Dog O' the Day – Fosters!

Another benefit to the slow season at Little Pup Lodge between now and the holidays is the opportunity to foster. The local shelter was once again filled beyond capacity (Spay and neuter, people, spay and neuter) and requested help from those of us who could take one into our homes. Last week Ella packed her bags and came to join us here at the Lodge. Weighing in at a hefty six pounds, the Chihuahua quickly acclimated to her new surroundings. She is gorgeous, house-trained and sweet beyond words–unless you happen to be a new guest checking in. Ella makes it clear she is deeply insulted sharing her vacation digs with another dog. This is an unfortunate trait, since all our guests must at least pretend to enjoy the company of others. (As one who has perfected this particular skill with humans, I explain to them that it just takes a little practice.) Therefore, we must find a home where she can fulfill her calling as an only child.
Miss Ella.

Only Child

We had a remarkable morning, Oliver and I. It was just the two of us at the beach. For the first time in months, Little Pup Lodge had no guests. One of the daycare guests, Phinney, was under the weather and the other, Aston, had not yet arrived. Harvey, whom (who?) often joins us just for the beach excursion, was at the vet for dental cleaning. No overnight guests, either; summer vacations are over and things will remain slow until the holidays.
I can have fun or I can stay clean. I'll take the former.

Dog O' the Day – CrossFit!!

Around 1995, Santa Cruz resident Greg Glassman created a strength and conditioning program that would appeal to, shall we say, a certain type of fitness buff. The type that thinks a nifty cocktail of Marine Corps punishment and Olympian weightlifting topped with a sprig of Navy SEAL survival exercises sounds downright yummy.
  Gunner & Midgee, CrossFit celebrities.


CrossFit, as Glassman called his program, was a hit. It’s not only spread across the country in the last couple decades, but has gone worldwide. I love CrossFit, but not because of the strenuous squats, lunges and reps it has become known for. I squat plenty to pick up poop bags, lunge often for a transgressor as he flies down the hall with one of my flip-flops and have lost count of how many reps I’ve completed around the local park’s half-mile loop. I love this company because of the staff members who board their little pups at Little Pup Lodge.

   Mirka, another CrossFit champion.

Right now Gunner and Midgee are with us for a week. Mirka often comes to stay. Jasper recently checked in while his mom and dad attended the CrossFit Games. Not only are the dogs adorable, but their moms and dads are some of the most fit, healthy human beings I’ve seen in a while. Nice advertising.

Jasper,  gold medal winner in CrossFit's fly-catching competition.

You Don't Miss the Water 'Til…

For those who have not yet had the good fortune to visit, Little Pup Lodge is located in an area many would consider rural. In other words, it is more than five minutes from the nearest Starbucks. "Rural" also means that we are not on a city water system but rely on a well. That well committed seppuku Saturday, a problem that would have been a mere annoyance in a regular household. But for a guest lodge on Labor Day weekend, it rated somewhere between disaster and catastrophe.

  No, our well  looks nothing like this. We do not live in a Thomas Kinkade painting.

Dog O' the Day – Maya T.

Like clouds in the sky, some dogs can morph into very odd creatures if one stares at them long enough. With her slightly hunched back, short legs and long fur, Maya can pitch-hit for an anteater. Not to be confused with another Little Pup Lodge guest, Cavalier spaniel Maya, anteater Maya has another distinguishing feature: an underbite almost large enough to rival Wookie’s. With so many unique qualities having cascaded  from the canine gene pool into her life, Maya was able to pull together a look that only someone of her aplomb could.

Dog O' the Day – Veerapam

Do this business long enough and Little Pup Lodge guests that we have grown to love will eventually die. One of our favorites passed away last week. Veerapam (which means “Brave Soul” in Sanskrit) was condemned to a short, miserable life if it weren’t for a lovely couple who rescued him in Calcutta, India. Bob and Sheela witnessed neighborhood children attempting to beat the starved and bedraggled young dog to death so they swooped in. Groomed and brought back to health, Veerapam appeared to be a purebred Lhasa Apso. Although Indians rarely kept dogs as pets back in 1994, monks who fled Tibet’s communist takeover sometimes brought theirs with them. The Lhasa Apsos originated in Tibet, where they were bred as watchdogs and companions for monasteries and temples.

  Veerapam, enjoying his beach strolls up until the end.

