y is for the toy called 'yellow'

Dorothy and me have a toy called 'yellow.'  It's kind of a kong toy, but the name kong was already given to another toy so mommy and I decided yellow would be a good name for it.  What makes yellow special is that when ever mommy says 'Baxter, go get yellow' I know that means it's time for peanut butter!  Once I grab it and give it to her, she takes yellow and the other kong into the kitchen, fills them both with peanut butter and then hands them to me and Dorothy.

Although I really like fetching yellow for mommy - that's only because I know what it means.  I still prefer to eat my peanut butter out of the proper kong so Dorothy always ends up with yellow in the end.

u is for upside-down

I've said it before and I know I'll say it again: Dorothy's weird.  She likes to play with her toys upside-down!  Here are some photos of her doing it with Snoopy:

And here she is with the blue bone:

Sometimes she doesn't even need a toy - she'll just start rolling 'round upside- down on the floor for no reason, like a real crazy dog!  I always go over to her, hoping to snap her out of it, but she doesn't stop! She just tries to make me to do it as well.  As if!  I like my play time with all paws on the ground!  Does any one else know if this behavior is normal?  It's always confused me ... 

Bax

s is for Sunday-best

For special occasions mommy likes Dorothy and me to wear our Sunday-best.  This used to be a t-shirt with a bow-tie printed on it for me and a crystal collar for D, but then our Australian Aunty Anna gave me a tie for Christmas and D got a rosette.  Just in time too, because D managed to get her collar off and eat it, shiny piece by piece.

Mommy puts on our Sunday-best whenever we have to look and act our best, like trips to grandmas or when her and dad are visiting friends that let us come along to their place.  When she dresses us, she explains how we need to be careful while we're wearing our bests and not get them dirty or caught and all that other stuff.  As if I ever would!  I've never been like one of those irresponsible, rough-and-tumble kind of dogs that you see at the park anyway, but especially not while I have my tie on: I like it way too much!  Whenever I'm wearing my Sunday-best, I feel important and in charge.  People notice me and give me toys and treats.

Dorothy on the other hand? Well,  mommy might as well save her breath, I'm sure she doesn't understand anyway.  The moment D has her Sunday-best on, she starts fussing with the rosette, then after a while she forgets all about it and goes back to resembling those aforementioned park-dogs! No decorum or caution!  Sometimes I sit with my head dipped to one side and wonder why she just can't figure out that she can milk this!  I mean, when humans dress us in a cute way - then they just see us as 'cute' and do not take us seriously.  But when we're dressed in our most executive and best: humans quickly figure out who's boss!  I tried explaining this to D once - thinking she would act accordingly to get notice and respect - but it fell on huge, deaf ears.  She just thinks we should get treats and toys all the time.  It hasn't clicked.  And I suppose the day will come when she chews this collar up as well, without milking it's power, like a big dummy!

It's alright though, I like being the brain of the household anyway!  Thanks heaps Aunty Anna, for letting it be known to all!  Extra special cuddle time for you when I see you X

p is for paper

Ever heard the excuse 'my dog ate my homework?' well in our house it's a possibility.  Me and Dorothy LOVE ripping up paper!  Paper bags, receipts, gift wrap, tissue paper: you name it!  Even the cardboard rolls inside toilet paper and paper towels - we'll rip it all!  Mommy says we're better than a shredder and we're happy to help :) 

Most of the time mommy doesn't mind us ripping up paper that's left laying around, both the parents are pretty good about keeping the important stuff out of reach, but here are some pics of a time when we weren't supposed to rip up mommy's pink tissue paper - it was intended as Aunty Erica's gift wrap... 

heheh, so good, so fun hehehe

O wait... you mean we weren't supposed to pull this
down off the counter?  Ooops! I mean, it was Dorothy!

I've been right here literally the whole time..
nowhere near the tissue paper - it was all her, I promise!
See? Caught her red handed!

 ... And we love birthdays and Christmas because we get to unwrap all our own gifts! Here we are last Christmas, unwrapping our toys from Aunty Amy:

She knows we love unwrapping the paper so Aunty Amy always puts extra
layers around our Christmas toys... she's the greatest! 

