I guess it’s time for a seizure update – because someone asked the other day.

We seem to currently be having a pattern of one every two weeks. So her highness has increased one of my meds by a quarter of a pill. The last time my bloodwork was done, I was really low on the target range for effectiveness. And although there can be side effects, we would like to reduce the seizures too. I’m almost reluctant to write this because today we are past the two week mark. Just past. So we’ll see. But we have a new problem….

About a month ago, her highness looked at getting one of my meds in liquid form. We go through a LOT of homemade pill pockets each day (at least 8 for me alone – because I was taking 11 pills each day. She can squeeze a couple of the small pills into one pocket). So she figured getting one medication in a liquid form would reduce the pill pocket need by a bit.

Now you KNOW we PONs will eat ANYTHING in our bowl. And fast. I mean lightning fast. Well lately, yours truly has been quite pokey with my eating. I’m the first one to get my food dish delivered and lately I’ve been the last to finish. And this pretty much started after we got that liquid medication. Her highness noticed my slow eating, and figured the stuff must not taste too yummy. I mean it has to be horrid for a PON not to want to eat. So she started putting Parmesan cheese on my food. Even that isn’t working – and in fact, yesterday I left a few kibbles in my bowl. Which is unheard of. But here’s the deal. If she puts food in my bowl without the med, I inhale everything. So she’s pretty convinced it is the medication.

Of course, she has finally confirmed this after she got a refill of the $150 prescription last week. I think it’s time to go back to the pills. This is yet another example of “if it ain’t broke, don’t change the pill form.” I think she has too much time on her hands with this retirement thing – and she overthinks stuff. Besides, she’s getting really good at making those pill pockets…..

She worries about us canine kids a lot. Every morning we wake up and I haven’t had a seizure during the night, she says a little thank you prayer.

And speaking of thank yous – I want to thank those people who have participated in my request for good deeds. Some people didn’t want to post their deeds publicly, so they have sent her highness a private message – which is super. That being said, we are not quite half way to my goal of 50 good deeds. It’s a bit disappointing, but I guess the good news is for those who did post – they will have better odds of winning! We KNOW that you all do good deeds, but I guess you prefer not to share them. Mind you, there is still time left….

Time for our walk. And her highness forgot to put the garbage out last night – so we better get moving. Our favorite day. Walking down the road attempting to pee on neighbors’ garbage cans….We dogs enjoy those simple things in life…Hope you enjoy them too…

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone.

I am about to embark on two topics that are very common if you own dogs. Well, one is. And the other is linked to the first.

The topics? Dog food. And the other topic….flatulence or passing wind. Or more commonly addressed in many circles as farts.

Now the dog food topic is one that can incite arguments, and sometimes rancor – just like a political debate. There are the raw disciples and the kibble followers. And well, her highness has been in both camps at various points in time. She has fed us raw and has fed us the most expensive kibble on the planet.

As an aside, we need to keep in mind that she had a dog (her first dog), Barney, who ate grocery store food that resembled beef but which was essentially a combination of chemicals and grain designed to LOOK like beef. And he lived to 17.5.

Anyway, she tries her best to read about food and feed us the best possible. We tried raw- but when she discovered that our daily meal costs were more than hers, we went back to kibble. Yes. I know you can make your own raw and not buy the prepared patties at the dog food store. But since she doesn’t have a degree in canine nutrition, she didn’t go that route.

So we were on a “limited ingredient diet” of kibble for several years. This is before the FG came along. And we were doing FINE. I repeat – we were FINE. Good poops. No issues with itching. Life was grand.

Then the FG came along. AND the company that made our LID changed hands. So her highness decided she MUST change foods. And here is where the trouble began…..

So we went to a different LID. Which the FG didn’t like. But then, he didn’t like ANYTHING. So he tried a variety of foods. Meanwhile, Einstein and I were eating a new grain free LID.

The FG was on a variety of foods. She tried EVERYTHING- just to get him to eat.

Then all the stuff came out about grain free diets and heart issues….

