Hey everybody! It’s me- Squirmy!!!!! How’s your large life today? Mine is just the biscuits.

I must say though, that it’s hard work being a puppy. Here I am working to dig some new holes for planting some shrubs. I’m following the moves of my mentor – who you’ll also see in the video.

Here I have to really put my heart into it -so I add some vocals.

And if it’s not bad enough that I have to work in the garden – I now ALSO have to work for my lunch!!!

My enforcer bought these intellectual toys for my brothers a couple of years ago – and they have been sitting in their boxes gathering dust. So – she got this bright idea to try them out with me. Here is one.

See those little black handles? When you pull them, there is a little drawer where treats are placed. So you pull each one and voila – you get a treat! Or in my case – my LUNCH! You can smell the food through the hole in the top. Once you figure out the drawer thing, you can make the game more difficult by putting a peg in the hole – so then you need to pull out the peg before you can open the drawer. I have the drawer thing down – although I do get into a bit of a frenzy opening those things. And I’m actually starting to figure out how to pull out the peg – BUT I get so excited with the peg that I just take off with that -and would like to chew it! So I’m not really ready for the peg part yet. Here’s a quick video of me at lunch time. This is my second time around. I already emptied it once with half my lunch. You see the idea. I didn’t pull the peg out in this one – but I did the first time around.

So that’s me working for my meal. I need to see if there is such a thing as Puppy Labor Laws. I think I’m a bit young to be working for my meals, don’t you?

I think I’m due for some socializing today. We were home ALL day yesterday- so I need to do something today. I can’t play with the coyote which is killing both of us. So time for a road trip. My choice is somewhere that they sell food or toys. But not the educational ones. Or maybe someplace that sells shrubs…..

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

Howdy readers. Elroy again. I’m figuring you might want to know how I did with my Massage Therapy. So I get to write again. Mind you – I SHOULD be the one writing as it’s like quarantine all over again for moi. I can’t do much of anything else! I’m happy, but not happy.

So here’s the story. I loved the whole massage gig. The therapist, Liz, met me and I was happy to make her acquaintance. Although at first I thought it a bit odd that she just let me walk around the room, while she stared at me. That was a bit spooky. But I then realized she was trying to see where my problem was – and it took her about .05 seconds to figure out which leg was bothering me. So right from the start, I knew she had good eyes.

Then, she started to touch me all over. At first I thought it a bit odd – I would rather be giving her kisses and just jumping around. But after a few minutes, I figured out this whole Zen massage thing – and I let her fingers do the walking. When she would find a tender spot, she would do something magical, because while I initially responded with a jump the first few times she touched the sore area – after she massaged it, I was no longer jumping when she touched it. Her Highness witnessed the whole thing – and could SEE how my muscles relaxed.

Liz thought that my problem was a bit with the iliopsoas muscle – but she felt the REAL problem was actually my pectineus muscle. That’s deeper in the groin. Same general area. Same symptoms though. She showed Her Highness some exercises to do with me daily. I’m not allowed to rough house with the shark and all my walks must be on leash. I can go for a walk up to 20 minutes, but no jumping and acting like a gymnast. She said to continue with the meds my vet gave me – and to add some Omega 3 to my diet. Looks like fish oil will be on the menu. She wants to see me again in 3 weeks.

Her Highness was relieved to hear the same observations from the therapist that we got from our vet. As well as several friends who have watched my videos and have ALL said it was a muscle strain – and not a joint injury. We are aware that this doesn’t necessarily speed up my recovery time, but we’re thankful I’m not looking at surgery.

Meanwhile, the shark is having to entertain himself. The Boss almost lets him play with him – but not like I do. And Her Highness is forever saying “No bite” and stuffing toys in his mouth to take the place of her arm or leg – so she doesn’t play like I do either. The Shark looks longingly at me – and does try to instigate play when I’m out of my crate. Even I try to play with him – by shoving a toy in his face. But Her Highness – the original Fun Police, will not let us have ANY fun. She keeps trying to entertain him and tire him out – and sometimes he does it himself. He runs FULL speed like a balloon with the air escaping – around the yard, under the deck stairs, into the house, out of the house, around the yard, into the vegetable garden, around the yard – and then like a deflated balloon, he collapses. The worst time of day is the morning. It’s like his batteries have been charging overnight, and he’s all juiced up. Her Highness was seriously think about sending a thank you letter to the makers of those Kong things that you stuff with goodies. They have been a godsend. The Boss gets one too – otherwise he stares at the Shark waiting for him to drop it (if he’s not in his crate or ex pen). If the Boss has one, they are both busy. I have been offered one numerous times – but no thanks. Chewing rubber is just not my thing – no matter what it’s stuffed with.

So that’s my story. Patience. Patience. And more patience is what I need. And so does Her Highness. I figure I’ll be all recovered by Christmas, and then she’ll be worried about me on ice. Yup that bubble wrap suit is looking better all the time.

