Prayers. For a human...

It's been a rough couple of weeks in our house.  As you know, I had my seizures.  Thankfully I haven't had another - and I SEEM fine - but my human has only been half-sleeping because they happened in the night - and she's still worried they could happen again.

And now, someone very close to my human is in the hospital.   And you know, we dogs KNOW when our humans are stressed and worried.  We can just tell.  We have a sense about such things.  And because we have that sense, we have all been behaving rather well the past few days.  I haven't run off.  I haven't grumbled at Jaws.  Frodo hasn't attempted to steal food from the food bin.  Oh wait.  He did yesterday.  But just once.  Elroy isn't biting.  As much.  We are all trying our best - to make our human feel better.  

I can't go into too much detail here - but I know that I have readers from all around the globe - and I am hoping that you might take a minute today to say a little prayer for a special person in Nova Scotia.  It would be appreciated more than you will ever know. 

Thank you...and I hope you have a stress-free waggy-tailed kind of day.

Daycare

Well Elroy had quite the day yesterday.  He went to Puppy Daycare.  The same nice lady (my human calls her The Amazing Aimee) - who did the socialization class last week, takes puppies for socializing in her home - with her dogs, other puppies, a cat (!), and her kids - it's a whole new environment. My human packed his bag for his adventure- his food, treats, a chew toy, leash and band-aids for anyone who would be playing with him.  When she dropped him off, she said a silent prayer as she pulled away that no human or canine would be harmed when encountering Typhoon Elroy.  She was thinking she should have left more band-aids.  And maybe a case of wine.

HOWEVER - despite all of her concern - he reportedly did well. He was swimming - which he LOVES and he even went to a playground with the kids.  And there were no Emergency Room admissions for any humans.  But even The Amazing Aimee agreed that there are times when he goes completely loco - and he truly has the attention of a gnat.  Walking him is an adventure - he rolls, he jumps, he grabs the leash and he has NO idea where his big feet on the ends of those long legs are going.  Picture a gazelle on sedatives.  Actually a gazelle on sedatives wearing rubber boots.  He DOES have a presence...

With Jaws gone for the day, we had a very relaxing day at home.  Frodo missed him and I must confess. I was starting to miss the wild piranha myself.  Just a little.

As for me- I had another day without a seizure.  So that's a good thing.  A very good thing.  I truly believe your paws-itive wishes are making a difference. 

My human is still off - so let's see what we have planned for her today...I hope Jaws is still tired after his daycare adventure!

Have a great one!

She nailed it...

The other day, Jaws  went for his last puppy shot.  He wasn't overly excited with the Vet - probably because the last time he was there, the Vet trimmed his nails.  NOT a pleasant experience for anyone.  So now my human is OBSESSED with teaching him that it's OK to have his nails cut and she is doing it gradually.  VERY gradually.  Frodo and I watched the process the other day with great interest.  We were on the other side of a baby gate - because it would NOT have worked if we were in the room.  My human has given up trying to do his nails on the grooming table.  It just didn't work.  So.  She sat on the floor - and smeared a tablespoon of peanut butter in his dog food bowl.  Then she added some of his kibble.  She THOUGHT he would be so interested in licking the peanut butter, she could do his nails.  Bwahahahahahahaha.  She didn't find this approach on the internet - it was her own wild idea and it clearly failed!  As soon as she touched his feet while he was eating, he said "I don't care HOW tasty this stuff is - I'm out."  

So then my human had to back it up - and take a different more conventional conditioned behavior approach.  Jaws was lying on the floor - and if he let her even TOUCH his foot without pulling it away, he got a kibble with peanut butter.  Then she held his foot a LITTLE longer.  If he stayed still, he got a kibble.  If he pulled away, no kibble.  After 276 tries, she then touched his nail with the clipper.  So you can see what she was trying to do.  After a few minutes she was able to do a TINY trim on three nails before they stopped for the day.  Frodo and I do not love having our nails done - but we do it without too much protesting.  I don't remember going through the gradual process - but I guess we must have.  Getting all those treats make it worth it - in fact we STILL get treats when having our nails done.

Jaws hasn't been introduced to the blow dryer yet.  He doesn't mind the vacuum cleaner - he tries to attack it.   So the blow dryer should be interesting.  He's actually a pretty bold guy.

Well I'm feeling good again today - so paws crossed it continues.  Thanks again for all of your paws-itive wishes!
I would suggest that you " seize the day"- but given my recent episodes, I think I'll stick with "Have a great day!" A really great day!

Time will tell

So the saga continues.  We don't know why I am having these seizures - but honestly, they are much worse for my human than they are for me.  This last one lasted less than a minute again, and within 15 minutes I was completely back to my wild self.  I LOOKED rather disheveled - but I felt fine.  My Vet who saw me on Tuesday was not working yesterday - but my human had a consult with another Vet who she quite likes.  The doctor said that she thinks it could be Epilepsy.   But she didn't want to give me medication just yet - given that the seizures were short and I rebounded so quickly.  She said if I have ONE more - they will then consider putting me on something.  She said my blood work was good - and even though my liver enzymes were a bit elevated - it was not at a significant level.

My human asked what to do IF I have another one today - as the Vet is closed and it would mean a visit to the Emergency Clinic.  The Vet said I did not need to go - UNLESS the seizure lasted longer - or I had seizures occurring VERY frequently - like every hour.  And no medication for me yet.  I just wanted to know if she could give my HUMAN some medication to reduce HER stress.  

I've received so many good wishes and positive thoughts - I KNOW things will work out.  Thank you for thinking of me.  There are lots of theories as to why these may be happening.  It doesn't SEEM that it was related to the antibiotic medication - as we had initially thought.  But who knows?  Time will tell.

