Aunt Becky Is Here!

With Uncle Rob here and Belle not here, it was already a really great day at Mr. Tripoli's, but then it got even better. 

AUNT BECKY IS HERE!  I AM SO EXCITED!

My grandhumans have taken really good care of me, but I miss Marty and Lyle a little, so I am not too sad that Aunt Becky is going to take me back to the little house tonight.  I have never gotten to ride in Aunt Becky's car, so I am going to try hard not to make a mess.

I Have A Penpal!

I have a new friend, and I haven't even met him!  Mostly only Aunt Becky comments on my blog, but earlier this week, I got a comment from Yankee.  Marty's friend Brian that I met at the beach is Yankee's uncle!  He is almost my exact same age, and we would already have had playdates, but he lives far away with his human.  He and I agree that our humans have unreasonable expectations about us doing all our tricks whenever they want instead of whenever we want.  He seems like a very sensible dog.

Yankee and I are going to try to have a playdate sometime next month so we can talk more about proper management of humans and share some strategies.  This is a picture of Yankee when he was a little puppy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Humans make a big deal out of some strange things.  Yesterday they celebrated a big turkey.  Then they ate it.  I'm really glad that National Dog Day has different rules than Turkey Day!

I am still staying with Mr. Tripoli and my grandhumans while the crazies are off having fun somewhere without me.  I don't know if they celebrated a turkey wherever they are, but we sure had a lot of fun here.  Belle came over with Uncle Andrew and Aunt Lauren, and Belle's grandhumans came too!  Belle told me that they have a dog that takes care of them, but she didn't get to come.  It's probably because she's smaller and can't tell Belle to be quiet as well as I can!  I would have liked to meet her; I have had some very nice playdates with smaller dogs.

Uncle Rob was also here for the turkey.  Uncle Rob is so cool!  I am not sure why some dog hasn't picked him out for his own, but I am happy to make sure he gets played with properly so he'll be ready when one does.  I might be getting to stay with Uncle Rob for a day or two, but Mr. Tripoli seems like he would miss me a lot, so it's not for sure.  (Marty had told me that I might get to stay with Uncle Rob for the whole time the crazies were gone, but it turns out she was lying to me again.)

Mr. Tripoli and I like to play tug, but when I lie down, Mr. Tripoli can pull me all over and dust the floor.  I tried to do it that way when he was lying down, but he didn't move at all!













I found a new toy, it is AWESOME!  It looks like a bottle of the stuff that Marty is always drinking and it squeaks even better than my tennis ball at the little house.  Uncle Rob told me that Marty gives these to other dogs all the time.  Mr. Tripoli got one, and Belle got one, and Navidson got one, and Luna got one, and LOTS of other dogs I know got them.  I DO NOT HAVE ONE!!  Marty and I are going to have a serious talk about this when I go home.

Doggy Daycare At Mr. Tripoli's

I did not know that my grandhumans are running a doggie daycare center, but apparently they are.  I got up this morning to make my grandhuman take me out even earlier than usual.  Uncle Andrew brought my cousin Belle over not very long after we'd gotten up.  Apparently, Belle is a morning dog.  She came right in and started barking at me right away  I did not appreciate that at all.  I am not a morning dog.  After a while Mr. Tripoli and I went outside without her so he could teach me about chasing squirrels.  These squirrels are not like the ones I play with at home.  They run away and can climb trees.  I tried to climb a tree, but I fell out!

Pretty soon after that SOPHIE got dropped off!  I love Sophie.  She is still Mr. Tripoli's girlfriend, but if I lived closer, I could totally steal her!

We mostly played nice, but even Mr. Tripoli gets tired of all the noise sometimes.  He went back to the office and settled down with my grandhuman and left me to be in charge of Belle.  It's an exhausting job and I needed a lot of naps.

Prisoner Exchange

My humans are the worst.  I thought we were going to Mr. Tripoli's and they would stay there and hang out and help me get settled, like they did when I had my sleepover at Aunt Becky's.  That is not what happened.

As soon as school was over, we got in the car and drove to some giant loud, noisy place with bright lights and lots of stupid humans.  My grandhumans were already there, and Marty moved my stuff into their truck and gave them VERY brief instructions on taking good care of me.  Marty and Lyle said goodbye and told me to be a good puppy (as if there were any doubt) and then LYLE PULLED MY TOOTH OUT!  It was sticking out at a crazy angle, but I didn't think he had to just pull it out like that.  It would have come out by itself if he'd just left it alone (just like all my others did).  Of course, Marty put it in her pocket and saved it because she is a weirdo.  After that disgusting episode, the crazies put me in the truck and my grandhumans TOOK me!  I actually heard my grandhuman shout, "We've got the dog, let's go!"  Then he laughed manically.  I get the feeling he may have commanded liberation missions like this in the past.

