SPECIAL GOODIES FOR ALL OF US

Mommy has been reading alot about dental disease... and she is very concerned for us because bad teeth can cause all kinds of problems, including heart disease. Mom wants me & Keira to start life in a healthy routine, so she bought us all several bags of dental stix and Greenies. And we loved chewing them!

But....then, Mommy picked up a pound bag of salmon treats for us and freeze-dried chicken strips, and they were so yummy! We had a bunch of goodies tonight, after our dinner, and Mommy said she's gonna give us a dental stix every few days to keep our teeth and gums healthy. And, in between, we'll get the salmon & chicken treats. I can't wait!!

I'm so happy that the treats that keep us free of dental disease taste so good. Thanks, Mommy, for taking such good care of us.

BRODY KEEPS SURPRISING MOMMY

WE JUST DISCOVERED THAT BRODY ABSOLUTELY LOVES WATCHING TV, ESPECIALLY ANYTHING THAT HAS OTHER DOGGIES IN THE SHOWS. HE WAS ALSO TOTALLY ATTENTIVE TO THE TV SCREEN WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA GAVE HIS INAUGURAL SPEECH. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE SOUND OF OBAMA'S VOICE OR HIS MESSAGE THAT CAPTIVATED BRODY...BUT HIS EYES WERE ONLY ON HIM!
IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING SIGHT...

Last week, while browsing in the PET section at Walmart, I came across a display of dvds made especially for dogs to watch...some, like the one I wound up getting, play continously over & over until you stop it or turn off the tv. We used to have an American Bulldog
that watched ANIMAL PLANET, but I hadn't seen too much action in front of the tv with Brody...but for the last 6 weeks, he has had Keira for entertainment! Anyway, I bought the 45 minute dvd for $10, and it was the most fun way to spend ten bucks!

Brody was sitting on my lap, absolutely "glued" to our big 42" tv...he kept jumping down off the couch, running up to the screen above him, trying to "paw" his way into the dvd. Watching Brody was probably more amusing to me than watching any good comedy; he had me hysterically laughing cuz he would sit so proper, staring at all the dogs running around the different dog parks...all sizes too! There was an adorable little shih tzu in the video that kept barking {but he was always wagging his tail} at what I'm guessing was the cameraman.

All in all, it was pretty funny. Keira, our new Griffon, watches the doggy dvd too, but not as attentively as Brody does. Now,
whenever I call them to "come see all the doggies", Brody is the first one to literally fly into my lap for the show! BOL!! Keira likes to view the dogs from the top of the couch, so she can multi-task
{watch out the window at the neighbohood activitity & see the dvd}
Our Shepherd, Darcy, who is a very observant dog and barks at just about ANYTHING has absolutely NO interest in the doggy dvd
or the dogs' barking in it....Go figure! Guess she's smart enough to know what's REAL & what's just for our amusement.

A SPECIAL TIME WITH MOMMY

Hi Everybody~~
How are all my pup pals today? This afternoon, Mommy surprised me by taking just me out with her for some one-on-time, something Mom and I haven't had much of since Keira arrived 6 weeks ago. Mind you, I am not complaining by any sense of the word...I really love my new sis, but you ALL know how it really is, right?

As much as we pups all treasure our fur siblings, NO ONE can come close to MOM. MOMMIES ARE THE BEST, and mine is NO exception. When I saw Mom grab my jacket and then me, I was doing my "whole body shake"...I was so excited. Then, when we got out in the car, I had to give Mom a few dozen kisses to tell her just how happy I was. I didn't even care where we were going...I just knew I was in our SUV with Mom. Yippee!

But even better was where we wound up...Mommy needed more FROMM & WELLNESS Puppy food for Taylor, Keira and me, so we went down to our local Pet Deli {which is kinda like a mini Pet Smart, just closer to our home}. Mom gets most of our food there, but buys our treats and our toys from Pet Smart or Petco. She knows the feed is always fresh from the Pet Deli, and the nice lady there & a little girl always fuss over me. Today was no exception!
I was busy giving out "Brody kisses" to Mya, and she was giggling.

