Colorado Dog Cousins

These are my 3 cousins that live in Colorado.  I am going to visit them next week for the holidays, the family all together!  The two tan girls are the oldest, Bianca and Mia.  The little black and white girl is Siena.  She has not learned that she shouldn't bark back at her elders yet.  We will work on that this trip, perhaps.  They are Italian greyhounds.  Ironic that the nearly naked girls live in the mountains, and me with my full fur coat lives in a consistent 70 degrees.  When it is time, my Mom takes out my traveling bag, I hop in, and we fly on a plane to their house.  When I stick my head out of the bag, everyone tells me how cute I am.  It is always fun, and there is plenty of chicken that comes out of my Grandma's kitchen!  

Cheeto the Cat

This is my neighbor Cheeto.  I've never asked him, but I bet he was named that because of his coloring.  I'll have to confirm that the next time I see him.  Well, that would have to be the next time I see him that he is away from the house.  We have an understanding, Cheeto and I.  When we see each other, we sniff, and say hello.  I like cats.  But, I am a terrier, which means I must protect my domain.  So, if we run into each other in my yard, or by my house, well he does just that...run...and I chase him.  Nothing personal.  That is our deal.  Cheeto has a boy, a two legged brother named Chase.  He calls me Chase the Dog.  He has red hair, too.  It runs in the family! 

A Little Dog Thanksgiving

I always go to Colorado to spend Christmas with my real family.  For Thanksgiving, my best friend Sake and Aunt Rita always share their family.  My Uncles John and Ray get adopted as well.  What could be better than so many of my favorite people, 2 legged and 4 legged, together with lots of food and fun.  The drawing to the left is Rita's neice Ellie drawing her one time depiction of me and Shauna.  If my legs were really that long, I could hop even higher!  We love her art work!  For our dinner, Aunt Rita makes sure all of the puppy dishes are geared to our individual taste buds.  Sake is more of a veggie girl than I am.  She eats more like my Mom.  I focus on the main dish, maybe dabbling in a side dish here or there as long as it isn't green.  Lucky and Buddy are not as discriminating.  They eat whatever you give them.  Sake and I switch plates at the end since we eat so complimentary; she is the only one I let eat off of my plate!  After much fun and food in Oxnard, my Uncles dropped us off at Pua and Rascals house so we could make sure they were fed and happy.  The turkey kicked in and I was the passed out puppy!  I am so thankful for all of the wonderful people that make up my wonderful life!

Dog Walk and Wiggle

Spot is one of the newest friends to join our pack.  Ok, I haven't actually spent time with Spot, but my Mom took her for lots of walks while her people were gone this weekend.  She is only about as tall as I am, but at least 3 times as wide, and aptly named because she has a tan spot that looks like it has been painted on her back.  Shauna said this Bulldog is not just big in body, but has a giant personality too!  You can't mistake when she gets excited, she snorts and smiles, and she gets her whole body into a wiggle!  When she goes for a big walk, she makes lots of noises too; kind of like my Uncle John when he rides his bike for a long time.  My Mom said she loved to put her cheek against Spots head and rub her ears cuz she is so velvety.  How could you not love that Spot face?!

Musings of the Little Dog

This is the carpet where I sit to best convey to my Mom that I would like a treat please.  I usually like them best in petite bite size portions.  My favorites are dried chicken strips; those I take whole and crunch them up myself!  Lately I've had some medication to take.  Some clever human came up with a thing called pill pockets.  The pill goes inside of a tasty treat and you don't really know that you are taking medicine, except I do.  I also know that Shauna will keep trying to get me to take it no matter how many times I spit it out.  So, if I keep spitting, I keep getting more good bites.  And the more I get around the pill, it ups the ante, and the treats get better out of desperation to get me to take it.  So the progression has gone from peanut butter, to lunch meat, to pill pockets.  And NOW I've got her making me turkey meatballs, and stuffing them in those!  I don't care so much about taking them, I just like to play the treat game, and I love turkey meatballs.  Hmmm, think I'll stick with those for a while, then maybe require steak next!  

