Howdy blogaroos. Happy camel day. Better known as hump day.

Had a couple of good days of GBH. And the tracksuit is keeping me stick and branch free. My feet sometimes still get dirty, but it just means a quick rinse in the dog tub. Usually…

So the other day, I came home with brown feet, prompting a quick ped-a-poo. That’s a foot shampoo. The Warden just dried my feet with a towel, and a quick blast from the jet engine dryer. I looked splendid for my breakfast dining – white fuzzy feet and a bramble-free coat. Stunning. Just after the Warden was finishing her breakfast, a friend called to chat. She moved into the DFZ to relax on the sofa. Meanwhile, the deck door was open, giving us canines free access to the backyard. Where unbeknownst to the Warden, the Coyote and I have begun yet another excavation project. We’re having a hard time deciding where we want the fish ponds, so we just keep digging in different areas. Our attempts look like the craters on the moon.

Anyway, we didn’t work very long, when I decided to go in the house to see if the Warden was off the phone. She took one look at me, and groaned.

She excused herself from the phone call, and whisked me back into the garage for Round 2. She rinsed my feet in the tub and plopped me onto the grooming table. It was obvious that not only had I been doing excavation work, but I had been practicing my gymnastics tumble routine as well. My coat had bits of leaves and grass, and a weird golf ball sized clump of hair on my back. She figured my hair was just wet from the morning dew, and she went to separate the clump. And what did she find stuck in my hair? A SLUG! Eeeeeewwwww. Talk about gross. She figured the slug was minding his own business on the lawn, when yours truly rolled on him. That’s almost worse than rolling in bunny or pheasant poo. Eeeeeewwww.

Anyway after much eeeeeewwwing and a wad of paper towel to remove the vagabond, I got some spritzing and brushing, and I again looked fabulous. When we came in from the grooming torture palace, she shut the deck door. Free access to the moonscape was over – for the morning anyway.

That’s the news from here. Oh – we’re getting the house ready for the big party. SOMEbody has a birthday coming up on Friday….All I can say is that he better share any biscuits he gets…stay tuned.

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here on another Manic Monday. The start of another wild week. I hope yours is PONtastic.

Meanwhile, MY life had quite the upset this weekend. OK. Relative to many peoples’ problems, perhaps “upset” isn’t the best word. Let’s say I had a new “experience” this weekend. Another one of those bright ideas by the Warden.

As you know, on some mornings I go on a GBH. That’s a golf ball hunt. And I like to go deep into the woods to find my quarry. The problem I have encountered, though, is that when I emerge from thick brush, I bring most of it back with me. Combine that with mud – and well, after three successful retrieves, I look like one of those feral dogs that lives in the woods. But wearing a cow bell.

Last week, it took the Warden over a half hour to make me somewhat presentable when we got home. Meanwhile, the Boss was shouting that he had been waiting for breakfast for HOURS and the Coyote was standing with his legs crossed because he hadn’t had his walk yet. The Warden had to remove about a thousand tiny little branches from my chest and my legs. And then she needed to wash my brown feet.

So- on Saturday she had an “idea.” I could hear her in the garage rustling through boxes. Then I heard a “yay” and the garage door was flung open and she invited me in. Now I’m used to being groomed – but I thought it a bit odd that she was plopping me onto the grooming table at 6:15 AM – before my walk. And then I saw “it.” A strange looking contraption with a zipper and reflective markings. She told me to sit and took my paw and slid it into the leg of the contraption. I thought “what the .. ?” After all my legs were in, she zipped me up, being careful not to catch my hair. The contraption is aptly called a Hurtta – which is perfect because when I stepped out of the garage wearing it, and I saw the look on the faces of the other guys, well, it hurta my feelings. The Warden giggled and said “All athletes wear tracksuits.” I didn’t know how to move. I nearly fell over while standing still because it felt so weird.

She put on my leash and stepped out the door for my morning walk. I took five steps and couldn’t move. Where was that swishing sound coming from? A few more steps – walking like a cowboy who just finished a really long trail ride – and I realized the swishing sound was me. The fabric of the contraption made a sound as I moved.

The Warden coaxed me forward and I ran as if to get away from the swish. But I couldn’t. I began to panic- how was I going to pee and do my business wearing this thing? Then I realized the designers of the contraption put holes in all the right places. Phew.

So down the road we went. With me looking like some kind of Fraggle.

