Dear Friends - Videos Abby Likes: Tiptoeing Dogs

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by this week! My share today starts with a rainy morning.  Yesterday it was raining pretty hard when I went out to walk.  I don't like rain.  I'm a good girl and I walk in it, but I don't have to enjoy it.  I walk on leash and I was moving slow.  Momma looked down at me and I was tiptoeing through the wet grass.  I figured I could keep my paws dry better that way!

I felt sure other dogs must tiptoe too, so I looked up dogs who tiptoe on the computer.  I found two videos with other dogs who tiptoe around!  The first is a puppy who tiptoes up on his toy before he snatches it up.



The other is a dog named Milton who likes to tiptoe all around the house like a doggy spy.  I think the tiptoeing makes him look mysterious!



I hope you enjoyed these little videos and I hope you are not having too much rain in your corner of the world!

Till next week --

Love,

Abby xoxoxo 

Dear Abby - Brownie the Wonder Dog

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a great week!  This past week one of my friends sent my Momma a link about Baby Peggy (Diana Serra Cary), who was a silent movie star. Baby Peggy recently passed away, and there was an interesting article about her silent movie career.  (Thanks, Shari, for sending this!)  The article had a clip with one of Baby Peggy's movies.  I watched with Momma and guess what?  The movie clip costarred a famous dog I'd never heard of!

Brownie the Wonder Dog was a 1920's dog actor. He appeared in 51 movies between 1918 and 1924.  I was not able to find out much about his life - where he came from, who he lived with, etc.  I did read that there was a French comic strip based on his life from 1926 - 1927, Les Aventures du Chien Brownie.

I wanted to share the little three minute clip from Playmates (1921) starring Baby Peggy and Brownie the Wonder Dog.  It is fun to watch, and I hope you enjoy it too!



Wasn't that fun?!  I loved learning about an old time famous dog I'd never heard of before this week.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Dogs in Winter (Vintage Pictures)

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week! I have a few more vintage pictures to share today of dogs in winter. I shared vintage pictures of dachshunds in winter last week. These are pictures of other dog breeds that I like as well!

A woman travels through the snow (perhaps in a sleigh) with her Wirehair Fox Terrier.

A little terrier dog helps a boy make a snowman.  It looks like he is helping a lot by pulling on that scarf!

A dog watches two people make snow angels.  He has the right idea about not joining in!  (Brrr!)

Two little girls walk a little terrier dog in the snow.  They all have on bright 1960's colors -- even the dog!

A little dog is excited inside on a snow day.  In this family scene, a little girl and her mother are watching the father of the family go off to work.  The little boy is putting snow boots on.  The dog (who looks like a  beagle mix) is dancing around.

Photograph of a Jack Russell Terrier being pushed on the ice in a sled by two old fashioned women.

1940's advertisement for spark plugs featuring a Scottish Terrier in the snow
 

I hope you enjoyed these pictures and hope you have a warm and cozy weekend ahead!  Thanks for visiting today.

Love,
Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Eleanor Powell and Buttons the Dog Dance Together

Dear Friends,

I have something fun to share with you today!  My friend Dave shared this video with me and I enjoyed it so much that I have to share with you as well.

It is a short 3 minute dance number from a classic MGM musical called Lady Be Good.  This was a movie about a man and woman, a composer and lyricist, working on their relationship as they also work on a Broadway show.  One of the stars of that show is Eleanor Powell.  She does a great dance number to the Gershwin song "Lady Be Good."  

As she tap dances along, she gets her little dog Buttons in on the act.  Buttons is a terrier mix -- I would guess Jack Russell Terrier mix based on his ears and tail.  (A reminder that I am a Dachshund - Jack Russell mix, so I am partial to Jack Russells.)   

Buttons was owned by a 14 year old child and a prop boy named Jackie Ackerman discovered his talent.  He is the person who trained Buttons for this charming routine. 

A review in The Pittsburgh Press described Buttons in this routine: “better than Fred Astaire, nimbler than George Murphy, and can look more woebegone than Buddy Ebsen."  The dance number is pretty amazing, and you'll find it here:



I hope you enjoy this little dance interlude as much as I did.

Have a great day!

Love,
Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Show Your Pet Themed Collection

Dear Friends,

It has been quite a week here!  We had storms on Monday and then very strong storms Wednesday.  They included rain, lots of wind, thunder (shudder!), and even hail against the windows.  I am glad to settle in for a quiet day and enjoy  visiting with you.

I would like to invite you to share your pet themed collections at my blog!  I think this will be a fun new series.  Momma collects vintage Dachshund Valentines, photos, and storybooks.  We have friends who collect breed specific dog treasures or who love cat theme collectibles or dog theme items in general.

