Howdy blogaroos! I hope you are having a sensational Saturday! The forecast here is sunshine, so we are expecting a perfectly perfect day!

So what’s new here? Well- the Boss decided to test out that new blood pressure medication that the Warden is on. He wanted to see if it really works.

It was two days ago- and it started bright and early. In our usual routine, when we first get up, before our morning walks, we go out the back door onto the deck, and then down the steps to have a quick pee. Yours truly usually grabs a toy to take out, the Coyote also runs out, and the Boss must be convinced that he actually needs to pee. If the Warden goes down the steps, he’ll go. Otherwise he stands and barks at her – shouting that he doesn’t need to go. Anyway, the Warden told him to go down, he started down, she walked away from the steps and she heard a clunk. She walked over to see what happened and when she looked down on the lawn, he was having a pee, and all seemed fine. Until he came back in the house and he was holding his front paw like it was broken. She felt it and he seemed OK, but he didn’t want to step on it. So needless to say, no long walk for gimpy.

Now once upon a time, the Warden would have whisked him in the car to the Vet. But – the more dogs you have owned, the better you are at assessing the need for urgent care. She also considered the fact that the Boss is a drama king. By the end of the day, he was using his leg, with a limp. By the next morning, the limp was barely visible. And by last night he looked completely fine. She knew from the moment he came in the door that if it had been really serious, he would have been QUITE vocal if he was in real pain. I mean think of the guy when he’s being groomed.

Anyway, it all ended fine, but was enough to send her blood pressure into the red zone. She has canine induced hypertension.

Hey – so I read that there’s a new dog related Guinness World record. A two year old Great Dane by the name Zeus, just won the record for tallest living dog on the planet. He’s 3 feet 5.18 inches tall. Get this – he eats 12 cups of dog food each day. A PON dream come true. But something tells me I’d be 3 feet wide, rather than tall if I ate that much. The record for the tallest dog ever was another Great Dane, who also happened to be named Zeus (go figure) and he was 3 feet 10 inches tall. We’d have to get a bigger car.

Plus in keeping with the Great Dane theme, coincidentally (I think ) – a new cartoon was added on Netflix yesterday. It’s called Marmaduke, and if you need a little chuckle, check out the trailer:

https://youtu.be/wDXYjxxnALU

Looks like a pretty typical dog-show-badly-behaving-big-eating- farting dog movie. A theme many people can relate to – no matter what breed they own.

I went to class yesterday, and my performance was average. Passing, but average. There was a new dog in class, so my head was rattled. So many questions in my mind. Who was he? Where was he from? How old was he? What did his pee smell like? How could I perform while all that was rolling through my brain?

I did have some moments of brilliance, like with my stand for exam, which was great. On the other paw, my sit stay and down stay involved a great deal of unwanted floor sniffing. And I kept staring at the newcomer, which is not the preferred behavior. I was just trying to see what kind of collar he was wearing. It looked nice. More “stay” homework this week. Yawn.

OK. Almost golf ball hunting time. Have a super Saturday!

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

https://youtu.be/wDXYjxxnALU

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here. Just watchin’ the bunnies bouncing and the leaves popping. Spring is in the air!

And with Spring comes more golfers. Which means I’m extra busy hunting for balls. Boy oh boy- some of these people sure need lessons. I’m finding balls WAY off in the woods. It’s kinda hard to picture how some of these shots end up where they do! There are so many balls in the woods The Warden only allows me to hunt on like 2 or 3 holes. I run like crazy, and she basically stands around waiting for me. She has to put me on a leash because I won’t stop!

Not much new here, so I resorted to looking at the news. And that set off a whole chain of things..

Here’s some news about a study that says our type of breed only accounts for like less than 10% of our behavior. Although genetics do play a role in about 50% of behaviors. I think that’s how I understood it. Kind of interesting research. They still have lots more to do. Give it a listen:

https://youtu.be/FcwccBY-xrQ

I like the idea of Citizen Scientists. Now of course surveys aren’t always perfect – but they are an interesting way to gather lots of data. So of course, after we saw this, the Warden HAD to go and register. It’s free. And you get to answer a bunch of questions about us canines. Now as I said, surveys DO have their weak points- and sometimes she came to a question where her answer was “it depends.” But that wasn’t an option. But still – many were spot on. Like asking questions about Frodo and food. Those were simple!

Plus a question about how often I enjoy life- she answered ALWAYS!

There are 25 surveys that you can complete about your dog. The surveys are short and simple. And just think how you can be contributing to canine research. Check it out:

https://darwinsark.org/

Back to school tomorrow. I’ve been doing my homework, but anything can happen when I get to class. Plus I wonder if I get extra credit because I’ve been doing my science homework too…

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here on a terrific Tuesday. No rain in the forecast, and life is looking good. Better than the weekend.

