Howdy blogaroos. It’s Squirmy. Here to tell you about my latest nickname. At least it’s one I can put in print for a change. I now go by Cowboy Wo. And it all came about as a result of our snowstorm.

So on Sunday night we got a LOT of snow. Way more snow than I’ve seen in my entire life. OK. So I’m not even a year old. But still – it was the most I’ve ever seen!

The snow was way up over my belly. So I kinda needed to hop everywhere. I sorta had to hop and push like a snowplow. Here’s an example:

It was actually pretty tiring – for other dogs. But not me. I hopped around everywhere. And the Coyote did too. The Boss, on the other hand, promptly peed on the deck and went back in.

But I was only outside for a little while when the snow began to attack me. Really. It started forming little balls all over my legs and my belly. AND also in my private areas. It was at that point that I sat down and wouldn’t…make that couldn’t move.

My Enforcer immediately knew what was happening, so she instructed me to go inside. So I headed up the deck stairs.

And that’s when I got my nickname. Those snowballs had attached themselves everywhere and onto private areas I never knew I had. I was walking like a cowboy who just got off his horse after a full day of moving cattle. I had a very unique gait. My expression was kinda dazed. I just wanted the extra 20lbs I was carrying to be gone.

Now My Enforcer wanted photos of the problem, but this was no time for recording my dilemma. The pictures all came out blurry.

This snowball dilemma is a problem for lots of dogs. And it just so happens that there is this video circulating about removing snowballs on your dog with a whisk:

http://ca.style.yahoo.com/pet-owner-shares-brilliant-hack-164247596.html?soc_src=community&soc_trk=ma

Thank goodness My Enforcer didn’t see this when I had my dilemma. The thought of whisking my privates is pretty scary!

Nope. She did her old fashioned method. Plop me in the dog bathtub and spray warm water over the balls to melt them. Works every time. Sure, I ended up pretty wet. But at least we didn’t do an “at home neuter.”

Guess I’ll be wearing a gortex suit the next little while. Yeah- she should get a video of trying to get THAT on me. I may be called Cowboy Wo, but I’m still Squirmy too.

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

Greetings blog readers. Frodo here. On this miserable Monday. Well, I suppose the WHOLE day will not be miserable – as it should improve as the day goes on. But right now we are living with the after-effects of a rather large snowstorm that raged on through the night. Last night, when it came time for our last nightly pee, all of us basically christened an area not 6 feet from the front door. It was wild out. Snow. Wind. I believe it’s called winter.

Anyway, Her Highness had some medical appointment booked today at a hospital an hour from here. Needless to say, she had to cancel. We hope to be accessible to the outside world by March.

Interestingly, before the snowmageddon began, we had rather mild temperatures. And as a result, yours truly suffered from a horrible experience- one that will no doubt traumatize me for months, even years to come. I feel compelled to share this horrible story with you- as you do need to know what really goes on in our lives. Sometimes I think of putting an ad in the local paper for a new home. It all began during our morning constitutional…

I was walking with the Beatnik and Her Highness on our dead end road. Her Highness had announced that we would simply go up and down the road, as there had been rain, and mild temperatures- so we would stay on the road to avoid mud – which would be on the public walking trail.

As we were walking along, what should we come across but TWO people walking on our road. TWO people that we didn’t know. Well. As you might imagine, I, of course, needed to shout out my inquiry as to why they were walking on MY…OK our road. I did my very best CUJO impersonation- shouting and pulling with every fiber in my being. Her Highness had to hold tightly to me AND the Beatnik, whose intent was simply to say hello. Her Highness did the apologetic “He’s just saying hello,” line – meanwhile she was attempting to strangle me. We walked past them – but she knew that since we live on a dead end road, we would have to pass them again on our way home. She’s clever that way.

As a result, after she dragged us past the rather shocked looking walkers, she said “we’re taking the trail.” The trail – which is a public trail- basically loops back through the woods and comes back out on the road. By taking the trail, we could avoid the innocent walkers.

