Gobble Tov!

    Happy Thanksgivukkah! And Happy Thanksgiving too! Teddy reporting in.
    I think I have said it before but I will say it again. I LOVE Thanksgiving. It is definitely a holiday designed for doggies like me. Food everywhere. Mama spills something, she calls us in. Grammy has extra, she calls us over. Granddaddy has samples, he feeds them to us. I think I've already gained 10 pounds.
    Unfortunately, there are some things that we can't eat. And a lot of my friends have been reminding me to remind everyone that there are some foods that just aren't safe for us dogs to eat. Luckily, I've broken it down for you.
    #1. Turkey Skin. It looks delicious. It can be very dangerous and lead to pancreatitis, which is very bad.
    #2. Alcohol. Sure the video will get you a bunch of YouTube hits and Facebook likes, but is it worth giving your fur friends seizures, liver damage, or even death?
    #3. Mushrooms. Delicious fungus to you. Deathly poison to us dogs. It can lead to vomiting or even a coma.
    #4. Onions and Garlic. These two foods found in dressing can lead to anemia in a doggie and my Mama just had a fur friend pass away from that.  Definite no-nos.
    #5. Nutmeg. A tricky spice found on sweet potatoes and pumpkin, which are both good for dogs. Nutmeg can lead to tremors and problems with a dog's central nervous system.
   #6. Raw batter and Dough. We dogs can get salmonella too, you know. Plus it can puff up in our bellies and make us very sick indeed.
    #7. Nuts. Macadamia nuts and walnuts in particular contain toxins. Within 12 hours, you dog could be vomiting, not able to stand, and could even die.
    #8. Sage. It has an essential oil that upsets a dog's belly. Best to keep it away from us!
    #9. Cooked Bones. I know that we all loves bones. They taste good and are crunchy. But they can splinter in our digestive tracts and cause us much pain and cost you much money.
    #10. Chocolate. Need I say more?
   Now, that said, OF COURSE you want your best friend to join in your Thanksgiving feast. My Mama would never celebrate without me. Here's what's on my menu for tomorrow.
     #1. Mashed and Sweet Potatoes. They're delicious and we love them.
     #2. Green Beans. And the humans aren't even eating those!
     #3. Pumpkin. Not pie. Just pumpkin. Yum!
     #4. Cranberry Sauce. Not with nuts or anything, just plain old cranberry sauce, the way I like it!
     #5. Carrots. One of my faves!
     Enjoy your holiday with your whole family, pets included. If you feed your cat turkey, make sure you have de-boned it completely. I know cats love turkey. I am going to be eating the green beans the most. Those are a huge treat for me.
     Gotta go now! Mama's calling me to go out and there's still snow on the ground! Barks and Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Hanukkah!

Even the Pilgrims and Indians could get along for one day!

Rainy day blues....

   It's raining today.
   I have a love/ hate relationship with the rain. I hate to get wet. (Just ask my groomer!) But I LOVE to be muddy. Playing in the mud is so much fun. I love the way it squishes between my paws and fills up my nose when I root around in it. I roll around in mud. It is just the most fun stuff in the world.
   My sister ruins this for me because she HATES the mud. But she loves the rain. She loves to get wet. Grammy got us a pool for next summer and my crazy sister knocked it down last night, just it would fill up with rain that she could jump in and play around in. She splashes like a duck and makes a ton of noise. That means our Mama then gets on to us and makes us come back in to the house.
   Ruin-er.
   With it raining out, that means we get stuck inside for more time than usual. Most days we go outside every  two to three hours, just depending on what's going on that day. I love to be outside. Sometimes i don't want to come in but my Mama gets mad and makes me. She used to let me run around outside for hours, but then I started running away and now someone has to stay outside with me at all times because Mama says I'm "untrustworthy". Whatever that means.
   So we get stuck inside and I get incredibly bored. I love to play. Coco, my sister, does not. She would rather just lay down beside Mama as she works and watch TV. She's been watching this show called "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on Netflix and I have to say, that show just makes me want to play more. I mean, c'mon! They're fighting! I like fighting. I loved to jump and roll around and bite and kick. That's all good stuff. So I bite Coco and hope she gets mad enough to play with me. Sometimes this works.
   Other times, I try to bring her a peace offering. Like the leg of my old toy, Griselda. I try to get her to play tug of war with me. Sometimes she does. I think she thinks that since she has about seventy pounds on me that she is much stronger than I am. I think not. I can lock my jaws tight and hold right on to my toy. Eventually though she gets bored and let's me win so she can go back to watching TV.
   I don't think her first family played very much.
   The best way to get her to play is to get Mama to play. This is not hard. I just bring a toy to her and she'll throw it. Or play tug of war. Or lift me waaaaay up in the air as I hold on to my toy and spin me in circles. Coco immediately begins to play with me then and that's exactly what I wanted. She can't stand it when people pay attention to me. She's kind of a drama queen.
   Another thing that I like to do on rainy days is aggravate my Grammy. She usually feels down when it is rainy out. Opression, I think it's called. So I try to impress her by getting her to play with me. I whine at her door until she opens it to yell at me and then I sneak in. Usually she has a toy for me in her room, but if there is no toy, I just pick up the nearest Kleenex. Grammy yells at me and then tries to take the Kleenex and has to chase me all over the room to get it. She pretends to be mad, but then she calls me a "silly little tramp" and scratches behind my ears. Then we take a nap together. That makes us both happy.
   Rainy days are stinky, but they can be fun too. Remember that your furry friend probably doesn't mean to be more mischievous, they're probably just bored, like me. Playing with them will help. I'm hoping that I can find my mini tennis balls today. Wish me luck! Hopefully tomorrow will be sunny!

