Off to Grad School!

Today was a very sad day for my foster mommy. Trainer Heather told mommy that today was the day I had to start Grad School for my final training...and mommy had a very hard time taking me to the kennel. She cried a lot. Princess Linni (my foster sister) did not cry. I think she is very glad not to have to share any attention with me any more.

Ms. Tiffany was at the kennel when I arrived and told my mommy that the plan was for me to go to a "forever" family in St. Louis. They have a special little boy (around 10 or 11 I think) that needs me as his new pal. Wow! I've never been to St. Louis, so this is going to be a real adventure for me.

I have my own space at the kennel and a new bed that foster mommy bought for me. There are other pups here training, so I have a host of new friends to play with. There is a great big yard for me and my friends to play in...and it has MUD! This should be great fun!

I will be here for 30 days with Trainer Heather, then I will go spend some time with my next trainer, Sarah. After that, I should be ready to go! If I do really good, I will get to meet my forever family around late August. I can hardly wait!

I am posting my "big boy" portrait that foster mommy had made so that you can see how a real "official" service dog looks. Pretty impressive, huh!

Well, off to Grad School. I have a lot that I still need to learn before I go to work as a service dog. Wish me luck!

Me...the Wilderwood Representative!

This is me....hogging the air conditioner after a very exhausting walk! Foster Mommy and I represented Wilderwood Service Dogs at the annual "Walk for Arthritis" today. It was posted to be a 5K walk but when we finally got back to the starting point we found out that it was a 5 MILE (actually 5.4 miles!) walk and we were very, very tired and hot. They said there would be water along the way, so we started out without a water bottle for mommy and a water dish for me. At the first water stop we found out that the water was being served in dixie cups (very small dixie cups) and my big snout did not fit into that tiny little cup. Mommy tried pouring it into her hands, but that didn't give me much water! I am a pretty thirsty dog when I walk!

At the fork in the trail we had to choose between going on the "one mile walk" or the "three mile walk" and we decided that we could certainly handle three miles. We are used to walking together. We walked and walked thinking that the trail would lead us back to the starting point...but we finally reached the "half way/turn around point" point instead. Mommy was a little concerned about the length of this walk at that point because it seemed we had already walked a good distance...and we were obviously more than two miles away at this point.

With a big storm coming from the west, we decided we better get back to the church where the "walk" started. We came upon a very sweet lady named Annie who has arthritis. She was having a very hard time finishing the walk, so we walked with her until a nice policeman came along and gave her a ride back to the church in his "go-cart". There were several hills on this path, so I am glad that he was able to help her out. Another nice friend gave mommy a larger cup for me to drink from, so I was able to get a good bit of water down into my tummy to help me finish the walk.

We finally made it back to the church and everyone with pedometers said we had walked over 5 miles...not 5K's. That explained my very tired paws. I was glad to get back in the car for the ride home. I was really glad that mommy turned the air conditioner on "high" and pointed all the vents right at me! I kept my nose very close to them all the way home!

I'm A Big Boy Now!

Wow! A lot can happen in 5 months! Here is my before and after picture with Gavin...my very good buddy! I was such a wee little pup when I first came

to be a part of my foster family. Now I am such a big dog! I would also be a lot hairier, too, but foster mom keeps my hair about 1 1/2" long so that she can keep me groomed easier...and see my eyes so that she can tell when I am paying attention. It has been alot of fun growing with Gavin over the past few months and I am really going to miss him calling me the "crazy dog".

The final countdown...

Today I have only two weeks left at my foster home before I go to "school" to become a real service animal. Foster Mommy is very sad, but happy that she has had this time to love on me! Foster Mommy's boss said that she is going to have to give mommy's entire office a "mental health day off" the day that I leave for the kennels and won't be able to go with mommy to the office. She knows that everyone there will not be able to work that day because they will miss me so much. I have been going to the office every day with mommy for a long, long time. Everyone there is my friend! When I get out of the car I go straight for the door, then head down the hallway to my mommy's office to see Juanita (who shares an office with her). If no one is looking, though, I make a quick turn and head to Karen's office because she always gives me a great back rub. To be quite honest, I pretty much "rule the roost"...(or would that be the "doghouse").

