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I’m a Salty Dog

20 Dec

The biggest thing I’ve learned from having a run-in with a skunk many months ago (besides stop having run-ins with skunks, of course) is that even after about a million bathes and an entire bottle of Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover, I still had some lingering eau de Pepé le Pew. While it didn’t really bother me all that much, the humans on the other hand were less than happy. It was time to seek professional help.

Enter Salty Dog Salon Inc. operated by Jillian Jones and Deborah McClean. I already knew Jillian from the quarterly nail clipping clinics at The Loyal Biscuit. In fact, she’s the only human I let clip my nails (with only minor struggling). I don’t even let my mom do that! Anyway, after both Jillian and her mother Deb graduated from A+ Pet Grooming Academy in Grey, Maine, they started a small grooming salon out of their own home. It was only recently that they officially moved their business, Salty Dog Salon Inc. to it’s own space (which happens to be not too far from my home). The salon is bright, peaceful, and very tastefully decorated (according to my mom that is; dogs don’t know all that much about decorating). The grooming area (which we saw during Salty Dog’s holiday open house) is impeccably clean.  Among their many grooming options, Salty Dog has a specialty deskunking bath which is what I was given. My mom dropped me off (much to my dismay) and did errands for an hour while Jillian and Deb worked their magic. By the time the hour was up, I was bathed, flouffed, and smelling like citrus and cinnamon with barely a hint of skunk remaining. My mom was (and still is as it has been a couple of weeks and there is only a small tiny little skunky smell left behind my right ear. Much better than it was before) impressed by not only the deskunking miracle, but also by how friendly and welcoming Salty Dog’s environment and staff are. Plus, look at just how cute and fluffy I was after my day at the salon! If you live near Rockland, Maine and are interested in visiting Salty Dog Salon Inc, you can check out their website and facebook page for contact information. And make sure you tell Jillian and Deb that I sent you!

Happy tail wags!

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I’m Thankful For…

24 Nov

Last year on Thanksgiving, I wrote a post about everything I was thankful for. It was quite fun and something I really want to repeat this year, so here goes!

This year I, Prudence, one of the most adorable and spunky Yorkshire Terrier/Poodle crosses in existence, am thankful for…

My GG and Gramp who are sharing their home with nanny, aunty, mom, Harry, Gracie, and myself (and who don’t chastise me too badly when I have an accident on the floor).

Marie and her pug Jenny for being my beach partners this summer, but most importantly Jenny for not minding when I got the zoomies and accidentally ran her over.

Crockpots because the yummiest for-Prudence-only stews are made in them.

Every single human affiliated with my favorite store, The Loyal Biscuit. You will never understand store loyalty until you’re able to walk into a store where every human working there calls you by name and showers you in all sorts of delicious animal parts.

The random humans on the street who greet me by name (especially when my mom doesn’t know who they are). It means the Prudence fan club is growing!

And, of course, I am most thankful to all of my friends of the human and animal persuasion whom I love with all my puppy heart. In fact, I truly love all of you more than a Genius Mike toy stuffed with Greek yogurt, chicken pieces, peanut butter, and a Texas Taffy. All of your comments, tweets, emails, and facebook messages make me wiggle from nose to stubby tail. Thank you!

I hope everyone has a safe and belly-filling Thanksgiving.

Happy tail wags!

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Wordless (Kind Of) Wednesday

9 Nov

I love modeling the clothes my mom makes and sells on her and my aunt Angelica’s Etsy shop, The Smiling Frog Pets.

Happy tail wags!

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Woofstock 2011

12 Sep

I love raising money for animal shelters and rescues. It is up there with squeaking a brand new toy and eating chicken. Of course, helping out animals in need is even more fun when you get to hang out with other like minded humans and dogs. This weekend I got to do exactly that! Saturday marked the 6th annual Woofstock festival presented by The Animal House. Woofstock is festival that celebrates the pawesomeness of being a dog as well as all those pooches (and kitties!) looking for their forever homes. This year, there were 17 rescues and animal shelters from all around New England that benefited from the proceeds raised through the “Pay What You Can” admission fee, pet items yard sale, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, for-profit vendor fees, and what ever money is raised by the shelters and rescues themselves through items sold or services rendered at their booths.

