Pet Torture Day

Boo humbug.  Yeah, yeah - it's FINALLY Halloween.   AKA Pet torture day.  So you weird humans  dress us up, take our photos and share them with everyone who will look at them.  And even if people won't look at them - you still try to show them our photos.  At least my human doesn't make us dress up in the FULL regalia.  I have seen dogs dressed as chickens, bananas and hot dogs.   You name it, some human has probably come up with a costume for their dog.  THANK GOODNESS my human is NOT that inventive.  And she can't sew.

So this year was not too tragic.  She just put those strange headband things on us and tried to make us look like we were enjoying it.  Actually, Einstein and I took some pretty good shots.  Our human had the super treats this time - the dried liver stuff. So we are actually rather joyful looking.   Smiling on the outside....

 The FG is really not into the headband thing - he's pretty mortified by the whole Halloween thing.



He also would prefer to roll than have his photo taken.




But as we know, my human keeps on trying.  So she finally got this gem.   That's why she starts taking shots as soon as the dreaded attire comes out at the Dollar store.  In July. 




Besides being Pet Torture Day, according to the crazy it is also National Doorbell Day.  Go figure.  Did you know that doorbells have been around since the early 1800's?  Our house does not have a working doorbell because the weird-sized battery died over a year ago - and my human has yet to replace it.  But seriously - why waste the money?  She has three doorbells that don't need batteries - and they are much more effective.  They generally start working before anyone who drives down the driveway even gets to the door.  Those 3 trick or treaters will NOT need to knock.

Now excuse me while I go and pack some dog treat bags in case any of my buddies show up.  One for them, six for me.  One for them, six....

Have a ghoul-ed one.  Peace and paws up!

Couplets

It’s October 30 and it’s Ezra Pound’s birthday.  Ezra Pound was a 20th century  writer and poet born in the US – but who spent most of his life in Europe.  Frankly, I’m not a fan of the man – his political views were downright mean and many deemed him to be insane at the end of his life.  But if one knows about poetry, one may have heard of Ezra Pound couplets.  They are basically a pair of statements – with each one being synonymous with the other.  So while we may not like the man for whom they are named, we do like the poetic format.   The first statement is a metaphor for the second.  Think of the words “like a” between each statement.  Check out my couplets:

Elroy on a walk.

A bee in a field of wildflowers.

A PON in a “stay” while waiting to be fed.

A driver, late for a meeting,  sitting at a red light.

Elroy as he races to the lake - chased by my human.  

A gazelle racing across the plains.  Followed by an elephant.

Frodo barking at mealtime.

A jackhammer at a construction site.

A PON taking a treat.

A vacuum cleaner on high speed.

A PON halting at the door on a rainy day.

A driver as he suddenly sees a stop sign.

A Picard racing and leaping to catch a toy.

A ballerina on a trampoline.

So while we’re not big Ezra fans - or poetry experts by ANY means – we do like those couplets!  

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Halloween countdown

And so the countdown to Halloween.  As if we dogs really care. And it’s not like we even see a lot of action at our house.  What kid wants to come down a dark driveway with the sounds of a pack of wild dogs awaiting them at the house?  If I was a kid, I wouldn’t come to our house.  With the peed-on pumpkins sitting outside the door.  Last year we had all of 5 kids show up.  As we hurled ourselves against the door to greet them.  I think somebody put a “don’t go to this house” sign at the end of our driveway.

But in the off chance that some brave soul arrives – my human has purchased treats.  Most of which she has already eaten.  I shouldn’t say anything – but we are all well aware that she is still sporting the remains of the Halloween treats from TWO years ago.  

I’m waiting for my human to make some special canine treat bags.  Hey – some of our dog buddies from down the road may show up.  And wouldn’t it be embarrassing if we had no treats for them?!  Wait a minute…here’s an idea – since no one comes to OUR house, perhaps WE should be the ones out trick or treating!  On second thought – it requires a costume.  Never mind – I’ll just enjoy the treats at home.  

And while Halloween CAN be fun – there ARE things that humans need to do to keep us canines safe.  Like making sure we don’t bolt out an open door, or  knock over a pumpkin with a candle in it, or  eat chocolate or candy with xylitol in it, or eat dried corn cob decorations, or rotten pumpkins…or glow sticks….or eat our costumes….All the more reason NOT to dress us up.  Given all the potential dangers with this holiday, I’m surprised some crazy animal rights group hasn’t acted to ban it.  Yikes – I had better not give anybody any ideas!

Anyway, we have taken the obligatory holidays photos, the treats are all set – bring on the 5 braves kids.  We’re ready.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

PokePON

Hey - ever hear of that video game called Pokemon?  Personally, I have never played it - I'm STILL waiting to get my OWN iPawd. Anyway, I guess the game has been popular for a long time.   Well we have our OWN version of a game.  It's called PokePON.    It is generally played by a Picard.  At least the Picard in this house.  The one with the death wish.

