Wags n’ Words

Dog-a-nalities

I’ll be the first to admit, no two dogs are alike. While people have “person” alities, we have “dog” analities. Or something like that. Take, for instance, how different dogs approach the same situation.

Today is a perfect example. We started the day with Ollie, which is a normal Thursday beginning, but we headed off on a field trip — something not so normal. Despite Gretchen getting lost, I figured out where we were going right away and I laid down in the car trying not to get too excited.

Ollie had no clue where we were headed, but he sat nervously behind Gretchen’s seat drooling and panting on her shoulder in anticipation. When we arrived at Luther Burbank Park and headed to the off-leash area, Ollie bounced the whole way. Still, he hadn’t a clue where we were headed. He just knew it was different and new and therefore exciting. And when he got to the special destination? What did he do? He raced around like a wild man releasing all his pent up excitement.

What did I do? Race for the water, of course, because any chance I have to go for a swim is a chance I gladly take.  Ollie, he’s not much of a swimmer, but he certainly cheered me on from the shore!

The park was fairly empty. When we got there we were greeted by about three dogs. One was very loud, but very fun because she liked to chase me. Her name was Abby. The other dog was very shy. Her name was Milkshake. She chased us, too, but Abby and I were really going at it!

Look us peel out!  It was so much fun. And then everyone else joined in and that is like the best beginning of any day any dog could have.

It was great because in between all the running around, we could cool ourselves off in the lake. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves! Different dogs, different dog-a-nalities!

Whew!  That was exciting, wasn’t it?  Well remember, that was just the beginning. Next up were Rufus and Riley though Gretchen made me go home and rest a bit while she took the boys out in the sun!

Now, talk about dog-a-nalities!  These two show theirs off the second Gretchen leashes them up. They get very excited, race up the stairs to the front door, and immediately put

their noses either to the ground or in the air (where Gretchen has the treats!).

Whereas Ollie takes off running when he gets to a park, these two do the opposite. It’s all heads down and noses working for these fellas. They can work a park, I’m tellling you. Gretchen tells me they spent about 15

minutes today sniffing every inch of the grass. Since the day was so warm (76 degrees!) she let them relax in the park a bit before they continued walking.  I bet the boys were very happy to work their noses as much as they worked their short legs.

Here’s their photo spread of the day and their dog-a-nalities!

After the boys smelled their walk away, Gretchen came back and got me so I could go with her to walk Gerta. I like Gerta. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, but now I know she’s just happy to see me! It was really warm by the time we went for our walk with Gerta, so we spent some time at the park lounging in the shade. Gerta really knows how to lounge!

Her dog-a-nality is kind of clownish really. She loves to roll around in the cool grass and when Gretchen tells us to sit and stay, she’ll sit, but she’s not so sure about the stay! Okay, in this picture I’m sitting and staying, but let me tell you, it was really hard since there was a squirrel racing up a nearby tree.  Luckily, Gerta didn’t see it. She only saw the treats in Gretchen’s hand!

Despite Gerta’s crooked teeth and wonky bent legs, she’s really quite a charmer, don’t you think?

Next up, Teabiscuit!  I’ve missed little Biscuit of later (after we spent the weekend together) and apparently she missed us, too. She wiggled when she saw us and actually came up to me to tap her nose to mine. Now that’s progress!

We walked down through Madrona Woods where Gretchen made us pose together. Can you see that Biscuit is smiling?

Okay, so maybe she isn’t exactly smiling, but she’s a lot more comfortable with me than she used to be. I, on the other hand, am kind of tired in this last shot and a little annoyed that it was taking us so long to get to the lake. It was hot!  I needed to cool off and so did Teabiscuit! She finally pleaded with Gretchen to let us go swimming and Gretchen, after a short scratch at the neck, agreed.

That Teabiscuit is quite the swimmer!

She didn’t let the waves or the cold water dissuade her at all. She just bobbed along like a cork at sea. It was great fun to watch. Once we were all cooled off, we walked back up the hill (and let me tell you, it’s a hill with hundreds of stairs to climb!) and Gretchen tried to pose us on a bluff with Mt. Rainier in the distance. Unfortunately, you can’t see the mountain, but we look awfully cute, don’t we?

No two dogs are alike, I tell you. Ollie is pure excitement. Everything is an adventure for that little boy. Rufus is a serious goof and Riley is a happy curmudgeon (if that’s possible). Gerta is a puppy in a guard dog suit and Teabiscuit is a brave seafarer in a tiny body.

And me? Well, I’ll leave that up to you!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Going With the Flow

I’m a fella who likes routine. I get up early, rest until work begins, and then work — diligently and with dedication. Work today started with Monty, but he is still recovering from a leg injury that has slowed him down. My routine with Monty is all about romping and playing, but for the past few weeks, we have had to veer from our routine. Now we just walk and while it’s fun to hang out with Monty, I do so miss the playful times.

But I’m learning to go with the flow. This may seem like an easy task, but for me, it’s a challenge. Today, though, I got a great deal of practice.

After our walk, we left Monty at our house and Gretchen and I headed out to pick up Rufus and Riley. On the way there, Gretchen informed me that our last walk with the two boys would be Saturday and that they would no longer be part of our routine.

I’m kind of sad about this. I’ve grown to like the short-legged fellows with the curious noses. They’ve encouraged me to sniff more and to take my time when on walks. Like today, for instance, they were all noses to the ground with very little energy for walking. This was frustrating a bit for Gretchen, but I reminded her that going with the flow appeared to be the order of the day.

She smiled at me, but still did everything in her power to exercise Rufus and Riley.

