Category Archives: Dog Walks

Great places to walk your dog or enjoy an outing.

How Do You Get Woodchuck Hair Out of Your Teeth?

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This was Duke’s conundrum.

Neither of these is the actual woodchuck that Duke and Gertie caught. I was too busy screaming and trying to wrestle the dogs away to take a picture of THAT woodchuck.

You see, the boxers encountered the aforementioned furry woodland creature on an outing several days ago. I let the dogs off leash in a field, and I saw Duke startle on the other side of a tiny wooded outcropping. I thought he had encountered a bee, or maybe even a plant he’d never seen. But when I rounded the little tree I saw a terrified but aggressive woodchuck. Then Gertie saw it–or more likely smelled it, as it produced a musky smell similar to that of a skunk (though thankfully not nearly as strong!). Both dogs lunged at the rodent, although Gertie waffled between attacking and cowering (Am I the brave huntress? Or am I scared of this thing?). I screamed and screamed for the dogs to come to me. That didn’t work, and when Duke had the poor creature belly up, I started to run away because I knew I didn’t want to witness the gruesome kill. (I know, I’m a coward, but it seemed a foregone conclusion at that point.) But somehow as I was starting my escape, Duke backed off just enough that I could grab his harness. And Gertie was just scared enough that she wasn’t going to attack alone, so she eventually came with me. Phew!

The woodchuck, much to my annoyance, stood its ground the entire time. Once I finally had a hold of the dogs, I urged it to Shoo! But no, it just bristled its fur and released some more musk. It didn’t seem very big, but it must have been a mother protecting its babies. So I’m extra glad the dogs didn’t kill it (and that would have been a disgusting clean-up job; it may have rivaled the deer poop puke incident).

Duke did come away with a small trophy. A day later I noticed a little bit of blood on his new toy, so I opened his mouth to check his teeth. I didn’t find the source of the blood, but I did find some gray-brown reminders of his big adventure–woodchuck hair. (Duke was never actually too worried about the woodchuck-hair-in-teeth issue. As I was writing the first part of this post, he was sawing logs so hard that the woodchucks are worried about their habitat.)

A few days after that, I took Duke to the vet for his annual check-up. The first thing Dr. Weber did was open Duke’s mouth to check his gums. He said, “Hmmm, Duke’s gums are getting even more overgrown. He’s even managed to trap some hair in them.”

Me: “Yeah, that’s actually woodchuck hair. He and Gertie caught one. But it got away!” I explained that I didn’t really know how to remove woodchuck hair from a dog’s teeth (and I had kind of forgotten about it). Dr. Weber grabbed a cotton swab and swiped the hair out from Duke’s gums. Hmmm, I guess I could have done that. The job did take two more cotton swabs and a pair of tweezers (and even caused Dr. Weber to comment, “Gross, Duke.”).

Free of woodchuck hair and oh-so handsome!

Luckily, the dogs didn’t run into Willie the Woodchuck, a frequent diner in my parents’ yard, when we visited that weekend. They did run into these two bundles of cuteness:

Gertie and Ella (my niece)

Gertie thought she needed to share Tyler’s blanket.

Have your dogs ever caught a creature unexpectedly?

Picture Me With a Hangdog Expression

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It has been a month since I last posted. And, in that last post, I didn’t suggest that I was taking a hiatus, say for a round-the-world trip. I just didn’t post for a month. And now I’m breaking one of the rules I set for myself when I first started blogging: No posting about how long it’s been since you last posted. Ugh!

But as I contemplated posting again, I debated between just forging ahead with the post I’ve been meaning to do for at least two months (about photographing adoptable dogs) and a post that acted as a segue between my silence and the regularly scheduled programming, to offer, if not an explanation, an acknowledgement of the fact that I’ve been a slacker, as well as some updates. As with the last time I took an unplanned hiatus, I don’t have a good excuse. But I will say that the longer you neglect your blog, the harder it is to get back to nurturing it. I had anxiety about simply clicking on the link to my dashboard. Then come the questions of how to handle the segue, how to get back to regular posting (and also: Should I continue to blog? Why am I blogging? What does it all mean?!), etc., etc.

Anyway, I decided on a compromise regarding how to re-enter the world of posting: do an update post now, but also have the photographing-adoptable-dogs-post finally ready to go (that post is set for Tuesday).

