Viktor, was a Polish Lowland Sheepdog who shared his views on life and had a following of loyal readers from around the world . He sadly left all of us us way too soon. He left his PON brother, Frodo and his Berger Picard “brother”, Elroy to continue his “legacy.” We now welcome a new PON brother to our story- Wojtek- who in many ways, has the very same “bigger than life attitude” as Viktor. So we know Viktor’s spirit lives on, as does the spirit of Paxton, his Bernese Mountain Dog…
Howdy do blogaroos. Squirmy here! Hoping your week is going great – and reminding you that just 30 more days until Spring officially begins!!!!! Sunshine, flowers, butterflies, ticks…I can’t wait!!!
Not much new here after all the rally stuff. So since things here are kinda stable (although two barrettes have gone missing and somebody will probably be pooping bits of plastic) I thought I could tell you about a cool news story!!!!
It’s about Kim- a Border Collie from Wales. She broke a record before her first birthday. Do you know what it was?! Fastest sheep herding dog? Nope. Dog who herded the most sheep? Nope. No – Kim holds the current world record for the most expensive Border Collie ever sold!!! And do you know how much a farmer paid for Kim? OK you give up. Kim sold for….drum roll…..£27,100. That’s about $37,500 US dollars and a million Canadian!!!! Just joking. It’s about $47,400 Canadian dollars! The man who trained her said she was sold at just under a year of age- because she’s super smart and can move cattle and sheep like a more experienced, older dog.
I think I’m in love with the smart, cute redhead. I have a crush on her after seeing her photo on-line, but I kinda think she’s too rich for me.
I wonder if My Enforcer would ever sell me if she could get that kind of money. Nah. I’m priceless. She wouldn’t sell me . Mind you- there have been days when she has said SHE would PAY somebody to TAKE me. But she was joking. I’m sure she was. She had to be… I’m adorable. And I don’t bite THAT hard…..
And speaking of crushes, check out this photo that My Enforcer took at the match the other day. This is Jerome. Better known as J-Rome. Now J-Rome doesn’t love all dogs. He tries to boss around the other dogs in his household including two Old English Sheepdogs. Who could squash him by sitting on him. But he doesn’t care. I think maybe he has a Napoleon Complex. Anyway, he kinda ignores or grumbles at most dogs. Except for one breed. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. He met one and fell in LOVE with her. And then, at the match – he spotted a different Cavalier across the room. And he was mesmerized. Here he is watching her do her entire rally run…
You could NOT break his attention. He was totally infatuated.
Meanwhile, rumor has it, a Borzoi girl had her sights on yours truly. And she is going to be in my class. Now THIS could be interesting. I’m kinda young for the dating scene – but if that Borzoi has good biscuits- well she’ll definitely get my attention. Because we know that the way to this guy’s heart is definitely through my stomach…..
So that’s the news for today. Have a thrilling Thursday!
Hey blogaroos!!! It’s Squirmy here!!!!!! I hope you have all recovered from your chocolate overdose from Valentine’s Day. But don’t worry – if you’re concerned that you ate too much – Lent starts tomorrow! So you can give up eating chocolate. And like if you’re not into Lent – it’s OK. Giving up chocolate for like 40 days probably isn’t a bad idea no matter what! Lent is kind of like a second shot at New Year ‘s resolutions. Personally, I’m not giving up ANYTHING for Lent. I have no self control- so why pretend? If I have to- I’ll give up cigarettes. That’s what My Enforcer reportedly does. Even though she has never smoked in her life.
So. Yesterday, the Boss and I were in something called a Rally Obedience Match. Now for those readers who don’t know what rally is, let me explain. If you DO know what rally is, you can skip the next 50 paragraphs….
Ingredients:
A dog
A handler
A room filled with a variety of signs in a particular order
A judge
Objective: The dog and human go from sign to sign and the dog must perform an action at each sign. For example, walk slowly; down immediately; go over a jump; walk backwards; circle next to the human… you get the idea. The signs are put together in a course and you have to go in the course order. The human must be able to read the signs and understand them in order to tell the dog what to do. And they’re kinda written in like hieroglyphics.
