THE CHOCOLATE DOG BLOG: September 2006



Bosco loves Canada

Saturday, September 30, 2006
How is everyone's Saturday? It is a beautiful, sunny day in Halifax, the perfect fall day really. I just wanted to mention that next weekend Bosco is going on another adventure and adding another province to his travels. We are hitting P.E.I. for Thanksgiving weekend and the chocolate boy gets to go! We have rented a cottage for a few days and the place allows dogs. In fact the owners have a yellow lab of their own. I wonder if they will play? So stay tuned for a lot of pictures and tales from next weekend. I can picture Boss on the beach now going crazy with excitement. Still no progress on the comments, so sorry everyone. I am happy to see a few of you emailing me. You can do that or leave a comment on the right hand side in the chat box as well. Have a great Saturday. michaelbcusden@gmail.com

making progress

Thursday, September 28, 2006
Okay I took a break because I was getting frustrated but now I think I am getting somewhere. I am just posting some new stuff to see if the changes only work on those. Bosco is rolling his eyes at me and hopes you all don't blame him. After all he can't even use the Internet. Could you imagine trying to type with those paws! michaelbcusden@gmail.com

Bosco says hi

Still working on the comments issue. It seems there is some bad code in the template somewhere messing things up and everytime I think I found it, the comments are still not working. I invite you to email me if you really want to comment on something. I will post them once I get this thing working right! comment here if you want: michaelbcusden@gmail.com

Blogger sucks

Wednesday, September 27, 2006
I am sorry for how the blog looks. I have no idea what happened so I am blaming blogger. I am becoming less and less pleased with them and am considering moving to another platform.

A letter from Bosco

Dear Tony,

How is it going over in Korea? I hope you are having a good time and enjoying life. It has been a year since we last hung out and went for a run in the park and I miss it. You really understood me Tone. You knew that I liked to be outside in the park and I liked going on car trips. You are like the fun uncle I never had!

Life has been great out her in Nova Scotia but part of me will always miss the good times on Bloor Street with you.

I hope you have been keeping fit and not passing out on the couch too much. I always was worried when I would come out and see you on the couch. My licks did help I think.

Michael does not play video games as much as you did and I miss watching that. I do not have thumbs so playing the games is not an option and it was nice to watch you battle on the xbox late at night.

How are the 90210 crew?? They were a lot of fun when I went to the cottage with you. Even those other dogs were cool although they seemed to be insecure about getting attention from people. I cannot help how cool of a dog I am.

This year has been great! I went on my first plane, I have a lot of new places to go for walks and play fetch. I live with a cat now that is fun to chase around and I have so much room in my new house. The car trips are great too because I get to go swimming in the lake, you should see how far I go out! I bet Michael gets worried that I am going to swim out in the ocean or even follow the seaway and try to get back to Toronto.

Being three years old has made me start to value all the important things in life and on top of that list is good friends. You and Sydney still rank right up there and I so truly hope I will see both of you again one day. You are free to visit me anytime and you can stay in my room! Yep thats right I have my very own room.

So Tone, take care, hope the new relationship is going great and that you get your own dog one day soon. May I suggest a lab??

sincerely Bosco the chocolate wonder dog

p.s. I am still sorry about the incident with your bed.

Where are all the Bosco fans?

Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Hi everyone how is it going? Just checking in even there is not a lot of news that relates to Bosco. The last month there has been a huge dip in readership and page views and I hope it is not because Bosco has lost his appeal!

Blogger has been a little slow and frustrating as well so I do not know if that has anything to do with it.

Anyways I hope all the Bosco fans are still out there and not bored of the chocolate boy. Maybe it is everyone going back to school and the non summer mode with less time to read on the net.

I will try to keep the page fun and fresh too! Leave some comments or a message on the side and let me know someone is out there.

The many faces of Bosco

Thursday, September 21, 2006
Thought I would throw some pictures together of the many facial expressions of Bosco over the years.

If you are wondering about the music, it is from a band called Jets Overhead, I suggest you check them out.

Diamonds are for Bosco

Just got back from the ball diamond. Great day outside so we had to go play in the sun! Bosco is all tired out now and ready for a day of naps and snacks. The life of a dog sure seems appealing sometimes. Oh wait I have the day off too so I can do the same thing and watch TV!

Here are some shots of the walk.

Sad Bosco

Bosco is feeling kind of sad today. Katie's dad was thinking about coming for a visit this weekend from Toronto and well Bosco loves visitors!

Turns out the plane tickets were too much (I blame the Rolling Stones) so there will be no visitors this weekend.

I broke the news to Boss just now and had to capture his emotion.

