Walkies?

Jib here.

Rain again.

No walkies.

Now it's dark.

Mom says no walkies in the dark.

The streets try to trecher us.

She doesn't want to be trechered.

Too many holes to step in.

And other things to step in.

Sailor says, Hmmmmph.

I say, Walkies anyway!!!

Game Hen Day

Sailor here.

Mom is thawing my dinner. She's thawing Jib and Zoe's dinners, too.

She says today is Turkey Day and people everywhere are being Thankful for Family and Turkeys.

But Zoe says today is Game Hen Day and dogs everywhere are being thankful for Mom and Game Hens.

Thank you, Mom.

Crunchy

Sailor here.

The grass is crunchy.

The leaves are crunchy.

It is cold.

I love it!!

Happy Dogs!!

Sailor here.

Jib here.

Zoe here.

We are happy! We had walkies! In the sunshine! In the wind!

(Jib): My ears were blown up, both of them.

(Zoe): My ears are always up!

(Sailor): I kept my ears in my frill to tell Mom I know she's the boss.

(Mom): My ears are frozen.

Rain Rain Go Away

Jib here.

Mom brushed me. Then she brushed Sailor.

Then she brushed Zoe. That took a long, long time.

She threw away lots of dog hair. Then she put poop bags in her pocket. She grabbed some cookies and headed to the front door.

We followed her.

Sailor yipped.

Mom tripped. Over Zoe.

Just as she reached for my leash, it rained.

It poured.

The rain went sideways.

Mom said No Walk Right Now.

Not fair!!!! I track in the rain. Can't I WALK in the rain?

Mom said my face would get wet.

Oh.

Yeah.

I am waiting for the rain to stop.

After the Rain

Sailor here.

I love the grass after it rains.

It smells wonderful.

It smells mysterious.

It smells like...like...

Like everything in the world.

I love the grass after it rains.

Rain Zoe

Sailor here.

Zoe sleeps in the rain.

She comes inside all soggy.

Her fur tufts in the rain.

Mom dries her and brushes her, but her fur still tufts.

Mom says nobody can shed like a husky.

Not even me.

Recall Games

Jib here.

Mom plays games with me. Yesterday she played Dumbbell Games. Today she is playing Come! Games. She calls them Recall Games.

She leaves me sitting and walks away. She says Stay. The staying isn't fun.

Then she turns and looks at her feet. The staying still isn't fun.

But then Mom starts the game. The game is fun!

She calls Come! I run. I run to Mom.

Sometimes she puts her hand in the air. I drop.

Sometimes she calls Drop! I drop.

Sometimes she stands there and just before I reach her, she turns and runs away. I get to chase her.

Sometimes she throws a ball through her knees right before I get to her. This is tricky for me because she doesn't move her feet. She just moves her knees. She makes a tunnel for me to run through. I chase the ball.

Sometimes she runs away from me when I chase the ball and hides. I find her! I find her behind the high jump. I find her behind the oak tree. Sometimes I find her on the grass, lying down. Then she makes me Sit. I have to sit even though her head is lower than mine.

Sometimes she calls me and dances and claps when I reach her. I get to dance and jump!

Sometimes she calls me and walks away and says Heel when she sees me near her with the eyes she has on the back of her head. I have to heel.

Sometimes she throws my ball and when I run back to her, she says Front! I have to sit in front of her and wait for her to throw my ball again.

Mom says Recall Games make running to her fun. They make me fast! She likes fast.

So do I.

Dumbbell Games

Jib here.

Mom is playing games with me. She calls them Dumbell Games. They are not dumb. They are fun.

Mom makes me sit. Then she throws my dumbbell. I want to run to it. I don't want to wait.I lift my paw....

But Mom says I can't run to my dumbbell. I have to wait. I have to wait until she tells me to Get It.


Then she makes waiting fun.

Sometimes she throws the dumbbell and instead of saying Get It, Mom says Heel and turns around. I have to stay in heel position. I have to sit. With my back to the dumbbell.
Then Mom says Heel again and turns back. THEN she says Get It!

I get to get it!

Sometimes she throws the dumbbell and instead of saying Get It, she says Let's Go! And runs away from me. She runs away from the dumbbell. I get to chase her. Fun!

And sometimes she throws the dumbbell and instead of saying Get It, she says Stay and walks around me. If I move, she puts me back. If I don't move, we have a party! Then I get to get it!

Sometimes she heels off with me and drops the dumbbell somewhere behind me. When we get across the grass, she turns and sends me to the dumbbell. I get to find it and get it!

Sometimes she leaves me in a Sit Stay. She walks across the grass. I think she is going to call Come! But instead she drops my dumbbell while she walks away. She turns and calls me. But instead of saying Come!, she says Get It! I get to Get It and then run to Mom. That is the most fun of all.

I LIKE dumbbell games!

Today I was so excited about finally getting to Get It that I dropped the dumbbell. Right out of my mouth. Mom wasn't pleased. I won't do THAT again.

Bark Bark Bark

Sailor here.

I bark.

I bark to tell the world someone is coming. Or going. Or walking down the street. Or the driveway next door.

I bark.

Jib barks, too. He barks when people come and go or walk down the street.

He barks when the Tibetan Terror down the block barks. When she barks, Jib can't NOT bark. Her bark does that to him.

Jib also barks to go outside. And to come inside.

Jib barks at squirrels. Jib barks at Zoe. Zoe can't hear him, but he barks at her anyway.

He barks when he wants Mom to feed me. Or throw his Frisbee. Or when he is on the grooming table and Mom forgets to release him.

He barks way more than me.

Mom says she's going to change his name to Vuvuzela.

Groups??

Jib here.

Mom is getting serious. She makes me STAY. All the time. In different places.

She makes it hard. She leaves me outside and says, "STAY." Then she goes inside and puts my breakfast on the floor.

If I pop up, she comes out and makes me right. Every time.

Then she leaves me somewhere else and I can't move. And if I do, she comes from out of sight and makes me right. Each time. Every time.

Mom says she is seriously practicing our Group Exercises for Open. Whatever that means.

Zoe says it means I have to Stay in the position she left me. No matter what.

Zoe says Groups mean more than just me and Sailor and her. Groups means lot of dogs.

I don't SEE lots of dogs. I only see me and Sailor and Zoe.

So how can we practice Groups without lots of dogs, Mom ?

And why can't I roll on the grass or jump up to see what you are doing? And where do you go when I have to Stay and I can't see you and you can't see me, but you know when I sit up or roll on the grass?

Are you magic?

I don't much like Groups....

Happy Birthday to ME!

Sailor here.

Mom kissed me first thing in the morning. She gave me a special breakfast with eggs, meat, and two whole cookies! She kissed me again and said, "Happy birthday, my Sailor!"

Jib just got his regular breakfast. So did Zoe.

Mom says I am twelve today. That's in dog years. In people years, Mom and I are probably about the same.

In honor of me, Mom had my portrait painted by her friend, Emily Barton. She hung it in the Pouting Room.

Now my picture will cheer her up whenever she feels like pouting.

I wonder what I will have for my birthday supper....

I Was Robbed!

Jib here.

Mom made a sandwich. She cut something up and mixed something else into a can of tuna. She opened drawers and cupboards.

When she was done, she asked me to close the cupboard.

I did.

She asked me to close the drawer.

I did.

Then I sat. "Pay me," I said.

Mom paid me. She gave me a piece of salary.

I don't LIKE salary. But I ate it before Sailor could.

I was robbed! Again.

Fairweather Sailor?

Not Me!!

Jib here.

Mom and I went tracking. In the rain. In the wind. In the mud.

My face got wet. My feet got wet. But the rest of me stayed dry.

Mom's face got wet. Her hands got wet. But the rest of her stayed dry.

Her boots got muddy.

And I found the CHEESE!!!!

Yum!

Jib here.

Mom made a yummy breakfast for me. She gave some to Sailor and Zoe, too.


Mom said it was a doggy version of leftover Hallo Weenies. It smelled like pork. Sailor said it tasted like pork. I ate mine too fast to taste pork.


But it was yummy!

Zoe didn't eat hers. She is not a pork lover. But she wanted to see if I ate the same thing or if I ate something she liked better.

I think she was disappointed.