PONdemonium

Greetings readers. Frodo here. Reporting from the circus. If anyone is looking for an older, distinguished PON, who is generally well mannered, who knows a variety of obedience commands, who avoids puddles (therefore rarely requiring the need for drying off), and who will guard your home, road and county – I am looking for a new abode. At least for a few days.

I’m afraid I have met my match with the new addition. I thought I had strong vocal qualities, and a bit of a stubborn streak at times- but I concede defeat to the Shaggy Shark. That lad is louder than yours truly – and he never, ever gives up once he has an idea in his mind. Here is a quick clip of him attempting to convince me to play – and we eventually end up performing a duet. And yes. This goes on frequently in the course of a day….

Heaven help me.

Meanwhile, the Beatnik is currently out of commission because after a roll-a-thon and chase-a-thon with the shark the other night, he ended up with a sore leg. Or foot. Or toe. One cannot actually determine what is wrong other than the fact that he is favoring a rear leg. He appears to walk well, but prefers not to put much weight on that leg while standing. Her Highness moved his leg, examined his pads, his nails, and his toes- and he showed no signs of pain. No signs of swelling. No heat on any joint areas. But of course, Her Highness immediately envisions the worst orthopedic problems in the Merck Manual. So the poor Beatnik is currently on crate rest. Understandably, he is not very pleased. Please send good thoughts for a speedy recovery. Like by the end of today. Or he’ll be making a trip to the vet….

We’ve had no visitors since the last group was sent away sporting flashy bandaids. Just joking. Sort of. The Shark did not go out socializing, as we have had extremely hot weather – so Her Highness knew once he would step outside the air conditioned vehicle, he would be unhappy. And who wants an unhappy shark? Personally, I think a little overheating might have slowed him down a bit. Just joking. Sort of.

Despite what might sound like a disapproving tone – I do like the imp. He’s not afraid to speak his mind – and he completely respects yours truly. Probably even more than he respects Her Highness. That’s because I have sharper teeth. And I’m not afraid to use them. I suppose I SHOULD give some lessons to Her Highness. But I need to let her think it’s her idea.

In the meantime, though, I am still looking for a few days away if anyone will have me. Better yet, I’ll stay and you can borrow the shark. Bring him back when those teeth come out.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

What I’m learning

Howdy blogaroos. It’s me again “no, no, no.” I’m here to tell you the stuff I’m learning. Oh wait – the stuff I’m TEACHING my enforcer.

When it’s meal time and I get absolutely crazy crazy CRAZY, I found out I apparently need to be settled down before I get my food. So instead of launching myself off my enforcer, I sit in my meal time place and I wait while she puts my bowl down. Initially, she needed to hold my collar and to tell me to wait, but within two days I figured out the rule, and now I sit all by myself and wait to be told “free” so I can throw myself into my food dish.

I get tons of treats throughout the day. If I sit instead of jump on the enforcer, I get a treat. If I come when called, I get a treat. If I retrieve, I get a treat. If I’m silent in my crate, I get a treat. I suppose I should clarify a big thing here. When I say treat- it’s usually a piece of my kibble. But I don’t care – it’s food!

Meanwhile, the Grump sees what I do, so he hurries over to the enforcer too. He even answers to my name! He has probably gained 5 lbs since I arrived. Yesterday, I heard the enforcer even say to him “ your name is not Wojtekl!”

I learn from the Grump too. He shows me how to do things like spin around, twist the other way, and how to walk on a leash. He’s my idol. He’s almost starting to play with me – but I have to watch out for him because he steals my toys and then gets SUPER cranky if I try to get them back. The enforcer takes them from him – and guess what he gets? A treat. I’m going to stop calling him Grumpy – I’ll be calling him Tubby soon.

The coyote and I are buddies again. He was kind of annoyed with me for a few days because I must confess, I WAS biting him too hard. But I get it – I need to do a light bite. That makes him much more happy!

