January 2019 – Page 3 – Viktorsviews. The Next Chapter.

Good. Bad. And Me Too.

January 10, 2019Leave a Comment

I am making up my own crazy calendar day. I am calling today “Better days ahead” day. I actually had a hard time writing this blog – it seems like every time we turn around, there is something bad or sad happening.

Besides government regulations for CBD which are a combination of bad, sad and just plain ridiculous, we also have sad news of ANOTHER canine buddy going to the Rainbow Bridge- because of cancer. We never met him – he lives in the UK. But we have certainly seen lots of wonderful pictures of the sweet- faced PON, Solo, and his “brother” Wookie. And when I say sweet-faced – I am not kidding. And happy-go-lucky besides. He was a truly joyful pup. Although, he DID have the nickname “danger monkey” because according to one of his humans, he liked to “throw himself around, hanging over the edge of beds and sofas, knowing that his humans wouldn’t let him fall.” Thanks to Solo’s human for this photo, which I think you will agree, shows his happy spirit…

My human feels badly when ANYBODY loses a canine kid – but there was something about Solo. Maybe because he was just so CUTE. Maybe because Solo was just 3.5 – and the age reminds my human about her first Bernese, Schubert – who she lost to cancer at 3.5 too. My human followed the story of Solo’s recent health issues – and their search for answers. And it brought back so many memories. Their stories were so similar…. And now they are both running free…Our hearts go out to Solo’s humans. And to Wookie….

OK. Phew. Now we need to focus on Better Days Ahead day. We need some good news.

So here’s an interesting tidbit for dog show people. I’m not sure if it’s GOOD news (especially if you are of the female persuasion) but it IS interesting. Apparently, they did a study in Australia about dog shows- and it was reported about in the publication Psychology Today. Interesting that it was talked about in that publication- I will not make any comments about dog show people needing their heads examined…. Anyway, it seems that the Me Too movement needs to hit the dog show world. JUST KIDDING. Sort of. You see, the researchers found that the sex of dogs influenced the likelihood of winning at a show! And guess what – the BOYS won. They looked at the data on 1080 dogs from 12 different breeds who competed in 18 shows. They found that at the breed level of competition, boys won 62.8% of the time compared to girls at 37.2% of the time.

An even bigger gap was noted at the Group level – where boys won 78.9% of the time and girls won 21.1% of the time. That’s pretty substantial!

They weren’t sure why this happened – but one possibility was that boys are usually bigger – so they might “stand out more.” Plus because girls sometimes lose their coats when they come into season, it takes longer for them to look their best. You can read more details about the article here:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/canine-corner/201901/sex-influences-dogs-likelihood-winning-in-dog-shows

I have NO idea about whether those results would hold true in the performance events – like obedience, rally, herding, agility, drafting, fieldwork….etc. THAT could be an interesting study. Wonder if boys would still come out ahead? Are we as smart as we are handsome? Would we have an advantge?

We three boys certainly have an advtantge over the one female in THIS house. But don’t tell her we said so. She is the only one able to access the dog food…so we do try to stay on her good side. Still-I dream of of being able to open that garage door. Or the REFRIGERATOR. Ah yes. One can dream. Of better days ahead….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 32

CBD. Part 2. Paragraph 53. Appendix Y. Clause 87.

January 9, 2019Leave a Comment

Well, the plot thickens.

THANK YOU to the many people who responded with suggestions, ideas and offers for my CBD dilemma. My human hasn’t been able to answer every message- she was overwhelmed with responses. She will try to do that today.

I know that several of you have offered to send me the product that we were using (from the US) that is no longer available in Canada. The problem is that it would likely be seized at the border. As I understand it, it is not legal to bring it into the country. So we don’t want to do anything illegal. Unfortunately, if you try and read through the government webpages about this… well good luck. My human found a page where it stated that if you have questions about the new law and CBD, to either email or phone. She phoned. Several numbers. And no one could answer her questions because the numbers were call centers. And beyond answering what day of the week it is, they were not helpful. And not dog lovers….

