Tuesday February 28.  And it is officially the day before Lent.  That time before Easter when humans give up the stuff they said they would give up for their New Year’s resolution.  It’s a second chance to succeed.  Maybe.

Now some people refer to today as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day or Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras or in Polish circles it is called Paczki Day (which sounds like poonch-kee).  Traditionally, Paczki Day is actually on the THURSDAY before Lent and is celebrated on that day in Poland – but in North America it seems to be celebrated on either Thursday and/or Tuesday.  I suggest BOTH.  Because if you are not familiar with paczki, you are missing something amazing!  Paczki are deep fried pieces of dough, in round disc-like shapes and usually filled with something yummy and sweet like fruit jelly or creme.  They are basically like doughnuts – but that sounds too ordinary!  My human’s grandmother made THE best paczki.  She still dreams of those tasty orbs.  Sometimes here in Nova Scotia, the grocery store will actually carry paczki from the US- I think Ohio.  Admittedly they are NOT as good as FRESH paczki, but they do serve a craving.  While we canines could easily finish off a box of paczki, it is not exactly encouraged.  There would no doubt be “problems” to deal with afterwards – so JUST a small bite is all we are allowed.

And speaking of diets – yours truly is going to be starting a new regime.  I must be special because I am going to be getting my very own food.  RAW!  My human is very concerned about these seizures – I had ANOTHER one Sunday night.  We may end up changing my medication but in the meantime, my human wants to also try changing my diet.  I get a super good kibble right now, but we are going to switch to a prepared raw diet.  She KNOWS she could mix the food herself – but frankly, she doesn’t feel comfortable with her knowledge of dietary requirements, so she would rather go with frozen stuff.  Hey – it’s all good to me – as we know, I’ll eat ANYTHING.

Well time to go and beg for a TINY piece of paczki!  Before the fasting begins.  Wonder what she’s giving up this year….and how LONG the abstinence will last.  I’m betting Sunday.

Happy Shrove Tuesday!

The Greeters

Well yesterday was the LAST day of the marathon.  Elroy went for Meet the Breed and met his adoring public.  He sat on the grooming table, licked faces, took treats and posed for photos. 

Photo taken by Barb Glanville for the HKC Facebook page

Day 2 at the Greatest Show on Earth.  OK – I guess that’s the description of a circus.  Mind you when you have any of the dogs from THIS household involved, it does become a circus.

Starting with Meet the Breed.  So.  On Thursday, my human decided FRODO should go.  For a number of reasons.  So Thursday night, he got the FULL bath.  I mean the FULL bath.  Including hours with the jet engine dryer.  He looked marvelous.

Now you all know about Friday night and about Elroy’s debut in the beauty pageant.  But what you DON’T know is that while Elroy and my human were at the show, and I was home with Frodo and my human’s Mom, yours truly had a seizure.  We increased my medication after the last one – but apparently it takes a few weeks to kick in. Her mother texted her to let her know and my human immediately called and said she would come home.  But her mother said I was doing fine – it had passed so my human should stay with Elroy and show him.  Which as we know, she did.

So Saturday morning, my human reconsidered Meet the Breed.  She figured part of the reason I may have had the seizure was because I KNEW my human had gone somewhere cool with Elroy.  We dogs are pretty smart in watching things – like packing crates, and tables and filling pockets with extra yummy treats.  So now my human feared that if she left me with Elroy and took Frodo – well – I would again be stressed.  I agreed.  But I had not had a bath…

Well – I’m here to tell you that it is AMAZING what some spray product, lots of brushing and a jet engine dryer can do to a dirty PON.  I looked marvelous as well – and I never even went in the tub.

These Meet the Breed gigs are good.  You sit on a table, people pet you and you get treats.  What’s not to like?  So many people admired my lovely coat.  Ha.  But the best part?  My human met this lovely young woman who recently moved to Halifax from Oregon.  And GUESS what her parents own?  PONs!!!!!!!  They had a wonderful talk about the breed and came to find out – get this -they work in the same building. 

So after my gig was complete, I went home and was tired – so my human knew I would be OK home with Frodo while she went back with the FG. Which I was – and Big Brother showed no seizures.

