Viktor, was a Polish Lowland Sheepdog who shared his views on life and had a following of loyal readers from around the world . He sadly left all of us us way too soon. He left his PON brother, Frodo and his Berger Picard “brother”, Elroy to continue his “legacy.” We now welcome a new PON brother to our story- Wojtek- who in many ways, has the very same “bigger than life attitude” as Viktor. So we know Viktor’s spirit lives on, as does the spirit of Paxton, his Bernese Mountain Dog…
Yo. Blog people. Elroy here. Just popping in to say “hold the good wishes.” Well, I mean you can still send me good wishes for my vet visit – but it won’t be today. Unfortunately, Her Highness is under the weather – so we had to cancel my appointment. Yup – she’s been sick as a canine since Tuesday. In fact, I realized she was feeling badly, so to make her life a bit better, I actually ate 4 out of 5 of my meals the past two days. That’s a record lately.
She’s looking better today – and she almost sounds like herself – but she’s still not 100% and she didn’t want to pass on this bug to anyone at the vet clinic. So I’m scheduled for my drama adventure in 2 weeks.
In the meantime, we’re lounging around the house, trying to behave. Well- at least I am. On Tuesday morning when the bug hit her full on with stuffy nose, fever and all over body aches, it was everything she could do to take us on short walks. She fed us breakfast- and then blocked herself in the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Much as she loves us, she didn’t want anyone jumping on her on the bed. I got the message. The mops? Not so much. After about an hour, the Imp started throwing around the food bowls. And the Boss started barking. On and off. On and off. Her Highness must have been feeling pretty gross because she let it go on for about 2 hours. Then she got up, picked up the bowls, and moved, with the Boss, into the DFZ – where she collapsed on the sofa until supper time.
Yesterday she spent less time in bed – but the sofa was still her location for the day. This morning it was pouring rain for our walks – and she was grateful that all of us “made our deposits” in record time. I’m starting to adopt the mop attitude about rain. It’s not nearly as much fun as I once thought it was.
So hold your “good vet results wishes” for two weeks. In the meantime, I’ll try to eat my meals and will also try to keep the mops under control. Now for THAT I could use prayers!!!
Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe. JBJ.
Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here. Have ya missed us? We’ve been pretty quiet lately- and holy shamrock – we even missed the usual St. Patrick’s Day photo shoot – wearing oversized green bow ties and headbands with four leaf clovers. We’re getting really slack. The Warden said we’ll make up for it on Easter. Oh joy. Oh happiness. The Coyote got wind of her plan and decided to try and dig his way out of the yard. Probably would have been more effective if he dug the holes near the fence.
He clearly has energy to dig – and quite enjoys his daily walks. Unfortunately though, his appetite doesn’t match his energy level lately. He and the Warden are back to food wars again. One day he likes hamburger sprinkled on his food. The next day – nah. He is maintaining his weight – but likely because the Warden has to force feed him some days. Not fun. And after they get his meal down, he comes roaming around the kitchen to see what’s cooking. Yes – that’s AFTER he refused his meal.
He’s going to the vet on Thursday for his regular check up. The Warden figures she’ll leave him in the car, talk to the vet about how he’s doing, and then bring him in. One cannot talk to the vet when he’s there because he squeals incessantly from the minute he walks in the door. And it’s not like you can distract him with a treat. Say a prayer on Thursday that they both make it through the visit without their blood pressure readings going through the roof!!!
What else is new? Most of our snow is gone except for a few Larry piles. And the long range forecast looks like balmy, above freezing temperatures for the next while. I have to make sure I keep rolling whenever I can in the remaining piles as they get smaller and smaller.
The Warden’s favorite dog show- Crufts has come and gone. The big winner of Best in Show was a PON! Just kidding. But it WAS a dog from the Pastoral Group – which we call the Herding Group here in North America- and it’s the group that we PONs and Picards belong to. The dog that won was Viking, an Australian Shepherd and Reserve Best in Show was Zen, a Jack Russell Terrier from Japan. We were cheering for the Leonberger – because the father of that dog was bred here in Nova Scotia!!! So there was a “hometown” connection.
