And now … for the very last official post on Archie’s blog (and Facebook page), Archie, Mirabelle, Mum, Pop, and the whole, entire Brindlebunch would like to share with you a TON of old photos, videos, stories and “behind-the-scenes fun facts.

In short, we’d all like to DOOP DEE DOOP with you once more, this time down MEMORY LANE.

And as you scroll through all of these photos, remember that YOU, our friends all around the world, are what helps to make each of these memories so special.

THANK YOU.

H❤️H❤️H❤️

* NOTE *
Like all of the photos on Archie’s blog, these can be enlarged if you click on them.

CHAPTER ONE:
THE RISE OF ARCHIE BRINDLETON

Day 1 for the Frenchie that will become ARCHIE BRINDLETON

Archie is born in London, Ontario, Canada to a litter of 4 on January the 8th, 2013
Some of his official documentation had several names written over and scratched out, so we have real evidence he had several previous names before becoming Archie Brindleton!
His previous names included NIGEL, VICTOR and VICAR (because of the placement of white under his chin).

Second from right in the first photo, Archie’s ears were considerably larger than his three sisters.
All of his littermates were sold quickly, but the breeders initially decided to keep the one male for themselves.

A recovering English Bulldog snuggles with Archie to feel better

He was gentle and caring from very early on, often being used to give comfort and companionship to ailing bulldogs returned to the breeders for special care and recovery.
There are stories that his very British breeders would cradle him like a baby and watch British TV shows on the couch. And that he loved it.

In his first few months, his ears continued to grow, which, incredibly, made him UNATTRACTIVE to potential buyers! WHAT!?
As it turns out, both of his parents were champion show dogs in Europe and interested breeders considered his oversized ears a “FLAW” that deviated from breed standards.

Archie riding home with Mum for the very first time

After they had tragically lost their previous canine companion in a terrible incident, Mum and Pop eventually decided to bring another dog into their lives. At first, Pop was very reluctant and was still hurting from the loss of their WHIPPET, named LUX.
Pop, a life-long dog lover, describes the loss as “deeply traumatic,” and found himself suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which made it “hard to be close to dogs.”
But Pop fell in love with Archie at first sight, thanks to his “extremely gentle nature.” Better yet, Archie helped Pop completely overcome his trauma.

A never before released photo of Lux the whippet aka LUXIE LOO WHO

Once Pop was on board, Mum found a listing for a three-month-old French Bulldog in their home town. She phoned immediately but was told that another family from out-of-town was already coming to view him.
They said that if the family did not want him, they would call back. THEY DIDN’T.
Almost three months later, his listing mysteriously RE-APPEARED online!
This time, Mum wasn’t taking any chances and demanded to see him that same day. The second they laid eyes on him, Mum and Pop knew he was coming home with them.
THE BRINDLEBUNCH WAS BORN!
In the months between his first and final listing online, it is rumoured that he had been sold to a breeder in Europe and then returned because he had a limp. When he was first brought home with Mum and Pop, Archie DID in fact limp, but after a couple of rounds of acupuncture, never did again.

The first known photo of Archie and Pop together (2013)

As the story goes, Mum and Pop simply asked the little Frenchie what his name was and he replied “ARCHIE”.
His last name is BRINDLETON, because he has a pattern in his coat known as a “BRINDLE”
His middle name, “FLUBBERFORD”, came later, and it was chosen because he is both very flubbery and handsome like ROBERT REDFORD.

One of the first times Archie makes COZYPILE SNUGGLESNORTS with Mum. (2013)

At first, the posts on Facebook were simply ABOUT Archie and not written by him.
His unique voice and vernacular did not appear until a little later.

A very early and popular photo of Archie poking his head into Pop’s office through a missing glass panel.

Some of the first posts actually written by Archie were in the form of “STICK TASTINGS” much like wine tastings, or a food review.
He would excitedly bring home a new stick after every walk and talk about its special properties at length.
After a couple of months, Archie suddenly lost all interest in sticks and began taking a serious interest in EXPLORING.

One of the first family adventures in London’s MEADOWLILY WOODS

After being introduced to “The Naturemama plus alla her babies” Archie started to visit and eventually REVIEW parks. It was at this point that his page really started to gain followers.
His first park review was for THAMES PARK, just blocks from his home on July 31, 2014.
Most of his earliest Park Reviews were quite simple and involved only a short paragraph and one photo of him posing with a landmark to prove he had actually been there.

As a young pup, Archie went through several collars and harnesses, but always preferred a thick, red collar that really looked brilliant against his black and white coat.
He refers to any pure, bright red as “PIRATE RED” and remains convinced that anything that is Pirate Red in colour is faster than the same item in any other colour.
Archie’s Park Reviews continue to gain popularity and he decides to adopt the title of Canada’s officially unofficial PARKMASTER GENERAL!

Archie and his first friend, Bella on a picknick

Archie befriends another Frenchie in a chance meeting in a Dog Park on the far side of his city.
What makes this chance meeting incredible is that it was the very first time that the other Frenchie, a female named Bella, had ever been to London and her family was only there house-shopping as they were preparing to move from British Columbia.
Archie and Bella become fast friends and spend many days together while her parents are at work.
Later, Bella would get a baby sister named MABEL and the three of them continued to be close friends until Mirabelle arrived.
Mabel and Mirabelle do not get along (to say the least) and eventually Archie and Bella drift apart.

Bella and Archie celebrating his first Birthday.

Birthday parties become a big tradition for the Brindlebunch and a special canine-friendly cake is created each time to serve to Archie and Mirabelle’s guests - on plates!

