Hey hey hey blogaroos. Squirmy here on a terrific Tuesday.

Before I share news about the “time change treat” we got the other day, some updates on the home front. Keith has departed to take care of some business at home, but Sue is still here for a bit. We’ll miss our morning walks with Keith – but Sue is still here providing a good ricochet target. She just shakes her head at me.

So here’s the deal on our time change surprise. You know how each morning the Boss and I MUST have our frozen KONGS which are filled with yogurt and kibble? I mean we MUST HAVE THEM so that the Warden can actually enjoy her breakfast. Meanwhile, the Coyote gets a slice of bread because he thinks that chewing on hard rubber to extract food is ridiculous. Well, the Warden decided to try something different. She cored apples, stuffed them with a biscuit and yogurt and put them in the freezer overnight. Picture edible billiard balls. The Boss stood and stared at his for a minute, while I took off under the dining room table with mine. When I dropped it, it sounded like a rock hitting the floor. The Warden thought I might not like it- but hello, I LOVED it. She knew the Boss would like it – he eats anything. Remember he broke into the bag of potatoes and had a grand time – so apples are a real treat.

Meanwhile, the Coyote still prefers his slice of bread… But he often changes his mind, so she’ll try again with him.

The Warden thinks this will be a good alternative to KONGS some days. And we agree! Her Martha Stewart- like moment was a success!

And speaking of edible stuff, today is World X-ray Day – a day to mark the discovery of X-ray technology. In honor of it, I found a bunch of dog X-rays with some non-edible items in their stomachs. Check them out…

https://dogtime.com/dog-health/49829-15-x-rays-weirdest-things-ever-found-dogs-stomachs/amp

I don’t know if we posted those before – but they do deserve a rerun if we did. What dog swallows a phone?! Or an arrow? The Warden said the golf balls made her nervous when she thinks about my retrieving skills. Trust me – I want the handful of treats I get when I bring back a ball – more than I want to swallow a ball. I may be crazy – but I’m not that crazy.

OK. Sun is almost up – time to get the party started! Let’s see what today will be – an apple or a KONG day. Life is so exciting!

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

Howdy doody blogaroos. Squirmy here on another sunny Sunday. We’ve had warm weather again the past few days so the Boss is not amused. He’s the only one in the household not enjoying the summer- like weather. It won’t last for long so he’ll get over his moping.

As you are reading this, I hope you remembered to move your clock back last night. That is – if you live in a place where that is still done. It means you got an extra hour of sleep last night. Unless you are owned by a dog. Or three. We schedule our days around the sun and our “internal circadian rhythms”- not the time on the clock. With PONs – our rhythms are largely directed by our stomachs. When we are ready to eat – you had better not break the rhythm- or we will break your eardrums. I’m not so sure about waiting an extra hour for breakfast…..

The Warden said that to mark our extra hour – she has a surprise for us. I know it’s not a puppy. Or a kitten. I didn’t see any bags from the pet store – so I doubt it’s some new toy I can destroy in 5 minutes. So we’ll see. I’ll let you know the next time I write.

My ricochet victims are still with us. We ALL went for a walk yesterday morning – Elroy included. It was great. I got to hunt for golf balls (which I haven’t done in ages) and we all got some great exercise. But not to worry- it didn’t completely tire me out. Nothing does…Sue took this photo of us on the way home yesterday. Note I’m wearing my ball fetching track suit. I think the other guys were jealous.

OK. It’s still dark, but I’m ready to roll. Time to get the daily party started!

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy-ricochet-running -Wormy here on another fantastic Friday. Our visitors are still here with no visible injuries so far. So far.

The humans have been out shopping for more household projects. Can’t wait to help out. Or at least act as supervisior

Yesterday, after one of their shopping trips while they were unloading stuff from the trunk, the Boss somehow snuck into the garage. Everyone was in the house and when a headcount revealed only 2 out of 3 canines, the Warden marched into the garage. There was the Boss, walking around with an empty 25lb bag from dog food on his head.

“Hey what are you doing?” she said. He didn’t even attempt to remove the bag, but was desperately trying to reach a few kibbles still in the bottom of the bag. The bag had been placed next to a garbage bag, and was supposed to go outside to the garbage can, but old Mr Sniffer found it first. It was removed from his head – like one of those wildlife films where a raccoon has its head stuck in a tin can and rescuers get it off. Except in this case, the Boss wasn’t trapped and he WANTED that bag on his head. Anyway, as I said it was removed.

