Another Experiment, More Anguish for ME

Ow, my ears are sore! It seems Mom and Dad's crusade against my barking continues. I don't even bark that much, not as much as I once did, but the parents are not taking any chances with me when I am home alone. Amazing what one nameless neighbor can do to a poor defenseless dog like me!

So today a package arrived in the mail - an odd looking grey device called the "Dog Silencer Pro - Bark Free." Dad plugged it in and put it near the front door where I naturally congregate to greet friends and passers-by - but NEVER (for the record) for longer than the legal maximum of 15 minutes per hour. I will swear to that in a court of law! Anyway, so Mom and Dad stood around , an air of expectation on their faces. I knew they were up to no good.

I then heard Gracie bark across the road, so I barked back at her - it's only polite! Suddenly I heard a piercing sound that stopped me in my tracks and hurt my ears! Mom and Dad looked at eachother and grinned! Grinned at my evident discomfiture! I heard Mom whisper to Dad, "oh please God let this be the answer to our prayers!" Hmm, not sure I like this at all. And what really gets my goat is that all this is for Nameless Neighbor, and he has no clue the efforts to which my parents are going to to silence me forever.

Life ain't fair. Get me to the country Goddarn it! I want to bark and be free!

AGC

A Halloween Visitor

I feel a bit bad about not posting about Halloween…you know all those cutsy pics of dogs and humans dressed up in silly costumes? I decided to leave it to my other foxy friends who did such a splendid job – you know Butchy and Snickers, Banba and many others. I just haven’t been in the best of moods lately, with Mom and Dad experimenting with various ways to keep me quiet during the day.

On Halloween day, a man dressed up as a policeman knocked on our door. I thought he was an early trick or treater! He started telling Dad that he was investigating an anonymous complaint about a certain dog’s barking in our home. Holy crap thought I, that’s a good trick to play on Dad! Dad seemed to fall for it, because he started explaining all the steps he and Mom have taken to make sure I am as quiet as a monk in a monastery during the day. I tried to tell Dad to just give him the candy and get rid of him already, but they chatted on amiably. Evidently this trick or treater took his trickery rather seriously, either that, or he knew no-one else (except that nameless neighbor who never seems to go out) was home to doll out candy!

When Mom got home Dad told her about the “policeman” and for some bizarre reason, Mom started to cry and get very upset. Sometimes I sure wish I could talk – I would have said, “Yo Mom, it’s Halloween, don’t get your tits in a tangle, he was just tricking Dad.” But she went on and on, until the tears dried up and I swear I saw smoke coming out of her ears!

So that was my Halloween. Dad went away for work that night, so Mom and I sat on the front steps and dished out candy to all the scary looking kids. I only briefly dressed up in my biker coat while Gracie and Kila wore funny ruffles that made them look like jesters.

Yesterday Mom put me in my crate again – man, I get really upset in that cage, but then I was thrilled to see Elvis’s Mom come over and free me! Seems Mom is paying her to relieve my torture. I then spent the rest of the afternoon crated, but at Elvis’s home where I at least had the great company of my pals Gia and Elvis.

I sure am lonesome without my Dad, Mom looks lonesome too. I can’t wait to see him tomorrow!

AGC

Video Premiere

Mom and Dad have a very antiquated video camera - it's not digital or anything. Tonite they were fooling around and managed to capture me on tape! The camera is so big and scary-looking that it freaked me out...and naturally, when I'm spooked, I ...bark!

As if I need added encouragement to bark with all the neighbor stuff going on. For the record, this barking episode lasted under a minute, well within the barking ordinance laws for Philadelphia! You never know who could be reading this (award winning) blog!



Click on my gorgeous mug above to start the movie.
(It is quite a large file, so depending on your connection, it may take some time to download)

AGC

MAYDAY!

