If you’re confused, just tilt your head

It’s a three-day weekend!  I could not be happier to have an extra day off.  That being said… it’s time for some Friday linkage!

  1. This week’s punny goodness is inspired by a fantastic book I just finished.   In honor of the entertainment she provided during my brief hurricane-induced power outage, I give you… Catty Griffin.
  2. I would like to request that all sheet music do this from now on… not too much to ask, right?
  3. The face on this Corgi reminded me of Bella.
  4. Remember Edward Peanutbutterhead? Well, it appears that he has some competition.
  5. Eating peanut butter is one thing, but I wouldn’t recommend stealing it from the trash.  You might end up like this guy.
  6. You know I’ve had BlogPaws on the brain lately.  You may enjoy seeing these cute pets who were in attendance.
  7. Speaking of… there have been some pretty fun BlogPaws post over at Something Wagging This Way Comes this week.  Check them out!
  8. If you just can’t get enough BlogPaws (and can’t wait for my posts… they’re coming, I promise), then I have the link for you. Might I suggest you start with this great post from This One Wild Life about the ACES Pet Rescue Workshop?

Finally, just because it’s Friday… have some head tilts, or as we like to call it at my house: “making the puppy face.”



(via Cute Overload)

Happy Friday!

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Cats in hats & dogs in blogs…

Lots of good stuff for you today….

  1. Your punny pet names for the week… wait, I need to put on my punglasses first.  That’s better.  In honor of last night’s So You Think You Can Dance finale I give you… Mary Purrphy.  (Bonus SYTYCD-related name in need of no alterations: Cat Deeley.)
  2. Multiple cats in multiple hats?  Dr. Seuss would be proud.  (Since we’re kicking things off with some feline links today… here’s a bonus quiz about purring.)
  3. I have a feeling Dr. Seuss would have also liked these adorable doughnuts decorated to look like cats.  Okay, I don’t really have that feeling.  I just like them.  That’s enough, right?
  4. Speaking of cat-shaped food (not to be confused with actual cat food), check out this cool jewelry shared on under the blanket.  Love the whimsy.
  5. Speaking of finding lost pets (I sort of was, I promise… visit blanket ID for a great and stylish way to keep your pets safe), viva la microchip!  This dog was reunited with his family a year after fatal car crash.
  6. Are you a pet blogger in addition to being a pet blog reader?  (I think it’s safe to assume you are at least a pet blog reader, right?  After all, you are here… reading my pet blog… but I digress.)  If so, hop on over to Rescued Insanity and join the discussion – how did your blog get its name?

As you know, I like to close things out with a video on Fridays.  In all honesty, I almost didn’t today because I just watched this video from No Dog About It and there’s no way I can compete… I can’t even tell you how much I loved it.  I cheered.  No joke.  So… you should go watch that.  Really.  

In any event, I’ll still give you a video, since one can never have enough cute.  I think that this will be Bella’s reaction when she finds out she needs to have her nails clipped and get a bath this weekend:



(via Life with Dogs)

However, although Bella tries to hide when she senses a bath on the horizon, I’m just glad she hasn’t earned a black belt in bath avoidance like this guy.

In other news… two weeks until BlogPaws!  Will I see you there?

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Harry Potter & the Deathly Howls

Tomorrow, I will be going to see the last Harry Potter movie.  I’m not going to lie… I almost wanted to put off seeing the movie so that it’s not really over.  That being said, I’m going to see it anyway.  I can’t wait!

