Peer Pressure...

After much peer pressure, Mom went out and bought me a new bed.

My initials thoughts:

Excuse me, Mom...  You put a foreign object on top of my bed....

The first night Mom piled my dalmatian blankie on top of the new bed to even get me to stand on it.  She even laid on it to show me how it's done.  She's a pretty silly Mommy.  She wasn't able to get a picture of me that first night because every time she moved, I was up and ready for action.  I mostly laid off of it, but I heard her say if I didn't start appreciating it, she was going to return it!

Is this how this works?

 Earlier today she caught me like this:

Mom says I'm getting the hang of it.

Now if I just roached, I'm sure she'd never be mad at me again...

PS.  This is the biggest one she could find at PetCo and she found it on sale for $78!  The cover is removable for washing, which was very important to her.  Not that I get stinky, so I'm not sure why she was worried.

PPS.  I'm sure if times got rough and she couldn't sleep on her "cloud" (what Mom calls her bed), I could let her borrow mine.   I love her that much!

Celtic Festival!

Mom got back on a Friday evening from Scotland and met Temporary Mom in Prince Frederick for my pass off.  I remembered Mom, but I ignored her so she would calm down before I gave her any love.

Mom brought us home and then we hung out for a little bit and went to bed.  She was pretty tired since she'd started her day at 08 in Scotland time and ended her day at 10pm Eastern time (which is 5 hours behind Scotland, so her day was 29 hours long instead of 24!).

We got up at my usual time and went out on a walk.  Mom fed me and then we went back to bed for a nap.  We got up later and Mom put on some weird clothes and said we were going to the Celtic Festival.  I didn't know what that meant, but she said WE, so that meant I was going somewhere!  Getting in the car isn't my favoritest thing ever, but I loooooove putting my nose out the window to smell new smells!!

The MD Celtic Festival is held at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum.  It's a good excuse for people to dress in plaid (or just dress up in Mom's case) and go listen to men in skirts grunt while they throw trees or play their honky-horns (Mom says they are called Bagpipes).  But, the coolest part is that GEGR was there!  So I got to hang out with some of my brethren.

This also means that I got lots of pettins and treats and attention!!  All my favorite things!  Mom always tells me when we go to events that I have to get love from other people, because she loves me at home, but when we go out, its other people's job to love me...  I'm irresistible, so this works out.

Soon after being let into the pin with my homies, I smelled something that needed to peed on, so I was going about my business when a lady started shrieking.  Apparently, I'd "leaked" on her foot.  Mom apologized over and over while she gave the poor lady some paper towels to wipe off her foot.  I didn't get what the big deal was.. I'd just made her smell like me better.  After that incident, things went smoothly.

Mom got some pics to share with you though!

This little girl had a peanut butter cracker.  It was delicious.  New BFF.

Why are we ALL so attentive?  There's a lady you can't see in the photo who had a turkey leg...
NOMNOMNOM, DELICIOUS SMELLS, PLEASE SHARE!!!

They were cold, since the weather got a little chilly.  But they shared nicely!

Mom was astonished to see me do an actual SIT.  I learned it from watching the other pups, but I won't do it at home.

Look at that UUUUGGGGEEEEE dog!  He's a very distant cousin of mine, an Irish Wolfhound.

Mom took a picture with the puppy to demonstrate how big he is!
She's also advertising for GEGR with the trailer in the background!  :)

This was the final event of the day.  ALL the clansmen/women gathered and marched and played their instruments.  It was pretty cool to see, but we didn't stay for the whole thing because it started to rain and because they interrupted the music with boring announcements.

I was very glad that Mom was home.  Temporary Mom said that I'd started to get anxious after the 2 week mark, but she also said that since I'm an only-dog, that might have had something to do with it.  After the Celtic Festival, I was exhausted and I came home and showed Mom what my retirement was all about!

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.

Sharing is caring!