As for the FG in the beauty pageant?  Just like Friday he did a nice job when he first when in.  When it was time to go in with the whole group, “monkey Elroy” came out.  At one point he NARROWLY missed punching a Bouvier in the butt with his paw.  We’re talking a fraction of an inch – which my human thankfully caught.  He loves the running around the ring part – the standing still, not so much.  So no big ribbons – but he entertained the crowd.  

Today is Elroy’s turn for Meet the Breed.  He’ll love that.  He likes to work the crowd – and he LOVES to give kisses.  Here he is giving kisses to a little girl who fell in love with him.

After that, we are done with the show for this weekend.  The only one who was unhappy with this whole thing was Frodo.  He wouldn’t even LOOK at my human when she got home.  She had to do some serious treat make-up to make him happy.

Thank goodness my human is off work tomorrow.  She’ll need some good exercise from all that standing around at the show.  And don’t worry about it – we’ll make sure she does!

Have a good one!

Well.  No worries about the FG escaping from the soft sided hacksaw-repaired crate.  Are ya ready for this – my human bought ANOTHER hard-sided crate to take to the show.  Which will fit alongside a crate that is currently in the vehicle. It’s hard to believe that with all the old crates in the dog crate graveyard that she could not find 2 crates to fit in the vehicle.   Which reminds me that  somehow I forgot to tell you about Ludwig….

 You all remember Harold, our trusty Subaru who had like a gazillion miles on him. Well in the Fall, Harold went to live somewhere else.  I hope wherever he went, they had a dog.  Anyway, for a number of reasons, my human decided to “downsize” our vehicle.  I understand as people get older, like my human (cough cough), downsizing is a common occurrence.  So she bought a smaller vehicle – a VW Golf.  His name is Ludwig.  I named him.  So Ludwig has taken each of us to the Vet and to classes and even to the pet store.  And all three of us have been in Ludwig at the same time – with the FG riding in a crate and us PONs riding shotgun.  Well not EXACTLY shotgun.  But behind the FG in his crate.  It’s kind of amazing what one can fit in a smaller vehicle.

But after my human’s lightning bolt realization that the soft sided hacksaw-repaired crate might not work with the FG for the show, she decided she should just get another crate because she needed another one that would fit in Ludwig.  So she went to the pet store and politely asked a store employee if she could “try” a particular crate in Ludwig.   The nice young man happily agreed and he helped my human load the “unassembled” crate inside Ludwig.  It was a perfect fit.

So to make a very long story a BIT shorter my human got home and tried to assemble the crate.  Now keep in mind that this woman has put together MANY, MANY crates in her life.  INCLUDING the pony-sized version in the dining room.  But for SOME reason the NEW crate required more than one person to put it together.  I know you are shaking your head – but trust me, we listened to much moaning and groaning and crashing in the garage while she tried to “slide” the weird top piece of the crate into the bottom part.  And then she needed to screw in the final supports.  All I know is that a hammer came out – for something that needed to be screwed in.  One thing for sure – that crate will never, ever, EVER come apart.

So then she goes to put the fully assembled crate in Ludwig.  Like the guy from the store did.  And SOMEHOW, the crate has grown.  Let’s just say that after one hour of assembly, my human MADE the new crate fit in Ludwig.

So NOW, at the show, the FG will use the NEW crate and will ride to the show site in the OTHER crate.  Does ANY of this make sense?! If you’re wondering why the FG couldn’t just use the crate from the vehicle at the show, it would have meant lugging the crate in and out every time he went to the show – which will be three times this weekend.  So THAT would be a bit much – keep in mind these crates are big enough for the FG.  I guess the bottom line – we have yet another crate that will some day end up in the dog crate graveyard – BUT we can all rest easily that the FG will NOT chew his way out of the soft sided crate while at the show.

Phew.  So tell me again why dog shows are so much fun?! AND how humans are smarter than canines…

We have a motto in this house.  No dog left behind.  For years and years my human has been owned by three dogs at the same time.  So what this means is that, as a rule, one dog is never left alone for any significant amount of time.  If my human takes us to a class, one dog goes and two are left behind.  Like the other day with the oven mitt fiasco.  So we almost always have a buddy with us.   Sometimes all three of us will go for a drive – or on a vacation.   During which chaos reigns.  Getting three of us in and out of the vehicle is always entertaining.