Dog O' the Day -- Lilly

This little girl just barely squeaked under our age cut-off. At nine months old, Lilly had the potential to be your basic puppy hurricane. But other than one slightly chewed cellphone-charger cord, she has kept the teething to stuffed toys (and a few of her playmates). This spaniel has perfected two specialties: melting hearts with those soulful eyes and keeping the other dogs occupied. Puppies play. A lot. If awake, she tortures other Little Pup Lodge guests to wrestle, chase or play tug-of-war with her and her very bedraggled squirrel. But, only when she’s awake and fortunately, puppies also sleep a lot.

  Little Lilly.

Hump Day

The Bark (best dog magazine ever), recently featured a piece on why dogs hump each other (and their stuffed toys and your leg). Having read all four pages, I discovered the answer: no one knows. Maybe it’s to show dominance, but then again maybe it’s just play. Maybe they are over-stimulated; maybe it’s a way to reduce stress. Like most people, I am deeply dissatisfied with any informative article that ends with a shrug of the shoulders. But, aren’t all our theories about dog behavior just guesswork?

  It's true; dogs now have their very own blow-up dolls (bachelor party not included)

Far East of Eden

Now that China has moved from communism to capitalism, perhaps we can all agree they won, we lost, in the world-domination sweepstakes. Back in the McCarthy era, we all feared this day, but expected it to come in the form of Soviets and Chinese swarming our shores and killing us all in our sleep. Instead, we are left to worry about tainted dog food and treats.

 

Law & Odor

People often think the concierge of Little Pup Lodge just sits around all day watching tv with her guests. So, I thought I’d try it (after I laundered, poop-scooped, watered the garden, folded clothes, washed dishes and romped with the gang at the park). Who knew Law & Order could be so addictive? In my world, only a pathetic slug would sit in front of the boob tube when it is still light outside. Daytime is about work! Productivity! Frenetic activity!

  Dogs love Bobby Goren!

The Laws of Nature

Like most people, I do not break the law unless I decide that particular law doesn’t apply to me. For example, the leash ordinance at our local parks and beaches.  And, like most people, I do not flaunt any particular law as an act of protest or civil disobedience; I only do it when I think I can get away with it.

Some of the guests at Little Pup Lodge have their parents’ blessings to run off leash at the beach. We go very early, usually 7am, to avoid other dogs and humans, particularly those who wear badges. Imagine my surprise as I walked up from the beach this morning right after 8am, just as an animal control officer walked down with a big, shiny citation book clutched in his hand.  Had he come 10 minutes earlier, I would have been several hundred dollars poorer.

We dog-activists often rant about how unfair the leash law is. Secretly, I think it’s only unfair to me. It’s more than fair for the yahoos who can’t control their dogs, the tourists who won’t clean up the poop and youthful offenders who find their unneutered pit bulls ever so much more entertaining than the rest of us.

Spring Fling Wing Ding

‘Tis that time again, when all things dog-related congeal at Blue Balls Park here in Soquel. The Spring Dog Festival throws a big ol’ party with a parades, contests, agility trials, Frisbee tournaments and vendors like me. Misery ensued when Little Pup Lodge set up a booth at the Festival last year. Arctic winds and rain descended that summer weekend, which kept the crowds away and the rest of us brave souls freezing our butts off.

At least someone's keeping their buns warm. (Photo courtesy of http://www.duncan-jan.com/)

Dogs of the Day - Vermicelli!

Not real vermicelli, of course. That is our nickname for the wiggly wiener-dog guests of Little Pup Lodge. Few breeds can match Dachshunds for sheer entertainment value. They don’t really have to do much, just stare at you down those impossibly long muzzles or waddle around with little butts that swing this way and that. We have a couple at Little Pup Lodge now.
Lola on the left, Frank on the right.

Paws for Reflection

A recent wardrobe inventory revealed that virtually every t-shirt and sweatshirt I own had something dog-related on it.

Yes, dogs are my business and I love them more than just about anything or anybody in the world. But. Do I really want the world to think my life has shrunk to one sad, little obsession ? Although it has stalled due to the Little Pup Lodge busy season, perhaps I should resume my efforts to make it as a hip-hop artist.
Then again, I could always carve little dog figurines out of soap.

