AnimalFam

Chickens riding a bike is a first for the owner and the chicken. The owner's aunt said that she should try getting her chickens to ride on a bike. The owner laughed and said ok that would be funny if they would do that. And guess what, one out of three will, the owner said that she will convince the others to ride the bike over time. Her dream is to have all three on it at the same time without any of them flying off. The chickens were probably wondering what the owner was going to make them do and was scared of the owners stupid ideas. But turns out it wasn't so bad after all. It helps that the chickens are tamed and love the owner so much that they don't mind what the owner does to them like picking them up and petting them. These chickens are special in the owner's heart, and she loves them no matter what they do to her because they are loving animals too. One thing the owner has learned about chickens after having them for three months is that they are pets. They want to be around you and follow you, kinda like a dog, but they don’t make great house pets. Having chickens is a very fun experience, and they always like your attention.

Cora, the do, has a baby pool to keep her cool and hydrated in the summer with the high temperatures, so her owner thought it would be a good idea to put the Nugget the chicken in it to see how she would react to the water. Nugget was unsure how to react in that situation and was a bit timid. Roxy the cat came over to meet Nugget for the first time since her owner got the chickens, and she did very well with that situation. Normally she would hit or hiss at the animal but instead, she was just very curious. Her owner thought that maybe Nugget would jump around or something, but after a few minutes of Nugget just standing in the water, the owner just gave up on getting a reaction from Nugget and took her out of the pool and put her back with her other two friends. The other two chickens were very jealous that they were not invited once again, and just wanted to join in, so they then started to push through the owner’s barrier of a leg, but didn't get out this time. They kept trying to get out, but with no luck, they started to scream at the owner, but instead, she laughed and walked away with no chickens. The three chickens are very demanding and will do what they want, when they want, just because they can, but they don't always get their way. The owner has to be strict with her chickens and teach them that they don’t always get what they want.

Ducks have this built in instinct of how to swim built into them when they are born. Puddles and Quackers go for an evening swim to keep up with their daily exercise and to help them grow. Their owner loves to watch them swim and dive through the water as they only stay small for so long. Ducks grow up so fast and their cute little yellow “fur” starts to disappear. When they are young you are supposed to watch them in the water to make sure they don’t drown. But you have to enjoy every moment when they are young.

The owner was outside one hot day and needed to find a way to cool off. After searching the garage she found their sprinkler and set it up in their backyard. Cora (her dog) came to investigate it but didn’t like getting sprayed, so she ran away to go play in her pool. The owner then remembered how hot it was in the chicken coop and went and got a chicken. She brought nugget over to the sprinkler and set her down on the ground, but nugget didn’t like the idea of getting wet, and tried to make a run for it. After the Owner chased after the nugget and caught her, as a bit of punishment she picked her back up again (she loves it) and held her in the water for a few seconds, and after that she was very grateful for it, but also wasn't impressed. She then put nugget down and nugget dashed to the coop to hide from her owner. Margo went to the coop and tried another lucky chicken, Covid, but she just flew out of her hands and ran back to the coop and didn’t want to be picked up anymore or get wet. After trying all the chickens that would cooperate, she left them alone and filmed nugget.

Roxy is a very curious cat and is always trying to figure out what is going on over there. She saw that there was a different smell coming from the coop so she went to investigate the strange scent, and discovered there were three living and moving things. Roxy crept closer to them, not knowing if she needed to attack them, protect us, or just leave them be. She decided to watch them and see what they would do. As she intensely watched them, she let down her guard a bit and then proceeded to studied theses strange animal’s behaviour. Roxy sat and watched the chickens patiently as they strutted around the pen. With no other action going on between the chickens and her, it turned out that they were both curious with each other.

With all the hot summer days recently and no rain in a few weeks, everyone has been really hot and trying to find anything to keep themselves cool. Cora knows that she can go to the basement to get cooled down but she is too much of a social dog to go down by herself, so this is the next best thing to cool her down and keep her hydrated. The owner bought a pool a year ago and they've been using it a lot this summer, but this year she got a camera and was able to record it. She filled Cora’s pool up and left it out in their yard and Cora's new favorite thing is to go and blow bubbles while laying down in it. The owner set up a camera, pressed record, and waited. Cora eventually came around their house and walked to her pool for a quick drink and to cool off. She hates people watching her so this was the best way to do it. Cora only stayed in the pool for a quick second, but it was long enough for her to cool down. Once content, Cora got up, and ran out of the pool to hide behind the fence to dry off before going back in.

