The Pug Blug

Be the Boss!

2009-07-02T14:47:00.003-04:00

Although I miss him, I think I like it when Daddy travels out-of-town leaving me home with Mommy. You know why? Because then I'm the boss! If you're a dog reading this quick thinking about your rawhide bone-you need to know this. HOW? Read more.

My Luxating Patella

2009-06-24T09:24:00.003-04:00

Remember a couple years ago when I wrote about my luxating patella? In 2007, I found out I had a Grade II luxating patella in my right hind leg. At the time we were faced with the decision as to whether I should have surgery to correct the issue. The choice to have surgery or not presented itself with certain risks and there seemed to be no win-win situation at the time. Not to mention, the surgery itself is expensive and rehab was going to be very challenging. At the time, my parents decided to wait to have the surgery and see how my leg progressed. Many dogs can have Grade II patellar luxation and be just fine. Others digress to have Grade III and Grade IV, both of which require corrective surgery.

Hearing this diagnosis has done nothing to change how I play. I still run hard, play rough, and jump off the back of the couch. During each trip to the veterinarian, my parents wait with baited breath for an update on my leg hoping it has not progressed to Grade III or Grade IV. Last week I went to the veterinarian for my annual visit, during which we finally heard the news we were waiting for.

Interested in hearing more? Check out my new digs!

Sink or Swim?

2009-06-05T10:55:00.002-04:00

Now that the weather is warming up and school is out for the summer, it leaves more time for planning cookouts, pool parties, vacations and everything in between. There will be, however, one activity in which I may not be participating.

Swimming! First off, I'm not a fan of water. This is proved whenever I take a bath. However, during a trip out to the country, I went swimming-that is, if that's what you call it- with my uncles and my Mom. Since then, my parents debate over whether I can actually swim.

This debate may never be solved as I won't allow myself to be put into a pool for an experimental swim. Imagine my delight then when I came across this video (although I feel terrible for this pug). Pug's can't swim....or can they? My disclaimer: This video is incredibly stupid. I haven't blogged in a long time and was compelled too after viewing the video.

The Big Day

2009-04-21T13:43:00.002-04:00

When you see your parents take down curtains, photos and other wall decor or start emptying out closets, know that your life is about to change. I've been through this once before, but this time it was different. It was unsettling, scary and tiring. Instead of spending my days napping and occasionally barking through the window at children and geese, I spent my days wandering the newly-created maze as my parents stacked more and more boxes in the living room.

I've seen them pack their suitcases for vacations and trips to the country, but this was different. This was bigger. They were taking everything. Were they going to take me? Anytime my parents left the room I followed. Anytime they tried walking out the door, I tried to follow.

Then, one morning, I knew my dreaded day had come. My parents woke up early. I knew after spending the night on the floor with my parents that the time had come. But, I didn't expect to be left out. Mommy took me to doggie day camp and I cried and whined the whole way there. I wanted to go on their trip too. When the lady at day camp took me I lunged for Mommy, hoping to charm my way into getting a free treat, but it didn't work. I played with the other dogs, but I couldn't help but wonder, "When will they come back for me? Or will they?"

Early that evening, my parents came back for me and I couldn't have been happier. Instead of taking me back to my home they took me to a new place. When I first walked in I ran down the stairs to the basement, then I ran back up the stairs and then up the other flight of stairs to the second floor. I ran all over our new home and found all those boxes my parents packed up the week before.

As I investigated my new surroundings, I realized it wasn't totally new. I had been here the night before with my parents. They brought me to visit the night before so I wouldn't be totally freaked out when I got home. I guess they just tried to protect me from all the chaos that went on that day by allowing me to have fun in day camp.

My parents started unpacking boxes and moving around furniture as I explored the new area and barked at children playing outside. Although we moved to another apartment, this one is much bigger. With extra floor space, four small flights of stairs to run up and down, and a large grassy area outside, I have a lot of extra space to run and play.

I think I'm going to like it here. Now, if only I can get my parents to settle down and leave the boxes and paint cans alone for awhile. I need attention too, you know.

2009-02-03T10:43:00.003-05:00

Obviously, I've taken a two month hiatus without telling anyone. I've missed blogging and I miss reading all of your comments and stories as well. I can say I'll do better, but really that is up to my typist to determine.

Over the past two months quite a bit has happened and I plan to catch up on everything.

For starters in December I had a very crazy Christmas and met my Mommy's cousin for the first time ever. Recently, it snowed a lot. Leaving us with tons of ice, snow and a snow day. Also, Daddy traveled recently for a very long time or at least it seemed like it. So, it was just Mommy and me and I'll tell you about that later as well.

I won't leave you in the dark very long. I'd write about it now, but my typist is waiting on pictures.

Lazy Gross Weekends

2008-11-25T11:37:00.007-05:00

Sigh. I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to not like winter. Here it is either rainy or snowy and all together frigid. Do you know what this means? It means, I'm not taking trips to the dog park or going on long walks through the neighborhood. It also means I'm making more frequent trips to go O-U-T because instead of taking care of all of my business I only take care of part of it forcing me to go out more often. So what? I don't like the freezing wet feel of snow on my velvety paw. It also means I look for ways to entertain myself.

But, I can't complain too much. I spent my weekend cuddled up in Mommy's amazingly soft blanket and watched a lot of movies, drank a lot of hot chocolate, ate a lot of cookies, and pondered why it's so great to be a dog. OK. Just kidding about hot chocolate and the cookies, I tried believe you me.

So here is why I think it's pretty good to be a god. I can be gross and totally get away with it.
I slept on two stacked pillows, which I always do. I leaked butt juice on a pillow and the couch, peed on the parent's bed, farted, burped a couple of times, blew snot in my parents faces, drooled water on the floor, regurgitated my food (that must be why my face stinks), ate my regurgitated food, sniffed my poop and pee, and farted again this time clearing the room. All this and no consequences. Well, other than peeing on my parents bed; I got in trouble for that one. But, it's not my fault. It was cold outside and raining and no one laid any blankets down for me to walk on nor did they hold an umbrella to protect me from the cold rain.

Apparently, if you're cute and can look like this:

you can be disgusting and the humans will be shocked and grossed out at first, but they'll always come back laughing for more. I think that says more about them than it does anything else. What do you say?

And yes...my editor saw the typo in the 3rd paragraph. She tried to change it, but the truth is, we pugs are doggy gods. Who else can get away with sleeping underneath a blanket on two stacked pillows?

Trip to the Bakery

2008-11-11T21:34:00.005-05:00

On a gray chilly fall day, I donned my gray sweater and hopped in the car with my Mom and her cousin and took a trip downtown. We went to a bakery, but not just any bakery. We went to a bakery just for dogs. That's right, humans Not allowed. OK, they're allowed, but they can't buy anything for themselves no matter how good it looks. I know Mommy was so tempted. But, I digress.

We went to Three Dog Bakery and browsed around the store a bit. I was surprised to see they sold other items other than food, but I didn't really care. We found leashes and collars, sweaters and shirts, food bowls and beds for sale. You know what else they sold? Paintings. That's right. Paintings. But, the cool part is, it was painted by a dog. A DOG?! They put up pictures of the artist painting for proof. But, I remain skeptical.

We walked into the store and Mommy made me browse along with her. I didn't mind because I got some attention from other customers. Unfortunately, my sweater was a big hit! Don't they know they're only encouraging my parents to make me wear it? It seemed like an hour passed before we went to the counter to pick out my treats even though it was only 10 minutes.

As Mommy ordered my treats, I stuck my head under the swinging counter door to see giant dogs. So I growled and barked at them. Mommy didn't appreciate the fact that I was trying to pick a fight with the Great Danes. The guy behind the corner didn't mind. He liked me and would give me samples of their bakery items if I licked him and shook his hand.

So here's what we got: One carrot cake that truly smells like carrot cake and two different types of "pupcakes." I wanted to get an "itty bitty kitty" too, but for some reason I didn't.

I left the bakery fat and happy and excited to eat my treats at home. In my excitement I temporarily lost my mind. I pooped right in front of a restaurant door. Oops.

I got to enjoy my first "pupcake" the next day. It would have been more enjoyable if Mommy didn't take a zillion photos. But, she let me eat one of the pupcakes.

It was so yummy! I wish I could have eaten the others.

Apparently, I have to ration them out because they were rather expensive. Maybe I'll get to enjoy one this weekend.

46 Days Till Christmas

2008-11-06T19:59:00.003-05:00

This post is dedicated to my cousin Emily. I get to meet her for the very first time this year at Christmas! I'm excited because I heard she is smart, feisty, and super fun. Emily has already read this blog and has requested more updates. So today, I'd like to write a post for her. So Emi, this is for you!

Socks: They're small and easy to flip around and they are smelly. This is why I love them and why I like to steal them out of the dirty laundry. The best time to do this is when Mommy is cleaning the bedroom after sorting laundry.

So that is what I did and went like this:

Mmmm...I love this sock. It's smelly and so chewable.

I better keep an eye out for Mom, just in case...
WHOA!

I promise I was NOT chewing on this sock. You missed one and I was just picking it up for you.

In the end, I never got in trouble. Mom thought it was cute and she gave me one of her old socks to keep.

Babies

2008-10-20T11:40:00.003-04:00

This past weekend we traveled to the country to visit the family. I was so excited. It's been a long time since I've played tug for six hours a day or had an opportunity to just run and run and run through the grass. Plus, I missed my Uncles and was looking forward to all the attention and play they would give me.

But something changed. This time, I ran into the house and barked and yapped and whimpered and everyone greeted me. This is going to be great! Or so I thought.

Not even ten minutes later I hear this high pitched cry. It was a weird shaped little human called a "baby". I'm not sure I like babies. They cry and cry and they're face get's really red and then all the humans in the house are like: "Oh, what's wrong?" "Maybe it needs it's diaper changed!" "NO, he's just tired." "I think he's hungry, maybe he needs fed." On and on and on they go.

What about me? I'm barking and whining too but nobody is paying any attention to me.

One time Mommy was holding this baby and my Uncle got down on the floor and started crawling towards the baby to play. I thought he was playing with me but I just got shoved away.

I got shoved away quite a bit. I eventually had a chance to sniff out the baby to see what he was all about. He smells a little funny but he is cute and makes funny noises.

I suppose I'll get used to it. But, I would have appreciated it if someone asked me if it was OK with me to have a baby in the house.

I miss the attention and the quiet! At least there is no baby in my house!

Preferrably Naked!

2008-10-17T12:41:00.002-04:00

This is a no shirt no shoes zone. Or at least that is how I'd prefer it. Now that the weather has cooled, the 'rents have rediscovered my clothing stash wherever it was hiding. It's been so long since I've worn a shirt that I now have to get used to it again. Apparently, we pugs are so fragile that we must be kept warm or else we'll die of hypothermia.

Whatever.

There is a reason we have fur and there is a reason why I prefer not to wear clothing. Why would anyone want to cover up my beautiful, soft brown fur? Forcing me to wear a sweater will only prevent the humans from petting me and making comments such as "Oh, he's so soft." It's a pugs crown of glory and I don't think it is right for humans to cover that up. I think they are jealous because they don't have much hair and skin is just ugly. They'd look super funny without clothes. So they need it. But, we don't. We're kept warm by our fur, it makes us beautiful and it's attractive to humans. Why else would they pet me all the time? You think they'd pet me all the time if I didn't have fur? That's what I thought.

Wearing clothing is not only stifling and method of control, but it's seriously dangerous! I had a great weekend with Mommy last weekend. We went to the dog park every day. I only got a bath once too. But, I digress. We came home one evening after visiting the dog park and after we got settled in for the evening, Mom decided that I should wear my Purdue tee-shirt. I was actually supposed to wear it to the dog park because that was the day of the big Purdue Vs. OSU game. How embarrassing! Does Mommy seriously think I want to wear a shirt in front of other dogs, much less Buckeye fans?! I don't think so!

Anyway, we started playing tug and chase and I ran through the bedroom chasing Mommy out of the room, when all of a sudden I was stuck. My legs were moving, but I wasn't. I ran too close to the dresser and one of the knobs caught on my shirt. It not only caught me and I was stuck, but it tore my shirt right down the middle. This could have been very dangerous. All I could do was just stand there till Mommy figured out what happened and loosen me from the evil grip of the dresser drawer. Luckily, it did not take her long. Although she was in the other room, she heard the rip. That's how loud it was.

So, I ask you: Should dogs be forced to wear clothing for the benefit of human's own pleasure and entertainment? We need to put a stop to this madness.

I urge you to write your congresspug and ask him to put a stop to this humiliating method of control!

Bath Time

2008-10-10T09:46:00.004-04:00

I hate taking baths. I know I'm in trouble when I come home from the dog park and Mommy takes off my collar, walks into the bathroom and calls me over. That's when I usually jump on the back of the couch hoping Daddy will save me. But, he doesn't. He eventually says, "GO!" My next tactic is to walk to the far end of the couch and huddle with my tail down in the corner by the wall. This never goes over well. I just get picked up and put in the bathtub.

I'm not sure which is worse: the water or getting dried off. My comfort requires a certain level of warmth and that means the temperature of the water has to be just right. It's always warm, but the hotter the water, the more I relax. This confuses Mommy because she thinks it's too hot.

Being towel dried is pretty bad because at this point I just want OUT of the bathtub. Not to mention, being rubbed down with a towel over and over is not fun. It's like rubbing wood with sandpaper. OK, maybe it's not that harsh, but it's not enjoyable.

Then, the last thing I ever want is to play in the bathtub.

Or take pictures...

Okay, okay....maybe I do like to do a little modeling from time to time. But, preferably not with my collar off while I'm in the bathtub.

Meet Mr. Pug

2008-09-17T13:15:00.005-04:00

This post is an extension of the post I wrote about my weekend adventure. We left off on Sunday.

To recap: Friday: I went to a dog festival. Saturday: I went to a new a dog park and swam in the lake and played on the dog beach. Hahaha and I tormented a fat basset hound.

Sunday

I went to PetSmart. I thought I was going to the hotel to see my friends and play with the other doggies. I was so excited. But, instead, I got a new toy which was a lot of fun too.

Meet Mr. Pug. His real name is "Sebastian," but I much prefer to call him Mr. Pug.

So far he has provided many hours of fun. First, I'm working on chewing his ears off.

It is proving to be quite difficult so I have to concentrate very hard. No distractions, please!

Turns out it is more difficult than I thought so I changed my objective to tearing his head off.

To do this, I'd take Mr. Pug to Mommy and while I growl I shove him into her hand. When she takes hold of Mr. Pug, I pull back very hard and shake my head back and forth.

Mommy did not like being an accomplice in these efforts.

So I had to work alone.

Which was very exhausting and so I fell asleep....

After awhile, I did end up making progress towards dismembering his tail, but Mommy didn't like that either.

You know, I just realized....it's been a awhile since I've seen Mr. Pug. He must be in hiding. I must go hunt him down.

Sleepy and Spoiled

2008-09-15T23:14:00.004-04:00

I know I am supposed to tell you about my Sunday adventure, but I haven't got photos right now and I know I need to update my blog. So, we're going to go out-of-order, but later in the week we should have photos posted. When we do, I'll introduce you to my new friend "Mr. Pug."

Sometimes, sleeping on the back of the couch just doesn't do it for me anymore.

We all know I am way too good to sleep on the floor. I mean, carpet isn't really all that soft and well, it's not very cushy. O.K forget the fact that I am asleep in the next photo.

When I am tired and want a good nap, I go to my bed. My parents claim it's their bed, but we all know better. I push and shove Mommy around just as much as she pushes and shoves me.

The bedroom is dark and cozy and the bed is fluffy and soft.

This is where I slept after my weekend adventure with Mommy. I was in desperate need of some "me" time. Normally I sleep on the back of the couch during the day.

Daddy, who realized the living room was quiet for a very long time came looking for me to find me curled up in my bed. I did not appreciate him disturbing me to take a photo.

After thoroughly enjoying my nap in the parents bedroom, I decided to go back again the next day.

I found a comfier spot.

2008-08-25T09:12:00.007-04:00

Well, I am absolutely exhausted. Mommy wore me out this weekend. Not only did we stay up way past our bed time, but we did all sorts of exciting things.

FRIDAY

On Friday night, Mommy took me to a nearby festival (or street fair) for dogs which was very exciting for me, but not so much for her. She entered me in a pet contest which required us to visit five different stations to get judged (from a scale of 1 to 7) on appearance, temperament and behavior. These stations were booths from area businesses promoting their products or services. Some were pet related, but most weren't.

Some lady gave me a six on appearance and temperament. Seriously, I'm cute. I think worth at least a ten and yes, I know I can be quite rambunctious, but I was trying to be charming. I worked it for the judges. I'd go to the judges (who were mostly women) and prop myself up on their legs and with my tongue hanging outside of my mouth I'd snort and breathe on them with my hot puggy breath as I gave them the "adoring and hopeful pug look."

Like this:
OR this:

Or this:

Apparently, it only worked on 3 of the judges. The other two just gave me a 6 out of seven for appearance. I ended up missing a perfect score by only three points. Nevertheless, despite the fact that we were both hot and tired and wanted to go home, we stuck around for awards, because we were, after all, missing only three points.

I lost. I lost to a Bernese Mountain Dog, a brown weimaraner and a yorki-poo that was being carted around in a toy baby-doll buggy. Yes, my sentiments exactly.

Mother thought the Bernese Mountain Dog and the yorki-poo was cute, but we're confused about the weimaraner.