So on Saturday, we had some “construction” at our house. We have this tiny bathroom- the one that also includes the washer and dryer- and there were some issues with the toilet. Not that we dogs cared – but it is a dilemma for two-leggeds. It seems water was following down the side of the tank – from this thingy that was making it splash out from the top of the tank. The Warden tried her best “shake-it-and-that-might-fix-it routine, but the water kept splashing and flowing like Niagara Falls. OK – a miniature Niagara Falls. Meanwhile, the sink was working fine – BUT it had no vanity, and no storage for stuff like laundry detergent. Or dog toys. And when I say dog toys I’m referring to rolls of toilet paper. Not exactly an earth shattering problem (like running out of dog biscuits) but still the room was kinda “tired” as the Warden would say. Beats me how a toilet can be tired.

Anyway, the Warden decided out with the old – and in with some new stuff. So she went to the store, and with the help of a friend (who has a truck) they brought home a toilet and sink with vanity. Now for about 20 minutes the Warden watched YouTube videos about toilet and sink installation- and wisely decided that she would leave the job to a professional plumber. Good decision. Better than her electrical socket changing fiasco which resulted in blowing out the motor on a fancy dog dryer. But that’s another story.

So on Saturday, a very nice plumber arrived to do the work. We dogs could not be sequestered outside, because it was raining. So – the Boss and the Coyote were blocked off in the bedroom with a gate, and yours truly was in the jumbo crate in the dining area.

Of course when he arrived, we all shouted out our joyous welcome. The Boss and Coyote desperately wanted to say hello. And despite their barking, they genuinely ARE happy to meet people. Especially the Coyote. But who does he encounter first? Yours truly who is in the pony sized crate. He politely stooped down and said a gentle hello. I took one look and immediately felt it was necessary to show him my very best Cujo impression. He quickly stood up straight. The Warden gave me the stink eye and said “oh he’s just a little shy – he’s a pandemic puppy.” As he walked away, she gave me a double stink eye.

While he worked, the other guys quieted down pretty quickly, but yours truly felt it necessary to grumble and occasionally left out a boof if he walked by. My boof was quickly given a “knock it off” by the Warden.

Here’s the deal – I’m not sure about the details of guard dog duties. How am I supposed to know who is friend and who is foe? OK – I guess since the Warden let him in I could assume he was friend. But I just wanted him to know that behind this adorable shaggy exterior lies a serious guard dog. Well maybe not THAT serious if he had brought treats.

Anyway, the new toilet and sink are installed. Now the Warden is waiting for some wallpaper to arrive for that room too. She has already announced that when the wallpapering adventure begins – NONE of us will be allowed near that room. Picture us with peel and stick wallpaper. I’m seeing a brilliant viral video. The Warden doesn’t even think that idea is the least bit amusing.

Time to live and love a Tuesday!

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

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on this the first day of May! Done with April showers and mud. Bring on the May flowers and black flies.

So today is a hugely special day – it’s National Purebred Dog Day! So we can celebrate! And get extra biscuits! Yeehaw!

Now Viktor wrote a blog a few years ago where he talked about the challenges that purebred dogs have faced in recent years. He said it quite well – so I am going to plagiarize some of his words.

Purebred dogs and breeders have taken a bad rap in recent years. With health issues in many breeds and an overabundance of dogs in shelters (most of which are not purebreds as I understand it) – there has been a real movement to adopt – and NOT to get a purebred. And while there is nothing wrong with adopting a shelter dog – they deserve good homes – there should also be no shame in promoting the preservation of purebreds either. Think along the line of Save the Tiger or Save the Whale. If we don’t preserve purebreds – there are breeds in danger of disappearing!

When I talk about purebreds, I am not referring to designer dogs. Designer dogs are not purebreds, and generally are not bred with health clearances – or a concern about pedigree. They are mixed breed dogs – many of whom can be found in shelters. If you want a doodle/poo/cockamamie dog – get one at a shelter! But please don’t pay for one. The breeders of these dogs are NOT preservation breeders. Sure doodles are cute and some people say they are super smart. But – the assumption that you breed two different breeds and you will get the best traits from the two breeds is not true. You can end up with the problems that both breeds have. But you want the look of a doodle? How about a Portuguese Water Dog? Or a Lagotto Romagnolo? Or…. a POODLE! We don’t NEED MORE “new” breeds. We instead need to preserve the breeds we have and do a better job of ensuring their health and longevity.

