My fun weekend!

Kirby here-

Well my mom's sister and the kids came for a few days and I had so much fun! They found out that I was in obedience training and my mom taught them what I had learned and what I needed to practice on and they helped me! I even got to walk with them....yeah I took advantage, especially little Claire who let me check my pee-mail on a walk one time. We had a blast together. It was so nice because we would walk and play in the morning, then they would go and do something during the day (I got to rest, well at least that's what mom thinks I do), and then they'd come back and we'd walk and play some more! THEN! At night time my mom pulls out this HUGE bed for them to sleep on! It is as big as mom's bed but lower to floor...the kids totally loved me on it:They wanted me to sleep with them, and it was tempting because they have all these fuzzy blankets, but I wanted to sleep with my mom so I just stayed with them till they fell asleep.

Obedience class this week was okay. There was only me and one other dog! Not sure what's going on with the rest of the class, so Mary said we may have some people from another class join us so we get socialization. We worked on coming when called and I did really well. I also had to walk and then sit when mom told me to and then she would walk in front of me and then around me, I did pretty well. I have a hard time on down stay though, I do go down but then I don't stay there...hmm..mom says we will be working on this one...fine by me (MORE TREATS!).

On Saturday mom worked at a garage sale for Harbor Humane Society. It was to raise money for the shelter and she thinks they did pretty good. They had a lot of dogs out there to meet and greet people. Mom said it was a lot of fun. When mom got home, we ran out to get some dinner and we saw a baby deer by our place! We have seen the big deer running through but not the baby ones. This one even has the spots on it's back, but you can't see them in this pic:

Mom found a new place to take me too, maybe...she has to find out if dogs are allowed. Apparently it is by a huge beach and a huge lake. I'm game for it! If it pans out I will let you know!

Woof!

Kirby

Wordless Wednesday

My week in review

Kirby here!

Well my week wasn't too bad. My obedience class Thursday was a bit more exciting my mom said because I got a little vocal myself. I tended to growl a little bit at the other dogs. The trainer (Mary) in the class is a very nice lady and told my mom to keep bringing me back (YEAH!). Then, I got to be a Demo Dog! Mary thought it would be good for me to be handled by another person so she asked my mom if it was okay. So Mary had me sit, down and stay THEN she put me in a down stay and put a froot loop in front of me and told me to wait! OF course I knew this one already, so Mary was really impressed and smiled at my mom! You see my mom and me work on this one really hard. She will put me in down in the kitchen and tell me to wait and drop cheerios on the floor, and I wait! Yeah I was pretty proud of myself, so was mom.

Mom did an adopt a thon Saturday. It was at a Dog A Rama in Zeeland and she really wanted to take me because they have all these dog contests, but mom said my doggy aggression issues need to be a little better so maybe next year! Anyways, she said it was a lot of fun and they brought 4 dogs from the shelter:This is Millie, she was with my mom most of the day. She is a Jack Russell Rat Terrier Mix, mom said she was a sweetie and loved to be held and sit on your lap.This is Freddy. He is a Beagle. He is only about 7 months old and has been at the shelter since May or so. Mom said he is a fun little guy.This is Peter (Petey). He is a pit mix and mom said he was also a very nice dog. This was his first time at an adopt a thon. He really liked sitting on the chairs!This is Carla Ann. She is a ten year old mixed mutt. All my mom would say is that she was a SWEET HEART and loved everybody.

Mom said it was a lot of fun but was so excited to come home because she was given a new toy for me to play with. A volunteer at the shelter made these cool toys to sell at Adopt A Thons and since all the volunteers there had dogs, they said my mom could take one home for me! Oh what fun it is:

So an update on the no pee-mail. Well, I guess I'm doing okay, the treats do help, but now I have decided to just stop and pee on the road or sidewalk. Mom's not sure about this...hello! When you gotta go you gotta go! Oh well, she will talk to the trainer Thursday. I also got to see Ollie and Scooter this week and that was lots of fun! This week is cool, my mom's sister and the kids are coming for a few days! I can't wait! Hope they are ready for me!

Woof!
Kirby

What!! No more pee-mail???

Kirby here-

The picture above sets the tone for this entry...pathetic aren't I....

Well my mom is really trying to help me get through my aggression issues with other dogs and did some reading this weekend on the subject. Apparently, some of my aggression with other dogs could be a territorial thing. She thinks that I have this need to protect her or the places I walk (well of course I have to look out for her...but I guess I need to tone it down a bit!). I don't carry on in the house (her territory) or in the pet stores, vet, groomer, and obedience class (also not my territories). So she put some pieces together and seems to think that if I'm not allowed to check pee-mail that it could help me with my aggression issues...part of this advice came from some stuff she read from some guy called the dog whisperer who doesn't believe in letting dogs mark when they go for a walk, also my obedience trainer says it's not good either. So mom said we are trying it.

How did I take it, not well. When she got home she had me go pee out on my side of the grass in our condo. Then we went off to the mail box as usual but I couldn't stop and check my pee-mail. I tried to get her attention, didn't she know she was forgetting to let me do something? I sneezed and sneezed at her...it didn't work....I even tried whining....it didn't work either (she's tough!). Then we went to the park tonight. She let me pee when we first got there and then no more! I have no idea now what is going on with the park dogs. I huffed and puffed most of the walk trying to show my disgust with this idea...gee wiz. Speaking of wiz, at one point I just stopped and peed on the road in the park (me and mom have to get our signals straight when I have to pee and when I have to check pee-mail.) Then when we got back to the car, she let me pee again.
I will keep you updated on my mom's most recent brilliant idea...