Here are the rules:
1.  A PON must be engaged in some stationary activity - like drinking water, or chewing on a bone.
2.  The Picard must quietly and stealthily approach said PON from the rear.
3.  The next step is for the Picard to poke the PON in the rear end with his nose, or his paw.  
4.  The Picard must then jump backward as if having received an electric shock, and must dodge the teeth of the irritated PON.  
5.  After the jump, it is ESSENTIAL that BOTH dogs bark during the game. 

The game is usually continued until the human in the houselhold can no longer tolerate the PONdemonium.

Sometimes one will see tufts of PON hair rolling across the floor when the POKE includes a grab.  As well, tufts of Picard hair are also observed when said Picard doesn't jump back quickly enough.  But keep in mind, that this does NOT deter the Picard from playing the game.  Ah yes. Fun and games....

Thanks for all of your birthday wishes yesterday.  As usual, I received more than my human.  But who is counting?

It's SATURDAY.  My human is home, so no doubt there will be LOTS of games played today.  Including PokePON.

Have a good one.   Peace and paws up!

WORLD holiday

October 27.  It's a WORLD holiday.  In my mind anyway.  Why?  Because it's my birthday!  I am 6 years young today.  Happy birthday to me.

My human attempted to take my photo with the well-used birthday crown.  It has seen better days.  The candles kept flopping down and I was more interested in eating the thing than posing with it.  I have done the crown photo in the past - I voted that we skip it this year.  We need a new crown.  (Suuuuuuuure we do.)  So my human agreed and the photo you see is better in my opinion.  Although my human said I should have had a big grooming for my big day. Personally, I like my rugged look.

So for my birthday, I have one wish. That every reader does one nice thing for someone else today.  And as I have wished in the past - it doesn't need to be anything huge- like giving a charity a contribution (although that would be nice!) - it can be as simple as holding a door open, smiling at someone passing by, calling an old friend, sending someone a quick e-mail greeting, playing an extra game of fetch with your dog, giving your dog an extra treat....and think of me when you do it!

Now excuse me while I go and enjoy my birthday treats!  And some extra banana for me!!! Although if I follow my request to do something nice, perhaps I really should share....OK.  I will.  But maybe just a little extra for me - because it IS my day!!!

 Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!!!!

National Pumpkin Day

So what can help BOTH diarrhea AND constipation in dogs?  Pumpkin!  The fiber-rich vegetable, which contains Vitamins A, C and E as well as potassium and iron can be a go-to source if your dog is having gastrointestinal problem.  Which is a problem not only for the dog – but you humans too….

Now keep in mind that we are talking about use of pumpkin if you are dealing with a “typical” case of diarrhea from something like a change in diet – not a serious problem like an obstruction or some underlying disease.  You need to see your vet to help you in those cases.

But if you know the cause, you can help your dog by adding anywhere from 1-4 tablespoons of canned pumpkin to your dog’s food.  But make sure it is the PURE canned pumpkin – and NOT pumpkin pie filling.  That stuff includes too much sugar and it may include xylitol – a substance that can be toxic to dogs.

At this time of the year, pumpkins are easy to come by.  You can actually feed your dog FRESH pumpkin, but interestingly, it has more water than canned, and not as great a concentration of nutrients. 

I’m not sure how many nutrients are in the stems.  That’s the part that the FG and I prefer to eat.  The  FG actually would prefer using the pumpkin as a ball.  And not a dietary supplement.

Anyway, go pick out your pumpkin and don’t forget to carve your dog o’lantern.  I found the following site with lots of dog pattern stencils to download for free.  Unfortunately, there is no PON or Picard.

www.bhg.com/halloween/pumpkin-carving/pumpkin-carving-stencils-of-favorite-dogs/?slideId=99005751-4c64-4c48-b921-514f0b5f70b4

I did find these photos by Marta Amundson – who shared her pattern for making a Picard:

I couldn’t find a good PON…  I found an Old English drawing which might work…scroll to the bottom of the page.

http://www.oes.org/page2/5199~SHEEPIE_PUMPKIN_PATTERN.

Happy pumpkin day!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up. 

Human-dog matching

She's at it again.  Another on-line quiz.  This time, the quiz analyzes your personality based on the Myers-Briggs assessment.  And then, based on your personalty type, it tells you what kind of DOG you should have.  So I looked at the dog breeds which were options:  Labrador Retreiver, Siberian Husky, Collie, Border collie, Saluki, English Toy Spaniel, Standard Poodle,  Schipperke, Papillon, German Shorthaired Pointer, Dalmation, Newfoundland, Tibetan Mastiff, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Shar-pei, and Briard.   Note there is no PON.  Or Picard.  Because WE are TRULY unique. 

Anyway my human took the quiz.  And admittedly, she filled it out VERY quickly.  So can you GUESS what kind of dog fits her personality??  We PONs and Picards don't "fit" any particular type of human - because we mold them as we go.

