Toller Tales

Donzilla

2010-01-28T17:20:00.000-08:00

Any of you vintage-monster buffs? If so, you'll recognize this handsome bloke who famously terrorized Tokyo:

Well, substitute a certain Toller (moi), another city (Paris) and add an imaginative Girl Twin (with time on her hands over Christmas break), and here's what you get. Enjoy!

A Clip to Make Our Humans Smile

2010-01-18T05:38:00.000-08:00

Is your human in a grumpy mood today? Or are you "in the doghouse" for something you did recently?
Show your human this clip...between the catchy song extolling our virtures, to the gorgeous whimsical artwork which accompanies it, your human will be smiling in no time, all will be forgiven, and you will find yourself showered with kisses and treats!

And if you're a dead ringer for any of the doggies in the paintings, many of them are for sale as posters, cards, etc. by the artist Nancy Schutt: http://www.nancyschutt.com/. She even does custom work. I'm waiting for a Toller to show up in one of her paintings.

Enjoy!

New Year, New Schedule

2010-01-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

This is how I took the news when my human told me she was returning to the workplace after nearly 11 years at home. Not. Well.
She assured me it won't be that traumatic...she's working part-time, three days a week, and hopes to keep it that way. So that still leaves two days a week all for me, plus the weekends. But I'm not convinced...we'll see how it goes.
My human's pretty jazzed about "using her brain again", whatever that means...she gets to work in a very cool section of NYC called Soho, which has lots of neat shops. A couple days ago, she saw Kiefer Sutherland at the shop where she was buying soup...it was full of foreign tourists and no one else recognized him. She said he was a lot shorter than he looks on TV (but still cute!).
I just wanted you all to know that I won't be commenting/posting as often as I used to, but I won't be going away and will do my best to keep up with all my furiends' goings-on.
Don't forget about me, m'kay??

I Turned One Today!

2010-01-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, 365 days ago I entered the world, much to everyone's surprise (and I nearly didn't make it).

We had a low-key celebration, which was just fine by me since I don't like having a fuss made over me.

Check out my party hat, courtesy Girl Twin and her friend Alex

These were my pressies

Yuuuuu-mmeeeeeeeeeeee!

This was my special cake from a doggy bakery (chosen by Girl Twin, of course)

My family & friends sang Happy Birthday (boy, were they off-key!!)

I got that cake out of Girl Twin's hand lickety-split, since I didn't want to have to share (they should've gotten me a bigger cake!)...

...and proceeded to inhale it (including the crumbs). You only turn 1 once, right?!

Iceskating for Dogs

2009-12-31T08:05:00.000-08:00

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! Have you ever tried iceskating? It's so much fun!
I went to the off-leash park for a hike with my neighbors, Lola the yellow lab and Rosie the Maltipoo. It's been furry cold here this week (in fact, more of that fluffy white stuff is falling from the sky right now). So there were patches of ice all along the fields and backwoods trails.

Here's another:

We even found a frozen tennis ball...I tried with all my might to get it out but it wouldn't budge. Even the hoomans couldn't free it.

I thought these frozen leaves were especially pretty:

I love going in the woods with Lola and Rosie; we have so much fun together! Rosie is Lola's new sister and she keeps up with us "big" dogs just fine. She's a big dog in a little dog's body.

I'll leave you with a clip of us playing ball...who do you think was the fastest pup?!

HAPPY 2010 TO ALL MY FURIENDS!

Happy Howlodays!

2009-12-25T06:40:00.000-08:00

erry Christmas to all my furiends!

Did Santy Paws visit you? He left me some yummy chewies, some squeakies and a stuffy! Guess he turned a blind eye to my counter-surfing and inappropriate chewing this year (heh-heh).

May you all get some good scraps at dinner tonight!

Waiting for Santy Paws

2009-12-22T04:30:00.000-08:00

No, that's not doggy dandruff. That fluffy white stuff started to fall from the sky again on Saturday.

And kept falling...and falling...and falling...

I was sure that meant that Santy Paws was on his way, with lots of bones and stuffies and balls for all the good doggies of the world.

There! Up in the sky! I see Rudolph's red nose!

No no no!!! They're flying right over my house! I've been a good doggy this year, Santy, I promise! Come baaaaaaaaaaaaack!!

Lemme out! I gotta get Santy to turn around!!!

Oops! My bad...it was just a plane.

Wordless Wednesday - Camo-Dog

2009-12-16T11:53:00.001-08:00

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Hi furiends! Sorry I've been AWOL again...this time my human's excuse is something called "Krissmuss- prepurayshuns" which has been keeping her furry busy. No time for blogging. But I gave her a stern talking-to today and said I needed to catch up with my blogging buds. So here I am!

The picture above was my first experience with that fluffy cold white stuff! That was way back in early March when I was a wee pup. I really didn't mind it which is a good thing, since I was being potty-trained.

We had our first snowfall of the season last week, and Boy Twin threw snowballs for me to eat (I mean, catch!). It was so much fun.

A couple days later, my human took me back to the off-leash woods for a walk. It was so beautiful, with the ice glistening on the branches like crystals.

Remember those cool berries from my first walk? Look at them now...like whipped cream on cherries!

We saw so many doggies also out enjoying the winterscape...my human forgot to take pics 'cuz she was too busy yakking with the other humans while we doggies romped together in the snow. I love going on these walks 'cuz we both get a great workout, going up & down ridges...I'm always so tuckered out when we get home.

Does it snow where you live and if so, do you like it?

My Kennelmate is a Star!

2009-12-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Update: my human is home from jury duty, yippee! The plantiff decided to drop the lawsuit.

Did any of you catch the National Dog Show in Philadelphia which was broadcast on Thanksgiving Day? If you did and saw the Sporting Group portion, you saw my kennelmate, Solo (a.k.a. Ch. Honeyrun's Lord of the Dance). He's one of the top Tollers in the country! I'm proud to say I knew him back when he was just a feisty adolescent. Here we are together (that's me in the background):

He was given his call name Solo because he was the only pup in his litter; pretty unusual, huh?

The minute my human set eyes on him, she knew he was destined for greatness. He just had that special je ne sais quoi about him. After watching him strut his stuff in the clip above, don't you agree?

Jury Doody

2009-12-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

No, that's not a typo. Doody. As in, poopy. Kaka. The stuff we leave behind on our walkies which our humans collect in little plastic baggies. That's what I think of this thing which has kept my human away from me for two whole days. Which may stretch to four more. Harumph!

No off-leash walkies, no ball-throwing, no belly rubs...what's a pup to do? I know it's her "civic doody" and all, but frankly, I don't care. I just miss her!

But does she miss me? Apparently, not! I heard her telling my human dad that after she survived yesterday's juror vetting process and was chosen as one of six jurors, that she was actually looking forward to serving and seeing the justice system in action. Then they basically sat around for most of today and it looked like the parties might settle instead, and she was disappointed...but at the end of the day, they were called into the court room and heard the judge's instructions, so it's on after all.

All this to say, you might not hear from me for a while. I will try to get my human to log me on to the 'pee-yoo-ter, but once the sun sets she loses steam, so I'm not holding my breath. I feel bad that I don't know what's been going on with all my furiends...I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving and got lots of leftovers! Catch you all later.

Thankful for You!

2009-11-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

My human has been busy-busy-busy getting ready for something called "Thanksgiving". I know it involves turkey (and hopefully lots of scraps for moi!) and being grateful. So I would like to let you know that I am thankful for all my doggy-bloggy furiends! I've met so many nice pups since I started blogging in April and have really enjoyed getting to know each and every one of you.

So now you know why I haven't been posting in a while...I'm starting to figure out that before a major holiday or event like the kids' birthdays, my human gets all frenzied and has no time to log me onto the 'pee-yoo-ter. Just 'cuz she's hosting 16 people for a meal on Thursday (with 6 of 'em staying for the long weekend)...what's the big deal? Pick up the phone, order some pizza and you're done! But she won't listen to me...harumph.

Luckily, today she realized how much she's been neglecting me and took me on a fantastic walk in the woods, OFF LEASH!!! I was so excited to be free, free at last! It's a park she discovered when Girl Twin had a soccer game there, where dogs are allowed off leash on the wooded trails. I was very well behaved and didn't run off. If I got too far ahead of my slowpoke human, I'd turn around and wait for her to catch up. She was very pleased about that since she didn't know how I'd do the first time out. A couple times, we encountered some other dogs on the trail and she was glad I remembered my recall lessons. I do much better with just one other dog; if two or more come up to me at once, I get a bit nervous.

A tree with trail markers. I wanted to jump into the stream but my human nixed that idea!

A beautiful stone wall

Some gorgeous berries

Surveying the domain

When it gets warm again, my human said I could swim here!

All tuckered out from all that running around.

Rally Cry

2009-11-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

I've started my Beginning Rally class! What is Rally, you ask? Here is a description borrowed from the organization that created Rally, the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers):

Dog and Handler teams navigate a course with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform such as Sit-Down-Sit, Straight Figure 8, Send Over Jump, Recall Over Jump. Teams navigate the course at a brisk, continuous performance without direction from the judge. Handlers are encouraged to talk to their dogs during the performance. All dogs, purebred, mixed breeds and dogs with disabilities are encouraged to participate. Rally trials can be hosted by any organization. Trials typically include Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 courses. A team earns a Rally title after successfully completing three course runs with qualifying scores. Titles can be earned at each Level and teams may also earn Championship titles, National Ranking Awards and a special Award of Excellence.

According to an instructor at our training facility, Rally was created as a sort of backlash against Obedience competition (my human's interpretation, not the instructor's) ...a more relaxed, more fun approach to evaluating the dog's knowledge of commands and dog/handler teamwork. During the trial, the handler can encourage the dog verbally and even use treats (sparingly), whereas these are forbidden in Obedience competition. My human served as a Steward at a Rally trial hosted by our club, and she thought it was so fun to hear the different ways the owners would praise their dogs throughout the course ("GOO'BOOOOOYEEEEEEEEEE!!!!") She said the dogs looked like they were enjoying themselves almost as much as the owners!

Apparently, Rally has really taken off while Obedience entries have fallen. Now, the AKC has gotten in on the act and is also sanctioning their own Rally trials.

So here's a clip of me at my second Rally class. I am the youngest in the class and it shows...I get distracted pretty easily at nice smells on the floor, at my human cousin who's taking the video, at the other dogs working the course...but I still had fun! My human says I need to work on my "place" (sitting at her left side, right next to her and close to her leg)...I have a tendency to swing out wide to sit. So you'll see her using a treat to try to get me closer in. Hey, she has lots of stuff to learn, too! You'll see her mess up one of her "about turns" (or was that supposed to be a 270 degree turn?). Enjoy!

