Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here. The snow is gone, the sun is shining, the crocuses are blooming… and the ticks are OUT. Guess who got the first one? The one who stays on the trail? The one who walks on leash but insists on pooping off the trail and in the woods? Or the one who races through the woods like a hummingbird on too much caffeine? None of the above. The WARDEN got the first tick of the season. And it wasn’t fun.

So since the arrival of Spring, the Warden has been starting spring cleaning- and as you may recall, she has also started yard work.

Yesterday she had some shopping to do and while she was out, she felt as if her back was sore in one spot. Like it was bruised. She thought it odd, and figured she would look at it in the mirror when she got home. When she got home, she went to take us out for a walk to the lake, but she felt her back, under her sweater. And she felt a lump. She figured maybe she bumped into something- and maybe it was a tiny sore. When we returned from our walk, she took out a mirror and was shocked to see a black bump. Like a mole. But she never had a mole there before….

Long story short – it was a tick. She got out our trusty tick removal tool and did her best to pull it out.

She managed to get most of it out and she dropped the parasite into an old medicine bottle and locked him up. He didn’t look too good when she finished with him.

So now what? She called the provincial health hotline, which is generally lukewarm. She also called a friend who had a tick last fall – to see what he did. At that time, it was recommended that he visit a pharmacy for assessment. And sure enough- the hotline did call back and recommended the Warden do the same.

So she hopped in the car and went to our usual pharmacy. They said they were too busy- try the drug store across the street. So she went there and the staff were super helpful- although they never did look at the spot where the tick had been. They asked a bunch of questions- and recommended she take some antibiotics- just to be safe and protected against Lyme disease. So she got the drugs and dosed up last night. We are usually on tick medication- but we stop during the winter months. We started them again last night. PLEASE don’t tell the Warden about the horrors of tick meds. Everyone has to weigh the risks and benefits of taking preventatives. We know that some dogs have problems with them. Just like some people have problems with some drugs that others can take without incident. Sadly, the risk of contracting Lyme disease is high here because of ticks. And when you personally know three dogs who died from Lyme related illnesses – it affects how you think about risks and benefits. And yes, we tried every “natural” tick preventative. And yes – we were diligent about using them every time we went out. The Warden will do anything to protect us. And she doesn’t WANT to give us meds. BUT, she also doesn’t want us to contract Lyme. And short of wrapping us in Saran Wrap every time we go out, or not going for walks from now until December, she had to do something.

Anyway, her back is feeling better – and she’ll be more diligent about doing her own tick checks after she does yard work. She also brushed and used a blow dryer on each of us last night, to look for any other ticks. We were clear.

Can’t wait for the black flies next. Good thing they don’t last long – AND we live in such a fantastic place otherwise. NO poisonous snakes here! Or scorpions or tarantulas or pythons or alligators or water buffalo. It really IS a great place!!

What else is new? There are some obedience and rally trials going on this weekend- but none of us are entered. One of my Borzoi babes is in and my Shaggy buds are also in. The Warden says I’m not ready. She said maybe when I’m 10. She is going on her own though, to the trials, to help out. I’m hoping that maybe she’ll learn something while she’s there. She still needs much more training….

That’s it from the asylum. Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here sending you hoppy Easter greetings!!! Yes – we did the dreaded rabbit ear photo shoot-JUST FOR YOU. Plus Lent is now over – so the Warden can have wine again – which she needed after these shots.

But first – we need to set the scene…Because BEFORE the infamous photos, we had even more “fun.”

Yesterday the birds were singing, the snow was 99% gone except for the piles left by Larry, the skies were blue, and the Warden had no plans so she decided that that she should clean up the backyard. In other words – rake up the leaves.

In the Fall, when the leaves began to hit the ground, she got out the trusty leaf blower (which has a strong similarity to our jet engine dog hair dryer) and she blew the leaves into the woods. Lovely. Except the trees had only lost about 1/4 of their leaves when she did this. So they continued to fall – and she never did anything with the rest after the initial blow fest. Fast forward to now. Snow is gone and what remains is a back yard with a carpet of smashed down leaves. Which we bring into the house every time we go out. So yesterday, she saw the opportunity- and went out with the leaf blower, a rake and a giant tarp.

The Warden envisioned a lot of leaf blowing- and minimal raking. But guess what? She couldn’t get the leaf blower to start. And every time she pulled the cord, the Coyote barked. I think he was cheering her on. No leaf blower meant a LOT of raking. After pulling the cord 159 times (but who was counting?) she sadly dragged her tarp to a leafy area and spread it out and she began to rake. The idea was to rake piles of leaves, put them on the tarp and then drag the tarp off the lawn and into the woods. That was the idea…

The Coyote and I immediately saw the tarp as a dance floor. She shouted that we should get off. Good luck with that…

Then we found it a comfortable place to rest….

