Its been so cold here! I don't even use the steps anymore to jump into the backyard. I use the platform as a diving board. Mom opens the door- and I leeeeeeap! I get covered in snow and I love it!
Snow and I are friends, why?
- because I can roll around in it and when I come back inside, sit by the fireplace and warm up
- because I can eat it and I don't get in trouble
- I get to chase nothing under it, kind of like Bugs Bunny when he digs his tunnels- that's what I like to do when there is enough snow.
- since I don't have really long legs, sometimes I have to hop from place to place
- its more fun barking after squirrels when snow flies around me- I feel like a super hero, and the snow is my "mysterious fog"
- it feels funny under my feet
- and, after a long day of running, playing, hopping and enjoying the fluffy white stuff, I can come inside, lay in the sun and dream about chasing more squirrels
I heard mom and grandma talking the other night about Ham-Bone moving to town! (Ham-Bone is mom's Uncle Danny. But she calls him ham, which she turned into Ham-Bone, I don't really know why) Anyway, Ham is a self proclaimed "polar bear" and loves the snow and the chill in the air. This makes me daydream about spending time with him outside in the back yard making snow angels and chasing after birds together. Ahhh- that would be fun!
Every day when I wake up, mom gives me my morning "huggie". This means, when I step out of my house (some people call it a "kennel"...I call it my house) she rubs me down and then lefts up my top half and snuggles with me. Then I eat my breakfast and go outside and play (I mean, do my "business") and then come back inside for more sleepy-times with dad.
He always lets me snuggle with him under the blankets. Although, he doesn't like it if I "touch" him, so most of the time he'll pull the blankets away or push me to mom's side of the bed. It doesn't matter though. I'm a snuggly-puggly and I just love to curl up and fall asleep wherever I can- unless of course we have visitors!
Last night we celebrate Grandma's birthday! It was her actual birthday so she got to open all her presents, but her big "fiesta" is on Saturday night. I cannot wait to have everyone in our house, they always play with me and tell me how cute I am. Ahhh, I look forward to visitors.
So, while Grandma was opening her presents, mom allowed me to munch on the wrapping paper. It was DELICIOUS! I munched, tore, walked. Munched some more, tore and walked further. When all the presents were open, Dad kept complaining about the "mess I made" around the family room. I wonder when he'll understand that its not a "mess" its art. Every one interprets things differently and apparently my art is his mess. Himph.
When mom and dad were taking photos of grandma, I got to be in one!! I tried to lick grandma's face, but I still had some wrapping paper in it. Opps! She got it out before the picture was taken. Too bad she doesn't seem to understand my art either. Oh well! Tonight should be a quiet night at home, just mom, dad, Artichoke (actually, in the back of the photo, you can see Artichoke's house, its the white topped thing...) and I.
My Auntie Caitlin is coming to visit me on Saturday! I'm so excited!! Auntie Cai got me over my fear of the vacuum. I still don't like it, but at least I no longer bite at it while mom moves it around. I'd get so mad at that big box thing- it made so much noise!
Auntie Cai should be here on Saturday so looks like I'll have to share my room with her. I don't mind though, mom says the guest room isn't just "your room Jack- its for visitors, and you are not a visitor- you live here!" She has a point, but I like that room so much!!
Dad got home before Mom did last night. That struck me as weird since Mom is always home before Dad is. Unless she goes to "Curves". (I don't know what that means, does she twirl her arms around, and make shapes with her body? Curves doesn't make much sense to me...)
When mom finally got home, we played on the floor which is just as much fun as fun can be. Since we have so much snow on the ground (not to mention more that's falling outside my window right now) we had to play in the house. Running up and down the stairs. Throwing toys back and forth. Sometimes we scare the fish because the aquarium is in the corner by the staircase.
You would think that the fish would get used to Mom and I playing on the steps. Sometimes, since Mom doesn't have very good aim, she throws the toy and it hits the front of the fishes house. They always hide from us when we play on the stairs.
Come to think about it, they hide whenever we walk past them.
Dad on the other hand walks by and they all come out to greet him. Mom thinks it has something to do with the fact that Dad feeds them. If that theory holds true, then since Mom always feeds me, its only reasonable that I love her most. Right?
