Orion and Cassie

Oh yeah!

2008-02-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

Still a good boy! M and D have been leaving me on my own since the other day when M found out she could trust me. I had one tiny little weeny incident where I grabbed a notebook off the kitchen table and brought it into the living room on the couch. But I didn't chew it! I was just reading! So the humans are very proud of me and they can't wait until Cassie can be left uncrated. But M said it's going to be a while. Cassie is still a baby and a bit more of a chewer than I was at her age. And I'm a big boy, dontcha know? It's almost my birthday! February 13th is right around the corner.

Check out this guy that's staying with us. His name is Teddy and he's a pretty cool dude. He thinks he can bark louder than me, but we have barking contests to settle the fact that I am MUCH louder (M's been complaining about a headache). He's a foster dude from a local rescue called Austin Dog. Unfortunately, he's got heartworms pretty bad and is getting treated for them. When he was pulled from the shelter, he had one huge shell of matts all over his back and lower body. He still has some, but he needs to keep some of his fur for the colder days this time of year. One of his ears is a little twisted, either something from birth or from a fight with another dog at one point. Mom says he really is cuddly like a teddy bear, but that he needs a cooler name to match his personality. The person that adopts him when he's ready to go is going to be sooooo LUCKY.

But I've got to go. It's a really nice day outside and we're gonna go PLAY!!

Until next time!!!

Guess who's a good boy?

2008-01-29T15:29:00.001-08:00

That's right!

ME!!!

Earlier, M had to take Cassie to the vets so her big butt could be weighed to see which Frontline Plus she needs now. Since the vets is only 5 minutes away and it wouldn't take long to get big butt weighed and get my special food and whatnot, M decided she was going to let me have the run of the house for the entire 30 minutes she was gone! (well...not total run of the house...she closed the bedroom door and put a gate across the kitty room door....I have a kitty litter problem, okay!) So I could tell M was a little nervous because she knew I wouldn't be happy about Cassie going out while I'm stuck back here, but she decided to trust me. And when she came back home...guess what?! She didn't find a thing out of place! And she was actually gone for 45 minutes because she's all chatty chatty with the gals over at the vets so she took FOREVER. But I was a good boy and resisted the urge to find paper towels to shred

(which is my biggest vice.)

So anyway... M told me that big butt weighs 200lbs!!!

Hey!! That's not true! Mooooommmm!!

****pouts****

Okay, okay...she only weighs 51lbs. But still...that's heavy! That's only 15lbs less than me! She better start running around like I've been doing with our visitors:

Tex:

and Frida:

I ran around so much, my eyes turned into lasers!

M better be the one to take Cassie outside and get her moving, because it's Girl Scout cookie time and I've seen way too many empty boxes of thin mints lying around.

Uh-oh...I see M rolling up some newspaper...better go!

Later everydog!

Oh and one more thing!

2008-01-20T19:57:00.001-08:00

GO GIANTS!

Memory Lane

2008-01-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

So M and D got a new gadget today that they've been playing with for a few hours. I think they said a three in one paw-ter? (oh wait...M says it's a printer) Anyway, they say that they can scan old pictures onto the computer now. M has been wanting to upload some pictures of some of my "ancestors" (if you will). She spent all day looking through old pictures to find some and she found photos of most of her previous dogs, but not all. Anyway, she showed me a bunch of them and at first they all seemed really different than Cassie and me. Some of them looked like other dogs I've met at the dog park and some of them I had never seen anything like before! Then all of a sudden, I though I was looking into a mirror! (okay, well not totally...unless the mirror was tinted yellow and if I was a lot smaller) You'll see what I mean!

These first two family members were my Mom's childhood friends. This cute Cocker is Patches. M doesn't have a whole lot of memories of him except a few moments of playing with him and of Patches greeting her when she got home from Kindergarten.

This is Sandy-boy. He was a very loyal and sweet Lhasa Apso and M's very best friend when she was growing up. He was a sandy color when he was a pup (as seen in this picture), but after he turned one or so he turned completely gray. He was a sick boy and had problems with epilepsy. He had his first seizure around his second birthday and it continued to get worse. M and her family were able to keep it under control with medication and it helped him have good days for the next three years. After he turned five, however, his little body couldn't take it anymore and he crossed the rainbow bridge. M was out of town (across the country) when he got very sick and had to be brought to the vets. She'll never feel better about how she wasn't able to be there during his last couple of days and last few hours :(

This is Buddy. He was a good (and very crazy) collie-mix. He was extremely neglected in his prior home; he had no training, was completely unaware of how to act in a home environment and didn't know his own strength.
He was a beautiful boy (these pictures don't do him justice as they were taken right after he was taken home from the shelter). Mom can't find anymore pictures of him, but he was a good friend and lived a long, healthy life.

And then there was Hooper. This is the boy that changed everything (as M said in her post the other day). He only spent a short time in Mom's life, but he changed it forever. Unfortunately, he developed an immuno-deficiency disorder and was unable to fight off a parvo-like illness. Mom wishes that she took a lot more pictures of him during the 2 weeks he spent in her home.

And here is Amadeus! (A lot of boys in the past, eh?) What a sweet puppy face!

He grew up to be a very loyal partner, very HUGE, and VERY smart.
In fact, Amadeus was SO smart, that he went through complete training to be a bomb sniffing dog! He passed all of his tests and though M was sad to see him go, he joined the program and is still living with the same owners and trainers that he went to live with long ago. Mom has just recently made contact again with his owners (contact was lost for about 2 years) and found out that he's still a very sweet boy, though much older. He is retired now and spends his days at home laying in the sun and playing with his 2 siblings -- a lab mix named Honey, and a corgi mix named Snickers.

I know that a few people have posted about their ancestors, and thanks to the Maryann and the Brat Pack for posting the pictures of the gang a few years back. We especially enjoyed all the pics of Thrawn and Dakota, not to mention baby pics of Tucker :) Anyone else want to post pictures of your predecessors? We'd really like to see them!!

'Til next time!

Top 5 Dog Matches

2008-01-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

Cole here again. I recently saw Sophie's mom's post about her top five dog matches, so I thought I'd try it out. I honestly wasn't expecting to have a labrador retriever pop up as a match, but guess what?

Top Five Personality Matches:

Labrador Retriever

Harrier

Briard

Golden Retriever

Swiss Mountain Dog

Hmm. Guess I did alright in choosing Labradors. Actually, Labs chose me. I wasn't a huge fan of labradors about 8 years ago. I considered them a little too common and overbred. Kind of a mindless lump of a family dog. Where I grew up, a lot of people owned so-called guardian dogs: Dobermans, Rotties, and mainly Staff. Terriers. Why anyone thought that pit bulls make good defenders against people always escaped me, but I digress. No one I knew had a lab and the ones I did see always seemed a little bit...boring. But then Hooper waltzed into my life (I say waltzed because that's pretty much what he did. He danced his way into my heart with his wiggly butt.) He was a very sick puppy from the beginning, but in the short time that I had him, I fell in love with him. After he passed, I gave it another go with my next dog -- a yellow lab named Amadeus. While I fell in love with Hooper and he was the one that made me decide to adopt Amadeus when I saw him, Ami was the one who made me fall in love with the breed. Now I completely adore labs for their unwavering loyalty, their willingess to 'go get the ball' in the freezing cold water, their drive while they're "working" (even if their job is just chasing a soccer ball around the yard), and their capacity for love. They come with their own set of challenges as all breeds do, but they've worked their way into my heart and soul and are now an addiction. I'll always be up for adopting other breeds and mixes, but it's those labs sitting in shelters that REALLY tear my heart up. Maybe one day soon, when we've got Orion's allergies and diet finally under control and Cassie has some more training under our belt, we'll head back over to the shelter or a rescue and let another Labrador (or pointer or poodle or dalmation or shepherd...who knows!) into our hearts to stay.

Finally!

2008-01-13T17:24:00.001-08:00

The computer is ours at last! Geez, M is a laptop hog. "I'm doing boarding stuff!" is always her excuse. Well we have a life, too! In fact, we've been tagged and STILL haven't completeled it for our new friend Izzy. We were tagged to list 7 weird things about us. Well I could tell you about a million things that make Cassie weird, but I guess I'll be fair and make it three for Cassie, three for me, and then one thing that makes us both weird. Cassie can go first since she's the weirdest.

1. Mom says that sometimes I just stare off into space like I don't know what's going on. I don't know what she's talking about -- I'm contemplating very serious matters. Things like dinner and when we're going to go to the park!

2. I love cats! Orion thinks that this is really weird, but Phoenix is one of my best buds. He's like a small dog, but easier to pounce on.

3. I sit down funny. While most dogs sit on their haunches, i sit on the base of my tail so that my back arches. Therefore, it's really easy to get knocked over. Sometimes while I'm sitting and pondering about my dinner, someone will come along and knock me down! Everyone laughs!

Okay, me next. I suppose I can find a few things that make me kind of weird.
1. I go really really really crazy over my soccer balls and tennis balls. Throw it to me, throw it to me! Mom says that I'm obsessed.

2. I like to spoon. At night when we go to bed, I like put one leg under my dad's head and put the other one overhis shoulder, then rest my head on his neck. M says that it's adorable, but I just think it's really comfy. M has yet to get a good picture of it, but when she does, she'll post it.

3.I'll eat pretty much anything. The humans don't want me to because they say that some food makes me itchy, but I don't really think about the consequences when there's food in front of me. M has even found me munching on paper and cat poop. Hey! It's a delicacy.

