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 blogaroos. Squirmy here for your mid-week entertainment. And I’m here to begin with a semi-rant. It seems the people in California are at it again – holding the World’s Ugliest Dog contest.
Now I think this contest is pretty mean. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Mr Happy Face’s owner clearly loves him. But really – who wants that title? The one good thing about the story is that it encourages the adoption of older dogs. And that’s a good news story. I hope he got some good prizes.
Not much new here at the ranch. I’ve been doing my homework- so we’re back in the training groove again. But it’s anyone’s guess as to whether it will show in class on Friday. I’m a wild card.
Hey did you hear about the discovery of a new species that lived like 36 million years ago – and who weighed just over 700lbs? It was a bear dog. Somebody found a fossilized lower jaw – so they are learning more about these monsters who roamed Europe. Here’s the story:
Holy moly imagine how much food those guys ate. A treat would be the size of a car tire. Imagine obedience training those dudes. Or better yet, doing agility. That would be some giant dog walk. And something tells me that herding would be out – they would probably eat the flock. And leash walking might be a challenge…
Hey hey hey blogaroos. Squirmy here on another marvelous Monday. There’s sunshine in the forecast, and the lawn mowing was done on the weekend- so things are looking great.
We are adjusting to life without Aunt Sue, although the Coyote was so depressed he didn’t eat for a day after she left. Seriously. He moped around, looking all depressed. And he ate a tiny bit of breakfast, but no supper. I wanted to help him out, being the considerate guy that I am – but no such luck. Anyway, his attention span is pretty short – so by yesterday he was spending time watching butterflies, and he forgot she had even been here. He then ate all his meals.
Today is the birthday of Helen Keller, and although we shared this before, we figure it’s worth a repeat. It talks about her love for dogs:
How amazing that although she couldn’t see or hear her canine companions, she could feel their presence and communicate with them on a whole different level. We dogs are magical that way.
What else….oh – I had a successful GBH yesterday morning. I added 14 balls to my collection. And that was a short walk on 3 holes. There’s lots of bad golfers out there. Lots.
I get pretty good exercise when I’m racing around in the woods. But honestly- I get even more exercise during the day. Am I the only dog on the planet who gets up every time his human moves? I mean every time. If the Warden goes to another room, I follow her. If she heads for the garage, I’m on her heels. Checking food for dinner? I’m there with my head in the fridge. Vacuuming? I’m jumping around the machine. Putting laundry in the machine? I’m there to be sure she uses the right washer settings. Same with the dishwasher. She won’t let me in the bathroom- but not to worry – I’m right outside the door waiting. If she is so rude as to go in the DFZ – I stare at her through the gate. Or I rattle it. What can I say? I’m attached to her. Like morning dew on a flower. Or icing on a birthday cake. Or dog hair on a fleece jacket. Or a cling on.
Hey blogaroos. Squirmy here on a sad Saturday. Why is it sad? Well, for one, Aunt Sue has gone home. As soon as we saw the suitcase, we realized the party was over. As she went to leave, the Coyote had his head on the floor and he refused to look at her. I gave her one last ricochet and the Boss barked out his good-bye. We were all pretty sad, BUT – she and Keith will be back in August – and that’s not TOO far off.
I went to class yesterday, and despite the fact that we had a bit of a training lull, I didn’t do too badly. I actually managed to do my “stand for exam” , and my sit and down stays without moving around. Those three exercises have not been my forte – I come by the name Squirmy for a good reason.
In other news – this being the other sad part….lately it seems, the Warden has known a fair number of dogs who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge. Some were PONs and some were Picards…and there were two very special Goldens, a Doberman, a chihuahua, a Lab….the list goes on. And for every one of those humans who lost their best friend , we understand and feel the heaviness in your heart. All of you want us dogs to live forever- and yet for some of us canines, our job is over early. Then for others- we have a very very long and full life – but that doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier.