Dog Family

A wise human once said "Friends are the family you choose for yourself".  My grandparents are both only children, so my Mom and I have chosen to have a very large friend family!  We have lots of different groups of friends that we do different things with.  The group in the photo is who I have play dates with every weekend.  Well Lucy is really the only one that plays, and it has to be one special toy or everyone hears about it.  Sometimes Smedley tries to get Lily to tug, and Pua and Rascal do a thorough check to make sure the property is critter free.  Max enjoys socializing more with the people.  Frasier makes sure he gives everyone the chance to pet him, and me, well I am just happy to be there and take it all in.  I guess we all have our roles. It is a very wonderful "family" we have chosen! 

Little Dog Goes Shopping Again

My Aunt Rita gives me some of my best gifts!  Once she gave me a brilliant stuffed toy (my favorite kind, the plastic ones feel yucky on my tongue) that looked like my very own cell phone.  Instead of a squeaker, it has something that sounds like a ringer.  I like to play this game where I make that toy ring when my Mom is in the bathroom. Then I watch her come running out because she thinks it is her cell phone.  Tee hee hee.  She gave me my long dog too.  He makes the perfect body pillow.  These are the great treats I would recommend you use with your new Muttropolis discount card I have for you.  If you log on to www.muttropolis.com and enter SNIFFQ408 at check out after you have your good stuff in your basket, you get 30% off anything regular price.  Since it is Muttropolis, I know you can't go wrong!  And maybe you will find something to create your own fun game with!

Dog Costume on Parade

I promised more photos from Halloween!  Some of my friends enjoy costumes, and well, there is at least one furry friend whose face mimics the way I feel about unnatural dog wear.  Thank goodness for my grandparents.  They sent me cash instead of the traditional sugary treat filled pumpkin.  I decided I would most like a turkey burger, with cheese please.  One of my favorites!  No silver platter necessary, but the sooner the better! 

Haute Dog Halloween

As you may notice, the hat on my head is not my idea.  I wear a fantastic fur all year round.  I get lots of compliments on my great eyebrows.  Some people (and I'm not saying it is my mother) go through a lot to get the highlights I was born with.  In other words, I don't see any need to cover myself with a costume of any kind.  So when some of my friends and I took a trip to the Haute Dog Halloween Parade in Long Beach CA over the weekend, I was quite thankful we met up with my Uncles.  Uncle Ray carried my hat after I posed for 1 photo, and Uncle John carried me.  There were lots of dogs there, reportedly 700, most in some sort of costume, which I promise to share more photos of.  Clearly some of them enjoyed it more than I do.  Or maybe they just haven't figured out how to get the treats without the tricks.  You have to train your humans you know.   All in all, it was not a bad day.  I was with some of my favorite people, outside almost all day.  The hat was on my head for a very limited amount of time.  I didn't have to actually parade; my people got to watch all the four legged friends go by while I napped (ideal arrangement!)  And there was much money raised by Justin Rudd and the parade for people of my kind!  Now I'm hoping that takes care of the costume urge until the Easter Dog Parade!

Tough Terrier

You may have noticed I have not posted an entry for longer than usual.  My Mom said I was grounded, and as part of that, I couldn't use the computer.  Here's the story.  At 1 a.m. I had to go out.  When I got outside, I realized there was a possum on my property, so I went to escort him out of my yard and make sure there were no others that needed to be told they were not welcome there either.  In the mean time, Shauna was panicking because she couldn't find me.  I saw all the lights go on in the house, but I wasn't done checking everywhere yet.  I think what really got her though is that when she did finally hear the tags on my collar jingling over her pounding heart, and she came around the house to tell me to come, I kind of ignored her.  That probably wasn't the right thing to do at that juncture.  But come on, seriously, I'm a terrier with a yard.  Shouldn't she expect me to defend it?  Isn't that part of the terrier creed?  Anyway I'm back!  Oh and feel free to post a comment to her if you are on my side.

Dog on a Mission

Like most border collies, Bernice needs a job to do, and boy did she have a big job last week!  She and her human Rita, have been dog training and dog training.  Her mission, to pass the AKC's Canine Good Dog Test.  What is that, you say?  A heck of a lot of work, I say, but Bernice is a Border collie, so she accepted that big dog mission! Here is what she had to do: 

Dog Test 1: Accept a friendly stranger (if they are a stranger, how do you know if they are friendly or just strange?)

Dog Test 2: Sit politely for petting (polite is relative)

Dog Test 3: Canine appearance and grooming (I don't like baths, I hate having my nails clipped, and I think the wind is a perfect hair brush!)