Some of the rescues is attendance

There were also tons of vendors selling everything from collars, toys, treats, pet shampoo, and dog clothes. My pug friend Jenny and I (we attended the event with Marie, Jenny, Angelica, and Leo) were in doggy heaven from all the delicious samples being doled out by the likes of TriPom Chews, Zelda’s Biscuit Bakery, Nature’s Variety (where I met one of my facebook friends!), Stella & Chewy’s, Barkwheats, Merrick, Evermore Pet Food, and more. Leo wasn’t all that interested in the treats because he doesn’t eat in public. Some of the other vendors included Mutt Nose Best, a natural pet care line made in Maine, Uncommon Paws, a shop and maker of collars, leashes, pet clothes (who also happened to have a display of blanketIDs!), Classic Hound with their beautiful collars, the Maine POM Project, and so many more.

Mom, myself, Angelica, and Leo

There were also some really fun dog demos to watch. We happened to catch a bit of the agility demo where a few pups ran through tunnels, jumped over hurdles, and generally made me jealous that I wasn’t a bit more athletic. Even Jenny and Marie got into the action when they volunteered to help out during the freestyle demo.

This is Jenny's patented "Sniff for Treats" move

Honestly, one of the greatest things about the Woofstock was being able to meet so many different dogs and humans. Dogs from giant (and I’m talking at least a four poop bagger kind of giant) Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds, to itty bitty Chihuahuas as well as every breed or mix of breeds in between were their in their furry glory. I sniffed butts of dogs with three legs, dogs who needed carts to get around, even a deaf Border Collie. There were long haired dogs, short haired dogs, some dogs in dire need of a hair cut. I even got to finally rub noses with Finch, the foster dog turned adopted dog of the humans behind Barkwheats (and a puppy that my mom has been obsessed with ever since seeing her photo on the Loyal Biscuit facebook page), as well as Oscar, a me-look-a-like whom Angelica and Leo kept running into around Rockland.

This Great Dane's head was bigger than all of me

 

The adorable Finch!

 

Oscar, my look-a-like and I

All in all, it was a terrific day that was spent helping out 17 terrific shelters and rescues. We all came away with the satisfaction of knowing we helped many pets in need of homes, lots of new friends, and so much swag! 

So much swag!

As I didn’t want to make this post too picture heavy, I’ll be posting the rest of my Woofstock photos on my facebook page later today. 

Happy tail wags!

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College Bound Update

23 Aug

It is officially three days until I’m headed to the University of Maine. I feel like it was only yesterday that my mom received her acceptance letter. It also seems like I’ve been preparing for this every minute. Crate training has been the biggest feat of all. As a young pup, I was contained to a crate during my housebreaking period. I have since become really rusty at the whole not having an entire room to myself when no one is home thing. Not anymore! I am officially re-crate trained (though it’s not my favorite thing). So obviously this photo is older because A) it was taken at the apartment (we officially moved into my GG and Gramp’s house) and B) I’m wearing a sweater (it is definitely NOT sweater weather). But Prudence, you may be asking yourself, how can you teach an old dog new tricks? It was actually easy! First my mom would give me treats for just sniffing and exploring around the crate. After a I was comfortable around the crate (meaning I didn’t jump if my mom touched it or if one of the cats jumped on it) she put some really high value treats progressively further and further into the crate until I would walk into it with no problem. I even ate a few of my meals inside the crate a few nights to help my brain assimilate that the crate means good things (and food is definitely a good thing!). I started liking my crate so much, I would go in there for naps when my mom was milling around her room. When I would do this, my mom would shut the door and then walk in and out of the room so I would get used to her not being around all the time. More recently, I’ve been spending an hour or less in the crate while my mom runs errands. I whined at first, but now I just take a nap.

Other than that, mom and I have also been working on keeping a schedule with my walkies and dinner times that we can translate over to when we move to school. This stability in routine will help me to transition faster in a new environment. That way I won’t have to adjust to both a new environment and a new schedule.

Even though I’m experiencing all this preparation, I am still a little nervous. The humans say this is normal, but I can’t help but be worried. I’m also going to miss the humans that won’t be moving with me, like nanny, aunty, GG, Gramp, Angelica, Marie, Heidi, and of course my doggy friends Leo, Jenny, Chuck, and Fenny, but mom promises we’ll come back to visit (plus we’ll be home for all the major holidays). It’s going to be an adventure, not matter what happens!

Happy tail wags!

