13-Jan-2013 -- Guess What I Got To See Today

No walk for us today, but I did get to go with Mom to someone's house. It's a family we know from our pack walks. They have two dogs, Spencer - an American Spitz and Ruby - a long haired Chihuahua. Well I was the only one that Mom trusted to go and not pee in the floor. Hehe. I wasn't too sure when we got there. I tend to be a little shy, but I recognized Ruby and Spencer. I still hid behind Mom a little though. And when Mom sat down I sat in her lap part of the time. But it wasn't all bad because I got this Greenie treat that was pretty good. And I didn't have to fuss at anyone to stay away from it. And I got to go outside off leash at their house. Mom knows she can trust me. But the best part was one of the other pets they have at their house. Well, besides cats. They have cats, and I saw one of them, but he was afraid of me. Can you imagine? HE was afraid of ME. And he was bigger than me, too. Anyway, back to this other pet. They called it a ferret. I was very curious and went up to smell it. Pretty interesting. And then it decided to smell me. I was a little unsure about that. So I went back to Mom's lap. I did go smell it again. I think I kind of liked it.

When I got back home Pippi, Pixie and Dutchess were all smelling me a lot. Wonder if they could smell the ferret or if it was just Ruby and Spencer they could smell. I had fun, but I'm kind of glad to be back home where I can really get a good nap.

11-Jan-2013 -- I'm THE Daily Diary Pick for today!

I am so excited. I just found out I am THE Daily Diary pick for today. Me! I'm doing a happy dance. MOM!! This calls for a celebration. Treats all around, and pull out the good ones.

This helps make up for the fact that Pixie got to go on a walk with Mom all by herself, and I didn't get to go. It seems like I almost always have to share Mom with someone when I go. Now forget the fact that I feel braver when one of the others comes with us. I don't want to be confused with the facts right now. It just wasn't fair I tell you, and I was mad. I got right up in Pixie's face when they got back home. She hates that. I don't touch her, I just stand really close. Mom did point out to me that this was the first walk Pixie has made it on so far this year since she got sick right at the start of the year. And she pointed out that I have been on three walks already this year. Then I think she said something about me being a diva. I corrected her. I am a princess!

10-Jan-2013 -- Nicolas Ball Park

Fourth pack walk of the year and I got to go again. Pippi did, too, but Mom did tell Pippi if she doesn't learn to be quiet in the car she will only get to go on walks close to the house! Hehe. This time we went to Nicholas Ball Park, which isn't a very big park. So we loop multiple times. I did my barking at the park ... every person we passed. I do that every now and then, but am quiet most of the time.

We saw a big hawk sitting in a tree while there. Mom made sure to stay close to me every time we passed the hawk. Didn't want it getting any ideas you know.

No one carried a pedometer this time, so we're just guessing at how far we walked. We think maybe around four miles. No one with string cheese this time. Someone did have some freeze dried cheese, but I was a little shy and the other dogs kept eating it before I would get close enough for a bite. I'm a little less shy with string cheese.

Well I think that is about it until next time.

08-Jan-2013 -- Haw Ridge Park Greenway

Got to go on another pack walk today. Of course this pack was a little smaller than the other day. Actually a lot smaller. On Saturday it was 15 people and 16 dogs including myself. Today it was 3 people and 4 dogs including myself. And part of the time one dog was missing. I am happy to say though that she was found safe and sound.

There was someone with string cheese on the hike today. I really like people with string cheese. Or at least I like the cheese. I sure wish Mom would quit telling everyone I need small bites of that stuff. I need food to keep up my energy. I have to take a lot more steps than those Golden Doodles we were walking with. I have to take more than Dutchess, too. We went 4.2 miles today. That makes 10.4 miles for me so far this year. I will certainly be able to keep my girlish figure if I keep this up. Hehe.

06-Jan-2013 - I'm a Daily Diary Pick today

What a pleasant surprise I had this morning. I found out I was a Daily Diary pick today. I think this calls for special treats, don't you? I'll have to get Mom right on that. Hmm. Now what to do to make the rest of the day just as exciting?

