Horrible Stinging Beasties!

My yard has been invaded by horrible stinging beasties called Yellow Jackets. They are small wasps that fly and sting and sting and sting. Yellow Jackets live in a nest underground and are very protective and can become aggressive in the summertime if you disturb them. Eric discovered a nest in our garden when he was picking cucumbers. A nest opening looks like this.
Here is their nest underneath Jenn and Eric's garden in my yard. This is right near where I like to play with my red ball! Jenn was worried the the Yellow Jackets would come after me or Bernie or Big Sandy.
Eric took care of the nest last night while the Yellow Jackets were sleeping. He poured something in their hole and quickly covered it up. I had to spend extra time inside today to make sure any angry nasties didn't return. I certainly hope they are gone! Jenn says that Yellow Jackets aren't all bad and they are beneficial if the nest isn't near people and pets.

Hot Puppy!

Ug, this weather. I am one hot puppy. This humidity really knocks out my energy. My new favorite places in the house are near the variety of air vents. The cold air comes out and feels so good. I can either put my body on top of the vent like this...
or sit so the cool air blows on my chest...
or on my paws. Very nice.
I also like to press my butt up against the toilet. Ahhh.I'll be so happy for some cooler weather so I can get back to my regular schedule of activities. Jenn is very careful that I don't get overheated outside. We take lots of breaks and she always has some water for me, even on our short walks. We also have to keep careful watch on Big Sandy, who is 15. She really feels the heat even more than me. Be especially careful with your older dogs when it gets hot outside. Make sure you keep your dogs from overheating by limiting their activity during the hottest parts of the day, always provide lots of fresh water, and never, ever leave your dog in a hot car. Check out this article on heat related illnesses:

Heat Related Illnesses in Dogs

My visit to Cary Academy

Today I visited Cary Academy's All About Animals summer camp. I had so much fun showing off my tricks and wiggling my butt. Jenn showed my Drill Team videos and all the kids wanted to pet me.

First, I showed off my talents with the Dog Brick puzzle.Then we talked about using positive reinforcement methods to train dogs and everyone wanted to do some clicker training with me. Jenn brought along a cardboard box to show how you can shape behaviors using the clicker and treats. Then we worked on roll over with the ClikStik. This is a handy little gadget that is a target stick with a clicker built in developed by dog trainer Terry Ryan.This was quite fun and then I got more pets from everyone. I think it was very nice to get all the attention and I get to go back next week and meet another group of campers.