Marginalized!

Now that the Klingons are over being fazed by me whatsoever, I find myself being ooched off of laps.

It starts out innocently enough.

Little by little, they advance on my position, sometimes even making so bold as to lie right on top of me.

Hey, I was here first!

This is really very thick. It’s obvious they have no respect for a dog’s personal space, or for the fact that possession is 9/10 of the law.

Really?

It always ends the same way. They move in inch by inch, until it’s too much and I give up the lap. I just can’t cuddle up to a Klingon.

The bed I can share. There's more room, and legs.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 29th, 2009

Chipmunks are fun for all

Now it looks like this outside our house.

Green is better than white.

It’s warm instead of brrr! and I can run! Run like the wind! I can run just as fast as No. 2.

The Klingons have a little door just for them. They go in and out and in and out. Nowadays, a lot of times when they come back in they bring a friend with them. Chipmunks are the best.

He's inside and we're outside? That's just wrong.

I'm full of Little Friskies right now or else you'd be toast.

Chipmunks run really fast too. They are so fun to chase and if I catch one I bite its tail with my teethies. No. 1 tries to catch them but they get away and run up the curtains or hide under the kitchen cabinets. She tries to lure them out with Cheerios. Usually what happens is, when a chipmunk has been in the house for a few days it really slows down. Then No. 1 is able to put on her thick gloves and catch them and put them back outside. There goes the entertainment.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 27th, 2009

I’m a Canine Good Citizen

Besides all the ways that I’ve learned from No. 1 of how to earn treats at home, she took me to a place where there were lots of other dogs and we all had to do the same things over and over again. It wasn’t that much fun. Particularly when we moved outside and they expected me to do a “down” on the GRASS. What? Put my belly down on that prickly, tickly stuff? Ew. I’m a much more civilized dog than that, thank you very much.

After we’d been doing that for a few times, we went to yet another place outdoors. There were tons of other dogs. Here are some of them.

No. 1 says this is a Brittany and a Boston.

A nice boxer.

Um... don't know, but he's big and on the table.

The lineup.

No. 1 and I did a lot of different things while another human watched us and wrote things down. I had to sit, stay, come, walk nicely on my leash, get petted by a stranger, stay behind a barn without howling, and all kinds of things like that.

See how nice I pay attention?

Finally it was over, and I got to go back to the car with No. 2. Soon No 1 came back all excited, waving a paper in the air.

This is what all the excitement was about.

Of course I’m a Canine Good Citizen! My breeder mom and my human pack raised me right!

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 24th, 2009

Détente with Klingons

The Klingons are warming up to me. I think. The hissy one chases me around now, and we have conversations. She uses that same voice that they use when they talk to the birdies in the back yard. When she blocks my way I bark at her and she goes eh eh eh eh eh at me.

She's No. 2's favorite Klingon. Go figure.

One time she cornered me in a small place. I bravely stood my ground. She reached out with her paw to swat me — then changed her mind and touched noses instead!

The friendly one is now my bestest Klingon.

We hang out.

The white one makes the best stank face, but she doesn’t seem to care much about me one way or the other. I’m just as glad about that.

Just a little disagreement.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 22nd, 2009

My fringes are here!

The humans kept talking about “that awkward gangly stage.” I don’t know what that meant, but apparently I’m over it now. My ear fringes have grown out!

A papillon’s pride and joy are his fringes. We’re named for butterflies, you know, and our ears look like big fluffy wings.

They’ve also stopped referring to a “pipe cleaner” when talking about my tail. Now it’s long and fluffy too, and swishes all over the place when I wag it.

No. 1 has been teaching me things. I know lots of words and what I’m supposed to do when the humans say them. Each word also has a signal, and I know those too! Let me tell you, this is a great way to get treats. The way we do it is, the humans say the word or make the signal, I do the thing, and I get a treat! What a racket.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 21st, 2009

Walking with the pack

Now the white stuff has gone away and it’s a little warmer out. I’ve started going outside more, walking with my pack. That is, the core pack… the humans. (The Klingons are optional.)

I enjoy the walks. Dogs love walking. The way it should be on walks is, that both the humans are near me and I can see them. This is important. We all need to be together.

Hurry up, No. 2. You're lagging!

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 18th, 2009

It’s white outside

My whole life so far it’s been brrr! outside. They say I’m a winter puppy. Now something happened. A whole lot of cold white stuff fell from the sky, and our back yard looks like this.

Here’s No. 2’s ladder, which he climbs to get the Klingons down from the roof when they get stuck up there.

I’m getting the idea that the humans would rather I go outside for certain things. This is now a problem, since the cold white stuff is taller than me.

No. 2 got out a shovel and dug some paths for me. Before, one of the humans always accompanied me when I went outside. Now I can go outside all by myself! I have no desire to climb the tunnel walls and flounder around in all that.

In fact I’d rather stay inside where it’s warm and toasty. Here’s the best thing to do with a leash IMO… lie down with it near a heating vent. No. 1 calls this pose “the flying frog.”

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 17th, 2009

Tug of War with Klingons

One of my favorite toys is my rope. This can be dragged around, chewed, rolled on, and if somebody gets the other end, it turns into a most delightful game called Tug of War.

You can growl ferociously, grab onto your end with your teethies and pull, and try to get more of the rope than they do.

Anybody wanna tug? How ’bout play with red ribbon… no, focus! Tug? Anybody? Anybody?

Tug of War with my rope is the recommended way to play with Klingons, because they’re over there and I’m over here.

I wonder why they use their paws instead of their teethies. Anybody knows teethies are better.

I always win. See?

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 16th, 2009

I have a friend

One of the Klingons has decided that I am not evil.

This is the one.

The other day, she came right up to me and started giving me head-butts. I didn’t know what to do, so I stood stock still and tried not to make a move. That was hard though. She’s bigger than me so I ended up being buffeted around the room. Being head-butted by a Klingon is a little nerve-wracking, but I tell you what, it’s a whole lot better than being swatted.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 15th, 2009

TP’ing the bedroom

What?

That was the MOST FUN EVER.

Woofs,
Willie

Edited: August 14th, 2009