Burnt Bridge Creek Trail: Scaring Frogs and Annoying Ducks

Here I am sniffing around the trail head, looking for the rabbit

Today was a good day. The rain stopped and we quickly went for a walk on the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail in Vancouver. It's only a block from my house. I usually have fun eating grass, greeting other dogs and chasing a rabbit that hangs out near the trail entrance. This wily bunny knows I am on a leash so he taunts me. But today was better than a rabbit day and I will tell you why.

At first it wasn't all that exciting. I met two pit bulls, big ones, that were very friendly. And some bike riders passed us, scaring me a bit. But for most of our one hour walk, we were alone on the trail. I like the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail because it is asphalt and I don't get my paws muddy. And it runs along a creek with wetlands. It's an 8 mile trail but I am not up to more than 3 miles at a time. 

Now let me tell you about the best part of our walk. We reached the native plant nursery and took the fork that goes across a little bridge. The water runs through there and when it rains, it creates ponds. And in the ponds are fun things. :)  I got there and started looking at the ducks. They looked at me and decided to slowly move out to the middle of the pond. They weren't all that scared. I guess if I was a Retriever, they would be scared.

Here's the ducks watching me.

But all of a sudden as I walked along the bank, big things started jumping into the water. Lots of them! These were big frogs and I scared them. Once I got over MY surprise, I started looking for them, sniffing along the bank. I was having so much fun scaring frogs that I even waded into the pond, getting my paws in the mud. I thought I might be able to see where they go. I know I wasn't supposed to go wading, but it was just my paws, really! I loved sniffing for frogs. They smell like fish, kind of.

Who me? I wasn't hunting any frogs in this pond!

If I wasn't an all American Coonhound, I might be interested in eating one. But I am not a French Poodle or anything French so I decided that cooking up a bunch of frog legs was not too appetizing. But I loved scaring them!

We wandered around some more on the way back. I got tired, from all the excitement and stopped while my owner snapped pictures of the flowers. She does that kind of thing. But, between you and me, she doesn't let ME stop and eat grass when I want to. Only SHE can stop when she wants to. 

On the way back it started raining again. But we were close to home so I didn't get too wet. 

I'm ready for a nap now. I think I'll dream about chasing frogs some more!

What am I watching for?




Watching for?

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Cinnamon - Banished from the dinner party!

Here I am outside while she sets the table for the dinner party.

I've calmed down a bit now. I got to go to the dog park and blow off some steam this morning.

But last night I was really upset. I had to stay home all day because of the rain and because my owner was grating carrots (I don't like carrots), slicing cucumbers, peeling potatoes and setting the table for a German themed dinner party.

I smelled the schnitzel, checked out the strudel and tried to figure out how to score some butter off the table but I didn't get any of it. I was excited. I knew people were coming to visit. And, next to dogs, I just love people!

So around 5:30 the doorbell rang. It was people. And they were bearing gifts... Marionberry jam and German wine. I was waiting for my gift but got so excited I ran in circles and couldn't calm myself. There were four people to play with me and I was beside myself with joy. I was leaping, bouncing and running through the house.

That's when I found out that my behavior had just earned me a ticket to "Siberia." I was told to calm down. Everyone was more interested in talking, opening wine and eating imported cheese and crackers than playing with ME. Imagine!

So I got tricked into going upstairs to "my room" and, listen to this, she shut the door. SHUT THE DOOR SO I COULDN'T BE AT THE GERMAN DINNER PARTY! I was shocked. I howled. I barked. I fumed. And if I had my smart phone I would have blogged about it then, or called the Humane Society. I was ticked! I was upset. I was BANISHED FROM THE DINNER PARTY.

Now I should know by now that I am a second class citizen. I don't go into restaurants to eat, I wait in the car when she goes shopping and I recently couldn't even get out of the car at the Nature Preserve. Sometimes I feel like part of the family but last night it was clear that I was a second class citizen.

Here's the German dinner I couldn't enjoy.

Downstairs they enjoyed fine wine and a delicious dinner. They laughed (and believe, me... I could hear them) and talked about going to Europe on a trip and about their walking experiences. They had a great time WITHOUT me. So I just sulked and went to sleep.

They left around 9 and my owner came to check on me. I was asleep. But she was feeling really guilty (I loved it) so took me for a little walk, fed me some schnitzel leftovers and petted me. The house smelled like a German restaurant and I had slept through the end of the dinner party.

But I am all calmed down today. I think I'll go take a nap.

Auf Wiedersehen, Cinnamon
Citizen, Second Class

Can Dogs be Obsessive Compulsive?

