Wild Calling Buffalo

Marcus:  Hey, Jan, this is for us dogs, isn't it?  We don't have to share it with the cats, do we?

Jan:  No, you don't have to share this food with the cats. 

Marcus:  Okay, then I'll keep my eye on it so the cats don't steal it.  That sure looks and smells good!

Buddy:  Aren't you going to tell anyone what it is?

Marcus:  Oh, sure.  This is Wild Calling Grasslands and it's 96% buffalo.  Click the link to check out all the different flavors, including - believe it or not - alligator.

Merci:  The label says it's grain free.  It also says "rotational diet" on the label.  I guess that means Jan should order a case of each flavor so we can enjoy variety.  What, Buddy?  I can dream, can't I?

Marcus:  It's also free of gluten and artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.  That should make Jan happy to feed it to us.
 

Buddy:  Marcus, you are such a photo hog!  Jan was trying to take a picture of the food on the back steps, not you.

Marcus:  Well, I think I'm more photogenic.

Merci:  The house would sure be a lot more photogenic if you didn't keep kicking mud over everything.

Marcus:  Mud adds character!

Merci:  Okay, Marcus, you're being served first in your private dining car.  As soon as Jan tells you it's okay to eat, you can tell us how the food tastes.

Marcus:  Mmmmmfth, mphlant - 

The ingredient list from Chewy.com: Buffalo, water (sufficient for processing), liver, guar gum, calcium sulfate, vitamins {vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, vitamin D2 supplement}, minerals {zinc sulfate, ferric sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, selenium yeast, potassium iodide}.

Buddy:  Never mind, we're checking it out for ourselves.  What do you think, Merci?

Merci:  I think this is our shot and Marcus is photobombing us again.  Can't Jan move his private dining car out of the way?  But the buffalo is good. 

Marcus:  My bowl is empty.  Where did the food go?

Buddy:  Should I really answer that?

Marcus:  I hope Jan doesn't miss this can I swiped while she was trying to take a picture of the buffalo Wild Calling.  I sure could use some help opening it, though.  I wonder if Chewy.com would open any future cans before shipping them? 

Chewy provided the dog food for this review.  We were not paid and Chewy is not responsible for the content. 

This post and Four Paws and Three Claws are part of the monthly Chewy blog hop hosted by Golden Woofs and Oz the Terrier.  

A Gushing Stream

Cyndi:  Marcus, stop yelling and banging your food dish on the bars!

Marcus:  Guard, let me out of here!  This is supposed to be my private dining car.  That means you're supposed to serve me food.  What part of dining don't you understand?

Buddy:  It's going to be a while before you're sprung, Marcus.  Jan isn't here.

Marcus:  She isn't here?  Does anyone know where she keeps the key?

Cyndi:  Yes, she ate it.

Buddy:  She what?

Cyndi:  *whispers*  She didn't really, Buddy.  You know there isn't a key to Marcus's PDC.  In fact, it shouldn't be that hard to open the door from outside the crate.  We could probably spring him if we want to.

Buddy:  You didn't say that.  I didn't hear it.  And don't you ever dare think of it again!  The the only peace we ever get around here is when he's temporarily confined to his crate, or his PDC as he calls it.

Marcus:  What are you two whispering about?  Do you have a plan to spring me?

Buddy:  Sorry.  We were just saying how sad we feel to see you confined to your private dining car instead of running around the house terrorizing ... I mean, snoopervising all of us.

Cyndi:  I know what will take your mind off your circumstances.  Tell me what happened on your walk Saturday afternoon.

Marcus:  Nothing happened.  Oh, wait!  There was a raging stream running down the street.  We had to swim uphill through deep water to finish our walk.

Buddy:  We did not!  We weren't even on that side of the road.

Marcus:  Well, I'm bored, so if I want to remember it as a raging stream, it was a raging stream and we nearly drowned getting past it.

Buddy:  It was a gushing stream.  We could hear it and water was pouring in waves from under a big metal plate the contract company had used to cover a hole we'd watched them dig Friday.

