so smart it hurts

I've started doing a new thing,which I think is utter genius but which drives mommy insane!  It all began after I wrote my vanishing toys post for the blog challenge and mommy saw things from my point of view - which made her feel bad.  So she started being a lot quicker about fishing my toys out from under things when they disappeared.  In some cases, the second a ball rolled out of reach, mommy grabbed it for me!  After this continued a few times, and I was sure it wasn't coincidence, I figured I could exploit this and put my brilliant plan into action.  

See it's not easy being a smart dog.  I can't lay around all day doing nothing, just waiting for mommy to finish work and talk me for a walk.  I need stimulation and activity!  That's why (for a little while anyway), this new trick was utterly genius:  I would purposely slide my balls or stuff my toys under the couch and then alert mommy so she'd have to get them out for me!  This occasionally lead to playtime as well! Oh we had a glorious few days ... Until she figured it all out! Now it's back to maximum wait time for vanished toys and it's even worse because the legitimately-accidental ones are neglected for hours at a time!  

Sometimes I think there's no place for a smart dog in a human world! 

the constant thorn in my side

I know some of you thought I meant Dorothy with that title: but no, she's being alright and we're getting along really well.  I'm actually and quite literally talking about thorns!  Or prickles, or spurs, or whatever you want to call them!  

Every grassy patch is covered in them at the moment and I can't go outside without mommy attacking me with a hairbrush afterward!   The thorns get caught and tangled and it takes forever to brush them out, plus sometimes it hurts!  I never thought I'd say this but I can't wait until my next haircut!  Hopefully I'll get shaved so this whole thing can end.  

Here are some photos after a quick run in our front yard yesterday!

You can't even see most of them because they get tangled!

But when mommy starts brushing... this happens!

What the sink looks like afterward 

note: Dorothy doesn't have these issues but she got some pretty nasty cactus spikes on her face!  See the one just under her left nostril? OUCH! Luckily mommy always finds them.

v is for vanishing toys

I've spoken to my cousins Bella and Bristol about this and they both agree with me, so I've come to the conclusion that every inside-dog in the world has the problem of vanishing toys.  This is obviously because all you humans have the most inconvenient furniture!

At our place my toys are constantly vanishing in between couch cushions or rolling under items of furniture, which really is the fastest way to ruin a decent play! Sometimes they vanish so quickly that I wrack my brain trying to figure out where they've gone and search for them high and low. Other times I can actually see my toys about to vanish and try to prevent it, by running after them and growling, especially if they're heading for under-the-couch!

Under-the-couch may as well be called 'in the abyss' because it takes mommy ages to get toys back out from under here!  It's not as if she doesn't know they're under there: I always let her know by leading her towards the couch and growling in its direction.  Then I make it really easy for her by sitting in front of the exact spot that the toy rolled into and wait patiently for her to retrieve it.  Even despite me doing all this, she takes way too long and this is another thing that makes me grumpy!  I mean, I'd get it myself if I had longer limbs, it's not like it's hard!  Right dogs?  Who's with me!

r is for rainy days

I like the odd rainy day.  Especially if mommy lets me run around in it!  

Dogs like being dirty...

It's the type of rainy days that hang around for ages that annoy me because, like I wrote about here, we can't go for decent walks and we can't play in the grass.  If we disobey mommy and dash to the wet, muddy grass anyway: then it's straight to the bath and after ear cleaning, baths are my second most hated things! 

The longer D and I are cooped up the worse it becomes for everyone.  We get restless and mommy gets frustrated and we all end up fighting.  It's a huge relief once it stops raining,for everyone!

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!

i is for infections

Sadly taking care of a dog isn't all fun and games.  We wish it would be even more than you do but sometimes we get sick, sad or dirty and you (our owner) have to look after it for us since we can't do it ourselves.  Take me for example: you already know my fur is a lot of hard work and my teeth were stressing mom out but another thing about me is that I frequently get ear infections.

This is a lot worse for me than for mommy because unlike pulling cactus spikes out of my fur which only hurts for a second, or sometimes not at all, cleaning my ears and the medicine both hurt me and make me uncomfortable.

I don't get jealous of Dorothy much because everyone knows I'm the smarter, cuter and more obedient dog in this house - but one thing I would trade with her in an instant is ears.  She has the kind of ears that stand up and don't have hair growing inside... I can only imagine what bliss that must be.  She has other issues: because of her sensitive skin she is prone to rashes and infections on her belly but I would take those over ear infections ANY DAY.

The medicine it takes to clean our ears

my ear

Dorothy's ear

c is for cactus

Now that we live in Texas, cactus's and their spikes are a part of my life.  Everywhere we go and everywhere we play has cactus's around:

It's easier for Dorothy - her hair doesn't attract spikes like mine does.  Unless I stay on walking trails or footpaths, every cactus spike in the area is drawn like a magnet to me!  I'm not sure who this is worse for: me because they hurt and are a pain to get out of my fur, or mommy because they hurt and are a pain to get out of my fur!