For The Love Of Shar Pei

Camping at McGill Lake

2011-08-15T14:30:00.000-03:00

Took the four dogs camping to McGill Lake for a few days. Everyone had a blast, except Pickles ... he's more of a "I'll just lay in the tent all day" kinda dog.

The Two Girls!

2011-07-05T22:47:00.000-03:00

Sadie's Growing!

2011-05-25T11:09:00.000-03:00

Dog sitting a Weimaraner!

2011-04-27T22:27:00.000-03:00

We are dog sitting Sophie the Weimaraner for three weeks while her owner goes away for work. She fits in well with the pack! She is very active, much more then my four hehe!

Spring

2011-03-30T08:16:00.000-03:00

The weather is turning warmer! That means more outdoor time!
We got the bikes out and take Rinaldo for nice long bike rides instead of roller blading this year ... he loves it!

Kira

2011-03-22T09:08:00.000-03:00

Kira is an older Shar Pei who is up for adoption. She came from the Moncton SPCA, and would love a new home to call her own!
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/18935902

Surprise! It's a puppy!

2011-03-05T21:00:00.000-04:00

Introducing Gumby's Bella Swan - "Sadie"!

She came from Gumby's Shar Pei in Ontario http://www.gumbysurprise.com/

She is a doll! So much personality, spunk, not shy, and love! She was born on Halloween 2010, and her parents are: Dad is Epic's Choice Chocolate Showbiz & Mom is Gumby's Cosmic Collision. She has settled in SO well. She loves the dogs, they love her.

Chloe's Surprise

2011-03-03T11:48:00.000-04:00

Chloe has a secret!

She can't tell it until Sunday though! It's a big secret and she is so excited. So on Monday the surprise will be revealed!!!

Winter winter, Go away ...

2011-02-26T17:30:00.000-04:00

Chloe has a fever on Monday. Long story short, it's gone now and she's back to normal - YAY! Had to go to the vet everyday for fluids and dipyrone while she had the fever, went every day after that for fluids and also had her on cerenia because she lost her appetite. But, thankfully, she seems to be getting back to normal now, and hopefully the fever episodes will stay away.

Here's some pictures!

Hyvitality - Good blog post from Dr. Tintle

2011-02-24T10:08:00.000-04:00

http://www.hyvitality.com/blogs/news/2669902-shar-pei-and-anxiety

Happy GOT day Chloe!

2011-02-14T10:19:00.000-04:00

Three years ago today, Chloe arrived at the airport.

Here are some pictures from three years ago.

New Photos - Enjoy!

2011-02-09T11:34:00.001-04:00

Chloe's a sleepy head!

2011-02-07T12:30:00.000-04:00

Chloe likes to sleep in!

If we don't wake her up she will sleep until 11 ish. So when I am leaving for work at 7:30 am ... trying to get her out of bed at 7, fed, pilled, and out to pee is a chore!

Here are some pictures of a morning where she got to sleep in, but around 10ish I started waking her up ... here's what she does:

Mommmm ... stop poking me!

Strettttttttttch!

I'm still half asleep ...

Yawning a lot!

Every Pei has to do their morning stretches!

More yawning ..

I'm just going to rest my head for a couple more seconds. ..

Alright Sophie ... I'm awake!

Snow storm!

2011-02-02T21:48:00.000-04:00

It's snowing. Lots of snow.

Chloe had a fever Sunday and Monday. We had to take her to the vet both days and put her on IV and they gave her Dipyrone. Sunday overnight she stayed at the vet on IV, and Monday she stayed at the vet on IV. Came home Monday around supper, was home for maybe an hour and another fever. Back to the vet we go for some Dipyrone. Fever went away in a couple hours. Tuesday she wasn't really herself. Lethargic, no appetite. Today she seemed interested in food but wasn't allowed to eat because today was blood work day.

Well we got blood work done and yay she gets to eat! And eat she did do. She seems to be getting better and better, slowly gaining her strength back.

Blood work also turned out awesome! (considering she just had 2 fevers)

Here are some pictures from the storm. These were on CFB Greenwood, and they say we have/are getting 30-40 cm of snow, or more. Lots of snow!!

Pickles and Chloe aren't too fond of snow, but Rinaldo is!!

It's Rinaldo!

Look what I got from the vet! February is pet dental month!

I love my new bandana!

Pickles out in the snow

Yawn!

Mmmm, snow!

Sophie checking out snow!

Hey Rinaldo!

Chloe enjoys snow!

Pei cuddles with Dad!

The crew

Snuggles!

Wheeee ... snow!

Fun!

Rinaldo and Colin

Pickles!

Chloe's not impressed

Had to dig out the fence!

Deep snow!

How can Pickles get to Rinaldo without going in the snow?

Rinaldo's a fool!

Hey Pickler!

BRRR!

We have our camera back!

2011-01-20T20:16:00.000-04:00

The camera stopped working so we had to send it away to get fixed under warranty ... well good news! After about a month and a half being camera less ... we now have it back!

Enjoy the latest photos :

Snooze Time

2011-01-19T10:05:00.002-04:00

Chloe taking a snooze!

She seems to be back to her normal self. Eating, drinking, very active ...

Chloe - renal failure

2011-01-10T07:57:00.000-04:00

Christmas Eve Chloe got a fever.

It went through Christmas Day and everything went downhill from there.

Chloe is in renal failure and we almost lost her New Years Eve.

She seems to be on the mend, just need to get 10-15 lbs back on her and she will be good to go.

The sad part about renal failure is that we have no idea how long we have left with her. Could be a week, could be months, or could be years. But we try not to think about that, and just enjoy every moment we can with her.

She has been going for sub q fluids every day. Before that it was IV. She was on IV for three days in a row and we reran her blood work and there was no improvement.

That night (New Years Eve) we spent the whole evening/night laying with her and crying. Telling her how much we love her. She looked and acted awful. I woke up every so often throughout the night and held my hand on her to make sure she was still breathing.

But alas, she is a fighter, and the next morning she seemed a little bit perky. It has been a roller coaster of emotion, that's for sure! One day she'd be good, next she didn't. One day I'd be crying tears of sadness, the next it'd be tears of joy that she are a little piece of meat or something. We spent a lot of time syringe feeding her, syringing water to her.

