This dog's life... my road back...

My Big Sister

2011-04-06T10:42:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I got to go for a ride in the car. We visited two different places with lots of other dogs. I didn't get to go into the first one but I could hear them calling. Mom said it was the Western Montana Humane Society and they had lots dogs and cats looking for a good home like I have. Mom and the family were in there for about an hour but when they came out they didn't have anyone with them.
Next we went back to the pound where I used to live before I came home. Mom told me to stay in the car while they went inside and looked around. After about 30 minutes Skylar came out and got me. We went inside and then around back and I got to sniff this other dog. She was pretty skinny and scraggly, kinda like me when I lived there. I could tell she was scared because she didn't want to play and just ran around to my family. At first I wasn't very excited about another dog in my house but I knew my family would be excited to have another dog to play with and would still love me.
This new dog's name is Ginger and she came home with us. I like having her at home, she is slowly learning how to play ball and last night she helped me steal a whole bowl of lobster ravioli off the counter. It was really good. I like her and I hope she stays around.

More to come later.

Still snowing

2011-02-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

Came home from daycare tonight and it is still snowing. I like the snow it is fun to play in but it makes my feet cold. Mom keeps telling me she wishes it would snow up high but that she doesn't want it to snow at our house. I like to go outside with her when she is shoveling the driveway. She lets me play in the front yard which I love.
So like I said it was snowing today when I got home but it was almost like the snow was turning into rain. Mom said she wasn't going to shovel until later because there wasn't enough snow. I did get to go outside in the backyard but the ground was very cold and wet. I got to run around and stomp in the snow. The stairs are really slick today and I almost fell down on the way back up. Hunter must not have come out and cleaned them off like he normally does so I decided I would call him and let him know I was ready to help.
It only took me three barks (he always come quick) to get his attention and he came outside to see what I wanted. Unfortunately, Hunter has trouble speaking dog sometimes so he stood at the top of the stairs and called my name so I barked at him. He said "come up," and I said "clean up". Finally, Mom and Sky came out to see what was going on. Mom is great at speaking dog she knew exactly what I was trying to say. She handed Hunter the shovel and he had my stairs cleaned in a matter of moments.
I love it when a plan come together.

So now I am back inside and curled up cozy in my bed.

Going stir crazy

2011-01-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and no one was up. I sat in front of mom's door for a while, I tried talking to her over and over again. She took forever to wake up and then all she said was "J.R. go to bed." I went in the living room and waited for her to get up but I was soooooo hungry.
I waited and waited and waited...
Finally, dad came upstairs and feed me. I ate my breakfast and then it was time to play. I love to play soccer. I played all morning, I love my new ball; it is big and easy to find because it is really loud. It has been very cold outside and I am getting tired of hanging out inside all the time. When it is warm out Mom takes me everywhere with her on the weekend. When it is cold she just leaves me home all day alone. I like to take a nap but then I play some soccer and take another nap, but I miss Mom and the kids.

I can't wait until it warms up. I hope it hurries up and gets warm soon....

Snow and rain

2011-01-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

This week I can't say that much has happened. I played outside and have been finding all the tennis balls I got for Christmas either hidden in the snow or under the couch. I LOVE tennis balls they are so much fun. I can even get two in my mouth at the same time. A couple weeks ago when I was at daycare I got pretty mad because none of the people were there to play with me so I ran as hard as I could toward them. That wasn't the best idea because what I didn't know was there was a chain link fence in between me and them. I hit my head pretty hard, which made me pretty mad so I bite it as hard as I could. This was the worse idea I had come up with in a long time because it really hurt. I cut my lip open and it really hurt.
That was a couple weeks ago and now I am feeling much better and am back to being able to catch two balls at once. Last night I was playing with the boys and they have the annoying trucks that run around and make tons of noise. I decided that if I can fit two tennis balls in my mouth I can definitely put a truck in my mouth. Yeah, sure can. Unlike tennis balls, trucks are not much fun to chew on, not to mention that Hunter did not like me chewing on his truck. He told me that was not mine and I was NOT to chew on it. I wanted to tell him that I felt free to chew on anything that runs into my feet.
For those of you following my recovery my feet are doing great, my bum hip is pretty good too. I have learned to jump up and steal food off the counter (Mom isn't happy about this so I have been keeping that to a minimum). I can run up and down my stairs at home and am able to go anywhere in my back yard. Winter is harder that summer because I don't like the cold outside and I don't get to go many places with mom, but I have been still getting lots of exercise. I hope it gets nice soon I want to play outside with my family.

Home again, home again

2011-01-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

It was a week of fun and games at my Nana's but now I am exhausted. I had a great time this last week playing with Jobe and Dodger. They can be a bit bossy but they have the best toys and are lots of fun to play with. I got to eat bones and stuffies. I ran up and down the stairs tons while I was there and got to play in the backyard.
Now, I am back home and my back and hips really hurt. Mom said I overdid it since I have been limping and I have been sleeping either on the heater or next to the back sliding door. She said that makes her feel better, too. She has been staying up with me at night. Last night we both hung out all night listening to the big box in the living room and then mom played on her computer. She said it was nice of me to keep her company, I think she just likes staying up late playing on her computer. My back hurts so it has been hard to sleep in my bed I can't seem to get it right so I fluffed it up and growled at it. If you growl at your pillow it will usually do what you tell it but then Mom growls at me and says she is trying to sleep but I don't think so. She hasn't really been sleepign much for a long time.

Tonight, Hunter got to play with his new truck, I can hear it buzzing around the house. I chased it for a while but mom yelled at me when bite it but I think it deserved it. Hunter likes to run over my feet with his trucks and they all make this buzzing sounds. On the other foot Skylar is just hanging out reading I can just spend the evening in her room and she will pet me until she goes to bed. Mom will be up after that we can hang out I hope she will give me some of that cheese that makes me feel better and then she might come out and hang out with me.

