Wow! Lots of stuff has changed and all of it is good stuff! We moved to a new house and a new city. Now we live in Sacramento, California and we live close to all Dad's family. People come over and play with me a lot and they bring me treats! We have been in the new house for two weeks and I love it- it is huge! The house has four bedrooms, but I am not allowed in two of them cause those rooms are Mom & Dad's business offices, even though Mom works in the dining room most of the time so she can pet me while she works. But Mom doesn't want me to poop in those rooms. Speaking of poopin' - I am getting much, MUCH better at poopin' where I am supposed to. Mom was getting real mad at me cause I was poopin' wherever, but I am getting better at that. I come from a celebrated line of poopers! I go outside under a lemon tree now. There wasn't much grass in the back yard, so Mom bought a couple of real sheets of grass and "planted" it under the lemon tree. I have my own space back there for midnight pees. I even have my own private door to the house!!!
My little portion of the yard is fenced away because there is a big swimming pool in the back yard. The pool is kind of scary but everyone is being super careful not to let me out to theta part of the yard, and Dad is going to buy a pool cover. Mom went swimming with me, and it was scary at first but then is was lots of fun. She is training me how to get to the stairs and get out. I almost have it down! I am a really good swimmer too! I can swim the whole length of the pool and back again! Mom rigged up a bright red floating thing that sticks up high so I can see it by the stairs. Doggies swim with our heads pointed up so I can't see the steps without a colorful thing up high. Of course, I am never, ever let into that part of the yard without a human watching me, but Mom wants to make sure I know how to get out of the pool, just in case. I've been laying out in the sun, getting a tan lately. I've got a nice piglet pink glow right now. I'm losing weight, just tiny little bit at a time. I run faster and I play more. I have about two seizures a month, but I cope with it, and the vet takes care of me.
Bunny Thing is still mean, but she is not as mean as she was in the apartment, because she has more room to run and play. And I have more room to hide.
I love being around people now. I don't like other dogs, but I love humans! I even like being in crowds of people. Mom thinks that is weird. Mom took me to a Renaissance Faire and I had the most awesome time EVER! I was running and chasing and playing with everybody, and people rubbed my ears and gave me turkey meat! It was like EVERYBODY on Earth was giving me rubs and meat and cheese and telling me I was a good Brocco! It was like I was Dog God and it was Dog God's birthday!
Yesterday was Mom's birthday and lots of people were over to celebrate. People gave me chicken. Life is good.
It's only one week until we move! The house we are getting is really big so I will have lots more room to play and avoid Bunny Thing. Normally we get along and even if she chases me, it's not a big deal. But yesterday Dad left the balcony door open and me and Bunny Thing got outside. She chased me and I tried to get away by going through the bars of the railing. I am pretty fat and my fatness got stuck in the bars. I was howling and yelling! Mom and Dad got me out within two minutes but they had to bend the bars to do it. I was scared for a while but then they gave me some chicken so it was OK. Anyway, I've been kind of stressed because the apartment is full of boxes and lots of things are changing but Mom & Dad snuggle with me a lot so that I feel better. Mom says I'll feel better when I am in the new house and settled down.
Today Mom took me for a long walk around the lake and there was this nice guy eating a hamburger. I could smell that burger so much! The man petted me and asked mom if he could give me a "bite" and mom said OK, and then the most awesome thing in the history of awesome happened... that guy tore off HALF of that burger and gave it to me before mom could get a word in. Oh my God! I ate it so fast! I violated that hamburger! Mom has me on a careful diet so I was surprised when she said I could have a bite. I don't think she knew that awesome guy was gonna give me half of his burger. I was so happy that Mom said she didn't have the heart to take it away from me.
A few days ago, I had the worst night EVER. I had SEVEN seizures in one night. It was awful. Mom took me to the animal hospital and my medicine was increased. The change is working. Now I am full of energy and want to run around all the time. I am feeling much better now.
But I also got to go to Sacramento with week to look at a house to move into with mom and dad. I love riding in the car! I got to have a chicken picnic at a pretty park, and I chased squirrels and everyone told me I am cute. It was a great day.
Mom kissed dad on the head when she had lipstick on. She gave me a kiss too
and so I have a pink spot on my head that match's dad's. Dad says I've been tagged.
Well, I had a bad week last week. I had a lot of seizures, which hadn't happened in a while. Mom had a bad week for the same reasons; she had several seizures too, on the same days. But then everything was back to normal, and we're both doing ok now. Sometimes that just happens. The other bad news is that I am gaining weight. For a while I was losing weight, but for the last three weeks I have not been running as much as I usually do and so I gained a little weight. Mom says she'll run around the lake with me more often.
In better news, I have a new favorite toy. It's a blanket! I love this blanket! I mean seriously, I cannot get enough of this blanket. I drag it with me everywhere. I roll around in it when I sleep. Sometimes, when I roll in the blanket, it wraps around me and I just walk around with it like that all day. It's my caped crusader outfit. Mom says I look like one of the sisters from 'Fiddler On The Roof.'
Yesterday, I went for a walk and sat down to rest under this tree that has a bunch of purple flowers on it. The flowers were falling off the tree like snow and Mom thought this was pretty so she took pictures and stuff.
Well, plans to move to the East coast have changed. Mom is real sick. I mean, she'll be OK, but Mom & Dad decided we need to stay in California and close to family for a while. Dad's siblings and mom live in Sacramento, and his Dad lives in Manteca, which is not too far from Sacramento, so we are going to find a house in Sacramento and move there in October. I still get a back yard, so I am happy. Plus, the move will be much easier.
I am doing really well. I had a bad seizure two days ago. Mom forgot to give me my nighttime meds that night. Since Mom is kind of ditzy lately because she is on medication and going through some kind of therapy that makes her forget things a lot, Dad is taking over my medication and feeding schedule for a while. But other than that, I don't have seizures very often. I am getting healthier. I have lost lots of weight, but I am eating well. Mom gives me my dry food, a small amount of wet food, and pieces of roasted chicken, which I LOVE. When she grills veggies for dinner, I get some too. I don't like veggies much but if they are grilled, I love them. I have lost so much weight that I have saggy skin on my neck because my neck used to be super fat.
We got a new car! It's much better than the old one. It's not fancy or nothin' but it's real comfortable and I have a claimed spot in the back seat where I ride with my doggie bed, and some toys.
But there is one thing that sucks...
There is this butthole dog that lives in the house and he looks a lot like me. Same hair, same eyes, same face. He hides behind this thing called a mirror in the bedroom. I go in there and bark at him, telling him to get out of the house, 'cuz he isn't supposed to live here. I am the only dog here! But he just mocks me by doing everything I do at the same time. One time I lunged at him and tried to kick his ass, but I bumped my head against that "mirror" thing. So I told him,
"Fine! Meet me in the living room and I will kick your fuzzy ass in there!"
But when I went in the living room, he was not there.
I've been having lots of fun the last few weeks! I went on lots of walks and played in the park a lot, and I went to the beach in Santa Cruz! I've been running and playing lots and eating right, and so I have lost more weight! I weight 18 pounds now, which is good! It's a little bit heavy for my breed, but not dangerously fat anymore. I can run faster and longer now and I have so much more energy. When mom or dad go places in the car, they usually take me too. Sometimes I sit in the back seat, but most of the time on Mom's lap. The sun always shines right in my eyes, so Mom lets me wear her sunglasses.
I have not had a seizure in a month!
My claws are much better too. They have grown out so they don't wear down so much, and Mom paints my claws with clear polish that makes them harder to break off. Bunny Thing and me are getting along about the same as usual. She picks on me and I run. Sometimes she chases me in circles around the room and then I chase her around the other direction, and Mom whistles the Benny Hill theme song.
I'm not 100% sure yet, but... Mom & Dad and Bunny Thing are probably moving this Fall in October. Of course, they are taking me with them. I'm totally part of the family and Mom says when we move I will have my own back yard to play in that will be all mine. We're moving really far away though- to North Carolina! A town called Asheville, which is really pretty and up in the mountains.
Asheville, NC
Asheville, NC That road is so pretty.
I am gonna find that road and poop on it.
That's my goal.
My Auntie Beth rides bicycles and stuff and she did a 100 mile ride on her bike in one day. I got to go out to the "pit stops" and help Mom & Dad have water for her and stuff. We waited there with water, and first aid kit and things she might need. It was fun and I got to run around a lot in parks and stuff, and lots of people petted me. Oh, and I stole a sandwich too! A whole turkey sandwich! And then I went under a car in the parking garage and got black grime all over me again and now Mom has to shampoo me again. She is not too happy about that but she said I am still cute. So that's ok.
I am doing really well. My medication has been regulated and now I don't have seizures all the time and I am not dopey either. I sleep through the night most nights and when I do wake up I am really quiet until the humies wake up too. Then we have breakfast together and go for a walk, and sometimes Bunny Thing goes with us. I like car rides so whenever Dad drives anywhere, he usually takes me too and I don't mind waiting in the car while he does errands. Of course, once it gets hot outside, I can't do that but right now is ok. I am more friendly now and Mom pets me a lot and gives me lots of love. I help her clean the house and sometimes I help her cook too. I sit under the stove and wait for her to drop any food- then I quickly vacuum it up.