The ladies at Greenwood Animal Hospital took VERY good care of her! They love her there (she loves them) and have done so much for her so far.

But like I said, she seems to be recovering. We have her on Azodyl for her kidneys. She has been eating and drinking on her own, and very active.

Now every little thing she does I cherish so much more, knowing time is limited, and almost losing her made me realize some things I have always wanted to do with/for her throughout her life that now I will be doing sooner rather then later.

One of those things? Professional photos with her.

I got to wear cool coloured bandages where they capped off my IV for the night

Still trying to stay positive

I liked my pink hearts bandage - it sure did suit me!

This picture was after I had to go in and get my IV removed. Late in the evening my foot started swelling, so we had to go to the vet and get the bandage and IV off.

Orange bandage!

My Moms been doing a lot of mushy stuff lately, like always hugging and kissing me, and taking naps with me

I seem to be doing better! I have more energy, enjoy my food now, and like drinking water. Here I am looking out the window for any intruders!

Seymour Would Love a Home for Christmas ...

2010-12-18T20:02:00.000-04:00

Seymour had a home waiting for him since he came to me, they have since changed their minds. Which I understand. They realized they need a Shar Pei that will keep up with their current Pei energy wise, and Seymour isn't that. Seymour just likes to hang out, laze around, consume the least amount of energy possible.

So that means Seymour is still looking for his forever home! Please share him with everyone you know, maybe somewhere he can find someone to love him for who he is.

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/18162575

Dixie will be home for Christmas!

2010-12-15T20:21:00.000-04:00

Great news!

Remember Dixie? http://ilovesharpei.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-foster-dixie.html

She now has a forever home for Christmas! YAY!!

Chloe & the Grinch!

2010-12-06T19:28:00.000-04:00

Chloe found the Grinch!!!!

Happy Birthday Chloe!

2010-12-03T22:28:00.000-04:00

Today is Chloe's 3rd birthday! She was feeling well enough to eat a special meal, but I didn't take chances on making her a cake ... either she wouldn't eat it or where her tummy isn't full of food like it usually is, the cake would probably give her the runs.

So she got lots of extra lovings today, and a special meal :)

Here are some pictures from the past 3 years ... there were many ups and many downs in the past 3 years throughout my life, but Chloe, you were always there for me. You were either licking away my tears of sadness, or jumping with joy with me during the happy times.

I hope we have many many more ups and downs (preferably more ups)!

Love you Chloe doll <3

Only a couple days old .. one of those pups is her!

Always take time to smell the flowers

You always know how to relax!

But you also know how to have a good time!

You make sure to make lots of friends where ever you go ...

My bundle of wrinkles <3

You always know how to make my heart melt

You always know how to make me laugh when I am down

You're not shy about trying new things ...

You always know how to pose for the camera

You're the best big sister anyone could ask for! (right Rinaldo and Pickles!?)

I know you'll always be there with me during hard times

You might not be gigantic like our wolfie friends but you have a huge heart! (as do they!)

Lots of news to share ..

2010-12-01T19:36:00.000-04:00

Lots of news to share!

Here are some pictures from today of my crew with Nova, an american bulldog. We are dogsitting Nova over the Christmas holidays! Rinaldo is SO excited! They had a blast playing today.

Today I was in Middleton getting a recall on my car fixed and happened to stop into the used bookstore there and found a bunch of older dog magazine (some going back to the 60's!), and happened to find one from 2007 with Chloe's mom in it! I was flipping through them all to find anything Shar Pei related and found this:

She was such a beautiful dog (she has since passed away). She reminds me a lot of Chloe. And speaking of Chloe ... she isn't doing so well either. No appetite, elevated values in her blood work, urine came back not very concentrated so looks like it is her kidneys. We have to finish her meds, recheck blood & urine, and see where we go from there. Right now it is very frustrating though trying to get her to eat. We are adding all her favorites and she will either eat a few bites, not eat anything, or pick out the chicken/rice/treats/sardines etc. In the last 10 days she has lost 2 lbs. She has had this picky appetite since almost a month ago. It sucks, and I really hope she feels better soon. She had to go in and get fluids under her skin and injections a couple weeks ago to help her out.

Now onto Seymour, he is FINALLY neutered! YAY! No more balls. He will have a recheck very soon, then be ready for his furever home which has been patiently waiting for him! The vet did find a button tumour on him though. I was told it isn't a bad thing, can come when his immune system is compromised, and will go away on its own. Here's what it looks like, looks similar to a pimple type thing.

And I just had to share this picture. While Seymour was home mending from neutering, and Chloe was home trying to regain energy, I took my boys out for a romp in a field. They had a blast and got to spend some quality time together. I snapped this great picture of them ... aren't they cute!

We also wanted to let everyone know that the Greenwood Animal Hospital is having pet pictures with the grinch! Saturday December 4th 3-5 I believe is the time. Pictures are $10 and all proceeds go to CAPS! They are also giving tours of the clinic, and free snacks/refreshments. It should be a fun time! Now I just have to decide which dog to bring!

Winter's Here!

2010-11-22T19:51:00.000-04:00

BRRRR!!

Seymour - Official Trick or Treater Greeter!

2010-11-02T10:42:00.000-03:00

Seymour here!

We just moved to a new house, and while we were busy unpacking the doorbell kept ringing! Foster Mom stuck this silly thing on my head and called me the Trick or Treat Greeter! So I stood in the door way and checked out all the kiddies costumes to see if any were better then mine! ... nope! Mine was the best.

Back to unpacking I go ... gotta find my favorite toy, it's hidden in a box somewhere!!!

Seymour

2010-10-13T13:57:00.000-03:00

Seymour is back.

He will be up for adoption after he is all fixed up. Here is a picture of the poor guy.

We are accepting donations for him, to help with his vet bills. So far almost $200 has been raised!!!! THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far. If anyone would like to donate, donations can be made by credit card directly to the Greenwood Animal Hospital

http://www.greenwoodanimalhospital.ca/gah/index.html

First step is to get him neutered. Which he already has scheduled for November.

(copied from Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=439338081142

Seymour needs your help. October 18th 2010, Seymour goes into the vet (Greenwood Animal Hospital) to get neutered.

He is asking if anyone has any spare change to help out with his vet costs.

Good ol' Seymour got out the calculator and calculated that if 20 friends sent $20 that his vet costs would be covered - Yay!!