Temporary Mom has been spoiling me, but shhhh, don't tell Mom!  Scarlet and I got to clean out the yogurt container today, and it was delicious!!!  Well, what I got of it at least.

Sharing nicely.

She edged me out.  I was trying to be a gentleman and let Scarlet take as much as she wanted.

Then she showed me just how serious she was about yogurt.  Game over.

Maybe Mom will let me clean out the yogurt container when she gets home???  Please, please, pleaseeeeee, Mom????

While Mom is away...

Did you miss me?  Well, I'm not back yet, but I thought I'd share some photos with you of my vacation so far!

Me and Scarlet!

My nose was cold.  

Me and vacation Mom.

I was cold, so they covered me up!  Mmmm, this is the life.  I never get this kind of treatment at home..
Mom, take lessons!

Temporary Brother didn't eat all his breakfast, so I helped him!!

Yum!  Yogurt!!!

Mom will be back soon, and she's not sure I'll remember her...  She's such a silly Mom!

Posting Hiatus

Hi, Phil's Mom here!

Just wanted to let everyone know that Phil is still doing ok.  I'm currently work-cationing in Scotland, and Phil is staying with the Whitlock family while I'm away.  He's not figured out how to feed himself or use the toilet, so I figured it was for the best..  :)

So far he's only had one incident where he peed on Jester, the smallest pup of the house.  I guess is it pretty hard to see underneath yourself when you're chest is so huge!  From the updates I've received, Phil is doing better on the hardwood floors with some super yummy bribery of chicken treats.  He even got to go to work with Amber one day!  Why don't I have a job where I can bring my dog with me?!  That would improve my work morale sooo much!

I've not seen any Greyhounds in Scotland, only terriers, golden retrievers, and black labs.  I'm only slightly disappointed in the variety, but I didn't come for the dogs.

That floor must be really hard for him to have fit his whole body on his bed!

PS.  I miss my sweet stalker boy.

Mom's new super blindy toy

So usually, Mom has this little blindy-pointy-clicky thing she blinds me with.  She says she's taking my photo, but all I know is that there's sounds and light and its just best if I stay still when she gets it out and points it at me.

Well, Mom received a brand new SUPER blindy thing for her bigger blindy-pointy-clicky thing (she tells people she likes to take pictures, so she has a special machine thingy that does this for her, I guess).  She kept saying "new flash" and "test it"... and apparently I ended up being her subject.  I know I'm cute lady, but gosh.  I guess she heard, "why don't you take a picture, it lasts longer" a few too many times.

I was a good sport about it.  I was asleep at first and the blindy thing was sooo bright that it woke me from my nap!  But then I went to hide in my crate, but the crazy lady with her blindy-flashy-clicky-pointy-thingy followed me!  And she calls me a stalker!  Finally, she left me alone.  But when I followed her back to the living room, she got her silly blindy-flashy-clicky-pointy thing again!  She finally left me alone when I just kept laying on my bed.  She said I was boring.  Meh, lady.  Find your own entertainment.

But some samples with her new blindy-flashy thingy, of course of the best subject ever... me.

Sleepin.  What I do best.

AWAKE.  Mom is on the move.  Where is she going?  Must follow.

I fell back asleep.

YUUUUUMMMMMMM PB Kong!

Mom thinks its pretty cute when I lay like this.

Is it nap time yet?

Yes, Mom?

I wasn't being mean, she just happened to take a picture of my after yawn face.  Dad says it looks like I was going to bite off Mom's face.

Perky ears!

Lookin' this cute is pretty hard, but you can stop now, Mom.

If I'm maximus cutius will you go away?

Mom thought this face was hilarious.  A few seconds later I sneezed.

I love you, go away, please.

She really can't help how much she loves me.  Bless her heart.  (I picked that last line up when I was in NC.)

Back in my day....

So back in the day, I was a racing Greyhound.  Man, I was speedy!  I won 1st place 6 times!  I mean, that might not be the best of the best.. but now that I'm retired, none of that place stuff matters anymore.

