I had to buy another replacement memory card for my camera yesterday. I finally gave up searching and admitted to myself I had lost the other one I bought before ever being able to use it. I was being stubborn about giving up the search because my last memory of the card was when I decided I should insert it into the camera to not lose it... d'oh.
So I bought a new one and decided to not just think smart but act smart and now the new one is inside the camera. Yay!
I need to go out soon and snap some pictures of Bella. She's now safe to let loose in our normal area just outside the city. 3 minute drive from our home.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
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.
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:
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.
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.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Twilight Tracking
Me and my son went to lay some tracks for Bella tonight before it got dark. I took some videos and totally forgot to turn the camera correctly but I did remember to turn the flash on. I have been buying a lot of reflective gear for the winter so Bella is almost invisible due to reflective light in the video.
I laid out three short tracks but the second two had some turns in them. The video below is from track number two. I'm pleased with how she worked that one.
Track three was a bit of a mess, I forgot where exactly I had left it and was distracted from trying to record Bella tracking it, Bella got distracted as well and started marking (the peemail kind!). I stopped my attempts of recording and started fresh from the start with my full attention. I don't think Bella went the right way but she ended in the right spot so it wasn't a failure. But it taught me that perhaps it's better to focus on the job at hand.
Yesterday I downloaded a book on tracking, Making Scents of Tracking by Deborah R. Davis. I don't actually know much about this kind of work but would like to know a lot more. Finding books proved a little tough as I don't really know what exactly I was looking for and some I found that looked somewhat promising didn't get very good reviews. I'll see if this one sheds some light on the sport.
I laid out three short tracks but the second two had some turns in them. The video below is from track number two. I'm pleased with how she worked that one.
Track three was a bit of a mess, I forgot where exactly I had left it and was distracted from trying to record Bella tracking it, Bella got distracted as well and started marking (the peemail kind!). I stopped my attempts of recording and started fresh from the start with my full attention. I don't think Bella went the right way but she ended in the right spot so it wasn't a failure. But it taught me that perhaps it's better to focus on the job at hand.
Yesterday I downloaded a book on tracking, Making Scents of Tracking by Deborah R. Davis. I don't actually know much about this kind of work but would like to know a lot more. Finding books proved a little tough as I don't really know what exactly I was looking for and some I found that looked somewhat promising didn't get very good reviews. I'll see if this one sheds some light on the sport.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
More Camera Woes
The memory card for my camera broke and they are so ridiculously expensive in Iceland that I will rather order one from abroad.
I was rather sad as I missed a nice photo opportunity when me and Bella met two Labradors two days ago. We don't often meet other dogs as Bella can get insanely insecure but this meeting went well in gorgeous camera perfect weather.
However I had to leave after a while as the dogs were getting more and more aggressive about sniffing Bella which was clearly starting to freak her out. It confirmed my suspicion that she's due to go into heat soon. Which got me thinking if I should go ahead early next year and have her spayed. I wasn't going to even if I had decided I didn't want to breed her but not being able to let her loose for almost two months a year is a lot of time spent not playing frisbee.
I was rather sad as I missed a nice photo opportunity when me and Bella met two Labradors two days ago. We don't often meet other dogs as Bella can get insanely insecure but this meeting went well in gorgeous camera perfect weather.
However I had to leave after a while as the dogs were getting more and more aggressive about sniffing Bella which was clearly starting to freak her out. It confirmed my suspicion that she's due to go into heat soon. Which got me thinking if I should go ahead early next year and have her spayed. I wasn't going to even if I had decided I didn't want to breed her but not being able to let her loose for almost two months a year is a lot of time spent not playing frisbee.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
That Evil Ribbon
Normally I am very respectful of the fact that my Bella is a dog who prefers not to be handled. We have a good thing going on where she doesn't mess with anyone in the home and in turn I make sure she gets to be free from harassment.
The only downside for Bella is that I sometimes can't contain myself. I sometimes pick her up just to hear that unevitable heave of sigh. I hug her just to get the exact same reaction. Yeah, Bella's not the cuddly little lapdog type. That's perfectly fine with me.
