Thursday, March 26, 2009

I have a brother, Juneau!

Mom has had this candle holder for a really long time (even before I came home!) and its always been used as, you guess it, a candle holder.

Dad showed Mom some pictures other photographers took of interior spaces. Mom saw a candle holder similar to the one she has, but instead of using it for candles, they used it as a fish bowl! Mom got the great idea to head out and get a fish for the bowl.


They came home with a plastic bag filled with water and said, "Jack- look its your new brother! Juneau!" I didn't want to be rude but:


- He doesn't have legs like I do- how could we possibly be related? (I have four! Artichoke has two- he doesn't have any!)

- He was in a plastic bag! (Mom says I can't play in plastic bags because I could "suffocate"- so why is it okay for him to play in a bag?)
- He lives in water! NO FAIR! I like to play and splash in water- how come he can?


I got upset at seeing my new "brother". Why is he allowed to do so many things that I can't do without being in trouble?

Mom explained that he got his name, Juneau, because they were at the pet store and met a puppy.

A WHAT? A PUPPY?! NO. NO. NO. No puppies. No pet stores. No siblings. I thought I already
explained this to Mom and Dad!

Dad told me that Mom actually was considering getting this puppy (she's a trader!).

But Dad told her, "We came in here to buy a fish. Not a dog."

"But look at how cute she is!" (I can't believe Mom even considered this!).

"We either buy that dog and don't take our Alaskan cruise, or we buy the fish- THAT WE CAME IN HERE FOR and take our cruise as planned!"
This is when I knew Dad was my new favorite.

Mom said, "But, if we got her, we could name her Juneau!" Dad resisted, and bought the fish. They named it Juneau (and are still planning on taking their cruise.)

So I lost my battle of no more siblings. Juneau has been living with us for about three months now and thankfully he doesn't do much. He actually just floats
around his bowl- eats his food and sleeps.

I wonder if I could take him out to play fetch in the backyard with me?

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Mom and Dad's anniversary present

Recently Eric and I have been leaving him out of his house, free to roam for a few hours at a time.

He has never done anything destructive in the house, he's never "messed" in the house, so we had nothing to worry about.


This past week we put our cute puggle to the test. Could he spend all day outside of his house and be good? ALL DAY?


Monday, we came home, no problem at all. Just a warm spot on the couch from where he spent his day.


Tuesday, same thing. Just a warm spot and a moved blanket, in the form of a circle, with a Jack-butt print.

Yesterday, I came home and smelled something, but couldn't put my nose on it.


Eric came home a
nd we went upstairs to get ready to go out to eat for our anniversary. He says, "look at that!" and points to the shower. It was poo. IN OUR SHOWER.

Now, although there are sooooooooooooooooooooooooo many reasons we could have been mad at Jack, based on our training (and his) if we didn't SEE him do it, we cannot punish him for it because he will not understand what he's being punished for.
Instead, we laughed.

We laughed so hard I had to reapply makeup before we left.

Why? Lemme break it down for you like this...


1- most dogs poo where ever they want to. Like, on the carpet where smells get trapped. Or in a corner. Our dog chose the shower


2- he was smart enough to associate the bathroom with where "poo" happens (at least this is what we told ourselves...which, of course, made it funnier)


3- when Jack is in poo-position, he walks around in circles. Eric pointed out that while our shower is large, it is not nearly large enough for him to have been comfortable to walk around in...and IF he walked around in his
circles, he didn't step in his poo (I was grateful for this!) he's thoughtful AND smart!

4- he choose a place that was super easy to clean up


5- he must have REEEEEEALLY needed to poo and thought to himself, "where can I poo, inside, that they won't get too mad at me for? THE SHOWER!"


6- we can only be so lucky if when we have Cinco, its smart enough to only poo in places that are so easy to clean up.


Honestly, I picked up the pieces, turned on the shower head, grabbed the Comet (because I figured Scrubbing Bubbles- while effective on soap scum, might not be able to power through this mess...) and a sponge and it was done.


After "the clean up" we went and had a wonderful dinner at House of Hunan. Enjoyed a fancy glass of wine, the atmosphere and then went to Dairy Queen...came home and watched Disney cartoons. Yup, what better way to celebrate three years than with a blizzard, cartoons, a snuggly puggle and a hubby who laughs with me (NOT at me!)? We concluded this was our favorite anniversary present ever. Poo in the shower :) Nothing like it.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

I'm a BIG BOY!

For the last few weeks, Mom has been leaving me out of my "house" (some might call it a "kennel"...) when she leaves the house. She never left me more than a few hours, but it was a new freedom for me!

I'm three years old and I have always spent my days in my house. I guess because I'm such a good boy, Mom decided I should be left alone for a little.

