Going to the dog park..

Dear Dog Park Mommies and Daddies,

For the sake of my Mom's sanity (and potentially your doggie's well-being)..  if your dog isn't well-behaved, please keep it away from her.  She had to come home this afternoon and take a shower and change clothes because one of the neighborhood dogs who was also in the dog park with us.  She kept jumping on Mommy.  Mom had dirty paw prints all over her, and while that was a sign of love from the other doggy, Mom didn't appreciate it one bit!  From my experience, Mom prefers gentle kisses.. even if you have bad breath.  I tried to tell the other doggy that, but she wasn't listening to me.

Mom was NOT very happy.  Mom said to me (I think she was talkin to me, since no one else was around) on the walk home, "If I have to control your dog because you can't, you don't need to have a dog."
So please other Dog Park Mommies and Daddies, know how to control your dog before you go into the park with others.  It's one thing to try to play with the other doggies, but to jump on the humans?  NOT COOL!  Especially MY human!

PS.  Down doesn't mean NO.  My Mommy tells me NO often.  She's not afraid to yell it either.  I know when she yells NO, she means serious business.  I stop what I'm doing immediately and look at her.  Sometimes, when she just says no normal, I don't hear her until she repeats what she wants me to do a few times.  It's a game I like to play with her to see how many times she'll repeat a command.  So far, I'm up to... well I can't really count, but its a LOT!

It usually goes like this:  Phil, go to your house.  (I look at her like what did you say?)  No, Phil, go to your house.  (I start towards my house, but I get about halfway there then back up to the rug).  Phil, NO, go to your house!  (I put my front paws on the slippy floor).  Go to your house Phil, you can do it.  (Finally, I slowly make it to my house.  I have to put on a good show for Mom so she knows how much the floors "scare" me).  Good boy, Phil!  Ok, now stay.

I'm really good at stay because usually if I stay in my house and out of Mom's way while she's fixing me dinner, she makes it quicker AND doesn't spill it.

She's a pretty good Mom, so please Please PLEASEEEEEEE... have good doggy manners around her.  She's spoiled by my good manners... So its really my fault.  But she can't help how much she loves me.. Have you looked at me?  You can't help but to love me too.  Promise.

This is what being good looks like.  It's not a bad idea to practice this.

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!!