Fall is here!

Hey! Yes, so fall has arrived in town, with a noticeable drop in temperatures and three days of uninterrupted rain.

Since it got cold so suddenly, we've really felt it! mom & dad noticed it because the hair on my back was standing, and yes, I was cold! Even Mathias who has slightly longer hair was shivering and curling up into a ball. Mom & dad are wearing sweaters and scarves inside the house!

Now, I have a nice sweater for this kind of day, but since it's also been raining, dad made the mistake of leaving my sweater on during a walk and it got wet :( so I had nothing to wear and I was freezing! I kept nudging them with my nose to see if they could help me or something. Finally mom lent me one of her sweatshirts, and it's so cozy! it even has sleeves so my legs stay warmer! now she's saying it's only while the heat gets turned on in our building, but I think I'd like to keep the sweater :)

Anyway, temperatures will only keep going down from here, so it's just a matter of getting used to it, in the meanwhile I'll be wearing this cozy sweater and sending you my greetings from under the covers :)

See ya'll!

Crazy summer!

Hey all! so last I posted, spring was in full swing, and it was really nice and beautiful after the long winter.

But then summer came! and what a crazy summer it has been. Starting with the crazy heat and humidity, unlike anything we'd ever experienced in Mexico. Some days I thought I was going to have a heat stroke!

Then I got a tick! nasty little creature sucking on my blood! We'd never seen one so mom & dad didn't realize until after it was engorged and fat. Luckily it came off without problems, and now we get tick checks every few days. Mathias also got one but his was much smaller, mine looked like a bean and was so disgusting! yuck!

Then I got attacked :( a nasty doggie got loose and came at me, luckily nothing major happened, we just got tangled for a couple of seconds and I came out of it with a scratch to my face, but I was really scared :(

Also, my "grandparents" (dad's parents) came to visit, they spent a week in town. Mathias and I weren't expecting them, so when we came out of the house to meet them on the street, we recognized them and we were so happy, wagging tails and all! We hadn't seen them in over a year. We had a few nice walks with them and were glad to welcome them in our house. Only thing I didn't like is, they took my room and my bed. But it's OK, I'm a nice doggie so I let them have it.

The last day they were here, it was cool and rainy, my favorite kind of weather! so obviously when they let me off-leash for a moment I started jumping around and running like crazy. Big mistake :( I hurt my spine, and when we started walking back home I started feeling some nasty pain. I couldn't walk, so I had to sit down and rest for a bit. I was scared because I didn't know what was happening to me. Mom & dad explained I'd probably hurt my back and were patient with me. I eventually made it back home and wanted to lie down and rest, but it hurt too much, even for that.

After a short while since the pain was not receding, mom & dad decided to take me to a pet hospital. This being a Sunday, only a big hospital far away from home was open, so they had to hire a pet ambulance to drive me there. I like driving in cars but I was in too much pain and didn't really enjoy the ride.

At the hospital I got checked over, got some x-rays, and the doctor didn't find anything obvious like fractured or displaced vertebrae, so she gave me some pain medication and anti-inflammatories, and sent me back home with orders to rest for a couple of weeks.

For the ride back home, we called a pet taxi, which is identical to the car we had in Mexico! so that ride was a lot more fun as I feel really comfortable in that car.

My meds are really powerful, I was able to sleep and rest very well and by now, 4 days later, I'm feeling almost like new again! and I want to go running and jumping again! Sadly, mom & dad say I can no longer do that :( I guess old age is catching up with me. Oh well, I'll settle for our usual, long walks in the park and a long nap afterwards :)

So those are my summer adventures! Looking forward to the fall season here!

See ya'll soon!

Spring time!

Sun, green everywhere, flowers, neat refreshing tree shades & warm evenings.

Ah! I can finally take walks without my coat, get down in the grass and scratch my back against it. So comfy, so relaxing and such a welcomed change.

I have never experienced this "seasons" thing. Mexico City is almost always warm and sunny. It will get cold and rainy but you would never get these extreme changes.

Oh! and all that fauna -which mans feral animals running around, I'm a big girl now so I use big words!- that I never knew before. I knew squirrels but NOW I know ducks, raccoons, skunks, gofers, woodpeckers, seagulls, crows and the smaller chipmunks. Of course I love chasing after each and every one of them!

