well, I've just made a list of all the things I need to do by December 31st and I've realized that I don't have time for all of them! In order to make sure that I have enough time to finish all my work and keep Buzz exercised and happy, I'm planning on cutting my dog blogging down to Wordless Wednesdays only. Hopefully, I'll be able to return to story telling and regular posting in the new year. Until then, I'll look forward to reading your comments!
With gratititude,
R0ssie
p.s. new banner!
Live and Let Mud
Today at the park, Buzz lost his head
No not literally, but figuratively. You see, I have always let Buzz play in the mud pools on this particular hike because there is a lake where he can rinse off. He really likes to play in the mud and I like to see him happy, plus, a little mud isn’t going to hurt him.
Well today, Buzz did more than his typical stroll through the mud pool. He…well…just look…
Here’s a close up on that last image:
Can you see his collar there? Towards the bottom of the image? Yeah? Still need help figuring out what is going on? Well, he’s laying on his side in the mud and pushing his head under the mud. Let me repeat that: HE’S LYING ON HIS SIDE IN THE MUD AND PUSHING HIS HEAD UNDER THE MUD.
That mud is farm mud, by the way, so it smells like manure. And while I, as a good Wisconsin girl, think of manure as a good honest smell (vastly preferable to sewage or bacteria-riddled swamp water) it is not a very *nice* smell.
The beast emerges.
The beast shakes.
The beast looks about his beastly domain.
Seriously, he was like the Golem’s dog or something, created entirely of cow poo. I was ready to deny he was mine to anyone coming up the path “no, that’s not my dog, that’s a creature that emerged from the muck!”
I was worried that my “live and let mud” philosophy may have served me poorly. Being this dirty does present something of a problem because as you may recall, Buzz does not swim, he wades. Usually, this works out fine because he also only wades in the mud. But, today he snorkled in it. So, um, was he going to dip his head in the lake?
No.
How to solve this problem?
Plan A:
Since it looks like this…
when Buzz fetches sticks out of the lake, I did a lot of throwing sticks into the lake.
After five minutes, we still had this:
So, more fetching ensued (by the way, I LOVE that image, so happy and gross! see it larger by clicking *here*)
More fetching:
Then finally I put Plan B into effect:
I put down the camera, took off my socks & shoes, rolled up my pants, and waded in with him to splash some water on his head and top line.
In short order, we were ready to go! Have a great weekend everyone, and remember: live and let mud!
Worst case scenario: you've a wee golem to do your bidding!
No not literally, but figuratively. You see, I have always let Buzz play in the mud pools on this particular hike because there is a lake where he can rinse off. He really likes to play in the mud and I like to see him happy, plus, a little mud isn’t going to hurt him.
Well today, Buzz did more than his typical stroll through the mud pool. He…well…just look…
Here’s a close up on that last image:
Can you see his collar there? Towards the bottom of the image? Yeah? Still need help figuring out what is going on? Well, he’s laying on his side in the mud and pushing his head under the mud. Let me repeat that: HE’S LYING ON HIS SIDE IN THE MUD AND PUSHING HIS HEAD UNDER THE MUD.
That mud is farm mud, by the way, so it smells like manure. And while I, as a good Wisconsin girl, think of manure as a good honest smell (vastly preferable to sewage or bacteria-riddled swamp water) it is not a very *nice* smell.
The beast emerges.
The beast shakes.
The beast looks about his beastly domain.
Seriously, he was like the Golem’s dog or something, created entirely of cow poo. I was ready to deny he was mine to anyone coming up the path “no, that’s not my dog, that’s a creature that emerged from the muck!”
I was worried that my “live and let mud” philosophy may have served me poorly. Being this dirty does present something of a problem because as you may recall, Buzz does not swim, he wades. Usually, this works out fine because he also only wades in the mud. But, today he snorkled in it. So, um, was he going to dip his head in the lake?
No.
How to solve this problem?
Plan A:
Since it looks like this…
when Buzz fetches sticks out of the lake, I did a lot of throwing sticks into the lake.
After five minutes, we still had this:
So, more fetching ensued (by the way, I LOVE that image, so happy and gross! see it larger by clicking *here*)
More fetching:
Then finally I put Plan B into effect:
I put down the camera, took off my socks & shoes, rolled up my pants, and waded in with him to splash some water on his head and top line.
In short order, we were ready to go! Have a great weekend everyone, and remember: live and let mud!
Worst case scenario: you've a wee golem to do your bidding!
Fetch
I've been back from Wisconsin for a few weeks now, but because I'm so busy and I got a lot of fun shots of the dogs there, I still have stories to tell. Today, the subject is fetch.
Now, Buzz will play fetch. He understands the game well enough. However, it is not as much fun as hiking things, so lots of times when Buzz gets the ball, he will hike it a few times before returning it. This is fine by me as it is less work on my end. And let's face it, Buzz is way to social to play flyball (he'd be sailing across those lanes to say hi to all the lovely doggies) so there is no need for him to have a disciplined return. One thing I do wish he’d figure out is to watch where I’m throwing the ball…sometimes he just takes off in a random direction at full speed for no good reason. Really, so many loose screws in that one’s head!