When Einstein went to see the cardiologist, the doctor said that he could eat grain free kibble – but stay away from foods that had peas in the first five ingredients. His heart issue is NOT the problem seen in dogs where there appears to be a dietary link. He has OTHER heart issues. But the vet said we might as well stay away from any additional problems.

So. Her highness went out and found what she thought was a SUPER food. The ingredients looked great. It must be good – the FG loves it. It has “ancestral grains.” Whatever the heck those are. So she gradually took me and Einstein off our LID and put us on this food – which the FG LOVES. But a big difference with this food – the protein is substantially higher. And there is this age old belief that we PONs should be on a low protein diet. (See how complicated this can be?!).

While all of this was going on, Einstein has been licking at his feet. Incessantly. He has basically been doing that since he went off the old LID – and it is worse since we tried the super food. He was on two medications from the vet. And they clearly didn’t work. Her highness looks at photos from a year or two ago – and his feet were lovely. What’s the difference? Could it be the food? Probably. But she hadn’t pieced that together yet…Sometimes she’s not very quick…

Meanwhile, she had very gradually changed me to the super food. I was only fully “converted” about 3 weeks ago.

So finally. All three dogs were eating the most expensive kibble on the planet. Great you might think. Well. Not so much.

The FG is fine. He loves the food and is finally gaining weight. And all of us have lovely poop. BUT – Einstein continues to lick his feet. And that’s not the biggest problem. Our main issue? Farts. And I mean paint-peeling, room-clearing, gas mask -requiring farts. The odiferous AND audible variety. The air is BLUE. And while we are both participating in the evacuation-causing puffs of air, I am worse than Einstein. The FG is luckily immune.

So yesterday, while her highness was reading a book, yours truly let out an extended exhibit of flatulence. She just looked at me and said “buddy – that’s IT.” She took us for a pee, gave us some treats and took off in the car like the house was on fire. Well. It would have been if you lit a match behind me. She went to the dog food store and bought a big bag of the old LID that we were on for years. And which worked WELL for us.

We’ll see what happens. Hopefully the air will be clearer. The irony is that we were doing FINE on this food. She changed us because she was worried about the new company. And maybe it will be a problem. Time will tell. All I know is that the blue air was somewhat better last night…

So the moral of the story? If it ain’t broke don’t change the food. And let’s face it, nobody wants a blue Christmas….

Isn’t life with dogs just SO interesting?!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

This is a story about her highness. Now we were not involved in this story. However, if she wasn’t owned by three dogs, there would be no story.

I have talked on numerous occasions about dog poop. Amount, consistency, timing, preferred locations – we have discussed it all. AND we have talked about poop bags. Remember when it appeared that the Dollar Store was no longer going to carry the model with handles? Her highness searched everywhere- and people even sent us bags. We were well stocked for months- but of course they are now gone. And THANKFULLY, the Dollar Store must have had such an outcry, that they are stocking them again. Miracles do happen.

We have also talked about the juggling of poop bags when walking multiple dogs. That’s why the model with the handles is so essential. You can loop the bag over a finger. Or your wrist. As you juggle leashes. And additional poop pick up.

Anyway, on Thursday her highness went into the grocery store. But it wasn’t a full stock up. She only needed a few items- so she didn’t take a basket or cart when she entered. She stopped in the deli section and got some Parmesan cheese, and then she went to the fruit and vegetable section where she picked up some blueberries. For us. OK. She gets some too- but we get some every day. Even the FG loves them- and he no longer hurls them around.

She went to buy two baking potatoes and fought with the flimsy bag to get it open. Just like a poop bag. She took a flimsy bag so it would be easier to juggle her other items. She actually slipped the bag over her wrist (just like a poop bag) and then picked up a few more items. It’s a human shopping phenomenon – you go in for three things and end up buying 10.

She ended up with an armload but was still under the 12 item limit for speedy check out. She put her items on the conveyor and waited her turn. She was next and stepped forward to the machine where you pay. The clerk rang through her items and then said – “ugh – are you going to pay for those potatoes.” Her highness glanced down at her wrist and was mortified. There was the bag of potatoes. She wasn’t trying to steal them!!! She then immediately blurted out the first thing that came to mind (which was the truth!) -“I’m so sorry – I forgot – I thought I was carrying poop.”