Here's my food and my bowl, just like it should be.

I think I may have a screw loose. I do things I know are weird but I don't have any control over these things. I worry that I may have some mental issues. Do I?

I fret about this Here's an example. Today my owner went walking with friends at a very early hour. Now, she was certain I didn't want to get up that early. And I agreed.

So she quietly filled my bowl downstairs, cracked the back door and took off. I continued snoozing. About 10 a.m. I woke up and stretched. Boy, was the house quiet. I ran downstairs and she wasn't there. I noticed that the door was open so ran out into the yard for awhile. When I cam back in, my tummy told me it was time for brunch. I looked over at my bowl and there was something in there. It was the usual food. But it just wasn't right so I skipped it.

So what wasn't right and why didn't I eat my food? Well, I am used to my owner opening the cabinet and taking out a bag or container of food. Then she puts my bowl on the counter and pours out some food. It makes a sound in my bowl like a slot machine paying off. Boy do I love that sound, When I hear it, I start salivating.

So the bowl today didn't make that sound. I just wasn't in the mood to eat. I need those steps... the cabinet, the container and the pouring into my bowl, or it just isn't the same.

Sometimes we watch Big Bang Theory. Sheldon is my favorite character. He likes things "just so" too. He has a special place to sit on his couch. He must knock on friends' doors three times. He's labeled a bit obsessive-compulsive. Or maybe he as Aspberger's. I like Sheldon. He would understand.

Now to be fair, I have to say I don't care if the food is in a Lock and Lock container or in the original bag. Either works for me. But it MUST be poured into my bowl and I MUST hear it.

On the Urban Coonhound Facebook page they say that coonhounds are creatures of habit. Is this all it is, or should I be labelled Obsessive-Compulsive and go to some sort of pet therapist? Hmmmm.

If you or your coonhound have any traits like this, please comment here. Otherwise I will be worrying ALL night!

Raincoat Rant: Dog's don't wear raincoats

Can you believe this thing? Isn't it ugly?

Dogs don't wear raincoats, do they? Yesterday after a full day of rain we wanted to go for a walk. Not wanting that wet dog smell in the house my owner got out the dreaded raincoat. Not only is this a people thing (dogs don't wear clothes), it is a bright orange raincoat. I don't know why bright orange... maybe she thought I'd get lost in the woods or something.

And not only is it bright orange, it has my name emblazoned on it in big bold block letters. How embarrassing. I might slink through the neighborhood unnoticed if it didn't have my name on it but, now everyone will know who is out there wearing this ugly thing. Grrrr.

So she put it on me and I didn't like it one bit. I just stood there and waited for it to come off. But no, it was velcroed on. "Oh please don't make me wear this," I thought. On went the leash (usually that makes me happy) but the coat was still there.... stuck on me! I didn't rush for the door as usual. I just stood there wincing.

So she pulled on the leash and I made it outside but, again, just planted my paws so she'd take it off. I hate raincoats!

In a few minutes it stopped raining. There IS a doggie god out there. There IS! She ripped off the raincoat and I happily went for a grand walk through the neighborhood, trotting and prancing.... sans raincoat. I was so happy!

Cinnamon can't take dog food into Canada (or her attack rifle)

OK, so I got a note from my vet that lists ALL the information that is missing from the Rabies Certificate. Thank you Dr. Hinko for doing this SO fast. I miss you!

Then I found out I can't bring my supply of dog food with me in those plastic containers. In fact, I am so mixed up about dog food, that I just won't bring any. YAY! I can eat people food. Tim Horton's here I come!

So here's what the website says about what I can't bring with me:

Q. What is prohibited to bring into Canada?
A. List as follows,
*Radar Detector.
*Live minnows, leeches, or worms (night crawlers) unless not packed in dirt.
*Dog Food.
*Potatoes.
*Fire Wood.
*Military style attack rifles.
*Large Capacity Cartridge Magazines (Exceeding 5 rounds for centre fire rifles)

I've heard I can't bring treats in either. NO TREATS! And, I thought Canadians were nice people. Grrrr.

But wait... on this site, it says I can bring a small amount of food in. A small amount? So, what will I do... starve?

Sign me confused, Cinnamon

Can Cinnamon go to Canada? Rules for bringing your dog into Canada

If I go to Canada I want a bandana from Spreadshirt.com

Can I go to Canada? I am a red white and blue coonhound born in the United States. I might want to go to Canada with my owner who is all excited about fishing. But what documentation will I need?  I am healthy. Won't they believe me? I guess not. The United States is not a rabies-free country. 