There are only two things that mom says are not quite right yet. One thing is the potty training. I just cannot figure out where these people want me to pee and poo. I mean, outside? Inside? Which room? I can't figure it out. The other thing is socializing with other dogs. Sometimes I am nice, but sometimes I want to show those other dogs that i can kick their butts, so I lunge at them and try to start a fight. Mom says some of this is just "dog politics" but she has not taken me to a dog park yet to test me out off leash. That's coming soon.
Mom says in every other way, I am perfect. "Best dog in the whole world" she says.
Oh, and I have lost weight! I am looking goooooood! I still have a couple of pounds to lose or turn into muscle, but I am no longer dangerously overweight. I am more agile now and I can easily jump onto the sofa and jump down from things without face planting into the carpet. A month ago I was too fat to jump on things. Tomorrow, Mom is gonna give me an "in between bath" which is a bath I get in between grooming appointments. I am kinda nervous about that, but mom says it will be fine.
Aunt Deka is coming over in a minute and she and Mom are going to plan Mom's wedding while petting me lots.
Oh yeah, Mom & Dad are getting married in August! How cool is that!
Today I got groomed! It was a little scary at first, but then I was Ok. Lisa, of All Cats & Canines took such good care of me that once I got past the first nervous minutes, everything was great. I got a shampoo and a haircut and my ears, eyes and butt cleaned. Mom requested that I have a "Puppy Cut" since it is getting hot outside and I overheat really easy because I am overweight. A Puppy Cut is shorter than a normal cut, and makes doggies look really young. Soooo much hair came off of me! Like, a whole second dog! I look like a totally different doggie now! Oh, and I am SOFT! I'm happy, and my tail is fluffy and wagging.
Me, this morning. Really dirty!
Me, getting my hair clipped.
So much hair coming off!
The shampoo. I was so dirty I needed two shampoos!
Mom and Auntie Deka were in the bedroom all day going through the closet which has all Mom's costume things in it. Mom used to be an actress, so she has lots of costume things like big poofy dresses that people used to wear hundreds of years ago. There's all kinds of hats and something called corsets and petticoats. I dunno what any of that stuff is, but I know it's fun! Mom & Deka were going through the closet to find costumes to wear to something called The Tim Burton Ball, which is some kind of party, I guess. Well, I have never been in that closet before and let me tell you, that is the place to be! I got petted and given treats and put on a pillow on the bed and my belly rubbed... it was AWESOME! Plus, I helped Mom pick out things for organizing the closet too. Mom let me try on some hats and scarves for this cell phone application she has called "Cloth." It is a wardrobe documenting application thingie for people who work in theater and film to keep track of costumes and clothes worn by actors. I got to model some hats and scarves, and I model like a pro. I earned some treats, definitely. Then Auntie Deka took me for a walk in the park for an hour. I chased lake chickens, and got more belly rubs!
I have been doing both better and worse. Isn't that weird? Mom reduced the Potassium Bromide and that didn't work out so well because I went from being totally drugged out all the time to being really restless all the time AND having lots of seizures. So mom increased it a little and that helped but I still have seizures. Not as many, but they are a pretty regular thing. I am really, really unhappy when I am all drugged up. I have trouble walking and can't really do much. But seizures are bad too, so Mom & Dad are trying to balance my meds and make sure I am medicated but not OVER or UNDER medicated.
Mom says she has the same problem. When she takes the pills the doctors give her, she doesn't have much of a life at all. She gets so sad and tired and woozy all the time that she can't go places and do things. The pills are real bad for her kidneys too and caused Mom to have kidney problems. Mom now has a card to take "special medicine" and that works better for her. It stops the seizures, doesn't hurt her kidneys and she can have a life and actually do things. Mom says if all else fails, she will make me special medicine dog biscuits.
So, I have been having seizures, but when I am not having seizures, I am more able to do things. I am clumsy so Mom has pit pillows around the things I bump into often, but without the extra potassium bromide, I seem happier and more alert. Mom says it is a balancing act not just with the meds but with quality of life:
Is it better (for the dog) to have a doggie that is really dopey on drugs and can't do much, but doesn't have seizures?
Or is it better to have a doggie that is on less medicine and does have seizures, but can still function and play?
It is a risk to the doggie to allow seizures, but what kind of life is a doped up one?
Mom says people who don't have seizures often don't understand what seizures are like and cannot understand how some people choose to not be medicated. It does look scary, and it does feel awful, but it is five minutes of awful in a day, and sometimes five minutes of awful is better than all the time awful.
In good news, next weekend I get to go to the beach! Me and my dog-friend Curtis are taking off to the beach in Pacifica! Mom is gonna make me a nest in the back seat of the car so I can be a wet, dirty dog if I want to be, and we are gonna go find seashells and rocks. Me and Curtis get along real well. Bunny Thing can't go because Curtis will eat her.
