Happy 2007!

I know. I've been really slack in updating my blog. I've just been busy celebrating Hanukkah, then I got to celebrate Xmas with my non-Jewish pals and now it's almost the new year. Wow, 5 more months and I'll be TWO years old. In human years I'm just about bar mitzvah! Luckily for me dogs are not allowed in synagogue!

I am proud to report that I helped a friend in Pennsylvania find a new Wire for her household. They lost their beloved Wire Koobus a few weeks ago of old age and were desperate to fill their lives with a new Wire to love. As I say...noone should ever be without a Wire! So tomorrow, this wiry-loving family are travelling to NY State to pick up their new addition who they have named Spencer. I think I'm in love:

I look forward to meeting Spencer in the Summer as they only live 110 miles from Philadelphia!

Despite it getting dark here before 5pm, I am grateful to Dad for always making a grand effort to take me to the dog park so I can see my friends. Their fearless owners also still come to the park eventhough it is mostly very dark with no lighting. Some of my friends have trippy flashing collars but me being mostly white, am easier to find. Pity the owners of black labs! Anyway, so I love it when Dad gets home early from work, or else I'm stuck being walked by Mom who is too afraid to go near the park in the dark - she just shleps me around the neighborhood streets that are well lit under the streetlamps. But it's a solitary walk with no play! So Dad is my hero!

I know I shouldn't complain as I now have my lunchtime walk as well! Elvis and Gia's Mom P walks me every day with either of her kids or another dog she walks, my buddy Austin. I love the break in my monotonous day and am a much happy camper since Mom and Dad decided to pay for this great service!

MISSING DOGS: CAN YOU HELP?
A man travelling through Florida with his two Wires Toby and Dakota stopped at a gas station and when he came back to his car, both dogs were gone. Stolen or released? Noone knows, but he is desperately looking for them. If you are in the Lake City, Florida area - please click here to find out more.

And, to anyone living in the Park City, Utah area - there is a Giant Shnauzer with the same name as me, AXEL, who is missing. His family really miss him. Please visit www.findaxel.com for more details.

I will pray all three dogs find their way home SOON.

Anyway, to my two legged and four legged friends - may you all have a healthy, happy and tail wagging new year 2007!

AGC

PS You know that Dingo Cane I got for Hanukkah - I finished it in THREE days! I'm a pig!

Hanukkah Rocks!

Happy 4th night of Hanukkah!
It just gets better every day. On the first night of Hanukkah - Mom and Dad lit the shabbat candles and the Hanukkah candles, so the house was a-glow and we put all our lovely Hanukkah cards from our doggie friends around the display:



Then after we lit the candles and sang some songs, Mom and Dad gave me the most awesome Hanukkah gift - a huge candy cane made of Dingo rawhide! I nearly had a cadenza! I definitely did a jig!

And then today, a big parcel arrived in the mail from Unkie Phillip and Auntie Chris and my girlfriend Miss Amelia, her Mom Alexandra and their sis Beau and kitty Pepper. I was so excited I could barely contain myself as Mom opened the box. Out came the most amazing kong chicken toy on a long rope (see pic below) and Mom demonstrated how it worked by twirling it over my head and throwing it for me to catch. It was a wild time! I then took it and ran upstairs to bed so I could examine it closely. I also got TWO packages of Dingo Minis - so when I'm done with the cane (I have eaten two thirds already), I will have MORE Dingoes to enjoy!!



Mom and Dad also got a gift, something edible called Poppycock. Dad looked very very happy! If you look closely at the photo below of me inspecting the package to see if I could find any more goodies...you'll see Dad pigging out on the Poppycock in the left corner! Heh heh, and they think I am a piggie. Dad didn't wait half a second to open that yummy gift up. Mom liked it too. I got ONE lousy popcorn, but I didn't care, I preferred my chicken on a rope! Another thing to note in the picture below, is the gorgeous blue blankie with doggies on it - that was also a Hanukkah gift from Auntie Carol, Big Foot Fletch and Maxie. I sure am a lucky dog!



