Dog poop and butterflies. Really.

We know that the topic of dog poop frequently appears in my blog.  We've discussed production, charteristics, gathering and frequency.  And probably other aspects as well.  My human was bemoaning the fact that she never DID do a REALLY good job of clearing the leaves from the lawn, so combine them and dog poop with a slight dusting of snow and you have the quintessential canine minefield.  But this blog isn't about ANY of these.  It's about butterflies and dog poop.  A cheery topic amidst the cold of winter.  And HOW do butterflies and dog poop go together you may be asking.  Well.  Allow me to anwer.

My human was looking at Instagram the other day. She doesn't follow many sites, because REALLY - who has the time.   Now mind you - she is STILL attempting to go viral with one of her photos one day (of US) but given that we only have 234 Followers we are hardly in the viral category.   Once you have like a gazillion Followers you can actually make money posting photos.  I hope I live that long.  Anyway, one site she follows is National Geographic.  And she saw this interesting photo of butterfly catchers in Central Africa.  Who KNEW that the butterfly trade is big business in some parts of the world?  Some estimate that as much as hundreds of millions of dollars are traded each year.  Some of it is legit and is done through conservation efforts - but as in anything, there is also an underground trade in butterflies for rare species.  Lepidopterists (butterfly collectors) will pay good money for some species - like the Papilio bluenei which lives on an Indonesain Island and can easily sell for a hundred dollars.  A lot of people are into conservation, more than collecting, yet there still exists an obvious active market in the delicate winged beauties.

So WHAT does this have to do with dog poop you are asking.  Well - if you go to this site and scroll through the slideshow - you will see how we canines fit in to the equation.  You will also see how people can make art with butterfly wings.
https://widerimage.reuters.com/story/the-butterfly-hunters

So. Dog poop is used to attract butterflies.  At least in Central Africa.  Who knew?  I can't say I have ever noticed butterflies on our poop - mind you, it usually ends up in one of the HANDLED poop bags pretty quickly - so the insects don't have a chance to stop by.   I'll have to do an experiment next spring.  I'm not planning to collect any of them - I can't imagine killing one.  And the thought of glass cabinets full of dusty butterfly wings hanging on the walls in this house is beyond comprehension.  We have too much junk already.  Except for our fetch toys and bones and chew toys... Those we need more of.

So that's your lepidoptery lesson for today. How many of you knew the connection between dog poop and butterflies??   We dogs REALLY are amazing.  Even our poop is valuable.  Now maybe my human can start selling THAT......

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 5

The dramatic Picard

OK. I have a proclamation.  Picards are more dramatic than PONs.  Seriously.  We PONs are a sensitive lot, but boy oh boy, Picards are VERY sensitive.

For example, my human has been pretty much a slug the past few days - although I am VERY happy to report that she is feeling MUCH better.  MUCH better.  And while we PONs were feeling sad that she was not exactly her usual self, the FG was REALLY sad.  He moped around like someone stole his favorite fetch toy.  Even when she fed him, he looked sadly at his food.  It was actually kind of spooky  - he was imitating her behavior.  Of course we PONs on the other hand dove into our food without a second of hesitation.   No sympathetic non-eating from us guys.

In fact yesterady, to get him feeling more excited, she had him do a little obedience routine before he ate.  Because at first he just stood there in a trance.   She came over and started his routine.  Which is pretty limited because his favorite thing to do is sit.  She told him to sit and he threw himself into  a sitting position.  She called him to come to her.  He ran over.  She told him to down and he threw himself on the floor.  A couple more sits and comes and he dove into his meal. He is clearly going to be better now that my human is better - she just had to show him that all is again right with our little world.

Meanwhile, my niece is demonstrating true PON behavior.  She is gaining weight daily.  Heck, she gained 31g in less than 24 hours after she was born.  She loves to eat.  AND get this - she is VERY vocal.   Didn't I joke about that?!  Yup - she has inherited her father's ability to strongly voice her opinion.  Perfect.

My human has started the Christmas explosion, although she thinks she may tame it down a bit this year.   We're fine with that.  Less time decorating means more time for walks.

And speaking of walks, time for our morning constitutional. 

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 4

More pillowcase problems.

Thanks from my human for all the get well wishes.  She went to work yesterady or should I say she dragged herself to work yesterday.  She had too many things going on - so she couldn't cancel everything.  Clearly she didn’t ask our opinion about it.

We watched her walk out the door and just shook our heads.

When she came home, she dragged in the same way she left.  Not a great sign.  At least her hair looked OK though.

As I mentioned yesterday, we were pretty sympathetic to my human’s needs.  But...one of us DID do something naughty.  And for a change it wasn’t me.

It was just before my human went to bed on Monday night. She went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and when she came out, found yours truly right by the bathroom door. Lovely.  The FG was lying next to the bed.  Nice.  But Einstein had curled up in a ball on the bed.  Right by her pillow.  And that’s when she saw what he was doing.  Chewing a hole in the NEW pillowcase.  

She quickly ousted him from his comfy position and declared “What is it with you PONs and pillowcases?!”  I think Einstein just got demoted on the Christmas “well behaved “ list.  My fear is that she is going to carry through on her threat to ask Santa for pillowcases for Christmas- for US. No GoBone in our stocking, just a pair of pillowcases.  How sad would THAT be?!

My human felt much better this morning- so I think she is on the mend.  Still not 100%- but getting there. Plus it’s hump day and only 9 more Wednesday’s....Paws crossed for a good day!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 3

One sick human

Well we have had a couple of pretty low key days. After the excitement of the puppy news, my human got sick.  I think it was all the excitement.

She felt miserable all day Sunday and all day yesterday.  She thinks it’s a case of the flu - body aches, chills, trouble eating - and she was very tired.

We were pretty understanding- so we were content to curl up with her on the bed.  I’ve never seen her sleep so much.  Nor have I ever seen her hair stand on end in such a unique style.  Good thing no one else saw her - she was quite the sight. 

She is supposed to go to work today....we’ll see....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 2

It is a girl!

Well another good news/bad news post. Well it’s not BAD - just hmmmmm....disappointing. Well not disappointing...just unexpected. So here we go....

It’s official.  I am an uncle!!! And Einstein is a Dad!!  His mail order girlfriend gave birth on Saturday night. My human hardly slept all night -waiting for the news. Merida is his girlfriend’s name - and she lives clear across the country in British Columbia.  That’s the good news.  But here’s the glitch...Remember the ultrasound said at least three puppies? Well here’s the disappointment- there is just one puppy - a little girl. 

We were hoping for lots of Frodettes but there is just one.  She has big paw prints to fill. 

I shouldn’t say we are disappointed- because really, any life is a miracle.  And knowing how challenging breeding can be - especially at a distance, to have even one puppy is a gift!

