Section 30 County P ~ KVR Trail Challenge

 

Recall that little blind? It is so tiny, even a little person like myself can barely move in it. 

However it is proving to be pretty fun on some mornings. This little 8 point buck was about 300 yards away at the other end of the meadow.

This little doe came from the neighbor's meadow and walked between the fence wires. 

She kept looking around and the buck at the other end of our meadow saw/smelled her. He walked towards me and she ducked into the woods just west of this shot.

That was all the action I saw on Friday morning.

Charlie and I loaded up and headed out to tackle the trail section I'd been avoiding at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. 

Charlie and I saw some traffic and a lot of pheasant hunters. Charlie got his fill of hearing shotguns go off near the Weister Creek Trail. He became a bit nervous but didn't freak out. 

In my opinion there is no benefit to having the side of the road be designated as a Trail to hike on. 

The Trail Section is #30. It runs from Pott's Corners to KV Ranch which used to have horses years ago and would take folks on trail rides.  A person could stay at the cabin and ride down the road to access the rest of the KVR Trails.

Part of the access was a gate that led to a short section of the West Ridge Trail that still exists but is poorly maintained. We found the marker on our way back from the end near the KV Ranch. 

It was hidden and had not obviously been used, yet is part of the Trail Challenge.

Once we brush busted through the berry briars we did end up on what used to be a nicely groomed steep uphill climb. When I got to the top of the hogback ridge, the trail disappeared off to the right somewhere. There was no evidence of it being used recently at all. 

We spent time searching and found pieces of the trail. There were no markers, however if one studied the leaves and the ground you could sort of figure out where it was supposed to be.

It was however, very pretty.

We followed the trail and ducked under branches and went around deadfalls until we came out on Strait Rd at County P.

The mileage for this one way was 1.87. We may have done more as we wandered here and there to scout out the trail.

We found an area in the West Ridge Trail [woods] that was loaded with Wild Ginger and Hepatica. I noted that it would be neat to see the abundance of wildflowers next spring.

We made it back to where we parked with no issues. The traffic wasn't too bad on the road, but still it kept me wondering why it was marked as a trail. 

I have one other trail just like this to knock off this week and it is a bit longer. It runs from County F near the Wildcat Mountain border, follows State Hwy 131 for a bit and then heads out Hay Valley Rd to Campsite U and the Hay Valley Trail Head. 

At least part of this trail has a beaten down trail in the grass off of the road on County F.

Having a partner for these trails would be really nice. As it is I am doing them solo with Charlie so we walk the 'trail' and turn around and walk back.

With Bill we'd park one vehicle at each end and walk point to point.

I'm still close to our goal though.

With all the backtracking Charlie and I have done, I figured we've done about 70 miles of hiking or more at the KVR. All of it has been an adventure.

Charlie has been a champ. I think it proves that little short/long dogs can do it too. There have been a few times when I've had to carry him in warmer weather, but mostly he is an avid hiker.

Our goal is within reach and I hope to have it finished off before the gun deer season begins.  I have 4 more planned hikes. Three of them will require me to again go over trails I have done to trails I haven't done and then return.

I'm okay with that as it allows me to see the same woods in different seasons.

Here is Charlie in his home made carseat waiting for a treat and a ride home.

I thought I'd regret not getting another terrier, but he has proven to be an excellent partner in hiking as well as cuddling.

And...we are off again hopefully today!

The World Stops when Charlie gets sick

 

Oh Charlie .... Charlie!

I knew something was 'off' with him when I put out his food and he looked at it ... then at me ... and walked away. That IS not Charlie. He is a food driven dog. So much so that if he hears a plastic bag rattle or the lid to his dog food can, he comes on the swift trot to observe and to hopefully eat.

He loves dog treats and gets mini ones on the trail when he comes to my call. So I knew this was not normal. He sat on the porch when I did chores and didn't follow me. He was begging to get back inside the house.

Later, I took him for a long walk and he did his regular business, then ate grass and tossed up. He seemed better after that yet still ignored his food. He took a drink and moments later that came up too. 

Oh Charlie.

As I was talking to Rich about it, he kept putting a paw on my leg. He wanted only to lay in my lap. I will admit. I am a softy when it comes to my pets. Even Rich leaned over and asked Charlie, "Hey buddy, what's wrong?" For Rich to show concern is a big deal as he likes to claim that he doesn't care about house dogs and that he is a tough old guy.