Rooting around in the mud is fun! Mud is a great place to hide treasures!

I have fun aggravating my Grammy!

Halloween...

Coco and I share a pumpkin straight from the garden. Mama was not happy when she found this.

 Halloween is my mama's most favorite holiday of all.

 I don't want to tell her, but I can't stand it. It's super creepy. I remember last year. The doorbell rang for hours. I wasn't allowed outside after dark. These creepy, small creatures walked by all night long and the later it got, the louder everything got. Honestly, I thought it was a horrible night. I went and curled up in bed with my Grammy. It was warm and quiet there.

  From what I understand, Halloween is a great time for humans. They get to go to parties and dance and eat candy. But most people don't understand how spooky Halloween really is for their pets. We don't like strangers knocking on our doors. We don't like loud noises. And we can't eat chocolate. Where's the fun it for a dog?

   I much prefer Thanksgiving, where I get to eat a ton of stuff.

   I have a few tips I'd like to share with my human friends to help them help their pets have a Happy and Safe Halloween.
  #1. Keep your pets inside after dark.
   Like I said earlier, Halloween is creepy. And a lot of creeps come out on this night. These creeps like to steal animals. Or scare them. Or abuse them. So the best thing to do is keep your fur baby in your house, preferably somewhere quiet. Now, I know that I'm going to have to go pee at some point during the night and I'm sure your dog will too. But please make sure that you take your best friend out on a leash and away from strangers.
  #2. Use a safe and comfortable costume for your pet.
  If you're like my Mama, she insists on dressing us up in these ridiculous outfits. But at least she makes sure that it's not too tight and that I can't choke in it. And when I get too tired and irritated by being dressed up, she takes that stuff off of me. So please remember, we already have a big furry outfit on. It's called our coat. And we really don't like human clothes. Please keep it simple.
  #3. Make sure all the candy and wrappers and treats are kept out our reach.
  We love to chew and eat and play with everything. The things are considered treats for children could kill a fur child. Chocolate is delicious but dangerous and candy wrappers can choke us. If you really want to treat us, here is a link to some delicious peanut butter and pumpkin treats you can make! Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Treats
  #4. Watch out for your Jack O Lanterns.
  Especially around those sneaky, slinky cats. If you have a candle in your pumpkin, they could knock it over and catch the whole house on fire. or stick a paw or a tail in and get burned. You know how curious cats are..... and speaking of cats....
  #5. Keep a close eye on your black cats.
  Dogs too but people who are really mean and sadistic (I heard my Daddy say that word) like to harm black pets on Halloween in rituals or just out of pure meanness. White cats are vulnerable too. And white dogs. Really all animals. If you open your door for a trick or treater, make sure your pet doesn't dart out. And make sure they have the proper identification on them, just in case something happens.
  #6. ENJOY YOURSELF!
  Halloween can be very scary, but it can also be very fun. Make your pet some treats, walk them around the neighborhood in their costume while it's still daylight, take lots of pics, and snuggle down and watch "Hocus Pocus" at night. I know that's what me and my family plan to do! Hope you all have a very safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Me, My Grammy, and My cousins, Halloween 2012

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.

