Sammy Smiles

Not Been Blogging

2008-08-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Everyone has been complaining that I haven't been blogging! I'm guilty of that, so let me try and catch everyone up...

My family did something HORRIBLE by leaving us three dogs alone at home for 2 WEEKS! We had our favorite babysitter come in to take care of us, but still, we all missed our family a lot. I am not sure where they went, but I smelled some of my cousins (who live in Belgium) on the clothes. I also picked up on a lot of neat airport smells. My babysitter was good to us, she even took us for some walks. I was so confused on which day it was though, since I was out of routine, that I didn't count up how many stamps I earned.

I was so happy once my family came home! I wagged and wagged that my tail almost fell off! Well not really. :) The only good thing about my parents leaving us for so long is that they feel guilty about it. And guilt means extra time for us! Mom avoided leaving us at home as much as possible, and they made sure to get me my three stamps in for two weeks in a row.

Everything is back to normal now, and I have to report that last week was the best week ever! My mom got a new toy called a pedometer. I think that's how you spell it, but I think it should be spelled PETometer, and let me tell you why. Apparently it counts how many steps my mom takes, and she tries to get it up to a certain number. That's where the PET comes in. How do you get more steps? By walking! Mom took me out 4 times this week, and dad took me once so I earned 5 smiley's!!! Yes, you read that right: 5 SMILEY'S! I love that petometer. Also, two of those walks were with my two human brothers up to the ice cream store! I've never been there before. It's just past my brothers' school. Barbie came along too, and my brothers let us each lick the bottom of the ice cream cup! Yum! What a great week!

Catching Up...

2008-06-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe how time flies. It's almost been two weeks since I've been able to get anyone to help me blog. I've been earning all of my smiley's and I had the best idea recently.
For Father's Day I got my dad 3 free walk coupons! isn't that great??!! They have no expiration date and duplicates are accepted :) I was very proud of myself for coming up with this idea and I could tell that my dad really loved it. We went for a walk on Father's day, in fact we got 4 walks in last week.
This past Sunday, we started out with a 1 mile run - it was Andy, Noah, dad and I, running up to the gate and back. Tonight (Wed.) my dad had to work late, although I was a little suspicious of what kind of work he was doing because he came home smelling like chicken wings, fries, quesadilla, and beer. He must have a great job! The good part is that when he works late I can usually guilt him into going for a walk, and tonight was no exception.
So, now I'm not so nervous because I have earned two out of three smileys for the week (minimum) with still 3 more days to go. Maybe I'll get 4 again this week!

Last Night's Walk

2008-06-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

Last night's walk was great! I loved it! Again, dad was out of town, but mom leashed me and Barbie up and my big brothers went along too. We walked to the park, and my brothers took off running around the park for 4 laps. I really wanted to run with them, but Barbie doesn't like running, so mom walked with us. We walked 3 laps in the time it took my brothers to run 4. I really really wanted to run with my brothers. After the walking, mom sat on a bench to watch my brothers play on the playground. I tried hard to take my stupid snout collar off by rubbing it in the grass. It wouldn't budge.

A boy and a dog showed up, and I wanted to yell at the dog, but mom was being pretty strict. After that we walked home, and I got a nice cool drink of water and layed down to rest.

I Should Have Known

2008-06-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

You see that picture of my mom and brothers walking a dog? Look at the dog. IT'S NOT ME. I should have known. Last week when my dad was out of town, my mom was walking me a lot. Not only did I get all three smiley's, but I even earned an extra smiley. I was so excited. But then there were some suitcases. After mom walked me Wednesday (which was a middle of the day walk with Barbie and Chelsea - what a treat!), she dragged some suitcases out to the car. She drove off, and didn't come back. A babysitter came to take care of us, but my mom didn't come home until SUNDAY! That was a long time. She must have picked up my brothers from school and taken them, too. Apparently, they went to San Diego where dad was. I guess they were visiting my uncle and his family. Want to know the worst part? They took my cousin, Brandy, out for a walk. See the picture? That's so rude! I've never met my cousin Brandy. She does look like a pretty nice dog, but I think I would have liked to go on that walk, too.

They got home very late on Sunday night, and dad came home with them. I was so happy that my family was back, I forgot to ask dad to walk me. But last night he was getting his shoes on, and I looked all cute and hopeful (that always seems to work on dad), and he took me for a walk! Barbie came also, we went to the gate and back. We saw another dog, but I was very good (in my opinion). So I've got one smiley for the week, and with my family back in town, I am pretty sure they will help me earn all three.

Two walks in a row!

2008-06-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

Hooray! I have all three smiley's for the week! I have to say, my mom is great! My dad has been out of town (that really throws off my routine!), and my mom has been super great about taking me for walks. On Monday Barbie and I got leashed up, and mom, Andy, and Noah took us to the park. Andy ran around the park four times (he is training for a 5K!) and I really wanted to run with him, but Barbie doesn't like running much so we had to watch. There were lots of other dogs at the park, and I tried my best to be good but sometimes I would forget and I would bark at them. Mom reminded me (with that stupid snout collar) to be good, though.

Last night we got leashed up again! This time Andy wanted to take Chelsea too. So it was the whole pack! Except for dad. :( Anyway, we walked all the way to the gate and then back home. That's a whole mile! It's a pretty good walk. Of course, I would love to do more, but one mile is still a nice jaunt. Chelsea started slowing down near the end of the walk, and I was glad that Andy was walking her so I didn't have to wait around. I was a pretty good boy. I like to pull and lead, but mom doesn't let me, so I finally decided to walk with a nice loose leash just like mom likes. I just love walking!

Blog Catch Up

2008-06-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Geez, my mom and dad can procrastinate so much about typing my blog for me! I guess they don't like being a secretary. Too submissive for them. Anyway, the above picture is me looking over the fence for Jaz (who I do NOT love). I got to yell at her good and early this week. One morning when dad let me out (around 6:15) Jaz happened to be out too and I let her know I wasn't happy about that. Dad grumbled at me and splashed me with water and mom crabbed that it was too early. Those two are lazy!

Well, I guess they aren't that lazy because I did earn all three smiley's last week. I was starting to worry that I wouldn't get the last one because it was Saturday evening and dad wasn't home, so that left just mom. She was a good mom, though, because she leashed me and Barbie up and had my brothers put their shoes on. We walked to the park, and then it was fun because mom and Andy and I did some sprints in the grass! Mom was pretty fast, but not as fast as me. I think that's why she keeps me on a leash, so I won't beat her at a race. Later at the park I noticed a little dog and I charged at her! Mom wasn't holding my leash properly so I took off for the dog to yell at her. I guess I don't need to tell you that my mom wasn't too happy about that. We went home shortly after the "incident."

