Happy Halloween

Well, here it is.   Halloween.  And the dreaded attire photos.  Yes - we have the "good shot" you see above.  But I KNOW what all of you prefer.  The bloopers.  Strangely, we didn't have THAT many this year.  Einstein, of course, was the cooperative one for attire shots and leaf photos. 

The FG becomes completely appalled when it comes to any kind of attire. 

He looks SO dejected, my human quickly removes the attire and he is all smiles.

And me?  Well my response is pretty evident. 







My human will rush home after work today to greet the possible crowd of three children.  And then she'll begin to eat the candy and chips that she bought for 65 children.  JUST in case a busload arrives.  Need I add that she is STILL trying to work off the effects of the Halloween goodies from TWO YEARS AGO.  The good news?  More walks for us.

Wonder how Max, the 90 lb puppy next door,  will react if any kids show up at their place.  We can't see Max's house from our house.  But we can hear him at times - and NO DOUBT he hears us.  Particularly Einstein.  The other night, I swear he and Einstein were having a conversation.  So far, none of us have dashed over to his place when we had the chance.   So far....

Anyway - my canine friends, stay out of the chocolates tonight.  Don't dsah out if the door is open.  Try not to scare away small children.  And lastly, shake your head madly if your human makes you wear any attire you don't like.  So they can't get a good photo.  Or if that fails....stick out your tongue.

Have a good one.  Peace an paws up.
Seizure free days: 47

Stocking up. And meeting the next victim.

All is right with the world.  My human is happy.  We are happy (although we are always pretty happy unless: a) it is raining out; b) it is grooming time; c) we have to pose in holiday attire; or d) supper is late. So we are generally in a good mood. But I digress...

The reason for the joy and elation?  Check it out:

She found some.  She traveled to several Dollar stores and found that not ALL carry them any longer. When she spotted them in a store in the heart of downtown, she grabbed an armload full.  She went up to the counter, looked at the clerk and said “Don’t ask.”  The woman said “ I have a dog.  No need to explain.  He’s a little Boston Terrier.  And obviously I gave him too many treats yesterday.  It was a three bag morning.” My human just about leapt over the counter to hug her. Kindred poop spirits.

After the discovery, my human got a text from her sister. She had asked her sister to check the Dollar Store near her office. More good news.  Another source. Her sister bought her 4 more boxes.  So we now have over 600 bags.  That should see us through November.  

When my human went to our pet store yesterday to get our food, she saw that THEY carry the handled biodegradable variety. But at 7.49 plus tax for 120 bags, we would have to cut back on treats. Or so she threatened.  You KNOW she’ll buy them if she has to. At the pet store they have this frequent buyer program for our food.  You buy like 100 bags and get one free.  OK maybe not 100, and it IS nice to get a free bag.  But you KNOW my human couldn’t keep quiet.  She asked the clerk why they didn’t have a frequent buyer program for poop bags.  He just stared at her.  They are used to her questions.  All the time.  

Last night we had a visitor...a new victim ...errrrr - I mean sitter.  My human has a “conference “ coming up in a few weeks- so we were interviewed last night.  What happened to the last sitter?  Well she was lovely and we really liked her.  And she was supposed to come during this “conference.”  Then she sent my human a text with an announcement.  She got a puppy! And she wondered if she could bring the little girl to stay when she would come to sit for us.  Now my human REALLY liked her - but the thought of us three hellions AND a puppy did not seem like a good idea.  I mean it took 2 years for me to like the FG.  And I’ve been doing so well with my seizure count, my human didn’t want to upset things. So we had to hunt for a new peep.  And we met her last night.  She is VERY experienced with dogs and does a LOT of sitting. My human loved her instantly and after we stopped barking and jumping, we did too.  I mean we REALLY loved her.  I mean REALLY, REALLY.  Even Einstein and I - the sometimes “aloof twins.”  We adored her.  I can’t WAIT for her to come! The guilt gifts will just be a bonus.

So it was a happy day all around.

Yes. All is right with the world... at least our little world....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 46

Serial CANINE Pooper. Part 2.

Well my comment the other day about our “serial canine pooper” and our problem obtaining handled poop bags probably elicited more comments than most blogs I post.  Let’s face it - people owned by dogs love to talk poop.  Well maybe they don’t LOVE it - but the topic is just so common.  I seriously doubt that people owned by cats have the same discussions.  Then again...maybe they do...    “So what’s YOUR favorite litter?  Fluffy isn’t using his litter box, what should I do?  Fido likes to raid Fluffy’s litter box, and it’s a real problem....” So maybe they do too.

I coined the phrase “serial pooper”  but should have checked it on-line first.  Don’t Google it.  You don’t want to know.  ( You know you will.).  Anyway I am NOW calling it serial CANINE pooper.  And I did look for this behavior on-line afterwards.   Because those of you who are owned by one of them - and there appear to be many of you - it is a challenging behavior when it comes to hunting and gathering.  Apparently, some dogs do it to leave a scent trail.  When we poop, our scent glands leave a musky odor.  It’s kind of our canine signature.  Dogs who walk and poop are leaving a longer signature.  Kind of like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs in the forest.  Then again, maybe that’s not the best analogy.  Anyway, that’s what I understand is one reason they do it.  They also say that it is easier for some dogs to....eliminate that way.  So that’s also why they do it. 

I don’t think the FG thinks about his signature. I think he just doesn’t like staying still for very long.  

The handled poop bag problem was met with much sympathy.  People like handled bags.  AND biodegradable bags.  And there are products with both features available on-line.  Although I hear they can be pricey.  Supply and demand... I must confess, our Dollar store options were not biodegradable.  But they DID smell like vanilla....The other issue that people discussed was capacity....I’m telling you, this topic was HOT.  Clearly size matters.  A bag for a chihuahua will NOT work for a Saint Bernard.  Do they actually sell them by size....I always thought they were a generic size...

My human is off today so she may try to hit other Dollar stores in the area and if she finds the old stock she will be buying everything they have. 

As one of our dear friends in France commented - isn’t it wonderful how everyone came to our aid with poop bag suggestions?!  The internet is an amazing place.  And isn’t this fitting because today in 1969, the first computer to computer link was made - basically the precursor to the internet. So it’s kind of the birthday of the Internet.  Little did they know back then that their invention would solve such critical world problems as poop bag procurement.  Yes- it’s a small world after all....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 44

Birthday. Postscript.

Well I had a pretty great birthday.  It began with a long walk in the morning - which was fun.  It was  a crisp, sunny day. 

In the afternoon- we didn’t REALLY have the BEST time.  We had to do some obligatory leaf photos.  Does the woman not have enough photos of us YET?!  But she DID have dehydrated beef lung - so who can pass up THAT?!  Sure I’ll pose for pictures when you have that kind of a bribe. So it was ok.

