Sleep. Or not.

Today is February 28 and it's also National Public Sleeping Day.  A day for those folks who like to commune with nature and are able to sleep outdoors, in public.  And THAT would be my human.  She could fall asleeep anywhere.  At any time.  Really.  And it may partly be because of me...

You see lately I have started this "new" routine.  I get up every morning around 3AM.  If she is in the DFZ, I go and stare at her through the gate.  Or if she is in her bed, I do the same thing.  I stare.  And she is psychic - so she wakes up.  So then she throws on her fuzzy robe and slippers and takes me out for a pee.  And truthfully, I don't really need to pee THAT badly.  But when I started this routine, she, in her half alseep state, would come in and give me (and the other stooges) a treat.  Mistake.  BIG mistake.  Because NOW I want to go out - just to get that treat.  It doesn't matter that the past few nights she hasn't given me one - it's the CHANCE that she will forget and will pony up the goods. Kind of like going to a casino, you never know when you might win.

Unfortunately for my human, her sleep patterns are a BIT disturbed by my night time cravings.  So she tries to go to bed earlier.  No problem - I just adjust my staring and try around midnight - which I have done the last few nights.  And then to REALLY make things interesting, some nights I will try TWICE.  But it is CRITICAL to poop on the second outing - that way she can't get annoyed with me. 

I have a FEELING that she might be on to me.  The other night I actually tried THREE times - at which point she said "VIKTOR YOU ARE FAKING. GO BACK TO BED!!!"  So I did.

Personally, I think sleep is overrated.  Mind you - it might have something to do with the fact that we sleep most of the day.  Wait - let me clarify that.  We sleep in rotation - when we are not doing guard duty.  Sure we do.

Anyway, time for a little pupnap.  Have a good one!

Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 2

In the News

So what's new in the world of dogs (besides dog shows)?  Well on the local level, Einstein and I got to meet our new neighbor.  He lives in the next house up the road - and his name is Max.  He's a multi-breed, mostly shepherd puppy and he is about 4 months old.  When Einstein and I went out for our long walk Sunday morning (before my human took the FG to the show), we were coming round a bend in the road and Einstein started sniffing the air and pulling like mad.  And sure enough - there he was - going for a walk with one of his humans.  He's a very friendly guy, and after we all had good sniffs, there were waggy tails all around.  Of course, Einstein had to bark his approval and wanted to play with Max.  I, on the other hand, just sat back to watch.  As you may recall, puppies are really not my "thing".  I mean they are OK - but I would rather play with a rabbit.  Well, maybe not "play" - but  that's who I would be more likely to chase around.  I must be part hound.

In world news, we found the following video and just HAD to share it.  It's about a sheep-dog.  Not a sheepdog.  A SHEEP -dog.  It's a sheep - who THINKS he is a dog.  And honestly, I want one.  Check this out:
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-43203928/the-sheep-who-thinks-he-s-a-dog
Is he not CUTE????   Now... I might agree to play with HIM.

And in the last bit of dog news, they are trying a new dating idea for singles in British Columbia, Canada.  It's a lounge where dog owners can come with their dogs to mingle and meet other single dog owners. The dogs get to play while the humans can have a drink together and see if everyone can get along.  Brilliant idea.  Unfortunately, it wouldn't work for my human because first of all it's on the other side of the country and second of all, only dogs under 30 lbs are allowed.  Seems like discrimination to me. Yeah, yeah.  I guess they don't want the big dogs to hurt the little dogs.  Mind you, some little dogs can be pretty darn tough!!!! And why do they assume that little dog owners would be best matched with other little dog owners? I think I need to open my own version on this side of the country.  My next money making scheme....

Have a good one!
Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 1

Dog show. The LAST day. And some bad news.

Well the shows are over.  As they say in the dog show world "no love for the Picard" on Sunday.  But my human felt he showed well - and this time they did no dance routine in the ring.  One has to be open-minded when it comes to showing dogs in conformation.  To win, you have the opinion of a particular judge - and let's face it - the decision is totally subjective.  For example, we saw a dog this weekend win BEST IN SHOW - and in another show, that same dog did not even win the breed.  Still - you know that going into this and even though you THINK that your dog is deserving of a ribbon - that's your opinion!  And we all know, my human took THE best Picard home last night!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we PONs demonstrated our disappointment about not going to the shows by acting out.  A BIT.  For example, when out on our walks, we trudged along as if in a funeral march.  At 2AM Saturday, my human heard a ratting sound in the kitchen.  It sounded like I was next to a cupboard - and having a seizure.  She bolted up and found me counter surfing in the kitchen.  Einstein has been barking ALL the time.  I mean he usually barks a lot - but since this dog show thing, he keeps shouting out orders at my human. "Get up.  Take me out. Where's my food?  Where's my treat? Elroy stop looking at me."  He was also sure to do that at 2 AM.  On Friday, when the FG got out of the vehicle after coming home from Meet the Breed, he ran into the run in the garage, and brought into the house one of those rubber eggs we got last year for Easter.  At one point on Friday night, my human was in the DFZ and she heard a strange chewing sound.  Einstein was carefully destroying the egg - bit by bit.  And on top of all of that - someone ate a HOLE in a sweater that was draped on a chair in the dining room.  My human replayed the tape on Big Brother - but the angle is hard to see.  For sure it WASN'T me.  Now it is possible it was the FG - BUT Einstein was  also in the picture close to the sweater.

Anyway, we are glad THAT show is over.  And I must confess, we did get a pile of leftover treats when they got home and that certainly helped.  So that wasn’t so bad.

Unfortunately, on a bad note, though,  I had a seizure at 12:30 AM this morning.   My human was so disappointed.   Let’s just hope it will be the only one... I had been doing so well. 

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 0

Dog Show. Day 2.

Well after all that packing, preparation, fluffing and puffing, the FG came home with a couple of tiny ribbons.  He won the Breed.  Mind you, he was the only Picard there.  But still - a ribbon is a ribbon.  In this case it was an example of "if you show up," you get one.  But even that COULD have gone sideways at one point...

When my human went to take the FG in the ring, he had been waiting for a couple of hours.  That's what humans do - they get there early to fluff and puff their dogs - unless they own a short-coated breed like a boxer.  But still - almost everyone arrives early.  Then you wait.  So by the time it was the FG's turn to go in the ring, he was raring to GO.  My human suspected trouble when they went around the ring the first time and he scooped up some piece of fuzz or something as they were running.  Then came his turn to go "down and back".  For non-dog show people, this is the point at which the judge has physically examined your dog and now he wants to see the dog running away and then back towards him.  The judge COULD be a woman - but in this case it was a guy.  So my human ran away with the FG.  And all was fine.  And then they started coming back and the FG decided it was time to jump and gallop.  And my human did what looked like a dance move as she suddenly lost his leash.  And in that .0008 seconds she envisioned the FG on one of his wild running sprees.  She awkwardly grabbed for his leash and caught him JUST as they planted themselves in front of the judge.  The judge just looked at her and said "try that again."  Oopsie.  The second time was a charm.

When they went back in the ring for the group judging, the FG was QUITE fascinated with the tail of the Belgian Shepherd in front of him.  There COULD have been opportunity for more galloping - but my human kept him in check.  But no big ribbons for him this time. 

But while he may not have won any prizes in the conformation ring, he WAS a winner at Meet the Breed yesterday.  It was SUPER busy and my human lost track of how many kisses he gave away.  She should have been charging people.  A few people indicated a genuine interest in the breed - one couple had actually come back from the night before and stopped in again, asking more questions.  And of course, the FG was on his VERY best behavior.  He sat like a prince.  I think it's false advertising.  They should see him when he goes loco pulling on the leash.  Or my human should have shown pictures of the old carpet that he made into Swiss cheese.  Anyway, he reportedly was really good.  And people really liked him.  He had his own fanclub - including at least two people who came to meet the "FG."  Yup - he got to meet MY blog followers!  Lots of people took photos of him.  And my human discovered THE greatest trick to get him to put his ears up for photos.  Instead of making a weird variety of strange noises - which no longer work- she discovered that all she has to do is say "Bye - see you later," and his ears go RIGHT up.  It worked like a charm EVERY time!  People got some awesome pictures of him!!!

