A throw rug or a sleepy puppy?

The other day Rosie and Maria came over to spend the day. We did a lot of playing, treat eating and playing some more. After a while the pups decided it was time for a little siesta. They all picked a doggy bed and curled up for a nap. Maria decided she was going to lie down  in the middle od the room and look like a very luxurious throw rug. She also decided that sleeping right on top of her sisters leash was perfection. Either way she seemed to have a good time which is all that matters.

TGIF

Looking forward to 5:00 PM today. Friday's at five is one of my favorite times. The whole weekend is in front of you with endless possibility. Good times. Until then I have my pups and my plant to keep me company while I get my work done.

A lovely stranger

The other day we were hanging out in the backyard, with the pups, when we had an unexpected visitor. Alven and Flash started barking and running up to the fence and Dottie could not figure out if she was worried about all the commotion, or if this was her long lost best friend. Not being as quick on the reaction time it took me a second to turn around and see a giant husky at our fence. A giant, very wet, but super adorable, husky.

My first reaction was to simultaneously try and get the dogs to be quiet, call out to Joe to get me a leash, and not scare her off. Thankfully, this is not our first rodeo and we know what to do. I got our dogs in check (more like in check-ish) and Joe went out through the front door with the leash. That first moment when you approach a strange dog is always a little tense (and we have done this A Lot now), because you never know how it will go. They look friendly, but will they stay that way if I try and leash them? Am I going to scare them and they'll run off and I will replay that moment in my head a hundred times (been there!)? Or, will they be a big love muffin?

Thankfully, she was just a giant pup full of kisses and tail wags. Joe leashed her up, I got the car keys and the search for her owners began. This time though we were able to find the owner within 20 minutes, which was kind of a miracle. It seems she had either broken out of her leash while on her dog runner, or the leash had broken on its own. Either way, her owner was very happy to have her home. He was a young boy who had been out looking for her, but in the wrong direction. And let me tell you his mom was not a happy camper. You could tell it was one of those "wait until we're inside" situations for letting the dog get away. The husky however, seemed pleased as punch as she trotted back into the house. She went for an adventure, met some new friends, and then got treats AND a ride home! A day well spent in her mind.

Today when I passed her house, during our walk, I had to chuckle. There was no sign of her in the yard. Or, the boy. I think there are two sulking kids in there under house arrest. She was a cutie pie and I hope I get a glimpse of her soon, but in her yard, not running down my street.

A terrarium named Larry

Mom was super excited yesterday because she got something in the mail. We all thought that with that level of excitement it must be some dog treats, or a new chew toy at the very least. How mistaken we were. It turns out it was just a jar full of dirt and some green stuff. And! She said it wasn't even for eating!!

Obviously her judgement has been impaired. But we didn't start actually getting concerned until she named it...Larry...and then stated taking pictures of it. She's a strange one for sure. Mom is very proud of herself because she has managed to keep her five plants alive for more than a week (we don't remind her that three of them are cacti) so we guess she has now graduated to green stuff in a covered jar.

I think you can see from the above picture that we are not that amused. Dottie looks seriously depressed that she can't eat it, Alven got bored and just fell asleep, and I don't trust dirt in a jar that I'm not allowed to dig in.

Taking off the winter coat and putting on the sexy

Today sexy pants Alven had his groooming appointment. He was getting a little too fluffy and acting like a broom. His long locks picked up every twig and leaf around. Last summer he seemed a little hot so we thought it best to shorten those luxurious locks.

He not only got a haircut but he also got some spa time. Alven received a strawberry, milk and oatmeal bath to condition his skin, an ear cleaning and a nail trim along with his cut. I can't even remember the last time I got a real haircut not to mention such VIP treatment! Wendy, the groomer, said he was a sweetheart and was all about giving kisses. Now she knows why we call him Don Juan. I didn't get a chance to take a picture with a real camera so this picture off the cell phone will have to do for now. I'll try and get a better one this weekend.

Halo

Sometimes Mom makes fun of me when I'm trying to show how her how wonderful I am and thus worthy of eating her dinner. She'll say things like, "Stop trying to shine your halo Maria," or she'll say, "Maria your halo is blinding!"

I keep trying to tell her that I am indeed an angel and thus should be given a seat at the table and access to the steak. I need it for my angel nourishment. But she doesn't believe me. Tragic.

Now, thanks to photographic proof obtained during a recent road trip, I think we can all put the angel issue to rest.

Note to Mom: I like my steak medium and I'd like my chair at the head of the table. Thanks!

