Why I Subject Myself to Baths

Yes, I was a bit grumpy about my "spa day" or my bath this afternoon but look at this picture.

Here's the after photo... after my bath and after I dried off and after I recovered emotionally.

Aren't I just glowing with beautifulness? Sometimes I think a bath is a good idea. Besides, I got treats!

Love, Clean Cinnamon

Spa Day for Cinnamon: But not voluntarily

Hi everyone. It's me, Cinnamon. Right now I am running around like crazy trying to dry off. You see, I was treated to a bath and, although, I love being pretty, I really don't like baths. 

Here's how it went down. First, my owner informed me that it was time for a bath. I tried to hide on my bed (my safe zone, usually). That didn't work so I retreated to my crate. Since I wouldn't come out voluntarily my owner "helped" me out and directed me to the bathroom. Fully understanding that I had lost the "spa control battle" I voluntarily went into the bathroom. She turned the water on and I jumped in. (Aren't you impressed?) Yes, I jumped in but I had a dirty look on my face for all the world to see!

This expression is called "stink eye"

Then came the shampoo. I have a special pet shampoo so my skin doesn't dry out. It smells really good to humans. 

Then it was time to rinse off and towel down. That is the absolute best part. I love being toweled off and it also signals the end of bath time. Yay!

Here I am drying off. Notice that I get really close to the door so I can make my getaway!

Now after I get out of the bathroom, the fun starts. I run around like crazy, roll on the rug, play with my toys and even get a treat as a reward. 

You'd better put that D@#!M camera away or I'm calling the Humane Society!

Why did I have a bath? Well, I am going to the Country Cousins this weekend and something special is happening there. They are having a Fiesta for Samson's family. It is called a couple's shower. I'll bet it will be fun. I hope Samson is there so we can have fun like we did last time (the time we got in trouble for having too much fun).

I'll tell you more about that, but for now I need to get dry!

Love, Cinnamon the clean Coonie

Northwest Battle Buddies: Dogs Helping Vets (A Coonie Too)

When I saw the Treeing Walker Coonhound being trained in the Northwest Battle Buddies video I was really proud of this dog. I know better than anyone how great coonhounds can be as pets and as support animals. Be sure and watch the video. It starts out with the coonhound!

The effort to rescue, adopt and train shelter dogs to become service companions for returning U.S. soldiers is getting more attention and creating a waiting list for the group that started the program.

This past Memorial Day holiday, Northwest Battle Buddies launched a 60-day campaign to raise $200,000 to train and gift 15 dogs to 15 more U.S. service men & women.

The campaign is posted on the crowd funding website indiegogo.com.  For further details and to donate, click here. Learn more about Northwest Battle Buddies at www.northwestbattlebuddies.org.

I, Cinnamon, think this is a great idea!

Wordless Wednesday: Columbia River Dog

Ok, I'm all ready to head out fishing!

Hound Dog Sandwiches

These are for real and I want them for my next party! I was checking out the Internet, since it is so grey outside this morning, and look what I found:

This looks really yummy... and, of course, cute!

If you want to make the sandwiches, here is the website that explains how to do it.  Be sure and read all the comments to learn enough to make these. I don't really see an accurate recipe on the Internet so you are on your own. Be creative!

Now, I think I will take my mid-morning nap.

Love, Cinnamon, the party hound

I'm not as selfish as you think I am

Earlier this year, I saw the creative, fun pottery by Kelly Kegwin, Vancouver artist. She does mugs and other pottery pieces with images of fanciful unicorns, monsters and even... DOGS!

I really wanted a bowl with a design of coon hounds for my very own. I had my heart set on this because I LOVE KELLY KEGWIN!

But, today I found out that she secretly did a dish just for me. And her durn kiln ruined it. It just wasn't meant to be. I know that when it is meant to be, it will happen.

I also found out that Kelly, the creative one, is creatively fighting a battle against cancer. I have decided that I will fight on her side... bowl or not!

You are a strong, creative woman... you'll beat this for sure. I, Cinnamon, am supporting YOU!

I"M WITH YOU KELLY KEGWIN!.... Coonhound strong we are.... Arooooo!

Cinnamon's Volksmarch Log

I do volksmarching. Well, when I am not at the dog park! Here are the volksmarch walks I have done so far:

2014

5K Washougal - Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail at Steigerwald Lake NWR  - All Weather Walkers

6K Vancouver - Tenny Creek Walk - All Weather Walkers

5K  Portland SE - Reed College-Crystal Springs Garden - Rose City Roamers

5K  Camas Three Lakes Walk 

5K  Amity Oregon Daffodil Walk

5K  Vancouver Princess Ilchee Walk

10K Historic Vancouver, Land Bridge and City
5K  New Years Day Walk in Vancouver - Vancouver Volkssporters - Website

 2013
10K Vancouver Land Bridge Walk - Vancouver, WA - Vancouver Volkssporters - Website
10K Columbia River Walk - Columbia River Volkssport Club -Website
10K Sherwood - Soup Walk - Sherwood Merrywalkers - Website
10K WSU - Vancouver Cougar Views Walk - All Weather Walkers - Website
10K Halloween Walk in Yachats - Yachats Coastal Gems - Website

More About Volksmarching 

Love, Walking Cinnamon

Washougal Dike: Walking, Wading and Celebrating

Here's my owner and I starting the walk. Notice I wasn't panting in this picture!

