Best day of the year

Christmas

The holiday season has arrived. What's it like for a dog you might ask, well let me tell you it's not as nice for us as you might think. Waiting outside the stores for my owner feels like an eternity instead of just a quick stop. I can't count the number of times I've patiently waited for a little piece of a tasty treat to drop at the gatherings only to hear "sorry, Diesel chocolates are bad for dogs." Then how come humans can eat so many without tragic results?

The hardest part is we have this tree with lots of little lights and shiny things.....SHINY THINGS! I know I'm not supposed to get too close and quite frankly I'm a little nervous it might fall down on me, but there's this one at the top that sparkles, it's hard to resist.

The funnest part of holiday season is Christmas morning when I see my bleary eyed owner walking down the stairs and heading toward the fireplace where she picks up this giant sock. Now I don't really wear socks and this one is clearly not my size but I've become quite fond of the sight of this sock. I tremble while she pulls out the goodies placing them on the floor, unwrapping the packaging, I watch on the verge of uncontrolled exhilaration waiting for that one bog bone, the one at the bottom it's always there she pulls it out last and hands it to me first. I snatch it up quickly, tail whacking the walls as I find my place and dig in.

That place, my friends, is a place of peace and productivity as I systematically rake my teeth over the hard surface. In my peaceful place after my exhilaration has quieted I look up to have a peek at my family and can palpate the love in the air. Usually in my euphoric state I feel the need to spread the love back and rub up against each and everyone of those silly humans. I show off my bone and the progress I have made so far all the while making it clear it's mine they'll have to get a bone of their own.

Now I know there is something about a old man in a red suit and white hair but for me Christmas is all about my family we spend the whole day together eating treats and taking long walks. It might just be one of the best days of the year:)

So here's to peace on earth and goodwill between people and animals Merry Christmas everyone!

Sharing a room

I love to sleep in my crate at night. Only at night, during the day it is much nicer to lounge on the balcony in the sun or curl up at my owners feet. Night time is great in my crate I get my beauty rest all the while knowing the first thing I get to do in the morning is go for a walk. What a nice way to wake up right?

Well, that has all changed now and I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. Ever since the new puppy, Reid, came home I've been forced to share my room. He sleeps in a crate much higher than mine with no top which also has a spinning musical piece (OK that part is pretty cool I wish I had a spinning musical piece on my crate); however, Reid has taken to.......well how can I describe it?

I think a high pitched howl about sums it up AND he does this multiple times during the night. So now when he wakes me from my slumber my beloved owner comes into the room, but it's not to take me out for a walk, noooooo. Instead she takes the little howler out into the living room for awhile. I bet he's getting in trouble for the howling, it's not allowed in the house. Somehow though he's just not getting the message since he continues to howl every single night since he came. Maybe he's slow to train; he's not part Labrador like me.

How do I know he's not part Labrador you ask. Well I've seen them put him in the water and this also solicits the howling response from the little bugger. They also have to hold him because I don't think he can swim yet. Labs can do this from birth, we're special this way, we LOVE the water. We even have special webbing in between our toes to make us swim faster!

To sum things up so far this new puppy can't swim and howls a lot, especially when I'm sleeping good thing he has some great smells going for him.

And then there were 5

My happy go lucky, dance like no one is watching owners left for a couple of nights. I knew something was up when they got out the bags, but usually I get to go too? This time they left me behind. OK, fine they always come back, they always come back.....but this time when they came back they brought an itty bitty, tiny puppy home.

I know it's puppy because he eats at the breast like how I used to when I lived with my mother and my siblings. We used to scramble over each other to get to the milk, but this puppy doesn't have to fight or struggle he has his own, actually he has two. My owners call the puppy "Reid" other people call it "the baby". Either way his bark needs work.

So far it's not so bad I still get out for walks but my female owner can't go as often any more so when I can I curl up by her feet just to be near her. She's still my favorite, but I have to admit this new puppy does have more interesting smells. I sniff his bum a lot (he doesn't return the favor yet).

I figure I'm open, I'm adaptable let's see what this new little puppy has in him....it could be fun!

Where has the sun gone?

The last two mornings have been a little rougher getting up and out of the crate when it's time for the morning walk. As I'm stretching at the door of the elevator considering another lie down the door opens and in we go. Now I'm a little more awake and I can feel my bladder stretching, yearning for the outside world now, a little release. Then I get to the front door and blink my tired eyes over and over. I see MY tree ahead but I can't help noticing the little river of water running down the sidewalk, where did that come from?

As we're stepping out the door I glance over at a fully covered foot stepping across the threshold. These are called "shoes" by my owners they don't make the same flip, floppy sound like the ones she is usually wearing.

Oh, ugg, I just got spattered in the face with water. Normally I LOVE the water, swimming, drinking, splashing playing but there's just something about rain that makes me uncertain. I look down pound the pavement, do my "business" (by the way why do humans call it business) there's no transaction involved I leave my product and at the most someone picks it up and throws it away - where's the business in that?) and head for cover. What I don't get is why she always wants to walk around in the rain more. She's covered head to toe getting splattered by the tiny pellets of water and she insists on continuing.

It's a good thing I know I'll get a big bowl of food when we return otherwise I'd probably run for cover while waiting and watching her trudge along in the rain. But I don't leave her, I'd never leave her she seems so fragile walking in the rain.

This is me

This is my introduction to the readers. My name is Diesel, I'm a dog, a mixed breed my mother is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and my father is a Chocolate Labrador. I turned 2 years old in March. I live with my family in Vancouver near the beach - I get to go almost everyday!