BUT we ARE making some headway. Our friend in The Veterinary Drugs Directorate of Health Canada (the one with the Sheltie) is still working on this for us!!!!! It SEEMS some US companies are posting on their websites that Health Canada has “begun granting personal exemptions to qualifying Canadians. And IF you are approved by Health Canada, you can import their CBD products.” So. Our friend in the Directorate is trying to figure out HOW to get the approval for an exemption. So there is a light out there….

We are not out of our product yet. We probably have a couple of weeks worth. And it APPEARS that some companies within Canada ARE still sellling products…. I’m not sure about the legality of it – and the other thing is being careful about what you are getting. CBD comes in different strengths. It is unlikely I could overdose (as long as the product has no THC) but in my case, the problem is one of underdosing. And then having seizures. So knowing the exact makeup of the product is critical.

My human has some other ideas too….like simply marching into the local Health Canada office with a poster of me. That should get some attention. Just kidding. I think. Better yet – she should TAKE me!!! Heck, she should take ALL of us – for effect. She can threaten to leave us there. They’ll give us whatever we want.

SOMETHING will work out. I have faith!!! Gulp.

Thank you again for ALL your support. You have no idea how much we appreciate it!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 31

Help needed

January 8, 20192 Comments

I have a problem. A BIG problem.

As all of you readers know, I have been battling epilepsy for several years now. And there have definitely been ups and downs. In late 2017/early 2018, I was having seizures every couple of weeks. Then I added a seizure count to my blog – and you could actually see the number.

Well over the last year, my human has learned a lot about Cannabis. As you may recall, back in the fall of 2017, I started out on a product that contained hemp terpenes. But unbeknownst to my human, it didn’t actually contain CBD – which contains medicinal properties. So. After learning a bit more (and she is no pharmacologist – but has found some really good resources – human and print) she switched me over to a product that is not completely unlike the medical CBD oil that some humans take. With an important critical fact -it contains no THC. Now there are people who say that pets CAN have small ratios of THC – but we have not done that – and have had good success with the product we are on. So we don’t really want to change things. I realize I MAY have to change things- but I would like to keep using our current cocktail.

The product I am using is imported to Canada from Colorado and is third party tested – so you know that what they say on the bottle is what you are getting.

https://petreleaf.com/product/cbd-hemp-oil-1700-500mg-active-cbd

It is a hemp product – and a full spectrum product ( meaning they use all parts of the plant) but it does NOT contain THC. So this product contains actual CBD – unlike the first product I was on. And as you may recall, last year I had some very long seizure free stretches – 112 days, 72 days. Yes, I did have some seizures recently – but it is possibly due to two reasons – 1. We had decided with my vet to reduce one of my regular meds (which was causing side effects) and 2. my human had ALSO reduced my CBD. Why reduce my CBD? Because in October, Cannabis became legal in Canada. Yup the law changed. So what’s the problem? Well the CBD hemp derived product that WAS legal before (we were not buying this stuff in the back of somebody’s car in a a dark parking lot – it was fully available on the web) is now no longer legal. It cannot be imported. The distributor is no longer able to sell her product.

You have no idea how many hours my human has spent in trying to get this sorted out. Calls to Health Canada. Calls and emails to the Veterinary branch of Health Canada. As I understand it, it boils down to government control. And when they wrote the new legalization law – they thought about pot, but didn’t think much about CBD oil from hemp. And hemp derived full spectrum products. And how they would be controlled. They are apparently looking at this – but it literally could take a year or more to get figured out. Really. So what are we supposed to do until then?

Part of the challenge is the lack of controlled scientific evidence with pets- from a veterinary standpoint. And my human is all about science. Let’s face it, our experience is anecdotal. My human is NOT interested in taking me off the prescribed medications I am on, because she understands the need for those drugs. But we also know that epilepsy can be a very hard thing to control. Refractory seizures – where you essentially get “used to” the drugs you are on – so the meds are no longer effective – is a real possibility. When my human talked to my vet about adding the CBD last year, she basically said we have nothing to lose. We are running out of drug options. So while I cannot prove that the CBD is essential – I can certainly provide evidence that in combination with my prescription drugs – we have had our longest seizure free periods. Why did my human start to reduce the CBD? Because we can’t get it now!!! Right now I am down to my last bottle which will probably last a few more weeks.