... Now, if only we could stop eating the paper once we've shredded it apart... then mommy wouldn't have to put us on periodic paper bans! 

o is for opposites

Dorothy and I are chalk and cheese: complete opposites in every way.  I started this list a while back because it was obvious from the beginning just how opposite we were, but nothing new has been added in a while so I think this list is a pretty thorough one to explain our differences, and just in time for letter 'O.'

• I'm white / Dorothy's brown
• I have hair/ she has fur (that's why she sheds whereas I don't)
• I hate the crate/ she loves it!  
• I love chase toys/ she loves tug or chew toys
• I love the car / she hates it
• I love my harness and leash, jumping around whenever mommy gets it out/ she hates it and runs away from mommy when she sees it
• I'm toy driven/ she's food driven
• I love ham/ she loves fish 
• I'm picky/ she's easy-going
• I love to make the parents throw my ball so I can run around the house during 'TV' time/ she loves to lay all over mom and dad for cuddles 
• I'm cautious/ she's reckless and rough
• I smell flowers/ she eats 'em
• My ears flap down/ hers stand up
• My toe nails are see through/ hers are black
• I don't like strangers/ she thinks everyone's her bff (although as I mentioned in my yesterday's 'n for new people' post - she seems to be snapping out of this one!)
• I chase squirrels/ she chases birds
• I like to be alone/ she can't stand it
• I prefer belly rubs and hate people touching my ears because I get ear infections!/ she's the total opposite (yep you guessed it): hates people touching her sensitive belly and LOVES ear scratches
• I hate the bath/ so of course, Dorothy loves it!
• I like to snuggle my toys/ she likes to destroy them
• I love laying under a warm blanket or wearing a soft sweater when it's cold/ she hates anything like that touching her (even if she's cold) and will tear it up in no time if mommy's not around to stop her
• I don't lay on the ground/ she'll lay down anywhere!
• I'm cynical and hold grudges until I feel the person responsible is truly sorry/ Dorothy's happy-go-lucky, forgiving, trusting and doesn't know the meaning of 'angry.'

Can you believe it?  Opposite in every single way! Sure makes life here interesting! 

ying and yang

n is for new people

I look like a 'cutie-pie' (barf) but I'm actually quite a serious dog.  My parents call me a fuddy-duddy because I can get nervous in unfamiliar circumstances and I don't warm up easily to new people.  I was shy as a pup (they think I may have been the runt) and then I became protective of mommy and the house - barking at strangers that came to the door or spoke to us at the park.  Now that I have a baby sister to protect as well, I'm weary of some other dogs too.  

It's funny - I can't really explain it in a way humans can understand because I don't think you guys have the same special powers we dogs do - but I can tell a nice dog from a foul one ages away!  It doesn't matter if they're bigger or smaller than me, (I've had some of the best plays with Pit-bulls and German Shepherds) all that matters is their intention and I can always tell.  

Mommy says she wishes she had my ability to see humans for what they truly are from a distance the way I can with dogs.  I have to admit, it's harder with people but my policy has always been to proceed with caution with brand new people and slowly I think Dorothy is coming around to my approach as well. She used to run at everyone and jump on them or demand pats and cuddles straight away but after a few (not so polite) encounters, she's learnt what I've always known: that some people don't like dogs all over them and that although kids look fun, they are rough!

Kids are the ones I'm most weary of, especially when they come over to our place!  When they're inside the house, they HAVE to touch our toys - even the special ones Dorothy and I keep all to ourselves AND our most favorite and special toys too!  All the while, we aren't allowed to get upset or mommy puts us outside.  Even if they touch our bones!  When this happens, I sit outside and think: is it any wonder that a dog can take a while warming up when these kids come storming into our house, mess up our toys, pull our hair or dress us up!  I hope mommy and daddy never have one of their own.... Sharing them and my toys with Dorothy was bad enough!

m is for mealtimes!

Meals are every dog's favorite time of day.  Every dog that is, expect me.  I've always been much more excited about a walk, a drive or a game of fetch.  Don't get me wrong, I'll sit as well as the next dog for a juicy piece of turkey or (my fav) prosciutto but I don't beg or bother the parents while they're eating like Dorothy does.  Hanging under the table hoping for a scrap to fall on the floor is and has always been, well, beneath me!  (pun intended). 

I have always been a picky eater - the kind who only ate when I was hungry and never anything I didn't like.  Before we got Dorothy there were days I didn't eat breakfast at all.  Mommy could put dry morsels out in my dish and know that I'd take a bite if I was hungry.  That, plus my excellent toilet manners and unsupervised behavior meant that they could go out over night and not worry about me at all. 

Those days are gone.  Now that Dorothy's around and she needs supervision plus entertainment, we can't leave food out anymore (and the parents can't stay out late).  She will and does eat anything she can get her mouth on - even if it makes her sick.  It's kind of gross to watch and get so embarrassed when she begs in public, especially around people we don't know.  I stand back in indignation, while she goes crazy, hoping no one will realize she's related to me.  

When mommy does feed us, it's usually something good.  She knows very well by now what I won't eat and has stopped trying to make me. She knows I'll snack on dry morsels (Ideal Balance only!) but don't consider them a meal.  For dinner I like things mixed into them like ground beef, smoked turkey or ham, fish (as long as it's cooked), grated cheese, steamed vegetables, a boiled egg, bbq chicken or some of the canned food varieties by Ideal/ Science Diet.  The annoying thing is that D gets the same meal I do and I often think it's a waste of fresh meat since she'll just as easily inhale the (generic brand!) morsels dry and finish with a loud, rude burp!

when mommy makes fish for dinner we eat it too

For snacks we love raw fruit and vegetables - mommy gives us pumpkin, lettuce, apples, pears, cucumbers or anything else she has in the fridge.  She just won't let us eat onion, red things, croos-if-for-us vegetables or citrus.  

here's us munching on squash

and lettuce

a walk in freezing weather

Mommy says we're strange dogs - Dorothy and I.  We love to play outside when it's cold in the snow or rain but if it's cold and dry we'd rather stay inside. That's exactly what's been going on over the past couple of days since it got cold here again.  So cold that the stairs froze, became slippery and looked like this:

That's why whenever mommy let us out to go potty we haven't dilly or dallied, we just do our thing and run straight back inside where it's nice and warm. We were going on day three without a walk but then this morning mommy said we had cabin fever and were driving her crazy so she layered up and dressed us too (something Dorothy HATES hahaha) and made us go for a walk to 'get rid of our energy.'  I didn't mind.  Once I had my sweater on, I was ready to brave the wind but Dorothy complained all the way about having to wear a coat and be outside.  The only time she stopped crying was when her feet were washed and she was at home on the couch again. I have to roll my eyes at this, girls!

my ear was blowing in the wind!

that's better

Dorothy couldn't wait to get home

a word from Dorothy

Hi I'm Dorothy Mantooth, Baxter's little sister.  I've had a chance to look as his blog and I asked mom if I could also write something to let you all know a little about me.

The main thing to know about me is that I'm both a lover and a fighter.  I am friendly and cuddly to anyone but I also love a good rough-housing.  I get a bad wrap because Baxter says I can be too rough and most humans agree.  Even though I'm one and a bit, I still like to bite when I get excited.  Mommy calls it nibbling but Baxter disagrees.

Baxter is my best friend and hero.  I would (and do) follow him anywhere.  Luckily for me, he always makes good decisions so this hasn't lead to any trouble yet.  The most miserable times of my life so far have been when Baxter is taken away from me - like on drives with the parents or sleep overs at Aunty Amy's house.  I cry a lot and don't feel like playing until he's back.

I'm not picky about food the way Bax is.  I'll eat (and have eaten) literally anything.  My meal-manners are pretty great though - thanks to parental guidance - I've almost entirely stopped sticking my head into Baxter's dish while he's still eating.  Now I (mostly) sit and wait for him to finish his meals before I attempt to lick his bowl.  Sometimes this takes forever though since he's SUCH a slow eater and I tend to loose my patience and try to shove him out of the way.  He doesn't often get mad at me - but this really ticks him off.

