June 2010

Monthly Archives: June 2010

No Self Control

Written on June 29, 2010 by Scout the Dog in dog behavior, food, humans, management skill

Does a dog have any self control? That’s a good question and I’m not sure if I know the answer.

Let’s examine food in relation to self control. I’m pretty well-behaved, so they tell me. I’ve seen other dogs constantly scrounging for food and I don’t do that. I would if I could, but the scrounger has been trained out of me by my family. Another training technique they used was making me wait for my meals. Oh, the sweet torture! Shoes on the Floor would give me the command to sit, put food in my bowl and make me wait about fifteen excruciating seconds (full of drool, need and want) before saying the magic word, “Okay.”

:: busted ::

I guess that training has set me up to behave pretty well around food. Doesn’t mean I’m not opportunistic… read on, my sisters.

A-Dog used to do a lot of baking B.C. and I was not much interested in the end result. Although that chocolate smell is dee-vine! In the baking process, sometimes it makes sense to bring butter to room temperature, which means it needs to sit out for a couple hours. And in that couple hours, I may catch a whiff of said butter about 1,874 times. I don’t think it’s a question of self control when there is torture involved.

The score? Scout the Dog 2 — Sticks of Butter 0.

Then there was the Onion Kulcha – oy! Unfortunately, onions are toxic for dogs. But I am a self-confessed bread hound. Love the stuff. I find it hard to resist under regular circumstances, but the fragrant Indian bread, makes my nose dance. Left unattended, I made that flat loaf all mine. The confusion and panic that ensued may have been funny, if not for the call to Doggie Poison Control and the words induce vomiting. I’ll spare you the details, but “better in than out” has a whole new meaning for me now.

I guess from these examples of behavior that self control is a human trait and we dogs still rely on instinct. Makes us charming and disarming, yes? And that photo above? I had just eaten a sandwich off the counter. Will they never learn?

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Dogs Without Blogs :: Bunny

Written on June 24, 2010 by Scout the Dog in dog stalker, dogs without blogs

I love that there are dogs in this world who can wear fashion and look stylish (dig the photographic evidence below.) Today I get to share a lovely greyhound, Bank on Benefit, better known as Bunny. Along with her human, Carrie, they write a blog chronicling daily life with a houseful of canines. So, Bunny does have a blog… but she’s such a sweet girl, you really won’t mind that technicality.

:: bunny ::

Dog Questions
What is your name?
My racing name is Bank On Benefit, but everybody calls me Bunny.

What breed of dog are you?
I’m all greyhound! Even though I’m on the petite side.

How old are you?
I’m three and a half.

Where did you come from (pound, rescue, breeder)?
I was adopted through Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption (QCGA).

What nicknames do the humans call you?
Bunny Foo Foo, Pupcake, Princess, Sweet Pea, Hey you, get out of that!

Do you like any of your nicknames?
Pupcake is my favorite, because when Mom says it, she thinks I’m sweet.

What is your favorite walk/hike?
I love any walk or hike! As long as I get to go out and sniff the world, I’m a happy puppy. I have really been enjoying walks down by the riverfront near here lately.

What is your go to toy?
My Mother Bunny bunny or my talking rose

:: pupcake ::

What is the most fashionable thing you wear?
Oh, that’s a hard question because I am a fashion hound! I have some very fancy collars and coats. My favorite one is from 2 Hounds Design and it has flowers embroidered on it. I also have a very cool collar from The Unruly Hound that has my name embroidered on it.

If you’re a reader, what is your favorite book?
I rather enjoyed Walter The Farting Dog. It made me laugh.

What is the oddest thing you’ve ever done?
Lilac is another greyhound who lives here with us and she’s really old. She has SLO, which is an autoimmune disease that makes her toenails fall off. Well, one fell off the other day and I ate it. It can’t be worse than horse hooves, right?

What is the treat you will do anything for?
Frosty Paws drive me wild! I also am very fond of apple cider.

:: sweet pea ::

What is your greatest skill?
Getting people to pet me at will.

If you could speak only one sentence, what would you say?
Pet me, you know you want to!

What is your favorite human food?
Steak

If you could be granted 3 wishes, what would they be?
That all greyhounds would find great homes after retirement, that I could finally finish my hole to China and that Mom would quit her job and stay home with me all the time, or take me with her wherever she went.