Levels: There are several standard levels of performance – or titles you can get: Novice, Advanced, Excellent and Masters. Dogs at the Novice level do everything while on leash and have to know 142 different possible signs. Even though the course only uses like 14. Dogs at Masters are off leash and actually need to know over 300!!!!!!! But they do 20 something in a course.
Where to compete: Dog clubs put on something called trials. And I hear they can be very trying, depending on how you do.
What happens: A judge watches you as you go around, and you get a score if you do each sign correctly, and points are deducted depending on how much you screw up. You need a particular number of points to pass. You have to pass three trials to get your “title” – like Rally Novice , before you go on to the next level. Sometimes you get totally expelled for something- like if you pee or poop in the ring. So always remember to go before you start.
So those are the basics. Like there’s more stuff- but that’s all I understand.
So. The Boss has his Rally Excellent title . And now he’s been practicing for his Rally Masters title. Before you go in a “trial” which, in other words, is a real competition, you can do something called a match. In a match, it’s set up like a trial – but it’s a practice. And you don’t get a score. It gives you an opportunity to see how you do with distractions (other dogs and people watching you) and what you still need to practice before you enter a real trial.
So. There was a match yesterday. The Boss was entered in Rally Masters and I was entered in Novice. And the Boss knows the drill. He’s learned the signs he needs to know for his Masters title. BUT, he has My Enforcer going around the course with him. Which is his only problem. And it’s a big one. Why? Here’s a little secret… when My Enforcer was working, she could do a speech for several hundred people. She could do live TV and radio interviews. She was excited and a bit nervous doing those things – but it was really no huge deal.
HOWEVER- put her in a competition with one of us canines – and she literally shakes. Really. It’s nutso.
So. She and the Boss were competing early in the morning in the MATCH. The MATCH. No points. No serious competition. A PRACTICE match. And she got SO nervous, she could barely read the signs! Even though you get to walk the course ahead of time – AND the courses are also posted to study before you go in. The poor Boss didn’t know WHAT was wrong with her. If it had been a REAL trial, they would have failed. Really because she was so wonky! I mean it wasn’t a total blow out – but it wasn’t pretty.
So after they finished, she took a photo of the Rally Novice course, and brought the Boss home. Because although yours truly was entered in Rally Novice, it would be several hours before I needed to do my thing. And we live like 15 minutes from the facility.
My Enforcer figured she could practice the signs for the course with me, before I got there. Because- get ready- I HAVE NEVER EVER EVEN SEEN A RALLY COURSE. Most dogs take a class and practice doing the signs in a class. Not me. I had never even seen the little signs set up on the floor. And I LOVE to grab stuff on the floor. So was it premature to even enter me in a Match? Hello? Yes!!! But she did. So when she got home she decided she had better see if I could actually do the actions for each sign on my course.
We practiced as soon as we got home. And I wasn’t too bad at home – but she figured in a place with lots of dogs and noises – she would need reinforcements like super duper treats. In a REAL competition trial, treats are NOT allowed. It is illegal to have treats. BUT – in a practice match you CAN USE treats.
As you know, we PONs like ANY kind of treat – but My Enforcer figured something “different” would be good. Like novelty would somehow work better. She thought I would LOVE hotdogs. She thought hotdogs would be the answer to everything. Almost every dog loves hotdogs. So she raced to the closest convenience store. They were out of hotdogs. Really. So she bought ham and cheese stings. When she got in the car, she Googled and found that ham is too salty for us canines. Seriously- I’m not making this stuff up. So she went to another convenience store. They had hotdogs. Praise the Lord.
She raced home, diced up and cooked three hotdogs in the microwave. Then, for some unknown reason, she suddenly decided she should practice one of the signs again with me. She took me downstairs to practice and I was wild – but got the idea.
So we came upstairs and found that the Boss had stolen the bag of cooked diced hotdogs off the counter. And ate every tiny piece . I think he was mad because he only got regular treats for his practice.
