Sneaking on the computer!

Hi fans!  I'm sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated.  My Foster Brothers have hogged the computer updating their blogs trying to get adopted.. and I know how important finding your forever family is, so I've let it slide.

Let's see.. what's been happening??

I really wanted to clean out this kong and I forgot to let Mom take off my muzzle!
I was pretty excited.

If your parents don't give you pillows, they aren't good parents.

I shared my bed with my foster brother, Donner.
Mom documented this because I don't usually share.

...But I'm learning that sharing isn't an option.
I'm getting good at it!

We went to a meet and greet in February.
I let Donner borrow my bow-tie so people could see how handsome he was.

Mr. Bruce was teasing me and Donner with squeaky toys..
but he bought them for us, which is why we like Mr. Bruce.

On the way home, I was very tired.
Aunt Courkie thought that it was very funny that my nose was caught on my muzzle
which was causing me to make my "grr" face.

Me and Donner had a dog park date with Gracie and Buddy!
We were all chasing the little dog who kept getting the ball!

Did you miss meeee???

So the past few weeks have been pretty busy for me...  and by weeks, I really mean the month that Mom was gone to Australia and the week of July 4th and the week after.  You see, I only got a week with Mom before Miz Monica came and got me again!

I was so confused, but happy of course.  Mom is starting to realize that I'd be happier with a sibling, but she says there's really not enough space for another puppy... yet.  She's also working on Dad to get another Greyhound, cause Mom loves me..  but Dad says we need a different kind of doggy.  He's silly.  For once, Mom is right.

But anyways, Mom was slow getting around after she came back from Australia. I thought she was just out of practice, since she was away from me for so long, but apparently she was broken! The morning Mom found out she was going to the hospital, I could tell she was nervous. Since Mom had been moving really slowly, I knew something was up, so I always made sure I was watching her. More than normal. This wasn't, Oh you're going to the bathroom, I'll come with you since you will have no where else to go to avoid petting me... This was, I'm going to make sure Mom is going to be ok, Oh you're going to the bathroom, I don't need pettins today, but I'll be watching you. When she called Miz Monica early and she started packing stuff in a bag, I started to get a little nervous. When Mom did leave with her lap-clicker-machine and another full bag, she told me that everything was ok and she would see me soon. She made sure to give me my PB Kong before she left, she's such a trained good mommy.

Miz Monica came to get me the day Mom went to the hospital and I stayed with her while Mom was getting better.  No Grampy this time!  Instead, it was all Boston Terriers and Greyhounds and Humans and a backyard for zoomies and new squeaky toys and it was just sooo much fun!

Miz Monica met Mom at the California Meet and Greet, so I got to hang out with every more pups before it was time to go home!!  Sooo much excitement in my life.  Dad tries to tell Mom that I think she's deserting me, but I know that sometimes these things can't be helped.  Mom does a good job making sure that I'm taken care of.  

Miz Monica said that I had no issues with the loud sky boomers going off on July 4th.  Mom was very proud of me.  I can tell Mom is very glad that I'm home.  She's spoiled me soooo much!  She says she's got to go back to work next week and then things will be more like normal, but she better not stop with all these treats!  Mom isn't very good at finishing her foods, but I'm a pro, so I help her finish her foods (sometimes, when she lets me) and mine!!

But how about some pictures to make up for lost time????  

Gettin pettins at the M&G

Mom wanted to take my picture...

There were WAY more interesting things going on.

THUNDER THIGHSSSS!!!!

Look at what a good job I'm doing decorating the living room!! 

Mom was doing this photography thing.
Please excuse my nostrils, but I do have a REALLY long nose...

I am so very handsome.

Mom, really, let me sleep.  Stop blinding me.

Fine, I'll make everyone think you killed me.

I wasn't lookin at the camera, but Mom seemed satisfied enough.

Last night there was a storm comin in and I went to the bedroom to hide out, but I kept hearing some boomies, so I came out to investigate what was going on.  This was as far as I'd come out of the doorway before I would go lay down again. Mom thought me poking out my head was particularly cute.  Obviously, she didn't understand that I was protecting us, you crazy lady!

Mom, do you smells that?  Are you sure there isn't a treat for me somewhere?

Every move you make...
I'll be watchin you.
Even if I look completely uncomfortable....

Making Mom love me.. LOTS

Mom came home from work early today because her internets have been actin weird.  These strange men show up, AND she let them in the apartment!  I'm not her guard dog, so I didn't really mind too much, except that these men weren't interested in petting me, so I wasn't interested in them!  I laid down on my bed in the living room so I could keep an eye on them.  They left after a few minutes, they said they had fixed the issue.  Mom seemed satisfied, so I helped escort them out.

