THE CHOCOLATE DOG BLOG: July 2006

New story

Monday, July 31, 2006

Last Friday, it was a cold and rainy day in Halifax. The house was quiet since the humans left for the day, most likely to go shopping and dining out. Bosco was currently sleeping on his bed and Mercy was of course sitting in the window, watching the World go by. Little did Mercy know that upon the return of the humans, he would have a new enemy to deal with.

The relationship between Bosco and Mercy has become pretty good over the last 9 months and a new found trust has been established. That being said, the bond between a cat and a dog is not a normal one and it could easily disintegrate at a moments notice. What variable could break these two new friends apart? One can only imagine................

full story

Mick Jagger wants to play in Bosco's backyard!

Belated birthday wishes

Sunday, July 30, 2006

From Pirita and Monty Belated birthday wishes to Bosco!!!!!!!!!! I hope the big guy had a great chocolate day. That's a really cute clip of the bunny and Bosco's twin.....I thought it was Bosco until I read the caption.

Bosco look alike and a bunny

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Great minds think alike

Check out this post from My lab taz. It is the exact same toy Katie bought Bosco for his birthday last week. Also if you check out this blog you will see some art work I did that has made the rounds on the net I guess. Bosco is famous if you did not already know.

Poisonous plants

One of the most common elements to brighten any home is the use of both indoor and outdoor plants. Unknown to most, some of the prettiest of plants can be the most poisonous and deadly to animals, including their family Labrador Retriever.Labs are known chewers and with that said, they will put their mouth on almost anything within their reach. This includes things not only on the floor but also items on counters, tables, and anyplace else your Lab may be able to climb up to. So, before you buy that pretty plant you saw at the store, check to make sure it is not on this list.Read the full article here. 8 Paws Up Lab Info & Gifts http://www.8pawsup.com

The life of a three year old

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Well the hoopla has died down, the balloons have deflated and the beer is dry. Bosco's third birthday bash was a huge success and I want to thank you all for your comments and how much the site has been checked out in the last few days. Monday and Tuesday were two of the busiest days ever. You can always check out the stats yourself by clicking the link at the very bottom of the site. So now there is a new year ahead and new things to experience for Bosco. Already he has a new thing going on. His love of the mailman. Our regular mail man always has treats and Bosco knows this. He will drag anyone to get to the mail man and the last few days he has even taken off down the street after the guy. It is quite comical at how hyper he gets. It is so nice to have an understanding and easy going guy bringing the mail. I mean that is a lot of chocolate coming your way. Coming soon: Bosco tee shirts???

Birthday action

Monday, July 24, 2006

So you must be wondering what Bosco has been up to on his birthday so far??? Well the weather has not really been helpful since it has been raining all day. The plan was to go for a long walk and a swim but that turned into a short walk and some chuck it fun. Bosco did get some good presents though. A chewing loopy ball thingy from Katie and I got him a new stuffed toy. A big ol' octupus this time. He has been seen and heard running around the house with both of them today. Naps, treats and lots of cuddles, talk about a great day! Here are the pics. Thanks for all the visits today, as of now we are on our way to a record!!

thanks Katie

Oh whats that!

Bosco likes presents

All hail Octo!

Birthday greetings

Dear Bosco, Woof woof! We want to wish you a very Happy Birthday full of love and joy and tail wagging. We are thrilled to be able to celebrate it with you! Bosco will be profiled today with other birthday doggies on Dogster's special Birthday Stroll: http://www.dogster.com/assign_stroll.php?o=birthday Since it's your birthday we want to give you something special, so we given you 25 Dogster bones and one vote of 5 Paws! Dogster loves you! Sincerely, Your Friends at Dogster

Happy Birthday Bosco!

Happy 3rd birthday Bossy!

Chocolate Youtube

Friday, July 21, 2006

Figured I would see how much Chocolate Lab action there was on Youtube.

There are so many more, just go to Youtube and type in Chocolate labs.

Since Bosco can't check his own blog....

It is safe to tell you that we are going to the big Pet store today to find a gift worthy of a third birthday. I have no idea what I will come home with but I am sure Bosco will like it very much. I do not really even know if the whole event has registered with the Chocolate guy yet. Wow turning three, that is huge. No more acting like a kid, time to step up and be an adult doggie. Time to make your own descisions, get a job and start contributing to the world. Haha, that would be something eh? It has been a big year for Bosco, moving provinces and leaving behind his friends, getting used to living with a cat and of course the recent weight loss triumph. What is in store for Bosco as a grown up?? Good thing this blog is here so everyone can follow along. I will update later what we picked up for the bundle of chocolate joy. Have a super day everyone. 3 days til the big day.

Countdown

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

5 days until Bosco's 3rd birthday! In human years it is the big 21! He will be legal to drink in the USA finally haha. 5 days!