I got loads of birthday greetings.  My human was jealous of all greeting I received- from as far away as JAPAN!!! How awesome is that?!  Thank you to everyone for all the best wishes. 

And another super neat thing about the day...get ready for this one.  My human went for dinner with her sister to their favorite haunt - Martin’s Kitchen.  It’s located at the golf course in our neighborhood..  The chef is amazing - he serves world class food.  But the best part? He read my blog and saw it was my birthday.  So he prepared  a meal - just for ME!!! Chicken and rice and veggies.  It was awesome.  I even shared some with Einstein and the FG.  And guess what - the FG ate EVERYTHING in his bowl.  Of course he did. Beats my human’s cooking.

So all in all (even with the photo shoot) it was a perfect day.

I mentioned yesterday though, that I have a problem.  It’s about my blog.  Last week...well I tanked.  What do I mean?  Well I track my readership and ever since I’ve been writing, my numbers have gone up.  Slowly but surely.  But last week- well my numbers plummeted!  And I don’t know why?!  Was it something I said?  Didn’t say?  I mean I didn’t say anything that supported or condemned any political party.  They’re all crazy anyway.  I didn’t make fun of the Royal family.  And why would I - they’re dog people.  I didn’t use any politically incorrect language ( that I remember anyway).  I didn’t trash any of the radical animal rights groups.  At least not last week.  I don’t think I used any sexist terminology.  Even though we boys rule in this house.  Just kidding.  Sort of.

Anyway, if anyone can think of something that I did - can you message me?! Maybe I’m just getting boring in my old age.  Now that I’m a “senior.”  Although I was happy to find out that 7 year old dogs in Europe are not considered seniors!  I’m moving there.

Thanks again for all the greetings.  I appreciated them more than you’ll ever know!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 44

Birthday boy

 Happy birthday to ME!  Yup.  It's my special day. Parteeeeee.  But first - a complaint...

Einstein told me that dogs at the age of 7 are considered veterans.  I don't like that term.  First of all, I was never in the military.  So I'm not REALLY a veteran. And I don't like the term "senior" dog either.  I mean I'm still wild and crazy.  I haven't slowed down ONE bit.  Age is just a number.  That's what my human always says.  Unless....being a senior dog gets me discounts at the pet store.  Cheaper biscuits?  I'm in.

My human was looking through some old video footage and she found a couple of baby vidoes of me.  This one I have posted before - but I'm so adorable it bears re-posting. Note the old carpet - with the chewed corner.  HEY - that was BEFORE the FG!!!!!!!   Anyway.....that was several carpets ago....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wa-M1HEtOk

This one was newly found old footage.  Here Einstien is teaching me to talk.  I catch on quite quickly.  And you can also see Paxton's big head for a second or two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTIoC-tATk8

This one is only10 seconds long.  It shows me looking utterly dazed but oh-so-cute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U0oOMtJgdM

Yup, I've grown up a bit since those old days.  Look how different my coat color was - I was a lot darker back in my early days. And my how the world has changed.  When I came along, my human had like 6 Friends on Facebook.  And she has LOTS more now - all because of me.  I'm a Friend-magnet.

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

Today is a HAPPY day.   But tomorrow, please make sure to read my blog and I'll tell you about a problem I am having....But before you worry - NO - it is NOT health related.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 43

Seeking contestants for new game show....

NOTE:  This is one of those blog postings that my human's mother never liked.  The poop blogs. 

It is that time of year...

I have an idea for a new game show.   Poop Treasure Hunt.  And here are the rules:

1.  It must be dark outside.
2.  The contestant walks a dog.  For double the points, walk two.
3.  The contestant walks the dog or dogs over a lawn or any area, really, that is COVERED in Fall leaves.
4.  The contestant must be able to find all the poop that the dog or dogs have deposited while    wearing a headlamp with dim batteries.
Points are scored if all deposits have been identified among the leaves AND picked up.  BONUS points are awarded if the contestant walks a serial pooper (like the FG).  A serial pooper is defined as a dog who does not STOP to poop but rather continues to advance while pooping. Leaving a trail of poop.  Amongst the fallen leaves. 

The winner of the treasure hunt is the one who has the most points at the end of one week.  We will win.  Hands down. 

But not only does this blog address the poopy new game show - but I also need to talk about a poop tragedy.  My human went to dreaded Dollar store the other night.  To get poop bags.  Because the Dollar store carries THE best poop bags - the ones with handles.  Why are they so great?  Because my human can tie the bag easily and wrap said handle around one thumb while juggling two leashes and gloves.  But GUESS what?!  The dreaded Dollar store is no longer carrying those bags!  They are carrying NEW bags.  Which have no handles.  Seriously, I heard that if you wanted to see a frantic woman in a Dollar store, you should have seen my human searching to see if she could find any of the old variety.  She was just about crying.  She clearly needs a life.

Now you need to know that my human is one of those chatty people who cannot resist saying something to a store clerk.  "Cold one today....Wow all the Christmas decorations are in... Has it been busy today?"  We understand why Einstein is never silent.  So of COURSE, she HAD to mention to the clerk at the Dollar store that she was disappointed they had changed their poop bag model.  She was met with a blank stare.   I'm glad I wasn't with her.

But the good new in this poopy post - it's FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!   Let the weekend BEGIN.   Oh - and I'm trying to sell the game show to some reality TV producer.  I'll let you know when we begin filming.

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

Bears. And things that go bump in the night.

So it's funny how the FG tries to scare my human when she takes him out at night...

It is getting dark so early in the evening now.   By the time she gets home from work, feeds us, and eats something herself, it is already starting to get dark.  And of course, when we go out for our last pee of the night (ALWAYS on a leash) it is completely dark out.   The FG is funny, he will sniff around and then suddenly look up - and stare into the woods.  He does this QUITE often.  And sometimes he will jump backwards - like something is out there.  My human heard a rumor that a bear was back in the vicinity - not specifically back in our neighborhood - but not too too far away.  So with that in mind, she usually hurries back in the house when the FG does his scary look.   He told me he does it just for fun.   Did I mention that I am really beginning to like this guy more and more.   It's only taken 2 years.

And speaking of bears....have you seen THIS video?

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dHz3BfeJdA

How crazy is THAT?!  I think Einstein would probably end up as a bear appetizer if he ever ran into one.  He would bolt over barking like mad.  Mind you, any bear in his right mind would take off in the other direction to get away from his barking.

Anyway, today is Thursday....Which means tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!!!!!  And we can't WAIT!!!