At a young age, Archie began to take an interest in his own reflection, but within his blog post, presented his reflection as another dog which he knew only as “the New Kid”.
The “New Kid” always appears in a “window” that Archie believed looked through to another apartment very similar to his own.
The New Kid would make a number of appearances until Archie moves to a new apartment in the building next door.

Archie’s oldest and closest friend is COUSIN ELLIE
COUSIN ELLIE was born to the littler just before Archie’s at the same local breeders.
Archie and Ellie celebrate birthdays together for years.
Even after Mirabelle arrives, they continue to be good friends as Mirabelle looks up to Ellie like a big sister.

❤️ THE BRINDLEBUNCH LOVES COUSIN ELLIE!! ❤️

Archie was always very calm and predictable, but on one particular day, Pop stepped outside to take the garbage out. In the short time that he was away, Archie had taken everything in the recycling bin and carefully “sorted” it all out across the kitchen floor!
*The above photos were taken after a partial clean had already been started.
The only time Archie did any damage at all was when he destroyed a pair of Mum’s glasses, lovingly gnawing on them after she left for work one day and …
Our FAVOURITE story of Archie being a rascal:
Being concerned about creating separation anxiety (because for the first few months he was almost literally NEVER alone or apart from Mum or Pop), we decided to stroll around the block, and leave him alone for approximately 30 minutes.
When we returned, he had moved a small stepstool in the kitchen so he could reach up onto the counter and pull down a full bag of liver treats. Obviously, he ate every last one, but most incredibly, we later find the bag UNDER THE KITCHEN MAT LIKE HE HAD ATTEMPTED TO HIDE THE EVIDENCE!! We cannot explain how he did that!
It’s a good thing he decided to use his “powers” for “good”!! LOL!!

Another of Archie’s earliest friends was JASPER THE HANDSOME CAT who lived in the same building as Archie’s first apartment.
Archie loves cats and finds them absolutely fascinating. He still gets excited to see one and has never been aggressive towards any cats that he meets.
He loved to hang out with his handsome friend Jasper (R.I.P.)

An earlier feature of Archie’s Facebook page was the parody “ALBUM COVERS” he used to create just for the amusement of his online friends.
The “Smell Your Butt” series was by far the most popular.

The white mark on the back of Archie’s neck became known as his “FLASH” and we think it resembles a Frenchie sitting in their signature way, which is often called “side saddle” or “kickstand”.

The large, glorious white markings on his chest and “undercarriage” became known as his “LOVING BOLT” because of its zig-zagged point, much like a lightning bolt, and the fact that it covered his Heart.

Archie takes an interest in FOOD. Any kind of FOOD.

Pictured above are Archie’s first food and water bowls.
Several sets of these were destroyed. As a puppy, Archie would have “running fits” where he would suddenly do crazy zoomers all around his first apartment. Whenever he raced into the kitchen - which had a marble floor - he would not be able to stop before sliding into his bowls and crashing them into the radiators, which would often break them.
Eventually, they were replaced with ergonomic, STAINLESS STEEL bowls.

Archie gets serious about reviewing parks

The above photo was used as the cover of Archie’s first Facebook photo album where - to this day - the first 350 of his park reviews are posted (He has now written 600 and reviews 351-600 are posted only on archiebrindleton.com).
Once Archie decided to visit and review all of the parks in his home town of London, Ontario, Canada, he wrote to city hall and received back a list of 422 addresses. This was in the fall of 2013.
It took THREE YEARS to visit them all, and the list kept growing. When he completed the list in 2016, there were 433 parks in London. As of 2020, there are over 460 and counting - and he has visited every one!

Wanting to give back to his community, and knowing how Archie’s soothing energy helped Pop recover from his dog-related PTSD, Archie volunteers as a THERAPY DOG for the St. John’s Ambulance organization.
Once old enough (dogs must be 1 year old to qualify), he takes a 2-hour test and passes with flying colours. The organizers don’t wait to mail the results of the test. They tell Archie and Pop on-site that he’d been accepted to serve and was the only candidate given the uniform of a St. John’s bandana right then and there.

Archie’s first post as a therapy dog was at the MOUNT HOPE CENTRE FOR LONG-TERM CARE which was part of the St. Joseph’s Health Care family of facilities. He makes weekly visits.
On his first day, Archie is asked to visit the security station and both he and Pop were given official photo I.D.s that they were required to wear at all times.

1175306_443055292477428_1430345447_n+copy.jpg

Archie’s Facebook page starts to get more sophisticated and begins featuring special themed posts, much like the columns of a newspaper or articles in a magazine:
THINKINGTHOUGHTS FROM MY BRAINMELON featured reflective thoughts
WACKY FACTS ABOUT DOGS were broadly comedic explanations of the origins of different dog breeds
STUFF THAT HELPS was all bout food, supplements, training advice etc. all designed to help other dogs and dog owners
CREATIVE WRITINGTIMES featured poetry and short stories
BRINDLETERM OF THE DAY explained the meaning of Archie’s unusual vernacular, focusing on one of Archie’s unique words - known as “Brindleterms” (eg. “Lookingmarbles” instead of “eyes”)
ARCHIE BRINDLETON’S DOOP DEE DOOP TROOP featured other dogs around the world and their favourite places to explore.
RAINBOW VALLEY MEMORIALS shared a detailed biography of dogs that had recently passed away and gave his community a chance to send words of comfort and support to their grieving caretakers. This was by far the most difficult, but most rewarding of all his posts as the entire community came together in an incredibly powerful and positive way.
Archie posts FIVE TIMES A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, then slows to a rate of THREE POSTS A DAY for much of his online life.
His favourite period is the run where he posts THREE TIMES DAILY - A GOODMORNINGTIMES post at 8 AM, a NIGHTYNIGHTIMES post at 8 PM and one of the above options at 1 PM just for fun.
In the final years online, he finally takes weekends off and reduces his stories to once per day.

