Viktor, was a Polish Lowland Sheepdog who shared his views on life and had a following of loyal readers from around the world . He sadly left all of us us way too soon. He left his PON brother, Frodo and his Berger Picard “brother”, Elroy to continue his “legacy.” We now welcome a new PON brother to our story- Wojtek- who in many ways, has the very same “bigger than life attitude” as Viktor. So we know Viktor’s spirit lives on, as does the spirit of Paxton, his Bernese Mountain Dog…
Howdy doody blogaroos. Happy Sunday from snowville. Yup – we got snow yesterday. LOTS of snow. And then we had freezing rain. A perfect stay at home day. Yowza. The plow guy made huge piles for us to sled on. If we had a sled.
Do you know who is celebrating a birthday today? Nope – not the Boss. His was yesterday. We had leftover steak from the first fake birthday. He didn’t care.
Anyway, today is the birthday of FDR – Franklin D Roosevelt- the 32nd President of the US. Apparently FDR, who I’ll call Frankie, loved dogs. I have no knowledge about Frankie’s political record or whether people liked him ( although he was President for 12 years so I guess they did) but all I care about is whether or not he was a dog guy. Well- he was. Here’s info about him- and you can click on the various dogs he was owned by – including Scottish Terriers, an Old English, a Llewelyn setter, a Great Dane, a Bullmastiff, and a German Shepherd.
So blah, blah that’s not the really interesting part. But I DID find out something interesting- based on my Presidential research. Get this. FDR had a German Shepherd named Major. And get this. Major was a bit hmmmmm… assertive. And Major not only nibbled at some people – he ripped the seat of the pants from a visiting dignitary!!! The British Prime Minister needed a new pair of pants after Major was through with him. Yikes. After that incident, Major went to “live elsewhere”. Well hello – deja vu! Didn’t we recently talk about the fact that the current POTUS – also had a Shepherd, named Major, who nibbled at some staff and had to leave the White House!! How come this hasn’t been on the news?’ Clearly this is a weird coincidence!!! Plus NOW, the Bidens also got…cough… a cat. I guess Willow (the cat) will be a new buddy for Commander – their new Shepherd puppy. Things could get VERY interesting in the White House. Wish I was there to add to the chaos.
In other overly exciting news, I was very well behaved in class on Friday. The Warden thought I was starting to mature. Until the next morning when I raced 43 times around the dining room table, and ricocheted off walls and other canines before we went for our morning walk. OK. So I’m not fully mature.
Speaking of walks, it’s about that time. Better put on my boots and snow pants….
Howdy blogaroos on a fantastic Friday. Well – at least it is so far- we’re supposed to get another weather bomb this weekend. Rain, snow, ice, wind and might as well throw in some thunder and lightning just to keep things really interesting. Good thing we don’t mind thunder in this house – because we actually have had some during the snow storms in the past few weeks. Weird.
Well, I think we have officially driven the Warden crazy. In fact, we have so driven her to distraction, that she made a big boo boo the other day. So ya know the whole 12th birthday celebration for the Boss the other day? All the photos. All the accolades. All the well wishes – thanks for those! Well it seems our esteemed Warden goofed. Yes – it IS the Boss’s 12th birthday. BUT – it’s not until TOMORROW. She made the mistake easily. It’s on her calendar. Except she made the calendar- and she got the date wrong!!! I knew she needed new glasses. She put down 26 instead of 29 – which is his REAL birthday.
Anyway, the fake birthday bash was fantastic. It included extra walks, games – AND she cooked up a steak just for him! Mind you, the Coyote and I got some too. The Warden made the Boss share.
We sang Happy Birthday and then she doled out the steak. Although the Boss got the most (rightly so) we didn’t get the WHOLE thing. Having soupy poops from too much of a good thing would kinda stink after a party. Literally. Plus we know how the Boss hates baths – so that would totally have ruined the celebration. So we’ve been sharing leftovers since the fake birthday. I’m hoping she cooks up another hunk of beef tomorrow- since that’s the REAL day. We’ll see.