If she takes after her father, she is going to be one chatty girl. We’ve never had a girl in this house - except my human.   Just us rough and tumble boys.

I don’t really get a say in picking her name - but it doesn’t stop me from making suggestions....How about Indy - for individual? Solo works - but I think that sounds more like a boy’s name. There’s Treasure. Because she is one.  Or Gem - which could be Gemma if you like two syllables. Addie - short for adventurous since she is the only puppy. Adira is a Hebrew name meaning strong.  Isa is a German name meaning strong-willed.  Mind you that might not be such a smart choice.  We know that PONs can be strong-willed to begin with.  Why add fuel to the fire? 

Ada is a Polish name meaning nobility.  Tola is a Polish name meaning priceless.  And then we have Ula which means sea jewel.  Given that half her roots came from Nova Scotia - Canada’s Ocean Playground, that could work....

Anyway, we just hope she continues to thrive and leads a happy PONtastic life!  We are all excited to follow her progress as she grows.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 1

Bad news.

Well I’m afraid I have some bad news today .

If you check my seizure count, you’ll see what the bad news is.  Yup.  I had one yesterday.  In the afternoon- which is kind of unusual.  My human had gone the the dreaded Dollar Store and the Dog Food Store, and when she came home, we all ran around in the back yard playing fetch. We had a grand time and when we were suitably tired, we came in.  My human went to get something in the bedroom, and her cell phone rang .  It was a good friend- and they started chatting.  After a few minutes, she heard Einstein barking.  And barking.  She figured we were just horsing around, but when it didn’t stop after about 45 seconds, she came to see what all the ruckus was about.  I was lying down and the seizure had stopped, but my human knew that’s what happened....

The only thing that was different yesterday was the fact that we let my human sleep in until almost 7AM.  Which is when I take my medicine from the Vet.  Usually I take my CBD oil BEFORE my regular meds.  They don’t recommend taking them together.  So my human figured she would wait until 9 AM to give me my CBD, but- and she feels awful- she forgot.  She had to go to our Vet to pick up something- and in her haste- she forgot the CBD oil.  She had been wondering lately if it was making a difference- and clearly it is.

So it’s back to square one.  We are all bummed with the bad news.  Paws crossed that it was just a glitch....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 0

Gift ideas

So the official start to the Christmas season has begun.   Mind you, some of the big stores had Christmas stuff out at the same time as Halloween.  Pretty soon they will be leaving the Christmas trees out all year round...

So since it is that time of year, it is time to start thinking of gifts.   And of course, the first thing that you need to know is that a dog is NOT a good gift.  A dog is a lifetime commitment and the following commercial by the Dogs Trust in the UK makes the point quite well...Scroll down to click on the ad....

https://www.youtube.com/user/DogsTrust

That being said...my human and her sister DID buy their father a puppy for Christmas one year.  They had lost their old Irish Setter, Mickey and even though my human wasn't living at home any more, she and her sister thought her Dad would REALLY want another dog.  With the agreement of their mother, of course.  So they brought home this Golden Retriever puppy.   Her father took one look at Midas and said "hey - I said no more dogs!"  (He was sad about the loss of Mickey.)  But within 3.5 seconds his heart melted and he was holding the little fella.  They became best buddies...and Midas lived to a ripe old age of 13....

Anyway, do NOT follow my human's lead with the whole puppy-for-Christmas routine.  The results are sadly not all as positive...

And while on the topic of Christmas I have been looking at a VARIETY of sources for the best gifts for dogs.  I kept looking for one to share - and some had good ideas - but if they included rawhide chews, the list was eliminated.  Rawhide is NOT a good idea for dogs - but that's a topic for another blog.

I did find this site and although there are things I do NOT want, I did find THE best gift.  The GoBone.  Check it out by clicking on the video:

https://www.caninejournal.com/best-dog-gifts/

Can you just IMAGINE our house with one of those?!  My human said it is too pricey.  I suggested the price would be divided by 3 since we would all use it.  She still said it is too pricey.  She said one of us would probably eat the sensor.  I said we would only use it while she is home- so she could make sure we don't destroy it.  She still said no.  I think she is just trying to pretend Santa won't bring it. And then we will all be surprised on Christmas Day.   She said I am in for a disappointment.  We'll see...

My human liked the headlight harness.  Sure she did.  It's so practical.  We better not get one of those.

The gift boxes are cool and who wouldn't like food delivered to your door?

Heaven help us if she gets us the clothing that we can wear and match her.  Right now I bet you are ALL thinking THAT would be great.  Forget it.  I do NOT want attire.  Of any kind.

We don't need the DNA kit - and no amount of Aromatherapy will reduce stress in this houe.  She would be afraid we would knock the candle over and set the house on fire, so that would actually cause MORE stress.

Scrap the bathing gloves.   They imply a bath - and really who wants more baths?

So REALLY, the best gift on the list is the GoBone.  Right?  My human said we might get new pillowcases.  She's so funny.

Anyway, if I find more cool gifts, I will be SURE to share them and give you my opinion.

Oh and by the way - thanks to those of you who are clicking on the ads on my blog page.  My goal is $100 by Christmas.  I'm at around 88 right now.  Hey.  Maybe I can buy a GoBone MYSELF!!!!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 71

Wolfenoot

November 23.  The day after US Thanksgiving.  Also know as Black Friday - a HUGE shopping day when people share the true Christmas spirit by trampling each other to get bargains for things they don't really NEED.  It's a kind of strange human holiday.

It is also National Leftovers Day - which makes sense because the best part of big meals is the leftovers - and there are often plenty after Thanksgiving dinner.  Trust me - we dogs take inventory when it comes to leftovers.

It is also National Flossing Day.  Guess the dentists wanted to capitalize on the fact that people eat so much for Thanksgiving - so they definitely need to floss.  Flossing is important.  But does ANYBODY do it enough?  Just wondering...

But besides these holidays it is also Wolfenoot.   I must confess, I'm late to hear about this one - but I DO like the sound of it.  It was essentially started by a 7 year-old boy in New Zealand. It celebrates the spirit of the wolf - BUT the cool thing - it celebrates anyone who is/has been kind to DOGS. You eat roast meat and have a cake that looks like a moon.  Gifts are hidden around the house, and the people who are kind to dogs get extra gifts.  They even have an official website:
https://wolfenoot.com/

My guess is that if you are reading this blog (written by a dog) you definitely fall in the category of someone who is kind to dogs!  So cook up a big steak tonight (or a tofu version if you are vegetarian) and celebrate Wolfenoot.  And, of course,  don't forget to share with your canine companion.

“Have a howly Wolfenoot”.  Peace and pawsup!
Seizure free days: 70!!!!

