We WON!!!!!

We WON the lottery!!! Well my human did - and what’s hers is ours.  At least I think so.  She doesn’t buy tickets all that often - probably as often as all the dogs in this house are well behaved.  So that tells you it is a rare event.  Anyway she went to buy gas for the car, over a month ago and they sell tickets at the service station. Right at the counter. And my human couldn’t help but notice these particular scratch tickets - because they were dog themed.  You scratch off a bunch of dog items and see if they match the items in your prize boxes.  They were nice items like a leash and a ball and a toy and a food bowl and a bed.  And there were not nice items like shampoo, a bath, a comb and a brush.  My human actually forgot about the ticket- it was lost in the contents of that suitcase file cabinet she calls a purse.  Anyway, yesterday she finally scratched and scraped and drumroll.....we won.........................are you ready............it’s pretty exciting..............hold on............

$25!!!  Whooo hoooo.  Well really $20 because the ticket cost $5.  My human quickly reminded me that the proceedings would pay about 1/4 the price of our food bag.  Still - it COULD buy us a couple of bags of treats.  And OK- I suppose my human can buy herself something.  Like a coffee.  

I think she should see if they have more of those dog tickets at the store.  Clearly,  we dogs bring good luck. But you already knew that!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days: 21

Going viral

It’s April 29th and according to the crazy calendar, today is something called Viral Video Day.  So I had an idea to find some viral dog videos- and a few viral stories too. I should note that none of the videos (or even blog posts) I have ever posted have gone viral.  Clearly our behavior is not as outrageous as it could be - so I need to get working on that.  

But there have been plenty of dog stories and videos that have gone viral.  Here is a review of some interesting stories- you may want to look up a few for more info.  I should warn you, this review takes a few minutes- but it kept my attention- so it’s not that long, and some of the stories are quite interesting!

https://youtu.be/fdWWt1YaglI

https://yhttps://youtu.be/Nyk1HXvCNksoutu.be/Nyk1HXvCNks

Then we have some examples of videos.  Like these two guilty siblings.  I can picture Einstein doing this to me:

https://youtu.be/2tZjgHh1RZI

Here we have a video of a husky who likes to talk with his human baby:

https://youtu.be/Nyk1HXvCNks

Here is a VERY happy puppy waiting for his human.  This dog has some great moves. I think he could give dance lessons.

https://youtu.be/P-8v-_kaZ38

Here is a video of a crazy Golden puppy.  I can see the FG doing this!

https://youtu.be/ei39zsTJsNg

And here is one of my all time favorite dog outsmarts human videos.  Even my human laughs when she see this one:

https://youtu.be/LjBUZ43bLjE

And finally - we have the story of a foster child and his dog - whose photos went viral.  This story is a true love story - all around!

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/a-foster-child-and-his-dog-first-viral-sensations-now-a-forever-family-1122011715929?cid=eml_onsite

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 20

The coat. And other clothing.

Well it finally arrived.  The coat.  The coat to replace the one that Einstein and I destroyed.  Good news / bad news.  It is the same style- it is identical. BUT the color is slightly different.  It’s lighter than the original Christmas gift.  My human thought that might be the case - it’s hard sometimes to tell colors on a computer screen .  But it’s close.  My human had also written to the company with the sad tale to see if she could pay them to repair it.  She hasn’t received a reply.  I won’t tell you the name of the company. Yet.  MAYBE they will still come through....

Spring has positively, definitely arrived. The grass seems to have turned green overnight.  And the grazing herding dogs have begun their annual feast. There is nothing better than fresh, spring greens.  We don’t have to worry about ingesting any chemicals on our lawn - my human won’t use any - that’s why it is more weeds than grass.  And we love chomping on what little grass there is. But you know something- plants are pretty smart.  Or maybe they are just stubborn like us PONs and Picards. For example, grass won’t grow well on the lawn area - where it is supposed to grow.  But it sure does well coming up between cracks in pavement - and in flower beds where it is not supposed to be.  Go figure.

My human took out her summer clothes and put away her winter clothes.  Boy you should have heard the moaning and groaning during that procedure.  It seems all of her summer clothes shrunk over the winter.  Suuuuure they did.  The good news is she mumbled something about more walks for us.  Score!  We are her exercise coaches. 

In fact, it’s time to get her moving. It’s getting lighter in the mornings - so might as well take advantage of all that sunlight!  AND we have to get her in shape to fit in those summer clothes.  This is not going to be easy...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure- free days: 19

Taking bets

Well it is just a matter of time.  And we are taking bets.  Anyone who wants to place their wagers is welcome.  The prize?  A PON. Just kidding.  Maybe... Anyway, here is the story....

 We have this new neighbor dog, Max.  Who I mentioned before.  Einstein and I met him on the road one day with his human, and he passed the CNS.  The Canine Neighborhood Screening. We both thought he was great- friendly, happy, nonagressive - he passed the screening with flying colours.  And frankly, we are lucky because we like all the dogs on our road.  

But here's the deal.  Whenever our other neighbor on the road, Hudson, barks, it is a call to come and see him.  There is NO holding us PONs back if Hudson barks.  We are GONE.  And then my human has to race up to Hudson's house where we are probably pooping in his yard.  