Life continues to decline. Yesterday Mom and Dad went to a bat mitzvah for most of the day and they put me in my crate. When they came home they found me cowering in the corner, shaking and shivering, and all my bedding and the crate tray pushed out the crate. It is hard for me, Axel G Chocholoza, to admit all this to you. I know you all think I'm a very dapper, brave terrier, but being confined in my crate terrifies me. I am used to having the run of my house, not being shut up in a cage. I was not trying to con Mom and Dad, I am truly petrified of being alone in my crate. Below is a picture taken just after I was released from my crate after 6 hours. I managed to push the board and mattress out in my distress...



Anyway, it is too upsetting to talk about it. One nice thing to happen last week was I had a really good haircut. Melissa just graduated grooming school and needed to test her stripping skills. We thought she did a pretty good job! In picture one I am posing; picture two, Dad and I are eating snacks in bed!



Also, today Mom and I went to visit some friends of hers, Evey and Larry. They had an awesome yard which I played in and lots of interesting things to sniff, including 3 cats. Mom has some weird notion that I may be spending a week at their house when her and dad go to Jamaica - ha, that's what she thinks! I ain't missing out on Jamaica. After all, with all this crating and neighbor stress, I truly need a vacation!

AGC

What the Heck is Going On?

Life ain't so great of late. I don't know what has gotten into Mom and Dad, but suddenly they think they are boss. Who are they kidding!

They have embarked on this new nonsense of putting me in my house when they leave for work. Reportedly, this is because of the complaining neighbor again. He shall remain nameless - I don't want to risk a lawsuit now that my blog is award-winning and read the world over - oh what the hell, let's make up a dark, evil name to represent him...I'll throw it out to you, to give me some ideas...let me know!

So anyway, I like my house, but I don't like being forced into my house with the door closed. Yesterday Dad put me in there and I went rather beserk. They thought they were clever by leaving me a tiny waterbowl, dad's smelly socks ("oh your scent will comfort him," said my Mom. Comfort my ass Mom, they honk!!), treats and chews. They also read somewhere to cover the crate with a blanket to make it more like a den. What idiots. This is the 21st Century people, I am no longer a wolf like my ancestors. I dig sleeping in beds, not in cages disguised as dens! So anyway, while they abandoned me, I tore up Dad's socks, I overturned the water dish (not my wisest move in retrospect, since I ended up having to lie on a soggy mattress), scattered my chews and pulled the crate cover through the crate bars and tried to rip that up. My intent was simple - show those fools I was UNHAPPY.

But then this morning, Mom shoved me in there again. She then went to her bedroom to get a wooly hat (it's gone cold) and would you know it, genius that I am, I managed to bust out of the crate and went running and diving onto Mom and Dad's bed! Oh what pandemonium. Mom was shocked. And boy did I then make it tough for her to catch me and put me back in there. But fool that I am - I fell for the fetch yummy turkey treat thrown into crate trick. This time Mom made sure she had the door latched properly, and I was stuck. I howled. I cried. I barked. My Mother was stoic. And she left.

I heard her tell Dad later that she fretted all day about me being in the crate all day. Bloody right she should fret. But the joke of it is, when she came home from work, two hours early worried about me...I wasn't in my crate! Gracie's Mom had come over at 10:30am to rescue me and take me to play at her house with Gracie, Kila and the new kitty Mojo. Oh I can shit myself laughing picturing Mom worrying about me ripping up the crate when all along I was happily playing at Gracie's house! heh heh, it cracks me up.

Mom was not as amused. But I know she was happy for me.

On the way to our evening walk, we ran right into Nameless Neighbor and he started lecturing Mom about crating me and being consistent. Mom asked for him to tell her when he will be working and not home during the day so I don't have to stay in my house, but he refused saying, "consider me home every day from 9-5pm."
If I wasn't a peace loving canine, I would bite his ass. Then again, maybe not. It probably smells worse than Dad's socks.

AGC

Officially Awesome!

I received official notification of my victory! I now hold the "Awesome Blog of the Month" award under my belt. I did a grand jig of joy!

Here is my official award:


Thanks again to everyone who voted, and special hugs to Butchy & Snickers, and Buster who were very worthy competitors.

