Carpets and company

So I looked back in my blog and on June 5, 2017, we got the carpet that just went out on garbage day.  A new carpet every year.  Time to buy stock in area carpets.  

As I mentioned yesterday, I was the first to roll on it.  And then, before it was even down for a half hour, the FG started to lift up an edge.  “HEY!” my human shouted.  He dropped it and walked away. Eyeing all the edges around him.  We have a counter for my seizure free days. We should probably have a counter for intact carpet days.  

We had lovely company last night - a dear, old friend of my human.  We pretty much behaved - with the exception of Einstein’s incessant welcome bark and the FG’s attempts to jump and knock over our guest.  My human held him by his collar so as there were no bloody noses.   But all in all we behaved.  Except we almost could have lost the FG.  My human went to take Einstein and me out for our last pee of the night, and the screen door was open.  My human heard the door being thrown open and out bounded the FG.  And it was dark out.  She tried to call him over but he had other things in mind.  Her heart was racing - she pictured him racing into the woods.  But for a change, he engaged in a habit that ordinarily drives my human crazy.  He stopped to smell ( and grossly lick) the spot where we just peed.  My human dove to get him and  luck was again with her - she grabbed him.  And back in the house we all marched.

My human was so happy to visit with her friend.  Sometimes you are not able to see people for many years - because you are separated by distance.  But two minutes with that person - and a feeling of comfort and happiness just flows through you.  I suggest you take a minute today or some time this weekend to maybe reconnect with someone special who lives far away - family member or friend. You know those people who who can “refill your soul.”  Or maybe you can “refill” theirs.  Today with the internet, the opportunity to connect is at your paw tips.  So go for it!

My human will spend part of the day today with her friend and then her friend must leave us.   Then my human is free to totally entertain US! She cleaned the house so well, she certainly doesn’t need to do that!  AND the best part - it is a holiday weekend here so she has Monday off!!! Parteeeeeeeee.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 39

Dog news

Time for some dog news.

First off, we see that former US Presideint George HW Bush just got a service dog.  The 94 year old, who suffers from a number of physical problems that restrict his mobility, just welcomed a two year old Labrador into his home (and his heart).  Sully (named for the pilot who successfully landed a plane in the Hudson River) came from an organization called America's VetDogs.  Not only will Sully help the former POTUS with tasks, but he will hopefully bring attention to the benefits of service dogs - particularly with veterans and first responders.   The Bushes are no strangers to dogs - and Sully no doubt has an exciting life ahead.

They have launched an interesting program in Montreal for people facing dog-related fines.   For example, dogs are supposed to be on leash at all times in public spaces in Montreal and if you are caught with Fido just roaming along without a leash, you can currently face a $640 fine.  The fines are supposedly being reduced by 40% in August, but still, it's a fee that could pay for lots of dog treats.  To avert the fine, one can sign up to take a 3-hour information session about responsible dog ownership.   You can do that, pay the fine or of course, contest it.  My human would probably go to the session to avert the fine.  And then ask so many questions that they would probaly pay HER to leave. We better not go to Montreal any time soon....Not that we would ever be off leash there.

And as for news here- the new carpet was unrolled last night.  I promptly rolled around on it - so it would smell like dogs.  Last night my human debated whether to leave the pony sized crate in the dining room since we are having company.  The problem is that it is SO big, it doesn’t go through any doors - except the sliding door to the deck.  Unfortunately, we have heavy rain forecast for today, and although the giant crate IS made of plastic, she didn’t want it to get all wet.  So she had to disassemble it and then reasssemble it in the bedroom.  I’m not sure WHAT we will do when she goes to work today - we usually take turns camping out in the crate - and now we have no access since she leaves the bedroom door closed.  Guess we’ll have to think of something else to do.  That carpet looks mighty tasty.... JUST KIDDING.  Maybe...

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 38

Farewell to the carpet

It's gone.  The area carpet in the dining room was dragged out to the curb for garbage day.  And now the dining room sounds empty.  So Einstein's barking sounds even louder and it echoes.  Kind of.  

We are having company on Friday and my human has been in a cleaning frenzy - when she hasn't been working on the deck.  Our company is coming for one night - and although the guest bedroom hasn't been used in months, it seemed to take my human forever to clean it.   Just WHERE does dust come from?  Oh right - three dogs.  Even though haven't even BEEN in the guest bedroom.  

The carpet in the dining room had become particularly unsightly lately.  We know the FG started it.  And well, we PONs decided to join in.  The corners were all destroyed and some of the edges looked pretty bad too.  We performed our handiwork while our human was at work each day.  We NEVER attempted to touch it while she was home.  So now we await the unrolling of the  NEW carpet.  Which arrived about a  month ago.  It has been stored in my human's bedroom - she didn't want to take it out until there was a special occasion.  And now she is worried that it will be chewed on the first day.  She has some special potent yucky stuff to spray all along the edges.  Trust me - there is not much that will deter us PONs if we feel like eating something, though.  Remember, yours truly has eaten bananas.  With the peels.

So yesterday was Good Bye to Carpet Day (at least in our house) and today is National Handshake day.  We all know that dogs can be taught to shake paws.  And did you know that just like humans, we dogs seem to have paw preferences?  Some of us are right-pawed and some are left-pawed.  Of course, we can be trained to use both.  As well,  some of us don't even NEED to be trained - we paw at our humans spontaneously.  Which can, at times, be a BIT annoying.  To get us to STOP the behavior, we should learn the command for paw or shake.  And we ONLY get rewarded WHEN we are asked to shake.  If we shake without being asked, the human should ignore us - or stand up and walk away.  Sounds great in theory.  It's hard for my human to keep walking away during supper as one of us paws her.  Not to mention the fact that if she stands up and walks away, she has to take her plate with her.  We PONs are FAST.   Never a dull moment...

So.  Let's take bets on how long the corners of the carpet stay intact.  I think the FG will again start the handiwork.   And I vote it will be at least started by mid-July.  Agree?   Let's shake on it.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 37

NO UGLY DOGS

Clearly people in California do not read my blog.  How many times have I complained about an annual contest that takes place in Petaluma?  And yet it was held again this past weekend.  It's the World's Ugliest Dog contest.

This year saw a winner who drove over 30 hours to get there - an Enligh Bulldog named Zsa Zsa.  She has a tongue hanging out that could drag on the floor.  And her conformation - well let's just say that she does not meet the breed standard.  She was supposedly rescued from a puppy mill.  And that's the good news.  And the fact that she has found a loving home.

But I don't REALLY relish the thought of people making fun of these dogs.  And I REALLY don't like the name of the contest.  Because the word "ugly" has such a negative connotation.  She's not UGLY.  She's uniquely beautiful.  In her own way.   Humans would hopefully never have an "Ugliest Baby contest."   So why are we canines subjected to this?