If you are interested in participating, please include your email address with your comment below.  I would love to hear from you!

Wishing you a great weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo 

Dear Abby - How to Help a Choking Dog

Dear Friends,

I am here to talk about a serious topic this week.  I had a scare a couple of weeks ago and Momma said I should tell you about it here.

At night I get a crunchy biscuit before bedtime.  A couple of weeks ago Momma gave me my crunchy biscuit as she was unmaking the bed for the night.  I ran into the other room to enjoy it.  Moments later I returned and got up on the bed and acted very agitated.  I was pawing at my mouth and gagging.

Momma thought I was going to have an upset stomach, so she got down on the floor with me.  Unfortunately, this continued on the floor.  Momma looked in my mouth and discovered that the biscuit was lodged in my throat!   She said I was so excited about it that I evidently swallowed without chewing.  She was able to gently remove the biscuit, and all was well.  We were both VERY relieved!

But this changed things at my house.  Now my crunchy biscuit is broken into three parts, and I only get a treat when Momma is in the room.

And she has learned more about what to do when your pet is choking.

Here is a very good article with step by step information.  I would encourage dog people to read this and bookmark it:
WikiHow: How to Save a Choking Dog

This very short video from The Huffington Post even shows how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on a choking canine friend:


I hope you never, ever need this information, but I wanted to share just in case! 

If you have a dog, does he or she eat slowly or does your dog friend tend to swallow food and treats quickly?   (I am in the eager eater camp.)

I would love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Remembering Special Pets: Maggie

Dear Friends, 

I hope you are having a good week!  It is starting to feel like Spring already here, and I am loving that.  I hope the cold weather has already gone for the year.

Today one of Momma's blogging friends, Kaitlin, has stopped by for a visit.  Kaitlin blogs at kedgotwed.com, a lifestyle and newlywed blog.

Kaitlin has shared a very cute childhood photo of herself with Duffy, another beloved family dog.

Abby:  Thanks for stopping by!  What pet would you like to remember at my blog today? 

Kaitlin:  Maggie - an adorable, black lab with the biggest heart! She was in my family for about 10 years!  

Abby:  What are some happy memories of your pet?  

Kaitlin:  When we first brought Maggie home, she was a puppy and I was in 4th grade. Her crate was in the laundry room, which was all the way across the house from my bedroom. However, her first few nights with us, I would wake up to her crying in the middle of the night. It absolutely broke my heart to hear her crying! One night, I took my pillow and blanket into the laundry room with her and fell asleep on the floor next to her crate. When my parents woke up, they found Maggie and me fast asleep!!  

Abby:  Do you have any funny anecdotes?  

Kaitlin:  Maggie was a HUGE goofball!! Every time we let her into the backyard, she would get so excited and run in circles! Sometimes, she would even try to climb the big pine tree (literally)!!  

Abby:  I enjoyed visiting with you today.  Is there anything else about Molly you would like to share? 

Kaitlin:  I give Maggie all of the credit for my love of dogs! She taught me that dogs fill a place in your heart that humans can't...and that there's nothing wrong with that! I know that Maggie is up in doggy heaven climbing all of the pine trees! Haha!

Abby:  Kaitlin, thank you so much for visiting!  I loved hearing about Maggie.  I can just picture her trying to climb a big pine tree!

Friends, if you would like to leave a comment for Kaitlin you can do so in the messages below.   If you are interested in sharing pet memories here, I would love to hear from you, too.  (Please be sure to leave your email.)

Thanks for your visit, and have a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Abby

 

Dear Abby - Join In to Remember Special Pets

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week.  My big news here?  It tried to snow.  Thankfully, the snow was not very successful, and just ended up in patches here and there.  I was able to walk around it, and Momma stayed home with me, and then it disappeared as quickly as it arrived ... so all is good.

I would like to introduce a new series at my blog.  I hope you will join me in remembering special pets.  Cats, dogs, horses, birds, guinea pigs, bunny rabbits ... all are welcome.  Every family has special pets that they remember - from childhood, from years ago, or from perhaps 5 or 10 years ago.

We can keep the memories upbeat with happy stories and funny anecdotes - and of course lots of photos of pets you remember and want to share.

If you would like to join in, please leave your email in the comments below.  I'll send a note back with just a few short questions, and then feature the special pets that you remember in future Dear Abby posts here.

I hope you'll join in!

Wishing you a good weekend, with no snow (!), and lots of time to cuddle with your favorite people.

Love,
Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby: Merry Christmas, With Vintage Dog Illustrations

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to you!  Momma and I are planning to take a blogging break for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to share a few vintage dog photos (all with a festive Christmas theme).