So we have a big question about this weekend.  Elroy is going to be making his debut in the conformation ring.  My human’s ONE and ONLY goal is to not end up being dragged around the ring.  She’s also hoping for no poops in the ring – which Frodo did the first time he was shown in the group.  Lesson well learned – poop before going in.  So while Elroy goes off to the beauty pageant, Frodo and I will stay home.  We’ll be cranky.  But we’ll survive.  Then Elroy is also participating in something called Meet the Breed.  Where you go and basically sit on a grooming table where people come and pet you and you get to be an ambassador for your breed.  Frodo and I have both done it in the past.  It’s a good gig – you get lots of pats and treats and really have to do nothing but look cute. 

But here’s the question…ONE of us PONs is also going to participate in Meet the Breed as well.  So WHO gets to go? And don’t say both of us – because remember the motto – No dog left behind.  And NO – she is not taking all three of us.  Meet the Breed would totally take on a new meaning – and no doubt people thinking of getting a dog would be running the other way.  So.  Does Frodo get to go?  Or do I?  My human is really on the fence with this.  She’s thinking mostly about me and my seizures.  Could the excitement of going trigger a seizure?  Could the crankiness of staying behind trigger a seizure?  I vote to go – but on the other hand, I realize it will involve a bath.  So actually, I’m on the fence myself…

Oh and we have an alternative to the soft-sided hacksaw-repaired crate…see tomorrow’s blog for THAT fiasco… 

In the meantime, the big decision – me or Frodo…me or Frodo….it’s a tough one…

OK. It must be dog show season.  Why?  The hacksaw has come out.  Now I’m sure you are asking what do hacksaws and dog shows have to do with one another?  And I ask – Doesn’t everyone preparing for a dog show need a hacksaw?  Well you have to know my human.  She fancies herself as a bit of a “handywoman.”  She tries to repair things with often unsuccessful results.  You may recall the time she stood on a snow bank 10 feet off the ground trying to remove snow from the roof with a kayak paddle.  And it didn’t work.  Although she was successful in loosening some roofing shingles. Or the time she “changed” an electrical socket and blew out the motor on a brand new fancy shmancy dog blow dryer – the kind that has a jet engine.  And then the time she used the hacksaw to make the table legs shorter on the grooming table.  The fancy grooming table with the wheels that SHOULD make transporting things into and out of show sites easier – but in fact is more difficult because the thing weighs 150lbs.  And the legs keep dragging on the ground.  She cut the legs because they were too tall to use with Bernese.  Then she started showing us PONs and the legs are now too short.  Not to mention wobbly…

So this weekend the Halifax Kennel Club is holding their first show of the season.  And rumor has it a Picard will be making his debut in the conformation ring.  So my human went into the garage aka grooming torture palace aka storage room aka graveyard for old dog crates.  She had to decide which crate to take.  Hmmmm….Not this one.  Too small.  Not this one.  Too heavy.  Hey – how about this soft sided crate?  The FANCY one.  With the panels that go up and down on each side.  The Canine Camper.  She took it out and zipped up the sides.  Unfortunately,  the  heavy internal wire that holds the crate up was broken on one end.  So the crate would kind of stand, but was equally likely to collapse on that end.  Hmmmm.   She needed something to brace the end.  Hey how about one of those metal poles that were SUPPOSED to be put out BEFORE the snow came?  The ones that go along the sides of the driveway so the plow guy would know where to plow.  Clearly that didn’t happen.  So one of those would work – but they were too long.  So out came the hacksaw.  She cut the first two too short, even though she had “measured” the size she needed.  So she cut another one, braced it inside the crate and voila – a perfect new home for the FG at the show.  She was all excited.  So she went to get the FG to show him.  He waltzed into the garage, trotted toward the crate and put the brakes on.  There was NO way he was going in that thing.  She threw treats in.  The brakes stayed firmly locked.  So only one thing to do – she went in it.   Here she was sitting inside the crate while the FG raced around it outside.  I’m telling you – we should be a reality TV show.  

