Bosco Dog Blog

Joan told me there's a bunch of pet food (cat and dog) that is making dogs and cats die!
I hope it is not the food you eat! Joan checked and thank goodness, my food is just fine.

We thought we'd tell you that I eat Eagle Pack Holistic Select . Lucky for me a few years ago, Joan switched from the Authority food at Petsmart (which happens to be on the recall list) to Eagle Pack. Joan says that Eagle Pack is about twice the price but it says to feed me about 1/2 as much as the other one. Joan has now settled to feeding me 3 cups a day. The bag suggests 2 cups - which she gave me and I was starving - then she went up to 4 cups after last year's kennel incident when I lost so much weight in one week - and now since Tim called me a "lardass" Joan has gone down to 3 cups - after being at 3.5 cups for the last few months. Boy, I bet that is all SOOOO interesting. I'm pretty active since we go on so many walks and runs, so I need a little bit extra food.

People also say my coat is very soft and I have ripply muscles. Maybe it is the food, maybe not.

What food do you eat?

Posted by Joan Hughes at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We learned that one of my very best human friends, Roberta, is moving near to where we live. Roberta is grand because she has taken care of me a lot when Joan leaves town with that box on wheels. She doesn't take care of me much anymore because Joan said she was studying really hard for a year or so and now she's a nurse and her hours can be unpredictable in that she might need to stay at work and then, who would let me go to the bathroom? or go for a walk?

In any case, Joan and I went for a walk this morning - in the rain which I didn't mind at all! - and we walked over to see Roberta's new digs. It was a nice enough place except for the sign in front that was advertising the rental and it said "NO PETS." I turned away with disgust. How could Roberta do that? I can't go over and say hi to her? Then I decided I would wiggle her to submission. I plan to go over there and stand outside in protest doing my best joyous body wiggle until Roberta HAS to come outside and acknowledge me - we'll just hang out outside all the time.

More important, how could the owner of the house decide that pets are bad?? Pets are the best. We lower people's blood pressure just by hanging out with humans - thus, there would be fewer heart attacks! Joan chimed in to tell me she's reading this book "Marley and Me" and she said Marley is the reason a lot of people would want "no pets" around. I guess that dog chews up everything including walls and his crate etc. etc. He didn't like thunderstorms. I don't either but I usually just cram my body near to Joan wherever she is, if she's home. Otherwise, I just shake a lot.

This morning, after our walk, I wanted to go outside to just survey my territory. Joan thought I was crazy since it was raining, but I really wanted to go out. So I sat on the stoop, surveying, and getting rained on. It was FINE. I saw the garbage truck come by - the man probably thought I was abused because I was outside in the rain but he doesn't know that I chose to be out there!

Posted by Joan Hughes at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Joan left me all by myself in the house ... hmmmm....what to do?

No, I was a GOOD GIRL except for going up on the couch. Her pillow obstacles were no obstacle for me.
I even did not go in the cupboard that was left open that had all my treats in it. I could have eaten a whole bunch of food. Joan was very surprised at that but I'm a GOOD GIRL.

In any case, my young friend, Izzy, took care of me again and I pulled her around the neighborhood before and after her school and got to go out before bed. I didn't throw up this time, and Joan was back really quickly so it wasn't too bad. Izzy left Joan some artwork of ME so Joan's gonna post it on here later. I love it when I'm the object of art, attention, play, etc. etc.

Posted by Joan Hughes at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I did get to go swimming yesterday at the dog park, also known as dog heaven as I heard some humans describe it. It is true that the dogs love that place (the humans, too, I think). I ran down to the river to find out that there was no beach left, the Mississippi was full of water, eliminating the beach. Funny how just last week there was still ice on the river in some spots.

Just like the walking and biking paths, all the DOGS CAME OUT yesterday to the park. It wasn't just us hardcore park goers but all the white, brown, black, small, tall, fluffly, smooth dogs. I went absolutely crazy running around having fun.

Today is pretty great, too, except I haven't been in the mood to eat any of my breakfast. It is still in my bowl. Well, I just now ate some of it. My neighbor, Tim, told Joan that I'm a "lardass" now. I don't know what that means but I think it has something to do with food and treats. Joan and I went on a long walk over to St. Paul side of the river - I was really thirsty by the time we returned. I tried to drink some water on the side of the road but Joan wouldn't let me. Something about it being dirty.

I think I'll just lounge now.

Joan fixed the fence in the backyard that for the past few days only had a little flowerpot barrier there. I was pretty damn good to not fly over it and see what was going on in the alley because I could have done it in a flash. (Actually, I'm not suppose to go over along the garage at all but I do it every once in a while.) But she put new wood on the gate and put it back up so now I'm trapped inside my backyard again. I guess that is okay. At least it keeps the riff-raff out of our yard.

Posted by Joan Hughes at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

EVERYBODY is out now. It was 65 today Joan says, and we went on a long walk along the river. People were riding their bikes, running in shorts, walking and generally playing around. That means more dogs and people and things for me to look at, dodge, pee on, smell etc. = FUN.

Joan just made some chocolaty goodies and I hope to get my mouth of some of it, but I'm sure she'll do something to prevent me. Ever since I got the Penzey's Dutch Process Cocoa out of the cabinet, ripped it open, spilled it all over the rug, and ate some of it, Joan got kinda crazy about hiding the chocolate.

Maybe tomorrow I'll get to go swimming????