Dony, No Swiping!

2009-11-12T17:52:00.000-08:00

Do any of you have young'uns in the house? If you do, you may be familiar with Swiper the Fox from the T.V. show Dora the Explorer. Swiper is notorious for sneakily absconding with various objects from the heroine, Dora. Or rather, he tries to swipe them, only to hear "Swiper, no swiping!" from Dora, Boots the Monkey, and millions of preschool viewers around the country.

Well, lately I've been hearing the refrain "Dony, no swiping!" around here, and I'm getting a little sick of it. My counter surfing escapades have been seriously curtailed (heh-heh!). How am I supposed to survive the long hours between breakfast and dinner with no snacks?!

Here's what I mean. Little Boy wanted to make oatmeal cookies. Of course, I offered my assistance.

Did somebody say cookies????

Double-checking the recipe.

I'll just skooch these measuring spoons over to Little Boy.

Time to sample the batter...it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.

D'oh!! Foiled again by Little Boy!

But even he can't stop the quickest tongue on the East Coast!

(That's a Dorito, in case anyone's wondering)

So there you have it...I've been reduced to scrounging for tiny morsels instead of my usual entire cookie/apple slice/bacon slice/fill-in-the-blank. I feel like a junkyard dog.

BTW, I got a kick out of your comments on my Wordless Wed. pic...Cole got it right, I was under a lounge chair on the deck when Boy Twin took that picture from inside.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T14:43:00.001-08:00

Meet My Human Dad

2009-11-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

This is my human dad. As you can see, he was one of my biggest allies in the fight against my human to let me up on the couch (even tho' he'd deny it if you asked him). I love snuggling with him when he watches the news.

Whenever I see my dad first thing in the morning, I go berserk! This is because ever since I was a wee pup, he would greet me every morning by getting me all riled up. My human tried to nip this little ritual in the bud, but it was rather cute in the beginning...now she says he's "created a monster", whatever that means. All I know is that whenever I meet a man, I go nuts and try to jump all over him and lick him to death. Luckily for the rest of the family, I don't do this to women or kids.

My dad is originally from France and my human loves it when he coos sweet nothings into my ear in French. He's taken to calling me "ma belle", which used to be his nickname for my human...she seems a little miffed at that. Get over it, lady!

Happy Howl-oh-ween!

2009-10-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

So, you know how I've been dreading Girl Twin's Howl-oh-ween "surprise" for the past couple weeks? Well, it wasn't as bad as I'd feared! Nuhnuh-nuhnuh-nuhnuh-nuhnuh-nuhnuh-nuhnuh-nuhnuh-nuh, BATDOG! She and my human made this for me; what do you think?

Girl Twin was Batgirl and I was her trusty sidekick, the Dog Wonder!

Here I am with her and all her trick-or-treating friends.

Those girls were too fast for my human and Little Boy, though, so we went off on our own (Boy Twin went with his friends). BTW, thanks for all the get-well wishes for Little Boy...he is doing much better after my TLC. Here, I ran into my friend Truman the Firefighter.

Not many other doggies out-and-about. Lots of people took my picture and said they wished their dog was as well-behaved as me, so they could take them trick-or-treating...that made my human furry proud! She was a little leery of how I'd react to all the commotion & costumes. Nothing to fear...I loved being out for an evening stroll.

So now I'm gonna go check out all my blogging buddies to see if anyone else got dressed up!

Remember to stay away from the chocolate!

Nursing Duty

2009-10-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Quick! Call the germ exterminators, our house needs fumigating! Those nasty germs are still lurking and Little Boy got sick again with a fever.

I have decided to take matters into my own paws and go on nursing duty to ensure he gets better for good this time.

Now, if I could just figure out how to get him to take his medicine...

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-28T06:20:00.000-07:00

(I don't crimp my ear fur, I promise!!)

Training Your Human: Mastering the Furniture

2009-10-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's raining cats and you-know-whats today...my human is kinda glad, 'cuz there were 5 things on the family's calendar but one got cancelled and three got rained out. It's been a ruff week around here, that's why I've been MIA. Little Boy was sick Mon. and Tue., Boy Twin was sick Wed. and Fri. and Girl Twin was sick Thur. and Fri. My human dad had to go out of town and my human had a gazillion things to do, so by yesterday she was run down, got a sinus attack and still had to be a timer for a swim meet. Whew! No wonder I got no attention whatsoever this week.

So today, they are all taking it rather easy, snuggling under blankets, drinking tea, baking, reading, catching up on DVR'd shows, knitting, and one of my favorite activities: napping!

Which brings me to today's installment of Training Your Human. Remember how my human used to banish me from the kitchen table bench? And the couch in the TV room was a big no-no? Well...ahem...I am proud to announce that I have successfully trained her to let sleeping dogs lie where they want! How did I manage this feat, you ask? I noticed that when she gets all busy & frazzled with the kiddies, she's less likely to push me off the bench or couch, especially if I lie there very quietly without moving. Maybe she doesn't see me. I also got Girl Twin to work on her, too: "But Mom, she's so cozy lying here with me!" I guess my human realized it's no biggy to let me catch 40 winks where I want, since I don't destroy the furniture and haven't shed much (yet! Will she be in for a big surprise in the Spring, hee-hee!).

So this is what I'll be doing today as the rain pitter-patters against the windows:

It seems that most of my blogging buddies have already trained their humans to allow them up on the furniture; kudos! If you haven't, take my advice and sneak up there in increments, preferably when there's a lot of commotion going on. Before they know it, your humans will forget that they ever banished you in the first place, and you're home free!

A.K.C.'s "Meet the Breeds" Event in NYC

2009-10-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today, my human, Girl Twin and her friend left me at home with "the boys" to attend the Meet the Breeds event at the Javits convention center in NYC. I was a little miffed about the "non-exhibitor dogs forbidden" rule, but I got over it pretty quickly when they returned with lots of goodies for me! From what they told me, it was a huge hit so hopefully it'll become an annual event. Yesterday and today, there were 160 dog breed booths, 41 cat breeds booths, lots of vendors and demonstration rings (obedience, agility, service dogs, acting, performing cats, pet care, etc.). Too bad I wasn't small enough to sneak in inside my human's handbag; just look at all the cool sights & pups they got to see!

In this ring, they were demonstrating the Canine Good Citizen test with this goofy-looking dog. That beagle must be on steroids!

Some of the breed booths and costumes were amazing! Check these out:

This Gordon Setter exhibitor was in a full kilt.

And here's Toto the Cairn Terrier with his friends from Oz!

This Cavalier King Charles Spaniel exhibitor had an English tea table to go with her Victorian finery, and two Cavs tucked into a proper English pram (and yes, they were fast asleep!)

I've never even heard of a Black Russian Terrier, but their booth was one of the flashiest ones there (my human said they kinda look like Giant Schnauzers).

The (barkless) Basenji folks had erected an African hut and were decked out in the local fashions.

And my human said the Mastiff people went all Medieval on their...booth! I didn't get the joke but she says movie buffs would.

The Saluki group had constructed something out of 1001 Arabian Nights...

...including one of their dogs! Doesn't she look like a Bedouin princess?!

The Rhodesian Ridgeback booth also had an African theme.

The Shih Tzu folks had Chinese lanterns and a dragon (buddies of yours, Sasha?)

Speaking of buddies, Girl Twin took her friend to visit the booths of all my blogging buddies' breeds! Brutus, this is for you.

NY Bully Brats, do you guys know this handsome devil?

This sweet girl made me think of all my Golden friends: Sammie, Mason Dixie, Sierra Rose, Lexi, Thor, and my new pal Miley.

Girl Twin and her friend had to visit the Siberian Husky booth twice! The exhibitors was so happy when she told them about Khyra's mom's rescue work. She also told them about my buddies the OP Pack, Army of Four and Kira the Beawootiful.

Hey Riley & Star and Snowy & Crystal, are you guys as silky as this Maltese?

Jasper, this kitty was gorgeous but I like your deeper orange shade better!

My human was smitten by this breed, the Tibetan Spaniel. She loved their sweet expression and temperament, luxurious coat and compact size. Hmmmm...maybe a future sibling for me??

Check out this ancient Aztec breed's name! Try saying that three times fast after sampling the toliet bowl at the Pup Club!!

Speaking of Twix (and Lorenza and Beckett), my human and the girls were flabbergasted (that's gobsmacked for you Brits, Jasper!) that there was no dachshund booth! Nor was there a Rat Terrier booth, Bijou & Banjo! What a bummer! And the worst omission? No Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Booth!!! What's up with that?! The Xolodilaldufiljaalimcoeuqnxeruas were there, but no Tollers??!! Once I finish this post, I'm gonna paw a letter to the national club and tell them they better get someone over there next year...heck, I'll do it myself if I have to!!

On a happier note, Girl Twin had entered an art contest for Meet the Breeds, featuring moi! She didn't win a prize, but her work was featured along with lots of others and it was a nice surprise to see it there. Didn't she do a nice job?

She and her friend got lots of nice freebies and they even picked up some stuff for me! Six tennis balls for a buck, a multipack of compressed rawhide chews for a buck, and a great squirrel stuffy for $3 that they've seen in stores for $18! So I'm a happy camper. And so are they...my human and Girl Twin are already talking about going again next year. If any of your humans decide to go, they should do a blogging-buddy meet-up!

A "Paw It Forward" Pressie!

2009-10-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

Do you know the fair-haired lake-swimmer extraordinaire otherwise known as Mason Dixie? If you do, you know she's been incomunicado for a bit, and I bet you miss her as much as I do! Well, I heard from her recently and she's had a lot on her kibble dish lately, but hopefully she'll be back to blogging soon. In the meantime, I had told her I wanted to play Paw It Forward, and guess what arrived yesterday for me? Yep, a package from Ms. Dixie herself! It smelled divine. I couldn't wait for Girl Twin to open it. Look at these amazing doggie truffles!!! Girl Twin was taking her time opening the box, so I decided to help with her the ribbon (see the cute pawprints on it?). I started licking my chops in anticipation. Here's a clip of me savoring that first bite!

It was sooooooooooooooooooo yummy!!! Thank you so much, Mason Dixie, for these wonderful treats! I had to make sure my human hid them from Little Boy, since he'd finish them off. Put frosting and sprinkles on anything and that boy will eat it.
So, who wants to play Paw It Forward with me? Send me a pee-mail with your mailing address to tollertales@yahoo.com and the first three doggies get to play!
Have a great weekend, efurrybody!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

Still recovering from Ladies Night Out with Twix. That chick sure knows how to throw a paw-tay!

Furiends With Benefits

2009-10-09T06:31:00.000-07:00

No, no, not those kind of benefits! Let me explain...

