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So my human saw another one of those crazy lists about dogs – you know the ones – “Best dogs for kids;”  “Happiest dogs;”  “Best dogs for fetching;” “Dogs you can carry in your purse;” “Dogs who are smarter than humans”…  OK- I made some of those up, but you get the drift.

The most recent one my human saw was the “Dogs who jumped the most in popularity in 2015.”  Dogs who made the list include the Xoloitzcuintli and the Portuguese Podengo Pequeno.  No surprise there.  I sure have been seeing LOADS of those breeds around.  Not.  Who makes up these things?  PONs didn’t make the list and I would think people would be lining up to have one.  Mind you.  Maybe they are read my blog.  And I scare people off.  I’m going to have to start lying about how well-behaved I am.

On the other hand, popularity is NOT always a GOOD thing.  When breeds become popular, everybody wants one.  And when the demand is there, some people begin breeding just to produce puppies – without any care for health or longevity.  Which obviously is NOT a good thing. 

When I am out in public and if, or should I say WHEN I misbehave, if someone asks my human what breed I am, she tells them I am a Nova Scotia Lobster Retriever.  Or a Ploodle – a Polish Lowland doodle.  She tells people to Google them.

So while I may NOT be on the rising popularity list, I definitely should be on the “Congeniality” list. Or the “most adventurous” list…

Have a good one!

July 13.  On this day in 1939, Frank Sinatra made his recording debut.  Apparently Ol’ Blue Eyes had a passion for dogs!  Sources say that he didn’t have dogs growing up – so he made up for it as an adult.  He had many different kinds of dogs (and cats and horses too) but he was said to have a soft spot for Cavaliers.  Reportedly, his daughter once asked him where heaven was.  His response: “Where all animals go.”  Well said Frank.

And we’ve been thinking of heaven a lot in the past few days.  Every day my human gets “memories” that pop up on her Facebook page.  And the memories usually include photos – of me.  And Velcro dog.  And Paxton.  Life certainly goes on when a loved one goes to heaven.  But life is different…

Frodo still seems to be sad at times.  Probably because he lived with Pax longer than I did.  But I do miss running off into the woods after Pax.   He taught me that.  Those were the days.  Crashing through the brush on the heels of my giant buddy.  With obedient Velcro dog back at the house with my human.   My human always figured Pax was running off to get away from me.  But of course, I couldn’t let THAT happen.  There we would be over at the neighbor’s house. Just stopping to say hello…

Velcro dog and I have worked out the “pecking order.”  He’s the boss.  I concede that.   Well actually, my human is the boss.  Or we let her THINK she is…

So even though we sometimes feel sad – and we know our human does too – we wouldn’t trade a single minute we had with Bucket Head.   And we know he looks over us every day.  All of those in heaven do…

Humans.  Humans.

Several years ago, a team of researchers from France did an interesting experiment with 9 dogs.  They wanted to see if dogs could recognize the faces of their own species. They saw 144 pairs of photos drawn randomly from the two different pools – one was a pool of images of 3000 different dogs – purebred and mixed breeds – the other was a pool of images of 3000 other animals and people. 

The dogs were rewarded for indicating the dog in the pair. And despite the huge diversity in the photos of the dogs that they saw, the dogs in the experiment consistently recognized and selected the photos of the dogs – they knew which photo in the pair was a dog. 

They didn’t care what the other dogs looked like.  They recognized one of their own.   Short hair, long hair, white dogs, brown dogs, dogs with floppy ears, dogs with bat ears, dogs with narrow muzzles, dogs with pug-like faces….they were all dogs.  Underneath it all – we are all the same.  The dogs didn’t show prejudice or ignore certain dogs, based on the way they looked.  And their reactions were all the same.

Given the horrible events last week in the US…perhaps humans could take a lesson from us dogs…remember underneath it all – you are all the same…

And while I realize this analogy is simplistic – remember – I’m just a dog…

July 10.  According to the crazy calendar, today is Don’t Step on a Bee day.  Since humans often like to walk barefoot in the summer,  stepping on a bee could obviously be a real problem.  And SOME dogs can have serious problems if they are stung by a bee.   Because some dogs like to chase bugs – and eat them, a bee sting can result in a very swollen mouth, or muzzle.  If you see that your dog is crying or drooling or pawing at his face or his face is swelling – you should seek medical attention.  Some dogs can actually suffer from anaphylaxis, a severe, life threatening allergic reaction to a bee or wasp sting.  In this case, a dog could have difficulty breathing due to swelling of the throat.  This is a SERIOUS emergency.  My human had a friend who was walking in the park one day with her Golden Retriever, and the dog was stung.  He collapsed.  Her friend had to carry the dog to her car and quickly get veterinary help.  LUCKILY she made it on time – but it was a very tense and dangerous event.

If your dog is stung, many sources say that waiting for an allergic reaction may waste precious time.  If your dog is in any distress – GET help.

Bees are good for the environment – but allow me to warn my fellow dogs – don’t chase or eat them.  Squirrels.  Yes.  Bunnies.  Yes.  Ducks.  Yes.  But not bees.  They are right up there with porcupines. 

