Silence is not necessarily golden...

Picard 2.  Human 0.  You know I have always thought that my human was relatively intelligent. But it seems one Picard puppy has her beat.

She is a very diligent person when it comes to puppies.  If we are out of our crates when we are little, we are watched EVERY minute.  But of course, as we get older, she begins to be a BIT more lax about watching our EVERY move.  She will trust us while she goes to get something from the other room.  She will trust us if two of us are playing together.  And the older we get, the more trust we get. So if Velcro dog and Jaws are wrestling on the deck and my human is in the dining room with the deck door open and she can hear them, she trusts them.  Not that she doesn't check every few minutes to see if Frodo still has hair, but she doesn't have to stare at them constantly.  And yesterday morning when she went to dash off a quick email, she assumed we would all be fine together- as morning wrestle-mania was going on. She was gone for less than 2 minutes.  But as she approached the dining room, she noted that we were all silent.  And she saw me contently lying in the middle of the kitchen floor.  And Frodo near the door.  She came around the corner and there was Jaws.  Lying under the dining room table.  Surrounded by chew toys.  But what was he doing?  Chewing a two inch hole in the middle of the carpet.  Well, not really chewing - he was plucking the wool fibers out one by one.  QUICKLY. So you could see the woven burlap-like base which holds the fibers underneath.  "Hey" she said.  Jaws just looked at her as if to say, "What's your problem."  She quickly ran for the poor-substitute bottle of Bitter Apple wanna be.  And she sprayed it on the hole.  Clearly a bit too late.

Then last night, when she got home from work, after she walked us, fed us, and played ball with each of us, she opened the deck door to get some fresh air.  And she went out to survey the deck.  It had been painted last summer - and it held up VERY well.  But she knows there are a few TINY flakes of paint coming off in some areas, and she figured she had better touch them up this weekend before the weather gets too cold.  And that's when she noted a fairly LARGE - 4 inch round chip.  How did that happen, she wondered.  Well her question was quickly answered as Jaws dove onto the spot.  "Hey" she said.  And again he looked at her as if to say "What's your problem?"  Deja vu.

He ALMOST could have had three points yesterday - if he had joined me in the woods on my bunny hunt too. I was hot on the trail, barking and darting back and forth.  He BEGAN to follow me, dragging his long line, but my human shouted his name - and go figure, he came back.  I did too, but after a few minutes.  PON 0.  Bunny 1.

The key to puppy monitoring is silence.  If it's too quiet, with Elroy, you can pretty much assume he is into something.  The guy isn't big on sleeping.  

We have actually started to chase each other a bit outside.  And he DID try and pull the hair on MY butt - and I didn't go ballistic.  Things are settling in.  Let the noisy weekend begin!

Confucius say...

September 29.  According to the crazy calendar, today is Confucius Day. Confucius was a Chinese politician, teacher and philosopher who lived a LONG time ago - he was born in 551 BC - just a couple of years before my human.  Confucius wrote a LOT and talked a great deal about ethical behavior.  Clearly something that some politicians today don't know much about. 

There are MANY, many quotes attributed to Confucius.  Here are a few of my favorites:

I think Confucius was a pretty smart guy.  And I have been inspired to write a few quotes myself.  I call them my PONfucius quotes:

• The bunny may get away, but life is all about the chase.
• Never miss the opportunity to stick your head in the refrigerator.
• Let sleeping dogs lie on a human's bed.
• Bark like no one is listening.  All the time.
• If the shoe fits, chew it.
• We have nothing to fear but an empty food bowl.
• When one door closes, begin to counter surf.
• When life gives you lemons, pee on them.

PONfucius say:  Have a PONtastic day!

Where's the bunny...and the poop...

You know those cartoons, Where's Waldo?  You look at a busy, complex picture and have to find the character?  You have to carefully search and scan for him?  Well my human has a similar activity that is equally challenging.  It's called Where's Poop?  It's a challenging task here in the northern climates when the leaves begin to fall.  You THINK you know where we just pooped, but if you turn your head for a split second,  and don't watch EXACTLY where the poop dropped - well good luck.  And THEN, just TRY to do it in the dark!  And Elroy makes the game even MORE of a challenge with his poop trail.  You would THINK it might be easy - just follow the trail.  But they are not exactly evenly spaced...nor in a straight line.   Oh the fun we dogs have in watching the search....

On Monday night, we had a major breakthrough here.  Elroy began to RETRIEVE the Jolly Ball.  He did it SEVERAL times.  My human was shocked - she kept giving him copious amounts of treats every time he came back.  And THEN he did his obedience class exercises.  She was even heard to remark "Hey - when did those brain cells start working?!" He was beginning to exhibit real moments of brilliance.  She was SO excited.  And while she was working with him in the front yard of the house, Frodo and I were in the back of the house, on the deck.  And all of a sudden, all heck broke loose.  We started barking like CRAZY.  My human was curious as to why we sounded like a scene from the Hounds of the Baskervilles, so she brought Elroy around the side of the house.  And she quickly spotted the reason for our crazed chorus.  A big fat bunny.  And there he was.  Not 20 feet from her and Elroy.  She was CERTAIN he would spot the bunny.  How could he not?!  She stopped dead and he stopped at the end of the leash.  He was standing but trying to move forward so he could look around the corner of the house to see us on the deck.  He never even SAW the bunny.  My human even pointed him in the direction - but he was so obsessed about the fact that we were obviously warning of some grave danger, that he turned around and bolted on the leash to go back to the front door.  He raced in the house and onto the deck to see what all the commotion was.  So much for those moments of brilliance.  I have much to teach this boy...

Looking for the long gone bunny...

 Happy poop hunting!

Picar-acteristics

So as you may recall, it was right around this time last year that Velcro Dog and I had our first herding experience.  Actually, it wasn't Frodo's first - he was exposed to sheep years ago.  And at that time he thought they were kind of cool.  But last year, with a more "formal" instinct test, both of us failed.  Miserably.  We both sat like stuffed dogs in the center of the ring and never even LOOKED at the sheep. Much less tried to herd them.  But undaunted, my human even took me AGAIN a few weeks later.  With the same results.  Let's face it - sheep are not like rabbits.  Maybe I'm a hound dog underneath all this hair.

