Bogie Bytes - Journal of a Wire Fox Terrier

I've Moved

2007-01-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

Mom is incorporating pictures of me into her new photography blog so please find out what's happening with us at NmB Photography.

No More Squeak

2006-12-29T14:38:00.001-08:00

I don't know why Mom keeps buying me these toys. They last for such a short time and then she takes it away so I don't eat it and barf. I can always sniff them out when she "hides" them on the counter or in the wastebasket. And, since I've been quite a good boy, Santa brought me a couple of cool, new toys for Christmas that I haven't been able to destroy yet.

Just Horsin' Around

2006-12-22T11:32:00.001-08:00

Just Horsin' Around
Originally uploaded by NmB Photography.

The folks were finishing Christmas prep this morning. This was the last gift to wrap but first they had to get me all riled up - Bogie.

Another Christmas Outfit Post

2006-12-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

I see lots of you Wires dress in shirts, coats, hats and even boots. That's just not for us. However, Mom did make me this red, satin bowtie and I think I look extremely handsome in it. She also wants to get me this Land's End coat- but just because it's fluorescent so I will shine in the dark.

One-Eyed Bogie

2006-12-14T09:42:00.000-08:00

Mom's been wanting a shot like this for a long time. Why, I ask you? My ears are even cut off.

Had a great romp with the cockers again this morning. When they get loose they tear around in circles in MY back yard. Holly's almost as fast as I am.

My Christmas Outfit

2006-12-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

Mom made me this bowtie a while back but she's never satisfied with her photos. This one doesn't show it off either but I'm pretty curious about this singing/piano playing snowman. Yesterday, I chewed on Dad's shoes AND the day before I got into the garbage so I'm back in my crate this morning. Rats - I love to keep an eye on the backyard from my cushy chair in their bedroom.

AKC/Eukanuba Dog Show

2006-12-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,
Don't forget to tune in to the second day of the dog show tonight on the Discovery Channel. The Wires (and other terriers) will be on tonight. I went nuts watching it last night and they had to get really tough with me about jumping on the TV screen. I finally settled down when we watched the end of it in bed together.

Here are the results from the first day. We did not know WHAT a PBGV was until this handsome dog won in the hound group last night. I see why they use initials - that's a long name.

Thanksgiving

2006-12-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is great, isn't it? Did you guys get some tasty turkey last week? I LOVED it.

Sorry it's been so long since our last update but Mom's been spending lots of time on the computer doing Christmas cards and stuff. What's more important than this blog? I don't know. She's even thinking about converting this to a photography blog instead. Go figure. Guess I need to be more entertaining (or naughty) so she has lots of blog material.

This picture was from last Saturday. I had loads of fun with Erin and Kelby. Kids are great, aren't they? We heard on the Today show this morning about this boy who saved his family from being robbed after coming out in his Power Ranger outfit and brandishing a sword. He scared them away.

It was so warm last Saturday we had a weiner roast. Today, it's snowing and blowing and Mom got to stay home from work. How cool is that?

Foot Surgery

2006-11-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

Foot Surgery
Originally uploaded by NmB Photography.

Something weird is going on. Mom has been home since about noon yesterday. They left me out of the crate and took off for the hospital cause she had to have surgery on her foot. When they came home, they found I had torn up some papers (as usual). She has to lay on the couch for a few days so she took a BUNCH of pictures of me at my post - guarding the backyard.

Bad Law in China

2006-11-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

Have you read about the horrors that are happening to dogs in some Chinese provinces? The government has initiated a one-dog rule due to an increase in rabies cases. Only 3% of dogs in China are vaccinated for rabies.

Here's the story in Yahoo. Dog owners like Loke, in the story, have been scrambling to hide their pets in the face of a new crackdown which allows only one dog per household and bans breeds taller than 14 inches. In our newspaper, on Wednesday, a Fox Terrier named Ding Ding was included with the story. If you play the Yahoo slide show you will see three photos of Ding Ding (numbers 23, 24 and 25). We feel so bad for those owners that have to give away the pets that they love, or worse, see them taken by the police.

New Toy

2006-11-15T18:49:00.000-08:00

Thought you might like to see me silence this new toy. It took me 12 minutes!

Dad told Mom a funny story when she got home from work today. They have been leaving my crate door open and I've been pretty darn good. In fact, when they get home they find me sitting inside my crate with my tail between my legs. So, Dad decided to surprise me by not opening the garage door when he got home. Instead, he snuck around to the back of the house and caught me laying on my footstool. Boy, was I busted. He's almost as sneaky as I am!

Bones

2006-11-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

I had a brand new experience yesterday - I got a ham bone! They never shared their bones with me before, just toast, cereal, dry-roasted peanuts, popcorn, cookies, etc. Bones are the best! I love to chew on things more than anything else and this really puts my big teeth to the test. How about you guys - do you get to chew on real, meat bones??

Last Weekend

2006-11-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

We went to Iowa City last weekend and though I've matured in many ways, I still barf in the car. Mom thinks I'm pretty good to always barf into a bag for her, though.

This is a picture of Erin in my crate and Kelby trying to quick lock her in. She says my name so beautifully - it's music to my ears.

Last week I had to go to my Dr's office and get four shots -- YIKES! We found out that I gained 6 oz so I'm almost 19 pounds, now. Dr Heitzman said I'm very muscular ... that's a Wire Fox Terrier, for you! We're hunks.

Hey, where did my profile picture disappear to??? Mom will have to fix that right away.

Halloween

2006-10-31T17:02:00.000-08:00

I'm having a tough time figuring out this whole Halloween thing. The kids who keep ringing our doorbell tonight look pretty freaky but they get to stick their hands into our big candy bowl anyway! In between the doorbell, the big bowl gets put up on the high table so I can't get any of the chocolate. Guess that would make me too hyper - ha, ha!

Lots of dogs come along with the kids and I met a Westie in a pumpkin outfit. Mom made me a special red bowtie to wear for my costume. What did you guys wear?

Great Weekend

2006-10-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

What a terrierific weekend we had. Nothing real special except hangin' out at home. Oh, we did take a long walk in the park today. Mom turned around to watch a guy waxing his car and next thing she knew, I was nearly all the way into this hole. <Pretty cute "piece of tail", right?

Then, when we got back home it was time for my afternoon nap. Mom thought that was the safest time to do another out-of-crate experiment and boy, was she happy. I was alone in the house for a whole hour this time and didn't do anything naughty at all. I was too darn tired, I guess. Any way, I got some "good boy" lovin' and treats when she came home.

Lunch Play Time

2006-10-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Lunch Play Time
Originally uploaded by NmB Photography.

After I get stripped, I don't have enough hair in my ears to make them drop down for a few days.

Brrrr - they get cold inside, too.

Cuz Toy

2006-10-23T17:20:00.001-07:00

Cuz Toy
Originally uploaded by NmB Photography.

Bogie's new toy was intact for about fifteen minutes. The "Dirty Rotten Kitty" laying to the side is a survivor - cloth seems to work better. Oh, well.

Bogie Kiss

2006-10-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

Bogie Kiss
Originally uploaded by NmB Photography

Here I am being a really good boy with Paige last weekend. Since then, I've been in trouble every day for getting under the deck. I just need to find those darn rabbits or whatever they are. I eventually come out looking pretty grimey so they toss me into the sink in the garage. I hate that...

Miss Them Already

2006-10-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is my usual post for guarding the back yard but I was so pooped this morning, I curled up to watch them get ready for work. Dinna ran me five miles yesterday and "my dogs are barking". That means my feet are tired. I usually sit on the bed and watch them while they get ready for work in the morning but I needed a pre-crate nap. Paige and I got along real good, too.

Top Dog

2006-10-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

I wasn't Top Dog tonight. This baby came over with his Mom and Dad and they wouldn't let me near him. I really, really wanted to give him some kisses but it was "all about the baby." Mom spent some time taking pictures of him and LOTS of time holding him. He never cried once. It was Saturday and all I got was a bath...

Neighborhood Friends

2006-10-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

We met lots of cool people on our walk tonight but I love Kirsten the best. She's always calling my name, now, when she come out to play but, of course, I can't go running across the street without my leash on. So, we went over and asked her to join us on our walk but she couldn't. She was sad and so was I.