Every time mom and Dad have left me out of my house, I'm been so good! All I do is sleep on the couch anyway...yesterday was the real test!!

Dad left for work yesterday and he didn't put me in my house! FREEEEEEEDOM!

I got to spend all day walking around the house, sleeping on the couch, checking on my backyard and sleeping on Mom's pillow. When Mom came home she sounded surprised that I did so well! I could have been insulted, except, I was so excited to see her!!

We went on walk around the cul de sac and I got to catch up on all the local smells. Seems that a lot more dogs are taking walks these days! (and not all their owners are picking up their poo!)

When we moved into our house, our neighbor Robin made sure Mom understood how important it was to pick up poop in our neighborhood. So, Mom and I took a walk up to Petsmart, grabbed a "cute baggie holder" and she attached it to my leash.

Every time we walk now, Mom has poo-bags ready to pick up my "stuff". We have a routine down. I do my stuff, then I have to cover it up with grass, so I scrape my feet on the grass, and kick it up towards my poo. Once I've "covered" it, I have to "stay" and then Mom picks it up. She's brave! I know what's in that bag, and she never makes funny faces, she just, does it. Mom is one tough chick!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The line

When Dad's gone, I have to do double-duty on watching over things. This includes my backyard. I take it very seriously when invaders cross the line. "What line?" you may ask. I'll tell you what line. The BIG WHITE LINE that Mom and Dad call "the fence". Any animal that crosses the line, I want to chase away. It seems that some animals forgot their manners and don't feel the need to ask anyone if its okay to cross someone else's line. I just think that's rude.
I take my role as backyard supervisor very seriously.

How would you feel if someone just walked into your bedroom without knocking? This is how I feel when the squirrels cross the line. Since they are coming into my territory, I think its my duty to protect my space.

To do this, I must keep a constant watch out the back door and back windows. As soon as I see an invader, I signal to Mom (with a whine). She opens the door and I RUUUUUUUUUN after them! If its a squirrel, they always run up the trees. I chase 'em up as far as I can, but I'm not very tall so I don't get too far. But its always fun to watch them run up to the tippy top of the trees and wait for me to go back inside.

If its a rabbit, they are too fast, even for a puggle like me with super-paws that make me super-fast! They always get away!! Thankfully, when the sun goes down and I do my final run-through of the backyard, I can come back inside and snuggle like the good puggle I am. Ahh, its all in a good days work!

Just don't cross the line, and we'll be best friends!

Dad came home!

So lemme fill you in just in case you have been sleeping, living under a rock, or haven't read my blog in a lil' bit. Mom went on vacation for a week (but rather than going anywhere, she stayed home. With me. All week! She didn't say this, but I know it was her favorite vacation ever!). Dad went on vacation, out of the state actually (which was fine with me, but gosh was I glad to see him when he came home!) And that I think wraps up anything you might have missed.

*yawn* Mom and I woke up super duper early on Friday morning and she took Dad to the airport to fly out to California to see their friends. Gosh, just thinking about it makes me tired, which is why when she came back home, around 5.30 a.m., we went back to bed and snuggled until 9.30- which was great with me! I was worn out!! It wasn't until around dinner time when I realized that Dad wasn't coming home tonight. This always makes me a little happy and a little upset.

Happy because I get Mom all to myself and I don't have to share her with anyone. Upset because then I have to do all the watching-out-duties by myself! You see, when Dad is here, he and I tag team the watch-out-duties, but when he's gone, it suspends my snuggle-time (until we go to sleep, then I'm off watch-duty and can sleep!) I didn't get my nick-name "Snuggly Puggly" because I sit looking out the window all day- no way! I got it because I'm a snuggle bug!!

While Dad was out in California playing with their friends, Mom and I had a lot of work to do around the house! We cleaned out the kitchen cabinets (Mom let me lick up any crumbs that fell) ,I watched Mom organize all the cabinets (which made me very tired, all those plates looked heavy!), helped Mom do the laundry (I pull the socks out of the dryer when they are ready), we washed Mom's car (I didn't help with this one at all actually- I sat in the driveway whining because I wanted to play with all the dogs walking past me!) We organized the garage (I chased all the leaves that Mom was brushing out), mopped the floor (I guess I left some mud-prints after playing in the rain- sorry Mom!) Made dinner (I watched while Mom and Grandma ate, but boy-oh-boy did it smell goooooood!) and FINE-UH-LY we picked Dad up from the airport (I stayed home, but I heard all about it!) So much for a vacation for Mom and I! we worked really hard that whole time!

That night at dinner, I glady handed Dad back the watching-out-duties. I was starting to go into snuggly-puggly withdrawal! To show Dad how much I missed him, I snuggled up with him for a little while. And then I moved over to Mom's lap where I stayed the whole rest of the evening!


