BOXERDOGBLOG ~ What's cookin' with Chef ?

Live Strong Day

2010-10-02T00:33:00.012-04:00

October 2 /10

Today is Live Strong Day and like many of you, I'm yellowing up my post in dedication of every person and animal who is waging a brave battle against cancer.

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This is also in memory of those who fought the battle and lost, and to honour the survivors who are blessed and won.

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I hope that those who are in the fight find strength in their loved ones and in the simple pleasures of life. I hope they find comfort in the prayers and good wishes that come their way.

This post is also in appreciation of devoted Oncology caregivers who see to the needs of their patients, and of all the researchers who work tirelessly to find a cure for cancer. And special thanks to those who raise and donate money to fund this research.

Papa, this post is especially for you.

Please, friends, visit the official Live Strong site and support the fight against cancer.

Pedigree Food Drive / Papa Update / Photos of me

2010-09-18T12:07:00.031-04:00

September 18 /10

We just had to take some time out to be part of this very important campaign, The Pedigree Food Drive.

We heard about it from our hard-working friends over at Life With Dogs and we hope you'll help spread the word.

Each year, four million dogs end up in shelters and breed rescue organizations in the USA.

So Pedigree created The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive to help shine a spotlight on the plight of these homeless dogs. All you have to do is click on the Like button on their Facebook page and Pedigree will donate a bowl of food to a shelter. So far they have over a million clicks. So let's help make that two million for all the dogs who are less fortunate than we are and need our help.

Also, for each blog that posts about the PEDIGREE® Food Drive through September 19th, PEDIGREE® will donate a bag of their new Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to shelters nationwide. It’s simple: Write a post, help a dog.

Pedigree Canada is also hosting a food drive. For every view of their Adoption Tales, Pedigree will donate $1 CDN towards helping dogs in participating shelters across Canada – up to a maximum of $50,000 CDN in 2010.

Here's one of their videos:

So far, $25,804 has been raised. Let's keep it going !

So if you're like me and you rely on human help to post to your blog, I urge you to give your human no peace until they help you participate in this most important food drive.

When your write your post, be sure to link back to Life with Dogs like we did above.

n n n

Papa Update: Papa is about a quarter of the way through his Inteferon treatment. It's a stinker. It makes him feel really sick most of the time. His doctor lowered the dose to give him a break for a few weeks and he felt a lot better. But now the dose is slowly increasing again so he'll get full benefit and he's feeling icky again.

He's still not able to work but goes to his office sometimes to do some paperwork and see his colleagues. He walks me every day and does some of the grocery shopping for Mama. He's a real soldier.

Our life has changed so much but it will be worth it once the treatment is over and Papa will be healthy. And don't you worry - I'm giving Papa lots of snuggles and lovies and I'm taking very good care of him.

Thanks to all of you who keep us in your thoughts. We appreciate it so much. And hopefully, when there is more time, we'll get back to visiting all of you. We love you very much and have not forgotten any of you.

And in case any of you have forgetten what I look like, here are some photos taken of me over the summer.

On guard-en duty.

Playing with my girlfriend, Miss Princesse. She wants to get engaged.

She gives me my space, see? I like that.

Enjoying a good steak bone.

In the pool with Daniel. Did I get off the floatie ? Nope. I am too scared to swim ... however, if I wasn't so scared I'd probably be a really good swimmer, don't you think ?

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Playing with my ball on the ground .... much safer.

A heroic walk in the park.

And here I am with my new step-brotherpuppy, Jaxson. He's a blue-eyed Silver Retriever. He's not much fun yet. In fact he's a pest. But I have lots of plans for us when he gets to be a bigboy dog like me. We're going to have so many adventures together. He's just taking so darn long to grow up ...

Bye for now, all my friends. Sending you big butt wiggles and slurpy kisses.

Happy Birthday to me ! / Papa update

2010-07-25T14:51:00.017-04:00

July 25 /10

Guess what?

I'm 4 !!

Mama giving me a great big Boxer-size birthday kissie

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ ░H░A░P░P░Y░ ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

░B░I░R░T░H░D░A░Y░

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ . ░T░O░ ░M░E░ .♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Yesterday, as a pre-birthday treat, Mama and Papa took me to Ben and Jerry's and I had a quarter bowl of vanilla ice cream!!!
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Like everywhere else, it was bazillions of degrees outside, so the three of us sat in the air conditioned truck and slurped our ice cream together rather than sitting at a café table. It was very nice and relaxing ....a happy, cozy moment.
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I have five birthday Yays:
Today Mama is going to play ball with me in the backyard just as soon as she's finished cleaning the house ....YAY.

She had some old trees pulled up so I'll have more running room ...YAY.

Now I won't get my tie-out tangled up around my legs ....YAY.

And I won't fall on my face anymore whenever I run for the ball ....YAY.

And tonight I just know I'm going to get the marrow bone that I saw Daniel sneak into the fridge .....YAY !!!
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n n n n

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Papa update: Papa is in his third week of Interferon injections and he's feeling really icky. He's a lot better than he was on the infusions but this Interferon stuff is pretty unforgiving, no matter how you take it. Poor Papa. He can't work but he goes into the office now and then to say hi to his staff. And sometimes he walks me and goes out to buy groceries which he loves to do. He's lost a lot of weight because food tastes terrible. Mama is always trying to make him eat fruits and vegetables and grains, but he doesn't enjoy eating at all.
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I do my best to make Papa happy because I sense there's something wrong with him. Mama sees it in my face. My life has changed a lot too. I used to go to Papa's office all the time and play with the secretaries and run around the dock chasing brooms and shovels. And we did lots of road trips and shows. Well, I just know that the three of us will be doing all that again one day soon, but until then, I will snuggle close to Papa and give him lots of lovies and healing slobberoos. I know paw-power works and there isn't a minute that I'm not giving him all the power my paws have.
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Well, I'm going to wait by the back door until it's time to go outside and play ball.
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Bye for now. xo

DWB Reunion

2010-07-19T13:54:00.045-04:00

July 19 /10

Who wants to have a real DWB reunion?

I'm ready if you are !!
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Well, I cannot believe it - Mama went to Asta's house in New York City and she didn't take me.

You must have heard by now that Greg and Brooke - Angel Charlie's, Opy's and Benson's parents - organized a DWB reunion last week. Well, Mama flew into the Big Apple for the day so she could meet our blog friends. Well, you can imagine how I felt when she told me I wasn't going... !! SNORT !!

She did take a flattie of me, but it got stuck with I don't know how many other flatties in the grill of Asta's fireplace. No partying for us doggies... yeeesh.

Anyway, I heard that Asta picked up my scent in Mama's carry-on bag and she went sniffing for me. Ahhh... Astagirl, Mama told me how pretty you are in ... well, person .... and my heart just went pitter-patter. Mama also got to meet Petey, Duffy and Stella and she said they were also gorgeous and so sweet. I want to meet them too !

Mama said Asta and her mommy Ami, were the most gracious hostesses. She loved being at the party and just wishes she could have stayed longer. She said next time, when Papa is all better, they're both going to go. And guess what that means?? That means I'll get to go too because they never leave me alone or at a kennel ..........heheheheh.

Here are some pictures from the reunion.

Moms, dads and flatties in Asta's lobby

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Flatties in the fireplace

Mama with Petey and his mom, Jane. Hi Petey !

My flattie

IYAK

Mama and Asta played ball. I wish I was playing ball .... not with Mama - with Asta !!

I was on Mama's nametag.

This is Greg. Is he like our boss?

A cake dedicated to Angel Charlie.

I think Asta was looking for me in Mama's bag - be still my heart !!

Well, at least flatty me made it home safely ....Mama said the taxi driver who drove her to the airport might as well have flown her home, he was going so fast.

So Mama had a great one-day adventure and was so happy to meet so many blog friends... but I think we dogs have to organize a reunion too, with flat parents and lots of cookies and chewies - and NO LEASHES. What d'ya think?

Happy Father's Day !

2010-06-20T01:22:00.011-04:00

June 20/ 10
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Happy Father's Day, Papa

Dear Papa,

You feed me and you walk me.

And rub my belly too.

You throw my ball and rawhides.

For me to catch and chew.

You buy me bones and yogurt.

And wipe the drool off of my face.

And you never seem to mind at all

That I shed all over the place.

You let me lick you even though

I have Boxerslobbergoop.

And you're more than happy anytime

To bend down and clean my poop.

Oh Papa, you're the best!

I love you more than I can say

So happy, happy, happy, happy

Happy Father's Day !!

Love,

Chef

And HFD to all of your Papas too !

I got skunked/Papa Update

2010-06-16T20:22:00.015-04:00

June 17 /10

Hi everybody. It's me - Chef. I think Mama has hogged my blog a little too much lately so here I am to fill you in on some of the things that have been going on around here.

You will absolutely NEVER guess what happend to me the other night - I GOT SKUNKED !! It's true. Right in the face too. I still don't smell like my usual delicious self but I smell a whole lot better than I did, and let me tell you - I stunk.

I was out for a walk with Daniel and I was sniffing around the neighbour's bushes when I thought I saw the black and white cat that always flirts with me. Actually, Daniel thought it was the cat too so he let me poke my head under the trees and whammo! I got it right in the kisser. It tasted so bad and my eyes were burning. Daniel thought I was having some kind of seizure because I was foaming at the mouth and my face went all funny and my head was turning in all directions. It was like I was possessed !

Anyway, we ran home and Daniel and Mama hosed me down in the back yard, which I didn't like very much. Then they tossed me into a special fizzy bath to get the stink out of my fur. I didn't like that either. See?

I don't look very happy, do I?

But still, the taste in my mouth was so awful and my head was still bobbing around for a long time. Man, it was scary.

