Thursday, February 26, 2009

Raw Food Diet, Day 394- Busy Beasts and Feasting Stuff

Heya folks! I've been keeping my beastly self busy lately and have a bunch of stuff to update you on. First is my Saturday "Make Stanislaw a Good Boy" Class. I did great! My teacher even used me as the example dog and pulled me in to the middle of the classroom to show my Down Stay. I was super on-point that day because mom brought some cut up string cheese and I LOVE CHEESE!!! Even the teacher said, "Boy, he really likes cheese." DUH! Cheese is the BEST! I was really focused and even responded to the command Quiet when I started whining (Quiet is a new one for me).

Everything was going smoothly until a large puppy got off his leash and came sprinting across the room towards me. I don't get along with this guy since he plays too rough and has about zero doggy manners. We got into a little brawl and it took 3 people to separate us. He's one dude I DO NOT give play bows to. Neither of us were injured and I got over the incident in about 0.3 seconds and was on the lookout for cheesiness again, but I gave him warning growls any time he got too close or too focused on me. Not cool, man! His owner needs to learn to keep distance between us.

Later in the week, we had another slight sizzle incident when mom was cooking in a pan. I ran into the office to hide but this time my folks were on the lookout for my spookiness and scaredy-cat-ness. They came jumping towards my hiding spot squeaking toys and patting my bum... and you know this beast can't resist a party! I was out of there in no time thrashing the stuffy with all my might and doing growly, smack-down play bows to Big Pupi. I totally forgot about the sizzle monster and followed them back to the kitchen to make sure they didn't want me to do any taste tests. Dad said I was Good Boy but I didn't get to eat the feast so I don't really believe him.

Since the weather is getting warmer (read: 36 degrees) we've been working on our marathon training and getting our mileage back up so we're in shape for our summer morning 4 mile fast hunts. Right now Pupi and I can do 2.5 miles pretty well, but we've got to keep working hard so we can race like beasts again. Running is just about our FAVORITE thing in the world to do! Heck, I might even leave a bowl of goat meatiness behind if I see my running leash! (Maybe...) We headed out on Tuesday for a good solid run and it turned out to be more of a mud sprint since all the snow is melting and the city is becoming a gooey mess. I've never felt like such a beast before! I was dripping from ears to dewclaws with mud and city yuck. Check out Big Pupi's once white legs:
Beastly! And the work we did to the bathroom floor:I was all like, "This is AWESOME!" until I heard something coming from the far end of the bathroom...
Noooooo!!! I watched my Eu Du Manliness swirl down the drain.
At the very least, in keeping with our usual post-run tradition, Big Pupi and I got a big protein snack. This time it was beef, yogurt and some apple sauce. Then, mom reached into a bag from the Place of Toys and Feasts and came out with a little pack of this:
I was all like WOAH!!! I've never had the kangaroo meat before! Somehow Big Pupi managed to charm the nice store man out of little pack of the dehydrated meatiness and he tossed it into our bag as a free sample. Delicious! The strips looked like thick pieces of jerky and they tasted like magic dancing on my tongue. Post-fast hunt feasts are the BEST! All that protein goes straight to my manly muscles.

The following day, because it's too hard on our bodies to run hard every day until we're in tip-top shape, mom took me on an obedience walk to the bark park. I was about 70% Good Boy on the way there. We had the park all to ourselves so it was all about doing Good Boy tricks and that's when I realized that mom had PORKY MEATINESS in her pocket!! She found a whole container of pancetta at the grocery store for $1 and boy-oh-boy is that motivation!! That was like the holy grail of treat feasts for me. I did Down Stays at the park like a pro, and did Good Boy Come every single time. On our walk home we kept doing exercises that mom called "escaped Stanislaw prevention" and kept letting me get ahead of her on the leash then calling me to Come! back to her. For pancetta? YOU BET!

I was walking like such a Good Boy until a bunch of skateboarding male humans came out of nowhere and started doing tricks and smashing about. I was SO SCARED I thought I was going to weeble on myself. This is NOT what an anxiety-ridden dog needs. One of the skateboards got away from its human, and mom asked if I could sniff it since it scared me. Very tentatively I approached the noisy moving thing, jolted back and forth a bit, but got close enough to touch it. The boy human pet me and I got so excited that I jumped onto the skateboard and it flew out from under me and scared me again. How was I to know that those things are naughty beasts that like to run away?

