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Hey blogaroos! Squirmy here. So here’s a riddle? What comes out in hot weather? Has wings? Likes dark colors? And likes to bite? Nope- not a vampires. Deer flies. And they are are HERE.

Now the little flying blood suckers aren’t EVERYWHERE- and thankfully there are actually few around our house. BUT, when we go for a walk up the road, and onto the public trail- well they dive bomb from out of nowhere. They like my head and body because my coat is dark grey in color. They like dark colors. They don’t like the Boss or Coyote as much. They also like the Warden’s head. So when we hit certain spots on the trail, her arms are a-flailin’ trying to keep them out of her hair and off the back of my head and my body.

If you don’t know anything about the flying piranhas – here’s an article with photos:

https://commonsensehome.com/keep-biting-flies-away/

Now if your dog is bothered by flies, here is an article for Fido:

https://outwardhound.com/furtropolis/dogs/how-to-keep-flies-off-dogs

Frankly, I wasn’t thrilled with that article. I’m a clean guy – and the mini buzzards still chase me.

Most the articles we found talk about methods to keep flies away at home. But not many give suggestions for dogs out walking. Sure – humans can wear a cap – and some even wear caps with sticky strips to catch the flies. The Warden isn’t into picking flies off sticky strips. Ewwwwww.

It’s not so bad when it’s windy – and if you get up before the sun comes up, you’re probably safe. Then you’ll just run into bears and porcupines.

And speaking of the moving pin cushions, our neighbors have had numerous fruit trees destroyed by the prickly pigs. They can rip branches and chew bark better than a dog. They are on the look out for a live trap. I want to see what happens when they catch one. I’ll be on pins and needles to see what happens.

It’s hot here- so have to get walking early. Before the flies wake up.

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

Hey blogaroos. Squirmy here on another terrific Tuesday. We had a good weekend- and a quiet Monday – after my little walk-about the other day. The Warden said no more off leash for me for awhile. She’s SO dramatic. She wants me to be sociable – and then she gets annoyed when I am. Sometimes ya just can’t win.

So here’s some trivia for ya….. what is one activity that has the ability to relax the fear center in your brain – the amygdala. This activity reduces stressful thoughts and a restless mind. It’s easy. Kids like to do it. The answer: Live with three dogs!!! Hahaha haha. I’m joking. Remember, the Warden says living with us is like living with two year old triplets. Nope. Whatever it is, sounds like something the Warden needs to do. The real answer: coloring. And, According to the crazy calendar, today is National Coloring book Day. But you knew that, right?

So if you’re feeling stressed today, here are some websites that have what are supposed to be “free” coloring pages – of dogs. Some are for adults and some are listed for kids. I don’t think the Coloring Police would arrest an adult using the ones listed for kids or vice versa. I say “free” because some do have lots of ads. The first one is the best for different breeds – although you’ll note no Picard or PON. Color the Old English and cut off his legs a bit and you could make him look like a PON. Maybe. As for the Picard, take the Schnauzer, change his ears, give him a more shaggy wild coat all over, add a tail and voilà! He’ll look like a Picard wannabe.

https://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/cp_pets/dog-breed-coloring-pages-1.htm

https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/dog-coloring-pages.html

https://www.justcolor.net/kids/coloring-pages-of-animals/dogs/

And THEN, if you live in a household like ours, you will need this article…

https://www.rover.com/blog/dog-eats-crayon/

Frankly, I think colored pencils would be more palatable.

OK. That’s all we’ve got today. Have a terrific Tuesday!!

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

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy-don’t -do-that-again Wormy here on another sunny Sunday. Ah yes- a good day for lounging- and trying to stay out of trouble. I’m “trying” alright….

So who remembers our blog post from March 1? Anybody? Just joking – we didn’t remember either – so let me refresh your memory.

It was the last time the Coyote escaped. And the Warden didn’t know WHERE he went. But she soon found out – because his running image was captured on a neighbor’s security camera. So the Warden knew exactly where he had gone.