Dog Test 4: Walk on a loose lead (I am fabulous at the walking part, not so good at not trying to lead)

Dog Test 5: Walk through a crowd (now why would I want to do that?)

Dog Test 6: Sit and down and stay on command (whose command, mine?)

Dog Test 7: Coming when called (only if you have something good to give me?)

Dog Test 8: Reaction to another dog (well it depends on the other dog; do you like every other human you meet?)

Dog Test 9: Reaction to distraction (whatever)

Dog Test 10: Supervised separation ( are we talking about my Uncles cuz I love staying with my Uncles!)

Anyway, much to Rita's surprise, Bernice passed with flying colors!  Congratulations Bernice our dog hero!  What will your next mission be?

Car Chase!

Let's go shopping!  Like any good female, it is one of my favorite things to do!  I have 2 places I like best; Centinella for the basics like my food and everyday treats.  Their employees always tell me how cute I am and let me come around the counter for a treat.  For fantastic toys, collars, and treats, Muttropolis is the place!  Don't tell my Mom, but they have halloween costumes too.  So come on, I'll drive!  Ok, maybe we won't all fit, but because I like to share, here is a little treat for all of my dog and cat friends reading this!  Get your people to go online to Muttropolis anytime before Oct 31st, and get $10 off of any purchase of $10 or more!  All you have to do is use promo code TREATQ308 at check out after you go to www.muttropolis.com.  It will take you right to the store even faster than I could drive there.  The holidays are coming!  Pets need presents too!  

Buddy's Birthday

Kate is one of our favorite 2 legged friends.  She is my friend Buddy's little sister, you know, from Buddy's big day at the beach!  Anyway, Kate adores her big brother (maybe she will grow up to be a vet). She wanted to let everyone know that it is Big Brother Buddy's 16th birthday!!  They celebrated with a private little party at the dog park with his best friend and ex-roommate Kirby (another one of my terrier people).  Of course we all wish Buddy the sweetest of 16's, right Kate?

Big Beach Weekend

Last weekend Bella, Sake and I took our girls for a hike to a pebble beach.  Well, most of us walked.  Sake didn't want to get her little paws muddy, fresh pawdicure and all.  And then there were the rocks so mostly she was carried.  I guess we all enjoyed it in our own way!  Bella got to dig and make new friends.  I got a big breeze blowing my fur and we all got lots of snacks!  Food, friends and frolicking!

Pooped Pup

Funny that the one that spent the least amount of time with her feet on the ground was the most pooped of the pups!

Caught in the Act...of Cuddling!

If you only knew them, you would understand what a rarity this photo is.  Rascal is the terrier.  He literally showed up on the doorstep at Jeff and Nancy's one day and decided that should be his new home.  So right off the bat there are two things he and I have in common; we both have the terrier mentality and we both chose our humans before they caught on to the master plan.  But Rascal used to get bored and dig out of his yard during the day, so he started going to doggie day care.  That's where he met Pua the beagle.  She was dropped off there one day, and her person never came back.  Rascal decided it wouldn't be such a bad idea for her to keep him company at his house instead of doggie day care, so she came home with them.  I am not so sure he had the idea that it would be permanent; he likes to make sure she still knows who rules the house, but on the rare moments like this one caught on film, you can see that he really does love his sister.  They are two of my best buddies!

Sleeping Beauty

It is the first day of fall today.  The sun is setting a little earlier, it cools off a bit more at night, and I am practicing my hibernation skills!  I have a couple of fur blankets; one that my Mom originally got for herself, but it didn't take long before I claimed.  The other, she got for me because I enjoyed the first one so much!  Usually, I am not big on cuddling.  I have an independent personality; I take after my great grandmother in that respect!  She is a fantastic woman.  Plus I am always in my fur coat. But when the weather cools off a bit, I don't mind tucking in once in a while! P.S. Can you tell which one I am in the photo and which one is my favorite stuffed buddy? : ) 

Baby Bella

Bella is my newest neighbor.  When she moved in, she was more of a black fur ball than a puppy.  In fact, we weren't exactly sure she would become a dog at all!  But she has kind of grown into herself, a Chalab.  She's a pound puppy, so we'll never know for sure, but she is friendly like a Lab and has the unarguable black Chow tongue.  Little miss social likes to stop by our house all the time.  I like to visit with her best when her Mom Jan brings along treats, and she is pretty fun to take walks with.  Welcome to life at the beach Bella!