Our Walk Tonight

2006-09-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

We got to go out in the country and walk on the Jane Addams trail again tonight. I love all the sights and sounds but not the car ride. I don't remember ever seeing cows up close before, have you? I sure wanted to jump out of the car and "herd" them or whatever we're supposed to do.
Hey, where are our eyes?? I don't see my eyes OR the cow's eyes. Too weird.

There's No Place Like Home

2006-09-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's so good to have them back. This is us playing in the back yard last night.

Where's Waldo?

2006-09-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
You probably think I dropped off the face of the earth but I'm back! My folks took a vacation to Colorado and took me to a dog hotel. Nine whole nights without my king-sized bed or good treats to eat or my yard to play in. Mom thought I looked good, though, and was sure happy to pick me up early even though they had to pay dearly for it. Extra playtime and early pickup added to a pretty hefty bill.

So, out in Colorado it seems like everybody travels with their dog - well, almost everybody. Grrrrr... And the dogs are so well-behaved most of them are off-leash. Mom even saw two Wires walking down the street off-leash. That REALLY shocked her. She took lots of dog photos since they missed me so much. Here's one with Nic who DID get to go with them. This big, St. Bernard was in exactly the same spot when they went to Aspen two years ago. He's HUGE.

Ah, Now I'll Get Some Attention

2006-09-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Paige and her folks were here all weekend so I wasn't "top dog" in the house. I did get to go for a long, long week with Dinna and Andrew threw the ball for me for about an hour. This is me as soon as they drove out of the driveway waiting for Dad to come back to "our chair".

Guess How Much I Weigh

2006-09-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Today, Dad took me to the vet and I got weighed. Kanzi used to head straight for the big scale and just lay down. They always used to tell her that's not the way for a lady to act, but she did it anyway. Me, on the other hand, had many things to smell so it was a little more tricky. Anyway, I weigh 18.5 pounds. Mom thought I was probably up to about 22 since I'm pretty tall and she thinks I feel much heavier. Guess muscle weighs more than fat, right? I'm constantly running from the front yard to the back yard and chasing away squirrels, mice and crows. A Wire's job is never done.

Funny Photo

2006-08-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Mom snapped this picture of me this afternoon during our lunch break. Mom or Dad still come home everyday to let me out of my "kettle" as Kelby calls it. Sometimes they take me for a walk or sometimes I just get to romp around in my back yard or lay in the sunshine on my deck. Then, in the evening, lots of times I get another walk. Yesterday, I got two and today I just got one. Tonight we met a new neighbor dog named Truffles. He's part poodle and was so nice. His Mom takes him to the Dog Park almost every single day.

First Play Date

2006-08-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't even know what a play date was until last Thursday. Mom made the arrangements to meet Diva and her Mom at our Humane Shelter. We looked for them first at the Small Dog area but there were only two other little dogs that were afraid of me there. So, we moved on to the big dog area and then to the pond. Isn't this pond beautiful? Especially with the sun shining on the corn field behind it.
Diva and I had a super time chasing each other around. Then, one of my other neighborhood puppies came so we both chased him. He is only four months old, though, so he went under his Dad's legs sometimes to get away from us. Hope we get to go again soon.

Nellie the Cat

2006-08-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of Nic and Jason's new kitty cat that they just rescued from their Humane Shelter. I can't wait to play with her, she's so beautiful. They actually named her Nervous Nellie but she's really warming up to them, now. Hope she's "warm" to me, too!

Got My First Mouse Today

2006-08-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo!@ I nailed my first mouse in the garage this morning. I've been working at it for a long, long time. Mom and Dad were pretty darn pleased with me.

Mom had to make a quick trip to the grocery store and thinks it's time to "teach" me how to behave outside of the crate. She took the steaks off the counter but oops, she forgot the butter stick. I was looking so guilty when she came in the door - tail between my legs and my ears down. I'm a dead giveaway. She thinks it's progress because I'm a little more sensitive about the scolding now. I went and sat in the corner for a few minutes before doing some big-time grovelling.

Yeah, it's Saturday!

Weekend Update

2006-08-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been over a week since we talked about me on the computer. Mom is too busy now because school is starting at her college and Dad was gone all day to the PGA championship so I was stuck in my crate the whole day. I'm feeling very neglected.

Last weekend was lots of fun, though. Jason and Nic were here with their folks and Paigey was here with hers. Paige is pretty bossy with me but I love her to pieces any way. The boys are good at throwing my toys. The best part was playing with those Magic Bubbles. I love to run and jump after them and snap my teeth.

Dinna and Mark took me running every day with them. It was cool to get all that exercise but oh, my aching feet. I've got a blister that I'm working on fixing now.

The two cockers from two doors down finally came into my yard for a visit. The younger one and I spent about fifteen minutes seeing who could run fastest in circles around our back yard. You know us boys, it's all about how fast you can run and that's it. Holly, on the other hand, was super smart. She cut me off and nearly caught me time after time. I never caught on - just ran faster. It was a hoot!

I'm trying to get together with my friend, Diva, but so far it hasn't worked out. I'm just aching to meet her. Be sure and vote for her over on Barkslope, ok?

New Friends and Dog Blogs

2006-08-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

I see we have a couple of new friends that have joined the cyber world for dogs. Hey, Bogart, you are a handsome devil. Poor Boagart has the itchies like Axel. Mom and Dad have been putting that gunk on my back, too, and Mom keeps saying, "He better not get fleas or he can't sleep in our bed anymore." Here's a recent handsome picture of me in the garden.

It was actually an Airdale that first got my Mom and Dad thinking they wanted a terrier. They saw one that was lost out at the lake and followed up to make sure the owners had claimed it. That dog was really nice and didn't bark and just stuck in their mind. Then they figured they should look for a smaller version and started hunting for Welsh Terriers but instead they found me - YEAH! Welcome, buddy. Check it out. Bogart's blog.

Then, we have another new dog blogger, named Buster. Buster's blog is called the Fox Terrorist. Buster lives in Florida and looks like he gets to tear around on the beach. Dude, you're so lucky. His blog is hilarious so check it out, too.Welcome, y'all.

What is that Thing in MY Yard?

2006-08-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was just minding my own business when around the corner of MY house comes a golf cart. I was shocked when Mom and Dad drove right up the driveway in a strange-looking vehicle. Huuh??? What is it? I let them know I wasn't happy about it.

Tonight, Mom and I are home alone as Dad had to go to Chicago. We are watching Stuart Little II. I just love that little white mouse and the big, white cat named Snowbelle. The mouse looks nothing like the nasty brown vermin that I'm after in my garage. I'm sitting on the stool about two feet from the TV staring. Occasionally I jump up there to see if I can grab one of those cats.

A couple of weeks ago I figured out that I could get from the back yard to the front yard. I had been too terrified that I would get shocked, but you know us terriers, we're always testing our boundaries. Mom really wanted me to stay in the backyard since they leave me out sometimes when they're gone, but, that's the breaks.

Mom believes I've finally given up my disgusting habit of shredding the kleenex in the wastebaskets since she hasn't seen any evidence for a while. She thinks I might have matured enough to try the next out-of-crate experiment. Mmmm.....

Dogs on My Radar

2006-08-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have encountered a dangerous-looking dog in my back yard. Actually, we think it was a coydog and I went crazy when it came sauntering through MY backyard. We saw it both Sunday and Monday evening. Mom's nervous that it's going to go after me but Dad says I'm way too tough to tangle with. This is what a coydog looks like - have you ever heard of them?

On a lighter note, dogs saving lives have been in the news lately. There's the story of Belle, the beagle, who used her owner's cell phone to dial 9-1-1. We also heard on the radio about a couple of dogs that are receiving awards for finding a boy buried in the sand but we just can't locate the story on the internet. Do you know any stories like these?

It's finally a cooler day today so I should get a couple of decent walk out of Mom and Dad. That is, if I can ignore the varmint that I smell in our garage. I had to be drug inside this morning with my little heart pounding - I need to find that varmint!

