Charlie at The Mackenzie King Estate

Charlie at the Ruins

Most don't know that MacKenzie King, former Canadian Prime Minister in 1921–1926, 1926–1930 and 1935–1948 served was a devoted dog owner.

He had Irish Terriers, first three he named Pat. He praised his terrier friends as "a God-sent little angel in the guise of a dog, my dear little saviour"

MacKenzie King was not a people person but he really loved his dogs! I think he would have enjoyed seeing all the dogs walking in his estate.

Charlie enjoyed the Estate, he liked the ruins, paths, water fall (even if it was frozen), the trails and the cross country ski trails. Snow shoeing is good here too!

Charlie heard that the gardens are nice in the summer and a great place to have high tea.

Link for more info
http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/mackenzie-king-estate/visitor-information

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/

Charlie Tests Out Hammock Camping

A Hammock Adventure!

Testing out the new camping hammock and Charlie did not want to be left out of the fun. 

Charlie was so happy when he got up and got to be apart of the hammock fun!

Charlie contemplating camping, hammocks, and all the sticks surrounding him.

Dogs hears things that you don't.

A dog hears a frequency range of 40 to 60,000 Hz while a human range is between 20 and 20,000 Hz. Most dogs can hear sounds approximately four times further away than humans.  

Due to this your dog may have a difficult time with many different and loud noises that you find acceptable. 

Who's got who?

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

Charlie with his new collar light

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.

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. 

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