HUFFIN' and PUFFIN'! WOOF!

Kirby



Kirby's mom here-

Kirby actually handled this find. He neglected to tell you that when we went by his usual "marking spots" I made him sit and he got a treat (a beef jerky treat...the good ones!). Yes, he really sneezed at me, whined, huffed and puffed, I love his personality...he made me chuckle! Also he isn't pouting, we got home from the walk, worked on a few obedience things and then he proceeded to chew on his new toy and look out the window. I think we will get through this just fine. He can be so dramatic!

-Kirby's mom

Local dog abuse story

Kirby's mom here-

I was told of a horrible dog abuse story this weekend and the link is below. It's about a little pit bull puppy that had it's ears cut off with scissors! Social Services was called out to the house about questionable child abuse and found the puppy. Thankfully, the puppy is now in a safe place but I have not heard about the kids. Hopefully the kids were removed too. I wonder if the person who did this would like their ears cut off!

http://mobile.mlive.com/advgrapids/db_96699/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=S1mRvgEs&detailindex=3&pn=0&ps=5

In this same county a few weeks ago, someone found a pit pull on the side of road almost dead! Apparently she was used as a bait dog. This dog is now recovering at a vet's office and will soon find a good home.

Fuming...
-Kirby's mom

My first obedience class!

Kirby here-

Well I had my first obedience class this past Thursday and what can I say, I totally shocked my mom! I didn't bark or carry on at any other dogs (well I did snap at a boston terrier that got a little too close to me) but that was all I did. My mom kept looking at me and asking me, "Where's the real Kirby?" "Um...mom...did you get enough sleep last night? I'm right here!" I don't know why she kept asking me that, I was just sitting there and lying down like a perfect gentleman (hee hee!)

So, I learned more sits, down and a new one...stand! My mom got a new hint on helping me learn to heel on the leash, but we are running into a few set backs with that. She was told to put some peanut butter (YUMMY!) on a wooden spoon and walk with it by her side and say heel because of course I would follow. I did, but then I would sit down and lick the peanut butter, my paws etc....it was just so good I didn't want to keep following her around the house. I needed to stop and savor the moment! SO this morning she ran out to the pet store and got some treat sticks, she thought it might motivate me to stay more by her side...well all it did was make me eat it! The stick got shorter and shorter and well it didn't go quite the way she hoped it would (personally I thought it went great!) and now I get more treats! Hopefully she continues to go to the pet store and try to find more things that WON'T work with me!

Also when she was at the store today she picked me up a new toy! I love this little plastic bone that my friend Ollie has. I always get to chew it at his house, but my mom has not been able to find one anywhere. So she got me these fun plastic connected pieces:

These are so good to chew on! I absolutely love them! WOOF!Yeah...this is why mom doesn't want me to chew her fingers...GRRRRR!!

Yes, because she got me this totally cool toy, I will forgive her for not taking me to the pet store with her.

More adventures later...got get back to my new toy!

Woof!
--Kirby

2 months!

Kirby here-


Woof! I have been here two months now! It was actually yesterday, but mom and I celebrated by taking a nice nap on the couch (actually mom had a really bad headache) and then she suprised me with a walk at my favorite park!

Wow, what an awesome life I am discovering I have. I have a cool mom who thinks I'm totally handsome and so smart, a "cool place" to live...thank goodness because it is so hot here and some cool dog friends! I have a lot of cool places to go walking too which is good because my mom and I do a lot of walking!


Mom says I'm much better now when she leaves, I hardly bark or cry ( this was not separation anxiety as she might tell you...I was just telling her that I wanted to go too! The crying part was just to make her feel bad!).

Mom says I get to start obedience class this Thursday. Because of this I also get to try some new treats! These are so yummy! Mom likes them because she can take one square and get like 6 little pieces out of it, so they will last a long time! Sounds good to me!

I loved these treats so much that when my mom tried them for the first time with me, I was totally like, "just give me the treat!", I wouldn't bring my toys back after she threw them. I mean come on toy or treat...you decide!

The other night my friend Scooter and her mom and Scooter's little person came over. I was a total spaz!!! All I wanted to do was play and play with Scooter, she was fun she even played a little bit back with me! Eventually we couldn't tell what toys were dog toys and what toys where kid toys!

Mom did another adopt a thon Saturday and actually went and picked the dogs up and everything. She said she had a lot of fun and she can't wait to do it again! I'm so glad she is out there helping my friends!

Yeah I have a good life....

Woof!
-Kirby

Watch out Martha Stewart...here comes Kirby!

Kirby's mom here-

Well I got home today and discovered that Kirby truly has some talents for interior decorating! I did an earlier post in June on how he made his own bed, but now has progressed to the living room couch! This is how the couch usually looks:
This is how Kirby rearranged it today:

Kirby moved one of the pillows in front of the other one, and behind the pillow he sits on to look out the window!! Usually, he just messes up the pillows and throws them on the floor, but not today! This is a dog that truly thinks! I'm constantly learning new things about him...but his interior decorating is absolutely amazing! I wonder if I can teach him how to hang up pictures and paint a bathroom?

Kirby here-

Well of course I know interior decorating. When mom's not home I watch Martha Stewart and Katie Brown and all those cool decorating shows! It really is a "good thing" too, because mom says if I get anymore ear infections I am going to have to find a job! I hear interior decorators make good money too! What would I call my business...Interiors by a Terrier! Woof!

Good night blessings to all!

Kirby and Kirby's Mom