The last couple of weeks, I have been acting weird. I am sluggish and exhausted all the time, then I wake up and I am restless. I wobble around when I walk, and I get irritable really easy. I bit mom, and then I bit dad too. A few weeks ago, my medicine was increased, and I take more Potassium Bromide. It takes sometimes weeks to made an effect that changes anything, so Mom didn't think my weird behavior had anything to do with the medicine, and since Mom & Dad don't know me for very long, they thought I was being a bad dog or maybe I am kind of slow. Mom did a lot of research and found out that too much Potassium Bromide AND Phenobarbitol can cause my behavior. So, she is going to reduce the medicine and see if that makes me feel better.
Mom and I were not doing so del for a couple of days because after I bit her in the eye she was scared of me. But we are doing so much better now! She laid down on the floor with me and we took a nap and stuff, and took walks and Mom made a Brocco song for me! Dad knows it and Mom knows it and some friends know it too, so people sing the Brocco song to me and it makes my tail happy! It goes like this:
My name is Brocco I weigh one brocco I am one full brocco long I have white curly hair And a goofy round head And that is the first verse of my song
Yes, I am brocco That rhymes with taco I like chicken, and duck and fish I like to take really long naps And fall asleep with my head in my food dish
I...live...wiiiiiith.... Bunny Thing She is a funny thing She really likes to jump on my tail Sometimes she chases me And she sniffs my pee And Dad calls the bunny 'Carpet Whale'
That's all so far. Mom says in a few years there will be, like, a gazillion verses to that song.
I am feeling better today. Mom gave me hugs and said she is not mad at me, just to not do that again. So, we ran up and down my little hill, which is always fun, even when I wipe out at the bottom of the hill. I got treats and love and stuff so I guess things are back to normal. I get groomed on Wednesday, since I did not get groomed while Mom was sick. I am kinda nervous about that but there is a nice lady coming here to do it so I don't have to go to a place with other dogs and lots of noise. The sound of things buzzing, like vacuums, hair driers and electric shavers really scares me, especially if there is lots of things going on in the room. Mom's getting her hair done the same day so she said it is Dog And Mom Spa Day. Oh, and I got to go and buy vegetables at the Farmer's Market, which was fun. There was a lady there selling goose eggs and I saw that and wagged my tail, that way Mom knows I like those. She got me one, but she said I cannot have it until I go a whole day without peeing in the house. I really, really want that goose egg.
Bunny Thing is now collecting yarn. She has a huuuuge stash of yarn behind the couch. She showed it to me. It's really impressive, like a yarn mountain! She likes to steal Mom's knitting yarn and take it back there to YarnTown. Her favorite thing to do is when Mom is knitting, and gets up to check on dinner or go to the bathroom or something, Bunny Thing grabs the yard she was using and runs behind the couch with it. I dunno how she picks it up- most of the yarn balls are bigger than she is. But she runs FAST with it! The other thing Bunny Thing likes to do is wait till Mom looks away and Bunny Thing bites through the string of yarn Mom was knitting with, so the thing she was working on starts to unravel! Bunny Thing and me, we laaaaaauuuuugh! Mom has to warn her friends who visit not to leave their cell phones with wires and stuff down where Bunny Thing can reach, because Bunny will bite through the wire and then look up and say,
"Can you hear me NOW?"
It's hilarious! Mom doesn't think it's funny though. Ok, she does a little.
I got some peanut butter on my nose.
It me an hour to lick it off.
It was raining and I got all wet and gross outside.
I am a baaaaaad dog. I was out for a walk with Mom and Dad and when we got home, Mom reached down to unlatch my lead from my harness and I bit her... hard... in her face. I went straight for her eye and it's not the first time I have done that. The first time I missed. This time I drew blood and Mom has a nasty, bloody bite under her eye where my fang scratched. Mom doesn't know why I did that. I am not sure why either. I was fine and happy and my tail was wagging. Everything was fine, and nothing was wrapped around my foot or anything. I just got cranky and I lost control for a second. Mom is really sad and angry and so is dad. I mean, I really got close to Mom's eye. I could have blinded her. Dad says that if this happens again, even though they love me, I will have to go back to foster care or a shelter- wherever will take me. I know why they are mad. Mom's eye is all swollen and sore. I am spending tonight in the bathroom and I don't get to play with Bunny Thing. No treats, no TV and no fun car rides. I am really sad right now.
We went to the park again today, and had a picnic, like we did yesterday. It was fun and I got to run a lot. But when I run at the regular park, I have to be on a leash because it is the law. So, I can't just run free. It was really windy today and pretty cold, so not a lot of people were out at the regular park. So Mom said,
"Let's go scout out the dog park. I bet there is no one there."
