All it takes is for one person to have a brilliant idea

And for someone else to say, "Let's do it!"




It's brilliant. Brilliant.

 I want a chubby tailed german dobenauzer. Except I happen to know that adding schnauzer to doberman will make it even barkier. Maybe a bunny tailed scottish shepterrier.

Sarah Silverman and her 'Duck'

Like her or not, she wrote a nice little tribute to her canine companion of 14 years. It was part of a larger collection called The Last Lesson We Learn from Our Pets in a blog called The Dish. We all have these stories to tell and I always appreciate when someone can put it into well written words.

Our Pets Have Us Well Trained

Nothing like a little purrrsonal service.

And I bet there's not a damn one of them named Flipper

This is a blog about things, some of which are furry. Dolphins count. Plus I love dolphins (who doesn't?) Now I extra love them.

Scientists discover that dolphins call each other by name. 

Dogs are like the guy who can't remember names and calls everyone pal. And cats? Cats aren't even speaking to us. They just make a noise and if we're lucky enough to hear it good for us. 
. 

A Dog-tastic Welcome Home

I wish every single man and woman who comes home from overseas could have a welcome like this.

Sometimes a parade is not just a parade

One of the great things about living in a small town is that you get to know enough people that you are sure to see someone you know most of the time you go out.  It is for this reason that my wife insists on being fully presentable whenever she leaves the house, even just to get drive-through coffee. And I don't think I can go to the grocery store without seeing at least one person I know, not counting the cashiers or the nice lady in the bakery who has the border collie. We got to know many of them through our businesses, both of which are right in town, but there are many who we met via our kids: school parents, scout parents, orchestra parents, soccer, baseball and softball parents. How many hours did we stand together on the sidelines on a dreary October morning watching our pride-and-joys chase a soccer ball up and down a muddy field? 

High school created some separation as kids veered into diversified interests, and as the need for parental chaperoning and chauffeuring diminished. As a result, there are a lot of people I haven't seen in a long time. And the funny thing is I haven't noticed. Those relationships fall away so quietly that we never know they're gone. 

And so it was at the 4^th of July parade that my wife and I set up our chairs in the grass and engaged in our people watching for the year. Not only did we see the folks we see a lot, but also many whom we haven't seen in ages. And with that, years and years of scout meetings, play dates, rehearsals, spaghetti dinners, practices, popcorn sales, and ball games came flooding back, accompanied by the pang of having children who are all grown up and gone. But there was something else, something bigger, or maybe something smaller. 

It's easy to think of Aurora as a big town. We're so close to Cleveland and Akron. We're near major league sports. We have easy access to malls and big box stores, and most of us work someplace we have to drive twenty minutes to get to. It's easy to think that we're not connected to each other. But on Independence Day when we were all waiting for the parade on our flag-lined main street, it was like a town meeting without the agenda. I could walk up and down the street and see someone I knew every fifty feet. If I ever wanted to live in Mayberry this might be as close as I will ever come. Howard and Floyd were there. And Barney and Goober and Helen. Andy drove the lead car. Aunt Bee sat under a shady tree while a thousand Opies fidgeted, waiting to chase after bubble gum tossed from parade floats. My kids had played with their kids, studied with their kids, got in fights with their kids and made up with their kids. My kids had them for math and history, swam in their pools, and had teeth filled and eyes checked by them. For 364 days a year we are spread out over 24 square miles, going about our business, but today we are together, reminding each other that much of what we love about Aurora is right here in the sunshine, hanging out together on a summer day.

 

Everyone thinks he a comedian

What could have been a horrifyingly sad story about a dog stuck in a car engine while the car was driving from one Florida beach to another, turned into an opportunity for amateur comedians to show us their stuff, not the least of whom is Broward County Fire Rescue worker Mike Jachles.

Side note to reporter: dogs don't sweat.

Click here  http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/07/05/pkg-puppy-rescued-from-car-hood.wsvn.html

The world's cutest puppies? You decide.

Cavalier King Charles spaniels are pretty darned cute. My daughter has one, named Gus.