Posted by Joan Hughes at 12:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Several of my friends have asked how Joan made my yummy dog bones. I asked Joan to write it down for all of you - here it is:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dry nonfat milk
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup (or more as needed) chicken or beef stock/broth
1 egg

Mix the milk and flour in a bowl. Cut in the shortening with a fork or pastry blender.
Mix the stock and egg together slightly in a separate bowl.
Add the stock mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a spoon or spatula or hands to form a sticky dough that moves away from the sides of the bowl. Add more stock as needed. (Joan says she probably used more like 1 cup of stock for ours.)
Roll out on a flat, slightly floured surface to 1/4" thick. Using cookie cutters, cut shapes into dough. Place cut shapes on greased cookie sheets (or parchment paper on cookie sheets). You may re-roll scraps and cut more shapes though the dough make get tougher the more you roll it out. Bosco says: Bake any left-over scraps because the dogs don't care if they are shaped or not!!!! The bone shape is really an aesthetic addition for the humans!!!

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until edges are brown and they look dry. Remove and cool treats on rack. After all baking is complete, put all the treats on one sheet and put back into cooling oven. Shut the door and leave for 8-16 hours. Then keep in airtight container.

Joan got this from the newspaper and it was attributed to someone's cookbook, but we don't remember who right now!

Posted by Joan Hughes at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Today Joan started mixing things in the kitchen. That is boring - unless she drops something and I snatch it up - but since that doesn't happen all that often, I chose to sit outside on the stoop on squirrel patrol. They taunt me out there.

In any case, in the end I discovered that what Joan was making was for ME!!!

Check it out:

I was lucky that Joan gave me a couple to eat. And I'm happy to report that I APPROVE.

She said that she used beef stock that was from when she made a beef brisket a while ago. Gotta love BEEF. I cannot even start to describe how much better they are than the ones she gets at the dog store. But I'm not complaining. I'll eat those, too!

Posted by Joan Hughes at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Friday night my good friend, Roberta, (she also has been my caretaker at times) came over to visit Joan. She had no pants on!!! She had a dress but bare legs. You know what that means. Lick-o-rama time. I love bare skin! Especially when it has yummy flavored stuff on it - Joan says that is called lotion. So I just couldn't help but lick Roberta's legs which I'm not sure she liked. Joan then made me lay down on my bed and not get up. But at times the lure of her legs and just Roberta, as a cool person, overtook me and I got up and went over there to say hello. She would pet me but then she also made me go and lay down too. I did settle down and snoozed a little - I mean if I can't snuggle and lick then I might as well get a nap in.

Posted by Joan Hughes at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday on our morning walk, Joan smiled at these two guys who parked on the side of the road in our neighborhood. Joan keeps being nice to people around here even though most of them ignore us, look down at the ground, or do what this guy did ....

We had passed these guys and then I heard one guy start barking really loudly at us. Like a fake bark - a human bark - humans trying to bark like us dogs (it doesn't work humans...we can tell). In any case, Joan was annoyed by this guy because his bark also kind of made me jump a little bit (maybe her too). So she told him he wasn't being very nice (speaking her mind, I love that). Then the other guy said, 'Oh he's just playing around.' or something like that. We won't smile at them or greet them anymore because they acted weirdly.

There were even MORE fair-weather walkers out yesterday since it got to 66 degrees - a record for March 13th! Almost all the snow is gone and so now that means one thing: MUD. Now Joan definitely makes me sit and clean my paws upon re-entry to the house after being in the backyard.

Posted by Joan Hughes at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You know Joan and I walk the neighborhood everyday twice a day (unless something unusual comes up like Joan being sick in the bathroom) - but even then, Joan usually finds someone to take me out because I don't know how to be "patient" and "quiet" when I don't get my walk. In any case, that is not the topic for today. This weekend it has been warm - like around 40-50 degrees - and on Saturday afternoon when Joan walked me along the river, the path was really busy. I call them fair-weather walkers because they were not out when I walked during the -20 degree weather! It was usually just Joan and me out there on the deserted pathways and a few lone, crazy bike commuters (good for them).

My favorite ground covering (besides a deep pool of water) - the snow - is melting away. I'm getting to sit outside more on squirrel patrol - though there are not many squirrels around. I did not get to see my neighbor, Tim, this weekend which means I did not get any extra treats. Bummer.

Joan is working and she is so boring when she sits in that chair at the desk. I prefer her to be on the couch so I can snuggle next to her.

Posted by Joan Hughes at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

More snow fell down from the sky. Now we have tons. And I like it. Except that Joan doesn't immediately take me on a walk in the morning. Instead she takes her metal shovel and pushes the snow out of the way on the pathways. She doesn't need to do that for my benefit!!! I just plow through the snow no bother.

Here are some photos from today in the backyard.

I hope she takes me down to the river or to the golf course. Sometimes we walk along the river and now the snow will be really high. I'll have to do my butterfly moves through it. Joan calls it that because she says I look like I'm doing "butterfly" swim stroke. I don't know that stroke for swimming personally - I just have dog paddle as my stroke. I guess Joan also spends time in the water though I've only gone swimming with her once - in California last summer. It was in a big pond called a "pool".

I also really love the golf course. Joan puts on her long shoes called "skis" and she goes really fast then, and I can get to run along by her. We went out there on Monday and Tuesday and no one was there.

The only thing I don't like is that Joan took this long metal pole thing out of the garage - it is REALLY long - and I was scared of it. Then it got scarier because the snow from the roof of the house started falling down next to the house. I wanted to investigate and smell the snow that fell, but Joan kept making more of it fall down with the long pole thing. I just stayed away.

Posted by Joan Hughes at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)