Almost Wordless Wednesday

Beware! Guard Dog On Duty!

Beware! Guard Dog Asleep on Duty!!

-Kirby's Mom

A Super Saturday!!!

Kirby here-

Well it has been a super Saturday so far! Today the rain has stopped, for the most part, so mom and I got to go on an extra long walk this morning! Mom also volunteered today at an adopt-a-thon for Harbor Humane Society. They had 8 dogs there!!! WOW! My mom didn't even have a chance to get pictures because they were so busy. Mom said there was however one dog there that was pretty cool. His name is Powder, because he is all white, except for spots on his ears. He is a pitbull mix and he is BLIND!!! Mom got to spend some time with him and she said he was such a sweetie. It was his first adopt a thon and he did really good. Here is a picture of him at the shelter:

Isn't he cute! Mom said he was great with people and the other dogs. People couldn't believe he was blind! Because he couldn't see people in front of him, mom would tell people to say "Hi Powder" and hold their hand out so he could smell it. Powder would wag his tail and go up to the people. People asked how a blind dog would do in a house. Mom told people how dogs use there other senses, smell, hearing and touch. They teach themselves just like blind people teach themselves. People were amazed mom said. My mom's friend at the shelter has been really working with Powder, to understand the word, "Careful," when he comes towards something, he is learning to slow down and then uses his paws. It was really cool mom said!

Well the adopt a thon was in Grand Haven, Michigan. Mom and I don't get that far out most of the time and there were two stores that mom just had to go to after the adopt a thon! One was called "Just Dogs" and it is a gourmet bakery just for us! The other one is called "Must Love Dogs" and it's a boutique/spa just for us too! So mom went to both. The people who own them also support Harbor Humane Society by doing fundraisers and having adopt a thons in their stores. So look at what mom bought me....There is a small little package of assorted homemade bones. A HUGE package of assorted cookies, some good dog treats which are really tiny little bones, some training treats and some sweet potato jerky things. I have my own gourmet bakery!!!!! So far I have only tried one of the bones and they were delicious:So would you agree that I have had a super Saturday! I have the coolest mom ever!!

Woof!

Kirby!

Saturday Blog Hop!!

Kirby's last beginner obedience class

Kirby's Mom here-

Well last night was Kirby's last beginner's obedience class. There were only three dogs there, Kirby, Monty (Mary's golden retriever) and Lilly a labradoodle. When we walked in Monty greeted us and Kirby backed up a little but didn't bark or growl (yeah!). We proceeded in and Mary said to let Kirby off his leash so he and Monty could mingle. Monty is a very non threatening, well behaved dog so this would be very good for Kirby. Kirby did so well! Monty let Kirby smell him and such and Monty just looked at him like, "okay little dude go ahead." Then Lilly came in and Mary said to keep them off the leash for class. So for the last class, the dogs socialized and so did we. This was so good for Kirby, his confidence was built up so much last night and I am SO PROUD of him! He played a little bit with Lilly who is just a pup herself really, although a big pup! Kirby and Lilly played follow the leader sometimes, Lilly following Kirby and Kirby didn't growl or turn around and bark. It was funny when Kirby went walking behind the chairs and he went under the chair to get out and Lilly got stuck because she was too big! At times Kirby did hide behind the chairs, but he never growled or barked. Mary and her assistant were amazed at his bravery!

I was so encouraged by this. Mary has playgroup for the dogs on Saturdays at the training center and although the next two Saturdays I can't take Kirby, we will go soon. She said that it's a great time to practice training, socializing and she even pulls out the agility equipment for us to play on. I can't wait!!!!!

Mary told me that next Tuesday for advanced obedience there is a dachsund coming in with an attitude like Kirby's. I don't know why but I'm excited for this. I'm hoping in some way that maybe the two dogs can help each other, but I would also love to talk to the owner.

Anyways, I am feeling so encouraged today for Kirby. I feel like we are having little breakthroughs with him and step by step we are getting there!

I love you Kirby-dude!

Kirby's Mom

Kirby here-

Well last night was my last beginner class, so let's hear it from my point of view, okay... I got hardly any treats!!!!! Okay, I did get to show off my tricks. I did rollover, paw (shake), and my crawl. I got rave reviews! But otherwise all we did was play, which, okay, was fun. I got to meet Monty, a nice "big" guy who let me smell him and he just looked at me. Lilly was very rambuctious but fun, we tried to play together too, running around the room!! Lilly and I also took turns trying to catch a fly that was truly annoying us. The adults, including my mom, were getting a kick out of watching us do this. Mom did give me treats when we got home, apparently she was very proud of me for behaving so well! Last night I just had a good time with the other dogs, I guess that was worthy of treats!

