OK.  So we have to change his name.  But, CAN you change dog’s name once he has it?   I’m talking about REALLY changing a name – besides the “aliases” that you humans come up with for us dogs – like Trino for Viktorino for Viktor.  I think Elroy needs to start off with a WHOLE new name.  Because right now his name is Elroyelroyelroyelroyelroyelroyelroy.   Not JUST Elroy. Elroy alone does not work.

When my human goes to Elroy’s performance puppy class (where I THINK he is learning to play the piano – because he is clearly not excelling at obedience), they do this exercise called “The Name Game.”  You basically call your puppy when he is on a leash, and not paying attention, and if he turns to you when you call, he gets a treat.  I’m here to tell you that on a leash, in a stimulus free environment, with halfway decent treats –  the task works like a charm.  Elroy consistently responds to his name.  BUT – take him outside on a long line, when he is “free” and you could be wearing a T-bone steak around your neck, and say his name – and well, let’s just say his response accuracy is reduced.  GREATLY reduced.  So it becomes Elroy…
EL-ROY…Elroyelroyelroyelroy…ELLLLLLLLLLL_ROYYYYYYYYYYY.  You combine a non-responsive dog with a new 50 foot long line and you have one very interesting “name game.”  Watching my human rope him in is like watching some kind of rodeo calf-roping event complete with a variety of new “names.”

So I’m thinking we need to go back to basics and start with a whole new name.  And here are MY choices:   

• Ludwig.  Just because I think he LOOKS like a Ludwig.
• Bozo.   Because he can be QUITE a clown.
• Antoine.  Because I don’t personally know any dogs named Antoine.
• Einstein.  Only because his hair looks like Einstein.  I’m not so sure about the genius part.  He’s an awful lot like Pax – he STILL can’t figure out which way a door opens…
• Mario.   Because Mario Andretti was a famous race car driver – and when Elroy gets moving, he goes REALLY fast.
• Wile E.  Because there was a cartoon character named Wile E Coyote – and SOMETIMES, Elroy reminds me of a coyote.  Crossed with an Irish Wolfhound.
• Digger.  For obvious reasons. 

Personally I think the guy is just mixed up.  He’s not sure WHAT his name is……Elroyelroyelroyeloryelroy….or STOP…or Trrrrrrrrade…..I think we just need to come up with ONE good name – and stick to it.  You know, maybe we  should just stick to Elroy, as it DOES suit him.  The challenge is in training my HUMAN to stick to it. Honestly, between the two of them, I’m not sure WHO is more challenging to train.  I REALLY have my work cut out for me…

Have a good one!

He’s crazy.  Elroy IS crazy. I am convinced of it.  He gets these “spurts” when he just goes flat out, looney-tunes-squirrel-nutso-Hannibal-Lecter-Johnny-from-the-Shining, C-R-A-Z-Y.  And LOOK OUT when that Tasmanian devil appears. It is like a combination of a cyclone and a shark feeding frenzy.

The other day my human came home from work and we all went for a run down to the lake.  Me with my bell and Jaws with his Dollar Store long line.  He rips through the woods and along the trail and has a care-free speed demon race.  We returned back to the house huffing and puffing and anxious for our supper.  All three accounted for. 

We ate our meals, my human made some food for herself and we sat around her waiting to see if there would be any leftovers.   No such luck.  She ate all her pasta. 

She cleaned up the dishes and then she told us it was play time.  First she took Jaws out and played ball with him until he decided the Jolly Ball was more tasty than retrieveable.  So she put Jaws in the dog run, and brought Frodo and I out for a game of fetch.  And Jaws watched us.  Actually, Frodo didn’t feel like retrieving – so every time my human would throw the bumper a long distance for me, she would do obedience work with Frodo while I went to get it.  This woman knows how to multi-task.  Heave bumper, get other dog to do a recall, take bumper, heave bumper, ask other dog to heel, take bumper, heave bumper, practice signals with other dog….You get the idea.  And Jaws was watching all the proceedings.  With GREAT interest.