Aggressive Dogs and their owners

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Now I was not there today but I have encountered enough of these dogs/owners to vent about it. Katie took Bosco to the school yard where we go if the ball diamond is in use. It is a designated dog area with the signs etc. so I do not mind letting Bosco off leash. I mean he is well behaved but he can be a little crazy and happy around kids and parents sometimes do not like that. So based on what I was told, there was this owner their with a very aggressive dog. She pointed out that her dog was aggressive and still let it off leash. Of course it attacked or went for Bosco and then put back on leash. Bosco is fine and sometimes can be a wimp about that stuff but still the issue is the same. Why if you know you have an aggressive dog do you take it to a dog park??Dogs don't change so its not like it will wake up one day and be different towards other dogs. Bosco is not one to stir up trouble so clearly the dog today just is not socialized. What if it was a kid? Then it would be a big deal I have no tolerance for this and when it happens and I am with Bosco I defend him like my own little kid. It can be scary to see and usually sounds worse than it is but it should not happen in it the first place. If you have a dog that can't behave and could harm another dog, leave it out of the park!! Walk it on a leash anywhere else and respect the people who are there to enjoy it. Phew that was a good rant eh?

Backyard Bosco

Just some shots from yesterday when we were pretty much living in the backyard. One of Bosco's favourite places for sure! Have a super Sunday.

Chocolate Saturday

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Good morning, here are a few randow posts for today. Hope it is sunny and beautiful like it is here. Yesterday after Bosco's big triumph at the scales his reward was a trip down to the water for a swim. He enjoyed chasing a stick into the water over and over and over again. Boy that will shed even more weight off that chocolate frame eh. I got a very nice post from Rob about the site and he featured Bosco so here is the PR for his site in return.

Check it out , I read a few interesting things already and hey he has a chocolate so that makes him good in my books. Cooper looks like a great guy. Thanks again Rob. Another comment mentioned they wondered why there was no before and after shot of Bosco's big weight loss. Man that would of been a good idea. I can only offer you this since I did not think of that great idea. BEFORE:

a big lump of chocolate AFTER:

A slim, weight watchers kind of chocolate Ok I think that is all for today. The comments lately have been great and I wanted to thank all the loyal readers for taking part of their day to check in on Bosco. I know he likes the attention. Have a super weekend. 9 days til Bosco's big 3rd birthday bash.

A weight off Bosco's shoulders!

Friday, July 14, 2006

MARCH 20: Bosco weighed in at 99lbs. MARCH 29: Bosco weighed in at 92lbs. APRIL 25: Bosco weighed in at 90lbs. MAY 4: Bosco weighed in at 90lbs. (although the scale flirted with 89)keep up the good work Bosco! MAY 19: Bosco weighed 91.8 lbs. Ok it is going the wrong way but still it is not bad! MAY 30: Bosco weighed 88.2 lbs! Way to go Bosco, only 3 more to go. JUNE 21: Bosco weighed 86.8 lbs. Almost there buddy! JULY 5: Bosco weighed 85.4 lbs. Holy crap lets throw a party! JULY 14th: Bosco has done it!! 84.6 lbs. Way to go Bosco, 14 lbs. in 4 months. The vet says for dogs to lose weight it is a 5 to 1 scale with humans. So if you do the math, Bosco lost 70 lbs in 4 months. Impressive. The vet would like to see him at stay under 85 lbs.

Dog quotations

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Check out this site I came across. It is called Dog quotations and has all kinds of funny stuff to read. Dog Quotations to Celebrate Your Friendship Your dog's birthday. Your anniversary together. Special events. Or no occasion at all.

Classic Bosco puppy picture

Dear Bosco - Summer time

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Dear Bosco is a feature to the Chocolate Dog Blog where Bosco will take questions from you the reader and try his best to help and give good advice. Dr. Bosco has a PH-Dog from Georgetown University and a masters in dog therapy. please ask your questions in the comment section and Dr. Bosco will answer them as soon as he can. thank you

Interesting read for new choco pups

Origionally came across this in a newsgroup: Cheyenne was diagnosed with OCD a few days ago and since then I have been devouring all the information I can on the topic: the disease, statistics, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of OCD. With all this information, I decided to write another article in the hopes that it will help prevent other Labs and their owners from having to go through this disease. I know that some things are out of our control but I think every Lab owner should be informed about this disease and how to detect the early warning signs. Read the article here: http://www.8pawsup.com/articles/labsocd.html I would greatly appreciate it if you all can take the time to read it and comment back. You know how much I respect your opinions. ~Shannon owned by Dakota & Cheyenne 8 Paws Up Labrador Retrievers http://www.8pawsup.com

The ears of a Bosco

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

How many of you can relate to this? In the mornings there is silence, you know that dead to the world quiet that is so nice to wake up to. The bedroom door is ajar and the world is not ready to wake up. Then you move your toe, or take a breath and the next thing you know all that calm is gone in one door bursting moment. Yes that is right, Bosco has sensed we are awake and that can only mean he is seconds to getting his breakfast. Is he waiting outside the door for any sign of life? Does he wake up from the rustle and charge the room? I am always amazed at how good the hearing is when it is time to eat and how bad it is when it is time to come in from outside. I suppose dogs are like kids (even adults) and have selective hearing. Even after a few years, waking up like this every day still brings a smile to my face.