The other thing about me is that, even though I'm a girl, I'm low maintenance: super low compared to Bax.  Mommy just has to wash and dry me, brush my teeth once a week, clean my ears once a month and take me to the groomers for a nail clipping every two.  Baxter gets the works - and often too.  He needs his ears and teeth cleaned way more than me AND always takes forever in a bath (especially after a hike when leaves and things get caught in his fur).  Plus has to go to the 'groomers' every so often for a complete haircut that always leaves him looking silly.

That about wraps me up.  Mommy's working on a funny post about how Baxter and I are completely opposite that she will post next week.  That'll help you to know even more about me.  Lots of love,
Dorothy

the case of the broken heater

It’s been cold inside and out around here lately.  Mom’s been putting our sweaters on us inside the house and that’s fine with me but driving Dorothy crazy.  Dorothy hates clothes and needs to be supervised when wearing them because she’ll chew them apart as soon as mom looks away so just before we go to sleep: mommy takes her sweater off her, wraps her in a blanket and puts her in her pen for the night.  

I don’t have to worry about any of this, I have the special kind of hair that doesn’t shed and cause daddy allergies so I’m allowed on the bed and under the covers when I get cold.  Dorothy’s hair gets all over everything so she’s never been allowed on the bed which is bad news when it’s this cold.

How I sleep

How Dorothy sleeps

Mommy says it’s cold because the heater is broken and we have to wait for a new motor to be delivered to the man who will fix it and daddy doesn’t want to risk lighting the fireplace which is more than ok with Dorothy and I because as we found out on our last trip away: we HATE fire. 

Most of the time I love that I’m up on the bed and Dorothy isn’t.  I usually lay on the very edge beside her pen and tease her by rolling all around and kicking the covers about while she looks up at me with sad eyes.  Last night though, I felt sorry for her when she woke up mommy and me by crying because her blanket had come off and she was cold.  Mommy and I both got out of bed and sat with her - mommy holding her and me just sitting beside them, occasionally sniffing Dorothy until she warmed up and fell asleep.  Then mommy tucked her back in, put a thick blanket over the pen and go back into bed. 

I felt so guilty about her being in there that stayed sitting beside Dorothy’s pen for a little while, despite the cold, wanting make sure she was ok.  She was unusually still, so I got up close to the bars to make sure she was breathing.  She gave me a quick nod which told me she was fine – she just didn’t want the blanket to come off again so I hopped back in bed beside mom and eventually fell into an uneasy asleep.  I hope the man comes to fix our heater soon!  It doesn’t feel right to show my sister just how much I care for her. 

Bath time

We got our baths today and Dorothy's such a suck up: she acts like she actually enjoys the whole thing but I know it's all an act to make mommy smile and say 'ooo that's so adorable, you're such a good girl Dorothy' and 'I wish Baxter enjoyed his bath times like you do.' 

I don't think this makes me look bad, I think it's the other way around!  There's not a dog anywhere in its right mind that likes a bath!  From start to finish it's a horrible experience: first there's the loud water filling up the tub so we can't hear anything else in the house, making us feel compromised! Then the water goes everywhere and gets inside our ears!  Next there's the overpowering smell of the soap followed by the way humans insist on getting in between our toes and under our tails!  It's just dreadful.

Although I'm cooperative during bath time, it's only to guarantee a smooth (and most importantly quick) process.  I stand frozen just trying to make out any sounds from outside the bathroom to ensure mommy's safety - even though at this moment she's badly mistreating me! I hold my breath so I don't inhale more soap than I have to and I tighten my body while mommy pulls and rubs every one of my limbs.  Once I'm finally out of the tub, I do a quick perimeter search then I shake at least ten times to get every last drop of the horrible feeling water off me. Then I run around the house, brushing myself against every soft surface I can find and attempt to bury my head in the couch cushions, the floor rugs or the blanket on the bed. I hate the clean smell and wet feeling and want it gone ASAP!