Today it was rainy in the morning but by noon it was really looking nice out. That's the way it is in the Pacific Northwest. If you don't like the weather, wait an hour. It will change!

We had been talking about walking and about our walking friend's birthday. Tom does volkssport walking and today is his 60th birthday. Imagine! And to celebrate he planned to walk 60K on the Washougal Dike Walk put on by the All Weather Walkers. So I got my leash on and we headed over to the Pendleton Woolen Mill Store in Washougal to park and register.

I thought we'd be doing this pretty much alone but walking friends Karen and Louise were there with big smiles on their faces. We registered with them and signed a birthday card for Tom (I still can't get over how OLD humans get!). The idea was to go on the same trail and cheer him on. I explained that it was warming up and I couldn't walk more than my age (6) and Louise said that was OK and I could just walk up to Cottonwood Beach and back.

We walked through the tunnel and up onto the dike and started looking for Tom. We walked and walked and I was getting a little warm from the sun. I looked longingly at the water but it was too far away for me to go take a drink.

 

Here's Tom in the green shirt, not looking 60 at all, and his friends. They are walking really fast!

And then we saw Tom and Joe! They were walking really fast. I think this was their third time doing the 12K walk. They just wanted to walk long enough to have everything add up to 60! They stopped to say hi and we wished them well. I was embarrassed to say that I was pooping out after only 2K! 

After the guys kept on walking we found the entrance to Cottonwood Beach. (I love beaches!). So we nosed around the longhouse structure and then went down in the shade of the cottonwoods to the river. I saw some Native canoes. I thought maybe this was going to be a place to eat fresh-caught salmon. But there were no Native people around, just the boats. I hopped in one and pretended I was going out onto the river for salmon fishing. 

Here I am in the boat wishing I could go salmon fishing with my Native friends.

Then I got to cool off by wading in the water, getting a drink and feeling the cool sand between my toes. Ah.... relief. I also thought of Tom and bet he wished he could take a dip in the Columbia right about then!

Here I am cooling off in the Mighty Columbia River

But soon it was time to get back on the trail. We walked about a kilometer more and turned back. I was panting and ready to get back by then. We finished the walk and found out we had walked 5K. That was pretty good.... but not good enough for Tom! He certainly deserves a big piece of birthday cake for all that walking! I was totally impressed.

I'm glad Tom had this walk for his birthday. It gave me an excuse to go down to the river and get some exercise. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM!

 -----------------------------------

p.s. If you didn't go walking today and want to take your dog on the Washougal Dike, how about participating in the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society’s Sixth Annual Hike on the Dike event coming up?

Here's all about Hike on the Dike

Registration for West Columbia Gorge Humane Society’s Sixth Annual Hike on the Dike is now open! Hike on the Dike is a popular event so they encourage everyone to pre-register so they can skip the registration line and are guaranteed a WCGHS Goodie Bag!

The West Columbia Gorge Humane Society’s Six Annual Hike on the Dike is on Saturday, June 7th, from 11AM to 2PM and begins at Pendleton Woolen Mills at 2 Pendleton Way, Washougal, WA.

Coonhound Logo Products

I was waiting to go walking and I added a new design to my CafePress Shop. It is a coonhound silhouette. I put it on a lot of products and want to do more... maybe after my walk!

I have some other fun designs. Please check out my Coonhound Shop on CafePress.

Love, Cinnamon

I earned the right to be lazy!

Woo Hoo!

Today was one of those cloudy Pacific Northwest days when you just want to sleep in. But that wasn't what my owner had in mind. She suffers from occasional insomnia and was up and about this morning very early. She was finished working and by 8 a.m. was ready to take me to the dog park.

8AM! I was sleeping. I usually don't get up until 9 a.m. But she had other ideas. Reluctantly I got out of bed, stretched and went outside. I skipped my breakfast.

Once we got to the dog park I had perked up. I was getting excited. I hadn't been to MY dog park for a week. I was sure there were new dogs and new people to greet and plenty of great smells to sniff.

I started off with a sniff and a RUN! It sure felt good. (Between you and me, running through the grass felt better than sleeping.) I got those good ol' endorphins working. I was feeling good and I ran some more.