In addition to being tarp squatters, every time she raked a pile of leaves we also did a little blessing. I mean what does one do with a new unusual structure in the yard? Why pee on it! She shouted “nooooo.” 37 times.

When she had the first tarp load full, she bent over to start to drag it. It was at this point that yours truly thought this whole yard clearing thing was nonsense- and we should PLAY. And well, my idea of “play” can be a bit… bad. I started biting. Her hands (because they had garden gloves), her pants, her old gardening jacket – which I actually ripped- and her ankles. The more she shouted “stop – knock it off” the more I did my Schutzhund routine. I was just playing around – but she was NOT impressed. The Coyote watched with wide eyes while the Boss, who was up on the deck just yawned. The Warden needed to get very firm with me that the bitey play was NOT cool. I would stop, lick her hands and then bite her again. Yup- we PONs can be hard headed. Just a bit.

If the Coyote and I were not peeing on the leaf piles, we were rolling in them. At one point I dodged under the tarp and then flew out and attempted to drag it across the lawn. I then pounced on the unsuspecting Coyote. Plus it was amazing the number of toys we found out in the yard which had been buried in the leaves. Wonder who took them out there….

Anyway, the whole lawn raking thing took several hours. And that was just the backyard. The Boss stayed out of the action until near the end. By this point the lawn was 80% clear and not only could you see the emerging grass – you could also now see the variety of holes the Coyote and I had dug in the fall. Here’s part of one…

The Boss had no interest in the holes – but he did want to eat the grass. So he smushed his face down and began chomping. Meanwhile, the Coyote and I started to dig. In a word – it was chaos. I think it was at that point that the Warden let out a banshee cry staring at the sky. She’s SO dramatic. We all stopped what we were doing for 3 seconds – and then went back to our business.

After enough drama, Warden decided that was “good enough”, and she came in the house for a big glass of water. She just wanted to collapse on the sofa – but she KNEW if she didn’t take the rabbit ear photos, they would never happen. She dug out the ears, loaded her pockets with treats and told us to follow her. No problem. She had treats.

We marched down the trail to the lake…

So the Warden figures outdoor shots are somehow better. I’m not sure why – people with 5 km can hear her shouting “STAY. Elroy look. Elroy look here. EVERYONE STAY. Wojtek leave his ears alone. Frodo smile. Elroy I’m leaving. I’ll be right back. Look at these awesome treats. Here – try one. Wojtek stop licking him. I’m going…” she tries the “I’m going or leaving” line because one time it worked and we all stared at her. Guess what? We caught on.

As usual – although we all do not LOVE head gear, the Coyote is the least happy. He attempted to hide. And your truly was bored.

THEN – guess WHO lost his ears? The good dog…

The Warden did get that good shot you see at the beginning of the blog, but she decided to take one at the lake. Epic fail- including this wardrobe malfunction…

Then we have the BEST shot in that location – and she said we look like total ragamuffins – dirty and totally unhappy. But think about it – we were both. We had just before this been digging and rolling in leaves – what did she expect!

So even though she did get that first shot you see above, was that enough? No.

We came home and did get this cute PON shot…

But that’s after the cropping…

She said we all look drunk here…except for the Boss..

This was the last one taken – and personally, I think we ended on a good note…

So that’s it for the rabbit ears this year. We hope you have a wonderful Easter – with some extra special treats.

Oh – and if anyone knows how to start a sluggish leaf blower – we’ll be cleaning the front yard next week! Join the party!

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here. We’ve been off the radar for a few days – not because anything is wrong – things have been pretty mundane here at the asylum. Which, given our usual lives of chaos, craziness and catastrophe, is not really a bad thing!

I did training with the Borzoi babes the other day and that was good fun. At the end of our training session, the Warden thought for about a millionth of a second about allowing me to have a little run around with one of the girls. And then she reconsidered. She had visions of me flying over or into one of the Kremlin cuties and ruining our currently great relationship. Those girls may not know how to dodge a rocket – so best we keep them safe.

The other night, after my training session downstairs, the Warden took the Boss down to do some work- because he had been incessantly yelling that it was HIS turn. So they did some fun training and they came back upstairs. So then, she figured she would try to work with the Coyote. The dude got all excited and raced downstairs. He doesn’t know many commands, besides sit, down and stand and even those three are performed “at his discretion.” Now he WILL chase after a fetch toy like a bumper outside, and he MAY bring it back. The chances are kind of as good as winning one of those Powerball Gazillion Dollar prizes. I mean you CAN win. But the odds are not super. But still – she tries and he may do it.

