Gyp is traveling the world!

just add water., originally uploaded by sarah ....

I was approached by Blurb to use the book I designed for Gyp's 52 Weeks for Dogs Project from last year for their International Marketing Materials. It will be used at their offices and Trade Shows to promote their BookSmart product. I am so thirlled! You can see the book here....

52 Weeks by Sarah Novak | Make Your Own Book

Gyp + the hose + someone to spray it = pretty much her favourite thing ever.

disturbed, originally uploaded by sarah ....

Gyp could care less that copies of her book will be travelling the world, she just wants the f'ing hose.

in the clear

in the clear, originally uploaded by sarah ....

that's my boy. blue skies ahead.

8 weeks after his Torsion K is in the clear. We are heading up the the FCR Specialty this week at Spruce Meadows - nice to only have a 2 hour drive!

Then the following week is the AAC Nationals BACK at Spruce Meadows - lucky us! Kaleb missed Regionals this year because of his surgery. He has been conditioning and back to training and has made an amazing recovery, he hasn't missed a beat. We were accepted for the Nationals Pre-Qualifier, and fingers crossed he makes it that Friday, and then gets to run the main event that weekend (with his little sis Gyp). It feels like a second chance with him, so just having him with me is a win already.

Chillaxin' with the pooches

I am busy training for Nationals and working like crazy and we've had a stream of visitors staying with us over the past week: my sister, friends from Korea, family from Ottawa and more family from Saskatchewan. Not alot of blogging or photo time, I haven't even read any blogs this week at all.

chillaxin' :: 29/52, originally uploaded by sarah ....

The dogs are good: Jane's gummy gaps are healing and she is still on anti-biotics. Here is Jane's gummy gap - can you see the gap and the suture starting to come out?

Gyp is training hard for Nationals, and cute as ever. I hope we can keep up the momentum we've been building, she is such a good girl.

Kaleb is back in full gear, such an incredible boy to back training and he is doing amazing. It is just the coolest feeling to be training him again, it feels like a second chance. I am cherishing every moment.

here is a fun story for ya ...

Kaleb is amazing! Last night after training, I couldn't find my iphone. It had fallen out of my pocket - I had a friend call it a few times to see if I could find it in the vehicle or on the ground. NOPE. IDEA! Send in the retired SAR dog! I said 'SEARCH'. Out like a shot from of his kennel, K circles the field like a madman a few times & BANG, alerts, lays down beside my phone. True story, I have a witness :)

Did someone say cookie!?

hangin' with the janer

hangin' with the janer :: 28/52, originally uploaded by sarah ....

my sister is in town, and Jane loved cruisin' in the jeep with the top down ...

and a car ride wouldn't be complete without an Iced Cap. ...

giving kisses to Auntie Laura ...

and just enjoying the ride ...

Today is f'ing perfect.

, originally uploaded by sarah ....

For the first time in a what seems like forever, everything is right were it should be in life. K has recovered, Jane is almost 100% and Gyp, is Gyp :). A river walk, dogs swimming and hanging with my sister who is visiting.

Kaleb, wet, with a ball in his mouth.

Jane, dry and a little grumpy from being shaked on.

And Gyp, well, she is always happy and soaking wet.

Life is so f'ing good right now.

90%

Interesting knee factoid of the day: The ACL is responsible for 90% of the stability of the knee, and I don't have one. It sort of makes me sick to my stomach to think about it actually.

Have I mentioned how much I love Bar-Knee? Here is our first family photo together from Regionals. Bar-Knee was as reliable a Gyp that weekend, I hope we all can continue to work as a Team.

Sometimes I am astonished at how the human body and technology work together, it is really quite amazing. And yes, I am well aware that I look like a teenage boy.

Fun with Dick and Jane! And Gyp.

Pretty much the best collars evah.

Jane...

Fun With Dick and Jane, originally uploaded by sarah ....

and of course, Mr. Dick, himself ...

Fun With Dick and Jane, originally uploaded by sarah ....

my favourite brand of handmade, custom, collars ... Nearly Naked Neckwear

Speaking of fun with Dick and Jane and Gyp ...

Kaleb got accepted into the pre-qualifier for Nationals!! YIPEEE!!!!! He is pretty much back to full exercise - and seems to be fine afterwards. He has had no complications, knock on wood we are in the clear. A Vet check-up next week will give us the final go ahead. Another 2 weeks until he sees Agility equipment, as I want to make sure his fitness is where I want it. He'll get 4 or 5 short Agility training sessions in the last 2 weeks before Nats., with a week off before the big event. If I don't feel he is ready for that much intensity, I'll pull him, it's no brainer, really.

Jane has a bad reaction to her pain meds last week, and wouldn't eat or sleep and was a zombie dog. We took her off all meds, and slowly she is bouncing back. Another week of eating soft food and she should be back to normal. She is mostly back to her spunky self YAY, even though she has 3 less teeth. That makes 6 removed in 2 years ...