  1. It’s not the first time we’ve given some Friday love to Mr. Potter and crew.  I’m sure it won’t be the last.  I already gave you a few punny names based on the series (some of my better work, I think).  Although I doubt I can top my previous Dogwarts creations (Headmaster Albus Puppledore and his star students Hairy Plotthound, Grrr-mione Granger, and Ron Fleasley), I’ll give it a shot.  I offer Godric Gryffindog, Helga Hufflepup, Rowena Ravenpaw, and Salazar Snifferin.  It makes me want to adopt a quartet of pups and buy them collars in their House colors.  (Also… if I was into reptiles, I’d totally have to name one Severus Snake.)
  2. As you can tell, I find this whole experience a tad bittersweet.  Luckily, I’m not the only one – Jimmy Fallon knows where I’m coming from.
  3. I love a good corn maze.  Note to my local corn maze creators: I think I just found the perfect model for you to use this year.
  4. This collection of Harry Potter viral videos is like a Butterbeer for the eyes and ears. (That sounds painful, but I promise I meant it as a good thing.  I’m not sure my simile is working.)  Um, also… you should probably do yourself a favor and watch this song about Deathly Hallows set to Beyonce’s “Halo.”
  5. Speaking of Butterbeer, did you know that you can make your own?  It’s some tasty stuff. 
  6. I’m dying to make some Butterbeer cupcakes and/or Golden Snitch cake pops… perhaps these will be making an appearance on I Still Want More Cupcakes in the future.  (Thanks to Hey Love Designs for the tip!)
  7. You know I love Garfield.  As a result, I am obsessed with this Gryffindor Garfield cake.  I think I need to be friends with the person who requested this combo.
  8. Did you know that Harry Potter stars Imelda Staunton, David Tennant and Miranda Richardson have a history of helping dogs?  Awesome. (Thanks to DogTipper!)
  9. Maybe that’s why these dogs (and cats) love Harry Potter so much.  (These pups too.)

So, apparently lots of people have taught their dogs tricks based on the spells in the Harry Potter universe.  I have to be honest, this idea had never occurred to me.  Just goes to show, I’m no visionary.  I think this one was my favorite… it’s got some style:

With that, I send you into the weekend… who else is seeing Harry Potter?  If you’ve already seen it, what did you think?

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    Of books and beaches…

    A long weekend… the stuff that dreams are made of.  I don’t have to go back to the office until Wednesday.  In addition to Monday’s holiday, I took Tuesday off as well.  As you can imagine, I’m pretty excited!  But first, I need to send you into the weekend with your usual dose of randomness… 

    1. Today’s punny pet name is LeVar Purrton. Why?  Read on…
    2. You know of my love for Reading Rainbow.  So I’m sure you can understand how excited I was to learn that LeVar Burton is organizing a Reading Rainbow flash mob to raise literary awareness.  Awesome.
    3. In honor of butterflies in the sky and taking a look because it’s in a book, enjoy these photos of 50 animals reading.
    4. There’s nothing better than grabbing a book and relaxing outside (beach, pool, yard… anywhere will do).  If your pool also contained these guinea pigs or these baby elephants having fun, it’d be a pretty perfect day.  Just make sure you have a lifeguard – perhaps of the dog variety?
    5. Are you more of a beach person?  I’ve got you covered: here’s a baby elephant on the beach.  You’re welcome.

    Of course I can’t send you into the weekend without a video. Since we’re letting guinea pigs and elephants have some fun, seems like it’s only fair to let dogs in on the action…

    Doesn’t that video just make you want to go outside to play with your pup?  

    Before I go, I wanted to tell you that I’m trying out a new thing… Bella graciously allows me to stop adoring her for a few moments now and then to do some baking.  Rather than bombard you with recipes and photos here, I’ve created another space for that sort of thing.  Every now and then, you can find me over at I Still Want More Cupcakes, telling you how much I love butter and sugar in addition to puppies.  I hope you’ll stop by sometime. Puppies are still the main event and posting won’t be slowed here, but you’ll get the occasional bonus of some baked goods to ogle.  Win-win, right?

    So, what are you up to this weekend?  Whatever it is, I hope you have fun!

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    A different kind of rescue dog

    There’s some synergy in the air, it seems.  We were just talking about Jack Russell Terriers on Friday… and today I have a very special JRT story to share with you.  Meet my new hero, Steve Porter.

