Showing posts with label lake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lake. Show all posts

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Apologies!

Don't fret! Luna and I are alive! I know I've been really bad lately with posting our adventures and fun things. And I'm not going to use the excuse "I've been busy" because it is literally the most pathetic and lazy excuse known to man kind. So instead, I'm going to say that it's been a weird couple of weeks. Overwhelming, you could say. So again, I apologize for falling off the face of the earth!

To catch you up to speed on the last couple weeks that I've basically taken a hiatus. 

Luna and I have adventured around a couple new places that we don't normally go, or haven't been at all! I've been taking her to the dog park that Drew likes to take her to. And there, she found her new BFF. A 4 month old Siberian Husky named Obi. Such a playful couple. And Luna was very good about being submissive and playing on the ground with the much smaller Husky. I'm quite a proud mama.




We also have checked out 2 completely new places (new to us), around the Bay! The first place was in Niles, CA. A little lake area that you can "hike" around and bring your dog to the dog swim area. (I say "hike" because it was more of a paved walk... not really a hike if it's paved if you ask me). She had a lovely time, and the water seemed a lot cleaner and not as stagnet as Borris Lake in Pleasanton that we usually go to. The only downside to this experience was that Luna lost her decoy toy (it had a hole in it and she didn't grab it fast enough and it sunk. Oh well).





The second brand new place Luna and I visited was a dog park in Danville, called Hap Magee Ranch Park. Let me tell you, it was a fabulous park. It had a huge grass area that was open and not gated (so you had to keep dogs on leash there). Also had a playground and picnic benches for kids and BBQ's. And it even had a sand volleyball court! Plus the dog corrals (1 for little dogs, and another for big dogs). 


The big dog park area was very nice. Grassy, had a lot of shade, and nice benches to sit at. The only thing I didn't necessarily enjoy was the dog owners. Not that I had a particularly BAD experience with one, but they were all kind of... how do I put it... let's just say they weren't as friendly as the owners I've met in Pleasanton and Livermore dog parks. They just seemed to not really talk to new comers, not very outgoing. Not that I am going there to be social, but it's nice when some one greets you and asks what type of dog you have and how old she is. You know, just common dog park etiquette. Well apparently, Danville dog parks you just keep to yourself. 


Not to mention almost every dog there was a purebred, bred to perfection dog. Seriously though, there were 2 purebred Ridgebacks, still "intact" as the owner pointed out, at least 3 standard poodles there, 3 other Australian Shepherds, an Irish Setter, a Newfoundland, a Great Pyrenees, a Bull Terrier (who was a little shit), and some other dogs. There were a lot of dogs there, which was a good experience for Luna, but almost every single one was a purebred. I don't have anything against purebred dogs. I love dogs all the same. But it definitely seemed like the owners were very proud of their purebred perfect dogs that they shopped around for and paid an arm and a leg for. And if you don't know already, I'm more of an advocate of adopting dogs, not shopping for them. But to each their own, at least these dogs have good homes.

These last couple weeks, I have been volunteering a lot with my local animal shelter. It's really a great experience. It's very laid back and you can decide when you want to volunteer and for how long, which is nice to have a flexible schedule. But really, it makes me feel so happy when I am there with the other dogs that need homes. I wish I could do it more often, and save all the dogs in the world, but really, what crazy dog lady doesn't? So I do my part and try to get dogs to find their forever homes. It's definitely a bittersweet moment when you go into the shelter the next week and one of the dogs that you got attached to is gone because they finally got adopted. You're happy they found a home, but you miss their cute little face.


On Labor Day weekend, Drew and I officially were dog parents for a year! That's right, Luna has officially survived a full year in the care of two crazy people. It was a nice little moment, remembering back to when we first took her home and the first weekend being parents. It was definitely exhausting! Making sure Luna was fitting in well in her new home, and trying to figure out how to communicate with her and read her expressions and vibes. To think that a year ago, my little baby was hiccuping herself to sleep, and struggling to jump up on the couch, and fitting in my arms (barely) when I had to carry her up the stairs because she hadn't quite figured them out. So many memories just in this past year, I know I will have so many more to come. As my mom likes to point out that it was a very very expensive year for us because of Luna, I would never change it for the world. I love my little Luna-Bear. 

