Chilly!

The sun puddle in the living room is getting smaller every day as we plunge into the depths of winter. Bender and Barbie are not usually seen so close together...

A doggie date with Mouse at Whiteman Park

Whiteman Park is one of our favorite hang outs and Mouse came along on two trips to Whiteman while she was with us. The area is completely fenced so it is ideal for dogs who haven't quite got the hang of recall yet. Mouse doesn't stray far from her humans so I think her recall will get better rather quickly.

Her family had finally gotten her pretty pink collar, so she gave Barbie's gold spangly one back. I am sure it is the first of many collars this pretty little girl will call her own. You can't have a dog as pretty as that without having accessories for her! 

There was another foster Greyhound there called Steel. I recognised him from his photos on Facebook and he is a very handsome blue brindle boy.

The girls agreed that Steel is a very handsome big boy, though he was definitely a bit aloof, just like Barbie. I tried to get cuddles but he ignored me!

Barbie had a pretty quiet day, I don't think she wanted to run with Steel as she doesn't like to lose her self-made races around the park.

We all laughed at Mouse's cute running style as she ran around and had the time of her life. She didn't seem to mind if anyone else was faster.

I have been playing around with an 'automatic' editing video application on my new tablet, and this was the result of the day's romping.

This is my manually edited video. Which one do YOU like better?

Mouse was a bit overwhelmed when she came in the gate but after she had regained her bearings she recognised me and came bounding over for a cuddle. By the end of the day she was giving everyone else cuddles as well. She is such a sweet girl!

It is so good to see her getting along well in her new home. 

The things ladies have to put up with

Barbie wanted to tell you all that she is being treated very poorly on her walks lately. I'd say it's not really anyone's fault. The problem is Bender. Lately he has become a poop machine.

I couldn't put a picture of him pooing... so here's a cute picture of something he does almost as often - retrieving.

He has taken to dividing his poops up, and going three separate times on a walk. Due to a poop bag shortage, N had to reuse the same bag and do a bit of juggling to get the second poop into the bag.

They reached a street corner, and as is the usual rule, the dogs had to sit before they were allowed to continue across the street.

N: Sit!

Barbie: Yes, sitting! Treat now!

*N hands Barbie a treat*

Barbie: No! No! No!

N: What is wrong?

Barbie: how can you not smell that?

N: What?

Barbie: I can't believe you humans, no sense of smell and blind as a bat too!

N: I still don't know what you are talking about?

Barbie: You have POOP on your fingers!!!

N: Do you want your treat or not?

Barbie: But it has POOP on it!

N: Well, you don't have to eat it.

Barbie: Urrrr, OK

*delicately grabs the treat without touching smelly fingers*

Barbie: OM NOM NOM... can you please wash your hands next time?

Oh Barbie, such a little lady. Bender didn't even notice and took his treat with gusto!

Perth Dog Parks: Jorgensen Park

I have been looking around for new places for us to go now that the beach is not so appealing in winter. I found Jorgensen Park on Weekendnotes.com - we were heading out to the south eastern suburbs of Perth already, so I figured a detour up to Kalamunda on the way back would be just the ticket.

The park used to be a golf course and is located adjacent to Kalamunda National Park. In Australia dogs are not allowed in National Parks, but Jorgensen Park is just as good for a quick hike.

The car park is located on 'Cres Road' so aim for that instead of 'Spring Road' - which is where Google Maps will send you. It is a big park with many trails and one of the very few natural places in the Perth metropolitan area where dogs are allowed off leash.

The rocky trails were a little bit hard on Barbie's feet, but that wasn't a bad thing, we knew that she wouldn't try to do zoomies through the bush with so many rocks around.

As we were walking along, a beautiful Border Collie appeared after running through a thick stand of trees. He had a great time greeting Bender and Barbie, and after probably five minutes he finally seemed to hear his owner, who had been calling him all along. He sprinted back through the bushes to her and Nic had to be quick to call Bender and stop him from following.

They also had fun with a little Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a brown labrador cross looking dog.

Bender and Barbie really liked this park and we will be sure to return there in winter, even though it's quite a drive from our place!

Wordless Wednesday - The Leash Dance (King's Park)

Barbie's Winter Coat - the Foster Dog teaches the House Dog a lesson...

Barbie and Mouse had a great relationship and it was more than I could have hoped for, given that Mouse's trainer did not believe the two 'bitches' would get along. While Barbie showed Mouse the ropes, there was something that Mouse taught Barbie.