ASK ARCHIE becomes the most popular regular feature of his facebook page. For the first couple of years, it would take Archie all day to respond to the questions he was asked.
The principal art for these posts change three times through the years (see above)
Questions ranged from the very silly, to simple things like “what do you like to eat”, to some surprisingly difficult and personal questions. Archie takes all of them very seriously and carefully responds to each one. “Ask Archie” becomes hugely popular.
In the end, it becomes impossible to keep up with the requests for his wisdom and “Ask Archie” is forced to close down. Alternatives were investigated, but a satisfactory replacement was never found.

At this point, Archie is getting quite famous and no longer fits into the rules of the St. John’s Ambulance Therapy Dog Program which restricts how each dog presents itself to the public.
Archie was starting to wear costumes during his visits - which were very popular with residents of the facility he worked at - and when told not to because it broke the rules, he decides to leave the St. John’s Ambulance organization to become a FREELANCE THERAPY DOG instead.
He gets his own special “THERAPY DOG” harness which allows him to enter areas with people sensitive to/afraid of dogs without creating unnecessary fear and discomfort.

Archie begins making regular visits to McCORMICK HOME and establishes a long-term relationship with the facility as an in-house therapy dog.
Archie is also made the Official Therapy Dog of WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT and begins making monthly visits on campus to de-stress the students.
He also visits other special interest organizations such as The BEREAVED FAMILIES OF ONTARIO, THE HIV/AIDS YOUTH GROUP, CMHA (The Canadian Mental Health Association) and even several public schools in the area.

A poster that was placed all over the Western Engineering buildings promoting Archie as a free service to all students

Archie Becomes a Stage Actor!

Archie is asked to perform the role of “CHOWSIE” in a local production of “GYPSY”
The lead actress had been following Archie online for months and when asked if she had any idea what kind of dog she would like to work with, she immediately demanded Archie be cast.
Typically “Chowsie” is played by a teacup breed that might weigh 5-7 pounds, so it was a bit of a challenge for the actress to carry 25 pound Archie around - especially when singing!
He bonded with her immediately and followed her around the stage, sticking next to her ankles with very little practice. Even though there was a live band playing and he had to be moved around backstage during blackouts, he performs perfectly every night! - WITH ONE EXCEPTION.
Archie never quite “gets” the closing bow. All of his castmates would, one-at-a-time, come out at the end of the show, take a bow and then line up across the back of the stage. Archie would come out last with the lead actress, but instead of turning to the audience, he would always face his new friends and inadvertently point his butt out at the audience! Everyone loves it.

The landing page art for Archie’s own website, archiebrindleton.com

At some point, Mum and Pop start to notice that random posts on Archie’s Facebook page are disappearing.
It is impossible to communicate with Facebook itself and there is no explanation. Older posts keep vanishing. And it becomes common knowledge that anything you post on Facebook becomes Facebook property that they can sell or use to promote themselves.
In an attempt to preserve Archie’s posts and to have better control over how his material is presented, Archie builds his own website/blog on the platform called SQUARESPACE. Every new post is written on Squarespace first and then shared to his Facebook page via a link.

The principal art for Archie’s online dictionary of “BRINDLETERMS”

One of Archie’s most popular attributes is his very unique vernacular (how he talks!).
Known as “BRINDLETERMS” many of the fun words he uses are mashups of two or more other words.
Archie’s online friends begin adopting Brindleterms into their own daily vernacular and many in his online community start to speak to Archie - AND EACH OTHER - using his own language!
For a long time, one of the daily features of his blog becomes the “BRINDLETERM OF THE DAY” posts where Archie presents a dictionary-like definition and examples of how to both pronounce and use every term in a sentence. His online dictionary - although still incomplete - remains available on archiebrindleton.com through the “Learn To Talk Like Archie” link.
an example:

bananarang © [buh-nan-uh rang]

noun

a tropical plant of the genus Musa, certain species of which are cultivated for their nutritious fruit. The name is typically used more specifically in reference to the fruit itself rather than the plant as a whole.
more commonly referred to as a "banana".

"Pop went to the grockeryshop to trade dollarpennies for a whole buncha bananarangs, appleberries, plus even some cukelumbers too!!"

Archie learning how to negotiate a CROOKED HILL

Archie begins to attract very devoted friends and fans online and in one particular case, Mum and Pop learn very quickly about how much power his messages of love and community are starting to have.
The friends of one particularly loving fan ask Archie if he would make a surprise appearance at her work anniversary party and …. well, magic happens.
The co-workers fool Libby Wilkinson into thinking a guest speaker was joining them and they have everyone assemble in the board room.
This is still one of our most beloved videos, despite the rough quality of an early camera.

❤️ WE LOVE YOU, LIBBY WILKINSON!! ❤️

The principal art for the very first HappyHeartHugs Day!

“HappyHeartHugs” quickly became one of the core concepts of Archie’s philosophy and his signature sign off when responding to online comments and emails. :

HappyHeartHugs © [hap-ee-hahrt-huhgz]

expression 🌟

the central conceit of Archie's belief system founded on his unconditional love for all living things, represented by the active exchange of platonic loving affection shared between people or groups, delivered as a conceptual, typically non-physical "hug", often across great distances, in an attempt to cheer up, soothe or otherwise relieve and uplift the intended individual or group.
Archie believes that it is up to each of us as individuals to care for everyone and everything in our world - starting with ourselves. He believes that by freely giving and also by openly receiving -even from ourselves- his interpretation of universal love, we can live in a state of peaceful joy, physical well-being and mutual understanding. His call to action for everyone is "GIVE SOME - GET SOME - HAPPYHEARTHUGS!"
Always spelled with the three "H"'s capitalized when in print, and symbolized as a capitol "H" followed by a heart repeated three times as an emoticon ( eg. H <3 H <3 H <3 ).

