The New Movie

We've been getting Pappy parts in a few "smaller" films to help build his rep. This one's a minute and a half.

The Morning Play Date

We've started a new tradition at the Pappy household of the morning play-date. Molly, our puppy pal from up the street, is dropped off in the back yard early morning on weekdays to race around with the Papster for forty minutes until we drop her off at home on the way to work. Pappy is normally distracted with a treat when we leave, but we've seen a slightly higher yelp factor when he notices us departing with "the competition."

Friday's play-date was enlivened by the arrival of a tall dark stranger. Riggs, the German short-haired pointer from around the corner, came bounding across our neighbors' back yards, hurdling fences, oblivious to capitalist notions of property. As in the past, his objective was frolicking with the Papster. We were first introduced to Riggs a month ago when, from an upstairs window, we spotted Pappy racing around the back yard chasing something... a strange dog? Friday, I again flagged down Riggs' exasperated owner, who related his tales of despair trying to contain his Houdini dog. Just as we were getting comfortable that Riggs was satisfied to stay in the yard with Pappy and Molly, he loped off again across the neighbors' yards. The owner trundled off after him-- but then Riggs came back to our yard a minute later and we were able to corral him, concluding the morning's entertainment.

Quote from the Press

I recently contacted a reporter from the Washington Post about the important news covered in Pappy's Blog, and I got back this response: "A dog blog- who'd a thunk it."

That's right, we've got the conventional press on the ropes when it comes to the dissemination of topical news. Power to the internet, baby, power to the internet.

Pappy: The Movie Trailer

Be the first to see the amazing Pappy Movie Trailer!

Pappy and Molly

Molly, the indefagitable pup, came by and hung out with Pappy in the back yard yesterday.

Butterfly

I went out in the back yard a couple of days ago, only to be greeted by the site of a lovely monarch butterfly clinging to the french door. After we let Pappy out, all that we came across were the remnants of a wing and possibly a bit of antenna-- my wife said he snatched the bug in mid-flight.

Looking on the bright side, we saved it a long trip back to Michoacan, Mexico.

Greatest Training Successes

As we've noted before, Pappy was one of the champeen students in his doggy class. He's reached some level of mastery with come, sit, and down when he's inclined to obey. But there are some things we seem to have inadvertently taught him with absolute success:

A) We have accidentally taught him to stand at the back door as if he wants to come in, then, as soon as we open the door, race out in the back yard to coax us to come out and play.

B) He used to flop down in the grass to gnaw on his squeaky ball in relative peace. In the past two weekends we have somehow trained him to come up to you sitting at the patio table, walk under your legs, drop the ball, and then start scrambling around for it so that it feels like you are sitting on a washing machine-- until you finally pick it up and throw it.

C) We learned him very early on to take his squeaky or tennis balls into the TV room, place them right next to the bookshelf, and then "accidentally" poke it under the bookshelf with his paw or nose. Then he scrabbles around with his paw under the bookshelf, occasionally whining in complaint until you pull it out. (Thankfully he never starts barking, so you have the option to ignore him until he settles down.)

It takes constant repetition and reinforcement to train one's dog to do these tricks, but you can do it too!

His Onliest Quirk

I am going on the record that Pappy is the most naturally agreeable mutt on earth. Take food out of his mouth and he wags his tail. Put him outside, and he will wait quietly until you let him in. A dog can be barking like a berserker at him, and he is just sorting out how to play. The vet implanted a chip in him without a whimper. He's the very definition of imperturbable (perhaps oblivious?).

This affability led me to suspect that his first year of life prior to adoption was spent in some doggy utopia, and our household was inevitably disappointing by comparison. But recently we had our first glimpse of the dark side of that Eden (cue ominous music).

We had a giant black fly in the house following one of Pappy's entries and exits outside. I started waving around the Weekend supplement from the newspaper to knock it down. Pappy went all schizo, and started cowering in the next room with his ears and tail down. My wife accidentally re-enacted the event that evening when she thought Papster was in another room. It breaks our hearts.

It would seem that he's no fan of rolled-up newspapers from past experience. We're going to have to get a fly-swatter and hope for the best.

Dog of Action

He sure loves that squeaky ball, but it's beginning to drive us bonkers.

The Dump

Pappy's treat yesterday was riding in the front seat to the dump, since the back of the station wagon was full of cr*p from the shed. The weather was gloomy, but we went on to the Black Hill Dog Exercise Area afterwards. This is one of only three county dog parks in all of Montgomery county, and I was surprised to pass the Ridge Road park on the way within a couple of miles.

Black Hill Dog Exercise Area is far back amongst the picnic areas in the park-- there are small signs marking the way. It's about the same size as the Wheaton Regional dog park, with trees for shade and fine gravel surface to prevent mud.

I always thought that Pappy was pretty speedy, but some grey-snouted greyhounds quickly put those illusions to bed as they lapped him around the enclosure. It was pretty quiet initially, until a truck full of the web-published celebs from All Breed Rescue and Referral showed up and got the party started. Sierra was madly taken with Pappy, and ended up rolling around with him. Milo was a tireless ball-chaser (and I am a pretty tireless ball-thrower), despite stitches from a recent tangle with a pit bull. Blue and Bernie were cute and very playful and energetic despite their heavy coats.