Cyndi:  Oh, that's what Jan meant when she said she'd just seen our flood up the street.

Buddy:  Yes, she meant the flood through our back yard/dog pen when the new coupling blew on our water line.  (In Your Dreams)  She never wanted to see anything like it again.

Marcus:  She ignored us and talked to herself all the way home.

Buddy:  That was so she wouldn't forget to call it in when she got home to drop off Merci and me before your second walk.

Cyndi:  She left a message on the cell phone of the contract company's project coordinator and emailed the mayor so the city could follow up on it.

Gushing water and waves. Click to enlarge. :)

Marcus:  They made good time, arriving back up the hill before we did.  We watched them set up a hose to a generator and start pumping water out of the hole that was filling as fast as it was emptying.

Buddy:  Too bad it was fixed when we walked by there today.  I kind of enjoyed the excitement of watching the flood.

Marcus:  I didn't.  We could have drowned!

Cyndi:  Marcus, don't be melodramatic.  You didn't even get your toenail damp.

Marcus:  I like my version better.  As Merci said, some things are better with A Little Fairy Dust sprinkled on them.

Missing Windup Keys

Rusty:  Hey, look at Merci go.  She could really flip that toy around and Jan had better watch out!

Merci:  Yes, those were the days.  I was young,  lovely and bursting with energy.  Yesterday Buddy and I didn't even want to go for a walk when Jan took down the leashes, so we stayed home.

Buddy:  Getting old isn't much fun, is it?  I hate to miss a walk but nowadays when the rain threatens, so do my aches and pains.

Merci:  I can't believe that picture was taken in 2003.

Rusty:  None of us were born yet.

Merci:  That's it.  Make me feel really old!

Rusty:  What I meant was I enjoy seeing these old photos of you.

Merci:  Just because I'm older than you doesn't mean I'm OLD!

Buddy:  Way to go, Rusty.  Tick her off and see that little Merci spirit explode.

Merci:  Little?  Did you just call me little?

Rusty:  Looks like I have company in the doghouse, Buddy. 

Buddy:  I didn't mean little little.  I just meant smaller than we male dogs.

Rusty:  What Buddy meant is that you are a smaller keg of dynamite than we guys.

Buddy:  Yes, you're still full of spirit. It just takes longer to wind it up.

Merci:  You're right.  I think I'll go grab a nap.  Maybe then I can remember where I left my windup key.

Buddy:  Mine is missing too.  I guess when we reach a certain age, we have to expect to start losing things.  The first to go must be the windup key.

Rusty:  No, the first to go is the memory.

Merci:  Oh, yes.  I forgot.

Cover picture used with permission

Percy:   We posted our first Mousebreath interview in quite a while today.  It's with Jaimi Ilama from Open Door Publishing (a nonprofit) who wrote "The Upstairs Cat".

Cyndi: We hope you will go by Mousebreath to read Jaimi Ilama and The Upstairs Cat.

We are joining the Pet Parade blog hop with hosts Rascal and Rocco,  Bionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou and Owned by a Husky. 

Steam Engine with a Cold

MICAH:  Shhh, don't make any noise.  You'll wake the dogs. 

PERCY:  We kid around a lot in our post.  We hope we haven't given you the idea we don't like each other. 

MICAH:  Yes, we have our moments.

PERCY:  And here is one of them.  Marcus and Merci sleeping butt to butt in Sam's bed. 

MICAH:  Oops, Jan disturbed Merci when she got the camera, but they were both fast asleep before that.

MARCUS:   Zzzzz, snort, snick.

MERCI:  What?  Who snorts and snicks in their sleep?

PERCY:  Obviously Marcus does.

MERCI:  I was here first.  He should go snort and snick somewhere else.

MICAH:  He's sound asleep.  I don't think you're going to wake him easily.  Perhaps you could move?

MERCI:  No way!  I was here first and I'm very comfortable.  I'm not leaving.

MARCUS:  Zzzzz, snick, sneep. 