An official “HappyHeartHugs Day” is established on JUNE 28th - the day he was first brought home by Mum and Pop. The day is recognized by several novelty holiday websites online and is still promoted to the general public to this day.

At the peak, Archie’s page was growing at a rate of ONE THOUSAND likes a week.
However, once the new FACEBOOK ALGORITHMS were implemented, organic (meaning FREE) growth stopped instantly. We experimented with paid ads and found them to be ineffective as new followers that were “bought” were not terribly loyal and tended to fall away as fast as you paid for them.
The Brindlebunch never paid for likes or ads again, focusing only on followers who were genuinely interested in Archie.
Archie appears on THREE different radio stations and on local television several times. YES. You read that right. A DOG that cannot speak, appeared on RADIO. Fortunately, Pop also appeared to tell Archie’s story. ❤️

Having finally visited every park in his home town, Archie wanted to try something new and thought that creating videos in the vein of Sesame Street’s “PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD” would be the next logical step.
Mum and Pop reach out to the London Fire Department and ask for permission to film Archie touring a local Fire Station.
Surprisingly, Archie and Pop are invited to take a meeting with London Fire Department Management to discuss the concept and are shocked to find themselves in a large board room with the Fire Chief, the Deputy Chief, the City of London Communications Manager, and others!!

Archie wearing his FIRST Fire Safety Dog uniform.

By the end of the meeting, the Chief (who was a huge dog lover) had not only given Archie permission to film at Station #1, but had also asked Archie to become a FIRE SAFETY DOG for the Department in hopes that they could reach more people with critical fire safety messaging. He was given the honorary title of “ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF”.
The Chief went so far as to give Archie one of his own dress uniform shirts which was then carefully tailored down to fit Archie for his public appearances.
Archie begins to appear at local festivals and in malls and schools with his official Fire Education Partner, Fire Fighter JASON POOLE - who was always AWESOME!

Archie appearing at a Fire Station open house with his partner, JASON POOLE

The first uniform actually did not fit Archie well around the neck as he actually had a larger diameter neck than the Fire Chief (!!! LOL!), so a second, larger shirt was requested and then tailored to more successfully fit Archie.
The second shirt had a belt built around the bottom so that it looked more resolved and better tailored as well.
An authentic “BUNKER GEAR” uniform (the kind fire fighters wear when responding to a call with the heavy fire-proof coat and helmet) was also created out of authentic fire-proof fabric, but it was ultimately far too hot for him to wear. He did use the helmet, however.
FUN FACT: The choice to make his bunker gear out of authentic fire-proof fabric was a disastrous one and the seamstress destroys her cutting wheel, several pairs of scissors and numerous sewing machine needles trying to cut and sew the nearly indestructible material!!

Archie wearing his BUNKER GEAR uniform and Mirabelle dressed as FIRE for Halloween

Archie wearing the first uniform and his helmet which was a modified “BUILD-A-BEAR” costume item

After a season of appearances at the London Fire Department’s Fire safety Dog, other special interest groups begin to request that he appear in their Health and Safety ad campaigns as well.
Archie then agrees to appear - in uniform - for a province-wide smoke-free housing ad campaign (see above). All of Archie’s work as Fire Safety Dog is 100% voluntary. He was, however, given a gift bag and treats for his work on the above ad.

In 2017, Archie receives the ultimate honour for his Fire Safety efforts. He is first nominated and then wins a Provincial FIRE SAFETY AWARD from the office of the Ontario Fire Marshall.
Archie travels 2 hours to Toronto and sits through an entire awards ceremony - in uniform - before taking the stage to receive his award.
FUN FACT: Because Archie appeared at the awards ceremony in the dress whites with all the adornments of a Fire Chief, he was technically the second-highest-ranking Fire Fighter in the building!

In the spring of 2016, Archie takes on the biggest challenge of his career.

A man named James Rice, who lived in West Virginia, U.S.A, writes on Archie’s “ASK ARCHIE” page, explaining that he was recently diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure and that without help, that he was going to die. He later tells us he had no idea what to do, and reached out to Archie in one last, desperate attempt to find a solution to his terrifying situation.
James had been paying into a health-care plan for years, but his provider refused to cover his crushing medical expenses.

James Rice and his friends and family had started a crowdfunding campaign to raise the money required to pay his medical bills and help stabilize his condition. All he was hoping for was that Archie would post a link to the crowdfunding page and share it with all of his online friends, but after much thought and consideration, Archie decides to do more.
It’s decided that Archie will travel all the way to WEST VIRGINIA to meet James Rice. Archie tells his online friends which route he’ll be taking and where they can meet up with him along the way. Dozens of people come out and many give Archie envelopes of cash to deliver to James and his family.
In the end, Mum creates a mini-doc of the entire experience and gifts it to James to post on his crowdfunding page in hopes of generating much more interest. IT WORKS.

The Poster Art for Archie’s HappyHeartMission for James Rice

This remains one of The Brindlebunch’s proudest moments as it perfectly illustrates just how caring and compassionate Archie’s community of friends is. Brindlebunch friend, LIBBY WILKINSON and the MAIN STREET VETERINARY CLINIC both chip in to cover the expense of driving all the way to West Virginia.
With a lot of support from James’ friends and family in West Virginia, and using the video to send everywhere they can think of, enough money is raised to get James at least SOME of the care he needed.
James Rice survives to eventually have a child with his wife, but sadly, passes away from health complications in 2020 (R.I.P.)