And lately, Max has started to bark from his house.  He no doubt hears us when my human gets home from work, and likes to join in the chorus.  And the past couple of times he has barked, Einstein has given the "look" where he is thinking about going over to Max's house.  And you KNOW I would follow.  Every time Max barks back at us, my human holds her breath - for fear that two PONs will be GONE.  So we are taking bets as to when this will happen.  So far, she has enticed us with the promise of dinner - but you KNOW one day we will still go.

Yesterday we went out after she got home from work - but it had been raining all day.  My human tried to coax us to go down our trail - but neither of us PONs was going.  Seriously- the trail was wet!   The poor FG had to go. He was in bondage.  On a leash.  We PONs stood and stared at him as he was coming back.  

And then - Max barked.  Here is Einstein barking back.  

But in this situation, my human didn't need to worry that we would take off - it was too wet.  Who wants to go through the woods to Max's house when we would have to go through puddles to get there?  

But we know it WILL happen.  The question is when...Send your bets to me.  I accept cash, credit card, or biscuits.

It's Friday!  Let the weekend begin!!!!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure- free days: 18

Dog museums

So we know that dogs are pretty special and I have talked before about how we dogs have been immortalized in the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog.  I also mentioned before that the museum is moving from St. Louis back to New York City.  But did you know that there are two OTHER dog museums?   In Passua, Germany, a new museum opened that is...are you ready...ALL about dachshunds.  Yup.  The Dackelmuseum has over 4500 paintings, books, and statues dedicated to the popular German hound.   Mostly from ONE guy's collection.  That's a LOT of weiner dogs.
http://dackelmuseum.de/phone/homepage-english.html

And then another guy in North Adams, Massachusetts had SO much dog stuff (with all different breeds) that he opened HIS own museum.  I’m thinking he might just have a bit more stuff than my human.  She needs to catch up. Not.  

http://www.museumofdog.com/

We talked before about her bisque dogs.  And she loves those guys - but her favorites are probably her carved wooden dogs.  Here are a few...

I think she loves her carved dogs best because her father was a carver.  And here are two that he did  for her.

When my human was a Girl Scout, there was some kind of badge for hobbies or carving or something. Anyway, she decided to carve a dog herself.  Let’s just say she had some “help.”  And here’s the result...with some teeth marks from some dog she owned (she can’t recall which one) who decided he didn’t care for her artistic rendering.  She kept the carving anyway - the scars are part of his history.

So I’m wondering if there is a dog museum in Canada?  Maybe we could start it.  And the FG can be the greeter.  Einstein can be the security guard.  And I’ll collect entry fees.  In dog biscuits....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 18

Dog heros

So did you hear the story about Max,  the 17 year old,  deaf and partly blind cattle dog who lives in Australia?  It seems Max is a hero.  Max's 3 year old human, Aurora, wandered away from the family home and was lost in the winderness for over 15 hours.  But not to worry - Max stayed with her throughout the night, keeping her warm and safe.  The next day, Max led one of the people in the search party right to Aurora - about a mile from her home.  How cool is that? 

I'm not quite sure what we would do in that situation.  My human says she never wants to find out.   The one time my human fell and broke her wrist, Einstein and I just stared at her - willing her to get up.   So we could continue on our walk.  Let's just say my middle name is not Lassie.

The other amazing thing about Max is his age!  Let’s face it, 17 years is pretty good for us canines. Mind you, 17 is young when you consider that the oldest dog (according to a reliable record) lived to 29 years and 5 months. And what breed was he?  And Australian cattle dog.  Again. I guess chasing kangaroos keeps one young.  We need a kangaroo.  They must be better than rabbits.

Speaking of which... yours truly took off when my human got home from work last night.  We started heading down to the lake on our trail and my human looked around and she only had two dogs. One of whom was on a leash.  Yup.  I was gone. Hot on the bunny trail.  They all went down to the lake and came home and here I came racing down the driveway.  My human has a hard time at moments like that. I mean she wants to kill me for running away.  But - I DID come back. She made me wait outside while she took the FG and Einstein in- and I could hear her getting our food ready. She thought that would drive me crazy. But nah- I knew she would eventually let me in - and she did. She’s so predictable.  She let me in and mumbled something like “good thing I didn’t need rescuing- you wouldn’t have even known.”  Sure I would have.  It was supper time- I would have found her faster than I found that bunny.  Really.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure- free days: 17

Our morning.

Time for a review of the morning monologue that my human had with us the other day.  I say monologue because we don't speak human, although Einstein is very good at bark-speak.   So here we go...

"Frodo be quiet.  Frodo I'm getting up.  Seriously - it's 4:45.  REALLY?  You CAN'T wait until 5:15?  OK. OK. I'm up.  Now wait while I get dressed.  Viktor stop licking Frodo's ear.  Viktor STOP.  VIK-TOR STOP!!!!!!! Frodo no wonder your ear is a mess.  Don't let him do that to you.  Stop him.  Elroy off.  Just WAIT while I get dressed.  Give me two minutes. (which by the way is more like 10 minutes...)

