DAY 87, Monday, 6/4/12

Bob went to Austin today and left me home alone for several hours. Thank goodness Tony came home at lunchtime to let me out. Tony is quickly becoming my favorite daddy.

Bob said he went to Costco in Austin to do some shopping, but I suspect that he actually went back to that bar that we went to before. Whaddya think, huh?

Remember my friend Cassie and her “mom” Sue? Well, Sue’s adoptive parents are in town for a visit, and I got to meet them tonight. They’re very sweet. I’m looking forward to letting them rub my belly some more before they go back home to California.

DAY 88, Tuesday, 6/5/12

Hey, did ya see that I'm a Daily Diary Pick again today? More later.

DAY 88, Tuesday, 6/5/12

A couple of weeks ago, Bob borrowed a special collar from Wendy, the trainer at PetSmart. It goes over my snout and is supposed to keep me from bolting. I hate the darn thing. Fortunately, for me, Bob couldn’t figure out to put the contraption on my, so I have a reprieve until he can get Tony to show him how it works.

DAY 89, Wednesday, 6/6/12

Man, it was hot out there today. And to make matters worse, Bob insisted on putting that gosh darn contraption on me—you know, the one that goes over my snout. I didn’t think Bob would be smart enough to figure out how to work it, but he did. It must’ve been luck. Anyway, I tried mightily to pull it off with my dew claws, but I just couldn’t get it.

DAY 90, Thursday, 6/7/12

Tony and Bob laughed at me tonight. I was lying on the linoleum floor by the front door (one of my favorite spots—I have several), minding my own business, when all of a sudden, I heard a baby crying in the living room. Well, naturally, I hightailed it over there only to find Tony and Bob on the couch staring at the big black box on top of the cabinet. I saw no baby, but I heard him cry again, so I turned to the black box and tilted my head to one side. There it was again: that cry. So, I tilted my head the other way and then back again, trying to figure out how that baby got inside that darn box. Tony and Bob just laughed at me. Well, maybe they won’t laugh so hard if they ever get stuck in a box and need someone to help them get out.

DAY 91, Friday, 6/8/12

Evil spirits lurk just beneath the grass on our lawn. Bob thinks I’m paranoid, but I know they’re there. I can smell them. Sometimes I pounce on them just like my ancestral wolves. One day, I’ll catch one of them, and I’ll be able to prove to Bob that they really do exist.

DAY 92, Saturday, 6/9/12

I told you there were evil spirits lurking in the grass. Today, when I was out walking Bob, I caught one of ’em. After I had bored my snout into the ground, Bob noticed that I was chewing. He looked in my mouth to see what it was, and there on my tongue sat one of those evil spirits. Tony said later that it was probably a cricket, in which case it wouldn’t hurt me. I’m not worried. It’s the cricket that should be worried. He’s the one that got eaten.

DAY 96, Wednesday, 6/13/12

Yeah, I know, I haven’t written in my diary for a few days. I’ve been on a vacation of sorts. There was no training session last week, and…well…let’s face it…Bob and Tony don’t exactly lead the most exciting of lives.

Nevertheless, training resumed tonight—the first night of the advanced class—and Bob did all right. We worked on heeling around other dogs. In other words, we tried not to be distracted. We still have some work to do in that area. We also have to practice the “drop it” command, but we’re getting there. Bob just has to make sure he has the right treats on hand.

There was a very little girl in the store—maybe 2 or 3 years old—and she and I had a grand time playing with each other. We also had a new participant in the class, a pit bull/retriever mix, and she and I practically fell in love with each other. I’m looking forward to seeing her again next week.

DAY 97, Thursday, 6/14/12

I’ve devised a new way to play hide-and-seek. I just toss my bone under the sofa (usually by accident) and wait to see how long it takes Bob or Tony to find it. They’re usually kinda slow to catch on, so I have to bark a few times until they figure it out.

DAY 98, Friday, 6/15/12

Decisions. Decisions. Sometimes when I’m outside, I’ll be crouched, all set to poop, when I see a cricket stir in the grass. So, what am I supposed to do, go on with my business or chase the cricket? Why does life have to be so complicated?