Parents Acting Weirdly

I decided to dedicate my day to saying goodbye to my balls. It's a pretty sad day really - I'm going to miss my two little friends - but sometimes one has to undergo a loss of sorts for a higher purpose and what could be more important than preserving my own health? I got the cutest card from my friend Luci in PA - it had many different types of ball images - tennis, soccer, golf -- and she wrote, "I know you won't have your balls after tomorrow, but look at all the other balls you'll have to play with!" Thanks Luci, and hopefully the weather will be fine on Saturday so that we can finally get together to play. What an awfully rainy, windy weekend it was, would have been no fun together.

I'm not allowed any midnight snacks tonight or breakfast tomorrow morning - I still hope I get my morning run with my friends, and then I can sneak some little titbit found in the park. Heh heh.

Talking of park titbits, yesterday Mom and Dad took me to Lemon Hill and I saw this tasty looking thing on the ground, so I put it in my mouth, gave it a chew and down it went. Dad was waving his arms and Mom was positively wretching! They didn't seem to want me to enjoy this particular snack. I heard them call it a condom - don't have clue what that is, but it had a good rubbery taste. Mom and Dad told me I couldn't lick them for at least 24 hours! What could all the fuss be about?

I have a new favorite pasttime - raiding Mom's pocketbooks! When she isn't looking, I make a grab for it from the dining room table, and then I ransack the contents while under the table where she can't reach me. Yesterday I managed to destroy a lipstick and a few pens, and I ate some weird cardboard thing filled with fluffy cotton and string. When Dad saw that he waved his hands in the air like he did in the park. What is with my parents?



Eventhough my Dad has been behaving oddly, I still love him with all my heart. Dad loves to hug me, and he is always willing to supply his thigh for me to rest on while I chomp on my Dingo chew. Mom does too, but Dad's thighs are more comfy than Mom's - her's are too bony! Heh Heh.



So the weather as I mentioned has been AWFUL. Freezing cold, a bit snowy and very windy. So many trees fell over in my park, that there were a zillion new sticks to play with! But the weather in Philly is nothing like it is in Upstate New York. Check out my buddy Pippin playing in the snow with his Mom Pat and sister Maggie:



Last night we all watched the Eukanuba Dog Show on Animal Planet. I found it quite a yawn because it took forever for the terrier group to enter the ring (and I had to miss half of Desperate Housewives!). And when they did, there were so many terriers, I had to strain my eyes to find the Wire and the Smooth. The Wire was a cute little bitch! In the end Rufus the Bull Terrier won the Best Terrier (personally I think he's an ugly mother...oops, I must not curse!). And at the very end of the evening, after much deliberation by a rather clapped-out geriatric looking judge, the Alaskan Malamute ...CH Nanuke's Snoklassic No Boundaries of Lockport, NY - known as Costello, won the championship. As you can see, he looks pretty excited. He's doing a jig! I would do one too to take that honor (and the $50,000!).

I'm not sure if I'll be up to blogging tomorrow - I may be sore and depressed. I'll ask Mom to send you an update instead. So send me good tidings for a speedy recovery - and wish my balls well on their journey to ...well wherever severed balls journey to...

AGC

A Feeling of Impending Doom, but Light in the Future

I have only 4 days left to enjoy my balls. Come Tuesday, it will be time for my orchectomy - which is a very big word for the simple action of snipping off ones balls. I'm not looking forward to it of course, but I do at least know that my Mom and Dad are putting me through this for my own good, and the good of the planet. I know that neutering can also drastically improve my health and life expectancy. And Mom is anxiously hoping that what she read will come true - i.e. "that neutering also will make me more affectionate and less likely to roam, get in fights, or become lost."
Hey Mom, they're only taking my balls off, they aren't removing my terrier genes!! heh heh, so don't invest too much energy in those silly aspirations!

My wiry friend sent me this Larson Far Side Cartoon in the hope that it would cheer me up for my impending operation. Mom loves Larson - but frankly I don't really get this cartoon...do you? Mom was crying with laughter over it...the female species sure can be weird:


I am not sure whether my playdate with Lucy will take place tomorrow 'cos those dreadful weather people are predicting rain, so it won't be much fun, especially for Lucy's Mother to have me and her on the loose in her house!

