Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on what is Thanksgiving weekend in the USA. Days to be thankful and to eat EVERY morsel put in front of you – because you’re grateful for the food on your table. And let’s not forget being thankful for your canine “kids”.   To show your appreciation, make sure you share your Thanksgiving meal. At least the parts we CAN eat. Like plain mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and turkey without the skin, bones or stuffing. Rolls are fine too…

We’re in Canada and although the Warden and I are dual citizens, of both the US and Canada, our Thanksgiving celebrations were pretty low key this year. Although she did share some of her baked potato the other night. Even the Coyote was excited about that!

The Coyote continues to do well – and the Warden took the scary step of actually weighing him.  She held him in her arms while she stood on the bathroom scale. And IF her calculations are correct (keeping in mind that math is not her strong suit) it APPEARS he has gained 5-6 lbs!!!! Which is about half of what he lost when this  whole health thing began! 

So he’s got an appetite and is eating better – although he DOES still retain his Picky Picard attitude.  For example, dinner time he will eat half his food. So then the Warden offers the rest near bedtime. Some days he gobbles it down – and others, he says “meh.”  BUT – he WILL eat bread, or dehydrated sweet potatoes after he refuses his meal. So he’s clearly being picky. Which means – he’s almost back to himself!  He is back to playing Humpty Dumpty with me – so I know he’s feeling better.  But please don’t let those “healing vibes” and prayers stop – because we are so aware that anything can happen with this illness. But for now – we are THANKFUL!!!

Our house was TOTAL chaos yesterday. I mean more than the normal daily chaos. We had extra insulation installed in our attic. Not that we didn’t HAVE insulation – but we just needed more – because of the age of our house. 

Anyway, the insulation guys were supposed to arrive between 8:00AM and 8:30AM. Which meant we all needed to get up at 6:00 AM and do our daily walks in the dark before they arrived. Good thing we did. The guys arrived at 7:30 AM. Well. The chorus greeting was probably heard within a 5KM radius. And THEN – when they started walking overhead in the attic – we continually needed to sound the alarm. NOBODY is ever up in our attic – so we kept listening and warning them to vacate the premises.  They didn’t listen – so the Warden had a less-than relaxing breakfast. Our breakfasts were fine – we could ignore the trespassers while eating. We could ignore a colony of rabbits and a flock of sheep while eating. Even a clowder of cats. (The Boss gave me those group names. Clearly I didn’t think them up!)  Well – we PONs definitely could ignore those distractions while eating. The Coyote – he still doesn’t need anything to distract him during mealtime.  Food is, and always will be, a necessary evil in his mind. Poor guy.

But back to the insulation guys. When they were almost done, one guy came in the hallway – on the other side of a strategically placed gate and remarked “what lovely dogs.” “Yeah” the Warden said, “just don’t try to pet the grey one. He’s unpredictable.”  Me? Unpredictable? Just because I ricochet off people without warning, I’m unpredictable? Just because I might attempt to nibble someone’s fingers in an attempt to protect my home and loved ones?  Unpredictable?  Sometimes I get no respect.

Now that Thanksgiving is over – tradition says that the Christmas season has officially begun. You can ignore the fact that the Dollar Store has had both Christmas and Halloween items out at the same time for months.

Anyway, I’ve been searching for items to put on my Christmas list. And I found this article with lots of suggestions:

https://blog.homesalive.ca/dog-blog/top-christmas-gifts-for-dogs

One can skim through and find all kinds of kinds of ideas for gifts. But Santa, if you’re reading this – there’s a few things you need to know…

Anything stuffed is a no-go in this household. That “adorable” box of stuffed doughnuts wouldn’t be nearly as adorable 5 minutes after we got ahold of them. This is the destructo household. We have the curious minds of forensic pathologists. We NEED to see what’s inside. No stuffy is safe in this house. Skip the adorable doughnuts and anything else on the list that can be shredded. ANYTHING.

Those mental stimulation, educational toys fall flat here. The guys got three different types a few years ago – before yours truly arrived. They are still taking up valuable real estate in the closet. Educational toys require attention and patience. Are those words you would use to describe anyone in THIS household? I rest my case.

Now everyone in this house enjoys a good odor-free bully stick.  But as for the “long lasting” Monster sticks – I’m here to tell you they are all the same to me. Yeah – those sticks that are supposed to last for “hours” – it’s 20 minutes for yours truly with a 12 inch Monster.  The Warden usually puts a timer on – so we get to enjoy the $11.99 treats for more than a day. We all start out the same and after 10 minutes, mine is down to 6” while the other guys are still at 8-10”.  So they get rotated the next day, with me getting the longest one. The Warden calls bully sticks manna from heaven because they give her 10 minutes of freedom. 

