Because all the other dogs are jealous . . .

Yes, I am a little fixated on Buddy. So. What.

Buddy is the dog that I have the most contact with (other than my non-existent one of course!) But I do know other doggies. These two are ridiculously cute. They belong to a really good friend of mine, and I really want to squish them. Like really. Okay.


Meet Max.
He has a glorious mustache.
But sometimes, he has a hard time seeing through it.

Meet Meaty.
Meaty wears a glorious monocle on special occasions.
True story. However! Max does get a little jelly.
Max wants to wear the derby, but Meaty won't share. Its ok Max. We all want to wear the derby.

When you don't walk your dog . . .

He will walk himself. At least, that's what Buddy did this morning. Oh yes, after my lovely boyfriend left the gate to the yard unlocked, Buddy decided to open it and go for a walk. He didn't run away, or get lost or anything like that. He just calmly strolled up and down the street introducing himself to all the other dogs in the neighborhood.

No one realized Buddy was gone until a neighbor knocked on the door and asked if they owned a Siberian Husky. After boyfriend answered yes, the neighbor proceeded to tell him that the dog had been walking about for some time now. Boyfriend was flabbergasted, Buddy was exhausted and I was mad because no photos were taken. Boyfriend's response was: "I was in my pajamas!" My response was: "Honey its not like you were gonna be in the picture!"

Anyway, for the sake of posting some kind of picture of Buddy, I give you this:
I am aware this is not a very good picture. You be aware that Buddy is a fidgety-gibbet and he is very difficult to photograph. I promise you more photos and better ones. It's a big sacrifice on my part, but I think I can manage.

On today's episode . . .

For today's Nostalgic Pups, we are looking to Walt Disney! But wait! There's more! Today's pups are NOT animated. That's right. Not animated. They are none other than Chance and Shadow, the canine protagonists of Disney's Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. Homeward Bound was one of those talking animal movies that didn't have animals that moved their mouths. I personally think it works out better that way, as the movies with the mouth-moving in sync with what the animal saying usually suck.

Doing the narration (and getting some of the best one-liners) is Chance. Chance is a young, mischievous rescue dog who still hasn't learned the concept of family (duh, that's at the end!). Chance is an American Bulldog, and probably the number one reason to see this movie. I love Chance. He's such a dog! He is always thinking about food, chasing things and interesting smells. That pretty much sums up a big chunk of a dog's personality, and why they are so charming. Also, like I mentioned before, Chance has some of the best lines in the movie. I will include some of my favorites below:



"Ta-da! Batdog!"
(after seeing the chicken coop) "Hallelujah, I've died and gone to Kentucky!"
(while chasing a goose) "I'm not gonna hurt you, I just want to chew on your neck!"
"This is like Arnold Schwarzen-kitty!"
(after an encounter with a porcupine) "Ah! He bit me with his butt!"

Next we have everybody's dream dog: he's loyal, well-behaved, and very handsome. He is Shadow, the beautiful Golden Retriever. Shadow is like an old gentleman, serious and old-fashioned. He is basically the perfect dog, and the initiator of the films titular journey. I have to admit that at first I didn't like Shadow, being so stodgy and perfect, but as the movie goes on he becomes much more likable.


Of course there is also the cat, Sassy, but since this is a blog about dogs, we aren't going to discuss her much. Sassy also had some great lines, such as:

"Oh, is that any way to speak to a petite dewdrop... you big flat-faced butt-sniffer?"
(as her owner hugs her) "Hope, sweetheart, Sassy can't breathe"
"Oh, Chance. When will you grow up? That bear could've eaten you. Don't you realize how painful that would've been... for the bear?"


One of my favorite moments was this Sassy/Chance exchange:
Chance - "Well fine, just sit here and diet."
Sassy -"Are you calling me fat?"
Chance - "'Course not, for a hippopotamus!"
(Chance runs into a tree)
Chance - "I meant to do that!"


