Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy Wormy here on a terrific Thursday. So our “company” arrived on Tuesday. And no – it wasn’t a kitten or a puppy. The Warden said that whoever it was who said they hoped it was a puppy, needs to spend a week here. They would understand why the possibility of 4 dogs in this house would be considered total, complete, absolute insanity. So needless to say – it wasn’t a puppy or a parrot.

Nope. Even better. A llama!!!! Just kidding. It’s “Aunt Sue” – the Warden’s sister – who is here from Newfoundland. Keith didn’t come this time – but they will both be back in August. He stayed home to look after the tomatoes.

When she arrived we all took turns mauling her. Actually that’s not correct. We all mauled her at the same time. She was equally thrilled to see us. Or at least I think she was.

So she arrives for a week of rest and relaxation, and what was the first thing she and the Warden did? Why they wallpapered the little bathroom! Remember the new toilet and sink? The Warden planned to wallpaper the room before Sue arrived but it’s a good thing she didn’t try. It definitely wasn’t a one person, 3 dog operation. In fact, all of us canines had to be blocked by a gate to keep us out of the bathroom. I’m here to tell you that we observed the spectacle from a safe distance. There’s a reason the half dozen YouTube videos they watched beforehand never actually showed the details in how to start applying peel and stick wallpaper in a corner. Let’s just say the ripping sound as they repeatedly removed the paper from the wall (because it had creases) became rather annoying. There sure were a lot of four-letter words used – and an equal amount of hysterical laughter. At several points we heard “OH OH OH OH NOOOOO,” when the sticky paper stuck to itself. And their fingers got caught as well. The Warden said it was like an episode from I Love Lucy. Whatever that meant.

One video said to start the wallpaper project and plan to complete it in one day. I think that’s because if you don’t, the next day you’ll probably plan on removing the wall instead of attempting more papering. At one point they had three ladders in the room which is the size of a closet. They also had an assortment of tape measures, rulers and protractors and some sharp tools that looked particularly dangerous.

After several hours they took a break to eat supper. And that’s when they added alcohol to the mix. I’m not sure that it helped. Finally by 10:30 they were finished. They stood and stared at their masterpiece. Oh. Did I neglect to mention they only did one wall? That was the plan. They were SO pleased with their work. We tried to look excited for them. Eight hours to apply 4 strips of wallpaper. It must be a new world record. And I’m not talking speedy.

Yesterday we all got great walks in the morning and I demonstrated my GBH skills. The girls had a little drive in the afternoon, and we boys stayed home. We were just grateful for the peace and quiet after the paperpolooza the day before.

Well, almost time for another jaunt and GBH. Just hoping the girls don’t have any more projects planned for today. It’s too painful to watch…

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

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here to update you on the chaos that is our home.

So somebody arrives today. The Warden decided that there is absolutely no point in vacuuming until just before she heads out to pick up the mystery guest. Let’s face it – with three dogs it is a losing battle. Fuzz and bits of nature ( leaves, dirt, and the odd slug) win.

On Sunday she washed all the floors – including the semi-annual grout scrubbing with what looks like a toothbrush – all while we were sequestered on the deck shouting out instructions and leaving olfactory art on the window ; she cleaned the bedroom and bathroom where the guest will be staying; she weed whacked until both batteries wore out on the weed whacker; she did laundry; and she mowed – while the Coyote kept playing chicken with the lawn mower. At 9PM she said she was ready for bed. She has no stamina.

Yesterday, she went to get groceries and when she came home – we all exhibited what Viktor called “curiocery” – a strong desire to know what is in the grocery bags that our human has just brought home. She lugged the bags from the car into the hallway, and quickly brought them in and put them on the counter. Except for ONE item…

She busied herself with putting away the food that needed to be refrigerated, while yours truly inspected exactly what she bought. That bread looked tasty – and we DO love yogurt. As I was doing inventory, the Coyote was lounging and paying absolutely no attention to the goings on. But after emptying one bag, the Warden noted that the Boss was nowhere in sight. She called with no response. Except she heard a strange chewing noise. She ran from the kitchen and into the hallway, where she found the Boss with his head in a bag of potatoes. He had ripped open the bag, and was having a feast on the raw starchy orbs. “Hey” she yelled. He looked up with potato bits hanging off his face. “That’s not for you”she shouted. He just burped.

