Ahh, the sweet smell of Spring

Well, that daily blog idea didn't really happen this past month. Hmm, 3dogs aren't too happy with me either. Sporadic jaunts to the cemetery don't add up. And the puny walks they do get give them very little marking and sniffing time in the outside world. None of us are very happy. But it is Spring and the air is warm; flowers poking up and blooms on the trees. Achoo. Yes, we are all sneezing.

But on to more important things. I have located a long lost relative of the Papsters. Tater, I know --- the name is a bit beyond my taste too, came into PetSmart the other day looking for a trainer. That would be me. His "pet parents" as the Smart likes to address pet owners, had just adopted him and had heard that I would be able to help them and him. I immediately fell in love with him. He reminded me of my favorite puppy dog, Teddy. Teddy was my sweet boy, mixed terrier, that I found back in 1988 on South Carolina Avenue and 12th here on Capitol Hill. He was the best boy and lived to the ripe old age of 16. Tater had obviously had some training and promptly sat on command. It was as though Teddy had been reincarnated.

But as I continued to play with the Tator, I realized he was more like a Pappy dog than a Teddy dog. Pappy tends to have all these jerky little movements and doesn't like to be held for too long, lest a ball might need to be sniffed out. Teddy was a lover, and would just snuggle up for hugs and kisses.

I dubbed Tator " The White Pappy," signed him up for class and off he went to become leader of the dog park.

Andy...

A friend of mine just had a birthday party for her dog. Decorations, presents, a cake and even games and favors. Some people have way too much time on their hands. But having attended this party, I decided that I need to create a birthday for the Anddog. Maggie was born January 26, 2006, Ellie was born December 9, 2003, but Andy, well he was adopted. No one had a clue to when he was born. They guessed his age at the shelter, but my vet said they always predict younger so people think they are getting a puppy. I got him in August, 2003 and he could have been anywhere from six months to a year. So, I need to pick a day from August 2002 through January 2003. Any ideas?

Hot Yoga

I've been trying out this new exercise...hot yoga. Actually, I think the real name is Bikram Yoga. Anyway, the idea is to do twenty-six poses and two breathing exercises twice each in a room that is heated 105 degrees and humid. Ninety minutes in all. The first day, I tried to leave after an hour and they wouldn't let me leave. Yikes. Messing up the room's karma. The second day, two people felt sick and had to sit in the bathroom on the cold floor. But the third day, well I just felt fine. Though I am not at all able to actually complete or hold any of the poses, it is really cool to watch those who can. I go to a studio in Dupont Circle, but I think they are becoming very popular and popping up everywhere.

I was thinking as I was watching Ellie do her flipping twist all catch if that is a kind of Yoga for her. She certainly does sweat. And today, after romping in the cemetery, the Maggot plopped into a pose on the ground. She'd probably like hot yoga since she from South Africa --- all that heat and humidity. She absolutely hates the cold weather.

Why do they do THAT?

Sometimes I wonder what goes on in those little heads when I'm not around to entertain 3dogs. And in the case of Maggie...her big head. Since the Maggot's first birthday this past January, she has had more freedom. She is house trained and doesn't seem to want to gobble up everything in her sight. So if I'm taking a shower or making dinner, doing laundry...whatever, I let her and the brown one hang upstairs for twenty minutes or so. Ellie just plays with her toys or romps noisily with Mags. But this morning, I went to take a shower, and when I returned there were half chewed razor blades all over floor. RAZOR BLADES! No blood, no cuts that I could see. Just three chewed triple blade razor cartridges, the soap surrounding having been gobbled up. As I was leaving for work, I noticed a dog had regurgitated in the corner of the bedroom ---- bubbly soap. UGH. What was she thinking?

We're dreaming...

of everything green and colorful. And with daylight savings time (DST) coming this weekend, well we can only keep dreaming. So when I stepped out this morning with 3dogs I thought of the warm balmy long first day of DST. That first Sunday after the night of "springing forward" still amazes me to this day, when 5:30 - 6:00pm comes around and the sun is not setting. 7:00pm and I'm still seeing daylight. The next day, I leave work to a sky filled with light.

But this morning when I was dreaming of that balmy day, I was hit with an unwelcome blast of cold air against my cheeks. And tomorrow it is suppose to snow. How are we to enjoy this springing forward, if there is no spring to go forwards towards? It just isn't natural. Maybe I should move to Arizona where some intelligent law person decided that foolin' with time was just plain bad.

Monster dog?

When I look at Maggie I only see sweetness, cuteness and a bundle of love. I seem to be in the minority. The last couple weeks I have had complete strangers come up to me while I am walking the dogs, and keeping their distance ask me what kind of dog she is usually adding that she is very scary looking. I respond that she is a boerboel, also known as a south african mastiff. And then immediately show them how docile she really is, having her demonstrate "the hug." This convinces them that she really is very sweet and it must be okay to pet her. She then tries to give them a hug. See, all sugar and spice and everything nice.

Well, maybe. She has had a few adverse reactions to some select people --- read very BIG BIG MEN. And of course, those kitties in the cages at the SMART can be very intimidating.

Global Warming...

or is this happening just to make me crazy. The weather yesterday was balmy sunny and close to sixty degrees. 3dogs and I had a wonderful walk on the mall (no, not shopping mall but rather the National Mall, the land area between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial), and even had a bit of a dip in the pool in front of the Capitol. But today. Brrrrr, it is only in the low 30's and there is a fierce wind to make it feel like your face is turning to ice. Maggie's lost her head over the whole change...

Anatomically correct snow people?

Snow Ball

After the snow the other day, I decided to let the dogs play in one of the squares on Capitol Hill. It was late and I figured they'd just sniff and wander over the snow trodden ground. But "the nose" immediately sniffed out a tennis ball and dropped it at my feet. I didn't want to pick it up and risk freezing my bare hands so I kicked it like a soccer ball. Oddly enough, it went flying; the snow acting like a tee.

Ellie and Maggie followed in hot pursuit, Ellie sniffing like crazy trying to locate the ball in the snow, and Maggie doing some type of snow slide behind her. Eventually a snow covered ball would be dropped at my feet to begin the process all over again. It was quite engaging for all of us. All of us except Andy, who sniffed and wandered in peace.

March Madness...

I've been a bit behind on the 3dog's blog but I've decided to meet a challenge of a blog a day for the month of March. Not an official blog month...just a personal goal.

And we had a surprise snow storm the other day leaving us with six inches of snowball making snow. The next day it warmed up and many of the creations from the day before melted into some interesting formations. One reminded me of my favorite comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin would build all these horrid snow scenes with snowmen. Ah, fond memories. I do miss that strip.