Which brings us to the next point…..just as there are good and not-so-good individuals in any profession, there are good and not-so-good breeders of purebred dogs. If you were buying a new car, you would probably research models, and would visit several dealerships. You would do your homework. The same is true if you are looking for a purebred dog. Not all breeders are breeding with the betterment of the breed in mind. A good preservation breeder (GPB) will know about the lines their dogs have come from, and will breed with this in mind. A GPB will let you meet their dogs, and will be open and honest in sharing health information about their dogs. They will also perform the recommended health testing on their breeding dogs to ensure that they are producing puppies with the best start in life. Yes – problems still can arise down the road – because nature is nature and you cannot control for everything – BUT you want to know that your puppy came from THE best intentions – with a well-planned breeding.

A GPB will also be there for you – throughout the life of your dog. They should be interested in how your dog is doing – and should be able to answer questions about raising your dog. A GPB, in my opinion, will have shown their dogs – to see if they are good representatives of the breed – AND it’s great if the breeder has produced dogs that have initials on both ends of their names. That means their dogs have obtained titles not only in beauty pageants – but also in performance events – like those your dog was initially bred for (retrieving, herding, tracking).

The Warden has talked to people who are looking for a purebred, but are “put out” by the questions they have been asked. They feel they are paying for a puppy, so why are they being “interrogated?” Well here’s the thing – if the breeder does NOT ask you any questions, that’s a huge red flag. A GPB has invested time, energy, and money in producing a litter of puppies. They CARE a great deal about where their puppies are going. If the a breeder DOESN’T ask you questions, it’s likely they are….how do I say it….not necessarily in breeding for the right reasons.

If you have found a GPB, chances are you may have to wait to get a puppy. Unfortunately, we live in an “instantaneous” world, where we don’t like to wait. You decide at 2AM that you want some new dog toys, so you go on-line and order some and they will likely be delivered to your door in a few days. Waiting has become something we’re not used to! So when you hear you will have to wait for a puppy, you may be discouraged. But trust me – a puppy from a GPB will be worth the wait.

So there you have my (and Viktor’s) opinion about purebred dogs. Spend lots of time deciding which purebred meets your lifestyle. There are hundreds of options out there! And take your time in finding a GPB. Check with your local Kennel Club for a place to start. But even then, you still need to do your homework to find the right GPB for you.

To end my speech, here are a couple of quizzes about purebred dogs. I really liked the puppy one – because who doesn’t like a puppy?!

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/quiz-what-was-this-dog-bred-to-do/

https://www.dogbreedinfo.com/quizzes/purebred-dog-picture-quiz/?_gl=1*1r8a0ng*_ga*Z3pKdEV5SDhaMXJ6cVdpc2UtU1VSc3VqWHNKaml4MFpNcy02aEVhMVRIc25FWXhybWIxZmZuS1QxS1M0dzR0VQ..

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/guess-the-breeds-from-puppy-pictures/

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

Hey everybody! Squirmy Wormy here on another fantastic Friday. Although one sad thing- our teacher is away – so no class today. I think this may require a trip to the pet store – just to keep me busy.

So according to the crazy calendar, today is Viral Video Day. As none of my amazing videos have gone viral, I had to look up other dogs who reached that level of engagement. Here are a few old favorites…

https://dogtime.com/lifestyle/61075-best-funny-dog-videos-youtube-classics/amp

While I can relate to the guilty dogs, and even the dog who didn’t want to move, that giggling baby video is pretty darn cute. Great for a Friday morning and probably even better for a Monday morning!

On this day in history, in 1852, the first Roget’s Thesaurus was published in the UK. When you look up synonyms for dog – you find a bunch including pup, canine, mongrel , hound, mutt, stray, flea-bag, and fido. I think some of these need to be dropped. Somewhat negative if you ask me! Who wrote them – a cat?

In keeping with the thesaurus theme, if you want to test your vocabulary- check out this quiz which features words that contain or are related to dogs. We didn’t do all that great…

https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-games/dog-quiz-days

Our final score was catastrophic. Almost looked like we were catatonic while doing it. Maybe we should have tried the cat quiz instead. I’m so funny.

Anyway – time to get the weekend rolling!

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

Howdy blogaroos!!! It’s two year old Squirmy here! Yup – I’m a big boy now. Sort of. I still have lots of puppy-like behaviors and I’m going to milk that for as long as I can.

My birthday was spectacular. I went to the pet store…

And picked out about a dozen toys I would like to shred. In the end I got a tug toy, which is a bit boring as I only get to play with it while I’m with the Warden. She doesn’t trust that I won’t destroy it if left to my own devices. Good decision.

