My mom always says she tries to copy my attitude. I am totally relaxed.

Wherever I go, thats where I am, whomever I am with, thats who to lick and cuddle. There is no sense getting stressed about things like car rides, baths or the vet…I pretty much just enjoy being me and whatever comes my way, I think its an opportunity to make new friends and play!

Plus, there’s always something new and fun to do!

New places and people to sniff, new places to mark my territory…and really, when I am at a loss for how to occupy myself, I just lick my nether regions for a while and then take a nap.

You humans could really take a cue from me. I believe smiling and tail wagging is the best policy - at all times.

My sister, Ella Bean doesn’t like change. She prefers a schedule - otherwise she gets all nervous and shaky. I always tell her to just chill…theres always more food, treats and people to love.

She claims this to be untrue and she comes from a doggie jail where there wasn’t good eats or lots of lovin’. I tell her, relax! That’s the past! Live in the moment and don’t waste a second enjoying all the great things that have come your way! If your busy shaking in the corner, you just might miss a really good treat.

Slobbers,

LR

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I am the beastliest dog in the world. I have conquered one of the greatest feats in all of dogkind…my first successful hunt. Now, don’t think I am a sissy, being all of 17 months and having never before succeeded in a kill.

Its not as easy as it looks. You have to stalk the prey, get a good visual sight on all of its exit strategies and make sure your mom doesn’t yank you away from the goods before you can act.

Well, tonight all my practice paid off. I stalked a frog, snuck up from behind him and pounced. I had its squishy sliminess clenched in my jaws when my stupid mom let out a sissy girl scream. I looked up at her, prey still in my mouth, wagging my tail. I was totally willing to share! I mean come on, this was a big occassion! I could not understand why she would be yelling, “No, NO!” at me as if I had done something wrong…anyway, she pulled out one of my favorite treats from her bag and I totally forgot I had my kill in my mouth and dropped it to get what Mom was holding.

Then, she pulled me away from the scene of the kill and told me to be quiet as we snuck away. I guess she thought we would all be in trouble, but I just wanted to eat that creature, he looked so good, like he had been marinated in a shiny, juicy feasting sauce!

Oh well, now that I know I have experience in this realm, I plan to move on to my next challenge - the elusive chipmunk…or maybe a squirrel? No, definitely a rabbit! Well, I will be dreaming about what’s next tonight for sure!

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So, when I woke this morning I wasn’t thinking today would be anything special. Breakfast was some lame yogurt and fruit which is OK, but its definitely not as good as meaty goodness. Then - out of nowhere my hoomans loaded Ella Bean and I into the thing with wheels and loud music and we hit the road.

The lull of the hip-hop and the hum of the road put Ella and I both to sleep and when we woke up, we were DOWNTOWN!! I used to work at a super awesome store called Dog Bar and thats exactly where we were. I knew it the second the door opened. There was so much meaty goodness in one store…I can’t remember why I stopped working there…Oh, right, to pursue my dream of being a writer. I pulled my Mom and Ella all the way to the store, only stopping briefly to sniff a fellow Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s bum.

Once inside my old place of business, the smells were overwhelmingly awesome. Meaty tendons for chewing, bones of all shapes and sizes, cookies and a whole freezer full of RAW MEAT!!! I started howling my dining requests to my Dad who was poking through the freezer and I was a little bummed that he only took one bag instead of the 9 I requested, but hey, it was all good when the friendly sales girl let me give her kisses, a good ear scratch and then gave me and Ella Bean cookies and treats. Ella Bean and I got to take home some chewy meaty sticks and some cookies and Ella Bean got something called Harness.

My hoomans were really worried ’cause Ella Bean has started pulling on her leash and making little coughing noises (sissy!!). So, I guess Harness is supposed to fix that. It looks like she is wearing a super-complicated  outfit of ropes and her leash attaches to her back now instead of her neck. I am never going to pull again because I don’t want to have to wear Harness!

Then, after all that excitement, we walked up and down Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road where there were tons of other dogs and hoomans who all gave us tons of attention. By the time we arrived back to the thing with wheels and loud music, we were exhausted. I passed out in Mom’s arms and drooled all over her, like serious drooling action. Ha ha! Mom discovered that I had stepped in some gooey stuff that had attached to my front paw, but it was all good. I was going to save that snack for later!