So Santa – keep odor-free bully sticks on the Warden’s list. Note I am emphasizing ODOR-FREE. Ewwwwww-eeeee the regular ones stink. At least the Warden says they do. All the same to us. 

The Beef Esophagus looks interesting- but that’s a 3 minute treat for me. Hardly worth the expense. And the Yak cheese chews – sure they last longer. But the Warden calls them Yak Crack because they are so hard- she envisions the associated dental bills. That’s why there are no yummy antlers in this house any more. And why the Boss has a broken canine tooth. Actually, two broken canines. We are not gentle eaters.

Tug toys are always good. As long as I win. 

Any of those indestructible rubber toys are boring. There. I’ve said it. Non-toxic, FDA approved- what’s the fun in that?

We guys laughed hysterically at the thought of the Warden making DIY dog toys. Can. You. Imagine. She would work for hours and we would have them destroyed in 5 minutes. Hardly worth the effort. 

I’ll continue to look for gift lists. I still have lots of time to email my wishes to Santa. Treats are always a sure bet. Not long lasting- but nothing is.

OK. Time to walk the Warden. If you have any great suggestions for my wish list, send them my way. But no clothing. Thanks but no thanks.

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

Howdy blogaroos. Clean, fluffy Squirmy here. And WHY am I clean and fluffy? Because the Warden looked at me and said I look like a sheepdog who has been living with sheep- but in the woods. My feet were brown, my coat was covered in bits of branches and leaves and my face looked as if I had been munching on sheep morsels. Not to mention the fact that my aroma was somewhere between “Christmas pine” and “stagnant puddle.” So yesterday was a bath day for yours truly. And I survived.

And speaking of survival, the Warden is counting her lucky stars today…

Each morning, the Warden and the Boss get up and she gives him his medication. Then she grabs a biscuit, opens the front door and lets him out for a quick pee. He’s quick about it because he wants that biscuit.

This morning it was still dark, and the Warden forgot one very important thing. Her glasses. She opened the door, and as usual, the Boss headed left for the lawn. But it was then that the Warden noticed that not 20 feet in front of her, on the driveway, appeared to be “something”. But it was dark and she didn’t have her glasses. As she squinted, her brain finally woke up – and the shape of the dark “thing” began to register. She stepped out of the doorway and waved the treat for the Boss – praying he would not notice “the thing” which appeared to be moving away. Good thing he’s so food driven AND at 13 years 10 months, his eyesight could use glasses like the Warden. He ran to her as she tossed the treat inside and slammed the door. She then peeked out, squinting in the dark. Sure enough – “the thing” was moving away. The Boss had come within 20 feet (or less) of a porcupine. Talk about dodging a bullet. Or should I say, dodging some quills. Lesson learned- glasses on and no more off leash pees in the dark. Ever.

In other news, I had class yesterday after a few week hiatus because our coach had a well-earned holiday. And truth be told, she wasn’t the only one on a break. Our training had a bit of a slow down the past few weeks, so the Warden was a bit nervous that I would be rusty in class. But I’m here to tell you I was actually above my usual mediocre performance. I was actually pretty darn OK. I guess a break can be a good thing.

The Coyote continues to eat, pee, poop, drink, bark and wrestle with yours truly. So to sum it up, he’s doing well. Very well considering everything he’s been through. Keep those positive healing thoughts and prayers coming – they have REALLY worked!!!

According to the crazy calendar, today is Guinness World Records Day. And Guinness is currently investigating some recent claims about a dog that they proclaimed to be the World’s Oldest Dog. Bobi was a dog living in Portugal – and I think we talked about him before. He reportedly celebrated his 31st birthday in May. Sadly, a few weeks ago, he went to the Rainbow Bridge. It is understandable that people around the globe were thrilled to hear about a 30+ year old canine. Everyone wanted to know Bobi’s secrets to his longevity. Did he eat special food? Did he take supplements? Did he drink filtered spring water from the Andes? Did he go to the groomer regularly? Did he go to the gym? Did he have a personal trainer. Nope. Bobi had the life of a regular dog. Eating table scraps and wandering freely around his home and property. Seems like a pretty good life to me.