By the time we got to the trail, I was trotting along fairly normally- with my fuzzy butt and nibby tail protruding like big puffballs.

https://youtu.be/iU56YizCmgs

You can hear my bell in the Warden’s pocket. I’m not subjected to wearing it until I begin my GBH.

At first when I was let free, I did this weird run – because the swish sound was intensified. But I did get used to it – sorta. Here you see me on a return, and you’ll notice I look back quickly to double check there is no swish monster behind me.

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

Yesterday it was a repeat performance. But I was no longer worried about the swish. In fact, I was feeling pretty proud of my attire – thinking I looked like some kind of Olympian. The Boss said not to let it go to my head.

Well it’s almost time to get suited up. I wonder if these things come in different colors. Hey – I wonder if they come in camouflage? I’d REALLY be cool hunting in the woods. No balls could get away from me. Although, the bell would still give me away….

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

Howdy blogaroos! I hope you are having a sensational Saturday! The forecast here is sunshine, so we are expecting a perfectly perfect day!

So what’s new here? Well- the Boss decided to test out that new blood pressure medication that the Warden is on. He wanted to see if it really works.

It was two days ago- and it started bright and early. In our usual routine, when we first get up, before our morning walks, we go out the back door onto the deck, and then down the steps to have a quick pee. Yours truly usually grabs a toy to take out, the Coyote also runs out, and the Boss must be convinced that he actually needs to pee. If the Warden goes down the steps, he’ll go. Otherwise he stands and barks at her – shouting that he doesn’t need to go. Anyway, the Warden told him to go down, he started down, she walked away from the steps and she heard a clunk. She walked over to see what happened and when she looked down on the lawn, he was having a pee, and all seemed fine. Until he came back in the house and he was holding his front paw like it was broken. She felt it and he seemed OK, but he didn’t want to step on it. So needless to say, no long walk for gimpy.

Now once upon a time, the Warden would have whisked him in the car to the Vet. But – the more dogs you have owned, the better you are at assessing the need for urgent care. She also considered the fact that the Boss is a drama king. By the end of the day, he was using his leg, with a limp. By the next morning, the limp was barely visible. And by last night he looked completely fine. She knew from the moment he came in the door that if it had been really serious, he would have been QUITE vocal if he was in real pain. I mean think of the guy when he’s being groomed.

Anyway, it all ended fine, but was enough to send her blood pressure into the red zone. She has canine induced hypertension.

Hey – so I read that there’s a new dog related Guinness World record. A two year old Great Dane by the name Zeus, just won the record for tallest living dog on the planet. He’s 3 feet 5.18 inches tall. Get this – he eats 12 cups of dog food each day. A PON dream come true. But something tells me I’d be 3 feet wide, rather than tall if I ate that much. The record for the tallest dog ever was another Great Dane, who also happened to be named Zeus (go figure) and he was 3 feet 10 inches tall. We’d have to get a bigger car.

Plus in keeping with the Great Dane theme, coincidentally (I think ) – a new cartoon was added on Netflix yesterday. It’s called Marmaduke, and if you need a little chuckle, check out the trailer:

https://youtu.be/wDXYjxxnALU

Looks like a pretty typical dog-show-badly-behaving-big-eating- farting dog movie. A theme many people can relate to – no matter what breed they own.

I went to class yesterday, and my performance was average. Passing, but average. There was a new dog in class, so my head was rattled. So many questions in my mind. Who was he? Where was he from? How old was he? What did his pee smell like? How could I perform while all that was rolling through my brain?

I did have some moments of brilliance, like with my stand for exam, which was great. On the other paw, my sit stay and down stay involved a great deal of unwanted floor sniffing. And I kept staring at the newcomer, which is not the preferred behavior. I was just trying to see what kind of collar he was wearing. It looked nice. More “stay” homework this week. Yawn.

OK. Almost golf ball hunting time. Have a super Saturday!

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

https://youtu.be/wDXYjxxnALU

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here. Just watchin’ the bunnies bouncing and the leaves popping. Spring is in the air!

And with Spring comes more golfers. Which means I’m extra busy hunting for balls. Boy oh boy- some of these people sure need lessons. I’m finding balls WAY off in the woods. It’s kinda hard to picture how some of these shots end up where they do! There are so many balls in the woods The Warden only allows me to hunt on like 2 or 3 holes. I run like crazy, and she basically stands around waiting for me. She has to put me on a leash because I won’t stop!