So given that we were not ON the list you will NOT believe what she got.  She kind of figured a Lab - since she had one before.  Nope.  Then she thought MAYBE a Newf - as they are KIND of like Bernese.  Nope. Then she figured Briard.  Herding breed.  Smart.  Yada. Yada.  Nope.  Are you ready....based on her personality type....she got.....a POODLE.  A POODLE.  Now mind you, the description DOES sound a BIT like my human - although she is rather shy and not very outgoing.  JUST KIDDING.  She can find out someone's life story in an elevator - going between two floors.  If you ever meet her, let her tell you the story about the day that she went shopping with a friend in a small town, and managed to get a tour of three people's homes in the process.  And no - the homes were not for sale.  

But given that she keeps her own hair short since it is "easy" and she enjoys grooming us abut as much as we enjoy it, she cannot figure how she would EVER be owned by a POODLE.  I'm hoping she doesn't bring one home - just to find out.

If you want to find out what kind of dog would be a good "match" for you (this sounds a bit like a dating site for dogs and humans) - here is the link:

https://www.psychologyjunkie.com/2015/11/10/which-dog-breed-fits-your-mbti-type/

If you don't know your personality type, first you take the quiz, THEN you look back at the dogs that match your type.

Excuse me now, while I go and put my hair in a topknot.  Not.

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Leaf me alone.

So my human gets this crazy idea the other day.  She decides she “needs” a photo of us in the leaves.  So she gets the leaf blower out and blows the leaves into a big pile.  Then like somebody going on a safari, she outfits herself to prepare for the photo shoot.  She puts on this fanny pack thing that is never used for anything but dog walking or dog photo shoots.  She fills it with extra special treats. But first she must entice us with them. We get a sample, just for sitting while still in the house.  Like serving a fine wine to special dinner guests, she has to break out the GOOD treats for these things.  Then she has to find some toy that makes a weird sound that we have never heard before. Good luck with that.  And heaven knows she has made every noise a human can possibly make to get our attention. Then she lets us loose. Well, Einstein and I were loose - the FG was on a long line because there was a good chance he would take off - if given the chance.

So she directed us to the leaf pile.  Where Einstein and I immediately peed.  She shouted “no - not THERE!!!!”  Too late.  She moved the peed leaves around and lined us up and told us to sit.  And stay.  Which she said probably 458 times. Now getting us to sit and stay is one thing.  And we actually DID stay because we REALLY liked the treats.  But the next challenge is to get EVERYONE looking at her.  AND everyone smiling.  It never fails.  Two of us smile and one of us looks like you just took away our favorite bone.  Or alternatively, NONE of us smiles.  Like in these photos.  Cute photos.  But we DO look rather cranky.

 But after numerous attempts she DID get the following photo - which was her "THANK YOU" to the heavens above photo.  It resulted in DOUBLE the treats.

So AFTER that fiasco, she then decided she wanted INDIVIDUAL leaf shots.   She really is a glutton for punishment.  So she started with our "model" dog - Einstein.  All you have to do is set him up and he does whatever you want.   My human covered him in leaves and he willingly stayed in place.  ALTHOUGH, like a temperamental model, he DID get into the "pout" mode. 

Getting him to smile involved telling him to speak. Which he does QUITE well.  But he threw back his head to do so. 

Let's just say that our "model dog" ended up taking WAY more shots than were even required for the group photo. 

Then it was MY turn.  I wasn't big into lying down for the shot - but agreed to sit in the leaf pile.  Unlike the pout face of Einstein, yours truly does the "funny lip" thing.  My human kept telling me to stop with the lip thing - but I had NO idea what she was talking about.  Well....actually I DID, but in order to get me to stop the lip thing, she would give me a treat.   

After numerous treats, I finally gave her the smile she was looking for.

And THEN came the FG.  He had been watching the proceedings with me and Einstein from the deck.  He couldn't WAIT to get out.   But just TRY and cover him with leaves.  It was impossible.  She would cover him.  He would get up and shake them off.  Again and again.  Finally she gave up with that and let him just stay on top of the leaves.  But he is a picnore pro - and he refused to look at her.  

She would toss leaves in the air and he would LUNGE for them.  Or he would bury his head in the leaves. 

In the end - she DID get a shot she liked.  THANK GOODNESS.