And although Guinness has pretty strict rules for confirming their World Records, it seems there is some skepticism about whether or not Bobi really was 31 years old. One veterinarian likened it to having a 200 year old human. While the Warden says she sometimes feels like 200, she’s not quite there yet. Although as Viktor used to say, she knew Caesar. The original one – not the TV dog training guy.

Anyway, whether or not Bobi was 31 or 21- people were still sad to hear he was gone. Unless we canines live as long as you humans, our time with you is never long enough. But we add an extra special element to your life – that make it so worth it. Despite the fact that the Warden says I have taken years OFF her life. Just kidding. Sort of. Bottom line – enjoy every cuddly, wagging tail, happy.-to-see-you, watch-your-every-move, giant licks moment. We certainly do. And remember those song lines from Canadian band, Trooper (with a little improv on my part), “ We’re here for a good time – not a long time- so have a good time…and go walk you dog today.”

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here. Bright and early today. And why are we up bright and early? Because once upon a time, some dudes who must have had nothing better to do, sat around and said – hey, we have an idea that is so simple but can totally screw up lots of people all at once. Let’s move the clocks! Just because. Well- I’m sure there was a reason, but nowadays it seems like most people don’t think it’s a great idea. Sure. In the fall it means you get to sleep in an extra hour. UNLESS you are owned by dogs. Yeah – we canines don’t look at the clock. We feel the rumbling in our stomachs for breakfast- and we are UP. So we had the Warden up and walking us at 6AM. By 7:15 we had all been walked and fed. And then we were ready for a little nap. Pity she was too wide awake to take one.

So what’s new at the asylum? Well Sue and Keith abandoned us on Thursday. They were supposed to depart on Wednesday, but on Wednesday we had our first snowfall of the year, so they decided to wait. We did get a few inches of wet snow – but it’s now all gone. We hated to see them go. The Coyote will miss both of them – but I really think he is going to miss his running buddy, Keith. Every morning, we all went for our walks together. And because the Coyote is feeling better, he really likes to trot along the road. And if he trotted, Keith would run alongside him. They were always way ahead of us on walks. Particularly if the Boss was on a protest walk. He has never liked wet conditions and the older he gets, the more he protests. He walks like he’s in a funeral procession. So on moist days, you had the Coyote trotting way ahead, me in second place like a hummingbird on speed zigzagging with my nose to the ground, and in last place the sack of potatoes. Now on crisp cool days, the Boss easily kept up with me. But the Coyote was always in the lead.

The Warden was worried that when Sue and Keith left that the Coyote would be really out of sorts. We know he doesn’t do well with change. And while we are all sad, and he misses them, it thankfully hasn’t affected his appetite. Sometimes we almost hate to say anything- for fear of jinxing things – but we believe that the power of your prayers and good wishes outweighs the power of jinx. Whatever jinx is. Anyway, we are now two months past his initial diagnosis, and besides being skinny, he is doing great! He’s eating a bit more and more. For the past week he has met or exceeded his calorie goal. Now he needs to keep exceeding it – to put on some weight. But it’s coming. Keep those healing energies coming.

Halloween here saw a grand total of three super cute kids. Our neighbors across the road. It’s a good thing that the Warden prepared for 80 kids. With all the treats that she so happens to like.

According to the crazy calendar, today is National Donut Appreciation Day. So in honor of this day, here are a few recipes for your dog:

https://www.ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com/dog-donuts/

https://www.cookiedoughandovenmitt.com/apple-peanut-butter-dognuts-6/

We told the Warden that she should make us these since she has an extra hour today, and nothing else to do in that time. She said she has no donut pan. As if we care about the shape. I think that’s just a cop out.

Now that the pumpkins have been properly peed upon outside, it’s ALMOST time to start decorating for Christmas. Soon the assortment of elves and Santas and angels and Baby Jesuses will start appearing along with the moaning and groaning of the Warden as she moves 482 boxes, and we inspect each one. Good times. Gotta start thinking of my list for Santa. I’m putting a donut pan on the Warden’s list.

The Warden says this is her favorite time pre-Christmas. When stores are stocked with things you don’t need – and they are neat and tidy. In a few weeks, the shelves become a disaster – looking like a pack of puppies has been let loose. Enjoy it while you can.

OK. Time to make the most of this extra hour.

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

Happy Halloween blogaroos! Squirmy here. Do you recognize us in our scary dinosaur costumes?! In case you don’t – from left to right it’s me, the Boss and the Coyote. Some poor kids who went to the Dollar Store to find dinosaur costumes were out of luck. And instead the luck was ours. Although you can’t exactly tell by the Coyote’s expression.