From my perspective, this looked kind of funny. Once safely away from any traffic, Gretchen drops our leashes and lets us roam freely only the boys don’t roam far. I would if given half a chance, but Gretchen keeps me nearby so I don’t get into any trouble.

The only trouble the boys get into is being transfixed by their noses. They could stand for hours in one place just smelling. At first it annoyed me, but I’m learning to go with the flow and have adjusted my attitude. Now when they pull off the path to take a whiff, I join them.  I’m not really sure why it’s so exciting, but I’m trying to expand my horizons and for that I have Rufus and Riley to thank.

I do think they were endowed with better noses than my own. I mean, just look at Rufus’ snout. And those ears! They pick up so many scents he must just go crazy basking in their smells.

Riley, on the other hand, not only enjoys a good sniff, but he is the master of finding something interesting and then rolling it with abandon. I like to roll around, too, but I roll for fun. Riley rolls with a purpose.

Finally, after much delay, Gretchen got the boys to follow her up the grassy hill for a run. It took a great deal of encouragement on both our parts!

Let’s just say — the boys are cute and good sniffers, but they are none too fast on their feet!

When we drove back home, Gretchen decided to let Monty rest while we walked Oshi and Perrito.  They were very happy to see us and both of them raced up the road on our way to the park across the way. There I got to play some fetch. Perrito likes it when I play fetch.

First he chases me and then he stalks me, trying to cut me off at the pass…

Yes, this presented with another opportunity to go with the flow.

And I did quite well.

Oshi could learn to go with the flow. He likes routine far more than I. He walks, he does his business, and then he’s all about going home. See how he’s literally at the end of his leash pulling us back to the house?

Eventually the heat of the day made both Oshi and Perrito give up. Perrito took a load off…

and Oshi decided to roll in the cool of the shade…

Both boys were happy, though, when we continued on with our walk. How do I know? They both smiled!

You’re not gonna believe what came next. I couldn’t believe it when it happened and this is when I realized I would blog about going with the flow because what else can one do when one is forced to have a bath! Can you see the humiliation on my face? Monty witnessed it all and I must tell you, that is the most embarrassing part of it all — my friend watching my humiliation! But he was understanding since he just had a bath the day before. He’s such a good friend!

We thought our day was done. Gretchen pulled out a special treat for us and that marked the end of a productive work day. Since it was warm, she grabbed two marrow bones from the freezer and Monty and I laid out back in the shade and enjoyed the delicacy. I know, it’s hard to see the bones because the grass is so long, but trust me, they are there.

Perhaps this is a better look…

A perfect end to an ever-changing day, right? Well, it wasn’t over yet. There was a bit of confusion about who would walk Gerta and when the call came, we realized we had more work to do. Actually, Monty had more work to do since I’d had a pretty big day already. So Gretchen and Monty loaded into the car and raced to rescue Gerta who was THRILLED to see not only Gretchen, but Monty!

They went for an extra long walk since Gerta had to wait so long for hers, but it was warm so Gretchen stopped at a shady park (as in cool shady not drug-trafficking shady) whereupon Gerta rolled around while Monty looked on.  Monty only rolls when he’s super hot!

Gerta was grateful for the walk and Gretchen was happy she was available.

Then it truly was the end of our busy day and frankly, I’m happy it’s over. Going with the flow is exhausting!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Expect the Unexpected (Or Accept the Unexpected…Either Way…You are NOT in control!)

“You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

My life is fairly predictable. I get up, take care of my morning business, wait patiently for my breakfast, which sometimes I eat and sometimes I don’t, go for a walk and then begin work. For me work, as many of you know, involves walking and playing with dogs. Not a bad gig, but sometimes things don’t go as planned.

Take today, for instance. Our first walk was with Lucy promptly at 9 this morning, but Lucy wasn’t there. Since our day was packed full, we didn’t have any time to wait and though we felt bad, we had to get a move on and miss our time with Lucy (Sorry Lucy!). That wasn’t expected.

Next up was Monty and as we headed out for a walk, who did we run into?

Gemma!  That’s right. Not so little Gemma was out on a walk with her dad and we met up to play a little fetch at the field. Gemma was happy to see us and likewise, we were thrilled to have a chance to play fetch. Monty, who is still recovering, was only able to play a little fetch, but I got to run to my heart’s content and Gemma ran right alongside me as she always does. That was unexpected!

Oh, and that’s not me in the picture to the left. That’s another (unexpected) dog whose name escapes me at the moment (it’s been that kind of day!).  He was a nice guy though he kept trying to get fresh with me, which I didn’t like very much, but Gretchen kept the ball flying and the other dog had a hard time keeping up.

Gemma didn’t!

In her typical Gemma style she flew after me again and again, biting at my ears and my tail — anything she could get a hold of — and pestered me as much as she could.

She also pestered the other dogs, but not as much as she likes to pester me.

Monty got put on a leash after about 5 throws of the ball, but Gemma and I kept playing until both of us got really really warm and sought the shade for some needed cooling off.

Unexpected romp and rest with unexpected friends…new and old!

Okay, maybe it wasn’t all unexpected. We did participate in some of the same routines we normally do, like walking Rufus and Riley though I suppose they never expected Gretchen to make them to pose for a 3-dog portrait.  As you can tell, it didn’t go as expected!

Gretchen worked really hard to get us all into position.  I was put into a sit/stay. Rufus sat obediently, but Riley wanted nothing to do with sitting. He’s all nose, remember, and so smelling everything around him was more important than being a good dog.

Rufus held his pose until Gretchen backed away and squatted down to take the picture.  Rufus saw this as an invitation to check her pockets because sometimes that’s where she keeps the treats.

Not this time, but he had hope.

Can’t you just see the hope in his eyes?