AGC

Awaiting Official Word

No official word yet on the results of the Awesome Blog Award being offered by Dogs With Blogs Website! However, thanks to my many fans and foxie friends, I am way ahead in the vote and I do believe the contest has closed! But I'm holding off on my victory jig until I receive official word!

Until then, I'm just hanging out, you know, ripping pillows apart and chewing Mom's old sandals...



By the way, today this big envelope arrived in the mail and Mom hollered to Dad, "our Jamaican honeymoon tix are here!" I had never heard of Jamaica, so I googled it and man, it sure looks sweet! Beaches, sunsets and lots of humans with long wiry hair like mine. I had no idea we were going on vacation!! Now if I could just reach Mom's cabinet, I could find out when we're going! I see Jamaica is in the middle of the sea, so I assume we're driving until we hit the sea and then Dad will row us there? Maybe I can swim part of the way! Anyway, stay tuned...

AGC

Elvis and Me

Elvis's Mom Priscilla took this really spooky photo of me and Elvis - most appropriate a week from Halloween. Elvis is my best male pal - we play together every day, and most of the time he busts my ass. It is not unusual for him to toss me about and send me hurling across the park! But I love him and enjoy the rough play.

Mom on the other hand, is really scared when ever she is near Elvis and he is running off leash with the rest of our posse. She is afraid he might crash into her at full speed - that would probably send my little Mom flying all the way to Washington DC! He once ran into Gracie's Mom by accident, and she landed flat on her side with the wind knocked out of her, some sore ribs and head! And Gracie's Mom is a lot bigger than my wee Mom. So if you ever see all of us running in the park, look out for my Mom, she'll be the little woman hugging a tree or a bench and looking around anxiously! Heh heh!

AGC

One Lucky Dog

I tell you, I enjoy the good life!

I get to lie snuggled in the down comforter and enjoy the sun as it comes streaming through the windows...



I get to eat really humungous marrow bones...well, not every day...but they sure last a long time.

And, I get to enjoy some alone time...in my house, when I feel like it. I quite like my crate these days...



And as if this isn't enough, yours truly is in the lead for the Awesome Blog Award on www.dogswithblogs.com.au! If you are a fan and want to vote, please go to http://www.dogswithblogs.com.au/bonezone/ - click on the register button on the top of the page. Register by filling out a username, password, & email address and select
the human option. That is it! The site will then send you an email, you click on the link in that email, then scroll down to the Awesome Blog Award section - click on October Poll and vote for AXEL! I know it sounds complex, but really it is not! Thank you for your efforts!

You know, when I think how fortunate I really am, I think about all those foxies, who don't have what I have. And I want to help them!

This is the story of one WFT needing our help:

Bess was picked up as a stray and taken to the Garland, Texas city animal shelter. She has large mammary tumors and a very bad cataract in one eye. Her other eye is cloudy also. The vet estimates her age as 10+ years. The ladies who work in the shelter took a special shine to Bess (who had no name at that point) and were determined to get help for her. Thanks to an organization called DFW Cares, Bess was picked up and taken to be boarded at Noah's Ark Vet Clinic in Carrollton Texas. Thanks to Cheryl Collins and Jeanne Rhinehart, a wonderful adopter was found who will get Bess the treatment she needs and give her a wonderful home.
We expect Bess' surgery to excise the tumors and spay her will cost approximately $700. The vet who saw her in Texas thinks her prognosis is excellent once the tumors are excised. She may need treatment for her cataracts at some point but one thing at a time!

Any contributions toward her care would be deeply appreciated. If you can help, please go to https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr

AGC

Bear Neccesities

It's taken me a good few days to recover from the excitement of the dog show! But now I am having a bit of an identity crisis. I think I may have some bear genetics in my heritage (but I don't want to imagine my great grandmother Wire humping a grizzly way back when...) because ever since the temperatures dropped, I have become extremely sleepy. I can't keep my eyes open after about 6pm...Mom says it is because I spend my days playing and romping with Gracie, but I have my doubts, we sleep a lot during the day too! Mom and Dad had a frank discussion about my possible slide into hibernation. Mom was rather happy at the prospect as she didn't think hibernating dogs would bark. Dad on the other hand was rather distressed - he enjoys having me, well, wired!

