December 2010!

Welcome back, Winter!
So, there are dogs who love winter and then there are Tibetan Mastiffs. Of this I am sure!
My old crossbreed Rocky loved snow and took every chance he got to tumble around in it. He was so happy every morning when we went for our walks and made snow angels with a few meters apart.
Zodd is different. He doesn't love snow, it goes beyond that. He knows it and greets it as an old friend who's just coming back home after several months lost up in the clouds. It's some kind of love affaire and I wonder if it doesn't go both ways.
Zodd is not satisfied with a few mouthfuls of white crystal flakes, he is not finished when the snow angels are made and he is definitely not pleased that we have a house with four walls and a roof during the winter months.
This is the time of year when the ladies are dancing behind his eyelids and inside his brain, so perhaps, somewhere deep inside, he's made the connection between cold weather, snow and the sweet scent of females ready for action. I'm not sure if that theory is something to push for, but I do know that it's close to impossible to get him inside...
How I know?
I've tried countless times...
How I fail?
Well, my adversary is clever and he knows how to manipulate me, make no mistake! The sad thing is that I fall for his tricks even though I'm well aware that they are nothing more than tricks ;)
What can I say? My weakness obviously consists of soft brown eyes, a paw in the air, a wagging tail and sometimes even a classic "submissive" pose where he's on the side, on the ground and lifts his backleg up and shows his fluffy belly. His repetoire is grand and I am weak, so I go back inside and he watches me leave with a really satisfied glint in his eyes and a small snicker.
And he and Winter goes back to hanging out on their own, curled up tightly together, keeping warm and keeping secrets and keeping a big smile on my face ;)

This is a month of birthdays in our family. I'm the first one out and then my sister and finally Zodd. And then there is christmas as well, as the cherry on top of the awesomeness that is december!
There are a lot of gifts given and received. Zodd is a hard boy to shop for. He's got no appetite during december, so all snacks are useless. He's got less energy than normal since he doesn't eat, so toys are perhaps not the best gift. I'll stick to cuddles and walks since both Zodd and I walk out as winners that way. I don't have to regret spending money on ridiculously expensive dogtreats and toys and he gets love and an opportunity to sniff all the new puddles left by the ladies in the neighbourhood. Now, that's teamwork!

We've been on two very nice walks on Ryssberget with the usual gang this month. One of the walks was held on new year so that the dogs would play and exhaust themselves before all the fireworks began. A splendid idea, I must say! Zodd remained calm all night long, according to my sister who was dogsitting. He slept through all the noise and woke up to a new year without knowing quite what had happened ;)

We've had snow all month! I love it and Zodd, well, you should know how Zodd feels about winter by now.
Zodd is dressed in his wintercoat, but underneath is nothing more than skin and bones. Ok, I have to admit it's far from as bad as it was two winters ago. Oh, I remember the condition he was in and shivers run down my spine...
But he doesn't eat well at all. I serve all kinds of tasty stuff and he just frowns and walks away.
There is one stupid thing some people will say if you ask them for advice on this matter :
"Just take away the food if he doesn't want to eat and then give it to him tomorrow. Keep doing so a few days and he'll learn to eat up once the food is in front of him."
This is the worst advice ever! It's so far from true that it's not even funny.
People who give this advice must have a dog that it worked on, right? That dog must've been picky with his food and the difference between a picky eater and a refuser is huge. Zodd is hungry, no doubt about it since I see the drool dripping, but he doesn't want to eat. There is no difference between raw beef and dry kibble in his world. There is some primitive force keeping him from putting it in his mouth.
I've been thinking about it ever since that first winter and I know that it's all because of the heat season. The question is what is the reason for this self inflicted starvation?
If anyone knows the answer, please share it with me. I have my theories, but they are nothing more than that.

The Zodd calendar 2011 is now out!
If anyone is interested in buying one, please send me an e-mail and I'll give you all the details. The cost is 21 Euro (shipping included worldwide). The calendar is printed on highquality glossy cardboard and there are new photos of Zodd every month! So, if you want to have Zodd as your companion all year round, don't hesitate to write me at south_79@hotmail.com!

I've been to Norway this month as well. This time I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Ålesund on the westcoast of Norway. Lucas was called in to work between christmas and new year and he said he would go only if I got a ticket as well. And so I got a paid planeticket and I got to see where Lucas have been working for the last few weeks. I also got to meet his colleagues and be out on the water all day long (Lucas works as a diver and a pipeliner). Joy!
It was very restful floating around in a boat, having no musts and demands on you, simply just being there. It was a well needed break from my everyday life. I am very grateful that I got to tag along and see Ålesund. I loved the mountains and the water. The light was magic!

Zodd, my sister Nina and I had a photosession in front of the christmas tree some days before christmas and I must say that one of the photos is one of my all time favorites of Zodd. We hung an ornament on his tooth, and as the sweet boy he is he just lay there (ok, he spat it out twice before he understood that it was supposed to hang there) while I got my photo. He's such a calm dog. So relaxed and composed and doesn't mind one bit to be the model. Well, if you've followed him on this homepage I'm sure you've figured that out by now ;)
So, now all that's left is to wish you all, old friends and new, a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW 2011!
We'll see you there!
//Sanna