Okay, and one thing that makes the both of us weird is:
We both have really funny barks! M says that mine sounds more like a mix between a husky and donkey! Most of the time I 'wooo', but if I'm complaining about something, it's a sing-songy up and down staccato type whine/bark. And Cassie has a really high pitched bark that turns into a howl. When we play bitey face, you can't hear anything else because of Cassie's howls and my crazy barking.

So that's our tag! Now we choose 7 other DWB's. How about Lola, Penny, and Sherm , Maggie and Mitch, River and Cubby! Have fun. everydog!

We miss you guys and we haven't forgotten about you! We'll have more news soon. Right now we're just enjoying our company - Frida.

So sorry. . .

2008-01-10T21:11:00.001-08:00

. . .that I've kept your friends away!

It's the Mom here and it's all my fault that Orion and Cassie haven't been keeping in touch. We've got some exciting news and it's the reason why we've been away. We're starting an extended stay dog boarding business out of our home. I've been wanting to do something like this for a while, and I'm really excited that we now have the land and a large enough house to do it. Preparing the house and setting things up have taken up most of our time as of late. We built a dutch door to put on the door frame leading to our back room as a more "permanent" baby gate and made a few things in the house and yard more dog friendly.

I have a lot of goals in mind for Lucky Dog (our chosen name for this boarding venture). I really would like to create a loving, stress-free home environment for our boarders -- a place that focuses and maintains the routines each individual dog. There are no kennels or dogruns and we treat each lovable pup like our own :)

I've started another blog that our clients can follow while they're on out of town. It will track the daily doings of their dogs so they can check up and have a nice chronicle of what they did while at Lucky Dog. You can see it HERE.

And you can see our website with more info on Lucky Dog HERE. We're still working on it.

AND the best thing is that we're working with the Central Texas SPCA (which is located right down the street from me). We're a donation hub for them and we're donating some of our proceeds to them (especially our grooming services once we get those going).
We have our first boarder under Lucky Dog right now :) Her parents dropped her off this morning and she's getting along well with all of us.

And here's a picture of our original Lucky Dogs:

I promise that Orion and Cassie will return soon to tell you about what they've been up to the past week or so. In the meantime, any advice or feedback is greatly appreciated!

Until next time!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

Tonight I am dictating this post to my human assistant from the comfort of my warm, fireside resting place...ahhh...what a life...

Either this is going to be a REALLY long post or M is going to have to split it up into volumes. We've got a lot to catch up on! Sorry that we haven't been around much. There's been a lot of action lately and the computer was being overused for things other than blogging purposes.

First of all, Christmas was a distraction because everyone was busy running around and buying me Christmas presents. Well, that and decorating and cooking and taking pictures and visiting and going to pawties (without inviting us, no less!). It seemed like there was sooooo much to do and then all of a sudden . . . it was CHRISTMAS MORNING! Woohoo! Our first Christmas! We were so excited that we could barely wait to get to our stocking and pressies. Here's some of the stuff we got...

Oh yes...bad cuz, dino cuz, rabbit treats and HEY! Who's that peeking out from the top of our stocking?

Oh yes! It's Mr. Carrot! Just like Maggie and Mitch's friend! We couldn't wait to dig in and find all of our goodies that Santa Paws left for us!

C'mon Mom! Hurry up! (Oh and Mom wanted me to include an apology for her poor choice of tee-shirt for Christmas morning. 'It was dark and I was sleepy and I just grabbed the first shirt I could!')

Yeah! Bring on Mr. Carrot!

MMMMMM...Rabbit Jerky!

Give us some of that, Mom! Look, we're being good!

(ok, is it just me, or did Cassie grow up overnight?)

Yay!!! Christmas is the best!

Even the furballs enjoyed their gifts...although Lani wasn't quite as enthusiastic as the rest of us. She's too proper to play with toys in an undignified manor. Pssh!

Phoenix doesn't care, though.

We had so much fun on Christmas morning, that we passed out and barely noticed that our humans left to go pawty without us. They went to Grandma K's house and ate a bunch of yummy turkey and other eatables, opened some presents and played with our furry Uncles. I definitely think this whole Christmas thing is great! Especially because we got to spend a bunch of time with our humans. M says that's what it's all about!

It seems like all of you doggies had a good Christmas and got lots of nice pressies and ate lots of good eatables. How about everydog's New Year's Eve? Did your humans make you stay up WAY past bedtime and watch the stupid ball drop? I was sooooo disappointed. You see...it all started earlier on New Year's Eve...M and D were off from work, so they told us to hop in the car.

OKAY!

We went to Red Bud because it was a GORGEOUS sunny day at 70 degrees -- perfect swimming weather (told you Texas was crazy). Cassie and I spent a lot of time swimming and fetching our tennis balls until...WE LOST ONE!

We searched high and low for it...but alas...we could not rescue it. So we called off the search. I was sad, but M said "Don't worry, you're gonna get to see a REALLY REALLY big ball tonight if you stay up late enough. In NYC, they drop a ball to commence the new year!"

A really big tennis ball? Alright, I could go for that! On the way home, Cassie made friends with a chocolate lab named Brian (obviously his humans are Family Guy fans). He looked exactly like her! They were about the same age and were about the same size. It was so cute. M couldn't get a better picture because they were zooming all over the place together. You probably need to click on it to see it better.

Anyway, back to my story of disappointment. So we go home, eat dinner, do usual stuff and I'm like... "Hey Mom! When is this big ball going to drop? Phoenix and I want to see this for ourselves!"

Mom said that we had to stay up until midnight in order to see it. MIDNIGHT?!? That's taking quite a bite out of my beauty sleep, but okay. I'm game. Besides, giant tennis balls don't come around every day, now do they?

Huh? Is it midnight, yet?

We waited around FOREVER! And then finally, M said. "Wake up, Orion! It's happening now!" So I jumped up and looked at the tv. I was so anxious to see this huge tennis ball and here was my chance. And what do I see? A glittery ball. That's it. A fancy glittery ball. It looked like a CAT TOY! Then I had to watch in embarassment as M and D counted down until it hit the big 2008. Pssh!!! We stayed up for that? I was angry! Furious! Livid, even! But I couldn't stay unhappy too long. The humans said Happy New Year to us and told us that they loved us. They gave us kisses and scratched our tummies and ears. Before long, I wasn't angry anymore. Just sleepy.

We both drifted off to sleep and before I knew it, I was in a land of giant tennis balls. . .

. . . no glittery ones, either.

Santa's coming!

2007-12-24T17:08:00.000-08:00

I know we haven't been posting lately because our humans are just too busy. Too busy?! Oh! I guess being "busy" now is wrapping pressies and hanging out with friends and family and doing fun holiday things. Pssh. Well whatever, M and D. Maybe when you FINALLY want to hang out with us, then we'll be too busy for you! ::raspberries::

We can't wait for Santa Paws to come!!! We hope you guys have a great holiday and a
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

PS. I'm not very happy about wearing these reindeer antler things.

Letters to a Dog

2007-12-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

Hi there. The Mom here. Earlier today while looking through a Pet Posting board that I frequent to find out more about rescues here in the area, I found something that made my eyes start to well up with tears. This time, it wasn't an ad posted by some person with a new job that can't take care of their shih-tzu anymore, or by someone who found out three weeks after they adopted their retriever mix that he has allergies and they can't afford to take care of him, or another 'take my dog' ad that are all too popular. Instead this time, it was someone who posted something about loving a dog for their flaws and about giving second chances. I don't know who wrote it originally -- maybe it was the person that posted it. But I thought that it deserved to get posted again where others could read it.

Letters to a Dog

Source Unknown

January 6: Dear Dog, I saw you today for the first time, just a couple houses from my own. The school bus stopped to let out your kids, and your mom opened the front door to let you run out and greet them. You are a wiggly, bouncy and happy little puppy with a full belly and a shiny coat. Your kids grabbed you up, hugged you, held you and toted you inside. Your tail was wagging the entire time. I thought to my self, how sweet, what a way to end a long hard day. I spoke to your mom this evening and she said that they got you from the Animal Shelter, and the kids named you Lucky.

March 10: Dear Lucky, I saw you today as I always do on my way home from work. You were already outside to greet the kids today, which seemed a little odd. The little girl got off the bus and shooed you away; she appeared to not want you jumping on her. The boy got off the bus and gave you a quick playful pat on the head, then smelled his hand and brushed you aside. You looked confused and sad, as you went to lie by the porch. You curled up in a tight ball on the cold ground and let out a huge sigh. My heart felt heavy that day.

March 21: Dear Lucky, I saw you today. I was headed home, and the kids got off the bus, walked to the house, and you ran out as far as you could on your heavy chain to let them know you were there. The little girl ignored you, the little boy told you to be quiet, when you barked for his attention. My neighbor commented that they needed to do something with your barking because you keep them up at night. You had a bucket of water and a bowl of food, a relatively nice doghouse, but your eyes were sad and empty. I shook my head and let out a huge sigh.

April 30: Dear Lucky, I worried for you today. You look thin, your chain heavy on your neck, your coat is dirty and falling out, you don't get up to do much anymore. Your bucket is turned over, and I have not seen your food bowl for a few days now. I spoke to the neighbor and asked about you. He said you still bark at night and he saw the man of the house throw something at you the other day as he scolded you. I shook my head in despair as I went back into my house.

June 4: Dear Lucky, My heart sank today. I was headed home, and you weren't in your yard. A large part of me hoped you got away, another large part of me was frightened at all the other possibilities. I asked my neighbor about you, and he said your family went on vacation and sent you back to the Animal Shelter. I shook my head and cried for you as I went into my house.