What IS it with humans and your urge to take photos of us?  Don't you have enough photos of us ALREADY?  Imagine if we dogs did the same thing to you.  I really need a Go Pro camera.  Wouldn't it be GREAT fun getting photos of my human when she gets up in the morning - while she is walking us wearing her headlamp?  Now THAT would be entertaining....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

E-learning

So my human is signed up for a webinar tomorrow night.  It’s about Canine epilepsy – and she is hopeful that it may provide some good info about treatment. Now hopefully most of you reading this don’t need info about epilepsy – however, you may find other webinars on the site which would be helpful.  The particular epilepsy webinar is free.  Yes – FREE.  You can register as a member on the site for free – but there is also a paid membership which affords people access to more webinars.  Check it out- you can find other upcoming webinars as well:

http://vetvine.com/list/index/education

Here’s another site that has a lot of webinars for pet owners.  Now it appears most of these have a fee attached – but they might be worth investigating.

http://e-trainingfordogs.com/dog-enthusiast/

Here are webinars that deal with dog safety and human safety – with education about bite protection and dog behaviour.  I see that you need to pay for the webinars – but again, there might be some good info to enjoy in the comfort of your own home!

http://doggonesafe.com/Doggone_Safe_webinars

These are just a FEW sites.   I’m sure the are more.  The internet is FULL of resources about us canines. But PLEASE be careful and look at the SOURCE of the info.  Anyone can call themselves an “expert” but check outs credentials!  

My human is a member of several dog clubs – one of which is the American Polish Lowland Sheepdog Association. And THEY are offering a FREE webinar for ALL breeds about Mental Stimulation for dogs.  Can’t WAIT to see the activities that will be suggested.  I see some new entertainment coming our way.

 Anyway happy - learning!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

If at first you don't succeed...

If at  first you don’t succeed, try again in two years.

So yesterday was Saturday, and technically, a day for my human to sleep in.  At least she thought so.  But not me.  I thought it was a weekday – so at 4:30, I started trying to get her up.  I began licking her, I jumped on the bed and off the bed.  I paced.  I licked her again.  OK.  Truth be told – I knew it was Saturday – but I just wanted to get her up.  FINALLY at 5AM, I was successful.  She rolled off the bed, threw on her hair covered dog walking clothes, and took us for our morning constitutional.  Wearing her headlamp on the dark, cool morning, she wasn’t exactly walking with a spring in her step.  She brought us home and the march was continued with the FG.  Then she fed us.  The time was about 6:15, and she decided she could still snooze until 7.  And that’s when she made her mistake.

You see, Einstein and I sleep loose in the bedroom.  The FG is in a crate.  But recently, she began to wonder if she could let HIM be loose at night.  The last time she tried this, it was a disaster.  There was no way he would settle down, so he ended up back in his crate.  But since she was JUST going to have a quick nap, she thought she would give it a try.  Without me and Einstein.  She took the FG in the bedroom and closed the door behind them.  Einstein and I just stared at the door.  My human figured the fewer distractions, the better – and the more likely he would settle down.  Wrongo.  As soon as he came in the room he made a huge jump onto the bed.  He spun around three times – fast – throwing himself onto the pillows.  He got up and did it again.  At this point, my human attempted to lie down as well.  He immediately tried to eat her socks.  On her feet.  She curled her legs away from the piranha, and pretended to be sleeping.  But she had one eye open – to watch his response.   He got up and promptly lay down over her sideways.  Then he attempted to roll onto his back – with her underneath him.  Then he got up, lay next to her, and began a face cleansing routine.   Then he jumped off the bed, went to the door and started squeaking because both of us PONs were right on the other side.  He then spun around and catapulted back onto the bed.  At this point, my human gave up.  This was 45 minutes after she started the experiment, so it’s not like she didn’t try.  But she looked at him and said “Buddy, you STILL aren’t ready for this yet.”  She opened the door and he joyfully greeted Einstein and me.  

I want her to try the experiment again tonight – I love free entertainment.  But my human said no.  Not for at least another two years…

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Failure? Or not...

The last few days I have mentioned dogs that have a job to do.  Like those who help individuals with physical or mental health challenges.  Then we also have dogs who work in the military or with the police.  Some of these dogs are detection dogs - who sniff out drugs, contraband and explosives.  I read the following article about Lulu.  She was in training with the CIA to learn to detect explosives.

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41679118

In the article, you see that Lulu failed the program.  She isn't going to make it as a detection dog.  Detection dogs work very hard - and are always on call.  Their work is amazing.  And it's too bad when dogs don't make the grade - but they no doubt end up in great homes.  But then I started thinking....maybe Lulu wasn't REALLY bad at sniffing out bombs.   MAYBE she was really SMART and she realized that the potential for being blown into bits was quite high - so she preferred the life of a household guard dog - like us- who lounge around all day, barking at the sound of the oil truck or a delivery man or blowing leaves.  Maybe Lulu was a LOT smarter than she is being given credit for...

I'm not sure I would want the job of an explosive detection dog.  I mean I admire those dogs - but count me out. On the OTHER hand, I would make an excellent airport detection dog.  But not for drugs.  I don't care about that. What I would LOVE to do is detect illegal meat products brought into the country.   I bet I could get that job with MINIMAL training.  I can detect dog treats in a coat pocket from 20 yards away.  Wonder what the salary is like for the job...

Well, it's Saturday so you know what that means - EXTRA LONG WALKS!!!  Gotta go!