I'm pretty sure that my actual humans stopped for Sonic on their way home.  My grandhumans and I did not.

Marty told them that I might throw up in the car (and after all the awesome treats at school it would have been SUPER GROSS), but I didn't, I just drooled on Mr. Tripoli's blanket.  When we finally got to Mr. Tripoli's I was so glad to get out of the car!  It was also good to see him.  He was happy to see me too, but it was very late and we were tired.

Marty sent my box down with me, but my grandhumans brought a bed out of the garage and didn't put me in the box!  The bed was okay, but I preferred to be under their bed.  I need to work on getting the crazies a bed I can get under at home.

I Will Show Them

So last night we were running late because my humans are lazy slugs (and because Washington traffic is always bad).  So Marty rushed me into class without giving me long enough to take a good potty break.  Then even though I jumped around like a crazy dog and acted like a complete idiot, she didn't take me back outside.  SO I PEED IN CLASS!  Lying Down.  I have only peed lying down once before, and that was also in class!  Other than the peeing, I was very good.  It helps that Marty had REALLY good treats this time (leftovers from when my god-grandhuman was visiting).

Going To School

We're on the way to school now.  I guess hoping for more than one week off was pointless. 

Marty is worried that I will not remember how to do any of the things I'm supposed to do.  She needs to understand that it's not that I don't remember, it's just that I don't want to.

After school we're going to meet my grandhumans.  Marty put a lot of my stuff in the car because I'm going to be staying with Mr. Tripoli while the crazies go on another adventure without me.  I would be more mad if I didn't already know that my grandhumans are going to spoil me A LOT and Mr. Tripoli will let me take his stuff and climb all over him.  (But I do kinda wish I were going to Aunt Becky's instead.)

Thank Goodness For The Farm

Since my classes with Miss Jessica are over for a little while, we didn't come up to the farm Wednesday night.  I was really mad, because we ALWAYS go to the farm at least once during the week, and usually more.  I kept trying to get the crazies to get off their lazy slug butts and go to the farm, but they wouldn't!  It didn't even matter how many times I jumped on them, or on the couch, or tried to play chomp or anything.  Marty got really frustrated and had to be reminded that we're a Peaceable Paws family.

Thursday Marty and Lyle left me in the box all day and didn't even come home for lunch.  It was only bearable because Joyce came over and played with me in the afternoon.  When the crazies did get home we got in the car and went to the farm.  Even though it was already dark when we got here, they took me out and let me play fetch for a long time.  (I have a special ball that lights up so I can find it in the dark.)  Marty said they were going to run my legs off, but my legs stayed attached.

After fetch we went inside and guess what?  My grandhuman is visiting too!  She saved me a special treat called "meatloaf".  The humans ate dinner (they did not get meatloaf) and I mostly left them alone.

Lyle took me outside after dinner for MORE fetch, which was awesome.  When we were done playing, I came inside and settled right down.  I don't understand why Marty is having so much trouble understanding that we need to play fetch for a long time EVERY DAY.  I'm thinking we may have to get some private lessons to help out with this.

Friday my grandhuman came by the little house and gave me cookies.  She is not a good thrower, but I gave her the ball anyway.  After she left I went to the dog park to play with Navidson.  It was just us because no other dogs came to play.  When Lyle got home we came back to the farm!  The farm two nights in a row!  Friday was MUCH better than Wednesday.

We spent yesterday up here too and I got to play lots of fetch and be outside and I didn't get into any trouble.  It's really, really cold up here today, so we haven't played as much fetch, but we did go to the dog food store and we bought a WHOLE LOT of treats.

This is how I like to spend time at the farm.

My Aunt Becky Loves Me

I got a get well present from my Aunt Becky!  It's got eggs that it poops out!  So far I have not been successful in getting an egg out without help, but I will be trying some more tonight.

Marty tried to take a picture of it still in the box, but I was too fast!
















In this picture you can see where they shaved my arm to put in the IV for my surgery.  Lyle is worried that the hair is never going to grow back!

My Teeth Are Falling Out Of My Head

Because I'm getting to be a biiiiiiiiiiiiggggggg (all of 45lbs when I was at the vet for the horrible surgery on Monday) dog, I am losing my puppy teeth.  Marty saves them whenever she finds them (which I think is pretty gross, but whatever).  I also leave blood all over my rawhides, my toys, and sometimes the carpet.

So far I have been pretty careful to only chew the things I'm supposed to (which isn't that hard because when we're at the little house the floor is totally covered with my toys and the farm isn't all that much better).  When I get my molars though, I'm going to do some real damage!