Our first family portrait :)

Anyways, sorry again for failing at posting our life lately. It's been overwhelming, but we are still alive and happy! Thank you so much to all of our supporters and readers out there (even if it's just 2 of you). Have a splendid day!

-Luna & Britt

Monday, July 14, 2014

Weekend Adventures: Wine and Swimming!

Luna's middle name is Vino, Italian word for wine. Drew works at a winery, and we both enjoy wine, so when we were coming up with her name we knew we wanted to somehow incorporate wine. Which brings me to what we did this weekend! A lot of wineries allow dogs as long as you stay outside with them, and that they aren't psycho. 

(Don't worry she didn't have any wine)

I took some friends who had never been wine tasting before and decided to bring Luna along for an adventure. This wasn't the first time she's been to a winery (she's been wine tasting more than some of my friends!), so I knew she would behave. Luna chilled, and was a fan favorite when she started showing everyone how she "high-5's". 



After visiting Ruby Hill Winery, we went to Lake Borris to get some energy out of Luna. And that's exactly what she did! She swam and swam and swam. I swear she is half fish or something.




On Sunday, I decided to switch it up, and go somewhere we have never gone. We went to Del Valle Lake, which you can read the crazy in depth story that happened there on my other blog post (Lakes, Snakes, and an Ignorant Dog Owner). But Luna did end up swimming both Saturday and Sunday, any water dog's dream.



Overall a very good weekend. We plan on exploring more around the area, to see what's out there!

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Lakes, Snakes, and an Ignorant Dog Owner

I decided to switch it up a little bit from our normal routine. There are plenty of places that allow dogs in the area, so I figured I should try them out and go outside my comfort zone (even if that means getting lost).

I have been hearing a lot about Del Valle Lake and the beach that dogs can swim at there. The downside is that you do have to pay for parking ($6) plus there is a dog fee ($2 per dog). However, apparently there is a back entrance, where you don't have to pay but you can hike to the lake. So I decided to take that route, free plus a little workout.

That's where I was wrong...It was NOT a little workout. This hike was all up hill, with a steep incline, and no shade. However, it was pretty being able to look at the entire Tri-Valley. Luna and I keep going, we are determined to make it to this lake! I pass by a woman and her dog and she warns me about a rattle snake up at the top of the hill. I asked her how much further until the off leash dog swimming area. That's when she told me I had another 5 or so miles. MILES!! Nope! I am way too out of shape for that. I decide that we will go all the way to the top and avoid the rattler and make our way back down. 



And that's what we did. We got to the top, and I was too scared to even try to look for the snake so we just took a couple candid shots (to prove we made it to the top), and went back down. 





Poor Luna, she loves to swim, and after this hike she deserves a treat. Damn, I guess that means I will have to bring her to the lake after all, and pay the $8. Oh well, we are trying new things, going outside our comfort zone. So we drive all the way around and pay for parking, and park our car in the lot. I see this sign about the dog rules and other precautionary things to look out for (i.e. snakes). But one particular dog rule that stuck out to me the most was the aggressive dog rule which stated that aggressive dogs should remain on leash and under the owner's control. (This is a common rule at most dog friendly parks, so I wasn't too surprised).




We walk maybe a mile or so to where the dogs are allowed to be off leash. You have to walk down to the beach area, because the trail is about 15 ft above the water level. Luna starts playing with the 3 other Black Labs that are there and swimming around. This "beach" stretches about 100ft or so, and Luna would run back and forth playing in the water with the other dogs.





