To Play is the Thing!

Can I take your order please?

I think that all humans should consider living with a dog. It makes life a lot more fun. My humans are a lot of fun to play with. I love to jump on my Grammy's door. It makes a loud pop and that makes her jump off her bed every time. So funny!

My Mama is the most fun to play with because she has the most time to play with us. Our favorite game is called "Sock". She takes Daddy's old socks (the holes with the holes from his talons) and ties a knot in them so that we know which socks are ours. I like to pick these socks up and jump on her lap and then stare at her until she takes the hint.

Most of the time she fusses, "I don't wanna play sock!" Well, everybody knows that that's just silliness. Mama loves to play sock too. Eventually she throws it away from her, after I pick it up and drop it on her laptop a time or two.  Coco and I run as fast we can to see who gets the sock first. It's usually me. Coco is good at running long distances, but I'm a great sprinter.

I grab the sock, snarl at Coco in superiority, then bring the sock back to Mama. Sometimes Coco takes one end of the sock and we play tug of war. That's my favorite! Coco is super-strong, but my jaws lock down tight.

Playing is the absolute most fun thing in the world to do. Next to eat. And also bark. But playing is definitely the tops. We also like to play ball or chase apples that fall from trees. We have a pretty big yard, so there is always something to sniff or dig at. My Mama tells me I'm a lucky boy for having suck a big yard. She says some dogs got no yards at all. And that makes me sad.

Coco and I always have so much fun playing that I can't imagine not playing.

My Mama used to work with a group called second Chance Animal Rescue. Unfortunately, it closed down before I was even born, but my Mama tells us all about the dogs she used to work with their. They were Pit Bulls and Rotts and Chows. She says these doggies are considered "Bully Breeds". The only Bully I know is a big, drooling chocolate Lab named Coco.

Mama says that a lot of people were scared of these dogs. But she says that these dogs were even more scared of people because people used to make these dogs fight each other. I thought to myself, Well, Coco and I fight all the time. But then I found out that people made these people really fighting each other, like until someone was hurt or dying. And to top it off, THEY DID IT FOR MONEY! And THEN they didn't even get the doggies a vet or even any treats. They just left them to die!

When my Mama worked with these dogs, she took them outside to play every day. And sometimes these dogs fought each other. that's what they were trained to do. But most of the time, these "Bullies" were so happy to be out of that life, so happy to be well-cared for, that they just rolled in the grass. Laid in the sunshine. Were just grateful for their freedom.

I am grateful for my freedom as well. Glad that I have a big yard and my sister and humans to play with. I hope that one day all dogs know the happiness I feel.

I hope that they get the chance to just play.

THESE are the "Squirrels of Our Lives"

What a jerk!

Squirrels are jerks! Most people don't think that there are so many squirrels in the city, but ask a dog. they'll tell you. They're everywhere! All I need to do is lift my doggie nose in the air and I can smell them.
We 'specially have a squirrel problem at our house. Granddaddy has a big garden with a grape vine and three big fruit trees. The squirrels love our fruit trees and that makes me and my sister, Coco, very mad! Because we love the fruit from the trees too. The apples make perfect balls for catch and the pears are like tiny footballs. We even throw them back and forth to each other. It's fun!
This morning, I did my fence patrol, just as I always do. Lo and behold, I saw half an apple just sitting on the top of the fence. I sniffed the air. I could still smell the squirrel, but where was he?
Looking around, I couldn't find the squirrel in any of the trees or on any of the fencing. Coco was sniffing out the underbrush around the fence. I took a moment to chase my tail, couldn't catch it, so I stared at my Mama for a minute.
All of the sudden, the wind kicked up from the not-compost-bin direction and I spotted him, sitting low on my dog pen with a frickin' pear in his mouth!
I howled with anger. How dare he sit there with that pear in his mouth and just twitch his puffy tail at me?!? As I bounded toward the back corner of our yard, I felt Coco trotting beside me. That's good. She's tall so she can grab stuff for me. But I am the fierece warrior hunter. I howled again.
The squirrel looked at me, a look of pure terror shining in those small, beady eyes. I snarled, Coco barking beside me. The squirrel scurried up the telephone pole beside the dog pen, seeking sanctuary behind the wooden fence that separates us from my birth mom's old family. Coco and I stood at the fence, pointing up the telephone pole and howling for the squirrel's capture.
Alas, our Mama is not our Daddy and she won't shoot a squirrel with even the BB gun. Coco gave a sniff at the squirrel-filled air and went back to grazing the grass in front of the garden. I stood for a moment, watching the vile squirrel that had invaded my yard. He'll be back. And I'll remember him.
For now, I will take comfort in the fact that I can play kick ball with the pear he dropped.