It is with a heavy heart that we report that our dog, son, best friend, mentor and the inspiration behind the formation of Capable Canines, Buddy 2, passed over the Rainbow Bridge recently.  He did not suffer and had led a happy, fullfilling life, giving back to so very many.  Sometimes the hardest thing in life to do is to do the right thing.  That means letting our loved ones go peacefully and with dignity, even though every inch of our being longs to keep them with us.

     Buddy 2 will live on, however. We plan on continuing the work he inspired, both through this website and through our continuing affiliation with the rescue group, Canine Rehabilitation Center and Sanctuary.  Web site:  www.crcsgiveslife.org.

     Please consider adopting a handicapped dog, and if you already have one, or know someone who does, please know that there is help and knowledge available through our webiste.  Dogs with disabilites, incontinence or just the things that inevitably go along with aging all present issues that can be stressful and baffling - we will do our best to help you to navigate those in a manner that benefits both you and your dog.

     God Bless You and God Bless the Dogs - the most noble creatures in the universe.

We have some mixed blessings to report for Snowball.  Unfortunately he has been diagnosed with lung cancer and  cancer may have  been the cause of his neurologic problems with his hind end too. The vet feels that the most humane thing to do is to put Snowball to sleep.

  Turning to the good in this sad news:  Snowball got the best possible treatment during his last few months.  He was surrounded by people who loved him and cared for him,  he was able to get up and move around a bit, and he was even losing a little weight. 

Snowball brought some amazing humans together who otherwise might not have crossed paths.  His legacy will live on in the work we all do to give all dogs a great quality of life and find the loving forever homes they deserve. 

Next time you see some big billowy white clouds in the sky, imagine Snowball running and playing to his hearts content.  Snowball, you made paw prints on our hearts and your life mattered.

June was a red letter month for Snowball the 120 lb.+ rescue dog at the shelter. He arrived scooting and dragging his hind quarters, unable to weight bear on his hind end. Buddy Too donated his first cart to Snowball and a team of animal lovers went to work to fit the cart to Snowball. He was able to walk around under his own power for the first time since he was brought to the shelter. We measured Snowball for his own cart and thanks to a generous group of donors, Snowball will be in his very own cart soon.  

The importance of the cart is multifaceted:  In addition to the most obvious benefit of mobility for the pure enjoyment a dog gets in being able to move around, Snowball will now get the exercise he needs to lose weight and hopefully, will be able to regain some of the muscle strength in his hip area.  Just like humans who walk and exercise, Snowball will benefit from the cardio work out too.  The cart appears to be taking away any pain caused by attempting to walk without it.  The cart also allows Snowball the advantage of standing up to empty his bladder and subsequently not lying in or dragging through his eliminations.  Urine is so toxic that when held against the skin by the wet fur, it will actually cause burns.  An additional benefit  of being up in the cart, is Snowball's skin is not breaking down where he formerly drug his hind end.

Who knows, if Snowball can lose some weight and gain back some strength in his hips, he way walk independently again.  

Snowball is looking for a loving forever family and he comes with his very own cart.  

Hello everyone!

We  are very excited to finally have our first "how-to" video actually posted.  This is a VERY basic video on the technique used to express a male dog's bladder.  We hope to cover many different angles, situations, temperaments,  and, of course, both male and female dogs in the very near future.   Your comments are very welcome,  as we could really use some feedback and pointers at this stage of our venture, so that we get off on the right track right from the beginning.  Thanks for watching and please do stay tuned for other videos coming soon,  including  many more videos on bladder & bowel expression techniques, diet and scheduling , cart/mobility issues  and leg wound care.      