Mom has started making enquires about where to send me during their wedding weekend. I'm still mightily pissed off that they don't want me to come to their wedding and don't trust me to behave...but I must say, after she posted an ad on Craigslist, we heard from this woman Kristel in New Jersey offering to host me. And boy, it sounds so great - long walks, playing with 2 cats, treats, my own couch, and wait for this...a doggy massage/yoga session - that this may turn out to be the best week of my life! I sense that Mom is concerned I will have such a good time, I won't want to come home!!!

AGC

Politics Make Me Sleepy ...

Geez, I can barely get to the computer these days! Now that Mom and Dad's wedding is a few months away, they are loading all the wedding supplies (invitations, favors etc) in the computer room and keeping the door closed for no apparent reason...other than to keep me out of there. The nerve, do they really think I'd be interested in eating their silly invitations or favor boxes? It's not like I regularly destroy stuff and shred all manner of paperware. Heh heh...

I ordered a new book on Amazon today that was recommended to me by my pal Colby (pictured below left) in Winnipeg. Man, I can't wait to sink my teeth into it. Ok, bad choice of words...I will read it at least once before I eat it, I promise! It is called Dear Mrs. LaRue and described as, "A clever book for a clever dog, Dear Mrs. LaRue collects a series of guilt-inducing letters sent home by the cat-chasing, chicken-pie-eating Ike to his "cruel" owner Mrs. LaRue, whom he hopes will come to her senses and spring him from obedience school." It will come as no surprise that Ike is a Wire Fox Terrier! I can't wait to read it - I bet Oprah will pick it up for her Book Club - at least Ike doesn't pretend to write a non-fiction book like some people! (Are you reading this James Frey?)



I got an email from my buddy golden retriever Noonie in Israel to ask what I thought about Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's recent stroke. Geez, even the dogs in Israel have political opinions! Well, Noonie, I don't like anyone to be sick of course...and I don't really know what happened to him...all I know is that I'm not terribly interested in the newspaper reports about him. I never thought I'd see headlines like this every day: "Sharon wiggles a toe" or "Sharon blinks his right eye". I mean is that really news worthy? Do I send out a press release every time I take a poop or shred a napkin? Anyway, that being said, I hope he recovers 'cos from what I can see, he was moving towards a peaceful path in that troubled land. When and if he recovers, may I also be so bold as to suggest that he cuts down on his falafel intake or signs up for Jenny Craig?

Anyway, politics makes me tired -- especially all this Alito business. I wish Mom and Dad would NOT leave the TV on when they are not home. I know they think it is good company, but at least leave it on Animal Planet - CNN bores me to drink! Off for a snooze on my zebra day bed...

AGC

Amazing Grace

So remember I told you about my new girlfriend Gracie, the Anatolian Shephard? I finally remembered to take my camera along to the park this morning, so I hereby present my new little bitchy pal:



She is so cute, but she doesn't like to rough-house as much as the rest of us. We are all very aware that we need to stay on her good side, 'cos one day soon, she will be 110 pounds, and the biggest bitch on the block!

Dad is really sick...eventhough he's at home, I haven't seen him much, he's been sitting on that white porcelain water bowl all day. He is not being very cheerful or playful, but I tried to keep him company and give him a few grins to lift his spirits. Mom on the other hand, is in a very good mood because she heard that many members of her immediate family and cousins are making the trek to her wedding from South Africa, Australia and London. So soon I get to meet all Mom's family - who admittedly, are very keen to see me. They have a special place in their hearts for Wire Foxies like me. Seems my predecessor Georgie made a very positive impression.

I have a new wiry friend to introduce to you. Her name is Derby - her full name makes me giggle, it's Demolition Derby - what a perfect name for a Wire! She lives with her Mom Sue in Snow Hill, Md. (the Eastern Shore near Ocean City) with her two great dane sisters, Dana and Sammi. Looks to me like she enjoys a good belly rub!