It's all in how you look at things in life.  Just because something doesn't fit the "norm" doesn't mean it's less "valuable" or unattractive.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Zsa Zsa doesn't think she looks "different."  And the love she shares with her human is no less than the love shared by a Best in Show winner. 

I'm sure Zsa Zsa's human loves her very much ...but what message are we sending about being "different"?  Yeah, yeah - I know we are "just dogs."  But it does make one think...

The one good thing about this contest is the fact that the winner gets $1500.  Well, the winner's HUMAN gets the cash.  We HOPE the human spends the money on Zsa ZSa.  You can get a LOT of dog toys and treats for $1500.  

Today,  take a minute to look at the world in a positive way.  Instead of seeing a cloudy day and complaining about rain, be grateful you don't have a drought.  And instead of seeing a hot day as sticky and sweltering, try to think about shoveling snow.   Look for the BEAUTY around you - and sometimes you will find it in the most unlikely ways and in the most unlikely places.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days:  36

World Cup

Well we had a day of mourning yesterday.  It was the day after Poland's loss at the World Cup.  That's two losses.  Einstien and I were cheering along with my human.  Because of course, we are Polish.  But our excitement didn't last long.  Poland lost.  Big time.  I don't really understand how all these games work - but let's put it this way...Poland is no longer a top contender.  I'm not sure they ever were - but one can always hope. 

The FG was gloating because France has WON two games. I guess we'll have to cheer for France now.  Although I AM leaning toward Iceland because it is their first time at the Cup.  And the odds of them winning are like 500 to 1.  I love an underdog.

And speaking of dogs and the World Cup, there is apparently a Dachshund by the name of R2D2 who predicts games every day.  He is also referred to as the Psychic Sausage.  He has two plates of food to choose from - the national dishes of the countries that are playing.  He has two chances.  If he chooses the same dish twice, that country is his pick.  If he eats from both, then he is predicting a tie game.  Here he is predicting the game between England and Tunisia.  He picked England.  And he was right!  But seriously. What dog picks couscous over a steak?  No offense to Tunisia or couscous.  But really...

http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/4/video/3531488/psychic-sausage-dog-predicts-england-to-win

I couldn't find his prediction for the Poland game.  They MUST have given him kielbasa.  And what dog wouldn't pick Kielbasa?!  Still it didn't work....

There is apparently a cat and a lemur also making predictions.  Yes - a lemur.  I'm going with the Psychic Sausage.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure free days: 35

General stuff

Here is an interesting phenomenon.  We all know about the Picky Picard’s eating habits.  And my human’s continual search for new and exciting things to feed him. Unlike us PONs.  Who would eat the same thing every day for the rest of our lives.  And be totally content.  Well not content with the portion size - we could eat a LOT more.  And explode.

But back to the FG.  We know he is picky.  BUT he HAS learned to counter surf for food and my human has to watch him as much as she watches us PONs.  Last night,  he stood right by her dinner plate that was still on the counter and my human turned her back for a minute, and luckily looked back as he was about to help himself.  He has also learned to stare at her while she is eating.  Not that she ever feeds us from the table - but one never knows.  And then, she CAN sometimes have the odd leftover on her plate - which she will share.  But not at the table.  That’s why when she gets up from dining, she has a parade following her into the kitchen. And the FG is right there.  I think we PONs have taught him well.

You know, when our human comes home from work at the end of the day, there is nothing that makes us more joyful. Well - except for one thing - when she returns from grocery shopping. That’s when we anxiously exhibit “curiocery”- that innate canine instinct that makes us want to know what is in each of the bags. I wish I could take a video of what it is like when my human tries to come into the house with two armloads of groceries. Like she did yesterday.  She literally must fight her way in the door and must fend off jumping canines.  She dare not put any bags on the floor - so she struggles to lift them onto the counter - while we are jumping like three kangaroos who have been  stung by a bees.  We must inspect the bounty.  Bananas. Check. Yogurt. Check. Breakfast staples are accounted for. Ahhh. She bought herself a steak for supper.  There will be some definite jockeying for the closest position by her chair. Great fun. And only we canines can make grocery shopping an extreme cause for celebration.  It’s the little things in life...

Well it’s Monday.  Another work week. And another week of guard duty.  But just a few more weeks until she is on vacation. Oh we can’t wait!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 34

More good luck

Yesterday morning we let my human sleep in.  Until 5:30. Then Einstein announced that it was a beautiful morning - so time to get moving.  We had walking to do. And she had what she hoped was the last of the deck sanding to do. 

Einstein and I went first. We went for a good walk on the public trail and despite the fact that our feet were muddy, requiring a rinse in the tub when we got home, it was a good start to the day.  Then it was the FG’s turn.  

Poor guy.  He didn’t make it to the road before he did his business.  That wasn’t the bad part. The bad part was the evidence of cling ons.  That doesn’t usually happen to the FG - but it appears that munching on PON hair does not always result in “normal” stool.  So my human had an idea.  Take him down to the lake.  It’s called the cheater’s bath.  

So down they headed - with a floating fetch toy in hand. Now the FG hasn’t been for a swim since last summer.  So my human wondered how this would go.  She tossed the toy about 6 feet from the shoreline.  He just looked at her.  I should note that he was on a long line.  She encouraged him to get it.  He jumped around and tentatively put a paw in. A paw out. A paw in. And  finally all four paws were in.  The water is not deep at the shoreline.  It doesn’t get deep for about 15 feet.  He waded out, got the toy and raced back onto the shore.  Perfect!  Except he still had cling ons.  So they did it again.  And again.  And he was having a blast.  Until she threw the toy beyond the length of the leash.  At which point my human ended up in the lake. Sneakers and all.  Uh oh.  Anyway, they were having a great time - and he brought the toy back consistently.  And it was at that point that my human had what one would call a Brain Fart. She decided to let him off the leash.  

You would think that she would know him by now.  Did she honestly think that he wouldn’t realize that he no longer had a leash attached?!  Sure enough.  She tossed the toy, he went out to get it, but this time, half way back, he dropped it in the water.  And she could see the Picard wheels turning.  He starting heading parallel to the shoreline.  She quickly shouted “get it” and pretended to run away from the water. He grabbed the toy, bounded out of the water and raced past her.  Let me tell you something. There is NOTHING in this world more wild than a two year old wet Picard.  He was OFF.  The only thing that saved my human from an hour of chasing was the fact that wet Picards MUST rub their faces in the nearest vertical surface.  So as he stopped to shove his face into a tree, she lunged and grabbed his collar.  Bingo.  Another lucky day.  Gotta get that lotto ticket.

They marched back to the house. One wild, wet panting Picard and a relieved human.  Despite the cheater’s bath, he still did require some concentrated bathing.  So he ended up in the tub after all.  He was partly dried and then released into the house.  Where he proceeded to wipe his damp face on the walls, the cupboards and the odd chair.  One less-than-charming Picard characteristic. Ya gotta love him.