What We Have Been Up To For the Past Month:

  • Dukie’s rehab. He’s baa-aack! Based on his x-rays from about a week ago, Duke’s leg has healed well, and he can now ease back into normal activity. So back we went to our illicit off-leash outings, and oh did he run! He did his chugging, head bobbing, full-out run. He also went back to doggie daycare last week. He still limps when he gets up because of the arthritis that had already formed, but the vet says the surgery made quite a difference and that his bone is actually healing ahead of schedule.
  • HAAAAAAACK. Kennel cough. Gertie caught it at doggie daycare, then gave it to some other dogs at daycare (which caused me to feel like a Very Bad Dog Mom to have taken my girl to daycare with a hacking cough and snot running down her snout, but I swear the snot was snot there when I dropped her off! And I thought the hacking was possibly due to some innocuous allergies.). Duke also caught the cough, but it didn’t seem to affect him very much. Gertie went to the vet and got a look of shock at the amount of mucous pouring forth from her nostrils, as well as antibiotics. She did fine on the antibiotics for six days and then started puking
  • The Great Disappearing Walks. I have been having problems with my S-I joint (the sacro-iliac joint, located around the tailbone/lower back) for a while now, and the pain forced me to stop running a few months ago. This development actually translated to better walks for Gertie and Duke, since the walks became my main workouts, aside from my physical therapy workouts, so I sought out hills with Gertie and walked briskly for 40 minutes or more with my fawn girl (I went easier on Duke since he was still rehabbing). But for the past week or so, the pain has increased to the degree that walking is now a chore to be dreaded, due to the sharp pain that comes with every step of my left foot. So there have been a couple of days when the dogs simply didn’t get walks, and a couple of days when my husband had to take over dog-walking duty. My solution now is to load the dogs in the car and drive to the aforementioned field where I only have to walk about a hundred yards to the entrance. Then I can release their leashes and let the canines wear themselves out. This strategy has worked out pretty well for the boxers, but I am grumpy. (Though I do realize that it could be much worse.)
  • Spring has sprung. Due to the whiny tone of the above two bullets, I feel the need to end on a positive note. How ’bout this spring? Duke and Gertie are fans. Before our walks became truncated, I would walk Gertie to Brucemore, a mansion sitting on several acres in the middle of town that has become a public trust. While walking, I scouted redbud, crabapple, and pear trees to photograph in full bloom. We also came upon this idyllic scene several times: a pond with a log on which six to seven turtles sunned themselves, all framed by a crabapple tree in full, pink-blossomed bloom (see picture below). Duke has delighted in showering the hostas, weeds, wildflowers, and other spring blooms with his scented urine. So much to mark, so little time.

In addition to neglecting my own blog, I have also, gulp, been slacking on my blog reading. So I also plan to catch up on what you all have been doing. But if you would like to tell me what you’ve been up to here, that would be great too: What have you been up to for the past month? Alternatively, what are your best stories about puking or hacking dogs?

 

Snow Dogs and Resolutions

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Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t make a New Year’s resolution to blog faithfully four times a week or something like that. Because, as you’ve probably noticed, I’ve been a blogging slacker for the past week or so. But I’m trying to get back on track with a twice-per-week blogging schedule.

Also, I did finally settle on some dog-related resolutions, as I discussed in my first post of the year. So here they are:

1. I resolve to walk better. I want to find more places where I can walk the dogs off leash (and maybe I’m cheating a bit because I’m making this resolution after I’ve made strides on this first part–see below). I will register Gertie and Duke for the local dog park. And I will find other new places for us to walk.

Snow tag

Above: I loved watching Gertie and Duke run free in the snow this afternoon. I’m not going to divulge where I found this off-leash spot because I’m not really supposed to be walking my dogs there–off-leash or otherwise. It’s our little secret.

2. I resolve to volunteer more. I plan to contact Cedar Rapids AniMeals, the organization that provides dog food for owners who need assistance. And I am mulling over ways I can use my new-found love for photography to help dogs needing homes (a subject I’ll be posting about soon). And, as I mentioned in my resolutions post, I will help Mid-Iowa Boxer Rescue if they can use me.

Feel free to bug me about whether I’m keeping up with these resolutions, especially since I’ve been so resolution-shy in the past. I can use all the help I can get to stick with these goals!

