I'm ready!

My humans are a little on edge this week.  They're waiting for an offer on the house.  Hope this one will be the one!  Because as soon as the house is sold, we are leaving!  Keeping my paws crossed!

In the mean time, we continue to prepare our trip on the roads and I, for myself, have a lot to think about.  My bag is ready - bringing my cushion, my toys, my bandanas, leash, ... - and i had my visit to the vet to get all the shots i need for this trip.  The vet was very nice and he didn't really hurt me.  Well, maybe just a little but i didn't mind, that was for the good cause!

my ears are clean, now leave me alone!

Hey!  Not in my butt!!!

I also mapped out where all my north american friends live, because i made a deal with mum & dad.  Everytime we'll enter a state or a province where i have a friend, we will visit!   At this rate, we'll visit all the states and provinces!

Seriously, the house is almost empty - which feels kinda weird -, my humans already put many things in storage, they made their choice regarding the RV we'll be living in and now, they're just waiting after the potential buyer.  If all goes right, we might be leaving sooner than we think!!!  Isn't it exciting?!

Ok, maybe not that exciting for me, because they're so stressed out that they sometimes forget to give me treats, they talk all night long and don't cuddle with me as often as they used to, they're always on the phone talking to other humans about the house, ...  Hello! I'm here, remember me?  Lulu?

Oh well, i may be a diva but i won't act like one.  I'll let them deal with that human stuff.  Too complicated for me...

I have only one request for all my anipals.  Could you please, please, keep your paws crossed for me and my humans?

Thanx guys! I luv you!  Can't wait to see you on the road!

Doggie Photoshoot!!

A few weeks ago, i was tweeting with a friend of mine who's looking for a photographer to help him build his portfolio.  This friend is a well know dog in the UK as he entered the Top Dog Model competition last year.

I told him that for his first official pictures, he doesn't really need to hire a pro, as long as his humans have a good camera and time on their hands.  Because taking pics of a dog can be time consuming!

My mum does a great job with her camera and she taught me a few tricks to be sure that i would behave during a photoshoot.  So i thought i would share them with you guys, in case your humans decide to take "pro like" pics of you!  They might not send them to an agent or a magazine, but at least they'll have beautiful pics of you to hang on the walls!

First of all, it's much more easier to take pics of us dogs after our meal or after a walkie.  We are calm and we tend to be a little lazy, so that helps a lot when humans want us to stay still.  Also, try to take pics in a safe and quiet environment.  If it's too busy, too loud, with lots of humans, or dogs - or cats! - your humans will have a hard time!  Tell your humans that you need clear command or you'll be all messed up and the pics will look weird!  I had a lot of fails, believe me!

Your humans have to prepare the settings first!  We don't like waiting, doing nothing, while humans prepare all the stuff they want in the pics, like cushions, toys, flowers, blankies, ...  Please humans, be prepared!!  And please, if you want to dress us for the pics, do it at the last minute!  We may get dirty while waiting...

Lighting is important too.  Best time of the day to take our pics outside is an hour or two before sunset.  It will give us a nice glow because of indirect light.  It works anytime of the year, summer or winter.  But if your humans want to take pics in the woods, they must do it when the sun is at its highest point, around noon.  The rays will go down between the trees and pics will look amazing!

Don't forget that the background is also very important! And tell them to find one that will suit your fur color!

Last but not least, treats!  Tell your humans that a little reward after all that hard work is always appreciated!

Ok, to give you an idea on how those pics could come out if your humans try mum's advice, here's a look at some pics i have in my portfolio...

A last note for your humans.  If they want to build a real professional portfolio, they need to have full body pics, 3/4 ones, just your face, as many as possible in different settings or while performing a particular trick, and black and white pics too.  Both studio and outside pics are good.  If you're serious about it and want to send your pics to agencies, don't forget to take some with humans too!

I'm not a pro and the pics are just for my own use.  But i like beautiful pics of me.  Kinda makes me fell like a star!

It's not easy to be a model, but it's a lot of fun!  Think about the treats guys!

How do they make doggie treats?

Me and Tammy at OBT.  Isn't she lovely?!