Woof!

Kirby

Advanced Obedience...how did it go...?

Kirby here-

Well last night I went to the advanced obedience class. My mom and I waited outside with the other dogs while the other class was finishing up and I had a lot to say to the other dogs. Mom kept making me sit by her side, which I did most of the time. We finally got to go inside and I did growl a little bit but soon got over myself. Mary, my instructor went around the room and introduced us dogs to each other, and when she got to me she said, "This is Kirby, a terrier mixed with God knows what, and an attitude! He basically thinks he owns the room." She was just kidding, because she jokes around about my "tude!" But she just asked everyone to kind of just be careful around me, because well, I have an attitude!

We did a lot of stuff with our moms last night, "hands on" as mom calls it. We walked around the room and then mom and I did sit stays, and stuff like that. Then, we had to do meets. And Mary had me and my mom and another guy and his husky go first. So my mom and I walk towards them and they towards us. Then we meet in the middle and I have to sit and so does the other dog. Mom and the other guy shake hands say hi and then we walk on. Well, I did it PERFECTLY!!! My mom was so suprised! I don't know why... We also, did walking around people. Mary had some extra people stand in a line and we had to walk around them. I guess the idea is to help us pay attention to our moms and not the other people...I did pretty good. We worked on sit, stay, come. We had to sit nice while the instructors came around the room and petted us. I didn't like my paws touched which mom said, "don't worry we will work on that one." I'm sure it will involve treats so OKAY! Then, they had one dog lay in the middle and the rest of us had to lay down around them, our butts facing them. Then Mary walked around squeaking a toy...yeah that was hard to stay down for, mom had to remind me a few times, but I was catching on.

Alot of the stuff we worked on is for the Canine Good Citizenship. Mom and I are going to work really hard...I have 6 more weeks till the test!

Well, that was a lot of work last night and before class mom and I went on a nice LONG walk. Since class is later, we get to walk before class now. So on the way home, even though it was storming like crazy, I laid in my cozy bed on the seat and slept! ZZZZZZ.....

Also, because one of our classes is during Halloween, we are going to have a dress up night for class. I'm thinking of going as a "Dude with a Tude!". Mom is going to find me a little white t shirt and leather jacket. What do you all think of that?

OH! Tomorrow I have my last beginner obedience class and it's trick night! So, I'm going to do my roll over, my crawl and maybe one that mom and I just tried. It's me saying Hi! ( I wave my paw!) I will let you know how it goes!

Woof!

Kirby

I got to learn to chew slower....

Kirby here-

Well my friend Ollie got these bones that are totally edible. Mom calls them "Healthy Edibles". Today she had to go to the store and she got me some just like Ollie's. They are sweet potatoe ones and they are yummy! My mom however, couldn't believe how I was eating it...ummm...mom you are supposed to eat them. I guess she was suprised at how fast I was eating it. After 15 minutes she took it from me, she said I could have the rest later. I guess I still need to learn how to chew slower, really enjoy and savor this new treat (yeah right!). Look what I did in 15 minutes:I don't know why this suprised mom, after all I am the same dog that destroyed my crate! I might be small but I have power in my jaws (grrrrr). Here is a handsome picture of me enjoying it:Yep...I absolutely love these! I think my mom thought they would last me longer, like my regular nylabone has. That one stays in the bedroom and I can chew on it at bedtime. It really isn't bad and I do enjoy it most evenings, but these totally ROCK!

WOOF!

Kirby (the chewmeister!)

What happened this week...

Kirby here!

Well what a week! First let's get the bad stuff over with. My anxiety returned again this week. I decided that it was time to start chewing at the door frames and barking my tail off again. I know, I haven't done it for like 3 months now but hey, I turned into a worry wart this week and I don't know why. When we were at obedience Thursday, mom asked Mary about it. She said her dog did the same thing once. She said to take a handful of cheerios and toss them across the floor and then leave. Cheerios! Woo hoo! Boy do I enjoy trying to find them throughout the kitchen! What a great idea! By the time I'm done with that and then work on my treat ball I feel okay and it's back to the window to watch the world go by!