This Calling All Girls magazine cover from 1958 features a very helpful dachshund wrapping gifts with her person.

I love this very looooooooong dachshund on a cute vintage Christmas card.

This dachshund is helping two children shop.  (And he even has a cute sweater!)

This cute little terrier dog is helping Santa Claus make a Christmas list.

This 1940's vintage Christmas card is red, white, and blue -- and three little terriers wave American flags.

A cute little dog delivers Christmas cards in this illustration.

Scotties on parade!  What is not to love about this?  Scotties were big in 1940's illustrations, so this is probably a 1940's era Christmas card.
 

I hope your holidays are happy and bright!  I've enjoyed visiting with you this year, and look forward to catching up again in 2017!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Pet Meet and Greet: Neo, Rusty, Skye, Remy and Sonny

Dear Friends,

Welcome from the very chilly south!  It is feeling very wintry here, and putting me in a holiday mood.

This week we have a wonderful family who stopped by the blog to visit.  Our Doxieposse friend, De, brought her dogs Neo, Rusty, Skye, Remy and Sonny.  They are beautiful dogs and have wonderful stories!

Abby:  I'm so glad you all stopped by.  I know my readers would love to hear about your pets.

De:  First, thanks so very much for wanting to include my crew. We all appreciate the invite. The crew consists of 4 Dachshunds and a Golden. Skye, a long hair wild boar, is the oldest, she will be 16 in January of 2017. Rusty is 14 and a chocolate dapple. Neo is 12 and a double dapple, and the puppy is Remy. He's a soft wire and will be 1 year old in February 2017. And last but not least Sonny will be 3 in February 2017. 

Abby:  Is there a story behind any of your pets' names?

Sonny

De:  There's not really any stories about the crews' names except for Sonny. My first golden was named Sunny. He was a stray that was found & we got him from an ad on a grocery store wall . He lived 16 1/2 years , passing in 2000.  He was a very special pup. I knew that I wanted another golden but was a bit hesitant with the doxies. Once I found him I knew that I would end up calling him Sunny because that's what the old brain would do. So to avoid confusion, (his & mine) we named him Sonny. 

Abby: You have a wonderful family of pups!  I would love to hear more about them.

Skye

De:  Skye & Sonny are registered therapy dogs. Skye has been since she was 4 years old & Sonny just finished his first year. And can he work a room! Skye is also a certified Crisis Response Dog. She has responded to several disaster sites. But at 16 years of age I don't ask that much of her now. It's Sonny's turn to pay it forward.

Neo

Rusty

Rusty and Neo are rescues. Rusty is happiest walking his yard to keep the elephants away. And I must say he's been very successful. Not one elephant sighting in his 12-year watch. Neo is deaf. He was going to be put to sleep because the breeders couldn't " use" him anymore. He is the happiest little guy around. Just throw his ball and give him a lap and he's golden!

Remy

Remy is the puppy. And what a hoot! He's a bundle of happiness. He also thinks Sonny is his personal play toy. Remy will run from one end of the house & jump on Sonny at full speed. They run & play and wear each other out. Which is extremely funny to watch as Remy weighs about 17 pounds & Sonny tips the scales at 90 lbs. But Sonny was brought up to respect the little ones, and he thinks he's a dachshund anyway.

Abby:  Thank you so much for visiting!  I really enjoyed learning more about your wonderful fur-kids.  I can just picture Rusty on elephant watch, and Remy and Sonny happily playing!  Readers, you can leave comments or questions for De or her pups in the comments section, below.

Thank you all so much for stopping by!  I hope you have a great weekend, and stay warm!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby: Pet Meet and Greet - Rex

Dear Friends,

I have special visitors at the blog from Australia to introduce you to today.  Vania has stopped by with her handsome dog Rex.  I know you will enjoy meeting them here!

Abby:  Who is your pet?

 

Vania:  My dog is a labrador/golden retriever cross called Rex.

Abby:  Is there a story behind your pet's name?

 

Vania:  Yes. My late Mom named him. She loved a tv program called Inspector Rex which featured a police officer with his German Shepherd police dog. It was her favourite show, so when we got the little pup she named him after her favourite tv dog.

 

Abby:  What is the funniest thing your pet has done?

 

Vania:  Rex loves water and mud patches so I have to make sure to keep him away from them. The other day he was running and playing in the park and I didn’t see a little mud patch and in a flash his was in there, rolling around and having a great time. His golden coat was all black and muddy.

 

Abby:  Has your pet had any adventures?

Vania:  Rex loves adventures. He loves riding with me at the back of the car. He’s a celebrity down at the drive-through McDonald's. When I drive in all the staff come to the window to greet him and take pictures. Together we’ve discovered many parklands that we didn’t know existed, he loves exploring and loves water.

