Elroy lost it

So Monday my human was off. Which meant extra long morning walks.  The FG went first.  He has the smallest bladder.  Mind you maybe not when you look at the size of him.  Anyway, he was wearing his trusty "Freedom" harness.  Which I have talked about before.  He walks quite nicely with that harness - it has been a miracle. However, sometimes miracles come to an end...

So when they headed out at the crack of dawn it was still not fully light out - the sun wasn't all the way up.  AND, as often happens at this time of the year, the driveway had a THIN coat of misty ice on it.  Which obviously can be slippery.  Now my human is EXTRA cautious in such conditions - remember the broken wrist two years ago.  So she walked along slowly, and the FG was walking just great with his harness.  Once they got up to the road, the walking was actually easier - so off they went.  They took the trail through the woods and then decided to go for a walk on the golf course.  And that's when all heck broke loose.  Suddenly, the FG decided that he wanted freedom from the Freedom harness.  So he started biting his leash.  And pulling on his leash.  My human instructed him to stop and gave him a treat.  After which he started again.  And again.  And AGAIN.  My human could NOT walk two feet without him yanking and biting on the leash.  She could instruct him to sit - which he would do, she would give him a treat and say "let's go", and the biting again began.  He was leaping and spinning - like some kind of strange circus routine.  Gone bad.  And THEN he decided he WANTED her mittens.  Honestly - it was like he was possessed. My human just stood there, exasperated and not sure how to move.  It was a LONG slow walk home.  Stop.  Sit. Treat.  Step. Walk. Sit.  Treat.   They finally got back to our driveway and my human breathed a sigh of relief.  But the best was yet to come.  You see, the FG gets to carry the newspaper to the house every day.  And keep in mind that he was STILL feeling possessed.  AND the driveway was still slippery.  So here he is - flipping the paper in the air,  sliding to get it, while my human is walking on the gravel along the side of the driveway.  He had never flipped that paper the way he did that day. Grab. Toss. Slide.  Grab.  Shake. Toss.  Slide.   With a woman who was moving like she had lead shoes.

By the time she got back to the house, she looked at Frodo and I and said "You HAVE to be good."  And of course WE were.  Even posing to take photos.  

Who would ever have believed we would see the day when I'M the good dog?!  Maybe it's a new miracle....

Have a good one!

The Dog Tree

Well - the dog tree is up.  Yes.  We have a dog tree.  Among other trees.  This one has all dog ornaments.  It has dog leashes from the dreaded Dollar Store for garland, and it is also bedecked in dog show ribbons.  My human has a big box of ribbons - but these are just a few - from Frodo, me and some of the dogs who came before us.  The FG doesn't have any ribbons.  Yet.

The dog tree started as a little tree that my human would cut on our property.  A Charlie Brown type tree.  But as the collection grew, the Charlie Brown trees couldn't hold the ornaments - so the artificial tree is now used.  We have ornaments for lots of different breeds - we don't discriminate.  But we didn't have a Picard before - so you KNOW my human had to get one this year.  

So we are all on the tree.  

The only thing that would complete the dog tree would be if one of us peed on it.  But something tells me that may not be a bright idea.  Besides, if we are going to pee on a tree, might as well wait until she gets the real one.  Probably next weekend.  So that means another weekend of being sequestered for periods of time while she lugs boxes into the DFZ.  I'm the lucky one who was able to get into the DFZ to take the photo.  And the first thing I did?  Tried to pull that terrier off the tree.  And trust me - if I get in the DFZ - he's coming down.

Time to get back my Santa letter(s).  'Tis the season!  Stay tuned!

Weather. And Asian pears.

It has begun.  We got our first taste of winter weather yesterday.  My human thought it odd that we allowed her to sleep in until ALMOST 7 AM.  And when she got up - she realized why.  There was a cold, wet snow coming down.  The heavy wet kind that that is actually good for making snowmen - but that's about it.

When the FG saw the stuff his brain exploded.  WHAT the heck was THIS???  My human couldn't get a photo - as her phone would have gotten all wet - so she just watched the sense of amazement on the FG's face.  They went for a walk and he came back in, wet but energized.

As opposed to the Polish Lowland Fair Weather Dogs.  My human opened the door, Frodo took one look and put on the brakes.  I wasn't THAT bad.  But I could hear Frodo grumbling something about spending winters in Florida.  He walked as if he was 693 years old.  In dog years.  And of course, he refused to poop.  I did MY thing, but Frodo needed an extra long walk - which only made him even MORE grumpy.  When he FINALLY made his deposit, he shook himself off and THEN happily trotted back to the house.

So if the snow wasn't enough of a novelty for the FG, my human had to add something ELSE new.  She hadn't done our grocery shopping yet, and we were out of bananas.  So she gave us pieces of Asian pear.  A new treat.  Which meant he had to do the chew and spit routine.  It took him forever to eat it.  While Frodo and I munched away.

She has begun the marathon Christmas decorating explosion.  Which mean the DFZ (dog free zone) will be well secured so no one can take ornaments off the tree and destroy them.  Like last year...

Tis the season!  Enjoy!

 

Presidential pets....

So I think someone from the Washington Post must be reading my blog.  Remember how I've been saying that President-Elect Trump should get a dog?  Well - they said the same thing!!  It appears that this is the first time in 150 years that the President will not have some type of pet.  I've talked before about the variety of pets that have been owned by Presidents - even back to George Washington - who had dogs, horses, a donkey and a parrot.  There have been more unusual pets -like Thomas Jefferson's bear cubs, John Adam's alligator, Benjamin Harrison's opossums, Teddy Roosevelt's pig, garter snake and hyena, Calvin Coolidge's pygmy hippopotamus and raccoons.  Coolidge and Roosevelt seemed to have the longest lists of pets.  In more recent times, the typical pets were dogs and cats.

