Manifest Destiny

Life is pretty good around here these days. My Susan is back on her feet after busting up her ankle in December. That means she's back to walking me. She is pretty pokey but I try to be patient.

Susan's leg is mending.. after six months.

Good thing Susan is back in the dog walk rotation because Boy#1 is gone on some canoe trip up north.

Sooo much gear to pack to survive in the tundra. But it all fit in the end.

Word is that where Boy#1 is headed, there are musk oxen and caribou and bugs the size of chihuahuas. Funny way to spend a summer, if you ask me.

My main hobby is nearly as challenging as surviving 40+ days in the wilderness: adding permissible furniture to my repertoire.

Deck chairs are for Carmella.

This deck chair has been permissible for awhile. But not sharing is the key.

Recently, Susan and Dave have expanded onto the front porch. It used to be filled with toys. Now it is a breezy, bug-free place to lounge. Looks comfy, right? But not for Carmella!

All the new porch furniture is NOT for Carmella. (Stupid cats.)

The BENCH on the porch seems to be OK. And I can guard the house from here.

The cats think THEY are guarding the house. Puleeze!

The cats weren't using their cat bed...

Same story. I am sticking with it.

If my peeps would buy me a bed like this one, I might be content.

OK, movie night is the best! Equal seating for all!

I guess I am a a pretty lucky dog!

Rumor has it, Dave and Susan have a new California King bed arriving in July. Plenty of room for ME. Right?

So Close...

 

I love what spring brings...but Dave needs to UNDERSTAND.

Seven Things You and Your Dog Don't Need

It isn't quite so cold this week but the snow is so deep in the back yard that I can barely keep my head above it. No zoomies for me. So more indoor time. Sigh.

Here some weird things I found online today.

If you smell like peanut butter
and I am in a GOOD mood.

Custom nose print pendant
priced by the size of your dog's nose.
This one is a Great Dane so costs $170.
This is just plain weird.

Dog lips dog toy should never be fetched.
Bury them in the in the woods.

Cat battle armor is only $500. Yikes!

I am not a fan of dressing up your dog.
But this dynamic duo looks pretty good.

Hey! This looks like me!

Dog scratching post?!!
There's even a video demonstrating how to claw.
(This looks like Stuart...thank goodness he has no claws.)

2013 AKC Most Popular Dog Breeds

And the winner is....No surprises here. It is exactly the same as last year. Yawn.

2013 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S.

1. Labrador Retriever
2. German Shepherd Dog
3. Golden Retriever
4. Beagle
5. Bulldog
6. Yorkshire Terrier
7. Boxer
8. Poodle
9. Rottweiler
10. Dachshund

All 177 AKC breeds by popularity 2013, 2012, 2008, 2003


But I might just watch the show to see a mutt kick butt in agility!

Jimmy, a rescue dog from Richardson, to compete in the famed Westminster dog show

Go Jimmy!  

Tibetan Mastiff Tidbits

I was thinking about that Tibetan mastiff... he/she reminded me of someone else.

Tibetan mastiff

Then it came to me...

Lara and Yuri in Doctor Zhivago (1965)

This got me wondering about Tibetan mastiffs. Do they all look morose and fashionably bedecked in a Russian fur hats? Not so much... But I learned some interesting things along the way. 

Tibetan mastiffs come in all sorts of colors and weigh 150-200 pounds.

Tibetan mastiffs are not actually mastiffs. But then Tibeten terriers aren't terriers and Tibetan spaniels aren't spaniels. Those darn Westerners just make stuff up on sight. 

Big Splash, a red Tibetan mastiff, is the world’s most expensive dog, sold as a pup for 1.5 million. Read more about that. 

Big Splash, the most expensive dog in the world.

But buyer beware when shopping for Tibetan mastiffs: Wikipedia explains, 

"There have been other similar reports of dogs sold for astronomical prices; however, most of these appear to be breeders' attempts to drive up the prices of their dogs. Photos of dogs shown on web sites are frequently Photoshopped to exaggerate color intensity, size, and "bone". Buyers have reported getting their dogs home only to find that bathing removes both color and "hair extensions" from the coat."

Can you imagine me in hair extensions? 

I feel like a million bucks.

The last tidbit that I know my friend DN3 will appreciate is that Harry Dresden's dog Mouse is a Tibetan mastiff. Funny though, I always pictured Mouse more like a Neapolitan mastiff.

Neapolitan mastiff

The final fact I learned about Tibetan mastiffs is that they "don't smell bad like other dogs." Huh. 

Shake Those Booties

Today's topic must be The Cold, as the State of Minnesota is pretty much closed today and tomorrow. And why not? Frozen flesh in minutes is pretty daunting. Though I imagine Minnesota school children are staying plenty warm dancing jigs.

I am not a cold weather dog. I'm just a southern-born, hound mix. When I boarded the Kentucky rescue van, back in the autumn of 2008, I had short, short fur.

My adoption photo.
Back then, I had very short fur and a gorgeous, muscular physique.
Feel free to comment that I still retain the latter.

Needless to say, when I got to Minnesota, I got right to shivering and growing some more fur. But even after six winters in Minnesota, I just don't have the undercoat of say...my neighbor Johann.

Johann has an impressive undercoat, which he needs help disposing of each spring.

There are certainly dogs better suited to arctic temperatures than me. Here are The 20 Best Cold-Weather Dog Breeds according to Outside.

My favorite is the Tibetan Mastiff.                 credit

Today is too cold for my guys for walkies so I am making due with backyard forays and pacing the house. That is not to say I want to wear my stupid dog coat, as I have made perfectly clear in my previous post: Dog Coats are from Hell.

But staying warm its not just about fur. If it was, we'd all have feet like an arctic fox.

Arctic fox foot

Carmella's foot

Looking at my lovely paw pads, you might think I need to wear booties to keep my feet warm. You would be WRONG.

You might be thinking, well, those tough sled dogs wear booties so Carmella must really need them. You would be WRONG. Those hardcore racing dogs wear booties to protect their paws from the abrasive snow but they do not add warmth. Dog feet stay warm the same way penguin wings and dolphin fins stay warm.

When humans get cold, their bodies shut off the extremities to protect vital organs. Since dogs (and penguins and dolphins) are more sensible than that, we have evolved a different system than humans. Scientists call it a "rete mirabile" or "wonderful network" of veins in dogs' feet and legs that work as a heat exchanger, warming cooled blood to maintain a constant temperature.

Using electron microscopes (and very cooperative dogs), Japanese scientists found:

"that the very close proximity of the arteries to the veins in the footpad meant that heat was conducted from one blood vessel to another. So when blood in the paw's veins cooled on contact with the air or ground, warm blood pumping from the heart - through the neighbouring artery - transferred its heat. The blood was therefore "warmed up" before it returned to the body - preventing the dog's body from cooling down, whilst also keeping the paws at a constant temperature." Pet dogs keep their feet from freezing by Ella Davies, Reporter, BBC Nature

So cancel that Amazon order, your dog does not need booties to get through the winter. Although a patch of sunshine would be nice.

YouTube compilation of dogs in booties

Door Manners for All

I am pretty good dog. For the record, good dogs are supposed to guard their territory and their pack. That was a big reason why canines and humans started hanging out together - an early warning system for humans (and free food for dogs).

So yeah, I bark at people at the door... or near the door...or across the street if they look creepy. And heaven help you if you want to come in the backyard.

There is no reason I can think of for non-pack members
to come into my backyard.
Except for neighbor Mike. He's OK.

Let me be clear, I am an excellent guard dog. I have a deep bark of authority. When I bark at visitors I am 100 percent effective. Folks who don't belong here ALWAYS leave. Sometimes it just takes awhile for them to get the hint.

