So we finally got to take our first camping trip of 2010. We went to a place called Lake Sylvia State Park, somewhere in southern Washington. It was great! Tucker and I had tons of fun. It was only a weekend trip because mom and dad both had to be back to work first thing Monday morning. But even though we weren’t gone very long, we still got to do lots of fun stuff. After we got there Saturday morning, we pitched the tent (I even got to help!) then went for a long hike around the lake. Mom and dad FINALLY figured out that if they let me lead on a trail, I get more excited and can go for much longer before tiring out. This time I made it 2 and a half miles and only stopped for a few seconds here and there and there to lay down. We made a campfire when we got back late that afternoon and for dinner mom and dad had hot dogs. They let me and Tucker split one and they were soooo good! I’m not sure how I feel about eating something called a hot dog, but mom promised me that they aren’t  really made out of dogs.

On Sunday we went exploring in the jeep. We went for a really long drive somewhere in the middle of the woods. Mom said she wanted to make it to the ocean, but I guess we got sidetracked because we never got there. Instead we drove around for what seemed like hours on dirt roads in the middle of nowhere, but it was fun! The roads were really bumpy and I had a great time riding around in the back seat. At one point we found this random dam and we got out and explored. It was really weird.  I found some big pile of stinky stuff and rolled around in it and grossed mom out. She called it “bear scat,” or something. (Because of that, Tucker and I had to get a bath when we got home and I hated every minute of it.)

All in all, it was a great weekend. I really want to do it again soon, and mom says not to worry because there will be many more trips like it in the near future. Woohoo!

Hey guys, guess what I just found? A photo of me back when I had 4 legs! It’s the only one that I know of in existence. Mom took this picture with her cell phone on the day that I was surrendered to her shelter. I think I was about 8 months old, and my left front leg was paralyzed at the time this photo was taken. I was just excited that I found it, so I had to share!

Wow, now that's a leg that I haven't seen in a long time!

Today is a bright, sunny, beautiful day in the Northwest. Mom didn’t want to waste the opportunity to get outside, so she surprised us with a car ride. I could tell that this ride wasn’t going to be another boring ride to mom’s work, because she had her normal clothes on, not the stuff she wears when she’s working. Our first stop of the day was Petsmart. Mom bought some weird cloth thing that came with a collapsible bowl and could also carry a water bottle. This didn’t excite me very much, since she buys weird stuff like that all the time. But when I saw her sneak a few tennis balls into the basket I knew that something fun was going to happen today. She tried not to let us see the balls because if Tucker had seen them he would have gotten all crazy and the rest of the car ride would be really annoying with him begging for a ball the whole way. So when I saw her sneak them into the basket I kept my mouth shut. I am, after all, the more mature one of the two of us. And besides, Tucker’s the ball hound. I just like to play keep away with his ball to drive him nuts.

We left Petsmart and got back in the car. We got onto the road where all the cars go really fast and the world flies by (I think it’s called the freeway, or something). These roads always make for fun car rides, and mom always laughs at Tucker when he barks at these things she refers to as overpasses. It wasn’t too long before we got off the freeway and then we knew exactly where we were. We were going to the dog park. Oh my gosh, we were going to the dog park. I must take a second to describe this incredible place to those of you who have never gotten to go to this amazing area that the people call Marymoor Park. It’s huge! I’ve never seen anything like it! There are dogs everywhere! And water to play in! And trails! And trees, and grass! Lots of grass! Pooches of all shapes and sizes… EVERYWHERE!! Did I mention that it’s huge?! It goes on for, like, 10,000 miles! Sure, there are other dog parks in our area, but this one is by far my favorite.

So we played. A lot. I took lots of little breaks since I get tired more easily than Tucker does, and I also just like to lay down and watch the action sometimes. I made lots of new friends there today. There was this one weird girl, though. This boxer named Lily. She just kept staring at me, like I was weird for only having 3 legs. And there was this funny little human child who walked by and was asking his dad what happened to my leg. His dad was trying to explain amputations to him but the boy just couldn’t grasp the idea. So eventually he asked, “So, it’s gone? Like to outer space?” Mom overheard it, too, and it made us both laugh.

After a long time at the park, we got back in the car and started driving again. Our next stop was the coffee stand where mom gets something to drink and Tucker and I get a treat from the nice lady at the window. After that we went home. Mom made us get in the bathtub when we got there, which sucked. I hate baths. But at least I smell good now!

So that’s the story of my day in a nutshell. It was lots of fun and now we’re gonna spend the rest of the night relaxing at home. Mom just told me I have to get off the computer, though… Dinner’s ready! Oh boy oh boy oh boy…..

