June 2015 – Page 3 – Viktorsviews. The Next Chapter.

Water Torture

June 7, 2015Leave a Comment

My human refers to it as Polish Water Torture. The painstaking process of taking two PONs out to poop. In the rain.

We KNEW yesterday morning when she came out of the garage with the dreaded raincoats, that our much-awaited Saturday morning romp was going to be a bit different than we had expected.

I begrudgingly put on the flashy blue coat. I stood there like I was in a trance. Frodo attempted to make a run for it – but was quickly corralled. He had to wear the ill-fitting 70’s style plaid coat.

The door was opened and we both stood like statues in the open doorway. Usually we both attempt to BOLT out. Not yesterday. My human kept saying “Let’s go. Let’s go.” We both stared at the puddles ahead – and the rain coming down and would NOT move. My human had to push us out the door.

I didn’t used to be THIS bad about the rain – but my older brother has taught me well. Paxton, on the other hand could not care less – he likes any weather – rain, hail, sleet, snow – it’s all the same to him. But we Polish princes do NOT appreciate damp conditions. My human marvels at photos on-line of other PONs enjoying water and puddles. Not us.

The only bright spot in the soggy walk was that we both pooped QUICKLY – even wearing our attire. Sometimes wearing attire slows the process – but not yesterday. We both wanted to go back home as quickly as possible.

The good news? The sun is SHINING today. All is wonderful with the world. Although I DID hear something about being brushed today….Time to hide.

Oh but before I close – my horse came in third yesterday. But the big news – American Pharoah won – and he won the Triple Crown. The first horse to win it since 1978. But really – what would you expect – he had a jockey named Victor!

Have a good one!

Fast.

June 6, 2015Leave a Comment

June 6. In the US today, there is a big horse race called the Belmont Stakes. It is the third big race in the Triple Crown – a race for three year old Thoroughbreds. A horse that wins all three races is considered a big deal. This year, there is a contender – a horse called American Pharoah. There hasn’t been a Triple Crown winner since 1978. The odds, as I write this are 3-5 for him. I’m betting on Keen Ice. The name reminds me of our driveway this winter. And the odds on him winning are 20-1. OK. Those are not great odds. But when I win, I’ll get lots of money. So THAT’S my bet.

Dogs can race too. But just like horseracing, it is a controversial sport. Dog racing is done with greyhounds because they are reportedly the fastest breed. They can run 45 miles per hour. Cheetahs are even faster – they can run in bursts of 70-75 mph. THAT is fast.

A search on the internet for the fastest dog breeds revealed the following – and some may be surprising!!!

Greyhound (45 mph), Saluki (43 mph), Vizsla (40mph), Jack Russell Terrier (38 mph), Dalmation (37 mph), Borzoi (36 mph), Whippet (35 mph), Weimaraner (35 mph), Doberman (30 mph), Border Collie (30 mph).

OK, the sight hounds are no surprise. And we know those terriers can be fast chasing rodents. But Dalmations? Right. Chasing fire trucks!

I think it would be fun to race Bassett Hounds. Or Pekingese. On a course like a greyhound course. THAT would be fun to watch. If you had 8 hours to spare.

But seriously, WHAT breed do we see missing in the top 10?! PONs! OBVIOUSLY no one has clocked me when it’s dinner time. Now THAT is fast!!! I think I could even give those Greyhounds a run for their money!

© Linda Wozniak

On pins and needles

June 5, 2015Leave a Comment

I saw him. Well. I HEARD him. And I wanted to go and make his acquaintance. But my human was having a lucky day. So I didn’t get to meet him.

Who?

The porcupine.

Yesterday morning during my 5AM constitutional with Frodo, (and my human) we stopped on the road . My human had to pick up Frodo’s “deposit” which was proudly left in the middle of the entry to a neighbor’s driveway. Leave it to Frodo to leave his mark in a conspicuous location.

JUST as my human was about to bend over to pick up the treasure, she saw me looking into the bushes at the side of the road. Actually I was listening. And of course I was on a leash. And had my human not noticed my fascination, she would not have been prepared when I tried to BOLT into the bushes. But she WAS ready. And she held tight. It was then that she heard – AND she saw what had captured my interest. Mr. Porky. Thankfully Frodo didn’t notice – because two PONs with wild intent CAN be hard to control! But Frodo didn’t see or hear Spike, so my human JUST had me to contend with. She kept repeating about 4000 times, “Leave it!” Then she cautiously bent down to gather Frodo’s monument, all the time holding on to me for dear life. We then turned around and went back home. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if I could spot the walking pin cushion. But he was gone.

So now my human will be on pins and needles watching out for my new-found “friend.” Pun intended. I have a feeling there will no be running off leash early in the morning or late at night. The joys of country living!

Spelling Bee

June 4, 2015Leave a Comment

June 4. On this day in 1970, Libby Childress won the 43rd National Spelling Bee in the US by spelling croissant. For some reason, croissant doesn’t seem like such a tough word. Maybe more people eat them today than they did in 1970? This year, they had co-champions. One spelled scherenschnitte (the art of cutting paper into decorative patterns) and the other spelled nunatak, (a hill or mountain completely surrounded by glacial ice). Those kids are pretty darn smart.

But I started thinking that there are lots of dog breed names that could be in the Spelling Bee. So let me give you a few – to prepare you in CASE you enter a Spelling Bee yourself!

Affenpinscher – the little German “monkey dog”. They are not very common. I think it’s because people can’t spell their name.