    For more on this amazing story, go here.  You can also see photos of the rescue.  Although Jessie ended up with a cone of shame, this story has a pretty happy ending.

    As you may know, JRTs are very brave and are built for hunting below ground.  Some JRTs even compete in events called Go-to-Ground, which simulate and test a JRT’s ability to hunt underground. 

    When I was a kid, my Toy Fox Terrier (Scotti) would show off these skills as well.  She’d chase squirrels and other animals all over the yard, including chasing them through a small drainpipe that was back there.  We were lucky – she never got stuck, although the habit did result in quite a few baths for my muddy mutt.  The frequent baths never proved to be a deterrent, however.

    It appears that Jessie’s ordeal hasn’t stopped him from following his instincts either.  Those terriers are incorrigible.  In a good way.

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    Jack of all trades

    Although Bella’s exact specifications are unknown, I suspect (and many of you agreed) that she has some Beagle and Jack Russell Terrier in there (sometimes known as a Jack-a-Bee), and maybe a little Corgi too.  Since we’ve done No Frown Friday tributes to Beagles and Corgis, it’s time to complete the trifecta!

    1. First up, your punny pet name:  Jack Russell Crowe.
    2. Speaking of names, do you know how the Jack Russell Terrier got its name?  Once you know its origin story, click over to Dogster to learn more about this feisty breed or watch this clip from Dogs 101.
    3. In the epic battle of JRTs vs. sprinkler, who wins?  We do.
    4. Sprinkler defense aside… prepare for your heart to melt when you watch this video of a JRT mix nursing some abandoned kittens.
    5. JRTs can also play soccer and fly through the air with the greatest of ease. They really can do it all – remember Jesse?  (Sometimes, perhaps, they should be a bit less ambitious.)

    The video below reminded me of Bella… she does this every morning and often additional times throughout the day:

    (via The Dog Files)

    It seems like I’m always seeing JRTs in pop culture – which famous cutie is your favorite?  I’m partial to Wishbone (portrayed by the awesomely named Soccer), followed closely by Eddie from Frasier (played by the equally awesome Moose).

    Think you could handle one of these adorable balls of energy?  Then get out there and rescue a Jack Russell!

     

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    Kiss the world

    It’s Earth Day, so today’s video has a special message for you.  But first…

    1. I cannot take credit for today’s punny pet name.  It is genius:  Piggie Smalls.  Also genius and not of my creation: Ol’ Birdy Bastard.  However, I will add a few more names to the list: Notorious P.I.G. and Dr. Bray (for a donkey, of course).
    2. You must watch this audition for Britain’s Got Talent.  I love this woman. I love her dogs.  I love her dog sweater. Love. Her.
    3. Sometimes, you just need to watch cute animals.  Pick your poision: the San Diego Zoo’s Pandacam, the Edinburgh Zoo Penguin Cam, or the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam (it’s back!).
    4. If you prefer your cute in photos rather than videos, I give you this slideshow of pets snuggling with stuffed animals (includes bonus Gremlins reference – be still, my beating heart).

    As you may or may not know, we celebrated Earth Day last year by turning the blog over to Captain Pug (obviously our hero and obviously going to take pollution down to zero – also, in case you were wondering, he is cuteness magnified, and he is fighting on the planet’s side).  I don’t know if I can top that… however, I did want to remind you to show the Earth a little extra love today:



    (Hat tip to Subroto Bagchi for inspiring the title of today’s post.)

    Interested in learning more about going green or celebrating Earth Day with your pet?  Ask and ye shall receive… happy Earth Day!

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    Flashback: Head of the Class

    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!

    Speed Bump
    (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). 

    We’ve been lucky – Bella’s a fairly low-maintenance gal who doesn’t get into much trouble.  When we eventually adopt dog number two, we’ll have to be much more diligent! 