My Enforcer diced and cooked up more hotdogs. Suddenly our time to get back to the site was quickly approaching. It’s because she spent all that time in the hotdog quest and in hotdog dicing and cooking. She loaded me in the car to go back to the site. We got 1/3 of the way there and she realized she forgot my leash. Really.
If you’re still reading – you’re more patient than me…..
So we got to the site – after we went home to get my leash – with little time to spare before I had to go in to do my thing. Of course, when I entered the building with a bunch of dogs, my head exploded. I didn’t even know my name. And frankly, although I will eat anything- I can’t say I was THRILLED with the hotdogs. I mean she may as well have given me kibble. So much for the quest…
BUT. I did like the cheese strings. A LOT. So those were going to be my secret weapon. I was escorted back to the car to wait my turn.
So. She knew the course. She had the cheese. And THEN – before she got to walk the course (which everyone does first without their dogs), the instructor announced she was changing it. What?!!! A different course?!!! With signs we didn’t practice at home? It appeared that we might be totally doomed.
And guess who was the FIRST dog on the list to compete? Yup? Me. The Squirmster.
Drumroll……finally. We walked in the ring and the instructor said “Are you ready?” My Enforcer said – “kind of” – because she had retrieved me from the car and with her mask on, her glasses steamed up. She took them off, waved them around, put them on and said “ready.” She still couldn’t totally see.
The first two signs I was a bit confused (probably because I was being led around by a partially blind woman) , but after the third sign, well let’s just say the smell of those cheese strings hit me. I heeled like nobody’s business. I think I heard fireworks. My Enforcer almost started crying. I wasn’t perfect – but I was in my groove. I was on fire. OK. That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I was sparky. That’s better.
We finished the course and the crowd went wild. OK. They clapped. Even though they clapped for everyone, I didn’t know that – so I was all excited. I was a Superstar. In my mind anyway.
So what started out as a rather poopy day ( which was not the Boss’s fault at all), ended up being a good day after all. I think My Enforcer wasn’t as nervous with me – because she had no expectations! A case of underdog success.
So that’s IT for the longest blog ever. And now guess who is going to be enrolled in Rally classes?! Yup. Back to academia for me!!!! I sure hope she skips the hotdogs, though and just brings the cheese strings…..
Greetings blog readers. Frodo here on this the 14th day of February. And allow me to quote myself – today is the “day that celebrates a martyred guy who was the patron saint of love, happy marriages, beekeepers, the plague and epilepsy. I’m not joking. Hallmark decided to capitalize on the love part. No one wants to send plague cards”.
That’s what I said LAST year. Now, given the pandemic and the Great Pause, perhaps plague cards COULD be sold. Kind of a combination of “get well”, “good luck”, “quarantine is over” and “happy vaccination.” Pandemic cards….I must work on this.
But I digress. Today is the day to celebrate love. And according to one source, one in five people reports that they would rather spend Valentine’s Day with their pet rather than their partner. I certainly know Her Highness falls in that group. Mind you- she has no partner. Which is a minor technicality. What surprised HER about the fact is that MANY people buy Valentine gifts for their pets. Let me repeat that – MANY people buy gifts for their pets. Heart shaped biscuits and toys are easily purchased at any pet store. And of course, there is the dreaded Valentine attire -including collars, leashes, coats and of course scarves bedazzled with hearts. But alas, Her Highness already warned us not to get too excited about gifts- she said the large order of bully sticks that arrived the other day in the mail will have to suffice. I can’t say I’ll miss a bedazzled heart scarf anyway. And biscuit shapes are irrelevant when one swallows them in .68 seconds.
As usual, we had to pose for the obligatory holiday photo shoot. At first she took individual shots. And of course, the Beatnik was the least willing subject. But she did manage to get one where he doesn’t look totally depressed.
The group shot was its usual challenge with much moaning and groaning and begging – all on the part of Her Highness. You see the best result above. But no. That wasn’t enough. Her Highness thought THIS was funny…
Not a very loving gesture for Valentine’s Day I might point out. It never happened. But I have a strong, confident personality- I can take a joke. This time.