Oh well, I still felt like celebrity dog because it seemed like everyone we walked buy would exclaim "Oh, look, a cute pug!" Or they would ask if they could pet me and give me treats.

This was the first time I've been out on city-streets like this and I enjoyed sniffing the streets, seeing the other dogs and trying to eat the broken dog treats on the ground-nevermind, the fact it was laying in a pile of other doggy vomit.

SATURDAY

On Saturday, Mommy and I went for a drive and checked out a new dog park about half an hour from where we live. It was a very nice park situated right along a large lake. There was a separate section for large dogs and small dogs, but they also had a beach. It just so happens that this beach is one of the top ten dog beaches in America.

I wasn't very sure about going in the water. The boxer and basset hound seemed to really enjoy running in the water after each other. But, I don't even like to take baths. What makes Mommy think I'll go in the water?

So I walked up to the water's edge and watched the little waves come in. Geez, it really did look like fun....

So I tested the water and realized I would get wet and thought "no way."

As I watched the other dogs run in and out of the water I was envious. I wanted to have that much fun, but I admit I was scared. I looked up at Mommy and she knew what I was thinking. She took a few steps in the water and after seeking that she was OK, I joined her.

(Sorry the photo is rotated. It's not stored on the computer like this. I think it is something Blogger did, so I've put Mommy to task on fixing this...yeah, right.)

It actually wasn't too bad...well, that is until a little wave lapped up against me and startled me. The water felt cool and refreshing, but I don't understand how the other dogs were having so much fun in it. I might have had to venture out father into the water to really find out, but I was afraid and Mommy wouldn't walk into the water any further. I figured there was a legitimate reason why and I would just follow her lead. I also didn't know what I was supposed to do in the water so I started drinking it. That's when Mommy decided we'd go play on the beach.

We stayed and played at the beach for a little while. There was this basset hound that kept trying to chase me around on the beach. Hahah. Funniest thing ever. He was long, had a well-rounded tummy, and stubs for legs. Now, I can flip around and run really fast, but this dog...well, let's just say he made my Mom giggle a lot when he tried to run to chase me. As I ran, he waddled and hopped and howled at me.

We eventually went back to the small dog park (before we went to the beach we stopped by the small dog area. I wasn't being very social and I made Mommy chase me). This time, I actually socialized with the humans and played with the other dogs (including a very peculiar Italian Greyhound). There were two fawns that came up to the fence. I suppose they wanted to watch us play. I never noticed them, but the humans did. They eventually got chased off by some mutts.

Combined with the hour drive and playing at the park for nearly an hour and a half, I felt like I had a long day. I was glad to come home and I slept for the rest of the evening, well, and I started a new game with Mommy. I bark and whine at her then run over to my treat bowl to see how many treats she'll give me. Turns out she'll give me quite a few. It helps that I am quite irresistible and when I really want something I can sound quite demanding.

Since I need a nap right now, I'll tell you about Sunday later...

Whoops!

2008-08-19T13:26:00.003-04:00

We really dropped the ball on this one, haven't we?

We lied. Well, we didn't lie, we just jumped the gun. You see, there was a neat blog design we were going to use for my blog, but we had to create a dummy blog first to see how it would turn out.

It was not the easiest design to implement and I'm afraid that by implementing the new design we may lose a lot of the content in this blog already. Quite frankly, we don't want that to happen.

So, Mommy decided she'd look for a new blog design, but has yet to find one. So for now, changes aren't going to happen soon. We'd like to change the design, but we don't know when that will happen. Maybe one day you'll load the pages of my blog and there it will be.

In the meantime, we'll try to catch up on blogging, but we can't make any guarantees.

Changes are coming!

2008-07-01T12:33:00.004-04:00

Alright fellow bloggers! I know I've slacked off the last couple months but that's gonna change. I have a lot to blog about and I'm a bit behind and I find that when I've got a lot to blog about, I tend to slack off. Mommy slacks off, blame her.

We are currently working on a few changes starting with the design. As a result, weird things may happen on this blog.

In the meantime, stay tuned as we try to catch up on blogging.

Ohio Democrat Seeking to Outlaw 'Pit Bull Terrior' Ownership

2008-06-24T14:55:00.001-04:00

Ohio Democrat Seeking to Outlaw 'Pit Bull Terrior' Ownership

2008-06-18T21:11:00.007-04:00

There is something in my bed that smells yummy and I am going to find it.

It smells a bit like milkbone crumbs, but I hope it's even yummier.

My parents don't like me playing with my bed. In fact, my parents took my last bed away from me after I constantly mistook it as a plaything.

I just need to pull out the cushion and then I'll find the missing treats!

I know it's somewhere around here.

What if there aren't any treats? Well, something is in my bed that's for sure.

What are you looking at? I wasn't doing anything.

Chewing Away

2008-06-14T19:06:00.003-04:00

I've discovered my new favorite toy. I've had it since Easter and it's recently become my favorite.

I don't know why I wasn't into playing with this toy until recently.

I like to chew off the little red knobs. Sometimes I eat the red knobs other times I like to leave them on the couch or the floor for my parents to pick up.

Sometimes, I get in the zone when I'm chewing such that I have no idea what else is going on around me.

Memorial Day Weekend Part Two

2008-06-09T20:17:00.005-04:00

Well I know I promised pictures and have yet to put them up. The photos below are from Memorial Day Weekend when I spent the afternoon outside with my Uncle J and my Mommy.

Here I am exploring the countryside and seeing how far I can test my boundaries. My boundaries are often limited by my mother who doesn't seem to recognize that outside I am a King.

Below are photos of me ruling my kingdom.

Mommy did not like it when I tried to cross the street. Not only that, she wouldn't let me go in the corn fields either. So I guess my kingdom only really extends to the cornfields and the street, but still that's like 4.5 acres which is more than what most indoor pugs get.

My Uncle J found me a stick. BTW, I am now older than him in human years despite the fact that I'm only 2.5 years-old in dog years. This stick had a lot of flaky bark which I then tried to eat. Yummy! Thanks Uncle J!

Though, Mommy did not like me eating the bark either. So when she came near me-I ran. I'm basically a cheetah, but you can't tell in this picture. You can see my rippling muscles.

OKAY! Fine! You can see my rippling skin rolls.

When I tired of running, I laid in the cool grass.

I tried hiding the fact that I still had my stick and I was eating it.

Oh hi there, Mom! I don't have anything!

Caught Red Pawed.

2008-05-30T23:21:00.002-04:00

Memorial weekend happened to be one of the best weekends of my life. I got full run of the country and ate my fair share of bark off of the sticks in the yard. Watch this video of Mommy sneaking up on me while I'm disobediently eating bark. It's yummy and I don't know why she won't let me eat it.

But, it Looked So Good!

2008-05-05T15:05:00.005-04:00

I don't know what got into her, but my Mom decided to make homemade dog food and then eat it for herself. She called it a Tuna Sandwich.

She kept telling me it had tuna and mayonnaise and pickle relish in it, but quite frankly, I don't care. All I cared about was that it smelled like my food and I wanted to eat it.

One day, my parents were in the kitchen cooking and Mommy opened the refrigerator door and turned around to talk to Daddy. When she turned back around, my head was inside the fridge and I was sniffing out this Tuna Sandwich stuff.

I was so engrossed in finding this food that I didn't realize Mommy was watching me! I looked up at her and my heart skipped a beat and I ran from the fridge.

They wanted photos and so they tried to get me to go search for this food, but I wouldn't. I was afraid I'd get in trouble. After all, never once have I ever gotten in the fridge ever before!

See, I don't like it when they put me in situations that I know are wrong. Aren't they the ones who are supposed to teach me not to do stuff like this?

They even took the lid off so I could smell it better and even eat it if I so desired.

So, I snuck up there by myself and took a sniff. Then, I jumped back, "I can't do this! I'm not allowed to. After all, this is probably a trap!"

So I walked away. After thinking about this, I realized that I should have just given in to the temptation and stole Mommy's dog food. I know it sure would have been yummy.

I never did eat the tuna salad for sandwiches. While I made it as basic as it can be made, it just didn't look very good and it did smell incredibly like Oscar's dog food though much stronger-which made it all the more unappetizing. Oscar, on the other hand, went crazy while I was making this. He probably got to eat a small amount of the tuna salad, but I honestly don't remember. After this incident, it was thrown away. ~Oscar's Mom.

Mmm...Sweet Apples

2008-04-24T12:03:00.003-04:00

Lately Mommy's been on a bit of a health food kick...well, I won't say lately because recently she's been caught eating spoonfuls of chocolate chip cookie dough or batter for cobbler. This is fine with me as long as she shares which, usually she'll let me eat off the spoon.

So anyway, for awhile our fridge was full of fruits and vegetables. Yuck, vegetables. But, she's got these apples that look and smell very tasty. Little did I know how good they really were!

I like them because they're sweet and juicy! Yes, I said I like them. That's right-she lets me eat them!
She won't let me eat the whole thing, which really bothers me, because I can just see me rolling it around the floor and biting out huge chunks. Mommy thinks I'll make a big mess, because as it is I'm already a sloppy apple eater.

She usually lets me eat the last few bites, but I really wish she wasn't so stingy and would let me eat more. I also know that when she throws away the apple there are many more bites left. Like the core...she really doesn't have to throw that away. Oh and, I'm sure those black things, what are they? Seeds? I'm sure they're very tasty! I think I will have to steal some and plant my own apple tree. I won't be sharing my apples with anyone. Well, maybe the pretty pug that lives across the street from me. I bet she's never had an apple.

Eating apples requires my full attention. Mmmmm....tasty....

Now, I just need to convince Mommy to buy more apples because recently I haven't seen any in the fridge (yes, I've been in the fridge, but that's another post for another day). Then, my goal is to convince her to give me a whole apple. What? They're healthy, it'd be better than giving me milkbones or treats for my kong several times a day....which she still doesn't do. Hmmm....looks like I'll have to work on that too..

A Pug in a Box

2008-04-08T13:24:00.002-04:00

Every once in a while my parents buy stuff that arrives in huge boxes which they use to torment me.

First, they chase me with the box and because I'm scared of it-I run! Then, when that gets boring for them, I get put in the box.
This box was taller than me so it would have required a bit of effort on my part to jump out. Not to mention that they told me to "stay" and since I like to be obedient I stayed.

But, I'm thinking that I shouldn't have. I should have just jumped out of the box!

You know, I don't know what I do to deserve this....

My Giant Bone

2008-03-24T16:08:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago, my Daddy bought me a big, giant, rawhide bone! It was so big I almost couldn't put my mouth around it.

I love rawhide bones, but I had no idea they made them this big. Apparently, they make them even bigger.

At first I didn't know what to do with it! It seemed too big to eat so I just stared at it and licked it.

I might have whined a few times too.
I eventually got to the point where I could carry it in my mouth. Normally I my nylabones or rawhide bones at the end, but this time, I carried the bone like a real dog.
My favorite place to chew bones is on the couch on top of Mommy's blanket. I know, that seems kind of gross but, she would rather have bone residue on her washable blanket than her couch.
Rawhide is hard to clean off of a microsuede couch.
Mommy came over to take my picture and I thought she was going to steal my bone. Once I learned how to carry it and chew on it, I became very possessive over my new toy!

Believe it or not, I ate the entire bone. It's all gone. OK. Well, I almost ate the entire bone, I would have if Mommy stopped shoving her fingers in my mouth to pull out the almost swallowed 4'' chunks of rawhide. My parents keep throwing away the ends or the last little bits' and pieces because they are too afraid I'm going to choke on it.

Anyway, we were laying on the couch and Mommy tried to pet me. I thought she was going to try to take away my rawhide bone. Well, I growled at her. I got away with it while she took this video, but the second time I tried to growl at her like this I got in trouble and I got my rawhide bone taken away from me!

Blizzard 2008

2008-03-19T15:59:00.007-04:00

Oh the cold wet snow...I can't make up my mind if I hate it or love it. I don't like being cold and I don't like being wet but there is something invigorating about being out in the snow.

A few weekend ago, it snowed 20" leaving me and my parents snowed in and trapped in our apartment for two days.

Obviously, it didn't keep me from going out to play in though. Mommy wanted to play in the snow and so she would force me outside under false pretenses.

After I take care of my business, Mommy walks the opposite direction from our warm apartment into a huge snow drift pile. Then, she calls me to come to her. Yeah riight..

But next thing I know, I'm charging forward into snow that is so deep it could bury me.

I decided I had-had enough of running around in the snow so I turned around and followed my path back to the apartment. I didn't feel like forging a new trail.

Mommy called me back out to see if I would come to her, but instead I stood on our patio and barked at her telling her it was time to come inside.

She finally acquiesced and our adventures out in the cold ended with some snuggling on the couch while watching a movie. It is worth being outside in the cold and then freezing so that when you go inside where it is warm it makes you feel all warm and cuddly.

I tried to convince Mommy to make me hot chocolate but she said "no!"

A Puppy's Little Heart

2008-03-06T10:56:00.006-05:00

I'm sure we've all heard stories from someone claiming their dog had a "heart" in its coat, but upon looking closely at the dog's coat it became obvious that this "heart" was an odd-shaped circle.

In one case, this heart shape was not a stretch of imagination.

Meet Heart-Kun, a 10 month old Chihuahua born in Odate, Japan with a large, clearly-defined brown heart-shaped marking against his white coat. The puppy's breeder, Emiko Sakurada-who has bred nearly 1,000 dogs over the past several years-claims she has not seen a marking like this on any other dog.

Bred with the intention to be sold, Heart-Kun born May 18, 2007, has brought "good fortune to me and everyone else whose path cross with Heart-Kun," said Sakurada who plans to keep this big-hearted puppy.

A video about Heart-Kun will be posted shortly once I get YouTube and blogger to interact.

Torturing Mommy

2008-03-05T13:31:00.008-05:00

This time instead of Mommy torturing me, I tortured her. Well, actually Daddy did. Well, we did. As if getting up in the morning and going to work with a head-ache on the day of her performance review isn't bad enough, especially with a load of work that needs to be done by the end of this week, we decided to make it worse.

My job was easy, all I had to do was find a nice spot on the couch and fall asleep. I chose a cozy spot at the end of the couch on top of my pillow. I would have preferred to have two pillows, but Daddy was using the other one as an arm rest.

Daddy's job was to take the picture making sure it was an accurate representation of what the afternoon looked like at home and then e-mail it to Mommy.

This is what we sent her:

I don't know what Mommy's reaction to this picture was, but I bet she sure wishes she were at home cuddling on the couch and eating strawberry cake with Daddy and I.

Here are more pictures of me cuddling or sleeping on the couch:

Oscar Party!

2008-02-27T09:29:00.006-05:00

My parents have been very lazy lately. Well, at least just my Mother. She's the one who is supposed to update my blog, but she's been "too busy and uninspired." Look at this face, do you really think she can't be inspired? Yeah, that's what I thought too.....

Anyway, I'm upset with them because I heard something about an Oscar party on Sunday night! I was so excited because I thought I was going to have a party. I thought it was a party to watch me and I even thought it would be televised. I could have sworn that I heard "Let's watch Oscar on TV." But, I guess I was wrong. I really wish they would stop saying things like that. A dog can get the wrong idea and then be really disappointed and that's never a good thing. Apparently, there was no Oscar party and I certainly wasn't on TV....yet. I guess the Oscars are where celebrities put on their best clothes and get some sort of award. Hmm...I wonder if I should have put on my best clothes....

So Daddy was gone again. I wasn't too happy about it because Mommy said I had to be a man and protect her from all the night noises. I don't like those noises. But the real issue came when she said I had to be a man and to be a man meant I couldn't play with my blanket anymore! Real men don't play with their blankets? I don't want to stop playing with my blanket...it's my primary sense of joy. I'm not sure if she knows what she is talking about. I think real men are those who play with their blankets, are proud of it and aren't afraid of what the humans or other dogs say. I still played with my blanket and I still barked at the strange noises that occurred in the night. I even barked at the dog in the mirror and chased him away! He's a real slicker....one minute he's around and the next second, up close all I see is me and he has completely disappeared. But, he hasn't fooled me. I know he's around there somewhere. One of these days, I'll get him before he disappears!

Also, since I had to be a man, that meant I got to sleep on top of Daddy's pillow every night. This made it easier for me to hear strange noises and see strange shadows at the same time making it easier for me to pop up and start barking!

My Tennis Ball's Slow Death

2008-02-04T14:32:00.002-05:00

I love playing with my tennis ball. I love chewing on it, I love chasing it, I love playing "tug" with it. I just love it.

The other day though, I noticed that there was something wrong with it. There is a nice slit all the way down my tennis ball. Apparently, it was like this for quite some time.

I've wondered why it doesn't seem to bounce anymore.

Mommy showed me the slit last week by holding the ball and squeezing it so the slit would open and close. At first I was scared of it because I thought the tennis ball was going to eat me.

I still play with my bright yellow ball, but now I mostly concentrate on tearing the ball apart.

My Birthday!

2008-01-29T10:38:00.000-05:00

I'm two-years old now! That makes me like-what? 14 in human years? Dude, I'm totally a teenager now which means I get to tell my parents what to do. Well...Ok, it looks like not a whole lot will change. I pretty much tell them what to do as it is already.

I had a great birthday! I got up early that morning and spent some much needed quality time alone with Daddy. He actually was home for awhile. I'm sorry I didn't update and tell you all. Thanks for being worried about me though! Daddy and I played video games together and watched TV and napped on the couch, that is until Mommy came home. She and Daddy then left me home alone for a few hours.

But, when they came back, they came back with a birthday present for me!

It's a pet alligator! And, it's alive!