Because it was my birthday, and because the Warden had registered my name on the store’s website (so they can send us 15 emails a day), I could get a FREE birthday treat. I had a choice between one big, nicely decorated birthday biscuit, or a bag of little biscuits. Ironically, although it was MY birthday, the Warden chose for me. She said the bag of little biscuits would be perfect so I could share with my brothers. I’m not exactly sure I would have chosen the same option, but I suppose it IS the nice thing to do. Here I am with my bag:

After the shopping extravaganza (one store was enough for me), guess where I went? To the beach!!! I had never been to this little beach before – which was awesome because it was just me and the Warden. I’m used to lake water, but the whole ocean waves thing was a BIT overwhelming at first. But I got over it, although I had no intention of getting wet. I posed for some photos…

And even did a selfie with the Warden!

I tried to eat a bone I found lodged between two rocks – but was discouraged from doing so, because the Warden wasn’t sure that was such a good idea. Who knows what the bone was from. We didn’t keep it…

So it was a great day. Shared biscuits with my brothers – because it WAS the nice thing to do – and relaxed for the evening. I can’t WAIT for my next birthday!

Hey did you know today is International Guide Dog Day? A day to honor those hard working canines who go above and beyond to assist their human partners. Here are two short animated films about Guide Dogs. Try not to cry. Like the Warden.

https://youtu.be/SgKKZXuiTac

https://youtu.be/7PkQK9X3j84

Yeah – I’m not thinking anybody in this household would pass the Guide Dog test. I don’t think incessant barking, ricocheting or not responding to your own name are behaviors that are appreciated in Guide Dogs. It’s OK – we provide a different type of assistance to our human – guardians against dangerous bunnies and birds, creators of unique olfactory art on windows, and cleaners of accidental food spills. We also are collectors of foliage which can be used in crafts. These are just a few of our skills.

OK. Time to enjoy another day!

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

Hey everybody!!! Special blog today!!! Because…….it’s my birthday!!!! Can you believe it? I’m TWO YEARS OLD?! The Boss says the Terrible Twos cannot be worse than the Wild Ones. He thinks he’s funny.

So let’s see what I have done since my last birthday…

I have continued my classes – and I earned my first title – Rally Novice. I even got one leg of Advanced too!

I have also become a golf ball retriever extraordinaire. We’re hoping this paves the way for some Scentwork or Tracking. As long as the intended goal is finding a golf ball, I’m good.

I’ve had a great year with my “brothers” – respectfully wrestling with the Boss and disrespectfully wresting with the Coyote. It’s every dog for himself in our wrestlemania. And of course it’s all in good fun. Usually.

I’ve become used to grooming and I’m starting to get the hang of photo shoots. I did some awesome Where’s Wojtek shots this year – and we are saving some for a surprise later in the year.

My love bites and ricochets have slowed down. A bit.

I enjoy outings to stores. As long as nobody wants to pet me. I take the aloof description in the PON Standard very seriously.

I still haven’t figured out how to open the carabiners on my crate, but I’m working on it. I’m hoping that my jumping up and down in the crate might cause it to implode. It’s a good possibility.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the past year…

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The Warden said I get to go to the pet store today to get a free treat. I’m hoping I get to pick out a toy too. She said no snuffle balls though.

Anyway – all canines reading this get an extra treat today – on me!!!

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

Hello blog readers. Elroy here. On this – the last Sunday in April – better known as National Pet Parents Day. A day to honor those two leggeds who share their homes with a pet – whether it be a dog, a cat or a Sugar Glider.

Should you wish to know the origins of this day, or how to celebrate it, the following article provides some information.

https://www.nationaldaystoday.com/national-pet-parents-day/

Interesting that all of the “things to do” on this holiday rightfully involve us pets: spend time with your pet (as if you don’t already); gift a pet parent with accessories for your pet (for example, buy you chew toys to keep us pets occupied so you can have time to vacuum our pet hair) ; post on social media (because most pet parents never post pictures of your pets – he said sarcastically) and finally encourage pet parents with kind words like “that training you are doing is really paying off – he only pulls you on leash 50% of the time now!”

In our house we boys have decided that Her Highness should have an extra special day. Instead of getting her up at 6:30, we shall allow her to sleep in until 6:35. The mops have agreed to tone down their incessant barking at meal time, and I have agreed to actually eat my entire breakfast. We MAY allow her to take an afternoon nap, if it is raining. The forecast is calling for sun, so there is no guarantee on that one. We will each share a biscuit with her – assuming she enjoys Fish and sweet potato. We will happily give her a day off from grooming us. The Boss suggested that one. The Imp and I will not wrestle while she is eating so she can actually sit through an entire meal. The Imp has agreed to not ricochet off her for the day, and I will not squeak continually in my begging to play with him. In short, we will treat her like a princess.