And now, since I have been a slacker, I have a few other items to discuss. First, winter has finally come to Iowa. I just thought you should know. Duke is loving the snow. He runs and hops and spins, periodically dipping his head to chomp a mouthful of the white stuff. Gertie’s a little less enthusiastic about the snow, especially when it’s deep or crunchy, but she does enjoy romping with her brother and sometimes digging in snowdrifts for a toy.

Little Snowbeard

Catching snowflakes

And last, but certainly not least, I have been honored with a couple of awards from fellow bloggers.

First, the Iowa Dog Trust, a blog dedicated to the well-being of dogs in Iowa, awarded me a “Pawlitzer Prize” for Dog Blog Journalism. You can read more about the award. They recently created this award and say, “By doing this we hope to encourage more bloggers to help dog owners around the corner and around the world by offering them quality instruction, information and guidance.” You can read more about the award and see the other nominees here.

I also feel lucky to have been nominated for a Versatile Blogger Award by For the Love of My Dogs. I just realized, however, that I have some thinking to do about the seven items I will share, as well as the other blogs I plan on nominating. So I will officially accept this award in my next post.

How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? Do your dogs enjoy the snow?

Wagging for Winter?

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It’s not officially winter, but here in Iowa the first snow pretty much marks the beginning of the season. Since it snowed yesterday, even though it didn’t really stick, welcome to winter!

From a dog mom perspective, I’m both looking forward to and dreading winter. Here are my reasons:

Why I’m Looking Forward to Winter:

  • Watching the dogs kick up the white stuff and don snowy beards as they romp in the yard is oh-so-entertaining and festive
  • Cuddling with my warm pups as the snow falls outside is extra comforting
  • Observing Duke camouflage himself in the snow (as long as he buries his brown patch in a snow drift) will be fun
  • The Viner family holiday card happens in winter
  • Tromping through the snow, all bundled up on a walk with the dogs, can be invigorating or very peaceful

    Camo Dog: Coming soon to a snowdrift near you!

Why I’m Dreading Winter:

  • Icy roads and sidewalks = treachery for a person holding on to two leashes
  • The icy roads and subsequent salt coatings don’t do any favors for dogs’ paws either
  • Dealing with the pent-up energy of two boxers in a small house who can’t get a decent walk because of those icy conditions (or because it’s -20 degrees) can stretch a person’s patience
  • Tromping around in the snow with the dogs can be cold, wet, and windy

    Mom, I can't feel my paws. And I look ridiculous in this coat.

Winter also seems to enhance my natural inclination to worry, and I fret about whether I should walk the dogs due to the salt on the streets or how long they should stay outside and this and that. So I found this handy guide to winter care for dogs from the AKC website.

Are you dreading or looking forward to winter? Why?

Since we’re on the subject of winter, the Wisconsin Humane Society, where one of my college friends works, holds a fun event called the Bow Wow Blizzard Camp to teach kids about how they can help animals in need (and probably also to get the kids out of the house while they’re on winter break) . Check it out and see if there are any similar events for kids near you!

Dog Walk: Noelridge Park

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Gertie rattled her kennel early yesterday morning, and since I went to bed early Friday night, I hopped out of bed right away to let her and Duke out. I decided to walk my babies before going for a run, so they wouldn’t feel abandoned (and because their ensuing cries would’ve woken up the whole neighborhood if they had to watch me put my running/walking shoes on and leave the house without them).

I was all set to drive to Bever Park, when I thought, why don’t we try a new walk destination? So off to Noelridge we went. The dogs were pumped. The cool morning breeze egged on their friskiness, and their enthusiastic sniffing and snuffling made me smile.

First we checked out the gardens, and I tried (mostly successfully) not to let Duke trample the pansies in his effort to mark each and every petal.

Not pansies, but Duke did pee on them.

The quacks and honks emanating from the lagoon attracted Duke and Gertie, so we headed over to check out the ducks and geese.

We walked along most of the trail that runs through Noelridge, though we romped in the grass as well.

Gertie stakes out a scent spot. Mmm, no Mom, not moving yet.

All in all, it was a smile-inducing walk at Noelridge Park. The fall color palette, with flowers still blooming and a variety of trees in different colors, makes it an extra scenic spot at this time of year.

Where do you walk with your dogs?