Meanwhile, Riley decided I smelled pretty good and only because I was in a sit/stay did I let him get a good whiff!

We walked along the trail today (the opposite direction from yesterday’s bear sighting) and Gretchen let us run through the tall grass.  For some it’s taller than others…

Rufus can keep up with me for only so long and then he falls behind…

Riley, on the other hand, choses to stay behind…or should I say beside.  He’s taken a liking to me and that was a bit unexpected, too!

We got pretty hot pretty quickly and slowly (ever-s0-slowly) we made our way back to their house where they received some treats before we left. Next up? Well, unexpectedly Gretchen took me back to the house. I thought for sure I would walk with Oshi and Perrito (I usually do) but she felt I’d had a long week and already some good exercise so she took me home to hang out with Monty. But most unexpected of all, we got fed some lunch a tad bit early and that is always a welcome treat!

Gretchen took Oshi and Perrito out to the field across the way.  She let them drag their leashes across the playing fields and for Perrito, this was an unexpected delight. He apparently romped with great relish!

Oshi ran a bit, but mostly he rolled around in the grass.  Now that was expected!

Gretchen sat down in the sun and watched as the boys did their thing — Perrito chasing shadows and Oshi hanging loose…

And then, unexpectedly (which I suppose you expected) Perrito decided rolling in the grass and getting rubbed on the belly was a lot more fun than romping. He flopped right down next to Gretchen and had at it!

Gerta was next and she was a tad bit disappointed that only Gretchen came for her walk today. She expected to see me or perhaps Monty, but instead, just Gretchen. She got over it pretty quickly, though!

Gerta decided that rolling in the grass and getting rubbed on her belly was a great idea as well and gave lots of smiles to prove it!

They were both (Gretchen and Gerta) disappointed to know that they couldn’t play golf. Somehow, I think they expected they could get a round or two in before the walk ended, but all signs pointed to deflating this expectation…

So they continued on their walk and Gretchen unexpectedly stopped at the Bamboo House for a photo. The Bamboo House is our name for the house on the corner with thousands of bamboo plants around it. I mean thousands in every shape, size, and color. This photo doesn’t do the house justice, but it was an unexpected respite in the shade for Gerta!

Then something truly unexpected happened. Monty and I waited patiently at home for Gretchen’s return when who should walk in the door with her? Teabiscuit!

She hung out with us in the backyard for awhile, but I had no knowledge of why. Usually we go get her, but when the door opened, there she was on the doorstep happy to see us…well, almost happy. She’s a bit unsure of Monty, but she made great strides this afternoon letting Monty do what Monty loves to do the most — sniff things!

Usually Teabiscuit curls her lips when Monty gets this close, but today she unexpectedly waited for him to be done with it and then they hung out on the deck together. Now who would have expected that?!

I hung out with them (well, I’m actually watching a plane overhead) and then we all went for a walk. That’s when the unexpected day ended in an unexpected way.

First, we took Monty home so he could continue resting and healing his sore leg.Then we headed back to our house when Gretchen got in the car with Teabiscuit to take her home when only 15 minutes later, she returned with Teabiscuit still in the car.

Guess who’s spending the weekend with us?

Eleanor Roosevelt was right — you have to accept whatever comes your way. I’ve accepted our weekend guest with courage, if I do say so myself. And Teabiscuit can rest assured that I’ll give our time together the best that I can give.

I mean, what’s a dog to do? I’m clearly not in control here!

Have a great weekend!

Rubin (with Teabiscuit close by!)

The Ears Have It!

There wasn’t any wind today, but our ears took flight anyway. I’m not sure why that was, but as you’ll notice in today’s post, ears are a-flying!

Today was not as busy as yesterday nor as busy as tomorrow promises to be, but still, I worked hard for my food. First up, Mr. Ears himself — Ollie. He was, as usual, thrilled to see us and bounced down the hill with great joy that the sun was out and we were headed for a playdate at the little field.

We played chase, fetched balls, and yes, let our ears flop in the nonexistent breeze.

While my ears are expressive, Ollies really know how to speak a whole different language. Well, his ears and his smile, that is.

As you can see in the background, I rested in the shade while Ollie showed off his bouncy, expressive ears. It was warm today and while I love to play fetch, I have to rest every now and then to catch my breath and cool off a bit.

Gretchen tells me it’s going to get warmer. I can’t remember last summer, but today was perfect. I can’t imagine it being any warmer.

But that’s beside the point. I was telling you about ears and since Ollie was first up, let me show you some more of this guy’s ears.

I even tried to get my ears to do what his ears can do, but it took a lot of effort on my part and frankly, it was too warm to try too hard.

Of course then, after we’d taken Ollie back home, we drove to Rufus and Riley and if you don’t notice their ears, I’m not sure you’re really paying attention.

I mean, just look at those babies. They are almost as long as my legs and certainly bigger than my head. Oh, this is Rufus by the way. He’s a good fellow and Gretchen tells me his ears come in really handy (eary?) because they help him pick up scents. Okay, makes sense (different kind of sense/scents…god, human language!), but I didn’t get to really see him in action until today.

Quick story: We’re walking along the Chief Sealth Trail heading north when over the ridge ride 3 police officers on motorcycles. One says, as he passes, “There’s been a bear spotted around here,” and then he smiles. I can’t tell if it’s a “yeah right” kind of smile in disbelief or “watch out” kind of smile in be wary (I couldn’t see his ears under his helmet), but regardless, we pretty much stay on the path until Gretchen hauls us up on this hill to get a photograph and what do we see?

Nope, not the bear, but a place in the grass where someone has been lying down. Someone big. Rufus puts his ears to work right quick and sniffs around like something really important is happening. I do the same and Riley, who himself has some pretty significant ears does the same.