What do you love most about your human?
I loved her the minute I laid eyes on her. Not that I don’t love Dad, too, but Mom is really my person. She just sees how special and adorable I am and she gets me. She snuggles with me, takes me on adventures and helps me write my blog.

Human Questions
What is your dog’s name?
Her name is Bunny.

:: princess of all she surveys ::

What breed of dog do you have?
She’s a greyhound who was “retired” early because she was too little to race.

How old is your dog?
She’s three and a half, but she’s always surprised me with her maturity. She’s an old soul.

Where did you get your dog (pound, rescue, breeder)?
We got her from a greyhound adoption group.

What nicknames do you call your dog?
Pupcake, Sweetheart, Princess of All She Surveys, Your Hineyness

What is the best thing you’ve taught your dog?
The only thing I can really take credit for is teaching her to walk on a leash. She’d never been on one before we got her. The rest of the training that’s been done is her training us!

How does your dog make you laugh?
She runs and plays in the house, and she’ll do this little wiggle on her back on the carpet that’s just adorable. She also stalks ice cream and yogurt.

:: bunny foo foo ::

Is there any weird behavior you’d like to share about your dog?
She’s surprisingly normal considering how weird the rest of us are.

What is your favorite walk/hike to take?
I love walking her on trails, pretty much anywhere shady. I love scenic spots where we can get good photos.

What is the best toy you’ve given your dog?
Probably her Mother Bunny bunny, although the Kong Wubba is a new highlight here at our house.

If your dog could speak only one sentence, what would he/she say?
I didn’t say you were finished — keep petting me!

What is the most annoying behavior your dog exhibits?
All her behaviors are quite endearing to me, but she does get a little over excited on the few rare occasions when we have company.

Does your dog wear anything fashionable?
Ha ha! She has Posh Pawz and Voyager’s coats, more collars than I can count and even a bottle of Poodle Pink Pawlish that we crack out once in a while for nursing home visits.

Has your dog ever destroyed anything in your home?
She’s shredded a few catalogs, but that’s about it.

What do you love most about your dog?
Oh wow! She’s just overwhelmingly sweet! When I lost my first greyhound, I was just bereft. We went to the adoption kennel and I met about a dozen very sweet dogs, but they just didn’t have that special connection for me. Then the woman said they had one new girl in, but they didn’t know much about her, but I could meet her if I wanted to. She walked in and leaned against me so calmly, I couldn’t believe she was only eighteen months old. She has really healed our hearts and she just makes every day a joy. Life is just so much better with her here!

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Such a charming family! You can meet the whole crazy bunch on their blog, Tales and Tails, that has silly & sweet greyhounds, funny moments and beautiful photographs. Check out their Facebook Page too. Thanks Bunny and Carrie for sharing a bit about yourselves on my dog blog.

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who is your dog?

Have you signed up for the “Dogs Without Blogs” feature yet?

Whether you’re human or canine, I love to brag about dogs.

Visit our Facebook page to sign up here!

Would love to hear from you…

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Anatomy of a Bark

Written on June 22, 2010 by Cyn in barking, dog behavior

I am the author today on Scout’s blog to give my perspective on when our girl started barking.

:: on guard ::

Scout did not bark for the first nine months of her life. We were amazed by her silence. Even as a puppy, she was a very quiet dog. She did a little whimpering her first night with us in her crate, but once she figured out the “rules,” we didn’t hear another sound until her excited noises came loud and clear before release.

At the onset of her barking, many events collided in our lives as a family. We moved from a condo to a house in my second trimester of my first pregnancy. We opted for an electronic fence to keep Scout safe in our yard, as the street can be used as a cross-through. So, new house, new yard, new perimeter that could not be broken and a little bambino on the way to protect.

:: ready to woof to the woo ::

The first time I remember her barking was after I brought our newborn home. There was lots of traffic: people, cars, packages, the poor UPS man… I remember thinking, “Who is this dog?” I was so tired, you might have convinced me that she was an impostor. We eventually figured out the collision of events above might be the cause.

Or she was simply just old enough to find her bark.

Scout still doesn’t bark often. She is mostly a silent communicator – her body language speaks loud and clear. She sets herself up right in front of you and stares you down with those golden eyes. And she only does this when her need is great… food, water, doing some business.

But when she barks, she is one scary hairball. I appreciate her protection when I’m home alone or just with the boys. Scout’s deep, throaty bark is something to behold from such a sweet girl.

And I know he probably doesn’t read this blog, but I’m sending out a big apology to our UPS man. Somewhere, somehow he knows that she’s just doing her job.

