Truly Locals

The alarm went off at 5:55am, but I didn't stir except to turn it off! This meant when I did get up 30minutes later the sun was not only well and truly up, but was starting to warm up.
Cleo, Bo and I went out for our walk, me knowing it would not be as long as some of the walks have been when the weather was cooler.
We head through the park which is always a favourite, but there is no food found today. Most of the shops up the road will be closed till some time in January, there is not much motor traffic around. There are quite a few people out walking their families or their dogs, or both in some cases.
One family pass us and the woman turns back to me;
 "How old are they now?"
"14 and 12"
  "Wow, we have seen you walking them since they were pups".

Yes we are part of the local scenery!

Christmas for the Girls

Cleo and Bo are not overly impressed with Christmas. Sadly for them they were on their own for a large part of the day. As we know Cleo in particular hates to be left. When we returned home the dining room floor was covered in jewellery findings! I had left a box open on the dining table.
This same table also held a number of unopened Christmas presents which luckily she had not been able to reach. These gifts included chocolates, nuts and Turkish delight; all of which are not on the girls diet list. (Not on mine either if truth be known). John has to eat a lot of 'good' stuff. I think Cleo was after some of that good stuff, but pulled the box down instead. I think she would have got a shock as the box landed!

Foods you should not feed your dog.

How do I know it was Cleo? In actual fact I don't know which one of them did it. Mum says Cleo always gets the blame for things, but that's because she is a naughty beagle; even at 14.

The girls don't get toys for Xmas any more as their interest in them is minimal. Their idea of Xmas involves food, walks and company.
This year we bought Bo a new bed, which is only just big enough for her as she likes to stretch out. She can take up a three seater couch quite easily.
Cleo is now the owner of a Thunder Shirt; the best solution for Dog Anxiety. Luckily we haven't had to test it yet.
We also purchased another dog restraint lead for the car. The girls do love a car ride.

Travelling with your dog.

Our Vet Visit

Today the girls have been for their annual check up and injections. Both girls enjoy a car ride and happily had their leads put on for the adventure.
Bo, in particular loves going there. We would often  pass by on our morning walks. Bo would always stop at the door and look at me asking if we can go in. Sometimes we would stop in to check their weight on the scales. Our vet is a familiar place.
Today is no exception. We do have to sniff everything on the way in. Once inside it is a 'grand' place so full of interesting smells. We pass the waiting time checking it all out and I put them on the big dog scales they have in the waiting room.
Bo now weighs 16.6 kg! I am so happy for her. I thought she was looking slimmer. Last year at the check up she was 18.2 kg. Three weeks ago she was 17.2kg. For once the diet seems to be working! Perhaps there is more consistency in approach now.
All the people who work at the Vet Clinic are great. We enjoy chatting about our animals and theirs.
Time for their check up.
Bo is first, and submits to her teeth, gums etc being checked, her heart listened to, her body examined and happily has her injection while enjoying a treat.
Cleo is next, her eyes are gritty from the dry eye and there is evidence of cataracts. It is little wonder she doesn't always see a lot.Our vet notes that both girls have a wart growth on the same hind leg and in the same position respectively. Cleo also accepts the injection happily as she swallowed her treat.
I mention that we are starting to have a problem with incontinence, particularly from Bo, but in a smaller way with Cleo.
I cannot believe it when we are told that it is treatable. That is such good news! We have come away with more tablets, but all of us are smiling.

I am relieved to know our girls are in good nick, for their age.

Annual Vet Checks

Cleo & Bo are Winners

Saturday was our Beagle Club Xmas party. It is a good opportunity for one last catch up with beagle folk, this time without their dogs. Sometimes it's hard to recognise people. Our eyes are always checking and admiring the hounds.
I took the girls for an early morning walk, and thought we were lucky to get it in as it had poured most of the night.
Bo's diet continues with just her morning thyroid tablet with a couple of titbits, she sit for these treats! It is funny to watch her as she knows the jingle of the tablet bottle and is so enthused to get her medicine.
 We like to support our club. They have so many great activities for the beagles. John thinks the walks start to late for them in summer, but I think they would be happy just being there. BUT they can't come to lunch.
We had a great lunch and caught up with heaps of lovely beagle people, both breeders and social members, all beagle lovers.
When it came time to draw the raffles I always think this is it, they will say 'Cleo & Bo'. Our girls buy at least 2 books every year. They are dedicated to the club also. They were rewarded for their commitment by winning 3rd prize this year.
It was a lovely hamper, huge, it was! John got to carry it to the bus stop and home at the other end!

