Being locked down during the pandemic has caused many people and dogs to put on extra weight. I admit that I have layered on few extra avoirdupois. I call it my Covid-15.
The AJF, as usual, did not put on an ounce. She may have even lost a pound or two. Grrrrr.
But what about the Bark Beast? Has seclusion affected his Maltiness? See for yourself:
It’s not for a lack of exercise. Max gets to the park more often now than before the pandemic. Admittedly, he is not the type of dog who runs after sticks and balls. He prefers a more sedate tempo of walking and sniffing but there are bursts of almost unbelievable speed. Check it out, just click on the photo below:
Of course his favorite exercise is running back and forth between the AJF and me to get small food treats. Yeah, I realize that sort of defeats the purpose.
Categories: The Dog From Rancho Cucaracha
WITHIN THE K STREETS 
Wow! Was that you running along with little Max, at lightning speed? Wait a minute….is that a really really long leash, instead?
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That is indeed a flexi-leash for which I receive heaps of criticism from the fixed-leash purists. But let’s face it…no human could keep up with the flash.
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I live across the street from a park and all the dog-walkers use those leashes…with good reason. Some of those dogs are fast!! What’s the deal with the fixed-leashers?
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In fairness, proper leash training can only be done with a real leash not the expand-o-matic gadgets. Thing is, the Malt has trained us, not the other way around. Folks who believe the dog should obey the human hate the flexi-leashes and make disparaging remarks but those of us who have been trained by our dogs just ignore the criticism.
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Oh. Training. What a great idea. My dogs had me trained, too. Now my cats do…..
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So she says as she opens the garage door a little bit so the kitty princes and princesses can make their way to comfy beds and avoid the bad rain storm. Lois’ halfway house for cats. Oh yeah, I see who got trained.
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google “flexi-lead” injuries. That will answer that question really quickly.
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Oh my gosh–this is pretty awful. Thanks for pointing me to more information. I had no idea…
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Max says they can have his flexi-leash when they pry it from his cold dead paws.
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The warnings with the flexi-leash remind me of warnings on different medicines: headache, stomachache, fatigue, dizziness, death…. They have to say that, lest they be sued. It all depends on how you use it. And no leashes for cats! In case you wondered, Tom…..
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I had hoped you would gather the herd (clowder) put on small harnesses and have the cats tow you around town like Santa in hi sleigh.
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On Parker, on Pumkin, on Piper and White Paws…..
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Chunk in the front!
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Google “flexi-lead injuries.” Just do it and then tell me that it’s a good idea to use one of those things that were invented by Satan. I can keep up with all 72 lbs of Maverick by using a Canny Collar (google that too) and a regular leash, you can keep up with that little fur ball
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The warnings: retractable leash can cause severe burns, deep cuts, entanglement or strangulations. IWell, it’s been 13 1/2 years and I still have all my fingers, never fell down, no burns and never lost control of the muttlette so I guess I can survive a little longer. Strangulation is a risk only if I tie the lead around my neck, tape a concrete block to Max and then throw him off the roof. 😁At 14 pounds he’s a little easier to control than the Mavster.
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I think it’s more strangulation for the dog than the person. I’ve seen people at the park with them tangled all the heck up – we don’t greet other dogs on leash, by the way, because I don’t like the idea of being tangled in a leash meself.
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You should always take your leash off. In general I am opposed to women being leashed. I’m frankly surprised at Bear allowing this to happen. Just joshing with ya…😁🐕
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It’s not the leash, it’s the collar that causes the trouble for me! Snort
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I bet lots of dogs are loving this pandemic. Extra walks and more exercise, their people home more to lavish attention and treats on them, making sneak appearacnes in Zoom meetings to the applause of the other participants. And, the virus (mostly) ignores them.
Lucky dogs.
It can be challenging maintaining their svelte figures, though!
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Max was never really svelte. But he claims it’s mostly fur, not fat. When you have 6″ legs you don’t cover a lot of territory and you don’t cover it very fast. Hate to say it but I can actually out run Max on sprints and I am old, decrepit and have neuropathy in my feet. Sadly I lack fur or hair except in the nose and ears. Was that too much info? I think so…
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Nothing has changed for our bunch of thugs. They eat, sleep, repeat just as always, interspersed with the odd rush to the gates to repel boarders and the line up in the kitchen when their food is being prepared. They have some fourteen acres in which to roam but choose to ignore the wide open spaces in favour of staying close to the source of food.