But he also knows $20 is a lot of money, so he thinks any amount anyone is able to donate toward the cause would be greatly appreciated!!

Now, onto Seymour's story ...

Seymour came from the Moncton SPCA. He was found in Salisbury NB running along a highway. He was probably dumped because of his skin issues.He is a great dog, very happy and friendly. Does have some skin problems, and has trouble eating because his top teeth go over his bottom lip. He had been at the Moncton SPCA 2 or 3 weeks, the shelter was very overcrowded (88 dogs), so with his skin he was probably one of the least wanted dogs. Thus he didn't have too much time left. But we saved him. The Canadian Association of Shar Pei Rescue already had a waiting list of adopters so adoption was no problem.

Seymour went to his new home on April 18th 2009, after everything checked out for the potential adopted (home visit, vet reference, personal references). He went out on a neuter contract, as he also should have had surgery on his mouth where his lip is curled over his bottom teeth.

There he lived happily until recently. His owner took a new job where Seymour was living in a truck during the day, and not really being able to enjoy life in a home. The owner knew he couldn't keep him in the truck over winter, and thus had to face the hard realization that Seymour had to find a new home.

So here we are today, Seymour is back with me, NOT neutered, and having some troubles with his skin. First step to get Seymour good as gold is to have him neutered. Then we will deal with each issue after that.

Seymour is going to be up for adoption, but not until he has at least been neutered.

So if you have any money you can spare towards Seymour, he would greatly appreciate it and love you forever for it!

Doggie Dress Up!

2010-09-17T09:04:00.000-03:00

Halloween's starting just a little early this year!

My poor dogs have been humiliated - LOL!

My foster, Dixie, not enjoying this one so much

Fuzzy Feet Pet Grooming - Wilmot, Nova Scotia

2010-09-11T18:16:00.000-03:00

New business opening on Monday the 13th of September!

Fuzzy Feet Pet Grooming!

Location: Wilmot Center Mall (across from Frenchy's in Wilmot!)

Grand Opening is the 13th of September! Bring your furry friends.

You can make an appointment prior to the opening at this number: 309-0139 Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm

Wilmot is between Greenwood and Middleton.

Hope to see you all there!

Dixie Pictures

2010-09-11T16:55:00.000-03:00

An update from Dixie!

She is doing great. Has settled in well. LOVES to play with Rinaldo. Is SO good at playing fetch, brings it right back for you! She is still looking for someone to adopt her! So if you or someone you know is interested, please contact Atlantic Small Dog Rescue to fill out an application form. www.asdrescue.com

In other news.... Chloe got a new dog bed! She LOVES it!

And today was a rainy day, so Pickles and I took a nap on the couch! Passed out for a good hour!

New Foster Dixie

2010-08-30T10:37:00.000-03:00

We have a new foster with us - Dixie!

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16926488

Dixie came from New Brunswick. She was in a foster home there. Dixie is such a sweetheart! She is about 92 lbs, believe to be a shepherd/lab mix. Good with dogs, generally good with cats, but weary of strangers.

And here are some pictures of the foster pups in their new homes! We definitely miss them, but happy they went to such great families!

Kidney Disease

2010-08-05T12:25:00.000-03:00

Got some routine blood work done on Chloe last week and found out she had elevated kidney and liver enzymes. Got a urinalysis done and found out she is in the early stages of kidney disease. I luckily caught it at a very very early stage so now I can do things to help slow it down immensely. We are changing her diet to something with less protein, try that for a bit and redo her blood work. And then go from there.

Seems we are having problems with everyone ... when it rains it pours.

Pickles is having some skin issues and we have him on antibiotics and steroids. Chloe also had an ear infection and got some drops for that.

Rinaldo and Pickles had a random fight and I thought Pickles was going to need stitches on his ear, it was torn open pretty good! But he healed well. Then they got into another random fight a week later and Rinaldo's leg was swollen and he was limping, thought I was going to have to take him in to the vet but it cleared up on it's own.

The foster puppies are doing great. The little boy got adopted a few days ago, I've added a picture I took of him and his new family.

Another foster - Pearl

2010-07-20T09:43:00.000-03:00

Well we have a full house here!

Along with three foster puppies we also now have another foster dog- Pearl. She is SUCH a sweetheart. Good with kids, cats, and other dogs. UTD on needles and is going to be spayed very soon.

Here is a picture

ASDR Foster Puppies

2010-07-14T13:38:00.001-03:00

Pictures Pictures!

These cuties are now on Petfinder.

The dogs don't mind having three puppies running around the house ... the pups sort of keep to themselves, while mine keep to themselves as well. They DO keep me busy though! That's good because Colin is going away for a bit to Texas, so between three busy puppies and new job at MacBeth's Kennels I will hardly have any time to miss Colin! (I hope! haha)

Enjoy the pictures, here is their Petfinder listing as well.

The short male, REALLY can see the basset hound in him!
http://www.asdrescue.com/adopt.html

One female
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16875789

Second female
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16875845

NOW, here are some pictures!

New Foster Puppies

2010-07-10T22:25:00.000-03:00

Three new foster puppies from ASDR! Basset/aussie mix. Too cute!

New Sophie Pictures

2010-06-23T22:48:00.000-03:00

New Sophie pictures! Isn't she a cutie.

New Addition - Yet to be named

2010-06-12T20:12:00.001-03:00

Well great news,

Hope has been adopted!

So with Hope gone to her new home we decided it was time to get another kitten.

So here she is!

Adopted from HART here in Aylesford. www.valleyhart.com

She came with the name Morgaine, but Colin wasn't a fan of the name. Still trying to come up with a name!

The many faces of Rinaldo

2010-06-06T15:19:00.002-03:00

The "Look what I got - aren't ya gonna come chase me?"

The "I dare you to try and grab it - are you fast enough!?"

The "HAPPY HAPPY - all attention to me!"

and the "HEY, what's that!?" look. (he was watching a bird fly by)

Pickles likes to garden

2010-06-06T15:05:00.000-03:00

Today before the rain came I was helping to do some gardening. But I got confused .. which ones were weeds?!
Here I am pretty stumped about the whole situation ... but in the end I got it all weeded!

Who dug this hole!?