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

Stunts

October 24.  And on this day in 1901, a woman by the name of Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. A few days before her - a cat went over in the same barrel to test it out.  The guinea pig, make that the guinea cat, survived so Annie decided to give it a go herself.  She survived.  But she didn't advocate that others try it.

Apparently in 1827 some guy by the name of William Forsyth had filled a boat with a buffalo, two bears, two raccoons and a dog. Some sources also reported there were some foxes, geese and an eagle. And Forsyth sent them over the falls.   The bears apparently jumped ship before the falls and swam to shore. Forsyth was a hotel owner and businessman and did the stunt for tourism.  Not such a great idea as the menagerie all perished except the bears and one goose.  The poor dog.  I can’t find anything about him.  Seems there  should be a statue of him somewhere....

As for stupid stunts, yours truly did one yesterday.  My human had a long day at work.  She came home tired and achy.  She did something to her back and has been moaning and groaning for a few days. Anyway, she got home and let us out for our raucous pee.  With the FG on a leash.  We ran around to the back of the house, barking, racing and rolling through the leaves.  Einstein and I did our pees and ran back around the house and headed for the front door.  My human hobbled with the FG out ahead. As she came around the house, she saw me and Einstein staring up the driveway.  “Time to eat” she shouted in that desperate voice that sees we are about to take off.  And yours truly led the charge.  She shouted at Einstein who stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to come home.  But I was G-O-N-E.  She put Einstein and the FG in the house, grabbed a leash and hobbled up to the neighbors’ place.  Sure enough, there I was inspecting their yard.  I pretended I didn’t hear her as she approached.  She grabbed me and put on the leash, mumbling some not-so-nice things as we marched home.  I think she even threatened to put me in a barrel and send me over the falls.  Just kidding.  Actually the cat and Annie survived, so maybe I COULD do it.  I would be the first successful dog over the falls.  Said the dog who hates water.

It’s hump day- mid-week for my human’s crazy busy work week. Glad we’ll be back to normal crazy next week...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 40

Extinction

Well here's an interesting bit of trivia that I came across.  Do you know what a Vernepator Cur is?  It's a breed of dog!  Mind you, it's extinct.   You may know it by its more "common name."  A Turnspit dog.  Still puzzled?  Well the name describes exactly what the terrier-like breed was bred to do - they turned the spits over open fires in kitchens in the UK and apparently in America as well - from around 1750-1850.  The dogs were put on a wheel-like contraption and basically ran and ran, turning the spit over the flame.  Kind of like being a hamster in one of those rolling cages.  Because it often took a long time, many households had more than one dog to do the job.  Supposedly they were one of the reasons for founding the SPCA.  Some resources say that the dogs were also taken to church and used as foot warmers.  Go figure.  Not a job I'm applying for.  The foot warmer maybe, but forget the running wheel.

When I did a little search in Wikipedia, I found at least 50 breeds of dog that are now extinct.  One breed, the Welsh hillman dog, was an ancient herding breed that was almost extinct in the 1940's.  One source said the last female was purchased in 1974, and the owner - not realizing she was so rare, had her spayed.  Oopsie.  Wouldn't that just ruin your day - learning that you caused the extinction of a species.

However,  I DO wish we could just cause the extinction of ticks.  That would be a different story.  After my pest blog the other day, I have heard about ALL kinds of options that people have found helpful - so here are just a few:

• Possums.  We don't have any in Nova Scotia - but apparently they LOVE ticks.  I'm thinking the Department of Natural Resources would probably rather that I not go and import a bunch of possums and let them lose in the wild though....

• Guinea hens - also love ticks as a delicacy.  Now those we could get. 

• Natural EM Tick collars - someone has offered to make me one - and I'm excited to be a guinea pig.  Not a guinea hen - a pig.  She may be making them for sale - but until then, if you want to read about them - they are here: https://homeopawthic.com/natural-tick-collars

• Wondercide products:  https://www.wondercide.com/pets/dogs/flea-treatment-for-dogs  I haven't tried these.  I do need to be careful if they contain Rosemary, but if not - I could give them a shot.

• Glady has used 1/2 teaspoon of real Brewers Yeast in her dogs' food every day.  Glady has owned many dogs - and has never had a flea or tick problem.

Thanks again for the suggestions - I'm happy to share others that come along.

Well time to go and make my breakfast kibble extinct.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 39

National Nut Day

October 22. And according to the crazy calendar it is National Nut Day.  Sounds like every day in our house.

Anyway, I researched what kinds of nuts we dogs can safely eat.  Keeping in mind we shouldn’t eat too many nuts of any kind - as the high fat content in nuts could cause intestinal problems for us.  As well, nuts can be hard to digest and could actually cause a blockage in small dogs.  It is ok for us to eat the odd peanut, hazelnut or cashew but we should NOT eat almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachio nuts, hickory nuts or black walnuts. Nuts that we can eat should be unsalted.  And not in their shells.  Or covered in chocolate....But as I said, even the “safe” nuts should only be given in a very small amount.  Like probably one or two!

We dogs like peanut butter - and it’s ok to have some - but NOT PEANUT BUTTER WITH XYLITOL.   It is unsafe for dogs - so read your peanut butter label. There are lots of treat recipes with peanut butter - just be sure to use the safe kind.

We are rather annoyed today as my human is usually off on Mondays- but she has to work today.  Bummer.   But rumor has it she is getting closer to picking that retirement date....We cannot WAIT for that day.  What could be more wonderful than spending 24/7 with us ALL the time?!  Don’t answer that.  She may change her mind about retirement...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 38

The circle of life....

The circle of life....

So yesterday was one of those days of good news....bad news.  So let’s start with the bad...

 

As you all know, I’ve been battling epilepsy for 2+ years now.  And during this journey, my human has “met” some incredible people via the internet, who are sharing this same experience.  Quite a few months ago, she met a human in Bristish Columbia, Canada (clear on the other side of the country for those who don’t know Canadian geography) who had a Picard girl who started battling the “monster” at 13 months of age.  My human and her human shared articles, ideas and stories about epilepsy.   And in the past few months, my human felt a bit guilty....because I have been doing relatively well, and poor Mischa was not so lucky.  Her humans tried everything possible for her.  They consulted with numerous professionals and tried every medication that might work.  But nothing totally controlled her seizures - and worse yet, the side effects of the medications took away her mobility.  And her quality of life.  So at the age of 2.5, her humans had to make that horrible, but loving decision. My human cried when she heard the news.... Sometimes life is just not fair..... Our hearts are with Mischa’s family at this terribly difficult time.  She is running seizure free at the Rainbow Bridge....