During my walk yesterday, we swung by Gigi's street to see if she was out-and-about. No sign of her. So my human rang the bell to see if we could find out Gigi's routine, so next walk we could plan to pass by when she was outside.

Gigi's human was pleasantly surprised and invited us to their backyard. There was Gigi, and boy was she happy to see me! She was on a long tie-out, 'cuz the neighbors had complained of her wandering onto their property (sheesh!). We felt bad that she couldn't enjoy her huge yard. My human would've suggested putting a gate across the only opening in their fence (the driveway entrance), but she didn't want to risk offending her new neighbor. So the two-leggers chatted while we doggies played.

Turns out, the family is from Albania, and there are six kids (!) in the family. They have grapevines planted along one wall; not a very common sight around these parts. My human asked if they were wine grapes, and Gigi's human said they were just decorative. But, they do make their own wine from purchased grapes. How cool is that?! My human got all lively 'cuz she used to work in the wine business (the things we learn about our humans, huh?!). Quick as a flash, Gigi's human disappeared into the house and returned with this:

My human was tickled pink! And Gigi's human said we could come into their backyard anytime to see if Gigi was outside. Ain't that great?! My human says she'll let you all know how the wine is when she tries it this weekend.

Speaking of weekends, mine will start with a bang: Twix and I and a bunch of our homegirls are having a Ladies Night Out! Woo-hoo! We're gonna paw-tay like there's no tomorrow! Read all about it on Twix's blog soon! Have a good one, efurrybody!

Make New Furiends, But Keep The Old...

2009-10-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

..one is silver and the other, gold!

On today's walk, I bumped into my good buddy Garth and met a new one, Gigi!

Garth is a PBGV (Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, pronounced "puh-TEE ba-SAY gree-FO(N) von-day-ON")...aren't ya glad they go by their initials?! That name's almost as long as my breed's name! He is a rescue dog and very, very sweet. He's also sweet on me, but I have to gently repel his advances 'cuz Sir Bentley is the jealous type.

PBGVs are part of the hound group, and there's no doubt when you hear Garth baying! He protects his property from scary delivery trucks and dangerous joggers.

After we left Garth's driveway, we noticed how many acorns have filled the sides of our road:

They were everywhere! No wonder the squirrels and chipmunks are getting so fat.

I was also on the lookout for our neighborhood wild turkey flock. There are three of them who taunt me by leaving their droppings and feathers for me to find, knowing I'll go into a frenzy. It's torture!!!

No sighting today, tho'...sigh.

I didn't find any turkeys, but I did find a new furiend! Her name is Gigi and she's a 4-month old American Eskimo Dog that recently moved into the neighborhood. My human was really taken by her. Gigi wanted to wrestle with me and I would've played chase with her in her nice big front lawn, but her owner didn't invite me to so I stayed in my harness. She looked very lonely and so happy to have a visitor. She even tried to follow us home. I hope I run into her again soon.

Meet Little Boy

2009-10-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Little Boy is the youngest of my three human siblings. He turns 5 next month. I'm glad he has two half-days of Kindergarten each week, 'cuz I freaked out a little bit when the kids all disappeared from the house in September.

How can I describe Little Boy? He gives the Tasmanian Devil a run for his doggy biscuits! He may be little, but he's got the most energy and spunk of all my Family members. My human says it's 'cuz he was born in the Year of the Monkey, so he's always climbing & jumping (the more dangerous, the better) and getting into all sorts of mischief. He can be a little rough with me sometimes, but being the tolerant Toller that I am, I let him know I'm not happy and he usually stops. If he doesn't, my human puts him in Time Out, the human equivalent of puppy jail. He loves school, playing with his friends and Girl Twin/Boy Twin, helping my human in the kitchen (especially baking; he can crack eggs without breaking the yolk) and anything Star Wars.

I am so lucky to have my three human siblings to love me back as much as I love them!

My Date With Sir Bentley

2009-10-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

My human and I find Fall very invigorating...the slight chill in the air, the wind gusts, the explosion of color, a whiff of burning wood. Puts a spring in one's step! One of the many great things about living in NY.

Although the leaves have yet to really turn, Fall is definitely in the air, and we decided to enjoy it with some good buddies of ours. The human half of the pair is one of my human's closest friends, Patricia of PVE Design. She is an amazingly gifted artist whose whimsical illustrations and eye for detail never fail to put a smile on my human's face. She does custom drawings of homes and pets, among many other things...if you're looking for something special for yourself or to give, check out her site! She even has a blog.

The furry half of the pair is my true love, Sir Bentley. He is a dashing mixture of beagle, poodle (I think!) and maybe some terrier. Isn't he to die for?

We went walking at a local park. There were lots of good smells for us to enjoy.

Check out this funky funghi! So beautiful. And here's a harbinger of the foliage to come!

We found an open field, ideal for ball chasing. Our humans took us off leash (probably illegal, but we had the park to ourselves) and we reveled in our freedom.

Bentley showed off his talent for catching the ball before it hits the ground. Sigh! He makes my heart go pitter-patter!

After all that running around, we took some time for a little canoodling before heading home. I'll take a walk and fetch with Bentley (and canoodling) over a candlelit dinner, anytime!

Walking on Water

2009-09-29T06:17:00.000-07:00

The beginning of Fall means the end of pool season. WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! I want my pool back!!! My human dad closed the pool down yesterday. I was one unhappy pup, until I discovered that now I can walk on water!

It was so much fun! I loved racing across the surface and brought some toys with me, which I conveniently left in the middle of the pool cover where no one could reach them.

So Girl Twin came to the rescue, much to her dad's chagrin. "GET OFF THE POOL COVER!!!!!"

We both think it was fun while it lasted.

The Curious Case of the Unwonked Ears

2009-09-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

My longtime followers know that I've had "ear issues" from the time I joined my Family at the tender age of 8 weeks old. My ears started to turn wonky (a.ka. "flyaway", a.k.a. "rosebud"). Remember this unfortunate picture (altho' I do look rather cute, if I may say so myself)?

This is not an uncommon occurence in Tollers, so my human followed the breeder's instructions for putting ear weights on the insides of my ear flaps to make the cartiledge grow the right way. I went through several sessions of ear weights, including a rather painful one when I got an infection. At that point, my human decided enough was enough, better to have a healthy wonky-eared dog than an unhealthy one with "proper" drop ears.

So, you all have known me (and loved me, thank you!) by this look:

Well, the strangest thing has happened. Over the past week, my ears started to drop on their own. Sometimes just one, sometimes both, and then they'd flip backward again. My human had read about another Toller owner who had massaged her dog's ears at the crease, so she started to do that. And lo and behold, now my ears are staying down on their own, more than they are flipping back:

Maybe I had an ear growth spurt, or maybe the Man Upstairs was trying to teach the Control Freak (oops, I mean, my human) a lesson about letting go, and things will fall into place--even ears!

What do you think of my new look?

Mmmmmmm....Doggy Cookies!

2009-09-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Did you all know there was a "Part Deux" to Golden Samantha's fabulous 100th Post Giveaway?

I got another package in the mail this week, and this one smelled deeeeeeeeee-lish!

An absolute plethora of assorted doggy cookies, courtesy HappyHearts (I've been cruising dictionary.com when I'm not blogging)!

In addition to the wonderful assortment Sammie sent (I got to choose my own flavors: salmon, cheese and sweet potato), Gerri tucked in some extras for me! She even customized the recipe so there was no peanut butter (it doesn't agree with my tummy). Can you see all the cool shapes? Hearts, bunnies, ducks (yay!), squirrels, fish, and the best...

...my very own personalized cookie!

I wish I could share all my nummies with you, my dear doggy blog pals. I'll just eat some for you, m'kay?

That's the strangest squirrel I've ever met...and it smells like cheese!

Here's a clip of me enjoying my Sedona cookie:

Thanks again, dear Sammie, and thanks HappyHearts!

Attacked at the Doggy Swim

2009-09-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

I had a good & bad experience over the weekend to tell you about.

But first, I want to thank all of you who went over to my cousin Lucy's blog to say hello & welcome her to the blogging world! I knew you'd come through! My bloggy furiends are the best. And, I'd like to thank my homegirl Twix for the pawsome button she made me; check it out at the top of the sidebar!

OK, so here's what happened. Our town pool sponsors a Doggy Swim every September after the public pools have closed. I was excited when I saw the pools and the other doggies and was in a happy mood. As we made our way over to the far pool, a lady who was running the program warned us about this one dog; she said she was getting some "strange vibes" from her. Sure enough, the first doggy to approach me was that dog, and she ran up to me, took one sniff and then MAULED ME!!! My human and the other dog's human jumped in to separate us and luckily that dog hadn't broken any skin (good thing Tollers have thick double coats). Needless to say, that bitch (pun intended) and her family were booted out of there pronto. And the weirdest thing? My human realized she actually knew her owners through school! They were very apologetic and later told my human they'd been having "issues" with their dog for some time (then, why bring her to a doggy swim???!!!).

Well...once they left, I (and my Family!) calmed down and I got to enjoy the pool. I was the first one to jump in! There were all these Labs running around and none of them wanted to swim--go figure! One Lab even had a doggy life vest on...hmmmmm...methinks a lot of Lab breeders have bred out the swimming instinct in these water dogs.

One brave Lab (I left him in my wake--hee-hee!)

Here's a clip of me doin' my thing:

Tell me, have any of you been attacked for no reason by a strange dog? It's no fun! But at least we four-leggers get over it pretty quickly...I think my human is still a bit traumatized :-(

Please Welcome My Cousin Lucy!

2009-09-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

My cousin Lucy has joined the ranks of doggy bloggers! I know she'd be thrilled if my furiends gave her a "bark out", so won't you please go visit her?

I also want to thank everyone who left concerned comments and/or tips about my strange behavior. I am happy to report that I am completely back to my old rambunctious self. I did give my human a good scare though, didn't I?! We gotta keep those two-leggers on their toes lest they take us for granted. She never did figure out what made me act so cuckoo...maybe Jupiter was aligning with Mars.

Not Quite Myself

2009-09-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hi furiends,

Sorry I've been a little quiet this week...my human was busy with the kids' first days of school and yesterday and today have been a little strange for me.

Yesterday started off just like any other day, but around lunchtime I started acting a little "off"...skittish and velcro-y. My human doesn't recall any loud noises or me hurting myself on anything so she thought I might be sick. But I 've had no problem eating/drinking and have been peeing/pooping (sorry if TMI) like normal. She palpitated my entire body to see if there was any soreness but nothing. And when she gets the tennis ball out, I snap out of it and become my old retrieving-fool self outside. But when I get back inside, I get all clingy and anxious-looking again.

