Celebrating another week with my perfect little Pipsqueak. On July 10th it will be 2 years since Piper wriggled into my heart, and changed my life in so many ways.
I miss those big beautiful brown eyes but I am so proud if how she has adapted. Still my adventurous, curious and playful little sidekick. Happy Sunday to everyone. 💕🐶
Yesterday was a big day for Piper. She started her day as normal, with a walk and a little neighbourhood socializing, and then we were off to the office.
The weather was off and on, and after a while she started getting a little bored. I loaded up her treat ball and she tore around the office with it which is always entertaining.
After work we raced home, she had dinner, and then off we went to agility.
When I first started agility with Piper last year, I had no idea what to expect. I knew she would do okay with tunnels and weave poles, but jumps were something I knew would be a challenge. I kept thinking, how am I going to teach a blind dog to jump.
Last year we had moderate success so this summer I signed her up for an eight week agility class, and I am so glad I did.
The first class focused on tunnels and weave poles. Piper was actually the only dog in the class that immediately understood the tunnel. She loves it. You say tunnel and she zips right through it. The weave poles were good too, but I had never really gotten her doing them properly off leash. Now she has that down pat, after a little work on what cue to use.
Second class introduced jumps, which was I was a bit insecure about. Another trainer suggested I stop using the word jump and use a word she didn’t
Know, so I started using hut. It made a huge difference almost immediately.
Last night was class three, and they added a ramp and a double jump. Lots of elements now so very exciting.
I looked at that double jump and thought there was no chance. The instructor said we didn’t have to try it, but we are always up for a challenge.
At the end of class each dog runs the full course after practicing each element. The only one we didn’t get a turn on was the double jump, but I thought so what. We would try. The order was tunnel, single jump, ramp, weave poles, double jump.
Piper absolutely blew me away.
She ran the whole thing like it was no big deal. Through the tunnel, over the jump, up the ramp, down the ramp, through the weave poles, then over both jumps. She did the whole course and I was so proud of her.
Everyone in the class was shocked, but honestly this dog keeps doing that. She keeps proving that she is capable of far more than people expect. We have five weeks left and I know she is only going to get better. Since I have agility equipment at home too, so we will keep practicing.
I really believe the sky is the limit for this little dog.
After class we went to The Forks and met up with her friend Gracie and Gracie’s mom. I grabbed a beer, Piper got lots of love from strangers and by the end of it she was completely exhausted. She was so tired I had to carry her into the building when we got home. She barely woke up until we got to the elevator and slept hard until 4:30 this morning.
And that is exactly what I want for her. I work hard to keep Piper socialized, engaged, and confident. I do everything I can to make sure blindness never becomes something that limits her. Sometimes people feel sorry for her, or assume she cannot do certain things but Piper keeps proving otherwise.
As far as I am concerned, if I treat life like everything is normal, she will believe me. And she does. 🩷🐶
It’s late Sunday night. 11:30 PM, and I really should be going to bed.
Instead, I’m lying on the sofa with Piper curled up beside me. She’s pressed into a cushion and somehow has managed to wedge herself right against my heart. Her little paw is resting just above it, her head tucked against my chest, and the rest of her curled tightly into me. She is the sweetest little creature.
June has been a hard month for me. It’s a month that carries grief and loss for a lot of reasons, and I’ve felt that more than usual this year. Mostly, I’ve just kept moving, working, and trying to make time for friends to keep life going.
Piper and I have had dedicated activities all month as well. Tuesday nights are dog training, where she’s working on agility and finally learning to jump on command, which I’m ridiculously proud of. We’ve spent evenings at the dog park, gone on lots of walks, and last night we made it to a friend’s barbecue.
That was a little chaotic for her due to one person having a bit too much to drink and got pretty loud, which stressed her out. And of course there was the tiny Chihuahua who somehow both loves her and wants to destroy her at the same time. Two pounds of pure chaos but super cute. Piper is not comfortable with him at all. Needless to say, she came home pretty exhausted.