There are loads of Crufts videos on-line – but we wanted to share two of our favorites. The first is a dog who may be small in size – but he has the spirit of a king. Check him out:
There are loads of amazing agility, and flyball performances on-line, but personally, I like a dog who likes to do his own thing. This guy is supposed to be following a course in a sport called Hoopers. He decides to take a bit of a detour. Ya gotta love him!
I’m still going to classes and matches, but no trials for me yet. Last weekend we went to a little practice class and the Warden figured out a way to make sure I don’t go “visiting” during the stay exercises. She tied me to one of the sandbags that holds the agility equipment. I didn’t even ATTEMPT to get up and move. Does she honestly think I didn’t realize I was tied up? Tsk. Tsk. Surely she knows I’m smarter than that. I never make a move if she’s 6-8 feet away, because although she’s no sprinter, she sure can make a BIG leap to grab me if she’s that close. But 20 feet away? To quote Mel Gibson – “FREEDOM!!!”
I joke – but it’s really not cool because, although I’m friendly, not every dog wants to entertain visitors. Plus more importantly, the Warden doesn’t want MY behavior to affect someone else. So for now she drags around sandbags. And we’ll keep working on it. Hey- I like the action stuff like heeling and retrieves and jumps. But stays are boring. Maybe I could wear ear pods and listen to some podcasts about making treats. Or something. No judge would notice ear pods under all my hair. Maybe that’s the next training step after the sandbags….
The Boss is doing well. He is even MORE fussy about puddles and wet conditions the older he gets- but give him a sunny day and he’s a happy camper.
So that’s our update for now. We’ll let you know how the Coyote aka Miracle Dog is doing after his vet visit. Paws crossed all is well. Or at very least stable.
Have a good one. Peace and paws up! Stay safe. JBJ
Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here. Counting the days to Spring. It’s coming – and we can even see grass now on our lawn. Mind you, it’s brown grass and it’s still surrounded by piles of yellow snow from Larry, the plow guy. Let me clarify that. Larry made the piles. Of snow. We provided the sunflower palette. But Spring IS coming!!
The Warden took me for a walk to the golf course today and even though most of the snow is gone, there are still some patches of white stuff. And every chance I get, I practice my drop and roll routine. Just like the Boss. We call our movements PON-lates. Get it? PON-lates! Like Pilates….Sometimes I kill myself.
On the flip side, the Coyote just dives to grab a mouthful of snow. He’d rather chew it than roll on it.
Well today was an anniversary of sorts. Six months to the day when the Coyote came pretty darn close to crossing that Rainbow Bridge. Like his front feet were on it. But the Warden yanked his leash back.
Over the past six months there were many a day when the Warden thought he was again taking the path to the Bridge. But thankfully there have been more good days than bad. Eating is STILL a challenge- but let’s face it – that’s nothing new. He continues to defy the odds….
The photo of him was taken the other night – he was sound asleep in all his scruffy glory. Dreaming of surfing. We are convinced he was a surfer dude in another life.
What else… Oh – this weekend the clocks spring ahead! So we lose an hour of sleep. I don’t care. Just means breakfast will come early. Works for me.
Ah yes springtime. Any poop that was hidden by leaves in the fall, will now be revealed. Surprise!! And wet ground provides for a magical mud mixture. It’s the Warden’s least favorite time of year. Although she DOES like the longer days.
It’s also the time of year when the bunnies turn back to their brown color. They turn white in the winter, but the Coyote and the Warden saw one this morning and he already had some brown patches on his coat. The Coyote just stood and stared at him and then looked at the Warden with an expression that said “well will ya look at that strange looking creature. What the heck is it?!” The bunny took off and the Coyote then watched a pile of snow and mud to see if IT would move. It didn’t.
Not much else new here. So we found a cute good news dog story for you. It’s about a chihuahua going postal. But not in a bad way. Check it out:
Well, I’m writing this at night, for a change- and it’s almost time for our last walks of the day. The Warden got this great new headlamp from Sue – that is so bright it’s like we’re walking in the daytime. Better to see those bunnies in the dark.