And now ….

AN ARCHIE BRINDLETON MEGA-GALLERY!

CHAPER TWO:
A SAUCY SISTER ARRIVES

The saucy little girl that would go on to become Mirabelle Roseblossom Merriweather is born on MAY 1st, 2014 to a litter of 4.
Although Mum and Pop attempt to adopt a rescue dog, they are denied because they live in an apartment. The agency is concerned the pup will not be exercised or stimulated enough!!!
Plan B is to return to the same breeder that Archie came from.

Mirabelle (left) with her sister and biological Pop

Roughly one year after bringing Archie home, Mum and Pop decide to bring a second Frenchie into their lives and specifically pursue a female knowing that two of any sex can - sometimes - lead to fighting for dominance.
They see an ad for a new litter from the same local breeders and are very excited about the possibility of having TWO wonderfully calm, and well-behaved Frenchies to love and care for!!
HA!! MIRABELLE HAS OTHER PLANS!! ❤️

These are our first photos of Mirabelle and you can see Archie is already VERY interested in her.

Archie accompanies Mum and Pop to the breeders home to select which of four female puppies would become his baby sister.
Mum, Pop, Archie and all of the puppies are taken into the back yard. It’s decided that ARCHIE will choose. The puppies climb all over him and chew his feet and ears, but he remains very calm and patient - Mum and Pop are VERY encouraged!
The following video features footage from the day Mirabelle and Archie first met:

After several minutes, most of the puppies wander off, but the “red head” (a coat known as a RED FAWN) begins to bond with Archie and does not leave his side. THE BRINDLEBUNCH IS NOW A FAMILY OF 4!!
FUN FACT: When Mum and Pop tell the breeders which puppy they would like to take home, their first response is …’Oh no. You don’t want THAT one. She’s a little ****.” Ultimately that just makes Mum and Pop love her even more!

The day Mirabelle moved in with the Brindlebunch

PROUD MOMENT: After bringing Mirabelle home, the very FIRST thing that Archie does is make her feel welcome.
As the new family of 4 step just inside their apartment, Archie immediately trots over to his toy box, picks out his favourite chew toy, marches back to where Mirabelle is nervously standing, still just inside the door, and drops it at her feet. TRUESTORY!
Mum and Pop’s hearts EXPLODE.

Mirabelle learns the ropes as an explorer

The name MIRABELLE is chosen in part, because of its stark contrast to her actual personality. The name sounds delicate, but Mirabelle is anything but.
Her middle name becomes ROSEBLOSSOM because of her red colour and how fast she was growing.
As an adult, Mirabelle is longer, leaner and actually stands taller than Archie, but weighs several pounds less.
And her last name, MERRIWEATHER means “happy weather” or “of bright and sunny disposition” which we felt was wonderfully ironic.

Mirabelle is no Princess. She is a QUEEN - AT THE VERY LEAST - (often declaring that she should be a KING) and has very strong opinions about EVERYTHING.

The story of ancient Egypt’s Queen HATSHEPSUT becomes a touchstone for Mirabelle and her world view. Hatshepsut was frustrated by the limited powers that Queens had compared to Kings and eventually declares herself KING OF EGYPT. Pretty badass - just like Mirabelle.

Mirabelle recovering after being hit by a car

Mirabelle is, of course, much less mellow and predictable than Archie.
On one fateful day, she suddenly darted out of their apartment building’s back yard and was hit by a car out front. In a matter of seconds.
It happened so fast that she was already racing BACK INTO THE BACK YARD when Pop ran out after her.
Mirabelle had a few cuts and scrapes and a huge black stripe down her side where the front tire of the car hat obviously hit her, but she was otherwise COMPLETELY FINE.

Mirabelle meeting Mister River for the first time

Not wanting to worry Archie’s online friends, Mirabelle’s car accident was initially kept quiet.
They took her immediately to a 24 hour emergency veterinary clinic (fortunately very close to the Brindlebunch home) and as soon as the family was brought into an examination room, the vet assistant stopped cold, asking … “IS THAT ARCHIE AND MIRABELLE!!???”
So much for keeping a secret!
After a thorough examination, it was confirmed that Mirabelle’s injuries were largely cosmetic!

Although her “Big Bruvver” Archie is very stocky and has the movement and gait of a miniature Rhino, Mirabelle is very cat-like and moves like a panther.
She’s famous for her rear legs looking (from the rear) like an egg beater when she walks.
Mirabelle is the only dog we’ve ever met that can have one front paw on the ground and “wind-up” the other front paw over her head before slapping her playmates.
If Mirabelle likes you, she will eventually slap you in the face - it’s what she calls BOPPING FACEPARTS and many of Archie and Mirabelle’s friends who come from far away to visit leave with marks on their face. And they’re HAPPY about it. 😊

Mum and Pop lovingly start to refer to Mirabelle as the family “LEMON” because ….
She had a particularly wicked case of giardia when she was first brought home - which took several months to resolve
She also had the common breathing issues that flat-faced dogs can suffer from and needed corrective surgery to help keep her comfortable in the summer months.
Mirabelle also develops a severe allergy to something and breaks out in grotesque hives all over her body. This period was a great source of stress for the whole family as we could not decipher what, exactly was having such a dramatic effect on Mirabelle, so it is decided that she would be put through an exhaustive series of tests - WHICH ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
A crowdfunding fundraiser is organized by two of Archie’s most devoted online friends (Sue Smith and Audey Kopolow Hitch) and it saves they day as Mirabelle’s tests were very expensive and The Brindlebunch could not afford to pay the bill without the help.
❤️ THANK YOU ALL AGAIN SO MUCH!! ❤️
But by far the WORST turn of events for Mirabelle and the whole family came when she suffered a slipped disc. Mirabelle was diagnosed with IVDD, irregular vertebrae in her spine, which eventually led to a sudden and debilitating spinal injury and … the lowest point in the Brindlebunch story. …….

