Hey hey hey it’s me Squirmy get-down Wormy here on this special day! Guess what day it is! It’s Sue’s birthday! Sue who? You know Sue who – the Warden’s sister. And guess what? You give up? She and Keith arrived last night!!! Yup. Now we know why our house is so clean! And why the Warden literally rolled out the carpet for them. Which got yours truly in trouble…

So. The Warden didn’t want me to tell this story, but I said it’s too good not to share it.

You all know about our ongoing carpet battles. The last one was put down … sometime during the height of COVID. And I started to add my own decorating flair to it by giving it a rustic, worn look- by chewing the edges and pulling out random strands. Then the Warden sprayed it with that toxic horse spray stuff and I left the carpet alone. Still – it was looking kinda grotty – so the Warden had bought a new “spare” carpet which was wrapped up and stored in the garage. So since we were getting company, she decided on Tuesday night to roll up the old carpet, and drive it up to the road because garbage day is Wednesday. She sequestered us in the front hall while she moved around the dining room chairs and our rather large dining room table. All with much moaning and groaning. She battled with the carpet, tied it up and dragged it to the car. She drove it to the road (in the rain) and deposited it for pick up. She drove home, dragged the new carpet into the dining room (while we were again sequestered) and moved back the chairs and the table. Now the corners of the carpets were standing up a bit as the carpet had been rolled up for so long, so she put chairs on each corner. And then it was time for bed….

The next morning we all admired the new addition and the Coyote christened it by smushing his morning bed face into the fibers. I raced around it in my usual morning frenzy.

The Warden took each of us for our morning walks as usual. When she was finished, she prepared our breakfast and went to put our bowls on the floor. And that’s when she spotted it. SOMEONE had already started to nibble at a carpet corner. And it literally happened during the morning walks – as we were all in the bedroom all night. I’m thinking whoever it was just wanted to help make those corners go down.

Now the next part of the story is kind of a blur. I think there might have been like some kind of banshee cry and we were all suddenly sequestered in the hall. I recall watching her with a needle and thread, sitting on the floor and grumbling. A lot. Then she sped past us and went in the garage and came out with the toxic horse pepper spray stuff. The instructions say use in a well ventilated area – so she had doors and windows open and fans going and she saturated the corners of the carpet with the stuff. She then decided that she wanted the “repaired” corner on the far side of the room. So you know what that meant? Moving all the chairs and the banquet table all over again. Did I happen to mention this carpet is 9 feet wide and 12 feet long? More moaning and groaning and grumbling.

All through her breakfast she was coughing and sniffling – probably partly from the pepper spray and possibly a tear or two. She doesn’t know exactly WHO the culprit was – but all eyes are on your truly. Mind you, the Coyote used to be a carpet renovator before me. But nobody is talking. And trust me, nobody is touching those corners right now. I did give them a whiff – and that was enough for me…I hope Sue and Keith appreciate that we literally rolled out the carpet for them. Well- the Warden did.

Anyway, today we’ll get to celebrate Sue’s birthday! I hope there’s cake. We are going to have some fun days ahead!! And I promise not to touch the carpet. Not saying I did the other day, but moving forward, I’ll be sure not to do any renovating.

Good thing I’m cute.

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

Hey everybody! It’s me , Squirmy here on this terrific Tuesday. Well, I hope it’s terrific. There is rain in the forecast again. Yesterday was nice, but holy puddles is was raining Siamese and Chihuahuas on Sunday. It rained ALL day. We did manage to get out for our morning walks before it started, but just as the Coyote was coming down the driveway, the heavens opened. Who knew heaven had so much water!

Something is going on around here. The Warden has been cleaning an awful lot. So you know what THAT means. Either we are getting company, or the Warden is taking parole. I’ll keep you posted.

Today, according to the crazy calendar is the birthday of Confucius- a dude who lived a LONG time ago. He liked to philosophize about stuff. Wonder if he had a blog? Anyway, we took just a few of his quotes and paired them with photos. Of us. Of course. Here they are:

It’s almost time to get ready for bunny patrol. The Warden wishes she had taken a video of that photo you see above. My little stubby tail was just a wigglin’ as I watched Thumper. I just wanted to PLAY with him. Sure I did…

Have a happy Confucius party. And in the words of another Chinese philosopher….Remember, a journey of a thousand miles…is better if you’re doing it with your dog.

