Dear Abby: On the Delicate Matter of Puppy Potty Pads

Dear friends,

I have been excited all week about chatting with you here.  I will be sitting down each Friday to answer a question readers have sent.  If you have a question you would like me to answer, please ask in the "comments" section below.

Mary wrote and asked this question:  "A friend of mine has a really bad problem with her little boy Maltese who is named DD. DD doesn't like to go outside to potty. He prefers to potty on drapes, shoes, or behind chairs. My friend bought DD some potty-training pads but DD doesn't like to use them. What should my friend do? Thanking you in advance."

Dear Mary,  I am sorry that DD doesn't like to do his business outside.  I enjoy my constitutionals with time to keep track of all the neighborhood news and visit with friends.  I have puppy potty pads for "just in case" times when weather makes it dangerous to go outdoors - ice or thunderstorms.  (I certainly would not want to venture out when it is loud and stormy!)  My advice for training DD to use the potty pads is the same thing I would do to train a pup to potty outdoors.  I would advise keeping DD right by your side constantly, with his collar or harness on.  Then, at frequent intervals (starting at an hour, then 2 hours, etc.), I would snap his leash on and get him either outside to potty or to his potty pad.  I would make sure he knows the word "potty" - and I bet he would like a little bit of kibble or crunchy treat when he does his business like he is supposed to.   Please keep us posted how this goes!

If other friends have suggestions for DD, please leave them in the comments as well.  Thank you!

I'll close for now, but will leave you with a little vintage doggy humor, courtesy of an old postcard.  It is apropos for the blog theme today!

Have a great week and talk to you again next Friday!

Love,
Abby

Throwback Thursday - The Banana Splits

If you were a child in the late 1960's, you will remember the Banana Splits.  This Saturday morning tv show was produced by Hanna-Barbera with costumes and sets designed by Sid and Marty Krofft.  It ran from 1968 - 1970 and featured four anthropomorphic animals who had adventures (some scenes at amusement parks) and sang bubblegum pop music.  A little trivia -- the characters were named Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper, and Snorky.  I've included the tv theme song intro below.  I think this was filmed at Six Flags Over Texas.  Do you remember the Banana Splits?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Wordless Wednesday: Sock It To Me - Anthropomorphic Baseball Valentine

Found at Birdhouse Books:  baseball greeting cards

Did You Know Tuesday: Betsy Tacy Meets King Kong

Here's a fun question for you:  what do the Betsy-Tacy books and King Kong have in common?    Answer:  Their authors were married!

The Betsy-Tacy books are a children's series that take three friends (Betsy, Tacy, and Tib) from age 5 into their 20's.  They are set in Minnesota, from the turn of the century to the 1910's.   They were written by Maud Hart Lovelace between 1940 - 1955.

King Kong was written by Delos W. Lovelace in 1933.  He was a reporter for the New York Daily News and New York Sun, and wrote over two dozen books.

Maud Hart Lovelace and Delos Lovelace met and married in 1917.   He was the inspiration for the character Joe in the Betsy-Tacy series.  These books are my favorites;  I have them in print and also on Kindle.  If you haven't read them, they are charming and a lovely read for children and adults alike.  I feel like I am always recommending them.  They are really special to me.

I would love to hear from you in the comments - Betsy-Tacy books, King Kong, children's literature ... Have a great day!

Music Monday - "Sugar Shack" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs (1963)

I heard this song on the radio this weekend and knew it had to be today's Music Monday selection!   I've always liked this tune - it's fun, and very much belongs to the time when it was recorded.

"Sugar Shack" was a 1963 song by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs.  They hail from New Mexico and started as an instrumental group.  I had never seen a photo of the band, and pictured them as looking like Maynard G. Krebs, the Beatnik character played by Bob Denver on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.  Instead they are a collegiate looking group of young men.   This song was a big hit in 1963 and won a Gold Record Award as Top Song of 1963.  I love a song that tells a story, like "Sugar Shack Does," and it is just fun.  Enjoy!