Not much new here, so I resorted to looking at the news. And that set off a whole chain of things..

Here’s some news about a study that says our type of breed only accounts for like less than 10% of our behavior. Although genetics do play a role in about 50% of behaviors. I think that’s how I understood it. Kind of interesting research. They still have lots more to do. Give it a listen:

https://youtu.be/FcwccBY-xrQ

I like the idea of Citizen Scientists. Now of course surveys aren’t always perfect – but they are an interesting way to gather lots of data. So of course, after we saw this, the Warden HAD to go and register. It’s free. And you get to answer a bunch of questions about us canines. Now as I said, surveys DO have their weak points- and sometimes she came to a question where her answer was “it depends.” But that wasn’t an option. But still – many were spot on. Like asking questions about Frodo and food. Those were simple!

Plus a question about how often I enjoy life- she answered ALWAYS!

There are 25 surveys that you can complete about your dog. The surveys are short and simple. And just think how you can be contributing to canine research. Check it out:

https://darwinsark.org/

Back to school tomorrow. I’ve been doing my homework, but anything can happen when I get to class. Plus I wonder if I get extra credit because I’ve been doing my science homework too…

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here on a terrific Tuesday. No rain in the forecast, and life is looking good. Better than the weekend.

So on Saturday, we had some “construction” at our house. We have this tiny bathroom- the one that also includes the washer and dryer- and there were some issues with the toilet. Not that we dogs cared – but it is a dilemma for two-leggeds. It seems water was following down the side of the tank – from this thingy that was making it splash out from the top of the tank. The Warden tried her best “shake-it-and-that-might-fix-it routine, but the water kept splashing and flowing like Niagara Falls. OK – a miniature Niagara Falls. Meanwhile, the sink was working fine – BUT it had no vanity, and no storage for stuff like laundry detergent. Or dog toys. And when I say dog toys I’m referring to rolls of toilet paper. Not exactly an earth shattering problem (like running out of dog biscuits) but still the room was kinda “tired” as the Warden would say. Beats me how a toilet can be tired.

Anyway, the Warden decided out with the old – and in with some new stuff. So she went to the store, and with the help of a friend (who has a truck) they brought home a toilet and sink with vanity. Now for about 20 minutes the Warden watched YouTube videos about toilet and sink installation- and wisely decided that she would leave the job to a professional plumber. Good decision. Better than her electrical socket changing fiasco which resulted in blowing out the motor on a fancy dog dryer. But that’s another story.

So on Saturday, a very nice plumber arrived to do the work. We dogs could not be sequestered outside, because it was raining. So – the Boss and the Coyote were blocked off in the bedroom with a gate, and yours truly was in the jumbo crate in the dining area.

Of course when he arrived, we all shouted out our joyous welcome. The Boss and Coyote desperately wanted to say hello. And despite their barking, they genuinely ARE happy to meet people. Especially the Coyote. But who does he encounter first? Yours truly who is in the pony sized crate. He politely stooped down and said a gentle hello. I took one look and immediately felt it was necessary to show him my very best Cujo impression. He quickly stood up straight. The Warden gave me the stink eye and said “oh he’s just a little shy – he’s a pandemic puppy.” As he walked away, she gave me a double stink eye.

While he worked, the other guys quieted down pretty quickly, but yours truly felt it necessary to grumble and occasionally left out a boof if he walked by. My boof was quickly given a “knock it off” by the Warden.

Here’s the deal – I’m not sure about the details of guard dog duties. How am I supposed to know who is friend and who is foe? OK – I guess since the Warden let him in I could assume he was friend. But I just wanted him to know that behind this adorable shaggy exterior lies a serious guard dog. Well maybe not THAT serious if he had brought treats.

Anyway, the new toilet and sink are installed. Now the Warden is waiting for some wallpaper to arrive for that room too. She has already announced that when the wallpapering adventure begins – NONE of us will be allowed near that room. Picture us with peel and stick wallpaper. I’m seeing a brilliant viral video. The Warden doesn’t even think that idea is the least bit amusing.

Time to live and love a Tuesday!

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

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on this the first day of May! Done with April showers and mud. Bring on the May flowers and black flies.

So today is a hugely special day – it’s National Purebred Dog Day! So we can celebrate! And get extra biscuits! Yeehaw!