Huh. Not so. 
More barf of clear foamy stuff and I could hear his stomach gurgling. Rich blamed it on the treat he'd gotten. Actually I think while I had him in the woods with me yesterday, he had busied himself with digging hard under rotten logs. He kept grabbing things with his mouth and shaking them. Something in the woods more than likely didn't agree with him.

I took a syringe without a needle and gave him some water. He took that then got up and took another drink.

I had plans for the day. Run to the butcher/meat place and get a month's supply of meat, get some more dog food and gasoline for the mower and later diesel for the skid steer. 

I'd taken inventory of our household items and planned on making October a NO stores/ no outside contact month. I had a local supplier for eggs and a plan for milk. My stock was just about complete.

But the World Stops Turning When a Pet Gets Ill. 

Yes. I spent the whole day holding Charlie in my lap and listening to his stomach gurgle, checking his gums, and watching over him. 

About 4pm a light switched on in his eyes and he bounded off the couch and ate his breakfast. He then went on to annoy Rich with his tennis ball.

I swear

You could hear us both sigh with relief.

Whoever said a Dog is Just a Dog? Or a pet is just a pet?

Not in my house.

All is well again.

Backpack for Charlie???

8/26 Sunrise with 

smoke and haze

high in the atmosphere.

Hot Summer Sunrise.

Hot, HOT!

I'm looking for a doggy backpack for this fall. I intend on taking some nice long hikes and he is such good company. I found a backpack that when not being used as a pet transport can be used as a regular backpack with shoulder stays, a sternum and waist strap. I'm pretty sure I can use it as they advertise and wear it in front until he is more comfortable and I can wear it on my back?

After all. What is 12 extra pounds right?

Charlie does very well on hikes, however he has one severely bowed leg and a foot that is sort of a bit angled funny. Sure it is the result of cross breeding and we are pretty sure that eventually it will be a problem. That said, his little imperfections are nothing but a delight to us.

I've been looking for a way to safely take him bicycling with me and a way to carry him effectively when he gets tired. He is an amazing little trooper and I've wracked my brains on how to take him along in the winter when I snow shoe.

I've been thinking about a sling to carry him or a little bike pull along stroller type thing. Those work fine for most people, but Charlie and I like the rough trails so a pack seems to be reasonable. When Charlie isn't with me, I can use it for my gear.

I almost never hike without a backpack as it carries extra water and important items like a space blanket, emergency poncho, lighter, a firestick in case I have to make an emergency campfire, and a small first aid kit.

Charlie can handle about 2 hours of steady hiking on rough trails before he asks for a rest. I usually carry him then for a while. He is really quite the little tough guy. 

I thought of a front carrier but I the reviews on this pack said I could switch it around to front to help get the dog used to it.

So...

Well...

I ordered it.

So watch for reviews and how Charlie and I get along with a backpack. The super nice thing about this is that it has a very sturdy waterproof bottom that would fit my camera gear nicely. I have a padded insert for putting camera 'stuff' inside a regular backpack.

Stay tuned....

Little Dog

This is the look I get when I am getting dressed to go do something and I tell Charlie he can't come.

I felt pretty sure that when I brought Charlie home that he wasn't going to be much of an outside dog.
Boy was I ever wrong.

He doesn't like the hot summer days as much as he likes the cold snowy days. And he keeps proving that over and over.

We took our afternoon walk on Wednesday to the creek and back. It was a quick walk just to get some fresh air. We hiked part of the way into the Peterson Valley and then I turned around.
I still had to finish up the fixin's for the roast and I had chores to do before dark.

Charlie charged up the ridge road ahead of me. He now knows where I am going and generally which path I chose to follow.
He also accompanies me in all sorts of weather to do chores.

Here is a photo I grabbed with my cell phone...

His chest and legs are snow and ice covered, yet he was not cold. He was searching for mice in tufts of grass and leaves. At times his head would be buried up to his eyes under the snow.

Here is a shot of his tummy...

Look how short those front legs are!
What a hoot!

He can run like the dickens though and is very fast for a dog so small.

I'm so happy to have a tiny hiking companion. Each day Charlie reminds me of why I like to have a pet in my life.
Those big brown liquid eyes that melt my heart, the eager little dog who wants to help chore, the funny little dog that sits and stares lovingly at my husband when he eats.
[He knows who drops food!]