Long story short, the FG eventually tried to join her in the crate.  Then she got out and he went in and lay down on his own.  Perfect.  Problem solved.  Now to pack it up.  And then, like a lightning bolt she realized something.  This is the dog who, at EVERY chance he gets, tries to chew things.  The carpet.  The sofa.  The chair rails.  AND the hard sided pony-sized crate in the dining room.  Does she HONESTLY think he will just lie there in his crate quietly and content and NOT chew?  

The decision about which crate is going is still open to debate.  There IS a huge plastic version – also found in the graveyard- (other than the pony-sized one)  that she would have to assemble when she gets there because it is too big for the vehicle.   But all her work with the hacksaw would have been in vain.  Decisions.  Decisions.

I’m telling you one thing – there is NEVER a dull moment in THIS house.  We couldn’t make this stuff up.  Oh. And by the way –  I have hidden the power tools.  For her own safety.

Have a good one.

So I had a question.  Because Elroy’s ears stand up on his head, does he hear better than me?   I decided to do some research on this.  You see, Elroy is always listening.  Always.  He goes outdoors and stares off down the road.  And listens.  He sits up suddenly in the middle of the room and he listens.  He walks over to a wall and listens.  Which freaks my human out because thoughts of mice immediately go through her mind.  It’s been a small, almost non-existent season this year.  Traps have been set, but no evidence that the field mice have come to visit this winter.  Still – Elroy listens.  And the BEST part is when they are out at night or early in the morning before daybreak.  And he stops.  Stares into the woods and listens.  Honestly, I think he just does it sometimes to scare my human.  But no matter, it works!

So my human was feeling pretty awful the past few days.  You KNOW it’s bad when she goes to bed at 7:30 on a Saturday night!  We all just looked at her thinking it was a joke.  But no joke.  

On Sunday morning she dragged herself out of bed to take us on walks – mind you the walks were pretty short.  She debated whether she should take Elroy to his handling class – she had a wicked (as they say in the Maritimes) sinus cold headache.  But it was his last class and she KNOWS they still need lots of practice, so she figured they had better go.

Of course Elroy got all excited and Frodo and I got excited because we saw her stuffing her pockets with THE best treats.  And frankly, we wanted some.  Now as she was going out the door, she DID give us some tasty samples – but seriously – we knew the FG was going to get a LOT more….As my human went out the door, she had this sneaking suspicion that we might “do” something but she looked around and the DFZ was gated so she figured all would be fine.

Elroy’s class was good – but now his feet go every which way when he stands still.  It’s like he’s playing that old game “Twister” where players put their arms and legs in weird positions.  That’s Elroy – one foot points one way, while the other one faces a different direction.  They all go the same way when he is moving, and it’s a pretty sight, but standing still it’s different story.  With a pounding headache and feeling totally exhausted, my human was happy to see the end of class – even though she WAS glad they went.

When she got home, we all raced outside when she opened the door.  We barked and spun and checked Elroy over for any traces of leftover treats in the hairs on his face.  My human had stopped for groceries on the way home and she was putting things in the fridge.  And that’s when she noticed Elroy with “something.”  He was tearing something apart – and she didn’t know what it was.  As she went closer, of course he ran.  She somehow managed to corner him and removed the object from his clenched teeth.  An oven mitt.  Which had been deconstructed.  The thumb was missing and it was torn in half.  She looked at me and Frodo and said those extremely intelligent words – “What did you do?”  We just looked as each other.  Why ask?  You see what we did.  And then came the next intelligent phrase “Who did this?”  As IF we would point the paw at one another.  We smugly shrugged our shoulders, thinking she would never know.  We figured it was payback for not getting all those treats.

But then she had one of those rare human “ah-ha” moments.  Something WE had not considered.  Big brother.  The camera.  It records everything…

She patiently went back on the recording to see what we did when she and Elroy had left.  Frodo laid down, but I’m afraid yours truly was just a BIT too angry about the whole treat thing.  I paced and I walked.  Around the dining room table.  Into the kitchen.  Back into the dining room.  Into Elroy’s crate.  Back into the kitchen,  And then you could hear a noise on the tape (because I was out of sight).  And out of the kitchen I came.  With one red oven mitt.  BUSTED.  With NO defense.  

