fashion

The latest trend in dog couture is drapes!

les chiens de la France

I have a new paw pen pal. He lives far away in a country called France. He is also a Labrador, and his name is Chance.

He told me that dogs have a lot of freedoms in France. They can go to most restaurants, where they often sit at the table with their peoples, and they have whole streets of nothing but stores full of dog food. Dogs also can ride on the bus and train. Best of all, cats do not have this same kind of freedom. There are all many parks full of birds to chase.

There is even a famous museum containing paintings of dogs. Chance sent me some photos from this museum.

People line up to take photos of the dog paintings.







This painting is the most famous painting in the whole world!
























There was another small painting in the room, too.

creative dogs

I haven't been online much these days because I've been exploring my voice in other ways. Yes, I'm finally starting to bark! I was really into barking when I was a puppy, but I eventually got into making cute little grumbly sounds. I've now rediscovered the joys of barking. I'm not doing it all the time, but when people knock at the door or see me in the park, I'm all about giving a nice shout out.

However, barking has nothing on this amazing dog's hobby. His name is Athens and he is a painter. Some of his artwork will be on sale at a fundraiser for the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society in May.

"We call him, 'Salvador Doggie,'" laughed Sherry Caves, 42. "I used to paint but I don't have time any more as I am mom to a 13-year-old son."

Last year, Athens painted an abstract piece which Caves turned into 40 Christmas cards.

"I saw a candle, a tree and two doves, so I embellished it with gold paint and made it into a Christmas card," she said.

dogs in the news

Labrador Retrievers - We're number one for 17 years in a row!!

Two Labradors and a Beagle inherit almost a million dollars!!

Joanna Newsome's secret furry fan base is finally revealed!!

my new TV crush

I used to think that Madison, the dog who plays Vincent on "Lost", was the best canine actor on television these days. However, like other cast members of that series, Madison was busted for driving under the influence. In Madison's case, the "influence" in question was a dare from one of her human cast mates. And that's not what got her in trouble. She was ticketed for not having a license. By that, I mean she didn't have a Hawaiian state dog license. It's a complicated story, but the end result is she hasn't appeared on "Lost" for a very long time.

So who is now the best canine actor on television? Easy answer. Orbit! She's a sassy golden who plays Digby on the new television series "Pushing Daisies". Orbit is a veteran thespian with credits on shows such as "Dead Like Me" and The Love Letter. She can do comedy, drama, action and musical numbers. She also has a stunt dog named Orion who is a budding talent.


Like Madison, Orbit plays a boy dog character. And considering that Cate Blanchett just won a Golden Globe for playing a man, I'm starting to realize that if I want to keep working, I should play a boy dog. I'm getting pretty good at peeing with my leg up. My aim is so good, I can hit a lamp post without looking back to check. I just walk up, lift, fire, and walk away. I barely ever squat anymore.

Happy Holidogs!

I can't believe it's a new year already. I tend to live in the present, so time often gets away on me, but the truth is I've been super busy for the past few months.

First of all, I have a new sister. I don't know much about her yet because I haven't spent much time with her. She spends most of her time sleeping, pooping and crying. I'm not crazy about the crying, but the pooping and sleeping is exciting. Hopefully she'll wind up being as sweet as my other sister.

I've also been conducting an intensive cat-thropology study. Cats are strange animals. They smell funny and hiss a lot. However, their food is amazing. Yes, I must confess, I'm a cat food junkie. What can I say? Cat food has a nice fishy taste and a pleasing mouth feel. Most of my study has consisted of staring intently at a handsome cat named Ivan. However, I spent Christmas and New Year's with an older cat named Sushi. I even touched noses with her.

My holidays were so much fun. I spent a lot of time in the ocean, chasing balls into giant waves. I went hiking to see a waterfall and ancient ruins. On the beach, I met up with some senior dogs in their mid and late teens. I was so excited to be the young pup among them. I now need a vacation from my holidays.