Our Intro Video is finally finished and we are getting ready to do the videos on bladder and bowel expression very soon.  Please take a moment and watch the Intro Video and post any comments you may have.  We realize it is VERY rough,  but we also wanted to just do this on a very informal, "one take" basis, at least for the intro video, so people can see us exactly how we are and can really get a feel for the purpose of this site and how passionate we are about helping people learn how to take care of these wonderful dogs. If  you know of organizations or web sites that you feel would be useful to post on this site, please go to the "Forums" area and either start a discussion or post your ideas, concerns, questions and experiences there so that we all can learn from each other.    Thank you so much for caring enough about your dog to visit this site and start learning these skills-  you will find that the bond you form with your dog is very special and that you wil learn from each other each and every day going forward. 

We  were painfully reminded just recently of how important it is to completely express your dog's bladder.    Our  dog  contracted a nasty bladder infection and it was all because I simply became impatient and did not take the time to insure that his bladder was completely empty.  

If  the bladder does not empty completely,  it can become a veritable petri dish for the breeding of bacteria and a bladder infection can be the result.   Don't  panic-  it is easily cured with a short course of antibiotics,  but the point is to prevent it in the first place.  This is simply another instance as well where it pays to have a good working relationship with your vet.  They should be an integral part of your team - keep them informed of all of the happenings with your dog and be sure to include them in any decisions to be made regarding your dog's health, like prescribing antibiotics for bladder infections. Our  new upcoming videos on bladder expression emphasize these points as well.  It  is  helpful to remember that your dog is completely trusting you when you express his or her bladder, so take your time and treat your dog with respect and love.  That includes patience..  Believe me,  I know how difficult it can be when you are in a hurry on your way to work or some such other event,  but it really does not take any more time in reality to do it right.

Over time,  you will actually develop a feel for when the bladder has emptied completely-  it is not difficult and that way you can always have the peace of mind that you are giving your dog the best care.  

Hello Everyone-

Well, we are off today to shoot several new videos, specifically on bladder expression.  These will be short and will show several views as well as some of the techniques we have discovered that work very, very well .  These can be done by anyone, on any dog,  in virtually in any place,  without creating a mess.  The key is to totally relax and to convey that sense of relaxation and quiet confidence to your dog, who is totally trusting you.  We will follow up these videos with a series on bowel expression and several videos showing how to set up and "tune" a mobility cart for your dog.

Well, that's it for now.  Stay tuned for our next videos,  which should be uploaded soon.  Thanks for looking!!

Travis, Cheryl, Jasmine & Buddy2

It  was really gratifying to receive all of the great comments and suggestions for the web site and for the videos.  You know,  when you think about it, this web site is really all of ours-everyone has had a say in pretty much every phase of its development,  from the actual name of the site to the content and finally,  to the format and subject matter  covered in our videos.  As  we go forward,  we hope that you will refer the site to everyone you know and that it will truly become "viral" in its growth.  After all,  our goal has always been to  help as many people as possible.  By  helping as many people as we can,   the unnecessary euthanasia of these wonderful, special needs dogs can be prevented, which is our ultimate goal.  So,  please help us to help others  by spreading the news of this site and telling everyone to "like" it on their Facebook and such.  Stay tuned for some videos on incontinence and wound care coming up!!  Thanks again and have a wonderful week.

Cheers,

Travis, Cheryl, Jasmine & Buddy2     

Finally!!  After much trial and tribulation,  we have finally managed to successfully upload our first video to our site.    This is just a very simple clip showing how much Buddy2 enjoys his life,  even though he is  both  paralyzed in his back end and completely incontinent.   I  really must apologize for the sound quality and the wind-  it was just blasting that day up at Frenchman's Lake- one of our favorite camping spots.

 We  would so appreciate it if you could take the time to watch and critique this first video of ours.  Of  course we  know about the wind and such,  but we want to be certain that we shoot the finest quality videos possible for this site.  After all,  the whole putpose of this is to educate and help the many people who have found themselves looking down the barrel of caring for a special needs dog.  We  think the videos will both educate and motivate.   With your help,  we can be certain that we put the best quality  information out there and keep it up to date.   Thanks so much for looking  !!

Cheers,

Travis, Cheryl, Jasmine & Buddy2

We  just returned from a trip to Washington