Anyway, we boys have agreed to behave today and to be totally charming and lovable. Well – the Beatnik and I agreed. The imp is a wild card. One minute loving and the next a velociraptor from Jurassic Park.
But we all do love our human and it seems appropriate to resurrect Viktor’s first Valentine poem..
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
You take us on walks,
You pick up our poo.
We steal your mittens,
We jump on your bed,
We bark incessantly
While waiting to be fed.
You brush us and groom us
While we squeak and complain,
You have great patience
While we drive you insane.
We make you laugh
We make you cry
You teach us about manners
And SOMETIMES we try.
We snuggle and cuddle
And love belly rubs from you,
We give you big licks
And giant wags too.
We’re happy you picked us
And we’ll protect you till the end
We love you – our human –
From you very best friend.
Happy Valentine’s Day to Your Highness. We hope you like the roses we sent – they should be arriving some time today. We used your credit card.
Frodo here blog readers. Reporting from the moderately frigid Great White North. I say moderately – as I am well aware that other parts of Canada and the US are experiencing truly frigid temperatures. We have not had it terribly cold, although yesterday morning it was -11 Celsius. That’s about 12 Fahrenheit for my American friends. But the average for the next few days appears to be around -3C (26F) – with temperatures possibly breaking the freezing point next week. But don’t hold me to that forecast. I’m no groundhog.
Speaking of which, the overgrown chipmunk’s forecast here in Nova Scotia for an early Spring was promptly followed by our snowstorm. I will say no more about rodent forecasts….
The cold temperatures resulted in an interesting phenomenon yesterday which I refer to as the Frozen Picardy. It almost sounds like some kind of special chilled dessert. Or a cocktail. But no – it isn’t. It is when the Beatnik goes outside in particularly chilly weather, and he becomes frozen and somewhat paralyzed in place. Now I’m not talking about him being outside for any extreme length of time. I am talking 1-2 minutes. And he suddenly is unable to use all four legs. First one leg is held high. Then after a few moments of suspended animation, another leg is held up. I should note there are always three on the ground, although he does attempt to balance on two – unsuccessfully. And the attempt to poop is particularly challenging. I would record it, but Her Highness will not allow me to.
Yesterday, at one point, the Beatnik and the imp were in the backyard. It was a crisp, sunny day and they literally had been out for about 5 minutes. The temperature was about -6C (21F). Her Highness looked out the door and saw a rather odd sight. The Beatnik was suspended on 3 legs near the lower deck door. He was not moving. Meanwhile, the imp was perched on the ledge above him (which is about 18” off the ground) and he was in a prone position looking as if he was a leopard lying in wait for some zebra to wander by. Neither were moving. Her Highness called to them and still no one moved. She thought she might have to get her boots on to go out and see if she could solve the problem. She shouted again to the imp. Who was watching his helpless frozen victim. Finally, when Her Highness headed toward the deck steps, the frozen animation came back to life. It was like a movie that was taken off pause. The imp ran to Her Highness and the Beatnik hobbled across the frozen snowy wasteland of the backyard, and attempted to poop. The balancing problem was notable, but I think he had been “holding things in” while he was suspended – so he managed to go very quickly – using 2-3 legs. Afterward he immediately raced back to the house.
Now I am well aware that when it is very cold out, any of us dogs may exhibit the frozen foot shuffle. But the Frozen Picardy does seem a BIT different. Her Highness actually consulted at least one other Picard owner, and let’s just say, the Beatnik is NOT unique when it comes to his frozen stance. Interesting. Very very interesting…
I had a rally Masters class last night, and sometimes I think I should advertise for a new handler. I can easily read and understand the signs. Her Highness- not so much. On several occasions she nearly crashed into me because her ability to walk a straight line is challenged enough – let alone her ability to do spirals or figure eights. And heaven forbid she need to remember the sequence in a sign – like sit-stand-down. Anything beyond one action is asking a lot of her. And she doesn’t even need to do them! She just needs to remember them and to tell them to me! In order to ever get this title, I have a lot of training to do. With her. We are in practice match on Monday. It should be extremely entertaining. And not only will my run be interesting- but – this is almost to ridiculous to even mention – she entered the imp in rally novice! The lad has never even SEEN a rally sign, let alone run a course. I think I should sell tickets for THAT performance.