Convincing a gal like me to NOT bark at visitors is pretty challenging. I find it baffling that my family doesn't seem to want my services. They are no good at guarding the house. Most of the time they don't even notice someone is at the door. So it mystifies me that they have been working at modifying my guard dog behavior since I got here.

At first, this is how it would go.

Stranger at the door: Knock knock

Carmella: BARK BARK BARK!
Agitated family member: NO BARKING! NO! NO!
Carmella: BARK BARK BARK! BARK! BARK!
Angry/exasperated family member: NO BARKING! STOP! BAD DOG! BARK BARK BARK BARK!

OMG! Obviously, my peeps were very upset about visitors too. Someone's at the door! BARK BARK! The whole pack goes BARK BARK BARK! 

Clearly I was right. Visitors are BAD NEWS and everybody should bark until they leave.

Please note: my pack would get so wound up about visitors, they'd get confused and end up yelling at ME. Every time someone came to to door, I ended up in the dog house. Very stressful. And proved me right! Best to keep pesky visitors at bay...

Clearly, we had to come up a with door warning system that would please the whole pack. Now, when we have visitors, this is our new routine:

Stranger at the door: Knock knock
Carmella: BARK BARK BARK!
Calm, relaxed, cheerful family member: Good girl! Someone is here. Thanks for telling me. Now, in your bed. Go lay down...
Dog goes to her bed (reluctantly) which is away from the door and WAITS (on alert in case she is needed).
Relaxed family member (with treat in hand): Stay!
Door opens, family member greets stranger and then either:

1. talks to stranger and makes them GO AWAY (then the adorable, waiting dog gets a treat) or 
2. invites visitor over the threshold - transforming them to welcome guest (sort of welcome). Dog gets a treat, dog is invited over for a brief sniff, dog gets another treat from visitor, then dog goes about her business until needed.

It is hard to wait and trust my family can protect the pack.

This might seem complicated. And indeed, it is hard to train all the family members to do all the steps well. It is hard for me to let go and trust my pack can defend our territory. It is hard for my family to remember that I am a good dog doing my job -- they should NOT yell and bark at me. For success:

1. They need to remember to be armed with treats (we keep them by the door) so I have a positive focus. 
2. They need make the visitor wait behind a closed door while I settle into my bed -- which is hard for them as they were taught not to make people wait. 
3. Then they need to keep enough of their attention on me to be sure I stay put until I am invited over. (I hate this part)
4. All the while, they need to coach the visitor to ignore me. Do not stare at me! I don't like stranger hands all over my adorable ears.  I just need to sniff the visitor and give the "all clear" to my pack. 
5. People need to get past their stereotypes about dogs: I don't want to make friends - live and let live is as good as it gets. Not all dogs are extroverts... Leave me be... unless you have peanut butter and will scratch my back (but that comes later...much later...)
6. Most importantly, everyone's behavior must exude positive calm. We LOVE visitors. Thanks for letting us know we have one, Carmella. What a good dog!

Whew!

Why so much effort? Because I don't rule the world and so visitors are apparently inevitable. As my pack practices this door ritual, things are more peaceful at our house. We now have a permanent sign on our front door that says:

Dog in Training
Please be patient.
Help me with my door manners.

I  must lie down and stay for the door to be opened.

• Do not greet me
• Just ignore me
• Do not bend over me(it scares me).

If I am good, I will get a treat!

Obviously, I did not write that silly sign. But did I mention I get treats?

Find a Patch of Spring

Sunday Snow Day

We all woke up to a nice Minnesota snowfall - our first measurable snow since last February! Since it was Sunday, there was no wondering what to do about it. So everyone rolled over and went back to sleep.

My peeps really need a snow day. Dave is still suffering from general malaise. His feverish glow gives the Christmas tree some competition. Especially since the top light strand pooped out.