And there wasn't! not in the small doggie area anyway. So I got to have the whole dog park to myself! I got to run without the leash on and my ears were flying' in the wind! Mom and Dad chased me. Well, Mom chased me a little, but she still doesn't feel well so she sat down on the bench a while. But still, it was soooooo much fun! Mom was happy cuz she got to see how I do "off leash" without other dogs around to freak me out. Today has been a whole Brocco day! The park, dog park, rubbies, chasing lake chickens, licking Bunny Thing's head and now Mom is going to lay me on her lap and fix my eye goobers with a warm, wet washcloth, then detangle and brush me while we watch a movie. I think we're gonna watch Harry Potter. Mom says I'm "Hufflepuff House", whatever that means.
Mom is doing a little better today, but is still pretty wrecked. The sick that she had has messed up her tummy so bad that she can't eat normal. She has to eat soup broth and coconut water and sometimes even that she wretches up. Mom said she was going "stir crazy" and needed some air today, so we went to the park, even though it was kinda cloudy outside. Dad brought some soup and a blanket for Mom and walked me around a little in the park. Mom was able to walk me a little and I was real good and did not pull because I know she is sick and can't walk fast like she normally does. She walked me to a leafy patch and I dug around a little and found a chicken bone from someone's BBQ! It was gorgeous! it was broken in half and covered in sauce and dirt and ants and what Mom called "Bum funk." I was so excited! I was gonna take that home so I could really take my time digging into that culinary treasure! *sigh* But, Mom took it away from me. I resisted but she swatted my butt and I dropped it. She said I can't have it because;
A.) "Brocco will choke on the brittle bones." B.) "It's covered in ants." C.) "It smells like a leper's ass."
Mom likes to break down arguments into ABC's. Anyway, she won and I did not get to keep the bone, but she gave me a "consolation prize" of a brand new bone and some peanut butter in my kong toy. That chicken bone would have been better though.
I have not been a very good boy these last few days though. Mom has been real sick and she is so sick that Dad has to take the rest of the week off work to take care of her. I've been barking A LOT. Especially at night when Mom needs to sleep. I feel bad but I can't help it. I am excited and confused and just need to bark. I know the humies are frustrated with me, but I can't help it. The potty training is not going so well either. They want me to poo outside, but I insist on pooing in the house. Sometimes I go half outside and save the rest for the house, which Dad says he doesn't understand.
Me and Bunny Thing are getting along really good, but Mom says I need to "respect boundaries" that the Bunny Thing has established. Bunny Thing has two places she does't want me to be in; her food and water bowls, and her favorite lounging pillow. Bunny Thing always lays on this leather Turkish pillow that Mom says they got in Istanbul and Bunny confiscated it and made it her lounge palace. Well, I like that pillow too, and I like to lay my head on it and drool a lot, which grosses Bunny Thing out. So Bunny Thing gets mad and marks her territory, peeing on it a lot so I won't lay on it. But I still do. So Mom moves me if I lay on it. She says me and Bunny Thing both have "special places", like mine is my crate den, and Dad's office, which Bunny Thing is not even allowed to go into. And Bunny Thing has her pillow, so I guess I have more space than she does, so that's fair. Mom says she will designate me my own fluffy pillow, but I might "suffer the wrath of Bunny" if I get on her pillow again.
Me, under the table on Game Night. That's my
harness, which Mom calls "Dog Panties."
That leather pillow with patches is Bunny Thing's
favorite place.
I like sleeping on the kitchen floor. Mom always finds me
asleep in there and gives me a pillow and blanket.
My Mom is horrible sick with something called Norovirus. It's this awful virus that makes you wretch and get dehydrated real bad. Mom had to go to the hospital but she's home now, and on "bed rest." It was so bad she has lost eleven pounds in two days! I am trying to help as much as I can. I lay by mom and am on guard duty, so that if she starts to shake or anything, I bark and let Dad know. Dad said I am doing a great job. Dad is taking real good care of mom too. He pets her a lot and changes her vomit bucket. Mom says that's how you know someone loves you. So, I've been keeping Mom company when she's awake. We watched a movie together and I was real careful not to climb on her tummy cuz it's sore. Mom says that when she gets better, she will take me hiking in the hills. She says there is a creek I can play in and I can chase squirrels if I want to.
Mom & Dad are both kinda worried about me because I am pretty clumsy and that's ok, but I tend to fall over and hit my head on things a lot. Mom thinks that seizures might have caused developmental issues. I don't know what that means, but Mom says that when she gets all better she is going to put padding on some of the things I always bump my head on. I lay by mom's feet at her desk a lot, and there is a wooden bar there and I always bump my head on it, and the other thing is that I fall asleep on the couch and then I roll off of it. Mom put down throw pillows below the couch so that when I fall I don't bust my head. Most of the time I don't even wake up, so it doesn't bother me, but Mom says people with epilepsy should be careful about bumping their heads, so I should too.
Oh, and this morning, I got a paw massage! Mom was horrible sick, but she saw my paws are dry and cracked, so she heated up olive oil and rubbed my paws for a while while we watched Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Then I fell asleep on Mom's feet.
I am a pretty big doggie. By big, I mean fat. The doggie doctor says I am obese, so Mom & Dad have been trying to get me to lose some weight. I've lost a little, but then I hurt my paw nails and didn't run as much for a while and gained most of the weight back. Mom doesn't like to give me dog treats because they are "high fat" and I gain weight when I eat them. She still gives me treats though. She has something she calls "Brocco Specials" which is this yummy little Cheerio looking thing that she dips in low calorie chicken broth. I really like those Brocco Specials, even though they are very tiny. Still, I like em a lot. Mom keeps the chicken broth in a special Brocco Bowl with a lid that makes a crinkly paper sound so I know it's a treat by the sound.
I have also learned that I have superpowers. I can make highly potent smells from my backside that make humies freak out. Mom calls these little butt explosions FSPs… "Farts of Spectacular Potency." When I make FSPs, Mom jumps up and lights scented candles and Dad gasps for air. I can also make something called "Doom Farts" which will immediately clear the room of all humies. On Game Day, I like to do Doom Farts. I walk in the room, let out a Doom Fart, and then watch all the humies get up and leave. They don't even say anything. They just all get up and leave at the same time. I wagged my tail and asked Mom once why the humies don't say anything, and she said,
Just a few days ago, I was fluffy and white and clean, but not anymore! Two days ago, I was out walking with Dad, and I went under a car. Dad tried to stop me, but I was so curious and he was carrying things, so he couldn't hold the lead tight enough. Well, I saw an opportunity to get under that parked car and see what was under there. It turns out- nothing but black, grimy grease. Lots of it! In fact, I got it all over me! I think it looks so cool!
I have a huge splotch of black on my back and head, and it's kind of a doggie James Dean look. Like a dog that helps it's master work on cars and can fetch tools out of a toolbox. That kind of cool dog! I totally look like that now! I love it! I went home and Mom was so surprised at my new look that she covered her mouth with her hand and her eyes got real big! She tried to wash me but it's not coming off. She tried to get that black stuff off, but finally she gave up and said she'd try again in the morning. Of course, that gave me hours to spread that black stuff all over other parts of my fur, so now there are no angel-white spots of fur showing, just black, charcoal gray, and what mom calls "communist era stucco" whitish-gray.
So, apparently, mom does not like my new super-grunge look. Mom is looking into grooming services and I am going to go in for a shampoo, filthy dog clean up, and to have my hair did. Parents don't understand what's "of the moment" in doggie world. I'm just trying to make a statement. I am being an individualist using mass image conformity in a socially structured hierarchy, imbedding elements of post modern irony to state how by being part of a conformist fashion aesthetic, but aware, that I am, in a quirky way, my own person. But Mom told me her favorite look for me is "Clean, White, Dog." *sigh* She just doesn't 'get' me.
Hi! *tail wagging* I just want to say I am doing so good! The last few days I am really catching on to my new life and how to do things. My new mom and dad are so proud of me and they give me lots of hugs and stuff. This potty training thing is pretty hard living in an apartment and all, but I am really catching on. I am not totally there yet, but Mom says I am 70% there, whatever that means. She says that is good. I have been running and chasing Bunny Thing and eating really carefully, and I have lost two pounds! Mom gives me lean pieces of chicken and we do exercises on the Wii Fit. Did you know doggies can play on the Wii machine too? They can! Mom used the Wii Balance board to weigh me the first day I was here and I weighed 24.4 pounds. Well, last night she weighed me again, and now I weigh 22.1 pounds! I play Wii Tennis with Mom a lot. We play doubles. Mom hits the ball and my job is to chase it and bark when she swings the racket. I am real good at that! The confusing part is that there is not really a ball, so that's weird, but it's fun! When I win games (Mom says I always win) we go for a walk to the coffee shop and we have tea. Well, mom has tea, and I have a bowl of water and a duck treat. The people at the coffee shop like me a lot, and every once in a while, if there is not many people there, they actually let me go inside and sit under the table- and people come over and pet me, and tell me I am awesome.
Here is some more good news: I have only had one seizure since I have been here! Mom missed one medication dose, but I did not have a seizure.