Who knew our OTHER neighbors ALSO have a security camera? And THIS time the image was of a smaller, shaggier, grey and white dog. Yup – yours truly decided to do some visiting.

I was coming down the driveway with the Warden after my morning walk, and she took me off leash. We did 30 seconds of heelwork, and when we stopped, I got a treat and the Warden said “free.” Now this is where there was a misunderstanding. To her, “free” means to walk or run to the door on my own. To ME, “free” means FREE. Free to go wherever I want. So I heard the word, and bolted into the woods. The Warden called me once, but knew I was likely on the bunny trail. She went in the house, but then came back out and marched up the driveway. She walked down the road toward the direction I went and in the direction of the nearest house. She walked to house, looked down their driveway, but saw no evidence of a shaggy runaway. She went back home, expecting to see me waiting for her – but nope- I was still on the lam.

Meanwhile the Coyote was waiting with crossed legs to go out. So she leashed him up, but instead of heading toward the road, decided to go around the house toward the lake. She marched around the house with the Coyote who immediately stopped to answer nature’s call. As she was waiting for him, she heard crashing in the woods and one ragged looking stick filled mop emerged, huffing and puffing. That would be me.

She just glared at me. The old “I can’t get mad at you because you DID come back” conundrum. Because you are mad. But relieved. We went in the house and she wondered just where I had been.

Well. Like I said before, who KNEW more neighbors had security cameras. The Warden got a text saying I had been spotted on their property. Checking out some items they had bought at Costco – but had left on the steps. What can I say?’ We know I love checking out grocery bags. I just happened to be passing by and wanted to be sure there wasn’t any food inside. That might spoil. Or be stolen by a raccoon. Not to worry – no edibles were found. All was safe….

The Warden said I need to understand exactly what free means. I said she clearly doesn’t understand the definition herself. She said freedom is not FREE. I said she needs to watch Braveheart. She said NO MORE out-of-sight freedom and visiting. I said “oh yeah?!” She said no treats. I said she wins.

Never, ever a dull moment…

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

Hey there blogaroos! Squirmy here on another fantastic Friday. And it’s doubly fantastic- because it’s a super special day. Today the Boss turns 12 1/2! Every day is REALLY a special day with seasoned dogs. We don’t like the word “senior.” Although the Boss says if it gets him discounts at the pet store, they can call him anything. Anyway, he’s feeling good – has good energy (even given the heat), he still loves to train, he STILL loves to eat- and all bodily functions are doing well. OK- one ear is still a bit goopy – just when the Warden thinks it is fine, yours truly starts licking it again. OK- I’ll stop. I think the Boss MAY get a special trip to the Pet store to celebrate his special day. Mind you, he’s never been CRAZY about car rides- so he’d probably be just as happy if the Warden went on her own and just brought him home a treat….The ONLY issue with the Boss, besides his never-ending love of barking, is his new thing when it gets dark out. Which at this time of the year isn’t until after 9PM. He starts to bark. To basically tell the Warden that he wants to go to bed. Well, it’s not bed so much as the treat he gets before bedtime. So around 9, he stands up and this is the conversation:

Boss: Boof. It’s bedtime.

Warden: It’s just 9. Wait at least 15 minutes.

One minute later…

Boss: Boof. It’s bedtime. Now!

Warden: Go out and pee.

Boss: Boof. I peed already.

Warden: You peed at 7. You need to pee again. Go out!

Boss: Boof. Nope.

Warden: Go out.

Boss: Boof. You come out too.

Warden goes out onto deck.

Warden: Now go down and pee.

Boss: Boof. I peed already.

Warden: You want a treat? You go pee.

Boss: Boof. You come with me.

By this point, I have run up and down the stairs 6 times and have peed 6 times. The Coyote is off wandering the yard.

Warden: I SAID go pee.

She walks to the top of the stairs and says “Go PEE.”

Boss: Boof. Show me how.

