Howdy doody blogaroos. Squirmy Wormy here. It’s the very last day of May – holy moly that month went by quickly! We’ve been in lockdown forever – so no classes this past month. I have forgotten everything I ever learned. Well not really, but I’m pretending to. Plus when two-leggeds are in lockdown, instead of using the time to be productive (like to train us dogs), they become blobs. At least My Enforcer has become one. Sure we do our walks and play time- but our training regime has kinda gone off the rails. I mean we do a LITTLE bit of training – but not a lot so she was SHOCKED the other day when she took me and the Boss out to do a tiny bit of work. She was shocked because while she did work with one of us, the other guy had to stay in a down stay and watch. Holy biscuit that’s difficult!!!! But guess what?! I did it!!! I know you think I’m faking – but it’s true!!! I love doing nothing (in a “stay”) and getting treats for it. Score!

Thankfully, things are reopening a bit this Wednesday. No big classes BUT I have a private class next weekend to whip me into shape. Actually, it’s more about whipping My Enforcer into shape. She needs it.

So the other day, the Boss and I were walking on the public trail early in the morning. It was pretty quiet, except for the birds. We were both on leash, because early morning can equal critters. And sure enough- we were trotting along, tangling up our leashes, leaving lots of pee mail, sniffing for things to roll in – when suddenly we saw something on the trail ahead of us. But it was so quick – we don’t know what it was! For sure it wasn’t a rabbit. Or a pheasant. Or a deer, porcupine, squirrel or bear. It looked kinda like a fox, but we haven’t had foxes here for quite a few years. It could have been a coyote. But it seemed kinda small. Anyway, we saw him- but surprisingly didn’t go bat poop crazy. We just pulled to see where he went – but no insane barking which we have been know to do. On occasion. My Enforcer took us a little further on the trail , but then she kinda freaked out because she didn’t know what it was – so she turned us around and headed back home. Personally I think she had nothing to fear with us PONs- we would protect her from anything. Or at least we would take off and run for help. Suuuuure we would….

Next the Coyote went for his walk on the trail. No wildlife, but they did run into a guy with a giant camera who was bird watching. He and the Coyote were listening for the birds. My Enforcer just smiled. For a herding breed, he sure likes his feathered friends!

Rain in the forecast for today. Again. We’ve had rain on and off for days. Maybe we’ll do some indoor training. Or maybe not. More likely we’ll cram on Friday…..

Oh plus one funny training technique My Enforcer tried with me. I LOVE to retrieve. I mean LOVE. And I bring back the bumper every time. BUT I often will not hand it to her- I’ll drop it like 3 feet away. So yesterday, she kept telling me to bring it closer. She had treats ( of course) and I would still drop it before she could take it from me. So sometimes one has to be innovative. As I was running toward her, she would turn her back on me, stoop over, spread her feet apart, and look at me upside down between her legs. Really. I’m not making this up. I thought that was crazy – BUT I came through her legs and gave her the bumper every time! It looks pretty funny – but it worked. I’m just not so sure it would be allowed in an obedience ring….. The stuff she’ll do to outsmart me. Isn’t it wonderful how active I keep her brain? I’m a training genius.

OK. Gotta go!

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

Howdy blogaroos. Happy Saturday. Happy weekend. Happy breakfast. Happy walk. Happy fetch. Hey – I’m just a happy kinda guy!

So the Coyote did a commercial message the other day encouraging people to shop local. And it sounds like a few people did!!! That’s great!!!!

Today I get to do a commercial. For PONs! OK. Well not really a commercial- more like an infomercial. I’m not selling them (although sometimes I think the Coyote wishes he could sell me). No – I’m here to tell you all about us. Because some cool PON lovers in the UK put together a wonderful overview about us!! You can hear all about our history . You can learn about how we should look. There’s all kinds of cool stuff. Like even if you don’t have a PON, it’s interesting. Kind of like Animal Planet goes PONs. Now…there are a few steps to see these videos. And I should mention it’s FREE. But you do need to register with the UK Kennel Club to see the info. And then, if you’re interested in learning about more breeds, you can watch a module on another breed. I’m starting you on the PON course, but you can learn about Labs, Goldens, Chows, Keeshond-and a bunch of others. Unfortunately, the Coyote was disappointed because the Picard isn’t there. Maybe someone can make one..