Sunday, March 8, 2009

Spending Time With Mom

Mom has been spending a lot of time at home with me lately- and I looooove it! I over heard Mom and Dad talking the other night, and sounds like she's on a 'manditory vacation' from work. Whatever that means! All I care about is being able to spend time with her :)

So far this week we've been on lots of walks, played fetch in the backyard (although, Mom never really fetches, she throws the ball, and waits for me to bring it back to her- sounds like Mom is lazy, doesn't it?) She's been taking lots of pictures of me. The other night my eyes started to hurt, but now I'm getting used to it!

Dad went out of town EARLY on Friday morning! I couldn't believe how tired I was when Mom came back from the airport!! Thankfully we snuggled and went back to sleep. When Dad is out of town, I have to be on guard (more than usual).

Usually I snuggle with Mom ALL the time, but when Dad is out of town, I have to up my game. I look out the windows more than usual. I sit facing the door when Mom is in a room. I even sit next to the exercise bike while she's riding- facing outwards to make sure nothing bothers MY Mommy :)

Thankfully, Dad comes back tomorrow which means I can remove my "guard-dog" hat, and put back on my "puggly-wuggly" hat! Yippy!!

Hope everyone is having a great day! Grandma gave Mom a book called 'Dogerella'. Its about a Pug who is a step-sister to fancy dogs (Just like Cinderella)...in the end Dogerella becomes the favorite dog of choice for the princess- cute story. Mom read it to me the other night. I think Mom's stories of me are waaaay better though :)

Grandma also said that next week she'd use a projector to show her class all of my blog! How exciting is that?! If Mrs.Lowe does show this to her class- HELLO EVERYONE!!! I HOPE TO SEE ALL OF YOU SOON!!!

(Mom will post the pictures soon, I promise!)

Monday, March 2, 2009

Artichoke


Even though I'd like to think I'm an only dog, I do have to share Mom and Dad with my siblings. As it turns out, Artichoke (Mom's bird) came into the house BEFORE I ever even was thought of! Here is the story of 'Choke as I've heard it.

When Uncle Adam went away to college, Mom was really upset. Uncle Adam and Mom are really close. They would do everything together, so when he went to college, Mom was really upset.

On the drive home from Uncle Adam's scholarship interview, Grampy pulled over to a barn. They had lots of animals, but what caught Mom and Grampy's eye was a box full of little birds! Grampy put his hand into the box, and the first little one to jump into his palm he bought for Mom! Turn
s out the bird was a girl and Aunt Jessica named her Artichoke! (like the veggie)

While Mom was upset that Uncle Adam was gone, Artichoke became her new companion (don't forget, this was BEFORE I was even born...now I'm Mom's companion!) When Mom moved up to Ohio, her apartment was really quiet- she couldn't have dogs ("why not"? I ask!) and she didn't want a cat.

Grampy came up to visit Mom after she moved into her apartment, and guess who he brought with him? Artichoke! 'Choke sat in Grampy's shirt pocket on the airplane ride from Florida to Ohio, and was so excited when she saw Mom!!

'Choke is now 10 years old, but still fun at heart. She and I try to get along, but I don't like it when she gets attention and I don't. Mom and Dad say I have something called "sibling rivalry". I'm more interested in playing with her- but I guess I'm too big to play with her nicely. I never try to bite her- she's really fast and has a beak that's rather dangerous. I know this because one night she flew into the kitchen and I followed her.

She had me cornered in the kitchen, then she walked around me in circles, trying to bite at me. I was so scared of her! Mom said she was trying to defend herself, but I know she was just being mean, kind of like the Kitty. It seems that 'Choke has learned Mom is mine and I don't like to share her because she's taken to Dad as her "person".

'Choke will sit on Dad's shoulder, rub into his beard, nibble on his hair- he always makes funny noises when she does that. She also likes to hide in pockets! When Dad wears loose shorts or jeans, 'Choke will sit in his pocket for HOURS! Mom says this is because she likes to be in small, warm places. I think its weird.

So now that 'Choke and I have been siblings for more than 3 years now, we get along okay. I still wish I didn't have to share Mom and Dad, but having siblings is kind of fun. I mean, how dogs can say they have siblings who can FLY?!

Some fun facts about 'Choke:
- She is a parrolette which is the smallest species of parrot (a macaw...)
- She doesn't talk, but she "tweets" a lot; especially when Dad comes home
- Every night she gets covered in her house so she sleeps better
- She doesn't like to play after 7p.m. she gets really cranky!
- She doesn't eat bird seed, she eats pellets which are healthier
- About once every two weeks, Mom gives her a treat stick which she devours
- She doesn't like fresh fruit