But the other night, she didn’t have a fetch toy like a bumper on a rope. The only thing she had was a dumbbell.

Let me begin by saying her BIGGEST mistake was in not have her phone handy to video the performance. Retelling the story won’t do it justice, but we’ll try.

First, before she tosses the dumbbell, she tells the Coyote to sit. He looks at her. She repeats sit. He lies down. She tells him to sit up. He rests his head on the floor. He doesn’t have a collar on so she can’t lift him up. She gives up on the sit and tells him to wait while he’s lying there and she tosses the dumbbell. She tosses it and tells him to get it.

Like a deer who hears movement in the woods, he springs up and races to the dumbbell. He throws himself on the floor and stares at it. He examines it like a geologist who just found an interesting rock. He nudges it with his nose. He gets up, does a play bow, nudges it again and barks. She tells him to get it. He pushes it with his nose about three feet, lifts it up and hurls it in the air. Narrowly missing a lamp. He races to it, does a play bow and pushes it again – about 5 feet. Meanwhile the Warden is saying “get it, get it.” Like he knows what that means. And even if he did, he was doing his own freestyle version of retrieves.

The Warden finally gave up and retrieved it herself. NOW he wanted it and grabbed it from her hand – unwilling to let go. She looked him straight in the eye and said “drop it.” He held tighter. She said “DROP IT.” And he slowly let go.

For some God forsaken reason, she thought she would give the retrieve another try. I’m not kidding. This time he actually sat when she said sit. He didn’t stay, but left his post before the dumbbell hit the ground. And again he hit the ground when he got to it like he had been shot. And the entire pushing and hurling ritual was repeated. While the Warden watched the entire routine.

She finally retrieved the dumbbell again and went upstairs to get some other object for retrieving. The Boss and I watched as she sorted through some stuffed toys in the closet. She found a stuffed turtle – which squeaks. The Boss and I were enthralled, but we had to stay upstairs.

The flattened green stuffed reptile wannabe was of great interest to the Coyote. This time when the toy was thrown- he quickly picked it up- and incessantly made it squeak – as if he was putting the stuffed toy out of its misery. He dashed back with the noisy toy to the Warden who praised him for returning and then played a game of tug with him – as if poor Mr. Turtle had not been tortured enough. She was able to pry open the Coyotes iron-clad jaws to toss the green guy again – and they repeated the performance- squeaking and tugging included.

After several rounds of kill the turtle, the Coyote who had earlier been distracted by the dog outside (his own reflection in the patio door), indicated he wanted to go out to see the dog. The warden let him out and said “go pee.” Now when the Boss and I were training we had also gone out and we quickly returned for more play. Not the Coyote. He put his nose in the air and stood and looked at the woods. The Warden told him to come in. She tried to entice him to come in. He said “nah.” And he went to wander in the yard. The Warden closed the door, turned off the lights and went upstairs.

The deck door upstairs was open. It had been open a bit most of the day. We go in and out that way.

So she comes upstairs , expecting to see the Coyote any minute on the deck. No Coyote. She goes out on the deck – and there he is downstairs- staring at the door to the now dark rec room. She shouts to him to come up the deck stairs. He just sits and stares at the other door. She finally tells me to go and get him and I race down the stairs right to him. He follows me up the deck stairs like it’s a whole new experience. That guy is something else.

He was all happy to see the Warden as if she had been gone for a week.

Yup. He was a freestyle surfer dude in another life who lived on the beach in a VW camper. Think of a cross between Owen Wilson and Matthew McConaughey in a beach movie. That’s the Coyote in a canine version. Life is cool. Life is laid back. Life is about smelling the flowers. And the trees. Every. Single. Tree. And life is about leaving your mark. On every. Single. Tree. Sometimes you listen to humans. But you also hear the voices of the wind. And the squirrels. And the mushrooms. Maybe that’s his issue – he gets into the mushrooms. (Just kidding). He likes the “idea” of playing- but he has his own rules. Which nobody else knows. And which change daily.

The Warden occasionally thinks he should be in some “sport” like rally – but after a session like that, she quickly changes her mind. He’s happy just being him. He likes walks. And rolling in leaves. And sniffing. That’s fine by him. And he’s content to sit by her side as she scratches his ears and pets his head with one hand while she eats her breakfast with the other hand. He likes staring at the lake from his rock. He likes hanging out in the dog bed. And guarding against bunnies.