She dangles the treat, and he takes two steps down and stops.

Boss: Boof. I really don’t NEED to pee.

Warden: GOOOOOO

He FINALLY goes down the stairs, squats at the bottom step and pees. He races me back up to get a treat.

While we’re chomping away, the Warden is calling for the Coyote who saunters up the stairs in Picard time.

This routine happens every night. And THAT is why he’s called the Boss….

I have school this afternoon- which is always good fun. Except for the obligatory brushing beforehand. Why is it whenever we canines go out in public, we have to be presentable? The whole barrette thing drives me crazy. All week I can have my rugged, wild-looking macho appearance- and whoosh – I’m going out in public and the barrettes come out. The Warden says she wants to look at my eyes- I guess to be sure I’m not staring at my classmate Ranger’s owner. She gave me a treat. Once. And now I’m hers. For life. I think the Warden is jealous. Not to mention the fact that I love our teacher. She has really good treats. And I know it. Hey. You want me to be sociable, right?

That’s it from the funhouse. Time for walkies!

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here for a quick update about life in the heat of the summer. It’s hot. We’re bored. We’re like slugs. And the Warden is the Slug Queen. She’s active early in the morning, but as the day warms up, her activity level slows down.

Yup. It’s the time of year when humans complain about the weather. Wait. They ALWAYS complain about it. In the winter it’s too cold. In summer it’s too hot. Is there anywhere on earth that experiences eternal autumn?

I’ve been going on morning walks but no GBHs for now – the Warden doesn’t want me to overheat.

Just wondering what YOU do to beat the heat. And any ideas about things to when you can’t really head outdoors.

For some ideas, one can look at sites with info on canine enrichment activities. Like this one:

https://www.puppyleaks.com/canine-enrichment/

Now we have tried, and actually do use some of these. Like the KONGS. And we do play around with some scentwork.

The puzzle toys are a bit tricky as we do try to destroy them. Like the snuffle balls – which were a bust when I tried to dissect them to see how they were made. The mats work at mealtime. They extend my eating time from .06 seconds to 25 seconds. They can’t be left around as they’ll end up in the backyard.

Those treat dispensing balls are ok. For at least a couple of minutes.

We buy industrial bullly sticks – 12 inches long. We have to be timed when using them so yours truly doesn’t devour the whole thing in one sitting. It wouldn’t take me an hour to get through a 12 inch one. The other guys are way slower.

We haven’t tried a flirt pole. Getting the concept MAY be a bit tricky as we do enjoy tugging…But it could be cool…

If you have ANY ideas about activities for summer, let me know. The Warden hasn’t tested our lake water yet so no swimming for the Coyote. She thought about a kid pool – but reconsidered , given the fact that 2/3 of us wouldn’t get near it.

What’s a hot dog supposed to do? Oh I do my training – but we’ve even shortened our practice time because I’m huffing and puffing in no time. Mind you, last night when the warden opened the front door to take the Boss and I out to train, I spotted a bunny. My energy level improved significantly when I took off after him into the woods. THAT could be why I was huffing and puffing during training….

OK. Time for the sunrise walks. And then come home to decide which fan to plant myself in front of….

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here on another Manic Monday. As predicted, we had a hot weekend and pretty much lounged around. But all that heat kinda fried the Warden’s brain- and took her neurotic dog worrying skills to a whole new level.

So here’s the deal. The Boss doesn’t like the heat. He never has liked the heat. He finds the shadiest, coolest places to relax. He plants himself in front of fans. This is not new. He likes to lie down outside in the snow. He LIKES being cool. So when you have a little heat wave, the drama king is miserable. It’s almost as bad as rainy weather for him.