Now one might think that little hooded costumes with a simple ribbon to hold it on – would not be THAT difficult. Guess again. Either we couldn’t see – so we would paw off the hood or the shiny fabric and spike things on our backs were just too intriguing to resist pulling. We could never have done these photos without the assistance of Sue. They had to cut holes in the Coyote’s costume for his ears. He didn’t really care.

In the first few shots, none of us was happy…

Then we realized there were liver treats and our mood improved…

Then the Boss realized there were not many treats left…

He was really not impressed…

But in the end we got a few cute shots out of the 458 taken – and the Warden called it a day. She thought for a nanosecond about a different location- but the look she got from Sue said she had enough material.

The Warden and Sue have prepared the 80 bags of chips and Cheetos and the assorted chocolates for the three kids who will brave our driveway for Trick or Treats tonight. We will be safely sequestered behind a gate so as not to traumatize any child with our Cujo-style barking. We know the Coyote is definitely feeling better because he again joins the PON choir if someone comes to the door . He’s even staring to bark if he’s hungry !!!! Go figure.

I tried to convince the guys that we should go Trick or Treating wearing our costumes on our road. Two against one I was voted down. I want a recount.

Anyway- have a safe and junk-food filled Halloween! And don’t forget extra treats for us canines!

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here reporting from the asylum.

It’s been another crazy week here. Sue and Keith arrived late Tuesday night. We knew something was up – why else would the Warden be vacuuming at 10:00 at night? She said there’s no point doing it earlier – it’s the time of year when we bring in a bushel of leaves every time we go out. It’s a losing battle.

Anyway, we were all overjoyed to see them AND to see the treats they brought us. All the way from France. That’s us posing for the obligatory gift photo. We were thrilled with the treats – the photo not so much.

They arrived late Tuesday and on Thursday afternoon, the Warden announced that she wasn’t feeling well. Bang. By Thursday night she had a full blown coughing, choking, achy, tired cold. She took a COVID test (several in fact) but they were negative. Still- she felt like she had been run over by a herd of hungry PONs.

To help nurse the Warden back to good health, Sue and her sous chef, Keith have cooked up some yummy meals. And GUESS who is right in the middle of things, staring at the food on the stove? The Coyote! The last two days he has easily met his required calorie count. The Warden is still nervous about weighing him- but he seems to be holding his own.

By this time each year, the Warden has taken our annual Halloween photos. But this year, she was a bit reluctant because the Coyote wasn’t feeling well and she didn’t want to torture him doing his least favorite thing. BUT – he has been feeling VERY well lately- and so she decided that since it’s “tradition” we should do it. She enlisted Sue to help with the wardrobe assembly and Sue was also the entertaining “distraction” to get us to look in her direction – behind the Warden. We had costumes this year. No bandannas or head gear. I’ll give you a clue. Think Jurassic Park meets the Wizard of Oz. The things we do for liver treats. Stay tuned for the result.

According to the crazy calendar, today is something called International Internet Day. Here is a bit of history and some fun facts:

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/international/international-internet-day-october-29

It’s kind of hard to think back to before the Internet. The Warden can because she’s that old. IMAGINE having to look up information in BOOKS. And IMAGINE staying in touch with people by writing a letter or by talking on the phone?! If you wanted to buy something, you bought it at a store – OR you used a catalogue to order something that would come in the mail. If you wanted to know about “the best product” to buy, you usually asked your friends. If you needed to find a local business, you looked them up in a huge book called a phone book. If you wanted to know the news, you read the newspaper or watched TV.

The internet has changed the world in so many ways. Heck – if it weren’t for the internet, you wouldn’t even know about the lives of three crazy dogs in Nova Scotia!

So in honor of this day- go order your dog some new treats on-line. Or a fun new toy. Or check out an on-line course about dogs. Or find a recipe to make your dog some tasty treats. Just don’t order any canine Halloween costumes….

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

Howdy blogaroos. Well here we are after another roller coaster ride. And that’s really no surprise- because let’s face it – our house IS like an amusement park….

So when we last wrote, the skinny Coyote actually appeared to be developing an appetite. He was eating kibble – which made the Warden happy because she could calculate his calorie intake pretty easily. He of course, was eating OTHER things like blueberries and bread – but she was thankful he was eating SOMETHING consistently – and she wasn’t having to change the menu each day – from chicken to steak to pork tenderloin….So life was returning to some degree of “normalcy.” Mind you – we are not exactly your typical, “normal” household- even at the best of times.

