Canine in a Canoe

This is me on the bus on the way to the River

Watch out, big dog in a little boat! That's right my Humans took me on the Tippecanoe River with them in a Canoe. Even though the canoe was the largest one they could get, I still had no problems making them feel "tipsy" when I moved around (hehe). I even fell out once when my Humans accidentally hit a rock. I was okay though and swam to shore where I hopped right back on the canoe for some more action.

This is our canoe

Here is me hanging out with my Mom on the front of the canoe

It was a tight squeeze for me to move around.

So most of the time I just relaxed

The river was beautiful. There were so many beautiful beaches where we could stop and play. My Humans collected beautiful shells while I frolicked in the water. There were even some places where it was shallow so we could all walk or swim across the river completely.

Here's us hanging out across the river. You can barely see me there on the rock.

Here's me keeping myself entertained at one of our stops.

I am a swimming fool.

All of that work made me build up quite an appetite and really knocked me out. I slept good that night by the campfire.

Picture of me trying to get some food from my friend Ian

Picture of me relaxing by the campfire.

So how do you take your four legged friend canoeing? Well it isn't as easy as I make it look. Firstly, they have to be a pretty relaxed dog who doesn't get motion sickness. They have to be attentive to their Humans and willing to listen and stay close to them. The river can be dangerous and if your dog jumps out of the canoe in any old place they might get hurt on rocks or downed limbs. Not to mention getting taken away by the current. They should be an excellent swimmer. If you are not sure if your dog is a canine canoer take them for a short run before deciding to do a longer river tour with them. Good luck to all the pups out there willing to try this. I know I love it!

Camping Canine

This weekend I spent time with my friends and family at Rising Run Campground. Rising Sun is located on the Tippecanoe River with beautiful views of the river at our site. My Humans and I stayed in a deluxe Coleman tent. I practically have my own room in this thing.

Just Kidding. We didn't all stay in this tent. We stayed in this monster:

See what I mean. We have so much space in here my Humans even have a queen sized air mattress on one side that we can all fit on. Even though I try to help set up the tent, I mostly just played around with my friends while my Humans set up camp. There were five of my canine friends at our camp too.  Even though the campsite wants your dogs to be on leashes we stayed in a secluded place where my Humans let me run around with parental supervision.

I enjoyed running into the river for fresh water!

At night we sat around the campfire. My Humans ate smores and I got a raw hide. We sat and relaxed under the stars. I love camping!

Gone Campin

i will be on the road this weekend with my awesome humans. keep an eye out for my upcoming adventures at rising sun campground.

How Do I Love Thee.

I really cannot help it! I have so much love to give and I give a lot of it to my humans! Not only do I give them a lot of love, but I have love for almost every human I meet if they are willing to take it. Sometimes I jump up on people in order to lick their faces. Some people do not like that, but I still feel that I have to try.

There are so many reasons I love my humans. Firstly, because they picked me! There are so many dogs that they could have given a good home too, but they chose me out of all of them. It makes me feel special to think about it that way. They also do wonderful things for me. They take me for walks, feed me great food, spoil me with treats, and give me lots of love and affection right back.

I know that I am a lucky dog so here are some things you as pet owners can do to make your dog feel loved everyday:

1. Remember the basics: make sure your dog has plenty of fresh drinking water, appropriate food at mealtimes, and most importantly a way to relieve himself regularly.

2. Play with your dog everyday: throw a Frisbee, play fetch, or my favorite tug-o-war!

3. Walk your dog everyday: dogs need daily exercise so remember to take them for a stroll.

4. Train your dog: most dogs can learn the basics: sit, stay, shake. So stimulate your dog my teaching him new tricks.

5.Pet me!: Show your dog plenty of affection everyday.



The Towel Game

Given that I am a boating and beaching dog I get wet a lot. I love to swim and it is a great way for dog such as myself to cool off in the summer heat. However, I often have quite a time trying to dry my coat. To do this I usually rub myself on the bed, couch, and carpet leaving a wet mess everywhere.

But my Humans are so smart they invented a game that I love to play. Since I am a special dog I get a towel that is just for me on the boat and at home. Since I won't hold still to be dried my Humans turned the process into a game for me. I call it The Towel Game.

The process is really quite easy. They throw the towel over me and start rubbing me dry and I try to get the towel off of me as I go. Sometimes they throw the towel over my head and I work to get it off. Essentially I do a lot of the drying work myself without even realizing it because I am having fun! My Humans are so clever.

I always celebrate my victory over the towel by taking the wet thing and shaking it with my mouth. I may be a little damp still after The Towel Game, but I am much less wet then I would be a tend to rub up against furniture and other things that for some reason my humans don't want to be wet.

Beach Dog

I am spending a relaxing day on the beach with my friends. I love going to the beach as there is plenty for a dog to do there such as swim, fetch, and dig without consequences. My humans call the lake the "giant doggie water bowl." The beach can be relaxing for a dog like me, but there are some things to keep in mind if you are taking your doggie to the beach:

1. Make sure that there is some sort of shade for your dog. Especically if they have a black coat like mine which can easily cause them to over heat.

2. Make sure there is planty of water available to your canine companion. They can get very thirsty in the heat of the afternoon.

3. Bring your pooch some toys to play with so they don't get restless.

4. Use caution when coming in contact with other dogs, especially dogs your dog does not know. They can be territorial especially if they are tetheredat a certain spot on the beach.

5. And finally, every dog enjoys a nice long walk down the shore so don't forget to take them on a beach adventure they will surely love you for.

Happy Beaching.

The great doggie water bowl.

TheShade of a beach chair or umbrella will do.

15 Reasons Your Dog is Smarter than You

Here are 15 things that I think make me smarter than my Humans. Not that I love you guys any less just because I am of superior intelligence.

15. The World may be your oyster, but I can go to the bathroom anywhere my heart desires.
14. You may think I serve you, but you really serve me. More Kibble please.
13. I am not afraid to love you unconditionally. My emotions don't get the best of me.
12. I never hold it against you. Forgiving and forgetting comes easily to me.
11. I don't beg, I divide and conquer. That's right Mom, I distracted you long enough to pull that sandwich right off the counter.
10. I am very Zen. Little things don't bug me like they bug you.
9. You run from insects while I chase and eat them. I mean, come on! They are tiny compared to you.
8. It doesn't take me 2 hours to get ready in the morning. I look good already.
7. I live in the moment and never worry about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow.
6. I don't have to yell. When I show my teeth people know I mean business.
5. I don't communicate with you through baby talk and pet names.
4. When I want something I pursue it fearlessly.
3. I don't make mistakes I just learn my lessons.
2. I have sharp senses- my hearing, sense of smell, and instincts are far superior.
1. I don't have goals or agendas so I always succeed.