When we got home, Dad cut the goop out of my paw fur (any fur removal should seriously be authorized by me. I work hard to grow that and hoomans just cut thoughtlessly cut it!) Then, Ella and I got to work on our sticks. I tried to steal hers but she dragged it under the big bed where I can’t reach. Bitch.

Anyway, gotta get back to chewing, these sticks won’t take care of themselves!

One more thing: A Very Meaty Birthday to Shalom, who makes it possible for me and Ella Bean to get our blog on. Shalom, you can have one of my meat sticks to celebrate.

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Umm…I think the laws of nature have gone topsy-turvy.

At a nearby dog park, I had a strange experience. A few days ago, I was minding my own business, marking my territory, when I was disturbed by a squawking bird. Thinking this was just a confused little airpuff, I let out some super beastly barks to let him know that he’d be lunch if he kept hassling me.

Today, the exact same bird was still by the park. Still squawking. This time, the little air rodent kept flying at me, calmly stalking me before descending and flying around my head, over and over. Totally undignified behavior for a bird, if you ask me! I decided he was done for. I am taking the air rodent out.

I got into hunting mode and stalked the little squawker. The difficulty is every time I got close to nabbing him, the pipsqueak flew off. I can jump like Michael Jordan on speed, but this bag of birdseed kept rebuffing my Spaniel skills! Its in my blood! My ancestors have hunted birds for centuries! Why can’t I nab this one foul excuse for a bird?

I thought about it long and hard. I eat pheasant…but it comes in a nugget shape…how do I get the bird to go from squawking to a feastable nugget? I must continue to ponder this and will not rest until justice is served!

A note from the editor: Cup of Dog managed to score an exclusive interview with the bird that hunted Louis, in attempt to find out the true story behind his actions.

The bird, named Henry, claimed his “grandpappy had been murdered by a Spaniel, ruining the family’s source of income and breaking his grandma’s heart.” Henry is seeking revenge.

Cup of Dog has no word on if the Henry plans to continue his attempts at retribution.

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Listen up humans. I don’t have many thoughts and the ones I do have usually revolve around munching on some meaty goodness or sniffing butts, however, I have now officially survived my first Father’s Day and Mother’s Day and I would like to lodge a formal complaint.

What about the dogs?

Are we not important? Do we not give you hoomans enough affection? Kisses? Is it our breath?

On behalf of all Canine-kind, my legal team and I are preparing paperwork to submit to officially instate official Canine Appreciation Day and by my count, it should occur seven times per hooman year.

It shall include daylong feasts, four extra long walks and free reign of the house to sniff and do as we choose. No scolding allowed or baths allowed. I would like to also recommend that the holiday include new additions to the pile of stuffies and other fun toys to celebrate the awesomeness that is dog.

This holiday in no way negates the recognition of birthdays, the hooman holidays with presents or any other such occasion that includes the extra special attention we deserve.

Let it be known, I have spoken to my lawyer and as we speak, he is getting the proper paperwork in order.

Sincerely Yours,

Louis Reginald

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Off the Leash with Louis!

Ahh, sleep. Besides feasting and my tennis ball, sleep is my favorite thing to do. I can do it anywhere, anytime. I like to sleep stretched out in the sun, curled up on Mommy and under the covers with my head on the pillow. My mom clocked it and said I spend at least 12 hours a day honing my sleep skills.

Why am I so tired? Well, supposedly its normal for my canine pals and I to sleep that much, but there are many types of sleep. The best is tongue hanging out of my mouth, eyelid blinking, twitching, dreaming deep sleep! I also get a decent amount of exercise which makes me sleepy.

I have heard about some dogs being forced to sleep in a cage. I don’t know why, maybe they do stuff at night that upsets their humans. Meanwhile, according to my research some dogs prefer to have their own space while sleeping. Ella Bean often goes to the living room to sleep alone, which I don’t understand. I like it better to be next my humans on the big raised dog bed.

I spend my nights snuggled up tightly next to my mom or dad. Sometimes, Ella Bean will want to cuddle, but she doesn’t sleep nearly as much as I do. Its hard work being Louis. I have loads of responsibilities, a website, a little sister and my Mom and Dad. They are a lot of work. But, they always makes up for it with tasty snacks, ear massages, playtime and love.