I have grown so much since coming to my foster house in December. I have also learned a lot of manners and commands. I sit, shake, lay down, wait and come on command. I touch my nose to anything my mommy says "touch" and I "snuggle" when she lies down on the floor. (I finally learned that I wasn't supposed to TACKLE or SUFFOCATE with this command). I fetch my toys when they are thrown for me, walk on a loose leash without pulling (well, most of the time) and force myself to "leave it" when I want to pick up something and taste it. I ring my bell when I want to go outside, and knock on the door to come back in. I now sleep beside my mommy and check on her a couple of times a night to make sure she is still in her bed. I now "kiss" instead of "nip" when I meet someone, and I don't jump on people when they come in the door. I stay off the beds and the couch, and I never, never pee or poop in the house! Best of all, I am a great traveler and love to go in the car!

I know that all sounds good (Hey! I AM good!) but there are still a few things I like to do that mommy is still trying to teach me not to do. My good buddy-dog Bentley taught me how to dig in my water bowl with both feet and make the water go EVERYWHERE when I spent a week with him while Mommy was in Guatemala. Although Mommy thinks it is cute and funny, she isn't sure that my new family will appreciate it. It sure is fun, though! I also just started digging holes in the yard. Foster daddy isn't too fond of that. Mommy put big rocks in my newest hole and uses that tacky word "NO" everytime I get near it. I thought dogs were supposed to dig!!! If you can't do it in water or dirt, where am I supposed to dig at? (Her bed???? Ha Ha...that would be funny!)

Life has been good here at my foster house. We have agreed to make the next two weeks the best yet! I can't wait to see what all I get to do!

P.S. For starters, I found out that Bruster's Ice Cream Shop gives doggies a dish of vanilla ice cream with a milkbone stuck on top! I am so lucky that Bruster's is right down the street from mommy's office! Woo Hoo!

To Bishop ....From Gavin

Dear Bishop,

Today my Nana told me that you would be leaving soon to go to a special school so that you can learn how to help the little boy or girl that you will soon be living with. Ever since you came to my Nana's house she has told me that we were only babysitting you until you were ready to go to school to learn how to be a real service dog. After you go to school you will be ready to help a boy or girl who is sick with something special and who needs a good doggie to be with them everyday. I asked her if I would get a doggie like you the next time I got sick, but she said that I would probably not need a special dog because hopefully I wouldn't be sick very long once I went to the doctor and got some medicine. Then I asked her if you could come back to us when the little boy or girl got well. She explained to me that you were going to be with a little girl or boy that had a sickness that would probably last a very long time. I guess you need to be their doggie for a long time then. It makes me sad that you have to go now, and I told Nana that I really wanted to keep my "crazy dog" at her house. I call you "crazy dog" because when you see me you get so excited that you go crazy! Molly and I think you are so funny!

I have so much fun playing with you, especially when I run on one side of the fence and you jump and bark at me on the other side and run up and down the fence. I also like playing ball and "keep away" with you. I really don't mind that you chewed the end of my bat...or ate my foam rubber football...or snuck away with one of my trains. You're still a really good "crazy dog" to me. When you came to live with my Nana you were so much smaller! Now you weigh more than twice as much as I do. And you eat a whole lot more than me, too. Maybe you have grown so much because Nana lets me feed you treats every day when you do your tricks. I sure love shaking your paw!

I'm glad we have a little more time together before you leave. I still need to teach you how let go of my baseball when you retrieve it after I hit it with my bat. You are very good at chasing after my ball and bringing it back to me, but you have very, very strong teeth! I sure have trouble getting that ball out of your mouth! We'll keep working on that!

I love you, Bishop the Crazy Dog!

Love, GAVIN

My very first County Fair!

What a wonderful time I had today in Morristown at a County Fair designed especially for those with special needs! My foster mommy took me on this road trip...and I was so happy that she took the carseats out of the back seat so that I could stretch out all the way there.


When we got to the County Fair we found that my past "foster-foster" parents were there, too. Gary and Juanita have taken care of me when mommy was out of town, so I recogized them immediately and took off to see the sights with my buddy Gary.

And there were definitely sights to see. I had my first 'nose-to-nose" sniffing of a pig, got a good look at sheep, goats, a donkey and a pony, and got pecked by the beak of a baby duck. (Never put your nose up to a baby duck!).

