In the news. And in the water.

It’s the last day of July.  How did THAT happen?  

Let’s take a look at some dog news. There is an interesting story here in Canada about a dog who arrived a few weeks ago from Thailand.  Given the appetite of this girl, one would assume she is a PON.  Or a Labrador Retriever.  But she’s not - she’s a multi-breed dog.  It seems that Mercedes was a street dog who was adopted by a food vendor in Bangkok. She was named after the vehicle of the person who abandoned her. Nice. Anyway, the street vendor fed her.  A lot.  And when the vendor died, the other vendors fed her.  A lot.  So much that she literally could not move.  She should have weighed around 18kg or about 40 lbs. Mercedes weighed 54 kg or a whopping 119 lbs.  No offense, but she actually resembled a sea lion.  With little legs.

Thankfully for Mercedes, a woman who runs a rescue in Thailand took her in- and she was put on a diet.  She lost 27 kg or half her body weight.  Which sounds great - except she has a whole lot of excess skin - which causes additional problems.

So - funds were raised through an international rescue group, and Mercedes was flown to Canada - where her surgery to remove her excess skin will take place - once she loses a bit more weight, and additional funds are raised for her medical expenses.  Here is a video showing her right now:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1578201667794/

All I can say is wow. She is one lucky, lucky dog.  It also makes me realize what could happen if I managed to eat everything I would LIKE to eat.  I’m not sure I want to look like a sea lion. No offense,again, to those guys - but I like looking like a dog. 

Meanwhile, here at home, our swimming Picard continues to amaze her highness. He consistently retrieves the fetch toy.  EVERY time.  Now mind you, he is attached to the 30 ft line- but still, he gets it and heads back even after more than one throw.  We know he has a “wandering” attention span on land - but he loves the water. Her highness didn’t end up in the water, and he had a blast! 

It’s a good way to cool him off on these hot muggy days.  Did I mention that I think we should get a heat pump? 

Well, time to have my portion controlled breakfast.  Which is obviously not a bad thing. Although... I still think I could have a LITTLE more....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 15

A book

July 30.  And according to the crazy calendar, it’s Paperback Book Day.  I though that was perfect timing - as my human JUST finished a book I wanted to mention.  Only problem? The book only appears to be available in hardcover.  Oh well. Youll have to wait for the paperback.  

Here’s the book:

The book was written by the the director of the SPCA in Los Angeles. And it was VERY eye opening with regard to designer dogs - like doodles and -apoos and teacups.  This is actually an industry that goes well beyond backyard breeders.  The book also talks about dogs that are smuggled into the US - and discusses “rescues” from other countries.  Not all “rescues” are purely done to be “kind to canines.”  Much of this is big business - and there are people who profit from dog traffic.  Who knew?  

The book, of course, talks about puppy mills - which despite efforts over the past 20 years to end them - still DO exist.  Some of the descriptions of the conditions that some dogs are found in, were beyond horrible.  And parts of the book talk at length about some laws regarding animal protection.  Some of the legalese was a bit much - as it is relevant only in certain areas.  And of course, the book is written with regard to conditions and situations in the US - but other countries ARE mentioned. 

Now as expected, the author has a huge bias toward “adopt don’t shop” - BUT she does talk about what to look for in a reputable purebred breeder.  So while she didn’t extol the virtues of purebreds - she also did not trash purebreds either. 

If you’re looking for some easy, informative non-fiction summer reading, it is worth it.  And it’s actually a pretty quick read.  Now please keep in mind that I didn’t sift through ALL her references- and this is a dog’s recommendation... No matter what - it IS good for thought.

We got to see Lou and Rose again yesterday- before they head home to Buffalo today.  We wish them happy trails - and hope they’ll be back again soon!!

Time to patrol the plantation.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 14

Chaser

On June 18, 2018 John Pilley passed away, shortly before his 90th birthday.  And on July 23, 2019 his very special friend came to greet him - and answer his call.  His special friend was Chaser - the border collie. 

Chaser was made famous a few years back for her incredible vocabulary- of over 1000 words.  No - I didn’t put in one too many zeros.  She knew over 1000 words, including verbs and adjectives.  I believe I may have talked about her before - but here’s a short video in which she and John are featured:

https://youtu.be/omaHv5sxiFI

She and John spent countless hours - really years - learning about one another.  Their bond was unbelievable.  They even had a book - and it is said to be a great tool for dog training. I think we need it.  Here’s another video where John talks about Chaser:

https://youtu.be/J982KYWohT8

When John passed away last year,  Chaser understood.  The following is a quote written by one of John’s daughters and found on Chaser’s Facebook page:

Many of you have asked if Chaser realized that my father John Pilley passed away. She was with him every day while he was in hospice, she knew he was not well. Just hours before he passed, she uncharacteristically planted herself directly in front of his bed, stared at him and gave one very sharp, loud bark, continuing to stare at him. It startled us all and we looked at each other in astonishment. It wasn't "wake up," it was good bye and it gave us goosebumps.

 

When John passed away, Chaser lived with John’s family. And for a 15 year old dog, she reportedly did well until the past few weeks.  It had been just over a year since John died, and I think she thought that was long enough.  It was time for her to play “find it” with him once again.

After reading the news about Chaser, I also found this video which is about John. It is long - it is his memorial service-,and it includes lots of stories about him - beyond his time with Chaser.  Now I truly understand why Chaser was such a remarkable dog. It’s because she shared her life with a remarkable human.  If you have the time, and you don’t mind some sections where the audio is poor - and you don’t mind shedding a possible tear or two, I think you’ll find it interesting.  And the last few minutes are perfect.

https://youtu.be/zxyDTFhzbAQ

Run free Chaser.  Now you have to learn all the names of those angels.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 13

Lost dog

Excitement in the wilds of Nova Scotia the past 12 days.  Exciting because the story has a happy ending.

The Cape Breton Kennel Club had their annual dog show on July 13 and 14.  That show is about 5 hours from us.  It reportedly was a great show - but a sad accident happened on the second day.  A Chow chow, from Kansas was being shown by a handler from Nova Scotia and somehow, he escaped.  I think he just wanted to be a good canine tourist and do some sightseeing while he was so far from home.

But as you may guess, the humans were greatly disturbed.  When a dog initially goes missing, one thinks that it will materialize in a few minutes.  But in this case, minutes turned into days. It was a nightmare for all the humans involved. 

After a few days of sightings, but no capture, a man trained as a Missing Animal Response technician was called in.  They also reportedly employed the help of a psychic. 

I’ve posted information about lost dogs before - and some information about what and what not do do.  Here is a link to a program that trains Missing Animal Response technicians - and it has some good info as well.

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

Anyway, after 12 days in the wilds of Cape Breton, the dog was finally found. Well - I’m not sure if the word “found” is correct.  Captured? Obtained?  Returned? Got tired of having to scrounge for food?  Got bored of sightseeing? I don’t know the exact details - but I do know he is safe and sound.  And people all over Nova Scotia breathed a sigh of relief.  I would love to know what he did for 12 days.  Only he knows about his adventures- and I don’t think he’s  talking about it. 

Oh.  And I forgot to mention his very appropriate name.  Lucky

How’s that for a good news story to start your day?  And a message to all my canine buddies - stay home.  Scrounging for food is no fun - it’s MUCH easier to have it delivered to your bowl.  

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 12

Boring stuff

So we waited half the day for the furnace guy to come. The appointment was booked for “after lunch.”  The person who booked it neglected to indicate which time zone she was referring to.  As a result, we lounged  around watching the tomatoes grow.  Speaking of which - none of us has peed on them.  Yet.  The plantation is really growing.  Good thing we like tomatoes.  And it looks like we may be able to open our own Pumpkin U-Pick this fall.  Whatever possessed her to plant pumpkins, I’ll never know.  I don’t think she thought they really would grow.  But they are.  And they are taking over her beds.  She THINKS she planted the pumpkins you can use for pie.  As if she ever bakes.  But we canines DO enjoy pumpkin - so it won’t go to waste.  What is most miraculous is that so far, the crazy bunnies haven’t touched the crops.  I think it’s because they are so busy eating the weeds in the “lawn.”