Charlie likes to remind me that it is 'chore time'. He does this little whine thing until I get dressed and then we go out to do our chores. Even yesterday when it was zero degrees, he charged across the frozen snow and led me to each spot I needed to go.
When it was time to go in the pasture and feed the mules, he watched from the yard and porch. I got cold, but Charlie just seemed to take it all in as if IT were his duty to make sure I did all the chores properly...

Yes, I miss Morris every day. Yet Charlie is still easing that pain.

Now I am wondering how I can accommodate him if I were to go x country skiing on the ridge. Or...how can he come with when I snow shoe in the deep snow?

I guess I will find out this winter. [I may have to devise a way to carry him!]

Little Dog...
You make my
heart
Happy.

Thank you Charlie.

Training Collar ~ by Charlie

Well the Bossy Lady got upset twice when I went running off into the underbrush and disappeared. The old guy just grumped at me and growled when I was out in the yard and didn't listen to his calls.

So the old grumpy guy said the Bossy Lady should do better training. Bossy Lady said she needed a training collar like the one she used on Dixie to keep Dixie from chasing deer.

Yup. I chased deer one morning too. I lost sight of them, but could smell them! I ran off into the fog and caused Her to have Heart Failure because the grass swallowed me up.

So I got this pretty little funky collar to go with my camo collar. It is loose on me and not snug. I don't mind it at all because I am a tough guy. And She says I look like a Big Dog wearing it.

Imagine my confusion when I trotted off into the woods on one of our morning walks and She called and called. I ignored her. After all, MY daddy is a mini doxxie and dachshunds were bred for hunting. I'm just following my heritage and nose. What can I say?
She called.
Nope I didn't want to go back.
Something beeped and beeped.
She called.
I spun around confused.
She called.
I sat down and thought about the beeps.
Then my neck vibrated.
Okay, that scared the crap out of me and I ran to Her.
She smiled and loved me all up.

"Oh Charlie! You are such a good boy!" I like it when she does that. I get all wiggly and goofy.

She and the old grumpy guy [he isn't really grumpy] are taking me on short walks after breakfast now. The old guy is doing it because he says She nags him to walk, but he wants to walk and get stronger.
I get to go and show off my skills.

Don't get me wrong. I still get to chase squirrels and birds...and run and sniff around. But now I pay attention when I am called and I get the "Charlie, you are such a good boy! A lot which is better than the Bad Boy Charlie!" or the sound of Her having a Heart Failure.

I am a very quick learner.
Old Grumpy Guy says I am stubborn just like Her.
She says I am stubborn just like the Old Grumpy Guy.

I don't care, just as long as we take nice walks. 

Challenges with Charlie

I have such a hard time with Charlie. He is so mild mannered and sweet.

He wants to hike with me at all times. That is no problem because I like his company and the little bells jingling on his collar. But the field grass and the forest undergrowth is getting tall!

Soon I won't be able to find Charlie! He is 7 inches tall at the shoulder. He has grown in length to perhaps 12 inches?

There are many groomed hiking trails at parks I can visit. I've also been looking for an over the shoulder bag to carry him in when he gets tired. So far I've just resorted to carrying him tucked under an arm.  I'm going to try out a canvas bag on our next walk. I've looked at many of the 'dog' bags on different sites and am not sure what may be comfortable for him and me.

We won't be doing Marathon Hiking together, but nice 3 to 4 mile hikes may be in order. A hike around Jersey Valley or Sidie Hollow would work out nicely.

I think our local deep woods hiking may have to be put on hold unless we stick mostly to the creek bottom. I used to fear losing Morris too in deep summer as the undergrowth got thick.
I don't worry about Dixie, she is easy to spot with her bright collar and generally never goes more than 30 feet from me. She also runs like a maniac to me if I just cluck or whistle.
Charlie tends to ignore me if something is more interesting. But perhaps doing groomed trails will help with that. Once he learns the routine he will stick closer?

He entertains us always. Yesterday I opened the inner door so he could look outside. He played with the Lime Green Hedgehog toy and when I turned around I saw this....

Too darned cute.

In the morning he has a routine. I use a gate to keep him confined to the kitchen until about 7:30 or so. When the clock hits that minute, he is at the gate waiting to go wake up Rich and get his morning pet and cuddle.

I think some mornings he'd just lay down and sleep next to Rich.

The car rides are getting better. Charlie does so much better if he is held while being transported. If he goes in his crate and isn't held, he gets sick.
However, I've been taking him on short rides with his tiny bed on the car seat and a leash/harness contraption so that he can look around but not crawl into my lap while I am driving.

I think I will devise a 'booster' seat of some kind so he can be busy looking out the windows.