Jane Addams Trail

2006-07-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here we are in cooler times walking on the Jane Addams Trail near our town. Jane Addams was pretty famous, I guess, and was born in a small town north of here. We actually know the people who just bought this awesome acreage. Jane Addams started the Hull House in Chicago. It's been blazing hot here just like in most of the country so this picture makes me long for nice, cool walks in the country.

Videos and YouTube.com

2006-07-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

We were just reading Axel's blog and so decided to jump onto the YouTube bandwagon. We have some short videos of me when I was a wee pup but they are pretty dark. I'm just crazy about watching them, though. This video is one of Paige with Jason and Nic's cat, Sunny. Everybody loves Paige's toe-toes - including Sunny. I'm so sad that I never got to meet Sunny but he went over the Rainbow Bridge.

Thanks for sharing the links to the other Wire videos, Axel buddy. I was so curious about how theose other wires got into our computer!

Another Weekend Trip

2006-07-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

I went to Dubuque again - I think this is my third trip. Despite no food all morning, I still got sick when we stopped in Galena. I got to see Barb's old golden, Samantha, again but she didn't like me any better than she did last time. And, I liked her ALOT, if you know what I mean. She turns up her lip and gives me a low growl and just ignores me. Can you believe that? This is the rainbow we saw when we started our trip back home.
You know how I have this kleenex fetish and continuously drag and shred the kleenex out of our bathroom wastebaskets? Well, being my usual nosy self I ran right up to Barb's second floor and found their wastebaskets to plunder. Mom was embarrassed by my audacity. Mom also left me out of the crate for 20 minutes last Friday and I proceeded to pull the garbage bag through the small opening that that darn kid's lock allows and shredded the bag to pieces.

Speaking of cute, I got lots of compliments in the past few days when I was out walking with Mom. One lady said over-and-over how "beautiful" I was and another told me I had a "pretty face". Man, I'm a handsome boy dog - can't they see that? Anyway, remember to vote for me on the Barkslope dog-of-the-month contest. OK? A big thanks to all of you pups who already voted. If I could see you I'd wag my tail and give you some good licks. (Doesn't that poor little Eugene dog look sad in his clothes?)

What are you Afraid Of?

2006-07-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

I'm not afraid of anything at all. We had big thunder storms and lightening here last night. Mom said there is 4 inches of rain in the guage and that lake is in the back yard again. Wow, I thought it was cool. I'm not scared of fireworks either. I try to figure out what they are and where they are coming from but I don't run away and hide. Are you Wires afraid of thunderstorms or fireworks? from Curious, Bogie

Itty Bitty Barker

2006-07-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

Mom was thrilled to get home yesterday and find our Itty Bitty Barker had been delivered. Melissa Schultz is the artist and she loves animals! You can find lots of other dog sculptures, too, so check them out. We wanted it, of course, because Barker is my last name. Looks like she doesn't have any Wires available right now but I bet she will soon.

My buddy, Axel, thinks I should post a direct link to the dog-of-the-month voting on Barkslope. Here's the link for July. Thanks for your vote, too Mackie. Mom and I think your black-and-white photo is very artsy.

Vote for Me

2006-07-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

My Mom entered me in the Barkslope, Dog of the Month, photo contest. It would be really woofin' if you would vote for me on their website. I know, I know, there are some other great looking pups out there including one named Diva. Is she the same one that has written to me on my blog? What a hottie!

I don't really know why Mom cares if I win a photo contest. They love me the same if I'm all muddy from being under the deck and digging or if I've just come home from the groomer.

Happy Birthday to Me

2006-07-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

Yep - I'm one year old now as of July 15th. I'm so honored that Axel wished me a Happy Birthday - thanks buddy. I'm sure he saw it on the Yahoo group calendar. I added some photos from my party - well, it was really Dawn's cake but the other photo shows the presents that I got from Mom, Dad and the Andersons. It was super cool to spend it in Iowa City with the kids. I was really good with them so nobody had to spank me on my birthday.

On the way to Iowa City I barfed all over the inside of Dad's truck. So, on the way home I rode with Mom, of course. She didn't give me anything to eat all morning and I tried my best not to get sick. I closed my eyes half-way, my ears were back, I drooled buckets, I shook like a leaf but I managed to keep down my cookies.

Old Man River

2006-07-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

The Mississippi river sure is bigger and dirtier than our little lake. We stopped on two different sand bars. At the first one I got to dig as much as I wanted (which is alot). At the second one I found a huge clam and met this delightful dog named Dixie. She's a mixture of King Charles Spaniel and German Shepherd. Isn't she a beauty? I did my crouching thing when she came over to our piece of the beach and then, too soon, she was gone. I now believe in love-at-first-sight. Here I am already missing my Dixie dog friend.

Mom and Dad were astonished when we spotted a bald eagle flying real close alongside our boat and were able to follow it landing in a tree. We saw herons and cormorants and some curiously large fish jumping in the water. We watched a barge go by and yearned after many large houseboats. Oh, well, we were happy to come home and sleep in our own bed.

Upcoming Birthday

2006-07-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

I think my special day is almost here. I will turn one on July 15th so we should celebrate next weekend when we celebrate Dawn's 36th birthday. Mom went shopping in Rockford yesterday and brought home a sack that smells like some new treats. Maybe there are new toys, too. I haven't had a new toy for an awfully long time. I'd love to have a party and invite Roxie from down the street. We want to go play at the dog park together and wear party hats, although Mom and Dad are anti-clothes-for-dogs. We are looking forward to seeing the clothes that Butchy and Snickers' Mom is going to create - she's a designer and talented gardener!

Another New Trick

2006-07-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hey, guess what. Not only can I change the channel on the TV but I also know how to lower the volume. No, I don't use the remote - really. I just get so excited when I see those dog tricks that I jump up there and start pushing buttons.

Mom had a few friends over for lunch yesterday and she was so impressed at what a good boy I was. I didn't bark when they came and hardly jumped on them at all when I got to come in and meet them. That was after Dad took me for a walk and I was powerful thirsty. Two of Mom's friends had used our ladies room and the other was about to enter when I beat her to it. They came in and saw me half-way into the stool getting a huge drink. She decided she'd use the bathroom at work after seeing that! I just don't like my bowl water any more now that I've discovered the icy cold stool water.

Here's a photo Mom took of me guarding the front yard. We had a good day at home today since Mom's off on Fridays in the summer and I hear we're going boating at the Mississippi tomorrow and I get to go.

Fireworks

2006-07-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Wires out there,
Do you like the sound of fireworks or do they drive you nuts? Do you bark, are you scared or do you wonder what in the heck is going on all of a sudden? I just growl at them.

I have a new trick! Last night when we were watching Ultimate Dog Championships on Animal Planet, I got so excited to see a Jack Russell competing in the Fly Ball contest. I jumped up to the TV to get a closer look and I changed the channel. Mom and Dad just laughed and laughed - they thought I was very clever. The fastest dogs were the border collies, of course, but there was a speedy little rat terrier, too.

This morning on our walk we met a new dog. Sally looked so much like one of those fast border collies that I did my submission routine and started crouching low long before we got to her. She was a friendly pup and we hope to meet her again soon.

Here are a couple of the flower pictures from Mom's garden. Dad and I do most of the watering because I'm crazy about the hose. I bite at the water and bark and chase the hose all over the place. I'm a nut!

New Friends

2006-06-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

Wow - we have new friends posting in our comments section. One is from Singapore and one is from Tasmania. How cool is that! We totally love to read about friends in other parts of the world. Keep on writing little wire buddies.

Alot has happened in the past couple of weeks. Even though Mom has been too busy to write much she's back now - for good. She just travelled out to Ohio and left Dad and I alone again but we did just great together. Mom wasn't too happy that Dad let me chew up more of the kids' tub toys. Big Bird has been de-capitated. Like Butchy and Snickers' mom, she likes to take pictures, too. Here's one of Nic in Ohio - he's shaggier than I am!

I've been swimming in the boat again and had another stay at a dog hotel - a different one this time. I went to the groomer to be totally stripped so I just can't stop looking at my pink tummy with the black spots.