But the best part about he day - from my point of view was the fact that when he got home, Mr. Congeniality slept like someone drugged him.  Peace and quiet.  And no poking at my backside or barking as he dances around me.  It was wonderful.

They are back at it again today.  And he'll no doubt have more adventures to share.  Tomorrow I'll let you know EXACTLY what Einstein and I thought about this whole dog show "thing."

Have a good one.
Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days:  43

Dog show. Day 1.

So yesterday my human had to go to work, but we heard some strange noises in the garage before she left.  She was clearly loading up the car - and Einstein and I know the sound well - she was putting in "dog show stuff".

Getting ready to go to a dog show,  is kind of like going on a HUGE camping trip in a remote destination.  Like Mars.  One must be prepared for EVERYTHING.  Even though this show is taking place about 20 minutes from home.  And in the heart of the city.  But still.  One must have EVERYTHING that one could POSSIBLY need.  Just in case of a nuclear disaster. Or worse - a dog show emergency

First off, you have the crate.  Now SOME of you may recall the whole crate debacle last year at this time.  When my human "repaired" the soft-sided crate by using a hacksaw to cut a pole to keep the crate upright.  It's a long story.  I'm sure you can find it in my blog archives.  But then she didn't WANT to leave the FG in a soft-sided crate for fear he would chew his way out.  So she bought ANOTHER hard-sided crate to add to the collection of hard-sided crates we already own.  Well this year, she figured he would be fine in a soft- and she sided crate  The one she repaired last year.  So that was loaded in the vehicle.  Along with the grooming table on wheels.  The one that weighs 400 lbs.  And the big bag with the dryer.  Which she will likely NOT use with the FG - but hey - there could be a flood and she would need to dry him off.  Then you have the folding chair in CASE she EVER decides to sit down.  And then the tack box.  With ALL kinds of brushes, combs, scissors, sprays - most of which she never uses with the shaggy coated FG.  But you NEVER know.  Then there is the bag with HER attire.  Including the special, ugly black shoes that MUST be worn because they have good soles so she won't slip and fall.  Her dog show attire bag includes an ensemble that MUST have pockets - for dog treats - or what is referred to as "bait."  I guess showing dogs is like fishing - you never know if you'll catch the big one, but the better the bait, the better your chances.  Sometimes.  But I digress.  The apparel that one wears MUST have pockets.  Although my humans HAS seen competitors put bait in some unusual places - and some even chew it.  She draws the line there.  Chewing freeze dried liver?  Forget it.

So after work she went to unload the "stuff" at the show site.  Now getting a "spot" at some shows can be like finding good real estate in Manhattan.  It's very tough to find.  But LUCKILY, she has "friends" - Jerome the Boston and Connor the Old English own two VERY nice humans - who always get to the site even before the doors open.  They are pros at this dog show stuff. So they saved my human some space.  She went in, unloaded her stuff and then came home to get the FG.

Yesterday the FG wasn't entered in the show.  He just went to this thing called "Meet the Breed."  So he sits on a table, and people come by and have a chance to meet him.  There was also a nice Rhodesian Ridgeback who was also working the crowd at the same time.  The Meet the Breed area is right by the door as people enter.  And apparently, the FG did a good job as an ambassador for the breed.  He sat on the table, and kissed anyone who wanted a kiss.  One couple in particular was QUITE smitten with him - they said they would come back today to see him in the show.  We'll see about that.

Today he is entered in the show himself.  My human looked at the "competition" list - and she realizes it is VERY stiff.  But they are going in for FUN.  And no falls or poops in the ring will be considered a success.  And after the competition - he is going back to Meet the Breed.  Again.  He'll probably be unconscious at that point.  Which could be a bit of false advertising - if people think he is CALM...

So Einstein and I have another quiet day guarding.  Like yesterday, my human took us on extra long walks in the morning.  And we DID get extra treats.  So that works for us!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 42

$250,000 dog show. Really.

So I was reading an article on the internet about dog shows.   Did you know that some people spend up to $250,000 in a year to show their dog in order to get to Westminster?   Yes.  You are seeing 4 zeros.  Now not EVERYONE spends that amount of money - and you may be wondering how that is even POSSIBLE.   Well for people who don't show dogs, here's my take on dog shows and what they cost...

• Entry fees.  Every time you enter a dog show and spend sometimes less than 2 minutes in a beauty pagent ring being examined by a judge, you pay a fee.  The entry fee can be somewhere around $30.  That's BALLPARK.  For big shows like Westminster, the fees can be double that.  But your average weekend show would be AROUND that.  And if there are four shows in one weekend, that means four entry fees. 
• Travel and accommodations.  If you are going to a show in your home community, this isn't a big deal.  BUT, if you enter a show that is more than an hour or two away, chances are you will be staying near the show. So you have accommodation fees.  If the show is closer, you have your multiple transportation costs. When people get into "campaigning" their dogs (yup - just like a human political campaign!) they may even fly the dog across the country for shows.  So then you have airline costs.  Really.  By campaigning your dog, you hope to win LOTS of times - and become the top ranking dog in your breed, in your group - or overall the most winning dog of all breeds for a particular year. 
• Professional handler fees.  Now not everyone has a professional handler show their dog.  Some people, like my human, like to give it a try on their own.  She's a glutton for punishment.  The pros really know what they are doing.  A pro can make a so-so looking dog look like a million bucks and a non-pro can make a REALLY good dog look not so great.  The fee for professional handlers can range anywhere from $100 to several hundred dollars.  And you pay that every time your dog walks in the ring.  So again, if you enter 4 shows in one weekend, mutiply that number by 4.
• Grooming.  Some people who show dogs, have professional groomers or even the handler get the dog ready for the show.  Groomers cost money too.  Many people who show their dogs MAY groom them on their own.  But you still have to pay for fancy shampoos, conditioners, brushes, combs, dryers, grooming tables.....There is a cost to looking beautiful.
• Advertisement. IF you are winning a LOT and campaigning your dog, you may wish to advertise your accomplishments in dog show magazines.  Yes - these do exist.  And let's just say that although the judges are not biased in ANY way, a dog that is seen frequently in shows and in ads will become familiar to the judges - because even judges read dog show magazines.  So that's NOT to say that it is a GIVEN that a top winning dog will win every time - and really, they DON'T.  But the better you are, and more you are out there, I THINK the better your chances MIGHT be. 

I'm not going to include the costs of treats or food - because we would have those whether we went to a show or not! 

So those are the general expenses.  And you want to hear THE most crazy thing?   So after humans spend all this money, let's say they WIN the show.  And guess what.  90% of shows do NOT give monetary prizes!!!  Even Westminster!  Sure you get a pewter bowl, a nice ribbon and probably loads of endorsements - but in terms of PRIZE winnings - nada.

So.  They asked dog show humans WHY they do it.  Some said they do it to raise awareness about their breed.  They want people to see and learn about their breed - and some of them are preservation breeders.  They want to get their dog out there so people can see a good example of the breed.  It's important to have knowledgeable puppy owners and one way to do that is by showing your breed to the public.

But one of the big reasons that people show their dogs is for the bond that is established between them and their canine companion.  It requires a good team to go in that show ring - and one that is working together and looking like they are having FUN.  And as someone once said, ribbons or not, you still go home with THE best dog at the end of the day!

And speaking of shows...the FG and my human will be strutting their stuff this weekend at the Halifax Kennel Club show.  I'm a BIT jealous because HE will also be doing Meet the Breed this time.  The reason Einstein and I are not doing it was purely a timing thing - my human won't have time to go back and forth to show the FG and have us in Meet the Breed.  And she can't take all three of us - so the wild thing gets to meet the public this time.  My human PROMISED we get to do it the next time.  It actually is fine with me - I didn't really want a bath...

They have been practicing a BIT for the show - but let's just say that Mr. Gawky is unpredicatble when it comes to standing and looking like he is having fun.  Getting those ears up and attentive is a work in progress - and clearly the cornflake catching practice did not result in a dog who can catch.  I hope someone takes some video...

We'll let you know how it goes...

Have a good one!

Peace and paws up!
Seizure -free days: 41

Wanted. New Home for PON.

Wanted:  New Home for PON.  No.  I didn't do anything bad.  I'm looking for a new home because I am mad at my human.  She has done TWO things to really annoy me... so I'm looking for new accommodations.