Mom was very proud of me for being so good.  After they left, we laid down for a nap.  I love naps!  When we woke up, Mom started messing around the apartment and she acted like she was getting ready to leave.  She even got my last kong out of the crate, refilled it with peanut butter, put it in the freezer, and pulled the already frozen one out of the freezer for me.  And then.. she hesistated.  I was soooo close to getting my peanut butter kong!  Instead, she decided we were going to go somewhere!  Surprise!

Mom brought a huge bag of treats with her.  I'm not really sure why.  She only gave me 2 the whole trip, but either way, I was excited.  Mom showed me the treat, but I still was very scared about getting in the car.  She put my front paws on the back seat and then lifted me up the rest of the way.  UGH I hate it!  Either way, I got my treat and Mom cracked the windows so I could sniff outside while we drove to the place we were going.

I think Mom was rewarding me for being good while those strange men were at the apartment cause she took me to the public dog park!  They have an area for big dogs AND little dogs.  There were a lot of small dogs in the big dog lot.  Or maybe I'm just really big?  There were a few teeny-tiny dogs in the big dog lot though..  I think they were in the wrong place, but everyone was having fun, so it was ok, I guess.

I had a blast, even though I didn't really socialize with the other pups.  I really am a loner.  Mom was worried for a while that I was going to be lonely as an only-dog, but I think I've put her worries at ease.  I don't really socialize when I'm with other dogs.  I don't feel the need to play with them either.  So I spent most of my time at the dog park, walking around the perimeter of the fence, marking every spot that I possibly could.  I also marked all the trees and benches and I even tried to mark the water buckets, but Mom stopped me.

There were so many dogs, and I wasn't interested in any of them!

My only issue at the dog park was that I kept having the poopies.  I went normal business, then I went poopie, but then I kept having the runs.  Mom wasn't really sure what was going on, and I think she's worried about me.  She is thinking that hopefully, I was just nervous about being around so many new dogs.

Mom could tell I was getting tired cause I had stopped prancing around the fence and I was just moseying along.  I had walked around with some of the other doggies, but we just sniffed each other.  I really am not a player.  I'm a stand there and be petted dog.  Seriously.  When we left, Mom tempted me with a treat again to get in the backseat.  She put my front legs on the back seat and then I surprised her.  I jumped in on my own!!!  For the first time ever!

Mom is super proud of me right now.  She kept saying, "Good Phil!!!  Good boy!!"  I'm sure the people at the dog park thought she was crazy.  (Psst, she is!)  Mom then brought me home and fed me dinner.  She said I made her really proud today for being such a good boy!

I'm really just trying to be good because the other morning I tried to eat Mom's banana (and I did a pretty good job at munching on about 1/4 of it) and I got in the bathroom trash and was eating the dryer lint... all in the same hour.  Mom was definitely not pleased.

I showed her who the good dog is though!!

Home Alone... part 2

Our days usually goes like this:

Mom's alarm goes off.
Mom's alarm goes off, again.
Mom gets up.
Mom trips over me while she gets dressed.
Mom goes business.
Mom takes me out on a 1/2 mile run/walk (depending on her mood/motivation).
We come back home.
Mom sends me to my house.
Mom makes my breakfast.
Mom gets ready for work while I show her how small I can be when I lay on the bathroom rug.
Mom sends me to my house and gives me my kong with frozen PB in it.
Mom turns on the radio and she is gone for a while.
Mom comes home.
Mom takes me out and begs me to go business.  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.  Gotta keep her guessin.
We come back home.
Mom has lunch while I lounge around the apartment.
Mom sends me to my house and gives me my kong with frozen PB in it.
Mom makes sure the radio is still on and leaves for a while.
Mom comes home.
Mom changes her clothes.
Mom tells me its time for a w-a-l-k.
We go on a walk/run, I'm pretty lazy and sometimes this lady's motivation level is just to much for me.  Especially when I just want to mark all the bushes and chase the stinky squirrels.
We come home.
Mom feeds me dinner.
Mom feeds Mom dinner.
We are lazy for the rest of the evening.
We go to bed.  Mom says that I get to pick where I sleep.  If I am in my crate when its her bedtime, she just shuts the door and leaves me in my crate, but if I'm in my bed in her bedroom, then she just shuts the door to the bedroom and we have a slumber party (except with me on the floor).

Sometimes before dinner time there are variations in the plan of the day (potd).  Sometimes Mom will go out and come back.  She used to always make me go to my house, but more and more she's been letting me chill uncrated while she's away.  I think she's starting to think I'm trustworthy.

I proved her wrong yesterday!  hahahah!

While she was out, I chewed on the window cover-ers, I put teeth marks in a few and one I broke in half completely!

Then later, Mom was eating an apple.  The miraculously, a piece fell from the sky at me.  It was deeeelicious!  (Mom says a piece fell on the floor and she tossed it at me, but whatever).  Later, Mom went to change her clothes and I found a whole bunch of that delicious apple sitting on the table.  I chomped that sucker down, it was soooo good!  Mom came back into the living room to hear me crunching on something and she realized that I'd gotten apple crumblies all over her rug!

