Is that a rabbit?

Morning walk, Nov. 28, 2006.

Chica looking for rabbits, Nov. 28, 2006

Near Champlain and Jeanne d'Arc, 5:30 a.m.

Bailey, Nov.28, 2006

Bailey is a nice little dog we meet most mornings and some evenings.

Chica and her big bone, Nov.28, 2006

Chica on her morning walk. Nov. 2006

Over near the fields at 5:45 a.m.

Chica with her instructor, Nov.14, 2006

Chica's Classmates, November 14 & 21, 2006

Gaia

Casey

Chloe and Luca

Tyke

Chloe

Chica playing with Mocha

Cash

Chica at Obedience Class

November 14, 2006

Country dog or city dog

After having had Chica out to Elgin and Athelstan twice, I was sure she was born to be a country dog. She looked so happy sniffing the air, poking in the long grass, trotting around the field with us, sneaking into the pond, getting muddy, wet and full of burrs.

The weekend before last, I took her by Bark and Fitz in Westboro to see if we could get her a coat. I don't know if she actually needs a coat. Her own coat seems to be pretty water resistant - it's difficult to get the soap right in when I bathe her.

As I walked her along Richmond Road, I saw that she surely does love the city as well. She had an excited air and sniffed in every doorway and at every bit of cracked foundation, tree island, iron railing, etc. She was practically dancing. Maybe she was thinking of her foster caregiver, Erika, with whom she lived for a month in Montreal, or of her previous family, who perhaps also lived right in the city proper.

Chica's postures

If it weren't in questionable taste, I would post photos of Chica's various peeing stances. Sometimes, she just squats, but she often curtsies, very gracefully at different levels. She will also lift her leg, like a boy-dog, but, again, ever so gracefully and at different heights. I've never seen a dog who is willing to pee right on the sidewalk; she does - with no fear of splashback, I guess.

Chica is wiley

I take Chica for a walk in the morning and in the evening. Just before I go to work and just before I go to bed as well as othertimes, I ask her to go out in the backyard to go peepee. Go peepee, Chica, go peepee. She must have a huge bladder because she rarely seems to want to go. She knows that she can't just turn around and come right back inside, though. Last week, I had let her out and was encouraging her to go. She suddenly plopped her backside down for a moment then came to ask back in. I thought - hmm - what was that? It hadn't looked like a pee. It couldn't be that she was trying to fool me, was it.

Well, a couple of days ago, it was confirmed - she did a quick squat, then turned expectantly to the door. She just didn't have to go and didn't want to bother hanging around out there. She is such a funny, smart dog.

Nov. 20, 2006

There are so many dogs in this neighbourhood. We keep meeting new ones.

Tonight, we met a smaller-sized dog named Whiskey. His owner described him as part Huskie, part Sheltie and part squirrel. Chica and Whiskey really took to each other and were eager to play. The owner was enthused and asked if there was somewhere we could let them off-leash, but we weren't near any off-leash areas.

A while back, I was walking Chica in the little park across the street and I spied a handsome brindle boxer. Chica and I trotted over and I was calling forward, Can my dog meet your dog? The owner said Ok. They seemed to get along well, so I was asking if we could go over to the ballpark and let them play. He said he was in a hurry, so I started asking if he comes at the same time to the park, etc. He started looking a little wary and I realized that he probably thought I was trying to pick him up! That is the difference between dog owners. Some feel secure enough to devote themselves to their dogs' entertainment and take the owners as they come and others think only of themselves and suspect the other owners of trying to stalk them! haha.

Chica is funny about which dogs she likes and which she doesn't care for. She does seem to prefer males and also seems to prefer smaller dogs.

More photos from the 2006 Wiggle Waggle Walkathon

Drew & Chica. Drew, Elise, Steve and Chica.

Photos by Joanne N.

Wiggle Waggle Walk Sept. 10, 2006

Chica at the Wiggle Waggle Walk for the Ottawa Humane Society with her pink bandana from the previous year's walk.

I finally have a dog to do the walk with!!

Photo by Joanne N.

Chica's house mates - Otherwise known as my beloved boys.

Tagish. Skookum.

Chica's obedience classes

Chica had another session at obedience tonight. She already knew so much when she came to me. I am learning slowly.

She would really like to play with one of the dogs in the class, but class is all business.

The commands I am learning are: Sit, Down, Come (come to me), Let's go (come along), OK (to break a command), This Way (to change direction), Heel (to stay close to my left leg), Stay.

She seems to already know the hand signals as well. She loves the teacher; she has the best treats.

Chica listens well except when we are out and she smells something interesting. Then, all her concentration is on the scent. She seems to be especially interested in rabbits (!) Sorry, V. There are a lot about here early in the morning. When she sees one, she assumes a pointer-like position with her one front leg up. When she is on a scent, she walks sideways like a crab sidling along. Her nose is almost always to the ground when we are out walking.

We walk for about half an hour in the morning and between 45 minutes and an hour in the evening. Weekends, I try to get her out to one of the off-leash parks where she can have a good run. She really rips up the ground when she gets into it.

I also try to give her a game of fetch on a regular basis. I don't like to do it when she is going to have an opportunity to socialize with other dogs, though, as she gets totally focussed on the ball and will bark at other dogs who come near to her ball.

Regular stuff Nov. 12, 2006

Chica is doing well. This morning, I drove over to Bruce Pit, one of the off-leash parks here in Ottawa. It is over by the 416 and Hunt Club. There are always a lot of dogs there. It's pretty, with a lot of tree-lined paths. There is an area where people play fetch with their dogs. The people are generally nice and friendly, though sometimes, you run into yuppie-types (even in this day and age) on their cell phones, tromping along. We were there about an hour.

We had another walk this evening - just her regular morning walk - about a half hour. We ran into a fellow dog-walker and her pooch, Bailey. Chica and Bailey had a slight disagreement about a treat. I had given B. a treat, but he didn't eat it. After Chica finished hers, she smelled his and thought she might like it. B. didn't like that idea.

I meet a lot of nice people out walking Chica - it can be quite convivial. I also like that it gets me out when normally, I would just want to stay cozy in bed. The air is so nice at 5:30 in the morning. I haven't smelt the air that early on the weekend, however!

At David's place October 2006

What can I say? She is adorable. Here she is flaked out on David's couch. Spice is nowhere in sight.

Chica at David's, October 2006

Chica visited Steve's brother David's for a day. For the most part, she managed to stay out of Steve's dog Spice's way. Spice doesn't care for other dogs. They had only one argument.

Chica and me in Huntingdon

Steve and I stopped for Pivin hotdogs when we went to the country the day I got Chica. (Sat., Sept. 2, 2006). Chica and I posed by the falls.

When she was Chiqui

This is one of the two photos that were posted on the Petfinder.ca site by Sophie's Dog Adoption. Chica's name then was Chiqui. I changed it because I didn't like that it sounded like Cheeky with its denotation. Notice that her left leg is somewhat pigeon-toed. So cute.

Chica meets Tank, Sept. 2, 2006

Chica met her first new friend, Tank Berci in Athelstan, Que. the first day I got her. At first, she barked and growled at him and I was worried that they weren't getting along, but Jo-Anne and Steve told me it was ok - she was just setting her boundaries. They started to play and had a good chase around. Tank is a very large, dominant dog. He's also a big goof. Just don't bend over.

Chica and her stuffed bone

Chica lying in the guest bedroom with a toy that Erika, her foster mother, gave her. It has been destroyed since this picture was taken. She really enjoyed pulling it apart.