At first it didn't seem alive. I thought it was just a stuffed toy.
But then, something magical happens-it wakes up and attacks you. He's not very friendly. So I bite him and he bites back. His name also happens to be "Bite Me."

The alligator even drank out of my water bowl and ate out of my food bowl. Who does he think he is? He's also loud and squeaks a lot.

I love my new toy, but for some reason my parents don't let me play with him very much. I think they're afraid I might hurt him. But, I am more concerned with him hurting me!

Here is a video of me playing with my new pet toy!

I also got new treats for my birthday as well.

It was a pretty fun day and a successful birthday in the fact that my Mommy didn't make me wear a stupid birthday cone!

Missing My Daddy

2008-01-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

My Daddy travels every once in awhile and when he does, it really throws off my schedule. You see, Daddy usually is home first, then Mommy. Well, I'm not used to having Mommy come home first. When he's gone, she'll come home take me out and then feed me. Then I will go to our back door for an hour and wait for Daddy to come home. Usually it's the opposite. Usually Daddy comes home and feeds me and then I wait at the window for Mommy to come home.

You can see all of my nose smudges on the window. That's how you know it's my window spot. Mommy would clean the windows from time to time, but she's learned it useless. My parents also learned to leave the blinds up because I've already broken them by sticking my face in them all the time.

Mommy has a bad habit of leaving her shoes in the doorway. You'd think she'd be grown up about it and put them away, but no. She's not. She leaves them in my way every night.

Cold Weather Blues...

2008-01-20T19:53:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you but I'm getting really tired of being cooped up inside because of the cold. I don't have much to report on right now because I haven't done anything over the last week. All I do is sleep and play fetch with my parents. Something about this cold weather makes them awfully lazy. All they want to do is lay around and be fat and lazy and eat or sleep. I don't mind eating or sleeping, but they're not sharing their food with me!

The other day I tried to get my parents to play fetch with me. They threw the ball a little bit and then I got tired.

This is what I spend most of my days doing. Sleeping.

Today it was about 9 degrees Fahrenheit. The wind chill was supposed to be between 10-15 degrees below zero and the temperature was supposed to feel like it was between 15 and 24 degrees below zero. But, I doubt it was actually that cold. I slept for a good portion of the day while avoiding my Mom. She keeps threatening to give me a bath. I don't know what her deal is, I don't think I smell too bad.

Well, I hope everyone else is staying warm!

Highlights From 2007!

2008-01-07T21:03:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years! I know I had a great time, but I'm home now and finally getting back into the daily grind. I am sure that by know you are back home and are just getting started on your first work week of the year. It's good to be home, but I don't like it now that my parents are at work. I wish we were on vacation again.

To celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another I decided to recap some 2007 highlights.

1. My first snow day!

I learned that the cold makes me frisky and the wet snow disgusts me. But, I do like the feeling of going inside after being outside and cuddling on the couch with my parents.
I could go without my sweater, but it does make me feel nice and warm.

2. My first self-deprecating most humiliating birthday ever!
She said I had to do this for my blog. Riight! She goaded me into this with food.

3. We moved.

Where's Oscar?

4. My attempt to TP the apartment was foiled.

Sometimes the parents are a huge nuisance. Note to self: Take care of the parents before attempting my next crime.

5. Learned new things about myself.

A. During intense wrestling matches I learned I transform into a psychotic booger eating pug.

B. I am a talented dancer.

C. And would not make a very good sumo wrestler...well, until I gain the pug pudge. I will also need a more appropriate sumo loincloths.

6. I conquered my fear of the dog agility course and mastered the ramp and loved it!
It was a blast! 7. Finally, this brings me to my second Christmas. Christmas was good to me this year as I'm sure you figured out from previous posts.

I like ribbon!

Christmas was fun, but I did have to fight a toddler for my toy! He really was just trying to play tug with me but didn't really know the rules.

Christmas Eve!

2007-12-29T21:42:00.002-05:00

Twas the night before Christmas and all was calm
'cept for a boy and his dog and...

...a chicken flavored nylabone?
_____________________________________________________________

I was peacefully chewing on my chicken bone when suddenly my chicken nylabone was gone! I looked around to find it sitting inside the mouth of my 18-year-old Uncle! I don't mind sharing, but come on-my Uncle is going to put his teenager germs on my nylabone and I don't want any part of getting the "crazies"-yeah, you know what I mean. Just look at every other 18-year-old boy you know. Their favorite word is "poop."

So, I looked up and there he was with my nylabone sitting in between his teeth. I incredulously look up at him: Seriously? Seriously?! Dumbfounded, all I could do was sit there and watch.

He bent his head down towards me and nudged me with the bone. Naturally, I grabbed hold of it with my teeth. I'll teach this boy not to chew on my nylabone. So, I chewed on one end and he...chewed on the other end? Hmm...that idea gave me a thought.

Next thing I know it turns into a game. He stands up and pulls it out of my mouth. I wanted my bone back so I jumped up and tried to grab it out of his mouth. This started a tug-of-war game with an end of the chicken flavored nylabone in my mouth and one end in his.

Shortly after this game of tug-of-war began, I noticed that my Uncle wasn't really chewing on my nylabone, it was just sitting in between his teeth.

He started pulling back and I started pulling back even harder until it hit me. I can really teach this boy a lesson.

I pulled back really hard and let go of the nylabone which caused it to fall inside my Uncle's mouth giving him a full taste of chicken and plastic and dog germs!

He promptly spat the bone out and I picked it up, carried it to my bed and resumed chewing my bone. The things I have to go through...

My Uncle and I have a good relationship so we toy with each other like that with no hard feelings.

Later that evening he read me the story of the true meaning of Christmas while I sat and listened to him.

And, on Christmas Day, he massaged my back and head with a back massager while I sat still and thought....I totally have him wrapped around my dew claws. Sucker!

Best Weekend Ever!

2007-12-23T21:27:00.000-05:00

Wow, I am so very tired. I just had the best two days and what's even more exciting is the fact that the fun is just going to continue!

Friday afternoon Dad took me to PetSmart Hotel for a get-a-way weekend. I got to spend the night in an upper atrium room and Friday before I had to go to bed, I got to play with the other hotel guests for a little while. On Saturday afternoon I got to take part in the doggie day camp with the other hotel guests and doggie day care attendees! It was so fun, but I am so worn out!

After every stay, they give the parents "Pawgress Reports" and I got the highest marks. They grade you on five different things: Meal Time, Play Time, Bed Time, Potty Time, and the Whole Time. One of the comments read "Oscar is such a happy boy he makes us smile!" How nice of them. See, look for yourself!

The staff there are just so wonderful and they treat us so nicely.

This is the second time I got to stay there. Two months ago my parents went to Washington DC and rented me a suite at the PetSmart Hotel. I got my very own sound proof room complete with a cot, a rug, my own toys and a TV. I felt so special!

So I got to spend two days playing with other dogs and then when I came home it was our Christmas! We had to do Christmas early because we are going to the country for Christmas!

All these are mine right?

When we got home, I took a bath while Daddy made homemade hot cocoa and then we opened presents. I thought all those presents were mine, but they weren't. Some of them were Daddy's and some were Mommy's. I guess they get to have presents too.

I caught my second wind after my bath, but as soon as I settled down on the couch I realized I was exhausted. After I opened up my first present, which was a chicken flavored nylabone, I took it to my post on the couch to chew on it. It was then that I realized all I wanted to do was go to sleep!

But, my parents made me open the rest of gifts. I got new food bowls and a new Christmas tee-shirt! I even got a new blue sports themed blanket! It actually came in a package with three other sport themed blankets, but I was only given one to play with at a time. That way we can keep the others clean. But, it's nice because now I won't be able to shred my blanket so easily. This means, my parents won't be finding piles of vomited blanket around the apartment!

Honestly, I was just so tired all I wanted to do was curl up the couch. So that is what I did. Daddy played with his new toys and I cuddled up next to him and tried to sleep.
It was rather difficult to do because someone kept sticking a camera in my face! Not cool!

After all the presents were opened my parents wrapped more gifts for the rest of the family gift exchanges while I curled up on the couch and slept the night away.

I can't wait because now we are on our way the country to celebrate Christmas with the rest of the family! I can't wait to see the family, run around the yard with no leash or limitations and I can't wait to debut my new Christmas tee-shirt!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

My Letter to Santa!

2007-12-17T13:27:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it is six days until Christmas! I am so excited! Mommy wrapped up some of my presents and they're sitting underneath the tree. As soon as she put them under the tree I went to go sniff them. I really wanted to open them up, but she wouldn't let me! OOoooohhh, I just can't wait! I love getting presents! But hey, who doesn't?!

I wrote a letter to Santa to see if he would bring me presents. After all, I've been a good boy this year.

Here it is:

Dear Santa, I hope you and all of your elves are staying warm in the North Pole. I just want to let you know that I've been a very good dog this year. Nevermind the fact that I pooped in my parent's bed, or spitefully, I mean accidentally peed on the floor right in front of Mommy or scratched up their coffee table, snuck out of the apartment, or stole dryer sheets and ate them under the bed where Mommy couldn't get to me, or jumped out of the bath tub in the middle of a bath because I didn't want to take a bath, or ate stuff out of the trash...oh right.

I've been a very good dog. I wait for my food to be served and I cuddle with my parents on the couch, I keep Mommy's feet warm when she goes to bed, when Daddy's gone I sleep up with her, when Daddy's working from home I sit with him to make sure he does his work right, when Mommy works from home I lay in her lap, I bark at the strangers to protect my home..see, I'm a very good dog. And, good dogs get presents, right? Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to put in a few of my own requests. Here is what I would like for Christmas.

1. Food bowls, especially ones that don't slide around on the floor-scary

2. Food, Come on, I need food to go in the food bowls, right?

3. Treats, lots and lots of treats! Good tasty ones, maybe some with yogurt icing, yummy!

5.Toys, I'm getting low on my toys. In fact, I don't really have any toys come to think of it. Just my nylabone and kong. That gets boring after awhile.

6. Blankets. Umm...Mommy took mine away from me. She won't even let me play with them anymore! Sure, I may have puked up a nice little wad of blanket Saturday morning, but I don't think that's enough reason to ban me from chewing on them. Don't you agree?

7. Dryer sheets, I want my own so that I don't have to steal Mommy's and get in trouble

8. Socks, again, so I don't have to steal Mommy's. I don't want to get in trouble.

9. A pet hamster. I heard they're fun to play with.

Santa, I think that is all I want for Christmas. I don't think I'm asking for too much. Plus, I promise to be good.

Sincerely, Oscar Tiberius

P.S If you come to my house, I'll make sure you get sugar cookies. They're really good! Maybe, I'll get Mommy to leave some out for your reindeer too!

Let it Snow!

2007-12-13T16:04:00.000-05:00

I woke up one day last week and discovered it had snowed. It snowed three inches overnight! Not only that, but it continued to snow all day long. I forgot how cold and wet the snow is. Now, it really seems like Christmas.

I do not like being out in the snow though. It makes my paws wet and cold and I just don't like that.
The snow has since melted, and now it's rainy. Mommy wishes it would snow again, but I think she's crazy.

Snow just makes me want to run back inside the house and snuggle on the couch.

The Day I Made a Choice For Me

2007-12-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

I hate stupid libraries. Their only worth, I imagine, is to provide many dogs endless treasures of paper products of different sizes, flavors and textures for us to sink our teeth in or pee on.
I know, given that, I should love libraries, right? Wrong.

Let me say that my Mother, has practically brought home nearly every book in our library over the last few months. All she ever does is read, read, read. But what about me?! Yeah, well, that's my problem. There is no ME! M-E! No ME! I am practically invisible to Mother when she is reading.

A few days ago, I waited till Mommy settled on the couch with her coffee and books and asked her to play tug with me. She ignored me. Then I brought her my tennis ball and asked her if she'd throw it, and she said "Not now, Oscar." So then, I decided to get my puppy kong and chew on that for awhile. I decided it would be much more fun with a treat so I gave it to Mommy and she said, "Can you wait a few minutes?" Ugh..grrrr...I'm getting really tired of waiting. So, I go chew on my kong for a little while.

So, I went and chewed on my toys for what seemed like an eternity. Ok, fine. I guess it was only for one minute, but still....I mean...sigh, I deserve some play time too, you know.

I took my ball to Mommy and and whined and pouted and barked at her. "When, I finish my coffee, Oscar. Then, I'll play fetch with you and get you a treat for your kong."

When you finish your coffee, eh? I sat there, listening to her. Then, I cocked my head to one side. What was that she said? She'd play with me when she finishes her coffee? The wheels in my head began to turn and before I knew it I picked up my tennis ball and leaned over her coffee mug that was cradled in her hands on her lap and dropped my tennis ball straight into her coffee mug.

How's that for finishing your coffee? Yeah, that's what I thought.

She finished her coffee awfully quick that's for sure. Hehehe.

We then played a nice game of tug-of-war, fetch, chase and then she gave me treat for my kong and settled back on the couch to finish her book. But, not before she put me in my sweater. My sweater makes me all cuddly and sleepy. I don't mind it sometimes, but I hate it when they use it to control how I play or rather, don't play. I guess that's what I get for interfering with her relaxation time.

I'm still pretty proud of myself.....

Poop, Pee, and Other Things -Not For the Fainthearted or Weak Stomached-

2007-12-05T13:25:00.000-05:00

Did you know that dogs in the U.S create 3.6 billion lbs of poo every year and that it would cover 800 football fields one foot deep? It's true. And, one single gram of dog poo contains over 23 million bacteria.

Well, somebody, somewhere, decided that we are natural artists in an attempt to make some money. However, you won't find smocks, paint or paintbrushes with us when we create our work of art. Hence, I said, we are natural artists.

Someone, a real genius I might add, decided to showcase our work of art in a calendar. Yep, that's right, dog poo can hang on your walls someday.

My Mother would not take a picture of mine. It's a shame too, I was going to entitle my work of art "Red Laces." She was not so amused and has since then banned me from playing with my red ball. I like to eat all the strings off of this thing.

AND, if you really don't like someone: dogdoo.com For $30 you can send your arch nemesis the "PooPoo Platter," the extra large grande. We can think of a few people we'd love to send that to.
What about you?

In pee news, when you gotta go, you gotta go. You can't always wait for the humans to take you out. Outside I mean. To potty. You know, what I mean.

To show my disgust at Purdue losing their last football game as well as to show disgust to my mother who was too busy knitting to pay any attention to me, I peed on the floor. I stood their whining and she ignored me thinking I wanted to play fetch-which I don't do-finally, I stood on my hind paws, tapped her arm. Nothing. So, I peed on the floor.

The pug in the video below....well, let's just say his owner probably had it coming to him too.

It's Christmas Time!

2007-12-03T10:18:00.000-05:00

It's finally Christmas in our apartment. Last Friday night, my parents and I put up our Christmas tree. I forgot what it was like to put up a Christmas tree and everything that is involved in doing so.

This tree base, or whatever you would like to call it, was rather annoying. I don't really like the sound of metal banging against itself. Nor do I like it to move when it's not supposed to move.

Daddy seemed to have a lot of fun with the new found phobia of mine. At first, he just set the thing on the ground and would tap it with his feet to make it move and clink together. I would then bark at it and run circles around it. But then he found it to be more fun to chase me with it.

Oh well, at least I got my exercise in. I mean, not that I need it or anything.

After Daddy was done chasing me around with that tree contraption thing, he put up the tree and Mommy smoothed out all the branches. This, I gather, is no fun task. But, I guess first things first! Then we put up the lights.

I tried to help.

That didn't work out so well for me. Now, I'm a Christmas pug!

After we decorated the tree, Mommy tried to take pictures of me. I just wanted to eat the needles that fell of the tree and sniff around for whatever other goodies I could find.

After we put up the tree, Mommy decorated a few Christmas cookies and made an "as close as possible to the real deal" Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte with her espresso machine. Then she helped me put on my sweater so I could stay nice and warm. It was a very cold night, but it was perfect for cuddling on the couch, eating Christmas cookies, and watching a Christmas movie all while enjoying the pretty Christmas tree.

I will eventually post a picture of our Christmas tree, but first, my photographer needs to learn how to take good photos of the tree. You can see in the two pictures of me sitting in front of the tree how the pictures of the tree came out. The first one has too much noise and the coloring and brightness of the tree lights are all off in the second photo. At least the first picture shows more of the real beauty of our tree.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas....

2007-11-30T10:58:00.000-05:00

Well, I only got twenty minutes of cuddling time with Mommy on the couch last night before she fell asleep. It's just as well considering she was sitting cross legged with pillows and blankets tucked all around her. There was no flat, wide and level surface for me to comfortably stretch across for sleeping.

Last night, Mommy was too busy cleaning. She said it was so the apartment looked really nice and was clean for us to put up Christmas decorations. I don't mind it when she cleans because then I get to chase the swiffer duster that she never lets me play with. Nevermind. After thinking this through, I realized I hate it when she cleans, because I hate being yelled "NO" at when I jump up and try to grab the swiffer duster not to mention I hate that noisy vacuum!

Anyway, after she cleaned up the whole apartment she decided it was a good time to trash the kitchen. But, it was worth it-she was made Christmas cookies! She even let me eat some of the dough that fell on the floor.

It was a good evening, but a busy one. We listened to Christmas music and ate a few Christmas cookies. The icing for the cookies wasn't very good though because Mommy ran out of powdered sugar.

Anyway, I am really looking forward to tonight, because we are going to put up our Christmas tree! I can't wait to see what my parents have planned!