We are getting there. Charlie is amazing. Last night Rich wanted to watch some stuff on Netflix and Charlie settled in between us on the loveseat. I glanced over and noticed that Charlie was on his side with Rich's hand slowly petting him over and over.
There was such a great look of contentment on both human and dog faces that I couldn't help but smile inside and out.

Morris never liked petting much. Charlie loves being touched.

After all, what is not to love about this face?

Whistling Dixie...

How do you teach a dog to come when called?

I really did know this answer when I'd gotten Charlie. I'd just forgotten that I did this. I mean, I'd been calling dogs with a whistle from my own lips for so many years I've never even thought about it.
The year I married my husband, he had hound puppies that he wanted me to train for handling. The pups didn't have names and I couldn't help but want to play with them.
I found that a whistle got their attention.

Years later with Morris and other hounds that I raised, I'd do the same.

Dixie excels at coming to a whistle. She has never ignored it. Not ever.

I left the cord at home, but took a rope anyway [in case I have to put one of the rascals on a leash].
I let Dixie loose and Charlie followed. The idea is to let the big dog help the little dog figure out how to come when I called or whistled. Unconsciously I used the whistle anyway. When Charlie isn't paying attention, a sharp whistle brings his head up to find the source.

Charlie was learning two things. Come on the whistle and pay attention to where Dixie was and what she was doing.

Charlie could learn by example. After all, Dixie learned by following my jack russell, Morris.

Rich had a huge concern about Charlie being so small and Dixie being so huge.
Dixie has a very gentle temperament. She is also good with commands and will 'leave it be' if I ask her to.

Here Dixie is with Charlie after he tumbled. He squeaked and she came over to investigate. Finding nothing wrong with the wee one, she trotted off and Charlie followed.

I spent most of my time letting the dogs explore. When they got so far away, I'd simply whistle.

Dixie would turn around and trot to me then sit. Charlie would come on the run. Dixie's 'treat' for this simple command is lots of petting and cooing about how good she is. Charlie got his 'loving up' too. He wagged and wiggled and tried to avoid getting stepped on by Dixie.

Charlie learned a bit more about the creek. He seems to be saying to Dixie, "It is so unfair for you to have such long legs! That water would be up to my chest!"

Here is an example of calling the dogs with a whistle. Both dogs had been sniffing the interesting leaves and rocks when I whistled.

Charlie has to run while Dixie only ambles. But it is a fine sight to see. Both dogs coming without hesitation.

We will have many more short hikes where Dixie teaches Charlie to come and follow. Charlie's confidence is growing like he is.

He is adventurous and has a huge heart.

The whistle really does work. It works so much better than shouting a name at a dog all of the time.
And Dixie is a good training tool to have. She enjoys the outings too. No one loses this way.

Big Dog
Little Dog

On the Ropes

So sorry to bore you all. But this is a way I can keep track of my 'tiny' dog training. I can see what I try and what may work for Charlie.
He can be a rascal.
Morris always without fail followed me like a lamb when he was a pup.
Charlie tends to decide that I am not worthy of following once in a while. I think he has an excellent nose and so many things are so new to him.

I am being super patient. Our walks are very short and in areas that he can safely be loose.
He still comes almost without fail when I call him in a large open area with no distractions.
Areas that are packed with deer smell, raccoon, and other wild critters are so distracting!

Rich said he'd make me a nice cord for Charlie.

Well when we got home from visiting his mom in the nursing home, Charlie was full of energy.
I needed to water the cattle, the bulls, and other creatures. And Charlie needed the exercise.

I grabbed my old training cord and hooked it to his collar. I tied the other end to my belt loop.

Now I had both hands free and could carry some water to Stella. Charlie would just have to follow. I walked slowly and asked him to come along. He trotted along side of me and would once in a while pick up the cord with his teeth.
Just one week ago he had a fit if a cord was on his collar and he came to the end of it.
We solved that by putting him out on a tie out under close supervision often on the nice days. Just time enough for him to figure out that he was yanking on himself.

Today he never let the cord get tight on him. I bumped him with a shift of my hip and called. He came running along.

Charlie was not bothered by the cord at all and enjoyed helping me with the chores. Cords and puppies along with hoses make for interesting entanglements.

And then there is the BIG Face Off with Black Bart.

Charlie decided that the big black thing that was huffing at him was not anything that he wanted to play with. After one good look, Charlie turned away and decided to enjoy himself by...