2010-06-06T15:02:00.000-03:00

I swear it wasn't me !!
Must have been Rinaldo, he likes to dig holes ...
but it wasn't me ... nope, I don't do that stuff!!

The couch is fixed!

2010-06-04T19:31:00.000-03:00

Mom says the couch is fixed ... so we tested it out. YUP! Much better! ... wait ... what was wrong with it?
There was a man here fixing it but we weren't allowed to go see him because he was busy and mom said we would just pester him. She said he fixed the recliner on the couch ... whats a recliner?

YAY!

Cuddles with Colin

2010-05-30T20:31:00.000-03:00

Hope loves to cuddle ... she thinks she is a lap dog! She is saying to Colin - "I LOVE you foster Daddy!!!"

Peek a Boo

2010-05-30T17:37:00.000-03:00

Peek a boo! We see you!

Free dog food and treats

2010-05-28T13:11:00.000-03:00

Anyone want a coupon for free Natural Defense 3 kg dog food and a package of 7 treats?

I found these online today and used them at the Sobeys in Greenwood to get my free food (value of $13.99) and treats (value of $6.99). I'm not sure what other stores sell this food.

Here are the links to the coupons:

Food is HERE

Treats are HERE

Beautiful Hope

2010-05-28T08:18:00.000-03:00

Some cute pictures of the cute foster Hope!

Does your Shar Pei purr?

2010-05-27T18:49:00.000-03:00

I have to laugh at Chloe ...

Every time she is relaxed or comfy when you are rubbing her belly or neck, she purrs. Ok, so it isn't a real purr like a cat. But it sounds like one! But really it's just her really relaxed and breathing like she snores.

Anyone else's Pei purr!?

In Memory ...

2010-05-27T18:44:00.000-03:00

These pets are gone, but never forgotten.

Willow

The addition of Willow to our family: HERE

The story on how Willow died: HERE

Brenda

Brenda as a kitten: HERE

I never realized. But when Brenda went missing I never made a blog post about it.
But that is what happened. She was there in the yard with us one afternoon and never came back in ... I was so upset and spent so much time looking for her.
It took me awhile to come to terms with it .. to realize that she wasn't coming back. I miss her still to this day.

Baby

Baby's story is HERE

Changing things up ..

2010-05-27T17:31:00.002-03:00

Changed the blog around ... updated it, modernized it ... I guess you could call it that?

Enjoy!

Join us on Facebook's NS Shar Pei Group!

2010-05-27T15:16:00.000-03:00

Anyone from Nova Scotia who owns a Shar Pei is invited to the Facebook group!!
CLICK HERE for the group!
Everyone is welcome to join!

Faces of FSF and Amyloidosis Project

2010-05-27T15:12:00.000-03:00

Please take a moment to see all the faces who are or have been affected by FSF and/or Amyloidosis.
Unfortunately this is becoming more common in the breed.

Thanks to Jan for all her hard work!
http://blessingssharpei.com/

Pictures

2010-05-27T13:59:00.004-03:00

Here are some pictures of the Crew and I.

Rinaldo - lab/mastiff mix

DOB: Nov. 25th, 2008

Favorite activity: Roller blading

Favorite Treat: hot dogs & sardines

Pickles - Shar Pei

DOB: Beginning of Nov ish, 2008

Favorite activity: Sleeping/cuddling

Favorite Treat: cheese & marrow bones

Chloe - Shar Pei

DOB: Dec. 3rd, 2007

Favorite activity: Sun bathing

Favorite Treat: hot dogs & chicken

Me & my furkids

Roxy

DOB: Spring 2008

Favorite activity: Snoozing

Favorite Treat: Temptations & milk

Me, Me, Me!

2010-05-27T13:48:00.002-03:00

Well I figure I should write a little bit about myself.

You hear all about my dogs & fosters, now I guess it is my turn.

I grew up in Nova Scotia, live in Greenwood. My boyfriend is in the military.

I went to school at NSCC COGS for a year and a half. Took GIS Technician course & did half a year on Land Planning. Wasn't thrilled with Planning so took a job at Kings County as a GIS Tech. I've had a few jobs as a GIS Tech .. it's good money, decent employers. But I found it boring. That and the fact that there are rarely any GIS jobs in the Valley.

I am owned by three dogs and one cat. Chloe I bought from a breeder in Ontario. Pickles was a rescue from New Brunswick whom I fell in love with and decided to keep, and Rinaldo (came before Pickles) I got as a companion to Chloe and I felt two dogs would be a lot of fun. So now I have three!

I wouldn't change that for the world. I love them all and they are great dogs!

I foster Shar Pei and other dogs besides Shar Pei. I love fostering. Some people think it would be hard not to get attached and sad to see them go, which it is. BUT ... in the end when you get the pictures and happy stories from the dogs new family, it's great. Very rewarding.

Things I like to do with the dogs? We love to roller blade. Love to go to lakes, beaches, fields, woods. Love going to doggie socials and playdates, car rides are a must every so often.

That's pretty much everything about me ...

Adopt Me?

2010-05-25T14:54:00.003-03:00

Pretty please with a cherry on top!

I am available from Atlantic Small Dog Rescue (http://www.asdrescue.com), and here is my Petfinder listing!http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16398830

The wrinkle dogs here and Rinaldo LOVE having me here, but know that I am only here for a short time. I take a little bit of time to bond but it is a deep bond so they don't want me to get too attached to everyone here!

Silvia Jay

2010-05-22T16:21:00.002-03:00

We just had a session with Silvia Jay (http://www.voice4dogs.com/) and it was awesome!

She came up to meet Hope and assess her. But I made sure to ask LOTS of questions about my own dogs as well. Just little tips for them (like Chloe's dog aggression, Rinaldo's ME ME ME attitude LOL, and why Hope hadn't warmed up to Pickles).

Right away I have started doing the things Silvia has suggested.

I could go on and on and on about the different things Silvia said ...

Hope's Progression

2010-05-21T07:47:00.002-03:00

It was one week ago that I met Hope in Kentville after her trip from Inverness. And BOY has she progressed so much!

She is such a sweetheart and so laid back.

She has started getting relaxing and getting used to a home life. No more counter surfing, not as much timidness.