So when I was finally starting to slow down after about 400 retrieves, and Frodo didn’t feel like doing any more obedience work, my human put the two of us PONs in the house.  And she went to let Jaws out of the run.  Now. Ordinarily she immediately attaches his long line. And he sits and waits. But he was pretty keyed up after watching Frodo and I.   So as she went to open the door to the run and bent down to get the line, he burst out and OFF he went.  It was like the helium balloon with a pin in it scenario. He raced past her, grabbed his Jolly Ball, and he was GONE. G-O-N-E.  Into the woods.  With my human in hot pursuit.  But the area of woods that he entered is VERY dense.  She couldn’t even walk through it without potentially putting out an eye.  So she decided to go another direction to a path where she could cut him off.  She could hear him crashing about through the woods and sure enough, she caught him as he came out where she had anticipated.  Minus one Jolly Ball.

So she attached the long line while he snapped at her like a piranha on speed.  He was clearly OUT-OF-CONTROL.  I call it a puppy brain-fart meltdown.  She somehow managed to wrestle him and get the line on him and he ran to the end of it.  Then he raced toward her and catapulted off her leg.  He raced out and ran back at her.  She dodged as he raced by. She then began to reel him in like some kind of sport fisherman landing a 1000 lb tuna.  She kept shouting “Just be calm.”  FINALLY he settled down.  Now.  Where was the Jolly Ball?  Clearly the name needs to be changed.  She decided to tie Jaws to the tree on the lawn – the one with the 2 foot hole underneath it that he likes to dig.  He has never actually been tied to the tree, but my human figured it would be fine while she went into the woods.  He sat and watched her as she made her way into the woods and through the dense brush – breaking branches as she went.  Where was that blasted ball?  Ah.  She could see it ahead.  She was crouched over trying to make her way through the maze of branches and just as she went to pick up the ball, she felt a tug at her jacket from behind.  She thought she had caught it on a branch.  Nope.  Guess who?  The piranha.  Here’s the deal – those clips on the Dollar Store long lines cannot be trusted. 

She spun around and took him by the collar.  She had to get back through the brush holding onto a now bucking bronco.  While also holding onto the oh-so-not-Jolly-ball. She managed to make her way out of the woods and onto the lawn.  And there she released her death grip and heaved the ball as hard as she could.  He raced out for it, grabbed it, headed for her and at the last second veered around her as if he was going to go back in the woods.  “STOP” she cried.  And miracle of miracles, he did.  She struggled to loop the broken-clip long line around his collar, while he was licking her face.  Then they trotted back into the house.  Well – he did.  Hers was more like a trudge.

And by the time they got back in the house, Frodo and I were all ready and raring for another game of fetch!  While my human continued to mutter “Just be calm” as she collapsed on the couch. 

He’s crazy I tell ya.  Totally crazy!

Never EVER a dull moment in OUR house!
Happy Friday!

Sometimes there is just one word to describe a day.  Poopy.  And that was the figurative and LITERAL description of our Monday morning.

Preamble:  On Sunday, we had rain most of the day.  Frodo went outside, but VERY reluctantly.  He performed the funeral march while on our morning constitutional.  And any time during the rest of the day, when my human TRIED to get him to go out, he flat out refused.  He had pooped in the morning, thank you very much, so he was NOT going out again.

So fast forward to Monday morning.  It was NOT raining, but the road was wet.  He remained unhappy about the damp conditions.  We were walking at 5AM .  In the dark.  With my human wearing her shocking pink reflective jacket and her trusty headlamp.  But the batteries were starting to go – so the beam was not QUITE as bright as normal.  Frodo stopped (in the middle of the road of course) to poop.  And he did.  And then he took a few steps.  And pooped again.  I’m sorry for the graphic description  but most likely if you are reading a blog by a dog, you probably own or have owned a dog – so talk about poop behavior is NOT unfamiliar.  Anyway, he APPEARED to be having some problems.    But after several futile attempts, he made another deposit and was good to proceed.  Or so it seemed.  This is one of the dangers of walking a fuzzy dog in the dark.