I knew that talking about treats would make you happy!  So today, i thought about giving you a small tour of my sponsor's plan, where they cook treats for us dogs!  Isn't it amazing?

Oven Baked Tradition is a great company from St-Hyacinthe, a town near Montreal, Quebec.  About a year ago, they kindly accepted to sponsor me as they thought it was quite special to see a Rottie going on the road with its humans for 3-4 years.  They knew that my adventures to come would be very interesting and different, and that i would be a great ambassador for them!

Tammy, the wonderful lady that takes care of me at OBT invited us to visit the plan.  Of course, i was not allowed in the plan itself, but while my humans went inside, i stayed in the office at the front desk.  Boy was i a good security guard!  And i had lots and lots of treats!  Liver treats are my favorites!

My humans took a few pics inside, so here's a look at how they make treats at OBT.  (Don't ask for the recipe, it's a secret!)

Mixing all the ingredients for the treats...  Smells good!

Picking the right design for the treats...

Mixture going in the oven...  Isn't called Oven Baked for nothing!

Treats are cooked! Yummy! But still too hot to eat...

Tammy telling Dad all the secrets... He looks funny with this thing around his beard! 

Oh My Dog!!!

Ready to go!

After the visit, Mum & Dad were very impressed!  They said that it was clean, that it smelled like cookies coming out of the oven and that all the employees were kind and smiling!  

I am so proud to have them as my official sponsor!  Please visit their web site as they have a forum for us anipals and our humans, lots of pics, funny facts, ... They are just great!!  And you can follow them on Twitter @OvenBakedT and on Facebook too !!! And they even have a new commercial on tv, which is totally amazing!!

(Hmmm... I just thought about something... A contest maybe...  Let me think about it...)

Thanks Tammy!  Thanks Oven Baked Tradition !!

Don't blame me because i'm a rottie...

I've been thinking about this for a long time and i think now is a good time to talk about this issue.

Breed Specific Legislation.

Why do I talk about this now?  As you probably all know, I travel a lot with my humans and i'll be on a RTW trip soon.  While doing some research for our trip, i noticed that there are a lot of places i can't visit just because i am a Rottweiler.  This fact was very disturbing to me, as i am a well-trained and very good dog.  Why do some cities, states or even countries won't let me in?

Because i'm a rottie and my reputation preceeds me.

Let's all be clear on something.  I did not, nor did my fellow rotties, do anything wrong.  Humans made us do bad things.  Humans with little knowledge on how to deal with my breed.   The same goes with all the breeds considered to be "dangerous" like Pit Bull, Mastiff, Staffie, Cane Corso, Akita, Huskie, German, ...

Take any dog, any breed, and tether him with a chain 24 hours a day.  Don't pet him.  Don't play with him.  Don't socialize him with other dogs or children.  Train him to be agressive by poking him with a stick.  Don't groom him.  Let him starve a little.  Shout at him all the time.

You'll end up with an agressive and very dangerous dog.  Wether it's a rottie or a collie, or even a jack for that matter.  Any dog that doesn't have a good home and a good relationship with a human who doesn't know how to take care of a dog or worst, with a human who will try to make his doggie more agressive just because it's "cool", will end up being dangerous.

Of course, big dogs require good training.  We're big, we're strong and we are often very protective of our family.  Who wouldn't be?  But protective doesn't mean malicious or dangerous.  It means that we love our humans and don't want anything bad to happen to them.  If you treathen my mum, grab her by the arm while i'm on a walkie with her, i may bark to advise you to stop.  But if you're being nice to her and to me, i will let you pet me.

By the way, i had a cousin, a pomeranian, who was so protective of her mum that she bit the ankle of a man who was rude to her... Her tiny little teeth made a hell of a mess!  And another cousin of mine, a Lhassa, had a serious fight with a kid!  Did anyone ask that they be put to sleep? No.  Because they were not considered dangerous breed, it was classified as "incidents"...

Seriously, the Breed Specific Legislation has to change.

This legislation is unfair to those behaving in accordance to the law, dogs and humans.  The legislation has to deal with the behavior of individuals, not focus on the breed.