2007-11-27T15:31:00.001-05:00

Mommy seems to enjoy it when I get annoyed so she puts me in situations where I have to work really hard-which is also annoying. It all started when I walked up to her with a jersey and asked her to play tug.

Instead, this is what she did to me:

I worked really hard to pull this thing off of me.

Instead, I managed to wiggle it on me just perfectly.

I don't think it looks to bad...except it is awfully big...Can I get this in a size small?

Does this make my glutes look big?

When I walked, I would somehow find myself balled up underneath it.

It made it very difficult to walk.

It even swallowed my head!

It took a long time of twirling around in circles and doing somersaults on the floor before I managed to get out of this thing.

Once I managed to get that thing off of me, I stomped all over it, pounding it into the floor.

That ought to teach it a lesson!

Food, Food, Food, Food, Food, Food,

2007-11-22T21:32:00.000-05:00

Well, I knew something was up Tuesday night when I watched my parents pack up their suitcases. I really knew something was going on when they got up and hour and a half before they normally do the next day. I admit, I was a bit nervous and scared about what was going to happen. I didn't know if they were leaving me or not.

But, they didn't! And, it's a good thing too! Wanna know why? I've gotten so much food today-so much food! I'm stuffed to the rim, but I certainly could eat more. We went to visit family in northern Indiana. I got so much attention and after Mommy decided it was OK to let me off the leash, I was slipped morsels of food from all the foreign exchange students and my Aunt and little cousins. It was GREAT! I even got dinner, although Mommy made it clear to me that it was only to keep a "schedule" and, she didn't give me very much.

I hope you all are enjoying your Thanksgiving holiday too and that you get lots and lots of food!

And, here I am, cuddling on the couch, staying warm from the snow in a food-induced coma:

Daddy's Home

2007-11-20T09:54:00.000-05:00

Bark, bark, woof, woof, whimper, whine, grrr, bark, bark, aaarrroooorooorooo, bark, bark, woof, woof, whimper, whimper, whine, arooroorooorooorooooooo.

That's what I sounded like last Friday night when Daddy came home! Mommy and I were very excited to see him again. You see, he was gone pretty much all week last week and then the weekend before Mommy didn't see him and the weekend before that he was out-of-town too.

So when Daddy came home that evening I couldn't keep quiet nor could I sit still. We are thankful he is home.

However, I don't mind it when he is gone because then I really get to play with Mommy's head. For instance, I'll wake her up in the middle of the night by growling at the bedroom door. This makes her think there is something or someone in the house so she'll ask "What is it?." This is my cue to start jumping all over the bed violently barking in the direction of the "intruder."
Once I sense her heart rate is up and am certain she won't be comfortable to fall asleep anytime soon, I will dig my way back under the covers.

Sometimes, I start early. As soon as she shuts off the light and the TV, I'll come pounding my way up from the covers and start barking at the door. I think the last time she caught on to my antics and told me to be quiet and then shoved me back under the covers. Whatever.

I like to be obnoxious sometimes, but I still love her. I know she is lonely when Daddy is away, so instead of sleeping at the foot of the bed or on her body pillow, I'll cuddle up to her by stretching my paws over her shoulder and then I'll nuzzle my head in the neck/shoulder. When she rolls over to get space, I'll climb over her stomach and do the same on the other side. I love her obnoxiously. ;)

P.S: I am sorry that the photos today do not reflect the content of this post. This would be Mother's fault as she has neglected to take her daily quota of photos of me. I should hire new paparazzi. Now, I know how Lindsay Lohan and Paris feel when they don't make the front cover of the tabloids.

The Nail Grinder

2007-11-15T10:03:00.000-05:00

I just want to say thanks to whoever it was that recommended a nail grinder. Daddy found his new favorite tool. I have to say it's much nicer than the guillotine Mommy always uses on my nails. But, I still don't like it.

Daddy brought it out and I thought it was a neat looking contraption until he turned it on. Note for the other dogs out there-don't sniff it when it's on. It's not a toy and it's not as cool as it may seem. But, I was stupid and fell for the human's tricks.
They brought it out, let me see it and touch it and sniff it. I didn't think it was all that threatening, but I seriously didn't know this was for me. Otherwise, I totally wouldn't have thought it was interesting.

Then Daddy tucks me under his arm and brings this thing up to my nail and IT'S ANOTHER TORTURE DEVICE!

I try to wriggle away but he held me there. Oh, how I should have known!

You see, this thing looks all innocent, but when it touches your nail it makes this horrible grinding noise that tickles your teeth! And the smell! Oh, that smell-I don't know how to describe it. It's gross. And then, to top that off, you can see the little dust particles of my nail! So gross!

I do not like this thing one bit. It's like my parents are constantly coming up with ways to torture me! First the nail clippers, then the laundry basket, then food, now this, what's next?!

Daddy is a persistent man and as stubborn as I am, I just not strong enough to pull away. He pulled me back in and started grinding away. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

OK FINE. I guess it's not that bad. In comparison I mean. I guess I don't really feel it. And they're not going to cut my quick. It's a lot less terrifying then the nail clippers. But, I still don't like it. And, only one paw at a time. Then I get a treat. OK?! Just don't tell my parents. You can tell them the treat part and only one paw at a time, but not about the part of me not minding it.

Food-Just Give it To Me!

2007-11-13T12:18:00.000-05:00

OK OK, so the rule is: NO HUMAN FOOD! No ifs, ands, ors, or buts. When my parents brought me home they adhered to this rule as if it were in the Bible. No amount of begging, whining, or crying would ever get them to break their own self-made rule. Who can blame them? After all, they really don't want a whiny, crying fat pug on their hands all the time whenever they eat. Right?

I never really liked that rule. I'm not sure when that rule was broken. Was it a weekend when Daddy was away and Mommy felt like spoiling me? Or was it the day that I stole food off of Mommy's fork when she was eating on the couch? Or was it when Daddy was working from home and he thought I could have a piece of his food?

Over the past year, I've eaten a lot of human food, such that I much prefer it over my own dried-up meat cereal. In fact, I hate it when the humans don't share with me. They're supposed to share with me.

When Mommy eats pizza, she gives me the crust. But, the other night she didn't. She just sat it on the table. I don't understand why she wouldn't give it to me. Was she trying to torture me? If she's not going to eat it and not give it to me, she could at least have the decency to throw it away or take it out of my sight!

Usually, if they don't share, I will steal the food. If I am not in the position to steal food I will beg and whine until they give me what I want. Usually, this works. Which is why I always try this.

I start by spreading my arms on the table and then I lay my head down and whimper until I've got their attention. If that doesn't work, I walk around the table and try to pull the food towards me. When that doesn't work, I bark-loudly!

I don't know why they do this to me. Why must they withhold food from me? I'm just a hungry little pug...

The Torture Continues

2007-11-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

There is a reason why I fear laundry baskets, cardboard boxes, vacuum cleaners, ect. And no, it's not because I'm a pansy, or a wuss, or a chicken.

It's because I get chased with the vacuum cleaner, broom, cardboard box, and laundry baskets. And yes, one of these days I will get sucked up into the vacuum cleaner. Until then, I continue to run away and hide under the bed.

I really wonder what popped into my parents head the other night after they finished their laundry, that made them decide, "Hey, let's torture Oscar with the laundry basket."

Yes, they chased me with it. I ran and it was all fun and games until it ended up on top of me! Do I look like a vicious caged animal in the above picture? Now, I understand those poor caged creatures and why they turn evil.

I'll do anything for a treat.

Even if that means jumping into a laundry basket for a photo shoot. Look at my face! Don't I look thrilled? I promise you, revenge is on its way!

And, as if that wasn't enough fun enough for those people, they decided to put the treat inside the laundry basket and make me get it.

I am all for working for treats, but when I say working, I mean whining until they give me what I want or the occasional "sit-stay-lie down-sit-stay-wait 10 seconds-OK" routine.

Again, I'll do anything for a treat. Even if it means conquering my fear of laundry baskets. Unfortunately, every single time I touched the basket it would move!

I'm pretty sure it is alive and that it is working with the parents against me! I tried, and tried, and tried and tried to get the treat without going into the laundry basket. Finally, that man whom I used to call my Father, tipped the basket over so I could lean in and get the treat. But then the basket would roll!

In the end, I got my treat. My very very much deserved treat. Then I got another treat. And another. Then a fourth!

Somewhere along the way I lost track of how many treats I received. I was greatly rewarded for being subjected to my parents cruelty, for lowering myself to them, and for losing all honor to be humiliated for their entertainment.

I am a battered, broken soul.

And with whatever is left of me, I promise you-there will be revenge!

Punished Through Torture

2007-10-29T22:46:00.000-04:00

Part Three

I was asleep, cuddled up on the couch next to my Dad when I sensed my Mother reach over to the end table and pick up the torture device-the nail clippers. Needless to say, and faithful blog readers will already know this, but I feel the need to stress that I really, really hate having my feet touched and my nails clipped. Oh, I know, I know-it's all in my head. "I couldn't possibly feel anything, see it doesn't hurt." WHAT DO THE HUMANS KNOW?! I say, do they have claws? NO! And do they know what it feels like to have a claw cut? Didn't think so. Ok. So, I guess it doesn't hurt too much. It just depends.

You see, several weeks ago, Mommy took me to the vet to have my bum leg checked out and she told the vet to trim my nails. Well, things happened and I was terrified and there was no way I was letting them come near me again, especially after they puffed medicine up my nose.
The Dr. told Mom that she needed to get me used to the nail clippers again.

Since then, the nail clippers have stayed on the end table to remind me how cruel my parents can be. They'll touch my feet and if that goes well, they'll hold the nail clippers up for me to see. When I don't freak out, they start rubbing it on my paw and if I don't have a panic attack they'll try to cut my nail. They think it is some huge victory if they cut off a little, tiny, tiny piece of my nail. Then they start praising me and giving me treats and I soak it all up and try to get more treats. How, I love the praise! But then, it occurs to me why I got the praise in the first place. How, I abhor those nail clippers!

Back to my story. I sensed Mother pick up the nail clippers, but I was half asleep dreaming about that cute yorkie I met at the dog park. I dreamt I reached up with my paw to slap her so she'd chase me when all of a sudden I woke up screaming and terrified!

That woman clipped my nail!!!! And not only that, it hurt! You know what she said? "Don't worry, I think it just scared him. I think he's OK. Maybe I shouldn't blindside him like that." Oooh, ya think?!

Next thing I know, I'm bleeding. Deja vu anyone? Not only that, but they didn't even have styptic powder. Next thing, I know they're shoving my foot into a small bowl of flour.

They locked me in the kitchen and dredged my paw in flour. OK. So, I'll be honest. They cut my quick, but just barely. As soon as I saw the flour, I forgot all about the nail that was clipped. I focused my attention on that flour. I made a big mess on the flour, err because of that woman. All the loose flour fell off of my paw, so I licked it up. And, when the woman wasn't looking, I put my face in the bowl to eat the flour.

I was having a great day. My parents were home for the evening, I cleaned off their coffee table for them to make room for the french fries, ate french fries and then got my nails clipped. I don't think that's fair! I wish, they ate out that night and didn't come home till bed time!

Rewarded For Scratching the Table

2007-10-22T21:07:00.000-04:00

Part Two of a Three Part Story

Well, I received a lot of positive comments from other dog bloggers about me scratching up my parent's coffee table. Although, I didn't do it on purpose, I am quite proud of my accomplishment. In fact, I got rewarded by Daddy for doing so. *Truth be told: Daddy didn't see what I did, although the evidence is quite alarming*

French Fries, are my favorite snack food. Or, one of them at least. Remember, I mentioned in my last post about the best smelling food? Well, it was McDonalds and they brought french fries!! I was really, really hoping to get my own box this time, but it didn't happen. So, I looked to Daddy to share.
When Mommy has french fries she always shares with me. But that night, she pulled out the very last french fry, when she finally noticed me starting at her. She gave me her last fry, and apologized for not thinking of me earlier. I hoped Daddy would give me fries since Mommy decided to hoard them all. I'm going to tell her she's fat!

So I propped myself up on his leg and dug my nails into him in nervous anticipation. And waited.

Then, I saw that glorious, crispy fried fat stick in his hand. He held it up for me to see and then, I knew it was mine.
But, he held it there for seconds that seemed like hours! Are you going to give it to me or not? I was really impatient so then I decided to go for it! I'm taking what is rightfully mine! What?! I thought I deserved it after I almost broke my legs on that dangerous coffee table! Wouldn't you agree?

It was so very yummy-salty, crunchy and oily...just the way I like my fries. That was the first of many fries that were to come my way that night.

My evening turned into a great evening when I ate those fries. What could possibly go wrong? I thought. I was having a great time eating french fries with Daddy, cuddling on the couch with my parents, napping, ect. Then, Mommy reached over onto the end table and my perfect evening totally came to a screeching halt!

The Dangerous Table

2007-10-21T17:42:00.000-04:00

Part One of a Three Part Story

First off, I want to apologize for not blogging this week! My parents were very busy and they were out-of-town the last few days! They went to Washington DC and Mommy didn't have time to update my blog! I have a lot to blog about though! So stay posted, hopefully we'll update this a lot over the next few days!

On to my story. I almost got in HUGE trouble the other night, but luckily, my handsome looks and charming personality got me out of it! The other night, my parents left me in my crate while they ran errands.

When they came home they had the best smelling food with them and I had to find out what it was. I was so excited when they let me out my crate such that I started running huge laps around the apartment. Somehow, I found myself on top of the coffee table where I slipped and slided around on the books and magazines. I slipped and fell straight on my belly as if I had strings attached to me arms and legs pulling them straight out from under me. I jumped back off, slipped and fell a bit more and then jumped to the couch. My back legs slipped off the couch and the rest of me slid off the couch cushions along with them. I finally pulled myself back onto the couch and turned around to face the bag of food that was somehow the only item left on the coffee table.

Mommy was laughing, until she realized that with all the slipping and sliding on the coffee table I could have done some damage. Which I did do. I scratched up their table really good! I thought I was going to be in trouble when I saw Mommy's jaw close and then she said, "Oh, great, what did that do to our table?" She was sort of laughing when she said that, but I could tell that I was in big trouble when she turned to Daddy and said, "Look at what he did!! It's not just a little scratch either."

I mean, it's not really my fault. Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to be on top of the coffee table. I didn't do tt on purpose..I just, sort of, found myself on top of it and didn't know what to do. One moment I'm standing on top of the table and the next moment I'm laying flat on top of it with my arms and legs straight out from underneath me. If Mommy cleaned up the table instead of throwing all her library books, dvds, and magazines on top of it, that probably wouldn't have happened. Speaking of which-I did her a favor. I amazingly cleaned all of the clutter off the table in seconds and left the most important item-the food.

PALBWAATHRODCBWDTPTHHWPG and PB

2007-10-15T15:29:00.000-04:00

As a member and Director of the Uniform Division of the Secret Police of the PALBWAATHRODCBWDTPTHHWPQ (Pugs Against Lazy Bloggers Who Adversely Affect The Honorable Reputation Of Dedicated Canine Bloggers Who Do Their Part To Help Humans' Workdays Pass Quickly) I am now required to not let three work days go by without blogging. Otherwise, I will be stripped of my title and my membership.

Now, since this policy was created today and my last post was posted on Sunday (I had written Friday, but didn't post till Sunday), I hope that the policy does not go into affect until today. I only hope that my Mother's laziness, which she passes off as extreme fatigue, won't interfere with my job duties as Director of the Uniform Division of the Secret Police or my blogging. I don't want her to be the reason as to why I get kicked out of the PALBWAATHRODCBWDTPTHHWPQ.

Also this is a message to those who are a part of the PALBWAATHRODCBWDTPTHHWPQ: the secret police are watching you. Don't assume we don't know what you are or are not up to.

For membership questions contact Winston. For questions on policy please direct those to Goodboy Norman Featherstone.

Anyway, here are some pictures of me eating peanut butter.

Several weeks ago, Mommy made peanut butter bars-which I love-and she let me lick off the spoon before she put it in the dishwasher.

I couldn't quite get it off of my chin.

I eventually gave up and sat on the kitchen rug. I thought I'd save the rest for later when I had more energy to get it off my chin.

Thievery 101

2007-10-05T13:24:00.000-04:00

I would like to share with you a fool-proof plan I discovered for getting away with stealing edible objects. This plan will only work for edible objects. Although, I am currently devising a plan to allow for the successful robbery of non-edibles as well.

Fool-Proof Plan For Stealing Edible Objects So That You Will Get Away With Eating Your Edible Object

Edible Object: edible objects includes all items that can be consumed at a quick rate that does not require surgery or a trip to the veterinarian for expulsion. Items such as the following: paper, paper plates, netflix wrappers, toilet paper, tissue paper, dryer sheets, things that fall from the kitchen counter (excluding knives, forks, spoons, plates-unless paper-basically any wooden, metal or sharp object), hairpins, pennies, nickels, dimes and any other hard object that is quickly consumed but only slightly painful during non-surgical or veterinary assisted expulsion.

Step One:
Find a large structure. This large structure needs to be large enough you can fit under that is too small for a human or one that requires a lot of energy and effort for the human to crawl under.
Step Two:
Once this structure has been identified-find your edible object.
Step Three:
When human is not looking, swipe your object
If human is watching you-grab item and run-
Step Four:
Take stolen object and hide under structure

Step Five:
Enjoy your object. This is the most crucial step of all because you must savor each moment with your object before you might be quickly required to devour it.

Step Six A:
You have successfully devoured your stolen object before human ever saw you-Congratulations.
If this is not the case see Step Six B.