Dad is a strange one. He is like a bear himself - hairy and huggable. Just this morning, when the temps dropped to the low 40's, we found ourselves in bed together, snuggling beneath the blankets and snoozing our heads off.



By the way, the blog you are reading has been nominated for TWO awards. The Cool Site of the Month on www.dogmark.net; and Awesome Blog of the Month on Dogs with Blogs. If you have nothing better to do, please vote for me as Cool Site of the Month by clicking here - click on "international"and then Vote for Site of the Month. I still haven't figured out how to vote for the Awesome Blog Award - which I find embarassing for a dog of my intellect and technological capabilities. I have emailed my pal Opy for instructions and I will let you, my fans, know how to vote shortly. Congrats to my pals Bussie and Butchy & Snickers who also garnered a vote in the latter contest.

I'm feeling tired again...catch you later, after my snoozel.

AGC

The Greatest Show on Earth

Boy, I'm pooped. Today Mom, Dad and Mom's pal Lynne (who is crazy about me) shlepped me to Blue Bell for the All Terrier Show. I've never seen so many dogs in my life! It was quite the experience!

So let me tell you all about it...
The weather was glorious and hot after days of rain and cold:

We headed for Ring 15 where the Wire Fox Terriers were parading about the ring:

I have to be honest with you, when I saw all these dogs which purported to be Wires like me, I had my doubts. I don't look anything like them. I couldn't figure out why they were in the ring and I was on the sidelines. We all know, I am not only King of the Blogs, but pretty darn handsome too. Here are some of those "Wiry imposters"...



You can imagine my relief when some REAL Wires and their humans showed up! I made many new friends! This is me with Dad and Smitty (left) , who is a real handsome, and well-stripped dude. And on the right is Me again with Paddington - poor little guy has no eyes, but he's a very special fellow.



Here is Smitty again with an Airdale pup (left) and with his Mom Joanne (right).



Then this is Ricky who belongs to Leslie and Ed - he's 8 years old. And here we all are, in a tangle of leads - in the background are Lucy and Abby in Eagles gear:



And here we all are in a row with our humans - it was quite a feat to get us all to cooperate!
(L to R: WFT Abby and Mom, WFT Lucy and Mom, WFT Ricky with Dad Ed, Barb (WFT Skippy in absentia), Mom and Me, Joanne and Smitty)



Mom was very excited to meet her online Smoothy friend Claudia - who's two Smooth Foxies, Brody and Brillee were competing. Today Miss Brilee took Best of Opposite, shown exclusively by Claudia and Mr. Brody got the second AOM (Award of Merit). Kudos all round. Here are two pics of Claudia in the ring with little Brillee - who my Mom took quite a shine to!


And here is Mom with Claudia and Brillee (picture courtesy of Kathy). She is pretty darn cute (Claudia is not bad either, heh heh) - I think I quite like those smooth bitches...never really been with one, might be a nice change... Dad says it's like dating a feminist human with hairy legs vs. a bitch who shaves!



It got pretty tiring out there in the sun watching all these dogs strut around the ring... I kind of passed out for a while...I dreamt I took best in show...



The only downer of the day was running into my breeder Bob. He took one look at me and asked Mom and Dad what they'd done to make me so fat! He kept harping on how overweight I am and now I think Mom said something about a DIET!!! I am just a healthy wire - I don't want to look like those skinny model WFTs in the ring. Hasn't Bob heard that the trend is away from anorexic looking models - both human, and I have to think Wire too! Get with it man!