On a brighter note - Jaws has been introduced to the DFZ by way of Velcro dog.  As you may recall, the DFZ (Dog-Free Zone) status had changed in recent months as Frodo and I knew how to behave in there.  But with the arrival of Jaws - the status has been reintroduced.  There are WAY too many cool things in there to chew on - so it's off limits to puppy teeth.  But yesterday, while my human was helping me to look a bit less disheveled by brushing me, Velcro dog opened the gate to the DFZ and went in with his sidekick.  My human nearly passed out when she found them in there.  Jaws was just wandering around and checking things out - he wasn't in there long enough to sample the rugs or furniture.  Next time...

Paws crossed I have a good day - AND a sleep-filled night like I did yesterday.  Ditto for my human...

And I hope YOU have a good one too!

Bad news

I had another seizure last night.  I was fine afterwards - better than my human.  I will be going to my Vet today.  I hope they can help me...

Socializing...

Well Mr. Elroy has been getting out lately.  He had a Puppy Socialization class on Wednesday night.  Velcro dog was relieved he was gone for an hour - those two CANNOT stop playing with each other.  Excuse my graphic description, but Frodo tries to hump Elroy and then Elroy tries to hump Frodo.  Then they chew each other's ears.  Then they bounce up and Elroy rips some of Frodo's tail hair off.  It's really quite a sight.  My human has to break it up when it gets too raucous.  I'm still not sure about it all - so I just watch.  

Anyway, Jaws went to his first official "class" with more to come.  He reportedly was a tiny bit overwhelmed when he arrived - and the other puppies already knew each other.  But the instructor was great -  she doesn't let all heck break loose by letting puppies run free and crazy.  They stay ON leash - so they can meet only IF they are comfortable - and they want to.  Jaws was the tallest puppy there.  The other humans wanted to know what breed he was.  My human told them that he is a cross between an Irish Wolfhound and a coyote.  JUST KIDDING.  She said he was a Berger Picard - and as expected, no one knew what a Picard was.   He's gianormous - and he is mostly legs right now.  He weighs 32lbs - and he is just 15 weeks old. But that didn't seem to bother the other puppies.  One yellow Lab - who was smaller in height but looked like a tank- and probably weighed more than Jaws, thought Jaws was just great - and he didn't mind his sharp teeth one bit.  My human was extremely pleased with how Jaws interacted - and he was quite comfortable by the end of the class.  As soon as he got in the vehicle to come home, he was SOUND asleep.  My human thought the rest of the evening would be quiet.  Wrongo.  The drive was just long enough to let him rest up - so he was raring to play with Frodo again.  It's going to take more than an hour of activity to slow this guy down.  

If I could just teach him to throw a retrieving toy, I might start to like him more.  I'm still shocked that I am not the baby in the household any more... My human says I'll always be her Baby V - but it's still an adjustment...  Who KNEW this would take so long!

Need excavation work? Call 1-800-ELROY

My human THINKS she is smart.  But clearly not as smart as us canines.

Jaws loves to be outside.  Our property is not fully fenced - it's a couple of acres.  There is a large dog run on the side of our house - but we never use it - we prefer to be with our human!  We also have a large covered X-pen - which we never use either. It was actually WITHIN the run.  Don't ask me why - it doesn't make sense to me either.  Bottom line - we don't use either enclosure.  But since Jaws likes it outside, my human thought that while she was doing work in the garden, she could put Jaws in the X-pen - on a grassy area next to the driveway.  Before the Hulk left, he helped my human carry the 10,000 lb pen (OK, maybe it's not THAT heavy - but it helped to move it with two people) to the decided location.  Grassy.  Shaded.  Perfect.  Or so she thought.

So yesterday, while she was mowing the lawn and pulling weeds out of the garden beds, she put Jaws in the pen.  She could keep an eye on him - and knew he was safe.  Velcro dog and I were out on the deck.

My human mowed and every little while, looked over to see that he was OK.  He appeared to be playing with one of his chew toys. 

She finished her gardening and went to get the little fella - who is now taller than Velcro dog - and he was quietly working.  He was digging a hole.  About a foot wide.  He had covered his chew toys and his feet were dark brown.  His nose had mud on it.  And he appeared quiet happy with his work.  Yesterday was the day he was introduced to the tub in the "grooming" room. 
   
So I question the intelligence of my human.  We know the guy likes to dig.  But if that wasn't bad enough, my human later went to take the garbage cans up to the road.  She figured it would ONLY take her two minutes - so she could again leave Jaws in the pen.  I can't believe I am actually telling this part of the story.  Really?  Where are your brains woman?  Sure it was only SUPPOSED to be a few minutes.  But then you really shouldn't have chatted with the neighbor who happened to be walking by - should you?  So you guessed it  Digger was at it again.

So now the pen will have to be moved - as it has been almost fully excavated.  There is no grass left.  So much for the great location.  And moving it will be fun - as the Hulk is gone.  This should be interesting...

Who said humans are smarter than canines?

A seizure.

I had a seizure.  No joke.  No beating around the bush on this topic.  And my human was beyond stressed...

It happened at 2:40AM Monday morning.  My human was asleep and she heard me making a strange chewing sound.  She quickly got up and the next thing you know, I was having a seizure.  I don't remember much about it.  It lasted less than 30 seconds - but for my human it felt like 30 minutes.  Afterward, I was confused and I barked and growled at the Hulk - like I had never seen him before.  But within minutes, I was OK.  That didn't stop my human from getting dressed and rushing me to the Animal Emergency Clinic - while the Hulk stayed home with Frodo and Elroy.

By the time I got to the Clinic, it was like nothing had happened.  I bounced in, happy and sniffing all the weird smells.

The Vet checked me over and of course, I was well behaved and totally back to being me.  I didn't have any abnormal outward symptoms of anything - my heart sounded fine, I had no temperature, my eyes responded to light, I was breathing normally.  If my human didn't report what had just happened, I looked like a perfectly healthy dog.  The Vet said to watch me for any other incidents.  She suggested I have some bloodwork done at our regular Vet - so of course my human immediately made an appointment as soon as our Vet opened Monday morning.  She likes all the Vets at our Clinic - but there is one she has known for many years - so I went to see him yesterday.  