There are plenty of quotes about the loss of a pet – and we know how heavy and and mind-numbing your grief can be. We found a quote that we hope you can relate to – especially if you’ve been owned by a dog:
“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” – From an Irish Headstone
Here is also a good article for those dealing with the loss of a dog…
We hope that those of you who have recently experienced heart wrenching loss can for even a moment focus on a happy memory- so your smile can halt the flow of tears. Even for a moment….
And lastly….so we don’t leave all of you blowing your noses and leaving wet drops on your computer or other digital device, a word about Bloodhounds. How’s that for a segway?
As you know, Trumpet the Boodhound won the Best in Show at Westminster this past week. Trumpet was the first Bloodhound to ever take home all the biscuits. He sure was handsome. And well behaved. BUT – before you think “hey that’s a cool breed – I want one,” you had better read this:
NOTE: this is not an endorsement for this food. Nor are we criticizing it. But we read through a number of sites about Bloodhounds- and this one made us laugh. And we all can use a good laugh.
“Most melodious member of dogdom.” Holy heck the baying and howling sounds like it must be crazy. Even worse than the Boss’ incessant instructions. And that’s bad enough.
“Prodigious drooler.” A PRODIGIOUS drooler. Imagine THEIR French doors.
“Can hurl drool as far as 20 feet.” Do they have a contest for this? I mean who measured it? And who volunteered to measure it?! Yowza!
Those guys really like to follow a scent so they’re not a dog to likely go for off leash walks. Ever. I think more of a flight risk than the Coyote.
Anyway – I’m not dissing the breed. BUT after a show like Westminster or a movie like 101 Dalmatians, people can easily be swept up with the cuteness of a breed. The bottom line – you need to learn about a breed before you take the leap in getting one. In the right home, I’m certain that Bloodhounds are amazing companions. I just wonder if all their walls are covered in soundproof plastic wrap…..
Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here for your semi-daily dose of “better her than me.” Her being the Warden.
So what’s new in the land of chaos?! Oh! Aunt Sue is still here until tomorrow! A little change in plans means she gets to stay with us until tomorrow. So I got an extra 48 hours of ricochet practice. It is awesome.
Unfortunately, due to some rainy days, the deck project still has not been completed. You need several days of sunshine to do the job and Mr Sun has not cooperated. Hopefully before Christmas.
So we watched my sister at Westminster and the Warden finds it hard to believe we are related. Sista Szyszka is so well behaved. She doesn’t care about millions of people watching her on TV, or a judge messing up her nicely groomed hair. I thought she looked stunning during the group judging. But alas, the winner in the Herding Group was the German Shepherd. The other Group winners were the Australian Shepherd, the Old English Sheepdog and the Queen’s fave – the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. PONs and Picards left out once again. Sigh.
The dogs who competed for Best in Show were the Bloodhound (the Hound Group), the Maltese (the Toy Group), the French Bulldog (the Non-Sporting Group), the English Setter (the Sporting Group), the Lakeland terrier (the Terrier Group) and the Samoyed – who just so happens to be a dog from Canada! (the Working Group). And the dog who took home all the biscuits was the…..Bloodhound!!! With the Runner Up being the Frenchie.
Based on the stats in this article, we dogs in the Herding Group need to start becoming more vocal about winning. The Bloodhound brought up the stats for the Hound Group because those tenacious terriers are the most winning group!
Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on the first day of summer. It’s also the longest day of the year. More time to torment my “brothers”, the Warden and Aunt Sue.
Although, sadly, today Aunt Sue will be returning to Newfoundland. The tomatoes need her. And probably Keith as well.
She’s likely excited to be going home – the Warden has been giving her so many projects she is probably looking forward to having some rest and relaxation when she gets home.
On Sunday, she and the Warden did the worst annual household project. They scraped the deck in preparation for painting. Besides cleaning grout, deck painting is the Warden’s worst nightmare. She had started the scraping part before Aunt Sue arrived, and the deck looked sufficiently pitiful- so much so that Aunt Sue suggested they work on it together. I’m sure she regretted that offer.
For several hours, we boys were sequestered in the house and not allowed out on the deck – where we heard scraping, sanding, pounding and lots of moaning and groaning. The Boss intermittently shouted out instructions.
