Jazz

Jazz's big car ride

2011-04-03T10:51:00.003-04:00

Jazz has issues with riding in the car. It could have something to do with being dumped as a puppy. But no matter, the point is, she has issues with riding in the car. After 3 of her 4 years living with us she has gotten okay with the back seat. Really. Eager to get in, happy to be along for the ride and quite comfortable. In the back seat.I recently traveled 6 hours by car to a week long

Health Care

2011-02-27T17:34:00.003-05:00

Since I'm running two blogs, I know lines can be blurred and I sure don't want to post the same thing in both places. I'm forgetful, but redundancy is something I try to avoid.Over at the East Tennessee TTouch blog are a couple of interesting articles on the health care of your canine companion. One focuses on dry dog foods, the other on tooth cleaning.I invite readers to check out both

Elvis Casserole

2011-01-22T23:05:00.014-05:00

Elvis is Jazz's big brother in every sense of the word; out weighing her by 107 pounds and 3 years her senior.Elvis was diagnosed diabetic some time back, which facilitated radical changes for the old boy. The vet recommended Science Diet's diabetic kibble. Obediently following direction we wrestled with an ever increasing blood sugar! Finally I read the ingredient label. The second major

Pet Therapy & TTouch

2011-01-08T10:06:00.003-05:00

The two go together like peas and carrots. TTouches as well as pet assisted therapy are both used in patient situations to aid in the healing process. TTouches benefit the animal as well as human, both giver and receiver, as does pet assisted therapy.TTouches can be beneficial to the therapy animal as well. A balanced animal, emotionally and physically, has an easier task of connecting with a

Jazz's Holiday

2010-12-30T20:43:00.009-05:00

Jazz's family took her to the Florida coast for Christmas. This was a first with her little brother, Nestle; but Jazz's second time to the quiet beaches. Jazz stayed in a little cottage on Cape San Blas; called Whispering Pines. They like doggies there and the beds were soft (compared to hotel beds - where Jazz preferred the floor!).Here's Jazz taking a break from some beach romping to

Blessings

2010-10-02T22:10:00.004-04:00

Little Jazzie has had a busy September! She hasn't gotten into her newly assigned classroom for pet therapy this school year (as yet) .... red tape can take so long. In the mean time Jazzie has been gracious enough to assist me in my two-year training to becoming a Telling Touch practitioner. Even the well behaved lady that Jazz is, she has benefited from the experience; physically,

Trimmings

2010-09-01T21:09:00.005-04:00

Nail trimmingExperience speaks that the chore of nail trimming is a weekly job, on average. Health care is an important part of caring for a fur-friend and the nails are no less important than the daily meal. If allowed to grow out too long the proper alignment of the body is thrown out of line, from the fingers & toes, up the legs and effecting the back. Elongated nails can damage floors,

Sweltering Summer

2010-08-09T12:12:00.004-04:00

Jazz, "keeping it cool" on the family couchJuly 1st our 25 year old (or older!) air conditioner finally decided it had had enough of this life and gasped it's last breath. No biggie, we thought. We'll just price out a replacement. August 1st rolled around and having discovered that replacement AC units cost nearly as much as a NEW CAR.... we put in a window unit to ease our discomfort during

Expanding our Universe

2010-06-23T23:20:00.006-04:00

And a new journey begins. There comes a time only once in a great while when a dog inspires a human and the human travels forward down a new path as a result of this fine dog. My dominant, ill tempered, 117 pound Doberman inspired me to learn dog training and I then become a dog trainer. My first “obedient” dog inspired me to compete in obedience trials. My second well educated dog inspired

Time to order Lie Soap

2010-04-22T17:09:00.004-04:00

Spring is here at last and greenery is springing forth with vigor! That means poison ivy and poison oak is up, and soon to follow will be chiggers, mosquitos and all sorts of wonderous things that will cause our delicate skin irritation during this delightful and long awaited season of outdoor enjoyment.Even our own dog friends can experience poison ivy rashes. My Mother used to get vicious

School Days

2010-03-04T17:25:00.003-05:00

Jazz joined a 5th grade classroom this school year where she makes a weekly visit during reading time. As her human, I am delighted to report how very much Lady Jazz enjoys these delightful young lads and ladies! Of course, Jazz will at times succumb to her shy demeanor, but all in all she is always excited and delighted to be there and share time with her young friends. It is a treasure to

Touch

2009-11-07T12:45:00.002-05:00

Something I've been exploring for a couple of months now with amazing results and would like very much to share: Tellington Touch. Truly amazing in its simple application, positive reception and phenomenal results. Jazz has blossomed more so as a therapy dog and has grown emotionally and spiritually in her own being.Tellington Touch ("Ttouch") springs forth from our understanding of the