If Trump WERE to get a pet, I'm not sure what I would pick for him. If it was a cat...hmmmm.....what kind of cat is Grumpy Cat?  There IS a resemblance there - and they do say that pets look like the humans they own..  Google Grumpy Cat and you'll see what I mean...

As for a dog breed.  Geez - I have to be extra careful with this one.  But if looking for resemblance - Chinese Crested wins hands down.  The hair does it.  Can't you just see the President-Elect walking one around the grounds of the White House?!  Those Belgian Malinois security dogs wouldn't know WHAT to do.  They would have to build a wall just to keep the Crested protected...

It's Sunday - time to get my human moving.  Have a great one!

Dear Santa. Part 1.

OK.  So US Thanksgiving is over and Santa arrived at the end of the parade - so I think the official start to the Christmas season has BEGUN.  Never mind the fact that there have been Christmas trees for sale at Costco since September...

So it is time for me to begin my letter(s) to Santa.  I want to give ample time to introduce myself - it's all about being friendly with the guy if you want to get good stuff.  This will be my first installment...

Dear Mr. Claus;

Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Viktor.  Viktor the Polish Lowland Sheepdog. I am a herding breed - although personally I am not particularly fond of sheep.  But I DO like the interesting delectable balls that they deposit.  I can JUST imagine the balls your reindeer deposit...

Mr. Claus, or perhaps I may call you Santa, or Saint Nick.  I see you have as many names as we dogs do.  I am Viktor, Vik, Viktorino, Trino, No no, Stop it, and a variety of other names I probably should not share.

I have worked very hard this year at training my human, and I have tried VERY hard not to be naughty.  OK.  Maybe not THAT hard. I live with another Polish Lowland Sheepdog, my brother Frodo, and I have a new rather strange looking brother - who is a Berger Picard.  His name is Elroy. He is a giant.  A friendly giant.  And I am starting to like him.  

With regard to my "nice" behavior - I have not attempted even ONCE this year to bite my human when she makes us dress in holiday attire purchased at the dreaded Dollar Store.  I do admit that I do not always smile when requested to do so for photos, but I generally give in.  If the treats are good.

Also this year, I did not chase too many bunnies.  I define too many as over 100. So I'm good.

I also did not destroy anything this year.  Oh wait.  There WAS a small incident with eating and swallowing a stuffed bunny's leg.  But I DID return it, a week later...

 Stay tuned for future installments over the next few weeks. To be continued...

 

We refuse to smile.

Well. It's that time of year.  The Halloween costumes have been put in storage, and we KNOW what comes next.  Thankfully, we didn't dress as turkeys or pilgrims for the US Thanksgiving.  But you KNOW what she is going to drag out.  Those dreaded antlers.  And if that's not bad enough - she went to the Dollar Store the other day...

She attempted to take some preliminary holiday photos on Monday.  Let's just put it this way, Elroy IS Paxton reincarnated.  Paxton detested holiday photo shoots.  My human had to do everything she could to get his attention.  And guess who is following in his pawprints?  My human didn't even TRY to put holiday attire on him.  It was no use.  Frodo and I sat like stuffed toys while the FG raced around the yard like a deflated Jolly Ball.  Here is a photo of us watching him race by.... 

Frodo and I posed.  But we refused to smile.  And no matter how hard she tried, my human could NOT get us to smile.  We preferred the serious holiday pose.  Truth be told - we just didn't FEEL like posing.  She didn't have exciting treats, and hey - if the FG didn't have to stay still, why did we?  The first photo you see is without holiday attire - during a RARE stationary moment with the FG.  It didn't last long. I think my human managed to get two shots with the three of us that were not blurry.  Here are a few bloopers courtesy of guess who.

After she finally gave up, we headed back to go in the house.  And Frodo and I BOTH displayed our feelings about having holiday photo shoots with crappy treats - we peed on the Christmas floral display my human had arranged by the front door.  "Hey" - she shouted at Frodo.  "Don't pee there!!!"  At which point I walked over and did the same thing.  

That's what she gets for starting this puparazzi routine before December.  I suppose I had better be careful though - I soon have to start my letter - make that LETTER-S to Santa, and we all know about this naughty and nice thing.  Time to start making nice.  This is going to be difficult...

Thank goodness...

Today is a day of thanks in the US.  A day to be happy and grateful.  Unless you are a turkey.  Did you know more than 46 MILLION turkeys will be eaten today?! And the average weight of one of those birds is 15 lbs.  One source said that the largest turkey ever raised was 86 lbs.  That's more than me and Frodo put together.  Turkeys can supposedly see movement at 100 yards away and while wild turkeys can run 20 MPH, it's obviously not fast enough to get away on Thanksgiving.  We dogs can eat turkey - but keep the helping light and hold the gravy -or we COULD end up with stomach upset.

There are dogs that hunt for turkeys.  Apparently the dogs go in and break up a flock of turkeys, giving the hunter the chance to call and shoot one of them.  While some spaniels are trained for this type of hunting there is some breed called an Appalachian turkey dog- which is a mix of an English pointer, English setter and plot hound and they are specifically bred for turkey hunting.  Better them than me.

So today is the big day.  Of course, I have much to be thankful for...like a home and a bed and full dog food bowl and fresh water and treats and toys and bunnies to chase and of course my blog!  But the two biggest things I'm thankful for today?  That I'm not a turkey AND that they don't sell turkey suits at the Dollar Store.  

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American family and friends!  Have a good one!

Cheers to ears!

We have lift off!  It looks like the FG's ears are up again.  THANK goodness. The suspense was killing me.