Gopher Broke

Once the bane of Little Pup Lodge, gophers have emerged (sorry), as the latest sport and entertainment source for our guests. What began as one suspicious hole in the back yard has metastasized into a veritable battlefield of craters and pockmarks. Partially, it is the relentless rodents’ fault. The terrier guests must take equal blame, however. That particular breed owes it’s name to the French, who called them Chiens Terrier, or “earth-dogs,” because they were bred to chase vermin down holes. Since most terriers can’t actually fit into the hole, the next logical step is to widen it. My part-terrier Oliver uses his teeth to tear chunks of lawn away when he’s convinced the claws aren’t doing it fast enough.
Orthodontia required.
 

Dog O' the Day - Maya

We have two dogs named Maya that guest at Little Pup Lodge. There is Maya with the amazing underbite and there is Maya with the ravenous appetite. Underbite Maya has to be coaxed to eat. Appetite Maya, convinced I didn’t understand she wanted breakfast at 5:30am, jumped up and sat on the doggie-food bin.
  Please? Please? Please?

Katz and Dogs

How perfect is the name Lori Katz for a dog trainer? I first met her about eight years ago when she came out to give me some tips with the newly adopted Oliver. Her business, Kindred Spirit, continued to grow for two reasons: Katz consistently gave back to the community and she’s a damn good dog trainer.

  Peaches.

Tick Tock

‘Tis the season to be dreary. If you’re a dog person, that is. Millions of kids look forward to summer as a time of fun, freedom and adventure. Here at Little Pup Lodge? We steel ourselves for a few miserable months of heat, fleas, foxtails and, our favorite fair weather friend, the tick.
You sure you got enough to eat?

Hello Goodbye

Bessie wasn’t with us long—nine days, to be exact. She was my first hospice case with CAPE (Center for Animal Protection and Education), a wonderful rescue group that saves dogs and various creatures others have written off. She looked like a rat terrier with a little Sudanese famine victim mixed in. I thought Candi, the last foster was underweight, but she had nothing on this one. Skin and bones, that was Bessie.

Candi Finds a New Home

Our elderly Chihuahua foster that hovered near death from starvation made a remarkable comeback in the three months she was with us. Candi once gained a little over a pound, which moved her status from emaciated to a-little-too-slender. Her eyes became clearer, her walk steadier and her poops healthier (yeah, we’re as bad as new moms, convinced everyone will find the analysis of our toddler’s bowel movements as fascinating as we do.)
Gimme some tongue!


The sweet girl needed a more appropriate foster environment. Candi took an enormous amount of time and energy to monitor, feed, medicate, clean up after and worry over. It was an ego-puncture, admitting that I could not keep it up indefinitely. After I hung my Superwoman cape up in the closet, I called the rescue group’s foster coordinator and told her the situation. Within a few days, Candi moved in with her new foster mom, a nice woman who did not have to split her attention among 5 or 6 other dogs all day.

For one whole day, I got to enjoy an office that did not reek of Candi pee. Although the floors were covered in large pads, Candi never quite got the aim down. Then I got an email about a dog needing hospice care. But, that is another story for another time.

Dog "O' the Day - Chance

Chance made me a better person. People often say that about their own dog, but Chance is a neighbor. You know those blind spots you have about your personality? I had a couple. I would stick my nose where it didn’t belong and then fly into a rage when that business was not conducted as it should be. These two dysfunctional missiles tended to intersect and explode whenever dogs were concerned.

  Chance on the left, O.G. on the right.

Dog O' the Day - Candy

Some dogs are fun. Others are funny. A few, like Candy, are both. She runs into the Little Pup Lodge, ready to tear it up with the rest of the gang. Give her a ball and the little Pomeranian-mix dances in circles with excitement. Actually, many things can get her to dance in circles: treats, the sight of a leash, her mom showing up.

  I look quite serious here, but I'm really pretty happy.

Why are dancing dogs so charming? They’ve been a staple of circus acts since forever. They look human, I suppose, up on two legs like that. Candy has yet another distinguishing feature – she always looks happy. That particular feature? Not so human.
No, really!  You should see my happy face!

Dog O' the Day - Beau

It is with both love and a heavy heart that I dedicate this Dog O' the Day to Beau. Beau's a frequent guest of Little Pup Lodge, though he has not been here for awhile. A poodle, he’s a little white fluff ball who loves his car rides. Beau’s favorite place to sit is above the dashboard but, alas, the CHP would look unkindly on this personal quirk. He cuddles so closely with me at night that I like to think of him as a furry heating pad.  

  Beau in his Santa outfit.

