SKOOKIE

I'm usually a happy pug. Very happy. But being held captive by a bad foot has left me a wee bit grumpy.

When I was complaining (again) this morning about having to stay leashed when brother Dutch gets to run free, my human said I need an "attitude adjustment". A what? I didn't know I had an attitude to adjust.

She explained by reminding me of a pug named Skookie we met once at pug Sunday. I meet sooo many pugs it's hard to keep them all straight - but I do remember Skookie. He's the pug with wheels.

Skookie's back legs don't work because of a problem with his spine, but he doesn't care. His human got him a special contraption for bad legs and now he just rolls along, happy as a pug. I've been in foot prison less than a week. In another day or two I'll be running around like nothing ever happened. My human (and Skookie) are right: what is there to be grumpy about?

My foot hasn't completely healed yet, but I think my broken attitude is fixed.

THE TUBE

Day 4 of involuntary confinement, and chew-things no longer interest me.

I'm not very good at being a couch-pug. I was born to run and play. Steal brother Dutch's toys. Chase butterflies. Jump through tall grass like the gazelles on Discovery Channel...

But, y'know, I really like watching You Tube.

My human parked me in front of it today to keep me occupied for a few hours (after I accidentally ate one of her books). I used to be afraid of the white computer because I thought a screaming pug lived inside it. But today I learned that things you see on the screen don't actually live inside the computer. They just come to visit.

So we did a search for "pug" on You Tube and found a ton of pugs for me to visit. I didn't move a muscle for hours. And kinda really liked it.

RECOVERY

It's been 3 days, 16 hours and 54 minutes since I hurt my foot.

I know this because I've been counting.

I've been counting because I've been stuck inside this whole entire time, bored out of my mind. And because I just overheard my human say something about having to restrict my activity for AT LEAST a week. Maybe longer.

Ugh.

If you ask me, this is a really dumb idea. I have three other perfectly good feet and that's really all I need. My gimpy foot hasn't slowed me down one bit. I'll humor the ice packs, baby aspirin and homeo-pathetic jelly, but please. Please don't take away my freedom!

The only good part about all this is something called a "get well present". My friend Jack the Labrador sent his human over with a bag of chew toys to "help my recovery". Not really sure how chewing on stuff is going to help my foot heal, but I'll go along with it. This new tennis-ball-stick-thingy on a rope is really cool.

Even if I can only use it indoors.

REPLACEMENT PUG

Do I look any different to you today?

Hope so, because that pug you're looking at isn't me. Someone didn't get to go hiking this weekend because someone hurt their foot defending our yard against a pack of demonic chihuahuas. And since brother Dutch is in today's photo and I'm not, I probably don't have to spell out which one of us is at war with the little devil-dogs nextdoor.

(that would be me)

Dutch said it got kinda lonely hiking without me, so he went and found himself a replacement pug. This pug's name is Prince Charming and I think that alone makes him a very worthy substitute.

My human has been putting ice and this Arnica gel stuff on my foot to make it better. Arnica is homeopathic (whatever that means) and my human says it's really good for bumps and sprains. It feels funny on my toes, but I like it better than the icepack.

The swelling in my foot has gone down a little, but if I'm not 100% better soon it's off to the vet to look for broken toes!

RHYMES WITH ICK

When someone looks at you and squeals EEEEEEEW! it's never a good thing. And if the next thing you hear is What's that on your HEAD!?!, be a little worried.

I didn't know any of this until yesterday. Until I got my first tick. On my head.

After apologizing for EEEEW-ing at me, my human removed the critter with a pair of tweezers and explained why, aside from being gross, having a tick on your head (or anywhere else) is a bad thing.

Ticks suck your blood. They can lay eggs that hatch billions of new little blood-suckers that'll come into the world hungry. But worst of all, they can transmit disease. A whole bunch of diseases actually, and some of them can kill you.