When I first got Barbie I bought her a nice soft quilted type coat to wear around the house when it is cold. She was never a huge fan of any kind of clothing and she used to undo the belly strap and wriggle out of it.

Even when we left the dogs in the Paw House kennel through winter while we went to the Tour de France, Barbie refused to wear a coat. The guy at the kennel said she always took them off, and that she preferred to make a nest out of a pile of blankets.

When we had Mouse here, the temperature dropped markedly on a couple of the nights. I pulled Barbie's coat out of the drawer and put it on Mouse. Apparently this was upsetting for Barbie! Mouse could wear her collar, steal her toys, have her bed and her crate, but she wasn't allowed to wear her coat.

Barbie sprinted up to Mouse and nipped at the coat as if she was trying to pull it off her. She then followed Mouse around the house very closely, until Mouse came up on to the couch and sat next to me.

Barbie: Hey! That's mine! Don't you have enough of my things?
Mouse: ...
Me: Be nice, Barbie. Can't you see Mouse is cold?
Mouse: I am little and cold!
Barbie: Hrumph! Maybe I am cold as well, then what happens?
Me: You never liked your coat before. Anyway, Mouse needs it more than you. Mouse is bony and skinny. You have more fat to insulate you.
Barbie: Hmph! That is no way to speak to a lady!!

After Barbie walked off in a huff, she curled up on her bed and did her best to look cold, but she wasn't really.

Tonight Barbie really did look cold, she was curled up in a little ball on the couch and looked a bit sad. I went and got the jacket from the table, and Barbie came sprinting towards me like she does when I pick up her collar and leash. She stood still and let me put it on, and now she is wearing it without any kind of complaint. She looks much more comfortable.

Just a reminder for all my followers, Mouse has a blog at http://mouses-adventures.blogspot.com - head over there for more Mouse goodness. 

Dog Friendly Cafe Review: Botanic Gardens Cafe - Kings Park, Perth

I have to thank Honey and Hsin-Yi for finding this cafe for us. They wrote a blog entry about it well before we got around to visiting. I have been living in Perth for years and they only just moved here, and yet they are finding all these great dog friendly places for us to try.

The Botanic Gardens cafe is located near Fraser's Restaurant on Fraser Avenue. We drove up there at 8.30am and there was plenty of parking, but by the time we left the car park was getting rather full. Before we sat down to breakfast, we took the dogs for a walk around and enjoyed the lovely panoramic views of the Swan River. Bender and Barbie were both very happy to be somewhere new and they got a lot of attention. A group of tourists took photos of them.

As there is a lot of space between the tables there, both Bender and Barbie got to come and try this place out. As it had been raining the night before I bought Barbie a foam camping mat to lie on.

The staff were very dog friendly, and most of the other patrons were too. A lady came over specifically to pat Barbie. She was from Melbourne and missing her Whippets at home. She commented about Barbie's small size and said she looked like a Whippet. She enjoyed the attention, though Bender felt that he should be patted and commenced bouncing and squeaking to get her attention.

We decided that whenever people ask how old Bender is they are expecting us to say he is a puppy, so we will tell them that he is two! 

Barbie didn't really lie down on her camping mat much as she was busy investigating her surroundings, and I think she was a bit cold.

Bender was happy to lie down on the pavers, and they are the nice smooth kind, not rocky or pointy. They will be nice and cool on a summer's day in the shade. 

From a human perspective the only drawback of this cafe is that you have to order at the counter, so you need to have someone to baby sit the dogs while you go and do that. It is a very minor quibble though, as at most cafes you still have to go inside and pay at the end of your meal. I just think the idea would be to sit down, get served and pay the waitstaff from your table. When I find a place that does that I can take Barbie out to a cafe on my own. 

The food was very good, the service was quick and the seating area was comfortable, with a great view.

Parking the car might be an issue, as it sometimes is at King's Park later on in the day on a weekend, but all was quiet at 8.30am when we arrived. 

Human score: 9/10

Barbie tells me that from a dog perspective, it's definitely the kind of cafe where you will get attention from other customers, it's probably not the cafe for a dog not so outgoing around people. 

There is a lot of space around the tables and the staff and other customers are friendly. There would be a nice sea breeze blowing through here in summer, though Barbie told me it was a bit cold on a winter morning. She was happy I bought her a mat to lie on but this time she was asking for a coat as well. You can never please some doggies. 

