A New Runner

A couple of days ago, I showed you the frayed carpet in our studio that I had been digging at.  (oh, good thing I am a puppy still!!!  I can use bad grammar and no one complains!)

Well, Mommy has been frustrated by that part of the carpet for many years, so she decided to cover it in the hopes of making the room look better and discouraging my interest.

She went to the overstock store in the area and got a runner.  She said it was a really good buy.  She got 10 feet for $20.

She put it down while I was in my crate yesterday.

And of course, I had to check it out!

I sniffed!

And Sniffed!

And dug a bit!  Mommy was not happy with my digging!

So, she has been trying to distract me with some toys!

So far, so good!  The runner is in one piece still and so am I!

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

BTW:  I was told that Mommy’s New Nephew has a name!!! He is Jaxon Evan!!!  Mommy can’t wait to see him!

Velcro Dog and Carpet issues

 

Yesterday, on our evening walk, Mommy and I met some really nice people.  They said they also had a Golden Retriever and they asked if they could pet me.  Mommy of course said yes!

I did pretty well.  I didn’t jump on them, so they let me see the little boy in the stroller too. 

While Mommy was talking, the lady mentioned something that Mommy had never heard.  The nice lady said that her GR was a “Velcro Dog”.  She went on to explain that her dog is stuck by her side all the time. 

Mommy said, that sort of describes me.  I want Mommy’s attention all the time.  I don’t like to be away from her, and I love to be close.

This is how I took a nap yesterday afternoon.  I will do anything to stay close to her.

And I will do anything to get her attention too!!  Even tear at the carpet in the studio where we spend most of our days.

Now, to be fair, Mommy says I should tell you this carpet is old and was frayed when I moved in.  But, I have been doing some more fraying on my own.

The carpet in the Studio is two pieces of old carpet that have been there since Mommy and Daddy bought the house.  The edges are really raggedy.

I figured out that if I scratch at the edges, I can get long strings to come off.  It is a lot of fun and it gets Mommy to stop what she is doing and pay attention to me.  I am in trouble, but I have her attention.

Mommy does not want me to do this.  So, she coated the edges with mouthwash.  It tastes yucky on my paws. 

I am not digging quite as much.  Mommy hopes this phase will pass soon.

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

New Nephew and a House full of people!!

 

I am not really sure what this is, but Mommy is really excited about it.  She says her little brother had a new baby this weekend and he is her nephew.

This is Mommy’s brother UJ with the baby right after he was born, yesterday at 8:09 am

The little guy is 7 lbs, 9 ozs and 21 inches long.

UJ and Aunt Suz are still trying to decide on a name.  We’ll let you know when they decide.

Company!

Meg had a party on Saturday night.  Mommy and Meg spent a lot of the day cleaning, baking and moving things.  Mommy said I was truly a big help with the cleaning.  I followed her around while she vacuumed and dusted.  And I didn’t bark at all.

Right before the party, Mommy moved all my toys back into the bedroom.  I just could not figure out why!!  I spent a good bit of time going back and forth from the living room to the bedroom, till Mommy closed the door.

When the first guests arrived, Mommy tried to put me in the crate in the bedroom.  I didn’t want anything to do with it.  I barked and barked and barked till Mommy came and got me.  She put me on my headcollar and short tab leash and kept me beside her for the party.

I think there were a million people here.  Most of them, I knew.  I wanted to love everyone and have them all pay attention to me.  Mommy said, no.  I had to sit with her.  So, I decided to BARK.  At random times during the presentation, I just opened my mouth and spoke!  Mommy was not happy. 

Mommy says she should have had more people come to the house when I was little.  She took me lots and lots of places so I got used to traveling, but she didn’t have a lot of people over.  I guess we need to work on that situation.

Needless to say, Mommy does not have a lot of photos of the party.  She was too busy holding on to me!!! 

Oh well.  Maybe I’ll do better next time.

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

My New Mat

Mommy went to the store yesterday.   That was nothing special.  She goes to the store almost every day.

Mommy brought something back for me.  And that too, is not unusual.  Mommy often brings treats for me. 

But today, it was not something to eat, or to play with.  It was something brown and sort of fuzzy that she spread on the floor.

Mommy calls it a “Mat”.  She put it right in front of my crate like a front porch.

It is right beside where Mommy keeps all my fun toys. 

At first, I just sniffed the “mat”.  I got a chicken treat for that.  Then I put my paws on the “mat”.  I got a click and another chicken treat.