My human had made her own diagnosis (with her honorary internet Veterinary degree) about why it may have happened.  And after the bloodwork, our Vet pretty much agreed.

Remember the gastric problems that Velcro dog and I had a little over a week ago?  Well when it went on for a few days, my human was concerned.  So our Vet prescribed an antibiotic called Metronidazole.  It's a pretty common drug. BUT - I was on it for a week - and as I understand it, some dogs build up a toxicity to it. And with that toxicity can come neurological symptoms - including seizures.  I have never been on ANY kind of medication - so it's likely my body just didn't tolerate it.  My blood tests were not totally crazy - but my liver enzymes were slightly elevated - which MAY be because of toxicity.   So now it's just a wait and see game.  If I never have another seizure - that's MOST likely what caused it.  If I DO have another...then we have to investigate further.  But our Vet agreed it probably was the medication and said he doubted I would have another one in the future...


I feel totally fine although I AM getting a little creeped out by my human watching me ALL day long.  Enough already!  

So that's MY excitement for this week.  I just wanted to be sure my human wasn't bored during her vacation.  Leave it to me to keep things interesting..

Bobbing for cubes

We had an eventful day yesterday - starting at 2:40 AM.  I will write all about it tomorrow - once I can tell the whole story.  The whole story will include my own visit to the Vet today... Paws crossed it all works out well.

In the meantime, my human has found an inexpensive way to entertain Jaws.  We know how one of his favorite forms of entertainment is to put his feet in the water bowl.  And splash it everywhere.  Well.  Yesterday my human put some ice cubes in the bowl.  WHAT a spectacle THAT was.  Ever hear of Bobbing for Apples at Halloween?  This was Bobbing for Cubes.  Picard style.  And was he EVER good.  He could grab those cubes and then he would happily take his treasure under the dining room table.  He must have repeated this 6 times.  He would dip his nose right in the water to grab those frosty squares.  Frodo and I looked at him with fascination.  You would NEVER catch one of us playing in water that way.  EVER.  He made quite the mess in the process. But since it kept Mr. Busy quiet for a few minutes,  my human didn't mind one bit.  

The Hulk returned to far off lands yesterday but my human is still off work.  She took Jaws out every time he went to door - which was about 296 times.  Sometimes he doesn't even NEED to go out.  Velcro dog and I each had our own walks (several of them) and thankfully no grooming.  We'll see what today holds.  I vote for lots of games of fetch...LOTS. And maybe Jaws can bob for cubes.  Just another day in paradise.  Oh.  And then there is that visit to the Vet...Stay tuned.

Current research.

So my human read this flawed research study on the internet.  At least I think it is flawed.  According to the study, a neuroscientist at Emory University wanted to see what we dogs prefer for a reward - a verbal "Well done" or a treat.  They selected dogs who would lie still in an MRI for 30 minutes.  Dogs were shown a hairbush,  a toy car or  a toy horse.  When they selected one of the objects, they would get a food reward, if they selected another they would receive verbal praise, and with the last object they would receive nothing.  The results of the brain scans showed that the dogs' brains were stimulated by praise as much as, if not more than, the treat.  They did some other studies and came to the same conclusion - the dogs in their experiments were happy with social rewards and praise - and food did not matter as much. 

So here's the flaw in my opinion.  They explained that "high-energy" canines were not included in the study.  Hello?  So all of us working, herding, ratting dogs who are NOT couch potatoes were the dogs being tested?!  That's a LOT of dogs who were excluded!  Not all of us like to lounge around all day reading.  Well.  Maybe Frodo does - but that certainly does NOT include me.  Or Jaws.  Treats make the world go round for us.  Mind you - as we know even the intellectual among us - Frodo - is still driven by food.  Now some of us are also motivated by toys and play - I'm a perfect example of that.  I MIGHT even choose my fetch toys over a treat.  But a verbal "That was brilliant" is all "bla bla bla" to me.

There isn't a pocket in any attire owned by my human that does not have treat crumbs in it.  Not a pocket.  And my human has learned if you want to get Jaws to move somewhere, you had better have treats on your person.  At ALL times.  When he flops down somewhere and doesn't want to move, he is like a sack of potatoes.  And that sack is getting heavier and heavier to move. 

So I think those scientists need to look at this further.  And this time - make SURE you include some PONs and Picards!  I'll volunteer.  If treats are included!

A gnawing problem...

We have a gnawing problem here.  Literally and figuratively.  It seems that there are two kinds of chew toys.  Puppy toys and adult dog toys.  And while Jaws is happy to chew on ANYTHING - there are certain puppy toys that Velcro dog and I are NOT supposed to chew.  But of course, we are OBSESSED about getting our teeth on them.  And if left alone with them for more than 1.6 minutes, we will totally annihilate them.  Case in point: a brand new non-toxic, chew toy for Jaws in the shape of a ...hmmmmm....dog that looks like a cross between a bull terrier and a dachshund.   My human took the cardboard info off the little fella - gave it to Jaws, whose attention is .36 seconds and within 1.6 minutes, Velcro dog had somehow already chewed the tail off the critter.  And the top on the hard rubber carrot that is supposed to be perfect for puppies - well - adult dogs can rip those apart too.  

It's truly a dilemma.  If left out for Jaws, we destroy them.  And if not left out, Jaws destroys non-chewable things.  Like carpet.  And give us something that is soft enough for puppies - and hard enough for adult dogs - and nobody likes them.  Tsk. Tsk.

Tomorrow the Hulk returns to his home in the United States.  I'm sure he'll be back - especially if Trump is elected.  But now who will we beg for treats?  397 times a day.  I think I have put on 10lbs since he came to visit.  Good thing my human is still off this week - she can take us on LOTS of walks so we can work off this treat belly.  She could do with some walking herself - but don't say I mentioned it.