Because not everyone is techno savvy, I thought I’d help with the steps to watch the videos.. If you’ve already seen the site, or for some odd reason you don’t have an interest in dog videos ( or you just don’t have the time because you’re busy playing with your dog) you can skip the paragraphs in italics….

First go to this link:

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/academy/breed-specific-films/courses/polish-lowland-sheepdog/?enrol=true

Now you should see a screen telling you to sign in. Click the Sign up now. Unless of course you have an account! I’m doing this part for people who don’t.

When you go to the Sign up page, all you have to do is give your email and then hit Send Verification Code.

You’ll then get an email with a code number. It comes almost as quickly as the time it takes me to eat my supper.

You put that number in the box and hit the verify code button and it will take you to a screen to create a password. Put your secret password in and then write it down somewhere so if you’re like My Enforcer, you won’t forget it.

Next you sign up with your name. Your birthday is optional. Hit continue.

Next you decide which info you want them to send you. Like the newsletter. Then you agree to the conditions that state you must send Wojtek of Nova Scotia some free dog biscuits. That’s in the fine print. Check the box. And complete your registration.

Now it says Account created. Hit continue. Is anybody still following me?

Voila. The Polish Lowland Sheepdog course should appear! Hit the button for Start the Module.

Now here’s where My Enforcer got lost. But allow me to help. Read that stuff – then scroll down. You will see the words Next Module Page. Those words are above the green banner at the bottom. You keep looking for those little words as you go through the course. They are kinda small. The History of the Breed Video is the best!!! If there’s one part you watch – that HAS to be it! I loved hearing about my ancestors!!!!

Now if you complete the module and you want to learn about some other breeds, here is what you do…

See your name at the top? Click on it and click Manage Account. See under TASKS the word Academy? Click on that.

Scroll down and you’ll see the heading “Breed Specific Films.” Now there are only 33 breeds listed – but still plenty to keep you busy on a Saturday night. You need to click View all courses to see all the breeds listed. They are in the same format as the PON module. Just click Enrol Now.

Phew. Who knew I was so good on the internet. Must be from all my on-line shopping. With Her Highness’ VISA. A big box of Bullysticks arrived yesterday. Yee haw!

Oh plus while My Enforcer was typing this post for me, I was kinda quiet. And in the bedroom. I’m never in the bedroom without her because I’ve been known to steal pillows. Anyway, she thought I was quiet so she went to see what I was doing. Well. There was some laundry on the floor in the bathroom, waiting for the first load in the washer to be finished. And I happened to notice that her fleece jacket had not had the pockets cleaned out. There were treat crumbs in the pockets! Can’t have those going in the washer!! So I helped clean them out! Sorry about the hole in the jacket. I couldn’t help it. It’s not like I have opposable thumbs….

OK. Gotta go have a happy day. And hope you have one too. And if you happen to watch the videos, let me know!

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

Howdy doody blogaroos. Captain Chaos here! Leaping, barking and ricocheting into a new day. Life is good.

Today we have news about OTHER dogs – one with bad news and the other with good.

First the bad. Our neighbor, Teddy- a black Lab/Great Dane guy – had a run-in with a pin cushion. A walking pin cushion – the porcupine. In the middle of the day!!! He was with his human outside and he disappeared for 2 minutes. When he reappeared, he was sporting a prickly beard. Yowza. He got to visit the Animal Emergency Clinic – where they sent him to la la land, and when he woke up his “5 o’clock shadow” was gone. And so was a big chunk of money from his human’s wallet….

