Yeah, finally free!

During all this time Java had been on the leash we let Holly play with him here and there. She had gotten used to her "advantage" and they played kind of nice. He was good and gentle with her as well. Now things were about to change.

Mr. Java discovered, that Holly didn't like it, when he put his teeth around her legs and pulled on them. Who would like that? But he could get so wild knocking her over, that Holly became terrified of him. Our interpretation that is. She just left him as soon as she could get away, stayed on our deck and wouldn't even do her business with him around. We got Java tennis balls and he developed an attachment to balls! They didn't last long. Then we used a rubber kong ball. It was a security blanket for him. I played lots of ball with him and it was total fun. He got to run and was happy. Then chasing after the ball he strained his left front leg when he jumped down to the bottom of the stairs that lead down to the bottom of the property. He was limping. Vets orders: 2 weeks absolutely no ball or other activity. Metacam and other stuff. Total calm. Poor boy!

He is always eager to please and I tried to keep him busy in the house. At least keep his brain working. Teaching him to stay was a good one at the time. He still had so much to learn. No real walks again, no playing, it was pitiful. But even this time passed. After this was under control again it was playtime again. His desire to use his mouth constantly to chew on Holly's legs had gotten even stronger. He would go after our ancles and wrists as well. We started to use Holly's trick and implemented the NO teeth command and would ignore him every time he did it. Be nice and also quiet were two new things he had to learn. The mouthing was terrible still. I reached a point at which my nerves were totally shattered. I was going to give up, but didn't allow myself to do this. He was a creature that needed help. Watched lots of Cesar Milan shows on TV. Boy, they are so helpful.

So calm and assertive is the way to go.  As you can see on the newer videos I posted, things have improved big time. He has turned into a good companion for Holly and she is the leader. He has also mostly outgrown the mouthing. Next month he will be two years old and one year with us, and even though there is still a lot to be learned, I have no doubt that things will be just fine.

Ouch, Not again!

Happy 2012 to everyone. Well, what can I say. Hard to believe 2011 just kind of evaporated in midair. Did it? I haven't told you about the problems Java had to go through, right after we got him. I will keep it short, but it was a tough first three months. After a trip to our vet in town, we had to make a decision. We had noticed a lump and it turned out to be an umbilical hernia. Java had been fixed at the time of adoption, that was a must, and at this time the vet at the hospital that our shelter deals with didn't repair this. Since this can possibly lead to further complications down the road, we needed to take care of it. A call to the shelter pointing out this oversight resulted in poor Java going back for surgery. He had just gotten over the first surgery and now another one. We dropped him off and took him back the same day. Again no exercise and playing with Holly. It was terrible, but we gave him lots of love of course and bones to chew on. He made it through the first 6 weeks with us and stored up tons of energy. He went out on the leash only, and he didn't care about that really. The learned the borders of our property well and the time came to let him of the leash and give him the freedom he deserved. What a relief! That was what we thought. But that wasn't the end of that...

Is it mine, is it yours, or can we share?

Even in a dog's world, that is what life is about. Take ownership of yours, and learn from the dogs.

Holly is a stick fanatic, Java usually loves his balls. A tip: if your dog is a ball-player, get it a Kong Ball. In particular the one that just has a small hole in the middle. I stopped wasting tennis balls. All he needs is his Kong Ball. And he can chew it all he wants without destroying it. The other advantage is, that it bounces nicely, thereby adding additional fun to the ball play!

It is unbelievable how beneficial it is for a dog to be with another dog that knows the rules. Java has learned a lot from Holly and she also accustomed him to our routine. I love it when he gets on her nerves and she just says: forget it, I am leaving. Which is actually something I learned works. Should he get to wild in the house, I just ignore him or put him alone in another room for a few minutes. He then settles down. The worse thing for him, is to be ignored.

