Most of us have pets and some of us are lucky enough to have pets like labs that do not need clipping, and snipping to keep them looking great

Our first two dogs here had the decency to require no extra grooming but when we got our miniature Schnauzer she grew fur very rapidly and could not see so we realized that something was going to have to be done about her.

Fortunately, she had a wonderful temperament and would allow anyone to clip her which took about an hour. She would like on her back paws up and then turn over for you to do her back and sides. What a peach and what an easy job.

Nail clipping was still a challenge and, although we did have a selection of professional nail clippers all our dogs would run screaming out of the room when said clippers were produced.
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Ask any real estate broker/agent and they will tell you that the best security for your property is a barking dog.

We have had dogs since we moved here in 1994. We rented a house that had in its garage a mother dog and her five new puppies. One of the conditions of the rental was that we allowed the dogs to stay until the person looking after the house for the owners could find the puppies good homes. As we had 2 children aged 10 and 12 we readily agreed.

Our son fell in love with the mother dog a beautiful cross between a Doberman and a Lab and I knew we would probably take a puppy too. We did and they had full happy, healthy lives with us until they passed away. The puppy was almost purebred Dalmatian and impossible to train. She was, however, the smartest dog we have ever had.

The maid had accidently left the gate unlocked so our puppy opened it easily with her paw and she and her mother set out on an excellent adventure. The mother dog was brought back by the person who was looking after our rental house but the puppy was missing for 2 and ½ days and we thought she was gone.

Late one night I heard scratching and crying at our front door and I knew our clever puppy had found her way home in the pouring rain in the dead of night. There was elation all around.

A few years later our daughter had become attached to a little miniature Schnauzer that was living on the street outside her school in Chapala. Our daughter had been feeding this feisty little puppy and lined a cardboard box with an old sweatshirt and fed her every day she was at school. I broached the subject of a third dog with my husband who said “no” without hesitation. I explained that this situation was different and our daughter had become attached to this animal.

To my great delight my husband went to my daughter’s school and picked up this puppy (who he hoped was the right one) and brought her home. The next day we took her to be shampooed, clipped, rid of fleas and dosed with all the appropriate shots and picked up our daughter who had been staying overnight with a friend. I will never forget the look on her face and the puppy was jolly happy too.

When our first mother and daughter dogs were getting older we were lucky enough to get a wonderful street dog a baby girl Lab who we all love to pieces as we have loved all of our dogs. She is an amazing watch dog and takes her job of protecting the family very seriously.

Last year we lost our little Schnauzer to a heart condition and so we were down to one dog. I could not even think about getting another dog.

Then another street dog this time a little boy Bichon Frise/Poodle mix came to my husband’s office. We put up signs trying to find the owners but when no one came forward we adopted him happily and he soon took the pain out of our hearts from losing our little Schnauzer.

Aside from the immense pleasure our dogs bring to our lives with their unconditional love we also appreciate the fact that they protect us and our house. I am not saying not to look into various security systems but the best security is a barking dog.

4 out of the 5 dogs we have adopted over the years were or are street dogs and I highly recommend these animals as they are so appreciative to have found a good home where they are loved and looked after that the reward is tenfold.

Call the Animal Shelter at 765-5514 to see about adopting a security system today.

This will be our third year of attending this event which we have always enjoyed. We enjoy it because the food and music is good and we like the charity it supports.

This a charity that spays and neuters, feeds 76 dogs, gives refuge and rescue and helps all needy animals regardless of ownership.

This year the menu is a Prime Rib Dinner for $250.00 pesos per person and a cash bar.

The Entertainment is Carol Bedford and Jerry Mayfield.

There is also a Silent Auction November 6th at 4:00 pm at Paseo del Mirador # 14 in La Floresta.

Tickets are available at: Handy Mail, Diane Pearl, Blue Bell Ice Cream Ship, Animal Care Pet Shop, Yves Restaurant, 2nd Time Around (next to Ruben’s Restaurant) or call: 766-3813, cell 331 431-7744, 766-0780 or 765-3435.

Unfortunately, no tickets will be sold at the door and it is by reservation only.

This event always opens the festive season for us and we always have a good time with good food, wine and company with the bonus of knowing we are helping to look after and feed animals.

Come on out and enjoy a lovely dinner with wonderful caring people.

We hope to see you there!

One’s Personal “Energy”

Being a family of dog lovers when were first introduced to Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) we absorbed avidly all the information and training he was teaching us about the problem with any dog is the “energy” of the human.

All any dog gets from us is our smell and our “energy”. Cesar teaches us to be calm and assertive so our dogs will be calm and submissive and reach the balance that will make their lives happy. If we are nervous, frustrated, angry, weak, sad or any other negative emotion our dog will pick up on this and reject us as a suitable pack leader and take over that role themselves. This is not something they want to do or are comfortable with but our negative energy leaves them no choice.
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Reasons to Fall in Love with Mexico

The People
Mexican people are known for their warmth, good humor and hospitality. In world surveys about happiness, they regularly come out to be one of the happiest nations. Everyone is always welcome at their fiestas, baptisms, weddings, and a host of other events with family and friends.

The Food
The most well-known Mexican dish is chili con carne which we have never seen on a menu in Mexico. Mexican food is cheap (unless you want to eat at expensive International restaurants), plentiful and astonishing in its variety. Every region has its own cuisine. The food can indeed be hot through the use of many kinds of chiles, but also includes many other tastes and sensations.

Carlos Fuentes claims there r five major gastronomic traditions in the world. French, Italian, Spanish and Mexican.
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The Animal Shelter is located at Hidalgo # 212 in Riberas del Pilar. Their phone # is 765-5514.

Geoffrey Kaye, longtime resident and owner of the shelter, is truly a pillar of the community. All proceeds from products sold at the shelter to back into food and caring for the many cats and dogs he gives homes to until they can be adopted.

The shelter is connected to the Ladron Veterinarian Clinic. Both Antonio and Hector Ladron are excellent vets and have looked after our animals with care and kindness for 16 years.

The shelter sells all makes and manner of animal food and supplies at very competitive prices and has a wonderful facility for cats and dogs with many caring volunteers to look after them. One of the great things that Geoffrey organizes is having the children from various orphanages in Ajijic, Lake Chapala come to the shelter to walk and play with the dogs and cats. This is an activity that is enjoyed by the kids and the animals alike.

You can imagine our surprise, then, when on Monday of this week, we received an email saying the shelter was in danger of being closed as one person had 8 signatures to protest the noise from the dog shelter.

Four government officials arrived at the door of the shelter and threatened to remove all dogs on the spot and euthanize them (more…)

Recently, Mickey Rourke won a Golden Globe for his role in The Wrestler. None of us have seen or heard of Rourke in a very long time. As it turns out he is a dog lover and although one might expect him to have a Rottweiler o pit bull the love of his life is his Chihuahua, Loki. Evidently, he says, he has made a significant role in his comeback, and seemingly, in his survival during some rather dark days. In an interview in November 2008 he said of Loki: “She is like a giant Xanax. Rourke truly believes God created dogs for a reason and that they are the greatest companions a man could have.

We too, here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, are dog lovers. Of course, we had dogs growing up in Canada but somehow they were never the best friends and givers of unconditional love that they are to us now.

Our transition to Ajijic, Lake Chapala was difficult for our children who were 10 and 12.
The first house I found for us to rent in the village of Ajijic came with a mother dog who had just had 6 puppies. The owners of the house had let this stray Doberman/lab have her puppies in their garage and did not want her disturbed until the puppies were old enough to be farmed out to loving homes. (more…)