So all was going along great. The Warden was watching his meds – and trying to keep track of his medication refills. On Monday, she called the vet to let them know she would need a refill on his appetite stimulant. Clearly it was working well since he finished his antibiotics. The pills would run out on Wednesday- so she needed to get them before Thursday. And they would need to be called in to the pharmacy.

We wouldn’t go into the details about what happened next. Several poor souls have heard her tale of woe and we don’t feel the need to share her misery world-wide. Suffice to say…there were some “miscommunications” about that refill. So when she went to get it at the drug store on Wednesday, there was no prescription.

The Warden began to panic a tiny bit because the timing of his meds really seemed to be making a difference. But quite honestly, although she didn’t want to upset the pharmaceutical applecart, she figured that not getting his appetite stimulant first thing in the morning wouldn’t REALLY make a huge difference. Wrongo. It’s now very CLEAR that the medication is working. And working well. Because he didn’t have it Thursday morning, he wouldn’t eat all day- even after she was able to get the meds by noon and she rushed home with them. Nope. The Coyote wanted nothing to do with kibble, treats or any delectable morsel offered to him. In order for him to take in some calories, they had to resort back to the liquid stuff – which he hadn’t had in weeks. The Warden was utterly deflated. Not to mention that a change in his probiotic has not helped with a recent bout of soupy poops. They have been up in the night running out one to two times. The Warden felt like they were back to square one.

Add to that, the Warden did SOMETHING to her leg. It felt like a shin splint – but she hadn’t done any strenuous exercise to cause it. It’s entirely possible that yours truly bashed into her leg, and she forgot about it – because it happens so frequently. As a result of her leg pain, we haven’t been able to go on long walks. She did have X-rays – but nothing showed up – so it’s likely a shin splint. All that to say with the non-eating, poopy Picard and the gimpy Warden – things were kinda sorta dismal at our place on Thursday. In the big scheme of life problems, these were NOT earth shattering. But as you humans know, sometimes a bunch of small challenges can pile up and they seem catastrophic at a particular time. Again I say humans need to be more dog-like and shake it off like we do when we get up or after a bath. Try it some time.

Anyway…… on Friday and yesterday- when the Coyote was back on his medication routine- all was again right with the world – and he began eating. The sun again began to shine. He was even begging for food while she ate (a behavior that would normally be discouraged- but which, in this case, she was excited about) and he ate both of his own meals. Plus extras. He was at his caloric intake target. He just made it – but he did. So happiness and joy returned to the land. And her leg is a bit better.

On a more serious note (yes- much more serious) – we had some very sad news this week. A wonderful PON by the name of Zan, went to meet Viktor, Paxton, Guinness, et al and his own sister, Romi at the Rainbow Bridge. Now we never got to meet Zan – and if COVID hadn’t happened, we might have- but we knew all about him. He lived in Florida and summered in Michigan. It’s estimated he logged in over 135,000 miles in his travels in his over 16 active years. Yup – he lived to the seasoned age of 16 years 7 months. He traveled with his right-hand co-pilot and trainee, Vince. Note I say trainee and not trainer. Zan ran the household, and efficiently trained Vince ALL about how clever we PONs are. They were quite the team.

While the number of years seems like such a gift – let’s face it – we dogs are never with you long enough. Ever. So while Vince has a gaping hole in his heart, he has AMAZING memories – and Zan trained him that a PON is THE breed for him. Someday….another PON will find his way to Vince – not as a replacement for Zan – but as a necessary co-pilot. Everybody needs a good co-pilot. Even when our navigational skills may be like those of a hummingbird on speed. Not that I speak from experience…

Lastly, GUESS who returns on Tuesday night?! The European travelers – Sue and Keith. I’m really hoping that they found a place in France that sells good dog treats. We LOVE edible souvenirs. I’m mentioning it now because they still have a few days in Paris. SURELY Paris has dog treat stores. Or heck – they can just bring back some Brioche. That’s the Coyote’s favorite. Of course it is.

OK. Time to get Hopalong moving. Don’t want her to seize up. And let’s hope the roller coaster Coyote continues to ride the train up.

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here on a super Saturday. Just here to let you know that we survived. What did we survive? Why Friday the 13th! We’re not all that superstitious in our house- but let’s face it – we’re really not in the market for bad luck. But not to worry – no black cats in our yard yesterday.