The weirdest thing is last night, when she let me out for my final pee of the night, I stayed out for a long time and wouldn't come back in when she called me. My human got very worried that I had somehow gotten out of our fenced back yard and started looking for me in the dark with a flashlight. She had just started searching for me when I decided to come out from wherever I was hiding. I've never done that before so it's worrisome.

I'm not lethargic, and this morning when the family came downstairs I was my usual excited self, but then I went back to the worried behavior. My human is debating whether to take me to the vet and hope whatever scared me passes.

Have any of you ever experienced this?

Return to Bear Mountain

2009-09-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day, furiends!

We had family visiting over this long weekend and decided to give Bear Mountain another go, since the carousel wasn't open last time we went.

It was open this time and look what I found: me!

But did Little Boy or Girl Twin choose my wooden replica to ride on? Noooooooooooooo.

I was a little miffed that they chose the cougar and the fox, but I got over it quickly enough when I spotted these:

My human was so tempted to let me go swimming since she saw another doggy in the lake, but then she thought I might be a tad smelly on the car ride home (and didn't want to be busted by the park rangers).

Hope you all had a great long weekend, too!

C is for Cookie

2009-09-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

Do you all know Ruby, the Red Dog who lives in SEDONA, Arizona?! It was destiny that we'd become furiends! Ruby gave me the "Oops, I Ate It" award:

Thanks, Ruby! A dog after my own heart! You all must know by now that I am a counter-surfer extraordinaire.

"When accepting this award, you must blog about the food you have stolen when your humans were not watching.
If you have never stolen any food, you must have been a really good pup! You can accept this yummy tray of cookies as your reward! Next add the logo of this award to your blog (optional), then nominate at least 5 other furry blogs and let them know by leaving a message on their blogs."

"If you have never stolen any food..." Sheesh! I only know ONE doggy who has never stolen any food (that'd be the fabulous Mr. Brutus the Frenchie). I think it's in the DNA of 99% of us...dogs are scavengers by nature, after all!

I could tell you about many a stolen tidbit that I have procured in my young life, but I will limit myself to my latest conquest: cookies.

Well, raw cookie dough, to be precise. I have become highly specialized in stealing a ball of dough from the tray as it awaits its turn in the oven. Notice I say "a" ball, since I only have time to snatch one before the gig is up. I've done it twice now and I think it's pretty pathetic that my human hasn't learned her lesson yet. She places the tray at the edge of the kitchen table, turns her back for a second and when she looks again, a single gap appears in her otherwise perfectly-aligned, perfectly spaced, perfectly-identically-sized rows of cookie dough balls (OCD, anyone?). Pretty much like the award picture. And I'm nowhere to be found! BWAH-HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Just in case you were interested, the first time was chocolate chip and the second time was oatmeal raisin. And they were dee-lish.

I know that many of you out there have already received this award, so if you haven't and you'd like to confess your own food-related indiscretions, please feel free to take it!

"Live Action" - Pressies from Sammie

2009-09-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

Here's that video clip of me opening my package; you'll see all the goodies Samantha put together to celebrate her 100th post! I felt very spoiled indeed!
My human is especially excited about the portable ground cloth; she says that will come in very handy. I, on the other hand, am all about the yummies!
Enjoy!

Pressies from Sammie!

2009-09-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that a couple weeks ago, I won Golden Samantha's contest to celebrate her 100th post! I was so thrilled when she told me I had won...I've never won anything before (besides the nice blog awards I've received).

Yesterday, a humongous package arrived in the mail for me, all the way from California.

Girl Twin was almost as excited as I was to open it!

I could smell something yummy inside! I didn't make much of a dent with my teeth tho'...

Inside was a nice note from Sammie with her picture...isn't she gorgeous? I hope I grow up to be half as glamorous as she!

Now, here's the part where you're supposed to see a video clip of me discovering the contents of the box. But my human decided to upgrade to the "new and improved" editing function on Blogger and now she can't figure out how to add video clips anymore! I told her to leave well enough alone but does she listen to moi? Nooooooooooooooooo....

So maybe she'll do the next post in the original editor version so she can add the clip.

Anyhoo, here are some stills of me enjoying my pressies from Sammie. Sammie, you are the best! Thank you so much; you really made my day.

Don't know about the hat, tho'....maybe I have a little more growing to do!

Fallin' for Niagara

2009-08-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hi furiends, did you miss me? I missed you all and am gonna check out what's been shakin' with you lately besides backsides!

I survived my longest road trip yet, 7 and-a-half hours each way...WITHOUT. PEEING. Yep, I held it both ways. My human was sure I wouldn't make it, but I showed her! Rest stops are no place for squatting, thank you very much. Even the relatively quiet ones. I was a good houseguest too, with only one pee accident by the door 'cuz my human was too busy yakking with her cousins to notice me doin' the gotta-go-gotta-go-gotta-go-right-now dance.

I had a great time with Lucy, my human's cousin's dog (so does that make us second cousins?!)!

She is so much fun to play tag with! We tore around the kitchen and family room until I tired her out...she has to work a lot harder on those little legs of hers. She made me miss Twix and Lorenza, 'cuz now I know how cool doxies are to hang out with in person!

When she got tired of my puppy energy (she's 3), or if she thought her humans were paying a little too much attention to me, she'd put me in my place. That's OK; evfurrybody is entitled to be Top Dog in his/her own house, right? She's gonna have her own doggy blog soon; I'll let you all know when it's up and running so you can go say hi.

So, my Family's relatives live near Buffalo, NY, which is just across the lake from Niagara Falls. They decided to check out the Falls on the Canadian side (more spectacular than the American side), and would've brought me along if doggies had been allowed at the venues. I stayed back with Lucy. Which is just as well, since there was no way I was crossing The Rainbow Bridge with them, no matter how safe they say it is!! They ended up taking the Maid of the Mist boat tour, which starts out at the base of the Rainbow Bridge:

They got soaking wet when the boat bobbed next to the Horseshoe Falls, despite wearing this cool raingear they give you. My human's sneakers were making these sloshing sounds when they got back. Can you see how small the boat is at the base of the Falls?

My Family thought the power of the water was awe-inspiring. They did the Journey Behind the Falls, too, where you go through tunnels behind the Falls with openings where the water roars down just a few feet from you. There's also an Observation Deck where you can stand next to the edge of the Falls, buffeted by the wind and water. Here are Girl Twin and Boy Twin getting blasted:

So that's it for my Family's summer trips. School's around the corner...the twins and Little Boy don't want summer to end, but my human is ready for a little peace to descend upon the house.

Oh No! Not "The Rainbow Bridge"!

2009-08-26T05:27:00.000-07:00

There I was, drowsily lounging under the kitchen table at dinnertime, when someone said something about a road trip. My ears pricked up when I heard them say I was coming along; yay! But then I heard something that chilled me to the bone: they mentioned crossing the Rainbow Bridge.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I'm too young to do that!!!

But wait...they were talking about going to Niagara Falls...and one of the bridges connecting NY to Canada is called the Rainbow Bridge...whew! I nearly had a potty accident right there under the table; how embarassing would that be?!

So we're leaving tomorrow and I'll be incommunicado for a few days. I hear our hosts have a dachshund named Lucy; I hope we'll be friends!

How to Beat the Dog Days of Summer

2009-08-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

We're nearing the end of August and we finally have some real August weather here in the Big Apple area. Steamy, muggy, crank-up-the-AC kind of weather. I guess it beats the never-ending rain we had here in June. And I can always cool off in the pool.

But the best part of the arrival of hot & humid weather is that my human finally caved and let me have doggy ice cream! I've been tortured all summer hearing about my furiends indulging in the stuff, like Golden Samantha, Twix (who got the real hooman stuff, extra-lucky girl!) and many others. I begged my human to get me some, but to no avail. She's so cold-hearted...or so I thought!

The other day, Girl Twin and she were food shopping when Girl Twin's eagle-eyes spotted this in the freezer section:

"No sugar added! High quality protein! All good stuff for Sedona! Please, Mom, pleeeeeeeeeeeze, can we get it for her??!!" I guess my human felt guilty that the rest of the family got to cool down with frozen treats, so she finally relented (Girl Twin's got my back, I gotta remember to give her extra snuggles).

When they showed me the box, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it:

But when Girl Twin let me sniff a cup, I got the idea & couldn't wait to try it. I polished it off in record time (and no brain freeze!)

Here's a clip of my first taste:

BTW, my human was curious about how this stuff tastes, so she sampled it (she tried to get Girl Twin to try it instead, but no dice). She says it tastes like powdered kibble mixed with cream. I wonder how she knows what dog food tastes like...she better not be dipping into my kibble container!

Training Your Human: Playing Fetch

2009-08-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

By now, my faithful followers know two things about me: I am a retrieving fool and I love-love-love my tennis balls. If it were up to me, I'd play fetch for hours at a time. For some reason, my Family is not as enthusiastic about fetch. They'll throw the ball maybe ten times and think that's the end of it. So I've had to resort to training them to get them to continue playing...humans can be so lazy! In case your human needs some guidance too, here are my tried-and-true tips:

1. When they're vegging on the sofa in front of the idiot-tube, plop down nearby, head-on-paws, and give a couple nice, loud sighs to get their attention:

2. If they ignore you, mosey on over, place your head on the sofa and give them your most pitiful, oh-woe-is-me expression. Extra points for adding a good whine or two.

3. If they still ignore you (amazing how slow humans can be, huh?), make a big show out of finding your ball. The more ruckus you make in the process, the better.

4. They still haven't gotten the hint? Time to bring out the big guns: deposit said ball repeatedly on one of their body parts. Extremely effective if ball is covered in saliva.

That should do it! It works on my Family every time.

Oh, and don't forget, if they throw the ball where you can't reach it (my human has the worst aim ever), employ the pitiful look-whine combo to ensure they'll go get it. Remember how well this worked when my ball rolled under the stove?

Good luck training your human! Remember, they have very short attention spans (poor things), so keep your training sessions short but frequent. They'll get it eventually.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

Meet Boy Twin

2009-08-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

OK, so you've met Girl Twin. This is her other half. He's 10 and is very playful; maybe that's why we get along so well. He likes to think up new and interesting ways to keep me amused.

Boy Twin is a Master Lego Builder and has an encyclapedic memory for cars. His favorites are the Bugatti Veron and the Ferrari F430 Scuderia. My human told him he better do well in school and get a good paying job if he hopes to buy either of those! He is into Classic Rock and likes figuring out how to play songs on the keyboard. So far, he knows Stairway to Heaven, Sweet Home Alabama and Wanted Dead or Alive. He plays tackle football and is very fast.

Here's a contraption he made for me to chase:

He invented "Bite the Water". I love playing it with him!