Here is what Canada wants:

Dogs may enter Canada if they are accompanied by rabies certification, which means they must have:

• a signed rabies vaccination certificate OR a signed veterinary certificate, declaring that the dog is originating from a country recognized by Canada as being rabies-free.

Rabies Vaccination Certificate

The rabies vaccination certificate must:

• be written in English or French;
• be issued and signed by a licensed veterinarian;
• identify the animal (breed, colour, and weight);
• state that the animal is vaccinated against rabies;
• indicate the date of vaccination;
• indicate the trade name and the serial number of the licensed vaccine; and
• specify the duration of immunity (otherwise, it will be considered valid for one year from the date of vaccination).

Veterinary Certificate

The veterinary certificate must:

• be written in English or French;
• be issued and signed by a licensed veterinarian;
• identify the animal (breed, colour, and weight);
• state that the animal has been in the exporting country since birth or for at least six (6) months immediately preceding shipment to Canada; and
• be accompanied by documentation from a competent government authority, stating that rabies has not occurred in the country of origin for at least six (6) months immediately preceding the animal's shipment to Canada.

A competent government authority refers to a veterinary agency or other government agency that manages a country's animal health and welfare situation, as well as handles the responsibility of veterinary certification for the purposes of international trade. The document can be either:

• a letter issued on the competent government authority's letterhead, dated, stamped, and signed by an official of the competent government authority in the country of origin; or
• a signed letter by the licensed veterinarian who issued the certificate, which must be endorsed by the competent government authority.

Animals That Are Not Certified

If a dog does not meet the import requirements for rabies certification, owners will be required, at their own expense, to:

• have the animal vaccinated against rabies within a specified period of time; and
• provide the vaccination record to a Canadian Food Inspection Agency office.

Here's the page for the Canadian government rules.

Portland's Lucky Lab brewpub is definitely for dogs like me

Here's the Lucky Lab bar. Dogs can't go inside.

After a long drive in the countryside we returned to Portland. We were all getting hungry so turned in to a place called Lucky Lab Brew Pub on Hawthorne. The Lucky Labrador Brewing Company has a dog on their sign and labels, so I figured this would be the place for me!

The Lucky Lab people have created a place where dogs can go while their people enjoy a sense of community. So we got out and the scene I saw made me happy. I saw outdoor picnic tables with people and families enjoying beer and sandwiches right along with their dogs. Imagine... dogs in a pub. Dogs actually having fun!

Here I am getting treats

We settled down at one of the picnic tables and I had some treats. The humans ordered sandwiches with potato chips, beer and wine and I got to greet all the dogs that went by. I even shared my treats with a Newfie who was with the couples at the table across from us.

A family was celebrating at another table. Their little boy had a Superman cape on and the Dad lifted him high from table to table so he could feel like he was flying. More dogs came in. I checked them all out.

Each time the Lucky Lab guy walked by with sandwiches, I secretly hoped he was bringing one for me. But that just didn't happen.

Here's the Newfie before he was "brutally attacked."

All of a sudden the dog who was at the table with the Newfie got really mad and snarled at the Newfie and tried to start a fight. Wow! Drama at the Lucky Lab! I just hid under my table in case the mean dog came my way. But he didn't. His owner gave him a good talking to. Phew!

I got some tidbits from the sandwiches and thought I was in restaurant heaven.

I hear they have music and special events at the Lucky Lab. I will definitely be back!

Cinnamon tries to go wine tasting and chocolate tasting in Carlton, Oregon

Here I am in front of the Troon tasting room.

I was excited. It was another day of adventure and I was invited! We headed for the countryside outside of Portland, Oregon toward a valley named Yamhill. I suppose they grow yams in those fields. We took the scary route... over Bald Mountain. From that high road we could see the whole valley and mountains beyond. But no biggee. I didn't get to go running on the mountain (or hunting either.)

Soon we descended to the valley floor and headed for the little town of Carlton, Oregon. It was a country town that had been transformed into a cutesy little village with wine shops, gift shops and a chocolate shop.

I got to get out, finally. We were in front of Troon Wineyard's tasting room. I had a look at the seedier side of town and looked forward to the tasting room and jumping up on one of the cushy couches they had there. A great place to take a nap while the humans tasted wine. (I have learned that wine is not for dogs).

But no... it was back in the car so they could taste wine WITHOUT ME! I laid down and napped anyway. Soon they came out with a big box of wine (and no dog treats). I got to get out again because we were going walking down the main street of Carlton.