I was afraid the park "incident" would mess up a good start to my week, but mom took me out again tonight. Just me and mom. Usually I behave the best when it is just the two of us. She screwed up our route, though, and took me on a few quiet side streets that I have never been on before. Changing routine makes me nervous. I was kind of scared on those side streets even though mom seemed fine. The walk seemed short, but I am not too sure because I was confused by the new route. Plus I forgot to wear my watch. But I am happy that I already got my first smiley on the first day of the week!

Two by Tuesday!

2008-05-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

That's one of my new goals (although I haven't told my mom and dad yet). I'd like to have two smiley's by Tuesday. I met this week's challenge. Yesterday, Barbie and I went on a nice walk from the house, past the gate, all the way to the traffic light and back. Dad says that I was being a jerk, but it wasn't my fault that everyone else decided to walk their dog. Well, at least I had a good time :)

Tonight it was Chelsea's turn to get to come with me. We walked just a little bit past the park and then back. There were no other dogs out so my dad did not get annoyed. Chelsea had a really good time and she had no problems keeping up for an old dog! (sorry Chelsea, I guess you are not that old).

Both walks were great, I loved them!

Sunday run and Quick Smiley

2008-05-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we did our long run. Noah, Andy, Barbie, Dad and I ran the neighborhood loop of 1.7 miles. Mom was riding on her bike. Dad was being kind of slow, he kept on pulling on my leash telling me to slow down, it was REALLLLY annoying. So, Andy and Mom went ahead and Noah, Barbie, and I stayed back with Dad. Accept for all of Dad's pulling it was quite fun. The only problem with running is that it doesn't last as long as walking. I think with all of this running I might enter a race. There is a race in the fall called the Rattlesnake run where you can race with your human for one mile. Maybe I can win that one as long as Dad doesn't keep slowing me down.

Tonight (Tuesday), my dad had to work late. That's good in a way because sometimes he feels guilty and takes me for a walk even though it is getting late. So, we went on a walk tonight, not very far but I'll take it.

Oh yeah, tonight's walk and Sunday's run were great! I loved them both!

Hot School Pick-Up

2008-05-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

I did a school pick-up yesterday! It was feeling kind of hot out, but I didn't mind too much. When we were waiting outside the school fence, mom found a nice shady tree for us to wait under instead of our usual spot next to the fence (which is pretty sunny).

The little girl who likes to walk home with us (see how helpful I am?) brought us some snacks! She had some of those yummy orange crackers with peanut butter in the middle and she shared with me and Barbie. We even did some of our tricks to show off. I was kind of distracted, though, because my brothers were taking a LONG time to come out from school. Mom didn't seem concerned, but I was. When they finally came I realized they were late because Noah had forgotten his lunch box and had to go all the way back to get it. That makes sense, a lunchbox is pretty important.

So that's my second smiley for the week! I am glad that mom made an effort to help me catch up. Now I only need one more to meet my goal! (But extras are always welcome...)

I love my Grandma

2008-05-14T11:06:00.001-07:00

My Grandma just called up today and asked if I am being abused. She noticed that I hadn't blogged since my birthday! No Grandma, I've still been walking! Mom and dad have just been really bad about helping me with the computer. I can't type by myself...I am lacking opposable thumbs!

Last week I earned 4 smileys! Hooray for the extra! And so far this week I have one smiley. I know, only one, and it is already Wednesday! That stresses me out a little, but hopefully mom and dad will come through for me.

Here's something exciting that happened this week: a squirrel! There was a squirrel up on top of our screen, and Barbie, Chelsea, and I worked as a pack to get it! Here's a picture of Barbie and I barking at him. We almost had him! Unfortunately, he leaped from the top of our screen all the way into the neighbor's yard (yes, Jaz's yard). Next time maybe we'll get him...

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-05-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's right, today is my birthday. I'm 3 years old today :)
My dad took me for a walk, just me and him, we went all the way to the gate and back, it was a great night for a walk. I just love walking!

Yesterday, we also did gate and back. I'm helping my dad get better from some running injury. I think these walks are really helping him.

Whoot!

2008-04-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today's walk was great. I loved it! I think mom forgot that I already earned three stamps, because she took me out for a walk today!! (I didn't mention to her that I had all three stamps already.) Barbie came too, and we walked the whole loop. That's almost 2 miles! I thought maybe it was going to be a school pick-up, but it was too early for that. I was so happy about the extra walk that I didn't even pull on my leash (much)! Isn't today a great day?

It's Me Again!

2008-04-29T10:55:00.001-07:00

I bet you didn't think to hear from me twice in one day! I didn't either! After blogging about yesterday's walk, I kind of had "walk" on my brain. Mom was fiddling around with some plastic bags, mumbling something about recycling (what's recycling?), but to me, they looked like poop bags. And when does mom get out poop bags? Right! For walks! So I got all excited, but she said no, we weren't going for a walk. But I made the cutest saddest face I could, and wandered off all disappointed. The guilt trip worked, because she changed her mind and said we could go!

Usually mom doesn't like to take the whole pack (all three dogs) by herself, she says we are too hard to manage, or something like that. But I heard her talking about it being the middle of the day and there wouldn't be any distractions (not sure what she meant here - other dogs?), so she leashed up the whole pack! We headed out, and mom took us down to the gate (about 1/2 a mile to get there).

Down by the gate is some water, like a giant pond or lake or something. I've never gone down by the water, but mom walked us down there to look and sniff. Barbie and Chelsea walked right up to the edge to check it out, but I stayed behind mom. Barbie and Chelsea weren't born in Florida (but I was), so I guess they don't know any better, but the only thing running through my mind was: GATOR BAIT. I didn't wait long to drag them all back up the hill, snout collar or not! Dummies.

I like going with the whole pack, but when Chelsea goes, we can't go as far or as fast because she's really old. She never tells me her age, but I think she's 15 or so. She was keeping up the whole way out, but when we headed back she was really S-L-O-W. I was starting to get a little annoyed with the pace. I think it's just an act, but either way, we had to go at a boring speed. Oh, well, I got a walk, and I earned a stamp, and that's three stamps for the week and it's only Tuesday!!! Maybe I'll even earn some extra ones this week.

School Pick-Up

2008-04-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday looked cloudy, so I told my mom NOT to bike the kids to school. If she drives them, I have a good chance that she will walk to pick them up, and an even higher chance that she will take me! My mom didn't think it looked cloudy and she wanted to take the bike, but my brothers rallied on my side, so she eventually changed her mind and drove them in the morning.

I was having such a nice afternoon nap, that I almost forgot about the school pick-up until mom was already getting the leashes out! Hooray! Barbie came too, we make a good team. There's a very nice lady who just loves us, and sometimes she has milkbones in her pocket. We saw her today, and she said she was hoping we'd see her, because she brought milkbones again! I love that lady!

We got up to the school, with no time to spare - the kids were just starting to come out. I get so excited when I see my brothers! There are also a few other kids that like to walk home with us, and I like them too. I sure hope the neighborhood appreciates a working dog like me who helps lots of children walk home from school. Maybe that's why the nice lady brings us milkbones.

