frodopon

She was lucky….

June 23, 2018Leave a Comment

Well my human needs to go out and get a lotto ticket today. She is one VERY lucky lady. She could have found herself missing three dogs…

So the odyssey of scrape-the-deck continues. This week, for three nights after work, one of my human’s oldest and clearly best friends ever – Stephen – came over to help her until dark. They scraped. They sanded. They replaced boards. Well- he replaced boards. She stood and held things. But they worked and worked. And while all of this was going on, we canines could only supervise from inside. There was too much stuff going on out there – and she didn’t need us peeing on saws or drills or eating rusty screws. So we watched. And watched. Another reason we were not allowed out there was because they were going up and down the steps a lot with equipment -so the gate was usually open. And open gate equals free dogs…

Last night after work, her sister came over. My human fed and walked us, before she and her sister had to go out to get some titanium paint for the deck. Ok. It’s not titanium. But it’s some super industrial stuff that costs more for 1 gallon than a 40lb bag of dog food. And we don’t eat cheap food. She is determined that she will NOT be doing this again next year. So she bought supposedly good stuff. We’ll see.

Anyway, when her sister was over, my human asked her to take a look at the deck to see how much sanding is left. Her sister did the inspection, came back in, slid the door closed and said everything looked good. We got some treats and they headed out to get the liquid Gold.

When my human came home, we did our usual joyful greeting dance. And it was at that point that she realized something. The door to the deck was open. Someone had slid it open. About a foot. Wide enough for a PON or Picard. We were all accounted for, but she ran out to see if anything was disturbed. AND she realized that the gate was thankfully securely shut. She did a silent thank you prayer. Imagine what could have happened had all of us been loose. She shudders just to think about it. She suspects that it was Einstein who opened the door. I’m not saying a thing. We had a pact not to tell.

The only thing she DID notice was two large pee rivers on the BBQ and one on the house. We decided to christen the pristine deck. She has warned us that NO ONE is allowed to pee on the newly painted deck. Good luck with that!

In the meantime she’s still giving thanks for that secure gate. Then again, maybe we DID go out, and we put the gate back. She’ll never know…

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 33

Take Your Dog to Work Day

June 22, 2018Leave a Comment

June 22. And according to the Crazy calendar today is Take Your Dog to Work Day. But no. We are not going. The university where my human works does not allow dogs. BUT during exam times they DO allow therapy dogs to come in for the students to relieve stress. What about the faculty the rest of the year? Seems like discrimination if you ask me. Mind you, if my human took the three of us in, she would get absolutely no work done. So I guess it’s better we stay home.

There ARE companies that do allow dogs to come to work. I’ve talked about Google before. And I found a few others. Like Etsy. I’d be afraid I would be the victim of some kind of canine craft if I went there. Like being a model for knitted dog boots.

Another company is Bissell Homecare. I think that’s the company that makes vacuum cleaners. Now that seems reasonable because if we make a mess while there, they have the equipment to clean it up.

Amazon Seattle also allows dogs in the workplace. I love shopping on Amazon. They have lots of great dog stuff. It would be cool to work there. I could product test dog toys. Sign me up.

But the most dangerous place for me to work would be Mars. The company that makes candy among many other things. INCLUDING dog food. Now while we don’t actually eat any of the foods they make, I CERTAINLY could taste test the odd sample. Who am I kidding. It would be a liability to have me working there.

Anyway, for those of us who can’t go to work, we have our jobs at home – being the guardians of the homestead. And it’s a job we take very seriously. When we aren’t napping.

Have a good one. Wherever you work. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 32

Summer!

June 21, 2018Leave a Comment

It’s official! Summer is here! It’s also the longest day of the year – so time for some extra fetch. Or scraping the deck. Yes, she is still at it…

So let’s talk about some quick summer time reminders and some equipment that we dogs can use in the summer. First off, I am not going to even remind you that we shouldn’t be left in a car because it can get too warm. The humans who read this blog are too smart to even be reminded of this.

With regard to the heat, portable water bowls -like the collapsible type – can be really handy when going out for a walk. But don’t forget to also bring a water bottle, too…my human actually has a dog water bottle where the lid can be used as a small cup-sized bowl. It’s perfect.

Another thing about the heat – asphalt can get really hot, so one site I saw suggested those rubber boots that look like balloons (before you put them on). Seems like a good idea in theory …but I wonder if the rubber would stick to hot asphalt. I guess better the boots than our feet.