Nana's was fun and so were the other dogs but I really love my family.

A week at Nanas

2010-12-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

So it has been a week at Nana's with Jobe and Dodger. I like it here they have lots of toys and bones. Mommy is sick again, she said something is wrong with her bones and when she gets home she has been hobbling like me. My hip hurts but I think it is just from playing with Jobe all day. He is a blast and we wrestle all the time. I really like playing here. I haven't got to go to daycare this week but we've been having a blast.
I run into everything here and there are lots of sharp things that I keep running into. There is a cat here, he talks too much, in fact he talks constantly. Mom had to move him off the keyboard like 10 times just to type this. I like to lick him and he likes to clean my ears.
Mom said we are going home soon but I am not sure I am ready to go home yet.

Getting excited for Nana's

2010-12-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

I am counting down the days until I get to go on a trip. The trip isn't very long in the car, about the same as going to daycare, but this is even better. In three days mom and I are off to Nana's. That means playing with Dodger and Job all day long. They have lots of toys there too!! Mom said we have to go stay at Nana's for the holidays and keep the other puppies company since Nana and Terry are going to visit my Aunt Dawn. I don't know why Dodger and Job don't come stay with me at our house and Mom isn't talking about it. Skylar and Hunter are going to visit their dad so they will be gone too, so I guess going to Nana should be a lot more fun than staying home alone.
Normally, I sleep during the day when mom and the kids are at work but now I will have someone to play with everyday and not just when I go to daycare. Job and Dodger are fun most of the time. Job likes to play and we get to wrestle and race around the house and the yard all day long. Dodger is just fun to tease, she is a cranky old lady and growls at me sometimes but I steal her toys and sometimes Job and I step on her because she's little but we still love her.
So as my mom would say, Merry Christmas to everyone and don't bite the man that visits in the middle of the night this Saturday, he just might bring you news toys and treats.

A tree in my bed

2010-12-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I noticed that a tree had grown where my bed used to be. The entire time I have lived at my forever home my bed has been in the same place inside my house but last weekend Mom moved it and put a tree there instead. The tree is very pointy all the way down and has all these things on it that make noise. It seems like thing are growing underneath it, too. At first I could have my ball go under there and I could chase it with nothing but a couple pokes but now there are a bunch of boxes in the way.

Mom said there are boxes under there for me and from me. I don't remember putting any boxes under there but I know two things that come in boxes for me....toys and treats. They don't smell like treats so I am voting for toys. I haven't gotten any of them open yet but I think I might get time to open one this week and check it out while everyone is gone.

Winter time is here

2010-11-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

This morning I got up at the usual time and went outside to take care of some early morning business and it is cold. I mean I have a pretty thick layer of fur this time of year but jeez it was freezing out there. I ground was so cold it hurt my feet. It is nice and warm inside the house, sometimes I can even find a blanket to lay under. I wonder if I could find one to take outside.
I have a life jacket I wonder if mom would put that on and it might keep me warmer outside. When it is warmer I like to go outside and play ball and eat. There are some many good thing to eat outside. Skylar keeps telling me that plums, pears and apples aren't for dogs but they taste so good and they are just laying on the ground. Now that it is cold I am having trouble find extra food outside or maybe Skylar is just getting better at picking it all up.
I guess I will have to look for extra stuff to eat inside. Don't get me wrong I love my kibble and get it twice a day with assorted treats throughout but I just love to eat. Last week after everyone was gone from the kitchen I smelled this wonderful, delicious smell. So I reached up on the counter, which is harder than you think for a dog with a bum back leg, and got it. Oh it was soooo good at first, there was cheese and chicken, yummy!! Then after I had finished it my mouth started to burn and my stomach didn't feel very good. That food came back and mom laughed at me. She told me that's what I get for eating super spicy chicken alfredo pizza. She said she wasn't surprised because even Hunter only ate a piece and half of the pizza and that kid can put away some food.
Today there is nothing out on the counter, I checked the trash last night and there was nothing good there either. I guess I will just have to wait until breakfast is over and see if there is anything under the table. They don't really ever leave me much, unless it is veggies and then I get a special treat.

So as the weather gets colder and it is time to enjoy more indoor pursuits, I am finding more stuff to do. What are you doing inside this winter?

New toys

2010-11-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday mom came back from this place called Costco. I know they have my food and treats there but yestday I got something else cool. TOYS. I like to think of anything other than a tennis ball as a challenge to kill. I have killed 3 of them as of now. There was a fun rope that I have torn up, too!

I recommend these if you can get your more or dad to get these from Costco for you. I have never been there but it sounds like Petsmart and I have been there and it is pretty cool, too.

Skylar said my favorite is a moose that looks like this one in the picture (or co I am told). I am in the process of pulling his ears and horns off.

Soccer

2010-10-30T22:24:00.000-06:00

I don't know if I have mentioned this in the past but I LOVE SOCCER. I play all the time with little balls, big balls, squeaky balls and fluff balls. I play inside and outside. Soccer is one of my favorite things to do but I can't decide if I like it more then playing with other puppies or going for walks. Then I found something that is even better than any of those things.... All of those things together.
Every Sunday for the last month I got to do just that. Mom took me to all of Skylar's soccer games at the fort. I got to play with lots of other dogs, run loose in the dog runs and sometimes I would bring my ball with me and play or I'd get to play with one there. Mom took some pictures of me having fun (or so I am told), there would be more but she spent lots of time running and letting me chase her, too. She said that is good for both of us, my leg and her butt. I am not sure how she hurt her butt or if the running is good therapy for it because she is always telling the kids she has a pain in it.

Taking a bath

2010-10-30T22:00:00.000-06:00

My dad said I find the nastiest things to roll in. I take that as a compliment because I do. He said it makes me smell horrible. I think he's wrong I smell great until mom makes me take a bath. I don't mind doing it when I am at daycare but I hate it when mom and the kids give me a bath at home. Mostly because Skylar and Hunter yell at each other and fight.