June 5: Dear Dog, I went to the shelter today. I found you huddled in the back of a cage that had a bucket, a bowl of food, and a blanket for you to lie on. You looked up at me as if you knew me, and my heart broke as I read your card. They did not even care enough to give them your name, and the card simply said, "male, neutered retriever mix. Owners did not want." I cried when a gentleman from the kennel said, "That's a sad one there. He came from here, you know, last Christmas. Guess they just got tired of him. He's too frightened, no one will adopt him." I went to the counter and told them I would be back tomorrow and please don't do anything just yet. They all kind of nodded like they heard that one before.

June 6: Dear Dog, I brought you home today. You were scared and untrusting, but a small part of you somewhere allowed you to wag the tip of your tail when I told you that you were a good boy and that I loved you. I gave you a new name, "Happy", because you aren't and I hope that someday you will be. You had an accident on the floor, and when I came back to clean it up with paper towel you slunk down and whimpered as if the hand was coming for you. I tried to choke back the tears when I thought of what you must have gone through in the past six months. I reached out and patted you and your eyes closed and your body went limp at such a gentle gesture. "We're going to be all right," I told you. I showed you your food, and you ate voraciously, and you marveled at the treats and toys I got for you.

December 25: Dear Happy, Good morning my best friend! You woke me, as always, popping out from under the covers on your side of the bed, licking my face to tell me it was time for our walk. We went through the living room and you sniffed what Santa left for us. I hugged you and said, "Last year you were a Christmas gift, now this year, these are all yours!" Your coat is shiny, your belly always full, and even though we found out at your first vet visit you had heartworms, you are healthy now. As we went out for our walk, we saw your old family in the front yard. They look at you each time as if they recognize you in a way, but you don't give them a second glance. --- Then I believe both our hearts stopped as we saw the children emerge from the yard holding a small playful puppy. "Isn't she just precious? We got her from the animal shelter. Hope this one works out, the other dog we got from there was so much trouble." I sighed and refrained from pointing out that you were not the trouble. You looked up at me as if to say, "Thank you, mom." I kneeled down and whispered in your sweet ear, "No, it is I who thank you."

We're being neglected

2007-12-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

M and D have been completely ignoring us for the past two days. M has been sick with a cold, so on Thursday and Friday we spent most of the day snuggling in the bed with her, keeping her warm and making her feel better and then all of a sudden, WE GET IGNORED! She starts feeling a little better and starts doing things around the house: catching up on laundry yesterday and painting the two extra bedrooms today. And where are we during all of this? Cast outside. By ourselves. Well actually we wanted to stay outside, because it was GORGEOUS today, but still. We were ignored. Okay, actually that's not true, either. M had to watch out for us because Cassie is still healing and she can't run around and jump too much. Okay, so maybe not TOTALLY cast out and ignored, but pretty close.

And D has been hogging up the computer to catch up on some of his work, so we haven't gotten around to anyone's blog lately. We'll read up tomorrow!

In the meantime, we're going to try and get some attention!

Thrawn

2007-12-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

Run free handsome boy.

You will be greatly missed.

Cassie's Home

2007-12-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

M and D picked up Cassie a little while ago and she just settled down. She was kind of dopey at first and was a little confused about where she was and what was going on, but she'll sleep it off.

M set up her crate near the fire so she could stay warm and relax. It's nice and comfy in her crate, but she keeps making little uncomfy whiny noises. My poor sister!

Our vet said that the operation went very well. No problems at all and they used glue instead of stitches, so we don't have to get those removed or worry about them pulling out. So all things are good right now. Thanks for the good vibes!!!

The Countdown and other news...

2007-12-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

Alright all you doggies...the countdown has begun! 'What countdown?' you might ask. The countdown until my birthday, of course! Mom even found a countdown clock for me so I can let everyone how much more time I have until I turn 1! Oh, and I must apologize for my human if there are any misspelled words in here...M cut her finger really bad at work yesterday and it's all wrapped up in a big bandage and splint that is not conducive to typing correctly. Duh, that's what spellcheck is for, Mom!

Anyway, you guys can find the countdown clock WAAAY at the bottom of this page. It wouldn't fit in the sidebar, so we had to put it down in the footer. Only 63 days left!! Woohoo!

In other news: Cassie is getting spayed tomorrow. Shhhh...don't tell her. She doesn't know yet. M and D have to drop her off at 7:00am and then we don't get to see her again until 4:00. M is a little nervous, but she said she's done it with all of her dogs before and she's never had any major complications. She told me that when Cassie gets home, she might be really sleepy and she's going to have a big boo-boo on her tummy so I have to be very gentle with her and I can't make fun of her for not being able to run around. Pssh...where's the fun in that?

You better watch out, mister. I wouldn't make fun of anyone -- as soon as you're off your meds, you're going to get YOUR fixer operation.

Ugh, but Mooooooom! Oh well. That's at least a few months away for now, so maybe in the meantime I can convince M that I'm not broken and I don't need to be fixed.

Not likely.

Fine!

In any case, tomorrow should be interesting because I'll have most of the day with my humans WITHOUT Cassie. It's gonna be kind of weird, but I hope we get to do something fun.

Pawsitive thoughts for Cassie :)

Until next time!

It's a love/hate thing.

2007-12-10T15:55:00.001-08:00

Cassie and I like to chew on each other.

But sometimes we don't like getting chewed on.

And we fight over stuff all of the time.

But we get over it.

It's a love/hate thing.

But mostly love.

7 Annoyances

2007-12-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hey there everydog. We got tagged by Maggie and Mitch to post seven annoyances and link to them in the post, then list and link to 7 more bloggers to do the same.

So pass this on to 7 more bloggers and notify them by leaving a comment on their blog.

Maggie and Mitch split theirs up into 3 for Maggie, 3 for Mitch and one shared annoyance, so I think we're going to do it the same way.

Okay, so I'm going to go first and then Cassie.

I hate that I'm not allowed to eat anything else other than my allergy food. Rabbit and potato is good, but I'm tired of it and I miss my bones and treats and cheese!
My neighbor dog Trooper really annoys me. He digs into our yard to play with Cassie and gets really possessive of her. When I try to run him off he tries to bite me. Man, he really REALLY annoys me (M agrees with me on this one.)
It annoys me when I'm trying to lay down and relax and Cassie keeps chewing on my ears or wants to keep playing bitey face.

Hey! You're a lovable brother, what can I say?

My turn!

I don't like it when Orion gets to go places and I have to stay home. Even if he's just going to the vets, I make a big fuss about it. It's not fair.
It really annoys me that I have to stay in a crate when my parents are out and Orion doesn't. I promise I won't do anything too naughty.
It annoys me that ORION is REALLY possessive of the ball/stick/dummy that we are playing with. I want to catch it and bring it back, too! He never lets me. So I bite him. Ha!

And the last thing that REALLY annoys the both of us is when M tries to make us pose and sit in perfect positions and wear funny things on our heads. That is SOOO not cool, Mom. Besides, we're natural models. You should just wait for time like this when we take good photos without trying.

So now let's tag Sophie, Baxter, Bailey, Benson, and Brody, Amber-Mae, and River to tell us what REALLY annoys them!

Thanks for the tag, M & M!

Red Bud, Revisited

2007-12-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

Cassie here. Thanks to everydoggy out there for crossing their paws and sending good thoughts to me while I was sick. Now I'm much better and back to my bubbly southern belle self.

Okay ...so maybe not so southern belle in these pictures, but I definitely am well enough to romp around with my big galoot of a brother.

Today we went back to Red Bud park and guess what? It was just as pawesome as the last time we went. This time though, M remembered to take some video and I was in more of a modelling mood. I am the most divine labbie supermodel in Texas, of course.

There were three great danes there that we kept running into. They were older ladies, so they didn't play with us much.

We played fetch for a while, because doG forbid Orion doesn't get to chase after things. We swam for a while and had the entire water hole to ourselves.

Here I am showing my labbie skills . . . I am a bird dog after all.

Birds? Where?

See how dedicated we are? Even 6 inches of mud wont stop us from retriving. Well...it won't stop Orion. Usually, I forget about the ball or stick or dummy before I get to it. But M thinks I show potential. :)

EDIT: Okay, I've been having major problems uploading video onto this site lately. It'll upload completely and suddenly it just disappears. I'll work on it later and see if I can get any new video up. Ugh.

We need some pawsitive thoughts...

2007-12-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

It's the Mom here. I just wanted to let you all know that Cassie isn't feeling very well today. When we woke up this morning, she seemed normal, but when I looked more closely at her, I noticed some bloat. I thought that she must have an upset stomach, so I only fed her half of her morning meal to see if she would eat. She did, but reluctantly. We watched her all morning and though she was in her typical high spirits and she did not vomit, her abdomen was getting more and more distended. She was alone for about 3 hours while Marc and I went to work and I when I got home around 5:00, she had only gotten worse. I phoned our vet, Dr. Cottier and brought her in. Dr. Cottier was somewhat concerned that it might be an obstruction, however because Cassie wasn't feeling any discomfort, it was hard to say. She advised us to wait it out through the night, to keep her calm (yeah, right!) and not to feed her the evening meal.

EDIT: (7:09pm) I didn't mean to alarm some of you. I failed to mention that the vet does NOT feel that it's "bloat" or a flipped stomach. That was the first question I asked because it's the scariest. I'ts more likely a small obstruction that we are hoping will pass naturally. But rest assured, if she does get worse or I have ANY reason at all to think that it could possibly be bloat, then we're off! And I'll keep you all updated. Thanks for the thoughts!

Cassie seems not to notice that anything is wrong but her poor little belly keeps getting bigger. We're going to give it 6 more hours (until Midnight-ish) and see if there's any change. If it gets worse, it's off to Emergency we go. But let's say a prayer that it won't come to that. I (as well as Cassie) appreciate any pawsitive thoughts you could send our way!