You may notice as well in the photos that I have a bit of a goofy haircut. They trimmed my hair around my eyes and now I look a bit creepy if you ask me...But I can see better, so I will forsake my vanity for vision this once.

Anyway, I gotta get working on the rest of my candy cane, time is of the essence - I have two more packages of Dingoes to get through. By the way, Mom made latkes tonite and the whole house smells of oily potatoes...if you want to revisit how to make latkes, click here to see my step by step guide from last year. Try not to notice how much thinner I was back then. I really need to go on a diet. I'll call Jenny Craig in the morning. If that whale-like woman Kirsty Alley could shed her pounds, there is hope for moi.

Wonder what other surprises are still waiting to happen with 4 more days of Hanukkah remaining. More miracles I hope.

AGC

Dirty Dog

I'm a dirty, dirty dog. I look like a scruff muffin. Later, I am going to get groomed, so stick around for the AFTER photo...



I see I got tagged by Gus to tell you 3 things I want for Hanukkah and 3 things I really don't want:

I want...
1. End to puppy mills, animal abuse and homeless dogs (my philanthropic wish)
2. A Dingo chew the size of the Empire State Building (though how will it fit in my house?) (My greedy wish)
3. A new house big enough to accommodate #2, with a big yard and no horrible nameless neighbor who complains about my barking. (My greatest wish!)

What I really don't want:
1. More visits from Animal Control or the Police for falsely alleging I bark too much
2. Days alone at home. I hate being alone.
3. Regular baths!

AGC

Axel Dreams of Hanukkah

THREE days until the exquisite festival of latkes and lights. I'm more partial to the former, of course. With sour cream and apple sauce. But I'll take 'em as them come!

AGC

PS Excellent news - looks like our buddy Elliot is off to his new home across the border to Canada. What a great holiday it will be!

What I want for Hanukkah

Well it was a big day for Mom today, she went for her green card interview! She had been gathering documents and pictures for weeks to show that she was genuinely married to Dad and she was pretty nervous. I stayed home of course, but I kept them in my thoughts while I chewed on my marrow bone, and when they got home, Mom was beaming, so I know I helped! Mom told me the man who did the interview, when commenting how cold it was, grumbled that his big black labrador had kicked him out of his own bed last night! Well, that was that then, most of the interview turned to a discussion about dogs! Heh heh, Mom lucked out! In two weeks the mailman will bring her Green Card - I am hoping it is like a Greenie - I might have to eat it, though I don't think Mom will go for that!!

Man it has gone really cold here - it was 9F with the chill factor. Where Mom comes from - that is minus 11 C! It never gets that cold in Africa! Dad hates the cold and wants to go live somewhere warm like with Gus in Arizona or with all our friends in California! I actually like the cold. Mom put my silly red coat on last night to take me for a walk - and I'll let you in on a secret - I can't pee pee when I'm wearing a coat! I just can't! I usually pee many times along the way to mark my journey and Mom noticed I was lifting my leg but then changing my mind so she figured it out and half way through our walk, she took off my coat and then, boy did I pee! I have my own coat Mom, I don't need an extra one. Just because YOU are cold, doesn't mean I am...that is silly Jewish Mom nonsense.

My smooth pals are very lucky to have a living warm rug - their sister is a Pyranees Mountain Dog. Just look at the two smooths snuggling up in her warm coat!

Other news is that our house is full of mouses! I have been a very busy boy helping Dad to catch them. I hear them squeaking after they get caught in a trap and notify Dad by trying to dig up the kitchen floor/cabinets/oven. I get real excited when we extricate the mousetrap and I see the little things writhing on the trap. Mom gets all sad and insists on killing them immediately to spare their suffering - Dad says they are pests and doesn't feel bad for them. I happen to agree with Dad - I just wish they'd let me kill them or at least play with them for a bit!

Finally, I found the perfect Hanukkah gift for myself and I have left hints for Mom and Dad all over the house by printing out this image! It's a terrier credit card! Just think, I could take it and go to Petsmart and buy as many Dingo treats, Milkbones, toys and Kongs as I like!