While dad was heating up dinner last night mom opened Artichoke's (my pet-bird sister) front door to her house and she came out to play for a while. It seems that Artichoke and I don't get along like I think we should.
I would never hurt her, I mean, she cornered me in the kitchen last week and told me "how it was gonna be". (Yes, I might be 31 pounds and she might be about 3 ounces, but honestly, she packs a wallop in her beak!)
Anyway, 'Choke came out of her house and I couldn't help myself. I just wanted to play with her so badly!! Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a brother or sister in the house to play with at times. You know, like another one of me- not as cute, of course, but another dog.
It CANNOT, I repeat CANNOT be a cat. I'm still suffering from my last visit with Kitty the evil cat. I like the idea of having a sibling, maybe a sister? However, there would have to be a list of requirements:
1- She cannot be a boy, I need a sister- not a brother
2- Since my name is Jack, her name must be Jill (thankfully we live in Ohio, so there aren't too many hills by us)
3- She cannot be nippy, pee in the house, steal my toys or snuggle near mom
4- She cannot whine more than I do
5- She cannot sleep anywhere near my mom- dad she can have
6- She cannot come upstairs, unless its to play with me
7- She cannot come on the "guest bed" (which is really MY bed) because its mine- that is my window to the front of the house, so I can protect everyone. This is a duty that I refuse.
8- I don't know how to share EVERYTHING, so she must be willing to understand at times I'm selfish, especially when it comes to attention
9- She must come potty trained. I cannot teach her everything, and since mom did such a good job with me, why start from the beginning again?
10- She has to accept of my list of requirements, otherwise, she's OUTTA HERE!
Maybe I should just stay a single puggle forever.
I mean, really, I entertain myself well. I already have a perfectly broken-in couch cushion. I have parents who love and adore me. A sister (Artichoke) who I sometimes get along with (I think she's scared of my size, but I'm scared of her attitude!!)
Yes, you know what- I don't want a sister.
Dad says I have too many toys, but if I got a sister, then there would be DOUBLE the amount of toys since I enjoy all of mine by myself. Yes, no need for a sister.
Yesterday was one of the longest days in my puggle life. I heard Mom and Dad on the phone talking and Dad said that he'd "see her tonight". TONIGHT?! MOM IS COMING HOME TONIGHT?!
I got so excited. Maybe she'd be home normal time and we'd eat dinner together?
Maybe she'd come home right after Dad gets home and we can play on the floor like the loving-family we are?
All of the above, did not happen.
Dad left the house at 9.20. (To put this in "people-time", Mom and I are normally snuggly on the couch at 9.20) she didn't get home until close to 10.30! But, when she walked in the door, I couldn't contain myself!
I was so excited. I helped her unpack the red box- pulling out socks, her pajamas and even some of Grandma's presents that weren't wrapped! (I got in a little trouble for "playing with something that wasn't mine"- but I had to explain, the tissue paper smelled sooooo good!!)
Last night when mom FINALLY was finished unpacking the box, she and I snuggled in bed. Ahhh, it was wonderful to have her home. My time with Dad was a lot of fun actually! We played fetch, a lot (he was playing video games...he always plays video games...) and he even let me sleep in the bed with him every night. I think that was my favorite part of being with dad, sleeping on Mom's side of the bed, sniffing her pillow every night.
I hear tomorrow is Grandma's birthday! Ooooh, I love birthday's! People come into the house, they play with silly wrapping paper- which I always get to play with and destroy- no cake for me, but I get to see Grandma! Oooooh, how exciting!
Last night the worst thing happened in my puggle-world. Mom brought out the dreaded, red suitcase. The same thing always happens when that red box comes out, she's leaving me.
Dad thought if he left it out all the time in the office that I might get used to it. Dad was wrong. You see, when its standing in the office, with "stuff" (as mom calls it) on top of it, I know nothing is happening. However, when the red box moves into their bedroom- DOOM in pending.
As she's done so many times before, she opened the box, and started putting things in it while I sat on the bed watching with the saddest face I could make. Every time she'd put something into the bag, "whine". Every time she'd walk away, "whine". She got the point and kept asking me to "shhh- its okay". But she doesn't understand.
Its not that I don't like dad. I actually love him very much, he gives me his old socks to munch on all the time, but when mom is around, well, she completes me. My tail gets a little curlier because she makes me so happy. My ears get a little softer because she rubs them so much and my heart bursts with joy because we get to snuggle all the time.
