I wonder if she’s waiting for a squirrel…
Also, what has my Google-fu taught me today? I’m apparently not as clever as I thought. (Stupid Internet, proving that other people thought of my pun before I did.) It’s the Flock of Beagles all over again.
Anyway… happy Wednesday!
Bella likes being the center of attention. Every now and then, she reminds me that she’s the face of this operation, and that I should feature her more often. In an effort to appease my doggie boss and increase this week’s Bella quotient, I’ve illustrated this post with a few photos from the Bella archives.
Before I go, I have an update about International Homeless Animals Day this Saturday. Go check out this post at Bocci’s Beefs to find out how you can participate.
Finally, I want to say a quick thank you to Miley at Curious Cavorting Cavoodle. This sweet blogger bestowed another award on us! In lieu of writing a new post, I’ll just direct you to my other recent posts recognizing some great blogs and encourage you to visit the blogs listed in the blogroll at right. However, I did want to let Miley know how much I appreciate it – thanks again!
Happy Thursday! More bloggy fun in store… I have another award to pass on today. The lovely George the Lad bestowed an award on this humble blog, and now it’s time to paw it forward and spotlight more awesome blogs. (In fact, it’s kind of perfect… it was so hard to choose just 10 last time!)
Find out more (including the rules), after the jump.
I love this cartoon over at Draw the Dog. The pup keeping a close watch on his domain reminded me of Bella. She’s always keeping an eye on things. I often find her barking at dogs down the block – she can see them, so they must be on her property, right?
Anyway, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to share some photos of Bella’s daily patrol… enjoy!
Yesterday, I decided to tackle some chores around the house. In particular, I decided that the gardens (both front and back) could use some work. Maintaining a garden will keep any homeowner busy – having a dog who likes to run through the flower beds with reckless abandon presents an additional set of challenges.
Bella seems to have “new plant” radar… she walks outside and makes a beeline for the newest addition to the yard. She will then run over it and flatten it, among other things. What’s a pup devotee and flower fan to do?
Pet Project has posted some useful info about gardening with dogs (check out Part I and Part II for lots of tips). In addition to the great tips, there are also links to other helpful articles about gardening with dogs (including two articles from HGTV about pet-proofing the garden and training your dog not to garden).
I particularly liked this piece from Sunset about how to create a dog-friendly garden. The piece discusses some of the keys to a good “dogscape” in which your pet and your plants can coexist. (As a bonus, there are also links to photos of dog-friendly gardens and additional tips.) Pet Project also led me to this great site that contains a comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when you have both a dog and a garden.
However, Bella isn’t the only hazard to my garden these days – recently I came home to find that a mysterious creature had eaten my Hostas. If you take a look at the photo at right… those jagged stems used to be home to some very nice leaves. Now, they’re just a mess.
The primary suspect in the investigation is a deer. Maybe even an entire deer gang. (In my mental landscape, apparently deer are tough, like bikers.)
Deer love Hostas. However, my Google-fu has revealed some natural, non-toxic ways to keep the deer from coming back for seconds. I may try some of these ideas, although I’m not sure how well they will work as a long-term solution. I’m also considering trying different plants out front (there are some out there that deer don’t view as appetizers).
When deciding what to plant in your backyard, don’t forget to think about pet safety in addition to aesthetics. Check out the ASPCA’s list of toxic and non-toxic plants before you buy. Happy gardening, fellow pup fans!
Dogs eating ice cream. They’re everywhere this week. Including here. (I like to give the people what they want.) Without further ado, it’s your No Frown (But Lots of Ice Cream) Friday:
These links make me think about Bella’s first ice cream experience. Like Mr. Owl, Bella didn’t have the patience to find out how many licks it would take to finish her Frosty Paws treat. She must have had some serious puppy brain freeze after that experience. Although, she is a pup of very little brain, so maybe it wasn’t too bad. (She’s not exactly a genius, after all. Remember the treat test?)
Maybe you should share some ice cream with your own pup this weekend… I’m sure he or she would appreciate it. Have a puptastic weekend!
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:
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!
I recently learned about Blog the Change, and decided to participate today. On July 15 (and three other times throughout the year), pet bloggers write about animal issues that are near and dear to their hearts in an effort to inspire others to get involved. (For more info, go check out Be the Change for Animals.)