In better news, a new canine kid is in Marg’s life. As you may recall, Marg looked after The Boss and The Coyote when My Enforcer drove to the U.S. to pick up yours truly. Marg has been a friend of My Enforcer for like 245 years. Dog years. Anyway, Marg and her family had a dog named Jessy – but she went to the Rainbow Bridge quite a few years ago now. Jessy adopted her family from the SPCA when she was over a year old- so she wasn’t a puppy. But now….drum roll…. they got a PUPPY! And what kind of puppy? Our provincial dog – a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. (Toller for short. )

The puppy’s name is Hudson. Named after Rock. Just joking. Hudson is a town in Quebec where Marg’s husband is from. Plus like the Hudson’s Bay company, founded in 1670 is the oldest company in North America. But really, I don’t think those facts played a huge part in his name selection. They just liked the name Hudson.

My Enforcer went to meet the young fella yesterday. She loaded her pockets with THE yummiest treats. So he would like her. And not bite her – because he has those sharp needle teeth. I remember those. Speaking of which, that tooth fairy never did come….

Anyway – Hudson was very well behaved- and My Enforcer said he’s a smarty pants. And hello – she knows all about smart dogs. Present company included. Mind you, smart doesn’t ALWAYS translate to obedient. Because we geniuses can easily outsmart most two-leggeds. BUT – you humans DO win when it comes to treats….

So far, it sounds like Hudson is doing a spectacular job at training his humans. He’s pretty much ruling the place – and he’s only been there for a short time. He has lots more training to do – but they’re quick learners.

When My Enforcer got home, ALL of us gave her the olfactory exam. Not only could we smell bits of treat crumbs in her pocket, we could also smell Hudson. The Coyote took a sniff and walked away with indignation. The Boss barked. And I did a triple ricochet off her stomach. That’ll teach her.

Anyway we welcome Hudson to the big beautiful world of puppydom and maybe once he gets a bit bigger, we can meet! Good luck training those humans buddy – it’s hard work!

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

Yo. Blogees. Elroy here on this Terrific Tuesday. Heaven help me- I’m starting to sound like the imp.

So life is laid back here. At least that’s the way I see it. And live it. Walks in the morning. Lounging during the day. The occasional wrestling match with the imp. Bird watching. Grass rolling. Leaf chasing. Staring into the woods at nothing in particular. But making it LOOK LIKE Bigfoot is lurking behind a tree. Eating supper. Occasionally coming when called. Chewing on the imp’s feet. Letting him chew on my face. Licking body parts in the middle of the night. Yup. A laid back life.

That being said, we’re still living with the COVID. Nova Scotia had wonderfully low case numbers throughout most of 2020, but around April of this year, all heck broke loose. We went into lockdown. Meaning Her Highness is home ALLLLLL the time. Unless she needs food, or more importantly, needs to get food for us. Despite the lockdown, we’re not complaining. So many people and businesses are having a hard time during this disaster. We are lucky to be able to go for walks in the great outdoors- and to have a big yard to hang out in. But not everyone is so lucky. And we’re not even touching the topic of those who have lost loved ones to this plague….

Small businesses have had a tough go of it – because they are closed during lockdown. Tourism – which is a big deal in our province was hard hit last year with the closed borders. People couldn’t come here. So it’s been really difficult since last year. Which got me thinking…..

Want to come to Nova Scotia? Well – you can’t – at least not now. BUT – you CAN have a piece of Nova Scotia! Now if you’re like Her Highness when she travels, she always brings home guilt gifts for us canines. Something that is made in the place she has visited – for us dogs! So – even though you can’t visit right now, maybe you’d like to pretend you came here- AND you bought something for your dogs. I thought I could share with you some small Nova Scotia dog businesses – and if you’re looking for that pretend vacation gift – you might consider these. Her Highness is all about supporting local.

