Well it’s a sad time in Canada.  A Canadian icon and treasure has passed away.  Stuart McLean was a writer and storyteller extraordinaire. He was on CBC radio in Canada and I understand people in the US could listen to him on Public Radio.  He also traveled around the country telling his stories for large audiences.  McLean told the ongoing tales of a married couple – Dave and his wife, Morley and their two children, son Sam and teenage daughter, Stephanie.  McLean had a calm, melodic voice that engaged listeners in his stories of ordinary people, facing the sometimes not-so-ordinary-events that life serves all of us.  He wrote a number of stories that included dogs – in this story he talks about how Dave is thinking that the family is being a bit overindulgent when it comes to the family dog, Arthur.  Take a few minutes to listen – parts of it should give you a chuckle.

https://beta.prx.org/stories/5341

McLean also wrote about an adventure when Dave became a dog walker and another story of Arthur’s death.  My human hasn’t listened to that one – I think that’s one that you listen to when you are ready for it.  I understand it’s a real tearjerker.  Here is a quote about/from that story by Stuart McLean…

Stuart passed away on February 15 at age 68.  His listeners are feeling that big wind…but we know that his stories will live on…and will warm our hearts…

So.  This Big Brother thing.  We know that it can be helpful when my human is away – because she will be better able to see if, heaven forbid, I have another seizure.  And I get that – when she’s away she can see us.  But I didn’t think about the fact that she doesn’t just have to be “away” away to see what’s going on.  For example, we couldn’t figure out how she knew we were into mischief when she went to take her shower in the morning.  Elroy decided to continue his area carpet “redecorating” as soon as my human closed the bathroom door.  And Frodo squeezed his way through the bungee cords and into the DFZ.  But within .68 seconds my human was back in the room, telling both of them to smarten up.  We thought she was psychic.  And then Frodo glanced at the camera – and we realized that she takes her phone with her – so she can watch us.  All the time.  Not to mention the fact that she gets an alert on her phone if we so much as sneeze.  Now I’m beginning to think the thing is just plain creepy. 

And speaking of creepy, my human was out with the FG the other night, for his last pee and she heard a weird sound.  At first it sounded like squeaking.  And then it almost sounded like a howl.  And she started wondering if there were coyotes about.  She stood and listened and then the FG stood and listened too.  And then he headed quickly for the front door – which he NEVER does – he always likes to stay outside – and she has to usually drag him back in.  And when she realized he was spooked, she got spooked too.  She put him in the house and then took me out.  But I didn’t hear anything and Frodo didn’t hear anything when he went out.  Maybe the coyotes were watching the FG and thinking he was one of their own…

Well time to go and figure out how to knock over that camera.  JUST kidding.  Maybe…..

February 15.  On this day in 1903, the first Teddy Bear was reportedly introduced in the US by a company owned by Morris & Rose Michtom and simultaneously in Germany by a company called Steiff.  The name is said to have come from President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.  The story is that Roosevelt was out on a hunting trip and when some of his hunting companions tied a bear to a tree, and told him to shoot it, he refused to do so.  Political cartoonists captured the scene – and Morris Michtom decided to create a bear to mark the event.  Long story short, Teddy Bears became an instant hit. 

My human used to collect bears, but no longer does. She still has a few, that come out of their den (closet) to appear under the Christmas tree each year.  She also has a small collection of stuffed Bernese Mountain Dogs.  You may recall the time she placed one of those Bernese in another room, and when I ran in, it scared the life out of me.  She decided to try that trick again the other day – just to see what Elroy would do.  The problem was, she set two stuffed Bernese on the floor downstairs, and then we ALL went down.  So of course, Frodo and I already know they are stuffed – so we ran to attack them.  And Elroy, seeing the frenzy, joined right in.  There was my human trying to wrestle two big stuffed toys from three maniacal canines.  Trying to rip their legs off.  Guess that wasn’t such a bright idea.  She couldn’t even get a photo – we were too crazed.

My human is amazed at dogs who adore their stuffed toys and carry them around.  Not us.  She has even purchased those crazy, “indestructible” versions made of a tough, durable fabric.  Tough for a chihuahua maybe – but nobody in this house.  I’ve said it before – we’re big into dissection.

My human was off yesterday again – because of the weather.  It actually wasn’t bad yesterday – it had stopped snowing – but it was blowing and roads needed to be cleared. So we huddled by the fire while my human read her book drinking hot chocolate.  Sure we did.  We made her take us out 65 times.  And then dry us off 65 times.  Well – not really – but she DID have to wipe the floor 65 times after we came in.   She also had to shovel a HUGE pile of snow up by the road that was left by the plow.  I thought I heard her mumble at one point that going to work is more relaxing.  She’s such a joker.

