About My Best Friend

I am the luckiest person in the world! No I didn’t win the lotto, but I did win when I Jesse James entered my life. I wouldn’t trade him for a hundred winning lotto tickets or anything else; he’s priceless! He’s also my best friend!

The first time I met Jesse was when I went in to apply for dog grooming school. Upon entering the admin office, one of the first things I saw a playpen, with three five-week-old Shih Tzu puppies playing inside. I walked up to get a better look at the puppies, and this adorable little boy ran up to greet me. We looked into each other’s eyes and it was love at first sight! There was just something about Jesse; I knew we were meant to be together. I told his breeder I wanted that puppy, but they wanted to show him. I was heartbroken, because from the moment I saw him, I felt like he was my dog! I can’t begin explain the connection I felt, but I was so drawn to Jesse. On my lunch breaks, I’d try to run over to the admin office to visit with him. When Jesse got old enough to come to the school for grooming, something a Shih Tzu needs often, I would volunteer to do him. I just wanted to spend time with him.

Then, one happy day, I overheard a conversation that totally changed my life. His breeder was discussing Jesse’s bite, which was too far off for him to finish showing well. She said she was going to sell him as a pet. My heart skipped a beat or two, and I had to catch my breath, before I could say, “I want him!” That was one of the happiest days of my life! Jesse and I have been almost inseparable ever since.

Jesse James is the perfect dog, at least to me! Jesse is very easy-going and friendly. Sometimes he’s too friendly… To Jesse any open door is an invitation to walk right on in; I’ve met many of my neighbors that way, LOL. Jesse loves people, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and the list goes on and on. He is so full of joy and love he attracts others to him. The fact that’s he’s too cute for words helps too.

I could go on and on forever about how much I love my Jesse James. Instead I’ll close by saying…

Jesse is the definition of unconditional love. He makes me laugh everyday, and I cherish every minute I spend with him! He brings me, and many others, immense joy and great comfort. Jesse shows me how to relax and enjoy the moment. And he teaches me how to love just being alive!

Jesse has given me so much more than I could ever repay with all the best food, treats, healthcare, toys, or whatever he needs and wants, in the world. But I try… after all; he’s my best friend!

Hot Fun in the Summertime?

I have to say, from a dog walker’s point of view this has been a great summer! In the San Diego area, we typically have what we call May grey, followed by June gloom, and then the July fry. However, this year it’s been a very mild summer… until a few of days ago.

All through July and the first half of August, I kept hearing people complain that it was too cool. I was thinking, I love this weather, it’s great dog walking weather. Of course, these are people who work in a temperature controlled building during the day. They want beach weather, but they don’t have to be out in it everyday. I was once one of those people. I remember freezing my rear off in a 68° studio, while it was 98° outside. I was an Operations Engineer at Channel 8, the local CBS affiliate, for several years. As soon as a show was over, I’d go outside to warm up. I wished I could work outside, in the fresh air and warmth. Be careful what you wish for… LOL!

Now I’m very happy about having a cool summer! I do love working outside, most of the time… Yesterday it was 99° when I was out with my clients. And by SoCal standards (we’re weather lightweights), it was really humid too. According to the weather channel app on my phone, it felt like 101°. Lightweight, or not… That’s hot!!

You know it’s hot when the dogs don’t want to go out. It’s amusing to go into their cool house, leash them up and then open the door to go out. They start to go through the door, feel the blast of heat, sloooooow down, and look at me like, “Are you kidding, we have to go out in this heat?” The answer is, “Yes, but please do your business fast! Then we can come back inside and play training games.” When it’s really hot, or raining, many dogs would rather stay inside; so they just go to their favorite potty place, and come back in. I love those dogs, LOL.