We have talked before about sunscreen for us dogs too. And a cooling bandana is a neat idea. We saw that on the web. Those cooling mats also work well. If you have a dog who doesn’t chew….

If you are going boating, a life jacket for Fido is also a must. Sure, many dogs CAN swim – but if you are far off shore, a life jacket is a good idea.

And speaking of a swimming, if you have a dog who likes to swim, unlike me and Einstein – floatable fetch toys and balls are a great idea. That’s for the FG.

As yes, the dog days of summer. Let the good times roll!

Have a good one! Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 31

Bernerdoodles

June 20, 2018Leave a Comment

So yesterday morning my human was scrolling through Facebook. And what she saw made her stop suddenly. She is used to seeing wonderful images of puppies all the time. For example one friend got a boxer puppy recently who is absolutely gorgeous. Another friend is waiting to get her borzoi. She has another friend who just adopted a mixed breed puppy from a shelter and it is so adorable. But what she saw this time was something that really bothered her. As she was scrolling through Facebook she stopped because another friend was getting a puppy but she didn’t recognize the breed of dog. And then her heart sank. A friend was getting a Bernerdoodle. Yup a Bernese poodle or something cross. She immediately went to message the friend. However they are basically acquaintances and my human didn’t know if this person would feel she was being pushy. So she told me I should write a blog about it instead. So I get to rant. Perfect.

Bernerdoodles, , CockaPoodledos and Pugapoos are all basically mixed breed dogs. However the people who sell them are able to market them brilliantly. They are not and I repeat they are not purebred dogs. However the so-called breeders of these dogs make it appear that they are some kind of special dog. And unfortunately many people can be swayed by the power of their websites. My human went to the website of the place where her friend is getting the puppy. It is fascinating to know they they are not just mixing Bernese and labradoodles but Bernese and Aussies too. When you scroll through the MANY dogs they own (red flag) you will note that hardly any of them really look alike (red flag). There are no puppies currently available- but not to worry – they have at least 7 litters planned for this year (red flag).

But the BEST part – the prices. Probably because no two dogs ever look the same – there over 30 color combinations and coats – everything from solid colors to solid base chocolate Merles – so the prices range from $2600 for a solid to 4200 for a traditional pattern tricolor weighing under 30lbs. And WHY the high prices? Why because stuff and services cost money! For example if you have to take a dog back who has serious elbow dysphasia and you then have to spend a pile of money on it instead of euthanizing it, that is expensive. Even if you can write it off on the business account. Really. I’m not making this stuff up. That’s what it said on the net!

My human also found a waitlist of over 70 people. So the question is why? Marketing. And it’s like the Emperor’s New Clothes. These dogs somehow become trendy. And contrary to popular belief they are not healthier than purebred dogs. Recent studies have shown this. If you are looking for a dog that looks like a Bernese, one glance at these puppies reveals that most of them look very little like an actual Bernese. One of the appealing things about Bernese of course are the tricolor markings. Yet few of their puppies look like this. So why get one? They don’t look like the breeds that they come from. They don’t necessarily have better health. And there are absolutely no guarantees what they will look like when they grow up. Because if they cost a lot, AND the website looks good – they MUST be good.

The irony- if you want to get a dog that is a mixed breed you can adopt a sweet puppy at a shelter and not pay the exorbitant fees that these so-called breeders charge for these mixed breeds. Go for it! Those guys deserve a good home. Not to mention the prices listed here are more than one would pay for a registered purebred dog.

My human owned 4 Bernese in her life and they still hold a special place in her heart- so she was both infuriated and sad about these breedings. She knows that the people who buy them are good people who just want a cute puppy. And what puppy isn’t cute?! And my human would never speak poorly of the owner or the puppy. But the breeder… that’s another story. It’s just so, so sad….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 30

Sent from my iPhone

In the movies

June 19, 2018Leave a Comment

It’s June 19 and according to the crazy calendar, it’s National Pets in Film Day. So I found this quiz…

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz344861277aaa0.html

I must confess, my human did horribly on this one. She only got 7 correct. She guessed most of them. And clearly she is not a good guesser.

And here is a worse one…

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz237972bc7e0.html.