Friday night he was panting away – like he ALWAYS does when he is hot. He was not dying. He was not having a heart attack. He was hot. Hello? We were ALL panting. But you know the Worry-Warden. She stresses. So she kept watching him like a hawk until he settled down at bedtime. But BEFORE he did, she got out of bed and went into the garage hunting for something….she had an idea…

The next morning, the first thing that happens when the Warden gets up, is she marches to the kitchen to give the Boss his medication, which he’s supposed to take an hour before breakfast. He followed her into the kitchen and she looked at him and he was completely fine. No panting. No drama. But she was ready for any panting…

After our walks and breakfast, it was KONG time. Now the Boss ends up in a lather with his KONG every day- he is a serious KONG wrestler. He looks like he has been through a wind tunnel when he’s done and he’s breathing like he ran a marathon. He always looks that way. And the Warden had been thinking about that the night before. So she was ready. She went to the fridge for a surprise. She was SO proud of what she thought would be a brilliant idea. She whipped out a plastic bag – which contained a cool coat. If you’re not familiar with these ingenious devices – they are made of this weird fabric – you douse them in water, and then put them in the fridge – and then you put them on your dog, but your dog’s coat doesn’t get wet. Sounds like a great idea….

So she excitedly puts this THING on the Boss. Only challenge? The size was for a Bernese Mountain Dog. Really. So the Boss was draped in this massive cool coat that practically went to the floor. He just looked at her. And of course, it’s heavy. But it was KONG time – so he managed to ignore the freezing attire that had just enveloped him. I just stared at him.

The Boss finished his KONG, but unlike his usual KONG attack stance, he did the whole thing standing. I think he figured if he went to lie down, he’d never get back up with the weight of the stylish cool coat. After he was done with his KONG, and he checked to see that mine was empty, he went to lie down. He would circle, and start to assume the position, and then get up and move. Clearly the brilliant idea was not overly comfortable. After the Warden witnessed him moving to three different spots, and not being able to lie down, she conceded defeat. She removed the brilliant idea. The Boss shook himself off and found a comfy spot in front of one of the 52 floor level fans. OK. Maybe I’m exaggerating. Just 42.

The cool coat went back into the bag in the fridge. I’m not sure why – does she think he’ll miraculously grow so it fits? And the Coyote would never wear it or need it. He’s a sun lover. Go figure. She said something about a cooling mat that is also in the bag. But that hasn’t materialized yet because she KNOWS that yours truly has kleptomaniac tendencies- and that it would likely end up in the backyard. With bits of broken lawnmower smashed Nylabone. Just kidding. She threw those away. We might choke on them. Can you see my eye roll? Wait until one of us inhales an ice cube the wrong way….

Ya gotta love her. Cool coats and all. Wonder what ELSE is in that garage?

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

Hey blogaroos. Squirmy here on a scorching Saturday. Yup. Another hot one here in Canada’s Ocean Playground. The fans are a-flyin here in our house. Our house sounds like an airplane hanger. But it feels comfortable. The Warden puts the fans on the floor so we can be cool. And so can her feet.

What else is new… Oh- the Warden found half of a wasp nest in pieces on the middle of our lawn yesterday morning. We don’t know how it got there. We’re thinking some animal moved it there. Apparently raccoons will do that. And so will bears! Which is a little scary – given that it wasn’t far from our bedroom window! The Coyote is the guy who will stand on the deck at night and do his big dog bark at the woods. We always figured he was doing that just to freak out the Warden. But MAYBE he DID hear something. Anyway, there were no wasps in the nest – so no need for the pest control guy.

Now speaking of hearing and listening to things….you know that old cartoon where the human is talking to the dog, and the dog just hears blah, blah, blah. Now we KNOW that’s not true. We dogs understand a LOT more than you think we do. Why they have even tested some border collie who understood like over 500 words. And I prove to the Warden all the time just how much we do understand – like the other day….

So we know I’m not supposed to take the Kongs outside. There was that unfortunate incident when the Warden went to clean them and found a slug inside one that had been outside. Ewwww. So Kongs are indoor toys. Now IF I manage to sneak one out and the Warden sees me leave it outside, she immediately tells me to go and get it. And I do. Keep in mind there are MANY toys out on the lawn. Hey – did you know a lawnmower can chop a Nylabone right in half? That’s an aside.