We did make contact with one very nice woman in the government veterinary medicine department who was very empathetic to my problem. She has a Sheltie. She’s a dog lover. She gets it. So she has offered to help – as much as she can.

Of course the Canadian distributor of the product at Dogs of Pride is also working VERY hard at trying to fix this. She has reportedly hundreds of dogs/ customers across the country using this product for a variety of conditions. She is planning a media campaign – and has been tirelessly contacting government agencies since September. To no avail yet. Yes, she has received responses – but no answers or solutions.

If anyone knows or has contacts with people in the government who could help – or people in the media- PLEASE send me a message. My human is looking at this little bottle and watching it go down every day…

This story will be continued…

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 30

Down the hatch

January 7, 2019Leave a Comment

OK. So you know how I have this bad habit of chewing on pillowcases. And eating dryer lint. Well over the Christmas holidays, my human heard about a dog who has an even WORSE eating habit.

My human was at a party on our road and of course, since the neighbors are all pretty much aware of our bad behavior, the discussion turned to dogs. We have run through most neighbors’ yards by now. At one point or anther. Anyway, my human was talking to the neighbors who were owned by our old buddy Hudson. And they told this story which made my dryer lint habit look like nothing.

But before we get to that, we can’t forget about some other bad eating habits. Like when Paxton ate my human’s sling when she broke her wrist. Yup. The WHOLE sling. More than two feet of fabric. He had to have surgery to have it removed. And then there was another Bernese who ate a mitten. And that also needed surgery. Now before the negative Nellies start saying that my human is not aware of where she has put things – you need to understand that these guys were SUPER fast at grabbing things. Like magicians. And trust me – the LAST thing she ever wants is to see a dog having surgery for eating something bad. A search of the internet yields stories of dogs eating rocks, socks, needles and even a steak knife. That’s why the door to the laundry room is promptly shut – and the dryer lint is now quickly removed from the trash. She has not yet given up sleeping with pillows though….

Which brings me to our current story. It took place in Texas. It seems our neighbor’s uncle was out with the family Fido walking on a golf course – just like we do. And while they were out, the wife said she saw the dog swallow a GOLF BALL! The dog seemed fine, and the husband was reportedly skeptical, but they took Fido, a Labrador to the vet just to check things out. The vet examined the dog and decided to do an X-ray – even though Fido seemed fine. Get ready for the X-ray….

So a bit of a mistake. Not A golf ball. Fido had eaten SIX golf balls!!!! SIX. Needless to say, Fido needed surgery and is now fine. And I would imagine no longer walking on golf courses. Is that CRAZY or what?

There is a strange comfort in knowing that there are dogs who can manage to get in an equal amount of trouble as we do. OK. Maybe not EQUAL – but still – we are not alone. And with the exception of the dryer lint and the pillowcases, we generally don’t eat anything that isn’t truly edible. Oh right – I DID eat the bananas WITH the peels – but that WAS organic. And they thankfully slid right through ( if you know what I mean).

The joys of being owned by a dog… Fore!!!!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 29

Happy and sad.

January 6, 2019Leave a Comment

Tough day yesterday. And for a change, it didn’t have anything to do with us being bad…

You know, the internet is a weird thing. Now that’s a profound statement. You can quote me. Anyway, people are able to connect on the web- and suddenly become friends. Like the old fashioned pen pals back in the Dark Ages when my human was a kid. Back then, you would WRITE to someone you never met (I understand that young people don’t even know HOW to WRITE in cursive nowadays!) and share stories of your lives. Mind you, you had to wait a while for updates because you relied on the postal service to deliver your secrets and your stories – and in some cases it could be weeks. The story could actually change by the time it got to your pen pal.

Today you can flip on your computer, tablet or phone and instantly find out the news of your friend a world away. And while you have never met, you still have this “connection” where you genuinely share in their joys and their sorrows. You can also give them advice (if they want it!) and share your own experiences that relate to what is happening in their lives. In the crazy dog world cult, people share everything from food ideas, to ideas about toys (yes!), recipes for treats, obedience suggestions (which WE clearly need), show results and health issues.