I must say, we were all VERY well behaved for my human's birthday.  I even let her groom me - without protesting.  Much.  She was a bit overwhelmed with all the birthday greetings she received from around the globe.  She sure has "met" some great people because of this crazy blog!  Thanks to all to read who about our adventures.  And you know, it was just the other day that she was thinking we never seem to run out of material.   This blog is like an accident on the highway - you don't REALLY want to look for fear that something awful has happened - but at the same time - who can resist?  Plus you get to say "Better them than me!"

Have a great day!!!  You KNOW I will!  And thanks again for stopping by!

Another trip around the sun.

It's the one day a year I HAVE to be good to my human.  OK - maybe one of two - the other being Christmas.  It's my human's birthday.  I figure she deserves a break from my devilish behavior.  That's my gift to her.  

She's over 400 years old in dog years.  I'm pretty sure she knew Adam and Eve.  I wonder if they had a dog?

Humans are funny.  When they are young, they want to be older.  And when they are old, they want to be younger.  And they usually celebrate the day they came into this world with greetings, cake and sometimes gifts. I was thinking about getting her some liver cake for her special day.  But apparently she prefers a vanilla version.  

We dogs don't think about aging or birthdays.  It's all the same to us.  I've said it before - to us, every day is our birthday.  Mind you, if you humans want to give us extra treats to mark the day we were born, who are we to complain? 

Happy birthday to my human today.  We promise to behave.  Just for today.  Otherwise things around here would be pretty boring, right?

Have a good one!

Saint Frodo

OK.  It is official.  Frodo is a saint.  Saint Frodo.  He is the world's MOST patient dog.  He lets Jaws chew on his ears, bite his tail, pull tufts of hair off his legs - before my human intervenes and redirects the action.  Jaws also has this interesting habit of body slamming Velcro dog.  Maybe it's a herding thing?  All I know is that Velcro dog barks at him.  And tells him off.  And Jaws does it again.  He adores Frodo.  Yesterday I almost looked like I wanted to join in the party - but I'm still cautious of those teeth.  And he is cautious of me.

And as for Bitter Apple?  It has a 50-50 chance of working.  If he is intent on chewing something, you could pour a bottle of the stuff on the object and he would still attempt to chew it. While the stuff is wet he is more reluctant to touch something.  But when it is dry - he's back at it.  Our carpet is in a perpetual state of moist.  Lovely.

In other news - there is apparently, in London, the first ever exhibit of art - just for dogs!  It is supposed to be interactive including a wind simulator that is like what we experience when riding in a car with the windows open.  It has paintings in colours that dogs can see (and appreciate).  I wish I lived there - I would definitely enjoy the giant dog bowl with toys that resemble dog food.  Heaven.  Finally humans are beginning to recognize that we dogs enjoy culture.  Now we just need a dog opera.  Then again.  Maybe not.

Have a good one!

Miracles do come true...

Frodo and I were naughty yesterday.  VERY naughty.   But we witnessed a miracle.  

It was lunch time.  We don't usually get lunch - we are usually fed just two meals each day - breakfast and supper.  But Jaws gets three meals a day, so to make us feel like we are not missing something, my human puts a few kibbles in our bowls at lunchtime too.  Which is inhaled in 125th of a second - but hey - it's free food.  Anyway, while she was preparing lunch for Jaws, she opened his new bag of puppy food - and it was on the counter.  She filled his bowl and sequestered him safely in the hallway to have his meal.  Frodo and I  had our paltry ration  and quickly came back to check out the kitchen counter - before the bag of food was put away.  My human had her back to us as she had noticed a voicemail message on the phone.  As she went to listen to the message, ONE of us - I'm not saying who, jumped up to get a better whiff of Jaws' bag of puppy food.  And the next thing you know - it was raining dog food.  The whole OPEN bag came crashing down on the kitchen floor. Frodo thought it was a miracle.  An absolute miracle.  And he DOVE in.  And of course yours truly did as well.  My human spun around and shouted "NO!!!!"  At which point Frodo and I got into a rumble about who could grab the most food as we were being dragged away from the pile spread across the kitchen floor.  We were biting and growling and snapping at each other.  Frodo was actually moaning as his biggest dream had come true for .8 seconds - and here he was being dragged away.

I was sequestered in the bedroom while Frodo was taken downstairs.  All the while, Elroy was obliviously munching on his meal in the other room.

My human and the Hulk cleaned up the food and my human made sure no pieces went under the dishwasher - as Frodo would have personally moved the appliance to get any.

When all was cleaned up, we were released from our bondage to inspect the floor for any possibility of a missing  kibble.  No such luck.  Frodo and I looked at each other with disappointment.

So, my friends... this is proof that miracles DO come true...even if for a few short moments. 

An unwelcome visitor...

Excuse me - do I have spinach in my teeth?

We have a new arrival.  And it is an unwelcome visitor...

Tuesday morning, while my human was entertaining Jaws, the Hulk let Velcro dog and I out onto the deck.  And Velcro dog immediately noticed that something was wrong.  He stared down at the lawn and he began to bark and growl.  Right in the middle of the lawn was something odd.  A big brown mound of something.  The Hulk and my human went to investigate while we canines were sequestered in the house. And what was that brown mound?  Dirt.  A big pile of dirt.  SOMETHING had been digging.  And with a bit of Google searching and after talking to a neighbor, it appears we have MOLES.  And according to just about every website that my human visited, these guys are NOT easy to get rid of.  Every non-poinsonous method for deterring the fuzzy earthworm-like creatures is not proven successful.  Of course my human doesn't want to use poison as she wants NO chance for us dogs to get any.  And it doesn't appear that traps are all that successful either.  So what to do?  I say time for a cat.  My human says no.  Time to call the guy from Critter Ridder.

Speaking of neighbors, Jaws went for a visit to meet one of the kids on our road.  She's a lovely little girl who is VERY interested in dogs and she wanted to meet him.  Jaws needs more socializing - he hasn't yet met the 936 people he is supposed to before he turns 16 weeks - so it was good for him, too.  He was overall, quite well behaved.  He obeyed her commands to "down" and happily, and gently took treats.  Not ONLY did he get dog treats - but he also got to sample some blackberries and watermelon.  Lucky guy.  He DID have a few moments of puppy wildness, but all in all was a good puppy.  Clearly he did not learn that from me.

It's interesting that Jaws ate that fruit so quickly.  At home he prefers to play with pieces of banana, and he gums and spits out spinach.  I have learned to follow him around when he gets a treat - as there are always leftovers.

Well it's Wednesday and it is supposed to be a rainy day.  Time for some indoor entertainment.  We haven't played Find the Bunny since I ate the leg off the large rabbit.  But maybe we can use the other bunny that still has all four limbs.  Paws crossed.

Have a great day! Oh - but before I close - I have a favor to ask.  My human added a "Followers" button to my blog site.  She knows that many of you regularly follow my antics via Facebook - but she was wondering if you would mind clicking on my "Followers" button - just so she has idea about how many people actually read about our wild world.  She's just curious!  Thanks. Have a good one!

Energy

I

So here's a question - how does one BEGIN to tire out a Picard puppy?  I thought I had energy - I'm like a sloth compared to this guy.  You can take him for a 15 minute walk, play ball with him, take him out for 16 pee breaks and he is STILL raring to go.

My human has learned that if our household is quiet, it is quite likely one of us is getting in trouble.  Lately,  Jaws has been leading the way.  If he is silent, it means he has discovered something - and is probably chewing it.  Like the dining room carpet.  There are an assortment of chew toys spread throughout the house - and many under the dining room table.  And after a long morning walk, we all hang out under the table.  And if suddenly Jaws stops chewing a toy - you can bet he is chewing the carpet.  At first my human thought that he was the first dog to have such a carpet obsession.  And then she recalled that the reason she has this current oval shaped carpet was because we PONs (and one Berner) had chewed the corners on the last carpet.  It only takes SECONDS for us to work our fabric artistry.

One of the things I really love about Jaws is that he is a master at deflecting attention.  Which allows ME to move in and do things.  Like steal food.  For example, when he went wandering into the bedroom and was gone for a long time (16 seconds), my human went to see what he was up to - leaving her English Muffin on the counter.  I ALMOST had it - if it had only been a bit closer to the edge of the counter.

Jaws and Velcro dog have become really good buddies.  Velcro dog barks at Jaws when he pulls his ears or his tail, but they really are getting along great.  Jaws will follow him and lie down next to him.  I'm STILL not sure around him.  One minute I think I'll play with him and then I scowl and walk away.  This adjustment is taking some time.  But I'll get there.  Especially if he keeps deflecting attention...I really like that about him!

Time to see what he is up to now!

Guess who was naughty? No - not me!

So while I have been behaving as best I can, guess who was on the naughty list the other day? None other than Velcro dog!   My human took Jaws out for one of his 483rd pees of the day, and she didn't let me out with them - as I had been barking at something out the window - and she suspected a squirrel or bunny was in the vacintity.   But Velcro dog doesn't usually care about such things - so she let him out with them for the pee-a-thon.  Velcro dog went out and stared at the woods.  She told him "no" and he calmly went to walk around the island we have in the middle of our driveway.  While she was waiting for Jaws to pee, she didn't notice that Velcro dog went around the island and started trotting up the driveway - away from the house.  He was totally sneaky about it.  She shouted to him- and he basically ignored her, hurrying up the driveway and off into the woods.  She came in the house, and told the Hulk we had an escapee.  He took a leash and calmly went after Velcro dog, while Jaws and I waited in the house with my human.  Sure enough, in less than 3 minutes, Velcro dog was happily trotting back down the driveway, followed by the Hulk.  My human opened the door and he happily pranced in. I have to hand it to him - he is such a cool dude.  When I take off - usually after wildlife, I make a huge spectacle thrashing through the woods, barking like mad.  But not Velcro dog - he is quiet in his wandering - in fact it is one of the ONLY times he is quiet.  Who knows - maybe he wasn't even going after wildlife - he may have gone up to the neighbor's place to check out their new cat.   But he came back and was quite pleased with himself. Score one for Velcro dog.

He also showed his rebellious side yesterday when it was raining.  You know him - he has a "thing" about pooping in the rain.  We had to wear the dreaded raincoats - I don't mind my flashy blue number, but Velcro dog detests his ill-fitting plaid version.  He took one look when my human brought it out - and planted himself squarely under the dining room table.  She dragged us out for our morning walk - the determined woman followed by two unhappy PONs in a funeral march.  Jaws had been out already and had pooped quickly so he stayed safe and dry in the house.  I know the drill so I pooped quickly as well.  But not Velcro dog.  My human ended up bringing me back in the house and continued on the walk with Velcro dog.  After about 20 minutes in the torrential rain, he finally pooped and then happily trotted home. I don't know who was happier when they walked in the door - Velcro dog or my human!

My human is still off this week.  I can't WAIT to see what adventures she has planned for us. And of course we have our own adventures planned as well - we wouldn't want her to get bored!

Have a happy Monday.

Paxisms

Paxisms.  That's what we call the crazy behaviors that Elroy displays - that are reminiscent of the big tri-colored fluffy boy.   And it starts early in the morning.  After we finish our walk, we pass by our paper box at the end of our driveway.  And the very first time we did our walk, my human jokingly gave Jaws the paper. Well.  Now every morning he wants to carry the paper - just like Paxton did.  And just like Paxton, he will usually carry it for a short distance, and will then attempt to destroy it.  I suppose it's just as well he eats the latest news about Trump - but still, we do like to get those dog toy ads.

