Digging for Ghosts

You are probably wondering what the heck I am doing in the photo montage above.
Well, on Friday night, I became convinced that there was a ghost hiding somewhere amongst the couch cushions, so I started to dig right away. I must admit, I behaved like a dog possessed, nothing Mom and Dad could do would avert my attention away from my mission. They even took the cushions off the couch to show me nothing was there, but I was not convinced! I just know something was lurking down there! Eventually they forced me off the couch as they were afraid I would destroy it with my digging, and put me in a time out. Sometimes my parents are so clueless - I'm just trying to protect them! *sigh*

On Saturday we all went for a glorious walk on Lemon Hill as the sun finally came out! We found this cool, secret spot overlooking the Schukill river and watched the sculls racing on the water. Man, I would like to ride in a scull someday! The only crappy part of the walk was that I stumbled into a burr bush and got covered, so Mom had to painstakenly pick them out and when she lost patience, she just cut them out! Way to go Mom!

This piece of news made me almost throw up my breakfast as it brought on a sudden attack of giddiness:

Man and dog bounce to new record -- A new world record was set in Edinburgh after an American completed 206 jumps on a pogo stick in one minute. Shopkeeper Ashrita Furman carried out the attempt next to the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, while carrying a dog. The record breaker insisted the dog, which he carried in honour of the legendary terrier who stood guard by his master's grave, was unharmed.

Unharmed? Holy crap, my heart goes out to that poor hound - I can't imagine some freak clutching me while jumping up and down on a pogo stick 206 times in a minute! I bet if it had been a child with him everyone would have been up in arms! To break a record pogoing is one thing, but to inflict such craziness on a hapless beast is downright horrid! Humans can be so selfish and stupid sometimes! Makes me positively pissy!

AGC

Bed Socks?

I almost choked on my Solid Gold biscuits this morning when I spotted this cartoon in the morning newspaper:

I completely identify with it. I have three dog beds -- a crate with sheepskin liner, a zebra patterned furry bed and a huge round bed in the basement, but I choose to sleep UNDER mom and dad's bed. I enjoy their mystification as to why I wouldn't prefer to sleep between them ON the bed - how can I explain to them that their snoring and thrashing about disturbs me? Under the bed I can stretch out, the mattress forms a convenient sound barrier, and they can't reach me to drag me outside to potty! There is method to my (seeming) madness!

Can you believe it is STILL raining? Seven days straight. Boy it sucks! So did Yom Kippur suck as I only got fed my food, no human food was to be had all day! And more bad news, mom and I didn't win the Powerball...noone did! So our philanthropic dreams are on hold for another few days!

I spotted another contest online, this time for the Coolest Dog on www.dogster.com/show. There are 15 categories (including nautiest dog, craziest tail...) and it is free to enter! Prizes include a photoshoot for the cover of New York or Hollywood Dog Magazine! I think I might just try my luck again - but first I made sure to enter the Fox Terrier Network Photo Contest as my loyalties are with my fellow foxies first!

Finally, a message to my pal Mackie who just ate and swallowed his third sock much to the alarm of his Mom Melissa....Hey Mackie, what's up dog? Surely you can find more tasty treats to eat? The nutritional value of a sock is zero and it's not much fun to try to poop it out! Rather do what I do...learn to open the refrigerator door or overturn the trash, you'll find far more tasty fare in those places! Best of luck in passing the sock, my thoughts are with you...eek! (Pictured left is Mackie and sock, pre ingestion.)

Yours,
AGC

Philanthropy Rocks!

I have decided what I want to be when I grow up! A philanthropist!
As you will recall, I won October Dog of the Month on Barkslope.com. My prize was a $25 gift voucher for the website, and in the giving spirit, I decided to donate my prize to the Fox Terrier Network who go to great lengths to help my fellow foxies in need. I selected a Puppy Puzzle toy and sent it to the Network to use as a prize for an upcoming fundraiser. I never knew it could feel this good to give up my prize! Mom says if she wins the Powerball tonight ($200 something million), she too will become a philanthropist and together we could realize our dream of making the world a better place!

What fabulous creatures we terriers are, just read this story in the news today:

A young Jacksonville, Fla., boy found the abandoned squirrel last month. He named it "Chipper." The boy's terrier, which is named "Pepper," started following her instincts and mothered the squirrel. Now Pepper, who hasn't had puppies in four years, is producing milk again. She is nursing Chipper back to health and even grooms her newest friend.