So we’ve had some super duper frosty frigid temperatures the past few days- and as we mentioned, the lake is frozen SOLID. Of course, the Warden has been trying to get photos of us out there – but trust me – it’s NOT easy. The Boss and I would rather roll, and the Coyote would rather do anything else. Lick the snow, stare at the sky, stare at the woods, chew on ice – he’s not an easy model. But the Warden managed to get a couple of shots last night before the sun went down. As soon as she said “free”, yours truly made a mad dash for her walking stick – and took off with it.
She uses the stick in the winter when our trails are icy. Well – I had no intention of bringing that stick back, and dodged and ducked every time she tried to grab it. And you would think it would be easy – it’s pretty long. Mind you- she was on ice. She finally gave up and started up the trail with the Coyote and the Boss. I waited a bit and then tried to race past her on the path. Busted. She grabbed the stick and just looked at me. I jaunted on my merry way.
Well that’s the news from this corner of the world. I have class today – and I’ve been working hard so we’ll see whether I remember what to do when I get there. No matter what – I’ll be sure to entertain!
So I have some fun facts to share with you today about a number. And the number is 12. There are lots of things associated with the number 12. Check them out here:
But why do we care about the number 12? What’s the big deal? It’s because it the Boss’s 12th birthday!!!!!! Yee haw! The Boss has hit the dirty dozen!!! He is officially the second oldest dog the Warden has ever been owned by. Her first – Barney, the pound puppy lived to 17.5 – so the Boss has a few more years to beat the record. And we’re pulling for him.
This is the Boss’s 8th birthday celebration on the blog!!!! Lots of incessant barking over all those years. Lots of guarding against all things that could threaten our home – including rabbits, cats and nice neighbors. Yup – he officially owns our road. Always has. Always will. At least in his mind! He will defend his turf at all costs – unless there’s a puddle or wet grass in the way.
He has been an outstanding puppy role model – raising Viktor…
Elroy…
And me…
He still holds the record for most ribbons won in this household in beauty pageants and in performance events. He loves to perform- so has recently come out of retirement to get back in that rally ring. Whether he ever gets another ribbon or not is irrelevant – he and the Warden just have fun doing it – and that’s what really counts. This photo is an oldie which shows what he earned in a single year!
The Boss also holds the title for most willing photo model – and he has been called Frodo-genic. Here’s just a few shots from this past year:
His favorite hobby, besides eating and training (which involves treats) is rolling. He’s a pro…
Despite all training attempts, the Warden has never been able to reduce the Boss’s love of “singing”. Well, maybe not singing – a better word is yelling. He yells out breakfast and dinner instructions. Every. Single. Day. He yells when the Warden takes someone else out for a walk. Even when he has already been out. He yells when the Warden steps in the shower. Just because. He yells at me and the Coyote if we bug him too much or if our horsing around is getting out of control. He’s the fun police.
The Boss could also win the prize for THE most dramatic dog in this household- at least when it comes to grooming. He pants like he has run a marathon, and squeaks like he is totally being tortured. He could win an Oscar for his performance. But not to worry – he rebounds when they are done. He shakes himself off, and promptly rolls.
He’s definitely the smartest guy in the house, and he can be quite serious, but he does have a sense of humor…
We’ve said it before that although Viktor started this blog, there probably wouldn’t have been a blog if not for the Boss. He was the Warden’s first PON – and she was smitten. She thought ALL PONs would be super easy to train – like the Boss. So that’s why she got Viktor! Viktor and I have often challenged the easy-to-train theory – but we do have a good role model to follow. I’m even working on his yelling skill – he has taught me well!!!
We know the Boss has a heart condition for which he takes medication. But his last check up was great – and he has as much energy as ever. He has some lumps and bumps – but what seasoned dog doesn’t? He doesn’t like me calling him a senior. Although he did say he does play the senior card when he goes to the pet store to get discounts.
