I'm BEGGING

I'm a dog and dogs are very good at begging. But before I tell you what I'm begging for, let me give you some background.

I've been spending time using my iPawed to explore various drawing apps. It's quite an interesting exercise. Each app has its own set of tools and methods of use. Let me be clear. These are not apps in which you just open up a photo, press a button, and you have something that looks somewhat like a hand drawn (or painted) image. No, in these apps you choose the type of mark (pencil, brush, ink, spray, et cetera - all infinitely adjustable) and you physically draw with your paw (or finger) or a stylus.

I've also been playing around with different stylii and currently my favourite is called a Jot Touch. Adonit, the company that produces them, is running a contest right now. They are asking Jot users to submit drawings of a scene from their favourite movie.

My favourite is Bombon el Perro. It's about a man who is given a very special breed of dog but he's never had a dog and doesn't know what to do with him. The movie follows the two of them as they form a relationship and an understanding of each other. It's quite a beautiful movie, but not in a sappy way. This is the sketch I've submitted. First prize is US$500.

So here's the begging part. Pleeeeeeeeeease please please vote for me. I've decided if I win I will donate half of the money to an animal shelter. If you'd like to vote for me, here's how:

Click this link. https://www.facebook.com/AdonitFB?v=app_356123317805804 Look for my drawing or my name, Ruca Cao. There are a couple of pages of entries. If you have trouble finding the contest or casting your vote, please let me know. Voting ends on September 30 but you can (please) vote once a day. To vote on the site you click the white box on the right, beside the number of votes I have received so far. I thank you and so do the animals in the shelter!


My vote totals are creeping up so I think that with your help there's a chance that I could take away the prize. It would be really great if you could help to get people to vote by spreading the word among your Facebook community.

Obrigado and woof woof!

Posted via iPawed

suicide squid = a bittersweet treat

Every now and then when I'm trotting along the beach, something out of the ordinary catches my nose. The other morning, following the Blue Moon (the rare occurrence of a second full moon in one month, in case you didn't already know), a delectable scent wafted my way. Upon investigation, I found a small squid on the sand. He (she?) was dead. Quite dead. Clearly he had committed suicide. I know that a full moon can provoke weird behaviour. The Blue Moon must have pushed this creature over the edge.

I truly felt sorry for the poor thing, but I'm not one to waste a culinary opportunity so I fetched a fancy plate (I felt I had to infuse the event with a touch of ceremony) and carefully placed the squid on it.

I studied it closely for a moment and noticed a puzzling phenomenon.

Some of the little dots on the skin were pulsating - almost disappearing and then expanding, disappearing and expanding. It was very strange. I'm sure the squid was dead. The fool proof sniff test confirmed it. But this dot thing kind of put me off. Not for long though. I had one last look ... And then I ate him. R.I.P. in my belly, suicide squid. Yes, that was a bittersweet treat.

Posted via iPawed

we aim to please

As you know, I'm a dog. And as dogs, we aim to please. Not so our canid cousins. They aim to kill – to survive. Wolves, jackals, coyotes, they've all retained the killer instinct that we dogs once had. The instinct to survive is no longer our strongest. As we became domesticated we softened. Now we aim to please. And that’s not always a good thing. Sure, fetching newspapers or balancing biscuits on our noses won’t kill us, but sometimes the desire to please gets us into trouble. Deep trouble.

Time and time again we do things that are not in our best interest. A person tells us to jump, we don’t ask how high. We just jump as high as doggedly possible. Many a muscle or tendon has been torn in the effort.

Jump!
*photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Samuel Renteria 

We would die of thirst to please you.

A working military police dog recovers from minor heat exhaustion.*

Thirsty!
*photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price

Dogs trained to withstand extremely loud sounds such as gunshots and explosions suffer permanent hearing damage or post traumatic stress disorder. They overcome the urge to run from such sounds, all for the goal of pleasing someone.

I bet the people have ear protection.
*photo by Master Sgt. Scott Wagers

Search and rescue dogs frequently work in hazardous situations, subjecting themselves to everything from sliced feet and puncture wounds to life-ending respiratory illness.

searching for victims after a truck bombing*

There are countless stories of dogs rescuing their people from hazardous situations, only to end up dying for their effort.

Duncan died in a house fire after he saved his owner.
(full story at abcnews)

It all comes down to wanting to please, to be liked. I worry sometimes about our future. If we continue in this vein, I fear we won’t last. With that possibility in mind, think twice before you ask us to do something that might not be good for us. We’ve shown that we will do anything for your praise. People, you have great power. Use it wisely. You don’t want to end up with a world without dogs, do you?

In an effort to please you right now, I would love to leave you a juicy bone, but it’s not really possible over the internet. Failing that, I leave you with my most winning smile. I hope you like it.

Do you like me now?

*indicates public domain image.