So it seems that some terriers befriend and mother squirrels rather than hunting and killing them. Hmm, interesting. Pepper is probably not a pure bred terrier! Ha!

Things are solemn in our house today as it is Yom Kippur tonight when Mom (and maybe Dad) will be fasting from sunset to sunset tomorrow. I thankfully, will not! Mom is cooking a rather bland looking chicken to eat before the fast - if I was about to fast, I'd eat three chickens, a dozen potatoes and a pint of ice cream! I doubt Dad will fast, he can't live without his Coke!

AGC

PS No blogging for me tomorrow - I will respect my folks and Yom Kippur and refrain...

Of Manicures, Masks and Morons

I like to start my daily post with a pretty picture. Here is Miss Amelia posing ever so sweetly and ladylike for me. She emailed me especially to agree that we wires could never enter those ugly dog contests. She sure is ravishing, but look at those nails? Eek, she looks like Joan Collins - me thinks you need a manicure Ms. Amelia or do you keep them like that to keep Woody at bay?

Last night Mom got really mad at me. There is really only one thing that Mom absolutely forbids me from chewing and that is her bipap face mask she needs to sleep with to help her lungs. It is made of plastic and gel and fits over her nose. The thing is she looks like Darth Vader when she has it on, and I'm convinced the mask is alive and attacking Mom, so I try to pull it off if I happen to be on the bed with her. Last night, while Mom was in the bath, I crept into her room and managed to pull the mask off her nightstand and crawl with it under the bed. Stupidly though, I let my paw stick out, and she found me and the mask and went ballistic!

I only chewed one side of the gel stuff - it was so delish to sink my teeth into - but Mom had to sleep with one finger pressed against that side of the mask to prevent air seeping in. She had to order a new mask today and it only arrives in a few days so she won't be sleeping very well. I feel really really bad...I may just have to spank myself! How about I bite my tail extra hard instead?

It's been raining for the last 5 days and I'm sick of it! Mom and Dad force me to go out to pee in the wet, and I hate it. This morning at 6a.m. Dad tried to get me out while holding an umbrella over me...I peed eventually, but it wasn't pleasant let me tell you.

I read a great story, though a very sad one, today about Marine Cpl. Jeffery A. Boskovitch in Iraq who adopted an Iraqui puppy called Beans and made him their unit's mascot. He dreamed of taking Beans home with him to Ohio when his term of duty ended, but tragically the Marine was killed before this could happen. It then became his mom's quest to carry out his wishes and get Beans to America. I love stories with happy endings:
“It was bittersweet. I knew Jeff wasn’t getting off the plane, but I was so happy to have Beans,” his mom said.

I'm not an overly politically minded dog, but I really think it is time to bring our troops home from Iraq - too many are dying there and for what? I don't know...I just don't understand it. I suspect that geeky looking man I see on TV a lot grinning in front of a big white house has something to do with this horrid situation.

AGC

I am the Devil Dog

Sometimes I can be pretty evil. I can't help it. When I get excited my teeth seem to vibrate and I have to sink them into something. It's not my fault that God made human flesh so delightful to chew on. Nor is it my fault that Mom has this rich red hair that just hypnotises me and forces me to attack and pull it. I read somewhere that in some parts of rural Africa all red heads are considered witches -- heh heh, Mom, are you a witch?? So what I'm trying to say is...I am just behaving like an automaton...I have no control over my actions, they are completely involuntary.

And at least I'm not stupid enough to chew and swallow a duck! I read this morning that a Swedish Boxer swallowed a rubber duck (below) FIVE years ago: Apollo's owner thought the duck had dissolved over the years, as he didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects from swallowing the inedible snack.

But five years later he started being sick and refused to drink water, so his owner rushed him to the vet. An operation to remove the rubber duck, which had gone black and rock hard over half a decade, was a success. Is that gross or what?