Yes. A perfect start to a sunny summer day!

Have a good one! Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 33

She was lucky....

Well my human needs to go out and get a lotto ticket today.  She is one VERY lucky lady.  She could have found herself missing three dogs...

So the odyssey of scrape-the-deck continues.  This week, for three nights after work, one of my human’s oldest and clearly best friends ever - Stephen - came over to help her until dark.  They scraped.  They sanded.  They replaced boards.  Well- he replaced boards.  She stood and held things. But they worked and worked.  And while all of this was going on, we canines could only supervise from inside. There was too much stuff going on out there - and she didn’t need us peeing on saws or drills or eating rusty screws.  So we watched. And watched. Another reason we were not allowed out there was because they were going up and down the steps a lot with equipment -so the gate was usually open. And open gate equals free dogs...

Last night after work, her sister came over.  My human fed and walked us, before she and her sister had to go out to get some titanium paint for the deck.  Ok.  It’s not titanium.  But it’s some super industrial stuff that costs more for 1 gallon than a 40lb bag of dog food.  And we don’t eat cheap food.  She  is determined that she will NOT be doing this again next year.  So she bought supposedly good stuff.  We’ll see. 

Anyway, when her sister was over, my human asked her to take a look at the deck to see how much sanding is left. Her sister did the inspection, came back in, slid the door closed and said everything looked good. We got some treats and they headed out to get the liquid Gold.

When my human came home, we did our usual joyful greeting dance.  And it was at that point that she realized something.  The door to the deck was open.  Someone had slid it open.  About a foot.  Wide enough for a PON or Picard.  We were all accounted for, but she ran out to see if anything was disturbed.  AND she realized that the  gate was thankfully securely shut.  She did a silent thank you prayer.  Imagine what could have happened had  all of us been loose.  She shudders just to think about it.  She suspects that it was Einstein who opened the door. I’m not saying a thing.  We had a pact not to tell.  

The only thing she DID notice was two large pee rivers on the BBQ and one on the house.  We decided to christen the pristine deck.  She has warned us that NO ONE is allowed to pee on the newly painted deck. Good luck with that! 

In the meantime she’s still giving thanks for that secure gate.  Then again, maybe we DID go out, and we put the gate back. She’ll never know...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 33

Take Your Dog to Work Day

June 22. And according to the Crazy calendar today is Take Your Dog to Work Day.   But no.  We are not going.  The university where my human works does not allow dogs.  BUT during exam times they DO allow therapy dogs to come in for the students to relieve stress. What about the faculty the rest of the year?  Seems like discrimination if you ask me.   Mind you, if my human took the three of us in, she would get absolutely no work done. So I guess it’s better we stay home.

There ARE companies that do allow dogs to come to work. I’ve talked about Google before.  And I found a few others.  Like Etsy.  I’d be afraid I would be the victim of some kind of canine craft if I went there.  Like being a model for knitted dog boots.  

Another company is Bissell Homecare. I think that’s the company  that makes vacuum cleaners. Now that seems reasonable because if we make a mess while there, they have the equipment to clean it up.

Amazon Seattle also allows dogs in the workplace.  I love shopping on Amazon.  They have lots of great dog stuff.  It would be cool to work there.  I could product test dog toys.  Sign me up.

But the most dangerous place for me to work would be Mars.  The company that makes candy among many other things.  INCLUDING dog food. Now while we don’t actually eat any of the foods they make, I CERTAINLY could taste test the odd sample.  Who am I kidding.  It would be a liability to have me working there.

Anyway, for those of us who can’t go to work, we have our jobs at home - being the guardians of the homestead. And it’s a job we take very seriously.  When we aren’t napping.

Have a good one.  Wherever you work.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 32

Summer!

It’s official!  Summer is here!  It’s also the longest day of the year - so time for some extra fetch.  Or scraping the deck.  Yes, she is still at it...

So let’s talk about some quick summer time reminders and some equipment that we dogs can use in the summer. First off, I am not going to even remind you that we shouldn’t be left in a car because it can get too warm.  The humans who read this blog are too smart to even be reminded of this.

With regard to the heat, portable water bowls -like the collapsible type - can be really handy when going out for a walk.  But don’t forget to also bring a water bottle, too...my human actually has a dog water bottle where the lid can be used as a small cup-sized bowl.  It’s perfect.

Another thing about the heat - asphalt can get really hot, so one site I saw suggested those rubber boots that look like balloons (before you put them on). Seems like a good idea in theory ...but I wonder if the rubber would stick to hot asphalt.  I guess better the boots than our feet.

We have talked before about sunscreen for us dogs too. And a cooling bandana is a neat idea.  We saw that on the web.  Those cooling mats also work well. If you have a dog who doesn’t chew....

If you are going boating, a life jacket for Fido is also a must.  Sure, many dogs CAN swim - but if you are far off shore, a life jacket is a good idea. 

And speaking of a swimming, if you have a dog who likes to swim, unlike me and Einstein - floatable fetch toys and balls are a great idea.  That’s for the FG.

As yes, the dog days of summer.  Let the good times roll!

Have a good one! Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days:  31

Bernerdoodles

So yesterday morning my human was scrolling through Facebook. And what she saw made her stop suddenly. She is used to seeing wonderful images of puppies all the time. For example one  friend got a boxer puppy recently who is absolutely gorgeous. Another friend is waiting to get her borzoi. She has another friend who just adopted a mixed breed puppy from a shelter and it is so adorable. But what she saw this time was something that really bothered her. As she was scrolling through Facebook she stopped because another friend was getting a puppy but she didn’t recognize the breed of dog. And then her heart sank. A friend was getting a Bernerdoodle. Yup a Bernese poodle or something cross. She immediately went to message the friend. However they are basically acquaintances and my human didn’t know if this person would feel she was being pushy. So she told me I should write a blog about it instead. So I get to rant.  Perfect. 

Bernerdoodles, , CockaPoodledos and Pugapoos are all basically mixed breed dogs. However the people who sell them are able to market them brilliantly. They are not and I repeat they are not purebred dogs. However the so-called breeders of these dogs make it appear that they are some kind of special dog. And unfortunately many people can be swayed by the power of their websites. My human went to the website of the place where her friend is getting the puppy.  It is fascinating to know they they are not just mixing Bernese and labradoodles but Bernese and Aussies too.  When you scroll through the MANY dogs they own (red flag) you will note that hardly any of them really look alike (red flag).  There are no puppies currently available- but not to worry - they have at least 7 litters planned  for this year (red flag).