So Happy Birthday to my bold, brilliant and barky “brother.” May your happy, healthy days continue and may you continue to incessantly share your wise instructions! You’re our hero and we all love you very, very much!
Howdy doody blogaroos! Squirmy here on a terrific Tuesday. After a mediocre Monday. No- nothing bad happened- but it was kinda boring because we didn’t go for our run to the golf course in the morning. We had a dusting of snow the night before- just enough to camouflage the patches of ice still in the driveway. The Warden was worried about sliding, so we had to “do our thing” in the yard again. How boring was that. She did take the Boss up to get the paper – because he’s good off leash so no chance of being dragged on ice. Plus when they get halfway up, she tells him to wait – and he does. She was wondering yesterday if I’ll ever become that obedient. Don’t count on it.
We did do our runs to the lake later in the afternoon. I’ve discovered that it’s kinda cool to walk on ice. I don’t go far out – because the Warden calls me to come back. We heard some motorized vehicles on the ice the other night – so it must be pretty strong. Still, we don’t go far out.
This will be a quick blog because I’m busy preparing for tomorrow. It’s a super special day – so tune in tomorrow to read all about it.
Just one quick other note. So I have a new sport. You know that kid’s game of leap frog where kids vault over the one another while one is stooping over? There’s probably an app for it now. Anyway, I tried the game – over the Warden.…
So we do a training session every evening. We go down into the rec room where she has moved around the furniture and we practice my rally and obedience moves. The Boss does too. But we do it one at a time, because it’s chaotic to try and do anything with two of us (or three of us) at once. Except for sit stays and down stays. That we can all do together.
Anyway, the Boss had his session first and then it was my turn. I’m absolutely perfect at home. Not so much at class. I haven’t “generalized” my skills just yet.
So when we were done training, the Warden went in the other room and appeared with a toy I haven’t seen since I was little. A stuffed bear – who has no stuffing. Well. I went crazy for that toy. I tugged and spun and twisted with that thing and was having a ball. The Warden tossed the bear and I raced to get him and brought him back for more tugs. I was having a blast. The Warden tossed the bear again and as I ran to get him, for some not-well-thought-out reason, she decided to sit on the floor. I ran back with the bear, but felt this was a great time to play leap frog and attempted to ricochet off and over her shoulders. Luckily she saw what I was about to do so she put up her arms to kinda stop me and she kinda rolled. I thought that meant I should roll on her too. Let’s just say my play style is like a bull in a china shop. A blind bull who has been stung by a bee, Heck – I can’t be trusted around her when she bends over to tie her shoes – graceful and slow moving are not words used to describe me. In fact, now when she puts on or takes off footwear, I have to remain in a sit stay so as not to cause a concussion.
But back to the demolition derby play session. The Warden was able to wrestle me and to get back the bear – without any major sprains or fractures. She tossed the bear again across the room and after I got him, I again attempted my football defense moves combined with the leap frog game. Needless to say, the Warden didn’t stay on floor for long. I had a blast.
OK. Time to go and get ready for tomorrow. It’s a BIG day! Stay tuned!
Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy Wormy here with another addition of your Sunday funnies.
Not a whole lot new here. I had class on Friday and I did great. The Warden – not so much. I have a lot of training to do with her. To begin with, most people hold their leashes in their left hands in rally and obedience. Not the Warden. She’s always held the leash in her right hand. So when our trainer suggested she switch to the other hand – she couldn’t walk. Really. She got all discombobulated- and I didn’t know WHAT she was doing. Anyway, she’ll try the left hand – but I’m not so sure it will work. Old habits are hard to break.
Otherwise, our COVID lifestyle continues. Kinda boring, but safe. We haven’t seen another human without a mask since Sue and Keith were here!
So since our household is blah, I turned to the news. Here’s a story about a dog in the UK who got lost. Millie was spotted in some marshlands and it was feared she might drown when the tide came in. Check out how they lured Millie to safety.
