A very special friend

July 13/09

MEET COREY-BETH

I want to introduce you to a very special Boxergirl I met at the show in Vermont this past weekend. Her name is Corey-Beth and she's lO years old.

Corey-Beth suffers from a degenerative spine disease and has lost the use of her hind legs. But her Papa, Bill, vowed not to let her lose her quality of life and had her fitted with this special cart that helps her get around.
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Now his fiesty girl enjoys life to its fullest.

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Corey-Beth, a former showgirl, now goes to Bill's job every day so she'll get her exercize and won't be lonely staying home. She goes on regular walks and even travels with him. In fact, they drove all the way from their home in Taunton, Mass. to watch their friends in the show.

Corey-Beth gets tired easily because of her age, and because she's using muscles that that weren't intended to carry her weight. But we know she's happy for the chance to do what able-bodied dogs do.

I met Bill and Corey-Beth outside the arena where the show was held in Essex Junction, Vermont. She was a happy, playful girl. In fact, when I came face-to-face with her, she gave me a no-nonsence stare and let me know she's the boss. What a girl!

She really warmed our hearts and we have a lot of admiration for Bill for being so kind to his sweet dog.

Corey-Beth and Bill didn't compete in the show but as far as I'm concerned, they're the big winners.

Don't you think they're both really special?

Shows and a tag

July 11 /09


I've really been neglecting my blog lately but that's because we've all been so busy around here. My apologies for not visiting you for a while. But I will play catchup this coming week.

I've been doing a lot of weekend shows. Last week, Mama even worked up the courage to show me in the ring herself. This time, I decided to behave myself. Remember last year when she showed me for the first time? I was a very bad boy and lied down in the mud and gave her a real rough time. But this time, I was much more co-operative. Truth is, I was more co-operative because this time she knew what she was doing!

Except that she had her arm band on the wrong arm, something the judge pointed out to her the second we walked in the ring - and she didn't stack me too well for the mouth check. Luckily the judge was nice and he even laughed about it. "You're new at this, aren't you?" He said to Mama. I was so embarrassed. But I'm letting her think she was a great handler, so don't tell her I told you.

Here is our "stunning" performance:





Anyway, it was no big deal. I won Best in Breed.

BUT .... I have a confession to make: I was the only dog in the ring! Which is why Mama agreed to show me in the first place!

The day before, I took Breed ...

... and Group Four

This weekend we're in Vermont for a Triple S - Show, Shopping & Supper.

Emily's handling me, thank goodness.

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My friend Abby tagged me for a fun game where I have to post the sixth picture from the sixth folder in my Picture File. Thanks for tagging me, Abby. Here's my pic.

This was taken last summer while doing errands. I love putting my head out the car window and watching the world go by so much faster than it does when I run.

Once I had my head out the window of Papa's truck and I stepped on the button and the window started closing on my throat. Luckily, I pulled my head in in the knick of time. And a couple of months ago, I actually opened the window with my paw and jumped right out of the car. Now my parents keep the buttons locked when my head is out. And they keep them locked when my head is in. I have real serious issues with car windows. Oh, I could write a book ...

Anyway, here are the rules of the game:

1. Go to your photo files and select the sixth folder.

2. Select the sixth photo in that folder.

3. Post the photo along with the story behind it.

4. Tag five friends to do the same thing.


I'm tagging:

Homer, The 4Bs, Hero, Peanut and Butchy & Snickers

I'll be visiting your blogs this week, promise. I can't wait to see what all of you have been up to these past couple of weeks. I have missed you all - xoxoxo.

Bye for now.

Happy 4th of July !

HAPPY 4th OF JULY

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TO ALL MY AMERICAN FRIENDS

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Anybody there ....??

Happy Canada Day!

July 1 /09 Mama insisted on posting a video of the Canada Day fireworks from a couple of years ago on Capital Hill in Ottawa, and I'm not hanging around while she watches it. I'm going to go hide under the bed and I suggest you do too if your moms want to watch it. By the way, that's our very own Céline Dion singing O Canada.