Hi all. It’s been a few months since mom let me on the computer. At first she was too tired from her new job to log me on, then the darn computer broke or something. Anyway, I’ve just finished perusing through everybody’s blogs to get caught up. I’m glad to see that for the most part 2010 is treating us tripawds pretty well. My life has been pretty uneventful since I last blogged. But now that winter’s over, I get to start going on a lot of fun trips and going outside a lot more. Mom and dad love to go camping, and Tucker and I get to go along just about every time. They already have a weekend trip planned that’s coming up pretty soon. If any of you have a favorite camping spot in the Pacific Northwest, let me know! We’re always looking for new places to go.

Last week Dad went back to California to visit his family down there. Since he’s been gone, Tuck and I have been going to work with mom. At first I hated it, but now it’s not so bad. We have to stay in these runs with cold floors, but mom gives us a nice big comfy blanket to sleep on. It gets really loud in there sometimes since it’s a vet clinic and dogs come and go all the time. Luckily, though, the other people that work there like us and sneak in to give us treats and that makes it more bearable. Dad comes home in a week and then we can stay home during the day again.

I think that’s about all I have to say at the moment. Like I said, not a whole lot has happened that’s worth sharing. But like they say, no news is good news, right?

Hi all. Melinda here, Dash’s mom. I have a question for you all. How many of you guys have experienced phantom limb issues? I’ve read several different opinions and theories, including the one that is listed in the Tripawds resource section. For as long as he’s been with me (which has basically been since the time of the amputation 4 years ago) he has had this habit of licking in the area where the amputated leg would be. He does it when he’s laying down and relaxing, slowly and repetitively. So repetitively, in fact, that he often leaves really wet spots where he does it.  It never seems to be an “anxious” licking or anything to make me think he’s having phantom pain, per se.     

This isn’t causing any problems, I’m just curious if anybody else experiences the same thing.

Oh, and on another note, I’ve decided not to take the boys to work with me. As much as I would enjoy having them there, I don’t think they would have much fun.  The run that they would be staying in when I am not with them is built at an angle so they can be hosed down easily and the flooring would be slick for Dash. I think they’ll be happier at home.

So today mom and dad took us to the dog park to play. It was a beautiful, relatively warm Washington day and the park was soooo crowded! I made a few new friends, mostly little dogs since the bigger dogs intimidate me a bit. Tucker even made some friends, which is unusual for him since he normally just focuses on the ball or frisbee whenver we go out to play. Mom said that he would just have to play with the other kids for once and didn’t bring anything for him to fetch. We went to another dog park in our area a couple weeks ago and he chased the ball so much that he got raw spots on his paw pads. I think they’re still healing which is why he wasn’t allowed to fetch anything today. I laugh at him now because he gets this yucky stuff sprayed on his feet so that he will stop licking his wounds.

I thought about going into the water today, but I didn’t. Tucker went in a little bit and he said it was cold. Mom says that when the weather turns warmer in a few months she will buy me a life jacket so I can try swimming. Thanks for talking her into it, guys!

On another note, I think we will get to start going to work next week. Mom got a new job at a vet clinic that we can go to with her. The last time we got to do that was a couple years ago when she worked at a daycare for other dogs. That was fun, so hopefully I’ll like going to this new place, too. All I know is that she has tons of interesting smells on her clothes when she gets home every night. She says there’s lots of other employee dogs that go to work with their pawrents. Maybe I’ll make some new friends! I’ll make sure to post something next week to let you all know how it’s going there.

Okay so I’m new to this blogging thing. You guys want to see photos but I don’t know if I can make a photo album or if I just have to add pictures into my blogs themselves. Dogs aren’t known for being totally computer literate, you know ;). So…. since I don’t know how to do anything other than add pics to blogs, here are some of my favorites.

My name is Dash. I am an Australian Kelpie mix and I am about 5 years old. When I was 6 months old I was hit by a car and had some spinal damage. I regained feeling in all of my legs except for my left front. My person at the time was unable to afford the amputation that the doctors recommended so she surrendered me to a shelter. The shelter folks arranged for me to get my leg removed, and then one of the ladies that worked there adopted me. And with her I have found my forever home.

My new home came complete with a brother, Tucker. Tucker actually came from the same shelter I did, but he arrived at our person’s house about 2 years before I did. He peed on me when we first met, but I forgave him and now we’re best friends. About a year after I got my home, Tucker and I got another brother from the same shelter, Harley. I think Harley is a dog dressed up in a cat’s body. He sure doesn’t act like a cat. The 3 of us get along great, and we are all happy campers here at home with our people.