Monday, June 30, 2014

Basset Hounds 101

   It occurred to me that while many of you may recognize Bentley as a Basset Hound, you may
Basset hound puppy

Bentley was an adorable puppy ♥

not know very much about his breed.  When most people think of the Basset, the first image that comes to mind is the old 1960’s Hushpuppies advertisements.  Their tagline was “Hushpuppies are dumb.”  Let me start by saying that is simply not true; at least for the breed.  The shoes might be kind of dumb, but that is another story.  Basset are definitely not dumb.  Sure, they can be stubborn and think very hard about a command before they decide whether or not it’s worth their time to obey.  When I tell Bentley to do something, I can see him pondering if the reward is worth his effort.  Sometimes he thinks it is and sometimes he doesn’t.  That’s not because he isn’t intelligent; he is just a free thinker!

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Watching the Grass Grow

Bentley loves stretching out in the grass and letting the sun shine down on him.  It is very hot here in Bayou Country.  After a few minutes of sunbathing, he comes inside to the air conditioning and goes belly-up under the ceiling fan on our wood floor.


Just watching the grass grow.


Friday, June 27, 2014

Fuel the Cure

   We are doing double duty today with our co-hosting duties of the always fun Pet Parade and joining our friend Oz the Terrier in his Zuke’s #FueltheCure cancer awareness and fundraiser blog hop.
   I am very fortunate to have never heard the words, “Your dog has cancer.”  I pray that I never will.  It is the primary cause of death in mature dogs and cats.  There are many terms that you will hear if your pet is diagnosed with cancer.  You can familiarize yourself with them here.
   Do you know the warning signs of cancer in your pets?  Here are ten things to keep an eye out for in your best friend.  While these do not automatically mean cancer, if your dog or cat displays any of the symptoms, a trip to the vet is in order.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

We Were Walking in Sunshine

Happy Hump Day!  Over the weekend, we visited the Sunflower Trail in Dixie, Louisiana.  It was an amazing sight to behold all of the gorgeous sunflowers.  We truly felt as if we were walking in sunshine.  If you missed our first post, please check it out here.  I hope these photos make you smile.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Sunflower Fun



   Few things say “welcome summer” like the sunflower.  Its bright petals and huge “face” are easily recognizable.  I love everything about sunflowers from admiring their beauty to chomping on their seeds.  It seems that every part of this magnificent plant is usable.  Even the stalk can be dried and used for kindling during the winter months.  While Kansas is “The Sunflower State,” here in Bayou Country, we have an impressive trail of sunflowers.
   The North Caddo Sunflower Trail is located in and around the small town of Dixie, Louisiana.  It began back in 1996 when John Sloan and a friend decided to plant sunflowers for their fall hunting expeditions.  Mr. Sloan said that one day it was just the quiet of his fields and the next day he saw painters, photographers, and sightseers stopping to admire his field of happy flowers.  Neil Johnson captured the magic of this field in his book, “A Field of Sunflowers.”  The massive twenty-acre field is located on the Cairo Plantation, although there are rows of sunflowers along a thirty-mile stretch leading to Gilliam, Louisiana.  The friendly people of Gilliam hold a one-day Sunflower Festival to honor this brilliant bloom.  This was the festival’s fourteenth year and it is gaining in popularity drawing visitors from near and far.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Burglars Beware!


Burglars Beware!  Don’t trip over our watchdog!

 
Please take a moment to cast your vote for Bentley’s photo on
Love is being owned by a Husky.  Click here.  You can vote once a day. Thanks so much!


Saturday, June 21, 2014

The Baby Birds

   A few weeks ago, we posted a photo of bird eggs that a robin continually builds in one of my hanging plants.  I asked how to keep her from building the nests.  It’s not that I don’t love seeing the little birds, I do.  The problem is that bird eggs bring snakes.  It never fails that when the eggs show up; some slimy snake comes to eat them.  I enjoy the eggs and the baby birds…the snakes, not so much.  Of course, once the eggs are there, I can’t possibly get rid of the nest.  Bad karma and all that, plus I couldn’t kill an unborn bird and live with myself.  Well, you’ll be happy to know that the birds arrived and they have left the nest.  Bentley and Pierre were disappointed that the little ballerinas from the Wizard of Oz’s Lullabye League weren’t inside the eggs!

Friday, June 20, 2014

Thursday, June 19, 2014

KONG is King

*Disclaimer: Barking from the Bayou was recently contacted by KONG in regards to their new Jumbler toys.  We received a KONG Jumbler Football at no charge in exchange for an honest review.  There was no monetary compensation and we only agree to review an item that we truly believe in ourselves.