Start Me Up - Bosco and I check out the Commons

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

DSC05403

So I could not find any decent pictures of the setting up of the Stones concert so me and Bosco went down ourselves today to check it out. The whole place is fenced up and you can't even walk around the Commons. The furthest I got was the far corner where the stage was before they told me I could go no further. Streets are blocked off and traffic is congested. This is only Tuesday!

The army of toilets are rolling in and I have seen two large trucks go by our place so far. To be honest it seems that they should be a lot further ahead in the setup. The workers sure are going slow as I bet they are getting paid pretty well by the hour of course.

The grass is already brown and dead in most parts of the field and their are tire tracks everywhere. There were also a lot of wanna be reporters over there taking pictures and talking with the locals. Most of the talk in the wind is pretty negative about the inconvenience.So check out the pics and I will probably walk down again on Friday and Saturday when it is more setup and their are people waiting in line to get in and get the great spot.

Dog day afternoon

Sunday, September 17, 2006

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We just got back from today's swim at Long Lake and it is pretty safe to say Bosco is one tired dog. It is a gorgeous day in Halifax so we hit the park and there were numerous other dogs swimming as well. Of course Bosco had to steal every other ball and act like a big jerk but it was all in good fun. I think we saw four or five other chocolates today as well. So now we are home to rest for the afternoon. Check out the pictures.

A Lab needs our help

Saturday, September 16, 2006
I just saw this in the paper today, too bad I was not around yesterday, this was just down the street from me. Good luck girls! 'We must help this dog' Girls fundraise to help get Webber a new hip By Emily Bowers The Daily News In unison, the 10-year-old voices chime out: "Do you wanna buy a cookie?" If you've been around Quinpool Road during rush hour this week, you've probably seen - and maybe given few quarters to - six Grade 5 girls who are raising money for a dog who needs hip surgery. "We thought that we must help this dog," said Catherine Rutledge, as the girls offered Fudgeos and chocolate chip cookies in front of the House of Dogs store. The girls heard about the plight of Webber, a year-old black Labrador Retriever, on their regular visits to House of Dogs. They set up a table, selling cookies and pop, and figured they've raised about $150 so far. The selling is great some days; others, not so much. "Some of (the buyers) are animal lovers and they give us a really huge tip," said Sophie Kinley, citing a $10 bonus given to them by one kind heart Thursday. Trish Pittman, founder of the Labrador Rescue of Nova Scotia, said she's amazed by the girls' efforts. "It was heartbreaking, I thought that was the best thing in the world," she said. Pittman took Webber, who was at the Cape Breton SPCA, into her home a few months ago. He was recently adopted by a family in the Annapolis Valley, but the group agreed to pay for surgery for the pup. It's a defect from birth caused by bad breeding, Pittman said. It's not known how Webber came to be at the Cape Breton shelter. Webber will have surgery on his right hip on Wednesday, which has bone-on-bone contact and causes the dog severe pain. His left hip is less serious, but will need surgery later. The total cost is estimated between $4,000 and $5,000. And the girls, students at Sir Charles Tupper School, say they love knowing they're helping Webber. Even though after-school activities are starting up and the girls say they'll have to start going to things like peer helper and hockey, they'll still be out with their cookies and pop on Saturdays. And their next goodwill target? The plight of disappearing polar bears. ebowers@hfxßnews.ca

Interesting promotion, check it out

Friday, September 15, 2006
Hi, Michael. I'm writing from a PR firm to tell you - and Bosco - about an online promotion that benefits the National Borzoi Rescue Foundation. I thought you might be interested in passing this along to your - well, Bosco's - readers. What it is: GourmetStation.com, a company that creates in-home dining experiences, is running a contest called "Get Out of the Dog House." They are asking people to submit a short, under two-minute video on how they got in and how they got out of "the dog house” with family, friends or associates by Oct. 7. The top three winners will receive a 12-, six- or three-month Dinner of the Month Club certificate from GourmetStation.com (worth upwards of $1,000). During this promo, GourmetStation.com is offering $10 off every order it sells and donating the money to Borzoi Rescue. Thanks for your time, and let me know if you have any questions. For more information about the National Borzoi Rescue Foundation, you can visit: www.nbrf.info. For more information about the contest, please visit http://www.myspace.com/getoutofthedoghouse. For more information about GourmetStation, please visit www.gourmetstation.com. Charlie Kondek

Another day of swimming

Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Since I head back to work tomorrow and the weather is great today in Halifax, I decided to take Bosco out to Long Lake again for a swim and a good walk. You have seen the pics before so I did not take my camera this time. He had fun as usual swimming in the lake and chasing after tennis balls. He found two more today and the car is slowing filling up with tennis balls. There were some other dogs to play with and sniff so Bosco was as happy as can be. I do think his favourite part though is sitting in the back seat as we drive around. I have never seen a dog so interested in going for rides. I bet if he could he would want to drive. We are home now and the big guy is in the house some where fast asleep. At least I know he will be well exercised for a bit and I can have some peace and quiet. Does anyone else from the Halifax area know of any cool spots to take the dog?? Anyways have a super day and I will be back again with more Bosco tales.