Oh, and Bunny Thing and I are getting along so well! She sleeps by me- not right next to me, but a half a Brocco away. Mom says I measure everything in Broccos. Weight, distance, time... everything in Broccos. So I am about 2 feet long, so 2 feet equals one Brocco. Bunny Thing sleeps a little less than one Brocco away from me, which is good because the first week, she hid fro me and would not play with me at all. Now we play and chase, and sometimes she hops up to me and kisses my face, which Mom says makes her head explode with cuteness, whatever that means. I sleep lots of different places, and Bunny Thing looks for me and sleeps wherever I am. She's a sweet little thing. I like her a lot. I was chewing on a bone yesterday and I got a piece stuck in my throat and I was coughing and trying to get it out, but it was a quiet kind of cough. Well, Bunny Thing was right there, and she started thumping realm hard on the floor to get Mom's attention. That worked and Mom ran over and helped me cough up the bone. So, Bunny Thing is watching out for me.
Saturday, tomorrow, is Game Day again, and that's nice because humies are real nice to me and last time I sat on the sofa with them and everyone petted me for HOURS! Then Sunday, I get to to to the lake, and that is always fun. Sundays are lake day! Mom said she would take me a lot more often, but my paws are a little fragile. My nails wear down real fast on the concrete when we walk to the lake or take long walks. A couple of times, they wore down too much and bled. It wasn't too bad, and Mom fixed me up good, but until my nails grow out a little more, Mom doesn't want to walk me on cement much, and there is a lot of sidewalk between here and the lake, so four now, only Sundays. But Sundays are so much fun! Mom says she needs to teach me not to nip at other dogs so much, but if I learn to be more polite to other dogs, then she will take me to the dog park. But I gotta do something called "socialize" first. One more thing to learn! She says, potty training first. One thing at a time. When I get potty training 100% learned, Mom is going to take me to "basic training" which is where I will learn "Sit, Come Here, Heal" and a couple of other basic doggie things. That might be fun. I saw the class in the park, lots of doggies like me learning things and getting petted and treats. Looks like fun!
Oh, one more thing: today, coming home from the coffee shop, Mom took my leash totally off and I followed her really well. I didn't run all over the place or chase anything. I was so good! Mom and Dad were so impressed! Mom says that when I run, my ears flap and I look like "Falcor The Luck Dragon" from a movie called The Neverending Story. He was a dragon with a dog head. Mom says I make her happy and she's like "A fat kid with cake."
"Chunk" from The Goonies riding Falcor.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Since I have been on a farm with a doggie door for almost 2 years, I am not used to living in a place where I have to rely on humies to take me outside to go potty. So, my humie parents are training me and themselves to do regular potty breaks outside on a schedule so I don't pee on the floor. It's kind of hard but I am catching on! It's also hard not to wake Mom & Dad up every few minutes at night when I want to play but they want to sleep. We're working on that too. I sleep in bed with the humies sometimes but I like to bark a lot at night when humies need sleep. I want to go out and play so bad that I don't want to wait till 7 when humies get up to take me outside. So I bark a lot. So, the humies are working on a gentle method of clicker training and crate training where I have a crate, but the door is always open so I can go in and out whenever I want. This way I have my own doggie den where I feel safe and it's all mine, so I don't worry about other dogs or Bunny Thing getting into it. I have a really soft bed in it, and a piece of my favorite blue blanket, and my favorite new toy- a Kong! A Kong is this weird little thing that looks kinda like a plunger and it is hollow so my humies can fill it with treats for me to try to get out of the Kong. It's kind of hard to get treats out, but it makes me work my teeth and keeps me occupied and having fun. My humie mom fills it with low fat peanut butter and puts my favorite treat in the middle- Turkey Oatmeal Cranberry doggie biscuit in the center- then she freezes it! I play with it and squeeeeeeze it and toss it and I get some peanut butter but then, finally, I get that doggie biscuit and I am so happy I run in circles with my tail wagging. It's bliss!
My Humie Mom has been teaching me to play some game called "Tug Rope" which is where a humie holds one end of a rope and I am supposed to hold the other end in my mouth. Not sure what to do after that, but I have the hold the rope part down. She says, "Ok, brocco, now tug!" but I dunno what that means. She pets me and tells me I tried real hard anyway. I'll figure it out. We practice Humie & Dog games for 20 minutes every day, cuz doggie experts say we doggies don't have a long attention span. I like our Humie & Dog games, even if I don't know how to play them. My Humie Mom says it is nice that I do not like biting things at all, because I do not bite furniture or people or even Bunny Thing even though some doggies would totally eat Bunny Thing! How awful! I would not eat Bunny Thing- she's my friend!