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Olly-like

OK.  Maybe what I am about to post is something you have seen before.  But for some reason - I JUST saw this for the first time this week.  Or at least I think it's the first time.  But even if you have seen it, you will no doubt enjoy seeing it again.  This is a video of Olly - a terrier -cross who competed in agility at Crufts.  And when you see the first few seconds you may say "OH no!!" because it looks like Olly might have hurt himself.  But he gets up - no worse for wear - and keeps on going!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=477F71a_A9Q

I love Olly.  I think Olly is the face of resiliance.  And joy.  Just LOOK at how he keeps on going - and clearly does so with total reckless abandon.  While some agility competitors  may cringe at the clearly faulty perfomance, I think he is the embodiment of what we dogs represent.  Fun.  Curiousity.  A willingness to fall down and get back up.   Excitement.  No worries - not a care in the world.

Humans could take a lesson from Olly.

I hope YOUR day is truly Olly-like!  Just don't break any bones!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Mental health

So a good news story - instead of a rant today.   I just read about a cool study going on in Australia.  They are looking at the use of assistance dogs with individuals who have dementia!  The dogs are trained to sense the mood of the individual and help if the person wanders or gets lost.  How cool is THAT!  I'll be watching for the results of this one.  Yet another example of how brilliant we dogs are.  

Mind you, brilliant dogs do not always equate with well behaved dogs.  Like in this household.  Like yesterday.  My human's mother came for a visit and it never fails - while my human is helping her get settled in the house, we dogs see that momentary inattention on us as an excellent opportunity to take off. Well, just me and Einstein.  Because we had gone out to pee but the FG was still in the house.  My human had literally not watched us for about a minute, and we were gone.  What was worrisome was the fact that it was almost dark out - and my human is  aware that creatures come out in the night.  My human shouted our names, ran in the house and grabbed our leashes and she started up the driveway.  She wasn't even 1/4 way up when yours truly came racing down the driveway.  At about 200 miles per hour.  Like a cheetah.  And I raced right past her, ran to the house, pushed open the warped screen door and ran in.  One lost dog accounted for.  She figured my partner in crime was not far behind and sure enough - she took a few more steps and there he came racing down and dodged past her on his way to the house.  We knew we were busted.  We also knew it was supper time.  It's in those situations that humans don't know what to do with us.  They are angry because we took off, and didn't come immediately when called. But then we DID come back.  Then to top it off, we raced into the kennel in the garage to see if we could find any food in the 50 treat balls that are in there.  My human promptly closed the kennel door on us, barricaded the gate and turned off the lights.  That was her "punishment" for us going AWOL.  As if that was such a punishment.  Because while we were in "solitary - together" and she went to take the FG out, Houdini did his magic on the gate and pushed the barricade out of the way too. We promptly knocked over a garbage can, looking for anything to devour, but fortunately for my human, she had emptied it that morning.  When she came back to release us, she found both of us free and running around the garage, desperately trying to jump up to get the dog food which is stored in bins about 3 feet off the ground.  

She looked at us and told us she was going to take  our photo to put it on Petfinder.  That's a dog adoption site.  We just rolled our eyes.  We knew she was bluffing.  Besides, she has PLENTY of photos she could use. 

So the FG got the "good dog of the week" award.  Mind you - he didn't have the chance to take off.  Trust me - he would have joined us if he had the chance.

We know that dogs can help individuals with all kinds of challenges - visual, auditory, mobility, and now even dementia!  They assist people also who have physical problems like seizures and diabetes.  They can even help individuals with mental health challenges.  In this household, we do things differently.  We CAUSE the mental health challenges.  No lowering of blood pressure in THIS house.  But she loves us anyway.  THANK GOODNESS! 

Have a good one! Peace and paws up"

ANOTHER rant!

OK.  ANOTHER rant.  I must be in a cranky mood lately.  I saw a news story that made my blood boil.   It seems that 19 states in the US are cracking down a big problem - fake service dogs.  FAKE service dogs!  What kind of human would put a FAKE vest on a dog and PRETEND that it is a REAL service dog?!   I mean REAL service dogs undergo months and months of training - and they perform a variety of tasks for humans with hearing, sight, and physical challenges.  They can also alert others if their human has a specific physical problem like seizures or low blood sugar.  Hey - maybe I can get a service dog for my seizures... But I digress.

REAL service dogs perform tasks that improve the quality of life of the humans they live with.   And to THINK someone would try to simply buy a FAKE vest and pass their dog off as a REAL service dog is downright.....AWFUL!!!!!  The challenge with the REAL dogs is that there is no national certification or registry that will prove a REAL service dog IS the REAL deal.  So it's hard to create or enforce laws around this.  In the US, apparently, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not allow places, which allow service dogs,  to ask any questions about what kind of disability the human has.  The business can ask what tasks the dog does - but cannot ask about the specific disability the human has or for any kind of documentation on the dog. Interestingly, dogs that provide "emotional support" are not covered under the ADA.  I think because the training for these dogs is quite different from service dogs.  And while service dogs are allowed in many environments, emotional support dogs may not be allowed in.  It seems that there needs to be some kind of registry for all of this - so that working dogs who help humans can continue to do their jobs.  And dogs who are NOT trained, cannot be mistaken for one.