The owner’s dad was reluctant at getting a dog but finally gave in and said yes. The first moment the owner’s family had full possession of Cora, he had a connection with her. The owner came outside to find her dad and Cora having a conversation about how her day was and what she did. He still will say that he doesn't want a dog but yet they do everything together, and this video is a great example of that. Whenever the owner’s dad goes to the store and Cora goes with him, she will sit in his seat and wait in the car for him to return. If Cora isn't allowed to go with him and has to stay at home, she will always mope around the house sad or go to the window and wait for him to pull into the driveway again. As soon as he pulls in, she will dash to the front door wagging her tail and spinning around in joy as he walks up to the door. In the mornings, The owner’s dad will sometimes sleep on the couch in the morning, and usually you will find Cora beside him laying down beside him asleep, or hitting him to wake up and play.

Dogs love to help with whatever they can, but especially Cora. Cora is always at your feet trying to see what she can do to “help”, but more like bother you, trip on, or just be a nuisance. The owner always says she will do whatever you are doing to help or make your life better. In this case we were picking up sticks, and DOGS LOVE STICKS, but Cora thought it was the perfect opportunity to help, as that is what we were doing. Dogs help humans because they are lonely, bored, and just don't have anything else to do, so why not help. The owner was cutting down branches and Cora saw it as a perfect chance to take all the bark off. But, she had to clean it up as it wasn’t the owner’s fault entirely. If you tell Cora to do something, usually she won’t do it, but the odd time she will, kinda like a kid. Cora acts like a toddler most of the time, but it's her age as that is what they do. The owner tries to give her different jobs and makes sure she does them like in the morning and night, telling her that she needs to go out and do the chickens. She will go and help get their water for the day and make sure they are in their coop. Dogs need a job or task to do, or they get bored, as it's their nature to have a chore.

The owner and Cora, the english springer spaniel a highly intelligent dog, were playing ball when all of the sudden the owner threw the ball, and it ended up in the tree. Cora’s new thing is helping whenever she can. She loves to help garden, steal your seed packets, and digging holes is her specialty. Cora will try and bury her tennis balls in the holes you dig. So she took it upon herself and helped find the lost ball in the tree(maybe because she wants to put it in the garden).Cora is very persistent and will tell you what she wants when she wants it. Cora shows the signs of OCD in dogs, and her persistence helps with diagnosing her. She wont eat out of her food dish if it is at the wrong angle, and she can tell if something is not supposed to be on the counter and will tell you to move it or she wont stop barking. The owner thinks that all the jumping from the agility course is bringing all this on. Cora loves to jump, as that is what that type of breed loves to do. They love to be by their owners' side whenever they can and are allowed. That helps distract her from what is bothering her. Cora is a very loyal dog, and very adorable.

As storms are coming and going through the weeks we always try to find the sun or warm weather to be outside. We got 20 minutes before it started to pour, Cora is filled with energy and when she sees the rain the owner can tell that she is upset and will go and lie down by herself in a corner. Cora loves to help, always around you, so she really wanted to help set up. She brought a bag over to set up the polls, and with that, they set it up. As Cora is getting better with the Bar Jump, she needs to work more on the tunnel. Trying new commands like “wait” and “stay”, are essential to working with the tunnel. Cora also likes to lay in it as it is a form of shade, but got very upset when it was time to pack up because of the rain. Cora is getting so good with jumping that she seems weightless as she flies over the bar with still another foot to go. Jumping was her calling, something she was meant to do. The owner always wanted to put her cat in a cat show but never got the opportunity to as he ran away, so maybe the owner could put Cora in a competition or two. If she did have the opportunity to compete in a competition, the A-Frame, Dog Walk, Jumps, Tunnels, Weave Poles, etc, would be great training. Agility training allows your dog to get more exercise, and since dogs in competition are usually expected to run through an agility course as quickly as possible, the activity is a great form of exercise. It provides mental stimulation, and will help prevent boredom because it makes your dog think about what they have to do and that helps make a healthier dog. If you want an obedient dog this is a great way to teach them because they have to follow your commands. But most of all it lets your dog show off, and dogs love to be the center of attention, especially Cora. She always makes sure you know she is there so this is great for her. She still needs more practice with her weave poles, but it only takes some time and patients.