From now on I’m calling him MPH. That’s Mister Potato Head. Seriously- I love food – but RAW potatoes? He’s got a problem.

We were all groomed last night, so I’m thinking the Queen must be arriving. Who else could it be? All this prep is a bit much. Mind you – we haven’t had company in months – so the place did need some freshening. Whoever it is, I hope their diet doesn’t consist of purely potatoes. Because we’ll need to get some more.

Tune in Thursday to see who the victim, I mean visitor is!

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

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on a super Sunday. No rain in the forecast and the Warden has nothing scheduled today (except answering our every need which includes ear and butt scratches) – so it is going to be a fabulous day!!

Today, according to the crazy calendar, also happens to be Magic Day. Here’s a funny article with some cool videos of canines and magic:

https://www.pawtracks.com/dogs/adorable-dog-magic-video/?amp

I love the look on the Frenchie’s face!!!

I’m not so sure the dogs in this house would be fooled by the blanket trick. The Warden hasn’t tried it because she figures either a. She’ll knock herself out trying to get away or b. We’ll knock over the iPhone that is recording us. Plus honestly, I think we’d quickly figure out she’s around the corner. I think the Boss would think she was just folding laundry.

The Warden was gone for the morning yesterday, selling junk at a yard sale. Not in our yard – because we would go nutso if people came to our yard – so she drove to a different community to sell stuff. I made SURE she wasn’t selling any of our toys or bones – and she wasn’t. She came home and said she made enough money to pay for a large bag of dog food and about a dozen bags of biscuits. I’m so glad she knows exactly where to spend her profits. On us! I said she should also go and treat herself to something like a candy bar. Or a pack of gum.

I think she should have taken us to the sale. CAN you imagine? I could see it now. Tables toppling over if we saw a dog. Barking. Begging. PONdemonium . On the other hand, the Zen dog would have probably LOVED the experience. Maybe next time!

Still don’t know about the mystery guest. Rumor has it, someone is arriving on Tuesday. Which means 48 hours of housecleaning ahead. What a waste of time. The other day, the Warden vacuumed first thing in the morning before we even went out. In literally less than 10 minutes (after we went out) she sighed and said “look at the carpet – it’s like I never vacuumed.” It’s a losing battle.

Time to go on a GBH.

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

Howdy blogaroos! Private Wojtek reporting again for blog duty. Well – I finished my first round of bootcamp, and didn’t even get blisters on my feet. I learned LOTS and had a blast. And the Warden was happy because I came home each day and I enjoyed some good naps. She did too….We both had a great time.

We’re already looking forward to attending another one in the Fall. Although we wish it was next week! BUT at least we go back to regular class today.

Meanwhile, something is going on around here. The Warden is on a clean-a-thon which generally means COMPANY. I love company- more unsuspecting ricochet targets. But WHO could it be? Way too early for Santa- and the Easter rabbit was long ago chased into the woods. Maybe we’re getting a puppy!!! Nah – the Warden said three of us canines is quite enough. Actually, she said I count for two.

Maybe a kitten!! I still want one, and I think the Warden said I can get one when I’m 12. Only 10 years to go! It will fly.

Well, it’s a mystery. I’ll be sure to keep you posted. Hopefully whoever it is comes with body armor. I may have completed bootcamp, but I still have a FEW things to learn!

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

Howdy blogaroos. Reporting for blog duty, fresh off of two days of bootcamp. And holy macaroni, I’m learning LOTS.

Now in case you are envisioning that we just walk in circles for 75 minutes, I’m here to tell you we don’t. We do SO much more. You see, here’s a little secret…. There’s lots more to heelwork than just walking. Like attention- which is pretty important before you take your very first pawstep. And heelwork has to be FUN. Because really, who wants to march in attention unless you REALLY are in the Army. Or a marching band.

