Zack's Lakeland Terrier Blog

Friends of Zack

2007-05-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

Although Zack and Chico have never met, Chico, a border collie and australian shephard mix is featured here in the Utah desert. He and his owners went on a trip to the painted desert in Utah in May 2007. Good on ya Chico.

Run for the seals...

2007-04-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Zack and I did the "Run for the Seals" today, a four mile run near Rodeo beach in Marin county. It was a fund raiser for the marine mammal center. They have about 60 "patients" right now, elephant seals, harbor seals and many other types. They nurse them back to health and hopefully return them to the wild. It was a gorgeous California day. Here is Zack with the Seal mascot from the SF Giants baseball team. Zack did great. There were about 100 other dogs running.

New digital camera.....

2007-03-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I am hard on digitals but I got another one, this time a small pentax option M30, small, sleek and seems pretty rugged. Here is our first sunrise with the camera, Zack facing the bench with Mt. Diablo in the background and the sun of course. Stay tuned for more snappies now that we have another camera :)

Are these some of Zack's friend?

2006-12-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

I just read this article from the NY Times about dogs and them being a "woman's best friend" and it made me hope that they are not just a fashion accessory. Zack wouldn't be caught in a sweater, although Skippy (almost 15) loves his sweater to sleep at night. :) See the link in the left hand column called "women's best friend?" if you wanted to read the article.

Zack update...

2006-12-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

Low tides are here as the full moon approaches. Look for updated photos of Zack running at low tide. In the meantime, where is a photo of Zack after he finished his Doggie Yoga.

Friends of Zack

2006-08-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a snappie of Chico, a border collie who's "father" works with Zack's father. I think they would have fun playing together.

Zack and a summer sunrise

2006-08-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of Zack looking out towards Mt. Diablo one beautiful morning in August, 2006.

Brothers...

2006-08-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

These BLOG entries are getting farther and farther apart so I welcome other dog owners to add to this site. I can add you as a contributing member of the BLOG of you'd like - just let me know.

This photo of Skippy and Zack looking out the door has been turned into a watercolor. They have been acting more and more like brothers, with Skippy still being the boss to his little brother (who is not so little anymore) Zack.

Zack growing up...

2006-06-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent photo of Zack just after sunrise on our favorite trail in the Berkeley hills.

Highlands sunrise...

2005-12-30T14:14:00.000-08:00

Yes, the highlands of Berkeley on Sea View trail is a glorious spot that Zack and I spend a lot of time. This past week we caught the hills saturated with rain in between storms. He is posing here as the sun rises behind him.

Dog Days of Summer

2005-11-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

Well, nothing beats the dog days of summer. We rented a beach house for two days in late October right on the edge of Stinson Beach...and we were blessed with radient late summer light. And of course, Zack and Skip just loved life off leash a sneeze away from the beach. Beach in the morning, noon, and night. The sky at night was brilliant with stars. Amazing how full of experiences two full days and nights by the sea can be.

More sunrise snappies

2005-09-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well, Zack and I did two sunrises this past weekend. We jumped over the EBMUD fences and clamored down the trail in search of Mountain Lions at sunrise. We didn't spot any but we did see a great sunrise. Here is Zack on the hunt...

Supporting Hurricane Relief

2005-09-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Lakeland Terrier Listserv has posted information for anyone wanting to support rescue efforts for animals in Louisiana. One of the best ways is to make a donation to the Lousiana Veterinary Medical School. Here is there link and there is donation information there.

http://www.lvma.org

Sunrise on Labor Day

2005-09-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite ways to wake up on weekends is with Zack and the sun. This is a picture of sunrise from Sea View trail in Berkeley on Labor Day 2005 as the sun rises behind Mt. Diablo. Sometimes you feel like you are in heaven above the clouds in a very special place. Click on photo to see a larger image.

Zack's smile...

2005-08-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

So many great photos of "da boyz" skippy and zack, our two lakies so I had to post these two snappies. Zack after playing out in the front yard with his favorite fetch toys.

Hammock

2005-08-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

Zack's figured out how to jump in the hammock (Step 1. dash up adjacent hill, Step 2. bolt down the hill and then LEAP into the hammock - be prepared to swing!). Here's a picture of him on a sunny afternoon. The wonderful Hatteras hammock (A.K.A. Gala Outdoor Dog Bed) is courtesy of Gerry and Yo Freed. . . .

Kenny Logs On

2005-08-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody!

It took a while but we're glad to be here. Exhausted after two days at the kennel and half an hour of tug-a-war at the park with Zack, well, now we're doing my first post to the blog. Yes, it's me Kenny, Zack's play pal (ok, Liz and Susan are typing for me). After creating some byzantine passwords and usernames (always remember to throw in a few long strings of numbers and symbols) we managed to log on.

more soon....