Mom always tells me I'm her #1 puppy!

But if you want to see something cool... Mom found my racing videos!

Go to this website: http://www.trackinfo.com/dog-search.jsp
Then search for the name: Pals Spot Light   (now you see why Mom renamed me!)

There are number tabs at the top of the box.  Several of these tabs have my racing videos linked.

Whew, am I glad those racin' days are done.  This retired stuff is perfect for me!

I wouldn't be able to do this as a track doggy!  Never ever!

This is why I drool.

Mom loves it when I drool on her rug.  

It really is difficult to keep my tongue in my mouth after such a long nap day...

So much excitements!!!!

This past week has been sooooooooo exciting and busy and full of new things!

Ok, so the week kinda wore me out, but it was so much fun!

Mom's friend got married on the 24th, and we went to Grampy and Grammy's house for the weekend!  YAY! I got to hang out with Judge and Noodles, aunt Courtney's doggies.  They are little.  Judge is like the size of my head.  Hahah, so small!  Noodles was kind of a fattie, but he could sit on his butt really good.  They both kept getting in Mom's lap, which would make me super jealous and then I'd have to go over and put my head in between both of them and get the most lovins, cause Mom loves me the mostest, duh.

A pic of Noodles and Judge from Christmas (before I was adopted into the family)
Top:  Noodles
Left: Judge
Bottom: Zeplen (who was 30lbs light than I am)

 Just some pics from the last week:

This was the first time I ever really snuggled with one of my toys.
Mom thought it was "sooo precious".. my face is actually showing how manly this really is.

On the way to NC.  I was watching for the po-po out the back window for Mom.

The only place we could fit my crate was behind the seats, it made me much more sturdy in my hammock,
so I didn't mind.

We stopped on the way for dinner time.  I happily greeted Mom when she opened the back hatch.

I can sit, I just don't.  :)

Hi, Mom!!  I love this ride!  Do you love my breath?!?

I took over Judge and Noodle's bed.. and their Nylabone..  

In Mom's defense, she was pretty busy for most of the weekend and didn't get a chance to take many pictures.  Maybe Grammy or Grampy will contribute some photos?

Catchin' a breeze out the window Mom cracked for me.  Another strange sit behavior taking place.

Weeeeee!!!!

Mom had surgery this week, and Grampy (Mom's Dad) came home with Mom to take care of her (and me).  I really enjoyed hanging out with him while Mom was away while her friend got married and I really liked it when we'd go on so many walks.  Grampy really liked walks with me.  He took me on walks longer than Mom does, Mom says he's just trying to make me like Grampy more than her.

Grampy also took care of me after Mom's surgery, since Mom wasn't able to.  I'd wake up Mom in the morning and she'd wake up Grampy who would take me out in the mornings and feed me.  I still slept in Mom's room every night, cause I love her a lot, even if she has to have someone else take care of me.  Grampy would take me out at lunch time, would take me on my evening stroll, and out for my bedtime business session.  Sometimes he would take me out on extra walks when he was bored, I definitely didn't mind!  I love squirrel scoutin' sessions!

This week I exhibited some true Greyhound hoarding.  Mom got evidence.

Yesterday, Granny arrived (Mom's Granny) and today Grampy left.  I've been pretty mopey since he's been gone, but I got to ride with Grampy and Mom to the airport to drop him off, and then I got to meet my foster family for the 2 weeks that Mom is gone to Scotland!  I'm really excited about hanging out with Scarlet and Jester for 2 weeks.  Foster Mom is excited that I play with toys and I run after balls when we're at the dog park (even if I don't bring them back).

Mom forgot to bring the good blindy-flashy-clicky-thingy, but she used her cell phone to get this pic of me while Grampy drove to BWI.  I was being particularly cute today.

PS.  Mom bought me some new toys, since Noodles ripped all the squeakers out of my favorite toys.. and Mom bought me a Nylabone since I loved Noodles and Judge's soooo much!  Such a good (trained) Mommy!!