I need to work at home, and that requires quite a few hours of peace and quiet. I spread it out, so that I have enough time for dog play etc. He didn't like it. So he constantly bugged me. Jumped on me, brought toys and the ball, even growled and barked... Until I figured out. Wait a minute. I used to go outside to play for a few when he got like that. He learned, that if he misbehaves, he gets rewarded with play. So I stuck him in the bedroom and closed the door after numerous attempts of making him lay down. He whined, I ignored him for some time. When he was quiet, I let him out, didn't even look at him and went back to where I work. He followed and lay down. Kind of like, why didn't you say so in the first place. I would have laid down. I only misunderstood you. He has been calm ever since when I work. How cool is that? Good boy, Java!

The things in life, that are meant to be

Now to Java. How the heck did I get this lucky?

It started with the general idea to get Holly a companion. Now, Holly is very particular about other dogs, that she gets along with, or not. From experience we knew, that it is a better choice for her to get a male companion. She has her rules and the other dog has to accept them. Yeah, Holly the pack leader. More on that later.

So I started looking. It had to be a rescue, because there is no way ever, that I will buy a puppy in the store or from one of these breeders, even a good and reputable one. A nice mutt has proven to be the best choice in the past. And there are too many of them, that need a home! So that is what was on the agenda.

It wasn't the right time, because it was winter, but there was this dog on the website of the human society in our area. It was a yellow lab mix, about 2/3 of Holly's size. A good size for my liking. Originally we would have waited til spring to look again, since training a new dog is easier then, but hey. We went and had a look at the dogs, that needed a home. One complete area of the shelter had nothing but German Shepherds in it. A beautiful mother with her pups, another pregnant one, beautiful colours in her coat. Two pitch black female shepherds, beauties they were, etc. They had all been confiscated from a breeder. I have a particular love for German Shepherds and it broke my heart to see this.

There was one cage with three male German Shepherds. They were completely intimidated, except for the one black one. Every time I walked by this cage again, he came to me, curious. His hind legs were all black. It looked as if he was wearing black socks. So cute. We interacted a bit at the cage. I had to leave. It would have been to much for me to handle anyways....

Next I asked if I could walk the dog that we actually came down to the shelter for. It was weird. He was actually much smaller than Holly, which wouldn't have been an issue really. He had been adopted and returned. Poor thing. I wondered why, until I walked him. He snapped at me and the leash in an aggressive way. Growling, snapping, pulling. A beautiful set of teeth he had. Not something I would have wanted to check out like that. I got him somewhat under control with some effort and firmness, but we just didn't click. So we went back, discussed him a bit, but it just didn't feel right. We didn't even introduce him to Holly. The last thing we wanted is her getting hurt!

So I was disappointed, but okay. There was nothing else there for us. Then my husband decided last minute to ask about the black GS, even though I had said no to that. One year old we were told, but he hadn't been socialized at all and was likely tight up to a tree all his life. He wasn't house trained either. Weird we thought. He came up to me so gently and nicely. My husband then asked if we could walk him. After a negative response at first, because not much else was known about him yet, one of the women said for us to come with her. She let me go into the cage together with her to interact with him. It was a strange experience. I felt sad for the other two in the background. But how nice he was. No problem at all. Pure puppy behaviour. Curios, gentle, a bit of mouthing, but gentle and I fell in love. I kept insisting though, that he would be too much for me and Holly.

The woman said, why don't you walk him. So of course I did. It went reasonable well, knowing he had no training. His eye contact was great. Next we brought Holly out of the car to introduce them. He was submissive and Holly didn't even show her bitchy streak. ROFL. They just accepted each other. Wow. What now? We talked it over. You all know what happened next, application forms were filled out and we were checked out. He still needed to be neutered and that day we were able to bring him home. This was the beginning of exciting and, I admit, stressful times.

This frogs name is Black Knight

It is really a pleasure to observe all these frogs and toads. Yes, they do live dangerously in my backyard, but so far no harm has been done. This is a picture of Black Knight. He has been living in the yard for months and not only does he enjoy the waterfall, he also uses our small fountain on the deck as an interim home.

It is the same fountain that the dogs drink out of. Can you imagine being frog, sitting in the water and having this big German Shepherd mouth and sometimes two, coming at you. It amazes me that he can stay so still and neither dog will do anything but drink. The first time I found him in the water of the fountain, I was worried about him. So I got a tall bucket, about a 1/12 foot high and after a tremendous effort was able to capture him in there. Yeah. I really believed I could carry him down to the waterfall. Wrong. It took him like 10 seconds to just jump out again.