When humans suffer from a slipped disc, the vertebrae typically moves left or right, but in dogs, it moves UP, towards the nerve cluster that runs down the top of the spine.
In Mirabelle’s case, there was no traumatic intervention, no fall or impact or strange sudden movement. It just happened. It became very apparent she was in pain and in less than a day, she went from walking gingerly to being completely paralyzed from the waist back.
She is once again rushed to the local emergency vet clinic. As soon as she is examined, the vets tell us to get back in our car and drive immediately to Guelph, Ontario - over an hour away - where a Vet’s training college is located because she needs immediate emergency surgery if she has any hope of walking again. The Brindlebunch does just that and will not return home until the next day - without Mirabelle.

A young Mirabelle being very Mirabelle-like

This was the first time Mirabelle had not slept with her family since being adopted. It was deeply traumatic for everyone to have to leave her behind in another city and she was very frightened and upset. We hope that no one else will ever have to go what we did in those few days. BUT …
Mirabelle’s spinal surgery goes as well as can be expected and she almost immediately starts walking again - with assistance. It’s estimated that she could gain back 80% of the function in her back legs. She does a little better than that.
Those tending to her in the hospital are pleased with her recovery but are concerned that she was not having bowel movements and decide to keep her longer. They start to warm Mum and Pop that they might have to “manually” help relive her for the rest of her life.
Pop suggests giving her the same verbal encouragement that she gets at home which is to simply walk her outside and say either “POOP POOP POOP” or “PEE PEE PEE” to trigger a urinary or bowel movement.
The veterinary team tries it and …
IT WORKS!! Mirabelle is released,
and can poop and pee just fine, thank-you! 😊❤️

Mirabelle begins WATER THERAPY and slowly begins to relearn how to walk on her own.
She regularly visits a special clinic for several weeks and Pop, using makeshift equipment, repeats the exercises from the clinic every day at home.
Mirabelle starts BOPPING FACES AGAIN! THE BOSS WITH THE SAUCE IS BACK!!

The new adjustable ramp that Mirabelle uses to climb up onto the CHESTERCOUCH to watch TV.

Sadly, Mirabelle’s many trips to Vets and to emergency veterinary clinics make her VERY wary of the car and by early 2020 she refuses to get inside, thinking it is going to take her to yet another painful surgery. She gets very upset when placed in the car, so it’s decided that she will not have to - until she wants to again.
GOOD NEWS!! Months later, after slowly getting her re-acclimatized to ROCKY THE ROLLYCAR with a LOT of loving encouragement and TREATS, she regains her trust in car rides and is now once again riding with Archie to visit parks all over South Western Ontario!!
❤️ We’re so proud of her!! ❤️

And now,

the MIRABELLE MERRIWEATHER MEGA-GALLERY!

CHAPTER THREE:
OTHER FUN MILESTONES AND STUFF

Archie proving his impressive athleticism

Most people who meet him are taken by Archie’s incredibly calm and soothing energy. He can sit patiently for a very long time, and rarely moves when posing for the camera or appearing in public, so it’s always a surprise to find out just how fast and athletic he can be!
He has taken a number of AGILITY CLASSES and boldly runs through tubes, over jumps, through hoops and even along balance beams with little effort and no hesitation.

UNCLE DANNY ARRIVES!!

In May of 2017, Mum’s parents (aka MUMUM & POPOP) decide to adopt a rescue dog.
Mum helps them find an appropriate candidate online, and when they go to view the dog and get interviewed by the agency, she is recognized as the caretaker of Archie Brindleton.
The adoption process goes very smoothly after that and a very happy and spunky TIBETAN SPANIEL named DANNY, aka DANNY PAJAMAS aka UNCLE DANNY is welcomed into the Brindlebunch.
Danny was rescued from SOUTH KOREA and in all of his appearances on the blog, he only ever “spoke” in Korean characters.
If you run any of his messages through a translator, you would see he was actually very articulate and would often express his excitement to meet everyone!

ARCHIE GETS RECOGNIZED BY THE MAYOR!

After Archie completed his original goal of visiting every park in his home town of London, Ontario, a campaign was started to see if we could get him recognized by the city for his many achievements.
After an entire year of effort and with a lot of help from City Councillors and City Hall staff, Archie is approved to be recognized by the Mayor in a modest ceremony inside City Council Chambers. The event is rescheduled TWICE, butt eventually - IT HAPPENS!
FUN FACT: During the process, we learn that canines are NOT permitted inside City Hall Council Chambers unless they are registered SERVICE ANIMALS. Archie was a THERAPY DOG - which is NOT an actual service animal category - but due to some confusion, was given permission to appear anyway. - WE DO NOT POINT OUT THE MISTAKE. 😊

THE DYNAMIC TRIO

Over the course of Archie’s online years, numerous costumes are created for the Halloween season, but the most complex and exciting by far was the year Archie decided to dress up as BATMAN.
It was also decided that Mirabelle would dress up as BATGIRL and her then boyfriend Marcel, would be ROBIN.
Mum and Pop both came from years of local theatre and created all of the masks, logos, and adornments, but a professional seamstress was enlisted to created the complicated body suits.
Pop says that the mask and cowl of Archie’s Batman costume are some of the most challenging things he has ever fabricated!
One of the below images is then sold to a greeting card company in England by the photographer!