1.  You know about the whole sleeping thing.  And for a few days, Einstein and I were allowed back in the bedroom.  Until yours truly jumped off the bed and hurt my leg.  Which, by the way, is FINE now.  But still, she didn't want me jumping for the time being.  So her solution?  Since my seizure-free record has been good, she is becoming a BIT less worried about them.  And she is not so worried about hearing me in the night because, truthfully, Einstein would start barking if anything happened.   So she has been SLEEPING IN HER OWN BED (instead of on the sofa) - and she keeps a gate across the bedroom door.  Really.  The nerve.  I want ON the bed.   I won't jump.  I promise.  But no.  All three of us are left to lie longingly outside that gate.  We have LOADS of places to sleep - including a nice raised bed in the dining room- but we prefer to huddle close together by the bedroom door, in an attempt to look as pitiful as possible.  It's not working yet.

2.  She is always reading about seizures and treatments and causes.  We are not looking to change anything right now, as things are going very well.  But one thing she read (that doesn't involve food or medication) was that cervical subluxation or pressure on the neck, can increase the likelihood of seizures.  Now I don't know that this has been studied scientifically,  but a simple solution to the problem is using a harness when walking, instead of attaching a leash to a collar around the neck.  So you guessed it - she ordered a harness for moi.  Like the one that the FG uses.  She ordered it based on size - and actually also ordered a bigger one for the FG - because he has grown.   So the other morning, AFTER she placed the order, she decides to try the FG's harness on me during our morning walk.  And she didn't really have time to fully adjust it - so I was wearing the FG fitted harness.  Well.  First off, how would SHE feel about wearing shoes that are too big?  Now mind you, it wasn't THAT big - because it WAS tight on the FG (I have no idea how the guy could breathe) and I HAVE put on a few pounds lately.  But still, it wasn't exactly custom sized.  So she put it on me and I walked out the door and stopped.  Remember, the FG wears the harness to keep from pulling.  And while I NORMALLY would be bolting down the driveway, pulling her along, I was now suspended.  She coaxed me to come along.  It didn't seem fair that Einstein was happily trotting along wearing a normal collar and here I was in shackles.  I SWEAR Einstein was gloating.  Anyway, I trudged along like I had glue stuck to the bottom of my feet.  And I suppose that this is going to be the New World Order from now on.  Woe is me. 

So those are my two big rants for right now.  And my reasons for considering relocation.

OK.  OK.  Now that I re-read this whole post, I SUPPOSE life isn't THAT bad here.  Perhaps I should reconsider that move.  I I GUESS I'll stay. 

 IF I get some extra treats for my trouble....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure-free days: 41

The New Yorker

February 21.  On this day in 1925, the first issue of the New Yorker magazine was published.  Now I've never really given much thought to the New Yorker, an American magazine - which includes short stories, commentaries and reviews about a range of political and cultural topics.  But on looking a bit more closely, I was surprised to see how much DOG content is in a magazine.  In fact, there have been so may cartoons and covers about dogs, that books have been published about the dog content!  In this article you can see just a few of the many dog covers over the years:
https://dogsmakeeverythingbetter.com/2012/08/28/the-new-yorkers-cover-dogs/

And here is one of the books:
https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorker-Book-Dog-Cartoons/dp/0679765425

And here is a sampling of some of the MANY cartoons that have appeared in the magazine:
https://www.art.com/gallery/id--b704843/dogs-new-yorker-cartoons-posters.htm
Personally, I like the one where the dog is telling the cat that they don't keep him (the cat) on a leash, because they want him to run away.  OK. That's bad.  But funny...

Humor is in the eye of the beholder - and my bet is that you can find at LEAST one of these cartoon that will make you chuckle.  Or at least smirk....Something also tells me that the dogs in this house could be the subjects for some of those cartoons ....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 40

Photos and liver dust

So what do you think are the 5 post popular dog breeds on Instagram?  When you look at posts, the dogs that appeared most frequently in order of popularity include: pug, bullldog,  terrier (no specific type of terrier - so I guess they are all lumped together), chihuahua and husky.  PONs and Picards did not make the top 5.  And I'm betting they are not even in the Top 10.   Although heaven knows,  with my human and her never- ending puparazzi routine, one of us SHOULD  make it to the top 5.

My human posted a photo of the FG the other day and someone says he looks like a model.  Which is very funny because he really does NOT like having his photo taken.  He will look everywhere BUT at the camera.  My human makes all kinds of noises and waits patiently for him to look at her.  She often needs to give up.  I'm the same - except I sniff at the ground.  Or eat grass.  Or eat snow.  We are temperamental subjects. So for every good photo of us, trust me, there are about 258 other shots with us looking elsewhere!

Before I forget, I have to tell you about a new delicacy that we have at our house.  You know our all time favourite treats - the Honey Beefers?  Well the company that makes them also makes something else.  And it is THE best way to get the Picky Picard to eat his food.  He actually DOES eat all his food over the course of the day - but not always immediately.  But if you want him to eat at LEAST 90% of his food at a particular mealtime, add Liver Dust.  Liver Dust.  Isn't that just THE best name?  It's basically dried liver that has been ground down and put in a jar like a seasoning jar.  And it has holes in the top - so you just sprinkle it on your food.  Mmmmmmmmm.  My human figures she could make the stuff herself  by buying dried liver  and grinding it- but the thought of grinding it in her coffee grinder is a bit iffy.   Could end up with some unique tasting morning brew if there are any remnants in the machine after grinding the liver.  Maybe she just needs to buy a grinder for liver.  Problem solved.  Anyway, she puts the stuff on the FG's food and he loves it.  She gives me and Einstein some on our food, but simply to be nice because we devour our food - with or without liver dust.  If you have a picky eater at home - try some Liver Dust. And you will become the Liver Dust fairy.  Sorry.  That image keeps running through my head.

Anyway - have a good one!   Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 39

Danger. Danger.

Well I feel I otter tell you this story as a warning.  Sorry - that's actually  it's a bad pun - about a serious situation.

Last week in British Columbia, Canada, a golden revteiver-cross, was nearly drowned by three otters!  Seriously.  The dog went in the water to investigate the wildlife, and before the dog walker knew it, the three otters had attacked the dog.  One was pulling on her tail, and other one was on top of the dog, probably attempting to drown her.   The dog walker waded into the waist deep water, and pulled the dog away from the crazed otters.

This story really illustrates the need to be vigilant when it comes to wildlife.  There have thankfully been no more reports of coyotes on our road, but my human has been carrying a walking stick when we go out after dark - just in case.  Besides dangerous mammals, in other areas, dogs need to be careful when it comes to venomous snakes.  We don't have any deadly snakes in Nova Scotia - but I creatinly know that in places in the US and Australia, it can be a real concern.  There are even training programs to teach dogs snake aversion. Thank goodness we don't have tha to worry about too.

As spring is approaching (we hope) one also needs to be careful around ice on lakes.  We are quite surprised at how open our lake is already.  There is ice along the shoreline, but the middle of the lake is open water.  My human will NEVER forget the time Paxton took off and headed down to the lake around this time of the year.  My human expected him to race right back, but when he was gone for more than a few minutes, she went down to find him.  He was racing along on the ice, and didn't want to come back on the shore, because he would have actually needed to go in the water.  I'm not sure how he got on the ice in the first place.  My human tried to coax him from the shore, but he just kept running back and forth - and she feared he would start running toward the center of the lake - and open water.  So she did the only thing she thought she could do at that moment - she went in the freezing cold water.  She knew it was not over her head BUT she was wearing rubber boots - which quickly filled with water.  She somehow managed to grab his collar, and dragged him off the ice - thinking she had better move quickly - or they could both be in big trouble. Once he was in the water he headed for the shore and got out quickly.  She slowly followed with the filled rubber boots. She dumped the water and raced up to the house with her freezing feet and one very wet and cold Bernese.  Since then, no dog who likes the water is allowed off leash at this time of the year. She doesn't have to worry about us PONs - just the THOUGHT of cold water stresses us out!   But she wouldn't want to see the FG running loose down there.

If a dog goes through ice, the first and BEST thing to do is call 911.  Emergency professionals know what to do for ice rescues - and they will be able to perform the rescue safely.  Hopefully you will never need to do this, but really - do not attempt an ice rescue on your own.

