Hey everybody- it’s Squirmy!!!!!!!!!! I hope your day is going great and you look at it like I do – full of new possibilities. Ya just never know what great stuff might happen – especially if you look for the good things.

Well I guess we snoozed here and missed a big day last week. September 20 was our blogiversary! Six years ago, a wild guy by the name of Viktor decided that he should tell the world all about the adventures of three dogs in Nova Scotia – and the human they owned. We have surpassed 2000 postings – and My Enforcer has made friends all over the WORLD because of that guy named Viktor. My Enforcer forgot about the date – but last night something happened that reminded her of it.

I guess Viktor was a bit of a character whose favorite thing (besides food and chasing bunnies) was to retrieve bumpers. He would retrieve until he was ready to fall over. And he and the Boss had this little game. My Enforcer would take two bumpers out. She would throw one a certain direction and yell “Viktor.” I understand he always had to go first because he wasn’t very patient. Then she would throw the other bumper the opposite direction and would shout “Frodo.” The race was to see who could make it back faster to get a treat. They both DID get a treat – but someone got it first.

Now I kind of like retrieving – but I do get bored sometimes. But for some reason, last night My Enforcer decided to just TRY the game with us. And she was shocked. So much so that she almost cried. I got the game – and just like Viktor – I HAD to go first. And I raced The Boss every time. We must have done it ten times – and I didn’t want to stop. It was kind of like the spirit of Viktor took over my body and I had a blast. It was like I had been doing the game for years. Not bad for a five month old guy.

I know PONs are PONs – but let’s face it – we all have our own personalities. But I understand that I’m so much like Viktor – that it’s kinda spooky. I race into the garage to look for the food bin. I run with wild abandon just like he did. And I do like to steal things – like shoes – just like he did. In fact, My Enforcer glanced around the other day just in time to see me dragging her sweater under the dining room table – which I had stolen off the dresser. Yup – there’s this little guy who whispers in my ear exactly what to do. I have yet to reach the bananas on the counter – and eat them peel and all…

So cheers to our blogiversay. We share pretty much everything with you readers – the good times – and the sad. Our goal is to put a smile on your face every now and then – and to make you look at your dog and realize just how well behaved he or she really is. We’ve said it before – our antics are sometimes like an accident – where you can’t HELP but look and say “ better her than me!” And we’re OK with that! Thank YOU for reading and for your comments – they keep us going!!!! Besides – we’re probably more relaxing to read than politics and world news….

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

Hey everybody- Squirmy here!!! And guess what – My Enforcer is back!!!!! Holy moly did we boys go more nutso than usual when she walked in the door. Of course, I immediately bit her out of extreme excitement and because, well that’s what I usually do when I see her. The other guys were excited too. But they didn’t bite her.

She told us all about her beach adventures and showed us all her treasures. Frankly we weren’t all that impressed as they are not edible, but we tried to look interested. She said she had no guilt gifts as there was no pet store where she went. The Boss said that was a bit of a cop out because SURELY where she went they had SOME type of grocery store, and they MUST sell steaks. As soon as she went to the biscuit jar and doled out some treats, he stopped his complaining.

We behaved very well for Wendy. Everything went just tickety boo. Well except for one accidental boo on my part.

Um – you know how the other guys have created a dog door in the screen on the door to the deck? Well guess who also created a dog door inadvertently in the door to the downstairs patio? Yup. I took a flying run at the screen door, and kind of tore the screen. And knocked the door off the track. But not to worry – I’m just fine. The door – well that’s another story. Who needs screen doors with dogs anyway?!

So it’s back to our normal circus existence again. We very much enjoyed our time with Wendy – she’s SUPER patient and nice. We know that My Enforcer needed her “Zen” moments at the sea – and now she’s feeling all refreshed and relaxed. Should we take bets on how long it takes us to burst her Zen bubble? I’ll let you know after I finish chewing on a dining room chair. Just jokin’. I actually have my sights on the carpet….

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

Howdy blogettes. Elroy here. And do I have news today.

Yesterday morning, Her Highness’ friend Wendy came over. And she knows lots about dogs because she arrived with two fists full of super yummy treats. We love her. Frankly, I love her even without the treats.

Anyway, the next thing we knew, Her Highness said “Be good boys- see you later!” And she left us!

But don’t worry – she’s coming back tomorrow. And we are in great hands. Like I said we all love Wendy – and we’re behaving pretty well. So far we haven’t locked her in a crate or stolen her lunch. Yet.