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Eleven thugs must do a fair amount of eating. Perhaps you’ve trained them to hunt their meals in the wild? Do they ever start group howls, maybe at full moon? That would be terrifying but awesome.
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Hunt? Them? You seem to be under some misapprehension as to our relative roles in life……
When the coyotes start up they will occasionally answer in unison. The coyotes have shut up by the time they have finished…
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I see. Once again, dog training means the dogs do the training. I feel your pain. I understand.
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Under the paw, that’s us. Even the latest canine arrival knows that.
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Word spreads fast among the canines. Somewhere, right now, there’s a 12th dog hearing about the great deal available at Helen’s Finca and Dog Bed and Breakfast.
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Bed and Breakfast? Full board if you don’t mind. I swear they have put up signs….
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Max seems quite human like in the bursts of exercise and treat seeking. Just yesterday after a nice couple of mile walk, I fixed a great dinner of salted caramel ice cream. The panDAMNic has ruined my palate.
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Salted caramel ice cream sounds like an excellent well-balanced dinner to me. I had beer and peanuts the other night which is fine albeit a tad light on vegetables. Did you notice Max’s nice leash? It’s the extend-o-matic variety of which you are so fond.
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That sounds like a great dinner to me! I had Nutella straight from the jar.
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Do you pronounce it “Noot Tella?” Why? Is it made from Noots? Being a lady you likely used a spoon rather than my technique which involves just digging ones fingers into the jar.
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I pronounce it Nut-tella. As in “I would be nuts to share my spoon with anyone else. Get your own jar!” Your fingers, your jar. End of discussion.
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I like it when we don’t get all judgey.
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Yeah. Who has time for that did you just double-dip?
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Not while anyone was watching…
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Peanuts are technically a legume which may count as a vegetable. Definitely count toward your protein consumption. 😋
I resisted comment on the leash but only because I like Max. 😈
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As far as I am concerned Monika, at this point in 2020, beer counts as a vegetable. Your restraint with respect to leash choices is duly noted.
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Good point on the beer. Although barley and/or rice are grains, I’m still good with it. Besides these are troubled times that require specialized coping skills. 😊
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Barley/rice and….Malt!
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Yup, all grains but the good ones.
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Isn’t ice cream one of the food groups?
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This is marthadilo3, not anonymous
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Most people who visit this silly dog blog go to great lengths to preserve their anonymity.
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Yup. It is even on the keto-free diet plan. The plan where one skips everything except chocolate, ice cream, milkshakes…and pie. Personally I am a Haagen-Dazs aficionado but I accept ice cream lovers of all persuasions.
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I looked at that picture and cracked up! Somehow Tom, I think it was the AJF running with Max. I think you were the photographer . 🙄
Weight gain is a given in this damn pandemic. We’re snacking, in some cases, for something to do. There isn’t a thing in this house that hasn’t been dusted, polished, disinfected, vacuumed, laundered or thrown out. No people visiting, so house stays pristine for quite a while. So bring on the chips and dip and cookies!!
Please, while you’re pigging out Tom, leave enough room for your sense of humor. We all need it!
Ginger
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We’re the same, Ginger. We’ve taken housekeeping to a new level. Usually we would plan a pre-holiday cleaning, top to bottom scrub of all surfaces, but this year if we scrub any more we’ll be removing paint. And talk about organizing! I actually went through the garage and sorted all my fasteners – nails, screws, washers – by size and type and put them into separate little containers. Ridiculous. So, yes, I’m game for the cookies and ice cream and even an occasional beer if you insist. But I know someday the gyms will re-open and it will be time to pay the piper.
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Well, at least Max pees like a race horse.
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He will be so proud to hear that you said that. After rolling on the ground, sometimes he smells like a race horse too.
