Happy Howloween!!

Just wishing all you pups a safe and spooky Halloween! I hope you all get lots of treats today! (Just no chocolate!)

Pop Dog Portrait: Oliver

Hey everypup, my human mom has updated her website and completed a new portrait. I'd like to share it with you: Oliver the Husky.

Countdown to Agility: 6 days to go!

What more needs to be said? I'm getting excited! Visit the school I'll be going to and my instructor.

Cruel "Artist" Uses Starving Dog as Art!!

It disgusts me to even think about this.

An "artist" from Costa Rica, named Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, use a starved dog as a "work of art". As part of an installation, the stray was tied to a corner of a gallery and then starved to death. After the event, the artist was chosen to represent his country in the Biennial Centroamericana Honduras 2008.

PLEASE!! Sign the petition to boycott him from participating in the event. Photos can also be seen at this site:

http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=12589&pst=878550&archival=&posts=5

Dog Eared Book Review: Walking in Circles Before Lying Down

Walking in Circles Before Lying Down by Merrill Markoe is an irreverent, funny novel that will have you wishing the story never end.

In it, we meet Dawn, who finds herself leaving another failed marriage and moving in with her sister, who in turn becomes her Life Coach. Through all this, you meet her dysfunctional parents, a new boyfriend who enjoys living life "off the grid" as she tries to navigate her way through her new life.

Along the way she adopts a Pit Bull mix named Chuck, finds a job working with dogs, at a vet clinic and through pet sitting and wakes up one morning only to discover herself talking to Chuck...and Chuck talking back.

What Chuck has to say is brutally honest. He has opinions on her boyfriend, job, and gives her insight into the things dogs do. Not only does she hear what Chuck has to say, but all the dogs she works with and sits for are all talking back. As her life gets more tumultuous, she decides to listen to Chucks instincts and see where they lead her.

I highly recommend this book! It's so engaging you'll have it read in no time!

DockDogs names Canadian Top Lap Dog 2007

BIG CONGRATS goes to Jynx and her owner/handler Dawn Farah for earning the 2007 Top Lap Dog title from DockDogs!

I had the pleasure of meeting Jynx (a Jack Russell/Border Collie mix) this fall at a local DockDogs event. She was awesome to watch! She consistently jumped 17 feet or more at each of her events making her the Top Lap Dog this year.

To read more of their story, click here.

For more information about DockDogs visit their website, or the Ontario DockDogs site, where Jynx is a member.

[photo credit]

Out and About

My dogwalker Trish sent me some pawesome photos she took of me and my pals Monday on our dog walk. Sammy is a Doberman/Sheppard mix (black dog with tail) and Diesel (the Doberman) is my best bud on our dog walks! I'm his "mini-me"! BOL!

Ahhhh, a tired dog is a happy dog!

As you can see, I'm the little guy in the group...but they all gotta keep up with me!

Sammy sniffs something nice! BOL!

Me and Sammy in "The Pit"

Hey...you taking my picture? Hehe...

Helping Wildfire Victims

Hey pups, as we know, wild fires rage throughout southern California. Please, if you are able, take the time to visit these sites to either make a donation or find out other ways you can help the disaster relief. Not only have people lost their homes, but many animals have also lost theirs and their habitat.

I hope my friends in the sunshine state are safe, and that I hear from them soon.

Humane Society of the United States

The Red Cross

An Unlikely Friendship

Had this story emailed to me...thought I'd share. Pawesome images captured of a wild polar bear and sled dogs in the wilds of Canada's Hudson Bay.

The photographer was sure that he was going to see the end of his huskies when the polar bear materialized out of the blue, as it were:

Obviously it was a well-fed Bear...

The Polar Bear returned every night that week to play with the dogs...

Safety from the Dark

So an incident that happened yesterday has prompted me for today's post.

Safety while walking when it's dark outside. Now that winter is approaching, it's getting darker earlier here in the North East. By 7pm, it's completely dark out. Early in the morning too, I go out between 6:45-7:00am and the sun isn't quite up yet either.