Was it a bear? How would I know, I’ve never met a bear, but later, when we pass the police guys again, Gretchen tells them about the spot on the hill.  We were safe, she told us, because no bear is going to hang around while three loud motorcycles drive by.

It turned out that she was right, but for a moment I was a bit uncertain of her judgment.

Meanwhile, ears were aloft…yesterday it was Rufus. Today, Riley!

We headed back to the house after our adventures in bear land and both Rufus and Riley walked slowly. It really started to warm up so it was no surprise that when we got back to their house, they went straight for the water bowl!

Next, we drove up to Gerta’s house where she greeted us with a happy smile and an excited tail wag. We walked north through the neighborhood. Gerta wore her backpack loaded down with lentils and dog food and I walked beside her.  When I first met Gerta, she wanted to play right away. It takes me awhile to warm up to another dog, so I’ve never been as excited to frolic as she has. Yesterday, she wanted to play when she first saw me, but once again I put her off.

We walked through the neighborhood, side by side, and Gretchen let us rest (it was warm, remember) in front of a beautiful vegetable garden. While our ears may not be as expressive as Rufus’ or Riley’s, if you know anything about dogs, you can tell that our ears are saying we are content and happy and comfortable with each other.

Right after this picture was taken, two women walked by and Gerta got all gushy. The women were very happy to meet us, but nothing could match Gerta’s excitement.

Gerta rolled right over (even though she had on that backpack) and let the woman rub her belly. It was pretty funny because Gerta was kind of stuck once she swung the backpack onto the ground. But she didn’t mind nor did the woman and the two of them “cuddled” for awhile as we looked on.

And then it happened. I just felt an overwhelming need to play with Gerta.  This doesn’t happen often with me, but the sun was out, the feelings were warm all around me, and well, something about Gerta’s ears just prompted me to give her a little playful shove.

And she responded. The only one of us who wasn’t ready for the game was Gretchen who stood trying to hold two leashes, her camera, and maintain her ground against two strong dogs. She did it, though, and even managed to snap a couple of photos.

What do our ears say here?  PARTY TIME!

It took Gretchen a moment to pull us back in line, but in the back of her mind, I know she was trying to figure out how to get us to a fenced in field where we could really play and romp and chase and solidfy our growing friendship.

Gerta would like that. So would I.

You can tell how much we’d like that by our ears.

After we dropped Gerta off, Gretchen took me home. This was a good thing because I was pretty tired and I needed a rest before my agility class late in the afternoon.

Gretchen headed out to pick up Teabiscuit who prefers having Gretchen all to herself.

Teabiscuit is like all dogs (though I don’t think she feels this way) because her ears are windows into her moods as well. Gretchen says she really likes to play fetch and when she’s ready, she lifts up those ears as if to say, “Yes, yes, yes. Throw the ball!”

Look at those ears!  She lifts them up and down depending on her mood.  She is a shy dog and anyone can tell when her shyness kicks in. Her ears fold back against her head and her tail (also an expressive appendage) tucks underneath her body.

When happy, like right before playing fetch, her ears jump up and puff out. Her tail does the same thing and with a prance, she races after the ball or trots alongside Gretchen full of confidence and pride.

It was warm yesterday (something I know I’ve already mentioned) and this limits the amount of fetch as well as the vigor with which we walk. Teabiscuit, though small, gets warm as well and Gretchen took breaks in their time together to cuddle in the shade. Teabiscuit likes to cuddle. She asks for these cuddle sessions with her ears. Can you see how they are different in expression than the previous photo? They are softer and more pleading (as are her eyes) and Gretchen knows that this is a request for a little loving.

So they sat in the shade for a moment, cooled off, and cuddled up.  Hard for Gretchen to get a photograph of that, but you can picture it, can’t you?

Gretchen always carries treats with her and every dog we walk knows that. Some (those with more acute noses) find them as fast as lightning while others just wait until they are offered. Teabiscuit is the latter, but is more than willing to work for the treats.

What do her ears say? Well yes, her ears tell a story, but in this shot her ears aren’t the only thing talking!

I ended the day with another agility class where I practiced stopping on a dime (well, actually on a cookie), playing on a teeter-totter, and weaving myself through poles. Okay, I know how to do all of this stuff, but I got to practice and if you could have seen my ears, you would know how happy I was/am!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

How Can One Tell When A Basset Hound Is Peeing?

We have two new clients for the next 10 days. They are Rufus, a youthful Basset Hound, and Riley, an older Beagle. I met them today and we went for a walk.

Let me rephrase that. We went for a sniff. These two guys are all about their noses. They pulled us in every direction as we moseyed down a new trail (well, new to me) and stuck their noses deep into the grass for what seemed like hours.

I get the importance of smelling, but wow, these guys are champs at it!  Combined with their low-to-the-ground stature, pulling us this way and that turned out to be the game of the day.  Finally, Gretchen figured out to use the treats she carries to urge them on and that worked like a charm. In fact, once she pulled out the treats, all the noses were focused on her. It was kind of funny.

Rufus was the most persistent, though once Riley figured out that Gretchen held the treats in her hand, well, he became equally persistent.

Well, once they figured it all out, they kept a close eye on Gretchen. A very close eye.

Walking down the path then became a game of moving a few feet and checking in with Gretchen to see if we’d gone far enough to merit a treat.

I tried to tell them that if they expected the treats, they’d never get one so the trick was to ignore her, keep walking forward, and the treats would rain from heaven.

They didn’t listen.

Guys, you gotta listen to me. Walk right by my side and you’ll see. Like pennies from heaven.

