PETS OF THE MONTH - APRIL 2014

BUSTER, SENNA, VINNIE
(with my girls Jasmine and Maggie)

A moment of Bliss at Chez Tante Lori's

Hello everyone!  

Here’s just a tiny sampling of the joy I feel each day with my clients May 1st......... 

It was morning and I was sitting outside with coffee in my hands and my feet on the chair. Maggie was relaxing on my lap and my other dog, Jasmine, was busy sniffing the air from the chair next to me.

The sun was warming the air and I could hear the birds singing their spring mating calls. I could hear the honking of our Canadian Geese flying back for the summer season and the gulls screaching in the distance.

Windchimes tingled lightly as clients Buster (10 yr old Lab) and
Senna (6 month old Golden-doodle) romped around on the deck.

The moment was full of bliss.

I had my camera on and I continued to catch candid shots of the dogs playing.  I can get great aerial shots this way.  LOL

A couple of times I had stop to get up and pick up poop.  Seems all that romping around does to dogs what coffee in the morning does to us humans!

Next I filled the water bowl for the 3rd time… they like to knock it over  when they are outside – go figure! 

Before I settled down in the chair again with my girls I threw a pull rag to Buster and the game of tug-a-war began. 

They both bring in different skills to the game – old man Buster uses his weight and puppy Senna uses her maneuvering tactics. 
I don’t keep score but it seems pretty evenly matched.

A little while later a fierce wind blew by and all 4 noses pointed up to catch a sniff. 
Gosh…  I wonder what they read in the wind? 
I’m sure it’s like getting the latest news in the gossip papers! 

Soon... puppy Vinnie (6 month old Boston Terrier) arrived and joined us on the back deck. 

They all did the butt sniffing dance and did their “business” with me right behind them with the poop bags in hand!. 

Once everyone  was  ready, old man Buster decided to lay at my feet and take a break while the 2 puppies played on for a long while. 

Where do they get their energy????  Not a care in the world and such joy!

Argh… around 11am the clouds started covering the sky and took over the sunshine.  A chill filled the air. 

Well… it IS Spring afterall and the weather always gets confused this time of year. 

But,  no bother.  We all moved inside and the games continued. 

The puppies ran up and down the stairs, teased eachother with toys, played keep away & chase, wrestled, etc. 

Come the afternoon the skies decided to drop rain and hail for a few minutes. Senna didn't feel it at all during one of his ventures out back.

The small pellets of hail melted between my fingers when I pulled them from his fur one at a time.

Poor Vinnie tried and tried to win tug-a-war with big Buster. His new tactic was to lay down and use his weight... but Buster just pulled him around. Too funny to watch. Vinnie was defeated in the battle but not the war. In the game of tug-a-war, SIZE counts but no one told Vinnie that and he kept trying.

Another favorite game of theirs was the game of keep-away. In this game speed and manoeuvrability is the best weapon and Senna and Vinnie have an abundance of that. It was a hoot to watch. Marc and I found ourselves cheering them along and betting on who would win!

Even Buster kept up with the games most of the time and … all the dogs were out like a light at bedtime. 

Dogs are fascinating.  They can be so creative when it comes to playing with eachother.
 
They make doggie friends so fast and best friends even faster!

There is so much more to them than meets the eye.

Needless to say, by the afternoon my cheeks were sore from smiling and laughing so much! 

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not all fun and games...

I have to clean and disinfect, referee, say “NO NO”  to stuff they want to chew on, pick up poo, keep a constant eye on each dog to avert those looking for trouble, feed and water, put to bed, distract from excessive barking, etc. 

But I also get to give massages, entertain, play with, and soothe and cuddle them. 

In return they teach me...

• be joyful
  
• live simply
  
• be honest in the moment
  
• be loving
  
• show my feelings
  
• respect others
  
• smell what is in the wind

Of course I'm picking and choosing what I learn. Some things like eating poop is better left to the dogs!

All in a Day's Work !