We actually got her on our bed yesterday ... we've been trying all week but all she would do when you try to coax her on the bed was lay her head on the bed and lick you and then give up and just lay down on the dog bed she was sitting on. Well yesterday I was able to run with her (holding her collar) and run onto the bed and so did she! But as soon as she was on the bed she dropped down (looked very uncomfortable) and shut down. So then we patted and patted and gave treats and she started to relax on the bed. She wouldn't move around on it but she would move her head up to see us which was a big improvement.

I also trimmed her nails. I use a dremel to do nail trimmings, so I took things really slow around her so she wasn't scared of it. She let me do her back feet perfect but then by the time I got to the front she started getting antsy, so I called it a day, and meant to try later that day but forgot. Will have to do that today!

We also learned that besides the food aggression she also guards her bed. This must come from her days living alone. I guess if there was a really good dry place to sleep she wasn't gonna let another stray steal it from her. Makes sense. She also won't go anywhere near any of the dogs when they are laying on a dog bed. She must think they want to guard it too.

She absolutely loves walks! She gets so excited about them. I swear, she is learning things from the dogs. She sees Rinaldo get all excited and making noises and she does the same thing! She is awesome on walks, no pulling, just walk beside your side.

She also gets really excited when we get home from being out. We gate her into the kitchen, and the other three have free roam of the house when we are out. Well we get home and they're all going bananas! Even Hope! We left her last night for almost 4 hours (the weekend before we left her for 3, and times before that half hour, hour, etc and worked our way up), and got home to Hope snuggling with the dogs. Yup, she jumped the gate LOL! Must have gotten lonely I guess.

The one thing about her that I am not used to is when she barks. We have woods behind us with a big sand pit that people walk through usually they have dogs. And BOY, when we are sitting on the back deck ... and she sees someone walking ... it's such a loud bark! She usually only barks once or twice, but still. I am used to dogs who don't even bark when someone comes to the door, so when Hope barks do I ever JUMP!

Overall she is settling in well. She is such a great dog ... she will make someone an awesome companion that's for sure!

I like to cross my paws.

Group shot!

RIP Willow

2010-05-16T17:16:00.004-03:00

We had a tragic accident happen on Saturday (my birthday).

I had gated Hope off into the kitchen and was pouring her food when Willow jumped the gate and ran up to the dish. It all happened in seconds. Next thing I knew Willow was flipping around on the floor like a fish out of water and blood spraying out of her nose.

I grabbed her, we ran to the car and called the vet (they were closed) to let them know we were on our way (they are only 2 minutes away). The drive over I was holding Willow while the vet was giving me instructions. We got to the parking lot and Willow went limp. What color is her mouth? Pinch her toes really hard. Blow on her eye and see if she will blink.

She responded to none of that. Willow was dead.

It wouldn't have mattered anyways ... the vet said she was half hour away so even if she did make it to the vets we would have had to wait a half hour.

I miss Willow like crazy. Everything around the house reminds me of her. She was the best kitten ever! She had such a spunky attitude, loved the dogs, loved to cuddle, and loved Roxy. Roxy loved her too.

We buried Willow out back, and I am going to plant some flowers there.

The worst part was coming home and having to clean the blood off the floor and walls. It was splattered everywhere. Even now I still find the odd spot of blood that we missed, and it sends me into tears.

We don't blame Hope at all. She has been living on her own the past two years. She never knows when her next meal might be, and thought Willow was going to take it. It was weird though because when she first got her I checked her to see if she was food aggressive. She was fine with me near her food, the dogs even were near her food, and even our older cat Roxy has been semi near her when she was eating and nothing. Not a peep. I have no idea what set Hope off this one time. But it is definitely not her fault.

RIP Willow. I wish I had of been able to say goodbye. Instead I was on the phone with the vet freaking out. Then you went limp. And it was too late. You were gone.

My heart aches for you Willow. I would give the world to have you back. You were the best kitten ever. So special, so cool, so loving. I wish you could have lived longer. Finish growing up. Experience many different things that you didn't have a chance to yet.

Sometimes I still expect her to come around the corner, to run up onto the bed at night to cuddle, to hear her "nursing" off Chloe and her loud purr.

I think that was the worst birthday ever.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2010-05-15T13:46:00.004-03:00

Did I mention it is my birthday today?

Ah who cares! Hope is here!!

She has settled in well. Slept all night in the same doggie bed, woke up and had a little bite to eat.

She went from avoiding the dogs to PLAYING with Rinaldo! They had a blast! She still doesn't want much to do with Pickles or Chloe.

Learned last night that she likes to counter surf! Oops, hehe.

She also ignores the cats which is a huge plus!

I gave her a bath today and she is back to being clean! Wow was she ever dirty!

Here is Hope's Petfinder page :)

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16398830

The New Foster!

2010-05-13T10:26:00.003-03:00

Look at this gorgeous girl.

She has been living on her own for the past two years and was found under a trailer with two pups (who have since found homes). Right now I was told she is in a warehouse being fed by guys there but she has to go by Friday. Tomorrow!

So I talked it over with Colin and we agreed we would foster her :)

She is in Inverness, and Antigonish SPCA is transporting her our way. They are also helping with costs.

She arrives tomorrow around supper time! I will have updated pictures once she settles in :)

Painting the Q!

2010-05-09T19:25:00.003-03:00

My bf and I live in a PMQ on the base here in Greenwood. When we moved in the walls are all white and if you want to paint it you have to paint it back to white before you move out.

So not know if we were going to buy a house, if he was going to get posted or whatever ... we didn't paint the walls.

We lived with the white walls for almost a year before we decided to paint!

And I can say it is WELL worth it! We both love it and it feels so much better in here now with colour!

We went with a light blue in the bathroom, and we had a lot left over (we only have a tiny bathroom) so we did our bedroom in the same colour! I was skeptical it would look good at first but afterwards it did turn out well. We did the hallway a beige, the kitchen a red, and the living room green!

Here are some before and afters of the living room and kitchen (bathroom, hallway, and one bedroom were hard to get good pictures of):

Are you hungry?

2010-05-09T18:30:00.002-03:00

I am!!!

Here is Rinaldo and his best friend Jake! We (Chloe, Rinaldo, Pickles, Jake & his owner) spent some time at Aylesford Lake today!

It sure was fun, but by the end of it everyone was tired and hungry!

Happy Mothers Day Chloe!