Here’s a company that we just bought from. Get Dirty Dog. They make cool biothane collars and leashes – like the fancy one in the photo. It’s a hands-free leash – but it can be adapted to lots of options. It could almost have a YouTube tutorial on how to use it. The cool thing about biothane – it doesn’t get soggy in the rain- or stinky. Their link is here:

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/GetDirtyDog?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=811654753

You can custom select your color – and even the type of hardware. We went with neon green- but you can definitely go more subdued. We’re not subdued.

Before I continue, I should note that we are not getting any kickbacks from mentioning these businesses- and in fact, we haven’t even told them we’re doing it. Hope they don’t mind! Most of these businesses depend on on-line sales – and also market their items through local markets and fairs – which have been shut down. Anyway -let’s check a few more.

This local company makes cloth collars. You can find them here:

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/GooberDogCollars?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=695026544

These guys make super durable rope toys. Check them out:

https://johnnyzeesonly.com/

We found this company that will custom design dog tags. I think the imp needs the one in the shape of the Shark:

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/TwoBluesMetalDesign?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=816406549

Now if you’re into dog sports and training – these guys have awesome tug toys..

https://snufflesandtugs.com/

This company makes an all natural tick spray. Unfortunately, no spray is 100% effective – but this stuff DOES work quite well – and we use it all the time:

https://atlantick.ca/

Here’s one artist who does cool dog portraits.

http://www.pawpaints.ca/home.html

Conflict of interest on this next one as Her Highness personally knows this artist. Ann does amazingly detailed drawings of your dog. They look like photos:. Check out her work.

https://www.facebook.com/AnnLyonsFineArt/about/

I’m obviously not including pet photographers (as you would have to be here for them to take your photo!). I also didn’t include biscuit or food sellers – as it may be difficult to ship those items. To be included in my little list, the businesses had to have a website, Etsy or Facebook page – and would be able to ship.

I’m sure there are others and I know all of you also have great local dog businesses and artisans. Please feel free to share them in our comments section. If we can help small businesses wherever they are – it’s a good thing!

So that’s my commercial, laid back message for today. And like I don’t want to do a serious sales pitch – as let’s face it – it’s not my style. But I AM a sensitive, caring kinda guy – so it seemed I was the best writer for this topic. The Boss would have droned on about the chemical compounds in biothane and the Imp would have just said “Buy it. Buy it. Buy it.” Yeah – who knew I would be the best salesdog. Will wonders never cease.

Back to rolling in the lawn. Later.

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

Hey blogaroos! Have I got a poopy story for you today! I mean REALLY poopy. My Enforcer’s mother apparently used to dislike any story that focused on poop. But hey – it’s a topic that just “happens”. Literally. So – we’ll “go” with it.

So ya know how we were talking about The Boss and how he likes to play poop chicken with traffic, by pooping in the road? Well the one good thing about that crazy game is that he always has P3. Picture Perfect Poop. His poop could be one of those Google images for poop. And that was all wonderful. Until yesterday….

The Boss got ready for his walk, and was his usual perky, barky self. He and My Enforcer headed up the driveway and down he road. He was trotting along like normal, when he stopped and assumed the position. Except he had a problem. It seems that eating grass the other day, combined with a bit too much licking of my head, caused a bit of a hmmmm…..poop ball. And well, he was trying to poop, without success. And he was also gassy….

Now before I continue, remember that the Boss is a tough guy, but try and brush a mat out and he screams like he’s being tortured. Touch his feet and he cries. If he has a sore ear, he’s miserable.

So IMAGINE a gassy, big poop ball. The Boss was trying to go, but was obviously very uncomfortable. So he started crying. My Enforcer tried to get him to walk – by offering a treat. He obviously didn’t feel too badly as he walked along like a cowboy who has been riding his horse way too long. And he grabbed the treat. And he continued his stance and his moaning and groaning. They walked back on the road and a bit down the driveway. By this point My Enforcer was considering carrying him home. When suddenly, kaboom – results! A baseball sized result. The Boss shook himself off and happily trotted down the driveway.