Have a  sting-free day.

July 9.  On this day in 1877, the very first Wimbledon tennis championship was held. 

Today, the women’s final is scheduled and tomorrow will be the men’s.   Oh.  And by the way… a CANADIAN is playing in the men’s singles final.  It’s quite the event.  BUT – it IS missing something.  Dogs.  In this video, you will see how we COULD be involved.  Mind you, I’m not sure I would want to use the slobbery ball after the one fella gets it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK_83cnHbE4

Can you IMAGINE me doing this job?!  Chaos.  It would be IMPOSSIBLE to hold me back while the players would be volleying back and forth.  And then I’m not SURE I would always give the balls back…  I love balls.  Actually I love anything a human throws.

And in other tennis news – in Australia, The Queensland Tennis Centre decided to put their used tennis balls to good use.  It seems that due to regulations, balls cannot be used after a certain time. So they had LOTS of balls in storage.  So what did they do?  They donated thousands to the RSPCA for the dogs!  Some smart human had a good idea.  Can you picture me in a room of several THOUSAND balls? It’s would be dream come true.

But please keep in mind – that for some dogs, tennis balls CAN be dangerous.  Some dogs COULD swallow them or attempt to swallow them- and some dogs CHEW tennis balls which can be a problem if pieces are swallowed. So if you DO allow your dog to play with a tennis ball, do it under supervision.

Well I must go and get ready to watch the women play.  And THEN,  it’s MY turn to play!

Have a ball today!

First it was the crazy bunnies.  Then the killer duck.  And now it’s official – we are being terrorized by a new woodland creature.  The squirrel.

Remember how the squirrel got stuck in the bird feeder – and my human worked valiantly to release him from his bondage?  And she eventually did – but she fears she may have caused some trauma to the squirrel during her efforts – and now – he is ANGRY.   REALLY angry.  He keeps hanging out around the door to our deck.  Literally.  Yesterday morning while my human was at the dining room table, she heard a “clunk” on the deck.  She looked up and there – hanging on the screen door was the squirrel.  Obviously trying to get in.  My human QUICKLY got up and although we didn’t notice the squirrel – when we saw her quick movement, we sprang into action.  We didn’t know what we were going after – but we were going after SOMETHING.  Luckily the glass door was closed.  

So now we have to be ever-vigilant if the deck door is left open.  And if the screen is pulled, we have to put a dog gate in front of it – because my human is just a LITTLE tired of repairing that screen door.  It wouldn’t be the first time one of us dogs went through it.  

Can you IMAGINE if a squirrel got loose in our house?    Just the thought makes my human weak.  Of course, I think it could be QUITE entertaining. 

Ahhhhh.   The joys of country living.  

Have a fabulous FRIDAY.   Let the weekend begin!

July 7.  According to the crazy calendar, today is Tell the Truth Day.  As a result it will be a day that politicians will have to keep their mouths closed.  Honestly.  I suppose I shouldn’t paint ALL politicians with the same brush – but in looking at the current state of the US elections, I don’t think truthfulness is exactly a strong attribute.

What a circus.  My human is preparing the spare bedroom for the steady stream of visitors escaping from the US.  It will be a mass migration.  My human becomes extremely agitated watching the news each night.  It’s interesting to watch the candidates.  They pander to every religious group, every race, every gender, every occupation, every age group … BUT – so FAR I have seen no candidate speak DIRECTLY to people owned by dogs.  Hello?  Who are their campaign managers?  Don’t they KNOW how many dogs are out there?  Mind you, there is not much either candidate could say to make me want to vote for them.  I joked months ago that I should run for President.  Right about now, I think I would have a good shot!  Here are the reasons why I would make a good DOTUS:

• I’m adorable (who can resist a PON?)
• I’m full of energy – I will need it to put up with Congress and the Senate
• I always have a happy-go-lucky attitude – which would make me popular with other countries
• I would put together an outstanding “cabinet” – full of treats and goodies
• I encourage dynamic conflict resolution (like with Velcro dog) – and I usually LET him win
• I’m motivated – as evidenced by my constant attempts to get into the room where the toys are stored
•  I am excellent at decision making (when treats are involved)
•  I will defend my land – from terrorist ducks

We DO have a SLIGHT problem with the fact that I was not BORN in the US.  But my human was – so that should count for something.

While my rambling is clearly a joke – there are no doubt people who HONESTLY would vote for me at this point.  And THAT’S the truth! 

Time to begin my campaign…

So summer is really here and we are loving it.  So far, mornings have been a perfect temperature for our daily constitutional and days have been a comfortable 75-80ish degrees Fahrenheit. Velcro dog and I enjoy lounging on the deck while it is shady.  But one DOES have to be careful in the summer heat.  And I’m not talking about being left in hot cars.  I already discussed that issue.  And you KNOW how I feel about that one.