He has a favourite spot. He sits right on top of one the frog figurines at times. I nearly didn't notice this myself the first time. At the time this mini clip was taken, there were no dogs around.

I have to say now, that it seems to be better to just leave the creatures alone, they know best how much risk they can take. That is as far as frogs go. I have another toad story to come. Remember Dr. Bernstein. He had a dangerous encounter..... And in a way Java saved his life. Stay tuned for more.

Just like the trees, toads, frogs, and birds, we are still alive and kicking!

Wow, this is so hard to believe. I have been so busy working on establishing my own business, that there was so far no time to keep up with this blog, that I have created with lots of love. I intend to make time again now. Things are good and hard work is paying off. Our family has grown since my last post and another four legged friend has been welcomed to our family. A lot of small events have taken place and I shall post some more images shortly. So stay tuned. Holly is still with us and is thriving in the country with all the space and fresh air and activities, and of course her new friend. He keeps her young, we hope, since he is only 1 1/2 years old now, we had him for 7 months, and he still has a lot to learn. But he couldn't be any smarter. Then again, aren't all German Shepherds highly intelligent? :-)Here is a picture for starters. Isn't he a beauty? He has been with us since February this year and came from the shelter. It's a relatively long story. Keep smiling until my next post and all your life! Its good for your health! :-)

Did you have any great encounters in the woods since my last post. I apologize that it has been a little while. It would be nice if someone would contribute their stories to this blog.  Do you have some pictures in jpg or gif to post? Did you travel and take some awsome shots?

Anyway, there was really nothing to report since the Fox walked by. Just the daily winged visitors, my dog and myself. I eliminated a squirrel from my garden shed by destroying its bedding, build out of one of MY cushions. Oh, well. Its gone now. Hopefully it never tries to move in again. I am glad I didn't have to use a trap.  Even though they are life traps, I don't like using it.

I am thinking about starting my annuals in a couple of weeks. And grow some perennials too. Not sure yet what winter is doing. Will it still hit us big time, or is it going to slowly go away. I doubt that. So I am trying to be patient and not starting the seeds up yet. I can't wait to spend more time outside again. We still have a good foot of snow on the ground. Yesterday's storm missed us though. YEAH. I am enjoying an azalea I bought a couple of weeks ago. I love the scent. I will plant it outside once its safe.

I looked at some birdhouses yesterday in the store. I would love to attract a bluebird, but even though they are supposed to be around here, I haven't seen them last year.  Being in the woods like that, it is difficult to find a good location to put the house.  I think they should get the sun at least for some time, and the trees provide a lot of shade. Still haven't decided.

With the upcoming Valentine's Weekend and the Family Day on Monday I guess everybody will be busy.  So I wish you all a happy one and tons of fun. Til next post.

Fox walking by driving my dog nuts.

Nothing much is happening. The snow is melting and all we hear is drip, drip, drip. We can even see some "grass". And the river is louder too.  This is a picture from this summer:

The birds finally showed up, nuthatches, chickadees, kinglets, song sparrows, blue jays, doves and of course Mr. Woodpecker. I cleared the snow of the muskoka chairs to sit in the sun on the weekend.  Nice to feel the warmth and to have the birds be so fearless.  But we better don't start thinking winter could be over!  It is going to get cold after this.

Looking out with my dog kneeling on the living room couch, we saw a fox walking by.  Drove the dog nuts.  It didn't have the beautiful fluffy tail that I thought it would have.  Must have been in a fight or maybe it wasn't nourished well.  Must be tough in the forest this time of year.  So the fox disappeared in the woods and all was quiet again cause the dog finally stopped barking.

Its soooo quiet.......

Moss images in the woods

I want to share some of my images including moss. I find it amazing, the pieces of art Mother Nature creates by growing moss on tree trunks, stones and in the most hidden places.  It makes the shady areas seem so cozy. Here are some of my images. Do you have some too?

 

 

And here are some of my Minisheppy! She loves moss too.

