Archive | January, 2011

Barking Deals

26 Jan

Everyone likes to save right? I know I like it when my humans save because that usually means I get more stuff either through them having more money to spend on me or by them buying more goodies for me because they scored good deals. Sometimes it can be a hassle trying to hunt down the best deals. So what’s better than having a website that has daily offers of up to 50-90% off popular pet items? Nothing I say! That website just happens to be Barking Deals. One of the great features of Barking Deals is that they offer a opt-in email subscription program where those that sign up receive daily emails that announce the newest deal. Though my mom hasn’t bought anything yet (even though I tried really hard to convince her to buy me the dehydrated liver bits that were yesterday’s deal (who can beat $9.99 on a product originally costing $19.98? And a free Kong Wubba!) apparently already having a bag of dehydrated liver means I can’t get any more. Grr.) she checks reads the email alerts everyday ready to score a great deal!

Happy tail wags!

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Ch. Who What of Where Now?

24 Jan

While my mom and I watched the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show yesterday, all I kept thinking about (besides how very un-dog like the pekingese named Malachy looked) was where do these fine canine specimens get their long-winded and sometimes head turning names. Take, for instance, the winner of not only the herding group, but also best-in-show, the Australian Shepard Ch. Propwash Reckon. Or the winner of the non-sporting group, a Bischon Frise called GCh. Ch. Saks Hamelot Little Drummer Boy. Quite a mouthful! So I decided to do a little digging as to how these pups come to have such distinguished registered titles.

While it seems that anything goes in terms of a dog’s registered name, there are a few details some humans decide to include. One major one seems to be the name of the kennel or breeder from whence the pup came. Say a show dog came from the Prudence’s Perfect Kennel, than it’s very likely that the dogs to come from that kennel would have a registered name starting with Prudence’s Perfect, Prudence’s, or any other form of wording that could directly or indirectly allude to the dog’s origin. In the instance of Ch. Propwash Reckon, he was born at Propwash Farm. His father (also known as a sire) goes by the name of Ch. Propwash Syzygy, also containing the “Propwash” name.

Often registered names include or, as is more often the case, hints at a dog’s genealogy. Say a female dog named Ch. Prudence’s Perfect Cookie gave birth to a pup, it could carry the name Ch. Prudence’s Perfect Ginger Snap. While it doesn’t directly involve the mother’s (or dam) name, it still hints at it. For a real world example, take the name of the Brittany who placed 3rd in the Sporting Group; GCh. Ch. Mich’s Mt Ready Aim Fire. His mother’s name is Ch. Mich’s Mt Dorie Ready Set Go. See the connection?

Some breeders will also sometimes use a theme when naming their dogs. Usually it’s the alphabet, meaning that each year is a designated letter so every pup born is named using that letter. 2011 could be “A” so 2012 would then be “B” and so on and so forth. Of course you could get really inventive and use the names of flowers, authors, artists, gemstones, etc. If Ch. Prudence’s Perfect Cookie had two more pups in the litter with Ginger Snap, they could be named Ch. Prudence’s Perfect Chocolate Chip (or, I guess carob chip since we are talking about dogs) and Ch. Prudence’s Perfect Butterscotch. See, they’re all kinds of cookies!

And what about the “Ch.” or the “GCh.?” Well, those prefixes designate a title, in this case either “Champion” or “Grand Champion.” Usually a dog has to earn that title before they are tacked on to an existing name.

Figuring out a name to register your dog with seems like a lot of hard work. I’m glad for my simple and easy to remember name. Do any of my readers have dogs with registered names?

Happy tail wags!

Source: Wikipedia and The AKC

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Silly Humans

20 Jan

I don’t know what it is, but we four-legged beasties tend to bring out the babbling sillies in our human counterparts. Just a look from my big brown eyes makes my humans resort to what I now refer to as “puppy talk” (though it also works for kitties). Here are just a few examples of the funny words my humans use when they talk to me.

“Lunches”= lunch

In a sentence: “Are you hungry Prudence? Would you like lunches?”

“Din-din”= dinner

In a sentence: “Prudence, stop watching me eat. You already had your din-din.”

“Cuddles”= hugs and kisses

In a sentence: “Stop running away Prudence! All I want is some cuddles.”

“Potty”= that thing I do outside that I don’t like to talk about much

In a sentence: “You’ve asked to go potty three times in the past half hour. I think you’re tricking me.”

“Walkies”= walks

In a sentence: “It’s called walkies, Pru, not runnies or bark-at-squirrels-ies.”

“Noms”= food (sometimes treats)

In a sentence: “These are my noms Prudence, not yours. Stop drooling on my leg.”

“Chewy”= Chew treats like bully sticks

In a sentence: “That chewy is so stinky! Take it in your room.”

“Squeaky”= toy (even if they don’t squeak)

In a sentence: “No Prudence! My slipper is not a squeaky!”

“Poop” = a naughty dog

In a sentence: “Prudence is being a poop. She chased Harry all around the living room and under my bed!”

“GG” = my great-grandmother

In a sentence: “Pru, we go to GG’s to visit, not to use her house as a toilet.”

“Bell-bell”= belly

In a sentence: “Someone’s bell-bell is rumbling. Is it time for din-din?”

It’s quite an interesting phenomenon. Anyone else get reduced to spouting off silly words when talking to their pets?

Happy tail wags!

 

 

 

 

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The Tale of the Cone

18 Jan

While I’m not the most flexible of dogs, I am able to put up with a lot. I mean, look at how many crazy outfits I let the humans dress me up in! There have only been a few times I’ve had to put my paw down, one of those times being when I had an unfortunate run in with “The Cone of Shame” (or, as it is most commonly known to you humans, the e-collar). It all happened after that big trip to the vets that most young dogs go through (I’ve heard the humans refer to it as a spay or neuter. It’s all gibberish to me). My mom was afraid I would chew the cut running down my belly, so she slipped this hard, plastic cone thing on my head. Terrified isn’t quite the best descriptor to explain how I felt. Not only did I have a hard time moving my head around, I also couldn’t get comfortable when trying to lay down. I wound up standing in the corner of the couch, the mouth of the e-collar resting on the arm. Thankfully, my mom took pity on me and removed the horrid abomination resting around my head.

Due to this wonderfully scarring event, I was a little more than skeptical when I received an offer to try out an interesting, flexible take on the hard plastic e-collar from Trimline Manufacturing. Of course my mom jumped on the chance (in her words “would you rather go back to the ‘cone of shame’ if something were to happen?” Anything but the cone of shame!). Trimline Veterinary Recovery Collars, also known as the “soft blue collar,” are just that, soft. They are made from laminated fabric that is non-toxic, non-allergenic, and water resistant which allows the wearer the ability to sleep, eat, and drink comfortably. This coated fabric also helps to keep the collar safe from wear and tear from any chewing and scratching (something that came in handy after the kitty Gracie Lynn decided to try to use it as a scratching pad).

And now for the embarrassing photo evidence:

Stop laughing!

While I didn’t run and hide during the reveal of the Trimline collar, it did take a little more than the average amount of coaxing and treats to get me comfortable enough to slip it over my head. As the collar is held in place with a draw string, it wasn’t as tight or uncomfortable as the traditional e-collar. In fact, after a few minutes of adjusting to having a bright blue thing in my peripheral, I was walking around the house as if I wasn’t wearing a funny form of neck wear (except that the humans were a lot more giggly whenever I walked by them).

The things I do for you people!

While I don’t need the Trimline collar anytime soon, thank goodness, it is something that is good to have on hand for those emergency situations. It’s flexible design means its incredibly easy to store away so my nanny won’t toss it due to it being “in the way” as was the fate of my last e-collar.

To order a Trimline Veterinary Recovery Collar, check out their website or you can contact your local pet supply store to see if they carry the “soft blue collar.”

Happy tail wags!

(FTC Disclosure: I was sent two Trimline Veterinary Recovery Collars to review. No other compensation was given for this review. All opinions expressed are solely from my little puppy brain!)

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Pet Blog Directory

17 Jan

Have you ever sat at your computer and not know what website you wanted to visit? No? Me either. Usually my forays on my mom’s laptop are blog related so I know exactly what sites I want to visit. But just in case there is ever a time where you just can’t decide what blog you may want to read, or if you want to have a great resource to see some of the wonderful pet blogs out there, you’ll want to check out DogTipper.com‘s new feature; the Pet Blog Directory.

(photo source)

Compiled through submissions by pet bloggers far and wide, the Pet Blog Directory features anything from breed specific blogs to pet travel and even pet savings blogs (and, you know, me!). So if you’ve ever been curious as to what pet-related blogs are out in that vast space know as the interweb, definitely hit up DogTipper.com! And if you write a pet blog, make sure you submit your information to be included in the directory.

Happy tail wags!

