 As we enter the Christmas season, making homemade ornaments is going to be even more popular as we self isolate for COVID.
WARNING!!! Do not make this and have them anywhere within access of your dog, better yet, make something different. Salt toxicity is very real and can be fatal. Common signs to look for;
Also, watch the chocolate. If you’re putting gifts of surprise under your tree, ask if it’s food so you can keep it elsewhere until opening day. In return, if gifting anyone edibles, if they have pets be sure to let them know to keep it well out of reach of the pet. You have to give specifics and spoil the surprise, just a vague yet firm caution. Good friends had their Chocolate Lab eat 3 boxes of .... you guessed it, chocolates from under the tree. Poor Hogan was in the hospital a few days on a heart monitor before he thankfully recovered. No one wants to spend Christmas in the vet parking lot with a sick dog inside, as if sick wouldn’t be horrible enough these days they’d be without you by their side. Check out this longer list of Christmas Cautions from the Pet Poison Helpline, www.petpoisonhelpline.com/uncategorized/holiday-pet-safety/https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/uncategorized/holiday-pet-safety/ Enjoy your Holiday Preps everyone 🐾💕🐾 As many of you know Quincy reached a lifetime milestone of turning 15 human years last week and she did so with spirit and grace. Since then she has had a set back and has been physically declining yet mentally staying as stubborn as usual. Tomorrow she goes on her solo hike. She doesn’t appear to be in any pain. She is doing what she can to be with me, wherever I am, and sleeping. She hasn’t eaten a meal since her birthday, the occasional piece of bacon and half of my steak yesterday lol. Not enough to sustain her weary body. Until then we will both hang out and enjoy the yard. Close friends are welcome to come by and see her for short visits, I know she’s touched many hearts. She’s the reason I met so many of you, via the dog parks, agility, K9ABCs , neighbours…. I’ve been blessed to have her as my family since that day 15yrs ago , the adventures we have had are unforgettable. On more than one occasion she has fought taking her solo hike and stayed with me but I can’t let her fight to the end this time. I love her too much for that. So it’ll be soon, just not right now. As she looks at me from her bed, my heart if full.
 Yesterday marked a day of firsts for K9ABCs as the first Dogsafe 101 class during the world COVID 19 pandemic went off without a hitch. In response to the pandemic two previous classes had been cancelled "postponed" as we all helped to flatten the curve and adjust to our new normal. After contacting the Provincial Government's hotline a couple of weeks ago to discuss the plan I was given the thumbs up. Next step was contacting the facility, the Best Western Plus Regency Inn & Conference Centre in Abbotsford. Sarah Stricker with the Best Western was very accommodating and rented me two conference rooms for the price of one (even less actually) allowing each student their own 6' table with social distancing between. Next, each student from the cancelled classes in March and April were contacted and filled in on the plan. Naturally some were not able to attend for a variety of reasons, job changes, loss of employment, changes in priorities and medical reasons. One student knowing she has a sniffy nose rescheduled for the September class, very responsible. Symptom free and agreeing to all of the safety rules put in place were non negotiable to attend class yesterday. Everyone had a mask, everyone was supplied hand sanitizer at their own table, soap and more sanitizer at the bathroom and entrance. Prior to practicing CPR on the floor, demo's on use of the manikin and all steps of AR and CPR were done by myself with students still at their tables. Then it all came together with the students practicing on the floor with the manikins, some tables were aside and students spread out throughout the room with lots of space. At the end of class students participated by replacing their supplies either in a garbage bag or a bin. Everyone remained at their tables until everyone was complete with their quiz and we then reviewed it together. Topped of with a 2m spaced group photo and the day was a grand success. Creating our new normal while respecting the need to protect others and ourselves is a necessary step to living life at this time. Some students have been working through the last couple of months being essential service workers. Others have been at home self isolating and getting out yesterday was a big step for them but a welcome one. Another first, this was my first Dogsafe class ever without Quincy. Due to the family emergency of a friend, Quincy was keeping her friend Bennie company today. Boy, did I miss her.  Greetings all. I hope you're all safe and sound out there. We've been keeping fairly quiet here and all is good. After discussion with a rep from the Government enquiry line and with the Best Western in Abbotsford it's been decided to go ahead with a Dogsafe 101 class on May 23rd. That's next Saturday.
With adequate space being provided and the usual max. class size of 12 we can do this. So I've been on the phone with students who were already registered for classes that were cancelled and at this time I believe there is 4 spots available. A waiting list will also be available because anyone who has symptoms (cough, sore throat, fever, nausea or vomiting) will be asked to go home with either a refund or reschedule. This is a great time for someone in the dog business to become certified while business is slower than the norm. Registration is on line. Remember, this is not a class for you to bring your dogs to. Stay safe everyone, please don't take social restrictions too lightly as I can attest to, it's for good reason. Feel free to call with any questions 604-649-2995 Hey everyone, I hope you're all getting some quality time in your families, two and four legged alike. I know Quincy and Skye are happy to have me home.
