X is for my cousin Xena

I know I've talked about my cousins in Atlanta before - Bristol the Doberman and Bella the Min Pin.  Some of you even know about the cat in the family (who I don't get along with) called Cowgirl, but although I've mentioned Aunty Anna the poodle expert before, one thing I haven't talked about is my actual poodle family that lives in Australia - where mom's from.  It's a big family!  There's a standard poodle called Darcy, a mini (like me) called Winston and then there are three toy poodles: Ruby, Astro and Xena.  

Xena (back) and Astro 

They don't all belong to Aunt Anna, just Asto and Xena do.  The rest belong to the grandparents with funny accents and although I've never actually met any of them before, I know all about them and they know about me.  Our parents talk about us and sometimes we get to see each other on Skype.  There's a lot to say about Xena in particular because she's had an action-packed life!  (And also because it's letter X day).

Xena is a 'chocolate' colored poodle, that's a fancy breeder's word for brown.  She's almost four years old (like me) and when she was a year and a half, she had a horrible fall in her backyard and broke her leg in three places!  According to Aunt Anna, she 'snapped the radius and got two breaks in the ulnar.'  I don't know what that all means, but it sounds very bad!  It took Xena months and months to recover.  She had to wear a cast and everything.  Now she's okay: full of life and back to normal.  

Xena with her first cast

Xena after they changed her cast

Mommy says we have a lot in common because we both love hide and seek, (although Xena likes to hide under the bed and I'm too big to fit under ours) and we both love expensive cheeses!  Plus, we were around the same age when our parents brought siblings into our homes - I got a brown little sister and Xena got an 'apricot' (cream) little brother!  So now both our families have brown girls and cream boys.  

Xena with Astro

Another thing about Xena is that her mama is actually Ruby!  (Anna's parent's poodle) and I know you all love baby photos so because I don't have any of my own - I thought I'd share some of Xena's.  Even I admit it, she was cute!

Xena, 2 hours old

Here she is a little older

There were three puppies in Ruby's litter
Xena was the first born 

One more thing we have in common is that we both like to lounge around the same way. Neither of our mommys can figure out how dogs as small as Xena and me can take up so much space:

And she's okay with wearing clothes, all day any day, but just like me she doesn't like hats!

w is for woollen sweater

There was a time (before Dorothy) when mommy used to take me everywhere with her, even to the shops.  Not all shops of course - that would have driven me crazy - but certain shops that dogs are allowed into, like H&M, where I got my woollen sweater.

Daddy hates my woollen sweater: him and uncle Stephen always make fun of me when I wear it, saying it looks like I have 'jock straps' on, but I don't care.  I like that it has straps around my legs because it stays on really well and keeps me warmer than any of my other clothes.  

More than any other reason though, I love this woollen sweater because it reminds me of my special times with mommy.  Those carefree, blissful days when I didn't have to "stay home and keep an eye on Dorothy!"  When I could go for drives or spontaneous shopping trips at a moment's notice.  When I truly was mommy's best friend and didn't have to share her with anybody.   That was freedom.  That was happiness.

  

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!

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

t is for towel

I love a nice, big, fluffy, warm towel after a stinking, horrible bath!  Mommy usually fishes me out of the tub and wraps me up then hands me to daddy for cuddle time.  I'm not sure how long we cuddle for, but it never seems long enough.  He lays back on the couch and mommy places me on top of him, then daddy just rubs my back so the towel absorbs more of the wetness.  It almost makes a bath worthwhile... almost!

Dorothy loves towels too.  She will just lay on one whenever she's wet but of course she prefers to be wrapped in one and cuddled as well.

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

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!