OK. Frodo be quiet.  Elroy goes first.  Elroy sit.  Elroy come back here.  Elroy SIT while I put on your harness.  Elroy SIT.  Good sit Elroy.  Frodo. Viktor here is some kibble.  Frodo be quiet while we go out.  Elroy the door is open.  Go out.  GO out.  Good pooping Elroy. No.  We can't go down the trail now.  It's too dark.  It's TOO dark.  Let's go back home.  Let go of the leash.  Stop it.  I'm going to fall.  Stop it. Wait - was that a bunny (which distracts him long enough to forget about tugging on the leash). Here's the paper.  One drop and it's mine.  It's mine.  Frodo be quiet. ( from outside and up the driveway she shouts.  She opens the door).  Frodo I said BE quiet.  Viktor wait. Viktor put on your harness. Sit. Good sit.  Frodo be quiet. Elroy stay.  OK let's go. Wait. Don't pull.  No we are not going down the trail. It's too dark.  That's what you get for waking me up so early.  Good pooping Frodo.  Hurry up Viktor.  Good pooping again Frodo. Hurry up Viktor.  Frodo are you kidding me?  What were you eating?  Again?  Viktor hurry up.  VIK-TOR HURRY UP.  Good pooping Viktor.  Finally.  Let's go home.  Whoa slow down. 

Wait here while I get your food. (Door to garage closes while she goes to get our food). Frodo be quiet. (The door flings open.) Frodo BE quiet.  (She goes back in garage. )  FROOOOOOOOOODOOOOOOOOOOOO be QUIET!!!! (She flings open the door again and he stares at her.  She goes to put some of my medication in my bowl and turns her back on Frodo).  FrodoBEQUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!  Agggghhhhhhhhh.  

Viktor no it's too early for you pills.  It's too early.  Stop staring at the counter.  OK may I please have MY breakfast now?  Elroy stop nudging my arm.  Viktor get out of my pocket.  Frodo stop licking the floor. Viktor stop licking Frodo's ear.  STOP.  STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP. "

Yup.  That's her monologue before 6:15.  She's quite the chatterbox. Isn't she?

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 16

Screaming Meemies

When my human was a child, she remembers her mother using the term "screaming meemies."  My human though it was in reference to a child who was having a temper tantrum. When you look up the term, though, you see it can actually mean nervous hysteria.  Or the other spelling of Screaming Mimi actually referred to a type rocket used in Germany in WWII.  I suppose that type of Screaming Mimi could give you the other type of Screaming Meemies.  Anyway, why the discussion of this term anyway?  Because the FG had a case of the Screaming Meemies the other day - and my human thought of the term.

You see my human decided on Saturday to start cleaning up the yard after the winter wind storms which left a huge number of branches ALL over the lawn.  Add to that the fact that she never really took care of the plants last fall - so she had a mess in her flower beds with rotting leaves and muck.  So she put the three of us out on the back deck and proceeded to do her work.  And that's when the Screaming Meemies began.  Now it's not like he had not JUST had an hour long walk before this.  But the THOUGHT of my human picking up STICKS without HIM to help was just too too overwhelming.  So he let her know.  It really was like a child having a temper tantrum shouting "Me!  Me!"  Einstein and I just watched - although Einstein DID bark initially.  

It's that time of the year when we wait to see if those plants we peed on all winter have actually survived.  The hardy hostas usually do OK - we have one in particular that is a favorite pee spot.  Personally, I think our watering it helps.

Another Monday and we have full- time guard duty today.  The good news - the days are getting LONGER and warmer.  I think Spring is finally here to stay!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure- free days: 15

Herding stuff. And watching....

So how do the words driving, mustering and boundary go together?  They are all words having to do with herding. And given that my human lives with three herding dogs, she has become very interested in the different types of herding styles exhibited by different herding breeds. Not that they probably can't be trained to do all of them - but some breeds are definitely better at certain aspects than others. For example, the term driving refers to moving livestock from one area to another - like through a gate and into a pen. Mustering refers to the retrieving of livestock from far away - and bringing them back to the farmer.  Boundary herding refers to the patrolling around the livestock - kind of like border patrol.  They keep animals from breaking up and wandering out of a certain area.  They also guard the flock. One site that talked about these behaviours noted that German Shepherds are great at boundary herding while border collies excel at driving and mustering.  But as I said, herding dogs can probably be trained to do any of these tasks. 

When we looked for info on the Picard, it seems that they fall into the boundary or tending category of herding. They certainly can be trained to move sheep - but they really excel at protecting their flock.  Which makes total sense when you watch the FG.  My human has never had a dog who likes to find the highest vantage point so he can survey his surroundings.  He will climb up on rocks and hills just to stand and watch.  He does this ALL the time.  ALL the time.  And as I have mentioned before, he is fascinated with birds - probably relating back to a sense of guarding against birds of prey.  Mind you, I'm no so sure he has to worry about those chickadees that intrigue him!

When we looked for info on us PONs, it appears we also like to guard our flock suggesting we are probably in the same category as the Picard in boundary herding.  We certainly can also drive sheep, but when it comes to the PONs in THIS house, we would rather drive in a car. But we DO know of some PONs who have done VERY well at herding trials - so we definitely can be considered as drivers too.  But it is interesting - while we guard our property VERY well, we are still not as intent as the FG when it comes to surveying the environment.  Mind you, this could be an individual difference and not necessarily breed specific.