Happy new year!

Fido Awards

At last, a new bone to get me back to acting: canine acting awards.

Canine cinephiles, newshounds and doglovers: The Fidos join the line-up for The Times BFI London Film Festival 2007. Excitement is assured as the world's first international awards for canine stars of the big screen arrives at one of the world's most glamorous film festival. This glittering event celebrates the silver screen's finest canine moments.

The winning dogs were from the film The Queen. Other nominated dogs included performers from the films The Holiday, Control, Moliére, and of course Year of the Dog. I think The Fidos are a great name for dog acting awards, but it reminds me of an embarrassing story...

There's a well-known Canadian feature film called Fido. I've spent a lot of time in the office of the company that made that film (or actually the company next door), and I always rolled over for that film's producers, offering my acclaimed tummy for scratching in the hopes of landing a role in the sequel. It wasn't until months later that I found out Fido has nothing to do with dogs. It's a zombie comedy.

Paws for a Cause

Today I was part of the 2007 Paws for a Cause... Walk for the Animals. I walked 2.5 km in support of dogs, rabbits, birds, and even cats who don't have a home and need medical attention. I raised over $100 dollars to help other animals. Funds raised through Paws for a Cause support the BC SPCA.

It was a very exciting day. I walked with my five favourite people and met many nice dogs. I also met famed dog intelligence researcher and TV host Dr. Stanley Coren. Best of all, I got to sniff a rabbit!

Although I tried to be different and started the walk going the wrong way, I quickly realized that it is best to just go with the crowd and have a good time. And I had to say, I had a super awesome time, especially since I was given lots of yummy treats.

Lucky and Flo win award

Three cheers for my fellow Lucky and her partner Flo. I wonder if they found any pirated copies of my films?

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Two American sniffer dogs who found millions of pirated DVDs while on loan to Malaysian authorities will receive medals of honor when their six-month assignment ends next week, an official said Thursday.

Black Labradors Lucky and Flo will be celebrated at an awards ceremony Monday before they return home to New York, said Nor Hayati Yahaya, the Motion Picture Association's manager for Malaysia.

Lucky and Flo — on loan from the U.S.-based association — have helped uncover pirated DVDs and equipment worth $6 million since they came to Malaysia in March, Nor Hayati said. The cases led to 26 arrests.

She said that the two female dogs seized 2 million of the 2.7 million discs seized this year.

CBC

I'm finally going to appear on the CBC.

I was just minding my business, rolling around in the grass near dog beach, when a reporter approached me. He interviewed me about rabies and I put my ball into the lens of the camera.

I have already appeared on CTV (Canada AM), Animal Planet (IAMS Pet Awards), Outdoor Life Network (IAM Pet Awards), Global Television (the Calgary breakfast show), Shaw Cable (Urban Rush) and MuchMusic (video for Kids These Days' song "Rest Tonight"). I have been in film festivals with my films Lucky Stars and Tierheim. I have also been in the Vancouver Sun three times and once in the Georgia Straight. I still need to get on to Citytv, and maybe some American television, too!

Here's a photo of me being interviewed by Nardwuar the Human Serviette from MuchMusic.

racism against dogs

Over the past two days, I have been victim to verbal attacks by peoples who don't like dogs. I did nothing to deserve these attacks. I was merely minding my own business, being cute and friendly.

The first incident happened just at the edge of dog beach, an off-leash park where dogs are allowed to frolic and swim. I was drying myself off in the grass when a mean man ran by and yelled at my friends "That thing should be on a leash!" Fortunately, my friends are witty and yelled back "Your short-shorts should be on a leash!" I would have added "That fugly piece of hair above your lip should be on a leash, buddy!" but I was too hurt by the rudeness of the runner. I really shouldn't use the word "runner" to describe this stringbean of a man. What he was doing appeared to be more like a cat hobbling on a fence. I hope he stepped in poop.

