Month: August 2018

The FG is maturing. Maybe.

Leave a Comment on The FG is maturing. Maybe.

Well keep your fingers crossed.  Today is the FG’s first day at the dog show. I must confess, I am just a little bit jealous.  I mean not only does he get to go to the show, he even got to go to a restaurant the other night.

My human was walking the FG at the golf course late on Wednesday night.  As they were headed for home, the chef at the restaurant at the course saw them.  And yup – the FG got a treat.  And if that wasn’t enough, the chef told my human to bring the FG into the restaurant- there were no more customers, and he wanted to introduce the FG to the staff.
My human wasn’t quite so sure about taking the bull into the china shop.  But she nervously agreed and marched him through a hall and into the dining area.
And she was shocked.  Not only did Mr. Sociable greet everyone, he calmly relaxed while my human had a beverage.  It was like he was drugged.  He was SO well behaved. 
Now we just hope he is equally well behaved at the show. We are well aware that just when you think he is maturing, he immediately turns into the the Wild Child.  Remember him sitting on the rock in the water- refusing to come onto the shore when Marvin was visiting? Ya just never know with him…
No news on the on-line saga.  No photos from Liam Neeson and while 176 guys have viewed my my human’s profile, there have been no really great potential dates just yet.  I think she needs to put in more photos of us…
Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure free days:  100!!!!!!  Time to parteeeeeeee!!!!

On-line dating. Continued.

1 Comment on On-line dating. Continued.

Well after much moaning and groaning and the occasional gasp, my human threw her profile into the on-line dating shopping catalogue.  And after three days, she has already decided she is canceling her subscription at the end of one month.  She’s just not a very patient person.,.

She put our pictures in her profile.  So the victims have fairc warning.  I’m not so sure this is such a good idea.  Really, the only guy we would approve of would be a butcher.  Or maybe a baker.  DEFINITELY not a dog groomer.  Whoever it is would have to like to walk.  And wouldn’t mind picking up poop. Lots of poop.
I think my human is a bit too sarcastic for this on-line stuff.  One guy from Manitoba wrote to her and said he liked her profile “but could you live any further away?!” “Yes” my human replied, “I could live in Newfoundland.”  She never heard from him again. 
If any of these potential dates read this blog, well she might as well cancel her subscription right now. 
But despite all her trepidation- there WAS one nice guy who contacted her – who seemed normal.  And he could write a complete sentence.  Only problem?  No photo.  She’s figuring it’s Liam Neeson and he just doesn’t want people to see he is on a dating site.  We’ll see…
Oh – before I close, it seems my human has poor counting skills after 80.  Her good friend Joanie informed her that I had two 88 days in my seizure count and two 94 days or something like that.  Hope my human didn’t put “good at math “ in her dating profile.  So as a result, I am going to jump my numbers by two today.
Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 99

Everybody needs a Glady

Leave a Comment on Everybody needs a Glady

Heaven help us.  Well…help the FG.  Rumor has it he is entered in a dog show his weekend.  Actually, a couple of shows. And when was the last time he was in a show?  Was it February?  Needless to say, he and my human are not well prepared.  So they needed some help.  So who ya gonna call when you are in desperate need of some show handling tips?  Besides the patron saint of dogs?  Why you call Glady. Glady the dog whisperer.

Glady is the reason why my human got into the whole dog show world in the first place.  It was probably 100 years  ago….OK, maybe more like 30, and my human still remembers the day.  She was working in one office for a particular institution, and she went to visit another office for the same institution.  And she started talking with one of the secretaries.  That would be Glady.  My human happened to notice a photo on Glady’s desk – a dog photo.  When my human asked about the lovely Keeshond in th picture, Glady explained that the dog was actually deceased.  But he was a very special dog – Glady’s first Keeshond, Chinook. And he was the start, the foundation – of a lifetime of involvement in the world of purebred dogs.  Glady knew very little about dog shows in 1977, but was convinced to enter one with Chinook.  He won the breed the first time out.  And she was hooked.  It wasn’t long before he had a Best in Show under his…collar – and it would be the first of MANY Best in Shows for Glady – with a number of her dogs.  She went on to breed some of the top Keeshond in Canada – and her dogs excelled not only in the conformation ring,  but in obedience as well – often under the training of Gladys’s husband, Don.  In addition to breeding and showing, Glady and Don were involved in numerous dog clubs – and Glady was even invited to judge Keeshonds at a specialty  show in the US. She became quite the breed expert – and mentor for so many in the dog world – including my human.  Glady encouraged my human to get her first Bernese and was always helpful with tips and suggestions for showing.  My human’s first Bernese was a wonderful dog – but NOT a show dog.  My human learned that quickly when she took him to a fun match, which Glady was judging and they placed dead last. He did become a good obedience dog though!
The first time my human went to Crufts, she went with Glady.  She even managed to convince Glady to go to a Bernese specialty with her in Rhode Island.  They had quite the adventures.
These days Glady isn’t breeding anymore, but she has a good friend who has carried on her lines.  She still is owned by 2 Keeshonds – one of whom is the same age as the FG.  She can relate to similar “behavioral” traits…
Somehow, time sometimes gets away from  humans – and it had been awhile since my human had been out to visit Glady and Don.  With the upcoming show,  my human called for help.  Glady was more than happy to oblige – and it would also provide an opportunity to visit and catch up.
Right now Glady is waiting for some knee surgery – so she can’t run around the ring – which she SO loves to do.  But she did attempt to take the FG around to show my human what he looked like.  She also videotaped him, and they then reviewed the tape. Her comments and feedback were extremely helpful.
But the best part was the visit.  They shared stories over a cup of tea and some yummy cake.  When you have a good old friend, it’s easy to feel comfortable-and the time just flies.  On top of it all, my human came home with homegrown tomatoes, dehydrated chicken for US AND some homemade wine.  But best of all, she came home with a smile on her face – thinking how lucky she is to have a friend like Glady after all these years. 
Now if she can just remember all Glady’s instructions when she gets in that show ring.  Heaven help them…
Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 97