Step Six B:
Human discovers stolen object and finds you under the structure. At this point the human tells you to "release" or "drop it." Do not worry about the human.

The trick is to lure them far underneath the structure as is physically possible. When they reach the center you must quickly dart out from under your hiding place.

At this point, you have approximately 10 seconds to finish devouring your object before the human emerges from the structure. (Timing here depends upon the size of the structure in relation to your human).

If your human emerges too quickly or you have trouble eating your stolen item, your option is to repeat steps four through six. In worst case scenario, you will have to comply with the human. We pugs, do not negotiate with humans. If you do, we will have to enforce punishment upon you.

Step Seven: Final Step
Once you successfully complete step six, you must pretend to play "chase" with your human. They are easily tricked into thinking that this was all a game. Your constant circle running and darting back and forth between rooms and the human, will make them forget all about the stolen object.

If you are especially charming you can make them think that they made the whole thing up in their mind. Directions for this option are as follows: Creep up to the human, sit down, crinkle your forehead and stare at them. That's right, give them "THE LOOK." Every human is susceptible to this look if done properly. If necessary, but only in extreme cases, give them a whimper or two.

_Oscar Tiberius

If you have found this fool-proof plan to be fool-proof and would like to send a donation my way, please feel free to do so. Your donation will aid in my research and experimental studies on how to get away with stealing non-edible objects.

DISCLAIMER: This plan is only proven successful for the Pug breed. Although it may be highly-successful in other dog breeds, its success rate may not be as high for dogs with longer-snouts, blue eyes, lack of extra skin, and for those with the ability to always portray the emotion of happiness-also known as smiling. The success rate may also depend upon the size of your secret structure as well as the size and agility of your human. This plan was not tested with Pugs and small children. This plan is also doomed for failure when executed by mastiffs, great danes, dobermans and any similarly sized dog.

WARNING: Eating edible objects comes with its own set of risks in which I will not be held accountable.

Successful execution of this plan may result in involuntary vomiting. If this is the case you must do what I do: leave "fresh" piles of vomit in various places around your home. Hide them well so that the humans do not find them right away or may accidentally step in them. I also discovered that you can successfully, fully awake your humans by puking on their legs at 5:00 AM. If you are lucky and your parents arise early, unlike mine, you might get an early morning feeding.

I will also not be held accountable for any surgical or veterinary removal of items as I specifically defined "edible objects" at the very beginning of this plan.

I will not be held accountable for your inability to read or your laziness to properly follow instructions.

The New Bed

2007-10-02T21:27:00.000-04:00

My parents finally got their new bedroom set and they've bought new blankets and a new down blanket. It's been a much celebrated item in our house because we've been without a bedroom set for two years. Well, I've been without a bedroom set for about a year and eight months, but who's counting. Mommy won't even give me drawer space for my clothes, toys and blankets. I don't think that is fair, but at least they have given me the bed.

I'm getting really tired of them encroaching upon my space when I am trying to get some real sleep. It's not fair that Mommy or Daddy won't let me sleep on their laps when they are in the car or eating at the kitchen table or snoring in their faces while they watch TV from the couch. Yet, now that I have ownership of the big bed, they decide to jump in my bed, shove me around and leave me a small sliver of the bed and my 5 foot body pillow.

It just wears me out. I try to get a good nights sleep and it's nearly impossible. After a rough day of napping in my crate, begging for food when the rents are home and soliciting play, I deserve a good nights sleep. I get in bed and begin my ritual of cleansing myself.

What?! I seriously had an itch. So anyway, when I settle in to sleep-it is at this point, that my parents start shoving me around and pushing and pulling on me. It always seems like they do this when I first start drifting into sleep.

I don't know what to do. I've tried discouraging them from getting in my bed by chasing them around on the bed and biting their fingers. I wish it were just too small for them to comfortably sleep in. It'd still be much bigger than my old bed. I need a new plan of action.

This and That

2007-09-30T20:21:00.000-04:00

On Monday, after my visit to the Vet, Mommy and I stopped by her office to pick up some files and see my friend M, who had left her jacket at our apartment.

I got to sit in her chair and was going to help her write a press release but then the chair moved and I became to terrified to move!
After I safely made it off the chair, I noticed there were people on the other side of the door in Mommy's office so I barked at them. By that time, Mom had everything she needed and we were pretty much already walking out the door when her "boss" came by and told her that my barking was a problem. Dogs aren't allowed in Mommy's office but, there are animals in the building all the time, occasionally dogs and we know of a dog being hidden in an office that day. It wouldn't normally be problem except for the barking. Ooops!

Well, after doing a lot of research and speaking with the Veterinarian again, Mom has decided that I should have surgery on my leg. Now, it's not a matter of If I get arthritis, degenerative joint disease, lameness, etc., it's a matter of When. By doing the surgery now, we can minimize the progress of the arthritis and its affects later on in my life. There is a chance, I may have arthritis now and there is still a good probability that I will get it after the surgery too. Also, because there is a marked difference in my leg now than there was three months ago and the fact that my leg gets worse with a lot activity, there is a high chance my leg will get Grade III luxation which pretty much requires surgery. If we wait till I get Grade III luxation, the prognosis of surgery won't be as good, more arthritis will develop, and there is a higher chance of reluxation. The goal is to prevent my leg from getting worse, go on with our normal lives and treat arthritis that occurs later on in life. We think the benefits of having the surgery outweigh the consequences.

Mommy's friends have also recommended a veterinarian who is about 2 hours away from where we live, who is not only a great vet but is affordable. Normally, we would not feel the need to switch vets or try out a new one (especially given the TERRIBLE experience we had/still having with the witch doctor-the new vet we went too over the summer). Mother values the opinions and animal knowledge of her friends who recommended the new vet to her. In fact, one of her friends dog just recently had his carnassial tooth removed and all told, the vet bill was 1/4 of the price we paid to have my carnassial tooth removed by the witch doctor.

So, we'll see what will happen. This vet. does live about two hours away, so it might not even be feasible for us right now.

I also will not have the surgery done until January at the earliest because of the post-operative requirements. It's not going to be fun, because I will not be allowed to do the things I love. I will be crate rested for most of the time, then physical therapy is required after a week, then I'm to be crate rested combined with light activity. No running, no jumping, no brisk walking, no playing outside, no playing tug-nothing. It's going to be rough couple of weeks!!

But, at least I don't have to worry about this until January! I hope the next few months go by slowly.

Also, my friend Momo recently awarded me this:

Thanks, Momo! We love your blog too and we really appreciate this gift. In effort to share the kindness you have sent us we would like to pass this badge to Winston, Goodboy Norman Featherstone, The Corgi girls. There are many others out there that we read on a regular basis who deserve this too, however, we've noticed that they've already received the award (or we're too lazy at the moment).

Dezoginating Pegonia...errr...Liguilating Portobella...Wait, what's it called again?

2007-09-25T11:26:00.000-04:00

Monday, as my faithful readers know, I went to the veterinarian where Mommy works (not the witch doctor). It turns out that I have a medial patellar luxation. What this basically means is that my kneecap keeps moving out of place. This is bad.

You see, at the end of my femur, my patella sits in a groove called the trochlear groove. Along side that groove are ridges called trochlear ridges that sort-of serve to keep my patella in place. In well-conformed dogs, the patella would ride up and down the trochlear groove.

Picture taken from Veterinary Surgical Services, "Patellar Luxation" http://www.vetsurg1.com/patellarluxation.html

Sometimes the trochlear groove grows to be shallow allowing the patella to move outside of the ridges. It can also be because the extensor muscles are also misaligned medially or laterally causing bowleggedness. Basically, the femur, tibia and patella and the surrounding muscles are all not aligned properly. A patella can luxate medially or laterally. For me, it luxates medially and is thus a hereditary issue. A lateral patellar luxation is caused by an injury.

Picture taken from Veterinary Surgical Services, "Patellar Luxation" http://www.vetsurg1.com/patellarluxation.html

Mommy has always thought my right leg looked a little bowlegged, however the Dr.s never thought this was an issue. Because, this commonly occurs in small breed dogs, it is a standard test during routine exams.

Patellar luxation is graded on a four point scale. I have Grade II luxation which means that my patella can easily be pushed out of place, but at the same time will go back into place easily. Grade I means that it can't be pushed out-of-place and Grade IV means that it can't be put into place at all.

Grade III and Grade IV luxation always requires surgery. Surgery is recommended for Grade II but may or may not be necessary. The Orthopedic Surgeons at OSU are recommending that I undergo a sulcoplasty +/- tibial tuberoscity surgery as soon as possible.

Not undergoing surgery increases the risks of of getting degenerative joint disease, arthritis and lameness. The more wear-and-tear on the femoral joint, the more the likelihood of complications occuring and the chances of reluxation occuring after surgery is high (although, chances of reluxation are always possible in Grades II-IV, it is less severe in lower stages and may possibly go away).

My Mother is very torn up on what to do. As the Vet told her that some dogs with Grade II continue to have a normal life without surgery, although in most cases they may develop arthritis and it may not affect the quality of their life. In other cases, it will cause arthritis or lameness. Other dogs, will develop Grade III in which surgery is pretty much required. After speaking with an orthopedic surgeon, she said they strongly recommend surgery at this point.

This surgery is very expensive and I will require a lot of post-operative care afterwards. I would be required to be on crate rest for several weeks, then I'd go through physical therapy and then I will only be allowed light leash walking for the next several weeks after.

There is also a very, very high chance that I will have bilateral luxation, meaning that patellar luxation would occur in my left leg as well. Research shows a high percentage of dogs with medial patellar luxation will most likely get luxation in their other hind leg.

Picture taken from Veterinary Surgical Specialists, "Surgical Solutions for Canine Patellar Luxation" http://www.vssoc.com/petella.html

At this point, I can't even have surgery until January because of everything going on over the next couple of months. Mommy and Daddy will be traveling and I will go with them some of the time and then it's the Holidays! Crate rest won't be an option then.

Plus, because of how expensive this surgery is, my parents have to have a couple of months to save up for it. I guess the timing of everything is good. Post-op care isn't feasible until January leaving my parents time to save up money and then it'll be too cold and snowy to really do anything anyways.

Here's what I think of surgery: I don't like the idea one bit! I won't even be able to walk! Anyway, I will have to tell you about what we did on Monday that almost got Mommy in trouble!

She didn't really almost get in trouble!

Vet Visit

2007-09-23T22:45:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, Mommy and I are going to the veterinarian to get my legged checked out. You see, I have a bad leg. It's weird though because I don't really limp on it, it is just wobbly and somewhat turned out when I walk or run. When I run, I don't usually put any pressure on it either. I have trouble jumping onto furniture such that I usually have to try a few times or think twice about what I'm about to do.

Mommy tried wrapping it a few weeks ago. I didn't like that. It stiffened my leg such that whenever I took a step my leg would swing out horizontally with my body. The vet wrap would also keep falling down over my paw and that really bugged me!

I guess it helped some. The wrap helped give my leg the support that it is apparently lacking.

My leg isn't as bad as it was a few weekends ago. But, still, we haven't gone on many walks or been to the dog park very often. I did, however, get to go to the dog park today. But anyway, my point is that, I don't go out very often because when we do my leg acts up again and then I start to "limp."
I'm nervous about my trip tomorrow. I hope I don't get poked and prodded and stuck with needles. It's a love-hate relationship. I love going to vet to see all the people and other dogs, but I hate to get my temperature taken and my shots! Oh well...I'll keep you updated on what is wrong with my leg, until then, I shall go sleep or play with my new toy.

Making New Friends

2007-09-22T17:33:00.000-04:00

Boy, oh, Boy, oh, Boy! Last night was so much fun. First, Mommy came home from work with a friend of hers and she and I played for about 30-45 minutes before they left me. Then a couple hours later, Mommy came home with another friend! I like her second friend, A. I kept trying to give her kisses. But, all night the three of us played tug, fetch and wrestled with me. It was so much fun. I got tired, but I wasn't going to tell them that. I was afraid they might not play with me anymore.

So I showed off and they laughed at me telling me how handsome and charming and funny I am.

Although they tried to torture me. They tied my blanket around my waste, around my legs and hooked it in my collar!

But then, M made up for it by tying my tennis ball in my blanket and throwing it across the room. It was a lot fun trying to rip apart my blanket to get the ball.

I hope Mommy brings her friends over again, especially A. since I have a crush on her. They were a lot of fun and I had their full attention for two hours! They were going to watch a movie, but they played me instead!

Preparing for the Fall

2007-09-20T12:14:00.000-04:00

The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are just barely beginning to turn (probably because there is a drought) and although it's not officially Fall yet, my Mother is gearing up for the Fall baking season, fall decorating, football and the holidays that will be upon us quickly. I am helping her get ready although, I really don't care about baskets, pumpkins and pumpkin scented candles, well, actually, do they have peanut butter scented candles? Last weekend I helped her make ginger crisp cookies. She made a few just for me. They were so good that now when she bakes them I go into the kitchen and try to scale the cabinets to get on the counter. But alas, I'm too short and my nails are too long.

Anyway, what I am most looking forward to is halloween. Yes, I know it's early, but I need to get a costume this year as I believe we will actually be haunted by trick-or-treaters this year. Maybe, I can go trick-or-treating too. I think I need to be schmoozing up to my little neighborhood buddy so he'll invite me along. Now that I am two-years-old, maybe Mommy will let me go trick-or-treating. I can see it now-one crisp evening, dressed up in a fancy disguise, my buddy and I go door-to-door barking at all the humans. Some of these humans are dressed up and I of course will be afraid of some of them, but they still dump handfuls of candy into my little bucket. I can't carry my bucket so I make my neighborhood buddy carry mine when I am not delving into it. We get all the peanut butter, marshmallows, milk bones, cookies, rawhides, peanut butter and sweet candies any dog can ever enjoy. There is also a costume contest and I win the contest because I outsmart all the kids and am dressed as a.....well, hmm...I don't know. This brings me back to the point of my post, I need to be thinking about this now so that I have plenty of time to make the right decision and order my costume if necessary.

I can't decide what I should be this year. I have a feeling that we will dig out my old costume from last year and the cheapskate, I mean, my Mom, will make me wear that again this year.

Well, I did a little research and so here are my picks:

1. A Pirate

2. Mad Cow Disease
3. A Football Player
4. An Elephant...
...WHAT? Anyway, we found these costumes on-line at The Haute Hound or Trendy Puppy.

Anyway, I need to go convince Mommy to make me more ginger cookies and to add some peanut butter this time.

Important News!

2007-09-14T22:04:00.000-04:00

Hello everydog and everybody! It has come to our attention that we were nominated for the "Awesome Blog Award" at Dogs With Blogs! If you think our blog is worthy of the award, please vote for me here!

I have seen some of the other contenders and I've gotta tell you-I've got some pretty tough competition!

Real Jobs Vs. "Real Jobs"

2007-09-14T20:01:00.000-04:00

Wow! This week sure went by quickly! I know it was over a week since we last made a post. You can blame Mother for that. She said she is too busy with her job, but if that were the case she would have spent more time blogging about me. I think she is wasting time on the job. Whaddya think? This does not bode well for her year-end review.

But yes, during Mommy's free time she is very busy with what she calls her "real job"-whatever.

Last Thursday Mommy worked from home. We didn't get to play much, but she took a few minutes every every hour or so to give me a little attention.

I just mostly sat under the table to provide her creative inspiration. She was working really hard to get her newsletter launched.

But, then she started taking pictures of me for some reason. It really wore me out.

I don't think she understands that I can't provide her creative inspiration when I am tired.

I finally fell asleep and she stopped taking pictures of me.

I know that some dogs might have a problem with me sleeping when my parents are home from work, but thats what I like to do. It's better to sleep under the table with your human close by rather than in your crate. Plus, Mommy picked a nice spot to work where the sun was shining through.

Anyway, Daddy is gone tonight so it is just Mommy and me. We are getting ready to watch The Man From Snowy River. It was one of Mommy's favorite movies growing-up. I'm getting pretty tired of waiting for her to watch it with me though. I've been digging at her sides to let me cuddle with her, but she won't put down the computer. I've told her that she can take a break from her work, but she won't listen to me. I think I'm going to go have to go bark at some kids.

On a side-note, the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Panera Bread rivals the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. This does not bode well for Mommy's PSL/espresso addiction or Daddy's wallet!

Friday Evenings

2007-09-06T15:00:00.000-04:00

I love Friday evenings. Perhaps it's because my parents are in such a good mood, or because we all curl up on the couch to watch a movie, or because we go to the dog park, or long walks or because of the amount of time Mommy and Daddy play with me.

A few weeks ago, Daddy and I spent a lot of time playing together, like nearly the entire evening! First we started off by playing tug-of-war and keep-away with my favorite blanket.

Daddy is so good at hiding the blanket underneath him. I strategically and stealthily managed to get the blanket out from underneath him.

Oh no! He's coming! I am not going to let him get this blanket!

HA! Think you're going to get the blanket? Think again, wise guy!

Well, he got the blanket.

Then we danced a river dance.

Daddy also danced a jig with me too, but he wouldn't let Mommy post his picture. See, in the picture above, he is swirling the blanket and you can kind of see his fancy foot work. He's not as good as me though.

We got tired of river dancing, so we decided to play tug-of-war.

We were so tired of playing keep-away and river dancing that we didn't play tug very long. But in an effort to get me back for making him dance he decided to wrap me up in my blanket.

I am not very happy about this and I pleaded with him to untie me, but he only laughed.

I was not amused.