So, I'm already up to TWO stamps for the week, and it's only Tuesday!!

What a Great Day!!

2008-04-27T19:36:00.001-07:00

Here is my neighbor Jaz. I do NOT love her. Usually when we are both out at the same time we bark at each other then we both get dragged back inside. It's lots of fun. I'm not sure what they were thinking today, but our parents did not drag us back inside. I'm not sure what happened though. My mom and dad just stood there. Jaz was on the other side of the fence standing up and looking at me, she was looking at me!! Mom, aren't you going to do something?? I barked and then Jaz barked. She has quite a set of lungs on her. Then she stopped and I stopped or maybe it was the other way around. Then we started again. Eventually we kind of got tired of this. I'm not sure why I was allowed to stay out but it was kind of fun. Maybe we can do it again sometime?

Well, the rest of the day was really good, too. My family stayed home the entire day! My mom went for a run early this morning but she came back and then no one went anywhere for the rest of the day, it was great! Well, actually they did leave for a little bit but I got to go with them. My brothers wanted to play at the park so we all went there. Mom and my brothers rode their bikes and dad took me and Barbie. We played at the park for a while. Barbie loves to dig in the sand and I got to climb up on to the top of the wooden play set! And, there was tons of new smells to check out.
After a while, dad took us on a walk on the path which loops around the park, by the time we got back to the play area, mom had already left so dad just took us home. We got back home, I had a huge bowl of water to drink then just took it easy for the rest of the evening.

P.S. I was able to get my third smiley last week. I went for a walk just after dad finished helping me catch up on my blog. It was a pretty busy week so I didn't get a chance to write about it sooner.

Love,
Sammy

Fortunate Mistake

2008-04-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last night my dad was stamping my brother's calendar (he gets one stamp on each day he has been good). I get a stamp (a smiley) each day I go for a walk. Well, he forgot which stamp to use and used mine by accident! Of course, we couldn't just have a stamp there for me when I didn't actually go for a walk, so I got to go for a walk! My dad's mistake, my fortune!!
Chelsea got to come, too, but Barbie was now doing bedtime routine with my brother. It was a great walk! There were plenty of things to sniff and its always more fun when we have a pack.

On Sunday I also got to go for a walk. My dad took me to the park, but instead of just turning around at that point, we did the loop that goes around the inside of the park. I get to do this now and then but it is infrequent enough that there are always plenty of new smells for me to sniff :)

Well, speaking of walks, this typing about walking is really making me want to go for a walk, so maybe I can talk my dad into taking me :)

Love,
Sammy

P.S. I DO NOT love jaz

Noah, Navi, and I

2008-04-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

My dad came home early tonight. Mom and Andy went to Tae Kwon Do. So, after dinner dad and Noah were playing Guitar Hero. Then, Noah asked if he could take Navi out for a walk to show him the other navacadavras in the neighborhood some time. My dad said how about now? (I like the way he thinks some times!).

So, here I am with Noah who is holding Navi

We all had a great time. I kept away all of the dogs, then a kid petted me and said I was a really good dog!

So, tonight's walk was great I loved it!

Best Walk Ever!!

2008-04-16T17:21:00.001-07:00

Today's walk was great. I loved it! I know I say that everytime (because every walk is great) but today's was even more great...

This morning was chilly out, so I was sure to encourage mom to drive my brothers to school. See, if she drives them in the morning, I am almost guaranteed to do a school pick-up. Well, she drove them! Usually in the afternoons I get antsy and can't wait until it is time to go, but today I kind of forgot: mom had washed my bed for me, and while it was washing I was stressed out because I had no where to lay down. Once it was out of the dryer, I was all settled in for a long nap. Mom, however, did not forget about me, so she leashed up me and Barbie to go walk to the school to pick up my brothers.

We walked to the school, like usual, and waited by the fence, like usual. My brothers came out, and we headed home. We were passing by a parked car that had a little dog poking out the window, so I went over to yell at her, but just then! I caught a scent! A wonderful scent! PIZZA! I didn't even think, I just snapped that scent up into my mouth! A whole slice of pizza! Oh boy! Barbie was jealous, she wanted to know where she could find a slice of pizza, so she was frantically sniffing. Mom was trying to get me away from the pizza, but it was already in my mouth (good thing I don't think about these kind of decisions, otherwise mom would have pulled me away)! In all the excitement, a big hunk of my pizza fell out of my mouth and Barbie ate that part, so I guess you can say I shared, but I got most of the slice. Mom realized the slice was gone (I suspect she was wanting some pizza too), so she laughed, I guess to celebrate my great find. See? Isn't that the best walk ever? I looked for more pizza the whole way home, but I didn't find anymore. Wow! Who would have ever thought I'd find that today!

Great Start for the Week

2008-04-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

Hooray! My family is back from vacation! They were gone the WHOLE week. My Grandma and Grandpa stayed with me, Barbie, and Chelsea to take care of us, but mom and dad must have forgotten to tell them that I needed to earn three smiley stamps by going for walks. Barbie said mom and dad told them NOT to walk me because I am bad on the leash, but I think Barbie is just teasing me. Besides, on Saturday, Grandpa actually did take me for a walk. He said I was getting rambunctious, but I don't know what that big word means. I guess it means I was really wanting to go for a walk. So Grandpa leashed up me and Barbie, and I didn't have to wear that dumb snout collar because Grandpa didn't know how to put it on. It was a short walk, but it was still a walk, which is always great.

Sunday was the best day ever because my family came home! They got home in the afternoon, so they had time to take me for a walk that evening. And, everyone got to come along!! All three dogs (me, Barbie, and Chelsea), both of my brothers, and mom, AND dad! The entire pack! What a great walk. Mom even told me how good I was being. (And I was being very good.)

Today, I was thinking that there would be no walk because after dinner, mom took my brothers somewhere in the car. When they got home, I saw they had some bags from the store. My brothers had both gotten new shoes. I had a great idea! How about they try out their new shoes on a walk!! They didn't want to go, but I talked them into it. Their new shoes were fun! Again, it was all of us! (Except dad who was not home from work yet.) We went on a new route, so I was a little confused on part of it, but soon I picked up the scent of which way was home, so that I could lead the whole family home. (I think mom made a wrong turn, and just tried to cover up her mistake by saying it was a new route.) Tonight's walk was great. I loved it!

Monday and Wednesday walks

2008-04-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

My dad has been slow in helping me get logged onto the computer so I am a little bit behind. I had a great walk tonight. Me and my dad walked to the park and back.
On Monday, me and my dad walked to the park and back. I'm hoping for a longer walk soon because unfortunately my family is going on vacation without me next week. My Grandma and Grandpa will be staying over to watch my sisters and I. I don't think they walk dogs.

Hopefully mom and dad will make up for it when they get back.

In conclusion, Monday's walk and tonight's walk were great, I loved them.

Another Run!