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2011 Boatyard Dog Trials

15 Aug

It’s that time of the year again for the annual Boatyard Dog Trials put on by the Maine Boats, Homes, & Harbors Show (read my post about last year’s competition here). As it was last year, I wasn’t able to attend due to the “No Dog” rule (other than the dog contestants, that is), so I sent my ever adventurous human reporter (my mom) to go and take some notes for me (and have fun obviously!).

This year the competition was extra special because my Labrador friend, Fenway, and the co-owner of The Loyal Biscuit Co, Joel, were one of the five competing dog-human teams. The other dog contenders were Grace O’Malley (the pirate queen), Oskar (the skilled jumper), Lyla (the crustacean queen), and Pixel (the facebook celeb. You can find Pixel’s facebook page here)

Fenway, the black belt!

There are three parts to the trial that every dog has to complete. The first part is an obstacle course involved bait buckets and lobster traps, the second is entering and exiting a tippy dinghy, and third, a freestyle routine. In addition to the different parts of the competition, there are usually only two rules in the competition (1. Either the dog or the handler must be completely soaked at the end of their 8 minute or less routine and 2. Not only is cheating allowed, but it is incredibly encouraged) but this year an extra rule was added! The third new rule was that, somewhere in the freestyle routine, a rubber ducky had to be included. In this, every contestant excelled. There were duckies included in everything from a raft of ducks used for fetching, to a ducky float stuffed with bribes for the judges.

Layla

There were two teams that my mom found incredibly impressive. The first was Fenny and Joel, the former of which was dressed in a karate gi, the later in his police officer uniform. Not only did Fen handle the obstacle course with ease (even through the temptation of the stinky bait bucket), but she was also in an out of the dinghy as if she had been doing it her entire life. The greatest moment happened during the freestyle when, after going through a few obedience commands (and Joel rolling around on the dock in an attempt to make Fenway roll over), Joel tried to entice Fenway with a rubber ducky when he “accidentally” fell off the dock. Fen jumped in not too soon after. You can see the entire performance here (mom tried to get video, but the judges’ boat kept getting in the way. Oh, and if you listen closely, you can hear my mom shouting “Fenway’s a SHE” in the background). 

And double points for BOTH contestants being soaked

The other impressive team was former shelter dog, Pixel, and her “Posse.”

Shelter pets DO rock

Pixel performed an impressive trick when she and her human attempted to board the dinghy. Her human laid down and became a living gang plank, connecting the dock with the dinghy. After a few faulty starts, Pixel boarded the dinghy with finesse. Then, during her freestyle, she not only jumped over a jump covered in duckies, she also donned a swim cap and rode a skateboard. Her human, in a matching swim cap, also rode a skateboard, except she rode it right into the water.

Pixel during her freestyle

Of course, through out all the fun, the Boatyard Dog Trials is a judged competition. So after all the bribes, doggy gymnastics, and cheers, the judges tallied their votes and awarded Fenway with the championship and Golden Bowl trophy!

Even though there had to be a chosen winner, in truth, all the dogs were winners in the spirit of having a good time.

Happy tail wags!

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The Animal House

10 Aug

Even though the humans have been so very, very busy with the move to GG’s and Gramp’s, they have somehow found the time to take a few day trips. On one of these occasions, it was decided that not only could I come along, but that we were going to visit a pet supply store called The Animal House.

(photo source)

A few months ago, my mom was able to visit The Animal House, but didn’t have me along at the time. I was incredibly excited that I would get to come along this time around, especially since I had been talking to Aubrey, the co-owner, a lot on my facebook page. So not only would I be able to sniff out a new pet store, but also meet one of my facebook friends!

Anyway, The Animal House was established in 2005 in Damariscotta, Maine. As their website states, The Animal House understands “that your cat or dog is much more than just a pet, they are a cherished member of the family.” All the products that they carry reflect that philosophy. You will not find a single junky or unhealthy ingredient in the foods and treats that are found on the shelves of The Animal House. Nor will you walk out of the store empty handed! The shelves are so full of so many different products, you could spend hours just looking at the different types of food, let alone all the treats, toys, supplements, clothes, shampoos, and beds. The Animal House and their knowledgeable staff also dedicate a lot of their time to help animals in need. In fact, the store acts as a satellite adoption center for the Humane Society of Knox County and they often hold adoption events for rescue organizations like the Maine Greyhound Placement Service (one of the reasons I visited The Animal House, but that’s for another post!).  There is so much more to The Animal House that it may just take me a week to get it all down in a single post. The Animal House is more than just a store. They offer grooming, nutritional help, and online store, and there is sometimes even an in house vet that takes appointments. It was definitely worth a long, tedious drive in the car to visit Aubrey and The Animal House! It will probably be awhile before I will make another trip, but I’ll be crossing my paws that it happens sooner than later.

