Happy Birthday Bella!

Today was a very special day -it's three years since Bella was born.

I had some time to kill downtown Reykjavík after my physiotherapy and decided to revisit the dog fence with Bella. It has been fixed so me and Bella played ball in beautiful but cold weather.

 

Photo taken around 3 in the afternoon, yup, that's the sun setting!

I was freezing when I got into the car so I almost decided not to bother checking the other dog fence that was about 10 minutes away and had also been built without being dogproof. I had also botched something up with the camera so it wasn't focusing as it should. 

However I still had enough time so when I found the fence I decided to take a better look at it. For some reason it didn't feel as cold there.

It's a lot nicer area than the other fence, it's next to a public park and the Reykjavík petting zoo. However it's placed in a giant field and the ground is still very sore after the construction. 

 

 

Bella was ready to play some more.

 

 

"More please, it's my birthday!"

Since I knew the fence hadn't been dogproof I decided to see if it would contain my terrior after being fixed. Bella was not amused.

 

"Let me out! Let me out!"

 

Both fences are in fact a lot better and at present they should keep most dogs in. The gates themselves will however allow dogs with narrower chests than Bella to slip through. She got herself halfway through and probably could squeeze her way through if she really desperately wanted to.

When we got home Bella was acting a little uneasy. The kind of behaviour that always she does to suggest I am forgetting something.

Hmmm...
Water available? Check.
Been out to play? Check.
Had the opportunities to send peemail? Check
Napped in the car? Check.
Hungry? Ah... of course, I skipped breakfast to give her a birthday "cake" in the afternoon!

So me and my son Magnus created a gourmet cake from an Icelandic speciality that consists of liver, fat and oats... I better not get started on what sort of food Iceland is known for!

Bella would jump through fire for most liver-based foods so she wasn't about to let some puny candles stop her from gorging herself.

 

"Just to be clear, I'm not on a diet tonight!"

It's not every day that treats are allowed for an entire meal, usually I use normal dog food as treats so today was something special.

Now it's time for Bella's regular evening nap to get rested for tonight's sleep. I think she's been happy with her birthday and I'm glad I had the time and energy to do something for her.

Lazy Bones and Dog Fences

Last 2-3 weeks have been uneventful at the household. Bella has been in heat and the first several days she looked pretty much like she was dead.

I don't like this time of year.

My mobility has been getting worse as well so this has been an awkward time for both of us. We've been a pair of couch-potatoes.

However she's been coming into her own the past few days and it's actually helping my own spirits as well. Yesterday I took a trip to one of the new dog fences that was built about two weeks ago. It's very close to my place of work so I figured that since I only work a few hours a day I could take Bella with me and allow her to run free on our way back home. At least until she's definitely past her fertile phase and I can let her loose in our usual spots.

Now, I work in a very urban area and the city decided a dog fence was perfectly placed on a rather small patch of grass surrounded by big traffic lanes. This is what me and Bella found:

A dog park - Reykjavík style!

It's not a very good photo but apart from the terrible half-muddy ground there is a pretty big gap under the fence. This was one of the smaller gaps. Bella could have left the fence pretty much everywhere along the entire length of the fence. Much larger dogs than my Border Terrier don't need an iron will to escape.
And right outside this gap in the picture is a street with rather heavy traffic on most days. There's traffic just a short distance from anywhere outside this fence.

So my terrior-in-heat didn't get to stretch her legs much inside this fence. I was really excited to see these small dog parks get built in the hopes of a dog friendlier city. This effort just fails on so many levels.

So in the meantime until I can turn Bella loose outside a fence we are working on our contraband-peppermint scent skills at home. Bella is doing well but now the handler needs more knowledge.

Summer Memories

I have been lazy with the camera since this spring. I wish the reason was better than it is but I got a new laptop in Berlin and it took me all this time to get a program to process my photos. This evening I finally sorted it out.

The summer was good. We went exploring Iceland,

we stayed at two summer cabins,

and we also did some camping, which Bella hated.

The laziness with the camera is a part of why I have been lazy posting. It doesn't feel right posting text alone.

With winter looming, there's quite a few interesting things me and Bella are looking forward to in the coming months.

I'm trying to stay involved in the Responsible Dog Owner's Association and there are a few kickass people in there with a lot of drive towards improving life for dogs in Iceland and the rights of the owners.

Me and Bella and a lot of other people are eagerly awaiting for three (or four) dog parks to rise in my city that the city has promised to build this year. Those will be the first enclosed areas to rise in several years, there are currently none. This is in part thanks to people in the aforementioned association who submitted ideas to build them in a citizen election on things to do to improve the city. I had my idea to build a dog park in my neighborhood submitted for the voting but unfortunately it did not receive enough votes for the idea to be materialized. However when those dog parks get built I plan to visit them with Bella. This is a big step as there are currently very few areas where dog owners can turn their dogs loose within the city.

I am also considering whether to take some doggy classes this winter, one I have been waiting for for over a year is being scheduled in January so I shall see. I might also do a repeat of a Clicker/Obedience based class in November if I don't find anything else.

I have at this point decided not to continue with agility. Both due to health reasons but mainly because the atmosphere gets Bella way too overstimulated and I just don't enjoy it that way. I love the sport and haven't given up on it for good, I just don't believe that putting Bella into this environment once a week will cure her. I do have a dream about getting funds to build an outdoor course/arena that's open to the public. I just know it'd be very vulnerable to vandalism and would require some sturdy equipment but I'm going to look into it when I have more time and energy sometime.

Return From Frisbee Heaven

Me and Bella are baaaaack to civilization and high speed internet! We spent a week in the country where there was no tv and what was even worse, in the area we were staying dogs were strictly forbidden. Woops! Not the best thing to discover the day we arrive.