So my human was feeling pretty bad.  And then...in some kind of strange twist...we got some other news.  News that my human had been hoping for - but was afraid to share - for fear the results would not be positive.    Are you ready for a HUGE surprise?   I AM GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!!!!  Einstein is going to be a father!!!! Yup.  My big brother is going to called “Dad” at the end of November!   I don’t really understand all the details.  I just know it involved a trip to the vet at few weeks ago.  After which Einstein retuned home smiling.  My human then drove to the airport.   And there was something about shipping swimmers on an airplane.  Whatever that means.  I thought Einstein didn’t like to swim?!

Anyway, Einstein’s girlfriend - who he has only seen in pictures - honestly is this weird or what? - had something called an ultrasound yesterday and apparently she is having at least three puppies!  Heaven help this world - three Frodettes.  

So after hearing the sad news about Mischa, there was happy news about puppies.  My human was calling me Uncle Viktor, and she called the FG, Cousin Elroy.  The strange cousin.  

So it was a day of ups and downs yesterday. It’s so very interesting.  I think that’s what they call the Circle of life......

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days : 36

Pests

So what is a human supposed to do?  

My human shared a post on her Facebook page that talked about the dangers of some of the Flea and Tick medications for dogs and cats  that you can get through your veterinarian.  It seems that certain types, which contain a drug in the Isoxazoline class ( whatever that is) have been shown to cause adverse neurological effects in some animals - like ataxia, muscle tremors and even seizures. 

It’s a dilemma for everyone.  No one likes the thought of parasites on their pet.  And in some areas, besides just being itchy and uncomfortable, the problem of ticks can also lead to Lyme Disease.  Double whammy.  So what is a human to do?  No one wants fleas on their pets  ( let alone in their carpets) and no one wants sick pets either.  But it seems the “cures “ can be as bad or worse than the pests.

Now there are non-medicinal options.  Like collars made of amber, special garlic tablets, and even essential oil sprays.  But we found out the hard way that sprays containing Rosemary can actually trigger seizures in epileptic dogs, like me.  So natural isn’t always safe.  Or effective.

The one good thing about living in a snowy winter climate, is that we get a reprieve from pests for a few months.  But for folks who live in year-round warm climates - well they need to find something. 

Collars containing pesticides are one option as long as you don’t have more than one dog.  At least in our case.  Someone is always licking someone else’s head and neck - so I doubt that would be healthy.

You have to wonder about medications that are good for several months - how many chemicals are flowing through us dogs in that period of time?   You’ll notice when we glow in the dark.

My human was VERY worried this year - because as you may recall, she found a tick on my head back in February!  So she stressed about the summer.  What to do?  What to do?  We are always running through the woods and high grasses- a perfect habitat for ticks.  But guess what?  I almost hate to say this....we had none.  I know tomorrow I’ll probably be writing that my human found 10 on each of us- but up until today, we have been lucky.

OK.  I might as well confess.  She’s been wrapping us in plastic cling wrap every time we go out.  Or if she runs out,  it’s been tin foil.  A bit of a nuisance but it worked.

JUST KIDDING.  But it IS true that we didn’t encounter the dreaded ticks.  My human says that Einstein’s incessant barking scares even the ticks away.

I still go back to the fact that we need a natural predator for the ticks.  Apparently Guinea Hens are good.  And they could compete with Einstein’s noisy behavior.

If you have used something to combat insectinal vermin (that’s a new term I made up), feel free to share your ideas.  

It’s a question which has no easy answer....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 36

Talk to me. I get it.

First off.  We are not getting a cat.  I am so disappointed.  My human is boring.

Anyway,  another new dog study just came out at Emory University.  They wanted to see just how we dogs understand language.  Sure - we respond to words like "sit, stay and down" - when we want to - but what is really happening in our brains when we hear those words.  Do we really understand them?

What they did was train dogs to retrieve two objects when they would hear the name of the object.  Lots of dogs can do that - remember that Border Collie who could discriminate the names of hundreds of objects?  Anyway, they trained the dogs to differentiate the two objects by name.  Then they put the dogs in a brain scanning machine - and did what is called an fMRI.  While in the scanner, the humans would hold up the two trained objects, one at a time and would then say the name to the dog.  They would also hold up the name of an unfamiliar, non-trained object and call it something weird - like a bobo. 

Now what they expected to see was that the areas of the brain that are known to interpret auditory information, would basically light up or show more activation for the familiar trained objects.  They found the opposite - there was more activation for the unfamiliar words.   The researchers hypothesized that (in basic terms) the dogs were working hard to please their owners - so were trying harder, therefore there was more activation for the unfamiliar words.  This is actually opposite to what one would see in humans - who show greater activation in their brains for known words.

The researchers also found that a variety of different areas of the brain were activated in dogs as well.  Unlike humans - where you can GENERALLY predict where the activation will be seen.  However, they noted that part of the problem with showing the exact area of activation has to do with the fact that they were using a variety of dogs so the sizes of the brains varied - and it is a bit more difficult to map the areas and make comparisons. 

So what is the bottom line takeaway message? Well we dogs DO understand words.  But in terms of training us to do new tricks, another study pointed to the fact that we dogs may respond more quickly to visual and scent cues than to verbal cues alone.  Which for me makes some sense- I can hear the word “treat” and I’ll respond- but let me see it or smell it - and boy oh boy my responses are much quicker!!

We dogs DO understand you humans QUITE well, and we easily pick up on emotions and gestures too.  We understand much of what you say to us - but in this household anyway, our responses to your verbal commands vary greatly depending on our mood and IF there are treats!  We hear ya calling our name -and understand-but sometimes other “things” take higher precedence- like a running bunny.  But trust me - our brains are working just fine!!!!!

Actually, I think my human should speak to us in Polish and to the FG in French.  I BET we would understand better.  Suuuuure we would....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 36

Behaviors....Can you dig it?

We dogs have some interesting behaviors...some of which can be explained and others....well some of us take them to the extreme.

For example, my human was surfing the net and saw this article about why we dogs curl up in a ball before we go to sleep.  They say that it's a behavior that goes back to our wild roots - when canines in the wild would create a "nest-like" spot to stay warm in the cold and also, so they say, to protect our vital organs from possible predators.  Interesting.  Makes sense to me.  All of us do tend to roll up in a ball at times, but it's Einstein who REALLY gets into the nesting behavior.  And sometimes it drives my human WILD.  He will scratch at the tile floor - as IF he can make a hole in it.  It's one of the rare times when I question his brilliance.  And we are not talking few futile scratches - we are talking a continual DIGGING until my human shouts "ENOUGH FRODO!"   And his latest behavior is even more fun - he goes into the FG's pony sized crate - which I should point out might as well have the door taken off - because it is never even used as a crate any more.  Anyway, Einstein goes in and he begins his dig-athon IN the crate.  Einstein and the FG take turns sleeping in the crate.  I occasionally go in - but I prefer the comfort of my human's bed.  When Einstein goes in the crate, he starts digging like he is trying to create an escape route.  He digs until he is almost out of breath.  And he usually starts it JUST as my human turns out the lights and is beginning to doze off.  Is it any wonder the woman is sleep deprived?

