Vacation

Woot!
My latest vacation was totally different than the last one we were on. This time we didn’t have to get all bundled up in our snow parkas and cozy fleece coats. Instead, I got to wear something called a “life jacket” (cause until now, I’ve never actually tried swimming yet). And since I’m such a fair-furred and freckled pink belly dog, I always have to slather on this stuff called sunscreen (cause dogs like me can easily get sunburns too you know… and we wouldn’t want that.)


I went on long hikes in the woods, relaxed at the river, snuggled with my Maxine, AND I even learned how to swim !!!

Stayed tuned for pics and video of me testing out my new water legs...

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP - Annoying? Yep, I thought so, too. Especially way too early in the morning after my first night with this Minnesota guy. I sure hope they get more sleep than this on average here in Minnesota. Of course it seems that when they're not sleeping here, they are driving somewhere, and that lets me get some extra snooze time, so maybe this will work out nicely after all. We headed to something called a disc dog competition. Lots of people kept coming over to see me, which is no surprise.......I mean look at me - Who wouldn't want to spend time with an adonis like myself. Only one real pet peeve from the day. Minnesota Guy kept putting stuff up to have my kennel in the shade. But don't worry ladies, he wasn't very good at it and always had a little bit of sun shining in part of my kennel for me to curl up in and catch some rays. Seriously, how does he expect me to keep my bronze god of a body if he doesn't let me soak up the sun? Hellooooooo.....?!? Anyway, it was a fun day. Lots of people rubbed my chest and told me how sweet I was. I met a couple of nice doggie friends, too. They were disc dogs in the competition, but were super nice to me even though I wasn't competing. Not really sure I get this whole disc dog thing. It seems like a lot of work, but at least it's a nice bunch of folks to hang out with. I'm hungry. Hey Minnesota Guy - Where's my food?!

jonny comes marching home

So, I get up the other day, eat some breakfast, use the yard, and wonder..........
Hmmm..... when I am gonna get my walk. Boy, I didn't see this coming !

I get a parade with all the BADRAP dogs !!!! Nice ! It's good to be me !

Wait..there's more ??? A forever home too ?!? No way, reeeeally ? For me ?!?!

What a day ! It can't get any better. Ok, wait, It just got better.

I just found out I get to keep this shirt !!!

Jonny-

ps....double-time tail wags to donna & tim, nicole & steve, shannon, linda, rebecca, mike, and judge henry. thank you !

I Can Fly!

Well I've arrived in some place called Minnesota after a crazy ride on something called an airplane. It ended up that this guy I met about a week before the plane ride was waiting for me, and after getting unloaded from this airplane thing, he loaded me and my kennel up in the back of his car. I was getting a little worried because I could have used a potty break, especially after smelling that outside air, but fortunately that guy and the lady he was with stopped pretty soon and let me stretch my legs and do my thing. We stopped at a place where there wasn't nearly as many people around. Probably a good idea. With as many people as were back at that other place, there were sure to be some paparazzi waiting to nab some pics of a big star like me. We never would have gotten out of there for me to do my business; these two folks seem to know what's up and how to handle a dog of my obvious status. Score one point for them.

Nature break felt good. It was a bit of a car ride to these folks' house, but I had a couple of chewies in my kennel from the plane. These guys seem pretty cool, so I think it's safe to kick back and take care of these chewies to kill some time on the car ride.

Once we got to their house, I got a personal tour of the house. I'm not sure why he felt the need to have me on leash for the tour, but since he was pretty cool about everything else I won't hold that too much against him. The folks said something about this being my forever home. Not quite sure what that means. I have experience with a number of foster homes, so we'll see how this forever home deal adds up to those. I could smell and hear a number of other dogs, but we didn't get to meet. The guy said something about needing to get to bed because we had to get up early for some type of competition. I figured I've been in my kennel for a while, but I could use some nice quiet sleep time from my long trip. The guy put my kennel in one of the rooms and had me go in it for the night. He then came back in with some blankets and ended up making a bed on the couch so he could sleep in the room with me. I have to admit, that couch looked pretty comfy, but my bed in my kennel wasn't bad either, so I guess I can chill here for the night. "Good night Hector" "Good night Minnesota Guy"

A day in the life of me

In the morning, Nice Mister and The Kid come to open my crate, I spazz around the house a few times to let everyone else know that I'm up and about, and then we do what Nice Mister has apparently deemed, "Love Time."