2010-05-09T18:24:00.003-03:00

Ok ... so Chloe doesn't have any children of her own. BUT, she does make an awesome kitty pretend mommy!

You can see the wet spot on her leg from where Willow had been "nursing" ... Chloe just lets her do it, and then Willow falls asleep curled up with Chloe. It is too cute!

Willow also "nurses" on Pickles. However, Rinaldo doesn't allow it. He gives her a polite growl and Willow takes the hint!

Pickles!

2010-05-02T20:25:00.006-03:00

Here are some pictures of the Pickler!

He isn't looking the greatest right now because of allergies, so keep that in mind.

Chloe

2010-05-02T11:58:00.005-03:00

Pictures of my beautiful Chloe!

Playtime!

I heard something ..

Sunbathing

Rinaldo

2010-05-02T09:48:00.005-03:00

I haven't added any new pictures lately.

So here they are ... more to come of Chloe, Pickles & the kittys!

INSERT FOOD HERE!

New addition - Willow

2010-04-09T15:34:00.003-03:00

Well we have added to the family!

Ever since Brenda went missing last summer I had always had it in the back of my head that she was going to come back. Then when I realized she wasn't, I started to want a kitten .. both for myself and for poor Roxy who lost her friend. But I thought it was just because I missed Brenda and waited for a while before I seriously considered it. I have to say, it was in the back of my head every few days.
So the boyfriend and I discussed it and now we have Willow!

Willow is so cute. She came from a home that had dogs so when she got here she wasn't scared of the dogs at all. She is very adventurous, bold, brave, and cuddly!

Here are some pictures of Willow :)

My Fur Kids

2010-04-07T21:51:00.000-03:00

Got these cute pictures of my three fur babies and I. Even got the boyfriend in one of the pictures!

New Fence!

2010-04-07T12:52:00.005-03:00

Finally the dogs have a fenced in yard now. We only got a cheap fence because we live in a PMQ on the base and won't be here long enough to bother putting up a nice, expensive fence. So we splurged the whole ... wait for it ... $150!

Yup it was pretty darn cheap. Only took a few hours to put up too. And we haven't had any escapees yet. They don't even bother to jump on the fence so that is good. We've had leashed dogs, loose dogs, kids, people all on the other side of the fence doing one thing or another and the dogs were VERY interested but no leaps and bounds over the fence! Yay!

So here are some pictures of the dogs enjoying their fun new yard!

Chase me Pickles!

Let's pick on Chloe!

Lazy Pickles

Of course we can stop playing for a second to get a treat!

Is Chloe still alive?

Rinaldo trying to catch a toy

I dare you to try and grab the ball ..

Princess Chloe needs her rest

CHASE!!!

Rinaldo's new buddy Jake

2010-04-07T12:23:00.004-03:00

Rinaldo has a new best friend!

Jake.

Jake was adopted from the Kings County SPCA by a friend of mine. Him and Rinaldo LOVE to play all the time.

Pickles and Chloe? Meh, they find Jake a little big and rough for them. Although Chloe likes to be quite BOSSY to poor Jake, and she is also the "too rough patrol" ... anything gets too rough and she is in there trying to break it up.

This is after playing with Jake. They get quite exhausted LOL!

Rinaldo and Jake carrying a stick together

We actually got them all to sit still for a picture ..

Pickles say .. umm ok maybe you can have the stick afterall ..

Chloe and Pickles aren't water dogs ... so they feel left out when Jake and Rinaldo hop into the water!

Update on Pickles

2010-03-24T18:45:00.002-03:00

Well today was the day Pickles got his X rays done.

He does have luxating patella, in both legs. In his left it is way out of place, and in his right it is half way out of place.

Surgery? Nope.

Another complication ... he is pidgeon toed, so his lower leg bones curve! They are nowhere near straight! So the surgery would be very complicated where his bones aren't straight. It's doable but the success rate is very low. That and the fact that his legs aren't bothering him right now. The vet said that smaller dogs, some can live with their legs like that because their body adjusts and strengthens the muscles in the right places to make up for it. She thinks that his body has done this, and will do this for his other leg when it goes out completely.

So, her answer was that surgery would be a waste of time and money. Now that's a first - a vet not wanting money!!! Just kidding.

She also said either way he is going to have arthritis, and even with surgery he is still going to have at least one bad leg.

So I dunno if I am happy or sad he doesn't need surgery. Of course the big thing is that it saves money, but then you kind of wish it could just all get fixed up for good and not have to worry about the future.

Rinaldo's River Adventures

2010-03-17T21:18:00.004-03:00

Here are some pictures of Rinaldo enjoying the river behind our house ... he sure is getting braver!!!

Aylesford Lake in March

2010-03-16T17:11:00.003-03:00

The dogs enjoyed a trip the other day to Aylesford Lake!

Still lots of snow and ice there, but the dogs loved it! I was actually able to get a picture of them in front of the sign as well.

And today, while I had my car at the dealership, Chloe and I walked around Middleton! Then we found a trail from old train tracks and walked along there until we came to a bridge, but then we had to turn around because it was time to go back and pick up the car!

Practicing STAY

2010-03-14T12:05:00.002-03:00

Well the three "hoodlums" (hehe!) have surprised me.

A couple days ago it was very sunny and warm out. I wanted to sit out on a lawn chair and read. The sun was on the front step and not the back step (we have a gate on the back deck to keep the dogs in) so instead of sitting on the front lawn alone I decided to give the dogs a chance to lay out on the front step on their beds.

First step was to put their beds out there (the step is concrete), and then take then out one at a time and hold them by the collar and tell them to lay down and stay. Rinaldo and Chloe loved the idea but Pickles wasn't so sure, so he went back inside (I just left the front door open so they could come and go as they wanted). But Chloe and Rinaldo layed there like very good dogs! They were puzzled at first why they weren't allowed off the top step but they soon relaxed and snoozed on and off.

Then came our first challenge. Mother and daughter walking by and pushing a stroller. I stopped reading, gave the dogs their stay command and watched them to make sure they did not run over and knock the poor child down. Of course both were very interested in the noise and watched intently. But surprisingly, both stayed where they were and did not even try to get off the step!