Charlie. The fairy tale.

My human heard some sad news last week.  Charlie went to the Rainbow Bridge...

My human has an old friend who lives in British Columbia, Canada.  They have known each other for 35+ years - but there was a period of time where they lost touch.  That sometimes happens with humans. Anyway, they reconnected in 2009, and she went to visit him that year in the wilds of BC.

To describe this friend, there is only one word - "adventurer."  He has climbed mountains, skied the Alps, sailed across the Atlantic and volunteered for more than one tour in Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres.   In the heart of the action... He has seen  a LOT.  He is headed to Iraq in January.... My human feels honored to call him her friend.

Anyway, when my human went to visit, she was introduced to her friend's new canine companion - Charlie.  Charlie was a cocker spaniel who my human's friend rescued from a shelter in Missouri.  Prior to his 3 years in the shelter, he had lived on a farm and was used for "breeding".  When he couldn't produce puppies, at the age of 2, they sent him to the shelter.

When Charlie arrived on the plane, his eyes were a mess - and he was also found to have a tumor in his ear.   My human's friend stopped at a Vet clinic on the way home from the airport- and saw to it that Charlie was treated for all of his problems.   He had surgery for his ear - and it saved his life.

And WHAT a life he had.  He went hiking.



He accompanied his human while ski touring.  He sailed.  He traveled across the country.  And to top it off - he was THE sweetest and most obedient dog imaginable.

My human recalls how Charlie followed her friend EVERYWHERE.  He NEVER needed a leash.  She was just a tad jealous - here she was spending a fortune on obedience lessons for her canines - who could never be let off leash in the places that Charlie went - and Charlie NEVER went to a single obedience class.  It was like he KNEW his life had been saved.

Charlie never growled.  And didn't even bark much.  He never met a dog or person he didn't like.

But as you humans know,  one of the hardest parts about being owned by a dog is the fact that you outlive us.... My human had talked to her friend this fall and learned that Charlie's engine was beginning to slow.  His vision was poor and he could no longer hear.  He had an incident at home last week, that told her friend it was time to say good-bye....

So while this story IS sad - it is also happy.  Charlie was happy for nine amazing and wonderful years - and that can't be forgotten.

And on this day, which is Thanksgiving in the US, we should all learn a lesson from Charlie.  His life started off hard.  Very hard.  And then he was saved.  And I think Charlie was so well behaved because he was thankful!   He was completely and utterly devoted to his human.  He knew what life was once like - and he gave thanks every day for his amazing luck. It was truly like a fairy tale...

We often take for granted the basic things in life.  Food, shelter, power, friends....So take a note from Charlie, today - wherever you live - and don't forget to give Thanks..... And also don't forget - sometimes fairy tales do come true.



Have a thankful one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 69

Dog news

So what’s new in the world of dogs...

It looks like former Vice President Joe Biden has a new canine companion.  Mr. former VP and his wife had been fostering  a German Shepherd, Major from the Delaware Humane Association for several months - and they decided to become Major’s forever home.  The Bidens are no strangers to the breed - they are also owned by another German Shepherd by the name of Champ.  I’m not a political dog - but gotta like a guy who likes herding breeds.  Just sayin.

There’s a cool story about the IKEA store in Catania, Italy.  Get this - they allow stray dogs to stay in the store!  The store’s staff provide food and water to the homeless dogs - and even help them to find homes!  How great is that?!  Now this doesn’t happen in every IKEA store - but the company does have a soft side for dogs and cats - reportedly revealing a home collection with pets in mind in 2017.  Good thing.  You would need us smart canines to help you put it together.

Meanwhile, in Florida, thousand of racing greyhounds will be looking for forever homes, now that the sport has been banned.  I didn’t rant last week about animal rights people - but just so you know - they were behind this movement.  I hope these dogs can find good homes....

And in this neck of the woods - I reported about the “find the mitten” game yesterday.  And someone kindly shared that they (the human) hide and have their dog look for them.  Sounds like a great idea.  However....we have tried that game and my human has found herself hiding behind a large rock or tree, with no one coming to find her - one too many times.  We don’t play that game any more.  Truth be told, .we just like to see her come out from her hiding place eventually.   We KNOW where she is - so why go and look all surprised?! Seriously.

It’s hump day!  And only 10 more Wednesdays....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 68

Walking games

Sometimes my human just doesn’t think things through.

Yesterday she was off. So....drum roll please... we let her sleep in until almost 7 AM!  See - we can be thoughtful.  By the time she got dressed, it was light out- so we got to go for longer walks.  Sweet.

First the FG went. They had a lovely long walk up on the golf course.  Then it was our turn. The PON walk.  We went on the trail, sniffing and snorting and taking in the aroma of any four legged creature who had been by.  My human let Einstein off leash - because, let’s face it, he IS the most obedient.  And as we we were heading for home, my human decided to play an old game.  She drops one of her mittens on the trail without us seeing it.  We continue to walk and then she loudly announces “uh-oh I lost my mitten.  Go find it!”  And then the dog(s) go to search for the missing clothing.  Great game, right?  Except she forgot that we never PLAYED this game before.  She played it with Bernese in the past.  Not us.  At least not that we remember.  Sure we play “find the bunny, or the hedgehog” in the house but this mitten thing was not familiar.  Or if it was, we pretended we didn’t know what to do. She tried it with Einstein.  He stared at her like she was speaking Swahili.  Kind of like the look I gave her when she wanted me to retrieve the new ball. She pointed to the mitten which was clearly visible in the middle of the trail.  She told him to get it.  At first he ran in the general direction of the mitten, but then went off to the side of the trail, sniffing the brush.  He was literally 1 foot from the mitten.  She shouted “get it.”  He stepped toward it, looked at it and ran back to my human. Minus the mitten.  So she had to walk back and retrieve it herself.  She mumbled something like “if it was a bowl of food or a pile of poo you would find it quickly.” 

As we came down our driveway, she decided to try it again.  THIS time, Einstein ran out, pounced on the mitten, grabbed it and ran back to my human.  Success!! He knew what to do all along.  We walked a bit further and she tried it again.  Bingo - success again. So you would THINK she would quit while she was ahead.  On the third try, Einstein was getting bored.  Even though he was getting a treat every time he brought back the now soggy mitten.  This time he did what he did the very first time. He went around it - started sniffing the trees on the side of the driveway and ALMOST looked like he was about to take off. My human shouted “get it.”  He slowly turned around, looked at her, looked at the mitten and then decided that he was pretty close to home - and breakfast- so he had better comply.  He got the mitten. And a treat.  All the while I was focused on going home - because I wanted breakfast.