I'm ok now but I sure hope I don't ever meet another skunk - ever, ever, ever.

And in case you ever get skunked, don't bother using the old tomatoe juice remedy because it doesn't work. This is the recipe:

Mix:

1 quart (or liter) of 3% hydrogen peroxide from a fresh, unopened bottle
1/4 cup (50 ml.) of baking soda
1 teaspoon (5 ml.) of liquid dish soap

Keep the mixture on for 10 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water.

And take it from me - if you think you see a black and white cat, run away !!

n n n n

PAPA UPDATE: My Papa is nearing the half-way mark of his daily Interferon treatments. The first week was pretty rough but Mama got his doctor to prescribe some meds for him to take before he gets his infusions to head off the side effects.

The pills are working and Papa is feeling much, much better. 'Course, he's also feeling much, much better because I'm giving his lots of cuddles and lovies. Mama has taken some extended time off work to take care of Papa so I get to go on lots of walks with her and we play ball and hang out in the garden - no more "Hi Chef, bye Chef" when she's rushing off to work in the morning. Ooooo, I love having my parents home !!

Anyway, we want to thank all of you again for the good wishes that you've been sending. We appreciate it so much and it looks like all the good vibes are working because, so far, things are turning out to be so much better than we thought.

xoxoxo

Our journey begins

2010-06-06T14:58:00.015-04:00

June 6/09

My dear friends,

It's been a while since I posted and even longer since I visited most of your blogs and I hope you understand why I've stayed away so long. As you know, we are having some problems and lots of worries, and it seems there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done, and still have time left over for blogging.

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Morrie has been feeling really well. His last surgery found his lymph nodes clean, which was great news, but he will be undergoing Interferon treatment to prevent a recurrance of the melanoma. The treatment begins tomorrow morning, and from what we understand he will not be feeling very well at all for quite some time.

He will begin daily infusions at the hospital for the next four or five weeks. After that, he will continue with injections of Interferon at home three times a week for the remainder of the year. That is, if he can tolerate the Interferon and continue with the treatment. Apparently, 50% of those who begin this treatment quit because of the devestating side effects.

Morrie already has about a dozen pill bottles lined up for use when the treatment begins - for nausea, pain, anxiety, digestive problems, etc. These could have side effects of their own . It will not be easy,

Interferon has also been known, in some cases, to cause permanent damage, though rarely. Sometimes we think we are spending our last days together with Morrie as we have known him. It is my inclination to worry and project on the worse-case scenario, which I never mention to him, but hopefully I am overdoing it and our situation won't be nearly as bad as I imagine it.

Please continue to pray for my dear man. And while you're at it, please pray for me to have the strength to take care of him well and see to all his needs without becoming discouraged and fatigued. We are setting out on a year-long battle not knowing what to expect from one day to the next and it is daunting.

n n n n

On a happier note, we showed Chef a couple of weeks ago at a three-day event in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, just a few miles from our home. He was kind of sluggish the first two days, with most people saying he has gained too much weight since last season. I guess in our efforts to fatten up that skinny little boy, we didn't realize that he was packing on some extra pounds. Not attractive and definitely not healthy. So he's now on a diet. We've weaned him off his Angus beef patties and now he's basically on kibble only, although we can't help but slip a couple of slivers of chicken or salmon into his bowl from time to time.

Anyway, on the third day of the show, Chef found his attitude and he won Best of Breed. He also made the cut for Group, which is quite an honour. (That's when we figured he's not that much of a fatso and adding the odd piece of chicken or salmon to his meals won't do him much harm.)

In his cooling jacket ... just warming up for the win!

Best of Breed !!

Group

This was most likely our last show until next summer. So I'm glad Chef did well and did Morrie proud. I love it when Chef wins, but Morrie takes it way more seriously so he was bustin' his buttons with pride. Thanks Chef, for making Papa so happy.

Yesterday, Chef was at the vet and she said that Boxers are especially sensitive dogs, and that Chef is going to pick up on the fact that Morrie is sick. So for all our sakes, we have vowed to try and stay upbeat and positive no matter what the year ahead brings. It's funny how the family dog can be a stablizing force during troubled times in so many great ways.

So wish us well in this journey to who-knows-where. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will need as much support as we can get from people who we care so much about.

I will stay in touch and let you know how things are going and hopefully I'll have the time to go around visiting all your blogs soon.

Bye for now.

Linda
xo

אלוהים בבקשה לתת מוישה בריאות טובה

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-04T23:21:00.016-04:00

May 9 /10

Look at the two gifts I brought home for my Mama for Mother's Day ...

which do you think she'll like better?

Don't forget to give your mom some big, spitty lickies today to thank her for all she does every day to keep you happy, healthy and safe.

Aren't moms great?

Sticks and bones!

2010-04-25T23:50:00.030-04:00

April 25 /10

Today was a great day and I'm about to tuck myself in for the night a very happy dog.

First, Mama and I went for a long walk. There's a big, beautiful park near my house that doesn't allow dogs. Grrrr. Anyway, sometimes we go there when no one's around, but this being Sunday the park was pretty crowded. So we walked around the outside of it and ventured inside only where there were no people... I didn't mind though. It was a warm, sunny day and I was just happy to be outside. My nubbin - that's what Mama calls my tail - was wagging the whole time!

This is Parc Pierre Elliot Trudeau just down the street from our house. It's got a man-made lake with ducks in the summer and chalets, walking paths, a picnic area, two baseball diamonds and more ... it's huge and beautiful.

One day I'm going to tell you about the secret place Mama found at the park where I can run off-leash and be safe... and where no one can see us!

Here are some pictures of our walk today.

I went stick hunting, of course!

I watched a baseball game - oooo I wanted that ball so bad!

Then I remembered Mama had my ball in her pocket.

So I chomped on it for a while.

Then I saw lots of strange holes like this one.
Mama said they were gopher holes.
I never met a gopher, so ...

I wondered if he was home.

But Mama yanked me away because she thinks gophers bite. I bet I came thisclose to having my nose boinked!

I finally settled down for a good chew.

Later on we had a BBQ ... those are girlie steaks and man steaks!

..And I had the MAN-steak bones!!

Mama said she's going to take me to our secret place in the park soon so I'll be able to show you where I play in my own private playground.

Papa update: Papa had his second surgery a couple of weeks ago and the doctor took some more of his lymph nodes out for testing. We don't have the results yet but in the meantime, Papa has gone back to work and is feeling pretty good, except for a little pain from the operation. We will keep you posted. And thanks to all of you who have been asking about him on Facebook and in emails. It's so nice to know that you are thinking of us.

I apologize for not visiting your blogs for a long time. Geez, I haven't even visited my own for I don't know how long. But I'm thinking of all of you with love and will visit you soon. xo

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T22:31:00.005-04:00

March 31 /10

(Yes, I am sleeping sitting down !!)

Happy Birthday Papa!

2010-03-19T00:54:00.018-04:00

March 20/ 10

This was me last Thursday night:

It's true. They made a party at my cousin JoJo's house and they didn't even THINK of inviting me. Not so much as a courteous "we'd love to have you, Chef, but it's a people party."

All they said was, "Be a good boy tonight, Chef. Bye."

"Oh yeah?" I thought. "Well I'll think about it...maybe I'll be a good boy and maybe I won't. Maybe I'll just unravel some toilet paper and trail it all through the house."

But I ended up just laying there all night long in my big old pillow, sulking. Do you blame me?

All I had was a couple of rawhides to chew on while the rest of the family ...

... ate this ...

... and this - that's my brother Daniel doing the cooking ....

... and this ...

... and they drank this ... OMG !!

And will you just look at the birthday cake they had??

So I lay there all night chewing and thinking. And instead of doing mischief I thought that I should just be happy I have such a fantastic Papa because he loves me so much and he takes such great care of me. And he lets me lick the bottom of his yogurt bowl and he swings the broom around so I can bark at it and have fun. Plus shabillions of other things he does for me day in and day out.

So ...

I'm very glad you enjoyed your party, and -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAPA !

XOXOXO

By the way, Papa has to have another operation in a couple of weeks to remove some more lymph nodes. The doctor found a teensy weensy bit of bad cells in his big lymph node so his surgeon is going to take a few more out. He's not looking forward to it at all so I've been doing a really good job of nuzzling him and giving him lots of loving, healing snorts.

Mama and I want to thank all of you again for your continuous good wishes and prayers for Papa. It's so good to know that we have so many good friends out there who we've never even met but who care so much. Big, big (((hugs))) to all of you.

Thanks, an award and videos

2010-03-06T12:18:00.046-05:00

March 6 /10

Hi friends.

Papa is feeling fine. He's gone back to work and his incisions are healing nicely. Now we're just waiting for word from his doctor about his test results. Hopefully, his surgery will be all he will need and no further treatment will be necessary.

We want to thank all of you again for your prayers. My paws are crossed that our prayers will be answered.

In the meantime, I have a couple of videos I want to share with you.

This one is of me and Oakley playing the other day. Oakley and I always share toys and food and treats ..... but one thing we didn't want to share was this:

Stick Tug CompetitionThis makes me think of the Olympics. Team Chef vs. Team Oakley. Except there was no judging, no medals, no awards. Just a little rivalry between friends.

Speaking of awards, our friend Maverick sent me this fabulous award:

Thanks Maverick~ Now I have to list 10 things that make me happy. That's easy. So many things make me happy. Here's my Top Ten.

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1. STICKS!!
2. Doing dog shows.
3. Going for as many walks as I can. Sometimes I go for seven or eight in a day, depending on how well my sad, take-me-out-face works.
4. Playing with my buddies, especially Oakley.
5. Chasing my ball and frisbee.
6. Licking up leftovers off of everybody's plates.
7. Running, jumping and spinning in the air.
8. Riding in the truck and the car.
9. Watching Mama cook because she always gives me a taste.
10. Being at Papa's office where everyone gives me kisses and hugs and food.