I wasn't too interested in the snake, but I had a blast trying to catch bubbles in the air. Mommy put a stop to that pretty quick, though, because she didn't want me to get a tummy ache from getting soap in my mouth. The cotton candy looked really pretty, but Mommy vetoed that, too. (Not to say I didn't try to sneak up on her for a little taste).

Everything was quite fun...and hot...so when the cloggers started clogging I climbed under the bleachers for a much needed nap. The best part, though, was all of the attention that I received from everyone there. They were taking my picture and hugging me and shaking my hand... I felt like quite an important person....er, dog, I mean. (sorry....Mommy keeps reminding me I am not a person!) I loved all of my new special needs friends! (I did figure out, though, that you need to stay out of the way of electric wheelchairs! They have some pretty wild drivers!)

After the county fair I was very tired so I climbed back in the back seat, stretched out across the entire seat, and settled in for a nice ride home. Mommy told me that I was snoring, too, and it made it hard for her to listen to the radio because it was so loud. Actually, I was just making sure I kept her awake and alert while we traveled home. I'm such a good "service" dog!

Scouting around....

Today I went shopping in Wal-mart with my foster mommy. Actually, Wal-mart was just one of the many places she took me. Let me just say that the shiny floor in the new JCPenney's store is very SLICK...and the aisles in Babies R Us are very crowded...and there are a lot of gripy people that stand in line at the Post Office.

But in Wal-mart we were shopping in the doggie section looking for treats and a little boy was so excited to see me in the store! He immediately asked his mommy if he could come pet me. I didn't mind, but his mommy told him he couldn't pet me because I was "working" (She was right...shopping is a lot of work for me!). When he asked her how I was "working" she said that I was "a special dog that was learning how to help people". He looked me over, standing there in my jacket with my Wilderwood patch on it, then asked his mom, "Is he a doggie Boy Scout?

Am I?

I am the Star of the Show!

Today my foster mommy and I went to speak at Concord Christian School about disabilities. This is the first time I have been the featured attraction at a school and I was very excited. Mommy bought me a new doggie bone bandana to wear. (I am still trying to decide if I like wearing a bandana...or if I like chewing on it instead).

When we got there, I got tons of attention as I walked down the hallway towards the auditorium. I think I was the cause of several kids getting in trouble because they were paying more attention to me than their teacher. I am pretty cute, though, and was showing off a bit as we walked by.

We finally got to the auditorium and all of the kids started coming in. They were all trying to get the closest seat to where I was...which caused the teacher to get on to them once again. I decided this would be a great time to be the perfect, obedient dog. Mommy kept waiting for me to be my normal "alpha" self, but I just sat there and watched all of the kids play all of these games that help them understand what it is like to have a disability. One of them even had a bandana on just like me, but it was over her eyes to help her understand what it is like to be blind. I am sure hoping mommy keeps mine around my neck and doesn't put it over my eyes! I have enough trouble seeing with all of this hair on my face! Mommy also tied a child's feet together so that they could try to walk. It kinda reminded me of when I get all tangled up in my leash.

The only time I got up was when this girl tried to make a peanut butter sandwich while blindfolded. I REALLY like peanut butter and as soon as it reached my nose I started looking for it. As luck would have it, she couldn't see me sneaking up on her to snatch away that piece of bread. Unfortunately, mommy COULD see me, and she got me just as my mouth was about to snatch that sandwich away. (This is why it is probably better that I am a service dog and not a seeing eye dog. I would be the fattest dog in town.)

I did all of my obedience tricks for the kids and they could tell that I am a very smart dog! After mommy finished her presentation she asked if anyone had any questions. All of the kids raised their hand to ask, "Can we pet the dog????" Mommy said "yes" and the picture shows what happened next. I have so many new friends!

Meet my brother ZACH!

This is my brother Zach! As you can see, we are not twins! He has a marbled coat just like mine, but his coat has dark brown, light brown, medium brown, and...well, "brown" brown! We are about the same size, even though I reached this size before he did.

When I went to my trainer today with my foster mommy, Zach and his foster sister were there working with Heather. I thought it might be my brother, but I waited until he finished his training before me and mommy wandered over closer. Mommy asked if he was Zach, and I was really excited to find out that it was.

The sad part was that he wasn't particularly excited about seeing me. I don't think he remembers that we were once in the same puppy bed together just a few months ago. He barked and barked and barked at me while I just sat there and gave him some space. My mommy asked if we could get closer to him and Heather gave us the okay. I moved right in, and Zach moved right out! He barked even louder and tried to get away from me. It took a long time and a lot of coaxing before he decided I was okay to be around.

