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So I mentioned the other day that the big dog show – Westminster – is scheduled soon.  And as happens every year, there will be new breeds introduced that have recently been recognized by the AKC.  As you may recall, last year one of the new breeds was the Berger Picard!  And that became a new breed in our household as well.  This year there are three new breeds – the Sloughi, also known as the Arabian greyhound, which was originally bred for hunting big game; the American hairless terrier – great for those with allergies -IF you like the look of a naked dog and the oh-so-cute Pumi, the Hungarian herding terrier – with a curly coat and stand-up ears that bend at the tips.  And lest anyone think that another rare breed is coming to this house – the answer is NO.  PONs and Picards are all the rarity we need.

But the REAL news is the “other” addition at Westminster.  I’m not talking about agility – that’s been happening for a few years now. Nope – I’m talking about something that shocked me. There will be 40 breeds of CATS at the show.  Yup.  Cats.  After 141 years of an all dog competition, cats will join in this year.  The cats will be on exhibition and will even have their own agility display.  I vote that they put the cats and dogs TOGETHER for the agility part.  Can’t you just see some sighthound racing through a tunnel after Mr. Pretty Kitty.  Now THAT would be entertaining. 

I was initially not sure if I liked the idea of cats at Westminster.  I mean – it’s breaking with tradition.  But you know, in this day and age of “biases” against certain groups of people, I’m thinking maybe putting us cats and dogs together would be a good lesson for humans.  Think about it.  If WE can get along – shouldn’t humans be able to get along?  So I say, bring on the cats!  And heck – throw in some bunnies too!

Have a good one!

February 3.  The big day after Rodent Prognostication Day.  So here in Nova Scotia, we watched Schubenacadie Sam, a local groundhog make his prediction.  Sam lives about an hour from us – at a wildlife park – so we watched him on-line.  There was much fanfare about the oversized chipmunk’s emergence from his den.  With typical Nova Scotian flare,  he was greeted by a bagpiper and the Town Crier.  Amazing he stuck his head out at all.  You know, I’m really thinking that the Town Crier thing would be PERFECT for Frodo.  He’s ALWAYS shouting out information… “Get my food.  Hurry up.  I WANT that bunny.  Give me a treat…”   He would be an excellent candidate for that position. 

Anyway, along with the piper and the crier, there was the obligatory presentation by a local politician.  Of course there was.  And then it was time to open the door to Sam’s den.  It was kind of fun to watch the politician who seemed just a little bit leary of Sam.  No wonder – the chunky beaver-wanna-be has pretty big teeth.   Anyway, Sam came out and ran around.  And I did note that the park official closed the door to his den – perhaps influencing his prognostication.  But who am I to complain.  He didn’t see his shadow – so great news – it will be an early spring!  I should also add that while there are other rodents in North America who make their predictions – SAM is the FIRST in North America.  Apparently some of his relatives – like Punxsutawney Phil,  Dunkirk Dave, and General Beauregarad Lee predicted just the opposite.  They said there would be 6 more weeks of winter.  So I’m glad I don’t live in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Dunkirk, New York or Stone Mountain, GA.   

So we can soon start planting those spring flowers.  Sure we can. And Elroy will definitely be able to help.  Digger is his middle name.  Here is an example of 2.7 minutes worth of work on the front lawn.

He and the groundhog could be best buddies. Wonder if the groundhog likes to chew carpets too….

Have a good one!

February 2.  It’s Groundhog Day.  And I see it is also Hedgehog Day and Marmot Day in Alaska.  It seems all of these “holidays” are related somehow to a rodent’s ability to forecast the weather.  In North America, if the groundhog comes out of his den and he sees his shadow, he’ll get scared and will retreat back to his den and there will be 6 more weeks of winter.  So we are hoping for a cloudy day so the little bugger stays outdoors – and we’ll have an early spring.  Wonder if the mole colony in our lawn can prognosticate anything?  Besides a challenge in mowing when spring arrives.