Cora is a dog that is full of energy, but also full of love and compassion. She loves her owner so much that she doesn't really care what you do to her like putting sunglasses on her or doing agility. This is one of the few things that tire her out fully at the end of the day. Playing ball or even letting her go for a huge run while she is running laps around you doesn't really make her tired. Cora just loves to be outside, so when it is raining she knows it is an inside day, and she will just sulk in the corner till it is sunny. As the summer is almost here the sun is out more and that means that you will be outside all day playing with her, so she will calm down and sleep all night but still wake up the owner at 4 am and is ready to play but the owner goes back to bed and tries to get a few more hours of sleep in before waking up again. Cora will bring in a ball from outside to the owner’s room trying to drop hints of wanting to go play but the owner says “NO”. Sometimes the owner will throw the ball in the yard as she goes to collect the eggs from the chicken coop, but usually they will go outside later in the day and play.

Agility is something Cora is very good at, but she isn't perfect yet, as that takes patience and time to accomplish. During this pandemic, Cora has learned so many new tricks and this is one of her best ones. This is her first day with this hula hoop, and she did very well, it helps that she has had some previous experience with jumping. Going through small tight spaces is hard enough, and jumping makes it even harder, especially for a dog because she doesn't really know what she is doing. Most dogs love people, some are more social and some are not. Cora is very social, she loves people and is full of energy. This is a good way to make her tired at night. Cora isn't afraid to try something new, especially when treats are involved as a good incentive to keep going. Cora and all dogs are like kids, they need something to bribe them with to keep them motivated and interested. Cora isn’t a very old dog, so she is still agile enough to jump high, and in doing jumps and tricks like this it will help her stay more active as she gets older. Dogs that do these jumping tricks sometimes will get arthritis, so you have to be very careful when and how often you train them, and keep an eye on them. But as long both you and your furry friend are as happy as Cora is while doing this you will have a great time.

When ducks are young they are experiencing everything for the first time just like a little kid. Everything new to them seems exciting, when they first discovered grass they were unsure what they thought because of the feeling on their feet, but now they love it. Their owner went and laid down on the grass with them, Quackers, Puddles, and Waddles came and joined her. Puddles was so excited to eat Margo’s hand and climb all over it. But after time they stopped, started to walk a bit and climbed up onto their owner, took a nap because why not, that’s what all ducks do when they are young

During the covid-19 lock down period, a lot of people started to make sourdough starter to bake bread, so Margo jumped on the bandwagon and tried it but Margo likes to refer to it as “Monster Dough” starter. Something that grows too fast, something that you can’t control and multiplies in volume in under 30 minutes. The first time she tried it, she went from one jar to three jars in under 15 minutes, as it doubled, then tripled and eventually flew out of the jar and almost hit the ceiling. It was AWESOME. This sourdough starter was a different recipe one that she found on YouTube from a lady she follows, it was one that only consisted of water and flour. After mixing it all up and letting it sit on the counter for 2 days, it smelt SO SO bad, that she actually had to pay a family member ten dollars just to throw it out, as it smelt like rotten, spoiled milk. After trying the two recipes, Margo keeps going back to the first one, even though it grows so fast, and tries to make a run for it from the jar, it doesn’t smell and but most of all it works the best. After getting all the ingredients needed, she made some loaves of bread and the good part is the bread tastes AMAZING!

Cora is a water dog. She loves to swim and just be in or around water. Cora loves baths, but not a cold bath, a hot bath with bubbles because she is a fancy dog! We were out on our first hike of the year, which was during a heatwave, and with it being so hot we decided to let her go for a swim in the pond, as she would be dry by the time we got back to the car. Cora jumped 2 meters from the water right in and started to blow bubbles. She then started to get taken away with the current, but she didn't care as she was having fun and getting cooled down. But the owner wanted to keep walking and told Cora she had to get out of the water and keep going on their walk. Though Cora was mad, she listened as she knew that she wouldn't be allowed to go back if she didn't obey. She slowly swam back to her owner even though she would have stayed in the water and played much longer. After she had returned to her owner, she shook herself off on her owner so she would be cooled down too and they carried on on their walk through the woods to find a raccoon walking on water.

