Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Officially SUMMER!!!!

 

Hi Y’all!

Hope y’all enjoyed the long weekend and were able to attend services for our young veterans. 

I also hope y’all managed to have fun!  Did y’all get to do some swimming, boating and barbecuing? 

The weekend slowly drew to a close, but as the weekend closed the official summer opened.  I hope y’all are planning lots of fun things for these nice warm months.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day

 

Hi Y’all,

Don’t forget to remember our veterans. 

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Happy Memorial Weekend Y’all!



Hi Y’all,
See the bird I’m watching?


It’s a mourning dove.  My Human had me do my whistle sit so I wouldn’t frighten it off.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Fun Friday!

 

Hi Y’all,P1010898

It seems that we have reached the time of year when 90’s Fahrenheit is normal.  Soon temps will tip the 100 degree mark with humidity to match. 

Some days are just perfect…even if the weather is HOT. Yesterday was one of those days! 

 

 

 

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Thursday’s Needy

 

Hi Y’all,

It’s me, Hawk…I’m not goin’ to confuse this post with my picture.  Blogger got cantankerous last night and wouldn’t let me post about a needy dog.  It got down right mean and didn’t even recognize me! 

There’s lots of dogs in shelters out there.  Many of them are very frightened and won’t share information about themselves.  My Human rescued my sister (See In Memory).  She said she didn’t even bark for months and carried all of her toys from spot to spot with her. Also, she refused to go outside unless someone went with her. 

So you see, these are wonderful dogs that will be eternally grateful for your help, but they NEED you!

Click on the picture for the Petfinder page.

Meet Ranger

He is neutered and up to date on his shots.

He is in

Butler County Humane Society, Renfrew, PA

  • (724) 789-1150

 

 

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Not Wordless Wednesday


Hi Y’all!
Wednesday again!  It’s been too hot for fun and games.  It hasn’t been too hot for training in the mornings. 
You’ll notice that my Human picks some of the shady spots to put bumpers for me to locate. 
Overheating is a major problem this time of year.  You people up North can get heat stroke too when you get sudden hot days.







Oops…didn’t find it!  I’ve been recalled.  We’ll try again.



Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Thank Heaven! Papa and I Are So Happy!

 

Hi Y’all!

Today was my Human’s last day of Bible Study ‘til the fall.

We miss Momma when she goes.  We don’t like her to be away from us.  We can find plenty of stuff to do to keep her busy. 

     Here’s some stuff Papa and I did today. It was really too hot to do much with temperatures soaring into the upper 90’s Fahrenheit. 

See y’all later!

 

 

 

Monday, May 23, 2011

All Dogs Bite…That’s Why We Have Teeth!

 

Hi Y’all,

May 17 to 23 is, was National Dog Bite Prevention Week.  Seems like I missed posting anything of interest that applied to dog bite prevention.

  Then I got to thinking about how stupid you humans really are around us dogs.  Ever thought about the dumb stuff you do? 

Hey look at our mouth!  Look at the teeth and how our jaws stick out in front of our eyes.

I don’t know about most of y’all, but I don’t see that well.  My nose sticks out in front of everything and my smeller is what registers first. 

So, now that you understand the design of a dog’s head, you know that it should just be common sense to ignore a dog when you go visiting or see one in public.

When people come to my house, I like to make a loud announcement and try to scare them off.  If the Humans expect them, they’ll tell me to sit and go open the door.  Then I get to do the sniff approval.  I don’t want you to pat me.  I want to find out who you are first.  If I want attention, I’ll let you know later.

Now, in public it is even more important to ignore us.  Talk about dumb stuff y’all do everyday! 

It should be common sense not to reach into someone's car and try to pat the dog inside! Hey, you're in his territory!  Of course I’m going to snap at you!  You’re threatening me.  How do I know what you’re going to do?  Remember you get to my teeth before you reach the top of my head, which is where most people try to pat a dog…a very threatening move in our view!

Probably the dumbest thing a human has ever done was one day when I was leaving the vet’s office after being treated for an ear infection.  Now, I wasn’t feeling well to begin with, and after the techs had messed with my head and ears I was feeling worse.  I’m very obedient, but my Human doesn’t let strangers pat me.  Now, I’m trained to allow people to handle me, but why let strangers reach down when I might feel threatened? 

Anyway my Human tells me to sit and wait.  I do.  She turns her back to me to pay for my visit.  Yes, she’s holding my leash, but she’s signing stuff and getting my medicine from the girl at the desk. 

All of a sudden this woman walks up to me and reaches to pat my head.  Let me tell you, that lady is lucky she still has a hand!  She was quick on the withdraw!  Or maybe I just felt so bad I was slow on the snap! 

Some people must take leave of their senses trying to pet someone's dog while the handler is checking out in the vets office!

I have one other “do not pat the strange dog” warning that is very important. we retrievers are often found working as service dogs.  You wouldn’t walk up to a police dog on duty and pat it, so you shouldn’t walk up to other working dogs and pat them either. 