Gyppie girl is back to training, we have less than a month until Nationals. The key with her is to keep training sessions short and meaningful and challenging. She is running really well these days, and hopefully I can stay that way too!

toofless 'n' doped up

toofless 'n' doped up :: 27/52, originally uploaded by sarah ....

Does the toofer fairy come for dogs? If so, Jane would be rich and might even be able to pay off some of her vet bills!

Even on heavy pain meds, Jane's favourite spot is to sun herself on the deck as you can see :)

What would I do without my family?

It's been quite the month!

When K had his Surgery he couldn't be left alone for a couple weeks. Luckily I work at home - but on occasion I DO have to leave! Pete would come home for lunch and carry K up and down the stairs, and my brother and mom would come over and watch him if I had a meeting or had to leave to teach.

THEN yesterday - a month to the day of Kaleb's surgery, Jane went in to have ONE small broken toofer removed, but the dental X-rays showed a broken moler on the bottom - half the tooth was GONE, but you couldn't see it just by looking as it was behind the tooth. She had Dental X-rays a year ago for her other tooth that needed to be removed, so this had to have happened in the last 12 months. This tooth had the pulp exposed and was starting to abcess. Poor Janer! They also removed another one that was loose and started to have a rotted root - I said "take 'em out!", she also had a skin tag removed from her face while she was out. I am thankful that little toofer we took her in for was just hanging by skin and a bit of root - it pulled right out. We would not have ever known those other teeth were causing a problem if that little one hadn't broken. Hopefully we have prolonged her life by having those removed. I expect her to live to the year 2020. :) Our Vets are amazing and take such good care of her. She was so groggy and unhappy last night, but I hope in the next day she will bounce back. She is on medication and has to eat wet food for 2 weeks. I am glad she is OK.

Then I had to teach last night, and I couldn't leave Jane - so mum to the rescue! She stayed with K and Jane while I taught and trained. And then there is Pete - he weed-wacked the ENTIRE Agility field for 2.5 hours, really, what a guy! I was relieved when he didn't show up in his speedo as he threatened it :)

I am a lucky girl. Not a lot to complain about these days - a loving family and THREE wonderful, hopefully healthy-for-a-longtime dogs.

he's back. :)

:), originally uploaded by sarah ....

We spent the weekend at our friends' lovely acreage this weekend. While K was on leash most of the time he did enjoy a bit of free running, we just didn't want him to overdo it, as K generally doesn't know when to stop ... it's been 4 weeks since his Gastropexy surgery, and I would say our boy is feeling better :)

K was pumped to go for his first car ride in a month!

K hanging with Jan and the Shelties .. oh wait, and Gyp, she is a Border Collie :)

Kaleb even got to do the Chute, with his new handler, Pete :) he'll kill me for posting this

Oh, and Gyp did the chute too... she is back at it after a 2 week break following Regionals, back in to training full speed ahead until Nationals!

... AND then yesterday .... I didn't get the grocery bags put down before K rammed his head through the front door to get out and ran down the crescent barking and running aimlessly. He saw my neighbor, ran over there, peed on his tree in their yard for about 30 seconds. K then torpedoed into our backyard and hid behind the lilac bush. How can a dog make me laugh and swear in the matter of a minute. K, you're a total d!ck, but it's good to have you back.

John Deere Gyppie!

John Deere Gyppie, originally uploaded by sarah ....

Gyp is always looking for a job ... It was only a matter of time before Gyp learned to drive ... not sure how she'll reach the gas pedal though ... I guess she'll need Jane's help.

We spent the weekend at friends' of ours - we needed to get our A-frame re-welded, the wood fixed and re-painted since it got damaged for the wind. We had to planned this over a month ago, as it was our only weekend until mid August to do it! Crazy! Where does the summer go?Dave is our go-to guy, and the A-Frame looks good as new!

We had a great time, great food, great wine, great conversation, and managed to get in couple great training sessions.

And guess what? Kaleb even got to do a tunnel and the chute, he thought that was pretty stellar. Guess who took him through it ... it was Pete. I even have pictures :P

toothless wonder, getting more toothless

taking a break :: 26/52, originally uploaded by sarah ....

Jane has a broken tooth - it broke a couple months ago, and now it is loose, and she has been chewing at herself as it is irritating her. We didn't have it removed right away a it wasn't bugging her, and putting her under anesthetic again is risky for her. She is acting perfectly normal, eating and she is spunky, besides the biting at her self and the extra salivating.

The rest of her teeth are in amazing shape for an 11 year old dog - it's just her front ones, poor girl!

You can see her feet look a little red and there are sore spots on her legs too. The little bit of tooth will be removed next week. It is her third broken tooth, and third time being put under in 2 years - after the first one left a gap exposed, the other top front teeth beside it have literally popped off ... she has a heart condition, so it is always risky putting her under, but we don't really have a choice. I am really worried for her.

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52 Weeks for Dogs