The Dog Pic Thread

[newboots]

Loki hasn't been eating much for a week or so. I thought it was just the travel (we drove umpteen hours to Flagstaff and back again, and they were in a hotel room while we were there), but he's still off his feed. Seems really lethargic (who wouldn't be after eating very little for several days?).

<frown>

 

[jmeb]

Doggo went on his first backpacking trip recently. Found he really likes to sit on rocks. We were very nervous if he'd sleep well in the tent. Got right in, and snuggled between us underneath our two-person--now two-person + dog--quilt.

So great to finally have him off leash and not being scared shitless the whole time that he's gonna wander off.

 

[Monique]

<frown>

He seems to be eating again. Distractedly and wandering off a few times before finishing, but he's getting there. It's likely because the vet expressed his anal glands, which were - well, they were apparently pretty bad. She said that kind of discomfort can lead to loss of appetite, lethargy, etc. I said I'm glad humans don't have anal glands!

 

[textrovert]

Just noticed the doggo thread. I guess since I've finally started poking into to "off season..." area here.

This is our beagle Lucy. She's 7.5 years old.

She loves chasing squirrels-

She's sure they're in the backyard somewhere-

 

[nay]

He seems to be eating again. Distractedly and wandering off a few times before finishing, but he's getting there. It's likely because the vet expressed his anal glands, which were - well, they were apparently pretty bad. She said that kind of discomfort can lead to loss of appetite, lethargy, etc. I said I'm glad humans don't have anal glands!

Does this make you wonder where he usually expresses his anal glands?

 

[Monique]

Does this make you wonder where he usually expresses his anal glands?

Nah - it stinks to high heaven, and not in the same way as poop. Normally they're supposed to be expressed while the dog is defecating. Some dogs' bodies just don't work so well that way, I guess.

He's had to have them expressed by the vet a few times, and usually he signals by scooting in the yard. I am not sure why he didn't scoot so much this time - luckily, he did scoot just before I brought him to the vet, so I was able to mention that.

Cooper's never needed it done.

 

[nay]

 

[textrovert]

Anal glands. Must be a dog family to understand when this is brought up in casual conversation.

My prior 2 dogs never had any issue with this... Although I do remember my childhood dog (a German Shepherd mix, getting the white glove treatment from our vet ).

Current dog Lucy has had this problem. When she was about one, her butt area swelled up overnight. I noticed it when she was doing a drag walk in the backyard. Took her to the vet- they said her glands were be blocked an did the extraction. The fluid was solid and shaped like a worm when they got it out of her. Poor thing. Ended up with a ruptured gland leaving an scar near her butt too. But no problems or manual extraction needed since then.

She does occasionally "mark" indoors on a sofa on cussion. Smells like a skunk when she does that. Can't be missed. Hasn't happened in a while though.

 

[Monique]

Anal glands. Must be a dog family to understand when

Yup yup. Loki is our first dog to have this issue. Fortunately he doesn't leave the scent around the house. Poor girl! Ruptured gland does not sound pleasant.

 

[nay]

A morning hike and mountain ice bath as an 8th birthday treat for T.

Some wheeling in the Big Tree to get out there and back.

Always means a good day...

(Birthday girl in the background)

 

[nay]

And Z. turned 7 last Sat! But I didn't forget. What's the best birthday cake? Smoked pork fat, that's the best.

But you have to be careful, or your sister will poach it.

 

[Bill Talbot]

Always means a good day...

View attachment 26464

(Birthday girl in the background)

A happy dog is an exhausted dog!

 

[Jenny]

Not ours, but a couple of the 11 puppies at the neighbor's house - we've been playing . . .

 

[nay]

Yesterday the initial 4x4 to hike exploration was expanded with a friend as guide. The 4x4 part cuts off 5 miles in and back of "road", leaving the good stuff on foot.