Oh and I almost forgot – congratulations to the German Shepherd who won Best In Show at Westminster last night.  If a PON or Picard couldn’t win, at least it was a dog from the herding group.  Two years ago, the winner got to meet Donald Trump after the show.  All kinds of comments come to mind – but since I know that Big Brother is watching, I’ll bite my tongue on that one.

Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful day!  Stay warm, safe and dry!

Well we had a blizzard yesterday.  A real honest to goodness blizzard. Snow was coming down ALL day and the winds were blowing like crazy.  Nova Scotia was essentially closed.  Everything – the airport, schools, banks, offices, stores – everything was closed.  But of course, we dogs didn’t care.  Well – at least Elroy didn’t. He thought that gale force winds were just terrific.  And he repeatedly kept going to the door.  I think he just liked watching my human dress up in all her snow gear.  I didn’t mind the snow – but Frodo thought it was just a BIT too wet for his liking, so he had to be coaxed out. And today is day 2 of the blizzard.  My human is home with us again.  We’ll make sure she doesn’t get bored with all this time off…

We watched the Westminster breed judging on the computer.  We couldn’t get it live in Canada – but could watch the video after it was over. That was after my human spent hours trying to figure out a way to make it work so she could see it live.   Now you know where we get our stubbornness from.  She never did get it to work – so as I said, we watched the videos.  There were 18 Picards entered and 11 PONs.  Elroy was smug because there were more Picards.  We PONs are just a well kept secret. 

Here is the video for the PONs:
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/breed-results/breed-videos-2017/PON-video/

And here you can watch the Picards:
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/breed-results/breed-videos-2017/BRGR-video/ 

All the dogs looked SO nicely groomed – so you KNOW what happened once the judging was over.  Grooming for the Three Musketeers. And then we had to play “pretend dog show.”  Of course Frodo is excellent at that game – he puts his feet in a perfect stance, puts on his game face and never moves.  I do it for 3.7 seconds and then I start doing other things.  I sit.  I jump.  I move forward.  And Elroy. He thinks the whole standing still thing is very overrated.   You never know exactly WHERE his feet are going.  But he does have the ears thing down.  He stares and looks all inquisitive.  The reason why is because he’s trying to figure out where his feet should go and why the heck has has to stand still.  Chewing on the lead is MUCH more interesting!!!

We WERE able to watch the herding group on TV at night.  We were disappointed that neither the PON nor the Picard made the cut.  But we’ll get over it.  Congrats to the winners – and just remember, the fact that you were even THERE, means you are a winner!!!!

Today is round 2 of Westminster and it also happens to be Valentine’s Day.  I had planned to go out and buy my human some flowers yesterday, but there was a ban on driving because of the blizzard.  She knows we love her – so I’ll just give her an extra kiss. Oh and I’ll recycle a Valentine that I wrote two years ago.  It still applies!

So today is another big day at Westminster.  There is the second ever Masters Obedience Championship and the conformation part of Westminster begins.  That’s the beauty pageant for those not into dog shows.  They added the obedience part last year to show that we dogs aren’t just pretty faces.  We’re smart too.  Today the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups will be judged in conformation.  Tomorrow it will be the Sporting, Working and Terrier groups.

My human went to see Westminster many, many years ago, when it was just conformation – and everything took place at Madison Square Garden.  She recalls feeling like a sardine jammed into a can as she walked in the grooming area.  Honestly, it was the first (and only time) in her life that she felt nervous by the crunch of the crowd.  Thankfully they added the Piers venues a few years ago, so it’s not quite as tight a feeling now.  The very last time my human went to Westminster, you may recall that she won.  No.  Not the show.  But special tickets – that allowed her to go to a couple of parties. 

http://viktorsviews.blogspot.ca/2015/02/paws-for-news.html

And of course, now you can see what’s happening right from the comfort of your own home – you can watch on the internet.  There was some concern that for some reason, Canadians would not be able to see the Group judging on TV, but it seems Westminster heard the anguished cries of the neighbors to the North and added another channel – so it should be more readily available in Canada.

I also see that on the Westminster website that you can actually click on the dogs that were tops in the breed for 2016.  You can even see who the dog’s breeder was, who the dog owns, who the dog’s parents are and even the dog’s date of birth.  Hmmmmm.  One thing missing…..wouldn’t it be cool to see the dog’s health clearances too?  Now THAT’S a loaded question…

And from Nova Scotia, the dog who was THE top dog all around in Canada last year will be  competing.  His name is Jack and he is a Kerry Blue Terrier.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1440429-video-with-55-canadian-best-in-show-awards-foley-and-her-talented-pup-head-for-pres

I saw Jack walk by me at a show once.  He didn’t pay any attention to me.   He was probably on his way to a photo shoot. 