Well, just my luck, it didn't pour yesterday, so Mom and Dad left me and went to the Terrier Show at Montgomery Community College. They came home and told me all about it. How they saw lots of smart-looking wires and smoothies, and lots of other dogs like Scotties, Welshes, Airdales, Skyes, Westies and a few Shnauzers. But what really pissed me off was seeing their muddy sneakers and hearing about how swampy the grounds were. To think that I was deprived of the glee and fun of cavorting around in that delicious mud just gets me very depressed. Plus, can you believe this, they didn't bring me a single gift from the show! I know there were doggie stores there, I'm not stupid. And I know they stopped at McDonalds on the way home for burgers and fries, and they didn't save me a single fry! Whoever said, "ah, the life of a dog," didn't know what the heck they were talking about!!!

Anyway, I sat through Mom's gallery of photos from the show and tried to feign interest. I have to admit this little ginger bitch in the front of this picture, stirred my testosterone levels! Boy is she a cute one! Had I been there, I may have just jumped the fence and planted a lick on those luscious lips...hmmm

Mom also met another friend from the Fox Terrier Network email list - Kathy, mom of Lucy (see below), who you saw dressed up as Mark Spitz on my earlier blog posting. I wanted to meet Kathy too, and Mom says maybe one day soon she will take me to meet her and Lucy the wire!!

Mom and Dad also ran into Bob my breeder, and he offered them a 3 year old bitch wire, my great aunt, as she just had a litter and is now ready to rest and enjoy a good solid home life. I'm not sure I'd like a big sister, I'll have to mull that one over...and frankly, between you and me reader, I don't think Mom and Dad could cope with another wire, I am enough of a handful for them!

AGC

Wires on the Hunt

It has come to this.

We wires were born to hunt. We are convinced that all those dashing little critters were put on earth just for our sport and enjoyment!

I have heard from many of my friends out west what fun it is to chase possums - I alas, have yet to even see one. Being an urban wire, the only critters I ever get to see are squirrels and the occasional rabbit, but Mom and Dad keep a close eye on me and stop me from going after them. So dear friends, I am left to attack silly scarecrows which aren't much challenge as they don't seem to move.

I think it's time that our parents out there stop trying to prevent us from having a bit of fun! We were born to hunt, so for crying out loud, LET US! Who cares if the neighbors complain? if we stink from skunk spray? or if we decimate the wildlife of America population?

Below is a picture of my pals Woody and Amelia who are on alert for squirrels. Just look at that intense concentration friends! And don't they look grand in their jumperz?



Now I'm not sure if there is much wildlife in the cold climes of Canada - probably everything is hibernating up there? Our pal Colby saw snow for the first time this week and looks to be having a simply frolicking time cavorting in the icy whiteness. My theory is, he too is on the hunt...looking for that abominable snowman! I'll have to add that species to my wanted list!



I can't wait to discover snow too! Mom and Dad hate the cold, especially Mom who grew up in sunny South Africa where the last time they had snow was on September 10, 1980! That's how rare it is down there, everyone remembers the date it fell! I can't wait to get all cold and wet and run through the house! Ha, reminds me, yesterday I grabbed my water bowl and dragged it under Mom and Dad's bed, spilling water as I went!

Anyway, I'm going to sit on my couch perch and see if I can spot anything worth hunting. Here in the city, my only real live prey I ever see is the mailman!

Have a great weekend! Mom and Dad are off to the Terrier Show on Sunday - they hope it doesn't get rained out. I don't really care...I want it to rain so they stay home with me!

AGC

Death to all Halloween Scarecrows

I have to admit, Rosh Hashana is not all that it is cracked up to be. Besides the tiny bit of honey Mom gave me to celebrate, I spent both nights at home while Mom and Dad went out for dinner and festivities. When they finally got home and I was dying to play, they were so bloated from all the food they'd imbibed, they wanted to go straight to sleep. The nerve! I think that's what my people call chutzpah!

It was however nice to have Mom home from work, and we enjoyed many walks and playtime. (We also watched Million Dollar Baby, and boy was I chuffed that Hilary Swank's character's dog's name was also Axel!) My favorite thing is to sit on Mom's lap in our yard and have her hold my chew toy while I bite it. Dad thinks it's the ultimate in laziness, that I can't even hold my own chew toy, but Mom gets a kick out of my snuggling on her lap like a baby.