But my human is wondering if MAYBE, Jaws might have the instinct.  He has this curious behavior - and she's not sure if it is a herding thing, a Picard thing or just an Elroy thing.  When my human throws a toy, like the Jol Ball, he will race out to it and then when he gets within a few feet of it, he comes to a screeching halt- and just stares at it. Like he has never seen the thing before. Then he SLOWLY approaches it and pounces on it. He does this frequently.  In fact much more often than not.  He is also notorious for grabbing at Frodo's butt from behind. Usually ending up with a mouthful of hair. Frodo is QUITE adamant about him stopping - if he has pulled off an extra large sample.  I have no idea if these are herding "things" but my human will be curious to see what happens if he is introduced to sheep.  So far, he hasn't attempted any bunny chasing although the other day there was a bunny not 10 feet from him - and he never even noticed him! He's too busy eating grass, and branches and chasing bugs to notice a bunny.

And speaking of interesting behavior...on Sunday, the three of us went OFF leash down to the lake.  I was sporting a bell - so I can be heard if I take off in the woods.  Velcro dog doesn't need a bell or a leash - because he is Velcro dog.  And Jaws was sporting his long line.  Usually when my human takes him down the trail to the lake, she holds onto the line, but on Sunday, she let him free.  And let me tell you, I have NEVER seen anything like it.  He went CRAZY.  I mean C-R-A-Z-Y.  He BOLTED down the trail, disappeared for 5 seconds in the woods, raced out, came racing back past us, spun around, went off in the woods, came out again - raced down the trail....it was like someone stuck a pin in a helium balloon.  We just stood and watched as he raced by.  And heaven forbid you should get in his way - he'll either leap over you (if you are a dog) or he will simply bash into you.  He should probably be wearing some kind of siren warning.   And a padded suit.

So these crazy behaviors - I have dubbed them Picar-acteristics.  I don't know if they are all unique to Picards.   I certainly know that I have exhibited the zoomies myself from time to time - but this guy is definitely different from us PONs.  And even though some of these things are Paxisms, he does march to a totally different drummer.  A drummer on speed.

Although I'm STILL not sure about him, I must confess, I ALMOST started to play with him the other day.  And then the over-the-top zoomies started and I just watched in amazement.   I think I have met my match in the crazy department!

Have a good one!

Walk a mile in her shoes. Good luck.

Elroy has a new "victim."  Actually I should say victim-s.  The latest focus of his attention?  My human's slippers.

The telltale sign of fall came out of storage the other day. The cozy slippers with the fake fur around the ankles.  They are my human's favorite footwear - but they are obviously too warm for the summer months.  But now that the nights are getting cooler, it was time to bring them out.

Well. You would think Elroy had just died and gone to fuzzy prey heaven.  Those feet with those slippers are TOO much to resist.  Every chance he gets, he tries to rip the fur off.  If she is sitting at the table, he sneaks up and quickly grabs a bite.  And when he gets in one of his "crazy puppy" moods - look out.  She cannot get away from him.  She was going to spray Bitter Apple on them - and then realized - horror of horrors - we have RUN out!  At this point, all Jaws needs to do is see the bottle and he assumes whatever he is munching on will soon become a BIT less desirable.  I wonder how long before he realizes the bottle is empty?  

It's the start of a new work week.  Wishing you a good one!

The Jol Ball

Seriously - someone should create a reality TV show about our household.  It would be TRULY entertaining.

So my human went to our favorite destination the other day - the Pet Store - to get food for Jaws.  He eats more than Frodo and I combined - he's a GROWING boy.  And of course, she can NEVER walk out with JUST food - she spotted something that she thought would be awesome.  A Jolly Ball.  For those who don't know what they are - they are a firm rubbery ball, with a rubbery handle. Legend has it that a Jolly Ball was previously in our home - but Paxton ate the handle off, so the ball became the Unjolly Ball.  It was eventually thrown away.  But my human thought we could try a new one - and knowing how Jaws LOVES balls, it would be perfect.

So Friday she got home from work and after our walks and meals, decided she would try it out.  It was raining out - so she wanted to have some inside play time to tire us out.  She took us down to the the rec room, sequestered Frodo and I to watch at first, and excitedly introduced the ball to Jaws.  He just stared at it.  Then he did a play bow and barked at it.  Then he raced around it.  My human tossed it across the room and he ran.  The other direction.  She went and got it, and showed it to him again.  She encouraged him to touch it.  Which he eventually did.  He even attempted to hold it.  But after about 15 minutes, my human gave up trying to get him to play with it - he was MUCH more interested in the treats she had in her pocket.  So she had an idea.  Get US to show him how to play.  So she put Jaws in an X-pen and brought Frodo and I out to play.  Each of us took turns getting the ball and bringing it back for a tasty treat.  We thought it was a jolly old time indeed.  Jaws watched with great interest.  Back and forth we went.  After multiple repetitions, and our tongues were hanging out, she again sequestered us and brought Jaws back out.  He couldn't WAIT to get out.  So my human showed him the ball and with great enthusiasm, tossed it across the room.  Jaws raced out looked at it and ran back to her.  She walked across the room and tried again.   She repeated this numerous times - it was actually kind of fun to watch HER retrieving.  And after about her 63rd try, she happily tossed it out and he went after it.  This time he picked it up!  And carried it about 3 steps, lay down and started to chew the handle.  My human rushed over, did the "trade thing" and once again tossed the ball across the room.  Repeat performance - and this time Jaws REALLY started to chew in earnest.  My human sadly did the "trade" and said "OK, that's good for now, and gave up.   

The next day, we got to play with it outdoors.  And it was a command performance - with my human running back and forth across the lawn.  Sometimes Jaws WOULD go after it, but he never brought it back.   Frodo and I clearly like the ball, but Jaws obviously just doesn't have that "retrieving" concept down quite yet.  And he would much rather chew it.  So I'm renaming it the Jol Ball - it's not COMPLETELY jolly.  I'm sure he'll learn how to play with it...someday.  Mind you- he IS a lot like Paxton....

Have a good one!

More Paxisms

More Paxisms.  I know I have talked before about how Jaws has a number of behaviors that are very reminiscent of Paxton - but I can't help notice that there are even more.  The latest?  The food bowl thing.  Paxton had this habit of finishing his meal and racing off with his metal food dish - to savor any last licks in privacy under the dining  room table.  And Jaws has decided to do the same.  He LOVES carrying around the bowl, and he also throws in a quick game of bowl hockey on the tile floor when he is done.  Frodo has been known to push the bowl around, but neither of us will actually carry it around.  The dent marks are still evident from Pax - and now Jaws is adding his own dental signature.

