Some Dogs Don't Appreciate The Arts

The other day, Aunt Pat came home from grocery shopping to find her program from the musical "Cats" on the floor in the family room. I didn't chew on it. If I see a piece of paper laying around that interests me, like a paper napkin or a tissue Aunt Pat used, I'll just eat it. Chloe's the chewer She'll go into the garbage can in Daddy's room if the humans are out and she gets anxious or bored, or if Aunt Pat is home and isn't paying as much attention to Chloe as she thinks she should get. This time, the program was in a magazine rack on the floor near the television stand. But, Chloe chose carefully, since the Cats program was behind Aunt Pat's Phantom of the Opera program. I'm not sure it upset Chloe that the musical was about cats, or that Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, or anybody else, has written a show about dogs. We should have equal time. Dogs have had a supporting role in some shows, like Annie, but it's time we were the center attraction.

I have to give Chloe credit on this one. She's been helping Aunt Pat in the garden without being asked to. She's been weeding the strawberry patch, since Aunt Pat can't get the hoe beneath the mesh netting she has over the plants to keep the birds out. I think Chloe feels guilty for what she did, even though Aunt Pat didn't get mad.

Chloe is doing well with her lessons. She learned "come" quickly, and Aunt Pat is working on "sit". I show Chloe how to do it whenever Aunt Pat gets the biskees out. Once I get my biskee, Aunt Pat goes to Chloe and tries to get her to do it. Of course I follow behind Aunt Pat to make sure Chloe sits appropriately. At first, Chloe tries to hop up to make sure she gets her soft treat.
But, she does sit, most of the time. I think Aunt Pat may be rushing Chloe to sit because she thinks I'm after the treat. It's not true...although I'll be there to lick up anything that may drop.
Katie just takes it all in stride. As long as she gets frequent tummy rubs she's a happy girl.

The Dog Days of Summer!

The weatherman said we were entering into the Dog Days of Summer. I knew that! Although around here, every day is a dog day. This hot and humid weather is keeping us in the house where it's nice and cool. We don't like to be outside for too long, and I know Aunt Pat doesn't either. She's been having more migraines and her vertigo has been acting up, so she hasn't been at the computer long enough to post. Anyway, once we're done with our business, we go in. During the early morning or in the evening we may stay out for a few minutes longer, since it's cooler, but we I like to lay on the linoleum in the family room between where the rug ends and the wall.

Chloe has been chasing the squirrels along the fence and follows beneath them as they run across the wires. Chloe spotted one in the crab tree and even tried to climb it! She couldn't quite figure out how, though, and I think the squirrel was laughing at her! The nerve!

Yesterday, Aunt Pat started to teach her the "come" command. Aunt Pat held up a biskee, pointed to the floor beside her and said "come". I was right there. She didn't need to ask me a second time like she did Chloe. Of course she gave me a biskee too. Chloe is catching on quickly, especially with me as a role model. I have to set a good example for my little sister.

Katie will be going to the Vet soon for her distemper and rabies shots. She's needed her new thunderstorm medicine a couple of times, and the humans are happy that she hasn't been so groggy as she was with the other one.

I'm Back!

I'm back from my vacation at Mommy's. We had a good time together.

We had an encounter with a beaver! Can you believe it? The national symbol of Canada visited us! Daddy had let us out and he heard Chloe barking up a storm! When he came outside, he saw the beaver perched on the fence behind the telephone pole. He knew it was a beaver right away because he saw the buck teeth. It looked pretty scared so Katie I went to another part of the yard to watch from a distance. Chloe kept barking, though. Daddy had to pick her up and take her in the house. He was afraid the beaver was stuck on top of the fence, so he got a broom out of the garage. He held it out so the beaver could grab onto it, and lowered it to the ground in the neighbor's yard. It looked pretty relieved to be back on solid ground again. It hasn't come back, but Chloe stops at the back fence regularly to look for it. Daddy and Aunt Pat think it was after the branch pile in our other neighbor's back yard.

Heidi's Away...So We'll Play!

Heidi is spending some time with Mommy this week, so I'm taking over...err, substituting for Heidi while she's gone. Chloe is my able assistant. She's pretty young, so she's more interested in chasing birds and squirrels, and watching out for the bunny and the chipmunks from the neighbor's yard. We had a close call yesterday, though. Chloe chased a bird that almost hit Aunt Pat head on as it flew away. Good thing Aunt Pat leaned over quickly. I thought Aunt Pat was going to fall over, but she managed to regain her balance.