So we smuggled our good selves in and out of the house and to areas that allowed dogs. Yet another example of strange dog prejudice in Iceland, where the mentaility is that it's best to ban things just in case.

Anyway, we found a fabulous spot near a lake where we could frisbee lots and lots. Bella loves frisbeeing and she's getting really good at it. Her one eye doesn't seem to bother her frisbeeing.

She's getting very accurate in predicting the direction and taking a direct route even if the disc is going in a curved manner.

BEWARE: BRAKE TEST!!!

Bella always takes the frisbee back to me no matter who has treats.

Sometimes it's a bit hard running full speed with a terrier sized frisbee.

That's why a clever little dog improvises.

Much easier this way!

She's even so clever that she found a way to get a treat and still keep the frisbee claimed as hers!

A clever little terrier like Bella doesn't take long to figure out that she can steal frisbees from others to hoard and then run off like the wind!

I think this has to be one of the most awesome holidays I've been on. It did snow for one day out of seven but it didn't matter, we all had so much fun as a family. Frisbeeing was just one of the many great things we did. Bella was a really happy dog, even if she was an illegal immigrant in the area! She did a great job of being there without being there! I don't believe I've ever cleaned any place I've stayed at as well as this house. Maybe me and Bella should move to a more dog friendly country someday. I believe Iceland must rank lowest of the western countries when it comes to a friendly dog culture.

Until then, we will enjoy being able to frisbee in areas outside the city we call home.

When the Snow is Gone

It's February and this is my first post of 2012, I hope the new year is treating everyone well so far!

In Iceland we have had the toughest winter now for a few years and the walking paths have almost been inaccessible for two months. Last week it finally started to rain and now a week later almost all the snow is gone... Hurray!

There hasn't been much going on in my doggy life lately, except that I became a co-founder of a lobby group for dog rights in Iceland. A few people started this group to lobby for an enclosed dog area in one of the central parks in the city and when more people showed interest it turned into something more. First and foremost we are going to lobby for dog parks in the city and larger towns, then later on perhaps focus on broader rights issues and establishing a more mature dog culture in Iceland.

With the snow gone, I hope to get more active both outside and on this blog. I hope to get us Bella in shape for a biking trip this coming July.

Dog Culture: Europe vs Iceland

Monday is here and I had to stay at home with baby Magnus as he was pulling his ears like crazy last night. Today he seems a lot better so I'm crossing my fingers that he may be fit for daycare tomorrow. If not I have a nightshift so I will at least be able to go to work. My fiancé is having meetings all week, his PhD instructor is in Iceland this week to work with him.

Bella and Magnus taking a look at a box of sweets. 

I finally got around to uploading two photos from Berlin. Not because they are of superior quality but rather as they are dog-themed. Living in Reykjavik, Iceland, I am always a little sad returning back from a trip to abroad. In Copenhagen and Stockholm this summer and now in Berlin, I always see such a mature dog culture in the cities.
I say mature because the dog culture in Iceland consists of bans and more bans. We have leash laws which do make sense. It isn't so long since dogs were prohibited in Reykjavik city because of diseases. Today that has changed but there is still a really restrictive list of rules to go by if you get a dog. In short, they are not wanted anywhere. You can walk a leashed dog in most places, except the main walking streets in the city. There are a handful of locations within the city that allow dogs to be off leash. Not in malls, not in stores, not in public transport. If you own an apartment rather than your own house, you need 2/3rds of your neighbours to agree that you can own a specific dog. Yes, they must agree before you get the dog. Less than a year ago you needed 100% of all the other apartment owners to agree, nevermind if it's for no reason other than they don't like you or if the owner of a single apartment in the building happens to be a bank (they never give permission as a standard procedure).

The difference between Icelandic dogs and dogs I have seen in other European cities is vast. Icelandic pet dogs are neurotic and run to sniff whatever passerby they meet. Barking is frequent, many bark at both people and other dogs. They pull their leashes a lot and are generally overexcited.

And why wouldn't they be? They live pretty isolated lives within the walls of their homes. They can't be taken by foot to the stores, it's not allowed to take them in and it's not allowed to leave them tied outside. Of course it's also a liability issue as many Icelandic people think dogs can be approached and petted wherever, whenever.
Another factor is that Iceland has become very car friendly as opposed to the frequent use of public transport in many large European cities. So either dogs go for a leashed walk in their neighbourhood or are driven to some place where they can be let loose, usually that means going somewhere outside the city where no one is.

It's a very big contrast to the dogs I met in Berlin. I met a few in the trains, I saw many in shops and they were also in parks or on the streets. Many were on leashes and some were off leash. I was impressed that most people didn't seem to care there was a dog there and didn't approach them. The dogs were calm, even when meeting other dogs. They were close to their owners and paid attention to what was coming. I didn't see a single neurotic looking dog during my 7 days there and we saw a lot of dogs in public. Below is a picture I took inside an expensive mall in the basement where there was a gourmet food shop. No fuss, no excitement, just a calm dog waiting for his owner.



Another thing I noticed was how much fewer pedigree dogs I saw than here in Iceland. No Border Collie types. I'm actually not sure why they are so common in Iceland, they make horrible pets if you consider the fact that over 75% of all dogs I see being rehomed are Border Collie mixes with the most common description being "needs a country home".

I think the two gentlemen below summon my experience of European city-dogs:



Maybe someday Iceland will stop thinking of dogs as feral creatures that ought to live in the countryside. I often think about what I, as a dog owner, could do to move in that direction apart from the obvious responsible dog ownership I try to practice. Maybe someday I'll find the answer to the question.