Today is not a remarkable day, holiday-wise.  OK- it IS bagpipe appreciation day.  Better known as “the sounds of stepping on a cat’s tail” day.  JUST KIDDING.  We do enjoy the bagpipes.  We have to.  We live in Nova Scotia.  It’s mandatory that all residents play an hour of bagpipe music daily.  JUST KIDDING.  Anyway, I’ve written about bagpipes before, so I didn’t want to do that again.

So instead, we just took some of our recent photos - and paired them with quotes.  I admit, it’s not too exciting- but we had fun doing them.  Hope they make you smile!!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 11

Vet visit

It’s Friday!  Mind you, for retired humans and us canines, every day is Friday!

So Einstein had his vet appointment and his bloodwork done the other day.  They arrived and the waiting room was almost empty.  Bonus - my human thought.  That lasted about 4 minutes.  Then the place began to filll up.  She had situated Einstein on the bench closest to the door.  Bad move - what WAS she thinking?!  You know how zombies just open the door and let Cujo in, without even scoping out the place.  So as expected, a HUGE Black Russian Terrier came in and was literally nose to nose with Einstein.  Her highness politely said to the owners that it might be best to keep their dog out of Einstein’s face.  Einstein was initially shocked by the other dog, so didn’t make a peep.  As soon as the other dog was out of reach, Einstein started to grumble.  Her highness just looked at him and said “Knock it off.”  

As is becoming typical behavior, a cocker spaniel pooped in front of the reception desk.  At least it wasn’t projectile like the last time they were there.

Einstein behaved beautifully while the techs collected his blood.  Of course he did.

The results came back OK, but they are going to drop back one of his meds, because although all of his bloodwork was “normal”, his potassium was on the high side of normal.   But overall it was good.

And speaking of poop (don’t I do so fairly regularly-  no pun intended) we all got to relax with those butcher bones the other day.  Her highness had 30 minutes of peace while we gnawed away.  At the 30 minute mark, she promptly took away our goodies.  All of us has cleaned out the marrow so she wondered if we would have any gastro issues.  Nope- we were all good.  

Today we have excitement on the agenda.  A guy is coming to clean the furnace.  You can be sure we will be sequestered on the deck.  Oh yippee.  Einstein will have to bark out his instructions from there.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 10

Look into my eyes...

It’s July 25. Five months to Christmas. And it also happens to be Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day. But you knew that, right?

So of course I had to look into dogs and hypnosis.  And from what I read, we canines are not “hypnotized” in the same way that humans are. With humans, hypnosis depends largely on verbal instructions and focused attention.  And it can help with a number of conditions - from fear of flying to quitting smoking. 

With animals, “hypnosis” is done with a much more physical approach. A number of resources on the net say that  chickens are the best subjects. But it can be used with dogs and cats too.  To “hypnotize” your dog you begin by interacting with him in a calm, relaxing environment with no distractions (that would be difficult in this house). You basically put the dog in a comfortable spot - like on his bed or a blanket. You then pet, and massage your dog while repeating a phrase like “relax” or our favorite line- “just be calm”. You can even play relaxing music.  Then you slowly shift your dog into a “submissive posiotion” on his back and gently hold him there until he totally relaxes.  You wait to see a state of “tonic immobility” where you can move your dog’s limbs - and they are basically limp.  

Animals will exhibit tonic immobility when they sense predators - as you can see in this video:

https://youtu.be/SMZDieZoing

My human wishes she could hypnotize Einstein on the grooming table.  And let’s face it - some dogs DO relax like they are hypnotized when being groomed. But not in this house.  Maybe she needs to play some of this music:

https://youtu.be/ajOMTrjsQtA

When looking for info on dogs and hypnosis, I can across these videos.  In this case, it is the dog doing the hypnotizing.  My human got a huge chuckle out of these.  I think in the second video, the dog’s abilities are kind of debunked....

https://youtu.be/uQFC-MVaRHY

https://youtu.be/qYHYgU6S2lg

What a waste.  If I could hypnotize her highness, it wouldn’t be to make her sleep.  It would be to get her to open the biscuit jar.  And share the contents freely.  Now THAT would be a good trick.  Excuse me while I go and stare at her.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days:  9

Car Window screens

Another horror story.  Three dogs died in a hot car in Rhode Island. I can’t believe it.  I hope that owner is never allowed to be owned by a dog again.

After reading that story, I came across this product which I had never seen before.  This is not your flimsy, fabric screen.  These are designed to fit car windows by the make and model of the vehicle.  And they appear to be rather sturdy.  Now I STILL recommend that we canines stay home during hot weather.  It is safer - and we will be more comfortable.  I’m curious, though, as to what people think about a product like this.   Again - not for use in extreme heat - but what about in temps below 65F?  Or do you think it’s still too risky?   We PONs MIGHT be able to get through that screen anyway - and I doubt her highness would leave us with any kind of open window (in cool temps) for more than 5 minutes.  She would be so paranoid that someone would try and break in to steal us.  As IF someone would want to try. Einstein would throw himself at the door.  And really- who can even see in with all the olfactory art on the windows.  But just curious about a product like this:

https://www.breezeguard.com/

Here’s the video about how it works: 

https://youtu.be/f1S22zLwDxw

It’s certainly an interesting concept....

Lou and Rose  left yesterday to tour the province.  We’re bored already.  We enjoyed their company- and we DID behave.  Well - it pretty much went as expected.  PONs barked.  Picard jumped.  But no human injuries. A good time was had by all.

Today Einstein goes to the vet for bloodwork to see how his medication is affecting him.  Paws crossed it is going well. One possible side effect was loss of appetite. That definitely didn’t happen.  Poor guy - the only side effect was the grooming he had to have to get ready to go to the vet.  Mind you - he would have been groomed with or without that appointment. He was looking pretty mangy.

Time for walks. And bunny patrol.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 8

Stuff

July 23. And on this day in 1903, the Ford Motor company sold its first car.  Now we know that VW and Subaru have capitalized on canine popularity by featuring dogs in commercials.  I found one recent Ford commercial that briefly featured a Great Dane.  But that was it.  Except for this OLD commercial featuring a PON.  At least I’m saying it’s a PON:

https://youtu.be/wViJyt4p7VQ

Today also happens to be Hot Enough For Ya Day.  And it is.  Hot enough.  We are still voting for a heat pump because we are becoming hearing impaired due to the sounds of all the fans in this house.  Her highness says it’s not in the budget right now, unless we win a lottery.  I just ordered lotto tickets on-line.  With her credit card.

Despite the fact that we are all kind of slug-like with the heat, the FG and Einstein DO have moments of energy.  Here is a typical, peaceful morning in our house. Ignore the fact that Einstein is in desperate need of a good grooming.  Her highness said he’ll get one when our company leaves.  Einstein wants them to stay forever.

https://youtu.be/6qEEfKgvZlY

Despite Einstein’s wishes though, Lou and Rose will be heading on their driving tour today. We’ll get to see them next week again - before they fly back home.  I think we all need to go and visit them there!  Now THAT would be a road trip....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 7

I’ll have bones for 100

July 22.  And today is the 78th birthday of our favorite TV game show host - Alex Trebek.  Alex announced some serious health issues a few months back.  We hope that with his positive attitude he beats the odds and lives to see many more birthdays.  He hosts the TV show Jeopardy, which basically tests a contestant’s knowledge about a whole range of subjects.  To test your knowledge about dogs, from actual Jeopardy questions, go to this site and click on the photo:

https://thestacker.com/stories/3121/can-you-answer-these-real-jeopardy-questions-about-dogs

So did  you win big money?  Her highness did pretty well.  She said, though, that only way she could play the real show would be if all the questions were about dogs.  Except the category “dog obedience” .  Clearly she doesn’t know much about that topic.  Overall though, she knows more about dogs than Greek mythology, chemistry and ballet.  We have taught her a lot...

