7 For All Dogkind

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Confession: I’ve been a bit behind on my blog reading lately.

someecards.com - My puppy's attention span is almost as tragically short as mine.

Bella is like a goldfish in dog form.

However, in spite of my tendency to get distracted by shiny things, I did manage to bookmark a few posts for September’s monthly roundup. So, without further ado, here are a few of the blog posts that made me smile in the month of September:

  1. How Getting a Dog Saves You Money from Something Wagging This Way Comes – You can’t argue with that logic.
  2. Work Stinks: Desmond Wants to Quit His Job from Life with Desmond – Um, there are Office Space quotes, so I’m gonna need you to head on over and read this post, okay? Bring your flair.
  3. What’s on YOUR Playlist? Part 1 (and Part 2) from Bringing Up Bella – Head on over to enjoy some mellifluous melodies, many of them about marvelous mutts.
  4. Meme Mood Monday – Giving Thanks from Champion of My Heart – I just adore this sweet photo.
  5. Mickey & Jermaine – Dog Comedy Skits To Brighten Your Day from The Pet Blog Lady – I’m all about day brightening on this blog, after all.
  6. 13 Things (besides obscenities) to Not Name Your Dog from Chronicles of Cardigan – Both the post and the comments deserve a few moments of your time. Trust me, I’m a blogger.
  7. Comic Sans because dogs don’t talk in Times New Roman from The Poodle (and dog) blog – Comic Sans is like the lolcat of fonts, right?

Did I miss any of your September faves? If so, please share them in the comments!

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#K9Kamp: The Movie

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Tavish makes his debut as a film star, with an assist from Bella…

We tend to rate Tavish’s energy level on any given day using a sliding scale of Tavishes. One Tavish is pretty energetic. On occasion, I’ve rated him at about fifteen Tavishes. So, it should come as no surprise that he’s making sure we keep moving this month. He’s like an adorable drill sergeant.

Are you participating in K9 Kamp this month? How’s it going for you?

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LOLCat speek hurts mah brain

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I’m puzzled.

Cats. They’re the kings of the jungle. The aloof animals who will let you pet them… but only on their terms. Basically, cats are just too cool for everything. They’re kind of the original hipsters.

via giphy.com

Growing up, I was fairly certain that cats were the smartest creatures out there. Take Garfield, for example. He might be fat and lazy, but he’s also clever and well-spoken. (Well thought-bubbled?) In contrast to sweet, lovable, dim Odie (and hopeless Jon), Garfield was clearly the brains of the operation.

via giphy.com

My first cat, Buttercup, also gave off an air of superiority. She seemed pretty sure that she was… the cat’s pajamas. I wasn’t quite sure where the dogs and I fell on the intelligence continuum, but I knew that it was somewhere below the cat.

So, why did the Internet decide that cats have poor grammar and spelling skills? Honestly, it wouldn’t really surprise me to learn that cats actually speak in Elizabethan English. I’m not joking. Cats probably judge our grammar. (I’m pretty sure that this cat does. And this one just judges us. For everything. I told you cats were hipsters.)

I’m genuinely curious. Who decided that if adorable animals could talk, they’d sound like they recently suffered some sort of head injury? It’s fascinating that lolcat has become its own weird language. You can even translate regular English into lolcat (and it seems that lolcat has its own set of rules) – hence the grammatically tortured title of this post. (You can also read the Bible in lolcat, if that’s your jam.)

Don’t get me wrong… I’m as charmed by emoticats as the next gal. However, this whole phenomenon is beyond my comprehension. I know that some of you out there may be more comfortable with lolcat speak than I am – if so, care to enlighten me? (I mean, the guy who founded that Cheezburger site is obviously doing pretty well for himself, so perhaps I’m the one who is missing something here.)

Maybe cats are actually behind this whole LOLCat thing… they’re lulling us into a false sense of security. Then they’ll make their move.

via giphy.com

You’ve been warned.

Do you speak lolcat? I’d love to hear why it appeals to you. If you’re not a fan, why not? What do you think cats would sound like if they could talk to us?

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PFL: Panda Football League

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I’ve been quite remiss in delivering your Friday linkage lately. You may wonder where I’ve been. I promise, I was not off doing this. Some days I have felt like this, however.

In any event, Friday linkage is back. I was going to bust out the formalwear to celebrate the occasion (or just some tiny hats), but I hope you don’t mind that I was too lazy to do so.