 

 

Deer in the winter

I don't know if I told you that I have a special love for deer.  We have seen many since we moved here, but mostly from a distance.  It is so nice to watch them. Great to be in the middle of the woods.  And then there are some fields and open areas where we saw them all year long.  Only  500m away from home.  During hunting season the sightings had become rare and after the first snow we only had one encounter a couple of weeks ago.  Driving home along the country road by the side of the road there were four of them.  We slowed down and rolled the window down.  I made some sounds and all ears went up. They stood still for a long time.  I kept repeating the sounds, everything else was quiet.  They looked around, all ears were full attention.  Eventually all of them disappeared into the trees.  Of course, I didn't have a camera with me. As usual.

Then yesterday another very close encounter.  Just 500m from the house when coming home we spotted one by the side of the road.  We were driving slowly and came to a stop to watch.  It definitely wanted to cross the road.  We just waited.  Unfortunately there was another car coming. GRRR. Another rare encounter in itself. ROFL. It went back into the woods.  We decided to stay to see if it comes back. And it did!  Peaking around carefully, it tested the ground covered in snow and the slope that it would have to come up to cross the road.  One hoof at a time, it tested for a while.  It observed us and eventually it decided that it is safe. It climbed up, walked on to the road and slowly crossed it to disappear into the trees on the other side.  It was not in a hurry at all.  We think it was the last of a bunch that must have crossed just before we drove by.  We checked the area for more, but no more yesterday.  Very sweet to watch!  AND AGAIN NO CAMERA. oh, well.

Here is one image of the deer at the far end of the open stretch just by our house, where we  saw them in the summer.  Did you ever have any luck taking a picture of Deer in the wild? This isn't the best shot I ever took. ROFL.

Image from a Europe trip.

She loves flowers and/or cooking? This makes a wonderful lasting gift

This is a wonderful gift idea. Have your own indoor garden all year long. Or grow your own fresh herbs for cooking.

From: http://ping.fm/4Cv0N

Happy New Year 2010 - The Beauty of Winter

I hope everyone had a good start in 2010.  Nothing new to report on my end.  New years resolutions I don't have, so I can't break any.

Right now it is just beautiful out here.  I took some pictures of the snow on the trees.  So calm out there, all I hear is the river and a few birds.  Peace to the world!  May everyone have a healthy, successful and enjoyable year 2010!

How to keep the squirrels away from the bird feeders

Well, since I hung most of my feeds on the laundry line I haven't seen the squirrels that much.  But when using the pole as a mount for my other feeders this simple and free trap works wonders. 

Just take a 2L pop bottle, cut off the bottom where the bottle's shape reaches full width.  Be careful not to cut yourself.  I used a box cutter to do it.  Then do the same to the cap of the bottle, so that the opening slides over your post.  Cut it to wide, use electrical tape to hold it in place on the pole. 

The squirrels will climb up the pole and have to go into the pop bottle opening and it doesn't get them anywhere. Of course the location of the feeder shouldn't give them a chance to jump on the feeder from a taller object like a fence or a tree. 

Here is a picture of it on my feeder containing the nuts and sunflower seeds. As you can see, this is also where my other "laundry line feeders" hang in the summer on the left and the right.  So that pop bottle is extremely important to have out here in the woods.  We also have lots of chipmunks.  The other deterrent we use is our Dog. ROFL.  She lives for chasing these critters before they even make it to the pop bottle. 

Any other solutions and suggestions are always welcome.

Feeding the birds in the winter time

I always love watching the birds feeding.  Right now I have found a new use for the laundry line.  The Kinglets, Chickadees, Nuthatches and the hairy Woodpecker (picoides villosus) are coming close to the house right now.  Got a picture of Woody through the window.  If you have any pictures, please post them with your story.  Any advise on what seeds to use to attract different kinds of birds?  I have different kinds of sueds squares.  Niger seeds, finch food and wildbird seeds.

HoHoHo! Christmas again?