MERCI:  MARRRRRCUSSSSSS!

MARCUS:  Huh, wah, is there a fire?

PERCY:  Merci was just trying to wake you so she can get some rest without you making so much noise in your sleep.

MARCUS:  Noise, what noise?  I don't make any noise in my sleep.

MERCI:  You sound like a steam engine with a cold.

MARCUS:   I do no such thing.  On the other paw, you squirm and sniff in your sleep.

MICAH:  Guys, hey, guys, we're trying to tell everyone how well we get along.  Can you cool it?

MARCUS:  Yes.  I'll cool it right here.  Merci, you can cool it somewhere else.

MERCI:  If you're not moving, neither am I. 

PERCY:  We do, we really do get along some of the time. 

MICAH:  I guess we should be thankful for that this week.  Getting along some of the time beats none of the time. 

PERCY:  Do you mind moving over, Micah?  You're in my space. 

MICAH:  It's not your space.  I was here first.  


Join Pepi Smart Dog and friends for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.

And Ruckus the Eskie for Thoughtless Thursday with co-hosts Love is being owned by a husky and Barking from the Bayou.   

Shady Oak Funny Farm

CYNDI:  Today we're going to tell you why Marcus loves to be served meals in his private dining car.

MICAH:  You might remember this photo of Marcus waiting for the word to eat his breakfast.

MERCI:  He guards his food like it's going to disappear if he blinks.  No one is allowed near it.

BUDDY::  Marcus can be been food aggressive, so he eats in his private dining car when Jan has to take pictures of us dogs with food for a review. 

PERCY:  Now Marcus is asking Jan to allow him to be served all his meals in his private dining car.  Why?

TAYLOR:  Because Marcus has to be in the middle of everything.  If there's a fight, Marcus joins.  If there's a barkfest, Marcus joins.  If the back door is opened so one of the other dogs can go outside, Marcus shoves everyone aside (or down the steps) to bolt out the door.

RUSTY:  Buddy is a hound.  He likes to yell a lot.  Now that he's older, he likes to yell just for the pleasure.  When he yells, Marcus races to yell back or to yell at whatever Buddy is yelling at.  It can get extremely noisy in here, even in the middle of the night.

CYNDI:  Buddy also likes to eat.  For reason unknown, Marcus the food scraper has become Marcus the food tortoise.  He guards his bowl and takes his time.

MERCI:  Yesterday morning was one of those times Marcus growled as he ate.  There was no one anywhere near him but he munched and growled through the beginning of breakfast.

MICAH:  That might have something to do with what has been going on around here lately.

RUSTY:  Buddy recently put on his thinking cap and devised a way to eat one and a half dinners each day.  He cleans his bowl and leaves the room.  Shortly, he will start yelling at the top of his lungs.  Marcus races out of the room to join whatever is going on.

TAYLOR:  Buddy and Marcus pass each other in the kitchen doorway.   Marcus races around yelling, finds nothing is going on and returns to the kitchen to find Buddy licking his bowl clean.

BUDDY:  Now you would think Marcus would learn but he keeps falling for that.   The only time there is a confrontation is when I get ahead of myself and pass him at the table instead of in the doorway.  He starts a fight, Jan yells at both of us, and I go polish off his meal while Marcus watches.

MARCUS:  And now, if you didn't know before this, you know why they live on the Funny Farm instead of someplace named Shady Oak or something peaceful..

PERCY:  You mean why we live on the Funny Farm, Marcus.  You're just as loony as the rest of us.  That's why we love you.

MARCUS:  Well, I got the best of Buddy last night. He tried that trick again but he was too late.  My bowl was empty.  

A Lot of Mischief

RUSTY:   I don't recognize these.  I hope they aren't the new curtain ties.  They'll clash with the curtains.

MERCI:  They are not a them; they're an it - singular.  Or at least they used to be an it before a certain someone chewed it and turned it into a them.

BUDDY:  You're not making any sense, Merci.  How can a them be an it?