But it ends well, I love this part:

Barking and why mommy loves me

2010-09-12T11:24:00.000-06:00

Last night I barked to go outside at 1:30, I know it was 1:30 because I hear grumbling about it every night when Mom lets me out. I went outside to make sure there wasn't any of those annoying, stinky, funny sounding things that invade my back yard. (*mommy note: deer) There wasn't any last night so I just took care of some other business and went back inside. I just bark once and Mom comes and lets me in. She always tries to be quiet because everyone else is sleeping but I think she bumps into stuff, maybe she is blind at night.

I decided to nap in the hallway until breakfast and was having a wonderful dream about eating some awesome dog biscuits when I hear Mom's door open. BREAKFAST?!

Nope. Mom just says, "Good boy" and goes back in her room and closes the door.

She does that every time you hear all the other dogs barking. In our neighborhood there are lots of other dogs and they love to talk. No one gets in our neighborhood without someone knowing. I don't talk to those guys very often because I don't like to bark. Mom and Dad hate endless barking. So I don't bark unless it's really important. That is not to say I don't talk, I talk to my family all the time. Dad says I am making old man noises I don't know what that means but I really like to tell my family how much I love them.

Camping with Girl Scouts

2010-08-30T19:35:00.000-06:00

Friday afternoon mom came home and loaded up the car and I got in. I was in the back seat with Hunter and mom and Skylar were in the front. They said we were going camping, which sounded like fun. We were in the car forever before I got out. It smelled great.
We were camping with a bunch of Girl Scouts (whatever those are), they all smell like Skylar and then there was a bunch of little boys there that smelled like Hunter but I don't think they call them Girl Scouts. Mom let me run around without a leash and smell everything. There were two other dogs there, too. Max, the tiny dog, he was a Shitzu and the cutest puppy I ever smelled, she ran me ragged. I can't remember her name but she was a 4 month old Golden Retriever. We all ran and hiked and sniffed. I climbed the side of a mountain with mom and the kids. It was awesome but I got tired so I went for a swim in Rock Creek, it had water in it and rocks so I am not sure what made it different from any other creek.
We got home on Sunday and I spent the rest of the day asleep.

I recommend camping for all doggies. I can't wait to do it again this weekend.

Swimming in the ditch at DNRC

2010-08-16T06:46:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a blast! Mom and I got in her car and drove off. She stopped at this cool place with a trail to run on and water. She made me wear the dumb jacket (but it turns out to be a good thing later). We got out of the car and I could smell tons of other dogs and could hear some, too. I got into the water and it was cold but since it was hot out it felt good. I could touch the bottom so it wasn't scary at all.
We walked next tot he water for a while and I fell in a couple of times. It was weird because if my feet didn't touch I could swim and the jacket kept pulling on me. One time I fell in and the water wasn't moving so I swam around but then I couldn't get out so I got scared. Mom grabbed the back of the jacket and helped me get out. I am not sure I want to do that again, but I still like the water.
Swimming is lots of fun and doesn't hurt my bum leg like running. I did do a bunch of that while we were out. My bum leg and my hip hurt a little today but otherwise I think it is getting better.
I have a new trick too! If I jump up and hit the handles on the door in my house I can get them open. That means nothing but the stairs is off limits to me. I will figure out how to open that gate eventually.

Bark for Life Walk 8/8/10 Photos

2010-08-11T19:13:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful time walking on Sunday. I got to go for a swim but mom wouldn't let me go out very far. She bought me a life jacket today and said I can do some real swimming this weekend. I was glad to get in the water because it was sooooo hot.

Here's some photos of us before and after the walk. (I even have one of dad.)

Before

After

Mom thought it was hot too so she wore a funny hat.

Dad, Nana and Dodger

Dodger was excited to start but she's an old lady and got tired quick

I was exhausted, so mom put the seat down so I could relax

They made this for me.

Bark for Life Walk 8/8/10

2010-08-04T19:45:00.001-06:00

Mom and I will be walking to raise money for cancer. Let me know if you want to donate and I will send you my paypal info.

Mom and I have already raised $60, that's $30 each. If you want to join us the walk is at the Kim Williams Trail in Missoula, MT from 1-4pm on Sunday. Photos will follow!!!

Dear friends furry and not so much,

I am writing to tell you about a very cool event that my family just signed me up for called Bark For Life. It is a dog walk where for just $25; you and your person can join the fight against cancer — together!

This terrible disease takes our friends, both four-legged and two-legged, away from us far too soon. So, my human and I have decided to fight back.

On August 8, 2010, you will find us at McCormick Park and the Kim Williams Nature Trail walking with other dog lovers and the dogs who love them. I hope we will see you and your owner there too!

To register or for more information, please contact Sonya at 370-2459 or Emily at 532-8705.

While the American Cancer Society does not fund research to cancer that affects us four-legged folks, all the research they do will benefit us as well as our people!

I hope you will consider joining us for this fun event! See you on August 8th! Woof!

Sincerely,

J.R.

Happy Birthday

2010-07-27T21:33:00.000-06:00

July 5th was my first birthday and even though I still was coughing a ton we had a birthday party. I didn't get any cake which is kinda dumb since it was my party but I did get some presents and everyone wore funny hats.

I got some bones, some balls and a foot!!

Nana and Terry in their party hats

The big FOOT>>>>

Tearin readin my birthday card and my friends Toby and Theresa

Kennel cough day 3

2010-07-03T21:52:00.000-06:00

In this post I would like to say a huge thanks to my doctor Dr Patti Provo at Four Paws Vet Clinic. Not only have I stopped coughing and throwing up but I get the most delicious treats twice (one of them even three times) a day. Mom gives me cheese twice a day now with something inside it, I am not sure what it is but it taste like plastic covered in cheese. What could be better?! The second stuff I got three times today and it is some sort of meat juice, mom said it will keep me from coughing but I would cough everyday, all day to get more of that stuff.
I am still pretty tired I have been getting in couple extra naps here and there but tonight I found one of my balls and played with it forever. Tomorrow I am hoping to feel good enough to go out and play in the yard. If they just stop with the occasional loud bangs so a dog could get some rest.

