Brother=fetch

I was very leery of the new guy Mom and Sister came home with. Zoe went crazy, Drover was friendly but I hung back. I was shy.
I soon realized that this guy was Brother. He is an ok guy.
After everyone got settled in and visited and stuff, he took us all outside.
He played with Zoe then she got tuckered out and went inside. He played with Drover. He played and played with me. He threw the ball and I would fetch it. Over and over we did this. I was starting to get tired! I would fetch the ball but either hold it or drop it and pick it up quick before Brother could get it. This is the way I let people know I need a break.
But then we would play some more.
I slept very well last night.

Mom is proud of me

We were out in the yard. I was playing fetch with Mom and a plain tennis ball. Somehow the ball bounced up and over the fence. It landed over in the neighbor's pasture. This happened onc time before. Mom opened the other yard gate and out I went with her. I was a little bit crazy in the front yard but then Mom told me to find my ball. I remembered how to get over there. I had to run around for awhile because I couldn't find that ball. But I did find it! Then I ran back into our front yard. I remembered the way, last time, I ran around and went in the garage for a bite of cat food. But Mom told me no and I was a good dog. I came back in the side gate like she wanted me to. Even though Drover was going terriorist and acted like he was going to eat me. Mom was proud that I didn't go around to the garage.
All three of us played for awhile more and then the Schnauzers went inside.
Woo Hoo! Mom and I played with the Chuck-It out in our place. The first throw, the ball got stuck in some netting. I knew it was up there but I couldn't reach it. Mom fished it out. Then we played and played.
Then I made Mom proud again. When it was time to come back in the yard I ran around to the garage door. Mom takes a bit more time because she has to close a walk-through gate. When she got around there I had dropped the ball but I hadn't gone inside for a snack! Wow! You would've thought that was the most amazing thing in the world the way Mom made over me. She told me I was a good boy. When we came in the yard I needed a drink of water but then she hugged on me and told me I was such a good boy.
I like to make Mom proud. It is a good feeling.

They call it a walk

Whoo Hoo! Mom took the two Schnauzers away. I stayed at home with Sister. I was a nervous wreck inside so she let me out. I relaxed. Then Mom got back.
She finished watching some of It's Me Or the Dog. We tried to play a game she learned on there. It's called Touch and if I touched her hand with my nose I got a treat. Only problem: Touch and Tux sound a lot alike, don't you think? I did fine with the game though. Love those treats.
Then, oh this gets good, we went for a walk! I really shouldn't call it a walk. I got to run and fetch an old tennis ball. We didn't bring along the Chuck-It because it is real muddy out where we went. We didn't want to spoil my nice orange and blue ball. Or it could have gotten lost! Yikes!
But it worked just fine with the old faded ball. While I was sniffing stuff, I would drop the ball and leave it there. Mom would pick it up and throw it. I would run and fetch. Good times!
When we got over the ditch I was able to run ahead on the little road (don't worry, no vehicles this time of year) and sniff tons of good sniffing stuff. So many different kinds of scents, I can't even begin to identify them. There had been cows for sure. Mom was glad I was carrying my ball by then and didn't try to sample a cow pie.
We got to a gate and turned around and headed back. When we got over the ditch again Mom put a leash on me. She didn't want me running ahead into the road where there might have been some vehicles. I walked pretty good on the leash, of course, I was going a bit slower on the way back. We haven't been off the place in months.
I got a good drink when I got back in our yard. I couldn't get in the garage for a cat food snack. The door was closed. :-(
Now I am relaxing inside. I think Mom is going to trim my nails in a bit. Then it will be about time for the Schnauzers to come home.
Sure hope I can go for another walk/run/fetch time real soon.

Please pray

Mom received an email from the shelter people that took me in. The man has a brain tumor. This is so not right. He needs to be able to continue helping as many animals as he can. Please pray for him to heal.
Here is a part of the email Mom got.

We found out on Dec. 7 that Ron has a brain tumor. We have been in SLC month of Dec., Jan and part of Feb. Finally home and enjoying being here. He went through 33 treatments of Radiation and Chemo. Will start Chemo again on Monday for 5 days on, 21 days off. Trying to shrink the tumor as it is inoperable. So we are praying for a miracle. I just know that God will answer our prayers… Sure never expected this one..

A poem I didn't write

I sure am glad my Mom wanted me.


Mother Doesn't Want a Dog
by Judith Viorst

Mother doesn't want a dog.
Mother says they smell,
And never sit when you say sit,
Or even when you yell.

When you come home late at night
And there is ice and snow,
You have to go back out because
The dumb dog has to go.

Mother doesn't want a dog.
Mother says they shed,
And always let the strangers in
And bark at friends instead

They do disgraceful things on rugs,
And track mud on the floor,
And flop upon your bed at night
And snore their doggy snore.

