Author Archive: Helen

About Helen

I'm a Southern California living in South Florida. I've been here for 10 years as of October 1, 2007. No matter where I live, I'm a dog lover, and my breed is the Dobermann Pinscher of the Working Group. I am also fond of the Australian Shepherd of the Herding Group. My life revolves around my dogs, which is something those family members of mine don't understand. So I'm an island in that respect, but have built friendships with those who are doggie lovers and respect the canine as much as I do. Some do rescue, some train in, compete in, and judge AKC trials. The common thread is our dogs are family.

Snake!

Look under the spigot.  It’s going into the wall, for Pete’s sake!  I’m not turning the hose on with that thing there!

As if the toad episode weren’t bad enough to end yesterday with, this morning, I woke up to more reptilian horrors. 

As I washed the pavers and scooped the poop this morning, Bouchard (yes, again, it’s the Frenchmann) sounded the alarm! 

“Snake!  Snake!  Snake!”
It was amongst the hoses trying to fit in.
Annie’s the snake disposer!

I paced back and forth figuring what to do.  I didn’t want to have to deal with a snake by the spigot!  No no no!  But I didn’t want to kill it either.   But it was going under the house!  That’s when it dawned on me it could end up IN my house!  MoG!  I didn’t have to kill it!  Annie would!  I know, you’re thinking Bouchard was the one who sounded the alarm, but he’s not the doer-inner.  Annie is, and she did.

Bouchard, the French Alarm, shows off the snake he spotted. Lilian covets her snake piece.

Then the rest of the FDSP (today, the S is for snake) got to work parading around with the thing. 

Eegads!  And I had to pick it up.  All three pieces of it.  YUCK!  Thank goodness for large-sized pooper scoopers!

Is there any more in there? Bouchard double checks the area for signs of snakes.
After I picked up the pieces and put it in the trash barrel with last night’s toad, Bouchard and Luna went looking for more snakes in that hole under the spigot.  Now I have to figure a way to close that hole!  I wonder if duct tape will work.  Hmmm.

Meanwhile, ugh, don’t ask.
Huey, Duey and Looey

Helen

Bouchard’s Toad Legs After Dinner Snack

Bouchard got his frog’s legs this full moon night.  Actually, they were toad’s legs.  Eeegads!  Baby and I came back from obedience practice, and by the time I let everyone out and took two minutes to myself, Bouchard had slime all over his face and the back pavers!  It was really just gross!  I don’t think it was my frog prince.  It appeared to be a juvenile Bufo Toad, those horrid creatures!  They can kill a dog with their poisonous slime.  So I threw a net over it, Bouchard’s mouth was full of foam and so was the ground.  I had to rinse his snoot out with water pronto, and keep the others away from the lump of toad.  Lump of toad got tossed into the poop bucket and thrown away.  It was a lot more traumatic than that, but I’m exhausted, so that’s the story in a nutshell.

Helen

Several Kong Destuffing Methods Revealed

Let’s look at the way a Kong is tackled by three Fort Doberdalians.  Scroll your mouse over each picture to get the 411 on each step.

First we have Lilian.  She is a flinger.

First I grab it by its lip.   Second, I toss it.   Finally, I stretch my incredibly agile body and my swanlike neck to lick something out!  Yum.

Taylor is a contemplative Kong destuffer.

First, I think about it.   Then I put my little teethies to work.

Then there’s Raven.  Her method is so complicated that we will have to cover it another day when she’s in the mood to share her secrets of Kong destuffing.

I’m busy in here, what do you want?   Come back later when I can talk more.  I’m busy now!

Helen

Lilian Un-Freshens the Air

Lilian left a load of poop…well, actually, this is what I surmised happened.  Sometime between the time I left for work this morning and the time I returned for lunch, Lilian farted in her crate and not just air came out.  Yup.

That’s Lilian!  She’s more full of herself than some.

“When Lilian does things like that,” Luigi says, “we all suffer.  The fumes just burst out everywhere!”

“I can’t help it.  Sometimes sheet happens,” Lilian explains.

The bottom line?
Lilian is a blast!

Helen