Dad Nittany Lioned Me!!!!

The dad came home today with a present for me.....he got me me my own Nittany Lion (Penn State) T-Shirt - and #1 - which of coarse I am :) Dad forgot to take into account how much fur I have, so it is a little tight but I still look pretty good in it. Of coarse this doesn't mean I am going to start liking that foozeball thing.....I still get so scared when dad is watching it. And the Nittany Lion is a cat and I am not to sure I like cats. Dad also got the mom the cutest "I love my sheltie" thing for hanging in the car window. It is very cool and mom will take a photo of it tomorrow. Hmmmm I wonder if any of the monsters around my house will chew on this T-Shirt?? Dad would probably be very very annoyed if they did.

And now we have a garden monster too!!!

This really has been the week for monsters at our place and today we found we have a garden monster too. Look what he did to my brand new frisbee!!!!! And....he chewed on the garden hose, mom's gardening shoes and the tree by the back door too. If it wasn't for the fact that mom knows how old the monster is (hmmmmm I wonder how she knows that????) she would think he was teething. It would seem that all these monsters follow us when we go on walks or go to the park.....which is really odd as I never see them, but mom says that is part of monster magic, that you never see them. Anyway, the mom thinks that maybe because she hasn't been able to walk so much or go to the park that the monsters are really bored. It would also seem that the monsters changed food the same time I did and they have more energy and feel a lot better - just like I do..... and they are a lot more active - just like me. I am starting to get worried about these monsters - have you noticed they do everything I do????? Well I am off for a trot on my treadmill, hopefully the monsters won't be down in the basement!

Monsters Monsters Everywhere

Oh no, our house is being invaded with monsters!!! Now we have a toy box monsters too and you won't believe it but his name is Reilly too!!!!! This is just getting a little weird that all these monsters have the same name as me. Here I am checking to see if the monster was still in the box - can you believe it threw nearly all my toys out!!!!! Of coarse I did have to take a few out myself just to make sure it wasn't hiding under any of them. Oh there is something else really odd about this Toy Monster. See that fluffy little bed. Well when I was just a wee pupster that was my crate bed...mom says I use to sleep on it all the time and that I only took up space on a quarter of it. Hmmm I think moms pain meds are making her a little gaa gaa - how could I ever of been that small! Anyway - back to the bed. Mom keeps putting the bed away in the cupboard (she was hoping to keep it for if I ever have a little sister) but the toy monster has figured out how to open the cupboard and the bed keeps ending up in my toy box again. Is that one clever toy monster? After I had checked the box, I smiled happily at the mom and said "no mom - there is no toy monster in there now" But you know what isn't fair - the mom is making ME learn to pick up my toys and put them back in the box. THAT ISN'T FAIR - if the toy monster takes them out, he should have to pick them all up and put them back in the box. And darn...... if that wasn't bad enough, the mom used logic and said she picks up after me all the time, so therefore I should pick up after the toy monster. LOGIC is just wrong I think....and shouldn't apply to dogs! The mom also said I have to say thank you to everyone for their kind wishes. Today she is feeling a little better. And for those that asked, the Chiropractor broke the mom's ribs. Her normal Chiropractor was off sick and she had to see someone else and it was just an odd combination of not not laying quite flat and being too tense. She doesn't blame him...it was as mom says "just one of those things". Well I am off to see what the toy monster is up to now and I guess I had better check on all those other "Reilly" monsters too.

Update on the mom

The mom seems to be in more pain the last couple of days then the previous few days. I think she is doing to much and she HATES sitting still which isn't a good thing when she is meant to rest. She is worrying about me too.....the tissue monster visited and left shredded tissues on the carpet, and then a sock monster visited too, it found some of dad's sock and had fun playing with those. For some reason mom thinks the tissue and sock monster are the same and they are called Reilly - just like me!!! How weird is that?????? Anyway, mom thinks the monsters are a bit bored so even though she isn't meant too, the mom and I went for a walk this morning in the hope the monsters would follow. It was very very cold and the mom had some trouble catching her breath so we had to go soooooo slow, but I enjoyed the extra long sniffing. This afternoon I have been snoozing by mom's feet, where ever she goes I go. I know she isn't feeling to good, and having me close by makes her feel better. Tomorrow we are expecting a snap freeze in the morning.....I guess winter is really heading our way. Hope you all had good weekends.

Poor mom

The mom has two broken ribs which means we can't play very much or go for walks. Hmmmmm what am I going to do. I have been going on the treadmill and that helps burn off some energy, and chasing my lazer light, that is fun too......but there are no nice smells when you are walking on the treadmill and I like my real smells and real walks.