GoD and DoG

2009-08-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

My human came across this short video of an original song with animation which made her eyes really shiny. She tried to embed it in this post but either she's clueless about how to do that, or else Blogger doesn't allow it.

Anyhoo, check it out. Tell me if your human's eyes get shiny, too. What's up with that?!

On The Ball

2009-08-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

I think one of the best toys out there has to be your basic tennis ball; do you all agree?

Even better are the slightly-oversized ones that squeak.

The other day, my human heard me making funny sounds and found me in this compromising position:

When I was a wee pup, I was able to fit completely under the stove. Methinks I'm still that size.

Yes, my favorite ball had escaped me and was just out of reach.

"Geez, Mom, would it kill ya to sweep under the stove maybe once a year??"

Yep, humans are good for a couple things! I think I'll let mine stick around.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

You can get your own customized collar like mine from Scruffy Dog Collars. Support your fellow doggy-bloggers!

To Market, To Market...

2009-08-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

...to buy a fresh pig, home again, home again, jiggety-jig! So the nursery rhyme goes. Well, no pigs to be bought at the farmers' market we visited this morning, but it was still nice!

This was a different one than the last one I posted about here. This market is in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, and you can see the beautiful Hudson River in some of the pics below. Not as many doggies out and about this time, and the bluegrass band was a little too loud for my taste.

I did meet another Portuguese Water Dog; this area seems to have a lot of 'em! She didn't know Bo, either...what's up with that?

The best part about going to the market on Saturday is that usually means a yummy dinner. My human loves to makes a couple side dishes from the great produce she buys, and serve it with something easy on the grill. Tonight was STEAK! I was one happy pup. I got to chew on some meaty bones...

...and I got to eat the steak scaps from the kiddies...one of the many perks of living with small bi-peds!

Night Swim

2009-08-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

I went night swimming for the first time earlier this week! It was a lot of fun and I wasn't at all spooked by the darkness or the pool lights.

Here's a clip of me riding the floating mattress:

And another one of me jumping (OK, stepping) off the deck into the pool. I'm making progress toward jumping off the high end of the deck. My human dad thought he'd "help" by showing me I had nothing to fear (yeah, he threw me off!! My human was not amused. At all.) but I'm still not convinced.

Duck, Duck, GOOSE!

2009-08-04T17:07:00.001-07:00

Two goose sightings in a week, I'm one lucky bird dog! This time, my Family took me to Bear Mountain State Park, on the Hudson River about an hour north of NYC. It's kinda a family tradition to go at least once in the summer, when the kids' cousins come to stay with us for a couple weeks. There's a small lake with boats to rent (but no doggies allowed, harumph), a little zoo (ditto, double harumph), picnic grounds & a playground, hiking trails and the coolest carousel around with carved wooden local animals (raccoon, turkey, fox, skunk, otter, rabbit and even a bear, bobcat and cougar, altho' those guys haven't been sighted around there in a long while, thank Dog!).

Unfortunately, with all the cutbacks in this bad economy, the carousel only operates now on the weekend. The kiddies were not amused. So we had our picnic, checked out the geese & took a short hike up the mountain.

That's my human dad. He was tempted to let me off lead so I could chase the geese, but we didn't want to get thrown out of the park. Too bad! I was rarin' to go, as you can see.

We found raspberry & blackberry bushes along the hiking trail! I didn't care for the blackberries 'cuz they were pretty sour, but the raspberries were yuuuuu-meeee!

I even managed to scramble up the (smallish) boulder for a family shot.

All in all, a great Monday! Hope yours was, too!

A Rose By Any Other Name...

2009-08-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

...would smell as sweet, as Shakespeare tells us (yes, I read Shakespeare. I told you I was one smart pup!).

Here are my other names, bestowed on me by various members of my Family:

--Done-Done (rhymes with Bone-Bone)

--Doney (Twix already picked up on this one!)

--Donester

--Pup-Pup

--Dynamite Dog

--Domystic Doney

--and my least favorite, Wonky-Eared Girl

Now, I know you all have your own nicknames, so 'fess up! I wanna hear 'em!

A Ruff Day

2009-08-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a ruff kinda day, but in a good way. My Family had a swim/cookout with lots of friends and family, including 11 kids (7 of which were age 4-or-under). Those little ones really wore me out! But everyone commented on how well I played with them, didn't knock anyone down (not even the 21-month old twins) and put up with all the poking and prodding and kisses. But I have to confess, I couldn't restrain myself from pinching some of their food as they walked around ...I say if it's at nose-level, it's fair game!

I also learned a new skill today: riding the floating mattress!

Girl Twin pushed me around and I didn't mind at all, and even sat down for the ride. My human was too busy playing hostess to take any video footage...next time.

By the afternoon's end, I was so pooped, I fell asleep in my human's lap.

My human said it hit her how much I've grown, when she saw that picture of me. I'm not the little ball of fluff she brought home 4 months ago!

I will leave you with something to pass on to your humans, a recipe for a great summer cocktail that was a big hit today:

VODKA GINGER LEMONADE
Boil in a pan 1 C. water, 1 C. sugar and 2 tsp. ground ginger, stirring, until sugar dissolves.
Let cool to room temperature. Add 1 and 1/4 C. vodka and 1/2 C. fresh lemon juice; stir well.
To serve, put about 1/4 C. of mixture in a glass, add about 2/3 C. seltzer water and ice cubes. Stir and enjoy!
Recipe can be doubled to serve a crowd.

Road Trip!

2009-07-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings, furiends! Sorry I've been incommunicado for a week, but I was on my first road trip!
We drove down to northern Virginia to see my human grandparents and godparents. I handled the drive and temporary digs like a seasoned pro, if I may say so myself.

The trip down took almost 6 hours (it's normally about 4 and-a-half) 'cuz we hit lots of pockets of traffic. My human was getting a little nervous since we had only made one potty stop, but she had nothing to fear. I was a little excited since my usual car spot is on the floormat of the 2nd row, and this time I was in the very back with Girl Twin...I've never seen stuff whiz by the window before!

It took me a long time to settle down on my bed but I finally did, and even snuck in a few cat naps along the way.

But I was pretty happy when we finally arrived at our destination. My human godparents (or is that 'dogparents'?!) wondered how I'd behave in their home, but I was fine. Not a single accident in 4 days and only a little "innappropriate chewing" (hey, I'm only 6 months old, I'm still entitled). Besides, their indoor plants really did need some trimming. And the kids' foam puzzle pieces looked a lot better with little teeth marks on them.

Anyhoo, everyone was pretty impressed with how quickly I made myself at home and was fairly content to just hang out at people's feet, gnawing on my new bone. It was a good one! It had marrow in the middle that took me a looooooong time to get to. Here it is in the car with me:

But the best part of the trip was the sleeping arrangements: I got to sleep in the guestroom with my humans and Little Boy! I'm used to sleeping on my own, in my crate in the kitchen, so this was a real treat! I mostly slept on the blow-up bed on the floor, over Little Boy's feet. That stinker does aerobics in his sleep, so I would spend part of the night under my humans' bed and even occasionally slept on my own bed. But I was quiet and didn't try to wake anybody up, so my human was very pleased with me. Now that she knows how well behaved I am at night, she feels a little bad that she doesn't let me sleep in their bedroom, but she has to let the kitties have some place to call their own, since I effectively upended their world when I arrived. I get that.

During our stay, we went to a park where I saw my first real duck and geese! I was so excited, I wanted to jump into that lake and chase after them, but alas that was against the rules. So I contented myself with practicing my tolling (cavorting on the shoreline to arouse the waterfowl's curiosity and draw them in). It worked, too!

My godmom/dogmom was so happy to spend time with me, 'cuz she really misses her dog Nicky. Nicky crossed the Rainbow Bridge a few years ago and my goddad/dogdad isn't sure he wants to get another doggy. I stayed with her and the little kids while my human took the big kids to play miniature golf, and I didn't even miss my human (sorry, Mom!). Look how much my godmom loves me!

So today we returned to New York. I knew the drill and settled in right away. To pass the time, I read the Kong Stuffing can to ensure there were no preservatives or artificial ingredients. Then I convinced Girl Twin to slip me some while my human was distracted by traffic:

Getting sleepy......................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I'll leave you with some "live action" of the trip home courtesy of Girl Twin.

Meet Girl Twin, My Human Sister

2009-07-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Since I've introduced you all to my feline siblings, it's time for you to meet my furless ones.

I'll start with Girl Twin, 'cuz I think she loves me the best! She's 10 years old. She plays with me, takes me on walks, does training sessions, bakes me doggy biscuits, chooses my bandanas and even goes on pooper-scooper patrol without being asked! Now, if that's not love, I don't know what is! Did I mention she likes to sneak me treats when my human isn't looking? She makes drawings of me, takes pictures of me (many of which appear on my blog), and has even composed a song about me. We're working on the keyboard accompaniment which isn't quite blog-ready, but stay tuned.

Girl Twin loves all animals, especially dogs. When she was really little, my human got her baby dolls to play with, but she ignored them in favor of her stuffed animals. She wants to have 4 dogs when she grows up and has even picked out names for them: a Kuvasz named Biggie (inspired by the one with a blog!), an Akita named Indiana, an Alaskan Malamute named Dakota and a Doberman named Butch.

This is a science project she did with a friend, about dog breeds. Check out which breed is representing the Sporting Group!

I love to swim with Girl Twin. Even when there's nothing to retrieve, I'll paddle out to her just to do laps with her. She swims on a swim team. Too bad there's no doggy paddle event, I'd be a top contender! Enjoy this clip of the two of us in the pool. I'll tell you about my human brothers another time.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T06:33:00.001-07:00

OK, I'm adding some words here but just in case any of you want your very own cartoon, too! Brutus got his cartoon done by Lili, and when I saw how cute it was, I just had to get one for myself! What do you all think, is it me or what?! Thank you, Lili, you are amazing!

Meet My Feline Siblings

2009-07-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

Since one of them recently had a birthday, I thought this would be a good time to introduce my doggy blog friends to my siblings of the meow-variety. I have a love-hate relationship with them...I LOOOOOOOOOOVE them, one of them hates me and the other is more-or-less indifferent.

This is Yquem (pronounced "ee-KEM"). She was the first baby in my humans' family, fur- or otherwise. She is a Chartreux and is 13 years old. She is the mellow one and will come up to the gate to check me out (I'm still banished to the kitchen/playroom until I'm old enough to not chew the furniture). But our occasional face-to-face meetings haven't gone so well, since I'm a little, ahem, "enthusiastic". I just want to play, and she's a bit of a diva. My human says she has the softest fur ever. In fact, in the 18th century, the pelts of "the blue cat of France" were prized by furriers--eek! Good thing my sister didn't live back in those times!