So in the end, everyone comes out of this adventure alive (barely), are reunited with their humans, and learn valuable life lessons like (ready for it?) the meaning of family! AWW!



Stay tuned for the next Nostalgic Pups!

The Spotlight Presents . . .

Introducing the latest of the regular features: Breed Spotlight! In honor of one of today's Nostalgic Pups being a German Shepherd Mix, I've decided to spotlight, what else? German Shepherds!

Let me start by saying that I think GSDs are incredibly gorgeous dogs. I love that noble look they have. (note: I am aware that looks alone are not a good basis for getting a particular breed of dog.)

But, let's get to the good stuff!
German Shepherds are probably most famous for their protective and loyal natures. They are wary of strangers and extremely loyal to their owners, which is why they make excellent guard dogs. However, I have also heard of a GSD rescue who could not be placed in a home because he was so loyal to his former owner. That's an extreme case, but needless to say, GSDs need a lot of socialization. They are also very intelligent and strong, which is why there are the breed we so often see as police dogs and other service animal jobs.

As far as looks go, GSDs are very distinctive. Most recognizable are their long muzzles and giant 'bat ears' (I love those ears!). I would spend the rest of this post describing them some more, but pictures and the AKC are better at that than I am.

PUPPIES!

BIG PUPPY!

(images from akc.org)

Is the German Shepherd the right breed for me? I don't know. It could be! I would like to actually spend some time with a GSD as part of making an informed decision. Of course I won't be ready to choose a breed for awhile yet, but I do think the German Shepherd is an excellent option!

Fatty fatty two by four . . .

I have met my share of really fat dogs in my life, and while they retain their cuteness by the simple fact that they're dogs, its kind of sad. They can't really jump, you can't really walk them and the myriad of health issues goes without saying. So, the message here is:

STOP FEEDING YOUR DOGS CRAP THEY SHOULDN'T BE EATING. Thank you. Oh, and: WALK YOUR DOG.

Here is a little video just for driving the point home.

Addiction is a terrible thing . . .

I joined the forums over at dogforum.org today. I'm not gonna lie, I've spent like 9 billion hours on it. I don't know if this is healthy.

I think I will just chalk it up to research. Yeah . . . research.

They need love too

I'm all about showing love for all the dogs in the world, and that includes fictional ones. Oh yea, I'm going to take you back, back to the 90s. Back to the best film Fido's of my childhood, in a feature I'm gonna call Nostalgic Pups.

Today, it's all about Charlie and Itchy, the trouble making duo from Don Bluth's All Dogs Go to Heaven.

Charlie Barkin is a German Shepherd mix of sorts with questionable morals and lacking a conscience. He does whatever it takes to get what he wants, and that usually means he doesn't think things through ever. Despite this, I think he is cute and I would totally adopt him. My only fears would be that a. Charlie would escape. Many times or b. he would build an underground casino in my yard.



Itchy Itchiford is an adorably neurotic and paranoid Dachshund, or, the perfect foil for the reckless Charlie. Also he is itchy, hence the name. Supposedly he itches the most when he's nervous, but he's nervous most of the time so basically Itchy is always well, itchy. Would I adopt Itchy? Probably not. Neurotic dogs annoy the crap out of me. He is sweet, so maybe I'd consider it.




There are plenty of other dogs in this movie, but they are all scary/strange/unlikable, so, I'm not really going to discuss them. Except Killer. Killer the nerdy homicidal maniac. Seriously, what kind of dog is Killer? He's the only one whose breed is completely ambiguous. Maybe he's such a huge mutt that's he's become unidentifiable? Perhaps that's the source of his rage? I mean, I know I'd be pissed if I looked like a near-sighted, malformed sausage link. Would I adopt Killer? HAHA. No. I forgot to mention I don't like homicidal dogs. Especially when they kind of look like malformed sausage links.