Well, we had better start this festive day. I hope all of you pet parents reading this have a fantastic holiday. And I hope you do know just how much we love you…

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

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on another fantastic Friday. Even though we are supposed to get some rain today. But the rest of the weekend is looking all bright and sun shiny, so we’ll take a few showers today. Well – I will – but the Boss, as usual will be walking like he’s in a funeral procession, zig zagging around puddles.

Speaking of the Boss, we are both certifiable. Yup we got our official CKC certificates for our new titles. I got my nursing certificate – my RN and he got his National Tire Distributors certificate – his NTD. Just joking. I got my Rally Novice and he got his Novice Trick Dog AND his Versatility Novice. We had a huge party to celebrate. Well – maybe more like a couple of treats. Now on to more competitions.

And speaking of competitions – anybody watch Jeopardy lately? Well if you haven’t- you need to know that a Nova Scotia native – Mattea Roach has been winning big time. They say she’s from Toronto, because that’s where she lives now – BUT her hometown is Halifax. The 23 year old has moved into the Top 10 list for most consecutive regular season wins. Last night she won her 13th game! We keep cheering her on – she’s a smarty.

So in honor of Mattea’s winning streak – here are some dog related Jeopardy questions. Good luck!

https://stacker.com/stories/3121/can-you-answer-these-real-jeopardy-questions-about-dogs

I bet Mattea would get most of them correct. The Warden did pretty good, and she thinks if she was on Jeopardy, it would be her best category. Better than the categories of Ancient Egyptian Recipes or Automotive Repair or Children’s Operas or Underwater Physics. I’m not sure those are for real – but I do know she would do OK with dogs. Not so much with cats. Or Sugar Gliders either.

OK. That’s it for now. School this afternoon, so I need to get fluffed up. If you don’t behave well, at least you can look good.

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

Hey blogaroos. Squirmy here on a wonderful Wednesday. The Warden says that if it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t know what day it was. She’s a card carrying, perfect example of a retired person. Good thing we get her up early every morning- or she might start to sleep in too.

Yesterday, we almost drove her to the point to looking for a job – just so she could get out of the house…

She was on the phone with a friend, and so the Coyote and I decided to go outside. It was morning, so the grass/mud was still kinda damp.

The Warden was chatting, when she happened to look out the back window. There she saw the Coyote and yours truly doing a jump, chase, dig and roll game. She knocked on the window, and we both raced inside. The moist lawn, combined with tiny pieces of mulched leaves from last fall, mixed with shaggy coats, resulted in two big hairy beasts who looked like camouflaged hunters in a duck blind. We were COVERED in leaf bits. And my feet in particular, were brown from digging. ( NOTE: The photo you see does not depict the extent of the problem because this was taken before the full on roll-a-thon.)

As soon as we ran in the house, huffing and puffing, we both shook ourselves off- sending a shower of leaf bits around the room. Anything that didn’t immediately fly off was either tracked around the room or stuck deep in our coats. I think the Warden may have shed a tear. Likely because the sight of us was so endearing. It brought tears to her eyes.

The Warden didn’t know where to begin. No point in vacuuming first. She had to go to the source first.

She whisked yours truly into the salon in the garage. She heaved me up and plopped me in the tub. She proceeded to rinse my feet, leaving a brown stained tub. Then she lifted me out and plopped me on the grooming table. She set the jet force engine dryer on rocket speed, and blew out bits of leaves. And any grooming bottles standing in the way. Who knew how deep those little bits could go in one’s coat?!

Next it was the Coyote’s turn. He hid. But standing behind a dining room chair isn’t very secretive. The Warden lassoed him and invited him into the salon.

His feet weren’t too muddy, because it was yours truly doing the lion’s share of the excavation work. So he just got the blow out job. And then, just for good measure, she dremeled his nails.

Next on the agenda was vacuuming. But where to put us? She feared if she put us outside, we would again do the drop and roll game. So that was out of the question. She sequestered us in the front hall. She used her almighty stick vacuum- and had to empty it three times. Three times!!! It was a new leaf rolling record. Score!

It wasn’t long after that that the rain started. Combined with high winds. We had no desire to go out and get into the leaves again. At least not in the rain.

There’s sunshine in the forecast today. The Watden has mixed feelings about it. She’s just hoping the high winds from yesterday blew all the leaf bits away, A girl can always dream.

Time for morning constitutionals. Let’s see what I can get into today…

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