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

Salutations blog readers. Frodo here today for your reading pleasure. I felt it was my turn to share my views on the current state of affairs in our corner of the universe. It appears the Imp has stepped into Viktor’s writing role. I need to sometimes remind him that we were quite capable of providing entertaining content before he came along. Although I do suppose he adds some comedic material. A clown he is…

Well, as the Imp pointed out the other day, Fall has arrived in all its crimson splendor. And did you happen to notice the distinct “smells” of Fall? The aroma of freshly picked apples – which I happen to adore. The distinct smell when the furnace is turned on for the first time. The pungent, but sweet smell of leaves and earth as they begin to compost. Ah yes. The odors of Fall. And then we have those smells that are noteworthy- although not restricted to the season. The smell of the liquid on the road, that has come from a neighbor’s compost bin on recycling day. The smell of messy pheasant poo. The aroma of road kill – a toad who sadly met his demise at the hands of an unknowing driver. They are canine perfume samples. And I must say, while I enjoy a good whiff myself, it is the Imp who feels the overpowering urge to smell the target and then oh-so-quickly, lower his head and turn his cheek to the ground before he releases tension in all four legs and throws himself into a full on roll. Within a nanosecond his legs are flailing in the air and he is covering his freshly groomed coat in the offensive substance, as Her Highness shouts “no!” and attempts to drag him along. And rest assured, he does NOT forget where his odorous sample is located. Her Highness must make a wide detour to prevent the drop-and-roll on subsequent days. He has QUITE a talent as an acrobat.

And speaking of talents- he has a new one that he is perfecting quite well…

Each morning, he gets an extra long walk – in a futile effort to wear him out. He walks down the road, and then down the public trail that runs through the middle of the golf course.

We realize many people do not like flexi leashes – and to be honest, when we are walked in areas like parks or on city streets, we are always walked on regular leashes. But here, around our home in the “country” we do, at times use flexi leashes. And the flexi comes in very handy for the Imp’s new talent. When they walk on the trail, Her Highness will often spot golf balls that players have mistakenly hit into the woods. The woods along the trail are dense, with the fairways of the course running on the other side of the trees. It appears the Imp has become QUITE the little ball retriever! Her Highness will spot a ball in the woods and will instruct him to “find it.” The flexi lead is quite long allowing him to go deep into the woods to retrieve a ball. He is generally quite good at not getting tangled in the trees. Of course when he returns with his bounty, he gets a huge treat. He thinks it’s a delightful game. Better him than me. Personally, I don’t want sticks clinging to my coiffure. He doesn’t care.

To date, he has literally retrieved dozens of balls. Her Highness gives them to a friend’s father (who is in his 90’s) and who sells them at the roadside from his home.

It’s hard to fathom that the youngster , who at times can be a complete nuisance, can also have these hidden talents. He was in trouble the other day for hiding under the bushes. I did point out to Her Highness that she has actually been encouraging this behavior with his series of “Where’s Wojtek?” photos. She hadn’t thought about that. Tsk tsk.

Well I believe we have rain in the forecast for today, so rest assured yours truly we’ll be taking care of MY business very quickly. Let’s see what kind of trouble the Imp can cause today. And to think that the Coyote was once the “wild child.” My how times have changed….

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

Hey blogaroos! It’s a fabulous Fall Friday here – and I hope yours is super duper. Yup -Fall has crept up on us and although our temperatures are still pretty summer-like, the leaves are starting to begin their color change. Which you KNOW will mean photos. Oh yay.

Two pumpkins have appeared outside our front door, and bets are on as to who will be the first to “christen” them. The Warden is watching our every move when we go out or come in. But the Coyote and I have lightning fast leg-lifting down to a science- so we’ll see how long those orange orbs remain pee-free.