Well, I'm all black, so when it's dark out...you guessed it...I can pretty much disappear! So last night, my human had me out in the back field off leash for a quick run, and I spotted something juicy...a kid left a crackers and cheese snack container in the field. Mmmmm....cheese! So when she saw me grab it, she called me to come over, and of course, I knew she would take it away, so I took off in the other direction. (Bad dog, I know...). The thing is, my human got scared, cause it was pretty dark out and if I continued further away, she wouldn't be able to see me anymore.

Luckily, my recall is pretty good and when my human called me again, I came over. (still not close enough for her to take away my cheesy treat!)

So beside the fact, that she is not going to let me off leash in the dark anymore (boooooo!), I've decided to post about safety in the dark.

Well, the obvious:
Don't go off leash in the dark if your dog's recall is unreliable and get's too far ahead for you to keep track of him. Little noises or people walking through the park can spook your dog if he/she doesn't see them coming. The last thing you want is for your dog to take off.

If you want to give your pup a bit more freedom, use a retractable leash so your dog can roam, but isn't able to get away. I use the Zip Lead from Planet Dog. Flexi leash is also another very popular brand with many colour choices! Just make sure you always maintain control of your dog on the retractable.

What can you do to help visibility? Reflective collars, harnesses or leashes. Such as the ones from Auroralites. You can also purchase little blinking lights to add to your dogs collar, like this one from Dog Gone Good Stuff.

So be safe pups when the lights get low!

Dear Diary: Dogs vs. Cats...

So I'm sure many of you may have seen this already...but I crack up every time I read it! Enjoy!
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EXCERPTS FROM THE DOG'S DAILY DIARY

8:00 am - Oh Boy! Dog food! My favorite!
9:30 am - Oh Boy! A car ride! My favorite!
9:40 am - Oh Boy! A walk! My favorite!
10:30 am - Oh Boy! A car ride! My favorite!
11:30 am - Oh Boy! Dog food! My favorite!
12:00 noon - Oh Boy! The kids! My favorite!
1:00 pm - Oh Boy! The yard! My favorite!
4:00 pm - Oh Boy! The kids! My favorite!
5:00 pm - Oh Boy! Dog food! My favorite!
5:30 pm - Oh Boy! Mom! My favorite!
6:00 pm - Oh Boy! Playing ball! My favorite!
6:30 pm - Oh Boy! Sleeping in master's bed! My favorite!

EXCERPTS FROM THE CAT'S DAILY DIARY:

Day 283 Of My Captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture.

Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded; must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair; must try this on their bed. Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Hmmm, not working according to plan.

There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time...

Author unknown

Moooooooo Tubes!!!

OMD! OMD! OMD!!!!

My human mom started her new job this week and guess what??!! There are like three doggie stores all within a few blocks of each other! (Which I'll blog about later). She's already going crazy with stuff she wants to buy me! Aroooo! Christmas is going to be gooooood!

BEST OF ALL!! MOOOOOOOOO TUBES!!!!! mmmmmmm...good!!!

We usually can't find them ANYWHERE here, and she popped into one store today, and they have a whole box full!! So she bought me one today!!!

For any pup that hasn't experienced the sheer JOY of a Moo Tube, check out Merrick's website or your local pet store and ask about them. YUMMMMY IN MY TUMMY!!!!

Pop Dog of the Week: Baylee

I've been slack with these updates, but this week's POP DOG is my pal Baylee!! We met on Dogster, and she's been a great pal! Check out the sidebar for her profile!

Doggie News

Hey pups, here are some news bits I've seen from around the globe about dogs. Thanks to my pal Fritz for passing this one on to me.

Pet Massacre in Puerto Rico
It's a bit graphic, and quite sad, so here is the link for you to choose to read the story.

In happier news...
A woman gives up her convertible Mustang as reward for the return of her dog!
A woman in Texas offered up her car in exchange for the safe return of the family bulldog, Porkchop. A cash reward was offered, but nobody was biting. So she decided to put up her beloved Mustang. A neighbour found Porkchop and returned him home.

