I didn’t intend to continue Monday’s mail theme, but Bella had other ideas. I had a pile of envelopes and receipts to shred in my office and stumbled upon this scene:
Bonus alternate post title: Bills, bills, bills.
First, have you read yesterday’s Blog the Change post about Make Mine Chocolate? As you may know, I’m spreading the word about that cause to advocate giving chocolate bunnies instead of real bunnies for Easter this year. However, there are lots of wonderful bunnies looking for a home – so if you have done your homework and think you’re really ready to become a bunny parent, then today is your lucky day. All Things Dog Blog has gone to the bunnies, and is hosting an Easter Rabbit Adoptathon.
Allow me to introduce you to a few beautiful bunnies (click on their names for more info):
Meet Stella and Natasha in Virginia. Both of these cutie pies may have been handled a bit too much in their previous homes, and can be a little wary or shy around humans. However, they have been making a lot of progress while living with their foster mom. Stella is 4 years old, and is looking for a home with a patient person who will work to earn her trust. Natasha is 2 years old, and is looking for a “loving, patient, permanent home with someone who will let her run and explore and shred some papers and boxes.” (Loved the description, so couldn’t pass up using it.)
Next up, meet Felt in Washington, DC. She’s a 4 year old mini Rex rabbit who loves to be petted. Due to a sinus infection, Felt does have some special needs, but if you have lots of love to give she may be the one for you.
To participate, visit All Things Dog Blog for instructions. To visit other blogs participating in the Adoptathon and see a whole bunch of adorable bunnies, check out the blog hop after the jump…
Easter is right around the corner. So, for this round of Blog the Change, Bella wanted to highlight a bunny-related cause. After all, she did have a bunny cousin – who she tried to lick during their first encounter. In any event…
Today, I (and Bella) want to talk about the Make Mine Chocolate campaign (organized by the Columbus House Rabbit Society). This cause was recently featured on Be the Change for Animals, and it’s a great one. Just as movies like 101 Dalmatians result in lots of children asking their parents for a Dalmatian, Easter has the tendency to result in requests for bunnies. While I’m all for adoption, I’m not in favor of families acquiring the pet of the moment and realizing that perhaps pet ownership was not really for them. If a family is prepared and knows what they are getting into – more power to them. However, the sad reality is that many of these bunnies end up in animal shelters or worse.
The key here is education – before adopting a rabbit, it’s important to know if a rabbit really is the right pet for you. (Sound advice before adopting any animal. Check out the cool Interactive Bun feature at Make Mine Chocolate to see if you’re bunny material. For those who get the Interactive Bun seal of approval, I recommend visiting All Things Dog Blog tomorrow to meet some wonderful bunnies from Petfinder – it’s an Easter Rabbit Adoptathon! Go here for details on how to participate.)
So, this Easter season, spread the word about Make Mine Chocolate. Commit to giving only chocolate (or cute plush) bunnies as gifts. Visit MMC’s website or the Facebook page to learn more. (After using that abbreviation, I momentarily drifted off to think about the Mickey Mouse Club. Anyone else remember The Party? Okay, back to the serious stuff… focus.)
Also, I realize it’s not technically part of the Make Mine Chocolate campaign, but I’d also like to take a moment to discourage giving children chicks and ducklings as well. First, they grow up. Chicks become chickens, and ducklings become ducks. Second, unless you’re Chandler and Joey, it’s just not a good idea.
Interested in participating in Blog the Change? Learn more here. You can find the list of other participating bloggers (and join the blog hop yourself) after the jump.
Today is the first anniversary of I Still Want More Puppies! First, I just want to say a big thank you for reading this blog, commenting on posts, and generally being worthy of the title Galactic President Superstar McAwesomeville. Second, I hope you enjoyed the flashback posts this week – if you haven’t read them yet, I hope you’ll take a moment to relive some of the bloggy highlights from the last year. Normal posting will resume tomorrow. Finally, I leave you with the first photo of Bella ever posted on this blog:
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At the time, I said that her future was so bright she’d need to buy some shades specially engineered for dogs. Neither she or I could have predicted how awesome this first year of blogging would be. (Keeping it short & sweet today, but visit my Pet Blogger Challenge post from January if you’re just in the mood for navel gazing today.) Most of all, I just want to thank you for being a friend!
In closing… puppies.
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 August 13, 2010. Hope you enjoy!
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| (Speed Bump via Comics.com) |
(Seriously… how could that not make you smile? If that’s not enough cuteness for you, go check out another fun cone of shame video over on phetched.)
Because this post was inspired by Dug, I’ll leave you with a joke from the movie: “Hey, I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, ‘I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead.’ Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead.”
Tell it to your dog – I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.
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 November 15, 2010. Hope you enjoy!
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.
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 July 10, 2010. Hope you enjoy!
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.
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 June 14, 2010. Hope you enjoy!
Have you ever wondered about the Michelin Man’s real name? Or if Mr. Clean has a first name? If the mystery of Comic Book Guy’s real name has been keeping you up at night, say farewell to insomnia. This article on CNN is for you – it reveals the real names of several fictional characters. Both interesting and useful, in my opinion. I always like to keep my brain cells filled with bits of random trivia – after all, you never know when a spontaneous game of Trivial Pursuit will occur.
Stick with me here… it’s tangent time. The aforementioned article reveals that even the Pillsbury Dougboy has a real name: Poppin’ Fresh. This news is not new to me… I learned it around the time I heard that the Geico cavemen were getting a sitcom. If starring in a sitcom is so easy that a caveman could do it (though history would prove that it was, in fact, not that easy), then couldn’t other advertising luminaries make the move as well? From this simple question, the following imaginary TV shows were born. (Around that time I created an anonymous blog, posted a few times, and promptly forgot about it… however, I’ve resurrected these ideas from that failed attempt just for you.)
TV execs out there (of which I’m sure so many read this blog), you’re welcome. If one of these shows ever appears on the air, I better get a cut of the profits.
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:
(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!
I realized this week that it’s almost the one year anniversary of I Still Want More Puppies. With that in mind, I thought I’d spend the week sharing some of my favorite posts from the past year. This post originally appeared on September 17, 2010 (one of the many No Frown Friday installments). An interesting update related to item #2 below – Yale now has a therapy pup on staff after all. Guess I was just ahead of the curve. Hope you enjoy!
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| (via Speed Bump) |
It’s September… which means school is back in session. I haven’t been a student in quite some time. Neither has Ms. Bella. She did take one obedience course… seven years later, she does sit when asked (most of the time).
If you haven’t already guessed, the topic of today’s No Frown Friday is… school! Let’s hit the books:
Speaking of smarty pants pups, sometimes well-educated service dogs school others in the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you want to learn more about the valedictorians of the doggie world – those amazingly smart service dogs – check out Canine Companions for Independence. CCI spoke at Blog Paws West last weekend, and by all accounts it was amazing!
