Partying with the Pit Bull Boss

Portland Pet Expo was a Pit Bull Party!

Pit Bull

The coolest thing about the 2012 Portland (Oregon) Pet Expo was the number of pit bulls in attendance. Every other dog was pit.  I think that had a lot to do with Shorty Rossi, the star of the Animal Planet show, "Pit Boss."  (Click here for more information about "Pit Boss.") 

Shorty Rossi, star of Animal Planet show, "Pit Boss,"
with Mike McKenzie, founding member of the
Washington Owners of Flying Disc Dogs

Shorty has a book out entitled, "Four Feet Tall and Rising."  He's also the founder of Shorty's Pit Bull Rescue, a non profit that Rossi created in 2001.  (Click here to visit Shorty's Pit Bull Rescue.)

Shorty's famous dog, Hercules.

He's also a really nice guy.  At the pet expo Shorty was ready to sign autographs, have his picture taken, answer questions and interact with all the expo-goers who were interested.  

In honor of Shorty, please enjoy some of the awesome photos of pit bulls.

Pit Bull on wheels (canine wheelchair)

As I was researching Shorty, I             found that he works with Linda Blair's shelter and rescue organization, Linda Blair World Heart Foundation.  (Click here for more information on Linda Blair's animal rescue.)  

Peace and love and puppies.

Jimmyjumpnjive 2012 (click here for videos about dogs.)

A pretty Pity

A Pit Bull service dog.

Red Dog Battles the Hose Monster (Dumb Dog Trick #289)

DUMB DOG TRICK #289

RED DOG BATTLES THE HOSE MONSTER

They say that Border Collies are the smartest dogs in the world.  I guess "they" never met my little Red Dog.

Red Dog was smart, but more devious than genius.  He was also super nervous and neurotic ... sort of like a canine Woody Allen.  When I used to do shows with him, I would have the announcer ask if there was a "Doggy Psychiatrist" in the house.  Why? Because Red Dog was a little crazy.

I tried playing frisbee with Red Dog.  Actually, he was my performance or show dog for almost two years, but he was never entirely reliable.  He would have good shows and bad shows ... but his anxieties got the better of him and he started shutting down when he was asked to perform in public.

He was good at disc.  He could do all the tricks.  The problem was that he had total stage fright.

When he started refusing on me, I had no choice but to retire him and look for another dog.  But that left me with the world's cutest dog and no job for that dog to do.  That's why I started doing Youtube ... it was so that Red Dog would have a hobby -- comedy and acting.

Red Dog wasn't good at the stuff most dogs are good at ... but he was the best at sitting pretty for a treat, wearing funny hats and costumes, and having his picture taken.  I made a lot of videos about Red Dog, and he was the best dog at making videos.

Since late 2008 I have taken tons of video of Red Dog.  As he recently passed away, I am going back through my digital archives to see what projects I may have started or thought about over that time ... sort of so that I can show the world how much I loved this little fellow, so I can look back years from now and remember him, so that everyone can know the love I had for him.

Jimmyjumpnjive 2012

CLICK HERE FOR THE STUNT DOG PLAYLIST

ZooZoo Disc Dog

My sweet little girlfriend, Zoozoo.  Always ready to jump in the car, go somewhere and play disc.  She never fails.  Nothing scares her.  She has drive.

This video was made of some old cell phone video of Zoozoo.  Okay, so I take a lot of cell phone video of Zoozoo.  Wide angle, fish eye, all that stuff, yeah.

Then I took a scrap of music and pinned it onto the mix.  Sounded okay, I thought.  I've done worse.  Is what I do like video scrapbooking?  Is video just the newest form of diary?  People in the future will make videos rather than write or just speak them. It's the ultimate creative sticky note, waiting to be scribbled on, waiting to be shouted at.

Recently I told a guy to chase a disc.  He was going to race Zoozoo to catch one.  Sounds like a good idea, huh?  Sure, right up until the time that Zoozoo jumps higher than the guy's head and destroys the disc about two feet away from him.

He came walking back with this stunned look on his face.  Like, 'you didn't just try to wipe me out with your dog, did you?'  I told him to count his fingers.  I'm not sure why I was vibing that I should be rough on this guy, but I was being rough on this guy.  However, he did get the upclose disc dog experience.  But, truthfully, I also told him that I wanted to make him close.  I didn't mean to scare him.  Either he or Zoozoo could have caught the disc, but I still would have bet on Zoozoo even if he hadn't pulled up short.

Maybe it's just because I've been a cranky old man lately. Did you just read that, Caryl?  Daddy just said he gets cranky.  Bing Crosby called and said we should move to Pocatello.

Dogs on Chairs on LOL PETS!

FAME AND FORTUNE FINALLY (JK)

Recently one of my videos made it on the LOL PETS show on the ALN Network.  Peace and love and ALN network!

Seriously, I am proud to have shared (in my minuscule amount) billing with Kip Kay.  Even though he has his own show (and probably a mansion and a yacht) and I got ten seconds of my silly dogs being super silly on the silly happy funny peace and love (Lol Pets) show.

I am so totally cool with this.  I'm thinking maybe I should send more videos to ALN.  I was on their website but couldn't figure out how to post anything other than a "roll out" or "fame spot" or "spot out."  I'll go back to their site and look around a little more later.

Here, this link will make it easier for you to find them.
http://www.youtoo.com/lolpets

It's like I'm thinking ALN is a big network.  Do you think LOL PETS will ultimately be the next Pet Star?

I made the video, "Musical Chairs for Dogs," about two years ago.

Yeah, yeah, I goofed because you can see me in the reflection in the windows.  Still I really like this video, and I say that even though I made the video.  IMHO this is an awesome video.

I felt good that day.  I enjoyed making this video.  It was a sort of cataclysmic milkshake of passive dog training mixed with low budget video production.  Of all my videos, this one is my favorite.

Oh, and I have this video because my friend Ilovejanelle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WttfqFnah0U  captured it on her cellphone and sent it to me.  I watch so little television, I probably would have missed it.

When I see one of my videos used in a television show, blog or website, linked, whatever, I feel good about that.  It means that someone else agreed with my vision, got the joke, liked the message, and passed it along.  It's a good feeling.

Over the years I have signed stuff over (non exclusive rights) on some of my videos for the asking.  I have also sold videos outright, primarily winning contest entries.  Fundamentally, though, I don't really care if I get paid or not.  What I want is for people to see my stuff.

Sometimes when I see my videos on television I wonder, "Gee, when did I sign the release on that video." Because I probably did sign a release.

I don't want a thousand people to see one video, I would rather have ten people watch all of my videos.  Some people will "get" my stuff.  Some will not.  My mission is to find the people who will get it and make more videos for them.