Well, it is time for our morning constitutional. Yours truly gets to walk with the Frozen Picardy. I’m thinking Viktor’s idea about having a GoPro camera could be wildly entertaining…..
Howdy blogaroos. It’s Squirmy. Here to tell you about my latest nickname. At least it’s one I can put in print for a change. I now go by Cowboy Wo. And it all came about as a result of our snowstorm.
So on Sunday night we got a LOT of snow. Way more snow than I’ve seen in my entire life. OK. So I’m not even a year old. But still – it was the most I’ve ever seen!
The snow was way up over my belly. So I kinda needed to hop everywhere. I sorta had to hop and push like a snowplow. Here’s an example:
It was actually pretty tiring – for other dogs. But not me. I hopped around everywhere. And the Coyote did too. The Boss, on the other hand, promptly peed on the deck and went back in.
But I was only outside for a little while when the snow began to attack me. Really. It started forming little balls all over my legs and my belly. AND also in my private areas. It was at that point that I sat down and wouldn’t…make that couldn’t move.
My Enforcer immediately knew what was happening, so she instructed me to go inside. So I headed up the deck stairs.
And that’s when I got my nickname. Those snowballs had attached themselves everywhere and onto private areas I never knew I had. I was walking like a cowboy who just got off his horse after a full day of moving cattle. I had a very unique gait. My expression was kinda dazed. I just wanted the extra 20lbs I was carrying to be gone.
Now My Enforcer wanted photos of the problem, but this was no time for recording my dilemma. The pictures all came out blurry.
This snowball dilemma is a problem for lots of dogs. And it just so happens that there is this video circulating about removing snowballs on your dog with a whisk:
Thank goodness My Enforcer didn’t see this when I had my dilemma. The thought of whisking my privates is pretty scary!
Nope. She did her old fashioned method. Plop me in the dog bathtub and spray warm water over the balls to melt them. Works every time. Sure, I ended up pretty wet. But at least we didn’t do an “at home neuter.”
Guess I’ll be wearing a gortex suit the next little while. Yeah- she should get a video of trying to get THAT on me. I may be called Cowboy Wo, but I’m still Squirmy too.
Greetings blog readers. Frodo here. On this miserable Monday. Well, I suppose the WHOLE day will not be miserable – as it should improve as the day goes on. But right now we are living with the after-effects of a rather large snowstorm that raged on through the night. Last night, when it came time for our last nightly pee, all of us basically christened an area not 6 feet from the front door. It was wild out. Snow. Wind. I believe it’s called winter.
Anyway, Her Highness had some medical appointment booked today at a hospital an hour from here. Needless to say, she had to cancel. We hope to be accessible to the outside world by March.
Interestingly, before the snowmageddon began, we had rather mild temperatures. And as a result, yours truly suffered from a horrible experience- one that will no doubt traumatize me for months, even years to come. I feel compelled to share this horrible story with you- as you do need to know what really goes on in our lives. Sometimes I think of putting an ad in the local paper for a new home. It all began during our morning constitutional…
I was walking with the Beatnik and Her Highness on our dead end road. Her Highness had announced that we would simply go up and down the road, as there had been rain, and mild temperatures- so we would stay on the road to avoid mud – which would be on the public walking trail.
As we were walking along, what should we come across but TWO people walking on our road. TWO people that we didn’t know. Well. As you might imagine, I, of course, needed to shout out my inquiry as to why they were walking on MY…OK our road. I did my very best CUJO impersonation- shouting and pulling with every fiber in my being. Her Highness had to hold tightly to me AND the Beatnik, whose intent was simply to say hello. Her Highness did the apologetic “He’s just saying hello,” line – meanwhile she was attempting to strangle me. We walked past them – but she knew that since we live on a dead end road, we would have to pass them again on our way home. She’s clever that way.