Again, she only got 7. So because she was feeling like she knew NOTHING about dogs in film, I found THIS one. She got 9/10. So she can sleep tonight.

https://www.braingle.com/trivia/23603/famous-dogs.html

No PON movies yet. The Picards have Because of Winn-Dixie. We need a PON movie. I’m trying to get someone to write a screenplay based on my blog. My human said everyone would think it’s fake. I’ll keep working on it….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 30

The picky Picard

June 18, 2018Leave a Comment

So what do you get when you are the pickiest dog on the planet? Venison. Dehydrated venison. That’s the latest menu item for the picky Picard. And it’s working.

We all know that the FG is picky. Super picky. Some days he eats. And some days he doesn’t. Even with liver dust. Or cheese. There is no rhyme or reason to his appetite. You just never know with him. So of course it drives my human a little bit crazy. Especially when she looked at him and thought he was looking pretty thin. Now that is NOT a problem she has with the PON brothers. We would eat a 40 lb bag of dog food until we almost explode. And then we would counter surf for dessert.

Anyway, when my human went to get our food the other day, she decided to try some new kibble just for the FG. AND she also bought him dehydrated venison. Well. Not only does he like his new food, he has eaten EVERY SINGLE THING in his bowl for the last two days. I mean EVERYTHING. Einstein and I didn’t even bother licking his bowl. There was NOTHING there. NOT A morsel

Einstein is a bit of skeptical that this ravenous eating thing will continue with the FG. But in the meantime , my human hopes to fatten him up a bit. And I’m ok with him getting more food. After all, he IS bigger. but trust me – I’ll be counting the treat distribution. That’s only fair…or I’ll protest by refusing to eat my meals too. Sure I will….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days : 29

Fathers

June 17, 2018Leave a Comment

Well today is a special day. It’s Father’s Day – a day to honor dear old Dad. My human’s Dad went to the Rainbow Bridge to meet some dogs quite a few years ago – in fact we never got to meet him. But we understand that it was my human’s father who was the real dog lover in the family – and that’s probably where my human acquired her love of dogs. Not that her mother didn’t like them – but her father LOVED them. It wasn’t until my human was in high school that she and her father were able to finally convince her mother that they NEEDED a dog. Up until that point, my human had to get her dog fix with the neighbors’ dogs and at least one stray that she brought home. Who her father found a home for, because her mother still wasn’t ready at that time for a dog. But the first REAL dog in the household was Mickey – an Irish Setter. My human’s father walked him in the fields near their home every day and he quickly learned that Mickey had an innate hunting instinct. It was so good that one neighbor asked to borrow Mickey to go hunting. My human’s father went along and carried a gun, but had no intention of shooting anything. He wanted to look that part, though. Mickey did a fabulous job pointing out pheasants and he went on more that one hunting adventure. He and her father were best buddies.

When Mickey passed away at almost 15, her father said “no more dogs.” By this point my human was living away from home. But she and her sister felt her father NEEDED another dog. So they broke the ultimate warning that you see during the holidays – they went out and bought him a Golden Retriever puppy for Christmas. Her father’s immediate reaction was “I told you no more dogs!” But within 10 minutes he was playing with his new best friend, Midas.

By this point, my human had her own first dog – Barney the crazy terrier-cross. And then she got her first Bernese, Schubert. When Schubert died suddenly from cancer at 3.5, her father wanted desperately to find her another Bernese. He felt so badly. My human managed to find a Bernese puppy in Wisconsin – so drove from Nova Scotia to pick him up. She dropped Barney off at her parent’s place on the way there – and here is a photo of her Dad holding Guinness when she stopped on the way back to pick up Barney.

My human’s father never met us PONs but we KNOW he would have liked us. We also think we would really have liked the FG, too. He was a very special man. And not just because he loved dogs! There are so many more reasons too…

If you are lucky to still have your father – give him a big hug today. And if you can’t – make a phone call – or Skype! And if your father is no longer with you, think of him and know that he is probably looking down on you. My human figures her father MIGHT be shaking his head because she has THREE dogs. But of course she has a great excuse – she’s making up for all those years growing up that she didn’t have one. And my guess is that he would completely agree with that argument! He’d be shaking his head. And smiling.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 28

Many feelings….

June 16, 2018Leave a Comment

Yesterday was a day of many feelings in our house.

All around.