The rescue volunteer was hinting that she might have the perfect pal for Pappy, but we're a bit too new at the dog owner game to be upping the ante.

Dogster

If you think Pappy's blog is ill, check out Dogster. Pappy is our Lord and Master and all, but these folks got it bad. They've got a blog to boot.

Wander on the C&O

For Memorial Day, we took the Papster off to the C&O Canal at Riley's Lock. We were a little undecided about whether to go up the Seneca Greenway following Seneca Creek, or upstream on the C&O Towpath. The weather was steamy, and the towpath looked shady, wide, and level, and so we took the path of least resistance.

Pappy about lost his fudge over two horses that were ambling along ahead at the start of the walk, but then he settled into a zombie-like heel for the eight mile circuit. Good boy, good walk. Never seen him in operation in hot weather-- despite his sveldt figure and thin coat, he definitely seems to prefer cooler spring weather.

"Dog Island"

I can't figure out what the heck is up with this site, but it seems way too utopian and creepy even if I hadn't seen the movies "The Island" and "Soylent Green".

Free Forever: Dog Island

At least they didn't call it The Farm... that would have been a dead giveaway.

Killer Day at the Dog Park

Poor Pappy had a pretty exhausting day Saturday. It all started at the Wheaton Dog Park, where he was already looking a little worn out because of playing with two puppies at length on Friday. Then we went off to Annapolis to visit his Aunt, and we went off to Quiet Waters Park with his doggy-cousin Polly, a long-haired dachshund. At the dog beach there, he made his first ventures in retreiving tennis balls from the waters of the Chesapeake. Towards the end of the day, we were dog-sitting Molly, a labradoodle puppy from up the street, and Pappy seemed to be fighting a constant rearguard action against the advances of the enthusiastic pup. Pappy and Molly went over to picnic with his dog-cousin Ruby, and more racing around ensued.

Now on Sunday we are puppysitting with Molly (above) once again, and Pappy is learning how to adopt the mantle of the mellow older dog. Hard work that, but rewarding.

Wheaton Dog Park

Urgh. After that posting of the world's ugliest dog I need to brighten things up with a little of Pappy's unconventional good looks. Here is his furriness at the Dog Park this morning with Sasha, an auburn-haired, blue-eyed vixen.

Maggie

Pappy's puppy pal Maggie came over last night. It wasn't a banner night for either dog, but Maggie sadly started out the evening by having a rectal explosion in the car on the way over-- apparently she went on a mulberry binge in the Congressional Cemetery earlier in the day, and the resulting mound was festooned with teeny seeds.

It definitely seems apropos to change the name of her site from Maggie's Moo to Maggie's Poo.

Metro DC Dog Parks

We are long time devotees of the Wheaton Regional Dog Park for taking Pappy off-leash (look for us early Saturday or Sunday mornings), but recently I heard about another. In DC on Oregon Avenue, just south of the intersection with Military Road and across from St. John's School, there is supposed to be a popular spot for doggy meet-and-greets. Judging from the lack of online references, I am thinking it is non-official.

This is very convenient to where Pappy's grandpa lives, so I am thinking we'll take a look this weekend.

Ugly Dog Contest

The voting is underway in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest, culminating in the award at the Sonoma-Marin Fair on June 23. Sam, three-time undefeated winner (above), died last year, so they'll be crowning a new champ. There was a bit of a scandal about online vote stealing, but I guess the actual contest winner is determined by judges.

Eeeeyuulgh, these dogs give me the willies. This is one contest that Pappy would lose with flying colors--because of his unconventional good looks.

The Dog Whisperer

Here's another blog mentioning the recent release of The Dog Whisperer on DVD. Even Cesar Millan himself seems to have a blog on the National Geographic website.

As a novice dog-owner, I was drawn in by the show because of the promise of quick returns in behavior modification. Since then I have read articles knocking the quality of Cesar's methods and behavioral research, and the show's follow-up after the initial filming. I think it's unfair to make him a lightening rod for criticism because he produces simplistic made-for-TV training nuggets, but I also think people worshipping at the altar of Cesar are a bit dim.

Bottom line, the show's entertaining and presents one of many approaches to training. Don't take it as gospel.

Into The Fray

Okay, Pappy has officially been entered in the Old Navy Mascot Search competition-- see his entry here. Judging by the competition, this should be a cakewalk for the Papster. What other owners fail to realize is that 1) being a precious puppy for eight months does not give your dog long-term star power, 2) googly bug-eyed dogs are a dime a dozen, and 3) putting sunglasses and clothes on your dog is pathological. Prediction-- Pappy's unconventional good looks™ will make him top dog. I just worry that his facial fur is too uniformly dark for the small screen; maybe a dye job is in order.

On second thought, maybe we just want him to win second place... we'd miss him too much if he became a jet-setter.