Abby:  What do you and your pet do for fun?

 

Vania:  We go for walks and runs in the park and play tug of war.  Oh and did I mention food, he loves to eat and loves bananas and mangoes. He also loves to play with his doggie friends in the park.

 

Abby:  Does your pet have any favorite, special toys?

 

Vania:  He loves his soccer ball and his rope tug toy. He did have a squeaky duck that we called “Mr Quacker” but poor Mr Quacker had his head bitten off.

 

Abby:  What are some special things your pet can do?

 

Vania: Did I mention eating?  As soon as I mention a walk or a ride , he is running around in circles and goes and grabs his leash.

 

Abby:  What are your pet's most lovable qualities?

 

Vania:  Rex is a very social boy and loves to play with every dog. He is a gentle giant and plays with kids. He is also a Mommy’s boy and he sleeps on my bed. In winter he loves to be covered in a nice warm blanket. 

 

Vania, thank you so much for visiting my blog!  I loved learning more about Rex.  He is such a sweet boy!  It is wonderful that he is so good with children.  It sounds like he also loves his trips to the park!   Friends, if you have questions or comments for Vania, you can leave them in the comments below.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  It is beautiful here after one very stormy day this past week.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Pet Meet and Greet: Charlie and Baxter

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week!  We FINALLY are getting cooler weather here.  It is starting to really feel like Fall.

Today I would love to introduce you to Charlie and Baxter, two handsome Bichon Frise dogs.  Their mother, Lindsay, was kind enough to stop by the blog for an interview.  Lindsay blogs at The Flynnigans, and you'll find more Charlie and Baxter there.

Abby: Who are your pets (names, breeds, ages)?

Lindsay: Charlie 9, Baxter 8. Both Bichon Frise. Both share the same mother and father, they are just a litter apart.

Abby: Is there a story behind any of your pets' names?

Lindsay: Charles Xavier Flynn - Charles after my late grandfather, Xavier after Professor X in X-Men and Flynn is our last name.

Baxter Burgundy Flynn - Baxter because my husband wanted to name him Buster and I refused because I didn't think Buster suited the name being white little fluffy dog, so in the end, Baxter it was. :) His middle name was inspired by Ron Burgundy in the Anchorman movie.

Abby: What is the funniest thing your pets have done?

Lindsay: I can't say that one time in particular stands out in my mind, but the boys are constantly doing funny things and making my husband and I both smile and laugh.

Abby: Have your pets had any adventures?

Lindsay: The boys have never been on a plane but they do enjoy getting down and dirty camping with us usually once a year.

Abby: What do you and your pets do for fun?

Lindsay: We have play dates with friends or at my mom's house (she has three bichons). They love being doted on and loving on Mommy and Daddy. They love snoozing and Charlie loves watching tv.

Abby: Do your pets have any favorite, special toys?

Lindsay: Charlie isn't particular with his toys. He has a basket of toys, some he played with back when he was a puppy that he still gravitates to.

Baxter is pretty indifferent as well. He will play fetch with you whereas Charlie will typically look at the object thrown, then back at you as if to say, "what?". Lol

I would say, though, of all the toys and money we've spent over the years, nothing compares to their love of our freshly worn socks all balled up. That is heaven to them. Lol

Abby: What are some special things your pets can do?

Lindsay: We've always taken pride in teaching them both to sit, down, shake a paw (both sides), high five and twirl like a circus animal all roughly by the age of 4 months, the twirling trick taking longer than the others.

Another thing we are proud of is Charlie's modeling career when he was 6 months to two years old. We had so much fun taking him to photo shoots and auditions but it was hard work, and had we wanted him to get into it more, we would've had to hire a handler, and at that point you have to question whether you want your dog as a family pet or you want them to be a working dog, both different from the other. It's just a whole different lifestyle when you have working pets that are constantly working, going to auditions. It was exhausting but a lot fun nonetheless.

Baxter also had his hand at modeling last year; he won the month of September 2016 for a local dog calendar contest. :)

Abby: What are your pets' most lovable qualities?

Lindsay: Charlie is dubbed the social butterfly of the two boys, he loves all kinds. Baxter is the more reserved boy until he gets to know you and then once he does, he's Mr. Softie. They are both such funny, sweet, smart and loving little gentlemen. :)

Thank you, Lindsay, Charlie, and Baxter, for stopping by today!  I loved hearing about the boys' modeling career and the fun they have.  I love their full names too!   Readers, you can leave comments and questions for Lindsay in the comments, below.

If you have pets who would enjoy being spotlighted here, please let me know!  Be sure to leave your email in the comments if you want to do a spotlight.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo