Happy Thanksgiving

I could make this long and write out all the things I'm thankful for in detail, but it's late and my tummy is full of turkey which is making me drowsy, so this will be short and sweet.

I just wanted to wish all of my Dogster pals a Happy Thanksgiving. I'm so glad that you are all my friends!

Thanksgiving is my new favorite holiday, because Mommy and Daddy really spoiled me rotten with lots of delicious food. I wish every day was Thanksgiving!

In the spirit of tradition, what I'm thankful for can really be summed up quite simply, especially since my pals here know all that I've gone through and my story of how I've come to be where I am today:

I'm thankful that I have my wonderful family who has given me such a terrific forever home where I am very, very loved.

Rottie Ruler of the Week!

Boy oh boy! Mommy was checking her email and saw that I had gotten a star, a special gift, and a paw-mail! So she went to Dogster for me and turns out I've been picked as Rottie Ruler of the Week in my group Rotties Rule!!! What an honor! I feel so special, and Mommy was really happy for me and proud.

To make today even better, I have decided that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and here's why. This past Wednesday, Mommy and Daddy had some friends over for a Pre-Thanksgiving dinner. There was tons of food! I got some left over turkey and ham and it was so good. Well I guess there were even more leftovers than I originally thought, because today Daddy pulled out the rest of the turkey - it was still in the fridge. He cut some up and started making dinner for himself and Mommy, and Mommy sat down at the table with the rest of the carcass. She pulled off a ton of meat, skin, and fat, and guess what? All us pets got to eat it all!!! I got a big bowl and it was so yummy, I ate every last bit of it and licked my bowl completely clean. Now this might not sound as incredibly special, but here's the best part - that was only Pre-Thanksgiving! This Thursday is the real Thanksgiving and we get to have lots more turkey and ham AGAIN! Holidays are PAWSOME! I'm so thankful that I have such a wonderful, loving family - during the holidays and all year round too. :)

Toys

I am slowly starting to take interest in these things they call "toys". Mommy and Daddy act like this is a very good thing, but I'm still a little confused.

The first time I decided to be interested in what I thought was a toy, it was a bad idea. See, Mommy has a ton of these plastic horse things. They look like toys to me, but Mommy says that they are valuable collectible model horses. She sits at her desk and works on them all the time, and I like to watch.

One night, Mommy was rearranging these plastic horses and going from room to room putting them on different shelves and such. While she was in the bedroom, I pushed open the door to the guest room where some of these plastic things were laying carefully on the bed. I thought that since these things mean so much to Mommy, that maybe there's something to them. And wouldn't Mommy be proud of me if I showed my affection for them too and helped her out?

Very carefully, I picked a small one off the bed. I tried to grip it by its tail with my mouth and carry it away so that I could show Mommy that I was helping. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that these plastic things are much more fragile that the types of toys my sisters play with, and I chomped right through the tail and dropped the model on the floor.

Mommy came running in and was very mad. She scolded me, and I went and hid for awhile. Mommy is such a softy though, she couldn't stay mad at me long, plus she said she felt mad at herself for not shutting the door all the way and making me so scared and sad. So she pet me and tried to offer me some dog toys.

When Daddy got home from work that night, I was very excited to see him, as were Mommy and my sisters. They all started to play with Daddy, and I watched. Then Daddy came over to me with a tennis ball and tried to get me to take it. Mommy got an idea and took the ball and threw it up in the air just a little bit over my head and... I caught it! I caught it in my mouth! Mommy and Daddy were SO excited. They praised me and petted me and hugged me.

For awhile they tossed me the tennis ball, and almost every time I would either catch it in the air or chase it if it bounced right near me. And every time I did, I got tons of lovins. Maybe there is something to this idea of playing with toys.

Recovery

I didn't have a good evening at all last night. At first I was doing ok, but then Mommy gave me a little bit of dog food for dinner. I threw it all up, and then threw up about four more times even though there wasn't anything left in my stomach. Mommy had tried to give me some doggie aspirin, but I threw that up too. I was very uncomfortable and paced around the house, kept trying to find a spot to lay down in and then getting up and relocating again. I'd whine and cry and get very flustered. Poor Mommy was worried sick about me. She kept following me around, trying to comfort me. She let me lay on the couch with her and held me. My stomach finally started to settle a little bit, so Mommy cooked me some chicken and rice and let me have just a little at a time. Daddy got home and was pretty worried about me. I'm his big boy, so he let me snuggle with him in his chair so I would feel better. Daddy decided that I should sleep in the bedroom with them for at least the first night after my surgery, and Mommy said she was going to suggest the same thing. Mommy teased Daddy about how lenient he's become with us dogs, especially me.

So when it was finally bedtime, I followed Mommy and Daddy through a door in the house I'd never been in before. There was a big bed in the middle of the room, and Mommy and Daddy climbed into it. Like I said, it's a really big bed, and pretty high off the floor. I ran around it a few times, trying to figure out how to get up cause Mommy and Daddy were both telling me "up up" and patting the bed. Finally Mommy pointed out a trunk at the foot of the bed that I could jump up on first, so I finally made it up. At first I tried to sleep inbetween Mommy and Daddy, but that didn't work out too well. I finally got comfortable towards the middle of the bed, snuggled into Mommy's lap where she and Daddy were still able to pet me and throw their arms over me. It was so nice getting to sleep inside in a nice comfortable bed with my parents. I think it may even make up for them taking me to the vet.