Yesterday, the humans went for a drive while we canines did guard duty.  We were understandably annoyed that we couldn’t go along. But two problems prevented us from joining them. First off, we 3 canines wouldn’t fit in Ludwig with 4 human adults. The second problem, even if we could fit - was that it was way too hot to take us along. We were quite comfortable lounging at home.

The humans went to a variety of places- but the best one, in our opinion, was a Pork Butcher. Because the butcher sold bones.  And guess what?!  We each got one!  Our time with the treats will be limited during the first chew fest - so as not to cause any “dietary issues.” We didn’t have them yet- her highness is “saving them” for a time when she can enjoy the solitude and peace that a chew fest brings.  Those bones were as much for her as they were for us.

We’re hoping the weather breaks a bit today so we can perhaps demonstrate our incredible fetching abilities for Lou and  Rose. With one incredible fetcher on a long line. They will no doubt be amazed.

Time for an early morning, reduced heat walk. 

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 6

Observations

Humans are truly the funniest species on earth.  We canines just love to observe them and shake our heads.

For example, in the winter they moan and groan that it is too cold, too icy, too snowy...they long for the warmth of the summer.  That is - if they live in a northern region.  Then, we have the summer and the temperatures are pretty hot.  So you guessed it - humans complain that it is too hot, too muggy, too humid....  Are they ever happy?  We dogs go with the flow.  We sit by a heater in the winter and head for the shade in the summer.  No point complaining.  Mind you if it stays super hot here - you MIGHT hear a complaint from me because we are getting no fetch time.  We’ll be playing in the dark when it’s cool.

Humans also do this funny thing if they wake up early in the morning.  At least her highness does.  She opens her eyes - but PRETENDS  to still be sleeping because she KNOWS if she makes a slight movement, there will literally be three dogs standing two inches from her face. So she fakes sleep to get a few extra minutes of rest.  Some days we play along with her game - and other days we ignore her - and it’s game on.  The FG will poke her legs with his nose, while I attempt to sit on her chest.  Einstein starts singing the “good morning” song.  We act like we haven’t seen her in days.  No need for an alarm clock with us.

Yesterday the humans went to the Farmers Market and bought all kinds of goodies.  And get this - cousin Lou did the cooking.  Yup - the nonagenarian did the cooking - with just a little help from his Sous-chefs.  He is quite the gourmet - a super foodie.  There are probably few foods he has not tried - and very few cookbooks that he doesn’t own.  So he marinated and barbecued lamb.  While we canines drooled. 

Today the humans may do a short day trip - while we canines do guard duty.  They are cramming in lots of fun things - because Lou and Rose leave for other parts of Nova Scotia on Tuesday.  Family time is fun time - they are so grateful for their time together.  

Time to get ready for guard duty. We drew straws (paper ones - not plastic) and the FG got the first shift.  As he silently observes the crazy bunnies...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 5

More wildlife

So we have the crazy bunnies.  The roaming bears.  The stalker deer.  And reportedly, the other night, our canine neighbor, Max had a not-so-pleasant encounter with another character here in our Wild Kingdom.  A mobile pin cushion. Yup. Max met his first porcupine somewhere in the woods between his house and ours.  His getting-to-know-you session resulted in a late night visit to the vet - where he was sedated and the quills were removed.  Lucky guy.  Her highness just yanked mine out with a pair of pliers when I had my encounter.  I’m not sure if she did it because I’m so cooperative, or she’s so foolish....

Anyway, in typical dog fashion, Max reportedly attempted to bolt for the woods the next night too.  People think that’s not a smart move on our part.  We should “know better.”  Honestly- we just want to win. I read an article on-line by a vet that said in his 20 years of practice, he had never seen a dog who learned to leave porcupines alone.  All were repeat offenders.

A friend of my human’s put up a small fenced area within her large fenced yard, to be used at night. Well guess what?  Porcupines can climb fences.  And one met up with one of her dogs one night.  Yup. A trip to the vet. And of course, because the walking pin cushions come out at night, those vet visits usually require the care provided at an emergency clinic. Which means additional medical charges. Go big or go home. It’s our motto.

Porcupines are right up there with ticks in my opinion as unwelcome visitors.  But here’s a question- can porcupines get ticks?  

In other news we got to meet our company yesterday.  Well - sort of.  We stayed behind the gate so as not to cause injury to our guests. That would put a real damper on their vacation.   Not all humans necessarily appreciate our “exuberance”. But we did get to see them and they got to see us.  Before Einstein and I ripped the hair clips out of each other’s hair.

Today we are expecting a heat wave.  The humans have some local plans - and we will be QUITE happy lounging on the cool  tile floor downstairs. Away from wildlife.  Which is probably a good thing...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 4

Excitement.

Excitement in the ‘hood.  Times three. And no - not us three.

First there were the visitors the other night.  One of our neighbors saw not one but TWO bears in their yard.  They think it was a mother bear and her cub. We’ll be making a big racket to steer clear of those two.  Where’s a Karelian bear dog when you need one?

Then yesterday morning, after we had been out for our walks, one of Pig Pen’s human’s was walking on the road on her own and she texted that she saw a deer at the end of our driveway.  In the past, I have referred to her as Mother Nature as she loves animals - and was in on the baby bird rescue.  Here is the series of text messages that then began to flow:

Mother Nature:  Deer looking at me at the top of your driveway right now....OMG. It’s chasing me !!! 😱. In Mary’s garage hiding.

My human:  You.  Or the deer?

Mother Nature.  Me. I don’t know what to do.

My human:  It chased you down the driveway? Where is it now?

Mother Nature:  Yes. Come out to your driveway.

My human: I’ll come with a dog.

(At which point my human grabs a leash and Einstein.  She figured he would LOVE this.  He starts boldly walking up the driveway toward the road.  With his chest all puffed out. As IF he knew what was going on)

Mother Nature:  I will come out of Mary’s garage 

My human:  Walking

 In the meantime, our other neighbor Ellen had also come to rescue Mother Nature, so by the time my human and Einstein got to the road, Bambi was gone.  

A half hour later, more texts flowed.

Mother Nature:  Thanks Ellen and Linda for coming to my rescue!!! 

👍🏼🙏🤗

My human:  Yeah.  I’m not coming if it’s a bear.  OK.  OK.  I’ll come.  Frodo makes enough noise to scare off a mountain lion.  I’ll bring him.

Ellen:  I'll bring the rabbits. (We have a large number of bold bunnies in the ‘hood right now.  They will literally stay within 12 feet of us- of course only if we are on a leash).

My human:  You and Viktor can bring the rabbits....

After that, Mother Nature looked out the window of her house- and guess who she saw?!  The deer.  He is stalking her.  Actually, it is probably a “she” as it has no antlers.  And it is reportedly not very big... Now Mother Nature can’t leave her home.  Just kidding.  About not leaving her home.  Meanwhile, Pig Pen, the docile, friendly Lab couldn’t care less. 

Don’t you just WISH you lived on our road?!

Excitement number three is company!! My human’s mother’s cousin and his wife arrived from Buffalo!  So that’s my human’s first cousin, once removed. She had to look that up.  Anyway, they are great people - and what’s additionally cool is the fact that he is ... I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing this - but he is 90 years old.  90 going on 65.  

We didn’t get to see them yesterday- as they got in late in the afternoon and they aren’t staying with us.  But I’m sure we will see them today.  Her highness said we must be on our best behavior.  Whatever that means.  I guess no jumping.  Which Einstein and I can do.  The FG will need to be held.  He gets a BIT too enthusiastic at times. As for no barking- why even pretend we can comply.  That’s where the FG shines.  We like to spread the bad behaviors around.

Anyway,  lots of excitement here.  Never, ever a dull moment.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 3

Leave us at home

Honestly, I shouldn’t even need to write this blog.  And frankly, you blog readers, don’t need the message.  But as dog lovers - we have to keep getting the word out:  DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DOG IN THE CAR IN THESE SUMMER MONTHS.