New Blog Access

2005-07-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's me Liz!

Just testing out my new blog account! Soon other BLTB folks will be able to upload too - terrific!

Well...now that I have access...what next?
Guess I better upload an image! Here's a picture of Skippy and I on his 12th birthday at Stinson Beach. It was wonderfully low tide, what we call "island" fetch - because the tide is so low there are sandbar "islands" you can cross over to. The light was very beautiful, huge stretches of flat sand, salt water rivering in between the sandbars in all kinds of amazing shapes.

New BLOG title and info...

2005-07-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

The puppy BLOG has now been expanded to become the BLTB "Berkeley Lakeland Terrier BLOG." Join in the fun and share yoru stories of these wonderful companions.

Sunrise with Pops...

2004-10-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Zack and I have been going on Sunrise hikes on Sea View Trail on Saturday mornings. Spectacular sunrises greet us most of the time as we awake to the world in our own private park. The picture is of Zack above the fog line. Sometimes it feels like we are on top of the world as the sun peaks up over Mt. Diablo off in the distance.

Puppy Two graduation

2004-10-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Zack graduated from Puppy School II (Junior High) and was filmed in class with all of his doggy friends by a Japanese film crew. The crew was very surprised when I could speak a little Japanese for sure. Zack did really well with the down, stay, and voice commands and really has learned a lot. Here is a picture with him and his best buddy, Kenny playing soccer on the front lawn.

Nine step process for sleep...

2004-09-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

Well, with Zack growing stong, his energy is contagious. This list is his routine each night to try and get to sleep. He fights going to sleep, especially since he goes into watch dog mode sometimes in the living room. This is a nine step process and if you miss any of the steps, you usually skip to step number 2 and repeat until about midnight :)

1. evening fetch and scamper 20-40 minutes
2. catch-me-if-you-can with unallowed objects (Birkenstocks, running shoes)
3. china digger (digging for china) on the bed
4. banishment from the bed
5. tugging at unallowed objects (Nigerian cotton blanket, bathrobe sleeves)
6. readmission to the bed to snuggle and calm down
7. proper belly rub and transfer to dog bed
8. pacing, some tugging at the sheets, check living room to secure the perimeter.
9. final cross check and return to bedroom

Boundless energy

2004-09-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Just a quick entry this morning to keep you up to date. Zack is growing fast and is nearly the size of Skippy these days. His boudnless energy is amazing and just beginning I understand. He fights the urge to go to sleep and wants to play all night sometimes. He now has his own bed in the bedroom with his name on it so he's feeling better about the new bedroom arrangements. :)

New best friend...

2004-09-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by this photo, Zack has a new best friend lakeland pal named Kenny! He and Zack had a great time as you can tell with Zack's paws wrapped around him in a friendly hug. The days have been hot lately so Zack really turns on after the evening sun drops below the trees. We have nicknamed it "Golden hour fetch" my favorite time of day to be fishing...guess all of nature gets active just before the sun goes down. This is true for Zack. By the way, you can now send an email link to a friend. So send your friends a link to Zack's BLOG.

Growing by leaps and bounds..

2004-08-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Zack is not only growing fast, but is leaping and bounding like an Olympic gold medalist. We are thinking of putting in a sand pit in the front yard so that we can train him for the long jump in Beijing, 2008. He is stronger, fasters and can leap froma standstill like a pogo stick. Here is a photo of him with his favorite new squeeky toy. He only has about 10 toys that he likes to pile up in a corner somewhere (along with some shoes, a watch or two and perhaps some other bits of clothing....)

A little humpy

2004-08-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Been a while for this latest puppy BLOG message. We had him stay at the local Citizen Canine the other day and they said, "He did find, but was a little 'humpy'..." Zack has been growing like a weed and has put on 3 or 4 pounds in close to two months that we have had him. He graduated from "Puppy 1" with flying colors and is skedded for "Puppy 2" starting at the end of this month. He is in a chewing phase and will chew just about anything he can get his paws on. Skippy has words with him on a regular basis, especially when Zack runs into him while zipping around the house. Here is a photo of him at puppy school, right before he received his diploma. :)

Puppy school graduation

2004-08-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, time flies when you have a puppy. Zack just graduated from Puppy-1, the f irst class in puppy school. He did very well, learning "Sit, Down, Stay, Come" and maybe a few other things. We have enrolled him in Puppy-2 already and will continue to reinforce it all. He is such a happy go lucky dog, it is a joy to see his spirited pure excitement and enthusiasm for life. Inspiring indeed. More later, with some snappies to boot.

Please comment when you have a chance on any of the postings. You don't have to register with any BLOG company, you can always sign your comments and put them as anonymous. Ja, matta ne.

Puppy school update...