My Enforcer never had a dog in such agony while pooping, so of course she still Googled causes. Many were not very pleasant- so of course she kept an eye on him ALL day. Even though he was fine – hungry, happy, barky – AND when she took him for a walk later, he had no problem pooping. Although she DID note what appeared to be some more hair in the sample.

So hopefully all is fine with the Drama King. Oh and I should mention that after his performance, it was time to take The Coyote out. He produced wonderful results on his walk- not far from home. BUT he obviously had been involved in the grass fest too – so he had a small, grassy clingon. I couldn’t make this stuff up. So as soon as he completed his deposit of P3, he proceeded to drag his butt along the pavement in an effort to unsuccessfully get rid of the clingon. That must have been the point where I could actually hear My Enforcer moaning in agony- from the road. Yeah – her day started off kinda crappy. Thank goodness for the bathtub in the garage. And rubber gloves.

We’ll hope for P3 all around today. Paws crossed!

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

Hey everybody!!! It’s fantastic Friday! And it’s me- Squirmy Wormy also known as Captain Chaos, here with the latest updates from Sqirmyville.

First off- no new bear visits. I think Ted was just passing through, helped himself to the buffet in our green bin and in our neighbor’s and moved along to other places. Good luck to him.

Over the past few weeks we have stopped our walks on the golf course in the morning because they have begun to fertilize it – and to use some “stuff” on the fairways. My Enforcer is pretty paranoid about us being exposed to any “stuff” – that’s why our lawn is mostly weeds- and so she won’t take us on the course now until probably after the fall. Which means we either walk on our property, we walk on the road – or we walk on the public trail that goes on for miles and miles. It’s a good trail. Unless your feet are damp with morning dew. When that happens, yours truly’s feet become dirt magnets. Big time. Plus, if it rained the day before, the trail is muddy. And that really makes a mess. I look like I’m covered in chocolate.

Now I don’t mind mud or water and neither does The Coyote. The Boss, on the other hand, hates when the grass is even dewy. And he literally jumps around and over puddles. He also does not like having his feet washed. So since he is not going on the course now, his route is the road. The Coyote and I go on the trail. As a result, we end up in the tub after every morning walk.

My Enforcer noted yesterday morning, that each of us has our own “quirks” when out walking. For The Boss, it’s poop location. He likes to poop in the road. And in the middle if he can. There usually isn’t much traffic at the crack of dawn when we do our walks, so although he’s on leash, he prefers to walk in the road rather than on the shoulder. Because there could be a puddle on the shoulder. But now that the golfers are coming earlier and earlier, My Enforcer finds herself hurrying to pick up poop before a car comes. I think The Boss poops there on purpose to watch her scrambling to gather poop as fast as she can.

My quirk is drop and roll. I can be walking along, and suddenly I’ll smell something on the ground (not visible to the eye – but quite evident to the canine nose) and I’ll suddenly drop to the ground and roll on my back. Yesterday I did it on the spot where the neighbor’s green bin had been the day before. It must have leaked something good and rotten and although there was nothing (other than a small damp spot) it sure smelled like perfume to me. My Enforcer shouted “hey get up!!!” I did, shook myself off and we carried on.

The Coyote’s quirk is his LOVE for trees, bushes, tall grass – basically anything that he can rub against. He’s not content to walk past a tree, he needs to rub against it – like he’s leaving his scent for the next dog who comes along. He’s also super interested in leaving lots of pee-mail – he will mark every tree (and garbage can on garbage day) if given the chance. He’s a pee machine. He’ll pee on parked cars if he can. Not moving ones. Although he probably would try.

Between wildlife and our own quirks, we keep even a simple, everyday activity like going for a walk, a novel adventure! Just THINK how boring My Enforcer’s life would be if it weren’t for us!

