Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here. Have ya missed us? We’ve been pretty quiet lately- and holy shamrock – we even missed the usual St. Patrick’s Day photo shoot – wearing oversized green bow ties and headbands with four leaf clovers. We’re getting really slack. The Warden said we’ll make up for it on Easter. Oh joy. Oh happiness. The Coyote got wind of her plan and decided to try and dig his way out of the yard. Probably would have been more effective if he dug the holes near the fence.
He clearly has energy to dig – and quite enjoys his daily walks. Unfortunately though, his appetite doesn’t match his energy level lately. He and the Warden are back to food wars again. One day he likes hamburger sprinkled on his food. The next day – nah. He is maintaining his weight – but likely because the Warden has to force feed him some days. Not fun. And after they get his meal down, he comes roaming around the kitchen to see what’s cooking. Yes – that’s AFTER he refused his meal.
He’s going to the vet on Thursday for his regular check up. The Warden figures she’ll leave him in the car, talk to the vet about how he’s doing, and then bring him in. One cannot talk to the vet when he’s there because he squeals incessantly from the minute he walks in the door. And it’s not like you can distract him with a treat. Say a prayer on Thursday that they both make it through the visit without their blood pressure readings going through the roof!!!
What else is new? Most of our snow is gone except for a few Larry piles. And the long range forecast looks like balmy, above freezing temperatures for the next while. I have to make sure I keep rolling whenever I can in the remaining piles as they get smaller and smaller.
The Warden’s favorite dog show- Crufts has come and gone. The big winner of Best in Show was a PON! Just kidding. But it WAS a dog from the Pastoral Group – which we call the Herding Group here in North America- and it’s the group that we PONs and Picards belong to. The dog that won was Viking, an Australian Shepherd and Reserve Best in Show was Zen, a Jack Russell Terrier from Japan. We were cheering for the Leonberger – because the father of that dog was bred here in Nova Scotia!!! So there was a “hometown” connection.
There are loads of Crufts videos on-line – but we wanted to share two of our favorites. The first is a dog who may be small in size – but he has the spirit of a king. Check him out:
There are loads of amazing agility, and flyball performances on-line, but personally, I like a dog who likes to do his own thing. This guy is supposed to be following a course in a sport called Hoopers. He decides to take a bit of a detour. Ya gotta love him!
I’m still going to classes and matches, but no trials for me yet. Last weekend we went to a little practice class and the Warden figured out a way to make sure I don’t go “visiting” during the stay exercises. She tied me to one of the sandbags that holds the agility equipment. I didn’t even ATTEMPT to get up and move. Does she honestly think I didn’t realize I was tied up? Tsk. Tsk. Surely she knows I’m smarter than that. I never make a move if she’s 6-8 feet away, because although she’s no sprinter, she sure can make a BIG leap to grab me if she’s that close. But 20 feet away? To quote Mel Gibson – “FREEDOM!!!”
I joke – but it’s really not cool because, although I’m friendly, not every dog wants to entertain visitors. Plus more importantly, the Warden doesn’t want MY behavior to affect someone else. So for now she drags around sandbags. And we’ll keep working on it. Hey- I like the action stuff like heeling and retrieves and jumps. But stays are boring. Maybe I could wear ear pods and listen to some podcasts about making treats. Or something. No judge would notice ear pods under all my hair. Maybe that’s the next training step after the sandbags….
The Boss is doing well. He is even MORE fussy about puddles and wet conditions the older he gets- but give him a sunny day and he’s a happy camper.
So that’s our update for now. We’ll let you know how the Coyote aka Miracle Dog is doing after his vet visit. Paws crossed all is well. Or at very least stable.
Have a good one. Peace and paws up! Stay safe. JBJ
Viktorsviews. The Next Chapter. 