Bosco says check out all my friends!!

I came across this group of chocolate lab owners who all send their pictures to this flickr account. So take some time and check out all these cute guys and gals!! If you like to look at dog pictures to pass the time, set the slideshow in motion and enjoy.

Death to Booda

Well most of you by now know Bosco has a toy cow named Booda. He has had it since May and Bosco never goes to far without it. Well this weekend while we were away, Bosco decided it was time for Booda to become many Booda's. Paul left us a note saying that Bosco had destroyed some of his toys while they were playing. I checked it out and sure enough Booda had been killed. Here are some shots of the outcome, please look away if you have a weak tummy! RIP Booda.....you were a good toy.

Getting a new puppy

Tuesday, September 12, 2006
I have decided I have a great amount of knowledge to share simply because I have been through the battles, sleepless nights and growing pains of raising a puppy from day 1. I would like to start sharing those tips and ideas with people who may be thinking about a new dog or who have just gotten a new puppy and are looking for help. So this will most likely be an ongoing thing so please check it out. 10 things to have prepared for the trip home.
  1. A crate/kennel that will fit your dog when he/she is fully grown.
  2. A quiet space for the kennel and the dog to sleep. I kept Bosco in my bedroom and that worked out fine. I do not think a busy room is ideal in the beginning.
  3. Decide on where the bathroom is going to be for your dog, outside or on paper. The sooner the dog knows where to go to the bathroom the better.
  4. Treat it like you are bringing a baby home and baby-proof your place. A dog will chew and chew and chew and anything you do not want wrecked, keep them away from it.
  5. A few toys or a towel or an old shirt that smells like you is nice for the kennel. It makes it easier when you are not around, the dog will still have your smell.
  6. Pre-plan the food and water area and have it set up. Dogs are all about routine so the sooner it is set up and they know where it is the better.
  7. If possible take a few days off of work or pick your dog up on a weekend so you can be there in the beginning. You don't want the dog to feel abandoned right away.
  8. Start small with boundries. At first Bosco only had his kennel and then I built a wall a few feet around his kennel and over the weeks this grew to half my room and so on. Eventually he had the run of the whole place. I found going slow is a great way for them to learn where they can and can't go. Just opening your place up for a free roam is a bad idea.
  9. Get ready for sleepless nights. It took about a month for Bosco to stop crying in the night and I usually had to lay next to his kennel (falling asleep most times). The lights outs and not having the mom and brothers and sisters around is hard in the beginning.
  10. Finally the biggest thing you need is PATIENCE. I will promise you all the hard work and sleepless nights in the beginning makes the job so easy after the first year. Setting routines and exposing your dog to as much as you can early is the best way to go. They learn fast and sometimes faster than we think. I know they are not children but raising them with the same ideas is a good plan.
Next time, what to do that first time you think they are sick.

three years!

Just wanted to make a quick post to mention I have now had Bosco for three years! For all of you who were around that first week, can you believe it!! I am totally bias but Bosco is the best dog ever. September 12th, 2003 September 12th, 2006

Frosh week with Bosco

Monday, September 11, 2006
Well we made it back from Ottawa and Bosco was still in the house so that worked out well. Thanks to Paul who did a great job and seemed to leave Bosco exhausted. Must of been all the frosh week get togethers they went too, the keg parties and late night binges. Who knew Bosco was such a social dog. I am slowly getting back into the blog routine so I am sure there will be something more substantial later on today. For now this is how Bosco looked at the end of a fun weekend.

A car trip

Friday, September 08, 2006
Of course we ended up going for a car trip out to a trail that leads to Long Lake Provincial Park. The camera was working today so I took a bunch of pictures for your entertainment. Bosco found two tennis balls in the woods and played with a few fun doggies. There is no way he does not sleep all day now after that hike and swim.

Bosco says hi

I was not going to blog until later when there might actually be something cool to talk about but Bosco insisted I say hi since it has been a few days. He is getting his chocolate all up in a huff because the numbers on the site have dropped over the last week. I keep trying to tell him that school is back and people are going back to their non-summer lives. That means less time to troll the Internet and read about chocolate dogs. He seems to disagree but this is from a dog who will chase his own tail. I hope everyone is enjoying the back to school life and all is good and happy out in dog land. I may take Bosco on an adventure later if the sun comes out, we will see. Regardless the chocolate wonder is going to have a fun weekend. Katie and I are going to Ottawa for a few days and Bosco gets to have a baby sitter all weekend. Hope he does not terrorize the poor guy too much. So on Monday we will see how everyone made out and I may even be able to talk Paul into writing about the weekend of Bosco through his eyes. If I do not post again today, have a great weekend and see you on Monday.