My other sibling is Poki, who just turned 12. He's a Tonkinese and is terrified by me. He will not come up to the gate to say hi and high-tails it whenever he catches a glimpse of me. The last time our human brought him over to the gate so we could sniff each other, he hissed at me and left nasty scratch marks on her legs in his hurry to get away (not on purpose). I'm so sad 'cuz I know we'd be great buddies if he'd just give me a chance. Oh well. My human says he's very smart (he figured out how to open a closed door in their old apartment) and very agile (don't ask how he ended up on the top of the door below). He was also a certified therapy cat for 2 years & visited nursing home residents and handicapped kids.

Hope you enjoyed getting to know the cool kitties I share my house with! Do any of you have a feline sibling or two?

I Busted Out!

2009-07-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm back, guys...it took me a while to tunnel my way out of puppy jail. Thanks for the various offers to spring me! If you wanna know why I was in puppy jail, check out Twix's comment (we're naughty girls!).

It's a good thing I escaped, 'cuz otherwise I would've missed this lovely new award from my pal Sugar; thanks, Shug!

We're supposed to list 7 reasons why we're "awe-summmm!!!"

Here goes:

1. I stick my entire head underwater to retrieve stuff on the pool steps.

2. I can pop up from under the table, snatch whatever's in reach and run away before anyone's the wiser.

3. I finally gave up fighting my bandanas and now I wear them with pride!

4. I am always happy to meet new doggies and new people.

5. I rarely bark and when I do, it's for a good reason.

6. I let my human clip my nails without fussing.

7. The best doggies on the Internet are my pals!

I have tagged all my regular buddies recently so I will take a "pawz" before sending this one on.

Wordless Wednesday - Puppy Jail

2009-07-15T03:48:00.000-07:00

I Am a S.T.A.R.!

2009-07-14T05:54:00.000-07:00

The last day of my puppy kindergarten class, we got "tested" to see if we could earn the AKC's S.T.A.R. puppy award, and I passed! I just got my certificate and medal (ahem) in the mail.

So what is a S.T.A.R. puppy? It stands for Socialization, Training, Activity, Responsibility.

To pass, I had to do things like letting a stranger pet me, walk nicely on lead, sit, down, recall, stay with a stranger while my human walked away, not freak out at a loud noise, not be aggressive toward the other puppies/humans, allow a treat to be taken away, allow my human to hug me (yeah, that one was really tough!). Then my human had to show proof of vet care & ID, describe my daily exercise regimen, attend at least 6 puppy classes, and bring plastic bags to class to clean up any messes (I was insulted by this one since I stopped pooping indoors a loooong time ago).

7 Things About Me

2009-07-12T05:06:00.000-07:00

My good pal Bijou sent me this cool Kreativ Blogger award:

Mercy buckets, Bijou!
The rules for this award are:

Give thanks and link back to the one who sent you the award.
Post the logo on your blog.
List seven things about yourself that others might find interesting.
Pass the award on to seven other kreativ bloggers.

1. I had to be resuscitated when I was born; if I was a boy, my name could've been Lazarus!

2. I'm nuts about blueberries.

3. I go into a frenzy when my human dad greets me in the morning; he likes to get me all riled up.

4. I can hear a squeaky toy from a mile away.

5. I'm still battling my wonky ears; maybe the third time's the charm?

6. I have the softest patch of fur down my back, just like my father Rudy.

7. I am a very elegant swimmer and don't splash when I paddle.

I'm passing this award on to Bell, Woodrow, Sweetie & MJ, Sienna, Bella, Vincent & Adele, and my new friends Ginger Jasper, Ruby and Meggi. Hope to learn some new & interesting tidbits about all of you!

Saturday Means...

2009-07-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

...the Farmers Market! We are lucky to have several where I live. I love going to them for the sights & smells, but mostly for the social scene. Lots of humans bring their doggies along to the market.

Three in a row here!

This little Doxie was so friendly.

My human ran into a friend of hers, who had her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in tow. His name is Truman and I think we're having a puppy playdate soon!

I made friends with this apricot poodle too.

Little Boy ate almost an entire pint of raspberries by himself...I only got a taste! Selfish kid!!

These lavender plants smelled divine.

I even got a doggy biscuit from a nice vendor, but I scarfed it down too quickly for my human to take a pic! D'oh! More scenes...

So here's what we ended up with at home. Note that Little Boy saved a single raspberry for Boy Twin, who returns home from camp today. What a welcome home treat, huh?! Sheesh!!

Some Finger Lakes (upstate NY) wine, fudge, bread, tomatoes, Hudson Valley cheese and full sour pickles. Oh, and the mostly eaten raspberries. Ready for the grand total? $70!! OMD! My human says she wishes she could buy more stuff at the farmers markets but she'd end up broke. I don't know where I'd have to take her to get repaired, so she better keep resisting temptation the next time we go!

Goin' Quackers

2009-07-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

As a Duck Tolling Retriever, it's my duty to point out that Donald Duck celebrated his 75th birthday last month. Happy Birthday, Donald!

Donald was/is my human's all-time favorite Disney character. She told me about meeting him at the original Disneyland in California when she was 5 and being so star-struck she couldn't say a word. Since the person in the suit--I mean, Donald--didn't speak either, they just sort of stood there staring at each other for a few minutes, until it got really awkward and my human was compelled to walk away.

So it was destiny that she got ME!

I would love to get out there and toll some real ducks, but until then, I'm practicing at home.

Strange, though...this one squeaks instead of quacks.

Water Baby

2009-07-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

We have finally been able to enjoy the pool after the monsoons of June!

I am getting really good at swimming now and my human doesn't feel like she'll have to jump in to rescue me anymore, if I swim more than one lap.

I am *thisclose* to jumping off the deck...on the low side! That side with the 5 foot drop is still too scary.

I almost gave a Toller Scream when I got so frustrated at the deck's edge...my Family thought it was pretty funny but I didn't!!

I just learned to jump in & climb out of the attached jacuzzi. That' with bubbles off, please!

I love ending pool time with a good game of Bite the Water.

Proud To Be An American

2009-07-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

...by way of Canada, that is! Being a melting pot nation is one of the many things that make this country great.

Did you know that only a handful of dog breeds can claim to be all-American, among them:

the Boston Terrier

the Alaskan Malamute

and the Chesapeake Bay Retriever?

My human's parents are visiting us for the holiday weekend and her mom made me some new bandanas.

Here is my patriotic one in honor of today.

Today, we're having lots of friends over for a cookout around the pool. Swimming and eating, possibly my two most favorite things in the world! Hope your holiday plans include something fun, too!

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

OK, So I'm Not Gene Simmons...

2009-07-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

...but I'm still entering the Show Us Your Tongue contest over at Rocky Creek Scotties & Java, in celebration of their soon-to-be 100th post. Congrats, guys! Keep on rockin'!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T03:45:00.001-07:00

Getting Spayed Is A Piece of (Cup)Cake

2009-06-30T14:23:00.001-07:00

I got spayed yesterday! Although my Family was sad to leave me at the Place Where I Get Poked, they hugged me and told me I'd be a happier and healthier doggy in the long run. The vet said I came through the surgery with flying colors. Today I got to go home, and my Family had a special doggy cupcake waiting for me; it was DELISH! I am a little tired, but I should be back to my bouncy self in a day or two.

So for those puppies whose future includes spaying or neutering: don't worry, be happy your human is a responsible pet owner!

And the best part? No Cone of Shame like poor Dug in the movie "Up"!

A Taste of Agility

2009-06-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

I tried it, and it was yummy! My puppy kindergarten class just finished up, and to celebrate our instructor gave us a little intro to agility. My human was very happy with my reaction to the mini-course, as she hopes to do agility with me when I'm older. I liked all the pieces of equipment, especially the tunnel:

Girl Twin had come along and my human filmed her running the mini-course with me. She had so much fun, she says she wants to do agility with me, too! We had gone through all the equipment on lead first, then after the other puppies left, our instructor said we could try it off lead.

A Toller called Slyder won the AKC 2007 Agility Finals (16-inch category): you can see the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddqT6sJXJS4

Maybe I'll follow in Slyder's footsteps one day!

Come Along With Me...

2009-06-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

...for a little history lesson! No, no, not the boring kind, the cool kind! My Family and I love living just outside New York City, since this area is so historic and beautiful. This morning, my human and Girl Twin took me for a long walk along the Croton Aqueduct.

Well, actually, on the footpath that runs on top of it, since the aqueduct itself is an almost 9 ft x 8 ft elliptical, brick-lined, mostly-underground tunnel (but wouldn’t that be a pawsome walk?!).

The Croton Aqueduct is a National Historic Landmark, and is considered one of the great engineering achievements of the 19th century.

Now, you might be asking how a puppy could possibly know all this…I’m a good listener! My human told Girl Twin all about the aqueduct and the village of Irvington, NY, where we stopped for a drink, and I was all ears. Beauty and brains, that’s me!

The Croton Aqueduct helped to fuel Manhattan’s explosive growth in the mid 1800’s by bringing its first supply of clean and plentiful water. Opened in 1842, it was still in use until 1955, when it was replaced by a bigger aqueduct which serves NYC to this day. It carried water 41 miles (!!!) from the Old Croton Dam in Westchester County (north of NYC) to two reservoirs in Manhattan, where it was distributed to the rest of the city.

Here’s the cool part…how did all that water continue to flow nonstop for 41 miles? Gravity! Based on engineering principles from the Roman times, the tunnel drops gently 13 inches per mile. Imagine having to maintain that angle, tunneling through rock, over valleys, through streams, all before the advent of modern technology! No wonder it was (and still is) an astonishing feat.

Today, about half of the original aqueduct footpath is a walkable trail. We walked along the portion that connects the villages of Dobbs Ferry and Irvington. It’s a great spot to meet other doggies!

Billy the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Enzo the French Bulldog

Jasper the Tibetan Terrier (very cool...never met one of those before!)

Taz the Goldendoodle (who has dreamy hazel eyes under that hair!)

And lastly, a Portuguese Water Dog whose name I didn't catch (that didn't stop me from playing kissy-face with him!). I asked him if he knew Bo...he didn't.

This is one of the many marble ventilator turrets, set about a mile apart on the path, that kept fresh air circulating in the aqueduct beneath. Wow, that thing is 167 years older than me!!

We stopped in the picturesque village of Irvington, named for one of America’s greatest writers, Washington Irving (he lived here for a bit). The village of Sleepy Hollow (yep, as in “The Legend of”) is just down the road.

Main Street. It slopes down to the majestic Hudson River, seen just through the trees.

Da Man himself, Washington Irving: America's first internationally-known writer. His beloved home on the Hudson, Sunnyside, is in the next village over (Tarrytown).

