Hug two puppies & call me in the morning

It’s the first No Frown Friday of 2011… time for some fun links to send you into the weekend:

  1. The first punny pet name of the year: Janu-hairy Jones.
  2. Did you attend any New Year’s Eve parties? I doubt anyone was wearing a party hat quite like this dog.
  3. Going back to work after a long weekend sure was tough.  At least I managed to use my computer correctly… unlike these puppies.
  4. “Walking is so overrated,” says puppy in a stroller.

So… the new year is here.  For any issues that arise in the coming months, I think we should consider the following solution:


(NATALIE PORTMAN & RASHIDA JONES Speak Out)

I know… it’s an old one, but it just seemed right today.  After all, this blog’s motto is “Puppies = Serenity Now.”  When all else fails, think of puppies and you’ll be okay.  (If you’re more of a cat person, I’ve got you covered too – check it out.)

Join this week’s Pet Blogger Hop, after the jump…






Have a great weekend!

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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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Can’t wait ’til Christmas…

As you know, I love Garfield’s Christmas Special.  The song “Can’t Wait ’til Christmas” often gets stuck in my head during the holiday season.  It’s there right now, actually.  What’s that?  You’d like it to be stuck in your head too?  That can be arranged. 

I couldn’t find a clip of just the song (and I have no editing skills to speak of), but some wonderful soul has posted parts of the special online.  The song in question appears in the clip below… fast forward to 3:30 or so to hear it:

I’ll be humming it for days.  Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

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Give ’em a rake

Dog eat Doug
via Dog Eat Doug

After last week’s hiatus, No Frown Friday is back!  This week’s theme is inspired by an activity that is in my near future – raking leaves!  (Harry Potter was also in contention, but we just did that.)

Pets and leaves… they kind of go together like peas and carrots, if you ask me.

  1. Coming up with punny pet names to fit the theme wasn’t easy, but I did manage to come up with one: Leif Ericsbone.  After that, the pun-center of my brain went on its own vacation.  Any other pun masters out there?
  2. Check out these photos of some canines who love to play in the leaves.  (Number 6 reminds me of Scotti.  She used to love jumping around in big piles of leaves.)
  3. Feline friends, don’t feel left out.  
  4. Have you ever been leaf peeping?  Here’s a guide to leaf peeping destinations from Bocci’s Beefs (guest post by Fido Friendly‘s Carol Bryant).

Let’s move beyond photos… time to see a pup in action:



(Bonus points to my hub for sending this one my way – don’t you just love the soundtrack?)

Leaves aren’t just for playing – if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can decorate your home with them.  Or even a cake (the cake topper at the end of that post is to die for).

In any event, I’ll be spending at least part of my weekend removing the leaves from my yard.  Perhaps I’ll ask Bella to check out these tips from another leaf-removing canine and give me a hand.

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To all the dogs (and cats) I’ve loved before

With this post, I reach a bit of a milestone – 100 posts!  For a while, I was stumped regarding what to blog about for number 100.  (I then went on vacation, which resulted in a total post hiatus… more to come on that later.)

While driving earlier, it hit me – the perfect way to commemorate my 100th post.  I’ve decided to dedicate this post to all the pets I’ve loved before.  (Yes, that’s a nod to the Red Headed Stranger – bonus points if you figure it out without clicking on either of the links.)

Anyway, you obviously know lots about Bella, my current fur child.  I’ve also introduced you to some of my past loves – Shadow, Sparkle, Bourbon & Pedro.  Today, I’d like you to meet the rest of the pups and cats I shared my house with growing up…

Each of these wonderful animals (as well as the ones above) really deserves their own post.  So many stories to share – definitely a topic for future discussion.  For now, I’ll just stick with the basics…

I should start at the beginning (a very good place to start).  My first pet was – believe it or not – a cat.  A white cat that I named Buttercup.  (Don’t ask me why… I’d love to ask my three-year-old self the same thing.)