2004-07-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, Zack, in his 4th week of Puppy School is doing pretty well. He can now do pretty well with the following commands: sit, down, stay, and our homework this week is more work with the stay command and then "off" as we have decided to say. His energy sometimes is contagious. I'll upload another photo when I can get online with a high speed connection. He is chewing on Mom's sandle now...a perfect training opportunity right? :)

Summer time fetch

2004-07-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a few days since the last post, party because our DSL modem was down and partly because Liz and I were short on sleep (Zack and Skip both getting us up at different hours during the night). Zack finished his third puppy school class and is doing great. He gets along with all of the other dogs and is a pretty happy go-lucky kind of dog. He is such a character and one of his farorite things is to tear around the house with a fresh piece of laundry, one of the favorite items being socks. Zack loves running through the tunnel, but not while his big brother Skip is inside. :) In this picture, Skip found a good resting place in the tunnel.

2004-07-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

Blackberries in season...

2004-07-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well, Zack is Back! Yes, after a brief visit back with some of his brothers and sisters and his breeder in Concord, he is back home. He seems to be settling in despite the mess he has made in his crate two times in a row :) Seems he waits until he gets in his crate to do his business sometimes. Thank god for our new bathroom remodel and the dog friendly bath. The kitchen sink just wouldn't have been a good idea with a puppy for a number of reasons. This morning under the cover of Fog, we went down Selby trail for a blackberry update. And they vines look full and ready for some ripe pickings. Stay tuned for an update and new photo as Zack grows each day.

4th of July weekend...

2004-07-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hi all. Zack has graduated now to the bedroom to sleep at night, not quite able to sleep on Skippy's bed but they are getting along quite well. They did have one incident where Skippy nearly chewed his ear off in the kitchen but that seemed to set things right. Zack was running into Skippy being so excited and all and now gingerly moves around his older brother (12 years older) so that he won't get into trouble with Skip. His energy is contagious and is part of the joy of having a puppy for sure.

We are off to Steep Ravine for the 4th of July but without the dogs. They aren't allowed there so we will probably get some rest. :)

Morning Walks?

2004-06-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Tuesday...I got up lets see at 3:20am this morning, went out side for Zack's #1 and #2, no problems....back inside and in his crate with a peanut butter/liver treat Kong toy with blanket over crate with no whining...back to seep until 5:20 am. Up and out for a walk at 5:30...Zack not wanting to walk very much...too busy with new sounds, the raven, blue jays, wind howling through the trees...so Pops (me) carries him for 2/3 of a long walk.....

In to work soon after getting his big brother Skip set up with a Kong toy and slipped out the back with barely a notice at 6:45 am.

Wednesday...1:30am, Zack outside for a poddy break. Back in his crate with a kong until about 3:45..got to go outside again dad...still no number two after five minutes, the fog rolling in, so back in the crate....4:00am...still whining...maybe he really needs to go out this time? Yep, successful deposit and back into the crate....whining with Kong #2...should I just get up because I can't sleep anyways with him whining...? Yep, onto the couch snuggling with Zack...shouldn't do this but only way to catch some more winks...photo of the family :)

Chasing leaves on Campus

2004-06-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Took Zack and his big brother Skippy on a Campus walk this evening. Skip wanted to introduce Zack to the Biology department since he has already found that he has a keen nose for all sorts of scents. He tried chasing leaves blowing in the wind tonight and carried the leash in his mouth for half the walk. Looks like Skip has an extra "skip" in his step with some renewed energy despite his 12 years. Over and out for now. :)

Walk and steps....

2004-06-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

This morning we were woken up about 4:20 am for a puppy outing in the front yard to do his business. He did it quickly and was awarded with a kong toy back in his crate. Soon after the Kong, he wanted to more pay and finally settled down to let Dad have one more hour of sleep. Up at 5:30 and outside for a steps walk on Cragmont, but he was not in the walking mood, more running in short spurts, then stopping and not wanting to walk. A mind of his own!

First day in review...

2004-06-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

5:00 am - Good dog in the morning....went to the bathroom outside after about four frisbee tosses. Inside for some play time, snuggle, chewing my watch time. 5:20 in the puppy pen with kong toys - dad into the shower.
5:45 am - Dad getting dressed and onto Yoga mat to strecth while Zack nearly has an accident in the puppy pen, but dad notices and rushes Zack outside to complete the task. 6:05 - 15 fetches later, pops goes in to retrieve big brother skip, asleep with Mom. Kong for Skip and more fetch with Zack...good form. Brothers listening to NPR and slurping kong toys while pops slips out.

Zackary Atka Costello

2004-06-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

If you have any fun stories to share about life with a puppy or dog, please feel free to post comments and enjoy! "Atka" means Guardian Sprit. Zack has a great temperment and great sense of humor. He turns anything into a game and reminds us to live life in the moment, play hard and rest hard and keep those teeth sharp :)