Upcoming Events!

Trail Tails at Malvern Park

WHEN: Sunday, April 3 @ 12pm

WHAT: A group walk/mingle with all dogs in the offleash enclosure!

WHERE: Malvern Park at 7410 Morley Drive Burnaby, BC

RSVP at:  http://www.meetup.com/vancouversmalldogs/events/16246485/

Kindly planned & hosted by: Cassandra, Brittany and Small Paws Doggie Daycare in Burnaby, BC

Hope to see you all there!



Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club of BC Regional Specialty


WHEN: Saturday, April 9 @ 1pm

WHAT: CKCS Show - great to see all the Cavalier show dogs and other Cavalier owners!

WHERE: Heritage Park, Chilliwack

This will be our first CKCS show - we'll be there to catch it all! :) And of course, we'll post lotsa pics afterwards!

Sac of Potatoes

Ellie and I have a routine where we take a few hours each night to cuddle up and watch TV, or me watching her snore up a storm in my lap.. and not too soon after, I follow suit as well :)

And after some time goes by, I wake up from the best nap ever and find that the little buttmunch is missing.
Hmm.. wait.  Before I go on, let's go over her nicknames - she has many.  Alot of the names are really silly, and makes no phonetic sense.. but my favourite would have to be "a sac of potatoes".  So picture a big bag of potatoes.  Once you drop them on the floor, they roll sideways or flat and they pretty much don't budge much.  Try picking them up, and for sure, you need two hands.. and maybe even haul it over your back for some support.  Yup, that's the lazy little girl.  I'm talking about Ellie by the way, but I sure can be like that too - hehe.

So where could the little rascal be... and of course the first thing that pops in mind first.. did she make an accident?!  .. all while frantically feeling the carpet for wet spots or hidden surprises around the corner.. :X
She's a year old now, and potty-trained well.  So we're safe.

But it's too quiet in the living room.. and she's not in the kitchen, or the bathroom, or the second room.. which means.... UhOh:




Caught red-handed in my room, on my bed!
Sigh.. but looking at her smug grin as she sprawls across the whole bed in deep sleep..you can't stay mad long :)


Sleep tight, baby sac! <3

Nature Trails - the Remix!

Ok, got your snackmix ready? Munchies, check!
And don't forget the kibble treats!

Let's see what kinda shenanigans Ellie got into this weekend!

The Malvern Off-leash trail park - Burnaby, BC
(Located on Imperial St and Morley Drive)

Ellie leads the way while Mommy's left behind in the dust.

"Why.. hello! Glad you finally caught up. 
Took you longggg enough, Mum!"

Oh look! It's the very imprt park patrol police guys again!
"Hey lil missy - you should not talk to your Mother like that.
If I catch you again...."
Ellie: "Eeps! Yes Officer!! I'll be good, I promise!"

"Ok fine - I don't want the police guys to scare me again...
I'll go where you wanna go, Mum!"

Thatta girl Ellie! Let's go to the creek for a drink.
"Are you sure about this?! Doesn't look so safe..."

"Eeek! I'm slippiiiiing!! OMG-omg-omg-OMG!!!"

"Now I'm stuck and I can't get out!
I hate you, I hate you, why did you take me here!
..Whaaaaahh!!! :("

 

"Phew, I made it out! *Sniffles*
I'm so..b-brave! *Sniff*
..I laugh in the face of danger!! ha, ha, ha"

"Check out my Lion King pose!
Just like Simba, see?!"

   

Alright, good try..not bad, not bad! 
But I think you look more like....

 ...The MGM LION! Rawwwr!

"And lastly....

"....my Dumbo the Elephant impression!"

Spot on Ellie Bellie!! Weeee!

Pankun & James

Pankun is a smart chimp that learns human behaviour and to mimic human tasks.  His trainer sends him off each time with a different mission, along with his bulldog friend, James.

Click below to see a clip of his adventures! It's quite cute watching them together! :)


For more videos, check out this YouTube Channel below:
http://www.youtube.com/user/domore#p/u/45/50fexzLrBBI

I was hooked watching these clips for days!! Why can't my dog be smart like little Pankun too? :P

Walkie Talkie

Meet Coco from the block! A Malti-poo :)

Such a cute snowball!
He's supersuper soft after his recent haircut! <3

"Ready for my closeup!"