Happy and Healthy! And Home!

Today Mommy got up very early (especially for her) and came outside all dressed and everything. I watched her as she put one of the kennels in the back of Daddy's truck, and then she came and got me and lifted me up to put me inside. I panicked a little, but Mommy got me in and got the door shut. She drove the truck with me in it for a little while. It wasn't so bad riding in the back with the wind in my face. We stopped at a white building, and Mommy came and got me out. She carried me up to a door and lugged me inside. No, I didn't want to go in! A man came and took my leash from Mommy and dragged me away. Mommy looked like she was about to cry cause she was worried about how scared I was. They put me on a scale - I weigh about 55lbs - and then I was dragged into the back. I whined and barked for Mommy, but she didn't come back there with me. I was so scared and confused.

They did all sorts of stuff to me at the vet today - poked me and prodded me and even... *ahem* took away a certain part of my anatomy... A lady that works there told me she is Mommy's friend, and she made sure to take extra special care of me and tried to make me feel comfortable being there. After what seemed like FOREVER, I heard some familiar voices up in the front of the clinic - it was Mommy and Daddy! The nice lady led me out to the front, and I bounded into my parents arms. I was so glad to see them, and they looked really happy to see me too!

Mommy talked to her friend for a little bit and paid for my visit. Turns out there was some very good news in all of this - I am healthy! I am heartworm free and the other tests they ran to make sure I was ok all came back with good results. Mommy is so relieved.

Everyone said their goodbyes, and then Daddy loaded me back up into the kennel in the back of his truck. We drove again and luckily came back home. All my sisters were there waiting for me outside, and our friend Maggie too. Mommy let me come in the house by myself though, so I can get some rest. After all that, I'm actually not feeling too bad. I'm just very thankful to be home again.

An Appointment

Mommy called the low-cost Spay/Neuter Clinic yesterday and booked an appointment for me to get my exam, shots, and surgery. It won't be until next Friday, because they were booked until then.

I am pretty nervous about my appointment, and Mommy is too. She'll have to drop me off between 7-9am, so Daddy won't be able to come with to help her since he has to work the night before.

Wish me luck.

My First Outing

Today Mommy and Daddy decided they would take me out on a trip for the first time. Mommymy got a bag of treats and my clicker ready, and put on my leash. Originally I was going to ride in the back of the truck in a kennel, but it was raining, so Dad said it would be ok if I rode inside the truck with them.

Mommy picked me up (barely BOL) and put me in the backseat with her. We rode for about 15 minutes, and I was having a good time and being a good boy. We got into town, and Daddy pulled up in front of a line of stores. Mommy got out, and I followed her and Daddy. We got to a door, which Daddy opened for us. I was a little nervous about going inside, but I followed Mommy in, and she gave me a treat.

Wow, what a place! It was full of things I'd never seen before, including two clear plastic boxes with no lids - inside one was some baby bunnies, and inside the other were a bunch of little blue/white and yellow/green birds called parakeets. Mommy led me up and down the isles which had tons of things for pets, letting me stop and having me sit for a treat every now and then. They picked up some tear stain stuff for my sister Lola, and a couple was in the isle and said hello to me. I sat like a good boy and didn't bark, and the man crouched down and put his hand out for me to sniff. I met the store owner, Pierre, too - Mommy says he is a friend of hers and used to be her boss. He was very nice to me and gave me a treat, but I was a little nervous so I wouldn't take it from him. The girl who works behind the counter tried to give me a treat too, but I wouldn't take it from her either. I did let them pet me, and I sniffed and licked their hands. A little girl came and pet me too. Mommy and Daddy were very proud of me because I was so well behaved and wasn't too scared. Daddy picked out some beef marrow bones for me and my sisters, and Mommy paid for everything at the counter. She got me some Advantix flea/tick medicine too so now I'll be flea and tick free for the next four months.

We left the store, and Daddy suggested that I sit in the front with him and Mommy, so Mommy picked me up again and put me in the front seat. We drove home and I was doing pretty well, laying on the floor between her feet.

Then came the bad part... I started salivating and licking my lips a lot, and before Daddy could pull the truck over, I puked. Mommy told me it wasn't my fault and tried to keep me from stepping in it, but Daddy had to pull over so Mommy could try to clean up my vomit. Well when Daddy stopped the truck and Mommy and I got out, it really freaked me out. I thought that they were mad at me for making a mess, and Daddy thinks it reminded me of being dumped by my old owners. Daddy had to get out and hold me to reassure me while Mom tried to clean up. I got mud all over my paws and then tracked it inside the truck when Mommy put me back in the backseat. I seemed to be feeling better though, but right before Daddy pulled in the driveway, I puked again on the floor in the back. Mommy got out with me and walked me back up to the house - good thing too, cause then I had some really runny squirts as soon as we made it to the grass.