I am pretty excited, it looks like this weekend I may get to meet my e-buddy Luci who lives in Landsdale, PA with her Mom Kathy and Dad Ed. She tells me she has a big yard and a pool - I can't wait to see it. I may just have to test the pool out eventhough it's still winter...I can never resist a good plunge!

Gotta run, I see Dad putting on his shoes. That can only mean one thing...WALKIES!

AGC

Toys, Pals and Good Times

Boy I'm tired today. I was up most of the night protecting Mom and Dad from baddies. No sooner had I fallen asleep at their feet, than a baddie would make a noise outside, so up I'd get, run down the stairs barking, jump up on my window perch and bark and bark until the baddie went away. I think I must have done this at least a dozen times. Mom and Dad must have also been angry at the baddies, but for some reason all their yelling was directed at me. They were probably half asleep!

Over the last few days I have recieved many new toys. My favorite is my ZAP ball - when I throw it about, it lights up and makes funny noises. At first I was a little scared, I thought maybe it was another baddie (a very little one) who had taken up residence in the ball and infiltrated my house! Here are photos of me and my ball hiding behind my couch cushions!



In addition to my Zap ball, I also got a dinasaur that has eggs inside it which squeak - boy it's fun trying to get them out of there; and my Barkslope Winners Prize arrived yesterday - a talking Octopus. It's a scream!

When I went out on Sunday to the park with Mom, I met a new bitch puppy, a little chocolate lab named Daisy. She has really sharp teeth and she kept going after my tail! What a flirt! I wish I'd had my camera with me, 'cos she was ever so sweet. I did have my camera with me this morning though when my usual posse of pals met up on Lemon Hill. Below left are me, Ohren the Shephard and Bailey the Boxer; and right are me, Bailey and Elvis the Pitbull.



And here are some more pics of us having a rollicking good time!



My other wiry pals had a really busy weekend. Dean-O in Canada throughly enjoyed watching the dog show on TV, especially the terriers; and Buddy Wiser and Sweet Tea had a wonderful time helping their Mom Sara Beth mow the lawn with her new Christmas mower!

I also had an update from my wiry friends in West Sussex, UK. Back in August, I posted this adorable picture of Mom Izzie and her pups (left). Well, look how they have grown. Pictured right are Izzie's 2 sons, Doodles & Butch.



And finally, let this be a lesson to all humans: cruelty to ANY creature, big or small, will get you in a lot of trouble (Thanks to Pippin and Pat for emailing me this story).
Enter Luciano Mares, 81, of Fort Sumner "who tried to dispose of a mouse by throwing it in a pile of burning leaves. The blazing creature ran back to the man's house and set it on fire.
``I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire, and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house,'' Mares said from a motel room Saturday. "

AGC

Out the Tochuses of Foxie Babes...

Boy, who would have thought that stuff coming out of my tochus would become the conversation in the Fox Terrier Community. You wouldn't believe the emails I have received describing the amazing things that have come out of my fellow Wire and Smoothie (and the occasional Airdale's) tochuses! Mom and I have been sitting at the computer giggling in amazement at your stories. We were so impressed that we figured we would have to post them! I came up with the brilliant idea of also awarding a blog honor to the foxie with the most amazing tale!

Here are some of the best:

From Helen: "Kodiak was eating gravel, rocks up to 1", and would poop them in the bedroom at night. We'd wake up laughing because he sounded like a cement mixer! Not a bit messy, very dry."

From Kathy and Joe: "When we brought Lucy home , we had a beautiful storage/coffee wicker table, she climbed on top of it and ate almost the whole top!!"

From Kay: "From the terriers in my life I have scooped up scads of "remains" from chewed toys, aluminum foil, hunks of rope from rope toys, bits of sponges, wads of kleenex and paper towels. Oh, and big balls of hair. I too have entertained neighbors when I'm out poking at piles of poop with a stick and muttering to myself..."

