Somebody lied.  They said that Picards were in the Herding group.  Now I don’t know if the FG is going to like all things herd-able- like sheep or cows.  But one thing I do know, he is a BIRD dog.  I swear he has some Sporting dog in him somewhere.  He is absolutely fascinated with birds.  He watches them in the bushes.  He looks overhead in the sky.  He likes little birds like chickadees and bigger birds like doves and crows.  And you SHOULD have seen his face when he spotted some Canada geese on the golf course the other night.  His brain exploded.  He was suspended.  And completely mesmerized.  You want him to behave?  Release a flock of birds and you can be sure you’ve got his attention.

I must say, he IS pretty comical.  My human decided to do some little obedience exercises with us as a trio the other night.  You know – the standard sit, down, stand, spin, twist, back up stuff.  The FG has the sit.  But once he goes into the down, that’s it.  He just lies there and listens to the commands and watches Einstein and I acting all frenzied and doing everything like little robots.  And just TRY to get him to sit up again once he has gone down.  It got to the point my human would say “Frodo stand.”  And he would do it and get his treat.  “Viktor stand” and ditto for my performance.  And then she gave up giving the FG instructions and just said “Elroy down” because he basically wasn’t going to do anything else anyway.  So he would look at her and he got a treat for that.  Which in MY opinion is a bit of a rip off.  Don’t kid yourself – it’s not that he isn’t smart.  I mean just think about it – he got rewarded for doing nothing.  Who’s the smart one after all?  The moral of the story – he is better working on obedience when he does his work solo.  I’ll blame it on the fact that he is in awe of our performance and just can’t even move.  It’s like watching birds to him.  

Well it’s Wednesday and just ONE more day of work for my human after today.  And then a four day weekend – AND we get to go on an Easter Egg Hunt.  My human’s mother is also coming to hang out with us – so you know what THAT means – EXTRA bananas!  Especially for her favorite grand-dog.

Have a good one!

OK. I JUST saw something on Facebook that I want.  I mean I REALLY want this.  It’s a remote controlled Flying Shark.  Seriously.  I WANT one.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwzluqPcG8Q&feature=youtu.be 

Can you IMAGINE what would happen in this household if one of these things appeared from another room?!  Honestly – THIS is our chance to get on Funniest Videos.  We would become famous.  Especially when we deflate the shark.   I am putting it on my Christmas list…

Well the snow is melting quickly and the monuments are appearing.  Anyone who lives in a snowy climate knows that when the snow melts, the dog poop that wasn’t scooped up during the blizzards, appears.  My human was on monument patrol on Sunday.  She was also doing general garden cleanup.  We couldn’t hang out in the dog run on the side of the house because there is a loose paving stone in the run – the earth underneath must have eroded – so the stone tips down when you walk on it.  My human, being the neurotic dog owner that she is, is afraid one of us would get a paw caught.  She actually moved the stone herself about two weeks ago to fix it.  There was much groaning and the odd bad word – those stones are HEAVY.  It took her about 45 minutes.  She filled the hole with gravel and rocks and then had to move the stone back.  After much heaving and jostling she managed to get the stone back in place. And it still moved.  So she needs to recruit a friend to help.  In the meantime, we were forced to watch her yard and monument cleanup from the front hall.  With a baby gate against the screen door.  It’s an entertaining show.  She really needs to get pruning shears that are painted in florescent colors.  Because, she inevitably puts them down – and then can’t  find them.  So she wanders around the yard looking for them. Einstein just looks at me and rolls his eyes.  She didn’t even GO in the backyard – the mole mud zone was too depressing.  She’s back to her idea of hiring some terriers – or ANY dog that catches moles.  The ferret poop quest has not been successful.   

Well, I have to go and start my Christmas list.  I know it’s early – but I REALLY want one of those sharks!!  Admit it – the vision of it makes you chuckle.  I NEED one.

Have a good one!

Well, well, well.  So my human is smarter than I thought.  Seems there was a new study that has come out of the University of Chicago and it claims that if you talk to your dog – you are smart.  Go figure.  Wonder how big a grant they got to look at that one!  They say that humans have the capacity to anthropomorphize pets – which basically means, giving them human-like characteristics.  So they do things like talk to them.  And supposedly, it signifies someone who has an active, socially cognizant brain.  People treat things other than pets as having human-like characteristics too,  for example  they do things like name their vehicles.  Like Ludiwg.  Or our old buddy Harry.  Who has either gone to a farm or the old car graveyard.  I prefer to think of him as living somewhere else.  Or MAYBE they were able to transplant some of his parts to another vehicle….Hey – I think I am anthropomorphising too!!!   All that to say, if you talk to your dog, you are smart.  But not necessarily as smart as us dogs.

