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!