Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally just wrap up my week. I apologize in advance as this post is a wee bit long.

You Make Me Smile – August 23, 2015

Earl Lover said, “We only have dogs. My dogs couldn’t get on with cats; they’ve never been socialised with them.”

My dogs are weird. They are typically fine with the cats in the house, although they do sometimes chase them, but let them see a cat outside and it’s on!

Hailey and Zaphod said, “When we had both (which was like for 15 years), we always had a baby gate to keep the dogs and cat food/litter apart. We would keep it high enough so the cats could go under but low enough so the dogs couldn’t. It worked 99% of the time.”

If the cat was staying with me we would have done that, but Grandma does not have the room to do that and knowing her, would more than likely fall trying to get over the gate.

Jan K said, “We have a pantry downstairs with a hole in the door that only the cats can fit through, and that’s where the kitty litter is.
Samantha gets fed on the kitchen counter, and she usually has an audience. Dogs just love cat food! They usually get to lick her bowl after canned food, and occasionally get a couple pieces of her kibble!”

I just don’t get the fascination with the cat’s food and litter box.  If the food tastes so damn good, why don’t they make dog food taste the same way?

Blueberry’s Human said, “I wonder though…if you were to use the litter box yourself if that would deter D & S from wanting what’s in there? You never hear about dogs eating human poop (or maybe I am not in the right social circles)”

Dear God, thank you for not letting my friend run in the social circles where it’s ok for human’s to use a litter box. Amen.

Faithfully Yours…The Trailer

Genevieve said, “I preordered the book, and I would have preordered the song if it was available. I love it!…Gah! Siri told me it IS available. …so I bought that too.”

Thank you for pre-ordering the book. I did as well. I hope you enjoy both the book and the song!

Pamela said, “I sometimes wonder if we form the strongest bonds with the animals who need us the most.”

I think we are drawn to certain animals more than others, just the same was we are drawn to people.

2 Brown Dawgs asked, “Best of luck to Peggy with the book. I am a bit confused though. Is it a picture book?”

I haven’t read it yet, but from what I understand it is not a picture book. It is a book highlighting the human-animal bond via stories. There may be some pictures in it, but I think the trailer was designed to “show” you the bond to entice you to read the book.

Don’t Count Us Out

Emma said, “Sometimes I think you humans just start to see our naughtiness as normal and don’t even think of posting about it. That has happened a bit with Bailie but she has possibly started to mature, so some of the naughtiness may disappear!”

You may be right. Now when I see something torn up on the floor, I usually just pick it up. 😉

Sue said, “BOL Can’t help but be happy Delilah is still Delilah. :-)”

OH, she is definitely still Delilah. She makes me laugh every single day.

Jan K said, “Luke stole a stick of butter right out of the butter dish last week. My hubby thought it was far enough back on the counter when he left it unattended….I think my favorite Delilah story that I have never forgotten was when she stole all that chicken out of the kitchen sink.”

Oh I feel for you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought something was ‘safe.’

And I like that story about the chicken necks myself. It’s quite enjoyable telling to. I get quite animated. LOL

Jan gave us her approval, “Oh yeah, the girl still has it and so does Jodi.”

Thank you Jan. 🙂  I can’t wait to tell you what she did yesterday.

Blueberry’s Human said, “Bahahahahaha! I love Delilah. It’s like a battle of wits with her. You think you’ve gotten everything cleaned up and she finds the one thing just close enough to reach to prove you wrong.”

It is like a battle of wits, I think I’m the witless one. LOL

Jen Gabbard’s comment was priceless, “OK the knife would have given me a heart attack – doesn’t it make you wonder how she got it onto the floor? I love all of your misadventures, they really remind me of how silly life really is. Things happen, but being able to find the humor in it makes it so much easier to handle. We had our own little adventure today in the yard. On the way back from getting the mail Laika spotted some turkeys before I did – they were so close I didn’t have a chance to tell her to come here before she’d pinned one down. I heard a bunch of hissing (yeah turkeys hiss apparently, who knew?) and some feathers flying, and as I approached Laika was still pinning the poor bird down. Fearing the worst I picked it up to see if she’d hurt him – to my surprise he looked unharmed. So of course Laika is flipping the frak out because I’ve got her lovely prize in my arms – she’s jumping up at me and whining.. I didn’t want to give it back and since it was young I knew it wasn’t going to be able to fly (or roost) away so I carried the thing all the way back home (our driveway is really long). It took me 5 minutes to trick Laika to get her ass into the garage so I could let the bird go. Anyways the bird was fine, ran off hissing into the sunset. But yeah I got to hold a turkey for the first time.”