I got the stink eye when my human came home from work on Friday – no talking was really required.  Remember when I was caught on tape destroying the red oven mitt a few weeks back?  Well now we have a matching pair.  Actually not completely matching.  This time I just took off the TIP of the thumb and the tip where the other four ringers go.  So it’s still usable.  Kind of.

And remember my no-more-snow forecast.   It’s looking like I was CORRECT.  Warmer temperatures forecast for the REST of the week.  Look out groundhog – the PON is taking over.

Have a good one!!!  You know I will!

April 9.  And according to the crazy calendar, it is something called National Cherish an Antique Day.  I joked that it’s a day to cherish my human.  My brilliant sense of humor was met with an icy glare.

My human likes antiques. And while her antique collecting tastes have changed over the years, there is still something that she cannot pass up.  Antique and vintage DOG stuff.  She has old dog books, dog bowls, lots of old dog photos, prints and paintings and all sorts of dog figurines.  So in honor of this “holiday” let’s take a look at her “oldest” dog thing.  It’s a series of pages from the 1793 Encyclopedia Britannica.  Who KNEW encyclopedias were around that long ago? They were actually first published in Edinburgh Scotland between 1768 and 1771!  They were around until 2012 – when the age of digital took over and they stopped printing volumes.

So here are the three pages:

Lots of modern breeds look QUITE different than the dogs we see here.  Although some DO look close to their early ancestors….

The Dalmation

The Greyhound

The lion dog (which I am thinking might be the Lowchen) and the pug

The bulldog

Then there is the King Charles dog – which actually doesn’t look a whole lot like a Cavalier…

 
But the big problem –  there was no PON OR Picard listed.  I am guessing we probably both came from the Shepherds dog – which if you SQUINT from 16 feet away could look almost Picard like. But let’s face it – it doesn’t look anything like  PON…

Although the Great Water dog LOOKS kind of PON like, I’m thinking that’s one of the sporting breeds like the Portuguese Water dog – or MAYBE even the Newfoundland.

 So we looked at all of the breeds, but none really fit.  And we then spotted a little dog in the corner that ALMOST looks PON-like.  And the name would fit. It’s called a Shock dog.  How perfect is THAT?  We all know the behavior of the PONs in THIS household is FREQUENTLY shocking.  So that MUST be it.   It’s our great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather,   Zap.  That’s what I’ll call him. 

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this peek into history – and I hope you have a great old day!

April 8.  And it’s Dog Farting Awareness Day.  I’m not kidding.  Like you need a day to be aware of it.  Seriously when some of us dogs let loose, EVERYONE is aware.  If we dogs eat too quickly and gulp a lot of air in the process, it has to come out somewhere.  So in some dogs, that is the cause of flatulence.  Also if we have eaten something that “doesn’t agree with us” we can get gassy.  So diet can play a role in the toots.  It’s not unusual for this to happen from time to time – but if Fido is constantly letting rip farts that can cause the paint to peel on your walls – you may want to see your Vet.  A dietary change may be in order.  As well, in some cases, parasites could be the cause – so you want to get THAT cleared up.  Some dogs may need pre or probiotics to help with digestion and sometimes, exercise can help.

Paxton used to be the king of farts.  The air would be cloudy.  And my human had a Lab who could have won prizes for his farting abilities.  If they gave them out.  It’s not a constant occurrence with us three musketeers – UNLESS we eat something we shouldn’t.

This odorous topic really lends itself to some bloopers…  Enjoy!

That Elroy.  Boy he IS smart.  I mean REALLY smart…

My human has two bondage systems that she uses to walk him.  One is a slip collar with leash and the other is his Freedom harness and leash.  When she uses the slip collar, the FG has a terrible habit of pulling.  So she will only use that if she is taking him out on our property – and usually when he is just going out for a quick pee.  He walks much better with the harness- he doesn’t pull, although he DOES like to try and pull on the leash with his teeth, in an effort to get my human to let go so he can run away.  But they are working on that -or should I say my HUMAN is working on that – so his walks on the harness are generally well controlled.