Mommy assured me that it wasn't my fault and that she and Daddy aren't mad at me. I watched Mommy as she cleaned out the truck in the rain and tried to let her know I was sorry and didn't mean it.

Mommy says it was her fault for pushing me too hard at once, all of the excitement and new things were probably just too much for me to handle so soon. She says she should have taken smaller steps and not been so impatient to take me out on a rainy day, we should have waited until the weather was better so I could have ridden in the back with Riley like originally planned. She says my first trip probably shouldn't have been to the pet store either, but she has just been over-eager about socializing me. She says we'll take things slower next time, and that my next ride will be just around the block and then just around the neighborhood until I can get more used to going for a ride in a vehicle.

Life Inside

After my first time in the house, Mommy decided that it was time for me to meet my other siblings. Other siblings? That's what I was wondering too. Mommy let four CATS into the living room (they'd been hiding in a room I wasn't given access to), and she told me that they are my brothers and sisters too and that I shouldn't hurt them. I watched them intensely, and watched how my sisters played with them. The youngest, Stitch, let me sniff her and rubbed up against me. I guess they're not that bad afterall.

Daddy was so proud of me when Mom told him about how well behaved I was in the house. He let me come up on the sofa and snuggle with him.

They were also really happy that even though I was wearing my pants, I didn't even try to mark anything in the house, so now I don't have to wear them anymore, and I still haven't even tried to potty inside.

Now I get to come in the house with my sisters all the time and it's so much fun. I love getting to spend more time with my family. Plus it's also much cooler inside than it is outside. It's nice to be able to come inside and get away from the heat.

In The House

Tonight after dinner, Mommy came outside with that clicking box and a strange piece of fabric. I got a bunch of treats for investigating it, and not being afraid when Mommy would close it together and pull it apart. Every time she pulled it apart, it made a ripping sound. Mommy said not to worry, it's just velcro. Well I've been trusting Mom a lot more about new things, even if they are pretty scary, so I let Mommy touch me with that thing and then she put it on around my waist. She says it is "pants" so that I can come in the house and not pee. Ok, whatever Mommy says.

Next, Mommy went and opened the door to the house. She let all of my sisters inside and then went in too. Instead of closing the door, she held it open and called me to come inside. I peered inside, and then quickly followed.

Boy oh boy, things sure are strange inside a house. First of all, the floor is nothing like the ground. It's very slick, but I guess if you get used to it, it's possible to walk normally. My sisters can all walk normally but I slip slide all over the place. I'm learning quick though.

There's all sorts of strange objects, many of them make strange noises. There's a box in the living room that makes sound and changes colors. Mommy watches it while she lays on the sofa and calls it a tv. In the kitchen (my sisters tell me that is where food is kept), Mommy opened a door and a tray with pots and pans and plates came out. Then she filled it up with more dishes and closed the door. She pushed a button and it started making a strange noise too. Every time I seem startled by something, Mommy tells me it's ok and explains what it is. My sisters are used to all of these strange things and aren't afraid, so I trust their instincts.

In the living room, there are two big boxes full of all sorts of toys. Riley loves to go and pull out toys to play with, and Mommy gave out more to Wrangler and Lola. She offered some to me but I wasn't sure what to do with them. Besides, I was more interested in staying by Mommy's side at all times.

Now we're all laying on the rug and watching the tv with Mommy. I like it inside.

Interesting!

Today Mommy came outside and she had this weird little box thing. She let me sniff it, so I did and then I looked at her. All of a sudden the box made a clicking noise! I didn't even notice Mommy reach in her pocket, but as soon as that box clicked, I got a treat! It happened a few more times, and each time I got a treat. Sometimes I got one of those Wellness Pure Rewards (they are so yummy!), sometimes I got a piece of cookie bone, sometimes it was a duck jerky chip. Sometimes it was a piece of cheese, and sometimes it was just a piece of kibble. I never knew what kind of treat I was going to get, but I quickly figured out that every time that box made a click, I would get a treat.

Eventually Mommy stopped clicking so much. I was confused, cause I liked it when the box clicked a lot, so I looked at her. Click! I got a treat. I looked at her again. CLICK! Treat! Got it! I am so clever. A few times, Mommy made me hold eye contact for a few seconds before the box would click.

Next came a part that I wasn't so sure about. Mommy pulled out a new collar. She told me she got me a new one because the one I've been wearing was a little too big for me. (I'll probably grow into it later, but for now I've got to have one that I can't slip my head out of.) Well, as my readers probably know, I don't like strappy things! So I wasn't too happy about a new collar and having to go through the ordeal of Mommy putting it on me and all that. Well Mom presented it to me, and I sniffed it. CLICK! Whoa, cool. I stiffed it again. Another click, and of course that meant another treat. Mommy clicked every time I showed interest in that strappy thing, every time I sniffed it, and every time I would hold still when she touched me with it or moved towards me with it. Next thing I knew, I was happily munching a treat and that new collar was around my neck.

Mommy did a few more eye contact clicks with me, and then told me to go take a break and play with my sisters. She says we'll work on more training later. I can't wait, training is fun - especially when I get treats!