As you can see, Zach is a beautiful dog! He just went to the groomers last week and he is quite a ball of fluff. My coat, on the other hand, is cut short, especially where I got bubble gum attached to it and my mommy had to cut it out! That's another story....

Zach and I may be brothers, but we are very different. Besides our color, Zach is a barker and I never bark. My mommy has only heard me bark 3 times since getting me in December! The other thing that is very noticable is that my tail (stubby as it is!) stands up and wags when I am happy. In fact, it wags a bunch because I am happy a bunch. Zach's foster sister said that his tail lays flat all the time, even when he is happy. But those are the things that make each of us unique and special.

After Zach left, Heather gave me and mommy a chance to show her what I have perfected. I did a very good job at "waiting" while mommy walked away from me. I also sat and laid down on command. Mommy walked me with a loose leash and I stayed right by her and never pulled. Then when mommy walked far, far away and called me I ran straight to her! Of course, it helps when she has my favorite treat in her hand! (She thinks I am obedient, but actually I am just wanting the treats!) Now I get to learn to "touch" and "snuggle" on command. Mommy and I are already practicing the snuggling part tonight!

It's been a very big day for me! Besides meeting my brother and going to train with Heather, I went to TWO Wal-marts, drove through Sonic, went to work with Mommy, and played with my "people friends" Karen and Juanita. That is why I am now plopped down on the floor! Mommy says tomorrow will be a fun day, too, so I am going to get some sleep and dream about my brother Zach. I hope we graduate with each other so that I can meet his new family and introduce him to mine! That would be really special.

Bishop the Nurse

Today my foster mommy was very, very sick! Someone gave her a "bug" and it made her "loose her cookies". ..and her supper...and everything else that ever dreamed of being inside her! (This explains why there is no picture. It was NOT pretty!) I usually like bugs, but I sure don't like the one that made my mommy feel so yucky.

Mommy got sick around 10 p.m. and continued to be sick for about 12 hours. I felt so sorry for her! She was so sick that she couldn't even go upstairs to her bedroom, so she slept on the couch and I slept on the floor beside her. Well, actually we didn't sleep because she kept getting up and running through the house to the bathroom. Poor mommy kept throwing up and I kept running right beside her everytime she jumped up. Mommy said I was a very good nurse because while she was hanging her head over the potty I was laying my head on her shoulder. I tried to make sweet little comforting sounds in her ears, but it didn't seem to help. She finally just laid down in the bathroom floor. I was very worried about her being cold so I laid down right beside her and stayed with her the rest of the night. Mommy said she would have froze if I had not been there for her. (Foster Daddy is such a sound sleeper he didn't even hear a thing!)

Mommy said I am a very compassionate puppy and that I am going to be a really good service dog when I grow up a little more. Even though I hated to see my mommy so sick, it was great to have her home with me all of the next day. We just laid around and snuggled together until she felt much better.

If you ever get sick and need a good, compassionate nurse, just give me a call. I have practice and I am GOOD! And remember: don't play with that bug! It isn't a nice one!

My new Basketball Buddy

This is Courtney, my new basketball buddy! I had so much fun going to an Upward Basketball game today! The really neat thing is that Courtney plays basketball while riding around in her super cool wheelchair! The thing I love about Courtney is that she has the cutest smile. (Check out the picture...I was trying to smile just like her!) I met so many new friends, too. And there was this really cute cheerleader named Kaitlyn who gave me a bunch of attention. I was pretty fascinated with her pompoms!

Basketballs are really big balls...much bigger than the one my foster mommy and I play with at home. Every once in a while I thought about going out there and playing with Courtney, but my mommy had that silly leash attached to me again! Courtney would put that basketball in her lap and away she would go down the court to make a basket! She was really good! I think I could be good, too, if they would let me play.

Coming home from the game we got lost in the woods and wandered around and around in the countryside. Mommy kept calling Courtney's mom, dad and grandmother to try to find out where we were so that we could get home, but no one seemed to know anything about the area we were in! Mommy tried to find us on her navigation system on her phone, but it said the street name that mommy put in didn't exist. We tried to retrace our tracks, but got lost even more. It is a good thing that I am such a good traveler...and that I am potty trained! (I really needed to go bad but Mommy wouldn't let me get out of the car since we were in the middle of nowhere!). We had started home near Rockwood and ended up somewhere out by Blount Memorial Hospital. We are not sure how we got there. Mommy said that next time she may ask to foster a bloodhound because I wasn't very much help in getting us home!