Apparently, Mom was leaving a few minutes after that, but she definitely put me in my house for that trip!  Maybe, eventually, I'll be able to stay out of my crate, unsupervised again...  But chewing the blinds probably won't get me there very fast!

NOMNOMNOM... PEANUT BUTTER!!!!!!!!

Home Alone!

I think Mom is starting to trust me.  Which is weird, cause all I ever did was nap a lot.  I rarely even listen to things she says unless its dinner time, then I'm super quick about going to my house to wait.

Tuesday Mom came home for lunch.  She took me outside for business and we came back in while she ate lunch.  When it was time for her to leave, she didn't tell me to go to my house, but instead just dropped my favorite treat (kong with pb in it from the freezer) in my house and said she'd be back.  MMMMkkkk, I'll be here!

When she got home, I greeted her at the door.  I know what the sound of the key in the lock means now, FREEDOM!  But since I was already free, I figured Mom deserved some special attention.

That afternoon instead of Mom taking me on a run, we went to the 4-legged-folks-park.  There I met 2 other pups, one of whom wanted to play and the other who wanted to play at first till he was intimidated by my size, and 2 2-legged-folks who were so kind as to let me lean on them for pettins when I wasn't sniffing the fence and marking the trees.  I'm not really playful yet.  Mom's not sure if its because I'm still adjusting or if its because I'd rather just spend my retirement napping.  I will play with my toys for about 5-10 minutes before its nap time and when it comes to being around other dogs, I'd rather just get pettins from humans.

Wednesday morning, I woke up Mom with my whining (which I'd probably stop if she'd just deal with me shaking and waking her up in the middle of the night in her bedroom).  She took me out on a short walk/run and fed me breakfast.  Then she left.  No Kong?!!  Outrage, woman, O.U.T.R.A.G.E!

Mom came back pretty quickly, but I was sleeping on my bed in her bedroom so I didn't really hear her come up the stairs or unlock the door, but as soon as the doorknob turned I was up and peeping at her from the bedroom door.  She was pretty sweaty and smelly, so I left her to her wet water time and went back to my bed to resume napping.  She said she was really proud of me for being so good while she was away.  I'm Phil, of course I'm going to be good, I'm awesome at napping, Lady!

While Mom was at work, she put me in my crate, but I got my delicious black treat dispenser, so I was fine.  After Mom got off work, we went on another short walk since the wet from the sky had stopped.  When Mom had taken me out at lunch, I had difficulty finding my favorite business bush because I was standing in puddles and the wet from the sky wouldn't stop distracting me.  I napped while Mom played on her clickity-clackity lap thing, then she fed me dinner, then she left again!  Mom is a deserter!

I greeted Mom at the door when she got home, she had several bags in her hands when I made sure to thoroughly inspect.  Nothing for me this go around.  Well, kinda.  She bought some corner guards for the footboard of the bed.  It's got some pretty sharp corners that she (and I) often run into.  I think she's worried I'm going to hurt myself one day hitting the corners too hard, which I guess is good, cause sometimes it does hurt.  It's just hard to remember I'm so big!

So I think I've won Mom's trust for the most part.  That's good, right???

What I do best.

Mom bought this just for me and my most favorite delicious treat..
6 POUNDS of peanut butter for $14.
Mom = Trained.

That was WET!

So today was a good day.  Mom and I hung out, she left for a little while and came back.. with no goodies for me..  I'll have to teach her better.

The evening went well.  We went on a medium length walk.  Mom was piddling around in the kitchen for a while.  I left her alone and laid in my crate watching her and napping.  She fed me dinner and continued her kitchen activities.

The evening was pretty lazy.  Every so often I'd find a toy, play for a few minutes, then resume my napping.

Tonight though...  was a different story.

I went into the kitchen to do some sniffing around.  Mom has pretty much taught me counter-surfing is a no go, but she always puts my kongs with peanut butter in this high thing.  It has a door on the top and bottom and its cold every time she opens it.  I figured I could just get my kong on my own, cause that peanut butter is tasty!  I was scratching at the door, but I heard Mom get up, so I stopped and greeted her as she came around the corner.  She was suspicious of what I'd been scratching at, but she thought I was just trying to get something from in front of the cabinets that maybe she had dropped on the floor.  She went and sat back down and I knew she wasn't going to be listening so I went back to my post.

I again started scratching on the door.  Then out of NOWHERE this water hits me!  I scramble all over these stupid, slippery floors... all the way back to my house.  Where I'm now laying dejectedly, staring at Mom.  She's smiling and I could tell she was laughing a little.  I'm not so sure what is so funny.

At least I know I'll get my kong tomorrow when she leaves for work!  She better put extra peanut butter in it after tonight's fiasco!

Siiiiigh.. Home sweet home.