None of the dogs in this house would be able to be service dogs.  Imagine me walking with a visually impaired person - and seeing a rabbit....  Clearly those dogs have LOTS and LOTS of training.

Anyway, paws up for REAL service dogs.  And may the humans who try to pass off their untrained dogs as service dogs...well...may you....ummmm.... let's see.....ummmmmm.....step in poop!  Or just don't do it again.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Dangerous times...

Well we are officially into one of the two most dangerous times of the year for humans owned by dogs.  At least in our neck of the woods.  The first most dangerous time, of course, is during the winter months - when icy sidewalks can be definite threat to humans walking dogs.  As you may recall my human slipped and broke her wrist one winter while walking me and Einstein. And thankfully it wasn't OUR fault.  We were not even pulling.  It was just a bad step onto a slightly snow covered icy patch. It was not a joyful time.

But the other dangerous time is now.  During leaf season...

And here is the scenario....When taking us out on the lawn - one or two or three of us poops.  And my human realizes she has no bag in her pocket.  Having no bag IS a rare occurrence.  My human has even found poop bags in formal wear.  But, it seems that when you NEED a bag, you don't HAVE a bag.  Besides - it is only on our property -  so she just goes back in the house to GET a bag.  And then the "older adult" memory test begins.  WHERE in all the leaves is the poop?  It's like that kids' game - Where's Waldo - except the poop is less appealing to find.  So where's the danger?  Yup you guessed it.  While searching among the leaves, one human inevitably steps in the poop.  We  dogs just say, leave the poop on the lawn.  Don't panic- it's organic.  But every year it's the same routine.  We just roll our eyes and look for another pile of leaves in which to poop.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Learn a Word

Today is October 16 and according to the crazy calendar, it’s Learn a Word Day. I COULD give you some real canine vocabulary words - but I prefer my own Viktionary terms.  And I have a few new terms for your ever-growing Vikabulary.

Canidascendaholic.  n.  A dog who likes to constantly climb onto something to assume a greater vantage point.  It can be outdoors, like on a rock or hill or indoors - on furniture- particularly the back of a sofa. 
  

Lately the FG has begun to demonstrate his skills in this area.  When my human walks him, he has rocks that he loves to climb.  He jumps up and surveys the landscape.  Just as he surveys the counters at home. But thankfully he doesn’t jump up there.  Yet.

Obsesslipper v. to obsess about a human's footwear.  The obvious being slippers.  Which of course leads to a story....My human had this pair of fuzzy slippers that emerged from the closet as the weather has started to become cooler.  UNFORTUNATELY, they have seen better days - because one Picard, who shall remain nameless, chewed holes in both toes.  While my human was wearing them.  Not at once, mind you.  Just a little nibble while she would be eating breakfast.  Or supper.  And before you knew it, both slippers had holes in them.  So yesterday she went to Costco.  For those who don't know Costco - it's this huge warehouse-like store where you buy things in bulk.  And you pay a membership fee to belong.  The thing about Costco - you go to buy papertowels, come home with $200 worth of "stuff" and you forgot the papertowels.  More than one dog bed came from Costco back in the day when my human was owned by dogs who wouldn't DESTROY them.  Anyway - she went to Costco and saw these slippers - made of a fuzzy fleece-like shearling material.  So she decided the price was right and came home with them.  She put them on in the garage before she came in the house.  Well.  The FG's brain exploded.  He noticed them IMMEDIATELY.  And he WANTED those slippers.  My human nearly tripped trying to keep the slippers ON her feet and one Picard OFF her feet.  We PONs didn't care at first - we were waiting for supper.  When I FINALLY did note them later, I tried to steal one.  My human said "Hey - you don't even LIKE sheep.  Leave the fleecy things alone."  Sure I will.  But just don't leave those things alone...

mannernesia  n.  the total loss of memory for manners when encountering guests.  Or neighbors walking down the road.  Words like "sit" become like a foreign language.  This is seen, even
on occasion, with those of us who have OBEDIENCE titles.  We DO know what to do. We simply like to embarrass our human.  Payback for having to wear a holiday attire.

So that's it for today.  It's Monday and my human is usually off on Mondays, but today she has to go in.  We'll be on constant guard duty while she is gone.  And looking for those slippers...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Life as Einstein knows it....

Well, life as we know it is over.  Actually, Einstein is affected most by this change.  As we know, Einstein likes to get into the DFZ.  It's his mission in life.  And the old wooden gates with the plastic inserts that were attached to the pillars were no match for him.  He just chewed his way in.    But now... we have new, custom-made METAL gates.   That have been made and installed specifically to keep us canines OUT of the DFZ.  My human had thought about getting doors with glass.  But she reconsidered when she looked at our other glass doors - with the olfactory art.  So she changed her mind, and found poor Don.  Remember the guy who was making our sign?  Now THAT I like!  Check it out!!!!!