I am a good rottie.  I have a lot of respect for other doggies.  I also have a lot of respect for humans who show the same respect to me.    And the best thing you could do to show me the respect i deserve is to become a great leader.

I'm not a mean beast.  You just have to understand me and treat me to way i should be treated.  The way you, humans, want to be treated.

Don't ban me because i'm a rottie.  And don't blame me...

My new magazine is now available!

I'm sooooo excited!  After many hours of hard work, i'm now ready to launch my new magazine!

Lulu on the road!

This is a project i had in mind for a long time!  I really hope you'll enjoy it as much as i had fun making it!  It was a lot of work but i think it was worth it!

This first edition is all about friendship.  16 pages of love and fun!

It will be a monthly magazine and every month, i'll try to bring new topics for my readers.  Of course, if you would like to be part of the magazine, be my guest!  You can send pic of a funny or weird thing you saw on the road, a text about a particular subject you'd like to share with the readers or maybe i'll interview you!  Or maybe you could be the Dog Model of the month, you knows?

Watch for the monthly release on my blog, in the right side bar!  It's free! And we love free things, don't we?

So have fun reading it and please, leave me a comment on the blog to tell me if you liked it (or not!)!

Thanx everybody! I'm sooooo happy!

If i ever go to the UK...

me in a restaurant in Cape Cod, Mass.

I will certainly have my pic taken in one of these fabulous places!

PUBS!!

A great tradition there, many pubs also welcome doggies.  If there's a pub, there's a pooch!

Here in Canada, dogs aren't welcome in pubs.  That, i don't understand!  Is there something more welcoming than a dog sitting near a fireplace or under a table, watching his human sip a pint, eat peanuts and chat with friends?

Once i was allowed in a restaurant and boy did it was fantastic! I had my own space near the table, my own plate with fresh water in it, got to taste a lil bit of the food, ...  And i wasn't alone!  There were those 2 lil things, with tutu and bows on their heads, and all the clients were giving them treats!  Seriously, i think that every restaurant and especially pubs should welcome dogs.

In Great Britain, they understand the bond between humans and doggies.  And when i discovered this blog on the net, i told mum and dad that, while on our RTW trip, we must go there!

The blog i'm talking about is Dogs in Pubs.  This blog is a tribute to all the dogs in pubs.  They are doing a great job and the pics are fabulous!

If you haven't seen it yet, go and take a look.  My favorite pic is All alone Alfie.  Luv it!

Have you ever been to a pub?  If so, please tell me about it!

We want details!

me on my first camping trip!

Of course you do!

So here are some insights on my upcoming RTW trip with my pawrents.  My Twitter friends were asking me about it, so i tought it would be a good idea to share the highlights of that trip.

We will be leaving soon for a 3-4 years trip around the world, starting in North America in a motorhome.  That will be my new house for the next year or two.  I'll still have my toys with me, don't worry!  We will travel across Canada and the United States and then, we will cross the big pond to travel in Europe.  I think Mum wants to go to Asia too, but i don't know if i want to.  You know what they eat there, don't you?  Everybody will look at me with hungry eyes!  We'll have to talk about it...

Anyway, my plan while travelling is to meet as many people as i can, discover new places and live the adventures of a dog's lifetime!  Hiking in the Grand Canyon, swimming in the ocean, see the buffalos in Yellowstone, run on a glacier in Alaska, ... The works!

I will share my adventures with you pals, here on my blog, but also on FB and Twitter.  My humans friends asked me to write a book or two about it so i will.  And i hope to publish a book with pics!  Me in front of the Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge, near Dracula's castle in Romania, ...  that will be sooooo pawsome!

By the way, i have a sponsor.  They tought it was very unusual to see a Rottweiler travel the world and write about it so the decided to help me by giving me free food! And let me tell you, this food is very very good!  Tammy, from Oven Baked Tradition, takes good care of me and i luv her very much!

Unfortunatly, there are some places i won't be able to visit because i'm a Rottweiler.