But, when mom leaves, part of me goes in that box with her. (Not literally, I like all of my parts where they are...I'm speaking "from the heart"- as they say) I tried to put my favorite toy in the box for her to take, my goose, but she said, "Jack, you keep your goosey with you- you can sleep on my pillow every night and sleep late with daddy every morning. I will be back on Monday."
I think sometimes she forgets that I don't count days- I know many things. Sit. Down. High five. Roll over. Days of the week? Never caught on to that. So this "Monday" that speaks of could really mean years from now.
Hopefully Grammy and Grampy with come over and play with me. They have a dog, Winston. He is really old and I'm really young, but some how we get along really well- when he gets tired and cranky, I just wiggle in front of him, and get gets up (slowly, but he usually gets up) and plays some more.
My biggest fear is that when mom is gone, dad will let Kitty into the house. Oh how that cat doesn't like me. I don't know why- I'm cute. My Aunt Caitlin told mommy that "cats are bi-polar". Mom tried to explain this to me, but I couldn't really understand it. All I heard was "cat" and I wanted to hide.
I know dad and I will have fun together. He watches a lot of games on tv (which I can never join in on- I love playing toss, but those guys look so silly! They have to wear helmets- haha, if I ever had to wear a helmet to play toss...I'd rather not think about that...)
Until "Monday". Whenever that is...
When my Uncle Adam moved away to college (this was looooong before I came along) he "rescued" a cat. (We all found out later, when he said "rescue" he actually ment, spent $35 at a pet store...) Well, Uncle Adam had Kitty (yes, that is really her name, Kitty- hahahahaha...that would be like my name being Dog. So silly!)
After a while, Uncle Adam also wanted a dog. (Thankfully, he named him Oscar, not Dog...) Oscar and Kitty (haha) didn't get along. Now, from the stories I hear, its not that they "didn't just not like each other". It was more like, Kitty would growl at Oscar to show her dominance. (She's about 6 pounds) Oscar would show his dominance by chasing her. (He's about 50 pounds).
The relationship between Kitty (ha!) and Oscar because so intense that one night, while everyone was sleeping, Kitty used her laser-claws to remove one of Oscars toe nails! (This is the story Kitty told me when she stayed at my house for a while- I think it was more to scare me than anything...when I asked mom about it, she verified that Oscar actually lost his toe nail by playing in the backyard and it got caught on a log. I didn't believe her though- that cat has some serious issues!)
Because of the laser battle, Kitty was placed in a bin listed "special needs". My grandma's bleeding heart accepted Kitty, and the two have become friends. When grandma relocated to Ohio, she brought Kitty with her. I was so excited to finally have another friend!! First time I sniffed her, ears went back, she hissed, growled, swatted at me, and I ran away crying.
Second time, same thing. Third time was a little different. I was downstairs watching television with mom, dad and grandma when Kitty came down. I was so excited, "she wants to plaaaaay with me!". Well, she didn't want to play.
Instead, she cornered me in the kitchen and had me shaking in my puggle-skin. FINALLY mom called in the SWAT team and removed the evil being. Even though she tried to eat me, I still brought her a toy everyday as a peace offering. She didn't understand what "friend" meant, because I once found one of my toys strung up by its neck hanging in the hallway. (How did she do that? I will never know, mom says I don't have opposable thumbs...I tell you, that cat has special alien powers!)
Thankfully, my prayers were answered when, after a very long week and a half, she left. I slept so well that night- I almost couldn't wake up the next day. But, every time I heard a noise in the house, I became overly alert- I didn't want Kitty sneaking up on me and beating me up!
If you have ever heard a cat growl before, please let me know. I'm positive she's the only one who can do that because of her special evil alien powers. Himph. I hope she learns to like me- I don't understand when people don't like me. EVERYONE loves me, I don't like rejection. I will try and try and try some more until Kitty realizes I'm a friend. Maybe I should make her flash cards and start slow with her. "F stands for Friend". "Friends are good". "Cats are evil"....
Jack is:
- gentle
- easily excited- loving
- loves to shake his ears
- enjoys a warm fireplace
- caring
- non aggressive (towards anyone or anything!)
