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.