Then sometimes I take a step further. Not always intentionally. The other day was one of those days where my poor Border Terrier got more than she bargained for when me and son found a ribbon. It was an innocent enough idea putting it on. We didn't expect the huge reaction we got!
The only downside for Bella is that I sometimes can't contain myself. I sometimes pick her up just to hear that unevitable heave of sigh. I hug her just to get the exact same reaction. Yeah, Bella's not the cuddly little lapdog type. That's perfectly fine with me.
Then sometimes I take a step further. Not always intentionally. The other day was one of those days where my poor Border Terrier got more than she bargained for when me and son found a ribbon. It was an innocent enough idea putting it on. We didn't expect the huge reaction we got!
Going away, throwing herself down and 'yawning' - "What is this torture decvie??"
"I've lost a piece of my soul"
Waiting and hoping
"I only look like I'm fine with this since this is my blind side."
"I really hate my life right now"
"I'm going to lie here in a bad mood until this horrible thing has been removed"
I removed the ribbon after taking these photos, I don't really enjoy making her get this upset unless I really need to. But her huge expressions do put a smile on my face, when it's over something as harmless as a ribbon.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Bella vs the Wobbler
So I'm pregnant again.
There, I've said it. 16 weeks finished out of 40. While I should be living a normal life wondering about things like if I'm showing or not, I have instead spent the last few weeks wallowing in self pity over not being able to go out and walk, run or bike as I'm used to. I went on a 10-15 minute walk yesterday and I was punished for it.
I have got a condition called Symphisis Pubis Dysfunction, or SPD, where the ligaments in my hips get too lose and causes my hip bones to be moving too much. It causes pain. If I do too much I can start limping. Last pregnancy I was using crutches in the last two months and this time around I've already been adviced to use them at home. Ugh! I have got a maternity support belt to try to hold my hips together, I do physiotherapy twice a week and have already had to reduce my work to 50%. All this combined seems to be helping, I've stopped wallowing and am now out of the constant pain zone and am starting to enjoy life again.
This of course is not very fortunate for Bella, well except the fact I'm staying at home more. I am trying to find out how to entertain her and activate her here at home, for example by teaching her to clean up like I posted on two posts ago.
I also bought two Kong toys, a Kong Extreme and a Kong Wobbler.
The Wobbler is a food dispenser for those not familiar with it and it makes Bella jump around like a stag when I pick it up. She loves it.
There, I've said it. 16 weeks finished out of 40. While I should be living a normal life wondering about things like if I'm showing or not, I have instead spent the last few weeks wallowing in self pity over not being able to go out and walk, run or bike as I'm used to. I went on a 10-15 minute walk yesterday and I was punished for it.
I have got a condition called Symphisis Pubis Dysfunction, or SPD, where the ligaments in my hips get too lose and causes my hip bones to be moving too much. It causes pain. If I do too much I can start limping. Last pregnancy I was using crutches in the last two months and this time around I've already been adviced to use them at home. Ugh! I have got a maternity support belt to try to hold my hips together, I do physiotherapy twice a week and have already had to reduce my work to 50%. All this combined seems to be helping, I've stopped wallowing and am now out of the constant pain zone and am starting to enjoy life again.
This of course is not very fortunate for Bella, well except the fact I'm staying at home more. I am trying to find out how to entertain her and activate her here at home, for example by teaching her to clean up like I posted on two posts ago.
I also bought two Kong toys, a Kong Extreme and a Kong Wobbler.
The Wobbler is a food dispenser for those not familiar with it and it makes Bella jump around like a stag when I pick it up. She loves it.
Noms!
The only problem is that she is SO GOOD at it! It takes her maximum five minutes to empty it. I was hoping for a little more engagement! I did try sealing a part of the hole and it took her about two more minutes that way. I need to seal an even bigger part of the hole.
Oh, and those that noticed on the second picture how long Bella's claws are, this is a work in progress. One tiny snip at a time. I drew blood last month and I'm trying to get to a point where we don't have to do this fighting one another.
Monday, September 24, 2012
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 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.
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.
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