Anyway, I wanted to thank Dr Patti again and tell all my dog friends if you start coughing enough to make you gag go see her for treats!!!

Too Hot and feeling it

2010-07-01T22:01:00.000-06:00

I am not feeling good today. I am not sure if it is my new food, the heat or the asprin mom gave me this morning for my leg but I have been throwing up all day. Dad said he's had enough poop and vomit from me and I have to go. Mom didn't say anything and Skylar and Hunter look sad so I am not sure what is going on. Mom mentioned that I need to go to the vet (which wasn't too bad last time I went) so maybe I will feel better tomorrow.
I hope I feel better and it is just something I ate and not the heat. I don't want to go back to the pound. I would really miss my family.

I need to be washed

2010-06-17T20:54:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I tried to get in the shower with mom but she wouldn't let me so I found another way to tell her I needed a bath.She took too long so I decided to take a nap.

A day at the Park!

2010-06-06T20:46:00.000-06:00

Today I got to go to Fort Missoula with the family. It was great there was a nice trail I got to run on and then they had this cool place where I got to play off my leash. I meet some other nice dogs there, too. Mom ran around in circles a couple of times while I hung out with Hunter, Skylar and Nana. There was lots of people there who gave me tons of love.

I haven't been feeling very well since Thursday so it was really nice to be outside running around. I got to spend yesterday and today outside playing ball and chasing the kids. This has been a great weekend and now if I could just yet my stomach to settle down.

My new ball, flat and torn up in 5 minutes flat.

2010-05-31T17:53:00.003-06:00

This is Skylar, she helped me with my new ball.

Doggles!

2010-05-17T21:02:00.000-06:00

Me in my doggles!!!

Back Leg

2010-05-17T20:46:00.000-06:00

I went for a jog this morning with mom. We did a mile hike next to the house, I like to go on that route because there are tons of smells. This weekend was fun, I got to play with lots of kids, found my bone I had buried in the backyard and then got to sleep in a pile of giggling girls.
Both kids celebrated their birthdays this weekend so there were lots of kids at the house to play with and it was very hot outside. Mom let me play in the sprinkler but told me if I eat another hose I am in trouble. I played a bunch of soccer in the house where it is cooler and then played tag with the boys outside. My bad leg is all better. I can walk, run and jump without any problems. I like to play tag and jump around in circles with dad outside. If I work too hard my back hurts the next day but I just eat some of that special cheese and I am back to normal by lunch time.

Rope... Best new toy or easy way to get a headache.

2010-05-04T21:36:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Hunter bought me a new rope just like the one in the picture. I love it. I throw it in the air, push it across the floor and then I shake it in my mouth. The only problem is that when I shake my head the knots on each end hit me pretty hard.
Sometimes dad even plays tug of war with this new rope and that is fun. Sometimes I let him win but not usually. I don't want him to get discouraged and stop playing with me.

My advice for this week is not to forget to play with your people as much as you can but don't be afraid to play by yourself.

Yummy trombone...

2010-04-27T19:54:00.000-06:00

I ate Skylar's homework. It made a horribly, loud noise and I bite it once it stopped. It made me feel better until Skylar started crying really loud. Mom was pretty calm but I could that she wasn't very happy.

Sleepy week

2010-04-23T21:11:00.000-06:00

I have spent all week recovering from last week at daycare. My leg and hip are still sore but I have had a couple really fun days this week.
Today I was in the backyard playing with Dad. I like to run circles around him when he is in the backyard. Usually I run little circles so I don't bump into anything but today I was so excited I decided to run some bigger circles. I was running full out as hard as I could and I slammed into what Dad later told me was the tree in the middle of the backyard.
Mom thinks that we will need to put some bark around our tree to keep me from running into it and getting hurt or maybe an underground fence. She has some bark, rocks and bushes around the edges by the fence so I know where that is. I got a pretty good headache from today's encounter and a scar on my eye from running into the fence at daycare.
I hope they come up with something soon it is hard when you are always running into stuff.

Why I didn't miss Disneyland..

2010-04-19T21:51:00.000-06:00

Last week my family went to Disneyland without me, but I spent the week with my friends Dodger and Job at Dog Logic. A week at daycare is a lot of fun but it was a lot of work too. I had to go to school everyday to learn new manners. They took good care of me. Everyday we played until my leg was pretty swore and then I got to rest. My bum leg is getting better and I can run pretty fast. I can even walk up the stairs one leg at a time.

I really recommend spending a week at doggie daycare. I feel like I need another nap so I am going to sign off for now but let me know if you have any questions....

Life as a blind dog has ups and downs

2010-04-05T22:01:00.000-06:00

Let's talk about some of the ups:
Everyone thinks you are cute so you get tons of belly rubs and biscuits.
People let you run into stuff and don't get too mad even when it is them and they are carrying armloads of groceries.
Dad thinks you are hillarious when you run in circle outside and chase him around.
Simple stuff like walking down the stairs draws a crowd of admirers.
Did I mention extra biscuits?

If you happen to be a blind dog with a bad leg you get a house, a pillow and your own Hannah Montana bean bag chair.

So that being all well and good there are some not so good moments:

Delicous smelling plastic toy turns out to be empty bottle of dish soap.... Skylar saved me from that one.
Playing fetch is fun unless the ball rolls under the couch and you can't hear it... thank you Hunter so moving the chair.
Fuzzy piggy toy smells and feels the same as expensive Build-a-Bear... Mom saved both of those and the kids were only slightly disappointed that I took them off the shelf.

