Happy Halloween

I went to my first costume party this past Saturday. It was Great ! The nice folks at Oakland Animal Services did a fantastic job putting on this event. Everyone really liked the cool costume Aunt Roxanne made for me. It was a hit, but not as big as HonkyTonk from BADRAP and his chair jumping tricks, or the great show Paco from Paco Collars put on. Those guys are pros.

If you are ever in the Oakland area, please stop in and say "Hi" to all the nice folks, and visit all the great critters waiting for a home. Tell them Jonny sent you. Better yet, don't just say "Hi ", take one home !

Wishing everyone a fun, safe, and tail wagging Halloween !

Jonny-

Learning to Relax

This time last year was the beginning of my life as a free dog. Tim had come and lifted me down from my kennel and we had all loaded up into the big RV for the long journey to California. When Tim asked me to leave the kennel, I was kind of nervous because I had lived in that one small place for so long without leaving. I was excited, too, because I knew he was really nice from when I met him when he came to see me and Hector and Jhumpa and our other friends in September. Today a year ago, I was learning about the outside again and running around on a long line with Nicole and Steve.

This year has been really busy and I have learned lots of new things. I have seen my picture in newspapers and magazines and on the computer. I have even become a Canine Good Citizen and got my very own family with a beautiful big sister to hang out with and two cats to jump over.

To celebrate my one year anniversary as a free dog I am learning something new. I am learning how to relax. My people have been telling me to relax for a long time, usually when I am being really really bouncy and re-organizing the furniture by throwing myself at it, but now I am learning what "relax" really means. We have taken a little time off from training classes and we have been going for long walks and playing "keep the ball away from the people" a lot. I am definitely enjoying this laid back life. I like relaxing, so long as there is lots of fun stuff to do.

Life is better with a little Jhumpa in it!!

Hi, all! I'm Jhumpa...

Because I don't have fingers, my person is helping me type this. Cool, huh? I mean, how many pit bulls have a person who will help them type? I guess that's a great way to introduce my situation: I'm just like Jonny Justice, Uba, Hector, Teddles, and the rest of my "family" - I've found an amazing place to live (in New York state) and sometimes I still can't believe it. One day, about a month after I came to live here, my person started crying and said that she was crying because she saw me "smile" for the first time. I still don't know what the heck she was crying about, especially since I was so happy. Humans never cease to confuse me...

Anyway, since I came to live with my new family (eight months ago), every day has been a new adventure. My person and I go to school every week and I have already graduated from basic agility and basic obedience. That agility thing is so cool - Did you know that we're allowed to jump on tables when we're doing agility? And that I can even get a hot dog for just "sitting" in obedience!? What a great gig! And as if this isn't cool enough, at home I get to live with a whole bunch of other animals! I have three big brothers (a pit bull, a lab and a westie), and a big sister (bull terrier/pitty mix). I also have five cats. One of my cats, Clarence, is really cross-eyed and it is really fun to play with him because he can't really tell where I am when I'm jumping all around. The other day when we were tearing up the house, Clarence smacked me in the face and now I have a funny mark on my nose. It didn't really hurt but my person made a funny face when she looked at it and said something about "wolverine". Maybe she will post a picture so you can decide for yourself...

Everyone who meets me says I'm really cute and most people think I'm still a puppy (even though I'm all grown up). Lots of people want to pet and hug and squeeze me but I am still a little worried about being squeezed by strangers. But wouldn't you be? I mean, seriously!!

Anyway, I better get to bed. I have to get up early to be sure that my person gets her daily walk, otherwise she can get out of control. And noone wants that :)

Thanks for having me! I will be sure to be in touch soon!!!!!!

An Old Friend

Recently, I have been in contact with an old friend, Jhumpa Jones. She came from the same yard as the rest of us, but stayed on the East Coast after being released from custody.

I am very glad you could join us. Here's to the future Jhumpa Jones, it's all blue sky from here.



Jonny-

I'm going to the Doctor!

I love going to the doctor. There's lots going on, everybody is busy just like me, people are friendly, and so far, I haven't been poked or prodded too terribly much. But this next doctor visit is a big one. I overheard people talking about my knees. Yeah, they hurt sometimes. I have grade three luxating patellas, but you wouldn't know it by looking at me. But, I'm not allowed to jump in and out of the truck, run like a maniac, leap for a flirt pole or stuffy toy, throw myself down the stairs (I'm always in a hurry you know). But, maybe, just maybe, this doctor can help me.

If he can, I promise to get serious about my obedience training and who knows, maybe I can run through that pink tunnel more. My housemate was an agility competitor, took a high in standard at the CPE Agility Nationals back in 2006 (I think that was before I was even born) and I really want to be just like her when I grow up.

S0 wish me luck. My appointment is November 11 and I just can't wait!

Missing stuff.