And just as I told them, the treats rained down.  After that, Rufus and Riley were thrilled to walk with us and so we wandered off the trail and up onto the grassy knoll just as the sun came through the clouds.

Oh, what’s the answer to today’s question? A Basset Hound is peeing when he stops in the tall grass, pauses, and tilts his nose a bit higher than normal. The leg might lifts, but you’d be hard pressed to see it.  Look for the nose. That seems to be the hound way.
Next up, Oshi and Perrito. Though I should tell you that Monty and I had a nice long walk first thing in the morning, but Monty’s story will come later.  Just wait.

We’ve been playing at the little field of late and Perrito asked specifically if we could go there today. Last night we had some nasty, nasty weather — thunder, lightning, rain like you wouldn’t believe — and Perrito was ready to stretch his legs in the sun.  Of course, he doesn’t really stretch his legs until I run and then he chases after me like he’s trying to herd me into a corner. When I first take off after a ball, I have to watch my step because Perrito is usually underneath me.

Perrito was particularly happy today because he finally got clearance from the doctor to run free without the helmet on his head.

Oshi didn’t seem to care one way or the other.  He was just happy to be outside with us. Well actually, he’s happiest when he’s peeing and then kicking up his feet to let everyone know how much he likes to pee.

While we were playing, Nell’s mom came by. Nell is an older black lab who can’t go on the long walks like she used to, but her mom still goes and so we got to visit with her a bit. She’s very nice.

After we played awhile, I hung out in the shade with Oshi. He likes the shade. I just like when there IS shade!

And Perrito posed for the camera…

I was pretty tired after all my exercise, so Gretchen let me rest at home while she took Monty to meet Gerta. Monty loves the girls. I mean, he LOVES the girls, but Gretchen learned something new about Monty today.  He loves small girls.  Gerta is anything but small!

Don’t get me wrong. Apparently Monty and Gerta got along just fine, but Monty didn’t do his little happy dance like he does when he meets small girl dogs.  He kept his distance from Gerta, though she did everything she could think of to get close to him.

Of course, it was warm by the time they went walking, so maybe Monty was just tired. He needs to see these photos because in my opinion, they make a nice couple.

Gretchen said it was a bit of a struggle walking both of them. While Gerta is pretty good on the leash, sometimes she gets an idea in her head that the old lady up ahead or the man on the cell phone is a long lost friend and she pulls mightily. Monty, on the other hand is all over the place — a circular wanderer prancing at the end of his leash.  But even when he gets a bug-a-boo, he can pull too and the combination was a challenge at times for Gretchen today.  “If only I had a sled,” she told me.

By the time Gerta got back home, she was mighty happy to have had a visit from both Gretchen and Monty.

And by the time Monty got home and we both got lunch (well, Monty got lunch and I finally ate my breakfast!). We were both happy and tired and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging on the porch in the sun.  Did I tell you about that thunderstorm last night?  Well, if not, suffice it to say, the sunshine was a warm (yes warm!) welcome!

Though it may sound like this was the end of our day, it actually wasn’t. It was the end of a work day, but later in the afternoon we got one more walk with our friends Jessica and Quillette. No pictures — we were off the clock — but I’ve had a full day and I am ready for a nice, long nap so I shall save that story for another time!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Friday Friends

I always look forward to Friday. Friday means the end of a busy week and time spent on the weekends recovering from my long week of work.  I get to rest my feet, sleep in, and spend time with my moms — both of them!

This Friday was nice because I got to meet a new friend — or I should say WE got to meet a new friend. Her name is Chloe and she’s a 3-month old American Bulldog who’s exploring the neighborhood for the first time.  Monty was with me when we met her and he’s always the one to take initiative. Gretchen calls him the Canine Historian who takes everyone’s story down to every last detail (or is that de-tail…I’m getting pretty good at these puns!)

It was no different with Chloe. He approached her like any good historian — without caution and immensely curious.  Chloe responded. I, on the hand, stay back until Monty assures me the subject (in this instance, Chloe) is harmless. I suppose it’s silly of me to think a three month old puppy would be anything but harmless, but I’m a cautious fellow. Sometimes those puppies can be right in your face and that, my friends, I find quite irritating!

What? (Gretchen’s mumbling something in the background.) I was NOT like that when I was a puppy…

…was I?

I was very good with Chloe and she, I must admit, was very kind and cautious as well.  She let me sniff her and even wagged her tail when Monty nudged her with his nose.  Monty is a good natured fellow, but if a puppy gets too busy with him, he’ll let her know what’s what.

No need to do this with Chloe. She understands her place, which will serve her well as she gets older because you know, if she’s this big at 3 months, she’s going to be HUGE in another year!

Monty and I took a nice long walk this morning after meeting Chloe and I got excited because there wasn’t a cloud in the sky!  No rain, yippee!  Monty is still on the mend so he went back to the house while I played with Oshi and Perrito.  And I mean played!

The only downside to sunshine is that people play tennis on the tennis courts so we had to head to the small field where Gretchen let Oshi and Perrito leash drag.  Perrito has no problem with it. He flies across the field pulling that leash right along behind him.

Oshi isn’t so thrilled about dragging a leash. Or at least, that’s what I think, but it could just be that Oshi isn’t nearly as rambunctious as Perrito.  Despite the helmet around his head, Perrito is still very active.

Of course, it doesn’t make for very good photographs…you can’t even see his face.

Oshi you can see because he’s always following Gretchen around snuggling up to her ankles whenever she stops.

Oshi is pretty photogenic, though I think if you see Perrito in his right light, he has a friendly, if not comic, aire about him…especially with that lampshade. But his eye is healing…it’s looking better every day.

