Ella - Accessory to Food Theft

Sometimes I really wish the mom could understand what I am trying to tell her. She needs to know why Henry is gaining so much weight and how he is getting food he can't reach. Over the past several weeks there's been some pretty amazing eating going on with that crazy blue-eyed brother of mine!

First there were the pralines. A whole box - a box that someone had given mom for a gift. They were up on the very high kitchen counters, and still, Henry was caught with the empty box. Yuck - we saw those pralines come back in pretty gross ways, all over the house.

Next, a  bag of Fritos. I just hated the loud crunching. Then, a loaf of bread - at least it was whole wheat. The last mysterious food he obtained from a place he couldn't possibly reach was a loaf of chocolate chip banana nut bread. It had been cautiously placed on the counter to thaw. The dad had placed it as far back on the counter as possible. Still, he came home for lunch to find only the remains of the wrapper on the floor.

How does it happen? Well, I've known all along. I've tried to tell them - but they just didn't get it. Then last night they saw it for themselves. ELLA! Ella jumped up on the counter, and out of several things she could have selected, knocked the bag of dog treats to an excited Henry. Too bad the both the mom and the dad were in the den and saw it all. Serves Ella and Henry right to get caught with red handed, or should I say, red pawed.

Henry has been put on a strict diet to try to shed what the mom calls his holiday weight. And Ella? Well, Henry keeps cleaning her ears to pay her back for all of those goodies.

Squirrel Season

I need to open the computer, I haven't posted in months!

I hear the acorns falling down like rain on the deck. That can only mean one thing - it's squirrel season! I see a squirrel in the back yard almost everyday, all year long. But when our oak trees begin to drop their acorns, squirrels seem to come from everywhere - right to our back yard. I can't even begin to tell you how badly I want to catch one!

Whoever built our deck, must have built it with this in mind. There is a little gazebo that is just right for my squirrel watching. Whenever anyone will open the door for me, I dart out to the gazebo and plant myself between two slats in the railing. I can watch about six trees from my post. Sometimes if I rush to my post at just the right time, I can launch a sneak attack by just not stopping to watch. I can just sail into the yard right from the gazebo. It worries the mom that I am only eight inches tall, and that it is five feet from the gazebo to the ground, but hunting squirrels is serious business and sometimes I have to take a risk.

When I get to the ground I sometimes scare five or six squirrels at a time. They know I might catch them and they dart up the trees and start jumping from tree to tree and branch to branch. I run from trunk to trunk on the ground, and jump as high as I can, but I can't catch one to save my life. But I will NEVER give up!

I think the mom feels sorry for me when I can't catch the squirrels. She bought me a pretend squirrel to play with in the house. It's the only toy I really care about. I can grab it by the tail and sling it across the room and chase it - and, I can catch it. It gives me hope that one day I will fly off the gazebo at just the right time and snag a real one!

Henry doesn't really care about the squirrels - he leaves them to me while he keeps chasing that ball.

A Day at the BarkMore......

                                                                                                                                                                     

It's doggie day care day!

Henry and I love to go to the BarkMore. We have each other for company at home, and the dad comes home every day to see us at lunch time. And, in the summers, the mom is home. But we LOVE to go to day care, the mom calls it our luxury - I think that means we get to go once a week just because we like it so much.

Look where we are!

Once we realize that's where the Subaru has taken us, we get so excited that the mom can hardly get hold of our leashes to get us out of the car. We are so happy to be there that we drag her up the ramp to the front door. As we go in, Henry takes off and runs through the building to size up the potential playmates for the day. I make a bee line to the office.

Henry gets to play with lots of other dogs. When I say he plays, I mean he really plays. Every minute, all day long. When one dog gets tired of playing with him, he finds another. He sleeps better at home for a whole week!

While Henry is playing with the other dogs, I am being pampered by the nice people. Since I really don't like big dogs (and most dogs are bigger than me) I usually jump up on the desk and watch Henry make his rounds. The people talk to me and hold me in their lap. I often have to yap to make sure all the other dogs are minding their manners. The mom checks the BarkMore's facebook page all day to see if they post a picture of us being precious and playful.

Henry, go play!

Sleep tight, Henry!

As much as we love it, though, we are still happy to see the mom come back at the end of the day. We're ready to go home and be with our family and rest up for our next adventure.

Henry is grounded.......

                                                                                    I think Henry is in big trouble.

We were all on the bed sleeping peacefully. Henry pounced on top of the mom and licked her face to wake her up - as if she could have slept through the pounce.

The mom was so sweet - she hugged him and told him he was such a good boy to let her know he needed to go outside. She snuggled with him, stroked him, and carried him out to the backyard. I decided that since I was awake, I would follow them out.


There was a little problem. Henry didn't need to potty. He had apparently remembered in the dead of night that he left his ball outside. He started running all over the yard and sniffing the ground like a blood hound. He then found his ball and came and proudly dropped it at the mom's feet. I tried to save him by squatting and going potty, but I don't think it worked.

The mom grabbed his orange ball, walked back in the house and put it up high. She told Henry he was grounded from playing ball for a week.

We'll see how this goes......

Writing a blog is hard work!

Henry's playing ball, and I have work to do. Keeping up with a blog takes time. So many things to keep up with - is the camera charged? Where's my photographer? Will the mom EVER get off the computer so I can post? And the required thinking.....Henry, please do something silly or adorable for me to write about.

Blogging is just wearing me out!

I hate pill day!

I'm up for a fight!

Every once in a while, the mom gets these boxes out of the cabinets.  It's pill day. When this happens, I know she's going to have to fight - with me!


Henry doesn't make this any easier. The mom just puts the pills in her hands and Henry gobbles them up. Henry will eat anything! But, not this puppy.....

This means trouble!

Maybe if I play dead she'll leave me alone!

The mom always starts out talking to me sweetly and asking me to just eat them like my brother - not a chance. Then she tries to hide them in peanut butter so I will be tricked. Does she think I don't know? I'm great at getting all the peanut butter off and then spitting the pills back in her hand. Sometimes she's silly enough to try this twice.

Then she usually calls for the dad to help. He holds me and the mom pries open my mouth. I try with all my might not to let this happen. But she usually wins. Then she sticks the pill way back in my throat and holds my nose. I really hate this. I wiggle and struggle, but they keep at it and finally I will swallow a pill. Then, they do it again. I hate pill day! I think I heard the mom say she hates pill day, too.

Opposing Eating Habits

I eat like a lady. I eat one kibble at a time and chew it thoroughly before I swallow. Henry eats like a vacuum cleaner. He sucks his food down in one breath. I don't think he chews at all. He never leaves even the smallest crumb in his bowl.

He eats so fast his head is just a blur in the picture!

The mom has tried to slow him down. For a while she made him eat out of this rubber ball with slits, that just spilled a few kibbles at a time. It just made him mad, and he would end up just barking at the rubber ball.

The main problem in our different eating habits is that after Henry is through with his, he wants mine. I have to be on guard at all times. To ease my eating trouble, I get to eat on the ottoman - and sometimes in the morning, I get to eat on the bed. This way the mom and dad can make sure that Henry doesn't bully me into giving him my food. They don't need to worry too much, I've become quite good at growling while I am chewing. But I don't like being stared at the whole time I am eating.

Guarding my last few kibbles.