I'm outa here.

Being cool / Praying for Laska

June 26/ 09

Today it was so stinkin' hot that even after a short walk, I came home panting. Boxers don't tolerate the heat too well because we're bald. On days like this, I sure do wish I had lots of furs to keep the heat out. Anyway, when we got home, Mama gave me a ton of water. Imagine - we had no ice cream in the freezer. Geesh, I better get that woman over to the grocery store like right now!! Then she put a cold wet towel on me and I felt much better.

But I think the heat got to my brain. I put on all the ribbons I won at a show a couple of weeks ago, figuring they'd keep me nice and cool on my next walk.

But, um ...

I'm ready for my walk, Mama.

... I looked in the mirror and O-h m-y -G-o-d. Did I ever change my mind. Oh, the embarrassment I almost caused myself.

Daniel said something about a court jester. I don't know what that means but I have a feeling that's what I looked like.
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Now for some serious stuff: I want to ask all of you to concentrate on the picture of Laska below. We all know Laska from our friend Khyra's blog. He is lost and there are no leads on his whereabouts. Khyra's mommy spoke to an animal communicator named Irinas and she says everyone should picture Laska coming home surrounded by gold. We can't give up on Laska. We have to keep having positive, golden thoughts about him. So please look at his picture here and visualize that he's coming home safely and soon.

Post Script: OMG! OMG! I just found out that LASKA CAME HOME !

All our prayers and positive thoughts worked.

YAY for Laska!

Have a great week, everybody.

Thanks to a very kind policeman

June 22 /09

Hi everybody. I want to tell you about something that happened last Tuesday, the day that Beauty went to the Rainbow Bridge. Even though it was a sad, sad day, something happened during all the chaos that was so amazing and worth sharing.

As Mama was rushing to the vet, Beauty was in the passenger seat of her car wrapped in a towel. At that point, we're pretty sure she was no longer alive. We think she died on the way to the car, or at least that's when she seemed to be taking her last breaths.

Mama must have run a stop sign. She's not sure because she was crying hysterically while she was driving, and she kept glancing at Beauty and caressing her. But suddenly, there was a police car behind her with the siren blaring and lights flashing. She had enough presence of mind to pull over and thankfully, the policeman approached her right away. Sometimes they just sit in their vehicle for ten minutes doing I don't know what. Mama pleaded with him to let her take her cat to the vet quickly. He glanced over at Beauty and his whole demeanour changed. He asked Mama where the vet is. She told him the street and he waved for her to go, saying, "Vas-y donc, madame." ("Go ahead then, madame.")

As Mama continued down the road, the police car pulled up in front of her and led the way with the lights flashing (no siren), all the way to the vet's clinic. He actually gave her a police escort! What kindness!

There's a point in the road, just before the clinic, where you can make an illegal U-turn which gets you to the clinic sooner. A ticket is handed out automatically to anyone who makes that turn (like Mama once got when she was rushing me to the vet *) So the policeman actually blocked the road with his car, stopped the traffic, and let Mama make the U-turn right into the vet's driveway.

The time she saved would not have changed Beauty's condition, but that simple act of kindness meant so much at a time like that, and Mama says she'll never forget it. The next day she wanted to call the police station and find out who he was so she could thank him personally, but Papa said not to because maybe he wasn't supposed to let her make that turn and he could get into trouble.

But we hope he knows how grateful she was.

* Last year I was bitten by a dog at the park. He was much bigger than me and he had practically my whole face in his mouth. By the time Mama separated us, my eye was bleeding. Mama couldn't tell if the blood was coming from my eye or from around the eye but it was scary. (It turned out to be just above my eye.) She hustled me into the car and sped to vet. We got to that point in the road where the U-turn is, and she just ignored the sign and made the turn. Wouldn't you know it? A policeman flagged her down to give her a ticket.