He trotted along and was anxious to get in the house to get some banana – part of our usual routine.  And that’s when the squealing and moaning and spinning suddenly happened.  Frodo looked and sounded as if he was in agony.  My human spun around from the kitchen sink where she was washing her hands and she IMMEDIATELY KNEW what the problem must be – a CLING-ON.  She raced to grab him before he dragged his butt across the dining room carpet.  But he didn’t want her to catch him – he knew what would come next.  So he raced around the table in a crouched position, as fast as he could.  So around and around they went – with my human chanting “Just be Calm” and trying to grab him under the table.  She finally did – and whisked him into the garage AKA grooming room and into the tub.  Good thing.  This was a record breaking cling-on.  Despite Frodo’s initial protests,  he was QUITE happy when the emergency cling-on-ectomy was completed.  Elroy and I just watched the procedure with awe.   Or should that be “Awwwwwwwwww.”

When the surgery was completed, and we finally had our bananas, my human went into the hall closet for something.  And she glanced down at the carpet – with the assortment of leaves we had brought in that morning.  “That’s a strange shaped leaf,” she thought and went to move it with her slipper.  You guessed it.  That was no leaf.  “Just be calm” she muttered, “just be calm.” It seems not all cling-ons cling.

And so the week began….

So on Sunday, my human FINALLY conceded defeat in the nail clipper battle with Elroy.  She’s been trying for weeks, with positive methods, to get him to allow HER to cut his nails.  And really, he DOES comply.  He lets her hold his paw.  She can tap the clipper on his nail.  BUT, every time she actually TRIES to cut a nail, SHE gets nervous.  And she hesitates.  And he figures, “Hey – if SHE’S scared, I should be scared.”  So he pulls away.  I have NO idea WHY she’s scared – she does my nails and Frodo’s nails all the time.   But she does get nervous with Jaws.  And his nails continue to grow. 

So last week she pulled out the Dog Dremel.  Only to find the battery dead.  And, of COURSE, she couldn’t find the charger.  So scrap THAT idea.  

So on Sunday, she loaded Jaws in the vehicle and drove about 45 minutes to see “Auntie” Glenda.  Auntie Glenda has a “way” with dogs.  Heck – she showed me in conformation while my human was showing Frodo – and she got all my points with me!!!  So you KNOW she must be good with dogs.  Auntie Glenda is also a groomer.  On the drive there, my human had visions of her wrestling with Elroy while Glenda clipped away – much like the scene at the Vet’s office the first time.  Her fears were TOTALLY unfounded – this is Auntie GLENDA after all –  the REAL Dog Whisperer.  She put Elroy on the grooming table and told my human to release her death grip.  She simply kept repeating “Just be calm.”  I think the message is more for the human owner than the dog.  Well.  Jaws stood there, and put up NO fight as Glenda used a dremel on his nails.  Within MINUTES they were done.  

THEN – he got to go for a walk in a park near Auntie Glenda.  Now ordinarily I would be TOTALLY jealous.  HOWEVER – it WAS raining – and we all know what Frodo and I think about rain.  In this particular instance, better Elroy than me – he loves the rain!

So.  IF you humans are feeling stressed  – OR if your dog is feeling stressed, simply repeat Auntie Glenda’s magic mantra:  “Just be calm”.   My human was shouting it out this morning as we began our day – while Jaws was tearing another hole in the carpet, Frodo was barking his morning “wake up” song and I was counter surfing.  I think Auntie Glenda needs to come and stay with us for a week…or more…

October 3. According to the crazy Calendar, today is Look at the Leaves Day.  And here in Nova Scotia, the leaves are turning more and more each day.  In another week or so, they will be approaching their peak.  My human loves this time of the year – the brilliant colors, the sweet but pungent smell of the earth as it gets ready to nap for the winter, the odor of wood burning fires – and the never ending trail of leaves that she must sweep up every day as we track them into the house.  OK – maybe she doesn’t love that part of Fall.

While the leaves DO hide our poop – which I discussed the other day, the variety of crimson and yellow forms really IS pretty.  At least to humans.  To us dogs, it’s all the same – although Jaws thinks that every falling leaf is manna from heaven – so he chews every one he can find.  If he’s not busy chasing them in the wind!