He had the funny looking antennae ears for over a week.  The tape came off a bit early because he REALLY didn't care for them while my human was away.  But he went to the Vet again for a re-check and now he just has to exercise his ears to keep those muscles strong - and to keep those ears up! So the Vet told my human she would have to make all kinds of funny sounds and noises - so he will pick up his ears.  I can JUST imagine what this place is going to sound like.  Because you KNOW - Frodo and I will bark if she makes odd sounds.  Well, Frodo anyway.  I should audio record "a day in the life."

I still think his ears look too big for his head.   But if he grows any more - I'm really in trouble.  My human DID get to see me semi-play with the FG yesterday.  It all started because I had an unsightly case of the cling-ons - and my human needed to wash my butt in the tub.  Sorry for the description - but heck, you are most likely dog people and you are well aware that poop happens.  Anyway, when I came in from the garage - with my wet butt - I went CRAZY running around.  Which got the FG all excited.  We played a game of chase and attack under the dining room table.  The FG is VERY submissive when it comes to me - which I guess is fine.  Anyway, I did stop from our "attack and run mode" to lick his ears for a few seconds.  All under the watchful eyes of my human.  She wants very much for us to get along - and I do think we are getting there. 

Well time to start working on my letters.  Have a great day and cheers to ears!

Life IS a ball...

So on Saturday, my human got home.  Our dog sitter had left about an hour before my human got back because she had an appointment. She made arrangements with my human to stop by on Sunday to pick up her danger pay.  

When she popped in, she mentioned that on Saturday night, she was dog sitting for a Newfoundland dog.  As she remarked how QUIET and low key he was.  On a scale of 1-10 for energy and excitability, she said he was a "one."  And then she just looked at us.  And said WE were a BIT higher than that.  Whatever do you think she meant?!  I'm low key.  And so are Frodo and Elroy.  When we are asleep.  Which is rare, mind you...No doubt we have earned a special place in her journal of dog sitting experiences...

And speaking of experiences...my human was at it again.  Remember the giant exercise ball?  The one that Elroy adored.  Until he deflated it by biting it?  Well, her royal genius HAD to get another big ball for him.  THIS time, she got a ball that can be used for horses.  AND she bought a protective covering for it.  So it would be LESS likely to be ripped.  In theory. 

So she gets the thing in the mail and it comes with this little foot pump.  Pump is a bit of a misnomer- it's like a little plastic accordion - and it has a little plastic hose that is SUPPOSED to attache SOMEHOW to the ball.  After repeated attempts to keep the thing attached and after repeated foot stomping, the ball was less than 1/100th full.  And every time my human squeezed the "pump" - Frodo barked like crazy.  And Elroy jumped around - interested but not so sure about this thing that was blowing air.  Ever so slowly.  So then my human got the idea to try one of her bicycle pumps.  Sounds like a good idea, but the ball would still not stay attached.  So THEN, she decided to try our dog blow dryer.  The one with the jet engine.  The one that could blow a chihuahua 50 feet off a grooming table.  So she took the ball into the garage - while Frodo continued to bark.  And Elroy continued to jump around.  And I just watched the circus.  Well.  Let me tell you that when my human held that ball up to the rocket blower, that ball filled up in .07 seconds.  Magic.  And she quickly stopped for fear of causing the thing to explode.  Wouldn't THAT have been a sight?  So she comes in from the garage all proud of herself.  Elroy has now figured out it is another giant ball - so his BRAIN explodes.  But before he can play with it, my human has to put on the protective covering.  Dum da dum dum.  For SOME reason, she thought the thing would have like a huge zipper in it.  And she would wrap it around the ball.  BUT - she NOW opens THAT package and discovers that the hole is small.  Like 6 inches wide.  NOW she reads the instructions - which indicate that the DEFLATED ball goes in the covering FIRST and THEN you inflate it.  Genius I tell ya.  Sheer genius.  So NOW she has to take the peg out, and deflate the ball.  While Frodo barks.  And Elroy jumps around. Deflating the thing took a whole lot longer than inflating it with the dryer.  While Frodo barks.  And Elroy jumps around.  

Once it was fully deflated, she again took it into the garage and used the dryer.  And voila - the thing was filled and ready for play.  Elroy pushed it around and barked at it.  Here's a very short video of him beginning to play with it.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BZMqm3FZ20

I still think that if he gets REALLY excited about playing with it, we COULD hear that familiar deflation sound.  Wonder what else we could put under that protective cover....

My human and her "ideas."  Good thing we love her.   She is a never ending source of entertainment.  Hey - kind of like me!  Let's face it - in our house, life IS a ball!

Have a good one!

And in the news....

Time for some news from the world of dogs.  Here's a bad news - good news story.  It seems that in Idaho, a police dog was shot in the line of duty.  That's the bad news.  The good news - because two dogs donated blood,  the police dog was able to undergo surgery and it looks like he is going to be OK.  Tail wags for a Golden Retriever and a Pit Bull who donated.  What a good idea!

There's this strange new thing that humans are doing called a Mannequin challenge.  They basically create a "freeze frame" and don't move.  And then someone videotapes them acting frozen.  Why?  I don't know.  It's something to do.  Go figure.  You know I always say humans are strange.  More evidence... In this particular example, it was not the HUMANS who were remarkable - it was the DOG.  Check it out!    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3938290/Did-hit-paws-DOG-steals-unexpected-twist-mannequin-challenge.html#v-7528258348751734128

Let me be perfectly clear on this one - there is not a CHANCE that you will catch the three dogs in THIS household in a Mannequin Challenge.  Do you have ANY idea how hard it is JUST to get us to stay still for .6 seconds to take a photo?  Yeah - no Mannequin Challenges happening here!