A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

As Archie’s popularity grew, more and more people ask to come visit him and Mirabelle at their home in London, Ontario, Canada.
No-one is ever refused the request to come and be “INTHESAMEPLACEFRIENDS”
People travel in from all over Ontario, and throughout the USA from places like New York, Detroit, St. Louis, Washington State and even as far away as AUSTRALIA!!
It becomes a tradition to give each visitor (and several of the people Archie travelled to meet) the following piece of art. Knowing there are dozens of these prints out there around the world gives The Brindlebunch a great deal of joy.

The print given to many of Archie and Mirabelle’s friends

ARCHIE TRAINS WITH THE BEST

Archie is trained by and becomes friends with the amazing MELISSA MILLET, trainer of the world-famous canine acrobatic team, THE ULTIMUTTS. He learns to drive a small, electric car and in one day, is taught how to close himself into a large suitcase! It’s hilarious!
One of the more challenging tricks he is introduced to is RIDING A SCOOTER. Because he has so much experience with posing ON things, in his first attempt, he stands upright, places both front paws on the handlebars, one back paw on the scooter and the other back paw on the ground - LIKE HE’D BEEN DOING IT FOR WEEKS!
He also develops a bit of a crush on ULTIMUTTS performer and Boston Terrier, LOLLIPOP.

From the very beginning, Archie seemed to enjoy dressing up and performing for the camera, both for stills and video. He’s never once resisted putting on a uniform or costume
More impressive is his ability to understand how to pose for photos. It’s hard enough to get a dog to stay still for the camera, but it is VERY unusual for a dog to understand that it should look directly into the centre of the lens.
After the first year or so, Archie would know - based on what uniform he was being dressed in - what job he was about to perform. He knew his Therapy Dog Harness meant he was about to visit a home of ill and infirm, and that his Fire safety Uniform meant he was going to make a public appearance, often with children - and he would act accordingly.
And if he was merely visiting a park to write a review, Archie would actually LOOK for things to jump up on and pose from! If he was approaching a bench or large rock or a garden wall, he would immediately jump up on it and turn to the camera!
Without exception, EVERY time he appeared in a mall, he would get the same reaction from passers-by. He was always given the same padded bar stool to sit on and he would be so calm and so still that people walking by would give him a double-take and ask “IS THAT A REAL DOG!?” 😊❤️
FUN FACT: During some of his public appearances as Fire Safety Doog, he would be completely surrounded by school children, some times several kids deep all the way around and he never once got spooked or acted inappropriately. He was always a complete PRO.

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SHARP DRESSED MAN

Archie starts to get asked to appear at fashion shows and other fundraising events as a guest of honour.
He will at times appear in his FIRE SAFETY UNIFORM, but it is decided that some more FORMAL ATTIRE would be a good idea, so once again, the skills of a very accomplished seamstress are secured and Archie’s “suit” (see above) is created.
This proves to be quite challenging, and many of the same issues that made his uniform difficult are even more challenging in this case. His proportions are crazy* - even for a Frenchie - and creating an outfit with structure takes several fittings and prototype. (Archie rarely fits into clothing “off the rack”, even if it’s made with Frenchies in mind. His neck is huge and his neck and shoulders are much closer together than the average.
In the end, a “dress shirt and vest” combination is created to give the illusion of a suit, without having to deal with the issues related to a jacket (a jacket on top and no pants? - looks odd!), or a belt, etc. The vest and shirt are actually one piece, but the collar and tie are a separate item that is worn like a “dickie” and tucked in under the vest.

ARCHIE DRESSES UP FOR FUN - MIRABELLE … NOT SO MUCH

Above are just a few examples of Archie dressing up for fun!
Again, he never showed any signs of being uncomfortable, no matter how complex the costumes/uniforms were.
MIRABELLE on the other hand ….

LOL!! … Does NOT like to dress up, so her costumes were always much simpler and lighter and there was always a clear limit to how long she would put up with wearing ANYTHING!!
Take for instance the difference between Archie’s “MAX” from the “Where The Wild Things Are” costume and Mirabelle’s costume from that same year when she dressed up as HATSHEPSUT, the Queen who made herself King of Egypt: Mirabelle’s LOOKS complex, but it is actually pretty simple, while Archie is in a complete body suit and crown and doesn’t mind one bit!
FUN FACT: The ONLY thing Mirabelle doesn’t mind wearing is the CROWN from Archie’s Max costume, which she later adopts as her own.

BRINDLE JUSTICE

For a very BRIEF time, very early on in Archie’s online career, there would be stories featuring the neighbourhood superhero known only as BRINDLE JUSTICE.
Archie was very adamant that Brindle Justice was an entirely different dog, but not surprisingly, they never appeared together.
Brindle Justice’s arch-nemesis was DR. SKUNKSLY BRACKISH who was an infamous skunk known for terrorizing the neighbourhood with stinky smells.
There were plans to create a full costume for Brindle Justice, but they never materialized as Archie’s seamstress had her hands full with his many uniforms and Halloween costumes.