Another Paxism is the whole retrieving thing.  Pax did exactly what Jaws does - he brings back the item - but runs just within arms length of my human - so she can't get it.  Paxton was a PRO at this. And just like Bucket Head, Jaws will not give up his bounty easily.  There MUST be an exchange of goods - and treats work great.

Jaws and Pax are also similar in the attention span area.  "Is that a leaf?  Wait, was that a bird?  Oh right - there is my ball.  Mmmmm....this grass is great.  Time to dig. Oh wait - I must RUN."  That is what one of those conversation bubbles would look like over his head.  For a 49 second span of time. And Pax was the SAME.  And a treat reward takes forever, because he has  to chew something 300 times - even though it is the size of a pencil eraser - just like Pax did.  And by the time he is finished, just like Bucket Head, he forgets what he was doing to get the reward.

Water is fun.  Another Paxism.  Jaws didn't quite know what to do when he went out in the rain the other day.  At first it looked like he was going to be like us PONs - and not want to go out.  But no - within seconds he was out walking, happy and goofy as ever - despite the fact that like Paxton, he kept trying to shake off the water every minute or so.   To no avail.  

Paxton was a fuzzaholic.  From the first night my human brought him home she discovered that he LOVED to find fuzz.  And eat it.  And if he couldn't find any, he would just rip some off his own tail.  Jaws thankfully hasn't started the tail thing - but he is QUITE happy to pull fuzz off Frodo.  He bites his ears and his tail.  And because Frodo IS very patient - he lets him get away with it.  He doesn't do it with me because I am NOT that patient.  I did do the zoomies around him outside yesterday - so I AM warming up.  SLOWLY.  

So while Jaws is unique in his own way, he certainly does have behaviors that are very unlike us PONs - but very similar to one special Berner.  He reminds us of those every day.  And as much as it is taking me some adjustment time, I must confess I DO think Jaws IS special.  Very special indeed. And I think one special Berner is looking down and wagging that funny looking tail...

Chew it

Puppies like to chew.  And Jaws could be the poster puppy for chewing canines.  They say that puppies chew to relieve the pain of teething. They usually have their adult teeth by 6 months of age - so we still have a few more months of this maladaptive masticating ahead of us.  My human has frozen wet wash cloths - and Jaws is interested in them for about 2 minutes - tossing and flinging them around the room.  They act as fairly dangerous projectiles while they are still frozen.  We also have every form of chew toy available - spread around the house.  He has his favorites - deer antlers are a hit.  He also likes sticks, carpet, chair rails, mud, pant legs, his leash and the hair on Velcro dog's ears.  My human is constantly offering him the "correct" thing to chew - rather than the roster of inedible, inappropriate options.  

One thing that has been QUITE remarkable in the past few days - my human actually had a 20 minute period when we were all in the same room, hanging out and sleeping.  She literally looked to the heavens and said a thank you to God for the moment of respite.  

Time to bug my human to play fetch.  Jaws hasn't quite figured out the game yet.  He runs out to get the ball, and races back to my human at full speed and then JUST as he is within grabbing distance, he veers off to the side and runs past her. Shades of Paxton...

Have a happy Saturday.  You know I will!

Elroy. The Picard.

Well I think Elroy AKA Jaws has already grown.  Honestly - I am pretty sure he is bigger than the day he arrived.  I'm thinking I had better start being nice to him - he will soon be bigger than me. I realized in my excitement over getting a puppy I never really said much about his breed - the Berger Picard.  Also known as the Picardy Sheepdog, Picardy Shepherd or "wild thing."  OK - that last one is my own label.

They originated in the Picardie region of France - and they are one of the oldest French herding breeds.  Like us PONs, they nearly became extinct after the War, but due to the efforts of some devoted fans, they saw an increase in numbers.  Although they were first shown in dog shows in Europe in 1863, it was not until 1925 that they were officially recognized in France.  They were recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club in 1992 and just last year were recognized in the Herding Group by the American Kennel Club.  They still remain a pretty rare breed.

There actually was a movie that featured a Picard in 2005 - Because of Winn-Dixie.  Now while movies portray us dogs as well-behaved, adorable companions - one needs to keep in mind that movies are movies.  Just like us PONs,  Picards are probably not for everyone.  Words to describe the
Picard include lively, goofy, hard working, intelligent and stubborn.  Sound familiar?  But if trained properly, they can excel at Obedience, Rally, Agility, Herding - you name it.  Keep in mind though, that training in the KEY.

The boys can grow to 25.5 inches - and girls to 23.5 inches.  They have a harsh coat which requires minimal grooming.  Bonus. They come in two colors - Fawn and Brindle.  It's a bit confusing as the Brindle can also be referred to as Gray.  On top of that, there are variations in the Fawn and the Brindle.  My take on this - they come in a light color and a dark color.  I think Jaws could be called a Dark Fawn or a Fawn Brindle - but who knows what he will look like as he gets older?  Maybe he'll be purple. 

Picards carry their ears erect - and we see moments of that with Jaws.  Sometimes he has one ear up.  Sometimes two.  And sometimes he still looks like the Flying Nun.  

Like us PONs,  Picards need to be socialized a lot as puppies - as I mentioned the other day.  We see that Jaws is STARTING to settle in.  He will actually fall asleep and RELAX - outside his crate.  When he gets the puppy zoomies, he is C-R-A-Z-Y.  He jumps and leaps and even does somersaults. Of course my human panics as she doesn't want him to hurt himself.  But TRY and stop him.  It's like picking up a crazed porcupine.

One difference that I see between PONs and Picards is that some Picards can be described as "picky eaters."  Clearly that is NOT the case with PONs!

My human is THINKING that Jaws MAY be a good herding dog.  His mother loves sheep.  Jaws has a tendency to walk BEHIND the group of us - and he also LOVES to nip at heels. And pant legs.  I see lots of money going into obedience school for this guy.