MERCI:  If you remember this used to be my leash.  My new leash after Marcus chewed through your leash and my leash on the same walk.  (Marcus the Menace)  That was on February 14. Just three weeks later Marcus chewed through my new leash.

MARCUS:  Hey, I did no such thing!  Why do you all keep blaming me for everything that happens?

BUDDY:  Because you're generally responsible.  In this case, I was standing there watching you do it so I can testify to your guilt.

MERCI:  You watched him do it?  Why didn't you stop him?

BUDDY:  A guy has to get into some mischief or other guys will think he's a goody two shoes ... er, paws.

MARCUS:  Thank you, Buddy.  I think.  When am I supposed to have committed this mischief?

MERCI:  On Monday, the 7th.  You hid behind Jan while she spoke with the water guys after we returned from our morning walk and you deliberately chewed my leash in half.  She didn't notice until we reached the front door and she was holding three leashes but I was standing at the top of the steps.

MARCUS:  The 7th?  I can't remember what I was doing almost two weeks ago.  I've accomplished a lot of mischief ... I mean, a lot has happened since then.

RUSTY:  You can say that again!

MARCUS:  Why, didn't you hear me the first time?

RUSTY:  Of course I heard you.  I was just agreeing with you.  You certainly have accomplished a lot of mischief since then!


We are joining the Pet Parade blog hop with hosts Rascal and Rocco,  Bionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou and Owned by a Husky.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2016

TAYLOR:  Hey, whose idea was it to bring me one of Sam's old hats to wear?  His head was bigger than I am!

BUDDY:  Don't worry.  It was just a joke.  We asked Jan to include you in our post today since we're using a graphic from 2014. 

TAYLOR:  Sam was sure a character.

BUDDY:  Yes, he was usually wearing the wrong hat for the occasion but we had a lot of fun teasing him about it.

TAYLOR:  Cameron the Tuxie left for the bridge a few months before I arrived, but I've heard he and Sam were well-loved by all of you. 

BUDDY:  You weren't here long enough to get to know Sam's sense of humor.  He was always making us laugh with his silly faces.  Marcus is trying to fill his shoes ... er, paws now but he's a different personality type.

TAYLOR:  Marcus is a different everything. I think his brain is filled with confetti so his personality changes as the different colored confetti shifts position.

BUDDY:  I never thought of it like that, but you might be right.  Let's hope his green confetti has shifted to the front of his brain for the day.

MARCUS:  Hey guys, are you ready for the wearing o' the green today?  I am.

TAYLOR:  Look at him strut out of the room.  I do believe one of these days his brain is going to explode confetti all over the place.

BUDDY:  I hope he doesn't do it in the kitchen while I'm eating.

FUNNY FARMERS:  Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.


Join Pepi Smart Dog and friends for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.

And Ruckus the Eskie for Thoughtless Thursday with co-hosts Love is being owned by a husky and Barking from the Bayou.  

Hard Hat at the Cleaners

PERCY:  The weather is warming and I'm getting antsy.  I think next time you dogs take Jan for a walk, I want to go along.

MERCI:  You know you'll have to wear a harness and leash to help keep Jan from wandering off, don't you?

PERCY:  Well, if I have to, but I think she should be old enough to find her own way home by now.  It must be so nice to see different scenery.  Pretty scenery.  Not the same drab view day after day.

MERCI: I don't know about pretty scenery.  This is a recent example of what we see daily on our walking route.

PERCI:  You're joking.  It looks like a ... a ...

MERCI:  A junk pile?  See the crane on the right?  There used to be a building there.  Actually, there used to be buildings all over the Martha Mill property but they are being demolished.

PERCY:  I think I'll pass on walking with you.  My hard hat is at the dry cleaners.

MERCI:  I've never seen you with a hard hat.

PERCY:   (*mumbles* And you won't see me in one now, if I can help it.)  How can you dogs walk Jan by that mess?  What if a building falls on you?  You'd be squashed.

MERCI:  That's why Buddy and I hang back and let Jan lead the way.  Jan is taller than we are. If anything falls on her, she might come through a little shorter but she'll survive.  You know how hard-headed she is.