So much to learn about us dogs.  We are a never ending source of fascinating facts.  And occasional frustration....No - not to worry - we were GOOD yesterday.  Maybe we should start a counter for good behaviour.  Nah.  It would never see double digits...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days: 16

Blame it on Spring

Trivia question: How long does it take two PONs to eat a BIG bag of dehydrated lamb lung that is left on a counter?

Answer: not long.

Yup.   Einstein and I were at it AGAIN.  I almost didn't want to write about this - because you are going to think my human is losing it.  And really - she is - living with us. 

 She even said to herself "don't leave that bag there." And then the phone rang.  And the rest is history.

You see, she gives tiny pieces of dehydrated lamb lung (sorry - I know that sounds gross, but trust me, we dogs find it amazing) to the Picky Picard in his kibble along with liver dust.  And she had it on the counter at dinner time.  And then the phone rang.  We were eating our dinners, so she knew we were busy and forgot about the BIG bag of doggie crack on the counter.  When she came back in the kitchen, she found two PONs in a frenzy ripping open the bag and swallowing huge pieces of dehydrated delight.  She shouted "hey get out of there!!!" .  Déjà vu. Again the Picard was not guilty because he was in the hallway staring at his food bowl and deciding whether or not it was worth eating. 

My human was SO angry, she decided to see who was the instigator.  She put the remaining contents of the bag on the counter and then pretended she was going down the hall into the bedroom.  Einstein watched her go and heard her open and close the bedroom door.  Little did he know she faked it and was waiting in the hallway - just as his two paws hit the counter to grab the remaining dehydrated delight.  Imagine his horror as she whipped around the counter and shouted "OFF" - loud enough to wake the dead. He sprung backwards, almost toppling over in his haste as if he had been electrocuted.  

We are SO lucky with our human. That's two strikes.  The down coat has not yet arrived....She actually wrote to the company who made the coat to see if she could pay them to repair it.  She included photos of the damage ....and of us.  So far no reply...so we HOPE the one she ordered IS the exact same coat. 

Maybe our extreme badness lately is because it is Spring.  Probably not...but that's what we will blame it on....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days: 15

Look Alike

Today is April 20 and it's National Look Alike Day.  Now I certainly have shared LOADS of photos of me and Einstien - because despite the difference in our colors and the fact that his coat mats as soon as you look at him (and mine doesn't!)  - we are full brothers - so we DO look very much alike.

You can look back at this old blog to see more of our look alike photos!

https://viktorsviews.blogspot.ca/2015/04/national-look-alike-day.html

So today, let's take a look at some photos of the FG - and his extended family and see if they look alike....

So here is the FG...

And here is his mother, Hally Berry...

And here is his half-brother, James Bond...

Are we seeing similarities?  And check out these shots of his grandfather, Flox...the first when he was younger and the next two as he is older...

And then we ALSO have his Uncle - Lughan!  Check him out!

And here he is after playing in the mud.  It must run in the family....

 I think that there are DEFINITE similarities between these family members.  They DO look alike!  And so it should be.  If you have good breeding, you should see consistency within the dogs in a line. Thank you to Anne Saucier and Michèle Valette for letting us use the photos of the FG's family - and for their fine job of breeding!  Although I think my human could pass on the FG's love for mud and digging!

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 14

Barbara Bush

The day before yesterday, the world learned of the loss of former US First Lady, Barbara Bush.  Now I am NOT getting into politics and whether or not you liked her husband or son.  Politics aside, one has to admire the love between her and her husband which lasted 73 years. In addition, her passion and support for literacy will be her legacy.   She supported programs directed at literacy for preschool children as well as their parents.  

Personally, I like her because she wrote (or edited) two books with her dogs.   The first was  C. Fred's Story - written by the family's cocker spaniel who lived while Barbara's husband, George H.W. Bush was Vice President.  The second book was  Millie's Book - written from the point of view of the family's English Springer Spaniel - who lived in the White House when George H.W. was President.  

Millie actually had a treasury of puppies, and two of them also lived in the White House.  George H.W. and Barbara kept Ranger and George W. Bush later lived in the White House with Spot Fetcher -  who lived to the ripe old age of 14. 

It's clear the that Bushes love dogs.  And vice versa...Sorry. I could resist.

The really cool thing though, about the Barbara Bush dog books is the fact that ALL the proceeds went to charities supporting literacy.  THAT is cool.

We have continued to behave so far this week.  I should note the FG was not involved in the coat fiasco.  Not that he couldn't have been - he was in the room.  But this is one of those times that being a picky Picard was a good thing...Mind you, he was busy in the dining room working on the carpet...


Have a good one.Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 13

A horrible story...

OK.  It's time to share a really horrible story.  Einstein and I were bad.  REALLY bad.  And well, I started it.  It was my idea.  I might as well confess.  I'm hoping I get less time if I plead guilty.

On Sunday night, my human was doing some housecleaning and she went to put something in the bedroom.  She closed the door and then got distracted reading something.  She was reading for a bit, and then thought to herself that it was rather quiet in the house.  She came out of the bedroom and as she was coming down the hallway - saw Einstein RUN from the front hallway - with his tail between his legs.  "Uh-oh" she thought.  She went into the hall and noticed that the front hall closet door was open and a PON butt was visible.  She approached and realized what was happening...