The find it game can be fun.  It makes us use our noses and our brains. And if we don’t get the mitten , our human gets more exercise- which is good for her.  Trust me - we think these things through...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 67

Guilt gifts

Well we got to play with our guilt gifts yesterday.  And some of us played better than others...

So my human finally brought out our gifts yesterday evening after supper.  Three toys.  All different. A ball with handles, a stuffed fish and last but not least - Lamb Chop - a stuffed lamb who is like a puppet  created by famous puppeteer in the 1950s - Shari Lewis. Lamb Chop appeared on various TV shows including Captain Kangaroo. Seeing Lamb Chop in the pet store brought back memories for my human - so the soft fuzzy toy HAD to come home.  And really- how appropriate for three Herding dogs.

To say we got a little excited when the toys came out would be like saying a hurricane is just like a gentle breeze.  We ALL kept leaping and trying to grab the toys. Particularly Lamb Chop.  So in order to play with the toys in a civilized manner, we did so one at a time.  The FG went first, while Einstand I were sequestered in the front hall behind the French door.  Screaming.

The game was simple.  My human tossed one toy and when it was brought back, she tossed another. My human was certain that the FG would prefer the ball, but much to her surprise, he liked all three.  He raced and retrieved each one.  He didn’t always bring them back, but he did get each one.  He had a grand time- and he loved tossing Lamb Chop and the fish into the air.

Then it was my turn. I got Lamb Chop and the fish, but when my human threw the ball I just stood there. Who wants a rubber ball?  I mean it has no appendages that can be ripped off. I refused to get the ball.  I mean REFUSED.  My human tossed it again. Nope. I wanted the other toys.  So much to my shock she announced “your turn is over” and she sequestered me again in the hall.  She’s a tough referee. 

Then it was Einstein’s turn.  He ALSO refused to get the ball.  But when my human said “game over” he quickly obliged and brought each toy back- every single time.

  

My human then gave me another try. She tossed the ball and I just looked at it. She ceremoniously announced “one more try.”  This time I got the ball.  I KNEW I was supposed to retrieve it. When I brought the ball  back I got a big treat. And then the fish.  But it was CLEAR that my favorite was Lamb Chop. I had turns with the fish and now soggy lamb, but when it again came time for the ball, I again refused.  

Obviously I didn’t end up playing as long as the other two - even with my two chances.  My human and I like to see who can be more stubborn.  She won last night.  But the war is not yet over...

Plus I know where she hid Lamb Chop...give me 30 seconds in that garage...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days:  66

She is back

Well my human is back. And sit down for the report....It was excellent!  We ALL behaved and our sitter left with no broken bones or scars!  I am not kidding.  I know you find it hard to believe.

She appreciated the fact that the FG and I are both excellent snuggle bugs in bed.  She said it took 24 hours for Einstein to be won over completely- but he totally warmed up and let down his aloof demeanor. He just likes to play the tough, intellectual type. 

We all went a bit crazy when my human came in.  There was much barking, leaping and spinning. Although I must confess that our sitter was so awesome,  it made our time without our human pretty sweet. She took such good care of us. And she wasn’t the least bit mad about being held captive...

So not only did my human return to happy dogs, a non-injured sitter and a clean house- but it smelled amazing- because our sitter baked bread and had a big loaf for my human!  Honestly- could life get any better than that???

Because my human got in late last night, she didn’t unpack the guilt gifts yet.  Something to look forward to today!!! I wonder what they are.....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 65

What will the report be....

My human is coming home tonight.  And no one has met our ransom  demands. Now what will we do?

And she will be getting the full report from the sitter.  And I don’t have any cash to pay off the sitter.  This could be bad. Or maybe not.  Stay tuned....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 64

Your purpose

We are still holding the sitter captive. And she continues to feed and walk us and take good care of us.  But make no mistake, we are in control.

Meanwhile my human is “slaving away” at her conference.  I DID see some photos of her on-line with a big plate of pasta and some pastries and some reference to Little Italy.  Sounds like a tough conference.  Mind you, I suppose she DOES have to eat.

In fact, she went to the Opening Session and there was some speaker who talked about finding your “purpose.”  And he showed the following video....which is about a dog... but is also about humans too.  I hope you like it!

https://youtu.be/vvylu0ocG5o

We all know about the purpose of us dogs.  It’s to take care of you humans.  Now excuse me while I go and take care of our sitter...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days:  63

Hostage

Attention.  We are again holding a sitter hostage.  We even made her send a note to my human saying we were “sweeties.”   I think my human was a bit suspicious because nobody has ever called US sweet before.  We made her send it to make it look like everything was going well.  But we have taken over.

If you want to see the sitter again, just leave a box of dried liver snacks by the front door.  Oh. And Einstein said some knuckle bones.  And the FG wants a new fetch toy.  Throw in some bananas as well.  

Leave the items in unmarked boxes. DO NOT call the police.  Or my human. 

Everything will be fine if you follow our instructions.  

This is not a joke.

Have a good one . Peace and paws up .

Seizure free days: 62

Gifts

Well THIS is pretty funny.  My human traveled yesterday- before her conference begins.  So after getting up in the wee hours and taking an  early flight, she arrived in her destination- Boston- at 9AM.  She checked into her hotel, got out her umbrella because it was pouring rain - and she headed out to do some shopping.  Shopping plus Boston equals a dream come true.  She envisioned some Christmas gifts and the odd gift for herself.  She was tired- but that is no deterrent to my human.  It’s a tough job, but when ya gotta shop ya gotta shop.

Four hours later, after visiting NUMEROUS stores,  what did she purchase?  Some snacks for her room.  And TOYS for US!  All those fancy designer stores, department stores and discount stores and she makes her biggest purchase at a specialty pet store.  Proper thing.  Are we lucky or WHAT?

Now the big question- do we get them as guilt gifts, or do we have to wait until Christmas?  I vote ASAP.  I guess it all depends if we behave..  

Oh the pressure.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 61

The initiation

Well she left us.  In the wee hours of the morning.  We’re here all alone.  We’ve been abandoned.

JUST KIDDING!!!! I mean she DID leave us- but our amazing new friend, Char arrived last night, so we are in very good hands.

The FG was a little put out, initially when he spotted the suitcase and acted all sad.  With his tail wagging the whole time.

We didn’t quite know where we wanted to sleep.  With my human or with Char last night.   Since Char will be staying in my human’s room,  my human thought she might as well stay there last night. Well color me confused.  The FG headed for his usual spot on the bed, I started off downstairs with my human and then went to back to check out the FG.  And Mr Loyal stayed with my human.  All night.

We’ll see what we can get away with, but I’m thinking this isn’t her first rodeo.  She put some cookies in the microwave for safe keeping as soon as she came in. My human told her too much.  She’s well prepared....

And although she has dog sat for LOTS of dogs... she has never sat for a PON or a Picard...we are her initiation.  Pray for her.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 60!!!!!