EDIT: (12/4 8:00am) I think Cassie is going to be okay! She stayed pretty much the same throughout the night until the early morning when she frantically asked to be let outside. This worried me, so I followed her out there. Thankfully it was just because she really really REALLY needed to go to the bathroom. There was apparently something binding her up --possibly a blockage or maybe just constipation. Either way, after sleeping a few more hours, she woke up looking sooo much better. It looks like she's still a tiny bit distended, but that might be water retension. So we're off to the vet again to see what they think. Thank you so much everyone (dog and human) for all the prayers and good thoughts. It could have been something really scary, but I'm glad it turned out to just be....well...gas. Haha. :)

A New Dog Park

2007-12-02T15:28:00.001-08:00

C'mon M & D, let's go to the dog park today!

See, Cassie has the keys and is ready to take us there.

Hurry up humans!

Dad wanted to drive, though, so we let him. But only because he said we could drive back home. I took my usual position between M & D...

and Cassie usually takes position by the window so she can stick her head out...

Apparently, she's fond of flies getting stuck in her teeth and butterflies going up her schnoz.

The park is this way!!!

The humans decided to take us to a new dog park this time. We were getting kind of tired of the old one and they heard good things about this one. It's called Red Bud park and it's on a little island type thing behind the University of Texas. Anyway, it turned out to be awesome!

We met up with a bunch of dogs by the water. They were playing fetch with a tennis ball and diving into the lake. Normally, I'll wade into water to get sticks and tennis balls, but I don't like going to places where I can't touch bottom. But THIS TIME, I actually swam! And it was great! I had so much fun and the humans were really proud of me. Look how far out into the lake I swam! (You might need to click on the picture to get a better look.)

Cassie had lots of fun just zooming around and chasing after other dogs. She's more of a Labrador Leaver than a Labrador Retriever.

Throw it already!!

I made friends with this girl labbie called Bailey and we spent most of our time fighting to get to the tennis balls first.

Almost there...

hey, get off of me!

A-ha! I got it!

Here you go, Mom!

It was like Labby Central today. We saw about 6 or 7 other Labs and some of them got into the water to play with us.

Hey, Bailey, come back!

After about 45 minutes of swimming, we dragged ourselves away and walked on the trail for a little while. We met a bunch of other dogs along the way.

We walked for another 45 minutes or so and boy, did we get thirsty.

Time to go already?

We had such a blast at Red Bud! This is our favorite new place and we going to keep going back there. I can practice my swimming and maybe Cassie can practice her retrieving (and her call-back!)

We zonked out the second we got into the car. Sorry Dad, you're going to have to do the driving again.

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz!

MUD! SOCCER BALL!

2007-12-01T15:38:00.001-08:00

Two little zoomies

playing in the mud

zooming 'round the backyard

AND HAVING LOTS OF FUN!!!

Operation Christmas

2007-11-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

Guess what we're doing? Decorating! Woohoo! Well you saw phase 1 of Operation Christmas the other day: a bunch of boxes hanging out in our living room and the mantle sorta decorated. So yesterday, we got our tree and started phase 2. We helped by supervising, as always.

Here's HD setting up the radioactive glowing reindeer on the lawn. The big guy with the antlers moves his head back and forth like he's watching out for predators (or cars that might try to sneak up on our lawn).

This one's kinda blurry. I have to get a new photographer.

And here's our tree when we first brought it home. MMMM...smells good.

Next, the lights go on. We had fun watching M and HD spinning around the tree to put the strings of lights on.

Here's a box of garland and some ornaments. M didn't let me hang any of them. Hmph.

Then the very last thing is putting the pretty lady on top. M told us that she's an angel and that she'll be up there to watch over us throughout the entire Christmas season. Uh-oh...now we better be good or Santa Paws will definitely find out.

And here's the mantle finished. See those stockings? The one on the left is for Cassie and me. There's nothing in there yet, but I hope it's full on Christmas morning!

Alright, bro. Move over. It's Cassie here! I wanted to tell you something exciting. I got a brand new collar! It was supposed to be a Christmas pressie, but my last one was getting too tight on me. Yay for early Christmas presents!

This was my old collar. It's really pretty, but too small.

Now I have a bright red Hamilton collar that matches Orion's, except his is black. Mom likes them because their really sturdy, have big buckles, and are easy to clean when they get dirty. The end of the collar pulls through the leash ring so that if we pull on our leashes, the stress is put on the ring itself instead of the buckle. You can check them out here.

See, it even has my name on it!

I wasn't really in the mood to pose for pictures today, so you'll have to excuse my less-than-divine appearance. Maybe I'll let Mom get some good snapshots later on.

Is everyone helping their humans with decorating?

Licks and Wiggles,

Cassie and Orion

Letter to Santa Paws!

2007-11-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

We've been really good labbies this year, see?

Okay, so Cassie and I decided to be creative with our letter to Santa Paws. This is our first Christmas, after all and we have to make a good first impression. So why not make a song for Santa Paws? Mom said that if you make something into a song, it's easier to remember, so hopefully Santa won't forget anything we asked for. So here goes...

Our 12 desires of Christmas

(to the tune of 12 days of Christmas):

The first thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

is lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The second thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

2 new collars

and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The third thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

3 sweet potato chews

2 new collars

and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The fourth thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

4 tennis balls

3 sweet potato chews

2 new collars

and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The fifth thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

5 BAAAAD CUUZZZZ!

4 tennis balls

3 sweet potato chews

2 new collars

and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The sixth thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

6 Bully Sticks

5 BAAAAD CUUZZZZ!

4 tennis balls

3 sweet potato chews

2 new collars

and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The seventh thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

7 days of snow

6 Bully Sticks

5 BAAAAD CUUZZZZ!

4 tennis balls

3 sweet potato chews

2 new collars

and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The eighth thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

8 soccer Balls

7 days of snow

6 Bully Sticks

5 BAAAAD CUUZZZZ!

4 tennis balls

3 sweet potato chews

2 new collars

and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The ninth thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

9 chewy shoes

8 soccer balls

7 days of snow

6 Bully Sticks
5 BAAAAD CUUZZZZ!
4 tennis balls
3 sweet potato chews
2 new collars
and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The tenth thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

10 stuffie toys

9 chewy shoes

8 soccer balls

7 days of snow

6 Bully Sticks
5 BAAAAD CUUZZZZ!
4 tennis balls
3 sweet potato chews
2 new collars
and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The eleventh thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

11 surprises in our stockings

10 stuffie toys
9 chewy shoes
8 soccer balls
7 days of snow
6 Bully Sticks

5 BAAAAD CUUZZZZ!

4 tennis balls

3 sweet potato chews

2 new collars

and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

The twelfth thing that we would like Santa Paws to bring...

12 months of happiness for our friends

11 surprises in our stockings
10 stuffie toys

9 chewy shoes

8 soccer balls

7 days of snow

6 Bully Sticks
5 BAAAAD CUUZZZZ!
4 tennis balls
3 sweet potato chews
2 new collars
and lots of pressies for all DWB's.

Okay, so maybe a little monotonous, but it gets the point across :)

We can't wait until Christmas!!

Of rainy days and suspicious packages...

2007-11-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

Hi everydog. We've had a couple of fun days here in Texas. It's been raining for 2 days and water is everywhere. Just look at all of the puddles of mud in the backyard.

Yesterday, Cassie and I played outside for a long long time. We didn't want to go inside. Actually, after rolling around in the mud for so long, I don't think Mom wanted us to go inside either. We were pawsitively dirty. But HD laid out a big blanket and dried us off on it. Of course we couldn't stop playing long enough to get totally dry.

Cassie isn't very happy about having to stay on the blanket.

M wasn't feeling very well and had herself wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. She just wanted to relax and keep warm, but of course we couldn't let that happen. C'mon Mom, let's play! Of course, M obliged. She just can't say no to our puppy dog eyes. We played fetch for a while (actually I played fetch and Cassie just played scavenger --waiting for me to bring the toy back so she could jump on me and take it).

We tired (and dried) ourselves out. It was definitely time for a warm nap.

Yesterday afternoon, Mom got a big box full of stuff she ordered for Christmas. She made the mistake of leaving the box open and this morning we found a surprise.

Anything good? Nah, just the dust bunny, Phoenix.

Those packing peanuts are going to be everywhere for the next week.

Oh, and I think I'm going to close with this picture of Cassie. Sophie says that sometimes she looks possessed, but even her most evil look can't compare with this one.

Until next time! Woo-woofs!

Turkey Day!

2007-11-23T08:15:00.000-08:00

Actually, we didn't get to have any of this on Thanksgiving :(

I can't eat turkey because of my stupid allergies and Mom thought that it wouldn't be fair to just give Cassie some turkey since she didn't have any fresh rabbit on hand to give me. So get this -- she brought home a tiny bit of turkey and gave it to the cats!!! What?! Since when do the dust bunnies get food before us?

But then she said that she brought home something special for Cassie and me. Sweet potatoes! They're freeze dried so that they're chewy and last a while, AND I can eat them without getting itchy. YAY Mom! You and Dad are the best! They were really yummy and I gulped mine down fast. But it was so good that I wanted more. So I chased Cassie all over the couch to try and get hers.

Hey, let me have some of that...

C'mon, just a piece!

Oooo...look a crumb!

Cassie wasn't sharing and Mom wouldn't let me take it from her, so I had to sit back and watch her share with Phoenix! So not cool!

M and D got back early from Thanksgiving "dinner" (which was really at lunch time) so we had the rest of the day to sit back and relax on Turkey Day. M started bringing out some of the Christmas decorations from the garage, so all of this is now taking up a small part of our living room.

Yeah Mom, just put it right over the there...

D said that we're going to get our tree on Monday. I hope it's a big one! I've never seen a real Christmas tree before! M keeps telling me that I'm not allowed to pee on it, drink the water on the bottom of it, wag my tail next to it, and most of all, eat it. Well, I'll do my best, Mom, but if the overwhelming need to chew on it's yummy sticks hits me, then I don't know if I can control it.

Cassie and I spent a lot of time outside since...guess what...IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE!!! Yep, that's right. It was about 40 degrees here in Cedar Park and Dallas even got snow flurries. Woo hoo! Bring on WINTER!

How was everydoggy's Thanksgiving? I hope everyone got lots of Turkey!

Just one more thing before the Holiday season...

2007-11-21T06:09:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, it's the Mom here. Just wanted to post this reminder of some human foods that could be harmful to dogs if ingested. With all the hustle and bustle, it's easy to leave some of these foods in Fido's reach.

Alcoholic Beverages: Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.

Avocados: The fruit, pit, and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart.

Bones: Cooked bones can splinter and damage a dog’s internal organs. Raw bones should always be supervised.

Chocolate (all forms): Can cause staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, arrhythmia, seizures, coma, death. Bakers (semi-sweet and dark) Chocolate is the most dangerous.

Coffee, Coffee Grounds, Tea: Drinks or food containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms as chocolate.

Fatty and Fried Foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis.

Fruit Seeds and Pits: Contain cyanide. The core/pit of fruits can also become lodged in the intestines and kill a dog in 24 hours with no warning.

Grapes and Raisins: Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, lethargy, kidney failure in dogs. A single serving of raisins can kill a dog.

Hops: Causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures, and death.

Macadamia Nuts: Can cause locomotion difficulties, tremors, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated. Limit all other nuts, as their high phosphorous content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. The exception seems to be Peanut Butter (Organic salt & sugar free is best.)

Moldy or Spoiled Foods: Can cause indigestion, diarrhea and vomiting. Molds and bacteria go hand in hand. If the dogs are small, they will not be equipped to ward off diseases caused by these bacteria.

Mushrooms: Can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting diarhea, convulsions, coma, death. The only safe mushrooms are shitake, maitake, and reishi.

Nutmeg: Can cause tremors, seizures, and death.

Onions, Onion Powder (and Garlic in large quantities): Can cause Hemolytic Anemia, labored breathing, liver damage, vomiting, diarrhea, discolored urine. Weakness, confusion, dizziness and accelerated heart rate are other symptoms of onion poisoning. Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger.

Raisins: (see grapes)

Salt: Excessive salt intake can cause kidney problems and may lead to electrolyte imbalances.

Sugar and Corn Syrups: Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus. Small amounts of honey or molasses are okay (but not for dogs with cancer.)

Tobacco: Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death.

Tomato Plants: Can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias.

Yeast dough: Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

Xylitol Sweetened Products: Even a small amount can cause liver failure and death.

If your dog has ingested any of these foods, make sure they stay hydrated and get veterinary help immediately. The sooner you act, the less amount of the poison will be absorbed into his system. Call your emergency vetrinary hospital and then call the ASPCA Poison Hotline (888)426-4435. They can provide you with answers on how to help your pet based on their size, weight, and what they ingested.

Everyone have a Happy Holiday season!

Giving Thanks

2007-11-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

So Mom told me that on Thursday, we're going to celebrate Thanksgiving: a holiday when you give thanks for all of the wonderful things in your life that you appreciate. She told me that every year, before the big thanksgiving dinner, everyone in the family says what they are thankful for. Since Cassie and I aren't going to be able to go to the BIG family dinner at Grandma's, M told me that I should tell you guys what I'm thankful for! So here goes:

Orion is thankful for:

Sticks! That wonderful twiggy goodness that fills my yard. I'm so thankful for the trees that drop their sticks and let me play with them.
For my new house and all of the other great stuff that has happened this past year.
For my sister, Cassie. Even though she gets on my nerves sometimes, I love her just the same and I'm so glad she came to live with us.
For my vets, Dr. Wells, Dr. Cottier, and Dr. Daigle for trying so hard to fix my itchies. They keep working really hard to make me allergy-free ASAP!
For being well-fed. :)
And MOST of all, for M and D, and all of my pawesome friends -- all you DWB's.

Okay! My turn!

Cassie is thankful for:

My great family that wanted me to come live with them. I'm so thankful that I'm not still living outside without any friends in the heat and rain.
For all of the leftover turkey that I get after Thursday...and guess what?! Orion can't have any! That's right! He can only have rabbit and potato because of his itchies. Hah!
My big brother Orion! I'm really just kidding about the turkey thing. He deserves a whole turkey to himself, but then he'd be scratching for the next two weeks. He's goofy and sometimes a big bully, but he really is the best brother ever!
My big comfy bed!
Last but not least, my new friends! All the DWB's that I can't wait to get to know better!

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody! Don't eat too much!

Okay! It's MY turn!

2007-11-18T21:45:00.000-08:00

Hello out there!

Orion is sleeping soundly in the bedroom, so I think I should take this oppurtunity to RAID HIS BLOG!!! And introduce myself, of course. A little while ago, Orion filled out a survey all about himself. So I think I should do it, too!

1. Your age? 4 1/2 months

2. Your age when came to live with your people: about 11 weeks

3. What color is the collar you're wearing right now? Oh, it's pretty! It's pink with cherry blossoms on it. But I have to get a new one soon -- this one is almost too tight.

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? Hmm...well, I know my neighbors and I've met some people in the store and at the vets, but I don't think I have a favorite person other than M and D, yet.

5. How much do you weigh? 34lbs

6. Most expensive thing you've every chewed up? I'm not a big chewer like my brother, but I did rip up a mock orange bush in my backyard. M really liked it, too. Sorry, Mom.

7. Do you like other Dogs? Definitely

8. Who is your best non-human friend? My neighbor, Trooper. We constantly find ways to get into each other's yards.

9. Squeaky toys or tennis balls? Tennis balls! But I really REALLY like the tennis balls that squeak.

10. Do you like to be brushed? I haven't had to get brushed yet ... puppy fur in warm weather doesn't fall out as much.

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? Cheese

12: Do your people cut your toenails? Yes, but I've only had to have them cut once, so far.

13. Any formal education? Not yet. Maybe in a few months?

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? Well, most of the time, I'm running around, but I'm much more of a couch potato than Orion. He never stops!

15. Five nick-names your people call you: Pretty girl, Noggin (because they say I have a funny shaped head), Little Mama. That's it so far! But actually, my real name is Cassiopeia like the constellation, so Cassie is kind of a nick name, too!

16. What is your best trick? Uhm...looking really really sweet?

17. Do you like kitties? YEAH! Phoenix is one of my best buds!

18. What did you have for breakfast?Pro Plan puppy formula and diced potatoes. Mmmm...

19. Can you hunt (i.e. have you ever killed anything living)?I don't think so.

20. When and why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? About 2 weeks ago for my last puppy shots. Mom says I get to go back in 3 weeks for something called a spay? Is that like a spa treatment?

21. Where do you sleep at night? On my bed in the bedroom with my Mom and Dad and sometimes on the foot of their bed.

22. Do you like to swim? So far I love it, but I haven't been in a pool, yet.

23. Can you make puppies? I'm still a puppy!

24. Do you give kisses? I'm a licking machine. I won't stop kissing you until you hold me back.

25. Can you potty on command? Most of the time. "Get busy"

26. To Cuz or not to Cuz? Orion keeps telling me about them, but we don't have any. Sounds like it might be a nice Christmas present from Santa Paws!

So there's a little about me. I read over Orion's shoulder when he talks to you DWB's out there and y'all seem like fun! I can't wait to hear more from you and tell you more about MY point of view.

Licks and Wiggles,

Cassie

Is it ever going to cool down?!

2007-11-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

We've been watching a lot of football and getting ready for Thanksgiving, but Mom is really bummed out because it just doesn't seem like the holiday season to her when it's still so warm outside. I don't know anything else other than Texas weather, but Mom says that she misses the weather that Maggie and Mitch and Sherman, Penny and Lola are probably enjoying right now. That stinks for Mom, but the weather hasn't killed my spirit!

GO COWBOYS!

Here in Texas, it's still about 75-80 degrees on most days. The nights cool down to the 60's but OH DOG! It's still too warm for the end of November! But Cassie and I have been taking advantage of the last few weeks of warm weather before it starts cooling down for the winter. It's perfect for running around under the sprinkler! Mom set it up for us the other day and we had a blast!

As you can see in the video below, Cassie likes the water a lot more than I do. We got a major case of the zoomies after getting wet. But the human turned the video camera off just as we started running around, so I don't have that to show you. (Obviously, you can't trust humans to do anything right. Except maybe dinner.)

I hope all of you doggies out there are doing well. What's the weather like for you guys?

Until next time!

It's picture day...

2007-11-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

...so I hope everyone has high speed! :)
There's been so much going on lately. The house is hopping with excitement! First of all, Cassie is TROUBLE!!! Oh man, she knows how to get into it. She even gets ME into trouble. Can you believe that? Little innocent me?

She's an escape artist too! The humans try to give us some freedom while they're at work and leave us in the kitchen instead of locking us in our crates, but she's found a way out 3 times now! M and D have finally perfected the technique, but we still have to keep an eye on her.

We've been having a really good time settling in to the new house, exploring our new territory, and getting to know each other.

We have lots more room to run around and play...even when Dad's trying to work...