Bosco references quiz

Monday, July 10, 2006

Many people always try to guess where I derived Bosco's name from. Here are the most popular ideas and of course the real answer as well. Chocolate Syrup you can get in the U.S.A. Maurice "Bosco" Boscorelli of Third Watch fame. That one Seinfeld episode The sheriff from Dukes of Hazard What Phil Stubbs called Ed on the TV show Ed The answer is at the bottom but you have to highlight over it since I made it match the background. It is right here: The first picture of course

World Cup Bosco

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Bosco has given his prediction for today's World Cup final between France and Italy. France 2 Italy 0 You can put that in your dog dish and eat it!

Chocolate Dog Blog stats

Thursday, July 06, 2006

I was taking a look at the numbers that the site has generated and the trends are pretty good. As you can see the hits are growing pretty fast! The last three months there has been an average of 700 new visitors and around 1300 total page hits. That is awesome! May 8th there were 115 unique hits and that is the biggest day so far. All the linking and getting to know new people/dogs/blogs is really working and I want to thank everyone for this. A small community is growing and it is cool to see it. The most exciting part is there are roughly 200 returning visitors each month so that tells me I must be doing somthing right. Or maybe it is all Bosco! These numbers are exciting and there are many cool things to come leading up to the big guys third birthday on July 24th! Have a good day everyone!!

Meet Tyson

Introducing Tyson the Boxer. He belongs to a co-worker of mine and Bosco and him met up for the first time yesterday. It was a slobbery affair with both dogs ending up very tired. Check out the pictures. You can also find Tyson on the updated Bosco's Friends list on the right side of the page.

Meet Ranger

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

hi michael! I found your blog off the Labrador site. I have a blog too, http://rangerthedog.blogspot.com/ maybe you can visit or we can link back to each other! keep up the great work, us labs love seeing ourselves on the internet.

regards,

ranger, the dog

Weight, it is Bosco the skinny dog

MARCH 20: Bosco weighed in at 99lbs.MARCH 29: Bosco weighed in at 92lbs. APRIL 25: Bosco weighed in at 90lbs. MAY 4: Bosco weighed in at 90lbs. (although the scale flirted with 89)keep up the good work Bosco! MAY 19: Bosco weighed 91.8 lbs. Ok it is going the wrong way but still it is not bad! MAY 30: Bosco weighed 88.2 lbs! Way to go Bosco, only 3 more to go. JUNE 21: Bosco weighed 86.8 lbs. Almost there buddy! JULY 5: Bosco weighed 85.4 lbs. Holy crap lets throw a party! The vet would like to see him at 85 lbs.

Chocolate email comments

Monday, July 03, 2006

I love all the emails I get about the site. Keep them coming. Here are a few from the past few weeks. I'm thrilled to see a site dedicated to the Chocolate Lab...they are lovely, numbskulls....as I like to refer to my, Trotter, my beloved 7 year old boy. Continued success, Kim The Pet Set www.the-petset.com www.blogfabulous.com Hi there! I was doing some searching on the next about Chocolate Labs and came across your blog. My girlfriend and myself have an 8-Month Old Chocolate Lab also named Bosco (inspired by the TV Show Third-Watch) and we are in Dartmouth! Just thought I'd drop you a line. One of his pic's are attached. Thanks, Adam. You can email me anytime about whatever you want and I am sure I will put it up on the site. As long as it is about Chocolate dogs or other types of dogs. Also feel free to use the Chocolate Dog Blog forum as well. Have a good day.

Bosco will miss Charlie V

It was sad to see him get traded and Bosco will miss you Charlie V.

Bosco and Mercy: summer vacation

Well it is officially summer now the July is here and the sun is actually out! I know they do not go to school and do not really have that much to do in general but I have noticed Bosco and Mercy living their days as if it were summer vacation lately. A lot of relaxing and either playing outside or wanting to be outside. The weekend was pretty rainy and that always depresses the Bosco man so today should be fun with the sun shining bright and me being off work so we can go on a fun walk. Mercy spends most of his day in a window dreaming of being outside. We did let him walk around the backyard a few weeks ago and he acted like he had discovered Narnia! Here are some pics from the last week or so. Still very much liking all the great comments and I have to say the hits to the site are getting better and better. Have a good day.