Mom's and cameras

The mom has been snapping pics again and this is one she took and then removed the background from. The mom thinks I look sad, the dad thinks my nose looks to long and me - well I just wish she wouldn't keep pointing that thing at me. What I don't understand is why I have to try and stay still while she takes a pic when the only thing I want to do is run and play. She says photographs are memories and she wants to have lots of memories of me, so I guess it is okay.

Today I went over to visit my buddy Franklin, he lives two houses away. He is a corgi and rather old. His mom is not too sure just how old as he was a rescue dog and had been badly treated. Someone had kicked him and broken his jaw and it had not healed properly so it is rather protruding (I think that is what the mom called it). He has the best of forever homes now and so loved by his mom and is such a great old pup. My mom and dad love me too and I am so happy to have a forever home with them......so I am sending out doggie blessings to all the pupsters young and old in need of forever homes and I will keep my paws crossed for you that you will have a wonderful moms and dads soon and no one will ever hurt you, just love you.

Be afraid - be very afraid - when.........

Dad is watching the foozball. Gosh, my dad jumps up and shouts and hollers and gets all excited and angry all the same time and I have no idea why. He was watching something on that square box thing that he likes to stare at so much.......and he scared me!!!!!! I stayed by my moms feet in the other room the whole time or I was outside. I don't like it at all when the dad watches that foozball thing. My dad supports something called Penn State and this is a pic of me on his Penn State Blanket - this is how it should be, a dog sitting on a cat (mom says the nittany lion is a cat and I don't much care for cats) You can see how worried I looked just being in the same room with the dad during the game.

Today, to make up for scaring me yesterday, the dad, mom and I went to leash free park and I was having the best time until these two HUGE dogs came bounding up trying to sniff my butt. They scared me so much that I took off running and I ran as fast as my little legs could go and they chased me. Then the dad stepped in to stop them - he was my hero. He called me back to him to him and then laid me on my side and just calmed me down and the big dogs had a sniff, (which I thought was rather rude) and then they just lost interest in me after that. Dad learned that from watching the Dog Whisperer and was surprised how well it worked. We continued to walk and the other dogs didn't bother me again even though I woofed at them. Thankfully, there was no ducks today - three scares in one week is enough for any young dog!

I'll show you mine - If you show me yours!!!

Okay buddies - the challenge it out. Show your favorite toy, the one that gives you comfort, the one that you like to snooze with, the one you know by name and the one you would miss terribly if you didn't have it. Mine is an blue stuffed moose. As you can see, it has been well loved, chewed, slobbered on and tugged at. We are on the fourth sock covering and he has had just about every part of him stitched and restitched but he is still my favorite toy.

DUCK - it's a duck

I decided to take the mom to Petsmart today, just for a change of scenery. I got to woof at the parrots and guinea pigs and got LOTS of pats and loving. I wasn't happy about not getting my usual treats but everyone was saying how much bouncier and happier I am, so I guess no more treats for awhile is okay. After Petsmart mom decided the sunshine was just so nice that we would go over to the off leash park. Not a lot of people know it is there so we hardly ever see anyone else. It is so nice as there is a lake and tall grasses and a nice wide path for the mom to walk on. We had walked right around the fence line when we decided to walk along the lake edge. I was busy sniffing when all of a sudden the bushes stated rattling and there was this loud quacking noise, then woosh - this THING flew out of the bushes right at me. Dog of dog it scared 10 years out of me....it just missed my head than flapped off quaking the whole way. The mom said it was a duck but all's I know is that if I hadn't of ducked that duck would have been spattered all over my head. Of coarse when I had recovered my senses I chased after it.....telling it off very loudly in my big dog voice. When we got home I went outside to rest in the sun a little when I got another scare.....the tornado sirens went off. They were only testing them but for the first time ever I had an OVER WHELMING urge to HOWL. I had never done that before and the mom came running thinking something was wrong .......then she laughed because she said it was very odd sounding howl. I guess she didn't want me to howl anymore because she grabbed the frisbee and we played until it stopped.

Good News and Good News

My test results from Texas University came back today and they are normal normal - not normal low or normal high but normal normal. Thanks to Geo's and Romeo moms for making us aware that we need to check 'where' in the normal range our tests are. The change in diet has made a huge difference, I am full of energy, my shedding is a whole lot less and mom can feel lots of new coat coming through...of coarse it is getting colder so maybe it is just my winter coat. Mom and I have been doing the happy dance!!!