A bronze statue of Rip Van Winkle, one of Irving's best-known characters.

Some refreshing H2O with Girl Twin, in front of the Town Hall.

A quaint groomer for humans.

Some of the charming houses along the way (can you tell they're purple & pink?)

Checking out the Irvington peemail before heading for home.

Does your human take you to visit any cool historic places near where you live?

I've Been Tagged...

2009-06-25T16:21:00.001-07:00

...by my pal Twix! Thanks, Twix! I love playing games.

Here were my instructions:

1. Open your "My Photos" folder and select the 6th folder.
2. Select the 6th photo in that folder.
3. Post the photo along with the story behind it.
4. Tag 5 of your friends to do the same thing.
Sounds like fun, huh? You never know what might show up on someone's blog!!!

Well, my human has a gazillion picture folders. If she had followed the rules to the letter, she would've gotten a bizarre scanned photo from an old family album complete with bad '70s hair and clothes--scary! So in order to spare everyone that frightful sight, she bent the rules a little and stuck with just this year's folders. The 6th folder was this month, June, and here's the 6th photo (really and truly!):

I had just gotten this cool new toy from Boy Twin. My human realized that Sedona + Donut = Sedonut, so she took a bunch of pics for a Wordless Wednesday post. Note my still-wonky ears...this was before my most recent ear weight session, which was thankfully my last. Now my ears stay put!

So I'm tagging 5 new friends/groups of friends: Sierra, Brutus, Samantha, Woodrow, Sweetie & Marshall and Tucker, Daisy & Leo. Have fun, guys! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Wordless Wednesday - Down Dog (Yoga Pose)

2009-06-24T04:35:00.000-07:00

A Compromising Position

2009-06-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

I am entering the Sugarific Photo Contest! My pal Sugar the Bull Terrier is hosting a contest for doggies in places they're not supposed to be. Sugar is the Queen of compromising positions, just check out her blog!

Now, I have to say I'm a pretty well-behaved puppy (well, except for my counter surfing...and my occasional "accident" when it's raining and I don't feel like walking to the grass...and my habit of chewing on Legos and stuffed animals and Playstation controllers...and my love of shredding napkins and paper towels...OK, so I'm not that well-behaved! I'm still a puppy, after all...that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

But when it comes to being in places I don't belong, I have been pretty good...at not getting caught, that is! Ha!

The one forbidden place I like to hang out is the kitchen table bench...it's got a nice comfy cushion with little animals on the cover. When I hear my human coming, I jump off and she's none the wiser. But I know that Little Boy will keep my secret, so he's the one who took these pics. You should've seen my human's face when she downloaded the latest batch of pictures!

This is my non-chalant pose. If I don't see them, they can't possibly see me!

If that doesn't work, on to my innocent look: "I have absolutely no idea how I got up here, I swear!"

When all else fails, beg for forgiveness with a doleful expression. How can anyone stay mad at me?

I Deserve To Be Shot? What The...?!

2009-06-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh, my blog is worthy of being photographed...at least I think that's what this award means (yo no hablo Portuguese). It was given to me so generously by Tuffy and the Dog Woods Pack. Thanks, guys!

This award came with directions:

1. Post it to the blog and link to who gave it to you.
2. Choose 5 life
situations that could be repeated in slow motion and explain why.
3. List
twelve blogs and let them know you've given them the award.

Hmmmm, 5 things I'd like to repeat in slow motion:

1. Being 4 weeks old again, discovering puppy gruel for the first time with my littermate Foxy. I thought Mom's milk was good, but this stuff was waaaaaaaaay better! That's me in front with my paw in the dish...a chow hound from the get-go!

2. Chasing beach balls...maybe in slo-mo, I'd actually be able to catch one!

3. Biting water, one of my favorite pastimes, for the same reason as #2.

4. Chasing Boy Twin's radio-controlled truck, for the same reason as #2 and #3!

5. And last but not least, eating any of my favorite treats (like watermelon!), 'cuz in slo-mo the pleasure is prolonged (droooool).

And now, I'm supposed to pass this award on to 12 other deserving doggy blogs...I can't do 12, but here are six pawsome blogs that I think fit the bill: Lorenza, Thor, Selby and Her Dogs, Sienna, Meredith, and Mason Dixie!

Walk This Way

2009-06-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know about where you live, but here in New York we've had rain, rain and MORE rain. I'm keeping a lookout for Noah's ark. It's enough to drive a puppy bonkers! What, with no games of fetch, no tearing around the yard, no swimming after bumpers in the pool, all that pent-up energy and nowhere to unleash it (pun intended)...

Bored and sad...sad and bored...

But yesterday, we had a little window of glorious sun open up, so my human and Little Boy were able to take me for a walk! Oh, happy day!

First stop was to check out the neighborhood pee mail...everyone else was complaining about the rain, too!

Next was a visit to the babbling brook...I checked for ducks, but so far nothing. How am I supposed to learn to toll if I never meet a duck?!

Then, Little Boy wanted me to do my sled dog impersonation....

What do you think? Could I give the Huskies and Malamutes a run for their doggy biscuits?

On the way back home, we passed Jake the Maltese yapping at us from his window. Can you see his little head? Bet he was tired of being cooped up all week, too!

Almost home...when I know we're almost there, I grab my leash and walk myself the last steps of the way. My human actually thought she could break me of this habit by soaking my leash in Listerine (a tip given by our puppy kindergarten trainer). Little did they know, I don't mind that taste one bit (and it freshens my breath!).

By the way, it was too good to last...today, more rain! Harumph!

Wordless Wednesday - My portrait by Girl Twin

2009-06-17T04:26:00.000-07:00

Treat Me Well

2009-06-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

My Family does, I have to say. I get plenty of pats, kisses and squeezes (sometimes a little too hard from Little Boy), lots of games of fetch (including in the pool!), nice walks through our leafy neighborhood, playtime with my best friend across the street, Garth, a nice comfy crate bed, cool bandanas to wear (yes, I've succumed) and yummy kibble and treats.

I must confess: I am a Treat Addict. I usually get bits of cheese (cheddar, please), hot dog, leftover steak/chicken/etc, and store-bought yummies.

But I've been a little under the weather this weekend, so to cheer me up my human and Girl Twin made me doggy biscuits! They are SO much better than the store variety, let me tell you!

Here they are coming right out of the oven...can't you just smell that tempting aroma?!

It made such a big batch, we're going to share them with my neighborhood friends! We have a lot of interesting doggies around here...Garth is a PBGV, Jake is a Maltese, Samson is a Coton de Tulear, Lucy is a Labradoodle, Misty is a Bichon Frise, Dylan is a Poodle, and there's even a mean Landseer whose name I don't know, who everyone has told me to avoid like the plague as she picks fights with everyone. Luckily , I have yet to bump into her during my walks.

Wait a minute...that was a pretty long list of doggies to share my treats with. I hope there's enough left for me!!

Want your human to make you some too? Here's the recipe:

SEDONA'S BISCUITS

1 C. uncooked oatmeal

1/3 C. margarine

3 beef bouillon cubes, crushed

1 1/2 C. hot water

3/4 C. powdered milk

3/4 C. cornmeal

1 egg, beaten

3 C. whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 325F.

Place oatmeal, margarine and bouillon powder in a large bowl. Add hot water, stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Add powdered milk, cornmeal and egg; stir well. Add flour, half a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Knead 3 to 4 minutes, adding a little more flour if needed to make a stiff dough. Pat or roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters.

Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes.

Allow to cool completely; store in airtight container.

BONE APPETIT!

(Not) Forbidden Fruit

2009-06-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw my friend Twix chowing down on watermelon, I've been waiting for my turn to see if I like it.

Twix was right...it is DELISH!

It look a lot of good intense staring before my Family got the message that I wanted some, too.

But could they give me some then and there? Nooooooo...they had to go and make it a "teachable moment". Don't you HATE it when humans do that? Made me "sit" then "wait"...don't they know it's torture?!

Ahhhh, the first taste...

PURE BLISS!

This is the face of one happy puppy. Can you see my smile?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wordless Wednesday - "Sedonut"

2009-06-10T04:29:00.000-07:00

Coincidence...or Not? You Decide!

2009-06-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

After I tagged my pal Sienna with Sugar's "Sweetest Blog Award", I got to thinking about some strange coincidences between us two.

We're both bitches (I love being able to say that word with no fear of getting my mouth washed out with soap :-)

We're both puppies.

We're both Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers.

OK, OK, no big whup, right?

But how about this:

She lives in Stockholm, and my human's nephew lives in Stockholm...

Hmmmmm, starting to get interesting here...

Now for the really good stuff, for which you have to play the following video. For ambience. It's really an audio clip, but I couldn't figure out how to add an audio clip to my post. Hey, I'm only 5 months old with no opposable thumbs, what do you expect?!

Our names are both beautiful cities known for their red color:

Siena, Italy

Sedona, Arizona

And I saved the best for last...are you ready?

Our names are both minivans!

Toyota Sienna

Kia Sedona

So tell me, bizarre coincidence, or some strange force of Nature at work? Or do I just have too much time on my paws to do all this heavy thinking?

I'm Swimming!

2009-06-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've taken the plunge! After several practice swims with my human dad holding me around the middle, yesterday he finally let go and away I went:

Everyone was so excited for me! Especially my human...she sounds like a crazed stage mom but she just couldn't contain her enthusiasm.

And then, I made my big debut with my First Real Water Retrieve:

After such an exciting afternoon, I was so tuckered out I had to have a little cat nap right there on the deck...forget walking the extra 20 steps to my nice comfy crate bed!

It's going to be another glorious day here in NY and the neighborhood kids are coming over for a swim...I can't wait to show off my new skills!

But before I go, I have to share with you that I got my first Doggy Blog Award from Bijou:

Thanks so much, Bijou! I am honored. Now, I am passing this award on to the Toller puppy over in Sweden who inspired me to start my blog, Sienna. She is the cutest ball of fluff and has some of the best photography in the world of dog blogging. Go check her out!

Dog Vs. Bandana

2009-06-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

The Family has decided that I'm sufficiently beyond the puppy phase to try to clothe me. I'm a little too big to be sportin' any of those fabulous outfits that my pal Lorenza has (and she has a gazillion of them!). But I can definitely do bandanas. Or so they think. Hah! Silly humans!

Step One: Bite corner of the offending garment.

Step Two: Proceed to fall on the ground.

Step Three: Paw at the darn thing. Hands with opposable thumbs would be very useful right now.

Step Four: If all else fails, thrash about like a Tasmanian Devil. Extra points for rolling on your human's foot.

Fight's over. Bandana won. Actually, I got distracted by lots of yummy treats and forgot the thing was there.

Tomorrow's another day! I'll get it off yet.