Anyway. The other day it was supper time, and the Boss and I were trembling with anticipation for our meals. The Coyote was safely sequestered in the hall and already munching away at his meal. Now when it’s mealtime, we PONs can think of nothing else. You could throw the coolest fetch toy in front of us and we wouldn’t move because we’re so fixated on our food. Anyway, the Warden was just about to give us our bowls, when for some God forsaken reason, she looked around and noticed a Kong was missing. Her brain jumps from one thing to the next – is it any wonder I am the way I am? So she’s standing with our bowls while the Boss and I are literally trembling and drooling, and what does she say? “Hey. There’s a Kong missing. Is it outside? You need to get that before you get your supper.” At first I thought she was joking- but she gave me “the look.” So what did yours truly immediately do? Turned around. Ran out the deck door. Bolted down the stairs to the lawn. Found the Kong. Grabbed it. Raced back up the stairs and in the door and dropped it at the Warden’s feet. She was kinda shocked – and she couldn’t move quickly enough to give me my supper. Who says we dogs don’t understand…

Time to get out before it gets too hot. Yesterday it was a foggy, muggy morning- and we all had bad hair days when we came back from our walks. The Warden included. Good thing we love her – she’s not exactly Vogue material on our morning walks. Add fog and humidity and well, like I said we still love her. Even though we do sometimes snicker….

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

Howdy blogaroos. Squirmy here on a hot Thursday. Yup. We’re feeling the heat too – but still not nearly as bad as our peeps in the UK and in Europe. Holy hot dog – it’s toasty there! Right about now, snowy weather is looking good!

In addition to the heat, which can be dangerous for humans and us canines, we’re also experiencing ANOTHER danger. What’s blue and green and can KILL dogs? Algae! And during particularly warm temperatures, this colorful but dangerous growth can form in lakes, ponds and rivers. If blue-green algae is reported on a body of water, dogs should STAY out. Not that the Boss and I really care. But the Warden has been keeping an eye on our lake for signs of the pea soup sludge. She hasn’t seen ANY – BUT someone reported that it was seen somewhere in our lake! So of course the Warden called the Department of the Environment to check out the report. Apparently they don’t actually check the presence of the stuff – Nova Scotia has so many lakes they could never keep up. So they just depend on regular people reporting what they THINK is blue-green algae. And keep in mind that not all algae is dangerous. They DO test lakes which are used for drinking water – but our lake isn’t in that group. Anyway, the report kinda freaked out the Warden – so nobody is stepping foot in the lake any time soon. Phew. Guess that anonymous call I made was taken seriously. Nova Scotia isn’t the only place on the planet where blue-green algae is found – but here’s some info about it:

https://novascotia.ca/blue-green-algae/#:~:text=Health%20effects,exposure%20can%20damage%20the%20liver.

The Warden spent a LOT of time on the phone with the enviro people. They probably regret that they took her call. She’s still not convinced the slime monster exists on our lake – but like I said she’s not taking chances AND she ordered an algae test kit from Amazon. Of course she did. I’m not exactly sure why she did – if it’s negative, she still won’t let us in the water. And if it’s positive – still no swimming. I think she just likes science experiments.

Otherwise, we’ve continued our beached whale imitation throughout the day. Even I’m getting better at it.

Today I’m headed to a training center for some remedial obedience work. I can use some extra work – and the place is air conditioned – so it’s better than working at home. As long as there are treats.

OK – gotta walk before the sunrise – before it gets too hot.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe. And keep cool.