The Coyote is all good again. Thank goodness. Probably the most expensive pedicure in town – but at least he’s on the mend.

We’ve been having some super weather lately, with crisp mornings and cool nights and light sweater temperatures during the day. The Boss is so happy. He despises heat. He would sleep in the refrigerator if the Warden would let him. But of course he can’t. Not for lack of trying when the door is open. Mind you, he’s also checking the food. That is probably his biggest wish – a left open fridge door where he can help himself to snacks, and then go inside to nap. I bet he dreams of that.

OK. Almost walk time. Gotta get those humans moving.

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

Hey hey hey blogaroos. It’s me Squirmy! Enjoying the fact that I have two more ricochet targets right now! Sue and Keith are perfect victims…er…I mean guests.

First off- I need to tell you that the Coyote is doing well. He’s still on limited exercise and he has the last of his pain medication today. He’s eating well, drinking well and pooping/peeing well – the dog owner’s trifecta. He’s not AT ALL drowsy like he was when he came home. The Warden said that whatever they gave him, she wishes she had some so she could give it to me. She thinks she’s funny. She’s not.

As for Halloween- although we had treats for 80+ kids, we got 3. And they were THE cutest, nicest kids on the planet. They were our neighbors across the road. They weren’t scared away by our Cujo-like barking. Mind you, they probably hear it all the time -even though our house is a good distance away. They were cute, polite and funny. The perfect Halloweeners.

After they came, it was evident that the rush was over, so we ALL retired to the rec room to watch scary movies. Or at least PART of the first movie. To my canine friends, here’s a little suggestion- if the humans are enthralled in a spooky movie, jumping on them repeatedly or marching back and forth in front of the TV screen is not advisable. Neither is plopping yourself in front of the TV and licking. Licking your feet, the floor or your private parts. Because do you know what happens? You are marched out of the rec room and sequestered by a gate.

I heard that the movies were not exactly Oscar material- it serves them right for sequestering us.

We’ve been having some nice walks in the morning with Sue, Keith and the Warden. The Coyote hasn’t been able to join us – but hopefully tomorrow. Hey and guess what? Nobody ever peed on the pumpkins this year! Bring on the Christmas tree!

Time to get the troops moving. Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on the day we get to bark even MORE incessantly than normal- in anticipation of costumed kids who brave their way down our long driveway. We’ll probably start barking at noon, even though no kids will arrive until supper time. And we’re ready for the multitudes – last year we had three kids. But not to worry, the Warden got enough treats for 80. Just in case.

Our Halloween photos this year are rather boring. The Warden bought scarves and headgear – but you can’t even SEE the devil horns because they are just outlines of horns. But even though they weren’t TOO heavy, we still KNEW they were there. Look at the above photo without headgear. Everyone looks pretty happy – even the Coyote!

Now, add headgear…

Note my expression and the Coyote’s. Meanwhile, the poser is happy as always.

I’m a bit more happy in this one, but the Coyote looks like he still wants to melt into the ground. His legs become like Gumby in these photo shoots. And still we have the Boss…

In better news – guess who is visiting?! Sue and Keith!! They were delayed in getting to our place the other night and it was quite late when they arrived – so the Boss looked at them, said hi, and wanted to go to bed. It was past his bedtime.

Meanwhile, the same day they arrived, the Coyote came in from outside and was limping badly. He wouldn’t put any weight on his front paw. The Warden whisked him onto the grooming table to take a look. And yowza- she discovered he had cracked a toe nail – lengthwise. He literally screamed when she touched it.

Well. Try to find a vet who can see you on a weekend. She tried three different emergency places, and no one could see him. They suggested she call back the next day. So she did – first thing yesterday morning. And thankfully, one clinic was able to see him.

He’s not exactly a huge fan of anyone touching his feet, so they needed to knock him out to take care of the nail. The whole process didn’t take long – but holy moly he was sure drowsy even when he got home. We gave him the mandatory olfactory exam, and let him rest. No running around for him for the next few days.

Well – time for walks and then we need to get ready for the kids. Any child who braves our banshee like wailing deserves more than one minuscule candy bar. And no problem. We have plenty…Happy Halloween!

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here on a super Saturday. And something is going on here. The Warden has been on a cleaning blitz. Which can only mean one thing. Company. But who will it be? The Warden told the Boss because she said he can keep a secret. But she wouldn’t tell me or the Coyote. I’ll keep you posted.

