Charlie has never been to Nova Scotia himself, but he hears that it is a fantastic place to visit and live. I am sure he would love running along beaches and playing in the ocean.

For more information about Nova Scotia Duck Tollers and to see if they are the right dog for you check out this site! NSDTR Club of Canada

TV is boring

Merry Christmas!!

Charlie is spending Christmas in Ottawa. He would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

There is tons to do in downtown Ottawa at Christmas!

You can check out the Christmas Across Canada light display, which is projected on the to the Parliament Building. After you can walk around Parliament Hill to look at all the Christmas lights and meet up with some statues. 

Charlie is Ready for Christmas!

Reindeer Charlie. 

Charlie thinks that he is up for the job as one of Santa's Reindeer but I have my doubts. He is very fast but I don't think he will be able to keep up with all the flying. He might just want in on the job because of all the cookie perks.

All of the presents are wrapped!

Charlie is excited for Christmas. He plans to give everyone lots of love and kisses all day! His wish list is not very long, he would like lots of long walks, pettings, and maybe a new bone or ball. 

A Walk with Lights

Charlie went for a long walk to look at all the Christmas lights in Britannia. This was one of his favorites.

So many nice Christmas lights!

Charlie likes this house, but is confused why there is a tree inside the house! Trees belong outside!

Charlie has his own Christmas tree

Charlie has found branch pieces from a Christmas Tree.

My feet hurt!

Purple socks and Bag Balm to the rescue!

Mini-spa for Charlie. His feet are chapped, cracked and sore from all the walking he does. We picked up some Antiseptic Bag Balm from Lee Valley Tools and rubbed it on his front feet. Later we will do the back feet.

Bag Balm is used for sore teats and milkers but good for dog paws too!

Surprise in the dog park!

I love the Christmas tree but Charlie is not impressed. If the tree had dog bones and treats hanging in it he would be happy. Maybe next year.

Charlie's first trip to Bruce Pit

Map of Bruce Pit-Ottawa. A heaven for dogs.

Charlie made some friends

Walking the trail

Final Goodbye

Some info - Bruce Pit 

http://www.pets.ca/dogs/dog-parks/ontario/ottawa/

http://www.responsibledogowners.ca/brucepit.html

Fun Day in the snow

It's snowing outside but you still can do a lot of fun things with your dog. 

1. Play chase in the snow, a game every dog enjoys.

2. Teach your dog to do some tricks. Roll in the snow, play dead. 

3. Let your dog dig,pounce and run through the snow.

Charlie chews his leash off

What to do when your dog keeps biting his leash?

1. One thing that helps Charlie from biting his leash is to give Charlie something to carry or hold in his mouth. Charlie loves carrying balls and sticks,
2. Can also reward your dog with treats throughout your walk when not biting on his leash.
3. Have a pull toy (a rope with a big knot is good). Play pull on a daily basis with your dog.

Is your dog destroying all the Christmas ornaments?

Charlie found the light-up snowman and chewed it to pieces. Started in the living room and finished destruction in the kitchen.

Below are some Christmas tips for you and your dog

1. Arrange ornaments on the tree so they are out of reach of your dog.
2. Don't put Christmas presents under the tree until Christmas morning.
3. Don't use tinsel on your tree, it is one of the most hazardous decorations for your dog's safety.
4. Make sure electrical cords are out of reach.
5. Never decorate with edible items.
6. Use a spray bottle to train your pet from climbing in the tree.
7. Hide electrical cords behind the tree.

Charlie enjoying the sunset

Is it too rough?

Roughhousing is part of the fun of being a dog. It is safe if done in a outside environment with supervision at all time. Dogs will play bite, pull, nip and roll around. It is completely normal. But it can get out of hand, so monitor your dog and other dogs and intervene when necessary.

Keep your dog active in the winter.

Four ways to keep your dog active this winter

1. Long walks are always good. 

2. Try to make mealtimes fun and stimulating. Put treats and wet dog food in a Kong and freeze. 

3. Play find the treat. Hide treats in the house and tell your dog to find. 

4. Look for a winter agility class.

Playing in the snow to snoozing on the bed. What a hard day!

Charlie hiking

Charlie loves, I mean really loves a good hike. 

Yesterday we went to Shirleys Bay-P2 hiking trail. The trail does a loop to the Ottawa River and back. If you like to hike below is a list of 7 dog breeds that like hiking too.

1. Labrador Retriever 2. Bernese Mountain Dog 3. Siberian Husky 4. Portuguese Water Dog
5. Alaskan Malamute 6. Australian Shepherd 7. Border Collie and Mixed breeds

Charlie enjoys the snow

Charlie at the park

Charlie at the playground

Charlie is a hot dog!

Some dog breeds are blessed with thick fur that keeps them warm naturally, even if the weather is below freezing. Dogs with a thin fur coat may need a coat or sweater. 

How much sleep does a dog need?

The average amount of sleep for adult dogs is 12–14 hours per day.

Charlie loves to sleep. He can sleep anywhere but usually sleeps in the room I'm in. So now while I write this he is in the office/bedroom on the floor. When I leave the room he will follow me. 

Dogs sleep in short and long stretches throughout the day and night. Dogs almost spend half their life sleeping. It is important to teach children and guests to not approach your dog while its sleeping. A dog that is startled can jump or bite.

Why is Charlie so darn cute?

Lots of dogs are cute but why?

Humans find dogs cute because of their soft and furry coat and the sad puppy eyes that you can't help falling in love with. Just look at Charlie. You can't help yourself saying "awww-how cute".

Many say we like to be a surrogate mother to our dogs forming long loving friendship. But being cute can be a bad thing too. Many dogs get adopted because their cuteness and later brought back to the dog shelter. So before you adopt a dog do your research. Find the right dog for you, looking at temperament, how much exercise it needs, how big will it get. Does everyone in the family want a dog? Getting a dog is a big commitment.

Dogs can be cute but they can also be destructive, aggressive, dangerous, high-strung, fearful, shy, hyper-active, temperament and dominant to name a few.

Helping dogs get along

According to Cesar's way, the best way to introduce a new dog is to first meet in neutral territory and take a long walk together. This will allow the dogs to get to know one another.

My experience at the dog park is that dogs are quick to run and greet the new dog. Dog owners seem to know their dog. Sometimes holding their dog back to sniff and then release once everyone is comfortable. At times some dogs can get aggressive and dog owners should be quick to intervene.

Why do dogs look so sad?

Your dog may be sad because you're sad. There have been studies that determined that dogs can tell when you're happy or sad. Dogs pick up on cues and behavior through facial expressions and body language. See link for more info

Charlie going for a hike

Ottawa has many hiking trails. Some trails dogs are not permitted. For more info see link Ottawa Hiking Trails

Charlie loves sticks

Charlie loves sticks

First thing Charlie does at the dog park is 1. Look for other dogs to play with and 2. Look for sticks. Charlie loves sticks, short sticks, long 4 feet sticks. He likes to share his sticks to as can be seen in the picture below. You can't see the stick but 3 dogs have their teeth on the stick.

Charlie loves sharing his sticks