So get this – the FG has figured out which is the “more fun” system.  He willingly and QUICKLY, puts his head in the slip collar.  I mean he doesn’t hesitate for a second to put his head in the slip collar.  But in the past few days, when my human takes out the harness, it’s like trying to catch a butterfly.  He flits here and there and won’t get near my human!  He KNOWS that the harness means he cannot pull – AND he is not in control!  Seriously.  This has not happened just once.  He has done it several times.  My human even resorted to tricking him.  She picked up the harness and he took off. So she put it down and picked up the leash and slip collar.  He raced over.  Of course she took him by the collar and pulled out the harness.  His ears went inside out.  He hates that thing.  No control – and CLEARLY the FG is a dog who likes to be in control.  I’m thinking he has some PON in him.

Well it’s Friday and as I predicted, NO MORE SNOW in the forecast.  And now the muddy mole hill filled backyard is emerging as the snow continues to quickly melt.  We haven’t been successful in finding that ferret poop – so we’re back to begging people to borrow their terriers.  A pack of terriers honestly can’t make the yard ANY worse than it is now.  Time for me to go write the Help wanted ad.

Have a good one.

It’s April 6 – and it’s also National Tartan Day!  Canada  recognizes Tartan Day which actually was first proclaimed here in Nova Scotia in 1987.  Although my human doesn’t get the day off.  It’s not THAT kind of a holiday.  Yet.  Apparently the idea for Tartan Day has spread – and is celebrated in a number of countries including New Zealand and the US.  It’s a day to celebrate Scottish heritage, with parades, pipe bands and Highland dancing.

So since we are celebrating Scotland, let’s take a look at dog breeds that originated in Scotland!  Here’s a little quiz to see what you know about Scottish dogs:

1.  Not counting dogs that are extinct or not recognized by a canine registry, how many Scottish breeds are there:
a.  5
b.  10
c.  12
d.  15

2.  This breed of dog actually originated from POLISH LOWLAND SHEEPDOGS way back in 1514.  PONs were bred with local Scottish dogs to get this shaggy member of the herding group.

3.  This breed of dog is one of the oldest terrier breeds originating on an island.  They have short legs relative to their long body and long flowing double coat.  They are noted for their well-feathered prick ears.

4.  This member of the hound group is larger than a Greyhound and actually said to be able to outrun a Greyhound in rough terrain.  They have a rough coat.  They were bred to hunt Bambi-type animals and apparently in Australia, they hunt kangaroo and wild boar.

5.  This black and tan breed is in the Sporting or Gundog group and is the heaviest member of the setter family.

6.  This is another terrier with a long body and short legs.  They were bred for hunting badgers and otters so they are known for their ability to dig big holes – quickly.  They have pendulous ears and a distinctive topknot of hair on their heads.

7.  This large hound can follow a scent over long distances and they are used by many police departments.  They have long floppy ears that help to stir up particles on the ground to help them in tracking.  They have a gentle disposition, but are said to be somewhat willful.

8.  This popular breed is in the Sporting or Gundog group.  They love to hunt, retrieve, swim, perform the role of service dogs and are an all-around great family dog.  They have a long coat, with the color ranging from a light, cream shade, to a reddish tone.  

9.  This member of the herding group is deemed by some to be THE smartest dog breed.  These energetic, athletic dogs are outstanding in their role as working dogs on farms.  They also excel at agility.  

10. This small, rugged terrier is one of Scotland’s oldest working breeds.  A famous example of this breed was Toto in the story the Wizard of Oz.

Here are your answers:

1. d
2. Bearded Collie
3. Skye terrier
4. Scottish Deerhound
5.  Gordon setter
6.  Dandie Dinmont terrier
7.  Bloodhound
8.  Golden Retriever
9.  Border collie
10. Cairn terrier

In addition to the breeds listed above,  the following breeds ALSO originated in Scotland:  Border terrier, Rough Collie, Smooth Collie, Scottish terrier, Shetland Sheepdog, and the West Highland White terrier.  Who KNEW so many breeds came from Scotland?!  And then I suppose we could ALSO count the breed from NEW Scotland – the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. 

Wonder how many of them enjoy the bagpipes….

Anyway, have some haggis on me today – or maybe a little dram of Scotch! Humans only.  Happy Tartan Day!

So when my human got home from work on Monday, she let the FG out free – but on a LONG, long line.   We were all racing around having a grand time, when the “good dog,” Einstein again took off.  He wasn’t gone long, but it’s just a sampling of his recently naughty new personality.  I think he has FINALLY figured out, that being naughty is actually fun.  So he has taken on a new persona.  For example, when my human is getting our meals ready, we are instructed to sit and stay.   Einstein who KNOWS what to do has recently decided to do anything BUT sit.  As soon as my human turns her back on us to prepare our meals, he will lie down.    My human comes over, says nothing, sits him up and leaves him.  She walks away and he stands up.  All the time yours truly, the ordinarily bad “stayer” is sitting patiently.  I have finally figured out that the longer it takes her to prepare things, the longer it takes to be fed.  And it’s not that Einstein isn’t hungry.  He’s just being NAUGHTY.  I love it.  All the time the FG is lying and waiting – he’s in the hallway waiting where he gets his food – so it’s more difficult to keep tabs on him.

And as for the FG and HIS behavior – yesterday when my human went to take us for our morning walks, she realized one of her BOOTS was missing.  And then she remembered that the FG had grabbed one and taken it outside the day before.  But she remembered bringing it back in….Seems he had stolen the PAIR and when daylight came, she saw it lying in the backyard.

NEVER a dull moment in this house.  EVER.

Well we are having what I predict will be our LAST snow for the year today.   It HAS to be the END of this wintry weather.   Mind you, at least with the snow on the ground, we don’t have to worry about ticks.  Always look at the bright side.  And just THINK what our household will be like when all three of us get serious Spring fever.  Look out!

Have a good one!

April 4. And it’s International Carrot Day.  I know we JUST talked about sweet potatoes yesterday – but I REALLY can’t leave out a talk about carrots. The orange veggie is good for us dogs – and it packs  Vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B1 and B6.  An alphabet of vitamins.  Carrots are a great snack – and if you have a puppy and you freeze a carrot, it’s great for teething.  Now keep in mind that whole carrots can be a bit of a challenge to fully digest – so you MAY see chunks of carrots in our poop.  Sorry to be graphic – but chunky carrot poop is a reality.  So as with anything, moderation is key.  I found this cool recipe video and with Easter right around the corner, you may want to make these snacks.  And what’s good is that you can substitute rice flour for regular flour if you have a wheat-free kind of dog.  Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuVeuxwU480

Wouldn’t I like to chase that giant bunny at the end of that video….

And remember how I have always said that we PONs eat MUCH more quickly than the FG?  Well here’s the proof – eating a baby carrot.  Don’t fall asleep while watching this first one of Elroy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okTpYgOpNBc

And don’t blink while watching this one… Frodo and I:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvqokCWIeNM

 I rest my case.

Have a good one.

April 3.  And according to the crazy calendar, it is Sweet Potato day.  In doing my research about this topic, I came to find out that sweet potatoes and yams are different.  For some reason, I thought they were in the same family – but in fact, they are not!  Sweet potatoes originated in the Americas, and yams came from Africa.  So there you go.

Sweet potatoes are VERY good for dogs.  They are a good source of Vitamins C and B6 and they are high in fiber and low in fat.  They are also a source of potassium, manganese and magnesium.  You can add steamed or boiled potatoes to your dog’s food – just watch how MUCH you add – because, as I mentioned, they are high in FIBER.   Here is a simple way to make yummy treats with sweet potatoes:

• Preheat your oven to 250
• Wash the potato
• Cut the potato into thin slices, leaving the skin on.
•  Place the slices on a baking sheet and leave in the oven for 3 hours.  The thinner, the faster they will cook up.  And the longer you leave them in, the harder they become.  But personally, I’m fine with soft, chewy sweet potatoes.
• You can also prepare them in a dehydrator, if you happen to have one!

Oh and speaking of SWEET, GUESS who was a GOOD dog yesterday?  Moi.  I went with Jackson and Frodo for a run on the golf course and GUESS who NEVER took off?!   Not even ONCE!!  Truth be told, Jackson’s human had awesome treats.   And the medication I’m taking makes me even MORE hungry than normal PON starvation mode.  I was so good – I even surprised myself.  That makes up for the fact that I again put a hole in one of my human’s pillowcases while she was putting in her contact lenses the other morning.  I have a pillowcase fetish…

Anyway, it’s Monday and I hope you have a SWEET week!