I still do try to bite my enforcer when I’m excited. Every day she puts on a clean shirt and discovers it has a tiny hole in it. Same thing for her shorts. I suggested that maybe it’s moths. But since they aren’t wool – I become the usual suspect.

That’s it for now. I think I’m due for an outing today. Wonder what new establishment will be graced with my presence?

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Lovin’ life

Howdy doody blogaroos. Squirmy here. Coming to you to let you know how great life is. Yup – we puppies have it made. All two leggeds should take a lesson from us. Our whole purpose in life is to play and eat. I’m happy doing both. Oh and I also like to bite. But I’m learning that’s not the wisest thing to do. Like when the Hoverer threw a toy for the coyote, and I was standing behind her, and when I ran to try to get the toy too, I just couldn’t RESIST grabbing her leg as I ran by. Only problem was she was wasn’t wearing long pants. Good thing I’m a fast runner!

The coyote and I have discovered we both have a favorite hobby! Digging. Especially under the deck stairs. That is just SO much fun.

The coyote still plays with me – but he’s a bit more tough on me since my first day here. When I walk by him, he never takes his eyes off me because he never knows when I’ll go into frenzy mode. The Hoverer bought us a new toy – so we could BOTH hold it at the same time. Well, I should say WE bought a new toy because I got to go with the Hoverer to the pet store again! I even walked through those automatic doors this time. And I wasn’t the least bit shy with the clerks who gathered around to feed me. Seriously- I’m telling you life is good.

So the new toy is a Tugga Wubba. This toy will not be left out for us to destroy – but we can play and fetch it while supervised. There’s a lot of stuff like that around here. All of my puppy toys have to be put in my pen – because the Grump likes to steal them – and then he dissects anything that has stuffing. Like the Killer Carrot. The carrot is a stuffed toy that I got from Maggie- and it fits perfectly in my mouth when I get out of my crate or pen. That’s so I don’t bite the Hoverer when I’m so excited. It’s aptly named because I want to kill something when I’m freed. So better the carrot than the Hoverer’s hands. Anyway, if I drop the carrot, the Grump stealthily grabs it to take it away for dissection.

The Hoverer made two new snacks for us this past weekend . The first one caused our house to be like a real honest to goodness sauna. That’s because she had the oven on at a low temperature for hours. Making us sweet potato chews. Better we chew sweet potatoes than carpets. She buys them at the pet store – but she decided she would make them herself. Only problem with the first batch was that she left them in kinda long – and they were more like biscuits than chews. No matter. We’ll eat anything. The next batch was better. Sort of. They weren’t hard anyway.

She also took a banana that was getting kinda mushy, she mashed it in a bowl and then scooped it into an ice cube tray. Of course the cubes weren’t cubes – they were in the shape of bones. As if we care! Then she stuck two frozen blueberries in each bone with the banana, and froze them. They were a hit after the sauna. Yeah – it’s nice to be a spoiled puppy.

I have to tell you how well I’m training the Hoverer. And I’ve trained the Grump too! Stay tuned!!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Stuff

Hey everybody. Elroy here. Also known as the fast moving pin cushion. Holy. That Squirmy Shaggy Shark is FAST. I can still beat him when I do an all out stride- but when he does catch me- I’m in for punctures. But he IS getting better. I think. I THINK he may be starting to settle down. Maybe.

Her Highness is learning to manage his all out shark attacks. Like when he gets out of his crate or ex pen. He sits there all sweet looking, waits for her to open the door, and even waits until she says OK. Then he leaps out. And attacks her. I mean it’s a joyful attack, if there is such a thing, but it still hurts. And if she turns away- he bites her butt. So she has a new strategy. When she opens the door and he hops out- she shoves a stuffed toy in his mouth, which he then proceeds to proudly carry around the house. Pretty good strategy I must say.