Erin and Kelby were here last weekend and I was pretty grouchy on Saturday. I don't know what my problem was. Since I don't see them very often, I sort of forget how to act. Anyway, it's just back to the three of us again. Ah, I have them all to myself.

Have you been to the YouTube website? I love to watch TV and video on the computer. There are some crazy dogs out there. Check it out -

I'm in Trouble

2006-06-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last night, Mom decided it was time for another out-of-crate experiment. They were only gone for a quick trip to the Garden Deli for ice cream but it doesn't take very long to wreck a shoe and grab kleenex out of the wastebasket, does it? This time, Mom was really, really, really mad at me because I did some damage to her newest and most favorite shoes from Von Maur. She hollered at me so loud that I slunk into my crate and tried to stay out of her way the rest of the night. I stuck real close to Dad cause he didn't seem too mad.

Mom's Back

2006-06-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

Yeah - Mom' s back from her birding trip to the Outer Banks so we can get back to the computer now. Dad bought us a new computer while she was gone so we're pretty darn excited about that. Dad and I got along just fine while it was just the two of us guys - every day he told Mom that I was being a good boy other than squeezing through the tiniest opening to get under the deck and get dirty.

Today was great because I got to go swimming and ride in the boat for the very first time. I like the boat better than the car. Dad threw me in the lake at the end of a long rope so I started swimming for the other side. Dad reeled me in and then he did it a couple more times. After I got up to the side I smelled something tasty under the dock and just couldn't stop obsessing over it so we pushed off the boat and kept on exploring. Some fishermen asked if I was going skiing since I'm at the end of this long rope! Maybe next time.

Swimming was great but I got really tired so I've spent the rest of the day napping which is quite unusual for me. Mom only has to work four-day weeks in the summer time so we'll get to be together more than ever.

I'll close on a meloncholy note, we lost Great-Grandma yesterday. She was 87 years old and was just too tired to live any more. Mom and Dad and Aunt Barb and everyone are very sad but are glad she's in Heaven with Great-Grandpa, now. I only got to go to the nursing home once to see her but she gave Mom and Dad some good advice about me, like usual. She said as long as they kept taking me outside during the night I would keep wanting to get up. So they ignored me and we all slept through the night. She was a very, very smart lady.

Love, Bogie

Photo Opportunity

2006-05-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

Woah - I can't believe it's been eight days since Mom has written about me. She's really been a slacker. Thought you might like to see this photo that Mom took of ME and these cute girls last weekend in the park when the weather was so great. I had just been to the groomer the day before so I deserved the center spot in the photo.

These days, Mom walks so slow because she's either looking through the camera or through some other funny-looking things she puts on her eyes called binoculars. You see, she's preparing herself to go on this long bird trip to the Outer Banks. That's coming up next Saturday. She's going to leave us boys for nine whole days. Dad will probably spoil me rotten and let me get up too early. But I wonder if he'll come home to let me out of my crate at lunch, too. I couldn't stand being shut in there for eight whole hours. Mom thinks he's going to go bezerk having total responsibility for me for all that time. During that trip we won't be able to write at all unless she shows Dad how to do this. Naaah, he'll never learn.

Something's Under the Hot Tub

2006-05-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

I have recently become obsessed with the idea that there's a critter living under our hot tub. I can't think of anything else. I was rooted to nearly the same spot yesterday evening hoping for a better smell between the cracks. I can't hear anything and I can't see anything but I sure can smell something. When my folks pick me up my little heart is pounding so hard in my chest - I'm on hyper-alert. When Dad came home from Chicago he aimed the flashlight down there and then this morning he imagined that he saw this "critter" streak out from under our deck. When Mom let me out at lunch I immediately went right back to my spot. She was so thrown off she forgot to take my fence collar off of me before carrying me down the driveway for our walk. Yikes!! You know what they say about terriers being strong-willed and stubborn...

Greenies

2006-05-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

Do your Mom and Dad give you Greenies to freshen your breath and clean your teeth? I had a few of them when I was a wee pup and didn't know better, but now we're worried that they won't digest in my gut. Goodness sakes, I barf enough already. There are lots of stories out there but here's one from CNN.

We also had this story in our Saturday paper about how much money owners spend on their pets. But we're totally worth it, right?

Weekend Update

2006-05-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy weekend. On Saturday morning we worked outside and I got to go for a nice, long walk with Dad. After we came back in, Dad, of course, needed a little nap so I went downstairs with him and Mom got on the computer (typical). I thought I smelled something yummy coming from the direction of the kitchen (my sense of smell is way more acute than my sight or hearing) and so I very, very quietly snuck up the steps and found a nice chunk of Muenster cheese laying on the counter. Mom didn't realize I was even upstairs until she came out to the kitchen to put the cheese away and found an empty bag laying on the counter! They always comment on how I eat food so much slower than old Kanzi girl but this time I had it all wolfed down by the time she found me.

After our rest and relaxation time we got ready to drive to Dubuque. That windey hiway 20 makes me sick on a good day and this time I had undigested Muenster to barf up - what a mess. Then, we get into Barb's house and Sam, their golden, decides to show me she's the alpha lady and curls up her lip and gives me a low growl. She did this about three times until I went away and curled up on the carpet. Barfing always wipes me out anyway. I wish I could have played with their cat, but I had to stay on the leash all the time.

They did some shopping and ate at Bishops while I rested in the car. It rained on us all the way home and so we had a late night. I actually was so exhausted that I let them sleep until 7:20 on Sunday morning. Man, did they appreciate that. I woke up to white-caps on the bird bath - brrrrr. Dad still took me for a walk before church and Mom took me for one in the park in the afternoon so it ended pretty good.

Since Mom and Dad have been planting, dividing and digging in the gardens, they leave me perfect digging opportunities. I had to have a quick bath before they left for work this morning - "I'm a sight", as Opie Taylor used to say.

Butchy and Snickers sure have some awesome photos on their blog. They have a beautiful place to explore with ponds, birds and frogs. Check it out!

Tragedy

2006-04-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

Yikes - Dad practically cut off my foot on Wednesday night. Well, I may be exaggerating just a little. He decided to be bold and try to trim my toe nails all by himself. This was really pretty silly, since we all know we have problems getting me to keep still when he holds me and Mom does the trimming. Anyway, Mom came home from the store on Wednesday evening, and there I was looking quite forlorn and locked up in my crate. Since this is highly unusual, Mom mistakenly assumed I'd been naughty. Dad sheepishly admitted he'd cut my toenail "a little bit short" and there had been blood involved. Well, it's actually cut half off but since it wasn't bleeding any more I was totally ready for my evening walk. The vet says we can put some neosporin on it a couple of times a day but if it's not bothering me (and it isn't) then everything's cool. Dad felt pretty awful about hurting me, though, and was sure we would need to make an emergency visit to Dr. Heitzman.

BTW, Jennie, Terence and Diva - we live in Freeport, IL, just west of Rockford and would be so excited and puppy-pleased to have you all come and visit us here for a playdate. If you truly want to set it up, email us at the address listed in our profile. P.S. - maybe we could get Roxie to join us, too. The more wires the merrier.

Tub on the Deck

2006-04-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, we're just so busy working outside these days we don't have much time to write. Last weekend I was shocked to find out that underneath this thing that I've been standing on (to see into the dining room), there's a big tub of water. My folks are into coming out here in the evening and taking a nice, hot soak and looking up at the stars and the moon. Meanwhile, I prowl around the outside and keep a watch for coyotes and cats. Sometimes I relax enough to curl up on one of their towels.

Weekend Update

2006-04-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

The weekend started out with bad storms in Iowa. Our family that live in Iowa City called us from their basement on Thursday evening. They had taken both kids down there and they didn't even wake up. Thankfully, they were all ok but there was lots of damage from a tornado in the downtown area. This is one of the pictures they took.

We had lots of company over the weekend and with the little kids around it always means I get to clean up after them. Unfortunately, I found some Easter chocolates before it even got into their hands and we think it gave me some "bad dog" symptoms. I was extra grouchy and hyper and needed a couple of "time-outs" in my crate. Mom finally figured out the cause when I barfed up a bunch of tin foil wrappers in my crate.