I loved meeting many of Mom's Wiry friends. Barb, Mom of Skippy, even brought me a Halloween gift - thank you Barb! And Lucy's Mom Kathy was very impressed with my good behaviour, and it was good to see Melissa (Mom of Mackie) and Steve again too! And we met Dot, Mom of Crystal and Glory who belongs to Pat. Pictured left is Mom, Me and Kathy. Pictured right are (back) Melissa and Dot, (front) Mom and Kathy. Check me out making myself comfy across two laps.



We were also thrilled and honored to meet Elizabeth Pierce - the very special lady who did so very much to help the abused Wire Foxes from Blainville, Montreal. Here she is with Mom and Kathy.



Well it was one fine day all in all, and especially special meeting so many fans of this blog! When I got home around 5pm (after a stop at McDonalds, where I am happy to report I got to eat fries despite the dire pronouncements on my figure), I happily hopped onto my perch and had a wrestle with dad. A perfect end to a perfect day!



AGC

Excitement in the House

Apologies for not writing for a few days. It seems whenever I slack off, Mom gets an email from grandma in South Africa asking if everything is okay! We're fine Grandma, just busy! The main excuse I have for less frequent posting is that I now spend most of my days with Gracie thanks to the generosity of Gracie's Mom who is the bestest lady in the world apart from Mom. I help keep Gracie out of trouble so her Mom can get some work done, and at the same time it distracts me from barking! So we have a good thing going...it's just not going to last long alas, 'cos Gracie's family are moving to another state...but I can't bear to even think about it!

Guess what? there is a mouse in our house! I can smell it under the skirting boards in the kitchen, but I can't find the darn thing! Whenever Mom or Dad hear the mouse, they holler for me to come and catch it, but so far I have failed. It's hurting my reputation as a terrier!

On Sunday we are all going the All Terrier Show at Montgomery. "Unentered" dogs like me are not really allowed to go, but Mom and Dad are taking me anyway because there are many wiry friends (both dog and human) who want to meet the dog behind the blog! Mom is positively beside herself with excitement and if I have to hear about the "75 Wires" who will be competing one more time, I think I may vomit. Why Mother would be interested in seeing anyone besides me, is beyond me. I may have a crooked tail, but I am more handsome than any show dog!

By the way, Smitty (a wiry pal I will be meeting on Sunday) asked me if there would be any poodles at the event - I assured him there would not, and he was much relieved. It seems well-coiffed poodles give him the willies! Which reminds me, can you believe that some man in the park had the temerity to ask Mom if I was a "long nosed poodle"! I nearly took a crap on his ankle in pure revenge, but unfortunately I wasn't feeling a bowel movement at that exact moment. Darn it.

Expect to see an extra long edition of my blog on Sunday evening full of photos from the Terrier Show - you won't want to miss it!
I'm going to rest now - Mom and Dad just returned from dinner at a steakhouse and Mom generously brought home three quarters of her steak and many fries for ME! It was rather delicious, but I do prefer McDonald's fries if you really want to know.

AGC

Change is Hard!

I've been a bit down in the dumps. It's hard to adjust to having no window perch anymore. It's hard to accept that when Mom and Dad aren't home, I am banned from their bedroom (becos I tend to stand on the bed and bark out the window). It's hard to get used to being told to "shush" every time I emit the slightest bark. And all this, because of one miserable neighbor who doesn't seem to like me much.

To make up for these major upsets in my life, Mom has come up with a new idea. When she is home, and the weather is good, she tethers me to the railing outside our front door and I can sit there and watch the street and the people/dogs passing by. It's even better than looking out the window...but Mom is too afraid to leave me out there without her sitting right next to me - someone might steal me! And sometimes I see things that make me bark...so I still get those irritating shushes. Here I am sitting on our porch. Just call me Tether Terrier! Why do I have to be tied to the railing...it's not like I'd up and run away..heh heh, you don't believe me do you?