He IS actually learning to settle down after he’s been walked, or has raced around our prison yard. Her Highness has discovered that BOTH of us like to dig. No – not along the fence line (yet) but along the house or under the deck stairs. The Shark needed to be rinsed off twice in one evening. Her Highness has come to the conclusion that dirt will be a new accessory in the house. It’s going to be a losing battle to stop the digging – so just get over it!

You know that old song “Sounds of Silence?” Well I have to tell you that if there is silence in this house, it usually means someone is doing something he shouldn’t. Whether it’s chewing on the corners of the carpet, chewing the dining room chair rails, or stealing a shirt from the laundry pile when it was momentarily put down. If our house is quiet, and it’s not the middle of the night – look out. The other day when the Boss and I went for our morning walk- and we were returning, Her Highness wondered why the Shark was silent. He usually barks when we go- despite the fact that he has been given a yummy Kong filled with organic yoghurt from yaks in the Himalayas and treats handmade from ancestral grains and free range bison. OK. Maybe it’s not quite that gourmet- but still it’s a yummy stuffed Kong. And he still barks. But the other day, it was silent as she opened the front door. And who was standing at the French door? The guy who figured out how to open his crate. Gotta get a new latching mechanism. With a padlock. And he can’t watch you opening it. Because he’ll remember…..

He got to go to the Pet store the other day – and was reportedly in awe. He couldn’t get past the bone and rawhide aisle. He got treats from another customer and from one of the workers. He was a bit worried- but not so much that he wasn’t very willing to take treats. Good thing he brought some home for us.

He is STARTING to get the whole photo op thing. Her Highness was THRILLED when she got a photo of the three of us. It’s quite the challenge. The Shark doesn’t understand “stay” yet. Yours truly refuses to look at the camera. And the good dog, the Boss, who KNOWS “stay” – frequently refuses to do so. Anyway, you see the result.

Everyday is a new adventure. Yesterday, Her Highness ALMOST got to eat her entire breakfast sitting down. Yup. Things are starting to settle down. Maybe.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Snuffles.

Frodo here, for your reading pleasure today. Well it continues to be an interesting turn of events each and every day since the arrival of the disheveled Selachimorpha. Better known as the Shaggy Shark.

He tries in earnest to be my friend, and I have allowed him to lick my face- and to bark at me, but I draw the line at biting me. And he understands that. It appears that he believes biting is the way to communicate-but he IS learning to give kisses instead of bites. Thank goodness. I know we will all be happy when his needles fall out…

He was actually rather civilized yesterday when Her Heighness had a surprise visit from some old friends – Glady and Don. Well, “civilized” meaning no one left wearing bandaids. We count that as a good thing.

In other news – we just acquired a new addition for the dog paraphernalia museum. A snuffle mat. For those not familiar with the device, it is essentially a mat made of long fiber or pieces of fabric. Think shag carpet. You sprinkle food or treats in the fibers of the device. Then we get to look for them. The point of the device is to stimulate our noses – and make us work for food or treats. We are supposedly also stimulating our brains. Her Highness had seen them before, but of course, had to research and review all the snuffle mats on the market. Apparently you can make your own – but given the many unfinished projects in this household, she thought it best that she order one on line. Another pandemic purchase.

Her Highness initially envisioned us turning the thing over and shaking out the treats – so she stood ready to hold it down with her feet. But she didn’t need to! We were so busy looking, we didn’t pick it up. Here are some quick samples of each of us using the mat. Note the Beatnik can’t be bothered to stand and look. He just lies down. Her Highness was surprised he even wanted to do it – given his inconsistent interest in food in general. But he did!

Needless to say, the snuffle mat must be removed after our treat search is completed. There is no question that one or all of us would attempt to destroy it.

This mat that she purchased – the Paw5 Wooly- appears to be quite durable – and is machine washable. Which is a good thing. I personally give it 5/5 paws up. According to the package, it is “sustainably sourced and handmade.” Perfect buzz words. But as I said – you CAN make one on your own.