Yesterday it rained the entire day so we didn't get out for any exercise at all. The house is back to normal, now, with just the three of us.

More Good Dog Stuff

2006-04-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

Last night Mom was tired so we went to bed early to read. We just started, "Marley and Me, Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog" by John Grogan. That title got our interest right away. What a hoot! This book is on the bestseller list and since there were too many holds on it at our library we decided to take advantage of free shipping and make another order from Amazon. John's description of Marley in the car sounds a little bit like me. Marley drools profusely, like I do, and our folks have to keep a towel in the car to wipe off the slobber that projects onto the dashboard. So far, he doesn't seem like a bad dog at all - just an active one.

Dad and I took a spectacular walk right at sunset. We headed to the west to get a better view and when we turned back we were met by an equally beautiful rainbow that seemed like it was put there just for us. Dad believes it was a sign from God since he had had to talk to his mother about hospice earlier in the evening. Interesting, our devotion from Tuesday morning was called, "The Glorious Sunset."

Weekend Update

2006-04-10T04:39:00.000-07:00

This was my role the entire weekend. I diligently kept watch so the squirrels didn't clean out the newly-filled bird feeders. I want all the seed dropped on the ground for myself! Mmm... tasty. Since Dave from Pet Stop came on Friday and made some new "corrections" to the invisibile fence, I stayed in the yard. Dad spent many hours putting up a barrier at the base of the deck. This morning while I was out I found the opening through the steps and managed to worm my way through and get nice and dirty. Dad's trying to figure out how to take care of that problem, now.

Indecent Proposal

2006-04-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, I received the most enticing email today from a diva of a wire. Seems she fell in love with me by reading about me and drooling over my pictures on this blog. She proposed that we get together to "make some babies." Amazingly, she lives less than 25 miles from me! I was sooooo very sorry to turn down this offer but proposed that we set up a "play date" instead. You see, I would sorely disappoint her and her folks by not producing what they need. I just look like a hunk of a pup in my pictures but I'm sort of an in-between gender, I guess. Plus, she might change her mind after seeing this picture of one of my newer unpleasant habits - getting a nice, cold drink from the loo.

Slurpy licks to my diva from Illinois. Sighhh.....

Another Break-Through

2006-04-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

When Mom came home from Wal-Mart tonight Dad had some pretty sad news to report about my behavior. I must admit that I had another fence break-through when a cat came prowling along my fence line earlier this evening. I took off at the speed of light and the next thing we knew I was on the neighbor's deck trying to dislodge "That Darn Cat". That cat was purr-fectly naughty to run away from me since all I wanted to do was play with that darn cat and instead got a purr-fectly horrible shock in my neck. "Holy Crap"! It has been two weeks since my last break-through and when I ignored the two neighbor cockers this morning, Mom thought I was probably trained. A cocker was standing right at one of the flags and as I started to tentatively advance on it I heard the beep so I quickly retreated. Tonight, I was moving too darn fast to even send a signal to my "wire-brain" to STOP.

Faith - An Amazing Dog

2006-04-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

We just heard about this incredible dog that was born with only her back legs. Her family taught her first to hop on them and now she walks everywhere just like my folks do. I was amazed when we sat and watched this video together. You will be too.

Sleep-Over

2006-04-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a totally new experience for me. I had a "sleep-over" at the groomers! Since I had to get groomed (I was too scruffy) the folks decided I should stay over as they were going to Chicago and I never get to travel there with them. I knew something was up when my bag was packed with Iam's, two leashes, harness and toys. They came back and picked me up on Saturday and I wasn't really that anxious to leave. I had a terrierific time! Those girls like me there and boy, do I look good again. But, when they came to pick me up they had Paige in the car so, needless to say, they didn't give me the attention I deserved after our separation. Here I am looking pretty forlorn after she and Dad went downstairs to play with the toys and shut me out! What's up with that? Paige was kinda' bossy and made darn sure I didn't run off with any of "her toys". I thought they were ALL mine.

Squirrels Fear Me

2006-03-30T16:56:00.000-08:00

Now that I get to go outside by myself alot, the squirrels scurry away in fear. It's not fair they can climb a tree and I can't but I can get them up there and block their escape. I'm pretty darn good at that. I'm guarding the bird feeders in this picture.

Another out-of-crate disaster happened tonight. Every couple of weeks Mom gives me a test to see if I can behave on my own. I always disappoint them. I just had to try some of that Easter candy and it was inside a beautifully decorated paper mache egg. Now the egg is in the wastebasket along with another bunny that Aunt Betty made. Mom was super mad at me and yelled and everything while I stood there obliviously wagging my tail. I just don't get it.

Mom is starting to take away some of those little white flags. She tries to hide them from me but I know what's going on. Our neighbor, Craig, brought me a new ball to play with but I wouldn't cross through the invisible fence to get it - he had to come in and play with me. Wow, I have a new friend.

Weekend Update

2006-03-28T09:56:00.000-08:00

Hey, they have the Weekend Update segment on SNL, don't they? We went to Iowa City again last weekend so I thought you might want to see a picture from our trip. This is Kelby picking me up. Mom and Dad think I'm probably up to 19 pounds, now, so it's a little hard for him to hoist me up very high but I don't mind at all. The kids and I had a great time playing and even though they let me out, by accident, a couple of times, I didn't take off this time. I'm really doing better in the car and don't get sick until we've been on the road for a long, long time.

Have you all heard the news story about dogs being able to diagnose cancer kind of like a doctor? This was in our local newspaper a while back. It seems that a dog's sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times better than a human's. That's just another way that us dogs show our love, isn't it? There are all kinds of different companion dogs. Me, I just sleep on the cushions and wait for them to play with me.

Another New Toy

2006-03-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

New toys serve more than one purpose. First and foremost, they are fun to play with - especially when they're new. The trouble is, I have an incredibly strong bite and can ruin almost all of them. The second reason my folks appreciate new toys is because I'm able to go off and entertain myself for a while. This is the new one that just arrived from Sit Stay. I'm a little confused about its purpose - and its SIZE. It's nearly as long as I am and the squeakers are so imbedded under the tough material I can barely make them work. It does make a good tug-of-war toy, though, so it works for us. Notice how Mom photoshopped out my evil "pet eye".

Meeting the Neighbors

2006-03-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

We had encounters with several neighbors yesterday. First, we finally saw Roxie again. She's on her way today to stay at Nana and Papa's while her folks are off to Ireland for two weeks. You know what it means to vacation with retirees?! Lots of long walks. They told us yesterday that Roxie just loves boat-riding with the wind in her hair and all the fun. Here's a picture of her from a couple summers ago when she was on her Aunt Maria and Uncle Jim's boat. They made her wear a harness as they were afraid she might jump. She did miss the jump to the pier and they had to haul her out by the harness. Dad's barber takes their two Westies to our lake and one of them couldn't remember how to do the dog paddle so she started to sink. Van had to jump in the lake to save her! It all sounds pretty darn exciting and we Wires love excitement.

After Roxie, we visited with a neighbor lady down the street who has had her eye on me. Seems they lost their old friend a while ago and think a WFT might be the right one for them. I behave so good while we stand and talk that I lure them into thinking a WFT is easy. Au contraire!

Business Trips

2006-03-22T07:02:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm eight months old I have a new privilege. Last Friday Dad came home in the middle of the morning and took me on a business trip with him. This meant riding in the car, which I don't really like very much, and hanging out with Dad which I LOVE. We had to drive south to look at one of his properties. After our business was over (and I barfed), we spent a little time in the park by the river. It was a great day.

Then, on Saturday we drove to the lake to get our stickers for the summer. I've never been there before but they tell me I'm supposed to go boating with them this summer. We walked out onto the shaky docks, saw eight huge deer and then drove through the windy roads. I barfed and then we checked out the campground. Looks like great times are in store for the summer. Can't wait for all the kids to come and join us.