Now excuse me while I get ready to go for my walk. Gotta limber up in case I need to drop and roll. Oh and by the way, speaking of pee-mail, I’m kind of a big boy now. Sometimes I lift my leg to pee! But I’m not fully coordinated yet, so sometimes it’s just easier to squat. Besides, I want to milk this “he’s a puppy” excuse for my bad behavior as long as I can. So I’ll keep doing the puppy squat for awhile. Maybe even forever…..

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

Howdy doody blogaroos! Squirmy wormy here. And have I got a story for you! Guess what? OK you give up. We had a visitor the other night! And it wasn’t a two-legged. Or a deer or a bunny or a porcupine or a pheasant or a tick. I’ll give you some clues. It’s black. It has teeth. It has big paws. It makes really big poop. And it rhymes with pear. Yup. You guessed it! It was a hare! Just joking. It was a BEAR!

So like My Enforcer was playing fetch with me and the Boss in the front yard. The Coyote was watching from inside. Because we know he’s not a fetch player. Anyway, it was getting dusky and the black flies were bugging My Enforcer, so she said “game over.” And we went inside. After we went in, we went out on the deck. And we started barking at the woods. Which is not all that unusual because if The Coyote hears ANYTHING at night, he barks. And it’s not like we PONs need a reason to bark – so we joined in. My Enforcer told us to come in and she closed the deck door.

And a few minutes later, she got a “road text.” That’s a text sent by a neighbor to all the houses on our road. The text was from Pam – whose house is very, very VERY close to our house. Like I could run there in 20 seconds. She included the following picture in her text- of a visitor who was marching through her garden….

It wasn’t long after that post that we heard a “clunk” in our yard. Well, the Boss and My Enforcer heard it. The Coyote and I were too busy practicing our wrestling moves to hear anything. My Enforcer looked out the window, and although it was dark, she could tell that our big recycling compost bin had been knocked over. Which meant one thing – Ted enjoys green leftovers found in the back of the fridge.

My Enforcer didn’t want to go out- so she flicked the outside lights on and off. I guess to make it harder for the bear to see what he was eating. She closed all the windows in case he would decide that the pasta she had made for supper was worth coming inside for. She overestimates her cooking skills.

I must confess, none of us even realized that Ted was lurking in our yard. until the next morning when we went out for our walks. I was first – and I got to examine the knocked over green bin and the leftover brown bag that had contained the food. I sniffed around, and honestly, didn’t care. I mean it’s not like he left anything for me to eat.

The other guys responded exactly as I did when they went on their walks. Bored. My Enforcer kind of expected us to get all excited. I’m not sure why – I mean we are sheepdogs, not Karelian Bear dogs. We sniffed around, and The Coyote immediately attempted to pee on the green bin. Mind you, he does that all the time.

So no more off leash pees before bed. Who am I kidding. We haven’t been off leash at bedtime since the porcupine was spotted.

Anyway, that’s the latest episode of Squirmy’s Wild Kingdom. I kinda hope Ted comes back- so I can scare him off. As long as I see him from inside the house…

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

Hey hey hey everybody! Squirmy here on this marvelous Mushroom Hunting Monday. Yup. You read that correctly! According to the Crazy Calendar, today is called Mushroom Hunting Day. Who knew?

Now this topic has lots of angles. Like an old Nylabone. First off we need to talk about canines and bad mushrooms. Yup. Just like some dogs can be bad, so can mushrooms. And eating wild mushrooms can spell serious trouble for dogs. Here’s a couple of articles about eating bad mushrooms…

https://namyco.org/mushroom_poisonings_in_dogs_an.php

https://tails.com/blog/2019/10/10/wild-mushrooms-which-ones-are-dangerous-for-dogs/

Like the article says, grocery store mushrooms won’t harm us – but ya need to be careful in the wild. I wish the ticks would eat those poison mushrooms….