But Don also made the gate.  Which may look attractive to humans, but not so much to us dogs.  And it is STRONG.  It can't be moved.  There is no room to get under it.  And the thing is like 5 feet tall.  So jumping would be tough.  VERY tough. 

Aunt Glenda and her husband, Richard, delivered the gate for us - as Don  lives near them.  And they helped to install it.  We just watched - particularly Einstein - who was checking to see what kind of screws they used.  After they were done, my human, Glenda and Richard went in the DFZ and closed the gate.  Einstein walked over and inspected the handiwork.  Then he lay down and rested his chin on the bottom rail.  A more pitiful sight you have never seen. 

Richard also hung up our sign.  And while he was doing so, the FG casually walked over and promptly stole his power drill.  The FG picked it up and RAN - with my human shouting "hey-put that down!!!!!" I wonder if Einstein actually told the FG to do it - he will need tools to get that gate down...

So Einstein has his work cut out for him.  Guess he'll be asking Santa Paws for some seriuos power saws for Christmas. 

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Pooh. Winnie.

October 14.  And on this day in 1926, A. A. Milne's book, "Winnie the Pooh" was released.  Although Pooh isn't a dog, he could have been because he is so smart.

I have taken some of my favorite Pooh quotes - and combined them with some of my favorite photos.  Hope you enjoy them - and have a marvelous Saturday!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Sayings. And ONE more rant.....

It’s October 13, and it is Silly Sayings Day.  So you KNOW I have come up with a few of my own – I’ve just used some famous sayings to get me started…

First we have the proverb:  A fool and his money are soon parted.  

Viktor says:   A fool and his stolen roll from the counter are soon parted.  Unless he can swallow it whole.  VERY quickly.

Franklin Roosevelt said:  The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Viktor says:  The only thing we have to fear is a delivery from the grooming supply store.

We have a saying by an unknown author:  Everything in moderation.

Viktor says:  Nothing in moderation.  Live large.  Be a dog.

We have another saying by an unknown author:  Out of sight. Out of mind.

Viktor says:  Out of sight.  Time to countersurf.

Theodore Roosevelt said:  Speak silently and carry a big stick.

Frodo says: Bark LOUDLY and steal the big stick.

John Heywood said:  You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Viktor says:  You can lead a PON to water, but you can’t make him swim.

Another unknown saying is:  Friends are God's way of taking care of us.  

Viktor says while that IS true he thinks:  Dogs are God's way of taking care of us.  

And as a quick follow up to my rant yesterday about purebred dogs, my human insisted that I tell everyone there is ONE thing she hates hearing when she asks someone what kind of dog they have. She hates hearing “he’s JUST a…..”  While I talked about purebred dogs yesterday and the importance of preserving breeds – please don’t EVER be ashamed of your adopted mixed breed dog and say “he’s JUST a…”  ALL dogs are precious and wonderful friends.  We have a bond with humans that no other species has.  So just as people should not feel shame for owning a purebred dog – people should be also proud of providing a loving home for their rescues.  End.of.rant.  For today!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

A purebred rant.

My human saw this interesting label the other day, and she thought it was actually quite good.  The label was “preservation or heritage breeder” of dogs.  It refers to those breeders of purebred dogs who are not in “the business” to make a buck – or to produce puppies just for the sake of producing puppies.  They are conscientious breeders who seek to preserve a breed to meet the standard and characteristics for which the breed was established.  They want to keep the correct temperament and the instincts inherent in the breed.  And they want to do this so future generations can enjoy us wonderful canines.  They are preserving purebreds.

It’s a good way to look at dog breeding – because, let’s face it,  purebred dogs and breeders have taken a bad rap in recent years.  With health issues in many breeds and an overabundance of dogs in shelters (most of which are not purebreds as I understand it) – there has been a real movement to adopt – and NOT to get a purebred.  And while there is nothing wrong with adopting a shelter dog – they deserve good homes – there should also be no shame in promoting the preservation of purebreds either.  Think along the line of Save the Tiger or Save the Whale. If we don't preserve purebreds - there are breeds in danger of disappearing!  Seriously.

And when I talk about purebreds, I am not referring to designer dogs.  Designer dogs are not  purebreds, and generally are not bred with health clearances – or a concern about pedigree.  They are mixed breed dogs – many of whom can be found in shelters.  If you want a doodle/poo/cockamamie dog – get one at a shelter!  But please don’t pay for one.   The breeders of these dogs are NOT preservation breeders – because these dogs are not actually “breeds” that have been around for generations and generations.  Sure – they are absolutely cute and as I said, those dogs in shelters DO deserve good homes.  But if we want to talk about reducing the canine population in shelters, we should start with the designer dogs.    We don’t NEED MORE "new" breeds - like designer dogs.  But we DO need to preserve the breeds we have.