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I'm supposed to share this award with 10 blogs that make me smile. Well ALL your blogs make me smile so I'm passing it on to all of you.

This is the other video I want to share with you. It's really funny and something we want to try some time.

Hope that gave you a chuckle. Have a great weekend!
xo

Thank you dear friends

2010-02-27T15:15:00.105-05:00

February 27 /10

Thank you !

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes for my Papa. Your goodness has been a great source of comfort to us.

Papa's surgery was successful and he's on the mend. He's being a very good patient. Mama is wearing a nurse's cap and making sure he is always comfortable. I am giving him endless healing kisses and cuddles, and being a clown so he laughs and feels happy.

We are now waiting for his test results which should come back in a couple of weeks. Now that this first hurdle is behind us we're feeling stronger and more optimistic, and ready for any challenge that may lie ahead.

Please forgive us for not visiting your blogs these past few weeks. We are thinking of you and will catch up with you as soon as we can.

Please keep my Papa in your prayers as we wait to hear from his doctor.

We will keep you posted.

Chef

Please pray for my Papa

2010-02-23T15:43:00.033-05:00

February 23 /10

Hi friends.

My Papa is sick and we really need your prayers. I will turn this post over to Mama so she can explain. In the meantime, I am giving my Papa lots of kisses and snuggles and I'm making him laugh at all the silly things I do. I'm so glad I'm here to make him smile.

Hi everybody. Since we are pretty private about most personal things, I haven't posted about Morrie's illness. But I have decided to let you all know what's going on in our family because I really need your support and encouragement right now. You are like an extended family to me and reaching out to you just seems like the right thing to do.

A few weeks ago Morrie was diagnosed with melanoma. He had a "thingy" removed from his back three weeks earlier. I had noticed blood on his shirt and when I looked at his back there was a small red bump, about the size of a boil. I urged him to see the skin doctor, although the thought that it could be cancerous was fleeting. I just didn't believe it could be serious.

I'll never, ever forget the Wednesday afternoon when he came home from work and sat me down and said, "I have cancer." At 9 a.m. he'd received the call at his office from the dermatologist with the news. He went to work that morning, carefree. And he drove home a cancer patient. It hit him like a ton of bricks. And then the bricks hit me. I fought so hard not to fall apart because he needed me to be strong and efficient. And I'm trying to stay strong when we're together but when I'm alone, I cry my heart out.

After Morrie broke the news to me all he talked about was how Daniel and I would be if .... It was just a few hours since he'd heard the news himself and he had already begun to get things in order for us, in case .... (I can't even type it.) There wasn't a hint of self-pity or "why me?" It was all about Daniel and me. I was amazed that we were his first concern and not himself. What a man.

I did lots of research and discovered that melanoma is a tricky, stubborn cancer. It can recur at any time in any place in the body, including major organs. Even after the first cancer is removed, cancer cells can travel through the lymph nodes and take up residence anywhere at any time, forever.

If Morrie is lucky enough to have escaped lymph node involvement, we will always have to be one step ahead of the cancer and have him thoroughly checked on a regular basis for the rest of his life.

So our life has changed completely. Within minutes it was turned upside down. I know we will eventually adjust and do what we have to do, but I haven't reached that place yet and I am still scared about what the future holds.

We visited the surgeon and after reading Morrie's chart and checking him over, he said he had a feeling the prognosis would be good. I don't think a doctor would go so far out on a limb and say that if he didn't believe it. We're hanging so much hope on those few words ....

Morrie's surgery will be on Thursday morning. They will remove any of the cancer the dermatologist may have missed and wide-margin tissue surrounding the tumour. They will also remove his Sentinal Lymph Node for biopsy to see if and how far the cancer may have spread. We will have the results of the biopsy two to three weeks after that.

It's been very hard keeping our life as "normal" as possible, to not let this terrible, sudden crisis get the better of us. I'm working hard to keep my family strong and positive and to carry on as always while we fight this with all our strength.

Please pray for my darling man. Please pray for his continued good health which he deserves so much. He's such a good person and has always been our tower of strength. The thought of him leaving us or living in a weakened condition is so heartbreaking.

I know there has been so much awful news that we've all shared lately. And I hate bringing more bad news to all of you. I know so many of you are struggling with your own troubles and health problems. But please add one more person to the list of those you are praying for.

Thanks so much. I will keep you posted.

Linda

אלוהים בבקשה לתת מוישה בריאות טובה

Stickin' around the park

2010-02-21T19:53:00.078-05:00

February 21 /10

Today was perfect stick hunting weather, so out I went on my first stick finding mission of the season. Snow conditions were just right too. A lot has melted so all kinds of sticks are hiding just beneath the surface where I can find them. So it didn't take me long to snuffle out the biggest, most awesome stick in this entire world! It was HUGE!

..........What d'ya think of this? Not too shabby, eh?

First I went digging for a stick that was buried deep in a snow bank. Can you hear Mama asking, "What's in there, Chef?" Well, what the heck did she think was in there?? Would I be digging like a lunatic for anything but a stick? C'mon Ma, it's me CHEF - hello-o-o....??

Anyway, I was just about to yank out a big one when my new neighbour Monsieur Magnum came by. No way was I going to let him see where the good sticks are buried. So I lied down like I was taking a Sunday snooze on the sidewalk. Heh. Little does he know ....

(If any of you see Monsieur Magnum, don't tell him where the big sticks are. It's our secret, k?)

Then I figured there's got to be some sticks someplace where there's less snow so I dragged Mama to the park. And that's where I found the XXXL stick. Actually I think it's a tree. It weighed a ton and I was having lots of trouble hanging onto it.
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Mama had to help me carry that bugger home. She held onto one end and we dragged it down the sidewalk all the way to our house. People stared at us and smiled. I guess they thought Mama looked funny carrying a stick through the streets. 'Course, they would expect a big, burly Boxer like me to be doing that, but a human being? Now that's amusing .

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So now I have my very first stick for Stick Pile 2010. It looks like I'm going to have a really nice collection this year.

By the way, I'm sorry for not visiting most of your blogs lately. We've been alternately busy and lazy and lots of stuff going on, but I promise to check in on all of you very soon.
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Have a great week. xo

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-06T23:48:00.023-05:00

February 14 /10

Happy Valentine's Day

to all my friends

You are all so sweet and special and I love you all very much!

And thanks to all of you who emailed me such beautiful Valentines. I really do appreciate it.

Big, big kisses.

xox

Wordy Wednesday

2010-02-06T21:21:00.024-05:00

February 10/10

Want to hear me cuss out this what-d'ya-call-it?

I know it may sound like I was whining and being a big baby, but I was really telling that thing off. In the end, it wouldn't let me take it home ... but I didn't really want it anyway, as you can tell.

Train Your Dog Photo Contest

2010-01-25T01:25:00.032-05:00

January 26 /10

Our friends Niamh and Ambrose are holding

a very important event called

The Train Your Dog Photo Contest.

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers has made January National Train Your Dog Month. So to mark the occasion, Niamh and Ambrose are asking all their friends to submit photos of them training with their parents. It can be a photo of you practicing a trick or a skill or obedience. See Niamh's blog for details.
I decided to submit a picture of Mama and me practicing my Sit-Stays at street corners. I walk with a very long lead so I'm usually several feet in front of Mama, unless she has me heeling. That means I reach the street corner before she does. So rather than reeling me in at each corner like she used to, she's teaching me to sit down at the curb and wait til she's standing beside me, at which point she tells me it's "ok" to cross the street. Soon I will learn how to do this at driveways too.

This is an important rule to learn for several reasons, one being in case I break from my lead. Hopefully, I'll remember to sit down at the curb and not cross the street by myself.

Mama's making this rule apply to driveways too because sometimes people dart out of their garages really quickly and we want to make sure the coast is clear before I cross.
Right now I get a treat for my Sit-Stays on command. Eventually, I will move on to Sit-Stays without a command, and then without treats. Although I will always get "Good Boy" praise to keep me proud of myself and motivated.

I like learning new rules. They keep me well-socialized. And it's important for me to know what's expected of me. Rules also give me something to think about which keeps me alert and smart.

So if you're in training of any kind, you may want to enter the contest too. Deadline for entries is midnight, Jan. 31.

Have fun training and good luck!

You're up the wrong tree, Mr. Squirrel

2010-01-19T23:57:00.036-05:00

January 22/10

Guess what I saw trespassing in
MY backyard yesterday???

Poking around in MY snow!

Climbing MY pine tree!
,I knew what he wanted. He wanted to eat MY pine cones. Can't fool me!

Was I mad. I barked so loud. And I pounced on the window so hard it nearly came out of its frame. "Grrrrrr. I'm a big, ferocious predatory beast."
.

That did it. The little sucker ran down the tree as fast as his funny little legs could carry him.

I knew just what he was thinking too.

/.
"That's right, little buddy. Now SCRAM."

"And don't come snooping around my property again, ok?"

Not.

Between you and me, I'm hoping he'll come back soon - that was the most fun I've had all week!

RIP Ziggy

2010-01-18T15:41:00.020-05:00

January 18 /10

Ziggy

RIP

We were so shocked and saddened to hear that our dear friend Ziggy, Pedro's brother, suddenly took a trip to the Bridge a few days ago.

Pedro and his family are heartbroken and are going to miss Ziggy very much.

If you haven't seen it, there is a beautiful tribute to Ziggy on their blog. Please stop over there and pay your respects to Pedro and his family. Feel free to share my Candles for Ziggy on your blog.