Okay, now the good stuff! I visited with Ollie this week and we got along very well. (That's Ollie in the pic above.) Someday mom said I will be able to run after tennis balls with him! I can't wait! In obedience class Thursday we worked on socialization, apparently it means I go and meet the other dogs. Mary told my mom that if I started to bark and growl to call me to her and pull the leash. My mom did this twice and the third time I went out there with the big dogs totally confident. Mary said all I needed to know is that it's okay and I always have a safe place to return to (LOVE YA MOM!). However after that we did doggy races and I raced against a labradoodle who proceeded to follow me instead of going to her mom. She pawed me and I turned around growling and grabbed my mom's hand (SORRY MOM!). Mom was okay. Even with that incident Mary and my mom said I have come a long way! I have even played with the neighbor dogs, who a week ago or so I just barked and growled at. Yeah, I feel the confidence building!

Next week I have two obedience classes! On Tuesday we begin Advanced classes and on Thursday we have our last beginner class. It will be a fun class too because we are going to do tricks and stuff and if we know any we can show off! I think I"m going to do my rollover although I think mom is going to try to teach me another one this week...we will see! Wish me luck in advance obedience!

Woof!

Kirby

Saturday Blog Hop!

100 Days of Kirby!!

Kirby's Mom here-

Yes Kirby has been here 100 days! WOW!!! In schools they celebrate 100th day by doing different things. I thought hm...I could give Kirby 100 treats. Yes, he would love them, but in the end not a good idea! I thought I could tell you 100 things about Kirby that I love, but there are actually more than 100!! So, I guess I will just share with you the joys and trials of adopting a shelter dog.

Shelter dogs are gifts. I think of them as gift wrapped boxes. Each time you remove a part of the wrapping a part of the gift is reavealed. Each time Kirby and I learn something about each other or get into a situation something about him is revealed. I have no idea what his past was like, but as I have "unwrapped him" I do believe there was some abuse in it. He doesn't like it when I raise a shoe or paper to kill a bug, he literally cowers. But someone did work with him because he knew a few commands. Another part of this gift is that Kirby is a FAST learner! He catches on quick to tricks like rollover and shake. As I unwrap more, I learn that Kirby isn't crazy about other dogs, however, when given boundaries and encouragement he will associate with them. Kirby loves to ride in the car looking out the back window...some dogs like to look at life coming at them, Kirby prefers to watch life go by! Another part I unwrapped was his fearfulness of looking at me...probably part of the abuse, but now I can get him to look at me in the eyes...HUGE accomplishment! He still isn't crazy if I get too close to his face, but we are working on this. Kirby also isn't crazy about giving kisses, which really doesn't bother me.

There is so much more of Kirby to "unwrap" and I'm looking forward to every part of it. I'm amazed at how much dogs can learn from us, but also how much we can learn from them. The biggest thing Kirby has taught me is patience. I think the biggest thing I 've taught Kirby is trust.

Yes, adopting a shelter dog can be quite a challenge. You usually don't know their past. I know, even with Kirby, there are still things that I'm going to learn about him. But that's part of the gift!

Remember...when you adopt a shelter dog you save three lives! You save the dog you are adopting, you save the dog that gets turned in because he now has a kennel to stay in, and you save the dog that may have had to get put down because there was no more kennels available! Adopt your next best friend!!!

Sharing a pic of my gift:

Enjoying the gift of Kirby!

Kirby's Mom

Saturday Blog Hop!

Is agility in my future....?

Kirby here-

Obedience class on Thursday went great, yeah I still barked and growled at the other dog, but boy did I like doing the agility course! Now I understand why my mom was so excited about this, it is actually quite fun. Jumping through tires going up on platform, jumping over a stick! I hesitated at the chute and the very tiny tunnel, but mom bribed me with treats so eventually I caved. I totally concentrate on what I'm supposed to do and I really liked it! We also learned how to go "down" fast, my mom was amazed that I did this so well! Mary talked to us about the advance obedience class. Apparently in this class we will learn how to fine tune what I already know, do more agility and get introduced into something called rally obedience which I have heard my mom mention before and gets excited about. So guess what? Mom signed us up! Yep after my beginner class ends I have 7 more weeks of advance obedience class! Mary and her assistant said it will help with my barking and growling issues too. They are really nice about that, they keep telling my mom to work with me and I will eventually get over it. Also, with the advance obedience class I have the chance to earn my Canine Good Citizenship! So, the work continues. I heard my mom say recently that "we" are a work in progress...me and her. I like that! She is apparently learning as much as I am!