A few weeks ago, Mom came home with a scarecrow on a stick that she planted in the outside flowerpot by our front door. She bought it to create a minimalistic Halloween look. I don't know why exactly, but I really hate that ugly little straw man! Every time I go out for a walk, I try to grab it, but for the longest time Mom or Dad yanked my leash and I haven't been able to get it. Until yesterday! I distracted Dad for a second and managed to grab the scarecrow and run inside with it. Man I was happy! I climbed onto the couch, between two pillows (to protect me from parental incursions) and proceeded to dismember the hated scarecrow. I tore off his head, pulled out all the straw and just had a bloody marvelous time as you can see below!



Did you know that in Afrikaans (that's one of the languages spoken in Mom's country of her birth, South Africa) a dog is called a "hond"? Well, in today's Washington Post I read an interesting article that made my tail wag. The car manufacturer, HONDA (coincidence? I think not), has designed a car that's friendly for dogs! Does this mean I may get to drive soon? Alas no.

It seems the car has "a special crate for dogs in the glove compartment [which] allows owners to interact with their pets while driving. A bigger crate pops up from the floor in the back seat area and can be folded back into the floor when it's not needed."

It's all very cool that Honda is now thinking of us dogs, but c'mon dudes, who wants to ride in the frigging glove compartment? We want to travel freely with our heads out the window! I think Honda should consult with a few canines on their next project - I would envision creating some sort of window box to travel in!

Of course this would never apply to us Wires, but just in case you know an ugly dog, dogexplorer.com is advertising it's search for the world's ugliest dog - if you recall I posted the current title holder on my blog a while back. The competition ad states, "Let's see 'um folks, bring those hairy, bald, smushed, droopy, wet, sloppy, entirely lovable pooch faces our way."
Lovable indeed. Yuck.

To prove my point, that we Wires would never in a zillion years qualify for that contest, I wanted to share a beautiful pic of my Canadian pal Colby who looks so handsome as he poses in front of his fireplace. Way to go Master Colby! Wish I was that hunky - unfortunately, I am an avowed scruffball most of the time!



AGC

New Years Eve

On this, the eve of the Jewish New Year (that's me blowing the shofar or ram's horn above), I can declare that I am one clean dog! Let me explain. Yesterday morning, Dad took me for a walk in the park, and me and Bailey the Boxer, had great fun playing in the sand and left over picnic trash. When I got home, I hate to admit it, but I stunk. I couldn't cope being near myself! I think Mom and Dad felt the same way, as I was promptly dumped in the bathtub and given a thorough wash. I did escape once - I think it was after Dad called me a drowned rat - and I ran around the bathroom soaking wet and full of soap. As the door was closed, they caught me and back I went.

Later in the day, Mom, feeling very adventurous, decided to try a new dog park, so we drove to Northern Liberties Orianna Dog Park described in Mom's book as one of the nicest dogruns complete with woodchip surface, poop bags, water etc. When we got there however, there was not a woodchip in evidence, only lots of very dirty sand and dust. And a big water trough to drink from. There was a nice Sheba Inu pup there, and boy did we have a blast! Mom couldn't stop me of course - I dived straight into the trough, got all wet and then ran around in the sand and mud! I had a grand ol' time until a big boxer came and pissed on me! Can you believe it? He actually lifted his leg and peed on me! So not only was I black and sandy, I also reeked of piss! In true terrier spirit, Mom just laughed and told the other pet owners that I didn't need my cow costume, I could just go as a coal miner on Halloween! Good one Mom!

When I got home, it was back in the bath with me, and you should have seen the color of the water! I was totally pooped after that...I just collapsed on the couch with Mom and Dad who were watching that silly Desperate Housewives show! When Mom and Dad went up to bed, I again ran straight under it and hid in the middle of the bed where they couldn't get me! Haha, they gave up again and I slept crate free!!!

Finally, Mom wanted me to share with you an email she received from her cousin Annette in Australia. She wrote Mom the following:

Shit Dani, you're becoming more American than the Americans! You'll next be having bloody birthday parties with cake and jelly and popcorn for the mutts. You need to have a baby real soon me thinks!

Mom was pretty amused...she never did think she'd become "one of those Americans" but I've brought out the best in her! And hey Annette, don't go calling us mutts! We're highly pedigreed dogs! Oh and mom says to tell you, dogs are a lot cuter and much more fun than human babies!

Who am I to disagree?

AGC

HOLY COW!

