Catch!

I may have mentioned that Bella does not understand the concept of how to catch a toy.  She always tries to use her paws instead of catching it in her mouth.  My working theory is that she skipped a lot of days in Being a Dog 101.  However, perhaps I wasn’t giving her enough credit – the Beagle in the video below has taking catching with his paws to a whole new level. 

Maybe I just didn’t nurture Bella’s talents… with a little work, perhaps Bella could have been quite the little athlete.

(If you just can’t get enough of this adorable breed, go test your Beagle knowledge with this quiz.)

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If only she had Corgis carrying her train…

Well, the world obviously has a case of wedding fever this week.  Who am I to resist?  After all, I did celebrate my own anniversary yesterday.  I did, however, resist getting up at the crack of dawn to watch the royal wedding and will catch up via DVR instead.  (DVR – best invention ever?)  However, I bet I could have been convinced to get up if I was invited to a celebration like the snazzy one over at Bark’n About.  Anyway…

  1. Your punny pet names: Cat Middleton was perfect for the theme, but it seemed too easy (though I really hope someone has a cat with that name).  So, I also give you… Camilla Barker Bowles.
  2. Have you been to a wedding where the couple’s pet(s) played a role?  As previously discussed, Bella does not travel well.  Thus, we let her snooze at home during the festivities.  It would have been fun to have her there though.  I’ll just have to look at these best dogs and pups of honor instead.  Prefer to let your pets be the star of the show?  Check out this canine wedding photo over at Doggie Stylish or learn about a recent cat wedding in London via Life with Cats.
  3. Want more?  Okay, okay… here are 45 photos of doggie ring bearers.
  4. Larry the Downing Street Cat was all decked out for the royal wedding.  Help him celebrate by checking out this Royal Wedding CATs-travaganza Adoption event.  (It’s part of the PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend happening today through Sunday!)
  5. Are you all about the Union Jacks?  The lovely under the blanket has rounded up some fantastic items with a British theme.
  6. Royal wedding not your style?  Perhaps you’ll enjoy these awesomely geeky weddings instead.

Finally, did you see this fantastic Corgi ad?  (It was to convince people to upgrade to HD coverage of the royal wedding – irrelevant now, but still adorable.)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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Flashback: Corgi, P.I.

It’s almost the first anniversary of I Still Want More Puppies, so
I’m sharing some of my favorite posts with you this week.  The post
below originally appeared on May 14, 2010.  Hope you enjoy!

For the first time, No Frown Friday will let one specific breed take the spotlight.  It seemed like I kept encountering Corgis this week.  It’s a fitting breed for my first breed spotlight – although we’ve been told Bella is a cross between a Beagle and a Jack Russell Terrier, we often get asked if she’s part Corgi.  She does have comically large ears and is low to the ground.  So either that combination results in a suspiciously Corgi-like creature, or there’s some Corgi in her family tree.  Anyway, on with the Corgification:

  1. While watching the Daily Show on Monday night, I saw this segment about Britain’s hung Parliament (that’s right, I keep up with non-puppy news as well).  While the Daily Show is reliably funny, this segment had a little something special – punny pet names!  Specifically, Winston Furchill (a Corgi, of course) and Margaret Scratcher.  Classic.  With that in mind, my own punny pet name this week is based upon one of the talented actresses Britain has bestowed upon us: Mischa Barkton.  (I kid, I kid… but did you know she was born in England?) 
  2. If you love Corgis, there’s a cute blog out there called the Daily Corgi where  I found this picture of a Corgi rocking Bella’s signature pose.  Or maybe Bella has stolen a signature Corgi pose?  The plot thickens…
  3. Who am I kidding?  As if I could only post one new punny pet name.  In honor of today’s Corgi focus, I give you Billy Corgi-an and Corgi Cox.
  4. I just learned that a cross between a Jack Russell Terrier and a Pembroke Welsh Corgi is called a Cojack (info and plethora of adorable pictures here).  I now have an overwhelming urge to adopt one of these dogs, get him hooked on lollipops, and  train him to star in his own police drama.  It seems to me that their short stature makes them the perfect dog detective – they can sniff out clues while staying under the radar.  Also, they are short enough to simply trip bad guys when they try to make a run for it.  However, in order for this police drama to work, Cojack may need a taller dog as a sidekick so that he doesn’t miss any clues that are higher off the ground.
  5. In honor of the future interim Prime Minister, Sir Winston Furchill, here’s another noble Corgi, showing off his kibble dancing skills:


(via Cute Overload)

If you think a short and adorable dog might be for you and are interested in finding a Corgi of your very own, consider rescuing a Corgi.  I hear they are good sports and won’t be offended even if you constantly make fun of their height.  True story.

Have a good weekend, puppy pals!

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Name that Bella

It’s finally here… the Magical Mystery Mutt Tour!  Make sure you also visit my co-hosts Edie (of Will My Dog Hate Me) and Peggy (of Peggy’s Pet Place) today and say hi.  Read on, and then join the hop!