Sorry I havn't posted in a while, I've been busy taking care of my big sis Lily. When I first came here, she taught me lots of stuff and showed me they way around. A little while ago, she had to go to the vet and have her leg fixed. I have been doing my best to help her feel better.

I miss playing with her. She always whoops my butt. But hey, I admit, I can be a brat sometimes. I'd whoop my butt too, if I were her.

I miss going on walks with her. She is fun, and a bit crazy too. Sometimes she jumps in the lake and then tries to get me to go in too. No way sis, the water is way too deep for my short legs. I'd sink like a stone if I went in.

I miss laying in the morning sun with her. She almost always gets the good spot, mostly cause I eat breakfast too slow and she gets there first. But sometimes she lets me share the good spot with her. I really like when she does that.

I was so happy when she started feeling better and I finally got to lay in the sun with her again. The vet fixed her up all better. Maybe this vet guy isn't too bad after all. I think it may be sometime before we can play again, but I'm just happy to have my big sis back.

I missed her.

Jonny-

Sliding Glass Doors - Friend or Foe

Hmmm.....ya, not much thinking needed on this one. DEFINITE FOE!!! I mean seriously......what kind of crazy person thought this one up?!? Saturday we're over at M-Guy's friends' house and I get to play with their female Pit and big male Rottie. It was a pretty sweet set up. There was a big opening in the family room to lead out onto the deck, which then went down to the yard with stairs you barely had to use if you didn't want to. Of course I chose not to. We got to play chase a bunch of times and could bring toys and stuff in and out of the house. I got the other two dogs riled up and into a good wrestling match, and of course being the good dog that I am thought we should take this rough housing outside to appease the humans. I spring free from the other two to have them chase me outside when WHAM!!! This invisible force later described as the "sliding glass door" was put in place so the humans could turn on the "air conditioning". This sliding glass door thing is just wrong. I'm all for running into things, walls included, but there's a technique to it. Full speed, face first because you can't see it coming is not it. The only thing I haven't figure out is who is more insane - the person who invented this messed up object or the people crazy enough to buy them and put them in their houses.

H

My Friends

Its been a while since I became a free dog and started making friends. I am kind of a shy guy, but once I know someone, and I decide they can be trusted, I give them a big hug and then we are friends forever. All the people I know get hugs when I see them.

I've made some really great friends so far, but two of my special friends are Rachel and Aaron. They both helped me learn to be a better boy and I'm really happy to know them.

After I had been with my family for a little while I met the nicest person called Rachel. She would come and visit me and Lulu while our people were out during the day. I LOVE Rachel, she is so nice and understanding. She has gone away to a place called London in England, wherever that is, to go to graduate school. My mom says I can't go and visit her there because dogs like me are illegal in England. I gave her a big hug goodbye before she left so she can remember what England is missing out on.

I made another new friend recently, too. His name is Aaron and he is my dad's nephew. I am kind of scared of the people who are called "teenagers". They are often kind of loud and they roam around in packs, so I just don't know about them. I thought Aaron was pretty scary when I first met him, since he is a teenager. Lulu said he was very nice, though, so I watched him closely for a few days and kept my distance. After a while I realized that he was a lot like me and we made friends. We gave each other a big hug to celebrate.

I can't wait to make more friends like Rachel and Aaron!

hugs,

Uba, CGC

Walls.......hmmmmm........

Okay, so for the most part they are good things. I can usually bounce off them to help me get to where I want to go. The best thing about walls is that it's so much easier to just let them stop you, instead of having to expend all that energy to stop yourself. When you run at them, they don't move and stop you dead in your tracks. It's awesome! Much more stable of a stopping device than M-Guy's legs.

The one downside is that I think they are built similar to the stairs in some way. Much like how the stairs move out from underneath me right as I put my feet down, the end of the walls called "corners" are not so stationary. It seems to happen most when I turn around, but the corners randomly shoot out and extend themselves to make openings smaller than the first time I passed by. Not a huge deal until you turn around right as they shoot out into your face. Man does that sting. So my lesson for today when it comes to walls - Aim for the center!

H

Me Too, Me Too!!!!

I couldn't let you guys out in Cali have all the fun, so I made sure M-Guy knew I was ready for that Good Canine Something-Or-Other test by helping M-Gal around the house while he was in Colorado with Wallace and Ajax. I made sure that she knew where one of her socks was by going and snatching it out of the laundry basket. Then I made sure her sandals looked extra clean with a Hector Special Spit Shine. The rug going into the laundry room really needed a beating to get the dust out of there as well. Then I cleaned one of the windows, but that was a little tricky because I had to get up on the desk to reach it. M-Gal kept stopping me from doing all these things like I wouldn't do a good enough job. She had dumped brand new toys all over the place that she wanted me to play with, but I didn't want to play. I had to prove I could be a Good Doggie Citizen thing like all my buddies back in Cali. I was able to do one thing before she stopped me though. The big plant in the corner really needed watering, so I was able to get it free from its pot and bring it to her to make sure she was aware of the necessary attention that the plant needed. After that I got dinner in my crate for a hard day of house chores, and she called M-Guy to tell him all the things I did to help her around the house. M-Guy must have been pretty impressed, because he got back from Colorado and finally took me to take that test. He said I was a very good boy, and that I passed!! Well duh, I'm sure once they heard about all the stuff I did around the house to help M-Gal out, the rest were just details. I got a big rawhide when I got home. It was good. Hey M-Guy.......you haven't unpacked your suitcase from Colorado yet. Let me help you with that...........