Have a happy Michelangelo Day tomorrow-March 6. Michelangelo reportedly owned a Pomeranian. And the dog sat on a satin pillow watching as he painted the Sistine Chapel. (In case you ever get that question in Jeopardy.) So we like him because he was a pretty good artist and he obviously liked dogs. You can celebrate his birthday by painting a portrait of your dog. On your ceiling.
Clearly it’s time for bed…
Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe. JBJ.
Yo. Blog people. Elroy here. For a change. Thought I should say a few words since it’s been pretty quiet here at the hacienda. Well- not REALLY quiet – not with the two mops blabbering on just because they can. Those two do not know the meaning of the words peace and quiet. Give a set of quadruplets, some big spoons and some pots and pans and they still couldn’t drown out the yelling fuzzballs. To quote Her Highness “Give me strength.”
So I’m feeling pretty good these days- although I STILL can be picky about eating. And I have all these new routines about WHEN I eat. I don’t eat breakfast with the mops. I prefer to wait until mid-morning and then I enjoy having my meal solo. Mind you, it’s not entirely solo as the mops are watching me from the other side of the French door, leaving olfactory art all over the glass and continuously shouting “we’ll finish it if you don’t want it.” Meanwhile, Her Highness CANNOT watch me eat because I stop if she’s watching, so she goes into the garage, and stands with her ear to the door- listening to hear me moving food in my bowl. When she thinks I’m done, she opens the door to check. If I have finished everything, I get a giant hug and a “good boy.” If I leave a bit, she grabs something to add to the remaining bit – like some shredded chicken, or dried beef lung and then she again hides in the garage. 90% of the time I eat all my breakfast.
Supper was becoming what I considered an “optional” meal. But Her Highness was not in agreement. So – she discovered if she feeds me in the early afternoon (using the same hidden garage routine), I’ll often eat my supper then. At least that’s been the routine the past few weeks. I may change my mind about the schedule again. It’s my Picard prerogative.
I am still on 5 medications daily, which require the complete human hand down my throat to take them. Otherwise, well, I spit them out. No matter how big or small. If they are not placed half way down my throat, almost to my stomach, they will miraculously reappear- to be found on the carpet. Or even stuck in my coat. It’s quite the magic trick. Please – do not suggest “hiding them” in something yummy. Because frankly, NOTHING is that yummy to yours truly. Peanut butter? It takes less than a millisecond to find a pill in peanut butter. Yo. It’s a real talent.
My energy is good. I enjoy walks and wrestling with the mops. I must confess, I HAVE picked up a habit that the mops demonstrate. I’m no longer overly fond of rainy weather. Like this morning. It has been pouring all night long. And it still is raining right now. I was in no huge rush to go out for my morning walk. In fact, I left my yellow signature and didn’t even go up the driveway to the road to have a poop. I went half way. I then turned for the door and headed back inside.
Because the culvert further up the driveway is blocked, we have quite the river flowing down the driveway. Thankfully it’s going toward the side of the house. And not into the garage. The Boss was DEFINITELY not impressed on his walk. He kept trying to head for the snow – which is now like walking through quicksand. Anyway, we all survived- and we don’t plan to head back out unless it stops raining. Yo – I think we need an ark.
So did ya all hear about the Bobi debacle? Bobi – the dog who captured the Guinness World record for being the oldest dog at 31 years old. Well it seems he lost his big trophy. Yup. Seems Guinness was a bit too quick in giving out the award. It comes as no surprise to lots of veterinarians who said a dog living to 31 is like a human living to 200. Pretty unlikely, they say. But the story doesn’t end there. Yo- let the conspiracy theories begin.