Rainbows

Leave a Comment on Rainbows

August 27.  And according to the crazy calendar, it is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.  Honestly, for humans who have been owned by dogs… that is every single day… you never forget those you have lost.

Anyone who has lived with and loved their dog, knows how difficult it is to lose us.  There is a quote by an unknown author that says “Having a dog will bless you with the happiest days of your life, and one of the worst days.” 
But the promise of meeting again some day at the Rainbow Bridge brings comfort and a sense of peace to many.  And while some find the grief so overwhelming, and they say they will never get another dog, others cannot imagine life without a dog. Imagine how QUIET and boring our place would be.  One can never replace one dog with another- but one can open ones heart to a whole new lifetime of memories.  
OK.  And now for something a little lighter.  Guess what the rumor mill is saying about Meghan and Harry?????!!!!!  No.  She’s not pregnant.  They got a dog!! Reportedly the new Royal Canine joins Meghan’s Beagle, Guy – and it is…..a Polish Lowland Sheepdog!  Just kidding.  It’s a Labrador Retriever.   I can’t wait to learn more.  I hope they named him Viktor.  I’m SURE she MUST read my blog – so no doubt she will name him after me.  
Well, the FG has some serious grooming yesterday.  It took all of 20 minutes.  But that’s a lot for him.  Something is up. But I’m not sure what….
Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 96

Guinness

Leave a Comment on Guinness

August 27.  And on this day in 1955, the Guinness Book of World Records was published. And as you might imagine, there are many dog related records. You can have the typical tallest and smallest dog:

And you can have the dog with the longest tongue:
https://youtu.be/rDoi3XqG58o.  I bet he can clean out the inside of the yogurt container….
We have the dog with the longest tail:
https://youtu.be/iferRfmFRbI.  Watch out for stuff on the coffee table with that big boy…
We have the fastest dog who walks on two legs:
And then we have Golden retriever named Augie who holds the record for holding the most tennis balls in his mouth – 5 at once.  And the thought Einstein was mouthy.
We have a Jack Russell terrier who holds the record for breaking 100 balloons in 39.08 seconds.  Imagine practicing for that record? Not so sure we want to go for that one.
There are others, but we like this dog who performs 49 tricks in one minute. 
My human and I thought we could possibly break this one – but you see the part where the owner lies down and puts her feet in the air, and the dog stands on her feet?  Yeah well my human couldn’t get up fast enough, so we just couldn’t break the record.  That was the ONLY problem.  Sure it was.
Anyway it’s Monday and my human is still OFF.  Let’s see what record we can break today…  Most poop bags used in a half hour walk….most barking…fastest eating dogs….oh what fun!  My human says the only Guinness item that will ever come through the doors of this house is the drinkable kind.  She needs it with us!
Have a good one. Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 95

National Dog Day

1 Comment on National Dog Day

August 26.  And it’s National Dog Day!!! Mind you, in our house, EVERY day is dog day.
But still, we like to have a day to remind you what incredible creatures we are…
We can make you laugh.  And we can make you cry.  
We live each day with joy – a practice that humans could follow.  
We are happy to see you – whether you’ve been gone for a week on vacation or a few minutes to the bathroom.  
We perform jobs unlike any other animal – from search and rescue to herding to physical assistance to therapy – we are incredibly versatile creatures.  Not to mention our duties as household guardians!
We enjoy the toys and treats you give us, but we are most happy with one thing- the time we spend with you. 
Here are a few of our favorite dog quotes on this special day!