In the middle of the afternoon, the Warden let us boys out the lower level patio door, to hang out in the yard. She had carefully blocked the stairs to the deck with a gate and an assortment of lawn chairs. We examined the barrier and proceeded to instead, dig holes in the lawn. At least the Coyote and I did. The Boss went back inside after a pee.
After all the prep work on the deck was done, they decided to start painting. They were doing a few boards at a time – with each of them starting at opposite ends of the deck and working toward each other. Aunt Sue was working closest to the barricaded stairwell.
She was busy painting her end and the Warden was brushing away at her end. Suddenly, Aunt Sue looked up- and what did she see? Well surprise – she was about 6 inches from my face!!! Which meant I had silently breached the barricade, snuck up the stairs and I was proudly standing in the area she had painted minutes ago. “Aaaagggghhhhhhh” she screamed. The Warden saw what was happening and shouted “go downstairs!!!!!” I wasn’t wearing a collar, yet somehow Aunt Sue was able to usher me down the deck stairs while still holding onto a paintbrush. She’s not even sure how she did it – all the time while the Warden was repeatedly shouting “go down; go down.” Aunt Sue had to break through the barricade at the bottom of the stairs – because I left no clue about my entry point. She escorted me onto the lawn. Meanwhile, the Warden ran inside, down the stairs and out the lower patio door to examine my paws. As luck would have it ( a LOT of luck) I only had two small patches of paint on the hair on the bottom of my feet – which were an attractive rust color. She whisked me into the garage and onto the grooming table. She snipped away my new paint tattoos- including one on the back of my neck. They figured I got that while being ushered down the stairs with the paintbrush OR when they spilled a bit of paint and I ran under the deck for a better view.
They didn’t finish painting before dusk and planned to finish the first coat yesterday. But – it rained unexpectedly in the morning- so they couldn’t complete the job. If there are any volunteers in the area when we have a stretch of several sunny days in the forecast, feel free to come on down. The Warden supplies the paintbrushes and I supply the entertainment.
Meanwhile, while I was busy running through paint and looking like a ragamuffin, my full sister from a different litter, won the prestigious Best of Breed at the Westminster Kennel Club show yesterday!!! Yup – my little sister took home the purple and gold ribbon!! So she’ll be in the judging for the Herding group tonight. Watch for her – her name is Szyszka! It’s great to have a winner in the family. While I’m working on developing my paw painting skills.
We wish Aunt Sue could stay longer -,but she’ll be back in August. We’re going to miss her and I’m certain she’ll miss us too. Maybe not the projects – but us boys for sure!
Time to take her on a walk. She doesn’t leave until tonight- so plenty of time to have a few good ricochets
Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on a super Sunday. Aunt Sue is still with us, and we are lovin’ spending time with her. She makes an excellent ricochet target. I have taught her that if she is attempting to tie her sneakers, I must be sequestered in another room. Because I can make someone dizzy when they bend over and I do zoomies around them.
She delights in my 35 laps around the dining room table before I go out for my morning walk. Well maybe the word “delights” is a bit of a stretch. She kinda just shakes her head. She does love to watch me go on a GBH – wearing my track suit. I think I should go running with her some time – I’ve got the outfit, and I bet I could help her improve her time. She’s kinda slow for me.
So according to the crazy calendar, today is National Pets in Film Day. I found an article about famous dog movie stars – from long ago:
Those dogs are all before my time. I don’t know all of them, but I’ve certainly seen Toto in the Wizard of Oz like a dozen times. And that’s a lot, given that I’m only two years old. I think it’s the Warden’s favorite movie. That and the Sound of Music. But no dog starred in that one.
This is a cool video interviewing a woman who trains dogs for the movies:
I’d like to be a movie dog. I told that to the Boss and he said there already was a movie called Cujo. He thinks he’s funny.
I went to class on Friday and I was positively mediocre. Not bad given the fact that I haven’t done a lot of homework since Aunt Sue arrived. I’ve been on training hiatus. Which means once she leaves us I’ll need extreme bootcamp.