As a result, after she dragged us past the rather shocked looking walkers, she said “we’re taking the trail.” The trail – which is a public trail- basically loops back through the woods and comes back out on the road. By taking the trail, we could avoid the innocent walkers.
Now. There are three things in the world I detest. Actually, make that four: grooming, rain, puddles and mud. The latter three end up resulting in the first dislike. So. Imagine how HORRIFIED I was to go on the trail which not only was filled with puddles – but whatever area was not totally wet was covered in mud. Honestly, just recounting this story makes my blood run cold. All the while Her Highness, whose sneakers were becoming a lovely shade of brown, kept saying “Frodo this is your fault. You cannot act like Cujo. See. This is what happens when you act like Cujo. You have to walk through THIS.” Blah. Blah. Blah.
Honestly- that was the longest walk of my life. Ordinarily she lets me walk off leash, but she knew I would hightail it back to dry land – so she dragged me along with my tether. Meanwhile, the Beatnik happily bounced along – oblivious to the quagmires. Ah – to be so innocent. And to have a non-magnetic dirt absorbing coat. Lucky him.
By the time we came back out onto the road, I was exhausted from trying my best to avoid every swampy area. The image is just too much for me to recount any further. I definitely have PTME. Post traumatic mud encounter. It will take time to get over it. Thank goodness for the snow.
Today I doubt Her Highness will be able to go anywhere. Meaning we will get to play in the snowy yard. Oh joy. Oh happiness. I can hardly WAIT for the snowballs to stick to my legs, my stomach and my private areas.
Excuse me now while I go and look at bus tickets to Florida….
Hey hey hey blogaroos. Squirmy Wormy here to tell you all about my latest adventures. And I’ve had a couple!!!!
Like yesterday! Guess who I met?! You’ll never guess. Yes you will because you looked at the photo! It’s Mini Elroy!!!! I got to meet Tupper and his big sister, Willow!!!!!!! We met up with them at a park!!!
Well. Let me tell you. When the two of them came up to me, I started shaking right down to my toes. I thought I was seeing things!!!! TWO Coyotes!!! At first, I was a bit tentative, and maybe even a bit scared. I kinda even did the PON snappy thing – which basically means – don’t get too close because I’m overwhelmed. Yeah well that lasted all of about 2 minutes and then I was fine. I mean how could anybody be scared of this face?!
So then we all went for a long walk. And of course had to take photos….
I like this one taken by Tupper’s human, Emma. I’m telling him how to counter surf….
The trails we went on were a bit wet and muddy. Somehow the Coyotes looked exactly the same at the end of the walk, but yours truly looked nothing like I did after my morning grooming. My Enforcer said I looked like a woodland stray. Note my rugged look on the photo on the bench…
I had a great time with the Coyotes. I hope we can get together again soon!
And guess what else? I’m a big boy now!!! No – I’m still not lifting my leg to pee. I bet that’s what some of you dog people immediately thought. Nope. Even better than being able to pee on the barbecue. I got to sleep out of my crate at night!!! Honestly, I thought it was a trick. The door was left open to my crate. I came out, and didn’t know where to go or what to do! My Enforcer even told me I could get on the bed. But she regretted that invitation when I tried to eat the pillows. And her toes under the covers. Personally, I found the bed too warm, so I opted for a comfy place on the floor. And I was good ALL night. But. As soon as I heard My Enforcer open her eyes in the morning (we dogs have supersonic hearing when it comes to humans waking up) I went and tried to help her get up faster by biting her. It worked!!!! She had to fend me off like a person swatting away hornets after they accidentally step on their nest. She got up super fast!!!!
So I’ve graduated to nighttime freedom. Although the crate wasn’t put away just yet. In case I do something to lose my probation. How likely is that? Don’t answer that….
Not sure what’s on the agenda today. But no matter what, I’ll find a way to make it fun!
