Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for August 30, 2014

Arthur is about to have his Highland Fling, Flung.

Arthur, you’re supposed to play the bagpipes, not the Peter Townshend pipe.

BevI call your black lab and raise you a brown one!

Ha!2Old, I call your brown lab and raise YOU a golden retriever!

Then again, the Ransoame"s pitbull, Scout, says it’s not the quantity, but the quality.

And Fenton just finds the whole subject mortifying.

It’s OK, my friend… a dog who can balance his own checkbook, and discuss the balance of trade, isn’t expected to balance Milkbones on his nose.

Meanwhile, Arthur had better not practice his Highland Fling in the Tiki, or Fenton will fling him right into Sunday….

He’s had all he can take for one night.

Hi Susan, should I try a…?

Ooooh…. X…

I mean…. um blush…er..why, yes …

I didn’t know you were wearing a … a… oh, I see….never mind….

But sure….

Och, Arthur, laddie, did ye take yer haggis out of yer sporran?

HAH!! Balancing biscuits: no big deal! Try having the patience to balance a frosted cupcake and not gobble it up!

Now Arthur’s gone and done it! He’s kilt the table!

Aye, it takes a manly dog to wear a kilt!

In Ireland we kick each other……

Dogs are noble animals……. I would never subject one to performing tricks..Even Essex’s snarling shepherd dog could be got round. It might take a while, but it can be done.

A flaunting flautist.

pcolli…

I have known dogs who I’m convinced really loved being trained. You could tell by their eagerness to learn, and to show off what they could do.

Dogs are pack animals…. once you establish that you are Alpha, they push to be important in the hierarchy, and useful…. and they love praise.

If you’re pleased, they trust you aren’t about to kill them, or oust them, which is what dog pack leaders do, in the wild.

Some people “spoil” a dog by giving in all the time…. but I believe I believe letting a dog control you or vie for Alpha position only confuses him.

Getting to eat before you, sit higher than you, grab things from you makes him think he’s the leader….

But…. you continue to “kill” the pack’s food and eat the parts of it he wants to eat, and moreover, expect him to obey you.

Learning a few commands makes him secure in his position.

And I don’t believe a dog has any idea that “Sit” is dignified but “Hold this banana on your head” is not.

My dad belonged to the Highlanders in WWII, before Canada was able to call itself the RCAF (Dad was in the RAF first, but by the end of the war, it was the RCAF. He looked good in a kilt.

My Grandmother was a MacArthur.Arthur is high fa-luting these days.

Good Night Ballardeers.

Happy Labour Day to any Canadians living on Ballad Street!

@ Bev,All the dogs won!Spent the day with the new Granddog. I forgot toddlers were exhausting! She is a mini Rottweiler/chihuahua mix. So cute and sweet and needy. But she gives kisses freely,We had her in TJMaxx and were at the dog bed aisle. She walked up to a bed, got in and wouldn’t get out. When we lifted her out, she drug it off the shelf and got back in. We bought it, what choice did we have? lol

Shika….

Can’t we here in the States have a happy Labor Day too?

sniffle…

I’m sure you didn’t mean to exclude us…did you?

2Old, I think you’re right…LOL!

Happy Labo(u)r Day!

You’ll probably find that Scotsmen DO wear underwear because those aren’t real kilts. They are a Victorian invention.

THANKS BEV! I just saw it. I spent my Labour Day trying to finish my application to the College of Registered Psychotherapists. Still a couple hours left should do it.

SUSAN, I was the one who felt excluded with all the American flags, so I just said Happy Labour Day to fellow Canadians.But I didn’t mean to exclude anyone.Do any other countries celebrate today as Labo(u)r Day?

Happy Labor Day too! :-)