Helping Around the House

Hey you guys! It's me, Sparky! Long time no see! I still have that same ol' problem -- I gotta story to tell, and no one to write it for me! I was thinkin' about maybe outsourcing the typing to India or somewhere. Then I remembered that being my typist is not a paid position, and it might be kinda hard to get someone out of the country to do it, or maybe even outside this house. So...I guess I'll stick with what I got!

I was a little worried after my last post that some of you might think I'm not a very nice dog, but I really am! (I'm alluding to the "finger incident.") Not only am I great company and entertaining, I do lots of important jobs around the house. Lemme tell ya about a few of those.

Well, first and foremost, as they say, I'm a watchdog. I got 6 acres to look after, and there's not a leaf that hits the ground that I don't know about. Zara helps too. We pay special attention to the magic place called "the gate." This is where very exciting visitors appear and disappear, and so do M and C. Twice a week the garbage cans go outside the gate, and then I gotta lie inside the gate and make sure no one takes them. Once the guys come in the big noisy truck, then we take the cans back to the house. M carries the cans; I get the lids. Apparently no one thinks that's a Kodak moment.

We do inside chores too. We keep the kitchen floor very clean, well except for dirt and dog hair. But anything that drops on the floor -- an ice cube, a slice of onion, some cookie crumbs -- we'll check it out and most likely remove it.

We also take turns helping with the dishes. Looks like it was my night to wash the pots and pans!

Along with the hand-washing, I'll also help out with loading the dishwasher. C really likes to do this herself when it's her night, but I can usually do a little cleaning up before she makes me stop.

I pretty much know my appliances inside and out!

Sometimes after a buncha dishes, I gotta take a break and lie down. Don't tell C ya saw me on the couch -- she'd have a fit!

Aside from the chores I do, I'm also very obedient. If ya ask me, I'll sit, stay, lie down, heel, get back, get up here, get down, go get squeaky, get the ball, get the stick, heel, jump over the hurdles, get outta here, leave the kitty alone, whatever. And if you call me or whistle, I'll always come running!

Come visit us and I'll meet ya at the gate! Woof woof!!! XXX Sparky

PSA: No Choke Collars, Please!

Hey everyone! Didja think I left the country? I'm still here hangin' out in Willis. C got a new job and apparently my blog has slipped even lower on the priority list. Go figure! I'm not believin' it either!

So this post is kind of a combination "yeah I'm still here" and "Hey! Merry Christmas!" and a public service announcement. Some of you already know this, but, don't put "choke" collars on your dogs! Dr. Pat says only put a choke collar on a dog if it's attached to a leash, and a human is on the other end of the leash, and that's very good advice! We had a freak accident happen at our house because of a choke collar, and it coulda turned out a lot worse than it did...like Zara and I could be dead! Can't get much worse than that.

We don't wear collars anymore; we're country dogs! (We're microchipped in case we get lost and we don't go off the property anyway.) Here's the collar that Zara was wearing that got us into trouble. Seems obvious that something called a choke collar could be problematic!

Zara and I are the same age (two and a half) which figures since we're littermates. Sometimes Zara acts like an old lady and I have to pester her to get her to play with me. I give her a few jabs on the neck and usually that gets her attention.

Well, on November 1st that got me in big trouble. When I jabbed her, somehow my lower jaw slipped under her choke chain behind my big canine teeth, and then I couldn't get it out! We were stuck together! She thought I was messin' with her, and I thought somehow the crazy beyatch had trapped me! We were jumpin' and snappin' and howlin' and freakin' out! We got the chain twisted around even tighter so Zara was choking and my jaw was hurting so bad I thought my eyes might pop out!

Unfortunately at the time no one was thinking much about documentation, so we don't have any pictures of the event.

When C came runnin' out she didn't make the situation much better by panicking. She had both her hands in my mouth tryin' to work that choke chain loose, and I don't really remember doing it, but I guess I musta bit through her right index finger. All we knew was suddenly she went in the house and was gone for awhile. Turns out she called 911 and pretty soon some paramedics and firemen came to help us. C went to the ER in an ambulance and the firemen cut Zara's chain with boltcutters and freed us. We were pretty sore for awhile, but we get over stuff quick and it was back to normal for us!

Humans don't bounce back so fast. Two days later C had surgery because a couple of the bites got infected. There was that partial amputation, and then a whole buncha little bites. The doc said dog bites can get infected easily, but they're not as bad as cat bites!! (Anyone knows cats are nastier than dogs!) But guess what's the worst kind of bite? Human!!! Human mouths are really germy! So, again, coulda been worse, like maybe if C bit me insteada the other way around. So Dr. Shah put a pin in C's index finger, removed the fingernail, and stitched up that finger and the ring finger. It's been a learning experience for C. She's learned how to eat left-handed, type with nine fingers, and sleep with her hand elevated.