My human likes to watch the handlers and how they show the dogs.  After taking Elroy to class the past few weeks, she really appreciates the job a good handler can do.  They even have to think about what they wear.  Seriously.  If it’s a woman, she can’t wear a skirt too short because she would have problems when she bends over the dog.  That would be a different kind of “show”.  She also can’t wear a skirt too long – so it doesn’t fly in the dog’s face.  Pockets are pretty important – to hold the EXTRA special treats.  Sensible shoes are a given – so she doesn’t trip and fall.  And speaking of handler attire,  my human took THE most amazing pictures the last time she was at Westminster.  Check it out.  What are the chances that two handlers would be wearing the EXACT same outfit – AND end up standing next to each other?!  There should have been a prize for this!!!!!  Must have been QUITE the sale at the Dog Show Handlers Apparel Store.

Well we are sitting here amidst more snow.  Good thing my human is off today – we can go out and build snowdogs.  And of course, watch Westminster!  Especially the apparel…..Have a good one!

Do you ever wonder why we dogs sometimes do strange things?  I’m probably going to get in trouble with my canine constituency, but I’ll tell you why.  Just to drive you humans crazy.  And to show you just who IS in charge.

For example, the FG, although still young,  has already figured out how to control my human.  He has started this new behavior in the morning. And it is driving my human crazy.  We have the same drill every day.  We get up.  He goes out for a quick pee with my human.  He pees.  Not her.  He comes in.  She feeds us.  He eats in he hallway, while Einstein and I eat in the kitchen.  Then he goes out for his morning walk.  Well in the past week he has started this new thing – he gets halfway through his breakfast and then suddenly stops and stares at his food bowl.  As if something has appeared in the bowl right before his eyes.  He backs up.  And he won’t finish.  UNLESS my human picks up the bowl and tells him what a good boy he is.  And THEN he finishes.  He does not engage in this behavior at supper time.  Just at breakfast.  When he knows we have a schedule.  At suppertime he inhales his food – just like a PON.

There doesn’t seem to be any explanation for his morning behavior.  It’s the same dog food.  Same food bowl.  Same eating location.  Oh course we dogs know the only reasonable explanation.  He is doing it to control my human.  And it works.  However, on Friday, she took the bowl away.  WELL.  That was a surprise.  When she gave it to him after his walk, he quickly gobbled it up. She thinks she outsmarted him.  Tsk.  Tsk.  He’ll think of something else.  And we’ll help him….

It’s Saturday.  Which means EXTRA long walks. Don’t we LOVE weekends!  Have a good one.

Well, well, well.   Intrigue and mystery in the world of blogging.  Or maybe just a plain old internet glitch…

Yesterday my blog was all about a dog site that had some incorrect facts about particular dog breeds.  Nothing overly political – except perhaps in the dog world.  And I titled the blog with words synonymous to “Incorrect facts.”   I won’t use the exact words because it MAY cause this blog to implode as well.   When I went to share my blog on Facebook, as I do EVERY day, the blog was blocked.  At first the message I received was that I was posting spam.  When I identified that it was NOT spam, it then said it could not be posted as it contained abusive content.  My human tried to change the title and finally gave up after several tries because she could see that the post on the blog site was visible, so we left it at that. 

So the big mystery questions….was it a simple internet glitch?  Was Facebook flagging “those words” in the title and actually censoring them?  Am I now on a “watch” list?  Will my passport be revoked?  Wait, I’m a dog and I don’t HAVE a passport.  Will they take away my CKC registration?  Is Big Brother watching what I say?  Am I getting paranoid?

And SPEAKING of Big Brother – something arrived in the post yesterday that is about to change my world.  Are you READY for this one – my human got one of those spy cameras – so she can watch us on her phone from anywhere.  Oh the entertainment ahead when she gets the thing hooked up.  My secret counter surfing days may be over.  Mind you, it depends on where she sets up the camera…I’ll have to start wearing a disguise….

Have a good day…and remember to be careful what you say…you never know who’s watching!

Well it’s circulating the internet.  Again.  The “list” of the “least popular dog breeds.”  And it drives me CRAZY because it is FULL of alternative facts.  You see, out of the 25 breeds listed, PONs come in at #21. Right between the Norwegian Buhund at #20 and the Komondor at #22.  The #1 LEAST POPULAR dog is the English Foxhound.  And WHY (supposedly) did WE PONs make the list?  We require grooming (which IS true) – AND we are supposedly difficult to train.  Which is interesting – because on another spot on the same web page, they say we are multi-talented,  …. participating…. in a wide variety of activities such as agility, competitive obedience, and herding.  Seems those alternative facts are pretty evident.  The stats on costs also appear pretty wacky too – $650 for a PON?   They must have had a discount coupon.  Or maybe that’s a figure from 1906.   Oh and the weight thing.  Maximum 35 lbs?  Clearly they have not attempted to lift Einstein into the bathtub.  I sometimes wonder who puts these things together.  If you look at the list, it is pretty evident that most of the breeds listed are rare(r) breeds.  So there aren’t as many around.  But to list them as “unpopular” gives the breeds a negative connotation.  Which is simply not true.