H

I'm Brave Now

Yesterday started out like any normal Saturday. We went to school like always, but this time there was a different teacher called the evaluator and there were way more people than usual. I did all the good stuff I usually do in class, only this time I didn't get any treats and the nice evaluator paid attention only to me. After we finished, she wrote stuff down on a piece of paper and then she said "Congratulations!" My mom was SO happy, she gave me a whole bunch of treats and she let me bounce around, which I'm not supposed to do at school. Then all the nice people clapped and came over to give me and my mom hugs. They said that now I was Canine Good Citizen! When I was first living with my family I learned that Lulu was a Canine Good Citizen and I decided I would study hard so I could be smart and brave just like Lulu. It is very exciting to know that school is what makes me smart! I love school.

Everyone was so proud of me and when we got home I got a yummy turkey neck with my dinner. Even the nice man called Landlord came over to tell me I was a good boy. It was like a party for me all day. Then my mom looked at the computer and told me that Jonny was a Canine Good Citizen now, too!







Today I got to do all my favorite things. We went on a nice walk to my favorite park and looked at the gopher holes. I didn't find any gophers this time, but it was fun anyway.



Then we spent the afternoon in the back yard. I made a new hole underneath a tree and took a nap. I think I might get a special treat with my dinner again tonight, too!

It was a great weekend and I can't wait to get my new Canine Good Citizen tag to wear on my collar, just like Lulu does. Then everyone will know that I am a smart and brave boy.


hugs, Uba

I Dig Dirt!

Last week my people commented that I don't dig in the yard.  They seemed happy about that. Lulu had started a nice hole, but I never saw what was so fun about digging.  Well, the other day I was hanging out in the yard and I thought I might give digging a try.  I went into the garden shed and got out the little trowel that the people use when they dig in the dirt, and I took it over to Lulu's hole.  Then I started digging... 

There's the handle of the trowel in front of me in the picture above.  I couldn't figure out how it worked, so I just dug with my paws.

Wow, digging is fun!  I think I did a really good job with Lulu's hole.

After a while my people came outside and said I had to stop because I was throwing dirt into the neighbor's yard.  Bummer!

I think I am going to do this digging thing more often.

hugs,

Uba

I Float!

Well, I finally decided to test out my water legs after nearly a week of watching everyone else having so much fun in the river. Maxine sure loves to swim and chase after tennis balls! But from the sidelines, I just couldn't help but notice that she sometimes forgets to bring the ball all the way back onto shore and drops them in the water instead. D'oh!! After losing more than a few tennis balls, floating downstream never to be seen or heard from again, I decided I should probably show her how it is really done. (You see...I am becoming pretty darn good at playing fetch. And in order to get the most joy out of this game...you actually have to bring the ball back and then drop it!...otherwise nobody will be able to throw it for you...duh!) Maybe someday I will be able to teach my old Maxine-E-Bean some new tricks.



But for now, she's teaching me a thing or two about doing the dog paddle. Here's a lil' movie of Maxine showing me how to swim. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Love,
Ernie

p.s. Hector...when your peeps take you swimming...if you ever want to use my life jacket, it's all yours! I don't really need it anymore. It only slows me down while I'm swimming so I've just been using it to block the sun and keep the pesky little flying bugs off of me when I'm "chill-ax-ing" on the beach.

A New Bed

I found a new bed the other day. My people laughed at me and said I was silly.

They call my new bed a hamper. It was kind of a tight fit, so it was hard to get comfortable. I had to move everything around a lot before I lay down.

After a while my mom took all the soft blankets out and put the new bed away in the closet.

That's OK, though. My other bed is better really.

hugs,

Uba

Stairs........hmmmmmm.......

Is it just me, or do stairs just appear to be still objects? Minnesota Guy and Minnesota Gal always sigh and shake their head whenever I run up the stairs with comments like "Doesn't that hurt?" or "You need to learn how to climb stairs instead of ricochet up them." Whatever! I know how to climb stairs. Who doesn't know how to climb stairs? Not me, that's for sure! What do they expect when the stairs are always moving out from underneath me with no warning?!? At least when I go down them, I can avoid them all together by launching myself from the landing, and striking a sweet pose during my hang time. Yeah Baby!

H