I'm a big brother!

That's right, he's here!! Ok he's been here for seven weeks already but Mom claims she's been a little busy for writing blogs. Yeah, sure whatever...Here we are celebrating Dad's first Father's day, just five days after the little rascal appeared.

The good news is that I like the little guy. Sure, he makes a lot of noise, he smells, and he takes most of mom's attention but he's actually kind of cute. I think he likes me too! He even shares his playmat.

Mom says that someday we'll be best friends. She says we'll get to play catch, go on walks and get into all kinds of trouble. For now we do a lot of laying and sleeping.

I think I'll keep him.

Therapy dogs heading to Boston

Sometimes bad things happen and no one knows why. Maybe we'll eventually get more information and we'll know a little more but maybe not. In the meantime, we have to find peace and comfort somehow.

In light of the most recent tragedy in Boston I got to talking with Mom. Well, she was talking and I was listening but I really was listening hard. She said that it's important that everyone has someone to talk to about their troubles and their concerns. The people of Boston, especially those who were at the site of the explosions, need someone who can comfort them and help them through this difficult time of doubt, worry and stress.

The therapy dogs of Lutheran Church Charities are trying to do just that! Five of the LCC K9 Comfort Dogs are being "deployed" to Boston to visit the injured in the hospital, listen as people talk, and give cuddles and kisses to help people feel better. Mom read about them here.

This little guy is Isaiah - he was catching a quick nap before boarding his flight to Boston!

Each of LCC's retrievers has gone through up to a year of service training, starting at the age of 6 weeks. They're specially trained to be patient, calm and comforting especially in times of need. Therapy dogs, in general, are taught how to act in hospital settings, nursing homes and retirement centers so they can bring comfort and happiness to everyone they meet. They work together with their owner to improve the lives of other people.

Keep up on the LCC dogs and their happenings on their Twitter and Facebook pages. Our hearts go out to Boston!

My baby shower!

Hello friends...You may remember a few months back when I announced I'm getting a little sibling. I'm excited to announce his name will be Lukas and we will be the best of friends. In preparation for my his coming arrival Mom and Dad have been doing a lot of stuff around the house. It's been a little unsettling to be honest, but that's a completely separate post...

What has actually been fun is all of the presents they keep getting for me. Ok most of them are for Lukas but many people have included gifts for me, the BIG brother, especially the nice folks at Pit Bull Rescue San Diego. Mom has been volunteering with them for a few years and last night at her leadership meeting they threw her a surprise baby shower. It must have been really fun because she hasn't shut up about it since!

While Lukas got plenty of onesies, socks, and blankets (boring!), Mom got some really cute doggie related items too. Those nice ladies know how to shop ;)

First up, the cutest most adorable stuffed animal that Mom will never let me play with. *sigh* I mean I kind of get it, it's really cute and we don't want to wreck it but man would it feel good to carry around in my mouth. Maybe when she's not looking...

Thank you Alicia!

Isn't he cute? Well of course he is - he looks just like me! Alicia ordered him from this adorable Etsy shop called scooterandgoose who created him based on a few pictures of me. He even has my crooked ear! 

The ear theme continues with the William Beach Hoodie from Hendrick Boards, a great lightweight sweatshirt for Mom. This one wasn't designed with me specifically in mind but it practically could have been. Tell me that doesn't look like me and my silhouette! The image is actually based on the founder's dog - a rescue Chihuahua-Pit Bull mix named William whom you can read more about here.

Thanks Amy!

I also got a nice chewy rope toy and a great bandana which I will be wearing when Lukas finally comes home to play with me. 

I'd say I'm enjoying this whole baby thing so far :)

It's been a busy couple of days

Mom and Dad took a little vacation last weekend and I got to spend some quality time with my Uncle Matt, my GGpa Bob and my GGma Norma. 

A little mid-afternoon contemplation

At the end of it all I was completely exhausted, badly enough that I couldn't even find it in myself to avoid Mom when she wanted to do this:

"Fine, take the picture. Just humiliate me for your own enjoyment."

Luckily the novelty wore off quickly and she let me get my beauty rest. 

How was your weekend?

Some dogs have issues

Today we're going to cross the line into a territory most people try to avoid...we're going to admit the fact that some dogs have issues. I mean this in the nicest way because well, so do I! We all have things that make us tick (even you humans!) but sometimes it is just a matter of managing it. I mean, think about it. You don't like the guy in the office who tells really long and boring stories so you turn the other way and avoid him in the hall, right? It's really the same for me too - I don't particularly like some other big dogs I see on walks so mom usually turns me around and takes me another way. I don't mean to insult the other dog because really it's not their fault, it's my issue!