Gus lives in Toronto and we hope to see him in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, my daugher has scoured the interwebs for the very latest in cute Cavalier stuff and here is the best argument yet that they are, indeed, the cutest puppies of all.

 

That fine line between something and nothing.

On Sunday I spent much of my day in the emergency room. Turned out to be nothing major, but I learned a new word. Vitreous. That's the stuff in the eyeball that makes it all squishy. Sometimes the components separate (when you get, ahem, older) and this causes 'floaters', which are shadowy streaks in the periphery of your vision.

I had one occurrence on Saturday of seeing the floaters, and thought nothing of it. The body does lots of odd things, just one time, and I've learned to chalk them up to, ahem, aging. But then Sunday morning I woke up and there were floaters constantly bugging the corner of my vision. Coupled with a weird sore throat, (and my daughter will appreciate this) I imagined the worst.

Two doctors and an ophthalmologist later (so, three doctors)  I was told that us old dudes sometimes get these things and to come back if they get worse.

So now I have these things in my peripheral vision that makes me think something is there. At night they look like lightning, which fooled me this evening when we had actual lightning. And I got to thinking that someone who's paranoid could be driven nuts.

"Who's there?"
"No, there. I saw that."
"Stop following me!"

If Edward Snowden has floaters, it won't mean they aren't out to get him. 

And no one gave a crap about the sore throat, which has kind of gotten worse.

Here Purkoy, here dog.

Here is a glance at some of the names medieval people gave their pets, at least according to this site. Purkoy was a dog named by Anne Boleyn, which may have contributed to her later troubles. No one could prove treason, but it was clear she named the dog.

I think it would be fun to have a revival of medieval names for pets. I'd love to see a Jakke, a Parceval, or a Garland. My next dog?

Turgk.

The case against Flexi leashes

This is a blog post by one Cassie Leigh-Stock, a certified dog trainer in Massachusetts, who I do not know.  I am re-posting it because a lot of what she says makes sense, and is, at the very least, something you need to consider when purchasing and using a Flexi leash.

I can attest to their propensity to tangle and jam. I have also been skeptical that the thin cord that makes up most of the leash is strong enough to hold a big dog who decides suddenly to take off after a cat. But I hadn't before considered the human suffering aspect of the devices. She has included  a warning from the Flexi lease site, that describes various injuries that can occur, including finger amputation. Yikes!.

Check it out.

Since summer is here, let's talk about dogs dying in cars

I know everyone from Dick Goddard to your best friend, Sal,  talks about not leaving dogs in cars. Here's why.

I can barely stand how hot it is for the short time it takes for my A/C to ramp up. Imagine being a dog in the back seat for ten minutes. Or fifteen or twenty. Because you only meant to run in and pick up that one little half gallon of milk, but then you remembered you were out of cheese, then you met your old fifth grade teacher in the cookie aisle when you were reaching for that package of Double Stuf Oreos, and all of a sudden it's been 30 minutes.

Have a great, and safe summer.

So when we talk about the goodness of people this is what we mean

This young girl decided that her birthday wasn't all about her. I'll let Portage Animal Protective League tell the story (as borrowed from their Facebook page)

Alexis of Ravenna, totally shocked the APL yesterday, April 23, with "A" Birthday donation! 75 of Alexis' third grade schoolmates from Willyard Elementary, and family and friends, brought gifts for the Shelter. The daughter of Ricky and Michelle, Alexis has done this before. When Alexis turned 7 last year, she decided that the furry friends at the APL needed "gifts" more than she did. On April 17 of this year, Alexis turned 8 and she knew what to ask for. In sight of all the bad things recently, this donation and all like it, are a reminder that there is so much good in the world. Alexis is an example of thoughtfulness, generosity, and great upbringing. To Alexis, her parents, schoolmates, friends and family, we say "THANK YOU! YOU HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE!"

If you want to donate, here's the web site  Portage Animal Protective League

Please Choose Wisely

I've seen it time and time again. People get a sweet little lab puppy because they're so cute and labs are "such great pets." They are. And they are also big and energetic and bouncy and enthusiastic. They can be bulldozers and they can pull over small trees. They are a lot of dog. A LOT of dog.

