June | 2017 | The Princess Tails

June 30, 2017
by Zena 11 Comments

Birthday Blues

Happy birthday to ME

Happy birthday to ME-E

Happy birthday to ME

Yay!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉 Not

I am just so excited

Today I am 11 years old. Eleven! Where has the time gone?

TBH I didn’t think I’d make this great age, not after Zac left us at just 8 years, but here I am.

According to the old fashioned understanding of dog years equalling seven human years I would be 77years – 😱 77 years! That is like………OLD.

I was about to panic when Mum told me that understanding has come a long way and now experts acknowledge that it is not as straightforward as that. We age at different rates to people and to other sized dogs – phew!

In fact they do say that the first twelve months is closer to fifteen years in people years. This sounds a bit scary but then we slow down and depending on our size we dogs age at different rates to each other.

This means that as a medium sized dog I am actually 65 years now. If The Hulk (aka Raffy) gets as far as 11 he would be 72 years. By the way he has a birthday next week and will be 5, about 36 in people years. I reckon it’s time for him to leave home and be independent, but Dad spoils him.

So I am 65 years. That’s not so bad. I see people of 65 who can work, run and seem to be pretty good.

I know I’m not in perfect health but with Mum being a member of the diet police I am doing okay.

I have some grey hairs but doesn’t everyone? Mum gets rid of her grey hairs but I like the natural look.

I can still jump onto her lap and still run (but I don’t often want to).

I still sound fierce and bark the alert at any strangers.

I can still catch bird-burglars when they break into the house and I can chase the possums up trees. The Hulk doesn’t even see the possums. He stands in the middle of the grass looking confused and waiting to see which direction to run in.

I am still a brave Tibbie.

I am not afraid of small children and they can pet me, pull my hair or sit on me. I know that if I ignore the bad behaviour this helps to train them and I can reward the good behaviour with a tail wag.

I guess that is what has come out of all these years of living. I am a wise Tibbie. I have learnt stuff. Some of it good, some of it painful but that’s life. Sometimes you suck on life and sometimes life just sucks.

Getting older means that some of your friends and family don’t get to stay around with you. I still miss my soulmate Zac after five years. That will never change and life is emptier without him. I have had to be more independent because he isn’t around for me to rely on. The Hulk is useless, in fact he relies on me. It is tiring.

I wonder if Zac ever found me tiring? No. I am sure he loved every crazy minute of being with me even when I pushed him in the pool! I am sure I enriched his life immensely and it was other things that made him grumpy.

The other problem with getting older is that some of the pals I used to know at the park have moved to the rainbow bridge and I miss them.

The new pups are just not the same. We don’t speak the same language.

But it is what it is.

So what did I get for this auspicious birthday you may well ask?

A big cake?

Bacon?

Liver treats?

Cheese?

No.

I got a new collar and lead. Oh wow! Help me to contain my excitement.

Here it is. As you can see I am dancing about with excitement – not

It isn’t even sparkly – no diamonds, no bling. I’m obviously too old for bling in Mum’s eyes. That is sad.

I can see the difficulty.

Being older I have everything I need and most things that I want I can’t have because they’re bad for me or impossible dreams.

Getting older is challenging.

Getting older with ill health is tough. Things the other dogs take for granted like bones and fatty treats are bad for me. They can go to coffee with their family and enjoy tucking in to all sorts of things – not me. I have to sit on the sidelines of life and watch them have fun. Even some dogs that are older than me can have the stuff I can’t have and do the things I can’t do. It doesn’t seem fair.

Just watching them tear around the park after a ball or just running for the joy of it makes me feel tired. I used to do that, before I got sick.

Still, I guess I have to try and look on the bright side. I’m still here.

I can still walk to the park in the mornings, although I don’t always want to, and I do get to enjoy a comfortable house with lots of soft beds which I do want.

My house is warm in the cold weather and cool in the hot weather and dry in the wet weather. I like that. Mum knows I like it. Just as I like lying on her all evening so she can rub my itchy tummy and I can sleep, or watch television. There are still some good things I can enjoy.

Things could be worse. I acknowledge I am a pampered pooch – but then – I’m worth it.

So here I am on my special day enjoying my favourite activity – sleeping next to Mum and wishing time would slow down a little for all our sakes.

Happy 11 years Zena

Love from the ~~old~~ mature and wise Princess

June 11, 2017
by Zena 9 Comments

The Panicky Prancing Poodle

Well shock horror I’m in the dog house. Colour me bothered. I’m still getting my food and cuddles on demand so I reckon they’ve overlooked my so-called transgression.

I am appealing to you, my fellow furries (and sometime furies) to wade into the argument.

I am a watch dog. A fine (well, almost fine) specimen of years of breeding and it must be said some years of in-breeding. However, I digress.

I am ever alert ready to protect my people, my tribe. Or at the very least to make sure they recognise the danger so that they can protect me 🙂

This week the sun shone briefly in Melbourne. Mum opened the door into the garden and Raffy and I lay in the sun.

Outside? Good grief no…. far too cold.

We lay on the soft carpet inside where the sun was shining, we’re not stupid. Well, I’m not anyway.

The next thing I know something flutters under my nose and heads for the coffee table. A bird. In the house! Can you believe it? And not just any bird. That stupid Mynah bird which constantly hops around the other side of the glass door taunting me and pecking at the outdoor cushions.

So I did what any red-blooded Tibbie would do. I caught it. Mum and Dad were shouting ‘Zena, No!’ but did I listen? Of course not.

We were under attack and I leapt into action without thought of the danger to myself.