The girls were happy with their win. They enjoyed a rawhide bone each from the hamper. They have donated the Christmas crackers, jigsaw and wine to John & I.
I think they would like some of the cake and plum pudding though!

Cleo's long toenails

I have done some looking at sites to show the best way to clip a dog's toenails, and even posted a link to one on an earlier blog. Did you see it? I think the best advise is to start while they are young 'so they get used to the process'. This advice is too late for us.
I have been playing with Cleo's feet for a few days now, but she hates it and gets up and 'runs' away. I have decided that I need a new approach.
What do beagles love most? Apart from exercise, kids, games; they always LOVE food.
I have determined to try sitting with her touching one paw while offering her a treat and telling her what a good girl she is when she lets me touch the paw.
I started that today. Too early to tell too much yet, but there has been some success. The first few times she pulled away, but the food wasn't close enough to distract her. Another occasion I had too much chicken and it was difficult to manage.
The last two times she has let me continue to touch her paw after she has finished the treat, (tiny pieces of cooked chicken). We have made a beginning. Yahoo!
There is of course one big problem to overcome, Bo. I can't do this if Bo is anywhere around as she wants some too. Luckily she has been outside fossicking in the garden. She certainly doesn't need extra treats.

We have made a start today!

Our Beagles' Nicknames

This morning the weather was clearer, so we were out early to take advantage of it. The girls were at the front gate and pretty keen to be on their way. (You would think they never got out!). I noticed that as I put on Cleo's lead I said 'Come on Sugar Plum'.


It gave me food for thought as we walked.

Our walk was 'brisk' in comparison to some of our ambles.Over my shoulder I could see black clouds coming in, chasing us up the hill. We were lucky we were only caught in a light shower. 


Bo's daily search for food included an overly close interest in a decaying possum, UGH!


Names? Our girls have pretty fancy names;


Cleo was christened Jancintine Model Girl
Too much of a mouthful for us. We called her Cleopatra, Cleo to her family and friends.   


Bo is a country girl and came from Charleville. To be Cleo's companion, we called her Boadecia. 
She was misnamed as there is rarely anything at all war like about her.    


Over the years 'The Girls' have had other tags given to them.


Cleo can be 'Sugar Plum'; 'Hoppy', when her arthritis plays up; frequently 'Old Girl', but when we talk about her between ourselves we often refer to her as 'The Queen' or 'Her Majesty'. 


"Have you seen Her Majesty?" What is 'Her Majesty' up too?


Bo is 'Little One'. She is not so little in size anymore, but as she is so gentle it suits her.


"Come on Little One"


Names? ........ Handles that reflect our love.


http://www.bowwow.com.au/
http://www.dog-names.us/

Time for a manicure

Our girls haven't required a toe nail trim for the last 12 years.

I have recently noticed that I can hear Cleo as she walks through the house. There is a scraping, tapping sound as her toenails have grown. At nighttime in particular they echo as she does her night time wanders. (Bo's are not so bad, her weight on them has kept them short.)

Cleo needs a toe nail clip.

We have a set of clippers that are 14 years old!

I remember being only too glad to give up doing it when I noticed that they didn't really seem to be growing overly much. I was glad to as Cleo hated it. At the first foot touch she was off, or trying to be. It had become a struggle and we were thinking we may have to get the vet to do it or perhaps the dog washer. The solution had been to walk them heaps, they were exercised twice daily, often over concrete and asphalt, and  there had been nothing to trim.


I have found the clippers and approached Cleo several times; when she was napping and managed to trim a couple, but she has become ultra aware where foot touching is concerned. Last two times I have been discrete and only played with her feet. I am hoping she will get  used to my touching her and then won't notice the clippers. 
This story will continue as we learn to deal with it. Any helpful suggestions are  welcome.