Bender is not fussy and did not really have any criticisms of the cafe. He just wanted more people to talk to him instead of just wanting to talk to Barbie. He still doesn't understand that if he bounces and squeaks a lot of people get a bit intimidated!

Dog score: 9/10

Wordless Wednesday - Friendly bums

Barbie likes to trot along with other dogs in a companionable way - it's not all high speed playing with her.

Barbie and Honey

Barbie and Mouse

First Severe Weather Warning for May 2013

The rain is coming! I expect we will have some red and maroon patches on the radar this evening!

This is an example of the kinds of warnings our Weather Bureau put out when there is a winter storm on the way:

The passage of the strong cold front Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning may cause LOCALISED DANGEROUS GUSTS in excess of 125 kilometres per hour that could cause SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OR DESTRUCTION TO HOMES AND PROPERTY. Thunderstorms and moderate to heavy falls are also possible.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services advises that people should:

• Store or weigh down loose objects such as outdoor furniture.
• Have an emergency kit with a battery operated radio, torch, spare batteries and first aid kit.
• Ensure pets and animals are in a safe area.
• Move vehicles under cover.
• Boat owners should securely moor their boats.
• Campers should find shelter away from trees, power lines, storm water drains and streams.

When these are issued I am sure glad that my dogs are inside dogs. It means that I don't have to rush home from work in an attempt to beat the storm and let them inside. I don't have to worry about the fences blowing over and the dogs bolting.

We do live in quite a temperate climate here in Perth, and people used to be very blase about these warnings from the Bureau. That was until a so called 'Super Cell' thunderstorm hit Perth in 2011. I was in my CBD office at the time, and we watched out of the windows in wonder as the landscape was quickly obscured by the clouds, heavy rain and massive hail stones pummelled the building. The building got out of it with one cracked window and some minor car park basement flooding. A lot of damage occurred elsewhere though, and the roads were at a standstill as local flooding caused cars to stall. The best news footage from the day was a fellow on a motorcycle, head down, taking the blows from the hail stones on the top of his helmet. His jacket was being pummelled. I bet he was glad for his protective gear that day.

Knowing the dogs were safe inside the house allowed me to stay at work until the worst of the storm had passed.

Every day after we have a storm there is a rush on the 'Lost and Found' pages on Facebook - the vast majority of these dogs find their way home, but there is always a possibility that some won't.

I just hope the habit Australians seem to have of keeping their dogs out in the backyard 24 hours a day is slowly dying out.

And... it worked, Mouse has her very own blog!

I am very happy to announce that Mouse's new family has started blogging about her adventures over at Mouse's House (http://mouses-adventures.blogspot.com.au). Please head on over there and leave a comment in order to welcome them to the blogging world and show them how great us pet bloggers are!

All is Quiet in the House, Nobody is Stirring not even a Mouse...

It is amazing how quiet things are now that both of the fosters are gone. Now I have my four well mannered and compliant pets lounging around the living room. No one is sneaking into the bedrooms to steal socks. No one is jumping up and down on the couch as if it is a trampoline. No one is parading around, tail in the air, begging for my attention.

The first evening I got home from work after Mouse left us, Barbie went outside and searched the yard for her. She certainly likes being around her own kind and we will definitely be fostering more Greyhounds in the future, just for her. 

Bender also misses having someone to play tug of war with. At least Mouse tried to play tug of war. Barbie just runs around and does zoomies - she knows that is a game she can win. 

I sent a text to Mouse's new mumma, checking on how she is going. She is settling in well and her new little brother is apparently being nice. Mouse gets to sleep in human beds and is being totally spoiled with the sounds of things. 

I also got a brief update on Bumblebee - he is doing fine in his new home, and his new dad built him a HUGE scratching post which he loves to laze around on top of. King Bumblebee. That sounds about right. 

Whilst saying goodbye is hard, it is all worth it knowing that we helped these two lovely animals get awesome homes.

I would have loved to have kept Mouse, but it would be selfish of me to try and keep all the awesome dogs I come across. I mean really, I have Bender and Barbie already, there is only so much doggie awesomeness that can fit into one house. 

Wordless Wednesday - Cheeky Mouse

Mouse went to her forever home last night after finally having her stitches out and getting the all clear from the Vet after her spey operation.

The house is so quiet and calm without her wiggling, bouncing and bashing everything with her tail in the morning. Bender and Barbie seem so subdued in comparison. I am going to miss her a lot.

Good luck, sweet cheeky minx!