Then there are those dogs who don’t care about the weather, rain or shine, they want to go, go, go and do it now! They will walk, play ball, run around in the Dog Park or backyard, etc., until they drop from heat exhaustion. I have to be the voice of reason, and not let them (or me) get overheated. I bring along plenty of water and offer it often, but I also have to watch the dogs to make sure their always OK and get them back home, before they get too hot. Dogs are much quicker to overheat than we are, because they don’t sweat and they often don’t complain. So I give them a few minutes of run around time, and then we go inside to play "101 things to do with a box" and other fun games. We play games on nice weather days too, but they’re especially handy on too hot, or rainy, days.

I know it’s selfish, but I’m hoping that persistent low-pressure system comes back soon! I don’t mind a cool summer at all!

Making Jesse’s Map

When we started our website, one of the pages we created was “Jesse’s Page.” Jesse wanted his own page, so he could tell pets and people about the places he likes to go. Like Jesse's facebook fan page, he dictates it, and I do the typing. Over time we’ve added several of Jesse’s favorite places to eat, shop, play, and just hang out.

One day, I was looking for directions on Google maps, and I noticed you could create your own maps. I had a “light bulb” moment, I could make a map of our pet nanny service area for the website. It took awhile, but I finally got a map I like; it’s really nothing special, but it serves the purpose. I went back to working on my website… and Jesse’s Page. That’s when it hit me; we could make of map of Jesse’s favorite places for his page. I ran it by him, and Jesse thought it was a great idea too.

At first we used the ‘bubble’ that appears when you select a location marker. We found the location of each place and planted the marker there; we added the address, and contact info to make it easy for pets and their people to get directions. Jesse also insisted on writing a little “review” of each location. According to Jesse, “i’m still not finished with my reviews, but its something 2 go online with… 4 now.”

I thought we were finished, but then Jesse noticed there were other icons. He decided to use icons to symbolize different kinds of his favorite places. Using ‘dog logic,’ he insisted on using different icons for some of the same types of places. So a cutlery and a burger/drink icon are used for restaurants. We had a long discussion about this; I wanted to use one icon. Jesse wanted to use the burger for places that only do breakfast/lunch, and the fork/knife for places that also serve dinner. The argument was settled with him saying, “it’s my map n i want 2 do it my way.” He used a picnic table for off leash dog parks, “cause most people just sit and watch their dogs.” For parks were we hike, he used hikers. Jesse was annoyed, “there’s no dog walkin a human, that stinks.” He used a basket for parks were we picnic. For his favorite stores, we used a dollar sign, “cause that’s were u spend money.” Apparently you can make your own icons, but I haven’t had time to figure that out yet. I’ll have to… Jesse keeps nagging me about it.

It’s been fun making the map. Not that we’re finished, we keep thinking of and finding more places to add. It’s going to be a never-ending project. For instance, yesterday we went to the dog wash, which isn’t one of Jesse’s favorites. I want to add dog washes, but Jesse says, “no way! i hate baths, they r not my favorite.” We’ll see if I can talk him into it…

Dogs Make Me Laugh!!

Dogs make me laugh, that’s one of the many reasons I love working with them. Like us, dogs tend to be very habitual and prefer to follow established routines. Dogs also have a concept of time; they know when a normal event happens each day, like me showing up to take them out. If, for whatever reason, the routine changes, I can always tell they’re a little confused and bewildered…

Last Friday morning, I had an appointment with my doggie client, Dina. We were meeting another dog trainer friend of mine, to help work with her client. My friend’s client is a little dog reactive, so I brought Dina to help work with him.

I typically visit Dina every weekday afternoon, so she expects me to show up in the afternoon. Generally, she’s waiting for me at the door, or she’s running down the stairs to greet me. She’s always so happy to see me and can barely contain her excitement. However, this time I arrived at her house at 9:30 and, when I came in, there was no Dina at the door and I didn’t hear her running toward me. I called her, and I could hear her walking, very slowly, down the stairs. Then I saw her peek around the corner (they have switchback stairs). I so wish I’d been taping this, because the expression on her face was just priceless… at first she looked wary, then surprised, and finally confused. She cocked her head in that, “What the?” way dogs do when they not quite sure of what’s going on. I swear I could read her mind, she was thinking, “Who’s there?” then “Oh it’s you!” then “What are you doing here so early?” She just stood there for a few seconds, trying to process what she was seeing. I couldn’t help but laugh! Then her expression changed to one of joy, and she came running to me.