If she shouts at him to stop, he does.   But it annoys him that he hasn't completed his nesting project.  So then what he will do is begin licking.  I think he does it out of spite.  And then, to show solidarity, I will join in - monkey see, monkey do.  Actually, it's usually dark so it's more like monkey hear, monkey do.   The other night, we got the FG to join in too.  When my human threatened that we were all about to be evicted from the bedroom, we all stopped.  We do know just how far we can push the licking button.

My human also saw an article about the 5 best breeds of dogs that get along with cats.  They listed them as Japanese Chins, Goldens, Labs,  Papillons and Beagles.  I have NO idea who did this research.  Ever see a Beagle chase a rabbit?  I actually think the bottom line is that almost ANY breed of dog COULD be good with cats - if they are introduced to them early.  Now there certainly ARE breeds who would be much more likely to chase cats - but I do think it boils down to exposure.  I think we should get a kitten.  Let's see what happens.  We would be good.  I promise....

Could you imagine that.....you have to admit, it would make for some really good blogs....if my human was still living with us....

Have a good one.

Peace and paws up!
Seizure free days: 35

Rain. Ugh. And dark encounters.

Yesterday was one of those days that drove my human that much closer to retirement.  And it had nothing to do with work.  But everything to do with the weather...

She should have known it was going to be a bad morning when none of us was in a hurry to go out.   We heard the rain.  And the wind.  So in typical PON fashion, when the front door was opened, we stood there like we were statues. My human had to PUSH us out the door.

It was dark.  It was raining.  And all the pretty colored leaves were being whipped around us.  My human begged "If you just poop quickly, we will go right back in."  Einstein listened.  Me?  Not so much.  We walked down the road part way and Einstein did his thing.  We headed for home and we walking-wet-potato-sacks started moving more quickly.  HOWEVER, when we got to our driveway, my human walked right past it.  She looked at me and said "VIKTOR - you NEED to hurry up." Hurry up is the polite way of saying GO POOP!  I trudged along as if I had been told I wouldn't be fed for 24 hours.   I FINALLY did my thing about 50 yards down the road.  You should have then seen us racing home.  The FG went out next.  Luckily, the FG is a power pooper at the best of times - so he did not disappoint in the inclement weather.  Thank goodness.


And speaking of morning walks in the dark - we made sure to wake up the entire neighborhood last week as well.  Remember Max?  The new puppy on the road who now towers over me and Einstein?  The incredibly joyful, energetic, bouncy dog who is doing an excellent job of training his humans?   Well it seems that Max is starting to do morning dark walks just like us.  My human can spot their human and the telltale headlamp, and she often heads the opposite direction.  Not because Max is bad.  But we are.  Well - Einstein is.  Because after all, he OWNS the road.  So he barks out his "greetings" if ANYONE dares to walk on his road.  After years, he no longer does it when he sees Pig Pen or Pig Pen's humans.  But anyone else on the road?  They MUST hear his proclamation of ownership. 

Anyway, the other morning we were headed home and much to my human's surprise, out of another neighbor's yard there appeared a light.  AND a dog.  It was Max.  And as predicted, Einstein went Cujo crazy.   Not that he would do anything to Max - in fact he approached him and just smelled him all over, while barking the whole time.  Poor Max didn't know what hit him when we crazy PONs appeared out of the dark.  Now, I'm generally quiet during these interludes.  But on that morning, I started in on the chorus as well.  My human did the apologetic "they really are friendly" speech as she dragged us home.  Einstein stayed puffed up and grumbling all the way home.

I think my human should just retire.  Then there would be no rushing around in the morning - and we could go for our morning walks at any time.  We could wait for rain to stop.  We could wait for daylight....

I vote RETIRE.  What do you think?

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 34

Sad news

What do you say....

In the past few weeks, my human has had two good friends who have had to make that difficult decision to send their dogs to the Rainbow Bridge.  As someone once said,  we dogs provide you with some of the happiest days in your life - and one of the worst.

First there was Jessy - a spitfire of a Sheltie-cross - who was the first dog owned by a dear friend my human.  Jessy was a rescue - who initially required some consistent obedience to be a canine good citizen. But with some training and lots of love, she stole the hearts of her family - who went from being crazy cat people to being crazy dog people.  She beat the odds when diagnosed with cancer and lived longer than anticipated- but that time is never long enough.  They were shattered when they suddenly had to make that selfless decision that loving owners need to make.

And then there was Wiggles - owned by someone my human considers a matriarch in the PON world in the US.  But interestingly, Wiggles wasn’t a PON!  She was a lovable multi-breed dog who lived to see her 13th birthday.  And after weeks of battling illness, her human also had to make that selfless decision....and her heart was shattered too...

So what does one say at times like this?  That you are sorry - because you ARE- and you feel their pain?   But it just doesn’t seem enough...That you wish you could make them feel better - but you really can’t because you don’t have the tools to mend that hole in their broken heart.

Just let them know you are thinking of them- and that they are not crying alone.  Anyone who has had the joy of being owned by a dog knows that pain - and in a strange way, it’s kind of a special club.  Everyone understands.  And everyone also knows the joy of being owned by a dog - and they realize they cannot let this horrible time outweigh those countless joyful moments.  

So our warm thoughts are with those friends today.  You have given a piece of your heart to a special dog - but remember that the hole is replaced by memories that will last through your lifetime.  And nothing will take those away....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 33

Photo shoots

She can’t blame us this time.  We didn’t mess up the Fall decor...

So for those who said it would be a day or two before someone peed on a pumpkin...I am proud to announce that the colorful orbs are still pee-less.  But we do have a few weeks until Halloween. The ornamental corn hasn’t survived though.  Something ate almost all of it.  It was hanging on the pillar by the front door.  Anyway, all the colorful kernels are gone.  It looked a bit odd now, so my human tossed it in the woods.  We figure it was either the birds...or a raccoon or a mouse. Who would be one fat, heavy mouse if he acted alone. For once we canines couldn’t be blamed.

Saturday was a nice day.  Which in my human’s mind spells a nice day to take fall photos.  The one you see was her favorite- but not to worry - there are more.  Personally, I think the bloopers are the most fun.  And yours truly has done my part to insure that there are some beauties.  It all has to do with some crazy glasses from the dreaded Dollar Store.  Now Einstein, the dog who would wear ANTHING, didn’t mind them.