I've found blind or not there are a few things I am not allowed to do at my house:
ANY business that should be done outside is NOT allowed inside and gets me a quick trip to my kennel.
Eating food off the dinning room table not only leads to a sore tummy but a sore backside and ears if Mom sees me; and she sees everything.
Chewing up anything that isn't in my kennel at the start of the day results in angry kids.
Barking for no good reason and just because no one has touched me in the last 30 seconds is not considered a good reason.

So my advise to all you other blind dogs out there:
Do you business outside, play with your own toys, and you will be rewarded with lots of biscuits and tummy rubs!

Books...yummy

2010-04-03T08:50:00.000-06:00

Last night I ate this book. It was really good. Skylar is reading it for school and she likes it too! Mom informed me that I will be not be sleeping in the kids' rooms anymore if I keep eating their stuff. I thought that it was for me to chew on since she left it on the bookcase where I could reach it.
Today I am eating my piggy. I have chewed one of his ears and his tail off! I really like to shake him and toss him in the air. I was playing with him this morning and after I tossed him in the air I thought I found him, it was fluff like him so I started to grab him in my mouth and mom informed me that was her foot! I guess she had her slippers on this morning. She laughed because I didn't bite her hard and it was pretty funny.
Today I am going to play ball in the backyard and then go for a long walk!!

Ran a mile

2010-03-26T22:01:00.000-06:00

Today Mom got up early and I thought she was going to the gym but instead she put on her hat and gloves and grabbed my leash. She said we were going for a jog. There is a nice path by our house where Hunter walks me sometimes, it goes up the hill for about 1/2 a mile and then we come back down. This morning mom and I took that trail but she let me run next to her. She doesn't run very fast, she said something about hills and her joints. I know what she means but it is so nice to be outside. I had my leash on but she didn't really hold it or pull on me I just listened her her footsteps and we headed up the hill. It was kinda slow going on the way up but we picked up the pace on the way back down. Mom said the view it beautiful and you can see the whole city at that time of morning but I couldn't tell you anything but it sure did smell good!

After we got back home I needed a drink of water and a little rest. I just laid down on Skylar's bean bag chair (she doesn't mind sharing and Mom said it is ok since I must be a fan of Hannah Montana) and took a nap. Mom went back out and ran for another 20 minutes, she said 12 minutes isn't much of a run for her and she needs to go more than a mile but I need to work up to longer runs. When she got back her and dad looked me over and decided I wasn't limping and didn't look too tired. I felt pretty good and figured that I could get in an extra long nap after breakfast.

Dad kept me company on and off for the rest of the day until Hunter came home from school and then I got to go play outside with him. My hip hurts a bit tonight but nothing serious.

1 mile down, more to go!!

Playing Ball

2010-03-21T22:10:00.003-06:00

Here's a video of me playing ball in my living room!!

My favorite new toy!!

2010-03-17T22:04:00.000-06:00

Next to my pig this is my favorite new toy. It is keeping me very busy and keeping my teeth clean, which mom says makes my breath smell better.

Napping and my new pig

2010-03-17T18:15:00.002-06:00

I got this awesome new pig that Skylar picked out for me. It is super tough and I haven't been able to destroy it....yet. Normally, I can tear a toy up in a couple days. I got a new chicken, too! I really like toys and balls and clay. Did I mention that I have eaten all of Hunter's clay. He tries to hide it from me but I can find it anywhere. Those plastic sandwich bags are no match for me. Mom keeps saying that it isn't good for me, but it tastes so good.

I got to go to Daycare today so I played with some Kongs and some fun stuffed toys there. Well, you know what Daycare means.... Nap time!!

My first run

2010-03-13T21:59:00.002-07:00

I made it almost a half mile on and off lead today and was able to run. We started out with a nice easy 1/2 mile walk up the hill and then did a slow job back down. I kept up for the most part using all four legs. It was fun. Mom, dad, Hunter and I enjoyed the cool weather and the nice, new path by our house.

The run was a blast but I got home and drank about a gallon of water and then took a nice long nap for the rest of the afternoon. Mom and dad said I am doing much better and they can see the muscle growing in my leg. I am not sure what that means but it is easier to walk and I am getting alot better at running. Tonight I get a special treat because Hunter has a friend over and they are sleeping in the livingroom with me!!

Learning to sing

2010-03-10T18:53:00.003-07:00

Today at daycare I learned how sing. We all sang and barked it was a party. I got to try it out again while mom went inside to Hunter from wresting practice. She went inside and I climbed up front and tried to drive. Mom said they won't give me a license because I am blind but I only run into a couple things.

Carpet or grass

2010-03-03T19:27:00.002-07:00

Today my mom is working on trying to remind me that I am supposed to poop outside. This morning she got up early and gave the carpet a bath. It smell yucky and was wet even when we left for daycare. Mommy said if I keep pooping on the carpet that I am going to be spending some extra time outside.
I like spending time outside but she and Dad get really loud when I poop in the house. She said that I need to learn to bark to let them know I want to go outside. Mom said that she going to get some new treats to help teach me this barking thing.

I know how to bark but I am not telling her that if it means more treats.

Toys and my pillow

2010-02-23T19:53:00.002-07:00

This evening after dinner I came back into the living room and my toys were all over the living room and my kennel was messed up. My pillow felt weird and smelled weird, it didn't even smell like me. Mom said I needed to wait until my stuff came out of the laundy. It must be time for another bath. I still can't decide if I like those or not.

Mom and Dad said that if I would quit rolling around in the deer poop in the backyard I wouldn't need a bath as often but I really like the smell of it. I like the smell of leaves, too but there aren't very many of those in the yard right now. This afternoon I helped Hunter clean up the backyard.

