Spy Dog......What does he see?

Charlie the spy dog?

More Snow!

Interesting note. Cats and dogs were suspected of spying on WWI trenches by British intelligence officer. 

See article below from The Independent Newspaper

British intelligence officers in the First World War suspected two cats and a dog of spying for the Germans, in official army documents published by the National Archives today.

The three animals were observed repeatedly crossing British trenches, leading suspicious officers to believe the animals may have been planted by the Germans in order to relay messages across enemy lines.

The incident was recorded in an intelligence briefing from July 1915.

The report, prepared by officers from the 36th brigade of the 12th Division who were stationed in trenches on the Western Front states: “Two (2) cats and a dog are under suspicion, as they have been in the habit of crossing our trenches at night; steps are being taken to trap them if possible.”

Sadly, the document does not state whether the animals were ever detained on suspicion of spying.

David Langrish, records specialist for the National Archives said: “The case of the dog and two cats, shows the level of suspicion amongst military units at this time.

“Every detail was of potential importance for the planning of further operations, and so every possible suspicion would have been reported.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cats-and-dog-suspected-of-spying-on-wwi-trenches-by-british-intelligence-officers-9189474.html

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 :)

Don't try to rescue your dog if falls in the cold water.

Dogs are clever but many times a dog has run on a frozen river and fallen through. And I know that some people will instinctively try to rescue their dog in trouble. Before you do anything, think first. Are you prepared to die trying (many have).

So keep your dog on a leash when walking near a river or other bodies of water in the winter for you and your dogs sake.

Who's got who?

I'm ready to go to the park. Lets go!

Charlie has beautiful brown eyes

Yep, most dogs do have brown eyes due to dominant gene. Most typical dog breeds with blue eyes are the Siberian Husky and Australian Shepard. In these breeds the blue eye gene is independent of coat colour. The blue eye gene is sometimes associated with coat colour being partly or entirely white.

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.

Swamp Walk

Charlie enjoys walking in the swamp. 

His family didn't enjoy it! We all got wet. Really wet! We didn't realize we were walking on a swamp until we broke through the ice. 

Charlie visits Hampton Park Ottawa

Charlie waiting for a walk

Charlie making new friends at Hampton Park Ottawa

Ottawa community News Article. Tails and tongues were wagging on the morning of Aug. 25,2014 as residents and their four-legged friends gathered to open Ottawa’s newest – and biggest – off leash dog run.

Located in Hampton Park, near Island Park Drive and the Queensway, the 9,000-square-metre, fenced-in dog run is located on National Capital Commission land that is leased and maintained by the city. Running alongside the dog run is a newly-opened multi-use pathway, constructed by the city to bridge the gap between Island Park and Kirkwood Avenue for pedestrians and cyclists.

The pathway adds an extra four kilometers of pavement to the city’s cycling network.

Charlie playing chase

Happy New Year from Charlie

Charlie's New Years Resolutions 

1.  Try some new activities this year. I will start with jogging-got to keep my pet parent in shape.

2.  No more rawhide bones. They are toxic and not good for me or the environment.

3.  Make sure I get a hug or two every day.

4,  I will tolerate homemade bandannas more even though I don't think they are very manly.

6.  Show everyone that I can learn a new trick.

7.  Get more massages.

8.  Try to convince my family to let me sniff longer when we are out for walks.

9,   Learn to swim. I'm a duck toller retriever, its about time I learn how to do this.

10. Be Happy!

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

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.