For Christmas, my human got a lovely down coat from her mother as a gift.  It was PERFECT - the length, the size and the color.  My human LOVED that coat...

Well, unfortunatley....she left some kibble in the pockets when she took us out on our walk.  As she approached the closet - she saw the coat on the floor.  At first glance it didn't appear too bad.  But as she picked it up...well...the entire lining which included the pockets was shredded.  The  pockets were GONE.  Completely gone.  And then she noted some puncture wounds in the shell which now had down coming out. 

I'm sure that neighbors within a 5 km radius could hear her mournful "WHAT did you DO?"  Einstein and I actually felt badly this time. I think we DID go a bit too far...

My human spent the rest of the evening searching for the exact same coat on the internet.  I THINK she found it...and she ordered it on Amazon.  She is waiting for it to arrive...

Countersurfing aside, this act was really not cool.  I've been walking around with a sad apologetic expression since then.  That's probably why I was SO nice when Mighty Milo arrived - and I didn't take off in the woods.   I think we had better be good for quite a while.  Well at least until Friday.   Good thing she didn't put us up for adoption...We are very lucky dogs....

Have a good one.  Stay out of closets.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure-free days: 12

A visitor...

After the FG’s ambassador tour, they came home and I thought we would just relax.  But my human kept looking at the time and looking up the driveway.  Clearly someone was coming.  She made a strange move - she put me and the FG out on the deck, but kept Einstein inside.  The FG and I pressed our noses on the freshly cleaned glass deck doors to look inside. And then we heard a car pull up.  It was Milo.  And his human.

Milo is a VERY cute Coton de Tulear - a breed of dog from Madagascar.  Milo himself didn’t come from there though - he was born in Nova Scotia.  Get this -Milo and Einstein and I had the same treasurer.  She breeds both PONs and Cotons.  So we are really like “family!”  My long lost brother from a different mother.  And father.  I actually nicknamed him Mighty Milo. 

Mighty Milo’s human is a friend and colleague of my human’s.  She was actually a student of my human many years ago and she lives in New Brunswick, Canada.  She was down this way visiting a family member.

When Mighty Milo arrived, my human let Einstein out first.  She figured that having the three of us investigating the guy at the same time might be a bit much.  So he and Einstein got acquainted and then she brought them inside. And then she let me and the FG in from the deck.  The FG was crazy about him - and Milo quickly told him that although he likes to play - raucous behavior indoors was not a good idea.  And Poke-a-Coton was not a game he enjoyed.  I circled around him quite interested, but I learned he does not appreciate extended butt sniffing.  After a short time, Einstein and I went outside with him. The FG stayed in- because my human had visions of him taking off in the woods followed by a Coton - and the FG’s day had been great so far - so why ruin it?!

Outside, Mighty Milo did the zoomies  and Einstein and I just stared at him like he was some kind of ground alien.  We got along well - although I am calling him Mighty for a reason - he is NOT, and I repeat, NOT a small dog in attitude!  I actually quite liked him!

We attempted a photo - but as you can see, Mighty Milo only wanted to get so close.  Who can blame him - he was outnumbered.  Not that it mattered to him!! 

I really hope he comes back again some day.  I actually think I would play with him.  He fascinated me!

So that was a super day!  Which made up for the night before.... Let’s just say that Einstein and I did something REALLY, REALLY bad.  My human was actually not speaking to us when Mighty Milo arrived.  Good thing he came - and we were WELL behaved.  His arrival broke the tension... I’ll share our horrible deed tomorrow...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days: 11

Elroy. The Ambassador....

Well what a day we had yesterday...

First it started with the FG's ambassador assignment.  My human had taken him for a long walk before they went - but she feared not long enough.  They drove downtown and arrived RIGHT on time.  She had hoped to arrive EARLY to let the FG settle down, but a PON who shall remain nameless, was incredibly pokey at pooping yesterday, so they were running behind.  Of course, the FG got out of the vehicle and his head exploded.  They were meeting  downtown on the boardwalk, and there were lots of sights and smells.  Let's just say the trusty harness wasn't working all that well, and my human had to brace herself to keep from being dragged to meet the unsuspecting potential Picard puppy people.  The people spotted my human and the FG from across a parking lot and the first thing that ran through my human's mind was that the woman could very likely soon be wearing the cup of coffee she was carrying.  But the FG suprised her.  He was very friendly with his new acquaintances, but did NOT jump or attempt to knock them over.  He wagged and leaned a bit - but kept all four paws on the ground. 

They chatted for a bit, but it was clear that the FG didn't really want to just stand around and chat, so they all decided to walk,  and walk they did - up and down the boardwalk.  And are you ready for this....the FG walked along perfectly.  No lunging, no pulling - just nice walking! My human was shocked!  As they walked the people asked lots of great questions about the breed and my human answered them honestly.  One has to be careful when one loves a breed not to ONLY talk about how wonderful the breed is.  For example, Picards, like PONs CAN be a bit stubborn at times. And like other herding breeds, we can be a bit aloof.  We should not be totally shy or aggressive, but we do not have the temperaments of Labs.  We also do need exercise - if you want a happy, nondestructive dog! So when sharing info, everything should be revealed!