Poodle with Personality

Captain is the reason I have a soft spot for poodles. Before I met him, I thought they were a little too coifed for this girl who loves the breeze blowing through her eyebrows.  Heck, if I could have a fan with me all the time for that purpose, I would.  Hmmm, bet my Uncle John would follow me around with one if I asked him, but that is a whole different story!  Anyway, Captain is my best friend Sake's cousin, so we attend lots of family functions together.  He is just a very down to earth, mellow guy that is happy to go along with pretty much anything we girls come up with! He is a sweet little guy who is not feeling as well as he could be right now, so for all of you reading this, send him your good thoughts, and wish him well soon.  We love you Captain!

Big Buddy's Day at the Beach

This is our friend Buddy.  He has a great Mom and Dad, and really cute little sister Kate.  His people were out of town one weekend, so he came to stay with us.  He had a little vacation of his own because we live pretty close to the beach and have a yard that he could wander in and out to!  He did so much wandering that he got a little pooped, and decided to lay on the cool kitchen floor for this photo.  I have to admit he acts like more of an old man than most of my friends, well I guess he is 15.  We'll be celebrating his 16th birthday soon!  He had a fun party at a park with lots of dogs and treats last year.  Hmmm, better start planning for his party!

Little Lynx

This is my little friend Lynx.  We have had several play dates now, and I've even helped take care of him when his Mom was out of town.  I know some of my people might think it is not natural for dogs and cats to be so friendly, but I really like cats.  They are usually about the same size as I am, they are typically more calm than many of my excitable dog friends, and they are pretty independent, which I have a huge respect for!  I'm not sure this little guy knows I am a dog.  He likes to peer at me from under and around things, and then he works up enough curiosity that he just needs to stick a paw out and touch me!  You know, like my own little Pepe Le Pew, minus the pew.  My little ardent admirer!  I think we could be buddies for a long time!  Maybe we can teach the humans we can all just get along!

Football Season

Oh my goodness!  This is me celebrating the fact that the NFL opening weekend is over!  My mother who is usually such a calm, patient, even toned human turns into a Raving Lunatic when the Denver Broncos are playing football!  I don't understand, when I play with my friends, we don't jump up and down and raise our voices and go crazy.  Then again, maybe we kind of do, but it just looks so much more ridiculous on my human!  Well, I will still be reporting from under the bed during Bronco games!  Right now, I have more celebrating to do!

Chase on Chaise

I am writing to you this weekend from one of my new favorite spots.  I took a little time out with my friends Rascal, another one of my terrier people and his sister Pua, short for Pua Lani.  They have a beautiful back yard where we spent a lot of time just relaxing while the sun shined and the breeze blew threw my eyebrows.  Ahhh, now if I just had a pool boy to serve me my water bowl!

My Best Friend Sake

As I mentioned, I have lots of friends, but this little face belongs to my best of buddies, Sake!  We met when she was only 8 weeks old; I was the first fur person that she met.  I like to think I've been a great mentor, but just look at that face, she would have done just fine on her own.  She's a cute kid.  We have fun doing lots of activities together, you know, girl stuff, taking walks on the beach, eating snacks, sniffing boys.  And her head always does the little turn when you say my name.  Yup, we are best friends!

Chase Speaks

I have so many stories to share, as most four legged people do!  I live in a great world with lots of friends, two legged and four legged.  I work, and have play dates, take lots of walks, eat treats, travel, attend weddings...well maybe I should start at the beginning.

My name is Chase.  You may think that should be a boys name, but for me, it is perfectly appropriate! My story begins when I was noticed sitting in an intersection.  The man I now call Uncle John saw I needed saving and proceeded to follow me from the intersection, under a parked car, and then down an alley where he was finally able to catch me (see, Chase is a perfect name) and take me to his house.  But I wouldn't stay there long.

See the photo to the left?  I am the fur girl, and holding me is Shauna.  She is the one Uncle John called to say he had a "surprise".  As soon as I saw her, I knew she was going to take care of me for the rest of my little dog life.  Uncle John knew it too, but Shauna didn't catch on quite as quickly!  She thought I was cute and loves animals, but just wasn't sure about taking care of one of her own.  It only took about 24 hours of me being as cute as I could be to convince her that I was home.  Today she would tell you I am the best gift she could ever receive!  I was just a pup then.  And the stories that I can tell now...