    If you haven’t already guessed, the topic of today’s No Frown Friday is… school!  Let’s hit the books:

    1. This week’s punny pet names are based on some famous names that chose the School of Life instead of a college degree: Drew Hairymore, Nose-Anne Barr, Roarin’ Beatty, and J.K. Howling.
    2. During college, I often found myself suffering from doggie withdrawal.  Earlier this week, I read that Yale Law School had recognized this epidemic, and offered a solution: if you needed a boost, you could check out Monty the pup for a 30 minute play date.  The circulation listing quoted in that post is so cute it’s out of control.  (A sample… “Subjects: Dogs in libraries; Stress reliever for law students.”)  It turns out that Monty might not have been available, but that’s okay.  A girl can dream.  I would have owed so much in overdue dog fees.
    3. Who needs obedience school? This “” has a college degree!
    4. You may (or may not) remember those great literary punny pet names I shared back in June.  In any event, there’s a second installment – quite a treat!  (Be sure to take the pun-filled quiz… I’m still giggling about Captain A. Lab.)
    I’ve pulled today’s video out of the Internet archives, and dusted it off for your amusement.  I remember when I first saw this video last year. It quickly earned a place on my list of favorite things:

    
    Reactions: (1) I would have been so much better at science if it was taught by puppies.  (2) I would like to open a school where all lessons are taught with the help of puppies.  (3)  I’ve already got a foolproof plan for the drama program.

    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!

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    A long overdue thank you…

    I’ve been slacking a bit… several wonderful bloggers awarded me the Stylish Blogger award recently, and I’ve yet to thank them on this blog.  That changes today!

    However, because I’ve been such a slacker, I’ve now received this award from 10 (!) other bloggers.  I’m incredibly humbled and honored that these wonderful bloggers chose to share this honor with me.  So, I’m going to bend the rules juuuuust a little.  The rules of the award require you to: (1) thank the person that gave it to you; (2) share 7 things about yourself; and (3) pass the award on to other bloggers (the number seems to vary from blog to blog).

    It’s that third rule I’m going to… modify.  Rather than select new recipients, I’m going to take a cue from Doggie Stylish and tell you a little bit about the bloggers that gave me this award and encourage you to go visit their wonderful blogs.  All this and more, after the jump…

    So first, a big thank you to browndogcbr, Pawprints on My Heart, Welcome to Kirby’s World, Banjo & Millie, Life with LuLu, Something Wagging This Way Comes, Grouchy Puppy, Chunyo’s Corner, Kol’s Notes, and under the blanket!  As discussed above, I’ll be telling you more about them at the end of this post.

    Second, I have to share 7 things about me.  However, I decided to share 7 things about Bella instead – honestly, she’s probably more interesting anyway.

    1. Bella doesn’t know how to catch.  If you throw a toy her way, she’ll close her eyes and wave her paws in the air.
    2. She also doesn’t know the most efficient way to chew.  She never holds a bone with her paws, but props the bone against a toy in hopes of holding it still.  I suspect Bella missed a lot of days in Being a Dog 101.
    3. Bella also can’t play fetch.  When you throw a toy, she immediately returns it to Toy Corner.  The only way to come close to a game of fetch is to sit in front of Toy Corner and take the toy from her when she returns.
    4. Bella is a creature of habit.  When I turn off the TV, she thinks it’s time to go to bed (even in the middle of the day).  When I close the laptop, she thinks it’s time to go outside.
    5. She would happily spend all day out in the backyard, if I’d let her.
    6. She once did a stint in rehab (aka spent a month with my in-laws).  When we were still living in an apartment, we ended up with some terrible upstairs neighbors.  They managed to shake the ceiling so much that Bella developed noise anxiety and had to go to rehab until we moved.
    7. Before Bella came to live with us, the rescue group called her Sally.

    Wow… if you add up the identity change, the fact that she must have been skipping classes (hence the lack of dog skills), and the stint in rehab, Bella sounds like a shady character!  Just kidding…

    Finally, I’d like to tell you a little about the wonderful bloggers that gave us this award.  Go visit them and say hi!

