Cook Out!

We had our first cookout of the year and it was a great one. Hamburgers, chicken, brats, beans and french fries. I ate a lot of chicken and a little of the other stuff. I kept running back and forth between Mom and Gary and got a lot more that way. Look at me enjoying our cookout food and drink!

Spring Fun

What a great surprise today, Spring!! Mom told me she would take me out to play in the snow again today, but the snow was gone!! We went to the park and took a long walk. There were a lot of other dogs and kids there too. It was a lot of fun. I found a squirrel and he took off running up a tree. Mom figured he would go up the tree, so she let me run over and he ran back down the tree and took off, with mom and I in tow... it was fun chasing him. If only I had been off leash, I would have got him!!!

Fun in the snow!

We went out and played in the snow today. It was a lot of fun, we played bumper a lot. And then I tracked the bunny and found where they sleep. Unfortunately, they weren't in their beds!! I also found squirrel tracks and tracked them up a tree. And then there was some critter in the wood pile and I was trying to scare him out. Mom was laughing at me, but I knew what I was doing!! I would poke and dig and scratch in the middle and then watch the end for him to come out. You have to keep an eye on them or they will get away from you. I also helped Mom pick up branches from all the storms we have had.

After lunch, we did some more ball work. We tried something new and it really helps. We put the ball by the couch, then I can jump up on the couch and walk out onto the ball. The best part of the ball exercise is that I get lots of good peanut butter.

We also did some pivots and mat work. We have been working on right pivots and I have made a lot of progress. Gary said they are just as good as my left ones. My mat is a lot of fun, I like running to my it and do a great job!

Snow!!

We had a lot of snow last night. It was funny to get up and see all the snow outside as it was pouring rain when we went to bed. Luckily Mom was going to work from home today anyways, so it was like a real "snow day" for me.

I had chicken necks for breakfast and a big marrow bone to chew on all day. Gary came home for lunch and brought us a sandwich.

It was a great day except that our class was cancelled because of the snow. I was looking forward to class, but get to go next week instead.

Doing better

I am feeling much better after just a couple of days, so we think it is because of the chondroitin. I have felt really good and being very ornery, Gary was teasing and told me to take it again. I know he was just teasing me.

Mom and I played a lot tonight. We did some PT, practiced our signals and rally exercises, and played some fun games. We have a trial in a few weeks, so we are focusing on that right now.

Feeling bad

I haven't felt well for a few days so Mom took me to see Dr. Karen. I didn't need any adjustments, but she said that something was bothering my liver. I have been grouchy and lethargic and she said that it would make me feel that way. I started taking some chondroitin for my back and she said that could be the reason. So I am to stop taking the chondroitin and start taking milk thistle to help my liver. Mom is really upset tonight as she is very worried about me. When we got home, we ate dinner and then snuggled. That was good with me too!

Holiday!

We had a Holiday today! We had a fun day, we slept in, played on the peanut ball and played some games in the morning. We also played with my new ball on a rope toy, I really like it because it is fun! Then Mom had to go get the oil changed in our van and go to work for awhile, but Gary surprised me and came home for lunch. When Mom came home and we played some more. Then we snuggled on the couch and watched a movie, that was nice!

Fun Day at the Training Building

Mom and I rented the ARF building today and we had sooo much fun!! We played games, agility, rally, retrieving and just running around. Mom was very impressed with my contacts and weaves, I did a very good job. We did some directive jumping too and I was really focused on doing the right thing as Mom would throw in some different things so I had to pay good attention. The best part was lots of food, fun and stretching my legs!! And then we walk out and it is snowing!! I slept all the way home.

FUN Day!

I had a great day today, we made food - 120# of it!! I got to be the taste tester and eat lots of chicken necks. Food days are always fun. But then we went out and played in the yard, it is so nice to go out in my yard again. I didn't realize you could miss your yard so much.

And after all that, we went to the park to walk. There were not many people there and we were the only ones on the path. I enjoyed all the new smells as the path goes through some woods.

Now, we are off to play!! I am not sure what Mom has planned for tonight, but I am ready!!!

New Exercise

Mom and Gary made me new PT equipment. I now have a "round" buja board. It is fun, I run over and put my back feet on it and step side to side. The best part is that I get cookies!!

Tug Throwing

Mom and Gary were watching Gray's Anatomy and I wanted to play!! I kept giving them my tug, but they did not get up. So I invented a new game - tug throwing. That got their attention. I put the great big tug on the end of my nose and I threw it over my head and across the room. I think what really got their attention is that it was aimed at the TV, the curio with all the glass and my crystal edge on the table. Mom kept telling me we already played for an hour, so, I want to play more!!! I like the new game I came up with!

Helping!

I like to help Mom on the computer! Even sitting at her desk is fun. She is okay with me sitting in her chair, it is when I steal things or stand on the desk that she gets after me.

Taters!

We had noodles and potatoes for dinner tonight. I got to lick the potatoes off the plate. I wasn't sure why everyone was laughing at me when we were done. And then Mom took my picture. I guess I had some taters on my chin and nose! But I'm still cute!

Work from home day!

Mom worked from home today and I loved it! I stayed under her desk until breakfast and then we had french toast! We have not had that for a long time! Then I got a big marrow bone, those are so good and fun to chew. Then I went outside and watched the neighbors for awhile (Mom says Gary taught me how to be a nosy neighbor!) After I was bored with that I came in and chewed my bone some more.

It was a busy day for me as I was up and doing something most of the day. It was time to relax by mid afternoon.

I give!

After a full tummy and then some clicker training with Mom, I curled up with Gary and relaxed! It ended up being a great day.

Our park is great!

We went to the park to see how bad it was. Our yard is still all ice and snow covered so we were not sure about the park. Wow, we couldn't believe it. They had plowed the entire path. How great is this!! We took a 2 mile walk this afternoon and it was so nice outside. We stopped half way around for me to take my coat off it was so nice. Lots of great smells and the wind blowing and the sun shining.

The funny thing was that mom never checked our back yard, just the middle yard and potty yard. When we got home, she went out to poop scoop and realized the back yard was almost completely melted. So after our nice walk, I got to run in the back yard too!! What a great day. It has been a long time since I have been out there to run, I have sure missed it!

This is me trying to stay awake for dinner. After our long walk and my big run, now I am a little tired! Mom is holding me up.

Bored!! Bored!! Bored!!

I let Mom know just how bored I am. When she was trying to get ready, I kept stealing everything and running away with it. The goal is for her to say "bring it" and I do and get cookies. Well today the game was up! She chased me down and she retrieved everything from me. No fun!! I was stealing entire stacks of papers, notebooks, you name it. But... she promised to find someplace for me to stretch my legs. I guess I won after all.

Valentine's Surprise

We received a fun Valentine's envelope from Grandma. She sent us cute cards and money!! Mom said that I can get a BOSU ball with my Valentine's money. I really like doing my PT exercises and the bosu ball will be a lot of fun. Hopefully we can get it this weekend. I would like something new to do since we cannot play outside.

My Grandma is great and she is really nice to me!!!

Rally Class

We had rally class tonight. We had fun but I knew Mom was tired and I was not quite as focused. We worked on our stays for our obedience trial in a few weeks. I really do not see the point of stays. I think they are kind of silly, but Mom wants me to do them... I did a great job on the APDT course though, that is my favorite. And we worked on directive jumping, I am great at that now! I also did some tunnels and some weave poles in between the courses. Mom was impressed with my poles as I have not done a set of 12 poles in months and I nailed my entry and did them fast and single strided (whatever that means, I just heard mom tell Gary :)

Home Depot night

We went to Home Depot tonight. It is fun to go more often because of the weather. I really enjoy seeing all the people and especially the kids! Tonight a dad and 2 kids liked watching me. They were impressed at how smart I am. Everyone working there really like me too, they were rubbing me on my down stay, but I was a good boy and stayed there.

Before we left, Mom and I just walked around and I got to run some too. I really like to go, but I wish all the ice would go away so I can run in my backyard.

Physical Therapy night

We wanted to do something different and fun, so we did a lot of different PT exercises. Mom brought all kinds of things up from the basement for me to climb on, back up on, put my rear on and sit on. Luckily she has some skid stuff to put on them so I wouldn't fall or slide off. We had fun and I learned the new things really fast. My favorite was to walk across the stool stopping with my back feet on it. Probably because that was the exercise that *I* came up with! Here are pictures of me doing all the new fun things.