No matter what is going on for us, she is my steady.
After everything we’ve been through together, I still find myself surprised by how deeply I feel about her. Maybe it’s this stage of life, or everything we’ve been through, I don’t know. What I do know is that this tiny little dog who came into my life almost two years ago has changed it in ways I never expected.
We’re coming up on our gotcha day on July 10, and I just feel really grateful tonight.🩷🐶🙏
My sweet girl was a rescue herself, and we have spent this week raising awareness, and money for shelter dogs. We have been committed to my personal causes, but today we added our company i initiative. I think Piper should become the official pup for our national program. What do you think? She really rocks the swag. 💖🐶🐾
Back when I got Piper, she was roughly seven months old, based on best guesses and the fact that most of her adult teeth were already in. Very quickly, I learned that she had serious eye issues, and from the beginning I knew there was a chance our story could eventually lead to blindness. I didn’t want to believe it, but I had to prepare myself for it.
So I made the decision that while she still could, Piper was going to experience everything. We hiked, explored forests, went on little adventures, and soaked up every bit of puppyhood we could find. I wanted her to know joy, freedom, wind in her ears, trails under her paws, and the excitement of discovering the world.
Looking back now is bittersweet. She may be bigger than the tiny puppies people post, but she was, and always will be, my baby. I remember every moment with those big brown eyes like it was yesterday. Every walk, every hike, and every happy little adventure.
Life looks different for us now, and everything we do takes more guidance, more “careful,” “wait,” and “stop.” But there was something really special about those days when she could simply run ahead and just be a puppy. And I’m so grateful we had them and love sharing those moments on Baby Kevin Sundays. 💕🐶🥾🐾
Last night Piper, Gracie, my friend and I made the walk down to the Forks Market and it was such a nice evening. Lots of families out, people wandering around the parks, music, and noise, which can sometimes be a bit much for Piper when she’s surrounded by loud sounds she can’t quite place. Crossing the bridge over the river was especially overwhelming, so I carried her a couple of times when she needed a reset.
The rest of the time? She loved it and strutted her stuff with her head held high and her little ears blowing back in the wind. She is very cute.
We grabbed drinks and Piper had a big bowl of water while she collected compliments and cuddles from basically everyone who met her. Then of course she found herself a giant dog friend. A stunning 22-month-old Saint Bernard/German Malinois mix who was unbelievably gentle with her. Piper loves the big dogs. ❤️🐕
On the walk home she had her very first pup cup from Fête. Very fancy homemade ice cream served with a biscuit and a cone. Piper only got a few licks because her stomach is super sensitive, but she was pretty thrilled with the experience. I am anticipating some future food sharking if I have ice cream again.
Finished the night running around her green space like a maniac before crashing hard. Over 10,000 steps after dinner for my little blind adventure dog. Not bad for a warm summer evening in Winnipeg.💕🐶🥾🐾
Today was one of those stressful days at work that included waiting on news about offers, near misses
on deadlines, and anxious clients. Enter everyone’s favourite office distraction.
All it takes is a couple of kibbles tossed into a treat ball and she cranks up the action. Watching her confidently roll that thing around the office somehow distracted all of us from the stress for a little while.
She may be a tiny dog but she is also a huge morale boost. Sometimes the best therapy at work is just a goofy little dog doing goofy little dog things. 💕🐶🎾
Piper and I had a lowkey long weekend, and with the weather we had, it was the right pace for us. Friday night was spent with friends enjoying some laughs and outstanding food. Our hostess is in the process of finishing a cookbook, and after enjoying her spread I know I’ll be first in line to buy it because everything was so good.
The rest of the weekend was a mix of work, getting caught up on things unfinished, and making sure Piper and I still got outside despite the cold, wind, rain, and random snowflakes. Since I’m pretty paranoid about ticks right now, we avoided our favourite trails and headed to the dog park instead. I exercise a high level of caution there, but it ended up being perfect.