    The dog behind this blog is Hawk (or Hawkeye – I love a good MASH reference), a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.  There’s always great content on the blog – and he’s great at keeping up with his readers.  Hawk spends time in many of his posts answering questions from them.
    Dee, the human who maintains this blog, has a menagerie of both children and animals.  She posts wonderful photos and great stories.  I love reading about this big happy family!
    Kirby is an adorable little mutt – a terrier mix, in fact.  You know how much I love my terriers!  I always enjoy reading about his adventures as a rescue pup who found his forever home.  He just started rally class, and I can’t wait to hear all about it!
    A bit of an odd couple: Banjo is 10 and works as in a prison as a therapy dog, while Millie is 12 weeks old and, as her human puts it, “likes to poop and then play in it.”  Their blog is endlessly entertaining, and there’s even a Millie Cam where you can get your puppy fix!
    I love reading about the antics of LuLu and her little brother Wally.  In addition to general cuteness (which they have in spades), they also are dedicated students.  LuLu is a Canine Good Citzen, and Wally has been taking obedience classes.  It’s fun to see them learn and watch videos of their newest tricks and accomplishments.

    Something Wagging This Way Comes
    Pamela the human writes about a lot of things, including the adventures of her Golden Retriever, Honey.  I especially like what she calls her “Puppiness Project.”  Inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project (which I loved), Pamela writes about lessons in happiness she’s learned from Honey.  In addition, Honey has been taking classes on K-9 Nose Work, which I’ve enjoyed reading about.

    Grouchy Puppy Dog Days
    First and foremost, you can’t beat the motto: “don’t judge a book, blog or dog by its cover.”  Genius!  Although the blog is based in San Francisco, my East Coast heart still adores Cleo and her human.  Cute photos and informative posts – this blog has it all!  The Influence Positively interview series highlights amazing animal advocates – I love learning about these inspiring people.

    Chunyo’s Corner
    I recently discovered this blog, and I’m so glad I did!  Chunyo is an adorable Boston Terrier, and there are plenty of cute photos on the blog. In addition, there is a wealth of information on there.  I look forward to visiting Chunyo and learning even more.

    Kol’s Notes
    The dog behind this blog is Kolchak Puggle.  (Bella used to have a Puggle nemesis in our old neighborhood, but she doesn’t hold that against Kolchak.)  His human is studying canine nutrition – cool, right?  As you can imagine, I’ve learned a great deal about nutrition from this blog.  However, all of the posts are great – so much personality packed into each one!

    under the blanket
    I look forward to every post from Cate, the blogger behind this blog.  She finds the cutest and coolest products – items that are unique and (no pun intended) drool-worthy.  If you and your pup want to be the coolest kids on the block, I’d recommend starting here.

    I received this award from Park Avenue Chihuahua and SewDoggyStyle back in January too – I thanked them then, but I’d like to say a few quick words about them now too, since I’m all about sharing the bloggy love today…

    Awesome name, right?  This blog makes me laugh, it makes me smile… blogger Chihuahua Girl is a dog lover after my own heart.  I guarantee a smile if you visit this blog.
    Creativity doesn’t even begin to describe what you’ll find on this blog.  So many unique and awesome projects featured here – complete with handy do-it-yourself instructions.  I mean, where else can you learn to make a Doggy Gaga costume?

    So… that’s a wrap!  I’d like to say thanks again to the fabulous bloggers above – I’m honored to be in such fine company.  

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    Take a look, it’s in a book…

    … it’s Reading Raindog!  (Reading Rainbone?  Reading Great Danebow?  Help me, LeVar Burton!)

    Check out Monday’s post for more info about the book seen here.

    You had to know I couldn’t resist the urge to post the following video…

    Yeah… I went there.  You can thank me later, after your brain plays this on repeat for the rest of the day.

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