Wait. I’m off topic. So. Mushrooms can be bad. BUT. Mushrooms can also be good. There has been research showing that eating certain mushrooms can actually help dogs who have cancer! Who knew?!

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/medicinal-mushrooms-for-cancer-in-dogs/

https://blog.petwellbeing.com/medicinal-mushrooms-a-powerful-defense-against-your-dogs-cancer?hs_amp=true

So. Mushrooms can be good. It’s all so confusing.

And lastly, mushrooms hunting can be fun and profitable! Well- truffle hunting to be more specific. Truffles are in the same fungus family as mushrooms, but they grow underground. And did you know that the Lagotto Romagnolo, a breed of dog from Italy, is known for its truffle hunting skills?! Yup. Check out this cool video.

https://youtu.be/UXI2tP1QNYc

Given that truffles can sell for like hundreds of dollars a lb, a good truffle hunting dog can easily buy his own dog food and treats. Here’s the latest on truffle prices for those who buy truffle stocks.

https://truffle.farm/truffle_prices.html

The Coyote and I enjoy digging in the backyard. I’m going to tell My Enforcer that we’re looking for truffles. Sure we are. That’s our new excuse. Brilliant.

So those are you fun fungus facts for today! I bet when you woke up today you had no idea it was such an exciting day!!!! But then, I think every day is exciting!! Happy hunting!

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

Hey blogaroos! Squirmy here. Just getting over the bully stick hangover from the Coyote’s birthday bash. Loads of canine buddies. Food. Dancing. Drinking.

Just joking!! It’s a pandemic and we’re in lockdown! No big bash. Just us boys and My Enforcer- and some bully sticks. And extra treats at supper. A good time was had by all.

Now while the celebration was good news – we are ALL ticked off in this house. REALLY ticked off. Why? Ticks. Big time. Every time we go for a walk, it seems one of us brings one in. And that’s despite the fact that we wear bandanas dosed in natural tick spray – AND Her Highness also rubs it in our coats. We smell like lemongrass. You can smell us from 50 yards away. And supposedly the smell is supposed to be yucky to ticks. Well. Our ticks must have seasonal allergies and stuffy noses because they STILL hop on us for a ride.

Now for YEARS, My Enforcer has been nervous about tick medications. And you can read ALL kinds of stuff about them. Good and bad. But here’s the deal – we have something called Lyme Disease in our neck of the woods. And dogs can get Lyme. Now some dogs don’t get TOO sick. And they can be treated. BUT – some dogs get VERY sick. My Enforcer knows about the case of a local 6 year old Golden Retriever who sadly died from it. Apparently Labs and Goldens are more susceptible to serious effects from Lyme. But that’s not to say other dogs can’t also get pretty ill.

So although My Enforcer has long resisted the urge to put us on medication, after finding two ticks on me, one on The Boss and three on The Coyote, she decided she had to do SOMETHING.

Some people have good results with collars. But given that we all love to chew and lick each other – that option was out. Same with a topical medication.

So she consulted with several friends who have also been proponents of natural methods in the past – but who are also at their wits end with the tick explosion of late. In consultation with a veterinarian who practices a combination of holistic and traditional medicine, they got a recommendation. We also consulted with our own vet. I’m not going to post it – as we’re not trying to advocate OR advertise these products. But you are welcome to contact us if you want to know what we selected. Keep in mind that this is OUR experience- and we are not saying we have the right answer to the problem….you have to find the best option that works for you.

But back from the warning message…..Being the worry wart that she is, she kinda went a bit crazy watching us after we had our first pills. Like I felt like an amoeba under a microscope. Whatever amoebas feel like – I don’t know any personally. Anyway she wouldn’t let us out of her sight for like hours. Mind you, we’re in lockdown so it wasn’t all that different from most days lately.

The good news – no weirdo side effects. Phew. No strange or crazy behaviors. At least none that could be blamed on medication….

