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Tag: Australian Cattle dog
Sun dog
Stella spends more time laying in the sun these days. It undoubtedly feels good on her eleven year old self. though still pretty spry she’s a step slower, sleeps a little more. We all age and a part of the bargain of having dogs is that we watch them age and almost always have to let go of them before we ourselves go. I’m very rarely sad about her aging. It’s the way of things, the way of life and I accept it.
Partners
taken and posted with the PlayBook
Achilles and Stella have been partners for eight years since I adopted him from the shelter. Treasured companions.
On alert
Stella, the ever-vigilant one
All ears
Watching Stella’s ears rotate, monitoring sounds, often moving independently, is fascinating.
The couch cushion spontaneously exploded. Honest.
As the time stamp reveals this was taken years ago. Stella was not a year old and I had not yet given her a job so she gave herself one. After a few more similar episodes we embarked on much training – basic and advanced obedience, Canine Good Citizen, agility, lots of power walks, exposure to many different experiences (including going into my credit union) – Stella became a pretty good dog. Not a perfect dog, a good enough dog. She’s remained a good enough dog ever since, one I am happy to own, pleased to have shaped into what she is today.
Playing
I’ve owned Stella for over ten years now and Achilles for almost seven. For all of that time they have gotten along well and been good play partners. Stella is the more assertive of the two so Achilles’ more deferential temperament is a good complement. Having said that Achilles is often the one to instigate play sessions.
Beng older now (Achilles who knows, our best guess is ten with Stella being almost eleven) they play less. It’s interesting to see how Achilles uses his 20 pound size/weight atvantage to push missy dog around while Stella counteracts with her quickness, darting and boxing. Sometimes Achilles would (and still does) simply butt-tuck and race around the yard, zooming up to and past a nearly stationary Stella. I came across this sequence from March 2010.
Chili Dog circles in. Stella waits, hackles slightly raised yet ears and mouth relaxed.
Full speed and flat out he reaches the speed of sound. Zoom zoom. Hackles up but Stella’s facial and head expression was still playful. Achilles swept past and came in for one (or more?) strafing runs.
I’ve learned a lot about canine body language. The unknowing might watch them play and conclude that at times they are angry, fierce, blood is about to fly. I’ve never seen that. They growl, fling themselves at one another yet it’s play. When Stella has had enough she snaps and briefly chases Achilles; he understands and stops.
Stella – vet follow-up
I dropped Stella at the vet yesterday for dental cleaning. She was clearly displeased at being left there, trying to drag the vet tech out the door in pursuit of me.
A full blood panel and urinalysis were done before the procedure because she is a senior, almost eleven, and because of her weight loss from 35 lbs to 31.
The vet called to say that the bloodwork was fine, nothing to report. However sugar crystals were found in her urine. This was interesting because this was one finding during Kendal’s workup when he was so sick in late December. The vet delaying the dental work since it was not crucial to perform right away. He also recommended taking a second urine sample for comparative analysis, and because the first sample was possibly contaminated. The second sample revealed sugar crystals though not in the same high concentration.
Faye picked Stella up and brought her home, and we will try to capture a pee sample in a couple weeks or so. Miss Stella seems to be fine, has her normal energy and interest in things going on around her.
The vet also recommended further increasing Stella’s kibble. We recently switched all three dogs from the Acana Regionals cycle to Acana Senior, so perhaps I have not appropriately adjusted her kibble. Another factor is the colder winter than the recent ones, which of course requires expending more energy to stay warm.
Bentley glowing brightly
A marking peculiar to the Australian Cattle Dog is the Bentley. It’s a white blaze on the forehead of many cattledogs. The name comes from Tom Bentley, an early owner and breeder, whose ‘Tom Bentley’s Dog’ had one.
ChiliDog is an ACDx, his Bentley glows as brightly as it did when I brought him home in May 2006.
Achilles
I have owned Achilles for almost eight years and am still astounded by how he came to me. A friend involved in Labrador Retriever rescue told me about a dog at a shelter she pulled dogs from. He was typed as an Australian Cattle Dog mix and knowing that I had ACDx Stella, she thought I might want to foster him.
He was picked up as a stray and his people never came for him. By the time I took him home he had been at the shelter for 363 days and probably running out of time.
Achilles is wonderful with people, which is atypical for ACDs and very easy on leash. He is undemanding, very low maintenance. He walks and trots smoothly, almost languidly. Chili runs with a fluid grace, he seems to float. His one quirk is an utter refusal to get wet. The shelter estimated his age to be six though I find it very hard to believe he would now be 13 or 14. It amazes me that he languished in the shelter for so long, almost as though fate designated him to be my, our, dog.
I am, we are, very, very blessed to have him.
previouslytexan 