My New Nametag [11.16.09]

Big Mama had me get in the mansion tonight so she could put my new nametag on my collar. She said it's my new necklace to show off. All of us got a new one today.

Frodo doesn't have his own collar yet. Big Mama had to order new ones last week. He'll have some bling to show off along with a new collar in a day or two. Cloudi already got a collar when she checked into Camp. There must have been more big collars in the milk bucket than puppy ones last week.

Last week gave us a new brother & sister; this week gives us all new nametags. The best thing about my nametag is it has my first, middle, & last name on it plus my street address. It's just like Mojo's & Shylee Sweet's & Georgie Girl's & Romi's tag. Do you know what that means?

I GET TO STAY HERE FUREVER!

Big Daddy has said since I came back to Camp in May that I might as well be a furever dog since it is going to take a really special person to get approval to adopt me.

Well, Big Mama just made it official by giving me a last name on my nametag! It's a real relief, I have to tell you. Not that I worry about leaving Camp & going to the wrong family ever again; but it feels good to be a part of a family for real & not just as a foster.

Big Mama made a big to-do out of putting my collar with my new nametag around my neck, just like she does when the new Campers check in. She said someday maybe somebody special & smart enough will come along & want me to be their very own pup, but until that day, I am a safe & sound Camper of Chaos.

Pet Me Next!

This morning I am going to walk to the front of the line when Big Mama awakes & comes out to give us all love! Yesterday I got a little bit of scratching behind the ears when she was filling our water bowls. It feels a little different when I'm not in bed with her, but it still feels good, just more invasive. I don't feel as safe when she pets me & she's on her 2 feet rather than lying down. I know if she's standing she could grab me or chase me & grab me if she wanted. Most of the time she doesn't grab me, so I'm going to take a chance & give her a shot.

We played catch in the back yard last night while Big Daddy built a prison around a baby tree. I wish he wouldn't keep them away from me with bars. I don't know why he does that because I really like trees.

I had the best time last Spring when he planted a weeping willow. It had the prettiest long swaying limbs that were a lot of fun to jump up & grab. After I had them so short I couldn't reach them, the bark was good for chewing. This year it hasn't been as much fun to chew on. It's just a dead trunk sticking out of the ground. Big Daddy shakes his head & looks at me when he talks about it. I guess I enjoyed it a little too much last year. Yep, thanks to me the weeping willow is dead & all new trees are put in jail. I guess it should be considered a strength Big Daddy to recognize my weaknesses!

Kisses Aren't So Bad

Big Mama has been driving me nuts lately, puckering up her lips, making smacking sounds, & telling me to give her kisses. What the hey? Mickey is here visiting us for a week & he said she used to do the same thing to him before he graduated. I decided I'd give kissing a try lately & it's not so bad. I have had issues with hitting the mark & ended up with my tongue up her nose. She was shocked enough that it scared me away, but the next time I missed my mark she was ready for it & didn't freak out. I still try to aim away from the nose, but it sticks out & is so in the way. A turtle can't help that it can't rollover from its back once it's stuck their either. God just made stuff that way sometimes. So it's not my fault if the rosie nosie gets a bath.

The petting part of being a companion isn't so bad either. I've been working on my nerves, trying to stay calm, & hang out in bed with Big Mama when she jumps in & invites all of us to join her. Yesterday she said I was doing better than ever & she is really proud of me.

I'm digging this learning stuff. First it was catch, then it was kiss, now it's get petted. Next week is jogging! Granted, I don't dig walking where cars & loud noises are, but I'll keep trying!

Not Sleeping Alone Now!

Yesterday our friend Jen came over with a new buddy, Lily. She's a little bitty nugget, lots smaller than me. She's real shiny black & super soft, too. We're sharing the manion together now. So no more lonely nights for this girl! Not that we spoon or anything, but it is nicer to have someone to talk to as we're going to sleep.

Seems like Lily had to live on the streets for a while before she got to check into Camp. She's so pretty, I don't know how she made it on the streets. Probably people just kept driving & left her alone, thinking she was in her own front yard pooping & her people were waiting in the nice cool living room for her to scratch at the door. Yeah, she's that kind of dog where nobody would ever guess she'd be abandoned & all by herself.

But not anymore! Lily is safe & sound & going to New York! Then I'll be alone again. But we do have some little nuggets as in young, not tiny. They're as big as Little Lily even though she's full grown & their not. I'm sure one of them will move into the mansion with me after Lily graduates.

Sleeping Alone in the Mansion

It's been a long time since Sadie left Thursday. I'm not sure how long, but I know it's not as much fun without her. Big Mama said there will be a new girl who can sleep with me here this Thursday. Me & Thursdays are gonna have a love / hate relationship.

Penny is a shepherd girl like me & we're even close to the same age. I may be a little older, & she may be a little bigger, but I bet we get along just fine. I hope so at least. I wander around a lot at night if I don't sleep in the mansion. Last night I did sleep at the foot of the bed with Mojo. It was kind of nice so I'll keep working to adjust for the next couple of days at least. If it doesn't work out, I know we'll have a new girl here Thursday...

What Do You Mean, Thursday?

This morning Big Mama was telling Sadie she only has 2 more days before her big adventure. I can't believe it. I don't really know what Thursday is or how long 2 days lasts, but it doesn't sound like a long time. Sadie is my best friend. We're roommates, sharing the mansion with each other at night and while the Bigs work. I am going to be all alone after Thursday. Do you know if days can be avoided? I know how these big adventures go, mind you. I took one myself, going to and coming from a furever home. Obviously it didn't work out like my middle family thought it would, so here I am, back at Camp Chaos, which is heaven, by the way.

I know that when Sadie takes her big adventure, it will be better than mine. She's so friendly & loving & sweet. She's also a huge goofball, which I love. We have the best times together. I will miss her really bad. Big Mama said she'll have two girls as well as a mama & a daddy. She also gets a huge fenced-in yard all to herself. While she's way up there learning to play fetch, I'll be down here playing catch with Big Mama. I'm getting really good at it.

I can catch just about anything from my 3-6 feet distance. Yesterday, I started working on the jump-to-the-side-and-glide catch. Big Mama said I was very impressive & we'll play again today when she gets home from the office. I want that to get her quick! But does that mean Thursday will be here quicker, too? These are the questions that plague me...

There Are Bunnies in the Yard!

There are bunnies in the yard! There are bunnies in the yard! There are bunnies in the yard! [pant, pant, pant] Everybody, come look! There are bunnies in the yard!

When I peeped out the bedroom window yesterday, Big Daddy was feeding a bunny rabbit a carrot! My carrot, by the way, but the cool thing was the bunny was eating it while he was still holding it! The bunnies stay around our neighbor's home. Recently they escaped from another neighbor who kept them in a cage on the back porch. Big Mama is torn between being happy that they are free from their cage and being afraid they will be eaten by hawks, owls, or roaming dogs. I would love to chase them if they would come into our yard to play. I prefer not leaving our yard, so it wouldn't do me any good for them to invite me over to their yard for a game of chase.

I'm tired, gonna get some rest now. Big Mama should be home soon and I want to be rested up for it. I know she'll play catch with me...

Oh What A Night...

Oh what a night! The Stars are shining and the moon is bright. Oh what a feeling, what a night!

Wonder why I'm so happy about last night? It's because we got to sleep without Juno yapping to be set free from her mansion. That little girl has some pipes and she's not afraid to use them. Sadie and I both barked at her to tell her to stop for the nights prior, but she just kept on barking. Big Mama didn't even know which bark meant, "I gotta go potty" because she just wouldn't shut up. Reminds me of the good ol' days when Constantine would get kenneled by his lonesome self.

Last night, Big Daddy let Big Mama break the cardinal rule of fostering and Juno got to sleep in bed with them. In the middle of the night, we saw Big Mama carrying her tiny bundle of yap to the back door so she could produce a tiny bundle of crap...ha! Love it when I rhyme. Anywho, they came back in and went back to bed.

This morning Big Daddy decided he was going to play with Juno in bed as everyone rubbed the sleep out of their eyes. Then, you guessed it, Juno's belly was rubbed, she got tickled, and she pee-peed all over Big Daddy. He wasn't tickled about it or seeing the pile of pooh on Mojo's blanket, which answered the question, "Mojo, why aren't you sleeping on your blanket?" If only Mojo had words to speak, I would to hear his reply. I bet it wouldn't rhyme, but it would be funny, I'm sure.

Adelade slept indoors last night because Big Mama closed the doggie door. She has enjoyed sleeping on the comfy furniture that's outdoors, but Big Mama & Big Daddy don't like her to sleep outside with all the bugs and being by herself. I love Adelade, but even I won't sleep outside in the dark. I prefer the hardwood floors with a dog bed, thank you very much, which is where I am now, enjoying my afternoon nap & waiting for Big Mama to get home from work. I wonder if she'll give us a Charlee Bear or some doggie crack when she gets home...

I Love Adelade!

This week a new girl came to live at Camp Chaos. Big Mama named her Adelade and sometimes calls her Addie. She is so cool! I love getting in her face and giving her kisses. Well, I try to give her kisses. She's a little more accepting now after knowing me a few days. She growled at me and everyone else the first couple of days. Not a mean growl, just a growl to let me know we hadn't known each other long enough to be exchanging saliva. She has the best breath, which Big Daddy says means the worst, and I love love love it.

Adelade and I go to the vet tomorrow. I need my rabies shot and Adelade is going to get a heartworm test, a tapeworm pill, and dental review to see what needs to be done for her teeth. I think her teeth are really pretty with all of their polka dots and funny shapes. Where my teeth are pointy like a mountain, some of her teeth are flat like a plateau. They have brown and green spots on a lot of them and then others have colored rings going around them. I think they're pretty neat although no one else seems to agree. I wonder if my teeth will ever look cool and different like hers. Big Mama prays they do not.

Today Addie is hanging out in the general population for the first time unattended. I'm still staying in the mansion when the Bigs are away from home. With my nervous energy, I will get myself in trouble if I don't hang out in the mansion. Besides I like my mansion. I'm more comfortable resting in my mansion than in the living room or foyer or under the dining room table like Romi. I'm almost too big to hang out on the A/C vent under the kitchen work table. I still squeeze into the spot, it's just a little tight. But when it's hot, that's where I'll be. The rest of the family may get hotter than hades because I'm monopolizing the cool air, but that should be their incentives to lose a few pounds so they can fit, too! That would make Big Mama and Big Daddy happy.

A Year Later & Still At Camp...

So I found tucked under my bed in the mansion my old dusty diary. I realized I hadn't written in it since my sister Party Girl got adopted 1 year and 1 week ago. Since then, I've been adopted (in October) and returned to Camp Chaos for lack of social skills (in May).

I celebrated my first anniversary of being rescued from the streets of East Nashville by being returned to the people who rescued me. Pretty rich, huh? I guess my lack of confidence is obvious, not only when I'm on a leash or someone has cornered me to pet me, but it's also obvious when referring to my life thus far.

Big Mama and Big Daddy apologize for ever letting me go North to be adopted. They tried to tell the people who wanted me that a lot of work would be involved with getting me socialized, which required walking and playing and teaching me tricks as well as being patient. I remember those calls. They assured them they would love me and turn me around so that I was a happy little girl. Tethering in a back yard just doesn't cut it though on the 'socializing' list of things to do.

But Big Mama always says, "don't drool over dropped doughnuts." That's a people saying, I'm guessing, because I would never drool over them, I would eat them off the ground in a heartbeat. But with her non-doggie-like saying, she tells me that I can live here forever and I don't have to let anybody pet me if I don't want to. Of course, she is taking me on walks with her, which I don't like, but she's making me go. Something they keep telling is that I'll be more confident and therefore comfortable if I keep taking these walks.

Speaking of which, she's calling for me now. It must be time for torture...I mean to go for a walk.