There was a little park with a mural of Carlton and the Yamhill valley. I liked the park. But as we went down Main Street I stopped in front of one shop because the kind shop owner had put a big bowl of water out for dogs like me. I had some. It was refreshing. I decided this must be a dog-friendly town.

Here I am trying to get into the Honest Chocolates Shop

So when we approached the chocolate shop, I had high hopes. It was called Honest Chocolates. I thought they would let me in but no..... they had heard the story about how chocolate is bad for dogs. I stayed outside while they bought some dark hazelnut chocolate (and no dog treats). Honest Chocolates was honestly NOT for dogs.

After that it was back in the car and back to Portland. I'll tell you more, but for now, I need to take a nap!

Cinnamon at the Wildlife Refuge: No Hunting Here!

Here I am stuck in the car

I was really excited when I found out I was going to the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge today. Imagine... wildlife! I retreated into my fantasy world again and imagined myself hunting deer (well, annoying them anyway), nutria and ducks. I could be like my retriever friends and be a real hunting dog. Right?

So I found out what my hunting trip would be like when we drove up to the refuge gate and read the signs. Come to find out, they don't even let DOGS out of the cars. Some wildlife! NO wildlife for me, it seemed. So I spent most of the day watching out the window. Mind you, the friend driving us had built a keen observation deck for me inside the car but I couldn't get out and chase anything. Grrr.

First we saw a deer with huge ear tags. #10 this deer was. He must have been something. He still had velvet on his antlers. A nice deer but I couldn't chase him.

Here's that deer with the #10 tag.

Then we saw a Wood Duck and, down the road, saw a mallard standing on a log with some turtles. Oh, what I would have given to make those turtles jump into the water!

A duck and turtles - fun to scare!

Farther on, we stopped for a snack and I got real beef jerky. Our friend made it just for me.

We kept on driving and saw more ducks, some eagles and some cranes. It was all very exciting and I looked out of the window most of the time but sure wished I could have gotten out and sniffed some of the wildlife!

Cinnamon Fights Against Eye Drops

Hi. It's me, Cinnamon. I wanted to let everyone know that I am doing my best to fight against those dratted eye drops.

When she gets them out, I am ok. But when she heads toward me I run. When she holds my head I fight my best fight. I try to look down rather than up. But, drat! She gets some drops into my eye anyway. I HATE EYE DROPS!

Oddly, my eye is getting better. It certainly isn't because of the eye drops, is it?

For Hound Dog Moms Everywhere

I, Cinnamon, am a Mom. I hope all hound moms have a great day tomorrow

It's Mother's Day. Time to celebrate your Mom or celebrate being a Mom. I, Cinnamon, am a Mom. This is a sad day for me because I don't know where my puppies are. I loved them, fed them and played with them until they went to their new homes. But I don't have their addresses.

But since I am a Mom, I think of my pups every single day and hope they think of me too. I loved your big brown eyes and soft little puppy ears. And I loved cuddling with you. 

Mother's Day is tomorrow. I wish a flower truck would drive up and deliver a beautiful flower arrangement to me. I wish I would get Mother's Day cards in the mail. I wish my pups would take me out to brunch. Most of all I wish I could play with my puppies once again!

But I just have to be happy I am a Mom and happy I got to give birth to you cute puppies wherever you are.

Happy Mother's Day to ME! Happy Mother's Day to all Hound Moms!

Excuses, excuses, excuses: Cinnamon tells about the big oak tree and her eye issues

Here's the huge oak tree where the birds live

I haven't been blogging much lately because my eye is watery and itchy. It might be allergies or something else. I'll find out today when I go to the vet. So that is my excuse for not blogging.

I've actually been having a great time at home. I went to the dog park and ran into tons of dogs. The sunny weather brings them out. The two little dogs who always wear matching shirts were there and I've run into a couple of young hounds to play with. I always run up to the hounds to say hello and to compare blood lines. You never know when you might run into a relative!

But some of the most exciting things happen right in my back yard. The huge oak tree leafed out. Up in that tree (and I do look up) live two blue jays. I call them Sammy and Samantha. They are huge and very bossy. They don't like it when I come out and look at them. Sometimes they hop around on the fence and watch for me.

Up there high in the branches you'll find Blacky the Crow. Blacky is also a rather noisy bird. Then in the lower branches you'll find smaller birds like Chickadees. We have a hummingbird feeder and there is a really bratty hummer named Rufus that feeds there. He whirrs his wings really loudly and has bright reddish copper on his head. He thinks he owns the place. There is a smaller hummingbird that is a dowdy green color. This bird is afraid of Rufus.