Now. There are three things in the world I detest. Actually, make that four: grooming, rain, puddles and mud. The latter three end up resulting in the first dislike. So. Imagine how HORRIFIED I was to go on the trail which not only was filled with puddles – but whatever area was not totally wet was covered in mud. Honestly, just recounting this story makes my blood run cold. All the while Her Highness, whose sneakers were becoming a lovely shade of brown, kept saying “Frodo this is your fault. You cannot act like Cujo. See. This is what happens when you act like Cujo. You have to walk through THIS.” Blah. Blah. Blah.

Honestly- that was the longest walk of my life. Ordinarily she lets me walk off leash, but she knew I would hightail it back to dry land – so she dragged me along with my tether. Meanwhile, the Beatnik happily bounced along – oblivious to the quagmires. Ah – to be so innocent. And to have a non-magnetic dirt absorbing coat. Lucky him.

By the time we came back out onto the road, I was exhausted from trying my best to avoid every swampy area. The image is just too much for me to recount any further. I definitely have PTME. Post traumatic mud encounter. It will take time to get over it. Thank goodness for the snow.

Today I doubt Her Highness will be able to go anywhere. Meaning we will get to play in the snowy yard. Oh joy. Oh happiness. I can hardly WAIT for the snowballs to stick to my legs, my stomach and my private areas.

Excuse me now while I go and look at bus tickets to Florida….

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

Hey hey hey blogaroos. Squirmy Wormy here to tell you all about my latest adventures. And I’ve had a couple!!!!

Like yesterday! Guess who I met?! You’ll never guess. Yes you will because you looked at the photo! It’s Mini Elroy!!!! I got to meet Tupper and his big sister, Willow!!!!!!! We met up with them at a park!!!

Well. Let me tell you. When the two of them came up to me, I started shaking right down to my toes. I thought I was seeing things!!!! TWO Coyotes!!! At first, I was a bit tentative, and maybe even a bit scared. I kinda even did the PON snappy thing – which basically means – don’t get too close because I’m overwhelmed. Yeah well that lasted all of about 2 minutes and then I was fine. I mean how could anybody be scared of this face?!

So then we all went for a long walk. And of course had to take photos….

I like this one taken by Tupper’s human, Emma. I’m telling him how to counter surf….

The trails we went on were a bit wet and muddy. Somehow the Coyotes looked exactly the same at the end of the walk, but yours truly looked nothing like I did after my morning grooming. My Enforcer said I looked like a woodland stray. Note my rugged look on the photo on the bench…

I had a great time with the Coyotes. I hope we can get together again soon!

And guess what else? I’m a big boy now!!! No – I’m still not lifting my leg to pee. I bet that’s what some of you dog people immediately thought. Nope. Even better than being able to pee on the barbecue. I got to sleep out of my crate at night!!! Honestly, I thought it was a trick. The door was left open to my crate. I came out, and didn’t know where to go or what to do! My Enforcer even told me I could get on the bed. But she regretted that invitation when I tried to eat the pillows. And her toes under the covers. Personally, I found the bed too warm, so I opted for a comfy place on the floor. And I was good ALL night. But. As soon as I heard My Enforcer open her eyes in the morning (we dogs have supersonic hearing when it comes to humans waking up) I went and tried to help her get up faster by biting her. It worked!!!! She had to fend me off like a person swatting away hornets after they accidentally step on their nest. She got up super fast!!!!

So I’ve graduated to nighttime freedom. Although the crate wasn’t put away just yet. In case I do something to lose my probation. How likely is that? Don’t answer that….

Not sure what’s on the agenda today. But no matter what, I’ll find a way to make it fun!

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

Yo. Blogees. Elroy here. Happy Thursday. Hope you’re having a great week. I’m having a pretty typical one. Walks, wandering around the yard, listening, guarding against squirrels, wrestling with the shark, eating if I feel like it, ignoring when I’m called – that kind of stuff. Anyway, today I get the opportunity to talk about February 4. And the big anniversary. Apparently on this day in 2004, some dude by the name of Mark Zuckerberg started some on-line thing called Facebook. Better known in our house as Wastebook. Because ooooo-eeeee, Her Highness can sure surpass the 58.5 average minutes that most two leggeds spend on the social media platform each day. Yup. She can be swept into the vortex of on-line drama and occasional bits of fake news, if she doesn’t watch herself. She’s also known to post many of our dreaded photos on the site- and we all know how much I love photographs to begin with, let alone the shots when we are forced to wear Dollar Store attire.