Because Bobi’s diet was pretty much whatever he wanted to eat- his longevity was kinda heralded by folks who don’t feed regular dog food (like kibble). So NOW some of those folks are theorizing that some big dog food company paid off…was it Guinness or the owners of Bobi to say he wasn’t as old as initially thought. Really. Yo- it seems like the world revolves around conspiracy theories these days. Nobody trusts anyone anymore. It’s kinda sad really. Yeah, yeah I know that there ARE mean people out there, but in my 7 years, I haven’t met that many. Or really any that I can think of! That’s because we dogs are GENERALLY trusting. Yeah – we DO have good spidey senses if we encounter a bad person – but thankfully, for most of us, that doesn’t happen all that much. I’m not including military or police dogs- their world is a bit different.
Most humans owned by dogs want what’s best for us – AND they want us around for as long as possible. That’s another reason people got all crazy about the Bobi debacle- they REALLY want and hope that we dogs CAN be around until our 30s, 40s…. So demoting Bobi was like tearing away a dream.
Bottom line – live like a dog. Live for TODAY. BE SMART – BUT TRUST that the world is really NOT an evil, horrible place where everyone is out to get you. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if Bobi wasn’t 31. He apparently lived a good, long life. And that’s what is important. There’s no magic secret to his longevity – or longevity in general that works 100% of the time. I’m sure more than one of you know some 90+ year old human who didn’t follow good, healthy habits – but they are still around. I’m not advocating an unhealthy lifestyle by any means- but I what I do think is that humans really should take a more positive look at the world like us dogs. LIVE for today.
Her Highness saw this thing on Wastebook that said if you say the words “I get to” instead of saying “I need to” – it reframes how you look at your day. Kinda simple- but cool. It’s about gratefulness.
And while living a long life is a goal- a better one is living a good life. One where there is that gratefulness. And trust. Seems a little naive? Well what can I say – I’m just a dog… 😉
Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe. JBJ.
Howdy blogaroos! Happy Valentine’s Day!!! One of the favorite days of the year for card companies, florists and chocolatiers. February 14th was “officially” declared to be Valentine”s Day in 1537. The Warden probably remembers it. I certainly hope she remembered to get us treats because, according to one website, 9 million people buy Valentines for their pets. Surely we must be in that 9 million.
To my fellow canines, if you’re looking for a cute way to sign your Valentine card for your human – here are some pretty corny suggestions.
Our plan is to write our message in the snow. It will be yellow.
Speaking of snow, we’ve been seeing a lot of Larry lately. Our plow guy. About a week ago we had the Snowmagedon, and last night we got another dumping. I’ve been the only one going down to the lake lately – the snow is too deep for the Boss, and trying to stop the Coyote from snowplowing with his open mouth is too much of a challenge. Those guys go for walks on the road. The Warden takes yours truly to the lake to tire me out. Doesn’t work. She’s the one who is tired when we get back!
The Warden was going to attempt to get a Valentine’s Day photo of the three of us – but we’re a bit out of practice so in short, it was an epic fail. She attempted to have all of us sit at the top of one of Larry’s giant snow piles. The Coyote went up, but wouldn’t turn around. I kept running up, and rolling down. The snow roll is a PON sport. We excel at it. Meanwhile, the Boss just stood there and pretended he didn’t know what she wanted him to do. She was going to attempt to lift him up, but then I started jumping on her while the Coyote kept gorging on snow. She gave up.
Hey – today is the first day of Lent. It’s the beginning of the countdown to Easter. Yesterday was Paczki Day (pronounced ponch-kee if you don’t know Polish). Paczki are donuts – and people load up on them the Tuesday before Lent begins, because during Lent you’re supposed to fast. The Tuesday before Lent is also called Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday. . The Warden had store-bought Paczki. She didn’t share any with us. She said “we’re sweet enough.” Well that was a cop out.
People sometimes give up something for Lent as a form of penance. Not a good day to give up chocolate! The Warden says yours truly should give up barking for Lent. It seems I have taken lessons from the Boss- and frankly, I think I’m almost doing a better job! I wasn’t always a barker. At least not as much as I am now. I kind of like hearing myself talk. The Warden not so much.
