A Weekend Away

Two weekends ago the dogs and I packed up our bags (and my dirty laundry) and hit the road for a long weekend in VA Beach. Despite sitting in terrible traffic on the way up there, the trip was incredible. We stayed with my "big sister" who gave me my class ring in a beautiful lantern ceremony during our boarding school days at Chatham Hall. We've remained dear friends since our high school days - she's the kind of girl you can go a year without speaking to, and the moment we see each other it's as though nothing has changed! Our friendship always falls right back into place, exactly where we left it, no matter the time or distance between us. Of course, add to the equation that she loves animals, and so kindly opened her home to me and two dogs, and you've got yourself one fun weekend!

The dogs had a great time! Hush got to see the ocean for the first time, both pups got to race on the beach, and basked in the attention fawned on them all weekend!

I'll post more about the trip soon, but in the meantime, I wanted to share this picture of the girls and I. I had spent the entire day at the beach, did not have on a lick of make-up, and my hair was still full of ocean water. That said, I think the love my dogs and I share just makes this photo glow. I've even considered photoshopping poinsettias into the background and using it for my Christmas card picture this winter.

Milly's Beach Getaway (without moi)...

I’ve often joked that my dogs live better than I do, and I now think this is actually true! Milly has a surprise in store for her this weekend – a trip to Kitty Hawk! I am green with envy that she’ll be spending the weekend on the beach, playing in the surf and sand, and having attention fawned on her, while I’ll be in sticky, hot, old DC.

As you know, I sometimes let my ex-boyfriend keep Milly for anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks at a time. Whenever he has her I use the time to focus on organizing my life, and training Hush. Two dogs can be a lot of work at times, especially while living in a small apartment, working full time, and trying to maintain a social life in a bustling city as a single 26-year old with a tendency of over-committing herself. Add into the mix that one of those dogs is in heat, and training to be a show dog, and sometimes it’s enough to make me want to rip my hair out. Of course, I adore my dogs, and I would not trade them for the world, but there are moments where it is stressful trying to manage everything.

Each year my friend Tina, you might remember her from some posts about apple picking, or know her from Love, Tina Marie, organizes a trip to the Outer Banks over Memorial Day Weekend. My ex and I have many of the same friends, and Tina is one of the many friends we share. The OBX trip is always planned many, many, many months in advance, and when the invitations went out I was not sure what sort of terms I would be on with my ex, he RSVP’d first, so I opted out. Next year, however, I plan on going on the trip! :)

When I got a gchat from the ex today asking if he could see Milly for an afternoon or a couple of days, I said sure. He asked when he could see her, and I told him I’d have to figure it out. Then, he asked if she could go to Kitty Hawk this weekend. Well, I couldn’t think of a single reason why I should say no. She’ll get exercise, she loves the beach, and everyone going on the trip loves her. Of course, I couldn’t make it that easy for my ex, so I promised he could take her with him under one condition… he return her with some wonderful portraits of her at the beach. The ex is a great photographer, and he was happy to oblige with my terms. So, tonight I’ll be packing Milly’s beach bag, and he’ll pick her up tomorrow night, then at noon on Friday they’ll hit the road.

Of course, I sure do wish I had some fun locale to escape to for the weekend. Oh the irony, my Golden Retriever lives and vacations better than I do.

Anti-Tail Wagging Furniture!

While I was in Manchester, Vermont I took a trip to both the Orvis flagship store and the Orvis outlet. Orvis is quite possibly the most dog friendly store I have ever stepped foot in. The Orvis flagship store is HUGE! It was two stories, and had everything an outdoorsy person could ever dream of! As I browsed through all of their clothing and accessories, Milly was a great sport right at my side. Sales associates kept coming up asking if they could give her a treat, and she sure was spoiled. Milly learned that she needed to wag her tail for people who had not yet given her a treat, to maximize all treat potential! Afterwards, we walked outside and fed the trout in the casting pond while Milly chased geese. It was truly an experience, and I recommend anyone visiting Manchester hit up the Orvis store and outlet, and pay the 25 cents to feed the fish, it's worth it!

The flagship store has a huge dog section where you can test out all of their beds, I’ve been thinking of getting Milly a therapeutic bed as she’s aging, and they had one that was just her size and 40% off! I might call the store to see if they still have it and could ship it to me.

As you all know, I absolutely adore Golden Retrievers, and am dying to get a second (and then perhaps a third) Golden. My only major complaint with Golden Retrievers, and I feel the same way about labs, is their tails are at perfect coffee table height! They are such happy dogs, and as soon as their tail gets going it can easily knock over anything on the coffee table. Milly has knocked over countless glasses of wine or other beverages, picture frames, and even the TV remote with hers! I find I always have to set drinks in the very center of the coffee table so she won’t knock them with her powerful happy tail.

I was tickled while in Orvis to discover they’ve designed a coffee table (and end tables, too) for this very purpose! The Anti-Tail Wagging Furniture line sounds incredible, and I’m dying to purchase it. But, the price tag is not cheap, so I’ll have to wait for it to go on super duper sale before I splurge.