These dogs work leading humans who are legally blind or assisting the physically handicapped and some work warning or alerting their person that they are about to have a seizure.  You may not know what the dog’s job is, but distraction by a stranger is never welcomed.  Don’t talk to the dog, don’t pat the dog.  Some handlers don’t mind answering questions, but remember, like you, they are trying to go someplace and often have time restraints that would make your interruption unwelcome.

Have a great week!  Remember, it’s summer now and people will have their windows open in their cars when their dog is with them.  Don’t stick your hand inside! 

Use your heads people!  We’re supposed to be the dumb animals!  You can’t blame us if we feel threatened and bite you! 

 

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Trouble!

 

Hi Y’all,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other day I mentioned that the boat hasn’t been here ‘cause it was having a problem.  The mechanic thought it was just the injectors and we needed to run it with lots of injector fluid. 

It didn’t get in the water last year ‘cause the drought had the water too low for safe boating.  Lots of folks went out anyway.   Flat bottom fishing boats don’t draw much, so they’re safe if there’s no warnings flying. 

So we went out but stayed close to home.  Papa didn’t want to get out in the open water in the channel, cause he didn’t feel safe.

Then, when he tried to increase our speed a wee might, the engine shut down.  The current started carrying us toward a neighbors’ property.                               

Finally we drifted close enough that my Human could pole us close enough to catch a tree branch, after checking it for snakes.  It was about now all my problems started. 

My Human was wearing jeans and rubber soled sandals.  In her pockets she had the truck keys and key fob and her cell phone.  She and I get on the bow and look down at the water.  We see bottom. 

She’s got a rope in her hands and tells me to get back in the boat and “sit”.  I hop back, but the life jacket tickles and tightens on my belly when I sit.  So I stand up again. 

Suddenly she jumps off the bow.  Forgot she was an old woman I guess, cause she lost her balance and I dove to her rescue!

She’s hollerin’ something to me about “sit”, but she was in the water.  I didn’t realize she’d caught herself with her hand before she drowned her keys and phone.  Now she’s wading knee deep  and I’m paddling around…finally I get to swim…she tugs the bow up and ties the boat so it can’t swing sideways and beach. 

Now Papa gets the boat started and he wants me and Momma back on the boat.  Remember I weigh 100 lbs. and Momma doesn’t weigh too much more.  She puts the ladder down on the bow. 

Now I try swimming to where it’s deeper and Papa starts hollering to get me out of the water so the prop doesn’t pull me under.  

Momma tries to lift me up after she puts my front paws on the ladder.  I’ve never learned how to climb and she can’t really help me ‘cause of my size.  So, she and Papa decide she’ll walk me home through the neighbors’ and Papa will go straight back to the pier.  She pushes the boat out and grabs my tab lead. 

We got back to the pier about the same time as the boat.  Momma was wet and I was wet. 

Momma won’t let me back on the boat when it pulls out…or maybe it hasn’t pulled out…I heard Papa saying something about the mechanic coming this week to replace one of the fuel pumps.

 

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Water Water Everywhere!



Ah!!! Smell that water! 

Hey!  Look at that fish jump!

Look at those people on the boat over there!!!
Tomorrow I’ll tell you about how I got in trouble and what happened.





















Friday, May 20, 2011

What Did I See Last Weekend?

 

Remember this picture?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behind me is what I was lookin’ at…                     

 

It’s been havin’ a little problem                                                                                    Here I am checking it out.  I was so glad to see it back! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pump I’m lookin’ at in the picture above is for the sprinkler system, not the boat.  Below I continue my check. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow I’ll show y’all some pictures of some of my rides. 

 

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Riley

 

Hello!  My name is Riley! and I am deaf.  

I’m in foster care after my family dropped me off to be boarded until they could come get me.  You guessed it, they never came back. 

You know what?  Foster care isn’t all bad.  I’m learning to communicate with humans.  I think this will be a valuable skill when I find my forever home. 

I want some special people for a forever family. 

Now that I’ve learned I can communicate with humans, I want a family willing to continue to help me learn more hand signals.  I bet I can do all those fancy obedience things other dogs do, if someone will take the time to work with me.

I’m a big boy, normal Chessie size of 80 lbs.  I’m a young adult, well past all that chewing stuff.  They tell me I’m only around 4 years old in human terms. 

I like living in a house with the humans.  I’m what you humans call “housebroken”.  I love getting lots of affection.  I love getting groomed.  I love car rides.  I love swimming.  I love playing fetch with the tennis ball and I could learn to retrieve all kinds of things for you. 

If you have kids big enough to communicate with me and play with me, I would love it.  I also like having other dogs to play with, but kids only would be fine.  A fenced yard would be wonderful, ‘cause then I could go out and play and be safe, especially if there were other dogs to play with me like my foster family does. 

Please, if you know a family that would want to be my forever family, or if you are that family, click on my name or my picture to go to my Petfinder page and contact Pals for Paws for me.

 

posted from Petfinder.com  original post from

Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation
P.O. Box 50037
Arlington, VA 22205
Phone: (703) 295-DOGS

 

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The Many Expressions of Hawk



Serious consideration.

Watching something interesting.

Contentment.

Alert excitement.