I’m talking about heat and exercise.  Like retrieving a toy – 4, 653 times.  Like the way I do it.  But in the heat, one must be careful.  To be sure we DON’T get overheated, my human will only play fetch with us either EARLY or LATE in the day.  Never in the afternoon.  No matter how much I beg.   And even then, one must be careful as the temperatures can still be warm.  Like the other night.  We played after 7PM – and only played for a few minutes.  And Velcro dog was fine – but yours truly tends to go a BIT crazy for fetching.  I don’t exactly PACE myself.  My human even watched in horror as I actually made a somersault in my frenzied attempt to grab the toy.  When my human cut our game short, I didn’t want to stop.  But when I did, I was panting like crazy.  I mean crazy.  So we went downstairs to the rec room and I relaxed on the tile floor.  Which is nice and cool.  With my human watching me like a hawk.  I was FINE.

But one DOES need to watch us dogs in the heat.  We need a shady spot if we are left outdoors.  And LOTS of fresh water. If you see that we are panting excessively and loudly, if we are drooling, if we are extremely thirsty, if we have a bright red tongue and pale gums, or if we have a rapid heart rate – we could be suffering from heatstroke. Sources say that you should check our temperature with a rectal thermometer.  A dog’s temperature is normally between 99.5 and 102.5 – and if it is 103 or more – we are definitely overheated. If we appear disoriented, if our gums turn bright red or purple, or if we collapse, we are in REAL trouble.  We should be moved to a cool location. And we can be cooled down with water – maybe a hose – but not at full pressure. We should be encouraged (but of course not forced!)  to drink a bit of water.  We dogs have sweat glands in our feet – so make sure our feet are uncovered – and exposed to cool air. You can wipe us down with a damp towel – but some sources say that draping us in a damp towel will actually trap heat in.   If you think we are suffering heatstroke – you should get us to a Vet ASAP.

So enjoy the great summer weather.   Enjoy being outdoors.  Enjoy a barbecue.  Enjoy having a hotdog.  Just don’t become one!

Stay cool!

So on the long weekend, when we were SUPPOSED to be having joyful, fun-filled days of walks, treats and games, we also had several hours of not-so-much-fun.  We were groomed.  I had been brushed during the week, but after my bunny hunt, my coat had the addition of some “accessories” that my human felt needed to be removed.  Sticks.  Mud.  Leaves.  I was hoping she would just consider them fashion statements.  But no such luck.

And poor Velcro dog had not been groomed in 6 months.  OK.  Maybe not THAT long.  But a few weeks.  So he had to undergo 12 hours of torture.  I’m sure it felt that long to him.  The only good thing about grooming – one gets copious amounts of treats.  You see in the photos the pre and post grooming photos. Personally, I like the wild and wooly look.

But if I think OUR grooming is bad – check out THESE dogs:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/multimedia/taiwanese-pet-stylist-sculpts-bizarre-teddy-bear-cuts-1.3644496If my human attempts this, I’m leaving.  She can do it to Velcro dog. 

Honestly, the whole grooming thing seems like such a futile effort.  Within 16.9 seconds after the groom-a-thon is over, we shake ourselves off, or roll in  the carpet so we no longer look all fluffy and perfect.  Better yet, let us outside, and we’ll roll in the grass.  Let’s face it, real WORKING sheepdogs don’t smell all flowery and have clean feet.  Mind you, they also like to herd sheep…And they probably don’t bother munching on the sheep poop like we do.  To each his own.

Well, it’s another Tuesday.  I hope your day is happy and groom free.  Have a good one.

 Happy July 4 – Independence Day in the US!  My human is a US and Canadian citizen – so I think she should stay home from work today.  But no such luck. At very least we had better have apple pie for dessert today.

Yesterday we had a wonderful walk at 5:30 AM with Jackson and his human.  No sleeping in for MY human on a weekend.  And everything was going great.  I was on and off leash at various points in time, depending on whether there were any possible areas of “distraction” – like ducks or compost piles.  And juuuuuuuuust as we were in the home stretch and all was right with the world, what did I see – before the humans?  A bunny.  You could hear the “Oh nooooooooooooo” in unison- as they watched me disappear into the woods in hot pursuit.  Jackson’s human exclaimed – “Man he is FAST.”  And they could hear me barking like a beagle in the brush – and although they couldn’t SEE me because of the think brush – they could also figure out my general vicinity by the sound of the bell on my collar.  Jackson’s human kept shouting “treats…treats….”  My human on the other hand kept trying to head me off by taking another trail.  After 5 minutes of humans shouting, and me barking, juuuuuuust out of sight but within a distance of about 10 yards, I emerged from the brush.  Soaking wet because it had rained the night before.  And covered in tiny sticks and brush.  And this is always an interesting moment for humans.  While the urge to strangle is is definitely present, humans know that they can’t punish us, because we will never come back when we are bad.  So, as expected, my human calmly put me back ON leash and we continued on our journey home.

Another peaceful Sunday morning.  Love to get human adrenaline going.  And I usually do!

Happy Independence day to all my US friends and family!  Have a star spangled day!