Depending on where you live, the ticks in your area can carry germs that cause:

• lyme
• babesiosis
• erlichia
• rocky mountain spotted fever
• tick paralysis
• tick fever (canine anaplasmosis)

My human says you can be be vaccinated for Lyme disease, but you're on your own with the others. This worried me a little, since I like to play in places ticks call home. Luckily, tick-borne disease isn't a huge problem where we live. But my human put some special anti-tick goo on my neck to keep the little suckers off me anyway.

Probably a good idea since I like to sleep on my human's head and ticks like to suck human blood too.

LIGHTS... CAMERA...

People often ask my human how she manages to get such good pictures of me. Of course I expect to hear her gloat about me. Something like "Oh he's just sooo cooperative and perfect... and willing to wear just about any ridiculous getup I can think of. "

But no.

Instead, the conversation usually revolves around stuff like lights and camera equipment. It's not my favorite topic, but people seem really interested in what my human has to say. So, in case you're all dying to know: all the pictures you've seen here on The Daily Puglet were taken with a regular old point-and-shoot camera and whatever natural light happened to be available.

The camera (Casio Exilim EX-S600) is smaller than an iPod, about 3 years old, and can be found on places like ebay for less than $100. My human also has lots of fancy, expensive cameras with big scary lenses and flashy things (that's what is inside all those bags in today's photo) but she wanted to prove you don't NEED a fancy, expensive camera to create enjoyable pictures.

Please enjoy my pictures!

REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE.

As a recycled canine, I'm a strong believer in being "green". For example: yesterday at the park I reduced a giant pile of discarded potato chips to a bunch of itty bitty crumbs. Today I reused a perfectly yummy Reeces Peanut Butter Cup wrapper someone left lying on the sidewalk (by eating it). Tomorrow I will continue to be a recycled pug.

It might take a little practice, but being green isn't hard. Even simple changes can make a difference to the health of our planet.

To celebrate Earth Day, try doing just one little thing from this list of 50 super simple ways to be green. Today's Daily Puglet was inspired by my own picks: #40 and #50 on the list.

HOT DOGS!

One nice thing about being a pug in San Francisco is the weather. Not too hot, not too cold.... Usually.

Today's temp hit a record-breaking 93 degrees. Definitely too hot. Sooo hot, that I was finally forced to overcome my fear of going in the water. Yes, today I went swimming. Real swimming. In real can't-touch-the-bottom scary deep water. And I liked it!

Swimming is a really really fun way to cool down, but if you don't live near water (or haven't yet converted to swimming), there are lots of other ways for hot doggies cool off:

- Take your walks early in the morning or at night when temperatures are coolest. Also remember: sidewalks, paved roads and sand can get too hot for naked paws.

- Embrace the spray bottle. I don't really like getting squirted, but my vet says it's a really good, portable way to beat the heat.

- Ask your human to make frozen snacks. Chunks of frozen bananas, peanut butter or cheese are super yummy. (For a lower-calorie alternative, fill an ice cube tray with water or natural beef/chicken broth, then add the chunks of goodies. FYI, have heard this can get a bit messy for slow eaters).

- If hot weather is a frequent problem where you live, consider investing in a cooling vest. Through the simple process of "evaporative cooling", these vests mimic the very effective human technique of sweating to stay cool. They're not cheap, but much cheaper than an emergency trip to the vet.

---

Heat exhaustion is common in dogs and can be life-threatening. Older, overweight or short-nosed dogs like me are especially sensitive to heat. Early signs of heat stroke include rapid breathing, heavy panting, and excessive salivation. Dogs may also experience a staggered gait, muscle tremors, listlessness, restlessness, dark red or purple gums/tongue, and vomiting.

If your dog does overheat, work quickly to cool him down. Head for the nearest shade or air conditioned location and apply wet towels to lower the dog's body temperature. Better yet, immerse him in cool (NOT cold) water. Offer small amounts of drinking water or ice cubes. When the immediate danger has passed, head to your veterinarian ASAP.

READY, SET... GO?

Happy Patriot's Day!