Mother doesn't want a dog.
She's making a mistake.
Because, more than a dog, I think
She will not want this snake.

Where did they go?

We were all happily playing and sniffing around in the yard. Mom had me come inside. She told me she would be right back and to be a good boy. I heard the car pull out of the drive.
Soon the car pulled back in and Mom let me out of the house.
No Schnauzers! Where did they go? I was very happy to see Mom but I sure couldn't find the Schnauzers anywhere.
Mom and I came inside. I had been a good boy. Then we went outside and played with the Chuck-It! I was so excited about that that I just ran around and around for awhile before I dropped the ball for Mom to toss. We played for awhile in our "pasture" and then came back into the yard.
A couple of the garage cats came over to visit. Scooter likes to have Mom pet her. Puffy likes me. We sniff each other and he rubs on me. He's nice. He even came inside when Mom and I were ready to come in. He ran downstairs. Mom and I went to look for him but he was already back upstairs and ready to go out.
Then I rested, restlessly.
The phone rang, Mom left, Mom came back with the Schnauzers.
All is right with my little world.

Lately I've noticed

You know how I have a taste for Schnauzer poop? I know, sounds disgusting. It is part of me. I would never eat my own poop though. That Is disgusting.
But lately the poop isn't so appealing. Mom has been putting some white powder on all of our food. Probiotics she calls it. Could it be that it is making the Schnauzer poop not so appetizing?
Not sure, but Mom is happy to have to pick up more poop.

A quick visit

Mom was throwing a tennis ball for me in the backyard. It has gotten very muddy out in our pasture/weed patch so we haven't been out there with the Chuck-It in a few days. Actually the last time we went out there, there was a Great Big Puddle, more like a pond really. Mom tested me on if I would fetch the ball out.
I did. She tossed it in there about 3 times and then we just played on the snow and stuff.
But this afternoon we were just playing fetch in our yard. Somehow the ball bounced against some snow or shrub or something and up and over the fence it went. Right into the neighbor's pasture!
Mom was going to go get it but I had seen where the ball landed. She opened up the side gate. I got to go right into the front yard. I ran around like crazy until she called me over to the corner of our yard. She told me to get the ball. I crawled under the neighbor's gate and ran around for a quick minute. I realized Mom was telling me to get the ball. So that is what I did.
I came back into the front yard. But I went Around the house to the other gate, the gate we use when we go out to play Chuck-It. Only I didn't actually go to the other gate.
The walk-through garage door was part way open for the garage cats to come and go. Now, I am not supposed to do this but there is cat food in a dish in there so I went in and helped myself. I had pretty much cleaned up that bowl of food when I heard Mom using her angry voice and telling me to get outta there. I forgot to pick up the tennis ball. I had dropped it in there. I started back for the ball, grabbed another quick bite of cat food and then Mom invited me through the gate back into the yard.
Lots of fun! Oh, and we just came back in from barking at a couple of dogs wandering around across the road. Barked those dogs away.
Time to relax by the wood stove.

Trying to help

I was just trying to help Mom. I am a good boy.
my pal Joey was just barking in her diary about eating the yummy poopcicles in her yard. I got hollered at for cleaning up the yard. I was going for nice, warm, fresh-out-of-the-pup poop. Mom saw me. Mom saw Drover pooping and me cleaning up.
I didn't get a doggie cookie when I came in the house.
Maybe I will wait for the poopcicles. Maybe Mom won't see me hunting for those. I have to be fast though. She is quick with that pooper scooper.

Near Zero Chuck-It

While it is toasty warm inside, outside is a different story. Mom watched the weather widget on her laptop this morning. The single digit numbers got smaller and smaller. Once there was a minus sign in front of the number.
But it is sunny and no wind, even if the widget still shows a single digit. So this afternoon she and I went out to our snow covered acreage and played fetch with my Chuck-it and one of my new genuine Chuck-It balls. (Thank you! Zaidie!)
It is So Much Fun! I love to carry the ball and just run around! Mom will throw the ball with the Chuck-It. I run like a crazy dog and find the ball. Sometimes the ball rolls on the snow. Sometimes the ball plops down into the snow. That is a challenge to find the ball, but I run around and around sniffing, sniffing, sniffing until I find that ball!
I love to feel the ball in my mouth. The ball gets all snowy and then icy. It gets heavy and even with the Chuck-It, Mom can't toss it as far. I over-anticipate where the ball will land. There was one toss, I couldn't find that ball. I ran around looking and sniffing. Mom would tell me to find the ball. I ran all over the place. Mom walked to where she *thought* the ball had landed. She couldn't find it either!
But never fear! Don't panic! Just as Mom was telling me it was a lost cause and we would have to wait for the spring thaw, I had the ball in my mouth!
I am that good at Chuck-It fetch.