Garbage Man

2006-03-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

Like I said earlier, Mom likes to call me "Garbage Man." They sort of gave in and Dad installed a child-proof lock on the garbage side of the cupboard. Mom is always muttering, "I never had child-proof locks on any cupboards when my children were little ... " Anyway, seems it's not "terrier-proof". I was left out of the crate for about 20 minutes while they were both gone last night and somehow managed to strain the garbage through a three inch opening of the cupboard door. After all, there were chicken remnants in there that smelled so enticing. Dad told Mom he hit me but you know he didn't do that. He was actually pretty calmed down by the time Mom got home.

Even though I'm allowed to roam in my backyard domain more freely now, I find the area under the deck the most appealing. Mom keeps begging Dad to get the barrier put up around the base but he says we have to wait for better weather. I am thrilled to dig around in the dirt and get my paws, toenails and beard filthy. I'm hunting for varmints but so far just the smell of the cat is enough to lure me down under.

What's So Bad About Chocolate?

2006-03-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

I need to tell you about one of my weekend adventures that just happened an hour ago. We had a bunch of people over at our house and Mom made some yummy treats. Evidently, these were not dog treats and the guests did not come to see me so I was shut in my crate in the library for most of the evening. When I'd finally had enough of that I started whining to be let out and Mom did. I knew everybody wanted to pet me so I made the rounds and even jumped on the lap of an older gentleman. He seemed surprised - but happy, of course. Next, I investigated the table of goodies and quickly helped myself to a "Magic Bar". This delightful dessert of chocolate chips, coconut and nuts went down pretty easy so I snagged another one before the plate was put up high on the counter.

Paige and her mom were here this afternoon for a little while. Since we haven't posted a picture of this granddaughter we thought we'd better show you how cute she is. She will be two next month and here she is wearing her St Patty's day beads and drinking her green "juice". She brought us those green cookies but they weren't dog treats either.

Girl Friends

2006-03-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

Enough about the underground fence - you all are probably bored with the same old stories. Dog gets shocked, dog yelps, dog breaks though fence, dog is chased down, dog goes under deck in the new snow, dog is lured with treats, ya-da-ya-da-ya-da. We're still working on it - let's leave it at that.

In the past two days I received email with pictures from two delightful girls: Luci and Roxie. I remember reading about Luci on Axel's blog and about how she turned in to Lucifer during a play date. However, her Mom writes that she is so well behaved she has never been crated and never does the typical terrier stuff like shredding paper and eating "unmentionables" (you know what I mean, Axel). She gets to sleep with her Mom and Dad, just like me, and reports never having a pee accident. I haven't had one in bed either or I'd be banished forever, I'm afraid. In fact, the other night when Dad woke up to me preparing to barf, he quickly hustled me to the toilet and I neatly barfed into the bowl.

Luci sounds a little like my neighbor gal, Roxie. We don't get to see each other too often but it takes Roxie a while to warm up to my charming ways, too. I was so surprised and thrilled when I met Roxie for the first time cause she lives so close to me and we had no idea there was another Wire in the "hood". Both of these gals have fashionable black jackets. I'm envious of that - I only have one big black spot on my side.

Underground Fence - Day 4

2006-03-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

All right, I guess I'm not that smart after all. The second time I got to go out this morning, there was a squirrel or something that was the only thing on my mind. I started getting excited about it while I was in the house and Mom made the mistake of letting me out right at that point. I raced to the fence, got shocked, waited for a second of indecision and got shocked again so I kept right on going. I finally stopped when I got three doors down because that's the yard that fences in a Great Pyrenees. He barks alot and has always been a distraction for me. I can't remember his name but he came from Colorado where his job was to keep mountain lions out of their yard. He travels in his own trailer and was a champion, I hear. They also have a Papillon - or Yapillon as they call her. Anyway, Mom pretended to want me to go for a walk with her (the other way) and I fell for it, as usual. I was quickly hustled inside as both Mom and Dad still had wet hair from their shower. Here I am comtemplating the error of my ways.

Last night, when Mom was visiting great-grandma, I was allowed the mature responsibility of not being crated. The kitchen garbage was placed on the counter but all other wastebaskets were within easy reach for me. I proceeded to go from one to the next, pulling out the contents, especially the kleenex, onto the floors. When Mom came home an hour later, there I was, calmly sitting on Dad's leather chair like I'd never left it.

Underground Fence - Day 3

2006-03-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

We seem to be making a little progress today. At lunch time, instead of going for a walk, we played in the back yard. This is a totally new and cool sensation for me - being able to really run in my own yard. Look Ma, no leash! I'm still nervous enough (or smart enough) that I'll only do my business in the leaves at the base of the deck but man, it's a blast to run. I almost forgot about the flags once but put the brakes on just in time after I heard that beep. There really isn't much room beside the house so I'm steering clear of that. Once, when the ball went about three feet from the flag I decided it really wasn't a good idea to go any farther.

Holy Cow it's been windy here. Don't I look like my ears are going to catch the wind and take me away? The sporty collar with the big round jewel is the one that Dave from PetStop brought me.

Underground Fence - Day 2

2006-03-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

Things have calmed down a bit today. I'm now brave enough to venture out a little ways into the back yard to do my business and then quickly head back onto the deck. Dad's a bit put out with me as I take off when I see either one of the collars now. Mom made a quick trip to Walmart so I could get back to munching my Iam's in hopes there will be no more barfing.

We decided to work on a brand new trick tonight: rolling over. It currently requires being physically rolled over but at least I get the treat. Mom's determined, though, so I'm sure we'll be at it again tomorrow. Mom's having a jolly good time reading a British novel, Asking for Trouble by Elizabeth Young, so you might notice a slightly different tone in the writing. I usually park myself on a sofa pillow on her lap while she reads in the evening. Yes, of course, there's an important dog character in the book by the name of Benjy.

It's late - gotta' run to the loo for a drink of water and then off to bed with Dad.

Underground Fence - Day 1

2006-03-12T20:09:00.000-08:00

My beloved yard has turned against me and I'm having a hard time understanding what happened. There are a bunch of new, white flags marching around the outisde of the back and front yard and I got a new collar from Dave at PetStop. He only has dogs for children so he liked me alot. I thought I had the whole thing figured out cause I hear a little beep as a warning if I get too close to one of the flags. It took me about three times to figure out you have to STOP when you hear the beep or else! Here I am trying to decide what to do about the terror lurking in the back yard.

Then, Dad was feeling like I was so smart and took me to the front yard. I didn't see any flags on the driveway so I charged right on over the wire. YIKES! Dad felt very bad and assumes all responsibility for it. Anyway, I'm now sort of terrified to get off the deck. I barfed twice yesterday and we're not sure if it was caused by my anxiety or if it was due to the freezer-burned chicken strips I thieved from the kitchen waste basket. Mom likes to call me, "Garbage Man."

Andy was here this weekend and played my favorite game, "Chase", with me. He's pretty darn fast but ha-ha he couldn't catch me either. They all did a bit of hollering when Iowa beat Ohio State today. Anyway, the carpet cleaners come tomorrow so maybe Monday won't be too boring.

One of my Dog Cousins

2006-03-11T12:12:00.000-08:00

I want to introduce to you Ellie, a Bichon Frise, who lives in Las Vegas. But, the good news is she is moving back to Iowa with my Mom's sister. We haven't met in person yet but I hear she's a sweet little girl and she's shown here with another adorable human cousin of mine, Abby from LaCrosse. My Mom is really happy that her sister is moving back to the midwest so we can all spend more time together like we used to when their Mom and Dad were alive. Ah, Grandpa Paul would have loved me. We have some old pictures around of him and his pet poodle, Candy. Now, one thing I don't care for is that Candy was known to be an obsessive licker and she wore boots and coats on occasion. We are kind of anti-clothes for dogs. No offense to any pup out there who likes clothes or who is forced to wear them by doting families.

Foxy Saturday

2006-03-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

So much happened today, I hardly know where to start. First, since it's Saturday, Dad and I got to go to Krape Park. There's always lots to see there, but today was super exciting. We saw irridescent bluebirds just back from their winter vacation, we saw a groundhog and a bunch of noisy geese. Not that interesting, you say? Well, while we over on the "wild side" of the park, a really-truly big, red fox with a bushy tail sprinted right in front of us. It was about six feet away. Good thing Dad had a tight hold on the leash.