But the BEST part - the prices.  Probably because no two dogs ever look the same - there over 30 color combinations and coats - everything from solid colors to solid base chocolate Merles - so the prices range from $2600 for a solid to 4200 for a traditional pattern tricolor weighing under 30lbs.  And WHY the high prices?  Why because stuff and services cost money! For example if you have to take a dog back who has serious elbow dysphasia and you then have to spend a pile of money on it instead of  euthanizing it,  that is expensive.  Even if you can write it off on the business account.  Really.  I’m not making this  stuff up.  That’s what it said on the net!

My human also found a waitlist of over 70 people.  So the question is why?   Marketing.  And it’s like the Emperor’s New Clothes.  These dogs somehow become trendy.  And contrary to popular belief they are not healthier than purebred dogs.  Recent studies have shown this.  If you are looking for a dog that looks like a Bernese, one glance at these puppies reveals that most of them look very little like an actual Bernese. One of the appealing things about Bernese of course are the tricolor markings.  Yet few of their puppies look like this.  So why get one? They don’t look like the breeds that they come from. They don’t necessarily have better health. And there are absolutely no guarantees what they will look like when they grow up.  Because if they cost a lot, AND the website looks good - they MUST be good. 

The irony- if you want to get a dog that is a mixed breed you can adopt a sweet puppy at a shelter and not pay the exorbitant fees that these so-called breeders charge for these mixed breeds. Go for it!  Those guys deserve a good home.  Not to mention the prices listed here are more than one would pay for a registered purebred dog.

My human owned 4 Bernese in her life and they still hold a special place in her heart- so she was both infuriated and sad about these breedings. She knows that the people who buy them are good people who just want a cute puppy.  And what puppy isn’t cute?!  And my human would never speak poorly of the owner or the puppy.  But the breeder... that’s another story.  It’s just so, so sad....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 30

Sent from my iPhone

In the movies

It’s June 19 and  according to the crazy calendar, it’s National Pets in Film Day.  So I found this quiz...

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz344861277aaa0.html

I must confess, my human did horribly on this one.  She only got 7 correct.  She guessed most of them.  And clearly she is not a good guesser.

And here is a worse one...

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz237972bc7e0.html. 

Again, she only got 7. So because she was feeling like she knew NOTHING about dogs in film, I found THIS one.  She got 9/10. So she can sleep tonight.

https://www.braingle.com/trivia/23603/famous-dogs.html

No PON movies yet.  The Picards have Because of Winn-Dixie.  We need a PON movie.  I’m trying to get someone to write a screenplay based on my blog.  My human said everyone would think it’s fake.  I’ll keep working on it....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 30

The picky Picard

So what do you get when you are the pickiest dog on the planet?  Venison.  Dehydrated venison.  That’s the latest menu item for the picky Picard.  And it’s working.

We all know that the FG is picky.  Super picky.  Some days he eats.  And some days he doesn’t.  Even with liver dust.  Or cheese.  There is no rhyme or reason to his appetite.  You just never know with him. So of course it drives my human a little bit crazy.  Especially when she looked at him and thought he was looking pretty thin. Now that is NOT a problem she has with the PON brothers. We would eat a 40 lb bag of dog food until we almost explode. And then we would counter surf for dessert.

Anyway, when my human went to get our food the other day, she decided to try some new kibble just for the FG.  AND she also bought him dehydrated venison. Well.  Not only does he like his new food, he has eaten EVERY SINGLE THING in his bowl for the last two days.  I mean EVERYTHING.  Einstein and I didn’t even bother licking his bowl.  There was NOTHING there. NOT A morsel 

Einstein is a bit of skeptical that this ravenous eating thing will continue with the FG.  But in the meantime , my human hopes to fatten him up a bit.  And I’m ok with him getting more food.  After all, he IS bigger.  but trust me - I’ll be counting the treat distribution. That’s only  fair...or I’ll protest by refusing to eat my meals too.  Sure I will....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days : 29

Fathers

Well today is a special day.  It’s Father’s Day - a day to honor dear old Dad.  My human’s Dad went to the Rainbow Bridge to meet some dogs  quite a few years ago - in fact we never got to meet him.  But we understand that it was my human’s father who was the real dog lover in the family - and that’s probably where my human acquired her love of dogs.  Not that her mother didn’t like them - but her father LOVED them.  It wasn’t until my human was in high school that she and her father were able to finally convince her mother that they NEEDED a dog.  Up until that point, my human had to get her dog fix with the neighbors’ dogs and at least one stray that she brought home.  Who her father found a home for, because her mother still wasn’t ready at that time for a dog.  But the first REAL dog in the household was Mickey - an Irish Setter.   My human’s father walked him in the fields near their home every day and he quickly learned that Mickey had an innate hunting instinct.  It was so good that one neighbor asked to borrow Mickey to go hunting.  My human’s father went along and carried a gun, but had no intention of shooting anything.  He wanted to look that part, though.  Mickey did a fabulous job pointing out  pheasants and he went on more that one hunting adventure. He and her father were best buddies. 

When Mickey passed away at almost 15, her father said “no more dogs.”  By this point my human was living away from home.  But she and her sister felt her father NEEDED another dog.  So they broke the ultimate warning that you see during the holidays - they went out and bought him a Golden Retriever puppy for Christmas.  Her father’s immediate reaction was “I told you no more dogs!” But within 10 minutes he was playing with his new best friend, Midas.

By this point, my human had her own first dog - Barney the crazy terrier-cross.  And then she got her first Bernese, Schubert.  When Schubert died suddenly from cancer at 3.5, her father wanted desperately to find her another Bernese. He felt so badly. My human managed to find a Bernese puppy in Wisconsin - so drove from Nova Scotia to pick him up.  She dropped Barney off at her parent’s place on the way there - and here is a photo of her Dad holding Guinness when she stopped on the way back to pick up Barney.

My human’s father never met us PONs but we KNOW he would have liked us.  We also think we would really have liked the FG, too. He was a very special man. And not just because he loved dogs! There are so many more reasons too...

If you are lucky to still have your father - give him a big hug today. And if you can’t - make a phone call - or Skype!   And if your father is no longer with you, think of him and know that he is probably looking down on you.  My human figures her father MIGHT be shaking his head because she has THREE dogs.  But of course she has a great excuse - she’s making up for all those years growing up that she didn’t have one.  And my guess is that he would completely agree with that argument!  He’d be shaking his head.  And smiling.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 28

Many feelings....

Yesterday was a day of many feelings in our house.

All around. 