Candles for Ziggy

The Take-Me-Out Face

2010-01-13T20:44:00.050-05:00

January 15 /10

Temperatures around here have been dipping to a teeth-chattering -20° C. And you know what that means? It means that I practically have to beg to go outside, especially when I'd just been out an hour earlier.

Well, the other night I had a playdate with my friend Oakley. He's 11 and he's got lots of experience ~~manipulating~~ convincing his parents to do things they don't want to do. We wanted to go for a walk but my parents just moaned and groaned and sat there in a stupor.

But Oakley taught me a new trick: how to make The Take-Me-Out Face that's earned him zillions of walks his parents didn't want to go on.

"Observe," Oakley said. And he proceeded to give my parents the saddest look I have ever seen. I almost took him out myself, that's how sad he looked. I watched and waited ....

Grasshopper ... ?? ... Anyway, I was sceptical. It was a great face and it might have gotten me out for a walk in the spring and fall, and definitely in the summer, but never late at night in the dead of a freezing cold winter.

Then Oakley told me to make the face all by myself. I gave it my best shot.

Well, I just wasn't prepared for what I heard next. A whole bunch of "aaawwws" - big ones, little ones, loud ones, quiet ones. Then to my complete amazement, Mama and Papa rose from their chairs and headed for the coat rack.

Oh. My. God!!

Did I master the Take Me Out Face or what?

Look:

Happy 2010 !!

2010-01-01T02:22:00.041-05:00

January 1 /10

~ HAPPY ~

..¸.•'´::~ NEW YEAR! ~:: `'•.¸..

•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•

It's 2010!

..•*¨''*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•*¨''*•.¸¸♥..

As we say adiós to another year, and welcome a new year and a new decade, let's hope we all share a fantastic future, with each of us and our loved ones enjoying good health & happiness.

Let's pray also that all homeless animals find families to love and to love them. And that all puppy mills are shut down. And that we all remember to support our local shelters.

Let's also hope for enduring peace in the world.

Oh, and let's not forget to earn our cookies, chin tickles and belly rubs by being "good," although just being here makes us deserving enough, but, you know, our parents read these posts, so ...

Happy New Year, friends. I love you!

A new trick

2009-12-27T16:30:00.036-05:00

December 28 /09

Hey everyone. I taught my parents a new trick.
They toss a ball at me and I bounce it off my nose and they catch it. Then they toss it back and I hit it again. We send the ball back and forth until they can't catch it or they throw wrong.
It makes them laugh and give me cookies. So you may want to try it with your parents.

How to play
Make sure to use a soft ball so you don't hurt your snooter.
Sit close to the pitcher so the throws are fast and tight.

Don't bonk the ball too hard. That sends them running after it laughing and squealing, and they could lose interest. Only do that when you don't want to play anymore - like when the game is cutting into your walk time, like here:

Ooops ... hey, what d'ya know? It's time for my walk ...
.

If they toss the ball too far, go after it but don't bring it back. Eventually they'll learn to throw properly.
.

... Ooookay .... bye.

Here's a demonstration of a well-trained mom. Notice I had to bonk her on the nose to keep her alert.

End the game when they stop paying attention.

.

What's with all that "good boy" stuff? I'm just letting her think I'm performing a cute trick, when really, SHE is ... good girl, Mama !

When they've improved their game, take it outside to a bigger playing field. If they play well, reward them tail wags and continue the game. If they don't, ignore it and walk away.

And remember, play ONLY for treats. Otherwise, don't play. They'll catch on.

Have fun!

Merry Christmas !

2009-12-15T16:18:00.106-05:00

December 25 /09

We Wish You a Merry ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♪♫ Christmas ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ We Wish You a Merry ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Christmas ♥ ♥ ♥ We Wish You A Merry ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Christmas ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ ... and A Happy New Year! ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

I hope you're all woofing it up and having a happy Christmas.
Thank you for your beautiful Christmas cards. You're all very special friends and I'm so happy to know you.

,,..

x
.

x l

e-card from Legacy Boxer Rescue: [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102890884756&s=6417&e=001VpTqPZdy97dsH_hc73a7ImKqNSLrQ3728kJZhZe1zfHpzm1fp7Ffuls9d_jTptzBUsURoC7o1MzIf-_nLKMZdRxfa1HKeaP8lXrGFGivLlwMOmqo4olZ_g==]

ecard from Kirby; http://www.sloppykisscards.com/9h5dyzn3

ecard from Hoover: http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2010864076851&source=jl999

ecard from Twix, Alphonso and Teresa: http://www.sloppykisscards.com/ypv4h5fr

Messages from:
Autumn :
Stopping by to wish u a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday =D. May Christmas bring you lots of happiness and health.

Autumn & Mom

Velcro:
Chef,
Happy Holidays from me!!
Woof
Velcro

Maverick:
Harrr Chef. Hope ye have a Merry Christmas Harrr.

And for those of you who didn't receive my card, here it is with my very best Christmas wishes.

Where are all the squirrels? I'm going nuts!

2009-12-13T23:55:00.038-05:00

December 15 /09

For a dog that really doesn't love winter, I sure am going on lots of walks lately. Yesterday I went out six times! And it wasn't because my family wanted to take me walking - I actually asked to go.

And I have a very good reason - I've been looking for squirrels.

I don't know about you but I just don't see them anymore. I've searched high and low but I can't find even one. And it's driving me nuts. What's a walk without a squirrel or two to chase up a tree? So I no sooner come home after a walk, and I ask to go out again an hour or two later. Needless to say, it's driving my parents nuts too.

Yeah, it's excessive. But I'm otherwise very good about going out. I never, ever wake anyone up to take me out. If my family wants to sleep, so will I. I know lots of dogs who wake their people up at the crack of dawn to go out. Not me. ~~Not yet~~. So six walks later on isn't too much to ask for, right?

Anyway, I find it so strange how the squirrels just seem to have disappeared. I wonder where they are. I often sit by the window waiting for them to show up in the back yard so I can jump against the window and bark and scare them away. But they just don't come. Funny, the same thing happened last winter, and the winter before that... hmm ... and the winter before that. What's going on??

I was thinking maybe they live up in the trees during the winter because if they stayed on the ground they'd be buried under the snow, and then how would they find anything to eat?? Then again, what could they possibly be eating on the treetops? Puzzling ...

I bet my friend Dewey Dewster knows. He knows everything.

Anyway, I was out doing errands in the car with Mama the other day and we passed the dog park. It was all covered with snow. I'm allowed to go to the park only when certain dogs are there, or when it's empty.. That's because some of the dogowners haven't taught their dogs to be sociable and there have been a couple of badboy brawls that landed me on the vet's table getting stitches.

My dogpark. Are the squirrels hiding there?
/

Well, it sure looked empty to me. But did we stop? Noooooo. Mama was "too busy." Too busy? How can anyone be too busy to go to the dog park? Anyway, she promised that I will go very soon. I can't wait . Maybe the squirrels are hiding in the park. Heh.

Oh. By the way, the other day I had a bad case of dire-rear and I pooped out a plastic bag. I didn't eat for two days and I was lethargic. I didn't even want to play. So I got hauled off to the vet. She said I was ok and now I'm mostly back to normal. My parents don't know where I got the plastic bag (someone's leftover lunch in the garbage can at Papa's office - but shhh) and I'm sure not telling them. But I'm feeling fine. Here I am playing with my toys again.

Also, I want to thank all of you who have been sending me Holiday cards. We're saving them to post on Christmas Day. See you then.

Who's the dude?

2009-11-29T12:30:00.027-05:00

December 1 /09
.

At the last Montreal show, I was very happy to meet a very special new friend.

He was there with his Mom, Sherry. He was a little shy at first and so was I.

We checked eachother out ... sniff sniff ... tail wags ... butt wiggles ... it looked like we could be buddies. I just had to be sure of one thing though ....

He looked a little surprised, but hey, I wouldn't want him to feel bad because he couldn't keep up with me, y'know? Mama reassured me that yes, he could keep up with me very easily ... so now we're friends.So do you recognize this handsome guy?

Hint: He's the new kid on the blog ...

n n n n n

Post script:

Of course my friend is Graham, Sophie's brother.

Since this post, Graham became very sick with the wobblies and went to the Rainbow Bridge. I was so shocked and saddened by the news.

Sophie and mom Sherry gave the flatboy a loving home and so much care, and I'm sure the short time he spent with them was the best time of his life.

Run free as the wind, Graham, my big gentle friend. RIP.

RIP sweet Angel Snickers

2009-11-22T13:16:00.027-05:00

Nov. 22 /09

RIP, sweet Angel Snickers

July 22 /02 - Nov. 22 /09

We are devestated to hear that our darling friend Snickers has left us. We were so hoping she would recover but it wasn't meant to be. There is another bright and beautiful star in our skies now.

Run with the wind, sweet little girl, and watch over our precious Beauty.

n n n n n n n
.
We saw this poem on Eric's blog and want to repost it; it's just too beautiful to not share.

The Power of the Dog
by
Rudyard Kipling
There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie -
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart to a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find--it's your own affair--
But ... you've given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!)
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone--wherever it goes--for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.

We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-term loan is as bad as a long--
So why in - Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

Is my cousin on drugs??

2009-11-15T17:56:00.037-05:00

November 16 /09

Listen up, friends. I think I'm in the midst of a family crisis and I need your advice: I have a cousin named Diva and I think she's on drugs. Really. She's a sweetie but I think she could have a problem.

I bumped into her at a show last weekend and it looked to me like she was higher than a kite. I don't know what the heck she's on but it's turned her into freakin' maniac.

At first I thought she was just being annoying but the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that she's on something preeeet-ty powerful.