Now, time for everyone’s favorite game: Name… That… Breed!  Below, I’ve provided some info about the dog behind the blog, Ms. Bella.  What breed(s) do you think she is?  Leave your best guesses in the comments.

Bella – a dog of very little brain, but a lot of love.  I tend to think she’s a bit out of proportion – low to the ground, but in possession of big ears and an even bigger posterior.  (Seriously… when she sits, her butt is so big that one of her feet often sticks up in the air.)

She weighs approximately 26 pounds and is roughly 24 inches tall (from her toes to the top of her head).  Health quirks?  She’s got a few.  You’ll frequently hear her reverse sneeze, she gets carsick like a champ, and she gets more than her fair share of ear infections.  In addition, she was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

I’ve never heard her howl.  She barks on occasion, mostly at doorbells (including TV doorbells and the chime at the vet’s office).  She has crazy bursts of energy, but they usually flame out fast.  She loves to cuddle, but hates being under a blanket.  She does like to sleep under pieces of furniture, however.  She hops through the snow like a bunny and loves to run around in the backyard.

Finally, a few photos:

For more photos, well… there’s obviously no Bella shortage on this blog. Let the guessing begin!

Have a mutt? We’d love for you to join the tour!  It’s simple:

1. Link up your blog name and URL using the Linky Tool below.
(Include on your blog a few pictures of your dog, and specific details to help everyone guess.)

2. Grab our Magical Mystery Mutt Tour Blog Hop Badge and include on your post! (optional)

3. Follow your co-hosts (listed above) and comment on their blogs to let us know you’ve joined the hop!

4. Check out as many of the other blogs on the Linky as you’d like, and guess away!

If you want to put the Linky Tool on your own post, you can get the code on Edie’s blog.

Can’t wait to see your mystery mutt!

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These are a few of my favorite posts…

and doggies in spacesuits, rescuing puppies and cats that are so cute… the cone of shame and the amusement it brings… these are a few of my favorite things. (I adore The Sound of Music, and it just seemed like a perfect fit today.)  When I saw that Dr. V did a post highlighting her top 10 posts from 2010, I really liked the idea.  Even better, she’s hosting a blog hop for those who want to join the fun.  Time for a blast to the (fairly recent) past!

Dogs eating ice cream and punny pet names, attempting to test my pup’s IQ with a brain game, having a party for Bella to host… these are a few of my favorite posts (in no particular order):

She’s cute, but…
I administered an IQ test to dear Bella… the results were not promising.

Celebrating the cone of shame
The name says it all.  (It was one of my favorite No Frown Friday posts.)

To all the dogs (and cats) I’ve loved before
For my 100th post, I took a stroll down memory lane.

Corgi, P.I.
The very first breed spotlight.

Protecting people and their pets
A post about the Pets and Women’s Shelter Program (and my contribution to October’s Blog the Change).

My favorite flavor? Neopawlitan
The epic battle of Bella vs. ice cream.

Head of the class
Dogs… in… school!

When he jumps high he flies like a wild eagle
One word: Flashbeagle.

Horrible woman does terrible thing, and now I’m angry
In which I got very, very angry at people who leave their dogs in hot cars.

Case of the Mondays?
Try my guaranteed cure.

I tried not to pick any that were too recent… I figured it would be more fun to dig around in the archives.  Did I miss any of your favorites?

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May your days be terrier & bright

Christmas is fast approaching.  As a result, today’s No Frown Friday theme was an easy choice… enjoy some seasonal linkage:

  1. Instead of punny pet names, I’m just going to recommend you name your pet after one of Santa’s reindeer this week.  Why not?
  2. You know I love the Grinch’s dog, so I’m sure you’ll understand how much I love this quartet of real-life Maxes. (The antlers make me smile – Bella better watch out or she’s going to find herself in a reindog photo shoot.)
  3. Interested in doggie decorations? Check out some photos of the First Dog’s decorations.
  4. I’ve also got another Cute Math lesson for you: Santa suits + cute animals =  guaranteed holiday cheer.  These pets prove my point.  Still not convinced?  Your skepticism will melt away after you take a gander at these penguins.  (For bonus points, remember that elves are pretty cute too.)   
  5. Bella sure has been slacking off – apparently other dogs help out by wrapping Christmas presents.

Speaking of helpful dogs, Jesse the Jack Russell takes the cake:



(via The Dog Files)

Have a wonderful weekend – and if you decide to get your pet’s photo taken with Santa, here are some handy tips.  As you know, Bella doesn’t travel well, so no photos with Santa unless he makes a house call.  We’ll just have to live vicariously through you.

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Meet Emerald the Lab

We have a special treat for you today – a guest post!  We’re participating in a post exchange with our pal Emerald from The Blab LabsGo visit The Blab Labs to read our post and check out Emerald’s wonderful blog!  Take it away, furry friend…  

First, I would like to say thank you to Pup Fan for allowing me the honor of being a guest on this blog.