I was so happy to get to my home...and my yard! I am going to ask my foster dad to get my Mommy a map for Valentines Day!

Snow? I don't see any snow!

Yesterday Mommy came home early because she said it was going to snow. I was so happy to be with her, and I was really excited to have someone at home to play with! She immediately let me out of the back door. It felt so good! It was so chilly, and I decided I wanted to stay out and run around in my yard for awhile. Mommy kept trying to get me back in the door because she said it was starting to snow really hard. I didn't see any snow! I didn't feel any snow! I just wanted to play outside.

Mommy kept trying to get me to come in, but I was having so much fun. I wanted her to throw my ball so that we could play catch. I wanted her to play chase with me. I wanted her to come out and play tug-of-war with my rope. But, NO! She kept saying it was snowing too hard. She said it was too cold. She even said I was beginning to turn white! Do I look white to you?????

Well, this morning when we woke up there WAS snow! I had so much fun playing in it! I think it is so much fun to eat (I really did eat alot of it!) and I love to roll in it and bounce in it. No matter how much I played, the grass never showed up. Just snow, snow and more snow.

I did figure out a couple of things, though. First, you have to be really careful on a wood deck when it is covered in snow. Everytime I bounced up the stairs and ran across the deck I ended up sliding into the glass door. And the other thing I learned is that you only eat white snow.

I hope Mommy will grow some fur like me so that she will have more fun on snow days! She didn't even take me on a walk the last two days! (Do I need to report her to someone????)

Have fun in the snow! If you want to play outside, come on over!

Bishop, the Poster Pup

I have been very busy with Ms. Elaine lately starring as the "Poster Pup" for Wilderwood when she has gone to different civic clubs to speak. Today, however, was a little tough for me. First of all, my Mommy had to go to Nashville last night, so I had to meet Ms. Elaine at Starbucks. My foster daddy took me there, where he was having an early morning meeting. I was glad to see Ms. Elaine and go with her for the second time. I guess I was so precious the first time that she chose me to go again.

Well, as I said before, this one was a little tough for me. First of all, I had a little gas. (Okay, I had a LOT of gas. ) While Ms. Elaine's friend was speaking to the people in the audience I sort of let a little whiff escape. (Okay. It was a little bigger than a "little") Ms. Elaine thought that maybe I needed to excuse myself to the outdoors and took me for a nice walk. I'm not the best at making significant deposits on the grass while attached to a leash, so I decided to "hold it" and we went back inside. That's when another little whiff escaped. (Okay! Okay! This one wasn't little, either!) Ms. Elaine decided I needed another walk (hey....this is getting to be fun!) so we walked and walked but I just have a little problem doing the poopy thing when someone is standing right there, attached to the other end of the leash! I decided I could hold it a little longer and we went back in. Maybe going back in was not in my best interest, however, because that's when I got tea spilt all over me - twice! Now I am stinky AND sticky.

That's when one of the ladies asked if I could be "seen"...and sweet Ms. Elaine let me off my leash for the "meet and greet" portion of my visit. However....as I was running around making friends and being really cute my body suddenly realized I was no longer on a leash and...

Let's just say I left something on the floor, but it WASN'T a good impression.

Poor Ms. Elaine had a few apologies to make, as well as a little mess to clean up. (Okay! It wasn't little! Why do I have to keep admitting these things!).

It was a fun trip though, and I had so much fun at Ms. Elaine's house as I waited for my mommy to come home. Mommy said I couldn't add a picture to this post. I wanted to show you what I "did", but she poo-poohed that idea. Sorry!

Soccer time!

Tonight I went to my very first indoor soccer game! Wow! That is one wild game! The ball was flying all over the floor and everyone was kicking and yelling and pushing and jumping. It was my kind of game! Except that nobody invited me to play.
But Gavin was there and he was willing to share his ball with me. It's a little big for my mouth, so the best I could do was push it around with my nose. A couple of times, when I couldn't stop fast enough, I just rolled right over the top of it. We played so hard that we had to take a Gatoraide break!
One of the best parts of this outing was the floor around the concession stand. There was all kinds of food crumbs, and I got my very first taste of gum. Mommy made me spit it out, though. She doesn't like for me to eat off the floor. She doesn't want me chewing gum either.
I got a lot of attention from everyone...but still didn't get any invitations to play ball with them. Maybe next time? By the way...do they make doggie shin guards?