I saw this poster recently and while it’s no doubt got problems as well, it seems to be closer to be a bit the truth.  At least for PONs.  Check it out:
http://www.dogbreedchart.com/
I suppose, though, that the “barking” part is not EXACTLY correct.  Especially when it comes to Einstein.  But I think the other ratings are fair – for PONs.  I’m not crazy about the fact that the poster includes “designer dogs” in the list- because let’s face it, they have no breed standards.  I see that Picards got 5/5 for High Energy.  That certainly is true for the FG.  And he got 5/5 for Easy to Groom.  Bingo – that’s spot on.  I guess the BEST way to create one of these charts is to get each breed club to submit their numbers.  Assuming they could get all the humans to agree on the numbers.  Good luck with that.

Well time to hunker down for what the weatherman is calling a Nor’easter.  Which means a big storm.  With wind.  And snow at this time of the year.  It’s supposed to start later today and into tomorrow.  I hope my human gets the day off!  Paws crossed….

The second part in a documentary will be released this week – it’s called the Secret Life of Dogs.  The series is all about the unique bond that we canines have with you humans.  I found a web news story from the UK in the Mirror, about the new show – and they published some interesting dog facts. Here are a few that I found cool:

• Shih Tzus are one of the breeds most closely related to the wolf. Really. I’m not joking.  I just have visions of a pack of wild Shih Tzus hunting deer in the woods.  Pretty scary vision…
• The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is now considered rarer than the giant panda.   That’s a sad fact.  Dog breeders better get together and WORK together – or more breeds will be experiencing this fate.
• Dogs understand fairness, and will refuse to play ball when asked to carry out a trick if they are not offered the same reward as a fellow dog for equal work.  Well this fact is no surprise.  I know EXACTLY whose turn it is to get a treat and I COUNT how many each of us gets.  
• Dogs can shake 70% of the water out of their fur in four seconds, generating more G-force than F1 drivers experience in sharp corners.  While this is true – it doesn’t explain WHY we try to shake ourselves off while we are IN the rain or still IN the bathtub.  I must confess, that is not one of our most intelligent behaviors…
• Research shows that dogs are more confident exploring the world when they have their owner, rather than anyone else, by their side.  Unless we are off chasing rabbits.  We would rather NOT have our human by our side – because she could NEVER keep up.

I have two interesting facts to add to this list:

• PONs are magicians.  They make food disappear before you can even BLINK. 
• Picards fly.  And here is proof:

 I hope my human can find that series – we love watching dog movies.  Sure beats sappy human love stories.  Mind you, we do enjoy a good adventure film every now and again.

Oh and before I close – speaking of movies – remember all the hoopla about the dog abuse and the filming of the movie, A Dog’s Purpose?  Seems an independent investigation revealed NO abuse – the clip that was shown was significantly edited to make the scene look abusive.  The dog in that scene was NOT hurt.  Remember who was behind the whole fiasco…  All that being said, I don’t think I want to watch that movie with my human – she’ll be all sad and crying.  I like happy endings.  Or movies and TV shows about cooking.  My kind of entertainment.

Have a good one!

So what is it with Frodo’s obsession with getting in the DFZ lately?  He is truly obsessed.  The BEST part is when he sneaks in there while my human is taking her shower in the morning.  We all know the drill when she is going to work.  She puts the FG in his kennel – as he is obsessed with the already ruined dining room carpet – so he is put in solitary confinement for the sake of the remaining carpet  and his own safety.  And Einstein and I are free to roam.  Anyway, when she comes out of the shower and is ready to go to work, lately she has been finding Einstein IN the DFZ.  He squeezes his way in around the bungee cords holding the gate and then, as if to say “Nah nah nah nah nah.  I’m in,”  he lies JUST inside the gate.  At which point my human pulls open the gate and he saunters out.  This photo was NOT staged.  This is how my human found him the other morning….

In other dog news, the FG went to another “handling class” the other day.  He had not been for a 4 hour run before class – so he was NOT tired and raring to go.    I’m joking about a FOUR hour run – but he DOES benefit if he has has exercise before he goes to class.  Or should I say, my HUMAN benefits.  When is is “overly” excited – his feet go every which way – not exactly an elegant “dog show” gait.  He really needs to get some practice – as rumor has it, he MAY be in a dog show at the end of the month.  There is sure to be some material for Funniest Videos if the two of them show up!

Well time to get ready for guard duty while my human goes to work.  I’ll be on high alert all day.  Suuuuuuure I will.  I just want to get a comfy spot on the dog bed – before Einstein hogs the whole thing…

Have a good one!