Dachshund – another German breed. Another tricky one to spell -no wonder people call them Weiner Dogs.

Chihuahua – the little Mexican guys. Too many vowels and ‘h”s. Plus it SOUNDS like Chiwawa.

And the ULTIMATE Spelling Bee word –Xoloitzcuintli – the Mexican Hairless dog. Seriously. This should be the last word in the Spelling Bee. Any kid who spells this deserves a REALLY big trophy. I wonder if it has ever been used? And you thought PolskiOwczarek Nizinny was tough!

Have a PONtastically wonderous day.

Aphasia.

June 3, 20151 Comment

A blog story about aphasia? Written by a dog? Now HOW is THIS going to work?

It all started when my human was scrolling though Facebook yesterday. She came across the photo of a cute Labrador Retriever – a Service Dog owned by a woman named Gabby Giffords. For people who are not from the United States, the name may not be familiar. Gabby was a politician – a Senator from the state of Arizona. In 2011, at the age of 41, Gabby was the victim of an assassination attempt. She suffered a gunshot wound to her head.

Gabby survived her injury and continues to amaze people with her recovery. Her Service Dog, Nelson helps her with some tasks because she has difficulty using her right arm and leg as a result of her injury. I’m not so sure I would have been cut out for Service Dog work. It takes special dogs to do that job – and while I AM special, as we know, I’m not always obedient. But I digress. Gabby doesn’t let her physical challenges hold her back – she walks well and on the third anniversary of the shooting – she went skydiving! Nelson did not jump with her. He draws the line where he can help.

One of Gabby’s biggest challenges since her injury is that she has aphasia. I don’t know how many of my readers know that word – but since it is Aphasia Awareness month (and it just so happens that my human knows a little bit about aphasia) I thought I could share some info about it.

Aphasia is a problem communicating as a result of some type of brain injury – like a stroke or head trauma. It’s kind of like going to a country where you don’t know the language – you may not be able to speak the words, you may not understand what others are saying, and you may not be able to read or write – because you just don’t have the words. BUT – your intelligence has not been affected. IMAGINE how frustrating that would be!

Dogs can have strokes – and some people relate that they bark less after that happens. I’m not sure that they have aphasia – but maybe they do. I saw a cartoon of a dog and the caption said “aphasia” – and in the word bubble over his head, he was saying “meow.” That’s what it’s like for people with aphasia – the words do not always come out right.

People with aphasia can improve their communication skills– with therapy and hard work. It’s a challenging and long journey and they need support from others along the way – to help them find the words. Communication is KEY in our lives – we dogs communicate in many ways. From our tail wags when we are happy, to our barking at bunnies, to our avoiding eye contact when we are being submissive – we use communication a LOT. In fact all animals communicate – so we see how important it is. It is our connection with the world. People with aphasia need our help to interact, communicate and connect with others.

So that’s my message for today. And that’s how a dog can tell a story about aphasia. If you knew about aphasia before, I hope I didn’t bore you! If you didn’t know about it, I hope you’ve learned something new. And you got the info from a dog. You got it from Viktor. Viktor the PON.

Jeopardy

June 2, 2015Leave a Comment

June 2. On this day in 2004, Ken Jennings began his 74 game winning streak on the TV gameshow Jeopardy.

Which got me to thinking. I bet Jeopardy has never had PONs as a category. So allow me to provide them with the answers:

100 Polski Owczarek Nizinny

What is the Polish name for Polish Lowland Sheepdog?

200 18-20 in

What is the height of a male PON?

300 2001

What is the year the AKC recognized the PON?

400 Herding; Sheepdogs and Cattledogs

Which Groups are PONs found in?

500 Vigilant, agile, intelligent

What are three words used to describe PON temperament and behavior?

And for the Daily Double – The blog-writing PON from Nova Scotia, Canada

WHO IS VIKTOR??????!!!!!!

So there you go Alex. If you need more questions, let me know. I’m full of facts. And Frodo says I’m full of other things too!

Have a great one!

Say Something Nice Day

June 1, 2015Leave a Comment

Today is Say Something Nice Day. Really – every day should be “say something nice day.” But we tend to forget that. So. Let me try it today.

To Frodo: I like your hair. In fact, I’m a bit jealous of your hair. That’s why I lick your ears. And your face. And I trim your ears. Sorry about the uneven haircut. I also think it is nice that you have attained SO many titles. You are not only handsome – but you are smart. Now will you share some biscuits with me?

To Paxton: I think you are cool. You are HUGE and an imposing figure. In fact, I’m kinda scared of you – that’s why I try to attack you at times. Even though I KNOW you would never attack me. I like how you can pull a cart. And you ARE a “Find the Bunny” expert. Now will you share some biscuits with me?

To my human: I’m glad you picked me. You are a patient woman. If someone else had picked me, I would probably be in the dog pound by now. You are almost as clever as we are, and I think we have trained you well. You look wonderful at 5AM when you take us for a nice long walk. (OK, maybe I’m stretching this stuff a bit…). You bring us great guilt gifts when you go away. And you REALLY do take good care of us. You are the best human I have ever owned. OK – the only one. But you ARE pretty great. Now, can I have a biscuit?

To my blog readers: You are very nice people and I appreciate the time you take to read my “PONtificating.” I feel like I know so many of you – and yet we have never met! I love when you share comments about your dogs – and you can relate to something I have said. Thank you!! I truly hope you DO have a very nice day!!!!

Make sure you remember to say something nice to someone today! And if someone asks why you are being nice – tell them Viktor reminded you to do so. Viktor. The PON.