This entails Nice Mister sitting on the floor with me saying nice things to me while I lean on him.


It also often includes The Kid talking to me about all kinds of things like how that red, yellow, and blue thing that doesn't taste like anything but is fun to chew apart isn't a dog toy. The Kid kept referring to it as his "fire truck." Anyway, The Kid tries to teach me stuff but it's hard to figure out what he's saying since this communicating -through-
sounds- instead -of -body -English-
language-thing ain't exactly easy to learn. Something about how rotisserie chicken isn't dog food, it's people food, and how I'm a dog and not a person blah blah blah. I wonder how I can teach The Kid to just give me the damn chicken! But I digress.

At the end of "Love Time," Nice Mister and I go running so I can make sure all my designated pee spots are still mine. And then, after Nice Mister goes to work, I play and lounge around.

My foster sisters are pretty cool.

Isabelle's lots of fun but Nice Lady doesn't seem to like it when I take flying leaps onto Isabelle's back.

Whodathunkit?

But she didn't seem to mind if I just lay next to her, so we do that.









And Lucy's still bitchy as ever so I have to put up with humiliating things like serving as her chair. Oh if my "friends" back home could see me now.











And if I get really bored, I can always entertain myself.



Or just chill.




Good times all around.



Not bad. Not bad at all.

My Adopt-a-Day

Today was a big day for me.  I was officially adopted!  Now I am really really home forever.  My people told me I could stay with them forever a long time ago, but now it is official and Lulu will always be my big sister to help me learn about new things.  

When got home from class and talking to Donna, I got some presents. I got this cool purple thing that has treats inside.  If I work really hard the treats come out.  Yum. 

  

I also got a new tennis ball on a rope.  It is great because I can chase it, and squish it, AND tug on it.  Woo hoo, I did lots of bouncing with this new toy!

I have come a long way from living in the woods in Virginia waiting to go to my first fight. Now I live in a real home, with my own bed and toys and sweaters, and most importantly my own family.  Now I wait for my play time in the yard and my walks in the park.   

Thank you to all the people who helped me stay alive to see my adopt-a-day. Thank you Donna, Tim, Nicole and Steve, Kim and her family, and everyone else who helped me find freedom and a home to call my own. I am just a little black dog from a rough place and I can't believe how lucky I am that so many people care about me.  I hope that one day all little black fight bust dogs can have the same chance to find happiness that I have had.

hugs, Uba

Ernest goes to school

...well, at least I tried to anyway...

Every morning when I walk my boy to the bus stop I get so excited and do a happy dance when I see my friends waiting there just to pet me. Then there's this huge yellow and black thing that makes lots of noise and makes my friends "disappear"...and no, it's not a killer bee...They tell me it's called a school bus. I'm very curious about that thing, so I just sit there and wag my tail at it, and tilt my head back and forth, and wonder where the kids are going without me! The bus driver laughs at me every time I try to sneak on the bus with my friends.

Bed and Breakfast

I just found out that dog beds are not for breakfast. Darn.

To be honest, it didn't taste too good, but it was sure a lot fun to eat.

Hector-

Beach Boy

I found out about a new place called "the beach". Its a place with sand and lots of great smells and fun things to see. Lulu showed me that the beach is the best place ever - she got super excited and ran and bounced around like I do. Here we are getting some treats.

The splashy, cold, water knocked me over. Yuck! I don't think I want to get too close to that again.