Then a woman and her husband (I assume), have their 2 dogs on leashes on the trail. Luna decides she wants to greet them and see what's going on. That's when the women freaks out saying "NO, NO, NO! STOP!" all frantic, so I call Luna down and she listens and plays in the water some more. The woman then says, "Thank you, he is leash aggressive." I look to a guy next to me and mumble "Well you probably shouldn't bring your dog to a dog beach if he's aggressive." He laughs, and we carry on, assuming that they kept walking their dog.

Well, I was wrong, the couple and the 2 "leash aggressive" dogs, decide to enjoy the dog beach over at the end (but again this is a pretty open area that stretches about 100ft). Luna and a Black Lab named Bob, go over to that side, and the woman again freaks out again, since now her dog is off leash and she has no control over him. Her dog starts barking/ growling, which normally I don't have a problem with but since she said her dog is aggressive, I'm not trying to put Luna in a bad situation. So I call Luna back, and she comes. 

Then Luna is swimming and starts to follow one of the kayaks that are out in the lake and then when she realizes that she can't catch up she swims back. By this time all of the dogs she was playing with are gone (besides the aggressive one over on the side of the beach). 




Luna decides she would like to go play with that dog (clearly she doesn't understand when a dog is aggressive, she just thinks they want to play). I'm telling Luna "No" and to "Come" but she has her mind set, playing with this dog. She gets closer to them and then just stops on the shore, and that's when the woman realized Luna was there again. "BARK BARK BARK" Griffin (I find out that's her dog's name) growls. The woman yells at me to call my dog and to get her away from her dog. That is when I got pissed! My dog is not doing anything wrong (besides not getting the clue that that dog is mean). 

I stand up for myself and Luna and say, "My dog hasn't done anything wrong, your dog is the aggressive one, you said so yourself...you should have your AGGRESSIVE dog on a leash. Did you not see the sign?" 

She says, "We are just minding our own business over here and your dog keeps coming over here! Get her away!"

"It is a FREE COUNTRY!"--I get nervous put on the spot, and my comebacks aren't always the greatest--"This is a dog friendly beach, and my dog is allowed to swim in this area, wherever she wants. It's your dog who shouldn't be swimming where he wants. If he is aggressive you should not have him here OFF LEASH!" 

"OH SHUT UP!" she says, clearly she's getting pissed. Then she turns to her husband who has his phone in his hand either video taping or taking pictures, "TURN THAT THING OFF AND HELP ME!"

By this time I call Luna over to me and she does, but Griffin follows, and to me it just looks like he is trying to play. Woman comes over and says "He just wants to play now, but he gets aggressive"--as he snaps at Luna. 

"Well if you think your dog is being aggressive then you need to keep him on a leash, it's not fair to others," I say as I am putting Luna's leash off about to leave.

"OH SHUT UP!!!" she says again.

I was tempted to go over there and tell her that I'm not the one that should be leaving, It should be her. She's the one causing the problems! But I decided I said enough, and I would just leave. As I am walking back, there are 3 other people that I pass with dogs, and I warn them about the aggressive dog and ignorant owner. 




So that is how my "New Adventure" went today. And this kind of thing is not the first time this has happened. At Lake Borris a similar thing happened when a dog was super possessive over his toy and would snap and bite any dog that got near him. When Luna would swim over to the dog, he would snarl and snap, the owner told me to call off Luna. Again I told her that her dog is the problem not mine. And again, I left. 

The problem I see here is that people want to bring their dogs out on a hike and get them to swim in the water and have a good time. Except their dog is not socialized. An unsocialized dog is going to act aggressive and bark. When you have an unsocialized dog, you DO NOT bring them to a place that is overly stimulating. You don't want to overwhelm them. The best thing to do with an unsocialized dog is to slowly get them used to other dogs and people. 

Think of it this way: A person you know suffers from Acrophobia (the fear of heights), to help that person get over that fear, you aren't going to make them go to the top of the Empire State Building, right? You probably will help them slowly. Maybe make them stand on a stage, then look outside a window on the second floor, then step outside on the second floor, etc. If you brought them out to the top floor of the Empire State Building, they would probably have a panic attack and never trust you again.