I was not sure what to do, so I scratched at the mat.  Mommy didn’t like that.  She sent me away from the mat.  Then she let me come back.

Next, I put my paws on it again.  I got more chicken treats.  Then, I decided to try sitting on the mat.  That got me CHEESE!!!  Remember, that is my favorite treat in the world.  I will do anything for CHEESE.

So……

I laid down on the MAT.  And the CHEESE just kept coming.

I think I like my mat.

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

Relaxing with my new award

Relaxing:

Mommy and I have been doing something called a “Relaxation Protocol” a lot lately.  Basically, it means that I “relax” and Mommy does all sorts of crazy things around me.

As long as I stay relaxed, I keep getting treats.

It’s a pretty good deal for me, and Mommy is getting a lot of exercise doing the silly things.  I really don’t mind this part of training.

My New Award:

Mommy and I are so honored to receive this award from 2 Brown Dawgs Blog.  What a great way to help Mommy bounce back from her cold. 

When you are given this award, one of the things you are supposed to do is tell 7 things about yourself that people don’t know.  Hopefully Mommy is feeling well enough to help me find 7 things.

1.  I like to walk…. now.  I didn’t always.  When I was a little puppy I gave Mommy quite a fit about walks.  But now we take two long walks every day.  Each walk is about 2 miles long.

2.  I won’t touch my food bowl until Mommy gives me a kiss.  Yes, I am a pretty good boy.  I sit and wait while Mommy puts my bowl on the floor.  Then she comes over to me and gives me a kiss on my “cheek” and I get to eat. 

3.  We don’t have a fenced in yard.  So when we go out to play, I have to be on a leash or a tie-out.  That means Mommy can’t throw things as far as I would like sometime.

4.  I go to training almost every week.  Mommy and I really enjoy my training classes.

5.  I like to ride in the car.  I get right up on the seat and settle in so that Mommy can buckle my seat belt.

6.  My favorite treat is CHEESE!!!  in any form.  I will do anything for cheese.  Even go crazy!

7.  Mommy has to be careful when she gets the cheese out, because I might go crazy.

Now to pass the award on:

There are so many great blogs out there.  It is really hard to choose.  So I am just going to pick the two that are the newest on my list that I follow.

1.  Court of Tails:  Sophie and her Mommy have a lot of great things to share with all of us.

2.  How Sam Sees It:  These two GR’s and their family have a great sense of humor and adventure.

Thanks again for this great honor. 

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

One Word Wednesday–Watching!

 

My “Paws” trick is starting to pay off.  Now I can watch out the window!

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

We are participating the the Wednesday blog hop.   Here are our other friends that are also joining in the fun!

 

Mommy’s Sick Day

For the past several day, Mommy has been sounding really funny.  The first morning that she got up with “larry-gitice” I didn’t know who she was when she talked to me.  She could not talk very loudly or for very long, but she still kept working with me. 

Here is a video of Mommy working with me on Friday evening.  Listen to how silly she sounds.

Mommy could not play much longer than this video.  But it was fun while it lasted.

Mommy has kept going for the past several days, even though I know she was not feeling well.  But yesterday, that all changed.

Mommy spent the day laying on the couch in the living room.

And I spent the day in my crate in the same room.  I still have not learned to lay still beside the couch, so it was the best Mommy could think to do with me.

But in the afternoon, we did have some fun. 

Mommy went down in workroom and got my blue ball. 

She figured out that she could sit on the couch and throw the ball down the hallway, and I would chase it.  We did this for quite a few hours yesterday evening and last night.   I was so tired when we went to bed, I could not even open my eyes to say good night to Mommy.

Today, Mommy feel better.  We are back in the work room and I have all my toys around.  Hopefully Mommy does not overdo it.  And hopefully life will get back to normal soon.  I don’t like it when Mommy is sick!

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner 

The one that Stayed!

The other day, I started telling you the story of my new water dish.

This was the temporary dish that Mommy was trying to replace.   I used to have one of those things that look like a water cooler that the people use.  But Mommy was afraid that it was so old, it might be part of what made me sick two weeks ago.

We tried one model, but it had some issues.  You can check out that story, here.

Then we tried this one.

Mommy brought it home early in the day, and the box sat in the kitchen for a few hours.  Daddy wanted to be the one to put it together for me.  I stayed down stairs most of the time with Mommy, but when I did come upstairs, I had to wait in my crate

because Daddy made a mess with all the packaging,

Once it was all cleaned up, I got to check out the NEW waterfall.