Since posting about playtime last week we've gotten lots of great feedback that it helped. Well since then we've done some more learning and found additional pages that will help you and your humans :)

First up is D.I.N.O.S. which stands for Dogs In Need Of Space:

The general idea is that some dogs just need more space. Maybe it's because they're healing from a recent surgery, or they're in training, or perhaps it's more like my situation where I just don't like dogs who run right up in my face. RUDE!!

Have you seen any dogs with yellow ribbons on their leashes? Me neither but it's not a bad idea!

Last but not least Mom said this article made her feel better. It's from our friends at Dogster who always come up with good resources. The last paragraph of the article, particularly the last line really sum it up:

"He’s not a breed ambassador, but he’s mine, and I think he’s perfect!"

We can't all be perfect but we can try our best. I try to be a good dog every day but sometimes I just get annoyed or irritated and I need to be corrected. Mom and Dad continue to work with me and that's really all I can ask for. I'm so lucky they *get* me and love me anyway. I love them too!

Playtime!

I've posted what seems like 216548943416 pictures of me and my best friend Lilah playing at the beach, in my grandparents' backyard, even at my house! But here's a refresher just in case you forgot how cute we can be...

I am posting these because Mom and I have been talking a lot about proper playtime and when things get out of hand. Ok, she talks and I just stare at her but I'm really listening I promise! 

Mom found this cool article on Dogster (we love them!) about choosing a proper playmate and I told her it's a good one. Think about it - you're pretty picky about who you would let play with your human child, right? Well why should us furry kids be any different?

See, the thing is that there are some dogs in my 'hood who just don't play nice. I don't mean that they're not nice dogs, they really are, but their play styles don't mesh well with mine and sometimes I just get a little mad.  Mom has been paying closer attention to my body language and has started to pick up on the doggie play cues I give off. I am pretty demonstrative when I don't like something but there are little things I do as I'm starting to get annoyed too. This "Doggie Language" chart below has helped her a lot:

Thanks to Leap Dog Training for the resource!

The main thing is that Mom looks for my body, head, ears, and tail to stay loose. Look at the "friendly" or "happy" dogs above - nothing sticks out straight and the muscles are relaxed. This article calls this Jell-O bones and it's a good analogy - everything should be wiggly and jiggly. 

Above all else, Mom has learned to say "NO" and walk away from the dogs that I don't get along with. It was hard at first because of course everybody wants to play with me (duh, I'm adorable...) but we've learned it's just easier to avoid some situations. The long, retractable leash? Nope. The unruly and untrained puppy? No thanks. I'm learning that there are good times to play and times when it's just best to go the other way.

So what about you...how do you like to play?

Taking your human to Home Depot

Have you been to this place? It's amazing!!! Mom calls it the Home Depot but for me it's a wonderful adventure full of new smells, sounds and lots of nice people. This has been a great place to really test my training (and give me a chance to show off). The employees are very nice, giving me lots of love and attention. Of course everyone points out my silly ear! 

Sometimes people are surprised to hear that you can take your dog to Home Depot but it's true! They welcome me with open arms paws!

Hmm what's that noise?

No really mom, what's that noise?

We have so much fun exploring the store but I do have to be watched in the garden section. Apparently you're not supposed to pee on those plants? I'm still not sure exactly how they're different than the ones outside but judging by mom's reaction they are very different. 

So have you taken your human to Home Depot? How did it go?

Have you heard the news?

I'm going to be a big brother!!! To a human!!!

 

That's right ... Mom is getting a little fatter every day and she says that is a good thing this time. I'm just hoping this new one likes to chase tennis balls as much as I do so we can be the best of friends!

This is what happens...

...when Mom waits too long to buy dog food.

Yeah, looks gross right? Well it was actually really delicious! Mom got smart and dug through our box of doggie related things she's gotten free at local dog expos and such and came up with these:

It definitely tasted different than my usual Blue Buffalo but it wasn't so bad to have something new. The best part was this "Keen" stuff (on the left above). It's made by Honest Kitchen and it's a packet of dehydrated dog food. 

A little weird at first but it tasted great. Mom mixed this powder with warm water and MMMM did it smell good!! I could see how it would be easy to bring on a road trip, to go camping, etc. because it doesn't take up any room. Mom says it's a smart buy too because it's made completely from human-grade products with minimal processing selected from fair-trade, sustainable and "green" suppliers in CA. It's even made here in San Diego!

It's a little bit more expensive than the food I eat now but it was still a nice little treat. What have you tried lately that was a pleasant surprise?

Friday Fun

I used to be a really cute, uncoordinated puppy too..

Now I'm so much more mature than all of this.

...No, not really! Happy Friday!