The guy behind her in line just looked at her. “I have dogs,” she hurriedly explained. “I’m used to carrying poop bags. I forgot the potatoes were there.”

I think the clerk was a cat person. She just took the potatoes and didn’t say anything. The guy behind her just smiled.

Her highness apologized again, grabbed her bags and raced out.

I’m sure the clerks were talking about it at break time: “Yeah – well here’s a good one. I had one who used a poop excuse when she tried to shoplift. Good thing I caught her.”

And you thought WE were the only ones who get into trouble. I’m starting a Go Fund Me page for her bail money….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Her highness has this…”closet” for her clothes. I use the word closet loosely because it is more like a small warehouse. You never know WHAT you’ll find in there. Or should I say, lose in there. It houses a big basket of shoes, framed pictures that have never been hung, suitcases, Halloween decorations, purses, the ironing board and iron and even Christmas gifts. We canines are not allowed in the closet because- well you never know what we’ll get into. The door is always closed – but it doesn’t latch well- so it’s easy to push your way in…

The door to the bedroom is usually closed especially if her highness is not home – simply because we know that we PONs like to sometimes chew on pillowcases. Oh- and comforters too. So we are not allowed in there unsupervised. Sure- we sleep there at night- but her highness is with us.

Anyway, since she’s in the retirement mode she’s become a bit more relaxed and laid back about things. And she doesn’t always keep the bedroom door closed. She doesn’t watch us every second of the day – although WE keep a close eye on her every movement. She literally cannot move a muscle without us wanting to know what she is doing next. Or where she is going.

On Monday afternoon, she was having a great chat on the phone, with a dear friend. And she was in the DFZ. The bedroom door was open, and the FG was curled up on her bed. Einstein situated himself between the DFZ and the bedroom – so he could keep an eye on everyone. Meanwhile, yours truly decided to go exploring. In the warehouse….

After her chat, her highness emerged from the DFZ. Einstein and I ran to meet her like we hadn’t seen her in days. The FG was too comfy on her bed to move.

She walked into the bedroom and saw the warehouse door open. Various papers were strewn about. And then she saw “it” next to the warehouse door….

A bone!!! Yessiree. Yours truly found a BONE in the warehouse. How awesome was THAT?! How clever am I?! Is that not the BEST?! Was it a hidden Christmas gift? Am I smart, or WHAT?! Did she forget it was there?!

The answer to all of the above is – no- not so much.

I was initially all excited with my find. And then I began to chew my newfound treasure. Who cares if it was for Christmas. I deserved a treat.

Well the surprise was not so delightful. The lousy thing is made of SOAP!!! Who buys soap in the shape of a bone?! Right – a crazy dog lady.

Her highness smirked at me and said “well THAT wasn’t such a good idea, was it?” I just walked away. Einstein rolled his eyes at me and the FG shut the one eye he had opened while lying on the bed.

So my exploration was not all that fruitful. But ya know… there’s lots of stuff in that warehouse. Maybe even some REAL Christmas presents. I DO think I’ll be back…Mind you, I could also end up on Santa’s Naughty list….What else is new.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Well it’s going to be interesting to see how many names we will have entered for my Kindness draw on December 2. A number of people have already shared some wonderful acts that they have done or are currently doing. I understand that people don’t like to be boastful about what they do. I thought about that a lot when I came up with the idea. But just by posting, you are doing another kind act – because it’s so nice to read what other people do – on a regular basis! This is all about spreading good news. And just so you know, for those folks who shared that blog, their name was entered too!

Meanwhile, here at the circus, her highness has been eyeing the closet or should I say closetS where the Christmas decorations are stored. Heaven help us. The Christmas Explosion. You know that means we’ll be sequestered for at least an hour while she moves around boxes. Having us racing up and down the stairs with her while she is carrying boxes of 4000 elves is not advisable. Hey remember this action shot of me with an elf from a few years ago?

Or remember this photo of the stuffed dog ornament that “someone” operated on?