Not exactly sure what a Patriot is, but today's the day 20,000+ crazy people will try to run 26 miles, 285 yards for no reason whatsoever. They call it a Marathon and it's been happening on the streets of Boston every year since 1897. History books say it's the world's oldest annual marathon.

The first year it was held, only 15 people went along with the idea. Today the race is so popular that it's the only U.S. marathon that requires participants to qualify by running a whole other 26 mile, 285 yard race in a certain amount of time.

Huh?

Anyway. My human used to live in Boston and has seen the madness herself. She says the runners are up against all sorts of bad weather, icky blisters and steep heartbreaking hills. I'm pretty sporty for a Pug, but this doesn't really sound like much fun. Think I'll sit this one out.

:: See results of the 113th annual Boston Marathon ::

TGIF

It's been a bad week for electronics here at Casa de Puglet.

It started when one of the computers caught a nasty virus. Then a digital camera died. The cell phone came next. After listening to about a hundred conversations with Mr. Tech Support, I got bored and decided to entertain myself by removing the dead camera's memory card from the side of the dying computer. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

The card looked a little bit like a Wheat Thin, only blue and covered in writing. I wasn't sure if it was edible. So I ate it.

At least I tried to eat it. A very loud "Leave it!" stopped me after a two or three bites. Of course I did what I was told and immediately spit the memory card out. It was a little mangled, but still whole. Looked OK to me. Except all the pictures on it were deleted. Erased. Gone.

Ooops.

One cool thing about technology is that "gone" doesn't always mean gone forever. My human was able to get all 295 pictures back using some basic file recovery software. Neither one of us knew this was possible. Both of us are real happy it is.

THE DEPOT

Yesterday I took my first trip to Home Depot.

Brother Dutch LOVES The Depot. He made a beeline straight for the garden department to sniff at bags of Slug Bait. My human doesn't like when he does this; says Slug Bait is worse than chocolate, and not just for the slugs. Dogs can die from eating it too.

My human likes The Depot because they offer free classes on how to fix and do things around the house. Brother Dutch said they used to go there A LOT when she ripped up all the rugs and tried to install new wood floors. By herself.

We don't have any rugs left to get rid of, but I hope we go back to The Depot again soon. They don't hand out free dog biscuits or anything, but I really liked riding around in the cool orange cart.

FIRST PUPPY

Congratulations on your new doggie, Obama family!

There was a lot of chatter today at the dog park about the new First Puppy, 'Bo'. Why didn't the Obamas adopt from a shelter? Why didn't they choose a mutt? Is Bo really a rescue? Are Portugese Water Dogs really hypoallergenic? How will the President's pooch impact the Portugese Water Dog breed?

Speaking as a recycled K9, I get it. It'd be great if the President of Hope and Change would lead the nation down to the local SPCA. So, that's not exactly what happened. The Obamas are just one family. Bo is just one dog. Let's move on.

Here's what YOU can do:

If you're already the proud companion of a rescued or "recycled" dog, share his story. Let world just how great a "used" dog can be! Help people understand the benefits of adopting an adult dog or older puppy. Spread the word about local rescue groups and sites like petfinder.com or the AKC purebred rescue directory.

If you have your heart set on a hard-to-find purebred and don't have a local breed rescue, consider adopting an adult or adolescent dog from a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders will take a dog back if things don't work out with their new owner (as may have been the case with Bo Obama). Though not exactly homeless, these Adult dogs are harder to place than puppies and still need to find a loving, forever home. You can contact local dog breed clubs and ask if they know anyone looking to place a dog.

PS: Brother Dutch & I are both "recycled" and my human says we are absolutely perfect.

PEOPLE CAN BE PIGS

I'm lucky to live a few blocks away from a nice big park. Dolores Park is warm and sunny. It has palm trees. Tennis courts. A playground. And best of all, a large (and legal) off-leash dog play area.

It also has garbage.

