Charlie's weekend adventure- MacKenzie King Estate

Dogs too get bored of the same food, the same walk and the same dog friends. We to get bored too. That's why every weekend we try a new walk or hike. We are lucking that we live in Ottawa since we have so many trails and walks that we can go to under half an hour. We have shared some in the past. See below links to MacKenzie King Estate and other hiking trails in the Gatineau.

Walking and Hiking in the Gatineau

Hiking and Walking at the Mackenzie King Estate

Signs of Spring are in the air! Yes/Maybe?

Ice is off the river......first signs of spring.  Dogs love spring too. They get more outdoor time after being cooped up in the house. More dog park time as well as hikes, runs and more friends to see. Enjoy this time with your dog.

Tips for hiking with your dog.

Hiking with you dog can be fun for you and your dog. You should pack dog and trail treats when hiking in the city or on the trail. Bring water too, especially in the summer. Not all dogs are suitable for long hike so you need to be realistic about your dogs endurance and capabilities. Always make sure that the trails are suitable for your dog.
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Would you like to take your dog to work with you every day?

Recently companies around the world have allowed employees to bring their dog to work. Not many in Canada. Below is a list of companies that allow you to bring your dog to work.

HootSuite, Softchoice, Modern Dog, Electronic Arts, EA Sports,Google, Kimpton, Kurgo, Tito, Mars Inc., Amazon, Etsy, Bissell Homecare, Ben & Jerry,

See SPCA tips regarding bringing your dog to work

Is your dog your child?

Many individuals are having a dog instead of having children. 

Some are calling their dog their child? Is your dog your child?

It has been found that the relationship between dogs and their owners is very similiar to those of a parent and child. Parent is the caregiver in both situations. Also the researchers found that the same hormone,oxytocin, spikes in both human and canine brains when a dog is gazing at its owner. So both dog owner and your dog benefit of living together.

But dog and child are treated different. My dog, Charlie is treated like a dog. Yes he does get our love and attention but he is still a dog. We put a leash on him when we go for a walk. He eats from a bowl on the floor, not on the table. Charlie is a important member of our family. He is involved in most of our daily activities but we all know he is not our child so he is treated as our pet.

As you can seen in the photo above Charlie is a happy, content dog :)

Charlie wishes he could Kite Surf. Maybe Charlie could try wind surfing instead this summer.

Winter Kite Surfing

Summer Wind Surfing

Photo Credit from http://islandlifebonaire.com/blog/take-your-dog-windsurfing/

Dogs go into the snow with their snowsuits already on!

Most dogs like the snow. Check out Charlie, you can see he is loving it!

Even though your dog loves the snow make sure his ears don't freeze, especially if they are small or pointed. Also all that salt on the sidewalk and roads can irritate your dogs paws. If your dog licks his salty paws he could get sick. Try washing your dogs paws with some warm water when he comes in the house.

(Keeps your house cleaner too)

Dogs regulate their body temperature in part through their paws, so make sure your dog isn't exposed to the ice and snow more than a few hours at a time. Always keep an eye on your dog. Not all dogs are the same.

Coyote Sighting in Britannia park!

Although coyotes live in many types of habitat, they typically prefer open areas. This might be one of the reasons we are seeing coyotes along the Ottawa River in the City of Ottawa. 

How to protect your dog from coyotes. 

1. Monitor your dogs when there are outside, even inside fenced yards.

2. Keep your dog on a leash when walking in park areas where there has been coyote sightings.

3. If you do see a coyote approach while walking your dog try yelling at the coyote, act      aggressively and walk back slowly from coyote.

4. Keep a lid on your compost containers and secure your garbage containers.

5. All individuals have to be careful in areas where coyotes have been sighted. Coyotes have not only killed dogs,cats but humans too. 

Instant Meditation

What's happening Man!  Charlie taking a Instant Meditation break.

According to www.nowhealing.com/instant-meditation, you too can do Instant Meditation like Charlie.                                                                                                                                                      
"Now, for two seconds, get in touch with your mental/emotional center – a place of peace. (Don’t feel into it, or try to experience it – just find it and connect to it, at the speed of light. That’s sufficient!)

"Find your spiritual center – your soul  – and connect with it, for two seconds.
And finally, sense your energetic center with its meridians, chakras and auric field.

Now bring them all together: sense your vertical Center, and say the command: “Center.” Stay in your Center, while bringing your focus up, up, up… above your head. Now move your focus up and outward, towards infinity, for a few seconds – at light-speed.

You’ve just made instant, multi-dimensional connection to wholeness. Compare that to how you feel after meditation. Different – yet instantly whole. Check out the full article at https://www.nowhealing.com/instant-meditation/

Chase!

Charlie loves to have the ball and if he doesn't have the ball he chases the other dog till he gets it. Charlie also chases everything he sees especially squirrels and cats. The main reason Charlie chases the wildlife is because it's enjoyable. He loves it! 

It was recommended that we hide treats for Charlie to sniff and find them at home to curb his chasing. Charlie loves this game, but it has not stopped Charlie from a good chase.

Another recommendation was to keep my dog on the leash whenever he is in a situation where there may be animals he may give chase. In my neighbourhood there is many squirrels.

So how do you stop your dog from chasing? I would appreciate any tips!

 

Lets Dance

Hope Mom buys treats for me when she is in the grocery store.

Dogs need friends too!

Wow look at me!

Dogs do need to hangout with other dog friends now and then. Dogs learn from each other, learn what is acceptable and not acceptable behavior in the dog world. Play also allows dogs to form strong friendship bonds with other dogs they play with on a regular basis.

Second Heaven-on couch snuggling with Mom

I don't want to go home!

In the dog world this is called a "Sit down Strike" or "The stop and drop phenomenon" But before you scold your dog check to see how your dog is feeling. Make sure your dog has no sprains or pulled muscles. Also check your dogs paws. Look for ice, cracked pads of feet or foreign object wedged between paws.

The laying down behavior could also be that your dog is overwhelmed, scared and shutting down.

Or your dog is just being silly and having fun! Like Charlie is :)

A great winter day!

The snow, the sun and a good stick. It doesn't get any better.

Charlie wants to join the skiers.

Not messing with this guy!

Charlie at Wag's....A Posh shop for spoiled Pets

Great place to take your dog after a long walk in Windsor Park.

Charlie enjoyed his visit to Wag's while his pet parents had a coffee. Coffee was good! 

You can also buy dog treats and dog supplies at Wags. There is seating in the front of store for you and your dog or you can join others and their dogs in the corral in the back of the store.  As you can see Charlie enjoyed his time here.  If you want to visit Wag's it is located at 1071 Bank St, Ottawa. Open every day except Sunday 8am to 8 pm, open Sundays 8 am to 6 pm. 

Charlie's not happy,too many of his favorite trees have been damaged bythe ice.

Charlie sees his friend Maxine in the distance. Charlie has more friends than his pet parent.

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 going for a hike

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