She showed him how I was bleeding in the back seat and she begged him to let her through. He wouldn't. She asked him to meet her at the clinic, which was just a couple of yards away, and she would show him her licence and registration once I was seen by the vet. He refused. He continued to argue with her about the traffice sign and if he let her through, he'd have to let everyone through ... Rather than waste anymore time, Mama just gave him her wallet and insisted he return it at the vet, with the ticket. And she drove on, come what may.

From the vet's window, she could see the policeman standing in the parking lot waiting for her to come out. He didn't even have the decency to come in and give her back her wallet. He stood there for 20 minutes doing nothing, when he could have been out on the road doing his job.

I know policeman have very important work to do. I know it is their job to keep our streets safe and to make sure that everyone obeys the laws. But aren't there times when exceptions can be made, when a little kindness and compassion should prevail? I could understand that this policeman wasn't willing to ignore the violation. That's his right. But he could have obliged Mama by not delaying her and by agreeing to meet her in the clinic to give her the ticket, instead of arguing about it.

Anyway, I just thought that the policeman who stopped Mama on Tuesday was a very kind man. Although we don't know who he is, and probably wouldn't recognize him if we saw him again, we want to thank him for being caring and compassionate and for having the wisdom to know that being a good policeman also means being a good human being.

Happy Father's Day!

June 21 /09

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, PAPA!

And to all my friends' Papas too.

You're the best Papa in the world. I'm very grateful that you take me to the office so often so I won't be alone. I'm grateful when you fill my water bowl and give me hamburger and liver with my kibble.

I'm grateful that you keep me healthy and safe.

Thanks for the tickles, the belly rubs and hugs.

Thanks for always taking good care of me!

xox

Love, Cheffies

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Thank you, everybody, for all your kind words after my sweet little catsister, Beauty, went to the bridge earlier this week. We've all been very sad and sorry to see her go, so your sentiments and support mean a lot to us. You are all such good friends!

Goodbye Precious Beauty

June 16 /09


We lost our precious Beauty today. We are totally heartbroken. She was the sweetest, most loving girl every minute of the 17 years that she was part of our family.

We will love and miss you forever, sweet Beautygirl.

Run free and be happy.

Boxer extravaganza

June 14 /09

I'm so far behind on my blog - here I am posting about last week's show while I just finished this week's competition. I think I better catch up before I forget which show is which!

Here's some coverage of last week's huge Boxer Club of Canada extravaganza. There were over l00 Boxers competing. Oh, by the way, there was no party at the motel. The parents wised up and left each of us alone in our own rooms while they went to party at that Awards dinner. Hmmph. Next time, we're going to make a better plan ...

Anyway, so I walked out into the holding area and couldn't believe my eyes - there were Boxers everywhere!

......................It was like landing on Planet Boxer.


I had just one thought in mind: If all the parents and handlers would only leave, we could have so much fun. I can only imagine what havoc this rambunctious bunch of Boxers could wreak if we were only unsupervised ...!! I wonder how many of us were thinking the same thing. I bet over 100.

Then I was introduced to my handler for the day, Mimi. Emily wasn't at the show. I was shocked. "What?? No Emily?? Who is this Mimi and does she have liver?" I decided to be totally unco-operative unless I knew for sure that she had my favourite bait ...

Mimi is very nice but a handler without liver is like working for minimum wage. So I went on strike til I was sure my efforts would be worth while.

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OK, so Mimi had liver. But I think I kind of messed up anyway. So did I win any ribbons? Nope.

But I did help my father, Zeus, win an Award of Merit. My sister Rose and I were proof that he's Stud of the Year!

That's Rose and me behind Dad who was very proud to show off his progeny.

But the highlght of the weekend was the first public appearance of my new little cousin, Solo. She's only l0 weeks old and as cute as all get-out!

♥*`’•.♥*`’•.

Do you like Solo's hat? Actually, she's healing from her ear-cropping and the cup keeps her ears up. But it kept falling over her eyes when she played, which made her look drunk. She's so cute!

Solo and me saying hello.

I'll get back to my blog next week and tell you all about this weekend's show. It was a stunner ...

Bye for now. Have a great week.