Today is something called “Hug a Vegetarian Day.” Everyone in this household is a carnivore, but there is one guy who really LOVES his veggies. The Boss. Whenever the Warden went out to pick tomatoes this year from her pretty small crop, he got to go along. Probably because he won’t take off in the woods while she’s picking the “bounty.” Nope- he stands and watches and if he is not given a sample quickly enough, he picks them off the vine himself. He loves all kinds of veggies – tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, celery, broccoli…the only thing he’s not wild about is lettuce. He chews it and spits it out. Which is kinda messy. We each got a little carrot the other day, and the Boss devoured his. The Coyote took his, and dropped it. So the Boss swooped in and ate that one too. I chewed mine a bit and then quit. But no worries- the Boss ate mine too. I won’t go into details, but his P3 was dotted with orange chunks the next day. I think you get the picture.

Meanwhile, I’ve been in the doghouse a bit lately. I have this new game that I JUST started. It’s called “Fetch ‘n Hide.” The objective is to fetch the throw toys like I always do, but then after a couple of throws, grab the toy and hide under the bushes in front of the house. Hide where you cannot be seen. And stay very, very quiet. After the noise you initially make breaking branches to get in there. I’m lovin’ this new game. The Warden not so much. Because SOMETIMES I come racing out from my hiding place- but I leave the toy way under the bushes. And I pretend I don’t know where it is. The Boss refuses to go and get it because he doesn’t want sticks in his hair. And the Coyote, well he never fetches period. So that means the Warden has to get a rake to get under the bushes to get the toy. I don’t know what’s come over me lately. I feel this URGE to be naughty. The Warden is hoping it’s a phase. Although I did see her looking at bus schedules to New Jersey….

Speaking of Fall, I saw a dreaded Dollar Store bag the other day. The Coyote is already unhappy about the possible attire. The Boss, of course, thinks it’s great. Me – it depends. I’m in- as long as the treats are good. Really good. Last year’s photo was not too bad. We’ll see about this year…

Well, time to get ready for the weekend. Let the good times roll. But not in something stinky.

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy stop-licking-your-brother’s ears Wormy here on this wonderful Wednesday. And a wonderful Wednesday it is! Because yesterday was a terrific Tuesday! Why? Because the Boss went to the Vet. But before you get worried- know that this was a routine check up. That being said, My Enforcer was super stressed about the Vet listening to his heart. We know he has heart problems- and although he is on medication, it’s been a year since the Vet saw him. Anyway, we can all breathe. His heart sounds the same. No worse. He’s doing great. Now his teeth…. Well he won’t be doing any toothpaste commercials. But they agreed to keep an eye on him – and if they appear to be bothering him, he could do with some removals. Knowing what a wimp he is, they opted to watch and wait. So all in all, a good check-up!!

We celebrated the blogiversary with about 50 of our closest friends. Just kidding. It was us boys and My Enforcer. Drinking beer and eating pizza. OK – she drank the beer and ate the pizza, but did share the crust. Yay.

Thanks to those who took part in our blog trivia quiz. We actually had TWO people who got 100% of the answers! Nora and Daniel are clearly long time readers! They’ll be getting a package from us, of some special Nova Scotian treats! For those wondering about the answers, here ya go.

1. What does FG stand for? Friendly Giant- one of several nicknames for Elroy

2. What was The Boss (Frodo) called previously? Einstein

3. Who is Pigpen? Our neighbor, Jackson, the Lab

4. Who failed the herding instinct test? Who passed? Both Frodo and Viktor failed. Elroy passed.

5. What is P3? Picture Perfect Poop! Worthy of a Google Image!

6. What is olfactory art? The slimey prints from our noses left on car windows – or any window really.

7. What was Paxton’s nickname? Bucket Head

8. What is picnore? The art of ignoring your human when they attempt to take your picture!

9. Viktor had a book of dog terms and definitions. What did he call the book? The Viktionary

10. What is the DFZ? The Dog Free Zone

11. What four word sentence do most humans say when they discover we dogs have done something naughty? What did you do? What have you done?