The second incident happened at a car dealership today. My friend took his new car in for a tune up and I kept him company. We were waiting outside, reading the paper, when a mechanic walked by and hissed at me "Dog are against my religion!" What religion are you in? The only religion I know of that is against dogs are the Pussies. As in Cats. And even they're making great strides towards tolerance. You realize that Dog is God backwards. Us dogs are closer to spiritual connection than this twit of a mechanic will ever be. I complained about the mechanic to the manager of the dealership, and he agreed that the mechanic is a twit, but apparently he can fix a car better than a cat.

Lighthouse Park

Those fortunate enough to know me appreciate that I am a dog who loves swimming, hiking, climbing, and fetching sticks. I can do all of these things at Lighthouse Park, so it is my new favourite place. I have gone there a lot this year and plan to visit even more during the summer.

Oscars

I'd like to thank the Academy...

Valentine's Day

I didn't get to see Neko on Monday, but I did get a nice walk with my friend Tundra that night. Almost as good.

Will you be my Valentine?

(Photo by Christopher Gruver)

retriever confessor brings the flood

Neko Case is coming to town! Or rather back to town, since she used to live in Vancouver. If anyone knows a way for a dog to get into the Commodore Ballroom to see a concert, please get in touch with me or leave a comment here. I wonder if I can somehow get her label, Mint Records, to help. After all, it's my smiling face on the YouTube site hosting the popular video from their Christmas party.

on the move

I've been staying with friends and not my usual homes for the past couple weeks. It was my way of entertaining for the holidays. I'm now dog tired, but glad to have my sister Coco back. She's been away for too long. She also has tasty toys... I'm looking forward to some hikes as soon as the rain goes away.

music

The snow is all gone. It is now time to shop for the holidays. I enjoy going to stores because I always get treats. Today, I went to my favourite food store, Tisol, and I also went to a book store. Books smell good. The book store treats were as good as the food store treats.

A lot of other bloggers are making top ten music lists for the holidays, but none of the other dog bloggers seem to do this. I have decided to be the first dog blogger with a top ten music list.


Lucky's favourite songs of the year!!

10. You Know I'm No Good - Ghostface Killah and Amy Winehouse - When I am told to wait in the back seat, but then I jump in the front seat, I know I'm no good, too.

9. I Was A Lover - TV On The Radio - The melody sounds like a bunch of cats being tortured. Slowly. It is soothing.

8. Sing Me Spanish Techno - The New Pornographers - This song is actually from last year, but it still makes me pant and sometimes dance.

7. Summersong - The Decemberists - I wish this song came out in the summer because it would be good to listen to while playing on the beach.

6. Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above - CSS - I have no idea what this song is about but the people who help me with my blog seemed to think it was neat that I like it.

5. It Covers The Hillside - Midlake - You know that feeling when you stick your head out of the car window and the wind rushes through your mouth, making your lips fill up with air, and your ears flap up and down? This is that feeling set to music. Midlake also sing about chasing deer.

4. Mr. Tough - Yo La Tengo - This is a great song for riding in the car, but I do not like the rest of the new Yo La Tengo CD so I always try to change it back to this song. Unfortunately, my nails can scratch car stereo buttons, so now I can only listen to this song on my dogPod.

3. Boys Don't Cry - Grant Lee Phillips - Gilmore Girls is my favourite TV show and both Grant Lee Phillips and Yo La Tengo are on that TV show. Grant Lee Phillips is on the show more often. If Lorelai or Rory put out a song this year, they would also be in my top 10. Also, this song is nice to listen to when I have to be alone, because girl dogs don't cry.


2. That Teenage Feeling - Neko Case - If I was a people, I'd be Neko Case. I wanted to make my whole top ten just the songs from Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, but I was told I would get treats if I had more variety in my list. This is the Neko song I listen to the most, but I love all her songs, even the old ones.