Yup. He was a surfer dude in another life. And that’s just fine because every house should have a surfer dude. They add a whole different flavor to the recipe of life. And they sure make it interesting…

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here on a super Sunday. We have officially moved into April- and springtime. Even though it snowed here a bit yesterday morning.

Pretty low key here at the asylum. Although yesterday began on a low note…

So every single day, the FIRST thing the Warden does when she gets out of bed, is to go to the kitchen with the Boss and give him his cardiac meds. He needs them an hour before breakfast- so that’s the first thing that happens here before anyone else moves. So yesterday, when she went to give the Boss his power pills, the Coyote started squeaking. The Warden didn’t think anything of it because the Coyote often squeaks just to squeak. He was in his elephant-sized crate, and I was in my shoebox. Anyway, the Warden gave the Boss his pills, let him out for a quick pee, and came back in the bedroom. It was then that a wave of not-so-nice aroma hit her nose and bent it sideways. WHAT was that smell? Well, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out SOMEONE had tossed his cookies. It wasn’t me. So she let the Coyote out of his condo. Eewwwwwww. Seems he not only had some stomach upset – but he then rolled in it. He was happy as a clam as he strutted outside. Meanwhile, the Warden was holding her nose and dragging his comfy bed out of the condo. She tossed the offending cushion into the garage, quickly got dressed and took all of us out for our morning constitutional to the lake. The Coyote appeared happy and bouncy although obviously stinky. The Boss and I thought he smelled fantastic. However, when we returned from our walk-about, the Coyote got the spa treatment- a full bath and blow dry, This all happened before 8 AM.,The Boss and I didn’t make a peep – for fear we would be next.

Now don’t worry about the Coyote – he’s fine. Completely fine. He had been munching on some stuff in the backyard the night before – which likely caused his indigestion. He ate breakfast and supper just fine yesterday and had no problems. He even ate blueberries at breakfast. I think he just wanted a bath.

What else is new here…. Oh. As I mentioned- the Boss is always the first one up. And as he ages, the Warden has begun to wonder about his vision. He sometimes misses a treat tossed on the floor- although he eventually finds it. But the other day – the Warden realized his vision is better than she thought…

It happened one morning after his pills, when she opened the front door to let him out for a quick pee. The sun was starting to come up, but it was still pretty dark. Well. The Boss spotted the white Easter bunny way before the Warden. And off he went. The Warden shouted “nooooo” loud enough for anyone within a 5km radius to hear her. She ran out into the front yard in her pajamas and bare feet over the remaining snow bank. Luckily the Boss didn’t feel like going into the woods – so he came back. Clearly his vision is not too bad. And thankfully the Warden did not suffer from frostbite in her feet.

Our mornings should be videotaped. No one would believe what goes on here…

What else is new… I went to my Friday class and I was fine. Most of my obedience peeps are already beginning to compete in trials- but the Warden is not yet sure I’m ready. For one thing, she’s not sure I’ll stay during the stay exercises. Now I haven’t moved during class, but she knows me- I’m “thinking” about going to visit. What can I say – I’m sociable. But apparently this isn’t a popularity contest – so one is not supposed to move. Personally, I think the sit stay and down stay are THE most boring exercises on the planet. Apparently, there have been people protesting these exercises and calling for their removal. I agree 100%. But did anyone ask us canines? I think not. In the meantime, we’ll keep practicing.

Although the news here from the penitentiary is pretty mundane – we did read about two canine stories in the news that are pretty remarkable. The first one involves a dog. And a goat…

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/01/us/rescue-dog-goat-forever-home-adoption-trnd

Sounds like the two of them have found THE perfect home.

And then we have the story of this old guy….

https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article273820985.html

Holy moly is that not incredible?! I hope Binky enjoys more years with his refound family.

Time to get the morning parade moving. Oh. We thought of writing a funny April Fools joke yesterday, as we have in the past- but this year we realized our real lives are better than a joke! I mean, who would believe a woman running out in her bare feet after a bunny-chasing dog? The truth is – our lives are a whole lot more interesting than fiction! And that’s no joke!

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

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on another wonderful Wednesday! I hope you’re all feeling good today – and you have at least a few minutes to be carefree like a canine!