And while we MAY drive you crazy at times, we know that once your heart is owned by a dog, you have experienced a magical connection that will exist – even long after we are gone.  How very lucky you are…and so are we….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!
Seizure free days: 94

Jump

Leave a Comment on Jump

August 25.  And on this day in 1981, some guy by the name of Jeff Schwartz set a solo record for trampoline bouncing. – for 266 hours and 9 minutes.  Yup.  Over 10 days.  I don’t think anyone has broken his record. Wonder why?  Because he couldn’t feel his feet when he was done?  I’m not joking.  Other people have broken records for height and somersaults on a trampoline – but it seems Jeff did it the longest.

So to celebrate his achievement- if that’s the right word- here are some canine loving trampoline experts: 
That bulldog is my favorite.  I think WE need a trampoline.  For the FG.  He already does this crazy leaping thing – so it would be awesome to see him on a trampoline.  Einstein and I would likely prefer to pee on it. I could probably sell tickets for people to watch the FG.  And IMAGINE if I added a sprinkler like someone did in the video.  I am going to be a millionaire.
Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 94

Lost. And found.

Leave a Comment on Lost. And found.

Well there was drama in the area.    The day before yesterday, my human got a message on Facebook asking her if she knew a dog who had been posted on the Lost Dog Network.  My human looked, and her heart sank.  It was Willow.   For those who don’t remember, Willow is a Picard who ran away a few months ago, just a week after she moved to Nova Scotia.  She got spooked by something – and was gone.  My human went on a couple of searches and even took Elroy one day.  Willow was safely found after being gone for 4 days.

My human has been meaning to get together with Willow and her owner and with the FG – but she was too busy with work and couldn’t arrange things.  She was just thinking about it this week – as she is still on vacation – and now would be a good time… But that was before she saw the posting…
The Lost Dog posting said Willow was lost at a Provincial Park not 8 minutes from our house.  So after I got my pills at 7:00, my human jumped in the car and went to join in the search.  She didn’t take any of us for one main reason.  The park is lovely – but dogs are supposed to be on leash.  But nobody does – they let their dogs run free.  And well, dogs running up to other dogs who ARE on leash can be iffy.  So she opted to leave us at home.  As she searched, she ran into Willow’s owner.  She was of course, distraught that Willow was missing, and on top of that, some “people” had contacted her and were being judgemental about the fact that this was the second time Willow was missing.  They thought she was an irresponsible owner.  What they DIDN’T know was that Willow’s owner had a busy time at work this week. And she couldn’t get home to take Willow out at noon – like she does all the time.  So – she hired a dog walker.  She wanted to be sure Willow was not bored and that she would get some exercise.  Seems pretty responsible to me.  BUT, unfortunately the walker had Willow dragging her line and something spooked her.  And she was gone…
They searched that night until dark.  Yesterday morning, after we instructed the furnace guy how to clean the furnace and after we had our walks, my human set out again to search.  She met up with a good friend, and they covered a fair bit of the park.  BUT the park is huge – and they realized she could be anywhere.  Just as they were heading to another trail, the phone rang and it was Willow’s owner.  She had been spotted in a residential area, outside the park.  All rushed to that area and walked and drove for several hours.  My human and her friend had to call a break in the late afternoon , because my human had an appointment at the Genius Bar at the Apple store. Not so genius if you ask me, if your phone battery only lasts 45 minutes.  Surely Apple can make better batteries.  But I digress.
Anyway, JUST as my human was walking in to become a genius, her phone rang.  Willow had been found – right where they had been earlier in the afternoon.  Fantastic news!!  
So what are the lessons/questions from this experience? 
1. Never jump to conclusions about how something happened.  Accidents happen – and Willow has a VERY caring and responsible owner.
2.  After this experience and after meeting several dog walkers in the park during the search, my human doesn’t think she would  hire one for walking us in a large multiple-dog walk.  Yeah, yeah.  I KNOW they know their dogs.  And I think that may have been part of the problem in this case – I don’t think the walker knew Willow all that well. 
And although dog walkers are, most likely, smart people who love dogs, they can make a mistake.  Honestly, all it takes is ONE second off leash (or even dragging a leash), for a dog to take off.  I know most dogs stay with the pack, but some of us canines like to be individuals, and we don’t necessarily care where the pack goes.  I know Einstein and I wouldn’t care about a pack.  Maybe the whole group walk thing is better for certain breeds.  My human did note that a group she ran into was made up mostly of Labs, Goldens and a Boston Terrier thrown in as a protection dog.  At least HE thought he was.  I guess I have to read more about this whole pack and off-leash thing to have a better understanding- but for now, we’re not booking our group tour.  Besides, no one in their right mind would take us!  My HUMAN can’t even walk the three of us!  
I would be curious to know more from readers whose dogs go on multiple dog walks – with a dog walker.  Are dogs trusted off leash or dragging a line?
Bottom line- Willow is safe and sound. So this scary story had a very happy ending!  Maybe she and the FG will get to meet after all!  In a fenced area….
Have a good one. Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 93