Well, Larry hasn’t been here yet – and last night, before we went to bed, the Warden had to shovel a path because the snow was so deep. She knew the Boss wouldn’t poop if he didn’t have a good snow-free spot to go. It took a bit of time, but he did figure out that his poop-zone range was significantly reduced. I didn’t need to go and the Coyote just plunged right in. Good times!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Virtual hugs and licks from us to you!!!
Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe. JBJ.
Greetings blog readers. Frodo here for your reading pleasure today. Although, I must share, that currently the weather outside our warm abode is hardly pleasurable. We appear to be experiencing a Snowmageddon – the likes of which we have not seen in several years. I followed closely behind Her Highness as she forged her way through the drifts to take me on my morning constitutional. She was insistent that I make my morning “deposit” – as I do so EVERY morning. I pleadingly looked at her – hoping, just this once, I could simply make my deposit in the house. But no. We trudged up the mile long driveway and onto the road which must have been plowed once during the night. (I confess- I exaggerated the length of the driveway- but it certainly felt like a mile). The road was a bit less deep – and thankfully- easier to find an appropriate spot to do my duty. My walking pace increased noticeably on the way home.
Yesterday, the prognosticating rodent, better known as the groundhog, predicted we would be having an early Spring. It was not even 24 hours before his prediction appeared somewhat unreliable. Tsk tsk. I bet the hamster on steroids is all comfy in his den today. And he didn’t have to walk a mile in snowdrifts to do his business. I want to know how one applies to get his job. Think of it – you work one day a year – and are never held accountable for your work. He could make an excellent politician.
In other, brighter news, I had a marvelous 14th birthday. We had special treats for the occasion- little canine cupcakes for each of us. You see them in the above photo. We were instructed not to touch them – hence our serious expressions. The Imp and I quickly consumed ours, while the Coyote batted his around and then walked away. While the lad is eating fairly well – he still remains particular about new foods. The cupcake was not in his previous dining experiences- so he opted to leave it. But not to worry – food never goes to waste in this house. Not with two PONs.
While the Imp had neutral results in his rally foray last weekend- with one pass and one NQ, some photos were taken in which he actually appears to be performing quite well. Cast your eyes on these:
He CAN perform quite well. It’s whether or not he wants to that is the issue. I believe yours truly was more amenable to following instructions. I understood that rewards would come – sometimes after a short period of work. The Imp still prefers immediate rewards. His brain is like that of a hummingbird who has been into too much nectar. But he’ll learn. Hope springs eternal.
In world news, a new study has been published in the UK, looking at dog longevity. They looked at the data on over a half million dogs – and looked at longevity considering a number of factors including breed. The average for PONs was 13.2 years. Yours truly is above average- as I have been in all aspects of my life. Picards are not mentioned – as their numbers are likely low in the UK- so they couldn’t obtain the data. It was interesting to note in this particular study, contrary to popular belief, purebred dogs had slightly better longevity than mixed breed dogs. The theory of hybrid vigor did not prove true in this study. But like ANY study, one must carefully analyze the data. And frankly, Her Highness is a bit surprised that the lifespan of the Bernese Mountain Dog was over 10 years! She was excited, but a bit skeptical about that number. Still – interesting to look at the information-and use it with other information to learn about different breeds.
Well, back to napping. I will retreat to my room (previously referred to as the DFZ) and make myself comfortable. Until nature calls. Which I wouldn’t answer until I absolutely must. Cheers.
Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe. JBJ.
Howdy blogaroos!!!!! It’s here!! The big day!!!!It’s National Corn Chip Day!!! Just kidding. Although it actually is a day to celebrate corn chips. Go figure.
But no – I’m talking about the OTHER big day. It’s the Boss’ 14th BIRTHDAY!!!!!! Holy sheep – that’s like 98 in people years. Or something like that.
The Warden can’t believe it. FOURTEEN years!!! AND we know that at least one of the Boss’ littermates, Murray is also still living large in Ontario. That’s awesome!!!!!