2008-03-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight's run was great, I loved it! It was just me and my dad. He needed someone to help him run and keep him safe. We ran the entire loop. At first he was going really slow, it was soooo easy. He got a little bit faster and faster until we got to the end. He was moving pretty good for an old man. There was one point when I had to protect him. There was another dog, a big white sheep dog I think who was menacing us. I had to scare off that dog. Other than that it was pretty uneventful. I had a huge drink of water when I got back then lay down on the cool tiles in the kitchen.

School Pick-Up!

2008-03-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

Today's walk was great. I loved it! Finally, I got to do a school pick-up! I didn't get to do one at all last week, so I was afraid I had been fired from my job. I even stopped getting excited at 3:00, because I knew I wouldn't be going. But mom promised that she would take me this week, so she drove my brothers to school this morning. And I was so excited at 3:00 when she got the leashes out! The job was pretty demanding today, I had some extra duties. I didn't have to wear my backpack today, but when my brothers came out of school, a few extra kids needed help home as well. Barbie said they didn't need help, that they just like her so much they wanted to walk with us. But I know that's not true. One of the kid's was the daughter of my mom's friend. So I am pretty sure her mom must have called up my mom and said she couldn't pick up her daughter, could Sammy please walk her home? She's a really nice girl, and I was happy to help her home. We also help an older boy home too. He's bigger than my big brother, and he even got to hold Barbie's leash some. Mom wouldn't let him hold mine, I don't know why. And of course, I led my mom and brothers all the way home. Except for the short time when I got distracted by a cat across the street. I think Barbie was out in front of the pack during that part, but I can't remember much of those few moments.

By the way, the picture above is of me giving a kiss to my mom. I just love my mom, she's the best!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was very worrisome for me. I had only gotten two smileys for the week and now it was the last day of the week. And, to top that off it was raining for a good part of the day. It really looked like I might blow it and not get 3 smileys in for the week. Fortunately dad came through in the end and did one of those lets get it over with dog walks. They are not the best but I'll take it. Barbie also went with us. It was a lot of fun, we both loved it. We went all the way to the gate and back. It's not quite as good as the full loop but I'll still take it.

Easter morning was a lot of fun. My brothers got really nice Easter baskets although I didn't get any of the candy. Then Jaz's mom stopped by and gave Noah and Andy really nice chocolate Easter eggs, mmmmm. I wish I could eat chocolate - I had it one time but I got into a little bit of trouble for that.

Unfortunately, most of Easter was spent in my cage since the family went over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for some more Easter fun.

So, here is what I did most of the day:

Well, overall that's not a bad way to spend the day.

Fortunately they came home eventually and while mom and Andy were playing guitar hero, dad took Chelsea and I for a walk. Chelsea is a little bit slower becauase she is getting old, but it's fun to have another pack member along for the walk.

In conclusion, tonight's walk and last nights walk were great! I loved them :)

Happy Easter everyone!!

Love,

Sammy

Guys Night Out

2008-03-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

That's a picture of my sister Barbie, napping on the couch. It's so nice of our family to have lots of pillows on those couches. They take our comfort very seriously.

Mom went to the neighbor's house to play bunko with the ladies at Jaz's house (I DO NOT love Jaz!). As you can see, Barbie was sacked out and I'm not sure where Chelsea was. So, it was just us guys. I suggested going out for a walk. So, my dad, Noah, Andy and myself headed outside. Yup, just us guys! It was great. Noah and Andy crabbed about it at first but then they were having a lot of fun once we got started. Andy rode the scooter on the way out and Noah had his turn on the way back. They were having so much fun that when we got to the park and dad said it was time to turn around, Andy said "No! let's go to the gate!" Yay Andy! So, we went to the gate and Noah got on the scooter. The only problem was that he got way out in front of our pack. I was worried because I don't think he knows how to get home, that's my job.
Well, somehow we made it almost all the way home when all of the sudden we saw the boxer that Barbie says I'm supposed to be mad at (for some reason she hates purebred boxers, whatever that means). I gave that dog a piece of my mind and scared him off.
Thanks to me we all made it home safely.
I hope we get to do guys night out more often!

The Whole Pack

2008-03-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight's walk was great, I loved it. Somehow, Barbie got out of having to do her usual job of helping Noah go to sleep. When dad asked me if I wanted to go out for a walk, Chelsea came running out of her hiding spot and then Barbie showed up. I could tell that dad only wanted to take me but he just couldn't resist taking the whole pack. We all got leashed up and then headed out the door. Not a whole lot went on except for lots of sniffing and peeing. We walked to just past the park and then turned around. It was a great night out, lots and lots of sniffing!
But, of course, the best part was being with the whole pack!

I Love Daylight Savings!

2008-03-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of me smiling! It's not my full smile, just half of one. I really do smile! Mostly when my family comes home and I am happy to see them, but I will sometimes smile if you ask me to! When mom first met me, she thought I was snarling at her! But then she realized that it was my friendly smile. I just love smiling, smiling is my favorite!

Daylight Savings means it stays lighter out in the evenings, which offers more opportunities for walks! Last night my brothers were wanting to go to the park, so mom said Barbie and I could go along too. That would be my third smiley for the week! The park was so exciting. There were a lot of other kids playing and also a lot of other dogs walking around the loop. My fur kept puffing up and I just couldn't help myself but to lunge at the other dogs! Mom got mad. Just when it was getting even more exciting (two big dogs were entering the park, plus a little dog was about to go around a corner, AND a dog was barking at me from behind a fence), mom said we had to go. Now. My brother's were disappointed and asked mom why, and she said it was because her arm was hurting her. Huh??? I can't understand why her arm hurt, she had only been holding my leash the whole time! She didn't even use the monkey bars. We headed home, and I was focused on a dog up ahead when mom really got mad. She stopped and took my head in her hands and made me look at her. (But..but..the big dog is getting away!) I am still not sure what set her off, but I kind of think it had something to do with me. Whoops. I was a very very good boy all the way home. But today's a new day, and I've forgotten about all of that (good thing I keep it written down on my blog), so hopefully mom's forgotten all about it too.

A New Job Title

2008-03-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

Today's walk was great. I loved it! I also had a walk last night as well, but it was late when I got back and dad didn't help me with the computer. So, in case you are keeping count, I have earned two smiley's for the week, and it is only the second day of the week!!

Today's walk was special because I had a new job. We were doing a school pick-up (which I love), and that is already an important job. But mom needed more help. She put on my backpack and loaded me up with some essentials! She didn't have pockets, I guess, because she asked me to carry two water bottles, a couple of poop bags, and the garge door opener. I am not sure why she needed so much water, we aren't gone very long. And two bottles weighs, like, two pounds!! It was a little heavy, and it tired me out some. I hope she was happy that I carried all of that water. (She didn't drink very much, only one sip. Hmm.) It was a good job, and I felt pretty proud that I had enough energy to carry the backpack the whole way. I don't think Barbie could have done it. Also, the kids at the school seemed to like my backpack. I think I look kind of cool in it, as you can see from the picture. I hope I get to do that job again!