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Dog Smooches

Written on June 15, 2010 by Scout the Dog in dog behavior, Flickr, Love

In the dog world, is there anything that gets a better reaction?

I brought up the subject of Dog Smooches on Facebook the other day. Humans have very strong feelings about being smooched by those of us with furry britches.

Why do we smooch? We have different reasons in different situations. If we get excited or you’re excited and part of your body is within reach, we’ll throw you a lick or two.

If your face is anywhere near our face, we must lick. When your face is near ours, it’s a special occasion… like bringing out the good dishes for company. Your human faces are so often far away from ours, we just can’t help ourselves.

I’ve heard some say that we lick as a sign of submissive behavior, acknowledging dominance to the human or dog we’re licking. I’m not so sure about that one. If I’m being submissive, getting my face near the dominant being is not something I’ll be willing to do.

Let’s just assume the smooches are love, as evidenced below.
Some assumptions are good, right?

Photo Credits:
1. Dog Kiss, 2. A dog kiss, 3. Dog Kiss, 4. Dog kiss., 5. dog kiss b, 6. Dog Kisses Baby, 7. My Dog Gives Good Kisses, 8. dog kiss, 9. Dog Kiss

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Scout the Dog

Written on June 10, 2010 by Scout the Dog in dogs without blogs

I’ve been running a series called Dogs Without Blogs, featuring all kinds of fabulous pooches. Some of you have asked me to take on these burning questions myself. Careful what you wish for…

look into my eyes

Dog Questions
What is your name?
Scout the Dog.

What breed of dog are you?
A Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

How old are you?
I’ll be nine in August.

Where did you come from (pound, rescue, breeder)?
I came from a friend of the family who was breeding his dog just one time.

What nicknames do the humans call you?
Scooter, Scooter-Pants, Princess Click-Click, Sis-tah

Do you like any of your nicknames?
I love them all!

pretty profile

What is your favorite walk/hike?
I like hiking in the woods, off-leash.

What is your go to toy?
Tossable Water Kong.

What is the most fashionable thing you wear?
My collar from Sugar Plum Collars is about as fashionable as I get. Although, I have been told that I have a lovely coat.

If you’re a reader, what is your favorite book?
The Art of Racing in the Rain – that book really had a great dog voice.

What is the treat you will do anything for?
Peanut butter or cheese.

What is your greatest skill?
I’m an excellent swimmer.

If you could speak only one sentence, what would you say?
One sentence wouldn’t be enough. Hence the blog :)

What is your favorite human food?
Meat.

What do you love most about your human?
Just being with the whole family.

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Human Questions
What is your dog’s name?
Scout, named after the character in To Kill a Mockingbird. If she could wear overalls and climb trees, she would.

What breed of dog do you have?
She’s all Chessie.

How old is your dog?
She’s an old lady, almost nine.

Where did you get your dog (pound, rescue, breeder)?
Our friend got his Chessie, BeBe, from a breeder. Their agreement included BeBe having one litter of puppies. Scout was one of those – we picked her out of the litter.

What nicknames do you call your dog?
All the ones she listed and also Dee-Oh-Gee (say it fast.)

How does your dog make you laugh?
Chessies talk with a growly roo-roo-roo sound. I can make her talk for a long time and it always makes me laugh.

What is your favorite walk/hike to take?
We love taking trail hikes/runs on wooded trails near our house. Scout can run off-leash and so can we.

What is the best toy you’ve given your dog?
When she was a puppy and had to be crated, we would give her a small Kong filled with peanut butter. It would keep her busy for hours.

If your dog could speak only one sentence, what would he/she say?
Never leave me.

What is the most annoying behavior your dog exhibits?
She eats unsavory findings, then suffers for them later. The cure? Challah bread.

What do you love most about your dog?
She is incredibly sweet. It just radiates from her like warm sunshine.

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who is your dog?

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Photo Shoot

Written on June 8, 2010 by Scout the Dog in dogs, photography

Because A-Dog and I run RiverDog Prints together, we needed some fresh publicity shots of us as a team. I am not opposed to cameras, but I don’t pose. I have a “catch me if you can” philosophy. Below is Shoes-on-Floor‘s attempt at getting a good shot:

And the final selections:

with a little photo editing...

a self-portrait from A-Dog

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Handmade Dog Bowls

Written on June 3, 2010 by Scout the Dog in dog bowl, Etsy, handmade

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from SchefferPottery on Etsy

Greetings!