Who knew that being in the great outdoors could be so dangerous. From wild animals to icy lakes, it's importanat to be careful and vigilant.  And remember to leave wildlife alone.  Except for bunnies....mind you...I suppose a bunny COULD run out on that frozen lake....At least he would if he was smart and trying to get away from us PONs!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 38

The whistle and the recall

The whistle works.  But almost too well...

Yesterday morning we got my human up just before 6. Seriously - she went to bed at around 10:30, so how much sleep does a human need?!  She took the FG out for a quick pee and poop and promised him he would go out again.  She then took me and Einstein out for our walk.  It was still dark but beginning to get light. My human was wearing her trusty headlamp and making lots of noise to scare off any wild creatures.  We walked up the road and we stopped at the start of the public trail.  My human hesitated because it was still kind of dark, but we didn't care, and my human knew we would be miserable if we didn't go for a longer walk.  So off we went.  We got home around 6:45 and had breakfast.  She then told the FG it was "his turn."  He got all excited when she opened the door to the garage and he raced to the car.  She loaded him in, came back and gave Einstein and me a treat and off they went.

They drove a couple of km down the road to the fenced baseball field.  Not much chance that anyone would be there as the sun had just come up fully, it was Saturday AND it was pretty chilly.   But it was perfect for the FG.  The ground was frozen but there wasn't any ice.  

Like last time, he got in the fenced area and flew around like he had been shot out of a cannon.  But he's funny - he runs like mad and then goes plop and hits the deck.  Then he looks around and bam, he’s off again.  He and my human played fetch.  And his return rate was about 75%.  If you count returns that are within a 15 foot radius of my human.  So all was glorious with the world.  And do you want to know the BEST part?  The FG was 100% reliable in coming to my human when she blew the whistle.  And she tried it four different times!  The only problem?  She fears for her life when he comes running.  I mean he is like a FREIGHT train racing to her.  She holds the fetch toy away from her body for fear he will plow right into her.  As he gets closer she braces herself for the impact and closes her eyes.... So the amazing racing recall IS improving, but they still have some control issues to work out.  But she'll take those problems ANY day.  The fact that he is coming when called is HUGE.   She still does not trust him to recall in wide open spaces that are not fenced - but he did excellent from far distances in the baseball field.  

I think we should ALL go to the field together today. But my human thinks that Einstein would try to get out the gate.  It closes well, but there IS a bit of a gap - and he would notice that right away.   I'm not kidding.   He doesn't like being enclosed.  So we may be just doing our trail walking again today.  Unless I could go with the FG.....nah.  

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 37

Random Acts...

You know, sometimes it is hard not to be drawn down by the negative things that go on in the world.  Someone can take a weapon and senselessly kill other humans.  And then humans argue that it is their right to own a weapon for which the sole purpose is to kill lots of people.   It's not a weapon for hunting.  It's a weapon for killing people.  Lots of people.  Why does someone feel they need to have such a weapon?  I don’t get it.  The founding fathers of the constitution didn’t own AR-15s...

And then I look for stories in dog news and I find examples of terrible animal abuse.  Stories so awful I can't even repeat them. 

I find stories of humans who pretend an animal is a "support animal" when it really is not. So it ruins the credibility of people who really DO need support animals. 

I find stories about animals who are becoming critcally endangered, because humans deforest their homes.  Or pollute their habitats.   Or don't use good breeding practices.

Yup.  Humans can sometimes make a real mess of the world.  And it can get down right depressing.

But then, you find a story that restores your faith in humans.  Like all of those humans who came together to search for a lost dog that they didn't even know.  And those humans who TRULY breathed a sigh of relief when she was found - even though some live in another country or on another continent - and no where near that lost dog.  So yes...humans can be good...and underneath it all...I think most of them are....

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day.  A day to do something for someone that is just a nice thing to do.  It doesn't need to cost money - it can be as simple as smiling and saying hello, or making a call to someone you haven't talked to in a long time.  You could clean out that closet and donate some of those clothes you don't wear any more. (HINT-HINT for my human).  You can leave an anonymous note for someone and tell them they are great.  You can plant a tree (which would be peed on in this household - but it's the act that counts).  You can give your dog an extra treat for no reason.  I like that one.  A LOT.  You can help someone carry groceries.  In this house, we dogs would be happy to help UNPACK the groceries.  You can donate to a charity.  You can make a better effort to recycle.  Did I mention you can give your dog a treat for no reason?

We shouldn't need a DAY to remind people to be nice.  But in this day and age, it's sometimes a good thing to do.  When we get pulled down by the negatives in the world, we need to focus on the positives and realize that one little act can make a big difference in someone else's day.  And if we ALL did it...just imagine....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 36

Chinese New Year and GREAT news!!

News flash - Willow has been found!  And she is safe and sound at home.  My human got a late night text from her owner - we don't know the details yet - she said she would let us know more today. Thanks for all the positive vibes and all who went out looking for her.  There was an army searching - and we are SO happy for this result!!

In other news....accoridng to the Chinese calendar, today marks the beginning of the New Year.   The Chinese zodiac moves in a 12 year cycle, and based on the year in which you were born,  you are under one of 12 animals.  In 2018, it is the Year of the Dog!  Other years of the dog included 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, and 2006.  People born under this sign are said to be conservative, they abide by rules and are full of justice.  They say they are loyal - just like us dogs.  If you want to find out which sign you are under, you can look here.
https://chinesenewyear2018.com/zodiac/

I'm not a big astrology follower - but if my horoscope says something good is about to happen, I believe in it.  If it is bad news, I think the whole thing is a bunch of whooey.  When I looked at the dates, though, and the corresponding animals, maybe there IS something to this.  For example, I was born under the sign of the RABBIT!  No WONDER I like to chase bunnies.  Einstein was born under the sign of the Tiger.  And let's face it - he is the MOST ferocious in this house and King of THIS jungle.  And the FG?  Born under the sign of the MONKEY?  HOW appropriate is THAT?  He IS a monkey!

My human says that in THIS house, every year is the Year of the Dog.  She wants to know when we celebrate "Year of the Human Owned by Dogs."  Never.  Dogs rule.  When is she finally going to understand that?

It's Friday.  We're glad for that.  And again SO happy that Willow has been found!

Oh. And one more thing.  My human bought a lottery ticket for tonight - which she RARELY does.  So if...or I should say WHEN you don't see a blog posting tomorrow, it's because she won the $55 million.  But don't worry - I will be posting again - we'll just need to have a few days to get settled in our new home in Hawaii.  

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days: 35

Still lost...

Well I don't yet have good news to share about Willow, the missing Picard. There have been sightings around the area of the city close to the park and also within the park. But she hasn't been found yet.  What is challenging is that she just adopted her new owner 2 weeks ago - so has just been getting used to her new home.  She moved here from the US.  Also, someone DID actually catch her at one point but the not-so-bright human removed her collar in order to read the info on her tag.  And you guessed it, she took off again.

Yesterday my human took a day off work, loaded the FG in the vehicle and went hunting.  She figured that MAYBE if they spotted Willow, she might come to Elroy because he is her breed.  And my human knows that some breeds DO seem to recognize their own - so she figured why not? The area Willow was lost is close to two universities and one sighting was in the heart of one of the universities. So that's where my human and her sidekick started out.  Of course, the FG was initially crazy about being in the city - although the area they were searching is a residential neighbourhood.  But so many sights and smells.  In the first 10 minutes, my human wondered if this was such a good idea after all.  But she continued on, he had a poop, and all was suddenly right with the world.  He now was able to WALK rather than drag her down the street.  The first university student they encountered asked if she could pet him.  Mr. Social showered her in kisses.  She loved him.  The only problem after that encounter was the fact that now the FG thought EVERYONE would want to say hello.  Resulting in some zig zag behaviour by my human to avoid those people who were not looking for kisses (despite the fact that it WAS Valentines Day.)

At one point, a car pulled up and an older woman enquired whether they were searching for the lost dog.  Turns out she was looking too.  My human explained that the FG was the same breed - and the woman thought that was helpful, because now she would know exactly what she was looking for. After about 90 minutes, they had covered quite a bit of territory, but no sightings.  So they went back to the car and drove to the park.  There were lots of people walking dogs, but no Willow.  They walked there for about an hour.  Back to the car they went, and did another  drive around the area.  They were going to head home when they got a text from Willow's owner saying she had been spotted at the park. So they sped back and met Willow's human in the parking lot.  Then they all went back into the park again.  But no luck...