Eventually Pickles came out to join everyone, and only had to correct them a couple times throughout the day (once was Rinaldo ran down to the grass and I took him back to the step but then he ran to the back door... which is where they go to pee so I let him out and sure enough he had to pee so bad! LOL)

I even left the front yard to see if they would stay and sure enough stay they did! We even had joggers, more strollers, dogs going by, and even a loose dog in the yard and they didn't wander off the deck!

Anyways, that's my long winded post about how proud I am of my fur-kids hehe.

Next is to overcome Chloe's fear of new dogs, I think she is getting better though!

Dog Books

2010-03-14T12:02:00.003-03:00

I need some suggestions for books! Specifically, dog books. I like the kind of books that talk about dogs, not just a story about a dog. So like different methods of training, about wolves and the connections to dogs, dog thoughts, etc!

My boyfriend is headed to Florida today with work for 5 days. LUCKY!!! So I want to get some books to pass the time so I'm not thinking about him gone the whole time.

Anyone have any suggestions?

March Sunshine

2010-03-08T16:47:00.003-04:00

I got some half decent pictures of the dogs today in the 8 degree weather! It was a very nice day out.
Rinaldo's eye is healing well, had a recheck today and another on the 18th ... which is the same day I'm bringing Pickles in for a quote on surgery and to meet his new vet! And to also book a date for surgery.

Rinaldo the cone head.
"Mum , the sunshine is too bright!!

Pickles! What a cutie

Hello Pickler!

Action shot! I caught Chloe shaking :)

Looking pretty as usual!

Rinaldo's Entropion Surgery

2010-03-01T19:33:00.004-04:00

Well today was the big day! Rinaldo's entropion surgery.

Everything went very well.

Here's the big guy recovering! Hopefully this is the end of whole eye mess!

Rinaldo

2010-03-01T19:33:00.001-04:00

Turkey Necks

2010-02-28T11:18:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of the dogs enjoying some turkey necks. I used to feed raw but stopped awhile back, but when Bowlby's closed down here a couple weeks ago and had amazing sales I couldn't resist. They loved them! (and they were 50% off!). The dogs miss Bowlby's because now there are no more marrow bones :( Superstore and Sobeys sell them but for triple the price.

Pickles has to eat his in this ball because if not he just gobbles it up WAY too fast! He usually just stays wherever I lay it down.

Chloe hides out on the stairs while she chomps hers.

Pickles again with someone who also wants some - Roxy!

Rinaldo always goes to the bed or by the front door to chomp his. YUM YUM!

Spring is coming!

2010-02-28T04:47:00.005-04:00

There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Yesterday, Chloe and Rinaldo came with me for a roller blade. They loved it! I could tell they missed it from last fall. And they sure were beat afterwards!!! I looked on Mapquest.com and figured out we went about 12 km!!

No wonder they were tired!

Pickles and Chloe love cat toys .. here they are trying to catch one

Chloe being hyper catching the cat toy

You can see Rinaldo's eyelid that is rolled in. Wish him luck because Monday he goes in for Entropion surgery!

This is the dogs bed. Yup. They have their own bed - and they LOVE it!

Chloe trying to catch a cat toy again, she is silly!

Entropion

2010-02-23T08:06:00.003-04:00

Well ... the one dog out of three that I never ever expected to have entropion is Rinaldo, and bingo ... that's who has it.

He now needs to have surgery on his lower eyelid to fix it. Chloe has had the surgery before ... Pickles has wide open and clear eyes and has never had a problem with them, knock on wood.

So again, I have to postpone Pickles' leg surgery to pay for this $400 eye surgery. After spending between $800-900 in the past month and a half on Rinaldo's damn eye problems.

So right now his entropion surgery is tentatively scheduled for March 1st. Myself being unemployed & on EI ... he sure did pick the best time eh! ... not. Oh well, what can you do ... maybe the Shar Pei are rubbing off on Rinaldo and that's why his lower eyelid rolled in LOL!!

Here is a video of smarty pants Rinaldo "speaking". He is so smart :)

Doggie Expo in Halifax

2010-02-17T16:12:00.001-04:00

http://www.gpac.ca/content/node/202

Hopefully I can make it up there ... it will be hard to choose who to bring with me!!!

Ch Chaoyang Chick Magnet At Asia wins group 2nd!!

2010-02-15T23:15:00.001-04:00

Ch Chaoyang Chick Magnet At Asia (Chloe's brother) won 2nd in group at westminster tonight!!!!!

Congrats to all, and we are some proud!!

Westminster Dog Show 2010

2010-02-15T22:11:00.002-04:00

We looked online and Chloe's brother(Ch Chaoyang Chick Magnet At Asia ) won BOB at Westminster! That means he will be on tv tonight!!

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2010/results/breed/sharpei.html

We will be sitting here watching him and cheering! Go Magnum Go!

Chloe and Roxy

2010-02-11T15:30:00.002-04:00

I took this video a couple months ago ...

Roxy is our cat, and Chloe, well everyone knows Chloe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dapfvnRuX8

Cute cat cuddles!

Cutaneous Mucinosis

2010-02-10T21:52:00.002-04:00

I just found out Chloe has cutaneous mucinosis. I saw the spot on her leg and investigated, she has the bubbles on her legs and neck. The two front legs seem to be the only ones that are opening. I've included a video of Chloe and shows a close up of the affected areas. Also I've included some links with info on CM.

(oh and that burp in the middle of the video ... that was Rinaldo, what a pig eh! LOL)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKeGmACDE1w

Dr Vidt has a lot of info on it HERE

and this website seem to have some good info HERE

and now some snow pictures of Rinaldo!

2010-02-10T12:43:00.003-04:00

My three Fur Kids playing in the snow!!

Shar Pei Fun in the Snow!

2010-02-09T09:12:00.006-04:00

Some pictures of Chloe and Pickles having fun in the snow ... Rinaldo had to sit inside while he still heals and has a cone on. Leash ONLY for him, poor guy.

Chloe sitting all proud. She says see that yellow pmq behind me? That's our house!!

Two Shar Pei buddies!

Run Chloe Run!

Trudging through the snow

Hi Pickles! Having fun?

Pickles loves watermelon

2010-02-02T07:58:00.003-04:00

Look at dear Pickles eating some watermelon ... look how silly he is with his eyes shut. He is always doing that whenever you feed him something.

Yum yum watermelon!

In other news, Rinaldo goes today to get the sutures out of his eye. Finally back to two eyes instead of one!! Lets hope it has healed properly!