1. My Heart Will Go On - Garrison Keillor - Nothing summed up this year for me better than Garrison Keillor performing a song by Celine Dion in the season premiere of A Prairie Home Companion. And no one probably loved this rendition more than me. In fact, no people liked this rendition. It was only enjoyable for dogs. When Garrison Keillor sings, dogs are very happy.

Special treats go out to Sufjan Stevens, Nouvelle Vague, Peter Bjorn and John, Belle & Sebastian, Hell On Wheels, Mohawk Lodge, Jenny Lewis, and my perennial favourite, Eminem. I really liked all their new music, too.

I don't get it awards go to the Walkmen and the Wiggles. I was forced to hear a lot of these bands this year and don't get why peoples like them. They may be the same band, but I am sending them different prizes.

SNOW!!

I LOVE SNOW!

I love waking up in the morning and running around in the snow and eating as much as I can, then rolling around in it and eating some more, but I don't eat the yellow snow, although I may roll in it a little, and it's fun to pee like a boy dog by lifting my leg as I pee, or I can squat right into the snow and make a pee hole.

Oh, and chase the ball is eight times more fun in snow.

Why doesn't everyone want to play in the snow with me? It's going to go away soon. Let's PLAY!!

travel dog

Most dogs are creatures of habit. They like routine. They find new locations upsetting.

But not me.

I love travel. Nothing like a good ride in the car with the windows open, my tongue hanging out, and the wind in my ears. I've gone for rides in plane, sail boat, ferry, truck, van and many kinds of car. One day, I would like to go for ride in helicopter!!

I have been to many places: Edmonton, Calgary, Banff, Kamloops, Whistler, and Tofino. This past weekend, I took my second trip to Seattle. What some dogs don't know is that Seattle is across the border. I'm not sure what the border is, but the car moves slowly when we get near it. We roll down window and talk to a man in a uniform and then we speed up. It is very strange.

I had the best day ever on Saturday. First, I went for brunch at a restaurant called Norm's. Normally, when I go to restaurant, I have to sit outside on the patio, but I can go inside Norm's. And there were other dogs there! Peoples were watching a football game and when they cheered, all us dogs barked along with them. The servers brought me a water bowl, and I discovered the greatest food ever -- French fries! Yum!

Norm - the owner of Norm's

We left Norm's and went across the street to a dog store called Railey's. I got to pick out some treats for later. The store peoples gave me some snacks and I tried to walk into their back room area. I was just checking things out. They had some nice collars there.

Magnusson Dog Park

After that, I went to the Magnusson Dog Park. It is a big park just for dogs. There are trails, hills and a big lake. I played for a long time, but an aggressive border collie kept flirting with me. He didn't understand when I told him "No." Do border collies come from the border on the way to Seattle? It would explain so much.

dog tired

I then took a big nap. I was tired. But I woke up and found out the house I was staying at was having a party! And if you know me, you know I'm a party dog. I got to see many old friends and met new ones. I wore a pretty bead necklace and danced with everyone.

Lola from Laguna

I have one word to say to you, Lola. I crap bigger than you.

Okay. That's five words. I was just meaning to say the word "crap" but I got carried away.

I give to charity. I have an agent. I love being in front of the camera. But do I have a dorky emo haircut? No. I have class. I lick my own butt, but I do have standards.

Seven ways to become a canine celeb
Hollywood's hottest dog shares her secrets.
Deborah Netburn, Times Staff Writer
November 14, 2006

Lola from Laguna is a perky Pomeranian with an unusual haircut who has begun to take the world of celebrity dogs by storm. She signed with Le Paws pet talent agency just seven months ago and she has already become the spokesdog for the Hyatt Hotel in Beverly Hills, starred in a reality show called "Off the Leash," and launched a line of organic grooming products including shampoo, conditioner, paw cream and something called "bling spray." She has a publicist in New York and L.A. as well as an impressive collection of jeweled necklaces. "She never leaves town without her diamonds and pearls," says Melissa Hudson, Lola's mom-manager-spokesperson. "She's a diva dog."