Second, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Emerald. I’m a–wait, if you want to know about me, you can visit my  blog, http://www.theblablabs.com/. Right now I’m here to write a guest post about my most recent concern…

My pawrents have been exhibiting strange behaviour with their toys and I’m a little worried. We have two shiny things in the house that are turning my mom into a nutcase. Every now and then both of those things start making weird noisy sounds until mom dashes across the house to grab one of them. Its like she is fetching something but once she gets there, she gets all excited and makes a big fuss about nothing. I just don’t get it.

Do you know what I’m talking about? My humans act as though they are having conversations with little people in the thing!

I try to stop her every time (I’d like to be credited as the dog that keeps my mom sane) by jumping on her, tackling her, or nudging the thing out of her hand but she insists on holding it on her head. She only pauses her crazy act to force me to lie down and stay before she ignores me and acts weird again.

It doesn’t stop there. I am a good dog and of-course I lie down quietly for a while. I look at her intently, because although she has this crazy-person-blank-stare, I’m hoping she’ll let me get up soon. I know for sure she is going insane because when she finally says, “OK” to me and I get up to knock the thing out of her hand again (I SWEAR she said “OK”), she acts super annoyed and makes me sit again! Its like she can’t make up her mind whether she needs help or not.

“Sit. stay, Emerald.”… “OK.”

“No! Sit stay, Emerald.”… “OK.”

Eventually she puts the thing down and acts as though nothing even happened. Its so random. This weird habit has been repeating itself more and more frequently. The only thing that has changed is that she is giving me less “OK’s” to help her out.

Should I be worried? Do your humans have similar issues or are mine just crazy?

Barked up by Emerald
If you’d like to participate in Mention Monday with Emerald, find out more info here.

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Say hello to your Boston for me

Welcome to this week’s No Frown Friday… it’s time for another breed spotlight!  This week’s focus is on an adorable breed that I like to think of as the James Bond of puppies – always in black tie and ready for a formal occasion – the Boston Terrier.  Given this introduction, I need a video of a penguin and a Boston Terrier hanging out, stat.  Does such a thing exist?  Anyway…

  1. Your punny pet names for the week:  Boston Powers (he’s an international dog of mystery) and Bark Wahlberg (a Boston native… who talks to animals).  (I know, I know… I’ve linked to that clip before. I can’t help myself.)
  2. Enjoy Boston Terrier puppy overload by watching this collection of videos.
  3. I also recommend checking out this adorable Boston Terrier cartoon over at Draw the Dog.
  4. If you’re feeling confident, why not test your Boston Terrier IQ?

And of course, here’s this week’s featured video offering (which inspired the theme of this post):

(via Pet Sugar)

Have you fallen in love with this breed yet?  If so, consider adopting a Boston Terrier – I hear that some pups even come complete with their own built-in formal wear.  (Not all Bostons are black & white… but they are all adorable!)

I have to stray from the theme for a moment… but I cannot wait to share this picture of a zebra/donkey hybrid with you.  It’s called a Zedonk!  (Since zebras are black & white, let’s just all agree it fits into the theme that way, okay?)  Cute, and a pretty awesome name… seemed like the perfect way to close out this post and send you into the weekend.  Hope it’s puptastic!

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You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog

What dog breed are you? I'm a Labrador Retriever! Find out at Dogster.com

Or, in my case, a Labrador Retriever.

Given my love of terriers, I always thought that I’d be one of those scrappy pups.  But who am I to argue with the results of this Dogster quiz?  People love Labs, after all, so I’ll take it as a compliment.

Wondering what breed you are?  Click on the graphic at right to go take the quiz.  If nothing else, it’s a good way to ease into Monday.

Feel free to share your results in the comments.  Did your breed surprise you?

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When he jumps high, he flies like a wild eagle…

Anyone else remember Snoopy’s foray into the world of dance?  I loved It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown.  My mom taped it for me when it was on TV, and I definitely made good use of that VHS.  While we’re on the subject, I’d like to share a bit of random trivia I just discovered – the voice of Lucy in this special was none other than our very own Stacey “Fergie” Ferguson, she of Kids Incorporated fame (and the Black Eyed Peas, of course… but she’ll always be the girl from Kids Incorporated to me).

So… that’s my roundabout way of introducing the topic for this week’s No Frown Friday.  No… not Fergie.  Today, we’re focusing on Beagles!  It’s half of Bella, after all.  Let’s get to it:

  1. Your punny pet names for the week are Beagle-inspired, of course: Colin Howl, Ezra Hound and Bucky Scent.  (I was also about to make a Flock of Beagles joke, but Google revealed that I was far from the first to think of this pun.  Such is life.)
  2. For your Friday amusement, I direct you to this compendium of famous cartoon Beagles.
  3. I love the puppy parties at Paw Nation – click on over to watch a whole bunch of Beagle puppy clips.
  4. Feeling confident about your Beagle IQ?  Test yourself with this PetSugar quiz.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with the following dose of awesome:

Want your own Flashbeagle?  Find your local Beagle rescue – however, be aware that not all Beagles come outfitted with their own pair of leg warmers.

Have a puptastic weekend!

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