Road Trip!

Today I went on my first real road trip with Mommy and Daddy to Nashville. This is a picture of me all stretched out in the back seat of the car. I laid down the minute they put me in the car and gave me my blue blanket, and there I stayed the rest of the trip.

We went to see Bonni and Drew's new house. Wow! Wood floors are fun to run on...and slide on! While everyone went out to eat I was left with my foster cousins Max (the aged Scotty) and Zoe (the wild Min Pin). We decided to play the copy cat game....I'll poop here...you poop there. I'll pee here...you pee there. No one like the game except us. (Actually it was pouring rain outside, so it was as much as a necessity as it was a game). The fun part was that I got to sleep in the room with Mommy for the first time. She thought I would keep her awake, but I surprised her by sleeping at the foot of the bed all night long...never once even trying to get in bed with her! (I thought this good behavior might get me a place at night in the room with them at home, but that was a big NO.)

Once again, I slept all the way home on my little blue blanket! My foster parents are so proud of me! I hope I get to travel with them again soon!

At the Office

Today Mommy took me to her office after I had gone with Ms. Elaine to Athens to be the "poster dog" for Wilderwood. In case I look a little sticky in the photo, I just want you to know that it was NOT my fault that some lady spilled her tea on me...not once, but twice...while I was trying to be a good dog for Ms. Elaine. Other than that, it was one fun trip!

But back to Mommy's office. Her intention was to have me sleep under her desk while she worked...which I did. (I was pretty tired after working so hard to be good with Ms. Elaine!) But once Mommy left the office for a minute I took no time in hopping up in her chair to see what she was giving all her attention to. First of all, let me say that my Mom's desk is quite a mess. She has some very interesting things amid all the clutter, though. First of all, there was a picture screen on her computer with Gavin and me on it. Pretty cool. The computer was attached to a "mouse"....which I assume is dead since it never moved and was already stiff and cold. My great find, however, was a peppermint! The wrapper wasn't so good, but the candy inside was great.

The only problem I encountered was that everytime I tried to reach for something, her chair would swivel and I would almost fall out! I don't know why she would continue to use a chair that won't stay still! When Mommy came back I sorta got in trouble for getting in her chair, but mostly I think she was just mad because I ate her last peppermint! (She did say my breath was MUCH better. Maybe I'll get another peppermint soon!)

The Tooth Fairy

Yesterday Mommy became concerned because I wasn't eating my food or chewing on my chewbones. She thought I might be a little sick, but actually my mouth was having trouble chewing on anything hard because my teeth are falling out! In fact, yesterday FOUR teeth fell out! Mommy finally figured it out when she started finding teeth in the floor

("Here's your sign", Mommy!)

Gavin was with us spending the night and he was very concerned that my baby teeth were falling out. Mommy tried to explain to him that it was perfectly normal, and that when he is five or six, his baby teeth will fall out, too! Then she opened my mouth and let him see the places where my teeth had once been! Gavin was NOT impressed. He said he was NOT going to lose HIS baby teeth when he got older. He said, instead, he is going to lose his baby toes...and then big ones could grow back.
This was all very hard for me to understand until Mommy explained about putting my teeth under my pillow for theTooth Fairy! Well, who needs to understand? Just bring on the toothfairy!
Last night I left my teeth under my pillow (well, not exactly. I left them under my mouse since I don't have a pillow of my own) and this morning the Tooth Fairy had left me a.....hotdog! Yes, a nice, soft-to-eat hotdog. Life is good. (So are hotdogs!)
There is no picture today. I don't want to smile with my teeth missing.

Where is Mr. Mouse?

Today has been a very fun day because my Mommy and Daddy were stuck at home due to the weather and couldn't go to work! That means I was free to roam the house all day long and play with my family. Mommy was bragging to daddy yesterday about how well I had been accepting my boundaries and being such a very sweet dog. Unfortunately they walked into their bedroom about that time to see that I had discovered their nice, cozy bed. After all...if it is good enough for them, it's good enough for me. When they walked in, I was in the bed with my head on Mommy's pillow and her sock in my mouth. From their response, I don't think that their bed is within my boundaries.