So, I gave him the evil eye and told him what was up.
That jerk, made me take it off myself. It required a lot of work and I think I might have ripped my blanket some. But Mommy doesn't have real evidence as we believe there might have been holes in it already. If I was going to get in trouble, I would have blamed Daddy.

Finally, when I got it off, Mommy gave me a marshmallow (actually, I stole it, see earlier post).

I wanted Daddy to see how much I enjoyed my marshmallow. So just to spite him, I ate it slowly and presented my marshmallow to Mommy so she could snap a picture.

Don't you wish you got a marshmallow, Daddy? MMMMM...yummy...

Working From Home

2007-09-04T10:07:00.000-04:00

Daddy decided to work from home one day last week. I was so excited and put together a list of all the fun things I was going to do that day.

1. Bark at the neighbors
2. Bark at some mystery sound in the house
3. Play tug-of-war with Daddy
4. Go to the dog park
5. Play tug-of-war again
6. Eat
7. Bark at the neighbors again
8. Run around the apartment
9. Eat a dryer sheet
10. Go back to the dog park
11. Eat
12. Watch Animal Planet
13. Chase Daddy around the apartment
14. Play with my new Kong
15. Bark at the neighbors
16. Eat
17. Go for a walk with Daddy
18. Play tug-of-war with Daddy again

However, my day did not go the way I expected it to. First of all, Daddy said he had to work, second of all, he was on the phone off and on throughout the day. This meant I couldn't bark at the neighbors. It also meant he didn't have the freedom to take me to the dog park. He also wouldn't let me watch TV. So, I curled up on my pillow on the couch. I realized how awfully tired I really was.

So this is what I did all day instead.

1. I slept.
2. I slept some more.
3. I tried to sleep, but was then interrupted by this photo shoot.

Getting Attention

2007-08-29T10:33:00.000-04:00

*Sigh* Mommy's been ignoring me a lot lately. First of all, she hasn't been home much and second, when she is home she doesn't play with me. Although, we did go to the dog park for two hours Monday night. But still, the time she spends with me is not enough.

Sunday night, I decided I was going to change all of that, so I did everything I wasn't supposed to and when she told me "No" or "Drop It" or "Leave It" I ignored her. I played the "Opposites Game." It was fun. I bit her hand a lot and she didn't seem to like it but at least it invoked some reaction out of her.

But, I back talked her all night which got me yelled at, but I didn't care because we were interacting.

Anyway, if you want to know how to get a humans attention, this is what you do:

First, you pout and look as miserable as possible. For pugs, that is not difficult to do.
If that doesn't work get angry. Get very angry. They'll see you're upset and that you're planning to do something mischievous and they'll pay attention to you.

It is obvious I am very unhapppy here. My human laughed at me.

Now I'll bark at her!
Aahrooroooooroorooooooo

Mommy told me "Quiet" so I shook my head "no" and barked again.
Well, she told me "Quiet" and "Be still" so I decided to pounce on her.
Should I? I'm not sure if I should, then she might get really mad?

Oh well, I'm going for it!
I jumped on Mommy's lap and tried to chew on her fingers, but she hates that and I got yelled at. Mean Mommy. I tried to bite her fingers again and she shoved me and yelled "OFF." I think I made her really mad.

Just put your camera away woman and play with me!

I barked at her again, only this time I was angry.

Back talking wasn't working too much, and I got bored. So, I chased my tail.

My Hero!

2007-08-26T20:37:00.000-04:00

I knew that my dream of being a cop dog could come true. Just because I'm 18 lbs doesn't mean I wouldn't be a good cop dog. If this little guy can do it so can I! I just need to figure out where I sign up....Oh yeah, he's also from Ohio too! I wonder if I can meet him....

Click here: K-9 Police Dog

2007-08-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

A pug's greatest talents are his agility and quick reflexes. It is misfortunate for the pug without these things for there could be no enjoyment of life's little stolen treasures like marshmallows for instance.

I had no idea what these round white pillow treats were, but I could tell Mommy enjoyed them. I was hopeful that she would be kind enough to share these treats with me so I prepared myself by following close underneath her. I was awfully surprised when one fell from her hands and so I grabbed it and ran away with the treat. However, when she yelped and told me to drop it, I realized that it was her clumsiness that gave me the treat. She realized it was no use getting it back as I was already eating it and instead she went and grabbed her camera.
I dropped it, but only after I was sure that I was allowed to keep it. Since this was the first time I have ever come in contact with such a thing I had to investigate it. And trust me, getting this thing to fall out of my mouth was quite a chose as it stuck to the roof of my mouth.
My blanket, still left on the floor from a game Daddy and I played earlier, seemed like a safe place to eat. So I laid down on the blanket and chewed on my treat. I wasn't sure if it was a toy or food because it took me so long to eat it.

It stuck to the roof of my mouth. It was quite good though.
I finally started to get tired chewing on it. It was such hard work so I decided to close my eyes for a little while. I finally realized that closing my eyes was not helping as I began chewing less and started to feel even sleepier. So I stood up thinking that I would be able to put more force into my chew.
It worked somewhat as I was able to reduce the marshmallow to a smaller piece and then swallow it whole.

If it weren't for my quick reflexes and swift agility, I would probably not have experienced that awesome little fluffy piece of goodness as Mommy is quite stingy and doesn't share very often.

Dinner Time!

2007-08-23T12:09:00.000-04:00

I am a creature of habit as most dogs are. I prefer a routine and I do not like to deviate from my regular schedule especially when it involves food. My biggest pet peeve is when my parents don't feed me after I'm taken O-U-T. You see, after Mommy comes home she takes me out, I do my business, then I come inside, I sit, she scoops up my food pours into my food bowl and then I chow down.

But sometimes, she comes home earlier and takes me out, I run to my food bowl and Mommy starts preparing dinner or she goes and sits on the couch. She says I don't get food yet because it's not 5:30.

So here is what I do to get food:

I sit and wait hopefully.
Then if that doesn't work I pout.

I whine sometimes too.

I usually always get my way. After I start whining I get food, but first my parents have to torture me.
I don't think you understand how hard it is to sit and wait to eat your food while it is sitting in front of your face. I think it's a control thing and I don't like it.

Finally, I snarf down my food as quickly and as loudly as I possibly can.
I always lick my bowl clean so that I can be sure to have eaten every tiny morsel and to keep my bowl clean. Mommy things I do this because I am a glutton and want to make sure I eat everything, but I assure you it's mostly to keep my bowl clean for the next meal. This video shows it all. If my camerawoman didn't run out of memory space I could have shown you how I always run back to my bowl after I've licked it clean. I am always hopeful that by chance I'm given dessert. But, it has yet to happen. Who do I need to talk to about this because my parents are clueless?

Shower at the Dog Park!

2007-08-18T22:25:00.000-04:00

This weekend, well rather the past two days, so far has been quite enjoyable. By this I mean, I got to go the dog park twice. In fact, I am rather tired from all the running around and excitement so this may be a short post.

Yesterday evening my parents took me to the dog park where another pug showed up. Mommy later found out that this pug's name is Angelo and his Daddy and my Mommy have tried to set up play-dates together since last Fall (even though they've only "met" through the pug club we no longer attend). I do not think there shall be any play-dates for the future because when I went up to say "hi" he lifted his leg and I took a shower in yellow water. I was very grossed out and didn't know what to do but slowly crouch and flatten back my ears. I thought I was in trouble as I think this was the worst form of "dominance." So, I walked to bench and hid underneath it till my faced stopped dripping which it didn't do for quite some time. I think I managed to finally dry off my face off of some poor clueless guy's shirt. In the meantime, I walked around the dog park in a daze, slowly lifting up my legs like a gaited buggy horse (only in disgust and not gleeful prancing) till I was sure this "yellow shower" was gone. Finally we went home and Mommy gave me a much needed bath with clear water. The only color water should ever be.

Today we went to the dog park in the country near our new apartment. This trip was fairly uneventful. I think the purpose of the trip was to train me on the agility course, but luckily another small dog snuck past my parents when they tried to close the gate behind them. Willie was his name. His owners came in too, but they didn't take him away. Mommy tried to make me jump over a fence and I succeeded, but I saw that Willie made a more suitable playmate, so instead we chased each other and wrestled around till his owners took him home. I was too tired to jump over fences and much too apprehensive to run through blue tunnels and jump through tires. Although, watching Mommy jump through the tire is fun because she doesn't do it right and ends up almost knocking herself over or tearing the tire out of its post. Luckily, I did not need a bath after this trip.

Mommy did bring along her brand new camera to take pictures, but she forgot. I think her energy was spent too much in trying to get me to jump through hoops.

Anyways, goodnight all, I am very tired and would very much like to resume my nap before I go to bed for the night.

Mommy & Her Stupid Gifts!

2007-08-16T10:43:00.001-04:00

Mommy came home from her last day of working at the state fair and brought me a present! I was quite excited until I saw what it was. The following picture is worth a 1,000 words all in itself (sorry for the cliche).

I do not like wearing hats, much less wearing hick John Deere hats. What does she think I am a farm dog? Quite the opposite, my friend. I am very much a preppy, city dog. I do not know what she was thinking. Unfortunately, I fell for her stupid tricks. I really wanted my rawhide so she bribed me with it if I'd wear the hat. Next time woman, I will not fall for your tricks.

Go ahead, take the pictures and laugh, but don't expect this to happen ever again. This will be the first and last time you see me like this.....Ever! I won't be cooperating the next time, not like I cooperated this time, but it will be much much worse.

Playing with Five-Year Olds!

2007-08-14T21:26:00.000-04:00

Last night, our next door neighbor's granddaughter E came over to play with me after my evening walk. At first she just came over to say "Hi" and Mommy and Me and E sat in the itchy grass and talked. After awhile, she asked if I had toys that we could play with. So all three of us walked in the house and got my Frisbee. We went back outside and Mommy took me off my leash. I don't usually venture too far away so it was OK. That is until I got bored with the Frisbee and decided to run across the street to see if the pretty Shih Stzu was out to play. I noticed her for the first time yesterday afternoon when I came back from my walk. I wanted to meet her, but Mommy wouldn't let me. I guess there will be another time.

Anyway, back to me and E. We learned never to trust a five-year-old's aim. That got me put back on my leash. She also brought over a huge bottle of bubbles and blew bubbles in the air for me to catch. That was fun until she started smacking my face with the bubble wand. I didn't mind though, she was young and I liked the taste of the bubble wand.

I hope she comes and plays again too. I don't usually get that kind of play-time here at the apartment.

Playing with Daddy!

2007-08-05T16:45:00.000-04:00

Sometimes before bed, Daddy and I will wrestle and chase each other around the apartment. Mommy does not understand why we wait until it is time to crawl into bed, you know, when you're supposed to be winding down. What she doesn't understand is that it is bonding time for Daddy and me.

Mommy will stand in a corner somewhere to stay out-of-the-way and to take pictures.

This is me trying to attack Daddy on the bed. He did a pretty good job batting me away with his arms. My eyes look really weird in this photo. In fact, in every photo Mommy took that evening my eyes looked like fiery marbles and Daddy's were all red. Hmmm....

When I can't seem to keep Daddy pinned down or I get very excited or just want to switch things up a bit, I run around the apartment as fast I can. Then, I'll come in the bedroom and hide.
I thought I did a better job of hiding.

That day, even before I started wrestling with Daddy, I became obsessed with hiding under the bed. Mommy would walk around the apartment looking for me and would somehow find me under the bed. Here I thought I was safe and they couldn't find me. I was testing out the hiding spot to see if I could hide there to eat toilet paper, dryer sheets and anything else I wasn't allowed to have.

It's obvious I am going to have to rethink my strategy.

Mommy's Bad Luck!

2007-08-03T10:22:00.001-04:00

Alert: Don't let Mommy touch your camera. She is bad luck. Her brand new camera, you know, the one she got 6-7 months ago, is broken now. This happens to be the 4th or 5th camera she's gone through in the past 3.5 years. Granted one camera was stolen (see our post from September 2006), and this one broke on its own. All of her other cameras broke due to her own negligence (i.e. dropping it 6 times or drowning it in hairspray).

She either likes to torture her cameras or is needing a new way to burn money. I think she does a good job of both.

This is what her pictures now look like:
There are horses and kids in there somewhere.

On Tuesday her camera worked. Wednesday morning her camera worked. And on Wednesday afternoon her camera developed a purple haze that covered the review screen. At first it didn't seem to affect her pictures much. By the end of the day it was clear the camera was broken. What is odd though, that depending on the angle and the lighting if the flash was off the pictures would turn out better. Other times if the flash was off it would not work either.

So here is the progression of how her pictures turned out. Yes, we know you don't care, but what else are we going to write about today? It is 94 degrees outside, humid and very sunny and....yeah, I thought that was more boring.

First, I want to say that Mommy is working at the state fair all week writing articles and taking pictures. Her camera plays a very integral part of her job duties.

Here we go:

Wednesday Morning 9:00 AM

Picture turned out as expected. Her camera never did take very good pictures at night or indoors regardless of what setting was used.

Wednesday around 12:30:

1:00 PM

1:15 PM

It really is a shame because there were some very beautiful Morgan horses there.

6:30 PM

So what does all of this mean, besides the fact that once again we have to get a new camera? It means that we'll have to be very conservative on the number of pictures we use for my blog. I will also have to be extremely creative in what I post. This time it might take us longer to replace the camera because Mommy has set her sight high on a more expensive camera (one that will actually take pictures indoors and not be too dark or get blurry when she uses the flash).

Let's just hope Mommy doesn't damage the camera her boss loaned her for work. Too bad the things she touches breaks instead of turning into gold; that would work better for our budget.

McDonald's!

2007-07-30T10:11:00.001-04:00

Mommy and I spent most of last week hanging out, just the two of us, because Daddy was out-of-town for business. We had a lot of fun, but I wish she played with me more. All she wanted to do was read. Boring!

Friday afternoon, Mommy came home early from work and she and I hopped in the car. We went to the airport to go pick up Daddy. However, when we got there, Mommy noticed that she had a text message from him. Apparently, his flight was delayed by 45 minutes. Although his message wasn't very clear on how long he was delayed or when his flight was due. So, not wanting to drive all the way home just-in-case Daddy wasn't delayed that long, Mommy decided to look for a place to park the car.

As the sky darkened and threatened to storm, Mommy realized we might be waiting awhile for Daddy's flight to come in. So, we went to McDonald's. We pulled in at the drive-thru and Mommy ordered a small box of chicken nuggets. I was kind of mad at her for not buying me any. Then she parked the car and took the box out-of the bag. She better share that with me!

Mommy picked up a nugget tore a piece off and told me to sit. I sat. Sort of. I lowered my front paws down on the console in between the two front seats. I guess it was good enough because after a few seconds the lightly fried, tender piece of chicken was sitting in a pile of mush in my stomach. Yummy!

Mommy kept tearing off little pieces of chicken and hand-fed me the pieces. I kept waiting for her to give me the entire nugget, but that never came, just the tiny little pieces. We sat in the car for half-an-hour while the rain poured. It thundered a little, but nothing serious to get me worried. When Mommy first turned the car off, I danced around the car for a few seconds to figure out where the loud jet engines were coming from. I ducked my head a few times, but then I realized they posed no threat. I was also more interested in my chicken nuggets.

It finally stopped raining and when I finished MY whole box of chicken nuggets, Mommy and I drove around for a little bit. About an hour later, Daddy's plane finally landed and soon we were headed home.

I can't wait to go with Mommy to pick up Daddy from the airport again. I also hope we can go to McDonald's more often. Next time, I'm getting a cheeseburger.

Caught Red Pawed

2007-07-25T21:35:00.000-04:00

The parents always have to spoil my fun. Why can't they relax when I'm not in the room or when its quiet? It doesn't always mean I'm getting into forbidden things like the trash can in the bathroom. I mean, say even if I did start eating things out of the trash in the bathroom, wouldn't that be their own fault for keeping an open trash can on the floor and then not feeding me enough? That's what I thought, but no, I'm the one who gets spanked and yelled at.

Today, I did not get into the trash can in the bathroom. Today, I decided I'd find something else that I could play with that might not be forbidden. How would I know until I try?

Oh, how I was wrong!

The other night, Mommy and Daddy were zonked out in front of the TV and so I took the opportunity to snoop. I walked into the bathroom to see what was in the trash, but it was empty. I noticed to my left that the toilet paper was running down off the role. After much thought (only 2 seconds) I decided to take it.

I snatched a corner and ran to hide so I could eat it before anyone would know.

As I reached the door to the bedroom I realized something did not feel right and when I turned around, my suspicions rang true.

What am I going to do? How do I get this back on the roll? How will I ever eat ALL of this? I thought. I really just wanted that one piece. Then, I heard a rustling noise. Great! My parents are coming; I'm in so much trouble!

I was prepared to run, but then I saw Daddy's legs. I realized at that point I was better off staying and taking the punishment. So, I ran. I ran fast. But, then he called me back and I realized I should go. So I crawled over to him and wagged my tail as fast as I could. It was my way of saying, "I'm sorry."

Well, it must have worked because when Mommy came in she laughed. You could see she tried not to, but she was, and then Daddy started laughing. Thats when I realized everything was going to be OK.

Whew! That was a close one. I'll have to be more careful in the future! I am learning quickly though. The lesson learned: I will not get in trouble if I am cute and funny things happen while I am in the midst of being bad.

I Rock! But, you already knew that!

2007-07-25T11:17:00.000-04:00

Here is the proof:

This badge was given to me by Ronin, who is also a pug, as a testament to the fact that I am a "Rockin' Guy Blogger." I have accepted this badge with honor and hope that I can live up to the standards in which it was given to me.