Meanwhile, Her Highness went hunting. For tiny pieces of glass. I’m not kidding. Humans are sometimes rather weird. She collects something called sea glass. So she went with an old friend to a special beach where you can reportedly find lots of the glass. She said we would find the hunting rather boring – so she couldn’t take us with her. She’s probably right. Actually, Frodo and Viktor went sea glass hunting once – and they did find it boring. They said would rather have rolled in dead fish or seaweed, but it wasn’t allowed.

The PONs are hoping Her Highness brings home guilt gifts. I’m not sure she’ll find special dog treats on the beach other than driftwood. She’ll probably stop at a gas station on the way home that sells snacks, and she’ll buy us a hunk of cheese. That works for us.

We’ll give you the whole review of her mini hunting trip when she gets back. In the meantime, we’ll behave for Wendy. Or I guess I should be speaking for myself. Who knows what the PON twins will do – especially that little guy. The true test will be if Wendy says she’ll ever watch us again. Wonder if she can be bribed….

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

Well guess who? Squirmy is the answer. And guess what I did? Why I escaped the new jail!!!

As My Enforcer would say – I’m really something!! Not only am I a jumper, but I’m also a contortionist!!!! Whatever that is!!

You see, yesterday morning when she went to take the other guys for their walk, she put me in my giant wire cell. The one she resurrected from the garage.

The gate on the cell has a mechanism where you lower three “hooks” to lock it in place. My Enforcer lowered the first hook, and thought the other two were in place – but guess what- they weren’t! So I discovered that if I pushed really hard I could create a gap of about 3 inches and somehow I managed to squeeze my way through!!! Imagine how surprised she was to see me when she came through the door!! The top gate was still firmly locked. I was so happy to see them – and to show them what I did.

Yesterday we got the first part of that tropical storm/hurricane- so it poured rain ALL day. And it was crazy windy. I mean not windy enough to blow ME around – but let’s just say I’m glad I’m not a chihuahua.

Oh and My Enforcer’s friend Wendy came by to say hello. We thought she was really cool – and she had some great treats. Now we overheard her and My Enforcer talking about some “trip” – but the only trip I have ever been on was to come here. So who knows what they were talking about.

The big part of the storm is due today – so paws crossed we don’t lose power. My Enforcer could have trouble finding our food in the dark – which would be a tragedy. But not to worry – we can help lead her to it. It could be my first attempt at being a Seeing Eye Dog.

I hope everyone is having a super duper DRY week. And I hope everyone around here survives Hurricane Teddy. You know – that’s kind of a silly name for a hurricane. I mean who thinks of the names for hurricanes? When I think Teddy, I think fuzzy, soft bears. Nice bears. And a hurricane is just the opposite. And I checked – there has (as far as I can tell) never been a hurricane named Frodo, Elroy or Wojtek. At least not the kind that causes wind and rain. My Enforcer said we are hurricanes in our own right. Whatever that means.

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

Salutations blog readers. Frodo today to deliver your daily dose of “better-her-than-me.” Also known as the Circus review. And yes, I have QUITE the circus act to report on today. It seems that little oscillating sea creature with fur has truly decided to take on the role of PONdini – we have QUITE the magician and escape artist in our midst.

We have discussed the arrangements we have when Her Highness leaves us for any extended length of time: the Shark is placed in his ex pen – a 3 foot high heavy metal jail of sorts. It is not made of flimsy wire – but rather a heavy duty wire – which makes the 4 x 8’ enclosure rather difficult to transport around the house. So it was set up in the rec room downstairs. Yours truly is in isolation with the Shark because there is a gate at the bottom of the stairs which is bolted to the wall. That gate prohibits me from going upstairs. Try as I might (and trust me I have tried) I cannot open that enclosure. So I am subsequently stuck with the shark in the lower level of our home, while the Beatnik is in isolation upstairs. There is a gate at the top of the stairs, which is QUITE easy to move, yet as many times as I have shown the Beatnik how to move it, he refuses to do so. No sense of adventure in that boy. Unless the front door is left open….

But back to my story. Her Highness had errands to run on Saturday, so she supplied the Shark and I with Kongs, and left us in our respective cells. The gate on the Shark’s ex pen was SECURELY fastened. Here is the diagram of how we were left:

Her Highness did her shopping duties and was probably gone not longer than 90 minutes. Which is equivalent to six hours in canine time. She came in the house and prepared to quickly empty her groceries. The PON duet had begun- but it seemed one voice was “closer” than the other. She looked down the flight of stairs – and there on the landing was the Shark. Note the large orange “X” in the diagram. Her Highness opened the first gate and let the Shark up the stairs. She then went down to see where I was. Well of course I was where she left me! I couldn’t get through that gate at the bottom of the stairs. But HOW did the Shark do it? She came down and found the ex pen in the same location, with the door firmly latched. The latch on the stair gate was also secure. She stood there with her typical puzzled look seen after one of us canines has performed a “magic trick.” Like when she found this odd material on the dining room carpet and finally deducted that it was the “stem” from a banana – which Viktor had stolen – and eaten skin and all. Minus the stem. But I digress. She could NOT figure out HOW the Shark escaped the ex pen, and then HOW he scaled a 3 foot high gate. I don’t want to be one to tell tales, but frankly there is one logical word to explain how he ended up on the landing. I believe the word is “jumping.” I mean let’s face it, the lad didn’t fly, and I certainly didn’t lift him over.

