Buttercup is 19 years old today!

Today is Buttercup's 19th Birthday!

Can you believe it? When I tell people she is that old most people say they didn't know a dog could live that old.

It was 10 years ago today that I brought her home from the Dartmouth SPCA and we began our love affair with each other.

I have waxed poetic over her so many times over the years that it is completely pathetic - she knows that she has me completely under her spell and I let her do whatever she wants - sometimes to mine and the publics and other dogs detriment - but I just can't help myself - there is no other dog on this planet like her.

She knows how to speak english, and a lot of times she`s been the only thing that's kept me alive - so I am completely at her whim.

The only thing I could wish for is that she would live for another 10 years.

If it were up to Buttercup - she would.

A few years ago I made a photo album of photos I'd taken of her if you want to check that out - it's at http://joansinden.ca/ Buttercup back in her prime.

Here is a link to other years when I have talked about Buttercup on her birthdays - http://dogkisser.blogspot.ca/2010/08/today-is-buttercups-birthday.html

Buttercup is 18 today

I can't believe it was 9 years ago today that I brought Buttercup home from the Dartmouth SPCA - I described it in a post back in 2004 when I was celebrating her 10th birthday - and even back then I thought she was so old that I didn't want to waste one minute with her because I knew she could be taken from me at any moment. In 2006 I also talked about her story as well - if you look at the photos - she hasn't aged one day!.

Who could have known that I would have 9 blissful years with her - and the time is still counting - she's still healthy, and not looking like she's going anywhere anytime soon.

Today it was all about Buttercup all day long - I had a couple of errands to run, and she came with me and we went and hung out at Horseshoe Island Park for awhile - it's one of my favourite places to go with her because you don't really walk anywhere - you just hang out and it's really picturesque - right on the harbour and lots of boats going by and stuff, it's very beautiful.

We had a great day. And hopefully we'll have a lot more.

Don't be afraid to adopt a senior pet

I took the below video of Buttercup yesterday - August 18th - she'll be 18 years old. I adopted her August 18th, 2003 - so I'll have had her for 9 years, and when I adopted her in 2003 the vet figured that she was about 9 years old.

I had no hesitation in adopting her because she was so alive, and had such a huge personality and I bonded so closely with her - her advanced age didn't bother me at all. When I did adopt her though - she was very old - she had luxating patella in her back that was very bad, but the longer I had her - the better it became.

Because I had Charlie and Daisy - and various other big dogs through the years - Buttercup got to live a big dog lifestyle - every day, 365 days a year we went somewhere offleash for at least an hour a day - and that kept Buttercup young. It's only been the last couple of years that she's started to slow down.

When people say to me that they their lifestyle is too busy to adopt a dog - I tell them that there's a dog out there in a shelter for everyone - a person who works full time and comes home at night and is tired and just wants to hang out - is the PERFECT home for a senior dog. And you should not be afraid that the dog is going to die in the first six months - Buttercup is the living truth of that - I have had her for a blissful, healthy 9 years.

A senior pet wants nothing more than a place to hang out and receive unconditional love for the time that you're home - and when you're not there - they're more than happy to guard their bed, eat some kongs, and listen to the radio.

The greatest thing is - at 18 years old - Buttercup shows no sign of slowing down - she has no interst anymore in going for one hour off leash walks anymore - but she certainly has the energy to be carried so that everyone else can go for one hour off leash walks - she is very adamant about not being left at home alone! If you've followed this blog, you know that Buttercup has had a very serious job for the last year - and she doesn't take any sick days or vacation - she is here to protect me - and she takes it very seriously, and as far as she's concerned, she's not going anywhere anytime soon.

These little bichon interlopers need to keep their distance. I think she may just out live them. I hope that happens, because I do not know what I'm going to do without her.

Video so cute you want to tear their faces off

I took some video today of Sidney and Bubby playing - it's pretty cute - they are a very good looking couple of dogs when they are together.

If you'll notice - Sidney is tucked into my side as he's playing with Bubby - Bubby has become a humping machine - so Sidney takes refuge next to me when they are doing serious wrestling so that the humping isn't an issue - he is such a cute little guy. If only I could get him to stop shitting on my living room rug. I'm sure there are better days ahead on that count.

You can see in the video what Buttercup thinks of Sidney - she is still not impressed by the interloper 2 weeks in - but you'll also see that when she starts growling that Bubby immediately goes over to her to see what's wrong - so their relationship hasn't changed - but poor Sidney has not gotten any breaks from her - it's the old cliche - 2's a company, 3's a crowd. Maybe if I get a 4th then things will even out. What do you think! haha! I don't think Buttercup would agree!

Enjoy.

Introducing Sidney!