Thank you, Ronin!

Adventures at Geese Pond

2007-07-23T16:30:00.000-04:00

Usually in the evenings, when the weather is cool enough, Mother and I will take a walk after she comes home from work. I always look forward to our walks because I never know what adventures may occur.

On days when Mommy is slow or needs a reminder that it is time for our walk I will bark at her, stick my head on the box where my leash and halter are stored and then run to the back door and impatiently wait for her to get-a-clue! Sometimes it takes her awhile. Sometimes, no amount of barking, running towards the door, or tugging at my leash can get her to realize that "OH! It's time to take a walk." I think it's laziness and that she does it on purpose. She'll have to learn the hard way some day.

There are so many things to do and see while we walk. Once outside we see 'tweens on skateboards, joggers, families out walking with their kids and stroller, dogs walking their owners, and geese. Oh, the geese!

Our walks take us around a pond that we have dubbed geese pond for the geese are everywhere. They pretty much think they own the place. We can't usually walk on the sidewalk that lines the pond. We have to take the long way around the pond and walk on the road. If you don't take the road, you'll come in contact with a dangerous barricade of geese and the ground is coated in a layer of green goose pooh.

The geese are quite funny. They think they're so tough, but when I chase them they waddle for lives down into the pond. HA! As if the water will actually save them. One of these days I will go in there after them. Then we'll see who is hissing at me! When I walk up to them, they spread their wings, stretch their necks out of their fat round bodies, and then, of all things, they stick their tongues out at me. Usually, when the tongue is out they're hissing like cats. I think they're a little confused, but whatever they're trying to do it doesn't look pretty.

Once we are out of geese pond and geese territory-which is pretty much the entire apartment complex-we come across this little guy.

I don't like him although I do feel sorry for him. The first time we walked by him he begged me to help him escape. I couldn't get Mommy to comply. I don't know why he has to be chained up outside all the time. He is always barking at me and threatening me everytime we go by him now. I don't think he likes me now that I wouldn't help him escape, but like I'm going to help him escape when he keeps verbally attacking me. I am really confused by this dog and I think that is why I don't like him.

Well, that is pretty much my walk. The rest gets boring, I am not allowed to play with the skateboarders, chase baby strollers or run after other dogs. I've tried, but I'm kept on a pretty tight leash. Literally.

Bugs Are Yummy!

2007-07-11T15:13:00.000-04:00

Worst Day of My Life

2007-07-05T13:25:00.000-04:00

On July 3rd, I was taken to a veterinarian-if I may add, a mean one-to have my fractured tooth removed. Because it was my upper 4th premolar, it could only be removed through surgical extraction.

(Picture taken from "Dental Anatomy of Dogs http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/pregastric/dogpage.html)

See dogs have four sets of teeth, their incisors, canine (the fang tooth), premolars and a set of molars. Typically, molars do not begin to erupt in dogs until they are between five and seven months of age. Dogs typically have 42 permanent teeth by the time they are seven months old.
For our permanent teeth we have about 20 teeth on the maxillary (upper) jaw and 22 teeth on the lower jaw. This is because we have an extra set of molars on our mandible (lower jaw).

The upper, 4th premolar, also known as the carnassial tooth is used for cutting and shearing food, and can only be removed through surgical extraction because it has three roots embedded in the jaw. Unfortunately, that was the tooth I fractured.

Extracting this tooth is more difficult and takes longer because each root has to be extracted separately.

So that Tuesday morning, Mommy dropped me off at the new (rude) veterinarian. I am confused as to why she trusted her enough to put me on anesthesia. Mommy actually got in an unpleasant spat with the veterinarian which almost resulted in me not getting my tooth removed. Which, I wouldn't have had a problem with.

Anyway, there is some risk involved with this surgery because the tooth is more difficult to extract and because pugs are considered at-risk patients for anesthesia. Pugs can be highly allergic or sensitive to anesthesia and it is not uncommon for us to not do well during or afterwards. There are different types of anesthesia and it seems that isoflurane is the best kind for pugs, but it probably depends on the type and duration of the surgery.

Although, the vet (a.k.a. Mr. Hyde) told Mommy that anesthesia is one of the most important thing she does and each minute I am under anesthesia is crucial and that is why she went back to school to get another degree in veterinarian dentistry. Now, she claims she can extract a tooth in 10-15 less than most other veterinarians. We weren't sure if it was a good thing or not, but it sounded convincing.

Except, afterwards, we found out that my tooth was very difficult to extract and therefore the surgery took longer.

I didn't get picked up until 4:00 PM when both Daddy and Mommy came to save me. I whimpered and whined, but I was too tired and in too much pain to really show them how excited how I was.

We came home and I slept. At first I laid in the big bed with Mommy for awhile, but then I decided I would be more comfortable in mine. So, I walked over to my bed and realized I didn't want to be in my crate. So Daddy took my bed out of the crate and put it by the couch. Mommy covered me up with a blanket and I slept their for awhile. Sometimes when I couldn't fall asleep I'd whimper and whine a little.

Later I decided that I wanted to sleep on the big bed again so I walked over to the bed and stood there waiting for Mommy. We climbed up on the bed and got comfortable when I decided that I wanted to be in my own bed. So I went to my own bed, climbed in, turned around in a few circles and laid down. Then I got up and walked to the big bed. Mommy finally figured out what I wanted and picked up my bed and put it on the big bed. It was darker and quieter in there and I slept better, especially when Mommy covered me with the blanket. Mommy just read and watched over me while I slept. I'd occasionally wake up and cry, but Mommy usually was pretty good about figuring out what I needed. Just kidding. I think she was pretty rude, by shoving the camera in my face and making the bright lights go off, not to mention it took her forever to figure out that I didn't want the bedroom TV on.

I was pretty pathetic, but what do you expect when your half out of it. I tried to manipulate the parents the next day. I'd whimper and whine (like in the video above) in between chasing my tail. It didn't work.

(You can tell Daddy took this picture!)

As much as Mommy hated to see me tired and in pain, she loved being able to worry about and take care of me, even though it broke her heart to hear me cry.

The next day I slept a lot, I was still tired and in a little pain, but it didn't stop me from chasing my tail. I just wish I could play with my toys. I am not allowed to chew on anything (including stuffed toys) for the next 14 days. I am also on a soft food diet, but I don't mind it because it is the best soft beef food I've ever had.

Alert! Warning! Beware!

2007-06-27T14:33:00.001-04:00

Dear Pugs and those other dogs,

I would like to take a moment to warn you about the Dog Whisperer. His name is Cesar Millan and he is evil. He brainwashes our humans into thinking that they need to be the pack leader and that they must dominate us. He teaches humans how to get in our brains so they can make us do things like heel on a leash, sit quietly for visitors and ask for treats. This means that for the Pug World Order (PWO), world domination will not be made possible. Humans across the world are embracing his messages. Pugs, this could be the end of chewing on humans fingers, walking ahead of your owners, eating before or during their meals, barking at strangers through the window, greeting visitors with kisses, or even sleeping in the human's bed. No more stealing dryer sheets, no more eating crumbs before they reach the floor, no more barking at the humans when we want something, no more pretending like we don't know what they want us to do when we are to lazy to work!

My parents have succumbed to the Dog Whisperer's preaching. Last night, when I took a walk, I had to heal the entire time. I do not believe this is acceptable. Not only that, but the parents wouldn't feed me at 5:30. I always get fed at 5:30. But, no, Daddy said, "According to Cesar Milan he shouldn't eat before us because we are the pack leaders."

I believe, that it is time to do something about this Cesar Milan before humans dominate us and turn us into well-mannered, subdued, socialite-type dogs.

We must fight against the Dog Whisperer and if necessary our humans (although, I'd much rather not see it come to that.) We must also unite with the other unstately, inferior dogs (especially Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and German Shephards, Dobermans and Mastiffs. We'll put them at the front of the line in order to do our dirty work for us).

I hope you will join in the fight with me!

Sincerely,

Oscar Tiberius Hayes

My New Toy Part II

2007-06-26T12:38:00.001-04:00

This is me playing with my new gorilla. This video doesn't really show well the extent to which I am having fun. I like my gorilla. Actually, I like to sit on the back of the couch and whack Mommy in the head with it. Sometimes, it makes her yell really loud! hehe...

New Toys!

2007-06-25T09:14:00.000-04:00

It was recently proved to be not a big deal to throw away my old toys. It was time for some new ones anyway.

Friday night, while Daddy was in NYC, Mommy and I went to Petco and bought new toys! We weren't very happy with the selection though. I think we were at the store for an hour. It wouldn't have been difficult choosing new toys if we didn't have such specific criteria to pick from. First the toys were too soft, too hard, too small, too big or too expensive. Then there were the inedible toys that would be quickly eaten by me.

Mommy would try to let me pick out my toys, which proved to be a chore. The next thing I knew I had a bone shaped tennis ball like toy shoved and waving around in my face. Yawn. I ignored her and walked off. Surely, she could do better than that, right? I walked away from the toy and went back to sniffing the aisle.

Finally, Mommy made friends with a woman in the store and left me a lone for awhile. She helped the woman pick out a halter for her dog and the woman helped Mommy pick out toys for me.

In the meantime, I told off a Mastiff and tried to defend myself from a Pit Bull that was intent upon eating me. He said so himself. Luckily, he went down the next aisle. Hopefully they were looking for a muzzle.

It was when the store announced over the speakers that it was time to close that Mommy settled on a tiny rubber wheel. Sigh. If only she hadn't wasted my time trying to see if I'd fit into any of those wimpy dog carrying bags. I'm not a chihuahua!

We walked through the toy aisle one last time. We stopped by the stuffed toys just to look at them. All of a sudden I hear the high pitched squeals of a monkey! I jumped up on Mommy and tried to grab the gorilla from her. "Can we get it? Can I have this one? Please, please, please?!" I barked.

I was pleased to see that when we made it to the check out counter it was still in her hands! I couldn't wait to go home and play with the gorilla.

I was so happy! Although, the people behind me in the line couldn't stop laughing at me. I don't know what their deal was.

However, Mommy is such a spoil sport and wouldn't let me play with my new toys till Daddy got home the next day.

Not caring that it was Saturday morning, I woke Mommy up at 7:00 and told her she had to get up. She sat up and I ran to the counter and waited for her to get the gorilla. I sat there and sat there, and sat there. What is she doing? I ran back to bed and found her asleep again. What is wrong with her? How come she isn't excited to play with the gorilla? Does she not know this is a matter of high importance?

I figured I wasn't going to get the toy without her, so I fell back asleep and waited for Daddy to get home.

Finally, I got my gorilla and my rubber wheel, but who cares about that.

Unfortunately, whenever I get new toys, I have to wait to play with them till Mommy gets done with her photo shoots.

This gorilla speaks to me and when he does, I like to grab him by the nose and flip him around. Sometimes, I throw him clear across the room. That's always fun.

I've also learned that the ear is always the Achilles heal of stuffed toys. If you chew off the ear, your toy is virtually destructible at that point. My goal is to get to the gorilla's voice box.

Mommy is amused when I eat the ear, because it looks like I'm sucking on it. But, I'm really not that much of a baby.

2007-06-21T15:32:00.001-04:00

Today I went to a new veterinarian. My parents want to find a vet closer to where we live and one where we don't have to wait three to four hours while being seen. Now, we are in a bit of a dilemma. See, Mommy used to take me to the vet hospital at OSU where she used to go to school but, everytime we went we'd be there for three hours. Now that she is working it is harder to give up that time, even though she now works on campus right next door and can go back to work while I am being seen.

Well, my nails need to be trimmed, badly. I'm a bit past due. So we went to check out this nice veterinarian who works just down the road from our new place. They offer a free "get to know you" consultation and will do nail trims for free for their clients. You can't get any better than free nail trims. So we signed up.

I wasn't too excited about getting my nails trimmed, but it wasn't like I was going in to get shots and poked and prodded...or so I thought.

Mommy is a little peeved though and doesn't know what to think of this new doctor. I'm not sure I like her either because she basically told Mommy that she had to throw away all of my toys. ALL OF THEM! Can you believe it?!

After she told Mommy to throw away all of my toys, she proceeded to give Mommy a long list of health problems I currently have.

1. A fractured tooth. This is the reason why I have to throw away all of my teeth. She gave me a rawhide bone, which concerns Mommy. The Vet said it's OK if I swallow long sections of it and act like I'm choking. Really? Yes, "because we come from wolves and are used to eating huge hunks of meat off other animal carcasses." What? And because we come from wolves and are used to living in the wild means that I can't chew on nylabones anymore? That's what I'm thinking.....

Heres the thing, after months of learning through trial and error what toys are best for me, we have finally come to a list of acceptable toys. Rawhide bones aren't on them. Not only am I not allowed to chew it on the couch, but it gets really nasty, starts to smell and leaves white residue anywhere I lay it. Plus, I tend to swallow them whole, forget about choking it back up....

2. I have an irritated stomach. This means, I have to change my diet for the next few days and take pills. Another reason why I have to get rid of my toys. No more stringy toys (including ropes) because I eat the strings which causes stomach irritation. Who knew? This also means no plastic bottles because I risk swallowing the plastic pieces, thus irritating my stomach even further. Stuffed animals aren't really an option anymore because I eat the fuzz and I'm pretty sure the vet will come up with other excuses as to why I can't have those.

3. Ear Infection. I have another ear infection. Mommy was blessed with a toddler who is constantly getting ear infections..or a child with constant swimmers ear. I'm not sure this is the result of sloppy bathtimes or the result of my environment.

4. Pollen allergies. Could the ear infection also signify allergies? We are not sure yet. The OSU Vet said that they would have to test for allergies the next time we come seeing as how my ears are always infected. They were waiting to see if the ear infection cleared up and what my ears did after we moved. "It could be the environment," they said. Well, this new vet asked Mommy if I chew or lick my paws, in which she responded with "All the time, but it looks like he is mostly chewing his nails." "Pollen allergies," the vet quickly answered without another thought. "But, we'll discuss this at another time." Why not now? And, how do you know it's not anything else?

So, I'm curious to see what toys I'm going to have to give up for pollen allergies. The vet will probably make us move. Or I won't be allowed to go outside anymore and force me to use a pansy kitty litter box.

Mommy is thinking about getting a second opinion. Our "free" vet visit ended up costing us 130 dollars. I didn't even get my nails trimmed! Which, if you remember was the SOLE purpose of this visit. If I get my tooth extracted it will cost my parents even more money. Which is not good because they have to pay to get the Malibu door replaced because Mommy can't make right turns. And that is all we will say about that.

I'll keep you updated on what's going on. I hope my diet isn't going to be that bad. In the meantime, I have to scour the pet market for "acceptable" dog toys. The new vet gave Mommy a list of acceptable chew toys and non-acceptable toys. Because of the way I chew and eat my toys, pretty much everything on that list is off limits.

We're from wild wolves-yeah, right! If that's the case we should be able to eat anything we want. Second of all, have you seen pugs-do you know anything about the them-we are hardly savages. Hmmm...I feel a history lesson coming on.

They Left Me...And I'm Not Happy About It

2007-06-14T14:07:00.001-04:00

It was a very warm, pleasant sunny day, but to me it felt cold, wet and unfamiliar. What I thought began as a pleasant drive to the country to visit relatives ended in a dark, cold facility. I only assumed that because all my belongings were packed up we were going someplace fun, interesting and engaging. The woman, the one I call my mother, even packed up my travel bag. We went to the country all right, but it was not like visiting family. It was confinement. This man took my belongings and put them in a 14' by 4' cell while She filled out papers. I was curious to know what was going on and somewhat excited at first for what seemed like my new adventure. Until, he picked up, put me in the cell and shut the cage door. The dogs around me were howling their sentiments. I was warned by the black lab next to me to watch out for Charlie, the fat beagle. "He's trouble." As far as I'm concerned, all loud dogs are trouble despite their height and weight. I hoped this was temporary, but it wasn't. The man and She walked by my cage. I tried to poke my head out between the wall and the cage bars, but the opening was too small. I tried whimpering to get her attention. "I just want to go home," I cried. She walked past me as if she didn't see me. My senses told me she was depressed. I wondered what this all meant. For the first day I tried to feign mental illness. If it worked for Paris Hilton, than it should work on me too, right? Although, at the time of this publishing she's back in jail.

At night it got dark and cold. Some of the other cell mates quieted down. Others, like fat Charlie continued to howl as if a pack of coyotes would hear him and break him out. I didn't think it was possible to hate a dog so much. Unfortunately, the boxer across from me was young and inexperienced. She didn't deserve to be here either.

Morning finally came and I received my food and water. The man also opened this door on the back end of my cell. Could this be my escape opportunity? I thought. It was a larger outdoor cage, called a run. I wasn't sure what to think. I ran outside quickly, scoped out the place and ran back inside my original cell. Decidedly, I liked it better out in the warm sunshine, where it was bright, where I didn't have to remember I was confined. I jumped through the door back into the warm sunshine and laid down on the brick covered floor where I let the suns rays beat down on me. I wondered how long I would be here and where my parent's were and what they were doing. I only hoped it was worth it for them to leave me. I hoped they wouldn't forget me because I wasn't going to forget them. They were my humans and I am their dog. I began to wonder what I would do if they never came back. Could I get used to my five minute walks, and my 14' by 4' cell? Sure, it's no king size bed or a trip to a dog park.