I will be doing some internet research also.

This is one comprehensive explanation; http://www.dogforum.com.au/dog-grooming/19-how-clip-dogs-nails.html

I'm going to keep reading and playing with feet for the moment.

No More Bones!

On our last vet visit we were told that it may be best if the only bones we give the girls from now on are raw chicken wings.
In our freezer John had some lamb neck chops that had been there for some time. Yesterday, Sunday, he had thawed them out with the idea of cutting the meat off and disposing of the bones. (Nice meaty neck chops they were, would have made a great soup)
John began preparing the girls dinner, and decided as the bones were sooo meaty it would be a shame to waste them. This would be their last bones, we wouldn't buy anymore.
The girls were only too happy to have a bone as a starter to the evening meal, took them politely and raced down the front to eat.
Bo was back in no time at all, and John continued putting together their dinner, a little dry, half a tin of sardines each & a few pieces of raw meat. He was ready to serve, Bo was ready, but there was no Cleo in sight.
There isn't much point calling Cleo these days as she is deaf, but old habits die hard. We found her on the front lawn enjoying her bone still. It takes longer for her as she has lost some teeth, and she chews her food, Bo inhales.
John took the food dishes down, Bo followed. Cleo gave up her bone for the food dish. Bo finished her dinner quickly and made off with Cleo's bone. Minutes later when Cleo had finished she hunted for the bone, but Bo kept out of her way.
John returned to the kitchen, Cleo followed. That's when I noticed that Bo was having difficulty with the bone. It appeared to be stuck in her mouth.
Bo performed all sorts of antics to try and get the bone unstuck, but nothing worked. I had a go at opening her mouth and indeed the neck chop bone was stuck on a tooth or two. I wasn't able to keep Bo still , her mouth open and pull on the bone as well.
John came down and saved the day, and Bo. The bone came free. It was headed for the bin, but Bo was keen to have it back! She was out of luck!

No more bones for these girls!!

Beagles of Habit

This morning was cooler; (the sun wasn't shining) and I slept in so we headed out later.

As we go out the gate we pause to sum up and decide which way should we go today? Through the park is a popular choice. Sometimes people have had their dogs there and there are fresh scents, occasional deposits (provides Cleo with interest), or have eaten mid night snacks or a picnic and left some scraps (Bo's favourite).

Sadly for them today was not a particularly good day in terms of either of the above.
One of our regular shorter walks has involved a climb up a steep hill. As we are feeling great off we go!
Now, I need to tell you that this is probably Bo's most favourite walk as it inevitably provides her with a morning snack.

Years ago at this one six pack of units the girls discovered that some lovely person regularly dumped food scraps in this one corner. The position never varied, but the food scraps did. As we approached the excitement would become more intense, ie walk almost run to get there. Then there would be the leaps over the low brick wall and into the garden. (Not lawn, ground creepers) The first time it happened I thought oh well that was nice for you girls but it won't happen again. But you have guessed it, the next time there was probably just the left crumbs they had missed, but of course it cemented the location for them, (they are beagles!). From then on when ever we passed that way the girls have had to check and see if there is anything there. I was surprised that it took me longer to remember this then them!
Last year it seemed to have finished as we had walked past regularly and there was no food there. (Yeah)

Today, as we came down the road Bo picked up pace until she was in front of the low fence that separated her from her goal, FOOD. Cleo was not far behind. Bo hesitated before trying to jump up onto the low brick fence probably just over 40 centimetres in height, but I can see she is going to try. Cleo stands waiting with her nose in the air trying to determine what flavour of titbit is there today.
I know you may condemn my next actions, but I examined the snack; roast scrapings I think, picked up several meaty looking pieces (tiny) and gave it to them. (Not the roast onion) and then we were able to move on.

I used to worry thinking that perhaps it was poisoned, but it just is someones 'can't put it down the sink, too hard to wrap, but need to get rid of it'. It's throws outside. (I think).

So that was today's walk and it is still an adventure taking two aging beagles for a walk!

Check out Pet Education.com for human foods dogs should not eat.