I love Christmas. So many things to explore.

We’ll also be having the obligatory photo shoots. Her highness doesn’t know it yet, but I hid those stupid reindeer antlers. I’m hoping she doesn’t find them. Depends if she vacuums under the sofa or not. Given the dust bunnies I found under there, I think the hiding place is secure.

Remember this photo from last year?

Now THAT was a challenge. Einstein kept trying to eat the sheep. And if he wasn’t trying to eat them, he was knocking them down. Needless to say, she didn’t attempt this photo with me or the FG.

Well time to go on patrol. Actually, the serious new patrol dog is the FG. He’s big into barking at things only he hears. In the middle of the night. For a couple of mornings, he would also rush into the dining room and bark and growl at the deck. Her highness wondered what he was seeing. Then she realized he was looking at his own reflection. I kid you not. He’s our comic relief.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

So this past week we saw World Kindness Day. A day to remind humans to be nice to one another. And it got me thinking….

Her highness and I want to do something to pass on kindness. For Kindness day and for the holidays. So here’s our idea.

We would like our readers to do something nice for someone else. It doesn’t have to be big or costly. Sure if you want to donate to a charity or give someone a special gift – that would be lovely. But it can be a simple act. Like holding a door open. Letting someone in the grocery line in front of you. Calling an old friend or relative just to say hello. Playing an extra game of fetch with your dog. Giving your dog an extra treat (OK – that was my idea, not hers). Paying someone a compliment (which is always a way to make someone feel good about themselves!) Raking a neighbor’s yard or shoveling their walkway. Smiling and saying hello to a stranger. Picking up someone else’s dog poop in a public place ( that counts double!). The options are endless…

Maybe at this time of the year, you routinely do something extra nice – like sing carols at a nursing home. Or donate to a children’s charity with toys. All of those things count!

Now when you do your special act, post it either in the comments under this blog on my Facebook page – or right on my blog site. And don’t be shy – sharing your kind acts gives other people ideas!! For everyone who posts a kind act – no matter how big or how simple, your name will be entered into a draw. And the prize? A 2020 Calendar with me and the other two stooges!! Full of photos of us – with quotes from Winnie the Pooh – and others.

And you’ll ALSO receive some MARITIME treats. For you and your dog. You must post your kind act between now and midnight, Atlantic time December 1. Her highness will have a friend do the draw – or maybe Einstein will do it. We’ll see. And after the draw, we will get your address and mail your prize to you.

Let’s see all the good things we can spread around. Remember- it doesn’t have to be big. We would LOVE to see 50 people share a kind act – but even more would awesome.

Although the world can sometimes be a pretty sad place, we do believe that there is much more goodness than badness out there. And it’s time to share some good news for a change!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

So yesterday was torture day. Her highness announced that ALL of us looked like dogs who had been living in the woods for a month. Of course the worst was Einstein- who had been sporting the flashy lampshade for two weeks. Sure- he had a cursory brushing every time he went to the vet- but let’s face it, he didn’t get the FULL brushing while he was feeling miserable. He moans and groans when he is brushed and we KNOW how much he moaned and groaned after his surgery – so there was no way her highness was giving him the full salon treatment. Even he knew he looked a mess .

I was the first victim yesterday. Because I’m the best. I fortunately, I had a seizure the other day (2weeks to the day since the last one) so I was looking pretty disheveled and smelling pretty rank. But I don’t mind the fluffing and puffing, so it only took an hour to do my routine. Next came the FG. He doesn’t moan or groan although he squeaks when you brush his face. He also looks totally forlorn throughout the process.

Her highness had a quick errand to run and then came home. It was 9:00 in the evening and she debated whether she should start Einstein. She finally figured she should get it over with, so while listening to an audiobook, she performed the wrestling match. She eventually won (although he got lots of treats) and the game ended at 10:45. He looks like a different dog. Just kidding. He shook himself off, had a big drink, rolled on the carpet and didn’t even look like he had been brushed.While he was messing himself up, her highness collapsed on the sofa in the DFZ. Good times.