When I was deciding what to write about (and there are some really touching and interesting posts out there today), I found myself coming back to the issue of pet adoption. As you may have noticed, animal rescue is a topic that pops up on this blog fairly regularly. I can’t help it – it’s genetic. My family is full of animal lovers. As I was growing up, adopting pets in need was a regular occurrence. Our rescued pups came to us from many places – neighbors moving away who couldn’t take their pet with them, owners who no longer wanted their pets and were considering getting rid of them, or the odd stray who loped into our lives and became one of the family. Each of these pooches was a blessing, and I am happy that so many of them turned around three times and curled up in my heart.
While thinking about this topic today, I immediately thought of one rescue in particular (aside from my Bella, of course, whose rescue past I’ve shared before). When I was a teenager, a stray named Romeo appeared in my aunts’ neighborhood. Poor Romeo was malnourished, and at one point had suffered some injuries. He was scared to let anyone near him. It was a slow process, but day by day he made his way closer to the front porch and the people waiting to love him. I found it so inspiring to hear about his progress, as well as the time and effort my aunts and uncle devoted to convincing Romeo that he would be safe with them. I remember sitting on the front porch and trying to feed him so that he would see he could trust me as well. Each time he took a step closer, it was a little victory. When you looked in his eyes, you could see that he wanted nothing more than to have a loving home. He just needed to overcome his fear of people in order to let himself be loved. Lucky for Romeo, my aunts and uncle were patient and kind – accordingly, Romeo became a member of the family long before he ever set foot on that porch. He was in need, and they were there to help.
For a variety of reasons, many pups (and other animals) end up homeless. If you have love to give, I urge you to consider rescuing a pup in need. Your love is a wonderful gift to give to a homeless animal, and the love you receive in return is priceless. To find more information about pets in your area that need homes, please visit Petfinder. (It’s how I found Ms. Bella!)
Can’t bring a pup home right now? Consider donating your time instead. There are many wonderful rescue organizations out there (including HART, the group that saved my Bella), and many dogs who want nothing more than people to love them. The individuals who devote their time to these rescue groups are my heroes. I hope you consider volunteering – maybe you will be able to help a lucky pup meet his match and find his forever home. Finally, even if you can’t give your time but would still like to help, there are many other ways you can make a difference.
For more inspiring rescue stories, I encourage you to check out Last Chance Highway on Animal Planet. These inspiring stories of rescued pets will tug at your heartstrings and help you clear those tear ducts out on a weekly basis. You can also find many other inspiring tales at the Petfinder.com Foundation site, and at countless other locations on the interwebs.
In closing, I have one final argument in favor of rescuing a pup: Bella. You know she’s awesome.
First, if you are a dog owner (heck, even if you’re not), you must go read this blog post over at Hyperbole and a Half. After realizing that her dog doesn’t know how to go up and down stairs, the author decides it’s time to see if her dog is… challenged. (Let’s call it that.)
Although I love Bella dearly, I’ve always been aware that she’s not exactly the brightest of pups. While she can successfully navigate the stairs, some of the other behaviors in the post seemed similar to Bella’s daily activities… particularly the random acts of licking throughout the house. The floor, the wall, the cabinets, the dresser… you name it, Bella’s licked it. Once while on a walk, she even licked a goose.
Other parts of the post hit close to home as well. My favorite sentence: “But when turning her head at an extreme angle fails to produce a life-altering epiphany, she usually just short-circuits and rolls on her back.” It’s like the author is talking about Bella. Bella tilting her head at an angle (we call it the puppy face… or the extreme puppy face, depending on how severe the angle) and rolling on her back (affectionately, and perhaps inappropriately, known as “having a seizure” in our household) occur with frequency throughout the day.
So, after reading this post, I decided that maybe I should try some of the tests on Bella. The blanket test was out (throwing a blanket over the dog and seeing how long it takes her to get out) – I’ve seen this happen to Bella on many occasions. I’m not sure she could find her way out even if I gave her a map. She usually just gives up and takes a nap under there.
Instead, I decided to try the treat under a cup test. The test involves getting your dog into a sitting position, letting her sniff a treat (we went with Snausages because Bella loves them in a way that defies description), and then placing the treat under a plastic cup while the pup watches. Then you see how long it takes the pup to get the treat out from under the cup.
Watch the video below to find out what happened (and try not to judge – it’s the first time I have ever attempted to edit a video):
I love when she looks up at the window, as if considering the possibility that the treat grew arms and legs, found a treat-size grappling hook, and climbed up there somehow. Although the results were not encouraging, Bella didn’t seem to mind. After all, she got two Snausages out of the deal.
Thank goodness she can get by on her looks.
