Who says cats rule?

Friday evenings are special when it's not bowling season. Mom comes home and usually just chills out with me and Dad for a while. before she goes into what she calls 'the writing cave'. Tonight, she came home and took us back to town to treat us to dinner at Sonic! With bowling starting in just two weeks, she wanted to do something different. I got a burger!

Well, I got to ride in Mom's car, too. That's pretty special. I don't get to do that very often. We generally take my pickup. Okay, it's really Dad's pickup but I have my own seat. 

But you know what I really liked? Other than the burger, of course. LOKI didn't get to go with us. Take that you skanky little cat! I told you Mom loved me best, didn't I? You don't even get to leave the house. I get to go everywhere! 

Okay, cat. Mom says I'm being bratty about you and I need to stop picking on my little brother. Whatever. Just remember one thing, Loki. 

I'm Deuce and I get to ride in Mom's car!

Do green eyes make me special?

Mom didn't have to go to work today. I love, love, love days when she's home with me and Dad. We got up early and took a long walk. We've had so much rain this summer that the creeks are really deep and running fast. It's okay, though. Cousin Chris has a small dam and it's safe for me to hop in the water. 

Our walks can take us across a couple of creeks depending on which way Mom wants to go. The way we went this morning, one creek flows across an old dirt road. It's wide and not too deep, except for one spot Mom stayed away from. But not me. I hopped right in the deep water. It was cold on my belly so I didn't stay there long. I was splashing around and Mom took my picture. Look at my eyes! How cool is that? I didn't know my eyes could do that. 

I'm Deuce! I'm a super dog!! 

I love being a country dog. I think I'd be sad if Mom and I couldn't walk into the woods. In the woods, I can run free and sniff everything. Mom says I should confess I pee on everything, too. Of course, I do! I'm a guy dog!

So after Mom took me for a walk this morning, she and Dad left me alone with that skanky cat Loki for three and a half hours. I heard them say they hated to do it, but Dad had a doctor's appointment in Baltimore. Baltimore must be a long way down the road. Mom said she doesn't mind the highway miles but driving in the city is annoying. Anyway, after they got back from the city, they took me for a ride to make it up to me. We went down to the produce stand and we got a watermelon. It's in the fridge, chilling. Watermelon is good! Come Saturday, I'm going to get frozen treats, I just know it! 

It's late now and I'm ready for bed. Mom says I can go in without her but I won't. I'll stay right here beside her chair until she's done telling the story of my day. After all, being with Mom is what I do best.

He's not amusing

Would you like to take a guess as to where my toys are stored? 

Mom's mom got that basket for her a long time ago. Mom used to keep magazines in it back when the only magazines you could get were printed on paper. Now she gets them on her Kindle. 

When Dad got his new lift chair, we decided it was time to store my crate. I sleep with Mom and I'm mature enough to stay loose in the house when Mom and Dad go away. They never go away for very long. Mom has a strict four-hour rule that says I'm never left alone in the house for more than four hours at a time. 

When Mom took my crate to the shed she needed a place to store all my toys. She put them in the basket since it has a lid. Now that skanky cat has decided to "guard" my stuff. 

This is not copacetic. In fact, I do not like this at all. It's MY stuff. 

I'm warning you, cat. You'd better be careful. If you mess with my stuff, I'll hide all your little catnip mousies you have strewn all over my house. 

I'm Deuce. I'm not going to take this lying down. 

Oh, yeah. One more thing, Loki. I heard Mom tell Dad the appointment is made for your snip-snip. I'm going laugh until I howl when you get home from THAT!!!!

Rain, rain, go away (but it's better than snow)

What's with all the rain? Water is fine if I can splash around in it but rain sucks. I can't even relax on my sunporch. The rug is wet. Water drips off the umbrella. 

I must be sighing out loud. Every so often Mom reaches down, gives me a pat, and says, "I know, baby." We haven't had a decent walk since forever! 

Mom says we just have to live with the rain, that some summers are like this. Dad says he's glad we're not getting this precipitation in January because it would be snow. 

I'm with Dad. I think the rain is a lot better than snow. I'll just have to learn to play in the rain. After all, it is only water. 

Bark vs. Growl - I talk to Mom

I might be a dog, but I know how to communicate effectively with my people. I can make a lot of different growls and barks, and I've trained Mom and Dad to hear all the nuances and know what I'm saying. 

There's my "airplane going over" growl. It's really short and quiet. I don't like it when airplanes fly over my head. Mom says there is nothing we can do about it and I should stop complaining. She's probably right but I'm exercising my first amendment rights and expressing myself. 

I have different growls for when deer or fox or crows are in my yard. When I bark and growl, Mom and Dad know more than one critter is around. When I just bark, they know whatever it is is close to our house. Then there's a different bark when someone is coming back the lane. That's a fast and loud bark.  When I'm outside I talk to the neighborhood dogs. That's a loud and long bark with a pause to hear a reply before I do it again. I'm the local boss. Sometimes I tell everyone to shut up and be quiet and they listen to me. Mom thinks that's funny.

When I bark in the house, Mom tells me to use my inside voice. I don't think so. Just like I know words and phrases Mom and Dad know growls and barks. It's a pretty good system. 

But sometimes I just need to tell Mom something special like how much I love her. Face-to-face is best for that. Mom says I'm special.