Mom got our dry food, then decided to get Rex his PREMIUM EDGE while we were there. After that, we headed back home. It was the best 45 minutes that I've had alone with Mom in a long while, but Mommy always makes sure that I get just the right amount of TLC every day. I'm a very happy, little guy who LOVES his Mommy.... now really don't we ALL feel the same about our Moms'? You betcha, we do! Thanks to ALL THE MOMMIES out there for making our days and our lives so special...

Love, Brody

I'M BAAARRRCCK WITH OUR SNOW UPDATE!

Hi Pup Pals...

Well, to Mommy's delight but our dismay....we did not get half the snow that the uninformed weatherman said we would...those guys haven't been predicting our snowfall amounts very accurately this
winter. The advisory stated that we were gonna have up to 10+" of the pretty white stuff. Guess how much we got, as of right now? It
is safe to say...we had less than 4"....FOUR, I say!! With all the super high tech doppler equipment, etc, that the weather peeps have, you'd think they'd be just a wee bit closer to predicting the right amounts.

Michael did have a snow day, and most all the area schools were
closed. And now, it's getting very...very cold and blustery out. The
wind is starting to blow the snow all around outside, and it's gonna get super cold tonight...with the wind chill, it's supposed to
feel like -10. I think the weather guy got the temp right for tonight,
but he must have been snoozin' when those important doppler readings came in....

Anyway, Mommy was so happy that we didn't have much snow to clear from the walkway, deck or the SUV. Michael had it done in no time this afternoon... Taylor went out to go potty, and Darcy was out every chance she got...romping in the snow, racing all around & then stopping to eat some as her refreshment, but Mom
kept us little guys inside today as it was pretty chilly. We used our
puppy pads, but Mommy said that it should be warmer tomorrow
....so Keira & I are hoping we can go out and play in the snow then.

We hope all of you have a good night and a safe week. Keep well,
keep warm and be happy. Barkatcha again real soon!

Love, Brody

HERE COMES THE SNOW!! : 0 (

It is exactly 11pm Sunday evening, and Mommy just let Darcy out to go potty before bed, and the first snowflakes have begun drifting down from the Heavens. We'll keep you posted tomorrow
as the day unfolds, as does Mommy's sanity....BOL! as she sees just how much white stuff we're gonna get before it all ends tomorrow night!! Maybe if we all chant "we want Spring!!", we'll see it sooner. Probably not, but ONE day it will come when it is good and ready....then we'll all be "dancing in the streets". BOL!

My turn to go potty now and then gotta catch some puppy zzzzz's.
I'll have an updated report for all my furfriends tomorrow.... Be
well, be warm, be safe....

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, BRODY....

Valentine's Day is a day of fate and of love, and my dear Brody, it was true fate that brought you halfway across the country to our
home just 4 months ago, and a love so strong that it has bonded us together forever!

My precious boy, you came into my life at a very dark moment in time...as I had just lost my very best & beloved pal, Nick, of 12.7 years only weeks before. I didn't know if I was really ready to love another fur baby so soon. But the emptiness I felt within my heart & soul was frightening. I was barely existing under stormy black clouds...Nick had left such a void in our lives when he went to the
Bridge last August. I didn't know if my heart would ever heal again.

Enter my Griffon, Brody, who not only has healed my heart but
who brought love, life and laughter back into our home and into our lives once more. Although you & Nick don't look at all alike, it's
almost as if Nick is "living through you". I cannot explain it, but I see you, Brody, doing some of the exact same things our Nick used to do...and no one ever showed you {but maybe Nick did without me ever realizing it} how. One day...you just started doing whatever Nick had done his entire life; sometimes I think you & Nick have real telepathic connections because you are so much like him yet, at the same time, you are very much your own self...
that is what makes you truly an extraodinary pup, Brody.

You are barely going on 7 months old, and already you have changed my life in so many ways... I know that Nick had his "paw" in sending YOU to us, but it was your goofy charm & your total devotion to me that captured my heart forever.

How can I ever repay you for what you have done for my heart & soul? Words mean nothing, but I can spend the rest of our lives together being the best Mommy on the planet to my sweet baby boy. You deserve my total, unrequited love in a world filled with only happy days. I promise you, Brody, that I will strive to keep that promise all the years we are together. I love you more than you could possibly know, and I thank God that He knew I needed YOU in MY life.... Happy Valentine's Day, Brody!