12. What is reguritreat? The action of swallowing a treat so quickly that you choke on it and spit it out. But it’s not worrisome, because you just eat it again!

13. Who is THE best photo model? Frodo

14. Who is Ludwig? Our vehicle. A VW Golf

15. Which is worse – antlers or rabbit ears from the Dollar Store? OK. That has no right answer . So it’s a bonus question. It’s a tie! Either is correct.

Thanks to all who participated. A few others didn’t quite get perfect scores, but we’ll send them some consolation prizes.

What else is new… Oh. My Enforcer took me to several pet stores to do some “attention” training. Where do I report her for cruelty to animals? I mean who takes a PON to a store with shelves loaded with dog food and treats, and expects him to pay attention to her?’ Seriously. Isn’t that just plain mean? Anyway, every time I looked at her, she gave me a treat. My head was like a ping pong ball. I would look at the shelves, then look at her, get a treat, look at the shelves, look at her, etc. I figured out the treat thing pretty quickly , but still would glance longingly at those shelves of food out of the corner of me eye. And let’s face it, when we walked down the toy aisle, I ASSUMED I was supposed to pick something out. I attempted to grab several toys off the racks. I DID get a new tug toy which she was more excited about than I was. When we got home, we played tug in the yard for a bit. I would tug. She would tug. She would tell me to do something. I would do it so then I would get to tug more. Blah blah. But then she made the mistake of tossing the tug toy. Which I ran to fetch. But instead of running back with it, like I do with fetch toys, I pulled an Elroy. I took off with the toy and ran under some bushes in the front of the house. We didn’t play that game very long.

Otherwise, all is well in our happy abode. Post-Breakfast Humpty wrestling is still on the agenda each day. The Coyote was about to be incarcerated the other day for excessive Humpty action – but when he was escorted to his cell, I attempted to join him.

That didn’t work. The warden put a stop to it. The warden. Hey. I like that name. I think I’m switching from My Enforcer to The Warden. It has a nice ring….

OK. Gotta get ready for my morning exercise. And I need to prepare for wrestling.

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

Howdy blogaroos! Me again! Because writing this gives me something to do. And because if I’m not busy doing something productive, I’ll just get into trouble. OK, who am I kidding? I get into trouble no matter what.

Anyway- do you know what DAY it is?! Besides Monday. And besides September 20. It’s our blogiversary!!! Yessiree. SEVEN years ago, Viktor was bored, and decided he should share his views on life with the world. My Enforcer did the typing for him and she remembers the first time she hit “post.” She figured no one except her immediate circle of friends and family would read about Viktor’s views. Because she paid them. It kinda began as a whim. Well here we are – 7 years later. We didn’t do an exact count, but given that we wrote daily for more than 5 years, and then every other day for more than 2 years, we’re talking probably more posts than there are bits of kibble in a medium sized dog food bag. Not that we actually counted the kibble. Like over 2000 kibble bits would be a lot to count. Mind you I could likely eat them in way less than 2000 seconds.

OK. Back to the blog. Seven years equals more than 3 dozen holiday photo shoots with Dollar Store attire. Heck and way more than 2000 photos overall!!

We’ve shared tragic losses (both human and canine), big wins (like dog shows), current dog news, tales of runaways and bunny chases, naughty stuff (like countersurfing), veterinary stories (like Frodo’s Orb Ordeal), wildlife encounters (including the walking pin cushions and the killer ducks ), product reviews, historical dog facts, the addition of new puppies (like me!), tales of torture (aka grooming), stories of traveling adventures and chapters about ordinary day to day living in our household. Which is far from ordinary.

We used to look at our stats, but stopped that a long time ago. So when people ask us about how many people read us, we didn’t have a clue! We do know most people read us on Facebook. The world outside Facebook (which apparently there is one) still hasn’t found us yet. But that’s OK. We do know we are read in over 20 countries – which we think is crazy! And we know it’s true – because My Enforcer has met people in other countries- who have become good friends- all because of our blog!!!