A romp in the park

Just when we were getting used to some sunshine, we get rain again! :(
Oh well..let's look back on the weekend!

What a goof.

"Khahahaha..ish my stick now!"

Easy, breezy, beautiful..
("Nuh-uh, don't finish the sentence!! I aint no cover grrrrl!")

Wha?!! Look closely at the bushes...
Is it a ghost dog? A stalker dog?

"Is that dog over there bothering you, ladies?"

"Don't worry, we are the very imprt park patrol police guys..
Ya see him alot, we call em 'squatters'.. we'll take care of him for ya!"

"You guys saved me from danger! <3! 
Here, you can have my stick..
mmm wait, I take that back!"

I'll serenade instead! "Baby I can see your haaalo...
You know you're my saaaving graaaaaace!"
(Nohhh.. that Beyonce song is stuck in my head! >.<!)

It's a neighbourhood block party!

Fast forward to Weds, March 16.. our first sunny day since weeks of rain!
Let's see who is out and about!

Meet Billy, the Boston Terrier!

What a handsome fella, you are!

The Pom-chi gals are chattting it up!
"That Billy makes out hearts swoon.. ahh <3"

Turner shows up just in time!
"Hey guys! Let's get this partyyyy started!"

But Turner's mommy has to go now - time for work!
"Aww Ma! I was just getting my flirt on with the ladies... :("

"Don't worry babe, I'll meet you by the tree tomorrow! ;)"

Turner to Billy "They're all yours buddy have fun with the girls!"

"Did someone mention girls??
I'm single and ready to mingle! :D"

While the boys scuffle it out, Pixie looks on, unimpressed.
"Yawwwn - what happened to old fashioned chivalry?
A nice chewbone and half your doggy treats would be nice.. "

Lookie - it's Splash! "My licks will give ya whiplash!"

Coco, Pixie and Ellie.
The girls' gossip corner..*giggle, giggle*.
"What's that new scent you've got on??"
"Chanel no.5!"

This is Meimei.. she's a bit shy.. but a real sweetheart!

And last but not least... Bubbah!
Keeping an eye out for squirrels :)

 

Enjoy the sunshine everyone - see you all next time!

January

In early January, we had a rare sunny weekend.  So out we went, towards the offleash area at Harbourside Park by the North Shore Auto Mall. 

We caught another Cavalier, his owner Nancy, and Nancy's friend playing fetch near the end of the parkway.  While Darwin and Ellie were scavenging around for tree bark.. we chatted away about the breed and gushing over our furkids - we are two truly proud Cavvie mommas :)

Ellie and Darwin both have a serious condition known as Syringomyelia (SM) and Chiari-like Malformation (CM).  Also known as "neck scratcher's disease", fluid-filled cavities are formed within the spinal cord near the brain.  To put into better perspective, imagine putting your thumb over the nozzle of a garden hose.  The turbulence can create pockets of fluid (called syrinxes) in the spinal cord that press on nerves, which can cause pain and disability.  There is no cure, but treatment options are available to ease the pain.

This condition is especially common in Cavalier King Charles, but other dog breeds have been diagnosed as well.  For more info on CM/SM: please visit www.cavalierhealth.org and www.sm.cavaliertalk.com.

Ellie is currently on 150mg of Gabapentin, 3x a day.  So far, she is her usual self and we only notice some of the symptoms during the day.  She exhibits fly-biting (licking in the air/biting at imaginary flies) and some excessive scratching at the neck area.

Darwin was also on Gabapentin and has undergone decompression surgery to alleviate the pain.  Post-surgery and rehab.. Darwin looked as healthy and happy as ever, with bundles of energy!  
As you can see in the picture below:

Here's Darwin - soo adorbs!

Oops - did not mean to turn this post into a long ramble - but it is really important to note, if you are ever considering a Cavalier pup or adult, or any purebred for that matter, please research the breeder thoroughly to ensure proper health testing is done.  Ask for proof of health testing, and if in doubt, don't be afraid to ask others for help!

Some helpful links:
www.cavaliertalk.com

A forum for everything you need to know about the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.  Health, diet, training, showing, you name it!

www.dogheirs.com

Find all up-to-date information on breed related health issues and connect with other users for guidance and support.

"Are we done yet?!" (Eyeing that branch.. mmm treebark!) <3

"Finally! Nom nom nom"