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

Howdy everyone. Elroy here. Also known as Gimpy. I must tell you, being injured is not fun.

So I went back to the vet yesterday, and Her Highness was armed with more videos. The vet moved my legs all around – and I was the perfect patient. She concluded I have NO joint issues – she did numerous tests on my joints and everything was fine. The only time I was not comfortable was when she started probing my iliopsoas muscle. That bothered me. I never heard about an iliopsoas before. It almost sounds like some kind of dinosaur. Here’s some info about it:

https://criticalcaredvm.com/iliopsoas-muscle-injury-dogs/

Sooooo…..today I have an appointment with a Canine Massage Therapist who works with dogs who have soft tissue injuries. My vet said if that doesn’t work out well, she will refer us to someone else. Her Highness is very hopeful that we may get some help today with that therapy. Time will tell. I just need to relax. But it’s hard to be a relaxed canine when you have a new fenced yard where you can run and play – AND you have a Shaggy Shark brother who WANTS to play. I’m just worried that once I’m all better, Her Highness is going to want to wrap me in bubble wrap. Mind you, that might save me from the Shaggy Shark….

Meanwhile, although the snapper is smart, he still hasn’t figured out that mud equals bath. He continues to dig – and continues to get baths. At least he smells nice. After.

But the funniest shark story came in the mail yesterday. It all started because Her Highness has a dear friend who was on a little holiday last weekend. Actually, you might remember her – she is Mighty Milo’s human. We haven’t seen them since the Great Pause. We miss them both!

Anyway, Mighty Milo’s human saw this item in a gift shop while on her holiday- and had to send a photo to Her Highness. Well – you KNOW Her Highness HAD to get this – and both the Boss and I agreed that it was a good purchase. It’s a good warning system for the unsuspecting public. Check it out…

It was perfect timing because the Shaggy Shark is just about to outgrow his second collar. Even putting a collar on the Shark is not a simple task- wrestling with sharp teeth is not easy. But Her Highness did manage to somehow get it on him. Now to get him to stay still long enough for a photo. And before the collar gets all muddy.

I think he’s the guy who should be going for massage and relaxation therapy. If the therapist is willing to take the risk….

Anyway – wish me luck!

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

Greetings blog readers. Frodo here. I’ll begin my blog today with a Jeopardy answer. See if you can figure out the question…

Dogs do this behavior if they are seeking entertainment, comfort, or attention, or they are planning an escape or hunting prey.

And the question? Why do dogs dig?

In our household, we are all lately displaying varying degrees of this behavior. Personally, when I dig, I am trying to find a cool, comfortable spot – and dug up earth provides the perfect bed. Mind you, I also dig at the tile floor in the kitchen as well. My efforts in doing so do not really result in a more comfortable bed, but it doesn’t stop me from trying.

Thus far, none of us has dug anywhere near the fence so clearly we haven’t yet begun to plan our escapes. Note I said “yet.”

As well, none of us have begun to hunt for the chipmunk who has a little hole in our dog yard. In fact, I haven’t seen much of him since the fence was completed. Guess he didn’t want to play fetch. And be the fetch toy.

Now my other two “brothers” dig for both entertainment and for attention. Digging for entertainment is simply a way to burn off energy – or even to potentially bury toys. And when digging occurs just AFTER one has been brushed – and has then headed for the mud hole when Her Highness shouts “no” – that’s for attention. This behavior is demonstrated perfectly by the Shaggy Shark.

On a different topic, the Beatnik was feeling in tip top condition when he visited the vet the other day. Her Highness could not accompany him in yet – so she described his problem to the technician who came out to gather him. Complete with video footage. However, the vet saw no evidence of a problem when she examined him and said he could return to normal activities. Oh – he DID have one rather embarrassing problem having to do with his ummm…anal glands. They were – how can I say this, rather enlarged – and needed “attention.” Her Highness had discovered that in the morning, before his appointment- so she had mentioned it. She had actually found a site on the internet which said that “uncomfortable” glands could even result in lameness in some cases. She wondered if this could have attributed to his rather unusual soreness.

Anyway, his glands were attended to – and all seemed right with the world. That is until he began running and wrestling with the shark again – and guess what? He was sore again. So he will be returning to the vet – AND I believe I also heard about a visit to a Canine Rehab specialist. More on that to follow.

I understand the Shaggy Shark has a special package that will be arriving in the post any day now. Perhaps when we next write, we will be able to share the mystery parcel. My bets are on shampoo….But we’ll see…

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

Hey readers. Elroy here to tell you about my new role as a middle canine. I’m not so sure I like it.

Let’s face it- for 4 years I have been the baby in this household. And now, I have had to relinquish that title to the Shaggy Shark. And I’m not all that impressed.