ARCHIE GETS A SPONSOR (OR TWO)

London Ontario has several Dog Festivals every year, but the largest and most attended by far is PAWLOOZA.
During Archie’s first year, he attended PAWLOOZA with Pop and they both discovered a vendor display for RAWCO RAW DOG FOOD. Pop, always interested in new foods and supplements for his very sensitive furbabies, engages the owner and asks a LOT of questions about their product and the processes used to create it. It’s a LONG conversation.
As Pop and the RAWCO OWNER are speaking, a person steps out of the crowd to interject and ask … “IS THAT ARCHIE BRINDLETON!?” It happens a second time. By the time a third person does this, the RAWCO OWNER finally stops the conversation to ask .. . “OK. WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH YOUR DOG?”
By the end of the day, RAWCO offers to fully sponsor all of Archie and Mirabelle’s food for several years, until a local London shop, RAW SOURCE, takes over the sponsorship.

❤️ WE REMAIN VERY GRATEFUL FOR BOTH! ❤️

Below is a picture of the SECOND year Archie attended PAWLOOZA. This time the Brindlebunch returns with a full display and merchandise which would all be set up inside the RAWCO booth.
Archie and Mirabelle greet people all day and nearly sell out of merchandise!

(left to right) MUMUM, ARCHIE, MUM, and MIRABELLE

Below is a small selection of some of the merchandise offered over the years.
It’s hard to imagine, but almost NO PROFITS are made from the sale of all these items!! LOL!!

YIN AND YANG

The next photo below is one of Mum and Pop’s MOST beloved as it captures a second that beautifully illustrates the very different personalities of both Archie and Mirabelle:
Archie is carefully smelling a flower,
while Mirabelle bites the head off of another.
😊❤️

The PERFECT encapsulation of how different Archie and Mirabelle are!

ART MEANS LOVE

One of Mum and Pop’s favourite aspects of Archie and Mirabelle’s celebrity life was receiving mail. And although many gifts and letters were sent, their favourite items to receive were the many pieces of art created by his online friends.
FUN FACT: The Brindlebunch refrigerator is still covered in the art they have received over the years.

The next photo is another favourite of Mum and Pop. This was before Mirabelle arrived, and it is a hysterical shot of Archie showing off his skills as a “SNEAKY NINJAMAN”!! LOL! 😊❤️

CAPTAIN FLUBBERBEARD

Another early feature of Archie’s blog that was originally started in his “CREATIVE WRITINGTIMES” column, was an ongoing adventure series called “CAPTAIN FLUBBERBEARD’S TAILS OF THE RED BOAT”
At one point, Archie attempted to share a new chapter every week until he creatively burned out and ended the run (THAT WAS WAY TOO HARD!)
Plans still exist to feature this concept in its own series of books and as a recurring segment in the proposed ARCHIE BRINDLETON SHOW.
*Archie will be working on this project when not writing his memoirs.
Below is the art and the Brindleterm definitions of Captain Flubberbeard and The Series itself:

fictional character

Archie's alter-ego and the lead character of his pirate adventure series "Captain Flubberbeard's Tails of the Red Boat".
The characters' full name is Captain Archibald Flubberbeard the Eleventieth. He is Captain of the most famous and fastest pirate ship in the world, "The Red Boat", and leader of a colourful group of misfit pirate gentleman-puppies, all of whom live by the code "we steal stuff just for us so we can share it with everybuddy!!"

"For The Halloweeningtimes I am totally gonna dress up like Captain Flubberbeard, guys!!"

The cover art for Archie’s ongoing Pirate Adventure series

a series of pirate adventure stories featuring Archie's famous alter-ego, Captain Flubberbeard and his crew of lovable misfit pirates, most of whom are canines. There is one deer (STEVE) and one bug (GARY) as well. Many of Archie's real-world friends appear in the adventures such as his sister Mirabelle (who appears as the fearless first mate) and Bella, Archie's first Frenchie friend who is represented as a princess that he "falls in LIKE with" in the first story.

“We are gentlemen pirates that do pirateystuff, guys! We are not 'fraidy of the Lousy King even littlebits! We sail our Red floatyboat all over the wet watery parts - but mostly near the shore ‘cuz I am not a strong swimmer - plus we steal treats plus snacks that we keep just for ourselves and nobody else so that we can share them with everybuddy!”
- an excerpt from the first adventure of Captain Flubberbeard

HAPPYMERRY HOLIDAYTIMES, EVERYBUDDY!!

Christmas became a very important time of year for The Brindlebunch and every year a new card was created that would be sent out to anyone who sent a Christmas card to The Brindlebunch.
Towards the end of Archie’s online career, it would take hundreds of cards and WEEKS to send them all out.
Another tradition was Archie’s annual reading of his “ELEVENTY DAYTIMES OF CRISPYMESS” and “TWAS THE NIGHTYNIGHTIMES ‘FORE CRISPYMESS” poems.
FUN FACT: Archie has always referred to Santa Claus as “THE HOLIDAYTIMES PAJAMAMAN” because of the baggy clothes he is most often depicted wearing.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Brindlebunch will forever continue their tradition of sending a card back to everyone that sends them one:

The Brindlebunch
Unit #3, 473 Baker Street,
London, Ontario, Canada
N6C 1X9

❤️❤️❤️ INTHESAMEPLACEFRIENDS ❤️❤️❤️

noun 🌟

a person Archie has met face-to-face, been introduced to, and shared a location with.

"Me plus Mirabelle went to the puppy festival plus we made gigantical big piles of shinynew inthesameplacefriends!! Yes!!"

The Brindlebunch luvluvLOVES to meet new people and spend time with Archie’s online friends, many of whom have since become extended members of The Brindlebunch family.
The above photo is special because it was the very first time Archie was recognized in public. That gentleman noticed Archie filming a commercial in Downtown London and asked for photos to give to his girlfriend, who was a huge Archie fan. Eventually, we met her as well and have met many, many other friends numerous times over the years. It’s our absolute FAVOURITE PART OF ALL OF THIS!! 😊❤️😊❤️😊❤️