Sometimes Bad Things Happen.....

Lucy and I live in Colorado Springs with our family.....
The past few days, something has not been right.
Hot, dry and very windy.....the sky is as dark as everyone's mood.
Our noses twitch at a heavy, odd and smokey scent.
Our humans speak in quick, hushed voices, and huddle around the TV.
FIRE.....A strange new word.
Everyone is shaking their head and looking scared.
I am scared too.....
I try to comfort Mom, and lay my head on her knee.
She lays her hand on my head, and looks into my eyes with great sadness.
What is happening to our world?
Who will save us?
How will this end?
MICK'S TIP:
Look out for each other.....
WE is all we have.

Let's Talk Trash!

We canines have a dirty little secret.....
Nothing makes us happier than digging in the trash.
Nose first and up to our eyeballs, 
we are happiest sniffing and scarfing our humans' waste!
Dogs have been refining these skills for thousands of years,
since we first began hanging with the humans around a campfire.
A post feast bone yard was every newly domesticated wolf's best treat.
And, not much has really changed since then.....
I know I can smell a leftover candy wrapper at 50 paces,
and Lucy.....well, Lucy is paws...itively bionic!
As I've mentioned, she can telepathically transport to food or
trash from anywhere in the compound in a millisecond.....
Plus, have it disposed of, in the same amount of time!
No crumb is too small for her.
And, we kids especially love it smelly......
The more odoriferous, the better!!
Rotten food, dead fish, fox poop.....Yuummm!!!
I had a Labrador brother once who disappeared for two days 
and was found in the Wendy's Hamburgers dumpster,
happily sucking down the old bacon grease.....
Now, that's a professional!
It took several bathtubs and half a gallon of Dawn dish soap
to clean up that guy .....or, so I've heard.
(I don't think he was ever let out of the house again.)

Well, it's been great day dreaming, but I gotta run.....
There's  a couple dustbins to patrol, 
and Lucy's already got a 30 second head start.....
Hey Lu Lu, save a scrap for ME!
MICK'S TIP:
Timing is everything.....Keep an ear cocked for the trash trucks.

Dog Breath.....

Has any one ever told you that you have......
Bad Breath?
On one of those endless trips to the Vet, 
my doctor discussed canine oral health and 
dog tooth maintenance with Mom.
He gave her tasty samples for what we would need 
(Liver flavor...Yum!)
and a cute little blue brush.
He said West HIghland White Terriers 
have soft teeth, 
and keeping them Westie White is critical.
Mom listened carefully, took notes and thanked him 
for the important information.
She then brought it all home, put it in the cabinet, and conveniently forgot all about it.
Now, we kids aren't that crazy about being fussed over.....grooming, pills, vet etc.
So we're not exactly complaining about this.....
Still, when I'm on the family lap and I reach up 
to give a lick on the chin and my 
humans gag and pull away.....I can't help but take it a bit personal, ya know?
So, how do I tell Mom that a little brushing could really go a long way.....
For ALL of us?
It's tough to get the message across, and the one time I dragged the entire dental 
package out, I got scolded Big Time!
So, what's a responsible Terrier to do?
Perhaps when I go back for my $500 dental cleaning, Mom will get a clue.
But, in the meantime, I'm not thinking much about my breath right now.....
I'm pretty busy scarfing down a big hunk of choice deer poop.
MMmmmmm......Liver flavored!
MICK'S TIPS:
A little lick on Mom's hand might be better than on the lips.

The Neighbors.....