Like I say – “Treats talk.” No matter how they are delivered.
What else. Oh. Today is National Handwriting Day. I bet you that kids today won’t know how to write – they start using electronic devices for communication before they even go to school. Does anybody even practice handwriting today? I think it’s probably Handwriting Day because it also happens to be the birthday of John Handcock. I think he started an insurance company. Wait. The Boss said he was the first guy to sign the Declaration of Independence in the US. He had a big fancy signature. That’s why people say “give me your John Handcock.” Or at least they used to. Back 100 years ago when the Warden was a kid.
I was going to try and write my name in the snow with pee, but so far, I can only do the “o.” Doesn’t matter – one whiff and other dogs can read my name just fine.
Here’s a totally silly video of a guy (who obviously has too much time on his hands) who tries to get his dog to write his name. Good thing the dog only has a 3-letter name..
Today also happens to be the birthday of Eduard Manet. The French Impressionist painter. This next article is kinda long for me, and I wouldn’t have included it, but the Boss suggested that some readers might like to know about Manet’s paintings of dogs. Yawn. So here it is. I just looked at the pictures:
The Boss and I went for our run on the golf course yesterday, and all was fine until we were ready to leave the course. It was FREEZING cold and the Warden didn’t want to keep her mittens off for long. So she put down three full poop bags, quickly latched our leashes while simultaneously holding, on her wrist, another bag – with 6 golf balls that yours truly had found in the woods. She put the Boss on a leash that attaches to her waist. She decided to try it with him because he walks nicely. In general.
Anyway, as soon as she got us all leashed, she put her mitts back on , and picked up the poop bags, yours truly decided to roll. And I mean roll. I got myself totally tangled in the leash. So down went the poop bags and off came the mitts again. She wrestled with me to free me from the leash. She freed me, put the mitts back on, picked up the poop bags took three steps at which point the bag with the golf balls broke sending balls rolling on the icy path. It was at that point that some words I didn’t even know she would say, came out of her mouth, like a zombie that needed an exorcism. I sure hope nobody heard her!
Meanwhile, the Boss who was latched to her waist just stood and stared at her. She took the mitts off, put the poop bags down, gathered the balls and shoved them in her pockets, made sure I wasn’t tangled, put her mitts on picked up the poop bags and off we went. It was a glorious walk.
Howdy blogaroos!!! Squirmy Wormy here to mark the start of your weekend! Yup – it’s Fri-yay for many working folks. Here, every day is like Fri-yay. But we still celebrate the real one – because it’s my school day.
So what’s new here? Besides me driving the Warden crazy. And boy – I did a super job the other night!
You see… it all started with a gift. For Christmas, a friend and blog reader – Roni- sent the Warden an Amazon gift card. It was a lovely surprise! So of course, the Warden had to get something for me! OK. She didn’t HAVE to get something for me – but this gift was kinda for both of us.
You see, I’ve been back in my crate at night – because, well I don’t know the word “settle.” So, in order for the Warden to get SOME sleep, the Coyote and I are in our crates. The Boss is free- because he KNOWS how to settle. Sure, he jumps on the bed, but he doesn’t attempt to chew on pillows or sleep on the Warden’s chest. He also doesn’t use the bed as a trampoline – jumping on and off repeatedly. Now I settle down in my crate – BUT, because I have no crate pad, when I move around, I make a LOT of noise. Just like the Coyote did before he got his huge, massive crate pad.
So. When the Warden got the lovely gift, she thought she would treat BOTH of us and get me a crate pad. I got all excited when she took it out of the box from Amazon. Only problem – it’s a little fuzzy – so I just wanted to drag it around and attack it. The Warden decided to put it away until bed time.