I did, however, really like that bed, so today I tried many times to get back in it for a nap. Let's just say that they do not share very well.

Needless to say, me and my Mr. Mouse had to find other places to sleep. Mr. Mouse has become my very best friend. He was Molly's Mouse at first, but once I chewed his nose off, she wasn't quite as fond of him. Because I am a very "accepting of anyone" dog, I took him in as my own special friend, and we aren't seperated much. I have quit chewing on him and prefer to just use him as my snuggle toy. He's always close by...and as you can see, my Mommy has her camera on me and Mr. Mouse snapping shots every time I close my eyes.

Which, by the way, it is time to do for the night! Come on, Mr. Mouse. It's time to go to bed!

Oh, NO! Not again!

Today I had a very big scare! Mommy took me on a little outing to a new place. We arrived at Dr. Collin's office and everyone just loved me! The receptionist thought I was really cute, as did all the other patients in the waiting room. When they called my mommy's name I went with her down the hallway, catching the eyes of all the nurses. Gosh, they really thought I was the cutest thing they had ever seen! I still wasn't sure what we were doing at this place, but with that kind of attention, who cares!

Mommy then had to do something called "weigh in", and stepped on the scales. Poor mommy. It must have been very, very painful because she moaned very loudly, looked quite upset, and was mumbling about the food she ate over the holidays. (I thought she had liked the food! She sure ate a lot of it!)

We went on down the hall and was led into a room, and that is where I saw it! A metal table with paper on it. Terrible thoughts and flashbacks came to my head...memories of very, very bad things happening to me when I have been on a table just like that. I am sorry to say that I absolutely went crazy! I tried to escape! I jumped. I pulled. I cried. But mommy made me stay. I was so upset. No one had explained to me that MOMMY was the patient. I thought it was me again!

I was so upset at mommy that when the doctor came in I let a giant "whiff" escape from my behind side, embarrassing mommy really bad. You should have seen her trying to make the doctor believe it wasn't her! I don't think he believed her, though!

I was very thankful that the Tetinus shot went in HER, not ME! And I was very thankful that I got out of there with everything I went in with...unlike the last time I went to a doctor's office!

Although I thought mommy hated being weighed, she has now gone and bought some scales for our house. Tonight she weighed me! I am a 35.2 lb puppy! And I am only 4 1/2 months old!

Play Ball!!!!

After several practice sessions I have finally mastered the art of playing ball! Mommy bought me a cute little ball with bones on it (one I could easily distinguish from the balls that are "no no's" and belong to Gavin). At first I just watched Mommy throw the ball....then eventually she would go get it and bring it back. I could not figure out why she would throw it away if she wanted it back so badly! Silly girl!


I finally got tired of watching this crazy routine of hers, so I started going to the ball and laying down by it. She would come and point at it, pick it up and try to put it in my mouth, or say things like "get it"...Quite frankly, I didn't want it. She was the one who kept throwing it, so she can be the one to chase after it and haul it back.


But she just kept doing it over and over, day after day, and finally I thought that if I would just grab it and run around with it in my mouth it would discourage her from throwing it. Instead she kept trying to get me to bring it to her, trying to bribe me with all sorts of things...bones, treats, bacon. She is one desperate person to get that ball back.


Finally Gavin came over and threw the ball across the room today. I really like Gavin and wanted him to have his ball back, so I ran after it and brought it back to him. That was such a simple, kind thing to do, but all of a sudden everyone was praising me, giving me treats, and hugging my neck. So when Gavin threw the ball again, I went and got it again! Same thing happened. Hugs! Praise! Attention! Treats! Well, whatever gets you the attention works for me! Now I run and get that ball as soon as it is thrown. In fact, I went and got a toy cooking pan that Molly threw across the room and brought it back. And I ran to get a plastic banana...and a toy hotdog bun...and Molly's pacifier! This is fun stuff! Maybe I am not a bouvier after all. I think I just might be a soft, curly, clumsy retriever....in black!


After teaching me this fun game, I gave Gavin the biggest lick on his cheek. He thinks it is pretty funny when I kiss him. (Actually, I was just licking the popsicle off of his face, but don't tell anyone!)