She wasn’t the friendliest of cats to start with, but that’s a story for another day.  She was my first love.

Next, I’d like to introduce you to Kandi, a chihuahua that my dad adopted and brought home one day.  Note – when she got older, her tongue began to stick out all the time.  We used to say that her spring was broken.

Quite the character, that one.

We also had a Norwegian Elkhound named Lady – one of the many dogs that found us over the years.

I loved to cuddle with that gal.

My sister also had a cat – though Tiger joined us when I was much older.  She was once our neighbor’s cat, but decided to adopt my sister instead.  She even decided to have her kittens in my sister’s lap – I believe my sister was around three at the time.  Talk about a surprise!

Last, but by no means least, I must introduce you to the source of my terrier love.  When I was ten years old, I met the most wonderful dog.  My parents had promised me I could get a new dog that would be officially “my” dog.  I considered many breeds, and had my heart set on a Scottish Terrier.  However, when I met this girl, that plan went out the window.  I’d already settled on the most creative name (sarcasm intentional) for the Scottish Terrier I had convinced myself I was getting.  Thus, Scotti the Toy Fox Terrier joined our family.


Take note of the teddy bear in the photo to the right… this is one of the two teddy bears that Scotti adopted and carried everywhere.

Long story short, Scotti was by my side every minute from the time I was 10 until I left for college (as well as every moment I returned home during college and beyond).  Definitely a girl’s best friend.

I have tons of wonderful stories about each of these special animals (as well as several other animals who didn’t live in my house but were responsible for some great memories).  I’m sure I’ll be sharing them over many nostalgic nights in the future.

For now, I just want to say thanks for reading my blog – the first 100 posts have been fun, and I look forward to many more.

In closing, say hi to your puppy for me… and then give him or her a big hug.

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Happy Howl-o-ween!

Dog eat Doug
(From Dog eat Doug – want more? Two more great Halloween strips here and here.)
Trick or treat!  It’s a Halloween-themed No Frown Friday, just for you:
  1. We begin, as always, with punny pet names: Ichabark Crane and The Great Pupkin.
  2. Speaking of names, this dog’s name is Boo, and he’s adorable.  Perfect for Halloween weekend, right?
  3. You must check out this collection of awesome canine costumes from the Annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade in New York.  Trust me.  (If that doesn’t satisfy your costume needs, check out the entrants in FIDO Friendly’s costume contest and then find out what Winston the cat is wearing this year.)
  4. Do you have a jack-o-lantern this year?  You could make one of these ambitious fantasy pumpkins.  Or perhaps you can create a tribute to your favorite dog breed using one of these stencils.  (If you’re not feeling up to pumpkin carving, you could always pick up one of these cakes.  Or maybe not…)
  5. Stuck with a cone of shame this holiday season?  Follow the example of Noodles the Pug and make it into an awesome Halloween costume.

Whatever your plans for the weekend, I hope it’s a wonderful one.  If nothing else, I plan to schedule a showing of my two favorite Halloween specials –It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Garfield in Disguise (though I think it’s now called Garfield’s Halloween Adventure).  It’s an annual tradition. I even have the book version of the Garfield special (in addition to tons of other Garfield books… was something of a childhood obsession).

With that in mind, I want to share this inspired video combining scenes from the Garfield special with the theme from Halloween:

That music can make anything scary.

Have a fantastic Halloween (and remember to keep your pets safe)!

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Meow Mix Monday

Apparently, when I think of Mondays, I think of cats.  (See Exhibit 1 & Exhibit 2.)  How many Monday cat posts before I just give in and make Meow Mix Monday a regular feature?  We shall see.  In any event, here’s today’s entry in this occasional series…

I think this cat just discovered he was on a feline version of The Truman Show:


Not enough to fight away the Monday blues?  This clip of an adorable kitten attacking his mirror image should do it.

Happy Monday… hang in there.  (I couldn’t resist.)