Dog O' the Day - Aston

Most Little Pup Lodge guests board here anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Aston, on the other hand, comes for daily pet-sitting Monday through Friday. He is quite the little gentleman, very quiet and well-behaved. Aston gets a lot of attention on the street for his exotic looks and keeps people guessing at his breed. No one knows for sure, of course, since his very lucky mom rescued him from the local shelter. Suggestions have included King Charles spaniel, border collie and Australian Shepherd. Then his mom found a photo of an old French painting and dang if it wasn’t Aston’s spitting image. Perhaps it was his great-great-great-great grandfather.
Parlez vous chien?


Although young and healthy, Aston did give his mom and us a big scare after he had a couple of seizures. Dr. Evelyn Sharp, his veterinarian, took him under her wing. Clients pay her a monthly membership fee for in-home comprehensive vet services. Aston hasn’t had any more seizures, so whatever his mom and the vet are doing must be working.
  Aston and mom.

Dog O' the Day - Wookie

Sometimes a name fits the dog like a glove. For example, Wookie. She has one of those faces you look at and just gotta laugh. I mean that in the most complimentary way possible, of course. With an underbite to rival Chewbacca himself, Miss Wookie has everything she needs to get at least a small part in the next Star Wars movie. (Get it? Small dog? Small part? never mind.)

  Orthodontia? Moi?

Dog O' the Day - Mirka

Fresh from the North Pole, our latest Little Pup Lodge guest arrived super-volumed with PPI (Play Per Inch). Actually, Mirka came by way of Scotts Valley, but since she’s a Toy Eskimo dog, somewhere cold and snowy sounded better. While more than a few of those that show up for dog boarding are initially frightened and confused, not Mirka. Give her a ball and a place to run and she’s in heaven.
Mirka - will work for tummy rubs
 

Dog O' the Day - Sadie

Sadie has vacationed with us for at least a year. Not all at once, of course, but a day here, a couple of overnights there. She looks like an Italian Greyhound with a skosh of Min-Pin thrown in for good measure.
Sexy Sadie

Family Values

While Kim Kardashian (and that 72-day marriage that earned her 19 million bucks) represents one facet of God-fearing family values, I prefer my friend Kimberly’s grasp of the concept. Her son Trevor wanted to celebrate his eighth birthday at Hooters so off they went. Not to be outdone, his sister asked to celebrate her 15^th birthday at a drag-queen cabaret. Last Friday Carly Jeanne, her mom and a few assorted friends went to Diva Night at San Diego’s Lips, which bills itself as “The Ultimate in Drag Dining.” A marvelous time was had by all.
My, they grow up fast...
 

Doccupy!

Why let the protesters in Oakland and Wall Street have all the fun? Dog lovers want Big Brother’s giant foot (as well as leashes), off their dogs’ necks and have decided to take a stand as well. Hence, Doccupy Santa Cruz. A few dozen folks and their dogs gathered at my once-favorite beach with howls of protest, demanding just a few lousy yards of beach to let their dogs run free.

  We are powerful - hear us bark!

What's Next for Candi?

The latest foster dog to arrive at Little Pup Lodge has had a rough time of it since being here. Candi showed up emaciated and no matter how much she ate she continued to lose weight. The ancient Chihuahua would have been fine at 6 or 7 lbs., but came to us at 4 lbs. and dropping. Candi had her blood drawn, an ultrasound and x-rays. Turns out her intestinal wall had thickened, making it impossible to absorb nutrients.


 

Trouble in the 'Hood

Trouble in the ‘Hood

Years ago, we’re talking the mid-‘80s, San Diego decided to “revitalize” downtown, i.e. get rid of the pushers, bums and hookers. It worked; the gritty urban landscape transformed into a vibrant destination for shopping, dining and nightlife. However, those pesky problems it displaced had to go somewhere. Eventually, hookers were pushed as far north as Encinitas, a quiet little surf village with surprisingly few johns.
But they love dogs!!

Oh (Un)Holy Night

Candi is a very, very senior dog and cadaverously underweight. Probably on the shady side of 17 years, she is toothless, practically blind from cataracts, deaf and not too terribly spry. I saw her picture on the web, read about all her health problems and said to myself, that’s my next foster. A wonderful organization, Peace of Mind Dog Rescue, saved the half-starved Chihuahua from euthanasia. POMDR tends to rescue and re-home dogs whose humans can no longer care for them due to illness, death or other challenging circumstances. Candi was not one of those cases however. Candi was dumped in the night drop box at Monterey County Animal Services. On Christmas week. Fortunately, POMDR also rescues senior dogs from the shelter.