Banning all dogs

There has been a lot of debate recently about allowing dogs to run free on Toronto's beaches. The plan presented to city council yesterday stated that dogs should be banned from all beaches, even if they are on a leash! The argument is that removing the dogs will improve the water quality for swimming.

Another suggestion was to only allow dogs on the beach from November-April since no one would be swimming then anyway.

Of course the hundreds of dog owners who live and play in these areas are outraged, and rightly protesting this plan.

I don't understand how this could possibly pass. The Beache is a community that loves their dogs. I remember going there even before I had Elli, and it would seem like every person owned a dog there. I love bringing Elli there since it is so dog friendly. Plus they have a section fenced off for the off-leash area.

As for making the water cleaner, what are they proposing to do with all the wild animals that use the beaches? I really don't think people should be blaming the dogs for pollution when people are the worst contributers.

I do agree that dogs should be on their leashes, with the exception of the designated off-leash areas. And, people need to be responsible for picking up after their dogs.

But, a beach without dogs just isn't the same. I'm trying to picture it and I see sad people and crickets in the background.

On a side note: Elli finally made it to the off-leash park in our neighbourhood. She had a great time! I'm so proud of her and a bit surprised. She only got a little scared once when a big lab ran at her, but quickly made friends. She even played with golden retrievers, a dog she is normally terrified of for some unknown reason. Her freshly clean feet became caked with mud. But, she stayed relatively close and used her selective listening skills well.  I'm looking forward to taking her again.

Happy Thanksgiving

Yesterday I took Elli to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving dinner. She has two malteses. Elli's met these dogs a few times, so I knew what to expect; Elli would want to play but they wouldn't. Thankfully, Elli behaves herself very well when we're at other people's homes. She really wanted to play with her two friends, but as usual they weren't really interested in her. One dog is really easy going, and pretty much a white ball of fluffy hair. The other dog is the boss. She tells everyone what to do, including Elli. Luckily, Elli lets her be in charge and is quite submissive around her.

Even if they weren't running around playing together, I'm happy they got along for the most part. The Boss nipped at Elli a bit, just telling her to back off. But, that was it. No barking or growling or fighting.

Like I said, I'm pleased with how nice Elli is while visiting. She didn't go exploring the house by herself, or beg for food at the table. She showed off how cute she is, and was friendly with everyone.

Of course, the second we got in the car to come home she fell right to sleep.

This morning while my mom and I were cleaning up the backyard in preparation for the winter, Elli was having such a great time. She got covered in mud, and sprayed with the hose. She loved it. She was running around like crazy. She was so dirty the sink wouldn't do it, so right into the tub she went.

After all the excitement Elli fell asleep curled up in blankets on the sofa.

Having a dog changes the holidays. She provides entertainment, something to talk about and can remove tension in the room. Elli also made me feel really proud of how good she behaved and what a nice dog she is.

Terrified

Yesterday Elli went to play with her best friend, Kane. He's a 6-month-old lab who can be quite pushy trying to play with Elli. She reacts by growling at him and not being very friendly, but in a strange way I think this is how she plays with him. I even catch her smiling, especially when he gets in trouble for biting at her. And, it does go both ways, Elli instigates as much as Kane does. She'll even stick her face infront of Kane's inviting him to bite her! She's really not like this with any other dogs!

Kane had another friend over, a husky named Buddy. Poor Elli was terrified once she arrived and two huge dogs came running straight at her. I wasn't there to comfort her or witness the event. But, I was told she went inside the house to seek refuge and was just shaking so bad. She even goose honked a little. The only thing that calmed her down enough to go outside to play was a special treat just for her.

Once she built up her courage she ventured outside, growled once at Buddy to show him she's the boss, then they were friends. Luckily Buddy isn't like Kane, when he gets growled at he backs off. Kane on the other hand doesn't take the hint and continues to pester Elli. I hope they grow out of this game soon.