PERCY:  It sounds like you have a good plan, but I have always heard you should never go near a constructions site  -

MERCI:  In this case, a demolition site.

PERCY:  Okay, you should never go near a demolition site without a hard hat. I think I'll wait for mine to come back from the dry cleaners.

Chase Your Own Chicken

MARCUS:  I'll shut my eyes and count to ten and Micah eating our food will become a mirage, Merci.  Stay behind  my private dining car and don't look until I tell you it's okay. 

MERCI:  Don't get upset, Marcus.  It will ruin your breakfast.

MICAH:  You aren't losing any breakfast, Marcus.  I'm just licking the empty can.  You don't eat empty ... Never mind, I forgot you tried to eat an empty cat food can one day.  This is good.  What is it?

BUDDY:  It's the Tiki Gourmet Carnivore chicken with turkey flavor.  It's supposed to match our natural prey diet.

MICAH:  Is it from one of those chase your own chicken menus?

MARCUS:  No, the chicken is already cooked and shredded.  This is what it looks like in the 12-oz can.  It's made from chicken broth, chicken, turkey and olive oil.

BUDDY:  We're told these are some Key Benefits -

•     Grain and gluten-free recipe

•     55% protein, 35% fat, 0% carb

•     Made with whole meats

•     With added vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients

•     Carbohydrate, starch and flour free

•     Zero glycemic index

•     Great for all life stages

MERCI:  How is the service in your private dining car, Marcus?

MARCUS:  The waitress could use a little training, but the food is delicious.

BUDDY: Yes, the service has been a little slow but Jan did finally manage to put our morning kibble topped with Tiki chicken on the floor so we can join you at breakfast.

MERCI:  Please don't make so much noise when you eat, Marcus, or we'll have to ask Jan to feed us as far away from your private dining car as possible next time.

MARCUS:  Hey, I've finished my breakfast.  Can you guys let me out of here?

MERCI:  Sorry, Marcus.  If we do that, you'll finish our breakfasts and we'll go without.

BUDDY:  I'd say, from the clean bowls, this food is a hit.  I think we should give this Tiki Gourmet Carnivore dog food 3 paws up!


The Tiki dog food was provided by Chewy.com. We were not paid for this review and Chewy is not responsible for the content.

This post and Delectable Delights are part of the monthly Chewy blog hop hosted by Golden Woofs and Ox the Terrier.  

Paragliding Budgie Jump

BUDDY:  Hey, Taylor, did you hear the joke about the two morons?

TAYLOR:  No.  Finish your biscuit and then you can tell me.

BUDDY:  Okay, I'm done.  There were these two morons standing on the edge of a cliff.with their arms outstretched.

TAYLOR:  Are they morons because they're standing on the edge of a cliff?

BUDDY:  Partly.  One had budgies lined up on his arms.  The other had a line of parrots. They both leaped off  the cliff and fell to the ground.

TAYLOR:  Ouch!  That must have hurt.

BUDDY:  Yes, and they both ended up in intensive care at the hospital.

TAYLOR:  What about the birds?

BUDDY:  What?

TAYLOR:  What happened to the birds?  Did they fly away?

BUDDY:  Maybe.  Or perhaps they were being treated at a birdhouse clinic.  Can I finish the joke, please?

TAYLOR:  Oh, sorry.  Go ahead.

BUDDY:  One moron said to the other, "I don't think much of this budgie jumping:  The other replied, "I don't think much of this paragliding either.

TAYLOR:  I don't think much of the joke. 

BUDDY:  I don't think much of it either.

TAYLOR:  Then why did you tell it?

BUDDY:  Because it's the only one I could remember. 

Your Check Is In The Mail

MERCI:  I thought we were going to post on what has been going on around here this week.

BUDDY:  Make up your mind, Marcus.  Are you going to play ball or help us post?

MARCUS:  Oh, sorry.  You know how I forget everything when I have a ball or two.

MERCI:  It's been a busy week around here.  Noisy, too.