So the Warden and I are learning LOTS about keeping heelwork FUN.

Now Day 1, I was pretty not bad. I mean my head did have some moments of cranial explosion when I saw new dogs, and we were in a different training place. There are 6 dogs in our class – a Dachshund, a Cavalier, a Buhund, a Papillon, a Bouvier and me. But I still did OK. No temper tantrums – like a small Royal at the Jubilee- and I didn’t bite the Warden – which is my favorite thing to do when I get revved up.

Day 2. I started to get the attention concept. And boy oh boy – I was sure watching the Warden. Even when there were some pretty tough distractions. She was actually kinda surprised at how attentive I was.

So we’ll see how I do today. When bootcamp is over, the Warden is nominating our coach, Jane, for sainthood. Really. Look up the word patience in the dictionary, and her picture is there. I’m not joking. OK. I am about the dictionary part – but she really IS patient. And she has eyes like a hawk on steroids. She doesn’t miss a THING. And she’s clairvoyant. She knows EXACTLY where we might encounter challenges in an exercise. And she’s a conductor. Watching each of us as we do our part. And she gives us all feedback. Saint Jane the Magical Juggler. I’ll just call her SJ from now on.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have a new title. The Toyminator…. I’m waiting for the Certificate to come in….

So before Bootcamp began, the Warden went to the pet store to hunt and gather a variety of tasty treats. New stuff that I’m not used to. Not that it REALLY makes a difference- if it’s edible, I’m trainable.

Anyway, I thought the idea of new treats was good. Plus one never knows what ELSE they might find at the pet store….

As you know, the Boss and I get a frozen Kong EVERY morning while the Warden eats breakfast. Those things are pretty durable- the heavy duty black variety can last for several months in this house, before they actually DO wear out. Then they get replaced. So while the Warden was treat hunting, she noticed that these tough rubber Kong wannabes were on sale – 50% off. She examined them, read that they were designed for dogs way bigger than us PONs, and so she decided to buy two. She figured they would be a nice Kong alternative- which could also be stuffed and frozen.

She came home with my stash of bootcamp treats and the new “things”. She took off their packaging and proceeded to do her tri-nightly Kong stuffing. While she was busy washing and stuffing, a friend called – so they were chatting while The Warden was working.

All of a sudden, she stopped, and heard some unusual chewing. Funny how humans can detect certain sounds SO quickly. She asked her friend to wait a minute while she went to investigate.

Well. It seems SOMEONE stole one of the new rubber thingies off the counter – and gave it to me to test chew. OK – maybe that’s not EXACTLY how I got it, but bottom line, I was very busy testing its durability. Good thing I did – because it failed. Yup – in what the Warden estimated was 10 minutes, I was successful in removing much of the top of the thing. She shouted “no”, took the thing and quickly picked up bits of shredded rubber. Thank goodness I was so helpful.

The good news? The Warden took the thingies back to the store. She was hoping she could at least get a refund for the one that had not undergone the durability test. It just needed a new zip tie to reattach it to its cardboard packaging. She didn’t really expect a refund for the “used” model, but the people were very nice and refunded her for both! Score. More money for treats! Plus they can now warn people that the Chimpanzee Chews (not their REAL name) aren’t QUITE as durable for ALL dogs. Just call me the Toyminator.

OK. Gotta soon warm up before we head to bootcamp. I wonder if we get medals at the end? Or maybe just wine for the humans…

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

Howdy blogaroos! It’s Monday! Again! AND it’s also National Eyewear Day. But I’m sure you knew that.

But did you know we canines can wear eyewear? Now I don’t personally know anyone who does – but it IS a possibility :

https://wagwalking.com/wellness/can-dogs-get-glasses

And if you want options about types of glasses, here are some reviews:

https://www.caninejournal.com/dog-goggles/

I’m thinking all of us canines in this house see pretty well. I mean we can spot somebody walking on our road from a kilometer away. And we PONs let them know that we see them.

Onto other news- I have a very busy week ahead! I’m going to Bootcamp. Yup. I’m joining the army. Just joking. My obedience teacher/coach is running a “heeling bootcamp” Monday through Thursday this week. And the Warden signed us up. It’s 75 minutes each day. I can’t IMAGINE how far we’ll be walking in 75 minutes! We’re supposed to come with yummy treats and a fun toy. Our teacher is pretty inventive- so I think this is going to be fun.

Well – time for my morning constitutional and breakfast before I head to bootcamp. I’ll keep you posted as to how we do. I just hope the Warden can keep up with me!

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

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on a super Saturday. And it’s already June 4 – where did the first three days of the month go?! That’s the kind of stuff that humans say. Where did the time go? It just disappeared. Where did it go? Just like I say after I eat and look in my food bowl…where did it go?

Well do you know what June 4 is? Of course you do – it’s National Black Bear Day!!!

It seems that lately there are more and more stories in the news about encounters with wildlife, like bears. Ya can’t really blame the animals- humans keep taking over their homes. Heck, when somebody even steps on my property, I go crazy! And the Boss goes crazy if someone is even walking on our road! We OWN this area. Or we like to think we do!

Here’s a link to info about what you should do if you encounter a bear while with your dog…

https://www.orvis.com/what-to-do-in-a-bear-encounter-with-your-dog.html

We have bears in our hood – but they seem to be most active in early Spring. Here’s two photos of a big guy in our yard a few years ago. In this one, he’s running down the luge run…

And in this one, he’s listening to the sound of crazy barking dogs…

That was a few years ago. Before I arrived. The bears around here have heard that there’s a crazy ricocheting mop that lives in our house, so they’ve stayed clear. Mind you, our neighbor took this one in their yard last Spring…

I’m not sure what I would do if I saw a bear – but the Warden doesn’t want to find out. She thinks the bear would be the one in trouble. Probably.

School was good yesterday. I was my average self. The Warden didn’t take any cheese treats – we ran out and she forgot to buy more. I had to settle for hotdogs. Listen – if she wants me to perform above average – she needs to branch out with some new treats. Not that I’ll EVER refuse a treat- but variety is a good thing. Training her is SUCH a challenge at times. But overall, I guess she’s doing well. I’ll keep working with her because I do think she has potential.

OK – GBH time. Gotta go suit up.

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

Greetings blog aficionados. Frodo here for your reading pleasure today. And I must confess, it IS a pleasure.

As most of you know, I celebrated a dozen birthdays this past January. Twelve is a fairly “popular” number – there are 12 months in a year, 12 hours on the face of a clock, 12 signs of the Zodiac and apparently, 12 jurors in a trial. Not that I have thankfully ever been to court. There are also numerous biblical references to the number 12. So suffice to say, 12 is a good number.

As many of you readers will also recall, several years ago, while undergoing surgery for removal of a cyst, my veterinarian noted for the first time, that I had a heart murmur. The cyst turned out fine, but this incidental cardiac finding sent me to a cardiologist. I won’t bore you with the technicalities of that appointment, but at that time (and this was several years ago now), the cardiologist and Her Highness decided that the best course of treatment for yours truly was pharmaceutical. There WAS an option for cardiac surgery, BUT while it could have potentially solved one cardiac issue that I have, it would not have solved a second issue I have. And the risks of surgery were iffy. At the time, the cardiologist asked Her Highness what the average lifespan for a PON would be. She said there is a range from probably 12-14 years IF one is lucky. Sadly, some PONs, like Viktor are taken too early, and some live long, happy lives to 15. And some even longer! The cardiologist asked Her Highness if she would be “happy” with 12. Given that it was several years off, and the fact that of the 6 dogs she had previously been owned by, only one had lived past 12, she thought that number was OK. I mean let’s face it – no time is EVER enough- but 12 seemed like a gift.

So when I celebrated my silk anniversary in January, Her Highness was thrilled. BUT, like anyone owned by a canine knows, the older a canine gets, the more the human worries. And honestly, she now felt 12 wasn’t enough. No wonder she is on blood pressure medication.

Frankly, I feel fine. I have as much energy as I have ever had. I don’t tire on walks, my appetite is extraordinary (as always), I “eliminate” in regular fashion, and IF Her Highness didn’t know I had a heart condition, she wouldn’t think about my health at all. I DO have some rather large fatty cysts, often found in seasoned dogs(I like that term better than senior)- but they don’t bother me. I went in to the Vet in the fall for a heart check and all was as it was several years ago. No worse. However, a few weeks ago, Her Highness discovered a rather odd dark lump on my back. It almost appeared to be like a blood blister – which would not be unlikely given that the Imp is still rather mouthy when we wrestle. In addition, I was still clearly battling a goopy ear – so she made an appointment to see our Vet.

Now PONs don’t forget much, so my recollection of the orb incident and subsequent problems after that fiasco, make me a tad nervous when I walk in the Vet Clinic. Her Highness kept me in the car as long as possible and then dragged me in. She did that because once I’m in, she must ply me with a continual supply of treats to keep me from either squeaking or barking. I have her well trained.

Our Vet is lovely and she is very patient with Her Highness who asks about 500 questions- while simultaneously feeding me treats. The Vet looked at my lump – and another one she found (which surprisingly Her Highness didn’t notice while grooming me the day before). Could possibly be because our grooming sessions still resemble a WWF match. Our Vet suggested she aspirate the lumps and she suggested routine bloodwork- which I had not had in several years. She took me to “ the back room” away from the pestering eyes of Her Highness.

So now – after all this dramatic build up – the results…… The rather ominous looking lumps were cysts. Goopy cysts. And my blood work came back yesterday, with absolutely nothing to report. Well – one MINOR thing – my cholesterol was a bit elevated. Just as it was in my last blood work several years ago. She suggested I lay off the doughnuts. A comedian she is not.

So. I am apparently doing as well as a 12.4 year old dog can be doing. Actually, perhaps a bit above the norm. Especially given the fact that I DO have a heart condition. Remember, I even got two legs toward my Rally Masters title in January- which included jumping. I think I’m doing splendid.

To say Her Highness was thrilled with my check up is an understatement. Not to say she won’t continue to watch me like some research experiment- and she’ll check me each time I so much as sneeze, but her blood pressure DID go down a bit yesterday.

No one knows how much time they have on this “vacation” called life. One can sit and worry about all sorts of things – including when the vacation will end. Instead – we need to enjoy each and every moment – and not take that for granted. Fetch the ball. Learn a new trick. Have fun with family and friends. Go on an adventure (even around the block). Eat the carbs – but watch your cholesterol. Explore the world around you. Smell the air. Pee on the neighbors’ garbage can. OK – maybe not that one. But Carpe diem my friends. Carpe diem.

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

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on this – the last day of May. And did you know that on this very day in 1976, some band – Who knows what their name was – set the record for the loudest concert ever – 120dB at 50 meters. Just so you have an idea about how loud that was – prolonged exposure to noise over 70dB can injure your hearing – and noise over 120 can cause IMMEDIATE damage to your ears. Hearing protection is recommended for noise exposure over 85dB. For example, your average lawn mower is 90dB. Now while you may not hurt your ears if you mow once a week, if you mow lawns for a living – you better be wearing ear protection.

Probably as a result of that crazy concert, today, according to the crazy calendar is known as Save your Hearing day.

We dogs have much better hearing then you two-leggeds. We can hear pitches that you can’t. So when it’s dark at night, and we start barking – it’s because we hear something. Or we just want to freak you out. That’s possible too.