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Paw Prints

13 Jan

For a long time now my mom has been on the hunt for a dog themed ornament so there can be a little piece of me on the annual Christmas tree. The search came up fruitless until one of my mom’s friends gifted her the Pawprint Ornament kit from Pearhead.So, during one of the snowy days we’ve experienced here in the Maine chill, my mom decided to break out the kit. The main material to make the impression was very light weight and squishy but not sticky. I was a little bit confused watching my mom roll it out; how was my paw print going to get on that squishy stuff? The realization that I would have to step on it dawned on me when my started talking in that calm, happy voice she tends to use when she wants me to do something I may not want to do. That and the treats she was feeding me (those are always a dead giveaway). Lucky for my mom, the impression material afforded many redo opportunities for them times that I jerked my paw and smudged the imprint. After the fourth attempt (and two days of drying), a solid print was finally made! Obviously we made this ornament a little too late for Christmas (only 11 and a half months until next Christmas), but I’m definitely going to look forward to seeing it on the tree.

Happy tail wags!

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Pet Blogger Challenge

11 Jan

A unique challenge was put together by fellow pet bloggers Edie Jarolim of Will My Dog Hate Me? and Amy Burket of Go Pet Friendly. The idea is to take a retrospective look at your blog and to think about where you’re heading in the future. As I seem to be in the blogging dog house what with being continually late with posts or not doing them at all, I figured this may help!

1. When did you begin your blog?

July 7th of 2009!

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?

Of Cows’ Tails and Chew Toys was originally started as a kind of fun side project of my mom’s who wanted a unique way (i.e. through my voice) to journal my daily activities and any fun bit of pet related news she stumbled upon.

3. Is your current purpose the same?

The main focus is still about me (usually), but I have since branched out to include more posts about different topics.

If not, what’s different?

I’ve really opened the doggy doors as to what topics I consider blogging about. If it’s something that interests me, I’ll write about it. Plus, even though I’m absolutely adorable, I don’t think it would hold human interest enough if every single blog post was about how cute I am sleeping, eating, playing with a squeaky toy, etc.

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

For the longest time I tried to have a post for every day, Monday through Friday. It was a lot easier when my mom wasn’t in college like she is now. While there are still weeks when I can churn out a post every day, it seems more often than not nowadays, I post when I can at least three times a week.

If the former, how often — and what techniques do you use to stick to it?

When I was blogging everyday, I would set a time at night (usually around 7-8) when I would have my mom (hello, paws) type up a post. As to blog ideas, I usually came up with a weeks worth over the weekend, but I also kept (and still keep) a bookmark file of pet related news stories just in case I need something to write about.

5. Are you generating income from your blog?

Well since my form of income usually boils down to chewies and delectable treats, I do receive those things to try and write about. In terms of the human income (which I take to mean those green pieces of paper known as “money”), no, this blog does not make me or my human money.

If so, how (e.g. sponsor ads, affiliate relationships, spokesperson opportunities)?   If not currently, do you hope to in the future — and how?

I’ve always thought it would be fun to somehow turn this blogging thing into a book, but other than that, this blog is just for fun.

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?

I like all the attention my blog gets me! I think my human does too, especially because it has helped her make some really good friends in the pet blogging community. It’s quite nice to have a platform in which to express my thoughts and talk about how adorable I am. Who isn’t a little self-centered? I have also found that Of Cows’ Tails and Chew Toys has afforded me opportunities to help other animals that aren’t as fortunate as I am, especially since Blog the Change was started.

7. What do you like least?

Coming up with new, intriguing, and unique things to write about. While I could just write about things I like (all chicken all the time) I still want to cater to and keep my readers’ interest. It’s a lot of work for a little pup.

8. How do you see your blog changing or growing in 2011?

I have occasionally written about pet related stuff that has happened locally, but I think I want to do much more. I also want to find more ways I can use this blog to help make a difference. It’s fulfilling to do good, not to mention it makes my tail wag like crazy.

For a growing list of all the pet blogs participating in this challenge, please visit Go Pet Friendly.

Happy tail wags!

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Pukka (the Pup After Merle) Interview

6 Jan

I had a wonderful opportunity to have an email based interview with Pukka, the pup behind Pukka: The Pup After Merle, a book I reviewed in yesterday’s blog post. I was quite thrilled that I could pick the mind of this thoughtful and wise pooch.