I was just a running fool! I ran up to people, I ran to greet dogs and I sprinted across the mounds in the middle of the park.

When it came time to leave, I really didn't want to go even if I was getting tired and out of breath. But I did.

I came home and ate a late breakfast.

And now, I feel as though I really earned the right to take a good nap or two!

Love, Cinnamon the runner

Sometimes a Walk is the Best Medicine!

This is the club that put on the walk.
I am a fair weather walker but they let me walk their event!

You all know about the rabbit escapade, right? Well, I just haven't been feeling good ever since. My tummy was upset, I was tired and I didn't really want to eat much.

I felt a bit better this morning so really made an attempt to drag myself out of bed. Why? There was a volkswalk scheduled in the Tenny Creek area of Vancouver and I wanted to go. I missed my Wednesday Walking and my weekend walking since I spent a week at the Country Club boarding place. So I got up and got ready to go. I didn't want breakfast (so what's new?)

We drove up to a big church where the event was being held. The All Weather Walkers had everything set up and we registered. I opted for the 6K walk because it was the shortest distance they offered. (I was still recovering, you know.)

The gardens in the residential area were beautiful.
But my favorite yard was the one with the squirrel.

We got a yellow map but I was smart. I just followed the people in front of me. Piece of cake! I didn't get lost once! I am fast becoming an experienced volksmarcher.

It was a nice walk through suburban areas and through some greenways and parks. But the best part of the walk was along one of the residential streets.

I was walking along, admiring the roses, and all of a sudden I spied a squirrel! I think the squirrel saw me first because he took off running. I tried to chase him but, alas, I was on my leash. He jumped into the bushes and then came out on the other side and climbed up a fence. I REALLY SCARED HIM!

That was really great. It was a dog adrenaline rush for sure. Another good part of the walk was the Tenny Creek Neighborhood Park.  I liked the trail and the woods. I didn't do much hunting there but it had potential.

Here I am sniffing around the Tenny Creek
Park sign.

As we went through a sports complex I heard my name being called. I turned around and saw MY FRIENDS from Wednesday Walking... Dick and Carolyn and the other Dick. They are 10K fast walkers but I like them anyway. I was excited to see friends and get petted.

After that excitement, it was time to finish the walk. (I was about finished anyway.) The All Weather Walkers were very dog friendly. They had a bowl of fresh water waiting for me. Thanks, guys!!

The All Weather Walkers had some water waiting for me.
They knew just what I needed after my 6K walk!

And, after the 6K walk, instead of feeling sick and tired, I FELT MUCH BETTER! I think a good volkswalk and seeing my friends was good for what ailed me. VOLKSMARCHING IS GOOD MEDICINE!

When I got home I ate ALL my breakfast!

Love, Cinnamon the healed hound

Weight Loss for Dogs: The Easy Way - Free Coupons #HillsPet

If you think you are loved when your owner gives you food, then you are just like me. I feel very loved when I get extra treats. And, if she gives me people food, THEN I REALLY FEEL LOVED!

I was surprised to find out that 1 slice of cheese for me is the same as a human eating 5 slices of cheese. That makes me look differently at those nibbles of cheese I find on the coffee table now and then. I especially was fond of the smoked Gouda but, alas, no more!

But between you and me, I do know that too much food or the wrong type of food can lead to chubbiness. And, although sometimes chubby is cute, we don't feel very good when we are overweight. So real love is making sure we are healthy. That's redefining love. If you are loved in the right way, you'll be happier and healthier.

Have you ever had your owner cut back on your food so that you would lose weight? How did it make you feel? I'll bet you felt unloved and I'll bet your owner felt really badly too. People don't like to withhold love (read food) from those they love most, do they? So what can be done?

I've written before about the Hill's weight solution food and treats. With Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution, it’s not about withholding at all. You get your food and you get your TREATS! And you can lose or maintain your weight that way and live longer to be loved longer!

Check out these links for more information:

Feed Your Pet With Love, Not Excess Food

Hill’s Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution Website

 

Wellness Vet Visit Coupon and Food Rebate
Are you ready to feel really loved by being healthy and happy? Well, tell your owner we want to help you through the Tell-a-Friend Program. You can fill out a simple form and get a Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution $25 coupon to be applied to a Wellness Visit to your veterinarian.  You'll need that! And you'll receive a valuable $25 rebate for Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution food. Wow! That’s a $50 dollar value.   

Here's the form you fill out. Once you fill out the form, tell your roly poly friends too... dogs and cats!

I, Cinnamon, am not overweight but I'm not skinny either. I know I need to romp and play and the dog park AND eat only the food my owner gives to me. I want to keep my girlish figure!

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I, Cinnamon,  am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic Food, but Coonhound Tales only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.