We dogs look forlornly into our empty food bowls quite a bit.
And when we drink out of our water bowls, we can see the bottom of the bowl.
How cool is that?

So, why not give us a couple bowls made with love by someone’s hands? When we’re done eating, maybe instead of thinking, “There no more food?”, we’ll be distracted by the attractive design.

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Dogs Without Blogs :: Beans

Written on June 1, 2010 by Scout the Dog in dogs without blogs

If you’ve been reading this series, you know that I am a huge fan of the name Beans. I’m not sure why I like it so much, but the dogs always seem to fit the name in a spunky, original, free-spirited sort of way. Let’s check out Beans from Reno.

Beans the Wonder Dog

Dog Questions
What is your name?
Beans the Wonder Dog

What breed of dog are you?
I’m a Chiweenie

How old are you?
I think I’m eleven, but I feel like I’m seven.

Where did you come from (pound, rescue, breeder)?
I was rescued in 2005. I was wandering around a local truck stop. After a few days, some nice humans took me home, gave me medical attention and lots of love. They had a busy household, so I moved in with my family.

What nicknames do the humans call you?
I answer to Beansie-Reno, Beanie-rrific, and Beansie-Rocket

Beansie-Reno

Do you like any of your nicknames?
I like Beansie-Rocket. I have a bit of an airplane obsession.

What is your favorite walk/hike?
I love to walk along Steamboat Creek which runs behind my house. There are lots of interesting holes to sniff, trees to pee on and butterflies to chase.

What is your go to toy?
My yellow blankie. Oh, so, cozy. I go there when I need some alone time.

What is the most fashionable thing you wear?
I have an airplane collar with my name and cellphone embroidered on it. Girls like it.

If you’re a reader, what is your favorite book?
I’m currently reading, “Who were the Beatles”, but my favorite book is, “Dogerella”

Beansie-Rocket

What is the treat you will do anything for?
Tuna

What is your greatest skill?
I take my fitness very seriously. I can outrun anyone. If I were a human, I could beat you in an arm wrestling contest.

If you could speak only one sentence, what would you say?
Dude, teach me how to use that can opener.

What is your favorite human food?
Spaghettios

What do you love most about your human?
The Mom: My protector and sidekick
The Dad: Warm and snuggly
The Boy: Fun to run and play and jump and roll with
The Girl: I think the sun rises and sets around her

Beanie-rrific

Human Questions
What is your dog’s name?
Beans the Wonder Dog

What breed of dog do you have?
Chiweenie

How old is your dog?
We think he’s eleven-ish

Where did you get your dog (pound, rescue, breeder)?
He was rescued from Boomtown, a local truck stop. He had been wandering around for several days. Friends took him home, cared for him and gave him to my sister-in-law. She had several large dogs so he came to live with us. We were just starting our family and he was the perfect addition.

Chiweenie Beans

What is the best thing you’ve taught your dog?
According to my son, he doesn’t need to be taught anything, “He came programmed to do things automatically”. It’s true!

How does your dog make you laugh?
He’s a little dog who barks like mad at every horse that goes past our house. He acts like he can take them down. He also barks at airplanes, but if a hawk flies overhead, he takes cover.

Is there any weird behavior you’d like to share about your dog?
When my husband is out of town, he won’t go to bed until he leads me to each child’s room to see they are OK. Also, when my daughter is gone, he lays by the door until she returns.

What is your favorite walk/hike to take?
We have a big yard. Several times a day, he runs every inch of it. We call it “securing the perimeter”. He’s also a great companion for neighborhood walks while the kids run or ride bikes.

What is the most annoying behavior your dog exhibits?

Do I see a bike?

He chases cyclists. Lots of road races go past our house and I live in fear he’ll cause a major pile up.

Does your dog wear anything fashionable?
He’s a nudist at heart.

Has your dog ever destroyed anything in your home?
He’s eaten a few plastic ponies, but who hasn’t?

What do you love most about your dog?
He is my sidekick and faithful protector of our kids and our home. He is snuggly, sweet, fun and loving. He means the world to me.

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Sweet Beans — seems like he found the perfect family for him. Thanks for coming by and sharing your doggyhood. I’d also like to thank Angie. She’s the Mom of the house and a talented stationery designer and photographer. You can delight in her stationery designs at her site or on Etsy. All the photos are from her lens and you can see more of her photographic work on Flickr here.

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who is your dog?

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