05-Jan-2013 - First Hike Of The Year - At Hwy 95 Guard Shack

Pippi, Mom and I did a long hike today at a new spot for us. We hiked 6.2 miles! Mom said I got to go because Pixie needed a break from me. Hehe. I made sure to pester Pixie after dinner though. It needed doing. Back to the hike though. There is one person that tends to bring string cheese to these hikes. I am really starting to like her. Some of the others have pretty good treats, too. Part of the hike was through the woods and part of it was on a gravel road. There were some hills, but they weren't too bad. Not as steep as some of the other hikes.

Wonder if we will make it on more walks and hikes this year than we did last year. Will be interesting to see.

And now, I'm pooped from all this walking I have done. Too tired to even pester Pixie right now. Good night everyone.

I am full of surprises -- 31-Aug-2010

From time to time Mom gets these wild ideas. She has had two recently. The first was that Pippi and I would have a workout on an exercise peanut/ball. She's had us up there the last two days and tells me we will have a session today. I don't know where she comes up with this stuff. The good part is that we get treats while we are up there. So it's not all bad. I am more content to sit up there on the peanut than Pippi ... that is if there is not a constant stream of treats.

The other wild idea Mom had was to have Pippi and I play on a teeter totter. Not at the same time, mind you, although someone should remind Pippi of that. Talk about your circus acts! I would be air borne the first time Pip bounced onto her end. BOL. Nothing quite that entertaining in mind here. No, just a short, low teeter totter that we could walk across. The first time Mom brought this contraption out Pippi and I were a bit afraid. And the first time one end bonked on the ground we scrambled away from it. Mom tried holding one end up, but we still weren't too sure about this. Didn't seem like one of her better ideas. So, Mom talked with a friend and got some advice on a better way to get started with this, and the first thing was to put the board flat on the ground and let us get used to walking across it that way. Piece of cake. What could be easier than walking across a short board flat on the ground and getting a treat when you get to the other end? Then Mom threw a twist in. She wanted us to stop at the end of the board with two feet off and two feet on. Whatever. These people have some weird ideas, but I can do that. In fact, I picked up on that bit faster than Pippi. It's usually the other way around. I was first to walk across the board, first to stop with my feet the way Mom wanted. I was so pleased with myself. Almost as excited as Mom was. It takes so little for her to get excited sometimes. Bless her. Well, today Mom threw in another twist and turned the board back into a teeter totter. Hmmm. Maybe we could do this. We tried it but decided it was a little slipperier than we liked. No problem. Mom took an old towel and stapled it to the board. Perfect. So after a few not so great tries and some being timid I decided to go for it. I took my time and went slowly across, let the other end drop and finished my way across, put two feet off and looked for my treat. Well if Mom was excited about us walking across a board on the floor you should have seen her when I did this. Unbelievable. And after all that excitement all I got was a Cheerio. I mean really. Where was the good stuff?!! And only one?!! Good thing I like Cheerios, and seeing Mom so excited, so I went back and forth on this teeter totter, making one end then the other drop. Cheerio after Cheerio. Oh, Pippi took some turns, too, but it took her a lot longer to get the idea of letting it drop then two feet on and two off. I'll cut her a little slack since she is heavier and the thing makes more of a bumping noise when she goes across. Mom really thought Pip would pick it up faster than me and I would be afraid of it for days, but I showed her.

All in all I think this teeter totter thing is going to be okay. I just wonder what Mom will come up with next!

Sneaky Mom -- 29-Aug-2010

Mom tricked me the other day. She was in the bathroom just standing around. A lot of time I won't go in there with her when she is lurking. It often means a bath is coming. Well, she had been loitering long enough that I decided it was safe. Then out of the blue, she reached down and got me. Oh the horror! But then I relaxed because she kissed me and put me back down. I ran out of the room as fast as I could before she changed her mind again. She stayed in there though, still loitering, so after a bit I decided to go check on her. Well, she picked me up again and I panicked. I was relieved when she kissed me and put me back down again and I quickly retreated to the bedroom. This happened a few more times with me coming back a little faster each time. This was getting to be a fun game. Get picked up, get a kiss and run away. And just when I was starting to enjoy myself, she picked me up, kissed me, held on to me and TURNED ON THE WATER! I tried to squirm, but it did no good. I didn't get the best bath in the world, but Mom says I at least got a little cleaner. Pippi must have heard all the commotion and was smart enough to steer clear of the bathroom until it was over and Mom was back in the bedroom. So not fair.