Iowa Dogs: Weekend Edition

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Three woofs for the weekend! There aren’t any major doggie events going on this weekend, but here’s what I bet lots of people and their dogs will be doing in Iowa this weekend:

1. Enjoy the weather, of course! With plenty of sunshine spotlighting the vibrant autumn foliage, it’s a beautiful weekend to spend outside with your best friends. Whether you head to a park (as Gertie, Duke, and I did this morning–you can read more about it tomorrow in a Dog Walks post), walk around your neighborhood, play frisbee, or simply bask in the sun, you and your dog will want to soak up every minute of outdoor time this weekend. With temps reaching the 80s, just remember to provide plenty of shade and water for your furry ones.

2. Check out the 2nd Annual Pumpkin Festival Bake & Craft Sale: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Earl May Garden Center, Cedar Rapids. Benefits Animal Resource Foundation and SAINT Animal Rescue. Why not pick up a pumpkin for your pup while you’re there?

Mmmm, thanks for the pumpkin, Mom.

3. Cheer on your favorite football team! Pro vs. college, home team vs. visitors, Big 12 vs. Big 10 vs. SEC–dogs don’t care. But they do care about spending time with us, and they can sense an especially festive atmosphere. Since many dog moms and dog dads will be watching football this weekend, I bet many dogs will too–or at least watching their parents watch football and joining in the celebrations.

I'm gonna cheer the hardest! No, I am!

Go team, go!

Here’s to a doggone good weekend!

What are you and your dogs doing this weekend?

Autumn Dogs in Iowa

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Is it just me, or are the fall colors especially vibrant this year? Walking with my dogs allows me to really soak in this beauty. I’m thankful that they encourage me to disconnect from all of the technology in modern life and connect to something as simple yet awe-inspiring as the changing hues of the foliage. So I try to stay focused on the dogs and on simply walking and taking in the sights around me, as the canines take in the smells.

When we just had Gertie, I would sometimes take my phone on walks (I know, I know, only sometimes?!), and once in a while I’d take pen and paper in case I had to take notes if a source called back while we were walking. But I didn’t usually enjoy these walks as

Hmmm, tastes like autumn.

much–I wasn’t relaxing or reveling in Gertie’s joy at romping through the grass or noticing the chipmunk that perked her ears. And while multitasking, I would get more impatient with Gertie (NO! Yank! Sigh. Grrrr.).

Now, walking both Gertie and Duke is multi-tasking in itself–I feel like I’m driving a team of horses with a leash in each hand. Then there’s the matter of the two-three poop bags, and the subsequent disposal, that Duke requires (Gertie blessedly does not poop on walks–only in the yard, and I love her for it). So I don’t even try to add anything to the situation, because I prefer that

Ackkkk! Autumn doesn't taste great.

respite from the harried life I, and I don’t want to accidentally smear all my gadgets and multitasking tools with poo.

Yesterday, my neighbor walked down the street with his dog, and he was reading a book (the neighbor, not the dog–if that were the case, I promise I would have put it in the headline). I’ve seen him do this once before. I love reading, and I realize that when people have kids and jobs, they have to sneak reading in when they can. But how is that an enjoyable walk or reading session? How many street signs has he run into? Does he pop Tylenol for the inevitable  straining headache behind the eyes he’ll get from trying to follow the jostling text? (No word on whether the pages of that book are now poo-covered.)

Do you multitask when walking with your dog? Why or why not? How?

Dog Days of Fall

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Whoever decided the muggiest, ickiest days of summer should be call the “dog days” obviously did not have a dog. Tomorrow is the first day of fall, and these are the dog days–crisp, cool mornings that encourage friskiness and afternoons temps in the 60s and 70s, with some sunshine for basking and breezes to carry scents.

I’ve seen many dogs enjoying walks on the bike trail, schoolyards, Noelridge Park, and all around town. I have wished a few times lately that I had a forehead-mounted camera ready to capture happy doggie moments. It seems like dogs and their people have been in a good mood this week, really enjoying these easy temperatures and the first glimpses of autumn colors in the trees. Gertie and Duke have enjoyed walks around the neighborhood and Bever Park, as well as frolicking in their yard and outdoors at Dog Zone.

Autumn here we come!

Gertie and her treasure ball.

Ah, love this weather!

What is your dog’s favorite weather? What do you and your dog like about fall?

