Warm weather, time to start using the dog boots!

The weather has warmed up considerably. It's time to put the dog boots on when I take Shaman and Nici out.My friend Carla took me out to eat om Easter.I used Nici and she was very good in the restaurant.She laid under the table and did not beg for food. Several people complimented me on how well behaved my dog was. Nici is always well behaved when we go out any where. On Sunday,my friend Rachel and her husband,Jeremy are coming over with their guide dogs. If the weather is not too hot, we will walk to the park.I have made the switch from Purina Pro Plan Sensitive skin and stomach for Shaman and Max to Taste of the Wild,grain free food.I am also mixing some of this food in with  Nici's mixture. They all seem to like it.All the dogs have been coming in the house for most of the day as it is getting too hot for them to stay out side.Even Myah is coming in. She usually stays out even when it is hot. Even Tess, the puppy that was found in a garbage can has been coming in when I call her. I guess she has finally decided to trust me.It has taken a long time for both Myah and Tess to trust humans again. They are the only foster rescues that I have at this time.The other 6 are mine.And of course Shaman and Nici are my guide dogs. Caring for all these animals is what keeps me going.  to be continued...............         

Long time no post

I was in the hospital over Christmas and New Years.I got scratched on the ankle by one of the dogs when I was fixing there food. They always get excited when it's dinner time.That scratch became infected and then the infection went into my blood.Off to the hospital I went. I also had a mild heart attack,so I was pretty sick for a while. I am fully recovered now. Johnny and Dave took great care of the animals while I was away.Johnny brought Nici to the Rehab place to visit me. When it was time to leave,Nici sat there and refused to move. She did not want to leave me. Johnny had to drag her out of my room.Poor Nici....I guess all the dogs missed me as they all went nuts when I came home.They must have thought I was never coming back.I was also very glad to see all of them. Any way, things are pretty much back to normal here.I've been working both my guide dogs and they have not forgotten any thing.Last Saturday, Carla,Johnny and I went to a meeting of the Rescues. There were a lot of dogs there as well as some cats.I took Nici with me and she was great with meeting all the dogs and even the cats. Johnny took his service dog Lady and another dog in training to be a service dog named Violet.It was a very interesting night. I met a lot of nice people and animals. I have begun training Nici to locate dog poop piles for me. I am using clicker training for this. This way when I loose the rest of my sight,I will still be able to pick up after the dogs. I have lost a lot more of my sight after my last hospital stay. Both Nici and Shaman are such wonderful guide dogs.Max, my Border Collie is now 15years old. He can't hear to well and has cataracts, but he seems to be doing OK. I hope he continues to do well. He is my retired Seizure Alert dog. Wanagi's left eye is now blind from the Valley Fever.I need to get her retested to see if she needs to go back on the medicine.She seems to be doing fine without it so I hope she can stay off of it.Wanagi is my retired guide.Tokala has been on a diet. She is still a little chubby but looks better than she did.She is still quite the food thief! Tunyan has been coming into the house more often lately.I hope she and Mya will come in the house when the Summer heat hits.It gets so hot for them and I worry about them.Even on the coldest nights,they refused to come in.But they are Huskies so I guess they can take the cold. Mya did come from Alaska,where it gets a lot colder than the Arizona winter.Mya now lets me pet her when she is on the porch. She no longer runs away from me.She has come a long way from when she first came here.She had been left in a compound in Alaska to starve to death with 200 other huskies.She still has trust issues,but  at least she does trust me.Our puppy,Tess has also come along way from being found in a garbage can. She still has trust issues but is now going up to people to lick their hands.She is still hard to catch though.She is about 8 or 9 months now.She is growing like a weed! Her coat is coming in nicely and her tail is fluffing up.She looks like a husky now.I sure did miss my dogs when I was in the hospital.I also missed my Bearded Dragons and Pacman my 18 year old cat.    to be continued.........