This is similar to an unsocialized dog. A dog that is unsocialized and turns to aggression, is just scared and doesn't know how to act in that situation. It's similar to a person who has a panic attack at the top of the Empire State Building. That's the only way they know when they are overwhelmed. The best way to help your dog is to slowly introduce them to new things. Now, I am getting into a whole other subject, which I will save for later. 

Moral of the story: If you are going to try something new, know what you are going to get yourself into. Understand there are going to be other dogs and other stimulating things. Know how to control your dog, and if it gets out of hand, LEAVE. You do not want to have a situation escalate and be in an unsafe environment with your dog. It's all about staying safe!

Sunday, July 6, 2014

American Weekend

This 3 day weekend was action packed and huge for Luna!

1. OFF LEASH!
Friday, Drew and I experimented with off-leash potties with Luna. Last time we did this it turned into us chasing after her for an hour, the whole time I was having a heart attack. The Husky in Luna makes her BOLT, and the Lab in her makes her have ADD which makes it hard to get her to "come" when she sees a squirrel. But we have been working on it...slowly. So we decided to take a "leap of faith" and we took off her leash, grabbed a couple motivational treats and opened the door (dun, dun, DUNNNNN)! 

At first she was a little hyper to be off leash but stayed within 15 feet of us and just ran circles and peed. Then we told her to "come" and she did (so we gave her a treat), then told her to "go home" and straight up the stairs she went! SUCCESS!!! Happy parents for sure.

This is a video of Luna when told to "Go Home" after doing her business. (She gets ahead of me but looks back a couple times to see if I'm following).




2. Playing with 5lb Teddy
We went over to Drew's parents' house for Independence Day and Luna got to play with Teddy. I swear, every time we go over there, Luna and Teddy get better and better about playing together. The two got a little crazy when Moxie came around (3 dogs at G-ma and G-pas house can get exciting at first), but then settled down. They went outside and played with bubbles. Teddy was all about them and definitely won first place at popping the most bubbles. Then after a long play day the 3 were exhausted, and fell asleep. 







3. FIREWORKS!
This was the first time Luna would be experiencing fireworks with us. We didn't know how she'd react but seeing that the garbage truck that sounds like a plane crashing into our apartment never phases her, we weren't too worried. And when we walked to Downtown Livermore where they were setting off the fireworks, Luna was intrigued by the lights in the sky. She was staring at them just like she stares at flies, questioning how they got there and how in the world is she gonna get them! All in all a very successful, non-freak-out experience, which is a HUGE relief.



4. OFF LEASH X2!
Saturday, I took Luna to Lake Borris (the off-leash dog lake/trail area in Livermore, behind Shadow Cliffs). It is by far my favorite place to bring her. She can swim, play with other dogs, and get in a nice little tiny hike at the same time. This place is COMPLETELY off leash, and quite frankly it's the best place to train your dog off leash. There's no place the dog can really go and get into any real danger (far from busy streets, and it's basically all in a large ditch). Luna is a HUGE fan of water, I mean she tries to swim in the fountains Downtown, and I don't stop her. 

I decided that this time at Lake Borris, I would try to see how she does off leash on the walk over to the beach (well more like on leash, and I just drop it on the ground and let it drag behind her). I kept treats in hand and when she would get too far I would tell her to come back, and if she listened she was rewarded. She was amazing! I told her to "stay" when I wanted her walking right next to me (which was whenever I saw a dog coming towards us). Then I would have her sit, when the dog and its owner were about 10-15 feet away, and when they passed we would keep walking. 

I'm telling you, it must be a maturity thing, that once your dog hits 1, they listen better and do what you say (for the most part). I don't think that a week ago she would have been able to do this! It's crazy!