On another note, did you see the story in the news about the unicorn? OK. It’s not a unicorn. It’s a puppy. Who has a tail in the middle of his forehead. Check it out:

Continue reading ➞ The day of torture

Continue reading ➞ Talk to me. Or not.

I’m plagiarizing myself. Because sometimes the same message bears repeating….

Today is a day that we remember and honor those men and women and even canines who have served their countries in times of war – and during peacekeeping times as well. We call today Remembrance or Veteran’s Day. In the dog show world, the term veteran is used to describe an older dog. In the human world, the term Veteran means so much more.

Veterans are very, very special. They defended our rights and our liberties and without them, many of us would not enjoy the freedoms that we do today. The poppy has become a symbol of this day with its connection to the poem “In Flanders Fields.” The poppies bloomed across many of the battlefields of WW I – and they became symbolic of the blood shed on those fields.While we have this special day to honor Veterans, we really need to keep them in our minds and hearts all year round.

We also know that due to the often unthinkable challenges of war time service, many Veterans have after effects – known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As I understand it can be a difficult condition, not only affecting the Veteran, but family members of the Veteran as well – who see their need for help. And that’s where, in some cases, we canines can come in. We can work as Service Dogs to help Veterans suffering from PTSD. We are specially trained and we can detect when someone is feeling anxious or depressed or provide comfort if someone is having nightmares. We provide a service that is often life-saving. When you look for websites and organizations that provide dogs to Veterans, it seems that there are a number of options. I even found one group in the US that has Veterans training the dogs to serve other Veterans. Now that seems like an excellent idea. I urge you to research these organizations – and consider supporting such programs for the men and women who have given so much for you. It’s a wonderful way to say thanks…

And today – take a minute to think of and honor those who have served – and still do serve. They deserve more thanks than we can ever give them.

Have a good one. PEACE and paws up.

So yesterday, her highness got together with two friends and went to some kind of “Expo” thing. As I understand it, it was a bunch of booths with art, wine, crafts, cider, food,whiskey, rum, and even dog treats. Apparently though, there were more booths featuring alcohol than dog treats… All the goods were made in the maritimes and were great for Christmas shopping. But more on the booths in a minute…

There were also dog displays – including a local group demonstrating agility. AND there was even a sheep dog demo.

One of her highness’s friends is owned by Shelties. So she was interested in the demo being a herding human. Her other friend, Glenda is owned by Bernese – and she likes anything dog – so she was also interested in the demo.

They all watched with interest as several herding machines aka Border Collies worked the sheep. One was only 10 months old- and CLEARLY knew what to do. When the man who was doing the demo was asked if he ever trained any other breeds, his response was “Are there other breeds?” I’m thinking that he would not have been impressed with my herding instinct test where I sat like a stuffed dog in the center of the pen and never moved. On the other hand, he MIGHT find the FG interesting….

Anyway, her highness did feel guilty about leaving us for the afternoon, (even though Anna came by and gave me my meds and let us out. ) So she HAD to buy something from a dog vendor. She bought some yummy dried beef liver. She noted some dried capelin in the booth, but said she wasn’t sure one of her dogs would eat it. The woman said “here are a few samples – try it out.”

Her highness happily took the stinky, dried fish.

When she got home, we were excited to see her – even though Anna had just been here less than an hour before.

To appease her appropriate sense of guilt, she immediately pulled out the treats. She gave each of us a dried capelin. Einstein and I sniffed them for .06 seconds and promptly ate them. As predicted, the FG dropped his. And stared at it. Einstein and I tried to steal it, but her highness put us in the hallway to give the FG a chance to try it. He stared at it. He tossed it. He rolled on it. And then he got up and walked away from it. The decision: the FG is currently eating his meals and even treats like blueberries. But he draws the line at tiny dried fish. And her highness didn’t mind because frankly, the vision of those crunchy pieces of seafood did not appear that appealing to her either.

Einstein and I were happy because we got a few more samples. We PONs will eat ANYTHING.

Today we have a lazy day planned. Except of course for guard duty…It appears we ate all the capelin samples – but not to worry- there is still a bag of beef liver.

Seriously. Life is good.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.