The Obamas Make Their Choice

According to People magazine, the First Family has decided on what kind of dog they want: a Portuguese Water Dog, which they hope to rescue from a shelter.

Um, seriously?

I suppose they are entitled to their decision, but I was really hoping they'd go for a mixed breed dog. We tend to have better temperaments, less health issues, and a longer overall lifespan than purebreds.

Just sayin'.

Escaping

I'm in a time out at the moment.

You see, every time someone opens the front door even the littlest bit, I've gotten into this habit of running outside and taking off for the top of the street. I did it yesterday when Christina answered the door for a neighbor, and again just now when Amy left to catch the school bus. Mom was still in her pajamas, so all of the kids waiting at the bus stop ended up chasing me.

It was so cool.

I tried to outrun them--it was a fun game!--but Amy eventually caught me. In the middle of all of this, the school bus came, so my neighbor Debbie grabbed my collar so that Amy could get her backpack and get on the bus.

Mom was SO not happy with me. By this point, she had gotten on some sweatpants and had my leash. She thanked Debbie and made me do the "walk of shame" back to the house, straight into the crate. She used some words I've never heard before--not sure what they meant, but judging by her tone, they were not exactly terms of endearment.

She's sitting at the kitchen table as I type this, mumbling something about "invisible fences" and "no Snausages for a week."

*gulp*

Reunited!

My family returned from their vacation today!

I was so happy to see them, but man, it was confusing, too. I really enjoyed hanging out with my pet sitter, and even though I am thrilled to see my family again, I miss Norena, too.

Those suitcases in the front hall have all sorts of new and interesting smells on them that I don't recognize, and to make things even more crazy, Mom had her annual Oscar party here at the house tonight, so we have guests staying over. Aunt Maria is here, and she gave me lots of treats (as usual). I also got to meet my Aunt Karin and Mom's friend Vickie. They're having a great time, but laughing hysterically and making lots of noise...my poor ears!

I think I'm going to retire to my crate for a few hours and listen to my iPod until things settle down.

My new friend!

Well, I have good news and I have bad news.

First, the bad news: my family is going on a vacation, and they're not bringing me with them. I know they planned this trip way before they adopted me, but I have to admit, I'm really sad about the idea of not seeing them for over a week. I love my family!!

But, the good news is: they hired a really nice, certified pet sitter to come and stay with me here at the house while they're gone! She has been here many times before, and my feline siblings, Mittens and Tiger, told me that she is really awesome. Her name is Norena, and she came to meet me a couple of days ago. Oh my gosh, she was SO nice!

She said that I am "perfect" and that I am a beautiful dog, which is sort of obvious, but I never get tired of hearing it.

She took me for a walk on Tuesday with my Mom, and yesterday, she and I went off together--just the two of us--and I showed her all of my favorite pee spots. She told me that she has lots of special training and experience that allow her to care for many animals, but that for the next week or so, I'm going to be her number one priority. Norena is going to sleep here and hang out with me the whole time my family is away. I'm so excited!!

She's coming back again in a few hours to take me for another walk, just to make sure that I'm comfortable with her before my family leaves. She has nothing to worry about, though--I love her already!

While my family is away, I'm going to be really busy showing Norena around the neighborhood, introducing her to all of my neighbors, and of course, guarding my house like the fantastic watch dog that I am, so I probably won't be updating the blog much. I'm sure I'll have lots of great stories from my time spent as the "man of the house" , and I'll be sure to share them with you after my family gets home.

New dog food

Mom decided to switch my food again. When I was adopted, I was eating Wellness brand "Super 5 Mix". I liked it just fine on the way down, but...it didn't do very nice things to my tummy, especially on its way out. Mom blamed it on the fact that the food was made from one protein source--fish--and told me that my feline siblings, Mittens and Tiger, also get upset stomachs if they eat cat food made from fish sources. And, the Wellness brand is hard to find around here, so buying it was a bit of a hassle. So, she started me on Newman's Own Organic food, which they carry at the local grocery store.

That stuff was pretty good, too, but after I developed a nagging cough, Mom read the label more carefully and realized that it didn't say "No animal by-products" on it. So, we switched to the brand that Mittens and Tiger use--Pet Promise.

Of course, I eat the dog food version. It's so very tasty, especially when Dad mixes in some steak from time to time.

I've been eating it for about a week now, and my cough is gone. I've also noticed that my fur is nice and shiny.

*sigh* I am such good looking dog.