Sleep is as important for dogs as it is for humans. Force us to stay up too late, or interrupt our napping schedule, we will get cranky, just like you. So, let sleeping dogs lie. We are happy to sleep, so long as you give us a soft spot and a full tummy.

Oh and Mom, can you please stop waking me up to snuggle? I appreciate the love, but when I am asleep, I prefer a gentle tummy rub. And keep the volume on that TV down. Thanks.

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Today is a huge day for me. First and foremost, I, Louis Reginald, turn one human year old (bring on the presents). Secondly, in honor of my birthday, I am starting my new column, Off the Leash with Louis. Additionally, April 14, 2008 is the day Cup of Dog has been honored with winning Dogmark’s Cool Dog Site of the Day!

In this column I will be chatting with other dogs to share our perspective with people. After all, we canines need a forum to express ourselves with all these humans around!

Our first participants are Stanislaw and his brother Big Pupi . They are two awesome Cocker Spaniels that author their own cool blog, I Eat Raw Meat. Since I also eat raw meat, we have plenty in common!
By the way, call me Louis. (Its pronounced like ‘Louie’ btw).

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Stanislaw Big Pupi

Louis: Stanislaw and Big Pupi, I really like catching up on your blog I Eat Raw Meat and following your gastronomic adventures. I especially like your menus, even though I drool a lot on the laptop when I read them. Why don’t we start by you two talking about how you found your humans.

Stanislaw: I was arrested by the dog catcher for peeing on private property. I wound up at a kill shelter and the Houston Cocker Spaniel Rescue came and saved me. I was a dangerously skinny, starving boy because I never had any humans to feed me. I lived by eating frogs and lizards that I found in the grass. Soon after, I was at an adoption day and I saw my future humans and their dog Big Pupi. They looked pretty nice, so I asked them if they would adopt me and feed me. Sure enough, they did. I’m around 1 year old.

Big Pupi: In a flash and a blur I wound up behind bars. I swear, I didn’t do it. I was there for over 24 hours, donning my Elvis ‘do and yearning for some belly rubs, when a lady from the Austin Cocker Spaniel Rescue came and took me home with her. Her house was awesome – fun dogs everywhere, fabulous feasting and lots of attention. I got a hair cut and wound up at some adoption days. Finally, I moved in with my mom, made it though heartworm treatment with her, and it’s been great ever since. I have no idea how old I am. I’ve heard anywhere from 4 ½ to 7 years, but my mom sticks with 4 ½ because she says I was such a “puppy-brain” when she first got me. I would have been about 2 then, and have since matured into the perfect boy that I am.

Louis: I live in Miami and it’s pretty easy for my parents to get me all the raw I desire. Tell me about where you live and if it’s easy for you and other raw eaters acquire the meat that makes tummies happy.

S: We lived in Texas and one day we went on a long drive and ended up in Chicago, where there is an endless winter. I miss swimming in the Colorado River, but I do really like Lake Michigan and the geese that live here. I hunt my own meat — you know, squirrel, pigeons, and such. I would be a great hunter if my dad ever let me off the leash. I haven’t actually caught a squirrel yet, so I’m lucky my raw meat comes from the magic meat locker in my kitchen.

BP: Our humans talk about co-ops, a meat packer and a local Yahoo! group that tips them off to meat sales. Stan and I have never gotten the chance to check out these magical meat locations. Our people just sort of arrive at home with mass quantities of feasting materials.

Louis: Wow! I lived in Chicago when I first moved in with my family. After a few months we moved to Miami, my mom said its so we won’t be cold. Anyway, have you always eaten raw meat?

S: I dabbled in some raw meat eating when I was a young pup. Frogs and lizards and such. When I was adopted, I started eating Canidae but my tummy didn’t like it and I was unable to gain any weight on it. I’ve been eating raw for 3 months or so.

BP: I started out on Nutro Naturals, moved to Science Diet as prescribed by my vet (bad experience!), then Canidae dry food and finally raw. I’ve sampled many kibbles and canned foods in my day, and I’m telling you… real meat is the way to go.

Louis: I will pretty much eat anything. I really like that white long paper thing I unroll from inside the bathroom and can drag everywhere. So soft and chewy….Yum. So, since my mom switched me to a raw diet at six months old, I can’t get enough! I am really a lot healthier and more important shinier. I like to look good. Why did your people decide to make the change from another diet to raw?