But like it or hate it – it looks like social media is here to stay. Now if you can get past the fake news, the conspiracy theories, the political quagmires – which are not limited to two-leggeds because we canines have our own political battlegrounds with debates about breeding, feeding, rescuing, training and showing – and, instead you get back to the original intent – which was to link people together- then it CAN be a good thing. Yeah yeah – there’s all kinds of marketing and mind control that goes on too – but be like me – ignore it. That’s my mantra. Ignore. Actually, I think there are other Picards who share my philosophy. We should start a Facebook group….but I digress.

Here’s the deal. At least the way I see it. If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance you are reading it through Facebook. That’s where it all began. And as a result of Facebook, Her Highness has met people all over the WORLD – who have dogs. And holy heck, she’s made some really good friends. Not to mention the fact that she has reconnected with friends from her youth back in Caesar’s time. Hey – some dude who took her to a dance when she was like in High School and then never danced with her all evening (we think his mother made him ask Her Highness) even recently asked to be her friend. Yup ya just never know who will turn up here. She also gets to stay connected with relatives and see what they are up to.

I mean where else can you go and pose a question like “What’s you favorite grooming tool?” And get 35 answers. Or you want a recipe to make treats for your Picky Picard – and you get so many responses you don’t know which one to try first. Got a hip X-ray that you’re wondering about? There’s a slew of experienced people out there who will give you an opinion before you get your official results. Hear about a new dog toy the someone else’s dog adores? The toy probably has a Facebook page. Not to mention the fact that every breed club probably has a Facebook page – so if you’re researching a breed – that can be a good starting point. Then there’s the Facebook pages for dog art. And dog food. And dog treats. And dog beer…

Speaking of food, what dog company has the most followers on Facebook? Purina. Like ‘em or hate ‘em- they’re big in social media.

And let’s not forget about pages like we have here – the Nova Scotia Lost Dog Network. One post to that site automatically gets hundreds of shares – and a dog that was actually lost not far from here was found because someone had seen the posting and recognized him.

We also know that in times of hardship, that social media can provide support in many ways. Knowing that people care when you experience a tragedy or loss, can sometimes provide the extra comfort that you need…

So social media CAN be a REALLY good thing. Honest. Enjoy the sharing part, the friendship part and follow pages that make you feel GOOD. As for the rest – repeat the Picard mantra: ignore, ignore, ignore…Especially ads for dog attire….

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

Greetings blog readers. Frodo here on this the 2nd of February. The notable day in North America that honors an overgrown chipmunk and his ability to prognosticate the weather for the next 6 weeks. It’s truly remarkable, given that meteorologists agree that forecasts beyond 7-10 days are essentially useless. And yet the rodent is supposed to be able to predict 6 weeks in advance. Yes – we turn to the groundhog for his opinion as to whether or not to put the snowblower back in storage. Remind me again how humans are the brightest species…

There are several famous groundhogs across the US and Canada, and I am pleased to point out that the first one to make his prediction in North America each year is right here in Nova Scotia – Shubenacadie Sam. There is generally a great deal of fanfare when the rodent emerges from his den – with the audience including local dignitaries, a bagpiper and “the press” – who wait with bated breath to see what the groundhog will do. If it’s sunny, and he sees his shadow, he will reportedly be frightened and will return to his den – signaling 6 more weeks of winter. Therefore, should one wish for an early spring, one should hope for a miserable cloudy day on February 2. Last year the festivities needed to be cancelled due to a storm in the forecast. So one would assume that Sam did not see his shadow. Which would mean an early spring forecast. Ah. But no. The storm ended early, the rodent emerged, saw his shadow – and the plans for early garden planting went down the groundhog hole. Does anyone not see the irony in this whole story?