I have no idea WHY, but Cassie and one of the ~~furballs~~ ~~fatsos~~ cats act like they're best friends or something! Look at the way Phoenix is looking at the camera! "MY PUPPY. DON'T TOUCH."

She's learning stuff quickly now..but she can still be a stupid head. In this picture, we're both waiting patiently for our dinner.

Actually, I couldn't ask for a better little sister. She gets on my nerves sometimes, but she's awfully cute and she's pretty funny, too! I think she can stay.

Here's a video of me zooming around the backyard on a cool night a couple of days ago. I kinda disappear in the dark for a little bit, but I come back! Just try to ignore my humans annoying voices while you watch me in action!

Until next time!

A New View

2007-10-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. It's the human mom here. I thought I'd go ahead and upload some pictures of the house so you DWB's (and all the mum's and dad's) could get an idea of what it looks like. Most of these pictures were taken in the middle of setting up the rooms, so they're not quite finished yet.

Here's (part of) the front of the house. I don't have a full picture of the front yet.

The living room/doggie obstacle course (as seen in picture)
the fireplace
our french-style kitchen. okay so it doesn't look very french in this picture, but I swear it's getting there.

~~the master bedroom~~ the pretty kitty on our bed in the master bedroom:
this looks like storage right now, but in a few weeks after we move our instruments over, it'll be the music room.
this is the guest room/writing room/private suite for the cats when they feel like some alone time
sitting room/soon to be art room looking into the kitchen
same room, different view

through the back door...and into the backyard! (which is by far Orion and Cassie's favorite part)

It's entirely fenced in and has a gate in the back leading to our wet-weather creek (which is also fenced in). We haven't actually scouted out the creek area yet. It's kinda overgrown and we haven't had the time to cut a path through it.

Anyway, that's our new home. Hopefully we'll be here for a while and we'll make some great memories along the way. I'll post some updated pictures after we're finished updating the place a little and making it our own.

I suppose I should turn the blog back over to Orion now though, as he's watching me impatiently.

Talk to you next time!

Drumroll, please!

2007-10-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

Hi everydoggie! Sorry it took so long to update you guys. Mom said something or other about our internets not hooking up? In any case, I have some big news (other than some details about the new house, of course.) May I please introduce:

My litter sister, Cassie!

My humans suprised me the day we moved into our new home! Not only were there new things to do and places to explore, but someone to do all those things with! Mom and Dad had been planning it all along! You see, Cassie was taken away from her Momma when she was very young (only 4 weeks old!) and she went to live at another humans house who didn't give her the proper foods and treats and stuff (oh my gosh, NO FOOD?). AND they left her outside all day long in the heat with nothing to do. When she was about 7 weeks old, she was able to dig out of their yard. When my humans found out about Cassie, her human was trying to give her up to a kill shelter. So after woking some things out, it was decided that she was going home with us once we moved into our bigger place!!! When my parents picked her up, she was about 11 weeks and now she's almost 15 weeks old and getting bigger. It's not so easy to knock her over anymore.

She's really the best sister ever, even though she wasted no time at all figuring out how to steal my sticks:AND figuring out ways to BITE me:

(a closer inspection will show that YES, that is me she's munching on)

She and I had lots of fun exploring the new house. It's huge!!! It's got TWO big living rooms to run around in and a big kitchen (where Cassie and I stay while the humans are out) and master bedroom big enough for all of us to cuddle up in at night. And there's two other big bedrooms, too. The best part, though is the HUGE backyard where we can run around and play. Because there's a bunch of trees, there's always a variety of sticks for me to play with and munch on. Of course, our first order of business was to get REALLY REALLY muddy. No better way to celebrate than to feel the cool sensation of mud on your fur.

Then we spent some time romping around the house and supervising the unpacking of boxes and the moving of furniture. I tell you, these humans don't know how to do anything without us telling them.

Well, I should probably wrap this up. I've got a lot of catching up to do with all you doggies out there. It's been way too long since I read everyone's blog!

Mom will post some human-friendly pictures tomorrow of the house and whatnot.

Until then, Cassie and I will be waiting to hear from you!

I bet the suspense...

2007-09-29T17:43:00.001-07:00

...is keeping you on the edge of your seat.

I'll have an update for you soon! I promise!

Until then!

Yippeeee!

2007-09-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Only two more days until we move to our new home!!!

My humans said something about dealing with papers on Monday morning and then after that, it's ours! (Personally, I don't see what papers have to do with moving...where does the peeing come in? Or maybe they shred them 'cuz they're so happy?)
I'm super excited and I can't wait until I get to check out the new digs myself. I also can't wait for my slow humans to finish packing so they can stop locking me up in the kitchen. Look at how gruff I am!

Opy should be proud of my gruffiness. Man, if looks could kill...

Anyway, I may not be able to bark to you all in the next couple of days because my Mom is "sooooo busy", but I'll be sure to tell you allllll about it after we get moved in.

I'm gonna throw a doghouse party and EVERYONE'S invited! :)

Oh yeah...and my parents still won't tell me about the other surprise they have for me...I hate having to wait!!!

Until next time!!!

Me!Me!Me! (finally)

2007-09-13T09:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, so a long time ago (apparently when I was on hiatus) Jennifer over at Dogs of Jackman Ave. made this neat tag-survey called 'Me Me Me' which I think is cool because...well...it's about me! :) I'm finally getting around to it because I saw it in a couple of doggy-blogs and I want to do it, too!

1. Your age?
Today I'm 7 months old!

2. Your age when came to live with your people:
7 1/2 weeks

3. What color is the collar you're wearing right now?
Solid black with my silver bone name tag on it.

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with?
Definitely my Uncle Chris! (My mom's brother) I love it when we go to see him because he'll romp around with me and play fetch and he'll take me for walks around the ranch. Hmm...hey Mom! You should take some pictures of me and Uncle Chris!

5. How much do you weigh?
Hmm...I haven't been weighed in a while, but I think about 60lbs! Geez!

6. Most expensive thing you've every chewed up?
Hmm...let me see...I don't think I've chewed up anything very expensive, but the combined cost of everything that I've killed definitely isn't cheap!

7. Do you like other Dogs?
Definitely. I especially like barking in their faces when I tire them out and I still want to run around!

8. Who is your best non-human friend?
Hmm...definitely my neighbor-dog Ellie. She's so cute and even though she's smaller, she can keep up with me!

9. Squeaky toys or tennis balls?
Hmm...I like rope toys and sticks. Oh man...nothing compares to sticks.

10. Do you like to be brushed?
Not really. Sometimes it's okay if I'm really sleepy. Other than that, I just like to chew on the brush.

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese?
Both! At the same time, even (actually, I've never had them together, but I bet it would taste good!)

12: Do your people cut your toenails?
Most of the time. Sometimes the people at the vets do it.

13. Any formal education?
Puppy classes. And after we move, I might start taking more obedience.

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny?
Sorry, I didn't hear that one, I was too busy running around.

15. Five nick-names your people call you:
Wiggle-butt, Handsome, O, Big Boy, Silly

16. What is your best trick?
Crawling on my tummy like a snake. I also like to do doggie-push ups.

17. Do you like kitties?
They're kind of funny looking, but I like them. Lani is fun to chase, but I like laying around and playing with Phoenix.

18. What did you have for breakfast?
Solid Gold Wolf Cub Formula. Mmmm....Salmon and Bison.

19. Can you hunt (i.e. have you ever killed anything living)?
Just grasshoppers on accident. But I just like to play with them, I don't want to kill them. I don't like it when they stop moving. :(

20. When and why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.?
About a month ago for my skin allergies. I'm still really itchy. I'll give you guys an update on that later.

21. Where do you sleep at night?
On my bed in the bedroom with my Mom and Dad. (shh...sometimes I'll jump on their bed early in the morning when they're sleeping and I'll stay there for a few hours...hehehe)

22. Do you like to swim?
I love to splash around in water and wade in it, but I don't like when I can't touch the bottom with my feet.

23. Can you make puppies?
I'm still a puppy! (but Mom keeps saying something about me getting "tutored" soon. I wonder what I'm going to learn.)

24. Do you give kisses?
Yes, but usually only when Mom or Dad asks for them.

25. Can you potty on command?
Most of the time. "Get busy"

26. To Cuz or not to Cuz?
To cuz! But I killed my las bad cuz, so Mom needs to get me a new one.

Okay, there we have it. That was fun! Sorry for being so late!

Pictures!!!! Yay!!

2007-09-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here's a bunch of pictures that we took in AZ and during the past month:

I'm ready to go!

Mountains of Arizona

Action Shot! Football with Dad!

Corby the pug and I'm hiding in the background

Mom and my Aunt Barb

Mountains and sunsets and nice stuff.

Mom crept into MY backseat area to take a nap. Notice who she's using as a foot warmer?

Roadtrippers!
We were welcomed home to Texas by a beautiful rainbow

After we got home, I went back to doing normal things like jumping for ice cubes,

going to the park with Mom and Dad

playing some water football,

taking naps

playing with Mr. Turtle

taking naps.... until one quiet day...

Mom and Dad brought THIS little thing home!

At first I thought she was a snack. hehehe.

No, just kidding. :) At first I wasn't too sure about her because she made funny noises and would spit at me if I got too close. So I thought I'd try to wait it out under the bed. The next morning, I woke up and....SHE WAS STILL HERE! I guess Mom and Dad adopted a new sister for Lani and I. It took me a few days to get used to her being around, but after a while....well...

she's just so darn cute. I mean...you know...for a funny looking thing.

Either way, Lani and our new sister (appropriately named Phoenix for her orange points and tail) are good friends now and I kinda like her too. (Personally, I think she just likes chasing my tail).

And here's a picture of me holding my mom for ransom. hehe.

