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.