Wordless Wednesday - High Five

2009-06-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Infamous Toller Scream

2009-05-31T06:14:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard a dog scream? We Tollers are known for ours...we do it when we're really excited about something! Some Tollers scream so enthusiastically that it sounds like they're being skinned alive. So far, I haven't displayed any screaming talent, which is just fine by my human.

Here is a nice description from Caliber Tollers' website:

The Scream - Many Tollers have a penetrating scream which they produce
to indicate excitement and eagerness. To the uninitiated, this can sound like
the dog is being fed into a wood chipper; it's high pitched, frantic and loud.
Not all Tollers scream, but many do. If you are unable to teach quiet manners,
or live in a neighborhood where dog noise will get you in trouble, or just don't
like dogs who make noise, this is not the breed for you. The scream is usually a
reaction to an exciting stimulus (water, a toy, a ball) rather than a constant
behavior, but it can be annoying.

If you'd like to hear a sample, check out this YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-hxFCkJljM

Caution...Toller Crossing!

2009-05-29T14:59:00.001-07:00

How spoiled am I that I have my very own crossing sign?!

My human saw this on e-Bay and had to have it.

She tried to get me to sit underneath it for a picture, but even her homemade liver treats couldn't entice me.

I got my Lyme vaccine booster yesterday and my rump is a bit sore. I actually had a rough time with this one...messed my crate in the middle of the night (something I've never done, even as a wee pup), tried to upchuck a couple times but nothing came up. I'm doing better now but my human was a little worried.

On a nicer note, I'm doing much better in my puppy kindergarten class! No more of that nasty Fear Period stuff...I'm back to my old self, showing up all the other puppies with my fast Toller learning curve.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-27T17:20:00.001-07:00

Do These Count As Water Retrieves?

2009-05-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

In my book, they do...I entered water, I retrieved, ergo Water Retrieve! No one said anything about having to actually swim!

Here was my first one, when I was just over 3 months old. This is our drained pool.

Retrieving the little bumper...

...and the big bumper (OK, so it's a noodle)!

And some day, I'll work up the courage to jump off the deck!

Baby Steps

2009-05-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

Joy, oh joy! My family opened their backyard pool this past weekend, and I'm finally getting acquainted with water! My human had seen a "Dog Whisperer" episode (she's a Cesar Milan groupie) with a Toller who was afraid of swimming, so she is being very cautious with introducing me to it. Apparently, that Toller had accidentally fallen into the pool when she was 8 weeks old, and her human jumped in to save her and proceeded to make a REALLY BIG DEAL about it afterward, which of course only served to make the puppy more fearful of water. Silly human! So Cesar worked with her to re-introduce her to the joys of swimming, and she did great.

So here's my human, encouraging me to take a walk on the little platform between the hot tub & the pool. Note my slightly baleful expression. I spent a few minutes walking back & forth from the deck onto the platform...so far, so good.

Here's Girl Twin, telling me the water's fine and I should just take a step in...I was curious, but not too eager to dip a paw in just yet.

Then, Little Boy started playing with the orange noodle, and I couldn't help myself...I just HAD to get over there to check it out!

And then Girl Twin made a hose out of the noodle and I got to play one of my favorite games...Bite the Water. Didn't taste quite as good as the stuff that comes out of the hose, but it was still fun!

I'm not quite ready to take the plunge yet, but I think I'll get there before the summer's through.

Pearly Whites

2009-05-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

One of my absolute favorite pastimes is having my teeth brushed. I would eat the entire tube of doggy toothpaste in one sitting, if I could get my paws on it. My human buys the peanut-flavored one. She usually brushes my teeth twice a week, if she can remember (not often enough, I say!).

My human's sister is a dental hygenist, and she actually scales her dog's teeth! I don't know how I'd do with a sharp implement scratching the surface of my teeth, but Lucy doesn't mind it one bit.

Why on earth would anyone bother with brushing our teeth, you ask? I have one word for you: tartar. That nasty stuff builds up (just like on you humans!) and can cause tooth decay. Not to mention smelly breath. Ah, the dreaded doggy breath...not comin' from me, I can assure you!

Speaking of teeth, my baby ones should start falling out any day now. My human is keeping her eyes peeled for them but so far, nothing. Is there such a thing as a Doggy Tooth Fairy? I would love to wake up and find some treats tucked under my crate bed!

Extreme Makeover, Toller-Style

2009-05-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

Some of us Tollers have ears that don't fall the way they should, in those nice inverted triangles. Mine are especially "wonky" (don't you love that term?), unfortunately. They seemed to start turning that way the day after I arrived at my family's home. My breeders had told my human to watch out for that, so she contacted them when it was obvious that my ears were turning all funky.

See what I mean?!

So the breeders very kindly told my human to bring me back, so they could do some "cosmetic adjustments". They showed her how to create weights out of a quarter sandwiched in between two pieces of moleskin and glued inside the ears (no, it doesn't hurt, I promise!). This will hopefully make my ear cartiledge grow the right way. It felt a little weird at first and I shook my head a couple times, but then I forgot they were even there. The ear hair eventually grows out and the moleskin falls off, so she will have to replace them many times until I'm 9 months old.

The improvement was immediate...the picture above on my blog header was taken the same day as my first set of ear-weights were attached. Now I look like a Toller is supposed to look!

Fear Factor

2009-05-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Did you know that many puppies experience a "fear period", sometimes more than once? The first is usually between eight and ten weeks old, and the second around four or five months old. Well, I did have the first one and I'm pretty sure I'm at the start of the second. My family started filling the swimming pool yesterday, so there's a constant low rushing sound coming from the pipes near my crate in the kitchen. ME NO LIKEY. It bugs me and freaks me out and I am not having any of it. I'm letting my displeasure be known by barking at the wall. I look like a crazy dog, I know. But I can't help it and at least my human knows there a reason for it. So I've relegated myself to my crate for most of the day and today, in puppy obedience class, I decided to not participate. Cowered against my human, stared at the wall, would've crawled under the carpet and not come out, if I could've. The instructor was completely understanding as she's dealt with this before.
This too shall pass. Hopefully by next week's class.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

2009-05-11T16:06:00.001-07:00

We puppies need a LOT of sleep. It's tiring business, growing from infant to adult in just one year! My human says I used to cat nap all the time when I was really little, like these shots taken when I was just over 9 weeks old. Look at that belly! But now that I'm an adolescent, there's just too many interesting things going on for me to waste much of my time on naps.

Yes, I actually am sleeping on my human's boots in that first shot. She wouldn't let me gnaw on them (that suede is just too tempting), but she did stay like that for a good 15 minutes, talking on the phone, so I could get 50 winks in.

Gifted and Talented, Puppy Version

2009-05-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

I hear there's something called the "Gifted and Talented" program at many schools in this country...my human takes exception to the phrase, as she says all kids are gifted and talented in their own ways, but don't get her started. In my case, however, the phrase is entirely apropos...just check me out, retrieving at the tender young age of 8 and half weeks old! Even tho' you'd think we Tollers start retrieving in utero, my human was careful to nurture this instinct early on. You see, my dad doesn't retrieve. He's a disgrace to the breed! (Just kidding, Dad!) My breeders said that in some dogs, the instinct needs to be stoked at an early age or else the window closes and the drive just falls by the wayside. So they started throwing things for me at around 7 weeks, and as you can see, I caught the retrieving bug from the get-go. My mom would mow me down just to get to a stick, so I must get it from her.

I also am proving to be a quick study at puppy obedience class. I am picking up commands left-and-right and my human is hopeful we can eventually compete in obedience and agility. That's one trait that drew her to the Toller breed, our intelligence (and our trainability and versatility and kid-friendliness, not to mention our looks!). Here I am, with my best buddy Wylie, doing the "down" command at 12 weeks. Shortly after this video, I learned the "sit" and "down" with just hand signals.

Homeward Bound

2009-05-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

This pic was taken one week before I went home with my family. They came to check me out in person before deciding if they wanted to wait for the next litter for their originally-planned pink-nosed boy Toller. One look was all it took! I have to admit, I was too cute for words...who could resist me? But apparently they wanted to be sure I wasn't a shrinking violet, as they needed a puppy that could stand up to the rigors of a 4 year-old and two 10 year-olds. I passed the test with flying colors...just check out my cool-as-a-cucumber attitude!

My family brought me home when I was 8 weeks old. I handled the 2 hour car ride home like a seasoned pro (except for pooping once then eating it before anyone could remove it from the crate...hey, at least I didn't throw up instead!)

My human's puppy-owning friends had warned her to expect a sleepless first week/s, but she was in for a pleasant surprise. You see, my breeders are very smart people. A week before I went to my new home, they had me start sleeping alone in a crate. I didn't like it much at first, but by the time my family took me home, I was completely used to it. I didn't even ask to be let out to pee in the middle of the night! Not even so much as a whimper.

My Puppyhood

2009-05-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

Despite my surprise entrance to the world, my early days were uneventful. That's me and my mom, Meriwether (with my sister Foxy tucked behind me). We were 5 days old when this pic was taken. Notice how Mom is stretched out on her back...I'm told my breed likes to do that! My human says I sleep in this position often.

Back to the pink nose/black nose thing...Tollers come in 2 color varieties. My dad, Rudy, has a pink nose (but I hear "flesh" is the correct term) with amber eyes. My mom, as you can see, has a black nose with dark brown eyes. Both varieties have the same red-gold coat with white markings, but the black-nosed Tollers usually have a darker red coat. Both are acceptable in the show ring. My sister Foxy got our dad's coloring and I got our mom's (cool, huh?). My human thinks that black-nosed Tollers are less and less common, so she gets excited when she sees others on the different Toller forums she subscribes to. Personally, I think both varieties are equally gorgeous!

Here I am in all my one-day glory!
My coat color was lighter as a young'un and is getting darker now that I'm an adolescent. In fact, my body color was lighter than my face color. The breeders told my human that it would all turn to the darker red shade right between my eyes, and they were right! Once I lost my peach-fuzz, the new hair came in darker, much to my family's delight. They say the darker the red, the better.

I also have very little white for a Toller. Most have a blaze or snippet on their face, socks or even stockings, and a definite tip on their tail. The only white on my face is right below my lower lip (if I were a boy, you could call it a goatee!), and my feet look like I barely stepped in white paint, just the toes. But the funniest part is my tail...I have about 10 white hairs at the tippiest-tip! I do have a lot of white on my chest tho', which is good 'cuz otherwise people would think I'm a Golden Retriever. Which many do anyway...silly humans! Tollers are NOT small Goldens, and don't you forget it!

And here I am at 2 weeks old. My nose, pink at birth, has already started to mottle to black. If you look closely, you'll see my cool white goatee!