Blame it on the rain.... or maybe the teething...

Bark! Hey! Teddy here again. It's raining here in Chicago.  I love the rain, but I think that my mama is irritated by it because she has to take me on a bunch of walks now.

That's because I am on house arrest. I have been running out of the yard every time I go out lately, even with supervision. The other night my mama was out in the yard with us and I snucked out as soon as she turned her head to watch my sister, Coco, run toward the front fence. I was sneaky. I slid right out the back, between our neighbors' fence and the barrier my mama and Daddy put up by the dog pen.It didn't even look like I got out of the yard. The barrier hadn't even moved. Because I slid through a small gap.But my mama caught me when I was sliding back through, running back in to the yard to make sure my Daddy couldn't catch me from the street behind us.

Earlier that same day, my sister and partner in crime, Coco, knocked the barrier down for me. Then I was able to just run through the gap because it's about six inches wide. Coco got stuck and my mama caught her. So, since Coco got busted, I just came back through the gap so that I wouldn't get in to more trouble. I knew we had been busted, so we were definitely in trouble. I told Coco play it cool. I ran to my mama's feet and rolled over to show her I submitted. Coco, the dumb dumb, ran past my mama and started jumping at the front fence. Barking at some kids riding by on their bikes! That made my mama even more mad. And here my Daddy thinks I'm bad.

Somewhere in the midst of all this, I forgot to go poop. My stomach really wasn't feeling good later that day. Daddy came home to eat lunch and Coco and I both got super excited. I got so excited that I accidentally pooped on the floor. Even worse, it was on the carpet. My Daddy did not like that. I ran away immediately and tried to hide, ashamed of myself. Luckily, my mama cleaned it up and reminded me how gross it is to use the bathroom on the carpet in the room where we eat, sleep, and watch TV. I had to see her point there.

Those were the third and fourth times I ran away in the past two days. My Mama keeps trying to figure it out, but I just have Spring Fever I guess. I just want to go bark at the squirrels and sniff the flowers. I like watching the kids play in their yards. I love to sniff the chlorine at the pool. It's a wonderful time to run free.

I sure do miss sweet freedom.....

So now my mama has been taking me on long walks. The leash sucks, but it's better than nothing. She told me that I broke their trust and I have to earn my freedom back. If I'm outside I'm on a leash or in my dog pen. I don't have free roam of the yard. Coco does, that lucky heifer. But one day I will earn the privilege back. One day.
Until then I hope Coco doesn't find that ham bone I buried up front.

I kissed a Lab and I liked it....

Hello everybody! Teddy here. Sorry I've been MIA but my Mama and I had a lot of stuff to figure out about my career as a dog who blogs. In the mean time, I have news for all of those who don't know.....

I have a sister.

Yes, that's right. My mama and Daddy got me a sister. She's older than me (she's 2) and much, much bigger. Her name is Coco and she is a Chocolate Lab. Her old family didn't want her anymore because she kept getting in to the garbage. they called her a "destructive dog" and said she frightened their two small children. 

I think she was there before the kids. Maybe they scared her. 

At any rate, I have a sister! For the most part, I really love her. Coco is kind of stupid, but maybe that's because I'm just really, really smart for a dog, but she does try really hard. It took her about two weeks to learn to sit at the door, where as I just do it automatically. But she's always up for a fight. Rolling around, biting each other, barking. It's awesome. And she's super fast at running, so chasing her is a blast. Plus, she's tall so she can reach things that I can't (and sometimes things we aren't supposed to touch, which gets us BOTH in trouble).

For a while she smelled really good. Like I couldn't help myself from wanting to lick her good. My Mama said that she was in heat because she hadn't been spayed yet. She even had to wear a diaper. I felt bad for the diaper, but I licked her face to make her feel better. But now she doesn't smell as good. In fact, I think she may need a bath as bad as I do. (And I'm starting to grow dread locks!) 

Coco is awesome and is my new best friend. Even my cat likes Coco. I'm glad my Mama and Daddy adopted her. Now I have someone to snuggle with at night and someone to play with all through the day.

I'm a happy dog.