This is what it looks like without my nose in it.  Notice on the right side at the bottom of the bowl, there is a lever.  That controls how much water falls down the ramp.  I really like it to be a lot of water.

First, I had to sniff….

But it didn’t take me long to put my nose in…

And take a good long drink!!!!!

I LOVE MY NEW WATER BOWL!!!!  Thanks, Mommy and Daddy!!!

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

One Word Wednesday–Pawty!

 

Today is a special day!  My friend Sugar, the Golden Retriever turns 10 years old today!  I want to wish her a Happy Barkday with my happy, smiling face.

If you want to join in the Pawty, click this link and wish Sugar a happy day too!!

Tomorrow, I will finish my post about my new water dish.  Today, I am going to Pawty!

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

Kitchen Water Feature

 

This is what I have been drinking from for the past several days.  It is a far cry from the big water container that used to sit here.  But Mommy was concerned that the old one might not be the best for me.  Even though she tried to keep it clean, she was having trouble telling if the black marks in it were from our hard water, or something else.  So, she decided to get rid of it.

After two trips to the store yesterday, Mommy came back with this:

She said she picked it because of the way it moved the water.  This is the photo on the side of the box that showed her how it worked.

She also liked the fact that the water jug was smaller and she could keep it filled by herself (Mommy is not allowed to lift heavy things)

When she got it set up, I could not wait to give it a try.

She put it in the place where my old water dish has always sat.

It has a waterfall on it!!!  And the water was nice and clean!

I didn’t even mind the noise that it makes.  I just kept drinking!!!

However, Mommy said there was a problem with this fountain.  When you first turned it on, a good amount of water came down the waterfall.  But as time went on, it got less and less till it finally stopped.  The motor kept turning, but the water was not moving.

So, Daddy took it apart.  He found out why it would not work right.

This is what the underside of the motor looks like.  Notice that thing sticking up in the middle?  It is shaped like a backward “D”.

This is the place were that “D” shaped thing is supposed to connect.  If you notice, it is round, not “D” shaped.  Daddy said he thinks it is a manufacturing defect.  Mommy said she would take it back and get something else.

So here is what she got today.

 

Mommy says it holds a bit more water and has a pump.  Daddy said he will put it together shortly.  I’ll let you know tomorrow how this one goes. 

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

Mommy’s Been Playing with the computer

 

With so many events happening in our family in the next year, Mommy thought it would be a good idea to look for some new software to edit photos.  She talked to a very good friend (www.baileybegood.com) and got some advice.

Mommy purchased Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate.  She had some trouble with the download, so the nice lady at Corel sent her the CD edition.  Now she is learning how to use it.

Mommy wanted to put a copyright on our photos so that they are less likely to get “borrowed” without our knowledge.  Here is what she and I came up with:

She also did one for her business.  Here is a sneak peak at a new collar that she is starting to do:

Mommy says she has a lot more to learn.  But this is a start.  So look for my new copyright on all of my photos on my blog from now on!!  And Thanks!! to Bailey’s Mommy for all her help.

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner

“Go Do Doggie Things!”

Has anyone ever said that to you?  Mommy has started saying that to me sometimes when we are playing.  She tells me to “Go play” or “Go Do Doggie Things.”  She says it is part of our new Control Unleashed training.  But I am not sure what she means.  And sometimes, I am really not ready to stop playing with Mommy.

But yesterday, Mommy tried something new.  Before she told me to “Go do doggie things” she reached into my toy box and took out a toy that I had not seen in a while.  She dropped it on the floor and walked away.

I have to say, I knew what to do with this one.

I picked it up…

brought it over to Mommy….

And played with it on the footstool in front of her.

I had a pretty good time getting reacquainted with my toy.  And Mommy never touched it once.

Until I started chewing on the footstool corners.  Then Mommy got the yucky spray stuff out.  And I decided to stop.

Then Uncle Doug came upstairs.  He and Daddy had been working in the basement.  He wanted to play with me.

He even played tug with me.  I had a lot of fun getting to know this toy again. 

When we were done, Mommy put the toy back in the toy box.  I hope I get to see it again soon. 

Mommy says my training is going pretty well, but we still have a long way to go.

Hope you are all having a great day.

Puppy Kisses,

Tanner