Well dear friends, I am nothing if true to my word. I promised I would go out and buy a Halloween costume yesterday, and I did. I shlepped Mom after work to Petsmart in the 5p.m. Friday traffic, so intent was I to show you all that I too am a fun loving wire! Dad is calling me a hypocrite for buying a costume after my diatribe against the practice. He may be right, but my defense is that it is for the best cause possible - a way to enter the Fashionable Dog category in the FTN photo contest to help dogs less fortunate than myself! And, I have to admit, it is rather fun dressing up and making a bigger fool of myself than usual. And I'm still hoping to get lots of cookies from amused strangers on Halloween!

After perusing the costumes on display, I settled for this one, because I enjoyed chewing the pom-pom tail! So without more ado, ladies and gentlemen and fellow foxies, here I am in costume! Go ahead, laugh at me, have a COW!


The weird thing is, when I had it on, I had this intense need to moo and eat grass...go figure.
Mom thinks I could be the mascot for Chik -Fil-A!

Not only do I look cute in my costume, but today I heard that I was voted October Dog of the Month on www.barkslope.com! Mom and Dad are kvelling and I can't wait to pick out my prize. Thanks to all my friends who voted, I feel so happy!

Today I went for my third vet visit - there I was, anxious to get in to see the vet, while the other dogs stood shaking in the waiting room. Afterwards, Mom, Dad and I went on a picnic to PennyPack Park. I'd never been there before - it's so beautiful and lush, so many things to sniff and see! Two years ago, Mom and Dad had a date there, so they were reminsicing about it and I got pretty bored so I climbed up on this big rock, and then ran down the steep side of it, and kind of fell onto the sand below. You should have heard Mom and Dad laugh at me!

Mom wasn't laughing earlier, in fact she was very mad at me! When she put on her glasses this morning, she couldn't see clearly out of them, she assumed they were dirty. But upon further investigation, she discovered that yours truly had stolen them off her nightstand while she was sleeping in this morning, and chewed them, leaving teeth incisions in the glass! Boy was I in trouble! Mom threatened to ask the vet to pull my teeth, but I know she wasn't being serious. How can I explain to her what a tasty treat glass is? Hair and glass, two of my favorite chew things! ha!

I'm all tuckered out now from the park, so I'm going to have a nap. So much excitement in the last 24 hours, wow! Life rocks!

AGC

Bring me a Costume!

It seems my post yesterday elicited many varied reactions. Some people wrote to tell me how funny they thought I was, while others were offended by my wit. We wires have ascerbic sense of humors, clearly not appreciated by everyone...so a public apology to anyone I upset...that was never my intention. Honest. I'm a good boy (in general).

Now for the record, I am NOT a party pooper! Sure, I was poking fun at those Halloween costumes, but it was all tongue in cheek of course (a difficult feat for a dog!). As silly as I think those costumes are, I would be willing to dress up too, especially if it's for a good cause!

Which brings me to remind my fellow fox terriers of the Fox Terrier Network photo contest, the proceeds of which go to fox terrier rescue, a very worthy cause! One of the categories is best costumed dog - Fashionable Fox Terriers...and to show you all what a good sport I am, I am dragging mom to the pet store today to find a costume so that I can enter the contest! And, dear friends, I will exhibit myself in costume on this blog shortly so we can all laugh at me! I admit, this is not totally altruistic...Todd the Smooth Fox Terrier let me in on his secret: "My brothers and I also learned about all the attention that we get when we are dressed up and out in public. Believe me you can even get cookies from strangers!"

Did you say Cookies? Woohoo, enough said - where is my costume MOM????

In the meantime, I received emails of other humans keen to show off their costumed wires, who probably know all about Todd's secret!

Here is Chewy dressed up as a devil...eeek, I'm scared! How can a sweet WFT be taken seriously as a devil...an angel more likely! Heh heh!


Here's Terry, Chewy's sibling, dressed first as a witch and then...as a dragon! I didn't know dragons had ribbons on their heads, but OK! Terry looks like she's thoroughly enjoying his get up! Look at that smile!


This is my fave pic - it's of Lucy who passed away in February this year, dressed up as a lion. What a sweetie! And what an inventive grandma she has who thought of winding a scarf around her head to transform her into a lovable lion.


And here's Winston looking decidedly Halloweenish, and rather serious.



