Thursday, March 27, 2008
Happy Birthday, Benjamin!
Today is Baby Benny’s Birthday. Despite my disbelief, Benny is turning 6 years old today! It is hard for me to believe as it seems like only yesterday that I was bringing home this little bundle of energy.
Keeping with the tradition I started on Luna’s birthday, I would like to share a few of the things I have learned from Benny over the years.
Be who you are
Benny is about as quirky as they come. He likes to hang out with Puffy, he has to go potty after he eats even though he just went potty, he thrives on routines, obsesses about the little things and has an odd fear of sewers and drains. But, he’s OK with that. That is who he is and he accepts it. All those things make him not just a pug, but make him Baby Benny.
Be twice as beautiful on the inside
Benny is cute and he knows it. If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked us if we are interested in breeding him, Benjamin would be set for treats for the rest of his life. But, it’s not his wrinkly good looks that I love the most. It is his gentle soul. Benjamin wouldn’t harm a fly and he has a way about him that shows you he is all about spreading love and pug kisses.
Have Fun
Benjamin has taught me that sometimes we just have to let loose and run around the sofa. Life is too short to be serious all the time. We have to find something we love that helps break up the monotony of the day and make sure to make time to do it - and not feel guilty about it.
Be proud of yourself and accept compliments
Tell Benny he is a good boy and you will see him smile. He doesn’t try to diminish the compliment. He accepts it and feels proud of himself.
I have had a few neighbors over the years tell me that Benny looks so proud when he is out on a walk and I have to agree. Benny goes from point A to point B with his head held high and his chest out. He is proud to be Baby Benny.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
This is my bin, so why is Henry up here? I thought we were on the same page.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Benjamin in his bin wondering what you are talking about. Looking forward to your captions in the comments.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Garlic & Dogs: The post about the meatloaf from Eco Dog sparked some debate about Garlic and whether or not it is harmful to dogs. I always thought Garlic was good for dogs, but after the issue was raised I checked with the ASPCA Poison center and found out that garlic can cause issues for dogs. The ASPCA provides a great explanation (click through and scroll down to read what they have to say).
Bark Magazine: The meatloaf recipe that raised the question about Garlic is featured in the current issue of Bark. I got my copy in the mail last week and I must say I am really enjoying this issue.
A Good reason to spay or neuter: I don’t know the exact formula they used to come up with this number, but, if none of the dogs were spayed or neutered, how many dogs do you think a female and her mate and all their offspring could produce in 6 years? (click for the answer)
Monday, March 24, 2008
The pine trees behind our house is home to many squirrels. The squirrels don’t really bother me and they provide great entertainment for the cat, but I think Benjamin, Henry & Luna enjoy the squirrels the most.
One of our neighbors keeps the squirrels well fed by providing shelled peanuts for them. The squirrels of course love this and they take a peanut up the tree and diligently chew on the shell until they can get the peanut out. After they eat the peanut, they drop the peanut shell from high up in the tree and it sails to the ground. Well, it seems that a lot of the peanut shells make their way into our backyard. Which to Benjamin, Henry & Luna is like treats falling from the sky.
They eagerly round up all the shells and they love to chew on them. I, however, don’t want them to have the peanut shells. So, I am constantly scanning the yard to make sure the squirrels haven’t left any presents for the pugs in the yard. Which is no easy task. Luckily, the squirrels seem to get fed in the early morning hours or in the evenings so those are the times that I really have to look out for.
I tell ya, I have some lucky pugs. Even the squirrels give them treats!
Friday, March 21, 2008
In yesterday’s First Day of Spring post, Christina left an interesting suggestion in the comments. She thought that Henry might enjoy his time poolside more if he had the mat from his bench. So, I gave it a try. In the afternoon, I put the mat down next to the pool and went back to work to see what the pugs might do. About 15 minutes later I saw this:
Little Luna, made herself comfortable on the mat.
It must have been Henry’s day off from life guard duty because he didn’t come around the pool yesterday afternoon. He was on bark out the front door duty all afternoon.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Well, today is the first day of Spring and I know a pug named Henry that is very happy about that. Henry thoroughly enjoys Spring. The weather is a touch on the warm side, yet not too hot for him. Which means he can spend his days doing one of his favorite things - sleeping way too close to the pool’s edge. Yesterday, he got a jump on Spring and resumed his normal position poolside.
Plus, in just a short time, it will be swimming season again and then he can break out the Pug Tug and drive his brother crazy by splashing around in the pool.
Happy Spring everyone!