So, no choke collars please!

And all you dogs and humans have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Woof woof!

Dog show at Reliant

So last Friday I went with M and C to the dog show at Reliant Stadium! Pretty awesome, huh? It was my longest car ride ever! Zara didn't get to go -- she had to stay home and guard the place, but she doesn't like car rides anyway, and she loves watch-doggin'.

They had everything there! Agility, flyball, frisbee, freestyle, judging dogs on how they look, and lots more! The Texas Twisters flyball tream wasn't competing on Friday so I didn't see any dogs running that I knew, but there was plenty of other interesting stuff! Even better than watching dogs compete is smelling what kind of treats human have in their pockets!

And then there were vendors, vendors, vendors! Selling anything a dog could ever want! I don't mind a little shopping at all!

The humans that go to a dog show all like dogs, and lots of them wanted to pet me. The kids were very polite -- most asked C or M "can I pet your dog?" I didn't mind a bit! One girl said she was planning on petting every dog at the dog show. Good luck cutie!

There were lots of rescue groups there with different breeds of dogs. Of course we had to stop and visit with the border collies! This isn't a great photo, but when you get a few border collies together, things are happenin' fast!

Here I am at Westie Rescue. C has a thing for Westies -- I don't mind! The dog she had before me, Dinah, was a Westie. St. Dinah, I call her; apparently she was practically perfect!

Somethin' about these twins just didn't smell right to me...

I saw lotsa canines at the show, but not many as fancy as this one! I know I'm not really in her league, but I swear, this beyatch was givin' me the eye!

Check out her cut and color! Too bad you can't really see her hair extensions in this photo. C said she reminded her of an old chenille bedspread, but I thought she was pretty hot!

C kinda wanted to consult with the pet psychic, but instead she read my mind herself and saw I didn't wanna. I'm already on facebook -- I don't need any more invasions of my privacy!

Now I do love going in shops that specialize in items for dogs! I like what they sell, and I like the friendly merchants!

This was a very groovy booth! All tee shirts about dogs! We met Jim, the owner, who designs and silkscreens the shirts. Check out his website -- www.magrags.com --these shirts make great gifts for those dog-loving humans on your list!

Actually there was stuff for sale that didn't have much to do with dogs. I didn't mind waiting while C got an aloe vera hand masage...

...just as long as we stopped at vendor booths that I wanted to look at! And smell! And taste!

Man, was I wiped out on the way home! Hey, how do you like my new backseat hammock? Makes for a totally comfy ride and none of my hairs on the car seat!

Zara wasn't jealous that we went to the dog show, but she was really glad to see us when we got home!

Check out C's tee shirt that she bought from the Mag Rags Sportswear guy! M bought a shirt too, but it's a gift for someone so I can't show ya!

All in all it was a really fun time, even when I had to be in the crate for awhile, and I recommend going to the Reliant Dog Show! Well, ya missed it this year, but I totally think you should go next year! Maybe I'll see ya there! Woof woof!

It's too hot!!!

Man, is it HOT or what? And it's only June, and not a drop of rain for weeks. I don't know about you, but I been doin' a search for my inner self, and what I found was an inside dog.

When we're outside, all me 'n Zara really wanna do is just lay around.

It's not a good time for ball-chasin' or hurdle-jumpin', and my flyball skills are gettin' rusty!

Sometimes even when we're out for a walk, I just feel like takin' a breather. It's hot!

If ya do go out for a walk, go early in the day, and make sure ya stay hydrated like Zara!

Luckily we have a pond for coolin' off. Although the pond gets smaller and smaller everyday!

Think I'll go swimmin' right now! Nothin' like a quick dip in the good ol' summertime!

It's very refreshing -- you oughta try it! I don't have a problem with the fish, turtles, frogs, and snakes! They gotta stay cool too!

But, if I'm not in the pond...I like to be in the house. There's actually a lot of stuff you can do inside, like take a nap. I like my naps air-conditioned!

Harassing the cats is fun everyday!

But ya know, sometimes I like to just lie down and think. Kinda ponder the state of the world, and whatever. Just feel the cool tile floor, and be in the moment. I'm a be here now kinda dude!

Bird-watching is excellent on a hot afternoon! We have bird feeders and a birdbath right outside this window.

Me 'n Zara like to keep track of comings and goings in the yard no matter who it is.

Someday I'm gonna get that squirrel!!!






Here's the most fun on a hot day! Tug a war with a twist! Just lie there, hold on, and let the human do all the work!

Eveyone be safe -- woof woof!

No Time to Blog!

Hey you guys, wassup? I'm just chillin' on the berm, chewin' on a stick. (Or at least I was the day this picture was taken!) How do you like my Tedd Pettibon sculpture? Yes, I know a bit about art -- can't help soaking that up around here!