SO. That should satisfy your cuteness quota for a while, but if you still want more, Mom uploaded more pictures of the trip and of our fur family to my photo album.

Only 10 more days until we move! Woo hoo!

Until next time...

Oh my!

2007-09-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Again I say, 'Oh my!' Sunshine Girl over at For the Love of Labradors has given this blog the esteem of being a LURVED blog!

Aww, shucks! My mom and I are so touched by this, especially coming from Shelby and Nutmeg, and we want to spread the love to some others!

Maggie the Airedale: Maggie and Mitch are the most fun dogs I know!

Dogs of Jackman Ave: I love reading this blog!

Karen Shanley: Of course, she already been given some love, but how about some more for such an amazing writer.

The Lab Brats: A fun blog about Dakota and Cheyenne

Thanks again to Sunshine Girl, Nutmeg, and Shelby for giving us such a wonderful compliment!

The Return

2007-09-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. My mom and I are sorry for leaving you hanging for a while. After we got back from Arizona, some unfortunate events took place (one after the other after the other) and they left us all sad and recovering for a while. But we are fine now and I'm happy to have the chance to fill you guys in on all the exciting stuff that has been going on, too. Arizona was really fun, and REALLY HOT!!! We went to Tucson first to see my great grandma. She thought I was really sweet (of course, I was on my best behavior) and she wanted to give me treats all the time. My parents took me to a really neat doggie park where I met a bunch of really cool guys. We ran around for a long time until they had to leave. Then I played some football until another cool dog came to the park to have fun. She didn't really want to run around though, but we sat next to each other and chewed on a stick for a while. I think those AZ sticks taste pretty good; they've got a distinctive taste--maybe a little more like nuts and berries. Haha! After a few days there, we went to Phoenix to visit my Aunt Barbara and her two doggie sons and a doggie daughter. She's really cool!!! She sat outside with Mom and I for a while and played fetch and then we played an awesome game of 'catch me!' We swam in the pool for a little bit, but don't think I like it when I can't touch the bottom of the pool. I'm afraid I might sink! I was soooooo tired by the end of the night that I fell asleep early and slept all through the night. I really wanted to stay there longer, but we had to get moving. So back to Tuscon we went to spend our last night and then was the loooong drive home. Mom said I was a really good boy. They let me have the entire back of the car to myself (except when Mom crept back there for a nap on the ride home.) It was a fun trip and I can't wait to go back. I have a bunch of pictures to show you, but that'll have to wait until another day. For now though, here's on that my Mom wants to show you so that you can see how much I've grown!
Wow...I really am getting to be a big boy!

Since then, something else has happened. Guess what!? We bought a new house! We're still living at our old place with a lot of stuff in boxes, but we're moving on the 17th. I'm so excited because there's so much more room for all of us! The house is much bigger and the yard is almost an acre. Plenty of room for fetch, and chase, and digging and for swimming in a little kiddie pool. There's even a wet weather creek on the back of our yard that has water in it during certain times of the year. I haven't seen it yet, so it still sounds to good to be true, but my mom told me it has all of that and more. I can't wait. How much longer until the 17th anyway? Mom and Dad also told me that there might be another surprise a little while after we move in, but they wont tell me what!!! What do you think it could be? Any ideas?

Well there's still a little more to tell, but I'll leave that until next time. I wouldn't want to give you labby news overload! How have you guys been? I miss you all!

Until next time!

I'm a ramblin' dog. . .

2007-06-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everydoggy. Guess what? My humans and I are taking a long road trip to ARIZONA to meet my great gramma and some other family members. Mom hasn't seen Gramma in a few years and this will be my first time meeting her, so it's about time we head out there to say hi.
We're leaving on Monday morning (bright and early at 5:30am) to make the 12 hour drive to Tuscon, AZ. Of course we'll make plenty of pit stops and at least 2 one hour breaks for me to run around and see the sights of West Texas and New Mexico. 'Still, a 12 hour drive seems pretty long,' you might say. But not for me! I love riding in the car. The bumpier the better too! At first it's like a roller coaster ride until it lulls me to sleep and I pass out curled up in a ball. I'm not much of a 'ride halfway out the window dog' like some other guys I've seen on the road. My mom doesn't really like it when I do it, and besides - the wind messes up my fur.
I'm excited about getting there and meeting my family. I wonder what they're like and if they'll like me. I keep thinking about all of the fun things we might do while we're there. Maybe I'll meet a roadrunner! Mom says that they like it out there.
Have any of you doggies out there traveled to another city or state? What was it like? Was it a whole lot different?

PS. After reading this post, Daddy was upset that he wasn't mentioned at all, so I just wanted to say 'I love you, Dad!'

Oh no!

2007-06-15T17:34:00.001-07:00

Dad vaccuumed the carpet today!!! Which means I resumed my typical 'get that thing away from me' pose and frequented my favorite hiding spots.

The arm of the couch so that it can't reach me:

And under the bed while it's chewing up the carpet in the living room:

Mom tried talking me into coming out:

(oh and Mom wanted me to tell you that she's not trying to yank me out from under the bed by my ears in this picture, she's just giving me some good ear scratching to bribe me into giving the vaccuum a chance)

She said that it wouldn't hurt me and that there was nothing to be scared about. But believe me, if you saw and heard the vaccuum at my house, you wouldn't like it either!

So I'll just hang out under here until I know for sure that it's gone:

*SIGH*

Good to be back...

2007-06-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

Phew...it's been a while since I got to post a new blog for everydoggy out there. My mom's computer has been 'on the fritz' as she likes to say. After a week of harassing her to get it fixed so that I could see what all of my friends were up to, she FINALLY dedicated some time to finding the problem and she was able to fix it. (See, our humans come in handy sometimes.)

So how are all of my doggy blogging buddies out there? Is the weather starting to get hot where you live? It's already 90 degrees here in Austin! Yesterday my Mom took me out to play with my friend Ellie (the cutest Basset, Beagle, Lab mix you've ever seen) but it was so hot out there that I didn't want to run around. I tried for a few minutes, but then decided that Ellie and I were better off digging a hole in the nice cool dirt under the big oak tree. We just played Bitey-Face under there for a while until Mom decided it was time to go inside, get a drink and cool off. I said bye to Ellie and her dad, Jordan and went inside to take a nap on the tile floor by the refrigerator.

It got very hot very quick. Just last week, it was perfect weather to run around in the park, get muddy, and play some football.

...a new record! Muddy within the first 2 minutes.

...check out this cool action shot Mom took while I was pouncing on my training dummy.

Dad made me smile so he could get a picture of me with the Cowboys football.

My humans are big football fans, so I have a feeling I'll be watching a few practices of our local school team at the park and watching a bunch of games on TV with them. Mom and Dad always fight over what team they think I like: Dad is a Cowboys fan and Mom likes the NY Giants (she grew up in NYC). They truth is, I don't really care! A bunch of people running around with a ball and wrestling with each other just looks like fun to me. Do you think the NFL would recognize an all-doggy football team? Who's up for it?

Until next time...Take care!

I need some opinions!

2007-05-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

Well, as some of you may know, Mom is almost obesessed with Retro-Pet. She's decided that it's time for me to get a collar that shows off my personality! We checked out all of the patterns and everything that they have to offer, then Mom and I picked out a few that we really like. We need your help to pick the best one for me. Besides, Mom says that if everybody likes a certain one, she can override my dad's opinion that the collars are "too girly". I don't know what Dad's talking about - I don't wear girl collars!

Anyway...here's our 3 choices. We need your vote to help us decide!

Wow that's a wild collar!

Retro Lime, Baby!

It's my New Collar!

I'm really excited to get my new collar, so let us know your vote!

My mom thinks I'm part Terrier. . .

2007-05-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

...because I'm always digging under things.

My bed:

(that's me under there)

and under the couch...

Grrruufff!

Do any of you other doggies like to dig and hide under your human's furniture?

Take Care!

Mmmmm...food

2007-05-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everydoggy out there. I just wanted to tell you a little bit about the new food my mom is feeding me. You see, for a while I was really itchy and I kept scratching myself so much that I got a couple of 'owies' (as my mom calls them) on my tummy and my chest. I kept complaining to my parents and they told me that I might have food allergy. I thought OH NO!!! I can't eat food anymore?! That's one of my favorite things to do! But then I found out that it wasn't ALL food that made me itchy - just chicken.

We went over to Tomlinson's Pet Supply (which is now one of my favoritest places) and we looked at a bunch of different kinds of food that Mom called 'holistic'. I don't know about that, but they all looked yummy to me. After poking around for a little bit, we brought home a bag of Solid Gold Wolf Cub Formula for me to try. Oh man did I like it. It's made with a bunch of stuff called 'bison' and 'salmon'. I don't know who they are, but they sure taste good. I've been eating it for a week or so and guess what? I'm not itchy anymore!

You can look at Solid Gold foods at their website: Solid Gold

Take care!

Tails and Twigs

2007-05-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

This is my neighbor, Jessie. We met at the park the other day and played tag for a while. That little white blur in the picture is me trying to get away from him.

We played for a long time until finally Jessie's Mom said that it was time to go home. We live in the same neighborhood though, so we'll see him again.

Mom, Dad, and I stayed at the park and chewed on sticks. . .well. . .I chewed on sticks and they threw them around for me to chase. The bigger the stick the better, and I'll search everywhere for the biggest one.

Mom!!! I want this one!

I can't reach it...

...just a liiiiittttlllee further...

...little more...

...got it!!!

Look Mom! Take a picture, I got it!

Take care!

Funny Comparisons

2007-05-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

My mom told me that I look like a bird. "A bird?" you might ask. Oh yes.