If you’re ever in the Damariscotta area of Maine, you’ll definitely want to check The Animal House out!

Happy tail wags!

 

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Celtic Celebration

22 Jul

Last weekend, I was very fortunate to attend (along with Leo, Angelica, and my mom) the Maine Celtic Celebration in Belfast, Maine. It’s very rare that I get to go to any sort of outdoor festival, mostly due to the crowds and heat. This time around, the celebration was hosting a whole afternoon of dog activities, not to mention happened to be hosted in the same town as a pawesome dog park and the new Loyal Biscuit location, so my mom felt a little more than obligated to bring me along.

One of the day’s events was a parade and show of Celtic breed dogs. While we were a little late for the parade, many of the attendees were still wandering around enjoying the free agility course and just having a ball canoodling with the other four-legged festival goers.

Some were even dressed for the occasion

 Thankfully the revelry wasn’t specified only for those of Celtic origin, so there were dogs of every breed (and mix of breed) enjoying the sun and attention.

Like Bagel!

 The biggest draw of the afternoon was watching a flyball demonstration by a Maine-based flyball team known as the Flyball Maineiacs.

One of the flyballers in action

Flyball is a form of racing that matches two teams of four dogs who race relay style over a 51 foot course that features jumps and a pressure-released ball box. Each dog races down the jumps, hits a box which releases a ball, grabs the ball, and returns back through the jumps. Once the first dog returns, the second dog is released to run the course. Because the event was so thrilling to watch, I made sure my mom grabbed a video!

All in all it was a very fun and incredibly exhausting day. I was very appreciative that my mom came prepared with plenty of water and let me rest (or in one case take a snooze on a stranger’s lap) when I became a little too hot and tired. Even Leo, who is usually nervous and scared in crowds and unfamiliar places, seemed to enjoy himself.

Happy tail wags!

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Beach Romp

12 Jul

My love for the beach is a vast and powerful love. When we are within a mile of any salty and sandy location, my tail starts drumming faster than my excited puppy heart. Why do I love the beach so? It’s because the beach is one of the only locations that I am allowed to run without any tether. No leash, no fences, just boundless freedom (until the humans calls me back, that is). It’s even better when I can share the joys of this freedom with other pooches. Recently I had that exact opportunity during a beach visit that resulted in a gathering of the furry minds. A Havanese named Cosmo and a Labrador-mix visiting from Connecticut were all ready enjoying the salty spray. Luckily my mom had her camera in tow and she captured our fun on video:

Happy tail wags!

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Opening Celebration

7 Jul

One of my favorite places to spend time (and the humans’ money) is The Loyal Biscuit in Rockland, Maine. My obsession with this pet supply store is very evident in many of my blog posts as well as my facebook page. I just can’t stop talking about the store, Heidi and Joel the human owners, as well as Chuck and Fenway the shop dogs! It’s really the place to be if your a dog on the town in Rockland.

Well, now the Biscuit wealth is being spread across the state. Last week, Heidi and Joel opened The Loyal Biscuit’s second location in Belfast, a hopping town that’s roughly 27 miles away from Rockland.They had been steadily working on the new place for quite awhile, and all of their updates and facebook posts were quite teasing for a beast as curious as me, so it made me very happy when my mom’s friend Marie suggested we take a road trip for the grand opening. The Loyal Biscuit – Belfast is very much in line with the original Rockland location. The main focal color is the vibrant green, the floor is still white and black checked (though in a different pattern), there is a self-serve dog wash (which I skipped inspecting in case my mom thought I was past due for a bath), and all the toys, treats, and food are of the highest quality that one has come to expect from this lovely store. Along with a new location comes a new human member of the staff. April, whom is the lovely human on the left in the photo above (the other human is Heidi), seems to have fit in perfectly.

What’s great about the location of the Belfast Biscuit is that there is a dog park (which I’ve written about before) not too far away that will draw many a four-legged shopper to their door. Plus, it will be a reason for me to convince my mom to take more road trips to Belfast!

Happy tail wags!

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