But as for me and the FG...well you’ll see what we thought of them.

I heard my human rustling around in some bins in the garage last night.  It sounds like she found some attire from previous years.  Oh goody.  It’s the first time I’m praying for rain- so we can’t do outdoor shots.  She’s off today....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 32

Quoting Mr Pooh

October 14.  The anniversary of the release of A.A. Milne’s book - Winnie the Pooh. It was published in 1926.

Pooh has a place in the hearts of so many - and there are so manic inspirational and thought provoking quotes by the tubby bear. 

Like last year, I’ve taken a few quotes and paired them with photos.  Hope you like them!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 31

Music

October 13.  And according to the crazy calendar, it is International Music Day.  If one does a quick search on the net for dogs and music, you can find ALL kinds of sites that have music that we dogs supposedly like to listen to.  Like this one which includes 12 hours of music that we supposedly love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dau2XY1Yq2U&vl=en

Now before you shake your head and say that's crazy - there have been researchers who have actually studied what kind of music we dogs prefer.  I am NOT kidding.   Wonder where they got the grant money?  Through a record company? Hey Kanye - there's another business idea for you. Anyway, I digress. 

One study looked at shelter dogs and they tested the effects of five kinds of auditory sources: conversation, heavy metal music, classical music, pop and a control.  Not sure what the control was.  Anyway, the shelter dogs were quieter and more relaxed when listening to classical music.  Another study found the same results - with dogs spending more timing "shaking and vocalizing" to heavy metal music".

Interesting stuff.   My human leaves the radio on for us - and it is mostly pop music.  Must get her to change it up.  Hello Bach.  Good-bye Kanye.  Sorry I just couldn't resist.  I just want to make my blog great again. 

OK.  I need to stop.   Time to download some Chopin.  He was Polish after all.  It's either that.  Or polka music. 

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 30!

Contrafreeloading. The word for the day.

Thanks to one of my loyal readers, I learned a new word the other day.  It has to do with the picky Picard’s eating behaviors.  Who knew that there could be a reason for it (besides intestinal issues- which I learned could also be a reason).  The reason is called contrafreeloading.  And it is real.

What is it you ask? The term refers to the behavior in which animals will choose food that they work for, rather than food that is simply given to them.  In 1963, a behavioral psychologist did a series of experiments with rats and it was later replicated with chimps, gerbils, and birds.  When given a choice between food in a bowl or food that was dispensed by pressing a lever, subjects preferred the food they worked for.  Except one animal.  Cats.  Go figure.  They prefer to be treated like royalty and fed freely.  Which is interesting because they certainly have a prey drive!

Behaviorists who support positive reinforcement suggest that dogs can use their brains to earn their food - which they clearly enjoy.  They say that by turning mealtime into a game, dogs are less bored and use their brains.  Some people have dogs do things all throughout the day - and they are basically rewarded with their food for doing things.  You sit, you get part of your meal.  You stay, you get more of your meal. Alternatively, you can do things like place food in a treat ball (or dispensing toy) so the dog works for his meal that way.  You can scatter or hide food and your dog has to find it.

It makes sense because we herding breeds are smart - and we like to think things through.  We get bored - and need to keep our brains stimulated.  Clearly the FG finds it boring to just get his food delivered.  We PONs are smart too- and will also work for food.  But we also have insatiable appetites - so you will never see us just staring at our food.  The day we do, you know something is wrong!!!

I guess we PONs are really better freeloaders than Picards.  Although....I must note here...that we HAVE been training the FG to countersurf.  So he COULD become a freeloader too.  Mind you, you DO have to work at getting food off the counter...standing on two legs is hard work...

Bottom line, we learned a new word this week - and maybe you just did too!!!  And MAYBE, instead of just putting your dog’s food dish down automatically- sometimes think about making us work for it.  Because we like to!!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 29

Pumpkin bets

We're taking wagers.  Which we always seem to be doing....like how long the carpet will remain intact before the FG performs teeth crafting.  Placing the chairs on their sides on all carpet edging seems to have deterred the chewing.  For now.  So the fortress remains.

This wager has to do with pumpkins.

My human went a little crazy with outdoor decorating.  And it's not even Christmas.  She bought some "fall" decor - some mums, some stalks of corn, some dried corn AND some pumpkins.  So what do you think are the FIRST words out of her mouth whenever we go out the front door?  This is BEFORE saying: "Viktordon'tpullyou'llhurtyourselfandFrodostopgrabbinghisearandElroyyouarrgoingtostrangleyourselfand
PONsstopbarkingyouavebeentogetheralldaystopactinglikeyouhavenotseeneachotherbecarefulbefore somebodygetshurt."  The NEW statement...make that COMMAND, is "DO NOT pee on the pumpkins!!!!!!"

She has to say it EVERY time.   And she has to keep an eye on each of us if we are loose - because WE are all vying for the title of Inaugural Pumpkin Pee-er for 2018.  And it's also a matter of time before the FG grabs one of the large orbs and attempts to take off with it.  He has been eyeing the stems every time he walks by. 

After my blog yesterday, we learned that LOTS of Picards have very strange eating habits.  Some will only eat off a plate.  Some will only eat outdoors.  So our FG is not as crazy as we PONs think he is.  It's in his blood.  I wonder if it's in the breed standard...

My human got some new ideas based on feedback so we'll let you know how they go.  Like I said, you have to admire those Picards at how GOOD they are at training humans.  This guy takes it to a whole new level...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 28

Food tricks

So who is training who....

My human continues to battle it out with the FG on the eating issue.  Yes, she knows that she should just put the food down, take it up if he doesn't eat it, put it down again, etc.  And eventually he WILL get hungry and will eat.  But it kills her when she adds all kinds of yummy ingredients and he STILL looks at it and walks away.  If the additional ingredients are moist, she ends up throwing away the whole bowl after two meals.  So we have seen a LOT of food going in the garbage. 

BUT.  And here is the big BUT.  He WILL eat treats.  And he is right there when she is eating her yogurt and her banana in the morning.  If he thinks that Einstein and are getting something yummy, he will come over to share in the bounty.

So Monday morning, after the burr-a-thon, my human had an idea.  We PONs gobbled down our food.  And the FG just snubbed his nose at his food bowl and looked all dejected.  So my human picked up his bowl and put it on the counter.  She called us all over - like it was treat time.  And she gave Einstein one piece of kibble.  And then gave me a single kibble.  And she gave the FG one.  She repeated the process, except, she gave the FG five kibbles.  And he ate them.  She continued. Einstein - one.  Me - one.  The FG - a handful.   AND HE ATE IT.  This is from HIS bowl.  The same stuff that he snubbed his nose at only 10 minutes before.   She managed to get him to eat almost his entire bowl of food with this technique.