When my human took Jaws to the Vet the other day, he looked at my human and said "Do you stay up at night reading Rare Breed books?" He knows my human well.  He also knows she loves learning and trying new things.  Having a Picard is a whole new experience - and even though it is a BIT chaotic right now, we have a feeling this is going to be a fabulous journey!

How to get attention. Throw up.

So Velcro dog decided he wanted some attention. But trust me - it's not like we are not getting plenty of attention - even with our new addition.  The Hulk is still visiting AND my human is on vacation - so she is home with us almost all day.  Except for a few hours when she had to go into the office on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Anyway, we all went down to the lake on Monday and Velcro dog and I stared as Jaws not only went in the water - but he actually SWAM for about 30 seconds.    While he was training for the canine water Olympics, Velcro dog and I were munching on some grass. When Jaws got out of the water, he raced around like crazy and my human headed back to the house with him and me.  But Velcro dog had disappeared. He eventually came - after what seemed like FOREVER - but was probably about 5 minutes.  And all was right with the world.

Anyway, the next morning Velcro dog seemed fine.  We all went for a long walk, he ate his breakfast - or should I say he inhaled his breakfast, he had a good poop (not that I care - but as we know, you humans take stock in such things) and he was full of energy.  Until about an hour after the walk.  He climbed up on our so-far-indestructible dog bed and promptly threw up his breakfast.  Well - if you want to send my human into a tailspin, throw up.  She immediately tried to rack her brain and figure out why.  She did inventory on the dog toys and all were accounted for.  So she figured it must have had something to do with what he had eaten down by the lake  Most likely a LOT of grass - as we all seem to find the grass at the water's edge most delectable. She waited a while and tried to offer him a biscuit - which he refused.  That's when my human REALLY began to panic.  A PON?  Refuse food?  She raced to the internet.  It's not as if she hadn't figured out that this bout of nausea was MOST likely related to his absence the day before - but you know her. Time to Google all the possibilities.  What a horrid human behavior - you deliberately drive yourselves crazy. Velcro dog seemed out of sorts - but keep in mid that he IS a drama king.  Trim his nails or even groom him and he acts as if he is being tortured.  So IMAGINE him with stomach upset...

While my human was Googling, the air suddenly turned blue.  Compliments of moi.  That grass really WAS good.  

My human fawned over Velcro dog.  He got double the attention.  But within a few hours, he was feeling FINE and he was starving for his supper.  My human gave him a little bit - to be sure his stomach was ok.  He gobbled it down and all stayed down.  And yours truly never felt better, besides the fact that I could have cleared the room several times that day.

The next day, all was again right with the world.  Everyone was eating, drinking and pooping fine.  I ALMOST tried to play with Jaws outside but then I changed my mind.  I'm still playing hard to get.  

Just another day in paradise!

Odd Behavior

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I don't think I understand Jaws yet.  He does some pretty strange things.  Here are a few examples...

• He will try to grab and chew branches, leaves, grass even rocks as he goes for a walk.  But give him something edible, like a small piece of banana or apple and he doesn't know what to do with them.  He plays with them.  Rolls on them. Stares at them.  Jumps at them.  Barks at them.  Chews them.  Spits them out.  Rolls on them some more.  And then MAYBE eats them.  Very odd. 

• He likes to dig.  His treasurer (remember I don't use the word "litter" for puppies - I prefer a "treasury" of puppies - so his breeder would be his treasurer) DID tell my human that he likes to "garden" and she wasn't kidding.  He is an expert hole digger.  Expert.  

•  He is like one of those "push-up" toys.  You know the kind I mean.  They are little figures on a base, and when you press the base, they collapse.  Release the base and they pop up again.  Just like Elroy.  He collapses on the lawn in the shade.  And goes totally limp.  And then BANG - he's up again.  And going crazy.  Biting.  Barking. Spinning.   I think I like him better when the base is pressed.  

Monday marked his one week arrival.  I MAY be starting to warm up to him.  I don't growl when he walks by and I am right there waiting when he comes out of his crate - with my tail wagging.   But then I leave him alone.  But I AM interested in him...and it IS nice to have someone else in the house whose alternate name is "No-no."

The adventure continues!

Puppy socialization

You humans.  It is so interesting to see how you deal with us as puppies. You fret and worry about our "socialization" - because, as I understand it, if we don't experience a whole lot of different things - including people, places, animals, sounds, and even textures during our "critical period" which goes up to around 16 weeks - we will grow up needing psychiatric help when we are older.  So you humans do your very best to make sure we are well-adapted, sociable beings.  

So to be sure that Jaws doesn't turn out needing sessions on a psychiatrist's couch (which he would no doubt chew), my human has been exposing him to all kinds of things, places and people.  This supreme effort to expose Elroy to the world, also serves to tire him out - which as we all know, a tired puppy is a happy puppy.  Or maybe it should be a tired puppy has a happy human.

So yesterday, our day began with a walk with all three of us on the trail. Socialization #1.  The Hulk walked with Velcro dog - who can actually be allowed off leash as he never runs away - even when he sees a bunny.  My human walked me and Jaws.  And all went well.  She didn't need to carry him at all.  When we arrived home, she THOUGHT he might be tired.  Fat chance - the walk wasn't 50 km.   After breakfast, Jaws had his first visit to the Vet - just for a puppy orientation.  Socialization #2. Everyone was happy to see him and most the staff had never met a Picard before.  They were Googling photos of adult dogs.  Jaws was quite well behaved, until the Vet trimmed his nails.  Now he behaved - but he exhibited a PERFECT PON imitation.  We told him to.  He screamed.  It's not as if the Vet cut his nails too short - he just decided to be very vocal about how short they should be cut.

After the visit to the Vet, my human wasn't done with him yet. Socialization #3.  She took him downtown to the Halifax waterfront - a mecca for tourists, cyclists, baby carriages, dogs, boats - you name it.  Socialization overload.  And Jaws had a blast.  My human had to keep telling people what breed he was.  And no one knew a Picard.  Go figure.  He was a happy, outgoing boy.

