Revisiting the dog days of summer

Well, it’s November, so I’m only three months behind with August’s monthly roundup. Here are sixteen sensational posts I enjoyed during the dog days of summer…

  1. Peas in a Pod from Poochie Project – I love seeing two pups snuggled up together. (One of these days, Bella and Tavish!)
  2. Guarding the Toys from Peggy’s Pet Place – Kelly and Bella have a lot in common.
  3. 3 Ways I’d Really Change Dog Adoptions from Something Wagging This Way Comes – Yet another thought-provoking post from this fantastic blog. It really had me pondering the role of good communication in improving the process.
  4. Why I’ve decided it’s nice to have a sister from Roxy the Traveling Dog – I hope that one day Bella will pen a similar post about having a brother.
  5. Favorite Video Friday – Lost Pet Reunions from No Dog About It – Not going to lie, it’s totally raining on my face right now.
  6. Keeping a New Year’s Resolution: Volunteer Leslie Forte from City Dogs Rescue – Can’t go wrong with the tale of an inspiring volunteer.
  7. Happy Birthday, Ty! from Take Paws – I love Ty’s life lessons.
  8. I am Genetically Altered – Given that the title of this blog was inspired because of my response to the “when are you having kids” question, I absolutely adored this post. I’m much more likely to turn into mush at the sight of a puppy than a baby. How about you?
  9. If Dogs Spoke English from Something Wagging This Way Comes – It’s a good question. What do you wish you could tell your dog?
  10. How did YOU Name Your Dog? from Dakota’s Den – You guys were full of good questions that month, huh?
  11. What Would Your Name Be If Your Dog Had Chosen It? from My Brown Newfies – See what I mean? So many good questions!
  12. I wish I could be more like my dog from The Daily Dog Blog – Me too, my friend.
  13. I Kept Him Because His Breath Burns My Nostrils, and a Few Other Counterintuitive Reasons from Chronicles of Cardigan – Foster failure!
  14. Pancake Catching Fail from Pooch Smooches – The title says it all.
  15. Cat Immersion Project Eases Teen’s Loneliness from Bunny’s Blog – It’ll rain on your face again, but it’s worth it.
  16. If Dogs Talked About Us from Something Wagging This Way Comes – I do wonder sometimes…

I’ll try not to be so delinquent with future link roundups. Enjoy!

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What’s your favorite holiday special?

I know everyone loves It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (and if I drew you a Venn diagram right now, a tiny circle labeled “me” would appear within that larger circle labeled “everyone”). However, I have to admit that there’s a Halloween special that beats it for me. Any guesses? Hint: it stars a big fat Halloween cat

Revisiting this one made me wonder – what’s your favorite holiday special? I tend to think that Halloween kind of kicks off the holiday season, so feel free to talk Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday that floats your boat.

Here’s a few (non-exhaustive) lists to get you started: Halloween specials, Thanksgiving specials, and Christmas specials. (Disclaimer: in my book, any list that doesn’t include the Garfield special for the holiday in question is not complete.)

I do love holiday TV (as my viewing habits during the next two months will reflect), so my list could go on and on. Feel free to discuss your favorites in the comments and perhaps I’ll share some of them during the holiday season! I’ll also tell you more about my favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas specials too as the dates get closer. Time to get into the holiday spirit!

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The Secret Around-the-World Adventures of Owney, the Postal Dog

Have you ever heard the tale of Owney the Postal Dog? In the 1890s, the US Postal Service adopted a mailbag-loving mutt from Albany as its unofficial mascot and allowed him to travel wherever he chose by hopping on trains with the mail. Owney the Postal Dog journeyed across the country, collecting souvenir tags everywhere he went, and eventually even made a trip around the world.

Today, St. Louis artist David Montgomery and writer Marcelo Vital are trying to bring this cute pooch’s globetrotting adventures to life in a new graphic novel, “The Secret Around-the-World Adventures of Owney, the Postal Dog.”

The pair has set a Kickstarter goal campaign to cover production costs for the all-ages, 110-page full color book. (Check out some of the illustrations – they’re utterly charming.) They are also offering creative incentives to backers for various pledge levels – like autographed and limited edition copies of the book, personalized dog tags, original custom drawings and even having your pets appear as characters in the story alongside Owney!

Intrigued? Check out the video below, and then visit the Kickstarter page for more info.

Dog-Loving Disclaimer: The duo contacted me about sharing this project on my blog. However, I received nothing in return for sharing this campaign – I just think it’s cute and worth sharing with you guys! 

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Give me liberty, but not a bath

So just where have I been lately? (Aside from the obligatory storm prep, of course.) Good question. Among other things, I was beset by allergies, went to a conference, took Bella to the vet, attended a wedding, hung out with friends, and gave Bella a bath. I meant to blog as well, but it just didn’t happen. I guess I needed a bit of a break.