So we get to the beach part of the lake and she's playing and swimming and having a great time. Then this 5 month old Black Lab comes around and starts playing with Luna. This was the first time this dog has gone swimming, and the best way to teach your dog something is to have another dog train it! DO NOT EVER THROW YOUR DOG INTO A POOL TO TRY TO HAVE THEM SWIM!!!! EVERRRR!!! (It's like throwing a kid who doesn't know how to swim in the pool, and then they are traumatized for the rest of their life and will refuse to go in the water.) 

When it's time to go (when mom is tired and hot and sunburnt), I decided to put her on the leash again but drop it on the ground for a little. Then a couple minutes later I thought I would try and do NO LEASH AT ALL! And usually (like I said before) she will BOLT like there's no tomorrow. This time? That was not the case. She acted the same as when the leash was on the ground! She was a little more testing her limits but it was okay, she would turn around and walk by my side when I told her to. 

I was such a proud Mama. When we were almost to our car I put her leash back on and a dog who had just arrived was pulling his (or her) owner like you see in those movies. That Lab was easily 90lbs. Big boy (or girl). Then he (or she) just starts barking and barking and BARKING! Meanwhile, I just tell Luna, sit and stay, and she's quiet, just watching this chocolate Lab go berserk. And the owner and family say "Wow! How old is your dog?" And I tell them she's one. And they are shocked since their dog is 5 and "not as well trained." (Clearly a socialization issue). Sorry, was that bitchy? 

Not going to lie, Drew and I have done a great job training Luna on how we want her to act. Of course she isn't perfect and she still makes mistakes, but she's a dog. I'm not a military sergeant training soldiers, I am just a crazy dog lady training her crazy dog. 

Monday, June 23, 2014

My Birthday Weekend

This last weekend was my birthday weekend—woohoo— and my mom came from Southern California to visit me. This was the first time my mom had met Luna, and I was a little worried how Luna was going to first react to her grandma (usually Luna likes to bark at anyone she doesn't know who enters our apartment—a good guard dog if you ask me). My mom arrives and knocks on our door, Luna starts barking like crazy. I shush her, and let my mom in (which is when Luna usually gets even more crazy), but instead Luna shuts up and just starts smelling her, similar to how she greets Drew and I when we get home. Very peculiar, but I assume that somehow Luna knew who she was, either by smell or some kind of dog telepathy. Luna falls in love with my mom (and I'm pretty sure vice versa, even though my mom kept calling her a "he"). 




On Friday, Drew, Mom and I brought Luna to the Dog Lake (Lake Borris), where she swam for days. Luna will jump in any body of water that she possibly can, so a huge lake full of ducks is easily her favorite past time. Unfortunately, in this California drought, the lake water was SO low that we didn't stay too long, which worked out well because we had a BBQ to go to at Drew's family's house for my birthday. When we got to his parents' house Luna got to play with Teddy (Drew's parents' 4lb Teddy Bear Pomeranian). Luna is 15 times the size of Teddy, so we tend to get a little nervous when the two play. Let's just say that when they met for the first time we were scared Luna would think Teddy was her squeaky squirrel toy. But now they play great together, and by "play together" I mean "tease each other."


When we got home Friday night Luna passed out; she was overly exhausted from swimming at the lake and playing with Teddy. The next day, Luna was still tired from the day before so Mom and I decided to go shopping. 




Sunday Mom, Luna and I walked to the dog park (Robertson Park, my favorite one in Livermore). Luna played with a McNab Border Collie mix that was super fast and playful. The two would tackle each other and "play bite" which freaked my mom out. She isn't a huge dog person and so she doesn't really know how they play and what is considered play and what is considered fighting. I totally understand this, I too get a little nervous especially when the owner isn't nearby and I can't ask them if their dog likes to play rough or not. The McNab mix seemed to have been enjoying himself, so I let it be, while Mom is OOOO-AHHH-EEEEK-ing next to me freaking out that Luna is going to Mike Tyson the other dog's ear. 





Overall, a successful time, so we left and lazed around at home the rest of the day, while Luna cuddled with Mom, and then Drew when he came home from work. I had a great weekend with my mom, and was so happy that she was able to come visit. It was the greatest birthday present of all.