Anyway, due to COVID gathering restrictions, no large event is planned for Sam this year. It will be virtual. Likely an exciting viewing event. Yawn. We have snow and rain in the forecast today. So who knows WHAT will happen.

Meanwhile, the imp is back to full speed, annoying the heck out of all of us. For two weeks he was on a limited exercise regime. And just like a battery that can be recharged, he has returned to full capacity. I went for a walk with him yesterday morning- and Her Highness repeated “never again” throughout the constitutional. If he wasn’t pulling, he was jumping on yours truly tangling himself in both our leashes – or if he was free, he was dashing at turbo speed to find every sample of animal poop in a half kilometer radius. His 45 minutes of frenzied running and walking did little to tire him out. So when Wendy contacted Her Highness to see if they wanted to go for walk with Gena, the German Shepherd, Her Highness jumped at the chance to tire out the imp. They walked for almost TWO hours. Now one might think that would tire him out. Hardly. The battery charge went down minimally. When he got home, he decided it would be great fun to drag his puppy bed out the door, down the stairs and into the backyard in the snow. Her Highness had to go after him and play a tugging game to get the bed back. Clearly two hours wasn’t enough of a walk…This photo is blurry – but Her Highness was running to get the bed. Note that the Picard doesn’t quite know what to do with this new toy.

Ah yes. The joys of youth.

Heaven help us in entertaining the imp if it is raining today. Who knows WHAT we will do. One thing I do know for certain – today, I will also play the role of weather prognosticator along with the rodent. If I refuse to go out the front door, it is raining. And I guarantee you – my forecasting abilities are 100% accurate. Frodo. The Prognosticating PON. I like the ring of that….Wish us luck. All of us.

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

Hey blogaroos! Squirmy here on the LAST day of January! Holy moly that month went by quickly! It seems like just yesterday I was chewing on Christmas wrapping paper.

Well guess what?! OK you give up. I went to see Liz, my therapist yesterday. Not my psychotherapist- his name is Sigmund – I went to see my massage therapist about my stair running sport injury. OK. I’m joking. I don’t know a Sigmund. And stair running is not a recognized sport for dogs. Although I could maybe start it….

Anyway – back to Liz. Well. Yesterday she said she now understands how I got the nickname, Squirmy. Yup. Too many hours in my cell really helped to recharge my battery. I was on turbo speed. My Enforcer kept repeating “Just be calm. Just be calm.” All the while she had me in a death grip and was loading me with treats – so Liz could actually manipulate my legs. I was playing the role of an eel who drank six espressos.

But at the end of my session, Liz gave me the green light to return to my previous activities. Let the hump-a-thon with the Coyote begin!

My Enforcer was so pleased with the good news, she decided to take me for a little joy ride. We stopped at a hiking trail and went for a bit of a jaunt. Well – I was jaunting and she was trying to just maintain her balance as the snowy hard-packed trail was a tad icy. We walked for a bit, but when she saw a man approaching from the opposite direction – with two dogs, we did a complete 180. She had visions of yours truly taking her for a “greeting ride” on the ice – and she knew it was much more likely that she would end up injured than me. No sense of adventure.

After that, she stopped for a latte, while I got the crumbs that were in her pocket leftover from my Liz visit. Wow. Big treat.

After that we stopped at the world famous Peggy’s Cove lighthouse. The sky was blue – BUT the temperature was cold – and the gale force winds were FREEZING. Still, she managed to get me to sit for some obligatory photos….

When we got home, the Coyote was overjoyed to know that hump-a-thons could now resume. OK. My Enforcer doesn’t REALLY endorse that behavior. Like that would stop us.

So hallelujah- I’m free again! Yes – I’ll be careful. Lesson learned. Bwhahahaha. Who am I kidding?! Let the ricocheting off humans, animals and walls begin again! Squirmy is back!

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

Yo. Readers. Elroy here. Hope you’re all chillin’ and getting ready for the weekend. Mind you, since Her Highness retired, we live in an eternal weekend state. Works for me.

So it’s January 29. And any regular blog reader knows exactly what this day is. Just kidding. I had to look it up too.