In the past couple of days, at least two of our faraway internet friends have had bad news. One was the loss of Sophie, a PON who had an acute medical problem while her humans were on an amazing vacation- literally on the other side of the globe. Our hearts go out to them.

The second friend just learned that her PON has a very serious medical problem. They have left no stone unturned to diagnose this puzzle. No one knows exactly what the future will look like. But for now, they will take and appreciate every day. It’s times like those that you can reach out to your internet friends- but you cannot touch them. You cannot give them that big hug that they probably could use. You hope that you can touch them with words – and in knowing that you truly do feel their pain…

On a lighter note…today is the Epiphany- or the Feast of the Three Kings. Every year I look at the calendar and think it’s a special day for us three canines – because let’s face it- we ARE kings. We rule this place. But Einstein always explains that it’s about Baby Jesus and the kings that visited him. Many refer to it as Little Christmas. You know…I wonder why Baby Jesus didn’t have a dog. Hmmmm….

Oh – and getting back to our story about internet friends… my human received a lovely card and note in the mail the other day – all the way from France- from one of my loyal blog readers- Dominique! It is so much fun to open your mailbox and get something other than bills! A hand written note these days is truly a treasure.

And then the next day, when she came home there was a parcel by the door. And in it were some homemade cookies for her. AND – some treats for us boys! I have to tell you, the FG, as we know, is Mr Picky when it comes to food and treats. But he GOBBLED these treats right up! Thanks to Vince and Jean for thinking of us too!

So a happy and sad blog. But at the heart of it is friendship- no matter how close or how far. Remember to treasure those friends – near and far- who can really be more valuable than gold, frankincense or myrrh….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 28

Good dog goes rogue

January 5, 2019Leave a Comment

Well, well, well. It’s about time. Someone got in trouble – and here’s a clue – it wasn’t me or the FG. And I must say I am feeling just a little bit smug about the whole thing. Frankly, I have been feeling a BIT tired about hearing how “good” Einstein is. He poses wherever my human wants. He doesn’t need a leash in the morning because HE won’t take off. He comes when my human calls. He poops on command. Bla Bla. Bla. Well, yesterday he pulled a REALLY good one. Or bad one from my human’s point of view.

We went out for super short walks around the house in the morning in the dark because it is still crazy icy out. The FG went out first on a leash and did his thing. Then Einstein and I went out. He wasn’t on a leash – but yours truly was. My human instructed Einstein to “hurry up” and he quickly complied. I take longer because I have to sniff the ground for any wildlife that may have been through the night before. We went back in the house for breakfast. All was going perfectly. The FG even ate ALL his breakfast! AND it was Friday.

Before my human leaves for work she always takes us for a quick pee. And of course, I’m always on leash. And usually for this venture, Einstein is also on leash – because my human doesn’t have time to goof around. But yesterday, she didn’t bother…. I did my thing and Einstein went up the side of the driveway, out of sight. My human called him and she FULLY expected him to come racing back. She called again. No Einstein. Now she couldn’t walk up there to get him because there was a dusting of snow – and she KNEW there were patches of ice underneath – and she wouldn’t be able to see them. She called again. No Einstein. She took me in the house and brought the FG out, still expecting the good dog to materialize. Nope. She put the FG in the house after he peed and went in the garage to get the car. She expected that when he heard the automatic garage door open, he would come flying back. Nope. OK. Now steam is coming out her ears. She drives up to the closest neighbors’ house who she knows are currently away. What she DOESN’T realize is that underneath that dusting of snow, their driveway is sheer ice. As she put her foot on the brake as she approaches the house, she continues to slide toward their garage. She throws the car out of drive and shuts her eyes. She stops short of the garage. She figures that Einstein has taken the shortcut to the next neighbors’ house. She gets out of the vehicle and of course looks like Bambi on ice. Make that Rudolph. She’s not as small or delicate as Bambi. She creeps slowly to the path between the two houses and looks in the next yard. No sign of the runaway. She creeps back to the car and slowly turns it around the the driveway. And as she gets in the car, she hears barking.