So. Bedtime came and as usual I ran into my crate to get the last of my 427 treats for the day. The Warden put the carabiner on the door (since I know how to get out), and she went to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. When she returned from the bathroom, the Coyote was chillin’ in his crate, the Boss was sprawled out on his side of her bed, and yours truly was just sitting in my crate. The Warden got into bed and was doing some reading for a bit, and after a few minutes, she looked at me, and noticed I was still sitting there. Like a statue. She told me to lie down. I sat and stared at her. I honestly didn’t know what to do with my new furnishing. The Warden thought if she turned the light out, I might lie down. She put her book down and picked up her iPad to read it in the dark. She read stuff on there – and kinda shone the light from the iPad on me. Still sitting there. Like a garden statue. She again said “lie down.” I didn’t move a muscle. So she figured maybe I needed to go out. So she grabbed her slippers and her robe and opened my crate door. I took a flying leap for her bed. “Oh no you don’t!” she said. She went and grabbed a leash and took me outside. I did a perfunctory pee, and that was it. I mean no urgency and certainly no Niagara Falls either. So we marched back in, and she directed me into my crate and secured the door. She got into bed and turned out the lights. But because two leggeds have this weird spidey sense, she didn’t go to sleep. Although she PRETENDED to be asleep. Complete with fake snoring. After about 10 minutes, she looked at me. Garden statue. Flip the lights go on. She tells me to lie down. I stare at her. She says “lie down” again. I stare at her like when she was speaking gibberish. This time she finally smartened up. You know the saying “Money talks.” Yeah well here’s MY saying “Treats talk.” She marched into the kitchen, with the Boss in hot pursuit, came back into the bedroom, showed me the treat, and said “LIE DOWN.” In that tone that spells a little bit of frustration. I hit the deck. She gave me the treat.
Once I actually did lie down, I was good for the night. I was exhausted from sitting like a sloth who got into crazy glue. I slept ALL night. With no banging or clanging! I attempted a command performance last night, but the Warden didn’t fall for it. She turned out the light, and I quickly settled into my new bed, We dogs are huge creatures of habit, so change takes adaptation – even when it’s a comfortable change! As you may recall, the Coyote wouldn’t even go IN his crate when he first got his crate pad. Now, he loves it.
Hey – today is something called “one liner day.” One liners can be a joke – or a statement that is memorable – like from a famous person or even a movie. Things like “Go ahead – make my day.” Some are funny and some are serious. What’s weird is that they’re called one liners. But some have two lines. Go figure.
Anyway, we found some funny dog related one liners like these:
My dog licked the crumbs out of my computer keyboard and earned an online college degree. -Anonymous
Why do dogs always race to the door when the doorbell rings? … it’s hardly ever for them. – Harry Hill
The reason I love my dog so much is because when I come home, he’s the only one in the world who treats me like I’m The Beatles. – Bill Maher
Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you. -Mary Bly
Then some are just nice like these:
No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does. -Christopher Morley
Happiness is a warm puppy. – Lucy van Pelt (Charlie Brown’s friend)
And of course we have MY famous one liners:
Bark. Because you can.
When in training, faking a lack of understanding results in more treats so fake it baby fake it.
Good things come to those who sit under a baby’s high chair.
An open refrigerator door is an invitation to come on in.
If you want to have some fun, count the number of poop bags your human has in their pocket before you go out. Poop that many times plus one.
And my own version of some movie classics:
I thing we’re gonna need a bigger … treat jar…
There’s no place like …a butcher shop.
There’s no crying in … obedience trials.
And like I said earlier- the line that is my mantra: Treats talk.
Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.
Oh – and if you’re feeling like you need some more one liners today – just because, here are some pretty funny ones. They’re not dog related (yawn) but the Warden said they’re funny. Enjoy. And groan.
Mid-week greetings blog aficionados. Frodo here today for your reading pleasure. And I must say, the word pleasure did not come to mind yesterday morning for yours truly.
You see, after a blustery, snowy weekend, our weather turned to rain and wind. And we awoke yesterday morning to find that our driveway had become a luge run. I jest not. The slope up to the road was covered in what appeared to be a combination of puddles and inch thick ice. Meanwhile, the lawn became a patchy minefield of puddles, ice and soggy slush. Just recalling the carnage makes me shiver.