So now the great dilemma. How to be SURE that he is secure and safe when she goes out. And the solution? Go into the garage. The graveyard for assorted dog paraphernalia- everything from grooming tables to toys, leashes and of course, crates.

So yesterday, amidst much moaning and groaning due to the removal of assorted other “things” in order to access the wire crates- she found a giant wire crate that should work to secure the lad. I mean it’s not like we don’t already HAVE a wire crate for him in the bedroom, but that would require moving it back and forth – as we aren’t allowed in the bedroom when she is gone. Some problem with eating pillowcases. Anyway, the new abode is set up in a lovely location in the dining room. Which makes yours truly happy – because I no longer have to be sequestered downstairs. I can be on the level where all the action is when groceries arrive. Oh happy day. And the Beatnik will not longer be left on his own. Not that I think he really minded….

The weather forecast which includes an impending hurricane the other day has now been downgraded to a post tropical storm. Tropical is hardly a word to describe Nova Scotia, but I’m no meteorologist. Although my predictive skills are quite good – if I refuse to go out, it is raining. And I can predict that with 100% accuracy. Better than some weather people I might point out.

We’ll see how the new enclosure works today while Her Highness runs errands. This could be interesting. And this time, Big Brother will be watching. Our new escape artist may finally be thwarted. We’ll see. He IS a PON after all.

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

Squirmy here! And I am here to tell you I am afraid. Very afraid. But I don’t know why…

It all started because My Enforcer went out to do some shopping. Which is fine with me because I always get a yummy Kong when she leaves and I get a treat when she returns. And we are all happy when she returns whether she has been gone an hour or whether she has just returned from taking out the garbage.

But the other day when she returned, the other guys were initially all happy and then they stopped their joyful welcome. It seems My Enforcer was carrying a bag that said Dollar Store. I don’t know what’s in the bag, but clearly something scary because the other guys were shaking in their paws. WHAT could possibly scare them so much? I don’t know, but I know enough to take a cue from the guys that I should be afraid.

Whatever is in that bag must have something to do with some new pumpkins that appeared the same day outside our front door. We’re having a contest – guess how many days before the Coyote pees on the pumpkins! We figure he’ll be the one to christen them because I haven’t figured yet out how to lift my leg to pee, and the Boss is too picky about where he pees. He has to walk back and forth 15 times- so in that time, My Enforcer can redirect him somewhere else. But the Coyote is the fastest leg lifter on the planet – so it will no doubt be him. I’m giving those orange orbs 2 more days to be pee free.

Yesterday I got to go to the lake again and I ran up and down the trail and sometimes took a detour into the woods – running with all my might. My recall was again good – BUT I learned that detours into mud and sticks will land you in the tub – and on the grooming table for a quick fluff up. I must confess, I did look better afterwards. Then it was the Boss’ turn for his weekly brush-a-thon. And after we were fluffed up, the two of us promptly began to restyle each other’s hair on our own. Kind of like when you go to a new hair stylist and then redo it the way you like it when you get home. My Enforcer was not impressed.

It’s Saturday- which is pretty much like every other day here. But we will be watching the weather forecast for next week. Looks like something called a hurricane could be heading our way. My Enforcer said I’m enough of a hurricane in this household. Whatever that means…

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

Hey hey hey- it’s Squirmy here. I hope you are having a fabulous day – because I am! And guess what?! If life wasn’t glorious enough – it got even BETTER yesterday. GUESS what I had yesterday? Guess. OK I’ll tell you. A bone! A real honest to goodness bone. A marrow bone to be precise. I’m telling you – it’s going to be hard to top THAT experience! And I got it because it’s Fall!

The last couple of mornings have been cool and crisp – they say Fall is in the air. Whatever that means. But I’ll tell you one thing – the cool mornings makes all three of us boys even more crazy than normal. My Enforcer even said “What’s with you guys?!” Everybody was barking and jumping around in preparation for our morning walks. Usually I’m the only wild one, but the last couple of days, everybody has been wild.