So there.  That’s MY soapbox statement for today.  Complaints can be sent to my human – she’s the one who gave me the idea for this blog.  And I’ll be wearing my flame retardant suit.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!!!

Myths and legends

It's October 11 and today, according to the crazy calendar, it is Myths and Legends Day.  Now there are a LOT of ways to look at this day, so let's start with just a FEW common dog myths:

•   A dog who is wagging his tail is happy.  NOT always.   You need to look at the WHOLE dog.  Not just his tail.  For example, if we are wagging slowly, or if we are wagging but the rest of our body appears tense or stiff, we may be feeling uncomfortable.  Wagging with our tail down may indicate submission.  Or anxiety.  Which can be seen after humans utter those ridiculous words: "What did you do?"

•   All big dogs or banned breeds have a greater likelihood of being aggressive. Wrongo.  It's generally not the BREED that is aggressive, but the HUMAN who raised that breed.   And while it's true that little dogs don't inflict the level of damage that a large dog can, ANY dog CAN be aggressive under the right circumstances.  Again - this usually goes back to the human who they own. We dogs in this house are NOT aggressive.  Crazy - maybe.  But never aggressive.

•   Dogs are colorblind.  True, we dogs don't have vision that includes seeing the same range of colors that humans have - BUT we don't see in black and white either.  We see in shades of green, blues, yellows and grays.  So don't try outfitting me with that ugly blue plaid raincoat.  I KNOW it's not attractive.  I can SEE it.

•  You can't teach an old dog new tricks.  While we canines like to use this as an excuse - the reality is that IF the treats are good enough - we CAN learn new things.  Admittedly, some old dogs may not be able to see or hear as well - so it could be harder or slower to learn - but never say never!  There's still hope for us yet! 

Now in the category of mythological dogs and legends, I found a mythological canine for almost every letter of the alphabet.   And so many countries/cultures have stories about mythological dogs and lots of them are downright spooky.  Half-man- half-dog beasts,  ghost dogs, devil dogs, blood sucking dogs, two headed dogs - it was hard to find a happy dog from mythology!  One I found was Gytrash a legendary black dog from Northern England.  It seems lots of countries have "black dog" myths and legends.  Apparently Gytrash will meet strangers on lonely dark roads - and in some cases will be helpful and will lead them to the right road.  On the OTHER hand, Gytrash may be not so nice, and lead them astray.  Typical dog to me - sometimes we are good, and sometimes not so much!

If you look on Wikipedia for Mythological Dogs, you will find all kinds of dogs in mythology.  And this article is a summary of some of the stories.

https://www.thoughtco.com/dog-folklore-and-legends-2562493

We have our own myths in our house.  For example, it is a myth that we always countersurf when my human is not in the room.  Trust me - we don't bother if we don't smell food. 

But the BIGGEST myth in my mind is that humans train DOGS.  It is very much the OTHER way around.  From the time of our adorable little puppy looks and our sweet smelling puppy breath, we begin our work - and we ALLOW you to think that YOU are training US.  But WE train YOU. And OUR training goes on for our entire lifetime!   And then the story of our life, after we are gone,  becomes legend.  Every single one of us...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Carpets...

It began in the corners.  First a tiny nibble – even when my human was in the room.  I’m referring of course, to the FG chewing the carpet in the dining room.  She caught him a couple of times, shouted “No,” and stopped the damage.  However…

Sunday after the turkey dinner and after the maimed cat was found, my human’s mother and sister went home.  My human went into the bedroom to change, putting on her fuzzy robe – the one the FG likes to nibble on while she is eating breakfast.  She MIGHT have been out of the room 10 minutes. And when she came back, she found the carpet in the dining room askew on one end.  The label under the carpet was shredded and an edge had evidence of a lovely bite sized hole.  While examining the damage, the FG was calmly lying on his dog bed, with a look of innocence on his face.  Einstein and I had positioned ourselves on the other side of the room – we didn’t want to be implicated in this one.  Besides, Einstein was already in the proverbial dog house for the tattered cat.   And the tough thing for humans  in this instance is the fact that  – you KNOW who the obvious culprit is – like with the cat.   BUT it really COULD have been any one of us in this situation.  Not as likely – but in a court of law, she would have a hard time proving it beyond a reasonable doubt.  Agh – the joys of living in a multiple dog household.

So now my human has to watch him ALL the time.  Or he is back in the pony sized crate if she is not in the room.

She of course, started looking at carpets on-line again. Not that there is ANY point in getting one right now.  The current damage is NOT that bad.  Nothing some magic marker won’t cure.  Wonder if you can get carpets made of metal…..

I must say, it sure is nice not being the one in trouble for a change. Yes.  Life is good.

Have a good one! Peace and paws up!