It does make me wonder about the knife, and I did check her mouth for cuts. As for Laika and the turkey. OMG I don’t know what I would have done! And while I didn’t know that turkeys hissed, I did know that birds did. For an amusing story, read about the Hissing Tree.

Stop Means Stop

Lauren Miller said, “Our stop walking cue is “WAIT!” I try really hard to not make cues mean more than one thing. It’s tough sometimes and I’m not very creative. LOL”

I see the value in that. I think it’s whatever works (or is the word that comes quickest to your mind.) 🙂

Jen Gabbard said, “If I saw her kicking as you were picking it up I’m sure I would have been rolling on the ground.”

I know if I saw it, I would probably have wet myself laughing so hard.

Emma said, “Maybe you need a go pro strapped to your head on your walks so we can actually see that dirt heading right at the camera on you head???”

Then Jan K replied to Emma, “I think we should all chip in and get a Go Pro for Jodi. I’m thinking there would be no end to the entertainment value of that. LOL”

You know, I do have a Go Pro, I need to talk to Hubby about getting it set up for me. Can you imagine the money I could make on YouTube? LOL

2 Brown Dawgs said, “We use “sit” a lot. It means stop and sit until released. You can use it in a variety of situations so we stick with that one.”

I think that’s a good solid command. If it works for your dogs and it’s a word you remember (key in my book) then it’s a win-win.

Meagan and Merlin said, “I also use different commands for the same thing, for example when he sits to be fed i use the words “go, ok and hammer time” and he eats his food after waiting. Also saying “food and hungry” to him, makes him run to the kitchen. Labs and their food obsessions lol.”

Bwa Ha Ha, I’m always amused at the words I use and the words my dogs understand. I love hammer time!

Jan K said, “This will sound weird, but for the first time ever today, Luke pooped when we were on a walk! I was excited, because to me that means he’s a little more relaxed, not holding it until we get back home.”

Oh Jan, I get, I truly do. Sampson was always such a private pooper. He would spend 9 hours at daycare, come home and run into the backyard to take his dump. Every time. It was only after he tore his ACL when he couldn’t do a lot of walking, that he started pooping on the leash, because he basically had no choice.

Did I ever tell you, that for the longest time Sampson squatted when he peed? Our trainer said, if they don’t lift their leg by the time they are one or two (I can’t remember which it was) then they won’t do it. He was well past the age she mentioned when he first lifted his leg. I swear to you, I was so proud of him for doing that. LOL

Jenna, Mark, “Husky-Crazed” Drady said, “Omg I am so sorry but I had to laugh at that cloud of dirt hitting your face! hahaha!!!! Oh i’m so so so sorry!!!!!”

PLEASE don’t apologize! I WANT you to laugh. 🙂

Well that’s it for me, thanks for hanging in there with me and have a wonderful weekend!

Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally just wrap up my week.

You Make Me Smile – August 16, 2015

Lauren Miller (ZoePhee) said, “That’s awesome she’s doing well! My dogs make me smile when they come racing back to me!”

There is nothing better than to have your dog return to you!  It makes all the struggles so worth it.

Jan K said, “That is great! I do let Sheba off leash some, and do the same thing, calling her back frequently. We always smile when they behave well, don’t we?”

I think to have a good recall you really need to call them back constantly, so they don’t think they are just getting called to go back on leash. And yes, I have to smile when they are so well behaved.

Hailey and Zaphod said, “I love it when I can have Phod off leash. Unfortunately Hailey can’t be trusted.”

I don’t think I’ll ever trust Delilah off leash, which makes me sad. She could have so much fun if she could just be trusted. I SO feel your pain.

Emma said, “We can’t be off leash, but we do go off leash at the dog park. ”

You have some really nice dog parks out your way. Our dog parks are typically smaller, fenced in areas, with no hiking trails for off leash walking.

Jan said, “I liked the posts of yesteryear when she led you on some hilarious misadventures. Funny for us, not for you.”

Oh trust there are still adventures, don’t count us out yet. 🙂

Dodge Dog

Lauren Miller said, “I actually did pretty much what you were talking about (pulling a jill on the hill) on Sunday and I’m so sore!”

I’m sorry to hear that and do hope you are feeling better. I had a bad fall one New Year’s Eve where I had the wind knocked out of me and was pretty sure I dislocated my shoulder. (Thankfully I didn’t.) Be careful, it’s a jungle out there. 

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom said, “I trip over my own feet, so I don’t need any help from wet leaves and dirt.”

LOL I trip over my feet, over roots and small stumps and there are occasions when I hit a small rock just right and almost go rock skiing.

Pamela said, “But you made so many, so happy–Sampson, Delilah, the bugs, us. Surely that makes it all worth it.”