Rolling in the hay chaff that had gathered from where I'd cut bales all winter while feeding them out. He made quite the show of it and enjoyed himself immensely.

He never missed a beat when I called his name. He never got distracted while I was doing chores. He followed like an old pro. Though I am sure that would not have been the case without the cord today.
I would have been chasing him all around.

So I can establish a new routine with Charlie and the cord. Our 'walk' with the watering and the haying took around 45 minutes. Charlie ran or trotted to keep up with me.

We look forward to many great adventures together.

Off tomorrow to see Oncology at the VA for Rich's checkup. Hoping for continued good blood work and a doctor saying... 'It looks good, see you in four months.'

Tough as Nails

The first time I took Charlie for a little walk just a week or so ago, I had my doubts that he would ever be able to go for hikes with me.
I mean, his legs are so short! He seems so tiny and well, frankly sort of fragile in a way.

However. I learned different on yesterday's morning walk.

Here is Charlie in the Merry Meadow. The world looks rather huge doesn't it?

Charlie's view...

The meadow's grasses and weeds are a tangled mess now that it isn't pastured any more. I followed some old beaten down trails through the weeds.
I was playing hide 'n go seek with Charlie.
He'd get distracted and I'd move forward and squat down. I'd whistle for him and call and then wait.

Pretty soon I could hear his little bell and he'd come charging through the weeds, leaping and dodging. When a weed knocked him over, he'd roll and get back up and charge again.

Charlie is no wuss. His short legs are powerful. He can make some incredible jumps for his size.

He is impressive to say the least.

Charlie doesn't seem to have that Little Dog attitude. He just is.
And that is good enough for us.

What Good IS He?

I walked into my tax preparer's office and sat down in the waiting room.

I knew I'd have a wait, but I also knew that if I didn't get this job done, I'd put it off.
I'd put in an application to look at a 2 yr old dog and a 10 week old dog on an adoption site. I figured to get myself 'approved' and then look around.

The phones were ringing and the accountant's daughter was trying to answer phones and keep her 3 year old daughter busy. I called Ginger over and asked her to show me what she was playing with. We talked quietly, she showed me her DVD's and told me who was in the videos.

Then she said something about puppies and I inquired with her mom when it was my turn to hand in my paperwork. The little girl scooped up a puppy and handed it to me. It was tiny! So little! And it looked like Dixie!

Mini Dachshund and Pekingese? Well. Not a terrier, not a robust large dog, but...
The little male pushed his nose into the space under my chin. Oh no. I was in trouble.
I had thought about this before. For me, trying to repeat a pet that has died and then always trying to compare the new dog to the old was sort of a mistake.

This guy would be a whole new experience.
"I'll take him."

I dropped off my taxes and then went to pick some things up. I wondered if I'd just had made an awful mistake. What on earth was Rich going to say?

When I picked up the pup, I announced his name. Charlie. Charlie The Tuna. Now those who may have followed me from a gazillion years ago would know that my father created Charlie The Tuna. He'd also worked on the Morris the Cat campaign.
Now you know where these odd names come from.

Charlie rode home with me.
I walked up to the porch and saw Rich through the window.
He didn't see Charlie until I set him on the floor in front of him.

A look of displeasure crossed his face. He frowned, he said. "I thought we were going to wait. And...what is this?"
"This is Charlie. Charlie The Tuna, but you can call him Charlie. He is mini doxxie and Pekingese."

"What is he good for?"
"You'll see."
In fact, I was pretty sure he'd soon see.
"What is he?"
I told him again.
"Good for?"

I started to set up dishes and food.
"He is black and tan colored," I offered.
"Hmm."
I put Charlie in his arms.
Charlie snuggled in.
Rich smiled.
That was what Charlie was good for.

Soon after Rich was telling me how to set up Charlie's dishes and food. He and  Charlie supervised my work.
Rich laughed.

We had to give Charlie his first 'crate session'. He barked while we did chores. I was feeding the bulls when Rich called up to me.
"I'm going in. Charlie is setting up a fuss!"

Charlie was being let out of his crate by the time I got to the door. They supervised my cooking.
We took a break for some play time. The Lime Green Grunting Hedgehog was a hit as well as the tennis ball chasing. They were huge though compared to him.

We decided to sit and watch a program on the couch. Rich arranged the red blanket so it was next to him. He reached down and picked up Charlie.

This morning Rich is having his coffee with Charlie in his arms.

What Good is He?
Oh, you tell me.

I think you have it figured out.