Audiobooks

Leave a Comment on Audiobooks

My human did something she can’t BELIEVE she has never done before.  Actually, she’s a bit embarrassed to even admit this, but we share everything – so why not tell you how behind the times she is. Oh and then I might as well tell you about a little accident with the FG.  But not to worry – he is FINE.  He has a bald spot – but he’s fine…

It began with a groom-a-thon.  My human actually dreads them as much as we do.  I’m the GOOD dog during these things while the other two put on a show like you are watching WWF wrestling.  But to make the torture a bit better (for my human anyway) she has FINALLY figured out how to order and download current best sellers in audiobook format – for free from the library.  Yeah – I’m sure most of you readers have been doing that forever – but she’s a bit slow with the technology. Anyway she ordered some murder mystery book – and it kept her attention the whole time.  Personally I would have preferred Lassie.  I need to get my own library card.  Bottom line – she really didn’t care how longs the groom-a-thon took because she was being entertained.  Glad she was.  So that was the good news…
As part of the groom-a-thon, nails are done.  Einstein and I begrudgingly agree to have them clipped.  But the FG requires the dremel rotary tool to grind his nails.  And he’s pretty good at standing there.  However….yesterday as she went to do one of the nails on a back foot, he moved.  The resulting movement ended in a yelp, and a sudden tossing of the dremel tool onto the floor. As she went to retrieve it, she realized it wasn’t turning quite as fast, probably due to the clump of Picard hair around the shaft.  She apologized to the FG – who honestly was FINE – but who milked it by dramatically putting his head on her shoulder. ( Mind you, he does that ALL the time.). She examined him to see where the clump came from – but she couldn’t find a bald patch.  Thank goodness.  I told her that someone could call animal control for that move. She told me that MY licking of Einstein’s ears could also,precipitate a call to animal control.  Funny.
Today the furnace guy is coming.  Just to clean it.  You can be sure we will be sequestered during that visit. It’s unlikely that we would be of much help…Not to worry though, no matter where we are – Einstein will be shouting out instructions….
Have a good one. Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 92

The poop on poop.

Leave a Comment on The poop on poop.

My human’s mother used to enjoy reading my blog.  BUT, there was one topic that used to drive her crazy.  Poop.  She would always say to my human “WHY do you have to talk about poop?  What a horrible topic.” 
But as any human who is owned by dogs knows, poop is a prevalent topic for discussion and study.  We won’t get into the whole “consistency”topic -that alone is topic for an entire blog.  Humans  obsess about consistency.  It’s crazy.  If martians landed from another planet they would think that humans are totally crazy when it comes to that issue alone.
But no – today I’m reviewing the whole pooping pattern we dogs demonstrate.  For example, Einstein is causing my human to buy poop bags by the gross.  Yesterday, Einstein used up three bags on one walk – himself.  Not because he had the trots.  Oh no.  Quite the contrary.  This is not a consistency issue.  This is a deposit issue. A rate of deposit issue.  To give you the full picture, visualize a PON walking happily down the street.  Suddenly he begins to walk like a cowboy who went for a trail ride that lasted just a BIT too long.  And as he is walking that way – he heads for the middle.  The middle of the street – or better yet, the middle of someone’s driveway.  It is critical to head for the middle when you hear traffic coming.  So he makes a deposit.  But just a small deposit.  My human picks up and we continue on our walk.  Within ten minutes, he does an encore performance.  Calling for another poop bag.  And then, within another ten minutes he drops another one more small deposit, just for good luck.  Gotta keep those poop bag manufacturers in China employed.
All the time my human is picking up after Einstein, I have, in the past two weeks, decided NOT to go at all.  I mean my human is on VACATION- our walks should be even LONGER.  So although we have our usual route and I NEED to go, I don’t. Her blood pressure was going up the other morning when I was happily sniffing and skipping along, at the same time the poop machine was making multiple deposits.  My human even looked at us at one point and said “Seriously, can’t you JUST make ONE deposit?  And can’t YOU HURRY up?!”
In the meantime, we have the last Musketeer who is the trail marker.  He creates a trail of poop – he doesn’t stop to go.  He just crouches and keeps on moving.  AND he goes in the high grass at the side of the road – so it’s great fun trying to find all the parts of the deposit. 
Ah yes.  The joys of owning humans.  I still say it’s quite remarkable that they are supposed to be the “smarter” beings – yet we get them to pick up OUR poop.  Who is smarter?
Right now my human’s mother is looking down and shaking her head about this whole blog today.  Wonder if dogs poop in heaven….
Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days:  91