Even though I got wet and had to have a bath afterwards, I really hope we can go back again soon.

hugs, uba

Squeaker-ectomies

This is one of my very favorite things ever...

Before....

During...

and the Aftermath....

Total time elapsed...15 minutes of sheer bliss!

RIP little squeaky toy...

Moving Day

April 25th is a big day in my life.

Last year, on April 25th, 2007, people came and put stuff in boxes and took me and all the dogs I knew off our chains and out of the dark and lonely woods. After that I spent a long time in custody, which was really scary and boring.

This year, right before April 25th, my people started putting stuff in boxes. I got really worried and stayed in my crate wondering if this meant the people would come and take me and Lulu away and put me in custody again. Then, on April 25th, my mom took me and Lulu for a car ride to a house in a quiet neighborhood where we had gone before to meet a "fan" that my people called "the Landlord".

Here we are watching some of the boxes during our car ride.

Soon a whole bunch of men showed up with all the boxes from our apartment. Lulu did a lot of talking to the men because she wanted to make sure everything went in the right place (she got in trouble for being too bossy and had to have a time out). My people told me that we had "moved" and this was our new house. I like this place a lot, there's lots of space and an interesting back yard just for me and Lulu, that we don't have to share with neighbors. There is also a special room called the "garage" just for my treadmill!

This April 25th was a lot better than last year.

Outside

Outside is one of my favorite words.
It can mean outside in the backyard. I like the backyard.

It can mean a walk in the park. I also like the park. When I go to places outside, I try and say hello to everyone I see. Hey, Mister Gopher, How's it going down there in your little cave ?

Whenever I hear the word " outside ", It puts a smile on my face.

Ahhhhh........Outside.

Hector-

Going to law school

Yup. You read it right. I got into law school.

Yesterday, my Nice Lady took me for a long car ride up to a place called Sacramento. She had to do a presentation for BAD RAP to a group of law students. We walked around campus for a while so I could pee on a bunch of stuff but she wouldn't let me FLING my masterful flings on the freshly manicured grass -- my favorite kind! Where's the justice in that?!




I was going to introduce myself to the Admissions people, but Nice Lady said she didn't think I was actually allowed to be in the administration buildings. Well, THAT's a silly rule -- how in the heck am I supposed to do well in school if I can't go into the building??

Anyway, the students in the classroom ooh-ed and ahh-ed over me and I soaked it all up. I mean, who would turn down adoration and love? And, who can blame them? I AM pretty darn cute, after all.



It was fun, but exhausting. I hope they didn't notice me dozing off in class -- how embarassing!
Thanks so much to the Animal Law Society!

Camera Time

My friends and I have paparazzi and fans!

Photographers, camera crews, reporters and fans come to our pit bull school to see us, take our pictures, and talk to our people. I'm not the most famous dog in the world, but I guess I may be more famous than other dogs. Camera people come to our house and to our classes and ask me to pose and look handsome. I sit and get treats and next thing you know, my picture is on the internet and in the newspaper! Since my picture was on the internet next to Britney Spears, I guess I have paparazzi.

Sometimes there are people at school who I have never even met who know my name and who get really excited to see me. Even though they are really nice, they make me a little nervous because I'm kind of shy with new people. I try really hard to be brave and say hi, because it is so nice that so many people know me. Dutch says those are "fans".

The first time I had paparazzi was back when I was in custody and people from a paper called the New York Post came. I was pretty worried about the camera, but curious, too. This is me, in my kennel, wondering what the camera was. I was called "number 32" then.

I'm so glad BAD RAP and so many wonderful people worked so hard to get me and my friends out of jail. It is really great to have a free life and have fans and paparazzi. When I meet them I can show my people that I am getting more and more brave.

Now I know about cameras, I don't mind posing for pictures at all. See how good I am at pouting?

hugs, Uba

Sunday...A Day of Rest

Well, actually, naps are good any ol' day of the week, not just on a Sunday... and even better when curled up with a favorite friend or family member.