The Winston Wagon » Dog Advice

Panic mode

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:22:50 +0000

I hate to mention this because it is embarrassing but some strange guy scared me last year and I truly over reacted. I didn’t bite but I let him know what he did was wrong. You see, I was walking with Mom and Ben and a kid about 17 years old thought I was really handsome and came running up behind me and gave me a playful jiggle. WOAH! I went right out of my mind. I had no idea who he was or what he was doing or if I had to defend myself. My bark is worse than my bite because it so slow and has a lot of bass to it. That usually does the trick so that is what I did. I scared the kid and he walked away very quickly. Let me tell you, MOM WAS TICKED. What if I had bit someone? I would have been the one in trouble even though I did nothing wrong. If he came up to me slowly and put his hand out gently , then I bit him with no warning…well….I would get the punishment that I deserve. I bet that was a hard lesson for that boy. I hope he treats dogs with a little bit more respect than that. Please remember this when you approach a dog you don’t know. Just because a dog is cute, it does not give you the right to treat it like your own.

Take care of yourselves.

Love, Winston

Snug as a bug

admin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:16:29 +0000

As we get older, there’s nothing that is more important than a comfortable place to sleep. I know some owners are very old-fashioned about where dogs should settle for the night. That place is usually the floor. For some people, an old blanket just has to suffice. My dog companions and I have had numerous conversations about this topic. We need comfort just like you do. As we age, it is just as difficult for us to get up from a night’s rest as it is for you. I think this is why we like to take our time out in the yard in the morning. Old bones need more time to get movin’.

: Ben in dreamland

Old beds need to be changed out from time to time and washed. The stuffing may need to be replaced or thrown out all together. Old blankets might have lost their ability to keep warm and snug too. A cold floor is no fun in winter. Please, put this on a ‘to-do’ list befor the real cold weather comes. We will be very grateful.

I think the sun is finally out today. It rained all morning. I just might be able to enjoy a nice walk outside after all. Arrrooooo!!!!!!

Take care of yourselves and your old pets.

Love,

Winston

Water, water everywhere and none for me

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:40:22 +0000

This is a quickie post for me. We are on the move. The lake here in Maine is stunning. I love to be in the great outdoors. Bassets are all about relaxing and having a good time. I am surprised that we aren’t Maine’s state dog. Getting back to the lake story, please don’t let your dog drink copious amounts of water from strange lakes. You never know. It’s like beer to us. Too much of a good thing and we might get really sick. Be sure to have some fresh stuff on hand so we can keep cool. I know it’s hard for some dogs. Lake water is awesome not only to drink but to play in as well. DO your best to keep on eye on us. We can be really sneaky about lappin’ up some of that good stuff.

OK, take care. I am on the hunt for moose.

Love, Winston.

p.s. Take a look at my archives if you haven’t already.

Ugh…puppies.

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:59:16 +0000

I never thought that I would say this but these young puppies today get on my nerves. My buddy Ben and I have this discussion whenver we see one walking with a human. They are very annoying. It seems to me that most do not know when to leave well enough alone. Ya know what I mean? When I was able to get away from them, I didn’t mind so much. But now…no way baby. They bark. They paw at you. They try to chew on your ears. They want to chase you. I have neither the time nor the patience for any of that nonsense. It’s stressful. Just because a puppy is cute and lively doesn’t mean we all have to like it.

Older dogs like Ben and dogs like myself need space. We also need LOTS of attention. A puppy doesn’t do us any favors. Believe me. I’ve heard the stories from my other pals. It can be a little overwhelming for everyone. This happened to my pal Frank the lab. The puppy jumped on his back and Frank put him in his place. Well, Frank suffers from stiff joints and bad hips. It hurt when that little one did that. I couldn’t even believe it when Frank said that HE was the one that got into trouble. The nerve! I felt bad for the guy.

We do know why you want the puppy though. We know you love us. We know you care. We also know it will hurt like hell when the day comes and we are no longer around to greet you at the door. A puppy will help you through the pain of losing us. We get it. But please. Try to understand that we need you most when we are old. Think of the puppy too. The little squirt will need you to potty train it, entertain it, and teach it manners. Don’t take away from that. Getting a good start with the right education will turn that annoying little thing into an amazing dog like my mom did for me.