As we all know, there are two things that never mix: a full wine glass and a happily wagging dog’s tail. Orvis set out to solve this problem and the solution in one you won’t find anywhere else. Their anti-tail-wagging storage coffee table furniture features unique recessed areas where glass, food, and any breakable items can be placed safely out of range of your dog’s exuberantly wagging tail. Expertly crafted from solid pine, the storage coffee table features two drawers and a sliding tray, while the end table has one storage drawer.

I wanted to share this photo of Milly. It's one of my favorites. I can't remember when and where it was taken, but I just love it! I'm on vacation in Vermont right now, and will be sure to post some pictures of my trip when I return!

Back from Vermont

Everything about my trip to Vermont was amazing. The state has been bombarded all spring and summer with rain, but the sun came out and we had beautiful days my entire vacation. The plants are growing like crazy – my parent’s lilies are literally over 6’5” tall! I spoke with a local farmer who said crops are actually really hurting, because the rains have caused a 4-6 week delay in harvesting, and while plants are tall and green, the slow fruit protection is throwing a real curve ball in many locals’ incomes. But the easy going, friendly Vermonters just seemed happy the rain had subsided and the sun was shining.

The water levels in rivers are also insanely high, and all the rain has caused a lot of erosion of dams creating dangerous water conditions in many areas. My very first day of the trip I left Milly with her Polish Lowland Sheepdog (PONS) cousin Minka, her human aunt Amanda and human cousin Cecelia and went tubing with my boyfriend Bill and my brother Drew for a few hours. The river was insane! We hit many rapids, and in one spot Bill was actually stranded on debris in the river, with the cooler caught in rocks. The river was moving way too quickly for Drew and me to stop – we would grab onto low hanging branches that would 1) break off or 2) we’d get a hold of a large branch, only to have our tubes swept out from under us! It took us almost 30 minutes to get down stream to a safe beach to pull off on and wait for Bill. I use the word beach loosely as the place we pulled off on was actually someone’s yard, as their entire beach was submerged in 4’ of water! There were definitely moments where Drew and I were really worried that Bill would lose his tube in his efforts to get back on the river, and to make matters worse, the keys to both Bill and Drew’s cars were in our cooler, which was stranded along with Bill! Despite the rapid filled river and somewhat frightening water conditions, we were able to enjoy our tubing trip, and this is just proof to how relaxed and easy going Vermonters are. The rains have really caused a lot of problems for them, but the river was filled with locals (by filled I mean we passed three sets of people – so nothing like the “filled with tubers” my DC area readers can identify with from tubing excursions) and lots of smiles.

Minka has been great about sharing the house with new baby Cecelia!

If you have never been to Vermont you must go! It is a very dog friendly state, and there are so many wonderful outdoor activities to do with your four-legged friend. With the exception of mud-season, Vermont really makes you want to just get out and walk/hike! In February, Milly and I spent an entire day (with some indoor thawing sessions mixed in) hiking through the deep snow and across the frozen lake. She had a blast! But, she had just as much fun during our recent summer trip! She was able to run across grass filled fields, romp with neighborhood dogs, hike a small mountain and even go for a canoe ride. At one point she decided to apply her selective hearing, stop listening to me and darted to the local resort’s beach to frolic with the children catching minnows and crayfish! It was impossible to be mad at her for not listening when she was clearly having so much fun!

You can really see Milly's age in this photo, but she acted like a young puppy the entire trip! I think there is something very regal and wise about her expression in this shot.

We spent one day running errands in Burlington, a very dog friendly city, and I believe home of one of my favorite bloggers – Life with Dogs (correct me if I’m wrong). If you’ve never been to Burlington there is a lot to do! First, I suggest going to Church Street, a street with traffic blocked off that creates a large walking precinct filled with shops, restaurants, food carts, crafts, musicians and lots of dogs! I stopped counting at 30 dogs. You’ll also want to make sure you at the very least drive by Lake Champlain, but if you can make a day on this should-be Great Lake, I highly recommend it! We then hit up the Girlington Garage (owned by an old family friend), so if you make the trip to VT and have car trouble, this is the garage to go to! When we arrived at the Girlington Garage we were greeted by two adorable, friendly and blissfully happy toy breeds (I know one was a Yorkie, but I’m not sure what the other was). The Girlington Garage is wonderful – the vision is to have a six bay garage with all female auto mechanics, and it is well on the way to being a reality.

I am sure I will fill you in on so much more about my trip, but with out further ado, here are some photos taken by Bill for you to enjoy!

Beautiful sky in Greensboro, VT

Red barns are all over Greensboro, VT

We spent a large chunk of our time on Caspian Lake, here you can see the picturesque water, and the amazing horizon filled with wild-flower filled pastures.

Boarding Your Dog

During the summer months many individuals and families love to travel, but owning a dog and traveling is something that takes planning and creativity. Over the next few days/weeks I will be focusing on different things you may encounter when it comes to vacation planning as a dog owner.