Oh I almost forgot – today is also Father’s Day. If you are lucky to still have your father – give him a big hug today. And if you can’t – call him or Zoom him or send him a text! And if your father is no longer with you, think of him and know that he is probably looking down on you. The Warden figures her father definitely looks down on her but he MIGHT be shaking his head because she has THREE dogs. Mind you, she did get her love of dogs from him. So the biscuit doesn’t fall far from the treat jar.
Her father took up golfing after he retired. And he loved the game. The Warden and Aunt Sue think that he would have thought that my skill at golf ball hunting was hysterical. When I race out of the woods with my find, sometimes they can almost hear him laughing…
OK. Time to walk Aunt Sue. After my laps around the table.
Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy Wormy here on a terrific Thursday. So our “company” arrived on Tuesday. And no – it wasn’t a kitten or a puppy. The Warden said that whoever it was who said they hoped it was a puppy, needs to spend a week here. They would understand why the possibility of 4 dogs in this house would be considered total, complete, absolute insanity. So needless to say – it wasn’t a puppy or a parrot.
Nope. Even better. A llama!!!! Just kidding. It’s “Aunt Sue” – the Warden’s sister – who is here from Newfoundland. Keith didn’t come this time – but they will both be back in August. He stayed home to look after the tomatoes.
When she arrived we all took turns mauling her. Actually that’s not correct. We all mauled her at the same time. She was equally thrilled to see us. Or at least I think she was.
So she arrives for a week of rest and relaxation, and what was the first thing she and the Warden did? Why they wallpapered the little bathroom! Remember the new toilet and sink? The Warden planned to wallpaper the room before Sue arrived but it’s a good thing she didn’t try. It definitely wasn’t a one person, 3 dog operation. In fact, all of us canines had to be blocked by a gate to keep us out of the bathroom. I’m here to tell you that we observed the spectacle from a safe distance. There’s a reason the half dozen YouTube videos they watched beforehand never actually showed the details in how to start applying peel and stick wallpaper in a corner. Let’s just say the ripping sound as they repeatedly removed the paper from the wall (because it had creases) became rather annoying. There sure were a lot of four-letter words used – and an equal amount of hysterical laughter. At several points we heard “OH OH OH OH NOOOOO,” when the sticky paper stuck to itself. And their fingers got caught as well. The Warden said it was like an episode from I Love Lucy. Whatever that meant.
One video said to start the wallpaper project and plan to complete it in one day. I think that’s because if you don’t, the next day you’ll probably plan on removing the wall instead of attempting more papering. At one point they had three ladders in the room which is the size of a closet. They also had an assortment of tape measures, rulers and protractors and some sharp tools that looked particularly dangerous.
After several hours they took a break to eat supper. And that’s when they added alcohol to the mix. I’m not sure that it helped. Finally by 10:30 they were finished. They stood and stared at their masterpiece. Oh. Did I neglect to mention they only did one wall? That was the plan. They were SO pleased with their work. We tried to look excited for them. Eight hours to apply 4 strips of wallpaper. It must be a new world record. And I’m not talking speedy.
Yesterday we all got great walks in the morning and I demonstrated my GBH skills. The girls had a little drive in the afternoon, and we boys stayed home. We were just grateful for the peace and quiet after the paperpolooza the day before.
Well, almost time for another jaunt and GBH. Just hoping the girls don’t have any more projects planned for today. It’s too painful to watch…
Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here to update you on the chaos that is our home.
So somebody arrives today. The Warden decided that there is absolutely no point in vacuuming until just before she heads out to pick up the mystery guest. Let’s face it – with three dogs it is a losing battle. Fuzz and bits of nature ( leaves, dirt, and the odd slug) win.
On Sunday she washed all the floors – including the semi-annual grout scrubbing with what looks like a toothbrush – all while we were sequestered on the deck shouting out instructions and leaving olfactory art on the window ; she cleaned the bedroom and bathroom where the guest will be staying; she weed whacked until both batteries wore out on the weed whacker; she did laundry; and she mowed – while the Coyote kept playing chicken with the lawn mower. At 9PM she said she was ready for bed. She has no stamina.