Thank you KPAX and Ryan

2010-02-21T18:06:00.003-07:00

Tonight I got to listen to a story about me. It was a great story. Thanks Ryan. http://www.kpax.com/news/a-dogs-life-missoula-family-has-home-for-disabled-pet/ Here is the video: http://colemanscoverage.blogspot.com/2010/02/this-dogs-life_21.html

Headphones, dog toys and kibble

2010-02-19T19:10:00.002-07:00

Today I learned 3 things:

Headphones are for video games not chewing. Chewing them up causes Dad to drag out the noisy machine that sucks stuff up and cuss Hunter for not putting things away. And you have to spend 20 minutes in the kennel.

Dog toys are for chewing and not eating. If you eat your ball and leave pieces everywhere, Dad has to bring that machine back upstairs again and laughs at you. Then another 20 minutes in the kennel while he cleans up the mess.

Kibble is for eating slowly. If you eat to quick you throw up, which leads to Hunter having to clean up the laundry room and another trip back in the kennel.

So today I learned to slowly eat my kibble, before playing with my toys and watching Hunter play video games while wearing his headphones and I won't have to spend an hour in my kennel....

1st day of Daycare

2010-02-17T19:41:00.003-07:00

I didn't sleep very well last night. I paced up and down the hallway, I could tell everyone was still a little shook up after last night's visitor. I was worried so I kept checking on them all night. This morning Mom decided to walk up and down on this little step in front of the TV, I tried to go up and down the step but she said it wasn't for me.
After everyone was up Mom told me I was going to daycare. We got in the car and were off! We had to drive for a while and I was starting to get nervous but Mom kept telling me how much fun I was going to have. When we got there I jumped out of the car and it was really loud. I could hear at least 25 dogs barking and it sounded a lot like the pound. Mom was talking to some guy and he sounded nice and he took me in the back.
Everyone was happy to see me. I could hear them all calling to me asking me to come in the back to play with them. It seemed like I was by myself forever but the nice guy from the front came and let me in with the rest of the pack. All the dogs were so nice! They played with me and we all ran around and had fun with tons of toys. Mom was right the day just zoomed by and I had a blast!

Mom picked me up at six pm and we picked up Hunter on the way home. I am ready to go to bed but I have to eat some dinner first. As soon as I am done I'm going to bed. What a great day......

A voice from the past

2010-02-16T18:12:00.003-07:00

I was outside today minding my own business and I heard his voice. The man that kicked me. He was selling books door to door and saw me in the yard and came to talk to me. Next he went to the door to talk to Mom.

Mom said he was selling books and asked about me. He said he was my old owner with his old girlfriend. Then he said that he tried to get me from the pound but they wouldn't give me to him, I am glad. He told mom I was from a litter here and he tried to get my eyes fixed but I would have had to go to Washington. She didn't believe him and made sure Dad let me inside before the mean man left. He said I was such a good dog, then why did he kick me and leave me alone for four days. I was scared when I heard his voice but mom and dad took good care of it. They sent him away and made sure I came inside.

I am so happy I am in a nice home with my nice family. I had a wonderful weekend and I get to be on the news soon. When the nice guy from KPAX came by and took my picture I was so excited. Him and his girlfriend were so nice. They pet me and played with me and I got to play ball outside with Mom and Hunter.

I hope that I can write some more later. I will see you all soon.

The difference between a rubber chicken and a stuffed moose.

2010-02-10T19:37:00.002-07:00

If you are young and blind like me all stuffed toys might smell the same to you. Today I learned there is a difference. I was bored this afternoon while I was waiting for Skylar and Hunter to get home from school so I grabbed this moose off the fireplace. He was fun to chew on since he is made of stuffing and wood. I took him in my kennel (that where I keep all my toys) and played with him until Dad came upstairs.

The first words out of his mouth were...Mom is going to be soooo mad. Then he took a picture of the moose on my bed with his phone. I heard the house phone ring a few minutes later and I knew I was in trouble. I waited for the yelling but mostly Dad was laughing and I couldn't hear mom so I was going to have to wait. Dad took the moose and put what was left of him on the table where I couldn't reach him and grabbed my rubber chicken.

Mom stopped on her way home last night at Petsmart and bought me a new food bowl since my old one broke, while she was there she bought me a rubber chicken that squeaks. I like it a lot, I can throw it and fetch it and wrestle it. My favorite new toy is a rope with a tennis ball attached to it. Hunter and I play tug with it in the evenings, I win most of the time but I let him win sometimes, too.

Hunter and Skylar came home from school and I got to go outside and wrestle with Hunter. My hip and bum leg have been pretty sore the last couple of days but they don't seem to be slowing me down. I have to limp a little bit more in the evenings but the cheese medicine (asprin) I get before bed make me feel a little better.

Mom got home and I thought for sure I was busted. I ran up and rubbed on her legs when she walked in and she bent down and stratched my head. She was laughing and said that I was on her 'bad dog' list. I am not sure what that means but She took the repaired moose and put him up high on the mantel and told Hunter to make sure he kept his toys put away. My toys are always put in away in my kennel so I guess I don't have much to worry about. Dad said I ate the moose because I was bored and mom said daycare will fix that.

So I guess the 'bad dog' list is a list of dogs that get to go to daycare next week. Maybe tomorrow I will chew up something else and see if I can go to daycare sooner. Or maybe I should wait and see if I really like daycare as much as I think I will.

Friends and Family

2010-02-07T13:23:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was a blast. It started out just like normal but then in the afternoon I got to go for a ride in the car. First stop was this fun place that smelled like about 200 different dogs. We went inside and the lady who works there came out with a nice guy named Lyric. He is from the pound down south waiting to be adopted but he gets to hang out at Dog Logic. We hung out for about 10-15 minutes while Mom and Skylar got me all signed up so I could go to daycare once a week in a couple weeks. That sounds like a lot of fun.

I was sad when we left but we took a quick drive and when I got out we were at the store. My favorite store, Petsmart, there was a ton of dogs there who I got to meet and then Skylar helped me pick out some new toys. We picked out some toys for some other dogs, too. We were going to visit them next.