If you decide not to bring your pet on your trip, you have a few options – leave your dog with a friend or family member, hire a dog sitter to come to your house multiple times a day, hire a dog sitter to keep your dog in their house for the duration of your trip, or use a boarding kennel (many veterinarians also provide boarding services).

Finding the right boarding kennel can be a scary and daunting task, but hopefully these questions will help you weed through all of the kennels in your area, and ensure you board your pet at a reputable kennel that will take excellent care of your beloved dog.

If you need to board your pet while you travel, there are several considerations in choosing a boarding facility. East Lake Veterinary Hospital in Dallas, TX (www.welovepets.net) provides their clients with the following questionnaire to help evaluate facilities:

1. How often and with what disinfecting agents are the pet’s quarters cleaned?

2. What type of bedding material is provided?

3. Are pets walked to eliminate and exercise? If so, where?

4. What type of walking surface is provided? Inside or outside?

5. Does the facility require current immunizations, especially bordetella (kennel cough)?

6. What steps are taken to assure that pets are healthy and parasite free?

7. What diet is provided by the facility?

8. Are staff members trained to monitor pets? Give medications?

9. What protocols are in place to provide medical care in the event of an unexpected illness, injury, or emergency?

10. Are pets kept in separate quarters, or is there a community area where pets intermingle?

11. Are separate cat and dog quarters available?

12. How is noise controlled in the facility?

13. Is ventilation good and temperature comfortable?

14. If community playtime is offered, do trained staff members supervise it? If so, what is the staff per pet ratio during this time?

15. How are pets screened for temperament and socialization skills for interaction with other pets?

16. Are the check-in and checkout times convenient?

17. Are there additional charges for medicating or exercising your pet or feeding a special diet?

18. What additional amenities (such as TVs, music, etc) are offered to make your pet comfortable and feel more at home?

19. Is the pet’s environment generally comfortable?

An update: Upcoming vacation; K9 First Aid; Looking for Guest Bloggers!

This coming Saturday Milly, my boyfriend Bill, and I will be loading up Bill’s car and making the long drive from Arlington, Virginia to the North East Kingdom of Vermont for vacation. It is always a sight when we travel, because with Milly’s bag, my bag, Bill’s bag, and the dog bed our car tends to fill up very quickly! I will be gone for 9 days, and am trying to arrange some guest bloggers. If you are interested in being a guest blogger while I am out of town please comment with your contact information, and we can set this up.

Back to the trip, I’m already mapping out our route, and trying to plan a course that will enable lots of stops in more rural areas, because I absolutely hate driving (or riding in the car) on busy interstates in urban areas. I also want Milly to have the opportunity to stretch her legs on some grass every couple of hours. As a senior citizen it is important that she regularly get out of the car for potty breaks, small walks and water breaks.

We will be breaking up our trip by staying the first night near Manchester, VT with my brother and his family, and then leaving on Sunday to drive to a small, picturesque town 40 minutes north east of Stowe. I am so excited about this vacation – it is the longest vacation I will have had in nearly 3 years, and I’m just ready to be off the grid. Many parts of Vermont don’t have high speed internet (this town just got it), or cell phone service (this town does no have reception), and I’m excited about being able to just relax and enjoy the outdoors. Our house has lake front property, and I’m hoping that the 9 days on the water will boost Milly’s confidence about swimming, and water in general. She likes to wade in up to her belly, but no further than that.

I just received an email from my mom (she and my dad are already in Vermont) explaining how she recently met a holistic dog trainer who has a wonderful reputation with locals in VT. This trainer is offering a canine first-aid/CPR class on Sunday, August 2^nd, and hopefully I will be able to attend (it is about 3 hours from Manchester though, so we’d have to leave early in the morning). I am trying to learn more about the trainer, but her name is April Frost, she is the author of "Beyond Obedience, Training With Awareness For You And Your Dog" - she sounds very interesting! Apart from taking a very natural approach to dog training, she also regularly volunteers with a wolf-hybrid/wolf dog rescue and sanctuary – that’s pretty neat, I think!

I try to keep an open mind when it comes to animals, their care, and training, and I really like to try a variety of training techniques. I know some about the natural pet movement, but it seems like she is on her own level, and there will be lots to learn from her. I really don’t believe there is any “right way” to train a dog, but I do believe in learning as many different methods as possible, and figuring out what works for you and your dog, often times it is a combination of methods.

While I doubt I’ll have the opportunity to do any dog training/obedience sessions with her, I really hope this canine first-aid course works out, and I’m able to fit it into my schedule. I have read a lot about canine first aid, but have not yet taken any hands on classes. In an emergency, when you are on the phone with your vet, and he/she asks you a question a lot of times the dog owner may not know the answer, and this can be very frustrating/difficult for the vet. However, if you know canine first-aid and CPR the answers to these critical questions tend to be things you will either know, or can easily figure out. I am very excited about the opportunity to take this day-long course!

Don’t forget to comment with contact info if you are interested in being a guest blogger!