Mega-Update

Ok, yeah, it's been a while since I've written anything here, and admittedly this blog is not my top priority -- especially when I'm as busy as I've been lately. Dogwalkers live mostly in three dimensions, and the last day off I had was June 8th. Not that I'm complaining (alright, not much!); I'll be grateful when I hit the inevitable dry spell.

I have been doing a lot of petsits lately, starting with Lucky, Ali and Mooschi.





These are three former hard-luck cases who have found a wonderful and loving home in Park Slope, with the support of each other and their 2 legged caretaker.

Lucky is a former racing greyhound who had the fortune of a relatively low prey drive. Since he showed less interest than the other greyhounds in chasing the stuffed rabbit around the track, he made it out of that racket at about 2 and a half years old, instead of suffering for another 2 or 3 years. At 13 years old, he has developed some fairly serious health issues; lumbosacral stenosis (which is a narrowing of the end of the spinal canal, which compresses the nerves found there); laryngeal paralysis, which makes it difficult for him to breathe sometimes and causes him to become overheated; and irritable bowel syndrome (basically a very sensitive digestive system -- he's on a prescription diet and could have epic diahrea otherwise). He also has only four teeth remaining (but they're the ones that count!) and his laryngeal paralysis is probably the result of an oversized tube inserted into his throat during dental surgery a few years ago.

All that said though, Lucky is in excellent emotional health and not in nearly as much pain as he could be given all of his ailments. Despite LS, he has a very healthy appetite, and he is incredibly social, both with his poodle and his human friends. He loves to go on walks, although he doesn't go very far anymore, and he's even been known to do the occasional sprint. At 13 he's doing pretty darn well, I'd say!

Ali (pronounced Allie) and Mooschi are both also rescued dogs. Ali came to her present home when she was just 21 weeks old, but still shows signs from her early traumas. She was sickly and emaciated when she arrived, and she often won't eat unless fed by hand. She's also rather wary of strangers and quick to warn of danger. Mooschi was obtained through a poodle rescue service in order to give Ali some canine company (they both have seniority on Lucky), and although she is very warm and loving towards all people (she's actually a therapy dog!) she's also picked up the habit of eating by hand at times.

Following my stay in residence with those three, I spent a few days with Ralph. As you might recall his mother, Riko, passed away recently. Ralph doesn't seem to have changed all that much, with one notable exception. At 14 years old, he's finally becoming socialized with other dogs! At the moment, that seems to be restricted to dogs about his size who are not too playful - he still gets nervous and defensive sometimes - but it's still a monumental step for him. And physically, Ralph is still in the prime of his life.



Another dog who's been showing signs that he can be socialized is Igwe. You'll recall that he was trained for fighting, and that I've managed to communicate to him that that is not what to do with other dogs. He recently met my friends puppy in a controlled situation, and while he showed no real signs of aggression he didn't know quite what he should do. He was very interested and excited, and with a lot of time, work and attention I'm convinced he can be helped along. Sadly though, I'm not sure that's an investment his owner is willing to make.

I'm currently staying with Kenny and Joya, which is old hat by now, and also watching a new dog for part of that time, named Duke.

Duke is a 7 year old mixed breed dog (pit bull and boxer, maybe?) with a happy-go-lucky approach to the world. He gets along with everybody as far as I can tell - canine, feline, simian - and lives for the simple pleasures in life - playing, food and company.

Next week I'm back to my full schedule but I'll try to check in here as much as I can. And, oh, if you've been reading along with me this long, you might want to check out my new flickr page. Most of my dogs are on there, as well as whatever else catches my eye. Just what I need -- something else to update rarely!

So that every mouth can be fed

That's two petsits done and one to go. I miss my home but love all my dogs (not to mention that fish -- gorgeous!).

We have what is potentially New York's first heat wave of the year, starting, oh, right about now. Make sure to keep your animals hydrated, and follow these other safety tips too!

Don't let the TV be your only petsitter!

I'm doing quite a lot of petsitting these days, spending more time in Park Slope then in my own home, most of it with dogs with serious psychological and physical health conditions. As you know I'm spending time with Riko and Ralph, and also in the schedule is Kenny and Joya; and Lucky, Ali and Mooschi, to whom I'll introduce you later.

When dog owners go on vacation we're usually presented with the choice of boarding our pets or having a trusted person stay with them in our homes. For some dogs it may not make a whole lot of difference, but for most of the ones I've been familiar with in my life it's a lot more comfortable to stay in a familiar environment and follow the routine they are used to. For rescued dogs it can even be an imperative, and besides Kenny all of the dogs I'll be staying with have had some sort of traumatizing experience.

It's been really hard with Riko especially, this time around. I've mentioned how she lost her sight and her health deteriorated subsequently, but I think that now advanced senility has come into the picture. Most of the day and night she just sleeps, but she'll struggle to her feet in search of food or the yard from time to time. She doesn't respond to her own name anymore, let alone any commands or other words she used to know, and she doesn't even respond to being pet. She was always very intelligent and affectionate, and for a time after losing her sight became even more so, but now she doesn't seem to even be in her body anymore. There were signs of this when I walked her and Ralph for a week a few months back, but I was in denial of it then. Now, I miss her and I feel like I lost my chance to say goodbye.

Kenny and Joya are up next, and after Joya's recent cancer scare (long story short, there was no cancer - maybe I'll tell the whole story another time), I feel confident that they are both still in the prime of their lives.

By the way, the dog in the first picture is Brixton, a 9 year old boxer who I walk from time to time.

And here is Riko, as she spends most of her time these days, sleeping.

Always on call...

and very glad for it to be so...especially today, since Kenny and Joya's apartment was visited by the exterminator! I got them out of the house pronto and we had a great time going for a stroll through the Slope for a couple hours. I found a flatware tray I've needed for a while along with a few kitschy old horror movies, and the spring weather was invigorating, body and soul. The dogs really enjoyed the beautiful weather too; they took full advantage and did tons of socialization. They were both really happy to be out of the house, and enthusiastic to return to a familiar place no longer in flux.

I won't say going sometimes a month between days off isn't tough, but I should get one tomorrow and, on the whole it balances out. I'm fortunate enough to be supported by doing what I love, even with enough time to maintain a blog on the side. And after all, I can always catch Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me tomorrow!


Here they are afterwords, all pooped out in their moth-free home.