Because of the miserable weather, it wasn’t overly busy, the dogs were well behaved, and everyone was really social. We even met another Cavalier, which was fun. The park is huge, so a few laps and you’ve easily hit 10,000 steps. Piper’s confidence really grew this weekend too. I’ve always been nervous about dog parks because of large or uncontrolled dogs, but there was enough space that if I felt uneasy, I simply scooped her up and carried her until we got past situations I was uncomfortable with.
It was a good reminder that even when the weather is lousy, there are still ways to get outside, move your body, and let your dog enjoy some adventure too. Piper rocked it and enjoyed being part of the gang with the dogs that I felt she was safe with. Seeing my blind girl thrive makes me cry sometimes and there were a few tears this weekend.
Hope everyone had a great long weekend and got some quality time in with their pups. Piper and I are looking forward to getting back to the wilder trails once tick season settles down a little. Until then, we’ll got some fun activities planned and will continue visiting the dog park. 💕🐶
Mother’s Day looks a little different for me. I don’t have kids, but I do have Piper, my brave, funny little blind Cavalier who somehow faces the world with so much confidence. She was supposed to be my hiking sidekick, and instead she became my tiny chaos creator, emergency vet frequent flyer, and greatest little companion.
Last weekend was cannabis gummy recovery. Today she hurt her foot. So my one Mother’s Day wish was simply “no emergency vet calls this weekend please.” She can wait until tomorrow to see the vet, but definitely needs to give me a break. ❤️🩹
Regardless, wouldn’t trade her for anything. She’s taught me so much about resilience, trust, and joy. She is friends with every person and dog she meets and approaches every new situation with joy.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, dog moms, caregivers, and those missing their moms today too. ❤️🐶
What happened to spring?! Will it ever stop?! Why didn’t we have April showers bring May flowers?! Did my weekend gummie not wear off?! 💕🐶❄️
Whether stealing doorstops, exploring forests or backseat driving, Piper has always been up for anything. I love this brave girl. 💕🐶🥾
Thank you everyone for caring how Piper was doing and sharing your experiences and kind words. It helped a lot. These little munchkins find so many ways to scare us and it is a relief when they rebound quickly.
As per my earlier post, I am pretty sure she picked up cannabis on a late walk last night. It’s been a long day, she’s not shivering anymore, which is a relief, but she’s still really wobbly when she tries to stand. She can get up a bit more than earlier, but can’t stay on her feet for long and is sleeping a lot.
I’ve been checking in with the animal hospital regularly. For now they’re comfortable with me keeping her home and monitoring her, and reassessing if anything changes. Her breathing is slow but steady, and I’m right beside her keeping a close eye on everything.
Hoping she turns a corner overnight and comes back stronger tomorrow.
Thank you all for the kind words and support. Please send some good vibes to my little pipsqueak ❤️🙏
Pretty sure Piper got into cannabis last night and wanted to share as as a heads up to be vigilant.
My girl didn’t get up at her usual time, which was odd. I now feel terrible for enjoying a slow start to the day. She was breathing fine, just really sleepy and not interested in moving. I eventually carried her to the door, then downstairs, and she just kept laying down whe I tried to walk her. Once I got her outside, she was super wobbly and could barely stand.
Checked her over thinking maybe I’d done something with her collar or she hurt herself, but nothing obvious. Then it clicked. We were out late last night and she likely picked something up off the ground. I’m almost certain it was cannabis.
Got her back upstairs, added water to her food, helped her eat, and wrapped her in a blanket. Called the emergency vet and they said it sounds very consistent with cannabis exposure. Advised rest, keep her warm, monitor breathing, and check back in a few hours.
She’s okay, just out of it and glued to me right now.
Just a reminder to watch what’s on the ground, especially in areas where people smoke and toss roaches. It doesn’t take much.
Fingers crossed she will be back to her old self in the next few hours. 💕🐶💔