As I laid there pondering this new journey in my life, I noticed that in between the cracks in the brick were green weeds and grass. I sat up, stretched and shook my body to re-energize myself before I went to check it out. I sniffed the grass and tasted it. It wasn't bad so I ate more. I noticed there was more green forage growing in between the brick's cracks. I ate more, but decided to save the rest for later. I could never be sure how long I would be there or how quickly it would grow back.

I quietly padded around in the run until I saw a boy. My hopeful brown eyes gazed upon him as he approached me. I wiggled my brown curly tail, "are you going to play with me? Please let me out. Let's go for a walk," I called. He stopped by the door, faltered and walked away.

I didn't know what to do. I was instantly hit with a rush of emotions. I was angry for being left here, sad because I was lonely, excited because I thought this boy would play with me, relieved because I didn't want to be taken out only to be confined again, depressed because I didn't know what I wanted or what I should do.

I cried and barked instantaneously. Then I saw the boy again. I jumped up against the door like a mad dog, desperate for attention. Then I saw my blue, braided rope dog. He didn't ignore me, he went to get my toy, I realized. We played for a good 15 minutes.

After he left, I trotted to the corner of the run where I slumped down on the ground and laid there. The sun was beginning to set and the evening was getting cooler. It wasn't long after, when I was ushered back inside and the door to the outdoor world was shut behind me.

I lapped up what was left of my water and walked into my crate, the only familiar place in this whole facility. I circled on my bed, patting it down so I could lay. Finally curled up on my bed, I fell asleep and dreamt of the dog park.

Three more nights went by. The days were pretty much the same. Fat Charlie wouldn't stop his howling, but the black lab was no longer there. I spent most of the days enjoying the outside. But something about this day was different. The man came to the front of my cell, put on my halter and leash and packed up my bags. I was scared because I didn't know where we were going. But mostly, I was excited because I knew they came back for me. We walked through the door and there She was!

I was so happy I didn't know what to do. I chastised her with barks and whimpers for leaving me, but I wiggled and jumped my way to her. We dogs are a forgiving species. We are too trusting in the fact that we know our humans will return to us and even if they don't we are always happy to show our love to the next family that picks us up. I was lucky because it was mine.

I sat on Mommy's lap the whole ride home. I sat tall and proud, leaned my head against her shoulder, closed my eyes and lifted my head and looked at her sharing my warm, doggy breath till we got home. It was great to be going home.

When I got home, I greeted Daddy much the same way as I greeted Mommy, just without the chastising. I'm sure he had nothing to do with this. We all played and chased each other around the house. Mommy and I went for a nice long walk.

That evening, after playing and watching TV, we collapsed in the king size bed. It was good to be home and be a family again. After saying our goodnights, we shut off the lights and I languidly spread myself on my body pillow and went to sleep.

I won't dream about the boarding facility, but it did make me really appreciate my family. But, I know that they love me and they will always come back for me. Because they are my humans and I am their dog.

The New Dog Park

2007-06-06T11:21:00.001-04:00

Last week, we decided to check out the new dog park near our new home. We discovered that we live very, very close to the country. It's kind of nice being in the suburbs where you are on the outskirts of a city, and yet only a few miles from the country. We almost get the best of both worlds.

Anyhow. This dog park isn't as nice as the Bark Park, I used to go to. However, we decided that we could still go there on the weekends, but during weekdays we'd have to go to the one in the country. There aren't as many little dogs for me to play with there. Most of them are big country dogs.
I spent a lot of time doing my own thing. I sniffed the ground, met the people and trotted behind the big dogs. I had no desire to get run over or stepped on. Some of those dog's paws are bigger than my head!

From the back end, this dog looked friendly so I thought I'd meet him and figure out who he is and what he's about.

That is, until he turned around and I saw his big dark eyes and his huge head that was twice the size of my body. I decided I should probably stick with doing my own thing.

I went to the far edge of the park to see what was on the other side of the fence. There wasn't much there except for lot's of trees and shrubs.
This is a new friend. She came to see me as we were leaving the park to go home. It goes without saying that I was somewhat intimidated by her.

NYC Gifts!

2007-06-01T12:31:00.001-04:00

When Mommy came home from NYC she couldn't help but bring me a little something special. She went to a little dog boutique called DoggyStyle, in SoHo and brought me back a present!

I didn't know that she brought me anything. One day she suddenly ran upstairs and came back with something wrapped in orange tissue paper. I knew though, once I saw the brightly colored package and the big grin on her face, I knew it was something special! She told me to sit but I had such a hard time doing so because my tail was wiggling so hard my rear end wouldn't stay still.

I finally was able to sit and shut my eyes! What is it?!

What if I opened them and didn't look at the package does that count?! Aaahhh, the suspense was killing me! Finally she opened her mouth to say the word but before she could even finish, I was already tearing into tissue paper.

It occurred to me after all eating several pieces of tissue paper that what if, this was it? All I got was tissue paper? Even if it was a joke, it wouldn't have mattered. My devoted readers should already know that I LOVE all things paper!

But then, after much sniffing and pawing, I discovered that the real treat laid inside the orange paper.
It was a cute blue, rope dog that had a little blue ribbon tied around it's neck. Mommy took the ribbon off though. I don't know what makes her think I would try to chew on that first.

After cutting of the silky ribbon, I decided I needed to run for cover. I jumped up on the couch next to Daddy and inspected my new toy. I just had to make sure that other dogs hadn't played with him first and I needed reassurance that he wasn't real!

I pretty much removed and digested well, we're not sure about the digested part, but the leg of the rope dog is or was sitting inside my tummy.

Mother went to another dog boutique in SoHo called For Pet's Only. The kind lady there gave Mommy a tulip petal dog biscuit with purple yogurt frosting on it for free and she gave her free shampoo and conditioner samples from Isle of Dog Canine Grooming System. She was even nice enough to give Mommy the shampoo and conditioner samples that were specifically formulated for my skin and fur type!

I love being spoiled!

New Suspect

2007-05-26T22:10:00.000-04:00

I got the warrant for Father's arrest from the DA (my Mother). However, when I went to the guest room to arrest him, I saw my Mother right there assisting him in his crimes. They were putting holes in the wall and then attaching rods to them. How could she? This whole time, Mother was on my side, helping me solve the case. I guess she was a mole, spying on my operations for Daddy while she wouldn't be suspected.

(We pretty much couldn't get in that room for awhile)
Today, they loaded all of the rest of our belongings onto a truck and brought them over to the scene of the crime. After all the boxes and furniture were unloaded, they locked me up in my crate and left me all alone in this strange place. I knew I shouldn't have let them know I was on to their heinous acts.

(I sure hope it doesn't stay like this long!)

They came back and unpacked all of the boxes and moved the furniture around. It was while they left me in my crate that I did some thinking. It occurred to me that they weren't giving our stuff away or stealing it, but that this was our new home. We moved.

I like our new place because I have more room to run around.

In light of recent events, I have decided to drop all charges. However, I will be pressing charges against Mommy for keeping me in the car when she went into Subway and didn't share. I will also be pressing charges against both Mommy and Daddy for locking me in my crate amongst mountains of boxes in a new place that I am unfamiliar with!

I think I might be stuck!

The Plot Thickens

2007-05-24T11:09:00.000-04:00

Last night, Mother packed up random items in her car, put me on my leash and took me to this new apartment. I found the missing boxes and other items. Daddy was there. I guess they stole him and put him to work. When I got there, he was standing on plastic and coloring the wall. I was excited to see him. But before I could say "HI" I had to conduct my investigation.

Lacking a team of forensic scientists and investigators, I had no time to lose. I ran through all the rooms, Jack Bauer style, to make sure the rooms were secured and our stuff was there. Satisfied that no one was coming in or leaving, I began my closer investigation. I use the "Sniff technique" which I learned on a k-9 cop show on Animal Planet. Animal Planet is very useful for distance learning, by the way.

Mommy kept trying to get in my way by taking pictures and getting me to look at her. Which was both helpful and a distraction. The pictures are for the evidence file.

While, I looked for obscure evidence, I enlisted Mommy as my Chief Forensic Officer. I sent her to the bathroom and bedrooms with her chemicals and rags and had her inspect all the surfaces.

Meanwhile, Daddy kept coloring.

Hmmmm.....Items and boxes seem to disappear at the same time Daddy leaves and he was already at the crime scene and he was coloring on the wall.

Was he hiding evidence?!

I think we may have found our main suspect. I'll continue my investigation, but I may need a warrant.

Suspicious Activities

2007-05-23T15:10:00.000-04:00

Alert: There have been reports and sightings of suspicious activities occurring in my home. Boxes are piling up, things are being pulled out of closets and thrown on the floor, and personal belongings are slowly disappearing. No matter where I go or what I do it's becoming increasingly difficult to maneuver through the apartment. Boxes that used to be on the floor are no longer there and have been replaced with new ones.

Last night, while the parents were sleeping, I got out of bed and inspected the place. I stealthily creeped around the apartment and ate a few Kleenexes for stamina. When I was sure the place had been secured and saw no new activity going on, I jumped back into bed (I really need to work on my landing, I woke up Mommy and she became privy to my activities. I hope she doesn't suspect that I am on to her).

Where is this stuff going? I don't know, but I have to remain on high alert.

I will keep you posted. More to follow later.

Reunited Again

2007-05-19T18:27:00.000-04:00

As you know, I've spent the last two weeks in the country without my parents. Yesterday, they finally came back to get me! I missed them a lot; mostly I missed sleeping in a king size bed! Things are sort of back to normal, I haven't seen Mommy much because her friend got married this weekend and she was the matron of honor in her wedding. We're going to get to go home tomorrow, finally. It's going to be a busy week though because we are moving to a new apartment! I hope there will be a king size bed in our new apartment!

This is a floor pillow Grandma H bought awhile back. It looked really soft and comfy and I really wanted to lay on it, but I wasn't sure if I could.

I got really tired waiting for permission.

I thought I'd just take my chances. It's not like I'm going to get in huge trouble right? Plus, you can't blame me too much because it looks just like a big dog bed. I told Mommy not to include this picture because I look goofy, but she obviously isn't listening to me today.

I guess it was OK that I laid on it. I kept getting my picture taken and no one told me to get off.

2007-05-15T10:55:00.000-04:00

While Daddy was working and Mommy was off exploring Manhattan, stalking celebrities, spending money from a paycheck she hasn't received yet, sleeping in fancy Hilton beds and drinking cappuccinos at the WRONG "original cappuccino" cafe-I spent the week in the country with both sets of Grandparents and Uncles. Although I got to run around the yards off-leash, I still spent my nights sleeping in my cold, metal wired crate, was home-schooled in dog obedience and worst of all had to follow rules.

At Grandpa and Grandma H's, I'm pretty much allowed to do whatever I want except for playing behind the TV-something about wires and cords. I think that is part of the fun. Other than that, the rules or more like guidelines are the same as they are at home-where I am in charge.

At Grandpa and Grandma C's house, it is a completely different story. First of all, Grandpa is in charge of that pack and even though he's got five other people underneath him, I'm pretty sure I'm second or third in charge. My Grandma and Uncles have nothing on me. Second of all, I'm not allowed on any furniture. I'm not even allowed to prop myself up to take a peak at who is up there to play with. Third, Grandpa always puts a treat in front of my nose, tell me to sit or lie down, then he'll walk away. It tortures me to stare at this treat in front of my face, sometimes I feel like stealing it when he is in the other room, but if I do that, then we repeat the whole scenario all over again. He also tried to get me to roll over. We'll see how that goes this week.

Anyways, my parents are home now but they won't be picking me up until the end of this week. That's OK because I still get a lot more freedom here in the country. I may have to sleep in my crate during the nights, but at home I"d be in my crate during the day while everyone is at work.

I hope they bring me back something cool!

Long Time No Post!

2007-05-01T10:58:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a long time since I've made my last post, but really it isn't my fault. You see, Mother has been very busy lately and I can't type very well by myself. My paws aren't that flexible and my dew claws tend to get in the way. It's also hard to gain access to the computer when I'm stuck in my crate all day. Which, brings me to todays topic of conversation.

Mommy got a job and now I have no one to play tug with, chew on, bark at or chase. Sigh. Eight hours is a long time to be by myself especially in a small, well-contained area. The parents tried to give me more space by leaving me in the kitchen. Asides from the occasional crumbs, I did not like it much in there for I tend to slip and slide all over the linoleum. Plus, I can't see what's going on in the living room, and my paws deserve something soft and cushioned to walk and or lie on-such as a couch. I'm a trustworthy Pug...at least behind one's back. I think I've proven that to Mommy. When she leaves me downstairs while she is upstairs, I'll lay on the couch and quietly await her return. It's only when I feel neglected and frustrated that I decide to act out and jump up on top of the coffee table. By the way, foil wrapped, Reese's peanut butter easter eggs are absolutely delicious! I love the peanut butter inside.
All I do now is just sleep all day and I don't even get to watch Animal Planet anymore. I miss watching Animal Cops and K-9 to 5. Now tell me, how am I supposed to learn how to be a police dog if I can't even watch my heroes in action?

This morning I woke Mommy up about 45 minutes before her alarm went off. About 20 minutes before I knew she had to get up, I decided I had enough sleep. It seemed to aggravate her...I think I'm on to something.

Nora, The Piano-Playing Cat (www.ravenswingstudio.com)

2007-04-10T12:53:00.001-04:00

Thought you might enjoy this. Not bad for a cat who licks itself all day long.

New Toys?

2007-04-02T19:58:00.000-04:00

Look what Mommy brought home the other day for me: giant, purple bones!
At first I wasn't sure what to think, they were awfully heavy and a bit softer than my usual bones. However, after I whined at them and chewed on them a little bit, I became much more comfortable playing with them. I even picked one up and carried it to the couch, but them Mommy took them from me and played with them herself!

Dog Park Part 3

2007-03-31T22:29:00.001-04:00

Here is another video of the my visit to the dog park!

Visit to the Dog Park Part 2

2007-03-31T22:27:00.001-04:00

This is a video of my playing with Charlie and the boston terrior!

Evening at the Dog Park

2007-03-31T20:48:00.001-04:00

Today was such clear, sunny and overall a beautiful day, such that it finally feels like spring! So to reward me for being locked in my crate all week and to enjoy the beautiful weather, Daddy, Mommy, and I went on a family outing-to the dog park!

We weren't really sure what to expect. The last time we went I was the only other dog for awhile and it was terribly muddy. This time there were lots of dog and people and no mud.

Since it had been awhile since I've been to the dog park, I decided I had to investigate the park before I made any friends. Mommy was quite taken with a shy, 6 month old beagle named Fonzy who hid behind her in order to be protected from the more active dogs. She liked how he would sidle up to her and press his nose against her leg. So she would kneel down on the ground and pet Fonzy, which is how I met Charlie.

Charlie, was a black cairn terrier(?) who decided he wanted some of the free love Mommy was giving Fonzy. He jumped on her knees nearly knocking her over. Charlie saw me sitting by Daddy's legs and challenged me to a run. I chased Charlie around the park and then paused by Daddy's legs again for a quick breather. At that point, Charlie decided to initiate our ill-matched friendship by jumping on my back to tell me who's boss.

The rest of my time at the park was spent trying to defend myself against Charlie and another larger poodle mix. Charlie would jump on my back while the poodle mix would bark at me. I'd whip around like a jedi knight and snarl back at Charlie but he seemed undeterred. I think he took on the form of Darth Vader.

I also met a boston terrier who I really liked, and tried to use him as excuse to get away from Charlie but that didn't work.

About an hour later, I laid on the ground with my tongue hanging out of my mouth. My tongue would roll in and out of my mouth with every inhale and exhale like a party favor blowout.
Daddy and Mommy decided it was time to go! I asked if we could get ice cream on the way home, but they said, "No."

2007-03-15T15:49:00.001-04:00

I was really looking forward to spending the rest of the week in the country at Grandpa and Grandma C's house. However, my goals and dreams of roaming the nearby farmland, investigating my grandparent's house, eating whatever I want to eat and most of all: no rules, was quickly shattered upon my arrival. I was greeted with, "Oscar, NO! Oscar, down! Oscar No!" by Grandpa. Then he tried to teach me to roll over! Roll over? First of all, where's my treat? I don't do tricks for nothing. Second, why must I roll over? What's the point? Next thing I know, I'll be trained to open and close doors and flush toilets! I'd rather go back to eating the crumbs under the kitchen table...if you don't mind. Although....I could have some fun with the whole opening and door closing "tricks"-I could scare Mommy at night! Third, where is Grandma? She spoils me!

I spent yesterday evening playing (or being tortured, depending on how you look at it) by my now 8-year-old, Uncle J. He gives me a lot of attention and likes to play for a really long time. He also thought he was a robber and threw himself on top of me so that I'd drag him across the room in order to "see what I would do if a robber came into the house." Well, I know what I would do if a robber came into my house, because it has happened before. It's a good thing I'm locked in my crate because it wouldn't be pretty. Athough, with me being a sycophant and outgoing, I'd probably just make a friend out of the unwanted intruder. Probably not, because I still want to tear the clothes off the guy who shattered my parents sense of security!

ANYWAY!

I am however, a dog that likes to have his space. I like to sleep, eat, sleep and eat more. Any attention and playtime that I receive is just an added bonus. However, because I am lazy, too much playtime may require a 24 hour deep, sleep.

I'm sure by the time my parents come home I'll be well worn out. After all, Uncle J said to my Mom, "I like playing with Oscar because he has the same amount of energy I have and we can play for a long time." Daddy will like this because it's just me and him next week and I'll want to sleep and we all know Daddy likes to sleep.

The next few days will be fun and I'm looking forward to tomorrow when Uncle J. wakes up and we play all day!