Yesterday was the great reveal – to us dogs. The fence is complete! In a ceremonial “running of the-bulls” type of event, Her Highness threw open the rec room door and said “Be free!” The Beatnik and the Shark ran around a bit but because we are experiencing very hot temperatures, it wasn’t a few minutes before everyone was simply lying in the shade. Her Highness is clearly over the moon about it. The younger guys are going to LOVE running about – without a long line. I, on the other hand have always been trustworthy to be free. Well I suppose “always” may be a bit untrue. Most of the time. When I feel like it….Anyway, it will add a much-needed accessory to our dog home. And proper thing – because we dogs DO own this house.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

More company

Hey everybody- Elroy here. Hope you are all ready to celebrate today. According to the crazy calendar, today is a day to remember that old TV show called Mork and Mindy, which debuted in 1978. I totally got the holiday title mixed up – I was SURE it was about our household. The name of the holiday? “Invite an Alien to Live with You Day”. I have to tell you, that Shaggy Shark is definitely like an alien sometimes…

I have had to let him know I don’t appreciate puncture wounds. And he is learning. Now he jumps at me from behind and then rolls so I can’t grab him. He’s pretty darn quick!

Today he goes to the Vet. I hope they give him sedatives.

We told you about Carine’s visit the other day but we neglected to mention one small detail. Although the Shaggy Shark WAS friendly- Carine did leave here sporting two bandaids. Shark tooth victim. So now Her Highness is drafting a waiver for anyone who comes to visit.

She didn’t quite have it completed when another friend came by yesterday. Another “dog-savvy” friend, Wendy stopped in to meet the Shark – and really to see all of us. We were sequestered on the deck when she came in- and then Her Highness “released the hounds.” I bounded over to give licks, the Boss hurried over to bark his welcome greeting and the Shaggy Shark raced over to size up his next victim. Thankfully, Wendy also KNOWS dogs very well- and Her Highness said not to let “little needle teeth” take any chunks of flesh. I should note that the Shark is not AGGRESSIVE- he just hasn’t figured out the toothy greetings are not nice. And Wendy did let him know when he played a bit TOO hard. All in all though, this visit required no bandaids – so progress IS being made.

I really wanted to go with the Shark to the Vet today to see him get his needle. But Her Highness said no. Something about seeing Mr. Needle teeth GET a needle would be very….satisfying. I’ll just be on guard duty with the Boss – waiting on pins and needles for the little guy’s return. I think I made a joke. Get my point?

OK. Enough sharp comments for now. The Boss is pulling away my iPawd….He said enough of my barbs. Na-nu. Na-nu.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

A fence!

Hey everybody- Elroy here. You haven’t heard from me – because I have learned to be low key in the past few days. If you make a sudden move – that Shaggy Shark is after you! So I’ve learned to keep all moves slow – and watch out from behind….

Now it’s not that I don’t like the little guy – but can someone please tell me when those needle teeth will fall out?! Until then, he has to learn to entertain himself. I did come up with a clever plan though. I always like to hurl my toys, bones and sometimes food items across the room. It’s one of my many endearing qualities. Unless a bone happens to be hurled at your shin. Or your head. Then that cute trait isn’t so cute.

BUT – because the Shaggy Shark has a pretty limited attention span, if he goes to attack yours truly, I just grab and toss a toy – and voila – he goes after it! Then I chase him around the dining room table like I really want that toy that I have previously shown no interest in. Ya race around until his little feet are tired, and then you can relax. For two minutes.

I have also acquired a new behavior. One that I never did much before- but one that I learned from the PONs. Barking. Especially barking when playing. The Shaggy Shark barks at me – and I bark back at him. It makes for an interesting breakfast for Her Highness.

The Boss and I are back to our regular morning walks- while the Shaggy Shark shouts out begging for our return. He’s got a pretty loud bark – so Her Highness closes the windows when we go….