In her short career, Lola has already been compared to Lassie, Benji and Eddie, the dog from "Frasier". "She wants to be on be one of those top Hollywood dogs," says Hudson. "She wants to show the world that she is capable and ready and she wants to go out there and have fun." Hudson is hoping that someday Lola may even costar in a movie with a big celebrity — perhaps as Matthew McConaughey's pet or something.

1. Manners are important.

2. Getting an agent is important.

3. Get going on publicity early.

4. Remember to think of those less fortunate than yourself.

5. It's all about personality.

6. Keep your public guessing.

7. You have to love it.

Lola from Laguna is 4 years old, but would prefer that we not mention her measurements. "She'll never reveal her real weight," said Hudson. "A girl never tells."

You can see more of Lola at www.lolainlaguna.com.

canine thespians in Defamer

As a canine thespian who loves having peoples read out Defamer to her, today's article about canine thespians made my tail wag.

Pity the canine thespian, chasing her Tinseltown dreams. From the moment she excitedly pads off the bus from Anywhere, USA, she's at an immediate disadvantage to her biped peers; the system, quite frankly, is set up to effectively guarantee the success of people over animals: their lack of opposable thumbs, inability to stand upright for long periods of time, and California's stringent, discriminatory health codes make it impossible to compete with humans for the waitressing jobs that provide a steady income while waiting for a break. (And the time-honored casting couch method of career-fasttracking, the dirty little secret that's produced countless stars, is closed to her, as bestiality is frowned up in all but the most deviant of productions.) So this dog, desperate to improve her million-to-one odds of success to a number her less advanced brain can more readily comprehend, scrapes together enough of her savings to enroll in some classes at a prestigious training institute like Hollywood Paws, hoping that the combination of newly honed skills and the school's claimed industry connections will help smooth the path to stardom.

I visited the Hollywood Paws website and found out that one of their graduates can currently be seen in Jackass 2, a movie in which peoples do a lot of the things that dogs like to do, such as eats rocks and sniff poo. I wonder if the dogs provided training for the peoples in that movie.

Is your dog on pot?

Cover story from The Vancouver Province:

Amber Lloyd, veterinary assistant technician at the Yaletown Pet Hospital, says she can count at least four cases at that facility in recent years.

"They're in lulu land," she said of the stoned dogs. "Their heads are rolling around, their eyeballs will roll back, they act drunk."

One 24-hour emergency clinic in Vancouver has begun testing dogs for drugs, using tests similar to those used by employers who have no-drug policies.

While dogs may be prone to go to pot, cats apparently are more inclined to just say no.

"Dogs are more prone to it because dogs eat everything," said Dr. Nicky Joosting, owner of the Vancouver Feline Hospital. "It is a big problem with cats in terms of eating things like ibuprofen."

skimboarding

I have a new hobby! I love skimboarding. I'm not good at throwing the skimboard into a stream, but if someone throws it for me, I can run after it and jump on. I want to compete in the canine summer Rollympics in 2008, when skimboarding will be a demonstration sport alongside flyball, disc dog, and musical freestyle dance.

acting again

I acted again today. It was my third time acting with my friend Ari. We worked on a TV show. Mommy came by to visit me for dinner. They had good cookies at craft services.

Lucky the DVD sniffing labrador

From ABC News:

An alliance of film industry groups that includes the Motion Picture Association of America and the Federation Against Copyright Theft has announced the world's first dogs specially trained to detect CDs and DVDs in bags and packages. The idea is that the dogs may be able to alert police to large stashes of pirated movies.

The MPAA says there are currently two DVD-sniffing dogs in the world. They are Labradors named Lucky and Flo working at Stansted Airport in the United Kingdom. The canines have been taught to recognize the unique smell of a compact disc.

...The dogs have had some success so far, according to the MPAA. But there is still more training that needs to be done. At this point, the dogs alert police to any CD or DVD they smell in packages and bags.