Yo. Blogees. Elroy here. Happy Thursday. Hope you’re having a great week. I’m having a pretty typical one. Walks, wandering around the yard, listening, guarding against squirrels, wrestling with the shark, eating if I feel like it, ignoring when I’m called – that kind of stuff. Anyway, today I get the opportunity to talk about February 4. And the big anniversary. Apparently on this day in 2004, some dude by the name of Mark Zuckerberg started some on-line thing called Facebook. Better known in our house as Wastebook. Because ooooo-eeeee, Her Highness can sure surpass the 58.5 average minutes that most two leggeds spend on the social media platform each day. Yup. She can be swept into the vortex of on-line drama and occasional bits of fake news, if she doesn’t watch herself. She’s also known to post many of our dreaded photos on the site- and we all know how much I love photographs to begin with, let alone the shots when we are forced to wear Dollar Store attire.
But like it or hate it – it looks like social media is here to stay. Now if you can get past the fake news, the conspiracy theories, the political quagmires – which are not limited to two-leggeds because we canines have our own political battlegrounds with debates about breeding, feeding, rescuing, training and showing – and, instead you get back to the original intent – which was to link people together- then it CAN be a good thing. Yeah yeah – there’s all kinds of marketing and mind control that goes on too – but be like me – ignore it. That’s my mantra. Ignore. Actually, I think there are other Picards who share my philosophy. We should start a Facebook group….but I digress.
Here’s the deal. At least the way I see it. If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance you are reading it through Facebook. That’s where it all began. And as a result of Facebook, Her Highness has met people all over the WORLD – who have dogs. And holy heck, she’s made some really good friends. Not to mention the fact that she has reconnected with friends from her youth back in Caesar’s time. Hey – some dude who took her to a dance when she was like in High School and then never danced with her all evening (we think his mother made him ask Her Highness) even recently asked to be her friend. Yup ya just never know who will turn up here. She also gets to stay connected with relatives and see what they are up to.
I mean where else can you go and pose a question like “What’s you favorite grooming tool?” And get 35 answers. Or you want a recipe to make treats for your Picky Picard – and you get so many responses you don’t know which one to try first. Got a hip X-ray that you’re wondering about? There’s a slew of experienced people out there who will give you an opinion before you get your official results. Hear about a new dog toy the someone else’s dog adores? The toy probably has a Facebook page. Not to mention the fact that every breed club probably has a Facebook page – so if you’re researching a breed – that can be a good starting point. Then there’s the Facebook pages for dog art. And dog food. And dog treats. And dog beer…
Speaking of food, what dog company has the most followers on Facebook? Purina. Like ‘em or hate ‘em- they’re big in social media.
And let’s not forget about pages like we have here – the Nova Scotia Lost Dog Network. One post to that site automatically gets hundreds of shares – and a dog that was actually lost not far from here was found because someone had seen the posting and recognized him.
We also know that in times of hardship, that social media can provide support in many ways. Knowing that people care when you experience a tragedy or loss, can sometimes provide the extra comfort that you need…
So social media CAN be a REALLY good thing. Honest. Enjoy the sharing part, the friendship part and follow pages that make you feel GOOD. As for the rest – repeat the Picard mantra: ignore, ignore, ignore…Especially ads for dog attire….
Greetings blog readers. Frodo here on this the 2nd of February. The notable day in North America that honors an overgrown chipmunk and his ability to prognosticate the weather for the next 6 weeks. It’s truly remarkable, given that meteorologists agree that forecasts beyond 7-10 days are essentially useless. And yet the rodent is supposed to be able to predict 6 weeks in advance. Yes – we turn to the groundhog for his opinion as to whether or not to put the snowblower back in storage. Remind me again how humans are the brightest species…
There are several famous groundhogs across the US and Canada, and I am pleased to point out that the first one to make his prediction in North America each year is right here in Nova Scotia – Shubenacadie Sam. There is generally a great deal of fanfare when the rodent emerges from his den – with the audience including local dignitaries, a bagpiper and “the press” – who wait with bated breath to see what the groundhog will do. If it’s sunny, and he sees his shadow, he will reportedly be frightened and will return to his den – signaling 6 more weeks of winter. Therefore, should one wish for an early spring, one should hope for a miserable cloudy day on February 2. Last year the festivities needed to be cancelled due to a storm in the forecast. So one would assume that Sam did not see his shadow. Which would mean an early spring forecast. Ah. But no. The storm ended early, the rodent emerged, saw his shadow – and the plans for early garden planting went down the groundhog hole. Does anyone not see the irony in this whole story?
