The Truth About Working Dogs

I was busy picking up Bentley and Pierre’s toys the other day when I happened to mention that they should be helping me. Once they quit laughing, they explained to me how much they do on a daily basis that is simply unappreciated. It seems the Bayou Boys feel they are not being properly compensated with the occasional treat.

Here is your chance to be a fly on the wall in my home.

Me: “Did y’all know that some dogs pick up their own toys? I shouldn’t have to go all over the house picking up your toys. Would it kill you to do a little work around here?”

Bentley: “I cannot believe my ears! You’re lucky you don’t have to pay us in cash for all of the jobs we do around here. It’s not easy being a working dog.”

Me: “Now it’s my turn to laugh! You boys don’t work. Mostly y’all sit around looking cute, mooching belly rubs, and going outside so you can bark and come back inside. That’s not exactly what I’d call work.”

Pierre: “You cut us to the quick! It would cost a fortune to hire humans to do the jobs we perform for you. Let’s take a quick look at what we do each day. You might want to grab a calculator.”

Bentley: “Guard Duty ~ Do you know how much people charge to be your personal guard defending you, Dad, and our home? We don’t want to scare you, but we’ve almost come under attack by sanitation workers, mail carriers, and small humans riding bikes more times than we can count. If we didn’t bark at them, we’d surely all be dead by now.”

How to Keep a Clean House When You Live with Pets

   Let’s face it, living with dogs can be messy. They shed, drool, and throw up on our floors. Thankfully with a few awesome products, keeping your house clean is not an impossible dream. I am a clean-freak, so it is important that my products work the way they advertise.

   The following are all part of my cleaning arsenal. I can't imagine trying to fight grime without them!

• FURminator is the best way to reduce hair in your house. Regular use can eliminate 90% of your dog’s shedding.

Doggone Silly Jokes & Riddles

   While Mom is busy cooing and gooing over the new grandbaby, Pierre and I thought it’d be the perfect time to work on our stand-up routine. We have a fresh bunch of jokes for y’all so get ready to chuckle. No tomato throwing allowed!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bridge

   We are joining Purr Prints of the Heart for Rainbow Remembrance Day. It is a wonderful way to honor the memory of those pets who have left their paw prints on our heart. This special day was founded in 2015 by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey’s Cat Chronicles as a tribute to her Ragdoll cast, Mr. Jazz.

   I originally shared this story several years ago but the feeling that I experienced is still as fresh as if it happened yesterday. The following is a true story of my visit from somewhere over the Rainbow Bridge.

   Whenever I think of the dogs and cats that have shaped my life, my first thought is always of our first puppy, Madison the German Shepherd. She left us in the spring of 1997 and no amount of time will heal that pain. It wasn’t hard to decide to honor her on Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day. As often happens when I start writing, I lost myself in her story. It started out happy and as I went through the years, it eventually came to the time she had to leave us.

Houston ~ The Capital of Southern Cool

The Bayou Boys moved to Houston six months ago.

GQ magazine just named Houston the Capital of Southern Cool.

Coincidence? They think not.

Wordless Wednesday Meme Parade

Join Dash Kitten, Bionic Basil and me for a fun-filled blog hop that is truly worldwide. We are celebrating with a contest so be sure and visit Dash Kitten to enter! A new Pet Parade begins each Wednesday. We look forward to visiting everyone!

We are sharing some midweek memes for your enjoyment. We hope our cat friends can forgive the last one but we love y'all and want you to stay purr-fectly healthy. 🐱

Fetch Fun Fling-A-Longs

   We love all things TrustyPup® from their comfy beds to their incredible line of toys. That’s because the folks behind TrustyPup know how to meet a pet’s emotional, physical and instinctual needs. Bentley still loves snuggling in the comfort of his orthopedic TrustyPup bed. Pierre often tries to catch some extra zzz’s in it too.

We received our Fling-A-Longs from TrustyPup in exchange for our honest review.
Barking from the Bayou only shares products that we use and feel will benefit our audience.