When the weather gets nice and people flock there to picnic or sunbathe in their Speedos, my nice park turns into a garbage dump. Bottles, wrappers, birthday cakes, half eaten nachos, buckets of fried chicken. The guys who take care of the park said it takes a whole crew a few HOURS to clean up the mess.

I'm all for free snacks, but it can get pretty gross. Brother Dutch told me he got really sick last year from some chicken bones (that's a reenactment he's doing in today's photo). This morning I got in trouble for eating a burrito. My human said we'll have to avoid the park until people learn to throw their trash in the trash.

People, please don't be pigs. Take care of your parks.

HAPPY EASTER MONDAY

Big brother Dutch came up with the plan: dress The Puglet up like a stupid bunny and raid the human's Easter baskets.

Like all of Dutch's great ideas, it didn't work. By the time we figured out how to get the bunny ears to stay on, there wasn't any candy left to steal. Just a whole bunch of inedible plastic eggs. Fake eggs? How stupid. So stupid, I thought, they deserved to be smashed to bits. So I smashed one.

Moment of discovery: the stupid eggs were stuffed with bright yellow chicks!

I like chicken. But something was seriously wrong with these chicks. Squishy and sticky and sweet, they didn't taste like chicken at all. It took some doing and was a complete mess, but I ate every single one of them.

The brilliant bunny disguise didn't hold up against a pile of smashed eggs and face full of sticky-chicken. I got in trouble stealing people-food... AND laughed at for dressing up like a bunny.

KILLER BUNNIES !

** This is a Puglet Service Announcement **

Chocolate Easter bunnies like this might look harmless, but don't be fooled! If you're a dog, these little bunnies can be lethal.

Chocolate contains a mild stimulant (Theobromine) that's OK for humans but BAAAAD for dogs. As yummy as it is, our doggie bodies just can't handle it. The potential for chocolate bunny toxicity depends on the type of chocolate and size of dog. Dark chocolates tend to be the most toxic, white chocolate the least. Milk chocolate bunnies fall somewhere in the middle. ALL mean trouble and should be kept out of dog's reach.

Signs of chocolate toxicity (usually seen within 12 hours):

• Excitement / nervousness / trembling
• Vomiting / diarrhea
• Excessive thirst / urination
• Muscle spasms
• Seizures

Severe toxicity can lead to seizures, coma and even death. Contact your veterinarian.

PS: Common things like raisins/grapes, macadamia nuts, tylenol, and the artificial sweetener Xylitol (commonly used in sugarless gum) can also harm your dog. Visit the American Veterinary Medical Association website for more information.

APRIL SHOWERS BRING...

Baths!

I hate rain, but love baths. Ok, maybe love is too strong a word -- but I do kinda like them. I didn't used to (as seen in today's photo) but my human has taught me that even though they're wet, baths can be fun.

Here are a few simple things you can do make a dog's bath better:

- Put a squishy no-slip bathmat on the bottom of the tub. Slippery = scary if you're a dog. Especially a wet one.

- Watch the water temperature. Dogs have higher body temps than humans, so what's warm to you can be hot to us.

- Keep soap and water out of our ears, eyes and nose. For best results, use a damp wash cloth to clean our faces.

- Make the bathtub a happy place. Make sure your dog is comfortable going in and out of a DRY tub before even thinking about turning on the water. Remember to give lots of treats and encouragement. Practice these "dry runs" occasionally to reinforce "happy tub" feelings.

- Give your dog treats or a toy during bath time.

- Place a mat or towel on the floor next to the tub to prevent your dog from slipping on the way out. A slippery exit can ruin an otherwise OK bath.

- Be ready with a towel (to stop us before we start doing the shake-n-dry).

APRIL SHOWERS

I'm not a huge rain fan. The whole "wet" thing --- kind of annoying. Thankfully, my human got me this anti-rain coat to make the wet life a little easier (Old Navy has 'em on sale if you need one too). San Francisco also has something called a "Mediterranean climate" which means rain only happens during the winter... which is just about over.

