Two By Bike: What About the Fur Kids?

From the messages we have received, it seems many of our friends are concerned about the "fur kids," so this entry is about how our furry friends are managing. With Kate's retirement, we are both in the desert for the full season so the dogs made their first trip down south with us. As much as they love going to the kennel at home (really, they do!) they seem to be having a pretty good time here.

Since Rockie tends to shed, Sandy declared that she had to travel in her crate (lest a stray hair find its way into the van) while Benny lounged on a crate pad on top of our luggage. The beneficial side effect of having them join us for the three day drive was we made more frequent stops for all of us to get out for a stretch and a bit of a walk. Sandy and I found we were less stiff and sore when we got here this time (yup, no denying we are getting old and a bit rickety). Along the way, we easily found pet friendly hotels into which we lugged Rockie's crate and Ben's pad. Well, it seems we had a revolution on our hands. No way was Rockie going to spend ALL day and ALL night in her crate, and no way was Benny going to spend ALL day and ALL night on his crate pad. There is a photo, below, of the sleeping arrangements they decided on.

Our first week here was very hot. One afternoon, I was doing some work on the computer, Sandy and Benny were having a nap, and Rockie was doing her favourite thing, hanging out in the yard. Since it was so hot, I figured I better check to make sure she was ok. She was ok alright. Very ok, as far as she was concerned. She had managed to undertake a major excavation project in our yard of which she was most proud. When I approached her, she seemed to think I had come to help her out. She kept looking at me, then back into the hole she had dug, then back up to me, as if to ask, "Can you see it?!" She had obviously seen something run into the rocks, probably a lizard, and was determined she was going to dig it out. When I got to her, I found she had dug a trench, with perfectly perpendicular walls, about 10 inches wide, close to 2 feet long, and about a foot deep!!! She was very proud of her work, and seemed happy that I had come to join in. NOT!! My first thought was how was I going to fix this before Sandy found out and was this the end of my dog? We fessed up, however, and when Sandy saw it, she said, "Well, looks like she has dug her own grave!" The good news is, I patched it all up and so far she hasn't re-dug that hole. But that's not to say she hasn't dug another...

After going through the winter without any further excavations (probably because the lizards were hibernating), two weeks ago, I caught her in the midst of another project. I was concerned that this would mean lights out for one or both of us!! This time, however, she did us a favour. It seems there was a leak in one of our irrigation pipes. She must have heard it and dug down to explore what was making the noise. The gardener was able to repair it, and Sandy issued Rockie a pardon this time. Whew!

With no snow, ice, and bitter cold to deal with, the dogs are enjoying their usual twice a day walks. Now that the weather has been heating up, however, that means, most mornings I am up before 6 to get them out before it gets too hot for Princely (that would be Benny). He had surgery to remove a bladder stone before we left Edmonton and has been enjoying recuperating in the desert. He seems to be spunkier then we are accustomed to, so has had a very good recovery. His favourite thing, though, remains nap time and spending time in his bed. Somethings never change.

Rockie has been taking a number of classes at a nearby dog training centre, Dream Dogs. She loves going to school. As soon as we make the second to last turn before getting to the facility, she pops up in her crate and is ready to get going to class. She has done very well, and usually comes home exhausted ... too exhausted to dig. So far, she has taken Canine Adventure, Agility, has started Rally Obedience, and is currently enrolled in a Recall class. (Good luck trying to call your Jack Russell when she just KNOWS a lizard was in this corner of the yard three days ago; it might come back, you know!)

We are just coming out of a week of scorching (for us) weather with temperatures in the mid to high 30s. Our neighbours, Ron and Joanne, invited our dogs to come over and cool off in their spool (big than a spa, smaller than a pool). That was very kind, but we decided the invitation should include Kate and Sandy as well. We spent about 2 hours there. After a brief dip, Ben found himself a nice place to nap in the shade (figures) while Rockie spent the entire time running through the yard, exploring, hunting, and climbing their rock wall, from which she could view the domain she had conquered. Ah, a dog with a good imagination!

So, I hope you agree that the Fur Kids are just fine. We will be heading home in a few weeks, which will make Benny happy since he just loves to go for a ride in the van. Whenever he is in the garage, he goes to his door of the van and waits to get in. Patience, Grasshopper, I see a three day road trip in the near future.

Here are the photos: