It ain't easy being green....

It is hard to be the funny looking kid. I mean, c'mon, we all KNOW I'm adorable, but there aren't a lot of other dogs that look like me. Mommy says that makes me special. I like being special, but I like having fur-ends too. Sometimes new people and doggies think because I'm big that I might be mean. But I'm not! Anyway, my friend Agnes is helping me out. She told her other basset fur-ends that I'm a good Black Russian Terrier. Some of them want to be my fur-ends now. That makes me very happy. So thank you to all my basset fur-ends (and other fur-ends too) for being buddies with me!

*Note from Ztyxie's mommy: Ztyx is so happy to have new fur-ends. She just wags her tail and sleeps contentedly all day now. Oh wait. That's what she did before too....

Summertime, and the livin' is easy . . .

I like summertime. I got a spiffy new haircut that is short. Mom says it is so that when I go swimming in the Potomac River I don't smell like "wet dog." I don't know why she gets offended. I mean, I sometimes AM a wet dog. I don't complain when she showers and smells like "wet Mommy," but I digress . . .

Anyway, this haircut is pretty good. It is not as hot. Because it is awfully hot outside. But that is ok too. Mom let's me have special treats. I occassionally get bowls of some cold, white stuff. Mom calls it "ice cream." I'm not sure exactly what "ice cream" is, but its really good. I think dogs should get "ice cream" every day. That would be great!

Today is something Mom calls July 4th. I don't understand why that is more special than July 3rd, but Mom says it is. And she got to stay home with me today. And that is way better than when she goes to work on Mondays, so I'm not complaining. But she says that there will be some "poppers in the sky" tonight. I guess the sky will look pretty, but the loud noises might scare me, so I have to stay inside. Which means I won't even get to SEE the pretty poppers in the sky. I'm a little disappointed about that . . .Maybe I can convince Mom to let me stay inside with some of that "ice cream" . . . That would be A-OK with me!

Ok, well I think it might be time for me to take another nap. My bed looks lonely . . .

My brother Tigger tricked me!!

So my mom had to "take a trip" or something over Memorial Day weekend. I don't really understand why she'd WANT to go away without me and my brother Tigger, but that is beside the point.

Tigger has been setting this one up for a LONG time. He keeps telling me how good kitty food is. He says its better than my Ztyxie food. And who knows. It smells good. Maybe it IS better..... The thing is, I'm not sure. See, mom keeps it up on the counter so I can't get it. Because when Tigger's bowls are on the floor, I steal his food. Mom says that is not nice. I say all is fair in love and war. Mom frowns when I tell her that. So I haven't gotten to "taste" any of the kitty food in a long time.

So I stayed with my favorite Aunt this weekend while mom was away. And my Aunt fell for my puppy eyes. Well, that and if she didn't give in I'd "taste" my friend AgnesMarie's food (check out AgnesMarie -- she's on my "friends list"). So my Aunt would give me a little dollop of her kitty's food on my bowl so I wouldn't wander from my bowl to Agnes'. Her kitty gets way better food than Tigger. Tigger had told me to be on the lookout for the jackpot of kitty food......WET FOOD.

And my Aunt had WET FOOD. I thought I'd gone to heaven.

Until my tummy revolted. Now my tummy has been upset for days. And Tigger watches me run to the back door and cry to get out. And he laughs and laughs and laughs....

That Tigger is mean. Just wait until I tell HIM about some good treats he should be on the lookout for. It all smells so good!!! Spoiled milk! Marinated garbage! Mmmmmm... Stay tuned for a story of revenge one of these days..... in the meantime, my tummy hurts. I'm going to go take a nap....

I love getting my way...

So, I was thinking about how easy it has been to train my mom. I mean, really. I told her I wanted to sleep in HER bed. She didn't think so. But she's come around. You see? I TRAINED her. And now I let her think that its OUR bed. It's really MY bed. I share it. But it's MINE....but shhhhh....don't tell!

Anyway, I really thought about this today when I took mom for a walk. Mom and her friend decided to take a walk in the nice spring weather today. And I told them that they wanted to take me. So they did.

We went to a nice restaurant for something mom calls "brunch." She says brunch is nice. I don't know what she was thinking. We had to sit outside, and a table that didn't have a dogbed nearby for me. And mom expected me to just lay quietly on the ground while she ate! Ridiculous. I am ZTYX. I mean, really. That was just unacceptable.

So I looked really sad. I rested my chin on the table. I wagged my tail and sat sweetly. I made all the people walking by stop to pet me and talk to me. Everyone loved me. This was perfect. It convinced mom's friend to give me a sausage link. That was so YUMMY!!!

After brunch, we walked to a park. It was kind of hot out (hey -- I'm wearing a fur coat, a BLACK fur coat!) so I made mom walk me near the water. I love swimming. Mom didn't want me to go swimming. Something about me smelling up her car with "wet dog smells." Whatever.

I decided I should swim. So I did. I went wading in the Potomac River. It felt SOOOO good.

I love getting my way :)