Mystery Case

Police were called out today to the scene of a violent duck attack. Those responsible for such a vicious crime have not yet been captured but two suspects have been identified.

The first one is described as male, short, red headed, fluffy tailed, said to be an evil genius and quite the ladies man. The second one is described as female, blond, strangely proportioned, and draws people in by pretending to be friendly but also a bit "slow."

If u see these two in your area you are to hide your stuffed animals and contact the authorities immediately.

"A fan favorite"

Why hello there Aunt Sandra! Hope I'm not disturbing you or anything. I just wanted to stop by your desk and visit with you for a little bit. We haven't really had much of a chance to chit chat with one another lately with both of us being so busy and everything. That is really a shame, because, as you know, you are one of my most favorites. Another thing I noticed is that I haven't been on the blog in a while. Isn't that strange? I thought it was a bit peculiar and I know you would agree. After all I am what you would call, "a fan favorite." So...anyway...I thought I would just mention it in passing...you know...in case you weren't aware. Okay then. I'm sure you'll know the best way to resolve this. Good talk! Let's do this again soon. Okay, bye!

Back home

Mom came back from her trip to that Cleveland place (wherever that is) and is back home with us. When she arrived from the airport she had to go through a very thorough screening process for security reasons. We don't like to discuss what exactly those reasons are, due to certain policies, but we can say that it involves searching for possible hidden snacks. Enough said.

Here we are giving Mom's pj's (yes, they're polka dot. Yes, it's embarrassing) a good sniffing in order to determine where she's been, who else was there, if she ate a cookie while wearing them, and finally, if she left a little bit of said cookie in her pocket. Sadly, we could not find any trace of a cookie, or even a biscuit, but we still had fun rooting around in her bag. So not a total loss.

Mom said she was glad to be home and that it had been weird to sleep in a room with no pups. We agreed that is must have been very hard for her. We're also glad she's back since she keeps us entertained.

Now that the pack is together again we have many exciting plans. For example, we are starting agility classes this weekend. Awesome!

Sunset becomes me

The long weekend is almost over and so is the warm weather we've been having. The last few days have been so great we almost forgot what month it was. I even took the dogs for a walk wearing a t-shirt the other day (not even a sweater on!!). We have really enjoyed these last few sunny days and they could not have come at a better time. It was the pup's birthday/gotcha month! Very exciting. We had an awesome time this weekend celebrating and there are some great pictures to match. I'll be posting them up tomorrow, but in the meantime please enjoy a picture of the old guy strolling off into the sunset.

Fall memories

I remember a few months ago when the only thing I had to worry about was if my mom was going to wrap that silly bandana around my neck when we went for a walk. Now, I realize those were the good 'ole days. These new days are very different. Before we even think about going for our walkies she has to put on five billion layers of clothes and then she needs to do the same thing to me. Okay, it might only be one layer of jacket but it sure feels like a lot. I am a free spirit. I need to be able to run free and unlayered. There are also giant mountains of snow all over the place and sometimes we have to walk on the street. Not that I'm complaining about the snow. No indeed. I am complaining that my mom doesn't let me play on it the whole walk. So in conclusion I guess what I'm saying is that the bandana, maybe, wasn't so bad when I look back on it. Not that I'll let my mom know that. No need to encourage her when it comes to putting stuff on me.

In need of a little vacation

Us pups work hard all year long bringing joy and cheer to all. This means that when the end of the year comes along we're ready for a break. As such our parents are stepping up and taking us on a holiday vacation. Thursday we're packing up and heading off to New York to spend Christmas with the extended pack. We're sure good times will be had by all. We haven't been allowed to get a sneak peek at our gifts, but we've trained our parents well so no worries there. We'll be out of town for a little while but we'll try and keep up with the blogging. Until then happy holiday's to all!!

Principles can really ruin a picture

Oh girls! Hey, look at me! Look up for the picture, okay? Don't you want a cute picture for the blog? Wouldn't that be fun?

(Bringing out the big guns)

What is this? Why it's a tasty treat and it's all yours if you look up for a second. Come on, I know you want it.

Listen, I can talk to your mom about increasing food portions. A little give and take ladies; that's all I'm asking for.

I see you two are the only dogs I've ever met who can't be bought.

Made for one? We'll see about that.

Um...I know the chilly winter nights are arriving, but we do have indoor heat. There is no reason to jam themselves into a doggy bed made for one. I'm not even sure either one is actually comfortable. They are too silly. For Christmas I'll get them one doggy blanket to share in their one doggy bed.