From Christine: "When Dean was Axel’s age he would pick up everything. Seemed I was always sticking my fingers down his throat to pull out something horrible -- once an entire bird wing. Yuck! So, I started giving him one of my gloves to carry. He would have to drop it in order to pick up something else (disgusting!) & I would have a chance to swoop in before he swallowed it. Well...since then, he has become a master glove thief. I cannot tell you how many strangers I have apologized to after returning a glove filched from their pockets. Come to think of it...maybe I should have given him my wallet to carry!!!"

From Kathy (PA): "Whiskey our WFT ate an entire Easter basket of candy. On Easter morning when my son was small we came down and found all the candy out of one of his baskets missing, including a solid chocolate rabbit. Well the next day out of her tochus came the pink ribbon that had been tied around the bunny’s neck."

Cindy: "My beloved Airedale, Beatrice Brown, ate the most amazing things…
A half of a roll of fiberglass insulation (ouch!)
A string of Christmas lights (also ouch )
And bread left in a plastic grocery bag.
That’s right, you guessed it, her mom (me!) pulled an ENTIRE grocery bag out of that
dog’s butt! An amazing dog. Lived to be 15 …cast iron stomach! "

From Melissa: "Mackie (left) swallowed a women's size 7 nylon dress sock. The days went by and I was studiously watching Mackie's, ahem "tochus" for the missing sock. the days went to weeks as I found myself walking Mackie at all hours day, night and early (very early) in the dark of morning out with a flashlight trained on his behind. Somehow it dawned on me that my neighbors probably thought I was a freak with a poo fetish. Well, alas, my Mackie finally threw up the sock. It was smelly and weighed a ton. With the weight of the sock out of his tummy he ran and ran around the backyard like the weight of the world was off his shoulders."

But the Blog Honors go to WFT Ashley (right) who is owned by Beth, in South CA for these 3 amazing stories:

1. "Ashley ate a whole bunch of sand on one of her first trips to the beach. She was zipping around in circles with glee like a crazy dog and snatching up mouthfuls of sand. I didn't realize she was also swallowing it. She pooped practically nothing but sand for two days."

2. "Ashley ate a bunch of pre-shelled sunflowers seeds for the birdfeeder. Later that evening, her poor belly puffed up and rumble, rumble, rumbled. Seeds do not digest. They come out looking just like when they went in. She pooped nothing but seeds for the next 24 hours. She was like a birdfood dispenser, despositing piles of sunflower seed here and there throughout the yard."

3. Ashley herself tells this hilarious story:
"The Xmas before last, my family left out a santa mug with a couple of mini-snickers that were in shiny christmas packaging. When they were out of the house for a bit, I helped myself to these treats but in the process, knocked the mug off and it broke. When my family discovered the broken mug, my mom apologized to dad for me breaking his mug. He said that was ok but where were the snickers bars?
My mom insisted that there couldn't have been any in there because there was no
wrapper, no little bits of chocolate stuck to the floor, nothing, just a broken santa mug.
Dad said there were definitely snickers bars in there, mom insisted there couldn't have
been and they both dropped the topic. The day after Christmas, my mom laughed when
I pooped and when we went in, she told my dad that he was right, I had eaten the
snickers bars. My poop came out with shiny red, gold, and green plastic wrapping.
Mom said it was like gift-wrapped poop, hence "the Christmas poo story" was born. "

Well done Ashley - you my dear bitch have one hardy digestion system and one cute tochus! And I bet you keep your Mom and Dad very, very busy and very amused!

AGC

Many Wenches to Choose From...

Shhh! Don't go telling Miss Amelia, but I think I have a new girlfriend. I mean let's get real here - would you rather have a long distance relationship with someone living in rainy Washington State, or with a sun-loving beach gal living in Orlando, Florida! I thought so! I also have more chance of going to Florida than I do of shlepping across the United States to meet Miss Amelia.

So the new gal's name is Angel which is an ironic name for a WFT me thinks. Her parents Sheri and Bill must have a good sense of humor or do a lot of wishful thinking! So check her out, she's in her shades, looking very cool indeed. She's 4 years-old, and as you know, I dig the older bitches!