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Chick Jagger, Sheddie Money, Mane Brady, Drooly Andrews, and Robert Sniffin III.
  2. So, I don’t know about you, but I’d totally cheer for a team named the Washington Redpandas. (Sorry, New York Giants… I’d drop you like a hot potato. No, changing your name to the New York Giant Pandas wouldn’t change my mind. I’m a red panda gal at heart. You should totally do it anyway though. Cleveland Brown Pandas, you’re on notice too.)
  3. In case you were wondering how I feel when I even think of the remote possibility that red pandas could finally get their moment in the sun, this video clip should clear it up. (I’m so excited. So excited.)
  4. I’m trying not to think about the fact that it will probably never happen. It will only break my heart. (Speaking of Calvin & Hobbes…)
  5. On another panda-related note, I’m pretty sure that this was the best thing to come out of that shutdown nonsense.

I’m just going to put it out there – I am in favor of recreating all music videos with dog stars. We can call it DMTV. The videos can air at halftime during PFL (Panda Football League) games:

That’s all for today. In case you missed it, here’s what we’ve been up to on the blog since the last Friday link roundup:

Here’s hoping that the next month won’t be as crazy as the last one… I kind of missed my Friday links (whether you did or not)!

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DOGma: Channel your inner bitch & take up some space

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Sometimes – okay, all the time – I want to write about something, but I can’t quite figure out how it fits into this blog. Often, I’ll jot down the idea, which then languishes on my list of post ideas until I forget what inspired it in the first place. Other times, I’ll stretch things just a bit… forcing a round peg into a square hole (do I have that backwards?) and hoping you’ll indulge me. Today is one of those days. Let’s all say some affirmations together and hope it works out, okay?

What’s today’s topic? Well, it’s about space. A few friends shared this video on Facebook, and I just knew I had to say something about it. Hang in there. There’s a dog connection at the end for the patient among you… Continue reading →

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#BtC4A: Turning shelter dogs into social butterflies?

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Blog the ChangeIt’s time for yet another edition of Blog the Change for Animals. This time around, I thought I’d talk about dog socialization and the ways in which shelter dogs can benefit from being socialized. Sometimes, socialization at the shelter can make a huge difference in the life of a dog.

I was inspired to write about this topic today because of a program that’s currently going on at Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA), a local no-kill shelter (and the reason I have a Tavish snoring by my side). FOHA has started play groups for some of the dogs – they get together weekly to work on socialization.  The play groups often result in fun videos like this one:

I love that FOHA focuses on dog socialization. It’s a great way to get the dogs out of their runs and to let them learn how to interact with people and other dogs in a relaxed setting. While this type of group might not work for every dog, it can help prepare some dogs for their future adoptive families. Structured play groups can enrich the lives of dogs while they are in the shelter. In addition, these type of groups can be useful for training and assessment. Finally, they can give shelters a chance to show off some of their adoptable pups having fun and being adorable (like the dogs in the video above).

I’m far from an expert on this issue, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you have any experience with shelter play groups? Would you be interested in implementing this sort of program at your local shelter? For more information about play groups, check out Playing for Life!, a training and behavior program focused on this issue.

I’m not the only one blogging the change for animals today. Check out these other great posts:

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I’ve got 99 problems, but #K9Kamp ain’t one

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You have no idea how much I’m dying to change that “ain’t” to an “isn’t” – I’m feeling twitchy about it. Really twitchy. Anyway…

So, as you may have noticed, posts have slowed a bit around these parts. September and October have teamed up to kick my ass, but not in a useful, personal trainer way. Instead, they’ve just conspired to keep me from relaxing and having any free time to recharge and work on the blog. (Don’t get me wrong – some of the busy is fun or fun-adjacent. Some of it, however, is the opposite of that.)

In addition to September and October refusing to pack in a few more days so I can get things done, other forces have conspired to keep me from my gym, which is currently closed for the foreseeable future. I was finally in a routine, too. Le sigh. So, I’m basically a hot mess right now on all fronts.

k9kamp canine fitness blog challenge

Enter K9 Kamp.

This month’s challenge? Do more.

Um…

I’ll admit – my first instinct upon learning this month’s challenge was to turn off my laptop, put it in a box, put that box in the closet, secure that closet with a padlock, and swallow the key. (My second instinct was to return the padlock and key and purchase a combination lock instead. Why swallow a key – a key, people – when I could just tear up the paper with the combination?) The idea of somehow doing “more” this month seemed… daunting. (Heck, even this post is late.)

However, my crippling Internet addiction weighed against placing my laptop in quarantine, so here I am. Also, considering the gym embargo, I most certainly do need to be doing more. This month, K9 Kamp is encouraging its campers (kampers?) to get active with your dog, 30 to 40 minutes extra, three to four times per week. The theme is fitness fun and games. Bella was excited when tug appeared on that list, so I guess I have no choice but to go for it. I’m working on a plan to get moving…

Will you be joining us at Kamp? Head on over to Kol’s Notes and Peggy’s Pet Place to find out more about this session and to find out how you can win some great prizes, including some fabulous handmade jewelry from For Love of a Dog.

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