The only good thing to come out of these major changes to my life, is that I'm getting a lot more treats!! When Mom and Dad leave for work, they hide liver treats around the house and I go and hunt for them. Mom leaves me a kong full of yummy peanut butter on a towel in the livingroom. There is always a dingo lurking somewhere...and of course, when Mom is home, she has started giving me raw beef ribs. I know she did that to get me to like my crate...yesterday I surprised her. After taking the rib and hiding it in the shower, I went back and got it, and ate it in my crate. Voluntarily! Mom was thrilled but frustrated as she'd spread a dirty towel on the floor in front of the crate because she didn't think I'd want to go into my crate...so I ate the rib in my bed and made a lovely mess!

I got an email from my buds Chris and Highcrest Dale Gunn. Chris wrote that, "I took a picture of Highcrest in his house relaxing. At first he did not like his house very much, but now he loves it!! He has a couple of toys in there when he
sleeps." That's a good idea, I will move some of my toys from my toybox to my house...



My house is okay, but I prefer to still hang out on my old perch - I just wish it still faced the window!



AGC

Bait in a Crate

Remember I told you the trainer lady Jane told Mom and Dad to crate me all day to stop me barking. Well, Mom and Dad have held off doing that because they know I like to have the freedom to move around. Besides, we never had a crate! But that changed when Gracie had the temerity to outgrow hers and get a new one. So guess who got the hand-me-down? Moi.

Mom's friend Christine, Mother of the famous Dean-O, instructed Mom on how to get me to like my crate.
"Give him rib bones in the crate, that way he'll associate the crate with delicious treats" (Well, that was the gist of the advice).
So off Mom went to the supermarket to buy me beef ribs. The crate was assembled in Mom's office and the experiment began.

I smelled the rib bone. I got excited. But I also smelled a rat when she threw the bone into the wiry crate! I am not dumb. I get my ass in there and I knew I'd be trapped. So I wasn't going in. Bone or no bone. Oh how Mom tried to coax me in. When she wasn't looking, I dashed in, grabbed the bone and ran downstairs with it. I hid it behind the TV, but Mom found it and brought it back to my crate.

Enter Dad. He told me to get to my crate to get my bone, and somehow coming from a fellow male, it made logical sense, and in I went.
And it wasn't so bad, the crate that is. And the rib was WONDERFUL!

Here I am eating it in my crate (note I am not wearing my orange harness. I killed it last night, I chewed the buckle off when Mom and Dad were not looking!):



So thanks to Christine and Dean-O for giving Mom this brilliant idea.
But I'm still a bit weary of that wire crate...den my little tushy - it's a cage doggone it!

AGC

Keeping Paws Crossed...

My itchies are back. With a vengeance. I am so itchy I want to just shed my skin like some old snake and get a new one. I am that uncomfortable. Thank the lord, Dad took me back to the vet today so I could get a shot and stop biting and scratching myself. I never thought I would ever be happy to see a syringe!

I've been having a really good week thanks to Gracie's Mom. From Tuesday to Friday, after our usual gang went for a walk, I was allowed to stay over at Gracie's house while Mom and Dad were at work. Man it is so much better than being alone all day! I suspect the thinking behind this was to appease my nemesis, the complaining neighbor. In fact, let me add, that Mom called Animal Control to find out what the law is on barking dogs in Philadelphia. She was told that dogs are permitted to bark for FIFTEEN minutes every HOUR. I really don't believe I ever exceed that... and anyway, what with my recent training and the sudden plethora of chewing treats and toys, who has the time or inclination to bark!?

Anyway, enough about neighbors who don't appreciate my charms... I want to tell you all about this amazing quilt that you could win with a small donation to Airdale Rescue. I often get mistaken for an Airdale by the ignorant masses, besides foxies, I think Airdales are the coolest, though I don't recall ever having had the pleasure of seeing one up close. Mom grew up with an Airdale, a bitch named Winston (yeah, I can't work it out either), but unfortunately she was hit by a car at a young age, poor gal. Just look at this quilt!!