As some of you know K9ABCs has a couple of Dogsafe 101 courses in the near future and I just want to update you on my plans. As a paramedic I'm practised on precautions as this is not the first one I worked with front lines. Ebola, Avain, SARS. So, the March 28th class in Langley is a go and is now considered full with six students. The usual max class size of 12 is reduced to increase personal space for everyone. A board room has been rented at the Best Western and they graciously offered a reduced rate to make it more feasible for me. Thank you Best Western. Each student will have their own equipment, that I cleaned and stocked back in Feb. garbage bags will be provided for all equipment to be placed in after class for either decontamination or disposal. There is a sink in the room and lots of hand soap will be provided, even music if need be lol. Students are encouraged to bring their own food but there is a restaurant on site if needed. Quincy will only be giving visual demonstrations, no hands on will be encouraged. Much to her dismay, I'm sure she'll have something to say about that. If I show any symptoms at all, class will be rescheduled or cancelled. If students have symptoms they'll be asked to stay home or leave. Now, as you can imagine, I'll have a lot of cleaning to carefully do after this class. So the April 5th class has been rescheduled to May 24th. Also because this class is a bit larger and I need to secure a better suited location. Even if we get over the hump b then precautions will still be necessary I'm sure. If need be, we will revisit this plan closer to that time. Life continues, we must remain fluid with change and not let it defeat us. Stay strong, stay healthy, take a page from a dog's life and shake off the stuff we cannot not change.  Welcome to the 2020's. K9ABCs is off and running with preparations for our annual appearance at the Vancouver Petlovershow. This year it's being held on February 15 & 16, at the Abbotsford Trade Ex. Further details will follow in a future post.
At this time I want to share where I'm going with Dogsafe 101. In past years I've scheduled classes between Surrey and Chilliwack, 7-8 times a year. Catch is, I'm no genius with advertising, work a full time job and have two dogs what take a lot of my time. But I love teaching and love sharing all I can to make the lives of dogs and animals in general, more full filling and safe as they entrust us with their care. So, I have scheduled four public classes for the next year. If these dates don't work for you, I strongly encourage you to reach out to friends, family, neighbours and coworkers to create a private class. I will teach private classes at my location in Chilliwack with a minimum of 4 students. That's it, just four. I will also travel to your suitable location (between Hope and Surrey, approx) with a minimum of 6 students. I'm also open to travel further for larger classes as my expenses will be higher and time away from home will be longer. Note, that I do work shift work full time which means I'm not available every weekend. However, on the positive side, it means that I'm available 7 days of the week. It just depends on the week which ones. Just send an email, text, or phone with any questions. The four public classes will be promoted at the Petlovershow, so think ahead if you need to recertify and register early. Certification is for 3 years and those in the dog business should keep up to date for insurance and ethical reasons. Thank you for your continued support and interest in learning how we can all be better and more deserving of the love and support our dogs give us. I hope to see you next month in Abbotsford. Stay warm. March 28th Langley April 5th Chilliwack September 27th Abbotsford November 7th Chilliwack Congrats to the newest Dogsafe graduates, all set for any emergencies over the holidays. Yesterdays class was a lot of fun, thank you for joining Quincy and I during this busy time of year. Also, thank you for allowing the reporter for the Chilliwack Progress stop in for a look see, I can't wait to see what she publishes. I hope you're all enjoying some downtime with your pups, Quincy has been getting a lot of zzzz's in herself, me too :) Merry Christmas to you all, may your new knowledge serve you well.  Dogsafe 101 Fraser Vally October 27thDogsafe 101, is the international canine first aid course chosen by several local Colleges for their Vet Tech curriculum. K9ABCs has been offering this course to the Surrey- Chilliwack area for almost 6 years already. October 27th, K9ABCs has chosen Abbotsford as a central location for the fall class. Abbotsford is the perfect location allowing easy access for those travelling from Whiterock, Surrey, Langley, Mission, Agassiz and Chilliwack. Anyone from anywhere is welcome to register. This course gives you the hands on practice and comprehensive teachings to enable you to be prepared for the many illnesses and accidents your dog may encounter. Make no mistake, any first aid course is not meant to replace the role of good routine veterinary care but to teach you about pre veterinary care and to help you supply your vet with valuable information to help diagnose and treat your dog. We will practice handling various emergency scenarios such as choking, poisoning, CPR... Hands on practice is what helps you retain such learnings for better recall in an emergency setting. So whether you have your own dogs to care for or you care for other peoples dogs, this course is an invaluable asset. Taking your training with K9ABCs gives you the added experience of an instructor who works full time, with over 24yrs behind her, as an emergency first responder. One of the reasons why K9ABCs courses are not offered frequently, your instructor works full time as a paramedic and spends a lot of her off time with her own two dogs. Quincy, whom with continued luck, you will meet in class. Quincy is K9ABCs demo dog and is now a senior at 14. Skye, dog # 2 was born deaf due to genetics (Double Merle). This trait along with her breed traits, Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Hound, keeps her Mom very busy and always supplied with antidotes to share in class when it comes to keeping your dogs safe. Feel free to share this post with your social media, there's 12 spaces in total for this class. Small enough for each student to have the personal guidance when learning so much in one day. This is an 8hr course and you will be tired after, but not to worry because not only will you leave with a manual covering all info (and a lot more) K9ABCs will always be available for any questions after. So, no need to wait, just register here on line. No need to wait, take the course no student has ever reported as being a regret. Meet others with similar interest, it's a great networking opportunity as well. Many classmates have remained in touch and some even join forces to fundraise for events like SPCA Paws for a Cause. Need more info? Explore K9ABCs website for more details on course content etc. and please, feel free to contact me with any questions. Laurie  |
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