Yesterday morning she tried again.  But this time he wasn't as keen.  While Einstein and I were ripping her fingers off trying to get a single kibble, he just went to lie down.  So this time, she put the kibbles right in front of him on the floor.   Five, then six, then a handful.   And yup - he ate them.  Again she managed to get him to eat most of his meal.

Now I don't know how long it will be before the FG realizes he is eating the same stuff he ealier refused.  Once before she thought MAYBE he didn't like his bowl - so she changed it.  That didn't make much of a difference after a few days.

It's kind of fun to have a breed that is almost as stubborn as us PONs.  And it's also great fun to see how good he is at training humans.  Now if I can JUST train him to open the garage door...

Have a good one.  Peace and pawsup.
Seizure free days: 27

Burrs...

Well we survived the Blessing.  But sprinkling us with Holy Water certainly didn’t make one of us more holy...

Yesterday was a beautiful day.  We PONs got the first walk of the morning just as the sun was starting to come up. I’m still a bit gimpy - but better.  Still my human wouldn’t let me run around off leash.  Drat.

Next the FG went out.  It was light by then, and my human figured he needed a good run.  So she took the long line, grabbed a fetch toy and headed up the the golf course, because it wasn’t open yet.

The first part of the adventure began with some “poop” issues.  The FG ended up (pun intended) with some cling ons. So my human figured if he headed for a pond, she wouldn’t stop him.  When they got to the course, she put on the long line and hauled out the fetch toy.  His brain exploded.  He loves to chase that thing. Bringing it back is still another matter.  But my human heaved the toy and off he went.  And he actually came back!  She was all excited.  But not for long.  The next time he ran out, and came back but stopped about 10 feet away.  My human had to retrieve the toy.  She’s great at it.  Next try, same result.  By this time they approached a pond, and Flipper dove in. Cling on problem solved.  My human heaved the toy. And he raced up a hill to get it. He grabbed it and then looked in the distance.  He dropped the toy and off he ran.  My human raced up the hill to see where he went.  She spotted him with his head in some brush at the side of the cart path - in the rough.  She called thinking he would never actually come, but much to her amazement, he looked up and dashed right to her.  She was so excited.  Until he got up close.  And that’s when she saw what was to become a morning “project.”  The brush he had gotten into was full of tiny flat Prong Burrs.  

Dozens of them.  You can see them a BIT in the photo, but the photo really does not do his mess the proper justice.  They were clumped under his chin.  All around his ears.  All over his front legs.  His back legs were mostly spared but not his back feet.  He was a disaster. But frankly, he didn’t care.

My human sighed and marched him home.  He was immediately taken to the Torture Palace, and put on the grooming table where the removal process began.  She was able to get out some with a comb, but many had to be picked out. Neither of them were happy campers.

She ended up giving him a bath when most were out and between the shampoo and the dryer she figured she had 95% of them.  When he was done he raced into the dining room and rubbed his face in the carpet. Probably not unlike the move he made that got him into the mess.

Guess who will be staying on leash again...I hate to think what would have happened if he hadn’t had the Blessing.....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 26

Blessings and miracles and friends

Well my human hasn’t been excommunicated. And we got to witness a miracle.  Actually more than one...

Yesterday morning my human could not decide who to take to the church for the Blessing of the Animals.   I actually needed the blessing most - because I have been limping again. Too much raucous play with Einstein.  And for that reason, she wasn’t sure about taking me for fear I would get too excited and hurt myself more.

She called her best friend, Joanie who happened to be in town.  She asked Joanie who to take.  Joanie instantly responded and said “all three” - she offered to come and help. My human warned her that it would be chaos - but Joanie already knew that.  She’s been around us plenty of times.  She has extra insurance for bodily harm when she comes to visit.

My human spent the better part of the day strategizing how this would play out.  The FG would ride in a crate and we PONs would be sequestered in the back. She arranged the crate in Ludwig and additionally placed some barricades so we PONs couldn’t escape through the side door when she would let the FG out. She selected her arsenal- a variety of collars and leashes. She decided Joanie would handle the FG, and she would handle us two PONs. The plan was made...

As predicted, when we pulled into the parking lot, Einstein took one look at the other dogs who had arrived and threw himself against the back window, growling like an extra-crazed version of Cujo.  The FG started howling right on cue .

The priest had already come out and was making his way to the outdoor grotto - with his extremely well-behaved German Shepherd.  My human shouted “ We’re here for the exorcism!” He had a laugh.  A nervous laugh, but a laugh.

First my human got the FG out- and put him on a short leash. (Note: BIG mistake).  My human accidentally let go of the leash and he walked away. He stopped to smell something so she quickly grabbed him.  She then passed him off to Joanie.

Then it was our turn. She had to open the hatch without us jumping out and running to see the other dogs who had arrived.  She somehow got Einstein out first and put him on a leash.  He was all puffed up, ready to “introduce” himself to any dogs there. BUT not to worry.  My human had cooked up hotdogs and had pockets full - so he was actually rather obedient while I got out and got leashed up. 

Everybody out. Now to make our way toward the grotto.  And that was when the first miracle, began to occur.  The FG who had actually been sitting fairly well beside Joanie, while my human was grappling with us PONs- suddenly decided to bolt- and she lost his leash.  And this time - he ran. Heading for the road. Joanie took off after him.  Racing faster than my human has ever seen her run.  My human somehow tossed me and Einstein back into the vehicle.  I don’t remember much - I just know I was suddenly back in the car- it happened so fast. She closed us in and ran to join Joanie in the chase.  Luckily the service had not yet begun - but all the other participants and the priest watched in dismay. Nothing like making a grand entrance.  My human raced up a hill and around the corner by the church- to find Joanie who had just captured the runaway.  Miracle number one. She looked a bit pale- and was holding on for dear life.  The FG just shrugged.  

My human marched him back to the vehicle and got a different leash. Joanie held him in a death grip- and he went with her to lie down close to the grotto where the service was about to begin. My human got us out of Ludwig and we joined the group. We didn’t care about the other participants.  We had hotdogs being stufffed in our faces every 20 seconds so we were happy.

During the service, we were actually well behaved.  By the Grace of God.  Literally.  We had the holy water sprinkled on us and didn’t attempt to attack the priest. Miracle number two. 

When it was over, the priest who is from Poland asked what we were.  He had never seen a PON before.  Go figure.

We were loaded into the vehicle and both Joanie and my human just looked at each other. And breathed a sigh of relief.  Did I mention she is a REALLY good friend...

