Playing Keep-Away for a Good Reason

Last blog, my PR Mom was "teaching." This time, I guess I am. But first... let me show you how we celebrated Easter Sunday here. My PRs have told me about my Creator's Resurrection... but I had an idea that there was also supposed to be a little springtime-and-flowers ambiance. Right?



I ask you! Does this look like spring?

Well, all right. Now I'll put on my teacher's hat.



(At least it isn't a Gentle Leader.)

Mom picked up a little booklet a the vet's office when she was getting me some Heartguard. It's called, "101 Things You Didn't Know Could Harm Your Pet." Although the booklet is selling pet insurance, it warns about things Mom says every pet owner should know. Every pet, too.

As marvelous as we canines are (especially CCI dogs), there are actually things out there that can hurt us! Can you imagine? So, my fellow four-footies (including MEE-YOWs, I guess), let's keep away from these things this summer. Happily for you, I'm not gonna list all 101. But here are some of the good ones:

HOME, SWEET HOME: Maybe I'll never get into the medicine cabinet (it's too high up), but if I find a pill on the floor I'm liable to check it out with my tongue. So don't let me find aspirin, ibuprofin, or any such thing. Keep me away from vitamins and any kind of people medicine. Keep me away from diet pills and insulin. To us dogs, the stuff looks like doggy treats!

(These are dog treats.)

(These are not.)

Keep us away from detergent, fabric softener, disinfectants, drain cleaners, any kind of bug spray, mouse (or rat or snail) bait, and mothballs. (What the moths are doing playing with balls I don't know.) Keep us away from paint thinners, tobacco, and liquid potpourri. Let us have carrots, puppy biscuits, and peanut butter, but not Drano, cigar butts, or dryer sheets!

NOW GROWING IN A YARD NEAR YOU: I'm (ahem) much too grown up to nibble on plants... except maybe that little one over there. Oh, and that one looks good, too. This is part of the HUGE no-no list: Lilies, ferns, ivy, bittersweet, morning glories, daffodils, hyscinths, honeysuckle, iris, lantana, lilies of the valley (they're cute), oleander (nasty!), privet, tulips, wisterias, and yews. They may look good, but plant 'em where we just can't get to 'em.