Saturday, September 30, 2017

Flag Waving Dog Walk Views

Flag Waving Dog Walk Views
Valentino is a flag waving tail wagging dog. In all probability my dog gets his political views from my guidance and direction.

I am not one to get overly excited about politics nor do I consider myself extremely patriotic. However, as a citizen of the United States of America, I take pride in the sight of our flag and in the singing of our national anthem.

On our neighborhood dog walks Valentino and I run across the flag of the USA often. By day, I smile when I see her stars and stripes flying free with the wind off of a flag pole on a porch. In the quiet of our night-time walks, I heave a sigh of approval when I see a flag lit up out of the darkness (as it should be.)

Then, there is the "stand versus kneel" issue in the daily news and social media! Hence, this public stance from me and my dog Valentino. We stand! We do not kneel nor sit!

While posing before the memorial pictured here, my dog Valentino automatically wanted to sit and stay. I directed him instead to stand and wait. He would show respect for the man honored here — Civil War Private Alfred Cannon — and for the flag planted in his honor. (And, no, Valentino, you can not pee on that flag. Pee in the bush, gheesh!)

Dog Valentino Respectfully Stands at PVT. Alfred Cannon Memorial

My research shows that Alfred Cannon was born right here in my home town of Canal Winchester, Ohio. CLICK HERE to read more about his family and service to his country.

This memorial to PVT. Alfred Cannon is located on the Canal Winchester Area Historical Society property. You can click on the picture to read the tribute and I am also reprinting the words as a quote below the photo.

PVT. Alfred Cannon Tribute

PVT. ALFRED CANNON
95TH O.V.I. Co-D
8-18-1862 TO 1-21-1865
P.O.W.

RESIDENT OF CANAL WINCHESTER
ENLISTED TO PRESERVE THE UNION.
TAKEN PRISONER AT BRICES
CROSSROADS, MS. AND MARCHED
TO ANDERSONVILLE, GA., CONFEDERATE
PRISON. HE GAVE UP HIS PLACE
OF EXCHANGE TO A FRIEND STATING,
"GO TO YOUR FAMILY". PVT. CANNON
DIED AT FLORENCE, SC., CONFEDERATE
PRISON OF TYPHOID FEVER.

"GREATER LOVE THAN THIS HAS
NO MAN, THAT HE LAY DOWN
HIS LIFE FOR A FRIEND."

ALFRED CANNON G.A.R. POST #261
WAS CHARTERED IN HIS MEMORY


I tend to take a stand when I see disrespect to the flag of my country. It has nothing to do with politics or football or racism or anything else the kneelers or the politicians or the news-mongers want to dream up. It is merely a matter of respect. I feel the same about our Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag. I say to you as I said to my dog today, "I don't expect you to sing it or say it but I do expect you to stand respectfully."

That said, I appreciate your shared thoughts in the comment section of this article, stated respectfully, Please and Thank you!



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PAWSit Hop Saturday is a dog blog hop and we invite our readers to join us each week. When you publish an article about dogs share the link to your article in the link-up below. The current link list is good for a week, so you have plenty of time to blog about your dogs, dog issues, dog toys, dog training — anything dog-related!

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Saturday, September 23, 2017

Pumpkins and More Seasonal Paws

Dog Valentino Greets A Pumpkin Flower Pot
I love Fall and so does my dog.

Throughout the Autumn season, my dog Valentino and I enjoy the seasonal fare to be found during our walks in the neighborhood. Pumpkins are plentiful!

In our neighborhood the pumpkins are beginning to pop up along our way and Valentino stops to sniff each one of them. Perhaps he hopes they are edible!


Dog Valentino Sniffs A Pumpkin Flower Pot

Pumpkins abound, whether found on the ground in a pumpkin patch or as flower pots with painted faces holding colorful flowers for the season.


Dog Valentino Walks By A Pumpkin Patch

My dog Valentino did find a pumpkin in this pumpkin patch which you can see and read about HERE in my seasonal dog treats article.





Dogs as well as kids of all ages enjoy pumpkins in the Fall season. There are many uses for decorative pumpkins.


  • Fall flower pots with PAWSitively perfect painted faces are great for mums and other Autumnal flowers.
  • Some pumpkin faces light up our path from house to house in the neighborhood.
  • Pumpkins make great candy holders for trick-or-treaters and for those of us who hand out candy to the wee ones for Halloween.



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Dog Valentino Greets A Scarecrow
Will you be using pumpkins and scarecrows in your seasonal festivities?

Or, are you the ghost and goblin type of dog person?