She drives up to the ROAD and here comes Mr. GOOD dog. Two neighbors are walking on the road – the same two who spotted the FG during HIS escape. Einstein had been barking at THEM – and because they were thankfully heading back toward our house – he ran ahead of them. My human jumped out of the vehicle – and Einstein looked at her sheepishly. Good look for a Herding dog. She called him over and tossed him into the crate in the back of Ludwig. She asked the neighbors where they first spotted him. Apparently – he was WAY down the road at another neighbors’ place. They said he was having a grand time running around. They made my human feel SLIGHTLY better ( keep in mind, this is the SECOND time these same neighbors have seen runaways from our house) by telling her that they are currently dog sitting for two Cavaliers – and the day before, the GOOD dog took off too. Must be something in the air.

We all get a treat before my human goes out the door. Einstein didn’t get one. The FG and and I just smiled at each other.

Never a dull moment. Ever.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 27

Ice roll

January 4, 2019Leave a Comment

Well we are getting tired of this icy weather. Our walks have been VERY short lately. My human even wears her boots with the spikes and carries a walking stick. But really, none of those are enough ammunition when a Picard wants to RUN on the ice. Oh my – good thing our neighbors aren’t THAT close. Although I suspect they heard the shouting.

At the same time, you have the walk and roll PON. Einstein hits the ground and ROLLS. On purpose. And this is basically on a very icy surface – it’s not fluffy snow. When my human first spotted him in the dark the other morning as we were coming in from our walk – she did a double take. I was with her ON leash (no chance I can take off in the morning) – but for ONE split second- she thought it was me having a seizure. She was thrilled to realize it wasn’t ME (besides I was ON a leash!) – and it was just Einstein going crazy. Feet were flying and he was a-rolling. And yesterday I joined in – getting my legs all tangled in the leash. It was quite the sight watching her try to balance, hold onto her walking stick, and untangle a rolling PON. Who went right back at it as soon as I was untangled.

We haven’t heard any coyotes for a few weeks – but we know they are out there. And speaking of which – my human came across THIS story. I looked to see if I talked about this before – and I MAY have – but even so – it is worth repeating. Check out this attire:

http://www.wafb.com/2019/01/03/punk-dog-vests-serve-deter-coyotes-dog-owner-believes/

Can you SEE us PONs and the FG in these outfits? Thankfully at $100, she can’t find them at the Dollar Store. Imagine trying to roll in THOSE.

It’s Friday! Let the weekend begin!!!!
Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 26

Alaska

January 3, 2019Leave a Comment

January 3. And on this day in 1959, Alaska was the 49th state to be admitted to the US. Someone once said that you can see Russia from there. I’m not so sure about that….

But let’s talk about dogs and Alaska. Do you know the state dog? Of COURSE you do – it’s the Alaskan Malamute. Although the breed dates back thousands of years, they were not actually recogized as the state dog until 2010. Here are some cool facts about the breed in Alaska:

https://www.graylinealaska.com/blog/10-facts-alaskan-malamute-states-official-dog/

It seems approriate that the company who posted those facts is a tour company – because really, Malamutes were the original tour operators in the state, when you think about their history. I knew about their work in transporting people all over the state, but I didn’t know about their role in WWI in France! Or that they were used as sniffer dogs in WWII.

They certainly ARE beautiful dogs – but as I understand, not for everyone. They shed a LOT because of their thick undercoat. They are also not reportedly very sociable with strangers – but they are outgoing and loving with people they know. Without exercise, or things to do, they can be destructive. They are bored easily – so obedience training CAN be a BIT of a challenge. They also reportedly have quite a prey drive. Lots to think about and research if you are interested in this beautiful breed.

What else about dogs and Alaska….Well did you know that Alaska has had a state Kennel Club since 1947? They have three All Breed Clubs in the state ( that’s when a city or region has a club for all different breeds) and they have a number of specialty clubs ( basically clubs focusing on a specific breed – like the Alaska Labrador Retriever Club or clubs with a specific purpose – like the Alaska Herding Group Club or the Juneau Agility Club). I found at least 28 specialty clubs listed in Alaska. That seems like a pretty good number, given their population!

And what would you THINK is the most popular breed in the state? The Malamute? The Siberian Husky? Nope. The Labrador. German Shephers are # 2 and Goldens rank #3. The Sibe and Malamutes DID make the top 10 – and that is where they differ from stats in the rest of the US.