So after we came home and had our breakfasts, licked the yogurt container, ate our blueberries AND cleaned out our Kongs, yours truly was still raring to go. And so were the other guys. The Boss was pawing at My Enforcer’s pockets and the Coyote was staring at her toast. He recently decided he LOVES bread. Plain bread. The craving will last a week or so and then he’ll change his mind. He even went off blueberries for a week. He’s an odd guy – I just don’t get the whole picky food thing. But I’m going sideways from my story.

My Enforcer had not finished reading the paper or having her cup of coffee- so she announced “I have a surprise.” And she went in the fridge and pulled out these big marrow bones. The Boss got his and ran away. The picky Picard also grabbed his and took off for the hall. I didn’t know what all the excitement was until I got mine. Holy Moly Marrow – after a sniff and a nibble I was HOOKED. I could feel my inner beast take over – it was like I was a wolf in the wild enjoying my prey after the hunt. OK, truth be told I had a hard time carrying it – so I don’t think my hunting skills would be that good. I’m just glad all I had to do was stand by the fridge door.

I was chewing daintily while the boss was ravenously ripping off pieces. That’s because he knew that marrow bone feasts come with a time limit of 20 minutes. My Enforcer takes them away so we don’t get soupy poops. The Boss was trying to eat as much as possible before the Fun Police came over, traded a lousy piece of kibble and took the bone away. I was disappointed, but made the trade too. Still, I did need to catch my breath – what an experience. I can’t wait for that again!

Plus guess what else I got to do yesterday? I went on our trail to the lake and I wasn’t on a leash! Sometimes I would run ahead – and then My Enforcer would call me back. I’m doing pretty good with my recall as you’ll see in these two clips. In this first one you can see me peeking over a log, waiting for My Enforcer. It’s a quick clip.

In this one I have run ahead out of sight.

She stops the recording before I get to her so she can brace herself for my landing.

What else did I do yesterday? Oh I know!!! While My Enforcer was having a good chat with her friend Iza, who lives in Poland, I was really quiet. No barking and squeaking like I usually do. Know why? Because I was trying to make up for previous bad behavior? Because I’m maturing? Nope. Because I was chewing a hole in an oven mitt that I pulled off the counter!!! My Enforcer WONDERED why I was so quiet (she was in the DFZ). Yup. I found a way to entertain myself. I’m such a joker.

So that was my large day yesterday. The Coyote is still coughing a tiny bit, but the Boss is MUCH better. And I’m 110%! And looking forward to another new day!

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

Guess who? It’s me – Squirmy Wormy!!!! I am SO excited to tell you dog readers about the coolest new trick I learned. Well – I didn’t learn it – I made it up all by myself! And you can try it and see if it works for you!!!!!

So when My Enforcer needs a break from us for 15 minutes she does one of two things. She goes in the bathroom OR she goes in this room with a gate – that the other guys call the DFZ – dog free zone. Apparently before I got here, the other guys were sometimes allowed in there. But because I don’t know the meaning of the word “settle” – I’m not yet allowed in. Now when My Enforcer goes in there, I’m initially OK with it. I find other ways to entertain myself – like chewing on the carpet or harassing the other guys. And sometimes I even fall asleep. But here’s the trick…if she’s in there AND she starts to talk on the phone – well all “quiet” behavior ends. To tell the truth, even if she’s NOT in there, but she gets on the phone – all heck breaks loose. I will throw around every metal food dish I can find. I bark and growl at the guys. But most effectively- I bark at My Enforcer. Non stop. If she’s in the DFZ, I shake the gate and shout out “enough with the phone. Lock it up!” And guess what happens next? Well because she’s on a call, she will do all sorts of things to keep me quiet. Most of which involve treats – which are distributed freely. Sometimes if the call is really important, she’ll heave a handful of kibble on the dining room floor so we can go hunting for it. The Boss gets the benefits of my bad behavior. Because the Coyote doesn’t care about hunting for treats he just watches us PONs go mad. Of course, that keeps me quiet for 53 seconds – until all the kibble is found – and then I start barking again. My barking behavior is particularly effective if she has a ZOOM call. I’m a baby. I deserve her undivided attention. At all times.

So to all my dog friends who I have never met – always remember that you are Numero Uno – so don’t let a phone call, Zoom call or FaceTime chat EVER take away your RIGHT to personal attention. And the trick to getting that attention is being vocal and protesting! Hey – I’m so free in sharing my opinions and tricks – maybe I should go into politics!!!

Nah. I’m too nice.

