31 Mar 2009

When dad came home today, he got changed right away instead of going to read messages on his computer.  Good - that means dog training today.  I'm a lucky dog - a lucky lucky dog.....  I love my dog training.  Yup - dad got changed, then got out my training bag and started checking to make sure everything we needed was in there.  It was.  Dad always checks his gear.  Our gear.  Then dad got the special training treats out and started cutting the treats into small bits.  He feeds me the small bits when I do my training right.  And I try really really hard to do it right so I can earn lots of treats.  I am a growing puppy. While dad was making my treat bits the telephone thing started making that noise.  Now - I just don't get this telephone thing.  Dad's radio box thing I kinda understand.  Dad talks into it, then voices come out of it.  But this telephone thing.... I dunno.  Dad stood there talking to it, but no voices came back out.  Sigh... sometimes humans are very strange and difficult to understand.

Dad put the telephone thing down, and I heard him tell mom that the Alpha-Human Karen had trouble.  Her mom was really really sick, and there was no dog training tonight.  No TRAINING?  Now I am a sad puppy.  But I hope Karen's mom feels better.  I know I am sad when my dad doesn't feel well.  And I like Karen. I never had any problems with her because I am a good puppy and I do my training right.  I think her mom must be a nice human too.  I will think good puppy thoughts for her.

So dad took me outside and we trained a little bit.  Actually, we played more than we trained.  But I got the treats anyway.  YUMMY!  Then mom came out with Daisy, and we went for a walk.  I really really wanted to go to dog training.
But I had a good time anyway.  When we came home mom made us a really good dinner.  Well - just about everything mom makes for us is really good.  Everyone had full bellies, so we went to sleep.  It was a pretty good day.

1 Apr 2009

My dad didn't get up on time or go to work today. He got up late.  Then he let me and Daisy out.  When he let us back in he usually puts Daisy to bed, then makes me a bone stuffed with cream cheese or peanut butter.  Today - no bone.  I got to watch what dad was doing for a while, but after a bit I got put back in my bed.  Something was up.  Something special.  Dad was busy packing.  He packed that bag he used last time when he left me with Heidi and dad-mom-brother James left us for FOUR WHOLE DAYS!  I hope this isn't going to be another time like that.  I don't like staying away from my dad that long.  Soon mom joined dad packing stuff.  I could see mom and dad carrying things past my door and going outside.  Then they would come in for more.  They were packing a lot of stuff. THEN - I SAW IT -  dad carried my training bag outside.  I remember Uncle Parker telling me to watch for the training bag.  If the training bag came out, we were going to training, or to a dog show.  Well - training was last night.  So this must mean a DOG SHOW.  I'm a happy dog - a happy happy dog.....  going to a DOG SHOW!

Uncle Parker told me about some of the great adventures he went on with his dad - who is now my dad.  I know my dad misses Uncle Parker a lot.  Sometimes he calls still me Parker, and sometimes he gets a little sad.  But I do my best to make him happy again.  Usually a few wags of my tail and a lick on the face pulls dad out of it.  Sometimes it takes a little more, and I have to do some silly puppy stuff to get dad's attention.  Whatever it takes, I promised Uncle Parker that I would do my best to make dad happy.  Uncle Parker - if you are watching - I hope you approve.  I really really do try hard.

Heidi and Bobby the human puppy came to visit.  I like the Bobby puppy, he is funny.  Human puppies sure grow up slow.  I am almost a Great Dane already, but poor Bobby has hardly grown at all.  He is older than me and he still has trouble walking.  Maybe it is because he only has two legs.  Anyway - Daisy and I got to come out and play with Bobby and Heidi a little bit.  After a while mom put Daisy and I in the dog-show van. When I got inside the van I saw that all the stuff mom and dad were packing was inside the dog-show van.  And best of all, I saw my training bag in the van.  I guess we are going somewhere.  Heidi moved the other car, and mom and dad got in the dog-show van.  Mom and dad said good-bye to Heidi and Bobby.  Dad got the radio box running, then got the GPS thing running, and mom started the dog-show van.  Soon we were on our way.  My very first GREAT ADVENTURE.  I wish uncle Parker were with us.  I tried to get dad's attention, I wanted to wag my tail in thanks for taking me along.  But dad was busy with other stuff and didn't look back.  So I had to be happy watching the road out the window.  I like looking out the window. 