Not a whole lot new here. I did some training yesterday with the Borzoi babes and the Warden was quite surprised at how well I did. Remember my dumbbell drama? Over. Done. I now think dumbbells are cool. I’ll even go over a jump to get one. AND I bring it back too! OK. Sometimes I DO go around the jump – because if the Warden throws the thing on a crazy angle- it only makes sense to me to take the shortest route to get it and bring it back. We’re working on it…And I was good on my boring stays yesterday – no visiting my stay partner, Chloe. When we do the down stay – she lies on her side and looks like she’s down for the count. The Warden thinks I could take a lesson from her – instead of demonstrating swivel head through the whole exercise. I do that just to make the Warden sweat – for fear I’ll break my stay. Works every time.

On the home front, yesterday when we went to the lake, we saw some ducks. First the Coyote noticed them…

Then yours truly stopped running around long enough to notice them…

And finally, the Boss stopped barking for treats long enough to notice them…

The ducks came pretty close – but then the Boss started yelling “hello” and they swam the other direction.

What else…oh – according to the crazy calendar, today is called Piano Day. A day to celebrate pianos I guess. Anyway, you KNOW I had to find some dog piano videos. Like this classic:

https://amp.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/piano/dog-plays-sings-owners-secret-footage/

I play the bagpipes when the Warden isn’t home. Just kidding. The Boss does.

In this video, the dog doesn’t play – but he sure likes to sing:

https://youtu.be/CIpy-CTQ5nk

He’s almost as good as the Boss. Almost.

Now Jimmy Fallon, the late night TV guy likes dogs and he gets them to come on and do tricks. This group includes a piano player. And a lousy hockey player…

https://youtu.be/QIS_P4reQ5g

I shouldn’t really say the one dog was a lousy hockey player. That’s not nice. But let’s face it – he wasn’t going to be playing in the Stanley Cup. Maybe it was stage fright. The Warden said that would happen if one of us actually knew a trick and we went on TV to perform. We wouldn’t do it. Kind of like an Obedience trial….”he does it at home…” But when the spotlight is on – total amnesia. Or MAYBE we just like to play with you.

Anyway, the tail chasing dog was cute but he sure looked like a Border Collie, so he should have been able to build a piano and conduct the orchestra. His talents were unused.

That’s it from the asylum. Weather is SLOWLY getting warmer – and as you can see in the photos, the ice on the lake is completely gone. Pretty soon – ticks and black flies. Yee haw! Bring on summer!!!

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

Greetings blog aficionados. Frodo here for your Sunday funnies. Because, let’s face it, we ARE a rather comical crew…

First off, I am here to report that the First ever International ZOOM PONversation was a ponormous success. I watched and listened to the entire thing – while pretending to be asleep. I didn’t make an appearance at the meeting, simply because Her Highness had no treats on her person – and I refuse to perform on video without compensation. It’s not in my contract.

But back to the meeting- there were participants from across the US and the UK, and from Finland, Poland and Canada. Everyone shared their PON stories – and tales ranged from heartbreaking to heartwarming and every single one was heartfelt. I am pleased to know that yours truly is NOT the only talkative PON on the planet. And most PONs across the globe do share a hearty appetite. The line was drawn at about 50-50 when it comes to swimming and water – but again I was pleased to know that I am not alone in my aversion of puddles and damp environments.

There appeared to be a fair amount of laughter throughout the meeting – and the phrase “misery loves company” sometimes came to mind.

Many PONs did agree to appear on camera – and the Imp was no exception. What the participants did not know was that when he was not on camera, he was either chewing Her Highness’s fingers – or attempting to steal her slippers. He also ALMOST got into fisticuffs with the Coyote under the table when Her Highness was petting the Coyote instead of him. She was casually separating them without making too much movement so as not to disturb the meeting.

Her Highness was thrilled to meet this international group of PON lovers, and I believe this may be the start of somewhat regularly scheduled “gatherings.” It definitely was the start of new friendships. While COVID was a dreadful plague, one good thing it fostered was the use of technology- which allows people to meet “face to face” without actually being in the same place. There seemed to be no major technological glitches – so, from my point of view I think it went swimmingly. I take that back. Me? Swimming? We know that’s not correct. I should say the PONversation went brilliantly. I look forward to observing the next one. And perhaps I’ll consider an appearance next time.

In other less joyful news, yours truly found himself in the proverbial dog house the other day. And I am still “pleading the 5th” so as not to incriminate myself…

You see, each day, we take our jaunt to the lake. The Imp is flying free through the woods at warp speed, the Coyote is on leash, and yours truly is generally following 2-6 feet behind Her Highness. Sometimes I will choose to go ahead of her, but generally I stay at the end of the parade.

Recently, when we had some slushy weather, I was reluctant about going on the trek. Her Highness said I could just wait by the door, and I did for a minute or two – but then ran to catch up with the parade so as not to miss any treats. She ALWAYS carries treats on walks-so how could I possibly miss out. I quickly caught up with the wagon train.