Choose your pet wisely. Please. Please. Please.You can get great advice from your veterinarian. Their number one concern in the welfare of the dog and they will steer you in the right direction.

Pic of the Day

Thanks to my friend Scott S for this one.

A larger-than-truth story

 Oh, Woolly Night

Tonight as I got ready to close up the kennel, looking forward to a quiet Christmas Eve with the family, a young couple came through the door, with a puppy. 

"We must leave town and we need a place for our little Jaspar. Just for two days."

"I'm sorry," I said, "I'm all full."

"Not even a small cage for a puppy?"

I let them peek inside the rooms and showed them we were full. Plus he hadn't had all his shots. They couldn't hide their disappointment but were very polite. 

"Is there nothing you can do for us?"

I have to admit that I was tired, and there was corned beef in the pot waiting for me, and while I normally try very hard to help people in need, I just wasn't feeling it. Still, they were so nice, I had an idea.

"I have a barn out back and he can stay in there. There's an old whelping box and a bale of straw, and you can bed him up in there. I'll go out once a day to feed him and only charge you half price."

Now, I kind of meant it as a joke, because no one would really agree to that. But they looked at each other for a moment and then said yes. I grabbed a flashlight and showed them the way. We filled the box with straw and got him a bowl of water and they left without so much as a look back. It hit me then that I was likely going to get stuck with a puppy. Still, I was getting hungry and more than a little chilled. 

The kitchen table overlooks the back lot where the barn and kennel are. During dinner I noticed a lot of activity near the barn. A couple of raccoons scurried in and out, a small gaggle of Canadians wandered in; the stray cat that hangs around slinked into the corner; and an unusual number of cardinals landed on the railing next to the door. A sheep from the Joseph farm down the street even made an appearance.

As I watched, a bright light rose over the barn, bathing it in a welcoming light. Out of the shadows came three people—men it looked like, carrying rifles. Hunters from the acreage out back I surmised. This was starting to get interesting and I wiped the coleslaw off my chin and went outside. 

"What are you doing here/" I asked the hunters, noticing that none of the animals were scared away by us. A cardinal even landed on my head.

"We heard there was a puppy here," said the tallest hunter, "we wanted to see it."

"Why?"

"We heard it's a really excellent puppy," said the hunter with big feet.

The hunter with glasses said, "Yeah, maybe even a champion."

"Where'd you hear that?" I asked.

They looked at each other and shrugged. It was then I saw that the rising light in the sky was a police helicopter. The hunters tossed some beef jerky and a handful of peanuts into the puppy's bowl and stole off into the darkness. The helicopter made a couple of passes around the barn, then disappeared behind trees. 

I opened the flashlight app on my iPhone and shone it in the barn. Two geese were keeping the puppy warm, and while cardinals kept watch, the cat watched mice play from his perch on a shelf next to an old carburetor. I shone the light on the puppy who was snuggled happily between the geese, sleeping.

"That sure is a pretty good puppy," I said aloud, and the sheep glanced at me. "But," I said to him," I wouldn't go so far as to call him a champion."

"Baaaa," he said.

"Humbug to you," I said. 

The gander eyed me scornfully.

"Don't give me that," I said, "he walked right into that one."

I went back into the house for a heavier coat, a couple of Christmas cookies and an old sleeping bag. I grabbed a box of Cheerios on the way out, and picked up a lawn chair from the garage. Then I set up inside the barn and settled in for the night, tossing cereal to the geese and the birds, and eventually falling asleep next to the sheep. When I woke in the morning everyone was gone except the puppy, who was curled up under a half a foot of straw. I figured the kids would be up pretty soon and would be getting restless.

One of the hunters, the one with the big feet, ran into the barn.

"You ain't seen the other two, have you?" he said.

I shook my head. He looked past me toward the whelping box. 

"What are you going to do with that puppy?" he asked.

"He's not mine," I said.

"Yeah well," he said, "we'll see about that."

"Who are you people?" I said. 

He peeked outside, looked one way, then the other, then lit off for the wood line. I looked down and the puppy was peeing on my shoe.