It is inconceivable to me hope this can still happen. In a town not too far from here, a woman has made it her mission to regularly patrol the parking lot of a local shopping center, looking for dogs in cars. And she has found (and saved) some!

I also read a very sad story about a family who had a dog in the car and left him in his crate, with the air conditioner left on.  Sadly, the crate was located in a sunny spot in the vehicle, and although the air conditioner WAS running, the poor dog suffered heat stroke.  And died.

The moral of the story- in hot weather, it is probably best to leave us at home.  Certainly if someone is staying in the vehicle with Fido, that’s one thing.  But don’t leave us alone.  PLEASE!!!!!!!

And speaking of sun dogs - the FG is a funny guy.  Outdoors he heads for a shady spot on the deck.  Inside, he looks for the sunny spot.  He is just SO interesting...

It was around this time three years ago that my human was making plans to pick him up.  At that point, Einstein and I had no idea how our lives were about to change.  As you may recall, I was not all that enamored with him when he first arrived.  But now, we are good buds.  Mind you, I don’t allow him to trim my feet like Einstein does.  But we do hang out together.  He is very respectful of both me and Einstein.  We all get along super - which some might find surprising- because, how shall I word this...all of us have “all of our parts.”  People sometimes think that “intact” dogs can’t live together.  Well.  We do just great.  Now- there are no girls to impress - and I don’t necessarily think our sunshine and happiness household would be so bright if a girl was thrown in the mix.  But without a girl - we’re all good. OK - we DO have her highness but she doesn’t count.  She’s probably the one to keep things in line here too. Or she THINKS she is.  We’ll just let her keep thinking that.

Stay cool.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 2

A trip...

Let me begin by thanking everyone for your good wishes after reading about the news of my seizure.  As expected, my human was totally depressed about it.  BUT we need to focus on the fact that I had a longer stretch than I had been having this year - so we’ll keep our paws crossed for another good run.  In the world of canine epilepsy, if you have one or fewer seizures in a month, that is considered “controlled.” So technically, it WAS a good month.

When I have a seizure, the next 24 hours are a “critical time.”  If a dog continues to have seizures, it is called clustering.  And it’s obviously not a good thing.  So after I have one, my human is on pins and needles for the next 24 hours.  Yesterday she was supposed to get together with an old friend- but had to cancel, as they had planned a short road trip - and her highness didn’t think she should stray too far from home.  I thought that was brilliant- until she announced that yours truly smelled a bit rancid - so I needed a bath.  Sometimes when I have a seizure, I pee a bit. And I also drool.  So afterward, I look like rather wild - and although my aroma is pleasing to my fellow canines, it’s not so great in the opinion of humans.   So despite the fact that I am typically pampered after a seizure, I still had a bath.  Oh joy oh happiness.

In other news, her highness went to the bank the other day and came home with some interesting money.  It was Polish!! Of course Einstein and I immediately knew what it was.  The FG didn’t have a clue.  Now WHAT could she be doing with Polish currency?!   It looks like a trip is on the horizon.  And given the distance, I’m thinking it’s unlikely WE will be going along.  As long as she has booked Char to be our sitter- and not some NEW person.  We do have this history of sitters only coming once...  I’m sure it CAN’T be because we are not well behaved.  Cough cough.  OK- so we stole one sitter’s cell phone and locked another one out of the house- but is that enough to scare someone off?! They were all very nice....they just never came back...except Char did- so I’m hoping it’s her again.

We don’t know a lot about this trip - although we DID overhear her highness chatting with her old friend Janet about flights. And something about a tour bus.  Heaven help the people on the bus when those two get together.

We also heard that she may be meeting up with some PON people while in Poland.  Dog people do that stuff.  It’s like a cult.  People who share the same breeds gather together and talk about all the bad things we do.  Oh - and the wonderful stuff too. 

She’s not packing yet - so I think it’s not for a few weeks.  All I can say is that guilt gifts are proportional to the distance travelled.  We’re talking at LEAST a lb of kielbasa. For each of us.  Since we can’t drink Polish vodka.

Besides my spa treatment yesterday, it was a lazy day.  Rumor has it that we are going to be entertaining some special company later in the week.  Wonder who...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 1

Popcorn

July 16.  And it’s Orville Redenbacher’s birthday.  For all my non-North American readers, Orville’s name is synonymous with one thing - popcorn.  Some people think he was a made up character - but in fact, he was a real businessman who had a degree in agronomy.  And he caused the popcorn industry to, sorry - pop!  

Now while popcorn should not be fed to us canines in huge amounts, we CAN have a snack of air-popped popcorn.  The microwave stuff probably has too much salt for us - and you don’t know what other flavorings could upset our digestion.  But plain air-popped corn is fine. In moderation.  If you want to jazz it up for us, I saw a recipe that suggested putting the already air-pooped corn on a baking sheet, and putting it in the oven - topped with some grated cheese.  Doesn’t THAT sound amazing?! We NEED some of that.

Here is a super cute popcorn video that has been doing the rounds on Social Media lately.  You may have seen it - but it’s worth a second look.  And tell me - doesn’t this dog look almost PON-like?

https://youtu.be/_uqHGDyySss

Time for our morning constitutional.  Gotta go and see if the bunnies are out.  My human thinks it’s funny that I don’t go crazy when I see them and I’m on leash.  Off leash is another story.  But really- why BOTHER while on leash. I’m too smart to waste my energy.  Some days.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 0

The “monster” returned last night.  We had a good stretch without one - but it was a tough seizure last night...paws crossed for another long stretch.

Fire safety. And wax.

July 15.  And it’s National Pet Fire Safety Day. This is a serious subject -  because according to the American Red  Cross and the US Fire Administration, “an estimated 500,000 pets annually” are affected by fires - in the US alone.  There are two excellent recommendations to keep your canine safe in the event of a fire:  have a plan for an escape route - and place a sign or fire safety sticker in a front window indicating the number of pets inside - so that firefighters know who to look for.  

Of course you also want to employ other safety features - like smoke alarms.  You need to be careful when using candles if you have pets as an accidental collision with a burning candle could have a very bad outcome.

The Halifax Kennel Club - to which her highness belongs , once had a project to supply pet oxygen masks to local fire departments.  Human masks do not work well with pets - masks designed for “pet heads” are much more beneficial for both dogs and cats.

If you are a member of a kennel club, or dog group, starting a project to equip fire trucks is a super useful idea.  

And speaking of safety and candles, her highness did day two of her art class.  She did something called encaustic art.  It’s a centuries old technique involving “painting” with hot, colored bees wax.  The wax is heated and is in liquid form, and when it is brushed on a piece of wood, it immediately hardends.  You can then build up the wax and add things to your art to give it “texture” and dimension- like photos, pieces of string, buttons, leaves, coins, etc.

Well.  I have to be honest.  We are not going to be making any extra money in this household from her highness’s art.  She did 5  pieces over the weekend.  Look - I love her - but they are no Rembrandts.  I could have probably chewed a couple of candles and done an equally interesting job.  But we tried to look enthused when she came home.  I was hoping she would have done one of us- but now I’m glad she didn’t.  We would likely be unrecognizable.   Too bad she didn’t embed dog biscuits in the wax.  We could have helped recycle them.  

I suppose this art stuff is part of retirement.  Humans try new things.  I guess it could have been worse- we could have been booked for an obedience class....

Anyway, have a good, safe wax-free day.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days:  37

About those bears....

We had a pretty quiet day yesterday.  Her highness went to - of all things- an all day art class.  She enlisted her sister to let us out in the afternoon for our pees.  We all behaved fairly well for her- no canines went missing and there were no human injuries.  So we consider that successful.

Today my human goes back again.  I guess she didn’t pass the first day.  Or maybe she has more to learn.

Today I have a blog - with some random thoughts...related to yesterday’s blog...