The Boss may be a seasoned citizen – but I have to tell you – the Warden doesn’t treat him like one. Now if the weather is wet and gross, and if we have deep snow, she doesn’t insist that he walk to the lake. But if conditions are good – he’s coming – and he wants to come! When Sue and Keith were here we all went on some morning walks that were over 3.5km – and he trotted along like everyone else. He doesn’t like to be left behind.
The Warden did a little slideshow of Mr Frodogenic who must literally have 10,000 photos of himself. And he’s always happy to pose – like these shots taken yesterday.
Those were the easy shots. And then, for some crazy reason, she decided that they should try a selfie. She never looks at the camera, and he did indicate that he prefers solo shots. But he did cooperate. Out of 56 taken – this was the best – even though it’s a bit blurry:
I’m attaching a link to an Instagram slideshow. I hope it works. If it doesn’t, just go to @frodopon to check it out.
We are having snow today – so the party will be just us boys and the Warden. I hear there are party treats – we’ll try to take photos – if we don’t eat them first.
So Happy Birthday Boss and Murray! 14 is a wonderful number and we’re grateful for each and every day!! Time to pawty!!!!!!
Have a good one! Peace and paws up. Stay safe. JBJ.
Howdy blogaroos. Happy last Sunday of January. We’re enjoying today – because tomorrow we will be stranded. We are in for some snowy weather. Not like a mega storm or anything – but enough to keep the Warden from going anywhere. I see a day of napping in our future.
So – the title of our blog today is NQ. According to the “Internet and text slang dictionary” , NQ means thank you. In some other contexts, NQ means newly qualified. What else could NQ mean? No questions? Noxious quirk? Never quiet? New quest?
Well I’m here to tell ya, in the dog world when one is competing in performance sports like obedience, or rally or agility, the letters NQ are not EXACTLY what one is hoping for. They stand for Non-qualifying. Or in laydog’s terms – buzzer – you failed. And that was me – and the Warden yesterday.
Now in all fairness – we’ve been a BIT slack in our training over our extended Christmas holidays. So WHY the Warden thought we should enter a CARO rally trial at the Advanced level is anybody’s guess. Sure – I got my CARO Rally Novice pretty easily – but that’s all on leash. Advanced is OFF leash – and the exercises include things like sending your dog to a jump from 10 feet away. Learning to do that the night before the trial is not advisable. Anyway – we paid our money, packed our bag and off we went yesterday.
Let me begin by saying that our biggest problem is not yours truly – but the Warden. She gets so crazy nervous, she can barely take off my leash when she enters the ring with me. My reaction is kinda “ewwww- what’s with you?” She’s all weird and shaky- so I go in wide eyed wondering what awaits us. Surely the floor is going to open and swallow both of us or something. Maybe the judge, who is the only person in the ring is going to throw darts at us or something. I mean WHAT CAN BE SO SCARY?! So then I get weird. And I forget what to do because I’m worrying about the catastrophe that surely must lie ahead.
Despite the shaky behaviors on both our parts, in the first trial we somehow managed a third place finish with a score of 191 out of 200. Yup – we qualified!!!!! Not bad – given that I only learned the jump in the basement the night before. I had to repeat it after doing it incorrectly the first time- so I lost 5 points right there – so we almost pulled off a 196. So, really, our first run was respectable. Quite respectable!
So on to Trial 2. In this one, the Warden appeared less nervous. But her brain was still misfiring and HER errors gave us the dreaded NQ. No quesadillas for supper. I TRIED to show her what to do – and get this – I did the jump on the first try. See- sometimes cramming works.
Anyway – I still took her home. She tried her best- so I’m not ready to trade her in for a new handler. Yet. And despite all of our shakies- we did have fun – and honestly, that’s what it’s all about.
We would have tried again today – but the trials today were full. I think I’ll just do some training with her today. Clearly she needs it.