I was a little jostled on the way home but we made it okay. It took me a block or two to calm down and focus again, but I did well. I used to get so shaken by these types of things that I wouldn't be able to calm down until I was home for a while. So I guess that's another step in the right direction!

That's all typing I have time for now. Nappies are calling my name. Dewclaws are crossed we get to run later today. I need to get manly and filthy again!

Happy feasting fellow beasties.
Stanislaw

***
Health note from Big Pupi:
Pancetta is a very fatty meat and we do not recommend it as a treat for everyone - especially if you have weight problems or are prone to pancreatitis. Stanislaw and I are very lean and very active boys so the extra fat and calories don't hurt us... as long as it is in moderation. Fatty meats and cheeses are the ultimate treat for us and we get very tiny crumbles only when we must perform in very distracting situations. Otherwise, when our job to be Good Boy is a little easier, we stick to the healthy stuff like flakes of dehydrated lean meats.

That being said, sliced light string cheese makes for the ultimate training treat! If we're learning new tricks at home (as we are now) that makes for a delicious high protein, low fat snack and we go nutty for it! Mmmmm!

**an important note**

I've got an important tidbit to add, which I have to thank my buddy Frisbee Fenway for~

We tend to write big on this blog. We speak of feasts like they are banquets but in reality everything we eat is portioned out and kept in check. Sure, we get treats and we dine on rich meats like lamb and pork on occasion, but it's all balanced with good lean beef and turkey and lots of exercise. We tend to exaggerate the extent of our feasting because to us any meal of raw meatiness is AMAZING and worthy of MUCH recognition. But, in truth an hour's worth of training only earns us each a 1/2 to 2/3 of a piece of string cheese because it's chopped into such tiny bits. But it doesn't stop us from working our bums off for it!

So feast hard folks. Feast healthy and take the rich stuff in moderation. We want you all around for a long, long time.

23 comments:

Niamh said...

Congratulations on being the demo dog for your class Stanislaw. It is always fun to show off our smarts.

Sounds like you and your people did great with the wicked sizzling oven. Skateboards are very stimulating too so you are really being a good boy.

Enjoy all that cheese. You deserve it.

Your exhausted friend,
Niamh

Mason Dixie said...

Enjoy your cheese and congrats on being the show dog. You look pretty cute too all sudsy. =)

Dughallmor Beagles said...

Stan...my man! Wow...that was a great big juicy meaty post wan't it? We're hungry now :D (always!)
Sounds like you're making really good progress in all areas....keep up the good work!
Slobbers xx

Eric said...

Stan. Smart AND handsome AND full of cheese AND Kangaroo. Boy oh boy wish I was you...

Wiry wags, Eric

Pee S. Paws up for your clever good boy stuff!

Scottie the 'Cutie' said...

Doing demos was awesome,wasn't it? I'm pretty sure you got quite a bit of that yummy cheese after that! *wink* The pancetta definitely sounds scrumptious...it gave Mom some ideas on how to treat me when I'm being a Good Boy too! Thanks for sharing your tips, Stan & Big Pupi!

Scottie

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

Is it okay fur me to give my mom some pancetta?

Ah yes, the power of cheese!!!

What a full post - I need a nap after reading it!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

parlance said...

Stanislaw, it sounds as if you are making hu-u-u-ge progress. Well done.
Penny eats kangaroo meat too, but not regularly, because it is a very strong meat. However I noticed that yours was more of a treat than a meal.

Molly the Airedale said...

You sure get the best treats, Stan - cheese and kangaroo and pancetta! yummmmmmmmm
Congratulations on being the good boy example boy!

Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch

Mack said...

Cheese, pancetta & kangaroo? You guys have the best mom ever!

Beckett said...

Hi Stanislaw,

Looks like you've been getting some tasty treats - I might have to try this Good Boy thing.

I asked my mom your mom's knitting question. She says that there could be a few culprits and that the first one to check is a monster called Gauge. (http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring03/FEATswatchout.html)

If her gauge is off, she can try going down a needle size or two, or looking for another pattern that matches the gauge she's getting.