She didn't sit still for one minute. She was jumping and spinning around and kind of all twitchy. The only time I saw her stay still was when she was on the grooming table, which is a good thing because she was noosed and if she'd have jumped she'd have hung herself. Oh, and she was pretty calm in the ring too, but that's probably because she was eyeing the liver. Which isn't to say that otherwise, she wasn't totally on another planet.

After the competition, she just kept following me around and jumping and flipping and twisting all over the place saying, "I'm so happy! I'm so happy!" She was hopping around so much I went cross-eyed watching her. Well - I don't know of too many things which are legal that could make a dog act like that, do you?

And where's she getting this stuff, is what I'd like to know. If I find out who her dealer is, he's going to have um .... Diva's Papa to answer to.

Anyway, there's no point in sweeping this under the rug like some kind of shameful scandal. It happens in the best of families. It just so happens that it's my family and I think I should be responsible and do the right thing by my little cousin. Which is ... I don't have a clue....

I'm thinking maybe we should do an intervention and haul the poor girl into rehab.

Anyway, watch this and you'll see what I mean:

........Is this girl on drugs or what??

Notice that she had the munchies? Hmmmm?

Maybe I'm wrong, but if you have another explanation for Diva's strange behavior, I'd sure like to hear about it.

On another note, I won Best of Breed in the Sunday competition, finally beating out Canada's top Boxer from Manitoba. I've been trying to whip his butt all summer and I finally did it. Heh!

But the best part of the weekend was that I got to meet a very, very special friend for the first time. He's a real sweet guy and we got along very well.. Most of you know him but I want to make it a suprise when I post about him next time. So until then ...

Have a great week and don't forget to keep praying for Snickers.

Saving Miss Snickers

2009-11-13T20:53:00.030-05:00

November 14 /09

As many of you know, our dear, sweet friend, Miss Snickers, is courageously fighting another health battle. There's a strong belief out there that all our prayers which have poured in for her from all over the world have given her strength and she showed a miraculous improvement today. But she is still a very sick little girl and she needs our help.

We have all been asked to send Snickers a huge wave of love and hope to help her beat her lymphoma.

Please join in for the Worldwide Moment for Snickers, today at 5 p.m. Iowa time. (Click here to find out the right time where you live.) That is when Snickers' family will sit down for dinner. It's our mission to turn toward central USA at that time and observe a moment of silent prayer or meditation, and wish at the deepest part of hearts for Snickers' recovery. Then we need to express our wish and blow a kiss in their direction, and our wishes will be delivered to Snickers and her family on the wind.

Snickers and her brother, Butchy, are among my very first DWB friends, and I love them very much. Poor Butchy must be so upset to see his sister struggle. I'll be praying for Butchy too.

Snickers is a tough little cookie and has fought more than her share of sickness. But she needs the Power of the Paw right now more than ever.

The idea for the Worldwide Moment for Snickers comes from Jake and Fergi. They have asked all us DWB friends to help spread the word about this very important event. You can read more about it on their blog.

So please join us as all of Snickers' friends from all over the world surround her with our loving, healing thoughts. She is our friend in need and we will all be there for her.

Power of the Paw

We will do our very best to save you, Snickeroo.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T02:30:00.034-04:00

October 31 /09

On Halloween, there's only room for one pirate in my house.

And it's not him: he won't even play with me ... bad pirate.

To the poop deck with ya, matey.

Arrrr-f

I locked Mama out of the car !! Ha ha.

2009-10-24T21:48:00.064-04:00

October 26 /09

Well friends, I finally did it - I locked Mama out of the car!

Ha ha .....

I can't stop laughing. You should have seen her face!

Ha ha ha ...

Anyway, I've been wanting to do that for I don't know how long. I had a few false starts over the months but somehow she always managed to outsmart me. But last week I finally did it.
.
Course, I can't take all the credit. Mama did toss her remote into the front seat while I was in the car. And as she was talking to her friend Susan, she absent-mindedly closed the door ....

WELL! "This is my chance," I thought. So I very cleverly stepped on the "lock" button and ~ CLICK ~ !!

Mama was shocked because she knows that the doors can't lock unless someone presses the button on the remote. She took one look at me through the window and grabbed her head. "Leave it to Chef," she said. "What a clowndog."

Then Susan ran to her car and got a hanger, but after struggling for half an hour, they couldn't open the door. And all the chatter! You'd think I was going to drive the car away, never to be seen again. Not that it didn't occur to me. It's just that I don't know how to turn the ignition on. So I figured I'd just sit there and laugh.

This isn't the first stunt I've pulled in the car. Some of you may remember when last year I stepped on the button that opens the window and I jumped out of the car and ran right to the dog park. And I locked Papa out of the truck a couple of times. But he had another key. So this is the first time I got to spend almost an hour all by myself in the car! Next time I'm going to figure out how to turn on the radio to a rock station so I can bop around in the seat. And maybe I'll learn how to turn on the ignition and go to MacDonald's drive-through for a burger and fries.

Anyway, so Mama ended up calling Papa to come with their extra key and that was it. But it was the most fun I've had in a long time. You've got to try it.

But shhh. Don't tell your Mamas who told you.

Bye for now. Have a good week.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

2009-10-13T01:44:00.048-04:00

October 12 /09

to all my Canadian friends!

Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada and my family sat down at the diningroom table for a delicious meal.

'Course, I had to sit on the floor.

,.

While they ate turkey ...
.,.

... and sweet potatoe

...and veggies
.

... and Bocconcini salad

.

... and wine

... and fruit.
.

Well, wouldn't you know it? Mama went into the kitchen! My timing was impeccable.

But just as I was about to nosedive into her plate, she came back and caught me. Yeesh. Her timing's better.

So I had to resort to my usual begging routine - chin on arm and pathetic gaze of starving street dog.

c And what did it get me?

Turkey in my bowl !!

Works every time

And did I "gobble" it up ... ha ha!

Actually, I was very thankful.

And I'm also thankful for being a loved dog every day of my life.

In fact, here are five things I'm most thankful for:

For healthy food and clean water

For my loving family

For my warm, safe home

For my good health

For all my good friends

... Oh yeah, for sticks, balls, plushies, my frisbee and all my toys. .

... Oh, and for sunshine and rain on my face, and wide open spaces to run and jump in that make my heart swell with joy.

Oh, I could go on and on ....

What are you most thankful for?

Road Trip!!

2009-09-29T09:20:00.052-04:00

October 8 /09

We took an amazing road trip to the Finger Lakes region in upper New York state last week.

I competed in a four-day AKC Major in Romulus and did really well.

But first, I just have to show you all the new things I got there.

This is my new plushy du jour - I just love him. I don't know what kind of animal he is but I love to swing him around by his tail and throw him across the room. As you can see, I already ripped one of his eyeballs out. I'm still working on his other eye. That's the test of our love for our toys, right? If we yank his eyes out, he's a keeper.

Mama and Papa visited a store where there were hand-carved things made by the Amish folks. They got me this feeder so I don't have to bend over to eat anymore. We store my kibble bag inside - isn't it great?

They also picked up this silly sign which they hung up over my new feeder. Frankly, I find it a little insulting. I'm spoiled, to be sure, but I'm not rotten.

...ooooooh.

Mama just explained that "spoiled rotten" means I'm very, very spoiled. Which is true. OK, I like it.

I also came home with these:

! Ribbons !
One is for third place in Breed; one is for second place in Breed; one is for winning the Open Class/Brindle/Male; one is for winning the Winners competition (so complicated, I barely understand it myself); and the last one is the biggie: Best of Winners! That's the one that earned me my first American Major (I need two to be an American Champion) plus four more points out of the 15 I need. I already had three points so now I have seven. That's kind of cool.

Here I am in the ring. Emily's liver treats were especially yummy that day, which is why I did so well.

We began our trip in the dark of night in order to make it to the ring by 8 a.m. the next day. That's part of the fun of doing dog shows. It's always an adventure.

Hurry up, Mama and Papa. Let's get this show on the road, k?

All my stuff was packed into the back of the pick-up.

It was a seven-hour drive so I got to stop for lots of walks along the way. I love the new smells of a road trip.

I even had a meal in a parking lot!
n

This must be the place!

It was cold and rainy most of the time, with a chilly wind blowing in off the lakes. People were bundled up and layered but for us dogs, the weather was great.

Do you like my Mama's doggy boots?

Here's my sister Rose getting dolled up for the ring. Isn't she pretty?

And this is me at the hotel playing with my plushy. Do you know I had a whole bed to myself? Spoiled rotten, yessireeeee - that's me.

Walk time at the hotel for me, Rose and our puppycousin Solo. My breeder brought Solo along so she'd get used to the crowds and noises of a show because he'll be taking her into the ring pretty soon. I think she's going to be a very good showgirl.

After the shows we all drove around to some of the vineyards along the banks of Lake Seneca and Lake Cayuga. It was really beautiful. My parents stopped at some wineries and did some wine-tasting and grape-picking but I wasn't allowed. Can you believe that?

Mama and Papa

and moi.

Scenery

Romulus is the site of the former Seneca Army Depot, built during the Second World War.

n n n n n n n n n

Heading home in ... what else? Rain. It may be dreary but I love feeling the rain on my face.

So this trip marks the end of the outdoor shows for this year. We had a great time and it was a fantastic finish to the season.

I'm sooooooo embarrassed ....

2009-09-29T00:53:00.003-04:00

September 29 /09

Meet my new friend Oreo

2009-09-19T23:32:00.029-04:00

September 20 /09

I am so excited, everybody - I have a new friend! He's the cutest little Shitz-zu named Oreo.

And since his Mama, Barbra, is dating Mama's brother, Allan, I'm going to get to play with him a lot.