Weeee, here's Dean-O jumping for joy in his sports jersey!
And showing off his "my parents when to Disney World and all I got were these lousy Mickey Mouse ears!" (left)

And below is Luci from PA who is not really in costume, but as I'm an imaginative sort of fella, I'm going to say she is dressed up first as famous Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz and (below that) a dog pretending to hold a pumpkin very much in the Halloween spirit. It's more interesting than dog with sponge!
If any dogs reading my blog want to show off their costumes, please email them to me! And remember, to send them to the FTN - our brothers and sisters less fortunate that us, really need our help!

And finally, I bring you this hilarious photo of Bamboozle and his Mom, both dressed up and looking equally silly but quite fabulous! Bamboozle is obviously dressed as a pumpkin, and Mom looks like Snoopy the famous beagle judging by the little black nose...or she could be a licorice candy caught in a snowstorm? a polar bear with an inkspot? Put us out of our misery Boozle, what is your mom dressed up as?


Sorry again to anyone I upset yesterday - I was so upset myself that I only ate half my breakfast this morning.

AGC

Wires in Weird Clothing

As I've mentioned before, I am not into dressing up in human-type clothing or seasonal costumes, and thankfully Mom and Dad don't believe in it either. I hear there is a holiday called Halloween coming up soon during which kids dress up in scary costumes and go begging for candy door-to-door. Last time I was at the petstore, I noticed there were Halloween costumes for canines too! Another sign of the crass commercialism rampant in America if you ask moi!

And to make my point, I introduce exhibit one and two entitled,
"Ridiculous Dog Costumes Created by Stupid Humans:"



I really take issue with some of these abominations! The "hot dog" and "piggy" are nothing short of offensive. I appeal to humans everywhere to spare a thought for their dogs before dressing them up like this. There is just so much humiliation a canine can take! Surely there are other ways you can amuse yourselves - one that springs to mind, dress YOURSELVES up in stupid costumes or read a joke book for gosh sakes. Leave us dogs alone!

No such luck for Colby in Canada or Bamba. Here they are dressed up in their fine costumed regalia.

Colby is dressed up as a DUCK (left) and a jock. Look at Colby's face in his duck costume - I think thinking "now how can a dog be a duck? I can't quack, but I do like to swim! This is thoroughly perplexing. "

Bamba's mom wasn't really dressing him up in this photo, but my point is, the wire is wearing a bath robe! Dogs, especially our very dignified breed, don't belong in robes, just look into those eyes, he looks positively possessed!


Well, I like to think this has been a very incisive and instructive post for all you humans out there bent on humiliating your pets over Halloween. If I have saved ONE animal from this blatant ridiculousness, than my time online today has been worthwhile!

I end with an interesting story I read this morning over breakfast. It seems a disgruntled lady in Romania is divorcing her husband after 50 years of marriage, because he spends his entire pension on food for the stray dogs that hang out around their home:

Eliza Barbu, 70, has grown tired of what she perceives as her husband's wasteful habit of feeding the entire contents of the couple's larder to a pack of 20 stray dogs up to three times a day. She said: "I cannot accept the fact that we are starving every week while he uses his entire pension to feed the dogs that gather around our house."

My hunch here, being an astute canine, is that Mr Barbu prefers the company of stray dogs to his nagging, bitching wife.

Yours,
AGC

Kosher Dog (And I don't mean a Nathan's)

Boy life is good! I got so many emails from my fans welcoming me back and also telling me how pretty my grandma is. Thanks everyone!

So I've told you before that I am a Jewish dog - thank G-d I never had to get a bris - and a couple of weeks ago I met my Mom's cousins who live in Havertown. We went for shabbat (sabbath) dinner and to celebrate Dad's 40th birthday. I thought the pictures were pretty cool!


That's Mom, Dad and Me! And a very delish looking chocolate cake!!


Check out my and Dad's matching yarmulkes (skullcap) . I think I need a smaller size though.

And you thought my parents were pretty obsessed with me? Well, remember my pal Colby in Canada who was sent away to a luxury kennel while his parents went on a cruise? His parents missed him so much, they made a pretend towel Colby on their ship to lessen THEIR separation anxiety!

The lesson dear friends is take your pets with on cruises! (Although it must be said that Colby had a brilliant time at his vacation getaway as you can see below - image captured via webcam!)