Me? I am more likely to be dressed as a witchy woman for Halloween!



PAWSit Hop Saturday is a weekly link-up for you to share your dogs and articles about dogs. Add your link anytime throughout the week.

Paws Up for a Happy Fall!

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Saturday, September 16, 2017

Lost and Found Dachshund

Lost and Found Dachshund
We found a lost Dachshund on our afternoon walk. My hound dog Valentino sniffed out the wanderlust with ease.

Since I pay attention to all of the dogs we run across on our neighborhood walks, I was pretty sure I knew the house where this little fellow belonged. Many a time we had seen a pair of barking Dachshunds with noses to the window of a house as we walked by.

My Dog Valentino with Lost and Found Dachshund
We headed off in the direction of the house just a couple of blocks from where we found the dog. Fortunately, the dog willingly followed Valentino's lead and we were able to walk him home to try to reunite the dog with his owner.

I knocked on the door while Valentino and the Dachshund got to know each other a bit while we waited for someone to answer. I barely had time to snap a picture of the dogs, big and small...but oh, how cute!

Found Dachshund Returned to Owner


Once the owner opened his door in response to my knock, my dog Valentino stuck his nose in the air and began his hound dog howl. I had to chuckle and say, "I think he's giving your little dog a lecture!"

Hound Dog Valentino Howls at Returned Dachshund

The man laughed and said, "He's an escape artist and must have found a way out of the fenced yard that I had not yet found."

The man thanked us for returning his dog and we headed home ourselves. Valentino and I had had enough excitement on this afternoon dog walking adventure. Once again, our good dog deed for the day was done!

Yes, we have reunited a few dogs with their owners in the neighborhood. Fortunately, some dogs wear a dog tag with a name and number to call if they run astray and are found. This brindle boxer, for instance.

Dog Pawsitive Tidbits for Lost and Found Dogs


We have a few dog pawsitive tidbits to share with you for what to do if you find a dog running loose when you are out and about.


  • First, know the dogs in your neighborhood. Pay attention as you stroll the area so if you find a dog you might know where it belongs.
  • Approach stray dogs with caution. The dog may be frightened and run away or bite.
  • If the dog is friendly and lets you near enough, check its dog tag if it is wearing one. The dog owner may have the dog's name on the tag or the owner's name or number to call.
  • If you know where the dog lives, try to walk it home.
  • When all else fails, contact your local animal shelters and area veterinarians for further support in an effort to reunite the dog and its owner.


Do you have any tips to share for a lost and found dog scenario? Have you ever found a lost dog? Were you able to reunite the dog with its owner?

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Chasing Walking Sticks

The slightest movement catches the attention of dogs. And the chase is on!

His leash attached to the railing did not keep my dog Valentino from chasing the critter — it was right there on the front porch with us! Led by his keen eye and nosy nose, Valentino moved my chair out of his way to get an up close and personal look at the creepy crawly critter that had grabbed his attention.

Of course, my dog's activity caught my attention so I had to take a closer look too. Luckily I had cell phone camera in hand as I screeched the "ACK!" command that my dog and I had worked diligently on in our dog training.

Good boy that he is... Valentino backed off just enough for me to click and capture a pic of the Walking Stick bug!

As the insect creepily crawled himself up the wall of the house, my dog Valentino and I watched from a safe distance. I had already pushed the safety limits by spending those few moments getting these pictures.

Upon my own sighting of one of these critters a couple of weeks ago, I did a tidbit of research and learned that stick insects can sometimes emit a foul-smelling spray that can temporarily blind a predator. I sure did not want this happening to my dog.

Visit my poetry blog for more stick bug photo fun and to read my Walking Sticks poem.

Visit the National Wildlife Federation for a few fast facts on Walking Sticks insects.

What are your pets sticking their noses into these days? Write about it. Then share it with us by adding the link to our not-so-wordless Wednesday blog hop!


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Sunday, September 10, 2017

Loss and Love of Pets

In memory of my dog Tidbit.
Memorial Page for My Dog Tidbit
I have loved and lost a few good dogs. No doubt this is something I will experience again. As a dog lover I can not imagine living without a dog by my side.

Today, September 10, is National Pet Memorial Day. This day is set aside to honor the memory of our past pets and animals.

I thought of writing, yet another, tribute tale of the special dogs of my past. I decided against doing so, as I have shared our stories in abundance on this blog, so named for them which you can learn by reading about Dog Pawsitive Tidbits. I have something more important I want to share with you today.