Oh yes, I mean come on Pamela, I have to try and make you shoot milk out of your nose at least once a week. 😉

Blueberry’s Human said, ” You know, I really want a yellow lab some day, but you have me rethinking that dream…”

Don’t give up your dream!! Labs are amazing, they are so much fun and SO lovable.

Jan said, “There was a time when I really envied your having a woods to walk your dog….I forget why…”

Come on Jan, I promise, you come to CT and we’ll have a great adventure. 🙂

The Umbridge Pen – Barks and Bytes

You guys are the absolute best. Your comments on this post were really amazing. Sadly I really try to keep Friday’s posts under 1500 words, so I could only highlight some. If you have time, go back and read them because they are all awesome!

Genevieve said, “Dogs in hot cars, kids in hot cars – WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE???”

I wish I knew. I can’t even fathom it.

Sheena said, “I called the police just the other day on some fool at Walmart who had done the same thing.”

Did they come? Cause’ last year I called and waited over 40 minutes. I was tempted to call them back and say, never mind, I shot the window out and got the dog. I bet they’d move their asses then.

Taryn said, “What you need to do is make a sticker out of your image, one of those really hard to remove kind (I’ve seen them made to indicate someone is illegally parked) and place it right in the driving view.”

That’s a great idea. I was also thinking of just printing off that picture and sticking it on their windshield. WTF is wrong with people?

Sue said, ” Well, and a couple of times I’ve drawn a crowd in the parking lot and we all shamed them when they come out. “I was only gone 10 minutes.” There are dog lovers and then there are people who claim to be but are only people who have dogs…”

I’m too afraid to hang around. I might just get arrested for taking a swing at the stupid ass.

Jen Gabbard said, “I really have no idea why people continue to do it.. I mean we’ve even had numerous stories about police officers doing the same thing recently. I just don’t get it. How much more obvious can we make it?”

I wish I had the answer.

Monika said, “It is just incomprehensible on a number of fronts-first why are you taking a dog shopping???? Second, why are you leaving your so-called treasured friend in the car with windows barely cracked? Even when windows are down, the temperatures inside cars are broiling. A recent NFL player posted a video of him in a car for less than 15 minutes showing what can happen in just a few minutes. ”

And we all know how much value people put on our athletes, and yet they still leave their pets in the car. 

Rama’s Mama said, “As someone who leaves dogs in my van a lot (dog shows, etc), I am always thankful for people keeping an eye on my vehicle. While I do always leave the a/c running and check it often, I recently heard of a device that monitors the temperature inside your vehicle and sounds an alarm if your a/c fails and the temperature rises above a safe point. I will be ordering one!”

Thank you for weighing in on this. I’ve been to dog shows myself where dogs have been left in cars with the a/c running and I have no problem with that, as long as the car is cool, I won’t say a word.   I didn’t know that made devices like that, but it makes sense to me and sounds like it might be worth checking out. 

Blueberry’s Human said, “I would like to see a law enacted where people that want to adopt a dog first must prove they a) know how to properly work a Flexi-lead if they plan on using one; b) will sit in a hot car for 15 minutes to understand just how uncomfortable and dangerous it can get; c) will prove they know how to use a poop bag by walking a loaner dog; d) will prove that once they have the poop bag full, they are able to walk around with it until a proper receptacle to dispose of it is located.  I can probably get even more specific because I have a lot of pet peeves with dog owners, but I think those are the top 4.”

Have you thrown your hat into the ring for the Presidency yet? I can really get behind you especially if you run on that format. 🙂

Chelsea Price said, “However, in certain circumstances, I’ve truly considered breaking the window. That’s one of those things that I would smile proudly in my mugshot for if I got arrested…”

Oh yeah, that would be a smiling for mugshot for sure. Do you think it’s allowable to show your middle finger as well?

Jan K said, “Delilah does the best PSA’s! ”

Thank you and thank you for sharing her photo. I had been thinking of that saying for a while and needed a photo that would get the point across. 

Jan said, “What I totally can’t understand is that every summer there are stories about police dogs being left in cars to roast to death. I hope they are all fired and have to reimburse for the dog.”

I hope they are prosecuted for assaulting an officer! How can you work with a dog for 8 to 10 hours a day and then leave it in the car?

That’s it for me my friends, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally just wrap up my week.

You Make Me Smile – August 9, 2015

You want to hear the funniest part of this? Nobody put him in the room. He was free to leave, but he was so miffed, he went in there by himself and pouted.

Sue said, “Oh, poor Beau! My three howl. Sound like a pack of coyotes in the house. Lucy used to pout when we took she and Tucker to the boarding kennel. Tucker was thrilled and excited. Lucy was not pleased. It would take her a day to get over herself when we picked them up and brought them home.”