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My first Golden, Max, broke a flexi lead – yeah, I used to use one till I learned it teaches dogs to pull and since he was already pretty darned good at that, I was less than impressed that I was helping him get better at it. I stood there with the damned thing in my hand while he ran merrily away with the leash part flapping behind him. Never again. (Not to be a curmudgeon, but well, I’m a curmudgeon so there’s that)
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Max could barely break a cotton string and only then if he had Wheaties for breakfast. A tiny Malt is a whole different kettle of fish than a big dog. I’ve had big dogs before and I agree that flexis are not a good idea for them and while I accept the “purist” position that flexis are not great training aids, I don’t think they pose grave dangers to human or animal if the pup is just a little guy. Having said that I recognize some people could kill themselves with a beach ball in an open lot.
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it can still get wrapped around your finger and cut that baby right off – or around an ankle and cause a lovely burn. Nasty nasty things.
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How? He weighs 14 pounds. At full speed with a rocket pack on his back he couldn’t generate sufficient force (mass x acceleration) to do much damage. And we’re talking Max – he strolls along sniffing everything. Did you see his top speed in that video. He moves at the speed of sloth.
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it’s more when they get tangled up together. I wish I could convince you but I guess not. Le Sigh. I’ll still like you. A little less, but I’ll still like you. 🙂
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Fine, just fine. Be that way. I’ll still like you, too, so there. Neener, neener, neener.😛
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but i like Peachy better
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We all do.
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HA! That is not a weightier Max! You are tryin’ to fool us! 😉 😀
But, it does look a bit like our friend Lacey who is a Great Pyrenees! And such a curvy sweetheart! 🙂
Love seeing Max in motion! He and Coop are alike in how they Do their Duty 😉 Coop is like, “Done now! Outa’ here!” and he gives me a look like, “Someone made a stink back there, so let’s avoid that area!” 😉 😀 😛
HUGS, PATS and RUBS!!! 🙂
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I can’t sneak anything past you and Coop! No, that’s not Max but if the pandemic goes on a lot longer maybe Max will get to be that size. Curvy! That’s what all the girls say…
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Some say “Floofy”. Some say “More to love.” 😀
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Tomorrow’s the moment of truth when he visits the groomer and the “floof” is trimmed off. But unless his hair is unusually heavy I suspect there’s plenty to still love.
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Aw. 🙂 We wish Max the bestest at the groomer! Hope all goes well and quick and he is home soon. 🙂
Coop has to go to the vet today. 😦 For a yearly shot AND because they detected a heart murmur at his last check up. So they will do a med test on him. 😦 I sure hope he is okay.
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Crossed paws hoping that Cooper comes through with flying colors! They detected a slight murmur with Max too but said it’s not uncommon with senior puppers and Max has his Medicare for Dogs card. How old is Cooper?
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Thank you so so SO much!!!
Coop is an 11 year old Shorkie. He adopted me when he was 6 weeks old. 🙂
They are supposed to call us today with his test results.
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Woooaaaa boy! Not so fast.
You are wearing me out with that speed.
Last time I ran was after a £10 note I saw lying on the pavement.
That was in 1987!
No lead was going to stop me getting there, no Max either.
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Back when £10 was worth real money! Real things like shillings and pence and quid and stuff we could never figure out over here in the Land of Freedom Dollars!
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Neither could we!
240 large pennies to a pound, you walked at a slant!
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I see that he ran off a lot of that fat.
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It was a very fast weight loss, not unlike a keto diet. He also follows Oprah very carefully to achieve lasting results just like her.
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Nox is part of the kick the grass after peeing club. She adds a flourish by turning around and kicking away from the spot she peed on.
I am so impressed with the fast weight loss of Max! I had no idea he could get so big, then get so small!
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He’s on a FODMAP diet, Julia? You ever hear of that? 😁 Nah…he’s always straight see-food diet. Supposedly that kick thing is a marking sign that asserts dominance – “my pee is higher than your pee.” But neither Max nor Nox is very high up.
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Yes, they are not very high up at all. 😆
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If he gains any more weight, you’ll have to start calling him Maximum 😂
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Ha! Sometimes we refer to him by his formal Latin name Maximus. Tomorrow he gets a groom and we’ll see how much is fluff and how much is “curvy.”
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