Hope that helps,
Beckett

Anonymous said...

Wow Stan, how cool that you got to be "demo dog" I bet you could take that act on the road & make more moneys for your good feasties!
We don't like them skateboard thingies either, only we're not scared of them, we want to eat them. Hoomans should not have wheels on their feetsies.
We gotta get DawgMom to let us try kangaroo, that sounds real good!
Feather, Darla & Pappy

Petra said...

OMD, that out-of-control skateboard would have scared me to death! Hey, congrats on your award! It's so nice when people recognize your talent.

Amber-Mae said...

Stan, I bet you were the Star the whole time! Great job. Man, if we had mus all over us in the HOUSE, we'd be sooo barbecued!

Butt sniffs,
Solid Gold Dancer

Anonymous said...

Hey Stan, come on by our bloggy, we left something there for you, bring some kangaroo meat with you & we'll bring a deer leg for you! *wink*
http://tnbullterrors.wordpress.com

Feather, Darla & Pappy

Fenway said...

Awesome & newsy post, Stan. Glad you're doing better with the Sizzler Monster.

I've had the dickens of a time with the Crutch & Cane monster and thus failed my CGC test. I actually went Cujo on 'em. My mom borrowed a pair of crutches and insists that I eat my dinner around them. Then we have to do dopey exercises so they will become My Friend. I'd much rather cozy up to my Everlasting Green Ball or Vet Man. She's not fooling me a bit...I know the crutches have a secret agenda.

PS: We actually know of a bunch of border collies that got liver disease from eating too much string cheese! Their owner was "rewarding" them with 4x the amount of cheese a grown man should eat! So, buds, let's go easy on the cheesie love.

Fenway said...

Dogs can NEVER get too much of a good thing. Trust me. We have a limitless capacity to savor and enjoy.

So snack on! Those doggies are going to be okay. They were being fed 4 whole cheese sticks a day! People aren't even supposed to eat that much!

Hey...I've heard that my peeps are going to see the Red Sox in spring training next month. So far I haven't heard about any flight arrangements for moi....hmmm. Something is amiss and it's not ME!

Hero said...

You're making some serious progress there, Stan! Anything is possible when there is some good and tasty treats involved. My mom sometimes get mad at the other hoomans in my family, because sometimes they don't know when to stop rewarding me for being a good boy. I don't think there can ever be enough cheese, but my mom thinks differently. It sounds like you're well on your way to being in top condition for your 4 mile fast hunts. Hopefully all that extra exercise means more cheeesy treats for you and Big Pupi!

Lorenza said...

Hi, Stan!
Sure it was great to be the Good Boy of the class!
I have never had pancetta but sure I love cheese too!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza

Stanley said...

Hey, Stan!

Glad you're back on your marathon training regimen. I too am a lover of running, especially if I can do it LIKE THE WIND!!

Sounds to me like you're doing fantastically well with the sizzle monster and Good Boy training in general. I too had a pup in my training class once who had NO manners and was a bit of a bully, so I was going to show him what's what (since he challenged me every chance he got). We always made sure to keep our distance from him during class since his peeps didn't keep a good eye on him.

Male skateboarding hoomans tend to be fairly cool in my experience. Next time you see one, try out checking out the skateboard again. I bet you'll be surprised how unscary it is.

Goober love & feasty-smelling smooches,
Stanley

Life With Dogs said...

I think you may grow a pouch :)

Finni said...

Hi Stanislaw,
Thanks for coming by my blog. We love your blog header - it made Nelly and me dribble - delicious!!!!
We love running too, especially through muddy and wet fields, hehe. We also do things (anything!) for tiny treats. Mum makes tiny little cheese pastry things from leftovers for us. They are our favourites!
We'd like to put a link on our blog so we can pop in now and then. Is that ok?
Bye for now
Finni xx

Bae Bae said...

Kangaroo meat sounds pawsome

Good work on the floor with the paw prints

~ Bae

Samantha ~ Holly and Zac ~ said...

We had to BOL at your mucky paws/legs and the bathroom floor. Those are familiar sites with us too..hehe

We also love to run, it is great fun. :-)

Holly & Zac...XX