Anyway, it’s the Boss’ birthday. Yee haw. Eleven years old. He hit the smallest two digit prime number. Yeah OK. I looked that up too. It’s also the fourth number that stays the same when it’s turned upside down. After 0, 1 and 8. Hold onto that little trivia bit to impress your friends. But wait. There’s more. The Apollo 11 was the first manned spacecraft to land on the moon. But there were no dogs on board so who cares? Oh yeah. And the walls at the base of the Statue of Liberty are in the shape of an eleven pointed star. Are you amazed by my intelligence? Google my friends. Google.

So here are some more trivia bits – but the answer is not eleven. Number one: How many birthdays (counting this one) has the Boss celebrated on the blog? Seven. Holy moly that’s a lot of barking and counter surfing stories.

Here’s a tough one. How many dogs has the Boss lived with in his eleven years? Get ready…..FIVE! Beamish the Labrador, Paxton the Bernese…..

Viktor – who you all know. Probably…

And then along came moi…

And our newest addition- the Shaggy Shark…

The Boss has been an excellent puppy nanny. And he has been the boss over every single dog in this house. Even the guys who were older than him. Why? Because he’s brilliant. And bold. Remember- Viktor used to call him Einstein. With good reason. You show him something once and he’s got it. He may bark out in protest if asked to do something- but it’s not because he doesn’t know what to do. He’s won all kinds of obedience and rally ribbons. Frankly with little practice. He knows how to read Her Highness’ mind. They have this spooky relationship. She thinks something. And he does it. He’s the best guard dog in the house because he owns the place. Well he kinda thinks he owns every place he goes. Yup. He’s bigger than life. He helped Her Highness get more dog show ribbons than any dog before. He got them despite having her on the end of the leash. He led her through every obedience and rally trial and every beauty pageant.

And ya know…. even though Viktor started this whole blog thing – there would be no blog if it weren’t for the Boss – because there wouldn’t have been a Viktor if it weren’t for the Boss. Does that make sense? The Boss was Her Highness’ intro to the world of PONs. And what an intro he was. He’s barky, brilliant, bold, boisterous and he comes by the title Frodo-genic quite honestly. He never met a camera (or treat) he didn’t love.

So happy birthday to my “big brother.” May your double digit birthdays continue for years to come.

Hope you enjoy a FEW photos of him just from 2020. It’s not hard to find some…

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

Hey blogaroos!!!!! It’s me – Squirmy Wormy! Yee haw I am feeling good. So good that My Enforcer is trying to get me drunk so I’ll fall asleep!!!! Not much chance of THAT!

But she DID give me and the boys a drink of beer the other day. Dog beer. Really. It’s beer for dogs. Made here in Nova Scotia!!! But don’t worry – it’s non-alcoholic. It’s basically made of bone broth, apples, carrots and some other yummy meaty ingredients. Well – let me tell you- when My Enforcer added it to our supper – we ALL slurped it down – even the Picky Picard!!! I think My Enforcer needs to get more cans – so we can properly celebrate the Boss’s birthday tomorrow. She can even get a can for herself. Tee hee. Something tells me she’s not into the bone broth beer variety….

Meanwhile, she is doing everything in her power to keep me and the Coyote from wrestling. Sometimes she thinks maybe we’re relaxed enough not to bother each other. Wrongo. We begin by attempting to bite each other’s feet and the next think you know – it’s a full on hump-a-thon. At which point, one of us is jailed. Then the squeaking Coyote begins his tune. No wonder her blood pressure is high.

Yesterday she needed to get out of the prison so she left us for about an hour. I was in my crate. All safe and secure. She came home all happy and glad to see us – and the feeling was mutual. Before she let me out of my cell, she went to wash her hands. And there was a piece of paper towel on the edge of the counter. Odd – she thought. And then she remembered what was in the paper towel that was supposed to go in the recycling bin outside. Half a black banana. When she had peeled it in the morning, it was pretty mushy – but the Boss and I still got a little piece. The rest was supposed to go out. No need to worry about that now. Somebody ate it. Now I couldn’t be a suspect as I was in my crate. And the Picky Picard doesn’t like bananas. So by process of elimination, it looks like the Boss ate it. Peel and all. I heard Viktor ate two one time. So paws crossed that it slips right through…. I’m so funny.

