Puggles Digging

I dig puggles. Puggles dig digging. Digging up yards, that is. At least some of them seem to get a kick out of doing a little doggycentric landscaping.

If your puggle is outside a great deal and you don't want to be the folks on the block with the nasty yard everyone whispers about, you have to come up with a solution to stop the excavation project.

I found one puggle owner bemoaning the status of the yard post-puggle and requesting some hints on stopping the activity. The only suggestion proffered by readers? Sprinkling a little cayenne pepper into the hole.

As Emeril Lagasse might say, "BAM!" Problem solved? Maybe not. Wouldn't that just inspire your super-cute puggle to pick a new spot to dig? I don't have the answers. Just the questions. I know me some puggles, but I ain't no yard care guru. You dig?

Read the lament of the digging puggles and see a picture of their handiwork here.

Monotreme Puggles

Ever hear of a monotreme? No? What's up with you? Are you ignorant?

Just kidding. I had never heard of one either until about ten minutes ago.

According to the not-necessarily-reliable Wikipedia, monotremes are egg-laying mammals.

Why am I mentioning this? Because baby monotremes are not referred to as cubs. Or mini-monotremes. They're called... You guessed it. PUGGLES!!!!

According to DLTK's learning together:

"A monotreme is a rare sort of mammal found in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. The reason they are so rare is that they lay eggs!

This group includes the Platypus and the Echidna (spiny anteater)."

Artistic Representations of Cat Butt

Cat butt. The great Dutch masters never painted it. Picasso never created murals depicting cat butt. Michaelangelo didn't put a cat's rump on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

The art world ignored the feline posterior for centuries. That's no longer the case, however. Now, finally, artwork featuring the backsides of kitties is readily available.

It's cat art with a "rearview perspective" and you can get yours via a nifty Cafe Press shop operated by Mad Frank (who insures us that he isn't really mad).

The artwork is varied but carries a consistent theme of cat butt. My personal favorite features two people in bed watching television. Their bare legs poke out from under the bedding. Their cat is at the foot of the bed, standing, watching TV. We get the people's perspective. Pure cat butt.

There's also a send up of the Munch classic, "The Scream" featuring a cry of anguish in the immediate vicinity of cat heinie.

There are some things you must see yourself. The cat butt art from Mad Frank falls into that category. A nice range of products. Multiple pieces. Definitely worthy of investigation.

I'm not ready to call it an artistic revolution or a movement (insert feline BM joke here), but it is incredibly interesting and a lot of fun!

Puggle-isms?

I found some puggle-isms. I have no idea what to make of them.

Are these fictional exchanges with puggles? What are the blue lights? This discovery raises more questions than it answers.

This isn't hardcore puggle news. This is not the definitive answer to the hybrid dog debate. It may not even be particularly funny. It is, however, puggle-related and interesting.

Excerpt: "Me: Be good for Mama!

Puggle: I won’t be!
Me: You won’t be?
Puggle: I will be bad, but Bilby will be good!"

You can evaluate them here and reach your own conclusions.

Why I'm blogging about puggles...

Have you ever encountered a blog and wondered why the person was investing the time and effort to maintain it? It happens to me every once in awhile and I thought it might be fun to explain why I've been running this puggle blog for so long...

There are a few reasons why I'm on the puggle scene.

First, the dogs are absolutely adorable. That's obvious. In my estimation, it's also compelling.

Second, the puggle is a dog shrouded in controversy. There's a certain segment of the population that has an ax to grind with puggles and other so-called designer breeds. I want to get my opinion out there to counteract some of the negativity.

Third, I do make a few bucks in the process. I occasionally do paid write-ups and I've logged a few affiliate sales for dog-related products here, too. That doesn't hurt.

Finally, it's fun. A few minutes here and there writing about such awesome dogs is a nice little side recreational pursuit.

Now you know why I keep the Puggle Palace up and running.

Bullish about Bullion

I'm not an investment adviser. I'm not a financial expert. I am, however, becoming increasingly convinced that there's something very solid about precious metal investments.

Silver and gold, for instance, have had serious value to people all over the world since the days of the ancient Greeks and Eyptians. They aren't blips on the value radar screen--they have staying power. They also have a history of great performance during periods of political, social and economic uncertainty, making them a perfect safeguard for any strong investment portfolio.

It's no wonder so many of the advisers and gurus out there do recommend gold and silver investment to their clients as part of a well-rounded and diversified investment portfolio. You'd probably be hard pressed to find a major financial player who doesn't have a stake in gold or silver bullion.

Monex Deposit Company (MDC) specializes in assisting investors with precious metals. They've been in the business for decades and are highly-regarded with respect to their services and approach. If you're thinking about making gold or silver part of your financial plan, you might want to investigate them and their offerings!

Puggles Part of Designer Dog Revolution

A recent article out of Madison, Wisconsin, provides a little background on the increasing popularity of so-called designer dog breeds (including our favorite, the puggle). The article discusses the growing popularity of these special mixes while re-hashing the usual debate about the genetic propriety of mixed breeds, etc.

If you're new to the world of puggles and mixed breed dogs, you might want to take a gander. If you've been through the "puggles are great vs. puggles are a travesty" debate a million times it might not be that enlightening or valuable, though.

Bet you can guess which side I'm backing, huh?

One thing is sure... The so-called designer dog breed list is growing:

"Goldendoodles (golden retriever-poodle), puggles (pug-beagle), cockapoos (cocker spaniel-poodle), lhasapoos (Lhasa apso-poodle), schnoodles (miniature schnauzer-poodle), schweenies (dachshund-Shih Tzu), maltichons (bichon frise-Maltese) and teddy bears (bichon frise-Shih Tzu) are just a handful of hybrids on a growing list of designer dogs. Oftentimes, the hybrids are more expensive than their purebred counterparts, which some find amusing because the dogs -- whether humans intentionally pair them up or dogs do it themselves -- are technically mutts, albeit with known purebred parents."

You can see the whole article here.

Puggle Owner Opines on Pet Travel

Medill Reports (Chicago) recently ran an article on an interesting trend. It seems as though more and more people are trying to make vacation and travel plans that will allow them to take Fido and/or Rover along for the fun.

As a pet lover, I can totally understand the desire to bring your pet with you for some summer fun, but it can be difficult. The article addresses many of the obstacles encountered by those who'd like their summer holiday a good fit for all family members--including their dogs!

One puggle owner is quoted in the piece:

"But not all pet-owners are willing to paw, er pay, the extra bills. Kristin Oswald, owner of a one-year-old Puggle, said hotels shouldn’t charge more than a one-time $25 refundable fee to have a pet in the room. "

You can check out the full article here. It's worth a look.