Anyone curious about a Coyote update? We’re thinking you might me. So, to sum it up – the seas were bumpy at times, but also super calm. He had two days of upchucking a meal – but he was clearly not feeling too badly because he wanted to then eat it. Ewwwww. I know – too much information. But the reality – we PONs would have also eaten it. Not that’s REALLY gross. Anyway, the Warden changed when he got one of his stomach medications and voila- no recycling! PLUS the past couple of days he has been HUNGRY. I mean eating not just because it’s put in front of him – but scoffing it down like a PON. Yup. He definitely has had an appetite. Now to just put on some weight. Said the Warden to herself. Never.

He also received some mail this week from some canine (and human) friends in British Columbia. He got some super yummy things – which he LOVED. And THANKFULLY, he agreed to share some with us. A big thanks to Takoda et al for thinking of us!!!

Plus yesterday, some friends- Shawn and Patti came by – and get this Patti made banana bread – for the Coyote! She said their dogs always loved the tasty treat, and guess what? Mr. Picky ate a slice! This is the same guy who wouldn’t eat a banana in the past. But banana bread is clearly different. So Friday the 13th was far from unlucky!

I went to my obedience workshop on Monday, class on Wednesday and extra training on Thursday. Good news. My heeling is not too awful. Bad news. I have once again decided that the sit stay exercise is just plain boring. In class, I went to visit one of the Borzoi babes. I didn’t get too far before the Warden swooped in and put me in my place. The Borzoi babe was not impressed – although she never moved. I think she just considers me a pest.

During the workshop, I didn’t visit. I just slowly slid down from a sit to a down. And when the Warden tried to get me to sit, I became like liquid. I wouldn’t sit. When she tried again, I rolled over in my back. Kicking my legs in the air. I was put on leash and led out of the line up.

So in practice on Thursday, the Warden and Saint Jane decided to make the sit stay even more difficult. Just to see what I would do. They put my Pyr Shep friend Fidjit about 2 feet from me – with her back to me. Did they HONESTLY think I would go to visit her?! Seriously ?! She’s a friendly girl , but she doesn’t like boys sniffing her. I tried it once in the past, and hello – she told me off in very clear terms. Did they think I forgot that? I didn’t move on my sit stay.

So then they tried throwing treats just in front of me to see if I would break. Hello? I know it was a trick. I didn’t move a tiny muscle.

For me, breaking the sit stay is something I do for several reasons. Number one. The sit stay is boring. I like ACTION stuff like heeling and retrieving. Sitting and staring at the Warden is just boring. Number two. I’m curious. I like to check out new friends. But nooooo. Obedience does not include socializing between dogs. Number three. I behave really well when the Warden is close by. When she leaves me in the stay, it’s just my chance to be bad! I’m far from her. She can’t quickly stop me. It’s all about the excitement of doing something BAD.

Remember this was an issue before – and then I got better at it. Seemingly better. It’s called intermittent reinforcement. Let the humans THINK you are ready to go in a trial – and then smash that idea. Then get really good at it again. And start doing something else poorly. Training humans is such a blast.

So the Coyote seems to be regaining his appetite. He has also regained his energy to play endless rounds of Poke-a-PON. Yesterday, the Warden had to tell him to STOP bugging the Boss- he was obsessed with “playing the game.” No matter how much the Boss tried to tell him that he didn’t want to play, he persisted. We cut him some slack because he’s sick – but that slack only goes so far. I think he’s misbehaving just because he can. Sounds familiar.

OK. Time to start a new day of human training. Some are easier than others.

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here today to wish all of my Canadian peeps a Happy Thanksgiving! Heck – even if you’re not from Canada – I wish you a very happy grateful day. A day to give thanks for all the good things in your life. Some you might not even think about – like the phone or tablet or computer you are reading this on! Just being able TO read – is something to be grateful for!

We’re grateful for every one of you reading this! We appreciate your comments, your feedback and your likes! We especially appreciate your suggestions and positive support regarding the Coyote. There have been some great ideas about how to get him to eat – and what he might like. We also are grateful for your prayers and healing wishes. He definitely needs them.

Yesterday started off brilliantly- he actually ate all of his breakfast for probably the first time since this whole challenge began. It was plain old kibble- without any enticing add ons. He ate every morsel. The Warden came just short of doing a backflip. Good thing she didn’t. She probably would have ended up in the emergency room. THEN he ate blueberries. The rainbows came out and the birds were singing. But that was the beginning and the end of his appetite for the day. She had to give him liquid food in the evening- just so he would get more calories. So while the day started on a high – it ended on a low. Now his energy was fine. He had a great walk. And several times I had to step in to keep him from bugging the Boss. He kept poking the Boss – and leaping around him. The Boss wasn’t in the mood for it – so yours truly rushed in several times to deflect his poking. So he clearly was feeling fine. He just wasn’t hungry. Sigh.