Stella was back this weekend, and Aunt Pat thinks we scared her with our enthusiastic welcome back barking. Chloe also spotted a squirrel in one of the lilac bushes yesterday. It moved around the bush and Chloe lost sight of it, but it was still there even though Chloe had run down to the crab tree a few bushes down. Aunt Pat saw the squirrel sitting in the lilac bush, and she could swear the thing was laughing at Chloe. How rude!

Heidi shouldn't worry about things around here. Chloe and I have taken up the slack and are doing the same things she does for Aunt Pat, like following her around from room to room. We aren't as obvious about it as Heidi, though. We'll give Aunt Pat a head start and then we'll follow after her. I may send Chloe after Aunt Pat. I haven't seen her in a few minutes if she's upstairs and I'm downstairs, I'll do my chirpy bark. It may take a couple of moments, especially if she's eating, but Aunt Pat comes down. I'll roll onto my back so she'll think I want a tummy rub. I'm just checking up on her, though. The tummy rub is a nice perk, though.

We had a nice holiday weekend. Heidi got scared Friday night. We were outside after the main municipal fireworks had ended, and it seemed quiet. Well, one of the neighbors on the street behind us shot off some firecrackers and roman candles. She had already gone potty, and ran straight for the door. It made me a little nervous, but nothing like how I get during thunderstorms. Then, some idiot neighbor two houses down shot off firecrackers at 1:30 in the morning! Daddy and Aunt Pat woke right up. I was a little scared-startled really, and I didn't need my thunderstorm medicine. We barked, of course, and the kids who were visiting left. I don't know if we scared them off, or if it was Daddy going out on the porch and turning on the light that sent them packing, but between all of us, those bad people were gone.

Happy Independence Day!!

Today is a day the humans celebrate their hard fought independence from Great Britain back in the 1700's. Daddy put the flag out in honor those who have fought to keep our country free and to protect the ideals we hold dear. The Founding Fathers wrote that people had the right to "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." But for me, it's "...life, liberty and the pursuit of biskees!"

It's a day to relax, like I am. Daddy did a lot of yard work this morning. Katie is on patrol as usual and is supervising in the garden. I tried a strawberry the other day while Aunt Pat had her back turned. I got my nose under the mesh wrap she put over the plants and got a nice juicy one. It was worth getting "no'"d at.

Chloe is still looking for that rabbit. So far she's only found a couple of chipmunks and a McDonald's Double Cheeseburger wrapper that she pulled through the fence. Aunt Pat couldn't believe how many calories were in it! Um, the double cheeseburger, not the wrapper. She'd never knowingly eat paper. She doesn't know what she's missing! She stopped me from eating a tissue she had on the table to kill a fly in, but I've eaten a couple of paper napkins. Chloe has chewed a photo holder-the thing you get the photos back from the lab in, as well as a picture of her and Daddy's parents when they stood up at a relative's wedding. When we lived at our old house, she chewed a couple of Daddy's old baseball cards. She chews when the humans aren't home. I think

There will be fireworks tonight locally. Katie gets very frightened of loud noises, so she'll probably have to have her thunderstorm medicine. It's the Anixiety TFLN, and Daddy got it from the Vet's office. It works better than the last stuff we tried. The other medicine helped her anxiety, but it took a little while to work, plus Katie slept a lot afterward. This medicine works faster, calms her down, and she isn't as wobbly after taking it like she was on the other medication.

Daddy's going to cook hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill tonight. You can bet we'll be under, er right by the table to make sure any spills are cleaned up quickly.

The Pets 10 Commandments

Aunt Pat received this in an email to a mailing list she belongs to where people talk about anything and everything. She doesn't, nor did the person who sent this to her, know who originally wrote it. But it's a sentiment worth repeating and very touching for every pet person out there.

A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS


1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is
likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment.
You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand
your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt
you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if
something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in
the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say
you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if
you are there, because I love you so. ALWAYS!

~Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good
care of them. Life would be a much more dull, less joyful experience without God's critters~

Now please pass this on to other pet owners. We do not have to wait
for Heaven, to be surrounded by hope, love, and joyfulness. It is here on earth and has four legs!