And the lampshade doesn’t really slow him down…at least not on such a sunny fun day as this!

Maybe that’s why Oshi was hugging Gretchen all day — too warm for romping!

He did have fun, though, rolling around in the cool grass while Perrito tried to catch me.  Can’t be done, buddy, can’t be done!

After this romp, Gretchen took me with her when she walked Gerta.  Gerta was thrilled to see us again and was equally excited to wear that backpack again. Go figure.  We walked through the neighborhood stopping at key locations for photographic moments. First stop, the coffee shop to drop off business cards…

Next stop was at the camel. Yes, the camel.  Gerta was much more willing to pose than I was…

The cool thing about the backpack is that it wears Gerta out. She isn’t exhausted but 15 minutes into our walk and she’s not pulling us anymore. She’s walking right behind slogging the extra weight through the neighborhood.

Of course, then she sees a pigeon and there’s no stopping her!

Who was next? Oh yeah, Teabiscuit…but today Gretchen left Monty and me behind so Teabiscuit could have a walk without worry about the big dogs around her.  And she got to play fetch, something she LOVES as much as I do!

According to Gretchen, Teabiscuit is quite the retriever. She would have played for hours, but it was warm out and Biscuit got hot quickly.  Well, not too quickly…she always begged for more.

Monty and I went for one last walk after Gretchen returned, but then we were pretty worn out so we rested and snacked on turkey treats…

And then Monty lounged some more…which is kind of funny because Monty doesn’t quite fit in my bed.

Doesn’t seem to stop him though.

Ah bed…that sounds kind of good on this Friendly Friday. I’m a bit worn out myself so I think I’ll call it a day and hit the sack…wait, AFTER supper!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Rubin

Wet Indecisions

We couldn’t decide today whether or not to go for our morning walk, just Gretchen and me. The rain that started yesterday afternoon, continued like Noah’s flood and nothing looked very appealing. Therefore, we decided to work inside and see if the clouds might lighten up a bit. And what do you know? By the time we picked up Ollie for our first walk of the day, we were experiencing “intermittent spitting,” as Gretchen likes to call it. When we got to the park to play, drizzle came and drizzle went and we stayed relatively dry.

Of course, Ollie still had to wear the raincoat because everything was so undecided — the weather, where we’d end up playing — that Gretchen thought it best to strap it on him. Amazing that he doesn’t mind, but he really doesn’t care. In fact, he gets mighty excited when Gretchen pulls the coat out of her bag and tries her best to settle his wiggly body down long enough to put it on him.

Ollie knows how to wiggle!

We started out at the park playing fetch, but after a few spurts of energy, Ollie just hung out by Gretchen and well, that isn’t exercise now is it?

I tried to engage him, slamming my body and my ball into his body, but he just wasn’t that interested (probably because he could smell the treats in Gretchen’s pocket!)

Gretchen had a hard time getting photographs today — partly because of the rain, but partly because all the ones she took just didn’t feel right to her. Still, she snapped away hoping to capture the fun of our frolics.

Here’s what she got…

Ollie kind of gave up after this so we headed over to the tennis courts to see if we could reengage him again! Didn’t take much!

We gave Ollie a pretty good rub down before we dropped him back off at his house and then headed to meet up with Gerta.  I’d never met Gerta before so I was a tad bit nervous. She wasn’t. She was gung ho to play with me and immediately went into a play bow the second she saw me.  Generally, a play bow is pretty easy for a dog to do, but Gretchen had strapped on a backpack to Gerta making a play bow pretty difficult.

Why a backpack? Well, Gerta’s been struggling with excessive energy. I know what that’s like. Home alone. Nobody to play with. Things that are usually forbidden start to look really interesting. To burn off some of that extra energy, Gretchen loaded up my backpack with lentils and canned food with the intention of making Gerta carry a little extra poundage.  She didn’t mind at all and frankly, the backpack looks better on her than it does on me! I hate that thing!

The tactic worked (as far as we know) because 15 minutes into the walk, Gerta was panting. We’ll have to check with her parents to make certain she stayed away from the forbidden objects — like the leather boots and cereal boxes!

Gerta wore the pack proudly and even when she saw a pigeon (something she dearly

loves) she didn’t seem encumbered by the weight on her back.

To make sure Gerta was good and tired, we walked a lot today and stopped every once in awhile to rest. Stopping is always a cue for Gretchen to whip out her camera and try to position us into the exact spot she wants.

I’m kind of bored with this (day in and day out!) and so I decided to teach Gerta a few of my stretching techniques.  Doga it’s called, like Yoga for dogs.

First, you look this way…

Then you stretch back over this way making certain not to lose your grounded center…breathe, breathe, breathe deeply…

Then you look up…wait, Gerta, downward facing dog comes later…

As you can see, we got along famously and even walked home side by side.  I’m excited to walk with Gerta again tomorrow!

After Gerta went home, we went straight up the hill to pick up Teabiscuit. She’s still not sure she likes me very much…see that look in her eye?

But I think secretly, Teabiscuit does like me. Whenever another dog approached, one we didn’t know, she’d sidle right up to me for protection…

Of course, she also kept her distance, but was very obedient when Gretchen called her near for a little cuddle time…

Teabiscuit and I have a lot in common. Chief among our traits are our nervousness around strange dogs and our love of eating green grass!

After our long walk, Gretchen stopped by a cafe near Teabiscuit’s house to post some of her business cards. We waited very patiently outside and I made sure no one came near my Biscuit!

Give her time…she’ll come around and see what a swell fellow I am!