   That's why when a box arrived with TrustyPup on the outside, the Bayou Boys were anxious for me to open it. They knew something fun was about to happen and boy, were they ever right!

The Last Cigarette

   There are not many dates that I remember. If birthdays aren’t written on the calendar, I forget. For years I called my brother the day after his birthday! I remember our anniversary but often have to count the years. (It’s 36) I don’t remember the anniversary of deaths or operations that I’ve had (10) and if you ask me what year something happened, I will probably be off by a decade. There is one day that I never forget to celebrate and that is today, August 17. Why you ask?

   On this date four years ago, I smoked my very last cigarette. I took a photo of it to remind me that nothing that small will ever have power over me again. After smoking over 40 years, it was not easy but it is the best thing I’ve ever done for my health.

A Good Check Up

   Bentley had his senior wellness checkup this week. It is the first time that he has officially seen our new vet. He did go get his nails clipped a few weeks ago but he needed a refill of his heartworm medicine and that required an office visit.  He and Pierre somehow got on different schedules, so their heartworm test is three months apart. Both boys take the same dosage, so we buy the six months supply of Heartgard and they share.

   I know it seems like they should be on two different sizes but the 25 to 50 lbs. cover both boys. We are working with Pierre to drop five pounds that he has picked up. He blames it on the lack of squirrel chasing here in Texas. I blame myself for overfeeding him, but he gets sick when his tummy is empty. It is a double-edged sword with him, but we will get those extra pounds off.

Back-to-School Safety Tips for Pets

Pierre: “Bentley and I are visiting a classroom today to share some Back-to-School Safety tips. Do you think if I sit up front, I can be the teacher’s pet? School looks pretty interesting so far.  What kind of safety concerns can we find in a classroom?  I mean other than bullies, slamming our paws in lockers, falling out of my chair, and algebra?”

Bentley: “Why would algebra be a safety concern?”

Are You Spoiling Your Dog?

Bentley: “Hey, Mom! I’d like to draw your attention to the calendar. Do you notice anything about August 10 that catches your eye? It looks pretty gosh darn important from down here.”

Me: “Are you talking about all the little dog prints and hearts? Did you put those on there? What’s the big idea?”

Pierre: “Never try to kid a kidder, Mom! You know this is Spoil Your Dog Day. What have you got planned for us? Are we going to the park? What about gifts? Most importantly, will there be cake?”

Me: “Are you serious? We spoil y’all every single day of the year. I think a nice long belly rub should be enough, don’t you?”

Thoughtful Thursday

Happy International Cat Day

   Believe it or not, we used to be a cat household. That’s right, back in the early 80’s we had three cats. Since today is International Cat Day, I thought it’d be nice to look back at these incredible friends.

   If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you are probably familiar with Miss Gitty. I adopted her at the Humane Society the summer of my high school graduation. She was my first official responsibility as I ventured out on my own. Luckily, Miss Gitty was not high maintenance and loved to just hang out with me. She was an excellent judge of character and if she didn’t like someone, there was a good reason. I learned to trust her judgment early on. We had a good thing just the two of us but then I met Amos.

Terrier Tuesday or Westie Wisdom

   

   Pierre wanted to share some interesting facts about the West Highland White Terrier with you today. He is quite proud of his heritage and hopes you will enjoy learning a bit more about him. He likes to refer to this as Terrier Tuesday. (He’s a wee bit egotistical)

A Recliner Warning

Me: “I’m going to be totally honest with you right from the start of this post. I struggled with whether I should share this story. I feel so horrible about what happened but as a blogger, I feel it’s my responsibility to tell you my mistake in hopes of preventing you from doing the same thing.”

Bentley Basset Hound: “Are you going to tell them about how you tried to kill me in my sleep the other night?”

Me: “Yes, I mean…no, I did not try to kill you but yes, I am going to tell them what happened.

National Mountain Climbing Day

August 1^st is

National Mountain Climbing Day