Yesterday, she went to get groceries and when she came home – we all exhibited what Viktor called “curiocery” – a strong desire to know what is in the grocery bags that our human has just brought home. She lugged the bags from the car into the hallway, and quickly brought them in and put them on the counter. Except for ONE item…
She busied herself with putting away the food that needed to be refrigerated, while yours truly inspected exactly what she bought. That bread looked tasty – and we DO love yogurt. As I was doing inventory, the Coyote was lounging and paying absolutely no attention to the goings on. But after emptying one bag, the Warden noted that the Boss was nowhere in sight. She called with no response. Except she heard a strange chewing noise. She ran from the kitchen and into the hallway, where she found the Boss with his head in a bag of potatoes. He had ripped open the bag, and was having a feast on the raw starchy orbs. “Hey” she yelled. He looked up with potato bits hanging off his face. “That’s not for you”she shouted. He just burped.
From now on I’m calling him MPH. That’s Mister Potato Head. Seriously- I love food – but RAW potatoes? He’s got a problem.
We were all groomed last night, so I’m thinking the Queen must be arriving. Who else could it be? All this prep is a bit much. Mind you – we haven’t had company in months – so the place did need some freshening. Whoever it is, I hope their diet doesn’t consist of purely potatoes. Because we’ll need to get some more.
Tune in Thursday to see who the victim, I mean visitor is!
Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on a super Sunday. No rain in the forecast and the Warden has nothing scheduled today (except answering our every need which includes ear and butt scratches) – so it is going to be a fabulous day!!
Today, according to the crazy calendar, also happens to be Magic Day. Here’s a funny article with some cool videos of canines and magic:
I’m not so sure the dogs in this house would be fooled by the blanket trick. The Warden hasn’t tried it because she figures either a. She’ll knock herself out trying to get away or b. We’ll knock over the iPhone that is recording us. Plus honestly, I think we’d quickly figure out she’s around the corner. I think the Boss would think she was just folding laundry.
The Warden was gone for the morning yesterday, selling junk at a yard sale. Not in our yard – because we would go nutso if people came to our yard – so she drove to a different community to sell stuff. I made SURE she wasn’t selling any of our toys or bones – and she wasn’t. She came home and said she made enough money to pay for a large bag of dog food and about a dozen bags of biscuits. I’m so glad she knows exactly where to spend her profits. On us! I said she should also go and treat herself to something like a candy bar. Or a pack of gum.
I think she should have taken us to the sale. CAN you imagine? I could see it now. Tables toppling over if we saw a dog. Barking. Begging. PONdemonium . On the other hand, the Zen dog would have probably LOVED the experience. Maybe next time!
Still don’t know about the mystery guest. Rumor has it, someone is arriving on Tuesday. Which means 48 hours of housecleaning ahead. What a waste of time. The other day, the Warden vacuumed first thing in the morning before we even went out. In literally less than 10 minutes (after we went out) she sighed and said “look at the carpet – it’s like I never vacuumed.” It’s a losing battle.
Howdy blogaroos! Private Wojtek reporting again for blog duty. Well – I finished my first round of bootcamp, and didn’t even get blisters on my feet. I learned LOTS and had a blast. And the Warden was happy because I came home each day and I enjoyed some good naps. She did too….We both had a great time.
We’re already looking forward to attending another one in the Fall. Although we wish it was next week! BUT at least we go back to regular class today.
Meanwhile, something is going on around here. The Warden is on a clean-a-thon which generally means COMPANY. I love company- more unsuspecting ricochet targets. But WHO could it be? Way too early for Santa- and the Easter rabbit was long ago chased into the woods. Maybe we’re getting a puppy!!! Nah – the Warden said three of us canines is quite enough. Actually, she said I count for two.
Maybe a kitten!! I still want one, and I think the Warden said I can get one when I’m 12. Only 10 years to go! It will fly.
Well, it’s a mystery. I’ll be sure to keep you posted. Hopefully whoever it is comes with body armor. I may have completed bootcamp, but I still have a FEW things to learn!
Viktorsviews. The Next Chapter. 