Meanwhile, while the Coyote wasn’t eating, the Boss was moaning and groaning. He was being tortured. He needed a really good grooming – and boy oh boy – was he knotty. And naughty. The two go hand in hand. Or should I say paw in paw. The Warden has no idea how he got SO tangly – but he was a MESS. And because he tries to get up every 15 seconds, the Warden is constantly wrestling with him. And jeepers – it’s not like he doesn’t get a bucket load of treats in the process. But he squirms and pants and pushes and curls his feet so you can’t touch them and moans and groans – when I say torture, I’m not kidding. For both of them. After 2 1/2 hours, they emerged from the garage with a better looking Boss and a worse looking Warden. She was literally bathed in sweat. Now she understands why many PON owners shave their senior dogs. She’s not ready to do that – but let’s just say that when they came out of the garage, and yours truly tried to put the finishing touches on the grooming by licking his ears and head, I thought she was going to cry. “STOP” she shouted – “ that’s why his ears are goopy and the hair on his head gets all tangly!!!” I immediately stopped. Until she wasn’t looking.

Today I’m going to an obedience workshop. Between company and the Coyote’s needs, we have kinda fallen off our training routine. The workshop should give us a jumpstart to get back into things.

Well time to Carpe Diem. And time to say our grateful prayer that we Three Stooges – make that Three Kings – were able to be together for the photo above. Every day each one of us gets – is really something to be grateful for. Now let’s get out there and do something good with it!

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here today at a sad household. Sue and Keith departed yesterday for their European vacation- leaving us behind. They didn’t even TRY to fit any of us in their carry on luggage – mind you they probably couldn’t have fit in a dime – they had them so jam packed. While we wish them well, we sure are going to miss them.

Meanwhile, yo yo boy continues to completely exasperate the Warden. It’s the good news- bad news story again. Good news – he is finished with his antibiotics on Tuesday. Bad news – eating is still a huge issue. The vet said it is important that he take in a certain number of calories to at least maintain his already skinny body. So far, the Warden managed to get him to take in 80% of the goal. On only one day. Since then, he’s about 60% there. She counts every morsel he eats. But it’s not great. Something he thinks is yummy one day, he won’t touch the next day. Hand feeding sometimes works. And sometimes he walks away. Getting the liquid food into him is no easy task again. He refuses to swallow. Really. He just holds the liquid in his mouth and spits it out if you don’t hold onto his chin. And you can’t just shoot the liquid down the back of his throat – for fear of sending it into his lungs. All he needs is pneumonia.

And what’s weird is that it’s not like he isn’t interested in food. He’ll come over to see what the Warden is eating or cooking, then sniffs the sample that’s offered to him, and walks away. He’ll eat bread – but only certain bread. White, brown and whole wheat are out. But he will eat egg bread. Most of the time.

He DID eat kibble the past two days. But only at one meal. The other meal was a “nah.”

For those who have suggested raw food- he ate it on two occasions. Then said “never mind.”

Pork was tasty one day. Then that became old. He does not do leftovers. The humans had a turkey dinner the other day – and what dog wouldn’t like turkey?! He ate one or two bites and said “that’s enough.”

He will chew on a bully sticks voraciously- and that’s probably the only thing that’s a sure bet. We almost hate to say that for fear of jinxing it. Apples, carrots, pumpkin are on the “no fly” list.

Despite his lack of eating, he trots along on a walk just fine. Say the words “car ride” and he races to the garage door. So his energy is good when it’s something he wants to do. The Warden had to take something over to the neighbors yesterday, and he was fine to go and visit. He acted like his usual laid-back self.

In the meantime, the Boss and I have had our meal rations cut in half!!!! It might just have something to do with the fact that the Coyote eats when food is being doled out to each of us – like when we get our daily bread treat at breakfast time. He seems to enjoy “competition” when eating. IF the Coyote is interested in eating a snack , we get some too . Mind you – I do see that we PONs are getting pea-sized pieces and the Coyote’s pieces are more the size of a jumbo strawberry. But we’re getting way more calories than we normally would. She has started calling us the Tubby Twins. While I feel badly that the Coyote is not well, we’re sure doing just fine!!!!

Today I’ll be hiding in the woods the first chance I get. The Warden said I look like a woodland creature – I’m in need of some serious grooming. Oh joy oh happiness.