We got my human up at 5 as usual, but we noticed she wasn’t in a huge hurry - like she usually is on Fridays going to work. She took us for our walks, fed us, had her breakfast, and then out of the blue, announced that Einstein should come into the garage.  Aka grooming torture place.  He went in, not suspecting anything odd.  First she began with a thorough brushing.  Which took well over an hour.  And then, when he thought she was done- she lifted him up and plopped him in the tub. Oooooooeeeeee.   He was NOT impressed. He gave her the “look” that said “I wouldn’t leave ANYTHING on the counters for the next three weeks”.  At least. She finished washing  him and then noticed as she began to dry him with the jet engine dryer, that she used the wrong shampoo.  She used the shampoo for the FG.  The kind for dogs with coarse coats. I fully expected Einstein to look like the FG when he came in from the garage. Nah.  He still looked like a PON.  He looked so nice that as soon as he settled down in the kitchen, I immediately had to start licking his face - just to mess him up a bit.  My human moaned “Seriously - you can’t leave him alone for 5 minutes without messing him up?”  Einstein didn’t care - so what was the big deal?  Humans.  OK so the whole process took like 3 hours - but what else would she be doing - scraping the deck?  It was obvious she wasn’t going to work. 

What we didn’t know was that yesterday afternoon, my human and her sister were taking her Mom to the cemetery- to put her in her final resting place. As you know, the funeral was in March, but because the ground was still frozen then, they couldn’t perform the burial.  I think we boys could have done the digging, but no one asked.  Anyway, it was a beautiful day.  The sky was blue, the sun was shining and the temperature was perfect.  They met the priest there ( we like him because he is Polish) and he performed the service - with a beautiful view of the ocean and gulls flying overhead.  We wanted to come - but my human said the ground should be christened with holy water.  Not the kind of christening we would do. My human and her sister were of course sad - but the memories of a good life, well lived and loved will stay in their hearts forever.   

So although Einstein was still cranky about his unwanted spa treatment, he did cut my human some slack when he realized what day it was.  

A day of many feelings.  All around.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 27

Nature Photography Day

June 15.  And it’s one of my favorite days on the crazy calendar.  It’s Nature Photography day.  I still don’t have my own GoPro camera - so I have to get my human to take shots from a dog’s eye point of view.  So here we go...

Let’s start with a frosty hosta shot taken just a few days ago!  That’s frost, not dog pee.  Although we have been known to pee on this hosta too...

We THINK the frost is over for this year...We hope it is.

This is kind of a nature shot because it WAS taken outdoors.  I call it Shadow Dog.

Here’s a moon shot. Taken early in the morning.  See. It pays to get up at 5 AM!

Here is a dandelion.  We have them in our lawn.  Because we don’t use chemicals on our lawn.  We have learned to live with them.  Sort of.  When the flowers are gone and just the stems are left, my human has this overwhelming urge to cut them down. Or rip them off.  Then the FG tries to rip them out of her hand.  Just dandy.

Here was our bear.  We didn’t see him.  And he hasn’t been back.  I’m not sure that if I had the camera that this would be clear...

Here is a tulip.  OK. It wasn’t taken out in the yard. It was taken indoors.  It was in a vase. On the table. So we couldn’t pee on it.  Which we would if it was outdoors.

Here is a close up of moss.  The FG loves to dig in moss.  Like he is searching for buried treasure.  

Here is our lake.  Well we don’t really own the lake.  But I like to call it ours.  It is the backdrop for many of our photo shoots.

I love being out in the great outdoors.  Take a minute today to snap some shots of nature. It truly is a wild wonderful world!

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 26

Vet news

Well for a change I have some good news.  Some really good news!  The vet called yesterday and said that my blood work was good - and in fact, my liver values improved substantially!   You see, one of the problems with some of the medications for seizures is that they have side effects.  For example, phenobarbital, which is a go-to drug for seizures, can cause liver damage.  And I was on a therapeutic dosage,  but it was quite high.  So when I had blood tests back in January, I was starting to have liver problems. My vet and my human decided to reduce my dosage, and they added a new drug with fewer side effects.  As well, my human has been giving me milk thistle daily - which supports liver function.  So obviously it works!

I’m always reluctant to get too excited about how things are going with my seizures, because it seems that whenever I start thinking we have things under control...bam.  So we just take things a day at a time. 

I think all your positive thoughts and good wishes and even the odd prayer or two DO make a difference.  Keep ‘em coming.  Please.

Have a good one. I know I will!   Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 26 

To the Vet

I went to the Vet last night.  But don’t panic - it was for routine blood work.  My human busted in the house after work, told us to pee pronto, and then whisked me onto the grooming table for a 30 second brushing and she put a clip in my hair.  Because apparently one must look good at the vet. It was at that point that I realized something was up.  She opened the door and told me to head for the car. I had not figured out our destination  so I happily jumped in the crate -  thinking we were going somewhere fun. Wrong.

When we got to the vet, she parked and opened the back hatch so I would have air.   She had strategically parked so she could watch me and Ludwig while she went in.  Being the neurotic human she is, she doesn’t like to have us waiting in the waiting room.  Like most normal people do.  No. She tells the staff we are there and then waits to bring us in.  Why you ask?  Because we are bad? Nope.  Because she doesn’t want us picking up any weird germs in the waiting area.  I’m serious.   AND she also has noticed that many pet owning humans lose all sense of common sense in vet waiting areas - and they let Fluffy Magoo go to meet EVERYONE - because he is friendly. Well maybe not everyone LIKES Fluffy Magoo.  All of the canines in this house ARE good with dogs - but one never knows how another dog is feeling in a vet waiting area.  

Once I was called in, she got me and said she would come in the back while they drew blood.  She plopped me on the table and they went to take blood from my back leg.  My human fed me while they did the deed and frankly, I never even realized it happened- it was so quick.  Gotta love a good vet tech!

When I got home, Einstein and the FG had to sniff me all over.  It seems in the 3 minutes I was in the place I managed to still pick up vet smell. 

We should find out today if I am still alive. I’m feeling pretty good so I’m optimistic that I’m doing just fine.  I’ll be sure to let you know!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 25

Baw Baw frogs

So we have talked before about the fact that we canines have a super ability to use our noses for scent detection.  We’ve talked about explosive dogs, cadaver dogs, drug dogs, dogs that can find bugs and rodents and dogs who can sniff out illegal goods - like antiquities.  But there’s a new job description in the scent detection profession - dogs who sniff out wildlife for conservation detection.  They are trained to find endangered species, or evidence of species.  In Australia, for example, they have dogs who are trained to find things like koala poop.  The technical term is scat.  I just call it poop.  I would be good at finding poop.  But I digress.  What  is really interesting in Australia are dogs who search for amphibians - they are trained to find the elusive Baw Baw frogs. These little guys live mostly underground in the Mount  Baw Baw Plateau.  Scientists are trying to find and save the Baw Baw frogs as there are reportedly less than 1200 left in the wild.  Apparently dogs have been trained to find the presence of creatures who live above ground, but these underground hoppers are a new category, at least in Australia. Australia has a captive breeding program for these frogs - and because they don’t start using their calls until they are 5 or 6 years old, scientists had to wait a long time after releasing them to know if they were surviving.  But now, the dogs can find them and let them know if their efforts are working.  How cool is that? I didn’t even know what a Baw Baw frog was. But now I do - and so do you, if you didn’t already know. It’s also interesting that the dogs they are using are Border Collies.  They say they have both good searching abilities and good stamina.  I think Einstein and I would get bored looking for Baw Baw frogs, and wouldn’t like trekking through the wilds to find them .  The FG would definitely not have the attention for that kind of work.  Playing with Baw BAw frogs, maybe.  But hunting for them - forget it. Kudos to the Border Collies. 