In other news – we had some very sad news on our road. Remember our buddy, Jackson aka Pigpen? The black Lab who had a heart of gold – and who put up with a humping Picard and obnoxious PONs. Well, sadly at the age of 12, he went to the Rainbow Bridge after a short illness. We heard him barking at us from his yard just last week… We would always bark if we heard him, but if we gathered at the end of his driveway it was waggy tails all around. He was THE perfect Lab. The road won’t be the same with him gone…
No doubt he and Viktor are chasing bumpers. And Viktor is watching Jackson dive into the water to get one. Remember- he liked ALL kinds of water – and the muckiest, the better. Yup – he was ALL Lab….and a very good boy….
Well, I better get going and finish the party planning. You DO know what party I’m talking about? Of course you do. I’m fearful though that the weather tomorrow may make it difficult for the band and all the guests to come. It’s a big day. No worries though – we’ll eat all the food – no problem. I can’t wait!
Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe. JBJ.
Howdy Blogaroos! Squirmy here as we begin a new week – and as January is quickly coming to a close. You can actually see that the days ARE getting longer – although we’re still sleeping in until the sun comes up – and that’s still after 7:30 AM. Anytime before that, and we’re out walking wearing glow-in-the-dark harnesses – and we’re being blinded by the Warden’s headlamp.
Things here are pretty quiet since Aunt Sue left. I miss my favorite ricochet target- and the Coyote is particularly depressed – since she usually walked him. The Boss is also looking rather glum.
Aunt Sue remarked about how well we have trained the Warden. We all have our own special tricks that we have taught her. For example, the Boss lets everyone know when it’s time to eat – or time to go to bed, by barking. Non stop. No alarm clock needed to remind her of those actions.
The Coyote has trained her to let him out – either if he’s bored – OR he wants to eat snow. He jumps up on the patio doors to ask to be let out. Over and over.
Aunt Sue had a real challenge walking him when we had snow. All he wants to do is eat it. And then if he eats too much, he he barfs. So the Warden will not let him do it constantly. Aunt Sue had to be prepared when walking him that he would suddenly dive to grab a mouthful in the piles along the road. Her shoulder was sore the first day or two- but she quickly learned to read his pre-dive body posture. When he would grab a mouthful she would look at him and calmly explain “no buddy, don’t do that- it will make you sick.” He would look at her innocently with his snowy white face, take 5 steps and dive again.
As for my training – if I’m bored, or I think it’s too quiet, OR I’m hungry , I simply start throwing around metal food bowls. They are great for getting attention. If the bowls are not available, I go into the hallway- where we have a little bench. The bench has a built in box to store our dog leashes. So if I can’t make noise with the food bowls, I go in the hall and lift the seat on the bench- and drop it – which makes a loud “bam”. If that doesn’t work to get attention, I just keep doing it. BAMBAMBAM. That usually gets results.
We have the Warden SO well trained. It’s the house of chaos canines. That’s us. I like the sound of that. We sound like a rock group. The Chaos Canines.
On Friday this week, the Coyote is scheduled to go to the vet clinic to have a technician take his blood pressure. He’ll be suitably medicated a couple of hours before they go. My prediction? He’ll still squeal. Let’s place bets!
So far our winter has been pretty mild. We’ve had a few doses of snow – but then the temperature goes up, it rains and the snow is gone.
Larry, the plow guy has only been here three times so far. Although the snow has melted on the lawn, the PON spas remain. What are the PON spas? They’re the piles of snow left by Larry’s plow. They are now hard as rocks and suitably “seasoned” with yellow spots. Every chance we get, the Boss and I like to lie down and roll on them. It’s awkward because they are sloped – so we end up sliding onto the lawn. There we are – with legs flailing – just loving the chilly sensation. The Boss isn’t big on walking in deep snow, or wet snow- but give him a PON spa and he’s in heaven flailing like a beached whale. The joys of winter.
Well – I’m still writing this in the dark – but it will soon be time to get the band together. Let the chaos begin!
Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe. JBJ.
Howdy blogaroos!!! It’s me! Obstreperous Wojtek here! How’s THAT for a big word?! The Warden has started getting these “word of the day” emails- even though she’s not sure how she signed up for them. It seems innocent enough, but the next thing ya know, she’ll be getting a charge on her credit card from a dictionary company. Weird how that happens…
Anyway- she laughed at the word obstreperous yesterday – because she said I could be the photo for the definition. It means “noisy and difficult to control.” Sounds about right. Call me Obie for short.