Late for Posting, and I've Been Tagged!

2008-03-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry I am late for my post! I actually earned an extra smiley on Friday because I got to do another school pick-up. Mom said I was awful on the walk, though, and she refused to help me on the computer. I don't really know what she is talking about, I thought the walk was great. I loved it!

Also, I was tagged! Hey, what does tagging mean? My mom's friend Kathryn tagged my blog, and I guess it means I have to share five things about myself that you may not know. So, here are the five things:

I love cake! I love it so much I've stolen many many cakes off of the counter. Angel food cake, pineapple upside down cake, cupcakes...
I have super stretchy powers. These come in handy when stealing cake. When my family thinks they have something far enough back on the counter, they are wrong. I activate my stretchy powers, and I am able to reach the whole countertop!
I also love crayons. Mostly I eat them. What? They are non-toxic! Makes for a colorful backyard.
I love living in Florida because I get cold very easily. Mom says it's because my fur is thin, like a T-shirt. (Barbie has fur more like polar fleece, and Chelsea's is a wooly sweater). If it's cold outside, I definitely do not linger. Not even to look for Jaz. Who I DON'T love!!
I am a rescue dog. Not sure what that means (did I fall off a boat in the ocean??), but I do know I used to live on some farm with a bunch of other dogs that would never share food with me. I was pretty sick also. I think I had three kinds of worms (tape worms, hook worms, and earthworms - the last ones because I ate them), two infected ears, mange, and puppy teeth that wouldn't come out (due to lack of chew toys). So I was pretty happy when I got my family, because they fixed me all up and they love me. (Even when I am not good on a walk). That's why I am so happy all of the time, and I am always wagging, and I even smile a lot. :)

So there are my 5 things! Hope you liked them! I am also supposed to tag five more people, but I think I will bend the rules and tag 5 more puppy's, some of my blog dog friends: Opy (the original gruff puppy!), Cookie (and the crew!), Jake and Just Harry (my fellow Floridians!), The Brat Pack (these guys are cool!), and Ginger, Crikit, and Sparky (two of them look like Chelsea!)

Rules:
Link to your tagger and post these rules.
Share 5 facts about yourself.
Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

An Important Job

2008-03-05T16:19:00.000-08:00

Today's walk was great. I loved it! I got to walk up to the school to pick my brothers up. I love school pick-up! Standing outside of the fence, waiting for the kids, I have finally figured out what goes on. See, far across the parking lot, you hear some person talking on a speaker, and then you see all these kids coming out of a building. Well, I finally realized that these are the kids walking or biking home, and they will eventually walk around the parking lot and out through the fence where I wait. And I also realized that my brother's come out this way too! So now, when we get up to the school, instead of screwing around in the bushes like I usually do, or trying to get petted from all the passing people like Barbie does, I sit right in front of the fence and look across the parking lot. When the kids start coming out, I turn my sniffer on and watch carefully. I also make sure my sniffer is set to the "Andy & Noah" setting, so I will know right away when my brother's are close. I don't even get distracted by any of the other kids (although Barbie does, what a ham). I wait and wait. And then...there they are! I rush up to them all excited! They pet me, and I wag, but then it's back on the job for me, because now I have to lead them home. I think I've mentioned before that I am pretty sure my mom and brothers do not know the way. That's why my school pick-up job is very important. Oh, and I also earned my third smiley for the week! :)

To the Park!

2008-03-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Oops! I forgot to blog about my walk last night because I was pretty wiped when I got back. You know, sprawled out on the tile floor, tongue hanging out, panting. But anyway, last night's walk was great, I loved it! My brother Andy was gone, not sure where he went, but mom and Noah were still home. Noah's been very helpful lately about helping earn my smiles, so mom suggested that we go for a walk to earn one. It was Barbie, Noah, mom, and me. Noah wanted to go to the park, so the plan was walk there, play, and walk back. That's a pretty good walk. I think it is 1 1/2 miles total! When we started out, there was a lot of excitement because the bad dogs up the street (the German Shepherd from the other night) were barking madly at some other dog taking a walk. We waited a little while, I think mom was trying to calm down or something, and then we walked past the bad dog's house. I think I was pretty cool and collected. My fur puffed up some, but I just pretended I couldn't hear all of the awful things the German Shepherd and his sister (a little dog) were saying. Then around the corner was a boxer walking. For some reason, Barbie doesn't like boxers. Mom thinks it is because Barbie is only 1/2 boxer and it makes her feel bad. So Barbie gave me the signal that I had to be rude to this guy no matter what. Mom got really mad about that. She even told me I was acting stupid, which Noah thought was funny. I even thought mom was going to cancel the walk after that, but she didn't and we made it to the park! Noah played, but we had to sit and watch. (I guess it wasn't a dog park.) Also, there were teenagers on skateboards. Teenagers freak me out, they always have. Mom made me walk past the teenagers on their scary skateboards. I was pretty brave, though. Then we walked home, and I almost forgot the most exciting part! A cat! It was running across a lawn, and I wanted to get it SO bad! I managed to pull mom a few feet, but then she wouldn't let me go after it. Why not? And how come those cats don't have to be on a leash? Such mayhem! Oh well. I got home and crashed on the floor. Oh yeah, don't I look tough in that picture? I am practicing my look for the German Shepherd. Or for Jaz. Who I DON'T love!

First Day, First Smiley

2008-03-02T17:10:00.001-08:00

Tonight's walk was great, I loved it. Barbie and I took dad and my big brother Noah for a walk. I love getting my first walk early during the week. It was a great night for walking. We went all the way to the gate and back. When we go in that direction we usually just turn around at the park or maybe go to the bridge, but tonight it was all the way to the gate, 1/2 mile each way. My dad freaked out just once when we saw another dog. He started grabbing my collar again and telling me to calm down. Other than that not too much exciting, just a great walk!

Sprints

2008-02-29T19:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight's run was great, I loved it. Today, once again I was sure there would be no walk. I had my hopes up a few times that I would get to do school pick-up only to be let down. But, once again Noah and my dad came through for me. They wanted to do some sprints so I said that I could show them how. We ran to the blue park and back, alternating between walking, jogging and sprinting. It was a lot of fun. When we were almost home a neighbor's German shepherd ran out at us but I scared him away. I kept my cool and saved the day. I hope we get to go on more runs, because I just love running. I think it is going to be my favorite. Maybe if I train real hard I can do the mile run next year at some place called the rattlesnake run.

Third Smiley and School Pick-Up!

2008-02-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

Today's walk was great. I loved it! It was my third smiley earned for the week, plus it was a school pick-up, so that's a double great walk.

