Sunday, April 23, 2017

Going On Vacation

                                            

I often wonder when I leave Maggie with a trusted caregiver for a number of days does she think I will return or does she think this is her new family?
I recently traveled out of town for a period of 10 days. My go to caregiver was completely booked so I had to find a different place for Maggie to stay. After talking with a few friends nothing panned out. When I checked Google I was sent to Rover.com which found me two options that I felt would meet my (and Maggie’s) needs. After a meet and greet I decided on one person not too far from my area.
I was a little apprehensive about leaving Maggie so this caregiver said she could send me pictures and updates daily. Well this was the next best thing to talking with Maggie. I received pictures twice a day with comments about what Maggie had done during her day. My mind was certainly eased.
I was still curious how Maggie would react when she saw me upon my return. She definitely was happy: her tail was wagging, she was jumping around and she was licking my face! When I stayed a few minutes to thank the caregiver Maggie planted herself between my legs. I took this as if she wanted to make sure I didn’t leave without her. Dogs display their emotions in so many different ways but Maggie had never done this before. Very interesting!

I know she was well cared for and from the pictures it even looked like she was having a good time. But I am happy to say “There is no place like home!”

Monday, April 3, 2017

iSpeakDog

                                                       

I came across a new website called iSpeakDog. It’s a great place to get information about our furry friends. You can find information about dog’s behavior and books on dogs. This site walks you through how to find a trainer. There is a swag shop and even webinars.
I was drawn to the area on behaviors. One of the behaviors that Maggie exhibits that I do not understand is that she digs in the same area of my backyard. This doesn’t just make a mess of my backyard it also leaves Maggie caked in dirt. I say NO but of course from one time to the next Maggie doesn’t listen..
So this site explains that dogs can dig for a variety of reasons:
1)      For critters
2)      Boredom
3)      Cool sleeping spots
4)      Scavenging
5)      Hiding food
6)      Escaping
I ruled out #3, 5 and 6. Maggie doesn’t lie in the hole she digs. She doesn’t hide any food in the hole and she is not trying to escape because the hole is in the middle of the yard. I can definitely see Maggie digging for critters. I can see her scavenging and she could also be bored at times. At least I now have an explanation for this behavior, and as I try to correct this behavior I will do my best not to get angry at her.

Check out this website-iSpeakDog. Thanks to the participating individuals and organizations supporting this site!