Pete the Pirate is the consummate fetcher. I really do think he’s mostly either a Golden or Labrador Retriever because he lives for that tennis ball! Pete would happily play fetch all day every day. Like Buzz, however, Pete doesn’t watch you throw the ball. Pete just takes off in the direction you last threw it. He’s probably compensating for his eyesight on that one, because if you say his name and point in a different direction he knows to go that way instead.
Ned, who has to stay in his room if Mabel or Buzz is at the house, has no idea what fetch is about. He just runs alongside Pete as Pete fetches. Sometimes Ned takes the ball, but then doesn’t know what to do with it. Then we have to throw a different ball for Pete, but that doesn’t always make Pete happy…he wants to use the same ball the whole game.
Sophie and Castro both kind of fetch. I think Castro knows the game but isn’t always interested and Sophie doesn’t really get it, but likes to join in sometimes.
One day Uncle Scary was playing fetch with all the dogs except Ned (who was locked in his room).
Buzz stopped playing pretty quickly. Maybe because I was far from the action trying to take pictures, maybe because it was an overwhelming amount of barking/running/fetching. Buzz lay down at my feet and started chewing a stick.
Pete was consistently getting the ball. He was cracking me up because the back yard is flat for about 20 feet, but is then quite steep and wooded and Pete comes charging out of the woods with great awkwardness. I even caught it on film when he did a face plant stumbling out of the brush.
I think it was shortly after this that Mabel decided that she’d rather join Buzz in stick chewing than play with the big dogs and their ball.
Eventually the games ended and Mabel got the ball to chew on.
Buzz says “hey, who let the air out of the puppy?”
The next day, I played fetch with just Buzz and Pete and they were pretty evenly matched (Buzz being much faster but less smart about fetch). Buzz was doing his #1 annoying fetch thing, though: he brings the ball most of the way back and then drops it. Now, at home this just means the game is over. I don’t kick the soccer ball unless he brings it to my feet and I don’t throw the tennis ball unless he drops it in my hands. So, consistently, Buzz was bringing the ball to within 4 feet of me and then dropping it. And then we would both stand there. Then darling Pete would swoop in and bring the ball those last few steps and drop it into my hands. That Pete, he’s serious about fetch and he’ll do what it takes to have the ball thrown again!
Now, Buzz will play fetch. He understands the game well enough. However, it is not as much fun as hiking things, so lots of times when Buzz gets the ball, he will hike it a few times before returning it. This is fine by me as it is less work on my end. And let's face it, Buzz is way to social to play flyball (he'd be sailing across those lanes to say hi to all the lovely doggies) so there is no need for him to have a disciplined return. One thing I do wish he’d figure out is to watch where I’m throwing the ball…sometimes he just takes off in a random direction at full speed for no good reason. Really, so many loose screws in that one’s head!
Pete the Pirate is the consummate fetcher. I really do think he’s mostly either a Golden or Labrador Retriever because he lives for that tennis ball! Pete would happily play fetch all day every day. Like Buzz, however, Pete doesn’t watch you throw the ball. Pete just takes off in the direction you last threw it. He’s probably compensating for his eyesight on that one, because if you say his name and point in a different direction he knows to go that way instead.
Ned, who has to stay in his room if Mabel or Buzz is at the house, has no idea what fetch is about. He just runs alongside Pete as Pete fetches. Sometimes Ned takes the ball, but then doesn’t know what to do with it. Then we have to throw a different ball for Pete, but that doesn’t always make Pete happy…he wants to use the same ball the whole game.
Sophie and Castro both kind of fetch. I think Castro knows the game but isn’t always interested and Sophie doesn’t really get it, but likes to join in sometimes.
One day Uncle Scary was playing fetch with all the dogs except Ned (who was locked in his room).
Buzz stopped playing pretty quickly. Maybe because I was far from the action trying to take pictures, maybe because it was an overwhelming amount of barking/running/fetching. Buzz lay down at my feet and started chewing a stick.
Pete was consistently getting the ball. He was cracking me up because the back yard is flat for about 20 feet, but is then quite steep and wooded and Pete comes charging out of the woods with great awkwardness. I even caught it on film when he did a face plant stumbling out of the brush.
I think it was shortly after this that Mabel decided that she’d rather join Buzz in stick chewing than play with the big dogs and their ball.
Eventually the games ended and Mabel got the ball to chew on.
Buzz says “hey, who let the air out of the puppy?”
The next day, I played fetch with just Buzz and Pete and they were pretty evenly matched (Buzz being much faster but less smart about fetch). Buzz was doing his #1 annoying fetch thing, though: he brings the ball most of the way back and then drops it. Now, at home this just means the game is over. I don’t kick the soccer ball unless he brings it to my feet and I don’t throw the tennis ball unless he drops it in my hands. So, consistently, Buzz was bringing the ball to within 4 feet of me and then dropping it. And then we would both stand there. Then darling Pete would swoop in and bring the ball those last few steps and drop it into my hands. That Pete, he’s serious about fetch and he’ll do what it takes to have the ball thrown again!
Houseguests
Houseguests can expect Buzz to forget they are there and then bark at them as if they are intruders.
Houseguests can expect Buzz to give lots of cuddles once he realizes his mistake.
Houseguests can expect Buzz to give lots of cuddles once he realizes his mistake.
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