After harnessing and leashing her, I took her out to my car. This is something we do often; I take Dina and Jesse James to parks and other places a couple times a week. Otherwise, we take a walk. Our car routine is: I open the driver’s door, to unlock the back door. Jesse is always sitting on the driver’s seat, Dina sticks her head in and they say hi to each other. Then Dina gets in the backseat, I put them in their seatbelts, and we take off for where ever we’re going. However, I didn’t bring Jesse with me that morning. When I opened my door, as usual, Dina stuck her head in and realized there was no Jesse in the car. She jumped back and her face said exactly what she was thinking, “What’s going on today? WHERE IS MY FRIEND JESSE?” The expression of total bewilderment on her face was again, priceless… and I again had to laugh!

Doing Cody's Sub Q

This is my friend and client, Cody. He's one of the sweetest cats I've ever known, and one of my favorite kitty clients. Cody has kidney problems, so he has to have subcutaneous fluid therapy (aka, sub Q) every other day. Basically thats, inserting a rather large needle under the skin on his back. You lift the skin and make a little "tent" in it, then insert the needle... That's the hardest part of the procedure, for both of us! I try to do it as smoothly and painlessly as possible, but I know it has to hurt anyway. Feeling the needle puncture his skin is always a bit unnerving. The needle is connected, via a tube, to a bag of a water solution. Once you open the valve thing (I'm sure it has a name, but I have no idea what it is), the fluid slowly drips under the skin, providing him with much needed hydration to help flush and support his kidneys.

I've been pet sitting for Cody for about a year, and one of my duties, as his pet nanny, is to do his Sub Q. Before I bring him into the room, I have everything prepared. If necessary, I've already changed the fluid bag... one bag lasts for about four treatments. Most of the time, I just have to check the bag for leaks, attach a fresh needle, and pump up the bag (which helps the fluids flow better). Then I go get Cody. He knows what's going to happen, but he's always so good about it! He doesn't try to run from me, nor does he try to scratch or bite. He's a real trooper!

The video below is an edited version of a sub Q... don't worry, I won't show you the needle being inserted :)

Cody a wonderfully tolerant kitty!! He let's me stick needles in him, but he's still happy to see me. I wonder if I'd be that way, if the shoe were on the other paw! I just love my Cody!!

Stop The Insanity…

What is wrong with our government these days? We have record unemployment, a major and ongoing recession, homes and businesses in foreclosure, we’re billions of dollars in debt. BTW, I’m just talking about the state of California. With everything going on here, doesn’t our legislature have anything better to do than to make insane legislation prohibiting us from seeking treatments for our pets; all of which are readily available to us, and our children?

I’m speaking of a current bill before the California legislature (AB 1980) requiring that anyone who performs any type of “treatment” on an animal must be a DMV. This would include acupuncture, massage therapy, TTouch, physical therapy, etc. It doesn’t matter if the practitioner is certified, licensed, and has a long history of providing quality care; they won’t be able to practice on your pet if this law is enacted. And, if it is, our pets will miss out on many very beneficial treatments, because few Vets or Vet Techs are trained in, or practice these modalities.

If I want a massage, acupuncture, or to visit a chiropractor, he or she isn’t required to be an MD to practice… So why should my pet’s practitioner be required to be a DMV? That’s just insane!

Let’s stop the insanity… You can make a difference and protect our pets! BTW, while this is about a specific piece of Ca. legislation, this issue is not limited to California. These types of laws are popping up all over the country, and we need to be informed and take action to maintain our control over our pets’ health and well being!

EVERYONE can sign and forward this petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/protectcomplementaryvettherapies/

Also, please be proactive and contact the legislators in YOUR state. The following is a form letter you can use… For California residents a list of email addresses will follow this form letter:

"Dear ______,

I am writing with great concern regarding California Bill AB 1980, which would prohibit the practice of "veterinary medicine" without a license and specifies that a person practices veterinary medicine when he or she, among other things, represents himself or herself as engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine or administers a treatment of whatever nature for the cure or relief of a bodily injury or disease of an animal.