3 Super Surprises on a Walk

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One of the great things about dogs is that they find joy in the mundane–they anticipate every walk with excitement. Even if their human knows it’s only going to be a 15-minute walk this time or that they’re just going to walk around the same old neighborhood, dogs trot into the walk with a purpose, pulling at the leash as if they know this walk will be special, each and every time. But sometimes even dogs are surprised by just how well a walk turns out.

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Surprise 1: This morning, Duke, Gertie, and I started our walk in the little park near our house. I was trying to figure out how I could really wear them out before I headed to the Iowa game, and we saw some speedy runners go by. Many more runners, some speedy and some not so, followed. Once I saw several guys in wrestling singlets and girls in costume, I realized it was the Coe College Homecoming 5K. Gertie and Duke watched and wiggled, flabbergasted by runners in Tin Man costumes (the homecoming theme was “There’s No Place Like Coe”). Gertie finally pulled Duke and I over to check out two funnel-capped participants on bikes. They admired and pet her, so she felt fulfilled.

While Gertie would have liked to join the runners (and some of them looked like they would have liked to have her pull them), the novelty of watching a couple hundred festive runners go by, and prancing alongside them, satisfied both dogs.

Surprise 2: Gertie found a treasure. She spotted it (or, more likely, smelled it) nestled in the grass near the middle school. She snapped it up and ferried it home to her yard (and then her living room):Surprise 3: Gertie has made friends before on walks, but it doesn’t happen every time, so today’s new buddy counts as Surprise #3. We happened to walk out along the 5K route and followed the same path back, so the college kids working the race saw us twice. On our way home, one of them switched places with his friend, then called out to me, “Hey, can I pet your dogs?” He looked sheepish, but Gertie answered in the affirmative by wiggling and sidestepping her way over to him as Duke loped dutifully behind. As Gertie leaned into his legs, we chatted about his fawn boxer from home, who he was missing. I remember yearning for some canine interaction in college as I missed my golden retrievers, so I was extra pleased that Gertie and Duke met this friend and “made his day,” as he said.

Bonus Surprise: The dogs also enjoyed a post-game surprise–their Uncle Nate came to visit! Duke had not met his Uncle Nate yet, and after some initial suspicion decided he liked this visitor. Gertie, on the other other hand, was so ecstatic to see Nate in the driveway that she charged at the storm door hard enough to force it open and sneak out to greet him!

Gertie and Nate cuddling at Christmastime

What surprises has your dog enjoyed on walks?

Dog Walk: Bever Park

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Yesterday was a DW Day (Double Walk Day) for Gertie and Duke. In the morning we simply walked through the park and grassy areas in our neighborhood. The dogs relished the crisp, cool air, walking with an extra friskiness in their steps. They seemed especially entranced by the smells they encountered, as if they hadn’t ever inhaled such interesting odors as the ones along this fence–no wait, this tree–no, this patch of exquisite weeds!

The barn at Old MacDonald's Farm in Bever Park

In the afternoon we headed to Bever Park in Cedar Rapids. The park offers a loop road, trails through the woods, and Old MacDonald’s Farm. We walked the loop road yesterday, which goes past Old MacDonald’s Farm (the canines can’t go in, of course, but they still enjoy the sights, sounds, and especially smells, from outside the fence).

The main entrance to the park is off Bever Avenue, but we always park at a little gravel lot off of Linden Drive. The first stop is what I call the Bulletin Board. I imagine that these posts have all kinds of odoriferous messages for dogs: Who’s been here lately? Male or female? Any wild animals come by last night? Ooh, a human spilled something! Gertie and Duke sniffed them intently as we entered.

We're so excited, and we just can't hide it!

I enjoy walking the loop road with the dogs because there are plenty of natural areas just off the road for the dogs to sniff (and mark, and yes, mark again, Duke). But it’s also nice because it has two big hills, so I feel like I’m getting a bit of a toning workout.

When we walked past Old MacDonald’s Farm, we heard quacking, which always perks the dogs’ ears. Sometimes we hear mooing or braying or clucking. The dogs always smell exciting scents.

There’s even excitement outside the fence–poo!

After we got past the farm, we walked along the stream, up the hill, and back to the car for post-walk refreshment:

Slurp! Ahhhh.

 Where do you like to walk your dogs? What’s your dog’s favorite thing about fall?