I wanna try and write a blog every two weeks, because I know everyone is dying to read more about me and my fascinating canine life. But man, it's hard to find the time -- I have so much else goin' on! And coordinating my schedule with C's so she can do the typing is really a beyatch! So...this won't be my most worthy post ever but I did want to share a few pics and also a short video.



I like this picture of me that M took from upstairs in the barn. Just call me "Stretch!"




A lotta people say Zara and I don't look like we're related. As I explained last time, we probably had different dads. But I think there's a definite family resemblance, don't you?

So here's a little video of us outside the garden gate. (You might want to make sure your sound is turned OFF so you don't hear C sounding demented.) C didn't want us to come in just then -- something about "releasing butterflies." (You can read about it on her blog if you're curious. www.balancepose.blogspot.com I couldn't care less about a butterfly but Zara does like to jump in the air and catch them.) I got news for C -- I can get in the gate whether it's open or closed, but Zara doesn't know how so I just hung out with her.

So if you like my blog, why doncha break down and become a follower? You need a Google account -- no biggie! All you need is an e mail address and you can easily create an account. I KNOW you have an e mail address -- I have one, and I'm a dog!

Until next time, love ya, woof woof! Stretch (aka Sparky)

Introducing...Zara!

Hellooooooo everyone!!! I know I've been AWOL from my blog for two months, but there's been a lot going on around here! My big news is that my sister came to live with us! When I say my sister, I mean my REAL sister, as in littermate, and I'm not speaking metaphorically! (Come to think of it, I almost never speak metaphorically.)

So ta-da! Here she is! She's an attractive little beyatch, doncha think? I mean not super good-looking like me, but still kind of a pretty girl! We don't look that much alike because, although we had the same mom (a kind of a Heinz 57 sorta German Shepherdy mix), we probably had different dads. You didn't know that could happen in the canine world? C'mon -- grow up! Happens all the time! My dad was a Border Collie; hers was probably a Rottweiler.

So here we were at about four weeks. That's me on the right with my eyes closed, lookin' cool, and Zara in the middle, with our three brothers. This is the picture that M and C saw (thanks Sita!) that made them want me. I was the first one to be adopted -- that's called pick of the litter! The girls at the vet office named the other puppies with names starting with "Z", and one by one they all were eventually adopted.

We don't know a lot about Zara's life before we were reunited, but the people that adopted her had nine other dogs, and she didn't get much in the way of attention or treats -- didn't even know how to "sit" when she got here! They got her to be a "companion" for their chocolate lab, and then they all moved to a town north of Dallas, and she and the lab were outside dogs. When she and the lab got picked up on a "walkabout" and taken to the shelter, the owners were called and they said "Um, we'll come get the lab." So there she was, abandonned, homeless, terrified, and about to be euthanized! (That means murdered in cold blood.)

A nice lady at the shelter called Twyla's Friends, and they called Sita, who originally rescued us in the park when we were one day old. She drove all the way to Lewisville, TX to pick up Zara, and took her back to Dr. Pat's, where we lived when we were puppies. C went to Dr. Pat's to meet Zara, and when she found out that she was my sister, she brought her home. I didn't really remember that she was my sister at first, but something about her just smelled right!

When she first got here, I thought she was just visiting. I've had other friends come over, like the lovely Ocho. But she spent the night, and then another. She ate breakfast and dinner with me, and got treats, and pretty soon she got a matching bed. Then I figured out that she was gonna get to stay! It's only fair -- we have two cats, and there are two humans, and I needed a canine pal!

We have lots in common and like to do some of the same stuff. We like to take walks and don't mind the leash at all!

We also both love the pond! I'm more of a swimmer; she likes to chase frogs at the edge of the pond best.

And sometimes we chase each other around the pond! She's a little more serious than me -- I always want to play and I gotta bark at her and poke her with my nose to get her going sometimes! Of course she's not as fast as me! I'm chasing her here but I like it best when she chases me!

We both love to roll on our backs on the grass, 'specially in the garden!

And we like to play and fight! She's pretty tough and a worthy opponent!

She doesn't hesitate to use her teeth! In fact last week I had to go to Dr. Pat's for a lacerated ear. M and C weren't pleased, but it's all good with me!

Still, I'm not an idiot -- she's not totally trustworthy! She can be all sweet and cute and then try and rip my flesh! If we both get a bone, pretty soon somehow she has two and I have none! Spoiled only child meets streetwise beyatch!

M and C learned their lesson about trusting her -- here's the couch cushion she chewed up! Other things she does that I would NEVER do: jumps on the furniture; steals food off the counter; barks at the neighbors. Then there was that time that she showed me how to get out through the hole in the fence! Pretty much fun but M and C put up a new fence and now we can't find a way out!

All things considered I'm really glad she's here and we're havin' a blast! Stay tuned for the new adventures of Sparky and Zara! But hey -- don't get the wrong idea! It's still MY blog!!!

Woof woof!