Wind war

When it comes to weather, there is nothing worse (for the PONs in this house anyway) than a rainy day.  But yesterday my human thought she experienced one of THE worst weather days ever - and there was no rain.  Or snow.  Or ice.  But at 6AM,  before the sun was up, she walked us canines in what SHE thought was the worst WIND ever. 

What’s so bad about wind you are probably wondering? First off, at the best of times, when the wind is calm, she is constantly juggling us two PONs to keep us from peeing on one another. If she had a dollar for every time she said “Hey - don’t pee on his head,” she would be a rich woman. I mean R-I-C-H.  The other day we stood on opposite sides of a stick coming out of the ground and lifted our legs to pee, effectively showering each other from the opposite direction.  “Aggghhhhhhhhhhh” she shouted.  Thank goodness for waterless shampoo.

But yesterday we didn’t even need to pee on each other.  With the gale force wind, we were peeing on ourselves.  Lovely.  Actually, we don’t  care.  But she does.  

Then holding onto the poop bag and attempting to tie it was another challenge.  She’s holding onto two leashes, her gloves and a poop bag that is flopping in the wind.  With the contents.  Oh and I should mention that she is keeping her head down, because the hat (which SHE thinks is fashionable) has a brim, and she was SURE the wind was going to take it while she was poop bag wrangling.  As we walked down the road to go back home, she couldn’t lift her head to see where we were.  She didn’t even CARE if a car came along.  She figured it would either go around us or put her out of her misery.  

Taking the FG out on his own was a bit easier because she didn’t have two leashes to handle.  Still - the self-showering problem still existed.  Not to mention that taking the FG out in the wind is like adding gasoline to a fire.  He goes extra crazy.

By the time she got back from that walk she was frozen and ready for a nap.  And it was just 7AM.

She spent the day cleaning yesterday.  Which can only mean one thing.  Company.  I’m guessing the sitter becaus although she TRIED to hide the suitcase, we all saw it.  Packing in the bathroom is a bit of overkill really...

If it’s the sitter who interviewed us a few weeks ago, this is going to be FUN.  Although....she IS pretty smart when it comes to dogs.  So I’m not sure we will get away with much.  But you KNOW we will try...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days:  59

Remembrance Day

Well WHAT was I thinking about yesterday?!  Clearly in my struggle to not rant,  I became so confused with what I was saying that I had some very strange sentences in my blog!  And no- I was not drinking. We dogs are not allowed to drink! Although my post was so poorly written it looked as if I was suffering from a “too many treats” hangover!  Luckily my human caught the errors fairly early.  My apologies to readers who read the early agrammatical version!

Yesterday it poured rain here.  I mean POURED. A PON nightmare. My human had to drag us out the door.  Luckily, we made our deposits VERY quickly.  And then we lounged around most of the day.

Today is a very special day to salute Veterans.  And canine veterans as well.  I’m not referring to veteran dogs over the age of 7 in North America - I’m referring to those canines who have served in the military beside our human colleagues.  I actually went back to read my blogs from previous November 11 postings and, well, I think I said it pretty well in the past - so the blog from last year is probably worthy of a re-read.  And I don’t see any grammatical or spelling errors....

https://viktorsviews.blogspot.com/2017/11/remembrance.html?m=0

Today take a moment to honor those who have served.  My human remembers when she was in High School and students had to create a poster to honor Veterans.  She doesn’t have the poster (which is a miracle given that she is a pack rat and has everything ELSE she ever drew) but she still remembers the motto that her very wise father suggested:  “Those who serve deserve.  Honor a Vet.”  Those words seem very appropriate today...

Have a good one.  PEACE and paws up.

Seizure free days: 58

I will not rant.

OK.  So I was going to write a rant today.  About the crazy animal rights people who basically believe that people should have no right to own dogs AT ALL.  They do everything they can to badmouth purbred dogs and try desperately to make the public believe that buying a purebred dog is NOT a good thing.  Their message:  You should adopt a rescue.  And make sure it is spayed and neutered.  And while anyone who reads my blog knows that I am NOT against adoption - you also need to FULLY understand the REAL reason behind the animal rights groups' support for shelter dogs and spaying and neutering.  If people KEEP doing this - and do NOT support breeding of any kind - guess what will eventually happen.  There WILL BE NO DOGS.   Purebred or otherwise.  THAT is their mission.  THAT IS THEIR MISSION.  Did I mention, that is their mission?!  Sure - it appears that they want to help dogs.   But there is a long-term goal here - NO animals as pets.  READ CAREFULLY the websites of these "helpful" groups... PETA, HSUS....

Yes.  I was going to rant about the topic.  But I decided to talk about something lighter...

On this day in 1969, the children's television show,  Sesame Street, made it's premiere.  (How's THAT for a change in topic?) Now most people know the characters Ernie and Bert and Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch- but the show ALSO had a famous dog, who first appeared in 1978/1979 - Barkley.  And if you ask me - he is PON-like. They say in some sources that he is like an Old English Sheepdog.  They just don't know PONs.   When he first appeared he was apparently called Woof Woof.  I prefer Barkely.  Here's a cute video....and I have a feeling that humans can relate to this - whether they are owned by a PON - or any other breed!

I'll end with this video - but keep in mind - there are some who think humans have no "right" to own a dog - who would not see humor in this video....  We need to be vigilant....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzdUcZMd2pA

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 57

The toenail of the penguin

There is a new mystery in our house. Who chewed the penguin’s toenail? Yes.  The penguin's toenail.

For those who don't know our household well, we are not the only animals living here.  There is a beaver, a turkey, a loon, two geese, several ducks, two deer, many bears, multiple dogs, fish, rabbits, a heron, assorted other birds, at least one turtle, a puffin and a penguin.  Really.  We have our own zoo.

Luckily though, this menagerie does not need feeding.   They are all made of wood.  They are folk art.

Folk art is essentially art that is created by untrained individuals.  The artists didn't go to school to learn  how to paint or draw, or carve things - they learned to do it themselves.  Sometimes is it pretty primitive. And most folk artists don't intitally start out thinking that this is going to be a way to earn money - they do it purely for their own enjoyment - or maybe to give as a gift to another.  Nova Scotia has a LONG history of folk art.  I wrote about one of our most famous folk artists in another blog.
https://viktorsviews.blogspot.com/2017/05/a-lesson-from-maud.html

But in addition to Maud, there are plenty of people who still make folk art.  Many of the early folk artists were woodsmen, and fishermen - who looked for things to occupy their time in the off season.

