Here we go again

We had been warned by Farmers' almanac that it might be a bad winter. Seems they were right. Northeast Ohio is on blizzard #2 for this week. Already a foot of snow on the ground from the weekend's precipitation, and since it stared snowing this morning there is another few inches on top of that. Up to another foot promised before it blows itself out of here.

That being said, I wanted to make sure I cleared up the concerns of a few of our friends who commented on our last post. Some of you were worried about Brutus getting cold out there in the snow. Since Brutus appreciates your thoughts, he wanted me to be sure to let everyone know that he is indeed cozy in warm no matter what the weather brings. You see...

...the Brute has quite the collection of attire, from warm/waterproof outdoor coats to keep him comfy outside, to hoodies and sweaters to ward off any chill inside. Although he really isn't a freeze baby (he does much better in cold weather than in hot), you can rest assured that when it gets well below freezing, I make sure to dress my little Frenchie accordingly. The camo hoodie is his favorite.

Don't get me wrong, Brutus isn't crazy about the snow. That combined with the fact that he is (thankfully) on a regular routine about going outside to do his business - it usually isn't worth bundling him up. He's almost always out and back in less than 2 minutes. Plus his low profile just ensures that all sorts of snow balls up on the material & gets him wet. That's why Brute was naked in the last post - it seems like the lesser of evils for a quick jaunt out into the snow. But when it's really blustery (note him squinting into the wind and the snowflakes) ...

You do what you have to do! But no matter how miserable it is outside, there is always a warm fireplace to cuddle by when he comes in!

Funny, it seems like the camo works better inside...

If I lay really still here, maybe she won't see me and make me go outside...

So no worries everyone, my little Ewok is all warm and toasty!

Winter Wonderland

So it snowed.

A lot.

Started Friday afternoon, and by Saturday morning we were buried. Not sure of the official totals, but we have well over a foot of fluffy white stuff.

Beautiful, unless of course you have to actually get somewhere in it! Mostly we think of the difficulty the snow creates for us humans, having to operate a car in the aftermath. But for small, round dogs, just moving around can be a real challenge.

The snow is already up over Brutus' back, and I hear another storm is on the way tomorrow. As it is the easiest way for him to get around is to dolphin-dive.

The trees were beautifully frosted this morning, it was all I could do to stop taking photos of them (although the 3F temps helped).

The sky was a brilliant blue, and it looked like each limb had been dipped in powdered sugar.

The boys didn't find it nearly as enchanting, as they tunneled around the yard.

Where's a guy supposed to do his business out here???

Catching snowflakes on your tongue, Brute?

Mason has been nice enough to tromp down some little routes (which I now call "poop chutes") that Brutus can navigate through.

So at least for now it is a little easier for Brutus to get around.

But look out, there is another storm on the way tomorrow, supposed to dump at least as much snow as this most recent one did. Brutus is going to need his snow snorkel for sure. Or maybe learn how to snow scuba if things turn out as bad as they are predicted. Instead of a photo like the one below, next time I'm afraid you might just see the tips of Brutus' ears!!

Ruferee

We just wanted to let the NFL know that in case there is a last-minute opening for a position in the Superbowl officiating team, Brutus is ready to step in.

He's quite the discriminating observer, and will make sure the game is fair.

He is well-versed on NFL rules,

and not afraid to run in with that late penalty flag if needed.

Assuming you don't mind a little Frenchie drool on it....

So just call if you need him, Commissioner Goodell!

Public Service Announcement

Hey everybody, Brutus at the keyboard today!

First I wanted to give a big shout out to everyone who voted for me (and my labradork brother Mason) yesterday at Mango Minster! We didn't take the popular vote, however I did come in second for the Athletic Sporty dog division. There was stiff competition, and I have to hand it to Fiona for a well-deserved win! Thanks to Moose for all the hard work he did in judging what turned out to be a huge group.

Speaking of Moose, that brings me to the other reason for this post, a public service announcement. It seems that like many others, Moose is a little confused about my genetic background. We'll be out for a walk and mom hears "Oh, what a cute little black pug". Although we appreciate the spirit the comment is being made in, hearing that makes us grind our teeth! I mean we are very pro-Pug, know lots of great pugs (win, wink, Stella), but really?? Come on...

