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Saturday, May 26, 2007

Ask the Ao4 - III - Photos, Keeping Cool, Squirt Bottles, and Beverages

Tail wags, everypup! It's me, Stormy! I wanted to field a couple of the GREAT questions some of you submitted to Ask the Ao4. We promise to get to every question, so please bear with us.

Our very dear friend Holly asked the following question:

MGI PhotoSuite 4, Holly! It's a fun program that came with our camera. We can do all sorts of fun things with it, as you can see from the photo above. Dave really likes that "water color" look on you. We can email you just that part of the photo, if you'd like. It would make gorgeous note cards! This should also answer Sitka's question about where the beautiful picture of Amber came from the other day, too!

Joe Stains complimented us by saying we are "the experts on being cool" (verrrrry sweet, Joe!) and continued to say, "and since you are Siberian on being COLD! It is always hot here, how can I keep cool without going in the evil pool?????" Another excellent question! It's SO important for us pups to keep as cool as possible! Joe, you and Tanner have an added challenge since you live in Arizona. Our heat is just starting here. Some readers of our blog enjoy a dip in the pool. Like you, Joe, I think the majority of us here at Ao4 Headquarters would find it evil. With one possible exception. We've never tried one, but they seem way too much like an over-grown bath tub to me. I think you're right to avoid it, and need to find alternate means of cooling off. Some tips you might find handy are:
1. This one might be obvious, but if any bipeds are reading, they might need to be reminded. Exercise before or after the heat of the day, then spend the day relaxing in the comfort of your own home. With the air conditioner on. Forget all that "provide shade, access to water, shelter, etc." stuff. An air conditioned house. It's the only way to go. Bipeds - if it's too hot for you out there, it's too hot for us.
2. Air conditioning not set low enough for you? Seek out your bipeds. Preferably when they're a tad hot themselves. Pant. Heavily. Then try a little whine. Stagger a bit, if it's in your repertoire, or lean up against them to share your body heat. The piece de resistance is the "Sad Eyes Look". That should buy you a few degrees lower, at the very least.
3. Dave also recommends laying on top of the AC vent. Not only will it help you cool down, it'll make the bipeds hot so they lower the thermostat. He is demonstrating his technique here in Haik-woo 31, at right.

Another question was from a new friend of ours - Nugget! It's great to see you here, Nugget - and thanks for reading! Our biped mom was raised by Beagles so we're quite partial to your breed! They helped train her for us. Ha roo roo roo! Nugget's question was, "My Mum keeps squirting me with a water bottle when I bark; I am a Beagle and can't help it, what should I do?" Nugget, I agree whole-heartedly with your approach. You ARE a Beagle. Barking is part of what you do for a living. Doesn't your mom understand that you are barking for a reason? It's up to her to discover the reason (someone outside where you can see him/her, toy under a piece of furniture and you can't reach it, desire to play), praise you for alerting her, and give you a cookie. If she does those things, it's OK to stop barking. If she gets out that water bottle - I recommend a yelp (Beagles are good yelpers, too!), then the aforementioned "Sad Eyes Look" in my response to Joey Stains' question. Use those gorgeous Beagle eyes! Give your expression the most painful look possible. "OW! That HURT! How could you?" Couple it with a mind-meld message that she hurt you. Even though she didn't. Lay on the guilt, Nugget. It can help you achieve all kinds of goals.

Finally, a question from dear Girl Girl, the Hamster-berian. She wanted to know, "What is the favourite drink for each of you?" We're all big fans of water, Girl Girl! Zim would LOVE to enjoy a cappuccino every now and then, but he's not allowed. Coffee is on the Forbidden Foods for Pups list ... though that hasn't prevented him from trying. You can't blame a guy for dreaming... but water is the way to go for us! We have cool canteens the bipeds carry for us if we go on a really, really long walk.

The Hudson Trail, one of our favorite walking areas!

Thanks for the great questions! I hope the advice to Joe and Nugget works - keep us posted, OK?

Keep those cards and letters coming in! We will respond to each one!

Tail wags,
Stormy

13 comments:

  1. G'day Ao4, You're all soooo wise! xxx Asta down under

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  2. Well, I really need to send my human out with her plastic to buy me some cool photo software. Or, better yet, get dad to surf e-bay, his favorite shopping center! Thanks for answering my question! That watercolor photo of me is really cool! Can you e-mail it to me?