This morning when my mom was getting ready to take the boys to school, I peeked out into the garage to see if she was taking the bikes or the car. If she took the bikes, then I knew there would be no chance for a school pick-up since I don't know how to ride a bike. But if she took the car, I knew I had a good chance. (Although yesterday that didn't seem to work out. Not sure why.) So, I peeked my snout out, and... yes! The car! Hooray for cold weather, because then mom uses the car!

And this afternoon, I was right. She took me and Barbie on a walk to pick up my brothers from school. She was very determined on the way there - no sniffing, no potty breaks (well only one). I think maybe we were a little late. And then once we got there, it was a little tough because guess what? Some other dogs are copying me now. There were TWO dogs who came to the school to do a school pick-up. Mom wouldn't let me tell those dogs to go away. I wanted to. She wouldn't even let me tell them any of the rules. I had to wait nicely, like Barbie does. Oh, well. My brothers came out from school and I forgot about those other dogs anyway. Then I was on my mission to get them home. Well, I got a little sidetracked from my mission when I saw another human wallking three really large dogs. My mom made me lose focus and get back to work though. See? I told you she doesn't know the way home, because otherwise she wouldn't have cared if I was yelling at those dogs, but she needed my help.

Got home safe and sound. I hope it is too cold for bikes in the morning tomorrow...

Not Pick-up, but I'll take it

2008-02-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight's walk was great, I loved it. Earlier today I was certain that I was going to do school pick-up. That's probably my favorite job in the whole world. Mom drove my brothers to school and that usually means I get to help pick them up. Well, I'm not sure what went wrong but I did not get to go.
It is the middle of the week and I have only gotten one smile so far, so I was beginning to feel a little bit on edge. I was starting to think that there would be no walk today. Everyone was either in bed or getting ready for bed - or so it seemed.
Just when all hope was lost, my dad finally started moving and got my leash. It was a cold and crisp night outside. We didn't go out very far and nothing really exciting happened, but it was still a great walk. Why? Because I just love walking, walking is my favorite!!

Run Run Run!

2008-02-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

Tonight's run was great, I loved it! That's right, tonight not only did I get to do the full loop but I also was able to run it. I wish I could run all the time. Here is why we ran. This morning, my big brother Noah had a choice to make. He could have the last doughnut (the third one for him) if he promised to go for a run that night.

So, just after dinner, my dad, and my two brothers Andy and Noah headed out the door, they had their running shoes and I had on my running paws (fortunately for me I've always got my running paws on :) ). I do love running, although the only drawback is that you don't get as much time to stop and sniff things. I did see one dog who I wanted to run after. My stick-in-the-mud dad of course did not let me and he grabbed me by my collar. I can't understand why humans practice running if they are not trying to catch anything. I just don't get them sometimes. Oh well.

It was quite a big day for me otherwise. I got to go on my second boating trip. I haven't quite figured out this whole boating thing. It's not really a car but it is kind of like one. You just don't go on any roads, and every now and then you go up and down especially after another boat drives by. We went from grandpa's house back to the boat ramp. The ride on the river was quite nice, the best part though was probably getting back to land and into the car to go home. Maybe I'll give boating another chance.

Here is a picture of me on the boat with my brother and grandpa.

Entire Loop

2008-02-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

Today was my last day of the week to get my third smile. I was a little bit worried that I would miss it or my dad would take me on some lame walk to the park and back. My mom and oldest brother left for Tae Kwon Do which left dad and Noah at home. They grabbed the leashes for Barbie and I and hooked us up. I'm not sure where Chelsea was but I wasn't going to worry about it. It had been raining heavily, but now it had stopped and it was nice and cool with a light breeze. I saw some big white birds across the street and told my dad to take a picture of them, but he messed it up, he's not as good as mom at photography (and a lot of other things). Here's a picture of Barbie and I on today's walk.

Oh, by the way, today's walk was great! I loved it.

I didn't know how far we were going but we skipped past the turnoff for the park and kept on going. Could it be possible? An entire 1.7 mile loop? Yes, it was possible, we were going.
The rest of the loop went really great. I saw Mustang's mom and dad drive by and say hi in their car. I hope they have someone keeping an eye on him and telling him the rules, I could only do so much when I was in charge of him.

We did get a little bit of rain but it felt nice on my brown fur. Dad started speeding up because he seemed a little annoyed by the rain but I guess it didn't bother him too much because he didn't start acting all jerky.
Once we got home a took a nice long nap! What a great day to be a dog :)

Late Post

2008-02-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the late post, my mom wouldn't type up my blog for me yesterday. But, I did get to go up to the school and pick up my brothers yesterday! It was my second smile for the week, and it was a great walk. I loved it! School pick-up is one of my favorite walks. I love seeing all of the kids, and they love that I help walk all of them home. My mom took a picture of Barbie and I waiting outside the school. We are looking for our brothers. We wait very nicely. Sometimes, though, I go in those bushes (that are behind me in the picture) and try and find lizards. Mom makes me come out.

Today I had a playdate with my friend, Mustang. I am not really sure what a playdate is, I heard mom mumble something about "...needs practice socializing..." She must have been talking about Mustang, so I made sure I told him the rules of our house. Basically, I told him that I was bigger, and he needed to listen to me, and stay put. I wasn't mean about it, but I had to remind him about 300 times. Chelsea didn't like him, and mom made her go inside. Barbie doesn't really care. How can you not care? This dog might break the rules! Well, not with me around. Did I mention that I made sure he knew all of the rules?

Monday Walk

2008-02-18T19:05:00.000-08:00

Tonight's walk was great. I loved it. My family was gone all day some place that I couldn't go to, I think it was called Busch Gardens or something dumb like that. I'm not sure why they have "fun" places where dogs aren't allowed. Anyway, it was getting a little bit late and I thought my dad would be too tired but somehow he managed to get himself off of the couch and get my leash. Chelsea got to come also. We did our usual evening route of going to just past the park and back. Twice along the way my dad freaked out for no reason whatsoever. I saw some dogs and was just trying to say hi, but he was pulling on my leash and telling me to calm down. He really needs to work on his aggression. Anyway, I got him to settle down and we were able to finish our walk.

Number 4 !!

2008-02-16T19:27:00.001-08:00

Tonight's walk was great, I loved it! It was getting late and I didn't think my dad would be up for a walk but then he got and asked if I wanted to go. I put my paw on his shoulder, yes! of course I wanted to go! Nothing too exciting really happened on the walk but sometimes it is just great to go out and have an uneventful walk. I wish humans could understand this better, I'm not sure what is wrong with them. Anyway, we went to the bridge and then turned around and headed back. On the way I heard a dog barking and was thinking to myself, what a bad dog, just then I heard the dog's owner saying "bad dog!" so see, I was right.

The other thing that was great about tonight's walk was that it was the 4th walk this week. I figured my humans would have settled for the minimum, but fortunately I was wrong.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's walk was great! I loved it. It was Valentine's Day, so in the morning I made sure to be mean to the Rottweiler who lives next door. Her name is Jaz, and I DON"T LOVE HER! My family teases me that I love her because they say I am obsessed with her. That's because I hate her so much! I stand up on the fence and yell at her! Then she goes inside and cries. Ha.