After Teabiscuit it was back in the car for our long drive to agility class. It was a big night since we got to run a whole course! We’ve never done that before and while I missed a few parts, I did really well on the jumps and the tunnels. Frankly, it’s Gretchen who has to learn to give me the right cues and she has a long way to go before she has it down…let me tell you!

Uh, excuse me. I’m right here!

Well come on, you know it’s true. I can only go where you send me and sometimes you don’t know where to send me do you?

You’re right, Rube. I’ll keep working on it, which means you’ll have to be patient when I get to those points of indecision.

No worries. It’s all good.

Until tomorrow,

Rubin

Learning Patience

Wednesdays and Fridays Monty comes over and we walk, we eat lunch together, we hang out, and most importantly, we play.  Our playing is pretty physical and consists of lots of boxing, dancing on our back legs, and leaping off the back porch (among other things). But Gretchen says Monty is getting older and that the romping is tough on his body, that he, in fact, is suffering from a strained front leg and must take it easy.

So she made me PROMISE that if Monty spent the day with us, I would not harass him into playing in our usual fashion — all physical and crazy. I promised, but let me tell you, it required amazing patience on my part.

We started the day with a nice long walk along the lake. This was torture because both Monty and I love to swim.  We didn’t get very close to the water and Monty was deeply disturbed by this. So disturbed, he kept looking longingly at the water asking me, “What’s up, dude?”  I did not engage…that took a lot of patience, too. I mean, mega tons of patience!

In fact, while he looked desperately at the water, I stared off in the distance trying to imagine my happy place only that didn’t work because frankly, my happy place involves Monty, a large body of water, and a chance to run and frolic to my heart’s content.

My heart is not content.

Monty then turned his attention to Gretchen trying to get her to engage in the conversation. “What’s up, G?”

“You’re recovering, Monty. We have to take it easy.”

“Take it easy? But that’s not what we do?  We (you, me, and Rubin) play. I so look forward to it all week long and now you tell me it’s not going to happen?  What’s with that? That’s like telling a Australian shepard not to herd or a lab not to retrieve or a cat not to sleep.”

“I know, buddy, but if we take care of your leg now, they’ll be more romping in the future. If we don’t, then romping might be out for a very long time.”

“Don’t you know dogs live in the now? Don’t give me that “in the future” line.  That means nothing to me. I want to romp now!”

It went on like this for quite awhile, but eventually we continued on our walk with Monty shaking his curly head in disbelief and I continued to lick nervously! Sorry buddy.

When we got back to the house, I was kept at bay while Gretchen encouraged Monty to relax and take a load off.  Ironically, Monty doesn’t need much encouragement to relax. He’s very good at it and loves to relax in my bed, which looks a bit too small for his manly frame.

While Monty rested, Gretchen and I went next door and fetched up Oshi and Perrito.  We went for another walk, but we also stopped at the tennis courts so I could play some fetch (something I can’t do in front of Monty) and the boys ran themselves silly.

Oshi was particularly frisky and worked on his dance moves in the middle of the tennis courts while Perrito tried to figure out how to pick up a stick so he could chew it up!

They even chased each other and then Oshi got tired and just stood around looking handsome.

Perrito didn’t tire out, though, and he went silly chasing me around the court and just running for the sake of running. Must be hard to see where you’re going with that lampshade on, though.

Next up…well, I got to go back and hang with Monty (no playing in the house!) and we both got some lunch (it was actually my breakfast) while Gretchen went to Gerta’s house to take her for a walk.

Gerta is, apparently, always happy to see Gretchen and much more patient than I am.  She waits for Gretchen to put on her leash and waits at the front door before they go out.  I think she must be older!

And then they went walking, which is something Gerta really likes!  Almost as much as she likes posing for the camera!

The many faces of Gerta…

This last photo was right before Gerta received a treat. Gretchen continues to teach her some commands like “leave it” and “touch” and “right here.” Gerta does quite well though for some reason when she sees certain people, she has a hard time not wanting to visit them.

And she’s a very strong dog so Gretchen has to use all her weight to get Gerta going in the right direction.

Once Gretchen got home, she took Monty and me out again for another long walk.  It started to rain then, but not too hard and I, once again, engaged my patience — NO ROMPING, NO WRESTLING, NO TACKLING.

Jeez!

Hopefully Monty will get better soon and we can go at it like we always do, but Gretchen tells me not to get my hopes up — he is, she says, getting older and I must not only be patient, but I must be gentler with my best friend.

Until tomorrow,

Patient Rubin

My Dogs Is Tired

I have to admit…I am one tired dog. It’s been a long week and today was a long day so I suppose it’s not a surprise that I’m ready for bed.

But duty calls, though I’ll tell you right now, I’m not up to my usual verbal wrangling tonight. My apologies in advance. Instead, I will share our day in pictures and let me tell you there are quite a few of them!

First, I met a new friend today. Her name is Roo and she took quite a fancy to me! She followed me everywhere and even played a few rounds of fetch with me.  That was fun though it would have been more fun if Monty had joined in.

Monty is in recovery, though. He got to run after a couple of balls, but then he started in with a slight gimp and Gretchen put him back on the leash. He was none too happy.  Gretchen feels bad, though, because she thinks this move (see photo below) aggravated his sore leg:

It’s true. Monty likes to pounce on the ball and this pounce probably was the culprit. But what’s a dog to do? Some habits are really hard to break.  So onto the leash he went and he was really disappointed when Rico joined in the play!

Rico and Roo play at this field often so maybe we’ll all be able to get together again some time soon. For now, pictures of our friends will have to suffice.

Looking back, I think this romp with Roo is what put me on the road to tiredness this evening!

Of course all the fetching probably added to this exhaustion as well…

Even Rico got into the act!

I wonder if Rico and Roo are as tired as I am?