S: I was 15 pounds when I was adopted. I’m supposed to be around 25. Needless to say, I went on a major feasting campaign with the goal of gaining some serious weight. Kibble helped a little, but my body couldn’t process the grains. In other words, kibble goes right through me and I’m unable to absorb the valuable nutrients I need to gain weight. Since I went on the raw diet, I’ve gained around 4 pounds in 3 months and I’m up to 22 pounds. My body really loves raw meat so it keeps it instead of letting it all go out my bum. I’m a much stronger, healthier boy now.

BP: I’ve got terrible food allergies, and they were just getting worse on dry food. The list of things I could not eat seemed to be getting longer all the time, and the itchiness drove me nuts. Plus, my kidney function was never quite normal, and my humans couldn’t help but wonder if a new diet could help. The raw diet has eliminated about 99% of my allergies, and my kidneys are stronger than they’ve ever been. And as an added bonus, my teeth are sparkling clean.

Louis: I regularly enjoy a variety of raw meats, bones, and I like to snack on stuff from the floor. My favorite meal is pheasant. I also just tried venison for the first time! YUM! What do your favorite meals consist of?

S: Goat, tripe, that sock over there, some garbage, a couple Mexican takeout containers, that thing I found in the elevator, and some yogurt.

BP: I’d have to agree with Stanislaw and say that tripe is pretty awesome. That’s way up there on my list of favorite feasts. Even though femur bones aren’t necessarily a meal, I have to admit that I’m a sucker for that rich marrow. We’ve also got some heart, whiting and duck on order and we’ve never tried those things before… so my favorite list is subject to change. Pheasant sounds awesome too. I’ve got to get on that one.

Louis: My mom has recently added tripe to our diet too. Its great! What would you guys say to other dogs that want to eat raw meat and bones? Is there anything other dogs should be prepared for? I went through a yucky sick period, even though the food was better then anything I ever had, tummy got all out of whack. My mom said it was ‘detox’. Tell me about your experience.

S: The whole first half of my life was a period of detox, so I didn’t really mind that raw meat hurt my tummy for the first week or so that I ate it. I feel great now. A few days of sickness is well worth it in order to be able to wake up every morning and eat bloody goat meat in my bowl or a raw turkey neck in my feasting cage. My advice to other dogs would be ‘no pain, no gain’.

BP: Yeah, it was a rough couple of days there. I didn’t really feel or act ill, but my tummy was an absolute mess. I was waking my mom up at 3am for potty emergencies, and making frequent trips to my favorite vomit spot – the sofa. Our humans kept a close eye on us and make sure our systems weren’t being pushed too hard. I’m sure glad we made it though just fine. Man, I love to crunch those bones.

Louis: Besides eating, I love to hang out in the park, rip open my toys, sniff things, push around my sister, sleep, give lots of kisses and snuggle. What are your favorite things to do, other then chow down?

S: I like to mark over my brother’s spots, harass him and my humans with my lunatic antics, try to snag treats from my mom’s coat pockets (she’s always got some in there), chase dogs and do a million play-bows. I also like to talk a lot and I like to feast hard.

BP: Nothing’s better than a good hard run and swim in the lake. My heart also goes out to day-long hikes and agility… even though I haven’t been able to practice my agility since we moved out of Texas. I’m an all-out exercise kind of guy, but then I love to turn into a mush pile at the end of the day and scrunch up on the sofa with my humans and watch baseball. Oh, and severely thrashing my stuffed-singing-Christmas-tree-mouse-toy. I can’t forget that.

Louis: I really appreciate your taking the time to be a part of my new column. If there are any final thoughts you would like to share with our Cup of Dog readers, please feel free to howl!

S: Louis, you should ask your human to get you some goat meat. I’m sure you’ll love it!

BP: We appreciate your interest in our feasting blog, Louis. Good luck with your new column!

Thanks, Stanislaw and Big Pupi! I really am happy to have had the chance to learn about you guys and how the raw diet has helped you out. On my next trip to Chicago, we will have to catch up and go squirrel hunting and I’ll be pushing to get some goat meat! The mere thought makes my tummy rumble.

I am looking forward to future chats, will include an aspiring canine model, a fashion forward toy poodle and much more!

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