     If you are a regular visitor to Barking from the Bayou, then you are aware that Pierre is a toy-killer.  Our
sweet little granddog wouldn’t hurt a flea, although he might bark it to death.  However, if he gets his teeth
into a new toy, it becomes his life’s mission to destroy it.  For this reason, we have a lot of KONG toys.  They are practically indestructible.  When our friends at KONG contacted us to review their new Jumbler Football or Jumbler ball, I discussed both toys with the boys.  They voted overwhelmingly to put the football to the test.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Happy Father's Day Y'all

Bentley: Pierre, do you know what day it is?”
Pierre: “It’s Black and White Sunday hosted by our friends Sugar the Golden Retriever and Dachshund Nola.  There are cool photos on the blogs listed at the bottom of our post.”
Bentley: “Well that’s true, but not what I’m referring to in this case.  It is Father’s Day!  It’s the day we get tell our dads how much we love them.”
Pierre: “Is there going to be cake?  I love my daddy, my papaw, AND my cake.”
Bentley: “That’s a good question.  We’ll have to sniff around and find out.  I love my cake, too.  I love my daddy more than cake though.  He plays with me, scratches my belly, takes me for walks, and give me treats.  Daddy can also fix anything that breaks.  I started a list of the reasons that I love about him, but it was about a gazillion things.  Mama said I should pick the best thing, because we aren’t supposed to write a bunch today.  The best thing that he does is love me.”
Pierre: “Your daddy is my papaw.  I love him very much.  He snuggles with me, plays with me, takes me for walks, and points out squirrels in the yard.  And he gives me stuff.  He is the bestest papaw ever.  I have a wonderful daddy, too.  He loved me the first time that he saw me.  I’m double lucky this Father’s Day!”
Bentley: “We are grilling for my Dad today.  Whatever you do with your dad or granddad to celebrate them, have a great time.  Barking from the Bayou wishes a Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.”


“You can judge a man’s true character by the way he treats his fellow animals.” ~ Paul McCartney




Today and every day, I love and miss Paps, my wonderful father-in-law.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

S'up Dawg?

Bentley wanted to show his “cool dawg” look for today’s post.
It’s all about attitude and cap tilt.


“S’up Dawg?”

*We’d like to thank Jenna from Love is being owned by a Husky
for reviewing The Returns series on her site yesterday.  If you missed it,

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Pierre Meets a Turtle

   As I promised last week, Pierre is going to tell you about some backyard mischief.  I should warn you that he has a tendency to embellish the story.  To find out what actually happened, please watch the video.
Pierre: “Thank you, Gramma.  Just the other day, I was performing my usual perimeter search.  Sometimes when I am inside the house, renegade squirrels intrude on our turf.  Anyway, I was sniffing along the fence line when I saw a UCO (Unidentified Crawling Object).  My instincts told me that it was a miniature Army tank.  I barked for back up only to remember that Bentley was sunning in the front room.  I was on my own, just one fearless Westie up against an armored tank.  From a distance, I was pretty sure that I saw a huge gun sticking out of the front of it.”
Me: “You certainly approached with extreme caution.  The way that you were barking, I was afraid that you’d discovered a snake.”
Bentley: “Seriously dude, it was a turtle.”
Pierre: “Well yes, I figured that out when I approached.  I tapped on the shell and hollered, Hey Donatello!  Hey Raphael!  Then, I started singing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles song.  I don’t guess that it was one of the famous turtles, but it still may have been a ninja.  I turned my head for just a second and it started to move.  I was on it like white on rice.  Bentley, you should have seen me.  I started with the Ali Shuffle and then I was floating like a butterfly and ready to sting like a bee.  Buzzzzz.”

Two Shades of Bentley


It’s summertime and the living is easy.


To whistle for your humans,
it is important to hold your tongue like this.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Silver Paw Pet Tags

  

Karen from Silver Paw Pet Tags recently contacted me.  She asked if I’d like to receive one of their fantastic silver dog tags for a review.  Since I have all but given up on finding a regular dog tag that would last, I was happy to oblige.  When I told her that Pierre was also living with us for now, she offered to send us two tags!  I was very excited and contacted my daughter, Pierre’s mom, and asked her which design she would like for her boy.  Since we both have paw prints on our hearts, we chose the same style.  They do have several different designs to choose.  Click here to see them.  Bentley and Pierre were very happy to have an engraved name tag of their very own, but I’ll let them tell you.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Hurricane Preparedness for Pets

   June is an exciting month for many summer events.  School is out for summer, blushing brides are preparing to walk down the aisle, swimming pools open, and families hit the roads for vacations.  Unfortunately, not everything about June is wonderful.
   The Atlantic hurricane season officially kicked off June 1st.  According to Federal
Hurricane season
June 1st thru November 30th
forecasters this will hopefully be a slower than usual season.  They are predicting eight to thirteen tropical storms and three to six hurricanes.  Of course, there is no way to tell whether any of these potential storms will strike the U.S. coastline.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Hiking With Your Dog

   The weather is perfect for enjoying the great outdoors with your dog.  We live in the suburbs so most of our walks are around the neighborhood.  There are no trails or mountains to explore, but we enjoy just getting out and moving.  Bentley manages to find quite a lot of interesting scents and loves to meet the neighbors.  Pierre is thrilled to get a chance to explore and maybe spy a cat or squirrel.
   Many of you do have areas where you can go on an actual hike.  Here are a few tips to help make your journey safe for your companion.