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

Greetings blog readers. Frodo here. Also known as Father Goose. My bout with canine COVID is improving – just more slowly than the young lads. But not to worry – my appetite and energy are fine. And my imitation honking goose call has evolved to a less deep, more dry quack. The Beatnik still has the odd honk, but not much. And the Shark seems to be over his round. Patience. Patience.

According to our odd calendar, today is something called National Defy Superstition Day. Aptly chosen for the 13th of the month. I suppose it is a day when one should walk under a ladder, or ignore the black cat crossing their path. That would be a difficult one for the canines in this household.

I have investigated superstitions having to do with dogs and I found a few – most of which I have never heard of. Probably because I am not the superstitious type. But here they are, according to Rover.com.

– A howling dog is supposed to be an omen of death. There is some truth to this. We have no doubt killed Her Highness’ previously normal hearing with our barking and howling. To defy this one, she needs ear plugs.

– Dogs who stare or growl at nothing are actually seeing ghosts. We’ll have to keep the Beatnik off the deck tonight. He definitely “sees” and hears something. Mind you – it probably much more likely to be a chipmunk than a ghost. But he DOES tend to do it more at night. In the dark. Spooky.

– If you meet a stray dog and it follows you home, it is good luck. Personally, I don’t think so if you then need to share your treats. What could be lucky about that?

– One of my favorites- if you step in dog poop with your left foot, you will have good luck. Is that not a bit counterintuitive? I wonder what happens if you step in it with your right foot? It seems either foot is not exactly pleasant. Particularly in sandals. Or flip flops.

Not much else new here as we are in quarantine. We do go for short walks on our road, wearing masks and staying clear of any other dogs. I jest about the masks – you KNOW we would try to shred them.

It is time for our constitutional. I bid you a pleasant day and I’m certain it will be. Knock on wood.

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

Hey everybody- it’s Squirmy. Spreader of joy, happiness and kennel cough. Yup it’s official. We have a trifecta. The Coyote now sounds like a goose too. The good news? We’ll all be over it! So we’ll be invincible! Unless another strain comes along…

Today I have to tell you about my new talent. Guess what new skill I learned from the Boss? Escape artist! Yup- call me PONdini Junior.

When My Enforcer goes out – like to the grocery store for our yogurt or the pet store for our food (note it’s all about us dogs), she leaves me in an ex-pen in the downstairs rec room, and the Boss is stuck down there with me because she latches a gate at the bottom of the stairs. The Coyote is on his own upstairs.

So yesterday, when My Enforcer went to the grocery store, she carefully latched the door on the ex pen and gave both me and the Boss frozen Kongs to keep us busy.

She wasn’t gone too too long, and we heard her return- as she unloaded the groceries in the kitchen. She claims it’s easier to unpack without having two PONs in the refrigerator “helping.” We both of course, shouted out our “welcome homes.”

When she was done, she walked around the house outside- to enter through the patio. Well. Imagine her surprise when I greeted her at the patio door. She opened the door and the Boss and I ran out. She tentatively walked inside to examine the room. It was pretty evident there had been a party going on. Throw pillows all over the floor. TV remote controls also on the floor. Toys scattered everywhere. Yup it was a real party. She doubted the Boss was responsible for the mess because he’s always free down there- and never touches anything. So yours truly became the prime suspect. But guess what? No camera- no proof!!!! She’ll never know how long I was out – OR how I got out. It’s our little secret. Yee haw! PONdini Junior! I like it!

Hey – speaking of frozen Kongs- I have another story!! So we’ve told you how those yogurt and kibble-filled wonderful rubber toys provide necessary peace while my Enforcer is having breakfast. She says she truly cannot live without them. And here’s proof. The other night, she woke up at 4AM and realized she had not stuffed and frozen our Kongs. She broke out in a sweat. She realized the PONdemonium that would happen without Kongs to entertain us for 20 minutes. So what did she do? She got up at 4AM, went into the kitchen and stuffed Kongs. Really. In this house, if those Kongs were stolen, she would pay a ransom to get them back. Then again, maybe she’d just go and get new ones. She said she wishes she had like 20 so she could stuff and freeze loads of them at once. We told her to put it on her Christmas wish list.

Hey and speaking of holidays, what’s this Halloween thing at the end of October. The other guys said not to speak of it. They said something about the pandemic and maybe the Dollar store doesn’t have “any special things”. What’s THAT all about? Why are those guys so afraid of a Dollar Store? I have to investigate this further.

Time for my joyful walk. You know what? I’m joyful EVERY morning when I get up!!! What’s not to be joyful? You have a day full of potential- and you never know what might happen! And besides that – it’s Friday!

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