This area is incredibly lush - the whole mountain is just seeping from its pores. Which is good, because even into the alpine, Berners struggle with heat in the dead of summer. So water, water, everywhere and all the drops to drink is a good Berner Rhyme.

The initial cool forest path along the stream...

Gives way to warm meadows...

With many rivulet watering spots...

And up along a main tributary...

Where water can be seen and heard...

Until relief once again.

The intrepid hikers set off to summit and after we hit the scree slopes I decide this is a bad idea for paws a long ways from the trail head.

So we pick a rendezvous spot and the pooches and I continue around the bowl following elk trails slowly descending back out of the heat as we hit a tributary tumbling down the center of the bowl that we hadn't seen from afar.

 

[nay]

So many water crossings, and I ate sh$t on a mossy rock (soft landing!) and the feet went in, so I gave up on staying dry.

As an aside, Salomon is doing some cool stuff with their trail running shoes. I was wet for several hours with zero discomfort. These are the Speedcross 4 - Salomon says their new Endofit tongue on the QST boot is based on what they are doing with running shoe tongues...I have a pair of those boots and spending time in these shoes, which are an ultralight full foot wrap with no pressure points, has me more intrigued to get them on snow asap. So there's your skiing interlude.

Back to our story. Yet another tributary. And Happy T. This doesn't look much like a trail. But the elk know, right?

Back to skiing. Plans have been hatched for late June 2018 patch skiing. This ridge line is accessible to the east by (capable) 4x4. Summer scouting must continue.

So where do rivers begin? Right under your feet. Dry right above...

...rushing right below...

Continuing on, we've hit the summit crew rendezvous tributary on the other side of the bowl, but not the rendezvous clearing. Is it up or down?

Down. Because we're not hiking up this world of water and bog.

And who remebered to pack an entire loaf of Dave's Killer Bread PB&J's? I did. DKB makes the best PB&J. Just ask Ms. Whiskers here.

And while this isn't the clearing rendezvous spot, it's a perfect lunch spot. Moral of this story: if you summit, your PB&J might get eaten. Because the only thing we know at this point is all the water leads home. My son knows this is one of my rules to follow water down if we get separated, and so they figure correctly that I descended and we meet up at the main tributaries junction and hike out.

6.25 miles of stream fording bog slogging fun. Good thing we get to drive down from here, because this one is done.

This one still took a nice long afternoon swim in the lake.

Happy Tails and Trails!

 

[Monique]

Which is good, because even into the alpine, Berners struggle with heat in the dead of summer. So water, water, everywhere and all the drops to drink is a good Berner Rhyme.

Loki isn't a Berner or anything close, but with his long black fur, I've learned that we may only hike where there's snow, especially the liquid kind. He likes to sit in the water or lie down completely. He did this last Saturday the whole way, despite overcast skies and 65*.

Ahhh, wet butt:

Ahh, wet everything:

Cooper is a little more circumspect about the whole thing:

And some non-dog-related prettiness:

 

[JeffB]

A tired dog is a good dog -

 

[newboots]

My grand-doggy Bella visiting for a few weeks, unwilling to eat on the first day, even her bone

Sprocket considered stealing it, as he usually does, but decides against it. After a couple of weeks, he usually amasses a collection of her bones

To be continued...

 

[nay]

Loki isn't a Berner or anything close, but with his long black fur, I've learned that we may only hike where there's snow, especially the liquid kind. He likes to sit in the water or lie down completely. He did this last Saturday the whole way, despite overcast skies and 65*.

Some dogs seem a lot more sensitive about managing heat (although black coats may be a unifying theme) - our girl is the same way, laying down in every water source, including those still moving strongly with snowmelt, and our boy is feet in and drink only.

Funny thing is he swims like a water dog in lakes (and pools when permitted), smooth and powerful, and she thrashes and can't swim at all. Go figure.

^^^End of season Pooch Plunge last year.

 

[Bill Talbot]

I watched a pair of Newfs swimming in a lake last fall. Pure poetry in motion!!!