Anyway, have to get the party preparations ready for tomorrow. The Boss has a big day. Hopefully he’ll share any treats with his poor starving brothers….. I just want the beer.

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

Hey hey hey blogaroos! It’s wild and wooly Squirmy here for a terrific Tuesday! You’ll all be happy to know I’m feeling GREAT – and I’m thinking that my leg should be just fine in no time. In fact I’m feeling SO good – that My Enforcer is having a very hard time keeping me quiet. And I cannot be left with the Coyote for even 10 seconds before we start roughhousing and she has to break us up. One of us has to be in a crate while the other guy is free. We take turns. It’s because we play hard. I mean really HARD. And My Enforcer doesn’t want me to injure myself further. Our house is like a rotating prison right now. I think everybody in a 5km radius could hear her shouting at us to “break it up” at one point yesterday. And we weren’t even outside. That’s when the official prison sentencing began.

I’ve had frozen Kongs, bully sticks and have used my snuffle mat to keep me occupied. But I’d rather run. And jump. And ricochet off others. I can be free with The Boss – because all we do is lick each other. And make each other’s ears gooky. But we don’t wrestle. Like I do with the Coyote. If I’m in the crate, he squeaks. If he’s in the crate, he squeaks. So all day long it’s like listening to a door that needs oiling. My Enforcer is thinking about getting ear plugs.

Hey! Guess what came in the mail the other day?! Ok you give up! A portrait of moi!!!!! Check it out:

My Enforcer had it done by an artist by the name of Lee Ann Shepard. She’s a canine artist and you can buy prints of her work here:

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/lee-ann-shepard

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/TheDogLover

Lee Ann also does commissions and My Enforcer had puppy paintings done of Paxton, Frodo, Viktor and Elroy- so I HAD to join the crew!!!!

I think she did a great job of capturing my wild spirit! My Enforcer is a big fan of Lee Ann’s art.

Today My Enforcer has a totally free day – but something tells me she may leave us for a while, just to get away from the squeaking. And me pounding on my crate to get out. Funny – when she’s gone, we just fall asleep- no pounding or squeaking – and she knows that because she can see us on Big Brother. But when she’s home….insanity reigns. Good thing she loves us….

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

Hey everybody! It’s me! Squirmy! Also known as Crash Test Smarty. Because I’m no dummy.

So on Friday I was supposed to go and see Liz – the therapist that the Coyote saw. Unfortunately, we had lots of snow so my appointment was rearranged for yesterday. So off we went – in the morning.

I should start off by saying I’m feeling much better. I still limp a little, but not as much as the other day. If left to my own devices, I would race and jump around like nothing ever happened!

When I went in to see Liz, I was shy for like 5 seconds. Maybe less than that. Once she gave me a treat, she was my best friend on the planet.

My Enforcer had been concerned that I wouldn’t stand or sit or lie still long enough for a good exam and a massage. But she took good treats – and honestly, I was an excellent patient if I do say so myself. Liz prodded and probed and stretched and massaged my muscles.

She thought the problem area was my knee -but even with all her probing, it was evident I wasn’t in a lot of pain. Which was a good thing. She said that at worst, I could possibly have a small tear – but from what she was seeing, she felt it was unlikely that it would require any kind of surgery. She said to still keep my appointment with my vet on the 9th, but she will see me on the 30th to see how things are coming along. It’s very possible that I have a sprain, and no tear to the ligament at all.

I’m still not allowed to go racing around – which is killing both me and My Enforcer. I’m getting lots of frozen Kongs and bully sticks. The Coyote just lies outside my crate and squeaks. He misses humping me. And I miss humping him. But we have to wait until I’m 100%. I’m not a patient guy.

So all in all – it was good news. My Enforcer was quite relieved to know that I should be back to normal in no time. Well I guess “normal” is a bit of a stretch for me. Ricocheting off humans, dogs and cupboards is probably not the behavior of a “normal” dog. But admit it – that’s what makes me so unique. And lovable….Sometimes. Normal is overrated anyway.

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