The day before yesterday, the ground was relatively manageable- some patches of snow and generally frozen ground – so not too “messy.” Her Highness did not think I would find the conditions unreasonable, but noted I was lagging a bit on the front lawn. She called to me – but she continued to be dragged along by the Coyote. The Imp was off chasing rabbits. Or something.

When they got half way to the lake, Her Highness called to me again. No sign of me- but she continued on. They reached the lake – at which point she said to the other two “we must go find Frodo.” She started to turn the corner in our loop back to the house, when the Imp stopped. He heard something. It was yours truly trotting along. Her Highness was happy to see I was about to join the gang, when she suddenly got a look at my face. Now we all know what a muddy dog looks like. Brown and mucky. But that was not me. No – my face- my muzzle and my charming beard were not muddy – they were black. JET BLACK. CARBON JET BLACK. EBONY CARBON JET BLACK. She looked at me and shouted “WHAT in the name of heaven have YOU been into!?” As if she expected me to explain myself. I just smacked my charcoal colored lips. “Eeeeeeeeeew” she said – “eat some snow or something!” Again I smacked my onyx choppers. I looked so horrid, she couldn’t even bear to take a photo.

Our return to the house now looked more like a military march than a parade. We got back to the fenced yard and she released the Coyote. And then – she put the leash on me. It was at this point that I began to rethink my earlier indiscretion. She put the other boys in the house and marched me out to the front yard – hoping I might return to the scene of the crime – so she could see what I had clearly been eating. But surely she knows I’m smarter than that. As if I would point out the source of my obsidian face. I stood and stared at her. She marched me into the front hall and then took a detour to the garage. There was no point in attempting to run or protest – I was still on leash. In one swift movement, she plopped me into the dog tub – and the last thing I remember was smelling soap.

Yesterday when we went out, she INSISTED I walk ahead of her. She was keeping an eye on me – and watching for the source of my midnight expression. I wasn’t giving out any clues…It’s my dark little secret.

And just think – I’m the “good dog” in the household….It’s fortunate that we are meeting PONs around the world. I shall have excellent places to visit when I’m deported from my home for bad behavior. But I jest – we all know I would be the last to be shipped out. At least I think I would be….

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here. On another wonderful Wednesday. Here to tell you our latest clutzy human story. Honestly, she’s so lucky we keep her.

So our snow is melting. Rapidly. And while parts of our trails to the lake are still snowy, places that are wide open and where there’s lots of sun, are pretty clear of snow. Like the golf course. So the Warden got this idea to take yours truly to the links with a Chuckit launcher and ball. She will only do this early in the morning, when the ground is still hard and frozen. For one thing, she doesn’t want me all mushy, muddy and wet – and she doesn’t want me scuffing up the fairways.

The other thing about frozen fairways is the fact that if the Chuckit ball is launched properly- it can go for a LONG distance. And we know what the objective is – tire me out.

So the other morning we got up early and when daylight hit, we all had a walk to the lake and then yours truly got to go to the links. And boy was I running and running. Racing after the ball and racing back with it. As the Warden would hurl the ball, she would continue to walk in the direction I was running.

And all was going great. I was doing my cardio and having a great time. Sometimes she would throw it back in the direction we had come from. I was getting a great workout. It was all perfect…. until my less than coordinated human threw the ball off course. I still raced after it but threw on the brakes as the ball bounced into a pond. I guess I shouldn’t say “into.” It actually bounced ON the pond because it was still frozen. It bounced across it, and I raced to the other side. BUT it stopped about 10 feet from the edge. And I wasn’t taking ANY chances on that ice. I’m no fool. The Warden approached the edge and attempted to step just on the very edge of the ice. Crack. Nope – it was solid enough for a ball – but not a person or a PON. She tried to reach it with the Chuckit. Too far. I sat down to watch the proceedings.

Luckily this pond was close to the rough – and the woods were on one side. So the Warden went looking for a stick longer than the Chuckit. First stick- not long enough. So she went to get another one. I was watching, but I was getting bored. She found another stick and this time she had success. Ball retrieved! So she went to throw the stick into the woods. It was at this point that yours truly decided I should go for a walk about. And I disappeared into the woods. The Warden was busy gathering up the ball, the Chuckit, my leash – and she watched me as I went. She was all assembled and called my name. If it was summer, I would say all she heard was crickets. But they’re not out yet, so it was silence. I WAS wearing my bell, but she couldn’t hear me. She decided to keep walking, assuming I would appear any second. Here’s the thing – you know how they say 1 human year is like 7 dog years? Well for every minute we are missing, it feels like 7. When I didn’t materialize after 14 dog minutes ( 2 real minutes), she started walking toward the spot where she saw me go into the woods. She called my name. Nothing. Another 7 dog minutes and she’s beginning to worry. Another 7 minutes and she starting to think she should start going in the woods. But where to look? By this point she envisions me being eaten by wolves. And we don’t even have any wolves here. At least none that we know of. It’s cold out but she’s sweating. It’s been like 29 dog minutes. And then suddenly, she hears my bell. I appear – racing toward her over a hill – 180 degrees from where I went in the woods. I happily came to her with my treasure. I drop a golf ball at her feet.