So I had meet Nana before and she always smelled good. Now we were at her house. There are two dogs that live there, Dodger and Job. Job is a black lab like me but a couple years older, he was adopted from the pound, too. Dodger is a little Australian Shepard and she is an old lady and pretty crabby. I played with Job for a long time, we wrestled and ran, he even let me play with his toys. Their yard is pretty big, too. We ran around out there for a little while but I was starting to get tired. I decided to go back inside and we all laid down and I took a nice nap.

I was dreaming about chasing my new ball but then Mom and Skylar woke me up and we had to head home. We got home and I was pretty worn out so I just ate my dinner and curled up in my kennel with my new ball and took another nap. Mom said that Nana would bring Job over to play with me in a couple weeks. I am very excited to have a new doggie family to play with.

Running thru the snow

2010-02-05T18:51:00.002-07:00

Today I got to run thru the snow in the backyard. I ran like my leg wasn't hurt, I can't think of anything I would rather be doing than playing with Hunter in the backyard. Yesterday I played ball and today I really got to run around and play ball. My backyard is great, it is sooo big. Hunter and I have been playing and walking around enough I can find my way to both gates and back up the stairs into the house.

Mom said I am the best dog because I put all my toys away. You see I have a couple of balls, a chew bone and a plastic bone and I keep them in my kennel. She said the kids never put anything away, which is true because I am always stepping on their stuff. Mom said that they are doing better and keeping the house cleaner so I don't get hurt.

Speaking of hurt my leg and my hips are killing me. Now that I am laying around the living room and not running around my back is really starting to hurt. In a little while Mom will give me some cheese and asprin and then it will feel better and then I am going to bed.

A deadication to another

2010-02-03T21:29:00.003-07:00

Today was another great day for me but not a good one for a little kitty that lives in my town. Well, she doesn't live here anymore thanks to a very mean man. This little kitten was adopted from the pound just like me, but she didn't go to a nice home like mine.

Mom read the story in the paper yesterday morning. This little kitty, named Mercy, was adopted by a mna who abused her. The people from the pound tried to rescue her but mom saw on the news tonight that she didn't make it. So tonight I want to make a couple quick requests:

Please don't adopt an animal if you can't afford to feed us and want to love us unconditionally like we love you.

If you can't take care of your animal take it to the pound or the Human Society so a nice family like mine can adopt them.

Even though it is very scary to get neutered (or spayed) please take your animal into the vet so we don't have baby animals who don't have enough to eat.

So tonight as I sleep in Hunter's room on my soft, fuzzy pillow I will have dreams about chasing rabbits and that I would wake up in the morning to find a day were all animals are cared for and loved.

The loveseat or the floor....

2010-02-02T19:37:00.003-07:00

Last night I decided that I would find somewhere comfortable to sleep. I started on the floor, moved into Hunter's room but then I climbed up on the loveseat. It was so nice and soft, the perfect bed. Only one small problem...well make that two, mom and dad don't like it when I climb on the furniture. They said furniture is for humans and I have my own pillow and blankets to lay on, which is true.

Today mom didn't come home at lunch and dad and I didn't have to shovel the walk. Dad did let me outside a bunch of times and I played in my new big backyard. Hunter came home today and played ball with me outside. You might think that a blind dog can't play fetch but I am really good at it. I start right next to Hunter and then I listen for the ball to hit the ground. If I can't find it right away Hunter help me by making noise by where the ball landed until I find it.

We played until dinner time and then back up the stairs. My bum leg is starting to feel stronger everyday. Like I said earlier I went up and down the stairs lots of times today and was able to climb up on the loveseat last night. Tonight I got a special treat that is making my leg feel even better, cheese and a baby asprin.

Asprin and exercise is what the doctor ordered and what my plan is for this week.

To the Vet

2010-02-01T21:40:00.002-07:00

Today was different. Today I went to the vet. The day started out the same, I got up early and went outside to play, took a nap and then waited for everyone else to get up.

Dad (Jeff said I should call him that) and I shoveled the driveway and played in the snow after everyone left. It was a lot of fun but I needed a nap and was starting to get worried about going to the vet. I've only been to the vet a couple of times and it was never fun. The first time was after my first owner broke my leg for the second time and it was really starting to hurt. The lady from the pound made him take me to see the vet and they worked on my leg and gave me a bunch of shots. My leg felt a little better but I was glad I didn't have to go back. A couple months later, after the pound lady came and took me to the pound for good, I went back and they took the stiches that were in my leg out and I got a shot up the nose. Then last week I went again and they neutered me, I am not sure what that means besides Mom said now I will not be peeing on her carpet so I guess it is a good thing. Good thing or not I was pretty sore after I left and I was not looking forward to a return visit.

Mom came home and I got to ride in her car. I like riding in it because she puts on good music, lays down soft blankets and talks to me. Today we went to meet my new vet, her name is Patti. Patti has a bunch of dogs, even a couple that come to work with her. She was really nice, I got a bunch of bicuits and NO SHOTS!

Here is what I learned at the vet today:
My birthday was July 5, 2009.
I weigh 46.3lbs but should grow to between 80-100lbs.
I am in perfect health.
I was probably born blind and my back leg will always hurt a little and never work the same way the other three do but it shouldn't be a big deal.

I think I like Patti and she seems to like me.

It was another good day. I really like this family, in fact I think I love them!

Day 3 Snow day

2010-01-31T21:44:00.004-07:00

Snow. Snow I love the snow. Today I got up when Mom and Jeff got up. After breakfast I got to help shovel the driveway. I can't hold a shovel so I just ran through the snow and walked back and forth about a million times.

Both kids came outside with me, Mom and Jeff, they don't shovel very good either but they are fun to chase. Hunter even tried to shovel the back steps for me so I could go up and down easier. Mom had to finish it for him but they were really clean when she was done.

