Notes from Here and There

"Um. Excuse us but iz... Iz that brocky you are cutting up? Because we like brocky."

Mmmmmm brockystem for Cricket!!

Thistle also like brockystemzzzz!!

And Ravy Gravy also like brockystemzzzzz!!

Miss Raven also likes to be squozen.

Cricket has always been a cuddler.

Thistle does not get squozen. She gets Respectful Petting. It is funny how cute she is though, and her personality does not match the cuteness at all. Her breeder/musher says that she may appear to be "sweet, soft and snuggly but really, she could chew nickels and spit nails." That makes me laugh! It's a perfect description. Even now, at 13, she will not slack off from her duties on the trail and around the house.

She's on Librela now. It's a new drug that's only recently been approved in the U.S. for pain management in elder arthritic dogs (NOT, it should be stressed, for young dogs), and it's been working miracles around Fairbanks, which has, as you may well imagine, a very large population of retired athletic dogs who are otherwise in great shape but have joint and muscle pain. Thistle's been on it for just over a month, and it seems to work well! It was difficult to tell at first, because her shoulder gimpiness was intermittent, but now it's been over a month and I have not seen her limp since! And--best sign of all--she now insists on accompanying Raven and me for Raven's 2nd and 3rd walks of the day! Cricket usually opts to remain on the couch, which is fine because she gets in her morning run.

It's also great not to have to stress out Miss Thistle's liver with Rimadyl, especially since she no longer has a spleen to help process it.

It's a monthly injection, but unlike Adequan, you aren't allowed to do it at home. So Thistle has a monthly vet tech appointment now. I also have them trim her nails because hey, if we are here monthly, why not outsource the struggle? She does not appear to be any less stressed, but I am less stressed. Hahahaha. Raven and Cricket but accept nail trimmings with dignity, so just think, I will not struggle to trim a dog's nails again for a very long time!

I got some skijoring video the other day. Look at my Goodest Good Girls!

Ravey Gravy's skijoring training is going great! After I unhooked Cricket, she successfully went "on by" a pair of loose dogs All By Herself! First time! They looked friendly, and bouncy too, which is exactly her type she likes to engage, so she was definitely displaying discipline! She has now successfully on-by'ed: People, meese, squirrels, loose stranger dogs. The only thing she cannot resist now is a dog who is already a Friend, but I can hardly blame her for that! I mean when I'm walking around campus and see a friend, I stop and visit for a bit, too But wouldn't it be comical if I shouted "ON BY!" and marched on past? I ought to try that on days when I'm not feeling sociable.