Now Viktor wrote a blog a few years ago where he talked about the challenges that purebred dogs have faced in recent years. He said it quite well – so I am going to plagiarize some of his words.

Purebred dogs and breeders have taken a bad rap in recent years. With health issues in many breeds and an overabundance of dogs in shelters (most of which are not purebreds as I understand it) – there has been a real movement to adopt – and NOT to get a purebred. And while there is nothing wrong with adopting a shelter dog – they deserve good homes – there should also be no shame in promoting the preservation of purebreds either. Think along the line of Save the Tiger or Save the Whale. If we don’t preserve purebreds – there are breeds in danger of disappearing!

When I talk about purebreds, I am not referring to designer dogs. Designer dogs are not purebreds, and generally are not bred with health clearances – or a concern about pedigree. They are mixed breed dogs – many of whom can be found in shelters. If you want a doodle/poo/cockamamie dog – get one at a shelter! But please don’t pay for one. The breeders of these dogs are NOT preservation breeders. Sure doodles are cute and some people say they are super smart. But – the assumption that you breed two different breeds and you will get the best traits from the two breeds is not true. You can end up with the problems that both breeds have. But you want the look of a doodle? How about a Portuguese Water Dog? Or a Lagotto Romagnolo? Or…. a POODLE! We don’t NEED MORE “new” breeds. We instead need to preserve the breeds we have and do a better job of ensuring their health and longevity.

Which brings us to the next point…..just as there are good and not-so-good individuals in any profession, there are good and not-so-good breeders of purebred dogs. If you were buying a new car, you would probably research models, and would visit several dealerships. You would do your homework. The same is true if you are looking for a purebred dog. Not all breeders are breeding with the betterment of the breed in mind. A good preservation breeder (GPB) will know about the lines their dogs have come from, and will breed with this in mind. A GPB will let you meet their dogs, and will be open and honest in sharing health information about their dogs. They will also perform the recommended health testing on their breeding dogs to ensure that they are producing puppies with the best start in life. Yes – problems still can arise down the road – because nature is nature and you cannot control for everything – BUT you want to know that your puppy came from THE best intentions – with a well-planned breeding.

A GPB will also be there for you – throughout the life of your dog. They should be interested in how your dog is doing – and should be able to answer questions about raising your dog. A GPB, in my opinion, will have shown their dogs – to see if they are good representatives of the breed – AND it’s great if the breeder has produced dogs that have initials on both ends of their names. That means their dogs have obtained titles not only in beauty pageants – but also in performance events – like those your dog was initially bred for (retrieving, herding, tracking).

The Warden has talked to people who are looking for a purebred, but are “put out” by the questions they have been asked. They feel they are paying for a puppy, so why are they being “interrogated?” Well here’s the thing – if the breeder does NOT ask you any questions, that’s a huge red flag. A GPB has invested time, energy, and money in producing a litter of puppies. They CARE a great deal about where their puppies are going. If the a breeder DOESN’T ask you questions, it’s likely they are….how do I say it….not necessarily in breeding for the right reasons.

If you have found a GPB, chances are you may have to wait to get a puppy. Unfortunately, we live in an “instantaneous” world, where we don’t like to wait. You decide at 2AM that you want some new dog toys, so you go on-line and order some and they will likely be delivered to your door in a few days. Waiting has become something we’re not used to! So when you hear you will have to wait for a puppy, you may be discouraged. But trust me – a puppy from a GPB will be worth the wait.

So there you have my (and Viktor’s) opinion about purebred dogs. Spend lots of time deciding which purebred meets your lifestyle. There are hundreds of options out there! And take your time in finding a GPB. Check with your local Kennel Club for a place to start. But even then, you still need to do your homework to find the right GPB for you.

To end my speech, here are a couple of quizzes about purebred dogs. I really liked the puppy one – because who doesn’t like a puppy?!

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/quiz-what-was-this-dog-bred-to-do/

https://www.dogbreedinfo.com/quizzes/purebred-dog-picture-quiz/?_gl=1*1r8a0ng*_ga*Z3pKdEV5SDhaMXJ6cVdpc2UtU1VSc3VqWHNKaml4MFpNcy02aEVhMVRIc25FWXhybWIxZmZuS1QxS1M0dzR0VQ..

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/guess-the-breeds-from-puppy-pictures/

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