According to the Crazy Calendar, today is supposed to be “Do Something Nice” day. And it is exactly as the name suggests – a day to go out and do some kind act. It could be going to the store to get your dog a new toy, or holding a door open for someone else, or giving your dog an extra treat, or smiling at a stranger (but not in a way that would seem creepy) or taking your dog for an extra walk or calling someone you haven’t reached out to in a long time. Just be nice. Mind you, it seems like we should kinda practice that behavior most of the time. But humans sometimes seems to need reminders. Not us canines – we’re nice most of the time. Even when we’re peeing on the pumpkin outside the front door. We’re just trying to water it.

OK – almost time to rumble. Keep those positive thoughts, prayers, vibes coming this way for the Coyote. It was a month ago that this challenge began – and we’ve made it here. Keep sending those eating thoughts.

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here for your semi-weekly update from the asylum.

So where to start…

Let’s begin with pee. The Warden used our new pee collection device the other day and it worked like a charm. If pee can be considered charming. She whisked it off to the vet- who called the next day to say she wanted to do an ultrasound of the Coyote’s bladder and kidneys. So off they went to the vet – Aunt Sue and the Warden with Mr Skinny.

The vet examined him – and did an ultrasound. His bladder is ok, but like a previous X-Ray, she could only find one kidney. Now we can all function with one kidney – but if that one is under “stress”, it can make things tricky. Still, his bloodwork and urinalysis are not critical, and given that she witnessed the Coyote dragging the Warden across the parking lot when he got out of the vehicle, she says we should “stay the course.” He will be finished with his antibiotic next Tuesday- so that will hopefully make his belly feel better. They also tweaked some of his medications which should also help.

BUT – and here’s the big but, he desperately needs to put on weight. A cup of food each day just isn’t going to cut it. He cannot lose more weight.

He has to maintain and start gaining weight. It is CRITICAL.

Since some of the meds have been tweaked, we have seen him eating a bit more – including kibble. It would be good if he ate mostly kibble – instead of changing his “flavor of the day” – from chicken to beef to moose meat to pork… because while he does enjoy the variety, it does wreak havoc with his poops. It’s such a juggling act.

So- they have their work cut out. He is actually starting to take the liquid food without things looking like a scene from the Exorcist. The problem with the liquid prescription food is that he would need at least 3 bottles each day. The stuff isn’t well designed for biggish dogs.

Now despite the ongoing serious nature of his health concerns, and before you begin to picture a weak, immobile, depressed dog – you need to know that he IS himself a good portion of the day. Sure – he likes to lounge on the deck and he doesn’t do cartwheels at meal time – but then he never did. And yesterday, when the humans were returning from running some errands, and the front door was left momentarily unattended, the Coyote saw it as a perfect opportunity to make a run for it – as he always does. He had three humans in hot pursuit – who couldn’t catch him- but the Warden knew where he was headed. To the neighbors with the cats. Sure enough, Sue and the Warden caught him there – just as Keith was approaching from another direction. The Coyote was lassoed and he happily trotted home. So he continues to live his best life, despite the ups and downs.

And speaking of ups and downs…we have another story to share….

Do you remember the tale of the tree? It was back in May…

https://viktorsviews.com/2023/05/23/a-story-with-a-moral/

Well, a few weeks after we wrote that uplifting story, we went down to the lake – and the tree was down. Again. The Warden was crushed. All that excitement about the tree once again being upright, was dashed. We didn’t have the heart to share the bad news. Here it was on June 11:

You can see it leaning over.

Then we had a huge rainstorm in July. Here is the water over the shoreline – and you can see the tree is still down on July 22:

On July 29, the Coyote is missing the tree too:

Here are shots from July 30, August 4 and August 8. We’re still searching for the upright tree:

The Warden thought that was it. The tree was down and wasn’t coming back.

But once again, this story twists to show us that things don’t always go as predicted – and we can never give up hope…

We haven’t been going down to the lake the past few weeks – and I’m not really sure why. Maybe the Warden was worried that the Coyote would find it hard to balance on his rock – and she just didn’t want to see that.

But yesterday, she and Sue took all of us down – just like “normal” times.

It was calm and peaceful. The fog and mist had not yet burned off. And as we stood there looking out – the Warden immediately saw it. The tree. It was back up.

The Coyote didn’t climb on his rock, but he was definitely checking things out. He saw the tree too:

So will the tree stay up? Maybe. Maybe not. But just like the Coyote’s yo yo days, we have to enjoy every single one. And as long as he is ready to take off on adventures, we will stay ready to chase after him. We continue to follow his lead…

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