Speaking of scents - as you know our home has been frequented by bunnies, porcupines, a bear, an eagle, and a raccoon.  And in the past few weeks, a number of neighbors have spotted deer.  Deer who have been eating their apple blossoms and their plants.  But for some reason, we have not seen any and there is no evidence that they  have been in our yard.  My human says it is because they do not enjoy pee-covered plants. See.  I told her that we pee on all her plants for a reason... Now that is scent-sible!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up! 

Seizure free days: 24

Dryer lint and poop protest

I did it again.  Might as well confess, because my human will no doubt tell people anyway.  My human left the door  to the Landry room unlatched.  Not wide open.  Just unlatched.  And I knew it.  So I pushed the door and I was in.  I headed straight for the trash can.  Where I found a great surprise- a huge fistful of dryer lint.  I know we have talked about this before.  But my human remains stumped as to why I find it so delectable.  I love it.  In fact,  I think they should make it an ice cream flavor.  Why not? I mean if you can get flavors like Brown Butter Bacon or Curry Mint - why not dryer lint?  Who do I call at Haagen Dazs? 

Yesterday morning we got my human up at our usual week day time of 5AM.  She was not impressed.  In fact, she decided to take each of us out one at a time- around our trail to the lake.  She was feeling too lazy to walk all the way up the road to the public trail. So she took me first, expecting that I would do my business quickly. She wanted all of us to go, so she could go back to bed. Well I knew her plan. And I was not impressed.  We went around the loop- but I refused to poop. We went around again.  No poop. Despite her pleas to “hurry up.”  She went in the house and got Einstein to go around with us the next time.  He dutifully pooped immediately.  Not me.  I wanted to go up the road .  So we did.  But she only went half way.  And I refused to poop.  She went again half way.  And no poop. By this point she was getting annoyed. If she had simply taken us up the road the first time, I probably would have gone. She took us home, put me in the car, drove up the road to the trail and took me out. At which point I had a ginormous poop. She begrudgingly mumbled “good boy”, gave me a treat, marched  me back to the car and drove home. And then she got to take the FG out.  Good times.

She continued to work on the deck  yesterday.  How boring. We don’t care what it looks like - we’ll pee anywhere. Even though we are not REALLY supposed to pee on the deck. I have a feeling that after she finishes this job ( In November at this rate) she will be watching us like a hawk - squirt gun in hand. Great fun...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 23

Hitting the deck

Life is pretty boring these days.  Why?  Because of the deck. It is beyond the normal annual scrape and touch up stage.  It needs MAJOR scraping, some boards need to be replaced and it needs a new paint job. My human has been scraping every chance she gets, and for some odd reason, she doesn’t want our help.  So we sit inside with our noses pressed against the glass, supervising every move.  It guess all our peeing out there didn’t cause the paint to disappear.

When we are allowed on the deck (when there is no scraping going on) we can’t go down the stairs because there is a gate at the top of the stairs.  And the gate is always kept closed...

The other night, my human had a friend come over who offered to help with the deck.  At one point, my human went into the house and into the garage to get something, and her friend followed.  What neither of them noticed was that the door onto the deck was partly open.  So when they came back in, my human did a quick dog count and she was missing one.  The big one.  She went onto the deck, figuring he would be there eating paint chips, but he was nowhere to be seen.  Because the gate at the top of the stairs had been left open. Her friend said “He’ll come back, won’t he?” My human laughed and said “maybe....” She went out to the back of the house and spotted him.  And of course he spotted her - and he bolted down the trail to the lake.   My human came back in the house and got Einstein to help. She took him to the head of the trail, and said “go find Elroy.”  He looked at her like she had three heads, turned and headed back to the house.  “Hey Lassie, help me out here,” she pleaded. Einstein happily trotted back home.  As Einstein was heading back, out of the bushes like a freight train came the crazed Picard.  Wet and wild.  He ran past my human and threw himself onto the lawn.  Einstein just rolled his eyes at him. My human calmly walked over to him (while her brain was screaming “DON’T YOU MOVE,”) put a leash on him and guided him back in the house.  And back she went to join her friend in the scrape-a-thon.

On Friday night she took a scraping break and somehow the FG got to go downtown for a walk on the boardwalk.  He reportedly behaved.  He was making up for his disappearing act the night before.

Yesterday she again spent several hours scraping.  I voted we get one of those fancy composite decks so she never has to do this again.  She asked if I would like to cut my down on my treats so she could afford one of those fancy decks.  I told her to keep scraping.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up,

Seizure free days: 23

In triplicate please.

So you know how humans have habits that, at times, they are not even aware that they do?  Like twirl their hair, or bite their nails, or clear their throat.  Sometimes they realize what they are doing, and other times they are not even aware.  Well my human has a habit and it was pointed out to her recently.  She says things in threes.  Like “yes, yes, yes,” or “no, no, no.” It has become a bit of a joke at her work recently.  And WHY you you think she does it?  Why because of us, of course.  She has to give commands all the time - so there is a a continual repetition of everything in triplicate. “Sit, sit sit.” When she is trying to feed us.   “Stay, stay, stay.”  When she is trying to go in the garage or any room where she doesn’t want us to go. “Wait, wait, wait.” When she goes to take her shower or take the garbage out. The warning “Off, off, off.” When we are counter surfing. And the famous “Treat, treat, treat.” In a futile attempt to get us to return when we are running away OR when she is trying to take a photo. There’s also the famous “Hey, hey, hey” and also multiple repetitions of our names - “Viktor, Viktor, Viktor.”  Because we never respond to our name on the first call.  Mind you, there is also the El-Fro-Viktor. And the Fro-Vik-Elroy. And Vik-El-Frodo.  That’s when she is JUST trying to call one of us- but we get the three dog combo.  Often followed by “whatever your name is.”

And then she gets mad at Einstein when he barks repeatedly.  He is just following her lead!  

It’s Saturday and time for some extra long walks.  Excuse me now while I “Go, go, go!” Bye bye bye.

Have a good one! Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 22

The doghouse. For real.

Today is June 8 and it is the birthday of famed American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright is said to have deisgned over 1,000 buildings in his career and he was even named the "the greatest American architect of all time" by the American Insitute of Architects.  His Prairie style architecture with low-pitched roofs and open floorplans became a hallmark of his work - but he was also know for incorporating the surrounding environment into his designs.  If you Google Frank Lloyd Wright and Fallingwater, you will see excatly what I mean.