Uncle Parker told me about another car dad has called a JEEP.  The doors stay open when you ride, and you can hang your head out and sniff all the good smells while you are going places.  But Uncle Parker also warned me that I had to wear something called GOGGLES to protect my eyes.  He said he got hit by a big bug and it hurt.  Daisy was getting dizzy - she says the dog-show van goes too fast and she gets dizzy.  So she laid down to sleep.  I was too excited to sleep, but eventually I started yawning, then I took a nap too.  But I had happy puppy dreams of great adventures.  Thank you Uncle Parker for picking me to be dad's next good dog.

After a long time the dog-show van stopped at a strange place in front of another big building. This was a nice building with lots of doors and windows. Mom talked to someone inside while dad stayed with Daisy and I.  Then mom came back out and drove the van a little ways back in the big parking lot.  Mom stopped the van and dad got in to back the van up to the door.  Mom doesn't do the back-up very well I guess.  Well, Uncle Parker said walking backwards was hard too, he had to do it a few times at dog shows.  He said when he got it right dad was so happy.  Anyway.... dad backed the van up to a door, then mom and dad got out and opened the doors.  They were getting all the stuff out of the van and putting it inside a room.  Then they got some folded crates and took them inside. My guess was dad was making our dog beds.  Dad always makes me a fine dog bed.  Sometimes I mess it up and dad goes in and makes it nice for me again.  I'm a lucky dog - a lucky lucky dog.....  my dad takes good care of me. I thought that next Daisy and I would go inside.  But instead dad closed the door to our room and the dog-show van, and then mom and dad got back into the dog-show van. 

We were going somewhere else.  We drove only a few minutes, then stopped again. We were at another big building. This one was really big.  Mom and dad took us out first, and we all walked around a little for Daisy and I  to go do whatever we needed to do after the trip.  I needed to pee, so I was glad to have the chance.  And it was very windy, so I had to aim carefully.  Then we went inside the building.  OH-WOW.... we were at A REAL DOG-SHOW. It was lots bigger than the last one I saw at Karen's training place. I was very excited...... this would be the first real dog show for Daisy and I.  But then I got scared.  I don't think I am ready yet.  I still need more dog training.   

Mom was looking around, checking the rings and deciding where she would set up. I guess she knows what to do.  Dad and I were just exploring.  At Karen's place there was only one ring.  Here there were six rings.  Four were the same size and together on one wall.  Two others were together on the opposite wall, and they were bigger.  Dad took me over to the bigger rings.  He showed me some of the equipment by the ringside.  Then I sat and dad kneeled down next to me and hugged me.  Dad told me that pretty soon I would get my chance in the show ring. But he didn't say when.  Well, I was scared, but just a little bit.  I just decided that I would trust dad to know if I could do it, and I would do my best
to make dad happy.  That is all a Good Dane puppy can do.  

Mom got done with what she needed to do, so we loaded up in the dog-show van again and mom drove us back to the little room where our beds were made.  Then they got Daisy and I out. Mom held us while dad got the door opened and then opened the doors to our beds. When Daisy and I were in our beds mom made our dinner. Mom always makes a good dinner, and I was hungry.  It was getting dark outside, so mom and dad took us for a short walk around the area. It was such a strange and exciting place. The smells and sounds were all different from home. I like exploring new places.  We turned back - too soon. Mom put Daisy to bed, but dad kept me out a while longer. I got to lay on dad's bed while he stroked
me and talked softly to me.   I guess I fell asleep and started snoring because dad woke me up, gave me a cookie, then put me in my bed.  I didn't mind, I was tired.  Great Adventures can be exhausting.

So - we are at the DOG SHOW.  More later.....