All in all, by the end of their 90 minute walk, I think they got a good idea about the breed.  But one also needs to realize that just as there are differences between siblings in a human family, puppies from the same treasury will have differences as well.  The key is to find a good breeder - who will match the best puppy to your home and lifestyle .  They talked about that as well.

So no one ended up in the harbour and I think the FG gave the Dutch Sheepdog a run for his money. They came home and the FG was suitably tired after his ambassador job. But the day was not over.  We had company...

Stay tuned tomorrow for the story of Mighty Milo....

Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days:  10

Meet the Picard

Today the FG is going on an adventure.  He is going to meet a couple who is thinking they might like to someday get a Berger Picard.  They are meeting at a designated location downtown and my human told them they won’t miss finding him as he is larger than life.  Although he is Mr. Sociable, we know his manners could use some work.  My human suggested they wear a hockey goal tender’s uniform .  Or one of those suits used by the police in training  attack dogs.  JUST kidding.  Sort of.

They are apparently interested in a Picard or a Dutch Sheepdog.   No mention of a PON.  I’m betting that after meeting the wild child, the Dutch dog will move into first place. 

Keep your fingers crossed that no one ends up in the harbor, or with a concussion.  I suggest my human take him for a 10 mike walk before they meet up.  Mind you, that would be false advertising.  They need to see the “real” Elroy.  Heaven help them.  He’ll be wearing his harness - for sure...

Have a good one.

Peace and paws up!

Seizure- free days:9

Are you mad?

So here's an interesting story,  published in Reader's Digest.  "15 Signs  your dog is secretly mad at you." 

Let's take a look and see if any of the canines in this house  show signs of being angry...

• His ears show he is ~unimpressed~.   OK.  I must say that the FG does weirdo things with his ears - but ONLY when he is having his picture taken.  And NO WONDER. We live with the queen of "puparazzi" - who NEVER misses a chance to take a photo of us.  She has...get ready...over 38,000 photos in some "cloud."  And probably 37,842 are dog photos.  No WONDER his ears go sideways when she says "smile."

• He's got a case of the yawns.  Nope.  Rarely happens although SOMETIMES when we are doing obedience training (which has been RARE in the past year), Einstein will yawn.  Some say yawning can also be a sign of stress.  If you know Einstein, it is NOT stress.  And he's not mad.  It's just boredom.  My human is too slow at training.  He needs SPEED in training. No wonder he yawns..

• He keeps licking her lips and there's no food nearby.  OK, that could be me.  But I'm not mad - I'm just plain hungry.  Which is pretty much 24 hours a day...

• He won't look you in the eye. This is more a GUILT look than a mad look.  Like after countersurfing....

• He absolutely refuses to sit and stay.  This is just plain old bad behavior!  Mind you, it does happen more when being asked to stay and have a photo taken...during which we ARE a bit mad.  Unless the treats are good...

• His back goes rigid and his body is stiff.  That's one we never do here.  Along with His tail is tucked and still.  Never happens.

• The whites of his eyes are showing.  Nah.  Unless we are rolling them about something crazy my human has said...

• He is cowering behind the sofa. Nah. Never happens.  Although Gumby Einstein DOES like to put himself in all kinds of contorted positions under and behind furntiture.  But it has nothing to do with being mad.

• He lets out a primal growl.  NEVER, EVER with my human.  Although Einstein will growl at the FG when the FG is playing Poke-A-PON.  With good reason.

•  He goes into beast mode.  This refers to a SUPER aggressive stance.   That never, ever, EVER has happened in this household.  We'd be looking for a new home if we did!!!
  

• He tells you — loudly.  OK, Einstein is vocal.  VERY vocal.  But he's not MAD.  He just likes to bark out orders.  ALL the time...

•  He groans like an old man with kids on his lawn.  I'm a groaner when I get up in the morning and I stretch, but I'm not mad.  Now Einstein DOES groan when being groomed - but I think that's just drama.  He stops INSTANTLY when the treats emerge.
  

• He pees in your shoes.  Now I've HEARD that dogs do this - AND I have even heard about dogs peeing on their human's bed when they are mad.  My human had a Lab that puked in her shoe, but none of us have ever peed in her shoes.  Personally, I think that's going a BIT too far...

• He stays just out of arm's reach. Well that's definitely an FG move - but really, he's not MAD, just BAD. 

 So overall, it dosen't look like the dogs in THIS household are mad very much.  Except when it comes to photos.  And that is reasonable.  Nah.  We might be BAD but rarely mad.  UNLESS you define mad as "crazy".  And then...well that's a different story...

Have a good one.
Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days: 8 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCRABBLE

April 13.  Friday the 13th.  I hope none of you reading this have Triskaidekaphobia.  That's a fear of the number 13.   I don't have that.  I just have a fear of running out of treats...  

Anyway, wouldn't Triskaidekaphobia be a great SCRABBLE word?  If you could have that many lettters.   And speaking of SCRABBLE,  according to the crazy calendar, today is SCRABBLE day!  