His socialization continues and he got to go up to the neighbors’ place the other night. I understand he was relatively well behaved. Amazing what 5 lbs of treats can do.

On Friday, Her Highness’ friend Carine came by to meet the new kid. Instead of just taking the Shaggy Shark out to meet her when she arrived, Her Highness, also took yours truly along. Probably because I’m the model of friendliness and welcoming joy. Not that the Boss isn’t as well- but he barks a lot, and Her Highness thought I would be a better teacher. Who knew? Me as a teacher. Now you know the world is officially upside down.

Anyway, as predicted, I greeted Carine with my usual happy greeting – and in watching me, the Shaggy Shark followed my lead, raced over to her and jumped on her like she was an old friend. Everybody better remember what a good teacher I was!

Meanwhile, yesterday, Her Highness and our neighbor Paul, started a new project in our backyard. We watched the proceedings from the rec room. It looks like my days of wild escapes will soon be over – they are building a FENCE!!!!! Yup- our big back lawn will be all fenced in!!!! We have lots more property than they are fencing, but this will give us PLENTY of room to RUN. I mean RUN. I’ll actually be able to play with the Shark and RUN AWAY. Her Highness is SO excited. She doesn’t see us wanting to spend tons of time out there on our own – and that’s not why she’s doing it. She just wants us to be contained and safe when she’s playing with us. No more long lines. Unless of course we go take our path to the lake. Then we’ll be on a line. But in the back yard- whoo hoo- FREEDOM!!

I’m not sure what’s on the agenda today – but I’m hoping to go for a swim. I deserve it. Hey maybe I can show Squirmy how to swim! Nah – then he’ll even be able to follow me in the water. Like a REAL shark. Let’s pass on THAT idea..

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Adventures

It’s Squirmy here. Short for Squirmy wormy. I’m here to tell you that there’s a HUGE world beyond quarantine!!!! And wow – I have lots to learn.

My enforcer decided on our first day of freedom that I needed to meet some two-leggeds. I’m not ready to meet other four leggeds until I have some kind of shot that I’m getting next Tuesday. I’m Polish, but something tells me it’s not a shot of vodka….

Anyway, on our first day out of solitary, the first thing we did was go to the grocery store. It seems to be a pretty easy thing to do. You sit in your car, call a number on the phone and voila – somebody brings you food. I like it. I was in my crate and watched as the girl brought out all kinds of goodies. It’s too bad I was in my crate – I could have helped unpack!

Then we went to Doggie Disney (DD )- also known as the Pet Store – but I didn’t go in, this time. I sat in my crate in the car with all the windows wide open. I was pretty chilly because it was a cloudy day with low temperatures. My enforcer could watch the car from in the store. I’m saying these things because the the Grump aka the Boss told me that if you put controversial stuff in this blog, people could get mad. Stuff like leaving a dog in a car unattended in the summer. But not to worry – My Enforcer is also known in many circles as The Obsessor too. So trust me – I was SAFE.

My Enforcer returned with multiple Kongs – so even the other guys can have one while I have mine. I’m finding out all about fairness. One of us gets something- and we ALL get something. I just hope those guys don’t like Brussels Sprouts.

After those adventures, we went home – where we all sampled treats from DD. Well – we canines did. My Enforcer isn’t into liver bits. We relaxed a bit and when it was time for lunch, I witnessed something odd. Instead of pouring my lunch into a bowl, My Enforcer put all my food into her pockets. Except, of course for my yoghurt- that would have been messy. Then she put me back in the car.

The guys thought maybe THIS TIME I was being returned to where I came from….

But little did they (or I) know that I was going to Marg’s house. Remember Marg is one of the two leggeds who looked after my brothers while My Enforcer went to get me!!!! They probably won’t like Marg anymore….