All My Love, Mommy

A GENTLE REMINDER TO US ALL...

When we were leaving our vet's office yesterday, they gave us new
magnets for our fridge. They have a cool saying on them this year:

"A PET is someone who,
listens with their HEART,
SPEAKS with a look,
and teaches with LOVE...."


Ain't that the truth?

WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD...OOOPS, I MEAN OUR VET

Hi Pals,
Mommy put me, Keira and Taylor in the car this afternoon, then swung by and picked Michael up from school... Yippee! Here I thought we were all gonna take a stroll down the Yellow Brick Road, figuratively speaking, of course. Where we wound up was just as cool, so it seemed, until we got
inside & saw Dr Alissa.

Now...ALL the girls and techs at our vets office LOVE me! I give them all
lots of Brody kisses, and they carry me around, give me yummy treats & lots of hugs. But today, my Griffon sis, Keira, came too for the first time & soon she was getting the same VIP treatment that I always get. I dunno if
I liked sharing my girls at the office with my furball sis. Until now, I have been the ONLY Brussels Griffon puppy in their clientele, & everyone makes
a really big deal whenever Mommy & I stopped in to say HI. Today, I got
to bring my new sis and my bestest pal in for check-ups too. I had to share
the attention, and like anyone out there who already owns a Griffon knows
....it's only fun when it's ALL about ME! It was okay, though, because I do
love my fuzzy fur siblings.

Keira and I were at our vets today to get our rabies vaccine and our pre-op
blood work. Yep! Poor Mommy is gonna be freakin' that day, but sometime in the next 2 weeks...I'm getting neutered & having my tiny hernia repaired & Keira is getting spayed. Mommy worries so whenever any of us have to have surgery. Years ago, she had a Lhasa Apso died on the operating table {his heart wasn't beating for 4 min} after he had an
adverse reaction to the injectable anesthesia. Luckily, our old vet pulled him through with constant CPR for over 20 minutes, but Wong never got fixed that day... So, ever since then, Mom has been very apprehensive about putting us under anesthesia, unless it's absolutely necessary. Today, the meds are safer that those they used in the 90's, but she's still a worrier....plus I'm only 5.14 lbs and Keira is just 5.15, so we're tiny ones. She has complete faith in Dr Alissa's surgical skills...she just hates seeing any of her "babies" go under the knife. But Mommy doesn't want Keira and I to procreate any new Griffon pups, so the surgeries will happen.

Mommy figured that if she gets both me and Keira done at the SAME time, we'll BOTH be sore at the SAME time, and we'll then be healing at the SAME time! So maybe we won't wanna play so much for a bit. Makes good sense, right?

After everyone met & fussed over Keira...and yes, ME, too, it was Taylor's turn to get checked over. Now, most of you already know, my bestest pal on the planet is 15 years old. Last November, Mommy discovered a grape size hard lump in her belly. It hasn't grown any bigger; it could be cancer but it may not be. Because of her age, Mom has opted to leave the tumor alone and let Taylor have however long she has to live her life peacefully.
But, in the last couple of months, Taylor has been getting alot of tummy aches....sometimes she throws up bile or her food, other times she has loose poopies, and then she doesn't wanna eat at all.

Mommy hates seeing her hurting, especially 'cause Taylor can't see or hear Mom and vice versa. A look in your dog's eyes can say so much...well, Mommy doesn't have that option with Taylor, as in 2006 & 2007, she seriously injured both her eyes and ultimately, wound up losing them both. Her long coat has grown over her face nicely, but she still can't see and because's she so old...now 15 yr, 3 mos...she can no longer hear either. But she's still our Taylor & she manages to get around better than you could possibly imagine!

Dr Alissa & Mommy agreedhat Taylor should stay on some gastro
meds/antibiotic indefinitely in hopes of lessening the duration of Taylor's tummy upsets & the severity. I hope it helps my fur sis cuz
I hate to see Taylor hurting or in pain.

All in all, we had a pretty good visit at the doctors....and since none of us peed or pooped in the exam room or office, Mommy got each of us a plain hamburger afterwards as a reward. It was really yummy! Keira & I will keep you posted as to when we're gonna have our surgeries!