Pukka and Ted

1. Living in a town that is friendly to dogs, but not as open to them as Kelly and Jackson, I am quite jealous that you get to visit places like the post office, bank, and cafes. Do you have any thoughts as to why places in Kelly and Jackson seemed to be more receptive to dog visitors? Do you think there is anything we dogs, or even humans who care for dogs, can do to make certain areas of the world have a better attitude about making businesses dog-friendly?
First off, thank you for interviewing me, Prudence.  I appreciate it very much.  Kelly and Jackson are different places, separated by sixteen miles, with nothing in between but national park and national elk refuge.  Kelly only has ninety people and a dead-end road through it, so dogs get to be off-leash.  The post office is tiny and the postmistress friendly to dogs.  We can be out on the deck of the café, but not inside.  In Jackson, which has about 8000 people, dogs aren’t allowed in the busy post office anymore–boo-hoo!  But we can go to the bank, the bookstores, and some cafés.  I think we get to go so many places because Jackson Hole is in the middle of a lot of wilderness, there are about as many dogs as there are people, and people are outdoorsy and have a more laid-back attitude about things here than in big cities.  People seem less worried about dirt, don’t dress up as much, and are, well, more like dogs.

2. You talked a bit about Ted teaching you different things like sitting and laying down. Did Ted try different teaching techniques with you before settling on one that worked, or did he just pick one and stick with it?
2A. I did notice on page 93 what looked like a clicker, a tool my humans uses when she teaches me things. Was that something Ted used a lot in your schooling?
2B. Do you have any advice for humans and/or dogs who are either teaching their pups or learning from their humans?
Ted used a clicker from the start and rewarded me with elk or salmon jerky–mmm-mmm.  How could I not learn things quickly and the clicker made it easy to know exactly when I got it right.  As far a a technique, Ted would offer me some jerky in front of my nose, than move it toward the position he wanted me to be in.  It was so easy!  I also had lots of other dogs to learn from.  Sometimes that was good–I learned to do my business outside quickly.  And sometimes it wasn’t–a lot of my friends bark.  But Ted doesn’t like barking dogs and so we had to unlearn what I had learned from my friends.  He did this by putting me in the downstairs bathroom whenever I barked at the UPS or the FedEx delivery people.  Every time, back in the bathroom for two minutes.  Pretty soon I got the message.  No barking.  Skateboarders were harder.  I loved to bark at them and chase them.  So Ted took me to a skateboard park and we sat on the edge of it for a long time.  Sigh.  After a while, skateboarders weren’t that interesting anymore.

3. I’m terrified of swimming so just reading about your first rafting trip made me want to curl up and hide under the covers. You, however, seemed so confident and took everything in stride. Do you think it was your upbringing with Ted, the traits passed down from your dog mom and dog dad, or a combination of both that made you so?
I didn’t like water at first either, except warm water in the shower.  I loved taking showers with Ted.  But I didn’t want to cross streams.  Then Ted took me to a hot spring and walked across its outlet.  It was only a few inches deep and I cried and moaned when he went across, trying to find a way to reach him without getting my paws wet, but there wasn’t a way across.  Finally, I just leapt after him, but, unlike all the other irrigation ditches and puddles I had to cross that spring, this stream was warm.  Nice!  The next day Ted took me to a slightly wider stream.  I went across, not noticing that it was a bit colder.  From then on, it became easy to follow Ted across streams where I couldn’t reach the bottom with my paws.  I just moved my feet and I was swimming.  You should give it a try, Prudence.  I bet you’ll like it in gentle shallow water.

4. After your run-in with AJ [a not so friendly dog] as a pup, you said you learned that “a dog has to be careful and life’s not perfect.” Have there been any other instances so far in your life that have reminded you of that lesson?
Yep.  Another big dog tried to take a bite out of my left ear, but I was too quick and he only scratched me.  What I learned as a puppy is that you’ve got to keep your wits about you.  Now that I’m seventy pounds, I still am careful.  You never know when some dog might not be having a good day and take it out on you.

5. You often express your love of hiking, something I have yet to do but have been inspired to persuade my human to do with me. Would you say that this is your absolute favorite activity? Do you have any tips for hiking with your humans?
I love to hike, but I love to ski in deep powder snow even more.  Skiing in deep powder snow is like flying through the air, floating through a cloud.  It makes me feel like a bird.  As far as hiking with your human, you should try to come back and let them see you periodically so they know you’re safe.  There’s nothing worse than going off for ten or fifteen minutes and worrying your person to death.  I try to come back to Ted about every three minutes or so.