Of course she wanted to strangle me – but instead, gave me treats because she was so relieved – and I did find a ball.

Yesterday we did the Chuckit routine again, and this time she didn’t throw it when we were approaching the pond. See- she learns quickly! She can be easy to train. Sometimes.

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

Happy Monday blogaroos. Squirmy here on this – THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING! Yee haw! Let the buds begin to pop out. Let the geese return. Let the birds begin to sing. And let the hidden poop piles emerge as the snow continues to melt. Good times.

The Coyote appears to be completely recovered since the broken nail caper. He even stood on his favorite rock to survey the lake. He also ate some blueberries during the morning distribution- so you KNOW he’s definitely feeling good.

So it was a quiet weekend. No drama. No vet visits. No escapees. No company. No matches. No trials. No nothing. The Warden had to run a few errands – and she and I did go to do some training outside the local rec center – which was “different.” I decided to try the old intermittent reinforcement thing – and I actually did quite well. Giving her the false impression that I’m becoming somewhat reliable in training. Truth is – it’s still a roll of the dice. Next time could be a gong show. Ya just never know!

So – did you read what happened in dogdom in the US? The decades long title of “most popular breed” has changed. Yup the ever popular breed the Labrador Retriever is no longer numero uno. It’s the Picard! Just kidding. Just kidding. It’s the bat-earred, smushy-faced French Bulldog!!! Picards came in at 153 and PONs came in later. I don’t want to say what because the Coyote will rub it in. OK. OK. We were 181. We’re valuable. Because we’re more rare. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

And speaking of rare and unique – check out the homes of some of the rich and famous canines in the world.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/doggie-amenities-vanderpump-mansions-pets-4bbcf685?reflink=share_mobilewebshare

The Warden said that would be her luck – build us a fancy schmancy dog mansion, and we wouldn’t want to use it. Sadly, I could relate to Doug the Pug, who had a huge number of outfits stored in bins. Kind of like the ones we have for our holiday attire, stored in the garage. But when the day comes that the Warden has a special closet built – I’m outta here.

So as I said, a quiet weekend. I continue to hone my hair styling skills on my most willing client.,.

AND yesterday I took on a new client…

I am a dog with many, many talents….

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

Howdy blogaroos. Top o’ the mornin to ya! Yup – it’s Saint Paddy’s Day. A day to drink green beer and eat corned beef and cabbage. Personally, I’ll skip the beer – but bring on the beef. Minus the cabbage.

Now we are usually all subjected to a group holiday shot- but because those photo shoots can become rather raucous, and because the Warden didn’t want anyone inadvertently stepping on the Coyote’s foot, we decided to put off the group shot until Easter. When the dreaded rabbit ears come out. So it was just yours truly who got to wear the Lucky Charms headdress. The top was the best result. Although there were some other contenders… like the first shot when I realize I have to wear shamrocks on my head. How sad can I look?

Cute. But I look like some leprechaun stole my treats.

Here I’m just bored…

Here I get happy because she removes the headgear and I think we’re done…

And then THIS happened…

You can stop laughing. Good thing she had good treats.

So the Coyote is doing well – eating and nor limping. Although, the Warden lost her voice from loudly saying “leave your foot alone!” when she removed his bandage. The vet said he didn’t need to wear the cone of shame, but just to keep an eye on his nail. It looks fine to me – although I’m also not allowed to lick it. No wonder the Warden is hoarse. And just so the Coyote wouldn’t feel like the odd man out, the Boss decided (as he sometimes does) to lick his own feet. I think the Warden took two blood pressure pills last night….

Remember how we were talking about Wojtek the Bear – and all of his statues? And Maggie sent us a photo of one in Szczecin, Poland. Well we have another one to add to our list! Our friend Iza, from Poland is visiting Scotland- and LOOK what she sent us from Edinburgh!

That’s so cool!!! Thanks Iza!!!!