CONTESTS MAKE MOMMY A LITTLE CRAZED....

Hi to All My Old...and New Pup Pals,

I hope you have been having a good week. It's been much warmer here these last few days, sun shining & nearly 50 degrees. Us little pups haven't even had to wear a sweater during the day this week.
But today, it is very,very windy....which makes it feel quite cold. It rained some overnight, but we still have about 5+" of old snow on the ground. Anyway,

I'm writing because Mommy entered me in a contest for Bissell Vacuum Cleaners...Most Valuable Pet! Entries were supposed to go in last week for voting this week. Mommy had touble submitting my pix {said it needed to be resized}, so she thought my entry wasn't accepted. Well, guess what, Mommy just found an email in her special DOGGY email address: grifflover13@aol.com, and it said that Bissell had resized my photo and that I was, in fact, in this week's voting..

So Mommy has placed a link on my Dogster page that brings you directly to my contest photo...but you can only vote ONCE and the
voting for this Period is ONLY Feb 10-17th.

I just discovered that my pup pal, Trixie Mae, has also been entered in this very same contest. So, now you have a real tough choice because Trixie is a real cutie and would look just as adogable on a Bissel Vacuum Cleaner box as me! BOL!!! If I can't collect the most votes, it would be awfully nice to see my sweetie, Trixie, walk away with the honor.

Guess with all the pups on Dogster that's bound to happen from time to time! No hard feelings....I assure you! If you wanna throw me your vote, great, but if you're torn....please give my pal Trixie the nod. If you can use 2 different names & have 2 different email addys, you could vote for BOTH of us! BOL!!!!

Remember the voting is only NOW through FEBRUARY 17th!!!
Thanking all of my pup pals in advance for your time & your consideration...

Love, Brody

MOMMY WASN'T EXACTLY LAUGHING

Hi to all my pup pals!

Mommy decided to take me & Keira out today along with her.
She had a couple of appointments, but both places Mom had to go love puppies...and they love seeing me! They were anxious to meet my new fur sis, Keira, too...so we go to ride in the car....and when we got to our destinations, Mommy took out our new red stroller & we jumped in. She zipped us up inside, so we couldn't jump out in the parking lot and off we went.

When we got inside, she unzipped the stroller and we were free! I
jumped up on the Dianne's desk and plopped myself there for the full hour Mommy was there...after I welcomed her with a bunch of Brody kisses. My sis, Keira, jumped on Mommy's lap and went to sleep. That was Appointment #1. Pretty ordinary and uneventful, right?

The second place was to Mommy's son-in-law's office, where she also had some business to discuss. Again, we arrived in our stroller & then ran free inside closed doors. Everyone there was fussing over us, and holding us....we even got yummy treats. When it was time to leave, Mommy said good-bye & she took us out to the car.
She put me & Keira in the front seat and then folded up our stroller & placed it in the back of our SUV. Mommy climbed in & started the car.

Suddenly, David (her son-in-law) ran out and motioned Mommy to come back in for a minute. So, she hopped out of our SUV and went in to finish up....but when she came out,
Mommy couldn't get back into the car. With all the excitement,
me and Keira were jumping around the seats & looking out the windows for Mommy...and we set the automatic locks on all the
doors, and here the car was running too!

Mommy could not believe we had done that. David offered to drive Mommy home so she could get her other set of car keys, but then realized her house key was locked inside the car too. Grrrrowl! While Mommy started calling a couple of friends who have those special car jimmies, David went outside & tried to get me & Keira to undo what we had done....unlock the doors. He figured if we locked them jumping on the lock button, just maybe we might jump on the button again and unlock the vehicle.

Well, his thinking proved right....it took him 20 minutes, standing out in the freezing cold, but somehow one of us hit the button on the door and UNLOCKED the car. David called Mommy from his cell phone and told him we were now all free to go home!

Our Mom was so relieved....never again will she leave us in the car while the keys are in it. She was very lucky this time but said maybe next time, things might not be as fortunate. All was forgiven & Mommy learned a very valuable lesson. Mommy said she was gonna tell all our pup pals' owners to keep that lesson in mind, when traveling with their pooches.

Glad me & Keira could enlighten you all. Don't leave your keys in the car with your dogs....!

Love, Brody