Her Highness took one look out the front window at the driveway, and she nobly announced “No walks this morning. Everyone out into the yard.”
While the other two clowns eagerly jumped in puddles and slid on ice, I stood in sheer terror. Where was one to walk? It was an icy, slushy quagmire – and each step signaled cold wet feet.
Her Highness literally needed to push me out the door – I was so frozen in horror. I tiptoed around searching futilely for dry ground – to no avail. When Her Highness announced “Quick quick quick” which is the signal to provide “a deposit,” I quickly complied, while struggling to remain still on the icy perch I had chosen. I believe said deposit slid down the lawn. Meanwhile, Her Highness instructed the Imp to follow suit, which after some running and sliding, he performed. She doesn’t ask the Coyote as he never listens of off leash. If he is on leash, on a walk, he complies with the deposit request. But just like his off leash recall, if he is free, there is no point in asking. Anything. He beats to his own drum, that boy. And the drum can be in a symphony or a rock band. One never knows. And he alone hears it.
I must confess, while I certainly enjoy cool temperatures, and rolling and making snow dangels is my favorite winter sport, I could not WAIT to step inside our humble abode yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, Her Highness went out front to salt the luge run. The temperature was above freezing and the sun came out. It appeared our Olympic training attraction would disappear.
After breakfast, Her Highness announced that she was going out to the store. She had distributed enough salt to maneuver Ludwig up to the road, and she envisioned that when she returned, our luge run would be no more. Unfortunately…..how would the Coyote say it…wrongo?
When she returned home she found that, just as they had said in science class 100 years ago, ice will melt salt. And yes, our inch thick ice had a lovely array of thousands of little holes. However, the foundation was still quite sound. Which meant, Her Highness needed a metal device and a metal shovel to break up the ice, and move it aside.
I felt it was my duty while she was out there for almost 2 hours chopping and pulverizing away, to shout out instructions. Continually. I’m certain she appreciated my assistance.
So that is the saga of our slippery, soggy Tuesday. It almost makes one look forward to the balmy tick weather. Somewhere in between is my personal preference.
Howdy blogaroos! Sad Squirmy here today. And why am I sad? I have no toys to play with and no bones to chew on. None. OK maybe one or two. But ALL my favorites are gone. Well. OK not totally gone. They’re all buried under snow in the backyard.
I know. I know. I was warned that this could happen. But I didn’t want to believe it. Mind you – today it’s supposed to rain, so if it melts the snow, this is my chance to get my toys back.
As you know, I have this obsessive behavior where I MUST have something in my mouth when I race outside. I mean I run around frantically looking to take something out. The Warden stops me from racing out with Kongs because she doesn’t want to go searching in the dark with a headlamp to find them when it’s refill day. So she watches like a hawk that I don’t take them out. Occasionally I’ll hold them in such a way, with my head tucked down, that I can get past her with them. Then, as she realizes that I’m out with one, she shouts at me to bring it back. I did that yesterday morning- out in the snow in sub-freezing temperatures. She ESPECIALLY didn’t want me to drop it in the snow because she knew she’d never find it. When I did come back in, I left it on the deck, so I could grab it the next time I went out. Yup. We canines are pretty smart.
So Saturday we awoke to no power. The only one concerned was the Warden. Cool house? Who cares. Not us canines. Luckily the power came back around 10:30 in the morning. The Warden was overjoyed. Another example of how humans shouldn’t take for granted the “ordinary” things in their lives. A good lesson for sure.
Meanwhile, while we did get power, we never got Wi-Fi OR cable TV. None. All day Saturday and all day Sunday. In fact, it’s still not on. Now THAT is a tragedy. No petflix to watch. So do you know what that meant? We got to go out in the snow – and we took some Where’s Wojtek photos. The Warden brought along some super smelly yummy cheese – so I was THE best model. Ever. We can’t do these modeling gigs with anybody else – because the other guys try to get in the shots. It’s hard enough for me to hide – so I’m not taking anyone with me.
