Summer

I love summer. I love swimming. I love my mom taking me to the park. I just love it. Mom keeps saying that rally obedience has really paid off cause I "listen" to her when we are out and about and around other dogs that keep wanting to play with me. I love going to the dog park and hanging out in the back field and playing fetch. I chase down that ball so fast so no other dog can get it, but then i take my time running back to mom. Mom laughs at me cause I guess I get this really intense, focused look on my face as I wait for her to throw the ball. NOTHING will distract me. I want that tennis ball BAD. Other dogs will come up to me and sniff me and try and get me to play by pawing at me, but I don't even notice them cause i keep my two eyes on that tennis ball!!!!!

And swimming...I love swimming. Who doesn't? Oh wait, my sister doesn't. My Aunt Sheila lives with my sister Novi and they try and get Novi to swim, but evidently she doesn't want to get her hair wet. A catahoula that doesn't like to swim?? it's crazy! We have webbed feet so we can swim!!!! Novi is just silly.

Mom told me today that at the end of August I get to spend 10 days with Aunti Moc!!! I love her! She's the best trainer in the world. I love going out ot her ranch. There are other dogs (but I don't get to play with them) and goats and chickens and so many good smellies. Mom said Moc might even teach me how to track. But I already track naturally, so we'll see what happens. I'm just so excited I'm wiggling on the inside. I get to spend 10 days of working non-stop. It's my dream come true!!!!

I am STRONG!

Well, the last two days, I've really shown mom and dad what a big doggie I've become! I've got muscles and I want to use them!!!!

First off, last night mom was sitting on some sort of extra large ball that she refers to as a "fitness ball." I really don't like this. Normally I just bark and bark and try and bite the ball, but last time she had me working while she did sit ups on it and so I sat patiently next to her. but last night I showed her how I really feel about the fitness ball! I saw her sitting on it and came running full speed for her and jumped on her and the ball. I was able to use my muscles so much that I knocked my mama off the ball! Then I was able to move in for the kill. I jumped on the ball and barked and then took one, big bite! Wah-la! Death to fitness ball!!!!

Later, when I played tug with my daddy, I was able to really show off my muscles!!! Daddy was lying on the ground hanging on to my toy and I tugged like normal. But then I turned on the juice and started showing mom and dad what I can REALLY do! So I tugged and tugged and dragged daddy across the floor!!!

Yep, I'm strong. They better not forget it!!!

Rally Obedience part II

I'm starting to really like this rally obedience that mom has been taking me to! I'm now used to all the standard poodles and they also bore me and so I don't pay very much attention to them anymore. I've figured out that if I do what mom asks me to do while out on the course, she gives me lots of liver treats! wooo-weee! I get so excited and I just wiggle when we are out there. Some of the stuff is kind of confusing....like when we have to weave between these cones. mom doesn't give me enough space and I end up knocking over the cone and then the teacher talks about how many "points" would be taken off. Who cares about points? I'm getting food!!!

I did show mom something new about me though. The teacher tried to demonstrate something with me and I REFUSED to go with her on leash. NO WAY! She's not my mom! It really surprised my mom though cause I'm so friendly with everyone.

During our last class, we did our last run through on the rally course off leash! mom was up there apologizing to everyone in ADVANCE for me misbehaving! She has no faith!!!! So just to show her that I'm full of surprises, I was super good and stayed with her during the course while being free of the leash! I didn't try and go near the people or other dogs. I stayed focused on my mamma!

Woof! Woof!

High paw to all!

Rally O class

Last week, mom stuck me in the car and drove me to my first rally obedience class. It's the first time I've been in a class with other dogs and boy, was I excited!!! The instructor was a bit of a bore though. So when she was talking, I would just sit there and yawn LOUDLY and sigh heavily so everyone would know that I was b-o-r-e-d. When mom was trying to teach me stuff, I decided I would pull her around the room sniffing at all those good sniffies. Later she told me that I embarassed her. CAn you believe it????

Later the punk golden retriever that had been growling at me all throughout the class got on my nerves and when he growled, I barked and lunged back! Then I got in trouble from the teacher!!!! I couldn't believe it. I think I'm misunderstood. I was in the class with all these poodles and man, are they flashy!!! They had their toenails painted and were all combed and puffed up!! I sat down next to three of them in a row and just had to laugh cause I was thinking of a picture in my head. Three poodles and me....the working dog. Woo-wooo!!!

Well, we're getting ready to go to our second rally obedience class. I think I might be a punk again, but we'll see how I feel. Maybe I'll be easy on mom today. She did take me for a long walk and then played fetch with me for a very long time. ;-)

new picture maker

My mom just a got a new "camera." I'm not sure what this is. She has me posing all over the place and she's constantly snapping away with the darn thing!!! Sometimes I just run straight towards her and lick the camera. Hee, hee. She always says "Oh MANGO!" I'm kind of used to the attention now and feel like I'm being followed by the paparazzi. Sometimes when I see she has the camera out, I'll just walk by and give her about 4 really good poses and then keep on walking. HA! I know I look good!!!

A few weeks ago, we had SNOW!! Woo-hoo! That was exciting. I couldn't help myself and I just ran around woo-wooing so the neighbors could hear how excited I was!

Oh!!! And mommy has started to let me sit on the couch with her when she watches tv. It's so nice to be up on the couch with my people and to spoon with them. Mom doesn't like it when I go up on the couch without her permission though. She'll make me go back to my pillow. I have to be invited onto the couch. So far, she keeps inviting me, so I must be doing some good! Mom has a routine. She'll make me sit on the pillow and then she gets under the blanket and gets all comfortable. I watch her really intensely waiting for her to say "up, up!!!" and when she does, I LEAP onto her lap!!!

Happy Birthday to me!!

Yesterday was my birthday...well, that's what mom saying to me. She kept singing "Happy Birthday...Mr. Mangooooo." It seemed like a regular day to me. I woke up, ran around the yard, got to go on a walk, ate the rug....did normal doggie stuff. I'm really glad mom didn't make me wear a funny hate and make me do silly human things. I like doggie things!!! So yep, I'm now officially one year old!!!! I haven't seen my sister Novi in a while...I wonder if I"ll get to see her soon. I think if I behave very nicely to mom and dad and don't jump all over them and try to treat them like a littermate, I may be able to see Novi soon.

We shall see though. Jumping all around like a crazy puppy is kind of worth it!!!!

oh wow

I'm still so excited to be back home! This morning, I was extra excited when my daddy woke up. Mom had me on the leash and when I saw my daddy (aka my BFF), I was so excited that all four of my paws came off the ground and I jumped up about 2 feet! Mom started laughing at me and said she wishes I greeted her that way! But, I know she doesn't really mean that. She would not be happy if I jumped up that way with her. I'm smart...I know she doesn't always mean what she says!

We had a houseguest this weekend too. She's my cousin Lulu's mamma. Lulu is a beagle and I love her.

Home sweet home!!!

Yee-haw! Today mom and dad came and picked me up from Moc's Charm School! I had to sit in the car for a VERY long time while Moc explained all the things we had done while I was at camp and they were on vacation. Mom told me that Moc said I was a stellar dog during my last week there! I can do what they want me to, they just need to be consistent!

Being home is so nice, but at the same time, things are very different. Mom has lots more rules for me at home than before I was off at school. I have to sit before exiting or entering EVERY single room! Mom and dad seem to think that I like to take advantage of them letting me roam free. Ok, I admit it, maybe I do....but it's my thing! If they aren't going to lead, then I'll just take over! Why not? I'm totally qualified for the job. I can hunt, protect, come up with good ideas....and I'm totally handsome.

I really hope mom and dad do keep me in check and make me follow the rules cause then my life is so much easier. I know what they want me to do and what is expected and I won't mess up. I certainly do not like making mistakes and messing up, but mom and dad confuse me. I'm really glad Moc sat them down and talked to them about this cause Moc proved that I can be a perfect dog.

When I first saw mom and dad, I wanted to jump up and say hi, but didn't cause I know that even though I love jumping all over them, they don't like it very much. Well, dad told me he likes it but that it makes mom "bitchy." I don't really understand "bitchy," since mom is a female and all.

Camp!

On Saturday, mom put me in the car and we drove for a very long time. I'm used to the ride though. We used to go see one of my favorite people. Her name is Moc and she speaks my language and I get to do lots of work with her! I think mom says that i'm being "trained," but i feel like finally someone knows what I'm thinking!!! So here I am, at Moc's Charm School while mom and dad are in Vegas. I'm working my little behind off and I love it!!!!

I can't wait for mom and dad to come back. I miss my giant bean bag chair that I get to sleep on while they watch movies. Oh and I miss chasing the cat! Too bad I'm starting to learn what "leave it" really means!!!!

What a Saturday!!!

Whew...today was tuff. I woke up mom so I could go outside and play and roll around in the backyard. She complains that I've made this so called "grass" stuff disappear and now only dirt appears. I love dirt! Then she put me in the car and took me to a place that I haven't been to since I was 4 months old. It smelled somewhat familiar and when the woman came out from the back and took hold of my leash, I knew something was up. I thought I heard mom say something about how I don't like being restrained. I know good things don't happen in the back room.

Next thing I knew, I was up on a table and this lady was trying to hold me down and clip my nails!!! She had to call in a second person. The two of them tried to hold me down and clip my nails, but I wasn't having it!!!! So they called in ANOTHER human. With all three of them holding me down, they managed to clip my nails. As soon as they let go, I attempted my escape and jumped from the table. They managed to catch me in mid-air so I wouldn't hurt myself. My guess is that my leash was attached to something.

Boy was I happy to see mom again!!! Once the leash was in her hands, I just laid down on the floor and chilled out. The lady that took me in back gave my mom some sort of talk about how I was stubborn (can you believe it???) and how it took THREE humans to hold me down. She then continued to tell my mom about how important it is to get me used to being held down. Even tattled on me on how I jumped from the table and refused treats. Mom said she would try her best with this one.

I hate being restrained. I just hate it!!! I have the will of a lion! I'm relentless. Ain't nothing gonna hold me down!