Some countries don't want me to cross their borders - i guess they think i could steal secrets from them - and some others want me to stay in quarantine for ever!  I mean, i would have luv to visit Australia and my friend Dakota, but i'll have to stay in quarantine for 3 months!!! No way!  There are also islands i can't visit, because they are, well, islands.  People there are afraid that i might bring deseases in my bag.  Hello! I'm a very healthy dog!  But you don't discuss with the customs, you do what you're told.  So i guess i won't be able to sunbath in Hawai...

Up til now, i already visited a few states and parts of Quebec.  My favorite place so far was in Maine, a lil town called Bar Harbor.  It's very pet-friendly and the people there are so nice to doggies, i couldn't belive it!  I also liked hanging out in Cape Cod and I was very impressed by the bridge in Boston! Wow!

Hum, if you're nice, maybe i'll tell you all about it in another post!

Answering Fan Mail

Yes, believe it or not, i do receive a lot of fan mail!  Look at that face! I'm such a cute, sweet, loving, adorable, awesome doggie!

For the last 2 years, i've been blogging on my humans' blog.  I've ended up having a bunch of fans, asking me lots of questions about my life in general.  Now that i have my own space, it'll be much more easier to answer their questions.

1. Are you really a Rottweiler?
No, i'm a poodle... OF COURSE, i'm a Rottie!  Duh...

2. You're a travelling dog, you must speak many languages?
You're kidding, right?  I don't speak any languages, i'm a dog, hello!  But i do understand french,english, italian, spanish and german.

3. On your pics, you look really big. How much do you weigh?
A lady wouldn't normally answer that question but i'll do you a favor.  *whispering* 125,4 lbs.  Not bad for a female.

4. Do you plan on travelling for a long time?
4 more years before i retire.  If i'm lucky enough to live that long...

5. Do you have a boyfriend?
Fans are so curious! What about my private life??  Yes, my doggie boyfriend is Tank the Boxer, we met on Twitter.

6. Have you ever been scared of something?
My first time at the beach was scary as hell!  First, these signs warning people about recent sharks seeings (!!) and then, this enormous seal with which i came face to face in the ocean! I ran out of the water like crazy!

7. Do you have a nickname?
My nickname is Dude, and on Twitter, my nickname is Evil Lulu ( #evillulu ) because i luv to tease my friends!

8. Favorite treats?
Cheese, Mini Wheats and Oven Baked Tradition liver treats.  OBT is my sponsor.

9. Any bro or sis?
I had a sister, Maya, a german sheperd, but she went OTRB 2 years ago... I also have a human sis and a human bro.

10. Are you really a famous dog?
What do you think?? (silly fan, pfff...)


Ok, that's it with fan mail.  You're boring me...

......

Just kidding!! I luv receiving fan mail, please, keep sending!

Not for young doggie readers...

You probably all know by now that i'm a travelling dog.  My humans are seasoned travelers too.  We do that for a living and it's great!  We meet new people, see new places, learn a lot about other cultures and write about our experiences.  Sometimes, we encounter strange habits and we wonder "why they do that?".

I asked myself the same question when Dad went to China.  I was really eager to hear all the stories of his trip there, but when he told us about a certain restaurant, i stood in the middle of the living room, in shock...

This Chinese guy he met invited him to this fancy place, with dancers, music and great "authentic chinese food" as he said.  Dad went with him, no questions asked.   Of course, Dad doesn't speak nor read chinese so he said to the guy "i'll have what you'll have".  Bad decision...

The menu was entirely meals cooked with DOG MEAT!!

In China, there's this saying that a guest shouldn't never insult his host, so Dad had no choice but to eat dog meat.  On the table, there was dog soup, raw dog meat with vegetables, dog's brain with tomato sauce, dog's sirloin, ... He even saw the chef cooking big bones in a pan!

raw dog with vegetables

dog's brain with spicy tomato sauce

I couldn't believe it!! Why they do that? What's the point in eating dog meat?  Don't they have enough rice there to feed the people?!

But then, as i was listening to dad's story, i realized that i shouldn't judge them.  Of course, it troubled me A LOT but really, who am i to judge?  Here in North America, eating dog is almost a crime, but we do eat rabbit and deer and moose and duck.  Cute little anipals we raise not for the fun of it, but to eat them.  We even eat horses!  Chinese people would probably think we are crazy too.

