Bo Obama

I'm disappointed that the Obama's didn't get a rescue dog.
They got this guy:

(image from people.com)

Who looks totally adorable and seems to be quite a handful, too. :)

(photo from Huffington Post)

Which you know that I love.

I also love this picture. My favorite pictures of families are always these moments with all the unconscious, gentle mingling of limbs and sightlines.

(pic from people.com)

Okay, and as long as we're on it. THIS is amazing.

(pic by Pete Souza) And there is a great essay about the meanings conveyed here on the Huffington Post It reads, in part, "There are all kinds of interesting elements here. Bo running free, though leashed. Obama and the dog clearly relating to one another, Obama looking back -- already creating a bond with the puppy. And especially, the new President at full sprint -- completely off the ground."

I'm glad that Bo a "second chance" dog and not some gooey little two-monther. But here's the thing: he's from a good breeder, which means that he was never in danger of being homeless or dead. "We don’t want any of our dogs to end up homeless," the breeder told People Magazine. "And the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, that we belong to, requires that their breeders take back their dogs if for any reason, any reason at all, the people can’t care for the dog. That’s what responsible breeders do, always."

Over 1.5 million dogs are killed each year in the U.S. just because there aren't homes for them. That number is just the adoptable, healthy dogs. And that number, while HUGE, is also not so very big. If just 35-to-40 percent of dog-owners got their next dog from a shelter or rescue, that would save all of those dogs.

All. of. them.

So, here's my beef with the Obamas:

The allergy thing. I do not have allergies, but people I know that have allergies keep them under control by (a)keeping their house clean, which includes vacuuming daily and buying quality filters for their furnaces. And (b) keeping the animal off of the furniture and out of the bedroom.

I'm guessing that if you live in the White House, you have high quality air filters and your house is vacuumed daily.

And if you do have to clean your own home and that much vacuuming sounds like too much work, you need to consider the amount of work it takes to keep a Portuguese Water Dog groomed (a lot!).

The Obamas just needed a low shed dog. And at a shelter, it is pretty easy to figure out who, among the grown dogs, is low shed. Just pet them. Got a hand full of fur? Move along to the next dog whose life is in danger. Look for dogs with single coats as it is the undercoats that usually cause allergic reactions. It's not a catalog people, you get to actually see and touch the dogs. You can figure out what kind of fur they have.

The whole thing wherein the Obamas said that their shortlist of dog breeds were Portuguese Water Dogs or "Labradoodles" also hit me funny. Because a "Labradoodle" is just a mutt with an advertising campaign and there's no way to ensure that a mixed dog is going to have the traits of one parent over the other (i.e., be hypoallergenic). Anyone with "Labradoodle" on their shortlist of dog "breeds" needs to do more research. They can be nice dogs, but people should save their funny names and $1800 for strippers; don't give them to the backyard breeders making mutts from poodles and labs!

Alright, alright, I'll get down from my horse now.

One question, though, does it seem smart to give a dog a name that rhymes with "no"?

wordless wednesday ~2~

wordless wednesday ~1~

Beers in the Backyard

Ah yes, spring has sprung. While I love winter, when it leaves me I get over it pretty quickly. Because there are many things to enjoy about the next guy. This spring character.

Better light to fill Buzz’s beautiful brown eyes.


Birds that chirp all day.

The ability to feel my face after walking the dog.

Good stuff.

In the winter, letting the dog out and playing with him a bit each evening can feel very choresome (that is probably not a word, but I don’t care). In the spring, going in the yard with the dog is awesome.
Because I take a beer with me.
And sit in the sunshine.
And Buzz just plays with his soccer ball and his sticks.
And then he comes over and sits by me and smiles.
He gets muddy maybe, but it is worth it.
For the sun and the beer and the birds.


Sometimes, we even have company for the evening unwinding. Tessa loves to come and play with Buzz.


Hi Tessa!


Can you wear my dog out for me?


Brilliant!


Tessa seems to learn a lot by watching other dogs. Like that you can jump to catch a ball! Or, that Nylabones are fun to chew on. She has yet to figure out how to play Buzz’s favorite game, but she’s been watching closely.


Maybe someday she’ll learn this extra-stupid, ever-so-funny hiking game. It’s Buzz’s favorite. It should go on his tombstone when he dies in one million years: “Here lies Buzz / He liked to hike things between his legs.”


Sometimes Buzz pauses from this hiking game to play fetch or sit on his table.


This particular day was the first really warm day and Buzz hadn’t even begun to blow his winter coat. And he hiked the ball a hundred times, played a lot of fetch, and wrestled like a madman with Tessa.


Both dog were getting a bit hot. But especially Buzz. Frequent trips to the water bucket were made.


Eventually, Buzz just lay down in the dirt by the water bucket, taking occasional sips.


Then I noticed that Buzz was using his nose to push the edge of the bucket over. Before I even had time to shoot a picture or grab the dog, he had dumped a gallon of cold water into the dirt, scratched the dirt up to make mud, and started to roll in it.


ARE YOU SEEING THIS???


Are you laughing? Because I was.
The aforementioned beer probably help me find the funny.
But seriously, the freakin’ dog made mud to roll around in and then went to town on it before I could say boo.

It is actually kind of genius of him. If a dog is in danger of overheating my dog book recommends applying cool (not COLD) water to the head, neck, chest and abdomen--either in a dunk tank or by using wet towels.

Notice that Buzz got most of his nice, cool mud on his abdomen.


Yep, now he’s even doing his own first aid.

Also notice, that he wanted to play some more after this hot episode...not such a genius after all!

I ended up taking him inside and giving him a nice tepid bath. Yes, Buzz got a bath. Which he almost never gets, but he ground in that mud really well, so the usual plan--waiting for it to dry and then brushing it out—wasn’t going to work. Plus, I wanted to make sure he was cooled off and the water was a good way to accomplish that.

Right Buzz?


Uh-oh, looks like Buzz has been reading the adventures of the canine mafia!