Think about it. That’s all for today. As all ways, take care of yourselves.

Love, Winston.

The Bottom’s up Harness, a handicapped dog’s best friend

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:37:17 +0000

My mom never even knew such a thing existed, but after a very creative google search she found one. I guess the ’towel under the belly’ method was getting a little old. Ever since mom turned thirty, her back has gone to pot or so she says. She needed a little something to help her help me. The hiney harness does just that. As you can see, there is a handle to hold me up and there are two loops for my back legs to go through. I can be supported with a lot less effort. Also, my mom can have a little bit more control too. That’s nice on her end. These aren’t just for handicapped dogs either. My pal Frank down the street uses one too. He’s an older guy that just gets tired when he tries to go up stairs. He’s a lab. Bad hips on his mother’s side of the family are to blame.

So give it a try and hopefully, you and your family will be helped also. When you do ‘google’ this item, please make sure you put in the word ‘dog’ or ‘canine’. Mom got some…well…interesting websites. Let me know how you make it if someone out there is helped by this advice. Mom says it’s worth the money. She visits the chiropractor a lot less often now.

Well, take care of yourselves. I’m off to take my midmorning nap.

Love, Winston

p.s. dated 9/25/09

Sorry Arnie. I got a comment from you a while back about the harness I talked about on here. I didn’t realize that you were the inventor of it. I thought you were kidding in your comment to me. I have since changed the title of this blog to throw some business your way. It’s a nice product.

My name is Winston, and I have a bladder control problem.

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:23:40 +0000

There. I said it. It’s out there. It feels really good to admit that. This sometimes happens when you have back issues. You just can’t make it to the lawn in time. I know it can be very frustrating for both owner and dog. Believe me when I tell you this, but we dogs love to go outside. Well, I take that back The exceptions would be when it’s raining, snowing, or generally nasty out. This is when I use to try to hold it for as long as I could. Try as I might now, there is no holding it. I remind myself of a really irritating cocker spaniel puppy when it happens. Grrr. My mom and I came up with a tolerable solution though. I am now the proud owner of a ‘man-wrap’. This is my mom’s word for a doggie diaper. ‘Man-wrap’ sounds so much cooler. It goes around my waist and mom lines it with 3 sanitary napkins to soak up whatever decides to spill out. This way, we both win. I stay cleaner and so does my mom and dad’s house. Phew! There is one thing though that one has to remember about those. The ‘man-wraps’ need to be changed or at least checked fairly regularly. Mom is militant about doing it every 4-5 hours or so. If she doesn’t, I can get chafed. Yow! That’s not fun folks. Not at all.

Well, take care of yourselves today. I am off to get walked. My mom wants to tape it and show you guys. Don’t tell her I said this, but she isn’t the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to techie stuff.

Bye for now,

Winston

A walk with my pals

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:49:18 +0000

I am completely exhausted from my walk with my mom and my buddy Ben tonight. We just got back about an hour ago. Walking in nice weather really and truly makes me happy. I am relaxed and I don’t have a care in the world when I get the right amount of exercise. During the summer though, it is important for me to exercise at the right time. My fellow dogs and I don’t operate at 100% when it is too hot out. As much as I love walking, I prefer to stay inside with the cool A/C. Going out early in the morning or late in the evening is the best time. My mom and I both get to enjoy it that way. My mom is fair-skinned and doesn’t like to be in the sun too long. She burns like crazy and I feel like I am overheated. No one wins.

Nighty night

So remember this advice from your old pal Winston. We may act like you are taking us to Disneyland when you grab that leash, but you are doing no one a favor when it is hotter than blue blazes outside. We’ll start out on the walk with both guns blazin’, but you might have to peel us off the sidewalk about halfway. Oh, did I mention sidewalks? They don’t exactly tickle our toes when it is hot out. It gets a little uncomfy after a while.

Ok, I must take leave now. My bed is calling my name. I can almost hear myself snoring already. Take care of yourselves.

Your old pal,

Winston