Iza even sent us a Where’s Wojtek photo. See if you can find him!!

If you happen to see a Wojtek statue – please snap a photo and send it to us! We love seeing Wojtek!

On a different note, I missed my time with the Borzoi babes on Tuesday, but I did go to training with the Shaggies yesterday and today I’m off to class. I just hope the Warden doesn’t make me wear the shamrock headband. Mind you, I could provide good distraction practice for the other dogs in class. If they don’t attack me first…

I’ll close here with a little Irish proverb. The real one talks about coins- but I modified it just a bit:

May your heart be light and happy, may your smile be big and wide, and may your pockets always have a treat or two inside!

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here on hump day. Unless you’re retired. Then it’s plain old Wednesday.

So the Boss has found a competitor for the title of household drama king – the Coyote. Holy heck – that guy knows how to milk pity better than the Boss on the grooming table.

The Coyote went to the vet for a broken nail on Monday and he came home drunk with a bandaged foot. He was super dopey – all he wanted to do was sleep. He didn’t want supper and while I offered to help him clean out his bowl- the Warden said no. He slept well that night but unfortunately had a case of soupy poops the next morning- probably due to stress. That dude totally stresses about going to the vet. The Warden had given him prescribed medication 2 hours before they went – which was supposed to calm him down -but it clearly had no effect on him. She literally had to coax/drag him into the building. Once in, he squeaked continuously like a rusty hinge on a peed-on garden gate.

The whole procedure was pretty quick. He was in and out in less than an hour but boy he was zonked. He was one wobbly dude.

Yesterday morning, after the soupy event, he seemed perkier – but he still wanted no breakfast. While he was at the vet, she did routine bloodwork as part of a general wellness check. She got back to the Warden yesterday to let her know that all looked good. BUT, the Warden had also paid for a routine pee analysis. So- she needed to collect that. Oh my. That involved some military-like planning and execution. What unfolded was like a scene from a sitcom movie. We’re talking a cross between Top Gun and I Love Lucy.

First off, yours truly was sequestered – because she didn’t want me out there during operation pee collect. First, she rifled through the kitchen draws and found an old Dollar store soup ladle – that could be disposed of after the operation. She also dug out a clean,unused vial from some previous trip to the vet, some rubber gloves and a resealable plastic bag. She was equipped and ready to go. Out they went – with the Boss tagging along to watch the proceedings. The actual collection involved some aerobic moves in order for her to catch the pee without dousing herself. And it went surprisingly well! She was pretty pleased with her technique. She put the liquid gold in the vial, disposed of the ladle, threw away the gloves- and figured she was all set. But then, in her typical over-analyzing way, she started second guessing if there was enough. So – she decided to get more. She prepared the equipment for a second round, got more gloves, another crappy Dollar store ladle (why she had two I don’t know) and took the Coyote back out. She should have quit while she was ahead.

No worries about getting another sample – that guy is a never-ending source of pee. She got herself in position to collect and was successful- but as she removed the ladle from the stream, he put his leg down and hit the ladle – spilling half the collection. Yikes. Then went she went to pour the small sample into the vial – and she spilled half of it. On her boot. She walked over to a snowbank, holding the leash with the depressed Coyote, trying to balance the vial while putting on the lid and she shoved her boot in the snow. She came close to falling over -holding high the precious vial like it was the Olympic torch. Honestly- you can’t make this stuff up. Anyway, she took what she had, and said “good enough.” The Boss watched the whole thing and just rolled his eyes. He then headed over to the lawn to roll on some hard packed snow. All the while I was shouting out continuous instructions from inside the house.

The Warden loaded the Coyote in the car to go with her to the vet – so she could keep an eye on him. She didn’t want him pulling off the bandage. In fact, I had to miss my weekly date with the Borzoi babes – because she didn’t want to leave cranky gimpy at home.

He was sleepy all day – but he DID eat supper. He is supposed to keep the bandage on until today. And he wasn’t supposed to get it wet. So that operation involved a plastic bag and vet wrap to keep the bag on. Great fun.

Hopefully when they take it off today, all will look good – and the Coyote won’t bother with it. Hopefully.

The Warden was kind of shocked that yours truly didn’t attempt surgical removal for him. For a change – I didn’t bug him. I could see he wasn’t happy – so besides a few licks to his head, I didn’t even sniff his foot.

Not much else new here in the infirmary. Today we have a bit of rain in the forecast. We had a blustery night – it started as snow and quickly changed to rain. The Boss is not impressed. Plus Mr Baggy Foot will need to suit up again this morning. At least he’s not being followed, though, by a woman with a soup ladle.

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