For the most part mine do not complain when we leave, UNLESS I am leaving Sampson home and taking Delilah. Then he stands at the door and barks like a little bitch. 😉

Jan K said, “Our crew always gets treats when we leave, so they’re pretty good about it! Luke sits in the door and watches us leave though, and he’s always there when we get home as well. I wonder if he stays there the whole time, or if he knows when it’s the normal time we get home?”

Mine get treats too. Then Delilah goes into ‘her room’ and sleeps, while Sampson usually goes downstairs. But sometimes Delilah sits in front of the sliding door and keeps watch for us to come home.

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom said, “Aw, poor Beau. At least he doesn’t tear up the place like some dogs do.”

That is a good thing, I’ve heard of some dogs with some powerful separation anxiety. It’s heartbreaking.

Jan said, “I have long suspected that they threw large doggie orgies, but I have no proof.”

BWA HA HA, that’s an interesting thought. Do you think it’s only those progressive California dogs, or do you suppose they all do it? 😉

Kim-Life at Golden Pines said, “I don’t know what our dogs do when we’re gone, aside from getting onto the couch, chew the toilet paper, shred anything they can grab off the counter or table, and use the remote to shop on eBay… ;-)!!”

Dear Lord, I’m so grateful Delilah hasn’t learned to online shop. I can only imagine how busy the dog treat makers would be. LOL

Blueberry’s Human said, “Does he realize how stinking cute he is even in his poutiness? (I don’t think that’s a real word, is it?)”

It’s a word on this blog. Siriusly. 😉

It’s Been a Three Dog House

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom said, “Doggie scuffles can be loud and scary…The scuffles between Shadow and Ducky have decreased substantially; but when we’re not going to be home, Ducky stays in her crate and the puppy gate is put in the bedroom doorway.

I think the noise was the worst of it. And we made sure he was gated off in her room if we were all gone, (which wasn’t very often).

Earl Lover said, “Our fellow agility friends have told us they’d be more than happy to have Earl and Ethel if we’re ever away. Earl and Ethel get on well with their dogs at training, but we’d had to do a trial night beforehand, just for my peace of mind!”

Oh yes! I would definitely want at least one trial run to see how it worked out, otherwise I’d be worrying the entire time I was gone!

Emma said, “We learned from early on to have friends over, but we always meet outside first and have a walk around the block if not longer. ”

Yes, well running a bed and breakfast like you do, I imagine you know all kinds of ways to get dogs comfortable with each other.

Sue said, “When my mom was alive we had a similar experience. Our four dogs were only slightly interested in the newcomer. Her dog was very interested in my dogs AND he thought he was the King… that didn’t go over well when he tried to tell Lucy that. All four of my dogs wanted to let him know Lucy was in charge here. Thankfully no blood was shed, but we could never allow them to be together at all after that. The dummy was a Lhasa Apso and a real asshat.”

Oh my, I can only imagine how stressful it was for you! Don’t you love that word, asshat? It’s one of my favorites…I like ass clown too. 🙂

Jan said, “My dogs totally ignore any visiting dog as in they give them a thorough sniffing and then they all go into another room. My guess is that they gossip and start rumors about the visitor.”

What do you think they gossip about, manners, fashion sense?

Taryn said, “Jimmy cannot be trusted whatsoever. Just when you think he will be OK, he SNARKS! I don’t know why he is such a jerk since he has been well-socialized his entire life, but he is, so he requires careful management.”

Sampson can be snarky too. Most of Sampson’s snarkiness is when someone is petting him and the other dog comes up. It doesn’t matter if the dog belongs to have person, at that moment that person is giving Sampson his most valuable resource, attention. Yup, he resource guards people. Jerk.

2 Brown Dawgs said, “I think it is hard to introduce a visiting dog to a home where two dogs have been living alone for so long.”

You are so right. Did you have many issues when you introduced Freighter? (Although your dogs certainly weren’t as old at the time as mine are now.

8 Photos of Happiness – Barks and Bytes

If you haven’t done Ariel’s challenge yet, I really encourage you to do it! Think of all the memories you will remember and then share them in one place.

Cupcake says, “I’ve never been swimming, but I think Mom and I would be a lot like the picture of you and Sampson. “Hold me, Mom!””

That’s exactly what he was doing in this picture!

Emma said, “Great happy photos. Isn’t going through photos just the hardest thing? We have the so well organized, but we can never find what we are looking for.”

It is! I am so NOT organized with my photos, in fact as I was going through them I noted how many duplicates I have.  I literally looked through thousands of photos and that was only pictures from my old laptop, not my new one which easily has close to 4,000.

Monika said, “Such charming photos that definitely show off happiness. This is such a great exercise because you can focus on the simple things in life and realize exactly how much those make us smile and be happy. :-)”

Exactly. It is a really wonderful exercise and a great way to share some happiness.

Well folks, that’s it for me. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!