Another weird one.  We have this ancient cupboard in the dining room.  It's like over 150 years old - like my human.  Anyway, because it's old, one of the doors doesn't stay closed very well.  So my human puts a tiny piece of cardboard or folded paper at the top of the door - to keep it closed.  Frodo and I know the paper is there, and we couldn't care less.  But JUST like Paxton, Jaws has noticed it, and like to pull it out.  I'm not even sure how he first found it - but like Pax, he is a paper magnet.  Search and destroy.  His motto.

And lastly, is my human's FAVORITE behavior.  After having a huge drink, he MUST go and wipe his wet face in my human's pants.  Heck - her clothing in general.  It's not so bad if it's the ugly dog sweat pants, but the behavior is not exactly appreciated if she is  ready for work.

It is EXTREMELY difficult to get a photo of the three of us.  You will note in the above photo that he is again holding a stick.  It's the ONLY way to keep him still for 3.6 seconds.   Notice also the SIZE difference from our previous shots with him.  His counter surfing skills are a joy to behold. 

Well it's Saturday - so that means LOTS of walks and play time.  We deserve it after our hard week of "working."

Have a good one!

Checkers Day

Today is September 23, and according to the Crazy Calendar, it is National Dogs in Politics Day.  It's also known as Checkers Day.  And why is it called that?  Well on this day in 1952, Vice Presidential candidate, Richard Nixon gave a famous speech - during which he mentioned his dog Checkers.  It seems Nixon was embroiled in some campaign spending controversy (sound familiar?), so he gave a speech to defend his spending.  And some say that what MAY have actually saved his campaign was the fact that in his speech he mentioned that no matter what happened as a result of the controversy,  his daughters were keeping a black and white Cocker Spaniel puppy that was a gift from a campaign supporter in Texas.  After the speech, he stayed on the ticket and he and Eisenhower won the election - with Nixon serving as Vice President.  Obviously there were a LOT of dog loving voters.  Checkers never actually got to live at the White House because he went to the Rainbow Bridge 4 years before Nixon became President himself.  Tricky Dicky DID have dogs in the White House, though, including an Irish Setter named Timbone, a Yorkie named Pasha and a Poodle named Vicky.  So there you have it.  Whether you liked Nixon or not, he couldn't have been ALL bad - he OBVIOUSLY liked dogs.

I've decided to abandon my own Presidential campaign.  I realize I have a pretty good chance of winning as it seems nobody is truly enamored by either candidate.  But it' s SUCH a circus, I really don't want to get into it.  Plus I like living where I do, and I'm not sure the White House would be ready for Elroy.  IMAGINE how much Bitter Apple we would need in THAT place.  

Some humans say they won't even bother voting this year.  But that's not a good idea - it's a right if you are a citizen.  And if you can't decide...check to see which candidate owns a dog.  That might help.

Happy Friday everyone!  Let the weekend begin!

Happy anniversary. To me!

Today is September 22 - and I just realized I missed a big anniversary on September 20.  It marked  TWO years of writing  my blog! Two years of writing about my life and my reflections - almost every day. It's hard to believe that one dog (well three dogs) can have so much to say.  Mind you, I AM a PON.  And what have I learned in the past two years?  I have learned a LOT about humans - and how DIFFERENT they are from us dogs.  Here are a few observations:

• Humans  get a license.  It allows them to drive.  It allows them to drink.  But not at the same time.  We dogs get a license.  It doesn't allow us to drive OR drink.  Seems a bit unfair to me.
• For some reason, many humans love Fridays.  To us dogs, every day is Friday.
• Humans like to bathe and shower.  Every day.  Most of us dogs would be content with an annual cleansing.  You might think that given our superior sense of smell, we would want to be fresh smelling.  But our preferences in the odor department are much more "earthy" than those of humans.  So bathing and smelling like lavender is just NOT a goal for us.
• Humans generally like to eat different things for each meal.  While variety is nice, most of us dogs are content to eat the same thing.  For every meal. 
• Humans will spend significant amounts of money on toys for us.  The reality?  Most of us would be content with the cardboard from a roll of paper towel or toilet paper.
• Humans do not need to circle, dig or ball up bedding before going to sleep. They are content to just lie down.  Very odd.
• Humans agonize trying to think of a name for us when we are puppies.  Then they call us a variety of "other" names.  Like me.  I'm Viktor.  Viktorino.  Vik.  And even Trino.  And then they wonder why we don't come when called.
• Humans set "rules."  Like no dogs on the furniture.  Or in the DFZ.  With patience and persistence, we dogs can generally have any rule changed.  We have the "power."
• Dog people are all alike whether they own a chihuahua or an Irish Wolfhound.  They all like to share stories and pictures of us.  And they also do this thing where they gravitate toward other people who own the SAME breed of dog.  I guess misery loves company - in some cases...

Overall though, I do think humans ARE pretty cool and when they are well trained, they can be a pleasure to own... 

I enjoy sharing my stories about owning a human, and news about the dog world in general.  Thank you for stopping in - and thank you for sharing your comments and feedback.  It's been an interesting two years - some not-so-good times, but overall I think life is pretty PONtastic.  Have a good one!

Inventions.

Every time you turn around, someone is inventing something for us pets.  Like the Petcube.  A friend of my human's told her about it.  It's a remote interactive pet wifi camera.  So you can set it up and watch us all day long.  Big brother pet style.  My human's friend says it is a great way to see what is happening at home when you are not there.  My human at first thought it was a terrific idea.  And then she started thinking about watching us from work and she began to have visions of a nightmare.  I mean imagine one of us is about to do something....naughty.  Like chew the carpet.  And she can see us.  And she can even interact with us.  Telling us "no".  But seriously - we don't listen when she's 3 feet away - so you THINK we'll listen to a box?  Doubtful.  She hasn't put in an order.  Yet.

And speaking of pet inventions, I have one.  The Bitter Apple holster.  So you can carry your Bitter Apple wherever you go.  I mean she is constantly following Jaws around, spraying his next wannabe chew toy.  Furniture.  The carpet.  The dog bed.  Drawer pulls. The outside of his pony-sized crate.  Doors.  Frodo.   You name it.  It has probably been sprayed at least once.  She really needs to start buying bigger containers of the stuff.

She started the dreaded vehicle shopping the other day.  She makes the salespeople look at pictures of us.  If they don't do back flips, she goes elsewhere.  She finds the whole adventure rather unsettling.  Probably because she REALLY doesn't know what she wants.  And while WE think Harold is priceless, his trade-in value is understandably not high.  It's times like this that I am SO grateful I'm a dog and not a human.  I just get to RIDE in the car.

Anyway it's hump day.  I hope you have a great one!

A language sample.

So last week we tried to imagine what thoughts would look like in Elroy's brain.  And let's face it - it was pretty erratic.

And speaking of erratic, I decided to do a language sample analysis on my human.  I collected her  speech sample for a 30 minute period.  And here is what it sounds like in the morning as we begin our day...I described the scene the other day - and here is the accompanying transcript.

"Elroy.  Time to go pee.  Elroy.  EL-ROY.  Elroy, let go of Frodo's ear.  No Viktor -wait.  Elroy.  Let's go.  Elroy.  GET up.  Elroy.  Treats.  OK.  Here we go.   Frodo and Viktor next.  Good pee Elroy!  Frodo.  Frodo.  Shhhhhhhhhh.  Frodo stop.  Frodo quiet.  (this is being said from outdoors while Frodo is barking inside. As IF he will comply).  Elroy - you are leaving a trail.  STAND STILL. Elroy I think you are writing a message.  But it's in Chinese.  OK.  Now it's Viktor's turn. Viktor let's go.  Good boy Viktor.  Excellent boy Viktor. (Hard to believe I am the good dog for a change!) FRO-DO SHHHHHHHHHHHH. (He's still at it). NOW it's Frodo's turn.  Excellent pooping Frodo.  Looking good.

Now it's banana time.  Frodo.  Viktor.  Elroy.  Frodo.  Viktor.  Elroy either you eat it and stop rolling on it or you miss your turn.  Frodo.  Viktor.  Frodo.  Viktor.  Welcome back Elroy.  Frodo.  Viktor.  Elroy. 

Now I would like to eat MY breakfast.  Viktor - get out of my pocket.   Elroy and Frodo - ENOUGH wrestling.  LOOK at your hair Frodo.  OK Elroy - that's Frodo's bone.  Elroy he's chewing it.  Elroy you are about to tick him off.  Elroy - you have ONE dog buddy out of two in this house right now - and if you grab that bone you'll be down to zero out of two.  OK.  Break time for Elroy.

Elroy, let's go check out those treat balls in the garage.  Frodo and Viktor - I'm going to shower.  Actually, I'm going to just hide in the bathroom for a bit..."

And so another day begins...

Jaws is growing...

 

Uh...excuse me.  I THINK I messed up the hair on your nose..

OK.  I must admit, Jaws really DOES entertain me.  AND I discovered something VERY cool about him.  Because he is becoming a giant, he can EASILY take things off the counter.  JUST like Paxton!  

The other morning, my human had juuuuuuust finished buttering her English Muffin, and she turned her back for .087 seconds and in that flash, Jaws managed to put his two paws on the counter and just about started to lick her muffin.  My human swung around and quickly pulled him off.  But not to worry - she didn't throw out the muffin.  You humans would NEVER take a drink from a dirty glass, but you'll eat the food we just licked.  Go figure.  

He's so huge that he's even taller than our buddy Jackson, the Lab from down the road.  He and Jackson had a great play fest the other morning. My human was hopeful that the wrestle-mania chase fest would result in one tired Picard.  Nope.  It just revved him up to chew on Frodo more when he came home. 

The other cool thing he does is distract my human.  He walks to the door and paws on it - like he wants to go out.  AND he often does it while she is eating a meal.  So I watch carefully - because if she is not paying attention, I can help her finish her meal while they go out.  I must confess, she IS starting to catch on.

He went to another performance puppy class last week. He still can't juggle - but his performance at being class clown is really improving.  He actually IS learning - despite having my human at the other end of the leash.  They make an excellent klutzy pair.  The Terrific Tracy and her assistants, Wonderful Wendy and Nice No Nonsense Norma, are VERY patient people.  VERY.  My human is always so busy trying to multitask with Jaws, that she doesn't always "hear" the instructions.  So when it comes time to try a task, she hasn't a CLUE what the heck she is doing.  Not to mention her innate klutziness.   But Terrific Tracy is used to it.  Did I mention that she is patient?!

I am ALMOST willing to play with him outdoors.  But not totally yet.  But I have to hand it to him, he keeps trying.

Well time to see what's on my human's breakfast menu.  Jaws may need to go out for a pee....

Have a good one!

Responsible Human Ownership Day

So yesterday was Responsible Dog Ownership Day.  And I am proclaiming today as Responsible Human Ownership Day.  Because really, that's the way it is if you have a dog in your household.  So  all you dogs, here are the things that you need to do to be a responsible owner.

1. Protect your human, home and property.  Alert your human to anything unusual.  Like a delivery person, the neighbor's kid selling cookies, rabbits, or blowing leaves.  You MUST be a responsible guardian.  At all times.  Even in the middle of the night - which is a perfect time to practice your security skills. With lots of barking.
2. Eat anything and everything your human provides for you.  Don't be fussy.  Your human has supposedly worked hard to make the money to buy you your food and treats so ALWAYS take them and be grateful.  We are VERY responsible in this area.
3. Behave when being walked.  No pulling or acting wild.  Unless you see a rabbit.  Or blowing leaves.
4. Greet your human with excitement and exuberance EVERY single time they return from somewhere.  Even the bathroom.  
5. ALLOW your human to groom you.  Let's face it, we dogs don't REALLY worry about our appearance - or how we smell, but humor the humans and let them make you look and smell the way THEY want you to look.
6. Allow them to sleep on "their" bed with you.  You don't have to give them a LOT of space- it's OK if they are hanging off the edge.  But allow them their rest.  They need it to take us on our 34 walks each day.
7. Help your human to stay in shape by making them go on those 34 walks each day.  You are looking after their health - it is YOUR responsibility to ensure they get enough exercise.
8. Make SURE you stay underfoot in the kitchen.  While they may say that you are a hazard, we know that we are there to act as cleaners in the event that something should drop on the floor.  It is our responsibility to be good custodians.  And the same is true for leftover food items on the counters.  
9. When they are trying to "train" you to do a new behavior, like "sit" or "heel" - follow the commands - but do so sporadically.   It's called  intermittent reinforcement.  It allows you to get more of those treats that they worked so hard to pay for.
10. And lastly, it is your responsibility to love your human and let them know how much you love them.  Wag your tail.  Cuddle with them.  And just "be there" when you see that they need you. Provide that UNCONDITIONAL love that we canines do so well.  That is really your biggest responsibility of all...

Have a good one!

Responsible Dog Ownership Day

September 17. According to the crazy calendar, today is Responsible Dog Ownership Day.  It's a day for humans to celebrate owning canine companions, and a day to increase positive canine awareness in the public.

And how does one become a responsible dog owner?  First off - train your dog to be a good canine neighbor - with good manners.  No jumping on people, no biting, and no chasing children or other animals (except rabbits).  Provide exercise and a healthy environment for your dog. Tying a dog to a rope and leaving him out in the yard on his own day and night is NOT an example of responsible ownership.  As a responsible owner, you must also look after the health of us dogs.  You must feed us the best food you can afford, AND if we are in need of veterinary care, you should take us in for medical care. You must also make sure that you clean up after us dogs.  And be respectful of those areas that do NOT allow dogs - like baseball diamonds in the summer or playgrounds. The point is that you should set an example that living with dogs is FUN, and AMAZING but it should not interfere with the lives of others who may not like dogs.  Hard to BELIEVE that there are such people who exist, but rumor has it that there ARE a few.  Those poor people need to see he positive virtues of owning us canine companions - whether we are therapy dogs, military working dogs, working dogs or household pets. 

If your area has licensing for dogs, you SHOULD register your dog.  Let's face it - all of us dogs like to be licensed - we never know when we might need to borrow the car.  Or have a drink.

So cheers today to all of those good dog owners.  And although the humans are the designated "owners" - let's face the truth - it's REALLY the other way around.  But we'll LET them THINK they are in charge.  At least for today.

Have a good one!





 

Rock on

September 16. According to the crazy calendar, today is National Collect Rocks Day.  A day when all you human rock collectors celebrate your need to search for pebbles, stones, minerals and gemstones.   My human was a rock collector when she was a kid.  Her sister always said she had rocks in her head.  It's a fairly cheap hobby.  You don't need much equipment - maybe a hammer if you want to break up large rocks and something to carry home your treasures.  Some people call it rockhounding - and it has nothing to do with dogs.

But, interestingly enough, there ARE dogs who like to collect rocks.  But not for the purpose of displaying them on a shelf.  Some dogs EAT rocks.  I mean REALLY eat rocks.  It's a condition called Pica - where dogs eat non-food items.  Most sources say it is a behavioral thing and dogs CAN be trained NOT to do this.  It can be a dangerous behavior - if a dog eats too many rocks, he might have to have surgery.  I found a story about a pug who ate (and pooped) 100 rocks.  Now THAT is crazy.

Jaws likes to grab the odd rock - and the behavior is often seen in puppies.  But he is quite happy to trade a rock for a treat.  Unlike a shoe.  That's not as exciting a trade for a treat. 

So I hope you will have a rockin' and rollin' kind of day.  And how can you not - it's FRIDAY!!  Let the weekend begin!

A vehicle...

So we've had lots of drama in our household the last little while - between my human's mother being ill, and ME being ill and Jaws working hard to learn how to train my human - we have been just a tad busy.  And now that things are settling down, my human has decided to add more drama to the mix.  She has decided that Harold must go.

Harold, as some of you may recall is our vehicle.  Our trusty 2006 Subaru Forester.  Harold is the ONLY vehicle I have known.  And while Harold is running well, and he did pass his safety inspection, he does have some "issues."  Besides the canine olfactory art on the back window and the dog hair stuck to the ceiling.  For example, you know how when large vehicles like trucks back up you can hear a beep beep sound?  Well, when Harold backs up, you hear a screeching sound.  It's not good.  It's fine when you go forward, but in reverse, well everyone does get out of our way.  He also has a problem with his rear struts.  I know when my human says "strut" to me, it means I should heel briskly alongside her.  Harold's struts are another issue.  And so are his brake pads.  Whatever that means.  So while these are not HUGE issues, my human doesn't know if she wants to invest more money in Harold.  

So the big debate.  WHAT vehicle to get?  I want to go along when my human car shops.  I mean it is critical that we canines LIKE the vehicle.  And it must be big enough to handle at LEAST one crate.  Mind you, if the crate is to hold Jaws, we are going to need to buy a tractor trailer.  When one looks up best All Wheel Drive SUVs for dogs, a number of options come up.   We need an AWD vehicle because of our luge run driveway in the winter.  And living in the semi-boonies, an AWD vehicle is pretty handy.  This summer, my human was collecting stickers from this gas station because they had a big contest and one of the prizes was a vehicle.  That would have solved the problem.  But I hate to say this - she didn't win.  Hard to believe.  I mean the chances of winning were about the same as me being well behaved for a week.  Or Jaws NOT chewing on something.  Slim.

My human isn't thrilled about the negotiating that goes on when buying a vehicle.  Kind of like "trading" a treat for something we dogs have stolen.   You THINK you might get what you want,  but you never know. She doesn't really enjoy the "pricing game."  I suggest she take all three of us along.  Let us loose in the show room and say she won't collect us until they give her the best price they can.  Mind you,  that may not work in her favor...

Anyway,  this will no doubt be a new drama in our lives.  I always say, never a dull moment.  Ever.  Beep beep.

Dog Show Handling

Well Jaws went to something called a "handling class" the other night.  As IF he can be handled.  It's a practice class for dogs who hope to compete in beauty pageants, or as they say in dog show terminology - in conformation shows.  There were mostly other puppies in the class - including a handsome Old English Sheepdog boy and a cute Bearded Collie girl.  Of course he would be most interested in those two - they are most "PON-like."  He would have loved to mess up their hair - like he does with Frodo, but that would NOT be acceptable in this venue.  My human was a bit concerned how he would react in this new activity.  He was a BIT shy with some people - kind of like Frodo and I were when we first did the beauty pageant gig.  But he'll get over it.  He ran around the ring and didn't pull my human over so the venture was deemed a success.  If he can figure out where his feet go, he might be able to try this thing.  

You know, it's funny that when people show dogs  they are called handlers.  The word "handle" means to manipulate, manage or control.  As if you humans REALLY control us.  Let's face it, if we don't WANT to do something, we won't BE handled. And lots of times when points are lost in the Obedience or Rally or Agility rings it is because of HANDLER errors.  Not dog errors.  

There IS an art to this handling thing.  Some people start doing it when they are kids.  They call it Junior Handling.  And some people get PAID to do it.  They are called Professional Handlers.  I think my human started this stuff when she was too old.  It's hard to teach an old dog....well you know the rest.  But I'll give it to her - she does TRY hard.  I think she's better at handling us in the performance rings than she is in the pageant ring.  Probably because the first time Frodo was shown in the pageant and he was competing in the Group, he pooped in the ring.  Which is actually acceptable in the pageant ring.  Not desirable.  But acceptable.  Whereas in the performance ring, if you poop in the ring, you automatically lose. My human still has visions of that moment when all the handsome dogs were standing in the ring being judged, and Frodo responded to nature's call.  He didn't get any ribbons that day...

Remember, at the end of the day, it's us dogs who REALLY control what happens in the show or performance ring.  And honestly, we do all of this show stuff just so we can hang out with you.  For US, that's what it is all about.  We just let you think you are in control....

Have a good one!

Fear periods

Fear periods.  It seems that we dogs go through a variety of time periods when we view the world as a scary place.  When you look at a number of sources, it kind of looks like the first 16 weeks of our lives we are somewhat vulnerable - save for a few odd days!  And then somewhere between 4-6 months we go through another stage of intermittent real life horror film days. I noticed that Jaws does seem to be timid when he first experiences something - like the scary dark garbage cans - but he usually rebounds pretty quickly.  Mind you, in the last few days it's like he has come out of a cloud - and he is starting to notice things that have been around since he arrived here - and now for SOME reason they are scary.  Like this whirly gig thing that is on a post in the garden.  It's been there forever.  But yesterday he noticed it and had to bark at it.  In fact, it's the first time I have heard his "real dog" bark.   Not the the whiny puppy bark.  The "I'm a big dog with a mighty bark" bark. He did the same thing for this wooden cut out of a dog that is in the yard as well.  You may recall this video of Frodo when he FIRST discovered the scary black dog.  

https://youtu.be/UREQAqDcXCQ

But the irony with Jaws - the first time he saw it, he tried to chew off the tail.  Two days ago it was scary.  Today he's fine with it.  Go figure.

My human's mother came to visit again on Sunday.  We were very good with her.  Except for this one little indiscretion... When my human was going to take her mother home, she decided I could go for the ride.  Just me.  Because I'm special.  Well - it's actually because my human wants each of us to have "alone time" and she figured I might like going for a ride that didn't end up at a Vet clinic.  One SLIGHT problem.  I got all excited about going and jumped into the back seat of the vehicle.  My human's mother was in the front and my human was coming around the vehicle to get in.  I was SUPER excited - and that's when I discovered that my human's mother had a fresh loaf of bread on her lap that they had picked up earlier in the day at the market.  I thought it was for me!  I jumped into the driver's seat and promptly grabbed the bag with the bread.  Or attempted to.  My human sure can move quickly in such situations.  Suffice to say I never actually got to taste the bread.  Otherwise the ride was great - and thankfully no fear of going to the Vet.

Well time to get my human walking.  Have a happy Tuesday!

Getting bigger...

So.  I'm thinking that Elroy is really here to stay.  And I must confess, I AM starting to get used to him.  I mean it's not like you can ignore him.  He's everywhere.  And he's getting HUGE.  He celebrated his 4 month birthday yesterday and to "mark" the occasion, he lifted his leg to pee.  Another milestone.  He has outgrown one collar, and I think this second one will soon be retired as well.  He is still totally unaware of where his feet go - I still think he is a klutz. I don't know if that's a Picard thing, or an Elroy thing.  And those EARS.  One day up.  One day down.  One ear up.  The other ear up.  If his head has to grow into them, he is going to have a noggin the size of a grizzly bear.

He LOVES to steal things.  Like poop bags from the one pocket of my human's ugly dog sweat pants.  Good thing that one pocket is deep - it holds treats AND poop bags.  And when Jaws steals something, he is GONE.  Now humans are NOT supposed to chase us when we steal something.  They should try to entice us to "trade" for something better.  Like a treat.  Yeah - good luck with that.  When Jaws goes into the pilfering party mode, no treat is good enough to get back the treasure.  It's quite amusing to watch my human circle the dining room table with Jaws gripping his bounty and darting back and forth under the table and my human waving some paltry treat.  

The nails thing is moving extremely slowly.  And they had a major setback.  My human had this "brilliant" idea that MAYBE he was ready to try clipping on the grooming table.  Wrongo.  She must have been delirious from lack of sleep.  She went to clip a nail, he pulled, and you guessed it - she clipped it and it bled.  Well.  THAT was IT for Jaws.  He wanted NO part of nail clipping ANY more.  My human took him off the table while she looked for the styptic powder. And she suddenly realized that the styptic powder jar was almost EMPTY.  So Jaws was walking around, bleeding everywhere.  My human dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a bag of flour.  She poured some into a container and went to grab Jaws who was bleeding as if she had amputated his paw.  She managed to wrestle him and stick his foot in the container with the flour.  Flour of course went EVERYWHERE - so it looked like a scene from some kind of macabre TV cooking show gone bad.  Blood and flour everywhere.  

I admire his coat - it requires minimal brushing - at least SO FAR.  And it doesn't take long to dry when he's been swimming.  And flour comes off it really easily.

He definitely DOES have a HUGE Paxton-ism. He LOVES to take off in the woods.  He is always attached to a long line - so he can't go far - but if he had his way, he would, without a doubt,  make a run for it.  Perhaps when I am totally adjusted to my drugs, I will join him.  I do miss Paxton and our adventures in the woods...

I must say, he actually DOES have MOMENTS when he will fall asleep and he isn't  sequestered in his crate.  And he is kinda cute when he's asleep.

Well, it's Monday and my human has Mondays OFF.   SHE thinks she is going to do things like laundry and cleaning.  But of course WE have other items on the agenda.