Anyway, back to my walk. It was a school pick up! I love this job. There wasn't anything interesting on the way to the school, and I didn't get in many good sniffs because mom was being kind of strict. I hate when she gets bossy on the walk. Maybe she was worried that we would be late, but she was all about just walking, no sniffing. We got to the school and waited outside the fence, and then I heard my brothers coming! I did a really good job of leading them home, and I even helped lead one of their friends home (whose house is on the way to our house). I just love walking, walking is my favorite!

Afternoon Smiley

2008-02-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

Today's walk was great. I loved it. Mom was home this afternoon and I was taking my nap as usual. It wasn't near time to pick up my brothers (plus they rode bikes to school), so I wasn't expecting it when mom said we should go for a walk and earn my smiley. Oh boy! Mom also said that Chelsea could come too (as well as Barbie), so it was the whole pack! I like to be the leader when its the whole pack! Mom doesn't like that, though. She says she's the leader. Plus, we had to slow down a lot for Chelsea. Because she's old.

There were no other dogs out, I kept looking, but I guess they were all inside taking their naps. There were a lot of interesting sniffs, though! I smelled a dirty sock that was lying on the sidewalk! We went into the park area, and there is a sidewalk that loops around the park. There are always a lot of good sniffs in there!

The picture of me (above) is how I get all snuggly every morning. Dad usually feeds me breakfast, and then after I eat, I go back to mom, and she lets me under the covers in her bed. She gets up shortly after, but sometimes I stay in the covers and sleep. I stick my nose out so I can smell if I am missing anything good. Usually there is nothing interesting, so I stay in bed.

School Pick Up

2008-02-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

I like it when my mom is lazy in the morning and doesn't bike my brothers to school, that way I have a really good chance that she will walk to pick them up (and take me with) in the afternoon! This morning, she was too lazy! (She said it was because it was really cold out and because she had run a half-marathon yesterday. Whatever.)

Well, around 3:00 I was getting hopeful. I was either going to have to go in my cage, or it would be my day. She got her shoes...and.. she said, "Sammy, want to go pick up your brothers?" Oh boy! I get so excited for walks!! I ran in the laundry room to show my mom where the leashes are (in case she forgot)!! Barbie got to come also, but not Chelsea. She wanted to come, but Chelsea doesn't like kids (she barely puts up with my brothers) so mom told her it wouldn't be a good idea to take her up to an elementary school. Plus I think its too far for that old dog. It's a whole mile to the school!

We started out, and pretty soon I was focused on a little pug up the street. Mom kept making me lose focus, though. She would tap on me and shush me. I hate that. We crossed to the other side of the street, but by then the pug was passing by us. I got a little worked up and mom ended up gripping me on each side of my waist with her legs. I don't know what the big deal is. As the pug passed by (who was acting just AWFUL, by the way), mom spoke with the pug's man. "Sorry," she said, "Sammy's still learning his manners." What? What? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. My manners were fine, it was the pug who was acting so rude.

After that, the rest of the way to school was uneventful. I checked the fence for the rude brown dog who barked at me last week, but she wasn't outside. We waited at the school, and then my brothers came out! I love that part, I get so excited to see them! They usually have some friends with them who also walk home, and the friends always like to pet me and Barbie. I feel so proud, but I quickly get back to my job and lead them home (they don't know the way). So, today's walk was great. I loved it.

Also, I wanted to share a picture of my favorite pasttime. Warm laundry! I'm such a lucky guy. My mom will pile all of the warm laundry on her bed and I quickly snuggle up in it. Sometimes she folds it all up :( but other times she says its just towels that won't wrinkle and I can snuggle for a while. :) I've even learned that there is a buzzer on the dryer, so I know exactly when the laundry is at its warmest! I go into the laundry room and wag wag wag so that mom will come and pull the toasty clothes out. So cozy...

All caught up

2008-02-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

Last night's walk was great. I loved it. I earned my third smile for the week. I am one day late posting this because my dad was too tired to help me last night. We went with my sister Chelsea when my other sister Barbie was doing her job helping Noah go to sleep. We walked up to the park and back. As we approached the tall hedges I could see a girl walking two dogs. For some reason they crossed the street when they saw us coming. I can't understand why. I wanted to go over and say hi but my dad kept on pulling on my snout collar so I pulled back, then he grabbed me and told me to settle down, I'm not sure why he gets so worked up all the time. Anyway, after the tall hedges there was another person on the other side of the street. He was walking a sheepdog with short fur. They jogged past us and I really wanted to catch up but my dad kept on telling me to keep quiet. I wanted to run after the dog and his man really bad. Oh well, maybe next time. Then we came home and I got to tell mom about how great my walk was by wagging my tail and then laying down and sprawling out on the couch. What a great night to be a dog!!!!

Evening Walk

2008-02-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

I was curled up and sleeping on the chair this evening when mom asked if I'd like to go for a walk and earn my smiley. Would I ever! How exciting! I wasn't expecting that. Tonight's walk was great. I loved it! Andy, Noah, and Barbie came along with us. We all had jobs: Noah was holding some clean-up bags (poop bags), Andy was holding Barbie's leash, and I was keeping a keen eye out for teenagers. (There were a lot of them on skateboards tonight). We walked all the way to the gate, then out the gate just a little, then we turned around and came back. Mom got mad at me a little bit because I got kind of upset about this little dog across the street. I've seen this dog before, and I get a little riled up. I don't know why that bothers mom so much. After that, I was complaining about my snout collar. Have you seen these things:

I absolutely hate snout collars. I think the real name is called "gentle leader" or something dumb like that. It's like this harness that goes over my snout, kind of like the harness used on horses. Hello! I am not a horse! Mom just loves using this, she mumbles something about it being easier to "control" me. Yeah, she shouldn't be controlling me anyway. Just as I am getting ahead of the pack to lead, the stupid collar puts pressure on my snout that makes me slow down. Grrr. Or, if I am completely focused on something (like another dog), mom can pull the leash down to put pressure on my snout. It makes me lose focus!! Grrrr. Apparantly we have them because Barbie used to be a really bad puller. She's built all stocky and such, and I think she liked the feeling of pulling people along. Mom got her one of those snout collars and like magic, Barbie stopped pulling. So now mom thinks those are the best collars ever. Well I am not going to give in as easy as Barbie.

Dog Park!