We canines, as a rule, don’t tend to ruminate over things.  We kind of live for the here and now.  And every new moment is a moment to rejoice.  We don’t really tend to think things like “I should not have chased that bunny yesterday.  I wish I had not barked at the neighbor’s dog.  I hope eating that extra kibble won’t make me look fat.”   Nope- we just don’t tend to over-analyze things.

However, humans DO that kind of stuff all the time.  They worry that they have said the right thing.  They try their best not to offend people.  They are conscious about how what they say and do may affect others.

And as a dog who writes a blog, I must confess I tend to think like humans.  Sometimes.  I express my feelings about things and share our lives with you.  And like a university professor who gets 30 reviews from students - where 29 are great, I focus on the one that is not so great.  So I need to clarify something from yesterday’s blog - because we did get a bad review.

I talked about my human’s friend - and the fact that he had to resort to using a shock collar to keep his dogs away from bears.  I KNEW when I wrote it that it could be viewed as controversial- but I shared it because it is his experience.  I agree that shock collars are not a great training tool.  And like any training tool, it can be abused.  My human would not likely ever use one - BUT you never know because she has not been in his shoes.  She also does not judge her friend as being abusive for doing so - because she knows he provides an UNBELIEVABLE home for his dogs.  Two of his dogs were rescued from kill shelters in the US.  He flew them to BC to give them an AMAZING life. He does not have a cruel bone in his body. He didn’t want to use the collars - but it was a last resort.  

We were mortified to see that he was judged as being cruel.  And honestly, we felt badly for even telling the story - because my human never, ever wanted to see people think badly of her friend.  

But she focused on that one bad review all day.  And even considered deleting that part of the story.  But instead, we decided to simply use it as a reminder that sometimes we need to know the whole story.  And never say never until you have shared the exact same experience as someone else.  You just never know...

We decided after this incident that we will try to not be so upset by the single “review” either, and my new motto will be one her highness saw on a greeting card:

No matter what life brings you,  kick some grass over that poop and move on.  It’s a new day.  

Be nice humans.  Be more like dogs....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days:  36

The chase

Things have been pretty quiet here after all the medical appointments.  OK. OK.  There was a SMALL incident the other night when my human went to take me and Einstein for a quick pee - and SHE made the mistake of not looking out the front door.  Not one but TWO bunnies were just hanging out, waiting for a game of chase.  Two bunnies.  Two PONs.  But one bunny got off easy because one PON doesn’t like to race through the brush and get all dirty and full of sticks.  The OTHER PON absolutely becomes temporarily DEAF and does NOT respond to calls, shouts or pleading.  No big deal.  I came back after about 25 minutes.  And met the tub and jet engine dryer when I arrived home.

Otherwise, things are quiet.  So I decided to look at what’s new in the dog world.  The first thing that popped up was this video of a dog chasing a bear out of its yard.

 

https://youtu.be/T1ewMZAug24

It was timely because my human had just been talking to a good old friend in BC, who was telling her how his three dogs are notorious for chasing bears up trees. He’s a huge dog lover, and despite training attempts, they have had to resort to shock collars to stop them when they make the charge at a bear. He hates the idea of it - but after one dog had a swipe on the nose, they realized they had to do something. These are black and cinnamon bears.  Not grizzlies - although they certainly could encounter grizzlies in their area as well.  They spend a LOT of time in the outdoors- so the likelihood of encounters is high.  He feels sorry for the dogs - he hates to use the collars - and he feels sorry for the bears, who generally do not seek out trouble. It’s a real challenge.

There are a number of videos on - line with dog/bear chases. Here are three of my favorites- I have probably posted them before - but it’s interesting to see how size does NOT matter in some cases:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2015/oct/05/small-dog-chases-off-two-bears-in-california-video

https://youtu.be/uE6S34cEqJE

https://youtu.be/qFPjnYCi9co

This video shows some guard dogs who keep grizzlies away from a fishing camp.  You might be surprised with the breeds:

https://youtu.be/Mkx1T4ckl0U

And lastly we have this video of Karelian Bear dogs.  Who are trained to keep bears away.  It’s sad when wildlife have their homes invaded by humans - and they start becoming a nuisance.  Unfortunately, sometimes wildlife lose their lives - just because they are hungry, and their own turf has been encroached upon.  One way to keep them from being destroyed is by using dogs to scare them off.  They have cameras attached to the dogs so you can see what it looks like from a dog point to view.  Kind of like when chasing bunnies.  Said the guy with the experience...

https://youtu.be/xoNmfY7vzvA

So that’s it for this episode of Wildlife Adventures with Canines.  I promise not to chase more bunnies. Wait - let’s edit that.  I promise not to chase any bears.  Bunnies are still fair game. And its funny because I’m not exactly sure what I would do if I caught one...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 35

The next vet visit

The FG had his visit to the vet the other day to see if he is put together normally.  He had some X-rays of his hips and his elbows.  Einstein did that once too- he passed his tests with flying colors. I never bothered.  I know I’m perfect. 

They arrived at the clinic and as they stepped into the waiting area, her highness stopped.  The place was packed.  Lots of Zombies and their dogs. She made the FG sit - and they stayed right by the front door.  She couldn’t figure out how to get through the crowd to her favorite area in the back.  So they stayed by the door. 

We know how paranoid she is at the clinic.  She doesn’t want us to lick anything for fear we will catch some communicable disease.  It’s amazing she doesn’t make us wear surgical masks.  Imagine her HORROR when a little dog had ....how can I put this...explosive diarrhea mear the front of the registration desk.  Ewwwwwwwww.  The poor human who owned the dog looked mortified- and who wouldn’t.  A woman who was sitting close to the rancid smelling puddle, stood up and came to hang out by my human and the FG.  She didn’t even have a pet with her.  The man who owned the dog tried in earnest to get the attention of one of the staff who were super busy. He finally mentioned to one that his dog had a little accident.  Little accident?  We’re talking more than a little pee problem.  Thank goodness it had not been a Saint Bernard.  They would have had to shut down the clinic.

They called my human to the desk and she approached it from the side - to avoid the cesspool.  She mentioned to the staff again that there was a “clean up in aisle 3” as no one seemed to be doing anything about it.  They assured her that help was on the way. 

They asked that the FG be weighed.  Getting to the scale meant going right around the “problem area.”  She asked if they could go behind the desk- and they quickly agreed.  The aroma was wafting their way - so they realized the problem was dire.  Wonder who lost the coin toss to clean it up.

After the weigh in, my human was able to direct the FG to the seating area in the back. Away from the crowds and the “problem area.”  The FG chilled while waiting to be radiated.

The vet and technician came out to see him and he happily greeted them.  They invited my human back to watch the process.

The FG was extremely well behaved, and didn’t require any sedation. Her highness probably could have used it.

A look at the X-rays revealed that things “look normal” - but now they are sent to the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation of America) for formal assessment.  He didn’t study for the test - so we hope he passes.

After the X-rays were over, as her highness chatted with the vet, a steady stream of technicians came by to meet “the Picard.”  His reputation precedes him.  Not really - I think they just wanted to see a Picard in real life- there are so few around.  He happily greeted each one and reportedly was a great ambassador for the breed. The picture perfect canine. Remember- no carpets in the clinic- and he WAS on a leash.  

So within the past couple of weeks, all of us have been to the vet.  Although the staff are very, very nice, my human hopes that we can avoid going there for at least a little while.  Paws crossed!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 34

The magic carpet. Not.

We have this indoor outdoor carpet outside our front door.  It manages to grab a lot of leaves and dirt when we come in the from our walks. It has stood the test of time in all seasons and has been covered in snow and shoveled more times than I can count. So after all these years, her highness was thinking it was time for a replacement.

The carpet is 4x6 feet in size.  It fits perfectly in the entry way.  Her highness measured it with a tape measure and everything.  Problem was - she should have taken one of us along when she went shopping.

The first carpet she brought home looked really nice. Perfect pattern and colors. She could hardly wait to unroll it as Einstein barked out orders from inside.  We could not be part of the unrolling.  Ever try to unroll a carpet with three assistant canines? Epic failure. One gets on the carpet. She tells him to move. He does and two more get on.  She pulls the carpet while we stand on it like Aladdin waiting for it to take off.  Yeah - carpet movement and canines is not a great idea.