And finally, former President George Bush and his wife Laura are the proud owners of a new puppy.  In the past they were owned by two Scottish terriers - one of whom bit a member of the Press Corps.  Oopsie.  Their new canine kid, whose name is Freddy came from a shelter.  It seems the Bushes visited an Animal Care center to thank them for their work - and voila - they fell in love.  No matter what you think of George - I always say any President who has a dog can't be ALL bad. Perhaps the President -Elect might want to pay a visit to that shelter too....

Have a good one!!!

She is back. And the sitter survived.

So my human is back.  And there was much rejoicing when she came in.  Not that we didn’t love Nicole – she was awesome – but of course we are happy to have our human home.

And it's not EXACTLY like Nicole had an easy couple of days….For one thing, it started raining the moment my human left.  And never stopped.  So.  That cut our walks short.  She tried to brush Frodo and me because, as she said, we were looking like a couple of Trolls with the damp weather. It was a futile battle.

And then we had the whole Paxton thing…

We keep referring to the fact that Elroy has so many Paxisms. It’s like the goofy Bernese has returned – in the shape of a goofy Picard.  Unfortunately, one of Paxton’s behaviours returned – and it wasn't so cute and goofy.  You see, whenever my human would go away, even though Pax LOVED our sitter and he was completely unstressed in his outward appearance, his innards were not so unstressed.  So he routinely got the poops.  So you guessed it.  Elroy got the poops.  He was FINE in every other way – but he required some extra walks  in the middle of the night. 

But despite that, Nicole said we were VERY good – and she wouldn't hesitate to look after us again.  I think my human must have paid her some danger pay…

My human brought us some special treats as guilt gifts – but unfortunately we haven't sampled them yet!!!! She didn't want to give Elroy anything that could further upset his digestion- and she didn't want to give us the treats in front of him.  I think she takes this fairness thing a bit TOO far sometimes.  But I'm sure we’ll be having those treats soon enough.

So all is back to normal in our home again.  She hasn't seen me play with Elroy yet – but Nicole had photo evidence to prove that it DID happen.  I'm just playing it cool for now.  I mean we are all a BIT ticked off that she didn't take us with her – so after our initial showering of kisses and mad leaping and jumping, we are all actually being a bit cool.  Except Frodo.  He just stands and barks at my human.  He's basically telling her off. 

I think she will have to take us for SOME EXTRA walks today and she better get her throwing arm ready for those retrieving toys.  But you know of course, while we MAY look cool about her being back – inside our hearts are pretty darn happy. And we would have been that way – even without the guilt gifts!

She returns…

I

So she’s coming home today.  Which means poor Nicole will be able to return to her own home.  The big question is whether she will ever dog sit for us again.  I'll be anxious to see what she tells my human.  I may have to pay her off.

In the meantime, my human apparently had a jolly old time in the City of Brotherly Love.  She SAYS conferences are hard work – but I understand there is also time for fun.  And for meeting friends – old and new.

For example, she got to meet Sue – a woman who is owned by a pretty PON named Meg!  Sue and my human had never met before – but Sue reads my blog and contacted my human about whether she was going to this Hearing and Speech conference.  Sue is into hearing and my human is into speech.  They apparently had a chance to get together and share stories about us wonderful canine kids! I think I should get to meet Meg.  When is the next conference?!

And then my human met with an OLD friend and they went to a dinner at a cool Italian restaurant. The food was amazing but what made the restaurant even more amazing – all of the waiters, waitresses, bar staff, etc are professionally trained classical singers – who sing opera!! Apparently throughout the evening they break into song and entertain the diners.  And the even MORE amazing thing – the name of the restaurant was Victor Café! I think she actually went there JUST because of the name.  

My human took time to go shopping for us and managed to find some pet stores.  She thought that these dog biscuits were funny.  I didn't.  Because you KNOW which one I would get.

While my human was away, Nicole sent her regular texts and photos.  And in one text, Nicole mentioned that Elroy and I were playing.  My human thought she got the names wrong.  Did Nicole mean Elroy and FRODO?  Nope. It was me and Elroy. While my human was away…I decided I liked Elroy after all.  Go figure.  We’ll see if I still like him when my human gets home…

Well I had better get ready for her arrival.  And time to be extra nice to Nicole.  So she says good things about me.  Gotta get those guilt gifts….

She left us

Well it is about time I share something.  We were all abandoned several days ago.  OK.  That's not exactly true.  But my human DID leave us – and she is coming home tomorrow. And since she left us,  we have been under the ever watchful eye of a new dog sitter – Nicole.

Nicole came to visit us several weeks ago and SOMEHOW we passed her interview. My human drugged us when she came.  JUST KIDDING!!!  But clearly we didn't scare her off – and she agreed to come and stay with us. While my human went to a conference in someplace called Philadelphia.  I just don't understand why we dogs can't go to these things. 

As one might assume – looking after the likes of us Three Musketeers is not for the faint of heart.  Or someone NOT familiar with dog behaviour.  But Nicole is experienced.   And she was prepared.

My human will get ALL of the details about our behaviour when she gets home - although Nicole has been sending my human texts and photos of us. And rumour has it – my human is bringing home guilt gifts.  Having our human gone is always a BIT sad – but the guilt gifts quickly erase any bad feelings when she gets home.  I'm hoping the gifts include a kitten.  But some treats will also be OK.

Gotta go and hide those shoes I've been eating.  Just kidding.  Maybe…

Beaujolais Nouveau Day

November 17.  It's a special day in France.  It's the third Thursday in November - and it's Beaujolais Nouveau Day.  As I understand it, the day is all about wine.  It is a day to mark the arrival of the first wine of the year - the "New Beaujolias".  While some wine aficionados would argue that the early vintage wine is not overly remarkable,  there are big festivals to celebrate the arrival of the wine - and even a race to Paris carrying the first bottles of the stuff which attracts lots of media attention. Lots of the wine is exported to Japan, Germany and the US.