Please allow me to clear up the misconception that Frenchies and pugs look alike. First, lets take a close look at the tail. Here is what a pug tail looks like (I chose a fawn for clarity's sake):

Now, my handsome little nubbin:

As long as we're on the topic, I'd like to mention that this is how my tail was when I was born. No cropping/docking allowed in Frenchies, we are bred to be tail-less (part of the reason we tend to have back problems, since it's technically a spinal anomaly that causes it to be missing).

OK, moving on. Now lets discuss the most notable difference at the other end: ears. Hear is a nice set puggie ears (in fairness to all our pug pals, this is a random photo I found on google). Cute how they fold over, isn't it? These are called "button ears" but rose ears are also frequently seen (think English bulldog ears).

Compare that with my nice erect sattellite dishes. Mom says I can hear a flea sneeze two blocks away with these babies. They are my most distinguishing feature, I think:

Again, no assembly required on the ears. Frenchies are born with ears down, but they stand on their own when we are about 6-8 weeks old (breed standard forbids any alteration).

The other dog I often get confused with is a Boston Terrier. This I can kind of understand. Again, we know some Bostons, and despite the fact that they are terriers, many are fine fellows! But they are much taller/leaner/leggier than us Frenchies. Plus their ears are pointier (many are actually trimmed to be such, which their breed allows). Here is a generic photo of a nice Boston:

To compare with this recent photo of my beefy, stocky, flat-faced, round-eared self. Similar stuff, but in a more compact package! Compared to the 10-20 pound range of Bostons, we Frenchies pack up to 28 lbs. into a frame that mom often refers to as a bowling ball.

Well, I hope that clears things up for everybody (Moose). But you know, they say that imitation is the finest form of flattery, so I'll leave you with photos of two Frenchie wanna-be's. Here is our pug pal Salinger getting a little ear lift:

And another pal, Tanner (Joe Stain's goofy brother), looking suspiciously Frenchie-like in girth. Didn't I say Bostons were leaner? Tanner apparently didn't get that memo...

So thanks for the flattery, guys! And thanks again to everyone who voted for me at Mango Minster!

Brutus over & out!!

Shameless Plug

What are they looking at, you wonder? Mason seems worried, while Brutus looks sort of intense & determined. What on earth could evoke such a range of expression?? Well, since you asked....

It's their reactions to seeing all the intense competition that's showed up in the ring for Mango Minster!! So many dogs entered the "Sporty" division that it had to be sub-divided into two categories. The good news is that Mason and Brutus are no longer in direct competition with one another, the bad news is that there are SO many other dogs they have to beat out!! Moose is picking winners for both categories, but there is also a popular vote.

So PLEASE go over to Mango Minster and vote for Brutus (in the "Sporty Athlete" category) and Mason ("Good Sport") so that they can have a strong showing. You don't even have to be a blogger to vote, just one vote per IP address per category. So tell all your friends/coworkers/family that we'd really appreciate their support. Voting closes at around 4PM Eastern time, so do it while you still can!! Thanks!

We've Got Royal Mail

Back before the holidays our Schnauzer friends across the pond, JD and Max, hosted a really fun "Bootieliscious" contest. Brutus has a pretty nice hiney, so I entered a photo. Actually they accepted several photos, and entered me in a few categories - I guess JD and Max like Brutus' hiney too!! Anyways one of the photos was really popular, and got us a win in the "Just for Fun" category!! BTW - the most frequent on this photo is that it looks like Brutus forgot his pants!

The mailman had a really long swim, so understandably it took a while for the package to get here (they had really bad weather in England too, not good for swimming!). We had sort of forgotten about our prize, so it was really a nice surprise when it showed up in the mail last week.

Never got a package from England before, and we felt very important to have had the "Royal Mail" handle our precious cargo! I let Brutus try his paw at opening the package:

What kind of tape do they use in England?? This stuff is strong!!

OK, I did the hard part. Now I need to borrow your thumbs, mom!

JD & Max must have let their human, Clare, help with the packing, because we couldn't believe how much stuff was in that little package (or parcel, as they say in the UK!)!!

Holy cow!! How did all that loot fit into that little green bag??

What cool pressies, we got! Not only are they fun (chewies, a toy & a magnet) & functional (a shopping bag and a waist pack), but they help other doggies to! Almost everything in our prize assortment came from DogsTrust, a huge rescue group in the UK. They do everything from sheltering and rehoming dogs, feeding homeless peoples' dogs and even helping with domestic violence. Check out their website to learn more!

Thanks for sponsoring such a fun contest, and for all the great prizes. Here's a few more photos of Brutus enjoying them!

