Dog Blogging

How About Some Cute Puppy to Distract You?

by TaMara| January 5, 20269:03 pm| 22 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Pet Blogging, Respite

Because she sure is distracting me.

I got called into service today when this little girl got chomped on by her new big brother. The older couple that had only had her a few days, felt overwhelmed by all of it, so an emergency pick up needed to happen.

I decided I didn’t have enough chaos in my life, so sure, why not bring her onboard? She’ll stay here while she finishes her antibiotics and maybe until her stiches come out, about a week.

That Great Dane sized crate is never far away, easy to put up if needed for roaming domestic ducks, local strays or an injured Great Dane. Here she is wondering why she’s in jail.

show full post on front page

How About Some Cute Puppy to Distract You?Post + Comments (22)

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Look for the Helpers

by Anne Laurie| December 31, 20257:26 am| 121 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Something Good Open Thread

Darren Genson, who volunteers with Anne Arundel County Animal Services every day, including Christmas and New Years.
“It’s cheaper than therapy,” Genson said. “It consoles your soul.”

[image or embed]

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) December 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM

Like Darren Genson! Per the Washington Post, “No holidays off: One man’s daily commitment to walking shelter dogs” [gift link]:

On Christmas mornings at about 7 o’clock, Darren Genson goes to an animal shelter and spends two hours walking dogs. He will do the same on New Year’s Day.

“The dogs don’t get a break,” said Genson, who lives in Millersville, Maryland. “These dogs don’t have the luxury of having someone they live with.”

“Unless I’m sick or there’s something going on, an obligation I can’t avoid, I’m there pretty much every day,” Genson said, adding that the shelter is about a seven-minute drive from his house.

Genson became acquainted with the shelter when he adopted a dog, Charli, in 2015. He and his wife had visited the shelter to donate food after their pit bull, Rock, died. The couple met Charli, also a pit bull, and decided to take her home.

Shelter staff warned the Gensons that Charli had been returned twice after being adopted — likely due to destructive behavior. The Gensons were undeterred.

“She ended up eating four couches within the first couple of years,” Genson said. “Two of them all the way down to the frame.”…

A few years after adopting Charli, in 2018, Genson and his wife brought home a senior cat from the shelter. One of the volunteers encouraged Genson to become one, too.

“I immediately fell in love with the idea,” he said. “I’m getting very close to the age of the retirement, and I want something productive to do after I retire.”…

About a year or so into volunteering, Genson became drawn to the more difficult dogs — those who were skittish around humans, perhaps due to abuse or abandonment. There was a dog named Ace who was deemed “unadoptable,” and Genson pledged to work with him to improve his behavior.

“They had dogs that simply did not get out,” Genson said, explaining that they were considered “high risk” for biting or bolting, and therefore didn’t go out on walks with volunteers.

Genson worked with shelter staff and animal control officers to learn how best to approach these dogs and get them to warm up to him…

Genson — who has four rescue dogs at home, including Charli, now 11 — said even on the days when he’s tired or busy, it’s not hard to find his motivation.

“I think the dogs deserve it,” he said.

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Look for the HelpersPost + Comments (121)

Help a Gal Out: Best EV Advice

by TaMara| November 23, 20252:02 pm| 78 Comments

This post is in: Climate Change Solutions, Dog Blogging, Pet Blogging

I’m seriously considering moving from my 7-year-old Niro PHEV (plug-in hybrid) to an EV soon. I’m looking at the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5. They’ve dropped the price almost $10k over the 2025 – it loses a few features that I can live without to accommodate that price drop (heated steering wheel, I will miss you, but I’m a CO girl, I have gloves stashed everywhere).

I am open to other vehicle suggestions – you know my requirements – it has to easily hold three Great Danes for long trips. Excellent mileage per charge is important, too. CO is not a small state. And of course, YIKES, I cannot afford a VW ID4 or KIA EV9. Somebody has to feed the menagerie.

I also would love some advice and resources for level 2 home chargers (plug-in, not hardwired), best apps for travel, and anything that will help me with the learning curve. Advice on learning regenerative braking, public charging etiquette, experiences charging on long trips*, etc, etc…I feel like I’m going to have to learn how to drive all over again.

Tell me about your experiences, the good, the bad, the ugly.

What else do I need to know before I make the leap??

I know I’m missing out on any federal rebates/tax credits, but CO still has a few that are helpful.

*I’ve had some fun planning trips out on a few apps and was surprised that the advice was to charge here or there for 10 minutes instead of a longer charge and get to the destinations with charge to spare on a 480-mile trip.