- obedient
- patient (kinda)
- super playful
- super snuggly
- great family dog
- loves to socialize
- has more toys than most nursery schools
- an only child (however, he does have a bird sibling, Artichoke- and several fish friends)
- super cute
- sensitive- crate (or as I call it "house") trained
- easy to get along with
- always good for a laugh
- really smart
- not a begger
- whiny
- a wiggle worm
- in love with chewing on his dad's old socks
- in love with his mom
- loves the snow, rain and piles of leaves in the fall
- a great helper in the laundry room (he'll pull out socks from the dryer for me)
- a wonderful friend
- happy to be who he is
- not comfortable in dog clothing
- only allowed to eat sensitive stomach food because of his belly- only allowed to use sensitive shampoo because of his sensitive skin
- likes to sleep in between two blankets, preferably with his head nuzzled into my knees
- friends with all the dogs he meets
- used to not sharing mom or dad, but doesn't mind when we dog sit another
- loves visitors
- enjoys traveling
- loves hard crunchy treats (soft ones he gnaws on and them walks away from)
I'm sure I will come up with more when I'm in my car driving home tonight. But now I can post more pictures of him- yippy!!
I am Jack's person, Erin. I'm writing this blog for Jack because:
a) I have a really funny sense of humor (at least that's what Jack tells me)
b) Everyone else has a blog, why can't my dog?
c) People always tell me, "Jack is so cute!" (this is a good way for me to keep updated photos of him available
d) Jack and I always have adventures together so I thought I'd share in this format, rather than mass emails, which I've been doing for like, er, several years now
When you describe a person who has a really great personality, many people say they are "a people-person". Jack is a "people-dog". He loves people. He loves toys. He loves life.
Currently the favorite most best amazing toy ever created in the world (for this week at least) is a stuffed goose.
Jack came to work with me everyday when he was a baby, until he was 6 months old. When he got bigger, I had to leave him home, but every now and then my boss (great guy by the way) allows me to bring Jack in for a day of family fun in the office.
Well, I brought Jack into the office one morning, but in the rush of getting myself ready, packing him up- I lost my mother of the year award, by forgetting to bring him toys. SERIOUSLY- how foolish of me!!
Thankfully, my boss has a dog, Peanut, who visits the office on the weekends and has some toys laying around. Jack immediately (before he realized I didn't have any toys for him) ran into Brian's office, scoped out the toy/bone situation, and came back downstairs by my desk. For as long as I have known Jack, he enjoys bones, he just doesn't eat them.
I have no idea why, but rather than, like a "normal" dog who will munch on a rawhide, Jack holds it in his mouth and whimpers until he finds the perfect hiding place for his bone. When we are home and he does this, I typically take it from him, "hide" it in the linen closet, a drawer, under the sink (whatever is closer) until he feels okay that the bone is in a safe place.
Jack finds Peanut's bone and starts to whimper around the office. After a few minutes, I watched Jack wiggle himself under a desk, move a plastic bag out of the way, wiggle some fabric samples out of his way, and place the bone under it all. Of course, he then moved back the fabric samples, the plastic bag and then peacefully laid down for an afternoon nap in the sun.
I realized he was going to need more entertainment so I ran to Walgreens "pet isle" (which is a funny joke, because really, when I think of dog toys, Walgreen's is my FIRST thought- I kid.) Anyway, I find a few toys that are quiet toys. They don't squeak. They didn't have bells or anything- perfect for the office. I come back and after I receive my greeting from Jack, I award him with the goose.
In Walgreen's, the goose didn't make noise. The goose was simply a stuffed bird with ugly grey wings. Jack grabbed it by the belly, only to hear it HONK. ("are you kidding me?") Jack jumped back and sniffed it. Moved forward again, grabbed the stomach HONK! He jumped back and sniffed it again. Third time, Jack had enough, he grabbed it, goose honked, Jack rolled around with it and they have been best friends ever since.
The following week, I realize the goose is still in the office, so I decide to bring it home for him. When I walked in the house and he caught sight of the goose, it was as though his long lost best friend who he had never thought he'd see again reappeared. He started dancing, chewing the neck of the stuffed toy, HONKING it (the honker is now almost completely dead) and snuggling with it.
Attached (hopefully-since this is my first post) are photos of Jack with the goose. Enjoy!