Post Visits

2009-09-14T22:17:00.003-04:00

Last week Jazz had one of her most affectionate visits ever. She worked beautifully, immediately sitting for petting at the feet of patients or (after my okay) gently alighting gingerly upon the patients bed, right at their side then quickly settling in for the love. I was impressed. She touched the hearts of many that day.Afterwards, we got in the car and she crashed in the back seat and

Getting Back To It

2009-07-24T11:01:00.002-04:00

If a volunteer is going to take time away, more often than not....summer is the time. Why? It used to be that a month was taken off by volunteers during the hottest of summer. It's hard on the dog, there are pests to consider (fleas, ticks) and it's just plain hot. Plus, it's common for any volunteer to experience a wee bit of "burn out" and time off is good for the soul of all involved (

When to say "No"

2009-07-03T10:25:00.002-04:00

Doing pet therapy is all about giving of yourself, your time, your pet to better the comfort and well being of others. It is a selfless calling. But one must remember that part of your role is to be a good advocate for your dog .... and yourself. There will be times when it's simply better to "just say no" and not do visits that day.Dogs are selfless creatures and rarely will a therapy dog

Critter Fest Success

2009-06-07T12:08:00.002-04:00

Critter Fest (to benefit the Blount County Humane Society) was a sweet success! BCHS put our HABIT booth along the main pathway amongst the deepest shade where it was cool and comfortable all the long, hot day.Jazz took all the commotion and plethora of canines in stride and enjoyed napping in the shade of our booth. Nestle spent the day hiking with his Daddy up near Norris..... land of many,

Jazz and Remote Area Medical

2009-04-11T21:08:00.002-04:00

Jazz just got the news that HABIT and Remote Area Medical Foundation (RAM) have realized the potential benefits in having therapy dogs present at RAM health care service areas. So, they're going to join forces and give this a try! Jazz is quite honored that she has been selected along with a handful of HABIT dogs for this wonderous trial run on May 30th.Sunday May 31st is Smoky Mountain

My Spring Vacation

2009-03-28T12:13:00.018-04:00

Hi gang! It's me, Jazz. I had a really great time on my spring break. Mom, Dad and the kids took me to the mountains where we hung out for 4 relaxing days in a little cabin in the woods. Here's some pictures that my Momma took:This was Nestle's first trip away from home and to the totally unfamiliar. He was happy to find a "nest" full of Momma's things and her slippers. He also liked

Spring Break!

2009-03-15T22:34:00.003-04:00

Jazzie misses everyone at pet therapy! Her mom has been nursing migraines, bronchitis or a spasmed neck (tiz one or the other!) for weeks!This week marks "spring break" on the Blount County calendar. Jazz is heading south to the Florida panhandle to partake in some serious beach time with her family. Her Mommy promises plenty of "What I did on Spring Break" pictures!Let's hope and pray

The Sweet Smell of Therapy

2009-03-07T11:30:00.002-05:00

Recently I was at an event where someone sitting near me was wearing too much cologne or perfume. The overwhelming sweet odor nearly made me sick and I could barely breath. Having had multiple head injuries, my sense of smell is greatly reduced, so it is of some concern when *I* can be overwhelmed by such a strong odor.During this odoriferous torture, I was reminded of how important it is

Jazz Update

2009-03-04T18:09:00.002-05:00

It was this month last year when Jazz aggravated her hip and after further examination we were faced with the probability of a total hip replacement for her (at the tender age of 18 months!). Along the way in preparation for this major surgery, I elected to have her receive a round of Adequan injections. Jazz improved dramatically to the point that surgery was no longer necessary at the time.

Blog Fart!

2009-02-18T23:06:00.001-05:00

I don't know what has happened, but my images seem to have gone on vacation. Since I put an image in every post....that's a bunch.Give me time, I'll get 'er fixed.

Housebreaking Revisited

2009-02-17T10:54:00.005-05:00

A friend posted recently that she felt it was time to kill her dogs. I asked her, "what did they do this time?" The dogs had apparently used the living room as their "personal toilet". She was kidding about killing her dogs, of course, but we can all identify with the frustration she was feeling.I thought about this and it occurred to me, this friend has relocated several times since becoming

Always Welcome

2009-02-15T10:04:00.002-05:00

Dog lovers will agree that when a canine companion pays a visit, it's always welcome company. One of the reasons that pet assisted therapy is so valuable. Dogs never judge. Jazz is clearly happy for the attention as is the gentleman happy to enjoy her company.Special thanks to the facility for this wonderful photograph and thanks to the kind gentleman (name withheld) for allowing us to use

First Snow for The Babies!

2009-02-04T10:01:00.007-05:00

We didn't get much accumulation, but it was a lovely wet snow! This was Nestle's first and he was captivated by it (looking out the car window, above). Jazz really liked racing around the yard in the snow, but she shook it off her fur regularly so it was difficult to capture her picture! Below is the dock....and so much snow falling that you can't really see the lake!