Let’s here your experiences! And thanks in advance. Here’s a bonus dogs sleeping with ducks! moment:

That’s Nora, having climbed in the dog bed next to Scout, and Scout doing her best to ignore her. I have no idea why Nora has decided Scout is her best friend, but she has. For those who don’t know, once Nick died, Nora has been getting about 30 minutes of “family time” indoors every few nights. She may or may not enjoy it, LOL.

Alright, hit the comments with your advice, I KNOW you have opinions.

Help a Gal Out: Best EV AdvicePost + Comments (78)

TGIFriday Morning Open Thread: We All Need Something To Hold On To

by Anne Laurie| November 14, 20256:09 am| 181 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Open Threads, Pet Rescue, Proud to Be A Democrat

The Republican spending bill failed to address the cost of living crisis.
Or extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
That’s why House Democrats strongly opposed it.

[image or embed]

— Hakeem Jeffries (@hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social) November 13, 2025 at 8:22 AM

===

Like *you’ve* never developed an obsession with an inappropriate object… From the Washington Post, “This dog’s hilarious thieving habit stumps even the experts” [Gift link]:

Duke the golden retriever was getting settled in his new adopted home when one day he grabbed a pair of reading glasses and pranced off with them.

Then Duke moved on to fine china — picking up teapots, plates and cups in his mouth and gingerly placing them on his bed to cuddle with. After that, he began thieving books, magazines and electronics from around the house. He even nabbed a 12-pack of toilet paper and an entire lamp and dragged them to his bed…

Hoyt and her husband, who live in Richmond, adopted Duke 18 months ago. They had been warned about his strange tendency to take and guard household items, but nothing prepared them for the reality of it.

“Every night and nap time, he will go get something to sleep with — something weird,” said Hoyt, who is semiretired and works at the front desk of a local veterinary clinic.

At first, Hoyt started taking videos of Duke’s curious behavior to show her vet. But the clips were so hilarious that friends and family urged her to make an Instagram account so they could keep up with Duke’s latest heists. The account took off and now has a loyal following, with some videos getting millions of views. The Dodo, an animal publication, recently featured Duke in a video…

Hoyt said she gives Duke different kinds of dog toys to keep him busy and entertained, and she makes sure he gets plenty of outdoor exercise to tire him out. Still, he will abscond with pretty much anything that is not nailed down when he goes to his bed…

Before Duke came into their lives, Hoyt and her husband had recently lost their golden retriever Charlie, who had been with them for 12 years. They have another senior golden named Gina, 12.

“Duke is our fourth senior,” said Hoyt, adding that they’ve adopted all four from Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training (SEVA GRREAT). “We love taking in seniors because we know it’s harder for them to find loving homes.”…

Before Duke arrived at the Hoyts’ home, his life had been relatively unstable. He lived with a family that went through a divorce, and the owner who kept him died shortly after. He then went to an older member of the family, who could not manage his resource guarding behavior — which is when a dog becomes protective over items it values. From there, he went to a foster family and briefly to an adoptive home, but he snapped at a small child who tried to get an item back from him.

“It is very unusual; he is not like any other dog I’ve ever had,” said Susan Beckman, Duke’s former foster, who has taken in 12 pups. She is a volunteer and on the board of SEVA GRREAT. “He took my entire computer bag with the computer in it and carried it to the sofa and laid down with it.”…

“I think he does it for security,” Hoyt said, explaining that since Duke switched homes so many times, perhaps he clings to things that make him feel he has marked his space.

Although Duke will sometimes growl when Hoyt tries to get an item back from him, she said, he is not overly aggressive. She will often trade him a treat for whatever item he has, or if she lets him have it for enough time, he will tire of guarding it…

There are photos, and video, at the link — and they are hilarious.

TGIFriday Morning Open Thread: We All Need Something To Hold On ToPost + Comments (181)

Late Night Open Thread: Rambling

by TaMara| November 11, 20251:51 am| 36 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Open Threads, Pet Blogging, Politics

I should be in bed because I have a very strenuous week ahead. I have to do the long drive to NE – with the dogs – and then we are emptying my dad’s house. I’m still up because after my brother and I finished discussing the details of everything, we spent two hours reminiscing on the phone while both saying, “man we should get some sleep,” but never managing to hang up.

Tomorrow (today?!) will be hard for both of us. My dad was, and my brother is, a veteran, and they would spend Veterans Day together, going to events and meals. I would always call them both and remind them how proud I was of them both. My brother and I are really missing my dad tonight.