We’ve talked about the Iditarod sled dog race before – which takes place in Alaska. Here’s a link to their site if you want to know more about it. https://iditarod.com/race/2019/mushers/

So that’s your Alaska dog lesson for today. According to the Alaska Kennel Club homepage, their next dog show is March 23-24 in Anchorage. I’m not sure we’ll make it – although it could be fun to visit Alaska. It’s on my human’s bucket list. Wonder if there will be any PONs and Picards competing. Let me know if you are!

Have a good one. Peace and Paws up.
Seizure free days: 25

A special day

January 2, 2019Leave a Comment

Well the New Year started off special. With a special weather statement. I’ve talked about this before- special in most other contexts signals something unique or good. Like a special dessert. But when humans pair special with weather, it is not a good thing. If it’s going to be a rain free sunny day – they never call it a special day. Noooooo. But if snow, followed by freezing rain and then rain is forecast- THAT’S special. So we had a special day to kick off 2019. It began snowing before we got up- and it continued until early afternoon. And then the rain started. So no LONG walks because it was wet snow – and icy underneath.

In addition, my human decided to do the Christmas implosion. Christmas came down. So that means we are left to our own devices to entertain ourselves while she painstakingly packs up all the decorations. She was at it for HOURS. Talk about boring.

Then when she finally finished putting stuff away, she had to go out and clean the luge run. The plow guy came- but before it stopped snowing and before it started raining. So the driveway now had a two inch coating of slush. No big deal- except the temperatures are forecast to drop – leaving a special icy coating. Like a skating rink.

Einstein and I were allowed to run around outside while my human started shoveling. And all was good until she spotted me making my way up the driveway to head for parts unknown. “Hey” she shouted “get back here.” Busted. The end of my escape plan. We were put in the house while she continued her job.

By the time she came in, she could barely walk. Her back was sore, her legs were sore – she was a pitiful sight. No long walks yesterday at all.

And today she goes back to work. Christmas holidays are OVER. Back to guard duty. Yawn.

BUT there is a light at the end of the agility tunnel. She retires at the end of this month!!!! So it will be like permanent Christmas holidays! Without the tree. And the decorations. And the antlers…Now THAT sounds incredible!!!!!!!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 24

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2019Leave a Comment

Happy New Year! Welcome 2019. 365 potential opportunities ahead to do something good.

One resolution this year is to get my human moving! That candy from Halloween, 2015, has had LONG lasting effects- so this is THE year to get a whole new fit human. We may have to trade her in for a new model. JUST KIDDING. But her health is our priority. We will be SURE she is up early every morning….and takes us for LONGER walks once she retires!

Another resolution is to make my blog and Instagram grow. But I haven’t quite figured out how to do that. I suggested my human take selfies with us and she should dress like some kind of social media/reality TV show star. I can think of one who has like a gazillion followers and her claim to fame is essentially having a “unique” family. We could do that. We’re unique. My human said that her dressing up in skimpy outfits would end our social media career. She suggested WE dress up. That changed my mind about the whole dress up idea….

Another resolution is to take fewer photos of us dogs. That’s my resolution. Clearly not my human’s… As IF that would ever happen..

I’m going to resolve to stop eating pillowcases. But dryer lint is still fair game.

My human has a resolution to meet more of my blog readers in 2019! She met a number of local peeps last year – and then we got to meet Flicka the Picard and his humans when they were visiting Nova Scotia from the US. I’m not quite sure how she plans to do this….it could require some travel!!

Whatever resolutions you have – make them attainable. And every day, take time to be thankful for at least one thing that went well or one good thing in your life. Focus on the positive aspects of your day. If you’re grasping for something- ask yourself if your dog(s) had a good poop. That’s always a good fallback if everything else in your day was bad. And if THAT didn’t go well either, then you have really had a crappy day. Pun intended. But the fact that you have a roof over your head, running water and food – well that’s always something to be thankful for. And if you’re owned by a dog – you REALLY have something every day to be grateful for. Even when they eat dryer lint.

Cheers to 2019!

Have a great one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days:23