Seven days until Hanukkah! Woohoo - I smell a shopping spree! Anyone know who I can write to to make sure my request is honored. Christian dogs write to Santa, who do Jewish dogs write to?

AGC

December is Here!

Sorry I haven't written for a while, I've been trying to get used to being home again. I miss my temporary home in the burbs, especially my yard where I could run and chase squirrels and bark at the dog next door through the fence. I also miss the strange company of my three feline hosts. Some people believe wires and cats can never get along, but then my friend Alexandra in Washington State, sends me this delightful picture of her and Pepper the cat sharing her bed! Maybe if I'd stayed in Levittown a little longer I would have become friends with Midnight the Cat.



Can you believe it is already December? Mom has gone batty decorating the outside of our house with flashing Hanukkah lights. She also tied a big dreidl (spinning top) to the door knocker and then couldn't figure out why I kept barking by the door. It took Mom the genius decorator a few hours to figure out the wind was blowing the dreidl and making the door knocker, well, knock. And I being the fierce protector of our house, just did what came naturally every time I heard a thud. Although Mother is not against Christmas stuff, she felt like we had to decorate for Hanukkah to show the ethnic diversity of our street. Translation: One Jewish family (us) and the rest, Xmas celebrants. I am anxiously counting the days until Hanukkah to see what gifts I get - we have only 14 days to go, unlike you Xmas dogs, who have 23 days to go! Heh heh, and they say there are no advantages to being a Jewish dog!

As we snuggle up with our families over the holiday season, we need to remember those poor friends stuck in shelters. I know of three beautiful Wires, in desperate need of forever or foster homes. I know Mom and Dad would open their hearts if they could, but we rent our house and the lease is very clear on stipulating only one four legged being in the house. We also wouldn't want to further irk the nameless neighbor Scrooge-type-personality, now would we?
[By the way, while on the subject, a quick update. Since being home I have either been crated in the mornings and bark collared in the afternoons or bark collared all day. The new collar monitors how many times I bark and Mom and Dad have been quite pleased that I haven't triggered it very much at all. Also Elvis's Mom has been coming round to take me for a jaunt at lunchtime and I sure appreciate that given how much I hate being alone at home!]

But back to the guys needing homes. First up is Elliot, a senior wire of 10 years. He is described as a very sweet boy who is very good with kids and other dogs. He is situated in New York State but I'm sure he can travel almost anywhere. If you can help Elliot, please email his mom Jacalyn.



The second Wire looking for a home is a female named Mitzi. She is currently living in the Dallas area. Her parents bought a new dog Elvis into her home, a very little one (as seen in the photo) and poor Mitzi just did what came naturally - thought he was prey and went after him. So now they want to get rid of Mitzi. Damn unfair if you ask me. Last in first out is what I stand by! Let Elvis find a new home...but I don't run the world (what a better, more interesting place it would be if I did, huh?) - so we need to find Mitzi a home. She is probably better off being an only dog. If you can help, please email Julie.



The third wire is Cooper. When he came to rescue, he looked like a furball, but now he looks grand, don't you think? Please also contact Julie if you can help Cooper.



Did you hear that Barney, the first dog visited the troops in Iraq? Barney is a Scottish terrier, and they are alright I suppose, but if you really want to cheer up the troops, those amazing men and woman who are despatched to dangerous places and risk their lives, you need to round up a whole lot of fox terriers - smooth and wiry - and send them off to entertain the soldiers! I can just see the article now:

A 100-dog delegation of smooth and wire fox terriers were sent off to Iraq today with Robin Williams to bring comfort and hilarity to the American troops stationed there. Upon landing in Iraq, the minute the door of the plane opened, the foxies took off in all directions, barking their greetings to one and all. Four hours later when the last fox terrier had finally been rounded up - they entertained the troops by barking their rendition of The Star Spangled Banner and bouncing up and down the stage....

One dog who would definitely be part of that delegation is Highcrest - who demonstrates his bouncing skills in the photo below:



Happy weekend!
AGC