Anyway, she drags the old carpet out of the way and ceremoniously unrolls the new carpet. It doesn’t fit.  Hello?  “Somebody” didn’t read the label CAREFULLY.  It says 4x 6’7”.   Yup. 7 inches too much.  The carpet gets rolled up and returned.

Round 2.  She’s at the grocery store and they have a section with seasonal items-,gardening things and furniture for your deck. And there are carpets.  She finds one she LOVES.   But- its only 3x4.  Well it won’t be too big. And the price was right. She brings it home and we again watch the unrolling.  It fits.  But it looks dinky.  The old carpet is dragged back into place.

This time, instead of returning it, she decides it COULD go on the back deck.  In front of the entrance to the door.  The door with the dog entrance through the screen.  She puts it down and we all go to inspect it.  The FG immediately rubs his face in it.  We are all fascinated with this new bit of decor.

We go in and out all day. We love our dog door. And we love being on the new carpet. That evening, when it gets dark, her highness closes the glass door to the deck. So it isn’t until the next morning that she sees the carnage.

“Someone” has chewed the entire length  of the carpet.  Well - at least someone chewed one end and the rest of the binding came off with a good tug.  Her highness took one look at it and heaved it over the deck railing to the ground below. 

She suspects the FG.   He’s the most likely suspect.  It does have his m.o. all over it.  But in all fairness...she didn’t SEE HIM doing it.  Maybe Einstein did it - and made it LOOK like the FG did it.  Or maybe I did it....Who knows.  It’s a mystery.  And I’m not telling who done it....I just think I should go with her the next time she goes carpet shopping.  I would get the RIGHT one. 

Stay tuned tomorrow to hear about the FG’s visit to the vet. No carpets there. And it’s a good thing....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up. 

Seizure free days:  33

Medical appointments

The day of the medical appointments. My human’s? Her lavender injuries will not kill her.  But we knew that.  We might.  But the lavender won’t. 

Einstein’s appointment began with the typical vet clinic waiting room circus.  Dogs with zombie owners.  But I hear Einstein’s favorite dog was this one.  He refused to leave when it was time to go.  

How weird is that?!  Most dogs want to bolt out the door.  But not this guy. He appeared to be a young Golden Retriever.  I think he knew it was too hot outside and he preferred the air conditioned clinic.

Einstein was well behaved for his ultrasound.  Although he apparently did not appreciate his feet being touched.  My human should have warned them.  Not that he is mean or the least bit aggressive- he just recoils his feet and tucks them under his body.  You know how in the movie the Wizard of Oz, when the house falls on the witch and her feet curl up and go under the house?  That’s kind of like Einstein’s feet.  I’m not sure what made me think of that...

Anyway, the cardiologist met with her highness after the tests.  Einstein has two problems.  Neither problem is DCM - the cardiac problem written in the news a lot lately - which has a connection to a grain free diet.  Nope - he has two other problems. One is age related changes seen in many dogs involving his mitral valve.  The other is actually one he was born with -Patent Ductus Arteriosis.  The problem is usually detected when the dog is a puppy.  Severe cases warrant surgical repair.  Now it is most likely the Einstein’s case was not severe at birth -that’s why it was never detected and why it has never affected him.  

So- the bottom line.  He is NOT in heart failure.  He shows no external symptoms of heart issues.  Given that and given his age of 9.5, the vet was not pushing for surgery.  He felt that medication, at Einstein’s age is a more reasonable option.  IF he suddenly started showing significant symptoms, it COULD be an option.  But the surgery for the PDA would not help the other problem.  So he would still have that.  So after LOTS of questions and discussion, her highness agreed with the vet’s recommendation. He’ll be picking up his drugs tomorrow.  Our house is starting to look like a pharmacy.

So not GREAT news - but not HORRIBLE news either.  Paws crossed he continues along as he currently is.

Now we know I was recently to the vet for my bloodwork.  Einstein went to the vet and had his cardiac tests.  It seems only fair that the FG get to visit the clinic.  After all, we’ve probably paid for several vets’ vacations.  So today it’s his turn.  He is going in for a check up - and to get some X-rays.  He has nothing broken- we just want to see how he is put together.  Einstein and I wanted to X-ray his head to see why he thinks differently than us PONs.  Her highness said they are not doing his head.  I wish I could go to watch. 

More on his tests in coming weeks.  Oh. And more on his appetite for carpets.  Which he apparently still has....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 32

The infirmary.

Helpful hint:  When you don’t have enough medical tape, vet wrap will do...

On Sunday, her highness and her sister went to a gardening center. Her sister needed plants.  Her highness didn’t.  So she walked around and took photos and then as she was about to leave, she spotted some lavender.  She has attempted lavender before. But she killed it.  Or thought she did.  Who KNEW that it looks dead at the beginning of the season- but then it comes back to life?  No wonder it never survived.  She always pulled it out, thinking it was dead,  and it was probably alive. Anyway, she bought two pots.  And the plan was to put it in the raised bed in the middle of our driveway.

She left the pots by the front of the house.  As you would expect, when we discovered them, we all tried to “water” them. We were stopped before the faucets opened.

So yesterday morning after our walks and breakfast, her highness headed out to plant the lavender. 

They say that lavender has health benefits- including antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Well that is ironic...

Her highness first cut some things with the weed whacker.  Then she battled to get the leaf blower working.  She pulled the cord probably 20 times.  The neighbors could hear her anguished moans - so they shouted out to see if they could help.  My human walked over and after two pulls, the neighbor started the blower.  My human headed back home blowing everything in sight.

She got back, stopped the blower and used the weed whacker again.  After that she again tried the blower.  She came to the conclusion the blower has a PON/Picard engine.  It only works when it FEELS like it. She grasped the cord, gave a tug and when it almost engaged she got so excited, she let go and the cord recoiled - whacking her wrist in the process.  Injury #1.  Oh. And the motor died.  She  came in the house, had a glass of water and went back out. She tried the blower again and it started.  After about 30 pulls.  Thank goodness.  

She finished that part of the job and then went to step onto the raised bed to cut some bushes.  This bed is about 3 feet high.  She has stepped up onto it dozens of times.  But this time, she somehow lost her balance and back she fell.  Well, sideways.  She fell onto the pavement.  On her leg, hip and elbow. Her first thought?  Geez I better not have broken anything- who will walk the dogs?! She got up slowly, realizing nothing felt “broken.”  However - her shin was swelling immediately and bleeding profusely.  Sorry for the graphic description- but heck you readers are used to poop descriptions- so you are tough.

She hobbled into the garage, grabbed a clean dog towel (that stack of dog grooming towels is good for more than grooming) and pressed it against her bleeding shin. She hobbled bent over into the house.  Of course we ALL tried to help. She appreciated our offer of assistance- but because she wasn’t sure we could get the bandages out of the medicine drawer, she sequestered us on the deck. She sat down to evaluate the damage - and decided to call for back up.  Thankfully our neighbors were still  home and came down with tape and bandages.  They got her highness fixed while we watched through the deck door with Einstein shouting out medical directives.

Her highness elevated her leg and took a deep breath.  About a half hour later, she couldn’t resist the temptation to look at her battle scar.  She removed the bandage, put on some antiseptic cream (she probably should have rubbed some lavender into it) and then realized she had no medical tape.  She even checked the dog medical supplies - because frankly, we are better equipped than the human supplies. Nope.  No tape.  So how to keep that bandage on her shin?  The answer.  Vet wrap.  It worked perfectly.  Perhaps a bit of overkill- but it was going to hold that bandage and it doesn’t stick like tape.  Every home should have some. Whether you have a dog or not!

Her highness washed up and went to sit out on the deck to relax with us.  Of course we ALL had to inspect her bandaged leg and the FG REALLY wanted the bag of ice she was using to reduce the swelling. 