My human has been trying to get more puparazzi shots of the three of us.  She had a BIT of success the other day – although Jaws does find it hard to sit still for more than a nanosecond.  But he’s getting better!

Just in case the leaves don’t change where you live,  let me share some older photos taken here in Nova Scotia – just to show you what you’re missing.  But I won’t include a photo of the hallway floor!  

                                              

                                              

Sometimes, don’t you just WISH you were me?!  Have a good one!

Well we saw some pretty horrible news in the world of dogs this week.  The city of Montreal just instituted a new law banning people from owning “pit bulls” – or really any dog that even resembles one.  It’s an archaic, ridiculous piece of legislation, based on unfounded, misleading studies and stereotypes about the behavior of particular breeds.  Those poor pit bulls presently sitting in shelters, will be put to death and owners of pit bulls will be required to have them muzzled at all times.  And what makes the law even MORE scary is that the list of banned breeds can be easily expanded.

Perhaps Montreal should be looking at the animal control laws in Calgary – where instead of banning breeds – the municipality went to a “responsible owner model”.  Owners are required to license their dogs and there are strict fines if a dog is found not licensed.  Owners must have dogs identified by tags or microchips, they are encouraged to spay or neuter their pets and are encouraged to train their dogs.  The city says if people follow the rules, they can have as MANY pets as they want.  90% of the dogs in the city are licensed and the fees from licensing go back into public education about responsible ownership. Since the programs began, the incidence of dog attacks has decreased markedly.

It’s sad to know that such legislation as breed banning can easily be introduced.  Given the HUGE number of dog owners in the world – I’m not sure why people don’t band together more to protest such movements.  It’s kind of sad that some people who don’t own pit bulls – or pit bull type dogs think that this doesn’t affect them.  But the reality?  It’s a slippery slope – and one can never tell what breeds could be added to the list.  Imagine a world with ONLY pocket sized toothless dogs…

Some people are saying they will boycott visiting Montreal.  Some people say they will extend that boycott to the entire province of Quebec.  Good thing my human got Elroy before all of this started!    Some crazy politician in Quebec would have been banning Jaws for sure.  

So say a little prayer for those dogs who are victims of canine profiling.  Let’s hope that many of them can find homes in other provinces ……  And be grateful if you live in a place where breeds are NOT banned.  But don’t be complacent – dog clubs and owners need to be PRO-active instead of reactive.  Because if you are having to be REactive, it may be too late…

Today is October 1 – and according to the Crazy Calendar, it is National Walk your Dog Day.  Actually, one website said it is the start of Walk your Dog Week.  Apparently it started because according to the American Veterinary Association, 40% of dogs in the US are overweight.  Which is apparently over 17 MILLION dogs.  The idea is to get people moving and walking their dogs more.  No doubt many humans would benefit from the walks as well!  They say that 30 minutes of walking your dog three times a week will lower your weight by 5%, and your dog’s weight by 15%!  Not to mention the fact that it is SUPPOSED to lower your blood pressure and reduce your stress.  Clearly the people who wrote this didn’t walk the dogs in THIS household.  ESPECIALLY if we spot a bunny while out on our jaunt.  Trust me, my human’s blood pressure does NOT go down!

They also say that a well-exercised dog is a happier, more content dog, who will have fewer behavioral problems.  We blow that theory out the window too.  I mean my human is up with us at 5 AM, we go for AT LEAST 30 minutes of walking – for our FIRST walk of the day – come home and continue to torment my human.  Heck, it was after a morning constitutional that Jaws ate the carpet.  So I’m thinking we need to extend those morning walks to 2 hours.  Seriously, she uses a head lamp at 5 AM, so why not get up at 3?  Just think how content and well-behaved we would be….

Speaking of walks – it’s time to get her moving. The start of the weekend, the start of a new month – let’s SEE what adventures we can have.  And MAYBE for a change, we’ll TRY to lower our human’s blood pressure.  Suuuuuuuuuuure we will…..