Sure he’s fun to wrestle with – but all that playing got me in trouble – I’m sore and achy and as a result have been spending a lot of time in my pony sized crate. I walk fine- and if anyone saw me, they wouldn’t notice a thing wrong. But Her Highness noticed that I was favoring a back leg when I’m standing still – sometimes, so she’s been watching my EVERY move like a hawk. I’m definitely better than last week, but rumor has it I might be going to the vet today – just to be checked out. At least I get to escape for an hour or two from the singing PON duo. A guy needs a break every now and then.

And speaking of health news – there’s good news and bad news when it comes to COVID and us canines. The bad news – the first dog to have contracted the virus in the US has died. Yikes! BUT – and here’s a big but- the dog also had lymphoma. It sounds like COVID didn’t help – but may not have been the primary reason for his death. Here’s the full story:

https://api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/animals/2020/07/first-dog-to-test-positive-for-covid-in-us-dies

In a good news COVID story – we dogs are coming to the rescue in helping to detect the virus. We may have talked about this before, but there have been some recent advances in training us dogs to sniff out the virus. Here’s a link from a few days ago;

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/german-researchers-trained-dogs-sniff-out-covid-19-coronavirus-infections/

I bet that shark could sniff out the virus. He can smell the tiniest piece of treat in Her Highness’ pocket. He’s crazy about food.

In another health note, Her Highness decided to make us some Tumeric Paste the other day. The magic concoction is supposed to be an anti- inflammatory, anti-cancer wonder. Here’s a video about it:

https://youtu.be/wLkDPrROAZ0

Well. Imagine throwing a teaspoon of that in the bowl of a picky Picard like moi. Her Highness had to keep throwing extra goodies like freeze dried liver in my bowl to make me eat my supper. I DID eat everything- but I’m not so sure I’m a fan of the yellow blob just yet. Meanwhile, the PONs inhaled it.

So keep your paws crossed today that the vet doesn’t find anything serious wrong with me. Although maybe she can counsel me about my new role as a middle canine. You know, there’s lots of famous people who were middle children – like Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bill Gates and Lech Walesa. And those guys did pretty well in life. So I’m sure I’ll do just fine. Once I start feeling like 100%. But recovery takes time…. so I need to be patient. To be truthful- it’s not ME who needs to be patient- it’s Her Highness who could use some relaxation therapy right about now. She does sleep well at night though…

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

Squirmy here everybody! I’m a couple days older than the last time I wrote – so I think that I’m even more mature. Sure I am! I want to be a biting, wild, Shaggy Shark puppy FOREVER! You know that song, “Born to be Wild?” It’s my theme song! That and “BabyShark.” I mentioned that so you’ll be stuck with that song all day now.

My latest skill is RACING as fast as I can under the deck stairs, and attempting to bury my toys there. I’ve learned in the past few days that IF you grab the hose while the enforcer is watering the garden (the one I did a little dance in the other day), you end up getting all wet. And when you dig and try to bury your toys after getting all wet, your fur turns a different color!

Then, after you get really good and muddy, the party comes to an abrupt halt. And you are taken into the torture palace ( that’s what the Boss calls it), you are put in a tub, you get all soapy, and then you get all rinsed off. Yup. That really happened to me. And if that wasn’t enough of a shock, IMAGINE my surprise when the enforcer turned on this THING that blows air like a jet engine. Good thing I’m not a chihuahua- I would have been blown off the table. The enforcer introduced the air slowly – but I didn’t care. I mean it’s just air. Anyway, after I was all fluffy and clean, she let me out for a pee and she had to tackle me because after I peed, I was headed back to bury more toys. Good times.

I must confess, I’m feeling sad because my best buddy is in house arrest. The coyote’s leg IS better- but still not 100%. Most people wouldn’t even notice he has a problem, but the enforcer, with her constant surveillance, watches every move he makes. She sent a couple of videos of him to her buddy Glenda, who said in 2/3 videos, she saw nothing unusual. She did see a tiny issue in one video – so she said to keep him sequestered for a few more days. I just stay outside his house and wait for him….When I’m not trying to rip the sheets off the bed.

As a result of not being able to torment er…. I mean play with the coyote, I’m stuck with the grump. He won’t play, but he will sing along. Here’s another duet – to drive your dogs crazy!

You know, I like to follow the enforcer wherever she goes. Except I’m no longer allowed in the bathroom. There was this little incident with pulling most of the toilet paper off the roll that got me banned from the bathroom. Some people call it the restroom. The enforcer calls it that because it’s the only place she can get away from us and rest- and where I don’t bark incessantly outside the door. I know she has to eventually come out – so I just wait. She mumbled something the other day about putting a cot in there. She’s pretty funny.

So those are my latest views on this cool world. Some people are all stressed out about this pandemic thing and the state of the world. Not me! It’s the only world I know. I was born in the pandemic. I’m a pandemic puppy. I find it hard to believe things could get any better. I guess it’s all about perspective. I’ve got food, a house, water, brothers to kill…er I mean play with…. Toys and furniture to chew on. A yard to dig in. What more could a guy want?

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