16 May 2009

Something happened to my bed.  My nice safe warmie bed has changed again.  Oh - my bed has changed a few times while I was growing up.  When I was only 1 month old my bed moved to the main house so my human-brother James could live in the bunk house where I was born during his visit.  In mid-November when I was 10 weeks old I got my own big bed.  Then on 17 January I moved to a new bed, a big crate next to dad's bed.  As I grew bigger and bigger that bed had to change too.  First I was too tall, so mom and dad took the top off my bed.  Then I could stick my head out over the crate.  I kept getting bigger - but the crate didn't  Then one night I tried to stretch out and I got my toes stuck in the crate.  It hurt, so I cried out and mom and dad got up.  After that happened, every night dad would take the back of the crate off so I could stretch out and sleep.  But every morning dad would put it back on for the day.  After a while dad didn't put the crate back on anymore.  I learned that I could jump out the back and over dad's bed to get out.  But I got scolded for doing it.  So I just stayed in my bed when I got put there, even though I knew I could jump out if I wanted to.  That was a good thing I think.  That is why my bed changed again.

Today was one of those days when dad got up late.  I thought he was going to stay home.  But the phone thing made noise, then dad got dressed and left.  He was gone most of the day.  Mom put me outside for a while.  When mom let me back inside my bed was different again.  The nice softie bottom part of the bed was still there, but the crate sides and the door were gone.  There was nothing to keep me in the bed but me.  I liked it, and I jumped in and out and in and out.  I was having a good time, and mom was smiling at me.  Then mom said I was a good puppy, and I was ready to learn to be loose in the house.  I like my new bed.

Later dad came home.  He came to look at my new bed, then he told me I had to be a good puppy or the crate was coming back.  I remember what Uncle Parker said, and I try really really hard to be a good puppy every day.  I really do.  So mom and dad left me for a while.  Dad told me to stay in my bed.  They were not gone long.  I am not even sure they left the house.  But when they came back dad rushed in to see if I was in my bed.  And I was.  Dad was so happy, he praised me and gave me lots of yummy treats. That made me happy.  Later, mom and dad did that again.  This time they went somewhere in the little blue car.  I stayed in my bed again just like I was told.  When I heard them coming home a short time later I got up to meet them at the door.  When they came in mom said "Uh-oh...".  WHAT?  I didn't do anything.  Dad walked in to the bedroom and put his hand on my bed.  Then dad told mom "His bed is warm, he just got up".  Dad praised me and gave me treats again.  Mom was very happy and gave me a smile and a pat on the head too.  I think I am being tested.  So I have to be extra careful to not make a mistake.  Uncle Parker, please help me to remember to be good when I am thinking of doing something bad.  But I like this new bed.  I can sit up and put my head by dad.  I can lick his hand too.  And I can get up and move if I want to.  I remember that Uncle Parker had a bed near dad exactly like this.  So dad must think I am ready for the responsibility.  I will do my very best to earn his trust.  Heh heh heh - poor Daisy is still in a crate.  I am so lucky - my dad trains me.

17 May 2009

Dad got called in to work again.  The phone thing made noise a few times.  Dad took extra clothes with him and he and mom made plans for something later in the day.  A while later mom gave Daisy and I a bath.  I liked it, but mom doesn't play towel like dad does, so it wasn't as much fun.  We got put in our beds to finish drying.  I hope dad comes home soon to play with me.  Mom is nice, but she has Daisy and Sammy and Grandma Quiver and Uncle Justin to work with too.  I am just another puppy in that pack.  Dad treats me special.  I love my dad.  But dad was gone so I had to do what I had to do.  So I was good and stayed in my new bed.

Mom started moving around with a purpose.  Then I saw mom go past the bedroom door with my training bag.  Well - I was supposed to stay in my bed.  But I don't have a crate any more, so I jumped up to follow mom.  Mom put my training bag in the dog-show van.  This is curious.  Now - dogs don't know much about days of the week.  But I know that dog training is over.  So I don't know what is going on with my training bag.  Since I was outside already mom told me to go potty, then she put me in the dog-show van.  I guess we are going somewhere.  A few minutes later Daisy was in the dog-show van too.  Then mom got in and we were on the road.  I wish dad was with me.  Mom drove up over that twisty road where dad took me hiking one time.  It smells nice up there.  Then something new happened.  Mom started talking on that radio box thing.  I didn't know mom could do that.  Her callsign is N5NHC.  And she was calling KD9KC.  I know that one - KD9KC is what the radio box calls dad!  Mom was calling dad on the radio box.  Is that how it works?  Then surprise..... dad answered.  I know my dad's voice - it was my dad on the radio box.  What a neat thing that radio is.  It allows humans to communicate much farther than they can talk.  It sure looks easier than barking really loud.  I just learned something new.  I wonder if I know who N5QJK and AE5RJ and KA5CDJ and KE5BHT and KC0WKY are?  I need to pay more attention to this radio stuff now.