And, believe it or not, there is a wire hidden in there amongst the Airdales. Can you spot it? I've blown it up for you here:



I wish I had an Airdale pal! Please check out details of the raffle at
http://www.airedale rescue.net/ friends/ and support them if you can. Mom really wants that quilt - she sent off money for a few tickets and told me to keep my paws crossed. I asked if we could line my crate with it if we win, and Mom gave me a very odd look!

By the way, another Airdale rescue is raffling yet another quilt - for details to win, click here:
http://www.arant.rescuegroups.com/info/display?PageID=1828 (you may have to scroll down some)

Remember my pal and fellow motorcycle gang member Dean-O won the Petster Dog of the Month contest and generously donated all his proceeds to American Fox Terrier Rescue? Well, the organization accepted the check, and you can read all about it over here:
http://www.petster.com/blogs/winners/Aug2006/10760 It was a mightly big check- and thanks to Jake-the-Wire, seen below, for accepting it on behalf of all Foxies in need:

SHANA TOVAH TO ALL MY JEWISH CANINE PALS!
I have yet to see a piece of brisket, but I remain, Axel G Chocholoza, ever the optimist.

AGC

I am ALL Powerful!

Boy, never underestimate the Dog Power! I have single-handedly turned my parents lives UPSIDE DOWN!

It all began with a phone call to Mom at work by my dreaded nemisis Rex.
"Dani, Axel has been barking for 20 minutes. Can you do something?"
Mom felt her heart constrict - and stammered that she would be home soon. She then called Dad who came home from work instead. Mom hates upsetting our neighbor, she is that odd sort of human who hates any kind of discord.
By coincidence, Mom had arranged for a dog trainer lady to come over to help them adjust to my barking "issue".

[For the record, in case you forgot. I am a %$#&ing DOG. Dogs bark. That's what we do. So what is the issue here? I'll never get it.]

Jane the trainer lady arrived just as I was having a barking frenzy out the window. I thought I'd show off a bit...She had the temerity to suggest that the reason I bark out the window is because I get instant gratification. I see someone, I bark, I chase them away. I win!!
Boy - how did she know that???

So she talked and talked to Mom and Dad as their eyes started to glaze over with the knowledge of all the work that lay ahead. And then she started to click at me and throw me treats! I liked that part! All that clicking would have made a Xhosa South African proud (for the ignorant - for Xhosa people clicking is part of their language).

After Jane left, the strangest thing happened. Dad started moving my furniture around. The couch was dragged away from my window, and the TV went there instead. My world turned upside down. I didn't know what to make of it. I'm still confused. How will I bark out the window if I can't GET TO THE WINDOW?? HELP!
And all night, Mom and Dad walked about clicking at me...I think they've finally lost their marbles. So here is a picture of my new universe...Gracie came over to check it out for herself... but she was more interested in stealing my bone!


Just as I was trying to acclimate to my new surroundings, Dad dropped me off at Doggy Day Care this morning to give my nemesis some peace until they adapt to my new training regimen. Boy I had a hectic day. I came home and just collapsed. Mom and Dad looked very happy...

When I came home, I heard some sad news. Remember I told you about that Pitbull pup we found abandoned in the park? Well, after Gracie's Mom fostered him for 3 weeks, no home could be found for him, so he was despatched kindly to the rainbow bridge where he will finally find his safe forever home. He didn't like me and tried to bite me a few times, but even I, Axel G Chocholoza know that it wasn't his fault. He was horribly abused and defensive, so I didn't hold it against him...may his little tortured soul rest in peace, and I think Gracie's Mom was very special indeed for caring for him all this time.

Finally - Guess what? I got a gift in the mail from my Canadian buddy Dean-O - winner of the Petster dog of the month if you recall! He sent me this ultra-cool black leather jacket - I am now part of the wiry motorcycle gang, I look so butch, the bitches are going to go wild! I may just make a video of it - Bitches Gone Wild!

I may just wear my coat to the All Terrier Show on October - I'd like to show those prissy show dogs what a REAL manly wire looks like. We don't go parading around in a ring, and get chalked and blowdryed 5 times a day. We are naturally sexy and handsome.

AGC