We eventually settled down and her highness relaxed the rest of the day.  She was able to hobble around and feed us on time- and we all promised it to not make her walk TOO far before we pooped.

Today, Einstein has his cardiology appointment.  And as luck would have it, her highness also has a doctor’s appointment.  I think we should start referring to our house as the “Infirmary.”  But don’t worry - once that lavender gets planted, everything will be just fine.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up. 

Seizure free days: 31

Miracles DO happen

Miracles DO happen.  Or maybe Picards just become all grown up...

Yesterday was another hot one.  No running around or playing fetch until the evening.  My human took me and Einstein out after 7:30 and she still only let us play a few rounds of fetch as she didn’t want us to get overheated.  When we finished, she looked at the trees.  There was a BIT of a breeze...

So she doused herself in bug spray, gave the FG a spray as well,  and put him on the 50’ line of marine rope.  She put on her rubber boots and grabbed a floatable fetch toy.  And then she said a few prayers. I think it was to the Patron Saint of swimming dogs - or the one who protects against human rope injuries. She took a few moments to prepare herself mentally and off they went. Einstein and I stood on the deck watching as they headed down the trail. Einstein shouted “GOOD LUCK!  Look - we’re peeing on the deck!”

On the way down the trail, she desperately tried to keep the FG ON the trail - and not off in the brush - for fear of the vampires. Holding fifty feet of rope and an anxious Picard was no easy fete. 

They made it to the water’s edge and the wild child jumped in before she could throw the toy. She tossed the toy and he went right past it- heading for deeper water.  Then - in the CLASSIC FG move, he started swimming parallel to the shoreline.  His plan, of course was to jump up on the shoreline further down from my human and go for a run.  But her highness was ready for him. She started pulling him back toward her.  It was at that point that the FG realized he was busted. So he came back toward her and the fetch toy- which was in shallow water. But the toy was far enough out that her highness couldn’t reach it from the shore.  He stood and stared at the toy.  She said, in that nervous quasi happy tone “Get it!” He poked at it with his nose.  My human’s heart sank. This fetching game was not going to work.

But then, something happened.  It was like a weird electrical surge of energy.  The FG grabbed the toy and hopped onto the shore - shaking water everywhere.  Her highness wondered if she dare toss the toy further out.  She closed her eyes and gave it a heave.  And one crazy Picard leaped into the water and headed straight for the toy. He grabbed it and headed right back to shore.  Out he jumped and dropped the toy- shaking like mad.  Should they try ONE more time?

Well.  They didn’t do it ONE more time- they did it SEVERAL times.  The only challenge was grabbing him when he would get out.  You see, the FG LOVES to rub against ANYTHING when he is wet - and her highness knew he would make every attempt to roll in the tall grasses or rub against foliage - and she did not want him potentially picking up ticks.  So he would jump out and she had to hold him close as he shook himself off.  She might as well have gone in the water - she was so wet.  She would then entice him with the toy - and toss it back in.

And so it went.  When she figured that her luck was probably about to run out, she said “OK, let’s go.” Now she had to hold him by the collar all the way up the trail, until they got to the lawn in the back yard.  At which point he predictably threw himself in the grass.  And rolled. And rolled.  

Here are a few shots taken to prove this really happened.  Now they are NOT great photos.  Keep in mind her highness had to hold onto the line as he was going out and gather it as he was coming in.  And she was shooting into the sun. But you get the idea.

Yes.  Our little brother is really growing up.  Mind you...he’s not QUITE ready to be taken off that line...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 30!

Not a great day. Part 2.

Well, they haven’t come to take the fugitive away so meals are still being delivered on time.

Now for the “other” news.  And before we begin- we are not going to panic about this.  We are going to be positive- and think about next steps - rather than doom and gloom.

On Friday, my human took Einstein to the vet.  He has been licking at his feet - and they are all pink.  She tried trimming his hair between his paws and rubbing in some itch relief medication.  After THAT wrestling match, it still didn’t work.  He has his feet chewed up.  To top it off, the FG helps him.  My human caught him gnawing at Einstein’s feet several times.  So she decided it really needed to be addressed. 

The vet didn’t see anything bad on his feet but prescribed a medication that she said will either “work immediately- or it won’t.”  So far, it IS working.

While at the vet, my human asked the vet to listen to his heart.  Remember he had a murmur back in March.  Well, the vet listened - and she said it sounds worse.  She suggested an X-ray- which they did right then and there. 

There is evidence that Einstein’s heart is enlarged. He shows no symptoms of a problem- no lack of energy, no coughing - but obviously there is a problem.  The vet told my human there is a new cardiologist who has moved into our area. Before this, if you wanted to see a cardiologist, you needed to go to the Vet College in Prince Edward Island - about a 3 hour drive, or wait for a traveling clinic.  So it’s GREAT news that we now have someone here full time.  Our vet recommended a cardiac ultrasound to get a good picture of what is going on, and to get a baseline measurement of his heart function.  The vet also suggested that the cardiologist would be able to recommend whether, at this point, medication is warranted.

While this is obviously not great news, we are happy that the problem has been found.  Quite honestly, because he is asymptomatic, we would never have even known there was a problem.  So paws crossed he will get the proper treatment to continue living a long, happy life!

Of course, Einstein is going to milk this “heart condition” every chance he can get.  “Sit?”  “Oh that’s too much effort. Just give me the treat while I’m jumping on you.”  Yup.  I can see this resulting in a HOST of bad behaviors which he can blame on “his condition.”  Great.

We have had VERY hot weather the past few days.  I’m voting for a heat pump- which despite the name, apparently keeps you cool in the summer.  Leave it to humans to invent a cooling machine which they call a HEAT pump.  Yeah - I know it also provides heat - but how about a TMD - a Temperature Modulation Device.  That would be more appropriate.  Why didn’t they ask me about the name?  Anyway, I think it’s time to investigate it.  We are melting. If anybody local has recommendations for local companies- let my human know.  Her highness said it might not be “in the budget” right now.  But we dogs want one.  So that’s three against one.  I’m determined to get one.  She doesn’t know I have her VISA card...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 29

Not a great day...

Well.  Yesterday was not a great day...

It began with a suspension.  My human’s.  Let me begin this story by saying she is not a suspension type person.  In fact, she’s never been suspended.  From school or elsewhere.  She’s pretty much a rule follower.  She’s never even had a speeding ticket!  Mind you - that’s largely due to luck.  But she’s never had a parking ticket.  OK- the meter HAS run out a few times - and she DID have to pay for that - but she’s never had a ticket for parking in a no parking zone. She doesn’t do it.

I’m not sure if she has had overdue library books - but certainly not any amount that would have her “suspended.”  She’s no saint - she’s just boring.

So imagine her reaction when she got an email from the Google Ad people - telling her that my ad account on my blog was SUSPENDED for 30 days.  The reason?  They say her highness clicked on the ads on my blog.  Which is “illegal.”  Not illegal in the law sense - but it’s a frowned upon activity.  I’m here as her witness to tell you she has never clicked my ads.  Ever.  Apparently, if “illegal activity” is found on a site, it results in suspension.  And if you click your own ads, it’s illegal.  

The problem is that there is no appeal process for “illegal activity.”  No judge,  no jury - you are presumed guilty and have to do your time.  So we are in suspension mode for 30 days.  Luckily they don’t take her to jail.  That would be awful.  Who would feed us?!

Apparently there are other “illegal activities.”  So - IF they let us have ads again, please don’t click on anything- unless you are at least remotely interested in the site.  Who knew that repeated clicking of the ads is discouraged.   I guess they are there for decoration. 

I understand if companies PAY people to click ads (which apparently some do!) - or if someone employs robotic software that continually clicks ads that would inflate ad interest - it could result in huge earnings for some companies who use ads- but I’m not sure how, if someone sees an ad for a pet store on my blog, and they click on it - even after several days- it can be considered “illegal.”  Someone COULD be interested in a product and they are reminded about it when they look at the blog.  Anyway, they did NOT say that was the reason for her suspension.  But something to consider in the future.  