Boy#2 was up all night barfing into a bucket. Generally, I approve of barf. The cats supplement my meager rations by leaving piles of yum all over the house. But this was different. Boy#2's mother got kept getting up - to check the bucket for his innards, I guess. It sure sounded that way. But then, I sleep about a foot from Geo's head - so it was pretty spectacular.

Needless to say, we are all pretty tuckered out. Except for Boy#1 who seems to be powered by plutonium or something. Even after shoveling out the neighbors corner lot and part of ours, he is bouncing around like Tigger. He's my man for walkies, today!

His mother is nostalgic for the days when the boys would run to the window barking with delight at the first snowfall. They'd bundle up and head out for hours. Our backyard is pretty quiet these days. Younger generations have taken up the snow fort construction business.

The neighbor girls.

I did do some bounding about in the snow. It isn't too cold. The smells are great in fresh fallen snow!  My friend Niko was out a lot today too.

Havanese dogs may not be the best snow dogs.

I hope Niko got warmed up. The best part of going outside in the winter is coming back in!

Happy Sunday snow day!

Sister Hound Maddie

I came across "Maddie the Coonhound: a super serious project about dogs and physics" a few months ago when my Dave sent Susan a link that made her bark out loud.

Last minute costume idea from Maddie. Happy Halloween! credit

You can check out more photos of Maddie on her website. There is also a book and even an app. She is a very patient gal. I guess she loves treats as much as I do. Maddie is most known for her balancing but I like her serenity. She is quite beautiful - she looks rather like me!

Maddie on Things

The Maddie the Coonhound project is an off-shoot of her person's project This Wild Idea. Maddie and Theron spent a year traveling all the states and collecting stories. I haven't had time to peruse them yet but I bet they are pretty cool.

Here's a nice interview with Maddie's person about how he and Maddie work together.

"It's pretty simple, and I think she's always up for it, especially since the photos only take 30 seconds. Over time she has learned when I pick her up I want her to stay. She knows if she stands still she will get a treat and eventually a "Go!" command allows her to run around really fast. She really loves that command." Maddie's person Theron

Maddie the Coonhound    credit

I expect she got the bacon, in the end.
 

Hot Dog on the 4th of July

Boy#1 and Boy#2 are at summer camp. I am not. They promised to bring back stinky BWCA/Quetico goodness. After portaging canoes, maybe they won't complain so much about long dog walks.

Not that there isn't a lot to complain about this week with temps cracking 100 here in Minnesota. The humidity is thick and the morning breezes remain wimpy so it makes sweating species pretty unhappy. Panting is tougher too as this technique also relies on evaporation to be effective. But I make do.

My Susan is a little crazy with time with her family numbers so depleted. So we have been hitting the walks to the tune of 5-6 miles each morning. Today, we hit day five of this inspired routine - which is way longer than Susan's normal attention span. I think she is also picturing the elevations of their upcoming trip to Glacier National Park (I get to go to the dog spa for the two weeks).

Today was so hot and humid that we saw only one other dog out along West River Road. It was moving slow. There were plenty of cyclists - including Dave - who generate their own breezes. The joggers looked more pained than usual.

The key to survival in the heat is, of course, lots of water. Not immersion in water - that is a horrible idea. Minneapolis parks often have these torture areas:

Those spraying spigots are terrifying. But the baby primates seem to love them. Luckily dogs are not allowed in wading pools so Susan doesn't get any stupid ideas.

I prefer my water lapped up.

Check out this very civilized dog water fountain
at Wabun Park in Minneapolis!

Stay cool and have a happy 4th of July!

Savoring Spring

I hope everyone is taking some time to savor spring. I know the temperatures have been a bit bewildering here in Minnesota. Is it summer? Is it winter? Am I late? Am I early?

My advice is to take a break from thinking about the weather, global warming, campaign silliness, taxes, squirrels...and just be in the moment. Soak up some sun. Chew on some tender spring shoots.