That's what we call culture shock.  Going out of your comfort zone and trying to understand that some people are totally different than you.  You may not agree with the way they live but you have to be tolerant.  We scream out loud to save those dogs' lives but here, we turn our head and close our eyes on puppy mills...  Easier, isn't?

By no means i will encourage eating dog meat.  I'm against that practice.  But i will try to understand.  Being a dog, i can't imagine that a human would eat me, but i can try to understand that some humans, in other parts of the world, would.

At the end of the story, Dad looked at me with tears in his eyes and said "Dude, while i was in that restaurant, i kept thinking of you and i was sure you knew what was going on.  Hope you'll forgive me and i promise you, i'll never eat dog again in my whole life."

Don't worry Dad, I forgive you.  I always will.  And think about it for a minute.  Mum went to Africa and probably ate a cute lil zebra, for all she knows!



    

So, what's up Dude?

Nothing much, really.  Been licking my paws a lot lately.  Not that my life is boring but, you know, when you've got no tail, you've gotta find something to amuse yourself.  So, i lick my paws.  And chew on my friend kermitt, a fluffy thing i got for Christmas.

Last night, i was relaxing with Dad on the couch when i heard Mum talk about New Year's resolutions.  I listened more carefully, curious to know what resolutions she might take for 2013...

1. She wants to be more organized.
...

That's IT??!!  I think my Mum has some priorities issues...

Ok, so if humans can take resolutions for the new year, what about me?  I tought about it for 5 minutes and i came up with this list:

1. Stop being so dramatic.  I can be a drama queen when it comes to treats.
2. Stop chewing on dirty socks.  It gives me bad breath.
3. Drink a beer a day to keep the vet away.
4. Better train my humans.  Hardest one, really, they are so messy...
5. Convince my humans that i need a bro or a sis.  A pug?  Boston Terrier? Chihuahua?  Any midget breed will do, except Yorkies.  These lil things are so annoying!

Dogs' priorities in life are so much more important!  Humans should learn from us, really.

So here's to 2013!  It's gonna be a great year, probably the best of my life!

Humans can be so silly!

I remember the first time Mum said to a friend of hers that i was on Facebook, Twitter and that i was writing about my life as a dog.  A minute of silence and then...

She got "THE LOOK".

I'm pretty sure that this friend seriously tought of calling the police or worst, the psychiatric ward.  Of course, Mum never saw her again...

Why do humans always think that we can't do the things they do? I mean, we have opinions, we can speak our own mind! Ok, i admit that it's kind of weird looking at a dog typing on a computer and chatting with its anipals on Twitter.  It's unusual.  Or maybe not.  Because last time i checked, there was a bunch of us doggies on Twitter!  One of my pal has nearly 2 000 followers!

But that's not my point.  My point is that dogs have a life too.  There are things we like - chew on old socks and discuss the taste between us, teasing kittens, ... - and things we hate - like zoombies, aliens, or funny hats that our humans put on our heads at Christmas.  Some of us work, others are retired.  Most of us are well-trained and a few need to be more careful with their humans' carpet.  And all of us love to make fun of our humans! They can be so silly!

I mean, is there anything funnier than seeing a human teasing us with a bone or a fluffy toy?  They get down on their knees, talking to us making noises as if we couldn't understand words, using that irritating tone of voice. I always wondered what they would do if they could see themselves in a mirror...  Even more silly: they think we are weird because we like to dress up with wigs - and like my friend Spikey said, we are comfortable in our weirdness - but they dye their hair! Hello?! A dog would NEVER do that!

Except in China, but that's another story...

Anyway, silly or not, we love our humans.  They always make funny faces when they look at us and we can't help it but cuddle a lil bit closer.  They even let us in the bed when there's a storm outside, thinking we are afraid of thunder.  Like if we were, pfff...  We make up our best pity face ever when there's food on the table, even if we know we're not allowed to be around at dinner time, and they always fall for it!

Didn't i tell you they were silly?!