It's a Summer morning here at the compound.....
Birds singing, dogs barking, an occasional human calling.
Ahhh, a walk around the block, and the chance to catch up with
all of our friends and neighbors.....
Just across the street is our pal Ginger.
She's part pit bull, and a little loopy, but in a nice way.
Her yard is top notch, but for some reason she still has to jump fence, 
so we regularly find her on our own turf.....chasing her tail.
Half way down, there's German Shepherd Jack, 
a bit of a guard dog in every sense
but we LOVE to chat with him!
Woof, woof woof, Woof, WOOF!!!!!
(We're barking WITH him, not AT him)
I'm once again lunging on the leash and Lu Lu is doing
her little doggy pirouettes.....
Mom reins us in way too soon (OK Jack, we'll be BACK!) and off we go.
Further, there are the Bearded Collie twins, who race us full speed
down the length of their yard.....Great cardio!
Good thing there's a fence, or we'd be tumbling with those two.
They say a strong fence makes good neighbors.....
(Who's THEY.....have we met them?.....do they live on our block??)
Then, there's Winston and Petey, who regularly wander the street
and patrol their quad looking for fun.
Good time party guys......You know the type.
Lots of smiles and happy times there!
Heading back the home stretch, Lucy has to stop off and sniff her boyfriend Guinness.
Guinny is a real nice Husky guy, a sweet talker and Lucy LOVES him!
(She's never sniffed MY tail that way)
He lives in the perfect Cape Cod Cottage with a white picket fence 
and lots of flowers which he regularly digs up.....
He has a huge corner yard with a great view, and he knows all the dogs in town.
He's totally eligible, worldly and smart......
All the girl dogs are crazy about him (a few boys too).
Not that it matters to Lucy.....
We have to drag her butt away from that dude, and head for the Ranch.
She's doing barrel rolls in the grass every other foot.....Young Love!
Almost there, I happen to glance to my left, across the street and under the 
Big Silver Truck.
Just on the chance......
Yep, there he sits, all fluffed up and pompous as a toad. 
My favorite orange Fat Cat.
Just daring me...........
Arf Arf Arf Arf Arf..... Arfffff !!!!!
Mom does a quick leash flip and lands me on my head.
I guess I'm ready for a little nap now.

MICK'S TIP:
Hot Dog!
Wag more, Bark less.....

Belly Rubs.....

There's nothin' spells lovin' like a little tummy rubbin'.....
My favorite moment of the day when, 4 paws in the air,
I enter that Zen state and Mom does her best puppy massage!
My eyes close and I dream of a far off tropical island, light breezes, 
with piles of dog bones and hundreds of squirrels to chase.....
Chest, tummy, chest, tummy.....Hhmmmm......Don't Stop!
Hey Mom, could you get that little spot under the collar??
I'm in Heaven.

Lucy the Land Shark.....

Lucy has a special way of looking at you when she thinks
she is hungry.....which is ALWAYS.
Coming really close (to let you know she's serious),
her beady eyes fixed on your face (or your plate),
you are caught in her intense doggy stare.
Low growls reinforce her message.
She moves in even closer.
There is no refusing Lucy......
Even Mom is hard pressed to resist.
(Though for some strange reason she's usually laughing at this point?)
Somehow, the Diva always gets her way, and I end up walking away from
my own well licked bowl (lucky I'm a fast eater!).
Lucy also has Radar ears.....
The second our humans are in the kitchen, she picks up the signal
and teleports to their feet.....
Dropped crumbs are sucked up lightening speed.
Her nose cruises every crack and cranny.
Nothing edible, not even lettuce, lasts long on that floor.
Her little pony tailed head is cocked so innocently.
But, Beware the Lucy Land Shark stare.....
("Jaws" soundtrack.....ba bump, ba bump, ba bump)
You can't say No.

MICK'S TIP: Wolf down dinner and keep one eye open.

I had an itch.......

Right in the middle of my forehead!
Just when you've had a good groom and are feeling really Kool,
along comes a Tick to ruin the whole buzz.
Mine was a teenage Tick, they say, and no big deal......
But a long ride to the vet and a few pokes later,
I'm left wondering..... is it really safe to go out in the woods?
Were my deer friends responsible??
The vet says it's a big year for bugs, and I love a good grasshopper
as well as the next guy, but Ticks.....Yuck, that's where I draw the line!
They're calling me Tick Head.....Good Grief.

MICK'S TIPS: Stock up on the Frontline

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