Here is the newest addition to the Dogkisser family - Sidney - he's a littermate of Bubby

He came from the same puppy mill in Cape Breton as Bubby and suffered the same fate - was bought from the puppy mill until he was 6 months old so therefore isn't socialized to humans at all - and he has the added problem of having skin problems
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Judging by his vet records though - he had a horrible vet who wasn't very interested in actually healing him - he was only interested in making money - so I think his skin problems are going to resolve pretty easily with a good healthy diet

He is an interesting counterpoint to Bubby - he doesn't bark nearly as much - but he's a much rougher player, and is more interested in playing with me than with the other dogs - I suppose that comes from being in a human only household for almost a year - but he'll get used to Bubby pretty soon - that's why I got him - to be a companion for Bubby - so I think it's going to work out on that level - they are both following each other around pretty much all the time

If you can't tell - the first picture in this post was Sidney - and this picture is Bubby! You'll be able to tell them apart eventually - Bubby looks like the class clown and Sidney looks like a poet and is quite delicate in person!

Buttercup of course HATES him - but hopefully she'll come around - here she is rolling in something on the lawn oblivious to the other dogs around her - but at least she isn't attacking anyone here - she's been attacking the other dogs for some reason.

She hasn't been feeling well at all lately - I had to the vet a couple weeks ago and her thyroid is super low - we tried putting her on thyroid drugs and she had a bad reaction to them - so we took her off and are going to try something else, or a lower dose - so Buttercup is in a bad spot right now. At 18 years old I think she is feeling her age, she is sleeping almost all the time right now. Poor Buttercup.

Buttercup and Bubby looking dramatic

I took a couple pictures tonight of Buttercup and Bubby looking intense tonight

They stopped moving long enough for me take their pictures, which I thought was very nice of them.

Sleepytime for Buttercup

Taken at Dogkisser international headquarters

Some cute photos from the weekend

Today we went to Long Lake Provincial Park and the dogs had a fabulous time - it was a beautiful day out. I hope all winter stays like this - that would be great.

The dogs of course found every mud puddle that they could - which is lovely for white dogs - Bubby especially likes to come home as black as possible - I don't know what it is about white dogs and mud. Bubby must just like to take baths when he gets home I guess.

Yesterday I got some nice shots of the dogs in the living room.

They had an extended wrestling match in the living room - I don't know how Buttercup can last so long - she can seem to go forever some days - at 17 she is in beautiful shape.

Bubby's very gentle with her though, so we're both lucky for that - they have such a good time - we're all so lucky to have each other.

A sunny Saturday

Bubby is turning out to be highly photogenic

I think you can tell from these photos I took this morning that he also doesn't mind having his photos taken either - he was on the top of the couch, taking a break from trying to get at some knicknacks I have on a shelf right above where he was laying here looking beautiful - in other words he is still very much being a puppy

You can see the knick-knacks in the top of the photo here where Bubby is looking beautiful

This is Buttercup laying on the other side of me wondering what all the fuss was about

And then her asleep because it was just too sunny not to go to sleep

We then had a fabulous walk in the woods this afternoon and the dogs gaave me a couple moments to take a couple pictures of them

I wish now I'd brought my regular camera instead of just my iphone because I think these would have been really nice photos to have with a regular camera and not all fussed up with a pre-made program. Oh well.

Here's a shot of the part of the walk we go on - woods behind my house - I'm so lucky to have this space - waiting 7 years for it to be developed and it hasn't happened yet - I hope it never goes through. That would be awesome to always have this space to walk the dogs.

And here is Buttercup on my lap after the walk dead-asleep - I think she's had a good day for a 17 year old dog.

Regatta Point Walkway off Purcell's Cove Road

Regatta Point Walkway off Purcell's Cove Road is a great on-leash walk for those that like those types of walk - I think dogs need every kind of experience and that includes relaxing on-leash walks - and this place is a great spot for those.

It was also a great time to try out Buttercup's new stroller, which she seems to be enjoying.

It's such a picturesque place - I wish I didn't have the silly blue filter on my camera - I didn't know it was on there - it kind of ruined the mood of the photos - damn you Iphone!  I love my iphone, but sometimes it just doesn't tell me what it's doing to my photos....

Buttercup at Crystal Crescent shows she's getting a lot stronger

We took a trip out to Crystal Crescent Beach this week - the weather has been so nice.

The last time we were there was shortly after Bubby's arrival, and Buttercup's experience that day was much different

She had a fabulous time playing, but she was stil pretty weak from not having regular exercise - and it really showed in the photos - painfully so - but in today's pictures - you can really see the improvement, and it's beautiful to see

Her back legs are straight, she's able to keep up with Bubby - and you can tell that she's not running around on her back knee joints rather than her back feet - it was a wondrous thing to watch.

Even when we arrived I didn't have to carry her down over the rocks - she ran right down over them herself - and it's been years since she's done that.

It it proof positive that even very old dogs can improve physically if you let them, and there's nothing else wrong with them than a bit of arthritis or something minor like that.

Buttercup and Bubby are having so much fun together right now - I'm so glad I got him for her after Charlie and Daisyy died - she got to have a normal little dog life for a little while before it's her time to go.

And by the look of these photos -

She is not going anywhere in the near future.

Can you believe that she is 17 or 18 years old?

There was an article in the paper yesterday about a 20 year old dog and how spry they were - I can definitely see Buttercup being 20 years old and still completely mobile, mentally cognitive and still able to do anything that she wants to do.

She knows of course that she's never allowed to die!

The part of Crystal Crescent Beach that we go to is very remote - but obviously other people do go there - someone has made something of a totem pole there out of sea garbage - it's pretty cute.