Before I knew it mom stopped the dog-show van, and there was dad with the little blue car.  They used the radio to find each other.  HOW COOL!  Dad was dressed in other clothes, not his work clothes.  Dad opened the doggie-doors on the dog-show van and started digging in my training bag.  He came up with a collar and the flexi-leash for me and put it on.  Then I jumped out and we waited for mom and Daisy.  I looked around.  This place was something new.  It was big, like a dog-show arena.  But something was different.  We walked inside.  There were lots of seats and lots of people sitting and walking around.  And out in the middle of everything there was some really nice green grass.  I have never in my short puppy life seen grass that nice.  I bet it would be a joy to poop on it.  There were some people all dressed alike out on the grass, and they were tossing a ball around.  One guy had a fat stick, and when someone would toss the ball at him he would smack it with the stick, then the other guys would chase the call.  Hmmmm.... I thought only dogs would chase balls.  Mom found some friends at a table, and I overheard them saying we were at a BASEBALL STADIUM for an event called BARK in the PARK.  Cool.

We walked around a little more, and then somebody was talking loud.  It was just like the dog show, dad stood really straight and still with his hand up touching his cap.  Dad asked me to stand still too, and I did.  This seems like something important to dad.  The music started playing.  When it was over people started cheering and the people on the grass started tossing and smacking the ball some more.  Lots of strange and new people came around to meet me and pet me.  Then it got scary.  I overheard that people were eating HOT DOGS!  Oh-my.... do people EAT DOGS?  Is that what we are raised for?  I was getting very scared.  I was looking at dad, and dad could see I was worried about something.  But he knelt down by me and hugged me and said everything was OK.  I don't know.....

But after a bit I forgot about it all.  The human puppy Bobby was there.  He was eating something, and he was dropping a lot of crumbs.  So I got busy slurping up the crumbs Bobby dropped.  They were yummy.  Then Heidi came and asked my dad if he wanted a HOT DOG.  Gulp - here it comes.  Now I am really scared.  But Heidi handed dad some kind of sausage thing on a piece of bread.   I got a sniff of it, and it wasn't a dog.  I was not sure just what it was, but it wasn't a dog... that's for sure.  It might not even be meat.  Dad saw me looking and offered me a piece.  I don't know - let me check it out.  Hmmm.... pretty yummy!  Some guy came around shouting HOT-DOGS - TWENTY FIVE CENTS.  So dad gave the guy some of that green paper stuff and got 4 more hot dogs.  He gave two to mom for Daisy, and he fed two to me.  HOT DOGS aren't dogs at all, what a relief!  They were actually pretty tasty.  It didn't take me but a few seconds to gobble down all 4 hot dogs.  Then dad took me for a walk to get more.  I ate two more, and dad ate two.  Dad put some yucky yellow and green stuff on his.  I'm a happy dog - a happy happy dog.... they don't raise dogs to make hot-dogs from.  And eating hot-dogs is great fun too.

Some girls in uniform came around and asked dad some questions about me.  Dad answered them and they went away.  A little while later mom and dad took Daisy and I down on the grass.  That loud voice talked about River.  Hey - that's me!  Dad ran me across the field and I got a doggie-treat at the end.  I was looking for more hot-dogs!  We got back to the table and we met lots more people.  Then dad got called to come to some place called a dug-out, and he had to bring me.  It was some kind of contest, and I was the winner.  I was the dog with the longest tail.  Cool!  And I won a pink squeeky-pig.  A nice young girl in a uniform took me and we paraded up and down in front of everyone, and they all cheered.  I think they all liked me.  I liked them.  Then we went back to the table.  I shared my pink squeeky-pig with Daisy and Bobby.  Bobby shared his crumbs with daisy and I.  Mom and dad got more hot-dogs and shared them with everyone.  I like BARK in the PARK at the baseball stadium.  This is another great adventure.  Then it happened.  Someone came around and asked dad if he didn't used to have a big black dog.  Dad said "Yes - that was Parker.  I lost him in November.  But this is my new puppy,  Meet RIVER".  I could tell that dad was sad and proud too.  And I stood up tall so dad could be proud of me.  The other man patted me on the head and called me a fine dog.  This made dad happy.

Then I got sad.  Mom said it was time to pack up and go home.  There were more hot-dogs to eat and more people to meet.  But when mom says we go - we go.  So we packed up all the stuff and took it out to the dog-show van.  All too soon we were back home, and another great adventure came to a close.  I ran to tell Grandma Quiver and Uncle Justin and my dog-mom Sammy where we went.  They all knew - I guess they went when they were puppies too.  Dad put his work clothes away, mom made our doggie dinner, then it was time for bed.  I guess I was more tired than I thought, I went right to sleep.

Uncle Parker - I have a great doggie-life.  Thank you for picking me to be my dad's puppy, and for telling me the secret of how to be a good dog.  I love my dad, and I love all the great adventures we have been on.  I hope you are as happy as I am Uncle Parker.  I miss you.  I know dad misses you too.  I hope I can grow up to be as good a dog as you were someday.