MARCUS:  Yes, Tuesday morning Jan set down our dog food bowls and there was a knock at the front door.  I left my breakfast unattended to escort Jan in case she got lost on the way.  The nice man who came by last year to patch a leak said, "Hi, I'm your roofer.  We want to start in the back.  Could you unlock the gate for us?"   

BUDDY:  Our landlord forgot to let us know when to expect the roofer, but we were finally on the schedule.

MARCUS: You can afford to be happy about it.  When I, the working guard dog, returned to the kitchen, you were licking the crumbs from my breakfast dish.  Faint from hunger, I staggered through the rest of the day.

BUDDY:  You mean you whined about it until dinner.

MERCI:  The men were on the roof until sundown, then back the next two mornings at 7:15.  Wednesday they worked a 12 hour day.  

MARCUS: Jan said I was good because I soon stopped barking at the noise.

BUDDY:  No, Jan said we were good.  You don't get all the credit.

MARCUS:  Well, I'm going to get all the paycheck.

BUDDY:  What paycheck?

MARCUS:  The guy in charge said I did such a great job of snoopervising that I deserved a raise.

MERCI:  I doubt that, but if he did, he was pulling your leg.  A raise from zero is still zero.

BUDDY:  Let's get back on track.  Here are a few pictures of the roofing project from the past three days.

MERCI:  And, finally, our new roof.  We thought the guys would leave a mess of nails in the yard - and you know how accident -prone Jan is - but the guys did a good job of cleaning up after themselves.

MARCUS:  That's because I did an excellent job of snoopervising.

BUDDY:  *rolls eyes*  I'm sure your check is in the mail.


We are joining the Pet Parade blog hop with hosts Rascal and Rocco,  Bionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou and Owned by a Husky.

Delectable Delights

MICAH:  Hey, Cyndi, where are you going?

CYNDI:   A Chewy box just arrived.  I'm going to go see what was in it for us cats.

TAYLOR:  Why would Chewy be sending us anything in a box?

PERCY:  Because we're cute and funny.

RUSTY: Hey, we have a 12-pack of 2.5 ounce Natural Balance Delectable Delights.

CYNDI:  Pate with tuna & chicken in a tasty gravy.   It sounds good.

TAYLOR:  What's a Land'n Sea Cats-serole?   It's not made of cats, is it?

MICAH:  Of course not!  I't made from:  Tuna Broth, Tuna, Chicken, Whitefish, Pea Protein, Rice Flour, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Oil, vitamins and minerals.  

PERCY:  It is moist and thick in its little tub.  I wonder how it tastes?

MICAH:  It tastes pretty good. Cyndi, get your tail out of my breakfast!  (If it looks a bit watery, remember Jan mixes our food with water so we drink more.)

TAYLOR:  Chewy says:  Natural Balance Delectable Delights are gourmet cat stews that are hand crafted and cooked to savory perfection.

 Key Benefits -
    Perfect for finicky eaters.
    Wholesome ingredients in a savory gravy.
    Complete & balanced for adult cats.

RUSTY:  I think this rates high on the taste scale.

PERCY:  Jan suggested we do this review because Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance is a good brand of pet food. She is, however, a bit wary of the ingredient menadione sodium bisulfate complex - a synthetic Vitamin K) because it has been so controversial. 

RUSTY:  Chewy expects us to do an honest review of any product, so we felt we should mention that this ingredient bothers our human, although we understand this is the only form of Vitamin K approved for pet food. 

CYNDI:  Does that mean Jan won't let us eat the last of the cats-eroles?

MICAH  Don't worry, Cyndi.  The Natural Balance Delectable Delights are basically a good food.  Jan just isn't happy about that particular ingredient. 

TAYLOR:  I have an idea.  She can pick that ingredient out of each serving. 

PERCY  *winks at the others*  A good idea, Taylor.  Why don't you suggest it to her?

The Natural Balance cat food was provided by Chewy.com. We were not paid for this review and Chewy is not responsible for the content.