Have a good one!

9-11

9-11.  A date that is etched in the mind of many humans.  A date when the world became different.  Dark.  Suspicious.  Angry.  Frightened.  Sad.

In the aftermath of the tragedies, though, the resilience of the human spirit shone through.  Humans helped humans.  And canines helped humans too.  Dogs helped in the searches and later, served as comfort dogs.   The last surviving Search and Rescue dog, Bretagne, a Golden Retriever, went to the Rainbow Bridge this year at the age of 16.  You know she is with those humans she helped to find...

Today, take a moment to think of those people who lost their lives in the tragedies.  And take a moment to say a little thank you prayer for those who put their own lives at risk (human and canine) to help others.   And pray that the light of goodness, continues to outshine the darkness of evil.  Now - and for generations to come...

Health....

At the 24 hour Vet clinic

Well I am here to report some good news.  Remember the "special person" who was in the hospital?  I am finally allowed to report that it was my human's mother.  She's OK now - so I can tell the story.

Our favorite computer-loving, independent, octogenarian was actually visiting with US over a week ago when my human noticed something odd.  Her mother's speech was suddenly not right.  She was having a mini stroke.  My human called the ambulance.   You know,  it was interesting because we would usually go CRAZY with strange people in our house - but we watched from another room and were unusually quiet...

I won't go into all of the details - but suffice to say that her symptoms thankfully resolved and after much work in the hospital to find the right medications for her, she has finally gone home.  Feeling like herself again.  Fantastic news.

It is critical when someone observes the symptoms of stroke that the person go to the hospital as quickly as possible.  Think of the acronym F.A.S.T. - which stands for facial droop,  arm weakness, speech difficulties and TIME.  If you see these symptoms get help quickly.  Stroke is s serious condition.

Humans can have a stroke at any age.  And dogs can have strokes as well.  The symptoms in a dog can include difficulty walking, a head tilt, abnormal eye movements, blindness, strange behavior or falling to one side.  They don't say anything about speech. I'm not sure why - Frodo sure does a LOT of speaking...  Usually a dog that has a stroke has an underlying health problem - like kidney disease, hypothyroidism or cardiac problems.  The treatment of stroke in dogs is similar to humans - with medication for blood pressure and/or sometimes blood thinners.

In other health news, I almost HATE to say this  for fear I will jinx myself, but I  have had no seizures this week.  And my medication has been reduced and the side effects seem to be wearing off.  My human is VERY hopeful that we have things under control. 

It is the weekend, and for SOME odd reason my human is THINKING  she is in need of a RESTFUL break.  She said she would LOVE a weekend where she doesn't have to go to a hospital or Veterinary clinic.  

And I must say, one thing that I learned from the past 2 weeks is that if you wish for something in  life, it shouldn't be about having the nicest dog toys.  Or the best treats.  Or having the fanciest dog bed.  You should wish for good health.  Because if you don't have THAT, nothing else really matters. Take good care of your health.  Eat those blueberries your human gives you.  And those carrots.  Go for a good long walk.  Lie in the shade - not the sun.  Watch that you don't eat junk.  If you're not feeling good - see a doctor.   And savor EVERY minute you DO feel good.  

I wish every one of you a happy, HEALTHY weekend!! Oh and if your blood pressure for some reason is LOW, let us know and we'll come over to raise it up!  Have a good one!

Inside the brain...

So what EXACTLY goes on in the brain of Jaws?  I mean we KNOW he has the attention span of a gnat.  Training sessions with him can only last about 3.7 minutes.  Otherwise he just walks away.  And that nail trimming exercise?  That is THE ultimate test in patience for my human.  Let's just say those nails are getting longer each day. She manages to MAYBE trim 1/1,000 of an inch off a couple of nails.  Progress is very, VERY slow.

Unlike the thoughts in Jaws' brain.  Which are FAR from slow.  If one were to see what his mind is thinking, it would look something like this...

"That's a cool bone.  I must chew on it.  Chew. Chew. Chew.  Wait.  The big fuzzy white one is walking by.  Must chew his tail.  Must bite his ears.  Must bark.  Must chew.  Must bark.  Must chew.  Wait.  I never noticed THAT bone before.  Must chew.  Wait.  I'm thirsty.  Must drink. Must drink.  Stop.  Is there something in the water?  Must stare.  Must stare.  Muuuuust put foot in the water.  Must splash.  Drat.  The human stopped me.  Must chew bone she gave me.  Wait.  I wonder how the outside of my plastic kennel tastes.  Must chew.  Must chew.  Wait.  I never noticed THAT bone before.  Must chew.  Wait.  These table legs are made of wood.  Must chew.  Must take the bone the human has given me.  Wait.  Those socks the human is wearing sure look tasty.  Must chew.  Wait.  Why are the other two canines running to the kitchen.  Must line up.  But  don't know why.  What's this yellow stuff called banana?  Must chew.  Must spit.  Must chew.  Must spit.  Must roll.  Must chew before other canine steals this thing. Hmmm.  Feeling tired.  Must lie down.  OK.  Enough of that.  Must explore.  Hmm...the gate to the DFZ has been secured.  Must try to figure out how to get in.  Wait.  I'm thirsty.  Must drink.  I need to pee.  Must stand and stare at door.  Must sit while leash is being put on.  Wait.  I don't think I really need to pee.  Wait - what's that on the sidewalk?  A rock.  Must chew.  Must trade for something my human has pulled from her pocket.  Must walk on wet lawn.  Must pull to go BACK in the house.  Must find the big fuzzy white one.  Must bark.  Must pull clumps of hair.  Must chew hair.  Wait.  I never noticed THAT bone before.  Wait.  This carpet is so chewable.  Wait.  Here she comes with that Bitter Apple stuff.  Must grab human pant leg as she turns to walk away. Wait.  Must look at that other grey fuzzy one.  Must play bow and bark.  Wait.  I never noticed THAT bone before.  Wait.  Must nudge human while she if attempting to eat.  Must look adorable so she will pet me.  Must chew her sleeve while she pets me.  Must continue to look adorable while doing so."

Yes.  That's a look at 15 minutes in the brain of Elroy.  If you're just tired reading this - IMAGINE living with him.  AND us PONs!

As I always say, NEVER a dull moment!