All good news if you're a pug who hates rain. Bad news if you consider the state of California's water reserves. State water officials recently reported "alarmingly low levels" of winter precipitation for the third year in a row. Yikes! Water agencies across the state are now bracing for sever conditions not seen since the big drought of the early 90's. They've even set up an emergency Drought Water Bank in anticipation of local water shortages.

(sigh)

Guess this means I should embrace the heavy rains forecast to fall over the next few days. Sounds like we really need the water & this might be my last chance for mud.

PLAY BALL!

It's opening day for baseball here in San Francisco and someone gave me this cool new ball to celebrate. Baseball (the game) doesn't interest me all that much, but this ball they use is fascinating.

It's like... a really complicated, luxurious tennis ball. Rock hard on the inside - smooth and supple outside. With nubbly rows of stitching and a mild hint of cow flavor, baseballs feel really good in your mouth.

My human doesn't know a thing about baseball, but Google says these balls are specially designed to hold their shape during impact with hard surfaces (bat, glove, ground, fence.... ball crazy Pug). Turns out those sporty red rows of stitches actually control movement by creating "aerodynamic forces of varying amounts" on different sides of the ball. The spin this creates (or lack there of) makes a baseball 'fly' like it does and makes different styles of pitches (the curveball, slider, etc) possible.

And I just thought it tasted good.

Holy, COWS?!?

With over 16,000 people per square mile, San Francisco is the second-most densely populated major American city. So you might not believe that there are cows - entire herds of them, roaming wild and free (with a killer view of the Golden Gate bridge) just 15 minutes from downtown.

Yes, COWS!

I swear on my beloved Flying Squirrel, it's true. We went for a hike this weekend at nearby Wildcat Canyon and there they were in all their stinky bovine glory. Big brother Dutch is totally afraid of them (he's weird like that) but my first home was on a farm so I know just how much fun a cow can be.... not to mention how good their pies taste.

GIMME GIMME !

Today we got a box of cool stuff from my East Coast pug-cousin, Sophie. I should probably explain that by "we" I mean me and my big brother, Dutch the dalmatian. Sometimes we fight over who owns what toys, so thoughtful Sophie tried to sort it out for us in advance. Small stuff = Puglet. Big stuff = Dutch.

Usually, I'm OK with the whole small-for-the-small thing - but not this time. No way. Not when the best toy EVER is at stake: The Chuck-It Flying Squirrel.

MUST HAVE FLYING SQUIRREL !!

So I snatched it and ran. And when I got caught, refused to give it up.

MY FLYING SQUIRREL!!

I'll admit, there's no question Sophie meant for Dutch to have it. At twice the size of my head, it totally belongs in the "Big" pile. But it's not like the thing has his name on it. And this makes it fair game as far as I'm concerned.

Is that a piece of HAM?

Meet my friend Jack. I'm not 100% positive, but I think a piece of ham lives in his mouth. Could be bologna though. Dunno. I've never actually gotten close enough to taste it. I just know it looks like meat, smells like meat, and I really really want to eat it.

Trouble is, I'm too short... or slow... or something to get a hold of it.

Today I tried an approach I saw last night on Animal Planet. The predator (that's me) sits motionless and waits patiently for the prey (Jack's mouth meat) to come within striking distance - then BAM! unleashes a sudden, unexpected attack. As you can see in today's photo, my execution of this technique was flawless!

What Animal Planet doesn't tell you is that this only works if you're an ugly fish or funny looking lizard -- NOT a short, slow pug.

I PITY THE (APRIL) FOOLS!

Hi everyone. My name is Puglet and I'm here to make you smile.
Or laugh. Or weep with joy. Or go AWWW! (I get that one a lot).

You get the idea.

Since I don't have thumbs, my human has kindly agreed to post a new photo of yours truly each and every weekday (that's Monday - Friday, fools!). I won't always be dressed up like a TV character from the 80's (thank God) but I PITY THE FOOL who doesn't check back to see what I'm up to.

See you tomorrow!

"Mr P"