 

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Back in black

That’s right… I’m starting you off with an AC/DC reference before the holiday weekend.  Originally, I was thinking that this post might have a Columbus Day theme, but it was not to be…Instead, our focus today is on the one of the less adoptable groups in the pet world – black dogs and cats.  Today (thanks to our friend Lily Danel) I saw a great article about how one shelter is attempting to help black cats overcome their undeserved reputation as bearers of bad luck.  The Loudoun County Animal Shelter in Virginia is hosting Black Cat Weekend on October 16th and 17th (all black cats adopted from the shelter will be spayed/neutered for free).

In honor of this great idea, I dedicate this post to all of the less adoptable black pets out there:

  1. As always, your punny pet name for the week: Blackeared the Pirate.
  2. Pawcurious has the right idea: Black is the New Black.
  3. I know it’s No Frown Friday, but I promised nothing with regard to tears. Check out this moving video about black dog syndrome via Of Cows’ Tails and Chew Toys.
  4. Here are a few lighthearted reasons to adopt a black dog or cat.
  5. Check out the crew over at Life with 5 Dogs… how could anyone pass up cute dogs like these?

Growing up, I had four dogs that would qualify for the black dog club – a German Shepherd (Shadow), a mutt named Pedro, and two Flat-Coated Retrievers (Sparkle and Bourbon).  Here are a few photos of my loves:

Shadow
Pedro

 

Sparkle & Bourbon (during their puppyhood)

Fun fact: while looking for photos for this post, I dug out one of my old photo albums.  When I put the album together (maybe 10 years ago), I apparently decided to ditch any chronological order and organized it by dog photos first, then family. I couldn’t stop laughing.  (To any family reading this post… no offense!)

If you or someone you know is looking for a pet, make sure you don’t overlook the black dogs and cats out there.  (Adopt a less adoptable pet… all the cool kids are doing it.)  Visit the Black Dog Rescue Project, Start Seeing Black Dogs and http://www.blackpearldogs.com/ to learn about other ways to help.  Don’t worry – we didn’t forget about the kitties!  Check out Black Cat Rescue and read about helping black cats here.

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In the mood for food

It’s been pretty dreary and rainy lately, and that’s got me thinking about comfort food.  So… today’s No Frown Friday is food-related.  (And pet-related, of course.)

  1. Your punny pet names for the week are inspired by famous chefs: Tom Colickio, Barko DiSpirito and Woofgang Puck. (Cat Cora needed no alterations.  My favorite chef?  The Swedish Chef, of course.)
  2. Check out this dog named Dumpling… eating a dumpling.  Very meta.
  3. Quick math lesson: tiny kitten + tiny hat + tiny ice cream come = awesome commercial. (Congratulations! Simply by reading the preceding sentence, you’ve passed Cute Math 101.)
  4. Remember when Bella ate ice cream?
  5. Cats and dogs eating popsicles and peanut butter. (Serious Eats really has all of your needs covered when it comes to cute animals eating.)

Hmmm… not a lot of healthy foods in that list above.  Might I recommend you stop by Gardening with Wyatt?  The gorgeous photos of Wyatt the dog and the yummy food from his garden will inspire you to get that diet back on track.  In addition to eating better, you’ll need to hit the treadmill:

No, not like that! Try it this way:


(via Cute Overload)

Seriously though, if your pet is overweight, that’s not a good thing.  Bella’s had her battles with weight in the past, but on our vet’s advice we reduced the amount we were feeding her.  These days she’s slim and trim.  (Don’t get me wrong… she still licks the empty bowl – repeatedly – and looks at me forlornly when she finishes her meal.  She’s like a canine Oliver Twist.)

Given her druthers, I’m sure Bella would eat until she couldn’t move.  Luckily, our dogs have us to exercise self-control on their behalf – they can only eat what we feed them.  (Unlike humans – the blame for that extra cookie is all mine.) Hope you have a happy and healthy weekend!

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