Hope YOUR day isn't dull!

Better than fiction

Sometimes my human thinks that if they did a movie about a "Day in our lives" no one would believe it.  They would say it was pure fiction.  Hardly.  Here's an example:

My human gets up at 5 AM.  She takes Jaws out as he needs to be first.  Puppy bladders are smaller than adult dog bladders.  While she does this, Frodo begins his "Good morning song."  And I join in.  

My human was concerned because she didn't like the side effects of the drug I am taking for my seizures.  It is causing me to be very wobbly in my rear end.  VERY wobbly.  Of course, she had already Googled this - AND had called the 24 hour vet clinic the night before to check on this fact - and they said it was "normal".  And it will get better in a week or two.  But she's not happy with "normal" so she wants to talk with someone about it ASAP. 

After she brings Jaws in, he immediately begins his hair stylist routine on Saint Frodo.  Pulling, biting, chewing - while Frodo intermittently tells him to stop.  My human readies our breakfasts and we dive in, giving her a chance to fill our water bowl and turn on her much needed coffee.  After we inhale our food, she takes Jaws out for his poop walk.  He complies quickly - although he does have a unique poop style.  Pardon my graphic description, but he's the kind of dog who likes to leave a poop trail.  He's too busy sniffing and looking around to stand still and leave a pile which is easy to pick up.  After he leaves his poop path, she takes him out to the road to get the paper.  Ah - but it is garbage day.  And there are garbage cans on the road.  And it is still dark out.  So garbage cans on a dark road are scary to a puppy.  Never mind that HE accompanied my human when she took the cans up last night.  He is QUITE anxious to go BACK down the driveway to the house - so for a change - quickly grabs the paper and never stops to chew it.  He just wants to be away from the ominous garbage.

Jaws is then sequestered in a run in the garage which is filled with an assortment of toys that dispense treats - while she takes Frodo and I for our walk.  She wants him occupied so he doesn't whine and bark while we are gone, waking all the neighbors within a 5km radius.  As IF the neighbors haven't already heard Frodo's "Good morning" song.  

We walk up the road in the dark, with my human wearing her head lamp.  It's hard to believe we are back to head lamp time - where did bright summer mornings go?  Anyway, I am not feeling like myself on this medication - so I am walking like a sack of potatoes.  A wet sack of potatoes.  Which concerns my human to no end - she is anxious to get home and call the clinic before she gives me another dose of this stuff.

We get home and she calls the 24 hour vet clinic and speaks to a nice vet who listens to my whole story. While she is telling the story, Jaws and Velcro dog decide is vocal play time - so they start barking at each other.  She excuses herself from the call and puts Jaws in a crate.  As IF that will stop the barking.  The vet agrees to look at my dosage level, and she will call back in 10 minutes.  Enough time to give us our banana treats.  Jaws plays with his, while Frodo and I inhale ours.  

The vet calls back and gives my human an alternative dosage level -  lower than I am on.  NOT that I am on a high dosage - but she has changed it to a very low level.  We'll see if this works. My human is still going to talk to the vet who prescribed it later today.

So remember that the water bowl is freshly filled.  Well, it's about time for our Michael Phelps wannabe to attempt a swim.  My human watches from across the room as Jaws takes a drink, stops, looks at the water in the bowl and then furiously begins to do the doggie paddle - splashing water everywhere.  "No" she shouts.  He just looks at her and dives back in.  She takes him by the collar and gives him a chew toy on the other side of the room - to occupy him while she cleans up the flood.  She grabs some paper towel and reaches for the puddle.  And from across the room comes one charging puppy who MUST get that paper towel.  She wrestles with him and he tears off a piece to savor under the dining room table.  I actually take a piece that he drops.

My human sits down to have her coffee and look at the paper.  At which point, yours truly decides I MUST have those few pieces of kibble that I KNOW are in the pocket of her ugly dog sweat pants.  The pants have only ONE pocket - as Frodo ate the other one.  She tells me "no."  I poke her again.  She says "no buddy - you had your breakfast."  I poke her again.  After about 6 pokes she says "I give up." She rips off the sweat pants, puts them in the bedroom and proceeds to eat her breakfast sitting in her underwear.  She looks at the clock.  It's not even 6:30.  And for SOME odd reason, she feels like she wants to go back to bed.  Honestly, the woman has no stamina.

And that's just how a typical day BEGINS...  I tell you - this is better than fiction.

Google it

Today is September 7 and it's Google Commemoration Day - according to the Crazy Calendar.  Google - a word that was unheard of back in the early 1990's, started with some PhD students at Stanford University in 1996 as a research project.  Today that word is part of everyone's vocabulary.  It seems to be a "go to" place to find information - an "internet library" of sorts.  One stat dating back to March said that Google has 2.3 million searches per second!!!  It has also become a multi billion dollar industry.  And did you know that Google is a dog-friendly company - allowing staffers to bring their dogs to work?  I'd like my human to work there.

A quick Google search for "Polish Lowland Sheepdog" revealed 506,000 results.  A Berger Picard search had 865,000 results.  So Jaws beat me.  But his blog didn't show up.  Mind you - he doesn't have one. 

And what do you think was the key word most often googled in 2015?  I thought for SURE it would be dog - but nope.  It was "weather."  As IF we can REALLY depend on the weather person's forecast.  But I guess it's the topic humans love to talks about. 

In fact, according to the site I found (via Google), the word "dog" didn't even APPEAR in the Top 100 searches.  I was shocked.  Thank GOODNESS "cat" did not appear - THEN I would be REALLY upset.

A Google search for "dog biscuits" revealed 3,870,000 results.  That's a LOT of treats. 

A search for "veterinary" revealed 124,000,000 sites.  And since I have had my "health issues" I think my human read at LEAST half of them.  But you have to be CAREFUL what you find on Google - as surprise, surprise - not all sites are reliable or credible.   CONSIDER the source.  And don't believe everything you read.  My veterinarians must HATE to see my human, the Google Queen coming in.  YOU KNOW she is armed with her internet research.  She's not too crazy about the drug that I am on for these seizures - so as you can probably guess, she's been looking for alternatives.  She'll be talking to two vets today.  When my human gets an idea, she's like a dog with a bone.  Pun intended.

Well excuse me while I go and Google "dog toys."  I think it's time for some shopping.

Have a  virtually wonderful day!