Well, I am really not sure if it is true what I was told by my parents.  Time goes by much slower when you are a young.  I must be getting old, because I can't understand where this year has gone.  I guess part of it has to do with some major life changes, but hey, they were all for the better.  Let me tell you, if you ever need a fresh start and feel like you are stuck on a treatmill everyday, doing the same thing over and over, it is time to do something about it.  One can do anything.  It might not seem logical to do, but as long as you never give up, I believe you can make changes against all odds.  And if you are patient and believe in freedom of choice, your life can change.  Sure, depending what your goal is, it might be taking a chance.  But my experience has proven itself a few times in my life.  You want to change something, go for it.  Where there is a will, there is a way.

Hmm.  This was supposed to be about Mother Nature, right.  It is the nature of things that the world keeps turning, no matter what decision a single individual makes for themselves.  Earlier I was watching the beautiful night sky again, wondering if there is anyone looking down at us right now.  It is freezing, but totally clear sky.  The fresh air took my breath, my dog was running around in the dark and I hear the snow under her paws.  I called her back, I heard a big whoosh coming towards me.  And there was my girl, happily looking up at me with a smirky grin on her face saying: You called?  How can I help?

These are the moments that can make anything you do in Life feel right. So if something doesn't feel right anymore, change it.  Have courage and go catch your dreams.

Hmmm.  I think this is getting to philosophical.  So I am now going to grab a beer and sit back in front of the idiot box, knowing that again there is nothing to see that interests me but being by the fire and relax doing nothing useful during these lasts days of the year.

Cheers everyone!

Sensing Old Man Winter

Boy, is it getting crisp out there.  We already had our first snowfall, well kind off.  It lasted a whole morning and I absolutely disliked it.  My dog however loved it, as always.  The other day we got lucky again and spotted deer by the road.  They were actually kind of trusting.  We slowly rolled to a stop and observed them.  They were no more than 3m away from the truck.  I could have stayed forever.  To watch deer has been a wonderful experience this year.  There is hardly a day when we don't see any.  Unfortunately I have had no success in getting a shot of them to post on the blog.  Not that you don't know what a deer looks like. :-)

The other day the closest neighbor donated a bone to our dog.  He goes hunting.  Okay, I guess it also needs to be done to keep things under control.  But giving my dog a deer bone wasn't quite enjoyable.  Luckily my dog just snooped it, licked it a few times and walked away from it.  GOOD GIRL.  I tossed it in the garbage.  Have you ever fed your dog a deer bone? 

Time to go in the woods before the snow starts.  Getting dark out there and it is definitely in the forecast now.  GRRRR.

Dress warm, everybody!

Christmas Shopping time

Hi, everyone.

There hasn't been much happening around the house and in the woods.  I guess Dr. Bernstein, my beloved toad, has gone into hibernation.  He stuck around for some time still, but one day at the beginning of November he disappeared.  I hope to see him next year.

I also find the birds are not very active right now.  They went deeper into the woods.  But the forest is so nice now to walk through.  I love walking on the leaves, between pine cones and stuff.  Looking up to the tree tops makes one feel so small.

So have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Check out Shop for Bargains.  The site is being overhauled, but I have seen a bunch of beautiful collectible items and affordable too.  Totally cool are the calendars about Nature.  These images of dog breeds, birds, horses, and much more, are really beautiful and will bring nature into your or your family and friend's home all year long.  I also love Thomas Kinkade stuff. Have a peak. Maybe you find something there.  There is tons of stuff in toys for kids too, and outdoor gear.

And there is always Astro's Treasure Chest and another one of my favourites sites is Sweet Candy Temptations.  A great selection, and more to come on that site.

Starfiregifts – there to help you with these tough decisions on the search for the right gift! «Starfiregifts – Let us guide you to find the ultimate Gift for any occasion!

Starfiregifts – check out their charity links

Toms Shoes Charity - Let us take the stress out of shopping.

Toms Shoes Charity - Let us take the stress out of shopping.

Support Toms Shoes Charity. Buy one pair of shoes and a needy child will receive a pair as well. Buy one - give one!

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Sheba's Snack Pack

Sheba, a black Labrador Retriever, is a breeding dog for Helping Paws, a non-profit organization in Minnesota that trains service dogs for people with physical disabilities. She lives with her caretaker home, Bev and Herb. This is the story of Sheba's second litter, better known as the Snack Pack.

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