Anyway, I got to visit Marg’s place. I was shy for about 5 minutes and then I essentially took over their yard. I met Marg’s husband Bernie, and in no time I was eating from their hands and attempting to rip the clothes off their bodies. I successfully barked and growled at Mabel, the puppy Golden Retriever girl, next door (through the fence) who effectively turned her back on me. I was crushed by my first crush. I successfully ran through their vegetable garden and attempted to dig some new holes for possible new plantings. I did have a temper tantrum when My Enforcer tried to remove me from a corner of the yard where I was thrashing and digging madly in an effort to get over to Mabel. Well I think I was trying to get to Mabel – I was just in a frenzy mode. I learned that temper tantrums with shark-like behavior are not tolerated – and are firmly but kindly brought under control – even with people watching. But remember, I’m a quick study so the whole sordid event lasted 2 minutes and after I calmed down I was free to once again run and destroy the yard. Ah the life of a puppy!

On the way home in the car, I was unconscious. My Enforcer checked to be sure I wasn’t dead. All that excitement wears a guy out.

Yesterday My Enforcer decided to take me to one of Nova Scotia’s most famous tourist places – Peggy’s Cove. I walked on big rocks and saw a lighthouse. There were not many people there at first – but then more came. I was a LITTLE tentative about people climbing up and down rocks – but my lunch, which was again located in My Enforcer’s pocket, made things much less scary. A man and woman stopped us and asked if I was a Tibetan Terrier. And when My Enforcer said “no”- before she could even say what was, the woman asked if I was a PON!!! Cool or what? Probably had nothing to do with the fact that My Enforcer was wearing a sweatshirt that said I LOVE MY PON. But really – the woman did seem to know about me, and while I was initially shy, within minutes I was dodging and darting in an effort to play. I got much more brave.

I didn’t realize about this whole photo thing that My Enforcer does. You’re supposed to sit and look at the camera. Who knew? She needed octopus arms to wrangle me, treats, her phone and the leash. I’m starting to get the idea- but I do come by the name Squirmy for a good reason. She WORKED for these photos. You can tell there was a breeze blowing in at least one…..

So those were my adventures for two days! Meanwhile, the other guys got to go for long walks while I stayed home and screamed. So I guess the experiences balance out. Sort of.

Stay tuned for more “socialization” stuff from me. I think I’ll keep milking the shy stuff – so we keep doing more. Trust me – I have this under complete control….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

What I’m learning

Hey hey hey everybody!!! It’s Wojtus here! I’m here to tell you all about the stuff I have learned in the past few days. My enforcer is introducing me to ALL kinds of new things. I call her MY enforcer – because although SHE thinks she is the one to enforce the rules around here, I’M the one who owns her. She works for me. I want to be clear about that.

So what have I learned so far? First off I learned that It’s easy to be unfriended if you continually attack others with your sharp teeth. Who knew? The coyote finally told me he liked the hair on his ears and face, and he didn’t like puncture wounds. He avoided me for a day and the grump was already avoiding me – so for like a day I had no canine friends. BUT – I’m a quick learner – so now I watch how hard I bite – so the coyote and I are all good again. UNLESS….. I’m in a frenzy/zoomie stage. That’s when something overpowers me – and I have no control! It’s like I’m possessed! I run, jump, bite, and off I go. Here’s a couple of shots of me just as I’m becoming possessed. You don’t see the last shot because instead of running past the camera- I went right at my enforcers ankles. Score!