The challenge is that there is no human to discuss the problem with.  There is no chat line.  No phone number.  Google doesn’t REALLY exist.  

Bottom line, my human did NOT click her own ads.  We want representation!!! Her only recourse is to consult an on-line community of others who use ads- and ask for their help. Someone in the forum suggested that someone ELSE in our household was using my human’s computer and IP address and perhaps that  “someone” was clicking on the ads.  Don’t look at me.  I just dictate the blog- I’m not computer savvy enough to click the ads.  Although I DID see Einstein at the desktop the other day...

So that blog news wasn’t great.  Mind you, it’s not the end of the world.  We will survive. It’s rather exciting living with a suspended woman.  I think I’ll start calling her the fugitive.  We’ll have to keep her in line.  

There was also a vet visit yesterday....Tune in for news about that tomorrow....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days:  28

The rope trick

We all know that yours truly will play fetch until my tongue is dragging on the ground. Or I would if my human let me.  Einstein enjoys the game as well but after about 10 returns, starts taking the toy back to the house.  He clearly communicates when he has had enough.

Now that the weather is finally getting warmer, we can only play early in the morning. Or in the evening.  Currently we play until the mosquitoes and black flies begin to carry off the fetch toy.  Or my human is bleeding profusely.  Whatever happens first.

The challenge is the FG.  My human KNOWS he is itching for a run - and she KNOWS if they play fetch, he’ll see it as an opportunity to make a mad dash.  She wants to get him down to the lake for a swim, but she has to finish cutting the trail first.  She did a good part of it the other night before the mosquitoes made her look like a pin cushion.  The key to enjoying the great outdoors right now, is a breezy day.  Got a breeze?  No bugs.  No breeze?  Better wear your big suit.

Anyway, she wants to take him for a swim - and will do so within the next few days. On a breezy day.  But she remembered that last year, the FG liked to swim down the lake.  And then he would go for a run in the woods.  To address that challenge, she went shopping for a long, floatable line.  So she can “direct” our freestyle swimmer.  She went to several places.  She had seen one “for dogs” last fall and didn’t get it at the time. Bad news - they no longer carry it.  She did find a 50’ rope with an attached clip in the marine section of a hardware store.  So she got that.

The other night, it wasn’t breezy enough down at the lake, so after Einstein and I had our game of fetch, her highness decided to put the rope to use on land.  And she would play fetch with the FG.

She threw the toy, and held onto the end of her 50’ leash.  Out he ran and back he came with the toy.  Brilliant!!!! She tossed it again.  Again he came back.  Awesome.  But we’re talking about the FG.  Next toss he goes out and comes back half way.  He promptly rolls on the toy.  She walks over, picks it up and tosses it.  Out he races. Grabs it and lies down.  And so it continued.  My human fetching. Multiple times.  But the BEST part?  Picture a rolling Picard tangling himself up in 50’ of line.  Quite an entertaining scene.  I think they should take that trick on the road.

Ah the joys of summer.  I can’t WAIT to watch him go for his swim.  My human better wear waders.  Or a bathing suit.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 27

July 4. And kabooms.

July 4 - and in the US it’s a big holiday- Independence Day.  Lots or parades, barbecues, picnics- and no doubt fireworks. While fireworks can be pretty - the loud thunder-like kabooms - can be VERY stressful for some canines - and actually for some humans as well.

Some municipalities are moving toward quiet fireworks. But many still have the kabooms - as do many individuals who use them. 

Clearly if you have a dog who is frightened by them- do NOT let that dog loose outside. Reportedly, a study by the ASPCA found that more dogs run away in July than any other month.  Think there’s a connection?

Some dogs benefit from the use of a Thundershirt - which acts as a compression wrap - to help them relax.  Playing music may also distract from the scary kabooms. Closing windows can also help to cut down the sounds. 

One suggestion I read,  was to tire your dog out during the day - so he won’t be AS worked up when the kabooms start. He may be so tired he might sleep through them.  Might being the operative word.

If a dog is really frightened - apparently there is medication that can be prescribed by your veterinarian.  One vet on-line suggested something called the gum gel Sileo.  It acts as a calming agent but does not sedate the dog.  If your dog becomes really frightened- and some dogs literally shake and shiver and try to hide - a medication may be the best option. Apparently desensitization takes a long time and lots of work - and unfortunately is often not successful.

Nobody in this house cares about thunder, fireworks or ANY  loud noises. Probably because we see them as competition and not something scary.  Einstein barked when he heard fireworks far off in the distance the other night. He was just showing he could be equally loud (as everyone in the neighborhood knows).  As for thunder - we don’t care - but it does signal that we probably don’t want to go out right then.  You know what we think about rain.

Anyway, have a happy 4th to my friends in the US.  Stay safe and ignore the kabooms.  Be like us. Make your own.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days:26

There’s a tick in there...

Monday morning.  At 6 AM we were having more rain.  It pretty much rained on and off the whole long weekend.  No one in our house was in a hurry to go out.  My human managed to drag us out around 7AM.  She gave us the “quick, quick, quick” instruction- which basically means no long walk - we are headed to the backyard where we are expected to go.  Quick. Quick.  QUICK.  As usual, Einstein QUICKLY complied with the instructions.  And me? Nah.  I’m not AS phobic of rain as he is.  

After Einstein did his thing, her highness let him off leash - and he ran around to the front of the house to stand under the front entrance porch.  Meanwhile, she took me part way down the trail to the lake.  She didn’t want to go too far for several reasons:

1. She had not cut the trail grass.  And it was high.  Meaning a potential tick haven.

2.  Because she had expected we would follow the “quick, quick, quick,” instruction, she had not bothered to put on our tick force field bandanas.  So we were defenseless.

Frankly, I didn’t care.  I wandered along.  In the fine rain.  Sniffing, trotting, looking - I was not about to produce results.  She headed back toward the house with me happily leading the way.  She put me and Einstein in, and took out the FG who, like Einstein, followed the q3 instruction for a p3. As he was coming in, it began to rain harder.  Imagine my shock when she came in and put the leash back on me, and went to take me out again.  Seriously?!

This time we headed up to the road.  More cool stuff to sniff. No results.  

By now we are both soaking wet, so she tries one more time in the backyard .  And at this point she doesn’t care WHERE I walk.  Tick haven or not.  She is letting me go in tall grasses, dried (well wet) piles of leaves.  She just wants me to GO.

Nope.  No results.  She walks me back to the house but instead of letting me into the kitchen, opens the door to the grooming torture palace.  She is about to perform the tbc (tick blow check) and also dry me off.

As she is blowing, she notices SOMETHING on the fur on my foot.  She gets a comb and pulls it off - along with a bit of hair. She tries to figure out what it is - and THINKS it is a tick.  So she holds the comb with the THING over the bathtub to get a closer look.

Now I have talked NUMEROUS times about this woman’s lack off coordination. And ....well sometimes a lack of brains. She is holding the comb with her dominant right hand and holding the jet engine dryer nozzle with her non-dominant, even less coordinated left hand. One step toward the tub and in a classic case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, she blows the “thing” somewhere.  Who KNOWS where it went.  I’ve said before that that dryer could blow a chihuahua into the next county. Imagine what it could do to a tick.

Of course she screamed and attempted to actually find the thing.  Ever been in our garage?  Picture a combo grooming torture chamber, second hand store, tool and gardening center, recycling warehouse- oh and a small place to park a car.  So do you see the futility in trying to find a piece of dog hair with a tick attached?  But she tried to find him.  While I stood on the grooming table watching. She finally gave up after about 15 minutes.

So somewhere in our garage - we MIGHT have a tick. She’ll be looking at every dot she sees on the floor for months now.  We might have to move.  I’m surprised she didn’t put up warning signs at the entrance to the garage.  Or that yellow crime scene tape.

Oh and I finally did produce a p3 later that afternoon.   No problem.  Sometimes I just like to shake things up around here.  Never EVER a dull moment.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 25