When we came face-to-face for the first time, Oreo barked at me something awful. But since he's just a squirt, I didn't bark back. I backed off and let him sniff me so he'd know that I want to be his friend. I had a flashback to the time a little Poodle barked at me like that at the dog park and he ended up hanging from my withers by his teeth, and I needed stitches. But Oreo calmed down and then we got along just fine. There is, however, a bit of a toy issue we have to work out.

Oreo (not to be mistaken for my cousin Oreo the Springer Spaniel) is a great little guy but he's got a thing about sharing. He even hid his ball under the sofa, knowing I'm too big to get to it. Then he hid his chewy in the basement. So after this initial play date, it's clear that a boatload of toys must be available whenever Oreo and I get together. I'll be sending Mama to the toy store to stock up. Good plan, eh? Heh.

So - TA DA - let me introduce you to my cute new friend OREO !!!

OK, so Oreo has a couple of um ... quirks. He wears a leash 24/7. He really does. He drags that worn-out thing behind him all day long and he sleeps with it on too. Apparently, his ahem.. trainer ... says he's a little too cocky when it comes to discipline, so Barbra has to keep a leash on him and step on it whenever he gets into mischief, which is, from what I hear, pretty often. It's very funny because he always looks like he's ready to go for a walk!

Oreo also carries a baby blanket almost everywhere he goes. And he chases his tail. But who's perfect?

Anyway, the first time I saw Oreo spinning around trying to catch his tail I got very dizzy. Then I thought, geesh, maybe if I chase my tail, I can pull on it and maybe it would grow back. But I couldn't even see my tail, let alone chase it. But the leash. I could get into chasing that! So I spent half the evening chasing Oreo's leash.

Gotcha!

Well, I never expected Oreo's leash to be so much fun. Look what I did:

Maybe next time, I'll spin him around so fast he'll finally catch his tail!
/

After all the chasing was over, Oreo and I settled down. That's his baby blanket which he just would NOT share with me. But that's ok. I'm three now and I understand these things. Hmm. Anyway, everyone was laughing at us and calling us "Mutt and Chef," which I don't understand at all. All I know is that I love my new little buddy and I will do everything I can to help him finally catch his tail.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-12T01:13:00.009-04:00

September 16 /09

What was I thinking ?

Chef unleashed !

2009-09-09T19:36:00.021-04:00

September 10 /09

Wow, has it been a whole month since I last posted to my blog?

August seems to have come and gone so quickly. Well, for us it was just one show after another. And even though I didn't win any ribbons in the last two shows, I did have a great time. I even went to a beach! A couple of the shows were held lakeside at beautiful parks. But wouldn't you know it - Mama left her camera at home. And now you can't see me be afraid of the water.

That's right. I've discovered that I'm not a dog in the water - I'm a chicken! Mama and Papa took me to play fetch at the beach and when they threw sticks into the water, I would s-l-o-w-l-y wade in til my knees and stop dead in my tracks. Then I'd start pawing at the water trying to make the stick come to me. "What the heck am I doing?" I asked myself. My mind said, go get the stick but my body just stood there. I was shocked.

Anyway, I don't think Boxers were really bred to swim. We're so barrel-chested, I bet we'd just tip over head-first and drown. And it's even worse for those of us with docked tails because tails help to balance and propel.

Besides, when I was one, I fell through the ice into a friend's swimming pool in the wintertime and I had to be pulled to safety.

I don't think I'm ever going to learn to swim. But that's OK.

Want to see me run instead?

That's me at a BBQ at my breeder's house in the country a few weeks ago.There's nothing that makes me happier than running off-leash in a wide open space in the sunshine.

In the truck on the way to the BBQ. I love driving in the country.

And looking out the window.

There was the delicious smell of cow poop everywhere.

At the BBQ I stole my breeder's football. Heh.

This is my impersonation of a football player.

I played with all my relatives. Here I am with cousin Leo.

Look what our parents got to eat. I copped a couple of scraps and I'll tell you something - if you know a girldog who can cook like this, I'd marry her tomorrow.

And here I am running and jumping with our friend, Liana. Some of you may remember a similar video from last summer. Liana always makes me jump for joy.

I sure hope all of you are having a great end-of-summer too!

I almost had sex!

2009-08-23T12:00:00.021-04:00

August 23/09

As you can see, our computer is fixed. What a relief. We were having blog withdrawal here for a while. Anyway, now that I'm back,

WHO WANTS TO SEE ME TRY AND GET IT ON??

This is me with my cousin True. Course, I can't have puppies with her because we're related. Besides, she's only 22 months old. But dang, she's pretty. I just couldn't control my seething masculinity. I had to let her know how interested I was in you-know-what.
,

She seems a little skittish, eh? But I sensed that she kind of liked me. I mean, this wasn't a total rejection, was it? I've never ...um ... been romantic with a girldog before so I can't be sure. It's not like she bit me or anything. But did you see the look she gave me at the end of the video? Hmmm... I dunno.

Anyway, do you think that if she was a more worldly, womanly dog, if she wasn't my cousin, and if there weren't so many chattering people around, we might have had puppies?

Singin' the laptop blu-u-u-ues ...

2009-08-22T13:32:00.006-04:00

August 22 /09

Hi friends.

Just a quick post to let you know that we've been having major computer problems and haven't been able to stay up-to-date with my blog or visit your blogs.

Now that those issues are pretty much resolved, we just discovered that we're unable to download any pictures or videos from our camera. Apparently there's now something wrong with the USB ports. So it's back to Tech Support and hopefully, we'll have this fixed soon too.

Mama has spent hours and hours on the phone with Dell Tech Support, our Internet Service Provider and Linksys. She also had two visits from a Dell technician. But as soon as one thing is fixed, something else goes wrong. She's so fed-up and is just about ready to throw the computer in the garbage. Does anyone else have problems like this? One friend told us that laptops can be sketchy this way and desktops are much less fragile. Opinions?

I'll drop in on your blogs and catch up with all of you very soon. I love and miss you!

xox
Chef

Catch of the day

2009-08-10T09:09:00.026-04:00

August 10/09

You'll absolutely never guess in a gazillion years what came flying onto my street yesterday.

Try and guess but don't look at the rest of this post, ok?

Was it:

A bird?
An airplane?
A flying saucer?

If you guessed any of these - WRONG!

It was a real, honest-to-goodness baseball. I kid you not.

It must have been some high pop fly out of the baseball park down the street and that ball landed right in front of me during my walk.

Another couple of steps and it would have bopped me on the head and knocked me unconscious. But there it was - right in front of my nose ! Was I dreaming? Nope.
,As luck would have it, we had our video camera to record my tremendous find. Course, it's not every day that a dog finds a baseball. I was so delirious with excitement that I totally lost my manners. I forgot how to heel, I forgot how to pee...my bladder was busting but who cared?

Mama couldn't understand that a walk was just not on my agenda anymore. All that mattered was sitting down on the grass and ripping that fabulous baseball to shreds. She was practically on her knees begging me to walk with her. Yeah sure, mom. If you found a baseball, you wouldn't want to walk either.

At the end of the video you can see that I was in a big hurry to get my new ball home. I even tried to cross the street to our house without permission. I'm trained to sit down on the curb before we cross, but I totally forgot.
My bad. Ha ha.

c
After all that misbehaving, I was still allowed to take my ball home and chew it up in the back yard. This is what it looked like by the time I got through with it.

Was I lucky or what?
Ball: not so lucky ...

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-04T22:28:00.009-04:00

RIP Charlie

2009-08-01T01:54:00.009-04:00

August 1 /09

We just heard that our dear friend Charlie has gone to the Rainbow Bridge. Big Dog Charlie was a very special boy and was loved by so many of us at Dogs With Blogs. He touched all our hearts and we will never forget him.

Our most heartfelt condolences to Brooke, Greg and Opy.

Run free sweet Charlie.

I'm 3 !!

2009-07-27T09:24:00.059-04:00

July 27 /09

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !!
.

Actually, my birthday was on Saturday, but we were away for the weekend in Kingston, Ontario for a show. It's kind of hard to celebrate your birthday at a dogshow, unless the judges let all us dogs run free and party. But even I knew that wasn't going to happen so I decided to not even think about my birthday til today.
So I celebrated by spending my entire day with Mama. Don't you love when moms have a day off from work and the weather's nice?

I chewed on my favourite stick and then we played ball. Mama's a little on the clutzy side and she throws like a girl. Frankly, I just wanted to play with my ball by myself and look for squirrels and maybe dig up a couple of the hostas. But I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I put up with it for a while and then I hid.

But there was one thing and one thing only that I really, really, really wanted on my birthday ...

I was wishing so hard for one special thing.... can you guess what it was?

Ice cream. Yeah!
Mama finally took that silly hat off me and I went inside to play with my new plushies that I got at the show.

A happy birthday boy

Later in the evening, Mama borrowed the key to the swimming pool we share with our neighbours at our condo. I got to run off-leash all around the grounds surrounding the pool for 20 minutes. I was jumping and twirling and running like the wind. For me that's a huge treat. I don't get to run wild off-leash often enough. I don't really enjoy the dogpark anymore because some of the people (not the dogs) aren't very nice because their dogs are untrained and aggressive. So now Mama's going to ask the pool manager if I can run there every night when the pool is closed. Hmmmm. Maybe all my dogfriends from the condo can run with me. Imagine - a poolside party every night!
v

Thank you, Mango and Abby, for these beautiful birthday cards.

n n n n n n n n

My beautiful friend Honey is having a Spectacular Slobber contest. Here are my entries. Take your pick, Honeygirl.
.

I only drip-slobber at the dinner table. Sometimes I shake my head and paste my spit right to the diningroom wall. Ha Ha. That's so much fun.

Sometimes I bubble-slobber.

Don't forget to post your best slobber photos on your blog and let Honey know you're in the competition.

Have a great week, everybody.

Play ball!