The Warden said we have a project this year. We are going to take a BUNCH of Where’s Wojtek photos. And do something with them. We’ll keep you posted as to what, later in the year!
Today, after a cold, snowy weekend, we are supposed to have lots of rain. Hopefully this won’t be the formation of the luge run driveway. But not to worry! The Warden just got some super ugly massive boots to wear for icy conditions. Not that I’m a fashion critic- but they are kinda weird looking. You put them on OVER your shoes or boots – just like she did when she was a little kid in the 17th century. BUT – these have a special feature. Bolts. On the soles. So they provide traction on ice. Really. Part of the winter dog walker attire. Winter dog walker attire includes numerous components. Of course there must be a big, heavy warm hat. That’s critical. And the more it covers your face the better – so no one can recognize you when you walk down the street. The fact that they recognize your barking, pulling canine is irrelevant. You can always SAY it wasn’t you.
You need a warm coat – with deep pockets for treats and poop bags AND warm mittens. With a string. Yup. A string between your mitts is critical, because when you take them off to pick up our poo, you don’t drop your mitts!!! You don’t have to juggle mitts and leashes – because they just hang down. They are essential to the attire.
Snow pants are optional – unless you plan to roll in the snow with your dog. But you must wear pants of SOME kind. Frostbitten thighs would be – ewwwww.
Lastly, boots must be warm AND have traction for icy conditions. Hence the NEW moon boots that the Warden got. She is very excited about them. I think part of her excitement is due to the fact that with her crazy internet sleuthing skills, she got them at 1/4 the price they usually sell for. She could get a job as an internet bargain hunter. Call her if you need a deal. Wait – I take that back. The Boss said it sounds weird.
Anyway, the Warden has ALL the proper dog walking attire. She’s ready.
Hey hey hey everybody! Squirmy here on another snowy Saturday. It’s like Mother Nature decided to go on rewind. Just like last weekend, we had a rainy Friday and it snowed overnight. Admittedly, last week we had rain AND snow on Friday – so my class was canceled. But yesterday we had rain and got to class before the snow began last night. And not only did it snow at night, but we had and are still having crazy high winds. Unfortunately, we just woke up to no power….
Good thing we had class yesterday – we needed to get “back in the groove.” We had a LONG time since our last class – so we needed a boost to get us back on track.
I have to say, the Warden was very happy with my work in class. Actually, shocked is probably a better word. I’m far from perfect, but STARTING to slowly get the hang of this obedience stuff. In class anyway.
Meanwhile, the dog who is THE obedience dog in our household, was up to some non-obedient behavior while we went to class. And he was caught in the act by big brother….
It seems the Boss was resorting to some primal, “genetic” PON cravings. Back in the day, PONs – who were working farm dogs in Poland , were usually fed a diet of “bread, potatoes, small amounts of cottage cheese, milk and an occasional egg.” ( Our reference is The Official Book of the Polish Lowland Sheepdog by Brown, Burkowski and Supronowicz. In case you wanted to know). Anyway, while we went to class, The Boss pulled a bag of potatoes off the counter and attempted to eat them. Raw. They had been there for probably two weeks – and had started to have baby potato eyes. A few of them were just this side of ending up in the compost bin. Clearly the Boss didn’t find them all that delicious- as the crime scene included one partly eaten potato, another which was in the middle of the kitchen floor, and the rest were still in the bag. The picky Picard obviously had no interest in participating in the buffet. When we came in, the Warden looked at the Boss and said, “What did you do?” He barked at her replying “I tried to eat crappy potatoes, but they tasted awful.” She just stared at him. And he continued to bark on with “you didn’t give us a big enough treat when you left!” She just cleaned up the mashed potato bag on the floor.