2008-02-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

Oh wow! What a treat! I guess since it was Barbie's birthday yesteday, the whole family (except Chelsea, she's too old) got to go to the park! This park has fun stuff for kids and a paw playground too. Mom walked me near the paw playground, and I got to take a look at all of the dogs in there. She didn't take me inside, I heard her mumbling something about she didn't think she was ready for it. (?) Anyway, we went over to the kids section for my brothers to play on the playground stuff. A lot of little kids came up to pet me, and I liked that, but I started getting a little bit bored. Dad took Barbie and I for a short walk around the park while mom stayed back to watch Andy and Noah. After a while, we went back to the paw playground and mom actually took me inside! Woo-hoo! She didn't take off my leash though. She said it was good practice for me. (?) Anyway, I got really nervous and growled some when a white dog came up to me, but mom said I had to hold still. Then she told me "good boy" so I relaxed a little more. Then the white dog sniffed me (I won't mention where!), and mom said "good boy" again. I was confused, but I guess it wasn't so bad. Then I got to sniff the white dog! How interesting!

I looked over towards Barbie (who was with dad), and she wasn't letting ANY of the dogs sniff her! So, then I started copying her and being a lot more growly when dogs came up to me. Mom didn't say "good dog" anymore. (?) We didn't stay in the paw playground very long, mom said something about it being enough practice for today. We drove home and I was so tired and happy. I can't wait to put the smiley on my calendar for today.

Happy Birthday Barbie!

2008-02-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight's walk was great. I loved it. Today was Barbie's birthday, she turned 11. My dad, Chelsea, Barbie and I went for a walk. Tonight we walked all the way to the bridge. On the way there I saw a big black dog on a leash that I wanted to attack. My dad told me to stop but trying to get that dog was more important than listening. He had to grab my collar because if I pull real hard I can make the snout collar come unclipped. Well, the dog passed and then we were on our way. We had lots of things to sniff at. When we got to the park I thought we would have to turn around but we kept on going. My BIG brother Noah came along with us and he was having a great time running up ahead. We turned back finally and had a great time doing more sniffing and marking. When we were almost home I heard a horrible noise coming down the street. It was a teenager on a skateboard. This really sets me off (I'm not sure why) and tried to get the teenager but my dad stopped me.
Well, it's been a great week. I got in two extra walks and was able to go to school, celebrate Barbie's birthday and walk with Noah. I hope that every week could be this great.

School Pick-Up and Extra Smile!

2008-02-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

Today's walk was great! I loved it! It was even an extra smile earned on the calendar. I had gotten my three smiles already, but I think mom needed my help today. She had taken my brothers to school in the car this morning, so she couldn't bike to pick them up, she had to walk. I think she gets lost when she walks because that is usually when she asks me to come along. Barbie and I eagerly agreed to go with her. I also think maybe she's just scared to walk by herself, because at one point, we came around a corner and this horrible awful dog came charging at us! Good thing there was a chain link fence. I was ready to tell this dog off! Mom wouldn't let me, though. In fact, she made me stay there and we weren't allowed to move forward until I wouldn't bark at the horrible dog (who was now just staring at us, wondering why we were standing there). Talk about losing your focus! How can I protect mom when she makes me calmly walk past that dog? I just don't get humans sometimes.

After that, it was pretty easy getting up to the school. We still have to wait outside the fence, but I don't mind. Mom waits with us, and all the kids start coming out, and then I see my brothers! I start wagging and immedietly show them the way home. Today I also had a little girl walk right next to me until I took her all the way to her own street. She was eating a snack, but she didn't share. I didn't mind, though. I was busy concentrating on my job.

As a request, here is a picture of my other sister, Chelsea. She's all old, like 15 or something. She can get kind of grouchy, but she and I usually get along. (Except when she takes forever to finish her dinner! That's teasing me!) Mom didn't let her come up to the school with us today. Something about Chelsea not really liking kids.

Walking With Chelsea

2008-01-31T19:51:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of me thinking about my next walk.

Tonight's walk was great. I loved it. I got to go with my oldest sister Chelsea. I didn't think I would be taking a walk tonight because mom and dad were glued to the tv watching "Lost". Mom told dad he didn't have to take me tonight because there were still a few days left in the week. Dad said he would help me earn a smile for the calendar. I was still a little bit doubtful until he got up to get my leash. I jumped on him and he got mad so I sat down like a good dog and waited for him to put the leash on me. Chelsea showed up and wanted to know if she could come to. We all went out and had a great time. There was still pleny of things to sniff, lots of new things even though my humans think I have sniffed everything already. We didn't see any other dogs or people on the walk, just some cars driving by. When I was little (I'm not little anymore), the cars used to spook me but they don't anymore. I can't wait until my next walk!!!!!

Night Walker

2008-01-30T18:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight's walk was great. I loved it! We started out from our house. We were going near the gate. My Dad and my brother Andy came with me on the walk. When we were near these horrible hedges I started sniffing on the ground. When I was little (I'm not little any more), I used to get scared walking by these hedges but not anymore. Now I just like to sniff. But, my dad pulled me away. Of course, dogs always do have good times on walks, but we're just never allowed to sniff as much as we'd like. People don't know what they are missing. When we were walking past the hedges, there was this gap that I started sniffing in. But, of course my dad didn't let me stay there very long. We kept walking until we were near the park. I heard some teenagers talking (they still kind of spook me sometimes). We were suposed to go all the way to the gate (at least I thought), but my dad turned us around before we even got there. When we were walking past the park again, my dad took which was probably the third picture for tonight's walk. He took a picture with me and my brother Andy standing right next to me.
I'll have to put the pictures up later because my dad is having trouble loading them to my blog. Well that's all for now!

A job!

2008-01-28T16:24:00.001-08:00

Today's walk was great! I loved it! I actually got to do a job! Everyone knows that dogs love having a job. My job today was to walk with my mom and Barbie to pick up my brothers from school. They usually ride on their bikes, but I guess it was too cold this morning for bikes. It's a whole mile up to the school!! :) Then, I get to stand out by the fence (mom says we can't go on school grounds, so she waits with us), and lots of kids walk by me! It's the best. I wag so much when Andy and Noah come out of the school. Then I get to show them how to get home. I think they would get lost without me. That's why it is such an important job to walk them home.

Oh yeah, and I had to protect my brothers too. There was a really horrible vicious beagle who was trying to get them! I wanted to lunge and attack the beagle, but for some reason, mom wouldn't let me. She made me keep going. Guess we had to get home quick or something. (*Editor's note: The beagle was very well behaved.)

We made it home nice and safe, and mom drew my smiley on the calendar. :) Then she took a picture of my sister Barbie (who went with us on the trip):

Introduction

2008-01-28T16:18:00.000-08:00

Like my blog says, my goal was to go for at least 3 walks a week. I had to ask my family to help me with this. My family is my mom and dad, 2 brothers (Andy and Noah), and 2 dog sisters (Barbie and Chelsea). I've also asked them to help me with the typing on the computer. I'm not so good at typing. Hopefully they won't edit me too much!

I just love going for walks, and when I go for a walk, I get to put a smiley face on our calendar! (I'm also a dog who smiles, so I think that is why my mom and dad draw a smiley face.) I hope you like reading about my walks!