"I just want to instill the value in my children that family is the most important thing beyond any material item."

WOW! That's puppy love!

[source]

This dog dances!

How many of you pups dance with your humans? I love it! My human mom will put on some music and start dancing around the living room, and I try to jump up and spin around to show off my own fancy footwork.

Well, I was sent a great video of Carolyn Scott and Rookie, the Golden Retriever and thought I'd share it. There are competitions out there for dog and owner to put a routine to music! It's called Canine Musical Freestyle. I don't think I'll be competing in it anytime soon..we just like to keep our moves to the living room! BOL! But if you think you've got the stuff! Check for local events in your area! What a great bonding experience for you and your human!

For more information, check out the WCFO's website.

The end of Summer

Yes, I know it's October. But here in the Toronto area, we've had unseasonably warm weather. But today was a shock to the system. Summer is over. Fall has arrived.

Rain. Cold. Windy. Three things I don't like about weather.

The sidewalk is sooooo chilly on my paws! Puddles! YUCK! How did I do this last year??

My human has to break out my hoodies! I was actually shivering on tonight's walk!

How do you pups cope with colder weather?? Do you wear sweaters and jackets? Do you have a nice thick coat of fur to keep you cozy?

As always, I love your feedback!

Holiday Monday

Stuffed with Thanksgiving turkey dinner, sleeping in with my humans, what a great way to start my holiday Monday! What could make it better? How about meeting new friends!

A new family movied into my neighbourhood, and they have TWO dogs! A Rottie named Thunder (when you hear him bark, you know why!) and a Jack Russell Terrier named Chili. She has springs in her feet, she can jump soooo high!

So I met them a few weeks ago, but haven't seen them since. But this morning, coming back from my walk, we ran into them! What fun! We tore up the back field doing zoomies all over the place! Thunder didn't really appreciate my speed while chasing Chili and kept trying to body check me as I ran by! BOL! But I was just too fast for him! Chili and I got a bit banged up as we were running soooo fast in circle we knocked into each other a few times! Man was that ever fun!!!

what will the rest of the day hold for me?? Well, right now, a nap...maybe another trip to the dog park, definitely some cookies. :o)

Happy Monday pups!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here in Canada, it's Thanksgiving. So I'd like to dedicate this post to all that I'm thankful for.

1. That out of all the breeds and all the puppies out there, my human parents chose me!
2. That I have such pawesome pup pals, such as Denali, Starr, Mimi, Cosmo and Zoe!
3. Also, that I have some pawesome online blogging pup pals too! Special shout out to Bosco, Finn, Fig, Molly, Jackson and Johann! Go check them out and tell them Simba sent you!

I hope you all have a pawesome Thanksgiving (even if you don't celebrate it yet!) and don't forget to be thankful for all the things in your life that make you happy and healthy!

[photo credit]

One of the Guys

Not sure how you pups are with your humans, but I love mine both in different ways. My human mom takes me on my off-leash adventures, and snuggles with me in the evening. She gets my breakfast and dinner ready, makes sure I always have fresh water, and wear a sweater when it's cold.

My human dad takes me for walks during the day and I get to snuggle with him on the couch while he plays video games. I LOVE it when he comes home from work, cause he gets me all riled up and spends some time rough-housing with me! I'm just one of the guys.

My human mom is always running around with me, and she is always surprised when I'm home alone with my human dad, and she asks what we did all day, and he says, we just sat on the couch and chilled. Just one of the guys, she says, surprised that I am content to do that, but only with him.

See I get to do all kinds of fun stuff with my human mom...but what I love is the special time I get to just hang out with my human dad. We don't need to "do" anything. Just being one of the guys is enough.

More Dogpark Fun!

Spent the afternoon at the dogpark with my fur-cousin, Daisy. She's a Golden Doodle (Golden Retriever/Standard Poodle mix). I love that even though she's bigger than me, I'm still the boss! Hehe!

Investigating all the good smells!

Big dog, little dog

My fur-cousin, Daisy

Cooling off in the creek