While my human initially thought folk art was too primitive for her liking, she learned over time to appreciate the thought, craft and HUMOR behind many of the works.  And she appreciated the backgrounds on the artists - who did the art "just because."   Years ago, she worked for fun at a folk art gallery.  This was while she also had her current job. She did it because she enjoyed the colorful, unique art - but also because she learned the stories of the people behind the art.

She enjoyed meeting the artists and working at the store.  Oh.  And did I mention she was PAID in folk art.  Hence the zoo.

After we endured the painting of the kitchen and dining room back in August, my human decided to "move things around" and "redecorate".  The moving scheme included taking a large,  over two-foot tall penguin, and place him in the dining room.  From his previous location in the laundry room.  Yes.  There are animals everywhere.

The interesting thing about this penguin - he has long toenails.  Orange and yellow toenails. Made of wood of course.





When Mr P was moved to the dining room, we all sized him up.  My human threatened that if anyone lifted a leg to pee on him, we would live the rest of our days in the laundry room.  Not that we pee IN the house - but you know us boys and "new" things - gotta mark them as our own.  Anyway, no one peed on the penguin.

However, about a week ago, my human noticed that one of the penguin's toenails was on the floor next to him.  She wondered how that happened.  And then she noticed the FG sniffing it.  And he was about to pick it up when she shouted "NOOOOOO."  He left it alone.

Fast forward (finally!) to Wednesday.  My human came home from work and checked the condition of the chair wall still lining the edges of the dining room carpet.  It always looks like there has been a brawl when you come in - with all the chairs lying on their sides.  Anyway, that's when she spotted it.  The remains of the toenail.  The yellow part was gone, but about 3/4 of the orange part remained.  But WHO was the culprit? The obvious suspect was the FG.  But it REALLY COULD have been any of us.  So she turned to the snitch.  Big Brother.  And saints preserve us - that's when she realized Big Brother had not been reset after the new internet was installed.  It wasn't working.  No video evidence.  Phew.

She had to find some paint to touch up the shortened toenail.  In the process, the tube of paint opened at the wrong end, resulting in a blob of yellow paint on my human and on the table.  She just sighed.  Sure she did.  I believe I heard some rather colorful words coming from the garage.

In the meantime, the other toenails have been removed.  She'll leave them off for a while in the hopes that whoever did it will not remember when they are again put back in.  How crazy its THAT.  Like WE will forget something. Does she never learn?

So that's the penguin toenail story.  Just what you were expecting, no doubt.  I'm thinking we could probably start our own folk art.  After all, each of us is good with wood.  Just give us some paint.  Now wouldn't THAT be fun?  While my human is at work...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 56

X-rays

According to the crazy calendar,  November 8 is X-ray day.  It marks the day in 1895, when a German physicist by the name of Wilhelm Röntgen produced the first X-rays.

And the topic made me think.   I wonder how many people out there who own dogs as pets, know that if you are getting your dog from a reputable breeder, that breeder will have performed certain health tests on the breeding dogs.  They do these tests to make the best attempt at producing healthy, long-lived dogs.  Different breeds can have different health challenges.   For example, some breeds may be prone to hip dysplasia.  So the last thing you want to do is to breed dogs who HAVE dysplasia. To check for this orthopedic condition, breeders do X-rays and then have them evaluated.   They submit them to a database that will provide the information to others.  One site is the OFA - or the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.  The OFA has been around for over 50 years - and was started initially to  provide information just about hip dysplasia.  X-rays are sent to the OFA and as I understand it, three radiologists rate the hips - as  Fair, Good, Excellent, Borderline or Mild, Moderate or Severe Dysplasia. Today, the OFA site also stores information about other medical conditions may affect a dogs' health including diseases of the eyes, elbows, thyroid and heart.

As an educated consumer - you should look at the health issues that could be prominent in your breed.  Check it out on the OFA site - there is a wealth of info there.  https://www.ofa.org/   IF a breeder is NOT doing clearances, keep in mind that you COULD be getting a dog who is more likely to have problems. 

NOW - you also need to keep in mind that even WITH all the correct clearances and health testing, stuff happens.  It's nature.  Which humans cannot control.  They can make the best choices and that's the best they can do.  And it's importanat to know that your have started with healthy parents.

The more information that a breeder has about a dog, and their offspring, the more they have a good picture of their breeding program success.  Databases are good - but only as good as the information that is there!  Sometimes people do not submit data or allow their info to be public.   I'm not sure how that helps a breed....

It would be fabulous if breeders had data on ALL their puppies - but let's face it, most pet owners don't want to pay the price of finding out if their dog has an asymptomatic problem if there is no intent to ever breed or use that dog as a stud for breeding.   In an IDEAL world, breeders would charge extra for puppies - and would then provide a REBATE equivalent to the cost of the testing if it is done.   That way the breeder would have information about the health of ALL the puppies produced .  But it requires a fair bit of work to coordinate - so I haven't seen anyone using this practice routinely.

Frodo had his hips X-rayed and evaluated and they were excellent.  And I know why.  First off he had good parents.  But another reason - it's from all that countersurfing- it strengthens the hip muscles.  That's MY take on it - so humans should not try to prevent us from countersurfing.  It's good for us.  His X-rays are proof.  Suuuuuuuuure they are.....

Have an illuminating day.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 55

My collection

More material for my collection.  A good friend suggested we are going to need to build a structure just to house my collection.  Yup - I’m heading for the Guinness Book.  Biggest poop bag collection.

As you know, we got poop bags from my human’s sister.  And the neighbor. And my human found a stash. And countless people offered to send them.  Local folks also texted my human about where they spotted supplies.   And now 150 bags arrived in the mail from an old friend who must have read about our plight. I think the count must be over a thousand now.  I should honestly start a lottery.  People should guess the date when we will run out.  And the prize.....hmmmmm....it can’t be poop bags, we’ll be all out.  OK.  A pawtographed photo of me.  And my brothers.  AND a box of treats. Unopened.  Maybe.

Meanwhile my human is unbelievably happy with our new internet service. It is 100000 times faster than our old service. It will cut our blog writing time down greatly.  It used to take FOREVER to upload photos. Now- click bing it’s DONE.  She could have hugged the technician who came to install it.  She told the technician about my blog.  As I was sequestered on the deck putting olfactory art all over the deck door.  You can tell when people are not dog people. He just looked at me.  And didn’t say a word.  Still - he was happy my human was SOOOOOO overjoyed.  He has probably never seen a person so happy about the internet.  Nor has he probably ever seen a dog who writes a blog....

Well it’s hump day.  AND .....12 more Wednesdays left.  Something BIG is coming.  In 12 Wednesdays.  But FIRST - we have Christmas.   What’s the deadline for my list to Santa?   Time to start looking through the Canine Wish Book...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 54

Fugitives

Well we thought we might have broken the law.  But we didn’t .   I don’t think...