I prefer to stay warm

Go outside in this  cold weather versus stay inside in my doggy bed? It's not a difficult decision to make. My parents, on the other hand, don't seem to get it. They keep shoving me into sweaters and jackets in an attempt to keep me warm, but at the same time they drag me out into the chilly air. Doesn't make a lick of sense. What better way to stay warm than not to go out at all? I might not have a thumb, but even I can figure this one out. I keep trying to tell them exercise is over rated and not essential. Unfortunately, they are very stubborn. I have not given up and continue my protest. As soon as the sweater goes on I make a run for it and jump into my doggy bed. So far this has not worked, but I refuse to give up. If they like being outside so much maybe they should have moved us to Bermuda.

Technical difficulties

Please enjoy this picture of Rosie brought to you by Mom's cell phone. It seems that after promising to keep up with our blogging she went ahead and "accidentally" spilled soy sauce all over her keyboard. There was much grumbling and muttering and angry looks. Mom was pretty upset too. Now the keyboard is a sticky mess, though it does smell kinda tasty. According to Mom she has to take the keys off and clean them up before we can use it again. Afraid to anger Flash and Rosie she promised to post from her phone. I guess it will have to do for now. The patience you need to have with humans sometimes. She acts like we didn't take her to training class. Oh well, we just need to harness our inner zen and carry on. Hopefully by tomorrow the keyboard will be back in working order. Perhaps we should volunteer to lick it clean...

Road Dogs Hit The Big Apple

This past Thursday we hit the road again and headed to our mom and dad's hometown, NYC. We heard a rumor that this place is also called The Big Apple but so far we haven't even caught a wiff of any kind of produce. We are holding out hope though that any minute now we'll get our paws on the apple. We are having a lot of fun meeting up again with Grandma Olga and making new friends. We won't be home again until Monday, just in time for our first day of school (Mom and Dad are sending Dottie and Alven to class to learn some manners. Finally!) When we get home we'll catch up on our blog reading and post pictures of our NYC adventure. Good times!

Why are you pointing and laughing?

Okay, I know today was supposed to be the post about the orchard, but I felt it was important to share the above picture.

Is he going for a Mother Teresa look, or Senator Palpatine look? It's hard to tell, but not hard to laugh. Flash did not care for the snickering though.

Sleeping with no shame

How can this possibly be comfortable? I have no idea, but it seems to work for her. This pup knows that when it comes to snoozing anything goes.

Franken-pup

The old guy, aka Mr. Flash, came through his procedure on Friday just fine. We dropped him off in the morning and also asked if he could get a teeth cleaning while he was under. We figured why risk putting him under again in 2 months when he could just get a  combo special now. He was not thrilled with that idea, but thankfully kept his comments to himself as he was escorted to the back.

At 4:30 pm we were back to pick up our vintage sausage. We came prepared with his favorite towel, a spot on Mom's lap for the car ride home, and promises of yummy treats to come. You know, all the necessities for groveling your way back into your pups good graces. Before they brought him out Dr. Thompson went through the results of the procedure with us. He had done great during and after the surgery. The lump was "self contained" and very easy to remove. It was mostly fatty stuff and she was able to get it all so no need for more lab testing. He should recover well and just needs to go back in 10 days to get the stiches out.

Unfortunately, Flash was not as fortunate during the teeth cleaning. He lost three more of his chompers. One in the back and two incisors. The incisors were the ones next to the big fangy ones (highly technical term) in the front. I wasn't surprised about the left one because he had really bad gum recession above that tooth, but it seems his mirror twin on the other side was fractured. I'm glad we had the cleaning done now so he doesn't have to deal with a painful tooth. She also said she would not classify what Flash has as just mere gingivitis (spelling? Typing this on cell phone. Miss you spell check!), but as perindontal disease. That is a bummer, but really no surprise at all. Even brushing his teeth every day it seems there is no getting ahead of the teeth isssues. Little by little I'm sure we'll keep saying farewell to his toofers. For now he looks kinda silly with his gap tooth smile, but he most be more comfortable.

Flash is doing well and recovering at home on his favorite pillow. He has also convinced his father that he should be carried on said pillow to new spots every few hours less he become bored. Goodness forbid that his highness should have to fluff his own blanket much less walk. So Joe spent the weekend carrying him around on his gold velvet pillow (I'm not exaggerating. His pillow is gold and it's velvet thanks to Grandma) wherever we happened to be hanging out. I know Dottie and Alven were thinking the same thing I was, "Pretty soon he'll need a separate pillow for the size of his head!" Oh well, he earned it after being such a good patient.