Treat Box -- 22-May-2010

Mom recently got this nice little fabric box that she has been excited about when Pippi or I would sit in it. She would give us treats just for sitting there. Parents can be so funny so we humored her and began to get used to the "treat box". After about a week of this she came home with a HUGE box and began building this big thing. When she was done she put the treat box way up near the top of the thing. I watched patiently as she did all this and I was fine with it until she picked me up and headed for the treat box. Now being in the treat box on the floor or the bed was one thing, and I could even tolerate when Mom would pick the treat box up and carry it around while I was in it. Well, I struggled and resisted a little, but Mom is a lot bigger than I am so it didn't do much good. I was in the treat box on top of this big thing she had built. I got my treats for sitting there and she let me back down. All was good. Welllll, the next day (Saturday) Mom takes the thing she built and went outside with it and rode around on it for a few minutes. Then she came back in the house. We heard her coming up the stairs, or so we thought. When the "person" got to the top of the stairs we were sure it was an alien! It had a deformed head - unusually large. Pippi and I barked and backed up so it couldn't get us. Then it spoke. It was Mom's voice. Oh the horror. Mom abducted and altered by aliens! Pippi got brave and stretched out to sniff and see if it was really Mom. I can't tell you how relieved we were that it really was Mom and not some alien. She was wearing something she called a bike helmet. Well, and relief was short lived. She picked me up and took me outside next to the thing she had built. She called that a bike. She started to put me in the treat box on the front of the bike, but I used my Chihuahua death grip to prevent that. Alas my strength failed me and I was put in the treat box after all. Maybe it was really an alien and not Mom after all. I was fastened in the treat box, Mom got on the bike and we started to move. What the heck?!! And then I felt it ... so refreshing ... kind of exciting ... the wind in my face. Oohhhhhhhh, I put my nose up a little. Just feel that breeze. So the treat box has multiple kinds of treats. Both the tasty kind and this new treat - a breeze in your face. Well, we rode around for just a short time then headed back home. Mom got me out of the treat box and took the helmet off her head, it really was her, and back in the house we went. I was jumping around and telling Pippi all about it. I hope we get to do that again soon!

Limping on Back Left Leg -- 31-July-2009

I gave Mom a scare last night. I tried to jump up on something and didn't quite make it and fell and hit the floor. I never yelped or cried out or anything but wouldn't put any weight on my back left leg. Mom petted me and carefully felt all over. I didn't seem to mind - just stood there. Wouldn't sit down or do much of anything. She finally put me on her lap and I carefully settled down and stayed very still, eventually falling asleep. Well, Mom let me sit there for a long time, but had to get up after a while. She put me down on the floor. At first I still wouldn't walk on that leg. Then after a few tender steps I started using it. The rest of the evening I went back and forth between using it and not. Same thing this morning. So Mom took me to the vet. Turns out my knee cap is slipping in and out of place. The vet said I will need surgery at some point. The good news is it doesn't have to be right away. The bad news is he said once the knee cap starts doing that it will probably start happening more often. He also said the surgery has about a 90% success rate. What they have to do is deepen the grove that the knee cap goes in ... or something like that. Mom was feeling a little sick and squeamish when the doc was talking about it and said she didn't need a whole lot of details. BOL. At this point it's anti-inflammatory/pain medication and see how I do. Mom will decide then when to do the surgery. If we can put it off a bit we will, but if I'm having a lot of trouble we'll go ahead. So far this evening, no limping, but also no trying to get up on anything at all. No tail on auto-wiggle either. :(