Here’s a short article with some facts about canine hearing:

https://www.thewildest.com/dog-behavior/7-amazing-facts-about-dogs-ears

And this article talks about how, just like humans, we dogs can lose our hearing as we get older:

https://www.connecthearing.ca/blog/hearing-and-hearing-loss/5-common-signs-of-deafness-in-dogs/

One sure-fire way to test hearing in a PON is to open the treat jar. While we might blame our occasional behavioral brain farts (like not coming when called) on the fact that we didn’t HEAR you, chances are it’s what’s called “selective hearing.” But I never told you that.

Meanwhile, it’s highly likely that the Warden suffers from canine-induced hearing loss. The average dog can bark anywhere from 80-100dB. But when you add to the chorus with multiple dogs – you can be looking at the danger zone of 120dB. Personally, I think the Boss does 120 all on his own. And he’s persistent. We’re all going to need hearing aids. And yes, we dogs can wear hearing aids…

https://www.starkey.com/blog/articles/2022/03/hearing-aids-for-dogs

The Warden said nobody in this house is getting one. Probably a wise decision, seeing as we rip out each other’s barrettes and have been known to restyle them so they no longer function to hold hair. In fact, after a few chews, they have no function whatsoever. So hearing aids would not be a good idea.

I had a good GBH yesterday. Came home with another dozen. The Warden is thinking about throwing some around our property in the woods. Could be fun.

Speaking of which, it’s almost time to suit up. Let’s see if I can top yesterday’s total….

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

Howdy doody blogaroos. Squirmy here on a sunny Sunday. After a rainy Saturday. Luckily we got up early yesterday and we each had short walks – before the skies opened and the invisible cats and dogs came down.

So what the heck is new around here….Oh yeah – the visitors have arrived and it’s not even June yet. Almost – but not yet. Who are the visitors? Well let’s just say, when these visitors come in the house, all heck breaks loose. They even freaked me out….

The Warden was in the DFZ the other night. The Boss and I had done our after-supper training sessions and we were sufficiently tired. Not that they go on THAT long – but we work hard for treats. I figured out a couple of weeks ago, that when the Boss goes downstairs to do his training session, if I run out the deck door and down the stairs, I can watch them from outside. And the other night, the Coyote joined me as well.

The Boss ignores us when he’s training. Completely. He just wants to work. Anyway, he did his thing. And then it was my turn. And guess what? The Boss decided to copy MY move and when he was put upstairs, he ran out to watch us. By this point, though, the Coyote was bored – so he was asleep upstairs.

After our training sessions, the Warden said we should take a break, and she went to scroll Wastebook on her phone. It was now getting dark – and the busted screen on the deck door was still open. Hey – it’s our dog door. We made it so we can go it and out whenever we want. Anyway, she’s a scrollin’ and she hears this buzzzzz- thump, buzzzzzzz-thump, buzzzzzz- thump sound. She looks up and ewwwwwwwwwww – a June bug was throwing himself against the walls, the ceiling, and a pole lamp. Like some large drunken walnut with legs and wings. I watched The Warden moved faster than when the Coyote escaped and she was trying to catch him. She screamed and raced out of the DFZ. Meanwhile- she saw yours truly looking totally shell shocked. Because it seems the first June bug came to the indoor party with a friend. He was on the carpet – near the pawcrafted screen dog door. I was just staring at him. The Warden decided to send him to June Bug heaven first- and did so with a wad of paper towel that probably breaks some environmental waste law. She didn’t care. But now- where was the original culprit? Well – I guess all that self-imposed banging on walls and lights gave him a concussion- because he was on the floor right at the entrance to the DFZ. Another wad of paper towel sent him to the afterlife. We just hope he doesn’t haunt us.

I’m not even sure why the June Bugs are here – it’s still May!!! All I know is that the glass door in front of the pawcrafted screen door now gets closed after dark.

What else? I had class on Friday and I was average. Not stellar (despite ALL our homework) but not a total dork either. I’m OK with that. Bottom line is I LOOKED cute.

OK. Time for a GOOD walk since we have no rain in the forecast. I think it might be a perfect morning for a GBH. I’ll let you know how I do. Suit me up!

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