Everyone loves to watch ducks swim, but watching six old ducks swim is a sight you never want to miss. Baby ducks just melt your heart because how soft and fluffy they are when they are young. These two little sweet baby ducks went for their first swim in a laundry tub to learn how to clean themselves. The pair took their first steps in the water and finally took some strides using their instincts, the two precious ducks started to swim. Once they started they didn’t want to get out, but sense they are so young and have to be supervised the owner said it was time for them to get out.

We have been without rain for over 8 weeks now, and in a heatwave for 2 weeks. Everything is so dry and burnt off that we have been desperate for rain. Finally after 8 weeks of wondering if it's going to rain and wondering if it was going to cool down it finally rained. The storm was rolling in and it was coming in fast, as different fronts were approaching us. Then it rained. Something everyone has been looking for, but especially the farmers with their crops. The soil has been so dry that nothing is growing, it's just dying. But when you think it’s going to keep raining it doesn’t, the rain lasts 30 minutes, not enough to help any plants, grass, or soil to grow. I was able to get a timelapse of this huge storm on camera that came to southern Ontario later in the day, a storm that so many people were looking forward to too.

Puddles and waddles one day found their owners hibiscus plants outside. They made sure Margo wasn’t outside as she would get mad at them, they stuck their beak in and started to sift the dirt through their mouth seeing what they could find, after leaving evidence that they did it, the two of them ran away. One day when Margo went outside and sat down, the pair of them walked up, looked at her and started to eat the dirt again. They realized that she wasn’t mad. She thought it was funny that they came back and did it. After a bit they realized that they should stop and run away,when they did that Margo got up and moved the plants. Puddles and waddles looked back and didn’t look so happy and found a place to lay down and take a nap.

Cora loves to go for car rides, something she loves to do. Margo would always bring her to the dog park before we were in lockdown, to keep her entertained and busy. Cora would just be happy when they got there and then demand her owner to get her out or she would keep barking. Recently the dog park finally opened back up and Cora was more than happy to go back there, and this time her owner finally got it recorded. Cora wanted to make friends with some of the dogs there, but then a three-month-old puppy came and was the perfect size for Cora and was playing with her. When you bring Cora to the dog park, you need to have a plan on how to get her back into the car to go home. If you don't have an escape plan from the park, she will try her hardest to stay as long as she can push it. Some bribes the owner has are- bringing some of her favourite toys, bringing her water (especially on a hot day), some food, or a treat that always works…. Treats! Cora will do anything for treats, so having some with you are a must when you go to a dog park with Cora, or any dog!

Hot humid weather is a bad time for dogs as they can easily overheat. Cora’s breed is a English Springer Spaniel and they have long thick fur which makes them even hotter in the summertime. Cora does have a pool that they usually fill up in the summer to cool herself down in, but it was temporarily being used to keep the owner’s tomato plant alive. So this was the next best thing to keep her hydrated and keep her entertained. Cora always loves to get a drink from the hose when her owner is filing up the watering can in the morning and will usually help her owner do her morning chores. Cora had started drinking from the hose by herself at first but by the end of the day, the owner just kept bringing her over to the hose instead of laying in the sun. Cora is a very active dog. She will run around playing or chasing her owner, and then go and sit in the shade. If Cora is hot enough, she will drink all the water in her bowl in a few minutes. Cora’s owner got tired of constantly filling up her bowl so they started to just give her a drink from the hose. Once they turn off the water she gets mad and runs away or will start to drink out of a bowl like a normal dog, even though she isn't normal. After Cora cheers up again she will run around the yard getting herself hot all over again, requiring her owner to get up out of her seat and get her water. When the temperature is cooling down and the humidity is leaving, Cora is a much happier dog, and is wanting to spend more time with you instead of hiding in the shade or the basement.