Sorry, wasn’t my intent to bum everyone out… just on my mind.

Happier news is that this girl is eight today:

Scout was soooo tiny…especially for a Great Dane puppy. But she grew into that bear pretty quickly. Trixie is now four and time has lost all meaning, because that’s not possible either.

Harlequin and silver merle Great Danes on a couch — Trixie (left) and Scout (right) chilling on the couch.

Anyway, the critters generally keep me sane – though this weekend everyone decided to be evil except Sully the house panther and he may be plotting something, I don’t know. Still love them.

My original purpose for this post was to encourage everyone to read Anne Laurie’s earlier post because I felt it was the sanest analysis I’d read all day on the events in the Senate. Should we be pissed? Yes. But remember who we should really be pissed at – the remnants of the GOP, who seem to take pleasure in causing all this pain. Do Democrats need new leadership? In my opinion, yes.

But twisting ourselves into knots, going after each other is not the way forward. And honestly, it’s just adding to the misery. Anyway, if you haven’t read AL’s post, you should take a look.

To all our BJ vets – Happy Veterans Day. You have my respect and gratitude.

Open thread where you can feel free to gush how cute my pups are…because I tell them that every day.

Late Night Open Thread: RamblingPost + Comments (36)

Dog Rescue Update: RIP, Geordi

by Anne Laurie| September 7, 20252:00 pm| 33 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Pet Rescue

Got this message last Saturday, from commentor Jim Z:

Almost 13 years ago, my wife and I responded to this dog rescue post on Balloon Juice.

We adopted this dog and named her Geordi, and she’s been the best dog ever. She died today. We don’t know exactly how old she was. The vets estimated she was between 3 and 5 years old when we picked her up from Sarah in Durham, and we’ve had her for almost 13 years. So she lived a pretty long life, especially considering the heart worms.

I won’t recount all the great times we had with this dog because it’s too many. I’ll just say she was the absolute best dog, just perfect. We had a big grouchy dog (that we loved so much — our first dog) when we got Geordi, and not long after that dog died, we got an annoying little rat terrier that was constantly running around her, barking at her to play with him (we love him, too, even though he’s obnoxious). It didn’t matter — Geordi just went with the flow. She got along with every human and every dog. She was so smart and funny and was the most creative dog ever when it came to getting into human food.

Anyway, it’s a pretty sad day here for my wife, my son, and me. But that’s only because it was a great 13 years with Geordi. We’re so glad we responded to that post.

Dog Rescue Update: RIP, GeordiPost + Comments (33)

Saturday Morning Open Thread: Everybody Needs A Hobby

by Anne Laurie| July 19, 20258:36 am| 176 Comments

This post is in: Dog Blogging, Open Threads, Republicans in Disarray!, Trumpery

Dogs & their sticks: #AGoodPlace
Source: www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmil…

[image or embed]

— Michelle says: Be kind. Always. ?? (@snarkysillysad.bsky.social) June 24, 2025 at 3:47 PM

===

Looming Epstein vote has Republicans eager to leave Washington.

[image or embed]

— Politico (@politico.com) July 17, 2025 at 12:44 PM

===

trump is insanely unpopular and declining in popularity as more voters realize he was tied in with the most famous pedophile in US history. his power is propped up by two things: 1) corrupt control of the judiciary 2) conservative control of the information environment through media and social media

[image or embed]

— mtsw (@mtsw.bsky.social) July 18, 2025 at 11:10 AM

===

The scandal of Jeffrey Epstein isn't a secret pedophile network, it's that when rich guys learn one of their friends is a pedophile they just go "haha, ol' Jeff and his kiddy diddlin', what a character."

— Everything Price Sufferer (but especially eggs) (@agraybee) July 18, 2025

===

"Hitler purging Jews from the civil service is just a distraction from him reoccupying the Rhineland."
"Hitler demanding Czechoslovakia is just a distraction from his euthanasia policies."
Nothing is "just a distraction". It's all just different parts of the same story.

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) July 18, 2025 at 7:39 PM

===

The answer isn't to say "look at this tree not that one." It's to say "look at the forest".

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) July 18, 2025 at 7:40 PM

Saturday Morning Open Thread: Everybody Needs A HobbyPost + Comments (176)

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Trumpflation is an intolerable hardship for every American, and it’s Trump’s fault.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

This really is a full service blog.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

“In this country American means white. everybody else has to hyphenate.”

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

Humiliatingly small and eclipsed by the derision of millions.

America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.

The way to stop violence is to stop manufacturing the hatred that fuels it.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Optimism opens the door to great things.