In the end, it turns out Charlie has a heart of gold (movies, stop trying to tell us that men change. They don't!), and he gets to go to Heaven! YAY!

Seriously though, I really love this movie. How can I not? It has dogs, its funny, and there are no princesses (I like them, but they get old fast). Heck, there is even a musical number with a vaguely homosexual crocodile (alligator? wut?). That's all I need in life.

Hope you enjoyed this trip down Repressed Memories Lane, and stay tuned for the next Nostalgic Pups!

Crates, puppies, rainbows. Heck yes.

So.

Crate training is very appealing to me. Let me proceed to tell you why: it works. There, I'm done.

No really, it does. Buddy is crate-trained and he is a very well behaved, happy dog. Heck, even the Humane Society of the United States recommends it. Now, some of you may just be thinking, exactly what is crate training, exactly? Here's the scoop!

Crate training is basically teaching a puppy to treat a crate as his own safe place. This in turn will help you show the puppy where he can and can't go in your house, as well as where he can and can't do his business. In a nutshell, crate training minimizes accidents, destructive behavior and any other trouble a puppy can get into.

My favorite page detailing the process of crate training is the Humane Society of the United States'. Check it out here.

However! Let it be known that you can't just stick a puppy in a crate for a million hours while you go run around doing whatever. A crate is not a replacement for YOU. A crate is a tool, and that only. I understand this, I just want others to understand too. I am not advocating keeping your dog locked up in a box. Dogs do not appreciate it!

Anyway, I'd like to hear from you! Did you crate train? How did it go? Was it magical? Uplifting?

Buddy

It's time for you to meet Buddy. He is a Siberian Husky with a serious cute problem. He knows it, too. He uses his cuteness to manipulate you into loving him and eventually giving him your soul. True story.



On this particular evening, there was a party going on at my boyfriend's house. We had gone out to buy refreshments, and when we came back one of the party guests came outside to help us carry stuff. That guest left the door open, and Buddy took it upon himself to rush outside and jump into the car as we were unloading it. He was in the mood for a ride, I guess. I spent five minutes taking pictures of him as he excitedly bounced and paced all over the car. Time well spent. Cuteness must never go undocumented.
True story.

Yes well, that was expected

So today is my birthday. Yup, let's just say I'm the perfect age to get a puppy of my very own. Don't you agree? I totally agree, like, a million times. Anyway, I think this is going to be my angle for convincing the parentals that I should totally be allowed to get a dog.
"Hey, its my birthday, you didn't get me a gift, and I'm awesome."
Well, not exactly like that . . . but you know, I am awesome. My plan is a little more complicated. It involves an approach like a business proposal, and it will show how much research I've done, and how prepared I am to take on the responsibility. It will also involve many pictures of puppies. Many puppies. I figure if one is exposed to freakin' adorable puppies long enough, one is easier to influence. That's just a theory I have. I'm not speaking from personal experience or anything.

A girl and her non-existent dog . . .

Hello, my name is Damaris, and I love puppies. In fact, I think I might have something of a problem. I squeal with delight every time I see a dog, even if its a mile away, or on TV. Sometimes I go to my boyfriend's house just to walk his dog, a sweet Siberian named Buddy. If I go to a friend's house and they have a dog, I spend more time with the dog than the person. Yeah, I have a problem. I love dogs. I love puppies. I love them all, and they love me back (usually).

Even bigger than my puppy-love problem? My I-can't-have-a-puppy problem. I know what you're thinking. "You can't have a puppy? Why? It's a free country." Well, not when you still live with your parents its not. That's right. My parents won't let me get a puppy. The one thing that would make me insanely and sublimely happy, and I can't have it.

Out of my frustration, I have created this blog, in the hopes that all of you in internet-land can help me out. I want suggestions on persuasion. I want to know your experiences with dogs and certain dog breeds. Whatever, together, let's make my puppy dog dreams come true, and maybe in the process we can help any other unfortunate souls in the same boat.