Want to know how to awaken even the most soundly sleeping human in the middle of the night?  Do the urky gurkies.  Nope that’s not a dance.  It’s the telltale sound that a dog is about to throw up.  It happened the other night.  And although my human QUICKLY was roused by the sound – it was too late.  Frodo puked.  On the bed.  Ewwwwww.  And there was a logical explanation for his stomach upset….You see for SOME reason, Frodo has been OBSESSED with getting into the DFZ lately.  He will push the gate open that is held by bungee cords and will SQUEEZE himself through.  AND when my human put chairs in front of the entry and attached MORE bungee cords, he simply started chewing his way through the plastic gate.  Which did not sit well in his stomach.   So at 3AM my human ended up cleaning and throwing bedding in the laundry.  Luckily she managed to get to the “product” before Frodo and I could help ourselves.  Humans think that behavior is gross.  We dogs call it recycling.  But not to worry about Frodo – he’s fine – and he had a healthy appetite the next morning.  

Well another hour before daybreak.  I must go on-line to see if our local Nova Scotian groundhog, Shubenacadie Sam, sees his shadow.  Fingers crossed he doesn’t….

Have a cloudy day!

It’s February 1.  Already.  And according to the Crazy Calendar, today is Change your Password Day.  I heard my human mumbling the other day – because she couldn’t remember which of the 56 passwords that she uses was the correct one for a particular website.  And then she has to press that “FORGOT PASSWORD” button and WAIT for a new password.  And then they sent her a temporary password so she could go in and change her password.  And the first one she tried said she couldn’t USE that password because she already used it.  Too bad she didn’t remember it in the first place.  And all of this inevitably happens when she is in a hurry to do something.  

Here are some interesting password facts that I found on the net:

• 66% of people use only one or two passwords for all of their accounts.  Clearly that is NOT my human.   
• Women tend to use personal names for passwords, while men use hobbies.
• The following are examples of BAD passwords – that lots of people apparently use:  123456; abc123; qwerty; 111111; and letmein.    I like the last one.  That’s what my human is usually shouting when she forgets her password.
• I read on-line that lots of humans like to use their dog’s name as a password.  I also read it’s not such a good idea, because if someone figures out your password, you then have to rename your dog. Really.  I read that.

I started thinking what MY passwords would be.  And here are a few:

• PONsRULE
• Treats4ME
• 123FETCH
• NONOBADdog
• FINDtheBUNNY
• K9King
•  DOGSRUS
• HEDIDIT

If you need suggestions on how to create a strong password – check out the advice of this bright canine:
 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeC_KzgPNk0

Anyway, I have a feeling my human will be changing some of her  passwords.  She’s on to me and my on-line shopping after that credit card fiasco….

Over&OUT.   Have a good one.

 

So what are Rajapalayams, Kombais and Chippiparais?  Nope.  Not some kind of East Indian spice.  They are actually dogs – native to India.  And while India does, in some areas, have a horrid practice of eating dogs (I cannot believe I am even typing this!),  they apparently do have many people who LOVE dogs and and they even have championship dog shows.  There was one last weekend featuring 209 dogs from 40 different breeds – and a large number of the competing breeds were native breeds like those  I just listed.  The Rajapalayam is a white colored sight hound – initially bred for hunting boar.  They are apparently VERY good guard dogs. They were almost extinct – but efforts by the Kennel Club in India have worked to save the breed.  The Kombai is also another boar hound.  They are supposed to be intelligent and very loyal pets – but they are also guard dogs.  They say that in demanding circumstances they will fight to the death.  Yikes.  And the  Chippiparai is another sighthound believed to have come from Salukis.  They say they look a bit like the Sloughi. They are also rare, but efforts, again, are being made to save them.

And speaking of dog shows, the big show in New York city is soon coming up – the Westminster Kennel Club show – February 13 and 14.  While people in the US can watch the show on TV, it can be tricky to get the show here in Canada.  Last year my human had to add a channel to our cable subscription to see it.  And this year, she had to add a different channel.  It is being shown on a Car Racing channel.  Seriously.  She was a bit suspect that it was the correct channel – but apparently it is.  We will all be watching for the PONs and the Picards.  And any other dogs friends who may be at the show.  We can hardly wait – I hope she makes popcorn. And you KNOW after it is over, we will all have to practice “dog show standing” together.  We do it to humor her.  And of course, for the treats.

Have a good one!

To begin with today, Frodo would like to thank everyone who sent him birthday wishes.  My human said he got even more wishes than SHE did when it was her birthday. Hey – he’s a popular guy.   And he got LOTS of extra goodies yesterday!