Today, as part of my doggy barking and growling issues, mom took me to Petco. Harbor Humane was there for an adopt a thon and so was my mom's friend who works at Harbor. So we went there to see her and get some more yummy treats and a reflective leash. We practiced my sits and waits when other dogs were around. I did okay.

Oh and this morning I also went to the groomers...yeah I'm still handsome...actually even more so! But all this busyness has got me wiped out and Scooter and her mom and little person are coming over for dinner tonight (mom is cooking something in the crock pot....doggy torture!) and then we will be going over to my grandpa and grandma's to visit with them and Ollie! Whew...I need to get some rest!

zzzzzzzz......

-Kirby

My 3 Month Anniversary!!

Kirby here-

Wow I have been here 3 months already! I thought I would tell you three things about me that you might not know:

1) I love my food...NutroMax Natural mini bites (so good I will eat them as treats too!)

2) I now wait for my food AND water to be put down before I eat..I'm getting pretty good aren't I!

3) My mom can tell me to wait in the kitchen with treats on the floor, she will go into another room and come back, and I still haven't ate them!

Yeah...I'm loving it here!

Woof!

Kirby

Wordless Wednesday

I know, it's supposed to be a Wordless Wednesday, but I just have to say it "Awwwww......"

-Kirby's Mom

UH OH! Stinky Kirby!!

Kirby's Mom here-


Well last night we did go over to Scooter's yard and Kirby totally enjoyed running around and chasing the tennis ball. One thing Kirby loves to do is roll in the grass in Scooter's yard. He has done this before and usually waits for Scooter to do it and then he does it after her. So last night was no different, except when Kirby stood up, PEEEEE YEWWWWW!!!! He stunk really bad on his back. Scooter's mom smelled her and she stunk too! It was AWFUL!! We don't know what it was, there was no animal poop around, so we are thinking it's probably urine of some kind. So, Kirby and Scooter got a bath in Scooter's garage last night and he smells much better now. I wasn't able to get pictures of that, which I'm sure Kirby is most grateful for. But here is a nice picture of him I took one morning:
Hoping for better smelling days,
Kirby's Mom


Kirby here-
Okay, let's set this straight. What mom thinks stinks and what I think smells good is totally different. I understand that I can't really live in the house smelling like urine but this is what a dog does. Maybe mom will understand it some day. And yes, I am VERY grateful my garage bath pictures never surfaced...mom never had a chance to get pictures because I kept her very busy, you know trying to eat the towel and everything... hee hee hee woof!!!

WOOF!
Kirby, TBSAD (Totally Better Smelling Awesome Dog)

New Toy!

Kirby here!

Saturday evening, Scooter and her mom and little person came over and we walked down to a pet store near by. Scooter's mom was looking for a special kind of food, and my mom thought it would be fun to practice some obedience stuff in there. Well I did so well, mom brough me this cool toy:It is called a "Monster Ball" and what mom does is she wedges one of my bones in it and I try like heck to get it out. Even with all my talent, I haven't been able to get one out yet, I try to bite it and lick it and I really just exhaust myself trying to do this. Mom said that is a good thing, all I know is one day I'm going to get that bone out of there! I would totally recommend this toy to any dog! It comes in different sizes, so Dillion, if you are reading this dude, tell your Mom to get you one because it comes in a big dog size too!I even let Scooter give it a try. I figured since she is bigger than me and so is her mouth she would be able to do it, but still no luck.My obedience classes are going well. Well in the fact that I'm a very smart dog and catch on quick, not so well in that I still bark and growl at the other dogs. OH! I can't wait for Thursday! Mom said we are going to do something in obedience class called agility. Apparently it involves jumping and running, sounds like fun! Mary, my teacher said she really thinks I am going to like it and that it is going to boost my confidence, whatever that is. I guess it has something to do with me and barking and snapping at all the dogs that come near me. I am sure it involves treats so I am totally ready for it!

I was also very awesome last night! I went over to Ollie's house to visit with my grandma and grandpa and Scooter was there too! I didn't growl or bark at Scooter and Ollie! Mom called me a totally awesome Kirby dog! I liked that!

Well, apparently tonight we are going to Scooter's house tonight and I get to run in her yard! WOOF! I can't wait. I'm hoping she is feeling up to playing with me too!

Woof!

-Kirby, TAD (totally awesome dog)

Wordless Wednesday

Woof!

Kirby