Anyway, Wright was famous across the US - but you may not know about the smallest strucure that Wright ever designed.  A doghouse.  I never knew about this story, but found it and felt it was worth sharing.  It seems Wright answered the request of a 12 year old boy to design a special house for his Labrador retriever, Eddie, who as he described in his letter to Wright as being “four years old or in dog life 28 years."  He went on to include Eddie's measurements - so Wright would know what size house to build.  Here's a little movie about Eddie's home...

https://youtu.be/dee19eel0TE
After all that,  Eddie didn't like his house.   Go figure.  In this house,  someone is in the doghouse all the time.   The proverbial doghouse.  And that one we build ourselves!

It’s Friday!!  Let the weekend begin!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 21

Good and bad. Happy and sad.

Life is just so interesting.  Something can happen that is both happy and sad at the same time.  Take for example a video that was released that just went viral.  It involves a family who has been "raising" a caterpillar for weeks - until it turned into a beautiful butterfly.  The family all gather around to release the butterfly into the wild - where it will be free and can fly and can spread pollen and joy and live a carefree life.  Oh happy day!  EXCEPT - less than 2 seconds after said butterfly is released, the butterfly is promptly eaten by the family Boxer.  So sad...  But SO hysterically funny!!!!!!!!!!!

https://radio951.iheart.com/content/2018-06-05-viral-video-family-releases-pet-butterfly-dog-eats-it/

In the same vein, my human had a posting placed on her Facebook page by one of our wonderful neighbors.  It was a sign that you can buy which reads:

Crazy Dogs Live Here

Do NOT knock.

They will bark. 

I will yell. 

Things will get ugly.   

 Now THAT is funny.  And my human likes the fact that because these signs are available, we are not the ONLY crazy dog husehold.   And she laughed and laughed.  And then she went uh-oh.  It was a NEIGHBOR who posted this....  

At least we provide entertainment.  And just THINK how happy they are they they don't live with us!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 20

Russians

June 6.  And it's Russian Language Day.  I don't know any Russian.  I know English but often pretend I don't.  My human has attempted to teach me "sit" in Polish - but besides that and a few choice vocabulary words, her Polish is limited.

But since it IS a Russian day - time to look at some Russian dogs.  When I think of Russian dogs, the first two that come to my mind are the Borzoi (or Russian wolfhound) and the Black Russian Terrier.  I forgot about the Siberian Husky and the Samoyed.  OK.  I must confess I didn't even realize the Samoyed came from Russia.

Here's a QUICK video of some of the Russian breeds just mentioned and a few others that are less common - at least in North America:

https://youtu.be/r0eovqJMgAE

And then I also found the South Russian Ovcharka.  Check out these bad boys.   They look like PONs on steriods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX8q7Kim_P4&feature=youtu.be

My human saw this an immediately started looking to see where she could get one.  JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!   CAN you IMAGINE one of these guys in our house?  They look to be a BIT stubborn.  Like us PONs (and somewhat like the FG at times).  But THESE guys would be a LOT more dog to handle.  No. Thank. You.  We have QUITE enough stubbornness in this household already.  If anyone out there actually is owned by one of these dogs, feel free to comment about them.  They DO look cool (because, as I said,  they look like giant PONs)....

 Anyway, I was going to type something in Russian by changing the font on my keyboard, but my human explained that with our luck, we wouldn't be able to change it back again.  Then imagine my human trying to explain to the people at Apple that we were having trouble getting out of Russian don’t because  her dog wrote some phrase in his blog.  THAT would go over well.  So intsead, we cut and pasted this from a website.  HOPEFULLY it says "Have a nice day." 

Хорошего дня!

If it doesn't, we'll just claim there was Russian meddling on my blog....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days:  19

Extreme sports

June 5.  And today is Hot Air Balloon Day. My human is privileged to know a woman who has several records for ballooning.  She has had some challenges in her life in the past few years, due to a stroke- but with her, the sky is the limit- so she will no doubt be breaking records again some day.  My human has learned a lot about ballooning from this woman- but my human has turned down the offer to try it.  She gets weak in the knees going up an escalator-so a balloon ride makes her nervous just thinking about it!

That being said- Hot Air Ballooning is NOT a sport for us dogs.  The sound of the gas powering the balloon is loud and sudden and could be quite scary for us dogs.  And jumping out of the basket would obviously not be advised.  Some dogs are even afraid of seeing Hot Air Ballons.  I’ve never seen one, so I can’t say.  My bet is that the FG would be VERY interested. We know how he likes to watch birds- so a balloon would no doubt be of great interest!

As I was thinking about ballooning and us dogs and then extreme sports, I came across the following video.    It is a couple of years old.   And it is a bit long to watch.  But I GUARANTEE if you watch it, you will love it.  It made my human cry.  She was surprised it was the first time she has seen it.  Maybe you have already seen it - but if you haven’t- get out the tissues!!  But in a good way.  Let me know what you think!

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18814225

Now excuse me while I go and plan my next extreme adventure- trying to get ON the counter and into the treat jar. Never say never!

Have a good one! Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 18

Clean. For a day.

So remember the story of the missing box from the post office?  The one that had people searching. The one that I needed - so because it was missing my human drove in torrential rain over an hour to get a replacement for the contents of that box. You remember- the missing box that REALLY wasn’t missing after all.  Anyway, as you may also recall, when my human went to the Valley to pick up my stuff- she ended up buying grooming supplies, too.  Oh happy day...

I’m not sure why I was selected Saturday night as the first victim. Probably because when it comes to grooming and baths, I am actually the superstar.  So I was the first guinea pig for the new products - some stuff called Pure Paws. I tried out the detangler which worked like a charm and smelled great to my human.  For us dogs, we would prefer a product that had the aroma of fresh cow poop.  Somebody should bottle that.  At least from OUR point of view.  Then I tried some shampoo which also smelled nice to my human.  Then the blow dry- and voila- I looked and smelled all fresh and clean. Then it was the FG’s turn.  He got to try some texturizing shampoo for hard coated dogs.  As if he cares.  He also ended up smelling great and after he was blown dry, he looked HUGE. His big clean coat made him look twice his size.  He of course immediately rolled in the carpet under the dining room table and attempted to messs himself up by rubbing against the cupboards, chairs and the walls.  Good thing he was clean.

By the time my human was finished with him, she couldn’t even THINK about doing Einstein. And he was really the one who needed a bath the most!  But he is the worst groomee- so he was pardoned for that night.