So all this hoopla about wine got me thinking about us canines and wine.  And while we shouldn't drink human wine, leave it to somebody to come up with a wine just for dogs.  Yup.  The Apollo Peak winery in Colorado first developed a wine for cats.  It was said to contain ingredients similar to  catnip - to give Mr Kitty a bit of a buzz. So this year - they developed a wine for dogs.  Like the cat wine, it is non-alcoholic and contains all natural ingredients, like herbs and beets.  They have two varieties - CarDOGnay and ZinfanTAIL. http://www.apollopeak.com/

Then there is also Chateau La Paws.  Now THIS wine is for humans - BUT it supports dogs.  It's a winery in California - and it supports no kill animal shelters.  In fact, the dogs on the bottle labels are shelter dogs!  Now that's a cool idea.  https://www.chateaulapaws.com/

And lastly, we have books about all those dogs who hang out at wineries.  It seems that there are dogs all over the world who roam vineyards - and for many it is a job! The books are photo journals, telling the stories about these lucky dogs.  http://www.apollopeak.com/

Given that Elroy is  French breed, I think he should really be celebrating today.  And you know, we PONs never need a big reason to celebrate something.  Bring on the CharDOGnay!  Merci!

FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM

It's official.  The Freedom Harness has almost passed the one month novelty test.  I talked about this harness in a previous blog, as THE tool to keep the FG from strangling himself - or pulling my human into the ditch.  And while my human was a bit skeptical as to whether the good behavior and the novelty would wear off - it has been so far so good.   AND it had the ultimate test the other night.

You know the little girl down the road?  The one who went with the FG to his performance puppy classes?  Where he did NOT learn to play the piano?  Anyway, she had not seen the FG since his classes ended a few weeks ago.  And her mother called the other night to see if she could come over and visit him.  My human was just about ready to take him for a walk - so they agreed to meet  and they would go for the walk together.

Well.  Elroy's brain exploded when he first saw her. He was SO excited.  My human had to hold him so that he wouldn't knock her over.  Thankfully she is not the LEAST bit worried around him and his craziness didn't bother her one bit.  Even as he tried to pull the gloves she was wearing off her hands.  So as they walked along, my human decided to take a chance - and let her walk the FG.  He was wearing the Freedom Harness.  I'm here to tell you, he walked like a perfectly trained dog.  Which we know he is not.  Not yet anyway.  He walked with her and although my human was ever-ready to grab the leash if he got a bad case of the zoomies, he never did.  They walked for probably 45 minutes - and no one ended up in the ditch or being dragged on their knees.

I think the FG could do commercials for this thing.  Mind you, you can be sure that as soon as the film crew arrives, the novelty would wear off!   But I have to say - so far so good!

Chew. Faster please.

So as I've mentioned before, Elroy has a number of Paxisms.   But the one that really impacts me is his chewing.  And chewing.  I'm not just talking about things like shoes and table legs.  I'm talking about edible things.

Paxton was notorious for slow chewing.  Which made training him a bit of a challenge. He would be given a treat reward, the size of a pea, and he would chew it for 30 seconds.  Unlike us PONs, who basically inhale treats and are quickly ready for the next exercise, so we can inhale another treat.  Paxton would also chew things like blueberries.  I guess he was savoring the flavor.

Anyway, yesterday we ran out of bananas.  We each get some banana after we have our breakfast.  And the distribution is always the same:  Frodo, Viktor, Elroy.  It's the whole seniority thing.  Elroy has finally figured out how to eat bananas FAIRLY quickly - but he still doesn't have the inhale method down just yet.  And then yesterday, because we were out of bananas, my human gave us pieces of apple.  Now THAT was entertaining. While Frodo and I DO chew apples a bit, we ARE quick.  But not the FG.  He has to take his small piece of apple and take it under the dining room table.  Where he studies it and then chews it.  And chews it.  And chews it.  All the while Frodo and I are getting more pieces of apple.  It got to the point that my human had to stop and wait for him - she felt badly because we were getting more than he was.  It was fine with me...but I guess it REALLY wasn't fair.  So we waited.  While he finished each piece.  It was painful.

For a guy who is so busy and rarely sits still, he hasn't coordinated that with his chewing. 
I really do have to work on training him...

Secret Service. And Full Moons

OK - so I didn't run for DOTUS.  Just as well - too much drama for me.  BUT I found another way to get into the White House.  I can become a Secret Service Dog.  There are dogs who sniff out explosives and there are dogs who are called personal screening canines (PSC)- who discretely sniff out visitors to the White House.  But I think I want to be on the ERT -Emergency Response Team.  These dogs go after bad humans - and let's just say, they don't tap the person on the shoulder and say "excuse me - you don't belong here."  These dogs are fast as lightning and will take down an intruder.  The only problem for me - they are all Belgian Malinois.  Which seems to be a bit of discrimination if you ask me. Mind you, those dogs may take a beating by intruders.  Maybe I would be better as a PSC - they look friendly, but are ever vigilant.  

There's a new book that just came out about Secret Service Dogs.  I think I'll put it on my Christmas list.

Last night there was a huge full moon - supposedly the largest and brightest in the sky since 1948.  I don't know about that since I wasn't around in 1948, but I also found out the full moon in November has another name - the Beaver Moon. The Aboriginal people named it that because it was the time of the month to set beaver traps, before the swamps froze.  And speaking of the beaver, he sure is active down on the lake.  Now I understand that term "Busy Beaver".  There are all kinds of branches floating along the shoreline.  We haven't actually seen him and my human is just as happy about that.  She went down to see his work last night and shot this photo - just as the sun was going down.  None of us were with her.  That's why she could take the shot.  

