Maine Pets

Happiness is...a mud puppy

Peppered throughout my blog are pictures of my dog being all the mud puppy she can possibly be, and they are all very similar to the photo featured above. The only differences are seasonal. My dog is an equal opportunity mud puppy...if there is an opportunity she is a mud puppy.

We are just back from a walk in Evergreen Woods and that dog slopped through just about every melted puddle and waterway she could find, and she did it with sheer joy and ultimate abandon.

Now you non dog people (if any of you even read this) probably look at this photo and think, what a stinky mess. But true dog people see the photo for what it is.

Happiness.

Happiness for the dog and happiness for the person who just got to witness a loved one having a grand old time. No worries about the mud, the smell, the car interior, the floors or company coming. There was only the moment and I was smiling from ear to ear.

As a matter of fact, I am still smiling.

Hamster Soccer with Charlee and Tater-tot

No hamsters were harmed during the taking of these photos!

We have been laughing really really hard, since the day that the dog discovered the ball we bought our hamster Tater-Tot for Christmas and Charlee turned the hamster into her new and unique game of hamster soccer.

Relax, I monitored the game very closely and the dog was very gentle. Game over as soon as Charlee started to get excited, and well before she got carried away. Please do not try this with your hamsters, my dog is well trained and has a reliable "off" switch, and the dog and hamster are good friends.

For several weeks I have been toying with the idea of blogging how we can teach our dogs behaviors simply by laughing. Herding breeds tend to have great senses of humor in my experience, and they are quick to learn both the good and the bad with very little encouragement of the chuckling kind. Charlee has learned some really intricate dance moves just by hanging around when I danced in the living room with the kids. The more we laugh the more into it she gets. Some of the jumps, twirls, and airs above the ground she 'offered', I have easily put on cue. The more we laugh, the wilder she dances (really!) I explained to my tricks class recently that it is like the beginnings of dressage with horses.
Intricate moves were later developed based on what the horses in the field performed naturally while at play. One day when I have more time, Charlee and I will strut our stuff in the Freestyle arena.

Is there anything, good or bad that you taught your dog while laughing?
Please post it here.

Howling Fun Carols

Marking up my Winter Wonderland
(to the Tune of "Winter Wonderland")
Dog tags ring, are you listenin'?
In the lane snow is glistenin'.
It's yellow, not white - I've been there tonight,
marking up my winter wonderland.

Smell that tree? That's my fragrance.
It's a sign for wand'ring vagrants:
"Avoid where I pee, it's my property!
Marked up as my winter wonderland."

In the meadow Dad will build a snowman,
following the classical design.
Then I'll lift my leg and let it go, man,
so all the world will know it's mine-mine-mine!

Straight from me to the fencepost,
flows my natural incense boast:
"Stay off of my turf, this small piece of earth.
I mark it as my winter wonderland."

The Twelve Treats of Christmas
(to the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas")
On the first day of Christmas, my family gave to me
a Stick to chew from under a tree...

(Day 2) ... two hours chasing doves
(Day 3) ... three marrow bones
(Day 4) ... four squeaking ducks
(Day 5) ... five tugging rings
(Day 6) ... six toys a squeaking
(Day 7) ... seven Kongs afloating
(Day 8) ... eight flying Frisbees
(Day 9) ... nine nylabones
(Day 10) ... ten tennis balls
(Day 11) ... eleven days of hiking
(Day 12) ... twelve obedience lessons

Fill the Bowls
(to the tune of "Deck the Halls")
Fill our bowls with freeze-dried liver,
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
Watch our noses start to quiver,
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
Please add bits of cheese and bacon,
Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la, la-la-la!
Happy wags our tails are makin',
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

Sniff the gifts and shred the wrapping,
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
'Round the Christmas tree go FRAPping*
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
Swipe a slurp of grandma's eggnog
Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la, la-la-la!
Then relax and be a bedhog
Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la, la-la-la!

(*FRAP = Frenzied Activity Period)

Let It Snow
Oh the snow in the yard is yellow
Thanks to our doggie fellow
But the droppings sink way down low
Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow!

So the scooper sits rusting outside
As we wait for Spring and "low tide"
The piles will wait down below
Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow!

In the warmth of the summer sun
We must scoop every day in the yard
But as soon as the winter comes
Finding the stuff gets quite hard

While the piles sit there fertilizing
Our backs arent exercising
Our rest is short, this we know
(please)
Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow!

Doggies White Christmas
I'm dreaming of slow squirrel
One I could catch and make my toy
Or a lovely shoe
That I could chew
Would add greatly to my joy

I'm dreaming of a dog biscuit
Tall as a house and twice as wide
Little toys that squeak
And kids that shriek
And huge bones made of rawhide

I'm dreaming of a huge buffet
With all the plates at tables edge
Grabbing hefty portions
Of people rations
Before they go in the fridge

I'm dreaming of a long walkie
One where I choose where I will go
Greeting doggie friends
Sniffing both ends
Our tails wagging to and fro

I'm dreaming of a soft pillow
all to myself and end of day
Where I snore the evening away
Storing energy for doggie play...

Tennis Balls
(to the tune of "Silver Bells")
Flying Frisbees, kongs and rope tugs
All are wonderful toys
And they all give me hours of pleasure
But there's one more that I adore
- They're my most special prize,
If I lost them I'd probably die...
Tennis balls, Tennis balls!
Throw them so I can go fetch 'em!
Tennis balls, Tennis balls!
Come on let's go out and play!

O Puppy Tree
(to the tune of O Christmas Tree)
O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree
How high up are your trimmings!

O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree
How high up are your trimmings!

Before the pup
We trimmed your boughs
Close to the floor
As space allows

O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree
How high up are your trimmings!

The balls aren’t glass
No tinsel yet..
After that last trip to the vet

O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree
How high up are your trimmings

Empty boxes
Wrapped carefully
Now barricade our Christmas tree

O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree
How high up are your trimmings!

When pup is grown
We’ll trim with glee
And have a normal Christmas tree

O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree
How high up are your trimmings!

Hark! The Joyous Doggies Call
(to the tune of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing")

Hark! The joyous doggies call
Mamas returned from the mall
Let us greet her joyfully
While she tries to gain entry

Let us jump and let us yip
Let us make our mama trip
Let us bring her our best toys
Ones that make the squeaky noise
Were so glad to have her home
All doggies hate to be alone
Hark! The joyous doggies call
Mama has returned from the mall!

Three Hounds
(to the tune of "We Three Kings")
We three hounds from Portland are.
Smelling treats, we've tracked them quite far.
Led our mission to your kitchen,
right there to yonder jar.

Roo-oooooo...
Can we have one, pretty please?
Must we beg upon our knees?
Crunchy! Chewy! Love them? Do we!
Serve them up - please don't tease!

All songs were lifted off the Internet and authors are unknown, except for the Twelve Treats of Christmas which was penned by yours truly.
If you know of other doggie carols, or if you would like to try writing your own, you may post them here.

Update! Taken from the comment section:Several of these carols are from my web site Tale Waggers - stories for "dog people" at http://www.talewaggers.com
The following are my carols:
Tennis Balls
Dog Christmas
Hark the Joyous Doggies Call
O Puppy Tree
Let it Snow

there are more carols on my web site