After we started our medication- which we got from our vet, she also found another armament for the battle. A bandana that has tick repellent built in. Good for 70 washings. That would be extra protection on our walks. But not when we’re playing as we would likely try to rip them off each other. OK. I would. Anyway, she ordered 3.

One note about tick medications- WE DO NOT ADVOCATE BUYING STUFF OVER THE COUNTER. Especially at places like the Dollar Store!!! See your vet for a choice that is right for you. Gee. That sounded like a commercial….

So that’s the news from bugville. We realize there will be some people who totally disagree with our decision to take tick medication. And we get it. This was a super hard decision to make. But My Enforcer wants us to be able to enjoy the outdoors- without having to wrap us in plastic wrap. Don’t laugh – she’s thought of everything including making us wear long suits that cover our bodies and legs. But ya still had our heads to worry about….I’m not so sure I would be good in a hoodie…

So given this challenge – PLEASE don’t give us grief about this decision. As I said, it’s not one we came to without lots of research and weighing all our options. If you totally disagree with us…..pretend you never read this. Just ignore this story. Kind of like when The Coyote ignores My Enforcer when she calls his name…..

Personally, I think we need to move to Newfoundland where Sue and Keith live. NO TICKS (or porcupines or skunks or snakes !) in Newfoundland! And summer is a whole month long!!! After the icebergs melt. Just joking!!!!! About moving there…

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

Howdy blogees. Elroy here. And I’m pretty excited. Well. As excited as I get. I’ve turned into a pretty laid back kinda guy. Who would ever have thought it?! Anyway, today I’m celebrating my 5th birthday!!!!! Her Highness doesn’t know where the time has gone- it seems like yesterday I looked like this…

Since my last birthday, we added the Shaggy Shark to our family. Who can forget these early videos of me with the little monster:

https://youtube.com/shorts/vney480NRUA?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/_bNUsVzwIp8?feature=share

I was pretty darn patient with the needle toothed whirlwind- and I still am today. We DO get into some pretty crazy Humpty Dumpty playing – and sometimes Her Highness has to break us up. Yeah – we DO get a bit over the top at times. And given that each of us has been on crate rest once since he arrived due to muscle injuries, Her Highness monitors our play and calls it off once it goes beyond a slow boil. She’s too paranoid. She needs to chill more. Like me.

Over the last year I’ve decided that food is OK. I eat everything in my bowl now – AND I eat blueberries again. I went off them for awhile. No particular reason. Just a Picardecision. Yup. We Picards decide we like or don’t like something- and that’s that. But we can change our minds a few weeks or months later. We also have our own “rules” for games. Fetch? We MIGHT bring the object back the first time, just so you humans think we know the game. But after that it’s anybody’s guess what we’ll do. Same thing with those “find it” games. The mops get all trembly and excited about looking for some stinky stuffed toy. Me? It’s kind of a silly game. I might play along for a bit, but I get bored quickly. Repetition is NOT a useful word in my vocabulary. Yawn.

I am proud to say that walking me on a leash is now a pleasure. Unless I see a deer, or lately a bunny – then I do have a tendency to go bananas. Speaking of which, I’ll eat them too. Bananas. Not bunnies.

If I see a neighbor, I might pull to say hello, and attempts at jumping are not off the table yet. But at least I don’t go CRAZY and bark like the mop maniacs. Those two are crazy. With Her Highness apologizing for their insane behavior. But I’m the “good” dog. I like everyone.

So we’ll see what kind of party I’ll have today. I’ve decided that bully sticks are fabulous- so MAYBE there will be one waiting for me.

Here are just a FEW of the 5000 shots of me taken just in the past year. I’m getting a BIT better at posing, but it’s still not my favorite thing to do. I’d rather roll on the lawn. And eat grass.

There are lots of shots of me and the Shark.

Oh and you’ll see photos of me and some of my friends. I’m what they call “dog friendly.” Although I will attempt to hump even my friends if allowed to. Hey – it’s just a fun game!

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