I just looked sheepishly at my human.  Think of the bright side – at least the recording didn’t show me having a seizure!  What’s one oven mitt?!  You still have another one!

Needless to say, I didn’t get any of the leftover treats that were now like sawdust in her pockets.  Oh well.  I still DID make a point.  It was my way of protesting.  It’s a free country.

Seriously, though.  I have to figure out how to reach that camera….

Have a good one.

Well it was bound to happen.  It’s winter – which means it is cold and flu season.  And my human has been hit with a cold.  The kind that starts with a scratchy throat and then develops into a stuffy nose, heavy head kind of feeling.   And when she talks to us, she has this weird voice that sounds like some stranger.   Add to that her constant moaning and groaning as she reaches for ANOTHER Kleenex – and you have one very pathetic looking human.  She’s bit dramatic – now you know where Frodo gets it from.

The good news is that we won’t catch it from her. Transmission from humans to dogs is pretty much unheard of, according to several sources.   Human and canine cold viruses are very different – so we don’t pass them back and forth.  Now we dogs CAN get colds.  And we CAN pass a virus to another dog.  Dog colds look a lot like human colds – a runny or stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing and watery eyes.  A cold is different from an allergy, influenza (with a fever), parasites or kennel cough.  Kennel cough is an infectious virus that results in a loud, honking kind of cough.  Kennel cough spreads among dogs quite easily, and while most dogs get over kennel cough without a problem, it can be dangerous for very young or very old dogs.  There ARE vaccines for kennel cough – but the reality?  There are different strains of kennel cough, so even IF you immunize your dog, he can STILL get kennel cough.  Kind of like the human flu vaccines.

Assuming your dog really does just have a common cold (and it’s best to have your vet figure this out based on your dog’s symptoms), the treatment is actually like human cold treatment.  Dogs should drink lots of fluids – including soup, use a humidifier, and get good rest. 

 We’ll be sure to take good care of my human – making sure she gets plenty of fresh air.  And exercise.  OK, maybe we’ll lighten up on the exercise part – maybe we’ll let her actually have a nap.  As long as we can cuddle with her.  Now excuse me while I go and make some chicken soup.

Have a good one.

Well this past week has been QUITE the adventure.  Nova Scotia has been experiencing one snow storm after another.  I hear there is a warrant out for the groundhog.  My human’s work was closed Monday, Tuesday and Thursday – all due to stormy weather.   And all of this snow has presented us canines with a unique problem not encountered in warm climates.  Excuse the topic – but it’s a reality…where and how does one poop in two feet of snow?  It is a dilemma.  Really.  It is.  Elroy likes to leap in the snow and has figured out that if he races back and forth he can create a channel in which to make his deposit.  However, the snow is WAY too deep for Frodo and I – so we search out locations in the plowed driveway, where we can not-so-discretely leave our deposits.  There is no shame or modesty  in this behavior – ya gotta do what ya gotta do.  Personally, I prefer to at least go CLOSE to a snowbank. Frodo – he’ll go anywhere.   Now SOME good humans will actually snowblow paths for their dogs on the lawn.  Not only do these paths serve as washroom locations, they also serve as runways.   My human, and many will find this hard to believe, does not own a snowblower.  She relies on her trusty plow guy to rescue us after every storm and she is quite adept at knowing how to use a shovel.  I haven’t convinced her yet that she should shovel paths on the lawn….

When we went out during the 45 times that my human was shoveling this past week, Frodo and I raced around the plowed driveway.  It is kind of like having a fence around our yard now – the piles are so high.  Elroy on the other hand, believes that climbing to the TOP of the snow piles is THE best thing to do.  He thinks he is the Lion King. …

And then he lies in wait for an unsuspecting PON. 

We pretend we don’t see him, just to humor him.  Then he races down, tries to grab our tails (good luck with mine – it’s short) and then he races back up to the top of the hill. 

My human tries desperately to take photos of the three of us in the snow. She got this one during one of our outings. This is early in the snowy week, shortly after our plow guy had been by.