We got my human up at 5 as usual, but we noticed she wasn’t in a huge hurry – like she usually is on Fridays going to work. She took us for our walks, fed us, had her breakfast, and then out of the blue, announced that Einstein should come into the garage. Aka grooming torture place. He went in, not suspecting anything odd. First she began with a thorough brushing. Which took well over an hour. And then, when he thought she was done- she lifted him up and plopped him in the tub. Oooooooeeeeee. He was NOT impressed. He gave her the “look” that said “I wouldn’t leave ANYTHING on the counters for the next three weeks”. At least. She finished washing him and then noticed as she began to dry him with the jet engine dryer, that she used the wrong shampoo. She used the shampoo for the FG. The kind for dogs with coarse coats. I fully expected Einstein to look like the FG when he came in from the garage. Nah. He still looked like a PON. He looked so nice that as soon as he settled down in the kitchen, I immediately had to start licking his face – just to mess him up a bit. My human moaned “Seriously – you can’t leave him alone for 5 minutes without messing him up?” Einstein didn’t care – so what was the big deal? Humans. OK so the whole process took like 3 hours – but what else would she be doing – scraping the deck? It was obvious she wasn’t going to work.

What we didn’t know was that yesterday afternoon, my human and her sister were taking her Mom to the cemetery- to put her in her final resting place. As you know, the funeral was in March, but because the ground was still frozen then, they couldn’t perform the burial. I think we boys could have done the digging, but no one asked. Anyway, it was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and the temperature was perfect. They met the priest there ( we like him because he is Polish) and he performed the service – with a beautiful view of the ocean and gulls flying overhead. We wanted to come – but my human said the ground should be christened with holy water. Not the kind of christening we would do. My human and her sister were of course sad – but the memories of a good life, well lived and loved will stay in their hearts forever.

So although Einstein was still cranky about his unwanted spa treatment, he did cut my human some slack when he realized what day it was.

A day of many feelings. All around.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 27

Vet news

June 14, 20182 Comments

Well for a change I have some good news. Some really good news! The vet called yesterday and said that my blood work was good – and in fact, my liver values improved substantially! You see, one of the problems with some of the medications for seizures is that they have side effects. For example, phenobarbital, which is a go-to drug for seizures, can cause liver damage. And I was on a therapeutic dosage, but it was quite high. So when I had blood tests back in January, I was starting to have liver problems. My vet and my human decided to reduce my dosage, and they added a new drug with fewer side effects. As well, my human has been giving me milk thistle daily – which supports liver function. So obviously it works!

I’m always reluctant to get too excited about how things are going with my seizures, because it seems that whenever I start thinking we have things under control…bam. So we just take things a day at a time.

I think all your positive thoughts and good wishes and even the odd prayer or two DO make a difference. Keep ‘em coming. Please.

Have a good one. I know I will! Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 26

To the Vet

June 13, 2018Leave a Comment

I went to the Vet last night. But don’t panic – it was for routine blood work. My human busted in the house after work, told us to pee pronto, and then whisked me onto the grooming table for a 30 second brushing and she put a clip in my hair. Because apparently one must look good at the vet. It was at that point that I realized something was up. She opened the door and told me to head for the car. I had not figured out our destination so I happily jumped in the crate – thinking we were going somewhere fun. Wrong.

When we got to the vet, she parked and opened the back hatch so I would have air. She had strategically parked so she could watch me and Ludwig while she went in. Being the neurotic human she is, she doesn’t like to have us waiting in the waiting room. Like most normal people do. No. She tells the staff we are there and then waits to bring us in. Why you ask? Because we are bad? Nope. Because she doesn’t want us picking up any weird germs in the waiting area. I’m serious. AND she also has noticed that many pet owning humans lose all sense of common sense in vet waiting areas – and they let Fluffy Magoo go to meet EVERYONE – because he is friendly. Well maybe not everyone LIKES Fluffy Magoo. All of the canines in this house ARE good with dogs – but one never knows how another dog is feeling in a vet waiting area.

Once I was called in, she got me and said she would come in the back while they drew blood. She plopped me on the table and they went to take blood from my back leg. My human fed me while they did the deed and frankly, I never even realized it happened- it was so quick. Gotta love a good vet tech!

When I got home, Einstein and the FG had to sniff me all over. It seems in the 3 minutes I was in the place I managed to still pick up vet smell.

We should find out today if I am still alive. I’m feeling pretty good so I’m optimistic that I’m doing just fine. I’ll be sure to let you know!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up!

Seizure free days: 25