When I saw an ad for Groomer Has It – that reality television show where pet groomers compete for start-up capital to get their business started – I scoffed. The contestants didn’t seem all too much brighter than their clients and bathing and combing pets looked more like fun than a talent or something to warrant their air of snootiness. Today I got to comb Muneca, an older Siberian Husky Cross, and it took forever and a half! I have just a little more respect for their profession now.

Muneca has a thick coat of black and cream hair that sheds like crazy when summer rolls around. I’m sure I had to clean out the brush well over 20 times before you could tell she even came close to a comb. She seemed to enjoy this long process though, as she first lay on her belly and then on her back and began to let out little snores.

This Siberian Husky Cross takes her time on walks and requires an occasional rest as she is still struggling to lose some extra weight. Muneca is a smart cookie whose listening skills are past ESL level and will wait for your approval before crossing a street. She is sometimes hesitant when meeting new people but warms up quickly if you show her a bit of love (and by that I mean pampering). Muneca would be a perfect companion for a retired senior who enjoys daily strolls, relaxing park bench views and doesn’t mind combing her coat while watching a bit of reality television.

For details on Muneca (Animal ID: 132535), click here.
BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter: 604 879 7721 or vancouver@spca.bc.ca

To read the profile of another dog, click here.

Usually I get to walk dogs at the Vancouver SPCA but this week I got to walk a beautiful white bear cub named Oscar!

It was one of the first sunny days Vancouver has had in a while and all I could think about was how terrible it must be for Oscar. Oscar is not actually a bear cub but he is the size of one! This Samoyed Cross looks like he was made for the Arctic and taking him around town in anything above 5 degrees feels like you’re punishing him simply for being alive. He has the biggest, fluffiest, and FULLEST coat of white hair you’ve ever seen and a tongue the length of the Pacific Coastline. I felt so bad for the poor bugger that I stopped every 10 minutes to give him a drink of water from my bottle (don’t worry, I didn’t drink out of it afterwards – I may love dogs but I’m not unhygienic).

It’s hard to say what Oscar would be like under normal Vancouver weather conditions but in this summer heat he was very docile and walked at a very steady pace. Nothing seemed to catch his interest enough to bark or run but he did catch his own reflection in a window and was rather intrigued by his stunning self.

For details on Oscar (Animal ID: 128902), click here.
BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter: 604 879 7721 or vancouver@spca.bc.ca

To read the profile of another dog, click here.

Click on to read about our second featured pet, Buddy. Read the rest of this entry »

For the first time in a while, the Vancouver SPCA kennels were full this week. All the dogs I’ve written about previously have been adopted and their places have been taken by a new set of varying breeds and personalities. Luckily for the SPCA though, there are just as many dog walking volunteers as there are dogs…

This week I got to walk a 7 month old female Siberian Husky cross named Cinder. I don’t know much about Cinder’s history but I suspect that she was hand fed under the table a few too many times. Cinder loves hands. She doesn’t like being touched by them so much as watching them, following them, and eating from them. If you put your hand in your pocket, to her it means she’s getting a treat so she obediently sits down waiting to be fed. If you point in a direction, it means she should walk that way. If you pat her back, it means there must be something there she’s got to see. The upside to this is that Cinder is very good at following directions. The downside though is that she’s not the kind of dog you can cuddle with.

Cinder also likes her privacy when she’s out and about doing her doggy deeds. She actually gives you a look of embarrassment if she sees you notice that she’s doing a #2. Unlike most dogs that like to stop every 2 seconds to pee on a different tree, Cinder finds a spot where she’s relatively unnoticed and squats to pee a very neat little puddle after which she wipes her paws on the grass and continues on with the walk. She’s a real lady.

For details on Cinder (Animal ID: 122270), click here.
BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter: 604 879 7721 or vancouver@spca.bc.ca

To read the profile of another dog, click here.

This week, we’re profiling the social butterflies of the Vancouver SPCA: Kit Kat and Bear

Kit Kat has confidence in spades! This spunky little Shiba Inu cross walks with an air of authority and isn’t afraid of any dog that gets in her way. She isn’t one to pick a fight mind you, but if she senses that there may be competition, she’ll lie down in pounce mode and watch her rival like a hawk.

In addition to being doggy ninja material, Kit Kat is quite the acrobat. She’s the only dog I’ve met who pees with both her hind legs up balancing only on her front paws. She’s not always as stable as she might like but she practices like crazy. In between her acrobatic rehearsals, Kit Kat likes to take sudden dives into whatever patches of grass or dirt are available. It’s a slightly odd sight and usually somewhat unexpected when she decides to dive head first into the ground and squirm, roll and twist around like she’s got an itch on her back she just can’t scratch. A man who witnessed one of these sudden outbursts of wriggling actually stuck his head out the window to comment.