So when he got home, Jaws was POOPED.  

He slept for several hours.  And when he woke up, my human THOUGHT he might still be sleepy - so she tried to get a decent photo of the three of us.  Well THAT was a circus.  Velcro dog and I stayed in place, but the squirming worm with the needle teeth who has the attention span of a gnat was just a tad difficult to capture.  And we each took turns sticking out tongues out at the camera.  

The top photo you see was one of the best and happiest shots taken - and note Jaws is holding a stick.  That was the ONLY way to get him to stay in place.  And he has already caught on to the variety of weird and wonderful noises my human makes to get our attention while she acts as the puparazzi. He ignores her.  Total picnore.  I have taught him well!  But I doubt my human is finished with us yet...just wait until she brings out the holiday attire...

Confession...

I'm not confessing anything.  Maybe it was me...and maybe it wasn't...

Our house looks a bit like a tornado hit it.  Taking care of Elroy is a full time job!  There are dog crates set up in places where we never see them - there are chew toys scattered everywhere - including some new additions, the kitchen floor is so muddy we could grow a garden indoors and there is a pile of laundry sitting on the floor waiting to be loaded. Included in the laundry pile is that pair of dog sweat pant my human lives in.  The ones that are covered in dog hair and slobber.  But yesterday morning, my human grabbed that pair to take us on our morning walks.  This time, she took Jaws and Velcro dog for the walk - so they could have some "bonding time."  And all was going great.  At one point, they came to a pond, and low and behold - two ducks were on the pond.  More socialization for Jaws.  One duck kept quacking - he was smallish so my human wonders if he was the offspring of the killer duck.  Jaws didn't quite know what to make of them.  He stood and just stared at them.  So my human grabbed her iPhone out of her coat pocket to get a puparazzi shot.  But Jaws doesn't stay still for very long - so she missed the shot.  And she went to put her phone in the pocket of her attractive sweat pants.  And she could feel the phone traveling down her leg into her rubber boots - or Wellies as they say in the UK!  She put her hand in her pocket and Ooopsie - there was no pocket. It is G-O-N-E and so were all the tiny pieces of kibble and kibble crumbs. 

I'm not pointing paws - but I DID see Velcro dog eyeing that laundry pile...

As I say...never a dull moment!

Training

So how does one begin to train a dog with the attention span of a gnat?

As you know, we PONs LOVE our food.  So training us with treats is actually quite simple.  Now Elroy SEEMS to like food - although at dinner time he is not exactly like us PONs. He is pokey.  And he sometimes gets distracted while eating - so he stops and does something else.  Unlike us PONs.  We are like vacuum cleaners when it comes to food.  Put down food in our dishes - and it is G-O-N-E.  Elroy eats,  sees dust on the floor, checks it out, goes back to eating, hears a noise, checks it out, goes back to eating, stops to scratch, goes back to eating...it's not a QUICK process.

So obviously Elroy's attention to treats and training is very similar.  He starts off wanting the treats - and will do some things - but whatever you do, you can only make the session last less than 30 seconds - or his attention is gone!  So far, my human can get him to "down" by basically luring him with a treat.  But "sit" is not in his vocabulary.  She is trying to teach him NOT to maul her hand when she has a treat - and is trying to teach him "off".  She had a handful of treats and would not give him any unless he backed off and stopped chewing at her hand.  Her hand took a real beating - BUT he did seem to get the idea.  We'll see if he remembers today!

My human had him outside watching Frodo and I doing some obedience training.  She was hoping it would rub off.  We dogs DO learn from one another - and he WAS paying attention.  For short periods of time. 

Despite his lack of lasting attention, he IS observant.  He listens to every bird, and was QUITE interested in listening to a squirrel in a tree.  In this photo, there was no bird or squirrel.  Just branches moving in the wind.  Go figure.

He is also doing well with his house training.  Mind you, my human takes him outside 473 times a day.  And he has figured out that if you go to the door and squeak, she will take you out. Whether you need to go or not.  So he IS kinda clever - I'll give him that.

I'm still pretty much ignoring him, but I realize the return period is probably quickly coming to a close.  So I guess he is staying - and one of these days, we MAY play together.  Once those teeth come out...

Life's a ball.

So there are advantages to a new puppy in the house.  New toys.

Jaws likes balls.  I mean REALLY likes balls.  He likes the treat ball - even when it isn't  full of treats.  Now THAT I don't understand.  

 But he can't pick it up - so of course, my human had to go hunting for a ball he could pick up.  We used to have one of those Jolly Ball things years ago, but Bucket head ate the handle off.  That would have been perfect.  But not to worry - my human found a great option - a Chuck It ball that is a bit pliable - and it has indentations - so it can be carried.  Well not only did Jaws like it - but so did I.  And Velcro dog played with it as well.  He's not as exuberant as me or Jaws - but he does bring it back.  Good times.

Yesterday Jaws met Jackson again.  We were all together.  And this time, he QUITE liked him.  Given the fact that those two enjoy the water so much, I think they will become good friends.

I do have a question though...what's with those ears on Jaws?  They flop around and sometimes they stand up on his head. Apparently they will eventually stand straight up. But right now - well they look too big for his head.  Perhaps I should call him Babar instead of Jaws.  Nah - Jaws is really best.  Ask poor Hulk.  He is such a softy for us dogs - he lets us get away with murder.  So every time my human looks at him when he is with Jaws, the Hulk is bleeding.  His legs.  His hands.  My human says he has to be more firm with Jaws - not mean - but firm. Between killer ducks and now a killer puppy, the Hulk is really getting beat up during his visit.  We have him so well trained - dogs rule.  Good thing my human isn't quite so soft.  This place would be utter chaos.  Even more than usual.

Have a great Saturday.  You KNOW I will!