So...in honor of SCRABBLE day, here are some "dog" words for you.   I will provide definitions - and some examples of their use in a sentence:

hangdog:  shamefaced, guilty or downcast.    Einstein appeared hangdog after he countersurfed my human's toast when she turned her back at breakfast time.  

doggone:  to damn; an exclamation of annoyance. Doggone it! Two PONs and a Picard burst out of the front door and ran into the woods.  (Something my human might say...)

doggish: surly or gruff.   Einstein acts very doggish when the FG plays Poke-a-PON. 

overdog: one that has a significant advantage.   The FG is an overdog when it comes to countersurfing- because he is so tall! 

dogtrotted:  to move at a steady trot.   The two PONs dogtrotted over to the neighbor's house, ignoring the shouts of their human. 

dogdom:  the world of dogs or dog fanciers.  It is really not my human's house...it is our dogdom. 

And lastly in our SCRABBLE game, how many words do you think you can make from the word "canine?"    26!   (Some of which I have never heard of before).  Go ahead - good luck!  I'll print the answers below.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 8








canine:    cannie  encina  inane   nance   acne   cain   cane   cine   nice   nine   ace   ain   ane  ani   can   ice   inn   nae   nan   ae   ai   an   en   in   na   ne (Who KNEW an ai was a sloth?!  I clearly need to watch more of the Animal Planet channel).

 



 

 

Humboldt

Last Friday, a terrible accident occurred in Saskatchewan, Canada.  The bus on which the Junior Hockey League team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan was traveling, was involved in a horrific accident.  The crash with a tractor trailer took the lives of 10 young players, their coach and assistant coach, a trainor, the bus driver, a radio announcer and a statistician.  12 others were injured and some remain in critical condition.

To say that Canadians have been shaken by this horrible event is an understatement.  Perhaps because hockey is not just a game to Canadians - but a way of life to many.  Perhaps it is because so many people can relate to the bus trips involved in hockey tournaments- and in other sports as well, that Canadians feel the pain of the families involved - to their core.  Actually, people all over the world feel that pain - and it’s not just the involvement of the sport- but the enormous loss of young lives - whose hopes and dreams will never be realized. 

The outpouring of support - including financial assistance, the likes of which have never been realized to such a great amount on a crowd-funding source is nothing short of miraculous.  Humans do know how to come together in times of tragedy- and this accident is proof of that.  Many memorial services have been scheduled and during at least one, extra special supports were brought in.  During a vigil on Sunday, attended by thousands, four teams of therapy dogs from the Saint Johns Ambulance program were there.  They were there to help provide a calming influence.  They were there as helpers - helpers to hug.  They also provided much needed support in the hospital where many victims were taken.  Because we dogs KNOW when you need our help...

When tragedies like this occur, humans often ask the question “Why?”  Unfortunately, there is no answer.  You can check Google, but you won’t find a thing.  There is no reason - but there is a lesson perhaps.  And while it might sound trite or cliche, I’m just a dog so I’m allowed.  The lesson is to live like a dog.  Live for today. We never know when our trip to the Rainbow Bridge will come - so appreciate this day that you have been given.  Say a prayer for all those directly affected by this tragedy.  And don’t forget to hug your dog.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure-free days: 7

Good thing he is cute.

Sometimes things happened in your enviroment so slowly, that you don't notice them at first.  Like the olfactory art on the windows.  You wipe the windows, and then all of a sudden, you realize they are like frosted glass again, and you're not even sure when they got so bad. 

The same thing is true with chewing.

So we remember that in June of last year, my human could no longer face the sight of the dining room carpet.  The FG had made a series of holes in the carpet and what started as one tiny thumb print sized hole became like a swiss cheese rug.  So she bought a new carpet and for the first several months watched the FG like a hawk for any signs of nibbling. He DID start in one spot, but then seemed to lose interest.

But somehow,  perhaps while my human's mind has been otherwise occupied, she didn't NOTICE the fact that the corners on TWO ends are now no longer sharp.  They are rather rounded.  And she had actually caught him on a couple of occasions, beginning to also add his swiss cheese pattern. If you SHOULD catch him mid-act and shout "hey - stop that" he just looks at you.

My human just says he is lucky he is cute.   I swear he is THE most bold and daring dog I have ever met.  Besides his interior decorating skills, he CONTINUALLY plays poke-a-PON with Einstein - whenever we are getting ready to eat.  It's like he KNOWS Einstein is concentrating on food, so he takes his chances and pokes him in the butt.  Einstein whips around and lets out a warning bark, but Mr. Persistent does it again.   After three of four pokes, before my human or Einstein can grab him, he LEAPS and races into the hall to get his food.  And when he makes a run for it, it's like watching an gazelle doing agility.  Indoors.  My human closes the french door and can then put down Einstein's food bowl.  This game is regularly scheduled during suppertime.  I should sell tickets.  He OCCASIONALLY tries it with me - but he knows my patience for shenanigans at meal time is even SHORTER than the FG's.  So he doesn't try as much with me...

It's hard to believe that in May he will be two years old.  If we don't sell him to a traveling circus before then.  JUST kidding.  Life would sure be boring without him!  And I must admit, I really DO  like him.  But don’t let him know...I wouldn’t want him to get too excited....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.
Seizure-free days:  6

Annnnd he’s off...

