Björn Koda

11/03/2024

Flashback to over a decade ago!

Björn Koda with his sister, Bay. (She looks like a white and black border collie)

16/01/2024

Trying to teach Björn to hop out of the SUV via stairs as he has arthritis in his back right leg.

We started training nice and slow and steady. Success! He was a bit shaky and unsure so we took it nice and slow.
... Within 5 minutes Björn was "IS THIS AGILITY? I WILL CLIMB AND DESCEND THE STAIRS IN ONE SECOND"

🤦🏻‍♀️ So yeah... We can use stairs now. But not slowly. There is one speed. And it's fast 😅

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📷 image Description: This is a picture of Björn sitting on a army green large pillow as he looks up at the camera with a goofy dog grin on his face. He is quite relaxed and happy.

17/02/2023

Trying out an old puzzle toy. Seem to forget how it works!

30/09/2022

Passed out with his treat toys.

15/03/2022

Boop my snoot.

Demanding pets

📷 image description: this is a close up picture of Björn as he looks intently at the camera. His black pupils are wide as he stares ahead in anticipation of pats.

09/03/2022

We have been looking at options to keep Björn inside the house whilst unsupervised. Unfortunately, despite his age, when he gets bored he likes to go through and rifle through the rubbish bin and leave ALL rubbish bin contents across the entire house. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I got a baby gate, and I've set it up right next to our living room, with a Dyson fan in front of him to push the cold air towards this area. Behind this is the bathroom, with his water for easy access.

03/03/2022

A plant many people have in their yards

14/02/2022

He tricked us!

My husband fed him and I fed him also because he was carrying on like he hadn't eaten. 😂 what a scammer.

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📹 Video description: this is a picture of Björn laying on the ground, and occasionally wagging his tail every time he realizes that he tricked me. 😅 he's laying low, but you can see his excitement in his little tail thumps.

04/02/2022

Oh yes, that time of year when you pay a dog groomer to go through and deshed your dog and two days later you still manage to create a quarter of said dogs' worth of dog fur in the bin 🤷🏻‍♀️



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📷 Image description: This is a picture of a rectangular bin lined with a white plastic bag. I have tipped the bin slightly and I'm propping it with my hand as I look inside the bin, there is a large pile of brown dog fur measuring approximately 30 cm high and 20 cm wide. Next to the bin on the white tiles is a slicker brush, which is a type of brush that has a big rectangular head with wire bristles which is used to help deshed dogs with big coats such as huskies. The brush is dark gray in color with a red handle.

18/01/2022

Sleep-woofing in air-conditioning while mum is trying to work 🤷🏻‍♀️



📷 Image description: This is a video of Björn laying across his blue ice-gel mat, and on the tiles. He's still wearing his cone-of-shame. His paws are twitching back and forth as it appears that he is trying to run while his eyes twitch around under his eyelids. Despite all this movement, he is 100% asleep and is barking in his sleep.

17/01/2022

Behold the cone of woe.

Björn injured his foot last week, and thankfully it's healing well. Unfortunately, we decided to "trust" him and take his cone off on Saturday, and needless to say, he busted his foot open 🤦🏻‍♀️ so back into the cone again..

(Nothing bad enough for a vet visit, he just licked all the scabs off and thus his foot started weeping again)



📷 Image description: This here is a picture of Björn laying on a dark blue gel cooling mat, around his neck is a Elizabethan collar/Vet Cone/Pet Lampshade that has made it too large for him to curl up under the desk correctly. His face has his eyebrows raised as if he's contemplating his decision to keep laying against the bar with his cone, or to just spread out.

07/10/2021

Both the dog and cat sleep in the same manner.

Björn always seems to give up his bed to the cat though 😅🤦‍♀️

04/02/2021

Pleasant dreams 💤💭

01/01/2021

22/12/2020

Be careful!

Dog owners have been warned to take care when walking pets on Castle Hill following the discovery of laced meat near walking tracks.

Townsville City Council reported finding meat laced with glass and poison and advises residents to keep their pets close and avoid using extendable leashes.

Council reported the laced meat to police and asked the public to leave wild dog control to council staff. Wild dog sightings can be reported to council on 13 48 10.

16/11/2020

Sleeping

06/08/2020

WARNING WHEN FREEZING TREAT TOYS!

Please ensure that if you are stuffing treat toys and freezing them for your pets to help keep them cool, don't forget to ensure there is a HOLE ALL OF THE WAY THROUGH IT.

WHY YOU MAY ASK ?

Toys such as Kongs have 2 holes in their toys for a reason - to prevent suction.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT ?

When your pet licks at the contents of the toy or squeezes it in its mouth, their tongue can get SUCKED into the hole and get STUCK on the dogs tongue. This can cause horrific injuries to the point where the animal can actually die.

Having 2 HOLES in the toy PREVENTS this from happening. So if you STUFF your toys with treats, push a straw through it to ensure the 2 HOLES ARE NOT BLOCKED. If you are going to FREEZE the toy, do so with the straw in place and then remove when giving it to you pet.

Thank you Julie Grady for this information.

IMPORTANT: We love Kong’s and we are not saying do not use Kong’s. But with any toy and treat, it is best to supervise your pup. Things can happen at any time and we want to make sure your pup is safe.

21/06/2020

15/06/2020

with my cross

He's gotten bigger ! This is where I made the decision to move out of home and into a rental so I could keep this little bundle. After helping birth him, then raising him for 2 months, it was hard to think about letting him go, so we went out and got our very first rental. Here is moving day.

