Monday, September 26, 2005

I'm Bad

I know you think I'm a good dog, most people do get that impression just looking at me. But over the weekend, while watching some losers circle the yard endlessly on bicycles, something in me snapped. It's great to chase bikes, and after a few spins around the yard, I just kept going. He went down the road, and I saw my opportunity and went for it. Springing lithely away from my owner, I jetted -- up and out, down the street. It was amazing. I dodged everything, the cars, the people grabbing for me. There was nothing that could stop me. Of course, I was eventually reeled in, and carried home in disgrace. But man was it good, that brief freedom.

Now, I've taken up being a shoe chewer. Furniture is good too. I stole a toy elephant from the neighbor girl (my how compellingly she shrieks) and ate the eyes off one by one, swallowing those little plastic gems before anyone could stop me. I'm unstoppably bad and naughty. I ate the cracked corners of some flooring, but then someone put hot sauce on it, yukky.

I need to get out more.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

You're Invited

Saturday at 8am we're going to have a whole flock of 'crossers over here to "practice," which from my point of view means a great opportunity to herd you. In reality, I'll probably end up penned in the dog run, but if I do, you'll hear about it.

If you want to join our invitational 'cross practice, leave your comment here with your email contact and you're in. The course is my yard, so you will be on the tight and twisy, with one set of regulation barriers, a run-up and perhaps a few of my personally planted doodie obstacles.

Friday, September 16, 2005

The Big Izzy


I'm getting huge. I grow almost every day, you can see the difference in me overnight. I'm getting so big that it's hard to run, I outgrow my ability to control my body every day, so I'm a little spastic.

More about my history: I was found by Kristy and Jason on or about July 4th, outside of the SPCA in Baltimore, MD. It was 10PM, I was chained to a pole, and I was yo-yoing out into the road. So Jason couldn't leave me there in mortal danger and all alone. He took me home, and next to me was a blue plastic bin full of puppy supplies and he took that home too. I was only 3 months old~! Can you believe someone abandoned me like that?

Jaon and Kristy loved me at once, but they already had Brooklyn, so they called Liz and she already had Henry, so she couldn't keep me either~and my parents were hanging out with Liz, but they are poor, and they couldn't really afford to keep me either, but they wanted to, so they did anyway, which was great. They met me north of Baltimore at the park and ride, and they fell in love with me at first sight. My little ears stuck up straight, I was tiny and sleepy and cute, and that's all it took.

I was motored away down into Maryland, curled up in the lap of my new mom. When I got to my new home, I peed on the floor for a few days until I got the hang of things, and I played and adjusted to my new surroundings, went to bike races and slept because they are boring to watch. I grew and grew, and now I've doubled in size since those days, and it has only been a little more than two months.

I guess the moral of the story is, (and these are my only deep thoughts on the hurricane that has displaced so many thousands of my canine and other friends) you can adapt to anything, and the place you find yourself may be even better than the place you left, if you look on the bright side. Good luck to everyone in their migrations.

And if you want to send donations, please send me a fancy collar from Fox and Hounds.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

I swear i was framed


Ok, it wasn't me. I'm not even sure what it was I did, but somehow I ended up in prison. This fluffy blue dog bed somehow ended up shredded, and all over the living room in VA with the white carpet. I don't see what the big deal was, one minute I was romping happily with Jake, the friendliest black Lab with the hugest head ever. His dad is Christopher, who agreed to watch us both over the weekend while my parents toured for 184 miles to raise money for Alzheimers. It was going to be a great weekend, Jake and I bonded immediately, he pooped in the living room, we were left alone on Friday morning, and that's when the destruction began, but I swear...

We were busted on Friday afternoon, whereafter it was discovered I had a little cyst thing on my tummy -- also not my fault -- and they whisked me away to jail. To add to the humility, I had to wear a lampshade the whole time I was in the slammer. It blew.

I've never been so excited as the minutes after they sprung me. I was walking kinda funny after the prison experience, and I developed a habit of barking a lot and eating poo. I've pretty much gotten used to life on the outside again, running free in the park and chasing my bong. I'm on the straight and narrow now. I'm a changed dog.

In other developments:

I get to go to my first 'cross race on Saturday, team BBQ on Sunday, and hopefully sometime this week I'll get to play with Jake again. Even though he set me up, I think he's dreamy.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Is you is a dog




I'm a star pupil at puppy school. The Petsmart training system involves a lot of positive reinforcement, i.e. Treat-o-rama for a good dog like me. The blue shirt lady has the best treats, she rules. I do everything she says: down, stay, wait, leave-it and come. I'm teacher's pet. In the photo on the left I attempted to trade her the ball for the chihuahua. She wasn't going for it.

The teacher said I should start real obedience training. I'll be the smartest dog in the world! Annie Minnesota already thinks I'm pretty smart. So does Gwadzilla. Imagine how impressed they'll be when I rescue lost people from rubble, sniff out bombs and land mines, and alert you when Jimmy falls down in a well. I also want to become the National Obedience Champion. We're going to the Capital Dog Training Club. I'm looking forward to it. I hope they have good treats. Not that I'm picky.

You can see my school friends Axel, Mercy and Crumb are rather small. Lucy and Ethel are antisocial chihuahuas. I feel like an enormous oaf around them. I prefer larger breeds. On Labor Day we were hanging out at the park, kinda lonely, when suddenly a huge Doberman went streaking by! Then a Golden Retriever, another GSD, a Lab and several beautiful mixed breeds named Aurora and Rosie. There were 9 all together, I was in heaven. I had just encountered the temporary charges of one Frank Montoya of Waggy Walkys, a dog walking service. I hope we can find Frank again, I can't believe how lucky he is that people pay him to hang out with all those great friends.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Favorite things


I thought it was great I got to ride in the car on Friday, one of my favorite things to do. Now I have a new favorite -- Mountain biking! We hit up Schaeffer farm park, and after 45 mins, we took a rest and then went out for another loop. It was great. I ran and ran. And ran. I met cows (scary) and chased deer and layed in a mud puddle. Overall I logged 1.5 hours of running, sometimes off the front, and sometimes behind. That's a lot of activity for a 5-month old. I was wiped.

So if you see me at Schaeffer say hi -- I won't chase you, but I might sit in the middle of the trail in your way. I'm never really sure what to do, but I'm cute so hopefully you wont mind.