After the morning romp, Monty stayed at our house while Gretchen and I walked the boys — Oshi and Perrito. It must be tough having this view of the world…

…but Perrito seems to be adjusting to his life in the collar.  Oshi still kind of steers clear, though…

During our walk, the sun just started to show itself. Finally. Oshi, Perrito, and I really enjoyed it…

I did get a bit of rest while Gretchen went to Gerta’s house for a walk.  Gerta also learned a new trick today.  It’s called “touch” and Gretchen tells me she was quick to pick it up. It’s a trick I know as well. It’s simple, really, but it requires the dog (me or Gerta) to touch our noses to the palm of Gretchen’s hand.  If we do, we get a treat or a ball thrown or lots and lots of rubs.  Gerta liked the rubs the best!

Now that’s a look of contentment!

The work day ended with a Teabiscuit walk. As you know, Teabiscuit is a bit dog-fearful. She adjusted pretty well to me yesterday, but since Monty spent the day with us, well he came along with us this afternoon. Even though they look alike, it took most of the walk for Teabiscuit to warm up (slightly) to the big Sir Moncelot.

Ironically, whenever she got scared of Monty, she walked close to me, but eventually, she and Monty walked side by side.

She still had that look in her eye and at one point she used it to warn Monty to keep his distance…

But by the end of the walk, she had her tail up and didn’t seem too terrified of us anymore…

The day ended with one last walk with Monty (after dinner) and then we took him home.

Well, I made it through this blog and again I apologize for the lack of wit and wisdom, but it’s the weekend and I’m ready for some R and R.

Goodnight and sweet dreams,

Rubin

Getting To Know You

No rain. Whew!  After yesterday, I thought I was going to have to build an ark (or is that a bark…can’t remember.) Anyway, the rain only came this afternoon on our drive back from agility class. Can I tell you in words how much I like agility? Probably not so I won’t even try.

Today was a full day; agility was just the last in a long line of events. First up, Ollie and I got to go to Magnuson Off-Leash Park. That’s two times this week for me. Ollie had never been there before, but he thought it was cool beans.  He played Mr. Visitor greeting every dog who passed us.

And I mean EVERY dog!

Personally, I find the whole meet and greet routine boring. I’d rather play fetch or better yet, go swimming, but water and Ollie don’t mix so we just had to play in the park.

Fine by me because that meant that my ball got thrown again and again and again and I raced passed all those visiting dogs on my fetching quest.

Surprisingly, after yesterday’s Noah-fest (as in rain) the park wasn’t too wet.  Sure, there were puddles and Gretchen did her best to steer us clear of them, but there wasn’t even a lot of mud. Good thing because as much as I like mud, I know that a bath soon follows and frankly, I’m not a big fan of baths.

It’s most important, though, to keep Ollie out of the mud and water. Though we are both labardoodles, our hair is very different. Ollie is all fleece, thick as a sheep’s while mine is finer and more course.  His mats in dreadlocks. Mine just tangles in places and then curls. I get wet and my hair curls more. Ollie gets wet and he becomes a walking mat.  I guess it wouldn’t be a good idea to teach him to like swimming!

But trust me — the boy knows how to party at the dog park!

After our romp with Ollie, Gretchen dropped me off at home (for a bit of rest) while she met up with Gerta. Gerta, apparently, had been a bad dog because her dad was there washing off her feet after she got into the ink cartridges. Oops.

But she looks so innocent?

You may be asking yourself — interesting picture. Cute dog, but what’s that on the telephone pole behind Gerta?

Great question.  One thing Gretchen is always taking pictures of are shoes dangling from telephone wires around the city.  I’m not sure why she’s obsessed with this oddity, but she is and often we have to stop in the middle of our walk so she can focus on the pair of sneakers or dress shoes hanging from the wires.

Her theory is that every town in America (and maybe even in other countries) has shoes dangling from wires.  She’s taken it upon herself to seek out these shoes, photograph and catalogue them into a photo album. What she’ll do with them all who knows, but the album is getting quite full!

Humans are weird.

Anyway, she was pleased today to find more shoes only these pairs were NOT dangling from the wires of telephone poles. Nope, the were actually ON the telephone pole…the very one in which Ms. Gerta is posing in front of!  I think Gretchen watched too much GET SMART when she was a child.

Gerta, apparently, got tired of posing in front of the shoes, so she got up and stuck her nose in Gretchen’s camera. Yes, this is Gerta’s nose!

Gretchen got the hint and they walked on down the street exploring the possibility of more shoes…

After Gerta, Gretchen came back to pick me up so that I could meet Teabiscuit. Teabiscuit, as her name implies, is very small. Not the smallest dog I’ve ever met, but still small. She’s not sure she likes big dogs, that’s for sure, so I had to be Mr. Aloof to get her to warm up to me.

Here I am ignoring her.  We walked from her house down to Madrona Woods and the whole way there, Teabiscuit walked behind us — I mean at the end of her leash behind us.  When we got to the woods, Gretchen let me roam free and even though I really wanted to play with Teabiscuit, I didn’t want to startle her so I pretended she wasn’t even there.

Eventually, Teabiscuit asked about me all the while Gretchen comforted her with soft words and gentle rubs around her chin…she liked that.

That’s when the posing began. First, Gretchen put Teabiscuit on a rock so she’d sit up taller than me. This was to give her the illusion of power.

Then she put us side by side — well, there was some distance between us, but still, we were fairly close.

It was all over after that!  We walked all the way back home side by side. I am such a clever fellow.

And then, after all the walking and the romping and lessons on being friends, I got to go to agility class.  That’s like eating ice cream after eating a really good dinner!

Happiness to all!

Rubin