If you recall, I featured a few siblings in my post on Friday. One was those adorable friends Olive and Ivy - a Wire and a Welsh - in the snow. Well, their Mom Maggie also sent me a pic of the third sibling - another Welsh wench named Lulu. She is quite an old gal at 14. She has trouble walking and seeing, but how awesome is this, her Mom told me that, "I bought a baby stroller for her so she can still accompany Ivy and Olive on walks." Can't you just picture them?



Not much news from my neck of the woods. Poor Dad is sick in bed today, he has a bad cold and is sniffing and coughing. I'm sad he's sick, but I love having him home with me, even if he is a grumbling old dude, like all human men when they are sick (or so I hear from Mom).
I tried to get Mom and Dad out of bed at 6 a.m. to take me out to poop, but they were out cold, so I had to poop by the front door. I wish I could learn to turn off the burglar alarm myself and go for a walk when I feel like it! I hate being so dependent, it's not part of my wiry personality!

AGC

Good Humans...

I have been so busy that I have scarcely had time to read all the papers piling up in the corner of our livingroom, but this morning with nothing much else to do, I finally caught up on the important news.

I know for weeks I've been bitching about the cruel humans who hurt the Blainville and Missouri wires and the some of the Chinese and Amish people who treat their animals so abyssmally. Well, of course, most humans are not like that, and I was delighted to find two stories in today's news that make my point.

How about the man who lived with his dog in an Atlanta trailerpark? He was so caring of his best buddy, that he attempted to heat his kennel for him: "The 45-year-old man had been trying to keep his dog warm by running an extension cord to an electric blanket inside the dog house. The blanket may have overheated, sparking the blaze which killed both the dog and the homeowner." This story brings tears to my (less pink) eyes...

In another heartwarming story up north in Canada, a couple are looking for a brave Russian man who rescued their 2 year-old golden retriever who fell through the ice and nearly drowned:
Ms. Coward decided to let the dog run loose in the park. Rae was more in the mood for a swim. The moment she was off her leash, Rae jumped the stone embankment, landed on the thin ice and fell into the frigid water. With no one in sight, Ms. Coward ran up a small hill to look for help. She saw two men out for a Christmas day stroll -- until she found out they could not speak English. After trying to explain, one of the men pointed to himself and said "'Russian.'""He stripped off his clothes, including his socks, down to his undergarments. And without my sister saying anything, he started crawling out across the ice to go get her."

The Russian man nearly lost his life, but managed to save Rae the dog and himself, but he didn't stick around to be thanked! Now Ms. Coward (funny name for a story like this) is looking for this brave soul to thank him! This is a true hero, one who does a life threatening act for another being, and then doesn't wait around to be thanked or praised.

Spaciba (that's Russian for Thanks!) Mr Russian, you are a good man! Ms. Coward, any wire owner could tell you it isn't the greatest idea to let your dog off leash in an icy park....heh heh.

Not much else to tell you today...just the same ol', same ol' existence of barking, playing with my friends, cuddling my Mom and Dad and being a naughty rascal!

AGC

Weird Stuff Out My Tochus

Boy, sorry I never came back to blog last night, I was too pooped. Actually, a good pun there, I was totally constipated yesterday after chewing up Mom's curling brush handle. When Mom took me on my walk around 5 PM, I tried to poop, but it wouldn't come out so Mom had to make a grab for it through the poop bag. I was ever so grateful, but confused when I heard her mutter, "Geez Axel, no wonder you are backed up, half my hairbrush came out of your tochus!" (Tochus means backside in Yiddish I believe)

After that huge relief, I came across a dead squirrel! Mom didn't see it at first, but when she did she gasped and tugged at my leash. I tugged back and sunk my teeth into the dead rodent. Mom screamed - I swear for a second I thought I'd bitten her by mistake and not the squirrel! Well, Mom yanked me away and off we went. What a shame, I would really have liked to roll on the squirrel for a bit, that's my favorite thing to do when I spot a dead thing!

