17 Jan 2009

Well, it's been over a week since my last blog.  Some really neat things have happened. First - on Saturday, dad took me out on  a HIKE.  Uncle Parker told me about hikes.  And boy was it ever fun.  Dad kept me on the leash, but it was the longer one and I could sniff and taste all the new things.  The hike took us to some place called Aztec Cave.

http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/FMSP_AztecCave_2320.asp

It was not a really hard hike, but I am still only 18 weeks old, so I got a little tired.  Dad had water along for me to drink in a special green canvas bowl.  We also shared one of those apple things - YUM!  The hike distance was about 1.5 miles.  That is the farthest I have walked so far.  But I made it. What's the difference between a hike and a walk?  Dad wore some funny clothes and something on his back with the water in it, but otherwise I didn't see any difference.  It's all fun.

I got to meet lots of nice people on the trail.  They were all so friendly. Everyone gave me a nice pat on the head.  Dad was picking things up off the trail and putting it in a poopie-bag.  Well, he uses the same bags when I go poopie outside the yard on walks anyway.  The stuff he was putting in the bag smelled pretty interesting, better than poopie.  Dad called it TRASH, and he was grumbling about nasty hikers dumping it on the trail.  I wanted to eat it. Every time dad opened the bag to put something in I stuck my nose in it and tried to get something out.  It was a fun game... except dad didn't think it was fun.  I think I like this hiking stuff.  I hope we do it again.

After the hike we went to visit some humans called RANGERS.  And they had two other dogs there too.  One was pretty friendly, it said it belonged to the Kelly Ranger.  The other was scared of everything.  It told me that the Rangers found it running loose in the park and it lost its mama.  Poor puppy.  I told it that the Rangers seemed nice and it was lucky it found a home.  The rangers were pretty nice too.  Dad threw that nice smelling trash into a big can and wouldn't let me have it.  SIGH... Then we loaded up and headed for home.  I took a nap in the back of the dog show van on the way home. 

When we got home dad let me play in the yard with the other dogs.  We had a great time.  Dad was busy with mom doing something.  I didn't know what - but was I in for a big surprise. When dad let me in the house I found out what they were doing.  My bed was gone. My dog-mom Sammy was sleeping where my bed used to be.  I was so confused.  I didn't know what to do so I sat outside my old bed space and cried.  Dad pulled me away and took me to the other room.  My bed was there - right next to dad's bed now.  I don't understand it, but now I sleep in the same room dad sleeps in. I don't know why they did this, but I like sleeping by dad.  Uncle Parker used to sleep right there next to dad.  Then dad gave me a really good dinner and told me I was a good pup.  When dad went to sleep he let his hand hang by my bed.  I licked dad's fingers and went to sleep happy, dreaming of more great adventures.

18 Jan 2009

Sunday was different.  Dad put on the funny HIKING clothes again, and went on another hike.  But he left me at home.  He said it was too far for a little puppy.  Little?  I weigh 74 pounds!  Well - he could carry me if I got tired! SIGH....  I was not happy staying home. When dad got home he let me follow him around the house while he put his funny hiking stuff away.  Then we visited mom in the kitchen.  I like the kitchen.  It always smells so good.  Mom makes really good things in there.  And there is this great white fortress named GE - and it is filled with all kinds of goodies. I always stick my head in there when they open the door.  I wish I could open it myself. Mom was making something called a ham-steak.  It had a bone about the size of a silver dollar.  Mom gave me the bone.  YUM!  Mom and dad always slip me little treats, I am such a lucky pup.  Well - that bone was so tasty that I swallowed up the whole thing.  Mom and dad got really upset.  Well - then why did they give it to me?  Mom called that nice Doctor Julie human on the phone.  Then she mixed some liquid from a brown bottle and some warm water, and squirted it down my throat.  It tasted awful.  Dad took me in the back yard to play.  After a few minutes I didn't feel like playing.  I felt sick.  Really sick.  I coughed up a bunch of stuff, including that tasty bone.  I tried to eat it again, but mom snatched it up before I could get it.  All that heaving made my little tummy hurt too.  So dad took me in his special radio room and we laid quietly on the nice bed that used to belong to Uncle Parker.  After a little while I got better.  Then I got my dinner and I forgot all about the yummy bone.

19 Jan 2009

Monday - dad had to go to work again.  But when he came home he asked me if I was ready to go to DOG TRAINING again.  Oh-goodie...  Dog training - my FAVORITE!  Dad got the green dog training bag again, and we loaded up in the dog-show van for the ride to that nice training place.  Mom and Daisy stayed home this time. We got to dog training early and dad did a little something called electrical work.  He said it would be a shame if some poor doggie bit the wires and got hurt, so he put some covers over the wires.  I got to watch.  The big training room was empty, so dad threw that neat tennis-ball with the squeaky tail for me. It was great fun.

Soon other people started coming in with other dogs.  So dad put the toy away, and put that nasty mom-collar on me again.  I was careful not to get the mom-collar angry, I remember how it bites.  Most of the dogs were the ones we met last Monday.  But a few were new dogs.  And I could see there was going to be trouble.  And so there was.  One new dog was another of those CORGI dogs with no legs.  It didn't like this dog training game at all!  It tried to bite the Alpha-human.  Uh-oh.... Did she ever get upset.  That Corgi was in deep doo-doo. While this was going on the dogs who were there before did that laying quietly exercise they are calling CONTROLLED DOWN.  I think mostly they were all scared of that Alpha-human.  We were very very quiet.  She is TOUGH!  But dad said not to worry, so I didn't.  All the other dogs from last week were very quiet, nobody wanted the Alpha-human mad at them.  Them new dogs better look out.

After the controlled down exercise, the Alpha-human started us doing that HEELING stuff again.  I remembered that game, cause dad plays it with me every night now.  But just when I thought I had it figured out the Alpha-human added some new things.  They were called RIGHT TURN, LEFT TURN, AUTOMATIC SIT and RECALL.  I pretty much know the Automatic Sit and recall already, dad taught me that when I was a wee pup.  Now, this LEFT TURN stuff - I can see this could be fun.  If dad gets me angry, I just won't do the turn.  And dad will trip over me.  Ha ha ha... Pretty funny.  Then I can run over and lick dad's face.  Dad never stays mad at me when I lick his face.  The right turn is easy, just follow dad and don't make the mom-collar mad so I get bit. Anyway - we did all that heeling stuff for about 30 minutes, and class was over. Too bad, because I was having fun.  One of the other dogs got told to come back later for extra training.  Uh-oh... DETENTION!  Bad dog!  No biscuit...  On the way home dad talked to other humans on that radio box thing.  I hear their voices, but I just can't see where the humans are hiding.  So I took a little nap on the way home.  After a hard day training, I got another fine dinner and a good night's sleep. So that's what I've been up to.  Being a puppy is hard work.  But it is fun too.

Well - time to go pee, then snuggle in my nice bed.  I will try to stay awake waiting up for dad.  Good night