When my human got home, she decided to see if she could find any info about lost dog behaviour.  Bottom line - it's hard to predict much.  An outgoing dog is likely to be found more quickly as it will seek out humans and other dogs.  A more aloof dog, which actually sounds a bit like Willow, may take longer to find because they know how to hide.  BUT they are smart, and will avoid high traffic areas.  You have to be careful though, because you don't want the dog  to panic and run. My human found the following page with excellent information about lost dogs - and the video is exceptional about how to get a nervous dog to come to you.  

https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/lost-dog-behavior/

The FG was exhausted when he got home.  Einstein and I have never seen him so pooped out.  It was lovely - he didn't bug me all day.

Anyway, send good thoughts that Willow will soon be found.  Heck, one of my sisters took off chasing deer one time and was gone for at least a week.  She returned home stinky and matted, but otherwise fine.  Hopefully Willow's walkabout will come to a close sooner than that.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days: 34

Dog shows, missing dogs and Valentines

Lots of news today...

First off, Westminster has come to a close.  We watched the group judging for the final three groups, and here were the results:

Sporting:
1. Sussex spaniel
2. Cocker Spaniel (ASCOB)
3. Clumber Spaniel
4. Wire Haired Pointing Griffon

Working:
1. Giant schnauzer 
2. Akita

3. Kuvasz
4. Siberian Husky

Terriers:
1. Norfolk
2. American staffordshire 
3. Lakeland 
 4. West Highland White

And then we watched the grand fianle.....Best in Show.  And the big winner was...the Bichon Frise!   Runner up was the Giant Schnauzer. 

So now everybody packs up their crates, their grooming tables, their combs, brushes, dryers, towels, aprons, water bowls, treats, folding chairs and poop bags and heads home.  With THEIR winning dog - because let's face it, EVERY dog is a winner JUST for getting to compete at the Garden.  Kind of like the Olympics - an honor not afforded to everyone!

In other news - some rather unfortunate news here in Halifax.  Someone has lost a 3 year old Picard girl in a big park in the heart of the city.  My human saw the notice on Facebook on a site called the Lost Dog Network.  It caught my human's eye because there are very few Picards in the province - but she didn't know this girl. Willow was lost on Monday - but my human didn't see the posting until yesterday.  She contacted Willow's human to see if she was still missing, and unfortunately she was.  My human offered to do a drive around the area where she went missing, after work yesterday.  She got in her car and headed for the area around the park.  She came to a stop sign and out of the corner of her eye, saw a tail behind a tree.  But don't get excited.  My human immediately stopped the car, went to the back of the car to get a leash and slowly approached the tree.  And from around the tree came a tan colored multi-breed dog - who just stared at her.  "Great" my human thought - "I found the wrong lost dog". But he seemed to be a dog with a mission and headed down the street. My human asked Willow's human if they needed posters to be put up or distributed, but apparently they have already done so.  And the original posting has been shared over 900 times.  So HOPEFULLY, Willow will soon be found safe and sound...I'll keep you posted.

And lastly, today is Valentine's Day. And of course, time for our annual poem to my human...

Roses are red,

Violets are blue, 

You feed us and groom us

And pick up our poo.

You walk us and train us 

And buy us new toys,

You spend loads on dog stuff

We’re three lucky boys.

We try to be good

Though we’re often quite bad,

But when you leave us we miss you,

And feel very sad.

While we don’t always listen

And appear not to care,

Wherever you are, if given a choice,

We would rather be there.

Oh human, our human,

We do love you so,

We’re so glad we picked you,

We want you to know!

Hugs and licks from your Valentines!

Frodo, Viktor and Elroy 

We hope you like the flowers we sent.  We used your VISA card....

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Seizure- free days: 33

Westminster. Day 1 results...

Day One of the Westminster conformation show is over.  And how does a human manage to watch breed judging in the afternoon with three dogs who would rather be doing something else?  She gives them bones.  But obviously not for very long.  After the stomach issues the last time we had bones, we'll see if she is as lucky as the winning dogs at Westminster today, while she is at work.

My human actually had a hard time watching the breed judging live because for some reason, the networks in the US think that people in Canada would not want to watch.  Um, hello - there are over 100 dogs from Canada competing this year AND it just so happens that the Best in Show judge is a Canadian.  And there are 6 other judges this year from Canada as well.  So there.

In order for my human to watch the Group judging last night, she had to buy an extra TV channel.  She never watches much TV, but when it comes to Westminster - well it's a tradition.

We all got to sit on the bed and watch the group judging.  I thought we should snack on some bones while watching, but my human said no.  For a while I thought we were going to be banned from watching the show because we couldn’t settle down.  But we eventually did.  While she wanted to see all the groups last night, she REALLY wanted to watch the Herding group.  For obvious reasons.  And of course, that was the last group to be judged.  We had to keep nudging her to keep her awake. She fell asleep part way through the Toys and woke up when the Non- sporting was ending.  And then it was Herding.  We got to watch a handsome boy PON and a pretty girl Picard strut their stuff. Thank goodness they were not preempted by a commercial.  They looked awesome but unfortunately didn’t take home the big ribbons.  Robbed again. Here are all the winners from last night:

Hounds:

1. Borzoi (Lucy won this spot last year too!)

2. Bloodhound 

3. Beagle

4. Whippet

Toy:

1. Pug

2. Pekingese

3. Affenpinscher

4.  Toy English Spaniel

Non-sporting

1. Bichon

2. Standard Poodle

3. Boston terrier

4. Keeshond

Herding:

1. Border Collie

2. Cardigan Welsh Corgi

3. Old English Sheepdog

4. Shetland Sheepdog

You’ll note that our experts were pretty good with their predictions!

Tonight the last three groups are judged, and Best in Show is awarded.  And SOMEONE will get to take home the giant trophy...Given that the Borzoi came close last year...right now, she is my favorite.  We'll see....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 32

Westminster

Well today is the day that Westminster begins the beauty pageant.  It's the big dog show that began in1877 in New York City. A total of 2, 882 dogs will compete in conformation for the coveted prize of Best in Show.  While Westminster is not the biggest show in the US, it is probably the most well known.  So do you think there are more PONs or more Picards entered this year?  The FG is gloating again - there are 19 Picards and 13 PONs in the running this year. And what breed do you think has more entries....the Labrador Retriever, the Golden Retriever, the Viszla, the French Bulldog or the Rhodesian Ridgeback?   Here they are in order of entires:

Golden Retriever: 52

French Bulldog: 48

Labrador Retriever: 46

Vizsla: 45

Rhodesian Ridgeback: 43

Who knew there would be more Frenchies than Labs?!

There are two new breeds that have been added to the AKC roster this year.  The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is a sporting breed from the Netherlands and is a great duck hunter.  The breed also goes by the the nickname Kooiker. They KIND of remind me of Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers.  If you squint and ignore the colors.    Maybe it's because they lure ducks like Nova Scotia tollers.  They are supposed to be smart, lively and attentive to their owners.  As any breed, they do need socialization when young.  The Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen is the other new breed - a hairy hound from France.  The GBGV was bred as a scent hound who can track both large and small game from wolves to rabbits.  They are said to be comical, but sometimes stubborn - and not always the best breed for a first time dog owner.  Sounds like a PON.  Or a Picard!

I tried to find the Vegas odds for which dogs are the top contenders this year.  I couldn't find specific stats but I do know that the top winning dog in the US for 2017 was a Giant Schnauzer by the name of Ty.  Watch for him!  I also listened to a podcast by two women who are ACTIVELY involved in showing (they are professional handlers), and they mentioned the following breeds to watch for the in group judging (in no particular order...Giant Schnauzer, Boxer,  black Lab, Pointer, American Cocker Spaniel, Bichon, French Bulldog, Dalmation, Pug, Whippet, American Staffordshire Terrier, Norfolk Terrier, Borzoi, Pug, Havanese, Affenpinscher,  Brussels Griffon, PBGV, GBGV, Wire Fox Terrier, German Shepherd, Old English Sheepdog, Border Collie and get this - PICARD!  Now that might seems like a LOT of dogs, but keep in mind there are over 200 breeds competing. Let's watch to see if their predictions are close! 