    Thanks Stormy! I knew you would have all the answers!

    Holly

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  3. Anonymous3:48 PM

    Wow Stormy.. you are so cool with your watercolor feature! That one of Holly is very pretty!!!

    Wow, you all gave some great answers to questions today! you 4 are SOOO smart!

    Zim.. I LOVE coffee and tea. I try my best to sneak a taste when mom and dad are not looking. Then I get caught!

    Dave.. I tried laying on the air vent when I was younger. Mom and dad came home one day and there I was standing at the back door to greet them, with the air vent attached to my tag on my collar! I had laid on it, woke up, discovered I was caught and yanked it out of the floor! I then proceeded to drag it through 3 rooms to get to the kitchen door that mom and dad come through. LAST time I ever did that!

    Hugs!
    Sitka

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  4. Wow! Can I really be a trooper in the Ao4? That would be great! I can run fast and dig trenches - Aussie soldiers are called diggers! That would be awesome!
    xxx Asta down under

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  5. Asta: Thank roo!

    Holly: You look BEE-ROO-TIFUL in that pictuer. Please tell Abby no disrespect toward her in cropping her out of the picture. It was just an example of what we can do. The watercolor is on its way to you now!

    Sitka: Thank roo and yes, isn't Holly so lovely!?!?
    You and Zim need to hit Starbucks together sometime. He goes crazy over cappuccino!
    Dave's never gotten stuck on the vent, but our great sister Jesse used to pull them up like you did! That sounds scary!

    Asta: You're IN! I just added you to the Troopers page! Hit the link in our side bar to check it out! Cool, huh? Please email us at the secret email address for the code to add it to your side bar!

    Tail wags,
    Storm

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  6. That is some great advice Stormy...you are so wise. Here's a question that I'm hoping you can help me with.. When I'm at the doggie park, my mom insists that I shouldn't dig in the mud or eat grass. Is there a good way I can convince her it's ok for me to do that? Thanks Stormy!

    Lots of Licks, Ruby

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  7. Hi guys,
    Sorry we have been away from the computer the last couple of days and are just now listening to the message for all the troopers. As we don't bark ourselves we had to listen to it a few times. Please excuse our tardiness!
    We enjoyed reading through your advice to all the pups. How did you guys get to be so smart?
    Licks
    Jazz and Dixie

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  8. that was very very interesting, all those questions and answers, some excellent stuff there to keep me thinking!

    We don't have many air conditined houses in the UK, it seems we just don't get quite hot enough here for this. Although when we do get heat every bi-ped moans to high heaven, but hey, We Are British, it is what we do, Moan about the Weather! Hot or Cold, Rainy or Snowy, we have a moan for it.

    I love the picture of Dave on the AC Vent, soooooooooo funny!

    love and licks Marvin xxxxx

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  9. Hi Stormy, Thank you for the advice. I have passed it along to Mum. I've posted an example of our barking,mainly it is our warning system. Great post.. I need to look into the MGI software, looks like fun to use.

    Licks, Nugget

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  10. Ruby Bleu: Oh, we can certainly help you out! Look for a reply VERY soon!

    Jazz & Dixie: You don't bark? Why not? I'll bet you have lovely voices! Did you have any problems understanding my bark?
    You're very kind to say we're smart! I spent so much time on the streets before I found my fur-ever home that I'm a Roads Scholar. As per my pack-mates, they all attend the Stormy Zoluschka Kryschtal School of Siberian Studies. The learning never ends!

    Marvin: No AC? Oh, rooooo! Mom said they didn't have any when they and our Great sisters lived in Belgium and they were fine there. I wouldn't want to try it here!

    Nugget: I sure hope the advice helps! Keep us posted!!

    Tail wags,
    Stormy

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  11. Oh dave is so nice to help translate the mission in Wooo in the post below. Ah.. i haven't got the code for the cool code for the side-bar yet. Can you doggies email me the code at titanic45@hotmail.com
    Thanks

    ~ girl girl

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  12. Dakota needs more keeping cool tips. We like those, but she is still hot. And she likes the pool. Crazy girl!

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  13. omdog you guys have provided us with some good tips. The only problem is our AC comes from the CEILING!! I am definitely trying the stagger and pant technique though!!

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