If you've never made snow dogs by rolling around in the snow and then eating it you are missing out. It is very exhausting playing in the snow, so when we all went back inside I decided to take a nap. Jeff and I took a nap and watched golf until everyone came back, then I got a bath.

Now, I have been wet before but the water was always very cold. This water was warm and Mom and the kids kept petting me and feeding me biscuits. That was the fun part, what happened next wasn't. It was loud and hot. I tried to run away but Mom had me by the collar, until she saw my tail. It really hurt and she said that there was blood on the walls. The tip of my tail was bleeding and every time I wagged it and ran down the hall away from the heat and the noise it got more mess on the walls.

After ten minutes of this I finally got Mom to shut off the noisy thing and she wrapped a band-aid on my tail. I am not sure who Sponge Bob is but my tail feels better and I am not making a mess.

Nothing else exciting happened for the rest of the night so I just napped and played outside a couple more times. My bum leg is pretty sore but Mom said we are going to see my doctor tomorrow. I hope I don't have to get any shots like the last couple times I have been there.

Cross your finger for me... Good night.

Day 2 .. Breakfast and the great escape.

2010-01-30T21:54:00.004-07:00

I woke up last night and man did I have to take care of some business. The night had started off rough when the lady tried to lock me up. I told her, I barked and barked until she let me out. She grabbed my new pillow and I got to spend the night in the little boys room. Back to my business... well, no one was awake to let me outside and I'm not sure how to wake them up so I found a nice spot in the kitchen and the living room and took care of it.
I guess house broken has less to do with getting something broken while in a house but everything to do with not doing your business in the house. Mom (that's the lady's name) woke up pretty early and took me outside. Then she cleaned up my mess and hung out with me until everyone else got up. She is really nice, she didn't yell at me or kick me just took me outside and let me walk around and eat snow and grass. Oh yeah, I love grass, it settles my stomach and since I just switched food it is a necessity.

After a full episode of Law and Order mom finished her first cup of coffee and I got breakfast. I didn't even know dogs got breakfast... It was wonderful and then I got a biscuit and more loves. These people sure do like to touch me and play with these squeeky balls. Pretty soon Jeff got up (the is mom's husband, I think) and I got to play with him for a while before the little boy, Hunter, got up.

Hunter took me back outside and we explored some more before his sister finally got up. Mom said she was going back to bed and left meto play with the two kids. We played for a long time while they watched TV until I had some business to take care of again and this time I found a nice spot in sister's room.
Note to self: HOUSEBREAKING is important to this family, the kids got in trouble this time.

I had forgotten to go outside but when Jeff found out he stomped in and told Mom. She yelled down the hall for everyone to go outside and so I was back outside with the kids. By the time we came back in everything was cleaned up.

Have I mentioned I love it outside, the only problem being the stairs. I am finally able to go up and down by myself without my leash but it is pretty scary. Coming back up isn't much fun either since I have to use my bum leg but I have done it twice today after they left me outside alone.

I don't mind being outside alone but I don't like to be locked up inside, so when they all left today to go bowling I cried and barked and scratched at my kennel door but no one came. Then, I made an amazing discovery, if I put myfoot between the floor of my kennel and the carpet and push it lifts the kennel up and I can get out. So I was out and had the entire place to myself, so I took a nap until the people got home.

The evening was much of the same except now I get to go outside all by myself as long as I stand by the door. I haven't had 'accidents' since this morning but my leg is getting sore. After dinner I got a new treat that made the trips up and down the stairs worth it, a rawhide bone and a beggin' strip. These are the two most wonderful tasting pieces of Heaven I have come across in all 8 months of my life!!

I guess the best way to sum up day 2 is that I have learned how to get around and out of this new house. What not to do when I am inside and what and wear to eat.

Now I think it is time for another nap...

Day 1 Beat up to just beat...

2010-01-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today started the way the last few had. For the last two weeks I've been living at the pound, aka dog jail. It is pretty nice, a definate step up from where I came from. Three weeks ago the humans I used to live with left, I spent 5 days alone in an abandon trailer. I have a bum back right leg from being kicked one too many times and even after I finally got to the vet it didn't heal right. The other small problem I have is that for the last few months it has been really dark, the ladies at the pound said my old owner my have hit me in the head enough to make me go blind.

Anyway back to my to today. This afternoon right before dinner this lady stopped by. I had met her before and she had taken me for a walk a couple times, once she even came with a couple of kids. I figured she was coming to take me for a walk around the building again and I was pretty excited but this time was different. This time she put a new collar one me and a leash.

I was going home!! That right I was being helped in the back of her car. I had heard everyone at the pound talking about how great this would be but I wasn't so sure my last 'home' wasn't even as nice as the pound. But she seemed nice so I was going to try it out. We stopped at her office and I got to meet an bunch of nice people who petted me and snuggled me. Next we stopped at Petsmart to grab some toys and a new nametag.

By this time, things are going pretty well. I can get into and out of the car. She keeps saying up and down to let me know where things are and I can hear her talking on the phone making sure everyone is ready for me. Then we get there..... HOME.

Wow, here are the kids, both of them and they can't stop petting me and I have a new bed, new squeeky balls, a kennel (I'm not sure how I feel about that) and dinner is already in my dish. I get to spend the next couple of hours exploring the house. They have made it pretty safe b covering up corners, putting up a gate in an area they call Danger, and the kids even help me go up and down the stairs. Looks (well, smells/feels) like I have a big back yard. The little girl walks me all around outside until I am ready to head in for the night.

My hip is starting to hurt but I am getting some use out of my bum leg. I think I have the house mapped out, I can make it to my food bowl with crashing into anything, so that is a plus for day one. The only down side is the lady wants me to sleep in a kennel tonight, it has toys and a nice pillow but I can't handle it. I scratch and bark until she lets me out.

Well, I am beat and this has been a pretty exciting day. This is J.R. signing off from the floor of the master bedroom. Good Night!