After we got home, the last miracle was about to occur - although my human didn’t find out about it until after the fact.  When Joanie was leaving our place, she realized her glasses were missing.  She tried to think where she last had them and recalled they had been on her head when she arrived at the church.  She figured she might have lost them during the chase. So, unbeknownst to my human, she went back to the church and searched around.  Sure enough - they were on the ground right at the spot where she had tackled the FG. Miracle number three.

So three dogs blessed and three miracles.  All in one day. 

On this Thanksgiving Day, thank goodness for all our blessings - a roof over our heads, food in our bowls, toys to play with and a bed to sleep in.  And among those blessings we cannot forget family and particularly friends -  who always come to our aid when we need them the most...They put up with our shenanigans and are always there to help.  And as  we have seen, they are often the greatest blessing of all...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 24

Blessings....

The pre -Halloween photo shoots have begun . Heaven help us.

This is the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.  And I am thankful for many things.  But one thing I am NOT thankful for is the Dollar Store.  Mind you I SHOULD be thankful they don’t carry turkey costumes.

Today is going to be interesting.  The priest at my human’s church announced that he will be doing Blessing of the Pets - in honor of St Francis of Assissi - whose feast day was this past week. St. Francis is the patron Saint of animals. 

Now this is the first time, that my human is aware, that they have done this at her parish.  So.  If she takes all three of us, it would likely be the last.  

If one of us goes, I am the OBVIOUS choice.  Hello?  I have the most health issues so clearly I need all the help I can get.  Mind you, Einstein is the oldest.  So he needs blessings for a long life.  And then the FG needs blessings so he starts being less picky with food, and he puts on some weight.  Decisions.  Decisions.

Maybe we could all stay in the vehicle and the priest could walk over to us.  Bad idea.  Picture Einstein throwing himself at the window and the FG howling from in his crate.  The priest would go to get his exorcism kit.

Well this will be interesting.  Check in tomorrow to see if my human has been excommunicated.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 23

I’m guilty of fake news....

Well I stand corrected.  I can’t BELIEVE I actually posted fake news.  My reputation as a credible news source is shattered. There go my ratings. 

What news did I convey erroneously?  The Ozzie news.  My story about Harry and Meghan’s new dog.  I reported (as did MANY other news sources) that their new dog was named Oz.  And I rambled on about it.  All wrong. APPARENTLY, he is a she - and her name is a secret. I think they just read my blog and changed the name.  

So the real name is a mystery.  Here are some obvious choices: Queenie, Princess, Lady, Sparlke, and Jewel.  I personally like Tori ( short for Viktor....or Victoria). That’s what I really hope it is.

As I was researching info for this blog, I have come to realize that Harry is truly a dog lover.  Here’s a short video of Harry and dogs.  Lots of dogs...

https://youtu.be/9SCLWdsyHCI

Whether or not you are a Royalty fan, you have to admit - this guy clearly likes us canines!  

Now let’s hope he and Meghan chose the right name...

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 22

Plaidurday

October 5.  And accotdingto the crazy calendar, it is something called Plaidurday.  It is supposedly a world wide celebration of plaid.  Who knew.  And it started in 2011 in Lansing Michigan.

Well as SOON as my human saw this celebration, you KNOW what she HAD to do.  She had to get out those tartan scarves she bought for us on her road trip this summer to Cape Breton.  Because tartans are essentially plaids.  Although... in Scotland a tartan is a tartan and a plaid refers to a tartan cloth used as a kilt accessory or a cloth for a bed.  According to Wikipedia.  But for most people, in North America anyway, the two are kind of synonymous.

So once those scarves came out, of course, we HAD to have the obligatory photo shoot.

As usual, Einstein was the most cooperative.  He knows the drill.  He sits and smiles. He is wearing the Nova Scotia tartan because we PONs were born here.  I don’t think there is a Polish tartan.

The FG always starts out serious and after a few minutes starts to smile.  He is modeling the Quebec tartan - where he was born.

Now yours truly was the worst subject.  We do this in the garage- and the FG’s food bowl, with all the leftovers he didn’t eat at mealtime, was in the garage.  And I KNEW it. Getting me to sit and stay required handfuls of treats and toys to make me pay attention.  Still, she managed to snap one or two good ones.  Out of the 63 taken.  I’m modeling the Cape Breton tartan. There is no good reason why.  Other than the fact that my human loves Cape Breton.  She should have worn it.

Now “Tartan Day” is supposedly celebrated in April. Maybe she’ll get a shot with the three of us.  Good luck with that.  Those scarves would be great fun to play tug with....

Have a happy Plaidurday!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 21

Jewelry

So today we have a plug and a helpful hint.  And both have to do with dog jewelry.

Now I’m not talking about the fancy tags or collars  that we dogs can wear.  I’m talking about the dog jewelry that humans wear.  Humans LOVE to sport jewelry showing off their breed.  I think we dogs should wear tiny human jewelry.  Anyway, the first jewelry I’ll talk about is a birthday gift that my human got back in August.  She bought it for herself.  She actually saw an ad on Facebook for jewelry made from dog photos.  Or any photo really- but she was interested in the dogs.  She saw that a friend in the UK - Nikki - ordered a piece of the jewelry and she was happy with the product.  So really, this is all Nikki’s fault.  Nikki ordered a pendant, and it looked just like her two PONs.  So my human, being the copycat - she actually calls Nikki her shopping mentor- had to order something.  But she decided on a ring.  And here is the result:

It has our names etched on the sides:

So now we get to go everywhere with her.  Figuratively anyway.  

I am going to include the link - but this is a plug based on OUR experience.  Look carefully at the size of the pendants- they are small.  And I’m not sure if they will maintain their nice look- my human has only had her ring for just over a month. But so far - she likes it!

http://www.petsun.mobi/Personalized-Photo-Necklace-Sterling-Silver-a

OK. The next jewelry tidbit is a helpful hint.  When my human was last at Crufts a few years ago, she bought a pewter pendant of a PON head. And the other day she went to take it out to wear it.  Imagine the horror (humans are so dramatic) when she saw it was covered in green tarnish!!! She obviously couldn’t wear it like that, and had to wear a DIFFERENT dog pendant to work instead. Cough. Cough.

Anyway when she got home she wanted to figure out how to clean the pendant. And here is the hint. Do you know what you can use to clean pewter?!  Ketchup! Yup. The vinegar in the ketchup apparently is the key. I am attaching the cleaned photo which is really crazy because I don’t have a “before” photo.  You have to trust me that is was green and crusty before the ketchup.

So those are your dog jewelry tips for today. Really, the photo jewelry COULD be something other than a dog, and the cleaning tip is for any pewter object.  But does anyone actually have jewelry that ISN’T dog themed?!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days:  20