For those who have read us for a while, we thought we’d do a little quiz to see how well you know us. The first person who gets ALL the answers correct and who sends them to us in Messenger, will receive a special gift from us! Here we go!

1. What does FG stand for?

2. What was The Boss (Frodo) called previously?

3. Who is Pigpen?

4. Who failed the herding instinct test? Who passed?

5. What is P3?

6. What is olfactory art?

7. What was Paxton’s nickname?

8. What is picnore?

9. Viktor had a book of dog terms and definitions. What did he call the book?

10. What is the DFZ?

11. What four word sentence do most humans say when they discover we dogs have done something naughty?

12. What is reguritreat?

13. Who is THE best photo model?

14. Who is Ludwig?

15. Which is worse – antlers or rabbit ears from the Dollar Store? OK. That has no right answer . So it’s a bonus question.

We’ll provide the answers in a few days. If we can figure them out. Just jokin’. Send us your answers!

Sometimes we go back and read some old blogs. And get this – My Enforcer doesn’t even remember writing them! Uh oh. Mind you, with over 2000 posts we’ll cut her some slack.

So that’s my post for today. But before we sign off – we (I’m speaking for the other guys too – and My Enforcer) want to thank you for reading our stories, your comments, your sharing, and your friendship! We know that many of you look at our stories and think our house is a gong show. And we’re crazy. And you’re right!! We know we are often like a train wreck, that you can’t help but glance at. And you likely think “better her than me!” But we also hope we sometimes make you smile – because truth be told – that’s the main reason we do this. That’s our mission. Like the persistence of a PON searching for a treat that was dropped in the grass – we’ll keep at it! Thanks again.

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

Howdy doody blogaroos! It’s Squirmy -stop-chewing-the-Picard Wormy here on a super Sunday.

I’ve had a busy weekend so far! I had my regular obedience class on Friday AND an extra remedial class on Saturday. Just jokin’. It wasn’t really remedial. It was a special workshop to learn how to pay attention and to heel. Our coach, Jane taught the class. She’s a very patient woman. Very , very patient. And boy – she knows how to make us work!

I’m here to tell you that although the air conditioning was on in the building, My Enforcer was still sweating!

She didn’t know HOW yours truly would react with a bunch of unfamiliar dogs so she loaded up with about two pounds of treats. The ever popular cheese strings, some beef lung, some jerky stuff, some kibble, some dried tenderloin- it was a treat buffet. She also brought along her latest tug toy purchase – but she didn’t use that much. The buffet was reward enough. My brain did explode a couple of times- I mean heck, this is still pretty new to me. But OVERALL, I was a good boy! Still, My Enforcer was glad she dressed light. We both learned LOTS.

Meanwhile, the Coyote and I are back at our Humpty Dumpty World Wrestling game. It begins right after breakfast while My Enforcer is eating HER breakfast. It had stopped for a few weeks, but we’re back at it. It begins with the Coyote emitting a high pitched annoying squeak. Which he will NOT stop – unless I agree to wrestle. So far we are 3 for 3 days in a row where somebody ends up in a crate. Last night we started up again, and the Coyote ended up being sequestered in the entrance hall. I was pretty tired after my afternoon of academia, and I really wanted to rest. But once the Coyote lets out the primal squeak, within 6 inches of my face, AND he pokes me with his nose, it’s game on. The Boss sometimes plays wrestle police and will stand and bark at us- telling us to stop. It’s usually at that point that My Enforcer steps in as referee and throws down the penalty flag. And somebody is taken out of the game.

One other thing about jail time…we all know that I can get out of a crate- unless it has carabiners. The Coyote doesn’t have my jail breaking skills. So when he is put in- he’s stuck. But the other day, yours truly got in trouble. I was caught, getting the Coyote out of the crate. My Enforcer had not put the carabiners on – because The Coyote doesn’t know how to open the latch. I was just helping him….

Not sure what’s on the agenda for today. Other than wrestling. But tomorrow, we’re having a party! Tomorrow is….well you’ll have to read our blog to find out!