Speaking of Bunny Thing, we are really starting to get along a lot better. She isn't afraid of me at all anymore and she comes up to me to chat and say hello. Sometimes we chase each other. Mostly she chases me and I let her catch me. Also, I am meeting lots of dogs in the building and making new acquaintances. Now I know Lily, and Auggie and Sophie and Jax. Jax is annoying but sometimes he is fun to play with.
My paws are doing better. My nails are growing out. Mom doesn't let me go on the cement much yet. She wants to let the nails grow out more before I run on cement, but we run like crazy on the grass. There is a small hill that Mom & Dad have me run up so that I get good exercise. I've been running up that hill lots and guess what...? I have lost two pounds! My belly is not so round anymore and because I am steadily losing weight, I get more treats! And Bunny Thing taught me to eat apple slices, which don't look very good but they are actually pretty tasty.
Me & Bunny Thing, plotting to take over
the world... or at least the living room.
This is my little hill. A few runs up that and I want a nap!
It doesn't look like much to a humie but I'm little!
This is my new doggie den. The door stays open, but it is
my personal space. That orange thing is my Kong filled
Me and Bunny Thing are getting along pretty well. For a while she was scared of me but now she knows I won't eat her and that I just want to chase and play. She is waaaay faster than me anyway. She can do hairpin turns and go under things I can't get under. She likes to taunt me sometimes, coming up behind me when I am not looking and pushing her paw on my tail. Then I spin around and she is already far away, laughing. I caught her once though! I didn't hurt her, but I caught her. Now we are having more fun because she doesn't run away just because I am in the room. She comes out and plays and I chase her and she chases me.
I am going to have to be more careful on my front paws. My nails are really short and if I run fast on the cement outside, it wears my nails down very bad. Today I ran real fast and it was fun, but then I hurt my paw and it was bleeding. So Humie Mom doctored it up, and bandaged it and now it's ok. Except now Humie Mom makes me wear shoes! SHOES! Little blue bootie shoes. How humiliating! -sigh- But I guess that way I don't hurt my paws so much and my nails have time to grow out long so they don't wear down so easy. Bunny Thing laughs at me though. But she was nice to me when I hurt my paw, and she sniffed me and asked me how I was, without pestering me, so that's nice. It's weird having a sister.
So, I am what Humie Mom calls "chilling out" this weekend. Tomorrow the humies are having "Game Day" which is when them and their humid friends come to the house and sit around the table, and pretend they are wizards and stuff. It's called Dungeons & Dragons. Mom says I can be a "Minion", whatever that is. The cool part is that I will get to meet more humies- Humie Nathan, Humie Josh and Humie Liz. I plan to lay in my dog bed under the table... in case they spill any food.
Bunny Thing, asking if I'm OK.
This is the building I live in. So there is grass but in patches
so I need to wear shoes till my nails get stronger.
This morning I had a seizure. I've had lots of seizures before but this was the first one with my new Humie Parents. I was sleeping on the bed with my humies and then that thing happens where I get real dizzy and things go all fuzzy in my eyes. Then my legs shake and twitch and I feel like my body is not connected to the ground. It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't had one before. And it's scary when it happens around people because you never know if they will be scared, or do something not very smart, or maybe think you are a freak and not like you anymore. Sometimes when animals like me have problems that humans don't think are "cute" or expected, they get real upset with the animal, and they don't really want them to be their pet anymore. That's why a lot of animals end up in shelters, like I did. So in a new place, having a seizure makes me scared, because I was worried maybe my new humies would not want me anymore. But that didn't happen at all. My humid mom and dad petted me until the seizure was over, then they put me in the bed between them and hugged me till I fell asleep with them. I snored a lot and they didn't get mad at me. I even farted, and they didn't get mad. They did say they might need to get something called a "gas mask and an oxygen tank" but they weren't mad because they were smiling and petting me. So I went to sleep and I was ok. Mom said that later, if I am feeling better, she will walk me to the park and we can sleep under a tree "like hobos." Whatever that means.
My Humie Dad & Humie Mom took me to the park where there is a small lake that humies and boogawoofs play around. There are swings and sandboxes and lots of little mini-humies playing. Some mini-humies petted me and it was fun. Humie Dad gave me belly rubs by the lake, and we had a picnic under a tree. I got to eat some roasted chicken and it was soooo yummy! Then I took a nap and then played games with another boogawoof that looks kinda like me! We walked by the edge of the lake and there are these bird things in the water that look like chickens. They're Lake Chickens! So, I had a really good time and got to ride in the car, which I like a lot too. I sit on Humie Mom's lap so I can see out the window, and I'm really good- no jumping out the window or anything.
All that fun stuff and guess what? I have been with my new family for five days and have not had a seizure! I am really happy and getting lots of love and pets and what my Humie Mom calls SmooshyFaceLove.