Video of Chloe roller blading!

2010-01-26T12:20:00.003-04:00

Today was a gorgeous day outside! 10 degrees!

So Chloe and I went roller blading.

Rinaldo and Pickles had to stay home (Leg & eye). They weren't impressed.

Here is the video of us roller blading ... it's so hard to roller blade and video tape at the same time ... have to watch and make sure she's actually in the video, then watch the road and make sure I'm not gonna hit something!

Enjoy :)

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1156169798951&ref=mf

Rinaldo and his eye

2010-01-18T21:37:00.005-04:00

Rinaldo has had an eventful week.

After his eye swelled up, and a week of putting drops from the vet in & still no relief in the swelling ... yesterday he was put under for an eye exploratory to see what was wrong with his eye.

I got the call yesterday from the vet that it is an ulcer. They did the surgery on him then. That consisted of scraping his eyeball and sewing his third eyelid over his eyelid.

But then when he woke up, he pulled his eye in and the third eyelid was attached to a piece of iv tube above his eye to keep it over his eyeball ... well the iv tube was now in the middle of his eye.

Today he had to go back and get put back under anesthesia to get the piece of tube put higher above his eye. Then in a week we go back for a recheck, then a week after that he goes back for more anesthesia to get the sutures removed.

Poor Rinaldo!

And that is a good lesson to NOT let any eye problems go unchecked. Had I said meh, the swelling and tearing will go away on its own ... I would have had a blind Rinaldo.

We were lucky and caught it really fast so he has no vision damage.

As for Pickles' saving jar for his leg surgery? Nearly drained.

Oh well, what can you do but just start saving up again. Better than having a blind Rinaldo that's for sure!

Here is Rinaldo on Monday ... you can see the IV tube is right in his eye instead of above it

Here is Rinaldo Tuesday, process redone, and you can see the IV tube is above his eye where it belongs so his eye can heal correctly.

Tired after a long walk ...

2010-01-17T22:09:00.002-04:00

Today I took the dogs back to the trails on Tremont Mountain Rd. They love it there. There are usually other dogs to play with ... which is great for Rinaldo ... Chloe on the other hand would rather try to eat them then play.

So here are the pictures after we got home!

They sure are tired!!!

But wait a minute ... I only took two dogs on a walk, poor Pickles had to stay home because his leg is bad. Why is he so tired? It must have been super hard work staying at home and guarding the house! Which he wasn't doing ... because when we walked in the door, he was sleeping! What a lazy Pickle!

Shar Pei Beauty in Greenwood Nova Scotia

2010-01-10T14:07:00.004-04:00

I am biased. I think Chloe is the most prettiest Shar Pei there is! Of course I am her mommy and should think that way :)

Here are some new pictures taken today, I took Rinaldo Mastador and Chloe Shar pei to the trails on Tremont Mountain Rd in Greenwood.

I love all three of my dogs, Chloe, Rinaldo, and Pickles ... but I have to say: Chloe is my favorite! But sssshhhhh! Don't tell Rinaldo or Pickles.

Baby - available for adoption in Ontario

2010-01-06T10:00:00.005-04:00

Of course there are no Shar Pei available for adoption in NS ... but here is one available in Ontario. What a cutie ... I think he needs a more manly name though!

Here is a cute guy named Baby. He is available from the Ontario SPCA York Region Branch. Newmarket Ontario - Phone # - 905-898-7122, ext 306

"If I like you...Can I keep you?" I am secure and happy with myself, but...life is meant for two (or more)!! I certainly have my own views and ideas on things but I might be convinced to agree with you or follow your lead if you present a good case! Every day a can be like a fresh start, no baggage. There's a little magic in sharing a good laugh or a job done well with a friend. That's what I'm looking for. I'm hoping to find that special someone that will make me strive to better myself but not change who I am. Sure I have some things I can work on but doesn't everyone? I may have an irresistible face that lends one to want to "squish" it, but please don't display such embarrassing antics; I've got my dignity to uphold! I'm looking for a mature home that knows my breed. I'm good with other dogs and you can bet that once you grab my heart you'll have my loyalty for keeps. Come take some time to get to know me. Like I said .... If I like you, can I keep you!?!

Shar Pei available from CASPR

2010-01-05T09:27:00.003-04:00

Just thought I would highlight the couple of Shar Pei available for adoption from the Canadian Association for Shar Pei rescue.

Tatum:

Tatum is a sweet friendly girl. Already spayed and up to date on shots.
She is approximately 3.5 years old. Although Tatum is great with kids and lived with a toddler she does not like

other dogs so would be best as an only pet.
If you have room in your heart and home for this easy keeper FILL OUT AN APPLICATION TO ADOPT today.
Tatum with thank you with love.

Hunter:

Hi, my name is Hunter. I was the victim of a hit and run.
I didn't see it coming cause I was so scared but when the car hit me, it broke my leg in 8 places. Shattered really.
I was lucky that the nice people from the OSPCA and the Police saw it happen and were able to get me to help right away. Unfortunately there was no choice but to remove my badly broken hind leg.
It was tough at first, and I was really scared. Now though, I'm doing great.
My bumps and bruises have healed and I'm getting around just fine on my three good legs.
I loved to be rubbed and patted and told I'm a good boy. I'm good with other dogs too.
If you have room in your life for a little tripod like me give me a chance.
I know I can be your best friend

Rhapsody needs your help!

2010-01-05T09:08:00.003-04:00

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15375721

Rhapsody was found wandering the streets of Texas City. If her owners don't come for her soon she will be in need of a new home. Will you give Rhapsody a chance? She does not like being in the shelter.

Good news! Merlin's Hope is helping Rhapsody! They just need to raise some more money to pay for flight to Canada. Can you help?

http://merlinshope.chipin.com/rhapsody-sharpei

"Rhapsody in Blue was found wandering the streets of Texas City. She had no ID, no mircochip and no one came to claim her.

Many shelters can only hold dogs for limited amounts of time, and Rhapsody's time ran out. She is facing euthanasia if someone doesn't claim her immediately.The local rescues are full. MerlinsHope has offered her refuge with hopes that she can go on to a better life some where.

We are having her spayed, health checked and brought up to date with her shots. She will have to fly here by air.If you can help please support our Chip In for Rhapsody."