My human has been WAITING for November 1.  That’s the date that the fenced baseball field not too far from our home, allows dogs to run free.  So she PROMISED us that we would go on Monday.  Only problem?  We had to wait for the cable/phone/internet guy to come.  My human became exasperated by our molasses speed internet- and when two people from the company suggest that you go with the competition- you do it.  So she booked the appointment- but all they can tell you is that a technician will be there sometime between 8:30-5:00.  So that pretty much restricts your entire day. We had our walks early - but we couldn’t go to the ball field for fear the technician would come.

Einstein KNOWS, like a psychic, that someone is coming.  He must pick up on my human’s vigilance.  So every chance he gets- particularly if she is in the bathroom, he barks.  Even better if she is in the shower. And his alarms are generally false - he’s basically testing her response time.

Anyway, the guy finally showed up at 1:00.  We were sequestered on the deck where we barked like crazy and threw ourselves against the deck door.  The guy took a look at the required work and went to his truck to get the equipment.  He returned a few minutes later and reported he was missing a modem.  Which is pretty critical if you are changing the internet.  So he told my human he would have to go and get one.  Which would take over an hour.  My human said it was fine - as long as he called when on his way back.  That way, she could squeeze in our promised leash-free adventure. He left and my human rushed to put her coat on, stuff her pockets with treats, grab some fetch toys and load us into the vehicle.  And that’s when the adventure begins.  And her blood pressure goes up. 

She puts the FG in a crate and Einstein and I ride behind him in the vehicle.  At least we are supposed to.  But before my human even got into the driver’s seat, I was happily seated in the passenger seat. She got out, went around the car, opened the passenger door and moved me back to the back.  I should add that while this is going on, the FG is SCREAMING like he is being tortured.  His screaming continued and my attempts to weasel my way back to the front seat continued as we drove to the ball field.  

We pulled into the parking lot of the field, all excited and then saw it.  “It” being a GIANT St Bernard running loose in the field.  With his human pushing a baby carriage. How do you spell potential recipe for disaster.  There was no way my human would let us loose in a field with a GIANT dog we didn’t know.  So we waited in the car - now with all three of us participating in a screaming choir.  So we waited.  And waited.  5 minutes.  10 minutes. 15 minutes.  At which point the woman pushing the carriage went to a side gate and went to get a stick for Cujo to retrieve .  That’s went my human said “Let’s go for a drive.”  She headed for another ball field and drove about 15 minutes.  She still wasn’t at the destination.  And she started thinking that by the time we got there, we would need to turn around and go back home to meet the technician. By this point the screaming had burned down to a low grumble.  So we turned around. As she came back to the original destination, she saw the field was now empty. She pulled in and prayed that nobody else would show up.  She unloaded me and Einstein and put us in the field to smell all the traces of Cujo and any other dogs who had been there.  She unloaded the FG who ran with wild abandon.  Even though he didn’t know why.

She pulled out the fetch toys and yours truly and the FG nearly exploded.  The only problem with the FG - he can’t WAIT to get the toy.  But he never brings it all the way back.  He collapses and rolls on it. I, on the other hand , ALWAYS come back.  I knew she had treats in her pocket.  Meanwhile, Einstein wanders and just watches the proceedings.  He’ll fetch but he takes his time.  He’s in no rush.

So the throwing and walking to the rolling Picard continued for about a half hour.  At which point, my human figured we had had enough. Plus she wanted to get home for the technician.

After she loaded us in the vehicle, she glanced at the gate. The sign had always read No Dogs - from May 1 - November 1. But she was shocked to see that the sign no longer had the dates.  Just NO DOGS allowed. We could have been arrested !  Yikes!!!! She furtively looked around, jumped in the car and sped home.

We were all silent- knowing how close we had come to incarceration. OK.  Maybe they wouldn’t throw us in jail - but who wants a ticket?!

As soon as we got home, she searched the municipality’s website to see if we were fugitives.  She DID find a page that said that field WAS open to dogs in the winter.  She didn’t seriously study if that was the most current update to that page.  Ignorance is bliss. Mind you - not really in the case of the law...

So that was our big adventure yesterday.  I HOPE we can still go there.  I mean it was obvious that Cujo thought he could be free - and he wasn’t exactly inconspicuous.  But there have been some recent By-Law changes- which were not all that positive for dog owners.  My human is wondering if this slipped into the legislation.  We’ll have to find out...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up .

Seizure free days: 53

Collars, Galgos and antiques

So after getting my human up at 4:00AM, and after our breakfast and her “nap” - she abandoned us for several hours yesterday and went to a Christmas craft and antique fair.  She claims she “helped” her friend who had a booth and was selling antiques- but we also found out she did some “shopping.” 

First off she found the booth of a woman who sold mostly dog related antiques and collectibles. For my human, that’s akin to putting a kid in a toy store.  So although she didn’t “need” any more things for her collection aka dog museum, she did find a few things she couldn’t pass up.  They weren’t edible so we didn’t care.

Then she found a booth that sold dog collars and the woman who makes them is from Newfoundland.  Her collars are VERY cool - and of course, my human came home with one .  Check it out -it resembles the famous painted houses in St John’s, Newfoundland.

They had LOTS of cool patterns and styles.  It was hard to pick the one.  We’ll all be fighting over it.  So you KNOW she’ll be ordering two more on-line. You can find her here:

http://www.foryourpawsonly.ca/

Anyway, in typical chatty fashion, my human started talking to the very pleasant, passionate owner of the business.  And OBVIOUSLY she owns dogs.  She has a 10.5 year old Great Dane.  Yes- you read that correctly-10.5.  And going strong.  Must be that pure, fresh Newfoundland air.  

And the woman also has three Galgos.  Don’t know what they are? Well my human, the Queen of Rare Breeds didn’t know either.  But she learned a LOT.  Galgos are an ancient Spanish sighthound.  While they look kind of like a greyhound (and in fact the name is synonymous with Spanish greyhound), they ARE quite different.  They come in two coats - short and long hair and a variety of colors.  They are recognized by the FCI and the UKC.  The big difference from greyhounds - Galgos are built not just for speed, but for endurance.  They are used in Spain for rabbit hunting. And they excel at the sport.  The only problem- after hunting season is over, thousands - yes thousands are put to death,  some in  horrid ways.  The plight of this ancient breed has been recognized and there are rescue groups around Europe and even in North America.  So this woman has three rescued girls. She couldn’t say enough about this fascinating breed- although she acknowledged that they are not for everyone.  Because they are often raised in horrible conditions, they require a LOT of rehab.  Still - she advocates that they can be loving, wonderful pets.  I found the following link to a story done by National Geographic about the breed.  I warn you that some of the content is disturbing- when you see just how cruel some humans can be.  