There is a bounty out for the groundhog. Seriously.  He predicted an early Spring.  What a joke.  On Sunday night we got snow.  Enough snow so that the snow plow guy - who has already been paid twice because he thought the season was over, had to come again. Now if it had been December, it would have been quite pretty.  But April, not so much.  Still, by the afternoon on Monday, the sun was shining and some of the winter wonderland WAS beginning to disappear.  A bit. So my human decided to take all of us down to the lake.  And for some reason, which is hard to guess, she decided to put the FG on a long line.  And she let him free...

It all started out well.  He was running down the trail with me and Einstein and was staying quite close.  My human even called all of us to “come” and we all did - because she had stuffed her pockets with extra yummy treats.  And all was a great moment.  Note I said moment...

We got down to the lake and a cold wind was blowing and the water was choppy.  The FG was fascinated with the waves.  He watched them.  

And he put his head back and took in all of nature’s aromas.

And then.   He looked along the shoreline.  

And in that instant, my human suddenly saw the Picard brain wheels moving. Fast. He started moving along the shoreline.  And she lunged for the longline. And she made that “hey buddy, Elroy” voice - the one that is a cross between fear and begging. And he knows that voice. And for him it spells “FREEDOM.”  And he was gone. Along the shore and into the woods.  Well.  Snow or not, uneven, wooded, swampy terrain or not - she laid chase. And she told us to help.  Einstein just looked at me, rolled his eyes and ran along.  Over downed trees, around thick brush and around puddles.  Unfortunately, my human took her OWN route and ended up stepping in a wet swampy hole that was deep enough to go over her boots - leaving her with wet socks and mucky pants. “Agggggggghhhhhh” she shouted at the heavens.  She could see the FG darting among the trees at warp speed. He was out of sight for about 20 seconds and then circled back like a freight train off the rails. He ran so fast she couldn’t grab the line- and he headed for a place along the shore.  I think he ended up in the water, and then he jumped out and that only fueled the race.  So now he was not only swampy, and covered in sticks but he was wet too.  But for some reason, he circled back again and this time my human fell on the line.  Busted.  The problem was she now had the get the now bucking bronco swamp monster back home through the woods.  And - I neglected to mention- she wasn’t wearing gloves. So her hands were freezing- and the wild thing was pulling so hard she could barely hold on. Then she remembered an old trick.  She took the leash, ran it down his back and then looped it around his belly. Instant power steering. We all trudged back to our trail and up to the house. 

I guess the FG still isn’t quite ready to run free.  Mind you, my human didn’t try her trusty whistle.  She didn’t even bring it.  No comment on that brilliant move.

It’s kind of nice to be the good dog for a change. Although , I hope though that I’m not losing my edge. We’ll see...I COULD go off looking for that groundhog.  Once the snow melts...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days: 5

Cherish an Antique Day. An antique dog.

Today is April 9 and it is National Cherish an Antique Day.  A day for us to be really nice to our human.  Just kidding.  Although in dog years she is WELL over 100 years old.  Several hundred in fact.

I've talked before about her hobby of collecting old stuff.  Particularly old dog stuff.  We talked before about old dog books, postcards, and paintings and today we'll talk about bisque.  Nope - I'm not talking about soup.  Although Tomato bisque can be quite tasty.  I'm talking about bisque porcelain.




Although porcelain has been around for centuries,  bisque porcelain was used a lot in the late 1800's for making everything from dolls to figurines. It's white, unglazed porcelain, that is sometimes painted. If you Google antique bisque dogs, you’ll see all kinds on EBay and Etsy.  Many of these dogs have no markings - so you can’t be sure where they were made.  But sometimes, if you look very closely, you may find the country of origin.  As a general rule, before 1890, items imported into North America did not need to be labelled with a country of origin.  And if you see the words “made in” you will know that the item was made after 1914.  Now these are GENERAL rules, but they may tell us a little bit about how old our bisque dog MIGHT be.

This tiny french bulldog is only 2 inches tall, but if you look closely on his back side, you will see the word Germany.




Same thing for THIS little guy who is only ONE inch tall.

Given that they have a country of origin, it is likely they were made somewhere between 1890-1914.
This guy only has a number 1880.  That COULD be the date, or it could be a manufacturing number.  Still, he's probably at least 100 as well.




Most of her canines have NO markings.













That could mean they are older than 1890...or maybe they had an ink marking or label and it came off.  Ya never know - although the more you handle the old stuff, the better idea you get at knowing whether something was made in 1890 - or in 1990.  Still - even the experts can be fooled!

My human was surprised to see some of the prices on old bisque dogs.  Trust me - she didn't pay those kinds of prices.  She purchased her little canines mostly at yard sales and flea markets and the odd antique show.  She never paid more than a few bucks for her Fidos - and I dare say, you still CAN find these vintage canines at flea markets if you look carefully for them.  And if you are paying just a few dollars - then you won't be TOO concerned if what you THOUGHT was old turns out to be not so ancient.  The bottom line - you have to like your purchase!

We still haven't found a bisque PON or Picard.  But that doesn't mean she won't keep looking!  It's kind of neat to wonder where these guys were before they came to our house.  If they could only talk and tell us where they have been.  I'm just glad we don't have to feed them!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 3