Puppy Paddlin' 101

"Let us learn knew things, so that we may become more helpful."

~ Dog Scout Motto

It's the Dog Days of Summer and Roger and I have been extremely busy little beavers. On Sunday, August 9, we attended our first Dog Scouts of America (DSA) meeting. We are proud, new members of Dog Scout Troop 161, the local DSA affiliate headed by Dog Scout Leader Ann Withun.

Dog Scouts of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about responsible dog ownership and the important role of the human/canine bond. It's also all about having a great time bonding with your dog and using positive training to learn new things together.

Roger and I are extremely excited about our new venture. After my career on the show circuit came to a screeching halt, I felt that I could probably squeeze another activity into my busy social life, especially when it involves promoting responsible pet ownership.

Our first activity was Puppy Paddlin'. Seeing how neither one of us can swim, it was a much-needed lesson. And while neither Roger nor I will be trying out for the Olympics alongside Michael Phelps, Puppy Paddlin' provided the participants with a valuable lesson in getting used to the water and trusting our owners. Best of all, Dad learned to overcome his "sink or swim" mentality.

Before sharing some photos of my fellow dog scouts, I thought I'd show this video of how to NOT introduce your dog to swimming. Enjoy!

Photos from Puppy Paddlin'

Beach Bound

Roger and I leave for the OBX tomorrow morning. So, the next correspondence that you receive from me will be from the sunny beaches of Corolla, NC. I hope to catch up on some much overdue blogging.

Happy Animal-versary

Today marks the one-year animial-versary of Roger becoming a member of the Knowlton family. Although Dad and I don't always see eye-to-eye, one thing that we both agree on is that Rog is a keeper.

Why in the world anyone would have given Roger back to Grammy Lee is beyond me, but by Dog, I'm sure glad they did. I could have never dreamed of having such a wonderful little, older brother.

We celebrated with a very tasty Turducken dinner by Merrick, which Mom very cleverly tied into a history lesson about Roger's aristocratic roots and French Louisiana cuisine. The combination of turkey, duck, and chicken in this delicious bayou classic, allows all dogs to get in touch with their southern senses. As the Merrick family says, "geaux for it!"