And the FG had quite the day yesterday, too – he got to go to his first ever conformation fun match.  For those not familiar withe  the show dog world – a match is basically like a real dog show – but it’s for practice.  And no points are awarded toward a championship.  But it gives humans an opportunity to practice with their dogs – before a REAL show. 

The match was about an hour from our house, and Elroy knew something was up when my human started fluffing and puffing him on the grooming table in the garage – first thing in the morning.  He was good in the car – quiet and well behaved in his crate.  He was saving his energy for the show.  And boy did he have energy when he arrived.  He’s never been in a venue with so many dogs, people, crates, grooming tables and noise.  Of course he peed 54 times before they even got IN the door.  And once in, his head exploded.  He wanted to meet every dog and human in the place.  Several times my human had visions of broken fingers as she was holding on to him with all her might.  She put him in his crate and of course, he HAD to do the Picard “squeak” – which he excels at.  In general, most the dogs there were quiet.  Except for Squeaky. 

Dogs are shown in groups – and there are 7 groups.  And the Herding group of which he, Frodo and I are members, is Group 7.  The LAST group to be judged yesterday – as they went in order.  My human actually had him out of his crate for a good amount of time and on the grooming table.  He thought he was pretty special – and was happy to greet anyone who came over to ask what breed he was.  My human joked the old “half coyote, half wolfhound” explanation.  A couple of people knew what he was – but they had never met a Picard before.  A couple of people asked if he needed lots of grooming – like a terrier – because his coat is quite coarse.  My human joked that his grooming was like this – and she quickly blew on him once and said “there – he’s ready.”  It’s not EXACTLY that simple –  you do brush him – but let’s just say when you compare him to a PON,  he’s pretty easy to groom. 

When it was his turn to be judged, he was actually fairly well behaved.  He didn’t drag my human on her knees and only jumped on her shoulders once.

As for results – let’s just say he won the “congeniality” award.  OK, there IS no congeniality award, but if there had been – he would have won. The BIG winner was his buddy, Conner, the Old English Sheepdog.  Not ONLY did he win the group – he won Best In Match!!!  Talk about grooming – now THAT’S grooming.  Plus someone joked that Conner’s human doesn’t have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), he has OGD – Obsessive grooming disorder.   And it apparently happens quite frequently at home, according to his wife – especially when it is time to do household chores.  Well, one thing for sure, all that grooming is paying off – and Conner is one handsome dude.  Wouldn’t I just LOVE to chew on his ears a bit…I could definitely help with his grooming…

It’s a big day today – it’s Einstein’s birthday. Yup – my big brother, Frodo turns lucky number 7 today.  Time sure flies.

I’m not a big fan of astrology, but I decided to check out his horoscope.  He’s an Aquarius – which is ironic given his aversion to water.  I found a variety of sites that described dog personalities – based on their zodiac sign.  This one was interesting:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/your-dog-is-in-the-stars-pet-personalities-and-astrology/

It is interesting as it says he is intelligent – and that is certainly a word I have used to describe Frodo.  Heck, I call him Einstein!  And the part about him wanting to do what he wants to do – well that DEFINITELY is Frodo. And he IS lovable.  When he WANTS to be.  He’s been a great buddy to Elroy and to all the dogs in this household – but he also enjoys his own space. Awkward as that space may be.

Despite his bad habit of incessant barking when he wants something, and his annoying PON-dini behavior – where he can escape from ANYWHERE, my human still thinks that he has been one of THE easiest dogs she has been owned by.  He’s the reason she decided to get me – a second PON because she thought I would be a clone.  Big mistake there.  But then, variety IS the spice of life, right?

So Happy Birthday to my big brother.  And please don’t forget to share your treats today!

So yesterday morning, before my human headed off to work, she decided to pay some bills on-line.  Yet another reason I am happy I am not a human.  Bills.

Anyway, she was rushing to do it and she gasped when she looked at her credit card bill.  Someone had charged over $1000 in purchases to her card – and it wasn’t her.  She didn’t recognize the names of the places where the charges were made – but they were not made in Nova Scotia.  She quickly called the credit card company to report the problem – and we were all instructed to be VERY quiet while she made the call.  Good luck with that.  Timex 1 and Timex 2 were barking, growling and rolling on the floor.  And I was sitting and staring at her – waiting for the alarm to go off which signals that it is time to get my pill.  I know when my pill will be coming – so I wait for it.  Some might think that my sense of timing amazing.  It’s easy to explain.  I just look at the clock.

