Valentine's Day Massacre

Romance was in the air the minute Ramsay realized one of my socks escaped from the laundry basket. Ramsay instantly gets the "I won the lottery" look on his face and for two whole minutes (his entire attention span) he thinks this sock is the best thing EVER! His immediate response is to check if anyone has noticed the thievery and, once he realizes the prize is his for the keeping he knows he has found his one true Valentine. The sock may have a diamond pattern to you and I but in Ramsay's eyes....these are hearts.

Here is the I-am-ready-to-run-with-my-prize look once he realized I am fully aware of the situation. His moment of bliss has been disturbed but he is not quite tired of the toy and now wants to turn it into a game. Unlike a dog toy, he won't destroy this. He will gnaw, slobber, soil and masticate until you need rubber gloves to pick up the slimey remains. But he seems to know it is yours. And he is glad that you are sharing.

The bounty is that much better when your fur-mate partakes in the game. Tug-of-war is also a favourite pastime for Ramsay and I find it amusing to see how much more gentle he is with Deuce. He allows Deuce to think he is winning so that Deuce doesn't get discouraged with the game and leave; this is a lesson learned over time. So the mammouth dog lets the little dog get his way so that he in turn gets his own way; everyone is a winner.

At the end of the two minute act Deuce walks away bored of the game, Ramsay no longer wants the slobber sock and goes about finding another illicit prize, and I am left with another load of laundry. Happy Valentine's Day!

~Traci

Ramsayy goess too Banff - Roadie

There can be no excuse.....but the loss of Maynard Duck (nee Nagel) has been a devastating experience that has kept me from adding to my blog. Today was a top-ten day for Ramsay as we spontaneously decided to spend the day in Banff.

The morning started out with a 6km run (after a pre-dawn wake up and a hearty breakfast of course!) Ramsay has become so good at running with us, doesn't get distracted by all the smells or sounds, he remains focused on the task. He was barely tired and still ready for more so we decided a peaceful hike in the mountains would be a great adventure for all of us. We are quickly getting bored of the familiar surroundings of dog park and the weather was perfect for a longer outing.

Ramsay was a little uncertain at first as he was out of his element. He is used to being greeted by dogs and their pets at River Park or Doggy Day Care and seldom sees two-legs out on their own. I was frankly both surprised and impressed by his low growls at the approaching people eager to oogle my dog. People never cease to amaze me. My 100lb dog is warning you to stay back and that he is uncomfortable with the situation and yet they remain ignorant to his body language and continue to put their face to Ramsay and pet him as if he could be no threat. I know that he would not harm them and that I have full control of him but that is not the point. Anyway, once we were able to get away from the crowd and get further into the trees; Ramsay had an absolute blast. He spent most of his time with his nose to the ground taking in the various wild animal smells but on the way back he tested his gangly legs weaving in and out of the hillside trees. It brings absolute joy to my heart to see him so happy and I found myself laughing out loud at the show he was putting on.

We went into the townsite to meet Ryan and Becky for dinner. We figured a walk along the shops with the dogs before hand would shorten their time in the car and give them an opportunity to socialize. Ramsay continued his behaviour from before, growling and pulling away and nearly pulled Patric into oncoming traffic so that he could maintain his distance from the disrespectful people. Once he settled down from all the chaos, he seemed to really enjoy himself and the attention he was attracting. I never get tired of hearing how handsome and beautiful he is....yes...yes he is.

With all the hair-falling and ridge-raising stress, we figured locking him in the car for a few hours was safe. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and awesome conversation with my brother and his wife. We returned to the car to give Ramsay his supper and we quickly learned that, at any stress level, food is a hug and is always welcomed.

He was most grateful and appreciative for the adventure!

But all good things must come to an end!!!!

We promised the boys that we would come back soon. Good behaviour deserves a reward.

~Traci