We were all rather naughty last night.  Well - just a bit more naughty than usual.  And it was great - we had THE perfect excuse.  That unusual full moon.  I don't know what our excuse will be tonight - but I'm sure we'll think of something!

Have a good one!

Good one Elroy

 Score one for Elroy.

Elroy and Frodo have become best buddies.  The photo may not LOOK like they are buddies - but this is their weird type of play. They bite and chew each other and wrestle like crazy.  With his new ear apparel, my human has had to break up the All Star Wrestling match more than once - for fear Frodo will definitely pull the tape off those ears.  They are already looking pretty beat.

But the best example of buddies working together was the other day while my human was grooming Frodo.  Elroy was in a run in the garage - watching the beauty routine unfolding.  He was fine and then started to squeak.  Like he needed to go out.  My human thought it odd - since he had just BEEN out, but after a minute or two of continual complaining, she figured she had better take him out.  Now Frodo is generally VERY good when it comes to grooming.  I mean he COMPLAINS and acts like he is being tortured, but he HAPPILY accepts the non-stop treat distribution that goes on throughout the process.  He is also PRETTY obedient when he is told to stay.  So my human told him to stay and went to quickly take Elroy out for a pee. 

When she came back, she found that not only did Frodo NOT stay - he ate all the treats that were piled on the chair next to the grooming table.  And he was looking pretty darn proud of himself.  Thanks to Elroy.

I have finally started to like Elroy.  I even gave him a SPLIT SECOND play bow the other day - and THOUGHT about playing with him indoors.  I HAVE been chasing him outside but the indoor playing has not really started. But I DO tolerate him and it's even OK with me if he wants to lie down close to me.  We're getting there.  Perhaps some humans could learn a lesson about tolerance and acceptance from me...

Well, it's Sunday - time to stare at the throw toys.  Have a great one!

A new dog

We have a new dog in the house.  A very odd looking dog...  He looks kind of like a goat.  With horns.  Oh wait - it's ELROY!

I talked before about the fact that he has been sporting the Flying Nun ears for a few weeks.  He had witch ears for a bit and then his ears returned to the nun look.  So.  He will soon be 6 months old.  And in order for those witch ears to reappear, he needs a little help.  In the form of sticks and tape.  Little did Frodo and I know that when he went off to the Vet the other day, that he would return with popsicle stick ears.  And not to worry for those who may read this and not understand the process - he did NOT have any kind of surgery to fix those ears.  They are basically braced up. 

He reportedly was well behaved while the Vet put them up but then understandably began to shake his head when he was done.  My human had visions of them being taken off before they got home - but he quickly adjusted to the weird feeling.  Not to mention the fact that on the way home, she stopped at the PET STORE and bought a special throw toy AND THEN took him to a baseball field near our house to play.  She felt badly for him.  Hey - I'll tape my ears up for that opportunity!  Can you imagine what THAT would look like?!

Those ears will be like this for a bit.  Unless Frodo can remove them first....He goes back to the Vet next week and depending on how they look, he may or may not need them taped again.  Oh the things we dogs put up with.  

Now.  Where is that toy....don't worry - I played with it later...

Remembrance

Today is Remembrance Day....a day to honor Veterans...

This week has been marked with drama in the political arena.  The US election was watched around the world.  Some people were doing the happy dance with the result.  And some people are moving to Canada.  The two candidates had different views on many things.  But I like to think that one thing BOTH candidates would agree, is that Veterans are very special.  Very special indeed.

Veterans are those who have served their countries in the military in times of war and also in peace-keeping times.  They are truly heroes and they are both human AND canine.

In the US, a special National monument to recognize canine heroes was dedicated in 2013 at the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.  This memorial represents those canines serving in all the wars since WWII, and also represents the five US Armed Services - the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines and the Coast Guard.  The following photos are particularly special...they were taken by a dear friend of my human who herself served for MANY years in the US Air Force - Janet Deltuva.  This is a woman who was at the Pentagon on 9/11.....And if that's not special enough - Janet has ALSO been owned by two retired  military working dogs....Emzy who is now doing duty guarding the Rainbow Bridge and her new boy, Ares.  They are very special photos of a very special place that stands to signify the unique bond that we canines have with you humans.  We have your back.   All the time...

Today is a day to lay aside political differences and to honor those whose service to their country has provided us with and continues to provide us with the many freedoms that we have. No matter what country we live in.

Take a minute today to say thanks....

Someone has been chewing. And it isn't Elroy...

Ahhhhh.  Life in the country.  Or should I say, life in the wild kingdom.

So we know that we sometimes get field mice who decide to visit our abode in the fall.  So far we have not had much action in that area.  Thankfully - as it drives my human crazy.  And then of course, I had that run-in with the porcupine once.  Which put an end to any off leash late night pee breaks.  And then there was the killer duck this summer.  That was entertaining.  And along with the squirrels and chipmunks we have our resident moles - who have made our back lawn into a construction zone.  And if we didn't have enough chewing by Jaws - now known as the FG, we have a NEW chewer in town.

In the past week or two, we noticed when we went down to the lake, that there were lots of wood chips around.  The first time my human noticed them, she saw Elroy chewing on one - and she panicked - as she thought he was eating a mushroom.  She pried it out of his mouth and realized it was wood.  Hmmmmm.  And then she spotted something odd.  Two trees.  That had been chewed down.  And all that was left were stumps.  What could THAT be?!