Dorothy, on the other hand, is not in her right mind.  She's little miss suck-up, fakey-fake and splishes and splashes the water all around as the tub fills up - no concern for her surrounds or the fact that every other sound in the house is drowned out - she actually makes it worse with all her flopping about!  Mommy throws a toy in the tub for her and Dorothy goes nuts hitting it with her paw or attempting to dive under the water to retrieve it.  Once mommy's wet her all over and puts the shampoo on, Dorothy starts to lick mommy's hands cause she (apparently) loves the taste and smell of it.  I watch with disgust as she then begins to close her eyes and stomp her back leg in pretentious pleasure at being rubbed with shampoo.  She doesn't even try to jerk her legs away from mommy as mommy takes her time cleaning in between her toes.  Once she's rinsed off and mommy's wrapped her in a towel, Dorothy does anything to stay wrapped up in that towel for as long as it takes.  She somehow pulls off the fake act of 'loving' the wet towel feeling all over her.   Mommy holds her like this for a while and Dorothy actually falls asleep!  Like the house could be burning down for all she cares! She has no sense of duty that dog.

...Or maybe she feels safe knowing that I'm taking care of her and the house; just like mommy does.

a word from mommy about Dorothy's birthday

Today is Dorothy's birthday which meant she got a special birthday breakfast.  After that, mommy surprised us by giving fresh bones to both of us while she wrote a post on her blog about how Dorothy became part of our family.

I wanted to share it with everyone as well, so here it is:

A puppy born on Halloween

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Most people are celebrating Halloween today but the most important thing in our home is a birthday, because exactly one year ago this little ray of sunshine was born.

Six short weeks later, she became part of our small family and a large part of our joy!  Will’s condition for taking her home was that we keep with our pre-nuptial pet agreement and derive her name from the Anchorman movie.  Much to my dismay, the gorgeous little baby was given a grandma’s name and Dorothy Mantooth was homeless no more!

She was so tiny that she fit XS clothing and such a baby that she wasn’t even weaned from her doggy mummy, trying to find a suckle-point every time anyone held her. 

When we brought her home, her older brother Baxter experienced a range of emotions that changed daily.  First he was cautious: keeping his distance and fleeing the room every time she made a sound.  Next he became curious: sniffing her, her toys, clothes, blankets and bowls incessantly.  Once he figured out that she was staying, he became mean and jealous: inserting himself between her and whomever was cuddling her at the time, taking away anything she was playing with and putting a resounding growl and STOP to whatever fun she was having.  This period lasted longer than the rest, yet Dorothy has the sweetest, most forgiving nature and never even considered holding a grudge.  Her older brother was back then, just as he is now, her absolute idol.  She followed him from room to room and tried to mimic him in every way, much to his ever-increasing irritation!

As the months went by with her trailing him and Baxter taking steps to shake her off (if anyone knows poodles, they know how smart they are –and some of his methods were HILARIOUS!), her resolve and adoration never wavering; Baxter’s began to crack. 

The first sign of his changing affection came on a trip to the park when a border collie tried to get too friendly with his sister – Baxter wouldn’t have that for a second! Up went his tail; out came his teeth and high-pitched bark as he ran charging at the imposter, not stopping until quite sure that the collie was a safe distance away.  Since that turning point, their friendship has grown slowly, starting with Baxter allowing Dorothy on his couch, then closer than 3ft to him, then it progressed to him not taking toys away from her the moment she picked them up, then she was allowed to sit NEXT to him, then drink out of his water dish and finally to touch him!  Now he’s as smitten with her as we are, still enjoying his time alone but clearly missing her before long.

Although Will and I never expected to have two dogs – let alone two small dogs – we are thankful every day that we gave Dorothy Mantooth a home.  She is absolutely the best dog we could ever imagine to complete our family and make us smile numerous times a day.  Thank goodness for a tiny dog who – through her complete way of forgiving, loving and not sweating the small stuff – makes us conscious daily of the type of people we should be.  

Happy birthday bubba x