(I’m sorry I missed Friday’s link roundup. However, if you need a dose of linky goodness, check out my guest post over at Kol’s Notes!)

I’m hoping to schedule a few posts today before the inevitable power outage, but we’ll see how far I get. The storm may have other ideas.

In any event, the photo below represents how Bella felt about this entire weekend. On Saturday, she visited the vet, where she was poked and prodded. She has allergies and a slight bacterial infection on her paws, so she’s now the victim of a medicated spray twice daily, in addition to antibiotics and a weekly sponge bath of her legs with medicated shampoo. The vet also recommended a full bath with the medicated shampoo to kick things off. Bella did not approve. Talk about making me feel guilty…

Bella bath

Want to see more Monday Mischief? Swing by My Brown Newfies and join the Monday Mischief Blog Hop!

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Portrait of an unhappy Bella

I realize I’ve been a bit MIA of late… allow me to make it up to you with a photo of Bella. (Given that I took this photo at the vet on Saturday, I still have to figure out how to make it up to Bella. She looks rather Henri-esque here, if you ask me.)

Bella at the vet (b&w)

I’ll be attempting to catch up on the blog while I still have power; however, the impending storm may have other ideas. My power tends to go out when someone sneezes, so I won’t be surprised if it’s more of the same this time. Anyway…

Digging the black & white vibe we’ve got going on today? It’s part of the Black & White Sunday blog hop hosted by You Did What With Your Weiner, My Life in Blog Years, and Dachshund Nola. Stop by one of those blogs to link up and join the fun!

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It’s a dog’s life…

You’ve probably heard the phrase “it’s a dog’s life.” Although the meaning has changed over the years, it used to indicate that life was hard and unpleasant. Whoever coined that phrase obviously never met my dogs…

Sleepy Bella

You wish you could live Bella's life. (I do too.)

Interesting how the meaning of that phrase has changed over the years. A dog’s life sounds pretty good to me! (I realize that yet again I’ve gone off on another tangent about language. I just can’t help myself.)

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Through Oct. 27, help rescue pets without leaving your chair! #BtC4A

As you know, I think rescue rocks. (Bella and Tavish are both rescue pups, after all.)

Today, I’ve got an exciting opportunity to share with you – through October 27, you can help rescue pets just by clicking your mouse. Sounds great, right? Read on, dear friend… Continue reading

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Paw Night Long

Yesterday, I promised you some Saturday Night Links. It’s time for me to deliver…

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Nigel Lythgrowle and Whinin’ L. Richie. (Also, enjoy this bonus punny action and the next installment of my continuing Lionel Richie obsession.)
  2. Speaking of puns (because I always am), I’m loving these street fliers… pages and pages of tearable puns!
  3. Possible new reality show: So You Think You Can See Puppies at a Dance Festival.
  4. It’s time for some pretty – enjoy these Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners.
  5. You know what else you need today? Puppies playing. You’re welcome.
  6. I bet this cat has some pointers on how to pick up chicks. Once you’ve mastered the art of the pickup, these dogs will teach you to take your date for a drive.

As always, we end with a video. With all apologies to Jewel, this video was meant for me, and I was meant for it.

Dancing Dog – watch more funny videos
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Press release: Dog quits ZZ Top

I’m a little off my game this week. Instead of your usual Friday link roundup, today I’m sharing a few photos. (After all, I missed my usual Wordless Wednesday post.) Tomorrow, I’ll have a special Saturday edition of linky goodness for you. After that, perhaps I’ll be back on track. We’ll see…

Anyway, you may remember that Tavish was kind of a scraggly guy when he first came to live with us. When we had him groomed for the first time, he cleaned up quite nicely. However, he was having some tooth issues then and wouldn’t let the groomer do anything to his face, hence his ZZ Top facial hair.

Today, he took his second trip to the groomer, and the ZZ Top days are no more. Check him out:

Tavish after his second groom.

This one remind anyone else of picture day in elementary school?

Not too shabby, huh? (Although perhaps I should have waited and just let him go as ZZ Top for Halloween.)

After a trip to the groomer, he’s always kind of pooped. So, he and Bella decided to hop on the couch for a nap. (She’s all about the moral support, that one.)

Puppy buddies!

Tavish posed, while Bella gave me The Look for disturbing her sleep.

Conked out... I wish I could join them!

This photo makes me sleepy.

That’s all for today… check back tomorrow for your weekly link roundup!

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Sticks, stones & words: The power of language

Words are deceptively powerful. Stringing letters together in just the right order can inspire, entertain, educate, and even wound. There’s truth in many an old adage, and I do believe that the pen (or in this case, the keyboard) is mightier than the sword.

(Wondering where I’m going with this one and why I’m posting it here? I promise that it ties back into puppies at the end. Stick with me.)

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