In memory of my dog Scratch.
Memorial Page for my Dog Scratch
My memorial message for pet and dog lovers deals with loving and being loved by them. To me, there is no greater love than that of my dogs. I am honored to know that loving relationship like none other. Each time life chooses to allow me to out-live my dog I am led to the next dog who will leave its paw prints on my heart.

While losing one of my dogs is emotionally devastating, I would have it no other way. The flip side would be my demise and knowing they would suffer the tragic loss of the leader of their pack. However, there is a way to deal with that scenario ahead of time, just as I have with the aid of the book "If I Should Die Before My Dog" by Joe and Cathy Connolly.

When you find yourself suffering the loss of a pet, allow that pet's love to lead the way to the next animal companion of your life. My dog Tidbit led me straight to my current canine companion, Valentino. I walked him a few times at the shelter, then he was my foster dog for a while. It took only a tidbit of time for me and my boy to become ever so happy together ... we adopted each other!


Tidbit led the way to the next dog who would steal my heart away. 

Our dog pawsitive tidbit for National Pet Memorial Day...

Have no regrets ... just love of pets!


Saturday, September 9, 2017

Soaking Up Sunshine Dog PAWSit

Soak Up Sunshine on Saturday
Dog Pawsitive Tidbits Facebook Dog Days of the Week
My dog Valentino loves soaking up sunshine! We decided to share our sunshine with you in a PAWSit post today. Yes! PAWSit Hop Saturday is officially returning to Dog Pawsitive Tidbits!

Due to a major move and a few other life things our weekly dog blog hop was put on the back burner for a tidbit of time. Now that we are settled in and back to blogging on a regular basis again we decided it time we revive our PAWSit Hop Saturday fun.

Dog Valentino Poses for Pictures in Sunshine
For the last couple of days, near the end of our dog walk, Valentino will pause to soak up a bit of sunshine in the same spot at the base of a neighbor's tree. He sits for a bit, rolls around in silly dog fashion, then settles in to just lay there in the sun for a while.

Valentino will pose for pictures while soakin' up a bit o' sunshine, but no matter how much I tug on his leash or beckon him to get up and go he will not move until he is doggone good and ready!

Silly Sunshine Dog Valentino


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If you like, snag our badge for your article and link back to our weekly post where you've added your link. This enables other dog lovers to find the dog blog hop.




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Thursday, September 7, 2017

Off Leash Freedom Run of Gratitude

Freedom rings true for my dog off leash. I can almost hear the bells of freedom ringing in the breeze as my dog Valentino runs swiftly by me.

My dog Valentino runs swiftly by me.

Today, we hum a tune of gratitude for our neighborly friend who has opened the gate to his fenced yard, to allow Valentino to run free. Being able to run off the leash is the truest sense of freedom for dogs. I think the only thing that might make him happier would be to do so without being fenced in.

This truth is obvious when he runs his first freedom lap through the yard and then begins to check out the fence line for any possibility of escape. He does the same thing in any fenced yard and at the dog park.

Off leash, first my dog Valentino runs.

My dog Valentino checks the fence line.


Unencumbered by his leash...
My dog Valentino runs free, checks the fence, then runs some more!

My dog Valentino is off and running again!


Above all, my dog Valentino shows gratitude for our new friend, Patrick, who made this off-leash freedom run possible. He slows his running paws nearby as he wags his tail in appreciation.

A tail wag of gratitude.


Ah! the joy of freedom and friendship, if only for a tidbit of time!



Today we are blog hopping along with our new net friends over at Brian's Home in his Thankful Thursday blog hop.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Seasonal Fruits for Dog Treats

DogPawsitiveTidbits.com Dog with Zucchini
Seasonal fruits make great treats for dogs.

My dog Valentino enjoys some fruits raw while showing a preference for others to be cooked.

Two of Valentino's favorite fruits are zucchini and pumpkin.

DogPawsitiveTidbits.com  Dog Shreds Zucchini
Valentino considered this summer garden gift to be a great dog treat. He prefers the zucchini raw. He shreds it, removing the peel, eating only the meaty flesh inside.

Obviously, some dog treats double as a great chew toy too!

As autumn nears, Valentino and his hound dog nose sniffs out a pumpkin patch on a neighborhood walk. My dog prefers organic canned pumpkin mixed in with a tidbit of dry dog food.

DogPawsitiveTidbits.com  Dog Found a Pumpkin Patch

Ruth Cox is an Amazon Associate and may earn commission from purchases made through links in this article.

Does your dog enjoy eating seasonal fruits as a special treat?