Well we have also noticed small trees floating in the water near the shore.  That could only mean one thing.  Beavers. The beaver - which is a symbol of Canada, was a popular commodity for the early explorers.  Those beaver pelts which were made into fur hats, were very profitable.  By the mid-19th century, all those fashionable hats nearly resulted in the demise of the flat-tailed rodent.  But with conservation efforts, and a change in fashion, the beaver is far from endangered.   And we obviously have at least one in the neighborhood.

If you go to the webpage for the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources you can find a page labelled "Nuisance Beavers".  According to that site, beavers become active in the early fall, storing branches in underwater food piles near their "lodges" for use in the winter.  While beavers can create ponds as they build their dams,  they can also take down a lot of trees.  And they CAN make a mess.  We don't really NEED a pond.  We have a lake.  And while beavers may LOOK kinda cute - they can be very nasty if provoked.  There have actually been incidents where dogs have been KILLED by beavers!  So now my human doesn't want any of us off leash when we go down to the lake.  Great.  Time to call in the trappers.  Hopefully they take care of moles too!

Ahhhh.  Life in the country.... I think Elroy has actually met his match in the chewing department!

Have a good one!

It's OVER.

Well. It's over.  The world's longest (and probably most contentious) election is FINALLY over. And I must say, like so many waking up today, I am feeling shocked.  And this is one time I don't feel braggadocious about the fact that  dogs were right in their prediction...

Clearly the voters were tired of political rhetoric and were looking for a change.  And boy, they sure got a change...

For those who are feeling disappointed, don't give up.  America MUST come together.  It is a shattered land.  And because your candidate did not win, does not mean you give up on your country.  And it does not mean you have lost your voice. In the words of Gandi - "be the change that you wish to see in the world." 

I sure am glad that I'm a dog.  And that is my LAST comment about politics.  For now.  I must go and help my human as she prepares for the influx of visitors.  Before the wall is built...

Election Day

This is it.  The big day.  Election Day in the US.  If you listen to the news, one poll says one candidate is in the lead.  Another poll puts the other in the lead.  Like an old-fashioned record player, it's all in how you spin the data.  And with all the varied human predictions, it appears there have been animals predicting who will win as well.  

At an Ecological Park in China (I guess that's a fancy name for a zoo?) a monkey, who is supposed to be some kind of prophet, was shown pictures of Trump and Clinton, with bananas next to each picture.  The monkey reportedly chose the bananas next to Trump and went so far as to kiss Trump's picture.  I will say no more... 

At Nova Southeastern University in Florida, two mako sharks were tagged as part of research in the oceanography department.  They have been followed since September - one was tagged as Trump and one as Clinton.  The objective was to see which shark would travel the farthest, and that shark would be deemed the winner - and would predict who would win the election.  Trump did it again.  And again, the analogy between Trump and a shark - well, I'll say no more on that one either!

In Cleveland, dogs had the chance to vote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpTFpcFGmuc
They predicted Trump.  I'm thinking that hair would be pretty appealing.  No wonder he won.

And in one of my favorite races - we had pigs.  Wearing Trump and Clinton wigs.  I kid you not:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr8utEBxtkQ
Trump wins again.  My goodness, it's hard not to comment further on this one too.

In other predictions, made by parrots and kittens, Hillary won.   Sorry, there is no analogy between Hillary and a kitten.  But a parrot....hmmmmm........

Anyway.  Today is the day.  And tomorrow a new day dawns.   May it be hopeful...

Life's a ball...

Honestly.  Sometimes I just don't know about my human.  Good thing we keep her - she's not always the sharpest knife in the drawer..

Elroy LOVES balls.  We saw that from the day he arrived.  First she got him the Chuck-It ball.  Which he happily carried - and also chewed.  So then she got the infamous "Jolly" ball.  Which is still intact.  Somewhere in the woods.  That's where it was last headed.  So THEN she discovered that he really liked the HUGE exercise ball that she had.  You know the kind - you inflate it and you humans are supposed to do some kinds of exercises with it.  The operative words here are SUPPOSED TO.  We've had one in this house and the only exercise it has ever seen is her moving it from one room to the next.  Or the exercise used to inflate the thing.  And THEN, Elroy discovered it.  At first he was afraid of it.  And frankly, I am afraid of it too.  Frodo on the other hand likes to push it around with his nose.  And he barks at it.  Once Elroy saw that Frodo wasn't afraid of it, he went CRAZY over it.  Pushing it. Jumping on and around it.  Trying to pick it up...

My human thought it was cute and then realized he would probably rip it as he actually WAS beginning to carry it a bit- as it wasn't fully inflated.  So she though that maybe if it was FULLY inflated, he would just be able to push it around and play with it.  So she took it into the garage, found the bicycle pump and inflated the ball.  She was all excited about it.  She went down to the rec room and let Elroy have the ball.  I don't think I need to point out at this part of the story that my human is no scientist when it comes to the laws of physics.  By inflating the ball, it actually made it EASIER to break.  So you guessed it - one attempt by Elroy to grab it and the next thing we heard was a pssssssssssssss sound.  One dead exercise ball.

But not to worry - now she's looking at giant horse balls on the internet...

Yup.  It's a good thing we keep her.  She never ceases to amaze us....

Don't eat the bunny

So the other night, my human decided we should introduce Elroy to the game of Find the Bunny...

I was able to play first.  She put Velcro dog and the FG in the front hallway - but they could watch me play through the french door.  That was the plan.  She figured that if the FG watched the game - he might figure it out.  Well, as we all know, I am a Find the Bunny expert. My human made me sit and stay and she hid the bunny in various places around the house.  And I consistently brought the bunny back and gave him up for a treat.  When my multiple runs were over, she put me in the FG's 100 lb pony sized crate.  Then it was Velcro dog's turn.  And the FG again got to watch how the game is played.  Sometimes my human hid the bunny in tricky spots - so  Frodo and I really had to use our noses.  It may have looked like we were just running around and looking, but we were using our noses and we both found the bunny every time.  So then it was the FG's turn.  But how to hide the bunny, when his sit stay lasts .073 seconds and if you walk away more than two feet, he's up?  My human decided to tie him with a leash to the 100 lb crate.  That I was in.  She tied him up and said to "stay."  Initially I feared for my life because he began to pull the crate.  But it WAS pretty heavy - and my human said "stay" - so he just stood there.