Hey blogaroos. Squirmy here. On what is supposed to be a rainy day. For a change, that’s a good thing. We’ve had sunny, warm weather- which is nice – but the plants could sure use some water. Mind you, compared to MANY places, our temperatures have not been extreme. We know that many of you are really feeling the heat – it’s not terrible here. Still, we’ve been taking early walks and we’re keeping games of fetch limited to the evening. We canines can suffer from heat stroke – so it’s a good idea to know the signs – and what to do:

http://peconicvet.com/blog/2857-heatstroke-in-dogs-dead-in-minutes#:~:text=If%20a%20dog’s%20body%20temperature,brain%20damage%2C%20and%20even%20death.

The article has lots of good info. I’m not so sure that the part about clipping the hair of dogs with double coats is true. We debated about including the article – because that’s pretty controversial. We did think the rest of the info was good, though so we decided to share it. Just don’t go whipping out your scissors and say we said to do it!

In keeping on the theme of dog news, we found a few other stories that might be fun to read while sitting in the shade. Here’s one that well – when this dog’s owner said “want to go for a walk?” – this dog had NO idea what she was getting into.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/this-man-and-his-dog-spent-seven-years-walking-around-the-world/index.html

CAN YOU IMAGINE their journey? Wonder if her leash wore out? I think I have the energy to do that. Then again, if it’s hot, maybe not.

What else….oh! Here’s a nice story about a guy who has devoted his life to senior dogs. Check it out:

https://www.newyorker.com/news/afterword/an-old-dog-that-found-a-new-best-friend/amp

It takes a pretty special person to do what he does. And a pretty strong person. It would be so hard to be losing old dogs over and over. But I guess the thought of those old dogs living alone in a shelter is even more heartbreaking. We salute what he does….

And finally, a story about a dog who took off for an adventure- and became a winner:

https://people.com/pets/missing-beagle-mix-returns-home-with-ribbon-from-dog-show/?amp=true

She looks pretty proud of herself in the photo. Way to go – take off, which is NOT a good behavior, but come back with a ribbon. Don’t give the Coyote any ideas…

Time to walk.

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

Howdy blogaroos! Happy Sunday! AND happy National Ice Cream Day!!! A day to celebrate that cold, creamy, sugary delight – which is extra perfect in the middle of summer. The Warden remembers when she was a kid and the ice cream truck would arrive in the neighborhood. You could hear the repetitive tune played by the truck as it was approaching – which gave you time to beg your parents for some money to buy a cone. Which you had to devour quickly before it melted. Given her age, I’m surprised the ice cream didn’t arrive by horse and buggy…

Now like a lot of “human” food – ice cream can be a bit iffy for us canines:

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/can-dogs-have-ice-cream/

So the takeaway- a tiny little cone once in awhile (as long as it’s not chocolate) probably won’t be REALLY bad for us. But a lot of ice cream would not be a great idea. So there ARE alternatives that they mention, and I’ll provide some recipes below. But the one thing in the article that made me roll my eyes – frozen vegetables. Sure. They’re fine for us. But really – how would YOU feel if you were craving ice cream and somebody handed you a frozen asparagus stalk. Not. The. Same. I scream, you scream, we all scream for… asparagus? Epic fail.

I like the Nice Cream idea. And the internet is LOADED with recipes for icy treats for us dogs. Here are just a few:

https://www.k9ofmine.com/the-seven-best-dog-ice-cream-recipes/

https://www.rover.com/blog/ice-cream-for-dogs-in/?amp

https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/ice-cream-dogs/

We watched a YouTube video that showed a woman making fancy ice cream in a real ice cream maker for her dogs. It was a process. Here’s a little secret – keep it simple. If it’s frozen and yummy- we canines aren’t particularly fussy about the texture. Ice cube trays are fine. Heck, we get frozen Greek Yogurt in our Kongs every day – and we’re happy with that. I mean if you have ALL the time in the world, and you want to put that ice cream maker that you bought 8 years ago and only used once into use – go for it. But taking an hour to make something that will disappear in .07 seconds seems a bit counterproductive. Just my opinion.

Time for our early morning walks. We keep getting up earlier and earlier to beat the heat. Then we flop down like beached whales after breakfast. Just like the Warden…

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