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/spanish-galgo-hunting-dog-killing-welfare/

But rescue groups like this one here in Canada, work hard to give these dogs a loving home.

https://www.carlotagalgosrescuecanada.com/

So although WE didn’t get to go to the show, we learned a lot of cool dog stuff - so we’ll forgive my human this time.  I think it was her payback for getting her up at 4AM.  

She CLAIMS she has a surprise for us today.  We’ll see.  Maybe it’s a Galgo!!! And we could chase bunnies together!!  We’ll see...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 52

Time change

Well the phone alarms were going off at all times this week. That’s what happens when the time changes.

It has taken my human two years to figure out my medication times when the clock  changes.  And she FINALLY got it. She started this procedure on Monday.  You see I take one of my meds promptly 

at 7AM and at 7 PM.  So.  She started stretching my time by 15 minutes.  So 7:15 and 7:15 for two days.  Then 7:30 and 7:30.  Then 7:45 etc.  So this morning at what WOULD be 8:00, was now 7:00.  So I’m back to my 7-7 schedule.  With no glitches - and thankfully no seizures!  Great news.

Of course you KNOW we wanted to get up at 5 this morning.  Like we do when my human has to be into work early. Which meant it was really 4AM with the time change.  My human kept trying to argue that we didn’t need to go out yet.  She managed to stay in bed until 4:30, but finally conceded defeat. She decided to take us out quickly, feed us and then she went back to bed! What a waste - those walks should have been an hour longer!

My human and her sister went to a dinner at the church last night. A woman came over, introduced herself and started chatting.  They had not formally met before.  My human said “Aren’t you the couple with the Yorkshire terrier?” My human thought she recognized the couple from the infamous Blessing of the Pets.  The woman looked at my human and her eyes opened wide and she said “wait - you’re the woman with the runaway dog- aren’t you?!”  My human nodded and the woman went on to say how scary that was.  No kidding!  Obviously St Francis was looking down and saved the FG who could have turned a blessing ceremony into a funeral. Yes.  We are now well known in the church community.

Today is going to be a sunny Sunday after a notoriously rainy, windy Saturday. Somehow, though, every time we needed to go out, the rain stopped.  Maybe that Blessing is working for the weather too!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 51

Cliche Day

November 3.  And it’s Cliche Day.  Cliches are overused common expressions, that some argue often lose their original intended message. Some people even call them “trite.” Oftentimes we use them and don’t even think about it.   And many cliches are idioms-which have hidden meanings.  They are not meant to be taken literally- but sure can be confusing for people who don’t know the language.  For example when you say someone has a chip on his shoulder, you’re not really talking about chips. 

Here are a few common cliches, and my own version:

You can’t judge a book by its cover.  My version: You can’t judge a poodle by it’s weird hairdo.

 

It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.  My version:  It is better to have tried countersurfing and failed than never to have tried at all.

Money is the root of all evil.  My version: Grooming tools are the root of all evil.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.  My version: Dogs are a girl’s best friend.

And here are some photos and cliches:

Hope they gave you a chuckle! I think cliches are the best thing since sliced bread! Sorry- I couldn’t resist.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 50!

Solving problems...

Well it seems that the drop in our blog traffic was not due to something offensive that I said.  At least not in the past week.  It appears that there is a glitch in the blog program and we are not the only ones experiencing what appeared to be a sudden drop in popularity.  Or is it pupularity.  Wait - PONularity.  So my human was somewhat relieved.

Again, I must thank everyone for the poop bag offers.  We have found several local sources- so between the stash that my human bought, her sister bought AND Pig Pen’s human bought for us - we are now the proud owners of over 800 bags.  So we are stocked up until the end of 2018.  We had so many offers- someone suggested we start a collection from around the world. That’s actually a cool idea.  My human collects stuff.  I could have MY own collection.  THAT’S how I can finally get into the Guinness Book of Records - World’s Largest Poop Bag Collection. 

And speaking of gifts, check out the cool tick collar I got from one of my blog readers- Kathy. She made it just for me.  

They are just like these collars.  

http://www.thecrazydoghouse.ca/shop/natural-em-tick-collar

Some people swear by them so I am quite happy to be her guinea PON and try it out.  I won’t be able to leave it on when my human is not around, as it would be most enticing for Einstein to chew on.  But I’ll be wearing it when I run around in the woods. Kathy said she isn’t sure really why they work, but her dog hasn’t had any ticks since wearing one.  And as she noted, if it doesn’t work, at least it is pretty!  And I agree!!!

So three big problems addressed this week- low blog traffic, the poop bag deficit, and ticks.  Problems solved.  And the best news?  It’s Friday.  Which means the weekend and extra long walks!!!!! Release the poop bags !!!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 49

Dog photography

November 1.  And on this day in 1941, an American photographer by the name of Ansel Adams took a famous photo in New Mexico of a moonrise over the town of Hernandez , and it was said to be one of the most famous images in photography history. Google it to see the fascinating photo.  Adams is well known for his famous black and white photos in Yosemite National Park.  He was a naturalist and conservationist who dedicated much of his life to not only photography but to preserving and protecting wildlife. 

I couldn’t find many dog photos by Adams- he was primarily a landscape photographer- but he did take photos of other things too. Mostly nature shots.

But the topic of photography got me looking for famous dog photographers.  And there are PLENTY.  One is William Wegman who is famous for his photos of Weimaraners. Here’s a short video featuring him:

https://vimeo.com/255932028

Then we have a guy by the name of Jesse Freidin.  I liked his views on dogs...and some of the projects he has done.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AlVNRqQJhoY#

Here’s a guy who basically travels the world, stops people and takes photos of their dogs.  He’s the Dogist and his work went crazy on Instagram:

https://vimeo.com/153902405

My human has a great friend, Janet who is retired from the US military.  I’ve written about Janet before - and her heroic role at the Pentagon during 9/11.  And I have also written about her retired military working dogs - the late great Emzy and her current girl, Ares.  Since retirement, Janet has completed a degree in photography and is now a Pet Photographer.  Janet does a lot of pro bono work for a military working dog program.  My human is so proud to call her a friend. Here is a sampling of her work:

https://www.aresemzyphotography.com/portfolio/

That is just a snapshot (pun intended) of the many amazing dog photographers out there.  Now while Ansel Adams deserves credit for his incredible photography- let’s face it, it’s not like he had to make a tree stand still.  He also didn’t need to know how to make a variety of barking and unusual sounds.  He also didn’t have to carry around a squeak ball. Or yummy liver bites.  Sure he was GREAT - but I have to give credit to dog photographers who can capture an amazing photo of man (and woman’s) best friend- and tell a story through that image.  And heaven knows - when you are owned by a dog, you have lots of stories to tell.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 48