Providers of complementary therapies such as massage therapists, physical rehabilitation specialists, and more do not claim to provide veterinary care. Yet for equine athletes, aging and infirm horses and even companion animals, these services are often essential to performance or wellness. This bill would provide that any person who practices complementary therapies for the benefit of an animal would be committing a crime. Veterinarians and technicians do not have the training, time or inclination to perform therapies. Owners will be left without access to vital care, and an entire industry will be put out of business.

Should such a bill come before you in the state of ____, I urge you to consider voting against it.

Many thanks for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,_____"

Email to your California Assemblyperson and Senator to ask them to vote no on AB1980!

Assemblymember.hayashi@assembly.ca.gov Senator.aanestad@sen.ca.gov

Senator.alquist@sen.ca.gov

Senator.ashburn@sen.ca.gov

Senator.calderon@sen.ca.gov

Senator.cedillo@sen.ca.gov

Senator.cogdill@sen.ca.gov

Senator.corbett@sen.ca.gov

Senator.correa@senca.gov

Senator.cox@sen.ca.gov

Senator.denham@sen.ca.gov

Senator.desaulnier@sen.ca.gov

Senator.ducheny@sen.ca.gov

Senator.dutton@sen.ca.gov

Senator.emmerson@sen.ca.gov

Senator.florez@sen.ca.gov

Senator.hancock@sen.ca.gov

Senator.harman@sen.a.gov

Senator.hollingsworth@sen.ca.gov

Senator.huff@sen.ca.gov

Senator.kehoe@sen.ca.gov

Senator.leno@sen.ca.gov

Senator.liu@sen.ca.gov

Senator.lowenthal@sen.ca.gov

Senator.nagrete@sen.ca.gov

Senator.oropeza@sen.ca.gov

Senator.padilla@sen.ca.gov

Senator.pavley@sen.ca.gov

Senator.price@sen.ca.gov

Senator.romero@sen.ca.gov

Senator.runner@sen.ca.gov

Senator.simitian@sen.ca.gov

Senator.steinberg@sen.ca.gov

Senator.strickland@sen.ca.gov

Senator.walters@sen.ca.gov

Senator.wiggins@sen.ca.gov

Senator.wolk@sen.ca.gov

Senator.wright@sen.ca.gov

Senator.wyland@sen.ca.gov

Senator.lee@sen.ca.gov

Happy Day!

This past Tuesday morning, I was coming home from my morning appointments. My plan was to feed my fur kids, work on my daily pet reports and training plans, and eat a sandwich (which would be breakfast and lunch) before my next appointment. However, my plans went out the car window when I noticed a “stray dog” sniffing around in the green space by my house. I can’t help myself, when I see a dog wandering around alone, I have to try to catch him or her and, hopefully return the dog home.

I put my car in the garage and Jesse in the house, grabbed a leash, along with my treat bag. Then I went in search of the dog, and found her still sniffing around in the green space. I got her attention and tossed some treats between us. She immediately walked over and ate the food. I offered her food from my hand, and she walked right up and took it. She wasn’t wearing a collar, so no ID tags. So I used the leash as a slip lead, easily slipped it over her head and led her back to my house. I loaded her into my car and took her to my vet to have her scanned for a microchip. The scanner didn’t read one, so I brought her back to my place. BTW, she was great in the car.

I figured she lived close by and had just gotten out somehow. She was obviously older, but in really good shape. She looked well fed, with a beautiful coat. Her teeth were worn, which along with the grey on her face, made me think she was an older girl. She was also way too calm and friendly to have been on the streets for any length of time.

Now I was in a quandary, I knew I should take her to the shelter, but it’s not exactly close and I had appointments to get to soon. I also couldn’t take her into my house, my cats would freak. Luckily, I saw my neighbor, and told him the story. He volunteered to keep her until we could figure out what to do.