Mom tells me I should be careful with the skunks thou, as they may very well spray me with urine. Wait a sec, URINE? what kind of nasty beast would do such a thing? Where are its manners? In any case, I think I will let skunks alone.

How is your Spring coming alone for you?

The Kennel!

Hey! Greetings from rainy Montreal! yep, after a long and snowy winter, we had a few sunny days. I really enjoy the sun, and taking a nap by a window with the sun warming up my tummy is one of my favorite pasttimes.

However, for the past two or three weeks, we've had almost constant rain. I remember that, in Mexico, it would rain really hard all afternoon, but it would usually clear up by night, and mornings were almost always dry (well, no rain, but all that sun meant a lot of humidity in the environment, which I don't like so much).

Here in Montreal the rain is lighter, but it rains for a long time; dad says it's because some nasty clouds come and park over the city and it just rains and rains and rains forever.

Mathias an I have nice raincoats, but since it rains so much, sometimes they get wet and there's no time for them to dry before our next walk. So either way, we get all wet!

Still I'm very happy to take walks with mom & dad, even if it's raining, because we spent all of last week holed up in a kennel while they were away!

Yep, so mom & dad took a trip together, and for the first time ever, they left us doggies in a kennel. They say it's because the trip was too long.

They walked us there one day, and we had no idea what was going to happen; they left us with this man, who put us in a couple of cages. Now, we've been left alone before; when we moved to Canada we spent one night in a kennel in Toronto, and sometimes when mom & dad have to run errands, they leave us in a pet shop where they take care of us for the day.

However, this time I waited and waited for mom & dad to come back. The night came, and Mathias told me they probably wouldn't be back that day. So we went to sleep. Luckily we were in contiguous cages, so we could keep each other company.

Next day, nothing happened. The strange guys just took us for our three daily walks and brought us back to the cages. I was bored and wondering when mom & dad would come get us. Mathias was being his usual rascally self, but I could tell he was also beginning to miss mom & dad.

I was behaving OK, and I could eat a little, but I was sad because I didn't know when mom & dad would return. Mathias was keeping me company and reassuring me, so that part wasn't so bad; I wasn't completely alone!

Then, after 7 days, the kennel guy opened the door, and I was wondering what he was up to! then I saw mom, and Mathias and I went towards her and told her "hey, get us out of here!". We were so desperate to get out that we didn't even notice dad who was also there to pick us up!

We got into this guy's van to take us home, it was small and cramped but I really didn't care because I was with mom & dad!

Eventually we got home, and after a short walk, I just went to my bed and slept for hours! now that I was home, and safe with mom & dad, I could finally relax, sleep and eat! and I was starving!

So now, all is well and we are back home, and even though it keeps raining, I'm all warm inside because I'm together again with my family :)

Only bad thing is that I banged my tail while in the cage, so the tip is now all swollen and red. I had my tail tip shaved and am getting treatment so it heals without getting infected. But I know that will heal :)

Be seeing you!

Up to my nose in snow!

Hey all! I've been really busy trying to understand snow and weather here in Montreal. We've had to brave some really, really cold weather, like the day it was -27C outside. I'm well-equipped with a nice winter coat and some boots, which I hate, but mom & dad insist I should wear them when it's very cold.

Then there's also the snow. We've had a few winter storms here, and snow has piled up pretty high. I was out chasing squirrels the other day but one has to be very careful: I suddenly found myself up to my withers in snow! that means about 70 cm of snow pile-up. So to move around I have to jump like a rabbit, which mom & dad say is pretty fun for a dog my size.

Mathias, poor thing, being so small, basically just floats on the snow, and also has to jump like a hare to move around. Still he's so crazy and when playing with his ball, insists on doing the "pounce", where he runs really fast, then just before getting to the ball, jumps up in the air and lands with all his weight on the ball. This amuses mom, dad & myself to no end!

All in all it's been really fun playing in the snow, but it's also tiring and we come home ready for a cozy nap.

Winter is on its way out, I'm sure we'll miss the snow but after 4 months it'll be good to have some actual ground under my paws!

See ya soon!

Pink Eye!

Hi all! Ever since we got to Canada, mom & dad have been somewhat concerned about us doggies getting sick. First, pet health care here is a bit expensive; but for that, they got some pet health insurance for us. I don't know how that works, but they say it's good to have.