Unfortunately Chanukah ended on Sunday night - I sure miss those dancing candles. I got a cute photo my pal Gimlet celebrating her own latke fest and I had to share it. I love your kitchen cupboards Gimlet - did you paint those yourself? (Sorry for mixing up your gender earlier - thanks to Jennie and Terence for correcting me!)



I also received many photos of my friends who are so lucky to have big families. As you know, I am an only dog - sometimes I wish I had a sister or brother - but other times I'm not so sure I'd want to share my Mom and Dad or my toys. I'd also get half the amount of table scraps I guess.

Anway, check out my pals Danny, Suzie and Molly who live with their parents Joan and John in SE Ohio. Have you ever seen happier, snugglier looking wires? Mom and Dad always marvel at the people who have more than one Wire...I don't know why? I couldn't think of anything better if I was a human!

Then meet Ciara and Simon who belong to Tom and live near some desert...I'm not sure where. I wonder if they know Snoopy's cousin Spike? The picture on the right is a funny before and after pic of Simon after a run through the desert! Looks like my kind of dirty fun!

Some wires have siblings who are NOT wires, but other breeds. They seem to get along pretty well nevertheless! So here (left) are Buddy Wiser and Sweat Tea. And on the right are Ivy the Wire, and Olive who is a Welsh terrier. They look like mini Airdales! Mom always says she'd like a Welsh to match her own coloring!



I have a new trick that is freaking out Mom and Dad. I like to jump up on the coffee table and just stare at them and grin. They usually yell, "OFF" and I just pretend I am deaf and grin at them. I love toying with them! Tee hee!

AGC

TOP DOG!

Just a short post - I'm a busy dog today - to tell you all that I won Barkslope Dog of the Year! I am thrilled and proud. I thank all my many supporters for their votes. In the end, this is a victory for all of us, as 90% of the proceeds of my win are being donated to FTN for Fox Terrier Rescue fundraisers!

I had a pretty good new years and have more friends to introduce...I just have to run along now - Mom is willing to take me for a walk in the rain! Yippee! I will blog more later!

AGC
Finest Wire in all the Land

New Year's Wishes and Resolutions

Tomorrow night is New Year's Eve for 2006. A new year for us all. So I was thinking about my new year's resolutions and wishes...I thought I'd share them with you!

Axel's New Year Resolutions:
1. I will stop bolting out the front door when the opportunity arises
2. I will quit begging for food everytime Mom or Dad are eating/cooking
3. I will let Mom and Dad put pink eye ointment in my eyes without biting them
4. I will stop barking at every thing I see move through my front window
5. I will stop pulling Mom's hair
6. I will NEVER pee on Mom and Dad's bed
7. I will not hump Mom or Dad's pillows while they are trying to sleep
8. I will not roll on dead vermin in the park or seek out burrs or chase cats
9. I will eat my food standing over my dish instead of walking around the house and dropping bits and pieces everywhere
10. I will not chew or shred shoes, dining room tables, slippers, Dad's tools, toilet rolls, napkins...

WAIT A MINUTE, WHO AM I KIDDING???
I CAN'T STOP DOING ANY OF THESE THINGS, I AM A WIRE FOX TERRIER, AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU THINK OF MY BEHAVIOUR! I AM WHO I AM, I WILL DO AS I DO. IS THAT NOT PART OF MY CHARM?

(Ok, don't answer that. It was a rhetorical question)

Axel's New Year's Wishes
1. An end to all puppy mills/farmers markets and punishment to those who run them
2. Blessings and prosperity to all my wiry friends, and in particular to those superlative humans who make it their life's work to help my fellow brothers and sisters
(You can read about a good example of this - the saviors of the Missouri wires, by clicking here)
3. Little stress and lots of fun for Mom and Dad leading up to their wedding on June 4!
4. Lots of chew toys, treats, walks in the park and fun with my best pals Bailey, Saga and Ohren
5. That I get to see the ocean this year and swim and swim
6. (On a more serious note...) An end to stupid human wars, poverty, starvation, disease (especially AIDS, Cancer and MD) , discrimination, ignorance, ethnic hatred, nuclear weapons, greed, torture, violence and cruelty to animals. (Phew, what a shame that is such a long list)
7. That I get to keep my balls for another year
8. That I get to meet Miss Amelia, the bitch for whom I pine and fantasize
9. An unending supply of liver treats when I want them...
10. That I continue to be loved, cared for and spoilt by my Mom and Dad.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