Anyway, after several minutes on the phone with the credit card company, she was assured that she would not be liable for the charges.    And all was again right with the world.  Although my human wonders how someone would get her number and make those purchases.  She’s very puzzled.

So the big question.  How am I going to explain when $1000 worth of dog toys start arriving in the mail…

Have a good one.

So there was this thing circulating on Facebook.  Where humans were supposed to list a breed of dog that they would like to be owned by – in every breed group.  But they couldn’t list the breed that currently owns them.

So I decided to pick the breeds I would have – and interestingly, my choices were IDENTICAL to my human’s.

So here we go:
Sporting: Italian Spinone
Hound: Irish Wolfhound
Working: Lagotto Romagnolo
Terrier: Glen of Imaal
Toy: Havanese
Non-Sporting: French Bulldog
Herding: Briard

So we have a couple of candidates from Italy,  Ireland, France and one from Cuba.  Maybe I should be branching out more…

Humans are so funny.  They THINK they select us – but of course WE know it is the other way around.  

And if I had to pick another human (other than the one I own) who would I pick?  A movie star?  Nope – although the lifestyle MIGHT be nice, who wants to put up with even MORE pup-arazzi than I already have?  Veterinarian?  Nope.  Would be handy – but I wouldn’t want MY human hanging out with OTHER dogs all day.  Groomer?  NO WAY.  No offense, but who wants to be the guinea pig for new products or instruments of torture?  The current US President?  Agggghhhhhhhh.  No.   Queen of England?  Nah.  Too many corgis.  Who would I pick.  It’s really pretty easy.  A butcher.  Seriously.  That’s an EASY choice.  What dog WOULDN’T want to live with a butcher?

Tomorrow I’ll pick the breed of cat that I want.  On second thought, maybe I had better stick to fish.  Can you IMAGINE a cat in THIS house?!  Oh the blogs I would write….

Have a good one!  It’s FRIDAY!

Ah-ha.  So for a CHANGE, I am not the one in trouble.  This time Squeaky and Einstein have worked together – and they both caused problems for one another.

You see, Squeaky and Einstein LOVE to chew on each other and lick one another‘s ears.  And Frodo  recently ended up with a “shake-the-head” problem – because one of his ears was pink.  He had the problem a week ago and my human had to clean his ear and put in some drops.  He was fine the next day- because she caught the problem early.  Well Tuesday morning my human had us up EXTRA early because she needed to be in the office at 7:30.  Which means that in order for us to get our walks and breakfast and in order for HER to eat breakfast, the alarm goes off at 4:45. And on those days, everything has to go like clockwork.  But the clock stopped when Squeaky came out of his crate and she took one look at him.  His ear was going sideways.  “OH NO” she exclaimed.  This literally happened over night – his ear was all red.  Must have been all the licking by Einstein the day before.  So she whisked him into the garage aka grooming torture parlor aka minor surgical ward and examined his sore ear.  She carefully cleaned it – and thankfully still had ears drops left to make it feel better.  Of course as SOON as he was back in the house, Einstein wanted to examine the ear too.  And make it feel “better”.  At which point my human shouted “Leave his ears ALONE.”  She had to keep the two of them separated when she went to take her shower, and as always, they were separated when she went to work.

When she got home from work, his ear looked MUCH better.  She cleaned it again and put in more drops.  But TRYING to keep the ear lickers apart is no easy task. They are obsessed with doing it.  My human is threatening them with cones.  You know the line – “it’s all fun and games until somebody ends up in a cone.”    To keep them occupied, we had several rounds of Find the Bunny the other night.  My human uses a “bunny” which now looks NOTHING like a bunny.  She basically picks any stuffed–type toy and calls it a bunny.  It’s an alternative truth.   No wonder when we first go to look for it we have no idea what we are looking for.  But despite that – we all did well with the game, and it kept the licking down.  For at least an hour.

So anyway, I have two new nicknames for Squeaky and Einstein:  Timex 1 and Timex 2.  

Sorry but I couldn’t resist.

Have a good one!