Second, we don't have a car, so we have had to choose a vet that's nearby. There's basically only one, so a few days after arriving here, we went there for him to meet us and maybe give us a general check-up.

The vet is scary! a tall guy who screams a lot and speaks only french, so we went in and we were terrified. Luckily he just gave us a look-over and sent us on our merry way, since we were both in tip-top shape.

However, this morning mom & dad noticed I had some green ooze coming out of my left eye. I was kinda trying to hide it, because it's happened before and it means a visit to the vet, and Mathias had been helping me by licking the yucky stuff from my eye. But they caught us red-handed and, seeing my eye, they scheduled a vet visit.

So I had to go again to the vet. It was a nice enough walk on the snow, but once there I was trying to scurry away, and the vet was just like he always is, yelling and booming all the time. He gave me some drops, and I'll have to follow the treatment for 10 days. Hopefully it'll be enough, because, even though the vet is not mean or anything, I still am terrified every time I go there!

Here's to staying healthy!

Happy holidays!

Hey all! just here quickly to wish you all a happy holiday season and a lot of success and tail wags for next year.

I've been helping mom & dad prepare our christmas eve dinner, this time they managed to get a half-turkey, they say it's because it's just them and us doggies, so there's no need for a bigger bird. I'm personally more interested in the stuffing which has lots of yummy things!

And this time it's up to us doggies to keep the humans company, since they'll be so far away from the rest of the family. But so far we're doing OK!

So best wishes to all our friends! Keep in touch!

Below Zero

Hi all! We're being enveloped by winter here in Montreal. It's something entirely new to me, and also to my humans, who sometimes have NO idea what to do. But mostly they've done their best to keep us happy and warm even when the temperatures go below zero (whatever that means, all Mathias and I know is that it gets really really cold and water turns into ice). Luckily our pal Riley has shared a few winter tips with us, thanks Riley!

However mom & dad are mad at me sometimes, because of my thing with squirrels. See, whenever I spot a squirrel I just stand there, like a statue, staring at the squirrel (I'm just hoping to mind-control one of them some day). Dad says it's bad for me, because when it's cold and windy, I'm all motionless and get very, very cold, I start shivering, but I refuse to move because of the squirrels. Well, it's my obsession, don't judge me!

At least dad found a way to make the best of it: yesterday I was hypnotized by a rather plump squirrel, and next thing I know, I'd had an entire manicure done! Yeah, dad took advantage of my distraction and trimmed all my nails really short. Said I was long overdue for a clipping, too. I don't like getting my nails trimmed, but this time I didn't really notice so it was OK.

Well I gotta go, because I think it's snowing and I want to watch! see ya!!

Remembering Bela

The sun is different here, way up north. But it still reminds me of the autumn sun that sneaked into the room, the last rays of sun Bela, my friend since I was a puppy, ever felt warming up her fur.

Bela passed away exactly a year ago. I still miss her, and whenever I see a dalmatian in the distance I wag my tail, thinking it's her.

A lot has changed in our lives in this time, but still I've done as she taught me: i've been stubborn, sneaky, but also sweet, loving and I've done my best to become a gentler, calmer dog. I remember mom & dad liked that about Bela! and now it's for me to fulfill the role of the older and wiser dog.

It's strange how humans place meaning in particular dates, and today, one year later, I can feel a sadness and longing in mom & dad.

However I know in time it won't be as painful, and will be part of memories to be cherished, of loved ones to be remembered and thanked for that little bit of themselves they left in our lives.

In the meanwhile I hope my humans take comfort in knowing that I will be here for them, as Bela always was, as she taught me to do.

See ya'll soon!

I'm five years old!

Hey all! so it's my birthday today! I'm five years old, which is well into maturity for a giant-breed doggie such as myself. Indeed, I'm much calmer than before, and I enjoy sleeping most of the day. Still, I'm all for a good run in the park whenever I have the chance to do it.

Five is a nice round number, and I think this past year has been one of the most eventful in my life.

Not all our adventures were nice, but together we've managed to get through the bad times. Things are of course much better now, and the adventures continue, what with our crazy move to Canada, all the raccoons and squirrels, my having to learn to live in an apartment, and of course, snow! it's white, cold and fluffy, and so much fun for us doggies!

Still, I hope to still have many years left with my humans, my pack, and friends! thanks for reading me and be seeing you around here!