So how the heck are you all doing now that the evergreen is out of the house and the elves have been put on a shelf in a closet? Our Tannenbaum is currently lying in the yard – after it was heaved over the deck railing. The Warden will likely be finding needles in our coats for weeks – despite her best efforts to vacuum them up. Those needles hide in weird places – like a PON hiding when he knows he’s about to get a bath….
We’re doing great with 2024 so far. I mean we made no resolutions- so we’re not feeling guilty about anything!
Sue is still here for another day or two – and we’re loving having her here. Keith departed shortly after New Years Day – so the sisters could do sister stuff. Kind of like me and my brothers. They lounge around all day and eat whenever they feel the urge. Thank GOODNESS we dogs are here to give them some exercise. I’m not seeing much resolution keeping with those two.
Let’s see. What else….
Well some good news and bad news in the world of PONs and Picards. A friend lost her PON boy, Atticus, to the same illness that the Coyote has – Lyme nephritis. We feel so badly about it. His life was not nearly long enough – but full just the same. He has left a big hole in his human’s heart….
At the other end of the circle – we have seen a new puppy enter the world of Zan’s humans. As you may recall, Zan went to the Rainbow Bridge last year. But now a new chapter has begun – with the addition of a puppy by the name of Arrow. He’s actually my nephew!!!! I hope he remembers me on Uncles Day. The Warden gets updates about him and wonders how a puppy can be so well-behaved. I think he must be drugged.
And in the Picard world, a new Picard girl has found a home in New Hampshire- after a family lost their treasured Picard, named Beau. Beau was a therapy dog and a great ambassador for the breed- and we are happy to see that Rhunarbe will be following in his paw prints. Another happy beginning.
As for our Picard, – he had a recheck at the vet the other day. Bad news: it looks like any future visits will require that the Warden bring ear protection for all the clinic staff. Did I mention that the last time he went to the vet he would not stop squeaking? Yeah – well if it didn’t seem like it could get worse – it did. Not only did he squeak non-stop – he was so loud no one could hear themselves think. They couldn’t get an accurate blood pressure reading on him because he was so stressed – even though they did it in the car before he came in the clinic. He knew where he was. Even though the Warden had tried to fool him by driving a different route. I think she needs to blindfold him.
Anyway, despite the fact that the staff likely experienced a temporary threshold shift in their hearing (like being at a loud rock concert without ear protection) – they said he wasn’t the “worst” most vocal client. The Warden thinks they said that to make her feel better. At least that’s what she THINKS they said – her ears were ringing so who knows what they said.
BUT she DID understand from the vet – through a series of hand gestures and shouts- that the Coyote is holding his own- and his urine sample was even a bit better. His weight is stable- and he’s pretty much back to eating what he did before his illness began. He is totally defying the odds. He goes back for another check up at the end of March. The Warden has some medication to give him before the visit- to hopefully calm him a bit. I still think earplugs are a good idea….
What else….
Oh! I just saw that my brother, Ollie got a great new toy. Check it out:
As you MAY recall, we had something “similar” in our house. BUT someone learned to pull (and rip) the outer covering – and subsequently deflate the ball until it was a large piece of rubber in a dirty ripped up cover. It wasn’t NEARLY as much fun to play with in that state.
It SEEMS that THIS ball sounds more durable. We’ll wait to see how long Ollie’s lasts. Mind you – Ollie has stuffed toys that he doesn’t decapitate – so he may not be the best product reviewer. If anyone has info on the durability of this thing, let us know.
That’s all the main news for now. We hope your 2024 has started off brilliantly. We’ll try to be a bit more diligent in our updates – but we’re not making any resolutions. I was going to make a resolution to be better behaved- but WHO would I be kidding?!
Obie signing off!
Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe. JBJ.
Viktorsviews. The Next Chapter. 