The other night, the Warden went to visit one of the neighbors who was having a little get together for friends – and the theme of the evening was cleaning products. Yup. A cleaning product party. How PERFECT for the Warden. I mean with three canines, we need to buy cleaning supplies by the truckload. Anyway, this stuff at the party is supposed to be the Mercedes of cleaning supplies. Their special cleaning cloths are reportedly extra super duper and will even remove canine olfactory art from windows with just water. JUST WATER. That’s what they said. Needless the say, the Warden was sold. She got some other stuff too – including some cleaner for the floors that is safe for us dogs. It’s supposed to be better than us licking Clorox residue. Maybe THAT explains my wild behavior.

So the Warden came home all happy about ordering her products and trying them out. I’ve never seen her happy about the prospect of cleaning. We can’t WAIT for her order to come in.

But truth be told, much as cleaning products are so incredibly interesting to us canines (cough cough), she DID come home with something even MORE exciting. Dog biscuits. But not just any dog biscuits. These are made by a very special local Grade 4 student named Annika. Annika loves dogs. And she likes to make things. So she started making dog biscuits. And she enjoyed it so much, she decided to sell some – with $1 from every bag going to the local SPCA. Annika did all the math to calculate just how much the biscuits would cost to make. And she does her own baking. She has her very own Facebook page :

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086627591721

And she also just started her own Instagram page:

https://instagram.com/annikas_tail_waggin_treats?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

You can check out her videos making her treats, and also having her dog Finn, doing quality control taste testing.

Annika’s Mom was at the get together and thankfully had a few bags of treats – one of which the Warden bought for us. In the picture, the bag is half empty as we tried one biscuit each when she got home. And they were fantastic! Even the Coyote liked them. And if it passes his taste test, you KNOW they are good!

The Warden was SO impressed with Annika’s entrepreneurial spirit. She said that at Annika’s age, her only foray into the business world was selling her required quota of Girl Scout cookies. Most of which her mother bought…

Well, time for walks and then we wait to see who’s coming to visit. Who ever it is – they better like dogs…

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here. I’m happy to be writing today and to tell you that we’re alive. After another epic craft fail by the Warden. She calls ME crazy….but trust me – she’s not the best role model sometimes.

So Halloween is almost here – and the stores are having a hard time fitting the festive fall foliage decor right alongside the Christmas stuff. Yup. They currently have ghost costumes, next to the singing Santas. As a result, it got the Warden thinking about Christmas. And about a Christmas craft project.

It seems she had a variety of pine cones that had been stored in the garage from before I was born. She does have squirrel-like tendencies sometimes- and these collectible cones were actually taking up room in what once was a dog run in our garage. It’s not used for a canine play station anymore, so it’s becomes a large closet of sorts.

Anyway, the Warden got it in her head that she should do something with those cones. First she decided to spray paint them – with the garage door wide open and without any canine supervisors. Safety first. Cough cough.

Then she sequestered herself in there one evening and after several hours, emerged with a wreath. I immediately tried to inspect her work. I actually inspect everything that comes in from the garage because it’s often food related – groceries or our meals as that’s where our food is stored. I didn’t find the wreath nearly as interesting as groceries but I did look it over. The other guys didn’t give it a glance. So much for positive feedback around here.

The Warden was pleased with her wreath and decided she should make another one. I suggested she use dog biscuits instead of pine cones but she didn’t go for it. Th only problem – she didn’t have quite enough cones. But not to worry – some friends dropped some off for her. Fresh off the trees.

Because they were so fresh, some were not fully open. And being the impatient crafter that she is, she didn’t feel like waiting for them to open on their own. So Mr. Googly told her she could put them in the oven….

The Boss and I watched with interest as she lined some baking sheets with aluminum foil. The Coyote didn’t care – he’s not much into baking. We were thinking this could be the start of something yummy….biscuits, dried sweet potato treats, some rolls, or a large chicken breast too big for her to eat all by herself. But no. The oven was filled with pine cones.

She was all pleased with herself the first hour. She had them at a very low temperature, and she could see that they were just starting to open. And she thought, “oh isn’t crafting fun.” We didn’t agree. We thought crafting was boring. Another half hour, and a bit more of a change, but not much.

I should also note that Mr Googly said the house would smell all Christmasy. And it did. Initially.

After two hours, the Warden decided the process was taking too long. And now, the initial Hallmark movie vibe was wearing off, and the smell was getting kinda nauseating. Sorta like a cheap Dollar Store evergreen scent candle that had been peed on by a cat. And it was permeating through the house.