My enforcer did something yesterday that scared the fuzz out of me. She pulled out this big machine, plugged it in the wall and turned it on. Holy heck. I took off for the front hall. The other two guys didn’t seem all that concerned. The grump said we didn’t see that machine since I got here – because my enforcer was in quarantine- so nobody could come and visit and see the dust balls flying around the house. Anyway, my enforcer saw me peeking out from the closet – but really didn’t make a big deal about it. She finished using the machine and then left it on while she went in the kitchen with the other guys to get us some treats. Of course I can’t resist treats so I had to run right past the machine to get to the other guys. Phew. Then, she kept stepping closer and closer to the machine while giving all of us treats- and of course the other guys kept going toward it, so I did too. I was a little tentative, but when I saw that those guys were ok, I went over too. My enforcer said that’s one of the BIG advantages to having multiple dogs. We can train each other! Plus my enforcer kind of knows what to do with puppies – and I’m learning this isn’t her first obedience match. She’s a clever one – so I do need to keep an eye on her so she doesn’t forget who is in charge.

I have also learned that despite warnings from the grump, brushing really isn’t bad at all. You lie down, get a couple of brushes and you get treats. What’s so hard about that? I even let my enforcer clip my nails!

Today she is officially OUT OF QUARANTINE!! So that means I am too!!!! She said something about maybe going to the Pet store for more treats. Sounds like Doggie Disney – so count me in. But we’ll see. So many new places to see and explore. It’s a whole new world out there – and I can’t WAIT to see it!!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe!

Product review

Frodo here blog readers. I sincerely hope you all had a pleasant weekend. Although in our household, every day is like a weekend day. For us canines anyway.

Today I want to share a product review. And in this review, I will share a video to demonstrate just how smart the little imp is who recently joined our previously tranquil abode.

At Christmas time, “Santa” brought us two interesting toys. Her highness ordered one – but somehow received two. Possibly because the company knew the product wouldn’t last long so they preemptively sent a replacement. I believe Viktor may have actually quickly mentioned this in one of his postings. The toy is a ball, attached to a bungee cord which is further attached to a suction cup. A deceiving advertisement made it appear that you could suction the device to the floor, and your dog would have hours of fun playing with the ball- tugging and going around in circles. False advertising I’m afraid. It didn’t work. It never stuck to the floor. So the toy was put away. And forgotten about until this week.

Her highness decided to try it again. She stepped on the suction cup in a futile attempt to make it stick to the floor. It didn’t work. So then she attempted to stick it to a wall. And low and behold, it held. For a few minutes anyway. The Shaggy Shark found it entertaining. But being the clever little imp that he is – well he figured that he could remove it himself. Note how he goes for the suction cup…

When he would finally remove the device ( or it simply fell off the wall) he would then run away with it. The toy has returned to the Damaged Toy museum in the garage. But I must point out – the Shaggy Shark is pretty clever to figure out that he needed to remove the actual suction piece. Yes – this little one is smarter than the average imp.

Meanwhile, on Saturday night, if anyone within a 10 km radius of our home heard shouting around 10:30 PM above a torrential downpour, that would have been her highness shouting at the only water loving dog in this household to “go pee.” It was nearing bedtime – and the rain was like Niagara Falls. She attempted to take the imp out first with an umbrella. That was an epic fail as she was holding the umbrella over him – while she was getting drenched. He DID pee quickly though. Yours truly went out very begrudgingly on a long line and did my thing and raced back to the house. Then it was the Beatnik’s turn. He would walk two feet, shake himself off and then would hightail it back to the house. Without peeing. I might add that her highness foolishly was NOT rain gear – because she had HOPED to be quick. When I went out, she stood under the covered porch so she stayed dry. And she tried that with the Beatnik. To no avail. She finally ended up standing in the middle of the lawn under the waterfall-like conditions – shouting “PLEASE GO PEEEEEEE!” above the roar of the rain. He finally did. When all her clothes were soaked. They both looked like drowned rats as she toweled him off when they got in the door. Good times.

I understand her highness has just one more day after today in her quarantine. The Beatnik and I are anxious to get back out for our walks along the road. I must survey any changes – and protect the neighborhood from intruders. Perhaps I shall rest up today to prepare for my return to work. I understand there are new neighbors on the road. I must go and shout out my welcomes. And now the imp will also be able to explore Nova Scotia. Just THINK of all the new adventures….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.