Super Bowl Sunday

This is Gary and I "watching" the Super Bowl. After our big meal and lots of snacks it is nap time! As well as Mom and I played a lot today.

More Home Depot Fun

I went back to Home Depot today (YEA!) and we worked and visited. I had so many people tell Mom how good I am. They were amazed at my heeling and focus. One lady asked Mom how long we had worked together, she just liked watching me. Then I met three men (son, father, grandfather) and they really liked me!! I had a lot of fun with them and they said I was so calm. So the son acted like he was going to wrestle with me and I showed them how I could switch from working to wrestling :) They thought I was cute! I also met a little girl that I could look in her eyes as we were the same height, she liked me a lot!! I had to work on my sit stay and down stay too, they are not so much fun as it is boring to just sit there with so many people I could visit.

Hopefully we can play some more tonight, we are not interested in watching the Super Bowl. So I think we should play some fun games!

Home Depot

Mom and I went to Home Depot today as I needed to get out and DO something!! The backyard is ice and I am not allowed to run, so we went to Home Depot. We spent some time working and most of the time just walking around and visiting. I really like to meet people and almost everyone likes to meet me too! Mom calls me a social butterfly - I do NOT think I look like a butterfly!!! I did see the Energizer Bunny there and was a little concerned at first but then I got to go touch him and everything was fine. Maybe we can go again tomorrow too!

Shredder Edge

I like to help Mom around the house, I am a GREAT shredder. Who needs to own a shredder with me around :)

Great class

We went to rally class tonight and had a lot of fun. We did two great courses and then had some time to work on our stuff. Mom is insisting on changing the order of our exercises. I know how to do them and now she thinks she has to change them. Plus she took some "sit challenge" and now we have to do all these weird sit exercises. I did a sit on recall, a running sit, a backwards sit and I cannot even remember the other ones. I guess they are fun as I get great cookies when I do them right. I did my best heeling ever in class. Mom has changed a couple of things and it makes it a lot easier for me and I did awesome heeling :) Thanks to PoodleMom for some great photos so Mom could see some things she was doing wrong.

On the way home from class we went to Panera and got a great big cinnamon roll. Their cinnamon rolls are the best. We put it in the microwave and enjoyed it for our after class snack. YUM!!

Sled Rugs

I found out tonight that the rugs Mom put on the deck are great sleds. I have always liked to run and leap on the deck and slide across it. With all the frozen snow and ice, I really couldn't slide as it was all lumpy. However, now with some warmer weather and the great rugs Mom put out there, I can use them as sleds and slide across the deck on them. It was a lot of fun until Mom made me stop. She is always afraid I will get hurt.

More pictures

Look at how good I watch Mom and in anticipation too!



My dumbbell return:


Good Job Mom!

More Pictures of ME

Here are more pictures of Mom and I at the APDT rally trial. All photos taken by PoodleMom.
this is mom and I watching, she was watching the trial, I was watching all the girl dogs :)

This is one of me retrieving my dumbbell. I really like to retrieve!

More Ice

I refused to walk on the deck, so Mom went out front and stomped down the ice/snow and we ventured out. After we got across the solid ice driveway it wasn't bad. Well, because Mom "fixed" it for me. I still couldn't potty out there so we went in the house. Then we went back out and then back in and back out. Well, you get the picture. Finally at 9:30 Mom stood in one place and told me we were NOT going back inside until I went potty. I tried once and slipped a little, but she didn't care. So I finally did it. Then I tried to run in circles and made Mom laugh, but she made me stop so we would not fall down.

Today she put rugs across the deck so that I could walk on the rugs. When I first went out, I thought "what are those" and made sure I walked around them!! She and Gary thought that was funny. Mom came out and explained to me (and showed me) what they are for. Wow, that was great. Now I can walk on the deck without slipping!!

ICE!!

OMG, how am I supposed to potty?? I can't even stand up outside. It is all uneven and slippery and every time I try to lift my leg I slide. I got so upset I bit the ground, but it didn't help. Mom keeps telling me to be "easy" well, yea, I'm not going to try to run in this stuff!!

Then it started raining ice and I was covered. I tried to wipe myself off on Mom's pants but she kept running from me. She finally got a towel and dried me off.