I'm Deuce. Of course I'm special! 

Dad's new ramp

Back when I was a little guy, Dad used to take me out on the front porch. He'd have a cup of coffee and I'd play. I had to remember not to fall off the edge and when I forgot, it was not a good thing. I bounced better when I was a little guy. Dad kept an eye on me and would tell me when I was too close to the edge but I didn't listen very well back in those days. It was better on the weekends. Mom would grab me. She's always been faster than Dad. 

Then last summer, Dad couldn't make it out on the porch any longer. That made Mom and me sad. How can we be a pack if one member can't join in? Mom says people don't realize how many simple pleasures Dad has lost because he can't walk now. That's why he has the fancy chair on wheels with a motor. 

This past Saturday morning, Cousin Dave came up and built Dad a ramp! I was unhappy because Mom made me stay inside. I like Cousin Dave and he likes me. I wanted to watch what he and Mom were doing.  It was a good thing I was inside with Dad because they found a wasp's nest and they got stung. I wouldn't like getting stung, especially on the nose. 

Dad likes the ramp. He zips up and down like he's been doing it for years. I'm not so sure about it. I guess it's good for Dad, but I can jump onto the porch, even with my bad cruciate. (That's why I sit with my leg tucked under me now.)

Mom says I'll get used to it. I guess I will even though I think it's a bit weird for dogs. 

I'm Deuce. I know how to go with the flow. 

Was I ever really this little?

Mom was organizing the folder of my stuff she has on her computer this morning. She found a baby picture of me. 

Was I ever really THIS little?????

Now he's attacking me from under my bed!

Drat that cat! 

This morning he got under Mom's bed and when I walked past, he attacked me! 

I was minding my own business and WHAM! 

Mom laughed so I'm not talking to her. She even took a picture of me with my head under the bed looking for Loki. 

I really have to have a talk with Mom about that darn cat. 

I'm Deuce. I'm a Labrador Retriever, not a pin cushion. 

There's bad news and even badder news

I've experienced a life-altering injury. Mom had to take me to the emergency vet this afternoon. I've partially torn a ligament in my left hind leg. No more running. No more jumping. No more Frisbee. No more ball. Worst of all, I made Mom cry. 

It's been bothering me off and on for a bit. Mom and Dad have been watching me and how I move and walk. Today was the worst, though. It really hurt today and Mom could tell. 

I can still go for walks with Mom. I think if I couldn't that would be the worst thing of all. The lady vet said there's nothing to do right now except to take care of the inflammation and the pain. So Mom says that's what we'll do.

What has Mom really upset is the medicine the vet gave her - Carprofen. She looked it up on the Internet and it can make me really sick. She's afraid to give it to me. My regular vet says baby aspirin can hurt my stomach. It hasn't yet but Mom is really careful about how I take it. 

But this Carprofen can make me bleed, too. It can damage my liver and kidneys. It can cause urinary incontinence and urinary tract infections. I might get diarrhea and I've had that before and I didn't like it much. Carprofen can give me pancreatitis which could kill me. And what is acute tubular necrosis? Isn't that when something inside me dies??? And here's a kicker - Labrador Retrievers make up 25% of all the adverse hepatic reactions to Carprofen. 

Hey! I'm a Labrador Retriever. This is not a good thing for my liver! 

Carprofen used to be given to humans but they had to stop that. What's that tell you? And Carprofen and Rimadyl are the same drug under different names. I think that's sneaky of some drug manufacturer to try and confuse human parents. 

I'm glad Mom took the time to research that drug. We'll figure out what I can and can't do to have fun. Mom and Dad are smart that way. We already play a lot of indoor games that keep me engaged and some of them we can do outside. I can still walk with Mom, no problem. And I have Loki to play with now, too. 

My days of being a Frisbee athlete might be over for the most part but I'm still Deuce. I can still do the most important thing of all and that's be Mom's best dog ever. 

 

This little bugger was not what I expected!

I have a kitten! It turns out his name is Loki which is the name of a Norse god who got into all sorts of mischief and misadventure. Mom and Dad brought him home last night. Nooooobody slept last night but that's another story. Right now, I'm a little worried and sad. I don't think Loki likes me.

Mom says he has to settle in and get to know me. I heard her tell Dad that Loki only weighs three pounds. That must not be very much because he's a little guy. 

I guess I'm a little jealous that he can sit on Mom's lap. Dad's, too. I can't do that. I'm too big. But Mom made sure to invite me up on the loveseat with her. She didn't give Loki any chicken liver, either. She says that's all for me. 

Mom says Loki has to stay inside for a long, long time. He can't even go outside on the patio with us unless he's in a crate. Apparently, those skanky foxes could eat him! I don't think I'd like that to happen. Mom has a plan for Mr. Mummert to build Loki a cat house outside the guest room window. That way she can open the window and he can enjoy getting out in his very own screened enclosure for some fresh air. She saw the plans on Pinterest, whatever that is. 

I suppose having Loki here will be okay as long as he remembers one very important thing. 

I'm Deuce! I was here first and I knew Mom and Dad before he did. That means they loved ME first and longer. And don't you forget it, cat!

Oh, yeah. Hey Loki! when Mom starts talking about the snip-snip, I'm going to laugh at you.