Of course all this playing, growling and trauma have exhausted her. She has been sleeping ever since she got home from her play-date.

Senses

Sometimes I doubt that Elli can smell or see or hear like she's supposed to. It just seems she's a bit slow to react or notice things.

I'm thinking of this because last night on our walk Elli was busy sniffing a clover patch on the corner. Another puppy, one that she has met before, was approaching from down the street. She didn't even look up or appear to notice him. That is, until his nose was touching hers, which of course caused her to jump in the air startled. Luckily this is a puppy she is friendly with and within seconds was wagging her tail and saying hello.

After I stopped laughing at poor clueless Elli, I wondered how she couldn't sense the puppy approaching her. Sometimes when she's playing or another dog is coming toward her I say "Elli watchout!" This seems silly that she needs a warning.

The other thing that makes me doubt Elli's senses is a little game I play with her. I'll hide her treat, usually just under a piece of fabric, and usually she sees me hiding it. Then I tell her to find it. She sniffs around everywhere until I eventually have to reveal it to her.

Don't get me started on when Elli drops a treat, she'll never find those bits on her own.

Trapped Inside

Walking Elli I've come to know many of the neighbourhood dogs. I usually walk Elli around the same times every day, but sometimes it varies.

What I'm surprised to notice is the amount of dogs in the neighbourhood that don't get walked regularly. Sometimes there are reasons, maybe the dog is old or the owners aren't well. I can even see some of the small dogs that don't require much excerise not getting out much.

But, what about the big dogs? I've noticed a few that look out their front windows as Elli and I pass. I have never seen those dogs out. And, I'm a bit concerned why not. Houses in my neighbourhood have fairly small backyards, certainly not enough room for a large dog to run and play. I have even seen ads for dog walkers, but I don't recall seeing anyone walking multiple dogs as a dog-walker would.

This is just speculation on my part. I hope these dogs aren't trapped inside all the time. I'm sure their owners love them and take good care of them. I also think walking your dog creates a sense of community. I know since I had Elli, I've met many neighbours who I otherwise wouldn't have.

Hanging on

I take Elli for three walks a day. Everytime we come back in the house there are remnants of the outdoors that come in with her. There is a big pile of towels I keep by the door to wipe her dirty feet or wet hair. I also have to watch for twigs and leaves sticking out of her hair. Grass clippings seem to come out of her all over the house.

But, there is one strange thing that she brings in with her that I didn't expect. Slugs. Last year she would get big ones, slimy and bunched into her hair. I had to cut these out.

This year she usually gets a couple small ones stuck to her. At first you might think it's a fleck of dirt, but on closer inspection you see it squirming slightly.

I have to be careful to check her over when we come in the door. Or, I'll get a nice slimy surprise when I go to cuddle her.

Habits

I think Elli is perfection.

But, there are a couple things she does sometimes that I don't want to become bad habits.

She has always been really great about sleeping through the night, even when she was a puppy. But every now and then she seems to go through a faze where she wants to go out in the night. I don't mind taking her out if she really has to go. In fact I'm quite impressed with how good she is with letting me know. The problem comes in when she wants to get up just to play or see what's going on. This is where I get a little frustrated and a little worried that it will become a habit.

I've been trying to determine whether she really has to go, or just wants to play, by talking to her in a stern voice. Usually she will either settle back down, but if she really really has to go out she will quietly tap my arm with her paw. It's strange the way people learn to communicate with their animals. It's also facsinating how much can be communicated.

My second concern with Elli has to do with a common problem. Often when I walk Elli we will hear dogs barking at us through the front windows of their homes. Elli isn't the type to bark a lot, not even when people come to the door. She is the type who has taken to having naps in the front living room of our house. I think what happens is that every once in a while she will hear something or someone outside and it startles her awake. She has a very unique "scared bark" as I call it. She won't do it for long. Often I end up bringing her down to the basement where I'll be sitting. It's hard, but I'm trying to break that habit and not allow it to get any worse.