AGC

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

I looked in the mirror today, and I can say with brutal honesty that my eyes are NOT pink. Pink is for sissies or for bitches. My eyes look brown/black and very masculine. So I can't understand why Mom and Dad keep harrassing me and chasing me around the living room with this tiny tube of ointment. Last night Dad wrestled me to the couch and tried to hold my jaws shut as Mom attempted to squeeze that foul stuff into my eyes. I fought valiantly - but alas, lost the battle.

This morning, Dad left early for work, so poor Mom tried to add the ointment herself. She tried to grab me by the collar, but it snapped! haha! We then played chase around the coffee table, and I barked my head off at her. She kept pleading with me to let her help me fix my eyes, but I wasn't buying that thank you very much! Mom left for work in a huff...I guess tonight she'll make Dad help her!

Anyway, enough about my problems....it's time again for our important installment, "Take Me Home!"
Today we have two cute wires looking for forever homes in the southern CA area. First up is Rags (left), a 5 1/2 yr old, neutered male. His senior owner died and left him homeless. This is a happy, outgoing boy that loves to play and be the center of things. If you can help Rags, please contact Ruth at: 805-386-3757 or email at: atrarescue@aol.com. Pictured right is Kerry, a purebred, delightful little fellow - he's friendly and bouncy, playful and sweet. Just adorable, and ready for the loving home he deserves! For more info, please call 818-340-1687/1186.

I heard that on Saturday is something called New Year's Eve - the beginning of a whole new year. How exciting! Next year Mom and Dad are getting married - enough of this shacking up business if you ask me. But then I am a being of high moral fiber.

It's another yucky day in Philly today, rain and more rain...I better still get my evening walk!

AGC

Anyone for Pink Eye?

This morning I observed Mom putting on her coat and picking up her keys, so as usual, I knew she was off to work, so I jumped onto my perch to watch her walk to her car. Only this time, out came my leash! Yippee, thought I, Mom was taking me with her!

Boy was I dumb. Guess where Mom took me this morning? Not for a walk. Not to the dog run. Not to Petsmart to choose new toys. But to the vet. The minute I got within a meter of the door, I smelled danger and sat down. Mom had to drag me through the door. Once I was inside, it was pretty exciting. There were all these cats walking around freely, and they didn't attack me or run away! I tried to chase them, but Mom held onto me for dear life. Every few minutes another cat or dog came through the door, and I appointed myself official welcomer. Mom was not impressed, as I refused to just sit down and be calm like the other animals.

When my turn finally came, the vet lady hoisted me up onto this big metal table-thing. I think it was a scale, becos Mom exclaimed, "My God, is he already 24 pounds!" The vet lady was pretty nice but I didn't like it when she started poking around in my eyes. Apparently I have pink eye, whatever that means, and now I'm going to have to endure eye ointment twice a day. Let me rephrase that, Mom and Dad are going to do the "enduring" - heh heh, I don't intend to make it easy for them. I don't like stuff in my eyes, thank you very much!

On a lighter note, Dean-O from Montreal sent me a link to the funniest online petstore that sells Chewish dog items - Jewish themed chew toys that include a bagel, a meshuganeh, schmaltz and a mensch. They all have squeakers -- maybe if I'm good Mom will get me one for Tu B'shvat which is the next Jewish holiday...it's really the birthday of the trees though, not of the dogs!



Tonight we light 4 chanukah candles. Every night Mom burns a different color - it looks so pretty, I bet candles taste pretty good too - but Mom keeps them high on her shelf as she knows I have my eye on them!

AGC

Watching My World Through the Window...