Hey. Did you know that on this day in 1919, a giant storage tank of molasses broke in Boston, causing the “Great Molasses Flood?” Sadly, 21 people died and 150 people were injured. Several horses were killed and there were dogs who were injured. I never knew this story. It’s kinda sad. And bizarre. But I thought you would want to know, I’m case it’s on Jeopardy. And to lighten this tale, here’s a recipe for dog biscuits with molasses.
Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy Wormy here on this chilly Thursday. Holy moly we have had some cold weather the past few days. Mind you, we canines don’t REALLY care. At least the canines in this house because we have long coats. I know some of my distant relatives- like the Doberman family, and the Italian Greyhound family probably don’t love these frigid temps. But in this house, we would stay outdoors all day if the Warden allowed us time in the “yard.” Even the Boss would be totally content to lie outside on the deck. But no- she calls us in after a few minutes. The Coyote and I are continuing our excavation digging in the yard – but it’s a bit tougher with frozen ground. Not impossible though.
Plus want to know the best new yard addition? (Besides ALL of our toys which I have taken out and are now frozen to the ground. I can’t even move Tuggie – which is a real dilemma. ) But the NEW addition is the Christmas tree! You see when the Warden, Sue and Keith took it down, they tossed it over the railing on the deck and into the yard. To be dragged into the woods where it can decompose. Except the dragging part never happened. So it’s still in yard. Where we boys hang out. So you KNOW what it has become. Pee mail central. We have all left multiple messages on it – in the unlikely event that some random dog will jump the fence into our yard and read our messages.
Yesterday the Warden was feeling lazy – so she decided that instead of three separate walks, she would take me and the Boss together. One might think that is an easy task. But truth be told, it’s chaos. First off, she wants us to poop at home, so she doesn’t have to juggle poop bags, and two leashes. So that means she says “hurry up” about 52 times. We actually did both comply with her request, after I repeatedly kept trying to jump on the Boss. Anyway, we pooped, so she figured she could take us up to the golf course for our walk. And that was fantastic for the first 10 minutes, until the Boss decided to poop again. So here she is, dressed like a stuffed astronaut, holding onto our leashes, and taking off her mitts in the sub zero temperatures to pick up the deposit. She decided to let us free- which was fantastic because we could totally run and roll. Ten minutes later, yours truly decided to poop again. Off came the mitts, and now she had two bags to carry. So much for pooping at home.
While she was trudging along in the cold, the Boss and I were having a grand time. We both love to roll on icy patches – IT’S THE BEST.
As we start getting close to the road, the Warden wants to put our leashes back on. And that’s where the real chaos plays out. As soon as I know I’m about to be cuffed, I hit the deck, and roll on my back. My feet are paddling in the air. The Boss is much more cooperative, when he isn’t barking in the Warden’s face. Getting us leashed up is not easy. And then, once I am all leashed up, I roll again. And again. Once I agree to move, I try to pull ahead of the Boss, like it’s a race to get home.
Anyone who sees the walking or should I say waddling over-stuffed woman being pulled by two shaggy beasts while swinging two poop bags, must be totally amused. We would make a great cartoon.
Meanwhile, the Coyote gets a solo walk to the lake- with the Warden repeatedly shouting “don’t pull!” He doesn’t always listen.
But I’m thinking that part of the whole non-listening think may actually be a language thing…Read on.
Today happens to be Public Radio Broadcasting Day – and what’s the first story I found on Public Radio? One about dogs! And how we can differentiate when different languages are being spoken. Give it a listen:
Maybe that’s why the Coyote doesn’t respond to the Warden’s requests. Maybe he comprehends French better than English. And maybe if she used Polish with me, I would respond to everything. Maybe.
The Warden decided to try a little experiment by speaking gibberish to us. And she taped it. The Coyote and I just stare at her like she is crazy. The Boss, on the other hand, seems to comprehend what she’s saying. Or – more likely – he doesn’t CARE what she’s saying – he just wants to get in the last word. And of course, he does react to intonation.
Viktorsviews. The Next Chapter. 