A day having fun is a day well spent

11.24.08 There’s nothing like a crisp fall day to make you want to run in circles and roll in the grass. And if you really want to have fun, add three big friends, some toys, a beautiful blue sky -- and do it all off leash. My first trip to the dog park, as you may have guessed, was a smashing success.

Running with my friends Clue and Spring.

Perhaps because I’m a little guy (and sometimes kind of shy), and the dog park is some distance from where I live, my person had never taken me there before. While I couldn’t keep up with the big dogs as well as I would have liked, I still ran with them and even drank some water out of a giant bucket (although I needed a little boost to reach it).	Here I am with Clue, Spring and my new friend Gus playing Bichon in the middle
I’m proud to say we all wore our Pet Promise bandannas, and my new friend Gus is going to try some of the new Large Dog Formula. Being part of a fun-loving pack made me once again appreciate just how great it is to be a dog. I’ve never seen people have quite as much fun as we do.   Bumby’s green winter tips	I'm waiting my turn to drink from the big dog slurpy bucket after Gus.

Since we dogs have higher body temperatures than people do, we may find the inside of the house during the colder months a tad too warm. A good way for us to inspire our persons to keep the thermostat down a bit is to snuggle up to them as much as possible. Keeping them warm can help save some energy, and they seem to appreciate it as well. And turning down the thermostat by as little as one degree during the heating season can save enough money to buy a new doggie bed!

Encourage your person to open the curtains on windows that face south during the day so that the sunlight helps warm the inside of the house (perhaps by pulling on the curtains). This also benefits us dogs by letting in a nice sunbeam for our afternoon nap.

Point out places that need weatherproofing, such as windows, doors and pipes, perhaps by lying down in drafty areas and even sneezing a few times.(Anyone who spends as much time on the floor as a dog does knows this is a good tip.)

I could tell you more but I have to catch the noon sunbeam for a quick nap. Talk Later.

Posted by Bumby at 12 p.m.

11.6.08

Thankful to be Bumby

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am once again spending some quality couch-sitting time thinking about all I have to be thankful for. As I turned six this October, I find I have a more grown-up view of things. I no longer find shredding papers or chewing pens as much fun as I did when I was four (although I still like to run in circles around Leilani cat every so often).

Me and my new friend Dolly, who takes me for a walk once in a while.

I do enjoy a good roll in a puddle now and then, like I did in my puppy days, but I find that the older I get, the more I appreciate my canine friends and the good times we have together - sniffing the grass, eating treats or walking around the block checking out the squirrels. That said, I, Bumby, would also like to give thanks for:

• My cushy bed located next to the heater to nap in;
• The house flea problem having been solved;
• Finding my favorite froggie toy from West Paw Design;
• Misplacing the red doggie coat with the annoying hood;
• All five of the summer kittens I cared for having found good homes;
• My daily Pet Promise (including Daily Health Nutrition Formula in my ‘snack bowl’ for when I get the munchies at night).

I enjoy being a dog

There’s a lot to be said for a dog’s life -- especially when you’re a well-loved and well-fed canine companion (unfortunately, all dogs aren’t so lucky). We do, however, have to watch out for our noses. Being the superior sniffers that we are, the nose can get us into trouble now and then. I speak from experience when I say that Thanksgiving is a difficult time for us. The entire day is devoted to cooking, filling the house with unbelievable sensory temptations. As a result, some aspects of the holiday can be a bit problematic for us – for instance:

Foods high in fat, such as gravy, stuffing, butter, and turkey skin. Foods such as these can cause a lot of problems for the doggie digestive system. Be very careful about any 'people foods' you give us to eat during Thanksgiving.

Raiding the trash: Just because it’s in the garbage can doesn’t mean we can’t find it. Especially dangerous are items such as discarded aluminum foil (very tempting as it usually contains some gravy or turkey skin); strings from the turkey and disposable thermometers.

Bones to pick: Be sure to keep all turkey bones out of your dog’s reach. These can easily splinter, causing big-time tummy troubles. Turkey bones are definitely not bones you want your dog to chew on.

I could tell you more, but I need to take a walk with my new friend Dolly. Talk later.

Posted by Bumby at 4:30 p.m.