Locked In The Car

Marty is in a meeting right now, and I was supposed to get to attend, but I was participating "too much" and I got locked in the car!  Even worse, I have to wear the cone so I can't lick at my incision.  This is not helping Marty's plan to make me love the car.  Maybe if she didn't want me licking at the incision, she shouldn't have made me have the surgery in the first place!

Knowing Marty, I'm guessing she'll probably decide that this means we need to practice her giving me treats for lying on my mat even more.

Of course, it would probably help a lot if I got a big walk before this sort of thing, which I DID NOT.

Who Loves Who More?

They haven't given me any more pain meds, even though I have been crying.  This is how I plan to spend the night.

Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

You know how I've been a little bit hesitant about spending time at the vet?  And you know how Marty keeps telling me "nothing bad has ever happened to you here" (even though I did get that horrible shot for my microchip that one time, and even though they poke me with sharp things pretty much every time, and even though Dr. Richards scraped my foot with a scalpel blade once, and all sorts of other things that ARE SO bad)?  Well after today she can't say that ANYmore.

Marty took me to the vet this morning and had them NEUTER me.  In case you don't know what that means (I wish I didn't), it means they cut off very sensitive parts.  Marty said those parts weren't doing anybody any good, but how did SHE know?  She doesn't even HAVE parts like that!  She said that Christopher is in charge of making sure that the right dogs meet to have great puppies like me and my littermates and that he is really good at that and doesn't need my help.  She said that a lot of puppies are "accidents" and their moms and dads don't even stay together and sometimes they can't find humans to go live with.  Even though Marty and Lyle are crazy, and even though I am not very happy with them right now, I feel very sad for puppies that don't get their own humans, and I wouldn't want to grow up and be a big dog that caused that.

Dr. Richards did the surgery and the people at the vet that helped her took very good care of me, and I didn't have to stay there very long, because Marty stayed with me until after I got a shot that made me sleepy and then came and picked me up almost as soon as I was awake so that we could go home.  I do have a lot of friends at the vet and they snuggled and hugged me and told me it would be okay.

When they brought me out to Marty to go home, I decided to show everyone what I think about being treated like this and I POOPED RIGHT ON THE FLOOR!  Marty was not as upset by this as I was expecting, and the people at the vet acted like it happens a lot, but they did give me some extra pills to try and avoid any more mystery poop episodes.

I'm home now resting, but even though I got some medicine to make things not hurt, I'm still not feeling very good.  Mostly I am tired and a little upset to my stomach.  Marty didn't let me have anything to eat last night or this morning, so I'm pretty hungry and my stomach is grumbling.  I'm going to get some rice in a little while.

Marty says I might not have to go to school tonight, so at least some good may come from all this.

Upping My Game

My plans to take over the big bed and make the crazies sleep on the floor are progressing nicely.  Step one, making them put me in the bed because I was "cold" or "loud":  complete.  They've done this enough times that the idea of me sleeping in the bed with them on occasion is no longer out of the question.  Step two, getting them used to me getting in bed when I want:  in progress.  As I've previously reported, they are already resigned to my getting in the bed in the mornings after my potty break and before they get dressed for work.  They think this is "snuggle time", they are woefully ignorant that it's actually a carefully crafted step in my plan for taking over!  This week, I've started staying in bed when they get in the shower instead of hanging out in the bathroom with a Kong toy like they want me to.  So this morning I decided to forgo my potty break in favor of training my humans.  I got up on the bed with them without permission (because they were still sleeping).  They did not make me get off!  I think we're getting pretty close to being ready for the next step:  me getting in the bed before they do and spreading out so there's no room for them.  I'll keep everyone updated!

My AWESOME Weekend With Aunt Becky

Friday after we got back from the dog park, we got in the car and went to Aunt Becky's.  Marty packed practically everything I own, and I was a little worried that the crazies really were going to give me away, but really, going to live with Aunt Becky would be better than having to deal with them all the time anyway.  I explored her house a little more and unpacked some of my toys and then we got BACK in the car and went to Sonic and got a burger.  Marty rode in the back with me and made me be a lap warmer.  Aunt Becky likes to keep her house very cold.

When we got back, everyone but me was tired, so we went to bed.  I had to sleep in my box, which I did not appreciate.  Saturday morning Marty and Lyle got up very early and gave me my chicken.  Marty made Aunt Becky get up to watch.  After I'd had my chicken and almost no playtime they put me back in the box and left me!

It wound up working out GREAT though, because after Aunt Becky got a little bit more sleep, we played for the WHOLE weekend.  She didn't make me follow ANY rules!

I pretended to be missing Lyle, so I got up on the couch where he'd been on Friday night.  I am not allowed on furniture unless I'm invited, and I am not allowed to have chew toys on furniture, but here I am!