The taste of feathers wasn’t good, they prickle and get caught in your teeth but did I care? Of course not. I reacted instinctively to protect those I love, I threw myself into danger. I should have a medal. I am so not appreciated.

Then before I could investigate this flapping thing any closer Dad grabbed me and made me release it. All I could do was spit out the fluffy bits.

I know. All that effort and he just let it fly off. I ask you. My super fast reactions were wasted on them. Did I get praise? No I did not.

I didn’t actually get into trouble but I could tell Dad wasn’t pleased. Apparently he likes those pesky birds. Though I can’t understand why if he likes them he won’t allow me to roll in the droppings they leave. Sometimes I cannot understand these humans I live with.

I swear those feathers take ages to dig out of your teeth

Anyway, back to the story.

Now you may ask what was our big, brave 40 kilo poodle doing at the time? This dog who was bred to be a retriever of game or a gun dog. This dog who has been bred to wade into water and grab the ducks.

It is rather embarrassing and I am ashamed to tell you but….twist my paw.

Okay, here goes.

He was hopping from paw to paw with a shocked expression on his face. Literally dancing on the spot. He looked ridiculous. He didn’t know whether to run or to hide and as he doesn’t like confined spaces there wasn’t anywhere to hide.

Our big, brave scary poodle was petrified. And to think I had once assumed he would be my bodyguard. Ha! And again I say….Ha!

It was a tiny bird. Perhaps he’s also afraid of spiders.

All I can say is that we had better not rely on him in a crisis.

I’ve heard about the poodle prance but I haven’t seen it before but believe you me he was prancing and it wasn’t with pride!

Here he is doing what he does best…….NOTHING 🙂

June 3, 2017
by Zena 6 Comments

Zena Looks Back

This is Zena, signing in again after another long gap.

I have finally managed to get her to sit down at the computer and think of me.

Finally my indignation got through to her

I think she needs to go to one of these groups. You know, the kind where people with addictions go.

She told me it was finished. She told me it was over. She told me she wouldn’t do it again and that she was sorry. She told me I would get her back.

What happened?

She relapsed. I am ashamed.

I think I have to out her in order for her to come to grips with the problem.

She tells me now that it was the little green leaf hints that did it. Every time she opened her e-mails there was another list of little green hints, beckoning, calling her back.

Then one day, before I knew it, before I could stop her she had enrolled again.

She is back on ANCESTRY!!!!!!

She is back following up those little green leaves and trying to trace her family roots and all I can do is sit (or lie under the desk) and ride it out with her. She is clearly a lost cause.

I have to admit I don’t get it, but perhaps that’s because I know where I came from. I am Tibetan. The blood of temple dogs and wolf warners runs in my blood. My ancestors nimbly leapt from rock to rock shouting out a warning to their people if the predators came near. Perhaps some of the larger ones might even have been brave enough to fight to protect the flocks they ran with.

At night my ancestors shared the huts with their families, feeding from the scraps from the table (except of course they didn’t use tables) and at night they curled up, tails tucked around them to keep warm.

They were faithful, brave protectors of their families. Rather like me today. Okay so I don’t have to nimbly leap from rock to rock which is just as well. And I don’t have to shiver in the ice and snow which I would hate. To be honest I don’t even like the rain. And I get my food twice a day and never have to be hungry or hurt. And I have to admit I don’t have any flocks to protect. But apart from that I am just like my ancestors.

I really have to say that I don’t understand the obsession so I decided to look at my family tree to see if I could get any understanding at all.

Zena aka Bovais Ladyhawk

b: 30 June 2006

Mother:

Aust Champ Bovais Stormie Moments

Father :

Aust Champ Bovais Takem By Surprise

Maternal Grandparents:

Schaka-ta’s Pascal A’Bovais

Caerlaverock Ja Bovais

Paternal Grandparents:

Bovais Takem By Storm

Caerlaverock Ja Bovais

Maternal Great Grandparents:

Schaka-ta’s Mankado

Schaka-ta’s Jazira

Boshanti Tyson

Caerlaverock Fan Maytock

Paternal Great Grandparents

Schaka-ta’s Pascal A’Bovais

Caerlaverock Ja Bovais

Boshanti Tyson

Caerlaverock Fan Maytok

Maternal Great Great Grandparents

Cheerio Ace of Hearts

Schaka-ta’s Kymara

Pinrow Black Flash

Rebecca of Araki

Boshanti Marconi

Kashi Heavenly Hiraani At Boshanti

Jemecs Briareus

Caerlaverock Ba Norzin

Paternal Great Great Grandparents

Schaka-ta’s Mankado

Schaka-ta’s Jazira

Boshanti Tyson

Caerlaverock Fan Maytock

Boshanti Marconi

Kashi Heavenly Hiraani At Boshanti

Jemecs Briareus

Caerlaverock Ba Norzin

Oh my gosh!!!!

I had no idea 😦

Can you see how many common ancestors I have. I mean they are not common, I’m sure they are of the best blood but they are all the same bloodline. I am totally shocked. I know there was a fair amount of ‘line-breeding’ but….. I have to look into this a little bit more.

AND I don’t supposed you noticed but I seem to have a relative from the Araki kennel in there which is the kennel that she got her first Tibbie from when she lived in France. We could be related.

I will have to look further into it and if it is possible maybe I could find some pictures….. and if only there was an Ancestry.com for dogs I could get some little green leaf hints too to help me go even further back.

Bye for now everyone. I have to have a nap before I do some more research. If you don’t hear from me for a while you know where I am. Following those little green leaves wherever I can find them…..

bye bye from Zena, your Princess 🙂