Right before lunch we got to meet the new puppy from across the street. He's a beagle named Benz and he's one month younger than me. He lives with an older dog and his yard is fenced in so he doesn't get out for walks too much. We had a wild time playing together. I chased him around in circles so long that I made the tender pads on my back feet bleed. Next time we'll play in the grass. He seems like a real nice pup even though they bought him at a big pet store. We were just reading an article in Bark magazine about how most of those little guys come from puppy mills.

A big thanks to Butchy and Snickers for the toy tips. They pointed us to Sit and Stay where we already have placed a couple of toys in our shopping cart.

Vet Visit

2006-03-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the vet to get checked for heartworms. I behaved very well, Dad reports, and the girls thought I was super cute. I now weigh 18 pounds - goodness, I'm getting "solid". Dr. Heitzman rubbed some stuff on my back that is supposed to prevent me from attracting fleas. We have to continue that once-a-month so Mom and Dad don't get any fleas in our bed. We also got heart-worm pills to start next month. Dad jokes that we're on the second million spent on me. Mom couldn't even go to the vet with us because she got a stress fracture in her foot. The good thing was she stayed home with me all day. The bad thing is I'll have to depend on Dad for both of my daily walks for a while. He's usually too busy at work to come home at lunch for the first one, though.

Tonight we watched National Geographic instead of Animal Planet . We knew a show was going to be on called Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. He runs a Dog Psychology Center and also has his own Dog Whisperer Blog. We watched him rehabilitate dogs like Chip, the Barbarian, a Min Pin that had bitten all of his family members. At the Dog Psychology Center Cesar he has a whole pack of "balanced" dogs so these problem pets can learn to be civilized pack followers - NOT LEADERS. He put Chip on a treadmill to get him a little tired out before he worked on the corrections. Dang, going to his place sounds like Jim Frey's rehab in A Million Little Pieces. Wonder if he got to make a phone call?

Where's the Lake?

2006-03-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, I woke up this morning and the lake is gone. I'm really confused. Dad says it's because the frost went out of the ground. I suppose that means that the underground fence guy will be coming any day.

Mom brought me a new toy last night that looks like a big, orange donut with another wild-sounding squeaker. Yep, you guessed it, the squeaker has been disabled by yours truly. I don't know why I have to do that because I find those noises to be music to my ears.

Not much exciting on the horizon for me except a vet visit tomorrow to get checked for heartworms. Mom's always so anxious for me to get on the big scale. Kanzi, my predecessor knew what she was supposed to do but I have my nose-to-the-floor smelling all the other animals that have been there so I can't sit still. Anybody want to guess how much I will weigh? My last weigh-in was on January 21st and I was sixteen pounds.

I've been so bored in my crate lately that I chewed the metal off the bottom of my Friend's Forever Dog Park tag. How dumb is that?

Back to Normal - Sort Of

2006-03-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

All the company is gone now so life is back to normal - pretty boring during the day. Let's see - the other day a package arrived for me from Cherrybrook. The reason I really like them is that they send me a great dog biscuit, just my size, with each order. Mom ordered our third stripping knife. Since we now have a Course, Medium and Fine, you'd think I'd be looking fine. Maybe this weekend we'll have time for some heavy-duty grooming. The last time I got a bath at home I behaved like a maniacal terrorist. I tore around the house and knocked over lamps and slammed into walls. We have wood floors so I sometimes lose my balance. Mom and Dad seem very entertained when it happens. Mom's still fine-tuning her camera skills and trying to take everything on manual mode. This one doesn't make my nose look too big, does it?

It's been raining all day and somehow a lake has appeared in our back yard. Holy Cow! The water practically comes up to my little knees when I have to wade out there to do my business. Not good.

Life is Good

2006-03-05T17:03:00.000-08:00

Great weekend. Two of the grandchildren, Kelby and Erin, came this weekend and a new family member that I've never met. Aunt Fran from Tucson came to see her mom and the rest of the family. Fran loves dogs so she adored me immediately and even said when she doesn't have her big dogs any more she'll get a Wire. She lives on the edge of the desert where they have all kinds of wild animals and have to fence them out.

I got to go to the park with the kids on Saturday because it was such great weather and then today we got about five inches of snow. Now, I have a hard time staying focused and getting my business done and just want to romp around and eat the snow. Plus, I'm fixated on removing the aformentioned cat from under the deck and have got myself stuck under there twice during the past two days.

Heaven was sleeping on the floor with Kelby.

Movies and Barking

2006-03-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

I mentioned a movie-with-dogs in my post from a couple of days and just remembered what I heard about the Firewall movie. The dog kind of saves the day in the end. Don't read any further if you haven't seen it. His name is Rusty, I think. These kidnappers get so mad about the dog's barking they toss him out of the van and take the rest of the family to the hideout house. Well, Rusty still manages to do his job and leads Harrison Ford to the right place. See, barking can be ok sometimes.

Mom finds my high bark especially annoying. I really only use this one when I see another dog - a smaller dog. I'm pretty quiet when we come across big dogs but when I see one that I think I could take, I really cause a scene. When we were out at lunch today we saw Bailey, one of the many Westies that seem to inhabit our neighborhood. They never pay any attention to me and are so well-mannered ... well, let's just say I don't appreciate it. I was really ticked, though, when Mom cut our walk short because of my yelping and we just turned around and went home.

Here's a picture of me with Jason and Nic teaching me how to stand on an exercise ball - hey, Axel, it's really not a planet. It's another ball to play with! Jason can do super tricks like jumping over it really fast while doing the splits. I'm not afraid of anything - except balancing on that ball! Kids are great toys, too, aren't they?

Best Toys

2006-02-28T09:27:00.000-08:00

Now that there are so many cyber-Wires with their own blogs, how about telling me what your favorite toys are? How long does it take you to destroy a new toy? Dad bought me this new toy with the weirdest squeaky whine to it. I loved it but it drove us all bezerk. Well, it took me about ten minutes to alter the squeaker to a normal-sounding one. Don't really know how I did it, but now it doesn't damage our ear drums. I think the only toy that I haven't ruinied in some way is the Kong. We have a medium-sized one that Dad uses to jam a liver-snap into. This is supposed to keep me entertained in my crate while they are gone. Right! I now can remove the treat before they are even out the door. Sadly we left it behind in Ohio and it wound up in their toy box, of course.

Freedom

2006-02-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

I got to be free of my crate this afternoon. Yep, after Mom rubber-banded the cupboard doors where the garbage can is, put up the bathroom wastebaskets and closed the laundry room doors she went back to work. This was after our daily lunch-time walk which was later than usual. She kind of faked me out, though, just to see what I'd do. She threw the treat in the crate and pretended to shut the door. Anyway, I found my way out and was standing on the ottomon when she returned at five. I found a paper that didn't look important at all on the floor and totally shredded that but otherwise I was pretty darn good. Turns out the paper was kind of important, though; her eye prescription. Oh, well.

After work Mom had to do double-duty and take me for my evening walk on the golf course. We checked out the bluebird houses which are now closed up. Did you know the male bluebirds come back super early - when it's still freezing - to check out potential nesting places. So, there's a couple of people that live around here who keep them cleaned out and ready. I love to tear around in circles on the golf course and hope spring-time golfers don't put an end to our playtime.

While we were watching our Blockbuster movie tonight, In Her Shoes, I'm sure I saw that cat again on our deck. I'm totally convinced it's living under MY deck actually. I did some crazy stuff looking for him - running around behind the TV and jumping at the TV. Well, it looked like that's the direction he went anyway. Sometimes I can't figure out things like that. Like, when there's barking on the TV I'm running all over the house looking for those darn dogs! In the movie tonight, both of those cuties, Cameron and Toni, spend time as dog walkers.

Another one of my Mom's hobbies is scrapbooking (so far I'm only on two pages) so she spends way too much time reading the message boards at Two Peas in a Bucket. Check out this incredible dog and cat photograph.