Today the following groups will be judged: Toy, Hounds, Non-sporting and OUR favourite group - Herding.  We'll be watching for our PON and Picard buddies.  Tomorrow, the groups include Sporting, Working and Terriers.  And tomorrow night is the big Best in Show gala. 

We know a number of local dogs competing including a Standard Poodle, and a Beagle. We'll be watching for them as well.

Let the games begin.  Wait - the "dog games." The other games have already started...

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 31

Winter Olympics

The 2018 Olympic Games have officially opened in PyeongChang, South Korea.  Hopefully it will be a peaceful event bringing together countries from around the globe in the spirit of sport and honest competition.  One awkward and not-so-nice reality of the host country, though, is the fact they they still farm and sell...ugh...dog meat.  Yes.  You read that correctly.  Now I could go into a long speech about this fact,  but I have a sneaking suspicion that if you are reading this blog, you would most likely oppose this horrible practice.  And I don't want to minimize it - but honestly, we have so many bad things going on in the world, that today I would rather focus on the Olympics - and leave the discussion of canine cuisine for another day.  One GOOD thing I will say - it appears in South Korea that the practice is declining and pet ownership is increasing.  But they still have a way to go...

I decided to see if dogs have EVER been a part of the Olympic Games in the past, and found that some interesting facts.  In 1932, dog sledding was a demonstration sport in Lake Placid, New York.  But that's as far as it went.  It never became an official sport.    In 1928, skijoring, appeared as a demonstration sport as well.  Skijoring is a sport in which humans are on skis and are pulled by a dog - or in the case of the Games in 1928, by a horse.  It also never became official. Lots of people do it with their dogs today.  For my human, it would spell certain death. Just walking us on icy sidewalks is adventurous enough.

In 2016, in Rio, host of the summer Olympic Games, they hosted a Dog Olympic Games.  Events included things like agility, hurdles, racing and dock diving.  Those kind of sports for dogs make logical sense.  But I think there are PLENTY of other sports in which we dogs could compete.  Here are a few:

• Treat jar races.  Dogs are required to stay in different locations in a house, and when they hear the treat jar open, must race to it.  The first dog there wins.
• Tug of war.  Can be performed with two dogs (matched for weight) or a dog and human.  To keep it fair, given that lots of dogs are outweighed by humans, the humans should be wearing roller skates.  
• Treat catching.  Could be done from longer and longer distances. Clearly not a sport for the FG...
• Food dish bowl hockey.  Pushing a bowl across a kitchen floor and into a laundry hamper and being sure to make as much noise as possible.  Einstein could do this.  The event would be timed.
• Treat hunt..  Treats are hidden around a house.  Dogs are timed in their ability to find all the treats.  Gold medal for me - for sure!
• Dog kiss marathon.  See which dog can give the most dog kisses.  Event is obviously timed.  But one may want to check what the dog was licking BEFORE the event takes place.  Fair warning.
• Snow digging.  A timed event to see who can dog the deepest hole in a pile of snow.  For us PONs, it would be helpful to have a treat at the bottom of the snow pile.  For the FG, no treat is even needed.

Now those are just a few of the events that could  take place in the winter.  I have LOTS more ideas for summer games...who do I contact about having events added?

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 30 

Good news. Bad news.

As some of you might have noticed yesterday, I had a question mark next to my count for seizure free days.  And it's a good news, bad news kind of story.

At around 3AM Friday morning, my human woke up and I was on the bed with her.  I chattered my teeth a few times, and when I went to stand up, I was VERY wobbly.  Now you need to understand that with the medications I am on, one of the side effects IS wobbly behavior - and a weak rear end.  Not weak enough to keep me from counter surfing, mind you, but I still have an interesting gait pattern at times.  But that night I appeared extra wobbly.  I did NOT have a grand mal seizure, which was good, but my behavior was odd.  My human wondered if I was having a partial seizure.  And if that wasn't stressful enough, I went and jumped off the bed in my wobbly state, before she could grab me.  I sat down hard on the floor and looked at my human.  I shook myself off and went to lie down - and I went back to sleep.  But the BAD part was the next morning.

My human got up - and yours truly could NOT use one of his back legs.  I mean I was a three legged dog.  I held my leg up and would NOT bear weight on it.  My human just about died.  We went outside and let's just say that peeing and especially pooping were interesting on three legs.  My human carried me back into the house. 

Of course the first thing she did was contact one of her most intimate, and knowledgeable friends.  Google.  The first thing she searched for was ACL tear.  The symptoms include an inability to bear weight on a rear leg.  And a tear can happen by doing something like landing poorly after a  jump.  Great.  And of course, she read about all the options for surgery.  This is before 5:30 AM, I might add.  And she was doubly panicking because she had to go to work. 

All day long, she kept watching me with Big Brother.  Actually, it was pretty boring, because I slept most of the day.  Around mid-day she saw me walking around and I appeared to be weight bearing again. 

By the time my human got home from work, you would NEVER have thought I had a problem that morning.  I went outside, on a leash of course, and I trotted along with no hint of a limp. None.  Zero.

So.  Did I have a seizure?  Hard to say.  If it was one, it definitely wasn't a bad one.  Could it have been a medication side effect?  Possibly. 

Now a GOOD bit of news.  Because I haven't had a BIG seizure in so many days, we are reducing one of my medications.  This is actually VERY good news - because that particular drug is hard on my liver.

My human is becoming more and more informed about canine epilepsy.  The problem with the condition is that there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to treatment.  What works for one dog may not work at ALL for another dog.  And finding the right combination of medications is very much trial and error. 

So given that I didn't have a BAD seizure, we'll continue the count - and hope that yesterday's weird behavior was just a glitch.  Mind you....MAYBE I was acting weird because I got into the garbage can in the laundry room...and ate a fistful of dryer lint.  Yup - I did it.  Although most of it DID reappear when I was doing my three legged poop routine...And not to worry - we don't use dryer sheets so there were no toxic chemicals.  I just ate fuzz.  Plain old fuzzy fuzz.  Yum.

Never, ever a dull moment in THIS house....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 29

Morgan. My idol.

Well I was looking through the world of dog news and came across an interesting story.  Have you heard about Morgan? No?  She is a 6 year-old Newfoundland dog from British Columbia, Canada.  Morgan is what is called a Grand Champion - meaning she has won LOTS of dog beauty pageants.  So that means she is pretty.  And, she is smart - she has also competed in obedience and draft dog competitions.  Draft dog meaning she can pull a cart.  Not drink beer.  ALTHOUGH, Morgan does have an affiliation with beer too.  You see, Morgan has also been trained to do a HUGE number of tricks.  Including, fetching a can of beer from the fridge, fetching bags of snack foods, roasting hot dogs over a fire (yes - you read that correctly), vacuuming, shoveling snow and pushing a snowblower.  Here she is working with the snowblower:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fg3WLKL4zw

And here she is doing some of her other tricks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-g2JGMGCfE

In addition to all the of above amazing attributes, Morgan is ALSO a trained therapy dog who visits seniors in retirement homes.  She is also trained in water rescue.  Of course she is. Seriously, is there anything this dog doesn't do?

I think for me, the most amazing thing that she does is open that fridge door.  And ONLY removes what she is supposed to.  THAT is amazing.  Wish I could open the fridge door.  And trust me, I wouldn't be looking for a can of beer.   I think I want to invite her to come and visit.... Right after my human has gone grocery shopping...

It's Friday.

Let the weekend begin!!!!!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure -free days: 28?

Coyotes...

Our weather here in Nova Scotia has been a bit strange this year.  We get some snow. Then we get freezing rain, then rain, then the temperature goes up and melts lots of the snow, but it then drops and leaves an icy coating and then we get snow again which covers the ice...and the process repeats.  As a result, we haven't been getting our long walks in the morning, because walking on our driveway is a bit of a risk.  You don't know where you'll encounter ice while walking in the dark.  Even the LAWN was an icy minefield for a few days.  So the other morning while my human was attempting to keep her balance and still hold onto leashes for two dogs, she was a BIT unhappy when Einstein and I started sniffing MADLY around the house and we were dragging her - or sliding her - from snow mound to snow mound, with our noses STUCK to the ground.  My human wondered just WHAT we could be sniffing.  We haven't seen any bunnies lately - and the bunnies don't typically come all that close to the house anyway- so we doubted it was them.  BUT - I wonder if the mystery was solved the night before last when my human got a frantic text from one of the neighbors.  The neighbor texted to warn that there was a coyote in a yard on our road. It was around 8 in the evening.