Grown up pups

Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Bosco was featured the other day on Grown-up Puppies. Go check it out.

Routines

Monday, September 04, 2006
I am sure all of the dog owners out there know all about routines and how important they are for dogs. Once a solid routine is set, there is not a lot of work to be done as long as things go how they are supposed to go. I know my days with Bosco get much easier when a new routine gets put in place and we both can function on autopilot.

Here is one that I really enjoy. When I moved here last October there was the whole everything is new thing and every little act of the day had to be relearned for Bosco, where he went outside etc.

In Toronto (his first place) we always went out back of the apartment and he knew it well so I could trust him to just go out and do his thing. He knew the rules and stuck to them.

But the new place in Halifax, despite having a backyard, had to be entered and exited from the from of the house. Of course the sidewalk and road are right there although it is a very quiet street with not a lot of practice.

In the beginning when you let Bosco out, you had to go out with him even on those cold fall mornings. After awhile I started just letting him out and coaching him to go to the backyard. There was the occasional slip up when he wanted to explore or if there were people going by to visit. It was a work in process that is for sure.

But now 11 months later I think it is about as set in stone as it is going to get. I open the door, he goes to the yard and comes back whenever he feels like it. There have been a few times where I forget he is even out there and he doesn't go anywhere. Usually he sits at the door and waits. The trick is that he knows he gets a treat when he comes in so I know thats what the payoff is for him.

This makes life easy at the end of the day or early in the morning when you just do not want to go outside with him. I love routines!

Bosco waiting to come in.

Waiting patiently for that treat!

You will just have to use your imagination

Sunday, September 03, 2006
So yesterday we drove to a new area to walk Bosco that friends have been talking about and it was so worth it. We went to this trail off the highway and leading to Long Lake Provincial park. It was secluded and felt a lot like we were camping. It was your typical trail and Bosco was going crazy with all the new smells. Of course I turn on my camera to take some pictures and for whatever reason it is on the fritz and not working right. This should of told me something picture worthy was going to happen and of course it did. We come around a bend and there is the beach, not a people beach but more like a dog beach. There were a handful of dogs playing in the water and of course Bosco bolted for this. Once we got closer we noticed one of the other dogs was a chocolate puppy! It was funny how all the other dogs vanished from site and the two labs played with each other. It was like big brother, little sister. All the other people and dogs cleared out and it was now just Bosco and the puppy. The lab pup's name was Lola and was six months old. They played and wrestled and swam for close to an hour and it was pure entertainment. Katie got to see a side of Bosco she missed out on , not seeing him as a puppy. Bosco did so much swimming he must of lost some weight for sure. He went way out into the lake, we thought he just may keep going. It was so funny to see them play even though you could tell that were tired beyond belief. Lola was a perfect playmate for this day and I hope we run into them again. We swapped stories like all dog owners do and I was telling them some things to look out for as their chocolate grows up. Once we separated them we continued walking so Bosco would have some time to dry off before getting back in the car. We then did quick stops at Chapters, Future Shop and Superstore before driving home. You would think Bosco would love being in the parking lots with all those people to watch but he slept and relaxed. The yound pup tired him out. Once we got home Bosco basically slept for the rest of the day and looked sooooo tired. Of course the camera started working again so I took some shots of him being sleepy. Fun day, we will have to go back again and for the owners of Lola if you by some chance stumble on this blog, say hi.

New record

Friday, September 01, 2006
Yesterday (Thursday) the Chocolate Dog Blog had it's best day ever for traffice and views. Thank you everyone for helping the growth of this site. I am really enjoying the community that is growing.

You've got mail!

So this is a funny story about Bosco and the Canadian Postal Service. Like most of you, there is a regular mail man that comes everyday, same time, rain or shine. Also like most of you, your mail carrier has dog treats in his bag. Over the past few months Bosco has found this out and I think keeps charts on the times the mail man comes to the door. Today on the way home from a walk, I spotted the mail man coming and sure enough seconds after Bosco also spotted him. Now for all you large dog owners, when they really, really want to get somewhere, there is little you can do. So Bosco basically drags me to the treat man, I mean mail man. He knows Bosco too and always gives him a few snacks. Maybe Bosco should join the force and deliver mail for a living? I mean he already has a blog right! Enjoy your Friday.