Now she wanted the process over. She started worrying that the fumes might be toxic, but thankfully Mr. Googly said they wouldn’t kill us. She cranked up the heat in the oven, and opened every door and window in the house.

After another half hour, the cones opened up. Pretty much. At that point she didn’t care. She put us outside, while she took the hot cones into the garage. We watched through the deck door window, creating our own festive olfactory art. We were trying to make snowflakes, but they didn’t quite come out. More bad crafting.

At this point, the cones have been sprayed and are awaiting wreath creation. We are thrilled. Sure we are. Still think biscuits would have been better.

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

Yo. Blog people. Elroy here for a change. The mops have been on the go lately- so have had lots to write about. Yours truly, on the other paw, has been lounging around, watching leaves come down, rolling in them, carrying them into the house, playing Humpty Dumpty with the Shark, and barking at nothing when it’s dark out. OK – so nobody else thinks there’s anything out there to bark at, but hello – I’m the only one with prick ears in the household- so I believe I hear better than anyone else. And I do hear things at night. Or I pretend to.

I’m here today to share an incredibly important article that is hot off the press – with regard to us canines and Halloween. FINALLY – someone recognizes my trauma:

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/22/1129963410/its-cute-but-is-it-safe-to-put-your-dog-in-a-halloween-costume

See. Those brutal photos each holiday where I’m cajoled into wearing some kind of costume/ head gear – have caused both psychological AND physical harm. Seriously- those headbands squish my head. It’s physically painful. OK. Maybe that’s stretching it – but from my photos it is clear that I do not enjoy wearing garb and I suffer from PTCD. Post-traumatic Costume Disorder.

The mops will do anything for a treat. You could put an octopus on their heads and they wouldn’t care. Well- the Boss wouldn’t. The Shark would likely try to eat it. Getting him to sit still is NOT easy. And frankly – he can put on a cranky face too during photo shoots. The only one who LOVES the whole dress up thing is the Boss. He barks like crazy if someone is getting a solo shot taken in another room. Mind you – he barks like crazy most of the time…

So you know in some magazines they show photos of two celebrities wearing the same outfit – and they ask “Who wore it better?” Well I have two photos to share….

I think the Shark mentioned that Her Highness actually found some costumes at the Dollar Store that were marked as Extra Large. So she bought one. Just to see what we would look like in a full costume. This is after her epic fail ghost costume a few years ago where she cut the holes too big…

So, as I said, she decided to try a real costume…I THINK it’s supposed to be a ladybug.

The Boss could barely put it on. He’s a bit “wider” than the Shark. In classic Dollar store sizing , the extra large must be for a mega chihuahua. Neither could get the hood up. Needless to say, Her Highness didn’t even ATTEMPT to put it on me. I wouldn’t be writing this if she did. I’d jump that fence once and for all.

So who wore it better? The sizing is clearly a tiny bit better on the Shark -BUT in typical Boss fashion, I think he pulls off the whole look just a little bit better. The hood almost looks like a beret on him- so he looks rather dashing. With his spotted wings. And his two antennae. One of which is just resting on his head because it fell off the little hood. Hard to believe because it’s so well made…

More money well spent…

Well, the sun’s not up yet – so time to get in a bark and maybe even a scary growl while it’s still dark out. Peace out.

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

Hello blog readers. It is Frodo here today for your reading pleasure.

Fall is falling around us and the brilliant array of leaves is quickly coming down. We will now enter into the yellow stage of the season – the tamarack is changing and will then lose its needles. Ah – the progression of colors.

Right now, the sun does not rise until after 7:30 AM – which means we are well off our normal morning schedule. Her Highness wakes up – but stays curled in bed – repeating the phrase “Ten more minutes” over and over again. Taking us out before sunrise requires the trusty headlamp – something she was QUITE accustomed to when she was working. But now she waits for daylight. She is even reluctant to allow us into the fenced yard in the wee hours – for fear we may encounter resident wildlife. The neighbors (who captured the Coyote on their security camera in the past) have recently watched a masked bandit marching around their property. Some refer to them as Trash Pandas. Their more commonly known title is raccoon. We KNOW they have been in our yard by the telltale holes they make looking for grubs. These are much smaller than the caverns created by the Imp and the Coyote. So we know they are “out there.” We believe the Coyote hears them as he is often barking at the deck door after sundown. Mind you, he could be hearing falling leaves. Or a squirrel. Who knows.