29 March 2013

15/06/2020

He tries to give himself a scratch behind his ear but falls over

14/06/2020

More memory lane posts!

27 February 2013

Belly rubs with my cross puppy

13/06/2020

Let's go down memory lane!

5th February 2013, he starts to take his first shaky steps

13/06/2020

with my cross

First time outside
16 Feb 2013

By this point he had started walking around, so we started taking them outside onto the grass to teach them to relieve themselves on the grass. At one point he crawled under some spinach then cried because his face was covered by leaves and he couldn't see anyone. When we called him, this was him trotting over happily to join his brother, sisters and mum.

F

13/06/2020

Everyone, when mum takes me to Petbarn I'm allowed to pick a toy.

Guess my favourite

16/06/2019

Almost set up in new office and he has already picked a spot

02/04/2019

Tonight we passed Intermediate Obedience class and have been upgraded to Advanced! Well done Björn!

25/03/2019

I'm currently away from home. I miss my loveable derp

21/03/2019

He's intrigued by his food puzzle toy

18/03/2019

Discrimination against Assistance Dogs need to stop!

This is not easy for me to talk about. I feel a responsibility to be positive and share the strength of Poppi and I. but recent events have really shaken me.

I had a series of illegal rejections from taxis and from uber drivers. Cancelling jobs, Driving away as I attempted to enter the vehicles or aggression and abuse from drivers expressing how disgusted they were that I had my “dog” with me. This occurred in spite of my diplomacy and advocacy skills.

I finally broke a few weeks ago when an Uber driver who knew he legally had to take me decided to try and make me cancel the job by pretending I coulda’t find him. He sent me into a busy car park and then to two separate vehicles with complete strangers inside. He told me each time he was there and that he could see me and that I was approaching the correct car all the while knowing it wasn’t him. Knowing that he had already driven in, seen Poppi and I and driven off.

He didn’t realise he was on loud speaker and people witnessed his abhorrent actions. He finally disconnected from my call when the kind man whose car he had sent me to took the phone and asked him where he was. This uber driver then charged me for the job. In addition I was using the safety function on the uber app. He sent my husband a message saying I had arrived home safe when I was still trapped in a car park having attempted to enter two strangers cars at his direction.

I was left trapped and unable to get home. The helpful man, a complete stranger explained he was a father of two daughters and could not leave me like this. That if I was his daughter he hoped someone would help them if ever they found themselves in such a terrible situation and he drove me.

I was grateful to him and appreciate the kindness of strangers that does exist. But I can’t escape the horrible feeling that because of my disability and discrimination, my best option was to accept a ride in a vehicle with a complete stranger.

As a result I have lost confidence in my ability to get out and get home safely. I felt so humiliated by the experience. I felt so vulnerable that as a grown woman someone could so easily do this to me and I did not know and could not protect myself. I just felt so upset that I am hated by people because I am legally blind and need a guide dog to live my life. I really questioned where my place and value is among society.

A guide dog is legally allowed to go anywhere the public is accepted. More still, I don’t choose to take Poppi with me. She takes me and works with me, I simply could not get out and about independently and safely without her. This all to common stereotyped perception that somehow I am just playing, that its all fun and my disability isn’t that serious, or that bad is disturbing. The projection from others that I want to take a dog everywhere for the joy of it really upsets me.

I love my Poppi so much. But I have an assistance animal because my disability is so severe that my life would (and was) so limited without her. I don’t enjoy loosing my sight, it just is what it is. I try to accept it and live as best as I can. I don’t want my positivity to be mistaken for frivolity or my approach to facing my significant challenges to be minimised. People have and do tell me the blindness stenotype says I should be miserable, struggling, slow, stupid, ugly, old etc and when I am not these things then the disability is not real, severe or warranting of empathy and respect.

I’m now afraid every time I have to go further than walking distance from my house. My disability means I need to rely on support from strangers who provide public services. I rely on people to respect the law, if they don’t I can end up in real trouble or horrible situations.

I wish everyone understood how serious and absolutely final the need for a guide dog is. The gift, bond and joy they bring is real but so is the struggle, torment and sheer grief at being in the situation to need one. I never had a pet dog before Poppi. Never in my life did I plan to take an animal everywhere, nor was it in my plans to be unable to go out without one. I need her, I have to have her by my side or I can’t find doors, buses, trains, cafes, footpaths, seats, counters or toilets. I can’t walk at a normal pace, avoid obstacles, miss cars or protect my head from over hanging branches.

I just can’t lead a good life without a guide dog. If I could, If I could I would. I promise. But Poppi truly is my best option, she is essential, she is a need not a want.

I wish we could fill the world with more education and empathy. I wish we could have more acceptance and less assumption, judgment and discrimination.

Final note, the driver was reported and a case opened regarding their suitability to continue to be employed. Due to privacy I will not know the outcome of the investigation. I was provided an apology and a full refund for the inappropriately charged trip by Uber. Further, two blindness organisations have taken this case and presented it to the company to achieve improvement and systemic change. I am receiving supports to manage the impacts of the incidents. If you are vision impaired and have experienced similar discrimination I encourage you to report it to the company and if needed seek support from or contribute to systemic advocacy through blindness organisations like Blind Citizens Australia and Guide Dogs.

06/03/2019

Mum took me for a bath