2009-07-18T00:37:00.002-04:00

July 18 /09

A very special friend

2009-07-12T22:38:00.014-04:00

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.
.
Now his fiesty girl enjoys life to its fullest.

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

2009-07-11T10:57:00.024-04:00

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 brought liver with her.

So what went wrong? Let's see.... 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. I almost sat down but changed my mind considering the witch face Mama was giving me. Yikes. Scary.

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 ~~very average~~ 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.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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 !

2009-07-04T00:37:00.005-04:00

HAPPY 4th OF JULY

TO ALL MY AMERICAN FRIENDS

Anybody there ....??

2009-07-02T22:13:00.005-04:00

Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T01:17:00.010-04:00

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

2009-06-28T15:20:00.029-04:00

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.

.....................................

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.

Welcome home, Laska.

Have a great week, everybody.

Thanks to a very kind policeman

2009-06-22T12:34:00.017-04:00

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!

2009-06-21T09:50:00.007-04:00

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

n n n n n n n

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 =';'=

2009-06-16T12:48:00.013-04:00

June 16 /09

~My sweet little friend~

=';'=

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

2009-06-12T21:20:00.041-04:00

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.

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.

Bzzzz. Text message!!

2009-06-06T00:29:00.013-04:00

June 6 /09

I look like a rabbit - so what?

2009-06-02T20:56:00.019-04:00

June 3 /09

OK, so I'm letting Mama have her fun. At my expense. Go ahead, Mama, embarrass me. That's alright. I'll let it go just this once.

Since the "hilarious" picture is now posted for all the world to see - and snicker at, no doubt - let me explain.

Papa had just let me lick the bottom of his yogurt bowl and it left me with a couple of well-defined white splotches on my mouth.

So I'm sitting there all puffed up and proud that I'd just copped some yogurt, and Mama starts shrieking with laughter.

"Look - rabbit teeth. He's got rabbit teeth!! Ha, ha, ha!!" Then Papa got hysterical too. More laughter, snickering and snorting. Tears were rolling down their cheeks.

Ok, so what's the big deal?

'Course, I couldn't see the splotches so I just sat there wondering what the heck was so funny. Rabbit teeth? My teeth were exactly the same as always, far as I could tell. Then Mama bounded up the stairs to get her camera.

Just before she snapped this picture, she took a napkin and touched up the spots a bit, "so they'll show up better."

And now we have this:

OK, if you can stop laughing long enough to tell me why our parents love it when we look silly, I'd really appreciate it. Frankly, I don't see the humour in robbing a dog of his dignity, do you? I mean, I like making them laugh but this is ridiculous.

On garden duty

2009-05-26T00:03:00.016-04:00

May 27 /09

It's really starting to feel like summer around here. The flowers are blooming and the trees are finally green. And, of course, Mama's spending zillions of hours in the garden, turning the earth, digging, trimming, planting.

There are still lots of containers and bare spots to fill. It's taking her an awfully long time, but that's ok.

Seeing that she's spending less time with me, I decided to plunk myself down at the edge of the lawn every day and make sure no one comes and steals our flowers.

Being a watch dog a very important job.

xx

I am alert and ready.

Defending our garden is something I take very seriously.

If I see a trespasser on our property, I'll have to assume he's planning to run off with our begonias, and I will chase him down as fast as my legs can carry me. It's unfortunate, but it's what I have to do.

I've been sitting here for two days now and there's been no sign of any flower thieves.

But I will sit here all summer long if I have to just to make sure our garden is safe...

Back in the ring / Award

2009-05-19T13:17:00.060-04:00

May 20 /09

I was back in the ring this past weekend - back to struttin' my stuff and showing the world that I can be a serious boy when I want to be.

Everyone is always so amazed at the transformation I go through the minute I step in the ring. No one believes that the regal, calm, mature dog they see is the same fellow who spends his days being a total clown.

I'm silly right up til the time I get spiffed up for the show, which is like two minutes before I go on - I actually jump up on the grooming table. No one's ever seen a dog do that. (I do that at the vet too - isn't that unbelievable?) All over the arena, you see people hoisting their dogs up on their tables, even the ones that weigh l20 lbs! But not me - I take a flying leap and I make a clean landing every time.

Anyway, the secret to my impeccable behavior in the ring has nothing to do with winning the competition... it's because I get so totally focused on the liver bait that I can't think of anything else. I stare at that liver in Emily's hand and all thoughts of acting normal just slip away. Just knowing that any minute that piece of meat's gonna be in my mouth puts me in a trance.

Hey, I can be a pretty tough guy, especially when there are so many males in the ring with me, but show me the liver and I'm a pussycat. You want my tail up? OK! You want a smooth gait and my head high and proud? No problem! I am not kidding here - if Emily told me to stand on my head and spin in circles, I would.

I was so into the liver on Saturday, I won Best in Breed and Third in Group! But the minute I was out of the ring I ran to Daniel and practically jumped into his arms and slobbered a million kisses on his face!

Daniel and I showing off my ribbons

I was so proud of myself.

Some people say that dogs don't know when we've won a competition, but don't believe them - we know.

I also got to see my sister, Rose, and two of my cousins, Dreamer and Apollo.

This picture doesn't do Rose any justice. She really is the prettiest Boxergirl I have ever seen - and smart too. She's the thinker in the family. Not that I don't think. I just think about certain things, like sticks and liver; Rose thinks about everything.

Notice the trance she's in? Can you guess why?

This is my cousin, Dreamer. You met Dreamer a few months ago. He contacted me through my blog and later, I discovered he was competing at the same show as me. I found out that Mama fell in love with him when he was a tiny puppy and wanted to take him home. So he's almost, kind of my brother.

And this is my handsome cousin, Apollo. I don't know him very well but he's cool. I hear he's also a bit of a clown.

I also got a new towel

n n n

A couple of weeks ago I was very honoured to receive the Kreativ Blogger award from my beautiful friend, Honey. Thank you, Honey! I'm supposed to list seven things that I love. Ok, here I go:

Seven things I love

My cookies

Playing with my ball in the park

My stickpile

Bones

Catching my tennis ball

Riding in the car

Meeting up with my friends

Wouldn't it be great if I could take a car ride to the park with my ball to meet my friends from the hood, then go home and have some cookies and bones, then play catch, and then go stick hunting? That would be a perfect day.

Vote for your favourite Dog of Valor

2009-05-13T00:20:00.014-04:00

May 13 /09

There's a very special contest being held by The Humane Society of the United States, honouring dogs who have performed extraordinary acts of courage. Some of the things these dogs have done are nothing short of heroic. Their stories will amaze you.

This is the second annual Dogs of Valor contest and there are 15 finalists, all deserving of the title. Each and every one of them showed how devoted dogs can be when called upon to defend and protect human beings.

There is a panel of Judges, including Benji (with the help of her humans, Kathleen and Joe Camp) but your votes will help determine the Valor Dog of the Year and three runners-up.

There are only two days left to vote, so please go over to People's Hero Award The Humane Society of the United States, read about their spectacular acts of bravery, and cast your ballot.

If you read this post after voting ends, check out the link anyways because just knowing what these dogs have done will make you very proud to be a member of the dog kingdom.

Polls close Friday, May 15th at 5 p.m., Eastern Time.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-09T22:04:00.022-04:00

May 10 /09

....Happy Mother's Day to my Mama!

And to all your Mamas too!
*

I want to wish my Mama a Happy Mother's Day with a big spitty kiss and tell her how much I love her and how much I appreciate everything she does for me every day, but I can't because she's working.

Work. Work. Work. That's all she does during holidays.

I've hardly seen my Mama in days. She leaves for the flower shop when I'm sleeping and comes home when I'm sleeping. OK, so I'm going for ~~boring~~ walks with Daniel and Papa, but Mama's the only one who lets me take sticks home to my stick pile. I haven't been to my stick pile since Tuesday. What's up with that??

I don't understand why people have to send flowers on Mother's Day anyway. I think everyone should just send candy and that it should be mandatory that mothers share it with their dogs.

Anyway, this is what I've been doing lately:

Mama - Please come home and take me stick-hunting.

Thank you, Mama, for giving me a safe, happy home, for feeding me, for taking care of my health and keeping me clean, for buying me toys, for playing with me and taking me stick-hunting.

But mostly, thank you for your hugs and kisses and for loving me.

I wish that all the animals who are in shelters or living in the streets had mothers who loved them too.

Love, Cheffies
x0x

Pedro Rocks!

2009-04-29T22:27:00.065-04:00

May 5 /09

I was so excited today - I went looking for rocks to send to Pedro for his coffee table.

The snow has melted and the mud is all washed away. So there are lots and lots of pretty rocks in the garden to choose fr ....

What the heck is that??

........... ???? ...........

Funny, I thought I saw a spider.

Anyways,

here I am rock hunting in the

.... um

back yard.

Hmmm. I'm feeling a little itchy. -Scratching-

....These are the three nicest rocks I could find.

Hey Pedro, I slobbered them up for you real good and ............. .................................... um ...... then I guarded them all night long.

Scratch scratch

I sure hope you and your Mama like geez

them ..........

We're going to the Post Office tomorrow morning

....................................... to mail them to you. I'm so happy that you'll have something that belonged to me in your house, Pedro.

I am soooo itchy!

............. um, does anyone see bugs?

...............I must have left the back door open.

.......(Don't tell my Mama - I'll tell her Beauty left it open.)

Oh no. They got into my computer!

What do I do now?

Yikes!!

Look at this one!

I think I better go close the back door.

(Remember - Beauty left it open.)

Bye.

I went to the pet store!

2009-04-28T01:47:00.053-04:00

April 29 /09

If I didn't love my family so much, I think I'd move into a pet store.

I don't know about you, but I think pet stores are like no other place on earth.