When I got back, I checked on the dog. She was perfectly content and acting like it was all a big adventure. We talked about taking her to the shelter, which they were very reluctant to do. Knowing how stressful it can be on a dog, I was too. I know I should have taken her in right away, but I just couldn’t… I had a strong feeling she was from the neighborhood and we’d find her home soon. We decided to give it three days. We walked her around the neighborhood, asking everyone we saw if they knew where she lived. I posted info about her on Craigslist, facebook and twitter. I made some fliers and we posted them around the area.

Today, when we were going to take her to animal control, my neighbor got a call from the owner. She’d seen one of the fliers, while she was out putting up her own. She rushed over, from a couple blocks away, and picked up Cindy, that’s her name. They were so happy so see each other… Thank God for a happy ending!

BTW, Cindy is 11 years old, and was micro chipped as a puppy. Eleven years later, it wasn’t working. Two lessons from this:

1. Occasionally have your vet scan your pet to make sure the chip is still working.
2. Make sure your dog is always wearing a well fitting buckle collar, with ID tags.

My brain, or whats left of it, hurts… LOL!

I’ve been updating my website… for several days now. Lately, all my ‘free time’ has been spent working on it. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time, but I've been putting off. I knew that once I got started, I wouldn’t be able to stop until I was happy with it… which is never. I also knew there were things I didn’t like about my site, but didn’t know how to fix without calling GoDaddy. While they give great customer service, which is one of the reasons I use them as my web host, I hate to call and ask what often turns out to be a stupid question…

Unfortunately I’m my own web designer, and when I started my site I had no idea what I was doing. I still don’t, but I’m slowly learning as I go along. Mostly I’m learning to try stuff and see what happens. I still have a lot to learn and often wish I had and IT person, or a teenager, to help me… LOL! I know there must be easier ways to do what I want to do, but I don’t know what they are… BTW, trial and error is very time consuming!

So I finally decided to just change the template. The old one was very plain, which made my site look plain. Don’t ask me what I was thinking when I first chose it, but I’ve hated for the longest time. I’ve wanted to change it, but I was afraid to because I was afraid it mess the whole site up… of course it didn’t… LOL! After I changed the template, I had to change the header… the old one didn’t fit. That meant I had to create a new header in Illustrator, then convert it to a JPEG, which the only way I’ve figured out how to do is to go through Photoshop. That took awhile, since I had to resize it a few times to make it fit without cutting something off. Then I had to do the same thing with the photo. I’m still not completely happy with it, but it’ll work for now. I’ll keep working on it, but I have to have something online.

Then I started changing the layouts of some of the pages… to make them easier to read and be more concise. I added some photos, deleted others, changed text, and then look at the page and changed something else. I completely redid entire blocks to remove leftover spacing. Another thing I’m learning is that making changes, then undoing them can have unintended consequences… like weird spacing.

I got sidetracked by making Google Maps for the site. I started out making one to show my Pet Nanny Service Area. I think it makes more sense than just listing zip codes, or town names. Then I decided to make one for Jesse Page, showing all his favorite places to go in San Diego, with his reviews too.

The navigation bar had been really bugging me. The page tabs moved around when a new page was selected, and sometimes they would just disappear. I tried to figure out how to lock them many times. I tried to find a “help” article on how to do it; I know it’s probably just me, but most “help” articles don’t really help. Finally I found it… the “edit nav” button. It was right there in front of my face the whole time, but I didn’t notice it (actually I saw it and had no idea what it was). Once I selected that button, I was finally able to arrange my tabs in the order I wanted them and they would stay put. Who knew, experiment and learn! And avoid calling customer service at all costs… LOL!

Finally after many hours of making this little change, or replacing that photo, I have a “new website.” Or, at least, a website that looks new… LOL. I’m actually happy with it now. I know I’ll keep making changes here and there and everywhere… especially to the resources and Jesse’s pages, but it’s such an improvement over my “old” site. BTW, any input, ideas, or advice is welcome!