Back to normal

Since we changed my food I am please to say things are back to normal and I have TWICE as much energy as I use to. Mom is not to sure if that is a good thing as I am tiring her out with all my playing and walks and frisbee chasing. We still haven't got the results back from Texas yes, but eliminating any type of poultry from my diet certainly has made a big difference (and no jello poops since Monday!!!!) Even the Dad, when he came home couldn't believe how bouncy and full of energy I am. It looks like it is going to be a wonderful day so we are heading to the park to enjoy the last of the green and warm weather. The mom loves all the shades of green and this is one of her favorite photos. Me - I just love it because there are always sooooooo many interesting smells on it. Hope everyone has a great weekend.
woofitty woofs

Anti Word Verification Unit

I have decided to set up a campaign for "Anti Word Verification". It drives me and the mom crazy!!!! We end up having to enter those stupid letter 2 or 3 times. Why can't they use easy to read fonts, why put two "V"s right next to each other so they look like "W"s or "i"s that look like "L"s. It's enough to drive a dog to wanting to go to the vets willingly!!!!! I know....it's supposed to stop from getting spammed but it so darn frustrating especially when you loose all the stuff you just typed in as well!!! And then you have to retype it and hope you get the letters right next time!!!!!

New Frissee

I took the mom to Petco today...I know she likes to look at all the neat stuff there and I must admit I quite like going there myself. Our reason for going today was to get a new Soft Bite Frisbee. I love my old one, but all the color has faded and its hard for the mom to find in the long grass (on the rare occasions I don't bring it back). The mom had bought me one of those hard plastic ones to try the other day but I didn't like that at all and just refused to pick it up, so we went back to the soft bite. The bad thing about our visit today to Petco wasn't I couldn't have any treats and dog oh dog did I protest loudly about that. I have spent a long time training the staff to give me a treat when I woof at them......and I was woofing my hardest. I ALWAYS get treats at Petco and Petsmart but the mom said no....not allowed on my new diet. Moms can be a real pain sometimes even though she says it the best thing for me......hmmmmmffffff I think a nice treat would of been the best thing for me!!! Anyway, here I am in action with my new frisbee. We didn't play to long though as as it soooooo windy today and every time the mom would throw the frisbee it was like a boomarang and would come flying straight back at her.

Playing in the rain

Now as most of you know, I don't normally like to get my feet (or much else of me) wet, so today was a little unusual as mom and I decided to go play in the rain. I had so much fun, especially splashing in the big old puddles and getting water all over me. The mom wasn't to impressed when I shook all over her but that was fun too!!!

I had my blood tests today and they are being sent to Texas University and we should hear something by Friday. In the meantime Dr Boyer has put me on a new food which is venison and potato. Actually I am on half old food and half new for one week until I get use to it. I am not to sure what this venison thing is, but it sure does taste good. I guess I had better go and dry off....unless mom wants to go play in the rain some more. Hey mom!!!!!!!!

Woofitty woof

Schram Park

We went on a visit to Schram Park today which is not only a neat park full of walking trails but it is also a fishery. They have some huge ponds that full of equally huge fish. In one pond there was some really pretty koi that were almost two feet long. Mom didn't let me get too close as she said they looked awfully hungry. I did get to bark at the geese that were also swimming on the ponds though and that was fun. There is also an aquarium there were you can see the fish up close. I stayed outside with the dad while the mom went inside but I was not happy about it and kept going over to the door and barking. When the mom came back we walked around the gardens for a little and they had these nice low benches which were just perfect for me to lay on. There was a nice family having a picnic at the park and they said I was a beautiful border collie - Dad quite quickly corrected them on that....but I guess I can't complain as at least they didn't call me a pretty girl!!!!!

In other news - Mom and I are off to the Dr Boyer again tomorrow....I am feeling just great, full of energy, still eating fine, drinking plenty etc, but still doing the jelly poop thing. Dr Boyer contacted the head vet at Texas University to discuss what could be causing it......and he has suggested some better tests as he thinks its some sort of irritation to the large bowel. Dr Boyer is so great, she did all this research and phoning around on her day off because she is worried about me. If nothing shows up on the new tests, we are going to try a food elimination process to see if it is something I am eating that is causing the problem. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Woofitty woof

Visit to the vets

The mom and I spent three hours at the vets yesterday and I was poked, prodded, had blood taken, x-rays and so on. The day we came back from the mountains I had a bout of diarrhea which excuse the graphic detail but was very yellow and had a jelly like substance in it. I went a whole week with no more of this and then it came back and the mom had noticed that just about every other poop seems to be this way.....so off we went to the vets. Mom was worried I had picked up Giardia as I did sneak a drink out of the lake before them mom could stop me. The tests came back negative for that, although they are now doing another one based on a 3 day sample just to double check. X-rays showed no foreign matter or any other problems that could be seen that way. The only test that came back for anything unusual was that I have very high levels of clostridium. This is a normally occurring thing in 80% of dogs, but why it is so high, they haven't discovered yet. We are trying a course of antibiotics to see if that helps. In the mean time I feel great, the mom and I have been going out in the field behind our house a couple of times a day and we practice obedience and play Frisbee or fetch. I have also discovered that the pine tree two houses up from ours is full of birds and if I race over there and bark at it, all the birds come flying out and I can bark like crazy at them........wow that is so much fun!