6. If you had to impart a single bite of wisdom to future generations of roly-poly puppies, what would it be?
Take the initiative!  Don’t get in the rut of being led around on a leash.  Explore new walks, learn new words, show your human that you’re a thinker so they give you the lead more often.

Thanks again, Pukka! And may there be many a juicy elk bone in your future!
You’re welcome, Prudence, and many bones to you!

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Pukka and Merle

5 Jan

Books are something I never really understood. My mom seems to have quite an attraction to them, so I have often tried to understand why. They don’t smell like anything special (except maybe dust) and they definitely don’t taste spectacular (though I only ever tried one book as the experience landed me in so much trouble I have yet to do it again). It wasn’t until my mom (and through her, myself) read two books about two very impressive pups that I finally understood it’s not about the books themselves, but the stories they contain.

While the two books are written by the same author, Ted Kerasote, they tell very different stories. The first book, Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog is written from Ted’s perspective and encompasses the time that a dog he named Merle entered his life. It’s quite a remarkable journey as it shows the impact a single dog can have on the life of a human. This is not a book about what Merle learned in his life, but what Ted learned from Merle. It is also not a book about a man’s ownership of a dog, but rather their very unique partnership. As the book title explains, Ted let Merle make his own decisions. These ranged from Merle being able to decide when he wanted to leave the house (he had his own door), to where he wanted to explore in the town of Kelly, Wyoming (Merle became known as the Mayor of Kelly due to his daily route around his home town). What is also so unique about Merle’s Door is that the personal story of Ted and Merle is interspersed with some incredibly well researched information about the evolution of dogs, the relationship between humans and dogs, as well as some thoughts on how a dog’s mind works. Mind you, this book chronicles all of Merle’s life, so tissues (or a whole box in my mom’s case) may very well be necessary.

Merle and Ted

(photo source)

After Merle’s passing, it took Ted quite awhile to make the decision to get another dog. In 2009, his heart was finally won by a little pup named Pukka. And thus Pukka: The Pup After Merle was written chronicling the puppyhood and growth of Ted’s second dog Pukka. This book is vastly different from Merle’s Door because Pukka’s story is written in Pukka’s perspective (like how my blog is written in my doggy perspective). Pukka also differs from Merle’s Door because it utilizes photographs as a storytelling technique instead of just the written word. The wonderful pictures of Pukka playing with his friends, going through some manners training, and on his many hikes with Ted are a perfect touch to the lighthearted romp of a story.Throughout the tale (or should I say tail?) Pukka’s story still holds true to the idea that dogs hold an impact of the lives of the humans that are in their lives and not just the other way around.

 

Pukka and Ted

(photo source)

So if you’re looking for a few good books to buy from your local bookstore, or to pick up from the library, definitely sniff out Merle’s Door and Pukka! And make sure to check in tomorrow for my exclusive interview with Pukka!

Happy tail wags!

(FTC Disclosure: I was sent Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog and Pukka: The Pup After Merle to read and review by the publisher. No other  compensation was given for the review)

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Resolutions

3 Jan

I hope everyone has been having a a wonderful beginning to 2011! While the humans and I haven’t been very busy, the first few days of the new year have proved to be filled with extra cuddles (which could be due to my mom not feeling her best) and delicious stew. It’s a good start all around!

I’ve noticed that one of the traditions humans have on the dawn of a new year is to make resolutions that are most likely broken within a few months (if not weeks or days), but something they do every year just the same. This year I’m joining in the fun by making some resolutions of my own!

Pru’s Pawesome Resolution for 2011

  1. Remind the humans every day that I am very important, if not the most important thing in their lives.
  2. Not tricking the humans into taking me outside when I really don’t have to go (unless there’s something really interesting outside that I just have to see and can’t get a good look at through the window).
  3. Stop chasing Harry (but only because mom and nanny say I have to).
  4. Learn to be sneakier when digging for leftovers in the trash.
  5. Try to get along with the mail person, especially when she brings packages with my name on them.
  6. Convince the humans that we need to visit GG and Gramp more often.
  7. Get my mom to trust me off leash again at GG’s (that is, no more chasing joggers down the road).
  8. Try to hold back my jealousy when the humans are cuddling with the kitties (though I’m not promising that will happen).

My resolve to stick to my resolutions probably won’t last much longer than most humans, though I am really going to try, especially for number 4 (I think the humans have a Prudence-in-the-trash detector because they always know!).

Happy tail wags!

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