We know that there are coyotes around - we've certainly heard them from a distance.  But no one had seen any on the road - at least not for a LONG time.

Now if you live in coyote country, there are tips to protect your dogs from altercations.  In our case, given our size, it is not as likely that a coyote would attack us - although they COULD view us as competition.  So one never knows.  Smaller dogs and certainly cats, though, are really at a much greater risk.  My human is always with us on walks, and as a rule, coyotes will generally avoid humans. But if one does encounter a coyote, one should try to look as big as possible.  Humans should stand tall and maintain eye contact.  Do NOT run away.  In fact, experts suggest that you should try to scare the coyote away by yelling, stomping your feet and even throwing rocks or sticks near the coyote.  But there is a caution with this behavior... If the time of year is between August and January - that's when you scare a coyote.  HOWEVER, if it is between February and July - when coyotes may have pups and you MAY be near their den, by trying to scare them, you may actually agitate them and they MAY act out to protect their den.  In this case, you just stand tall, and walk calmly away, watching the coyote at all times.

If you know there are coyotes in your area, be sure to NOT leave dog or cat food outdoors.  Make sure access to compost is secure. Even cleaning up our poop is suggested, as coyotes could be attracted to it. Guess they are into recycling like me.

Coyotes are becoming more and more of a nuisance in recent years - and there is even evidence of "urban coyotes" in places like NewYork City's Central Park.  They are becoming used to humans, which can result in more and more encounters.  Honestly, if given the choice between encountering a bear or a coyote, I think I'd pick the bear.  At least the bears we have around here - which are black bears - and who typically run when they see humans.  Now grizzlies and polar bears (which we don't have) are another story...Coyotes, to me are scarier than black bears and I REALLY would not want to face more than one...

So we'll be making lots of noise when we go out after dark and my human will actually start carrying a walking stick.  Just for good measure.  That is, when the ice melts...Wonder how those coyotes are managing on the ice...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 27

Weird behavior.

Spring must be in the air -although the temperatures are still below freezing.  I'm wondering about spring though, because the FG is suddenly in love.  REALLY in love.  With me.  I have NO idea why he has become fixated on me.  I mean it's not like I play with him or anything. Now I AM very tolerant of him. But this squeaking and staring thing is a BIT much.  In the photo - you see him trying to basically lie on top of the bone that I am chewing on, in an effort to get my attention.  It's WEIRD.  And it can happen at ANY time of the day or night...

My human has attempted to return to sleeping in her bed.  Einstein and I were thrilled because her bed is pretty comfy.  But the FG STILL cannot settle down. So she came up with a new plan.  Instead of putting him in his crate, or blocking him out of the bedroom completely, she put up a gate in between the bedroom and the master bathroom.  Which leaves about a 3x6 foot area where she can sequester the FG.  So he is "technically" in the bedroom, but not jumping on and off the bed.  The first night it worked perfectly.  Then the night before last, he wanted to go out to pee at about 2AM.  Fine.  But when my human put him back in  his "room" he would NOT stop squeaking.  And he was squeaking at me.  She finally had to put him in his crate.  And he was silent after that.

Latley, he bounces around me, doing a play bow.  And then he starts barking at me.  He ALSO likes to sniff me and push me with his nose.  My human thinks that the only reason I haven't clobbered him yet is because my medications make me more mellow.  I must confess, he does try the same routine with Einstein too - but to a lesser extent.  And IF he pushes Einstein too much, Elistein WILL tell him when he has had enough. 

My human actually started wondering if he was warning of a seizure.  Thankfully, no he wasn't. And the behavior continues.  Until she physically moves him away from me - and gives him something to divert his attention.  Like a toy or treat. 

I think we need some good weather - so we can get some longer walks.  Maybe that will tire him out more.  To be honest, I think the behavior actually drives my human more crazy than it does me.  Anyway -maybe it's just because spring is in the air.  Maybe he knows the groundhog...

Have a  good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure -free days:  26

Starring in a commercial. I wish.

Well the big football event is over. The Superbowl has been played and the Philadelphia Eagles reigned victorious.  Now given that we live close to New England, one would THINK we were rooting for the Patriots.  Nope - we were hoping for Philadelphia.  Because they were the underdogs. That term, by the way, refers back to the horrid sport of dog fighting.  And the dog that ended up underneath his competitor, usually lost.  I think we should change the term.  Not sure what it could be though - likely losers?  That works.  Anyway, my human has been a long time "likely losers" fan.  She's from Buffalo - and she knows all too well about losing Superbowls....Maybe next year.

Anyway, during the Superbowl, companies pay millions of dollars to advertise - and they play special commercials for the occasion. But do you know what was considered to be THE best commercial in the past gazillion years?  The following one from 2014.  And no wonder - it features a dog...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlNO2trC-mk

Did you cry?  My human does.  We just roll our eyes.

Here's another dog commercial from 2018.  It's pretty cute - but not like the previous example...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is5QIzicOhY

Now this dog commercial never won any big awards - but I like it.  Because it ALMOST looks like a PON...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn1OhI2awLA

If you Google "dog commercials", you will find all kinds.  And it's no surprise that companies try to sell things using us dogs as  models.  A recent article stated that we dogs have taken the internet by storm.  For example,  of the 50 most popular pet-related Instagram accounts, 22 are about dogs.  Compared to 18 featuring cats. Dogs rule the net.  But are you surprised?  We rule everything - especially in THIS household!

Now how do I find out about starring in a commercial for dog treats?  I would be SURE to make lots of mistakes - so we could do LOTS of re-takes.  Yup.  We dogs rule....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days: 25

Who is handling who?

The FG went to his "handling practice" yesterday. When he and my human arrived, his brain exploded.  He was SO excited, he was standing in the vehicle, after he got out of his crate, and he suddenly jumped and ended up doing a belly flop on the pavement.  My human watched the thing in slow motion and for 1/1000th of a second was sure he was broken.  But like those little toys that you push in the bottom, and they collapse - he immediately jumped up - just like those toys when you let go.  He dragged my human to the nearest snow bank to have a pee and basically could not control his excitement.  His fiesty friend, Jerome, a Boston Terrier who thinks he is ten times the size of ANY dog - arrived and the FG wanted nothing more that to paw him in the face.  In an attempt to play, of course.  My human dragged the FG into the facility, and quickly took off her coat because she was already sweating.  And they hadn't even begun the session.

My human thinks handling classes, although they are really good, are the longest hour of her life.  As soon as the FG got in the room, he dropped to the floor and dragged himself and his face along the rubber flooring.   My human had to heave him up.  By the time everyone assembled, and they were ready to begin, the sweat was really pouring off her.  Good thing she had LOADED her pockets with THE best treats ever.  At first the FG didn't even CARE about the treats, but he quickly figured out that he might as well try a few.  My human, in her effort to keep him standing, rather than rolling on the floor, kept plying him with treats.  Anything to get his attention.  By the time it was his turn to be examined by the judge, he was finally starting to settle down.  The thing about the FG - he enjoys the "moving" part of the beauty pageant.  He likes running back and forth and around the ring.  It's the standing and waiting for your turn that he finds a bit boring.  And the reality - when there are lots of dogs in a show, there IS a lot of standing around.

All in all, despite the rather explosive start, he didn't do TOO badly.  And when they were all done, he happily jumped back into the vehicle.  And when he got home, after Einstein and I sniffed him all over, he was ready for a good nap.

It was suggested that he is ready to get back into the ring at a REAL show again.  Maybe - but not until after my human stocks up on antiperspirant...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 24

AWOL after an explosion

Well it's been a while since Einstein and I have been in trouble - so we were really overdue...

It all started with some meaty bones.  My human decided to treat all of us to some meaty kneecap bones on Friday.  And they were REALLY meaty.  But she carefully timed us eating them, as we know what can happen with too much of a good thing.  She set a timer and at the half hour mark, traded us a treat for a bone.  Personally I grabbed the treat and then tried to grab the bone back - but no luck.  Einstein and the FG gave up their bones and we then proceeded to roll on the carpet and the FG proceeded to wipe his face on the cupboard doors - with my human following behind him, cleaning surfaces  with some antiseptic wipes.