Meantime, I had to catch up on what my friends have been up to over the last 2 weeks:

Dylan and Libby went swimming - man, I wish I was there beside them!


Tilly went on show which she found to be quite a yawn! I wouldn't want to be on show either, even if I looked as good as she does! I doubt I'd get very far with my crooked tail!



And my pal in NYC, Jeeves, just keeps on grinning!


Speaking of grinning, I hope to hear good news from www.barkslope.com as the name of the October Dog of the Month should be announced shortly. Thanks to everyone who voted...if I lose to that stupid beer drinking chihuahua, I will dig a big hole and lie in it for a week! If you haven't voted, it's not to late, just click to http://barkslope.com/dogsurveyoctober.html

It's sure gotten chilly here in Philly. Chilly in Philly, haha, I'm a poet. Mom is getting less and less keen to get up at the crack of dawn to take me out for a pee and poop....she grumbles and moans and yawns. I get the point Mom, but until you invent a better option, you'll have to grin and bear it!

AGC

I'm BACK!!

Hey Everyone!
I know you've missed me! Grandma left today so now I am back on the computer again. It was great to meet grandma - poor lady is now on the plane for 18 hours...I guess I'll never be visiting South Africa - no way would I make it that long in a crate in the darn hold. No thanks. Grandma took me for a walk every morning, allowing mom to sleep in a bit which I know she really appreciated! But tomorrow it's back to boring old routine of being cooped up in the laundry room while mom and dad go to work.

Dad and I have this funny habit of passing out together on the couch in front of the TV every night. Mom caught us in "inaction":

Stage One: Dad and Ax Goof Around:


Stage Two: Dad falls asleep, I relax on my couch perch:


Stage Three: Dreamland for Dad and Ax:


Mom thinks we're pretty hilarious and usually leaves us downstairs and creeps up the stairs to bed.
My latest habit, when me and Dad get upstairs, is to quickly run under the bed so he can't catch me and put me in my crate! Poor Dad, he tries for a while to coax, demand and order me to go to my crate, but he eventually gives up and I spend the night "free" under the bed!

I'm off to bed now. It's great to be back online - and dear friends - both canine and other - I will be back to blogging regularly from hereon!!

AGC

Gifts from Grandma

I forgot to mention how beside myself I was when Grandma arrived and opened her enormous suitcase. Being the curious devil that I am, I immediately set about checking out the contents. I really should get a job with airport security - perhaps El Al would hire me, they are by far the best when it comes to onboard security!

So here is me scouting out Grandma's case in search of my much talked about gifts from South Africa:



The gifts turned out to be a big Kong toy, a green plastic hedgehog from Auntie Jo (grandmom's sister) and an edible green thing which mom promptly confiscated saying it was bad for me (she saw some hideous xrays of a thing like it in a sick dog's stomach!). Oh and a delish peanut flavored thing that looked just like a turd! Mom and Dad did a doubletake!

By popular demand, here is a photo of my dear Grandma, taken with Dad's sweet niece who we affectionately call Baby Bubba. There are other pics of me and grandma, but they are on grandma's camera, so I'll have to post them later!



Well, I hear Grandma a-coming (remember I'm in her room), I better get outta here!

AGC

Grandma is Here, Oh Boy!

Geez, now that grandma is here, I can't get near the computer cos the computer room has been turned into her bedroom. I really like grandma but she keeps calling me a "she" and sometimes she even calls me "Georgie" cos I remind her so much of my predecessor who grew up with mom and grandma in South Africa. It's a tad irritating.

Plus, listen to this. When they went to pick her up at JFK, they put me in the laundry room at 5am in the morning. No walk. No breakfast. I didn't know what was up. And Mom said they'd be back in 3 hours, and instead they walked in after 2pm! I was ravenous and pissed off. It seems some tanker truck had the temerity to explode on the NJ turnpike and Mom, Dad and Grandma had to sit in traffic for 3 hours (while yours truly sat home alone!). I was so happy to see them all that I went nuts, bit grandma and ran around in circles for about 20 minutes.

Then today, Mom and Grandma went to check out flowers for the wedding, and it was back to the laundry room with me! Again, it took longer than Mom promised it would, AND they forgot to leave a light on for me, so they came home at 8pm and there I was, sitting in the dark house, and hungry as dinner was 2 hours overdue.

