Awoof, woof, arwoo to me. I am now 1 year old and I celebrated in style with my BDF Pads Freya, Fernie and Bonz (aka retired PADS Bonnie). It was my 1st time to wear the birthday hat and I even got my own special cookie.
Now that I am 1 my hoomans told me it was time to up my game. Game? I thought that meant I got to play with Freya. Apawrently I was mistaken. My raisers have been careful to take me out to only 1 or 2 places at a time. I still do that but they took me out and we went to 3 different places. And it was all on the same day! I started my day with a walkabout at the store where there are lots of nice smelling plants and flowers and I got to practice standing, sitting and lying still. Then my raiser needed something at the big orange store. Here I practiced my go-in and I looked at the nice trees with lots of bright lights. Then we went to the mall where I showed how well I could walk and focus on my hooman. I ignored all of the nice people who wanted to pet me but was confused as to why some of them had no smell. While I was at the mall my raiser thought it would be good for me to explore the smells and sounds of a place called a gym. Sam, a very nice lady who worked there, took me and my raiser for a walk around the gym. There were lots of strange-looking things that hoomans were pushing, pulling, banging up and down, and moving about. They snoofed strangely and the sounds were different. But I kept my cool, stayed focused on my raiser and walked nicely as we went back and forth along the narrow aisles between the banging and clanging thingys. I was excited to say Hi to Sam when we left. I went to her, had a good snoofle, got some scritches and then went right back to my hooman. Finally, my raisers took me to the coffee shop where I got to snozzle for a while. Woof – that is what they meant by me having to up my game.
So it has been hard work and I am pleased to report that I am getting the hang of most of my cues. I sit nicely and can do a decent heel and side. I think my loose leash walking is awesome. I recall when my hooman tells me to and I know where I should be when I am told here. At home I luv, luv, luv my kennel. I wait patiently for my food and find my bed when someone comes to the door.
But it hasn’t been all work. My BDF PADS Freya had to go to the vet and have an operation. I was told it was a routine operation but she would have to be quiet for a couple of weeks. So I behaved and left her alone. But that meant I could go on walks with Bonnie and do other things. Bonnie’s raiser also thought I needed to up my game. She took me with her to one of her appointments. It was a busy clinic and I had to go in under a small chair. After she was done I got to say Hi to the nice ladies who worked at the clinic. Apparently, I was a hit.
Well, November is done and one of my raisers has been putting out new decorations and having me wear funny ears. We even have a tree in our house! How crazy is that? I’ve been told that means more dressing up and a special day is coming. Well I will have to wait and see what the special day is. The days are shorter and the nights are longer. But that is OK because that means I can snooze longer.
So furiends, keep your kibble dry and your 4 on the floor. Time for a snoozzzzzz…..
Submitted by: Ross Spenard