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

Hey hey hey blogaroos. Squirmy what-are-you-doing-now Wormy here for your entertainment today. It’s another wonderful Wednesday, better known as camel day for all the folks who are working. Wait. The Boss said I have that wrong. It’s HUMP day. Well that’s a shocker. My Enforcer is always telling me and the Coyote to quit playing Humpty Dumpty. I didn’t know it was allowed on Wednesdays!

So according to the crazy calendar, today is something called National On-line Learning Day. I thought most of 2020 was on-line learning days. Anyway, I decided to see if there are any interesting on-line dog courses. And of course there are plenty. Here’s a site that reviewed their top dog training courses:

https://www.thesprucepets.com/best-online-dog-training-courses-5075564

Now we can’t endorse any of these because we haven’t taken them. If they sound interesting to you, read the reviews.

Here’s another list of LOTS of on-line dog courses on a variety of topics:

https://www.udemy.com/topic/dog-training/

Looks like they have a money-back guarantee, so that’s a good thing.

Now if you want to delve into why we dogs do what we do, Duke University has a course on Dogs and Cognition. If you don’t care about getting certification, you can take it for free. It started yesterday, but you can probably still get in.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/dog-emotion-and-cognition

My Enforcer enrolled. We’ll see if she sticks with it. I mean she’s pretty busy just entertaining/training/walking/grooming/feeding/ us, and taking care of the house, so I’m not sure she’ll have time for academia. But we’ll see…I noticed her dozing during the second course video. Probably because she had just finished mowing the lawn, dragging the garbage up to the road, and training yours truly. I asked her to summarize what she learned so far and she said “dogs came from wolves.” Wow. Big revelation so far. I think she’ll need to watch the video again.

Well almost time for this wolf descendant to get walking. I think I’ll take my human along. Oh – and if you know of any good on-line dog courses, please feel free to share!

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

Howdy doody blogaroos. Squirmy put-that-down Wormy here on a marvelous Monday. We had super duper weather this weekend, so we got lots of good walks. Which of course, means photos. Honestly, can My Enforcer ever resist the urge to take photos of us? We’re on a walk and BINGO- she says “ooooooo, look at that.” And she makes us pose. Mind you, she does carry the extra good treats for modeling shots. So the pay is good.

Today according to the crazy calendar is something called “Defy Superstition Day.” So I guess you go walk under ladders, step on cracks in the sidewalk, smash some mirrors and open some umbrellas in the house. It’s all kinda weird if you ask me.

There are superstitions involving dogs – and here’s an article about how they might have started:

https://www.petpooskiddoo.com/blog/top-5-dog-superstitions-with-possible-explanations/

If the one about barking at nothing is a sign of ghosts, our house is totally haunted. Because the Coyote barks at nothing. Mind you, we THOUGHT he was barking at nothing, and then realized he finally noticed the goose. So realistically, he could see a fur ball rolling along, and that could set off his bark meter. So I’m not so sure we’re haunted.

Now the poop one is a BIT troubling because My Enforcer had poop on her right shoe the other day. And she didn’t notice. So she tracked it onto the welcome mat outside the front door. Nice welcome. So that was bad luck. For the welcome mat. I’ll see if I can strategically poop so she steps in it with her left foot. And we’ll watch for the good luck. That’s just silly. There’s nothing good about stepping in poop. I don’t t believe that one at all.

What else is new? Oh yeah. We got a new dog in our house. Settle down, before you all start sending congratulations. He’s an old dog. Actually he’s an old dog painting. To join all the other old dog paintings we have. My Enforcer saw him in a second hand store. And he cost way less than a bag of dog treats. So she couldn’t leave him there all by himself. So she adopted him. If anybody knows who this terrier is, who is named Toby, let My Enforcer know. Was he a famous Toby? An infamous Toby? I was fine with her bringing this new dog into the house. Because he doesn’t eat anything. And he won’t take my toys. Yes….I like my stuff….

My Enforcer told me she might take me on an adventure this week. I’m not sure where. She said she has an “idea.” Which probably involves more craft supplies. But what that has to do with me, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll get to go to the craft store. Yawn. I’ll keep you posted.

Almost time to walk and roll!

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