I don't think I like this grandma visiting business at all.

AGC

PS Vote for me, I want to be the Barkslope Dog of the Month! Just click here to vote: http://www.barkslope.com/dogsurveyoctober.html

Smart Pooch

I know I shouldn't laugh at injured humans, but how can one not laugh at the story of a dog shooting a hunter? Confused? Read this:

A tussle between a hunter and his dog in north-east Bulgaria over prey ended with the dog shooting the man, local media reported Thursday.The man lost his temper when the Deutsch-Drahthaar hunting dog refused to release a killed bird it brought back and began beating it with the rifle. But the dog's paw caught the trigger and the hunter ended up with buckshot hitting him. The extent of his injuries was not reported, but it was said that the dog injured a paw.

Moral of the story: Catcher keeps the booty!
We terriers fully support that notion - if I caught a bird, you can be sure I'd never give it up either!

And if you, like me, wondered what the heck at Deutsch Drahthaar hunting dog looks like, here is a picture of one. Nice looking guy - and with a bird in his mouth, just like our little story:



And staying in Eastern Europe, I'd like to share a Polish proverb:
"Hunger will lead a fox [terrier] out of the forest."
I'm not sure what it means, but it seemed worth sharing?

And now some witty humor: I present (drumroll)...

Top 10 Signs You've Gone To a Bad Veterinarian
10. When you hand him your cat, he asks uncomfortably, "Monkey?"
9. Two weeks later, your dog coughs up a rubber glove.
8. Big sign in waiting room: No Pets Allowed!
7. Diploma looks a lot like menu from Chinese restaurant.
6. Always saying "I've got a tick in my pants."
5. Sends you a card every spring: "Time for your dog's annual neutering."
4. First question, "What ails your varmint?"
3. He has a lot of posters up advertising cockfights.
2. He himself wears one of those big funnel shaped dog collars.
1. He bites!

Tomorrow Grandma arrives, so I may have less time online as the computer room is now Grandma's bedroom!

Kisses,
AGC

Enemies Lurking in the Home

I received an email from Libby Longtail's mom yesterday telling me that Libby has taken to protecting her family from their new washing machine. Miss Longtail observed her mom doing the laundry and immediately noticed something was amiss.

"This new washing machine is a front-load model, with the little round window. Libby saw a wire fox terrier in the window! Every time she peeked, so did the wire fox in the washer. Every time she barked, it did, too! And it looked so much like Libby, it might sneak out of there one day and fool the family!"

Check her out on alert by the new appliance:



What a funny gal! Our machine is a top loader, so I am far more interested in our dryer. Everytime Mom transfers the wet laundry from the washer to the dryer, I see how many items of clothing I can snatch away and play with. This tends to infuriate my mom, who then sometimes goes chasing me around the house and ends up having to rewash the items. We go through the same fun game when the clothes are dry and she opens the door to fold and store them away. I have a particular penchant for socks and Mom's undies! Especially dirty ones!

Hey, Grandma arrives from South Africa early Friday...no news yet on whether I can ride along to JFK...Mom doesn't think our kind are welcomed at airports. There has been lots of activity in the house in preparation for our VIP guest - I even have a new bed to jump on! Can't wait to give licks and kisses to Grandma, and get my pressies! Woohoo!

AGC

I Graduated!

I am pretty proud of myself - yesterday I graduated from Puppy Class.


That tassle sure tickled my nose! My certificate now hangs on our refrigerator as there isn't space to hang it in my crate!

There were only 2 graduates, me and this cute Bijon - I don't know why Base the basset/beagle mix didn't show up! Anyway, now I know to sit, go down, and stay with a treat in front of my nose (well, I don't always stay...those treats need to be eaten!) Here are pictures of me and Bijon (I forgot her name...)



I read a GREAT story today on CNN about a super couple who paid for 80 Katrina pets to be airlifted to California!
The Continental Airlines flight from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was chartered for about $50,000 by Texas oil tycoon Boone Pickens and his wife, Madeleine, in a movement dubbed "Operation Pet Lift." Some dogs were placed in cages in the cargo section while others rode in the passenger cabin, where they barked and wagged their tails.

Big licks to Boone and Madeleine Pickens! xox

AGC