Anyway, due to COVID gathering restrictions, no large event is planned for Sam this year. It will be virtual. Likely an exciting viewing event. Yawn. We have snow and rain in the forecast today. So who knows WHAT will happen.
Meanwhile, the imp is back to full speed, annoying the heck out of all of us. For two weeks he was on a limited exercise regime. And just like a battery that can be recharged, he has returned to full capacity. I went for a walk with him yesterday morning- and Her Highness repeated “never again” throughout the constitutional. If he wasn’t pulling, he was jumping on yours truly tangling himself in both our leashes – or if he was free, he was dashing at turbo speed to find every sample of animal poop in a half kilometer radius. His 45 minutes of frenzied running and walking did little to tire him out. So when Wendy contacted Her Highness to see if they wanted to go for walk with Gena, the German Shepherd, Her Highness jumped at the chance to tire out the imp. They walked for almost TWO hours. Now one might think that would tire him out. Hardly. The battery charge went down minimally. When he got home, he decided it would be great fun to drag his puppy bed out the door, down the stairs and into the backyard in the snow. Her Highness had to go after him and play a tugging game to get the bed back. Clearly two hours wasn’t enough of a walk…This photo is blurry – but Her Highness was running to get the bed. Note that the Picard doesn’t quite know what to do with this new toy.
Ah yes. The joys of youth.
Heaven help us in entertaining the imp if it is raining today. Who knows WHAT we will do. One thing I do know for certain – today, I will also play the role of weather prognosticator along with the rodent. If I refuse to go out the front door, it is raining. And I guarantee you – my forecasting abilities are 100% accurate. Frodo. The Prognosticating PON. I like the ring of that….Wish us luck. All of us.
Hey blogaroos! Squirmy here on the LAST day of January! Holy moly that month went by quickly! It seems like just yesterday I was chewing on Christmas wrapping paper.
Well guess what?! OK you give up. I went to see Liz, my therapist yesterday. Not my psychotherapist- his name is Sigmund – I went to see my massage therapist about my stair running sport injury. OK. I’m joking. I don’t know a Sigmund. And stair running is not a recognized sport for dogs. Although I could maybe start it….
Anyway – back to Liz. Well. Yesterday she said she now understands how I got the nickname, Squirmy. Yup. Too many hours in my cell really helped to recharge my battery. I was on turbo speed. My Enforcer kept repeating “Just be calm. Just be calm.” All the while she had me in a death grip and was loading me with treats – so Liz could actually manipulate my legs. I was playing the role of an eel who drank six espressos.
But at the end of my session, Liz gave me the green light to return to my previous activities. Let the hump-a-thon with the Coyote begin!
My Enforcer was so pleased with the good news, she decided to take me for a little joy ride. We stopped at a hiking trail and went for a bit of a jaunt. Well – I was jaunting and she was trying to just maintain her balance as the snowy hard-packed trail was a tad icy. We walked for a bit, but when she saw a man approaching from the opposite direction – with two dogs, we did a complete 180. She had visions of yours truly taking her for a “greeting ride” on the ice – and she knew it was much more likely that she would end up injured than me. No sense of adventure.
After that, she stopped for a latte, while I got the crumbs that were in her pocket leftover from my Liz visit. Wow. Big treat.
After that we stopped at the world famous Peggy’s Cove lighthouse. The sky was blue – BUT the temperature was cold – and the gale force winds were FREEZING. Still, she managed to get me to sit for some obligatory photos….
When we got home, the Coyote was overjoyed to know that hump-a-thons could now resume. OK. My Enforcer doesn’t REALLY endorse that behavior. Like that would stop us.
So hallelujah- I’m free again! Yes – I’ll be careful. Lesson learned. Bwhahahaha. Who am I kidding?! Let the ricocheting off humans, animals and walls begin again! Squirmy is back!
Viktorsviews. The Next Chapter. 