"You're not THAT good a puppy," I said, and he looked at me with guiltless eyes. I fed him some Cheerios and he licked my hand, wagging his tail. I thought, "Still..."

 

Why Good Food Matters

Before May we had one dog, Leo. Then we adopted Gordy who has filled the slot of emergency back-up dog. You should always have a dog and an emergency back-up dog. I have told the story of where he came from, but the short version is he was being trained to be a service dog but didn't quite make the cut and washed out. Thanks to Sue, who works for me, we were able to adopt him. He's been a great fit for everyone and is a great dog. Here they are together, Leo on the right, Gordy on the left.

When we got Gordy we noticed that his coat was coarse and a little scraggly, and he shed a lot. A LOT. We have always fed high quality food, in our case we have long used Hills Science Diet but there are many fine brands. We give a few treats and the occasional people food, but mainly our dogs eat Hills. And come September we noticed a funny thing. His coat was significantly better. It was smooth, soft, glossy, and it just looked better, like a golden retriever should. And we have noticed a lot less shedding.

My wife the veterinarian has always touted the benefit of quality food but this is the first time we've been able to experience first hand how amazing it is. It's one thing to tell people something you've learned from the Hills sales representatives, and it's another to be able to say, "My dog..."

I want to mention the service dog facility for a minute.  They are a fine place and do great works in trying to supply dogs to people who need them, but they are a non-profit and run on a tight budget. I cannot fault them one little bit for having to save money on food. If they have X number of dollars to spend on food and they can get 100 pounds of brand A or 200 pounds of brand B they are going to choose B and I don't blame them. I would too. It's up to the forever home to upgrade foods.

Any good brand is fine, Hills, Iams, Pro Plan, and the many, many, many small label premium foods.  But don't expect instant results. It took a good four months for us to notice and we weren't looking. I guess we could have seen subtle changes earlier but for us it was kind of a light bulb moment, where we said, "Hey, do you think his coat is better?" So it pays to either be patient, or to just not be paying attention.

8 Thanksgiving foods that can kill your dog

How's that for attention grabbing headlines? Well, we don't want to se your Turkey dAy ruined by a trip to the vet. Check it out.

Helpful Tips to Kick off the Food Season

Tis the season...to eat.  Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving leftovers. Halloween candy that you hid from your kids. Christmas cookies friends made and gave to you two weeks early. Little bowls of red and green Hershey kisses at reception desks and bank teller windows. The freaking Mallomars that only come out this time of year. Parties. Office parties (they are distinctly different beasts and deserve their own category). Recipe testing for things you want to make other people. The bread/soup cook-off you signed up for at the office (okay maybe that's just a few of us). Christmas eve dinner. Christmas dinner. New Year's Eve. New Years Day football watching snacks. All the stuff you haven't eaten by January 2 but can't bring yourself to throw away.

So in an effort to help you make the food BETTER, here are turkey tips from Alton Brown, and Ten Turkey Alternatives for Vegetarians. Enjoy!


Later maybe we'll post tips for kicking off the diet season. 

Packing for the Great White North

As you may remember, my daughter  graduated college last June and has since moved to Toronto to carve out a life for herself. After a wee bit of homesickness (which she alleviated in part by getting a dog)

she is now doing very well. So we have planned a trip to visit her on her birthday in a few weeks.

Now, I usually wait to pack until the last minute, but I figure what with it being a foreign country and all I had better make a list of things to take, because who knows what they have in Canada? So here is my list so far.

Brand new undies for the border crossing strip search.

American to Canadian dictionary

Rolls of pennies to make up for the one cent difference in the exchange rate.

Parka, boots, scarf, mittens, long johns, electric socks, Chap Stick

'Curling for Dummies'

American bacon

All my Neil Young and Bryan Adams cd's.

My 'Annotated Guide to Canadian Prime Ministers' coffee table pop-up book.

Moose repellant


Plus, I'll have to practice saying, "It really sucks they're not playing hockey yet," with a straight face. 

If you have any suggestion, I'd be glad to hear them.