If you like birds as much as I do, you might like the Thorton W. Burgess books. My owner read them all when she was a little girl. And when my eye isn't bothering me (sympathy needed) I read them too!

Here I am feeling bad about my watery eye. It is actually worse than this.

So between the dog park and the back yard, I've been enjoying some sunny days. But my eye keeps watering, and has whitish discharge too. I have to go to the vet today and see what's wrong. But don't expect me to let my owner use any eye drops!

The eye problem keeps me from working at the computer. Please feel sorry for me! Please!

Visiting the Country Cousins at the Hunting Lodge

Here I am at the fancy hunting lodge checking things out.

Well, I rested up from the beach and whaddaya know? She'd planned another road trip. This time, I was told, we were going to visit family up in the north woods. In fact, I was told, I have dog cousins!

So my mind was full of visions of coonie cousins and how we'd romp through the woods and chase rabbits, coons, and more. And, we'd probably have a sleepover in the barn and tell ghost stories until the wee hours of the night. I was so excited, I jumped right in the car.

After several hours we crossed a big green bridge over some water. I was a little scared but it was over soon. And then, it got better and better. I saw forests and huge snow-capped mountains. I couldn't wait! My coonie cousins were probably planning a great hunt for me!

We drove down a tree-lined country road and up a lane named after Lassie the movie-star. I jumped out of the car and a really nice man came to greet and pet me. Then he let out a big black furry dog named Remi who didn't like me at all! He had his back fur standing, and he looked like he might bite me. I was scared. And, where were my cousins? Maybe they would protect me from this evil looking dog!

This is Cousin Remi. He was mean in the beginning but got nicer.

I felt a little better when the man took the mean black dog away and we went in to the house. I thought maybe this was a hunting lodge. It had a nice fireplace like one. So where were my cousins, anyway?

Turns out my cousins were that black dog and a more friendly furry dog named Indy. It must be that I was from a really mixed family! They didn't have floppy ears or bay like me. Oh yeah, I forgot. I was adopted from the shelter. That must be why we didn't look alike.

After awhile we made friends (or tolerated each other). We went out into the back yard. It had beautiful green grass and flowers. (kind of fru-fru for a hunting lodge, if you ask me!). Wait, there was more... We got to go into a grassy fenced pasture and then into a gated vegetable garden. I sniffed and walked all around and played a little with cousin Indy. I got tired of that and decided to eat grass in the pasture and pretend I was a cow.

This is Cousin Indy. She played with me.

I asked Remi and Indy about plans for a hunt. But they just laid on the shady grass and acted like they knew nothing about it. So I kept walking the fence line and sniffing. Maybe I could make my own hunt.

Soon it was time for dinner and everyone relaxed more. I found out later that Remi and Indy were a lot older than I was. I guessed that they were retired hunting dogs. The people in the lodge were nice to me and spoiled me. I was liking this!

Everyone went to bed and I stood watch just in case a hunting dog was needed. I did hear some coyotes in the distance and I knew that Remi and Indy were downstairs. I kept listening for them in case they knocked on my door so we could stay up and tell ghost stories. But they never knocked.

The next day was pretty exciting. I played and romped on the grass. I got petted some more by the people at the hunting lodge. I spent more time outside.... scheming.

Finally I found what I was hoping for... a hole in the fence. I jumped through and the hunt was on! I didn't know what I was hunting for but as I bounded into the woods, I knew I'd find out soon.

This is the nice lady at the hunting lodge spoiling me.

Then the people got all upset. They were yelling for me to come back. "No way, Jose," I said to myself. "This is what coon hounds are meant to do... hunt!" The man came through the gate and was catching up to me. But I fixed him. I jumped into the brambles. My owner brought my food box out and shook it, thinking that would make me come back. I was wiser than she. I didn't pay any attention. In fact, this was a lot of fun. I was creating a ruckus... drama at the hunting lodge! Aaarooooo!

Finally the lady ran and got a squeaky toy. That did it. She was pretty smart. I backed out of the brambles and ran over to the fence where I could play with the toy. Then the man scooped me up and unceremoniously dumped me back into the fenced paddock. Grrr.... foiled again!

After that, we were all pretty tired, so we retired back to the hunting lodge for some lemonade and water. I had all the excitement I could stand and knew that I would sleep well that night.

I like the people at the hunting lodge and my new cousins... even if they are old! Thanks Remi and Indy for a nice time. Next time, can we go fishing?