I was SURE he was on the list for Sunday- but my human had errands and weeding and general yard work - AND she started scraping the deck for the annual paint job. So he never got his bath.  My human kept admiring her work from the night before - the FG and I still looked and smelled great. But you know me - I always like to keep things interesting. When my human came home from running errands, she let us out on the deck for a minute.  This was before she started the pre-paint scrape job.  In fact, while we were out on the deck, she went in the garage to get the scraper. She came outside and noticed I was chewing on something. She had seen me eating buds from the trees the day before, but it appeared that it was something larger. “Hey,” she said, “what are you chomping on.”  It was at that second that she noticed something unsightly on the deck.  SOMEONE had pooped.  Need I say more about my disgusting snack.  “Agghhhhh” she screamed- before I could complete my recycling job. I just looked at her and smacked my lips.  Here I was all fresh and clean and with a coat that smelled like flowers.  And breath that smelled like...

Never a dull moment.  Never.  Ever.

Have a good one! Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 17

Confetti.

One would think that if one was owned by an 8 year old dog, a six year old dog and a two year old dog, that one would not find that said dogs would engage in childish, make that puppyish, pranks.  Not so much in this house...

My human is on this new decluttering kick.  It will no doubt last for a week, and then she’ll go on to some other novel craze.  Like cooking with kale (which she really doesn’t like) or learning how to knit with fishing line.  In other words, another futile endeavor.  Anyway, on Friday night she decided to clean out the disaster that some might call a garage.  I prefer grooming torture palace.  Besides housing a raised bathtub to bathe us canines,  the garage is also the repository for assorted dog crates in every size from Chihuahua to Great Dane, a cupboard full of tools she doesn’t know how to use, another cupboard full of paint cans that no doubt contain paint from the LAST house she lived in, assorted gardening tools including the wheelbarrow with the flat tire, the electrical cord for the generator she no longer has (because it died), bins full of Dollar Store holiday attire for us dogs, an assortment of folk art animals that make one feel as if they are entering a zoo, and now some furniture that she plans to sell because she obtained more furniture from her mother’s apartment - and we have no room for all of it.  So she is keeping her mother’s stuff and selling the furniture that comes complete with dog scratches.  Good luck with that.  Anyway, it is nothing short of a miracle that the car fits in there.  So the other night she went into the disaster zone to take pictures of some items to sell.  And she REALLY wasn’t in there all that long.  She took her photos, rearranged things, straightened up a bit and came back in the house.  And that’s when she discovered that there had been a party going on while she was literally in the next room.  The evidence of the party included confetti.  Everywhere.  SOMEONE, who shall remain nameless, had taken some newspaper that was on the counter, and decided to help with the recycling effort. It was shredded.  Everywhere.  A very puppyish prank. And you  KNOW what she immediately said.  The ridiculous “Who did this.”  As IF one of us would raise our paws to confess. As she went to pick up the numerous pieces, I decided to do something.  I decided to help.  Not that this was by any means an admission of guilt, but rather an attempt to clean up the mess.  I helped by picking up pieces and eating them. “Stop!!!”she shouted, I don’t need your help”. But I was trying to grab them faster than she could pick up.  She was crawling under the dining room table trying to grab tiny pieces before I could get them.  Personally, I thought it was a great game....

She has listed on-line some of the items in the garage.  She threatened to put our pictures on there too.  Funny.  Very funny. Seriously- WHAT would she DO without us?!  I think her life would be pretty boring....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days:16

Talk to the animals. And bugs.

So here is a new interesting study.  Do you want to know how to keep the attention of a dog?  Speak to us using DDS.  That stands for dog directed speech.  What is it?  It’s the annoying higher pitch speech that humans use with babies.  Basically baby talk.  It seems that some researchers in the UK wanted to see if puppies and adult dogs would respond with more attention to DDS rather than a typical, standard tone of voice.  Seems puppies responded to anything the researchers said using DDS.  Adult dogs also responded to it, but only if the vocabulary used was familiar- like “walk “ or “treats.”  So they concluded that we dogs like the sound of it.  My human doesn’t tend to use DDS with us.  Probably because half the time she is shouting at us.  Truth be told, we rarely listen UNLESS she has a treat in hand.  Then she can talk to us in any manner she wants, and we will definitely be more responsive.  Hence the treat crumbs in the pockets of every outfit she owns. 

We have finally had some hot days lately.  My human can’t leave the screen door to the deck accessible to us because we will basically knock it out of the frame.  So the night before last, she just left it wide open for a bit.  The only problem... it is June.  And June means one thing.  June bugs.  These giant beetle creatures that come out at night and throw themselves at windows.  They are attracted to light.  My human can’t stand them - so when we go out for our last pee of the night, she won’t turn on the outside light.  For fear we wouldn’t be able to open the door without letting one in.  Well hello?  If you leave the deck door open, what do you think will happen?! Yup. She woke up yesterday morning, but before she put her glasses on, she spotted something on the floor.  Thank GOODNESS she didn’t step on it in her bare feet!  Yup.  It was one of those foot long giant June bugs.  OK.  Not really a foot- but at least 1.5 inches. She didn’t know WHAT to do with him.  He was in the DFZ so we couldn’t get him- but she didn’t want to squish him - ugh- what a mess that would make.  So what to do? Vacuum him. At 5 in the morning.  Then she had to empty the contents of the vacuum outside in the recycling bin. Problem solved.  Maybe my human should have just talked to the June bug using BDS - bug directed speech and she could have coaxed him out .  Mind you, she did use some unique vocabulary when she sucked him into the tornado.  

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days:  16

Choking. About resolutions.

June 1.  And according to the crazy calendar it is Heimlich Maneuver Day.   I was going to write about using the technique with dogs - but I found this video that sums up what you need to know:

https://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/e_dg_choking

Thankfully my human hasn’t had to use this on any of her dogs - but it IS good to know. 

Today is also  New Year's Resolution Recommitment Day.  So I decided to look back to see what I had promised I would do.  And low and behold...I didn't promise anything!    I see that for 2018, I just reviewed the most common resolutions that humans make.  I reviewed them with my human today and so far the ONLY one that she has met is to quit smoking.  Mind you she never has smoked.  But she needed to feel like she was successful with at least one.  I'm not commenting about more exercise, better diet or more sleep for her.  Look - we TRY to give her more exercise.  And we really can't do anything about what she eats.  OK.  OK.  We COULD help out more with the sleep part by not waking her up in the middle of the night for no reason.  And as for the cutting-down-on-stress resolution, I thought research said that just owning a dog reduces stress.  OK.  Perhaps not if it is two PONs and a Picard. Not to mention the stress about worrying about my health....

Another resolution was to travel more.  My human has to get working on that one.  Mind you, for some odd reason when my human contacts potential dog sitters so that she can go away, nobody gets back to her.  They must read my blog.  I think she needs to advertise the danger pay part.

So we are entering the second half of 2018. Let’s hope for health and happiness all around. And travel.  And more exercise. And good fortune. And that we don’t EVER need the Heimlich Maneuver...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days:15