But don’t try and make fun of this little ball of fluff. If she understood you, she’d probably snub you like she snubbed my doggy treats. I had asked her to sit and she did so I gave her a doggy biscuit only to have her take it from my hand, put it on the ground, and pee on it. Point taken.

For details on Kit Kat, click here.
BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter: 604 879 7721 or vancouver@spca.bc.ca

Now, everyone will agree that better looking people generally receive better treatment. This week I found out that the same goes for dogs! Click on to read about Bear!

Read the rest of this entry »

I hope you aren’t sick of Rottweilers yet because I got to walk another one this week! Yes, the Vancouver SPCA does have other breeds but for some reason, I keep getting assigned to walk the Rottweilers. This is all fine by me because I happen to think they are some of the sweetest dogs around, but for the sake of your interest, I’m crossing my fingers for a different breed next week.

This week we’re featuring clap happy Cappy! Cappy is actually a mix between a Rottweiler and something else equally large. Hugging him (which he lets you do) feels similar to hugging a five year old. He has a nice healthy thick coat of short black hair which is much softer than that of a pure Rottweiler, and a long kangaroo-like tail which he keeps in constant motion much like that of a metronome set at 170.

Although he is large enough to seem intimidating, Cappy’s one of the most attentive dogs I’ve met and is exceptionally well-behaved. He is very good at following your direction and won’t go chasing after other dogs or animals without your expressed permission. He’s perfectly happy just being with you.

My only warning to potential adopters is to never walk directly behind him! No, it isn’t because he’s a stinker. His emissions are no worse (nor better) than the next dog. Cappy just has a pronounced habit of clawing at the grass after he takes a tinkle. Standing directly behind him when this happens means being attacked by very large patches of grass and dirt for about 5 full seconds. Other than that, Cappy is the picture perfect large Rottweiler cross complete with a wagging tail!

For details on Cappy, click here.
BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter: 604 879 7721 or vancouver@spca.bc.ca

To read the profile of another dog, click here.

Each week, we bring you the profile of an orphaned dog from the BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter that needs a loving home. This week, we have two!

The Vancouver SPCA received a small handful of poodle miniature crosses this week and I got to walk one of them. His name is Astro.

Astro is just over a year old and light enough to carry with one arm but big enough to give a proper hug. Admittedly, Astro isn’t much of a walker. He’s more of a play in the backyard, watch the wheels go round and round kind of dog. We got one block down before he began getting anxious about getting back to his kennel. Maybe he thought the other pups would take his chew toy? Who knows…

Astro does get excited when he thinks it’s time for play, wagging his tail in a typical doggy way and jumping up to the door when you come close, so it’s not as if he’s anti-social – he just has some security issues so he needs someone who’s patient and willing to show him the ropes one block at a time. Astro would be a perfect match for someone who likes slow leisurely walks and has a porch where he can fully utilize his exceptional observational skills. He practiced by staring down every car that went by during our stroll.

For details on Astro, click here.
BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter: 604 879 7721 or vancouver@spca.bc.ca

Dogs shouldn’t be fed any of the following items: grapes / raisins, chocolate, onions, garlic, alcohol…and the list goes on. Nobody ever mentions bird poop, but if you’ve met Dre, you’ve probably wondered…

Read the rest of this entry »

NEW feature on Dabbler! Each week, we’ll bring you the profile of an orphaned dog from the BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter that needs a loving home.

It’s strange to think that there are people out there who are afraid of Rottweilers. I’ve found that of all the dogs I’ve walked at the SPCA and even of all the dogs I’ve met in my life, Rottweilers are by far the sweetest, most obedient and cuddly breed! Today I got to walk Ginger, a 7 year old female Rottweiler who was found in a park as a stray. We walked for about 2 hours at a nice quick walking pace but I think she got tired towards the end. Either that or she knew that if we stopped she’d get more cuddles and tummy rubs! At one point when I said we should go (she was still lying down looking at me with the ‘I’m so loveable, please pet me some more’ look), she pawed and rolled around until she and I got tangled in the leash and she nearly got me on the ground while she was happily trotting around my legs and rubbing her slobbery cheeks on my gloves. I do hope that she gets adopted soon because it would be such a shame to let any of that cuddliness go to waste!

For details on Ginger, click here.
BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter: 604 879 7721 or vancouver@spca.bc.ca

To read the profile of another dog, click here.