Mama took me shopping the other day at Mondou, a pet food and toy store not far from our house. She was going to leave me waiting in the car while she picked up some litter boxes for Beauty and Rugrat. But I gave her "The Face." That always works. Heh Heh.

It was the first time she's ever taken me into the pet store. Well, I've never seen so many toys and bones and cookies in one place. I didn't know where to look first. Mama had to keep a tight hold on my leash because who knows what would have happened if I got loose in that place.

I saw the biggest marrow bones I've ever seen in my whole life.

Commercial marrow bones give me bad poopies and I'm only allowed to chew bones that Mama prepares. Well, seeing as she was too busy looking at cat stuff to bother with me, I asked a nice man to buy me a bone.

He took a couple down from the shelf for me to sniff but Mama put them back.

So I continued on my way looking at all the toys and chewies and cookies. I wondered if I could get a job here ...

These cookies were totally driving me wild. It's a good thing they were near the exit because if I'd stayed one minute longer in that store, I would have knocked the display case right on the floor and eaten everything up.

Well, I got back in the car feeling very offended that Mama bought my catsisters their favourite Pounce cookies and their litter boxes. And nothing for me. But when she was closing the trunk, she pulled something out of her shopping bag:

Thanks Mama!

So I'm wondering if maybe the pet store needs a salesdog - just part time or something, y'know? I can taste-test their cookies to make sure they're fresh. And try out their toys to make sure there are no defects. I think I'd be very efficient at testing the dogworthiness of pet store stuff.

I am a Working Dog afterall. That must mean I'm supposed to get a job, right? I think I'll check that out tomorrow.

Have a good week, my friends.

It's Playoffs!

2009-04-23T00:16:00.019-04:00

April 22 /09

Woofless Wednesday

Boston: 4

Montreal: 1

#%&*!!

Playdate with Princesse

2009-04-18T23:36:00.031-04:00

April 19/ 09

Guess what everybody?? Princesse and I finally went on our playdate!

I've waited so long for this day to arrive. When I finally laid eyes on her, I knew she was worth the wait. She's so pretty and so sweet. I just love her!

Princesse (that's Princess in French) was rescued by Mama's friend, Naomi. She's a Doberman/Shepherd mix and she's two and a half, just like me. She's a good, strong runner, she can jump very high and she loves sticks. She's also a bit of a rascal. She's my kind of girl.

So this is what happened: Yesterday, Mama and Naomi took us to an empty tennis court near their old high school. They kept the gate shut by tying my bandana around the poles and bang - off came the leashes and we ran like crazy.

Well, I chased Princesse and she chased me til we just about collapsed. Being city dogs, we don't have that many chances to run off-leash so this was a real treat, let me tell you. Mama and Naomi were so glad to see us jumping and playing and enjoying our freedom. We had cookies and water and we played with sticks and my favourite ball.

Princesse stole my ball but I didn't mind.

Frankly, I really wanted it back but I was a gentleman and waited for her to finish chewing it.

I waited and waited.

Til I just went and found myself a stick but...

.

she stole that too. I didn't mind. Mama said I was a pushover for Princesse but I didn't know what that meant.

When I found another stick, Princesse stole that one too her. *sigh* So finally I stole her leash and ran away with it! HEH.

You'll never guess what I did afterwards. Naomi, Princesse, Mama and I were sitting in Mama's car. They were talking and having a MacDonald's coffee while Princesse was asleep on the floor and I was sitting in the back seat.

Well, I accidentally stepped on the button that opens the window, but no one noticed. Next thing I know, I'm jumping out of the car! I just could not help myself.

We were parked right opposite the dog run and there were so many dogs there - which is why we went to the tennis courts - and I just HAD to go and play with them.

Well, Mama went ghost-white and she called my name in a shrieky witch voice and ran out of the car. She scared me so much, I just sat down and froze.

She came over to me ever-so-slowly because she was afraid if she moved too quickly, I'd run. She grabbed my collar and gave me a good what-for. Geesh, I sat down, didn't I? I could have made her chase me all through the neighbourhood if I wanted to.

Well, she hustled me back into that car so fast my feet bearly touched the ground. I knew I'd been a very bad boy and I was very sad at being yelled at. Anyway, we all got over it, but Mama says she's going to have to lock my window from now on, or get me a seat belt, so I don't think I'm going to be jumping out of the car again any time soon.

2009-04-13T19:33:00.040-04:00

April 13 /09

HAPPY 2nd BLOGIVERSARY TO ME!

It's two years ago, give or take a few days, that I started this blog. I was just a nine-month-old pup discovering the world of humans and cats and toys and walks and food and friends and love cuddles

and dog shows

and my favourite discovery: STICKS!

This is what I looked like when I started blogging.

Iz
I really had to grow into my ears ... I look like I had wings growing out of my head! You can't see them here, but I also had big, floppy clownfeet.

Soon I looked like this.

Then this

Have I grown up or what??

Notice how my muzzle got darker?

Anyway, my blog started as a cyber diary about my life. But then one night Mama was Googling dog health and came across Dogs With Blogs. She read some of the blogs and was so impressed with them that she decided to turn my diary into a blog.

Since then we've met so many of you online, and a few of you in real life, and I just want you to know how much we love you all. We love reading about your lives and seeing your pictures and videos. We just wish we could get to meet all of you, or that we all lived near each other so we could all be real friends.

A truly amazing thing about blogging is how we're all there for one another when things go wrong. It touches our heart to see the outpouring of care and concern during rough times, all the good wishes that go around when we've accomplished something, and the acknowledgements of the simple things we do on a daily basis as pets.

Each of your blogs is as different as each of you are. But with each post is an understanding of the love and joy that we bring our parents, and that's something that bonds us all as bloggers. And we think that's great.

Wow, doesn't time just fly right by? I'm going to be three in July. And as you know, I'm now a big, lanky teenager with hormones that make me get pimples and do rude things to girl dogs. Ah, but it's cool. Speaking of the passage of time, take a look at these two pictures. In the first one, I was still with my breeder so I was about six weeks old. I was a little conehead! In the second picture I'm a year and a half. Can you see the resemblance?

n n n n n n

Today you could finally smell spring in the air. I went stick hunting and found the biggest stick I ever saw. I dragged it all the way home and led Mama to the back yard so I could throw it on my stick pile. Well, there's a little hill on the way to the back yard - the one I once pulled Mama down and made her fall and put her in physio for three weeks - but anyway, it's a very narrow hill so in order to manoeuver the stick I had to walk backwards. That's right, I walked backwards up the hill with a big stick in my mouth! Mama was laughing so hard. Unfortunatley, she didn't have her camera. Silly Mama actually ran into the house and got her camera and tried to make me re-enact the scene but I refused. She should know by now that I do goofy things when she least expects it, and never, ever on demand. Doing a retake makes it just not funny anymore, right?

So let this be a lesson, Mama - when you're with me, always take your camera!

Home Alone

2009-04-07T00:58:00.027-04:00

April 8 /09

Hi friends. I've been spending a lot of time alone lately. Papa hasn't been taking me to the office because it's being painted. Daniel is almost always out. And Mama's been working day and night at the shop getting flowers ready for Passover/Easter... which also explains why I haven't been keeping my blog up-to-date and why I haven't been visiting your blogs.

Mostly I spend my days sleeping. I don't feel much like chewing on my toys when I'm so lonely. Luckily, Daniel left the Tintin movie, "L'ile Noire" in his VCR yesterday, so I watched my favourite moviedog, Snowy, go on one of his wild adventures.

Here I am watching Snowy on DVD

Tintin is a thrill-seeking Belgian reporter and Snowy is his Wire Fox Terrier. Together they travel the world in search of wrong-doing and always end up tangled in some international intrigue. Snowy understands everything everyone says and reports it back to Tintin so he can solve all kinds of mysteries. He also helps Tintin escape from the bad guys. He even chewed right through a rope that Tintin was tied up with so they could make their getaway. Snowy also likes to get drunk. He's a funny dog. But he's brave and brilliant and he's my hero.

..................................Tintin and Snowy

Anyway, right now Mama's typing this for me while she's half asleep and her fingers are sore from making hundreds of holiday bouquets. Just as soon as the holidays are over, though, I'll get back to blogging. I'm thinking of all of you and can't wait to check in with you and see what you've all been up to.

By the way, I haven't met Princesse yet. Our Mamas have planned a playdate for us at the park when Mama's work schedule returns to normal and the weather gets better. It's been freezing cold again up here in Canada and it actually snowed today. I looked out the window tonight and stared in disbelief when I saw the back yard covered in snow again. It was just a light dusting but still - this is April. When will it be spring??

Anyway, I have a huge stick outside the back door and a brand new custom-made leather collar with silver stars on it, both of which I plan to show off for Princesse on our playdate.

The thought of finally running in the park with Princesse and watching Snowy on DVD are the only things getting me through these lonely April days.

I just can't wait for life to get back to normal

So bye for now

and

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Stick hunting season is here!

2009-03-28T11:38:00.035-04:00

March 29 /09

I've gone on my first stick hunt of the season!

Now that most of the snow has melted, there are all kinds of great sticks lying around. So the other day I went sniffing for my first sticks of the season.

Heading out and scoping the neighbourhood for new sticks.

Seaching high and low for the perfect stick. I wanted to impress my new friend Princesse by carrying a nice big stick past her house.

I found this stick. It wasn't very big but I gave it all I've got ...
z

... right here outside her house where she could see me.

I power-munched that sucker for 20 minutes!z

Munch, munch, munch.

Princesse didn't come outside.

Then look what I found!

Isn't it spectacular? If this monster stick doesn't get Princesse's attention, nothing will. I'm going to carry it back and forth outside her house tomorrow til she notices me and comes outside to play.

To be continued ...