Thursday night, we slept through, but I wanted to go out at 5AM.  My human got up, took all of us out, we did our business, she fed us our breakfast and she went back to sleep.  The FG, though, was now wide awake - and started squeaking for me to play with him.  Which I rarely do - but he kept trying.  He squeaked and barked and ran around me - to the point that my human got up and put him in his crate.  A half hour later, he started to squeak again.  My human thought he just wanted to play.  But the squeaking continued, so after a half hour, she got dressed again and took him out.  And let's just say, it was obvious that the bone did not "agree with him."  Oooooo-eeeee.  He had a problem.  But remember, he had already had his breakfast... So his stomach was full... And my human needed to go over to her mother's for a few hours....Given this predicament,  she decided to put the FG in the run in the garage while she went out (which is heated - in case anyone was worried).  And Einstein and I stayed in the house.

When my human arrived home after about 4 hours, it didn't take more than 1.6 seconds to realize that there had been an explosion in the run in the garage.  "Oh no" she said to the FG - who actually did not appear to be the least bit concerned.  She told him to hang on a minute while she went in the house to get some cleaning supplies, and his leash.  And that's where she discovered that one of US also had some bone disagreement as well.  Not as bad as the carnage in the garage - but still, a definite landmine.  She ushered us outside while she went to clean up that mess first.  She did it quickly as she has become a pro at poop removal and sanitization.  She went to take the contents of a bag outside and that's when she discovered that two PONs were AWOL.  She called.  And no one came.  She called again.  Louder.  And no one came.  She ran in the house, grabbed her coat and stormed up the driveway.  She figured we were in one of two places.  Over at Hudson's house OR over at the other neighbor's place - who has a new puppy.  She actually headed there first.  She walked down the road to their place, and looked down the long driveway to the house.  No sign of two PONs running about.  So she headed back toward our house.  And that's when she spotted two PONs - standing at the end of Hudson's driveway - by the road.  There isn't much traffic on our road at this time of the year - so she didn't panic. Einstein spotted her first. And he froze.  Then I saw her.  Neither of us knew what to do.  Head for home.  Or head for her.  She called us - so the decision was made for us.  We ran to her - albeit slowly because even at a distance we could see the steam coming from her ears.  We were leashed and marched home.  Where she now had the pleasure of tidying up the run in the garage.  Let's just say we had no bones last night...

Today the FG is going to some kind of handling class.  It's where he handles my human and shows her how to stay on her feet while they run around a ring to prepare for entering beauty pageants this year.  Now this should be entertaining...I'm sure I'll have some good story tomorrow.

Now.  I wonder if we'll get those bones again tonight...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 23

It's a tough life being a groundhog

Well the groundhog didn't see his shadow.  So that means we should be having an early spring.  At least that's what Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia forecast.  That's before he bit a reporter....

Seriously.  There was this big gathering with everyone waiting for Sam to come out of his den.  They opened the door to his den and he ran around.  Everyone cheered for an early spring.  The dignitaries left Sam's fenced area all happy.  And then it seems some reporters wanted to get some close-up photos of Sam.  Well Sam wanted nothing to do with the paparazzi anymore.  I mean, seriously - they roused him out of his bed and chased him around - so he had enough.  So he started climbing out of his pen.  Fast.  He was almost to the top of his encloseure when one of the reporters grabbed him to pull him down.  And that's when Sam had really had enough - and he bit the reporter.  Can't say I blame him.

That's almost as interesting as the story in 2014 when the Staten Island groundhog, Chuck was actually dropped by the mayor.  Actually, this story is rather tragic.  Chuck died several days later.  The cause of death was said to be old age, but some also said he died of internal injuries.  Who knew it was such a rough life being a rodent whose main job is to be recorded coming out of your house one day each year.  Then there was the case of Winnipeg Willow, in Manitoba Canada who in 2016 died just days before the big day.  Too much stress I think.  All the festivities needed to be cancelled.  They obviously didn't have a stand-in.  

Apparently several other famous prognosticating hedgehog-wanna-bes had a different forecast than Sam yesterday.  Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania and Wiarton Willie in Ontario both predicted more wintery weather. Everybody knows we have more balmy weather here in the Maritimes.  Sure we do.

Next year, I think I'm going to get my human to drive me to see Shubenacadie Sam do his forecast.  Now wouldn't THAT make for another good groundhog story!

Have a good one! Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 22

Best trick. Ever.

Wednesday night was clearly a full moon.  We were up half the night.  The FG was batting aound an empty food bowl at 2AM, I wanted to go out for a pee at 3AM, Einstein started barking at the FG at 4 AM...  In a word it was chaos.  At 4AM my human put the FG in his crate because he was staring at me and squeaking.  And I was FINE - I was just trying to sleep at that point.  So when my human got up at 5:45, she was just a TAD cranky.

She took Einstein and I out first.  We did our thing and then it was the FG's turn to go out.  And as is typical, Einstein started barking as soon as the front door was closed.  It was icy out, so my human just took the FG around the house to the backyard to do his thing.  And Einstein was barking up a storm.  At which point my human, who was just a LITTLE overtired,  hauled off her mittens, dug her phone out of her pocket, opened the Big Brother app, and did something she has not tried before.  She turned on the microphone and loudly said "FRODO BE QUIET."  And the house fell silent.  I mean SILENT.  Einstein couldn't figure out where her voice was coming from.  I mean he KNEW she took the FG out, so how could she be talking to him?!  He gave another bark and again, the mystery voice said "FRODO BE QUIET."  And he never made another peep.

When she came back in the house - he just stared at her.  Now ordinarily, he will start barking at her to get his breakfast. I told you about his routine with the garage door.  Anyway, my human went in the garage - and he never made a sound.  I'm not kidding.  I think he was still in shock because he couldn't figure out the whole voice mystery. 

My human opened the door, looked at him and said "pretty good trick, eh?"  He silently stared at her.

Now I'm SURE he will catch on to the fact that she is NOT there when she uses the speaker on Big Brother - and the barking will resume.  But is sure was fun to watch Mr. Brilliant be fooled - for now.  For a change: Human-1; PON-0.  We'll see how long it lasts...

We'll also see today what an overgrown rodent predicts about the weather.  Yup.  It's groundhog day - and the furry weather prognosticator will be making his judgement today.  If he sees his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter.  No shadow means an early spring. In our area, the groundhog's name is  Shubenacadie Sam. Last year he forecast an early spring.  I was just looking at some snowy photos from last year on April 2.  So I'm not sure the hedgehog-wanna-be is all that reliable with his forecast.  But we'll see.  Just the THOUGHT of an early spring makes humans feel better!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days:  21

RCMP.

February 1. And on this day in 1920, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police began their operations - although the original mounted poilce in Canada date back to the 1870's.  The RCMP are the men and women in the flashy red uniforms and big hats who ride around Canada on horses catching bad people.  OK.  OK.  Today they do it in patrol cars and wearing the red uniform seems to be for formal occasions and not everyday attire. 

In 1935,  three German Shepherds were the start of the dog unit of the RCMP.  According to their website, to this day they still only use German Shepherds for general duty work, but other breeds are used for Scent Detection.  And I probably shouldn't report this - but they usually use male dogs.  

Only 17% of dogs who enter their training program at about a year of age are actually successful in completing it.  Wonder what the success rate would be if more girls were entered... Just sayin'.  

Some interesting facts from their website:

• A dog can search a car in about three minutes. (If it was a PON looking for food, the search could be done in 1.3 minutes.)
• Dogs can work up to four hours with rest intervals. (FOUR hours?!  When my human goes to work, we are on guard duty for more than that!  I want that gig!)
• On average, a police service dog retires at the age of eight. (Einstein would be nearing retirement!)

I do think that all the dogs who work with police and military are pretty special.  They protect us from bad people, they can detect drugs and explosives, they perform search and rescue operations and can find human remains.  They have a tough job to do and they develop a very special bond with their handlers.  We really owe them a big thanks for all they do!

So hats off to the RCMP humans and their dogs today and all dogs who work in service for others!  Oh and if you need a dog to search for food - just give me a call. I can do contract work....

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 20