Hmm, how could that bag be standing on it's own??

Oh.

Pretty lofty expectations to live up to!!

This is my favorite part! But it would be a lot more fun with someone on the other end!

That's more like it!

Just making sure we found all the stuff!!

Yep, got it all!

Thanks JD & Max!! We'll get a lot of use out of our prizes!!

And the award goes to....

Lots of good news to share today! First of all, Brutus is feeling pretty much back to normal, having beat the nasty poo sickies he suffered from all of last week. He's bouncing off the walls as usual, so glad to see him acting normal! We have a few more days of medicine to get through, but other than that I think he's in the clear!

Brute's recovery was also timely, as I had entered him in an agility trial (which I thought we might have to withdraw from). I'm happy to report that not only well enough to compete, Brutus had his best weekend yet! We completed our first title (CL1, for those of you who know CPE agility-speak), not to mention a nearly "perfect" weekend - out of 8 classes we entered, got qualifying scores in 7 of them (mostly Level 2 classes). Too bad for a pokey Standard run (which included Brutus pausing on top of the A-frame for a while, apparently enjoying the view), as we NQ'd on time faults (over by 12 seconds, which is like an eternity in agility-time). But on the other hand, one of our Q's came from a Level 3 class, which I'm thrilled with since it was the first time we had competed at that level!

Enough of that technical stuff (boring for most of you I suppose). I had a blast, and I really think Brutus did too! He was much more relaxed, so we were not plagued by the zoomies like at the last trial. Brutus did basically everything I asked of him all weekend... granted sometimes at his own speed, BOL! For a dog who had been under the weather just a few days before, he was really a trooper to last all weekend. It was great to spend a few days with our friends, celebrating their successes and laughing with them over the more bizarre moments that happen to the all of us out there in the ring. I do have it all on video, although this building makes it hard to see much due to the big support poles running down the middle of the ring. I'll get some editing done, maybe try to post some clips later in the week (although they won't be nearly as funny as the last set!!). Suffice it to say that it was a successful weekend in too many ways to list!!

While I'm on the subject of awards....

I've been meaning to get some other awards from our friends posted, but embarrassingly kept getting sidetracked. The first is from a fellow agility trainee, Sam over at MargeBlog.

I am particularly proud of this award, since it relates to the blog itself. I've always enjoyed writing, and Brutus' blog has become an unexpected source of enjoyment & creativity for me. Thanks, Sam, for all your compliments!! I'm tickled that so many people enjoy what I "produce", and also thank all our regular followers who comment on so many posts, both short & long!!

This is an award that is intended to be passed on, but there are so many blogs that we love to read. I love how each blog has it's own personality (just as the dogs they are about do!) - adventures shared, stories told, things to learn, making us laugh, and sometimes even make us cry. I can't begin to single out only five... So please feel free to pass on this award to anyone whose blog makes your day like so many of yours make ours!!

Next is an award from Brutus' main squeeze, Stella (Living With Stella & Gunther blog). This award asks Brutus to list 10 things which he love, and then pass the award on to 10 friends.

So, the top 10 things Brutus lives for (in no particular order) are as follows:

1. Playing with his big brother, Mason.

2. Making public appearances - anywhere, anytime!

3. Eating

4. Napping with his momma

5. Doing agility

6. Getting treats for doing obedience (notice I did not say the obedience itself!!)

7. Going for walks & car rides

8. Dreaming about his sweetie, Stella

9. Snoring (although this is a close tie with farting)

10. Sending pressies to his blog buddies & getting fun surprises in the mail from them!!

Brutus is fortunate to have such a full life, it was hard to single out 10 things he loves!! I actually am hard pressed to think of things he doesn't like... unless you count things that make noise (vacuum, blender, the ice maker on the fridge). Gotta think he's a pretty happy little guy!!

If we have any friends out there who haven't gotten this award yet, we'd be honored if you'd accept it and post your favorite 10 things on your blog!!

And finally...

I'm really embarrassed about this one, since I saved it in such a way that I can't remember who gave it to us!! If the thoughtful doggie who sent this our way can remind me, I'll properly thank you! Otherwise I'll just give a shout out to the award's originator, Cocorue (Love Being a Chihuahua blog), who is also one of our good furiends! She was also our dance partner once (don't tell Stella, it was before she & Brutus met...). Thanks, Coco, for being our pal and always having such nice things to say about Brutus!!