I found the perfect gift for Mom and Dad! I am going to go online later after Mom gets home and I can steal her credit card (don't gasp in disgust, how do you expect me to pay for a gift? I am a penniless pooch! It's the thought that counts, right?), and buy them one. It's from www.sitstay.com and it's called 2006 Monthly Doos Dog Poop Calendar! The description goes like this:

A calendar that celebrates dog doo in all its glory. Dog doo in lush scenes photographed with loving care. But there's more to Monthly Doos than just high art. Inside you'll also find fun facts and quotes about man's best friend, and man's best friend's "best work". You'll even get to meet some of the monthly "contributors". Each calendar is enclosed in a SitStay Poo Pickup Bag.

What a riot! I wonder how I can go about becoming a contributer. I also have a good idea for the makers of the calendar, make it a scratch and sniff!!! heh heh.

Mom and Dad are bewildered once again because I prefer to sleep on top of the couch, looking out my front window, than in bed with them! They can't figure me out. How do I tell them that sleeping with them is bloody uncomfortable. Dad tosses and turns, and snores. And Mom uses a bipap which makes funny noises! Besides, how can I protect them if I am not in easy range of the front window!

When Mom related her confusion to her friend Pam, she wrote that, "I had a Smooth rescue years ago that loved looking out the window. I have no windows that look out on anything, so this smart little dog figured how to jump on a table near a window and then on top of the TV sitting on another table! He found out that when it was on (frequently) that the top of the TV not only provided a lovely view, but was also warm! A big plus in the winter. I remember someone coming over one day and asking "why is there a dog on top of your TV?"

Even though Christmas has passed, images and cards are still coming in, so I wanted to share more with you. On the left is Annie and Chuck under their Christmas tree, checking out the contents of their stockings. On the right are the Savage family furkids from Washington State. I don't know who is who, but my dear Miss Amelia is in there somewhere.



Then on the left we have holiday greetings from the Sqwire household. It took me a while to figure out which was the live wire! His name is Rocky and sadly he passed over the rainbow bridge a while ago, but his Mom Gail wanted to share this beautiful memory of him with you. On the right is a greeting card from Helen and her clan, Aspen, Gus and the kitties Lola and Cinnamon. I wonder if Cinnamon has ever sat on a latke? heh heh? Get it? Mom likes her latkes covered in sugar and cinnamon!

Below Left, Master Colby gives us the final proof that Santa Claus is really a Wire and not a fat, old man. Can't you see a Wire jumping from house to house and going up and down chimneys? Eating cookies and drinking milk? It's a lot more believable than imagining a geriatric old fart doing that! Next to Colby on the right is Abby who lives with Cindy in Ohio.



I don't only have wiry pals. Here are my smooth buddies Zap (left) who got a new coat for Christmas, and Wiley from Utah who is a member of the Ear Club, as you can see.



Finally, here are Missy and Muffy who live with Dee (left) and ol' Winston looking dashing in his holiday attire (right).



Of course, the holiday season is all about giving, and not just lots and lots of gifts. But giving to make the world a better place, or in our case, to bring some cheer to foxies who are less fortunate than ourselves. Christine in Montreal has been receiving lots of goodies for the Blainville Wires, and she even made a special label to accompany the gifts. We hope to be able to show you photos of the Wires receiving their gifts soon...We also got more happy news from Elisabeth who adopted Honeybee in Montreal. She reports that, "Physically, she has put on weight, her coat is fuller and shining, all the various infections are cleared and she is very active. In fact she has turned into a normal terrier, toy obsessed and constantly busy. She loves people, most other dogs and also children, always wants to join kids playing in the snow." That's marvelous Honeybee! We are proud of you and your Mom!

I also got an email from Lucy in Pennsylvania, boy she had fun on Christmas day! She wrote that, "I spent the afternoon grabbing napkins off of everyone’s lap or out of their hands. Ya gotta be quick with me. They had to put me in the basement when they opened their gifts as I kept stealing toys. They just kept spoiling my fun. I did get some yummy food though—some turkey and some ham. "
I wouldn't mind some turkey Luc, but I'm a Jewish dog, we don't eat any swine!

AGC