My human figured that to help him get the idea of the game - she should "hide" the bunny in another room in plain sight.  She did - in fact I think he could even see the bunny the first few times from where he was tied to the crate.  .  When she took him off the leash, she instructed "find the bunny" and he RACED off to get it.  He was very excited to get that bunny.  However - NOT so excited to give him up.  EVERY time my human hid it, she had to follow him while he was looking for it, because in his mind, the name of the game was Search and Destroy the Bunny.  One time he didn't find the bunny - so he just raced around the house.  I'm thinking he needs a BIT more practice at this game...

He doesn't need much practice with the dremel though, He reportedly stood perfectly for "Auntie" Glenda AKA the "Just be Calm" lady while she did his nails.  He was so good.  It's hard to believe.  While there, he tried very hard to play with  a Bernese puppy that Glenda had bred - but she wanted nothing to do with him  I think because she didn't know quite what to make of the FG - he's all legs - and those ears would make any dog pause and wonder.

Well, time to go and make good use of that extra hour we got last night.  Maybe I can use the time to teach Elroy how to play Find the Bunny.  Mind you - I DID have that small incident when I swallowed the bunny's leg back in the summer...  So maybe he shouldn't take instructions from me. But we all survived - didn't we?!

Have a good one!

The list grows

Well the FG is headed to see "Auntie" Glenda again today to be dremeled.  Now that's not to be confused with being pummeled.  Ears are pummeled (with a pumice stone - that's MY definition of pummeled) and nails are dremeled.   For a dog who is supposed to be low maintenance, Elroy sure requires lots of pampering! 

You know, I am starting to admire him more and more each day.  He is VERY clever.  And sneaky.  When my human gets home from work, we all run out to have a pee.  And there IS a bit of PONdemonium - we bark and run like cows being let out of the barn after the winter.  Everyone within a 5 km radius knows when my human has come home.  And the FG LOVES to run around with us.  And he's fast...

The other night, after supper my human went to take something out to the compost bin.  It was just getting dark and she saw "something" right in the middle of the front lawn.  "What IS that?" she wondered.  She slowly walked over and discovered what the odd object was.  One of her shoes.  You see, the FG likes to race out of the house when she gets home and IF he has access to an open closet door, he grabs whatever he can.  And he is GONE with it.   She never even saw him take it!

He and I have STARTED to wrestle just a little.  Just a LITTLE.  I'm not quite sure what to make of all of his leaping and what I call his bucking bronco routine.  It's quite the sight.  I think those ears give him extra air. 

Hey - did you happen to see what is on "Oprah's favorite things" list this year?  You probably know Oprah - that mega rich television/media woman.  She puts out this crazy list of stuff every year before Christmas and people who think her opinion is incredibly valuable, go out and buy what she says.  Humans.  Anyway, this year she has a customized dog blanket on the list.  And you humans can have OUR faces put on the blanket.  The one I saw was white in color.  What a perfect clean color for a dog blanket.  Cough cough. Mind you - it is machine washable.  I should hope so.  And it's a great bargain - only $395 US dollars.  That's like $2000 Canadian dollars.  OK.  Not THAT much.  Anyway, I think we need one for each of us.  It's on the list.

Well, it's the weekend and rumor has it my human is OFF on Monday, Tuesday AND Friday next week!  Let the party begin!   Have a good one - you KNOW we will! And I will continue to work on my list.  Dremel for Elroy...

Watch out for pigs

November 4.  Did you know that on this day in 1929, Richard Byrd and Laurence McKinley Gould began a 2 1/2 month journey to explore the interior of Antarctica?  Well now you know.  And of course, they did their 1500 mile journey on dog sled. Dogs actually arrived in Antarctica back in 1889.  They were THE mode of transportation - and they actually provided more than that.  According to one source - during a bad blizzard back in 1889,  men brought their dogs into their tents for warmth.  In that sometimes hostile environment, man and dog depended on each other for survival.  Just like in our household.  We know our human would be lost without us.  And vice versa.

In 1994, the last dog was removed from Antarctica because of an environmental ruling that any "non-native" species be removed to prevent the possible spread of diseases.  OK.  I get that.  But hello - humans are still there.  Just sayin'.  Mind you, I'm not so sure I want to visit Antarctica.  I'm thinking it's even colder than Nova Scotia in the winter.  And no doubt I would be subjected to wearing my spandex snowsuit and boots.  No thanks.  Oh - lest anyone THINK we already have snow in the Great White North - the photo was taken last winter.  Personally, I'm hoping for a GREEN Christmas!

Speaking of which, it's almost time to start my Christmas list.  I don't need to ask for a puppy this time.  So now I'm thinking about a kitten.  Or a pot bellied pig.  I got THAT idea because there was a story in the news this week from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia about a pot bellied pig.  It seems the local police had to apprehend an escaped  pig in a residential neighborhood.  The pig's name was Kevin Bacon.  And no - I didn't make that up.  But Kevin was a friendly, easy-going pig - so the capture was quite uneventful - and he was returned to his home.  That got me thinking we should get one.  That.  Or a kitten.  Or a goat.  Just IMAGINE the stories I would have...

Anyway - it's FRIDAY!  Stay warm.  Stay dry.  And watch out for pigs.  Have a great one!