Marty and Lyle brought zombie dog too, and I am pretty tired of him getting to tag along whenever I do anything fun.  While Aunt Becky wasn't paying attention, I grabbed him and threw him on the bed and had "grownup time" with him!  Aunt Becky caught me afterward and took this picture which she sent to the crazies.






Aunt Becky took me for adventures on both Saturday and Sunday.  We got to see interesting things and meet another dog and some other people.  Everyone said I was a good dog.  (It's because Aunt Becky is so good at picking out puppies!)













When Marty and Aunt Becky and the rest of their litter were puppies, they used to play a game called "Scare Mommy" where they would do things to upset my grand-human.  (Actually, they still play it.)  Aunt Becky let me play by letting me practicing running fast with no one holding my leash and sending the picture to Marty! 







Aunt Becky has a really big yard and it has a fence, so we got to play out there a lot.  It also has one of my favorite things, MULCH!  Not only did I get to eat the mulch, but Aunt Becky even let me dig holes.  I love to dig!







I had SO MUCH FUN this weekend that I really want to go live with Aunt Becky forever.  When Marty and Lyle came back to get me I hid under the bed so I could stay longer.  I made sure to leave a lot of my toys at Aunt Becky's so we can go back soon.  Hopefully one of these days Aunt Becky will rescue me from the crazies and let me just come live with her.

Jumping Through Hoops

Marty wrote Aunt Becky SEVEN PAGES on taking care of me.  See why I call them the crazies?  We went to the dog park so that I will be tired and not be a jerk for Aunt Becky (that's Marty's plan, I wasn't planning to be a jerk anyway), and Lyle set the tire up for me and Navidson to jump through.  It was a lot of fun.

Then we got to play with one of my friends from the vet, Max.  He's a Great Dane, and even though he's still only a puppy he's REALLY big.  Even bigger than Mr. Tripoli!  He mostly sat on me, so I tried to bite him, but I'm not sure he noticed.

Visiting H. Bill

Tonight we went to H. Bill's and hung out over there.  This time he was wearing fake fur on his arms, but none on his legs.  This is me pretending to be a nice family dog.  Do the eyes give me away?

Getting Ready To Visit Aunt Becky

My lazy slug humans haven't done a lot with me lately.  This weekend we went back to the dog park, but other than that, we really just hung out at the little house... BORING.

Monday night at school we practiced things I already knew and one of the teachers asked Marty if she "had a training background".  Marty said no, but she admitted it's not my first class.  I don't think we needed to tell everyone that!

Tonight we had regular school and nosework.  Regular school was a lot of practice on lying on my mat.  I'm getting a lot of practice at that.  We practiced letting Miss Jessica pet us, and I tried to bite her fingers.  I really don't understand why humans don't like it when I put my mouth on them.  I'm not biting, really, I'm just *tasting*, and Miss Jessica always tastes like treats.

We got to go into the barn for nosework, and even though there were LOTS AND LOTS of interesting smells, I still found my meatballs.

We have a new rule at the farm.  When I go out at night, I have a little light that gets clipped to my collar so Marty can see me.  I think it's a little weird, but humans are very insecure and have to be humored.  I spent a lot of time tonight training Marty to give me treats if I drop toys in my bag, she thinks that will be our trick for our last Monday night class.  Even though I worked really hard at that, and even though she let me last week, tonight she won't let me up in the chair to guard the computer bag.  I don't know what her problem is.

The really big news is that I get to spend the weekend with Aunt Becky AND NOT THE CRAZIES!  This will be my first break from them since they brought me to live with them.  I am VERY excited.  Marty is supposed to be writing down things about me for Aunt Becky, but she hasn't done it yet.

My Turn For Puzzles

Marty and Lyle left me in my box for a long nap and they went off to do something else.  I didn't mind because I was so tired from the dog park that I needed a chance to rest.  

After the debacle with puzzles at the beach, I did not think I wanted anything to do with them, but when they got home from wherever they were Marty got a puzzle out for me.  You have to move the bones to get treats.  It's a little hard, but I got all the treats, and Marty only had to help a little.  I think we will do it again another night.

Dog Park

After all the treats last night with the human puppies, I wasn't feeling so great this morning.  Marty came home at lunch to get me and we went in the car for a few minutes for her to run an errand.  I waited in the car, and then we went over to the vet, but I didn't even have to go in a room this time, I just jumped onto the scale and we got to leave!  Dr. Richards said hi to me, and everyone said I am very smart for knowing how to hit Marty's hand with my nose.

I got yummy rice for lunch and then I had to go back in my box for a while.  When Marty came home we went back in the car, but when we got out I got to play with Navidson.  He showed me the dog park!  Besides Navidson, I got to play with four other dogs!  I had so much fun and really wore myself out.  Humans are much less annoying after you get to go to the dog park for a couple of hours.