Blue-Footed Booby

Pink-Footed Labby

Hehehehe...Somebody got a hold of a food-dyed bone.

Blue-Footed-Booby photo credit to www.greglasley.net/bfbooby.html

From Orion's Mom

2007-05-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hobbsie

I met Hobbs almost one year ago when Marc's niece brought him home after she and her boyfriend "found" him. He was a small, cute as a button lab mix with little white spots on his nose and a sweet sensitivity that made anyone and everyone want to cradle him. It was soon after that we realized that where they "found" him was an acquaintance's house where labrador/dalmatian mix puppies had just been born. Knowing that this was a large responsibility, most of the family tried to convince them to give Hobbs up. He was so cute and loved however, that their attempts were futile. So for the past year, he's been part of the family. He's become very special to Marc and I in particular. For the past 6 months or so we've been taking him out periodically to train him and get him some exercise. Months ago, we knew that there was something different about him - he wasn't quite labby. Sure, he liked to play fetch, but there was another overriding characteristic that we couldn't quite figure out. Now we've come to understand that his dalmatian mix parent was a dalmatian/heeler of some kind. Man, does this boy like to herd things. He's got all of the skill and technique - including the herding nip. This was never so clear as it was on Friday when we took him out with Orion. He's always been very protective of us, but he stayed on top of Orion all day long, getting in between him and other people and watching other dogs diligently. Since we've figured out a little bit more about him, Hobbs has become especially near and dear to me.

In the past, I've owned many types of dogs - a Lhasa, a Rhodie/Great Dane mix, a Cocker, and of course my beloved labs Hooper and Amadeus. Though I've become quite partial to Labradors (this is why we were certain about where to look when we got Orion), I've ALWAYS loved and adored herding breeds. Unfortunately with work schedules, school schedules, and trying to find time to write I've never had the time to designate to owning a herding dog. Hobbs has made me remember that it would be a mistake (and maybe even a disaster) to try and love a dog when you're not ready to take care of them the way that they should be. Thankfully, even in my younger years, I was smart enough to realize that I couldn't possibly try to make that work. One day in the future, I hope to have the time, space, and patience to love a dog that needs so much attention - because what they give back is so extraordinary.

Knowing Hobbs for this short amount of time, and though he doesn't live with us, I've fallen in love with his intelligence and his desire to please. Not to mention, he's just as handsome as any dog I've ever seen. It's easy to see that he and Orion have become fast friends.

To see more pictures of Hobbs and Orion, check out Orion's Photo Gallery.

Fun in the Sun

2007-05-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I had such a great day yesterday. Mom, Dad, and I went to my cousin Hobbs' house and picked him up to go to the lake. Hobbs is a lab/dalmation/heeler mix (what a combo!) He likes to retrieve like me, but oh man does he like to herd! He's a really cool dude. We got to ride in the backseat together, but he took my spot! You see, I like to stick my head between the front seats so that I can see where we're going. And apparently, Hobbs likes to stick his head through the seats too. We argued over it for a little bit, but finally we reached an agreement.

After what seemed like forever, we arrived at the lake. It was such a gorgeous day outside - not too cool, not too sticky either - and the sun was shining brightly. We found the perfect spot right by the water. Hobbs seemed to think that I was too little to be out on my own, so he kept nipping at my heels and pushing me under the table. He ran really fast circles around me like this:

Hobbs ran around and and chased the ball into the water and even swam against the current for a little while.

I stayed under the table where it was safe. I like playing around and getting wet, but that big water was too much for little ol' me.

But I didn't want to stay under there for too long. Finally, I convinced Hobbs that I was a big boy and that I could take care of myself. So he said okay and let me come out and play with him . . . but he was never too far behind - watching over me and making sure that I was playing safely. I found a really cool stick and we played tag for a while.

Then he caught me and we rolled around and wrestled. GRRRRRUFFF!! Mom kept telling us to "be easy" and "play nice", but come on now - we're rough and tumble boys!

After a couple of hours of fun, Mom and Dad started packing up and said that we needed to get going. I really didn't want to because I was having fun and I didn't want to drop Hobbs back off at home. He's my bestest buddy, now.

When we got to the car, Hobbs thought HE would drive us home.

Mom talked to him and convinced him that it would probably be best if he let Dad drive us home. After all, he'd been drinking a lot. WATER, of course.

It was a good thing she did, because as soon as we hit the road, both of us knocked out and took a looooooong nap.

We took Hobbs home and then headed home ourselves with lots of memories (and pictures!) from the day. Hobbs really is a good friend of mine now and I can't wait to see him again. All you doggies out there: Who's your best friend?

Until next time, Take care!

New Adventures

2007-05-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

So, Mom and Dad told me that they're looking for a new home - a bigger place for all of us. They said they're going to find one with a big yard so I can run around and play with my favorite toys, chase after birds and balls alike, and bask in the sun. I'm even going to get my own wading pool! Since we're all sooooo ready to find a new home, Mom's been spending A LOT of time on the computer looking at houses all over the place. No matter how much noise I made and no matter how many times I barked (and believe me, I barked a LOT), she still didn't get off the computer! And then Dad was looking at it, too! Finally, I gave up and and took a nap. Soon, they woke me up and said that we were going to the park to do something called a "barbeque." I was kind of mad that they had ignored me for so long (like 45 minutes!!!!!), but Mommy gave me kisses and said she would make it up to me. So off to the park we went. I don't know exactly what this "barbecue" thing is, but it sure smelled good! We played around in the water and played some fetch. I found this really cool dead snake, but my mom wouldn't let me near it. I ran around a bunch and we stayed until the sun went down.

I'm going to meet my cousin, Hobbs on Friday and if it's nice weather, we're going to go to the lake!!! I'll definitely tell you all about it and maybe post some pictures (I'm sure Mom will take some.)

Take care!

Let sleeping dogs lie...

2007-05-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

...in their favorite labby sleeping positions, of course.

2007-05-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was such a busy day for me! First, Lani and I played tag all through the house. She would jump up on a table, then she'd jump onto the couch and I'd go crashing over the table to run after her. I was JUST about to tag her when Mom stopped me. I think she was a little angry that everything that was supposed to be on the table was on the floor, but I gave her my best 'I'm sorry' look and she started laughing at me. I think it might have been because some of the stuff that was on the table (namely the ketchup and the jelly) was all over my face and chest. (Mom wishes she had the camera.)
After all of that excitement and a quick bath, it was time to go back to the vet's! It was just a quick visit this time; I didn't even see Dr. Cottier. Denise gave me another shot, but it didn't hurt too much. They told me that it was a Bordetella shot and that it's really important. I need to go back in 6 months to get it again. Everybody wanted to play with me and I did some tricks for them out in the waiting room. And then the best part! My mom gave me my Heartgard chew. I can only have it once a month, but it's my favorite!
Then it was off to the park! I got to roll around in the Blue Bonnetts for a while, dig in the dirt, and run around after birds. My mom wouldn't let me swim though because she squished that Frontline stuff on my back. I'm supposed to have it every month so that I don't get fleas and ticks. It's the best stuff out there because I don't get itchy at the end of the month.

When we left, I was soooo tired. The second I got back into the car I stretched out and took a nap on the way home.

It was too bad I got a bath earlier that day because I was DIRTY! Shh...don't tell Mom, but I left muddy paw prints on the carpet.

A dog's life...

2007-04-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Let me catch you up on everything that's been going on since I came home 4 weeks ago. The first few days with my mom and dad, they kept calling me "cute" and "adorable" and my mom wouldn't stop giving me kisses!

When we got home, I met my new sister, Lani. She was kind of funny looking and she didn't like me very much. After staring at her for a little bit, I realized that she wasn't a dog but. . . something else.

A few days later, Mom took me to a place called "the vet's." It sounded a little scary, but all the people that I met there were so nice! They put me up high on a big shiny table and fed me a bunch of treats while they poked and tickled me all over. This "vet's" isn't too bad of a place.

Everyday I grew and grew and before I knew it, my parents stopped calling me 'little guy' and started calling me 'big boy'. It seems like I was learning something new every second! I even learned how to help Mom with the laundry. . .

My mom says that I'm about to be 3 months old (whatever that means) and that I'm getting more and more handsome every day that passes. Lani and I get along a little better now, but she still doesn't like it when I try to play tag with her. Sometimes, she teases me by jumping up to places that I can't reach and then makes funny 'meow' noises at me. Other times she just hisses and it hurts my feelings. But I really like it when we play together and when she lets me walk up to her and give her kisses. I think that one day she's going to be my friend. I've gone back to the "vet's" a couple of times now and my mom says that I'm "protected" from getting sick. She said that I'm allowed to go to the park and maybe go for a swim! I'm so excited about everything and I can't wait to make some friends!

Hi there!

2007-04-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

My name's Orion and I'm a smart, young, and very handsome Labrador Retriever. Though I may look pure white, I'm actually a very very light yellow or cream. I was born on February 13, 2007 in Bellville, Tx. One day, two people came to visit me and my EIGHT sisters. They were very nice to me and and told me that they would be back in a couple of weeks to take me to my new home. Before I knew it, they were back again. They told me that they were my new Mom and Dad and that my name was Orion. After a long ride in the car, I arrived at a pretty neat place! I wasn't too sure about my new home or my new people at first, but pretty soon I realized that they loved me and would take care of me. My mom thinks I'm such a good boy that she even lets me use her computer to narrate this blog! I'm using it to chronicle my time growing up: the things that I do, the things that I learn, and the things that my parents learn along the way. I hope you enjoy and maybe learn some things, too! I'll be posting new entries every week or so and anytime I have something interesting to tell you about.

Talk to you soon!