The owner got this gift for a christmas present from a family member, but more so for Cora!!! Cora is a English Springer Spaniel who loves to be outside, be around people, swim, run, play ball, cuddle at night and just have a great time. Right now is a great time to be out as the weather is turning into summer with twenty degree weather ahead, might as well teach your dog a few tricks. Springers are very easy to train, and are very good at following instructions. DId you know that agility is a great way to get rid of your dog's energy? Cora could go running all day if you let her and still wouldn't make her tired, so agility is the right way to go.Cora and her owner had been using these tricks for only a few weeks, and with Cora being a very obedient dog, she had learned them very quickly. Agility makes your dog use different muscles that they normally wouldn't, help improve their flexibility, and keeps their mind active. English springer spaniels are normally used for hunting because of how fast they run and their ability to smell out birds. You just need to train them well. Cora is a very well behaved dog, but she does need a lot of exercise or they become very bossy and won't stop telling you what they want. Springers are great family dogs and love to be around people. They are not aggressive, they are very loyal and will stand up for their family members.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, travelling has come to a halt to lower the spread of transmissions. Now all we have are videos and photos to look at of our vacations to remember the good old times before it wasn’t safe anymore. This is a video that a friend of Margo’s took. Nathan traveled to Turkey a year ago and this was what he got to see. As he was driving back to his hotel he noticed a huge flock of ducks and geese walking down a side street. He pulled over and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He ran over to the birds and quickly took his phone out to record this once in a lifetime scene. This was a parade of birds walking down the road to get entertainment to people without knowing it. This just made Margo’s day as she loves all types of animals like birds, but especially her chickens, and her imaginary ducks that she is hoping to get in the spring. Once he got back from his trip, they thought it would be hilarious to add background music to go with the marching birds. Travelling is something humans love to do. We love to have new experiences… like seeing a flock of birds walk down the street without a care in the world. This is something that Margo wishes she could have experienced in real life but this is almost as good as this won’t happen again.

Cora has lots of energy and the owner tries to get most of it out before they go to bed. As the storm clouds are moving in and the hot humid air is getting worse, they decide to run around chasing after each other. As the life of a dog isn’t always easy, Cora won’t be happy knowing rain is expected in the next few days, which means they won't be able to play outside like this. Cora will mope and hide under the curtains because she is mad. Tonight they had an audience of hens staring at them, wanting to join, but weren't allowed as Cora is terrified of them, and she needs to be able to sleep tonight without worrying about them. She loved every moment of that and didn't want to go in as she knew that meant it is time for bed. Cora loves to run and hold onto anyone's legs to keep them outside giving attention to her, and today Margo followed her commands of playing with her till nine o’clock at night trying to use up as much energy as possible before bed. As the time draws near for Cora to rest her head at night, the owner will often tell her “it is time to go night-night” and she will either grab a stuffy or a pillow to sleep with that night.

Nugget has recently been being picked on by the other chickens so the owner went and got Nugget and while the owner was holding her she discovered she would fall asleep in your arms. Nugget will lay in her owner's arms, and in doing so, putting her full trust in her owner, as she is being pet. Once the owner realized she was falling asleep, she set nugget down for a few minutes and went inside and got her GoPro. She came back out, set up her camera on a nearby bench, and went and found nugget hiding. She picked her up to comfort her and got it on video this time. Chickens are so interesting but weird and crazy all at the same time.

During the covid-19 lock down period, a lot of people started to make sourdough starter to bake bread, so Margo jumped on the bandwagon and tried it but Margo likes to refer to it as “Monster Dough” starter. Something that grows too fast, something that you can’t control and multiplies in volume in under 30 minutes. The first time she tried it, she went from one jar to three jars in under 15 minutes, as it doubled, then tripled and eventually flew out of the jar and almost hit the ceiling. It was AWESOME. This sourdough starter was a different recipe one that she found on YouTube from a lady she follows, it was one that only consisted of water and flour. After mixing it all up and letting it sit on the counter for 2 days, it smelt SO SO bad, that she actually had to pay a family member ten dollars just to throw it out, as it smelt like rotten, spoiled milk. After trying the two recipes, Margo keeps going back to the first one, even though it grows so fast, and tries to make a run for it from the jar, it doesn’t smell and but most of all it works the best. After getting all the ingredients needed, she made some loaves of bread and the good part is the bread tastes AMAZING!!