The Imp went to a “Distraction Workshop” yesterday, and I understand his fully undeveloped brain exploded. Imagine him having to heel and stop right next to a person holding a desirable stuffed toy. OR heeling toward a dog and handler, stopping and staying in place while the two handlers exchange toys. I understand Her Highness contemplated dropping him off at the SPCA after the class, but relented and brought him home.

Her Highness is trying to recall if I hit such a training breakdown at his age. Mind you – that’s 10 years ago and she can’t recall where she put her keys, let alone my behavior a decade ago. As I recall, I have always been perfect. Oh yes – I know some might not appreciate my “chatty nature” but I come by it honestly. Her Highness isn’t exactly a wallflower.

Well it is almost sun up. And I get to go out first. Unless we ALL go to the lake – with the Imp wearing his cowbell – running free with yours truly and the Coyote on a flexi – getting tangled around trees. Every. Day. He likes to “pretend” he is free – running into the woods and inevitably getting stuck. Occasionally he can figure his way out. But it’s generally an annual occasion. Like Christmas.

I wish you a sunny Sunday.

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy get-back-here Wormy on another Thursday in the Fall. We love the fall. Pretty colors, leaves to roll in, fresh air, slightly cooler temperatures- and the joy of getting to watch the Warden play “find that poop.” She did the other day. It was all over the bottom of her shoe. Score!

So we decided to look up some adjectives to describe the canines in this house. When you look up Berger Picard, they are described as assertive, stubborn, intelligent, lively, energetic and mellow. Some of those seem a bit contradictory. But in retrospect, that fits the Coyote – the epitome of contradictions. Words to describe us PONs include self-confident, even tempered, intelligent, lively, agile and perceptive. Some overlap between breeds and some differences. The Warden was surprised that on this particular search we PONs weren’t also described as stubborn. I have no idea what she’s talking about.

So why did we look up the temperament descriptions? Because Martha said to. Sort of.

https://www.marthastewart.com/8326430/people-choose-dogs-based-on-own-personality-study-october-2022?utm_campaign=marthastewart&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram&utm_content=likeshop

So somebody did a study which said humans are like their dogs. And surprise, surprise – humans tend to pick dogs based on their own personality. It makes sense really. That’s no rocket science. Although, I’m betting that there ARE plenty of mismatches out there – for example when the couch potato person realizes the the Border Collie was not the BEST fit. In general, though, I like to THINK that people choose a dog that fits their lifestyle – and in turn, their personality. I’m not so sure about the “agile” part for the Warden. A ballerina she is not. And as far as intelligence goes- how smart can she be if she lets us run the household? Which we clearly do.

And speaking of stubborn- the Warden says I am having a full on case of the terrible twos right now . First it was my disastrous team behavior and then…I did a little walk about. And get this – the Boss joined me.

The Warden had an appointment and was letting us PONs out for a “quick pee.” 99.9% of the time we rush out, pee and race back because we know treats await our return. Except the other day. Yours truly heard the neighbors over in their garden – doing some Fall organizing. Well. I had to run over like a madman and bark at them like they were intruders. And my partner in crime followed. Yup – two raving maniacs barking at people in their own yard. Harmless of course, except they probably did suffer some temporary hearing loss. The Warden shouted for us to return. No way. So she marched over and grabbed me by my hair because I was collar-less. She told me to sit. Which of course I refused to do. I looked at her as if to say “what is this sit of which you speak?” She pushed my butt down and my immediate response was to hit the ground flat out and roll. All the while the Warden is standing and continuing to bark. After numerous attempts to get me to sit, I FINALLY actually sat in heel position. The Warden saw this as her moment to get me marching home. The Boss came into position like we were a brace team and we actually heeled for about 10 steps after which I went rogue and raced into the bushes. I raced out and ricocheted off the Warden – but come to think of it, she demonstrated a rare agile moment, and grabbed me by the ear. Ever see those moments of a parent holding a kid by the ear and marching them home. Well maybe not nowadays- but in old movies. From the Warden’s time. Anyway, that was me being marched by my ear back home. I wanted the number for Animal Control but the Boss said not to push my luck.

I’m headed for a training session this morning. The Warden said she had been letting some of my “lively (read naughty) behaviors” slide – but no more. I’m back in real life bootcamp. So SHE thinks.

Time to go for walkies before training. Let’s see what I can teach her today….

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