Be sure to read Axel's blog today, too. He talks about me (among others)

Mom's New Hobbies

2006-02-25T21:07:00.000-08:00

I seem to have been replaced as Mom's current passion. In January I was replaced by the new/used baby grand piano and then this month Mom got a cool, new camera. She does take lots of pictures of me but spends way too much time reading about photography instead of how to take care of dogs. The last good tip she got was about a healthy diet for me. I just want good junk food like everybody else instead of raw eggs with the shells on. Dad gives me dry roasted peanuts which are to die for - they rock! Here's a picture that combines both of Mom's new hobbies and here's Dad and I watching her doing them. Ho-hum.

Hey, you should go to the Eight Below movie. It's about a team of super-smart and loyal sled dogs in Antarctica. There are a couple of places that make you jump out of your seat so don't take any little kids. Check it out!

Trip to Ohio

2006-02-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

That's right, last weekend they drove me 450 miles (each way) to Ohio to see the oldest grandchildren. At least it was pretty straight driving but I still barfed both ways. I thought maybe I was going to make it but about an hour into the trip, I lost my cookies. After that, Mom put me in my crate in the back of the Highlander. We had a great time out there and I did sleep with Jason the last night. I managed to escape out the door once but decided there were too many big dogs in the neighborhood so I came back right away.

Jason and Nic tried to teach me some new tricks and I also practiced my old tricks for them. I'm pretty darn good at all of them - I've even started to leave the treat on my little foot (much to Mom's delight). Another thing I've caught on to is staying long enough on the floor for Mom to go around the whole loop of the house where I can't even see her. But, Jason and Nic tried to teach me to do a circus dog trick - getting up on the top of one of those huge exercise balls. I'm sort of catching on but need some more work.

Our yard is still a sheet of ice - front and back - and I definitely hate it. Too much slipping and sliding and no familiar places to do my business. The Pet Stop guy will come and do the fence as soon as we get a little thaw. This picture is me watching the three neighbor kids waiting for the school bus. I just love kids and my heart aches when I can't go out to see them - maybe when it's warmer.

Our Yard

2006-02-16T07:27:00.000-08:00

Our yard is on a golf course, so, since I can't go off chasing golf balls and golfers this summer, it appears we're going to have an electric fence installed. I really liked the guy from Pet Stop when he came to check out our yard last week but just couldn't figure out why they were roaming around and not playing with ME. They're trying to devise a fence design that will: keep me out of the flower beds, out from under our deck (where cats like to hide) and out of the front yard. Good luck with that!

So, we have a funny story to tell you about the proposed fence and a conversation with Kelby. Kelby is four and a very deep thinker - he appears to be more "intelligent" than I am and I do love to chase him around. Anyway, my Mom was telling him about how this fence will work. Aargh - sounds too awful to be true. Then, he sits there and thinks about it for a couple of minutes and comes up with this: "One time, when I was a baby, my Mom put me out in the back yard and when I reached under the electric fence it stung me." How cute is that? Mom had to explain to him that this type of "correction" is only used on dogs.

Holy cow, it's raining cats and dogs today!

Bull Terrier Wins Best-in-Show at Westminster

2006-02-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

I didn't get to watch it but we saw on the Today Show this morning that a distant cousin of mine won Best-in-Show at Westminster. At least he was in the Terrier Group, right? There are even videos to watch from the competition if you have a fast enough computer.

Last night for me was a loser. They took off for a Valentine dinner at 5:30 (after my walk on the golf course) and didn't return until 9:15. I didn't get to go! Mom thought that windey road would be too much for my stomach but had convinced Dawn that I'd gone with them and sat under the table at dinner. Like I would be calm enough to do that! They did leave Animal Planet on for me and I also saw that the Iowa Hawkeyes beat Michigan State - woohoo!

Anyway, I forgot to tell you that I made it to Axel's blog - check it out.

Valentine's Day for Dogs

2006-02-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

Wow,
In our local paper this morning was a great story about an area pet shelter. They listed the qualities that singles may find appealing and matched those qualities to a breed of dog that possessed those qualities. So, which one was listed as the "Intelligent" breed? You guessed it, the Wire Fox Terrier. Dad expressed some real doubts to Mom about that this morning. He should have been nicer to her on Valentine's Day. We know she takes personally any derogatory remarks he makes about me.

I don't think they got ME any special treats for this special day and, in fact, are leaving me in my "kettle" (Kelby's word for kennel) all evening while they go out-to-dinner. Major bummer. I'd better get extra long walks or there could be trouble.

BTW - these are the "doggone cute" valentines that Kelby took to preschool today. He loves me, man.

Foxy Valentine

2006-02-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? Hallmark makes cards with Fox Terriers on the front. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since we're such a handsome breed. Getting this card in the mail from my friend, Roxie, was a real surprise, though, cause she doesn't always act like she likes me so much. I think she's irritated that I'm taller than her now and she's four-years-old and I'm only seven months.

Pictures from Dog School

2006-02-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hey,
We finally remembered to take the camera so we can share some pictures of the "dog whisperer", my friend, Smokey, and the other dudes from school. I love this picture because Smokey and I are "boxing". We do this so great. I don't know why all the other students don't want to play like this??

Here are pictures of me doing my tricks with Jan from Carlson Dog Training and the other "lineup" of dogs featuring Jinksey, Mallie, and Allie.

Last Weekend

2006-02-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was pretty eventful for me despite the Super Bowl. In fact, we watched the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet instead. Anyway, we took my longest trip yet to Iowa. I still get anxiety attacks when forced to go for long rides in the car which manifest themselves in horrific drooling attacks and finally a good barf. It really took me a good 24 hours to recover my strength so now I can blog my weekend experiences.

The travel travail was worth it when we arrived at the grandchildren's house. Those two little ones, Kelby and Erin, are great to play with. We were there for Erin's first birthday and she just goes bezerk when she sees me. This time was a little better though. She didn't hit me as much and I knew what to expect. Then, there was the added bonus of the tossing of the food from her high chair and cleaning up after her. Ah, my first birthday cake crumbs. Here I am with the little doll and Dad.

I made myself right at home in their house. I scooted up the stairs the first night after Dawn and was ready to sleep with them on their bed! That was, after I checked to be sure Erin was sleeping safely in her room. I was promptly returned to the basement to sleep with Mom, Dad and Kelby.

There were some great new things to see in their neighborhood. The most exciting was catching sight of a rabbit. Man, did I need to give chase.

Anniversary Date

2006-02-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! It's two months, today, since my last pee accident. Peeing outside really started working for me when things changed around our house.

Number one, they put a string of sleigh bills on the back door (Jan's suggestion) and taught me how to ring it when I have to get outside quick. I hardly ever use it any more but back then it worked terrific.

Number two, they took away my food and water in between my three feedings. That let us ALL know when it was time to go out. They also took away all water by 7:30 pm. This is really important since I've always slept in their bed.

Number three, they hardly ever let me out of their sight. They didn't really put me back in the crate or confine me to a certain area, but just knew where I was all the time. Sometimes they put the leash on and kept me close by while they were eating or sitting at the computer. However, my last accident took place right by Mom at the computer. What's up with that?

Dog School

2006-02-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

I'm finishing my second round of dog school. I had to start out in Puppy Preschool because I proved not worthy for Beginning Obedience. Jan of Carlson Dog Training has infinite patience, though, and my dad even calls her a "dog whisperer". Wednesday night I did everything perfect for her: came when called, down, sit, stay and heel. But not for my Mom - I had a very springy butt for her.

My good friend, Smokey, had to have a bark collar put on. Wow, was his voice echoing down there. He's super nice but just needs to bark all the time. Well, not any more. This thing gives him a shot of citronella when he barks and that put a stop to that. Now, they just have to show it to him.

Catching Up

2006-02-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

I have a bit of catching up to do since I'm already six months old. Here are pictures of how I look now, after my first "strip" job and how I looked when they first brought me home. Big difference, right? There is just so much to-do about this grooming thing. My Mom even bought that Arden Ross book and read it all in one night.

Ground Hog Day

2006-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Today is Ground Hog Day but I've never, ever seen one of those. Hope to, though. I'm having such a great time sitting with Mom at the computer in the library and reading all these other "Wire" posts that I just had to get in on the action and talk about myself.

This picture shows me now, at six months, sticking my nose into Mom's coffee. This is part of "our" morning routine.